More than we can chew? We shall see! April 2013 PTR

[anniebabymu]

Well, here goes nothing!

DH and I are about to embark on the wildest ride in the errrr... not so wilderness! We are 46 days away from taking our two girls on our first family vacation as a family of four! Don't get me wrong, we've gone on trips with them but they have always involved other family members or friends. Never just us two and the kiddos. This will most certainly be an adventure!

First up... cast of characters!

Table of Contents
Stars of my Show!
Our Disney History... or rather lack of!
Our Surprise Trip!
Trip Details
ADR's!
Tentative Schedule
Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party!
Shhhhh... Don't tell the kids!
Look what we got!!
"You're Going to Disney World" Scavenger Hunt!!!
Come on April 16th!!

 

[anniebabymu]

First up... the stars of the show!

Oh we all know those stars of the show... but here are the stars of my show!

DD #2: Harper

She is my little love bug! She will be just shy of two at the time of our trip... so I know she won't remember any of this, but at least she'll have pictures to look back on! I look forward to her and her sister growing up with Disney in their lives!

DD #1: Addison

The real reason behind our first magical vacation! More on that later! She is a 5 year old firecracker! She is so smart, funny, beautiful... I could go on and on! She is our lover of all things princess and is quickly teaching her little sister to do the same!

DH: Derek

He is the greatest daddy of two little girls in the world! I don't think that he knew quite what he was getting into when he agreed to our 1st Disney trip in October 2012... and if he knew what kind of monster would result from it, I'm not so sure he would have said yes! Ha ha! No really, he is a good sport with my new found obsession... and the practical one. He thinks of things like bills, college and wedding funds when lately all I can think of is Mickey ears!

Me: Andrea

Couldn't find many pictures of me... because I'm always the one behind the camera! I need to vow to become better at letting the camera go and get in the pictures with my beautiful girls! I am a newborn in the world of Disney. I am the product of a nature-loving, science teacher father and a mother who doesn't get her way, so getting dad to agree on a beach vacation or vacation in Florida alone was a very rare occurrence! In fact, I can only think of two Florida vacations ever in my child hood. The rest all involved the mountains or camping!

Which is a perfect segue into our Disney history!

 

[Alice Royal]

I'm in!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Joining in! Saw your link on the April facebook group.

 

[anniebabymu]

You're already aware that I never had the pleasure of taking any Disney vacations as a child... deprived, I know! But my hubby went twice I believe. If it were up to his mother, they would have gone every year! After we had our DD#1 my MIL approached us and said, "I try not to be the meddling mother in law, but there is one non-negotiable. The first time you take her to Disney World, I HAVE to be there!" So when Addison turned 3 my MIL and I started discussing our first trip to the world. I was kind of going into this trip thinking, "I'm sure I won't enjoy it, but I am going to do this to appease her and I'm sure Addison will enjoy it." I wouldn't say I was reluctant because I was a willing participant, I guess I just expected it to be like a week at Six Flags. Boy was I wrong!

Starting in February I started really looking into things related to Disney. I knew we'd be booking that trip soon so I started researching different resorts and restaurants because I had NO clue about anything Disney related! Early March my MIL, SIL (BIL's wife) and myself all sat down together, compared notes and decided on a course of action! The end of March we booked it!

A 7 night/8 day trip in October 2012 for 6 adults and 2 kiddos, staying at the new and what would have only been open 3 weeks before our trip LM rooms at AoA! Every day that passed I found myself getting more and more excited! Through the Mom's Panel (I hadn't discovered the DIS until just a couple months ago!) I found out that you could start making ADR's 180 days out, and the same with the BBB. We then got together and decided on ADR's... and 180 days on the dot I made reservations! I started buying the girls their Disney shirts, Disney nick nacks for the plane and researching even more! Found out about MNSSHP, bought tickets for that because I couldn't miss out on Trick-or-Treating at Disney! I could only imagine what it would be like. The waiting was really starting to drive me crazy!

Then finally it came... Oct. 6th... the day that changed my life! Ha ha! I was amazed at how I felt being down there. AoA was amazing! So colorful and fun! And of course my princess loved the LM rooms! It was just so wonderful being with my family and seeing the joy on everyone's faces! I immediately knew that this wouldn't be a one time only trip!

While we were down there my MIL said to us, "We'll have to do this again when Harper and Gavin (our nephew) are Addison's age!" I immediately turned to my DH and said, "We'll have to do this again, before then, without them!" Not that I didn't love having them around, because it sure was nice having an extra set of hands, I just wanted to be able to go with just us four. I wanted to be able to change up ADR's if I wanted. I wanted to come up with a touring plan that everybody didn't have to agree on. I wanted time with the greatest loves of my life, in the happiest place in the world!

We planned on waiting more than a whole 6 months before our next trip, but it was killing me! So I started thinking... in August our DD#1 starts Kindergarten so we'll be more limited as to when we could go and I sure did enjoy going when the crowds weren't too crazy! And the end of May our DD#2 turns 2... so you know what that means... we have to buy another plane ticket! It wasn't too hard to convince the hubs we needed to go back before her birthday!

So it was decided upon... April 16th-23rd!

 

[anniebabymu]

I'm in!

Yay! I just subscribed to yours as well! After I get this all settled, I'm going to have to catch up on all of the other April ones!!

 

[anniebabymu]

Joining in! Saw your link on the April facebook group.

Thanks! I've got some catching up to do on everyone else's! I can't wait to read all of yours!

 

[anniebabymu]

Before Christmas my DH and I had been discussing a return trip to the World... then on Christmas morning we opened up gifts. In the bottom of my box there was a note that read, "Book the trip!". He was giving me the official go ahead to book our April trip!! Best present ever!

After discussing our trip, and me reliving having to punch out 180+ Mickey heads to string on a countdown chain for DD#1 for our last trip, we decided that this would be a SURPRISE trip for the kiddos!! I cannot wait!! At least 2-3 times a week DD#1 brings up Disney and how she wishes we could go back. "Mom, when will Harper be as old as me?" "Mom, every time I see an airplane I think of Disney world and it makes me sad. I want to go back there." "(After telling her that one of her preschool friends is going to Disney in May) Mom, don't tell me that... it makes me really want to go back there!". She is going to DIE! Although, I'm a little worried what her reaction will be when she finds out that grandma and grandpa aren't going with us.

I want to make this surprise a good one, so I had been looking up different "You're going to Disney World!" videos on You Tube, I've decided that we are going to surprise her with a scavenger hunt! I bought a princess 16 piece puzzle that had a cardboard "back" to fit the puzzle in. The night before we leave she will get clues and when she gets to the next destination, there will be a puzzle piece for her to collect! When she has all 16 pieces she will put it together and then her final clue will be on the back of the cardboard! We will start out at our house and the hunt will lead us to my in laws house where we will be staying that night (they live a little closer to the airport and we have a 6am flight...eeeek!). The final clue will lead her to their garage where there will be a big wrapped box! She'll open the box and it will have their luggage, shirts for the next day and Mickey balloons with a note that says, "You're going to Disney World!".

It's going to take some planning because I'll have to "plant" clues at our house and at the in laws. I'm hoping our sitter will pick her up from preschool that day so I can get a ton of things done! All the planning will surely be worth it!

Now... I just have to figure out how to video tape it and put it online! I can't seem to record to the hard drive on our Sony Handycam and the DVD won't upload it onto the computer. I thought our Nikon D3100 recorded movies, but I can't figure out how to get those onto the computer too! Grrrrr... going to have to figure it out because I'm sure the video will be priceless and I will want to share it with the world!

 

[KyWildcatGirl01]

i'm here

 

[anniebabymu]

i'm here

I subscribed to yours too!

 

[anniebabymu]

And finally... here are the details to our trip!

When we booked our trip we initially booked another LM room at AoA because we loved that resort last time! When we booked the spring specials weren't out yet and when they came out AoA LM rooms weren't included in that! I plugged in numbers and we could "upgrade" to a mod for about the same price! I took this as a great opportunity to explore another resort! Our new plans are...

April 16th-23rd at POR in a Royal Guest Room!

We got 7 day PH passes since we'll be leaving early on the 23rd and are doing the Dining Plan with 1 ts, 1 cs and 1 snack.

We have a 6am flight on arrival day... so I hope the girls hold up on us because we're planning to park it up on arrival day!

 

[anniebabymu]

When it came to ADR's I was a little worried as to what we were going to get since we didn't book at the 180 day mark! I was pleasantly surprised!

I decided to switch up the ADR's from our last trip and do all new ones... except for one! I wanted to make sure we had a Mickey and Friend's character meal, so I kept Chef Mickey's. Last trip we did Chef Mickey's and Tusker House and despite others raving about it... I was not a fan.

We had a 9:40 reservation and didn't get seated until about 10:45, the hostess and wait staff was rude, we didn't get our drinks until we were done with our 1st plate of food and we had to ask for it and when we wanted to get seconds of breakfast food, lunch was already out! I didn't book for lunch, I booked for breakfast and thought I'd be good with the time we booked! Despite my Type A personality, we are really easy to please and it put a bad taste in my mouth. Enough to make me not want to eat there again So despite bad review of Chef Mickey's, we had a much better experience as a whole there... so that's the one I went with!

Here's our ADR list:

4-16:
Dinner @ Liberty Tree Tavern (6:30)

4-17:
Dinner @ Be Our Guest (6:15)

4-18:
Dinner @ Akershus (6:45)

4-19:
Lunch @ Via Napoli (12:45)

4-20:
Dinner @ Chef Mickey's (6:55)

4-21:
Dinner @ 1900 Park Fare (6:40)
Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party (9:00)

4-22:
Breakfast @ Hollywood & Vine (9:25)

4-17: Dinner @ Be Our Guest

 

[anniebabymu]

So of course this is up to be adjusted as needed in case of crabby children... wait, kids aren't perfect angels at Disney?? But here is our tentative park schedule!

4-16:
- Arrive at MCO @ 9:20
- Hoping to check into POR around 11. Did online check in, so if our room is ready, awesome... we'll drop our bags! If not, we'll leave them at the front and head out to MK!
- CS lunch @ MK or POR... just depends on what we feel like!
- Hopefully catch the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade @ 3.
- Liberty Tree Tavern @ 6:30.
- Call it an early night and head back to resort after dinner. I'm really banking on the girls behaving/Harper napping in her stroller. If not we may be taking naps before heading to MK... but I really hope to not miss out on a lot of park time!

4-17:
- Be at MK for RD.
- Try to catch the Move It! Shake It! Street Party @ 11
- CS lunch @ MK
- Resort for naps/swim
- Back to MK
- Be Our Guest @ 6:15
- MSEP @ 9.

4-18:
- MK EMH @ 8
- BBB for DD#1 @ 11:40
- CS lunch at MK
- Head to Epcot (no nap today... eeek! Hopefully DD#2 will nap in the stroller!)
- Akershus @ 6:45
- Early night due to no naps... head back to resort.

4-19:
- Epcot @ 9
- Via Napoli @ 12:45
- Back to resort for naps/swim
- Back to Epcot
- Illuminations @ 9 (missed this last trip, don't want to miss it again!)

4-20:
- HS EMH @ 8
- Back to resort to nap/swim
- Chef Mickey's @ 6:55
- Possibly heading to MK after, doing rides instead of watching Wishes or MSEP.

4-21:
- AK @ 9
- Back to resort to nap/swim
- 1900 Park Fare @ 6:40
- Head to MK for the Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party and Wishes! EMH till 1. We'll see how long the girls last!

4-22:
- Hollywood & Vine @ 9:25
- Day is open for whatever... although I'm hoping we'll head to MK! No DTD this time. DD#1 will just want to spend $

4-23:
- Checking out around 7:30
... and secretly start planning our return trip that hubs doesn't know about yet! Ha ha! I wish!

 

[danceintherain]

We're staying at POFQ and our days overlap a bit. We're even planning on the Magic Kingdom on the same day (the 17th!) I'm totally jealous of your Be Our Guest ADR - I couldn't get one until 9pm!

Also, I'm always planning a trip to Disney in my head. There's nothing wrong with that! DH only agrees to about half of the trips I plan.

 

[anniebabymu]

We're staying at POFQ and our days overlap a bit. We're even planning on the Magic Kingdom on the same day (the 17th!) I'm totally jealous of your Be Our Guest ADR - I couldn't get one until 9pm!

Also, I'm always planning a trip to Disney in my head. There's nothing wrong with that! DH only agrees to about half of the trips I plan.

I couldn't believe I got that time for Be Our Guest! We were a few months behind the ADR game... so I was expecting a not so great time! Very happy how our ADR's worked out!

Don't you wish they'd agree to all of them?!? I think I got my hubs talked into upgrading to an AP while we're there since it's hardly going to cost us any more money. Then I'm hoping that if I can find cheap airfare my DD#1 and I can take a few extended weekends down there when she has long weekends off of school! "Come on honey... we already have our park tickets "

 

[danceintherain]

I couldn't believe I got that time for Be Our Guest! We were a few months behind the ADR game... so I was expecting a not so great time! Very happy how our ADR's worked out!

Don't you wish they'd agree to all of them?!? I think I got my hubs talked into upgrading to an AP while we're there since it's hardly going to cost us any more money. Then I'm hoping that if I can find cheap airfare my DD#1 and I can take a few extended weekends down there when she has long weekends off of school! "Come on honey... we already have our park tickets "

I had an AP in 2009 and only managed to fit in a second trip that year. We had a 3rd planned, but we ended up canceling for a number of reasons that didn't pan out. We basically rescheduled for the following November, and the trip ended up being around twice as expensive (we needed tickets, we stayed at a Moderate instead of a Value, and we didn't get Free Dining)! Which only supports my theory that Disney will always be less expensive now than it will be in the future.

DS will be 3 in July and who knows when they're going to discontinue the military salute, so then we'll be fighting with everyone else for a good discount. Even going in April this year instead of January increased our costs a bit!

 

[gtpoohbear]

So exciting that you get to go back so quickly, and you will love going with just your family! We've gone with large groups of both mine and DH's family, and while it's fun in its own way, it definitely not the same.

So jealous that you got to stay at AoA, DD and I really want to try it out, but haven't gotten DH on board yet (he's a bit of a deluxe-snob). It looks really cool though. And most of the Mods don't appeal much to me, but the Royal Rooms look tempting, that's another one I may have to talk DH into someday!

 

[anniebabymu]

DS will be 3 in July and who knows when they're going to discontinue the military salute, so then we'll be fighting with everyone else for a good discount. Even going in April this year instead of January increased our costs a bit!

Definitely not looking forward to DD#2 turning 3 for that reason! We may have to squeeze a trip in after school ends next school year... right before she turns 3!

 

[anniebabymu]

So exciting that you get to go back so quickly, and you will love going with just your family! We've gone with large groups of both mine and DH's family, and while it's fun in its own way, it definitely not the same.

So jealous that you got to stay at AoA, DD and I really want to try it out, but haven't gotten DH on board yet (he's a bit of a deluxe-snob). It looks really cool though. And most of the Mods don't appeal much to me, but the Royal Rooms look tempting, that's another one I may have to talk DH into someday!

I cannot wait to go, just the four of us! I can't wait for all the special family time... memories that will last forever!

AoA was great... but I've never stayed anywhere else to compare it to! Rooms were cute, themes were awesome, pools were cute (although, we never made it down to the Cars section!) and Landscape of Flavors was yummy! I'd love to stay at a Deluxe sometime! Maybe we can make that happen if we don't take multiple trips a year! Ha ha!

 

[anniebabymu]

I thought we were done with our ADR's... but the Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party reservations for April opened up today! Something I probably wouldn't have done before joining the Disboards because I really didn't know much about it! Looks like we'll be feasting on desserts and watching Wishes on April 21st! I can't wait to experience this with my family!