A Pre Thanksgiving/Christmas Vacation, Our First Split Stay & Our 5th Trip to Disney!

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Good morning!

I woke up so relieved that we are going to Disney in 51 days and have airfare!!

Now I need to get back to planning. I am going to have to rework arrival day since we aren't going to arrive until much later than anticipated. To look at the bright side of things - our room should definitely be ready when we arrive and we should definitely not be tired seeing that we won't even need to leave the house until after 11:00. The rest of the weeks plans should pretty much stay the same. I will post Day 3's plans in a little bit!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Day 3 - Monday November 9th:

We will sleep in and then head to DTD around 10:30-11. Do some shopping and enjoy the very fun atmosphere of DTD! We will have lunch at WPE. Yummy! After we are done at DTD we will head back to POR for the afternoon. Spend some time at the resort, probably do some more shopping and some swimming.

Fun times at DTD~

In the evening we will head to the Boardwalk. We have an ADR at San Angel Inn in Epcot, so if we decide to go there we will walk over to Epcot. If not (at the moment I am leaning towards not) we will have dinner at either Big River Grille (which we know we love) or we will give Beaches & Cream a try. We'll just see what we are in the mood for! If we happen to end up at Epcot we will probably take a spin on TT and/or a flight on Soarin. And we may or may not stay for IllumiNations.

My meal at BRG last time~

DH's meal~

After that it will be back to POR to get a good night sleep so we can make it to DHS for rope drop the next day!!

 

[Monny2AE]

I love how your plans are so relaxed - that's how I'm making my plans for this next trip Perhaps we won't be worn out by day 4 this time around if we remember to take time to actually relax on vacation!

What do they do for park opening at DHS? I've only ever been to MK for Rope Drop.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I love how your plans are so relaxed - that's how I'm making my plans for this next trip Perhaps we won't be worn out by day 4 this time around if we remember to take time to actually relax on vacation!

What do they do for park opening at DHS? I've only ever been to MK for Rope Drop.

We try to take Disney at a more relaxed pace each time. I just noticed that we have about 5 days where the day starts with "sleep in"! I guess we are going to be lazy this trip! I have learned the more relaxed I make it for DH the more he is willing to go back!

You've got to see the opening show at DHS! It is very cool! They pick a family of the day to open the park and they get some very cool VIP treatment! The opening show is like they are making a movie. The family of the day are the stars of the movie. Plus they get to ride TOT and/or RNRC all by themselves. Actually I know 2 people on the DIS who have gotten chosen for it. One it writing a TR now, I'll see if I can find the link for you so you can see what I am talking about. . . .
Here it is~ http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2261100&page=2

 

[trixiequilts]

You two are so stinkin' cute!!!

 

[DisMomAmy]

I only had time to get through 5 pages, but wanted to let you know I'm here too!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

You two are so stinkin' cute!!!

Aw, thanks Trix!

You know, it just won't be the same at WDW this time without running into you and your family around every corner!

Hopefully next year we can go at the same time. Although next year may be braces year for DS10, and no Disney.

I only had time to get through 5 pages, but wanted to let you know I'm here too!

Welcome Amy! I'm glad you made it over! Hope you enjoy!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I guess I am going to have to call Disney once again! I tried to enter our flight times online under "My Disney Vacation" and they have my dates messed up. Since we are staying at POR from the 7th-13th those are the dates they have listed for Magical Express. Even though they assured me that they would have the ME departure date on the 15th since we will be at OKW from the 13th-15th.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Hi!! Glad your airfare is done!! We don't have all those options...so I just keep looming over the Continental website like a vulture!!! Love all your pictures!! The one of you and your hubby is soooo cute!!! Have ya'll eaten at the Mexican place before?
Hopefully they will get your dates lined up before long......are you doing a countdown calendar for the boys?

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Okay, well that was fairly quick and painless! I got someone after holding for about 5 minutes. A very nice CM that I could hear and understand!! That doesn't usually happen for me! I usually either get a poor connection where I can barely hear the CM, or I can hear all the other CM's in the room with them, or I get someone with such a thick accent that I have a hard time understanding them, or I just get a CM with an attitude. So this was very refreshing! Now, let's just hope that she did what she said she did!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Hi!! Glad your airfare is done!! We don't have all those options...so I just keep looming over the Continental website like a vulture!!! Love all your pictures!! The one of you and your hubby is soooo cute!!! Have ya'll eaten at the Mexican place before?
Hopefully they will get your dates lined up before long......are you doing a countdown calendar for the boys?

Thanks Shawna! I hope you get a good airfare deal soon!

No, we've never been to the Mexican place. I know it gets mixed reviews. It just looks so nice and cozy when we go by it on the Grande Fiesta Tour boat ride. But I know the kids will eat nothing there. Nothing. So we would have to feed them beforehand, and I'm just not sure it's worth all the trouble to possibly be disappointed anyway. . . .

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Thanks Shawna! I hope you get a good airfare deal soon!

No, we've never been to the Mexican place. I know it gets mixed reviews. It just looks so nice and cozy when we go by it on the Grande Fiesta Tour boat ride. But I know the kids will eat nothing there. Nothing. So we would have to feed them beforehand, and I'm just not sure it's worth all the trouble to possibly be disappointed anyway. . . .

Well, my kids hated it! Ha!! Our food was bad both times!! I know some love it, some hate it!! We REALLY didn't like it! I would hate for you to lose a TS if your meal wasnt good.I have heard that they have the best candy in the shop before you step into the restaurant....maybe you can just get a treat there!!

 

[Lil'Mermaid75]

Whew- made it through the 11 pages and I'm here! I'm anxious to hear about the November timeframe. I'd LOVE to take a trip during that time. Having gone the past two January's, I don't know if I can handle a trip with big crowds, so I think the summer months are out for me. We went in October once. Looking back, I didn't think it was too crowded at the time. But I look at the crowd in pictures from back then and wonder what I was thinking!

Glad your air is booked - what a stress!!

And, I love days that being with "sleep in". My DS is an early riser - always has been, so sleeping in for us means 8:00.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Well, my kids hated it! Ha!! Our food was bad both times!! I know some love it, some hate it!! We REALLY didn't like it! I would hate for you to lose a TS if your meal wasnt good.I have heard that they have the best candy in the shop before you step into the restaurant....maybe you can just get a treat there!!

Yeah, maybe we'll just get a treat there!

Whew- made it through the 11 pages and I'm here! I'm anxious to hear about the November timeframe. I'd LOVE to take a trip during that time. Having gone the past two January's, I don't know if I can handle a trip with big crowds, so I think the summer months are out for me. We went in October once. Looking back, I didn't think it was too crowded at the time. But I look at the crowd in pictures from back then and wonder what I was thinking!

Glad your air is booked - what a stress!!

And, I love days that being with "sleep in". My DS is an early riser - always has been, so sleeping in for us means 8:00.

YAY ~ Welcome! Glad you're here!

I'll be sure to let you know how the mid-November crowds are.

My DS7 used to be an early riser, but just this past summer he started sleeping in. Thank goodness! But he still gets right up for me on school days. His brother on the other hand would rather sleep until 9 or 10 everyday! Mornings are rough for him!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

OH MY! Thank goodness I bought airfare when I did and that I didn't wait out SW any longer! The 7:00am flight that I was waiting on is still at $229 and the 1:50pm flight that was $139 the other day is now $154. I'm so glad I got that same flight time with AT for $79 & $89. (plus had $50 off! )

And the flight back that I already purchased with SW for $124 is now $169. What is up with them???

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Day 4 ~ Tuesday November 10th:


This is our DHS day! I can't wait, this will be my absolute favorite day. I love DHS!! And this day does not begin with "sleep in"!! Nope, we will get up bright and early and get the first bus to DHS and be there before rope drop. We will probably head for TSMM first. In January there was a stampede to get there first thing and it was our one and only ride on it since the lines were so huge all day. After that DS10 and I will probably head for RNRC while DS7 and DH find something else to do. Then I will see if I can talk anyone into riding TOT with me and after that I'm sure we will head to Star Tours. Maybe stop and do some Jedi Training. We are still undecided on a CS lunch. I guess it will either be ABC Commissary, Backlot Express, or Studio Catering Co, or anything else we can find. We will see Lights Motors Action and/or Indy. We usually just do one since they are both pretty time consuming, but the boys want to see both this time. So we'll see. I'm sure we will see Muppet Vision 3D and the Magic of Disney Animation. And the boys want to do the Great Movie Ride, we haven't done it since 2005 and they didn't like it then, I think they will now. I would like to do One Man's Dream. We have pretty much outgrown Playhouse Disney. We all love the Backlot Tour and it was closed for refurbishment last time we were there so we are looking forward to it. DH was chosen to be in the show the trip before last! Never seen Beauty & the Beast or the Little Mermaid. I'd like to try to talk the boys into seeing at least one of them! For dinner we had planned on taking the boat to the Boardwalk. We have an ADR at Captain's Grille at the YC, but I'm not sure we are going to keep it. The time I got was later than what I wanted and we want to be back to DHS for the Osborne Lights at 6:00. So we'll see. We can always go to B&C or BRG at the Boardwalk since they don't take ADR's, but then you never know how long the wait will be. . . Another option is to try to get an ADR at Sci-Fi if we end up not going there on arrival night. Oh decisions decisions! After dinner we will be all ready for the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights!! I am so excited about this. When I originally booked our vacation the CM on the phone told me that some of the Christmas decorations would be up but we would be a few weeks too early for the Osborne Lights because they start the day after Thanksgiving. I had never really expected them to start in early November anyway, so I hadn't really even given it a though. Then when Disney finally released their November hours - there it was - they start on November 10th this year!!!! So that was a nice bonus!

 

[drakes]

i love your plans. they are far more relaxed than mine, I never considered myself comando, but next to you I must!

I don't think I could have a down day on WDW property and not go to a park, and I pack my days full from sunset to sunrise - my poor family...

I wonder if this next trip I can relax, based on my plans it doesn't look like it... I need my fill

 

[MAGGIED]

Shelly we have eaten in Mexico before.... and our meals were nice.... the margaritas were VERY good!!! Maybe the food just tasted really good becasue we had to much margarita!!!

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

HI SHELLY!

So sorry I am so late in joining you here! It's been a very busy couple of weeks for our family. I am all caught up now and ready for more!

I am so glad you were able to get your airfare taken care of! That can really cause a lot of stress! I booked ours for January a few weeks ago. We are flying from Minneapolis again. I got a great deal too! $620 CD for the 4 of us to fly r/t! It would have cost over $1800 to fly from our home airport in Thunder Bay!

Your plans look so great so far! I admire that you can be so relaxed! In my mind I desire that , but like Drakes, I am a commando at heart! Too much to see and do - gotta go from morning to night!

My very first trip to Disney was in late Oct of 1988. The weather was PERFECT!!! ~80 every day, perfect for swimming! I am excited to hear more!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Your DHS plans sound great and I love the pictures!!! We can't wait to ride Tower of Terror and Rock n Rollercoaster!!! We saw Lights motor action and loved it, so next year we'll do Indiana Jones. We missed Muppets 3D, so i'm looking forward to that too.

So glad you got your airfare and you know you made a good decision!! That must have been stressful, I know it was for me while I was waiting to purchase ours.