An Overplanner Takes on WDW – Feb 2019 PTR now with bonus Aug trip (New TR linked 9/2))

What are the odds Trilobites will still have the bourbon chocolate milkshakes in February? I think that's Trilobites.

Yeah, that's the place. Who knows how long that shake will stay around? If it's popular, maybe.

By that point in the day, we'll be getting DDP snacks, so it's the non alcoholic version for us, regardless. I have been checking out the cocktails at the QS we're planning, though. Some yummy looking options!
 
I’m planning on trying Walmart grocery delivery for breakfast food and snacks, with a scheduled delivery between 6-7.
We usually do Garden Grocer. But only because the first time we came, there weren't as many options. And I am a creature of habit. Our last trip I started packing some of the snacks and stuff in our bags. It gave me room for all of the stuff we end up buying.

Tuesday, February 26th
Magic Kingdom assuming 9am-9pm with 7:55 HEA
We won’t try to rush to get up or to the park this morning but, given the girls normal waking time and the level of excitement that this trip will generate, I think we’ll be there just about at park open.
Start slow, check out Main St (two snack credits for coffee)
We will be in MK that day as well! Maybe we can have a quick dis-meet in line waiting for coffee

Mobile order for Aloha Aisle Dole Whip (3 snack) to bring to the 5:45 Move it, Shake It parade
You can never go wrong with Dole Whips!!!!

MK will have been a late night for us, so I’m on the fence about putting the RD here. On the other hand, since we’re walking in from international gateway, we only have to leave our room about 8:15 to make RD. 7:30 is a really late sleep in for my kids, and they can eat their breakfast in the stroller while the adults walk, so we should be ok.
Sounds like you should be ok.

RD Soarin’
Joy, Sadness, Baymax
Joy and Sadness are super fun. But they are super slow. But def worth it. And a good plan to go right after Soarin.

RD Buzz Lightyear
Astro Orbiter
Speedway if it’s not closed for track work

Originally, I was thinking they could sign up for Wilderness Explorers while we wait for RD, but now I’m wondering if it’s really a good idea with only one day in AK. There’s no way we’d get much of it completed and I think they’d be disappointed not to get it all done. We’re not planning on going back for a few years, so it’s not like I can just tell them we’ll do it on our next trip. What do you think?
So, It is def really hard to do them all in one day. It almost needs to be your focus or like you said 2 days in 1 trip. It is fun to do, but it will eat into your schedule. Each stop, the CM talk to the girls about something.

We did this in September of last year and didn't finish it. We saved the books and brought them back with us in Feb. And they changed a couple of the stations. Morgan, my oldest, was devastated...

Also, they stop posting CM around 4-ish, I found.

8:30am ADR Bon Voyage breakfast (5 TS)
YEAH!!!!

3pm Festival of Fantasy parade, view from Frontierland
I was thinking of trying to see if we could grab the rocking chairs in Frontierland. We will see.

Either leave and get dessert at resort or get dessert here before heading out (5 snack)
Leave early enough to get kids to bed on time
Grabbing a snack from the confectionary on our way is starting to be one of our favorite things to do.
 
We usually do Garden Grocer.

I've been looking at Garden Grocer, Prime Now, and Walmart Grocery. Walmart is by far the cheapest option right now: you pay a $10 delivery fee and then get Walmart in-store prices for everything, including being able to buy their house brands if you want. By comparison, the cost of each item is so inflated on Garden Grocer and Prime Now that I only need to get a gallon of milk and a couple pounds of strawberries to make up the Walmart delivery fee. My initial plan was to pack a whole suitcase of dry goods (thanks for the free bags, Southwest!) but the Walmart prices are so reasonable that I may just do a full grocery order with them. My biggest hesitation is the customer service experience. Walmart is known for many things, but that isn't one of them! I'll have a few more months of folks trying it out and reviewing here on the boards before I make my final decision.

Maybe we can have a quick dis-meet in line waiting for coffee

It's a date!

It is fun to do, but it will eat into your schedule.

Also, they stop posting CM around 4-ish, I found.

I didn't realize that stopped posting people that early. Then the kids will have even less of an opportunity to collect the stickers! Since this is the day I'm tightest, I'm just not sure that an "eat into your schedule" activity is a good idea.

Grabbing a snack from the confectionary on our way is starting to be one of our favorite things to do.

The Boardwalk has Ample Hills Creamery and just reading those flavors is making me drool. I'm pretty sure every day it'll be a debate about whether we get a yummy park snack or head back for yummy ice cream cones!
 
I didn't realize that stopped posting people that early. Then the kids will have even less of an opportunity to collect the stickers! Since this is the day I'm tightest, I'm just not sure that an "eat into your schedule" activity is a good idea.
The good thing is if the kids decide mid way through the day they want to do it, I am pretty sure most of the WE CM have the books to get them started.
 


Monday, March 4th
Epcot, Assume 9am-9pm with 9pm Illuminations
At this point in the trip, I’m assuming the girls will be dragging a bit and we could likely all use some time away from park crowds. If the weather works for us, we’ll spend most of the morning at the pool (1 QS breakfast) and walk to Epcot for WS open at 11am.
Flower & Garden will be up and running, so I’m generally allocating 10 extra snacks to try out things at the booths throughout the afternoon.
11-12 France: Les Halles and Crepes stand for coffee and food (5 snacks), maybe meet Belle or try Agent P, Kidcot
12-12:30 Morocco: Kidcot, maybe Jasmine
12:30-1:30 Japan: Kidcot, maybe Agent P, Katsura Grill (2 QS)
1:30-2:30 America: Kidcot, American Adventure show
2:30-3:00 Italy: Kidcot
3:00-3:30 Germany: Karamell Kuche (3 snacks), maybe Agent P Adventure, Snow White, Kidcot
3:30-4:00 China: Kidcot, maybe Agent P or Mulan
FP Frozen Ever After 4:00-5:00
Anna and Elsa
Norway: Kidcot, Kringla (3 snack) to save for later
5:30 pm Akershus dinner (5 TS)
7:00-8:00 Mexico: Gran Fiesta Tour, Kidcot, maybe Agent P
Anything missed day 1 from Canada, UK
Pick Illuminations spot at the back of the park, near the IG
9:00pm Illuminations
5 TS, 3 QS, 17 snack

In addition to the things I have planned for each pavilion, we’ll watch out for any of the performers. The girls love live music and shows of all kinds, so they’d get a kick out of pretty much any of the entertainment in the countries. I’m not sure how many of the Agent P adventures we’ll try. The kids don’t know the character at all as they haven’t seen the show, but they like a good scavenger hunt none the less. I think I’ll just see how quickly/slowly we’re moving around the world and decide that way. They are going to want the chance to collect the Kidcot cards at each country (free souvenier!!) so I don’t want to run out of time before we make it to each location.

Tuesday, March 5th
Hollywood Studios, assume 9am-8pm
This is our last full day in Disney and I don’t think we’ll want it to be a full park day. It will have been a pretty long vacation at this point and some pool time will be a nice respite from the crowds. Plus, it’ll give me a chance to make sure everything is in order for departure day.
We want to RD TSL, but I’m not 100% sure which FPs I want to make. HS hasn’t had a “normal” open since TSL opened, so we really don’t know what a 9am rope drop looks like. If it’s possible to RD AS2 and TSM in a reasonable timeframe, then I’ll make SDD FP for this morning. If those lines build too quickly, I’ll just plan to RD whichever is easier and FP the other.
Start walking over to HS at 7:45am with girls enjoying breakfast in their strollers
Adult coffee (2 snacks)
RD TSL ride(s)
Meet TSL characters
FP something in TSL 9:00-10:00
Little mermaid, Chewy, or anything missed from that area from day 1
FP Indiana Jones 10:45
FP Little Mermaid (try to move up as soon as tapping into IJ, tap in so that 3rd FP is used, start refreshing for bonus TSL FPs)
Hollywood & Vine ADR 11:45
Disney Jr 1:40pm
Anything else we missed on either of our HS days, bonus FPs
Back to the resort for pool time and dessert (4 QS, 5 snack)
5 TS, 4 QS, 7 snacks

Given the show schedules, we end up with some moderate down time between a lot of our plans at HS. Somewhere in between getting out of one show and waiting for another to begin, we’re hoping to catch March of the First Order and a Streetmosphere performance or two.

Wednesday, March 6th – Departure day!
Magic Kingdom assume 9am open
Our flight isn’t until 8:30pm, so ME will get us about 5:30 from Boardwalk. That’ll give us nearly a full last day to hopefully enjoy rerides on all of our MK favorites. I’m going to have us all packed the night before (park bags, carry ons, checked bags) with just our morning clothes and toiletries to use the next morning. This will be a very early morning for all of us, but I’m thinking that last day adrenaline will get us through until we crash on the sad bus back to the airport.
6:30 out of the room and down to resort airline check in
6:45? head straight to the buses
7:45 into MK for a PPO at Be Our Guest
8:45 in line for a quick mine train ride before the RD crowd gets there
Favorites in Fantasyland (Peter Pan? Winnie the Pooh? Under the Sea?)
FP Mine train 9:30-10:30
Gaston (if missed on MK 2)
Anything we want to do in the circus area (Barnsstormer, characters, Dumbo?)
Short Tomorrowland lines that the kids want to do (Buzz, Astro?)
FP Space Mountain with RS for me and hubby
While swapping, People Mover? Monsters Inc? Merida? Whatever the kids want that can be done with 1 adult and 3 kids (no Buzz ride or Astro because of lack of adults)
FP Big Thunder 11:30-12:30 (start refreshing for whatever else the kids want to do)
4 QS lunch wherever we end up
Check out Big Top Treats or Main St Confectionary to use any remaining snack credits
3:45 start heading out
At resort, hubby to get carry ons from bell services while I use up 3 QS and any remaining snacks on foods we can bring to eat for dinner at the airport or on the plane
12 QS, remaining (I think 8) snack credits

I’m totally guessing when it comes to this MK day. If my plans on 1-3 worked well, then we’ll have hit everything we wanted to try at least once. We can use this day to fill in anything we missed. If it turns out the kids don’t like the coasters, then I move the FPs to something else in the park they do like. For that matter, if there’s some other park they’d really rather visit, we can cancel the PPO and go elsewhere. I just think, based on how much there is to do in MK, that is where they’ll want to be.
 
So, I just tried to see what they had for availability at Cinderella's Royal Table for you. Since I can see Feb. 26th already. And apparently you can only call to get a reservation right now. Not sure why that is. But I thought I would let you know.
 


So, I just tried to see what they had for availability at Cinderella's Royal Table for you. Since I can see Feb. 26th already. And apparently you can only call to get a reservation right now. Not sure why that is. But I thought I would let you know.

Boo! On the app or the website? For some reason, I always see that on the app.
 
That was the app.... I just checked on the computer. As of today, you can still get, 11:45, 12:00, 12:05, &1:00

I am keeping my fingers crossed! Which day is your ADR day? Remind I can check again in a couple days, if you want.
 
That was the app.... I just checked on the computer. As of today, you can still get, 11:45, 12:00, 12:05, &1:00

I am keeping my fingers crossed! Which day is your ADR day? Remind I can check again in a couple days, if you want.

Ooo, exciting. I need a "love" button for this. My ADR day isn't until 8/29. But, that looks like lots of good availability, so here's hoping!
 
Just found your report and am catching up on the reading now!

ETA:

We aren’t going to be the family that goes to Disney every year.
Oh sure, that's what they all say... :P

While I do have a few rider swaps in there (I'm not missing FoP for the little stinkers!)
Proud of you -- FoP is not to be missed!

Oh my goodness, every time I start a conversation with, "So, I've been thinking..." he asks, "It's six months from now, do we really need to talk about this right now?" He just doesn't understand. :-(
That's what DIS friends are for! :banana:

My partner had the same response. Then he fell in love with Disney, appreciated how his first trip was really effortless because of all the planning I'd put in, and now he gets it. Although, sometimes, I still catch his eyes glazing over when I want to review a spreadsheet together... :bitelip: (My job requires moderate spreadsheets but his requires a million, I think he gets Excel fatigue.)

~~~

Happy to have found your PTR, and to echo a comment upthread from months ago, I hope you write a trip report afterwards. Love your writing voice and the detail.
 
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Just found your report and am catching up on the reading now!

Welcome!

Oh sure, that's what they all say...

I know plenty of people on here started off as "one-and-done" and then ended up with APs, so only time will tell. I will say that hubby and I want to give the girls lots of different vacation experiences throughout their childhood. I'd love to start off with some top US road trip destinations, travel with them internationally when they're a bit older, etc. When planning a trip, we're much more likely to go somewhere new than to repeat. I'm sure we'll do Disney every few years, but I think we'll mix it up a bit more than an annual trip to FL.

I hope you write a trip report afterwards. Love your writing voice and the detail.

Awe, thanks! I do have every intention of writing a trip report afterwards, which will likely be equally detailed to the point of inanity. You have been forewarned!
 
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I'm starting to think that the reason people end up going to WDW over and over, even when they hadn't intended to, is that you put SO MUCH time into learning so many things, and it takes multiple visits to actually use up that knowledge. I'm planning my first trip right now and constantly filing things away mentally for 'next time' even though there are a zillion other kinds of trips we want to take and think we'd prefer.
 
I'm planning my first trip right now and constantly filing things away mentally for 'next time' even though there are a zillion other kinds of trips we want to take and think we'd prefer.

I'm definitely doing this too, but it's for my trip in 2023 :P. In all seriousness, I'm already fantasizing about the trip I can plan when the girls are old/tall enough to do all the big rides, hit rides late at night, bop over to Universal for a day or two. As much as I'm enjoying planning this trip where the magic will be "real" for them, there are a lot of things that they just can't hack yet.
 

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