Final Disney

I meant to do this the night we got home, and then the next day, and then today.  But things kept getting in the way, so I will do it now!

Just a list of things we learned, what we will do next time and what we will not do again.  It was an overall excellent trip and we had a blast!  I think telling the boys ahead of time where we were going, and instilling in them the fact that not everyone gets to go to Disney, in fact it is pretty rare, was important.  Joel Andrew was old enough to get this and just when he was freaking out about how he wanted a toy - - I would ask him:  “Where are you?”  And he would reply with a pout, “Disney World” and stop crying.  It was magical. 

Lessons Learned

• ·      Happy Taxi really was happy, for a slightly higher cost than a regular taxi from the airport, they meet you at the right time, come in and get your bags from baggage claim, have a car waiting with all the necessary car seats you need and whisk you right to your hotel.  Much more expensive than the free Disney Magical Express – but much quicker, saving us literally up to 4 hours of time (if you consider having your bags when you get in the room a must as I do since I need to unpack the second I get there, don’t want to come back to a room where I need to unpack and find everything to put the kids to bed…) We go for a week, so that is why we have a lot of stuff.  But if you go for three days I might still do this because the time savings as to getting right to your resort – bags not included, are about 2 hours too.  At least in our Neither Magical Nor Express experience.
• ·      The only margaritas to get in EPCOT Mexico are inside Mexico – in La Cava de Tequila.  These are pricier, but so, so much better than the ones sold on the “street.”
• ·      We love the Sci-Fi Drive In Diner at Hollywood Studios, but the seating is tough with two littles.  You sit in cars, facing a movie and our littles are too little to sit together, so each adult sat with a kid and there was no adult conversation, which we usually like about Disney dining.  It was still fun, and still delicious~ just maybe we will wait two more years before going back so that the boys can sit together then. 
• ·      EPCOT has a secret character spot – Winne the Pooh and Tigger in the UK, all the way in the back, as well as an area where random characters are all day long.  No lines for us when we went, huge hit with the kids!
• ·      When having a drink in EPCOT you are 1,000 times more likely to buy lots and lots of things in the stores there, be careful.
• ·      The Disney Parks App was great and had all of the wait times as well as our schedule of our day on it – I checked it hourly really and it was nice to see that Splash Mountain had a 10 minute wait before trekking the boys all the way over there, etc.
• ·      Two strollers were annoying, but good.  The $20 Mickey stroller we got from Walmart was really short and hurt to walk with…  Hope to not do that again.  Next time maybe just one?  Watching the people struggle with the double Bob’s was a nightmare.  It’s not like you can throw everything in and be good – you have to fold and unfold when you get on the busses and such.  With two little strollers and my bag, we sent stuff to the room, did not store things, folded easily and used them to get from bus to ride area, then back.  Made the kids walk in between. 

What To Do Next Time

• ·      We will make a reservation at the Cantina de San Angel – or whatever the not-San Angel Inn is… the other Mexican Restaurant which I always avoided because I liked the indoor one so much better.  We will make the reservations for 15 minutes before Illuminations starts, and we will request a patio seat. 
• ·      Garden Grocer – was great!  Next time I will get laundry detergent, coffee filters, more gallons of water (we had 5 this time and probably could have used 6-7 when I make coffee, more if we had more guests).  Otherwise same order of chips, wine, beer, snacks, applesauce and more – though milk and cereal were not really needed.  Bananas were a hit, so was cheese.  Cheese sticks not so much.  It was a super hit to also have to -go cups for my coffee delivered with the bunch to the room.  Others had to lug their Disney mugs all over all day, but I threw mine away. Ironic that I use my Disney mugs from other trips daily, but in Disney I prefer the waste kind...
• ·      More character meals!  Joel Husband doesn’t love these, but I like them…  And waiting in line for the characters stinks.  We loved the princess dinner at Askerhaus so much!  And if only we saw Pluto.  I am hoping we can schedule a few more next time and be thoughtful to ensure we are getting the different characters each time.
• The Kitchen Sink.  This may not be a next time, it maybe a 8 years from now - but we will go to Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club and get the huge ice cream there.  
• More pool time!  And, more usage of the awesome hotel activities.
• ·      Downtown Disney – I missed it this time and loved Raglan Road there.  

Not Doing Again

• ·      Not bringing an outfit for everyday/outing.  Seriously, self in 8 months listen to you.  You have laundry, you will inevitably buy clothes.  Pack less.  You do a load of laundry every day anyway, so stop it!  (I used all but three items this last trip, no need to be so hard on me in reality…  the boys missed much more!)
• ·      Not forgetting those stupid rain ponchos.  We will need them.  Mine as well bring them instead of spending $8 a piece.
• ·      Not making a too-fancy reservation unless we have babysitting.  Disney dining is not cheap, and you do a lot of it!  So, it is not worth it to have a too fancy dinner until the boys are really engrossed in their video games.  Now the boys were too excited to sit still and be absorbed by movies, so it was fun – but work for dinner, good for a mid-priced, bad for an expensive.  This is sad for us as we love the fancy meals.  But, there are plenty of mid-priced great places, like Askerhaus, Be Our Guest, Chefs du France, etc which are good to focus on now.  Yachtsman, Le Cellier, fancier France, Brown Derby, you will all need to wait a few years.
• ·      No Quick Service.  I hate it.  I rather survive on one seated meal a day, a meal in the room and a snack or two when out and about.  Something about waiting in a huge line for par food, mostly all fried and then fighting for a table is awful.  
• ·      Going on a week with little-no extra magical hours.  Some DVC members avoid Extra Magical Hours like the plague, but I like them.  This past trip the parks were all closed by 9am.  We got home Saturday night and Sunday night, the MK was open until 1am with extra-magical until 3.  Now, I am not saying we want to be up at 3, but every night we felt we could keep going until at least 10:30, but we put back in the room by 9. 
• ·      Bringing nice clothes.  No one hardly dresses up there, and we will not plan on a fancy dinner (see above).  I ruined three silk blouses with James food messes.  There is no reason.  See also above for packing notes.

Looking forward to next year already.  It is hard to believe that by then James will be tall enough to ride the rides, will be potty trained (lord help us), will be able to fully understand things, and will be not scared of the characters from the get-go.  Joel Andrew will likely be in kindergarten, he will be reading, he will be hopefully ready for the roller coaster rides without being scared at all…  Mommy will hopefully be 10 pounds lighter…  Ah, can’t wait!