missangelalexis
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2012
- Messages
- 7,703
Glad to hear the kids are doing good and you were able to take some time off to spend with them!
That sounds... perfectI actually took a couple of weeks off to be home and pretty much just disconnected from the internet during that time in order to avoid work, and to be a little more focused on spending time with the kids.
Good!In life news, the kids are doing great.
Man, that'll keep you busy!L is playing in 2 different basketball leagues right now so our life is hectic on the weekends
B is playing in 1 basketball league and has tumbling one night every week so we're usually on the go.
Oh man. Hope that settles down soon. Poor Little Guy and poor you guys! Hang in there!He's been very quick to revert to screaming uncontrollably and trying to bite and pinch, much like the night he was in the hospital, if things don't go exactly the way he wants.
That's too bad. But... hopefully it'll work out.Unfortunately, I lost all my notes due to some technical difficulties, but I do have some pictures and some stories I remember, so I'll do the best I can with what I have to work with to finish up.
In life news, the kids are doing great. L is playing in 2 different basketball leagues right now so our life is hectic on the weekends, but he loves playing, and frankly, it's one of the few things he wants to do aside from sitting around playing video games. B is playing in 1 basketball league and has tumbling one night every week so we're usually on the go. R has been doing awesome since his surgery and in follow up visits with the surgeon everything looks great. However, we have noticed some extreme behavior issues with him since his surgery. He's been very quick to revert to screaming uncontrollably and trying to bite and pinch, much like the night he was in the hospital, if things don't go exactly the way he wants.
So, with that, I'm trying to catch up on everyone's TRs and then I'll get back to mine. Unfortunately, I lost all my notes due to some technical difficulties, but I do have some pictures and some stories I remember, so I'll do the best I can with what I have to work with to finish up.
That is beyond adorable!The first morning when we put it on he kind of looked at it questioningly and DW told him it was his Mickey Power.
The kid likes Superheroes (he ran around the county fair with his Captain America shield) and TV shows like PJ Mask, so the concept of having an item that gives you a power is familiar to him and he caught on to that in a hurry.
We’d put his band on in the mornings and he’d get all excited and yell Mickey Power.
Wow great timing!Hammer down.
We ended up making it all the way to Calhoun, GA as the sun came up.
Hmmm duly noted.We booked our stay at the Holiday Inn Reosrt, Lake Buena Vista. It is a good neighbor hotel and from the pictures, it looked like it had a nice pool and play area.
Sometimes pictures are deceiving.
As you can see I haven't been all that around much either.And I appreciate the ones of you who have jumped back in after my absence from the boards.
Oh lovely! ANd the one place Little MIss keeps asking for whenever we get our next trip.But last trip it was a big delay getting our check and leaving and then this trip it was a big delay just getting to the check in desk. I just feel like the service there is honestly a little subpar by Disney standards.
Naturally.Naturally, about the time I hauled in the last of our things, the rain stopped.
As we were riding, I continued to get texts. I’m going to try to tell the story based on this chain of texts and I hope I can do it justice.
Finally got on the bus. They loaded a lady in an ECV and then she asked the bus driver to wait for her husband.
15 minutes later.
Husband is here. Also in an ECV. They’re loading him now.
About 10 minutes after that:
And now we're stopped along the road because somebody opened a beer on the bus.
After we reunited, I got the lowdown on the bus situation. Apparently there was a relatively large family. They sent momma out to wait for the bus. She was ECV number 1. She boarded and then made a bit fuss to the bus driver about waiting for her husband (ECV 2). But it wasn't just him. There was a group of about 6 that came out with him. One of them apparently got a little too thirsty and couldn't wait until they got to EPCOT. He cracked a cold one open on the bus. The bus driver heard/saw the beer being opened and immediately pulled over to the side of the road and made him get out and dump the beer out along the side of the road.
But no... he was concerned because the van was still running.
They were in such a hurry that they didn’t care about inconveniencing anyone else. And they didn’t even take the time to turn the engine off.
Wait so the DAS CM is different than the FP CM? I'm just in the beginning stages of learning about the DAS system.The CM at FP then told us we needed to see the DAS CM. I asked where that was and he pointed clear across the walkway near the Rivers of Light seating area.
Awa! What a wonderful little small moment.He was still cranky and throwing a fit. The CM at the register was getting ready to check me out when another CM named Tony walked up and told her to stop. He grabbed a bar out of the cooler and walked around to the stroller. He kneeled down to R and started talking to him. He told him that he had a gift for him from Mickey and handed him the bar. R went from whining and crying to smiling almost instantly
Wasit wait wait...... Lid free? Is this a AK thing or a whole of Disney World thing? If they don't put lids on cups I might have to come up with something.This was the first of multiple issues we experienced this trip with lid free cups.
They planned to get to Disney World Tuesday evening, but they’d driven farther than they expected Monday night and by the time we were eating lunch, they were just about to Disney World property. We didn’t tell the kids, but mom said they were going to get checked in and meet up with us at AK.
There is nothing like the magic of a Nana surprise to turn a grumpy day around.We exited the theater and went to get the stroller. Right around the corner from the stroller parking area, Mom and Dad were sitting on a rock. The kids had no idea they were there, but B was the first to see them. She screamed and ran straight over for hugs.
I used to think it was the worst pizza. Then I had to go predominantly Gluten Free.Let me tell you, there are some pizzas out there that would make disney pizza look like heaven! lolI don’t absolutely hate Disney pizza. No, it isn’t the best, but I don't think it is terrible.
Now I'm kind of bummed that you didn't get to find out their reaction to getting back to the car. Though I am kind of impressed that it would still be running.See that puddle of condensation underneath the tailpipe at the back of that van? This was about 9 or 10 hours after our frustrations in the parking lot that morning.
The van was still running.
Now I really thought it was funny!
That's Brilliant.I didn’t touch it, obviously, but let me tell you the temptation to move it to a random parking spot clear on the other side of the lot might have popped into my head.
What a wonderful experience. There's a swim instructor in our area that does these kinds of lessons. I have refrained from letting Little Miss know they exist. lol
poor little guy!On top of that we’ve had some issues arise with R’s health.
Will do.This is going to be a major surgery with at least a weeklong hospital stay so if you could add him to your prayers, please do.
Thanks... it was rough, but he's doing awesome now!My heart was breaking for y'all when Little guy couldn't have something to drink or eat. It's great that his outcome was better than predicted and he's on the mend.
Yeah, it's always rough with him. But right now things look good!I'm so glad R's surgery was less intense than they anticipated, and that he recovered so well! I'm sure that was a huge relief for y'all as I'm sure it was pretty stressful anticipating that surgery. Best wishes for him to continue to heal!
Thanks! It was a trip with some interesting memories for sure, both good and bad. R is doing great now and hopefully we don't have to do it again for a long time, if ever.Just caught up from the last few months of being away. Quite the frustrating day at AK! But mermaid school looks awesome - I had no idea that even existed. So glad that R's surgery went well and he's getting back to normal - how difficult for him and your family to cope with the restrictions. Hope you all have a happy new year!
Hey, no rush. I'm only about 2 months behind anyway.Hey, Andy. Just caught up with your latest update.
So...that's great!
It's hard caring for a 3 year old. It's even harder reasoning with one.Oh man. I can imagine that must have been really hard.
Thanks!But that's excellent! I'm glad to hear he did so well! Hope you guys had a great Christmas.
Thanks! He's doing great now!Just catching up with your latest update and wanted to say how glad I am to hear how well R did with the surgery.
Yeah, sorry. I didn't update the title since it wasn't actual TR stuff.I had been sort of crazy busy and since there wasn't a change in the title i missed this update until now. I'm glad to hear R came through alright, even if he was a bit ornery.
Thank you. It's certainly a challenge with that one.You folks are saints for how you've handled everything!
Thanks! We're doing great now!I missed the November surgery update, but I'm so happy to hear it was a simpler fix than the doctors initally thought. Glad to hear things are going well for the family. Busy is good. Hang in there!
Hoping with luck to get one tomorrow maybe. I'm finally close to being caught up here and I've sat down to try to re-create the notes I lost. I'm missing some details, but I've got the main points down.Look forward to hearing more about your trip when you are able to get to it.
Thanks! It really was good for us as a family to get some down time together in December.Glad to hear the kids are doing good and you were able to take some time off to spend with them!
Perfect, I don't know. It was nice, for sure. But I can assure you that DW was celebrating after I went back to work and school started back up. There may have been 1 or 2 too many nerf gun battles for her taste.That sounds... perfect
Man, that'll keep you busy!
He's still being a challenge. I don't know, while developmentally he seems on track in most things, he kind of falls behind in other areas... behavior is one of them.Oh man. Hope that settles down soon. Poor Little Guy and poor you guys! Hang in there!
I've sat down a few times and written out a rough outline of things. I've got *most* of the details down. There are still some blank spots where I can't remember what we did or I know we did this, but not when. But the main points are there.That's too bad. But... hopefully it'll work out.
Thanks!I am so glad to hear that your absence from here was for good reasons! And that everyone is doing well. Glad to have you back but totally understand!
It is certainly a challenge with him. While he's hit almost all developmental marks, his behavior in some ways seems to me to be a little behind that of a 3 year old.You are very busy parents and are on track with being there for your kids first. I really do hope R's behavioral issues work themselves out and he can re-learn appropriate communication. But I know how tough it is. I had one that was tough in that area too, so really understand how wearing it is.
Thanks!Miss you around here, Andy, but glad you are popping in as you can and have time. Looking forward to your updates.
Thank you for the kind words of reassurance! Hoping to get an update up soon!Glad life is returning to it's normal, busy way
Kids are tough going sometimes but hang in there-not many 12year olds bite to get their way so it will pass! In the meantime there's always wine/beer/chocolate/fresh air/disboards/ whatever it is that you do to destress
Look forward to hearing more about your trip when you find the time
Hi!!! Wow, it has been a while! Great to see you!!!!
Hello there! I fell off the face of the earth a bit there ( turns out homeschooling doesn't leave much time for other things.) I was glad to find you on here when I did pop my head back in and Glad to see your son has done so well over these last few years. (Last I had checked in he had just been born.)
It happens. Life, that is.As you can see I haven't been all that around much either.
Yeah, it's hard to resist the siren song. I'm sure we'll go back, but I pretty much go in there not expecting it to be anything spectacular. Still hard to beat the location and characters though.Oh lovely! ANd the one place Little MIss keeps asking for whenever we get our next trip.
Ok, it varies. The DAS CM is holding an iPad in front of the ride. In many cases, they are right there standing near the entrance to the FP and Single rider lines. The only 2 exceptions we noted were that they were out on the bridge as you approach Slinky Dog at a stand that was set up for them specifically and then across the "street" from Expedition Everest. Every other time they seemed to be just hanging around near the entrance of the ride where you actually enter the queue area.Wait so the DAS CM is different than the FP CM? I'm just in the beginning stages of learning about the DAS system.
Gotta appreciate a kind CM!Awa! What a wonderful little small moment.
It is Disney World wide!!! They started it this summer. Paper straws only and no lids. We did manage to find a couple of places that had them, but I think they were just using the last of the inventory.Wasit wait wait...... Lid free? Is this a AK thing or a whole of Disney World thing? If they don't put lids on cups I might have to come up with something.
There is nothing like the magic of a Nana surprise to turn a grumpy day around.
My sister can't eat gluten. I've tried some of the stuff she has to eat. You're absolutely right!I used to think it was the worst pizza. Then I had to go predominantly Gluten Free.Let me tell you, there are some pizzas out there that would make disney pizza look like heaven! lol
I would have loved to have been there to see it.Now I'm kind of bummed that you didn't get to find out their reaction to getting back to the car. Though I am kind of impressed that it would still be running.
Hey, might be a fun surprise for her sometime!What a wonderful experience. There's a swim instructor in our area that does these kinds of lessons. I have refrained from letting Little Miss know they exist. lol
Thank you!Glad you will be finding some time to stop back in here, and that everything is well with your family!
Thanks!Glad to hear from you and glad the kids are doing well!
Excellent point.Welcome back Andy! Glad to hear everyone is doing well. Going to Disney and the Holidays really threw me for a loop too. I'm sure whatever you post will be great, I mean you went to Disney with your family and made lots of great memories.
That must have been the worst!!! Tantrums like that are so embarassing but it happens to all of us.DW and Dad were waiting outside at a table while we were in the bakery. R saw DW’s slush and wanted it. He threw an absolute screaming tantrum. She decided to take him back to Japan and get a kakigori for him. He screamed the whole way there and kept trying to throw himself out of the stroller. She said that while she wasy paying for the kakigori he got himself free and did manage to throw himself on the ground. She had her hands full and a screaming 3 year old flopping around like a fish out of water while holding up the line. She was pretty embarrassed and upset by the whole thing. I felt bad that I wasn’t there when it happened to help, but I was at least thoughtful enough to get her another lemon slush, which I knew she needed at that point!
Ha!Mom and Dad didn’t have one, so they walked down the standby queue and arrived at the merge point approximately 10 seconds before we did. They didn't have to take the time to tap their bands, after all.
Which one did she pick? Morgan and Gwen use there alot as well. And really has been a good purchase!It turned out to be a good purchase, because she uses that backpack often to haul doll clothes, books and her kindle when we go somewhere and she needs some entertainment to take along with her.
So happy to hear that he is doing well. I am sure that was a very stressful time for your family.First of all, I want to say thank you for bearing with me in my long absence from the boards over the past couple of months. As I’ve mentioned in a couple of posts, R did well in his surgery and as of right now, things are looking pretty good for him.
I am surprised they don't have more shade there.While Mom, Dad and the older kids went to ride TT, R started getting grumpy in the store. I left DW to continue shopping and took him outside to the play area behind Mouse Gears. He liked running around and playing a lot better than being confined in the store. That spot could use more shade though... mid-day, mid-July, mid-Florida. It was hot!
I love Via Napoli and it really can be very economical for a large group. Too bad your service was a bit of a miss though.We picked up the pace and got scooting towards World Showcase. We made it to Via Napoli maybe a couple of minutes late, but they took our name and we were seated almost immediately. This was one of the ADRs that I was able to change to add Mom and Dad to, so we were all going to be dining together. I’ve always felt that Via Napoli is not only delicious, but if you get a pizza or 2 rather than ordering individual meals, it is really one of the best bargains around as far as table service goes. We chose to share a couple of pizzas at our table and got a kid’s menu cheese pizza for R. We ended up eating every crumb. Well, except for the crust. Our kids just won't eat it. Even R, who can be picky and is a bit of a grazer, ended up chowing down on ¾ of his cheese pizza.
Nap time!!After we got out of Via Napoli, we decided to go check out the American Adventure. What better to do after stuffing yourself than sit in a dark, air-conditioned theater?
"Threenagers" are the worst! When they melt down, they do a thorough job of it. Anyone who has kids would totally understand though.DW and Dad were waiting outside at a table while we were in the bakery. R saw DW’s slush and wanted it. He threw an absolute screaming tantrum. She decided to take him back to Japan and get a kakigori for him. He screamed the whole way there and kept trying to throw himself out of the stroller. She said that while she wasy paying for the kakigori he got himself free and did manage to throw himself on the ground. She had her hands full and a screaming 3 year old flopping around like a fish out of water while holding up the line. She was pretty embarrassed and upset by the whole thing. I felt bad that I wasn’t there when it happened to help, but I was at least thoughtful enough to get her another lemon slush, which I knew she needed at that point!
I like Sunshine Seasons for their healthier choices.and I got the Rotisserie Chicken and Pork Loin entrees and tried a little bit of each others’ meal. It was good. A nice change of pace for a quick service meal, but nothing I’d really want to go out of my way for.
Perfectly descriptive ride names!While Mom and Dad weren't able to join us for our TT FPs, Mom managed to grab a late evening FP for Frozen Ever After when she booked their trip. We headed across the park once again to take the kids on another couple of cruises on It’s a Small Mexico while Mom and Dad rode It's a Small Arendelle.
I loved Illuminations too.....lots of great memories associated with it. Change is good though and I am looking forward to what is to come.We enjoyed seeing Illuminations for the last time. DW grabbed a few pictures, but mostly we just enjoyed the show. I’ve got a lot of memories of Illuminations, and I do enjoy the show. However, I’ve felt for a while that it could use a refresh so I’m pretty excited about seeing what is to come!
It certainly is!I look forward to seeing the new EPCOT, but I’m going to miss the look and feel of the park I grew up visiting. Regardless though, Spaceship Earth will still be there and it is always a beautiful sight to behold as you’re leaving the park at night!
They always make it fun, don't they? It could have been worse.Oh gosh, nothing like a 3 year old's tantrum to embarrass the heck out of you!! Been there, done that. I'm glad the treat got him under control quickly enough.
It was frustrating, but it was still Via Napoli and it was delicious as always!I'm so ready to be back at Via Napoli in a few weeks!! Bummer that your service wasn't great though. It's definitely different in Europe where people linger over their meals longer and it's considered rude to come bring the check and ask if you're done. But the empty drinks is frustrating though, they should be on top of that.
I know exactly what you mean about spending a large chunk of time in the parks, and then when you put it all down in a TR, it sounds like nothing was really accomplished. That's Disney World with kids for you!
I'd like to see the replacement show, but that won't even be in the cards. There are so many great evening things to do though, that I could definitely understand not making time for it.We missed out on seeing Illuminations one last time before it went away, which is kind of a bummer. And we will be there while the temporary show is still there, and we aren't sold on dedicating an evening to it yet. I'm excited to see what the real replacement show will be like.
A good treat to cool you down in more ways than one.Sounds like you had a nice pace at Epcot, which made for a good day! Sorry about R's meltdown but glad the kakigori helped..it would help me too
It really was a great end to the day.Glad you got to end the day seeing Illuminations one last time!
With FP+ and ADRs those kinds of days are hard to find.I love lazy park days where you just go with the flow
Tantrum aside it sounds like a pretty good day. Nice that you got to see illuminations one last time
I think most parents get it. Still doesn't make it any easier though.That must have been the worst!!! Tantrums like that are so embarassing but it happens to all of us.
It was a pink, glittery Minnie backpack. There's actually a picture in the next day's updates with her wearing it.Which one did she pick? Morgan and Gwen use there alot as well. And really has been a good purchase!