That Was NOT Part of the Plan! May/June 2017 TR *NEW* 12/1 *COMPLETE*

Joining in!

Poor DD :( Glad it wasn't any worse and you guys were still able to take the trip!

Ugh I'm sorry the flight was such a nightmare!

Sounds like a pretty decent time in Washington! Except for the impetigo scare- glad you were able to keep it under control!

Yay California! Your hotel seems really nice.

Sounds like a nice dinner!

Can't wait to read about your first park day!
 
You sure had a rocky start to this trip. I sure hope the rest was uneventful as far as falls and sickness goes. Looking forward to reading all about it.
 
Joining in! I read (and enjoy!) all of your reports, but this is my first time commenting. I will be spending 2 days at Disneyland this Oct when I head to Anaheim to see our mutual love, HANSON! :love:
 
In-flight entertainment is one of the best inventions for parents. ::yes:: Those shows and movies saved my skin on the international legs of my flights.

Flying into Long Beach sounds a lot more relaxing than LAX. I'm sure you appreciated being able to pick up the rental car right at the airport. Saved you some time and effort.

Your room looked very nice and that view in the daytime was really pretty.


The ramp starts on one side and gets you down to the first landing, where you then have to walk alllllllll the way across to the other side, go down the ramp on the other side which gets you to the next landing then walk allllllll the way across to the other side again, and you repeat and repeat until you finally get to the bottom.

Maybe the ramps were designed that way to make sure it wasn't one big steep ramp? That way people didn't gain too much speed and crash...I don't know, I'm just spitballing.
After climbing the Spanish Steps in Rome, I find all those steps with little breaks in the middle ridiculous. :rotfl2:



I had my favorite Quattro Formaggi, which is a 4 cheese pizza with white sauce but it’s a little different here from in WDW in that it has tomatoes and arugula on it

Interesting. I guess if you can't have real Italian Quattro Formaggi pizza or WDW's version, then this is a good third option. :goodvibes
 


The flight wasn’t too bad and was thankfully pretty short. DS was happy with the inflight entertainment (I think he watched Sing) and DD was a little restless but nowhere near as miserable as she’d been on our first flight.
Well, I'm certainly glad it was better than the first flight and there was no re-appearance of breakfast.

The ramp starts on one side and gets you down to the first landing, where you then have to walk alllllllll the way across to the other side, go down the ramp on the other side which gets you to the next landing then walk allllllll the way across to the other side again, and you repeat and repeat until you finally get to the bottom. Clearly whoever designed it has never pushed someone in a stroller or wheelchair before because it was a horrible design. Most times if we could, we’d just pick up the stroller and carry it up or down the steps.
Probably some crazy California law about the slope of the ramp and having a landing between or something. But yes, I can tell how ridiculous it is from the picture and your description and I'd definitely just carry or "bounce" the stroller up the steps.

Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE the pizza at Via Napoli,
Really? Huh, hadn't picked up on that one.

First we got some bread with olive oil to dip it in, and I had to fight DD for it because she was acting like she wanted to eat it all! :rotfl:
It's a tough one. You don't want to give up something good, but if she's like our kids, sometimes it's a battle just to get them to eat anything...

I just want to say I enjoyed Dustin's podcast and I actually just started listening to yours this morning. I got about as far into it as you got on this update, so needless to say you've really been making me crave some good pizza this morning.
 
I just want to say I enjoyed Dustin's podcast and I actually just started listening to yours this morning. I got about as far into it as you got on this update, so needless to say you've really been making me crave some good pizza this morning.

WooHoo :cool1: someone who is not family listened and enjoyed it!! :thumbsup2
 
Woot - joining in and catching up. I'm terrible on TRs lately, but here I am! Always enjoy a good sojourn to DLR, since we get out there so infrequently.
 


Joining in! I love reading TR's of other families with kids, since I so identify with the problems and joys!

As soon as you started saying something about how you thought the trip would go well and that the kids would just sleep I giggled inside (slightly hysterically). We made that mistake (both flying and driving) several times when we had littles. It works for some people really well, but NOT for us! We don't travel late at night anymore unless we absolutely don't have a choice! I'm glad you made it there safely at least, though, especially after all your pre-trip drama! I'm glad your second flight was smoother! Looking forward to hearing about your park time!
 
Joining in!

Poor DD :( Glad it wasn't any worse and you guys were still able to take the trip!

Ugh I'm sorry the flight was such a nightmare!

Sounds like a pretty decent time in Washington! Except for the impetigo scare- glad you were able to keep it under control!

Yay California! Your hotel seems really nice.

Sounds like a nice dinner!

Can't wait to read about your first park day!

Welcome!!!

I was so so thankful the break wasn't that bad, not just for the trip of course, but also because I would hate for her to be in so much pain! Luckily it was a pretty minor injury and didn't impact our trip at all and the orthopedic doc gave us his blessing to go.

It was really nice getting to spend some time with family we only get to see every few years. And the atmosphere was SO beautiful out where DH's aunt lives. I wouldn't mind retiring there some day and becoming regulars at Disneyland!

You sure had a rocky start to this trip. I sure hope the rest was uneventful as far as falls and sickness goes. Looking forward to reading all about it.

Luckily the rest of our hiccups in the trip were not health related!! lol

Joining in! I read (and enjoy!) all of your reports, but this is my first time commenting. I will be spending 2 days at Disneyland this Oct when I head to Anaheim to see our mutual love, HANSON! :love:

Welcome and thanks for commenting!!

THAT'S AWESOME! I'm bummed to be missing them in Disney World this year, but I am lucky enough to be seeing them in New Orleans next month. I have been burning out my iPod playing all their songs for the last few weeks to get ready!!

In-flight entertainment is one of the best inventions for parents. ::yes:: Those shows and movies saved my skin on the international legs of my flights.

Flying into Long Beach sounds a lot more relaxing than LAX. I'm sure you appreciated being able to pick up the rental car right at the airport. Saved you some time and effort.

Your room looked very nice and that view in the daytime was really pretty.

Cross country with two little was intimidating enough, I couldn't even imagine international! But yes, in-flight entertainment was a lifesaver on two of our three flights, thankfully.

It was SO much better! I couldn't believe how easy and stress free it was compared to LAX. Unfortunately it didn't line up to be able to fly out of Long Beach again to go home, but it's an option we will definitely keep in mind on future trips.

It was great to get to stay somewhere new but with all the amenities we are used to, plus an awesome view of the parks!

Maybe the ramps were designed that way to make sure it wasn't one big steep ramp? That way people didn't gain too much speed and crash...I don't know, I'm just spitballing.
After climbing the Spanish Steps in Rome, I find all those steps with little breaks in the middle ridiculous. :rotfl2:

I'm sure that's what it was, but it definitely still could have been done better! The staircase was so wide, one half easily could have been a zigzagging ramp to get down to the street. Having to criss-cross back and forth the whole way was just plain ridiculous!!

Interesting. I guess if you can't have real Italian Quattro Formaggi pizza or WDW's version, then this is a good third option. :goodvibes

Yes, it's a decent runner-up. :thumbsup2

Well, I'm certainly glad it was better than the first flight and there was no re-appearance of breakfast.

YES! Amen to that!!! Any flight would be an improvement over being puked on by your kid.

Probably some crazy California law about the slope of the ramp and having a landing between or something. But yes, I can tell how ridiculous it is from the picture and your description and I'd definitely just carry or "bounce" the stroller up the steps.

It was completely absurd. Clearly whoever designed it has never pushed a stroller or wheelchair! I could think of 5 other ways the same thing could have been accomplished better. lol

Really? Huh, hadn't picked up on that one.

I've sprinkled in subtle hints throughout past TRs. :rotfl:

It's a tough one. You don't want to give up something good, but if she's like our kids, sometimes it's a battle just to get them to eat anything...

I just want to say I enjoyed Dustin's podcast and I actually just started listening to yours this morning. I got about as far into it as you got on this update, so needless to say you've really been making me crave some good pizza this morning.

She's usually a pretty good eater, way better than DS in any case! I just don't like sharing my delicious bread. lol

Thanks for giving us a listen! It was really fun to do a different type of TR.

Woot - joining in and catching up. I'm terrible on TRs lately, but here I am! Always enjoy a good sojourn to DLR, since we get out there so infrequently.

I've had trouble keeping up too, so no worries. Thanks for joining in!

I know exactly what you mean. It's so fun to read about DL and live vicariously since we have to go so long between trips.

Joining in! I love reading TR's of other families with kids, since I so identify with the problems and joys!

As soon as you started saying something about how you thought the trip would go well and that the kids would just sleep I giggled inside (slightly hysterically). We made that mistake (both flying and driving) several times when we had littles. It works for some people really well, but NOT for us! We don't travel late at night anymore unless we absolutely don't have a choice! I'm glad you made it there safely at least, though, especially after all your pre-trip drama! I'm glad your second flight was smoother! Looking forward to hearing about your park time!

Welcome! Traveling with kids is really a whole different ballgame. :rotfl: I find myself identifying with so much when reading other TRs of people with littles.

lol I read that advice all of the time and it definitely DID NOT work for us!!!!! Lesson learned. We were kind of stuck with that flight since it was the only good option for a nonstop flight, so we took a gamble and it didn't work out well for us. But we made it there, and that's all that matters now looking back.
 
Day 7: Tuesday May 30th

We were up at 5:20 this morning…yes, 5:20! Disneyland opened at 8 am every day, so Magic Mornings started at 7 am and was available to us on Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday. We had decided early on in our planning that this day would be the best morning to do it because we felt confident we could get to bed early on our arrival day, which we did. It was still painful to get up so early though!

Everyone got dressed and we brought breakfast to go as we walked to the park, leaving at 6. DS had seen this photo op at Garden Walk the day before and had wanted to stop SO bad, but we waited to do it until this morning, though he was a little too short for it!


It was a little before 6:30 when we arrived at the gates, waiting for them to open at 7. Right at 7, they opened up and started letting people in. We had to stop to have our photos taken to attach to our tickets since they don’t use the fingerprint biometrics like they do at WDW. I wish this was something that could be done when you pick the tickets up, because I hate feeling like we are holding people up behind us, but it goes quick enough, I suppose.


Soon enough, we were walking right down the middle of Walt’s Main Street USA!


We knew we wanted to do Fantasyland this morning, so we went straight up through the castle, and passed a couple getting engaged along the way!


We hurried over first to Peter Pan’s Flight since it tends to build up a line quickly and doesn’t offer FP here. Plus, it was closed last trip, so we were eager to get a chance to go on it again.

A lot of people had the same idea, as it certainly wasn’t a walk on by the time we entered the line. It was about 20 minutes from getting in line until we finished the ride.


Dumbo’s line didn’t look long, so we decided to do that next. We only had to wait one ride cycle before getting on ourselves. DD enjoyed playing with the “magic feather” they use to make sure everyone gets on a Dumbo.

DH and DS rode together, and DD and I took another.

I was looking back on my October 2016 WDW just before working on this update, and back then DD was not a fan of Dumbo, and not much had changed. Actually, she hadn’t really loved Peter Pan either, and for both rides she kept saying, “No! No!” and trying to turn around in my lap. I spent most of the time comforting her and thinking this was going to be a long week if she was scared of everything!


I made a quick bathroom run and suggested DH take the kids to ride Mad Tea Party while I stepped away. I had realized while waiting to get into the park that I had forgotten to take Dramamine, so I wasn’t eager to do anything spinning that might mess me up for the rest of the day.


It was perfect timing because they had walked right on to the ride just before it started its next spin, so by the time I came to find them, they were done and we were all ready to ride Alice in Wonderland together.

Continued in next post...
 
Day 7 Continued: Tuesday May 30th


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I’ll let you decide if DD liked this one or not! Lol


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We went over to pick up our strollers, which we had left over by Snow White. I guess I should mention that we did end up bringing 2 strollers every day, and it worked out well for the most part. We had the bigger City Mini we rented for DD to use because I wanted something that could fully recline and had a big sunshade for stroller naps, plus have some storage underneath. But since we were walking back and forth to the parks every day, I didn’t want to zap all of DS’s energy just in those walks and make the parks miserable for him (and us!), so we had the umbrella stroller for him. Most of the time we would leave it somewhere for awhile and go back for it later. He used it occasionally in the parks, but walked a lot more than he normally does. Last trip, the double stroller had just gotten to be too much, so we had decided early on that it wouldn’t be an option anymore for our trips. Their weight difference made it hard to push and gave me shoulder and neck pain at times from trying to keep it steering straight with both of them in it.

So anyway, we were picking up the stroller from Snow White, and we weren’t sure for a second if it was open or closed because there was literally no one in line and there was a CM just sending empty carts through. Then we saw a few people coming out of the exit, so we decided to give it a try, and sure enough it was open, just no one wanted to ride! Lol

We grabbed the strollers we came off, and thought about heading to check out Toontown. But just as we were passing the Storybookland Canal Boats, there were a few people waiting to enter the queue and it looked like a CM was about to open it, so we stopped there. The park was open to day guests by now, and apparently this attraction isn’t open for Morning Magic, so it was really perfect timing that we passed when we did before there was a long line, and we were loaded on the first or second boat of the day!


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Heading into Storybookland through Monstro the Whale


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Home of the Big Bad Wolf


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Home of the 7 Dwarfs


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Cinderella


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Complete with pumpkin coach coming down from the Castle


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Mr. Toad’s house


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Toad Hall


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If you listen quietly, you just might be able to hear a couple of lines of, “Let it go, let it go…!”


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Arendelle


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Hoo-hoo! Big summer blowout!


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Gepetto’s workshop


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Prince Eric’s castle

UP NEXT: It's a Small World After All

SPECIAL BONUS!
I had the opportunity to record a podcast episode on the DIStracted Life podcast talking about this very trip! So while it will be one gigantic spoiler for this TR, I still thought I would share for anyone interested. It will still be worth checking out here for all the awesome photos! It was really fun to record with Kim, and it's a great podcast because it's basically nothing but trip reports! You can find the audio on iTunes or on the show notes page: HERE
 
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Sounds like your early morning park time was a success! Sorry your DD isn't a fan of the dark rides. Your DS is getting his money's worth from his Sorcerer Mickey Hat and Mickey gloves. So cute!
 
Love the early morning photos! And DH got some awesome pics on Peter Pan!

The pic of DH & DD on the tea cups is adorable! I'm sorry she wasn'y enjoying the rides!

Awesome luck getting on the Canal Boats before the line built up!

So cool that you were part of a podcast! I only listened to part of it but I enjoyed it! :)
 
Sounds like your early morning park time was a success! Sorry your DD isn't a fan of the dark rides. Your DS is getting his money's worth from his Sorcerer Mickey Hat and Mickey gloves. So cute!

It was a great morning! I love that you can still get "bonus" early park time at DL even without staying onsite. We always try to make the most of it and do all of the Fantasyland rides we love that don't have FP and can get long lines later in the day.

I know, right?! When he picked that hat as what he wanted to spend his souvenir money on 2 years ago, I really thought he'd never wear it again after that trip. I love that it's something he wants to bring back trip after trip to wear. Same with the Mickey gloves! He loves them! Can't do a trip without them now.

Love the early morning photos! And DH got some awesome pics on Peter Pan!

The pic of DH & DD on the tea cups is adorable! I'm sorry she wasn'y enjoying the rides!

Awesome luck getting on the Canal Boats before the line built up!

So cool that you were part of a podcast! I only listened to part of it but I enjoyed it! :)

It was a bit frustrating that DD was scared of everything at first, but luckily that got better throughout the week. It stresses me as a Disney loving parent to have a kid that's not a total attraction junkie. lol

The canal boats is one we always have to do, so it was perfect to walk up right as they were opening the ride. That wait can get brutal standing out in the heat just shuffling back and forth through the switchbacks.

Thanks for checking it out! It's a great podcast, so I was excited to get to be a part of it.
 
The pics are great :thumbsup2

Looking forward to the rest of your TR!
MY DD wil be 15mths when we travel & its a 14 hr flight :scared1: We also brought her an IPad lol

How much was the stroller rental? DH wanted to buy the new travel stroller that folds down really small but its quite pricey & not sure if it will be cheaper renting one.
 
A lot of people had the same idea, as it certainly wasn’t a walk on by the time we entered the line. It was about 20 minutes from getting in line until we finished the ride.
I just don't get how quickly that line builds!

I was looking back on my October 2016 WDW just before working on this update, and back then DD was not a fan of Dumbo, and not much had changed. Actually, she hadn’t really loved Peter Pan either, and for both rides she kept saying, “No! No!” and trying to turn around in my lap. I spent most of the time comforting her and thinking this was going to be a long week if she was scared of everything!
If she doesn't want to ride Dumbo it certainly doesn't inspire confidence for the rest of the rides.

I’ll let you decide if DD liked this one or not! Lol
Maybe she'll like Dumbo more now?

Their weight difference made it hard to push and gave me shoulder and neck pain at times from trying to keep it steering straight with both of them in it.
Yep... I get that. When DD was being stubborn on our trip, DS was smart enough to know he wanted to rest his feet when he could and he'd hop in and ride sometimes. And you definitely notice the difference in weight between a 7 year old and a 13 month old when they're side by side.

But just as we were passing the Storybookland Canal Boats, there were a few people waiting to enter the queue and it looked like a CM was about to open it, so we stopped there. The park was open to day guests by now, and apparently this attraction isn’t open for Morning Magic, so it was really perfect timing that we passed when we did before there was a long line, and we were loaded on the first or second boat of the day!
Great timing! Beats standing in the perpetual 20-30 minute line that is nothing but switchbacks!

I had the opportunity to record a podcast episode on the DIStracted Life podcast talking about this very trip! So while it will be one gigantic spoiler for this TR, I still thought I would share for anyone interested. It will still be worth checking out here for all the awesome photos! It was really fun to record with Kim, and it's a great podcast because it's basically nothing but trip reports! You can find the audio on iTunes or on the show notes page: HERE
I listened and enjoyed it. You did an excellent job!
 
Your pictures are so beautiful and it looks like you had some nice lighting for the miniatures! I am really sad that we missed the Storybook Boats last time. My kids really wanted to ride it, but it was either always closed or already had a huge line. :P
 
I've lurked long enough and decided I might as well join in here. :mickeyjum

I am planning for my first venture over to DLR and the West coast so I'm sure this will be chock full of tips for me. I've got to add your photos are beautiful, your husband really knows his way around a DSLR. I can't wait to read about the rest of your adventures! :teeth:
 
The pics are great :thumbsup2

Looking forward to the rest of your TR!
MY DD wil be 15mths when we travel & its a 14 hr flight :scared1: We also brought her an IPad lol

How much was the stroller rental? DH wanted to buy the new travel stroller that folds down really small but its quite pricey & not sure if it will be cheaper renting one.

Gotta give credit to my DH for those! :)

Oh wow, 14 hours?! I'll be saying a prayer for you!!!

Our stroller was less than $50 for an entire week! It handles so easily and it folds up easily and pretty much flat. It would definitely be cheaper to rent. We brought our cheap umbrella stroller to use for DD in the airport and DS used it occasionally in the parks since she had the bigger rental stroller. I got it from citystrollerrentals.com

I just don't get how quickly that line builds!

I guess everyone has the same idea?!

If she doesn't want to ride Dumbo it certainly doesn't inspire confidence for the rest of the rides.

It certainly didn't. :(

Yep... I get that. When DD was being stubborn on our trip, DS was smart enough to know he wanted to rest his feet when he could and he'd hop in and ride sometimes. And you definitely notice the difference in weight between a 7 year old and a 13 month old when they're side by side.

October in WDW was the last time we did the side by side, and we had to make them swap sides frequently because both DH and I would start feeling it on one side of our back/shoulders. Couldn't do it again this time!! Our stroller situation worked out better this time for sure.

Great timing! Beats standing in the perpetual 20-30 minute line that is nothing but switchbacks!

It was the most perfect timing. We didn't stand there for a long time waiting for the line to open, and didn't get stuck in those miserable switchbacks later in the day.

I listened and enjoyed it. You did an excellent job!

Thanks so much! It was a lot of fun.

Your pictures are so beautiful and it looks like you had some nice lighting for the miniatures! I am really sad that we missed the Storybook Boats last time. My kids really wanted to ride it, but it was either always closed or already had a huge line. :P

It was a good time of the morning for pictures. Aw, bummer you missed it, but yes it's of those that you really have to time well to avoid a long line. Just another reason to go back, I say!

I've lurked long enough and decided I might as well join in here. :mickeyjum

I am planning for my first venture over to DLR and the West coast so I'm sure this will be chock full of tips for me. I've got to add your photos are beautiful, your husband really knows his way around a DSLR. I can't wait to read about the rest of your adventures! :teeth:

Thanks for coming out of lurkdom!! :goodvibes

He has learned a lot of new tricks over the years, and I'm so appreciative of his talent to help make my TRs look good.

Hopefully I can include lots of useful info for you. Feel free to ask anything that comes up in your planning!
 
Day 7 Continued: Tuesday May 30th

After a fun ride on the boat, we went over to Toontown. I had read in another TR that it opened at the same time as the rest of the park now, but that must not be the case all of the time. It was about 8:15 when we arrived over there, but the posted sign out front said it didn’t open until 9. So since we were right there by Small World, we went on that instead.

We love spotting all of the Disney characters in the attraction as we float along.


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Continued in next post...
 

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