Surprise! We are going to Orlando for the WEEKEND!

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So if you follow my blog or my FB you know Labor Day weekend we surprised our 5 year old with a quick weekend trip to Disney/Orlando.   Not only did she get an awesome surprise trip but she also got some dresses from Little Dress Up Shop.  She just loves those dresses!  They aren’t itchy, they wash awesomely, and they are easy for her to get on and off herself when she is playing dress up.  Oh.  And most importantly for mom.  They are reasonably priced!  This trip she had the underskirt too.  It made a difference in the heat of Florida.  Kept the dress off her and kept her cooler.  And to be honest, made the dress look even better.

As always we try new things each trip and I try to learn a little each time.  Here goes for this one…

We took a late flight Friday night with Southwest direct.  Our last few trips to MCO we have taken this flight.  Part of me loves it.  Part of me hates it.  I love the fact that it doesn’t feel like we wasted a whole day of travel down.  I don’t love that we have to pay for a hotel that night and we usually don’t get to bed until 11pm/12am.  We don’t however have to take another day off from work or school.  And we do have a later start to the day the next day.  So as you see.  The pluses and minuses kind of even themselves out to the point I usually make the jump and take that flight.

This trip was our first stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge.  We stayed at Jambo House on our DVC points.  This hotel is mainly hotel rooms and not DVC.   We did have rooms originally at Saratoga, but then rooms opened up at Animal Kingdom Kidani and then we finally ended up at Jambo because a Savannah view room opened up.   Who doesn’t want to wake up to giraffes and zebras outside their room???  The location of our room was pretty perfect.  About halfway down one of the “horseshoe shapes” of the lodge.  We got one room over from our requested room that I did from Touring Plans.   The distance of this hotel is what everyone always complains about.  I don’t feel that it was a huge issue.  It felt like about the same distance from our favorite Value resort Pop Century.  If you were doing a lot of back and forth between the parks, you might pick a different one, but in general it wouldn’t stop me from choosing this park in the future.

Our day at the Disney parks was a hard one to pick.  Inadvertently we did a 3 Park Challenge (I know.  It’s probably not a thing…Can we make it a thing?). Magic Kingdom is a must of course. We did a bunch of our favorites.  Mine Train, Dumbo, Tea Cups, Pirates, Big Thunder, Small World, Buzz and of course a visit with Rapunzel and Tiana.   Ate at Columbia Harbor House (one of my faves and one of our usuals).  We did Mobile order.  I hate doing this when we are using a gift card to pay for most of the trip and you can’t pay with gift card or charge to the room yet.   However it was a time saver.  So we went for it.  My biggest mistake in this park was I accidentally deleted our fast pass to Big Thunder when I was trying to switch one from Splash Mountain. I seriously almost cried.  Thankfully it was just a fast pass.  We all survived.  We headed out right before the parade.

Next on to Epcot.  We knew it was going to be busy and it was hot.  It was the first Saturday of Food and Wine Festival.  Dan’s requirement of this trip was Test Track.  I kept checking out the app and somehow grabbed a fast pass to Test Track at 5:35.  After the shock wore off that we didn’t have to wait one hour in line, we headed over to Soarin’.  The posted wait was 40 minutes.  It was like 20.   We had time after so we rode Living with the Land.   The original plan was to head to the countries and walk them (and the food booths) on our way out of the park to Hollywood Studios.  With the crowds, heat, threat of rain, and now our fast pass for Test Track we decided to eat at Sunshine Seasons.  The food was good.  I had a kid’s version of the salmon and that was a perfect portion for me (I miss my mom on the trips with just the three of us, all the time but lots at meal time.  We tend to share meals and I waste less).   M had pasta which she devoured and Dan had the pork.  All of us were happy.

After our Test Track fast pass, a beer for Dan, and a quick stop in the DVC lounge (free snacks and drinks!) it was off to Hollywood Studios.   We took the boat from the back of Epcot.  Not an awful option but it was warm inside that thing.  And it made a bunch of stops.  If you are in a hurry, maybe try Uber or Lyft from Beach Club.  The main goal at Hollywood studios was to watch the Star Wars fireworks and walk through Toy Story Land.  Being able to ride Toy Story Mania twice was an awesome bonus.  We actually didn’t walk much of Toy Story Land because M decided it was more important to ride twice than walk the Land.  The second time we basically walked right on.  It was pretty awesome.  After watching the awesome Star Wars fireworks we headed  to the parking lots with the masses.  It was a long day and we decided to call an Uber.  The parking lot there is currently a hot mess.  Like a huge hot mess.  It made getting out of there at the end of the night pretty awful.  The poor Uber guy also had to sit in traffic at the end of the night.  It was so much better being in an Uber though.  I can’t imagine what those busses were like.  We were in a climate controlled car, sitting and comfortable.  Was worth the $15.  I probably would have paid more.

The next day we were off to LEGOland. Dan left the hotel a little before 8 and Ubered 5 minutes to Enterprise.  We had rented through Costco and the experience with both Enterprise and Costco were good.  I feel like we got like 3 calls minimum from Enterprise making sure we were happy.   It was about an hour and 15 minutes from the hotel to LEGOland.  The park is a nice small park with lots to do for kiddos.  Probably best ages 4-8 but there is stuff to do and see for older and younger children as well.  It rained mid-day so we didn’t get to do everything we wanted but we did a lot!  They had some nice small coasters and lots of models to look at.

On the way back to the hotel we hit the Disney Vineland Character Warehouse.  Oh and the Crocs and Oakley Outlet too.   There went the “cheap” theme of the trip!   We got some good deals though!   We ate at Freddy’s (a local chain) across the street and it was similar to a Steak and Shake.  Food was good.  Ice Cream was better.

The final day was our “pool day”.  We checked our bags in at the hotel, had them hold our carry-ons and headed to Kidani to eat breakfast at Sanaa.   It’s a quick service for breakfast and you can sit and watch the animals.  Pretty darn awesome.  We hit the pool at Kidani after.  It has a nice big slide, a kiddie play area, a smaller slide, and lots of shade for this “over-protective from the sun” mom.  There is a bar at the pool side which has some sandwiches and snacks.  Not anything to write home about but it did the job for a small snack since we were having a late lunch/early dinner at Rainforest Café.  There is a nice shower and changing area up by the fitness center.  It was nice to be able to wash the chlorine off before changing for dinner and the plane ride home.  It just made me feel better the rest of the afternoon and I wasn’t as concerned about not giving Maddy a bath before school today since we didn’t get home until super late.

Rainforest Café was a nice option since we didn’t have park tickets that day and the sit-down options at Animal Kingdom Lodge are a bit much for a late lunch or light dinner.  You can still visit the location at Animal Kingdom Park without a ticket.  They have an entrance outside the park.  We are Landry’s club members and I had a few Landry’s gift cards.  We paid the balance with Disney gift cards.  They take both.  After our meal we headed back to AKL to visit the animals one last time.  And maybe have one more Mickey bar…

So the question is would I do a long weekend trip again if I found the right “deal”?  Yup.  And again.  And again.  Besides the weather delay on the way back to Pittsburgh, it was a pretty awesome weekend.  I came home exhausted, sore, and happy.  An awesome weekend.

Couponing My Way to Our Vacations…

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The last few weeks I have fielded like more question than I can count about our vacation habits.  While I get that it’s really none of people’s business (and I say that with peace and love!), I also get the curiosity.  We do like to travel a lot.  So if you have ever been curious how we do it, here are a few questions I have been asked and my answers.

Q: You go to Disney a lot, how is that possible?  It’s so expensive!

A:  Yes, yes it is.  For us the savings comes down to a lot of things.  First being our time share with Disney.  We use that as our hotel accommodations.  And, if we don’t have the points left, we stay at a value resort. Value is the cheapest, but our second favorite to the other hotels.  We also buy Disney gift cards at Giant Eagle when fuel perks are high.  I sometimes even use credit cards to buy those cards sometimes at an extra percentage of 2%-5% cash back.  We use the dining plan when it makes sense.  We don’t when it doesn’t make sense for that particular trip.  Depending on length of stay, and how soon we’ll be coming back to Disney, annual passes are sometimes a better deal than individual tickets.  Even more so when we get a discount with our Disney Vacation club/timeshare.  We get food discounts with Annual Passes and free Memory Maker (aka, they take pictures for us, a service that can be pricey when purchased a la carte, but let’s face it…when the vacation is over memories and pictures are what you have left).  We get food discounts with DVC (Disney Vacation Club).  We aren’t souvenir people, and neither is M.   We share meals sometimes.  I have groceries delivered to help with food cost for the easy things (breakfast bars, water, pop, juice boxes, etc.).  I use Southwest points to pay for our flights.  It all adds up.  Our next upcoming quick trip is costing me about $50 out of pocket (which includes a car rental for one day that we don’t usually do).  Plus food.  But, to defer the food cost a bit, I’ll be using some gift cards that I earned for free from a rebate website.

Q: All your traveling is expensive – Disney, Aruba, Vero Beach, etc.  You go to some nice places!

A: We do.  And we know we are blessed.  Each of these I have couponed my way to our vacations.  I use Websites and Apps like Ebates, Mr. Rebates, My Points, Ibotta, Fetch, Shopkicks, etc. (and if you have interest in any of these, let me know and I would be appreciative to send you a referral link!) to get cash back, gift cards, etc.  Plus regular old printed coupons.  My child has been conditioned that we probably won’t get it if we don’t have a coupon, discount or a gift card.  Extra bonus if we have all of them!  Most things go on promo eventually.  Sometimes you have to be patient.  Additionally, I shop secondhand.  A lot.  M has a ton of toys and clothes.  More that she needs I know, but a lot of that came from a garage sale, Salvation Army etc. for $1 vs the $25 it was in the store.  Including some of her birthday and Christmas gifts.  She is okay with that and I for sure am.

Q: Flying isn’t cheap.  How can you afford for all of you to go?

A: Southwest.  When the flights first become available.  Points that I have earned from our credit cards.  And I earned enough points that either M or Dan fly free for all of 2018 and 2019.  I love their companion program.  I am happy with their luggage policy.  I am happy with their direct flights to Orlando from Pittsburgh.  Just learn how to work with the system.  Ask…it’s like a sport to me, so I’m happy to share!

Q: How can you plan so far ahead?

A: I have to.  I want to show M as much of this world as I can and traveling in itself is a teaching tool.  “When you travel with your children you are giving them something that can never be taken away, experience, exposure, and a way of life” ~Pamela T Chandler~.  To do that and to do it so I can still retire someday, I do it ahead to get the cheaper flights, rates, etc.  And then I watch those rates and if they drop, I get a rebate.  And quite honestly, for Disney…you really have to.  The restaurants book up early.  By early, I mean 180 days ahead.

Sure…this is all a lot of work, but in the end, it’s worth it.  It’s a game to me.  A game that I’m really good at.

Traveling with an almost 2 year old…

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So traveling with kids is totally different at any stage, but the same too. Last week we took a trip to the beach via plane travel just the three of us, and here are a few things I found at this stage. Some were about me, some were about M and some were about my hubby. Hope these “C”lues, & “T”houghts will help other parents prepare before their next trip. I will try to throw a “L”ink in here as well…

-So what happens to your makeup during a trip??? I got up stupid early for the plane trip going and coming home. Both times I still took extra time to do hair and makeup and by the time I got to my destination I looked like a sweaty hot mess. I usually have makeup on at the end of a normal day, where does it go on the plane?!?!

-Dan and I have this balanced parenting down pretty well (except for one crazy trip to Target during the trip where we both were ready to ship her back to PA) and if one of us was frustrated, the other one does a pretty good job of having patience. It’s good for us, and good for her too.

-There isn’t much “mommy’ alone time on a trip with a 2 year old. I’m okay with that, just a fact, but something I forget sometimes. It’s true for Daddy time and M time too. M needs her alone time too. She still likes to parallel play and not really group play, so she enjoyed her beach time and digging in the sand by herself.

-On that note, everyone needs naps. M doesn’t sleep so well away from home so it took her until like the last day to sleep in the pack n play through the night. The other ones she ended up in bed with us in the middle of the night. Which meant she woke up earlier. Isn’t that what vacation is for anyway? Naps?

-You have a kid? Southwest is a great airline choice. The bag policy is needed because they have so much “stuff” and it’s great not having to pay for bags. The flight attendants were super nice to M and even though she lost her “wings” somehow on the way home, she still enjoyed the flights.

-Skip the nicer restaurants. Everyone will have a better time in a more relaxed environment. I don’t care if it’s on the beach, I don’t care if the food is high end, I just want to enjoy my meal. One of my favorite meals was at a place called BurgerFi. Check out the menu here. They are getting one where the train ride is in Ohio (See here for that post). Looking forward to getting some burgers before we go to the next ride. Fresh burgers, awesome fries, and giant onion rings. Nothing better.

-Never underestimate the kindness of strangers. Most people like kids and have patience with them. Especially other grandparents and parents. I can think of at least two great situations on this trip where I was worried that M was making too much noise and acting crazy. Both times, strangers reminded me she is a kid and most people understand that. I know that, but in the moment sometimes you forget.

-Nothing irritates me more than someone using a “Family Restroom” or the larger stall in the bathroom that has the changing table and is handicap accessible that doesn’t need it. A healthy 20 something year old male walked out of the family restroom that I had been waiting for a while in FLL. By himself and his luggage seemed to be his only handicap. I was not amused.

The most important things I found? Don’t forget to download the Disney Junior app before you go, a pack n play can be your best friend while trying to contain your kiddo in an environment that isn’t baby proof, and one good strong margarita makes everything better.

Happy Travels to all!

 

Car Trip with an 18 Month Old…

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So you have heard all the tips…drive when they should be napping, take lots to keep them busy…and so on and so on.  We are heading out tomorrow for a 6 hour car trip (that’s if we don’t stop) with M.  Her longest yet.  Say some prayers!

In the meantime, here are some things we are planning…

“C”lue- Snack, iPad, little trinket for each hour if she is being good ( I wrapped them in brown paper sandwich bags…easy to wrap but still fun for her to open), her little people, books, and more!  I bought one of those I Spy Bags (Look out next week for a giveaway!) and she loves looking for little things so hoping that will help too!

“L”ink- This website has some great ideas.  We have the iPad holder (got it at Walmart) and love it! Click here.

“T”hought- Once M gets a little older, this is a great idea for the car.  Keeps things contained!  Click here.