Ahhh Disney...
Feb. 19th, 2013 09:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kimannebbIt truly is a magical place. The mind still boggles at how they handle dining reservations by sitting you withing 10 minutes of your original reservation time. How they can create such cool and exciting rides that take up a minimum amount of "land/space" (I'm talking about the Toy Story Mania ride in Hollywood Studios).
Just the organization of it all, it's amazing.
That being said - the trip was good but we should have waited as LM#2 was too young. Or I'm just not built good enough to take a 3 year old to Disney. Either one. More about the Disney trip Both kids were really good on the plane ride. I have coloring books, activity pads and of course TV shows and games on the iPhone and iPad. LM#1 was brave enough to open the window and look out, after much prompting from his Daddy.
Some of the highlights were taking the kids down mainstreet for their first look at the castle, LM#1 was wide eyed for a second before asking about rides. *g* I finally got to see the light parade after so many years, and it was cool. We did not place ourselved properly for the fireworks so they were behind trees and the pictures on the castle could not be seen until they were on the turrets, so next time we will get a better seat. On MainStreet and not to the entrance to Frontierland.
LM#2 really loved new Fantasyland, his favorite ride was the Barnstormer rollercoaster. LM#1's favorite rides were all roller coasters, and Test Track and the Grand Prix. I think I have two speed demons. :-)
The dining plan worked out well, we will use our snacks better next time, and I will make reservations for the table meals well in advance so I can get the places I want. I got stuck with some not so great ones (Tony's Towne Restaurant, Tusker House) but it wasn't bad, just would not have been my first choice.
LM#1 also loved - LOVED - the Indiana Jones stunt show. Can't wait to introduce him to that movie.
The kids slept in the same bed well, they ate well and I just allowed them to eat all the personal mini pizzas they wanted *g* It was vacation. But in there were some grapes and bananas, so it wasn't all bad.
Of the bad I couldn't believe the amount of whining LM#1 did, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I was. He wanted everything now and just kept asking and saying the same things over and over :P like that was gonig to make them true or happen faster. Geez! Because LM#2 was so short there were many things he was unable to do, so he and I were together a lot - - with nothing to do. I tried to distract him and get him into some of the stuff at Epcot, or Hollywood Studios but he would just cry and yell because his Daddy wasn't there. So I gave in and gave him the phone and we say inside where it was cool and he played on that while we waited. Right/wrong? Who knows but it got us through the day.
And... we did not have a stroller. I shouldd have known as I could tell that Mr KA didn't want to deal with it but I think I was still hoping he would see reason. He just said he would carry LM#2, it was no big deal. Yeah, when he was around but I was alone with LM#2 a lot and got him to walk a bit, but then I had to carry him as he refused. Plus those times I had the backpack as well.
The worst was day one when we watched the fireworks, LM#2 fell asleep on my shoulder, so I shifted him until I was holding him across my body more like an infant, but both arms could get in on it. That was a long walk from beside the castle, down MainStreet out to the buses carrying 36 pounds of dead weight. I didn't want to shift him to Mr KA in fear he would wake. He obviously needed the little rest to make it back to the hotel.
So yeah, not thrilled about the no stroller. Kind of still angry about it actually. While it was a nice time, I loved introducing the kids to Disney World, it was filled with stress and frustration. In a few weeks I'm sure I will remember the smiles and happy faces more so than anything else.
We did learn a lot for the next trip. Make dining reservations early, schedule a day for no park, just pool, not do the countries in Epcot until they are teenagers and only a half a day at Animal Kingdom (really don't like that park).
I will post a few pictures later when I have a minute.
Our first big family vacation was mostly a success!
Just the organization of it all, it's amazing.
That being said - the trip was good but we should have waited as LM#2 was too young. Or I'm just not built good enough to take a 3 year old to Disney. Either one. More about the Disney trip Both kids were really good on the plane ride. I have coloring books, activity pads and of course TV shows and games on the iPhone and iPad. LM#1 was brave enough to open the window and look out, after much prompting from his Daddy.
Some of the highlights were taking the kids down mainstreet for their first look at the castle, LM#1 was wide eyed for a second before asking about rides. *g* I finally got to see the light parade after so many years, and it was cool. We did not place ourselved properly for the fireworks so they were behind trees and the pictures on the castle could not be seen until they were on the turrets, so next time we will get a better seat. On MainStreet and not to the entrance to Frontierland.
LM#2 really loved new Fantasyland, his favorite ride was the Barnstormer rollercoaster. LM#1's favorite rides were all roller coasters, and Test Track and the Grand Prix. I think I have two speed demons. :-)
The dining plan worked out well, we will use our snacks better next time, and I will make reservations for the table meals well in advance so I can get the places I want. I got stuck with some not so great ones (Tony's Towne Restaurant, Tusker House) but it wasn't bad, just would not have been my first choice.
LM#1 also loved - LOVED - the Indiana Jones stunt show. Can't wait to introduce him to that movie.
The kids slept in the same bed well, they ate well and I just allowed them to eat all the personal mini pizzas they wanted *g* It was vacation. But in there were some grapes and bananas, so it wasn't all bad.
Of the bad I couldn't believe the amount of whining LM#1 did, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I was. He wanted everything now and just kept asking and saying the same things over and over :P like that was gonig to make them true or happen faster. Geez! Because LM#2 was so short there were many things he was unable to do, so he and I were together a lot - - with nothing to do. I tried to distract him and get him into some of the stuff at Epcot, or Hollywood Studios but he would just cry and yell because his Daddy wasn't there. So I gave in and gave him the phone and we say inside where it was cool and he played on that while we waited. Right/wrong? Who knows but it got us through the day.
And... we did not have a stroller. I shouldd have known as I could tell that Mr KA didn't want to deal with it but I think I was still hoping he would see reason. He just said he would carry LM#2, it was no big deal. Yeah, when he was around but I was alone with LM#2 a lot and got him to walk a bit, but then I had to carry him as he refused. Plus those times I had the backpack as well.
The worst was day one when we watched the fireworks, LM#2 fell asleep on my shoulder, so I shifted him until I was holding him across my body more like an infant, but both arms could get in on it. That was a long walk from beside the castle, down MainStreet out to the buses carrying 36 pounds of dead weight. I didn't want to shift him to Mr KA in fear he would wake. He obviously needed the little rest to make it back to the hotel.
So yeah, not thrilled about the no stroller. Kind of still angry about it actually. While it was a nice time, I loved introducing the kids to Disney World, it was filled with stress and frustration. In a few weeks I'm sure I will remember the smiles and happy faces more so than anything else.
We did learn a lot for the next trip. Make dining reservations early, schedule a day for no park, just pool, not do the countries in Epcot until they are teenagers and only a half a day at Animal Kingdom (really don't like that park).
I will post a few pictures later when I have a minute.
Our first big family vacation was mostly a success!
