Disney trip coming, need help planning!

[IMMkXLVI]

We have a Disney trip coming up right on the heels of a week in the EU. From 9/24 until 10/1 we're taking the kids to see, for the first time, where half of their DNA came from. Then on the 4th, we head down to Disney for stays at Loews Portofino & Grand Floridian until the 14th.

Normally I have time to plan our trips but I lost a long time discussion.....and now we have a 15 week old Doberman puppy. I'm researching where to board her that will be able to deal with things like maintaining her potty training, setting her ears in the postings and making sure she has a decent level of exorcise/play/love during the day. I'd love some help in planning/scheduling this Florida trip. What is new at the theme parks? Will we need different tickets/passes from our AP passes at the parks? I haven't experienced the revised Disney lightening lanes yet, what should I know? Any pitfalls? Does it have to be purchased well in advance to get it?


I'm hoping to get a taste of Halloween from both Disney & Universal since I can't get my wife to agree to a true Halloween at Disney. A bummer since it means I can't bring either my Iron Man costume or my Master Chief costume. Is it already too late? should I have planned this months ago? Between the puppy and work, I have so little free time and what little I have is picking up slack with my wife back in college for her MBA.

 

[Tuffcookie]

I will be there the week before you. It has been 6 years since I’ve been at WDW. I am retired and a hobbyist photographer, so that is usually the focus of my trips. For the first time ever, I am going to “wing it” so I won’t be tied down to a schedule. I’ll see how that works! #1 on my list is to photograph the gorillas at AKP.
I decided I wanted to bring my little dog with me this time, and stay in an RV in FW! So, I am driving down and the RV company (Ohana RV Campers) will set the RV up and have it waiting for me when I get there!
As for your new puppy…Because of the issues with the ears, I would seriously be leaving that pup at the veterinarian’s office! It may cost a little more than a regular kennel but it will be worth peace of mind!

 

[sndral]

…Then on the 4th, we head down to Disney for stays at Loews Portofino & Grand Floridian until the 14th.

… I'd love some help in planning/scheduling this Florida trip. What is new at the theme parks? Will we need different tickets/passes from our AP passes at the parks? I haven't experienced the revised Disney lightening lanes yet, what should I know? Any pitfalls? Does it have to be purchased well in advance to get it?
…

W/ AP’s you’ll need to make park reservations, so do that now. You can make one for each of your GF days, not sure how many you’re allowed for the offsite portion of your stay.
Your ADRs opened a month + ago - so also make any dinning reservations you want now. During our last few trips we’ve discovered that it’s fairly easy to modify ADRs day of, depending on how popular the restaurant is, so if you don’t get the ideal reservation it doesn’t hurt to keep checking.
Paid lightening lanes and individual riders passes are up to you. I have a trip onsite that occurs at the same time as yours & we intend to get LLs because the various crowd calendars predict the parks will be fairly busy. You can get your LLs & ILLs for all of your GF days 7 days out from the beginning of that portion of your stay - not sure how the offsite portion works. You’ll get into any park 1/2 an hour early during your GF days & there are also a few extra magic evening hours if you are at the GF on those days - Monday 10/6 & 10/13 Epcot, Wed. 10/8 DHS.
I don’t know if you keep up on construction - but the GF main lobby is in the midst of building the new birdcage bar & other refurbs so there’ll be construction walls up there.

 

[IMMkXLVI]

W/ AP’s you’ll need to make park reservations, so do that now. You can make one for each of your GF days, not sure how many you’re allowed for the offsite portion of your stay.
Your ADRs opened a month + ago - so also make any dinning reservations you want now. During our last few trips we’ve discovered that it’s fairly easy to modify ADRs day of, depending on how popular the restaurant is, so if you don’t get the ideal reservation it doesn’t hurt to keep checking.
Paid lightening lanes and individual riders passes are up to you. I have a trip onsite that occurs at the same time as yours & we intend to get LLs because the various crowd calendars predict the parks will be fairly busy. You can get your LLs & ILLs for all of your GF days 7 days out from the beginning of that portion of your stay - not sure how the offsite portion works. You’ll get into any park 1/2 an hour early during your GF days & there are also a few extra magic evening hours if you are at the GF on those days - Monday 10/6 & 10/13 Epcot, Wed. 10/8 DHS.
I don’t know if you keep up on construction - but the GF main lobby is in the midst of building the new birdcage bar & other refurbs so there’ll be construction walls up there.

I'm doing park reservations now. We can park hop with Sorcerer so it isn't too critical which we start with. We have 5 allowed reservations for off-site days. More than enough since we're mixing days up between Disney and Universal and days at GF have theme park reservations included.

We've been to GF before, just haven't stayed there yet. The lobby was beautiful the way it was, I hope it retains that charm through the construction.

Just checked the calendar for the Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, it's sold out for all of the days we are there. Bummer. Should have checked sooner.