Our biggest WDW vacation yet (but with the littlest guests)- A May PTR! Updated 4/24!

[Mollydolly334]

Hello friends!!


As you may have figured out, I’M GOING BACK TO DISNEY!



I haven’t successfully written a WDW PTR/TR in a loooong time (don’t hate me- writer’s block is a real thing). But, a lot has changed in my life since my last attempt at one!

On August 24, 2022, I got engaged to the love of my life, Jake, at Aulani





In April of 2023, Jake and I then took a leap and visited Disneyland for the VERY FIRST TIME! This was a fantastic trip; we stayed at the Grand Californian and absolutely fell head over heels in LOVE with both this resort and DL/CA as a whole! We also participated in our first Dapper Day!










Then, in July of 2023, I went on a rip-roaring fun bachelorette party with all my besties to WDW! We did a split stay between WL CL (just my mom, sister, and I) and a 2-bedroom villa at BCV for all of the bachelorette festivities. Among the highlights was our Epcot Forever fireworks cruise, spending my 29th birthday at Magic Kingdom, and getting an insane upgrade to the Yosemite Suite at WL!



























Jake and I got married on September 22, 2023! It was the happiest day of our lives










We then went on an incredibly amazing 2-week honeymoon to 3 islands in Hawaii (including a stay at Aulani of course)!









I DID write and successfully finish a TR for this over on the Aulani boards- here’s a link if you want to read all about it

3 islands, 2 weeks, 1 amazing honeymoon!!!

I really think that writing that TR pulled me out of my writing funk, and I’m so thrilled to start writing again!

It’s good timing too, because this trip will take me where no trip has taken me before…

Disney World… with small children…



That’s right- the whole family is coming this time!! The first time I went to Disney World, I was 6 years old. Me being the baby of the family, I have always been the youngest on the trip and I have never had the experience of traveling the Disney with small children.

Until now!

Pretty much as soon as my twin niece and nephew were conceived, my sister Haley and I began to plot and plan for their first trip to Disney World. This trip has been 3 years in the making! We decided on May 2024, just before they turned 3 years old, to make sure we could still eek out all of the perks of them being “free” in Disney!

But, of course, life happens, and 2 kids turned into 3!! Haley and Ryan are due with their third child in February So, if you’re good at math, you’ll have figured out that this new baby will be 3 months old at the time of this long-awaited trip.

That’s right- 7 adults + 2 toddlers + 1 infant = one memorable trip to Disney World!

And since I’m the “master planner” of all of our Disney trips, it’s up to ME to make it happen.

Pray for me

Here are our deets so far (subject to change)!

Dates: May 9-19, 2024
Resorts: Triple Split-Stay between CSR Tower/POFQ/CBR (it’s a bona-fide tour of the mods)!
Tickets: To be determined…
ADRS: Our ADR booking date is March 9, 2024!
Flights: Booking soon!
Genie+: Maybe? Probably?

As you can see, we still have A LOT to figure out and plan! That’s where you guys come in I can’t wait to share our planning process and glean some much-needed advice from my DISfriends!! I missed you guys

Introductions coming up next!

​

 

[Mollydolly334]

Introductions!


So, as I mentioned before, this is a “whole family” trip (in the world of my niece and nephew). Who is the whole family, may you ask??

Since I’m writing this PTR and I make the rules, we’ll start with me!



Auntie Molly at your service! My name is Molly, I’m 29 years old, and I have been a WDW super-fan ever since my first trip at 6 years old. Although I was born and raised in Wisconsin, I’m very fortunate to have been able to travel to Disney over 20 times in my life. I still live in Milwaukee, and try to visit a Disney property at least once a year if I can! Disney imagineering is a master of nostalgia-baiting, and I buy that stuff hook, line, and sinker. I’m such a sucker for nostalgia and a kid at heart! I work as a manager at an ABA center and supervise/create therapy targets for children on the Autism spectrum. The work is hard, but it is SO rewarding and I love working with children. My hobbies also include traveling and writing (duh), walking/running, reading, baking, and scented candles/soaps (I spend wayyyyyy too much money at Bath and Body Works).

Next is my husband (I’ll never get tired of saying that ), Uncle Jake!



Jake works on the opposite end of the age spectrum as an audiologist here in the Milwaukee area. Jake is definitely a WDW fan; I’m slowly converting him, but nobody can be as big of a fan as I am, hehe! He also LOVED Disneyland on our first visit and claims he likes it better than WDW- we’ll see if this claim holds up after this trip! Jake and I are birds of a feather and both love to travel. His other hobbies include all Wisconsin sports (Bucks, Packers, Brewers, Badgers… he is a man obsessed), golf, and eating all of the treats I bake!

Now, I’ll introduce the stars of the show here- my niece and nephew! I couldn’t choose a favorite picture of them- so you get a whole bunch











Their names are Evelyn (Evie) and Oliver (Ollie)! They were born in June of 2021, so they will be 2 years and 11 months by the time we take this trip! Although they are twins, they couldn’t be more opposite. Evie is less than one minute older than Oliver, but she shows every second of it. Evie is the most verbose, confident, and assertive child I have ever met in my life. She is also the most sensitive and emotional child I’ve ever met . She can turn from angel to little stinker in no time!! Evie loves anything girly; dress-up, all of the Disney princesses (especially Cinderella and Tiana), and dolls. Oliver is our laid-back little buddy . Oliver is very affectionate and is always down to cuddle! He is also super active and is always moving/running/crashing into things, yet he is so go-with-the-flow and mellow. He is the type B to Evie’s type A! At the moment, Oliver has one interest and one interest only- PIXAR CARS. All of the Cars movies/shorts, characters, toys, books…he is a boy obsessed! Haley jokes that she has probably seen the first Cars movie 200 times, and I'm pretty sure that "cars" was his first word .



Of course, we have to include their Mama and Daddy, my sister Haley and her husband Ryan! Haley and Ryan are a couple years older than Jake and I, and are superhero parents. I have no idea how they do it all and still stay so calm and involved! Haley and I are polar opposites personality-wise, but have really become best friends as we’ve grown older. Haley is a huge Disney fan as well and was the master-planner of my amazing bachelorette party back in July!! The last two times she has been in WDW, she has been pregnant. Needless to say, she’s excited to enjoy some roller coasters and adult beverages this time around Ryan is funny, laid-back (just like his son), and friends with everyone, so he’s always great to travel with!

Now, we’re missing a very important part of our puzzle here. Problem is, they haven’t been born yet!! New baby is due on February 9th, 2024



Haley and Ryan are not finding out the gender (pretty easy considering they have baby stuff for both genders), and we are SO excited to meet them!! I’m a little nervous about traveling to Disney with such a little baby, but we are planning for lots of breaks/shade, and the baby being worn in a carrier at all times!

And what’s a family trip without some grandparents to indulge said children?? Evie and Ollie are the first grandchildren on both sides of the family, and to say they are spoiled is an UNDERSTATEMENT.



Nana (Haley and I’s mom)! If Haley is super-mom, Nana super-Nana! She lives and breathes her grandchildren, and it’s super easy for her to visit, since she only lives about an hour away from Haley and Ryan! My mom is a pediatric dentist, and the most inspiring person in my world. She is my very best friend and is also one of my favorite people to travel to Disney with! Nana is happy to let me do all the planning and loves to join for the ride She has boundless energy and is a rope-drop to park-close Disney guest!

I of course have to mention the kid’s Bapa (Haley and I’s dad). He passed away in June of 2022, and we miss him every day. I know he will be there in spirit. I love you, Dad!



Finally, we have Cici and Chief (Ryan’s parents)!



Cici (Carla) and Chief (Mark) live in Naples, Florida! They are so excited to see the twins at Disney; Ryan and his siblings grew up going to WDW all the time, so they are definitely Disney fans as well! I love hanging out with Mark and Carla; despite them being “in-laws”, we all truly get along so well and they are so sweet. They like to tour a little slower than Mom and I and love to enjoy pool time and nice sit-down restaurants while at Disney. Which, is honestly perfect for this trip since we’re planning for tons for character meals/meets and breaks throughout the day!

These are all confirmed members of our party so far. We’re really hoping that Ryan’s sister, Auntie Kahla, can come join us for a few days as well.



Kahla is one of my good friends- she joined us for the bachelorette party and I was a bridesmaid in her wedding! I really hope she’s able to come for a bit; she loves Disney almost as much as I do and is always down to talk WDW-related stuff! I feel like we’re going to need to take some “Auntie breaks” during the trip and maybe hid in the Tiki Room with a Dole Whip . Kahla’s husband, Tony, may come for a bit as well, as well as Ryan’s brother, Thomas and his wife, Melody. I’ll update this page if needed as people confirm/deny their attendance!




​

 

[KathyM2]

Hey I'm here!! I just happened to see your post on FB about this PTR and came right on over!! How exciting!! Also, it's a big task planning for everyone but I have no doubt you are up for it!! I kind of feel that way about our upcoming trip in March, and I just keep telling myself that it's ok if we can't do everything...no one knows what they are missing unless you tell them lol...Have fun planning and I look forward to following along (and maybe learning a few things too!)

 

[cindianne320]

Can’t wait to read along!

 

[suse66]

I'm here! Can't wait to read all about it!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Yay!!!! I can't wait to hear all about your plans for the big family trip! Jimmy's first WDW trip is still one of my most favorite of all time. There's just something SO incredibly magical about seeing your most favorite place in the world through a little one's eyes for the first time. I'm tearing up just thinking about it!!!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Hey I'm here!! I just happened to see your post on FB about this PTR and came right on over!! How exciting!! Also, it's a big task planning for everyone but I have no doubt you are up for it!! I kind of feel that way about our upcoming trip in March, and I just keep telling myself that it's ok if we can't do everything...no one knows what they are missing unless you tell them lol...Have fun planning and I look forward to following along (and maybe learning a few things too!)

Hi Kathy!! So glad you made it over I am definitely up for the task- I need something to keep me busy now that I'm not planning a wedding anymore, haha! I totally agree with your sentiment. I think having the twins and baby will force us to slow down and smell the roses- which, at this point, I go to Disney enough that I finally feel like I have the ability to do that

Can’t wait to read along!

Hi Cindi!! Glad to have you here and reading along

I'm here! Can't wait to read all about it!

Hi Susan! So good to see you here and reading along

Yay!!!! I can't wait to hear all about your plans for the big family trip! Jimmy's first WDW trip is still one of my most favorite of all time. There's just something SO incredibly magical about seeing your most favorite place in the world through a little one's eyes for the first time. I'm tearing up just thinking about it!!!

Hi Jackie!! Thanks so much for reading along AHHHHH- I'm so excited to see their reactions to everything and just the pure joy and "magic" they will be emanating. Especially meeting characters, I just know they will be so starstruck and in awe of everything! But, since I try to be realistic, I'm also expecting lots of tantrums and changed plans as well All part of the process!!!

 

[Woth2982]

I went on a rip-roaring fun bachelorette party with all my besties to WDW!

I did this too! Right down to the fireworks cruise! Andrew and I did one for our 5 year anniversary in September just the two of us. It was the highlight of our anniversary trip. We plan on doing this again in November when we go with my best friend and her family

Now, I’ll introduce the stars of the show here- my niece and nephew!

Oh my gosh they are so darn cute!

She can turn from angel to little stinker in no time!

Ha! My DD can go from saint to sinner in a nano second. Her nickname is Jekyll and Hyde

New baby is due on February 9th, 2024

This is a GREAT day to be born! There is a REASON the last 4 of my username is 2982! We have one of each as well and I said if I had a third I would not find out the gender, of course I can say this with complete confidence as I will not be having a third (Id be the one ending up with spontaneous quads)

 

[missjackiemcg]

But, since I try to be realistic, I'm also expecting lots of tantrums and changed plans as well All part of the process!!!

LOL, traveling with Jimmy as a toddler is how we became mid-day pool break/naptime/balcony drink time people!!

 

[Mollydolly334]

I did this too! Right down to the fireworks cruise! Andrew and I did one for our 5 year anniversary in September just the two of us. It was the highlight of our anniversary trip. We plan on doing this again in November when we go with my best friend and her family

Oh my gosh they are so darn cute!

Ha! My DD can go from saint to sinner in a nano second. Her nickname is Jekyll and Hyde

This is a GREAT day to be born! There is a REASON the last 4 of my username is 2982! We have one of each as well and I said if I had a third I would not find out the gender, of course I can say this with complete confidence as I will not be having a third (Id be the one ending up with spontaneous quads)

Hi Katie!! Thanks so much for reading along! I love all of our parallels and coincidences Having a Disney bachelorette party was soooo much fun. It was amazing having all of my favorite people (well, minus Jake haha) all together in my favorite place on Earth!! Did your friends all like Disney as much as you did??

Sounds like your DD and Evie would get along great Also I hope you and the new baby can be birthday twins!!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Resort Arrangements and Switcheroos!


Now that introductions are out of the way, we can get to the real nitty gritty! First up- resorts. This topic deserves a whole post in itself!

If you’ve read my past reports, you know that I am a Disney resorts fanatic. In many ways, I enjoy the WDW resorts just as much (if not more) than the actual parks at times! I’m a sucker for the immersive theming, and it’s so much fun to stroll around, check out the stores/restaurants, hang by the pools, and people watch.

Naturally, resort choices were one of the first topics of conversation since we started planning the trip. From the get-go, Haley had her heart set on staying at the Polynesian for the kid’s first trip. This resort has been one of our favorites since childhood, and the theming and convenience of being on the monorail line can’t be beat, especially with strollers in tow!



Well, we priced out a week at the Poly in May 2024, and that dashed our dreams REAL quick Those rack rates are actual insanity! We could have rented points… but that whole process makes me nervous since it’s non-refundable. Especially with the new baby coming and all of the people joining on this trip/moving parts, we were NOT comfortable booking non-changeable rooms.

So, it was back to the drawing board! We utilized some of our time on my bachelorette party back in July to walk around some resorts and think of potential options. Weighing prices vs. amenities, a moderate resort was definitely going to be our best bet. We usually try to stay at Deluxes and can find pretty good deals for these most of the time, but we also stay at the same resorts a lot and wanted to try something new for this big trip!!

I was excited for this! I have not stayed at a moderate in a long time- we stayed at POR wayyyy back in 2000 when it was Dixie Landings, and my mom and I stayed at CBR back in 2015. It is basically my life goal to stay at every Disney resort at least once, so it was time to cross some off the list!

Once we narrowed it down to a moderate resort, the choice was pretty obvious for us. The convenience of the Skyliner, fun tropical theming, and amazing pool area made us choose…



Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort! Mom and I liked this resort ok when we stayed here in 2015, but it was in need of some TLC. We didn’t like the large size of it, and we also got "upgraded" to a pirate room, which was so fun but way out in the boonies! However, when we toured this in July, we LOVED all of the updates and it literally looked like a completely different resort! We just have to expect a lot of walking, which is ok for us. We used our bounceback offer from my bachelorette party to book 8 nights at CBR (May 11-19). We booked 3 rooms- one room for Jake, Mom and I, one room for Haley, Ryan, and the 3 kids, and one room for Mark and Carla (and potentially Kahla).

But wait, Molly, that doesn’t match your final plans at all!!

Well, not long after we booked CBR, Mark and Carla found out that they could use their points and book some nights at a villa at their Marriott timeshare in Orlando! Awesome, more money saved! However, we still wanted to spend some time on-site and enjoy the Disney resort amenities. It was decided that Haley, Ryan, and the kids, along with Ryan’s family, would stay at the Marriott timeshare from May 12-15, then we would all move over to our 3 rooms at CBR from May 15-19.

Instead of keeping our original 8-night reservation at CBR, Mom, Jake, and I decided to turn our time into a split-stay and try out a new resort! We found a great deal with our bounceback offer, and decided to book a room at Port Orleans French Quarter from May 12-15! This was another resort that I have heard soooo many positive things about; I’m thrilled to finally try this out as this has been on my “bucket list” for a while.



But wait, I thought you were planning on leaving May 11th, not May 12th??

Well, since Carla and Mark weren’t coming down until May 12th (they have an out-of-town wedding the day before), we were homeless for a night. Haley and Ryan really wanted to stay for 8 nights to make the most of the weekend, when Ryan doesn’t need to take any PTO. Hmmm, what’s a place that’s perfect for small kids, especially when one of them is obsessed with all things Cars?



Disney’s Art of Animation Resort! We booked a Cars Suite for the night of May 11th, so that Ollie could get his Cars fix. I am SO excited for this. They will already be excited to arrive at Disney, but to be transported into a land of Cars?? Oliver is going to go INSANE!! I can’t wait to see his reaction to all of the life-size figures! So! May 11-19th it is- all booked!



HOLD ON, why does your final plan say May 9-19??

So. From the start of planning for this trip, we knew that Jake was not going to be able to attend for the full duration Since we took a 14-night honeymoon, Jake used up pretty much all of his PTO. Coming into this trip, we knew that Jake could only tag along for a long weekend and take a maximum of 2 days off. We figured that Jake would come up Wednesday night or Thursday afternoon after work (he only works until 11:00 AM on Thursdays), and leave with all of us on Sunday the 19th.

However, the more we thought about it, we actually came to the conclusion that Jake should come up for the first weekend. Two of his big “musts” for the trip were 1. Hanging out with Oliver at the Cars hotel and 2. Spending the day at Magic Kingdom. Well, both of those things were happening that first weekend (May 11 and May 12).

To make the most of his time off, Jake and I decided that we would leave for Disney World on Thursday, May 9th after he gets done with work (we are eying up a 12:45 PM flight since he’s done at 11:00 AM on Thursdays). Then, the rest of the group would come down May 11 and May 12, and Jake would head back late on Monday the 13th. This was greatly exciting to us, since I could be the Disney freak that I am and stay for all ten nights , plus Jake and I would get a couple days to enjoy WDW by ourselves before the chaos starts on the 11th!!

SO! That brings a third hotel into the picture! Surprisingly, this one was a no-brainer for us. We chose…



Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort!

Jake went to WDW 3 times as a child, and each trip, he and his parents stayed at CSR. This resort is super nostalgic to Jake, and he’s been dying to return. Plus, this is a new resort for me!! So another one to cross off the bucket list, woohoo!

So, if you’re keeping track of all of this resort nonsense, here are the final stats. I don’t *think* this will change.

May 9th- 12th- Molly and Jake arrive at WDW and stay at Coronado Springs Resort (Tower- Standard View, King Bed Room).



May 11th-12th- Nana, Haley, Ryan, and the kids arrive at WDW and stay at Art of Animation (Cars Suite).



May 12th-15th- Cici and Chief (and possibly Kahla) arrive at WDW and stay at their Marriott timeshare villa with Ryan, Haley, and the kids. Molly, Jake, and Nana transfer to Port Orleans French Quarter (Garden View). Jake leaves WDW May 13th



May 15th- May 19th- The whole crew transfers to Caribbean Beach Resort for the remainder of the trip (Standard Room, 5th Sleeper).



WHEW! That was exhausting! Overall, I think it’ll be perfect for our trip. I love doing split-stays and experiencing lots of hotels during our trips. We are already planning on lots of resort/pool time and checking out all of the resort-specific activities during our stays (Scat Cat Club at POFQ, Dahlia Lounge at CSR, Banana Cabana at CBR, etc.). I LOVE going to Disney in May (it’s one of my absolute favorite months of the year to go), because you are guaranteed to have perfect pool weather, but it’s not to the point where it’s oppressively humid and you’re dehydrated and frustrated and DONE. So, you best believe that we are checking out ALL of the pools during our trip!

For those who have stayed at any of these resorts recently/regularly- what are your must-dos??

​

 

[elsbit]

i do crazy split stays too My husband does not love that as much as I do. haha

 

[keh422]

I was so happy to see that you have a pre-trip report in progress! I don't even know if I congratulated you on your marriage. So congratulations!! You two just seem like the sweetest couple.

Disney is always magical, but there's something extra special about traveling with little ones.

We actually just booked a trip around the same time, but we'll arrive at the very end of May. (School always gets in the way.) We are also staying at 3 resorts, which is a record for us. I can't wait to read about how the rest of your plans come together and then about the actual trip, of course!

 

[NAB]

Wow that’s a lot of moving around…lol

We just stayed at Art of Animation in Dec. in a Nemo room. My daughter picked. Can’t wait to see pictures of the Car themed room. The Nemo room was very blue , the floors were like water.

Loved the Skyliner there.

 

[cindianne320]

Caribbean Beach is our new family go to! Being a family of 5, it really fits our needs for a reasonable price. Though someday we’ll go back to AoA for the 2nd bathroom!!

 

[Monykalyn]

Saw you posted this on the FB group! Gorgeous pictures of Hawaii and your wedding (you are stunningly beautiful!)
My middle kid goes to UCF- she got accepted into DCP. Originally she was custodial in DHS but now she’s custodial on Skyliner at CB. Apparently she rides all day cleaning cabins - or at least that’s what she’s trained in so far. Caribbean beach has a special place for us-our family’s first on property stay (we didn’t tell kids we were staying on property and as we drove up my son goes “are we staying ina Walt Disney RESORT?!” Just like a commercial ), my oldest kids first DCP was custodial there, and now 2nd kid DCP is there.
Don’t let size scare you-it’s really not that bad.
We have 2 grandkids from hubs oldest daughter -it’s really actually fun to go with littler kids because you have to slow down a bit.

 

[missjackiemcg]

I envy people who can do split stays and enjoy it! It sounds SO overwhelming to me, especially with my family members in tow who insist to unpack everything into drawers when we arrive at a hotel LOL These plans sound amazing though! You're going to get to experience so much.

I'm jealous of the Cars suite for sure--that's something we never managed to do yet, and even though he's 14 now, I know Jimmy would love it.

Port Orleans is my Mom's favorite, but we are usually being too $$$ conscious when she gets to do WDW with me and always end up back at Pop in order to stay longer. I think you'll love it there!

 

[NAB]

I envy people who can do split stays and enjoy it! It sounds SO overwhelming to me, especially with my family members in tow who insist to unpack everything into drawers when we arrive at a hotel LOL These plans sound amazing though! You're going to get to experience so much.

I'm jealous of the Cars suite for sure--that's something we never managed to do yet, and even though he's 14 now, I know Jimmy would love it.

Port Orleans is my Mom's favorite, but we are usually being too $$$ conscious when she gets to do WDW with me and always end up back at Pop in order to stay longer. I think you'll love it there!

My daughter is 23 and picked Nemo so…

We usually say at Port Orleans but now have done this one and Pop our last 2 trips to save money. Will definitely do these again.

 

[Mollydolly334]

i do crazy split stays too My husband does not love that as much as I do. haha

Haha they are definitely not for everyone!! I tend to have major FOMO on Disney trips if I'm not doing *all of the things*- and staying at so many resorts helps curb that and make me feel like I'm packing as much in as I can

I was so happy to see that you have a pre-trip report in progress! I don't even know if I congratulated you on your marriage. So congratulations!! You two just seem like the sweetest couple.

Disney is always magical, but there's something extra special about traveling with little ones.

We actually just booked a trip around the same time, but we'll arrive at the very end of May. (School always gets in the way.) We are also staying at 3 resorts, which is a record for us. I can't wait to read about how the rest of your plans come together and then about the actual trip, of course!

Ahhhh hi Katie! So glad to see you here Thank you so much!!! Married life has been great so far (4 months down, haha!)

Shoot, so sad I'm missing you!! That sounds like so much fun though- which 3 resorts are you trying out??

Wow that’s a lot of moving around…lol

We just stayed at Art of Animation in Dec. in a Nemo room. My daughter picked. Can’t wait to see pictures of the Car themed room. The Nemo room was very blue , the floors were like water.

Loved the Skyliner there.

Yes! LOL I am kind of nuts about split stays...the craziest I've ever done is 4 resorts in 4 nights (Pop Century, Riviera, Contemporary, and Polynesian). I kept finding all of these great 1-night deals and couldn't stop myself!! It was a solo trip though so I only had to worry about myself and my own stuff.

The Skyliner will be absolutely perfect for the kiddos! I'm so excited to see all of the Cars stuff- the pool especially looks so cute! Jake and I loved Cars Land at DCA.

Caribbean Beach is our new family go to! Being a family of 5, it really fits our needs for a reasonable price. Though someday we’ll go back to AoA for the 2nd bathroom!!

Ahhh- the two bathrooms is a total game changer!! I also love the 2 showers in Riviera and Poly studios. I'm so excited to check out CBR again- the location is amazing and the theming is so cute!

Saw you posted this on the FB group! Gorgeous pictures of Hawaii and your wedding (you are stunningly beautiful!)
My middle kid goes to UCF- she got accepted into DCP. Originally she was custodial in DHS but now she’s custodial on Skyliner at CB. Apparently she rides all day cleaning cabins - or at least that’s what she’s trained in so far. Caribbean beach has a special place for us-our family’s first on property stay (we didn’t tell kids we were staying on property and as we drove up my son goes “are we staying ina Walt Disney RESORT?!” Just like a commercial ), my oldest kids first DCP was custodial there, and now 2nd kid DCP is there.
Don’t let size scare you-it’s really not that bad.
We have 2 grandkids from hubs oldest daughter -it’s really actually fun to go with littler kids because you have to slow down a bit.

Hi Monica!! So nice to see a fellow "Steve" on here Thank you SOOO much for the sweet words

Congrats to your daughter for getting into the DCP!! Riding the Skyliner all day- I could definitely think of worse jobs to do That's so exciting for her and it sounds like CBR is a really special place for you guys!! We loved it when we toured there in July- they have really renovated the lobby a lot and it seems a lot more updated and modern! Plus it smells amazing, like coconut and lime haha!

Definitely looking forward to the new experiences- I've finally reached that point where I've been to Disney enough times and I feel like I can just relax and chill out now!

I envy people who can do split stays and enjoy it! It sounds SO overwhelming to me, especially with my family members in tow who insist to unpack everything into drawers when we arrive at a hotel LOL These plans sound amazing though! You're going to get to experience so much.

I'm jealous of the Cars suite for sure--that's something we never managed to do yet, and even though he's 14 now, I know Jimmy would love it.

Port Orleans is my Mom's favorite, but we are usually being too $$$ conscious when she gets to do WDW with me and always end up back at Pop in order to stay longer. I think you'll love it there!

It was definitely weird the first time I tried it! The one thing I don't like is that you are technically "homeless" the day you switch and you sometimes don't have a room to go back to until 4:00 PM. I love that Disney transfers your luggage for you though- that is a huge game-changer and I don't think I'd do as many split-stays if that perk wasn't included! It's worth it to me to be able to see so many different resorts

I love that Jimmy (my birthday twin, haha!) is still a kid at heart!! I hope he never loses that

 

[Mollydolly334]

Real-Life Update: Disney on Ice!!


On Sunday, we went on a little excursion to…



Disney on Ice! Myself, Jake, Haley, Ryan, and the twins tagged along for the fun! This was kind of our “last hurrah” event before the new baby is born (Haley is scheduled for her C-Section on February 9th)! We also thought it would be a good test-run to see how they would do with the characters, shows, etc. that we would see at Disney World! We weren’t really sure how they would do; two and a half is such a weird age and I feel like the twins are always surprising and testing our expectations.

Well… THEY LOVED IT!!









They were seriously so engrossed in the entire show! Big smiles, pointing, laughing, naming characters! I don’t know WHAT in the world got into me, but I was a crying, emotional mess the entire time!! Any time the twins even remotely showed interest in the show, I’d just start crying of happiness . It’s going to be a million times worse when we’re actually IN Disney World!!



They also did such a great job sitting and staying still for the entire show. It also helped that we came armed with lollipops and M&Ms There were a few “dark” parts (fire dancing, loud noises, flashes of darkness/strobe lights), but they weren’t scared at all and they were entranced!! This gave me some relief; I’ve been a little worried about them being scared of more thematic elements at Disney (Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Rainforest Cafe, 3D movies, etc). But, they didn’t seem affected at all!



They were all decked out in their Disney gear!





Little brother or sister already trying to sneak in the pic





Jake and I saw Disney on Ice in Milwaukee back in 2022 (God bless him, I’m pretty sure we were the only adults without children in the audience ), but it was a different show. We both agreed that we liked this show better! There seemed to be way more characters and variety in this one! When asked what their favorite characters in the show were, Evie said “Jasmine, Genie, Woody, Buzz, and Tiana” and Oliver said.. Wait for it… “Lightning McQueen, Mater, and Frank” . Are you surprised?? They also LOVED seeing Mickey and the gang!!



It was such a fun day! We went to the 11:00 AM show at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL, then headed back to Haley and Ryan’s house to have some lunch, read stories, and put the kids down for nap. Then, Haley and I were able to brainstorm some aspects of the Disney trip and jot down some plans, while Ryan and Jake watched some football! It was a very fun, Disney-filled day


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