Can We Ride the Boat 1st? A first timer's Jan 2015 PTR - link to TR

[STLMickeyMom]

Yay! You're getting close!!!

 

[librarygeek]

All right! Getting so close!

 

[ach222]

Yay! You're getting close!!!

All right! Getting so close!

Getting excited!

Magic Bands have shipped! Supposed to arrive on Christmas Eve!!!!!

So glad we planned the trip when we did, if we didn't have Christmas to be excited about, the wait would be killing me

 

[ach222]

Well I hope you all had a WONDERFUL Holiday season - we certainly did!

Our boys had a blast celebrating Bryce's first Christmas!

And as of the 31st, B is 9 months old!

In the midst of UPS coming to my house just about every day before Christmas, I noticed a small box that actually wasn't from Amazon and lo and behold ....

Magic Bands!

So exciting, they are perched on the counter with some light up toys and Disney gift cards (we were so lucky to get many more of those over Christmas, yay!)

I've played with my schedule and have a rough plan written out -

Everyone in our house is beside themselves with excitement, 2 weeks you guys!!!!

Jon has been inquiring as to whether or not my Disboard obsession will wain after our trip haha. I tell him it depends on if we decide to book another trip in the near future (and well, how long it takes me to write the trip report)! But I enjoy reading the trip reports so much that I think I'll be sticking around even if it's a few years before a return trip occurs - I can live through you guys!

I need to start thinking about organizing and packing - I'm thinking I need to pick up the following :

- socks
- the moleskin footpads I read about on here
- a few more shirts for G at the Disney section at JC Penny (I got smalls a few months back and that was a bad call)
- large box of granola bars
- case of water
- applesauce pouches and other snack items

- also need to start burning the movies we have purchased on iTunes onto DVDs for G to watch on the drive down.

- I need to break in the new tennis shoes I got for Christmas that I plan on wearing to WDW

Anyone have any 'must takes' for road trips or WDW trips?

 

[STLMickeyMom]

I can't believe how close you are!! When those magic bands show up you know it's for real!

We've never road tripped to Disney so I can't help with that, but my favorite thing to bring (and maybe I've already said this) is cheap glow sticks and necklaces from the dollar store. The kids are going to see the light up toys at the park and it's so much easier to pull something out of your bag then spend $20 on one thing. Plus, we LOVE handing them out to other kids we see and sprinkling some pixie dust on someone else. Always fun to have!

 

[ach222]

I can't believe how close you are!! When those magic bands show up you know it's for real!

We've never road tripped to Disney so I can't help with that, but my favorite thing to bring (and maybe I've already said this) is cheap glow sticks and necklaces from the dollar store. The kids are going to see the light up toys at the park and it's so much easier to pull something out of your bag then spend $20 on one thing. Plus, we LOVE handing them out to other kids we see and sprinkling some pixie dust on someone else. Always fun to have!

Glow Sticks, yes! I have a tube of them in my glove compartment, thanks for the reminder. I've had brides use them for the party portion of their receptions and I've been collecting the extras for Disney

 

[ach222]

So my mother casually asked me the other day why we weren't leaving Friday after school/work to at least get on the other side of Little Rock (3 hours). I kind of blew it off. But then started thinking, we could do 3 hours on Fri, 12 hours Sat, stopping to see the beach around Pensacola midway, (which DH really wants to do) - spend the night when we get close-ish to Orlando - and only have 2 hours to go on Sun morning. I floated this by DH and he agreed, and for $30 more, my 4 day park hoppers went to 5 day hoppers.

So now instead of mid-afternoon arrival and straight to DTD, the plan is morning arrival, early afternoon in Epcot and dinner/evening at DTD - so excited!

 

[SarahDisney]

Looks like it was a nice Christmas ... I see 2 very happy looking boys in that picture!

Yay for MagicBands! I love that schedule you have written out ... although I guess it's changing a bit now with the extra day. That's pretty exciting!

I'm with you on the Disboard obsession ... even though I'm not always sure when my next trip will be, I love reading the TRs and PTRs! (I was a bit of a lurker before I even joined and starting writing my own PTRs/TR).

I haven't been on a road trip in a while, but from what I remember ... make sure to take lots of snacks. I can't help with what to bring for Disney, because I always forget stuff (last trip it was Aleve for my back ... had to pay $7 for a bottle in the hotel gift shop). They have soaps/shampoo/conditioner in the hotel, but if you have a favorite brand, bring your own (I actually find that their hand soap dries out my hands, so I bring either moisturizer to put on right afterwards or my own soap). Oh, and have something to do for the occasional long line - like a toy for G to play with or something to keep him entertained. You shouldn't have too many long lines that time of year, but there might be a few.
I wish I could be more helpful, but I'm a terrible packer.

2 weeks to go!!!

 

[ashw100]

Ahh its so close!!! Love your plans and love it even more that you get to add a day . Don't have any tips for the drive except lots of activities. It helps that it is broken up. Hope you stay on the Disboards after your trip but, I will warn you, it just makes you want to book another trip.

 

[STLMickeyMom]

An extra day!! Woohoo!

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Hi Amy! I've just been reading about your plans, your trip sounds awesome, and it's just around the corner!!!! You must be so excited

And you guys are such a gorgeous family I hope Grant and Bryce have the time of their lives!

I loooove POR, it was where I stayed growing up (back when it was called Dixie Landings!), and we stayed there in 2012. You are going to LOVE it!

You got some great ADRs and FPs. Be Our Guest and Via Napoli are two of my favourites

Will you be writing a full trip report? I'd love to read it if you are!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

yeah for an extra day! and breaking it up a bit too sounds great! We drove down to Disney a few trips ago and definitely had a lot of snacks and a lot of movies so sounds like you are having that covered. My other tip for what to buy for Disney was going to be glow sticks and I see someone already covered that - so I echo that thought. actually there are a lot of fun games/books/coloring things in the $1 bins at target and if you leave them in the park, oh well, no big loss

That 9mo picture is really cute

 

[ach222]

Looks like it was a nice Christmas ... I see 2 very happy looking boys in that picture!

Yay for MagicBands! I love that schedule you have written out ... although I guess it's changing a bit now with the extra day. That's pretty exciting!

2 weeks to go!!!

We did have a nice Christmas! My favorite time of year for sure, and it helps the post - Christmas blues to have Disney to look forward to right after!

Yeah, I'm not exactly sure how that new day will go yet, playing with options.

Ahh its so close!!! Love your plans and love it even more that you get to add a day . Don't have any tips for the drive except lots of activities. It helps that it is broken up. Hope you stay on the Disboards after your trip but, I will warn you, it just makes you want to book another trip.

I think we'll have about 100 DVDs and activity books haha!

An extra day!! Woohoo!

Hi Amy! I've just been reading about your plans, your trip sounds awesome, and it's just around the corner!!!! You must be so excited

And you guys are such a gorgeous family I hope Grant and Bryce have the time of their lives!

Will you be writing a full trip report? I'd love to read it if you are!

Hey Katie! Glad you found your way over! Thanks for the compliment on the family, I think I'll keep them around

I am certainly planning on a trip report, will help with the post vacation blues!

yeah for an extra day! and breaking it up a bit too sounds great! We drove down to Disney a few trips ago and definitely had a lot of snacks and a lot of movies so sounds like you are having that covered. My other tip for what to buy for Disney was going to be glow sticks and I see someone already covered that - so I echo that thought. actually there are a lot of fun games/books/coloring things in the $1 bins at target and if you leave them in the park, oh well, no big loss

That 9mo picture is really cute

Love the $1 bins! Hit some up yesterday actually.

Thanks - loved the expression he made in that image, much more innocent than the normal face

 

[ach222]

We leave tomorrow!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to do my best to stick some live updates in here and if you'd like to see a ton of pics as they happen, feel free to follow me in instagram

IG: amy_hardin

So as it turns out, Grant doesn't even have school Friday - professional development that wasn't on the original school calendar - so in theory we could have actually left today. Jon doesn't feel like he can take another work day on such short notice though so Grant and I will wait around for Jon to get home all day tomorrow. Today will be packing and getting the baby's things over to my mom's so that she's all set.

Jon and I have been debating what to do with that extra day on the front of the trip (Sun of MLK weekend) - in my head, we can get to WDW around 10 that morning, I figure by the time we check in and such (find out if room is ready or not get our bearings) we would get to a park around noonish. I had planned on this being an extra Epcot day since we only have one and I'm sure it would be where DH and I would enjoy ourselves the most. I have FP for test track, character meets and something else. It's also supposed to be less crowded in Epcot than in MK.

However; I kind of hate that the first thing Grant sees in the parks won't be MK. Should I just brave the crowds and make Sunday afternoon another MK day? We have dinner plans at DTD so we wouldn't have time to park hop. Thoughts?

 

[ursalita]

Yay! Have a great time!

 

[SarahDisney]

Almost time - so exciting!

I think that as long as he meets Mickey early, it's okay to do Epcot as first park. However, if you do decide to do MK first - crowds will be higher than the rest of the week, but I think it'll be decently manageable. Just don't expect to get too much done and know that you'll be waiting in lines.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Have a great trip and travel safe!

With regards to that first day - my initial thought was to stick with EPCOT but then park hop later over to MK to see Wishes, etc. - but as you indicated you have dinner plans at DTD already.

I am not one of those people that thinks you have to do MK day 1 - we actually didn't hit it up until day 3 our last trip. I think if you see Mickey at the character meet in EPCOT that is pretty close

If your dinner isn't too late you could also think about trying to go to the beach at the Poly or something to watch Wishes from there ... we have done that a lot of trips as we often don't do a park the first day but getting to see Wishes that way covers the Disney *Feels* for the day

Whatever you decide, I am sure it will be great!

 

[ach222]

Yay! Have a great time!

Thanks!

Almost time - so exciting!

I think that as long as he meets Mickey early, it's okay to do Epcot as first park. However, if you do decide to do MK first - crowds will be higher than the rest of the week, but I think it'll be decently manageable. Just don't expect to get too much done and know that you'll be waiting in lines.

Very exciting - leaving this afternoon!

Have a great trip and travel safe!

With regards to that first day - my initial thought was to stick with EPCOT but then park hop later over to MK to see Wishes, etc. - but as you indicated you have dinner plans at DTD already.

I am not one of those people that thinks you have to do MK day 1 - we actually didn't hit it up until day 3 our last trip. I think if you see Mickey at the character meet in EPCOT that is pretty close

If your dinner isn't too late you could also think about trying to go to the beach at the Poly or something to watch Wishes from there ... we have done that a lot of trips as we often don't do a park the first day but getting to see Wishes that way covers the Disney *Feels* for the day

Whatever you decide, I am sure it will be great!

Thanks!

Dinner is at 6 so may watch a nighttime show depending on how beat we are. Still debating the MK vs Epcot, I'm back to leaning towards Epcot.

 

[ach222]

We're in the hotel after a quick 3 hour drive after DH got off work - we are officially on our way!

 

[ach222]

Great first day! Got a room upgrade to preferred (I think thanks to requests I made via the fax template I found on here!) - Ended up going to Epcot and DTD - seems VERY crowded. Here are a few shots ... (Some are blurry b/c are phone pics of camera pics)