The Trip that Won't Stop Changing! Now a Sept 2017 Birthday Visit. *Updated 8/28/2017

[katriscari]

I'm rocking the Carol Brady look as we speak! LOL! Growing hair is the worst.

It's just not right. I used to have such nice hair and after I had Elora it got thin and REALLY dark. Womanhood is rough, from the start! LOL!

My hair is still falling out 5 months after having my baby! I am wondering if I will have any left after all is said and done

 

[MissMaryQC]

Body ruining, money sucking, heart stealer- hellians!!!
and you wouldn't change it for the world! LOL!!!

As my grandmother would say "not for all the tea in China!"

My hair is still falling out 5 months after having my baby! I am wondering if I will have any left after all is said and done

I do not miss those days. Mine never got quite as thick again, but it does come back some! I ended up chopping off my hair cause it started looking a little too bare. Hope it comes back soon mama!!

 

[MissMaryQC]

So Then I Changed All Our Plans!

That's right folks, I changed everything, well mostly. It all started Friday night, DH and I had a date night, I'd gotten free movie tickets and we went to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, it was excellent. DD had a sleepover with her cousin at their grandma's house. A cousin of DH's went to the house for a visit and DD thought she was Snow White; called her Snow White even asked after the Dwarves and the witch! SiL shares this adorable story with DH and me, which prompts me to ask if we're making a mistake not taking DD to eat in the castle, to which he replies "we're not eating in the castle?!"

We chatted briefly about it, and while he agreed DD would love the experience he didn't want to go through the ins and outs of it all. So I called my sister and she gad some very practical advice. Do it! Lol! So I changed everything. Here's what we're looking at now:

Saturday:
No parks. Keeping the Chef Mickey dinner at 6ish.

Sunday:
MK rope drop.
Hair cut at noon, may change to after the parade.
CRT at 8 PM; trying for a bit earlier since fireworks are at 9 PM.

Monday:
AK EMH
'Ohana at 7 PM
-Originally I canceled this to get the CRT and not pay any meal OOP but I couldn't let it go and rebooked.

Tuesday:
Off day.
HDDMR at 6:15 PM

Wednesday:
AK day, late start likely.
TH dinner at 6 PM with hope of a RoL something!

Thursday:
MK last park day.
9:10 AM at CP; trying to nab something earlier but with park set to open at 9 AM I doubt I'll get it. We'll pay this OOP.

Friday:
Back home!

Not the most ideal times but, DD will enjoy every meal. Sis made an excellent point when we talked, see at first I'd considered dropping HDDMR, which I was bummed about. Sis pointed out that E doesn't sit still for very long, as most toddlers don't. So maybe more stuff happening at meals is better. I ran with that. DH likes the new plans, and likes that we can spend less time meeting characters in the parks, or so he thinks...

Gotta keep trying for more ideal times, but I'm mostly happy with this new lineup. Now on to FP+!!

TTFN friends, hope all is well in your world!

​

 

[katriscari]

So Then I Changed All Our Plans!

That's right folks, I changed everything, well mostly. It all started Friday night, DH and I had a date night, I'd gotten free movie tickets and we went to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, it was excellent. DD had a sleepover with her cousin at their grandma's house. A cousin of DH's went to the house for a visit and DD thought she was Snow White; called her Snow White even asked after the Dwarves and the witch! SiL shares this adorable story with DH and me, which prompts me to ask if we're making a mistake not taking DD to eat in the castle, to which he replies "we're not eating in the castle?!"

We chatted briefly about it, and while he agreed DD would love the experience he didn't want to go through the ins and outs of it all. So I called my sister and she gad some very practical advice. Do it! Lol! So I changed everything. Here's what we're looking at now:

Saturday:
No parks. Keeping the Chef Mickey dinner at 6ish.

Sunday:
MK rope drop.
Hair cut at noon, may change to after the parade.
CRT at 8 PM; trying for a bit earlier since fireworks are at 9 PM.

Monday:
AK EMH
'Ohana at 7 PM
-Originally I canceled this to get the CRT and not pay any meal OOP but I couldn't let it go and rebooked.

Tuesday:
Off day.
HDDMR at 6:15 PM

Wednesday:
AK day, late start likely.
TH dinner at 6 PM with hope of a RoL something!

Thursday:
MK last park day.
9:10 AM at CP; trying to nab something earlier but with park set to open at 9 AM I doubt I'll get it. We'll pay this OOP.

Friday:
Back home!

Not the most ideal times but, DD will enjoy every meal. Sis made an excellent point when we talked, see at first I'd considered dropping HDDMR, which I was bummed about. Sis pointed out that E doesn't sit still for very long, as most toddlers don't. So maybe more stuff happening at meals is better. I ran with that. DH likes the new plans, and likes that we can spend less time meeting characters in the parks, or so he thinks...

Gotta keep trying for more ideal times, but I'm mostly happy with this new lineup. Now on to FP+!!

TTFN friends, hope all is well in your world!

​

I really HIGHLY recommend a touring plans subscription. You can probably even google for a discount code which would make it about $10 for the year. You can set up 2 alerts at a time for them to search for better times for you for your dining choices, and they alert you via text & email when a match is found. If you immdiately sign in & do it you will probably get most if not all of the times you want. I had to do this for 7 of my 10 reservations, and I got all of the times I initially wanted on all of them already. As they found one & booked it, I would just add another to always have 2 going.

 

[Chicago Mo]

i LOVE the new plans!! Honestly the fireworks going off while your in the castle would be AH-MAZ-ING!

 

[ArielSRL]

I'm joining in! I've only read the first post but I'm hooked! We are going 6/3-6/11 and staying at WL, as well! I'm so excited. We went this past June with a 4 and 2 yr old (my 4 yr old had gone at 9.5 months but this was his first trip with memories). My 2 yr old remembers quite a bit and we all can't wait to get back.

Excited to read the rest!

 

[ArielSRL]

All caught up! Glad you decided (and then re-decided...lol) on ADRs and got them all booked. Definitely use the touringplans reservation finder!

Looking forward to more!

 

[afwdwfan]

Probably a good change to make. I'm sure she'll enjoy the dinner there.

 

[MissMaryQC]

I really HIGHLY recommend a touring plans subscription. You can probably even google for a discount code which would make it about $10 for the year. You can set up 2 alerts at a time for them to search for better times for you for your dining choices, and they alert you via text & email when a match is found. If you immdiately sign in & do it you will probably get most if not all of the times you want. I had to do this for 7 of my 10 reservations, and I got all of the times I initially wanted on all of them already. As they found one & booked it, I would just add another to always have 2 going.

Totally got the TP subscription for $11 with a coupon, I would not have thought to look for one so thanks! I input my two wanted changes, still waiting to see if anything pops up!

i LOVE the new plans!! Honestly the fireworks going off while your in the castle would be AH-MAZ-ING!

Thanks! I was happy we changed it. She loves the princesses so much. It really is! And they play the music to Wishes as well, so you get the whole experience! We got a window seat for Castle fireworks in 2015, it was very special. I wouldn't be heartbroken if we kept that one, honestly.

I'm joining in! I've only read the first post but I'm hooked! We are going 6/3-6/11 and staying at WL, as well! I'm so excited. We went this past June with a 4 and 2 yr old (my 4 yr old had gone at 9.5 months but this was his first trip with memories). My 2 yr old remembers quite a bit and we all can't wait to get back.

Excited to read the rest!

All caught up! Glad you decided (and then re-decided...lol) on ADRs and got them all booked. Definitely use the touringplans reservation finder!

Looking forward to more!

Well hello there! Thanks so much for joining in!im so glad to hear your family has such a great trip this summer!! Where'd you guys stay. And yay for another trip!! I hope DD recalls this fondly as well, but if not I'll have some cute photos to show her later! Lol!

Goodness, the changes. I think our dining is now done, but other things are a foot, I'll get to that in an update!

Probably a good change to make. I'm sure she'll enjoy the dinner there.

I think so to. DH was hesitant to do "too much princess stuff" but since DD basically owns him, he changed his tune pretty quickly. She's a princess girl!

 

[ArielSRL]

For this past June we were in a 1 bedroom at Saratoga Springs. It was my parents, my boys, and me. DH had to work. It was nice and beautiful and quiet but I'm ready to be a little closer to the action. Mom was the one who had picked SSR.

 

[Whit64130]

Catching up finally! Your plans look great! I am sure your daughter will absolutely LOVE eating in the castle with the princesses! I'm sure some times may open up closer to time. I was shocked when out of curiosity I checked Sunday/Monday of Thanksgiving week all the ADR's available.
Not sure if this has been answered yet or not but when we stayed at WL they had a direct boat to MK and also one from the Contemporary and Fort Wilderness. But that was back in 2011. There were tons of times we used the boat to Contemporary when we had ADRs at the monorail resorts. Didn't take long at all.

 

[MissMaryQC]

For this past June we were in a 1 bedroom at Saratoga Springs. It was my parents, my boys, and me. DH had to work. It was nice and beautiful and quiet but I'm ready to be a little closer to the action. Mom was the one who had picked SSR.

Ooo, how was that? I hear such mixed reviews on SSR. I understand it's easier being closer with the kiddos. Someday I'll stay in the monorail!

Catching up finally! Your plans look great! I am sure your daughter will absolutely LOVE eating in the castle with the princesses! I'm sure some times may open up closer to time. I was shocked when out of curiosity I checked Sunday/Monday of Thanksgiving week all the ADR's available.
Not sure if this has been answered yet or not but when we stayed at WL they had a direct boat to MK and also one from the Contemporary and Fort Wilderness. But that was back in 2011. There were tons of times we used the boat to Contemporary when we had ADRs at the monorail resorts. Didn't take long at all.

You're back! Glad to have read you had a great trip! I think CRT will by a HUGE hit, the princess love grows daily! glad to hear it's a quick trip! I always worry about Disney transportation. I mean they recommend like 90 minute travel time... that seems kinda crazy to me.

 

[ArielSRL]

Ooo, how was that? I hear such mixed reviews on SSR. I understand it's easier being closer with the kiddos. Someday I'll stay in the monorail

I don't really have any complaints about SSR except maybe too little theming and too far out. But we had our car and drove to all the parks, so that really wasn't a problem. Yes, I think I would pick the Poly if I could do a monorail resort...but it is always been way out of my price range!

 

[MissMaryQC]

I don't really have any complaints about SSR except maybe too little theming and too far out. But we had our car and drove to all the parks, so that really wasn't a problem. Yes, I think I would pick the Poly if I could do a monorail resort...but it is always been way out of my price range!

I dream of nights spent at the POLY!!! Some day I'll get there, but for now we'll try WL, stay on the affordable end of things!

 

[MissMaryQC]

In the Mean Time

I am waiting for discounts to come out, hopefully next week we will see something for May. the PIN codes for May are here now, so hopefully some Visa or public stuff will come out soon.

I managed to nab a PPO ADR at CP for our last park day, thanks to Touring PLans; totally worth the $11!!!

While I was on their site I found the handle park planning tool, what a cool thing.

I'm still playing with it, trying to schedule breaks and haircuts and such. Then while I was on there it occurred to me that I have ZEERO clue what I'm gonna try to get for FP+! I mean Guido and I agreed we don't want to do anything Elora isn't able to ride, so not Splash, Space or Thunder mountains for sure. BUT E is already 36" tall so she can currently ride the Barnstromer and the Speedway, maybe even 7DMT by May (it's only 2 " more for her to grow). I HATE water rides so even though Kali is also 38" I don't know that we will go on it... But I'm not sure!

I'm thinking I'll get a FP+ for Tiana and Rapunzel since she loves them and they won't be at CRT. Probably a Peter Pan, and a Pooh Bear cause their lines get long. Then maybe HM and Buzz and... um. I DONT KNOW!!!

Animal Kingdom is not such a problem since we are skipping Everest, but should I just take the plunge and get Kali? For sure getting the Safari and I liked the Lion King FP last time. Still no word on RoL or Pandora, which is upsetting, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

Turns out planning stuff for the baby isn't so easy. Her naps have gotten much shorter lately, so we may not be resting as much, but sh'es also going to sleep at like 9 PM now. I know all is different when they're running around like animals, but I worry about planning too much, or even too little! I called to price out what another days ticket would cost us, it's $36 for two more tickets... I may be purchasing that for my Christmas gift... Heehee. Even just to go to Epcot and see Anna and Elsa and drink and Grand Marnier slush (YUM!). Plus, if I'm gonna upgrade to the AP it will all go towards that cost anyway.

What do you think? Should I do more character FP+? Do those lines get crazy in May?

TTFN friends. hope all is well with you!!​

 

[ArielSRL]

So usually the spring discounts come out after Christmas...just fyi. Last year I think it was 12/27 or something like that. You can check here for when they were released historically:

http://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/

For AK, we did the Mickey & Minnie M&G as far as a FP. Pooh is a good one for MK, PP, of course, Tomorrowland Speedway was a long wait but we were there the beginning of June so you won't have the same type of crowds. I am the same about Kali...no interest. I'm really the only one interested in the bigger thrill rides, so I'll probably still try to get some of those in for myself. Or we'll do Rider Swap if my DH is interested. My 5 year old is tall enough for almost everything but he is not a thrill rider. My 2 year old would be the thrill rider. He was 36" at his appt in the fall so I am hoping he'll be 38" so he can do 7DMT with me. We'll see.

Oh and I am a Touring Plans user! From my experience, I had to move the walking scale on the plans down to the slowest walking pretty much bc of the kids. It just builds extra time into the plan in case of snack or bathroom stops. Also, I did end up throwing several of my plans out the window but that's mostly bc we didn't end up making any of the rope drops I planned bc my dad refused to get up and hurry! This year I figure we will follow them more for the morning times and then just use them as a guideline for after our breaks.

As far as the breaks, I would still plan to keep them. My 5 year old never naps and he didn't on our breaks at WDW (he did in the stroller a couple of times) but I think it was invaluable for him and us to get a break from the heat, crowds, noise, etc. My 2 yr old did nap most of our break times. This time, because we should stick to the morning/midday break schedule better, we will have more break time than last year and we plan to hit up the pool/splash pad more often.

 

[Chicago Mo]

Might want to read the updates Here:
WDW NEWS

 

[Whit64130]

I am waiting for discounts to come out, hopefully next week we will see something for May. the PIN codes for May are here now, so hopefully some Visa or public stuff will come out soon.

I'm patiently waiting to see the discounts also. trying to plan a trip after Easter!

I'm thinking I'll get a FP+ for Tiana and Rapunzel since she loves them and they won't be at CRT. Probably a Peter Pan, and a Pooh Bear cause their lines get long. Then maybe HM and Buzz and... um. I DONT KNOW!!!

I loved the Rapunzel MG! she is sooo much fun.

Animal Kingdom is not such a problem since we are skipping Everest, but should I just take the plunge and get Kali?

I am on a boycott of Kali since I was the lucky one to get completely drenched when I rode it

 

[afwdwfan]

I hate Kali... it's not the getting wet that is so bad, it's the fact that it takes longer to load and unload than to actually ride it.

You can't overplan... or for that matter underplan with a kid. You can try to figure out how she might handle things, but the thing is, you just have to take it day by day once you get there and try to read her. You might need a break one day, maybe not the next. You've just got to be ready to adjust on the fly. If you're looking at adding a day or 2 to the tickets, it definitely isn't cost prohibitive to add a day or 2 once you've already paid for a few days.

 

[MissMaryQC]

So usually the spring discounts come out after Christmas...just fyi. Last year I think it was 12/27 or something like that. You can check here for when they were released historically:

http://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/

Silly me, I had seen this and had the date December 18th stuck in my head, rather than December 28th! Thanks for the link; I'd be driving myself nuts looking for the discount notice!

For AK, we did the Mickey & Minnie M&G as far as a FP. Pooh is a good one for MK, PP, of course, Tomorrowland Speedway was a long wait but we were there the beginning of June so you won't have the same type of crowds. I am the same about Kali...no interest. I'm really the only one interested in the bigger thrill rides, so I'll probably still try to get some of those in for myself. Or we'll do Rider Swap if my DH is interested. My 5 year old is tall enough for almost everything but he is not a thrill rider. My 2 year old would be the thrill rider. He was 36" at his appt in the fall so I am hoping he'll be 38" so he can do 7DMT with me. We'll see.

I hadn't considered a FP for the Speedway, might be a good idea. I told DH he had to go with DD cause that one's a little too jerky for my taste! Rider Swap is an amazing invention. We used it a lot when I went with my baby sister (now 9) in 2010. It's always the little ones that are the bravest!

Oh and I am a Touring Plans user! From my experience, I had to move the walking scale on the plans down to the slowest walking pretty much bc of the kids. It just builds extra time into the plan in case of snack or bathroom stops. Also, I did end up throwing several of my plans out the window but that's mostly bc we didn't end up making any of the rope drops I planned bc my dad refused to get up and hurry! This year I figure we will follow them more for the morning times and then just use them as a guideline for after our breaks.

Good call! I had it set at the almost slowest pace. We're hoping to potty train DD over the break (she hates the toilet for some reason) so bathroom stops will likely be frequent. I may be dreaming on the RD since DH is not a morning person at all! But DD is like me, once she's awake she's at 110%!

As far as the breaks, I would still plan to keep them. My 5 year old never naps and he didn't on our breaks at WDW (he did in the stroller a couple of times) but I think it was invaluable for him and us to get a break from the heat, crowds, noise, etc. My 2 yr old did nap most of our break times. This time, because we should stick to the morning/midday break schedule better, we will have more break time than last year and we plan to hit up the pool/splash pad more often.

On our Big Girl's Trip we had some downtime in the parks which was great. not sure that'll fly with DD though. Ignorning all the awesome at WDW is no easy task for a toddler!

Might want to read the updates Here:
WDW NEWS

I saw this! I'm glad for some updates, but I want some dates! LOL! I know I'm dreaming, but it'd be nice to know if we're gonna be able to see the show, pretty sure we'll be too early though. Summer is generally more July than May. Oh well!

I'm patiently waiting to see the discounts also. trying to plan a trip after Easter!

How fun that're planning another trip!!!

I loved the Rapunzel MG! she is sooo much fun.

DD adores her. I'd love a few pictures of them together.
I am on a boycott of Kali since I was the lucky one to get completely drenched when I rode it

Yeah, wet shoes and I are not friends...

I hate Kali... it's not the getting wet that is so bad, it's the fact that it takes longer to load and unload than to actually ride it.

I'm sure the loading and loading is a lot harder with the kiddos too! Ugh!

You can't overplan... or for that matter underplan with a kid. You can try to figure out how she might handle things, but the thing is, you just have to take it day by day once you get there and try to read her. You might need a break one day, maybe not the next. You've just got to be ready to adjust on the fly. If you're looking at adding a day or 2 to the tickets, it definitely isn't cost prohibitive to add a day or 2 once you've already paid for a few days.

I'm ok with the plans changing, I'd like to not cancel anything, but I know we have to see how DD takes it all. She's shaping up to be a very active girl. So I'm thinking she may be very go, go, go like me. But without fail she crashes, hard after a long day of running around. My biggest worry is that she get enough rest really.

The tickets are looking better and better these days, but I promised DH I wouldn't buy anything else until after we saw what the discounts look like. Sticker shock from holiday gifts has him nervous.