Disney Again? November '18 here we come! Shh don't tell my son he doesn't know! 11/21 COMPLETE!

[deedee2177]

Hello! I have been MIA from the disboards for quite some time, but thought it would be fun to share my planning in a PTR again. Though I’ve been MIA here, we have continued our love of traveling to WDW. I grew up in South Florida and was blessed to travel to Disney pretty frequently while growing up. When my husband I got married there was only one place I wanted to honeymoon….DISNEY. It took a bit of convincing, but the DH finally agreed. Once there he got bit by the Disney Bug, even after he cracked his tooth and being in pain for the majority of the trip. After that we have enjoyed many trips.

Here are the details for this trip:

Who: Me (Mom), Keith (Dad), Emma (12) and Joey (6)

When: 11/10/18-11/16/18

Where: Pop Century!

Why: Do you have to have a “why”?

This trip wasn’t even on the radar and we were planning for our April 2019 trip. However, I just couldn’t help run the prices with the Fall Discount, and here we are! Originally the trip was going to be a surprise for both kids, but I ended up telling my daughter because I know how much she likes to help plan. As of right now my son still doesn’t know. Our plan is to keep in from him until the morning we leave!!

If you have read this far, thanks for following along. I plan for the next post to include actual details of the trip.

 

[deedee2177]

So, let the plans for the trip begin!! Please be warned now they will probably change 100 times.

November 10, 2018 – Travel Day

We are driving from NC, and our original plan was to get on the road on Friday, 11/9/18, to get down the road a bit to Savannah, Ga. However, my daughter has a dance production for school on 11/8 and 11/9, so we will now be leaving early on 11/10 instead.

It generally takes about 10 hours to drive from our house. We like to stop for lunch, and we do take breaks for the kids to get out and stretch. I was thinking we would get on the road at 7am, but was talking to my husband and he suggested we get on the road by 6am. Well, OK!!! If it was up to me it would be 5am!

We will stop around 11am (in Savannah, Ga) to have an early lunch as I’m sure we will not be in the mood to have breakfast that morning since we are leaving so early. I was talking to Emma and asked her what kind of lunch she would like that day (sit down restaurant or something quick). She said definitely something quick so we can get back on the road. I think someone is pretty excited to get to Disney!

We expect to arrive at Pop around 4pm. I feel this is a good time because hopefully the room will be ready so we can unpack. My TA has indicated I would like a lakeview room in the 50’s section (facing toward Epcot). I know the kids would get a kick out of seeing the fireworks from the room.

I personally can’t wait to check out the new refurbished rooms. I’ve had friends stay there since the refurbishments and they have raved about them. I think the table/murphy bed is going to be a hit with the kids.

We have stayed at Pop before and really enjoyed it. The only downfall we had was our room location. We had a preferred pool view room in the 60’s building and it was pretty loud, which made it a bit difficult when we still had a little one that needed to nap. During this trip my Mom and Sister had a room in the same building, same floor just around the corner and it was significantly quieter.

Someone loved the big Play Doh can!!​

Now I’m the type of person who likes to unpack completely as soon as we get there. I like things to be organized and all set for our stay. One of the perks of us driving means we can bring snacks and drinks. Which is always a plus because that saves us some money.

At this time the plan is for us to head over to Disney Springs to walk around a bit and have some dinner. I think we are leaning toward having dinner at D-luxe Burger. I have heard really good things about it!

photo from DisneyFoodBlog.com​

Another option we are thinking about is the Cookes of Dublin. I’ve heard good things about this place as well. We will just have to see what we are in the mood for when we are there.

photo from GoogleImages
​

Please feel free to share your experiences at these two places!

If we don’t make it to Disney Springs then we will hang around the resort and maybe take a swim. Then grab dinner that Pop Century Food Court.

photo from GoogleImages​

Regardless I don’t think it will be a late night for us because we have an early morning the next day!!

 

[deedee2177]

November 11, 2018 – Magic Kingdom Day!!

It’s our family tradition to always start our trip with the Magic Kingdom. I’ve read over crowd calendars and fully expect this day to be pretty busy. Especially since it’s one of the only days this week that does not have a Christmas Party. However, we have been during busy times before and usually have a pretty good game plan on how to attack the day. Here is the tentative plan for the day:

The park is scheduled to open at 9am, but our plan is to be there around 8am. I truly miss the Welcome Show that they used to have prior to park opening. I’m hoping to be out at the bus stop around 7:30am. We are not big breakfast eaters so we will eat breakfast in the room. This is definitely one of the perks of driving! We usually pack some of the following for breakfasts:

Mini-muffins
Pop-tarts
Cereal (we bring bowls and buy ½ gallon of milk at the food court)
Granola Bars
Fruit

I’m looking forward to seeing how well the bus time feature works on MDE. So far, I have heard good things.

I was really hoping to go bagless to the parks as the kids got older, but it just doesn’t seem like it will happen. My husband and I did this for our Adults Only trip in 2015 and it was WONDERFUL!! However, with the kiddos I like to have snacks available for them and to make sure we have waters. So, we won’t be bagless.

Our game plan is to linger around Main Street until the park opens. Then we will make our way over to Tomorrowland to ride Buzz Lightyear before the line gets too crazy. We will then make our way over to “new” Fantasyland to hit up some rides there.

Then off to Adventureland and then onto to Frontierland to use our Fast Passes:

9:30-10:30 – Thunder Mountain!

​

10:35-11:35 – Splash Mountain!

We have not eaten at Pecos Bill’s in quite some time. So, I think we are going to have lunch there on this day. Now the kids are a bit older they are not so picky. I do plan on utilizing the mobile ordering for our food.

One thing my husband has mentioned he wants to do is to see the Country Bear Jamboree, he has never seen it and the couple times we have tried to go see it they were “hibernating”. Neither one of my kids have seen it either. So, I’m really hoping we can make this happen this trip. I figured after lunch might be a good time to try and catch the show, let our food digest a bit.

Our next Fast Pass is not until 4:15 for Mine Train. I’m really hoping to be able to reschedule this for an earlier time, but so far no luck. This is one of our favorites. Here some pictures of the first time my little guy ever rode it. I promise you he LOVED it but these pictures still crack me up. That is pure glee on my daughter's face!!

After some more rides we will decide what to do for dinner. One of our must do’s every trip is Columbia Harbour House so if I had to guess that is where we will end up for dinner. We always try and grab a table upstairs so we can have a view of Liberty Square.

Since this is one of the only nights that HEA will be showed, I would like to stick around and watch it. However, DH is not a big fan of watching fireworks…he rather go on rides at this time. I’m fine with him taking the kids on rides while I have a nice spot to watch, but I much rather watch with the family.

The down side of staying until HEA I know it will be a mad house to exit the park and get to the buses. So, we will do one of 2 things:

1. Watch the show near the exit so we can make a mad dash as soon as it’s over
OR
2. Wait around as the crowds die down, check out some shops, find a quiet place to sit. Then head to the buses.

I think it will all depend on how the kids feel.

Well, there you have it…our first full day in the parks!!

Where will we venture to next?

 

[shannie102]

Following along! First day looks great!

 

[deedee2177]

Following along! First day looks great!

Thanks for following along!!

 

[deedee2177]

November 12, 2018 – Animal Kingdom Day!!

So, to be honest this is the day I’m struggling with most as far as the planning goes. The main thing that threw a wrench into the planning was the FP I got for Flight of Passage. Due to the glitches they were having on my FP day I could only grab one from 5:45-6:45pm. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy I was able to get one at all because I have definitely heard about some major issues other people had.

Ok….now let’s get to the plans I do have.

Animal Kingdom has morning EMH this day. We are fans of the morning EMH hours, so we plan on being there at 7:30 for the 8am EMH opening. Our plan is to head to Pandora, but not to FOP and will head to the standby line for the Navi River Ride. My son and I rode this ride during our Mom/Son trip. This will be the first time for my daughter and husband to see Pandora.

After Pandora we will head over to our FP for the Safari. We have a FP from 9:55-10:55am. This is absolutely one of our favorites. During my last visit with my son we got to see the new baby hippo, who was actually out of the water.

My kids and Keith want to ride Kali River Rapids, so we will head that way next. I absolutely LOATHE getting soaking wet, and it will be my luck that I get soaked if I ride this. I guess I can suck it up and pack an extra pair of clothes for everyone since we will have the book bag with us, but ugh what a pain in the butt! I may sit it out and let Keith and the kids ride it because I know they want to!

Once the adventure is over onto to Everest we will go. My son still hasn’t worked up the nerve for this one yet, but it’s one of Keith’s and Emma’s favorites.

Keith is in the blue​

Joey and I will probably make our way over to Dinoland while they tackle Everest. I realized the other day I think he is finally tall enough to ride Primeval Whirl…oh boy! Glad we would be hitting this before lunch!

About this time it will be time for our lunch ADR at Rainforest Café. My kids LOVE this place. Not necessarily my first choice but I love watching the kids enjoy themselves. This is what happened during Joey’s first visit (1st Disney Trip at 9 months old):

We have a Fast Pass for Dinosaur from 12:20-1:20, so we will make our way back to Dinoland. Now I have to be honest this ride scares me and I will keep my eyes closed basically the entire time. Proof in the picture below:

After this I would like to take some time to walk the paths/trails to see the animals. We tend to skip over this and do the rides, but I want to take my time and enjoy all the park has to offer. I will also see if I can talk the family into seeing some of the shows…again something I enjoy but the others not so much. However, we very well may want (need) to take a break back at the resort for a bit.

As I mentioned previously our FP for FOP is not until 5:45. I’m going to put it out there. I’m super nervous about FOP because I have heard it’s not really Pooh Size friendly and I’m definitely Pooh Size. I’ve read about other people’s experience and tips they give to make the ride more comfortable. I do think it’s very strange that some people fit, but people smaller than them didn’t fit. There is no way to know for sure except to try it out. I do know there is a tester seat out in front of the ride, but it seems that is smaller than the actual ride. So, I’ve made up my mind to just give it a try because that will be the only way to know for sure.

We will probably grab some dinner after our FOP ride. I’m thinking Restaurantosaurus. We haven’t eaten there before and seems like it has something for everyone there. Not to mention I think the kids will enjoy their meals coming in a sand pail (yes, my daughter still orders from the children’s menu…she eats like a bird).

We want to stick around the park until closing (8pm). We want to see Pandora at night, and Keith is determined to ride Everest at night. We may leave a bit before closing to avoid the mad rush to leave after the River of Lights Show.

Wow! Pretty busy day when I look back on it. But it’s the best kind of busy!!!

 

[deedee2177]

November 13, 2018 – Hollywood Studios Day!!

Photo by DisneyTips​

I’m super excited about this day and checking out Toy Story Land!! I’m hoping the weather will be a bit cooler while we are down there because I have read how hot it is in Toy Story Land, and lack of shade.

HS opens at 9am, and I would like to be there no later than 8:15am. We will actually be driving over to HS because I’ve heard due to construction the bus stops are quite far away. So, we have decided to drive over there.

We will head to Toy Story Land (along with everyone else…LOL). We will go on Alien Swirling Saucers first. We do have a FP for Slinky Dog later in the afternoon, but if the standby line isn’t too bad while we are over there in the morning we will ride it.

We have a FP from 10am-11am for Tower of Terror. Let me be very honest with you this is the ride that scares me the most!! Joey and I had plans to ride it when we went on our Mommy/Son trip this past January, but he changed his mind. I tried to convince him because I didn’t want my fear to influence his decision, but he was adamant about not going on it. So, we didn’t do it…PHEW! Well, since this trip his Daddy and his big sister will be with us, he is determined to do it. I guess I will have to suck it up and get on it!!

We have an ADR at 11am at 50’s Prime Time. I have eaten here once with a friend and really enjoyed the food. Our waitress did not play around too much but that could have been because we were 2 adult women having lunch there. We usually always do Sci-Fi because that is my husband’s favorite, but we decided to do something different this time. (Don’t feel too sorry for the hubby, we will be back in April and we will do Sci-Fi then). I hope this time around they do a bit more of the antics.

After lunch we will make our way over to Star Tours. My husband is a big Star Wars fan, so he always enjoys this ride. I’m sure we will spend some time in the gift shop as well.

I think after Star Tours we will part ways. Keith and Emma will head over to RnR and I will take Joey to go see Frozen. Joey is not quite brave enough to try RnR yet. We will meet back up to meet our favorite…Chewbacca!

Another thing Keith and the kids have not seen is the Indiana Jones show, so we have added that to our list of things to see this trip. I’ve seen this show a couple of times and I think they will enjoy it. Plus it’s a nice break in the shade.

We will then make our way back to Toy Story Land to ride Toy Story Mania, and then we will have some dinner. I’m thinking probably the Backlot Express. We were thinking of PizzeRizzo, but I recently read that is becoming seasonal so not sure if that will be open when we are there.

After dinner we will head over to Slinky Dog to use her FP (5:30-6:30). I’m still hoping to get an earlier time for this one, but no luck yet.

We don’t have any set plans after this. I would like to stay for the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM show. Not sure if the family will want to stick around for that. If that’s the case I may have Keith just take the kids back to the resort via car and I will just get the bus back after the show.

At this point we will only have 2 more days left, I always get a bit sad at this point of the trip because the end is approaching. I will just have to remind myself we will be back in April!!

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Joining in. Looks like lots of fun so far!

 

[deedee2177]

Joining in. Looks like lots of fun so far!

Thanks so much for following along!!!! Now to go check out your PTR...LOVE THE TITLE!!

 

[deedee2177]

November 14, 2018: Epcot Day!!

Epcot is easily my 2nd favorite park (2nd only to Magic Kingdom). Keith has promised to spend more time there this trip. I think this park is growing on him a bit. I also think now that the kids are a bit older they can appreciate this park more.

The park opens at 9am and we plan on being that at opening. So, that means another breakfast in the room and out at the bus stop by 8am.

We have the following Fast Passes:

· Journey to Imagination: 10:40-11:40

· Spaceship Earth: 11:40-12:40

· Frozen: 1:50-2:50

The plan is to head to Test Track first…definitely a family favorite. Then we will cross back over to Soarin’ this is one of my favorite rides out of all the Disney rides. Keith will sit this one out because he doesn’t like heights and about passed out the one time he went on it when my daughter was 6 years old. So, it will be a ride for me, Joey and Emma. I love riding this with the kiddos!! I have really noticed the difference in wait times since they added the extra screen in June 2016. My friend and I were lucky enough to ride it when it opened back up with the new film and new screen. We actually went on 2 times in a row with no wait!

Then it will be off to Living with the Land. I don’t know what it is about this ride but my husband and I LOVE it! I could ride it all day long…it is so relaxing to me! Then off to another one of our favorites…Nemo and Friends. I remember taking Joey on this when he was a baby and he was mesmerized!

After that we will head over to Journey into Imagination for our Fast Pass. This is one of Joey’s favorites and it’s such a nostalgic ride for me. I remember riding this when I was a little girl (and when the ride used to be longer).

My little guy from our Mommy/Son trip...showing we were there for his 6th Birthday!​

Then off to Spaceship Earth to use our 2nd Fast Pass. Again…another ride I can’t miss. When my son and I went on it this past January the lights were on for some reason in the 1st few rooms and I forced myself to close my eyes cause I didn’t want to ruin the magic!!

After Spaceship Earth we will make our way into the World Showcase. We always go left toward Mexico. What about you guys? Right or left? I think the plan is to grab some lunch at La Cantina de San Angel. We originally had an ADR for lunch at San Angel Inn, but we decided to just stick to Quick Service on this day. We will ride the Mexican ride with our 3 Amigos and Donald also while visiting the Mexican Pavilion.

We will then move the family to Norway so we can use our Fast Pass for Frozen. I’ve only been on this ride once so I’m looking forward to riding it again. After that we are going to just make our way around the World Showcase and make it a point to visit something for each country. I’m thinking about doing the Kidcot activity with the kids which will require us to stop.

I personally want to see Illuminations as I have heard they will be changing this show. As you have probably caught the kids and Keith aren’t real big firework/night time show watchers. So, it may end up just being me watching while they go off and do some rides.

This day seems to be a more laid back, just do what we like as it comes kind of day. I think it’s good timing for that kind of day as we will have been going full force since the start of our trip.

Next update will be of our last full day!

 

[deedee2177]

November 15, 2018: Magic Kingdom Day!! (Last Day..Boo!)

This update marks our last day. It is our tradition to begin and end at Magic Kingdom so that is what we are doing again. MVMCP is scheduled for this night. We considered buying tickets but are holding off and may decide to purchase them once we are there (if still available). The biggest thing holding us back is I just don’t think my son can make it to midnight, about 9:30pm is his max. So, I’m not sure it’s worth the money if he only makes it to 9pm. There is still the possibility of Keith taking Emma, and Joey and I hanging back at Pop.

Here is the plan so far for the day. We have the following Fast Passes:

· Splash Mountain: 9:40-10:40am

· Mine Train: 10:40-11:40am

· Space Mountain (Keith and Emma): 12:10-1:10pm

· Buzz Lightyear (Me and Joey): 12:20-1:20pm

The park opens at 9am so we will be there around 8am, that means at the bus stop around 7:30am. I’m hoping for us to take a ride on the Main Street Vehicles. My son and I did this on our last trip and we really enjoyed it. Neither Keith nor Emma have experienced this.

This day we will head over to Adventureland first. I remember the days before Fast Passes and when you just showed up, we would always visit Adventureland first. We will do the Jingle Cruise, Aladdin and then onto Thunder Mountain.

After Thunder Mountain we will use our 1st Fast Pass of the day at Splash Mountain. We love this ride! It was closed the last time I was there in January…can’t wait to ride it again!

Then it will be onto Pirates…another favorite. I’m curious to see the new scene on this ride. Then off to use our 2nd Fast Pass on Mine Train.

About this time I think our tummies will be dictating our next stop. If we didn’t eat at Columbia Harbour House at the beginning of the week then I think that is where we will go. If we did eat there earlier in the week, I think we will probably head to Cosmic Ray’s for some lunch. We usually like to do lunch around 11am. We do this for 2 reasons…(1) We are not big breakfast eaters and (2) We tend to beat the lunch crowds.

If we do CHH we will head to It’s a Small World after lunch. This is one of those rides that I have to ride each trip. This is my Dad’s favorite ride (he calls it Little People), and I remember riding this ride with him and my Mom. Now I love to take my kids on it.

We will finally make our way over to Tomorrowland. Keith and Emma will use their Fast Pass for Space Mountain. Joey and I will head over to Buzz Lightyear to use our Fast Pass. Joey is not quite ready for Space Mountain. At this time I will try and get our 4th Fast Pass….I will try to get either Peter Pan or Winnie the Pooh.

Then onto one of my Must Do’s (Stacey Pun intended)…the PeopleMover. Then a spin on the Carrousel…another nostalgic Disney Ride. Joey has mentioned wanting to watch the parade so he and I will try and find a place to watch. Anyone have suggestions on a good spot? I’m thinking Adventureland/Liberty Square area. I’m not sure if Keith and Emma will want to watch the parade, if not we will divide and conquer.

We will meet up again in Tomorrowland to take a spin on the Tomorrowland Speedway. Then an absolute a spin on Carrousel of Progress. Every trip Joey mentions going on Astro Orbiter, he went on this when he was 2 years old but somehow it never works out…either the line is crazy or it is not working. So, I really hope we can make this work this time around.

I think we will spend the last part of the day in Fantasyland. One thing we have not done is Enchanted Tales with Belle (shocker, I know). The park closes at 6pm for the non-park guests so we will head out about that time.

We have an ADR at 7:30 at Trails End over at Fort Wilderness. We haven’t eaten there before, but I have had many friends that have and they have really enjoyed it.

Photo by WDW Info​

There you have it, my plans for our trip that is only 33 days away!!!

Next update will be more about the plans to surprise Joey about this trip, and how it all came about.

 

[deedee2177]

So, this update is a bit different than the others since I have shared our trip plans already. One trip update is I was able to get an earlier Mine Train FP on our 1st Magic Kingdom Day!! It was originally scheduled for 4:15-5:15. I was able to grab an earlier one for 2:05pm!! I’m super happy with this because I know we will have a better chance of getting additional Fast Passes with that time compared to the 4:15 time. I’m hoping to do the same thing with my FOP and Slinky Dog fast passes. No luck yet, but I will keep trying!

I also wanted to share about how this trip came about. Like I mentioned before this trip was not planned at all. We were starting to think and plan for our April 2019 trip. Then the Fall Offers came out and I just couldn’t help myself and ran some dates. I knew the kids would be out of school on 11/12 for Veterans Day so that is why I focused on that week. Yes, they will be missing 4 days of school but so far both of them have straight A’s so I’m comfortable with them missing the time, and making up the work when we get back from the trip.

Since the trip was not planned and we had not originally budgeted for it, Keith and I decided to keep it a secret from the kids. After some time had passed and it looked like we would definitely be able to make the trip happen we decided to tell Emma. She loves to help me plan our trips and I missed having her help me with some of the decisions. She told us she was glad we told her cause she would have been disappointed on helping with the planning. However, we have not told Joey yet and don’t plan on telling him until the night before we leave or the morning of. Emma wants to help with telling him. We are not planning anything too elaborate. We are going to have Emma ask him if he wants to go to Disney World and of course he is going to say yes. Then she is going to hand him the box of Magic Bands and tell him we are going (next morning or right then…depending on when we tell him). I’m leaning toward the morning of because I know if he knows the night before he is not going to sleep (he is like his Mommy in that way).

We are always excited about our Disney Trips but this one we are super excited. The last time we were there just the 4 of us was April 2017. Here are some pictures from that trip:

Joey and I had our Mommy/Son trip in January. I’m super happy we did this trip and it was extra special. Sadly a few weeks after we returned Joey ended up breaking 2 bones in his leg and was in a wheelchair for 7 weeks and was in a walking cast and then a boot for 4 weeks after that.

Then while Joey was still in a wheelchair we received a call from Emma’s Nanna while she was with her in Mississippi for her Spring Break. Emma had flown over the handles of a scooter and landed on her chin. She had to get stitches and when they got home she had to have 2 of her molars pulled because they were cracked to badly (there was not saving them).

So, after these adventures with the kids we can’t wait to get to our happy place! Just the 4 of us, don’t get me wrong I love having my extended family join us when the can, but I can’t wait for this time with my Hubby and the kids.

Well, there you have it a small Disney update and some background on this trip and our family adventures that have taken place this year for us!

 

[BellesLibrary]

What an exciting trip! We're taking our 5 year old and 2 year old in November and they don't have a clue either! We've been to Disney before, but it's been quite a while since my husband and I took the kids--in fact, he and I haven't been to WDW together since our second made his arrival 2 years ago!

I love the idea of the magic bands as your big reveal! We might just wake up our kids and tell them that we're going on a trip and wait until they guess. The 5 year old actually knows how to get to WDW (more or less), so it will be fun to see how long it takes her to figure it out!

We've thought about doing MVMCP during this trip, too, but I think that they'd both be zombies by the time the party got underway. I guess we'll hold off until they're a little bit bigger and can actually enjoy the festivities that late!

 

[deedee2177]

Messed up post

 

[deedee2177]

What an exciting trip! We're taking our 5 year old and 2 year old in November and they don't have a clue either! We've been to Disney before, but it's been quite a while since my husband and I took the kids--in fact, he and I haven't been to WDW together since our second made his arrival 2 years ago!

I love the idea of the magic bands as your big reveal! We might just wake up our kids and tell them that we're going on a trip and wait until they guess. The 5 year old actually knows how to get to WDW (more or less), so it will be fun to see how long it takes her to figure it out!

We've thought about doing MVMCP during this trip, too, but I think that they'd both be zombies by the time the party got underway. I guess we'll hold off until they're a little bit bigger and can actually enjoy the festivities that late!

So exciting!! It's been so hard for me to keep this from my son. It's my daughter who has been helping me to keep it a secret...she can't wait to surprise him!!

 

[deedee2177]

Quick update. I got that wonderful email on Friday that our Magic Bands are on the way!! I checked the tracking this morning and they are scheduled to arrive today!!!!

I was actually really surprised to see they were going to be arriving so soon!! My last trip...the delivery took a bit longer. Once they arrive I will have to keep them hidden from Joey.

So, we are busy every weekend until we leave. This weekend we are going to visit my parents, sister and my baby niece. Next weekend we have Trunk or Treat activities (kids school and my daughter's dance studio), plus the hubby will take the car in to get the oil changed, tires rotated and just looked over to ensure all is in good shape for our drive. The next weekend I have a wedding to go to (a fellow Disney Lover). Then the next weekend we leave!!! UGH!!!!

This is when I start to panic a bit. I start making a bunch of lists, and start getting things together, and I run the money numbers over and over again to make sure I have budgeted correctly! My husband just sits back and laughs!

Thank you all for following along!

 

[deedee2177]

Yay, Yay, Yay!!!! Look what I got yesterday!!!

​

I feel like this is the last big thing before the trip. You have your ADRs at 180 days, Fast Passes at 60 days and then you receive your Magic Bands. All that is left to do is to obsess over the itinerary and packing list...oh wait is that just me??

There are still a few changes I would like to make regarding Fast Passes, but don't know if it will happen. I would like to make my Fast Passes earlier for FoP and Slinky Dog.

 

[deedee2177]

What happens to a planner when Disney decides to extend park hours at one of the parks? Revamp the itinerary for that day, of course! I received a notice that hours were extended at MK on 11/11/18. So, now the hours are from 9am-10pm instead of closing at 9pm. I plugged in this information into the TP website and there were definitely some changes to our game plan.

Also, I was talking to Joey the other day and he mentioned when we go on the April Trip he wants to have a break in the day back at the hotel. He loves to go back to the resort to rest, play in the room and of course swim. Oh boy…I thought the nap/rest time would be over at this age with him, but I guess not.

This is Joey during our last trip during one of his breaks...this boy never naps, except at Disney!​

With all of that in mind here is what our 1st Magic Kingdom looks like now:

Again, we will arrive around 8am like planned so we can explore Main Street a bit. Then off to Fantasyland for Pooh, Dumbo, Little Mermaid and Barnstormer.

Then a quick visit to Tomorrowland for Keith and Emma to ride Space Mountain. Joey and I will either do the PeopleMover or maybe the Speedway. Once we meet back up we will head over to Pecos Bill’s for a lunch (at this point it should be around 11am). We prefer an early lunch.

After lunch it is over to Splash Mountain to use our 1st Fast Pass (11:30am-12:30pm). Then over to Pirates. Might be a bit of a wait but we have some time until our next Fast Pass for Thunder Mountain. After Pirates it will be back over to Thunder Mountain for our 2nd Fast Pass.

At this point we will head back over to Tomorrowland and maybe watch the parade. After this it will be time for our Fast Pass for Mine Train! After Mine Train I think would be the best time for Joey’s break (if he still wants one). I can make a Fast Pass somewhere for Keith and Emma before Joey and I head out.

The plan will be to meet back up at MK for dinner around 6pm either at Cosmic Ray’s or Columbia Harbour House. After dinner we will make our way over to some rides. Probably Small World, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise. As time approaches I would like to find a spot to watch the fireworks. Joey and I watched them from outside Gaston’s Tavern by default during our last trip…he needed a potty break and that was the closest one. It was a pretty cool spot to watch from you literally felt surrounded by them, but it was not crowded at all.

After fireworks we will have another hour before park closing. I will have to gauge how everyone is feeling to decide our next step. May stick around and ride some a couple more rides, or we may call it a day and start making our way back to the resort.

So, there is the revised plan for our 1st MK day which will in all probability go right out the window when we actually get there!

 

[Helvetica]

You got your Magic Bands already?! I'm jealous. It looks like you have a great trip planned!

 

[deedee2177]

You got your Magic Bands already?! I'm jealous. It looks like you have a great trip planned!

I was shocked when I got them so early. If I remember correctly I didn't get them until about 3 weeks beforehand for our last trip. They are currently hidden in the garage so Joey doesn't find them.