Disney World 2015

Grammy and Grandpa very generously treated the family to a Disney World vacation this month!  I had a few misgivings about taking 3 year olds to the Happiest Place on Earth (They're not tall enough! They won't remember it! It will become a logistical nightmare with naps, strollers, and potty breaks!), but you just can't pass up family time and an opportunity for fun and memories.  I packed for the kids and I while Hubby was out of town on a work trip, he came home for 24 hours and patiently listened while I wailed/worried about airport security, my confusion over Magic Bands and FastPass+, and would we have enough underpants for Tater who had been regressing in her potty skills.

It really worked out better than I could have imagined.  Yes, buckets of tears were shed, about:
1. Who was squirting whom with $18 spray bottles.
2.  Being too small to go on rides with big brothers.
3.  Having to wait for buses (Nugget and Spork)/having to ride buses (Tater).
4.  Not being carried 24/7 despite there being a beautiful double stroller available.
5.  Having to wait in line for rides and meals.
6.  Getting separated at the water parks, because clearly Mommy and Daddy rely too much on cell phones to find each other.
7. Stopping to take photos, because that is the WORST when you're a kid on a mission.

But there were a lot of smiles and giggles too, about:
1.  Special bonding time with cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles.
2.  Downtime Pooltime in the afternoons and pretending to be a baby octopus.
3.  Amazing rides like Test Track and experiences like the Disney Junior Live show.
4.  Watching Spork get over his fear of costumed characters to enjoy meeting Handy Manny and Jake at a character breakfast.
5.  Ice cream at 10am, unlimited screen time when we were in the hotel, because we were on "vacation rules."
6.  Seeing giraffes roam, zebras gallop, and crowned cranes play peekaboo out our hotel window.
7.  Marveling that because we were all so incredibly hot, we didn't need that many restroom stops/spare undies after all!
8.  Realizing that those Magic Bands allow adults to charge Pina Colavas to the room at the pool.  Cheers!
9.  Discovering that Grandpa had a 20 year old purple, green, and yellow Blizzard Beach shirt that
he happily wore for like 3/5 days!

 

Pretty much by the end of Day 5, we all felt like Spork here, so while it was a magical experience, this Mama is happy to be home.

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Our Disney tips for others, but mainly for ourselves should we be brave enough for House of Mouse Take 2:

1.  The Rapid Refill cups are awesome.

2.  Buy your own darn fan squirters before you go.

3.  Bring your own water bottles, even if you lose one or two, you will save so much money on bottled water.

4.  P.M. pooltime might make you feel like you are missing out on the park experience, but it will also save your sanity if you have children under the age of 7.

5.  Always check your 3yo's wrist for the Magic Band, about every 5 minutes.  Because the one time you don't, you will have ridden 2 buses for 60 minutes with little sister screaming and when you get up to the front of the line and are counting down the seconds to plopping your tired butt in the lazy river, your angelic boy will look up at you with doe eyes and a bare wrist, and proclaim, "My band not here.  I take it off."  Then you will stand in the guest service line sweating out 10% of your body weight and praying that they will let you in and you will not have to turn your wretched family back to the bus line.  They did.  But I think Disney would be wise to make the child-size Magic Bands a bit more like LoJacks.

6.  Bring stain treater.
7.  Get those water-safe cases for your cell phones so you can locate your Sig Oth at the waterparks.