"I've been waiting my whole life for this!" (says the 3 year old) - A September 2023 WDW Trip Report!

[ambula603]

Very helpful, thank you!!

 

[MamaMouse0920]

It really did look like a wonderful trip and I love your positive attitude and that you didn’t let a few bumps in the road get you down! Great example for the kids and hopefully they’ll roll with things just as easily on future trips. Thank you for sharing and for all the super cute pics

Thank you so much!! It was an amazing trip!

You do fantastic trip reports. Thank you for taking the time to write and share!

Aw thank you!! I love extending the magic a bit by writing these TRs!

Wow what a trip your family had! It was fun following along. I like all the detail and that you included the not so fun moments. Keeping it real! Writing this must have taken an incredible amount of time - thank you for sharing your trip!

Thank you so much! I DEFINITELY try to keep it real- I know how much social media (or in this case, the DIS) can paint everything a certain way when we all know life isn't all sunshine and rainbows 24/7

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Thank you for the great trip report! I really enjoyed reading along with your adventures. I’m glad you finally made it to Epcot this trip, plus it seems it worked better to be at Disney with just your little family. Disney and traveling with littles can bring enough stress on its own without adding more!

As for your travel next year… what about going in late August? I assume most MN schools still start after Labor Day so you’d have some flexibility for late summer. I think the crowds aren’t quite as low as early September, but as you’re seasoned Disney travelers and use Genie+ I’m sure you’d be fine!

 

[Ellester]

Great report! I love seeing the pure joy on your kiddos’ faces! Reminds me of when mine were little. Thanks for sharing!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I ordered a margherita flatbread.

This looks like an entre sized pizza!

rior I held my breath- waiting for the meltdown that was sure to occur after being told he was once again too short... only to see him bonk his head on the measuring stick and the CM sent us on our way. Whaaa...???? This ended up being our first of several experiences where the height requirement checker things varied. For extra head-scratching conte

This is crazy!!! I remember having this issue when my youngest was that height. Right on the verge... I do think some of the measuring sticks are different heights. And the CMs... some care more than other too, maybe?

Eventually it was time for the show to start and we were all in much better moods- we LOVED Fantasmic!!!! This is where DS3 said "THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR MY WHOLE LIFE!!!!!!!" which was adorable and I was so glad to see them both so happy and really enjoying the show.

Glad that show made up for the drama beforehand. Fantasmic is great! We haven't seen the new version yet.

some family castle pics which unfortunately the more zoomed in versions turned out poorly - my face was blurry and the lighting looks off- it looks like they tried to edit them somehow and they just didn't turn out great. Th

We are finding the photopass photos kind of crappy. If it keeps that way, we might stop getting photopass. Which is a shame.

nd mac & cheese caused him to grow .5 inch in 3 days?! And as luck would have it... the CM at the entrance to the queue said h was tall enough to ride!!! Yay!!

I mean they do grow what seems overnight...

Cup since clearly this suspicious looking orange stuff was NOT the genuine real-deal ice cream he was promised, but once he finally agreed to try a bite realized it was pretty darn delicious and then he ate every last bite.

Ha! Dole Whips are all so refreshing in the heat. Funny that he identified it as not ice cream.

Hahahaha poor kid.

poor things...

This is so cute!!! We take a photo here every year! It has been a great way to see them grow up over the trips. We used to joke that my oldest was One Hook Hand Tall.

HE FELT SO BAD. I kept reassuring him that literally every person who has ever owned a phone/camera has done the same thing and to not beat himself up but still- he felt awful.

My husband did this one and event just like that, and it was sooo sad at the time. But now as I type this, I have no idea what it was.

Great photo! And they seem to be doing well with the long day!

to the "how many?" CM, we say 4, again with confidence. Only to have her stop us in our tracks and measure DS3 again. On the inside I'm annoyed but I obviously just direct DS3 over to her measuring stick thing. And sure enough, not tall enough. Not even close. How can that be?!?! Matt got a little impatient ("he literally already rode it today") but the lady was unbothered ("well he shouldn't have") and so I had to carry a crying DS3 across the train and out to the exit while Matt & DD4 stayed and rode. Poor guy!

This is always the worst for the poor kid. Poor Guy....

Unfortunately for both of these princesses there wasn't a CM taking pictures, it was one of those photo box things, and our Tiana pics didn't show up in the MDE ap

I HATE HATE hate the photoboxes!

MATT was actually the one who said "hey that line is really short for that PhotoPass Photographer, want to stop?"

Be still, my heart! Does he know me, or does he know me?! I sure love that gu

We slowly break them and train them to just know!

RIST!!!!!!!!" and gave him the nastiest look. It actually stopped traffic, everyone in the area turned their heads to see what on earth this woman was screaming about. It was embarrassing, and Matt said he was sorry but there wasn't much he could do- he was being pushed from the masses behind him & it's hard to see what's going on at the front (especially near the ground) of the stroller.

Oh strollers in crowds are just the worst. My DH used to leave a huge gap between people to avoid this but it was a big enough gap that everyone then used it as a place to jump in front of him and he would hit them or stop in his tracks and everyone would run into us from behind. He does NOT miss the stroller days!

 

[Stacybaeasm]

I just found your report and felt I had to read a fellow MN report. Then I got to the pictures, and not to sound stalkerish but...I immediately felt like I know you but I can't for the life of me figure out where we might have met. Loving your report so far!!!

 

[Stacybaeasm]

And finished. What an amazing trip!!! Your family is lovely. And your husband can accidentally hit me with a stroller any time. I don't understand why people get angry about that. We truly are all just doing our best. I know I've not been paying enough attention at some points and have accidentally stepped in front of a stroller and gotten clipped. I always turn and apologize and make sure the kids are ok. I'm a single adult and it's my fault for not watching where I am going. For goodness sake. I'll be looking for your pretrip report for your February trip!!!

 

[Eastern]

I love the margarita's in the 25th anniversary glasses, we actually just scored a set of 4 of those those at a thrift store recently and they've become the favorite to use in our house!

I melted a food and garden one in the dishwasher and had to go buy more on ebay

 

[jvalic33]

I just finished reading your blog and it was awesome.

I miss those days when my older kids were little but I still have a couple more to enjoy and the vacations seem to get even better as they age. While I'm a Disney veteran, it was still enjoyable to pick up some tips and tricks from you and I really loved the way you themed your outfits. It really makes a big difference when you look back at those pics and people are color coordinated.

Thank you for giving me a little taste of Disney while I'm counting down my 60 days!

 

[MamaMouse0920]

Thank you for the great trip report! I really enjoyed reading along with your adventures. I’m glad you finally made it to Epcot this trip, plus it seems it worked better to be at Disney with just your little family. Disney and traveling with littles can bring enough stress on its own without adding more!

As for your travel next year… what about going in late August? I assume most MN schools still start after Labor Day so you’d have some flexibility for late summer. I think the crowds aren’t quite as low as early September, but as you’re seasoned Disney travelers and use Genie+ I’m sure you’d be fine!

Thank you!! I read your suggestion about August to Matt and we definitely haven't ruled it out (you're correct in that we start after Labor Day) so we'll see!! A few short weeks can't make THAT big of a difference in terms of heat, right?!

Great report! I love seeing the pure joy on your kiddos’ faces! Reminds me of when mine were little. Thanks for sharing!

Aww, thank you!! I am trying to soak in every minute (even the not-so-fun ones ) Thanks for following along!!

I just found your report and felt I had to read a fellow MN report. Then I got to the pictures, and not to sound stalkerish but...I immediately felt like I know you but I can't for the life of me figure out where we might have met. Loving your report so far!!!

Ooooh I'm intrigued!! Send me a PM and we can figure it out!!

And finished. What an amazing trip!!! Your family is lovely. And your husband can accidentally hit me with a stroller any time. I don't understand why people get angry about that. We truly are all just doing our best. I know I've not been paying enough attention at some points and have accidentally stepped in front of a stroller and gotten clipped. I always turn and apologize and make sure the kids are ok. I'm a single adult and it's my fault for not watching where I am going. For goodness sake. I'll be looking for your pretrip report for your February trip!!!

Thank you!! And yes I literally said those exact words to Matt when we were reflecting on what had transpired a few days after returning home. I said how quickly I would dash between strollers etc. when we were kid-free in Epcot. Literally EVERYONE does it (without even realizing it half the time - the beauty of not having a stroller!), and had I been clipped in the ankles I would have 100% had it coming.

I just finished reading your blog and it was awesome.

I miss those days when my older kids were little but I still have a couple more to enjoy and the vacations seem to get even better as they age. While I'm a Disney veteran, it was still enjoyable to pick up some tips and tricks from you and I really loved the way you themed your outfits. It really makes a big difference when you look back at those pics and people are color coordinated.

Thank you for giving me a little taste of Disney while I'm counting down my 60 days!

Thank you so much, and I'm so jealous about your 60 day countdown!!! I'll keep an eye out for a Trip Report in about 70 days??

 

[MamaMouse0920]

Yes, the Trip Report is over BUT I have to share a few "real life" updates from the past week, since they are Disney related after all

Halloween 2023

We had the BEST Halloween ever this year!! We were dressed as Peter Pan & crew (the kids are obsessed with the new Peter Pan & Wendy movie!). The weather was cold (low 30s F) so the kids didn't get to wear much of their actual costumes while trick or treating but we still saw more Trick or Treaters out and about walking the streets of our neighborhood than EVER before so it was really sweet!! Like I said, we had an absolute blast and I just have to share some pictures!

 

[MamaMouse0920]

DD4's Pirate themed 5th Birthday Party!!

I guess I should officially start calling her DD5! Where does the time go?!

We celebrated DD5's 5th birthday this past weekend and again had a wonderful time! I had SO much fun planning this one (who am I kidding, I loved planning ALL of my kids' parties... DS2 Toy Story, DS3 Monster's Inc, DD3 Mickey Mouse, DD4 Bluey... they all were fun!). At some point in the last month I had (half jokingly) sent a picture of a stockade prop to my dad and said "think you could make this for DD5's birthday party?" and he got to work THAT DAY. It turned out so beautiful, I am going to have a hard time getting rid of it!! If I had more storage space I would definitely keep it, it was a HUGE hit at the party!



We designed the treasure chest to be functional, so my dad measured it to fit our cooler and that's where we kept the drinks for the party. I took an Amazon box & measured it out to fit the top of the cooler, painted it gold & glued down some old necklaces, gold coins & jewels.



Outside the front door I had drawn with chalk dash marks going all the way up the driveway and then a big red X at the front door - as well as (again, Amazon box LOL) made this sign:



Immediately upon entering the house I had a little photo op set up, with a cute "AHOY" balloon banner:




Then just to the right of that I had a "What's your Pirate Name?" set up with Hello My Name Is stickers for guests to determine their pirate name & write it down on their name tag. We had some really funny ones! Off the top of my head some of the best were my mom - Mad Cackle Hornswaggle & my grandma - One Eye McBlurry (LOL). I offered guests a few different combinations, some longer & some shorter (picture below is the shorter two-name options):



Next to that was the Tattoo Parlor with really cute gold shimmery pirate tattoos and then a "Dress Like a Pirate" station which the kids REALLY enjoyed.





The drink station was just blue Kool-Aid but I was sure to offer some coconut rum for the adults to enjoy - it sure was tasty! I loved this little sign (even though the party started at 3pm LOL) and I had tucked at the bottom of the drink canister a little sign that said "Why is the rum always gone?"



Those rum balls are a recipe of my mom's best friend and they are TASTY. Literally just crushed Nilla Wafers, crushed pecans, cocoa powder, a little bit of Karo syrup & 1/4 cup of dark rum- then rolled in sugar. Super tasty! They probably would have been fine with that small an amount of alcohol but we still encouraged parents to not let the kids partake.

 

[MamaMouse0920]

DD4's Pirate themed 5th Birthday Party!! (continued)

For food, we had all of DD5's favorites- cubed cheese & salami skewers ("sword kebabs"), pickles ("sea cucumbers"), crackers ("Polly want a cracker?"), fruit ("berry'd treasure"), and for the main dish: meatball subs ("shipwreck sandwiches")!









On the main dining table I also had a few bowls of snacks for guests to munch on - pretzel sticks, whoppers, and frosted pretzels.









The kids mostly entertained themselves with the pirate gear - ESPECIALLY these inflatable swords:



but I also offered a few other entertainment options including our beloved Pirate Pop Up game (not pictured) and a coloring station, complete with treasure maps & a "Decorate Yer Own Pirate Hat" kit:

 

[MamaMouse0920]

DD4's Pirate themed 5th Birthday Party!! (continued)







All in all it was a really fun time and DD5 was absolutely showered with love!! I'm SO thankful my kids are 18 months apart so every 6 months I get to plan these fun parties!! Stay tuned in 6 months for DS3 (will be DS4!!)- last I heard he wanted an Up theme, but that will probably change weekly until his birthday in May!

Anyway, I just wanted to share a few fun Disney related "real life" updates with my DIS fam!!!

 

[smilie]

My birthday is this Friday, I want this party!!!!

So cute, love all of it!

 

[rdkeim]

You're very creative! Looks like a fun time!

 

[piglet1979]

I just finished reading your report. My kids are 16 months apart. It is so fun having them close together but it was hard when they were really little. They are now 16 and 17.

It sounds like you had a great trip. I loved all the Pixie dust you got. I also get motion sickness with rides. This all started after having kids. This last trip I took Bonine it was the best I have ever felt while at Disney. I am glad it worked for you guys as well. I did still avoid Smugglers run and FOP but did the chick out line so I could see the ride. I also didn't watch the of Rise and I kept the glasses off on Remi.

We haven't stayed at CBR yet and I can't seem to get excited for this one when ever DH brings it up. We were going to stay here the last trip but decided on the Swan instead. We loved it. The price was about the same as a moderate and you are still on property and get the deluxe and resort guest perks.

 

[AliceNDinah]

Fellow Minnesotan here: you make a great Wendy!! She's definitely my character You are lucky with the school-start-date thing, as my little boy's school starts BEFORE Labor Day Before he started kindergarten we did a week in WDW in late August, and it was beyonnnddd hot and steamy. We still had fun though, since even the hottest day down there beats any day back home, ha ha.

 

[MamaMouse0920]

I just finished reading your report. My kids are 16 months apart. It is so fun having them close together but it was hard when they were really little. They are now 16 and 17.

It sounds like you had a great trip. I loved all the Pixie dust you got. I also get motion sickness with rides. This all started after having kids. This last trip I took Bonine it was the best I have ever felt while at Disney. I am glad it worked for you guys as well. I did still avoid Smugglers run and FOP but did the chick out line so I could see the ride. I also didn't watch the of Rise and I kept the glasses off on Remi.

We haven't stayed at CBR yet and I can't seem to get excited for this one when ever DH brings it up. We were going to stay here the last trip but decided on the Swan instead. We loved it. The price was about the same as a moderate and you are still on property and get the deluxe and resort guest perks.

I will have to look into Swan! I've heard great things but have never price-compared. Thanks for the tip!

 

[MamaMouse0920]

Fellow Minnesotan here: you make a great Wendy!! She's definitely my character You are lucky with the school-start-date thing, as my little boy's school starts BEFORE Labor Day Before he started kindergarten we did a week in WDW in late August, and it was beyonnnddd hot and steamy. We still had fun though, since even the hottest day down there beats any day back home, ha ha.

Gosh now you have me second guessing.... I will have to look into the start date a bit closer before we book anything LOL

We had toyed with booking a trip for mid/late June since Disney just released the most recent promo (kids 50% off including dining package) but with us taking a cruise mid May we figured that may be a biiiiit too much. August however seems more doable