bcactus
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2017
We had an absolute blast! I was with my GF and my 2 kids (DS9 and DD7).
We arrived on Saturday afternoon and stayed the night at Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas. It was a nice 2 BR condo with easy pool access. We had dinner by the pool and relaxed. Went to bed early so we could get going Sunday morning.
Sunday: Left the condo around 6:30 and headed over to Bay Lake Tower. Dropped luggage with bell services, parked the car and walked over to MK for Early Morning Magic. We arrived at roughly 7:25 and got checked in. Entered the park at 7:45 and headed to Fanasyland. We rode 7 Dwarfs Mine Train 5 times, Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh once each then headed into Pinnochio's to grab a pastry and coffee. We then walked over to Tomorrowland and waited 5-6 minutes for park opening. Headed straight to Space Mountain and rode with no wait. Walked back over to Fantasyland and did Its a Small World with no wait then back to Pinnochio's for a full breakfast.
After breakfast, we used our first FP for Haunted Mansion, then rode Pirates of the Carribean with roughly a 15 minute wait. We then had FP's for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. From Big Thunder we took the train to Storybook Circus and rode Dumbo with no wait and did the Minnie and Daisy meet and greet. We stopped in a couple of shops and a rain shower started. We had an ADR for Cinderella's Royal Table so we just hung out in the castle for 20 minutes or so while it rained. Had a good lunch and I really love seeing my daughter interacting with the princesses. We walked down Main Street next and visited a couple more shops then took the monorail to Contemporary.
At this point our room was ready (7220 which is a standard view 1 BR villa). We could see Space Mountain, Astro Orbiter and Cinderella castle from the balcony. We unpacked and hung out for a while at the pool. We had dinner at California Grill and watched the fireworks from the observation deck. The food and service were both great and it was a perfect ending to our first day.
Monday: Took the monorail to Epcot and arrived around 8:10 for rope drop. We went straight to Test Track and had to wait about 10 minutes because the ride wasn't running yet. Ultimately got on and then went straight to Soarin' where we waited 10 minutes. After Soarin' we grabbed a snack at Sunshine Seasons and then waited around 10 mins to ride Living with the Land. Used FP for Mission Space to check out the new Earth mission. FP for Spaceship Earth next then FP for Frozen Ever After. We had lunch and margaritas at La Cantina de San Angel. Between us we tried the beef tacos, chicken tacos, fish tacos and queso empanadas. The portions were large and the food was pretty good.
Went for a walk around World Showcase next and rode the boat ride in the Mexican pavilion. It rained for about 15 minutes during this. Grabbed a beer in Germany and went to L'artisan des Glaces in France for those amazing brioche ice cream sandwiches. Made it back to Future World and purchased Express Transportation. I'm so glad this was still running for our trip and I hope they do something comparable
In the future. Being able to skip the entrance of the next park was extremely convenient.
Headed out on the express bus to Hollywood Studios. Right after we scanned our bands at Frozen earlier I was able to get a FP for Rock n Roller Coaster and we rode it as soon as we arrived at HS. The express bus entry was right next to the ride so we were on in no time. After that we went to the Indiana Jones show and I volunteered to be an extra and the kids loved seeing me sweat up on the stage! We had an ADR for Sci Fi after that and really enjoyed that restaurant. The kids got milkshakes with their meals and they loved them. It was probably the quietest time of our entire trip. After dinner we went into some shops and headed over to Fantasmic. We loved it just as much as we did before. We sat near the top and when it was over we headed out to see some of the Star Wars fireworks. There were CM's with signs directing us and we ended up fairly close to the Chinese theater but were pretty far off to the right. We could see the projections but clearly it would be better to be in the center. We did get to see the majority of the show however. We went out to the busses and had to wait quite a while...around 30 minutes. This was the longest wait of the trip and still wasn't that big of a deal.
Tuesday: We arrived at AK around 7:50 for rope drop. Tapped our bands at 8:30 and were led towards Pandora. We headed to Flight of Passage just before 8:50 and were off the ride and outside by 9:17. We went straight to Na'vi River Journey and it wasn't running yet. Riughly 5 mins later the line started and we waited about 25 mins to get on. Around 10:00 we were walking over to Africa for our FP at Kilimanjaro safaris. I was highly impressed when my DD7 immediately pointed out an Okapi which I had never heard of! After the safari we used a FP for Expedition Everest then rode the triceratops ride in Dinoland. We leisurely walked back to Pandora and had lunch at Satu'li Canteen. We used mobile ordering and the food was really good! I grabbed a Pongu Lumpia (pineapple cream cheese spring roll) for dessert at the drink stand next door and we browsed the gift shop as people bought banshees and created their own avatar dolls. We had a FP for FOP and the second ride was as good as the first. Our wait in the FP line was roughly 15 minutes.
Afterward we walked back to Africa and caught the express bus to MK and headed back to BLT from there. It started to rain a bit so we relaxed and had drinks in the room. Dinner at Chef Mickey's and the highlight there was a toddler who was hiding from the characters under his table. He would wave at them but wouldn't come out. At one point Goofy stuck his head under the table and the kid LOST IT. It was hilarious! After dinner we took the monorail to Epcot and used a FP for Soarin'. While waiting in line for FOP earlier I refreshed the app over and over until a Soarin FP appeared. We then did the Seas with Nemo and Friends and Turtle Talk with Crush. Both my son and I talked with Crush during the show and unfortunately my new nickname is "Rad Brad Dad" now. After that we met some friends from home and decoded to ride TT with them. We made it into the cars when the ride shut down. They gave us all anytime FP's good for any ride except FEA. We then all walked to FEA and rode it with a roughly 30 minute wait. Said goodbye to our friends and took the bus back to BLT (monorail had closed already).
Wednesday: We slept a little later and walked to MK around 9:30. Did Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor and The Little Mermaid ride then headed to BOG for lunch. We did advance ordering and the food came out quickly. We took some time walking around the 3 rooms and enjoyed our meal. Afterwards we used a FP for mine train then rode the carousel and watched the sword in the stone show. Mickeys Philharmagic was next and it was a good break from the heat. Used FP HM and Splash next then rode the train to Main Street. It start d raining while we were on the train and we grabbed the monorail back to Contemporary. Relaxed in the room for a while and showered. We then took the monorail to Polynesian for our dinner at O'Hana. It was great! All of the food was delicious and the kids had a great time with the coconut race. It was our favorite meal of the trip. I had dining alerts set up on touring plans and mouse dining and was able to get the reservation just a few days before. It was booked up already when we planned our trip.
After checking out the Polynesian shops we took the monorail back to MK and got a spot in the green area in front of Casey's for HEA. Thanks to everyone that recommended this. It felt like a private viewing area and we were dead center to the castle. The projections were amazing and I highly recommended it! After the show, we went to Tomorrowland and rode Buzz Lightyear then the 2 adults took turns on SM while the kids checked out the dance party. Monorail back to the resort.
Thursday: DS9 and I got up before the girls and took an Uber to HS so he could sign up for Jedi Training. We were first at the tapstiles and first in line for the sign up. We got there around 7:45 and by 8:45 we had signed up and were in the rope drop line for RnR. We walked right on and headed to TSMM. The wait was posted as 10 mins. Unfortunately only one track was running so we waited about 45 mins. We had a FP for it at the same time that we were going to use when the girls arrived but the app automatically converted it to an anytime FP due to the technical difficulties. When we were done we went over to check in for the Jedi training and the girls met Olaf. We then rode Star Tours and had lunch at Backlot Express. Went to the Launch Bay and met Chewie (best meet and greet!) then used the FP at TSMM. Used our FP for TOT next in 2 shifts bc DD7 decided she didn't want to ride.
The night before DS9 and I concocted a plan to do something in all 4 parks in one day since we had express transportation. We headed over to EP. We had the paper FP's from the TT breakdown on Tuesday and our friends gave us theirs since they were leaving on Wednesday. On the bus ride and while standing in line to ride TT I refreshed the app incessantly. Just before boarding the cars BOOM a FOP FP appeared! We rode TT back to back with the FP's and still had two left which we gave to a random couple that walked by. It started to rain so,we did the Joy and Sadness meet and greet. It was still raining so we adjusted our plan and had an early dinner at Sunshine Seasons then took the express bus to MK. Walked in to the people mover then headed back to BLT for about an hour. Took a shower and had a drink then took an uber over to AK just as the sun was setting. Used our FOP FP then got beers (and frozen drinks for the kids) and walked around Pandora. It really is beautiful at night. We then walked over to Asia, grabbed Mickey ice cream bars and sat down for the second rivers of light show. Short wait for the bus afterward and then got some much needed sleep.
Friday: Showered and packed. Loaded the car around 11 and took the monorail to Poly where we had lunch at Capt. Cooks. Finished up with Dole Whips at Pineapple Lanai and headed back to Contemporary. Bought a few souvenirs and the kids used their last snack credit before hitting the road.
Some thoughts: It was an amazing week no doubt about it. It was crowded but we worked it so we didn't have much waiting time at all. We had lots of time for the kids to trade pins and get pressed pennies. The weather ranged from hot AF in the day to hot at night (the night we watched HEA was actually pretty comfortable). We used cooling towels and drank lots of water. We brought water in but also took advantage of the free cups at the QS restaurants. It rained some but it didn't bother us. We adjusted our plans a couple of times and it was not a big deal at all. Of course we couldn't do everything but we knew our priorities and hit all of them. Our total wait time for FOP was 90 minutes and we rode it 3 times! We were able to cool off in the indoor attractions and stayed hydrated. We didn't experience any rudeness from patrons or CM's. We saw a couple of meltdowns but no issues. I was able to get tips from lots of people on this board and I thank you all. I can't wait to go back!
We arrived on Saturday afternoon and stayed the night at Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas. It was a nice 2 BR condo with easy pool access. We had dinner by the pool and relaxed. Went to bed early so we could get going Sunday morning.
Sunday: Left the condo around 6:30 and headed over to Bay Lake Tower. Dropped luggage with bell services, parked the car and walked over to MK for Early Morning Magic. We arrived at roughly 7:25 and got checked in. Entered the park at 7:45 and headed to Fanasyland. We rode 7 Dwarfs Mine Train 5 times, Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh once each then headed into Pinnochio's to grab a pastry and coffee. We then walked over to Tomorrowland and waited 5-6 minutes for park opening. Headed straight to Space Mountain and rode with no wait. Walked back over to Fantasyland and did Its a Small World with no wait then back to Pinnochio's for a full breakfast.
After breakfast, we used our first FP for Haunted Mansion, then rode Pirates of the Carribean with roughly a 15 minute wait. We then had FP's for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. From Big Thunder we took the train to Storybook Circus and rode Dumbo with no wait and did the Minnie and Daisy meet and greet. We stopped in a couple of shops and a rain shower started. We had an ADR for Cinderella's Royal Table so we just hung out in the castle for 20 minutes or so while it rained. Had a good lunch and I really love seeing my daughter interacting with the princesses. We walked down Main Street next and visited a couple more shops then took the monorail to Contemporary.
At this point our room was ready (7220 which is a standard view 1 BR villa). We could see Space Mountain, Astro Orbiter and Cinderella castle from the balcony. We unpacked and hung out for a while at the pool. We had dinner at California Grill and watched the fireworks from the observation deck. The food and service were both great and it was a perfect ending to our first day.
Monday: Took the monorail to Epcot and arrived around 8:10 for rope drop. We went straight to Test Track and had to wait about 10 minutes because the ride wasn't running yet. Ultimately got on and then went straight to Soarin' where we waited 10 minutes. After Soarin' we grabbed a snack at Sunshine Seasons and then waited around 10 mins to ride Living with the Land. Used FP for Mission Space to check out the new Earth mission. FP for Spaceship Earth next then FP for Frozen Ever After. We had lunch and margaritas at La Cantina de San Angel. Between us we tried the beef tacos, chicken tacos, fish tacos and queso empanadas. The portions were large and the food was pretty good.
Went for a walk around World Showcase next and rode the boat ride in the Mexican pavilion. It rained for about 15 minutes during this. Grabbed a beer in Germany and went to L'artisan des Glaces in France for those amazing brioche ice cream sandwiches. Made it back to Future World and purchased Express Transportation. I'm so glad this was still running for our trip and I hope they do something comparable
In the future. Being able to skip the entrance of the next park was extremely convenient.
Headed out on the express bus to Hollywood Studios. Right after we scanned our bands at Frozen earlier I was able to get a FP for Rock n Roller Coaster and we rode it as soon as we arrived at HS. The express bus entry was right next to the ride so we were on in no time. After that we went to the Indiana Jones show and I volunteered to be an extra and the kids loved seeing me sweat up on the stage! We had an ADR for Sci Fi after that and really enjoyed that restaurant. The kids got milkshakes with their meals and they loved them. It was probably the quietest time of our entire trip. After dinner we went into some shops and headed over to Fantasmic. We loved it just as much as we did before. We sat near the top and when it was over we headed out to see some of the Star Wars fireworks. There were CM's with signs directing us and we ended up fairly close to the Chinese theater but were pretty far off to the right. We could see the projections but clearly it would be better to be in the center. We did get to see the majority of the show however. We went out to the busses and had to wait quite a while...around 30 minutes. This was the longest wait of the trip and still wasn't that big of a deal.
Tuesday: We arrived at AK around 7:50 for rope drop. Tapped our bands at 8:30 and were led towards Pandora. We headed to Flight of Passage just before 8:50 and were off the ride and outside by 9:17. We went straight to Na'vi River Journey and it wasn't running yet. Riughly 5 mins later the line started and we waited about 25 mins to get on. Around 10:00 we were walking over to Africa for our FP at Kilimanjaro safaris. I was highly impressed when my DD7 immediately pointed out an Okapi which I had never heard of! After the safari we used a FP for Expedition Everest then rode the triceratops ride in Dinoland. We leisurely walked back to Pandora and had lunch at Satu'li Canteen. We used mobile ordering and the food was really good! I grabbed a Pongu Lumpia (pineapple cream cheese spring roll) for dessert at the drink stand next door and we browsed the gift shop as people bought banshees and created their own avatar dolls. We had a FP for FOP and the second ride was as good as the first. Our wait in the FP line was roughly 15 minutes.
Afterward we walked back to Africa and caught the express bus to MK and headed back to BLT from there. It started to rain a bit so we relaxed and had drinks in the room. Dinner at Chef Mickey's and the highlight there was a toddler who was hiding from the characters under his table. He would wave at them but wouldn't come out. At one point Goofy stuck his head under the table and the kid LOST IT. It was hilarious! After dinner we took the monorail to Epcot and used a FP for Soarin'. While waiting in line for FOP earlier I refreshed the app over and over until a Soarin FP appeared. We then did the Seas with Nemo and Friends and Turtle Talk with Crush. Both my son and I talked with Crush during the show and unfortunately my new nickname is "Rad Brad Dad" now. After that we met some friends from home and decoded to ride TT with them. We made it into the cars when the ride shut down. They gave us all anytime FP's good for any ride except FEA. We then all walked to FEA and rode it with a roughly 30 minute wait. Said goodbye to our friends and took the bus back to BLT (monorail had closed already).
Wednesday: We slept a little later and walked to MK around 9:30. Did Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor and The Little Mermaid ride then headed to BOG for lunch. We did advance ordering and the food came out quickly. We took some time walking around the 3 rooms and enjoyed our meal. Afterwards we used a FP for mine train then rode the carousel and watched the sword in the stone show. Mickeys Philharmagic was next and it was a good break from the heat. Used FP HM and Splash next then rode the train to Main Street. It start d raining while we were on the train and we grabbed the monorail back to Contemporary. Relaxed in the room for a while and showered. We then took the monorail to Polynesian for our dinner at O'Hana. It was great! All of the food was delicious and the kids had a great time with the coconut race. It was our favorite meal of the trip. I had dining alerts set up on touring plans and mouse dining and was able to get the reservation just a few days before. It was booked up already when we planned our trip.
After checking out the Polynesian shops we took the monorail back to MK and got a spot in the green area in front of Casey's for HEA. Thanks to everyone that recommended this. It felt like a private viewing area and we were dead center to the castle. The projections were amazing and I highly recommended it! After the show, we went to Tomorrowland and rode Buzz Lightyear then the 2 adults took turns on SM while the kids checked out the dance party. Monorail back to the resort.
Thursday: DS9 and I got up before the girls and took an Uber to HS so he could sign up for Jedi Training. We were first at the tapstiles and first in line for the sign up. We got there around 7:45 and by 8:45 we had signed up and were in the rope drop line for RnR. We walked right on and headed to TSMM. The wait was posted as 10 mins. Unfortunately only one track was running so we waited about 45 mins. We had a FP for it at the same time that we were going to use when the girls arrived but the app automatically converted it to an anytime FP due to the technical difficulties. When we were done we went over to check in for the Jedi training and the girls met Olaf. We then rode Star Tours and had lunch at Backlot Express. Went to the Launch Bay and met Chewie (best meet and greet!) then used the FP at TSMM. Used our FP for TOT next in 2 shifts bc DD7 decided she didn't want to ride.
The night before DS9 and I concocted a plan to do something in all 4 parks in one day since we had express transportation. We headed over to EP. We had the paper FP's from the TT breakdown on Tuesday and our friends gave us theirs since they were leaving on Wednesday. On the bus ride and while standing in line to ride TT I refreshed the app incessantly. Just before boarding the cars BOOM a FOP FP appeared! We rode TT back to back with the FP's and still had two left which we gave to a random couple that walked by. It started to rain so,we did the Joy and Sadness meet and greet. It was still raining so we adjusted our plan and had an early dinner at Sunshine Seasons then took the express bus to MK. Walked in to the people mover then headed back to BLT for about an hour. Took a shower and had a drink then took an uber over to AK just as the sun was setting. Used our FOP FP then got beers (and frozen drinks for the kids) and walked around Pandora. It really is beautiful at night. We then walked over to Asia, grabbed Mickey ice cream bars and sat down for the second rivers of light show. Short wait for the bus afterward and then got some much needed sleep.
Friday: Showered and packed. Loaded the car around 11 and took the monorail to Poly where we had lunch at Capt. Cooks. Finished up with Dole Whips at Pineapple Lanai and headed back to Contemporary. Bought a few souvenirs and the kids used their last snack credit before hitting the road.
Some thoughts: It was an amazing week no doubt about it. It was crowded but we worked it so we didn't have much waiting time at all. We had lots of time for the kids to trade pins and get pressed pennies. The weather ranged from hot AF in the day to hot at night (the night we watched HEA was actually pretty comfortable). We used cooling towels and drank lots of water. We brought water in but also took advantage of the free cups at the QS restaurants. It rained some but it didn't bother us. We adjusted our plans a couple of times and it was not a big deal at all. Of course we couldn't do everything but we knew our priorities and hit all of them. Our total wait time for FOP was 90 minutes and we rode it 3 times! We were able to cool off in the indoor attractions and stayed hydrated. We didn't experience any rudeness from patrons or CM's. We saw a couple of meltdowns but no issues. I was able to get tips from lots of people on this board and I thank you all. I can't wait to go back!
Last edited:
