'Ohana Means Family - An April 2013 TR Updated 8/26!!

[emmysmommy]

Hi Megan! I'm so glad to see that you started your TR. I have to go back and read everything but I wanted you to know that I'm here and wanting to hear all about it! You must know some inside secrets being a former CM.

 

[jedimeg16]

Hi Megan! I'm so glad to see that you started your TR. I have to go back and read everything but I wanted you to know that I'm here and wanting to hear all about it! You must know some inside secrets being a former CM.

Thanks for joining in! Back when I was a CM I did know some of the up to date info, but not so much anymore. I worked Quick Service Food and Beverage at the All Star Sports Resort, and while it was hard work, it was definitely a ton of fun. During my second internship (I actually requested to go back to my old location) was when the Disney Dining Plan was first introduced. While the DDP has undergone a lot of changes since 2005, having the extra knowledge about it helped us with this trip since we had the deluxe plan.

 

[jedimeg16]

Once we arrived at the airport everything else seemed to go (mostly smoothly). The TSA screening took a little bit longer because we were taking some 4oz sealed jars of baby food for Logan because he didn't have many teeth at the time since he was only 13 1/2 months old and we wanted to make certain he still got enough fruits and veggies during the trip. So each jar had to be taken our of the large bag I carried them in and put into a special screening machine. While I understand the precautions it was still a little bit of a pain in the rear.

And then we waited



And waited

(many pictures of Logan, even to this day, are blurry because he is in a constant state of motion)

And waited



And maybe got a little bit stir crazy



We tried to get Logan to burn off some energy since we had no idea how he would react to his first plane trip.



Watching the plane pull up to the gate



I think Ian was just a little bit excited



The plane wasn't full, so we were able to spread out a little bit. Logan was young enough to fly as a lap child, which worked out for the most part.



We brought our own dinner on the flight (3:30pm departure, roughly 2 1/2 hour flight, plus losing an hour because of the time change) since it was the only logical choice so that we wouldn't have cranky boys. We all had the amazing Gondola sandwiches from Avanti's, which is an amazing Italian American restaurant found in Central Illinois.

And midway through the flight, Logan decided that he wanted to crash and that mommy's arms were the best place to snuggle.



My shirt reads (in the Disney font): I live in my own little world, but it's okay, they know me here. I found it sometime during my second internship, I think it was at the gift shop at the end of the back lot tour.

The rest of the flight was uneventful - until we started descending. Logan just screamed because of the pressure changes. He didn't want to suck on his pacifier to try to help, and it was a miserable few minutes.

But it was all over and the plane quickly taxied to the gate. After having to wait a few minutes for our gate checked strollers we took a quick bathroom break and we were soon on the fake monorail.

A brief elevator ride down to the ground level and all the way to the end of the hallway and we were on our way to ride the Disney's Magical Express for the very first time! Years and years ago we used the normal Mears shuttles but were never very happy with the service, so for most of our trips in my teenage years we used the Tiffany Towncar service, which while a bit pricey, it was worth it to go straight to our resort.

We were ushered towards a waiting bus and not long after we boarded one last family climbed on. When our driver read the list of resorts we were stopping at he named Art of Animation first! My dad and I just looked at each other with our eyebrows about as high as they would go - after years of always being the last people to get off of the Mears shuttle we were going to be first! I thought that the welcome video was super cute, but we didn't get to watch all of it because we arrived at AoA really quickly.

Up next: checking in and exploring the resort for the first time

 

[RatherBeInAK]

Joining in! Those princess dolls are really cute. Merida and the little bear are adorable!! Of course, I'm partial to little bears.

 

[AprilRenee]

Joining in! We'll be taking our first at 33 months old so I've been reading TR if other people taking their almost 3 yr olds so I can get a good idea of what I can expect.

My mom has a cat named jennyanydots! And another named jellicle-cat (Jenny and jelly for short)

 

[jedimeg16]

Joining in! Those princess dolls are really cute. Merida and the little bear are adorable!! Of course, I'm partial to little bears.

Thank you! I was very lucky that my mom taught me to crochet when I was 10. I didn't start making toys like this until near the end of college, but now it's a full time job for me. In fact we have a convention coming up this coming weekend, so when I'm not chasing the boys or writing posts I'm spending my time crocheting.

Joining in! We'll be taking our first at 33 months old so I've been reading TR if other people taking their almost 3 yr olds so I can get a good idea of what I can expect.

My mom has a cat named jennyanydots! And another named jellicle-cat (Jenny and jelly for short)

Ian turned 34 months while we were on our trip, on our Epcot day. I think it's a fantastic age for a first trip that they might remember. I still have a few memories from my first trip when I was 4 1/2 years old.

My parents have named all of their cats after characters from the musical too - they had Miss Toffelees (since we couldn't call a girl Mr.), Rum Tum Tugger, Rumpleteazer, and Mungojerrie. The first time I saw the show I was 8 and only really remembered Jannyanydots rolling out of the oven and Rum Tum Tugger dancing with an old lady, so when my husband and I adopted our cats I knew I needed to have my Jenny.

 

[stace1214]

Joining in! Can't wait to read about your adventures! We're taking a big family trip (my parents, siblings and their significant others) for my little ones first trip in February!

 

[wiigirl]

Joining in!

 

[KatMark]

Overall, sounds like a smooth arrival at airport and flight to Orlando. I understand why they do the security thing, but baby food? Oh well, better safe than sorry.

 

[jedimeg16]

Joining in! Can't wait to read about your adventures! We're taking a big family trip (my parents, siblings and their significant others) for my little ones first trip in February!

There were a few times where it was challenging to find a schedule that worked for everyone in the group, but it was so worth it to have all of us together. How old are your little ones?

Joining in!

Welcome!

Overall, sounds like a smooth arrival at airport and flight to Orlando. I understand why they do the security thing, but baby food? Oh well, better safe than sorry.

I think the only reason that the baby food caused the minor issue that it did was because they were 4oz jars, so bigger than the allowed size of most liquids. But I had them separate from the rest of the liquids and declared them to the TSA agent. I will take extra screening and a few minutes standing there to have the food Logan needed.

 

[IheartDDuck]

I'm joining! Your family is adorable.

We live in Zion btw. I just put Chicago, because most people are like "what?" when I put Zion anywhere.

 

[jedimeg16]

I'm joining! Your family is adorable.

We live in Zion btw. I just put Chicago, because most people are like "what?" when I put Zion anywhere.

Another joiner! Yay! We live really close to the northern edge of Waukegan, and we're fairly familiar with parts of Zion (okay, mostly just familiar with the stretch of 173 from Walmart to Sheridan Road).

 

[jedimeg16]

During all of my months spent researching the Art of Animation Resort, nothing prepared me for pulling up for the very first time. I was just in awe.

When the bus stopped and we all disembarked my mom suggested that my dad and I go ahead and start the check in process and everyone else would wait for our items that were underneath the bus. The Cast Member was great, but I was not very happy with the process. There was a little girl, maybe kindergarten age, who had decided that the CM assisting us was her new best friend and would not leave us alone. She kept walking behind the podium and distracting the CM so everything seemed to take twice as long. As far as we could tell English was not her first language and she either didn't understand when she was asked to go back to her family or chose to ignore us.



But anyways, the rest of the check in process went smoothly. We did not utilize the online check in because at that time I had heard that if you were a part of a larger group with more than one room it was easier for them to accommodate those requests in person than to change an existing room assignment from online check in. A few weeks before the trip I had called to confirm that there was a request for a crib/pack and play on the room reservation for Logan, and I also requested connecting rooms. I didn't even know if the Little Mermaid section even had connecting rooms, but I figured it was worth a shot. That particular Cast Member inquired if we would need bed rails (for Ian), which was something that I had never even thought of and had no clue that they were even available.

We were granted our connecting rooms and were in the Ariel building! We finished up and joined everyone else. We had celebration buttons to distribute! First Visit for the boys, Just Engaged for Brandon and Rochelle, Happy Anniversary for me and Ryan, and Happy Birthday for my mom.

Ian and Rochelle had already found Mater!



As much as I absolutely LOVE AoA I do have one gripe about it - The Little Mermaid section feels so far away from the rest of the resort, and with tired feet after a long day it felt like miles.

Mickey Towel Head!



We just loved the theming in the rooms! (We remembered to get a few more pictures later in the trip)



After getting everyone settled in the rooms Ryan and I went back to Landscape of Flavors to pick up everyone's refillable mugs. We dropped those off in the rooms, then went back to LoF and used a meal credit (yay Deluxe Dining Plan!) to share a plate of make your own pasta. I can't remember the noodles, but we got a chicken alfredo dish. It was absolutely incredible! Then to cap off our night we took a walk around the rest of the resort. It was after 10pm already, so we only took one picture, which I'm a bit sad about now because we never took the time to walk around again.

Oh Prince Eric!



Next up: A day full of firsts!

 

[KatMark]

you've arrived.

I wonder where that child's parents were?

I'm glad you got connecting rooms. Great pictures of the room and Prince Eric.

We visited and walked most of the resort when we were at Disney in August (we skipped a lot of the Cars area); it is a large resort, but so well themed.

 

[jedimeg16]

you've arrived.

I wonder where that child's parents were?

I'm glad you got connecting rooms. Great pictures of the room and Prince Eric.

We visited and walked most of the resort when we were at Disney in August (we skipped a lot of the Cars area); it is a large resort, but so well themed.

I think her family might have been checking in with the CM at the other computer station of the podium we were at, but I'm not certain.

We're already saving all of our extra pennies to be able to splurge for a Cars room the next time we can afford a trip.

 

[jedimeg16]

We all had a good night sleep, but morning came early because we had a very important breakfast to start our vacation off on the right foot. After getting myself ready I went through to the other room to help my mom get the boys dressed. Because of our connecting rooms we were able to switch the sleeping arrangements around - our reservations had Ryan, me, and the boys in one room and my parents, Brandon, and Rochelle in the other. Grandma and Grandpa offered to share their room with their grandsons so that the young adults could stay out later each night and not have to worry about waking anyone up.

After quick drink refills we caught a bus to the Magic Kingdom! At least for me a vacation to Disney doesn't feel right if you don't go to MK on your first day.



We caught the resort monorail to head to our breakfast destination - Chef Mickey's! We've eaten at Chef Mickey's before, but it was easily over a decade ago, and I knew that it would be a perfect way to introduce the boys to the characters. When we stopped at the Contemporary Brandon and Rochelle got off of the monorail, but the rest of us stayed on because I had one stop that needed to be made before breakfast. At the Polynesian I exited the monorail and went straight to the Photo Pass counter directly inside the doors since I needed to redeem the PhotoPass+ voucher. There was a family looking at pictures on one of the monitors, but when the CM at the counter saw that I just had the voucher he waved me forward and punched the card with the expiration date. While he was explaining it to me I kept sneaking glances outside because I really hoped that I could get back on the same monorail with my family. But just as I was walking outside it pulled away, so I had to wait for the next one.

Around this time I "checked in" using the FourSquare app on my phone, and almost right away one of my former co-workers from All Star Sports replied to me saying "You're in my town!" We messaged back and forth a few times while I was finishing my full circle around the Seven Seas Lagoon and made tentative plans to try to meet up later in the week.

I made it back to the Contemporary and we checked in right on time for our 8:45 breakfast - this was the latest we ever had breakfast the entire trip.



You can see the adorable Mickey Mouse shorts my mom made for the boys since they are standing still for once!



Trying to get Logan to walk. He would take a few steps if he was holding on to his hands, but he wouldn't walk on his own if you let go. Ian was a really late walker (2 days before he was 15 months), so I really wasn't surprised that Logan wasn't walking either at only 13 1/2 months.

Mom's birthday cupcake. Chocolate cupcakes are the most important part of breakfast while you are at Disney!



In the second picture you can also see our autograph books. After years of using the same type of official Disney autograph books I wanted to do something different. For the boys we used the Disney Junior Encyclopedia of Animated Characters and I used Walt Disney: A Biography. In the boy's book we had each character sign anywhere on their page, or on the inside cover if they didn't have a page in the book (it was released in 2010, so it was missing a few animated movies, plus live action characters).

Food!



It isn't a real Disney breakfast without Mickey waffles!



Funny story about Mickey waffles - because I worked in food service on the breakfast shift at a resort when I was a Cast Member I had to cook a lot of Mickey waffles. But for whatever reason I always had the most mishaps occur while I was working in the bakery shop working with those waffle irons. Many days I would have excess batter drip all over my work costume from my waist to my ankle. Thankfully the clothes were easy to wash, but my co-workers enjoyed laughing with me (I'm the first to admit that I am clumsy, so it was okay).

Ian spotting Mickey Mouse for the very first time!



The Cast Members who set up our table were very smart - the placed the high chairs for the boys next to each other so that it was easy for the characters to stand between them for pictures.

First to our table was Goofy

(I think Logan was more interested in his spoon)

Then Donald



Then the Mouse of the hour!



Both boys were just mesmerized - here in front of them was a character they had watched nearly every day for months.

Pluto was next



And then Minnie came around to our table



Minnie gave both of the boys several kisses, which upset Logan a little bit. I think it was mostly just being over stimulated from the noisy restaurant and not fully understanding everything that was going on.

I thought that that food was very good. It's the standard Disney breakfast buffet, and I knew that the main focus of the meal was on the characters and not the food.

We finished up, made a quick bathroom stop, lathered on some sunscreen, and back on to the monorail we went. We still had many more firsts to experience that morning!

 

[jedimeg16]

I had really hoped to get a new post typed up today, but all of my time went to packing instead. This weekend is out last convention of the year, and Logan and I drove to my parent's house tonight (the convention is in my hometown), and then Ryan and Ian will be riding the train from Chicago down here after Ian is done with preschool.

I'll be back with normal updates either Sunday night or on Monday.

 

[jedimeg16]

Magic Kingdom Day 1, Part 2

Stepping back into the Magic Kingdom after almost 6 years since Ryan and I were here was just as magical as I remembered. Everything just felt like I was home again, even with all of the changes that were being made. The new turnstiles were still being installed, so we used the normal ones, with the stroller bypass for the boys.

Back when we were still planning the trip we had decided to bring 2 umbrella strollers with us instead of renting 1 or 2 strollers while we were here (from Disney or an outside company). The biggest reason we needed at least one I mentioned in the previous post - Logan wasn't walking yet. So he needed one nearly all of the time. And we decided that it was best for Ian to have his own instead of dealing with a double stroller was because sitting that close to each other the boys would likely poke at each other and pick fights. Plus the advantage to the simple umbrella strollers was that both of them could recline in case the boys fell asleep - we knew Logan would likely nap, but we weren't certain about Ian because he had given up naps about 10 months before, right around when he turned 2.

After we entered MK we started going our separate ways - Brandon and Rochelle took off to ride rides, while the rest of us had very important souvenirs to purchase.

We headed over to The Chapeau, but before going in I got us our first FastPasses of the trip - the meet the Princesses. The Cast Member at the kiosk asked how many of us were in the group, and I told her 4 adults and 2 kids under 3 and she gave me a bonus set of FastPasses for Mickey Mouse that we could use in only about 20 minutes. Mary Poppins was also out greeting guests in the shade right next to Tony's Town Square restaurant with a fairly short line. Ian didn't even want to approach her, but Logan was very interested in Mary's umbrella. Sadly, these were the only pictures that never showed up in our PhotoPass account, and even though I thought my dad had taken pictures too we can't find them.

Now it was time to buy some very special ears!



We aren't certain what Ian was looking at, but some detail of the building caught his eye.



While they waited for us to finish inside the store, my parent's decided to play some checkers



Ian was excited to show Grandma his new hat



This was the longest period of time Logan kept his ears on



Then it was time for our FastPasses to meet Mickey Mouse inside his dressing room!

I loved this little detail in the queue, because I grew up watching Duck Tales and the other cartoons made around the same time (Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers was my favorite).



Logan trying to walk to Mickey



Mickey noticing that Ian had ears too while Ian was more interested in Mickey's wardrobe trunk.



I think Ian might have been dancing at this point, or just too excited to stand still.



Sometimes it's the candid pictures, and not the posed ones where everyone is looking at the camera that really tells the story.

Mickey taking his time with the boys and getting down on their level.



My two favorite PhotoPass pictures from this meet and greet - it wasn't until I was writing this post that I noticed that Mickey was holding Ian's hand

 

[KatMark]

I missed your last update and so am responding to that one and this one.

We've not been to Chef Mickey's in over 10 years. It looks like the boys handled their first greets very well. Love all the pictures, but especially the ones with Pluto.

for new Mickey ears.

And what a great interaction with the man himself, Mickey Mouse. How cute that Mickey is holding Ian's hand.

 

[wiigirl]

Great update!