Our First Family Vacation

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Well, we survived our first vacation with Connor, first plane trip and Disney World with a toddler! Connor couldnt have been better! He loved the plane ride and totally entertained himself. We went the cheap route and didnt buy him a ticket. It seems like every time I fly the planes are packed with not an empty seat to spare, but both of our flights were half full so Connor was able to have a seat all to himself. Of course we held him for take off and landing, but the rest of the time he just played in the seat beside me and the window. He loved looking out and seeing the clouds and land below. The tray table and apple juice cup with a straw that the stewardess gave him were a hit! He played with those most of the time. Our flight down there went off without a hitch, it really couldnt have been any easier. It went smoother than our flight to Vegas just months ago, and it was just me and Brad on that one. I will say that it was a very short flight to Orlando and I think that 2 hours is Connors limit because he started to get restless at the end. Connor was the best little boy the whole time we were there! He did great with napping in the parks in the stroller and sometimes no naps at all. This is coming from a boy that still takes 3-4 hour naps ever day! I was so shocked because Connor usually doesn't do well in the heat and boy was it HOT! The temp was only 91-93 everyday which is normal here in TN, but the heat index with the humidity was around 105. Needless to say, you wont find very many good pictures of me because I mostly pulled my hair back and wore no makeup the whole time. We learned quickly that Connor is scared to death of fireworks, dark theatres, witches, bright lights in the dark, and Disney characters with large hands. However his favorite things to do at Disney were riding the "tea cups", Dumbo, Aladdin Magic Carpet, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Its a Small World, the Carousel, and Mickeys Toontown Fair! Here is a rundown of what we did while we were there...

Saturday- (Travel day) We landed in Orlando around noon and got the rental car a.k.a "the minivan" and fell in love with that. Not that particular one, but the van in general. So much easier! We then traveled to Disney's Polynesian only to find out that was not where we were staying! OOPS! This was just miscommunication between Brad and Amanda (long story) so we then found the right Polynesian Resort only 5 minutes outside the park. It was very nice and homey! We then went to Wally World and got groceries for the week. We went out to dinner and called it a day.

Sunday- (Disney's Magic Kingdom) We spent the whole day in the park. We rode most of the rides and left for a nap. After dinner we went back to MK later that night for the fireworks. We missed the parade but still had a great time!

Monday-(Animal Kingdom) We spent the entire day at the park, went on a safari saw all kinds of neat animals and saw the 5:00 parade before calling it a day.

Tuesday- (Epcot) We spent the first half of the day at Epcot, then at 3:00 we left for Connor take a nap and the guys (Brad and Pete) went to play golf at one of Disney's courses. Connor and Pops napped, while Grannie, Amanda and I went to the pool to even out that farmers tan we got at the park. We went out to dinner and met back up with the boys later that night. We were all pooped!

Wednesday- (Universal Studios/Beach) No, before you think it...we didnt go to the beach and Universal all in one day. Connor, Pops, and Grannie went to the Daytona Beach, while An Am, Pete, Brad and I went to Universal Studios for the day. They were so sweet to keep Connor for the day while we went to Universal. We didnt really think it was too kid friendly there since there were lots of roller coasters we wanted to ride, etc. I hated to miss Connor's first beach experience, but I knew it would be a short one because Connor does not like the sand and still hasnt become relaxed enough in the water. I thought the waves would scare him, and from what Grannie and Pops described, I was right. We all met back up at the condo to get some dinner that night. It was another very busy day!

Thursday- (Seaworld) We all went to Seaworld together and started the day by watching a Elmo LIVE show in the park. This was quite a treat, as we didnt know he would be there. Connor loves his Melmo (as he calls him). We were just expecting to see Shamu and the usual suspects such as sea lions, seals, otters, fish, etc. We had a great time and it was nice to be in a more relaxed park where not everything was rush, rush. It was a long day but we went for our last dinner together that night.

Friday- (Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios "MGM") Grannie and Pops left bright and early for their car ride back to TN. The rest of us decided to split up on our last day. Since we were the only ones with a child, we knew that we wanted to take Connor back to MK and ride all of the kiddie rides but knew that Amanda and Pete would want to ride more "adult like rides" so we went our separate ways. When we got to the park we noticed that everyone was gathering for what appeared to be a parade or something. Since it wasnt time for a scheduled parade, we asked and they said that Micheal Phelps was about to make his 1st public appearance since returning from Bejing in just a few minutes!!! Since we were glued to the TV every night watching him in the Olympics you can imagine how excited we were! What a great surprise! We then made our way to Fantasyland and Mickeys Toontown Fair where we spent the rest of our morning. We went to see Mickey and Minnie finally and Connor did much better than I had expected. He didnt do too well when the characters would come up to him to try and touch or shake his hand. I really dont blame them, their hands are pretty BIG! Ha! I was very impressed by the characters though as they always knew just what to do. They must be trained very well to work with all ages. Connor had a blast playing in Toontown at their playground and we had to drag him away for lunch. We saw a few more attractions before heading home to nap. I laid by the pool (fell asleep- my first time for relaxation on this vacation!). By the time we woke up, got ready to go and got to the park it was 7:00. To our surprise Hollywood Studios was only open until 8:00. Needless to say we strolled briskly through the park! We were so bummed that all of the shows had closed for the day. We did get in to see The Little Mermaid though. It was great! We walked by the entrance to Disney's Playhouse and Connor pointed to all of the characters he has come to know so well. (We have been watching this a lot at our house to familiarize him with Mickey, etc) We were so disappointed that we didnt get to take him to the show. It put a damper on our day. Oh well, we will be back! Probably later rather than sooner though because we are now broke from this trip! LOL!

Saturday- (Travel day back home!) This day was more eventful than we had planned but I am hoping we can look back someday and laugh! We woke up very early to get to the airport since we had to return the rental car, etc. I finished showering and putting the final things in the suitcase when I discovered that my engagement ring was MISSING! Immediately I went into panic mode when I had looked everywhere I could think to look and it was nowhere to be found. We took apart the kitchen sink drain, looked underneath and behind every piece of furniture in the place, Pete even went dumpster diving to see if it had gotten knocked off in the trash. Thanks Pete, I know it didnt seem like I appreciated it at the time because I was so stressed but that meant a lot to me that you were willing to do that! We looked over every square inch of the place and even in my suitcase. Brads had gotten packed and his suitcase was put in the car the night before so we figured if it was in there we would find it when we got home anyway. I cried and cried and just knew that it was gone forever. Everyone agreed that we would change the flight if I wanted to but I also agreed that we had looked everywhere possible so we decided to leave. We were 45 minutes later than we had planned so we were late checking in our baggage by like 5 minutes and practically ran to the gate. We boarded soon after we got there. As we took off, I cried again thinking that I had lost my ring in Orlando. I kept trying to stay positive thinking that it was just a material possession, but of course it meant a lot to me so it was hard. It is a one of a kind, since Brad practically bought two rings and combined them just to get what I had wanted. We knew we had insurance on it but didnt know if it covered a loss, etc. I kept telling Brad that I didnt want a new ring, I wanted MY ring! You can imagine how nervous and on edge I was all day just to get home and go through all of our baggage. When we landed we discovered that Brad and Petes golf clubs AND the most important thing "the car seat" didnt make it! So we go to Southwest to file a missing baggage claim and they tell us to come back at 1:30 which is when the next flight from Orlando comes in and it will be there. They wouldnt give us a loaner car seat because it was our fault because we checked in late (all because of the ring). We try to rent one from the car rentals but they wont do it without renting a car. After going back to SW they agree to make an exception. FINALLY, we get a break! We go to my parents to hang out for an hour, drive back to the airport and in this time we learn that one of Brad's parents dogs is dying. Amanda and Pete headed back to Knoxville at the time, swing by Brads parents house to pick up Forrest to take him to the emergency clinic and expected to put him to sleep. We get to the airport and they have really lost our stuff because it still isnt there. We have to install their car seat for the second time and finally start going home. As soon as we arrive I start pouring through our stuff. Two carry ons, and my purse and nothing... Brad and I head upstairs to start looking through our suitcases. I open the first outside pouch and pull out the bag of diapers that we had been using throughout the week. There are only a few left inside. I turn it upside down and my ring falls out into the floor!!! Praise the Lord, I found it! Brad should have had the camera ready because the smile on my face must have been priceless! I then had a flashback of the night before. While Brad and I were packing to leave, Connor was walking around the room playing with that bag of diapers. He was taking them out, one by one. I was flying around the room doing this, that and I took it from him and put the diapers back in and packed it away. He must have picked up my ring from the dresser and put it in the bag! I had to laugh. Of all things that he could have gotten and he chose this! Ha! Let this be a lesson to all of you Moms out there! Learn from my mistake!!!! I am just so thankful that I got it back, I feel extremely lucky! Needless to say even though the day was stressful, it ended pretty well. We were back home, safe and sound with my ring in tact! On a bad note, Forrest did get put to sleep but he lived a good long life. RIP, buddy. We will miss you! Cooper said to tell you he will be there someday to torment you again in doggy heaven.

Here are a few things I learned from this Disney Family Vacation....

DO confirm your hotel prior to arrival. There are several Polynesian's in Orlando!

DO print off directions from the airport to your hotel/resort. Trying to drive and pay road tolls while getting directions from Google Maps on your Blackberry isnt a good combo!

DO watch where you are going at all times when driving motorized scooters at a theme park approaching a ride. You should look at the ride instructor while she is talking to you but NOT when you are close to an approaching wall!

DO decide what restaurant you want to eat at, AND where it is before loading into a van with 7 people or it is likely that you will find yourself driving around for an hour trying to find a place to eat!

DONT always assume that the wait times for rides are always correct. They arent! Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes very bad!

DONT even think about trying to look good touring the parks in Orlando in August. Waterproof mascara is a must or you will come out looking like a raccoon at the end of the day!

DO take lots of bottled water and naaaakkkss (snacks) for your child at Disney! You WILL need them.

DONT always think your child will think the characters are as enchanting as you do. Mine didnt.

DONT think that having that body builder chest is always a good thing. (this is an inside joke for the family only, sorry!)

DONT always assume that your child will be difficult and ruin your much needed vacation. Ours did not! Connor was great the entire trip! Something I definitely wasnt expecting for as much as we did while being there.
and finally...

DONT leave your valuable, precious, sentimental diamond ring on a low piece of furniture for your child to pick up and put into a diaper bag only for you to find it 24 hours later after you have made yourself sick over thinking you have lost it forever!

Enjoy this last video of Connor riding the "teacups"...