I Like Warm Hugs! - Mommy/Toddler Trip ~ Updated 6/20: New Trip Report Link!

[Dugette]

And Then Suddenly I Bump Into You

After our fun meet with Duffy, we headed over to take our boat ride in Mexico. (As a side note, I had checked out the Maelstrom wait time earlier and it was too long for our short Epcot time frame – too bad we couldn’t get in one last farewell ride! Oh, also earlier, forgot to mention that I skipped getting a caramel in Germany, as I was just too full! Shocking, I know! )

We parked the stroller around to the right side of the pyramid and happened to spot Mexican Donald Duck with almost no line!! Honestly, I didn’t even know that’s where his meeting spot was (I’ve seen him inside the pyramid before). It wasn’t in our plan, but we had to take advantage of this lack of line! So, into the very short line we went and, within a few minutes, Izzy was running up to greet Donald:







Sweet Duckie hug! I think this might be a kiss on the beak?:





So, this one got Izzy in trouble :



Yeah, they put a stop to eye-poking real quickly! They must be sensitive. (I know I don’t like it when Izzy pokes me in the eye ).

Pure joy again:



And more hugging :





I felt like the Photopass photographer wasn’t really into it, but she did end up getting more pictures than I thought:



Poke that eye out! :



High five:





Duck bill kiss :



It was definitely a worthwhile meet and those Photopass pics were only taken about 8 minutes later than the Duffy ones, so we hadn’t blown much time at all. The line for Donald was MUCH longer when we walked away, though, so I guess we caught it just right.

Time to get on Donald’s boat now! Into the blurry pyramid (no time to waste on things like stopping to take pics!):



And walked straight on to the ride:





Love this view :



Izzy enjoyed looking around:







As we rode, I remembered the Cronuts in the bottom of the stroller! I had planned to seal them up in a Ziplock and put them in our bag before we went in, but Donald had distracted me and I forgot! Why does this matter? Because they were not sealed and were in the bottom of a stroller. Parked at WDW. And if that doesn’t mean anything to you, then you’ve probably never seen the Disney squirrels raiding strollers. I did at Epcot in June – WOW! I have pictures whenever I get to that TR, but all I can say is DO NOT leave food unattended/unsealed in your stroller!

So, I was a bit panicked as I returned to the stroller – I mean, look at all the easy targets for the hungry squirrels:



When I got back to the stroller, I inspected the Cronuts very closely and decided they were untouched (and no squirrels in sight ). I also decided that I should at least try a bite or two while they were still semi-fresh. I did and it was good, but already cold and I’m sure that they are better warm. Oh, well. I did wrap them up in a ziplock at that point and stowed them safely away in our bag.

So, my “goal” had been to be leaving Epcot at 6:10pm so that we could get back to DHS to use our special Premium Package lanyard to get into our reserved showing of the Frozen Singalong. The “return window” went until 6:50pm for a 7:00pm show. It was 6:15pm at that point, as I’d gotten a bit behind with the Donald meet and all. No big deal, though, still plenty of time. I quickly debated which way to get to the International Gateway…I was tempted to go by the Maelstrom again, but there wouldn’t have been time to ride even if there was no line, so I went the more sensible way, past Canada and such. Heading away from Mexico:



We still had 35 minutes for something that I’d walked in 25 minutes earlier, so we’d be just fine, right?

Up next: Is there a new Run Disney event at DHS where you push a stroller? If so, I think I won.

 

[hokieinpa]

Great Donald meet! Sweet pictures of Izzy giving him some kisses! But I guess the eye poking is a no-no?

I enjoyed Gran Fiesta Tour as well. Inside the pyramid is so peaceful! I wish we had more time to stop there - eat, shop, relax. Not just zoom through like mad people to jump on a boat!

Glad your cronuts escaped the attack of the Disney squirrels!

Excited to hear about your evening in HS! And possibly the beginning of your marathon training?

 

[princessbelle2015]

Another great character meet with Donald. I can imagine it would not be fun to be poked in the eye but at least it only happened once with Izzy.

Hope you did not have to break any records in the stroller marathon to get to HS.

 

[Imagineer5]

Hahaha that was a fun time texting you about your whereabouts!

Nice catch with no wait for Donald and then visiting Mexico! What a fun time you had in EPCOT!!

 

[amazingact21]

Just read all the updates I missed.


Oh my goodness, Izzy leaving Goofy to go meet Minnie has to be one of my favorite moments of your TR. She was just like, "Forget you, Goofy! I gotta go see my girl, Minnie Mouse!" Hilarious.


Wow, you got a ton of character meets done at Epcot that afternoon. How could you pass on an impromptu Mexican Donald meet? Even if Izzy did want to poke him in the eye...


Uh oh, your ending to your last update sounds ominous. I hope the journey from Epcot to DHS wasn't too long or too terrible.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I think that Donald meet is kinda off to the side and for whatever reason they don't seem to get the people waiting for him like for the princesses so if you can catch him right as his set starts you can find fairly low lines - but then people catch on and the line grows quickly ... so I think you just hit it well, which is great as (other than the eye poking) looked like a fun meet and the PP did get some nice photos!

Glad no squirrels got your cronuts (that would make for a good t-shirt though: "The squirrel got by cronut!") - definitely do seem like something best eaten fresh

I'm no detective but I am going to guess that things took a little longer to get back than you were expecting.

BTW - that would be cool if they had like a "with stroller" 5k as part of the run Disney events - maybe for the princess one? Kids get to meet characters along the route and moms/dads get to enjoy the run/walk? They would have to change up the route as if kids are involved you can't have it go back-stage.

Though the "run" I am still really waiting for is the one around World Showcase where instead of water stations they have adult beverage stations.

 

[JulieODC]

I'm just impressed that you had that much self control to hold off on tasting the cronut so long!!

 

[MEK]

Great pictures of Izzy with Donald. What, donald didn't like his eyes being poked out? Imagine that!

Glad you both enjoyed the ride and I'm so happy your cronuts stayed safe in the bottom of your stroller while you went on the ride. I really didn't know that the WDW squirrels invade strollers like that. I guess I can't blame them. It would be pretty hard to resist a cronut.

 

[Leshaface]

Too bad about the line for your free print! Sucks missing out on freebies.

CRONUTS!!! I finally got to try one this trip and it was DELICIOUS!!

Oh my goodness precious pics of Izzy and Duffy. I can't wait for the day (if it ever comes!) where DS is lovey like that with the characters. So so sweet

Did the CM's actually say to not poke in the eye? I mean, it makes sense, but were they on you guys pretty quick about that?

And yep you're right! We had the cronut when it was steaming hot and it was so delicious. Our poor cronut didn't even have a chance to cool down

 

[AprilRenee]

Lol it cracks me up that you keep saying that your cronut really kinda sucked but you're sure its cause it was cold and that it will be better warm. Haha. It's like you're convincing yourself every time. Haha

Yay for a short Donald line! We did not have short character line luck on our trip. Sounds like you just kept hitting them perfectly this day!!

Oh man! I've done the Disney "I'm late!" run event too! except with a pregnant belly!! Stroller doesn't sound much more fun! Lol

 

[schmass]

Aw, I love the picture of Izzy kissing Donald's beak!

You really need to try a fresh cronut - they are seriously delicious. I'm not really even a big croissant OR donut fan, and I think the cronut is amazing. I'm glad that at least they didn't get attacked by squirrels!

I can tell your next update is going to make me nervous - I hate feeling like I'm late for anything!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

That is one thing I love about meeting characters in the different parks. All the differnt outfits.

HAHAHA, eye poke!!

I just adore when the characters actually get down to meet the smaller folks. It has to be a little less intimidating that way.

Oh those crazy Disney squirrels. I do enjoy watching their antics though.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Hooray for a short line for Donald! And I love that Izzy kept poking him in the eye! (Although I bet the character didn't!)

Another hooray that the squirrels didn't capture your cronut! Squirrels are crazy.

Oh, dear... I'm curious how long it took you to get back to DHS?

 

[Dugette]

Great Donald meet! Sweet pictures of Izzy giving him some kisses! But I guess the eye poking is a no-no?

Thanks! Yes, apparently ducks don't like their eyes touched. We actually had the same thing happen meeting Daisy the next day. All the CMs jump if you get near a duck eye.

I enjoyed Gran Fiesta Tour as well. Inside the pyramid is so peaceful! I wish we had more time to stop there - eat, shop, relax. Not just zoom through like mad people to jump on a boat!

Yeah, I do love it in there. This was very much the zooming through like mad people to the boat, but we have spent more time in there on past trips (including a dinner) and it's such a great atmosphere.

Glad your cronuts escaped the attack of the Disney squirrels!

I was seriously so worried about that. I need to find a picture of that stroller squirrel from June to post...

Excited to hear about your evening in HS! And possibly the beginning of your marathon training?

Haha, the beginning and end of it, I'd say!

Another great character meet with Donald. I can imagine it would not be fun to be poked in the eye but at least it only happened once with Izzy.

Yeah, just one eye poke and she caught on that it was a no-no. Until she tries it the next day with Daisy.

Hope you did not have to break any records in the stroller marathon to get to HS.

I suppose it depends if we're talking personal or competitive records here...

Hahaha that was a fun time texting you about your whereabouts!

Fun for you, maybe! I felt like that part of the trip was in slow-motion. And then sped up quickly once I got to DHS.

Nice catch with no wait for Donald and then visiting Mexico! What a fun time you had in EPCOT!!

This trip really became about spontaneous character meets after Chip and Dale. As you can see, I was pretty much stopping for them all after that. And, yes, we really did have a fun time in Epcot. I mean, it was only like 4 hours, but we did so many memorable things!

Just read all the updates I missed.

Oh my goodness, Izzy leaving Goofy to go meet Minnie has to be one of my favorite moments of your TR. She was just like, "Forget you, Goofy! I gotta go see my girl, Minnie Mouse!" Hilarious.

Ha, thanks! I love that moment too! I think it just caught everyone by surprise, as she was starting to have what appeared to be a really sweet moment with Goofy and then just dropped his hands, pointed at Minnie, and yelled, "Minnie!" while running right to her. Priceless!

Wow, you got a ton of character meets done at Epcot that afternoon. How could you pass on an impromptu Mexican Donald meet? Even if Izzy did want to poke him in the eye...

We really did meet tons of characters. I never really thought of Epcot as a character-heavy park, but it sure proved to be that afternoon.

Uh oh, your ending to your last update sounds ominous. I hope the journey from Epcot to DHS wasn't too long or too terrible.

Oh, don't worry, it is.

I think that Donald meet is kinda off to the side and for whatever reason they don't seem to get the people waiting for him like for the princesses so if you can catch him right as his set starts you can find fairly low lines - but then people catch on and the line grows quickly ... so I think you just hit it well, which is great as (other than the eye poking) looked like a fun meet and the PP did get some nice photos!

Donald was really off to the side and not terribly obvious - I didn't know he was there until I went around the corner to park the stroller and saw him in the corner. Glad I hit it at a good time, as we didn't have time for a line and I couldn't skip the boat ride I'd promised Izzy.

Glad no squirrels got your cronuts (that would make for a good t-shirt though: "The squirrel got by cronut!") - definitely do seem like something best eaten fresh

They should totally sell that shirt in Epcot!

I'm no detective but I am going to guess that things took a little longer to get back than you were expecting.

You may be on to something here, we shall see...

BTW - that would be cool if they had like a "with stroller" 5k as part of the run Disney events - maybe for the princess one? Kids get to meet characters along the route and moms/dads get to enjoy the run/walk? They would have to change up the route as if kids are involved you can't have it go back-stage.

Though the "run" I am still really waiting for is the one around World Showcase where instead of water stations they have adult beverage stations.

Both sound like excellent ideas! Maybe they can be combined, seeing as those who are pushing strollers around WDW probably are also needing adult beverages...

I'm just impressed that you had that much self control to hold off on tasting the cronut so long!!

Not so much self-restraint as being stuffed full of other yummy food and being in a hurry to cross the remaining items off my list before leaving Epcot. I really have no restraint...you should see how quickly candy disappears when I'm at work.

 

[Dugette]

Great pictures of Izzy with Donald. What, donald didn't like his eyes being poked out? Imagine that!

I know, right?! I mean, who doesn't love their eyes being poked out by a toddler? Heck, Izzy just tried to poke my eye out tonight and it was a JOY! (Turns out she was telling me to close it and pretend to sleep...)

Glad you both enjoyed the ride and I'm so happy your cronuts stayed safe in the bottom of your stroller while you went on the ride. I really didn't know that the WDW squirrels invade strollers like that. I guess I can't blame them. It would be pretty hard to resist a cronut.

I had heard about squirrels raiding strollers at WDW, but never saw it with my own eyes until June. Astounding. I will try to dig up a picture of it tonight!

Too bad about the line for your free print! Sucks missing out on freebies.

Totally does! I keep hearing Captain_Oblivious in my head saying, "If it's free, it's for me!"

Oh my goodness precious pics of Izzy and Duffy. I can't wait for the day (if it ever comes!) where DS is lovey like that with the characters. So so sweet

Aw, thanks! Calvin never warmed up to the characters?! I will say that Izzy was NOT like this on the trip just two months prior, so I went into this trip without much in the way of character meet expectations. But toddlers change their tunes on things so quickly.

Did the CM's actually say to not poke in the eye? I mean, it makes sense, but were they on you guys pretty quick about that?

Yeah, the CMs all basically jumped at once and said, "No touching the eyes!!" Same thing happened the next day with Daisy. Not sure if it was just a coincidence that it was the ducks or if they are extra sensitive? It does remind me that I saw a video once of an incident on a Disney Cruise where Mickey lost an eye during the sail-away party! He handled it well and I guess lots of people didn't even notice, but perhaps their eyes are not as securely attached to their faces as ours are.

Lol it cracks me up that you keep saying that your cronut really kinda sucked but you're sure its cause it was cold and that it will be better warm. Haha. It's like you're convincing yourself every time. Haha

But, but....read these:

CRONUTS!!! I finally got to try one this trip and it was DELICIOUS!!

And yep you're right! We had the cronut when it was steaming hot and it was so delicious. Our poor cronut didn't even have a chance to cool down

All of the DIS is telling me this, so I have to assume they're not ALL loony! I really do think I need to get one in May and consume it immediately and see for myself.

Yay for a short Donald line! We did not have short character line luck on our trip. Sounds like you just kept hitting them perfectly this day!!

We were really on a roll! The next day too, actually. I guess late August/early September is a good time to catch characters with short lines?

Oh man! I've done the Disney "I'm late!" run event too! except with a pregnant belly!! Stroller doesn't sound much more fun! Lol

Ugh, I think a pregnant belly would be harder than a stroller...at least you can roll a stroller along easily!

 

[RGirl]

Hello! Doing the Friday Night Mom-down-time catch-up dance!

Willow and Izzy have the same socks (well, maybe slightly different sizes)!

Ah, the cronut! Shannon, Willow and Maddie will surely be trying this on our trip this summer. (I can’t eat them, which makes me sad. I will fix that with a Grey Goose slush from France…..) I can’t wait to hear whether you liked them (assuming you got a better chance to try them) - thank goodness the squirrels didn’t raid them!

Awwww - love Izzy’s love for Duffy. And the pics and video are so great! Is Duffy still meeting at this point? I thought I read that he was going away. I hope my info is wrong - he was a really fun meet.

Sombrero Donald! So fun! I feel that it is never worth passing up a great character meet with young kiddos. Even with a line, it rarely takes that long. On our first trip, we didn’t stop for characters because of those we were traveling with and my fear of them not having fun. That is really the only Disney regret I have from any of our trips. So I say good for you - there was an awesome character you weren’t expecting, maybe you didn’t have it in your schedule, but you stopped. And it was awesome, and you got awesome pictures! All good - well, assuming that the stroller race to DHS doesn't kill you.....

 

[Dugette]

Aw, I love the picture of Izzy kissing Donald's beak!

That one turned out super cute, thanks!

You really need to try a fresh cronut - they are seriously delicious. I'm not really even a big croissant OR donut fan, and I think the cronut is amazing. I'm glad that at least they didn't get attacked by squirrels!

April, do you hear this?! You know, I LOVE croissants and I enjoy doughnuts at least an average amount, so it seems like something I'd like. But apparently not day-old and cold and in a hurry.

I can tell your next update is going to make me nervous - I hate feeling like I'm late for anything!

Yeah, you might need to look away from your computer for a bit...

That is one thing I love about meeting characters in the different parks. All the differnt outfits.

Very true. I'm getting really excited for meeting the characters on our cruise in May too, for that same reason. Seems like they have lots of different variations. I was looking at a recent Navigator from our cruise and it listed things like "Minnie", "Pirate Minnie", and "Princess Minnie" - Izzy's dreams come true - multiple Minnies!

HAHAHA, eye poke!!

Why didn't Donald just blink like he did in that picture in your TR?!

I just adore when the characters actually get down to meet the smaller folks. It has to be a little less intimidating that way.

Most of the characters do a really nice job of that. Especially in WDW. Aulani was hit or miss. But, you're right, it does help make them a lot more approachable to the little ones.

Oh those crazy Disney squirrels. I do enjoy watching their antics though.

Must be quite the life to be a Disney Squirrel! I wonder if they are specially selected and considered Cast Members?

Hooray for a short line for Donald! And I love that Izzy kept poking him in the eye! (Although I bet the character didn't!)

Ha, she actually only poked his eye once, but it looks like more between my photos and the Photopass ones. Donald didn't seem to care for it, though.

Another hooray that the squirrels didn't capture your cronut! Squirrels are crazy.

Indeed!

Oh, dear... I'm curious how long it took you to get back to DHS?

Too $#@% long!

 

[Dugette]

Hello! Doing the Friday Night Mom-down-time catch-up dance!

I know what that's like! But I'm also sick and should get to bed soon.

Willow and Izzy have the same socks (well, maybe slightly different sizes)!

Target dollar section?

Ah, the cronut! Shannon, Willow and Maddie will surely be trying this on our trip this summer. (I can’t eat them, which makes me sad. I will fix that with a Grey Goose slush from France…..) I can’t wait to hear whether you liked them (assuming you got a better chance to try them) - thank goodness the squirrels didn’t raid them!

Aw, I am sad that you can't try it, but sounds like you have an excellent alternate plan! I am hoping to see what all the DIS-raving is about next time.

Awwww - love Izzy’s love for Duffy. And the pics and video are so great! Is Duffy still meeting at this point? I thought I read that he was going away. I hope my info is wrong - he was a really fun meet.

Thanks! Oh, really? I should look into that - I haven't heard anything.

Sombrero Donald! So fun! I feel that it is never worth passing up a great character meet with young kiddos. Even with a line, it rarely takes that long. On our first trip, we didn’t stop for characters because of those we were traveling with and my fear of them not having fun. That is really the only Disney regret I have from any of our trips. So I say good for you - there was an awesome character you weren’t expecting, maybe you didn’t have it in your schedule, but you stopped. And it was awesome, and you got awesome pictures! All good - well, assuming that the stroller race to DHS doesn't kill you.....

Yes, once Izzy started showing interest this trip, I was willing to add them into our plans whenever we got a chance. Heck, I stopped the next day in AK for characters that neither of us really even knew. I'm taking advantage of her excitement while she's still filled with it.

 

[Dugette]

SQUIRREL!!

So, first, I just have to say that, in the process of finding these pictures, I realized that my memory is swiss cheese (hence, why I write the TRs - so I can recall the trips! ) I'm fairly certain that, sometime in this TR, I said we'd missed Living with the Land in June and that was why I wanted to ride in August. Well, no, Izzy and I rode it in June after Lauren and Aria left, according to my pictures. I guess it was memorable.

But, you're not here for that. So, without further ado, a Disney Squirrel in action at Epcot (not my stroller):



Oh, you lookin' at me?:



I have a bunch more - that squirrel was not shy about stepping right into that stroller and seeking out whatever goods it could smell in the basket! So, you can imagine what I thought might be happening to my poor, unprotected Cronuts while I rode Donald's boat.

 

[RGirl]

SQUIRREL!!

So, first, I just have to say that, in the process of finding these pictures, I realized that my memory is swiss cheese (hence, why I write the TRs - so I can recall the trips! ) I'm fairly certain that, sometime in this TR, I said we'd missed Living with the Land in June and that was why I wanted to ride in August. Well, no, Izzy and I rode it in June after Lauren and Aria left, according to my pictures. I guess it was memorable.

But, you're not here for that. So, without further ado, a Disney Squirrel in action at Epcot (not my stroller):



Oh, you lookin' at me?:



I have a bunch more - that squirrel was not shy about stepping right into that stroller and seeking out whatever goods it could smell in the basket! So, you can imagine what I thought might be happening to my poor, unprotected Cronuts while I rode Donald's boat.