I hate when this happens, had a nice long update going and somehow got all deleted, so being safe and typing it in word first this time. So starting again today.
First a few updates. The trip is all paid in full- all tickets are purchased now- just ordered Lindseys 8 day hopper from
undercover tourist, already have our other APs and MILs ticket too.
MVMCP tickets will be at will call. We have to head to the DTD service desk anyhow to activate our APs when we arrive (DTD is our first stop after airport). I figure we will get MVMCP there (or do we have to do that at MK ticket window???) and buy TiW card too.
My parents cant pick us up from the airport now as she is hosting a Christmas party that night. So I am booking the car service for our return transportation from DFW back home too. It isnt cheap, but mom wants to help pay for it, which is nice. Plus, really, parking would cost us about $100 (and the hassle of taking a shuttle off site to the airport, lugging all our crap etc.). The car service round trip is about $225 and will drop us off right at the baggage check and pick us up right outside baggage claim- easy breezy. Worth it I think! So that is booked now.
All thats left is to pack and get all my plans and ressies down in a mini notebook. I like to print out smaller versions of everything- flight info, car rental info, room ressie, ADRs, and extra tips like storyteller times at epcot and of course the daily plan. I put it in a mini notebook the size of a notecard and use that as my trip resource---pull it out from the backpack to reference all the time and take trip notes in it too for my trip report. I do have an iPhone with the DIS app on it too- so I plan to load my itinerary in there too. But I hate typing notes on there- I am just not much of a texter, so I would prefer to hand write my trip notes. I know, the horror!!! Lol I will however use my phone for constant pics and posts on Facebook- so if you arent my friend yet, be sure and look up Michelle Easler Peters and friend me! I thought about doing a live report, but I think it is just too much work to do a good one and I really want to focus my time on enjoying my family instead! Priorities, I know?!
So now on to DAY 5!
DAY 5, Wednesday, December 8
Today we are once again up early, probably 7ish and snack/breakfast in the room. Todays plans take us to Hollywood Studios for our second visit. We already will have been there once on the evening of Sunday, December 5th to see the lights (and EMH). So today, we are focusing on what we missed that night. This is not an EMH morning- just regular day.
We plan to arrive at Rope drop to make the mad cattle drive over to TSM!!! I havent decided the best strategy here- to FP it first or ride it first? Any ideas? We dont have to ride it a second time, but would be nice. So what would you recommend? Ive never done the mad dash over there. The only time I have ridden it was during the DIS party last December where we had private use of the ride for hours with no wait! So I dont know the best strategy here. We wouldnt want a late FP, because we dont plan to stay later than say 1:30 or 2pm. HS opens at 9am this day.
hopefully we will see this guy!
So after we do the mad dash for TSM and ride it, I want to head towards ToT or RnR. I am hoping we can knock out TSM by 9:30am- is that realistic? I am hoping we can do both RnR or ToT during EMH on Sunday, but if we dont, I want to build in time now to do them (or if we want to do one again). If the lines are long, and the FP return time isnt too late, we will just grab a FP instead. Assuming we ride at least one, I figure it is 10:15 or 10:30 by now?
After that, grab a snack at Starring Rolls. I figure by now it will be close to 10:30 or later- so I want to try one of the fabulous cupcakes or have another snack. We wont be doing lunch at the park (hate the CS choices here)- we will have lunch in our room instead. So we want a big enough snack to tide us over. I know they also serve sandwiches here too, maybe we split one.
And maybe we will run into this guy.......my son loves trash cans as you know.......so he was amused by the streetmosphere cop who was 'hiding' in a trash can!
After our snack/break, we will head over to Playhouse Disney to see the show there- I believe there is an 11:20am show if we can make it in time. Not sure. I think the next show is like 12:10, so that would be fine probably too, maybe we could do some shopping or character autographs while waiting.
After that, lets assume the later show, it will be 12:30pm, if we want to try the drawing class, we will head that way. It isnt a for sure, but I think DH and my niece would love it. DH has always been into drawing and art. So he might enjoy it. Not sure my son will, but maybe we can goof around some in the back or I can take him out if I need to and let the others enjoy trying it.
If we have a FP for TSM or ToT or RnR, we can go use it now. really we are open at this point and planning to leave the park around 1:30 or 2pm. If there is anything we missed on Sunday and want to do, we will do it now, as this is really our last time at HS, unless we decide to come back for some reason on our last day. We typically only do a morning here and then an evening- for a full day (on two different days, so it is just a little more than a full day). Because we are skipping the backlot tour and LMA stunt show, I think it is doable. We might skip both Indiana Jones and B&B, not sure. If we do them, it will only be one of them and on Sunday not this day. We are not doing Fantasmic either. Fantasmic is being shown the next night and I am hoping that will draw the bigger crowds vs this non EMH day. I saw Fantasmic years ago and wasnt impressed, plus we dont want to wait and I know it is huge crowds we just dont want to deal with. I was able to see it at DL in September and loved that version on the rivers of America. Now I dont think the HS version can compare! Plus DS is just 3 and might be a little young for all the loud noise and scariness!
Plus the HS close an hour early today, at 7pm, due to the Pop Warner football private party. So I am hoping those with non hopper tickets wont choose HS for today and maybe it wont be that crowded. So I can hope right. It is a non party night at MK too- so those without party tickets you think would choose MK this morning. No EMH, no Fantasmic and closing earlier than normal, I am hoping those things work in my favor for lower crowds. We can all dream, right?
So lets assume we run late and leave at 2pm
we are driving our rental car, so that puts us back at the hotel say by 2:15 or so (we should have good parking with RD and I know my way around well when driving from working on property!). So back to BLT for a break- whether it is a nap for my son, swim, just tv time or whatever.
By 4pm, it is up and at em! Time to head over to the CR, hop on the monorail to the TTC and transfer to Epcot! Anyone know about how much time to build in for this trip? I dont usually do the monorail to Epcot other than just for fun! Lol- since we are staying at BLT, I want to use this benefit!
Hoping we can arrive by 4:30 and head back to Le Cellier area! We have a 5:10pm ADR at Le Cellier for the Candlelight Processional package. So here is my dilemma. So when we made our CLP package ressies, I couldnt get through
..if you booked, you know the first day it was available (back in August?) was crazy long waits on the phone. I couldnt even get through- I tried for over an hour, on two phones (landline and cell) and kept getting busy signals. I posted on the DIS and a kind friend I had met before (lives in the DFW area) was sweet enough to get my ressie for me since she got through. Talk about magic! The problem is back then, we were just a party of 4. So I booked it for 3 adults and one child. Now that my niece is coming- we have 5. Going from a table of 4 to 5 is usually tough. In fact I just called to check and no availability to add her. So I think our best shot is to just show up and put my son in my lap. He is a toddler afterall and often times ends up in my lap. Lol. Or she suggested we ask for a highchair at the corner of the table or something if the restaurant allows it. So far, they have usually been accommodating when we had to add just one person, so I am hoping so here, even if he is in my lap, since that wouldnt take up another seat/spot. Since they actually bill you and charge you there at the restaurant, I assume they could add/charge Lindsey then too. So I am just assuming it all goes okay.
If for some reason they wont give us the extra VIP ticket for the show, then I bet my DH would sit out with my son and let us girls do the show. No biggie there. I am more concerned about all of us eating there together- it is my DHs favorite meal and one of mine. So crossing my fingers all goes well!
So with a 5:10pm ressie, I am hoping we get in quickly and dont wait. Even with an ADR, weve often had a wait of 15 minutes at LC. So hopefully we can be wrapped up by dinner at like 6:30 or so. So what to eat? Well I love the pretzel bread, definitely asking for more of that! I am getting the famous cheddar cheese soup too- love it! We do get an appetizer with the package- yum! Since we are paying out of pocket for most meals, we probably wont get appetizers or dessert that often. Okay, maybe dessert! For dinner- I do love my steak. I will either go with the filet or the NY strip. If I do the filet, no mushrooms and probably ask for the cream cheese mashed potatoes with either one.
For dessert, going with my favorite- chocolate mousse- I had the smores last time and they just didnt do it for me- they were cute in presentation, but hard to eat. I love my smores at 50s Prime Time though!
So now it is probably 6:30- time to head and wander around a bit! We might go ahead and tour Canada and the UK and maybe France if we have time. Not sure what time they ask us to line up for the show? Anyone know? I assume by 7:45 probably? So we wont have a ton of time for the 8:15pm show.
We dont plan to catch Illuminations this night, as we will see it our first night. So after the show, we will probably take our time strolling the rest of the World Showcase until they kick us out, while others are lining up for Illuminations. If we do that, and end up staying through Illuminations, we always wait until the mad throngs of crowds disperse before we head out- it makes for a nice slow stroll to enjoy the fountains or stop in mousegears. If we are tired, we will just head out after the show and avoid the Illuminations crowds (or maybe catch a ride on spaceship earth on the way out!).
The next day we are heading back to Epcot, so we can see more then. We plan to spend a lot of time at Epcot and MK- our two favorites.
It sort of all works out like this:
3 mornings at MK, 2 nights at MK (one is MVMCP, one is EMH)
2 mornings at Epcot, 3 nights at Epcot (one is EMH, one is CLP)
1 morning at HS, 1 night at HS (EMH night)
1 morning/afternoon at AK
We arent doing any EMH mornings, which is odd for us- we usually do them, but didnt work out with our schedule this time for some reason. Plus, we still do RD anyhow, which means we are still waking up early- usually by 7.
Thanks for reading!
)
x
.. I was reading about the new store on a blog the other day, looks amazing! think I 'need' one of those "I 
NY" tshirts hehe.
Doing WDW pregnant wasn't all that bad, I just needed more breaks than usual and we took it at a slower pace. But we still had an AMAZING time! Hey, maybe we will run into you next year! 
