Where's Mickey? Our Son's First Trip to Disney World

[glassslippergirl]

Where's Mickey? Our Son's First Trip to Disney World

Hello and welcome to my first ever Disney World trip report (I’ve lurked a lot on other trip reports over the years, but have never written one). This trip is a big deal for us. It is our ten-month-old son’s first visit! We have been looking forward to this since before we knew we were going to have a baby.

This trip will also mark our fifth consecutive visit during Star Wars Weekends. DH is a huge Star Wars fan, and he is particularly excited that this will be our son’s first Star Wars event.

I did not do a pre-trip report, but I did start this thread to ask advice about traveling to WDW with a baby. The advice I got really shaped the plans for the trip.

Here are the details--

Dates:
May 25-27 and June 1-2, 2013

We live in South Florida, about 2.5 hours from Disney World. We are driving up for both Memorial Day weekend and the weekend after. This way, we get to attend two Star Wars Weekends, and DH will not miss work.

Locations:
Pop Century-- May 25-27

Extended Stay America Lake Buena Vista--June 1-2

We usually don’t stay on property. Any money that we can save by staying off property is more money that we have for our next trip (we used to go every time we had more than two days off together). But, with the arrival of our little one, it’s been a full year since our last trip. Staying at Pop Century for a few days is a big treat for us.
The second weekend was supposed to involve a two-night stay, but because of reasons that I will explain as the trip report progresses (nothing terrible), we scaled it back to just one night.

Cast:
My name is Laura. I am 37-years-old, a teacher by profession, but I’ve taken off this school year to stay home with our son. My first trip to Disney World was in 1977 when I was 11 months old. I plan our Disney trips.

My husband’s name is John. He also is 37-years-old and a teacher. His first trip to Disney World was in 1980 when he was four-years-old. He is our Disney trip photographer.

Here we are on a previous trip:


P3160042 by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

This is our son Michael. He is ten-months-old, born in July 2012. Knowing that he would never wear a first visit button, I made him this onesie with a photo from Google Images and a tee-shirt transfer.


First Visit Onesie by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

This will be his first of many trips to Disney World and his first of many Star Wars Weekends. This trip will also include his first haircut at the Harmony Barber Shop on Main Street, his first stay in a hotel, his first time in a pool, and his first character breakfast (Cape May Café). We can't wait for him to meet Mickey. So exciting!

Here we go…

 

[glassslippergirl]

The Countdown

DH found these countdown markers on Disney's Facebook page.


Three weeks to go. This was May 4, unofficially Star Wars Day (May the Fourth Be with You)--a perfect day to kick off our countdown.


3vweeks to wdw by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

Two weeks to go...


2 weeks to wdw by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

With two weeks to go, DS also got his fairy godmailer...


http://www.flickr.com/photos/glassslippergirl/8728551356/ by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

One week to WDW...


1 week to WDW by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

One more sleep until WDW...


1 day to wdw by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

And the big one!

I'm going to Walt Disney World today!


WDW today by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

This was right before we woke DS for the trip. It was finally time to get in the car and head for Orlando for DS's first visit to Disney World.

 

[glassslippergirl]

Welcome to Main Street, U.S.A.

The drive to Orlando was uneventful with DH and DS sleeping in the back seat. We left home around 5:30 and drove under the entrance sign around 8:00. We were just in time to pick up one of DH’s birthday presents at the Contemporary. For his birthday (may 22—just three days before the trip), DH ordered the camera lens of his dreams from an Orlando area camera rental company. I dropped him off at the Contemporary where he was meeting Ian from the company to pick up the rental lens. Here is the first photo he took with the lens:


contemp w monorail by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

It always takes my breath away to see the monorail gliding through the Contemporary. What a marvel! We were able to stay in the Contemporary once as DH’s birthday gift in 2009. It is definitely our favorite hotel on property. I always feel so close to the magic there—like I can reach out and touch Space Mountain.

While DH picked up his lens and headed over to guest relations at MK to buy our tickets, DS and I drove to the main parking lot, parked the car, and walked (no way I was attempting the tram by myself with a baby and all of his stuff) to the TTC. We took the express monorail, but since DH really wanted to be part of DS’s first monorail ride, we pretended this one didn’t happen. We met up with DH in line at guest relations, showed our id’s to get the Florida resident special pass ($129 for 4 days—great deal), and happily—so happily—entered the park.

We tried to make Mickey our first stop. DS just had to meet the mouse. Really we wanted to see how he took to the characters before our character breakfast on Monday. But the line was over 30 minutes, so DH got us fastpasses for later—or so we thought. More about that later.

We headed up Main Street for DS’s first view of the castle.


IMG_0304_IJFR by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

We also took his first picture in front of the castle.


first castle pic by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

As we headed closer to the castle, we spotted the Dapper Dans milling about. A musician himself, DH is a huge Dapper Dans fan (I love them, too), so we took DS over to introduce him. Would you believe they welcomed him with a song? Yes, they sang a little song just for him! I expected that DH would be clicking away with his special lens, but when I looked over, the camera was at his side, and he was just watching. I asked him about it later, and he said that he was so caught up in the moment that he forgot to take pictures. I don’t think that has happened since minutes after DS was born. So no pictures of this moment, but what a great memory anyway! Later in the day, we saw the Dapper Dans singing “Bella Note” at the opening of Tony’s. They remembered DS and waved to him:


dapper dans by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

The next stop on our adventure was our first look at Fantasyland expansion.

 

[glassslippergirl]

LeFou’s Brew? Why, Yes, I’d Love Some

We had not yet visited FLE, so that was our next stop. First, a quick photo of the Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train in progress.


dwarves mine train by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

There were little windows along the barrier that we could peek through and see the progress closer to the ground. DH was surprised that they were working on it during park hours, and on a Saturday, too. But I think they must be working round the clock to get it done by 2014—there’s still a lot to do. I can’t wait for our first ride.

Heading through the new gates, we had our first glimpse of the Beast’s castle.


IMG_0326_IJFR by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

I hate to say it, but I was under-impressed. It looks like they tried too hard with the forced perspective—like something in Mr. Rogers’s Neighborhood rather than the MK. I was impressed by the quaintness and details of Belle’s village, and having heard so much about LeFou’s Brew, we had to try some and take a break to feed DS.


lefius brew by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

YUMMY! The drink is sweet and refreshing. I loved the mango foam, but the frozen apple juice was the best.

We wanted next to try out the Little Mermaid ride since the line was only 20 minutes, but it was just after 10:00, and we were worried that we might miss DS’s 11:00 appointment for his first haircut at the Harmony Barber Shop. Plus, the drink had stoked our hunger, and DH really wanted some Columbia Harbor House, so we headed there for a quick bite. We got there just as it opened—the first people inside. DH ordered the lobster roll, and I ordered the fried shrimp. The shrimp were crispy and substantial. DH loved the lobster roll which had peppers mixed in—a surprise to him. Now, all three of us had full bellies, and it was first haircut time.

 

[glassslippergirl]

First Haircut

We arrived at the barber shop near the firehouse on Main Street, and they seated DS right away. DS and his barber shared the same name though the barber spelled his Michal. Step one of the haircut, Michal covered DS with stickers to keep him occupied.


barber shop 1 by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

Then, Michal gave him a little trim.


barber shop 6 by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

I was surprised that he kept each lock of DS’s hair as he cut. He gave the locks to me in a little satchel at the end, an unexpected souvenir.

Finally, it was time for the Mickey ears.


barber shop 4 by glassslippergirl, on Flickr


barber shop 5 by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

They even gave DS a certificate. I love the wording:


Certificate for Michael's first haircut at the Harmony Barber Shop in the Magic Kingdom. by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

Every time I told someone that DS was getting his first haircut at the barber shop on Main Street—and I told anyone who would listen for months before the trip—they all said how cool they thought that idea was. I was worried that I had built this experience up in my head so much that nothing could match my ideas. Well, the experience at Harmony Barber Shop did not disappoint. The cast members did everything they could to make it special.

Next up, our visit with Mickey—or so we thought.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Those first haircut photos are so cute! Looks like it is going to be a great trip!!

TP

 

[glassslippergirl]

Those first haircut photos are so cute! Looks like it is going to be a great trip!!

TP

Thanks! The haircut was a great experience. I would not have known about it had I not seen it in Dis. We had a great time.

 

[glassslippergirl]

Where’s Mickey? The Saga Begins

With a stylish new haircut, DS was ready to meet the big guy, so we headed to Town Square to use our fastpasses. As I took them from my bag, I noticed that, instead of saying “Mickey” on top, the fastpasses were for the Princesses. The FP distributors for these two meet and greets are right next to each other, and DH had grabbed the wrong ones. No problem, our little man is a huge flirt. It would be fun to see how he flirted with the pretty princesses.

The wait was short, and we were promptly in the same room with Rapunzel, Aurora, and Cinderella. DS was the only little boy in the room who was not there with a sister. The princesses were all charmed by DS, and he was enamored with them. I think a few pictures are appropriate:


rapunzel by glassslippergirl, on Flickr


sleeping beauty by glassslippergirl, on Flickr


cinderella w family 2 by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

So this was our first attempt to see Mickey. We failed at that, but visiting the princesses was a resounding success. DS was not scared at all.

We loaded him into his stroller and headed back to FLE. DH fancied another Lefou’s Brew, and DS could use some lunch. This time, we took the time to explore Gaston’s Tavern. We wanted to visit Be Our Guest, but there was no way we could negotiate that line without DS having a breakdown. I know that everyone compliments the decor in Be Our Guest, but Gaston’s Tavern is no slouch on the details.

From the antler chandeliers


gastons by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

to Gaston’s chair right next to the “burning” fire,


gastons chair by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

these photos don’t really do justice to the place. And did I mention how great LeFou’s Brew is?

Leaving the tavern, we looked down at the stroller, and saw this:


He didn't make it. by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

When my dad used to see babies sleeping in strollers, he would smile and say, “Aww, he didn’t make it.” Well, DS didn’t make it. We found a shaded place by the fastpass distribution in Storybook Circus and let him take a nap.

 

[TeresaNJ]

Your son is precious! Looking forward to reading your report as it progresses. We're taking our grandsons on their first trip in October, and they will be ages 9 months, 16 months, 26 months, and 7 1/2 years old at the time! The three youngest will be getting their first haircut at the Harmony Barbershop also! Love your photos.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I love his reaction to the princesses! Already a ladies' man!!

And he looks adorable when he sleeps.

I was impressed by the Tavern, too. When I was there, people were eating these GIANT cinnamon buns - I mean buns as big as their whole heads. I didn't have one but I was impressed.

TP

 

[glassslippergirl]

Dumbo

When DS woke, it was finally time for his first ride. I was amazed that half the day was gone, and we still had not taken him on a ride. But we hadn’t wasted a minute; other special things had just taken precedence on his first visit to the Magic Kingdom.

Before hitting Gaston’s, we had picked up fastpasses for Dumbo. It was the perfect choice—a classic Disney attraction. Watching the ride spin while we were in line, his face lit up with a smile. That just continued while we buckled in and started to spin. He had so much fun—his arms waving the whole time.


dumbo 3 by glassslippergirl, on Flickr


dumbo 5 by glassslippergirl, on Flickr


dumbo 4 by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

It was now 3:00 in the afternoon, time to head to the hotel for a rest—or so we thought. After we checked into our room in the eighties wing of Pop Century, DS just wanted to explore the new space. Rest was the last thing on his schedule. We headed to the computer pool.

This was actually going to be DS’s first time in a pool, which is odd considering that we have a perfectly lovely community pool where we live. But, how can I put this? Do you remember those old episodes of Seinfeld where the gang visits Jerry’s parents living in Del Boca Vista Phase III? Where the residents work their whole lives so they can move to Florida and enforce the rules, as Jerry says in one episode. Well, we live just one city north of Boca, and I can attest that many residents get a real thrill out of “rule enforcement.” While there is no specific rule against babies in the pool, we have never seen a baby go in the pool, even visiting grandchildren. So we never wanted to make waves (forgive the pun) by taking DS in the pool.

Thus, the Pop Century computer pool was his first pool experience. Boy, did he love it, but I have no pictures to prove it. I took my phone, which is in a waterproof case. But the cover protecting the headphone jack had come loose, and I did not know it, so my phone got wet and stopped working all together. The pictures I took of him splashing were gone.

DS played on the computer keyboard a little bit longer. We walked him from one letter to another to spell his name, Michael. But we then had to go to Publix to get rice to put my phone in in the hope of drying it out (it didn’t work). Dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack right next to Publix followed, and then it was time to head back to the hotel for someone’s bedtime. In general, someone had a rough night staying in his first hotel, so we all woke bleary-eyed on Sunday morning to head out for our DHS Star Wars Weekend adventure.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

That's the best reaction to Dumbo I have ever seen! He obviously loved it!

Sorry to hear he didn't sleep well at the hotel, though.

TP

 

[bluejasmine]

Omg! Your son is so adorable! He always looks so happy!!!! Dumbo pics were just priceless! Made my day!

ASMU/POR Dec 16-22, 2012 & BWI Sept 8-15, 2013

 

[wiigirl]

Your son is SO cute!

 

[glassslippergirl]

Your son is precious! Looking forward to reading your report as it progresses. We're taking our grandsons on their first trip in October, and they will be ages 9 months, 16 months, 26 months, and 7 1/2 years old at the time! The three youngest will be getting their first haircut at the Harmony Barbershop also! Love your photos.

Thanks. The barber shop was an awesome experience. You will have so much fun with your grandsons. DH actually thought about getting a haircut, too. Believe it or not, their rates are pretty reasonable compared to barber shops in our area. But there is no sink, and he was already so sweaty he needed a wash. I think next time I will schedule a father-son haircut first thing in the morning.

 

[glassslippergirl]

I love his reaction to the princesses! Already a ladies' man!!

And he looks adorable when he sleeps.

I was impressed by the Tavern, too. When I was there, people were eating these GIANT cinnamon buns - I mean buns as big as their whole heads. I didn't have one but I was impressed.

TP

He actually flirted, not just with the Princesses, but with the pretty CM's too. What will we do when he gets older?

We tried a cinnamon roll on the second half of our trip-- review forthcoming, but generally size was the most impressive thing about it. What did you think of the other food there?

 

[glassslippergirl]

That's the best reaction to Dumbo I have ever seen! He obviously loved it!

Sorry to hear he didn't sleep well at the hotel, though.

TP

Omg! Your son is so adorable! He always looks so happy!!!! Dumbo pics were just priceless! Made my day!

ASMU/POR Dec 16-22, 2012 & BWI Sept 8-15, 2013

Your son is SO cute!

Thanks! He had so much fun on Dumbo. Your comments have really brightened my day.

 

[glassslippergirl]

The Force Is Strong with This One

After a rough night in his first hotel, DS did not wake until almost 8:00, so rope drop at DHS was out of the question. We headed to the Pop Century food court for breakfast. Boy was it crowded, but after a long time in line, I had a really yummy waffle, and DH had a bagel sandwich. He wanted to have the Bounty Platter, which has a little bit of everything breakfast—eggs, potatoes, sausage, bacon, biscuit, French toast—but they were waiting on French toast, and he had stood in line for so long, he took what they had. No pictures because my phone was sitting in a bag of rice in our room trying to dry out from our pool escapade the day before, but I was so pleased with the waffle that I looked up a recipe when I got home and found a pretty good duplicate, so we can have Disney waffles anytime!

It was off to DHS for Star Wars Weekends. Through the years, this has become a big event for our little family. We first went in 2009 for DH’s birthday. This was the year Disney was giving a free day on your birthday. We had so much fun that DH surprised me with AP’s so that we could go more.

In 2010, my eighty-five year old grandma was visiting when we wanted to go. We didn’t let that stop us and invited her to come along. She agreed though I’m pretty sure she had never heard of Star Wars. Chewbacca kissed her hand during the motorcade. It made an impression on her. Now in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, she still talks about the time she went to Disney World and saw “all those people dressed up—I’ve never seen anything like that.” I can’t find a picture from that trip, but here Grandma is on her most recent trip in 2011. She always has been a big Disney World fan.


279387700000001 by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

Two thousand eleven was our coup de grace—all four SWW! We even saw the opening ceremony for the Star Tours grand re-opening, complete with George Lucas!

And last year, with DS’s arrival just a month and a half away, we really got into the spirit with our shirts.


IMG_7526 by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

So with our SWW history, we were super excited for DS’s first experience. This was it:


IMG_0802_IJFR by glassslippergirl, on Flickr

 

[lsenquiz]

Following along. Looks like we were at SWW on the same weekend Babies first trip is such an amazing one. Your son is so cute I hate that he had trouble sleeping in the hotel. Looks like Dumbo was an awesome choice for a first ride

I totally know what you mean about the "rule enforcers" in Florida. My parents moved there 15 years ago. They have a really nice heated pool in their community but we would never allow our kids to go in it when we visited them (even when they got older). I always tell my DH if I ever get that stuck in my ways please just put me down

 

[glassslippergirl]

Following along. Looks like we were at SWW on the same weekend Babies first trip is such an amazing one. Your son is so cute I hate that he had trouble sleeping in the hotel. Looks like Dumbo was an awesome choice for a first ride

I totally know what you mean about the "rule enforcers" in Florida. My parents moved there 15 years ago. They have a really nice heated pool in their community but we would never allow our kids to go in it when we visited them (even when they got older). I always tell my DH if I ever get that stuck in my ways please just put me down

Welcome. I hope you also had a great time at SWW. After we saw how much DS liked the pool at Disney World, we did try the pool in our community. No one made a fuss, so I guess we should have tried earlier. It was a lot of fun.