Here now! Just checked in!!

[lisatx04]

Hi all!

Well, our long awaited trip has finally arrived! We just checked in to our room at OKW. So far, so good. Only experience so far with magic band (MB) is to open our door, and that was easy. Before the trip I was very hesitant about MM, but I went ahead and purchased it. When I checked in, the CM told me that I will not be able to see my photos on my iPad while here at WDW. They can only be seen from a laptop or PC. They are working on that, but that is not part of the system as of yet. That is kind of a bummer as I was looking forward to looking at our pictures at the end of each day. Oh well.

We have ADR at Chef Mickey's tonight, and then start tomorrow at DHS. I have all the intentions of keeping a log of sorts so I can summarize each day and let you all know what works for us and what does not.

If you have any particular questions, ask and I will try and do my best to answer. Just as an FYI-we will not be anywhere near Anna and Elsa. I am travelling with 3 teens so we will be trying to get the most out of FP+ that we can.

Lisa

 

[LadyRayado]

I wonder, is the iPad thing a new issue? Because I had no issues doing it in March, I checked each night. Bummer, but hope the rest of your trip goes well!

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

What's your plan of attack for DHS?

 

[illinidp]

Try your iPad through the website instead of the app and it should work.

 

[Gibbs]

Have fun! And please do keep us informed on how your trip goes. I love reading peoples experiences at the parks.

 

[LadyRayado]

Try your iPad through the website instead of the app and it should work.

That's what I did: mydisneyphotopass.disney.go.com

 

[lisatx04]

Thanks for the tips about MM and using my iPad! I will definitely try it!!

My plan for DHS is as follows:
FP+ 10-11: TOT
FP+ 11:30-12:30:: RnRC
FP+ 12:50-1:50: TSMM
I will be honest here. DS and I do not ride TOT so the girls will use our MB to get an extra ride in, if that is possible. If not, we will waste those FP as there is nothing else we really must do there. After the three rides are done, we will see what else the kids want to do and go from there.

Dinner ADR 7pm at Via Napoli in Epcot.
After dinner, we are heading to MK. MK closes tomorrow night at 1am, but has EMH, so it will be closing at 3am!!

Right now, all 3 kids, ages 15, 17, 18, are laying on the beds, on phones, laptops and iPads. You would never know they are in Disney!!

 

[ForeverAlice]

Have a great time!!!

 

[Missymouse18]

Hope you have a great time! Looking forward to reading more posts about your trip

 

[DisneyWisher]

Right now, all 3 kids, ages 15, 17, 18, are laying on the beds, on phones, laptops and iPads. You would never know they are in Disney!!

Lol I hope you guys have an awesome time. My girls are now 30, 28, and 20 and I often go with my older girls and their families I miss just taking my daughters when they were younger. Don't get me wrong I love going with my grandkids but well I just miss my kids being younger (strange right especially when they were teenagers) my granddaughter helps make me feel better. When my daughter told her they were going my Jenny said "grandma's going right?" Lol one of the great things about living an hour away and being an AP holder of course grandma's going!!! Plus I am always willing to stay with the little ones too scared or small to ride

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

Since you offered.... I have a quick question about Memory Maker. Is it just linked to your band now? Do you still need to go to the photo counter to activate anything? We used Photo Pass Plus last year and had to go to the store to get our card/lanyard thing. Just curious how it works now.

Hope you have a great trip!

 

[lisatx04]

So we went to Chef Mickey for dinner. I drove the car and as I pulled up to the gate, the gentleman at the gate scanned my MB and told me to have a good night! No explanation needed as to why I was trying to enter the parking lot!!
I had the photographer take quite a few pictures of the kids and it was no problem. After he took the pictures, he just scanned my MB.

Once you pay for MM and you link it to your MDE, you are done! No activation needed. I told my kids to have fun and have as many pictures taken as they want. I can't wait to see them.

After dinner, we returned to OKW and hit the store to buy some grocery items. I wanted to go to the actual grocery store, but the kids are tired. Had an issue with the MB-I just did not have it at the right angle, but once that was corrected, it worked like a charm. Again, no issues entering our room.

Tomorrow will be the real test as we enter 3 different parks and use the FP+ system for the first time.

Going to be a long day tomorrow. Hope I can sleep tonight!!

 

[3happydancers]

Was wondering how you got both RNR and TSMM at HS. I thought they were both tier 1 rides?

 

[lisatx04]

They are both Tier 1 rides. I had booked the GMR as a Tier 2, but then someone here on the Dis posted that tiers were changing and that GMR had become a Tier 1 and that it could be switched for another tier 1 ride. So being completely computer illiterate when it comes to most things, I called Disney and they were very happy to help me make the switch. It also applied to Epcot, where I have FP+ for Soarin, TT and SE.

 

[fbb]

Right now, all 3 kids, ages 15, 17, 18, are laying on the beds, on phones, laptops and iPads. You would never know they are in Disney!!

ironic

 

[lynn46356]

Reading along! Enjoy your day today. Sounds like fun!!!!!!

 

[evaready51]

I agree, that's how I feel about my boys, now 26 & 30 - Young parents out there, please enjoy your children...they grow so fast!!

 

[ariane37]

Looking forward to reading more! We stayed at OKW our first time on-site in 2007 and I have many fond memories of the trip and the resort

 

[lisatx04]

What a day!
Sunday we got to the bus stop at OKW at 9:35 and waited until a DHS bus arrived at 9:50, then we were on our way! Our first FP+ was for TOT 10-11, so the 2 girls rode it, entering the line at 10:18, and exiting at 10:42.
They then took my MB and DS MB and rode again. Took them about 20 minutes to complete the ride. Standby was 30 minutes. At this point, RNR SB was 1 hour. We went to the GMR, and SB was 25 min. We were on the ride in 17 minutes. It was now time for RNR FP+, which was 11:30-12:30. The kids entered at 11:58. The SB wait was 70 minutes. The ride broke while they were on the ride, so they received paper FP that are good until the end of the month, but just for certain rides. They plan to go back Sat morning and use them for RNR. We had lunch, then used our FP for TSMM, 12:50-1:50, arriving at 1:27 and getting on the ride at 1:35. The SB time was 55 minutes. Then the rain came!! It was a downpour!! We used this time to seek refuge in the American Idol Excperience and when it was over, so was the rain. We rode Star Tours SB, which said a 30 minute wait, but was really 27.

We left DHS at 4:15 by boat and headed to Epcot. We entered by the International Gateway and headed to France for a snack. Yummy!! We then took pictures with Belle and Aurora and saw the 6pm viewing of the American Adventure. Dinner was Via Napoli at 7pm.

After dinner we headed to MK,arriving at 9pm. We took the train to Fantasyland, to bypass the parade. SDMT SB wait was 75 minutes and would continue like this for the rest of the night. There were no FP to be had. we walked on to IASW. Peter Pan said a 35 min SB wait, but it was less than that. We rode Winnie the Pooh, and while we were on that ride, the ride broke. Again, we were given FP that are good until the end of the month for certain rides but NOT for SDMT! We then rode Space MTN, which said a 40 min SSB wait, but was actually only 30 minutes.

Some observations: In our morning park, DHS, it seems like everyone was glued to their smart phone. I don't ever remember seeing as many phones as I did today. FP+ kiosks are located next to TOT and behind the sorcerer hat, in front of GMR. MB worked great!! Not one issue at all!! I loved not having to run all over the parks and get paper FP. When we were in MK, I did try to use the kiosks to get a 4th FP. I found the kiosks to not be very easy to use. You need to use your fingernail to make the screen change, which I was not able to do. DD was able to do that. There was not a lot of selection left, but this was also at 10pm, even though the park was staying open until 3am. My daughter, who is 17, did bring up a good point. She said that if you have a MB, you need to be careful as you won't realize how much you are spending and how quickly it adds up! I totally agree!!

Tomorrow, or actually today, we will be going to Epcot, where we have our 3 FP+ and dinner ADR.

Let me know if you have any questions!

 

[think-like-tink]

Enjoyed reading so far! Have a great time