Is Mickey a Captain or a Jedi? Both! - May '15 Land & Sea ~ Updated 6/14: Trip Report Started!

[Dugette]

Hi, DIS-friends!

We finally booked our flights today AND our trip is in exactly 4 months, so I couldn't resist getting this Pre-Trip Report started!

For the newcomers, our crew is me ("Dugette"), my DH of 9 years ("Dug"), and our 2-year-old DD Izzy.



We are all SUPER excited for this trip! We showed Izzy some videos of the Disney Dream and she kept exclaiming, "I want to go there!! I want to go there!!" Dug is also really excited that we will all be together for the full vacation this time (unlike what happened with Aulani - he had to attend a work retreat for half our vacation). It will be a great time for our whole family!

We will be at WDW from Thursday, May 14th-Monday, May 18th, staying in a Studio at the Boardwalk Villas (renting points). That weekend is the last weekend of Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival, which we have never attended. It is also the first weekend of Star Wars Weekends, which we attended back in 2010 and Dug is especially excited to go back. We've never stayed at the Boardwalk and can't wait to be within walking distance of both Epcot and the Studios.

Why leave WDW so soon, you ask? Well, because they'll be expecting us onboard the Disney Dream! The cruise is Monday, May 18th-Friday, May 22nd. This was actually the main focus of the trip initially and our WDW buffer weekends expanded a bit from the initial plan. This is a 4-night cruise out of Port Canaveral. I cruised years ago on the Grand Princess and Dug and I cruised in 2008 on Royal Caribbean's Voyageur of the Seas - which we loved! This will be our first Disney cruise and we can't wait!

After we disembark from the Dream, it's only right that we do something to stave off the post-cruise depression, so we're going back to WDW from Friday, May 22nd-Tuesday, May 26th. We currently have a Studio at the Boardwalk Villas for the first 3 nights, then a Studio at the Beach Club Villas for the last night - we are wait listed for BCV the full 4 nights, though. We'll see if that comes through. Again, it will be Star Wars Weekends. And Memorial Day weekend. So, we're getting a 13-day vacation with only 8 days off work!

I have so many things about this trip bouncing around in my mind. I'll be working through them here over the next 4 months and I hope you'll join me!

Chapters
Intros
How This Trip Came to Be
Seventeen ADRs
Excited About Epcot
Fish Extender Window Shopping
Thought Hodgepodge
Outdoor Kitchen Must-Try Items - Part 1
Outdoor Kitchen Must-Try Items - Part 2
Keeps Getting Better
Fast Pass Scramble
Part One Plans
Part Three Plans
The Force is With Us!
Re-Imagined!
One Month from Today - Thurs. 5/14 Plans
One Month from Today - Fri. 5/15 Plans
One Month from Today - Sat. 5/16 Plans
One Month from Today - Sun. 5/17 Plans
One Month from Today - Mon. 5/18 Plans
One Month from Today - Tues. 5/19 Plans
One Month from Today - Weds. 5/20 Plans
One Month from Today - Thurs. 5/21 Plans
One Month from Today - Fri. 5/22 Plans
One Month from Today - Sat. 5/23 Plans
One Month from Today - Sun. 5/24 Plans
One Month from Today - Mon. 5/25 Plans
One Month from Today - Tues. 5/26 Plans
Updates & Changes
Dress My Kid
Shopping Update
Odds & Ends
Shoe Shopping
May the Fourth Be With You!
DISmeets
Packing & More
Three More Sleeps!
Leaving in the Morning!
Return of the Jedi (We're Home!)
Trip Report Started!

 

[Leshaface]

Am I first?!

So in for this trip! Wow 13 days?! This is going to be an awesome TR Hope that waitlist comes through for you! Have faith! Shoot, if my waitlist for VGF came through, anyone's waitlist should go through!

 

[jeni16]

Can't wait to read all about it! I've been toying with the idea of the Alaska Disney Cruise & checking out Disneyland.

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

Sounds like a great vacation! We are big fans of Disney Cruise Line. Lots of character interaction!

 

[sock2you]

Joining We'll be there the same time as you 9 (second half) for DD's first trip. DH and I have only been once and that was right before we got pregnant with her so about 5 years ago. We will however be avoiding Star Wars weekend, while fans I'm not a huge crowd person.

 

[AprilRenee]

Lol. I'm here

I think you might have too much time on your hands. 2 TRs and a PTR! Haha

But can't wait to hear your plans! . 13 days sounds amazing!

 

[schmass]

I'm here! This is going to be such a great trip! I love BWV (we're staying there in April for our 4th time) and DCL is the BEST! I can't wait to read all about your trip, especially the cruise portion!

 

[AKL_Megs]

Yay! I'm here too! Excited to see this progress! We are thinking about a land and sea for '16!

 

[ursalita]

It sounds like you have a fantastic trip planned and I'm looking forward to hearing about all of it.

 

[Avojeo]

I can't wait to hear about your cruise! We have one planned in December!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

joining in! excited to hear about your plans!

Really want to do a Disney cruise at some point but I think we want to wait until all the kids are old enough for the kids club Actually toying with planning for February of 2018 which will be my 40th birthday and Olivia's 10th

 

[hokieinpa]

I'm in! Can't wait to hear about your plans!

I am in love with Beach Club! We're thinking of a Disney cruise in the next few years but will of course have to add some park days on just like you!

 

[jwwi]

This should be fun to read about. Izzy is so adorable, and you really are great at showing us the world. Sounds like a fun trip.

 

[Disneymoon09]

Wooo! I'm here! Looking forward to the cruise portion! Something else DH and I got cold feet about taking Beckett on lol...

 

[Dugette]

Am I first?!

Yay, you win this cool party!

So in for this trip! Wow 13 days?! This is going to be an awesome TR Hope that waitlist comes through for you! Have faith! Shoot, if my waitlist for VGF came through, anyone's waitlist should go through!

Haha, yeah, I hadn't thought about how long the TR will go on for...

Well, we already had one wait list come through, so not sure it will happen. The first part of the trip was initially just BWV for the 3rd and 4th night and we didn't have anything for the 1st and 2nd until it came through (we were considering AoA, but hadn't booked yet). We'll see if lightning strikes twice!

Can't wait to read all about it! I've been toying with the idea of the Alaska Disney Cruise & checking out Disneyland.

Oooh, that sounds super fun! An Alaska cruise (on any cruise line) is on my bucket list for sure! And we are hoping to maybe get to Disneyland sometime soon (if Dug's retreat is in Palm Springs again, we'll try to make it work). Doing a Land & Sea on the West Coast like that would be super cool!

Sounds like a great vacation! We are big fans of Disney Cruise Line. Lots of character interaction!

Thanks! I'm so excited to try out a Disney Cruise! In all honesty, we had a FANTASTIC experience with Royal Caribbean and think that Disney will be right up there - and those characters are the tipping point with a toddler! Izzy told me all the characters that she expects to meet on the boat tonight - and it's pretty much ALL of them.

Joining We'll be there the same time as you 9 (second half) for DD's first trip. DH and I have only been once and that was right before we got pregnant with her so about 5 years ago. We will however be avoiding Star Wars weekend, while fans I'm not a huge crowd person.

Oh, cool, if you see us say hi! My memory of SWW is that it's not necessarily super crowded, but it depends what you want to do. The big draws will be crazy (celebrity autographs, Jedi training, Darth and Chewy meets, etc.) But the rest of the park isn't bad at all and you still can soak up the atmosphere or maybe catch the parade or fireworks. I think I will be in and out of DHS a lot with Izzy and Dug will hang out there more to see the shows and such.

Lol. I'm here

I think you might have too much time on your hands. 2 TRs and a PTR! Haha

But can't wait to hear your plans! . 13 days sounds amazing!

Haha, I think maybe it's not enough time - if I had too much, I'd be done with the other TRs already, right? Yeah, 13 days is crazy! It was initially going to be the 4-night cruise with a night or two at WDW on each end. And then we got carried away...

I'm here! This is going to be such a great trip! I love BWV (we're staying there in April for our 4th time) and DCL is the BEST! I can't wait to read all about your trip, especially the cruise portion!

Oh, awesome, I'm glad to know that you like BWV so much. We've always been put off by the creepy clown , but it's such perfect location for where we plan to spend a lot of time this trip. And I never have really gotten to just wander the Boardwalk in the evening and enjoy the entertainment, etc. And SUPER excited for the cruise!!!

 

[Jackiemarie21]

Yay! Disney cruises are the best! We went on one for our honeymoon and it was amazing! Can't wait to hear all the plans.

 

[Dugette]

Yay! I'm here too! Excited to see this progress! We are thinking about a land and sea for '16!

I have been thinking about a land and sea for awhile and I'm super excited to finally do it! The whole Hawaii thing postponed it, as we were thinking of doing it in 2014, but I'm glad we are making it work now! (Despite it actually being way more expensive than Hawaii! )

It sounds like you have a fantastic trip planned and I'm looking forward to hearing about all of it.

and thanks! Can't wait to share more details!

I can't wait to hear about your cruise! We have one planned in December!

Yay, another cruiser! Ooooh, I wonder if yours will be all decorated for the holidays?

joining in! excited to hear about your plans!

Really want to do a Disney cruise at some point but I think we want to wait until all the kids are old enough for the kids club Actually toying with planning for February of 2018 which will be my 40th birthday and Olivia's 10th

That would be a fun way to celebrate! And yay for February birthdays (me too!)

For what it's worth, I checked our fares with Izzy as a 2-year-old and also *as if* she were a 3-year-old, just to see if there was a fare difference. And there WAS! Not sure how it works with a family of 5, but for us it was a couple hundred dollars or so - enough to make it so that sending her to the nursery, even a lot, at $9/hour would be way cheaper. Also, not sure of the sleeping arrangements with 5, but if Emma is still small, she could be in a pack-n-play if there is a lack of bed space. Not that I'm trying to convince you to take a cruise now (but you totally should - and then write a new TR!!)

I'm in! Can't wait to hear about your plans!

I am in love with Beach Club! We're thinking of a Disney cruise in the next few years but will of course have to add some park days on just like you!

I don't know how people manage to do a Disney Cruise without some time at WDW. Though I have tossed out the idea of - if we don't have APs someday - going to AKL before and enjoying the animals and restaurants, then going to POFQ after and enjoying the resort, entertainment, and Downtown Disney - and, if we went during a "party" season, attending a party in the MK. I'd like that trip.

This should be fun to read about. Izzy is so adorable, and you really are great at showing us the world. Sounds like a fun trip.

and thank you! This little kiddo sure gets around.

Wooo! I'm here! Looking forward to the cruise portion! Something else DH and I got cold feet about taking Beckett on lol...

I have to say that I'm not really worried about the cruise with Izzy - I'm actually kind-of excited because there is a nursery (vs. Aulani where there was no option for her age). But I can understand the cold feet. Hope you get some fun trips in soon!

 

[Dugette]

Yay! Disney cruises are the best! We went on one for our honeymoon and it was amazing! Can't wait to hear all the plans.

Oh, cool, did you write a TR on that one? Can't wait to get on Mickey's boat!

 

[MEK]

Looking forward to hearing about your trip - your nice LONG trip! You are going to love the Dream. It's awesome!

 

[Backstage_Gal]

I will be joining yet again