Who's More Excited, the kids or adults? A Family's First Trip to WDW: UPDATE 2/23

[caitlinnf]

Hi! I am so excited to start my very first PTR! No one here knows me, but I've been lurking on the DIS for about a year, soaking up everything I can learn, because this year, I have TWO trips in the works. TWO! No, I'm not excited at all.

Let's get started, shall we?


WHO:

That's me, Caitlin, 28 and Ben, 31. We've been married for nearly nine years.

Here's the Disney lowdown on us. I have been to the World twice in my life. Once when I was three. From photographic evidence, I know that we visited the Magic Kingdom for one day, and Epcot for one day. We spent the rest of the time at the beach. The ONLY thing I remember from that trip? That it was over Easter, and that the Easter Bunny sent baskets to our hotel.

Trip #2 occurred when I was 8 or 9. I went to Orlando for a weekend with my aunt and uncle for my uncle's medical conference. We spent one day at the conference, a day at Magic Kingdom, and an evening at Universal. I remember that I didn't ride a single thing at Universal because I was too scared. At MK, I know that Dumbo and IASW were closed, and I have a picture of myself on the Teacups. THAT'S IT. How sad, right?

Regardless of my less than stellar memory/experiences, I have somehow managed to become obsessed with the idea of returning to WDW. When DH and I first got married, I would spend hours on the Disney website, planning what I wished could have been our honeymoon. Years later, we found ourselves with three kids and the nagging obsession returned, because now I wanted to bring my kids with us! I found Disboards last year, and have spent far too much time learning everything I could in hopes that a trip could happen in the near future. More on that later!

As far as favorites, I was a child of the late 80s/early 90s, so I am a forever fan of Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King. I also love the Disney/Pixar movies like Toy Story and Monsters, Inc.

Ben has never been to WDW, but has always wanted to. He will be quick to tell you that his parents went several times on their own and LEFT HIM HOME He also loves to watch Disney movies, and has seen pretty much all of them. I'm not entirely sure of his favorite, but I know he loves The Lion King, as he often chooses that for family movie night!

Next up, the kidlets:

How's that for an intimidating biker gang?

We have three adorable, crazy munchkins.

Bethany is five years old and in Kindergarten. She loves school and is really starting to be a good reader. She makes friends wherever she goes. She is a great big sister and tries really hard to be a good helper. Bethany is a major princess fan, with Ariel just barely edging Jasmine.

Becca is three. She is our middle child, and she was born a middle child! She has an infectious smile and everyone who meets her thinks she is the cutest thing ever. She is very funny, very curious, and very THREE. She is the cause of all of my husband's and my gray hairs, but we love her to pieces. Becca loves Cinderella and Tinkerbell.

Last up is Greg, but we call him Gigs. He will be 18 months on our trip. He is my most active baby, always climbing and getting into things (as evidenced by the above photo!) He is thoroughly adored and spoiled by his sisters, and has his mommy wrapped right around him mischievous little finger!

There are two more people that I can't leave out. Ben's parents will be with us on the trip. In fact, they are the reason we get to go: his dad is treating us all! They have been to Disneyland once or twice and WDW once a few years ago. They stayed offsite and did 5 park days, but it was Spring Break so they certainly missed a lot! Grandma and Grandpa have seen most family friendly movies available, so of course they love Disney! Their goal on this trip is to watch their grandkids have fun.

WHEN

We booked last night! We will have 6 nights and five full days in Feb 2014.

WHERE

After much debate, we settled on Port Orleans Riverside. We will be in a Garden View room. I am VERY excited about this choice, as I have loved all of the pictures that I have seen. I know it is not the most Disneyfied resort available, but I feel that it will be a nice, relaxing place to come home to after busy park days.

WHAT

We are booked under the Stay, Play, Dine promotion. We will do five park days, non-hoppers. With the dining plan in mind, I already have our ADRs set, but that will have to wait for another post

WHY

Because if someone said they wanted to take your family on a vacation to a location of your choice, wouldn't you pick Disney World too???


So, that's a little about us. If it sounds like a good time, follow along! And if you're out there, say hi!

 

[caitlinnf]

Let's Eat!
Magic Bands and Christmas Shopping
Day 1 Plans
Day 2 Plans-MK
Day 3 Plans-AK
Day 4 Plans-DHS
Day 5 Plans- EP
Day 6 Plans- MK Take Two

 

[caitlinnf]

Okay, let's get this thing started!

First up: FOOD. Who doesn't love food?

Clearly not this kid.



I mentioned before that this trip is being generously funded by my FIL. However, he has requested that I take over all of the planning due to my somewhat incessant Disney research.

I've been so nervous as time went on without booking, because I knew that ADR possibilities were quickly depleting. When we finally booked 3 months out, I wasn't sure what we would be able to get! Especially since having little kids narrows down the dining time window, as a 9:00 dinner just will not work!

So as soon as FIL forwarded the confirmation email saying we were booked, I got straight to work scheduling ADRs!

Now, while I was technically given the reins of planning, I still wanted to make sure everyone would be happy. So I asked FIL how he saw us using our table service credits. His answer was that he wants the kids to have as much fun as possible, so let's have a character dinner every night. So NOT the answer I was expecting. I didn't think he would really be up for loud and crazy all the time, but I guess the thought of giving his grandkids a good time was too enticing. Well okay, then!

With all that said, here is what we have booked!:

Chef Mickey's Dinner
Crystal Palace Dinner
Hollywood and Vine Lunch
Tusker House Lunch
1900 Park Fare Dinner
Garden Grill Dinner




A few comments about our choices:


1) I went back and forth a LOT with our Epcot options, going between Garden Grill and Akershus. My girls LOVE princesses. LOVE.

(I have no idea why it is sideways. Sorry.)

But eventually I chose Garden Grill because I frankly don't think anyone would have been thrilled with the kind of food at Akershus. Garden Grill is pretty simple for my taste, but the kids and grandparents will like it. Plus...Chip and Dale! I love them and am really hoping to get some good interaction from them. So yeah, I guess you could say I've sacrificed my daughters' chance to dine with princesses for my own desire to play with chipmunks. Hey, mama's gotta have some fun too, right? Plus, I'm sure we will be doing plenty of princess stalking at MK.


2) Three of our ADRs involve members of the Fab 5. This seems a little heavy on that, but it is what worked because I scheduled them based on the parks we will be at each day. Like I said before, our Epcot day gave us the choice of Garden Grill vs. Akershus. Similarly, MK has Crystal Palace and CRT (which was out because of 2 credits). Of course, the nearby monorail resorts expanded the options a bit too, so 1900 Park Fare is on one of our MK days.

2) You may have noticed that all of our ADRs are for lunch or dinner. I'm a little wary of this, because for character meals, breakfasts are generally reviewed higher than lunch and dinner. We have a few reasons for bypassing breakfast. One, we are generally cereal/granola bar people for breakfast, so a big meal isn't necessary. Actually, no matter how big of a breakfast we have, we are still just as hungry later on Two, we are on the dining plan and FIL wants to get the best value out of it. Three, with the young kids, we want to take advantage of their good mood in the morning to tour the parks and save meals for when we need a break. Hopefully the food will be decent and we won't regret the decision.



Either way, it should be fun! My girls haven't been to Disney, but they love to meet characters!

We have no idea how Gigs will react. We'll find out!


So that's where we are going to eat. I think the kids are going to just love it and I'm excited to see their reactions!


That said, I have a question that maybe you guys (if anyone is reading this) can help me with!

Remember how I said that I made ADRs as soon as FIL booked the room? Well, the only thing he sent me was a confirmation number, but apparently he created an account under my husband's name, because I was not able to link the reservation to my account. Being in a hurry to get what we wanted, I just made the ADRs alone, using my own credit card for the reservation guarantee. So my question is, is there a way to go back and link the ADRs to my FIL's account, and/or switch it to his credit card? Did I make a big mistake or are we alright?

 

[caitlinnf]

Just a quick update tonight...not that anyone is actually reading this


My FIL gave me his login info for the Disney site to book FP+ when it becomes time. I logged in today to check it out, and ordered our magic bands while at it! It was cute how excited the girls were to pick their own colors...pink, of course.

I, on the other hand, chose green. But only because purple was not an option. Why, Disney, why???


In other news, I took advantage of the 25% off coupon at Disney Store right now, and took a trip to my local Disney Outlet. I stocked up for my trip! Sorry, no pictures, but I got:

For the girls: 3 T-shirts with 1) All princesses 2) Cinderella 3) Minnie Mouse;
Fleece pullovers with more princesses (I think Snow White, Ariel and Belle, but I could be wrong); tiny plush Minnie Mouse and Pooh Bear

For Gigs: 2 T-shirts with 1)Jake and the Neverland Pirates 2) Fab 5; Fleece pullover with either Mickey or Buzz and Woody, can't remember which I ended up with; Tiny plush Donald Duck

For DH: 2 T-shirts with 1) Marvel superheroes 2) Fab 5

For Me: 2 T-shirts with 1) Minnie Mouse 2) Ariel

I did my best to have SOMEONE either have a shirt or plush that will correspond with each of our character meals, to encourage better interaction. I wish I could have clothes for everyone for each day, but as a family of 5, that is a pricey endeavor! Taking advantage of the coupon combined with the sale at the outlet mall definitely helped, though. I came away with those 18 items for $144.

Also along the lines of bargain shopping, the above purchases will make up the majority of our Christmas gifts this year. Sorry kiddos, no toys for you, we need to prepare for Disney!

Other things that I am planning on getting for Christmas/to pack for the trip are:

Autograph books (leaning towards making my own)
Ponchos
Crocs and Tennis shoes for each kid
Disney gift cards for souvenirs


Is there anything else that I am seriously overlooking, or that would be fun?

Someone come out and play so I won't be talking to myself!

 

[caitlinnf]

Arrival Day!

I will say, as much as I love vacations and am CRAZY excited for this trip, traveling with three young children is exhausting, hard work. Also...flying scares the boogers out of me

So...I find travel days a bit stressful. No matter, it's necessary for the fun that will lay ahead! Plus, we will have the help of the grandparents. A 4:3 Adult to Kid ratio is pretty great!

Our flight leaves mid-morning, so no need to wake up ridiculously early.
That is always a plus in my book


We have a direct flight to Orlando. If all goes well, we will land safely and on time and make our way to DME!

One thing that I do like about traveling with little kids is that they get excited over small things. I expect that they will love riding on the Mickey Bus.

I, however, will be eagerly anticipating our arrival at POR! FIL requested connecting rooms, so I'm hoping that with a little that will be granted. It would be IDEAL to be able to put the kids to bed and either go next door to watch tv or play games until bed, or (even better) leave the grandparents with a baby monitor and sneak away to the parks, DTD or even just the food court for a little alone time with my hubby.

The rest of the day is wide open. We will use it to explore the resort and maybe swim. We have a dinner ADR at Chef Mickey's, so that will be the first character interaction of the trip! After dinner, we may ride the monorail to the Poly as well, just to check it out. If the weather is nice, we will likely swim after dinner to help the kids wind down and get ready for a good night's sleep.

The hubs and I might try to sneak away to see Yeehaw Bob Jackson tonight.

I think it should be a nice day and will be busy enough to feel like we are doing vacation-y things, but not wear anyone out. We will have a BIG day the next day!

 

[caitlinnf]

Hi everyone! (or more likely, no one.)

It’s been a long time since I’ve updated, because I was waiting on something very important: FP+ reservations! We hit our 60 mark on Saturday morning, so I have been finagling things to try and make the best day possible.

Let me tell you, Disney planning is HARD! I really want to have a plan and a structure to make sure we get a lot accomplished, but I also don’t want to be rushed and rigid. With three kids and four adults, there has to be some wiggle room as well. Finding that balance was harder than I thought it would be. I also don’t really know what the crowds will be like at this time. But I did my best, and I will be keeping an open mind during the trip and will be willing to skip things as needed.

Day 2 Plans- We will be getting up early this morning for 8AM EMH at Magic Kingdom!

Firm Plans
FP+:
Enchanted Tales with Belle 10:05-11:05am
Under the Sea 12:00-1:00pm
Space Mountain 7:40-8:40pm
Food:Lunch at Be Our Guest
Dinner at Crystal Palace 5:40pm

Since we have two days at MK, we are just going to be focusing on Tomorrowland and Fantasyland this day. Which works out since that is all that is open during AM EMH anyway!

We hope to arrive at rope drop and head to Tomorrowland. Since the Peoplemover will be closed at the time (sad), there are only three must-dos there: Buzz Lightyear, Space Mountain, and the Speedway. I hope to knock all of those out as quickly as possible and head over to Fantasyland. With three small (and princess obsessed) kids, this is where the magic is!

I want to do the teacups, Winnie the Pooh, and Peter Pan (depending on wait times) before our FP+ for ETWB. Depending on the time, we might also try for Dumbo and Barnstormer. After ETWB, we will head straight to Be Our Guest and hopefully not wait too long for lunch.

After lunch, we will use our Under the Sea FP+, meet Ariel, see Philharmagic, and ride IASW. I’m hoping it will be no later than 1:00 at this point, then we will head back to POR for a break/naps.

The plan is to be back at the bus stop by 4:30 to head back to MK. If there is time before dinner and we didn’t already do it in the morning, we will try to hit Dumbo and the Barnstormer (or whatever it’s called now).

We have a 5:40 ADR at Crystal Palace tonight! My kids are excited to hug Pooh bear, and I love all of the Hundred Acre Wood gang, especially Eeyore. I’ve heard mixed reviews about this food, but I hope we will all find enough yummy things to satisfy us.

After dinner, we will maybe ride the carousel and then head over to Tomorrowland. We will definitely want to catch Monsters Inc Laugh Floor tonight. By then it will probably be time to stake out a spot for Wishes. We also have a 7:40-8:40 FP+ for another ride on Space Mountain. Of course only the adults in the group are tall enough for this one, so we will likely trade off going while the others are waiting for the fireworks, and maybe grabbing a Mickey bar or some popcorn. If not, we will use it right after wishes.

At this point it will be very late for our early-to-bed kids, but if they are still in good spirits we will stay for the 9pm MSEP. If everyone is pooped, we will just head back to the room and try to rest up for the next busy day!

 

[KatMark]

Hi, there. Hubby and I had to stay in tonight because of the bad weather and I was caught up on doing an update to my TR and reading all of the other ones I'm subscribed to, that I decided to skim new ones and came upon yours.

For a "first" PTR, you are doing an awesome job.

Your kids are beautiful.

So far your plans sound great. I can't really comment on your meals because I am not a fan of any Disney dinner buffet, but you have to do what is best for your family.

I look forward to following along.

 

[caitlinnf]

Hi, there. Hubby and I had to stay in tonight because of the bad weather and I was caught up on doing an update to my TR and reading all of the other ones I'm subscribed to, that I decided to skim new ones and came upon yours.

For a "first" PTR, you are doing an awesome job.

Your kids are beautiful.

So far your plans sound great. I can't really comment on your meals because I am not a fan of any Disney dinner buffet, but you have to do what is best for your family.

I look forward to following along.

Hi! Thanks so much for commenting. I love your TRs but I'm a chronic lurker

I will confess, the idea of so many buffets is not thrilling me, but I think it will be great for the dynamic of our group. The hubby and I plan on taking another trip at the end of the year for our 10th anniversary, so I will hopefully be getting to try some of the other restaurants then

 

[tmand3Cs]

I am a lurker as well but am debating on writing down our plans. We are heading to POR in early April. It has been nice reading your plans. I think ours will be a bit different seeing we only have boys. I (sadly) won't get to spend much time with any princesses. Excited to read more of your plans as you write them and see some photos once you are there.

 

[5crazyfordisney]

Hi! I am also a mom of three kids although a bit older than your kids (mine are now 12, 11, and 9). Our first family vacation was when my kids were about your kids' ages. There is nothing more magical than seeing Disney through your kids eyes - so fun! You will have a great time!

Sounds like you are doing a great job planning and scheduling ADRs, FP+s, etc. It's a bit overwhelming and intimidating but you seem to have done your research! Crystal Palace holds a special place in our heart - the characters are great and there are enough food choices everyone can find something they enjoy.

We are headed to Disney next week - I'm running the half marathon (my first half marathon - yikes, what did I get myself into?!) and my husband is running the full (probably his 30th, no kidding!). We are also staying at POR - been there several times & love it.

Looking forward to reading more about your trip.

(And super jealous you're going twice in a year! And a trip without kids - good for you, that is a great way to celebrate with your husband!)

 

[caitlinnf]

I am a lurker as well but am debating on writing down our plans. We are heading to POR in early April. It has been nice reading your plans. I think ours will be a bit different seeing we only have boys. I (sadly) won't get to spend much time with any princesses. Excited to read more of your plans as you write them and see some photos once you are there.

Hi! Thanks for reading! I've said before that I'm a lurker, but writing has been a helpful way to get my act together.
I'm really excited about staying at POR. All of the pictures are just gorgeous.
I can imagine that touring with only boys would shift the plans a bit. The princess influence is huge in our house right now... see?

Hi! I am also a mom of three kids although a bit older than your kids (mine are now 12, 11, and 9). Our first family vacation was when my kids were about your kids' ages. There is nothing more magical than seeing Disney through your kids eyes - so fun! You will have a great time!

Sounds like you are doing a great job planning and scheduling ADRs, FP+s, etc. It's a bit overwhelming and intimidating but you seem to have done your research! Crystal Palace holds a special place in our heart - the characters are great and there are enough food choices everyone can find something they enjoy.

We are headed to Disney next week - I'm running the half marathon (my first half marathon - yikes, what did I get myself into?!) and my husband is running the full (probably his 30th, no kidding!). We are also staying at POR - been there several times & love it.

Looking forward to reading more about your trip.

(And super jealous you're going twice in a year! And a trip without kids - good for you, that is a great way to celebrate with your husband!)

Thank you so much! Yes, I have done a lot of research. It's become a bit of an obsession.
Awesome that you are doing the marathons! I am so NOT a runner.

I couldn't be more excited about going twice this year. We never had a honeymoon or any trip together, so after 10 years it is much needed.

 

[ashw100]

Yay I am so excited I found your PTR! I am going in Feb 2014 too! I have a 3 year old and 18 month old as well, both boys. I can't wait to read more of your plans and maybe get some tips for my upcoming trip.

 

[caitlinnf]

[/LIST]4809]Yay I am so excited I found your PTR! I am going in Feb 2014 too! I have a 3 year old and 18 month old as well, both boys. I can't wait to read more of your plans and maybe get some tips for my upcoming trip.

Hi! How exciting about your trip...February is NEXT MONTH! Ahhh!

 

[caitlinnf]

I’ve been feeling bad that this report has so few pictures, because I don’t have any of past trips to share of anything, so I thought I would start this post off with some cuteness: my kid’s Christmas photos 

Yep…they’re cute.

Okay, where was I?

Day 3! Today we will be venturing into the wild…otherwise known as Animal Kingdom!

Today will be slightly unique as it is the only day that I don’t have us planned to take a midday break. With park hours of 9am-7pm and taking into account bus travel time and all of that, I didn’t feel that it was worth it. So instead, the plan is to hit rope drop and go until probably 4-ish, and then call it a day.

Firm Plans
FP+:
Kilimanjaro Safari 10:00am- 11:00am
Kali River Rapids 2:40pm-3:40pm
Expedition Everest 3:40pm-4:40pm
Food:
Lunch at Tusker House 12:40pm

To be honest, I have worked and reworked this day’s plans and I haven’t quite been able to get it so that it feels right, but this is what I have for now. If anyone sees any glaring fatal errors, I'm open to suggestions.

Like I said before, we are going to be here for rope drop. We will head straight to Asia and ride Everest. My hubby LOVES roller coasters and I know he is excited about this one. This may be a good time to mention that I am a total ride wimp. Like…I hate anything that goes high or has drops. But 10 years ago when we were contemplating a Disneymoon that never happened, the hubs made me agree to a pact that if we ever made it to Disney together, I would ride every ride with him once. And I agreed. So…this one should be interesting for me. It will probably be my first real challenge, as Space Mountain from the prior day doesn’t scare me too much. I think the whole inside/dark thing makes me feel oddly better about it. I’m weird, I know.

Anyway, we will do Everest hopefully quickly enough to not make the kids restless. Although they should be fine if we set them up where they can watch. The girls loved watching their dad on the coasters at Sea World over Christmas break!

After that thrill we will do the Maharajah Trek. Our family loves animals so this should be fun. Note: Can someone tell me how much time they usually spend on the AK trails? I haven’t been able to find any info on what a reasonable time to allot for this would be.

Depending on the time now, I was thinking that we might see Tough to Be a Bug and/or see some characters. I’m not sure at ALL how any of my kids would react to this show, so I’m on the fence.

Then we will head over to Africa for our Safari. I think this will be a favorite for our entire party. After that, the Pangani Trail. I’m excited to see some gorillas! (Same question about timing here).
Next up is the train ride to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. I know this is skippable for a lot of people, but by this point in the day, I think my littles will welcome a relaxing ride and a petting zoo.

I’m excited about our lunch plans for today! We will be eating at Tusker House. I love me some Donald, and think that the safari outfits are ridiculously cute. My husband and I are big fans of the type of food as well, but the rest of the family will probably lean towards the more “normal” options.

After lunch, my plans are a bit uncertain as I can’t quite figure out how the timing will work out. Depending on how quickly we get out of lunch, we will try to see Flights of Wonder at 2pm. If we miss it, that will be okay. We catch the birds of prey show at our local Renaissance Festival every year. If we don’t make it though, I’m not quite sure how we will spend the time until our Kali FP+ are ready at 2:40.
I’m excited to ride Kali, as I suspect that Bethany will adore it. Hopefully our ponchos will work

By this point, everyone will likely be exhausted. Gigs will for sure be crabby as it will be past nap time. So if everyone is just done, we will head back. If everyone is willing to push on though, there are more things I would like to do!
Next up, we go onward to Dinoland! Dinosaur will be first up. I’m not sure if Bethany will ride this one. Pretty sure it will scare her, so it might be just the adults trading off. Everyone will definitely ride Triceratop Spin, and I’m hoping that everyone will vote to skip Primeval Whirl, but I will probably lose that one. I hope that whatever I have brought to battle motion sickness works!

The parade is at 3:45, so I’m hoping it will be about time to find a spot by now. My kids will love it if they are not too tired to enjoy. if so, they can just lounge in the strollers.

The last thing that we have for the day is a FP to Everest from 3:40-4:40. What I’m thinking is that if we feel like riding it again, we will trade off while the remaining adults hang out with the kids at the Boneyard. That way we will reduce the amount of time dragging them around the park, and also at this time of day, they probably won’t want to do more than sit and dig anyway. If we decide earlier in the day that we don’t care to do EE twice, I might try to change our FP+ to Dinosaur.

I really wanted to see Finding Nemo, but I couldn’t seem to fit it in anywhere, and also, a 40 minute show is difficult with Gigs. I think there is enough to do where it won’t be missed, and hubs and I will try to catch it on our anniversary trip, hopefully along with FOTLK!

If we make it this far, it will definitely be time to go. I know we could take advantage of the low after-parade crowds, but I’m sure the kids and grandparents will be worn out. So, we will head back to POR. If by some miracle everyone has energy left, we can take the boat to DTD and try out the famed Wolfgang Puck Express for dinner. More likely though, we will just eat at Riverside. I have my eye on the make your own pasta.
Swimming in the evening is a strong possibility, followed by bed, as the next day will be an early one!

 

[KatMark]

The Christmas photos are adorable.

I love your AK day plans.

It's a tough call on It's Tough to be a Bug. I've gone it with kids from the ages of 3 to 16 and the 3 year old was fine and the 16 year old was scared out of her mind. It really depends on your kids and how they handle darkness and BIG bugs and special effects.

I've never seen the bird show so I can't comment on that.

We usually spend about 30 minutes on the Maharajah Trek; I am NOT a fan of bats so I don't go in that house and wait for hubby on the other side. The Pangani Trail all depends on how active the gorillas are...we usually spend 20 minutes in this area.

My husband loves the train to Rafiki's Planet and going to the petting zoo. There is usually an animal or two with a trainer that they will let you pet, etc.

 

[ashw100]

Your plans sound really good. I know for me I have decided against It's Tough to be a bug. I know my baby won't know what's going on either way but my 3 year old will definitely freak out during this. I am basing this off of experiences, he hates the dark and hates bugs. The rest of your plan sounds good hopefully, the kids will last.

 

[caitlinnf]

The Christmas photos are adorable.

I love your AK day plans.

It's a tough call on It's Tough to be a Bug. I've gone it with kids from the ages of 3 to 16 and the 3 year old was fine and the 16 year old was scared out of her mind. It really depends on your kids and how they handle darkness and BIG bugs and special effects.

I've never seen the bird show so I can't comment on that.

We usually spend about 30 minutes on the Maharajah Trek; I am NOT a fan of bats so I don't go in that house and wait for hubby on the other side. The Pangani Trail all depends on how active the gorillas are...we usually spend 20 minutes in this area.

My husband loves the train to Rafiki's Planet and going to the petting zoo. There is usually an animal or two with a trainer that they will let you pet, etc.

I'm thinking we will probably skip Tough to Be a Bug then. I think my two youngest will be scared. Too bad, since we all love A Bug's life.

Thanks for the timing input on the Treks. That sounds about right for what I was thinking, so yay! Although, I will want to spend some time looking at the bats. I like scary animals...my favorite place in Sea World is the shark tank.

My kids LOVE any animal they can pet, so I wouldn't be surprised if between that and the train, Rafiki's Planet Watch ends up being their favorite part of the park!

Your plans sound really good. I know for me I have decided against It's Tough to be a bug. I know my baby won't know what's going on either way but my 3 year old will definitely freak out during this. I am basing this off of experiences, he hates the dark and hates bugs. The rest of your plan sounds good hopefully, the kids will last.

I think you are right about skipping it. I suppose if my oldest decides she wants to see it, we can split up and have someone take her. That's the nice thing about going with the grandparent. I hope they last too! But I'm prepared to let it go if they are tired...I feel like that flexibility will make or break the success of the trip.

 

[anniebabymu]

Was doing a little updating to my PTR tonight and stumbled upon yours! I love *first trip* PTR's Takes me back to ours!

You guys will love POR! We stayed there last April and it was beautiful... grounds were gorgeous! During nap-time one day my oldest and I stepped out just to walk around and take pictures... and even the 5 year old loved it!

Your plans and ADR's sound wonderful! How great that your FIL just wants the kiddos to have a great time! Traveling with grandparents is the way to go! We learned this the hard way after our last trip, so I'm excited to have my in-laws back with us for this coming trip!

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your plans!

 

[caitlinnf]

Was doing a little updating to my PTR tonight and stumbled upon yours! I love *first trip* PTR's Takes me back to ours!

You guys will love POR! We stayed there last April and it was beautiful... grounds were gorgeous! During nap-time one day my oldest and I stepped out just to walk around and take pictures... and even the 5 year old loved it!

Your plans and ADR's sound wonderful! How great that your FIL just wants the kiddos to have a great time! Traveling with grandparents is the way to go! We learned this the hard way after our last trip, so I'm excited to have my in-laws back with us for this coming trip!

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your plans!

Thank you! I hear so many wonderful things about POR, so I am very excited about it.

Grandparents are definitely the way to go. I much prefer traveling when I am not outnumbered by my children!

 

[caitlinnf]

Hi! I didn't mean to abandon this PTR, life just caught up with me. In addition to being a Disney obsessed mom , I also work as a birth doula, and am a Girl Scout leader for my daughter's Daisy troop. Things have been crazy in the last month! Then last week, my grandmother passed away unexpectedly and I found myself flying to frigid land of Michigan. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I had to leave my girls home and just brought Gigs with me. He had a fun time being the only child for awhile:

Anyway, I got home late last night and am ready to get back to preparing for our trip! It's getting so close and we are getting VERY excited!
So, onto our plans! This day will be our day at DHS. I have to preface this by saying that this was the absolute hardest day to plan for. I don't know if it was because there are so many shows vs. rides, or trying to juggle things that kids can do vs. the adults, I don't know. So I have a plan, but I fully expect that not everything will get fit in. I will make cuts and adjust accordingly when we get there, and I will put anything that doesn't get done on our list of reasons to have to return!

Firm Plans:
FP+:
Great Movie Ride 10:00-11am
Star Tours 5:00-6:00pm
Toy Story Mania 6:00-7:00pm
Food:
Lunch at Hollywood and Vine 12:15pm

This will be an EMH morning, so we will do our best to get here bright and early. We have an evening FP for TSMM, but will still make this a priority first thing in the morning because I'm pretty sure it will be the family favorite of the day. So we will head straight there, and then over to RnR and Tower of Terror to ride standby.

From what I can tell in my research, there should be a Disney Jr. Live show sometime around 9:20 or 9:40. This will be a priority as it is one of the only things that my youngest two will care about here. They love the Disney Jr. crew!

Then we have a Great Movie Ride FP for 10:00-11:00. I know this seems like a waste, but my options were limited because of tiering, and I figured that since the whole family can ride it together, it will be okay, and I've read that the queue isn't all that exciting.

After GMR, we will check out the wait time for Star Tours. If it is short, we will ride. I think Bethany will enjoy this one. If it's a long wait, we will skip it until the evening. Next we will see the Indiana Jones show. My husband and I love Indy, and FIL enjoys the movies too. I really struggled with the choice to see this or Beauty and the Beast, but ultimately decided to throw in a show that the adults in the group would like.

When the show is over, we might kill a few minutes before our ADR at the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids playground to let the kids blow off some steam.

Lunch today will be at Hollywood and Vine. I was SO excited to find out that they changed the characters and that Sofia the First will be there now. Saves us from a long character line in the park! I think the kids will all love this one. The character interaction seems fun. Once lunch is over we will head back to POR for a rest.

After our rest we will head back to DHS in time to use our FP for Star Tours. Hopefully this will be our second ride of the day, and hopefully we will get to see new scenes.

Depending on the kids' moods, we might catch Muppet Vision now. If not, we will go straight for dinner. I know the CS options here are limited, but we will eat whatever is nearby that looks okay.

We have a 6:00-7:00 TSMM FP and I want to try to use it as early as possible because I want to try to squeeze in Voyage of the Little Mermaid afterwards. My daughters LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Ariel, so I want them to be able to see this.

Depending on the time and wait times, we might do the single rider line at RnR. My hubby and FIL will likely love this ride and will probably want to have more than one ride on it.

On this night there are two Fantasmics, with the 2nd at 8pm. I hope to catch this one. I'm not all that concerned with getting great seats, and we certainly can't wait in line for 90 minutes. I'm hoping that it will be less crowded as the 2nd show of the night. This will be a toss up with my kids. If they are in good moods, they will probably love it. If they are too tired or crabby, it might scare them. I think it's worth giving it a shot, though!

So there are our DHS plans. Like I said, they aren't perfect and we might be trying to fit in too much, but we will adjust as needed.

Next up: Epcot!