**December 2012 Roll Call** Holidays, FLE Opening & MVMCP!! A very, merry thread!

[Tltorrez]

you're scaring me

I don't use any touring plans - I figure it becomes less of a vacation when you know every exact move. I just plan which day for which park, book my ADRs then wing it in between

It's funny because it's the exact opposite for me. If I have to make a decision (and get the family to agree) in the middle of the park, that stresses me out. My plan is always flexible enough to allow change, but I want to know what all my options are before I go. And the fewer decisions I have to make while on vacation, the better.

 

[bellaally]

I would call and ask DME about this. I am pretty sure they won't permit this. Might even violate airline security rules.

I have already called and, they check the bags in with my airline if we get on the shuttle or not the same way my bags are picked up by Disney and waiting for us at the resort at the beginning of our trip. That's the real "magical" part. This is how it suppose to work but hope our luggage makes it there and back lol

 

[Phatoomch]

Ok, here are my current touring plans. Though I should warn that these are not typical touring plans even for us. We have been 4 times in the last two years and this trip we're taking my in-laws for the first time. So the mode for the trip is to slow things down, see things we've missed before and pay attention to the details. No commando touring this trip. Also, I'm the only one in the family that actually likes thrill rides so you won't find most of those on this plan. (Though I may still sneak in a visit to Space Mountain.)

You'll also notice that I have World Showcase as a big block on our Epcot afternoons. We love WS but it doesn't really need a touring plan. Instead I create a Touring Plan that's really just a checklist of the things we want to do . For example, this time we really want to do the Morocco tour and the Holiday storytellers. I haven't done that checklist yet.

FYI - If you're using TP, I made liberal use of the Break feature to allow for browsing time, lining up for parades, etc.

Touring Plan - Day 2 - Epcot
Touring Plan - Day 3 - MK
Touring Plan - Day 5 - MK
Touring Plan - Day 6 - Epcot
Touring Plan - Day 8 - DHS
Touring Plan - Day 9 - AK
Touring Plan - Day 11 - AK

I should also mention that usually I mix up the parks more. But we're doing a split stay this trip between BWV and AKV so I scheduled the parks to optimize location.

Wow .... did you create those plans using TP. Oooh, I swore I would never use them but YOU ARE TEMPTING ME - STOP IT

 

[Phatoomch]

Thanks for the thread, this new makes me so happy you have no idea, I can go around eating desserts all day lol, who needs real food lol

ses1230 is correct because I am also waiting for the ADRs to open which will probably (according to last year) open around October. Have you seen the pictures ... omg, it is like heaven

 

[taaren]

I have a fairly detailed schedule which includes parks, meals, off days, breaks and generally the hours we'll be keeping that day from start to finish so I know how hard we're pushing it. I also have touring plans for each day. I use TP's custom touring plans option. They recently upgraded it so that after you set your ride order it will tell you your expected wait time, walking time, etc. Or you can have the system optimize the order for you. It's really great.
Terri's Planner

Love your planners! Kind of reminds me of the TripMama ones I copied and am using to organize my own head a bit now, though we won't be using them in the park.
I noticed on there that you have "POP Warner party DHS 7p" on there as well as a few other Pop Warner events, how did you know? Are you a part of the Pop Warner group? Or is there a website of their events up somewhere?

Btw, totally jealous that you guys are going on a segway tour. Really want to do that but its just not in the budget this year!

 

[bellaally]

ses1230 is correct because I am also waiting for the ADRs to open which will probably (according to last year) open around October. Have you seen the pictures ... omg, it is like heaven

Yes the pictures look like heaven and have you seen the fireworks pictures it looks so romantic. I am super excited, I'm planning on an early dinner around five or so. Making sure there is plenty room lol.

 

[Tltorrez]

Wow .... did you create those plans using TP. Oooh, I swore I would never use them but YOU ARE TEMPTING ME - STOP IT

Yes. I've always used their site for creating personalized plans. Even if you're just creating a list of things you'd like to do, it's great. But I love that it will now tell you that you've got too many things crammed into one day. It's a nice reality check. ;-)

And, of course, it's fun to play with.

FYI - the actual TP includes a simple map too so you can see if you're criss-crossing the park. But it got all hosed up when I tried to copy and paste so it's not shown here.

 

[Tltorrez]

Love your planners! Kind of reminds me of the TripMama ones I copied and am using to organize my own head a bit now, though we won't be using them in the park.
I noticed on there that you have "POP Warner party DHS 7p" on there as well as a few other Pop Warner events, how did you know? Are you a part of the Pop Warner group? Or is there a website of their events up somewhere?

There was a lot of speculation about this annual party so I went to the POP Warner website and looked it up. Right now Disney calendar is showing the park closing at 7pm but last year it closed at 5pm. So I decided not to chance it and stayed away from DHS that day.

Btw, totally jealous that you guys are going on a segway tour. Really want to do that but its just not in the budget this year!

Actually, I'm jealous too - since I don't get to go. I booked this as a surprise for DH (who's always wanted to do it), DSis and my in-laws (who went on a Segway tour in Naples, FL recently). But DS10 is too young so he and I will be doing a character breakfast at Cape May. I just thought being able to ride around Epcot before it opens would be very cool. It's my in-laws first time and we're trying to show them that Disney is really not just for kids.

The only downside is that the night before is our adults night out for Epcot EMH. So no one will get to sleep in. But I think they'll forgive me.

 

[Tltorrez]

Completely OT - I just have to mention that WE'RE GETTING A PUPPY TOMORROW!

Just needed to share. As a first-time dog-owner this is all a bit overwhelming right now. And we're past the point of no return.

 

[ktaggie]

We check in On dec 10 - 15

 

[Valgoof]

On a different subject I have a question regarding my booking for POR. I was originally at POP! with a room only 30% off pin. I called the CM and told her I needed to adjust my dates slightly due to a new job...and inquired if I would still get the 30% off rate even though I have to modify my reservation and that PIN has expired. She said absolutley....it doesn't matter that the PIN is expired, just that the new dates you select are within the PIN dates. So when I heard that, I questioned her if that holds true if I change my resort. She said yes so that is why I switched. Part of me thinks that she wasn't supposed to do that since the PIN is expired. But she did. Just curious what you guys think...is the info she gave me correct?

I have a pin code that expired in May. I have changed resorts a couple times since then with no problem keeping the pin. I have heard that if the CM says they cannot make a change with the pin, ask them to call guest services and they will do it.

 

[bellaally]

We check in On dec 10 - 15

Same as me woohoo lol

 

[Tltorrez]

We check in On dec 10 - 15

Where are you staying?

 

[ksromack]

I'm assuming you want to do at least one non-party day at MK so you can see the Electric Light Parade and regular Wishes, so that leaves Wed.

If I do the Electric Parade, I'll have to cancel our plans for Yee Haw Bob. I can't decide! That would be our Wed night too....our MK day is tuesday, Dec 11th and it's a party day for us. I don't think we've ever seen the Electrical Parade irl.

Now, having said all that - if you're not planning to ride a lot of rides and you do the Dessert Party so you're not fighting the crowd for a viewing spot, then it's more feasible. It really depends on what you want to accomplish that day.

I couldn't find a Dessert Party availability ANY day of our trip-Dec 10-17th. I guess I waited too late!

Also, although only one Fantasmic is listed at present, there's a decent chance there would be an 8pm Fantasmic that night as well.

You know what? It sure isn't easy planning things out so you can see all the parades and still get all your ADRs! We've never seen Fantasmic either and I can't decide if I really have to see it. We're definitely doing the Osborne Lights on sat Dec 15, though.

Do you have something booked already for CP? If not, double-check to make sure there's still availability. You may not have a lot of options at this point. Same with FDP; I called on my 180+ and still couldn't get the one I wanted. I think Ohana books fast too, though I've never done that one.

I got my CP reservations the minute they became available so I haven't checked to see what is available now. We're doing Ohana after the Osborne Lights on the 15th.....but I do have a question here. Is Wishes better viewed from Ohana during dinner or should I try to get an earlier ADR for Ohana and catch Wishes on the Poly beach? How long does it take to eat dinner at Ohana? Right now our ADRs are for 9:15 with Wishes starting at 10pm. I was trying to get 8:30 ADRs for Ohana but nothing is available at that time presently.

 

[srauchbauer]

Completely OT - I just have to mention that WE'RE GETTING A PUPPY TOMORROW!

Just needed to share. As a first-time dog-owner this is all a bit overwhelming right now. And we're past the point of no return.

have fun with your puppy that will certainly make the time go fast.

 

[Tltorrez]

If I do the Electric Parade, I'll have to cancel our plans for Yee Haw Bob. I can't decide! That would be our Wed night too....our MK day is tuesday, Dec 11th and it's a party day for us. I don't think we've ever seen the Electrical Parade irl.

I couldn't find a Dessert Party availability ANY day of our trip-Dec 10-17th. I guess I waited too late!

You know what? It sure isn't easy planning things out so you can see all the parades and still get all your ADRs! We've never seen Fantasmic either and I can't decide if I really have to see it. We're definitely doing the Osborne Lights on sat Dec 15, though.

I got my CP reservations the minute they became available so I haven't checked to see what is available now. We're doing Ohana after the Osborne Lights on the 15th.....but I do have a question here. Is Wishes better viewed from Ohana during dinner or should I try to get an earlier ADR for Ohana and catch Wishes on the Poly beach? How long does it take to eat dinner at Ohana? Right now our ADRs are for 9:15 with Wishes starting at 10pm. I was trying to get 8:30 ADRs for Ohana but nothing is available at that time presently.

The Dessert party isn't booking yet. So you're not too late.

This is why I don't do dinner ADRs on park days. Well, sometimes Epcot but never MK and rarely DHS. I would rather see the parades and shows than do a TS ADR. Although BOG was really tempting this time around. But I couldn't do it; my MILs favorite Disney movie is Pete's Dragon, so that makes ELP a must-do.

Personally, I think Fantasmic is hands-down the best of the shows. But it definitely requires some planning. When it was only running a few days a week, we would jump over to see it on an Epcot day. This time I decided to do it on an off day; we have APs so jumping into the park for one show is no problem. And then its one less thing to do on our DHS day. I wanted the dining package but couldn't get a reservation at Brown Derby in the right timeframe. We've never done the package before. We just suck it up and line up early. It's worth it.

 

[bellaally]

Well I finally revised my parks and did most of my ADRs


Monday dec 10- arrive plan lands around 11:35, lunch DTD WPE
Unpack head to MK against everyone's recommendations lol. MK has evening magic hours.
Dinner at cosmic rays, then wishes dessert party. Stay as late as we can lol


Tuesday dec 11- DHS

BF resort
Lunch fair fax fare
Dinner Sci Fi

We had a fantasmic package but it was horrible lol at 3:50pm at. Hollywood and vine
So I decided even though everyone recommends 50's prime, hubby loves burgers and who can make those bad
Plus Sci Fi seems cool

Wednesday dec 12- Epcot
This was the only day with reasonable times for dinner for CP
Lunch rose and pub
Dinner coral reef- CP package

Thursday dec 13- MK
Seeing that there will be no crowds because of MVMCP.
We are open to suggestion on eating
Wish be our guest is open *fingers crossed*
Attending MVMCP
Dinner at DTD T Rex

Friday dec 14 AK
BF???
Lunch rainforest cafe
Dinner ohana
Doing a tour of the resorts this day


Sat dec 15- whichever park we would like to visit again

So now to do the touring plan on each park. Not really that into coral reef hoping something else opens up

 

[ses1230]

Completely OT - I just have to mention that WE'RE GETTING A PUPPY TOMORROW!

Just needed to share. As a first-time dog-owner this is all a bit overwhelming right now. And we're past the point of no return.

Oh wow! What kind? Also OT, we have a dog we rescued. We brought her home and the NEXT DAY our adoption agency called to tell us that a birthmother had picked us. About three weeks later we had a new dog and a newborn, in addition to our first DD, almost 3 at the time. Talk about crazy!

I couldn't find a Dessert Party availability ANY day of our trip-Dec 10-17th. I guess I waited too late!

December dessert party reservation have not been released yet.

 

[Tltorrez]

Oh wow! What kind? Also OT, we have a dog we rescued. We brought her home and the NEXT DAY our adoption agency called to tell us that a birthmother had picked us. About three weeks later we had a new dog and a newborn, in addition to our first DD, almost 3 at the time. Talk about crazy!

Wow, and I'm worried about one little puppy. ;-)

She's a corgi. It's all still a little overwhelming because DS9 has anxiety issues and two months ago was terrified of dogs. Then he decided that having a dog to bond with would be good for him. When he first told me, I was shocked. But he was serious and when we set about meeting some dogs, he did amazingly well. I never really liked dogs and DH was attacked by one as a small child so he had his own anxiety issues. A dog just wasn't anywhere on our radar. But DS has a lot of issues and the more we thought about it, we knew this would be really good for him. So we narrowed down to a couple breeds and ended up taking him to this corgi picnic. Then we met a breeder who already had a litter and in less than two months... New puppy.

It's still kind of amazing. But, on the plus side, DSis (who lives with us) has a lot of dog experience, including obedience and show training. So she knows everything we needed and will guide the training. So we're well-prepared, but it's still a huge change. Definitely something to keep me occupied until Disney. (And yes, I added doggie daycare to my trip planning. There are several great facilities near us.)

 

[ksromack]

Well I finally revised my parks and did most of my ADRs


Monday dec 10- arrive plan lands around 11:35, lunch DTD WPE
Unpack head to MK against everyone's recommendations lol. MK has evening magic hours.
Dinner at cosmic rays, then wishes dessert party. Stay as late as we can lol

this is our WDW arrival day too.....we're planning on WPE for lunch also! We're not doing any parks with the semi-exception of Epcot. We're doing the Illuminations cruise so we may or may not check it out after Illuminations...more than likely we will just go back to Boardwalk and maybe see what's going on in JellyRolls?

Tuesday dec 11- DHS

BF resort
Lunch fair fax fare
Dinner Sci Fi

We had a fantasmic package but it was horrible lol at 3:50pm at. Hollywood and vine
So I decided even though everyone recommends 50's prime, hubby loves burgers and who can make those bad
Plus Sci Fi seems cool

I am contemplating Fantasmic but if we go it won't be until the 16th! Tuesday the 11th is our big MK day.....like you we decided that party days were good days to see a lot at MK...plus we are going to MVMCP that night. THAT will be a very long day for us....fortunately we're both night owls. lol. We're using some snack credits at Starring Rolls while at DHS and we're going to 50's Prime Time Cafe. It's a favorite of mine

Wednesday dec 12- Epcot
This was the only day with reasonable times for dinner for CP
Lunch rose and pub
Dinner coral reef- CP package

Our Epcot day too! We're doing CP package the next day, though.....and I'm allergic to shellfish so Coral Reef is out for us (much to hubby's dismay)! I wish we could squeeze in R&C but we may have to run in for an ale at some point This is our day for Le Cellier and I'm happy to be able to go before it goes up to a 2 TS lunch in 2013!

Thursday dec 13- MK
Seeing that there will be no crowds because of MVMCP.
We are open to suggestion on eating
Wish be our guest is open *fingers crossed*
Attending MVMCP
Dinner at DTD T Rex

We're also hoping for BOG on our full MK day of Tuesday. This may sound crazy but I'm actually thinking of doing the QS at BOG for lunch and the TS for dinner. Now, if it ISN'T open, I'm just going to counter service all meals. BOG will be out of pocket anyway. I think a Main Street cinnamon roll will be on the menu for us If you need a TS what about Liberty Tree Tavern? We've always had good food there.

Friday dec 14 AK
BF???
Lunch rainforest cafe
Dinner ohana
Doing a tour of the resorts this day

This is our AK day too! We're planning on QS at Flame Tree BBQ AND QS Yak&Yeti Maybe a snack credit pretzel too. I think we'll tour AKL this day as well and maybe hang out at our resort in the evening. We're doing Ohana the next night.

Sat dec 15- whichever park we would like to visit again
So now to do the touring plan on each park. Not really that into coral reef hoping something else opens up

We'll do DHS on this day. It's an EMH in the a.m. so we're hoping to ride the big 4 in the morning. I like that you left the day open to revisit at your discretion. It's good to leave some things up for re-arranging as needed. Now what do you mean "touring plan"? Like what rides to ride and when? I've got the parades lined up on the calendar and obviously we'll get fast passes when available but other than heading straight to TSM while at DHS and Soarin' while at Epcot, I don't know how much more I can plan. This planning stuff can make you crazy! I've already lost sleep over this trip and it's months away. I secretly think hubby thinks I'm losing it.