How can this be? 35 Days to Disney?? Sept PTR

[DexLabDeeDee]

Real Life Update...


I DID IT!! I registered for the Star Wars Half! Registered little man for the Kid's run too. He is a little bummed that we aren't doing the 5k together but there is no way I can do the 5k and half in the same weekend.

So this will be a whole family trip. I am thinking since there is at least 5 of us going we may rent DVC. Have to look into that though...

Congratulations!! And you get a whole family trip out of it too!

Renting DVC is great. I highly recommend it! Stay deluxe at (often) moderate prices! Just make sure you do your research and either go through a broker or connect with a really trustworthy person. There are lots of good blogs out there about how to safely go about renting DVC points. I personally like going through a reputable broker for the ease of mind but it usually is a little more money per point than connecting with someone yourself.

 

[hockeyprincess25]

Congratulations!! And you get a whole family trip out of it too!

Renting DVC is great. I highly recommend it! Stay deluxe at (often) moderate prices! Just make sure you do your research and either go through a broker or connect with a really trustworthy person. There are lots of good blogs out there about how to safely go about renting DVC points. I personally like going through a reputable broker for the ease of mind but it usually is a little more money per point than connecting with someone yourself.

I have been looking at it and going through a broker is what we will likely do. DH is apprehensive about the whole deal so going through a person makes him extremely nervous! I can't wait to take all of my family to the place that makes me so happy!!

 

[hockeyprincess25]

Day 7
​

We have Breakfast ADR at 8:45 at Crystal Palace. MK opens at 9 that day so maybe we can get into the park at 8:15 or so and get a empty park castle picture? That is ideal. We shall see how it works out though.

After breakfast we are going to stay in the Pooh theme and enjoy our first FP on winnie the pooh. The first year we went DS was 'too old' for this ride. I told him to humor me. He of course, loved it.

Lunch right now is BOG at 12:15. Another maybe we will cancel. It is a lot of food for the day... we still have dinner remember...

We then have 7DMT. I made a fp for this for everyday we were in MK. It is so short I hate to wait for it, but DS really does love it.
After that we have Buzz FP.
Hopefully we will be out of the park by 3 so we can run back, rest a touch, refresh and head to 1900PF for dinner.

The evening plans after that will depend on how we are doing. This is usually the day that DS starts to miss his brothers, his dad, his room, his friends, hockey...just everything. We may wind up just going shopping or back for a night swim and movie.

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

I have been looking at it and going through a broker is what we will likely do. DH is apprehensive about the whole deal so going through a person makes him extremely nervous! I can't wait to take all of my family to the place that makes me so happy!!

I was very apprehensive too. Even going through a broker. We haven't yet gone on our trip but my fears are basically gone. I've linked up the reservation in MDE and I've checked-in. So it all is there. I imagine that if, for some reason, the reservation wasn't valid anymore it would reflect that in MDE. We also just got our MB that were from that reservation so it's all looking good.

We also bought vacation insurance because once you pay, you are locked in and won't get your money back for cancelling or changing the reservation - even if it is an emergency. It wasn't that much to add the vacation insurance. Plus it gives us all peace of mind. And we aren't prone to moving our dates or location once we decide so the non-cancellation/moving would only be an issue for us if there was an emergency.

I've been very pleased with the process so far. We went through David's Vacation Rentals.

Day 7
​

We have Breakfast ADR at 8:45 at Crystal Palace. MK opens at 9 that day so maybe we can get into the park at 8:15 or so and get a empty park castle picture? That is ideal. We shall see how it works out though.

After breakfast we are going to stay in the Pooh theme and enjoy our first FP on winnie the pooh. The first year we went DS was 'too old' for this ride. I told him to humor me. He of course, loved it.

Lunch right now is BOG at 12:15. Another maybe we will cancel. It is a lot of food for the day... we still have dinner remember...

We then have 7DMT. I made a fp for this for everyday we were in MK. It is so short I hate to wait for it, but DS really does love it.
After that we have Buzz FP.
Hopefully we will be out of the park by 3 so we can run back, rest a touch, refresh and head to 1900PF for dinner.

The evening plans after that will depend on how we are doing. This is usually the day that DS starts to miss his brothers, his dad, his room, his friends, hockey...just everything. We may wind up just going shopping or back for a night swim and movie.

I would definitely think that BOG would be just a bit too much food after Crystal Palace and before 1900PF. I would think that the flexibility for lunch would be better (even though we are talking about BOG, which I love!). That way, you can eat a bigger meal at at CS location if you are indeed hungry or you can just eat some snacks to get you through to dinner. BOG is a lot of money if you aren't going to be hungry for it.

 

[ariane37]

I agree that I think a 12:15 lunch after an 8:45 breakfast may be too close together
Have you guys done PF dinner before? I really want to do it to meet the stepsisters but my boys have no interest and fight me on it whenever I bring it up I've booked it a couple times but ended up cancelling.....they did reluctantly meet Lady Tremaine with me in MK last year but unfortunately her daughters were "having tea" that day and couldn't meet with her lol.

 

[CatNipRules]

Day 7
​

We have Breakfast ADR at 8:45 at Crystal Palace. MK opens at 9 that day so maybe we can get into the park at 8:15 or so and get a empty park castle picture? That is ideal. We shall see how it works out though.

After breakfast we are going to stay in the Pooh theme and enjoy our first FP on winnie the pooh. The first year we went DS was 'too old' for this ride. I told him to humor me. He of course, loved it.

Lunch right now is BOG at 12:15. Another maybe we will cancel. It is a lot of food for the day... we still have dinner remember...

We then have 7DMT. I made a fp for this for everyday we were in MK. It is so short I hate to wait for it, but DS really does love it.
After that we have Buzz FP.
Hopefully we will be out of the park by 3 so we can run back, rest a touch, refresh and head to 1900PF for dinner.

The evening plans after that will depend on how we are doing. This is usually the day that DS starts to miss his brothers, his dad, his room, his friends, hockey...just everything. We may wind up just going shopping or back for a night swim and movie.

I agree with the others. It might be too much food too close together.

Love your fast pass plans. Pretty close to what mine are.

 

[hockeyprincess25]

I was very apprehensive too. Even going through a broker. We haven't yet gone on our trip but my fears are basically gone. I've linked up the reservation in MDE and I've checked-in. So it all is there. I imagine that if, for some reason, the reservation wasn't valid anymore it would reflect that in MDE. We also just got our MB that were from that reservation so it's all looking good.

We also bought vacation insurance because once you pay, you are locked in and won't get your money back for cancelling or changing the reservation - even if it is an emergency. It wasn't that much to add the vacation insurance. Plus it gives us all peace of mind. And we aren't prone to moving our dates or location once we decide so the non-cancellation/moving would only be an issue for us if there was an emergency.

I've been very pleased with the process so far. We went through David's Vacation Rentals.



I would definitely think that BOG would be just a bit too much food after Crystal Palace and before 1900PF. I would think that the flexibility for lunch would be better (even though we are talking about BOG, which I love!). That way, you can eat a bigger meal at at CS location if you are indeed hungry or you can just eat some snacks to get you through to dinner. BOG is a lot of money if you aren't going to be hungry for it.

We were looking at David's to rent through. I have to get through this trip first. DH refuses to discuss the next trip until the current trip is over. At least he acknowledges there will be a next trip! LOL

I agree that I think a 12:15 lunch after an 8:45 breakfast may be too close together
Have you guys done PF dinner before? I really want to do it to meet the stepsisters but my boys have no interest and fight me on it whenever I bring it up I've booked it a couple times but ended up cancelling.....they did reluctantly meet Lady Tremaine with me in MK last year but unfortunately her daughters were "having tea" that day and couldn't meet with her lol.

We have done 1900 every trip. My teen loved the step sisters last trip. He said he was just like in high school. All of the annoying girls clinging to him. lol!

I agree with the others. It might be too much food too close together.

Love your fast pass plans. Pretty close to what mine are.

I think you are all right... BOG is just too much. I will go and cancel that one this weekend. I hate the deluxe dining plan because I really don't need 3 table meals... 2 would be perfect.

 

[hockeyprincess25]

So...10 days to the trip! I have started packing full on. DS bags are packed, but he is easy. I go back to school shopping and just toss everything in his suitcase instead of his dresser.

I did buy a few new things for me so that is packed. I am trying to plan out what we have going on the next 10 days so I leave out a few outfits but get the rest in the suitcases.

I went out and got a new phone. My LG3 acts up every now and again and last year overheated a few times so I got a Samsung Note 7. It is suppose to be waterproof so no worries on Kali. And a long battery life. I bought a brick charger just in case.

Ordered a new pair of my favorite sandals too. I don't know how much I will wear them in the parks, but I love flip flops and will likely wear them around the resort and maybe if I know it is going to be a shorter day.

 

[CatNipRules]

So...10 days to the trip! I have started packing full on. DS bags are packed, but he is easy. I go back to school shopping and just toss everything in his suitcase instead of his dresser.

I did buy a few new things for me so that is packed. I am trying to plan out what we have going on the next 10 days so I leave out a few outfits but get the rest in the suitcases.

I went out and got a new phone. My LG3 acts up every now and again and last year overheated a few times so I got a Samsung Note 7. It is suppose to be waterproof so no worries on Kali. And a long battery life. I bought a brick charger just in case.

Ordered a new pair of my favorite sandals too. I don't know how much I will wear them in the parks, but I love flip flops and will likely wear them around the resort and maybe if I know it is going to be a shorter day.

Yay!! Congrats on 10 days to go!! I'm packing a little bit at a time. I'm the easy one, DS is the hard one. I'll write about it in my trip report, but it's frustrating.....

 

[hockeyprincess25]

Yay!! Congrats on 10 days to go!! I'm packing a little bit at a time. I'm the easy one, DS is the hard one. I'll write about it in my trip report, but it's frustrating.....

Because I am awful with math.. it wasn't 10 days when I posted that but it is now!! Actually, very soon it is 9 days~Single digits!!!!

Work has been awful as of late and the chance to go away for almost 2 full weeks is absolutely heaven!! Tomorrow I have to run out and get a new suitcase. We only have one large one and can take 2 each...

Here's hoping this week flies by!!!

 

[hockeyprincess25]

Day 8
​

We start the morning out at CRT for a pre-park opening breakfast. Thought about cancelling it as we have a dinner there already and I prefer the dinner menu, but we have so many meal credits we may as well eat there.

We will hang out in MK for a while and check out a few rides based on the shortest stand by lines.

Depending on how we are feeling at this point in the trip we may head back to the resort early and just relax.

We have a 1:00 FP at Epcot so we could get Test Track in. As soon as we do that we will be running(ish) to Hollywood Studios for a 2:15 lunch reservation at Mama Melrose. I think this will be one of our favorites as we both love italian food and are looking forward to it. We booked it with the F! package as we haven't seen that ever. Plan as of now is to hang out in HS, however DS mentioned this weekend he wants to do a day where we go on at least one ride in each park, so maybe this will be the day. We could swing over to AK and do the Safari as that is not firmed up anywhere and then go back to HS for the F! show.

Usually by this point in the trip we are preparing to go home, so the next 3 days could get dicey. He is usually tired by this point and missing his brothers and dad. Fingers crossed I can keep him busy the rest of the trip and we can stay rested.

 

[ariane37]

I like DS's idea of doing a ride in each park! We've only done 3 parks with our boys, but DH and I did all 4 parks in a day in January. It was fun, totally unplanned and not rushed or stressed at all. Even if you plan it, it doesn't have to be rushed or stressed, especially if his goal is only to do one ride.

I've read so many good reviews of MM lately, we have it booked for lunch in Nov. and we're totally looking forward to it It's been 5 years since we ate there but even back then we enjoyed it.

You may be doing this already and my old lady mind just can't remember, but if DS starts getting a little homesick after day 8, what about something outside of a park like bowling at Splitsville or mini-golf?

 

[hockeyprincess25]

I like DS's idea of doing a ride in each park! We've only done 3 parks with our boys, but DH and I did all 4 parks in a day in January. It was fun, totally unplanned and not rushed or stressed at all. Even if you plan it, it doesn't have to be rushed or stressed, especially if his goal is only to do one ride.

I've read so many good reviews of MM lately, we have it booked for lunch in Nov. and we're totally looking forward to it It's been 5 years since we ate there but even back then we enjoyed it.

You may be doing this already and my old lady mind just can't remember, but if DS starts getting a little homesick after day 8, what about something outside of a park like bowling at Splitsville or mini-golf?

I think we will be able to combat the homesickness with lots of pool time. Just today I telling a friend that we have so much time there we can go see a movie or just hang out and play on our tablets one day if we want.

I just realized that since we are skipping the AP this time around we won't have memory maker. I am trying to find a share or organize one but if that fails, I guess I will be buying memory maker this weekend. I usually only get a few pictures but like to have a variety to choose from...trying to decide if memory maker is a deal for us or not.

 

[hockeyprincess25]

So, last night I started to think about everything we need and that needs to be done and realized that I still don't have our ME luggage tags... you know so they pick up our luggage. So I sent a quick text to me TA. I haven't heard much from her since I paid off the trip. She texts me this am that she created the label on 8/11. So obviously it has been lost. I think this is our last run with a TA. I don't really use her for anything other than making payments and as I understand it, I can do that myself through Disney.

I don't need Disney stress...

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

I think we will be able to combat the homesickness with lots of pool time. Just today I telling a friend that we have so much time there we can go see a movie or just hang out and play on our tablets one day if we want.

I just realized that since we are skipping the AP this time around we won't have memory maker. I am trying to find a share or organize one but if that fails, I guess I will be buying memory maker this weekend. I usually only get a few pictures but like to have a variety to choose from...trying to decide if memory maker is a deal for us or not.

Memory maker is always a hard decision. I really like it but in the end, it is much cheaper and better value for us to just individually purchase the pictures we want when we get home.

You can still have photopass photographers take all the pictures you want, even if you don't have memory maker. My sister was confused about this during her honeymoon (she didn't have memory maker) and so they didn't stop for any photopass pics of her and her new husband. She thought that she couldn't even have the photopass CMs take her picture because she didn't have the memory maker! She was so upset when she found out later that you can just buy them later individually if you want!

 

[hockeyprincess25]

Memory maker is always a hard decision. I really like it but in the end, it is much cheaper and better value for us to just individually purchase the pictures we want when we get home.

You can still have photopass photographers take all the pictures you want, even if you don't have memory maker. My sister was confused about this during her honeymoon (she didn't have memory maker) and so they didn't stop for any photopass pics of her and her new husband. She thought that she couldn't even have the photopass CMs take her picture because she didn't have the memory maker! She was so upset when she found out later that you can just buy them later individually if you want!

I will probably not decide until the day before... I think it is $150 up until the day before we leave... I will think about it for a few more days...

 

[hockeyprincess25]

Day 9
​

We start this morning off with an 8:10 breakfast at CRT. We will be heading right over to Seven Dwarfs for our first fp. Then it is Splash and after a snack break Peter Pan. Hopes are to go back to the resort for a bit and rest. We have Dinner at BOG planned and I really hope that we don't get the same server we have gotten every time we have gone. (literally, 3 times, same woman...and she is awful!)

Hopes are to stay and watch Electrical parade and wishes this night.

I just realized we have CRT two mornings in a row... time to ax one. I am playing in MDE tonight to try and figure things out.

 

[hockeyprincess25]

I have finished packing for DS. Other than his swimtrunks and deciding on a travel outfit. He doesn't have a mickey shirt...in years past he has worn the same Going to Disney shirt but I think it is too small this year... maybe I will check that out. We can bring 4 suitcases between the two of us and DS stuff all fit within one carryon. I think we will plan for the bigger suitcases to be less full so that we can bring home lots of fun stuff!!

 

[ariane37]

I have finished packing for DS. Other than his swimtrunks and deciding on a travel outfit. He doesn't have a mickey shirt...in years past he has worn the same Going to Disney shirt but I think it is too small this year... maybe I will check that out. We can bring 4 suitcases between the two of us and DS stuff all fit within one carryon. I think we will plan for the bigger suitcases to be less full so that we can bring home lots of fun stuff!!

Thank goodness I read this!! I just started packing tonight for our adults only trip Saturday. As I'm a terrible over-packer I swore I was going to get everything into one suitcase and a carry on for this trip, but it doesn't look like I'll have much room for souvenirs! What to do, what to do

Do you have a Target or Kohls by you? They often have Disney shirts for kids, maybe you can pick up a new Mickey shirt for DS

 

[hockeyprincess25]

UGH!! I had a memory maker share I was setting up when I had 3 families committed and of course as soon as I buy it, two backed out. Still saved me a little money but I would have just joined a share myself if I knew others were going to back out. I am curious if it is refundable. I should call tomorrow. Or just suck it up... more likely that is what I will do...