Bear Hugs & Piggy Kisses - Baby's 1st Trip ~ Updated 12/6: Aulani TR Started!!!

[amazingact21]

I've heard of seriously long waits for O'hana's. You would think with reservations it wouldn't be that long; maybe, it's because they overestimate the length of time people will take to eat? Who knows...


Oh, there's oranges in the salad? Thanks for letting me know!
That's Landon's absolute favorite food, so if we still get to go, he's going to be one happy kid!



What a bummer! I'm sorry you missed your solo night at the MK. That's sad to hear, especially since you had such a rough time getting Izzy to sleep when Dug was enjoying his night.
Every Mom deserves some solo time!
But, I suppose if you got sleep, that's good too.




Yay! Pre-park opening and CP. I can't wait to hear about your experience.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

that's a real bummer that you didn't get to have your night alone in MK. Like you said, not the end of the world but definitely sucks!

Glad you enjoyed 'Ohana's even if the wait was a bit long

 

[Dugette]

I've heard of seriously long waits for O'hana's. You would think with reservations it wouldn't be that long; maybe, it's because they overestimate the length of time people will take to eat? Who knows...

Yeah, they really seem to get backed up at dinnertime. I seem to remember having more fun waits in the past that involved drinks at the Tambu Lounge, maybe? At least we were seated before Izzy tried to free all the creatures from the gift shop.

Oh, there's oranges in the salad? Thanks for letting me know!
That's Landon's absolute favorite food, so if we still get to go, he's going to be one happy kid!

Yes, Izzy was a huge fan of mandarin oranges at this age too, so we were happy to see that. There were not a ton of them, but they could probably bring more upon request, I'd bet.

What a bummer! I'm sorry you missed your solo night at the MK. That's sad to hear, especially since you had such a rough time getting Izzy to sleep when Dug was enjoying his night.
Every Mom deserves some solo time!
But, I suppose if you got sleep, that's good too.

I really wish I'd gotten that night. I needed that time. Oh, well. You are right, sleep is good too.

Yay! Pre-park opening and CP. I can't wait to hear about your experience.

Yay, I can't wait to relive it!

that's a real bummer that you didn't get to have your night alone in MK. Like you said, not the end of the world but definitely sucks!

Glad you enjoyed 'Ohana's even if the wait was a bit long

It was quite the downer that night. But what can you do? Maybe some other trip, I guess. 'Ohana was great, but the sad realization put a bit of a damper on the meal.

 

[Denovagirl]

Caught up!! WOW! You did A LOT of updates in the two weeks I have been away from the Dis!!

First off, your NY trip looks like sooooo much fun! Now I want to go to NY!!! I loved Izzy's dress for the wedding and I was cracking up at the "headless Minnie" that reminds me of the creepy Disney characters out on the streets in Vegas, they are so dirty and creepy!!! LOL!!

Back to Disney, your AK day looks like ours did! For a park deemed as "half day" by so many I sure wasnt able to get nearly all the things we wanted to do fit in!!!

Ohana looks soooo yummy! I cant wait to try it myself this fall!!

Lovin' all the updates!!!

 

[Dugette]

Caught up!! WOW! You did A LOT of updates in the two weeks I have been away from the Dis!!

Yeah, I was really on a roll! So, we've now learned, never leave the DIS, right? Kidding, of course.

First off, your NY trip looks like sooooo much fun! Now I want to go to NY!!! I loved Izzy's dress for the wedding and I was cracking up at the "headless Minnie" that reminds me of the creepy Disney characters out on the streets in Vegas, they are so dirty and creepy!!! LOL!!

It was a really fun trip and we definitely want to get back there someday. Thanks on her dress! Oh, those "Disney" characters were SO creepy and weird. And the head removal in public? I didn't realize they were in Vegas too. So weird.

Back to Disney, your AK day looks like ours did! For a park deemed as "half day" by so many I sure wasnt able to get nearly all the things we wanted to do fit in!!!

It is hard to do it all, especially if you want to see shows or go to Rafiki's Planet Watch. However, the park closing early kinda forces you to make it less-than-a-full-day.

Ohana looks soooo yummy! I cant wait to try it myself this fall!!

Lovin' all the updates!!!

I hope you have a great time at 'Ohana! It's a old standby for us now.

 

[Denovagirl]

Yeah, I was really on a roll! So, we've now learned, never leave the DIS, right? Kidding, of course. It was a really fun trip and we definitely want to get back there someday. Thanks on her dress! Oh, those "Disney" characters were SO creepy and weird. And the head removal in public? I didn't realize they were in Vegas too. So weird. It is hard to do it all, especially if you want to see shows or go to Rafiki's Planet Watch. However, the park closing early kinda forces you to make it less-than-a-full-day. I hope you have a great time at 'Ohana! It's a old standby for us now.

Teehee! I def learned my lesson not to take a break!!

 

[Dugette]

First off, I forgot a story from Sanaa! There was a family at a table near us that had this exchange:

Mom: “That dessert has blood orange in it.”

Son: “Mmmmmmmm……blood!!!”

Dug burst out laughing.

Mom: “My vampire son. Not much I can say about that.”

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Off-topic, but you know how I mentioned in the last update that there are worse things in the world than missing your solo time in the Magic Kingdom? Yeah, there sure are. You may remember, if you followed my Pre-Trip Report last year, that I had an uncle die unexpectedly of a heart attack at a relatively young age. Well, now I’ve had that happen AGAIN. Yes, two uncles in less than two years. First was my mom’s brother and now my dad’s brother. I only have one uncle left now (my dad’s other brother). Really sad.

This uncle has three (adult) kids and 5 grandkids (2 born earlier this year). Really tragic. It was actually his oldest son (and wife) that found him when they hadn’t heard from him in a few days. Just awful and I feel terrible for my cousins and their families.

They are all out in Oregon. There are no funeral/memorial plans yet (we’ve only known for a couple days) and, if/when there are, I’m not sure if we’ll make it out there or not. If so, yet another flight for Izzy at a young age. Just not under happy circumstances. But, then again, all three of these cousins got married essentially without notice and without many guests (no invitations sent out), so we’ll see if they plan a funeral/memorial any differently, I guess.

So, that’s all been on my mind the last couple days. I need something happier to think about, so on with the updates! It’s going to take me a couple updates to actually get to the Crystal Palace, since we took a lot of pictures on Main Street beforehand. So, let the magic of stepping into the empty park begin!

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It was a typical night, with Izzy waking once to nurse around 4:15am, then going back to sleep. When we got up this morning, it appears that Izzy got to hang out on our bed and attempt to put on her Magic Band:





Once we got ready and headed out, I snapped a terrible picture to document it:



We took the monorail here:





This is where we were headed, in order to enter before the park opened for the day:





We managed to pick up an extra princess for our party on the way in:



The CM thought she belonged to us! (Reasonable assumption, being that she was walking between us and all). Guess she got ahead of her parents.

Dug saw this awesome sign on the way in:



Ah, we made it into the park:





Our mission was to get our money’s worth out of pre-purchasing the Photopass CD. We decided to stop at all of them. First up:



And the other direction:



Gotta love all the holiday décor:



Next stop:



Roy’s window:



Another stop:





Izzy wanted to get a good look at Walt and Mickey, I guess:







I think it was this morning that we asked a photographer about doing a Magic Shot, but Izzy just wasn’t having it, so we didn’t get it. Can’t really remember.

If you’ve never gotten into the MK before it opens, I highly recommend it. Yes, there are some other people there, but not very many, so it really feels like your own private park. You can just wander and explore a quiet and calm Main Street, taking pictures to your heart’s content. It's a magical moment for sure.

Continued in next post…

 

[Dugette]

Continued from previous post…

Since we were in the Hub, it was time to make another attempt at stealing Imagineer5’s idea of getting a walking-up-to-the-castle pic with her daughter each trip:





Eh, better than our previous attempt. After that, it turned into Izzy joyfully running back and forth across the train tracks:







And some video of her tripping, succeeding, and giggling:

(click to watch)

Time to get to breakfast! Our ADR was for 8:35am, by the way (9am park opening). Izzy liked the bridge over to Crystal Palace:





Nice view, I guess.

Oh, speaking of views, it’s the castle as seen from outside Crystal Palace:



We had to get a picture while parking the stroller:



After a short time, we were ushered inside:







We were brought to our table and asked for a high chair on the way. Our hostess tried to move a chair out of the way for the high chair, but ended up knocking it over, rather forcefully. It was kind-of hilarious. Dug said, “Just throwing chairs around this morning!” The hostess laughed, but got very red in the face.

We were seated and got the high chair. Check out the view behind Izzy (out the window):



Beautiful! There was some Mickey confetti on our table (that we had to move out of Izzy’s reach, in case she thought it was a snack):



Our timing was just right and Pooh was going to be making the rounds any minute.

Up next: Winnie the Pooh!!!

Sneak preview picture:



Just the tip of the iceberg of awesomeness at this meal!

 

[LLM]

I'm so, so sorry about your Uncle's passing. Sending prayers and pixie dust your way!

Loving your trip report and all the pictures so far by the way!

Lisa

 

[amazingact21]

I'm pretty sure, since doing it myself, pre-park pictures on Main Street and CP breakfasts are my favorite to read. I loved looking at all your PP shots; that one in black and white of Izzy is fantastic! She just looks so precious! And you can almost see her little brain working and taking in her surroundings.


Also, very cute picture of you two walking in the hub. You just know when you see it that it's one you're going to look back on years from now and remember how special that trip was.



Oh dear, confetti and toddler...not the best combo.



Ahhhh, you MUST do your CP update before I leave for my trip. I'm dying to see more pictures. That one...Izzy's reaction is just too adorable. Anytime someone wants to give you a hard time for your love for Disney, or your frequent trips, or taking a baby to the world, simply show them THAT photo.

 

[Denovagirl]

So sorry to hear about your uncle. What a bummer. I will be keeping your family in my thoughts and prayers.

Your update, what fun! I LOVE love LOVE all the photos you took in MK before opening, they all look so great! I look forward to that too when we do our 8:05am CP adr!! I didnt realized PP Photogs might already be out so early too!

And oh my my, that Pooh sneak preview photo is ADORABLE!!! SO stinkin' cute! I cant wait to hear all about it!

 

[Dugette]

I'm so, so sorry about your Uncle's passing. Sending prayers and pixie dust your way!

Loving your trip report and all the pictures so far by the way!

Lisa

Thanks so much!

I'm pretty sure, since doing it myself, pre-park pictures on Main Street and CP breakfasts are my favorite to read. I loved looking at all your PP shots; that one in black and white of Izzy is fantastic! She just looks so precious! And you can almost see her little brain working and taking in her surroundings.

Yes, I love reading those updates in TRs now too! Plus, there are so many adorable pictures. Thanks - I think that B&W photo was shortly after she freaked out about being forced to pose for a Magic Shot - she may have still been stewing. I thought it was cool that the Photopass photographer thought to take a close-up like that, though!

Also, very cute picture of you two walking in the hub. You just know when you see it that it's one you're going to look back on years from now and remember how special that trip was.

Yay for stealing other people's ideas from TRs! I hope we can re-create it over the years as she grows up. Should be fun to look back on, for sure.

Oh dear, confetti and toddler...not the best combo.

Seemed like it might be an issue. Unless they are edible.

Ahhhh, you MUST do your CP update before I leave for my trip. I'm dying to see more pictures. That one...Izzy's reaction is just too adorable. Anytime someone wants to give you a hard time for your love for Disney, or your frequent trips, or taking a baby to the world, simply show them THAT photo.

I will do the best I can to get some more up today! Izzy's napping, so I think I'll work on an update. If I don't finish now, hopefully after bedtime. Exactly - I love the joy in that photo. How can you argue with that?

So sorry to hear about your uncle. What a bummer. I will be keeping your family in my thoughts and prayers.

Thank you, I appreciate it! I just googled around and found a memorial listing for him and now it seems all too real. Too sad. He had only just turned 64. Such a shame. Also, looks like there is a memorial service 2 weeks from today - now to figure out if we can find the funds and the time off to go there or not.

Your update, what fun! I LOVE love LOVE all the photos you took in MK before opening, they all look so great! I look forward to that too when we do our 8:05am CP adr!! I didnt realized PP Photogs might already be out so early too!

Yeah, I'm not sure what time the PP photographers come out, but there were several of them and they weren't too busy at all. Worked out great. With your earlier ADR, I'm not sure if they'll be there yet or not. I'm sure you'll have a great time letting the girls explore their own private Main Street!

And oh my my, that Pooh sneak preview photo is ADORABLE!!! SO stinkin' cute! I cant wait to hear all about it!

Thanks! I love how they both look so happy to see each other. This meal WAY exceeds any cuteness limits the DIS might have in place. I fully expect that I won't get many comments because everyone will have passed out from cuteness overload while reading the updates.

 

[Mom&RN]

Three quick things -
I am so sad for you that you missed your solo night at MK But, now you have to make plans to go back soon so you have a chance to do one!
Second, you got so many GREAT shots this morning. I can't wait to see your crystal palace pics! The sneak peek of Izzy and Pooh is so incredibly cute, such baby joy on her face.
Finally.... Do I recognize the cute outfit on Izzy at O'hana? If so, I'm so glad it was the right size for this trip!

 

[Dugette]

Three quick things -
I am so sad for you that you missed your solo night at MK But, now you have to make plans to go back soon so you have a chance to do one!

I wish we could go back soon. Honestly, at this point, I think the soonest will be Fall 2015, sometime before Izzy turns 3 (and is still free). Our travel budget is hurting right now, especially with me contemplating flying to Oregon (for the funeral) on short notice. At least it's cheaper than NYC, I guess.

Second, you got so many GREAT shots this morning. I can't wait to see your crystal palace pics! The sneak peek of Izzy and Pooh is so incredibly cute, such baby joy on her face.

Thanks! That sneak peek is just one of many photos filled with baby joy. And videos. The videos are amazing.

Finally.... Do I recognize the cute outfit on Izzy at O'hana? If so, I'm so glad it was the right size for this trip!

Yes!! Forgot to mention that - thank you for the outfit!! It fit perfect! And, if I recall correctly, you gave it to her in a Minnie Mouse bag - and we used that bag as our "spare clothes and stuff" bag in the parks - fit just right in the stroller basket.

 

[Mom&RN]

Oh! And I'm soooo sorry about your uncle, so sad to lose the ones we love, especially so unexpectedly

 

[Dugette]

So, Izzy had barely gotten started in on her breakfast munchies when she spied a large teddy bear making his way into the room:





Soon enough, he made it to our table and worked his giant teddy bear magic on her:









They had so much fun together. She is a fan of big bears, in general, so Pooh hit a homerun with her.

Notice me taking video with my iPhone in the background (I think she is high-fiving him here, in case you're wondering):



I was so happy that I’d gotten such a magical meeting recorded. Until I realized afterward that my phone hadn’t started recording until I pushed the button to stop recording at the end. I hate when that happens! (And I hope it’s not just me that has this issue sometimes – I swear I pressed the button to start it! ) Thank goodness Dug had gotten the photos. I was super sad and we made the decision at that point to stay for Pooh’s next go-round to get some video. This actually turned out to be a very good thing, but not for the reason we were anticipating…

Pooh was also kind enough to take pictures with each of us:





He looks so different standing next to us versus towering over Izzy!

Next, it was time to get some food before more characters came around. Looks like Dug had some juice and coffee and I had some juice and hot chocolate (and Izzy had milk – possibly off the buffet). She also “drank” a food pouch:



“You guys, I just met a giant teddy bear! Can you believe it?!”:



We took turns making our trips up to the delicious buffet. Not only does the Crystal Palace have great characters, but they have awesome breakfast food as well! I won’t even try to describe what all this is, other than “really yummy”:





We shared various items with Izzy and she really enjoyed the Mickey waffle:



Mmmm, more food:



Note the thing with blueberries. Izzy had some and made a mess of her outfit with blueberry stains (mostly from them falling into her high chair and her sitting on them). Luckily, we had a change of clothes with us and a Baby Care Center next door to clean her up after we left.

The food was also delicious and we enjoyed it during those in-between-character-goodness moments.

Up next: Piglet! (why is there no Piglet smilie? There should be!)

 

[Dugette]

Oh! And I'm soooo sorry about your uncle, so sad to lose the ones we love, especially so unexpectedly

Thank you! I was just talking to my dad a little while ago and he was saying how sad it is because his brother had just gotten to a really good point after having been divorced and struggling for several years - had a job he loved, had a house he loved (was planting a garden, I guess), and had two brand-new grandkids and all of his kids/grandkids nearby to spend time with. It should have been just the beginning of a great phase in his life.
(Thank goodness I have such happy TR updates to be doing right now to balance out what a Debbie Downer I am between them).

 

[jc040404]

First off, so sorry about uncle. You're all in my thoughts tonight.

I'm slowly catching up, in a backwards sort of way. I've just worked back to the end of your NYC trip. Sounds fun! I have to say that peapod is just nifty. I've never heard of such a thing until your TR. Bet Blaker would've loved something like that. Even nearly six now, he'd probably think it's pretty neat. Inside camping in a way, I guess?

Too bad about your alone MK night. What a thing to forget, huh? It does look like you're having a pretty awesome trip though. These Crystal Palace pics are adorable. I do the record button thing all the time, too. Actually did it tonight when the boys were dancing to Ratatouille for some reason. Missed it all and didn't even realize! I'm loving Izzy with Pooh in the pics anyway and can't wait to see what's to come. She looks like she loved it!

 

[Dugette]

Yay, you're back!! I was thinking of you the other day and wondering what you were up to. Hope things are good with your family.

First off, so sorry about uncle. You're all in my thoughts tonight.

Thanks, I appreciate it!

I'm slowly catching up, in a backwards sort of way. I've just worked back to the end of your NYC trip. Sounds fun! I have to say that peapod is just nifty. I've never heard of such a thing until your TR. Bet Blaker would've loved something like that. Even nearly six now, he'd probably think it's pretty neat. Inside camping in a way, I guess?

The Peapod was really cool. I have to admit that I was skeptical of it, but it had so many good reviews that I thought we'd give it a try and Izzy really took to it. I bet Blake would like it too - nothing like a toddler tent!

Too bad about your alone MK night. What a thing to forget, huh? It does look like you're having a pretty awesome trip though. These Crystal Palace pics are adorable. I do the record button thing all the time, too. Actually did it tonight when the boys were dancing to Ratatouille for some reason. Missed it all and didn't even realize! I'm loving Izzy with Pooh in the pics anyway and can't wait to see what's to come. She looks like she loved it!

I can't believe we both managed to forget it was my MK night. Oops. Big oops. But, yes, it was a pretty awesome trip overall. I'm glad to know it's not just me that has these recording troubles. So annoying when that happens! Crystal Palace was awesome and probably my biggest highlight of the trip.

 

[Leshaface]

Phew caught up again!

Oh wow you did soooo much stuff on your NYC trip. And all that with a toddler! That's quite impressive....but tiring I bet! I chuckled at the picture of Izzy barely peeping over the pizza! Oh and that wretched woman saying Izzy was a 12 month old boy! Seriously, ridiculous

Going two different ways at the Oasis definitely sounds like something DH and I would do!

What's the difference between iMessage texts and regular texts? Because I noticed a few months ago (when going through old text messages) that a lot of conversations had been deleted - i'm assuming when I updated my phone - but some texts still remained.

I"m glad (well, for at least half the show) that Izzy enjoyed FotLK! I really love that show and so did DS.

I regret not sticking around for 10 minutes while Dug and Russel took their break to get a meet with them. Next time definitely!

Turtle brownie looks delicious!

Oh wow so many dips at Sanaa! I wouldn't even know where to begin!

Funny i'm making butter chicken tomorrow for dinner

So cute about the lid! Calvin's current favorite item: a red shoelace. Really kid? He carries it around like a toddler would a blanket!

Oh my gosh, I would have been DEVASTATED about not getting to visit the MK on your 'night off'!

Aaaaand just like you said, there are bigger things in the world..Oh no, i'm so sorry about your uncle. That's terrible! Prayers for your cousins and family

Awesome main street photos with absolutely no one in them. That is exactly why I would want to get an ADR at CP....well, that and my favorite meal of the day is Breakfast

AWW I just love the pic where Izzy is smiling when Pooh is walking towards her! So sweet.