Pittsburgh Nesties
AmandaJLewis
member
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Our Disney trip
We left pittsburgh on Monday afternoon. Arriving in Old Key West resort around dinnertime. After we checked in, and got settled into our room we had dinner at Olivia's which was the resort sit-down resteraunt. Since we were on the dining plan, it included dessert. A treat that later in the week felt much more excessive. like "do I have to have a dessert?" kind of way.
Tuesday we hit up Magic Kingdom and had a really full day. it took us a little while to get into the groove of the park, and utilize fast pass stratigicly. Eleni's first princess encounter was with Merida, and she was shy but she got her autograph and picture taken. We really spent most of the day around Fantasyland, and stayed through until the lights/fireworks show which was at 9pm that night rather than 10. We ended up picking her up a lot through the parks. I am not sure I would have rather had a stroller to deal with, but my arms are still tired. We had dinner at the Crystal Palace (which has winnie the pooh and freinds+ buffet) and we enjoyed the food there. By the end of the night I was wondering how we would do this all again tomorrow.
Wednesday we got to Epcot at 10 for a breakfast with the princesses in the resteraunt in Norway. Eleni really enjoyed that and got into her character groove quickly. We took this day more slowly, and did the Nemo ride and turtle talk which were both enjoyable. Dinner was at the coral reef, and the best part was the Jamesons/bailey's mouse. I didn't order it but Kev did and I was jealous. We left the park after dinner and let EJ swim at the hotel after we got back.
Thursday was when we went to Hollywood studios. We went with the plan to ride the Toystory ride (fast pass it when you get there. We did and still had to wait until 6:30 to use the passes). As well as seeing the Mermaid, Muppets, and Beauty and the Beast show none of which we waited especially long for as the stadiums were nice sized. We had dinner there as well, at this cute little 50s themed place. It was supposed to give you the feeling of eating in mom's 50s kitchen. So since I am all over this mid-centruy modern decor right now I really enjoyed the decor. And the fried chicken was good too (and s'mores for dessert!)
Friday K and I took EJ to Animal Kingdom early. We wanted to get through the park and figured the ILs could use a quiet day to themselves to go back to Epcot. I loved the Nemo and Lion King shows. We skipped the bugs life thing, because EJ is pretty scared of spiders and I heard it was kinda a creepy crawly filled experience. We enjoyed the Safari and the self guided/walk through animal exhibits. Though we couldn't see the lions on the safari as they were tucked up between a couple rocks. We ate at the Rainforrest Cafe and it was just Meh in my book. But EJ seemed to enjoy the theme. Lunch we grabbed some pulled pork sandwiches and I liked those better.
Saturday K and I went back to Epcot and spent more time looking at the stuff we glossed over when we had EJ in tow (and she swam with pap). It was relaxing and enjoyable. Then we headed back to the magic kingdom and took EJ to Bibbity Boppity where she got her awesome pink weave. Good heavens, what is the ettiquite for wearing somethign like that outside of disney? I feel like I should establish some rules. She loved the experience though. After that we headed for the Grand Flordian resort for dinner with Cinderella at the 1900. She loved the wicked step sisters... and then broke out in hives all over her chin so I bought benedryl from the gift shop, washed her face and took her back to the hotel. She was fine- but I slept crappy worrying about her. We had been doing so well with the eating out and food allergies up until then. Thankfully it was a soy issue I assume and not a peanut one.
Sunday we swam and later headed out to Downtown disney. We had dinner reservations at Ragalan Road and shopped some before. We came back and started packing as our shuttle to the airport left at 10:20.
Garden Grocer was great for having food delivered to our room. it was with bell service when we got to the hotel. Rotating shoes I wore to the parks helped keep the blisters at bay. The chefs were great at talking to me about EJ's allergies. I am just glad the hives appeared at teh end of the trip or else I would have spent the rest of the time far less relaxed over her eating. I am happy to be home. But all this sitting still is really odd. It is making me feel achy. and what is up with these 30 degree low tempratures?!?
If you have any specific questions, let me know. I am happy to elaborate. All in all it was a great time. But I am not scheduling another trip there for quite some time.
Tuesday we hit up Magic Kingdom and had a really full day. it took us a little while to get into the groove of the park, and utilize fast pass stratigicly. Eleni's first princess encounter was with Merida, and she was shy but she got her autograph and picture taken. We really spent most of the day around Fantasyland, and stayed through until the lights/fireworks show which was at 9pm that night rather than 10. We ended up picking her up a lot through the parks. I am not sure I would have rather had a stroller to deal with, but my arms are still tired. We had dinner at the Crystal Palace (which has winnie the pooh and freinds+ buffet) and we enjoyed the food there. By the end of the night I was wondering how we would do this all again tomorrow.
Wednesday we got to Epcot at 10 for a breakfast with the princesses in the resteraunt in Norway. Eleni really enjoyed that and got into her character groove quickly. We took this day more slowly, and did the Nemo ride and turtle talk which were both enjoyable. Dinner was at the coral reef, and the best part was the Jamesons/bailey's mouse. I didn't order it but Kev did and I was jealous. We left the park after dinner and let EJ swim at the hotel after we got back.
Thursday was when we went to Hollywood studios. We went with the plan to ride the Toystory ride (fast pass it when you get there. We did and still had to wait until 6:30 to use the passes). As well as seeing the Mermaid, Muppets, and Beauty and the Beast show none of which we waited especially long for as the stadiums were nice sized. We had dinner there as well, at this cute little 50s themed place. It was supposed to give you the feeling of eating in mom's 50s kitchen. So since I am all over this mid-centruy modern decor right now I really enjoyed the decor. And the fried chicken was good too (and s'mores for dessert!)
Friday K and I took EJ to Animal Kingdom early. We wanted to get through the park and figured the ILs could use a quiet day to themselves to go back to Epcot. I loved the Nemo and Lion King shows. We skipped the bugs life thing, because EJ is pretty scared of spiders and I heard it was kinda a creepy crawly filled experience. We enjoyed the Safari and the self guided/walk through animal exhibits. Though we couldn't see the lions on the safari as they were tucked up between a couple rocks. We ate at the Rainforrest Cafe and it was just Meh in my book. But EJ seemed to enjoy the theme. Lunch we grabbed some pulled pork sandwiches and I liked those better.
Saturday K and I went back to Epcot and spent more time looking at the stuff we glossed over when we had EJ in tow (and she swam with pap). It was relaxing and enjoyable. Then we headed back to the magic kingdom and took EJ to Bibbity Boppity where she got her awesome pink weave. Good heavens, what is the ettiquite for wearing somethign like that outside of disney? I feel like I should establish some rules. She loved the experience though. After that we headed for the Grand Flordian resort for dinner with Cinderella at the 1900. She loved the wicked step sisters... and then broke out in hives all over her chin so I bought benedryl from the gift shop, washed her face and took her back to the hotel. She was fine- but I slept crappy worrying about her. We had been doing so well with the eating out and food allergies up until then. Thankfully it was a soy issue I assume and not a peanut one.
Sunday we swam and later headed out to Downtown disney. We had dinner reservations at Ragalan Road and shopped some before. We came back and started packing as our shuttle to the airport left at 10:20.
Garden Grocer was great for having food delivered to our room. it was with bell service when we got to the hotel. Rotating shoes I wore to the parks helped keep the blisters at bay. The chefs were great at talking to me about EJ's allergies. I am just glad the hives appeared at teh end of the trip or else I would have spent the rest of the time far less relaxed over her eating. I am happy to be home. But all this sitting still is really odd. It is making me feel achy. and what is up with these 30 degree low tempratures?!?
If you have any specific questions, let me know. I am happy to elaborate. All in all it was a great time. But I am not scheduling another trip there for quite some time.
Re: Our Disney trip
Glad you guys had fun!! I was definitely thankful to have the stroller even for Lanna. She actually rode in it more than Wes! How was Toy Story? I'm sad that we had to skip that one (as well as the Nemo and Lion King shows at AK... those looked like fun). Did you like Raglan Road?
Lanna insisted on wearing her crown/bun/sash home on the plane. It wouldn't have been that embarrassing, except that at some point the massive amounts of gel started to look flaky. Ew.
Ditto your advice on rotating shoes! I switched between my Toms and Sanuk flip flops (which I believe are made by actual angels) and my feet never hurt!
So glad to hear you enjoyed the trip, too!! Sounds like you got a lot done!
I've been going back & forth about the stroller (for Jake, Liam it's a must) so you guys both used it for the 5 year olds? hmmm......I really don't want to deal wtih the hassle of having it, but the hassle of listening to whining might be worse!
Mandy--so your Toms were comfortable? I'll have to look up Sanuk flip flops.
Jake - 1.15.08
Liam - 5.17.11
We didn't have a stroller Emmy, but I just wonder if it would have been better than all the carrying I ended up doing. But I am kinda glad to have not had it with us too.
I wore my running shoes, Teva flipflops and teva sandals I have.
Mandy, we did like Ragalan Road. we were in a booth that couldn't see the dancers though so I had to pull EJ out and hold her so she could watch. She didn't like her macncheese, cause it tasted like cheese. and honestly by this point in our trip I was so tired of eating out. I ordered fish and chips, and ate the fish (it was good) and a few chips. But couldn't wait to come home and cook something.
I borrowed a stroller from my friend. It was the kind that had the seat in the front and the option to sit or stand in the back. It was an older stroller and steering wasn't great, but I thought it was well worth the inconvenience. There is stroller parking everywhere. Folding it up for transport was sort of annoying, but it was only a couple of times a day we had to do that. It helped us to navigate the airport too, and gave Wes a place to nap.
I got my Sanuks from Zappos. The soles are made from yoga mats, and the leather and cloth on the foot part don't rub like other flip flops. Pat and I both got them and couldn't get over how comfy they were. My Toms were comfy too (unless they were wet), but those flip flops are outstanding:
http://www.zappos.com/sanuk-yoga-mat-red?ef_id=UHDH@AAAXUA8nB4d:20130514153813:s
HA! Don't you hate when your mac n cheese doesn't taste like cardboard? I know Wes does! I got the cod over mashed potatoes and it was so good. Of course Lanna got fried shrimp and didn't like them, so we essentially switched after a few bites. We had front row seats, so that helped with the experience! I know what you mean though, I was really craving something home cooked by the end! I always am after vacay.
Sounds like you had a great time! And even had some time to yourself. Did you do Akershus in Epcot? I think that is one of the places I'm looking forward to the most. How was it?
I just looked up the sanuk flip flops too. I'm looking at shoe options right now and am thinking of getting these: http://www.zappos.com/puma-bixley-patent-mesh-2x-wns-peach-blush
A friend has a pair and said they're super comfy--but I definitely want to rotate shoes as well.
I never even thought to bring a stroller for Brinley. I figured if she got too tired she could ride on DH's shoulders or the kids could switch. Although the thought of letting Nolan loose to walk at all terrifies me :-)
Sounds like a great trip! Did you get a Cantaloopy in Epcot? Those are our favorite drinks and we make it a point to get a least one or two (or 3 or 4... depending on if we're driving.. haha) every trip.
What did you think of Old Key West? What type of room did you have? We did a 2 bedroom villa there a few years ago and I really liked it but wished we had a car. That resort is HUGE. I tend to like quieter resorts like OKW and Port Orleans French Quarter.
You and Mandy have me thinking about shoes now... I always just wear my tennies, but I might have to consider some flip flops or Toms. I have one day to decide, so we'll see.
Jake - 1.15.08
Liam - 5.17.11
yes, that was the place. I didn't want to butcher the spelling, though I didn't spellcheck the rest of that anyway... it is likely full of mistakes. But yes, we did enjoy it! I liked the hashbrowns. They had a buffet but also bring around a platter family style with bacon, sausages, eggs and hashbrowns. it was good stuff.
Sarah, we did like old key west. We were super close to a bus stop, but it took a good 10 minutes to walk down to the pool/hospitality/dining. But the few times that was required it wasn't so terrible. We were in a 2 bedroom villa as well. The ILs in the room with the king sized bed, and we shared the other with EJ. It worked out really nicely and I liked having the living room space to be in after we put EJ down. I didn't have a Cantaloopy, but was a big fan of the dole whips with rum. Mmmmm. By the time we got over to Japan I was too full of beer and needed water. It was hot.
Sounds like a good trip! We did the dinner at grand Floridian too but dd hated the step sisters and mother!! Haha! The step sisters were nice and tried and took some pics but the mother was really in character and was mean and just walked off! Ha! But I thought it was a good alternative to castle.
we went last year and dd loved it! They had like 6 princesses and you get a nice 8x10 pic with one and the rest walk around to your table. It was really cute and dd seriously was giddy! I was nervous about the food because it really didn't sound up my alley. But I actually was really pleased with my dinner.
Loved the fried chicken at the 50's diner! Sounds like you guys had a great trip. We were planning on going this fall, but instead we are going to move.
I don't think I would buy them then wear them to Disney. I got blisters from mine and while I like them, I don't think they would be my choice of footwear if I was walking all day, they don't really have a whole lot of support. But then again, I wouldn't wear flip flops to a park if we were going to be there all day.
Sounds like an awesome time! Thanks for posting as I'm starting to plan for next year.
When you eat breakfast at Akershus, are the princesses still there and you get the photos done when you walk in? Or is that just a dinner thing?
For those of you who went to Epcot with kids, did they enjoy it, or was a lot of it unintersting to them? Trying to figure out if we should do a day or 1/2 day here at all, or just skip it.
At Akershus, we went in and immediatly she saw Belle and had her photo taken with her. By the end of breakfast we had an 8x10 of that photo along with 4 4x6s. So everyone we know can have a copy.
Then while we ate, there was Arial, Aurora, and Snow White making the rounds to each table. And they also do a Princess Parade where they invite all the children to parade around following a princess.
EJ was content in Epcot. But we had a 10am breakfast so we only probably spent 4-5 hours in the park before dinner. And that included waiting in line for a character spot, a little time in the countries, and the Sea stuff (turtle talk, nemo ride, looking in the aquariums). and she ran through a splash pad they have there for probably a half hour too. They had a lot of topiaries of characters around when we were there. Not sure if they are normal or part of the garden show they were having.
I feel the same way Kris. Probably because I'm old. I could never make it in a park in flip flops, I wouldn't be able to walk at all the next day. This is what it's like to be 39 ladies, just think what you have to look forward to!
This is how I am as well, although, I do have a pair of Crocs flip flops that are super comfy. I don't know how they would hold up at Disney, but they have served me well at Idlewild, the Zoo, Kennywood, etc. Of course, I am not quite as old as you, Amber. Maybe I will feel differently in 6 months.
Well, I am only 38!
The flip-flop thing is my mom's fault. We always had to wear tennis shoes or shoes that tied to amusement parks.
there was a lot of princess meet and greet opportunities in Epcot that dd liked. It was the only place we could find Mulan who dd wanted to see. She also liked the Nemo/crush thing as well. We spent most of a day at Epcot just walking around trying to see princesses and grabbing dinner at Akershus. I think we got there around lunchtime and left after dinner.
We must have the same mom! I wore my croc flip flops to Idlewild last year and felt like such a rebel. I couldn't imagine doing Disney in flip flops.
Um, I'm 32 and always wear tennis shoes to parks
Again, though, my parents always insisted, so part of it is very much habit!