Wide Load Ahead: 2 Princesses in a Double Stroller & DH in an ECV (PTR+TR on Page 2)

[smiles33]

We are tentatively planning an April 2013 trip....WOO HOO! I already reserved a Kids Suite at HoJo, but it's still not definite. Keeping my fingers crossed we can make this work! Just re-reading my TR makes me long to go again NOW!

[MAGICFOR2]

Originally Posted by smiles33

We are tentatively planning an April 2013 trip....WOO HOO! I already reserved a Kids Suite at HoJo, but it's still not definite. Keeping my fingers crossed we can make this work! Just re-reading my TR makes me long to go again NOW!

Oh you have to go see Cars Land!!! DS and his little family just got there today - can't wait to hear about it!

[Pesky]

Love your TR! My DD will be a wee bit older than your oldest when we first go but it's great to see her reaction to stuff as I think my DD may be similar in a lot of respects! Definitely will be watching sales on the princess dresses.

[smiles33]

I think we may go, and i'm betting DDs will love the Carsland cars. Still not 100% sure, but we got a Kids' Suite @ HoJo so I'm thinking we are leaning toward it.

Tammie: how did your DS like it?

Pesky: we lucked out as the Disney store had a summer clearance so I got the dresses for like $6! Plus this time DD3 will be old enough for BBB! Hope have a great time.

[DisneytheKid]

Thanks for the great PTR &TR!

[smiles33]

Thanks for reading along! I haven't posted much since our April trip isn't 100% confirmed yet. I hope to add more soon.

[smiles33]

PTR for April 2013 begins now!

First, a list of foods I missed this last trip that I definitely hope to get to this time:
- Bengal skewers
- Fried chicken at Plaza Inn
- Loaded Potato soup at Carnation Cafe
- Monte Cristo (preferably from Blue Bayou for the ambience!)
- Beignets from Cafe Orleans

The rides/attractions we didn't get to that I hope to hit this time:
- Monorail
- Toy Story Midway Mania
- Screamin' (closed for rehab during our last trip)
- Pirates of the Caribbean (also closed for rehab then)
- Splash Mountain
- Mark Twain Riverboat
- Jungle Cruise
- Redwood Creek Challenge Trail
- Grizzly River Run (only if it's hot!)
- Monsters Inc
- Radiator Springs Racers
- Luigi's Flying Tires

Rides I hope DD6 wil join me on now:
- Big Thunder Mountain RR
- Matterhorn (but she may still resist dark rides)

Shows we didn't catch last time:
- Muppets show (saw the list somewhere but don't remember anyone mentioning it before)
- It's Tough to be a Bug

Things I want to do this time:
- Get the girls' silhouettes on Main Street
- Collect all the pressed pennies
- Walk around Downtown Disney

That's a pretty full list! I've got to figure out which rides that we've already done should be on the priority list to try and do as well, but that's a post for another day.

[smiles33]

Inspired by this thread about what DISboarders do differently on their second trip, I'm starting to think of how I will approach this trip.

- I want to focus on the character experiences. Sure, we got autographs and photos on our first trip, but my DDs were shy and didn't talk much. So it felt like I was just forcing them to pose and then we'd move on. I want to think about props (e.g., stuffed Gus and Jaq for Cinderella meeting!) or easy questions I can share with DDs to prompt a conversation. I hope to do the Minnie and Friends Plaza Inn breakfast this trip.

- We didn't shop at all on our first trip. I never took them to Downtown Disney or any of the Main Street stores. I was trying to avoid having to say no to buying souvenirs, but maybe I can set a budget and let them browse more.

- DD6 is still a little sensitive, so I think we have to skip Fantasmic again (one of these days!) and I don't think she'll like POTC or Blue Bayou. But she's not as scared of the dark as she used to be so I'd love to take her on dark rides like the Little Mermaid ride (I'd still skip Snow White and Pinocchio). DD3 isn't as sensitive so I'm sure she'll happily go.

[smiles33]

I decided I needed a whole separate post re: food this next trip, as my entire family LOVES to eat so this will be fun (my 3 and 6 year olds eat like adults!). I am so glad to have stumbled on the www.disneyfoodblog.com because the photos and descriptions are amazing!

- I definitely want to try the Monte Cristo and Pommes Frites at Cafe Orleans this time! While Cafe Orleans also has beignets, I hear the beignets are awesome at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen, so maybe we need to do a "beignet-off" to compare!

- I'd like to get the fried chicken at Carnation Cafe (DH and I love fried chicken!).

- DH and the girls each definitely have a sweet tooth, so I think we'll have to stop by the Jolly Holiday bakery. Matterhorn macaroons look good (we love macaroons), as do all the other treats. Wow, talk about gaining weight by just looking at the photos!

- We missed the churros last trip, but now I see there are churro bites with CHOCOLATE dipping sauce at the Cozy Cone Hotel. DH and the girls are going to be all over that!

- We also missed Bengal BBQ last trip, as we were starving and it looked "far" away when we were standing in front of Big Thunder Ranch with its buffet option. I definitely want to try the bacon-wrapped asparagus skewer.

- Snacks from our first that we really liked and hope to get again include the hot link corn dog from Corn Dog Castle, the Dole Whip Float (yummy!), and the Mickey Mouse ice cream bars (though I guess my DDs would want popcorn again, too!).

[hollyshoffbrau]

Love your TR and look forward to the next one!

[smiles33]

Originally Posted by hollyshoffbrau

Love your TR and look forward to the next one!

Thanks, Holly! Love your avatar--cute kid!

[smiles33]

Just thought I'd link to a shorter version of my DLR tips, which I summarized in one long entry here:

Disneyland with Princesses 5 and Under: How to Make Dreams Come True!

[smiles33]

I keep reading all the rave reviews for DVC points rental but I looked up a 1 bedroom suite at GCV during our April time period and it's 39 points/night, which would be about $400 (assuming I could get $10/point and a reservation then). Yikes. I think a $200/night difference is too rich for my blood. When DD3 drops her nap and we can just get a studio, then the $100 difference between a standard off-site room and the $200/night GCV studio would be easier for me to take. But boy, do those photos of the rooms make me wistful!

[smiles33]

I found a great thread on the WDW side about tips from CMs and it's 79 pages! I thought I'd keep a running tab here of the best tips that I want to remember.

- when there are 2 lines, go left! It's almost always shorter.
- if there are multiple lines at an ice cream stand, observe which CM is giving bigger scoops and get in that line.
- if a ride is down, look for custodial staff or mgmt (wearing suits and name tags) to ask for updates as they have radios.
- eat early lunch at counter-service places (like 11 am right when they open) as food is freshest and lines are shortest and consider "off-time" res for table service like 3 or 4 (when it's hottest and most crowded). Then can grab "dinner" while waiting for a show and eat while you're saving a spot for the show.

[smiles33]

We're now less than 60 days out! Woo-Hoo! I've made dining reservations for dinner Goofy's Kitchen the first night we arrive and then breakfast at the Plaza Inn with Minnie and Friends on Friday morning. We get Magic Morning on Saturday morning so I don't want to do Minnie's on that day (right?) since we'll already be fighting with the Early Magic Hours on-site guests that morning. This means that we will miss being at DCA at rope drop in the morning since we only have Thurs afternoon, Fri and Sat and both Fri and Sat will be at DL right now. I sure hope we can still get FP for RSR after breakfast with Minnie (when we'll be coming in well after on-site guests have already their Early Magic hour at DCA) or if I run over on Sat morning (though APs will have beaten me to the FP machines by an hour!).

Just as an easy reference for me, I'm putting the Early Admission options here.

1) APs have early access to DCA on Saturday and DLR on Sunday (it ends right after the weekend we are there)

2) On-site guests get Early Magic Hour at DL Tues/Thurs/Sat and DCA Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun.

3) Magic Morning (which we will have) is DL only on Tues/Thurs/Sat. We have to use our MM on Saturday as we arrive too late on Thursday and won't be there the following Tuesday.