Confessions of an obsessive planner... Let the countdown begin!!

[Victoriasmom98]

Ive been tweaking and retweaking.....my poor eraser! Would you believe I had trouble finding 11 TS restaurants??!! Victoria is extremely fussy and so I've been reading the menus and elimating places. For example, I really wanted to eat at the Coral Reef, but there's nothing on there she would eat! We'll have to do Le Cellier instead. AAArrrrggggg!!!! We will also be doing the Fantamic dinner package at the Hollywood and Vine. I'm hoping Characters in Flight will be running, too, because that looks like a lot of fun!! I'm hoping that now since we are all staying at the ASMu, we can get together one afternoon for our Dismeet. I can't wait to meet all of my Disfriends in person!!!!

 

[DrMomof3]

Way to plan! It looks great!!!

Amanda

 

[-Hope-]

Ive been tweaking and retweaking.....my poor eraser! Would you believe I had trouble finding 11 TS restaurants??!! Victoria is extremely fussy and so I've been reading the menus and elimating places. For example, I really wanted to eat at the Coral Reef, but there's nothing on there she would eat! We'll have to do Le Cellier instead. AAArrrrggggg!!!! We will also be doing the Fantamic dinner package at the Hollywood and Vine. I'm hoping Characters in Flight will be running, too, because that looks like a lot of fun!! I'm hoping that now since we are all staying at the ASMu, we can get together one afternoon for our Dismeet. I can't wait to meet all of my Disfriends in person!!!!

Appeasing picky eaters when you're meal planning is the worst! There are lots of places I'd like to go but I'm afraid no one else would eat it! LOL!

As for a Dismeet I'm surely hoping we can squeeze that in to our super busy schedule! Karen and I had such a hard time figuring out when the girls could get together because we both have so much packed in! We finally decided that we would plan to meet at the pool Monday afternoon around 2:30 or 3- no set time to arrive or to leave since we'll both be with our families and want to be flexible for them. If it works with your schedule you should stop by and say hi!

Way to plan! It looks great!!!

Amanda

Thanks Amanda! I should be good at this planning by now, I've done and redone it so much!

 

[Charlefours]

Love that you are doing 1900 PF!! I am really looking forward to trying it as well. I hope to try Cantina as well. I just read a HORRIBLE review of Studio Catering Company just as a head's up. Perhaps they were just having a bad day?

Where in MK are you planning on watching Wishes? So now that you are "done" with your schedule you can start working on touring plans instead! :

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I think she has those done already as well!

 

[Charlefours]

Hope, I thought I had read somewhere that Cantina is closed with the projected reopening in September. I found it again just now (so I had to write while I remember it ). http://allears.net/tp/rehabs.htm#sept I hope it is open by the time I go and later when you go. I will have to do some investigation and let you know if we have not heard by the time I go.

 

[DrMomof3]

Hope, I thought I had read somewhere that Cantina is closed with the projected reopening in September. I found it again just now (so I had to write while I remember it ). http://allears.net/tp/rehabs.htm#sept I hope it is open by the time I go and later when you go. I will have to do some investigation and let you know if we have not heard by the time I go.

That's too bad. We liked eating there!

Amanda

 

[-Hope-]

Love that you are doing 1900 PF!! I am really looking forward to trying it as well. I hope to try Cantina as well. I just read a HORRIBLE review of Studio Catering Company just as a head's up. Perhaps they were just having a bad day?

Where in MK are you planning on watching Wishes? So now that you are "done" with your schedule you can start working on touring plans instead! :

Have you seen any of the youtube videos at PF? Hysterical!! Yep, there isn't much good to eat at DHS but since we aren't hopping we won't have time to eat elsewhere and PF is the only TS we're going to do since we have to pay oop. Robbie is looking forward to SCC just because it's the one the very few places in WDW that serves his precious Miller Lite instead of Bud Light.

I'm planning to watch Wishes from the corner nearest the castle on Main Street.

I think she has those done already as well!

Who me?

Hope, I thought I had read somewhere that Cantina is closed with the projected reopening in September. I found it again just now (so I had to write while I remember it ). http://allears.net/tp/rehabs.htm#sept I hope it is open by the time I go and later when you go. I will have to do some investigation and let you know if we have not heard by the time I go.

I know! I'm really hoping they have reopened but if not there is a kiosk in Mexico that's open for CS and is on the DP. Jace wants a burritio 'from Mexico' so that's what the ultimate goal is, wherever we get it.

 

[-Hope-]

Okay, so my touring plans are pretty much done but I'd love some feedback. Like I mentioned before I'll just post one day at a time so I don't overwhelm you guys!

The first day is of course our travel day. I'm really anxious for flight info to come out so I can find out how early we can get to Orlando. I want as much time as possible, no matter how early we have to get up! I want our time to be relaxed and unrushed so we'll just check out the resort and head to DTD. Since Characters in Flight stops running at noon we'll have to do that when we go back to DTD later in the week.

Saturday September 25- Day 1: Travel/DTD
• Fly to Orlando
• Settle into room/ explore resort
• CS lunch @ ASMu
• *Downtown Disney: Lego store, World of Disney, Once Upon a Toy, Pin traders, Goofy’s Candy Co.
• CS @ Earl of Sandwich
• DJ Dance Party (East) 6:30-9:30, Celebrate Tonight! (Pleasure Island) 6-12 (don't have to do this, just some fun things going on)

What do you guys think? My list of things are our MUSTS, we'll just walk around the Marketplace ont he east side and probably Pleasure Island as well and see what else there is to see. Is there anything else at DTD that we just MUST try/see/do?? (Since it's near CiF I also have Magic Masters on the agenda for our Friday visit to DTD so that's covered.)

ETA: We don't have Quest tickets and aren't planning to buy them so that's not an option!

 

[DrMomof3]

I think that's a great 1st day. We've found that travel days are better when we plan less. Taking time to explore/swim and spending time at DTD is very clever!!! My kids really liked the Lego store (at 6:30am my 6 year old woke my husband up by saying "It's time to L-E-G-O-S!").

Amanda

 

[OhioDisneyLover]

I love your plans!!!! We have a lot of the same places on our list too. It seems like you've got yourself super organized! I'm jealous!!!

We love Earl of Sandwich. Pecos Bill's seems to have a nice selection as well. I like Studio Catering too!

 

[-Hope-]

I think that's a great 1st day. We've found that travel days are better when we plan less. Taking time to explore/swim and spending time at DTD is very clever!!! My kids really liked the Lego store (at 6:30am my 6 year old woke my husband up by saying "It's time to L-E-G-O-S!").

Amanda

Yep, my kids are so much happier if I'm not trying to rush them from place to place. I had to decide a few years ago if I wanted to be miserable and see it all or have fun and see enough. Pretty easy choice.

And that is so cut about your little one- Jace will be 11 Monday and still loves Legos (in fact he campaigned for us to go to Legoland instead of WDW, lol) so this is something he's really looking forward to!

I love your plans!!!! We have a lot of the same places on our list too. It seems like you've got yourself super organized! I'm jealous!!!

We love Earl of Sandwich. Pecos Bill's seems to have a nice selection as well. I like Studio Catering too!

Thanks! You really shouldn't be jealous, you should pity me that the most exciting thing in my life is planning so that now with 7 months to go I pretty have it all done.

Glad to hear someone say something good about Studio Catering.

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Hey Hope......

Can you explain or tell me where to find more info on:

• DJ Dance Party (East) 6:30-9:30, Celebrate Tonight! (Pleasure Island) 6-12 (don't have to do this, just some fun things going on)

Thanks!!!!!!

 

[-Hope-]

Hey Hope......

Can you explain or tell me where to find more info on:

• DJ Dance Party (East) 6:30-9:30, Celebrate Tonight! (Pleasure Island) 6-12 (don't have to do this, just some fun things going on)

Thanks!!!!!!

Sure Ann, I saw it mentioned on Steve Soares. He updates every week so you have to check back closer to time for your trip but most things stay pretty much the same. From what I understand these are street parties with entertainers, dancing etc. (all kid friendly of course!) It all takes place outside so we'll probably just enjoy it as we're walking around.

 

[Charlefours]

I like your first day plans Hope! Do you know your flight time yet? Honestly, I do not think you will miss that much at Disney Quest--it is fun but there are still quite a few things you have to pay for despite paying for the admissions. Jace would probably like it but with the arcade card you get as part of the package, hopefully that will appease him!

BTW--I like that you are doing one day at a time! It is nice to go through them day by day IMO.

 

[-Hope-]

I like your first day plans Hope! Do you know your flight time yet? Honestly, I do not think you will miss that much at Disney Quest--it is fun but there are still quite a few things you have to pay for despite paying for the admissions. Jace would probably like it but with the arcade card you get as part of the package, hopefully that will appease him!

BTW--I like that you are doing one day at a time! It is nice to go through them day by day IMO.

No flight times yet. We're planning to fly Southwest due to super cheap prices coupled with the fact that they don't make you pay for bags. Southwest won't release flight info for September for about a month so we are just waiting. Yeah, I think the arcade at the resort and the cool stuff at Innoventions will be enough that he won't even miss Quest. I also read something about a penny arcade on mainstreet with old school style games? The book I read it in is a little old and I haven't really looked into it a lot but it sounds like something fun if we have the time at MK (which I think we will since Toontown will probably be closed by the time we gett there). At any rate we'll be at WDW so he's going to have fun no matter what!

Glad you like the one day at a time plan. I know that I sometimes get overwhelmed by too much info in one post and then I end up just skimming. Hopefully this way people will be able to take it in a little better and offer more feedback.

 

[-Hope-]

Okay folks, I soooo appreciate all the feedback you gave for our first day's plans. Our second day, which is our first park day and first full day at WDW, is going to be at Animal Kingdom. This day looks green green green at AK so should be good as far as crowds go. We have GAD tickets which we plan to use for fastpasses but we won't use them at AK. We don't like coasters so they would really be a waste here. Plus, if my parents don't go we'll only have three GAD tickets since one of the four we have is in my mom's name. That means we'll have to choose which parks we use them in and AK would definately be a waste. If they do go then we'll use mom's ticket to get the ear figurine for the kids and they can share the pins, if not then we'll donate her ticket.

So, without further ado, our touring plans...

Sunday September 26- Day 2: Animal Kingdom
S breakfast @ ASMu, rope drop
• Kilimanjaro Safaris (do this first, prob won’t need FP)
• Pangani Forest Exploration Trail
• Flights of Wonder (arrive about 15 min early, sit on the left) 10:30, 11:20, 1, 2, 3
• on the way from FoW to Nemo grab FP for Kali and snack @ Dino Diner to eat while in line
• Finding Nemo (arrive 30 min early) 10:30, 11:45, 2, 3:15
• Triceratop Spin (maybe one of us can take them to do this while the other holds our place in line for Nemo, if not no biggie- also no biggie to skip if line is long)
• Boneyard
• lunch @ Flametree BBQ
• Kali River Rapids with the FP we got earlier
• Maharajah Jungle Trek (can do this before Kali if it's not our return time yet)
• Tree of Life and Discovery Island Trails
• Oasis
• Greeting Trails (can finish after LK if need/want to)
• Festival of the Lion King (arrive 30 minutes early) 10, 11, 12, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30

back to resort to rest/get ready for dinner at 1900 Park Fare (6:45) take bus to TTC, monorail to GF, after dinner take ferry back to MK and transfer to bus back to resort

This is by far our busiest day! Most days I have a break scheduled in the middle of the day and we finish up in the evening. But since AK closes at 5 I wasn't able to do that. Also, the only other day I have us touring w/o a break its because we are going to hang out at the resort/pool all evening- on this day we are touring all day AND have our only TS meal of the week! This is how it worked out and there's really no place else for me to put the ADR than on the AK day (except the first night we arrive which I really didn't want to do either) without losing park time. I think it should be okay though because it's our first day and I think we'll be raring to go! Plus we don't have to be at rope drop the next morning so if we're a little tired we have some leeway (not much but some).

I'm really interested to know what you guys think of the times I chose for the shows (my times are in red). Do I have enough time to do the things on my list and still make it to these shows on time? It makes sense in the touring and with the park layout to do FotLK last but is it a mistake to wait this long- will we risk missing it if we plan for the last show of the day?

Do you think we'll have enough time after touring to make a 6:45 ADR? ASMu is close to AK so I think we should be back by 4:30 and would need to leave by 5:45 to make it to GF on time. An hour and 15 minutes would be plenty of time to rest a bit and get ready for dinner but are these times realistic?

TIA for your feedback!!

 

[DrMomof3]

Looks good. We always do the Safari 1st and never had a long wait (except the time my mom had an ECV and we had to wait for an accessible jeep - she should have parked it with the strollers and walked!).
We love the Lion King show!

I would be a little worried about getting to the ADR - mostly because I'm crazy like that. I'm the person who would rather wait 2 hours in an airport than risk any possibility of missing a flight. Last May we had a few days where the buses were painfully slow - long waits, etc. Or are you driving? Now I can't remember. If you have a car, you'll totally be fine. If not, it might be a little close.

Amanda

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I think it looks great! You might consider skipping the snack and having lunch right after Nemo and THEN going to the boneyard. It might let you judge your time a little more if you do this.

I think your 3:30 time is fine, actually you may find that you make the 2:30 show! The only issue with that is that the lines for the characters will get long right after the show, LK empties out right into the character meet area and many people get right in line.

You really have it all figured out! I'm going to have to take tips from you for our touring plans!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

IS there a bus from the resorts to the TTC???? You can also take a bus to MK and then get on the monorail to GF. I would push that ADR back just another 15 to 6:30 b/c I think the meal COULD realistically last 2 hours and I want you to get to see those fireworks on the ferry back!