A MNSSHP Weekend Trip?

[Shanti]

I'm looking for feedback for a weekend mom & son trip to WDW in late August. I got a steeply discounted rate for us to stay at the Beach Club. Here is the rough outline:

8/24: Fly in early Friday afternoon & attend MNSSHP until midnight. We've never done this party before, & I figure this would be our last chance for it before my son is just too old for it. I'm looking forward to the special parade & fireworks, & a special character meet or two, but we'll also want to ride our favorite rides.

8/25: Sleep in, resort time & dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse, followed by late-evening Fantasia Mini-golf

8/26: Typhoon Lagoon, followed by a late evening flight out

Any critiques or suggestions?

 

[PPFlight75]

I'm looking for feedback for a weekend mom & son trip to WDW in late August. I got a steeply discounted rate for us to stay at the Beach Club. Here is the rough outline:

8/24: Fly in early Friday afternoon & attend MNSSHP until midnight. We've never done this party before, & I figure this would be our last chance for it before my son is just too old for it. I'm looking forward to the special parade & fireworks, & a special character meet or two, but we'll also want to ride our favorite rides.

8/25: Sleep in, resort time & dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse, followed by late-evening Fantasia Mini-golf

8/26: Typhoon Lagoon, followed by a late evening flight out

Any critiques or suggestions?

That sounds perfect! Not too much since it's a quick trip. We are doing a quick weekend in October for MNSSHP and F&W too and I have to make sure not to plan too much. Have fun!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

It sounds great except I'm a little concerned when you say you will fly in "early afternoon" on Friday. How early? If your flight is delayed, it could put a real kink in your MNSSHP plans. Any chance you can fly in the day before?

 

[abnihon]

Sounds fun! DS and I did our first mother/son trip for MNSSHP in 2016. That was our only park time. I loved it and would do it again!

 

[Shanti]

It sounds great except I'm a little concerned when you say you will fly in "early afternoon" on Friday. How early? If your flight is delayed, it could put a real kink in your MNSSHP plans. Any chance you can fly in the day before?

It would be challenging to schedule it to arrive the day before, but I'll think it over.

We are flying in on a nonstop SWA flight, scheduled to arrive at MCO around 1:45, so I'm not too worried, but I agree that arriving the night before would be less stressful.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Too old for MNSSHP? I’ve only ever been as an adult and it’s my favorite thing to do at MK!

For the last several years DS and I have done a solo trip in the Labor Day/Early September time frame pretty much for the sole purpose of doing MNSSHP. As a father, I really enjoy this particular trip and it has sort of become tradition.

The below is how I go about it. Obviously might not fit for you, but maybe it’s helpful.

I don’t like to take him out of school so I have to squeeze in a quick trip. We’ve done a two nighter, but I much prefer at least three. It’s also not my preference to travel on the MNSSHP day itself if I can avoid it.

So, we usually try to do a Sunday party. Pick him up at school on Friday afternoon, fly down, spend the weekend there with light touring or resort time, party Sunday night, then fly back mid afternoon Monday. The downside is having him out of school on Monday - to date I’ve justified it as “it’s just kindergarten” or “it’s just first grade” - but I know that time will soon run out.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. Aside from that, I’d totally do a trip you describe if that’s what worked in our schedules. Obviously traveling on the party day itself has some risks, but easy enough to justify.

A water park on a departure day requires some thinking ahead about bags/clothing/etc, but I know you know what you’re doing so you’re probably on top of that kind of stuff.

Hope you can get something worked out. Happy planning.

 

[Shanti]

Too old for MNSSHP? I’ve only ever been as an adult and it’s my favorite thing to do at MK!

For the last several years DS and I have done a solo trip in the Labor Day/Early September time frame pretty much for the sole purpose of doing MNSSHP. As a father, I really enjoy this particular trip and it has sort of become tradition.

The below is how I go about it. Obviously might not fit for you, but maybe it’s helpful.

I don’t like to take him out of school so I have to squeeze in a quick trip. We’ve done a two nighter, but I much prefer at least three. It’s also not my preference to travel on the MNSSHP day itself if I can avoid it.

So, we usually try to do a Sunday party. Pick him up at school on Friday afternoon, fly down, spend the weekend there with light touring or resort time, party Sunday night, then fly back mid afternoon Monday. The downside is having him out of school on Monday - to date I’ve justified it as “it’s just kindergarten” or “it’s just first grade” - but I know that time will soon run out.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. Aside from that, I’d totally do a trip you describe if that’s what worked in our schedules. Obviously traveling on the party day itself has some risks, but easy enough to justify.

A water park on a departure day requires some thinking ahead about bags/clothing/etc, but I know you know what you’re doing so you’re probably on top of that kind of stuff.

Hope you can get something worked out. Happy planning.

I don't like pulling from school, either (middle school), but I'm willing to pull for one day as that's not too hard to catch up from. In our case, the day we'll miss will be Friday. Homework is rarely assigned on Friday, so that's the easiest day for him to miss. We can't do Labor Day weekend because I share custody & his father always gets that holiday. His father also gets him most Thursday nights, which is why it's hard to arrive the night before, but I might offer a schedule trade with his father so that we can schedule it that way. The more I consider the logistics & fatigue factor of flying in on the party day, the more I'm leaning toward arranging a schedule swap so we can arrive the night before.

 

[disny_luvr]

I think your plan sounds excellent! Have fun!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I don't like pulling from school, either (middle school), but I'm willing to pull for one day as that's not too hard to catch up from. In our case, the day we'll miss will be Friday. Homework is rarely assigned on Friday, so that's the easiest day for him to miss. We can't do Labor Day weekend because I share custody & his father always gets that holiday. His father also gets him most Thursday nights, which is why it's hard to arrive the night before, but I might offer a schedule trade with his father so that we can schedule it that way. The more I consider the logistics & fatigue factor of flying in on the party day, the more I'm leaning toward arranging a schedule swap so we can arrive the night before.

I hope it all works out! DS and I do mom/son WDW trips at least once a year and did MNSSHP together for the first time last year. It was SO FUN! We are doing it again on our mom/son trip this August. It's truly a magical and memorable event!

 

[Upatnoon]

I'm looking for feedback for a weekend mom & son trip to WDW in late August. I got a steeply discounted rate for us to stay at the Beach Club. Here is the rough outline:

8/24: Fly in early Friday afternoon & attend MNSSHP until midnight. We've never done this party before, & I figure this would be our last chance for it before my son is just too old for it. I'm looking forward to the special parade & fireworks, & a special character meet or two, but we'll also want to ride our favorite rides.

8/25: Sleep in, resort time & dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse, followed by late-evening Fantasia Mini-golf

8/26: Typhoon Lagoon, followed by a late evening flight out

Any critiques or suggestions?

You can enter MK for the party at 4 p.m., so I would not want to travel on the party day. Traveling is tiring and you never know if there is going to be a delay or other issues. I would travel on Thursday for a Friday party.

As for the water park on the day you leave, it depends on your energy level. Water parks really wipe me out as I have to chase my kids around and can't just relax. If I had a late flight, I would likely go to Disney Springs and play minigolf as they are a bit less taxing.

 

[ArielSRL]

We are doing a quick MNSSHP trip as well but just so happens we are getting a quick fall break at school this year (I'm a teacher) so Thurs 10/4 and Fri 10/5 are days off. I had initially planned to drive down after work on Wednesday (we are in Atlanta), do the party on the 4th, drive back home on the 5th. But then I added a night and we decided to do DHS for TSL. But we would need to rope drop to get my boys signed up for JTA so then I added another night so we are now doing what was previously mentioned along with DS and the Sleepy Hollow event on Fri 10/5, DHS on Sat 10/6 then home on Sun 10/7. I would totally do a quick trip like we initially planned though, especially if flying.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

It would be challenging to schedule it to arrive the day before, but I'll think it over.

We are flying in on a nonstop SWA flight, scheduled to arrive at MCO around 1:45, so I'm not too worried, but I agree that arriving the night before would be less stressful.

Most of the time SW has nonstop flights early in the morning if you don't want to arrive the day before. Also, I would suggest attending the party on Saturday night instead just in case of a delay. Our last SW flight was delayed 3 hours! Your arrival day could be DS (while you wait for your room), Yachtsman, and mini golf. You can sleep in on Sunday and get to TL around 10.

 

[Shanti]

Most of the time SW has nonstop flights early in the morning if you don't want to arrive the day before. Also, I would suggest attending the party on Saturday night instead just in case of a delay. Our last SW flight was delayed 3 hours! Your arrival day could be DS (while you wait for your room), Yachtsman, and mini golf. You can sleep in on Sunday and get to TL around 10.

There is no MNSSHP that Saturday, unfortunately. Only Friday. And the only nonstop flights to MCO available via any airline (only SWA & JetBlue offer nonstops from my city) that day are midday flights.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We are doing a quick MNSSHP trip as well but just so happens we are getting a quick fall break at school this year (I'm a teacher) so Thurs 10/4 and Fri 10/5 are days off. I had initially planned to drive down after work on Wednesday (we are in Atlanta), do the party on the 4th, drive back home on the 5th. But then I added a night and we decided to do DHS for TSL. But we would need to rope drop to get my boys signed up for JTA so then I added another night so we are now doing what was previously mentioned along with DS and the Sleepy Hollow event on Fri 10/5, DHS on Sat 10/6 then home on Sun 10/7. I would totally do a quick trip like we initially planned though, especially if flying.

Well... that ‘quick trip’ expanded rather quickly!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I don't like pulling from school, either (middle school), but I'm willing to pull for one day as that's not too hard to catch up from. In our case, the day we'll miss will be Friday. Homework is rarely assigned on Friday, so that's the easiest day for him to miss. We can't do Labor Day weekend because I share custody & his father always gets that holiday. His father also gets him most Thursday nights, which is why it's hard to arrive the night before, but I might offer a schedule trade with his father so that we can schedule it that way. The more I consider the logistics & fatigue factor of flying in on the party day, the more I'm leaning toward arranging a schedule swap so we can arrive the night before.

Good luck, hope you can work something out.

Those August parties are going to be warm, but I guess that’s obvious. We’ve had a few where there were no late afternoon clouds and I remember begging for the sun to go down!

Like I said before, we really like the parties. We’ve never done any of the charachters, just non-stop rides, candy lines, fireworks, and one of the parades. The time goes so quickly.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

There is no MNSSHP that Saturday, unfortunately. Only Friday. And the only nonstop flights to MCO available via any airline (only SWA & JetBlue offer nonstops from my city) that day are midday flights.

I guess my eyes played tricks on me. I looked up the dates before I posted and could have sworn I saw 8/25. I guess I was looking at September instead. Well in that case, I would say your plans are good. I would just pray for no flight delays, especially since the party tickets are nonrefundable.

 

[Shanti]

I guess my eyes played tricks on me. I looked up the dates before I posted and could have sworn I saw 8/25. I guess I was looking at September instead. Well in that case, I would say your plans are good. I would just pray for no flight delays, especially since the party tickets are nonrefundable.

Maybe they changed it, as I saw it listed for that Saturday on another website, but it is not listed on the WDW website at all, not even as being sold out.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I think it looks great. My kids have spent full days at SAB. They could easily do a resort only trip at SAB.

 

[ArielSRL]

Well... that ‘quick trip’ expanded rather quickly!

Well it took a couple months to all play out...but yeh...haha.

 

[Shanti]

Thanks, everyone. I booked the trip for Thursday night through Sunday night. That will allow us to be rested & ready for MNSSHP, and to go to both water parks, instead of just one.