Daddy is getting very excited! My attempt at a PTR for 9/13-9/18

[Funky Chicken]

Okay-so DD4 doesn't know it yet but we are packing up the car and heading down for an unexpected trip!
We got a free dining PIN via email-we were looking at heading to the beach (maybe Hilton Head) until DW forwarded me the email and said "this looks really cheap". I concurred.
So off we go! Staying at ASMu 9/13 to 9/18-curious to see how a "bargain" disney trip feels.
The guest list-
Me (44), the big kid of the house. Veteran of at least a dozen WDW trips since 1977, staying everywhere from the darkest depths of 192 to the Polynesian. Our first visit was as a nuclear family when I was 12. A couple of years later Dad began taking my brother and I down the week after school let out as part of the post nuclear visitation schedule. There are pictures of this late '70s thru mid '80s annual trip that I am going to convert from slide format (dear old dad was and still is a big Slide Guy) and try to post here-I'll prepare you for them with three words.
BIG. HONKIN'. MULLET.
Next guest-
DW(41). Now in her 17th year of putting up with me. Enough said.
And, of course, the guest of honor-
DD (4). Avid fan of all things princess. Her previous WDW visit was a day trip to the MK last April as part of a visit to the in-laws (outlaws?) in Vero Beach.
She did really well and we really think she's ready for a multi-day extravaganza.
I'm going to do this in bits and pieces-stay tuned for the OCD ADR's section!

 

[TiggerD]

Have a wonderful trip, we will be there from the 10th-19th at POP. Looking forward to reading your reports of the trip when we get back.

 

[Funky Chicken]

Arrival day-Sunday 9/13. Hope to pull in by 4PM after the 600 mile drive. Check in to ASMu and depending on weather (standard September afternoon storms, anyone???) jump in the pool or head over to DTD for dinner/shopping. Early to bed to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for Monday.

MONDAY 9/14
A full day at MK planned-DRIVING from ASMu to the TTC (this will make sense later, trust me). Ferryboat across lagoon-love the ferryboat. Need the ferryboat.
Rope Drop followed by Clockwise touring (left at the hub into Adventureland and around the back to Fantasyland). Hoping to fit a bunch of "firsts" in for Kristen-JC, PotC, Dole Whip for breakfast, you get the idea.
At 11:45 the first of 3 character meals for the trip-lunch @ CP.
Depending on how far we have gotten (come on low crowds!) we will probably head back to Fantasyland/Toontown before the nap/pool break. BUS back to ASMu (leaving car in TTC lot).
After the nap/pool we will clean up for dinner at 'The Wave' at CR @ 5:45. BUS back to MK then Resort Monorail to CR. After dinner, Monorail back to MK for Main Street Shopping/8PM Spectro/9PM Wishes-depending on crowds we may try to squeeze a couple of Tomorrowland attractions in (I love Tomorrowland late day) including TTA (oops-almost typed WEDway) which will hopefully actually be open by then.
Afterwards it's the ferryboat back to TTC and our waiting car. This way I am only on busses during off peak times.
So why DRIVE to the TTC in the morning???
Simple, really. I know if I drive I'll make rope drop. I don't expect TTC parking to be too busy early on a Monday morning so I should get a spot right up front. If we drove to CR for dinner I would be over the 3 hour limit for parking after going back into MK. The ferryboat should be less busy on the way out than busses running from MK to the All-Stars, and I can watch the Electrical Water Pageant.