"Let's See What We Can See!"- Surviving WDW With Three Under 3! Cali TR Update x2 12/18!

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I am here and ready to read all about the trip!!! I am always amazed at how fast you get your trip report started!!!

 

[vamassey1]

I'm here and new to your reports but "know you" from other reports and Facebook.

I'm really excited to read this. We're getting ready to go in July and will be with my 2 daughters. We'll also be taking my 3 grandsons ages 7, 2 and 1. I'm nervous but hoping your report will help put me at ease. We'll be in a Cars Suite for part of our trip too.

It looks like it was a great trip.

 

[Mollydolly334]

I’m joining in! Wow what a hustle bustle trip. I’m glad you all had a wonderful time!

Hi Caroline!! Glad you're here! It was SO busy and exhausting but at the same time, much more leisurely of a pace than our usual commando touring. It was a blast

Excited to read about your family adventures!!

Thanks for being here!

Following along, can't wait to read more!

Hi Debbie!! So glad you're following along

Welcome back!
I can’t wait to read all about your adventures!!

Thanks Cindi!! Sad to be back but it was such an amazing trip

Woo hoo ! Can’t wait to read about your family adventures

Yay!! Happy you're reading along

Following! Your TR is off to a great start!
Can't wait to read more!

Thank you so much!! It was such a magical trip

So excited to hear all about this amazing trip!

Hi Susan!! Glad you're here! It was such incredible family bonding time

Sounds like so much fun! Looking forward to hearing all about it!!

It was SO much fun and a complete whirlwind of a trip!! Thanks for following along

I read your PTR and am looking forward to reading about your trip. What a fun crew!

Yay, so glad you're here for the TR too! We were quite the crew... we joked that we made an impression wherever we went

Looking forward to reading!

Thanks for being here!!

Thanks for following along!!

 

[Mollydolly334]

I love your TR already! I can't wait to read all about your adventures!

Hi Katie!! Thanks for reading along You have a trip coming up soon, right??

What an amazing trip!!!! Joining in!!

Thank you!! It was an absolute whirlwind of excitement and magic

Hooray - you've already started! (You're quick! )

Your trip report title is excellent - Evie is a gem!

I'm sure traveling with 3 under 3 (oof!) was a challenge, but I'm sure it helped to have so many adults. I can't wait to hear all about your trip and all the magical moments!

Haha- I usually write the intro post on the plane ride back I find that the quicker I jot down posts, the more I remember and the more motivated I am to write!!

All of the kids really were such gems and troopers on this trip. I can't wait to write all about it!!

Can't wait to follow along!! I'm excited to go at the end of June with my daughter. She is 20 now, but I started her early too!!

Thank you for being here!! Love it Mother-daughter trips are the absolute best, especially when you are both adults!

Im here! I loved following on intagram and cannot wait to read all about the trip!

Hi Katie!! Yay so glad you're here!!

I'm here!

Hi Alicia!! Thanks for joining along

Looking forward to reading more!

Thank you for reading along!!

Oh, I'm so excited to hear all about the trip! I'm trying to plan my little princess's first trip (born 10/2023), so I can't wait to see how y'all did it!

Ahhhhh, so exciting!! Disney with little ones can be tricky, but SO SO magical and worth it!! I hope I can give you some helpful tips

I am here and ready to read all about the trip!!! I am always amazed at how fast you get your trip report started!!!

Hahah, I usually write the intro post on the plane ride home So happy you're here, Ariella!

I'm here and new to your reports but "know you" from other reports and Facebook.

I'm really excited to read this. We're getting ready to go in July and will be with my 2 daughters. We'll also be taking my 3 grandsons ages 7, 2 and 1. I'm nervous but hoping your report will help put me at ease. We'll be in a Cars Suite for part of our trip too.

It looks like it was a great trip.

Hi Vanessa! I "know you" as well through our Disney groups Thanks for being here!! I hope I can provide you with some comfort!! It was definitely tricky traveling with kids at times, and a totally different kind of trip than I'm used to taking. But, it was SO worth it and so magical!!

 

[Mollydolly334]

The Best Laid Plans…


Before I get started on my “Day Zero” post, I thought I’d provide you with our general trip schedule. This way, you can see just how convoluted everything was and how much time we had spent planning this epic trip!

Day 1- 5/9/24

Jake and Molly fly out of Milwaukee at 12:45 PM and arrive in Orlando at 4:30 PM. We check into CSR Tower for the next 3 nights and spend the evening at Disney Springs. Dinner ADR at Chef Art Smith's Homecomin’ at 10:50 PM.



Day 2- 5/10/24

Jake and Molly spend a park day together (morning at DHS, afternoon/evening at Epcot). No ADRs.



Day 3- 5/11/24

Nana, Haley, Ryan, and the 3 kids fly out from Chicago at 7:10 AM, arrive in Orlando at 10:45 AM, and check into AoA for one night in a Cars Suite. Jake and Molly spend the morning at Disney Springs with a brunch ADR at Summer House On The Lake at 11:00 AM. Jake and Molly meet the other 6 at AoA after brunch. All 8 of us spend the day at the pool at AoA, with Jake and Molly returning to CSR for their last night.



Day 4- 5/12/24 (Mother’s Day!)

Nana, Haley, Ryan, and the kids check out of AoA. Jake and Molly check out of CSR. Jake, Molly, and Nana move to POFQ for the next 3 nights, while Haley, Ryan, and the kids move to Marriott Grande Vista resort for the next 3 nights, with Cici and Chief eventually joining. Jake, Molly, Nana, Haley, Ryan, and the kids head over to Magic Kingdom for a breakfast ADR at Crystal Palace at 10:25 AM. The crew spends the day at MK, with Cici and Chief flying in from Charleston and meeting us at the park at 3:30ish. All 10 of us have a dinner ADR at Cinderella’s Royal Table at 7:30 PM.



Day 5- 5/13/24

Jake and Molly head to Animal Kingdom for the morning, Nana has a pool day at POFQ, and the rest of the crew has a pool day at Marriott Grande Vista. All 10 of us get together at Disney Springs for the evening with a dinner ADR at Rainforest Cafe at 6:30 PM. Jake flies back home to Milwaukee at 10:00 PM



Day 6- 5/14/24

Kahla flies into Orlando from Nashville, arriving at 9:30 AM, and joins the crew at Marriott Grande Vista. The 10 of us spend the day at Epcot, with a dinner ADR at San Angel Inn at 6:00 PM.



Day 7- 5/15/24

Nana and Molly check out of POFQ and check into CBR for the remainder of the trip, along with Cici/Kahla and Haley/Ryan/the kids. The Marriott Grande Vista villa is still available for the rest of the trip for Chief to stay at as well as Thomas and Mel. The 10 of us spend the day at Animal Kingdom, with a dinner ADR at Artist Point- Storybook Dining at 5:45 PM. The crew plans to return to Magic Kingdom for the night to catch the fireworks and maybe a few rides. Thomas and Mel fly in late from Chicago and land at around 11 PM.



Day 8- 5/16/24

The 10 of us spend the day by the pool at CBR. Thomas and Mel work from home at Marriott Grande Vista all day, and plan the “big reveal” for later tonight, wherever our plans lead us. No ADRS or park tickets for today, and we plan to be flexible/spontaneous with plans!



Day 9- 5/17/24

All 12 of us spend the day at Hollywood Studios. Lunch ADR at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre at 11:00 AM, and dinner ADR at Roundup Rodeo BBQ for 7:45 PM.



Day 10- 5/18/24

All 12 of us spend the day at Magic Kingdom. Dinner ADR at Chef Mickey’s at 6:20 PM.



Day 11- 5/19/24

All 12 of us leave at varying times on this day. Those still staying at Marriott Grande Vista will hang out at their pool that day, while those staying at CBR will enjoy their pool. No ADRs today. Molly has an extra day on her park hopper that she may or may not use . Kahla flies out in the early afternoon, Cici and Chief drive back to South Carolina that evening, and Lori, Molly, Haley, Ryan, the kids, Thomas, and Mel all fly back to Chicago on the same flight at 6:50 PM. When everyone arrives back in Chicago, Lori and Molly will drive the final leg back home to Milwaukee.



It’s exhausting just typing everything out . We were all so excited for all of our grand plans!



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[kclark9830]

Yay! I can't wait to hear all about it. That last picture on your first post is perfection !

 

[vamassey1]

I'm exhausted reading about all your plans. That was a lot of moving parts.

 

[Tatum20]

OMG. I love a convoluted plan, but this was insanity. I would be stunned to hear even 75% of this went the way it was supposed to, but something tells me your group cleared the 75%!

 

[footballmouse]

Did I read that correctly? You ate dinner at 10:50 pm! Nope, that would have been a pizza night for me. I would however like to try that restaurant.

 

[Gamedog]

Following along! Looks like a fun one

 

[mkmomto2]

Following! I love logistics, so this one really has me hooked! Can't wait to read more!

 

[cindianne320]

Oh my goodness- can't wait to hear how it all played out!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I'm here!! Can't wait to hear all the amazing details. I love the first day of the trip vs. last day pics! And can't wait to hear all about the arrival of the surprise guests--how fun!

We had twins born in our family Sunday/Monday! Can you believe they're actually 4 hours apart and ended up with different birthdays! Juliette and Jameson, and I'm already so in love. And added bonus, I get to be Juliette's fairy godmother!

 

[suse66]

It’s exhausting just typing everything out . We were all so excited for all of our grand plans!

Just reading those plans with all the moving parts and people (so many people!) made me tired! You are a planning rockstar, Molly!

 

[Nicnicnic.nic]

Following!

 

[SoloStitchGirl]

This is awesome! Can't wait to see more!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Yay! I can't wait to hear all about it. That last picture on your first post is perfection !

Hi Katie!!! So glad you are here Jake managed to capture that amazing shot during HEA- one of my favorites of the whole trip!!

I'm exhausted reading about all your plans. That was a lot of moving parts.

It was absolutely exhausting and hard to keep track of at times!! Somehow, we all made it work

OMG. I love a convoluted plan, but this was insanity. I would be stunned to hear even 75% of this went the way it was supposed to, but something tells me your group cleared the 75%!

AHH!! It was insanity!! And no spoilers, but we definitely cleared the 75% by a lot I was so proud of us!!!

Did I read that correctly? You ate dinner at 10:50 pm! Nope, that would have been a pizza night for me. I would however like to try that restaurant.

Hahaha! Sooo, as you'll read in a couple updates, we did not end up eating at that late of a time But, I'm a crazy person and I love eating a late dinner so it didn't bother me!

Following along! Looks like a fun one

Thanks for following along

Following! I love logistics, so this one really has me hooked! Can't wait to read more!

Thanks for following!!! Definitely a lot of logistics involved, but we made it work!!

Oh my goodness- can't wait to hear how it all played out!

I think we did an EXCELLENT job!! Our itinerary really worked for us and helped us stick to a schedule!

I'm here!! Can't wait to hear all the amazing details. I love the first day of the trip vs. last day pics! And can't wait to hear all about the arrival of the surprise guests--how fun!

We had twins born in our family Sunday/Monday! Can you believe they're actually 4 hours apart and ended up with different birthdays! Juliette and Jameson, and I'm already so in love. And added bonus, I get to be Juliette's fairy godmother!

Hi Jackie!! SO glad you are here Wishing you a great last couple days of school and a relaxing summer break

AHHHH!! How exciting for your family And SO cool that they have different birthdays! Love the names too!!!

Just reading those plans with all the moving parts and people (so many people!) made me tired! You are a planning rockstar, Molly!

Hahaha thank you Susan!!! It was so fun but definitely exhausting always having to be a leader. There were a few moments where I was like, "I am DONE playing cruise director!!"

Following!

Thanks for being here!

This is awesome! Can't wait to see more!

Yay, thank you!! Read your first PTR update and love it already- solo trips are so liberating!!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Day 0 (The One Where I’m Running On No Sleep, Baked Goods, and *Disney Adrenaline*)


Those of you who have read my past TRs know that I love to start off a good trip report with a “Day Zero” post (a.k.a- the day before leaving on a trip). This day is always one of my favorite days EVER. For Jake and I, this day was Wednesday, May 8th, 2024.

There is so much anticipation and excitement on Day 0; you have your whole vacation ahead of you and you basically feel unstoppable!

Of course, this comes with a price. For me, that’s…crippling insomnia

All of that adrenaline built up means that I am barely sleeping in the days before a trip! I have no problem going to sleep, but once I wake up in the middle of the night to pee/drink water, I start thinking about *Disney Magic* and get too excited to go back to sleep! Needless to say, this definitely happened on Wednesday morning. I woke up at 2:55 AM, and ended up being awake until about 4:30 . I passed the time just mindlessly scrolling through Instagram and the DIS.

I managed to get back to sleep until about 6:15 AM, but once I was awake again, I figured I might as well get up, since I had a whole day of work. Meanwhile, Jake was peacefully sleeping next to me the entire time and didn’t stir at all . He gets just as excited for trips as I do, but the man NEEDS his 8 hours per night. Trust me, I know from experience .

I didn’t start work until 9:00 AM on this day, so I decided to treat myself and go to my favorite bakery for some breakfast right when it opened at 6:30 AM.

Yes, everyone. My first rope-drop of the trip was… a bakery. Can you tell that I have a wicked sweet tooth?



This bakery near our apartment has the most AMAZING strawberry bismark. I grabbed one of those and an Iced Blonde Latte from Starbucks, and I was ready to conquer the world!



I scarfed it down before remembering to get a pic, but here’s a picture from the website. It tastes as good as it looks!

Luckily, it was a beautiful day in Milwaukee (about 75 degrees and sunny), so it was easy to get up and about early! I kind of meandered about the apartment and watched some Disney vlogs for the morning until Jake woke up. We were both so excited and SO ready to be done and on vacation time! I kissed Jake goodbye and headed to work right at 9:00.

I wore my monorail socks in celebration



I worked from 9:00 AM -6:30 PM on this day. I work as a manager at an ABA center in the Milwaukee area, where I provide support to children ages 2-6 on the Autism spectrum. I supervise teams of behavioral therapists providing the 1:1 therapy hours, collaborate with parents/other services on therapy goals, and create treatment plans for children using the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis! I have been growing with this company ever since I graduated college 8 years ago- I remember starting my entry position in the midst of writing my very first PTR on the DIS! I really do love my job; my days always go by super fast and I adore working with children.

That being said, the weeks leading up to vacation were CRAZY, and I was ready for a much-needed break. This day was no different; I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off! I couldn’t even break away for a second to check us into our flight 24 hours in advance, since we were flying with Southwest Airlines! Luckily, Jake was able to quickly check us in between patients right at 12:45 (he is an Audiologist here in the Milwaukee area). We received boarding groups B39 and B40!



At some point during the day, I posted this meme on my Instagram story. Ain't that the truth? . Poor Jake is just along for the ride

I was out and about seeing clients at the center/their houses until 4:00, then I finished out the day by doing some admin work at home and tying up loose ends. It always feels so good to set up my automatic replies and turn off email/GroupMe notifications; that really gets me in vacation mode!

Jake got home from work shortly after I did, and we came to the mutual decision to have a chill and relaxing night! Luckily, we had done pretty much all of our packing/errands the weekend prior, so we were all packed up and ready to go!







I had bought some packing cubes for the first time, and they really helped me keep everything organized!!



Meanwhile, while I packed two full-sized suitcases, Jake managed to get away with just using a backpack . To be fair, I was going for 10 nights, while he was only joining us for 4 nights!

Jake and I skipped the workouts tonight to prepare for all of the walking that we were about to do, and just relaxed and did last-minute travel things. We watched the previous night’s episodes of Vanderpump Rules and Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. Bravo is such a guilty pleasure for us!

We also had some horrible frozen pizza for dinner. Never again, Digiorno!



After watching our shows, it was about 10:00 PM, but I wasn’t quite ready to go to bed yet. I’m so used to having a super early flight on our departure day, and it was throwing me off that our flight wasn’t until 12:45 PM the next day! I ended up watching the Dance Moms reunion special for a bit. Dance Moms is one of those shows that I can re-watch an infinite amount of times, and it was so cool to see the girls all grown up and turned into fantastic adults.



Around 11:30, I decided to get settled in for bed. I had my travel outfit all laid out for the next day…



And accessories too, of course



Finally, Jake and I hit the hay right at midnight. I managed to capture this screenshot of my countdown app just in time!!



I also ripped off another sheet on my Disney daily calendar My mom has gotten me this calendar for Christmas every year since 2016, and it’s one of my favorite gifts every year! Today’s movie was Coco!



I was really hoping for a restful night of sleep to prepare for our travel day tomorrow! However, the realist in me knew that it was NOT going to happen . Will I at least get a few hours of sleep in?? Stay tuned for Day 1- Part 1!




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[cindianne320]

Love that you give us a glimpse of Day 0! So excited to read more! (And it’s getting me excited for our trip in 19 days!)

 

[vamassey1]

There is so much anticipation and excitement on Day 0; you have your whole vacation ahead of you and you basically feel unstoppable!

Great description!

All of that adrenaline built up means that I am barely sleeping in the days before a trip! I have no problem going to sleep, but once I wake up in the middle of the night to pee/drink water, I start thinking about *Disney Magic* and get too excited to go back to sleep!

This is me too. I have every intention of getting enough sleep but never do.

This looks so good.

. I work as a manager at an ABA center in the Milwaukee area, where I provide support to children ages 2-6 on the Autism spectrum. I supervise teams of behavioral therapists providing the 1:1 therapy hours, collaborate with parents/other services on therapy goals, and create treatment plans for children using the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis! I have been growing with this company ever since I graduated college 8 years ago- I remember starting my entry position in the midst of writing my very first PTR on the DIS! I really do love my job; my days always go by super fast and I adore working with children.

You have a very rewarding job! Thanks for all you do.

I had bought some packing cubes for the first time, and they really helped me keep everything organized!!

I have packing cubes too. I love how easy it makes to organize outfits for certain days.

I had my travel outfit all laid out for the next day…

I do this too.

And accessories too, of course

Of course, this too.

I also ripped off another sheet on my Disney daily calendar My mom has gotten me this calendar for Christmas every year since 2016, and it’s one of my favorite gifts every year! Today’s movie was Coco!

Love your calendar!