4 Newbies and 1 Good-As: A February 2024 Lessons Learned TR COMPLETE 4/20/24

[jrmint427]

Turned out MIL had been climbing the equipment with DD4, which had not been my intention!

That is so sweet! It sounds like they had great bonding time on the playground.

But the backwards bit in EE is still pretty fun

It’s the best part! So thrilling!

but ultimately the CM wasn’t able to change the reservation because we were in the 2-hour window. I would’ve thought an actual CM capable of reaching the restaurant could’ve done it, but

That is surprising!! And disappointing.

We stuck it out and finally boarded at 3:36, a full 90 minutes after we entered the queue and 40 minutes more than estimated.

Whoa that is a long wait!!

Final verdict: food was adequate. Not one we’ll pick again unless we really, really want to make DD4 happy.

Did she like the animals inside? We ate there once for my daughter when she was about 4 years old and she had fallen asleep in the stroller and slept the ENTIRE meal. The food was just okay, we had also picked it for the girls to enjoy.

If anyone in your party has low line tolerance or anyone is the “walking sick,” go ahead and get Genie+ even if at a park where you “don’t need it.”

I agree with this! We don’t do great with lines so I get Genie+ even at AK.

But the ride photo is incredibly unflattering so I'm skipping posting it.

Just FYI you did end up posting it! It’s at the bottom of the post (you have to delete both from the image in the post and the attachments at the bottom to truly delete a pic - I’ve done that before!) - I think it’s great but sharing in case you want to edit the post!

 

[awrites]

Hello! I'm really enjoying your very honest (and funny!) trip report! I'm glad your daughter enjoyed Slinky Dog after hating Barnstormer and found several other things to love on your trip.

I was debating whether Genie+ would be worth it at AK... thank you for convincing me to get it and save myself the headache.

I'm sorry you started to feel sick - that's tough on vacation, but especially at Disney World! I hope a solid night of sleep helped and you felt better for your Topolino's breakfast.

Hi, glad you're enjoying and finding it helpful! Yes, I now HIGHLY recommend Genie+ even at AK. Maybe on low-crowd days, if those exist anymore, it's not necessary, but we were in a holiday week and right before a Run Disney event. Skipping Genie+ was a BAD idea. :/

How was the ambience in Rain Forest? Was it noisy/chaotic or doable? I really want to eat here someday for the theming, but am afraid it would end up being too much.

Oh man, I was feeling so out of it, my memory here is pretty poor, actually! There was always ambient noise--the animatronic birds chirping and things. Periodically they run the thunderstorm and that's louder. I can't recall hearing the elephants or anything; not sure if we were just not near them or if I managed to space out during/purge them from memory.

Since we were there for an early dinner there weren't that many other diners; I'd say the restaurant was less than half-full. Maybe 1/3. So it never struck me as chaotic, and my DD4 did all right with the noise (she never covered her ears or said it was too loud or anything) but I do think the noise was constant. It might be possible to visit just the gift shop first and try to get a sense if you find it doable? I think you can still hear the animal sounds from there, and especially if you eat during an off-time I don't think they get full up in advance.

Sorry I'm not more help!

It is super cool! I love it. And also that is super annoying, not just cause you were sick.

Ha! Glad I'm not the only one who'd find it irritating. DH and FIL seemed more okay with it than I was.

CONGRATULATIONS! That's awesome!!

Thank you!

Did she like the animals inside? We ate there once for my daughter when she was about 4 years old and she had fallen asleep in the stroller and slept the ENTIRE meal. The food was just okay, we had also picked it for the girls to enjoy.

She might've liked them more if we hadn't done anything else that day. I pointed out a parrot and she didn't care too much. We also didn't explore the restaurant at all so missed seeing a lot of the animals. I kinda think that if we do another Rainforest Cafe/T-REX style restaurant, we'd be better off not doing it on a park day. Or maybe just a half-park day, with the meal more toward lunch so she (and the rest of us) aren't so tired.

Just FYI you did end up posting it! It’s at the bottom of the post (you have to delete both from the image in the post and the attachments at the bottom to truly delete a pic - I’ve done that before!) - I think it’s great but sharing in case you want to edit the post!

Ohhh thank you! And here I was, feeling all proud to have gotten to Mouseketeer level. Still more to learn!

 

[awrites]

Day 7: Saturday February 24: Topolino's Terrace and Return Home (Part 1 of X)

Despite being sick (or maybe also because of it) I woke up overnight and was fairly restless from 12:30am-2:20am. I eventually fell back asleep but then was up to shower by 5:30 or so.

Our flight home wasn’t till the late afternoon, which left us plenty of time for our last planned activity of the trip: breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace. Our ADR was at 9:10, so those of us with kind bodies that allow sleeping in had a bit of time to do so.


I too wish to sleep as peacefully as this painted bunny

DH and DD4 were up by a bit after 7. We did a bit of packing and briefly debated getting everything all the way done before breakfast, but decided against it. We figured we would be back by 10:30 at the latest, so as long as we had things mostly ready to go we could wrap up the last few things by 11am checkout time.

The 5 of us headed to Topolino’s early; after the A&C disaster and the other delays for Sci Fi and Rainforest Cafe we wanted to make sure we were on time.

Besides, to get the 9:10 time for our reservation we’d needed to split into 2 parties, so we wanted to go in plenty of time to see if we could be seated at the same table or at least have neighboring tables.

We left by 8:15. At the Skyliner Riviera station MIL started getting up to get off, only for a CM to yell loudly “Stay on!” Her tone was basically this:


MIL is pretty agreeable and kind of froze, so I started to get up myself and said “We need the Riviera. We have a Topolino’s reservation” and then the CM ceased her Gandalf impression and waved us off.

I highlight this because I also tend to have a, shall we say, rollover personality, and often defer to other people unless I know for sure they’re wrong. (Though even then I will often doubt myself.)

I get the CM was used to numerous guests headed to Epcot who were unaware they had another stop to go. But the level of firmness I felt was a bit excessive, though I do get there’s safety concerns at play, where they want people to stay seated and not risk trying to hop on/ hop off. But also, "Stay on unless you need Riviera" doesn't take that much longer to say.

Anyway, we found Topolino’s much more easily than we had A&C (helped that I knew it was the top of the Riviera, so we only needed to find an elevator, which was also clearly marked with which floor to go to, and arrived a full 30 minutes before the reservation.

The ADRs were under my and DHs accounts so we checked in at the desk together and successfully got our ADRs merged. We got the table-ready text at around 9!

We had a decent view at our combined table. Not right by the windows, but not too obstructed by others’ tables.

We went out to the terrace once but....



...I took no pictures.

Breakfast was tasty overall! I had the sour cream waffle; DH the steak & eggs; DD4 turned down the Mickey dippers and instead selected the yogurt and fruit.



I didn’t take notes on MIL and FIL’s food, and of course I have no pictures of our food anyway.

But again, we weren’t there for the food so much as the characters!

Mickey visited us first. It was a nice interaction! He showed DD4 how to pose like he did. Except she finished posing like he did by the time I got to take a picture.



DD4 likes to draw so I’d tried to prep DD4 for Mickey’s artist outfit and told her she could Mickey she was an artist too, but once again she was a little starstruck and couldn’t say much to him or the other characters. One day!

Donald came next. DD4 was focused on eating and didn’t see him behind her. He tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention—luckily she was fine with this! She liked Donald a lot; one time said he was her favorite, later switched. He, however, scurried away before I could get a picture of him and DD4 together (grandparents and DH were on the other side of the table, all taking pictures, and the characters generally accommodated the three of them first).


A busy sculptor duck

Minnie came next. She pointed out DD4’s dress and indicated she should twirl. I didn't get a shot of that but at least Minnie posed for me to take a picture, too!



And last, Daisy! Daisy had her twirl too,


and then clapped for her!


Later when I asked DD4 who she liked meeting best, I think she said Daisy was her favorite.

Oh, and as shown in the pictures we did have our character book with us and got everyone’s signatures, of course!

I also thought the goodbye dance/march the characters did to “Funiculi Funicula”* was pretty cute. Daisy’s posing/vamping was in our section so that was fun!



Final verdict: I’m so glad we did this! Again, character meals are expensive, but seeing Mickey on our last day was a perfect cap to the week, and Topolino's was easy to get to from CBR. It’s also a gorgeous location. If we could manage a child-free night during a trip, I could see me and DH coming here for a fancy dinner sometime.

Photo limit! I might post again today, but if not will probably need to pause till Thursday.

Footnote
Yes, I did have to look up the title--though I understand some of the lyrics were adjusted specifically for Topolino's? I couldn't tell!

 

[jrmint427]

Later when I asked DD4 who she liked meeting best, I think she said Daisy was her favorite.

Daisy is always our favorite there too! It looks like a fun meal, what a great way to wrap up a fun trip!

 

[Jsharp13]

I've enjoying reading your trip report.
I will admit, at first I was a bit annoyed with the lack of pictures and your recognition of lack of pictures! But then I thought to myself, you know what? That means she is not living this vacation through a phone screen - she is actually ON this vacation in the moment with her family. So who cares about no pictures; you have the memories!

I also really liked the lessons learned... There is just so much pressure put upon guests (some self inflicted for sure!) to do it all and have the Most Magical Trip Ever. I was great to read how you put it all in perspective and showed how things worked in reality compared to a paper touring plan!

Last, and I wish other newbies would see this... it is a lot of work to be the ring leader, cheerleader, director, and president of a trip with several guests. It is fun but also tiring! making the early and late plans, decisions, following the map, remember all the stuff from the hotel. It is no small feat. good for you for keeping up with all that you did and then also taking time to write a report to share with others!

 

[Araminta18]

I get the CM was used to numerous guests headed to Epcot who were unaware they had another stop to go. But the level of firmness I felt was a bit excessive, though I do get there’s safety concerns at play, where they want people to stay seated and not risk trying to hop on/ hop off. But also, "Stay on unless you need Riviera" doesn't take that much longer to say.

100% agree - that's so unfortunate that she was so firm. The times I've ridden they usually just say what you recommend or something like if you're going to Epcot, stay on the skyliner.

Final verdict: I’m so glad we did this! Again, character meals are expensive, but seeing Mickey on our last day was a perfect cap to the week, and Topolino's was easy to get to from CBR. It’s also a gorgeous location. If we could manage a child-free night during a trip, I could see me and DH coming here for a fancy dinner sometime.

I'm so glad you had a good experience! We loved our Topolino's experience too - the food is delicious and the characters are super fun.

 

[awrites]

Daisy is always our favorite there too! It looks like a fun meal, what a great way to wrap up a fun trip!

It was!

I also really liked the lessons learned... There is just so much pressure put upon guests (some self inflicted for sure!) to do it all and have the Most Magical Trip Ever. I was great to read how you put it all in perspective and showed how things worked in reality compared to a paper touring plan!

Last, and I wish other newbies would see this... it is a lot of work to be the ring leader, cheerleader, director, and president of a trip with several guests. It is fun but also tiring! making the early and late plans, decisions, following the map, remember all the stuff from the hotel. It is no small feat. good for you for keeping up with all that you did and then also taking time to write a report to share with others!

Thank you! Yeah the planning can be fun, but it is definitely work, and I’m the type of person who can only do so much before wanting more of a “vacation” myself and to have some other people pitch in. But it was good on the whole!

100% agree - that's so unfortunate that she was so firm. The times I've ridden they usually just say what you recommend or something like if you're going to Epcot, stay on the skyliner.

Yeah, the Riviera-stationed CM from our first night when we were headed to A&E actually asked "Anyone need Riviera?" when the Skyliner doors opened. Maybe our timing was more common for a stop there--like people who were coming from HS or something--but still! Much more kindly stated when it's a question rather than directive.

I'm so glad you had a good experience! We loved our Topolino's experience too - the food is delicious and the characters are super fun.

It was! It's definitely a possible repeat experience for us, for sure.

 

[awrites]

Day 7: Saturday February 24: Topolino's Terrace and Return Home (Part 2 of 2)

We wrapped up Topolino's breakfast within an hour and were back at CBR by 10:15. The housekeeping cart was by our rooms but we didn’t see the actual person. We cleaned up/packed our last few things by 10:45. DH and I had left tips for each day that mousekeeping came (they were there every other day, as expected) but for this last day we left a bigger tip because though we did our best to clean it out and take home everything we could, we still had a lot of food waste. :/

After we got back home I saw a mention here on the Dis about some sort of leftover-sharing group where you can post what you have and another person may come take it if they want. So while I hope next time I’ll do a better job judging what we need, I’ll try also to take note of that in case we have leftovers again.

Anyway, outside of the rooms at 10:45, we went to check ourselves out on the app, only for MIL and I to discover it’d been done for us automatically.



Our Mears pickup wasn’t till 12:15. We made our way to the lobby (this time DH rolled the stroller; we’d learned our lesson at MCO!) and camped out to wait till pickup.

DH and I took DD4 into the gift shop, where we successfully resisted getting her any more souvenirs.

I also took my last pictures of the trip:




MIL and FIL had told us about the wine after their morning of exploring CBR on Wednesday and even asked if we’d brought a corkscrew (we hadn’t). I hadn’t understood that the wine was Disney-branded/themed or else I would’ve made it a point earlier to buy a bottle to bring home!

Yes, I do often make wine-purchase decisions based on the prettiness of the label. #sofancy

As it was, I didn’t want to have to reopen my checked luggage bag to cram it in there, so I passed. Another thing for next time!

Mears pick up was uneventful! We also lucked out and had a bus; no booster seat required! It did turn out we’d be picking up from AoA and POP as well, so I was glad we’d selected the 12:15 pickup instead of 12:45.

Our driver, Robert (I think!) was really nice. Some light dad humor, which is fine, but he was especially kind to a mom at POP who, along with her family, had missed the bus they were really supposed to be on (11:55 pick up for them, I think) and was sounding pretty stressed. He contacted dispatch to ensure he could take them, presumably got the go-ahead, and reassured her that it’d be okay and they’d get to the airport.

Mind, I don’t know when their flight was or how close they’d be cutting it, but if I were in that position I think it’d help to hear that at least this next portion would go okay.



Anyway, we arrived about 2.5 hours before our flight—early enough to use Southwest’s curb-side checkin! Yes! We didn’t know this existed but were SO happy not to have to lug everything over to Terminal A.

So we’ll definitely take note that to use the curbside checkin, you need a minimum of 2 hours before the flight.

I’d heard the security lines at MCO can be atrocious but with PreCheck we breezed through in maybe 15 minutes. We all got some smoothies after our big breakfast, though DD4 wound up not liking hers too much and asking for something else, which wound up being a MCNugget meal of which she ate one nugget.

We made it to the gate in plenty of time to wait, and DD4 amused at least one lady with her rousing rendition of the Mickey Mouse March, complete with raised arms for the crescendo on “M O U S Eeeeeeeeee!”



The lady said it was a very nice song, and her smile seemed genuine. Thank you, kind lady, having fellow passengers who can appreciate a preschooler’s idiosyncrasies is much appreciated!

The rest of the trip home was fairly uneventful. The flight left on time but arrived about 25 minutes late due to rough weather patterns. We arrived home around 8:30 pm, having said goodbye to MIL and FIL at the airport parking place. DD4 fell asleep on the drive home, so DH carried her straight to bed (next time, if we have a later flight, we’ll keep Jammies in her carryon and have her change at the airport).

And then we were ready to collapse into bed too, after a week of fun.

Day 7 Lessons Learned/Confirmed

• Assuming there’s time, a character breakfast on departure day is an *excellent* choice!
• Do any hotel lobby gift shop shopping before your last day, unless you’re sure the item will fit/can go in your carryon/you otherwise have time to repack.
• Err on the side of caution with a Mears pickup—even a half-hour earlier than you think you really need will probably work out well.
• If flying SW after Mears, definitely try to ensure you arrive early enough for curbside checkin, especially if you have several checked bags, or even one that’s just bulky to deal with.
• Jammies in the carryon might be a wise decision for any later-arriving flights.

And that about wraps it up! I'm planning to do an epilogue/final thoughts post, but be prepared for even fewer pictures.

For those who want to bow out now, thanks so much for reading along! I hope your next visits to WDW are magical.

 

[Wood Nymph]

This is fun! After reading @Keladry84’s report I was reminded how Indiana at DLR is pretty jerky. Pretty sure DH and I had the opportunity to reride it when we were there, but I didn’t want to after getting so jostled.

Dinosaur isn’t jostly at all! The preride show and ride animatronics are getting a bit dated, but I’ll take that over not getting my hips slammed into the vehicle and my seat companion.

We just got back from CA and our one day trip to DLR and California Adventure. I thought that the Indianna Jones ride was just about as bumpy as Dinosaur in AK. We thought it was a fantastic ride and preferred it to Dinosaur. Pirates was better in DLR, too. But we were totally lost in those parks. We couldn't find anything without asking for help.

MIL is pretty agreeable and kind of froze, so I started to get up myself and said “We need the Riviera. We have a Topolino’s reservation” and then the CM ceased her Gandalf impression and waved us off.

I haven't seen a CM do this. They must have been having a bad day or a lot of people who don't pay attention.

Anyway, we arrived about 2.5 hours before our flight—early enough to use Southwest’s curb-side checkin! Yes! We didn’t know this existed but were SO happy not to have to lug everything over to Terminal A.

I didn't know about this either.

 

[Araminta18]

I’d heard the security lines at MCO can be atrocious but with PreCheck we breezed through in maybe 15 minutes. We all got some smoothies after our big breakfast, though DD4 wound up not liking hers too much and asking for something else, which wound up being a MCNugget meal of which she ate one nugget.

Precheck is awesome! Though honestly even if the line were longer it would still be worth it to me - leave shoes on, don't have to take everything out of the bag...love it.

• Jammies in the carryon might be a wise decision for any later-arriving flights.

that's so smart!!

 

[awrites]

We just got back from CA and our one day trip to DLR and California Adventure. I thought that the Indianna Jones ride was just about as bumpy as Dinosaur in AK. We thought it was a fantastic ride and preferred it to Dinosaur. Pirates was better in DLR, too. But we were totally lost in those parks. We couldn't find anything without asking for help.

Oh, interesting! I wonder also if maybe I was in an edge seat on Indiana and in the middle for Dinosaur. I can see how being on the edge would be bumpier, and the middle more stable.

I haven't seen a CM do this. They must have been having a bad day or a lot of people who don't pay attention.

Good reminder that the CMs can have bad days too.

I didn't know about this either.

It was SO convenient! There is a minimum of 2-hours-before-flight to use it, but I always prefer to be at the airport at least that early, anyway.

Precheck is awesome! Though honestly even if the line were longer it would still be worth it to me - leave shoes on, don't have to take everything out of the bag...love it.

Yup! I've had it a while (renewed it for the first time early in the pandemic)--my former dayjob had me flying every quarter (sometimes every 2 months) during my last 2 years there, so I got it then. Finally convinced my DH to get it himself this past fall, and then MIL and FIL were happy to get it as well.

I also think that it makes for a much smoother experience for DD4 too, not having to help her with shoes on/off, etc.

that's so smart!!

Haha, maybe we'll actually do it next time

 

[awrites]

Epilogue and Final Thoughts

“But Amanda,” you might be saying, if you remember my name from the intro post, “what about your cold? Did it go away on your last day?”

Or, even if you don’t remember my name, “Cold symptoms after travel? Might be Covid.”

Winner winner chicken dinner



I tested positive the day after we got back. I felt awful about all the germs I must’ve spread, and really regretted not wearing a mask on the flight out, when I think it’s most likely I contracted it (I didn't mask on the flight back either, but at least DD4 and DH were my row companions and my cough was a bit better, so I hope the germ-spread stayed more contained.).

The silver lining is maybe I never shed much viral load, because DH, DD4, and MIL and FIL never tested positive. And maybe if my sleep hadn’t been so terrible, I could’ve staved it off? Who knows.

Anyway, I like my Grogu bag much better than Covid as a souvenir.

That said! What did the 4 newbies think about the trip as a whole?

MIL and FIL have been very sweet, thanking us for it (we’d paid for their trip package) and calling it “the vacation of a lifetime.” I do think they exaggerate somewhat, or they entirely forgot the Hawaii vacation they’d gone on for their… 20th, maybe?

In any case, MIL in particular liked seeing the theming and having some time with DD4. FIL I think enjoyed some of the thrill rides.

DH still isn’t a fan of lines, and remarked later that there were some times where he was thinking, “Yeah, maybe we don’t need to come again.” But he did enjoy Guardians, Tron, EE, and is generally a good sport for the classic rides like Pirates, so he’s on the side of going back.

DD4 is enamored. Now at nearly 2 months post-trip, she’s stopped saying “I miss Disney World” daily, but it still features pretty prominently in her pretend play. Interestingly, even though at the time she indicated she liked the character meets the most, most of her pretend-play is ride re-enactments (especially Slinky).

We’ve explained it’ll be “a while” before we can make it back, probably not until she’s 6 or 7, to which she said she wanted to go back “while I’m still 4.” Then we had to say that no, we definitely wouldn’t make it back in the next, at this point, 3 months. (Not enough money or time off for DH for sure!)

But she had a great time overall, and I hope that she’ll wind up with a few core memories out of it.

And as for me, the good-as-newbie, I’d say the vacation had more good than bad, which is all I really want from any vacation! I didn’t go in expecting it would be perfect, and it wasn’t—but it was absolutely wonderful to go for the first time as a parent. A+, would recommend. I loved seeing DD4 interact with the characters and come out of her shell a tiny bit, and I’m so glad I got to sit with her and see her enjoy Slinky firsthand.

If you hung to the end,* thank you so much for reading, and thanks to the DIS as a whole for the wealth of information! I know we had a much better trip than we would have without the tips and tricks from my fellow DISers.


Footnote
* I admit I'm planning probably 2 last "bonus" posts.

 

[awrites]

Bonus Post 1: Example Redo Trip
As I footnoted in my last post, I have 2 bonus posts in mind. First, In keeping with the "Lessons Learned" theme, I thought it'd be fun to list how I would change things with the same approximate vacation package and plans (CBR, 4-day park tickets, 1 park per day, 1 break day).

(Note: There are no changes to attractions. I’m trying to treat this as “If I’d had a bit more planning savvy/clear expectations of our party’s capabilities, what would we have done differently.” Can't say for sure if you like a particular attraction--especially for DD4 who'd never been to a theme park before--until you try it!)

Day 1–Travel and Arrival

• Maybe a slightly later flight, say 7:30/8:00am, vs 6:30, if available and not too expensive
• Mask on plane (KN-95 or better) to hopefully avoid contracting illness
• Grocery delivery: forgo alcohol, limit perishable purchases (less fruit!)
• No ADR, or ADR only at Sebastian’s Bistro/resort restaurant (though I’d really prefer none, because…)
• After check-in and dropping off luggage/unpacking a bit, explore the resort! Playground and/or pool time for DD4.
• If dinner at Sebastian’s, celebration cake there
• After dinner, prep touring bag. Maybe create a checklist for the things that have to wait till morning (primarily the owl potty seat since DD4 uses it in the hotel room too)
• Bedtime by 8/8:30 for DD4 (and maybe me too).

Day 2–Magic Kingdom

• Have planned in advance with DH who will get Tron VQs and who will get the first LL at 7:00 (target: still PPF or JC). Ensure 3rd device is available to be on time.gov/other time site.
• NO MODIFYING!!!! (Or seriously, try it just once and after it makes things worse, just give it up.)
• If wake-up has been harder/slower than expected, check Minnie Van availability to avoid the buses
• Once at park, follow LLs/loose touring plan
• Celebration cake during the Liberty Tree ADR if it wasn’t at Sebastian’s
• When leaving park, check Minnie Van availability and use that rather than bus if there’s one nearby

Day 3–Epcot

• Plan with DH in advance who will get Guardians VQ and who will do LL selection (target: Frozen; TT alternate) at 7:00
• Our arrival to Epcot went perfectly on our actual trip; no notes; chef’s kiss; just do that again
• Still RD Remy since arriving from International Gateway; if Frozen LL acquired (ideally close to Akershus ADR time), head to TT after Remy
• Follow LLs/loose touring plan thereafter

Day 4–Break Day

• Get going slightly earlier so that there’s (hopefully!) time for:
  • More resort exploring in am: playground time, hopefully also warm enough by 11 or noon for pool time.
  • QS lunch/snacks as needed
  • After pool, get cleaned up and head to DS in afternoon, with targets to hit: Gideon’s, Lego Store, Disney store, and whatever early dinner ADR (around 5/5:30, probably)
  • That way, with only one trip to DS, hopefully there’d be enough time to hit the extra stops from what we originally did, when we had no set plan for break day aside from our ADR

Day 5–Hollywood Studios

• Still have DH available to try for LLs. Whoever gets Slinky first wins!
• As long as the Slinky time is any time during when we expect to still be in the park, just take it.
• NO MODIFYING!!!!
• Still RD Rise, probably. But depending on Slinky time, consider heading to MMRR after instead of MFSR.
• After that, wing it with LLs, working around ADR as needed

Day 6–Animal Kingdom

• Sighhhh…. Just go ahead and buy Genie+. Then have DH still available for us to both try for Na’vi, probably, ideally getting an early enough time we could head there soon after RDing FoP. Alternate LL: KS
• Still Minnie Van it there! But also check the bus schedule for a backup
• After RD FoP and Na’vi, grab LL for KS (if not previously procured)
• Continue through AK, getting new LLs when available and plan to explore lands as their LLs come up.
• Still keep Rainforest/whatever ADR as toward the end of the day.

Day 7–Last Day/Travel Home

• Same as our initial plans! Topolino’s was a good call, and presumably with the earlier adjustments in this “do-over” we would’ve already had enough resort exploration time, including any gift shop purchases, so no need to rearrange anything.

 

[awrites]

Bonus Post 2: What's Next?

Okay, so we enjoyed our trip, and obviously I took lots of notes about what to change (or keep the same!) for next time. So what's next?

We have no set plans of when we’ll make it back to WDW. For sure, I’d want to go at least once before we have to pay adult prices for DD4. But DH also mentioned he thought maybe we’d go to Disneyland before another WDW vacation. When he and I went in 2022 we stayed at Disneyland Hotel and really liked being within walking distance of the parks, and park-hopping ofc is super easy because of DLP and DCA’s proximity to each other. And we’d love to see (stay at?) Pixar Place. (It was still the old hotel when we went.)

He also mentioned Universal, which is where we got engaged. Though I do think we’d wait till DD4 is a little older for that, since I think most of the rides skew older.

But even though we don't know for sure which theme park we'll hit next, I do still have...

Hypothetical Future WDW Trip Preliminary Plans

Resort: likely still CBR; possibly AoA. Definitely one with Skyliner access

Length of stay: 6-8 nights, TBD

Tickets: Either a 5-day package or 6-day. If DD4 is still of stroller age, probably no park-hopping.

Parks: For 5-day ticket: 2 days MK, 2 days Epcot, 1 day HS.
For 6-day: same as above, but add a day at AK.

Rest day: Y/N?

Undecided! I really like having rest days as a set opportunity to explore the resort and/or DS. (And I’d want to hit up Gideon’s again, plus some other snack places I’d read about but we didn’t get to! Would’ve loved some non-Mickey bar ice cream, myself.) Including a rest day might ultimately depend on how long we think we could stay, and that’s impossible to predict right now.

ADRs: Maybe 1 ADR each at MK and then Epcot, leaving one day for both that’s QS-only and so more flexible.

(Or potentially 2 at Epcot; DH and I would like to try Space 220 but DD4 would probably still want a princess meal, and we aren’t sure we’d want to pay for CRT. Or maybe we’d cave; dunno.)

No ADR at HS or AK.

Touring plans: The overarching thing I’d do differently is to plan out a few target Photopass stops for each park. I really feel like we didn’t get a good value out of the Memory Maker package because we stopped so few times. I’d figured we’d wing it when we saw PP photographers, but since none of us knew our ways around the parks super-well, a lot attention went toward map-watching, not keeping an eye out for photographers.

Otherwise for MK and Epcot we'd largely be planning to hit more attractions, since there's the 2 days, plus at Epcot we'd try to do more WS exploration, including the passport thing and maybe any scavenger hunts.

HS/AK we'd also hope to hit more attractions, but would probably be relying on the lack of ADRs to manage those.

Actual Future Plans
Even though we’re not headed back to WDW, we do have another Disney trip booked! DH, DD4, and I are booked on a DCL cruise in May 2025.



Here is where I confess that as we were doing the preliminary planning for the Disney World trip, I really wanted a cruise!

I have been getting up at 4:30 on weekdays (5:30 on weekends) nearly since DD4 was 2 in order to keep up with writing. I am tired! LOL A pleasant vacation to me sounded more like no rushing, get up when you feel like it, stroll around on the deck with some coffee, hit up some trivia type of thing.

But MIL and FIL were more interested in WDW than a cruise, and since we were treating we figured we’d go with the (slightly less) expensive WDW trip.

However, I still wanted a cruise (and DH was onboard too; he'd enjoyed our honeymoon cruise even though it wasn't DCL), so we booked last November when the early 2025 cruises opened.

We’re sailing out of Canaveral so we could potentially tack on a day or two at Disney before (NOT after; I’d rather wear myself out in the parks first, then have a chance to chill during the cruise) but my preliminary pricing put 3 nights/2 park days at 2k minimum for the 3 of us, which DH and I find hard to justify. And it’s out of the question to stay long enough that the price-per-day of tickets goes down to something more reasonable.

We’re somewhat considering a resort-only stay but haven’t decided if we’d want to deal with DD4 asking why, if we’re “at Disney World,” we can’t actually go.

Also, DD4 really likes LEGO and had tons of fun at the TX Legoland Discovery Center when we went last year while visiting family. So a couple of days at Legoland Florida before the cruise is a possibility.

Anyway, I'll still be hanging around the DIS, though most of my participation may shift to the DCL section.

If you made it through my Bonus posts THANK YOU for sticking around this long!

And now I consider this TR truly done.

 

[Araminta18]

Or, even if you don’t remember my name, “Cold symptoms after travel? Might be Covid.”

Winner winner chicken dinner

Oh no!!! That sucks!

The silver lining is maybe I never shed much viral load, because DH, DD4, and MIL and FIL never tested positive.

oh that's good at least, that they didn't test positive.

And as for me, the good-as-newbie, I’d say the vacation had more good than bad, which is all I really want from any vacation! I didn’t go in expecting it would be perfect, and it wasn’t—but it was absolutely wonderful to go for the first time as a parent. A+, would recommend. I loved seeing DD4 interact with the characters and come out of her shell a tiny bit, and I’m so glad I got to sit with her and see her enjoy Slinky firsthand.

I'm glad overall it was a good experience!

* I admit I'm planning probably 2 last "bonus" posts.

yay bonus posts!

Even though we’re not headed back to WDW, we do have another Disney trip booked! DH, DD4, and I are booked on a DCL cruise in May 2025.

Oooh so fun! I definitely want to do a disney cruise at some point. You'll have to do a trip report afterwards!

Thanks for sharing your trip! it was really fun to read and see how your experience was, especially from the perspective of being new and the lessons learned.

 

[jrmint427]

Or, even if you don’t remember my name, “Cold symptoms after travel? Might be Covid.”

I was wondering!! My husband sadly brought home the same souvenir.

DD4 is enamored. Now at nearly 2 months post-trip, she’s stopped saying “I miss Disney World” daily, but it still features pretty prominently in her pretend play.

Aww, it's great she loved it so much! My kids still remember a few things about the trips we took around that age, you definitely created some core memories.

NO MODIFYING!!!! (Or seriously, try it just once and after it makes things worse, just give it up.)

I agree with all of your lessons learned, but I would edit this one slightly! There is a way to modify without giving up the time you already have. I would watch Ear Scouts videos for the how-to on that (they were super helpful for me!), but I think it was clicking the 3 dots going back and forth between the screen before finalizing, you can search for a better time without having to change the one you already have if nothing better pops up.

Rest day: Y/N?

For a 6 day trip I would vote Yes if you have the time to add a day! Park days are exhausting, and I'm always glad when we have time to enjoy the pool and resort we're at, especially if staying on property.

Actual Future Plans
Even though we’re not headed back to WDW, we do have another Disney trip booked! DH, DD4, and I are booked on a DCL cruise in May 2025.

That is so exciting!! Hope you'll post more about that trip!

Thank you for taking the time to post this trip report, I enjoyed reading and learning through your tips too!

 

[Keladry84]

Such a fun trip report! Thanks for sharing!

 

[awrites]

Oh no!!! That sucks!

oh that's good at least, that they didn't test positive.

Yeah, no fun! But hopefully everything stayed contained. I'm glad everyone else was okay!

I'm glad overall it was a good experience!

It definitely was!

Oooh so fun! I definitely want to do a disney cruise at some point. You'll have to do a trip report afterwards!

Ha, it's actually another one where I'll be the (somewhat) experienced one--I went on DCL in 2012 and 2013 but haven't been back since. So another big gap for me, but not quite the 16-year gap I had for Disney World! DH and DD4 will be new to DCL (and DD4 new to cruising entirely!) We're looking forward to it!

Thanks for sharing your trip! it was really fun to read and see how your experience was, especially from the perspective of being new and the lessons learned.

Thank you for joining in and commenting! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I was wondering!! My husband sadly brought home the same souvenir.

Oh no! It's definitely the worst souvenir.

Aww, it's great she loved it so much! My kids still remember a few things about the trips we took around that age, you definitely created some core memories.

Oh, good! Yeah, I hope we did!

I agree with all of your lessons learned, but I would edit this one slightly! There is a way to modify without giving up the time you already have. I would watch Ear Scouts videos for the how-to on that (they were super helpful for me!), but I think it was clicking the 3 dots going back and forth between the screen before finalizing, you can search for a better time without having to change the one you already have if nothing better pops up.

Ear Scouts was one of the videos I watched! (Though granted, I was watching videos on modifying maybe just 2-3 days before we left, so not much time.) I mostly seemed to have issues with not noting when the time that I thought I was selecting changed from the initial selection (e.g., starts out as 9:30) to the confirmation where I'd need to tap again to truly reserve it (suddenly shows as 12:30, and that's what I confirmed/accepted with the second tap). If there were a way for it to work with a single tap--and maybe there is?--then maybe I'd've had more luck with it. Or if I were with a smaller group/otherwise able to focus on it a little better rather than trying to rapid-tap while also getting everyone out the room.

For a 6 day trip I would vote Yes if you have the time to add a day! Park days are exhausting, and I'm always glad when we have time to enjoy the pool and resort we're at, especially if staying on property.

Thanks, we'll keep that in mind!!

That is so exciting!! Hope you'll post more about that trip!

We'll see! It's still so far off there's not much planning to do for it at this point.

Thank you for taking the time to post this trip report, I enjoyed reading and learning through your tips too!

Thank you for joining and following along!

Such a fun trip report! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks so much for following along!