snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
BUZZ LIGHTYEAR
All right. Let's go.
REX
But the sign says it's closed.
BUZZ LIGHTYEAR
No, no, no, no. All together. Now!
104 days til Christmas vacation (Apologies to Phineas and Ferb)
- Thread starter snuggly duckling
- Start date
BUZZ LIGHTYEAR
All right. Let's go.
REX
But the sign says it's closed.
BUZZ LIGHTYEAR
No, no, no, no. All together. Now!
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
Not at all related to this Christmas trip, but I had mentioned that we were at WDW in August for the Villains Unleashed event and promised I would give a recap.
When VU was first announced, I couldn't believe that it coincided with a trip DS7 and I were already planning. My excitement bubbled over, convincing my husband and daughter to join us on the trip solely for this event. And then my good friend and her family of 5 joined in, resulting in all 9 of us all heading down to WDW from Philly for mostly for this event. Though we were wary, having heard of the troubles at last year's Unleash the Villains event and the 24-hour Rock Your Disney Side event earlier this year, we truly believed that the hard ticket nature of this party, plus the experience gained at those prior events would make this a smoother and more enjoyable affair.
We bought tickets within minutes of the Annual Passholder pre-sale beginning and anxiously counted down towards the trip and the party, As more details were released, we grew more and more excited. Having previously attended MVMCP, we knew that realistically we would not be able to do it all. We knew that there would be lines and that we would have to prioritize our activities. We did not come to the party expecting to be able to meet all 50 villains, but with 5 hours of party time, we did expect to meet a few. And even if many of the character lines were too long for our liking, we figured there would be plenty else to do.
I've heard many attendees say that the party was oversold, causing far too many people to jockey for a limited amount of entertainment. I agree it felt this way, and I also wonder if many day guests simply stayed in the park, further adding to the volumes. The process to obtain our credentials was utter chaos. After having to ask several castmembers where we could even go to pick them up, we found ourselves in mess of people with a castmember just handing out a lanyard to anyone in proximity. I know our group somehow ended up with an extra one so it wouldn't surprise me if guests without VU tickets were also able to obtain one. Throughout the evening, no one appeared to be checking for lanyards either (we often didn't have ours on) so I'm sure it would have been quite easy to remain in the park and partake in the VU activities without having purchased a ticket. I wish you had required wristbands like those used at MNSSHP and MVMCP, and had more visibly enforced the hard ticket nature of this event.
Our party, consisting of 5 young children, had two main priorities, Maleficent and Constantine, and some nice-to-have priorities like the various Star Wars villains or other rare characters. Knowing that Maleficent would be quite popular, we joined the queue at 6:45 pm, almost a full two hours prior to her posted meet time. There were roughly 20 parties ahead of us in line. Having waited in the treacherous Anna/Elsa line in Norway three times last winter, I know what a character line looks like. I estimated that it would be a 20-30 minute wait, once she started meeting at 8:30 pm, depending on the level of interaction allowed. Early in the waiting, I chuckled as unsuspecting party guests made their way into the Animation Courtyard and saw how long the line already was. I smugly thought to myself that we had planned this right, that we would be in and out of this line as soon as it opened and could go on and enjoy the rest of our night knowing we achieved one of the most sought-after character meets. But my smugness faded as the hours ticked by and we realized that we were fools for waiting in that line. When all was said and done, we finally met Maleficent after 10:00 pm, nearly 3.5 hours after the wait began. We quickly snapped our photos and raced across the park to get into the Constantine line, only to find that it had already been closed to capacity. Even though we had very disappointed young children, we tried to remain optimistic, figuring that we'd find something else to do. Unfortunately, we found line after line already shut down, with 60% of the party time still remaining. We saw a few of the roaming characters from a distance but couldn't get anywhere near most of them due to the swarming hordes of others like us, locked out of everything. We managed to meet Boba Fett with a reasonable 30 minute wait, and got to meet Darth Vader by having my friend's husband wait in that line while we waiting for Boba Fett, but that was the extent of our character interaction. We were able to squeeze into the packed, yet wretched Oogie Boogie show for the final performance of the evening and then tried to head to the Guardians of the Galaxy dance party at 11:45 pm, only to find that it too was closed despite the guide map saying it was open until 12:45 am. So we stood around for another hour with nothing to do, just to watch the fireworks and attempt to close out the evening on a high note. I suppose we could have gone to the Hades Hangout dance party, but after the miserable night thus far, no one really felt like dancing.
The characters simply spent too much time with each group. I know we all treasure special interaction with characters, but it needed to be more efficient in order to accommodate the high volume of demand, like the 7 dwarfs line at MVMCP: a couple of photos and then move on to the next party. I would have also expected the experience gained in managing the Anna/Elsa lines over the past year to have influenced how these lines were managed. The castmembers could have set expectations on how long the wait would be, like they did in Norway where they would actually segment the line into sets. If we had known that we would be waiting 3.5 hours to meet Maleficent, we would have turned around and been able to salvage the rest of the evening.
We would have loved to have purchased event t-shirts and pins for our whole group, but they were long gone by the time we emerged from the eternal Maleficent line. I wish that we could have pre-ordered the event merchandise along with our tickets, so that we wouldn't have to prioritize shopping against actual entertainment. And in what world should anyone have to wait 45 minutes in line to buy a $15 drink? Seriously Disney, if customers want to give you their hard-earned money, you shouldn't make it difficult for them to do so.
Maleficent was truly fantastic and the fireworks were stunning, but those things alone could not make the almost $600 we spent on party tickets worth it, not to mention the additional expense of airfare, resort rooms, and dining that accompanied the trip.
Overall, it felt like this event was hastily assembled, like maybe the team got distracted by something else (Frozen Summer Fun, perhaps?) after it was announced and didn't have the time or resources to do it right. It lacked the meticulous level of detail and planning that we have come to expect from Disney. It was quite telling when, at the end of the evening leading in to the fireworks, Maleficent asked the crowd if they had a good time and no one around us cheered. Instead, everyone swapped horror stories about long lines and grouchy castmembers. We did not come into this event looking to nitpick or complain. We had high hopes, but reasonable expectations and still came away disappointed.
At the end of the day, there needed to be fewer tickets sold, or more entertainment, merchandise, and dining options offered. Clearly, this is a great concept that people love and are clamoring for; it just has to be executed better. If the event were offered again (and I hope it is!) I am not sure we would attend, at least not without some assurances that it would be worth the expense.
The good news is that I emailed this same feedback to Disney upon our return. The CM I spoke with appreciated our feedback and examples, as opposed to the blanket complaining they had heard from others. They graciously, and proactively refunded the tickets. And as an added touch of pixie dust, they sent us a goody bag and set of autograph cards for each of the kids. I thought that was really nice, since we were only able to snag one on our way out of the park that night because the CMs were rationing them like crazy.
I didn't take very many photos at all, since we spent so much of the night standing in line. But here are the few I have:
When VU was first announced, I couldn't believe that it coincided with a trip DS7 and I were already planning. My excitement bubbled over, convincing my husband and daughter to join us on the trip solely for this event. And then my good friend and her family of 5 joined in, resulting in all 9 of us all heading down to WDW from Philly for mostly for this event. Though we were wary, having heard of the troubles at last year's Unleash the Villains event and the 24-hour Rock Your Disney Side event earlier this year, we truly believed that the hard ticket nature of this party, plus the experience gained at those prior events would make this a smoother and more enjoyable affair.
We bought tickets within minutes of the Annual Passholder pre-sale beginning and anxiously counted down towards the trip and the party, As more details were released, we grew more and more excited. Having previously attended MVMCP, we knew that realistically we would not be able to do it all. We knew that there would be lines and that we would have to prioritize our activities. We did not come to the party expecting to be able to meet all 50 villains, but with 5 hours of party time, we did expect to meet a few. And even if many of the character lines were too long for our liking, we figured there would be plenty else to do.
I've heard many attendees say that the party was oversold, causing far too many people to jockey for a limited amount of entertainment. I agree it felt this way, and I also wonder if many day guests simply stayed in the park, further adding to the volumes. The process to obtain our credentials was utter chaos. After having to ask several castmembers where we could even go to pick them up, we found ourselves in mess of people with a castmember just handing out a lanyard to anyone in proximity. I know our group somehow ended up with an extra one so it wouldn't surprise me if guests without VU tickets were also able to obtain one. Throughout the evening, no one appeared to be checking for lanyards either (we often didn't have ours on) so I'm sure it would have been quite easy to remain in the park and partake in the VU activities without having purchased a ticket. I wish you had required wristbands like those used at MNSSHP and MVMCP, and had more visibly enforced the hard ticket nature of this event.
Our party, consisting of 5 young children, had two main priorities, Maleficent and Constantine, and some nice-to-have priorities like the various Star Wars villains or other rare characters. Knowing that Maleficent would be quite popular, we joined the queue at 6:45 pm, almost a full two hours prior to her posted meet time. There were roughly 20 parties ahead of us in line. Having waited in the treacherous Anna/Elsa line in Norway three times last winter, I know what a character line looks like. I estimated that it would be a 20-30 minute wait, once she started meeting at 8:30 pm, depending on the level of interaction allowed. Early in the waiting, I chuckled as unsuspecting party guests made their way into the Animation Courtyard and saw how long the line already was. I smugly thought to myself that we had planned this right, that we would be in and out of this line as soon as it opened and could go on and enjoy the rest of our night knowing we achieved one of the most sought-after character meets. But my smugness faded as the hours ticked by and we realized that we were fools for waiting in that line. When all was said and done, we finally met Maleficent after 10:00 pm, nearly 3.5 hours after the wait began. We quickly snapped our photos and raced across the park to get into the Constantine line, only to find that it had already been closed to capacity. Even though we had very disappointed young children, we tried to remain optimistic, figuring that we'd find something else to do. Unfortunately, we found line after line already shut down, with 60% of the party time still remaining. We saw a few of the roaming characters from a distance but couldn't get anywhere near most of them due to the swarming hordes of others like us, locked out of everything. We managed to meet Boba Fett with a reasonable 30 minute wait, and got to meet Darth Vader by having my friend's husband wait in that line while we waiting for Boba Fett, but that was the extent of our character interaction. We were able to squeeze into the packed, yet wretched Oogie Boogie show for the final performance of the evening and then tried to head to the Guardians of the Galaxy dance party at 11:45 pm, only to find that it too was closed despite the guide map saying it was open until 12:45 am. So we stood around for another hour with nothing to do, just to watch the fireworks and attempt to close out the evening on a high note. I suppose we could have gone to the Hades Hangout dance party, but after the miserable night thus far, no one really felt like dancing.
The characters simply spent too much time with each group. I know we all treasure special interaction with characters, but it needed to be more efficient in order to accommodate the high volume of demand, like the 7 dwarfs line at MVMCP: a couple of photos and then move on to the next party. I would have also expected the experience gained in managing the Anna/Elsa lines over the past year to have influenced how these lines were managed. The castmembers could have set expectations on how long the wait would be, like they did in Norway where they would actually segment the line into sets. If we had known that we would be waiting 3.5 hours to meet Maleficent, we would have turned around and been able to salvage the rest of the evening.
We would have loved to have purchased event t-shirts and pins for our whole group, but they were long gone by the time we emerged from the eternal Maleficent line. I wish that we could have pre-ordered the event merchandise along with our tickets, so that we wouldn't have to prioritize shopping against actual entertainment. And in what world should anyone have to wait 45 minutes in line to buy a $15 drink? Seriously Disney, if customers want to give you their hard-earned money, you shouldn't make it difficult for them to do so.
Maleficent was truly fantastic and the fireworks were stunning, but those things alone could not make the almost $600 we spent on party tickets worth it, not to mention the additional expense of airfare, resort rooms, and dining that accompanied the trip.
Overall, it felt like this event was hastily assembled, like maybe the team got distracted by something else (Frozen Summer Fun, perhaps?) after it was announced and didn't have the time or resources to do it right. It lacked the meticulous level of detail and planning that we have come to expect from Disney. It was quite telling when, at the end of the evening leading in to the fireworks, Maleficent asked the crowd if they had a good time and no one around us cheered. Instead, everyone swapped horror stories about long lines and grouchy castmembers. We did not come into this event looking to nitpick or complain. We had high hopes, but reasonable expectations and still came away disappointed.
At the end of the day, there needed to be fewer tickets sold, or more entertainment, merchandise, and dining options offered. Clearly, this is a great concept that people love and are clamoring for; it just has to be executed better. If the event were offered again (and I hope it is!) I am not sure we would attend, at least not without some assurances that it would be worth the expense.
The good news is that I emailed this same feedback to Disney upon our return. The CM I spoke with appreciated our feedback and examples, as opposed to the blanket complaining they had heard from others. They graciously, and proactively refunded the tickets. And as an added touch of pixie dust, they sent us a goody bag and set of autograph cards for each of the kids. I thought that was really nice, since we were only able to snag one on our way out of the park that night because the CMs were rationing them like crazy.
I didn't take very many photos at all, since we spent so much of the night standing in line. But here are the few I have:
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
MOTHER GOTHEL
Are you all right?
RAPUNZEL
Im the lost princess.
MOTHER GOTHEL
Oh, please speak up Rapunzel. You know how I hate the mumbling.
RAPUNZEL
I am the lost princess! Arent I? Did I mumble, Mother? Or should I even call you that?
MOTHER GOTHEL
Oh Rapunzel, did you even hear yourself? Why would you ask such a ridiculous question?
RAPUNZEL
It was you! It was all you!
MOTHER GOTHEL
Everything that I did was to protect you.
RAPUNZEL
Ugh!
MOTHER GOTHEL
Rapunzel!
RAPUNZEL
Ive spent my entire life hiding from people who would use me for my power
MOTHER GOTHEL
Rapunzel!
RAPUNZEL
but I should have been hiding from you!
MOTHER GOTHEL
Where will you go? He wont be there for you.
RAPUNZEL
What did you do to him?
MOTHER GOTHEL
That criminal is to be hanged for his crimes.
RAPUNZEL
No.
MOTHER GOTHEL
Now, Now. Its all right. Listen to me. Everything is as it should be.
RAPUNZEL
No! You were wrong about the world. And you were wrong about me. And I will never let you use my hair again!
MOTHER GOTHEL
You want me to be the bad guy? Fine. Now Im the bad guy.
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
So Frozen merchandise is in stock on disneystore.com...
I snagged one of each of the Sketchbook ornaments, the winter boots, a Kristoff plush, and a new Elsa dress for DD5 since she has destroyed (and mostly outgrown) her one from last year.
Except the app was glitchy and kept giving me an error message. So I kept trying..
It finally went through! But then when I checked me email, it actually went through 4 times.
So now I'm I hold trying to cancel 3 whole orders.
At least it's fun Disney hold music!!! Reminds me of the long waits to get a BOG reservation when it first opened!
I snagged one of each of the Sketchbook ornaments, the winter boots, a Kristoff plush, and a new Elsa dress for DD5 since she has destroyed (and mostly outgrown) her one from last year.
Except the app was glitchy and kept giving me an error message. So I kept trying..
It finally went through! But then when I checked me email, it actually went through 4 times.
So now I'm I hold trying to cancel 3 whole orders.
At least it's fun Disney hold music!!! Reminds me of the long waits to get a BOG reservation when it first opened!
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
Last week, just for fun, I checked flights for our spring break, right before Easter. The cheapest I could find was $300 per person but it didn't matter since we really weren't planning to do Disney again in March/April.
Frontier Airlines announced new service between Philadelphia and Orlando today. It doesn't start until 12/20 so it wouldn't have been helpful for our December trip anyway, but their introduction day sale prices were INSANE
Out of curiosity, I checked the Frontier sale today... It was $140 per person ROUNDTRIP for spring break. $560 TOTAL for all 4 of us. I barely gave DH a chance to text me back before I booked it. And I managed to get it booked before Frontier's website totally crashed.
We will have our APs so we just have to decide where to stay. I'm debating AOA or renting DVC points for AKL if possible. DH wants to stay offsite, but I feel like EMH and the other onsite benefits are too important during such crowded times. We shall see...
MORE DISNEY! Woo hoo!!
Frontier Airlines announced new service between Philadelphia and Orlando today. It doesn't start until 12/20 so it wouldn't have been helpful for our December trip anyway, but their introduction day sale prices were INSANE
Out of curiosity, I checked the Frontier sale today... It was $140 per person ROUNDTRIP for spring break. $560 TOTAL for all 4 of us. I barely gave DH a chance to text me back before I booked it. And I managed to get it booked before Frontier's website totally crashed.
We will have our APs so we just have to decide where to stay. I'm debating AOA or renting DVC points for AKL if possible. DH wants to stay offsite, but I feel like EMH and the other onsite benefits are too important during such crowded times. We shall see...
MORE DISNEY! Woo hoo!!
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
ANNA
Nice duet.
Kristoff sits up with a start...sees who it is.
KRISTOFF
Oh, its just you. What do you want?
ANNA
I want you to take me up the North Mountain.
KRISTOFF
I dont take people places.
He lays back down, closes his eyes.
ANNA
Let me rephrase that...
A sack of supplies lands in Kristoffs lap.
KRISTOFF
Umph.
He sits up. Looks in the bag.
ANNA
Take me up the North Mountain....
Please.
He eyes her. He clearly doesnt take orders.
ANNA
Look, I know how to stop this winter.
He considers, lies back down, pulls his hat over his eyes.
KRISTOFF
We leave at dawn.... And you forgot the carrots for Sven
A bag of carrots hits Kristoff in the face.
KRISTOFF
Ugh!
ANNA
Oops. Sorry. Sorry. Im sorry. I didnt--
(catching herself)
We leave now. Right now.
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
So excited. I just booked the "Behind the Seeds" tour for the whole family on Christmas day!
Since we are going to do it on Christmas, I think that Santa will leave "tickets" for it for the kids as one of their presents or maybe in their stockings.
The whole fam, DD5 especially, loves Living with the Land (she calls it "little boat ride") so I know that they will love a behind-the-scenes peek.
Of course, when I booked, the castmember told me about the "Family Magic" tour and now I want to book that one too. I'm thinking I'll save that one for Spring Break.
9 days til Fast Pass+ day!
Since we are going to do it on Christmas, I think that Santa will leave "tickets" for it for the kids as one of their presents or maybe in their stockings.
The whole fam, DD5 especially, loves Living with the Land (she calls it "little boat ride") so I know that they will love a behind-the-scenes peek.
Of course, when I booked, the castmember told me about the "Family Magic" tour and now I want to book that one too. I'm thinking I'll save that one for Spring Break.
9 days til Fast Pass+ day!
tyandskyesmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2007
- Messages
- 2,812
Loving your pre-trip report. I am looking at planning for next Christmas starting Dec 18, 2015 (Friday) thru (hopefully) Jan 3, 2016 (Sunday) if all works out ok...which it never does but even if I have to scale back, I will be scaling back to basically the trip you are taking this year. Most of us have been to The World lots, to include Christmastime, but never over Christmas. So your trips are a great jumping point for me to plan mine...
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
Welcome! We had so much fun for Christmas last year. I don't think we can ever go back to just normal Christmas at home!
My sister has already informed me that she, BIL, and my 3 year-old niece will be tagging along with us for Christmas 2015 so I guess that we are in for next year too!
I'd love to be able to stay longer, through the new year. The fireworks sound awesome!!
Glad to have you along for the ride!
My sister has already informed me that she, BIL, and my 3 year-old niece will be tagging along with us for Christmas 2015 so I guess that we are in for next year too!
I'd love to be able to stay longer, through the new year. The fireworks sound awesome!!
Glad to have you along for the ride!
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
FLIK
Here, pretend - pretend that that's a seed.
DOT
It's a rock.
FLIK
Oh, I know it's a rock, I know. But let's just pretend for a minute that it's a seed, alright? We'll just use our imaginations. Now, now do you see our tree? Everything that made that giant tree is already contained inside this tiny little seed. All it needs is some time, a little bit of sunshine and rain, and voilà!
DOT
This rock will be a tree?
FLIK
Seed to tree. You've gotta work with me, here. Alright? Okay. Now, y-you might not feel like you can do much now, but that's just because, well, you're not a tree yet. You just have to give yourself some time. You're still a seed.
DOT
But it's a rock.
FLIK
[shouting] I know it's a rock! Don't you think I know a rock when I see a rock? I've spent a lot of time around rocks!
DOT
You're weird, but I like you.
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
Our FP+ window is a week away (next Saturday night, into Sunday) so I am in full-on FP+ prep mode.
My strategy (I think) is to try for my highest priority day (12/23) first, and then start from the last day of the trip and work backwards, doing all MK days first, then other parks. I am going to try for an Anna/Elsa FP+ for every single MK day, and then ditch the extras once Ive got the two I need worked into our plans (one for both kids together, and then one for DD5 and I only for right after her BBB appointment.)
Even though weve done 4 trips with FP+ already, I am totally freaking out about our FP+ selections getting zapped from our account. We have APs and will be using them for this trip, but we also purchased 10-day tickets for this trip in order to take advantage of free dining. Our APs expire on our last day so we plan to use the 10-day tickets to help cover the renewal costs on our APs. Im planning to go to Guest Relations as soon as we get there on our first day to pull the 10-day tickets off our Magic Bands and then renew the APs. I am soooo scared that our FP+ will all disappear when we do this. Ack.
Heres my current thinking on what we will aim for:
Thursday, 12/18
Friday, 12/19
Saturday, 12/20
Sunday, 12/21
Monday, 12/22
Tuesday, 12/23
Wednesday, 12/24
Thursday, 12/25
Friday, 12/26
Saturday, 12/27
Sunday, 12/28
My strategy (I think) is to try for my highest priority day (12/23) first, and then start from the last day of the trip and work backwards, doing all MK days first, then other parks. I am going to try for an Anna/Elsa FP+ for every single MK day, and then ditch the extras once Ive got the two I need worked into our plans (one for both kids together, and then one for DD5 and I only for right after her BBB appointment.)
Even though weve done 4 trips with FP+ already, I am totally freaking out about our FP+ selections getting zapped from our account. We have APs and will be using them for this trip, but we also purchased 10-day tickets for this trip in order to take advantage of free dining. Our APs expire on our last day so we plan to use the 10-day tickets to help cover the renewal costs on our APs. Im planning to go to Guest Relations as soon as we get there on our first day to pull the 10-day tickets off our Magic Bands and then renew the APs. I am soooo scared that our FP+ will all disappear when we do this. Ack.
Heres my current thinking on what we will aim for:
Thursday, 12/18
- Fly to Orlando from Philly
- Magical Express
- Check in to Caribbean Beach
- Head to EPCOT
[*]FP+ for Spaceship Earth 12:00 1:00 pm
[*]FP+ for Soarin 1:00 2:00 pm
[*]FP+ for Character Spot 2:00 3:00 pm - Lunch at San Angel Inn at 2:30 pm
- Dinner at Akershus at 8:00 pm
Friday, 12/19
- Rope drop Magic Kingdom
[*]FP+ for Anna and Elsa 11:00 12:00 pm - Lunch at Crystal Palace at 11:30 am
[*]FP+ for Enchanted Tales with Belle 12:30 1:30 pm
[*]FP+ for 7 Dwarfs Mine Train 1:30 2:30 pm - Dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table at 4:25 pm
- Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
Saturday, 12/20
- Rope drop Animal Kingdom
- Breakfast at Tusker House at 8:00 am
- FP+ for Festival of the Lion King 11:00 am
[*]FP+ for Expedition Everest 12:00 1:00 pm - Lunch at Yak & Yeti at 1:30 pm
- FP+ for Kilimanjaro Safaris 3:00 4:00 pm
- Dinner at Sanaa at 7:55 pm
Sunday, 12/21
- Rope drop Hollywood Studios
- FP+ for Star Tours 11:30 12:30 pm
- Fantasmic! package lunch at Mama Melrose at 12:00 pm
- FP+ for Toy Story Midway Mania 1:30 2:30 pm
[*]FP+ for Tower of Terror 2:30 3:30 pm - Fantasmic 6:30 pm
- Dinner at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at 8:00 pm
Monday, 12/22
- Can be flexible, if desired
- Rope drop EPCOT
[*]FP+ for Mission Space 11:30 12:30 pm - Candlelight Processional package lunch at Tutto Italia at 12:30 pm
[*]FP+ for Spaceship Earth 1:30 2:30 pm
[*]FP+ for Test Track 2:30 3:30 pm - Candlelight Processional with Marlee Matlin at 5:00 pm
- Dinner at Garden Grill at 7:00 pm
Tuesday, 12/23
- Rope drop Magic Kingdom
- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at 8:00 am
[*]FP+ for Cinderella and Rapunzel 8:00 9:00 am (girls only, banking on 8:00 open; will book 10:00 11:00 if park hours havent been updated by -60)
[*]FP+ for Big Thunder Mountain 8:00 9:00 am (boys only, banking on 8:00 open; will book 10:00 11:00 if park hours havent been updated by -60)
[*]FP+ for Anna and Elsa 9:00 10:00 am (girls only)
[*]FP+ for Space Mountain 9:00 - 10:00 am (boys only) - Late breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table at 10:20 am
[*]FP+ for 7 Dwarfs Mine Train 11:30 12:30 pm (all)
[*]4th FP+ for Enchanted Tales with Belle - Dinner at Be Our Guest at 5:00 pm
- Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party at 9:00 pm (likely)
Wednesday, 12/24
- Can be flexible, if desired
- Rope drop Hollywood Studios
[*]FP+ for Tower of Terror 9:30 10:30 am
[*]FP+ for Star Tours 10:30 11:30 am - Lunch at Hollywood & Vine at 11:30 am
[*]FP+ for Toy Story Midway Mania 12:30 1:30 pm - Hop to EPCOT
- Dinner at Biergarten at 5:50 pm
- Illuminations Dessert Party at 8:15 pm
Thursday, 12/25
- Christmas in the room
- Head to Animal Kingdom
- Hop to EPCOT
- Candlelight Processional package lunch at Via Napoli at 12:45 pm
[*]FP+ for Soarin 1:45 2:45 pm - Behind the Seeds tour at 3:00 pm
[*]FP+ for Figment 3:30 4:30 pm - Candlelight Processional with Isabella Rossellini at 5:00 pm
[*]FP+ for Spaceship Earth 5:30 6:30 pm - Dinner at Le Cellier at 7:00 pm
Friday, 12/26
- Can be flexible, if desired
- Rope drop Magic Kingdom
- Breakfast at 'Ohana at 11:05 am
[*]FP+ for 7 Dwarfs Mine Train 12:30 1:30 pm
[*]FP+ for Anna and Elsa for 1:30 2:30 pm (will change out for Space Mountain assuming we get A&E on another day)
[*]FP+ for Peter Pan 2:30 3:30 pm - Dinner at 1900 Park Fare at 5:00 pm
Saturday, 12/27
- Can be flexible, if desired
- Rope drop Magic Kingdom
- Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare at 11:00 am
[*]FP+ for 7 Dwarfs Mine Train 12:30 1:30 pm
[*]FP+ for Splash Mountain for 1:30 2:30 pm
[*]FP+ for Anna and Elsa for 2:30 3:30 pm (will change out for Haunted Mansion assuming we get A&E on another day) - Dinner at 'Ohana at 5:00 pm
- Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party at 9:00 pm (likely)
Sunday, 12/28
- Check out of Caribbean Beach Resort
- Head to Magic Kingdom
[*]FP+ for Anna and Elsa for 10:00 11:00 am (will change out for Jungle Cruise assuming we get A&E on another day)
[*]FP+ for Peter Pan for 11:00 12:00 pm - Lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern at 11:30 am
[*]FP+ for 7 Dwarfs Mine Train for 12:30 1:30 pm - Magical Express at 4:40 pm
- Fly back to Philly
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
BANZAI
Yeah! Be prepared. We'll be prepared! For what?
SCAR
For the death of the king
BANZAI
Why, is he sick?
SCAR
No, fool! We're going to kill him. Simba, too
SHENZI
Great idea! Who needs a king?
HYENAS
No king, no king! La la la la la!
SCAR
Idiots! There will be a king!
BANZAI
Hey, but you said...
SCAR
I will be king! Stick with me and you'll never go hungry again!
HYENAS
Yay, all right! Long live the king! Long live the king!
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
I think I am officially Disney crazy.
We currently have 4 (!!!!) trips in My Disney Experience right now. I'm getting a little overwhelmed at this point, but am still making progress. Yay progress!
This week:
I bought our MVMCP tickets for the Christmas trip. Yay!
I booked a flight for my February Princess Half girls' trip. I'm also on a waiting list to get a bib for the Enchanted 10K. I do not run. But I guess I should probably start.
And I'm about to book the resort for Spring Break, if the WDW website will let me. I'm trying to book POP, but given the technical issues I'm having, it gives me time to feel waffling between POP, AOA, and POFQ. I would love POFQ and it's less than $300 more than the values for the week. But I could also save the $300 for something else... Argh. Still need to do a touring plan for this trip and start ADRs. So far behind.
We currently have 4 (!!!!) trips in My Disney Experience right now. I'm getting a little overwhelmed at this point, but am still making progress. Yay progress!
This week:
I bought our MVMCP tickets for the Christmas trip. Yay!
I booked a flight for my February Princess Half girls' trip. I'm also on a waiting list to get a bib for the Enchanted 10K. I do not run. But I guess I should probably start.
And I'm about to book the resort for Spring Break, if the WDW website will let me. I'm trying to book POP, but given the technical issues I'm having, it gives me time to feel waffling between POP, AOA, and POFQ. I would love POFQ and it's less than $300 more than the values for the week. But I could also save the $300 for something else... Argh. Still need to do a touring plan for this trip and start ADRs. So far behind.
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
[Everyone is trapped in Syndrome's containment unit]
MR. INCREDIBLE
I'm sorry. I've been a lousy father, blind to what I have. So obsessed with being undervalued that I undervalued all of you.
[while Bob is talking, Violet frees herself using her force field]
DASH
Uh, Dad...
ELASTIGIRL
Shh, don't interrupt.
MR. INCREDIBLE
So... caught up in the past that I... *You* are my greatest adventure, and I almost missed it. I swear that if we get out of this safely, I will...
VIOLET
[At the control panel] Well, I think Dad has made some excellent progress today, but I think it's time we wind down now.
[she frees them by hitting a green button]
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
A distraction from all the impending FP+ stress... We need to talk about dresses. Princess dresses. DD5 will be doing the BBB again this trip. It will be her 5th trip to the boutique. She is such a girly girl. (And also obviously spoiled.)
The problem is the dress.
This is her dress-up area in our playroom:
She has just about every dress already.
On our first trip, in 2012, she was Cinderella. DH cried when he saw her for the first time after the BBB.
In January 2013, she chose Rapunzel. We brought the long Rapunzel hair from home to add to the costume.
At Christmas last year, she was Elsa. Somehow fate shined down on me and told me to buy the limited edition Elsa dress from the Disney Store on Black Friday. So happy I did, since they were impossible to find after that. Got 25% off too! So many people stopped us at WDW to ask where we got the dress. A few even offered to buy it right off her back. Crazy. But not a chance. She truly felt like a princess.
When she went on her daddy/daughter trip in April, she wore the Anna Coronation dress we scored during the Christmas trip.
I know she could just wear one of the dresses she already owns, but I like to buy a new one for the BBB. She wears her princess dresses every single day, often out running errands, to dinner, etc. As such, they take a beating. I love getting her photos taken post-boutique with all the princesses. These photos are for mommy. They are some of my best memories, so I want her to have a sparkly new dress. (Like I said, she's spoiled!)
So for the Christmas trip this year, she has stated that she wants to wear Elsa's coronation dress, which, of course, doesn't exist. I have minimal sewing skills and no time, so I would have to go the Etsy route. I did find this one:
But I'm a little afraid of such a large purchase from Etsy. It's not like you can just return it and get a different size if it doesn't fit. And I'd like to think that the people selling dresses on Etsy have actual seamstress skills, but you never know. Seems like such a gamble to me.
I did see this Aurora limited edition dress on this Disney Store site yesterday:
I am totally in love with it. DD5 likes it, and says that she will wear it for BBB next time. But this time, she's sticking with Elsa Coronation.
Anyone ever order a custom dress from Etsy? Is my fear justified, or should I just jump in?
The problem is the dress.
This is her dress-up area in our playroom:
She has just about every dress already.
On our first trip, in 2012, she was Cinderella. DH cried when he saw her for the first time after the BBB.
In January 2013, she chose Rapunzel. We brought the long Rapunzel hair from home to add to the costume.
At Christmas last year, she was Elsa. Somehow fate shined down on me and told me to buy the limited edition Elsa dress from the Disney Store on Black Friday. So happy I did, since they were impossible to find after that. Got 25% off too! So many people stopped us at WDW to ask where we got the dress. A few even offered to buy it right off her back. Crazy. But not a chance. She truly felt like a princess.
When she went on her daddy/daughter trip in April, she wore the Anna Coronation dress we scored during the Christmas trip.
I know she could just wear one of the dresses she already owns, but I like to buy a new one for the BBB. She wears her princess dresses every single day, often out running errands, to dinner, etc. As such, they take a beating. I love getting her photos taken post-boutique with all the princesses. These photos are for mommy. They are some of my best memories, so I want her to have a sparkly new dress. (Like I said, she's spoiled!)
So for the Christmas trip this year, she has stated that she wants to wear Elsa's coronation dress, which, of course, doesn't exist. I have minimal sewing skills and no time, so I would have to go the Etsy route. I did find this one:
But I'm a little afraid of such a large purchase from Etsy. It's not like you can just return it and get a different size if it doesn't fit. And I'd like to think that the people selling dresses on Etsy have actual seamstress skills, but you never know. Seems like such a gamble to me.
I did see this Aurora limited edition dress on this Disney Store site yesterday:
I am totally in love with it. DD5 likes it, and says that she will wear it for BBB next time. But this time, she's sticking with Elsa Coronation.
Anyone ever order a custom dress from Etsy? Is my fear justified, or should I just jump in?
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
FAIRY GODMOTHER
Now, now, now... don't try to thank me.
CINDERELLA
Oh, I wasn't-- I mean... I do, but... but don't you think my dress-
FAIRY GODMOTHER
Yes, it's lovely, dear. Lov-- Good heavens, child! You can't go in that. Now, uh.. lets see, dear. Your size... and the shade of your eyes... Uh-hmm. Something simple, but daring too. Oh, just leave it to me! What a gown this will be. Bibbidi-bobbidi bibbidi-bobbidi... Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
CINDERELLA
Oh, it's a beautiful dress! Did you ever see such a beautiful dress? And look, glass slippers. Why, it's like a dream, a wonderful dream come true.
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
I took advantage of the Columbus Day holiday to take a trip to IKEA. School was closed and so was my office. Thankfully, I love shopping at IKEA and the kids love to hang out in Småland. The ability to shop without my kids is a godsend!
I actually found a few things for our Christmas trip.
They had these ponchos:
I like them because they are lightweight and fold compactly, but they arent plastic. They are made out of similar material to like what umbrellas are made of. $5.99 each!
I also got some Christmas tree decorations for the hotel room. I got a 6' artificial tree from Kohl's on clearance last year. Because all of our decorations have to be packaged in airline luggage, I need to be fairly conscious of their weight. IKEA had this great light-weight garland - $1.49 for 11 yards. I got a few in red and a few in silver:
They also had these cool light string curtains for $8.00. I got 2 sets to hang in the resort window:
Then they had these nifty snowflakes that click on to the individual bulbs for $2.50 a dozen. Our resort window will have snowfall!
Now I just need to make some nice, lightweight paper ornaments to add to the tree!
Today was a good day ADR-wise too. The best ADR I could get originally at Sanaa on 12/20 was at 7:55 pm. I wanted it to be closer to 7:00 pm because I don't think the kids will make it through the later one. I was able to snag a 7:05 today! Woo hoo!
I actually found a few things for our Christmas trip.
They had these ponchos:
I like them because they are lightweight and fold compactly, but they arent plastic. They are made out of similar material to like what umbrellas are made of. $5.99 each!
I also got some Christmas tree decorations for the hotel room. I got a 6' artificial tree from Kohl's on clearance last year. Because all of our decorations have to be packaged in airline luggage, I need to be fairly conscious of their weight. IKEA had this great light-weight garland - $1.49 for 11 yards. I got a few in red and a few in silver:
They also had these cool light string curtains for $8.00. I got 2 sets to hang in the resort window:
Then they had these nifty snowflakes that click on to the individual bulbs for $2.50 a dozen. Our resort window will have snowfall!
Now I just need to make some nice, lightweight paper ornaments to add to the tree!
Today was a good day ADR-wise too. The best ADR I could get originally at Sanaa on 12/20 was at 7:55 pm. I wanted it to be closer to 7:00 pm because I don't think the kids will make it through the later one. I was able to snag a 7:05 today! Woo hoo!
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
[in the witch's cottage, Merida accidently sets off a Rube Goldberg machine which brings up the witch's cauldron with a ghostly image of the witch appearing above it]
THE WITCH
Welcome to the Crafty Carver, home of bear carvings and novelties. I am completely out of stock at this time, but if you'd like to inquire about a portrait or wedding cake toppers, pour vial one into the cauldron. If you'd like a Bedouin garlic, vial two. If you're that red-haired lass, vial three.
[Merida quickly pours the contents of vile three into the cauldron]
THE WITCH
Princess, I'm off to the Wickerman's festival in Stoneleigh. I won't be back till spring. There's one bit I forgot to tell you about the spell. By the second sunrise, your spell will be permanent, unless you remember these words; 'Fate be changed, look inside. Mend the bond torn by pride.'
MERIDA
Fate be changed? Mend the bond? What does that mean?
THE WITCH
One more time. 'Fate be changed, look inside. Mend the bond torn by pride.' That's it! Ta-ta! Oh, and thank you for shopping at the Crafty Carver!
[and suddenly the witch's ghostly image disappears]
MERIDA
No! No! Where did you go!
[suddenly the witch's ghostly image appears again and starts giving the same message, Merida starts pouring in all the vials into the cauldron in panic and accidently blows the cauldron and the cottage disappears]
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
It's FP+ day!!! Yay!
snuggly duckling
Well… I do like ducklings!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 572
And
breathe.
Last night was our FP+ night. I brought my laptop up to our bedroom so I could lounge in bed and make our FPs comfortably (and then promptly pass out once I was done!) I decided to restart my computer at like 11:50 pm to try to ward off any slowness, especially since our Wi-Fi signal isnt as strong on the third floor. It did its best to stress me out because it took forever to reboot. It finally did and I was able to get signed in to MDE and pull up my planning spreadsheet just as the clock ticked over to midnight. Phew!
Our FP window was open right away. Yay! I started with my highest priority day, 12/23, BBB day which falls smack in the middle of our trip. I used the approach where you book your choices opposite of what you want, so I selected evening times for all three and then modified them to the morning times I preferred. Amazingly, I was able to get the FPs I was after (Anna/Elsa, Cinderella/Rapunzel, and 7DMT) however I could not get A&E at my preferred time. I wanted 9:00 am but couldnt get anything earlier than 11:10 am. Oh well, not perfect, but it will be fine. There seemed to be plenty of 7DMT times available throughout the day. I then modified again for the boys, since the PFTH visits will be for DD5 and I only. DH and DS7 were switched to Space and Big Thunder instead.
Then I did the remainder of our MK days, which are heavily concentrated at the end of our trip. I started with our first MK day on 12/19. There was no 7DMT or A&E availability at all so I swapped in Space and Splash instead. Then I moved on to 12/26, 12/27, and 12/28. I was able to book an A&E for each day, but once again, the earliest I could get was at 11:10 am on each of those three days, even that late in an 11-day trip. Curiouser and curiouser. Makes me wonder if they are holding back early morning A&E capacity for some reason??? No troubles getting 7DMT on any of these days either. Once I got through the rest of my FPs, I dropped two of the three A&Es. I just wanted to be sure I could get one and make it work into our plans. Mission accomplished.
Then I finished out the rest of our days in chronological order. I had no problems at all getting what we wanted, except strangely I could not get a FP+ for DINOSAUR any time around noon on 12/20. Eventually I was able to tweak it to 12:25, but it took a ton of attempts. Very strange.
The website glitched a few times, causing me to have to restart a day, but overall it was pretty smooth. The site itself has improved dramatically since I did FP+ for our August trip back in June. I liked the look and feel of this iteration much better than the old one and I definitely had fewer technical issues this go-around.
So heres what the plan looks like now:
Thursday, 12/18
Logic: Book FP early enough in the day to maximize 4th FP opportunities, but save Tier 1 for last in case of travel delays
Friday, 12/19
Logic: Book FP early enough in the day to maximize 4th FP opportunities; book harder ones first leaving room to move #2 and #3 earlier upon completion. Tried, but couldnt get 7DMT or Anna and Elsa here as desired, but got them later in the week. Hakuna Matata!
Saturday, 12/20
No real strategy here; opted for Mickey/Minnie and DINOSUR since all 4 of us can use those; DH and DS7 can ride Everest at rope drop, or in single rider line
Sunday, 12/21
Logic: Book FP early enough in the day to maximize 4th FP opportunities; book impossible one first leaving room to move #2 and #3 earlier upon completion
Monday, 12/22
Logic: Book FP early enough in the day to maximize 4th FP opportunities; book impossible one first leaving room to move #2 and #3 earlier upon completion
Tuesday, 12/23
Logic: Book FP for Princess meet and greets as close to BBB appointment as possible; will keep an eye out for park hour changes as I would like to move the princesses to 8:00 am and 9:00 am; boys will try to move up BTM as soon as they ride Space to ensure they get to CRT on time
Wednesday, 12/24
Logic: Book FP early enough in the day to maximize 4th FP opportunities; book impossible one first leaving room to move #2 and #3 earlier upon completion
Thursday, 12/25
Only strategy here was to schedule Soarin right before the Behind the Seeds tour, since we will need to be in the Land Pavilion anyway, other two FPs are scheduled but may or may not be used
Friday, 12/26
Logic: Schedule FP+ at MK between two MK-area ADRs, leaving morning and evening open for hopping
Saturday, 12/27
Logic: Schedule FP+ at MK between two MK-area ADRs, leaving morning open for hopping
Sunday, 12/28
Logic: Leave morning open for resort check-out; hit favorites again
Last night was our FP+ night. I brought my laptop up to our bedroom so I could lounge in bed and make our FPs comfortably (and then promptly pass out once I was done!) I decided to restart my computer at like 11:50 pm to try to ward off any slowness, especially since our Wi-Fi signal isnt as strong on the third floor. It did its best to stress me out because it took forever to reboot. It finally did and I was able to get signed in to MDE and pull up my planning spreadsheet just as the clock ticked over to midnight. Phew!
Our FP window was open right away. Yay! I started with my highest priority day, 12/23, BBB day which falls smack in the middle of our trip. I used the approach where you book your choices opposite of what you want, so I selected evening times for all three and then modified them to the morning times I preferred. Amazingly, I was able to get the FPs I was after (Anna/Elsa, Cinderella/Rapunzel, and 7DMT) however I could not get A&E at my preferred time. I wanted 9:00 am but couldnt get anything earlier than 11:10 am. Oh well, not perfect, but it will be fine. There seemed to be plenty of 7DMT times available throughout the day. I then modified again for the boys, since the PFTH visits will be for DD5 and I only. DH and DS7 were switched to Space and Big Thunder instead.
Then I did the remainder of our MK days, which are heavily concentrated at the end of our trip. I started with our first MK day on 12/19. There was no 7DMT or A&E availability at all so I swapped in Space and Splash instead. Then I moved on to 12/26, 12/27, and 12/28. I was able to book an A&E for each day, but once again, the earliest I could get was at 11:10 am on each of those three days, even that late in an 11-day trip. Curiouser and curiouser. Makes me wonder if they are holding back early morning A&E capacity for some reason??? No troubles getting 7DMT on any of these days either. Once I got through the rest of my FPs, I dropped two of the three A&Es. I just wanted to be sure I could get one and make it work into our plans. Mission accomplished.
Then I finished out the rest of our days in chronological order. I had no problems at all getting what we wanted, except strangely I could not get a FP+ for DINOSAUR any time around noon on 12/20. Eventually I was able to tweak it to 12:25, but it took a ton of attempts. Very strange.
The website glitched a few times, causing me to have to restart a day, but overall it was pretty smooth. The site itself has improved dramatically since I did FP+ for our August trip back in June. I liked the look and feel of this iteration much better than the old one and I definitely had fewer technical issues this go-around.
So heres what the plan looks like now:
Thursday, 12/18
Logic: Book FP early enough in the day to maximize 4th FP opportunities, but save Tier 1 for last in case of travel delays
- Fly to Orlando from Philly
- Magical Express
- Check in to Caribbean Beach
- Head to EPCOT
- FP+ for Spaceship Earth 10:10 11:10 pm
[*]FP+ for Character Spot 11:10 12:10 pm
[*]FP+ for Soarin 12:10 1:10 pm - Lunch at San Angel Inn at 2:30 pm
- Dinner at Akershus at 8:00 pm
Friday, 12/19
Logic: Book FP early enough in the day to maximize 4th FP opportunities; book harder ones first leaving room to move #2 and #3 earlier upon completion. Tried, but couldnt get 7DMT or Anna and Elsa here as desired, but got them later in the week. Hakuna Matata!
- Rope drop Magic Kingdom
- FP+ for Space Mountain 9:10 10:10 pm
[*]FP+ for Peter Pan 10:15 11:15 pm - Lunch at Crystal Palace at 11:30 am
- FP+ for Splash Mountain 12:30 1:30 pm
- Dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table at 4:25 pm
- Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
Saturday, 12/20
No real strategy here; opted for Mickey/Minnie and DINOSUR since all 4 of us can use those; DH and DS7 can ride Everest at rope drop, or in single rider line
- Rope drop Animal Kingdom
- Breakfast at Tusker House at 8:00 am
- FP+ for Mickey & Minnie 11:10 12:10 pm
[*]FP+ for DINOSAUR 12:25 1:25 pm - Lunch at Yak & Yeti at 1:30 pm
- FP+ for Kilimanjaro Safaris 2:40 3:40 pm
- Dinner at Sanaa at 7:05 pm
Sunday, 12/21
Logic: Book FP early enough in the day to maximize 4th FP opportunities; book impossible one first leaving room to move #2 and #3 earlier upon completion
- Rope drop Hollywood Studios
- FP+ for Toy Story Midway Mania 9:10 10:10 pm
[*]FP+ for Tower of Terror 10:10 11:10 am
[*]FP+ for Star Tours 11:10 12:10 pm - Fantasmic! package lunch at Mama Melrose at 12:00 pm
- Fantasmic 6:30 pm
- Dinner at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at 8:00 pm
Monday, 12/22
Logic: Book FP early enough in the day to maximize 4th FP opportunities; book impossible one first leaving room to move #2 and #3 earlier upon completion
- Can be flexible, if desired
- Rope drop EPCOT
- FP+ for Test Track 9:00 10:00 am
[*]FP+ for Mission Space 10:05 11:05 am
[*]FP+ for Spaceship Earth 11:05 12:05 pm - Candlelight Processional package lunch at Tutto Italia at 12:30 pm
- Candlelight Processional with Marlee Matlin at 5:00 pm
- Dinner at Garden Grill at 7:00 pm
Tuesday, 12/23
Logic: Book FP for Princess meet and greets as close to BBB appointment as possible; will keep an eye out for park hour changes as I would like to move the princesses to 8:00 am and 9:00 am; boys will try to move up BTM as soon as they ride Space to ensure they get to CRT on time
- Rope drop Magic Kingdom
- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at 8:00 am
- FP+ for Space Mountain 9:00 10:00 am (boys only)
[*]FP+ for Cinderella and Rapunzel 9:20 10:20 am (girls only)
[*]FP+ for Big Thunder Mountain 10:05 - 11:05 am (boys only) - Late breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table at 10:20 am
- FP+ for Anna and Elsa 11:10 12:10 pm (girls only)
[*]FP+ for 7 Dwarfs Mine Train 12:15 1:15 pm (all)
[*]4th FP+ for Enchanted Tales with Belle - Dinner at Be Our Guest at 5:00 pm
- Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party at 9:00 pm (likely)
Wednesday, 12/24
Logic: Book FP early enough in the day to maximize 4th FP opportunities; book impossible one first leaving room to move #2 and #3 earlier upon completion
- Can be flexible, if desired
- Rope drop Hollywood Studios
- FP+ for Toy Story Midway Mania 9:00 10:00 pm
[*]FP+ for Tower of Terror 10:00 11:00 am
[*]FP+ for Star Tours 11:00 12:00 pm - Lunch at Hollywood & Vine at 11:30 am
- Hop to EPCOT
- Dinner at Biergarten at 5:50 pm
- Illuminations Dessert Party at 8:15 pm
Thursday, 12/25
Only strategy here was to schedule Soarin right before the Behind the Seeds tour, since we will need to be in the Land Pavilion anyway, other two FPs are scheduled but may or may not be used
- Christmas in the room
- Head to Animal Kingdom
- Hop to EPCOT
- Candlelight Processional package lunch at Via Napoli at 12:45 pm
- FP+ for Soarin 1:30 2:30 pm
- Behind the Seeds tour at 3:00 pm
- FP+ for Figment 3:30 4:30 pm
- Candlelight Processional with Isabella Rossellini at 5:00 pm
- FP+ for Spaceship Earth 5:30 6:30 pm
- Dinner at Le Cellier at 7:00 pm
Friday, 12/26
Logic: Schedule FP+ at MK between two MK-area ADRs, leaving morning and evening open for hopping
- Can be flexible, if desired
- Rope drop Magic Kingdom
- Breakfast at 'Ohana at 11:05 am
- FP+ for Anna and Elsa 12:30 1:30 pm
[*]FP+ for 7 Dwarfs Mine Train for 1:30 2:30 pm
[*]FP+ for Peter Pan 2:30 3:30 pm - Dinner at 1900 Park Fare at 5:00 pm
Saturday, 12/27
Logic: Schedule FP+ at MK between two MK-area ADRs, leaving morning open for hopping
- Can be flexible, if desired
- Rope drop Magic Kingdom
- Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare at 11:00 am
- FP+ for 7 Dwarfs Mine Train 12:30 1:30 pm
[*]FP+ for Splash Mountain for 1:30 2:30 pm
[*]FP+ for Jungle Cruise for 2:30 3:30 pm - Dinner at 'Ohana at 5:00 pm
- Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party at 9:00 pm (likely)
Sunday, 12/28
Logic: Leave morning open for resort check-out; hit favorites again
- Check out of Caribbean Beach Resort
- Head to Magic Kingdom
- FP+ for 7 Dwarfs Mine Train for 10:00 11:00 am
[*]FP+ for Peter Pan for 11:00 12:00 pm - Lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern at 11:30 am
- FP+ for Splash Mountain for 12:30 1:30 pm
- Magical Express at 4:40 pm
- Fly back to Philly
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