Completed trip report from a major over planner - May 12-18 - pics included

[suzybeezy]

This is my first venture into this area of the site and its so wonderful to read all the great pre-trip reports and the great comments so many generously give. I'm going to make my attempt at a pre-trip report here and hope ya'all don't think I'm totally crazy.

* Who's all going - Myself (mom); Dad David;

15 yr old daughter Janie;

8 yr old son Zach (who has CP);

and 6 yr old Danny (mild CP)

* Travel dates - May 12th - 18th from Pittsburgh

* Stay at Holiday Inn Express Lake Buena Vista

* Advanced Dining Reservations -

Mama Melrose at Hollywood Studios

and Crystal Palace at MK

I'll break my itinerary down cause its a bit massive at this point. lol

 

[suzybeezy]

Important notes I've made from reading this site:

DAILY TIPS
Take bottled water and individual flavor packets to keep refilling water at fountain
Sunscreen
Good socks and Crocs

MK Tips
Disney actually recommends parking in the regular lot and using the parking trams if you are able to step up onto the tram and ride it. Trams drop guests off as close as possible to the park turnstiles.
Parking lot CMs save spots on the end of the row closest to the tram stops for people with mobility disabilities.

If you stay at the Magic Kingdom through the fireworks show to park closing, you will be leaving with thousands of others also trying to get to the main parking lot and their cars. As you exit the Magic Kingdom, you'll no doubt notice huge lines to get on the Disney Transportation Buses, the Steamboats across the Lagoon, and especially up the ramp to the Monorail to the Ticket and Transportation Center. What you will also notice is that while those three transportation methods have lines and long waits comparable to the most popular rides, the one ramp that is sparsely used is the Monorail to Resorts. Save yourself lots of time, pushing, shoving, short fuses and all around inconvenience after a long day of walking - Take the Monorail to the Resorts. First stop is the Contemporary Hotel, second stop? you may have guessed it by now, The Transportation and Ticket Center! Since the sign reads To Resorts, people looking to get to the TTC follow that sign.
Try this Sneaky Trick on your next visit and you will find that you not only get to your car faster, but will beat the biggest crunch of cars exiting - because all those people are still waiting for a ride to the TTC!

EPCOT Tips
There is a little area behind and below the pub in England which is a really great place to watch IllumiNations!
The best place to view the fireworks/laser show is the pavilion between Mexico and Canada (right between the two stores). But get there early, because it fills up completely.
On the Norway boat ride Maelstrom, Get in the front of the line after getting off the boat. Then when they let you in the theatre you can follow the last group of movie viewers out of the theatre. This saves you the incredibly boring video!
check about cookie and robot making

Hollywood Studios Tips
In Tower of Terror (Disney Studios) when you enter the first staging room (the library), immediately go to the far corner (furthest away from the door you enter the room in). After the TV presentation, the wall opens up there to the rest of the ride. At that point, choose the left line - it's quicker.

Airplane Carry-On
If taking a plane to WDW, don't forget to pack the following in you carry-on in cased you and your luggage are temporarily separated:

1. Complete change of clothes for everyone.

2. Medications you need daily. Don't forget to bring it in your original packaging complete with the MD order on it from the pharmacy.

3. Bathing suits.

4. List of your reservation number and your ADRs, Magical Express vouchers.

5. Sunglasses

6. Snacks of course!

7. Your park day bag as another carry-on, all packed up. Don't forget the sunscreen - but be sure you get a small sample size bottle so you don't go over the airline guidelines for liquids/gels. I find these in sports equipment stores. You can pack the big sunscreen bottle in your checked luggage. If you plan to go into the parks the day of your arrival, don't forget your autograph book and fat pen!

8. Laptop and camera w/supplies

 

[suzybeezy]

Arriving May 12th at 9 am. Found a great deal with Dollar Car Rental. Purchased tickets thru UT.

Monday May 12th - straight from airport to Universal Studios. From reading all the disney related sites, it seems its best to avoid Magic Kingdom on Mondays so we figured we'd just go to Universal and avoid Disney all together. I can't imagine going to Florida and not riding the Mummy ride again. Its hands-down my most favorite ride, worth the cost of admission. Park closes at 7 so its off to the hotel for a late check in. Since there's a CiCis next door to our hotel, we'll stop in there for an inexpensive dinner.

Tuesday May 13th - enjoy the free breakfast offered at the hotel then off to Animal Kingdom at rope drop. Since AK is our least favorite of all the Disney parks, we'll only between spending the morning thru mid-afternoon there. Our plan to maneuver the park is:

Send janie for EE fast pass when the park opens (since she's our faster runner), then Primevil Whirl; then Triceritops spin; get in line for Nemo for 10:00 show (38min); ride EE; while the youngins play in the Boneyard send janie to grab fastpass for Its Tough to Be a Bug; then Dinosaur; leave for HS by 1:00

Second part of the day will be spent in Hollywood Studios. Our plan to maneuver the park is:

Indiana Jones 2:00; block party parade 3 (find photographers before parade for special shots) (Find spot on Main Street); Little Mermaid; (maybe playhouse disney character pics) Stars of Cars (near Studio Backlot Tour) at 4:15; In the Honey I Shrunk The Kids playground, go up the stairway between the slide and the garden hose. Put your hand in the BIG dog’s nostrils and he will sniff you, (maybe character pics @ streets of America) stop by Jedi training at 4:50 (which may not be possible); then eat at Mama Melrose. Back to rides: Muppets 3-d; Beauty & the Beast @ 7pm (get RNRC Fastpass before show); TOT; then RNRC; maybe Fantasmic at 9

Wednesday May 14th - All Day MK 9-9 - be at park for rope drop. Get on train to Frontierland, ride Splash Mtn; Big Thunder Mtn; Pirate Carribean, Enchanted Tiki room; Aladin's Carpet; Country Bears; Haunted Mansion; Hall of Presidents then maybe do Tom Sawyer Island for a break. Eat at Pinnochios Haus, then into Fantasyland for remainder of day.

Thursday May 15th - All Day Epcot Get fastpass Soarin', sign up for Nestle's Junior Chef Program, Nemo then Talkin' w/Crush; Honey Shrunk Audience; Journey Into Imagination w/Figment; Kodak What if Labs;
then head off to Canada Eat at Refreshment Port (McDonalds) and snack around the worlds. This day will focus on all the shows the worlds have to offer.

CANADA
Off Kilter - High-energy progressive Celtic music. 30 minutes
Sunday & Thursday-Saturday at 2:30, 3:30, 5:30, 6:30 & 7:30pm ; Wednesday at 1:00, 2:30, 3:30, 5:30 & 6:30pm

UNITED KINGDOM - look for maze
World Showcase Players Live comedy show with audience guest stars. 25 minutes Daily at 11:30am, 12:30, 1:30, 4:00 & 5:00pm
Disney Characters
Characters from "Winnie the Pooh" appear intermittently. Daily 1:00-3:55pm & 4:35-8:30pm
Characters from "Mary Poppins" appear intermittently. Daily 1:00-5:50pm
Alice (from Alice in Wonderland) appears intermittently. Daily 3:35-8:30pm

FRANCE
Aurora Daily intermittently from 12:30pm to 6:00pm
"Beauty and the Beast" appear intermittently. Daily from 12:30pm to 6:00pm

MOROCCO
MoRockin Arabic rhythms with a contemporary flair. Length of show: 20 minutes
Sunday, Monday & Thursday-Saturday at 3:10, 4:45, 5:50, 6:40, 7:30 & 8:20pm

Characters from the Disney classic "Aladdin" appear intermittently.
Daily 12:30pm-7:30pm

JAPAN - Try on the traditional Japanese garments in the department store in Japan, pose for a picture
Matsuriza Rhythmic magic of traditional Taiko Drummers. Length of show: 15 minutes
Daily at 2:00, 2:55, 3:45, 5:25, 6:35 & 7:15pm

Miyuki Japanese candy artistry from Asakusa, Tokyo. Length of show: 20 minutes
Sunday-Thursday at 12:55, 2:15, 4:00, 5:05, 6:15 & 6:55pm

America
THE AMERICA GARDENS THEATRE
Flower Power Series: March 19 - June 01 @ 5:45, 7:00 & 8:15pm
Davy Jones May 11-15
Jose Feliciano May 16-17

ITALY
World Showcase Players Live comedy show with audience guest stars. Length of show: 25 minutes
Daily at 3:05, 4:00, 5:05, 6:00 & 7:00pm

Sergio International interactive juggler. Length of show: 20 minutes
Sunday-Thursday at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:45 & 5:30pm

GERMANY
Snow White & Dopey - Meet and Greet NP Daily at 12:30-1:00pm, 1:15-1:50pm, 2:05-2:40pm, 2:55-3:30pm, 3:45-4:20pm, 4:35-5:10pm & 5:25–6:00pm

OUTPOST
OrisiRisi Interactive drum circle and African folklore. Length of show: 20 minutes
Monday-Friday at 2:30, 3:20, 3:55, 4:55, 5:55 & 6:40pm

CHINA - see the man in the back of the gift shop for an inexpensive personalized fan.

Si Xian Classical sounds performed on authentic instruments by Chinese musicians, inside the Temple of Heaven. Length of show: 15 minutes
Monday-Wednesday, Friday & Saturday at 11:45am, 12:15, 1:00, 2:00, 3:30, 4:00 & 4:35pm

Dragon Legend Acrobats A variety of thrilling acts direct from China. Length of show: 20 minutes
Daily at 2:55, 4:15, 5:15, 6:15 & 7:15pm

Characters from the Disney classic "Mulan".
Mulan: Daily 12:30-1:00pm, 1:15-1:50pm, 2:05-2:40pm, 2:55-3:30pm, 3:45-4:20pm & 4:35-5:40pm

NORWAY
Spelmanns Gledje Lively Norwegian folk music. Length of show: 15-20 minutes
Sunday-Thursday at 12:10, 12:55, 1:35, 2:10, 3:15, 4:15 & 5:00pm

MEXICO - try on sombrao and take picture
Mariachi Cobre Internationally acclaimed Mariachi's will entertain with stirring rhythms and harmonies. Length of show: 25 minutes *Performed outside
Tuesday-Saturday at 12:30*, 1:20*, 2:15, 3:05, 4:55, 5:45 & 6:30pm

"Mexico Donald" (3 Caballeros)
Daily 11:15–11:35am, 12:05–12:25pm, 12:55-1:15pm, 1:50–2:10pm,
3:40-4:00pm, 4:30-4:50, 5:25-5:45pm & 6:10–6:30pm
Illuminations 9 pm There is a little area behind and below the pub in England which is a really great place to watch IllumiNations!

Friday May 16th - Morning Epcot; Evening MGM/HS Get fastpass for Mission Space; Test Track (find send cyber post card) look for the Crash Test Dummies, pose for a picture; Mission Space; Ellens Adventure; Spaceship Earth; spend some time in Innoventions. Note: Disney characters to host a series of whimsical garden parties. Ask CM for details. Depending on time finnished eithr head to HS for another ride on TOT and RNRC or back to the hotel for rest.

Saturday May 17th - All Day MK 9-11 - Get fastpass for Space Mtn then ride Buzz Lightyear; Carosel of progress; Stitch; Laugh Floor; Tomorrowland Transit; Astro Orbit; Tomorrowland Indy Speedyway; then off to Toontown; eat at Crystal Palace; Dream along with Mickey stage show at 8; Spectro 9; and wishes at 10. If not too exhausted, head back to ride a few favorites before park closing at 11.

Sunday May 18th 3 hours in Magic Kingdom be at rope drop at 9 am. Kids choice - ride they're favorites one last time. Leave parks by noon to arrive in plenty of time at the airport for a 3 pm departure.

 

[suzybeezy]

Budget:

prepaid before departure
airline tickets $1250 approx
car rental $200 approx
Hotel - $600
Park Tickets (Disney/Universal) $1550


Costs at parks
Parking: approx $77
Wheelchair $48
Food and incidentals: approx $1120
souveniers: $200


Please note the above itinerary is majory edited and cut down. I feared posting my lengthy and involved itinerary would be a bit too much.

 

[mrsksomeday]

Hi Suzy!! I saw your post on the disABILITIES board and followed your link. It looks like you have a pretty detailed plan.

My b/f has CP and is in a power wheelchair, we are taking our 4th trip to WDW in November.

I can't wait to hear more .

 

[suzybeezy]

Thanks. I'm trying to figure out some of the logistics of it all. Like at MK, first thing I'd like to hope on the train to Frontierland. Not sure if I should get the wheelchair before or not. And if I do, can I take it on the train. While my son can walk, he can't walk long distances or for long lengths of time.

Trying to figure out how to maneuver the park and rides are what i'm researching alot now. Like trying to figure out whether to take the wheelchair with me in lines or park it and see if he can stand in the lines. I just don't want to fatigue him so much that he thing wipes out and is miserable. Its alot to consider.

Thanks again for your response.

 

[mrsksomeday]

Thanks. I'm trying to figure out some of the logistics of it all. Like at MK, first thing I'd like to hope on the train to Frontierland. Not sure if I should get the wheelchair before or not. And if I do, can I take it on the train. While my son can walk, he can't walk long distances or for long lengths of time.

Trying to figure out how to maneuver the park and rides are what i'm researching alot now. Like trying to figure out whether to take the wheelchair with me in lines or park it and see if he can stand in the lines. I just don't want to fatigue him so much that he thing wipes out and is miserable. Its alot to consider.

Thanks again for your response.

If you son can not walk for long distances or long periods of time, I suggest getting the wheelchair before getting on the train. You can take it with you, my b/f is in a power wheelchair and we have ridden the train.

If he has stamina issues, I think it would be better if you took the wheelchair with you in the lines, some times there are long waits, some times something happens to the ride and the line stops. I know he probably would rather walk and in most situations that is great, but at WDW you can get worn out very fast.

 

[I~heart~Mickey]

Wow Suzy.....

All I can say is you are WAY organized! I feel like I am way behind. We leave in a week and now I think I may need to plan a little more.

Have a GREAT trip!!!


How did you get the times for all the shows and character meets?

 

[suzybeezy]

If you son can not walk for long distances or long periods of time, I suggest getting the wheelchair before getting on the train. You can take it with you, my b/f is in a power wheelchair and we have ridden the train.

If he has stamina issues, I think it would be better if you took the wheelchair with you in the lines, some times there are long waits, some times something happens to the ride and the line stops. I know he probably would rather walk and in most situations that is great, but at WDW you can get worn out very fast.

This is good to know. So we'll get the wheelchair first, then hop on the train to Frontierland and start from there.

Wow Suzy.....

All I can say is you are WAY organized! I feel like I am way behind. We leave in a week and now I think I may need to plan a little more.

Have a GREAT trip!!!


How did you get the times for all the shows and character meets?

Not sure if I can link or not, but its on stevesoares site: http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares and cross referenced it with wdwinfo: http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/hours.htm

 

[Msslaydbug]

Wow - your itinerary looks great and you look super organized ! I can't wait to read about the rest of your trip !

 

[suzybeezy]

Wow - your itinerary looks great and you look super organized ! I can't wait to read about the rest of your trip !

I'm taking my laptop with me so I can upload my pictures nightly (so its ready for the next day) so I plan on logging on and trying to update my trip report daily while we're there.

 

[suzybeezy]

Disney bound tomorrow!

Our plane is scheduled to depart at 7 am, crazy me for making such an early flight. We have to leave the house at 5 am - ugh! Hopefully the youngins will sleep on the plane. Today we're spending going over our check list to make sure we didn't forget anything. Thankfully I noticed medications that needed refilled. I also made big sticky notes on the front door to not forget out ID and credit/debit cards and of course the tickets.

I'll update this thread in the evenings when we return to the hotel, hopefully.

 

[devonsmommy]

Wow! Very organized, and some great tips! HAVE FUN!

 

[Msslaydbug]

Hooray !! I can't believe you are leaving already !

 

[NewCrew42]

Hey Suzy!

I just wanted to tell you have a great trip!!!

I came over to your report from the Mays of our Lives thread!

I noticed under your Epcot tips, you had robot making (Fantastic Plastic in Innoventions.) When we were there at the end of April, it was closed. My kids were so disappointed.

It is (was) located next to the Electric Umbrella. In fact, if you are in Electric Umbrella and go to the restrooms, Just go past the restrooms and you are in Innoventions. There is no need to exit the building!

Hope this helps!

 

[suzybeezy]

May 12th

We're here now!!!!! WOOHOOO

I totally underestimated how much time it takes to get out of the airport. I figured it would take about an hour - silly me! I now know to leave extra time for our return flight. The tip I read here about inspecting the rental car came in handed and we found some scratches and a dent and had them notates it, otherwise we could have been charged for it when we returned the vehicle.

Today was Universal day. I just actually got down downloading my days worth of pictues so the memory card is cleared and ready for tomorrow (I'll be posting pictures later when I have more time).

Stupid me. I was hesitant about the crocs I bought so I figured I'd wear the tennis shoes I've been wearing to walk about a mile a day in for the last couple months. This did not work. I got 2 blisters already. I'm going to try the crocs tomorrow for sure!

Universal wasn't overly crowded today. I expected larger crowds based on a few predictions sites I've read, but most rides were between 10-30 minutes. The longest wait was for the Simpson's ride, which I didn't ride cause I do not like motion simulator rides. The kids all liked it. My daughter said it was similiar to the Jimmy Newtron ride and the seat jerks alot.

I absolutely loved The Mummy!!!! Its the whole reason we even went to Universal Studios. That ride makes the cost of admission worth it.

I also really enjoyed the Twister show. Its got good effects. Shrek 4D has a good story line and overall its alot of fun.

I did not like Men in Black - as I'm prone to motion sickness type issues and it does alot of forced fast spinning that I did not like.

The kiddos had an absolutely blast in the kids play zones. The Curious George play aread is a big water playground. We were smart enough to take swimsuits with us so the kids just got soaked! This was a really great break for the day.

We ended the day with a ride on ET - which is beautifully themed throughout. The waiting line was like we were actually in the woods and it was very tranquil and authentic looking. The ride it self was fun cause we got to ride in "bicycles". Overly ET stands out as one of our favorites - next to the Mummy of course - lol

Tomorrow i have planned AK and DHS. Due to my feet already suffering from blisters I may change things up a bit and just to DHS. Who knows - I'll see how I'm feeling in the morning.

 

[NewCrew42]

sounds like a lot of fun!

Sorry your feet got blistered.

I have never been to Universal but it sounds so fun!

 

[Msslaydbug]

Have fun ! Can't wait to see the pictures !

 

[suzybeezy]

May 13th

Oh my I am soooooo thankful I got Crocs. They have spared my feet!!!! I wrapped up my two little blistered toes in some mole skin and lathered my feet with the Active-Flex Blister Block and my feet were good for the day.

Yesterday we were a tad bit busy trying to do Animal Kingdom in the morning then Hollywood studios in the afternoon. AK is our least favorite but there's a few must dos that we don't like to miss so we make the trip there do the rides we like then leave. One of the must dos was Finding Nemo show. After waiting there was an announcment that the show was cancelled. At first we thought they were kidding, but no it was cancelled. And it remained closed for the next showing too. Who knows what was going on.

We were going to ride EE which only had a 20 minute wait. When we got there I noticed the fastpass had a super quick turnaround, which would have been less then the 20 minutes. I tried to explain this to my daughter who was throwin' a fit cause she wanted to ride the regular line. She just didn't get it. So being hot and tired, I said "Fine then we're not riding". And we walked away. I know kids are going to have melt downs but she was taking a stand on what didn't make sense. Why not get in the quicker line???? DUH! And worst of all she's 15 - its not like she's 2.

Back to the fun. My daughters meltdown was remedied with some ice cream. I quickly learned that seemed to solve most meltdowns - feed them! LOL We got a great pic with the boys and Goofy & Pluto. They were goofin' around with us and when Goofy kissed my hand my hubby was like "Hey there bud, watch that." Then Goofy put up his dukes like boxing. My hubby was crackin' up, then Goofy gave him a big hug. I love it when the characters interact like that. We finnished out AK with a ride on Dinosaur, Primevil Whirl and Its a Bugs Life.

At HS we ran straight to Tower of Terror and walked on with no waiting. Actually we didn't have much waiting at all today. Nothing was more than 10-15 minutes. My youngest son was dying to go on TOT but then when we were on he was grabbin' on to me for dears life. In fact, I took mental note "TIME TO CLIPS HIS FINGERNAILS!!!!!"

We got to see Indiana Jones, which I thought was a little lame and even my boys didn't seem to interested. Then we got a spot to watch the Block Party. I have to say its cute but not really parade like. We had a good spot by Toy Story but just as the parade was starting some lady came and stood right in our view. We've been dealing with a couple rude folks I've noticed. Why does everyone wait til the last second to get a parade spot? Then expect to be able to get right up front? UGH.

I was pretty exciting we got the kids pic with Mater and Lightening McQueen. I was worried cause before we left all the reports were that he wasn't there, so we feel pretty luck we got to see him.

This day got finnished out with a ride on the Great Movie Ride and The Little Mermaid.

 

[suzybeezy]

May 14th

Today was Magic Kingdom day. We made it to the park in the nick of time for the rope drop. It was rather cute all the characters arriving by the train and greeting us all. As soon as the park was opened, we hopped on the train to Frontierland. We got off and were able to get on Splash Mtn and Big Thunder Mtn with absolutely no lines! My son Zach was developing a bit of a fear of rides that go dark. I think the TOT is lingering in his head. We then went to ride Pirates of the Carribean and found the CM to take the photopass pic with Captain Hook magic shot. Can't wait to see how they come out. And the timing couldn't have been more perfect caught right after the POTC ride, the Capt Jack Sparrow Pirate tutorial started. The boys really love it and the man playing Capt. Jack is so good.

I have to say that we were able to get on rides all day with almost no wait! The only ride that had any kind of sizable wait was the Flying Carpets. Go figure?

I did notice what a few had said about the Country Bears. The audio really needs fixed badly. Its still a cute show and I still love it for all the nostalgic memories. But had I not known the songs, I think I would have had a hard time following along.

My son Zach insisted on taking a trip to Tom Sawyer Island. Let me just say more walking is NOT relaxing. It is not a wheelchair friendly area, and since we couldn't take it, my son Zach was really struggling. It tired him out more than I really wanted it. But I don't think he minded all the walking once he made it to the fort. He really liked it but I just thought it was boring. Maybe I was too tired to use my imagination.

I loved the updates to the Haunted Mansion. They did a good job with it. And for some reason I till enjoy the Hall of Presidents. I had to say after seeing the Showtime mini-series John Adams, I was paying more attention to what was being said about the Declaration of Independence. And this year, with my recent purchase of a tripod, my pics actually came out!

We ate lunch at Pinnochios Haus, which I have to say was pretty good. We got a spot overlooking Its a Small World and folks kept waving at us. It was fun. We rode almost all the rights in Fantasyland, again with no waiting. And I was rather surprised we caught a pic with the Fairy Godmother.

We got a thrilling ride on Space Mtn and luck was on our side cause right after our ride, it broke down. It was cool cause then we rode the Transit Authority or TTA (not sure what its called) but we got to go thru when Space Mtn was down and I snapped a picture of what Space Mtn looks like. It was pretty cool!

Got the boys hair cut at the Barber Shop on Main St. We went about 2:30 and no lines. The boys got bright color gel in their hair with pixie dust. You know your kids have been on Disney rides too many times, when i tried to take my son Zachs pic he said "Please no flash photography". The barber was crackin' up! The boys haircuts came to about 32 dollars and I should add that my daughter got to get some pixie dust in her hair for FREE!

I also have to agree with what a lot of folks are saying about Stitch. I think Alien Encounter was much better. And again all the rides over in Tomorrowland were walkon - with no waiting. I don't know how we hit it so lucky but even though the park was congested in some areas, those folks weren't apparently riding rides. We got to do everything in a day that I thought would take two!

Off to Epcot tomorrow!