GatorMama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2011
- Messages
- 869
I'm not totally sure what all to include since I haven't been around for long, but I'll do the best I can!
Cast: GatorMama (27), my husband (29) and our Gator Baby, DS (22 months).... ages at time of vacation. I am currently a SAHM, but have a degree in Early Childhood Education and would one day like to be certified to teach Gifted students. Disney is great, but my biggest geek alert is that I'm a HUGE Harry Potter fan. Not totaly crazy, but read all of the books multiple times and prefer the midnight showings of movies. DH is active duty in the USAF and his dork badge is that he plays video games every chance he gets. DS has never been to Disney World and we are very much looking forward to seeing his reactions to everything!
Why: In January, we went to one of those timeshare presentations (didn't buy anything, but got great freebies!) and got 3 nights free at an Orlando timeshare resort. I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to stay at Wilderness Lodge for a few days and then the timeshare to extend our vacation longer than our budget would normally allow. So DH and I got our hearts set on a few days at WL and the thought of sharing WDW with DS so soon! As it turns out, we can't locate our paperwork for the free nights, so we're just paying everything out of pocket. We're staying at a different timeshare location found through AFVC for a week and then staying at WL for two nights. Having so much time in Orlando will ensure that we'll get to do everything we want to (as far as the parks go) AND we'll get to spend a little time with family that lives in the area.
When: We are booked up for 9 nights the last week in July!
Where: Wyndham Cypress Palms and Wilderness Lodge
Itinerary (a work in progress):
Sat- Begin driving south, stay overnight in a hotel (likely in S. Carolina)
Sunday- Finish driving, check in at timeshare resort
Monday- Rope drop at Epot; lunch in park;
Tuesday- Rope Drop at Animal Kingdom; Early evening break; Hollywood Studios for Fantasmic at 9 PM
Wednesday- OFF day (DTD? family time? water park? hanging at resort?)
Thursday- SeaWorld
Friday-Rope Drop at Hollywood Studios; AK if time permits in the evening
Saturday- OFF day (will likely plan to visit family for dinner)
Sunday- check out of timeshare and check IN to WL; Dinner at Artist Point(?) Water park
Monday- Rope Drop at MK; lunch/nap in room; return to MK for evening
Tuesday- check out of WL; breakfast at Chef Mickey's! and begin the drive home
Wednesday- complete the drive home
Clearly I haven't gotten very far into planning yet. When I was hoping to have a trip earlier in the summer, I had ADRs for the Coral Reef, Artist Point and a breakfast at Chef Mickey's. Now that we're staying a little farther from the parks for most of the trip, I don't know how great an idea it is to do a breakfast....
I'm hoping that one of our friends will decide to join us for part of our stay at the timeshare. She'd likely want to go to IoA (a Harry Potter fan like myself), which is fine with us! In a perfect world, we'd have time for a day at each of the four major parks, and a day each at IoA and SeaWorld... maybe Universal Studios... I wouldn't mind a 2 park/1 day pass if we can swing it! Spare days will be spend with DH's family or at the resort pool!
New, Updated Itinerary Below!
Sun.- Drive to Orlando, FL
Check in at Wyndham Cypress Palms
Grocery shopping
Mon.- RD- Epcot (Illuminations @ 9 PM)
-FP for Soarin, ride Soarin
-SRL for Test Track
-Mission: Space (get FP as soon as window is open)
Lunch ADR at Teppan Edo
-Explore World Showcase
-use FPs
-ride Spaceship Earth
Crock pot dinner at resort
-fireworks at Epcot?
(Where to fit in Seas with Nemo? Its a must do!)
Tues.- Rope Drop- Animal Kingdom
-Grab FP for Kilimanjaro Safari, Ride Kilimanjaro Safari
-Ride SRL for EE (get FP if window is open and want to ride again)
-Ride Tricera Top Spin
QS lunch or picnic
Explore
*Fit in show where possible- definitely Lion King
dinner at Artist Point
-grown up rides at MK, time permitting: BTMRR, Space Mountain,
Wed.- Relaxed day at Blizzard Beach with MIL. Dinner in room?
Thurs.- SeaWorld
Crock Pot dinner at resort
Fri.- Rope drop- DHS
-FP for TSM, Ride
-FP for Star Tours (DH will ride ToT while I grab these)
-ride RnR
Fit in shows where possible- definitely Beauty & the Beast
Sat.- Typhoon Lagoon with in-laws
Sun.- Check out of Wyndham Cypress Palms
Check in at Wilderness Lodge
Resort hop/DTD
Dinner ADR at Ohana
Fireworks from beach at Poly?
Mon. - Rope Drop- Magic Kingdom
-DH will grab FP Buzz Lightyear while DS and I head to Dumbo
-Ride Dumbo & Winnie the Pooh
-Grab FP for Peter Pan
-FPs for Mountains (if not already ridden)
Picnic Lunch on Sawyers Island followed by nap at resort
-use FPs/explore
-fireworks
Tues. - Check out of Wilderness Lodge
Drive to midpoint hotel for overnight stay
Cast: GatorMama (27), my husband (29) and our Gator Baby, DS (22 months).... ages at time of vacation. I am currently a SAHM, but have a degree in Early Childhood Education and would one day like to be certified to teach Gifted students. Disney is great, but my biggest geek alert is that I'm a HUGE Harry Potter fan. Not totaly crazy, but read all of the books multiple times and prefer the midnight showings of movies. DH is active duty in the USAF and his dork badge is that he plays video games every chance he gets. DS has never been to Disney World and we are very much looking forward to seeing his reactions to everything!
Why: In January, we went to one of those timeshare presentations (didn't buy anything, but got great freebies!) and got 3 nights free at an Orlando timeshare resort. I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to stay at Wilderness Lodge for a few days and then the timeshare to extend our vacation longer than our budget would normally allow. So DH and I got our hearts set on a few days at WL and the thought of sharing WDW with DS so soon! As it turns out, we can't locate our paperwork for the free nights, so we're just paying everything out of pocket. We're staying at a different timeshare location found through AFVC for a week and then staying at WL for two nights. Having so much time in Orlando will ensure that we'll get to do everything we want to (as far as the parks go) AND we'll get to spend a little time with family that lives in the area.
When: We are booked up for 9 nights the last week in July!
Where: Wyndham Cypress Palms and Wilderness Lodge
Itinerary (a work in progress):
Sat- Begin driving south, stay overnight in a hotel (likely in S. Carolina)
Sunday- Finish driving, check in at timeshare resort
Monday- Rope drop at Epot; lunch in park;
Tuesday- Rope Drop at Animal Kingdom; Early evening break; Hollywood Studios for Fantasmic at 9 PM
Wednesday- OFF day (DTD? family time? water park? hanging at resort?)
Thursday- SeaWorld
Friday-Rope Drop at Hollywood Studios; AK if time permits in the evening
Saturday- OFF day (will likely plan to visit family for dinner)
Sunday- check out of timeshare and check IN to WL; Dinner at Artist Point(?) Water park
Monday- Rope Drop at MK; lunch/nap in room; return to MK for evening
Tuesday- check out of WL; breakfast at Chef Mickey's! and begin the drive home
Wednesday- complete the drive home
Clearly I haven't gotten very far into planning yet. When I was hoping to have a trip earlier in the summer, I had ADRs for the Coral Reef, Artist Point and a breakfast at Chef Mickey's. Now that we're staying a little farther from the parks for most of the trip, I don't know how great an idea it is to do a breakfast....
I'm hoping that one of our friends will decide to join us for part of our stay at the timeshare. She'd likely want to go to IoA (a Harry Potter fan like myself), which is fine with us! In a perfect world, we'd have time for a day at each of the four major parks, and a day each at IoA and SeaWorld... maybe Universal Studios... I wouldn't mind a 2 park/1 day pass if we can swing it! Spare days will be spend with DH's family or at the resort pool!
New, Updated Itinerary Below!
Sun.- Drive to Orlando, FL
Check in at Wyndham Cypress Palms
Grocery shopping
Mon.- RD- Epcot (Illuminations @ 9 PM)
-FP for Soarin, ride Soarin
-SRL for Test Track
Lunch ADR at Teppan Edo
-Explore World Showcase
-use FPs
-ride Spaceship Earth
Crock pot dinner at resort
-fireworks at Epcot?
(Where to fit in Seas with Nemo? Its a must do!)
Tues.- Rope Drop- Animal Kingdom
-Grab FP for Kilimanjaro Safari, Ride Kilimanjaro Safari
-Ride SRL for EE (get FP if window is open and want to ride again)
-Ride Tricera Top Spin
dinner at Artist Point
-grown up rides at MK, time permitting: BTMRR, Space Mountain,
Wed.- Relaxed day at Blizzard Beach with MIL. Dinner in room?
Thurs.- SeaWorld
Crock Pot dinner at resort
Fri.- Rope drop- DHS
-FP for TSM, Ride
-FP for Star Tours (DH will ride ToT while I grab these)
-ride RnR
Fit in shows where possible- definitely Beauty & the Beast
Sat.- Typhoon Lagoon with in-laws
Sun.- Check out of Wyndham Cypress Palms
Check in at Wilderness Lodge
Resort hop/DTD
Dinner ADR at Ohana
Fireworks from beach at Poly?
Mon. - Rope Drop- Magic Kingdom
-DH will grab FP Buzz Lightyear while DS and I head to Dumbo
-Ride Dumbo & Winnie the Pooh
-Grab FP for Peter Pan
-FPs for Mountains (if not already ridden)
Picnic Lunch on Sawyers Island followed by nap at resort
-use FPs/explore
-fireworks
Tues. - Check out of Wilderness Lodge
10:30 AM Chef Mickeys Buffet Breakfast
