Shazzie B
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2006
- Messages
- 1,656
We return to WDW on Friday 15th August-only 76 day to go
. This will be our 6th trip, our 1st we stayed at All Stars-Movies, 2nd, 3rd & 4th off site, 5th at AKL after persuading DH that with free dining and going with TCD we could just about afford it. As we're now tied to going in school hols, DS15 DD13 we thought we'd make the most of free dining again.
I've spent all winter planning, read the unofficial guide from cover to cover and spent hours on the DIS and with Tour Guide Mike. I'm now asked daily at work-how many days now then! I've printed of a summary of our plans to take with us as well as menu's for the restaurants we'll be going to. Plans are all sorted ADRS booked at 180+10 (and the rest when I could). Plans are now finalised. We basically find that getting to the parks at 'rope drop' works for us, we then leave when we've had enough-especially if it's busy as we will be doing 2 days at each park. Here are our plans;
Thursday 14th August
DH at work in am, plan to let kids sleep in whilst I do last minute housework
& packing. Kids are at dentist at 12pm (check-ups) so I'll get them up and showered at 11am, then we'll return home for lunch. Hoping to get train to Gatwick at about 2pm so we can avoid commuters and use twilight check-in when it opens at 4pm. Overnight at Premier Travel Inn - we used last year also-reasonable price and convenient.
Friday 15th August
We'll be up early-I can never sleep for the excitment, breakfast at hotel, to airport by 8am for 9:30am flight (unless check-in tell us to get there earlier). We should land about 2pm ish if alls going well at be at Coronado Springs between 4pm-5pm. Plan to unpack, swim, look around hotel and eat at Pepper Market using 1st CS credits. Bed between 8pm-9pm I expect.
Sat 16th Aug
No doubt we'll all be up early, DH will do his 4 mile jog (he's in training for NY Marathon) and I'll get kids up/showered & bag organised-I think this will be my 'job' all holiday! Once DH is showered we'll head off to MGM-sorry I meant DHS. 1st rides will be Aerosmith, Tower of Terror & Toy Story mania. We're eating at Prime Time Cafe at 12pm (we don't normally 'do' breakfast on WDW holidays). After watching Block Parade we'll probably leave park for Typhoon Lagoon wher we intend to find sun-beds and chill whilst kids cool of in the wave pool. EMH so we'll stay as late as we feel like.
Sun 17th Aug
Usual wak-up routine then at AK for the day. We love EE & Safari. Lunch at Flame Tree BBQ & parade at 4pm. We plan to watch the end of the parade in 'Africa' to avoid the crowds. After swim at hotel we plan to eat dinner at Big River Grille and wander Boardwalk.
Mon 18th Aug
Epcot day, Test Track, Mission Space. I love Turtle talk with Crush-love the little kids reactions. DIS meet at Rose & Crown and then monorail to Polynisian for dinner at Ohana (today was originally going to be MK!).
Tues 19th Aug
A more relaxing day at TL, plan to do shark swim early. Will stop for a couple of hours at Downtown if we feel like it before heading to Wilderness Lodge for dinner at Whispering Canyon.
Weds 20th Aug
MK day-we take the bus as it's easier at MK, We get there for opening ceremony-we still have some Mickey Dust from last year! Tomorrowland, Frontierland & Adventureland. We'll leave fairly early as want to do EMH at AK, dinner at Yak & Yeti & EE in the dark hopefully!
Thurs 21st Aug
Back to Disney Studios, lunch at Sci Fi Diner-the kids favorite. We'll take a couple of hours out at BB before heading back for something to eat and then Fantasmic.
Fri 22nd Aug
Day-off
Horse Trail ride booked for 10:00am and then to Disney Quest. Kids love it but after an hour or so DH and I normally wander down to Downtown to browse the shops in peace-look for Nephews wedding gift! Pick kids up, back to hotel for shower and change then to Spirit if Aloha Show-which I know gets bad press-but we loved it last year. We'll take the bus so we can both drink!
Sat 23rd Aug
2nd day at Epcot, lunch at Garden Grill. Return to hotel for a few hours rest/swim before returing to Epcot for Dinner at Rose & Crown with hopefully good view of Illuminations (this worked well last year).
Sun 24th Aug
Another lazy day at TL, kids now prefer this to BB (since they got too big for ice-bergs and 'drop' thinghy). Dinner at Le Cellier and an evening wander around World Showcase. Stop and watch Illuminations if last night plans didn't work! So many restaurants in Epcot that we like-this is how we squeezed our 3 favorites in! No doubt me and the kids will have 'Chocolate Moose' again.
Mon 25th Aug
IOA day, We've bought Express passes so hope to do favorite rides-Hulk & Duelling Dragons 1st and then work our way around park before repeating Hulk & DD before we leave. Dinner booked at Boma-then say 'hello' to the animals we saw last year.
Tues 26th Aug
Universal day, again with Express Passes, favorite rides MiB & I'm sure Simpsons! DS wants to watch the TNA wrestling if it's on (fingers crossed). We plan to stay in park and meet him afterwards-the rest of us don't want to watch it-he's OK with this. Back to hotel to eat at Pepper Market-didn't dare book anything as not too sure how long wrestling will last.
Weds 27th Aug
MK 2nd day, start in Fantasyland and then rides we didn't do on our 1st day or repeat favorites. Parade at 3pm and the to Chef Mickeys for dinner.
Thurs 28th Aug
Last full day Possibly AK for couple of hours in am, depends on how tired we are. Swim at hotel then to MK for dinner at Crystal Palace-we always do Crystal Palace and like to save Spectro Magic & Wishes for our last night.
Fri 29th Aug
Breakfast at hotel, relaxing swim before check-out at 11am and to airport by 2pm. Flight at 4pm
Sat 30th Aug
Land 5:30am
Train home. Do we go to bed for a few hours
Nephews wedding
Sun 31st Aug
Stay in bed all day or
Now you can see how obsessed with planning I am
Roll on Haloween 2009!
. This will be our 6th trip, our 1st we stayed at All Stars-Movies, 2nd, 3rd & 4th off site, 5th at AKL after persuading DH that with free dining and going with TCD we could just about afford it. As we're now tied to going in school hols, DS15 DD13 we thought we'd make the most of free dining again.I've spent all winter planning, read the unofficial guide from cover to cover and spent hours on the DIS and with Tour Guide Mike. I'm now asked daily at work-how many days now then! I've printed of a summary of our plans to take with us as well as menu's for the restaurants we'll be going to. Plans are all sorted ADRS booked at 180+10 (and the rest when I could). Plans are now finalised. We basically find that getting to the parks at 'rope drop' works for us, we then leave when we've had enough-especially if it's busy as we will be doing 2 days at each park. Here are our plans;
Thursday 14th August
DH at work in am, plan to let kids sleep in whilst I do last minute housework
& packing. Kids are at dentist at 12pm (check-ups) so I'll get them up and showered at 11am, then we'll return home for lunch. Hoping to get train to Gatwick at about 2pm so we can avoid commuters and use twilight check-in when it opens at 4pm. Overnight at Premier Travel Inn - we used last year also-reasonable price and convenient.Friday 15th August
We'll be up early-I can never sleep for the excitment, breakfast at hotel, to airport by 8am for 9:30am flight (unless check-in tell us to get there earlier). We should land about 2pm ish if alls going well at be at Coronado Springs between 4pm-5pm. Plan to unpack, swim, look around hotel and eat at Pepper Market using 1st CS credits. Bed between 8pm-9pm I expect.
Sat 16th Aug
No doubt we'll all be up early, DH will do his 4 mile jog (he's in training for NY Marathon) and I'll get kids up/showered & bag organised-I think this will be my 'job' all holiday! Once DH is showered we'll head off to MGM-sorry I meant DHS. 1st rides will be Aerosmith, Tower of Terror & Toy Story mania. We're eating at Prime Time Cafe at 12pm (we don't normally 'do' breakfast on WDW holidays). After watching Block Parade we'll probably leave park for Typhoon Lagoon wher we intend to find sun-beds and chill whilst kids cool of in the wave pool. EMH so we'll stay as late as we feel like.
Sun 17th Aug
Usual wak-up routine then at AK for the day. We love EE & Safari. Lunch at Flame Tree BBQ & parade at 4pm. We plan to watch the end of the parade in 'Africa' to avoid the crowds. After swim at hotel we plan to eat dinner at Big River Grille and wander Boardwalk.
Mon 18th Aug
Epcot day, Test Track, Mission Space. I love Turtle talk with Crush-love the little kids reactions. DIS meet at Rose & Crown and then monorail to Polynisian for dinner at Ohana (today was originally going to be MK!).
Tues 19th Aug
A more relaxing day at TL, plan to do shark swim early. Will stop for a couple of hours at Downtown if we feel like it before heading to Wilderness Lodge for dinner at Whispering Canyon.
Weds 20th Aug
MK day-we take the bus as it's easier at MK, We get there for opening ceremony-we still have some Mickey Dust from last year! Tomorrowland, Frontierland & Adventureland. We'll leave fairly early as want to do EMH at AK, dinner at Yak & Yeti & EE in the dark hopefully!
Thurs 21st Aug
Back to Disney Studios, lunch at Sci Fi Diner-the kids favorite. We'll take a couple of hours out at BB before heading back for something to eat and then Fantasmic.
Fri 22nd Aug
Day-off
Horse Trail ride booked for 10:00am and then to Disney Quest. Kids love it but after an hour or so DH and I normally wander down to Downtown to browse the shops in peace-look for Nephews wedding gift! Pick kids up, back to hotel for shower and change then to Spirit if Aloha Show-which I know gets bad press-but we loved it last year. We'll take the bus so we can both drink! Sat 23rd Aug
2nd day at Epcot, lunch at Garden Grill. Return to hotel for a few hours rest/swim before returing to Epcot for Dinner at Rose & Crown with hopefully good view of Illuminations (this worked well last year).
Sun 24th Aug
Another lazy day at TL, kids now prefer this to BB (since they got too big for ice-bergs and 'drop' thinghy). Dinner at Le Cellier and an evening wander around World Showcase. Stop and watch Illuminations if last night plans didn't work! So many restaurants in Epcot that we like-this is how we squeezed our 3 favorites in! No doubt me and the kids will have 'Chocolate Moose' again.
Mon 25th Aug
IOA day, We've bought Express passes so hope to do favorite rides-Hulk & Duelling Dragons 1st and then work our way around park before repeating Hulk & DD before we leave. Dinner booked at Boma-then say 'hello' to the animals we saw last year.
Tues 26th Aug
Universal day, again with Express Passes, favorite rides MiB & I'm sure Simpsons! DS wants to watch the TNA wrestling if it's on (fingers crossed). We plan to stay in park and meet him afterwards-the rest of us don't want to watch it-he's OK with this. Back to hotel to eat at Pepper Market-didn't dare book anything as not too sure how long wrestling will last.
Weds 27th Aug
MK 2nd day, start in Fantasyland and then rides we didn't do on our 1st day or repeat favorites. Parade at 3pm and the to Chef Mickeys for dinner.
Thurs 28th Aug
Last full day
Possibly AK for couple of hours in am, depends on how tired we are. Swim at hotel then to MK for dinner at Crystal Palace-we always do Crystal Palace and like to save Spectro Magic & Wishes for our last night.Fri 29th Aug
Breakfast at hotel, relaxing swim before check-out at 11am and to airport by 2pm. Flight at 4pm
Sat 30th Aug
Land 5:30am
Train home. Do we go to bed for a few hours Nephews wedding Sun 31st Aug
Stay in bed all day or
Now you can see how obsessed with planning I am
Roll on Haloween 2009!
