Epic Disney vacation blog-join in!!!

[Stinger5]

4 days and counting until our longest Disney trip yet! Excitement is building and had to start a thread to share the excitement and ask for some tips!

Travelling with DW and DD1 +DD5. We have a split stay- 4 nights at AKV and 7 nights at BCV.

Any helpful ideas about moving/getting your stuff from 1 resort to next? Pool ideas with kids(we're budgeting PLENTY of pool time this trip). What are people's experience when staying in a studio with two young children??

Your thoughts and helpful hints would be greatly appreciated!

All the dining ressies et la are finished. Now it's time for the nervous/exciting anticipation.

This will be the fam's 2nd DVC stay, but first long one! We've put lots of planning into this and we're always looking for more ideas. We've built up our DIS Visa rewards, planned plenty of special dining events, pool days, AP's for the fam...Put your best ideas on here!!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

4 days and counting until our longest Disney trip yet! Excitement is building and had to start a thread to share the excitement and ask for some tips!

Travelling with DW and DD1 +DD5. We have a split stay- 4 nights at AKV and 7 nights at BCV.

Any helpful ideas about moving/getting your stuff from 1 resort to next? Pool ideas with kids(we're budgeting PLENTY of pool time this trip). What are people's experience when staying in a studio with two young children??

Your thoughts and helpful hints would be greatly appreciated!

All the dining ressies et la are finished. Now it's time for the nervous/exciting anticipation.

This will be the fam's 2nd DVC stay, but first long one! We've put lots of planning into this and we're always looking for more ideas. We've built up our DIS Visa rewards, planned plenty of special dining events, pool days, AP's for the fam...Put your best ideas on here!!!

My only advice would be to get a bigger room! No way would I want to spend 11 days in a studio with 2 kiddos!

 

[Sandisw]

Have fun!! We leave in 5 days for our summer trip. Its not a long one--only 5 nights-but can't wait anyway!!

Getting the luggage from one to the other is pretty simple. Just have bell services do it. It can take until the afternoon for it to get to the new resort so I would keep a bag with your swimsuits, etc. on you so that when you get to BCV, if the luggage is not yet there, you can swim.

We made that mistake our first time. Because I never anticipated our room being ready early, I packed it all. Well it was. We got back to the resort around 2:00 pm and realized we couldn't even use the pool because we had packed the suits.

When we change resorts, we go and check in before heading to the park. This way, we can leave that bag with bell services and pick it up when we get back.

Once your room is ready, just call them and they will bring everything up for you!

 

[mdsd8700]

Sounds like an amazing trip! I am sure you are going to have an awesome time! SAB is amazing. With Beaches and Cream right there you will have plenty of time to enjoy the ice cream, maybe even a Kitchen Sink. The Boardwalk is also right there so it will be awesome with the nightime entertaiment. Have your camera ready, kids get to "participate" in the shows all the time. Also in the BW is the Bellvue Lounge, this is one of favorite places. Very small actually, but they have board games in the lounge. We love to stop by and have a drink and play a game. The surrey bikes around the Boardwalk are great fun as well. Just be careful as they can be dangerous at certain times of the day due to all the people.

Have a wonderful vacation!!!

 

[Stinger5]

I would keep a bag with your swimsuits, etc. on you so that when you get to BCV, if the luggage is not yet there, you can swim.

I think we will do exactly as you suggest. Carrying around a little extra is one of the advantages of the double stroller, aka "The Tank"!!!

 

[a742246]

Eleven nights in WDW, good for you. My only suggestion for you is to take things nice and slow. Enjoy your trip.

 

[Ike&Jakesmom]

We are not currently DVC owners (hopefully that will change soon ), but we stayed at AKV at Jambo house in December on rented points from a co-worker. We had a savannah view studio, it was me, my husband, my two boys 8&4 and we had plenty of room. The boys were in awe of everything at the resort, they still play AKL all the time! We made good use of the kitchenette each morning for breakfast, never felt crowded, and once again we LOVED the resort ! I say have a blast, your kids are little, you will need the larger room all to soon since they grow so quickly!

 

[Stinger5]

We are not currently DVC owners (hopefully that will change soon ), but we stayed at AKV at Jambo house in December on rented points from a co-worker. We had a savannah view studio, it was me, my husband, my two boys 8&4 and we had plenty of room. The boys were in awe of everything at the resort, they still play AKL all the time! We made good use of the kitchenette each morning for breakfast, never felt crowded, and once again we LOVED the resort ! I say have a blast, your kids are little, you will need the larger room all to soon since they grow so quickly!

Thanks for the post IandJ! I'm sure we'll need the space eventually but we hope for a few years to get by with a studio. We also have a Savannah View. Can't wait to see the kids reaction!!!

 

[Stinger5]

3 Days and Counting Entry and much to do!

Time to dig up the bags and start thinking about what to pack. Also have to start running around to pick up some random stuff for the trip. I still have a lot of little things that i purchased for our last trip in Nov. This time around, i'm buying a bit more sunscreen and digging up our Disney mist fan so we don't drop $$ on another one while we're down there.

DW and I debated buying the Photopass CD ahead of time- last trip it was $99 if you pre-paid. This time around, the $150 price tag is scaring us away. We'll just order the prints we want when we get home and save some $$. We also looked into doing a photo book and found a great deal on Shutterfly.

Big goal of the day-get the house stuff done. Pool, lawn, cleaning, laundry, some shopping, and some car maintenance is on the to-do list. DW also wants to do some back-to-school shopping because we won't be back until late August. We also have a couple of family meals this weekend to say bye before we leave on the epic trip!!!

I'm also making a special packing list for our carry on so we'll have our pool attire with us when we get off the plane-great tip from an earlier poster! DW has also order a blackout of all trip talk in front of the DD5 so that we can surprise her the morning of the trip! We love surprising her each time we head to Disney!!!

We are also meeting up this weekend with another family who will be travelling down to DIS during the same time. They have 2 children around the same ages as ours and it will be their first trip to the Magic Kingdom!!!

You can feel the excitement over here! 3 more days!!!!

 

[carone0318]

When my kids were little and we would stay in a studio one thing we would do is for ds (who was 1 himself and slept in the pack & play) was set the pack & play up on the other side of the wall by the sink outside the bathroom. This gave him a little separation and he could fall asleep and we could still be awake on the other side. This set up would definitely work for you at BCV, as for AKL there looks like there is a little nook were the pack & play would fit.

Enjoy - we're right behind you with our arrival date!

 

[carone0318]

If you go to this thread, the link to order photopass for $99 is there:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1544341&highlight=photopass+pre+order

 

[Stinger5]

2 Days left till take-off and so much to do!!!

First wanna thank Carone for the photopass link! For whatever reason i couldn't find it earlier. I purchased it last trip and had tons of pics on it! This time around, i'm considering just ordering the pics i like and possibly putting together a photobook on shutterfly. However- we just came back from a trip and our biggest picture complaint was that almost all our pics had only 3 of us in them and not all 4. Thus, the photopass may be the way to go! I guess we now have 1 more issue to think about!

As I said- so much to do today! The DW and I are starting the packing process today. It's funny-this used to be the easiest and quickest part of the trip planning but now with 2 little ones it is more of an event! Wife's job- to pack everything the kids will wear and get everything together. My job-get all the luggage read and remove all the extra and unnecessary toys so that my wife has plenty of room to pack her shopping purchases while at WDW! Also need to take out our Disney box-household stuff we usually bring on each trip-we thought about doing an Owner's Locker but when flying Southwest we were allowed extra baggage so we just packed it all. Now that we're travelling on another airline, things are a bit more complicated!

Some other last second things are also on the agenda like some more yard work(do yard projects ever really get removed from the to-do list???), a run to the tire store, and one urgent issue that i have overlooked-a repair to our jogging stroller. When we were away last week, the tire on our stroller starting ripping(the tube held!) and it needs to be replaced. Because i'm not very handy with that stuff, i have to plead with a bike repair guy to put it at the top of his priority list.

One nice thing going on today is a family good-bye cookout. Both sets of grand-parents aunts/uncles are coming by to have some burgers and dogs-the ideal way to say good-bye! Fittingly, today is one of the first days in weeks where the weather is looking pretty dreary. Overcast right now. Oh well- i'm sure my 2 little ones will still jump in the pool with their cousins even if it is raining cats and dogs!

Also have to remind myself to buy those darn airport shuttle tix! Buy those tix!

Lastly- I thought my trip planning was finished but an issue has just jumped up on the trip planning radar. We are thinking of renting a car for a few hours to make a food/beer/water run. Since we are splitting the cost with another couple, the price is not an issue. I know their are some delivery companies, but we like the idea of going ourselves to save a bit of $$, seeing what we're buying, and not having to wait for the delivery guy. Still have to do some research about the auto center on the property...

Hope I can get most of this done today and have time to relax tomorrow the day before the trip..but who am i kidding? I'll be running around crazy tomorrow!

 

[mrsswat]

we a getting a car on the 13th and returning it on the 16th. I found Dollar car rental to be the cheapest for a compact car. They are located at the Wyhdham Hotel directly across the street from Downtown Disney. We are syaying at Saratoga Springs so that is not an issue for us. I don't know if they have pick up/drop off service.
Sounds like a wonderful trip!! You will be fine in a studio with your little ones!! Relax and savour this time with them - slow down and let them enjoy every little thing they want to. Those will be some of your favorite moments, I promise. "Been there, done that" now doing it with our 3 year old grandson!!

 

[Stinger5]

TOMORROW IS TRIP DAY!!!

We are almost there! I am running around like a madman! Too much fun yesterday at the cookout and not enough accomplished! Millions of little things. Word of the day is PRODUCTIVE!

Have a nice long list and every time i knock something off, i add a few things. Sound familiar to anyone???

Just went through our disney bin and we are scrambling for GLO STICKS. None left at Wal-Mart or TARGEAAAAAT! DW on her way to Michaels to see what she can do.

Bills, yard, and pool are on the dockett this afternoon. Gotta call the car rental shuttle too...I'm just writing out loud here to alleviate the stress!

Hoping to get these and a handful of other things done by the evening- gotta get that last Beer-League hockey game in tonight before we leave at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Did I mention crack of dawn Yes, 4:20am shuttle to airport. Gotta get to WDW nice and early to enjoy that travel day!

Total insanity today but it will all be worth it tomorrow! Don't let me kid you...i'm enjoying every minute of it!

 

[carone0318]

Have a fun, safe trip!