Watch out, the Aussies are coming! A September 2015 PTR *update 6/20*

[kbainbridge]

September 13, 2015- Day #2!!!

It's our first park day!!!!
I'm hoping to be up probably around 7-7:30 this morning. I'll run the luggage down to Bell Services to be transferred to POR and probably grab some snacks from the food court to nibble on for breakfast. We'll work on getting the kids up and ready and then it's off to the bus stop to await our chariot to....... HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS!!!

I'm hoping we'll get to HS in time for rope drop at 9am to make the most of our morning. I'm also hoping our tickets will work on our magic bands. I'll have done online check-in for POR, but won't have physically been to the resort at this point in time. I'm hoping my tickets will be activated on our magic bands already!

FASTPASSES:
I'm hoping to get the following fastpasses for my HS day:
Toy Story Midway Mania
Tower of Terror
Frozen Sing-along

It was really difficult choosing those. I was going to fastpass Rock 'n Rollercoaster instead of TSMM and just go to TSMM when the park opens, but then I worried about not getting to the park at opening and having to wait in long lines. I'd rather wait in the shorter Rock 'n Rollercoaster line. Tower of Terror was an easy choice for us, but the last option was a bit harder. I heard shows aren't hard to get into, but I didn't know what else to pick. I know we definitely want to see the Frozen show so I figured I might as well fastpass it. Does anybody know if there is better seating for fastpass holders?

I'm really unsure of how to plan my day here. I don't think I'll be able to fit everything in with a break. I've tried sorting through it with touring plans but it's driving me crazy! I guess the main question is, do I go to TSMM at rope drop to avoid a line, and then go straight to Rock n roller coaster? Or do I go straight to Rock N Rollercoaster and ride TSMM once with a fast pass. Other things that are must do's for us are the Disney Jr show, Muppetvision 3D, Fantasmic, The Little Mermaid show, and I want to get a giant cupcake from Starring Rolls!!

I'd like to try to ride The Great Movie Ride and Star Tours, but I don't think I'll be overly upset if I miss them! We'd also really like to try and see Beauty and the Beast and The Indiana Jones show, but I don't think we'll have time for both so I'm leaning more towards Indiana Jones. I've also been watching the See Ya Reel Soon Vlogs and they've been doing Animation Acadamy but I'm not seeing that on the Disney website. Is that no longer available?

We will be having lunch at 11:05am at Hollywood & Vine on the Fantasmic package! I chose this restaurant purely for the character meet for the kids. We ate at Mama Melrose last trip and I'm going to miss not going there this time. I wish I could've got a slightly later lunch res but I'm just happy I got this at all!! We'll probably fit in 1 or 2 attractions after lunch and then head to the resort for a break for a few hours.

This is when we'll be heading to POR to check-in there! We have a request for adjoining rooms and are hoping for rooms in Alligator Bayou. We stayed here on our last trip and really enjoyed the theming of the rooms. We are also wanting the extra pull down bed for late nights when my niece will be staying in our room. We are contemplating adding her to our room anyways to guarantee an AB room! We got put into a preferred building last time and really enjoyed the location, but I'm not holding up hope for a preferred room this time. I'm thinking of maybe requesting building 38. We have Garden View rooms booked!

We are hoping to return to the park around 5pm for a few more rides/shows and finish off the night with Fantasmic at 8pm. I'm still holding out hope there will be Frozen fireworks as well. Here's hoping the end date for Frozen Summer Fun will be extended!!

I feel like this post is a bit all over the place and I'm sorry for that. I'm really just struggling with how to plan park days at the moment!

 

[Team Agent P]

Hollywood Studios is one of our favorite Parks...........it has lost some of its magic but I am hoping with starwars it will be revamped......your plans are sounding great (Sept. group)

 

[disneyaddicted]

Omagosh, that is a lot of traveling, sounds like a lot of fun though, all except the 15 hour flight, I can barely contain myself for the less than 2 hours it takes me to fly to WDW. I used to live in California and In and Out Burger was my all time favorite, haven't ben there in over 20 years, enjoy that burger!!!!
Great update, I look forward to reading more.

 

[kbainbridge]

Omagosh, that is a lot of traveling, sounds like a lot of fun though, all except the 15 hour flight, I can barely contain myself for the less than 2 hours it takes me to fly to WDW. I used to live in California and In and Out Burger was my all time favorite, haven't ben there in over 20 years, enjoy that burger!!!!
Great update, I look forward to reading more.

The flight is pretty brutal but I'm pretty used to it, and the kids have done it a few times now so they cope okay too. Will be nice to have the break in LA, we usually just hop on another plane to toronto after a short stopover. Can't wait to sink my teeth into a juicy In N Out burger haha!!

 

[Fastpassminus]

Wow! It certainly is an epic journey for you to get to WDW ! Glad the kids are okay on a 15 hour flight. I get antsy after 2.5 hours of the 3 hour flight we have. Can't wait to hear more about your plans.

 

[Nuwanda9]

That is a loooong trip!! But you will get to do a lot of things! I love Toronto! One of my favorite cities!! But I live in New York so it is only about a 6 hour drive. Maid of the Mist is fun! I hope you get a chance to do it! Very different viewing the falls from the bottom!!

 

[kbainbridge]

That is a loooong trip!! But you will get to do a lot of things! I love Toronto! One of my favorite cities!! But I live in New York so it is only about a 6 hour drive. Maid of the Mist is fun! I hope you get a chance to do it! Very different viewing the falls from the bottom!!

i can't believe never did the Maid in my 20 years growing up in Canada! Niagara Falls was one of those things for locals where you see it once and you don't need to see it again. Outlet shopping in Buffalo was more exciting for us!

I'm just happy I can do all these things again and see it through the eyes of my kids

 

[Sisa]

Your ADRs look awesome, congrats on your Chef Mickey brunch!

A movie night, LOVE!!!! Awesome job! Such a fabulous first choice by your DD.

Ugh, I would have an EXTREMELY hard time being in LA and not going to DL for the day. But mmmm In N Out is a definite must, yum! Really wish we had one in WA.

Lots of travel, but looks like some fun adventures before Disney.

We are starting our trip off at HS too! From all the reading I've done about FP+, everything says to do RNR first and FP TSMM. I've read even going to TSMM right away, lines can still get bad fast and that a FP is the best option, not sure if that applies in September too or not. My plan is to head straight to RNR and do the single rider line while DH waits with the kids since they will be too short to ride. Then he will do the single rider while I wait with the kids. We are hoping for the first TSMM FP so we can head there after RNR.

 

[disney-inspired]

SO. MUCH. TRAVEL.
That sounds like an exhausting first days but I'm sure you will have fun with your family in Canada and then in WDW.

 

[kbainbridge]

So much travel, but we're used to it now!

You'll have to give me some tips on what to do with my 24 hours in LA. If loved to do Disneyland but don't think DH can be convinced

 

[disney-inspired]

So much travel, but we're used to it now!

You'll have to give me some tips on what to do with my 24 hours in LA. If loved to do Disneyland but don't think DH can be convinced

Good news! From your hotel, you will be less than a mile from In N Out
** I'm hyperlinking all the corresponding websites to their names for your reference**

As far as a day plan, well there are a few museums in Los Angeles at Exposition park (Natural History and Science Center) which are fun to go through. The Science Center general admission is free and the Natural History museum, general admission is $12 for adults and $5 for kids (3-12).

Not too far from there is Olvera Street or Placerita Olvera. This is where you will get authentic and delicious Mexican food. They have a bunch of little shops you can go through as well. Delicious churros!

You could also make your way to Hollywood if you're interested in seeing the Walk of Fame. If you do go to Hollwood, I would highly recommend stopping at the Disney Soda Fountain & Studio Store at the El Capital theater and maybe even catch a showing. They'll be showing Frozen singalong there during your visit.

There really is so much to do in Los Angeles!

 

[kbainbridge]

FP+ UPDATE!

I have been neglecting this PTR majorly!!! I'm such a bad PTR writer hahahaha.

Before I write about our 2nd park day I will update you all on my FP+ situation for HS!

SO I've decided that we will go straight to TSMM at rope drop and hope for not too bad lines, then over to standy lineup for RNR!

Our first FP+ is at 9:50-10:50 and that's for Tower of Terror!!!! Depending on what time we ride this we will either try and get in the Little Mermaid Show before lunch or go straight to lunch.

Lunch is at 11:05 at H&V, but still trying to get something slightly later.

Second FP+ straight after lunch is for For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-A-Long Celebration from 12:35-12:50. Hopefully we can get out of H&V by 12:30 and get over to the FP line.

Final FP+ is TSMM from 1:30-2:30. After this we will head out for a break at the resort for a few hours

I'm unsure whether we will have our QS dinner at POR or HS. I've been reading about a heap of yummy options at HS. Mac and Cheese Hot Dog sounds AMAZING!!!. I'll need to do more research.

 

[kbainbridge]

September 14, 2015- Day #3!!!!

ADR's
8:05am- Be Our Guest
5:20pm- Whispering Canyon Cafe

FP+
10:55-11:55am- Space Mountain
11am-12pm- Winnie the Pooh (for my mom and Mackenzie while we ride SM)
12:20pm-1:20pm- BTMRR
12:15pm-1:15pm- Magic Carpets of Aladdin (for my mom and Mackenzie in case she is too short for BTMRR)
1:20-2:20pm- Splash Mountain

Today we are heading to MAGIC KINGDOM!!!!
We will be heading out nice and early for our breakfast at Be Our Guest!! I can't wait to try the Cronut, and DH will probably be getting the open egg and bacon sandwich, so we'll probably share bits and pieces of them so we can both get some savoury and some sweet!!

After breakfast we are going to haul it over to 7DMT and hopefully have little to no line for that! Then the plan is to get over to Peter Pan, and then maybe Dumbo and Barnstormer depending on time. Maybe even the Teacups! Then we're going to take our trip into Space!!!

After SM it will be lunch time! I'm undecided where we'll have lunch, but it will be either Cosmic Rays, Tomorrowland Terrace or Pecos Bill! We had Pecos Bill last time and enjoyed it, but I'm sure we'd enjoy anywhere really.

After lunch we'll head over to BTMRR. I'm hoping Mackenzie will be tall enough, she only needs to grow another 1-2 inches so I'm hoping she has a bug growth spurt before we arrive! If she's not then my mom has a FP+ for Aladdin. She doesn't like roller coasters anyways so she won't be missing out. Then we'll head next door to Splash Mountain, one of my favourites!! Peyton is really excited about this one, I've really talked it up!!

The plan after this was to head back to POR for a rest, but I've heard Festival of Fantasy is really worth checking out and this will be the only time we'll have to do that so I'm undecided if we'll stay or not. What are your thoughts on this parade? If we stay then we would only get an hour or so rest before we have our dinner reservation at WCC. So many decisions! This may be one we'll just have to decide as we go!

Can I just say.... I'm really REALLY looking forward to WCC. I had a reservation here in 2013 but my mom didn't think it was worth leaving the park for it so I cancelled it. Well not this time!!! I saw it on a Disney Parks shows a few years ago and knew I had to give it a try! I could still always change it from a dinner to a lunch reservation, but we prefer to have big meals at dinner time. What are all your thoughts? If we do lunch it would be a later lunch, then back to POR after for a few hours, then return to MK for the Electrical Parade, Celebrate the Magic and Wishes. We could do a late dinner at MK then. What does everybody else do on big park days? I'd love to hear it!!

 

[woodynjessiesmomma]

Joining in
What a trip you have planned! We will be arriving your departure day (but with much less travel). Our DD loves Tangled and Frozen as well so many of our goals look similar to yours. Hope your little girl enjoys her (sort of) first trip to the World .

 

[Mum from oz]

Sounds like you have it all worked out! When I went in 2011 my kiddos were only 3 and 4.5 and we definitely needed the double stroller. Even when we went again the following year they both needed time in it because of the sheer distance you walk at WDW! Reading you PTR I was think wow, so many similarities. I have a Peyton, I am 29 turning 30 this year and I am almost an RN, just over a year left to go. Have you booked a car in LA yet? We use rentalcars.com because they include applicable insurances that we need being from Australia. I find that first day in LA is one of the toughest. The first year we went I tried keeping my two up until midninght, hoping they'd be tired for the flight. Nope... They were awake for plenty of it and then crashed hard around the middle of the day in LA. We like Santa Monica pier. Plenty to do with the little ones! Looking forward to hearing more of your plans!

 

[kbainbridge]

UPDATE FOR DAY 1- HS!

So I've managed to secure an 11:50am Fantasmic dining package at HS instead of the 11:05am that I had. This works so much better for lunch for us, so I've changed my FP+ times slightly to fit better with this.

Tower of Terror 9:30-10:30am
For the First Time in Forever: Frozen Singalong 10:35-10:50
LUNCH 11:50
TSMM 1:30- 2:30

 

[kbainbridge]

September 15, 2015- Day #4

Day 4 already!! We get to sleep in today..... probably won't happen though haha! I'm really really looking forward to this day!

We're going to start off maybe with a quick swim depending on weather. After some quick showers and organising of outfits we'll hop on the boat from POR over to Downtown Disney!!! I've never been to DTD before so I'm pretty excited to check it out. We'll check out World of Disney and a few other shops and then grab a late breakfast/early lunch at Earl of Sandwich. We'll probably share sandwiches instead of each having our own as we have a 3pm late lunch/early dinner booking so don't want to fill up too much.

Next comes the main reason we are going to DTD!!!! Peyton and Mackenzie have an appointment at 1:20pm at BBB!!!!! I'm so flipping excited! My only concern is that this is 3 days before Mackenzie's 3rd birthday and it says it's for ages 3+. I'm hoping they won't ask!!
We're bringing along an Elsa dress for Peyton and an Anna dress for Mackenzie. After their princess makeovers we're heading to EPCOT!!!!! I'm thinking the best way to get to Epcot will be to hop a Beach Club/Yacht Club/Boardwalk resort bus and walk from there. We have a 3pm reservation at Akershus so we'll likely be cutting it close!

I'm super excited to be eating at Akershus for the second time. We had such a great experience there on our 2013 trip, and we're hoping this time will be even better. I'm looking forward to the girls meeting the princesses while they're all made up!!

After our meal we're heading over to Magic Kingdom for MNSSHP!!!!!!
I'm not sure what the best way to get to MK from Epcot is, but I'm thinking Monorail?

We have FP+'s booked until 7pm at MK, the main one being Meet Anna and Elsa!!! I have 4 FP+'s booked for this, all across different times, but all can be used at the same time at 5pm, so it's essential we get there for 5!! It will definitely be tight, but I think (hope) we can do it!!

Colin doesn't have a FP for A&E, so I've booked one for him to meet Cinderella and Rapunzel from 5-6pm. He can take Mackenzie with him. I was hoping I could get Peyton a FP for this as well since she hasn't got one booked for this time (she only has 2 booked for this day). When I spoke to a CM on the phone he told me there was nothing that could be done about this without starting over and losing her A&E, and I'm not wanting to do that. I thought there could be another way for them to add her . I had a FP+ booked for Haunted Mansion booked for 6-7pm, but with all the drama that happened yesterday with FP+'s between 6-7 on party nights being cancelled, I lost that one. HOWEVER, a CM go us an anytime FP+ for HM for that day so we still get to ride!!!

Peyton is really looking forward to MNSSHP. Halloween doesn't really get celebrated much in Australia, but because I grew up in Canada it's part of my childhood, and I talk about it a lot with her. She loves the idea of Halloween and can't wait to go Trick or Treating in Disney World!! I'm also really looking forward to the Boo to You Parade and all the other activities happening during the party!

I'm still trying to come up with costumes. The girls are obviously Anna and Elsa, I will be Disneybounding as Ariel and Abby will be the Mad Hatter. I still need to think of ideas for my mom and Colin though. I'm hoping to stay for a fair amount of the party, but don't like my chances of making it to midnight. We'll see though. My mom can always take Peyton and Mackenzie back to POR if they get tired and Colin, Abby and myself can stay and party!!!