Take Your 2-Year-Old to Disney! Aug '17 TR * COMPLETE 1/10/19

[heathsf]

This chef rudely stuck his hand into my picture but I forgave him because he was very kind. We chatted a bit and it turns out he has a cousin who lives a town over from me. Small World!

It's probably impossible to read but here's a picture of the allergen guide. I received one at almost every restaurant (or maybe just the buffets?). It shows all the menu items and then lets you know which allergens are included in that dish. This was a helpful guide but for me, it didn't replace the need for speaking to a chef. If you have allergies and are comfortable eating off the buffet, you will appreciate this more. It did help give me an idea of which items were already safe for DD and then I would just ask the chef to prepare them fresh in the back to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.


Donald was the host tonight so he didn't visit tables. He was stationed in front of this themed background near the entrance to the restaurant and we were given a ticket we had to hand to the photographer in order to get in line to meet him. It was sort of stinky that people had to wait on line to meet a character at a character meal (it reminded me of Sesame Place) but since we were seated close by, we were able to watch and see when the line was short. Donald spent a long time with us, and when DD told him he was the best he got super excited.


Look at DH and Donald. So cute.


Overall we had a good experience here. The character interactions were good, the food was good, and most importantly, DD had lots of safe options (though it was a struggle to get her to eat them ) It wasn't one of our favorites but we would eat here again.​

 

[kastoney]

While in our room eating lunch, I spilled something on my lap in the shape of Mickey. Naturally I had to document this magical moment to share with my Dis-friends

This may well be the best "hidden" mickey I have ever seen. I'm sure there would be people willing to pay for a stain that nice

We waited, and waited, and waited...... and it didn't happen. I know it's never guaranteed but I was so excited and then so disappointed.

Wow, I had no idea. I though it happened everyday. We've never actually seen it, but I always thought it was a given.

n amazing thing happened while we were waiting around. I noticed another family had the same stroller as the one we had rented (the Mini GT) and their child was asleep in their *reclined* stroller!

Too funny. We got this same stroller every time we rented before Casey was capable of doing it on her own and I never knew this either. Not that she would ever have fallen asleep, but the option to recline would have been appreciated.

Don't mind DH

She looks so happy!!!! DH

The characters started coming right away and some even visited more than once.

I had no idea the fab 5 met here. We' only did H&V one time for breakfast years ago and it was the Disney Jr gang (before they started meeting in the park)

Loving that applesauce pouch...

This will continue for years. Casey still devours one of these almost daily

Look at DH and Donald. So cute.

You definitely didn't marry a Disney fan there

Overall we had a good experience here. The character interactions were good, the food was good, and most importantly, DD had lots of safe options (though it was a struggle to get her to eat them ) It wasn't one of our favorites but we would eat here again.

Glad to hear you all enjoyed. It wasn't our favorite, but I can see how the allergy assurances would make it worth it

 

[heathsf]

This may well be the best "hidden" mickey I have ever seen. I'm sure there would be people willing to pay for a stain that nice

Too bad it was only water and not something more permanent!

Wow, I had no idea. I though it happened everyday. We've never actually seen it, but I always thought it was a given.

It seems to happen most days. There's a chat feature as part of KTP and people will post which characters they saw and what time. So I was really expecting it to happen because it had happened almost every day for the few weeks prior...

Too funny. We got this same stroller every time we rented before Casey was capable of doing it on her own and I never knew this either. Not that she would ever have fallen asleep, but the option to recline would have been appreciated.

Exactly! I now know that it wouldn't have made a difference, DD was not napping in her stroller no matter what. But it still would have been nice to know from the beginning.

She looks so happy!!!! DH

I had no idea the fab 5 met here. We' only did H&V one time for breakfast years ago and it was the Disney Jr gang (before they started meeting in the park)

It used to be Disney Jr only. A couple of years ago it changed to Fab 5 for dinner only. Now I believe they've taken over lunch too and Disney Jr is breakfast only.

This will continue for years. Casey still devours one of these almost daily

Ha! Good to know!

You definitely didn't marry a Disney fan there

Glad to hear you all enjoyed. It wasn't our favorite, but I can see how the allergy assurances would make it worth it

Definitely!

 

[cstorm65]

Glad to hear the food at Hollywood & Vine was good. We've been there for dinner before and not loved it, but it is one option if you want the Fantastic! Dinner Package and so it is good to know they have worked on their food if you have to choose it for the package. Also, when we went for dinner that was before it was a character meal, so that has improved the experience some as well. Can't wait to hear about the rest of your night.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Glad to hear that the meal was good at Hollywood & Vine. We have never eaten there. And it gets suck mixed reviews.

Sorry about Characterpaloza. Something to look forward to next time!

 

[monorailsilver]

I am new to your TR!

You are not bad parents for riding tower or terror (wait was it that ride????), think of all the characters your dd got to meet!

Even though she didn’t nap she looked thrilled and happy in all those pictures!

I am sending you a pm because I don’t want to hijack your TR on food allergies.

 

[heathsf]

Glad to hear the food at Hollywood & Vine was good. We've been there for dinner before and not loved it, but it is one option if you want the Fantastic! Dinner Package and so it is good to know they have worked on their food if you have to choose it for the package. Also, when we went for dinner that was before it was a character meal, so that has improved the experience some as well. Can't wait to hear about the rest of your night.

I would say it was definitely worth it for the Fantasmic package, at least with the dining plan since that adds even more value to the price.

Glad to hear that the meal was good at Hollywood & Vine. We have never eaten there. And it gets suck mixed reviews.

Sorry about Characterpaloza. Something to look forward to next time!

It certainly wasn't the greatest but we had a good experience and no complaints.
And you're right about Characterpalooza. Just add it to the reasons why we have to go back!

I am new to your TR!

You are not bad parents for riding tower or terror (wait was it that ride????), think of all the characters your dd got to meet!

Even though she didn’t nap she looked thrilled and happy in all those pictures!

I am sending you a pm because I don’t want to hijack your TR on food allergies.

Thank you for the note about the allergies. It is much appreciated!!
So happy to have you along on the TR

 

[heathsf]

Hi Guys! I've been away from the boards for a few weeks but I'm back! I think I'm getting really close to getting DH to agree to a long weekend trip to WDW in the spring. Though it's not really my doing, it's all DD, as she asks daily to go back. She's so funny and so cute about it, I'm not sure how much longer DH can resist. Cross your fingers for me please! If you have any suggestions as to whether the end of April or end of May would be better, I'd love opinions! At first I was thinking last weekend of April, far away from Easter and school breaks. But now I'm wondering if mid-May would be better, just before Memorial Day. It would give me a little more time to plan and it's closer to DD's birthday. In the meantime, it's time to wrap up our Hollywood Studios day...

Chapter 18
In Which We've Got Some Imagination

It had been pouring through most of dinner and was still raining a bit so we poncho-ed up. Someone was very excited to get to wear one


We headed outside and discovered that my rushed attempt to cover the stroller was a big fail. I guess it prevented some water from getting in, as a lot had pooled on top of it, but the stroller was pretty wet. It occurs to me that learning how to use the cover prior to being stuck in a downpour would have been a good idea. Lesson learned for next time!

With storms in the area and it still raining, we really didn't know if Fantasmic would happen tonight. We had a ticket for the reserved section since our ADR at Hollywood & Vine was part of the Fantasmic Dining Package. We headed over to the amphitheater and hoped for the best. I've never had to do stroller parking for Fantasmic before and I just hoped we'd be able to find our stroller again later. Or maybe it would be better if we didn't, and we could just pick up someone else's dry one

After I parked the stroller I found DD and DH having fun dancing in their ponchos in the rain

Fantasmic is one of my favorite things at WDW and I was so excited to watch it with DD. We had watched it on You Tube a few times so I was hoping she was prepared enough to not be scared. Scary things don't seem to bother her anyway, but I know some kids are scared by Fantasmic. (By the way, I also watched the revamped Fantasmic that reopened at Disneyland and it looks amaaaaaaazing)

The rain was pretty much just a mist at this point and stayed that way through the show. It wasn't the most comfortable way to watch but I was just happy it wasn't postponed or cancelled.








DD was entranced the entire time and loved it. I cried at the end, as I always do. It's just such a magical show. The music always gets me, and I love the finale.

Afterwards we were caught in the huge mob exiting. Luckily (or not? ) we found our stroller easily and then happened to bump into M, S and A with her sister's family. They had the Fantasmic dining package too but the timing didn't work out for us to get seats near each other. We were guided backstage to exit which I had never done before at DHS but it was too dark and crowded to really see anything of interest. The Star Wars fireworks started going off as we were being herded to the exit so that gave us some entertainment at least.

We all got on the bus back to Coronado together. DD and A decided on their own to hold hands on the bus and we were just melting over how cute they were.


Back at Coronado, someone spotted a snail on the sidewalk and the kids were thrilled to see it. We probably spent 5 solid minutes watching this snail. Spend thousands to bring your family to Disney World so your children can stare at a snail on the ground




We were still wet from being in the rain so as soon as we got back to the room we showered and all fell right to sleep. I couldn't wait for all we had planned for the next day. Little did I know that our evening in the misty rain had been nothing compared to what was coming tomorrow...
​

 

[Smilelea]

Hello! Fellow teacher here! I just found and binge read your TR. The 2 yr old part of your title caught my eye. We have a, currently, 5yo ( for 2 more weeks) and YDS will be 2 when we go back in May. This will be our 3rd trip in 2 years so our boys are definitely not newbies. However, this will be the first trip that YDS actually knows the characters. He loved the meet & greets last trip but he didn't really "know" the characters. He definitely knows them now. He's obsessed with so many of them now. Mickey & friends and buzz & woody are at the top of the list. I'm hoping for many magical moments this trip

This was the winner of the trip. She LOVED this. It's called Melissa & Doug Water Wow. Thank goodness I saw A playing with this a few days before we left and was able to order it on Amazon. That brush gets filled with water and then you just paint and the colors show up. When it dries it turns back to black & white like new and you can paint all over again. This was the best!

I've definitely got to check this out. YDS is much more difficult to keep entertained than ODS

To be fair, Mary has always been one of my favorite characters too

She's one of my favorites too! We had the same line issue the first time we met her

It was SO much easier to change her in there than in a bathroom. The changing tables are huge and I love that they have disposable "pads" to keep it sanitary.

We love the baby care centers!

I was happy we didn't have to wait, but this meant I had to rush and empty out the stroller, fold it up, and grab everything very quickly and all by myself.

It's like some sick game isn't it . We've had to do it multiple times and we had a double!!

I asked a CM where I could find the infamous Carrot Cake Cookie now that Writer's Stop had closed. She directed me to S

Oh how have I not heard of this!?! Definitely adding it to my list now!

 

[Leinzlove]

Very interesting trip. We are taking four littles 7,5,3 and 1 to WDW in June! We have mainly character dining ADRs for this reason. I was beyond excited to see how your little reacted to all of the characters.

I love the way you've written out your trip reports. After reading about your FOP experience. I am for sure booking it twice. And I suspect the Ak day is yet to come!

 

[heathsf]

Hello! Fellow teacher here!

Hi! Thanks for joining in!

We have a, currently, 5yo ( for 2 more weeks) and YDS will be 2 when we go back in May. This will be our 3rd trip in 2 years so our boys are definitely not newbies. However, this will be the first trip that YDS actually knows the characters. He loved the meet & greets last trip but he didn't really "know" the characters. He definitely knows them now. He's obsessed with so many of them now. Mickey & friends and buzz & woody are at the top of the list. I'm hoping for many magical moments this trip

You're going to have SO many magical moments! I bet it will be even more special seeing both DS enjoying the characters together! When in May are you going?

We had the same line issue the first time we met her

Ugh! Which line issue: when Mary didn't show up or when we waited in the wrong spot and ended up in the back of the line?

We've had to do it multiple times and we had a double!!

That doesn't sound fun with a double stroller!

Very interesting trip. We are taking four littles 7,5,3 and 1 to WDW in June! We have mainly character dining ADRs for this reason. I was beyond excited to see how your little reacted to all of the characters.

I love the way you've written out your trip reports. After reading about your FOP experience. I am for sure booking it twice.

Welcome! You will so enjoy the character meals! It makes me soooooo happy that my TR is helping you get excited for your trip!! Thank you for saying so. FOP was so amazing. Definitely book it twice if you can and if you change your mind you can easily change the second FP to something else. But if you only book it once and decide you want a second ride....that's going to be much more difficult!

 

[Smilelea]

When in May are you going?

May 5 - 12

Which line issue: when Mary didn't show up or when we waited in the wrong spot and ended up in the back of the line?

Lol. We waited in the wrong spot and ended up further back in the line. We would have been first or second otherwise

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

think I'm getting really close to getting DH to agree to a long weekend trip to WDW in the spring.

Exciting! I will keep my fingers crossed for you! I always plant the seed in DH's head. Let it fester for a bit. And then bring it up again. Repeat and repeat...

Someone was very excited to get to wear one

Never seen someone so excited for wearing a poncho!

After I parked the stroller I found DD and DH having fun dancing in their ponchos in the rain

Dancing in the rain is so fun for my girls, too.

DD and A decided on their own to hold hands on the bus and we were just melting over how cute they were.

So, cute.

Spend thousands to bring your family to Disney World so your children can stare at a snail on the ground

Ha! Too funny!

 

[heathsf]

Well... I still can't believe this but DH actually
agreed to a May trip to celebrate DD's 3rd birthday!!!!

I'm beyond excited and I think I'm still in shock. He claims he's being forced against his will by me and DD, but let's be honest. I've been trying to convert him to a Disney-lover for 10 years, and now suddenly he agrees to go twice in a year? Yeah... something's changing. My DD is clearly a master of persuasion, but I know he loved being there with her deep down inside even if he won't admit yet.
We'll be at Coronado (again - yay!) from May 18-22. This will be my shortest Disney trip since going as a kid, and the most last minute, but a short trip is better than no trip! I am taking 2.5 days off from work for this trip and I really can't take any more so I'm stretching this as far as I can. I'll mention some of our plans as the trip gets closer, but for now, back to August...

Chapter 19
In Which There's a New Welcome Show

We left the room at 7:45 am. I have in my notes that while we were waiting at the bus stop, "I realized that amidst DD's morning meltdown I didn't change her diaper from last night." I really don't remember this but it must have happened if it's in my notes!So we changed her quickly in the stroller at the bus stop




Our bus came at 8:00 and we were here at 8:30


It was still weird to see Halloween decorations in August


It was another cloudy day, and while it doesn't make for beautiful pictures, it was nice to not have the August sun beating down on us.


We headed right to Main Street Bakery (Starbucks) to get coffee and breakfast sandwiches. I also got myself the Magic Kingdom mug they sell there. I still haven't taken it out of the box so I'll just use a picture from the internet

It took a while to get our food and drinks and by the time we left, the Welcome Show was just starting. Even though we were in MK a few days ago, we had the BOG breakfast before the park opened so we were behind the castle and didn't get to see the new Welcome Show. I had watched it on YouTube and didn't really care for it so I was sort of indifferent to seeing it. It just wasn't nearly as magical as the welcome show at the train station, although it's definitely nice to be able to get into MK before the park opens and walk around on Main Street.

DH took DD a little closer to the castle to watch the show while I tried to take an artsy photo of our drinks in front of the castle.


It's pretty bad ^^



I didn't tell DD or DH where we were headed first, but we wouldn't be joining the masses heading to Fantasyland. We took a nice non-crowded stroll to Tomorrowland to see...


Stitch!! I'm honestly not sure who was more excited, DD or DH! He was visibly excited when he saw who we were going to see. There was a line of only 3 people ahead of us. DD gave Stitch lots of hugs and even told him "Ohana means family" and said "I love you Stitch"

Next we went to meet Merida. We got in line for her at 8:14 and she was supposed to come greet at 8:15.


After a few minutes a cast member came over and said that Merida was delayed and to try back later. We asked DD if she wanted to do the Speedway and she said no. She did want to ride the teacups but we said we'd do that later. We ended up here:


(continued in the next post)​

 

[heathsf]

We walked right on to Dumbo and DD kept saying, "This is fun!"

To say she loved it would be an understatement.

Next we met Ariel at her grotto with no wait at all and then walked right on to Under the Sea.


DD was so taken by Ariel. It's just so magical.

At this point both Peter Pan and Merida were scheduled to come out for meets so we asked DD who she wanted to see.
Any guesses?​

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

My DD is clearly a master of persuasion, but I know he loved being there with her deep down inside even if he won't admit yet.

YEAH!!!!! So exciting!!!! Give DH one maybe 2 more trips and he will admit to it. I think my DH actually admitted to it during the 3rd trip.

It just wasn't nearly as magical as the welcome show at the train station, although it's definitely nice to be able to get into MK before the park opens and walk around on Main Street.

I really like that you can get in and wonder around a bit. Even if you have to wait in Starbucks, at least you know you aren't missing anything...

. I also got myself the Magic Kingdom mug they sell there. I

I kept saying to DH this trip, that I wanted to go in and get a Starbucks MK cup, and I totally forgot! Needless to say, I like your selection!

To say she loved it would be an understatement.

Love the look or pure joy!

Love these kinds of shots.

At this point both Peter Pan and Merida were scheduled to come out for meets so we asked DD who she wanted to see.
Any guesses?

I vote for both!

 

[heathsf]

YEAH!!!!! So exciting!!!! Give DH one maybe 2 more trips and he will admit to it. I think my DH actually admitted to it during the 3rd trip.

I hope so!!!

I kept saying to DH this trip, that I wanted to go in and get a Starbucks MK cup, and I totally forgot! Needless to say, I like your selection!

Thanks! If I had actually taken it out and used it, I'd let you know how it is

 

[Leshaface]

The latest it got was 8:11 which would've meant we waited 26 minutes for a bus, which really isn't that bad, but I was so frustrated because I was so sure we had just missed the last bus by a minute. But happily, at 8:05 it suddenly jumped forward to 8:06 and up pulled the bus. So we really only waited 21 minutes and I was so happy the bus was here that I was totally over the whole thing. I guess I was a little over-dramatic...

Girl. I know the feeling! This past trip, I (by myself luckily!) waited for a bus from AKL Kidani to Epcot. I got there at 2:53pm. I texted DH that I was still there at 3:18pm that I was still at the bus stop. And texted him as a bus pulled up at 3:22pm. I waited for 29 minutes! Waaaaay to long and the time screen was completely off. So frustrating.

I have to say, it was very satisfying...

Aaahhh that would be!

Oh my gosh, how she looks up at both of them is ADORABLE!

As fun as the ride is, it's really jerky!

Right? When it's just you and no one to hold onto, it's fine. Then you're responsible for this little person and you're like, SLOW DOWN!!!

Disney squirrels are fearless. A CM noticed me and said that they named the squirrel Charlie and that she's there all the time. Then I couldn't quite follow what she was saying but I think it was that Charlie had a lot of babies

Um, this would be terrifying to find under your stroller

Haha so cute!

DD had a snack too in her stroller. We must seem like jerk parents eating these amazing snacks while our poor food-allergic daughter eats dry cheerios but I promise you she was happy! And look, the Alien is totally eyeing up those cheerios too!

I'm sure it would have been tougher had she developed her allergy later on and learning to not eat those kinds of things. I'm always so scared of that myself! One of our friends just found out he's allergic to literally everything now! And he hates eating now because of it, cause he knows exactly what he's missing! Sucks.

Yes, please tell me again how you don't love Disney

I forgot (until I just read it in my notes right now) that A had fallen asleep in the middle of the Frozen Sing Along and was still asleep. This is amazing to me. DD would never fall asleep and transfer in/out of her stroller and stay asleep.

We've done this with Calvin, but Quentin is a whole 'nother story

Of course, this would happen, and glad you documented it!

I could've been reclining the stroller!?!?

Aw no way, you didn't know?! That sucks.

This chef rudely stuck his hand into my picture but I forgave him because he was very kind.

Hi Guys! I've been away from the boards for a few weeks but I'm back! I think I'm getting really close to getting DH to agree to a long weekend trip to WDW in the spring. Though it's not really my doing, it's all DD, as she asks daily to go back. She's so funny and so cute about it, I'm not sure how much longer DH can resist. Cross your fingers for me please! If you have any suggestions as to whether the end of April or end of May would be better, I'd love opinions! At first I was thinking last weekend of April, far away from Easter and school breaks. But now I'm wondering if mid-May would be better, just before Memorial Day. It would give me a little more time to plan and it's closer to DD's birthday. In the meantime, it's time to wrap up our Hollywood Studios day...

Welp, I was crossing my fingers until I kept on reading and major YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!

We headed outside and discovered that my rushed attempt to cover the stroller was a big fail. I guess it prevented some water from getting in, as a lot had pooled on top of it, but the stroller was pretty wet. It occurs to me that learning how to use the cover prior to being stuck in a downpour would have been a good idea. Lesson learned for next time!

This made me laugh because when we received our rental double stroller, it came with the cover and it was huge! Right before leaving for the park, like seconds before, I told DH let me just figure this thing out real quick before we get stuck in a downpour not knowing what to do. Thank GOD! It rained and rained and rained while we were at Epcot but luckily I knew exactly how to put it on. It was a PITA, TBH.

Well... I still can't believe this but DH actually
agreed to a May trip to celebrate DD's 3rd birthday!!!!

At the rate you're going, may as well get AP's. Tell him it will save you money overall. Plus that discount will add up over time! (and then you can use that as your excuse to go to WDW more often because it's practically free after your first trip! )

This will be my shortest Disney trip since going as a kid, and the most last minute, but a short trip is better than no trip!

That's right my friend

I really don't remember this but it must have happened if it's in my notes!So we changed her quickly in the stroller at the bus stop

So many times we've done this too.

I also got myself the Magic Kingdom mug they sell there.

I have this down in my notes to purchase as well! I'm thinking of the AK and Epcot one's though, but looking at the MK mug, it's so pretty. I literally, can not come home with three mugs, he'll kill me

It's pretty bad ^^

It's almost Instagrammable!....almost..

So so sweet!

 

[SweetSerenity]

Hi! I've enjoyed reading your report. Your little girl is just adorable, and the joy she has is just contagious. I'm glad they were able to accommodate her allergies so well.

I've never stayed at Coronado Springs, and I didn't realize it was under construction. Do you recommend the resort?

 

[heathsf]

Right? When it's just you and no one to hold onto, it's fine. Then you're responsible for this little person and you're like, SLOW DOWN!!!

Hahaha yes exactly!

I'm sure it would have been tougher had she developed her allergy later on and learning to not eat those kinds of things. I'm always so scared of that myself! One of our friends just found out he's allergic to literally everything now! And he hates eating now because of it, cause he knows exactly what he's missing! Sucks.

You're so right. She doesn't know what she's missing but she is starting to get more curious about things she can't have and will say she wants it. I just tell her I can make her her own safe version of [whatever the food is] and she's usually satisfied with that. Like, she's happy to get her own cheese (even though I think it tastes terrible) but she has nothing to compare it to.

Welp, I was crossing my fingers until I kept on reading and major YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!

This made me laugh because when we received our rental double stroller, it came with the cover and it was huge! Right before leaving for the park, like seconds before, I told DH let me just figure this thing out real quick before we get stuck in a downpour not knowing what to do. Thank GOD! It rained and rained and rained while we were at Epcot but luckily I knew exactly how to put it on. It was a PITA, TBH.

Good thinking! I really don't know what I was waiting for. It was August... it was destined to rain sooner or later!!!

I have this down in my notes to purchase as well! I'm thinking of the AK and Epcot one's though, but looking at the MK mug, it's so pretty. I literally, can not come home with three mugs, he'll kill me

You could always save MK for next trip..... or you could just get all 3 and rotate them in and out of the cabinet as though you only bought 1

Hi! I've enjoyed reading your report. Your little girl is just adorable, and the joy she has is just contagious. I'm glad they were able to accommodate her allergies so well.

Hi! Thank you!

I've never stayed at Coronado Springs, and I didn't realize it was under construction. Do you recommend the resort?

I really loved it, despite the construction. I'm thrilled to go back in the spring. I had done a lot of reading online and checked out pictures/videos of the ongoing construction before our trip so I pretty much knew what to expect when we got there. The main building wasn't affected and it wasn't noisy by our room. It was an eye sore in some areas of the resort but it didn't detract from our experience. Transportation was great and I loved being so centrally located to all the parks. I wouldn't avoid it just because of the construction, like I would for Caribbean Beach which is under way more construction. Check out some youtube videos of the construction and see what you think