Ben and Kyle's Super Awesome, Grown-Up Vacation! Updated 3/18

[BenKling]

My first and only time at Disney, my parents decided that we were going to make the grand tour in 4 days. We got 1 park a day, and were going to cram as much stuff in as we possibly could.

Needless to say, it was exhausting. Our first two days (Epcot and MK) went well, but we really fizzled out towards the end. This meant we only spent a half day at HS (and that wasn't doing everything we wanted to) and probably only 3 or 4 hours at AK...

This time, Kyle and I have 7 days to hop around the parks and see what we feel like doing. As we're probably going to be sticking with Quick Service meals, we also don't need to halt big parts of the day to go eat.

Because we'll have the chance to revisit parks, I'm hoping that we'll have the opportunity to slow down and enjoy our days without feeling like we have to cram everything in at once. So while I'm still planning long days, it should not be as hectic.

Coming up, you'll see a run down of some of the days, and I'll include what i hope to see and do!

Thanks again for reading!

 

[JessicaKnits]

My first and only time at Disney, my parents decided that we were going to make the grand tour in 4 days. We got 1 park a day, and were going to cram as much stuff in as we possibly could.

Needless to say, it was exhausting. Our first two days (Epcot and MK) went well, but we really fizzled out towards the end. This meant we only spent a half day at HS (and that wasn't doing everything we wanted to) and probably only 3 or 4 hours at AK...

This time, Kyle and I have 7 days to hop around the parks and see what we feel like doing. As we're probably going to be sticking with Quick Service meals, we also don't need to halt big parts of the day to go eat.

Because we'll have the chance to revisit parks, I'm hoping that we'll have the opportunity to slow down and enjoy our days without feeling like we have to cram everything in at once. So while I'm still planning long days, it should not be as hectic.

Coming up, you'll see a run down of some of the days, and I'll include what i hope to see and do!

Thanks again for reading!

This is a great idea. I am a morning person, my fiance is not. But...I was able to drag him out of bed every morning except one of a 10 day trip, with the promise we would come back in the afternoon for nap/pool time. Its amazing how much you can get done while everyone else is either asleep or eating breakfast. We went at a slower time of year, but were usually able to get all the major things out of the way by lunch time. Then we would grab lunch, go back to the hotel and rest during the hottest part of the day, and then head back to the parks for dinner.

 

[BenKling]

This is a great idea. I am a morning person, my fiance is not. But...I was able to drag him out of bed every morning except one of a 10 day trip, with the promise we would come back in the afternoon for nap/pool time. Its amazing how much you can get done while everyone else is either asleep or eating breakfast. We went at a slower time of year, but were usually able to get all the major things out of the way by lunch time. Then we would grab lunch, go back to the hotel and rest during the hottest part of the day, and then head back to the parks for dinner.

I'm definitely planning on taking breaks during the middle of the day. It shouldn't be too hard to take the bus back and forth from POP.

Besides, it wouldn't be a very good vacation if we just exhausted ourselves!

 

[OrangeJuice]

So, after looking at several of the online menus, it looks like we're going to be eating Quick Service though a majority of the trip. Those prices are closer to what we're used to paying when we go out, and they options seem pretty consistent around the parks.

That will make things a lot easier to budget for, so it's become the plan for now.

On that note, does anyone have a favorite Quick Service meal they'd like to share? I'd love to know of any good deals!

Hey Ben!
Great trip report so far. I love the energy!

As far as quick service:
In Magic Kingdom: Peco Bill's has great burgers and a topping's bar. We ate there twice on our last trip.
Epcot: Anywhere around World Showcase.
Animal Kingdom: The flametree BBQ has some good ribs.

That's all I've got so far. Have fun planning

 

[BenKling]

Hey Ben!
Great trip report so far. I love the energy!

As far as quick service:
In Magic Kingdom: Peco Bill's has great burgers and a topping's bar. We ate there twice on our last trip.
Epcot: Anywhere around World Showcase.
Animal Kingdom: The flametree BBQ has some good ribs.

That's all I've got so far. Have fun planning

Thanks so much!
I'm glad to hear that people are pretty much in agreement with their QS Recommendations. Y'all must be on to something!

 

[BenKling]

All right then, let's get right to it!

After taking an easy Friday night around DTD, it will be time to get to business!

The first stop will naturally be... Magic Kingdom!

As we're treating this as Kyle's first trip, there's really no other way to start the adventure. There's just something so awesome about taking the monorail to the front gate. It'll be the best way to set up the rest of the week.

It's also the day for morning EMH, so we'll be getting there right at 8:00am. I'm hoping that that extra hour will give us a chance to do lots of things, so we'll be able to take a break during the afternoon if the park is too crowded (or if it gets too hot!)

BTMRR will be closed for refurb during our stay, which is sort of a bummer, because I really enjoyed that ride. I was also really looking forward to riding it at night, as so many people talked about how beautiful it was. Oh well... I guess we'll have to catch it the next time!

I'm really trying to avoid making a checklist of things to do this day. This is because I know we'll be back at the park, and also because I like the idea of living in the moment. All I know is that we'll most likely start at Space Mountain, and then hit up all the big rides before settling in and enjoying the park. It'll be a great time to get in the groove of vacation, and I'll be taking lots of pictures to send to folks back home.

(The first time I went to MK, my family unknowingly went the "opposite" way around the park. Starting in Adventureland, we did PotC, SM, and BTMRR, and HM really quickly before hitting a WALL of other folks on the other side of the parks. I'm going to try and avoid that next time, and go with the flow of traffic!)

I also know that we want to make a parade, and we'll definitely be staying for Wishes. Whether we'll be at the park all day will remain to be seen, and depend a lot on how we're feeling that day.

As mentioned before, we'll eat at a Quick Service place, and try to just soak up all the magic!

 

[KaylaMarie134]

All right then, let's get right to it!

After taking an easy Friday night around DTD, it will be time to get to business!

The first stop will naturally be... Magic Kingdom!

As we're treating this as Kyle's first trip, there's really no other way to start the adventure. There's just something so awesome about taking the monorail to the front gate. It'll be the best way to set up the rest of the week.

It's also the day for morning EMH, so we'll be getting there right at 8:00am. I'm hoping that that extra hour will give us a chance to do lots of things, so we'll be able to take a break during the afternoon if the park is too crowded (or if it gets too hot!)

BTMRR will be closed for refurb during our stay, which is sort of a bummer, because I really enjoyed that ride. I was also really looking forward to riding it at night, as so many people talked about how beautiful it was. Oh well... I guess we'll have to catch it the next time!

I'm really trying to avoid making a checklist of things to do this day. This is because I know we'll be back at the park, and also because I like the idea of living in the moment. All I know is that we'll most likely start at Space Mountain, and then hit up all the big rides before settling in and enjoying the park. It'll be a great time to get in the groove of vacation, and I'll be taking lots of pictures to send to folks back home.

(The first time I went to MK, my family unknowingly went the "opposite" way around the park. Starting in Adventureland, we did PotC, SM, and BTMRR, and HM really quickly before hitting a WALL of other folks on the other side of the parks. I'm going to try and avoid that next time, and go with the flow of traffic!)

I also know that we want to make a parade, and we'll definitely be staying for Wishes. Whether we'll be at the park all day will remain to be seen, and depend a lot on how we're feeling that day.

As mentioned before, we'll eat at a Quick Service place, and try to just soak up all the magic!

I don't Know if this matters - but according to Touring plans MK crowd lvl for this day is an 9.3/10 (compared to Epcot's 1.8/10!!) You might want to check our Touringplans.com or use another crowd calender or really take advantage of your park Hopper!

Love the fast updates!! Keep thinking about starting my own but - worried I won't update enough !

 

[BenKling]

I don't Know if this matters - but according to Touring plans MK crowd lvl for this day is an 9.3/10 (compared to Epcot's 1.8/10!!) You might want to check our Touringplans.com or use another crowd calender or really take advantage of your park Hopper!

Love the fast updates!! Keep thinking about starting my own but - worried I won't update enough !

This is an excellent point! I will have to check that out and reassess

Also lovely folks, I'm at a conference this weekend for work, so I'll try to update when I can.

 

[BenKling]

Is there a crowd calendar (a free on preferably) that anyone would suggest?

I've looked at undercover tourist, and the one at easyWDW. They seem to be giving some conflicting information.

For example, on Saturday, April 14, UT has a neural recommendation for AK, while EasyWDW ranks it the highest crowds.

I mean, it's not a huge difference, but still. I understand it's a Saturday, so there aren't going to be any low crowd areas.

Trying to find the best park each day is putting a wrench in my planning!

(Not to mention I'm teaching a workshop soon... )

Thanks for the help!

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Is there a crowd calendar (a free on preferably) that anyone would suggest?

I've looked at undercover tourist, and the one at easyWDW. They seem to be giving some conflicting information.

For example, on Saturday, April 14, UT has a neural recommendation for AK, while EasyWDW ranks it the highest crowds.

I mean, it's not a huge difference, but still. I understand it's a Saturday, so there aren't going to be any low crowd areas.

Trying to find the best park each day is putting a wrench in my planning!

(Not to mention I'm teaching a workshop soon... )

Thanks for the help!

I have always used Touringplans in the past and have fared rather well. But this next trip I am going to check on historical data and compare that to touringplans and easywdw if I can to see who really has more accuracy...this all because I am just slightly obsessed with WDW...

 

[BenKling]

I have always used Touringplans in the past and have fared rather well. But this next trip I am going to check on historical data and compare that to touringplans and easywdw if I can to see who really has more accuracy...this all because I am just slightly obsessed with WDW...

So most people tend to just pay for the access? I'd totally be willing to do it, but I'm just comparing the resources I already have access to.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

So most people tend to just pay for the access? I'd totally be willing to do it, but I'm just comparing the resources I already have access to.

Yeah, it's a good website to belong to because they have touring plans that are geared towards all different group dynamics...and they have a lot of information. It's not too expensive, either.

 

[Sam33]

What a fun sounding trip! There's nothing better than Disney World with your significant other

 

[BenKling]

Yeah, it's a good website to belong to because they have touring plans that are geared towards all different group dynamics...and they have a lot of information. It's not too expensive, either.

Thanks for the info! I'm definitely going to check them out then! The more help the better!

What a fun sounding trip! There's nothing better than Disney World with your significant other

Thanks! We're both pretty excited.

I've been so distracted at this work function... thanks goodness I've got some time now to check the boards!

 

[BenKling]

So, I broke down and bought a subscription to Touringplans.com

There's so much info to process, but I can't wait to do it when I get home.

 

[BenKling]

I got home from my conference around 4 pm. I was exhausted and so ready for a nap.

Said hello to Kyle, and as I walked into the room, he said "Oh, you got a blue envelope with a train on it..."

WHAAAAAAA?!

SO EXCITED TO SEE THAT ON THE DESK!

That means we're getting close. Now I just need our ME tags

 

[KaylaMarie134]

I got home from my conference around 4 pm. I was exhausted and so ready for a nap.

Said hello to Kyle, and as I walked into the room, he said "Oh, you got a blue envelope with a train on it..."

WHAAAAAAA?!

SO EXCITED TO SEE THAT ON THE DESK!

That means we're getting close. Now I just need our ME tags

How exciting!!!

 

[BenKling]

How exciting!!!

Thanks!

 

[BenKling]

I'm still in the process of figuring out our day-to-day plans... I'll have to work on that tonight.

However, I've also been working on a packing list, and it's become apparent that I need to important things:

1. A new pair of shoes.
My current ones are getting pretty worn out, and if they happen to survive the next two months, I really don't think they'd survive the trip. I'm just waiting for the moment when I step on a rock and get a hole....

So, I need to get some and break them in before the trip!

2. A decent park bag.
I'm happy to have my share of messenger bags and the like, but I really don't think any of them are going to be appropriate for the parks. They're all too big, and aren't made for the stuff we'll need to carry around.

I've been looking at a few websites, and debating between a few different styles... But I haven't been totally sold on anything yet.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a good man bag for the parks?!

 

[Sam33]

"Oh, you got a blue envelope with a train on it..."
This made me LOL so much! I don't know why.

And as far as the bag, what were you planning on carrying around? I went for a cotton, over the shoulder purse but I don't know if they make messenger bags or man bags with those qualities.

I say you suck it up and go full fanny pack.