ladybugJ
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2015
We surprised our kids with our first family vacation in December 2013 - an 8-day trip to WDW. They were almost-7 and just-turned-4 at the time. We told them in the car on the way to the airport. It was a wonderful trip and we've been trying to figure out how to go back for a while now.
Early this year, DH and I talked at great length about returning to WDW in December and even did some number crunching to figure out if it was feasible at all. We ended up shelving the idea.
And then the free dining offer came out, and I kinda-sorta booked a 4-night trip at WL in December in the middle of the night (you know, with the $200 deposit); DH had already gone to bed and waking him up to discuss this sort of thing wasn't practical. So talked with him in the morning and told him we should pull the trigger NOW so we didn't lose the opportunity, that we had until mid-October to pay for the trip and if we didn't set a plan in place, we'd never go back. He agreed, and went to check our bank balance to see how much to put toward the trip, when he saw the $200 deposit I'd already made. He laughed out loud at me (he's used to me doing stuff like this and finds it amusing...you know the line in My Big Fat Greek Wedding about the man being the head of the home and the wife being the neck, turning the head in the direction she wants it to go? Yeah, that.) and said, "I guess we're going to Disney. But you didn't make our trip long enough. Go add another night!"
We've ended up with a split-stay since we wanted to arrive December 14, and the free dining offer starts on the 15th. But I had a pin code for a room-only, so we used it on the Dec. 14 arrival night. We head back home on the 20th at the very end of the day.
We're surprising our kids again, but this time we're doing it November 30 with a trip to our local Disney Store, who can do a "Magical Moments" video announcing our trip to them. They beg all the time to go back to DisneyWorld, so it'll be fun for them to have two weeks of anticipation building up to our departure.
WHO: This trip it's just the 4 of us - me, DH, DD who will be almost 9 and DS who will have just turned 6.
WHEN: Dec 14 - Dec 20, 2015
WHERE: WL CR garden wing room - we switched due to the planned construction and need for our kids to nap midday.
ADRS: We decided to go big or go home and upgraded to the Deluxe DDP. I crunched the numbers and we'll break even or come out ahead for the way we function on vacation.
Arrival day 12/14 - check into the hotel, eat lunch @ Chef Mickey, go to room for naps, head over to MK around 7 pm.
12/15 - Epcot day, Candlelight Processional at 5 pm (planning early return to resort)
12/16 - MK day, naps in the middle of the day, eat at Park Fair on the way back to MK
12/17 - late start day, head to AK, hop to Epcot for Illuminations
12/18 - HS day, back to resort early evening
12/19 - MK day, naps mid-day, back to MK
Departure Day 12/20 - no real plans this day except early lunch at Sanaa.
We are intentionally skipping MVMCP this time. We went during our first trip and didn't find the extra expense to be worth it for us for this trip.
I'm a little annoyed with myself for not looking at last year's December park hours for MK before booking our ADRs. I was all excited about getting early morning reservations at CP and CRT (8ish am) and now am thinking the park may be opening at 8 am if it does what it did last year at the same time. And I'd rather NOT have breakfast in the park at 8 am if I could be riding rides (or in line to meet Anna & Elsa
) instead. I was able to get a 10:30 ADR at CP but there is absolutely NOTHING for CRT at any meal, on any day of our trip. I know to check back frequently, especially at 60 days and 45 days out, but those aren't til OCTOBER and I would love to have everything nailed down already!
Early this year, DH and I talked at great length about returning to WDW in December and even did some number crunching to figure out if it was feasible at all. We ended up shelving the idea.
And then the free dining offer came out, and I kinda-sorta booked a 4-night trip at WL in December in the middle of the night (you know, with the $200 deposit); DH had already gone to bed and waking him up to discuss this sort of thing wasn't practical. So talked with him in the morning and told him we should pull the trigger NOW so we didn't lose the opportunity, that we had until mid-October to pay for the trip and if we didn't set a plan in place, we'd never go back. He agreed, and went to check our bank balance to see how much to put toward the trip, when he saw the $200 deposit I'd already made. He laughed out loud at me (he's used to me doing stuff like this and finds it amusing...you know the line in My Big Fat Greek Wedding about the man being the head of the home and the wife being the neck, turning the head in the direction she wants it to go? Yeah, that.) and said, "I guess we're going to Disney. But you didn't make our trip long enough. Go add another night!"
We've ended up with a split-stay since we wanted to arrive December 14, and the free dining offer starts on the 15th. But I had a pin code for a room-only, so we used it on the Dec. 14 arrival night. We head back home on the 20th at the very end of the day.
We're surprising our kids again, but this time we're doing it November 30 with a trip to our local Disney Store, who can do a "Magical Moments" video announcing our trip to them. They beg all the time to go back to DisneyWorld, so it'll be fun for them to have two weeks of anticipation building up to our departure.
WHO: This trip it's just the 4 of us - me, DH, DD who will be almost 9 and DS who will have just turned 6.
WHEN: Dec 14 - Dec 20, 2015
WHERE: WL CR garden wing room - we switched due to the planned construction and need for our kids to nap midday.
ADRS: We decided to go big or go home and upgraded to the Deluxe DDP. I crunched the numbers and we'll break even or come out ahead for the way we function on vacation.
- Arrival Day 12/14/15 - Chef Mickey, very late lunch
- 12/15 - Coral Reef Candlelight Processional lunch, Akershus dinner (we LOVE Akershus!)
- 12/16 - Crystal Palace breakfast, BOG lunch (WOOT!), 1900 Park Fair dinner
- 12/17 - Chef Mickey breakfast (LOVE this place b/c they have GF Mickey waffles!), Tuskers super late lunch, La Hacienda @ 9 pm for Illuminations
- 12/18 - Sci-Fi lunch (want Mama Melrose but haven't been able to get ADR yet), Boma dinner
- 12/19 - CRT breakfast, BOG dinner
- Departure Day 12/20 Sanaa very early lunch
Arrival day 12/14 - check into the hotel, eat lunch @ Chef Mickey, go to room for naps, head over to MK around 7 pm.
12/15 - Epcot day, Candlelight Processional at 5 pm (planning early return to resort)
12/16 - MK day, naps in the middle of the day, eat at Park Fair on the way back to MK
12/17 - late start day, head to AK, hop to Epcot for Illuminations
12/18 - HS day, back to resort early evening
12/19 - MK day, naps mid-day, back to MK
Departure Day 12/20 - no real plans this day except early lunch at Sanaa.
We are intentionally skipping MVMCP this time. We went during our first trip and didn't find the extra expense to be worth it for us for this trip.
I'm a little annoyed with myself for not looking at last year's December park hours for MK before booking our ADRs. I was all excited about getting early morning reservations at CP and CRT (8ish am) and now am thinking the park may be opening at 8 am if it does what it did last year at the same time. And I'd rather NOT have breakfast in the park at 8 am if I could be riding rides (or in line to meet Anna & Elsa
) instead. I was able to get a 10:30 ADR at CP but there is absolutely NOTHING for CRT at any meal, on any day of our trip. I know to check back frequently, especially at 60 days and 45 days out, but those aren't til OCTOBER and I would love to have everything nailed down already!
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