What I learned from the Disney trip.

I love planning out my travels almost as much as I enjoy going places.  I'm a bargain hunter, and I get a rush from saving and planning and organizing.

I learned a lot from this trip.

1.  Obviously, plan ahead.  I'm taking down to a rough itinerary for every day.  You don't have to be crazy with it, but having an idea of exactly where to go is key.  I used a plethora of different websites to help with packing and which parks to go to on what days.

• Couponing To Disney
• Chum Mom
• Mommin It Up
• Mouse Savers
• Undercover Tourist

2.   Bring lots of new stuff either for the plane or car.  We drove, so we needed new movies games for our Innotab and coloring/activity books to keep us busy.  In the words of Barney Stinson...."New is always better".  And, for kids, that is totally the case...so get them some new stuff they've never seen and have a nice trip.  I saved a few things in my suitcase for the trip home.

3.   There are advantages to staying on and off a Disney site.  If you go with a Disney hotel you have free parking, shuttle, bus, or ferry to the parks.  Staying offsite you have to pay $14 per day to park.  We stayed offsite, but this was because we got a deal where we paid only $129 for the entire week for our 2 bedroom apartment.  Money wise this was a better choice for us.  If I were going again, I'd look into the Nickelodeon Resort.  They are cheaper per night than Disney and they have free transportation to the parks.  And, your kids get the joy of Disney and Nickelodeon characters on their vacation.

4.   If you can....bring lots of your own food....and drinks.  Not just for the parks (though you can bring in your own and it saves tons of money) but, also for the hotel too.  We had a kitchen, so we hit up the WalMart down the road when we got into town and bought all sorts of goodies, including our breakfast, dinners, and snacks.  We had pizza, meatball sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, oatmeal, cereal, ice-cream for snacks, etc.

5.   We bought our park tickets from undercovertourist.com.  They are an authorized Disney dealer, so you know the tickets are legit, but you get a free day with every purchase.  So, we paid for 3 days admission and got the 4th free.  They mailed them directly to our house.  What I learned is they don't work on the turnstiles.  So, when you arrived your first day head to City Hall and trade them in for cards that work, so you don't have to add to the hoopla when your trying to get into the parks.

6.    Buy your own souvenirs...and then plan to still buy more.  I'm certain we didn't spend as much as if we'd brought nothing, but my crazy idea my kids would be happy with the things I surprised them with every morning would be enough was shot down quickly.  I did bring our own bubbles, glow sticks, and glow bracelets for the Electric Parade, which made the girls happy enough that we didn't get suckered into buying on of those light-up spinny things for $10 a pop.

7.   Plan for rain.  I read a very helpful tip before leaving to buy a shower curtain and clips to clip over the stroller if you have to leave it out to go into a ride.  The clips came in super helpful too for the plastic ponchos we brought.  The girls would get in the stroller and we'd clip a poncho around them to keep them dry.  The grown ups all brought rain jackets that fold up into a little pouch...which saved on room in the bags.

8.   Bring a stroller.  Even if your kid is older.  Chances are, they are going to get tired.  I'm so glad we brought two strollers, not only does it carry around tried and cranky kids, it also holds all your crap.

9.   My kids love rides, and characters are overrated.   At least in my family.  Everything I read up to the trip was how great it is to get character's signatures.  Truthfully, all the girls really cared about was riding rides.  They would oblige us every now and again and stand in a line and see a character.  But, for the most part these gals were just about the thrills.

10.  Pining is also overrated.  Unless you plan on making Disney a yearly or bi-yearly trip I wouldn't waste the time.  For us, this was a once...maybe twice...in a lifetime kinda trip.  So, other souvenirs were more important.  Plus, the girls were scared of characters, there was no way they were going to go to a stranger and ask to trade a pin.

11.   Magic Kingdom is the best park.  No duh, right?   I'm glad we tried other parks, but honestly we would have been happy doing four days of Magic Kingdom.  Like I said before...these gals were all about the thrills, so walking around looking at shows and animals wasn't doing it for them.

12.   Use the PhotoPass system if you don't have a decent camera...or you have a mom that can't line up your faces in the little box.  That was you can go online and buy the pics you want to keep forever.


                          

Final day of our trip and the drive home.

We finished up our last day in Orlando at a Yankees/Astros Spring Training game.  I literally knew 1 Yankee, Jayson Nix.  Yogi seemed to know a lot of the Astros (since it was played at their complex they had better players training).  It was still a fun experience nonetheless, and who knows, maybe one of those no name kids will end up being something amazing and I can say I saw them when.

We woke up and drove to Baton Rouge on Friday and made it there in time for dinner.  We have these wonderful plans of eating at some local joint when we travel.  You know, somewhere we can't get here or some place that was on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.  Then the reality sets in that we have two little kids.  Kids who don't normally like waiting at restaurants for food, especially after riding in the car for 11 hours. So, we went to Jason's Deli across the street from the hotel.  It's fast, easy, and somewhat healthy.  Just like I like my men.

No one slept well that night.  I think the girls had gotten used to their own space in Florida and then we come here and all try and cram onto a bed and a pull out sofa.  We were all awake by 5:15 that morning.  We loaded the car and left by 6 something.  The good news with that...we were back in CC by 3 that day.

Just like with any other trip I've ever taken...it's so much fun to go, but it's as equally fun to get home to your own bed.

Disney World Part 4: Animal Kingdom

We made reservations at 8:05 for breakfast at the Tusker House for a character meal.  We met Donald first and headed in to the buffet.  They really had a great selection of food and it all tasted great.

The Mickey waffles really are as good as I'd heard....and darling too.  That would be Evie's plate, she chose a waffle, sprinkle doughnut and cinnamon roll.  She did eat a few grapes, but Hey! It's vacation.

We also met Daisy but our picture didn't turn out (Yogi took it, maybe he needs camera classes too).
Next up we headed to ride the train.  By far, this was the worse experience of our trip.  Disney prides themselves on taking care of you and your family and making your trip as wonderful as possible.  So, when we arrived at the train and got in line we were told we'd have to fold up our strollers and carry them on.  No stroller parking...which was weird because it's everywhere in every park.  We couldn't get out of line and find a stroller parking far away because we were crammed in between everyone.  We waited 25 minutes for the train to come back for our turn.  They should have designed that sucker to have more than one train going.  Once our train arrived the attendant opened all the other gates first...even though ours was the first to fill up and we'd been waiting the longest.  We were told we'd "have to just find a spot for the strollers, but don't block the aisle".  By the time our gate opened the entire train was full.  The five in our family and another family of three didn't have a ride (and we were the first people in line).   A few choice words to the attendant and she just avoided us.  So...we left.   I was mad...we'd waited 45 minutes at that point with two little girls who have zero patience....to not even get on the train.  And the particular part of the park is only accessible by the train...so we never saw it.

Once we cooled down a bit we headed to Kilimanjaro Safaris.  We had FASTPASSED it before going to the train, so we hopped right on it.   It really was a great ride, as Yogi said nothing made up that day for they way we were treated at the train, but this helped a somewhat.

 It's so amazing at how close you get to the animals, it feels like you are truly in Africa on a safari.  The girls really enjoyed it.  Above your seat is a guide of all the animals.  Evie's main concern was seeing the animal and then finding it on the guide.  So technical.

Next we headed to Dinoland and the girls wanted to ride the Triceratops Spin.  They love them some stuff that goes round and round.  We didn't get to ride the little roller coaster because the girls weren't big enough.
So we then headed to the playground.  They played and played.  We'd thought we'd lost Evie for a moment and then found her in the boneyard digging and playing in the sand.

Finding Nemo the Musical was our next stop.  It lasts about 35 minutes, and we really enjoyed it.  Though Evie had to potty in the middle so Daddy took her out and they missed the end.

We packed our own sandwiches and chips for lunch and found a table to eat at.  Evie fell asleep, so she got to eat later.   While the little one napped Yogi, Gianna and Grandma went to the Lion King show.  I assumed she liked it because she sang the songs the whole way back to the hotel.

We snapped a few more pics on the way out.  We were in a hurry on the way in so I got the entrance on the way out.

That evening mom hung out with the girls and Yogi and I went back to Downtown Disney and ate dinner and went to the movies....alone.

Disney World Part 3: Downtown Disney and Magic Kingdom

Day three we woke up and headed to Downtown Disney.  We had to fight off the rain most of the day, but it most definitely could have been worse.

 T-Rex restaurant is a super cute Rainforest Cafe type place that has movable dinosaurs and whatnot.  The girls are very much spoiled by their Grandma and this was their big gift for the trip from her.  "Build-A-Dino", like Build-A-Bear but with cute little dinosaurs.

The Lego Store was a big hit.  The grown ups were as impressed with the giant lego statues as the kids were with all the stuff you could buy.  We did, shockingly, make it out without purchasing anything.

I thought Gianna and Evie were going to have an "I want that and that and that for my birthday" panic attack in the World of Disney store.  I'm certain they were on sensory overload after that store.

For lunch we ate at Earl of Sanwich.  Excellent prices for a Disney affiliate and so tasty.  We also made a stop after at the candy store for Yogi and the girls, and then the Ghiradelli for coffees for mom and I.

After Downtown Disney we headed back to Magic Kingdom to spend the afternoon and evening there.  It started pouring down on the drive over, but my cleaver "clothes pinned ponchos" on the strollers helped keep the girls dry.

 We met Pluto coming into the park.
We then headed over to Adventureland and Gigi and I hopped on Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride.  Because of the rain the crowds had cleared out and the waits for rides even without FASTPASSES weren't bad.
We rode the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Carribean as a family, and enjoyed both.  Though the girls were a little scared of how dark Pirates was.

After meeting Peter Pan we ventured toward Tomorrowland.  On our way we got a good spot to see the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade.

We got a FASTPASS to Buzz Lightyears Spaceranger Spin, and while we waited we drove the racetrack.  Yogi rode with Gigi and I got the wonderful pleasure of riding with Evie.  She feels she needs to everything in life for herself, which is a wonderful trait, and I'm proud to be raising such an independent woman.  But, it can get frustrating at times, one of which is her trying to see to drive a race car.  She would just whip the steering wheel back and forth, and occasionally bang her had on the side of the car from the sheer volume in which she would whip said steering wheel.

Yogi and I rode Space Mountain, which as everyone knows is one of the original rides at Disney.  It felt like it.  That bad boy whiped you around and up and down.  It felt like Evie was operating it.

We stopped by and had hamburgers and french fries and apple slices at a quick service counter for dinner and then headed to claim a spot on Main Street for the Electrical Parade.

We sat towards the front of the park.  The parade starts there so as soon as it's over you can sneak out.  We didn't stay for the fireworks...we were pooped.

Disney World Part 2: Hollywood Studios

We woke up early again and headed to Hollywood Studios.  While waiting in line to enter the park the girls got to meet Donald and Daisy.  Our first  stop once in the park was Toy Story Mania.  We got right in and also got a FASTPASS and rode it later.  It ended up being our favorite ride there.

Evie was not too excited about see "the shows" (Hollywood Studios has a lot of 20-40 minute shows).  We did convince her to see the Disney Jr. show, and she ended up really liking it.  Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sophia the First, Doc McStuffins, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates make appearances....right up her alley.  Us grownups liked it too, except you had to sit on the floor for 30 minutes.  The Grandma had trouble getting up.

We made lunch reservations at 50's Prime Time Cafe.  It's an adorable 1950's house theme with old TV's playing old shows.  The food was delicious, though expect to pay for it.  We had meatloaf, chicken pot pie, and roast.  My mom and Yogi each had a peanut butter and jelly shake.  I think I drank most of mom's though, it was soooooo good.

After lunch Mom and I rode the Star Wars ride, the girls were too little for it, so Yogi took them to get their faces painted.  Evie got a heart and Kermit the Frog, and Gigi got "music mania" (it had purple music bars with notes and glitter).  Star Wars was great, I wish it were a little longer, but thanks to a FASTPASS we hopped right on and had a blast.

Next up was the Muppet 3D.  We all thought it was super cute.  Evie, however, has trouble keeping on the 3D glasses so her attention wanders off and she's ready to leave in the first five minutes.  But that Gigi loves her some Miss Piggy.

This family loves New York.  It's our favorite place to visit and we'd totally live there in a heartbeat if someone would pay us the proper money to do so.  So, it was with pleasure for us to happen upon the New York street.  My mom took this picture.  I think we are going to get her SLR camera taking lessons for Christmas because all of the pics she took look like this.  We love you, Mom.

We headed back to the hotel and one of the nice things about a full kitchen is not paying to go out to eat every night.  I brought our Crock-pot with us and before we left that morning we put on some meatballs.  We had meatball sandwiches and ceasar salads.  The girls went swimming and were asleep in "their room" with minimal arguments.

Disney World Part 1: Magic Kingdom

We just returned from a week long trip to Disney World.   My mom flew into CC on a Thursday and we told the girls that night we were leaving in the morning.  Our original intentions were to wake them up and surprise them but, Gianna did this on Thursday night.

She decided to hang off the back of one of those Power Wheels type toys.  I yell at them constantly to keep their shoes on outside....and now she knows why.  Gianna does not do hurt well.  She thinks the world is going to end or whatever body part is hurt is going to just rot off from the infection that is surely going to come from this.  She was hysterical.  So, we decided to tell them about Disney World to make her night a little more manageable for her, and us. 

We were out of the house a little after 6:30 Friday morning and on our way to Mobile, Alabama.  One of the good things about living in Texas (where it takes an entire day just to get across the state) and all the moves we've recently made is that the girls are becoming much better traveling in the car.  Oh, and they rarely pee.  Total bonus for car rides, probably not so good on their bladders. 

We made it Mobile about 6:00 that night and were up and out by 8:00 the next morning for Orlando.  We stayed at Polynesian Isles Villas, which ended up being wonderful.  It was more like an apartment, two bedrooms, two baths, and full kitchen.  Real nice, Clark. 

Sunday was our first day at Magic Kingdom. 

This is us waiting on the Ferry Boat to head over to Magic Kingdom.  Evie was mad people were standing in her way.  These facial expressions pretty much sums up these two girls.

First stop....DUMBO.  I did extensive planning on what to do when and first and whatnot....more of that to come later. 

Gianna was "a little" scared to ride Dumbo, and Yogi gets motion sickness with things that go around and around.  So, it was just Evie and I.  You can't really tell in the photo, but Gianna has on slippers.
We had to stop on the was to the Magic Kingdom that morning at Walmart to find some sort of shoe that could fit over her massive swollen and wounded foot.  This is all I could come up with.  She rode in the stroller until it was time to get on a ride and she'd hobble over. 

The White Rabbit was our first character greeting.  Evie was not too thrilled, and Gianna didn't even get close.  It did get better as the days went on.

As you can see, no Yogi again.  If it goes around he ain't gettin' on it.  I could see the fear in his eyes just riding across the Ferry. 

By far, our favorite ride (including Yogi) was The Little Mermaid in the new addition to Fantasyland.  You ride in cute little clam shells and songs from the movie are played.  So cute!

Gaston from Beauty and The Beast.  Gigi was cool because "he's a real person". Evie really wanted to see Belle, but the line for her was at 70 minutes wait.  Hey Disney! Get that chick a FASTPASS!

We ate that day at Casey's Corner and then had ice cream.  Then we got rained on a little.  We mostly stuck to Fantasyland that day. 

Next stop...Hollywood Studios.