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

[Dugette]

I was reading through the site and the faq and in one spot it mentions up to 15 pieces for no charge

Good to know.

 

[dtr_angel]

Nice, you managed to use your patio! We had one at our condo but I don't think even opened the door to it haha.

So cool that you managed to meet up with your friend.

The breakfast pizza looked really yummy!

Oh maybe I should get Gavin some duplos. We got him some mega bloks for Christmas and he is getting so good at building tall towers. It's amazing what our toddlers can do now!

 

[Leshaface]

Glad I can provide some entertainment value in trip reports beyond my own ... though now I just need to make sure I also provide some entertainment value in my own




Oh I didn't take offense - just did want to stand up for us a bit. I think none of us are as bad as we are in our worst moment nor as good as we are in our best.

and I think it is all about figuring out what works best for you both and making it work. I like to cook so I don't mind doing that - not really a fan of folding laundry and Judi doesn't mind so she does most of that. And we have been married over 11 years now and still sometimes have arguments where I think she should do more or she thinks I should do more or whatever.

Generally my attitude is as long as something gets done I am happy If like 3 days go by and the sink still has some of the same dishes in it I might get a little annoyed.

And glad to hear about you husband trying to show some hange and willing to help out ... now we just need to improve his anniversary card buying skills (by the way - the trick is to go the night before and keep the card and flowers in the garage and then bring them in in the morning)

The card! Even though I look less than thrilled, I was actually a little happy that he was attempting to purchase a card. Scored more points when he actually went the next day and bought a different, better (so he says!) card along with my favorite candy bars!

So, if I read this right, I think you're saying that we just need to take a trip to DLR and Dug will turn into a cleaning machine?

YES! Come on out to CA and let's get Dug a-working!

You can use both Shopkick and Cartwheel, but you have to switch back and forth between the apps, which can be annoying. I often will do the Shopkick scans first, then do my actual shopping and Cartwheel changes.

Yes, you have to walk in to the stores to get kicks (though there are some that you can walk by the doors and it works - but unless you practically drive inside, I think you'd have to get out of your car). There are two ways to get kicks. One is to walk inside and immediately get whatever amount of kicks listed. The other is to walk around the store and scan various items for various amounts of kicks.

I actually seldom go to the MOA. Only if it's on the way somewhere (like the zoo) or if we're going there for something else, which we don't do too often. Otherwise, it's just not worth the payoff. I actually get the vast majority of my kicks from Target. I have a unique situation, though. I work in downtown Minneapolis, with its awesome skyway system that connects the buildings, so I literally walk through a Macy's on my way to work from the bus - I get kicks while walking through the not-yet-open store in the skyway system. Then I walk by a Target and can get the walk-in kicks by just walking very close to the entrance without going in. If there are scans available, I just run across the street to Target during my 15 minute break and crank them out. So, I can go nearly every day, if it's worthwhile. I usually only hit other places if they're worth a lot and/or I'll be near them.

For what it's worth, I think I've had the Shopkick app for about a year and a half and I'm just about to go over 100k kicks, which equals about $400 in Target Gift Cards. Dug has another 26k, so we've made about $500 between us so far. It's not a ton, but not bad for extra $$ that we put straight into Disney Gift Cards (purchased on the Target Gift Cards).

However, the app is certainly not perfect and it has annoyed me many, many times, so be aware of that. Also, the kick amounts tend to vary a lot - there was a really good period where I was getting about 1k/day easily for a few weeks, but now it's maybe 200-400/day most days (835 at MOA, though). Each kick equates to $.004, so 6250 is a $25 gift card, by the way. Anyway, let me know if you have questions.

Wow, you have made quite a bit with the app! I'll definitely download it within the next few days and give it a try. Any little bit helps!





The dog in the stroller checking out the lego dogs!

Aw, we bought the Mickey Mouse Duplo set at DTD at DLR when they were available and so glad we did. They told us that they were limited edition, which I didn't believe - thought they were just trying to sell them. But I haven't seen them since! He plays with them randomly but I think the older he gets the more fun he'll have with them.

 

[amazingact21]

I specifically avoid the Lego stores, because Landon would get lost in the land of duplos. He has a box of them at home that he plays with every day.
Maybe it's a sign, him and Izzy were meant to be friends! They could build Disney kingdoms with their duplo sets.



(Oh, and because I never answered your comment about your trip dates, it looks like we're actually farther apart than I thought. We'll be there the 17th-22nd. Bummer. One day our trips will intersect!)

 

[Dugette]

Nice, you managed to use your patio! We had one at our condo but I don't think even opened the door to it haha.

Yeah, but we only used it because we forced ourselves to. Given that we had been daydreaming about it prior to the trip, it only seemed right to try it.

So cool that you managed to meet up with your friend.

It was fun to have a little meet with a real-life friend! This trip was good for that!

The breakfast pizza looked really yummy!

So yummy! Wish I could have that more often!

Oh maybe I should get Gavin some duplos. We got him some mega bloks for Christmas and he is getting so good at building tall towers. It's amazing what our toddlers can do now!

Izzy has a MegaBloks set we got at a consignment sale (it's actually a recycling truck) and she likes that a lot too. If he enjoys that, I bet he would enjoy the Duplos too! I agree - totally amazing what all they can do!

The card! Even though I look less than thrilled, I was actually a little happy that he was attempting to purchase a card. Scored more points when he actually went the next day and bought a different, better (so he says!) card along with my favorite candy bars!

Ha, good to know what happened after that!

YES! Come on out to CA and let's get Dug a-working!

Sweet, just what I need - more justification for a DLR trip!

Wow, you have made quite a bit with the app! I'll definitely download it within the next few days and give it a try. Any little bit helps!

Yep, it all adds up! I actually just cashed out enough for another Disney Gift Card!

The dog in the stroller checking out the lego dogs!

That was so funny to see! It took a few seconds to realize that it was a dog in that stroller.

Aw, we bought the Mickey Mouse Duplo set at DTD at DLR when they were available and so glad we did. They told us that they were limited edition, which I didn't believe - thought they were just trying to sell them. But I haven't seen them since! He plays with them randomly but I think the older he gets the more fun he'll have with them.

Wow, there was a Mickey set? That's awesome! Glad you got it and I'm sure he will enjoy it more and more!

I specifically avoid the Lego stores, because Landon would get lost in the land of duplos. He has a box of them at home that he plays with every day.
Maybe it's a sign, him and Izzy were meant to be friends! They could build Disney kingdoms with their duplo sets.

Yay, Disney Duplo buddies! I bet they would have fun together. Though, Izzy might get a bit "mine, mine, mine!" if he takes any of her prized Duplo pieces (i.e. Ariel Duplo).

(Oh, and because I never answered your comment about your trip dates, it looks like we're actually farther apart than I thought. We'll be there the 17th-22nd. Bummer. One day our trips will intersect!)

Ah, so close! One day! I think we both just need to keep going on a lot of trips and eventually it will work out, right?

 

[airforcemomof2]

I have spent the better part of the last 2 nights reading your Dec '13 Trip Report! I've had my notebook in hand and have half a page of notes Two things: what sippy cup does Izzy use, and which Britax stoller is that? I love both of them! The stroller looks so comfortable! We are going back "home" 29 Oct - 8 Nov 14, and my littlest one (I have 4!) will be exactly 13 months on the day we leave. I want something very comfortable for her to sit/take naps in. We will be staying at AoA because we need the extra room. I can't wait to read more of your trip! Love all your pictures-thank you so much for sharing!!

 

[Dugette]

I have spent the better part of the last 2 nights reading your Dec '13 Trip Report!

Glad to have you here! I've done the same thing - binge-reading of TRs.

I've had my notebook in hand and have half a page of notes Toe things: what sippy cup does Izzy use, and which Britax stoller is that? I love both of them! The stroller looks so comfortable!

The sippy cup is a Zoli straw cup. We have a couple and use them all the time still! I like them because the straw has a weighted end so she can tip it way up and still get milk (regular straw cups drive her mad because she can't tip it up and still get milk). It also closes and is easy to transport. I also recommend the Thermos straw cup - we've been using that a lot lately because it keeps the milk cold for 10 hours. It's a regular straw, but she still likes it. The stroller is a Britax B-Agile. I also have the Britax parent console attached to the handle. Love it! Use it all the time and it has a giant sunshade and full recline. It folds/unfolds easily and is lightweight and not too big - great for Disney! It is very similar to a City Mini, but often at a better price.

We are going back "home" 29 Oct - 8 Nov 14, and my littlest one (I have 4!) will be exactly 13 months on the day we leave. I want something very comfortable for her to sit/take naps in. We will be staying at AoA because we need the extra room. I can't wait to read more of your trip! Love all your pictures-thank you so much for sharing!!

I think your littlest is almost exactly a year younger than Izzy! Great time for a first trip - I really liked that age - old enough to be into their surroundings, but young enough to not be too highly opinionated. Ha, if you have 4 now, you must have set up your username a long time ago! Jealous that you are staying at AoA - looks so cool! And that room will be nice with the kids, I'm sure. Thanks for the compliments - working on another update right now!

 

[Dugette]

Looks like our next stop was this place to buy things:



We grabbed a Duffy for Izzy:





She seemed to approve.

Sometime during this store, Izzy decided it was naptime and drifted off to sleep. We picked up some souvenirs and I think the ornaments were here too. Checked out just in time to use the discount I had – in fact, I think I got in line in time, but it took longer than the deadline to get up there and they let me use it anyway. All was well.

We had to go back to Once Upon a Toy, as we could not find a Piglet in World of Disney. Crazy, since basically everything on Earth is under that roof. Since we were back there, Dug wanted to make Izzy a lightsaber. He’d hoped to do it together, but she was out, so he had to make the choices. He did good. It’s purple and makes cool sounds. She likes it. Of course, she really likes a blue one we already had, but the more the better, I guess. Dug also decided to make some things for himself at the Droid Factory:



Since he would be occupied for a while with that and Izzy was sleeping peacefully, I decided to take some Mommy Solo Time.

And, naturally, that involves ice cream and chocolate. You can guess where I went, I’m sure.

I ordered a Sea Salt Caramel Banana Quake Shake:



I admired the dark chocolate transporatation system while I waited :



And here’s the shake:



It was really good!

I went out to one of the benches by the water play area and enjoyed it. I texted my friend to see if he was still around. Turns out that he and his family took my advice to add an extra park day (for cheap) to their tickets and were on the way to Epcot! I was glad, since they didn’t really have anything but Downtown Disney planned for this day and it’s so little to add a day to a multi-day ticket (he said it was $10).

The sun was out now and I sat there and enjoyed the peace and quiet, the shake, and the sunshine. So nice!

Eventually, Dug and Izzy made their way over. She was still asleep:



Since she’d been napping for a decent amount of time, we decided to head to our lunch plans, Earl of Sandwich:



While I went inside to order, Dug observed groups of Minnies and Princesses walking by:





Izzy woke up and got started with a snack:



I got back with the food.

Dug got his favorite, the Holiday Sandwich:



Turkey, stuffing, cranberries, etc. Yum!

Hmmm, this looks like a ham and cheese, but I wonder if it might be the Hawaiian BBQ with pineapple?



Can’t remember anymore. Oh, well. You can see that I also found a nice container of grapes for $1.99. Great deal with a toddler!

I cut some up for her and she also enjoyed a pouch and some milk:



Izzy really liked the grapes. She even let us have some too! Nice to have some fresh, cold fruit at WDW.

After lunch, we made our way out. I guess Dug took this on the way?



We made it to the bus stop and found the Poly stop nearly empty. I think we saw a bus driving away for the Poly – just missed it. We grabbed a spot at the front of the waiting area. There were a few people on the bench, so Dug took the remaining spot and I stood against a pillar with Izzy’s stroller. She munched on more snacks from her snack cup.

As we waited, I observed that there was a very large group of people in matching shirts walking across the street from a hotel. I remarked to Dug that it was really annoying that a big group like that would stay offsite, then walk over to Downtown Disney to use the free buses. Just not right, especially with a group that size (they were cheerleaders, by the way – Pop Warner time of year).

However, my heart started beating a bit faster when they got across and seemed to be heading for OUR bus stop! I realized, overhearing them talk as they came closer, that they were trying to get to the Magic Kingdom! Our bus stop was for the Poly and, I believe, the Contemporary – so it was the obvious choice to get to MK.

So, sure enough, they filled in all around us (I pretended to take a pic of Izzy so I could get a pic of them, haha):



In fact, while I was taking this picture, someone started to steal my spot behind Izzy! Luckily, I reclaimed it. In fact, I think one of the leaders asked the kid to move and give room to the people who were here first. Yay! And also, luckily, we were right in front where the bus would open its door when it arrived.

However, I was worried. We wouldn’t have to stand, since we’d get on before them, but they would crowd up the bus to the point that it was very uncomfortable. So much for a relaxing ride back. Ugh.

As we waited, the Contemporary bus pulled in. The group leaders discussed it and went back-and-forth, but finally decided they should take the Contemporary bus instead of the Poly that they were planning to take. They all made a break for it and just barely fit on. I feel bad for the Contemporary guests riding with them. But we breathed a huge sigh of relief. Our bus pulled up right after and we had a nice ride back.

We got back to our room and Izzy busied herself with a super fun toy set she found in our bathroom (don’t worry, they were empty and clean):





She was having SO much fun! Our whole trip could have been playing in the Poly closet and bathroom and she would have had a blast.

After a brief playtime in our room, we headed out to go to the MK. Our plans for that evening had been very up in the air. Actually, our plans were already off. We had planned on naptime in the room after Downtown Disney, but she already napped in the stroller. So, we just got changed in the hotel and decided to go to the MK until the Christmas Party began. We felt that we would be getting a good enough taste of the Christmas Party between our other pre-party night and this one. We had originally considered attending the party this night, but decided to just stop by and then go with our backup plan of Epcot instead. We wore our party attire, though, and essentially “pretended” we were party attendees!

Anyway, on our journey there, Dug got some really pretty pictures:



Yeah, that one doesn’t exist any longer. I’m guessing we may have taken the boat?



That one is SO perfect!! I want to be there right now!

Soon enough, we were strolling into the pre-MVMCP:



Up next: The "Christmas Party"!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Aw, that's too bad Dug didn't get to build the lightsaber with his daughter - but I am sure he dealt with it ok ... and at least consoled himself with some droid building

Your shake sounds really good - and yeah for some solo time!

Ugh, that does seem inappropriate for that group to take the buses if they were staying offsite. I mean, maybe they were staying onsite but had a meeting there or something? I try to think of a positive reasoning but if they are, in fact, "cheating the system" - not really a great lesson the leaders are teaching.

"Our whole trip could have been playing in the Poly closet and bathroom and she would have had a blast." ... don't forget about the wall in Fairytall Hall

aw, the no-longer-there Poly waterfall

 

[Dugette]

Aw, that's too bad Dug didn't get to build the lightsaber with his daughter - but I am sure he dealt with it ok ... and at least consoled himself with some droid building

Yeah, I'm sure the droid building helped him get over it! And I'm sure he will build one with her next time to make up for it. A girl can never have too many lightsabers, right?

Your shake sounds really good - and yeah for some solo time!

Both were so good!

Ugh, that does seem inappropriate for that group to take the buses if they were staying offsite. I mean, maybe they were staying onsite but had a meeting there or something? I try to think of a positive reasoning but if they are, in fact, "cheating the system" - not really a great lesson the leaders are teaching.

That's a good thought, but I really felt like they were trying to take advantage. I don't know, I have mixed feelings - the buses aren't reserved for Disney Resort Guests only, so they technically were okay by walking over and riding them, but it reminds me of how WDW had people parking at Downtown Disney to get to the parks and avoid the parking fees. And I think that's why you can only take Downtown Disney buses to the resorts and not the parks. So, I guess it bothered me that they were going to take the bus to our resort when they weren't staying there and weren't eating or doing anything else there, but leaving immediately. If it had not been SO big of a group, though, I'm not sure I would have cared.

"Our whole trip could have been playing in the Poly closet and bathroom and she would have had a blast." ... don't forget about the wall in Fairytall Hall

Oh, yes, the Amazing Wall! That one is so good it requires a park ticket!

aw, the no-longer-there Poly waterfall

I can't believe it's gone!

 

[Imagineer5]

No Piglet at world of disney?? What is wrong with them?? LOL. Too bad about the light saber, I think that Aria is going to do the Mr. Potato Head thing as she is finally into it at home now! Nice to grab some solo time with a delicious looking shake! Nice idea! And lunch looks great as well.

too funny about the cheerleaders, though that is really annoying about them using the disney buses while being offsite.

 

[schmass]

Your situation waiting for the bus at Downtown Disney reminded me of why we rarely head over there. I feel like every time we have gone there, we wait and wait for a bus, only to have other people cut in front of us as soon as it pulls up. Too stressful for me.

We also have the Britax B-Agile stroller - I love it! We didn't take it to Disney last time because I was afraid someone would walk off with it and I'd be devastated!

 

[Denovagirl]

MMMMMmmmMMMMMmmmmMMMMM.. that shake looks wonderful! And sounds wonderful! And mommy time = YAY!!!

Whew! Good luck on the cheerleaders!! Poor Contemporary people! LoL!

 

[amazingact21]

I don't know which sounds better, that milkshake or some solo mommy time. Probably the solo time. It's rare and precious.


No piglet in WoD, that's kind of a crazy thought. Normally, they have it all...


Glad you did end up with a relaxing bus ride back to the Poly!



1 year olds and the resorts; it's ridiculous. I discovered that bathroom/closet/mirror fascination back in May with Landon. Who needs parks tickets, just stay in a deluxe and let the babies run wild.

 

[Dugette]

No Piglet at world of disney?? What is wrong with them?? LOL.

It was so strange! I do think they had a Piglet thing or two (maybe a real small one?), but no regular-sized plush of him. I think every other character Disney has ever thought up was probably there. Oh, well.

Too bad about the light saber, I think that Aria is going to do the Mr. Potato Head thing as she is finally into it at home now!

Oh, I bet that will be fun! We haven't tried Mr. Potato Head with Izzy yet, but I should keep that in mind, since it seems like the sort of thing she'd enjoy (she loves putting things together and she loves facial features...) Hope Aria has fun with it!

Nice to grab some solo time with a delicious looking shake! Nice idea! And lunch looks great as well.

The solo time was really nice. We tried to work in a bit of that to make up for my lost solo night. Just having some time to not have to worry about anyone else was great.

too funny about the cheerleaders, though that is really annoying about them using the disney buses while being offsite.

It just seemed like a group that large should have planned more appropriate transportation than, "Let's all walk across the street and take over a bus meant for resort guests to get home, then let's go straight to a park from there!" Seems like they should have had their own charter bus or something, I don't know.

Your situation waiting for the bus at Downtown Disney reminded me of why we rarely head over there. I feel like every time we have gone there, we wait and wait for a bus, only to have other people cut in front of us as soon as it pulls up. Too stressful for me.

Yeah, I hate when that happens. In fact, I don't understand why there are still some bus stops at WDW that do not have queues and are just a free-for-all. I mean, if anyone knows how to do lines and crowd control, it should be Disney. It seems like they dropped the ball on some of these bus stops, though. And, for some reason, many Disney guests forget manners entirely when on property. At home, I ride the bus daily and people are always very polite and orderly and no one darts in front of anyone else. At Disney, it's like the rule to cut off babies and elderly for a seat, at all costs.

We also have the Britax B-Agile stroller - I love it! We didn't take it to Disney last time because I was afraid someone would walk off with it and I'd be devastated!

You know, I worried a bit about bringing it to Disney, especially because I was storing my Ergo carrier in the back pocket, which nearly doubled the value, but it was never an issue. And there were many other much more expensive strollers, if someone was feeling unsavory that day. But, if it gives you piece of mind, I've heard the suggestion to remove the front wheel when you leave it. I haven't bothered, but if it makes you feel better about bringing it, go for it. It's worth it to have a nice stroller in Disney!

MMMMMmmmMMMMMmmmmMMMMM.. that shake looks wonderful! And sounds wonderful! And mommy time = YAY!!!

It was a win/win for sure! Mommy time and a delicious treat, all at once!

Whew! Good luck on the cheerleaders!! Poor Contemporary people! LoL!

Yeah, I guess that's a drawback to staying at the Contemporary. Being walking distance from the MK means you may have non-resort-guests hogging your bus.

I don't know which sounds better, that milkshake or some solo mommy time. Probably the solo time. It's rare and precious.

I agree. But, why not do both when you can? Solo time near a Ghirardelli is good strategy!

No piglet in WoD, that's kind of a crazy thought. Normally, they have it all...

I guess there are not enough Piglet fans in the world. I'm pretty sure they had some Piglet items, but no Piglet plush friend. Weird.

Glad you did end up with a relaxing bus ride back to the Poly!

Yes, I was really sweating it there for a bit. Thinking about how I would have to spot the bus from a distance in order to get the stroller folded and Izzy out and get on the bus before the cheerleaders shoved on past us. Thank goodness it didn't come to that!

1 year olds and the resorts; it's ridiculous. I discovered that bathroom/closet/mirror fascination back in May with Landon. Who needs parks tickets, just stay in a deluxe and let the babies run wild.

Exactly! Did he like the safe too? So many "toys" built right in for the kiddos!

 

[Dugette]

A brief Trip Report time-out in order to do a Pre-Trip Report update for Hawaii/Aulani. We are just over 3 months away now! I’m not sure if I’ll start a stand-alone PTR for it or not, since I can barely keep up on the DIS as it is, so I might as well throw an update in here. And a bunch of random pictures that I may or may not be able to tie into Disney stuff!

So, I made the final payment on our DVC point rental last week. We already had a great deal (a couple dollars less per point than the point-rental companies). But, over the weekend, I found myself browsing for Aulani information on the DIS and found a SPECIAL DEAL! A promotion had been announced for this fall (including our dates) that allowed DVC members to book 7 nights for only 5 nights worth of points! Wait, what?!?

My first thought was to see if we could get any money back. But then I read the fine print and saw that the offer was not valid for Standard View villas, which is what we had reserved (Standard View Studio). However, I pulled up the points charts and did some math and realized that we could upgrade to either of the next-higher views (Island Garden or Pool View) for fewer points than we were already renting, thanks to the deal. I also figured out that the ultimate – an ocean view – would be less than $150 more than we’d paid. So, I emailed our DVC person and asked if she could call and check if there were any upgraded views available for our Studio. I told her she could keep the extra points (and our full payment) for her trouble or that we’d pay her $150 if it ended up being Ocean View. She was more than willing to do so and said she’d try for Ocean View for us.

We got a bit excited while we waited to hear back. This trip is already a complete fantasy. I mean, who flies First Class to Hawaii for under $100/each anyway?! And now, there was a possibility of having an amazing view from our balcony at a $500/night resort that we were paying less than half of that for?!

Well, good news and bad news. But really all good news. We heard back from our awesome DVC person and she had found out that there were NO upgrades available for our dates – all of the Studios were gone. Boo, so sad. However, because there were no upgrades, they made an exception to their fine print and gave us the deal on our Standard View. So, two nights worth of points were refunded. And our super awesome person said that she would send that refund back to us. So, we’re getting $456 back, thanks to the DIS!! That’s $50/day extra for our whole trip!

So, we’ll still have a Standard View, but we’ll have some extra money in our travel budget, which we desperately need right now, as you know if you’ve been counting the short-notice trips we’ve taken (especially Oregon and NYC). Not to mention all of the other money we’ve spent unexpectedly lately on things like plumbing, cars, and pet care. Life is expensive! Anyway, so this refund is a welcome thing. And we were already mentally prepared for a view of a parking garage or convention center roof, so we’ll be fine. Yes, an Ocean View may be nice, but we’re in Hawaii and steps away from the ocean, regardless of which room we sleep in and that’s enough for us!

So, in case you like numbers, our 9 nights at Aulani and our First Class airfare combined are $1817. I’d like to see someone beat that deal, ha!

Of course, the $50/day will come in handy for food and off-site adventures each day. Unless, of course, we spend it all on this recent addition to Aulani:



Not quite as necessary to visit the Dole Plantation now, I guess! Though we probably will anyway. But still – Dole Whips!!!

Izzy decided to get into the Hawaiian spirit the other night by finding one of our leis from the Poly and trying it on:



I am starting to really (finally) get serious about planning this trip. It was booked so incredibly far in advance that it didn’t seem that urgent to get things researched and scheduled. Now I’m feeling a bit of pressure. I’ve got some lists going on things that we might want to do and tips from the DIS. But I need to organize it and put it on a schedule and see if we can actually do everything and have plenty of time to enjoy Aulani itself. Until I do that, I think I’ll continue feeling a bit panicky. 9 nights seems like a long time, especially because people tend to say that Oahu has the least to see of the Hawaiian Islands. Our list is getting pretty big, though.

So far, the only things I’ve reserved are Pearl Harbor, which I believe is on our second day (Sunday) and the character breakfast at Aulani for our first morning (Saturday). Gotta get crackin’ on the rest of the trip!

In other trip-planning news, I’m under a month away from a long weekend of enjoying the Frozen Fun at WDW with Izzy! I got all of these things in the mail recently:



We have one of each color of Magic Band except for gray now, I think. I have one from December, one from this upcoming resort stay, and my Annual Passholder one. Izzy has her pink one from December and her new one for this trip. We’ll have a rainbow of Magic Bands!

Izzy decided to study up on the WDW coasters the other day:



Izzy also practiced for this trip by hiding in a castle (at the playground):



More relevant, though, she practiced by going to the Barnes and Noble Frozen event last Friday evening. It was a zoo of toddlers and very crowded, but fun enough for a free, local event. The kids all gathered around for a reading of Frozen. There was so much toddler chatter that it was near impossible to hear most of the story, but I’m sure everyone there knew it by heart anyway. There were popsicles passed out during the story, which Izzy enjoyed, sort-of. That was followed by a sing-along of Olaf’s “Summer” song. Izzy wore her Olaf shirt for the event and a little kid near her kept pointing it out. And Izzy kept pointing at the big cardboard cutout of Olaf and yelling “Ola!!!” during the story.

As we were finishing the sing-along, Izzy started making desperate motions towards a shelf. I soon realized that a plush Minnie was on that shelf. I took her over there to let her play with Minnie, but she also grabbed a stuffed dog. At first, I thought it was Dug from Up and was so excited! Then I realized it was actually SnugglePuppy, of board book fame (Izzy loves that book and wants it every night). So, we got it anyway. Never realized how much alike Dug and SnugglePuppy looked!

Sorry, no pictures of this whole evening. I was trying to hold Izzy with one hand, a melting popsicle with the other, while getting trampled and trapped by gangs of toddlers. And Dug was waiting so far away, to avoid the crowd, that he didn’t get any either. Oh, well. We skipped the craft (making snowflakes) and headed home for bed.

When Dug went to change Izzy into her Minnie pajamas, she freaked out because she didn’t want to take off Olaf. And normally Minnie is the clear winner in clothes for her. She was so upset that Dug finally put Olaf back on her and she wore it to bed.

And then wouldn’t take it off the next day, either. Speaking of that next day, there are some pictures from the riverboat ride we took with Dug’s parents:



Mmmm, cookie!



Olaf shirt!



Spying on the kids on the dance floor. Izzy had a blast running around the boat.

She also had a great time in Wisconsin the weekend prior. Since I have pictures, thought I’d share a few. She was a great traveler. I ended up taking Friday afternoon off from work so that she could nap in the car. My mom showed up at lunchtime, we picked up Izzy from daycare, and hit the road. Sure enough, she napped nicely for the first half of the 4-hour drive.

When she woke up, we made sure she was loaded down with toys and car activities and stuffed animals, of course (she is playing with her favorite Duplo Ariel and swing here):



Oh, and I guess she took her turn behind the wheel too:



Once in Wisconsin, she experienced fun things, such as a playground:



Her great-grandma forcing cookies upon her for lunch:



Big bears and a new doggie friend from great-grandma:



A fancy push toy:



(it was my grandpa’s, but my grandma keeps it around for occasional use)

She also got to be part of a Four Generation photo:



She got to swim in the hotel pool:



She got to try Teddy Grahams, thanks again to great-grandma:



Oh, did you want a closer look at Dug and his cuddly friends in the background?



And, on the topic of cuddly, Izzy is currently obsessed with “big girl beds”. She wanted her bedtime story there, in the hotel bed:



And then she snuggled in:



Too cute! Of course, she did actually sleep in the Pack ‘n’ Play, but it was fun. Except for the first morning, when Dug woke us all up too early, as he headed out for the conference he was speaking at/attending. I was still wiped out and I suspected Izzy was too, so I got her in bed with me and we both got some more sleep. First time that has worked out! Very sweet, though.

We had a fun time visiting and the trip went great. Izzy really is quite the experienced traveler for her age!

One last picture. I mentioned the lightsaber Dug made for her in my last update. Here she is playing with it (purple) and the other one she likes (blue) tonight:



I’ll share more PTR updates as I have more plans to share! For now, back to your regularly scheduled December TR!

 

[AprilRenee]

*clap* *clap* *clap* I bow to your deal making prowess!! I just told Andrew what your Hawaii total is and he goes "HOW did she do that??" And I told him that you're a deal making bad a$$! Lol

I love how Izzy has so many opinions now! reminds me of someone else I know. Caden also gets upset sometimes when I make him change his shirt or refuses to get dressed without a fight until I figure out which shirt he wants (which of course is rarely one of the two I offer him. Lol)

I'm jealous of all of izzy's traveling. I have the travel bug and I'm stuck in MO! Only 5.5 more months! Lol

Ps I just (like 5 min ago) ordered one of the new Mickey bumpkin bibs! I'm so excited. Yes he's 2.5 but I still use it when he eats messy things and I'm pretty sure he'll need a Mickey bib for when he eats his Mickey ice cream bar!! Obviously!

 

[Imagineer5]

Man your Hawaii trip is just amazing!! I so wish I could take advantage of that deal! I'm assuming the points thing is just for this fall? So nice of the points person to refund your money for those points though!

BTW it's been nearly 20 years now, but I remember doing both the Dole Plantation and Pearl Harbor. Loved them both!

My dad lived on Oahu, and we were estranged, so as such after 2 trips to Oahu and me being worried I would run into him, we started going to Maui instead. There is a lot to do on Oahu though and being at Aulani is going to be so neat.

What characters are at the character meal?

That is funny about Izzy's Olaf shirt! Aria wore an Elsa princess nightgown to daycare one day last week, also because she refused to take it off.

Does Aulani also have the alcoholic dole whip version?? I have to check that out at AK this trip!

 

[amazingact21]

I just can't get over the deals you got to Hawaii!
I think it's safe to say, I'm super jealous. That's just incredible. I'm pretty sure my Disney trip last December cost more than 1,800. And we stayed in a value!

I can't wait to hear all about your trip. I'm sure it'll be amazing.


I know what you mean about having every MagicBand color. I think I only need yellow now. Alex has joked that we'll have to start putting different names on the bands to tell each trip apart.


Izzy just keeps getting bigger and bigger. I can't believe how fast she's growing up. Still super adorable though!

 

[schmass]

Wow, what an amazing deal you got for Hawaii! I think 9 nights will be perfect - it's such a long flight that you have to make it worth it. We went to Maui for our honeymoon and spend 10 days there and could have stayed longer. I can't wait until we get to go to Aulani, but it's probably still a few years away for us.

Those pictures of Izzy from the Wisconsin trip are just too cute!