A Tale of Two Holidays ... with a Two Year Old 12/24 UPDATE!

[ariel1025]

600 DAYS!!!!!!

What? You don't plan your vacations 600 days ahead of time?

And you call yourself an addict ... hmmmpppphhhhhh

Ok, so I know it is a little bit insane to start planning a trip that is so far away (especially) when I am currently planning one (ok, fine, 2 ) other trips. But, I promise you it's for good reason.

No, not that I am insane, but because I need lots and lots of help with this trip.

Sure, I've done Disney before but never like this. Never during a holiday, or with a two year old, or during this weather or ... well, you get the point

So, ya see, I'm not crazy, just prepared

Oh, and apparently rude ...

Hi, my name is Shannon. I am still holding onto my twenties (barely ) and aside from being Disney obsessed I am a wife and mom to the two most amazing guys ever! This will be my sixth trip to the World and I consider planning half the fun (clearly ).

Joining me on this trip will be those two amazing guys I mentioned a second ago.

First, my Hubby of (almost) four years, Candi. It's pronounced like the sugary stuff you eat. Short for Candido. But, he's the fourth and our son is the fifth, so Candi avoids confusion This will be his fifth trip to the world. Our honeymoon was his first and sadly that wasn't when the Disney bug bit him. In fact, it took some convincing to go back, but after our second trip together he was a goner just like me

And, of course, my title gave away the fact that a two year old will be joining us on this trip. That is our son Candido, but we call him James ... or Cinco. Again, that confusion factor He will actually be closer to three on this trip so hopefully the terrible twos will be long gone by then. A girl can dream right His first trip to the World was in my belly for a day at Epcot after our Disney cruise in 2010. He will also be visiting for a day at Magic Kingdom later this year before our Disney cruise. He is currently in love with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ... like come to a screeching halt and not move for the entire 20 minutes it's on. Positive proof that Disney is magical if you ask me I'm definitely most excited to see Disney through his eyes on this trip!

Phew, I think my intro is now complete. If you made it this far then I applaud you and think we will get along just fine

Look forward to seeing ya next time when we dive into some of those new experiences I mentioned before ...

 

[ariel1025]

We are in the 500s - only 598 days to go Sorry I couldn't help myself

As you can tell we are crazy planaholics, well, at least I am. And, the Hubs being the awesome guy he is, he plays into my planning. Secretly, I think he enjoys it as much as I do, but he would never admit it

I guess it probably comes as no surprise that we threw around several possibilities of 2013 vacations before we finally landed on WDW. Throughout the month or so of discussion we threw around the following ideas, but ultimately threw them out

An Alaskan cruise on the Disney Wonder

We love this idea. In fact, we have been discussing Alaskan cruises since before Disney started cruising there. So, you can imagine how thrilled we were once they announced the Wonder was making it's way over there.

Ah, the Wonder, we hold her (him ) near and dear to our hearts. We cruised the Wonder for our honeymoon AND two years later when James was just a little heartbeat in my belly

Ultimately though, we tossed the idea out the window because it doesn't seem like a very toddler friendly cruise. Sure, he would have a blast on all the sea days. But, on the land days there are several excursions we have our eye on to experience Alaska and James is just too small for them. I don't like the idea of him being in daycare on all the land days ... I would miss him too darn much. So, for now, it goes into the bucket list.

Next on the list of possibilities was cruising on the Disney Dream

Clearly we love cruising, as we our going on our third cruise this year, and the Dream just plain looks fantastic. In fact, we tried to book the Dream for our cruise this summer, but we were too late and they were out of DVC rooms for all sailings this year

So, why aren't we going next year when there are rooms available you ask? Well, Candi is tired of doing the Bahamian cruise itineraries and, frankly, I'm ready to try something new too.

Which, of course, led us to the Fantasy

This debate ended much like the Alaskan - the excursions that appeal to us just don't seem toddler friendly. So, it too, goes on the bucket list for when James is older

That actually landed us back at the Dream. Yeah, I know, I just said we wanted a new itinerary. But, that itinerary is little guy friendly and the ship is HUGE so there are plenty of new things for us to do on there.

And, so, it was to be until ...

 

[ariel1025]

So it was to be ... we would spend the summer of 2013 at sea on the Disney Dream! And the planning begun, I pulled up the DVC charts, figured out which room type we could get without paying cash. Of course, I also looked into staying a day or two before (and, maybe, after) at WDW to enjoy a park ... or two

And, that's when it happened. I was looking into those couple days at Disney World when I mistakenly stumbled upon something that excited me beyond words. Something that appealed to me even more than going on the Dream. Something that I knew would be ten times more appealing to Candi. Something that I had no doubt would be a great experience for James. Something I had never even considered before ...


Planning a trip to WDW that would allow us to go to

AND

Ok, I'm sure that wasn't too hard to figure out considering the title of my PTR and all But, I was stoked to say the least. I don't know why I had never thought about it before, but I'm so glad I stumbled across it now.

Candi's favorite holiday is Halloween and his birthday is in October so it's double celebration for him. My favorite holiday is Christmas and we have always wanted to see Disney at Christmas but don't have the ability to get off work in late November or at all in December.

It's perfect!

And now the planning has really begun in full force. I have pulled up the calendar of events for that time of year. Dates have been chosen. ADRs are (already) being discussed. And, of course, we have begun narrowing down where we want to stay ...

 

[ariel1025]

Being DVC it is always great fun to discuss where we want to stay for our trips. It allows us to discuss places that I know we couldn't afford otherwise. Well, we probably could, but we would have to go for less days or find someone to rent points from or keep our fingers crossed for one of those super elusive pin codes or ... you get the point right

Anyway, once we set this trip in stone (aka marked it on our Outlook calendar on our computer ) we started discussing where we want to stay for this trip. For those who are unaware we have the following options available with DVC:

* Bay Lake Tower (attached to Contemporary)
* Villas at Wilderness Lodge
* Beach Club Villas
* Boardwalk Villas
* Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani (newer and all DVC rooms)
* Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo (fifth floor of the main lodge)
* Saratoga Springs
* Tree Houses at Saratoga Springs
* Old Key West

As you can see, that left lots open for discussion. And, in fact, we are still contemplating our final choices.

We know for sure that at the 11 month mark we will make a reservation here

As this is our home resort so we cannot book anywhere else until the 7 month mark and we want to ensure that we get a room

At that point we will try to make a reservation at Jambo House

because we can book Club Level there! However, these rooms are (of course) very limited so if they are not available then we will request a room at Kidani Village

We stayed here on our last WDW trip and absolutely fell in love! The atmosphere, the rooms, the staff ... it was all stupendous!

Regardless of which part of AKL we stay at we will definitely be requesting a 1 bedroom unit. We love the convenience of the kitchen, the washer/dryer, extra space for James and (most importantly!) the jacuzzi tub

So, that's settled. However, we don't really want to stay at AKL this trip if there are other resorts available. The problem is we don't know where we want that to be.

The only thing we know for sure are which resorts are not contenders for this trip ...

 

[earthfaries]

I just found your PTR and I'm very excited to start reading! What fun vacation(s) you are going to have!

 

[cogero]

Joining in. One day I will get to MNSSHP.

We love Kidani it is one of our DVC Homes.

 

[ariel1025]

I just found your PTR and I'm very excited to start reading! What fun vacation(s) you are going to have!

Thanks for joining in - I'm very excited to have a new reader

Joining in. One day I will get to MNSSHP.

We love Kidani it is one of our DVC Homes.

Kidani is our home too And, I long for the day to be able to say it is "one of our DVC homes" Thanks for joining in!

 

[ariel1025]

Once discussions began about resort options, we decided it would be easiest to, first, decide where we definitely did not want to stay

Luckily, our responses to this were (almost) exactly the same. Making the cut list are the following:

First up, is Old Key West

Now, I know many people who love, love, love this resort and would never choose to stay elsewhere. For us, it just isn't appealing. I think the grounds look beautiful, but the transportation options nor the room is something we are drawn to.

Following Old Key West, we both decided that Saratoga Springs is also off the list

I actually like the look of the rooms for this resort, Candi, however does not. One thing we do agree on is that the location leaves much to be desired. So, for us, this is a resort that would be perfect for a stay prior or following a cruise when we only have plans to go to Downtown.

The last resort that made the cut list is the Boardwalk Villas

This one, was a little hard for me to cut because I absolutely love that it is in the Epcot area. And, I have always wanted to spend time roaming the Boardwalk and visiting some of the restaurants.

In the end, we both nixed it because we are completely, completely turned off by the rooms

I understand that it is a style preference, but it is definitely not ours. It might sound crazy, but I just can't relax in a room I don't find warm and inviting

Now, with that out of the way all we have to do is decide where we DO want to stay ...

 

[ariel1025]

Now that we've cleared up where we don't want to stay for this trip it's time to move on to the contenders ...

Of course, those aren't too hard to figure out once you eliminate the options that made our cut list. But, since we are still in the deciding phase (and, really, that's not a big deal since we can't even make our reservation for over a year ) I thought it would help to discuss why we are stuck without a decision

First up on the list of possibilities is

THE BEACH CLUB VILLAS!

Ahhh, I love so much about this resort

* Beaches n' Cream (mmmmmmmmm!)
* Stormalong Bay
* Walkway to Epcot (my fave! park)
* Boats to Epcot
* Walkway to Hollywood Studios (home to my fave ride!)
* Boats to HS
* Grounds, lobby etc have such a tranquil, relaxing feel

Candi, however, isn't so sure about this resort. He loves the boat/walkway to the 2 parks. Especially since we feel the bus system is the worst at Epcot and DTD and this eliminates one of those bus issues for him.

But, there are a few areas where he disagrees with me

* Stormalong Bay - he is not a fan of pool days or afternoons or minutes for that matter so this isn't a deciding or intriguing factor for him
* Lobby/resort feel - he doesn't necessarily dislike the Beach Club feeling but it just doesn't give him the wow factor

And the other area where he isn't feeling the Beach Club is where I feel neutral ... the villa rooms

To him he just sees old, dated, out of style etc. He doesn't buy into the whole old beach resort style For me, I agree that they look dated compared to newer rooms (including the renovated rooms in the main hotel) but, I understand that is the point and I think they are cute and quaint looking.

Now, I'm sure I know what you are thinking. If Candi is so against them why aren't they on the cut list. Well my dear friends, never underestimate the powers of pulling the wife/mommy/planner card Plus, I really think he would like them if he gave them a chance!

So for now the Beach Club Villas are on the list along with several others ...

 

[ariel1025]

Alright, so going forward all the contenders are considered possibilities by both Candi and myself. Granted, that doesn't mean we rate them the same or agree about their perks and cons, but we agree that they would be great to stay at

The next resort that always ranks high with us is a place we hold very near and dear to our hearts. In fact, although AKL Kidani is our DVC home, we would both agree that this resort feels like home. So where is the warm and fuzzy place you ask? None other than the Villas at Wilderness Lodge

The main lodge is where we stayed for our honeymoon and holds so many wonderful memories for us. Which would explain why it was the first place we stayed after we became DVC owners. Just walking into the massive lobby and smelling that WL smell feels like coming home

There are so many things we adore about Wilderness Lodge

* The lobby is breathtaking
* The fireplace
* The rocking chairs
* We truly feel like we can relax here
* The walkways to the boats, villas etc are so calming
* Boat to the MK
* Roaring Forks for quick breakfast or break time lunch away from the parks
* The calmness and loss of "hustle bustle" in the Villas (since it's separated from the main lodge)
* The smell
* The stream that starts in the lobby and turns into a waterfall in the pool
* The geyser
* We "know" this resort (the layout, the shortcuts, the transportation etc)

As you can see, there are not any shortage of reasons that we love WL. And, we've always yearned to bring James back to "where it all began" for us.

So, why are we even considering anywhere else? Weeeeeelllllllll There are actually two big reasons we can't commit just yet

For one, we have stayed here for our last two big trips to the World (our honeymoon where we spent the whole time at WL and then our trip after becoming DVC owners where we did a split at WL followed by AKL Kidani). So, we really have the urge to branch out and try somewhere new. Problem is, we feel guilty, like we are cheating on the lodge

And the next reason ... I hate to say it, but I am going to sound like a broken record here .... the rooms

The thing is, we love everything about the Wilderness Lodge, except the Villa rooms. Now, we don't hate these like we do (from looking at pictures of) Boardwalk Villas. And, Candi isn't even as turned off by them as Beach Club. But, they also don't hold that wow factor the way the rooms at AKL do for us.

And, so, we continue debating ...

Score Card so far:

Beach Club Villas: Candi - 5, Shannon - 8
Villas @ Wilderness Lodge: Candi - 8, Shannon - 9

 

[ariel1025]

Moving on to next on the list is another resort that I feel more strongly about than Candi does ...

Bay Lake Towers!

My very first visit ever to WDW was with my family in 1998 and we stayed at the Contemporary. So, for me, staying here really is like going back to where it all began

The things that we both agree are fantastic about BLT

* Boat to MK
* Walkway to MK
* Monorail to MK
* Monorail to Epcot

.... guess I could have summed all that up by saying transportation huh

* Rooftop viewing of Wishes (my fave show!)

I, personally, am also a fan of the design/decor of the kitchen, living room and bathroom ... bedroom, eh, not so much.

Candi, of course, being Mr picky schmicky isn't a fan of how modern they are. He thinks that they look "clinical" and "cold"

Now, there are a couple things we both agree makes the con list for BLT as well

* Contemporary lobby is always so darn busy
* Contemporary is loud/unrelaxing for us

And, yep, that's about it. For me, nothing about BLT specifically is a downer, and, once again, only the rooms for Candi ...

Scorecard Update:

Beach Club Villas: Candi - 5, Shannon - 8
Villas @ Wilderness Lodge: Candi - 8, Shannon - 9
Bay Lake Tower: Candi - 7, Shannon - 9

 

[ariel1025]

Alrighty, let's wrap up this resort debate shall we

The final resort on our list of possibilities has had Candi's eye since they started talking about 'em. In fact, I think it might very well be his dream to stay in a tree house

A Disney tree house that is

To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what entices him so much about them. I think it's just the little boy in him, though he claims it's because he thinks Cinco would love 'em. Mmmhmmm, ok, sure babe

Being serious though there are several things we like about Saratoga Tree Houses:

* THE SPACE!
* The uniqueness of the experience
* The ambiance
* The decor ... no your eyes are not deceiving you, we both agree on a decor

But, of course, it isn't that easy ... there are also things we don't like about the Treehouse Villas

* The location
* The transportation (I've actually heard the bus system here is extra horrible )

And, I won't do a separate post because I already talked about them earlier on, but Animal Kingdom Kidani and Jambo are on our possibility list as well.

So, let's have a look at the final score card shall we?

Beach Club Villas: Candi - 5, Shannon - 8
Villas @ Wilderness Lodge: Candi - 8, Shannon - 9
Bay Lake Tower: Candi - 7, Shannon - 9
Treehouse Villas: Candi - 9, Shannon - 7
AKL Kidani: Candi - 8, Shannon - 9
AKL Jambo: Candi - 7, Shannon - 9

And with all that - has a decision been made yet?

NOPE!

I think the only thing we did decide for sure is that this will probably be a split stay vacation. We did this on our last big WDW trip and really enjoyed having two different experiences for our stay

So, what will it take for us to make a final decision?

I think we need to take a look at what all we will be doing on this trip to determine the more logical places to stay ....

 

[ariel1025]

Alright, resort options decided let's get down to some park planning. Well, some special event planning at least ...

There are actually a handful of events that we are looking at attending during this trip. The first is Candi's request (requirement, really ) as his birthday gift

We went on the final day of our WDW trip in 2010 and it has, by far, been Candi's favorite Disney experience. So, this is a must do for us.

Based on the dates we are planning for this trip we have three options of when to go. Here are our thoughts on each:

October 30: This is actually our arrival day so I feel as though we might feel rushed. I tend to like to take it easy on arrival day, never enter a park and let the excitement build up for the next day. Candi thinks this could be the perfect kick-off to our trip but is worried that it will be too much on travel day for the baby - who will be 3 months shy of 2 (please don't tell me that's not a baby, I don't want to hear it ).

October 31: MNSSHP on Halloween? Yes, please! At least in theory. In reality we are terrified of what the crowds might be like that day But, crowds aside, we are still considering it.

November 1: I'm thinking that the crowds might be thinned out for this party. But, we are both kinda feeling like that it just won't "feel the same" since Halloween will technically be over Then again, as I told Candi, we can always stretch out his favorite holiday for one more day ...

When would you go? If you've gone on any of those dates in the past, what was your experience?

Although we aren't sure which day we are attending we do know that we are going and here are the things we want to make sure and accomplish ...

Lots and lots of the "magical" photopass shots, as I know for sure that I will be buying the PP CD.

Taking James to meet as many characters as possible in their costumes

Taking James to at least one of the little dance parties that they have. I think he will really enjoy this, as he is already a little dancing machine


Video - click on image to play

Taking advantage of as many short lines for the rides as possible!

Hallowishes - this is the number one thing on Candi's list for the party. In fact, he thinks this show is worth the price of admission alone

The Halloween parade

And, although we didn't partake last time - we want to make sure James gets to experience trick or treating as much as possible as well!

We are also planning on costumes as well. Our problem is coming up with something that will be Florida weather friendly and allows all of us to move without any issues

Now, don't get me wrong - I completely understand that with a little tyke we will in no way get to accomplish everything on this list. Heck, when we went just the two of us we missed out on stuff. But, these are the items that will be on our radar.

What are your must-dos at MNSSHP?Do you have any advice for taking a toddler?

 

[MinnieLovesMickey]

Joining in! James is absolutely adorable, love the alien costume! We're going the same you are, just this year. We'll be taking DS, who will be 15 months old. We plan on doing MNSSHP on Halloween as well, DH and I thought that, despite the crowds, how cool it would be for DS's first time trick or treating to be at the Magic Kingdom.

 

[ariel1025]

Joining in! James is absolutely adorable, love the alien costume! We're going the same you are, just this year. We'll be taking DS, who will be 15 months old. We plan on doing MNSSHP on Halloween as well, DH and I thought that, despite the crowds, how cool it would be for DS's first time trick or treating to be at the Magic Kingdom.

Thanks for joining in What an absolutely amazing experience for your Son's first time trick-or-treating!! If this would be James' first TOT experience, I definitely wouldn't even be questioning which day to go to the party

 

[ariel1025]

The next event on our wish list is one that I know next to nothing about

Food and Wine Festival

We are so, so, so excited about being able to attend F&WF - Epcot is by far our most favorite park and eating is like our favorite thing to do

With that being said, we have no clue what to expect at this event. I know (from reading other TRs) that there are extra booths brought into World Showcase and you get the opportunity to sample food and beverages from many different countries around the world. I also know that on certain nights (weekends perhaps?) there are concerts that go on. And, I know, well, actually, that's all I know

Have you been to Food & Wine? What was your overall experience? Is it only offered on the weekends or daily? How are the crowds? Are we crazy to do this with a toddler in a stroller?

Any and all help is very much appreciated here

 

[ariel1025]

The final event on our quest list for this trip is, of course

This will also be brand new for us and I am beyond words excited for this

Based off of this years calendar we will have two options for attending and here are our thoughts on those

November 6: First night of the party. Will it be crowded because of this?

November 7: Second night of party, last night of our trip. I think it would be pretty awesome to end our trip with the party. Will we be too tired to really enjoy it? What if we have a super early ME pick up time? Nobody wants to stay out late and then get up at the crack of down for the depressing bus! Still, ending our trip with the party would be pretty darn awesome!

Have you done MVMCP on the first night of the party in the past? What were crowd levels like? What about on the final night of your trip? Your thoughts?

Ok, well, like MNSSHP, we know that we will be attending MVMCP we just don't know when yet. Since we've never been before I am totally gauging what we want to do based off of other TRs and AllEars. With that being said on our "to do" list are:

Seeing as many characters as possible in their holiday gear

Seeing the parade and getting "snowed on" on Main Street

Just enjoying all the sights and sounds and smells of the holiday ... Disney Style!

The special fireworks for the party (not sure what they are called )

And, if I recall, you can get cookies and hot chocolate at certain points so that is on the list too!

I don't think we will be too focused on rides this time since we will have spent all week at the parks prior to the party. I would like to make sure to take James on his favorites one last time though

What are your recommendations for the party? Do you have any tips to share? Anything we definitely need to make sure not to miss?

 

[ariel1025]

The first major decision of this trip has been made, and with only 576 days until trip time ... I think that's a record Of course, I should really get off my high horse because it is a very minor decision. In fact, it could barely be called a decision ... more like an undecision.

After discussing it in great length we have taken a "yes" resort and put a big red X on it.

Folks, this will not be the year for

Candi to stay in a treehouse

I'm sure some of you are shocked. After all, it received the highest rating from Candi. Here is how we landed on that decision:

1. James won't be old enough to sleep in the top bunk which is all the fun of having a bunk bed

2. The location is nothing to be desired for us (give me a castle, or a savannah or a golf ball please )

3. The bus system being the only option and shared with Saratoga

And the deal breaker of all deal breakers ...

4. We would have to take a shorter trip because the treehouses are 41 points a night And, that's not talking about weekends either

So, the treehouses will be saved for a future trip when James is older and more people go so we can rationalize the 41 points per night. Or, ya know, I can afford a point add-on and 41 points seems like nothing

 

[JennisSilly]

The first major decision of this trip has been made, and with only 576 days until trip time ... I think that's a record Of course, I should really get off my high horse because it is a very minor decision. In fact, it could barely be called a decision ... more like an undecision.

After discussing it in great length we have taken a "yes" resort and put a big red X on it.

Folks, this will not be the year for
Candi to stay in a treehouse

I totally get it! We're taking our daughter in October 2013 (she'll be 2.5) and won't be doing Tree House villa's that trip either (much to my husbands dismay). The thought of lugging the stroller up the stairs just doesn't do it for me after a long day in the parks!

Can't wait to hear where you decide to stay!

 

[ariel1025]

I totally get it! We're taking our daughter in October 2013 (she'll be 2.5) and won't be doing Tree House villa's that trip either (much to my husbands dismay). The thought of lugging the stroller up the stairs just doesn't do it for me after a long day in the parks!

Can't wait to hear where you decide to stay!

Lugging a stroller up the stairs ... you totally just gave me reason #5

Yay for taking your daughter. Are you going to be doing MNSSHP?