A Winter Escape to the Enchanted Forest-PTR January'13:Updated 1/19 Last Day Plans

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Love your MK plans!! It helps me plan mine! We do have the 8:05 CP ADR, so I am hoping it's a quick-but-not-too-quick breakfast so we can go on to Belle!!

We are doing CHH for lunch too, so your plan will pretty well match ours! Can't wait to hear how it works!! . Your trip is SO close!!

I remember when we had a 8:05 CP ADR two years ago, we easily finished eating before 8:45am but the fourth character (Eeyore in this instance) hadn't made it around to our table yet. This was when everyone was doing the Rapunzel Run, so we had to give up waiting on Eeyore and were out the door by 8:50am. We were second in line at Fairytale Gardens - would have been first except I didn't know the exact location of Fairytale Gardens! Ahhhh, I was a rookie back then.

CHH is my favorite QS at MK. BOG may change the rankings a bit but we'll see. Just love sitting on the second floor away from the crowds.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Only 10 days left!!

DW and I were talking when we both came to the realization that for the first time in a loooong time, we will be visiting Disney without a diaper bag now that our DS is potty-trained! Ahhhhh, not having to worry about whether the men's room has a changing table. I'll still bring my backpack for snacks, drinks, my camera/lens, and ipad.

Need to start making a list of things that I don't want to forget to pack for the kids. Also I can start checking the weather and just hope and hope that we'll have great weather in Orlando and no snow here in DC on our departure day.

Just got two more memory cards for my DSLR for the trip! Things are starting to fall into place!!

 

[auprincess]

So close ~ I know you'll have a great trip! We finally did the Monster's Inc. meet and greet on our last trip...I love Mike and Sully and was so glad we finally got around to it. The m&g was tucked away and even looking at the map, and "knowing" where it was, I still had to ask a CM to point me in the right direction. The wait was minimal and went quickly!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

So close ~ I know you'll have a great trip! We finally did the Monster's Inc. meet and greet on our last trip...I love Mike and Sully and was so glad we finally got around to it. The m&g was tucked away and even looking at the map, and "knowing" where it was, I still had to ask a CM to point me in the right direction. The wait was minimal and went quickly!

That's good to hear that the wait was short! I've heard it was tucked away enough that people have a hard time finding it. think I'm more excited about seeing Sulley/Mikey than the kids. DS wants to bring his Monsters Inc toys with him to the meet and greet which I think was a fun idea. We're going to try to go without autograph books for this trip for all of the meet and greets - hoping that this would open up more time and opportunity to interact with the characters rather than being distracted by making sure to flip to the right page, have the pen clicked and ready etc. Plus, the characters can spend more time interacting with the kids rather than writing!

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

10 days out?? Wow!! Yay!! This past trip (June 2012) was our first no diaper bag trip. It was awesome!! I always love the 10 days out because of checking the weather--of course, then I worry if it shows rain, but that's just me! DH is just like, "just don't check!!"

I agree with the comments about Mike and Sulley....we've never found there to be a line there! We aren't doing an autograph book this time either--DS doesn't really have an interest in them, and it definitely gives more time for interaction!!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

10 days out?? Wow!! Yay!! This past trip (June 2012) was our first no diaper bag trip. It was awesome!! I always love the 10 days out because of checking the weather--of course, then I worry if it shows rain, but that's just me! DH is just like, "just don't check!!"

I agree with the comments about Mike and Sulley....we've never found there to be a line there! We aren't doing an autograph book this time either--DS doesn't really have an interest in them, and it definitely gives more time for interaction!!

I do the same with the weather checks knowing fully that FL weather predictions 10 days out are unreliable! I was hoping for some warm temperatures like they had earlier in the month, but so far it's in the 60-70 range which is still much better than where we live!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Monday January 28th

After finishing lunch at Columbia Harbor House, it's time to hit the rides again.

12:30pm-1:00pm: Peter Pan FP / Carousel

We'll use our FPs to go on Peter Pan. I'm sure the kids will want to go on it again as soon as we get off. It's such a fun ride but too short. We'll try to make time for the following day to go on it a couple of more times. I'm pretty sure we'll also have time to squeeze in riding Prince Charming's Carousel while I make a FP run to BTMRR with a target return time at 2:00pm-3:00pm.

1:00pm-1:30pm: It’s a Small World

1pm sounds like a good time to get a song stuck in my head.

1:30pm-2:00pm: Haunted Mansion

DD has been avoiding the Haunted Mansion. I think she'll be fine once she tries it. She's mostly afraid of the ghosts they have in there.

2:00pm-2:30pm: Big Thunder Mountain FP/ RiderSwap

DD has been looking forward to upgrading her coaster experience from the Barnstormer. Depending how things have went at AK, she may have already tried EE. But if she hasn't, BTMRR will be a big event for her. If she wants to go again, she can go again with the second group of adults on the RiderSwap.

For DS, we'll line up for a character meet and greet near the area. One of the adults will also make a run for FPs for Jungle Cruise.

2:30pm-3:15pm: PoTC / Magic Carpet Ride / Aladdin and Jasmine

I think this is where there's high likelihood that my plans will start falling apart. I'm hoping for some really short lines to get all of the above done. The kids have been reluctant to go on Pirates. We'll see if they will be up for it once we get there. DS has been telling me how much he wants to meet Aladdin after watching the movie several times. And of course, it'll be hard not to notice the Magic Carpets circling around nearby.

3:15pm-3:35pm: Jungle Cruise

Depending on how we're doing on time, we may have to skip this one. I'm going to miss hearing those corny jokes though.

3:35pm-4:00pm: Princess Meet and Greet

I'll have to make a FP run earlier in the day based on the return times. Since we're not doing either CRT or Akershus, will have to do this to meet DD's princess needs IF DS is needing some downtime, one of the adults can take him out of the park at this point to find a quiet spot in the lobby of Grand Floridian for him to rest.

We'll exit the park for a dinner/break and head over to the Grand Floridian.

4:30pm-5:30pm: Dinner at 1900 Park Fare

We'll be one of the first there for this early dinner. DD can't wait to meet the Stepsisters again. We had such fun interactions with them last time.

6:00pm-6:30pm: Laugh Floor

DD's been collecting jokes the past few weeks so that we can text them to Mikey during the pre-show waiting area. Last time, her joke got picked during the show and she really got a kick out of it. As we enter the park, I'll probably make a FP run for Buzz.

6:30pm-7:00pm: Buzz Lightyear FP

7:00pm-8:00pm: Wishes Dessert Party

I couldn't resist getting us a table at the Terrace again. It was such a relaxing experience to watch the fireworks from there. Plus, this time I'll have my tripod setup to catch some good shots with my DSLR! After the fireworks, we'll hang back a little to let the crowd filter out before we head out ourselves.

Next up: Plans for our Departure Day at MK

 

[khertz]

Just caught up on all of the plans! They look really great. I have tried making plans that detailed, and I just can't do it. I basically just need to know which park to be in on which day and I'm good enough with that!

Really enjoyed the pics from the Breakfast with Santa event as well. That museum looks like something my DS would absolutely LOVE! We watched Polar Express on Christmas Eve when it was on TV (had never put it on for him before) and he absolutely loved that the whole movie involved a train!

 

[tallen429]

Welcome and thank you for visiting my Pre-Trip Report for our family's short winter getaway! If you'll like to check out our last adventure to WDW in April 2012, the TR is linked in my signature. I also have an on-going TR from a solo trip to Disneyland Resort in October 2012.

For this upcoming trip, I have our DD's school district to thank. DD started first grade this past September. As I was reviewing her school calendar, I discovered that she had "Student Holidays" scheduled for Monday and Tuesday of January 28th and 29th, giving her a 4-day weekend! I told DW that we should maybe take a family winter vacation somewhere during this long weekend. Honestly, I didn't even bring Disney up as a possibility since I figured DW would like to go somewhere else and we had just been there back in April. But after running through a few options for places to visit, she asked "How about Disney?"

Of course, my answer was "YES!" I may finally be turning DW into a Disney addict like me. Okay, maybe not that far. Soooo, before she could change her mind, I immediately started looking for packages on the Disney website, and within a couple of days, I had our vacation booked!! So, here are the cast of characters.

The cast of characters include myself (38), DW (36), DD (6), DS (3), and DFIL (64). It's the same gang from our last trip. DFIL must have really enjoyed his first visit to WDW in April because when DW asked if he wanted to come again, there wasn't much hesitation.

We will be arriving late in the evening of Friday, January 25th and leaving on the evening of Tuesday, January 29th. We are staying at AoA Finding Nemo Suites. We can't wait to visit the New Fantasyland and try out the new Test Track!

I hope you can follow along! There will be some mini-trip reports and photo reports along the way. And as we get closer to the travel date, I'll share with you our touring and dining plans in great detail!

HI!!
Just found your PTR and you will be at WDW at the same time we will! We arrive the 25th and are there until Feb 1.
here is my PTR link:
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3029846
Looking forward to reading more of your plans!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Just caught up on all of the plans! They look really great. I have tried making plans that detailed, and I just can't do it. I basically just need to know which park to be in on which day and I'm good enough with that!

Really enjoyed the pics from the Breakfast with Santa event as well. That museum looks like something my DS would absolutely LOVE! We watched Polar Express on Christmas Eve when it was on TV (had never put it on for him before) and he absolutely loved that the whole movie involved a train!

Welcome!! I know, the detailed planning with the time stamps feels like a bit too much for me too.....sometimes. I sort of consider it as therapy to my borderline OCD tendencies.

If you ever come up this way, you should look into visiting the museum. The only downside is that the location of the museum isn't the greatest and sort of isolated from all of the other tourist attractions. But we had tons of fun with the Santa Breakfast event!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

HI!!
Just found your PTR and you will be at WDW at the same time we will! We arrive the 25th and are there until Feb 1.
here is my PTR link:
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3029846
Looking forward to reading more of your plans!

Welcome!! Heading over to your PTR right now. Wish we were staying a bit longer like you are.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

I've been trying and looking to find an opening for an BOG dinner ADR to no avail. Was willing to give up our 1900 PF for it if we could land one but it's looking less and less likely that I'll get one.

We'll have to visit BOG for lunch on our departure day which should be fine - hoping the lines will be manageable.

8 more days!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

6 more days to go! Time to cap off our touring plans! This last day is a "flex day" so no time stamps. It's mainly to do the attractions we didn't get to do on our first day in MK and repeat some of the favorites.

Tuesday January 29th

Will need to check out early. Can't remember what time the baggage check-in counter opens at the resorts but we need to get to MK gates by 7:30am for our 8:10am ADR for Crystal Palace! Have to go in the park before it opens at least once during this trip.

We really enjoy breakfasts at Crystal Palace. Food is decent. The interior is always bright and cheerful.

Once we finish breakfast, we'll try to beat rope drop to get in line for Merida. Or at least I will with the kids and send off DW and DFIL to ride Space Mountain.

We'll probably head over to Barnstormer so that the kids can ride it a few times in a row. Then probably over to the Speedway.

Lunch will be at Be Our Guest Resaturant. We'll try for an early lunch, but not sure if any of us will be that hungry.

After repeating some of the kids favorite rides and making sure we didn't miss anything they wanted to do, we'll make our way to Main Street around 2:30pm to give everyone a chance to buy some souvenirs. At 3pm, we'll catch the afternoon parade. And at 3:30pm we'll start making our way out the gates and drive to the airport for our 6:20pm flight back home.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

5 days to go! DW and the kids started packing their clothes. I'm constantly checking the weather - I don't care if it rains as long as it just doesn't snow us in here in DC on our departure day

And even before our trip begins, I'm starting to think about when we can get back and looking up the kids' school calendar for 2013-2014!

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

Finally caught up!! Can't believe you go in 5 days! I think you and I are the same type of Disney planners (obsessers?). I have already pulled out the 2013-2014 school calendar, too!!

Your last 2 days look great. . .I LOVE Crystal Palace breakfast! I am still hoping you get a little Pixie Dust, though, and get a dinner at BOG!

I also can't wait to hear about the Dessert Party. If they are still doing that in 2014, I want to try it out!!

Now. . .check that weather, and get to packing!! It's almost here!!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Finally caught up!! Can't believe you go in 5 days! I think you and I are the same type of Disney planners (obsessers?). I have already pulled out the 2013-2014 school calendar, too!!

Your last 2 days look great. . .I LOVE Crystal Palace breakfast! I am still hoping you get a little Pixie Dust, though, and get a dinner at BOG!

I also can't wait to hear about the Dessert Party. If they are still doing that in 2014, I want to try it out!!

Now. . .check that weather, and get to packing!! It's almost here!!

Thanks for the Pixie Dust thoughts on the BOG! As long as I get a chance to eat there, lunch or dinner, I'll be happy!

And guess what? After looking through the school calendar, I found a 4 day weekend for the kids (just like the one we're taking advantage of this week) for the last week of January 2014! I have a year to start convincing DW to see if we can make it to WDW.

I'll try to get as many pictures as I can at the Dessert Party. Heck, I'll be clicking away on my DSLR for the whole trip!

 

[khertz]

I hope you find a last minute BOG reservation! The more I read and hear about this restaurant, the more I want to eat there! Hopefully by October, the lines will not be nearly as horrible for lunch.

Sounds like you have a great, relaxing last day planned. I always love an accomplished trip when you can do whatever you want on the last day because you have already done all of your must-do's earlier in the trip. Plus, what a way to end the trip with the MK parade! Please have an extra piece of puffed French toast for me at Crystal Palace!

Your trip is SO CLOSE!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

I hope you find a last minute BOG reservation! The more I read and hear about this restaurant, the more I want to eat there! Hopefully by October, the lines will not be nearly as horrible for lunch.

Sounds like you have a great, relaxing last day planned. I always love an accomplished trip when you can do whatever you want on the last day because you have already done all of your must-do's earlier in the trip. Plus, what a way to end the trip with the MK parade! Please have an extra piece of puffed French toast for me at Crystal Palace!

Your trip is SO CLOSE!

Hopefully, the first MK day will go well and we can have a nice relaxing "Bonus" MK day for our last day!

We watched the afternoon parade on our way out to the airport during our last trip. It was such a great way to end the trip!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Forecast for Friday (our departure day) for DC area is calling for a "Wintry Mix" with a 70% chance of precipitation. So far, it doesn't sound like we'll get hit with any major snow but they say it can still change depending on the storm track.

Even though it's still too early to worry, can't help being nervous and I'm thinking about backup plans. Worst case scenario, I pull an all nighter in making the 12 hour drive down to Orlando on Friday I think it'll be fine though and it'll mostly be rain. We shall see.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Having the day off from the hospital just gives me more opportunities to keep checking the weather models and the Post's weather updates. And it's not helping me

It seems like it's a near certainty that DC will get precipitation on our departure day. The only question is exactly what time it will hit and whether it will be snow vs ice/freezing rain vs. rain. The first two has good potential to cancel flights. Hoping that the system reaches us late at night or we get rain.