"Goofy's Troop" is Going Again...

[splashmtnfan]

So, this is my first Pre-Trip report, so, please be patient. I have always wanted to do one, but never had the time to do anything other than planning with my hundreds of handwritten notes in my trusty "Vacation Planner" spiral. Now, I figure, this may actually be easier than all that writing, I can just transfer this to my computer/flashdrive and I can put your suggestions in there too!

So, let me introduce the "Troop".

THE HOUSTON CREW
Michael 42 ("Eeyore", cause he NEVER really smiles)
Lori 42 (me)("Pooh", cause I have had that nick-name FOREVER)
Madison 9 (BIG "Tink' fan, GG & PaPa's only grandchild)

THE NEW ORLEANS CREW
PaPa 71 (Michael's Dad) (He really should be "Mickey", HUGE fan)
GG 67 (Michael's Mom) (SHE is "GOOFY"! ie. GG= Goofy Grandma)

We always travel together, although sometimes we do travel with a select few of my family members as well. I never had grandparents, so I believe Madison should spend as much time with her's as possible. They even stay weeks with us at a time (usually during hurricane season).

I shall add pics soon.

So this trip is to replace the trip IKE canceled for us! Madison knows nothing about it! She will spend her 10th B-Day there (last day) then we will fly out around 8pm to make it home in time for first day of school the next day.

First, Madison and I will drive to New Orleans on Thursday August 13 (supposedly to spend our last week of summer vacation w/ GG & PaPa and go to the zoo & Aquarium). Michael rarely goes with us, he works A LOT! We will go to the Aquarium on Friday and Zoo on Saturday (to tire her out, so she will get to bed early).
Michael has to work until Sunday @ 5PM. He will fly from Houston later Sunday 16th.

Saturday 15th

8PM Bedtime for Madison. Van packing time for us!

Sunday 16th

4AM Wake up, get ready.

430AM Leave for airport. (Madison still sleeping)

6AM Plane leaves out for Orlando (she should wake up in the terminal SURPRISE)

10:45AM Orlando!

11:30 Should be on Magical Express line.

12:30-1PM Should arrive @ POR, drop-off carry-ons.

1:30PM Take boat to DTD for lunch.

2PM (really 1PM for us) Lunch @ Earl of Sandwich

3PM Shop around for a while, scouting for souvies to purchase later.

4PM Take boat back to POR & check out the room, maybe a take short nap.

6PM Take a look at the grounds eat @ Boatwright's & Michael boards plane in Houston.


8PM Go for Beignets @ Food Court. & Michael's plane lands in Orlando.

9:30PM Michael should arrive, all go to bed.

Monday 17th

Hoping for EMH (morning)


6AM Get up for breakfast @ the food court

7:30AM Ride bus to MK

8AM Rope-Drop go straight to Splash Mountain also get FP for a return.

8:30AM Ride Haunted Mansion then head for Fantasy Land

10AM Grab a snack and rest near Dumbo

10:30AM Mickey's Toon Town Fair, See Tink, get autographs and pics.


11:30 Tomorrowland

1PM Head out on Monorail for Lunch @ one of the Monorail Resorts


2:30 Head back for the parade or rest @ our resort...

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Sounds exciting so far, i'm in ! I have a 9 yr old dd too.
We're taking our first trip to Disney World in May staying at the All Star Movies, and we're very excited.

 

[splashmtnfan]

Sounds exciting so far, i'm in ! I have a 9 yr old dd too.
We're taking our first trip to Disney World in May staying at the All Star Movies, and we're very excited.

We have always wanted to try the All Stars Resorts but we travel with a family of 5 and it is more affordable to do one room at POR than two @ All Stars and the Music Suites just would not work with four adults, IMO

 

[SandiKB]

Yay!! She is going to be SO thrilled!!! I wish I was good at keeping secerets, but I so am not! Can't wait to read more

 

[splashmtnfan]

Yay!! She is going to be SO thrilled!!! I wish I was good at keeping secerets, but I so am not! Can't wait to read more

Yes, I love to do surprises, and get really sad if the surprise is spoiled. Madison can keep secrets for us as well (she knows not to keep them FROM us though). We took her 13 yr old cousin last year for her B-Day, and Madison helped plan it, she saw that couson just about every weekend and NEVER gave her a hint... for six months, and of course, the first person Lauren hugged when she got her card with the reservations in it, was MADISON, she KNEW that Madison had to have known!

We can usually carry her anywhere when she is asleep, so I am hoping we make it all the way into the terminal and check in before she wakes up!

 

[AlohaPolynesian]

I'm in for this! I miss Houston I lived there from August - December for an internship and it was amazing! I'm so sorry that Ike canceled your trip the first time. I'm anxious to hear about POR, too!

 

[splashmtnfan]

I tried to get thru the ADR phone lines for an hour this morning (our first day we could book them) and FINALLY got thru... oh how the sound of "All circuits are busy..." gets old!

So, since we are staying seven nights we did not want to feel overwhelmed running here and there so I made the ADRs to coincide with Disney's EMH schedules and I think we will be more relaxed.


August 16 We are flying in, so we will eat at DTD at Wolf Gang Puck
Express. (Counter Service, I love their Pizza & Chicken)
Touring Resorts, no parks today.

August 17 Animal Kingdom stays open until 9PM (EMH) So we are eating
Flame Tree BBQ (counter service eating 1/2 chicken meals) We
are trying to use counter service to eat healthier meals.

August 18 Epcot stays open until 12AM so we will go early (9-ish) and stay
until around 2 PM then go to the POR to relax until 4 PM
when we will head to the Poly to look around a bit before
our 5:15 ADR at the Aloha Dinner Show. We will then hop on
the monorail and head back to Epcot to close down the place!

August 19 Holywood Studios stays open until 10 PM for EMH, so we will
grab some beignets at POR before heading to HS around 9 AM
grab a turkey leg at Toluca Turkey for lunch and then our ADR
is @ 7:35 for 50's Prime Time Diner!

August 20 Epcot is open late again (12AM) so we are sleeping in, eating
a cold breakfast in the room and heading over to Epcot for our
1:20 Ressies at Le Cellier for lunch. We will take the World
Showcase slow and take in all of the things we have missed
in the past. We will do dinner at Sunshine Seasons (Asian combo
is our fave)

August 21 Magic Kingdom is open until 1 AM so we will sleep in, eat break-
fast at our resort and head out to MK around 10AM. We will hop
on the Monorail around 5PM to check out the Contemporary
efore our 6:35PM at Chef Mickeys'. Then we will close down
MK!

August 22 We are leaving this day open for Madison to choose her own park
our ADR is at Whispering Canyon at 6:05PM. We will definitely get
to bed earlier so we can get up early. We always wake her up
at 5:55AM on her Birthday for her actual BIRTHDAY!

August 23 Her Birthday! She always has been awakened at 5:55AM with
us singing "Happy Birthday" to her. (of course she woke US up
on the ORIGINAL day!) Eat cake, milk & coffee for
breakfast and head out to MK for a couple of hours, before
hitting the Monorail enroute to GF for 1900 Park Fare for our
11AM ADR. We will still have a couple of hours at MK before
we have to head back to catch the Magical Express! We fly
out at 6 PM. (We had to change our flights).


Soooo.... that is it in a nutshell, I will add more details as we get more planned and also note any special gifts/ideas we have for her birthday.


Please feel free to add any tips that you may have to help with planning and I will certainly give them a try!

 

[splashmtnfan]

Sooo... now I am just wondering.... when can I start packing???

 

[mickeystoontown]

Count me in! I often say pre-trip reports, trip reports and pictures are what help keep me sane until our next WDW vacation. Thanks for your contribution to my sanity.

 

[eandesmom]

Your plans sound great so far! Can't wait to read more

 

[Raecheal]

I love your plans so far.. I can't wait to read more.. I"m sub

 

[splashmtnfan]

Now, some good friends will be joining us from Aug. 15-22, they will be staying at Fort Wilderness Lodge. We are all so excited... my DD is going to be so SURPRISED! I am going to check to see if the movies at the campground are posted yet... I will get back to you soon!