How Early is Too Early to Plan??? - TR Link Added - 12/29

[afwdwfan]

Yikes! Around the Holidays I'm always envious of those who have families to spend it with, especially on the ones where my parents spend with my sister's family. But then there are these times I hear about when there are so many folks with such varying levels of planning, I feel blessed that the only folks in our family we ever travel with are my parents.

We always have a good time together. And that in and of itself wasn't ruined. But it just could have been a lot easier.

In some respects my Mom does me to shame! I remember a weekend trip to their house last year where I was so busy the week or two before we didn't have time to plan any meals or activities other than my HS reunion was Saturday night and we would arrive Saturday afternoon. We had little time to freshen up before the evening and rushed out to get there. The next morning she sat me down over my morning coffee and wrote down the plans for dinners for the next three days, what restaurant we would go to on our "night out" and what activities we had planned for the daytime, whether it was nothing, shopping, visiting old haunts. She just had to know what the plan was for the next 3-4 days while we were there. Hilarious!

Yeah... that's impressive. At least I think that's the word for it.

I think you definitely need a vague plan for any trip, with the idea that it can always be changed on the fly. When you have that many people it's like herding cats to get them to agree when they are all sitting around. Someone needs to take charge and "hold the flag" whilst the rest follow. (Brazilian Tour Group Example)

Definitely! I always like to have an idea of "Ok, here's what we're doing today, be ready to leave at XX:XX if you're going."


I

think this is the best plan. Nobody but us needs to know what you are planning. I know that my father moves slowly and when we were at WDW, we missed breakfast at WPE because he wouldn't get up and ready.

I like that. Only the Disers need to know my plans. Seems almost diabolical.

I do my plans in an Excel Spreadsheet that looks like a calendar with three rows for Morning, Afternoon and Evening. I have loose plans like Parks, ADRs and other plans in there. Maybe print up something like that and give it to everyone and tell them, "This is what we are doing, you're welcome to join us if you want to try and keep up."

Oh, we're very similar in this regard. I've got a spreadsheet with columns for breakfast, morning park, lunch, afternoon plans, dinner and evening park. And they're all color coded based on what park it is, what type of meal it is and how it is to be paid for.

As far as TRs go, I've been crazy busy for as long as you have been gone, so you haven't missed much on mine. There's also easy links in the second post for quick catching up!

I appreciate it! I'm actually almost caught up already. Thankfully, nobody went crazy with updates.

Most definitely not. Kids club!!! OR consider a lunch date out, or afternoon, or even an early rope/drop or breakfast without the kids.

We'll see what happens. Truthfully we get plenty of date nights and adult only activities at home, so having that at Disney World isn't a must. So we'll see. I don't think we can use Kids clubs yet though with DD being 2.

Ummmmm

Let it go.

Folks that want to sleep in on vacation, are going to sleep in. Unless they are disney park commando people...or type A want to be busy people, it will always be a clash. If you let go of the idea of all leaving together and just find ways to meet up at certain points, you will all be happier. Yes, it will mean more texting. Yes, you will really need to make sure phones are charged but this way no one will totally have to give up things that are important to them.

Ok, there is some more peripheral information that I'll try to explain later. I don't think that it was as much that people wanted to sleep in, it was just that nobody knew what the game plan was. The annoying thing was that there are trails we could have explored during those 2 or 3 hours of limbo in the morning or DW could have gotten her spa visit in during that time, but instead we were sitting around thinking we were leaving the cabin at 8 or 9 while it turned into 10, 11 or 12. And it was always due to someone sitting in their room watching TV, or going for a walk on one of those trails, or lounging somewhere else waiting on someone to tell them what time we're leaving. It was simply a lack of communication and having a firm plan in place.

As far as splitting up... I'm not opposed to it at all. Especially with that many people. I would welcome it, because there are things my family would like to do that the rest of the group doesn't have much interest in. We actually even considered adding a night just for us for this reason alone. I know splitting up is more efficient. But everybody wanted to do things together, so as you said, I did Let it go.

Yeah, getting the texts during date night would have made me not want to have any more date nights. That really stinks What about Kids Club? I've heard great reviews! But who knows?! Maybe your IL's will be so worn out from the parks that they'll insist on taking the kids back to the room?!

From what I've seen, DD is too young for the Kids Clubs, being just 2. So I'm not sure that's an option. I don't think we'd send them back with the grandparents early since MiL's complaint is that she can't relax and sleep when she has the kids. It wouldn't be worth it to send them back and then get texts asking when we'll come back to the room.

Aw man no more TH?! I actually made an ADR because of your recommendation, along with Phil's (I think Phil. Can't remember now.)

My recommendation? I've never even been there. I've just heard a lot of good things and really want to try it. I haven't canceled that ADR yet, but who knows...

I am trying to be patient as I wait and not eat popcorn. I am waiting to hear about Kings Island. I am going there on August 7 when I visit family.

Mmmmm... popcorn.


Sorry, I'll try to get to work on it.

You know who has good popcorn? Kings Island.

 

[shan23877]

Oh the joys of traveling with family...

Make your plans, let everyone else know about them, and then let them join you or not. NO GUILT. WDW is too darn expensive to let others make you miss half of it.

 

[MEK]

Oh My! Traveling with a big group is tough enough. Traveling with a big group to Gaitlinburg (once of the most crowded places on EARTH) who have absolutely no plans sounds like it was so NOT fun! I'm sorry!

And I really don't understand why Gatlinburg is so hugely popular. I was there once and I sat in traffic for over an hour to go, immmmm, 5 miles MAYBE?

I mean it looks like there are some very pretty areas and a ton of touristy things to do, but its more crowded than the mid atlantic beaches. And THAT's crowded.

Sorry the adult night did not work out. Kind of dashes all hopes for WDW.

 

[khertz]

It is really frustrating traveling with such a large group that doesn't gel with your vacationing style. But hey, at least you gathered some info of what NOT to do when in Disney! The first time we took a group trip to Disney, we were sans Paxton, so we were more agreeable to waiting around for everyone in the group to be ready to do something. Now that we have him around, we learned to just split up and do our own thing if the group was lagging behind!

 

[Leshaface]

My recommendation? I've never even been there. I've just heard a lot of good things and really want to try it. I haven't canceled that ADR yet, but who knows...

Oops sorry Now I have no idea who recommended it! I think it's because i've seen it a lot on TR's recently and then seeing it on your ADR list kinda pushed me to book it.

 

[afwdwfan]

Oh the joys of traveling with family...

Make your plans, let everyone else know about them, and then let them join you or not. NO GUILT. WDW is too darn expensive to let others make you miss half of it.

Yeah... I pretty much already know how I'm handling WDW. We've done it with my family and done fine with that approach. Problem is, DW and her mom are going to want to do everything together. So splitting up, might not be an option.

Ok, it could be an option for me and I'd gladly go solo for a few hours every morning, but it might not be good for my marriage.

Oh My! Traveling with a big group is tough enough. Traveling with a big group to Gaitlinburg (once of the most crowded places on EARTH) who have absolutely no plans sounds like it was so NOT fun! I'm sorry!

And I really don't understand why Gatlinburg is so hugely popular. I was there once and I sat in traffic for over an hour to go, immmmm, 5 miles MAYBE?

I mean it looks like there are some very pretty areas and a ton of touristy things to do, but its more crowded than the mid atlantic beaches. And THAT's crowded.

I agree... to a point. We've been to Gatlinburg several times. We tend to shy away from all the shops and "tourist crap." We tend to enjoy going into the mountains, maybe walking a trail or 2, spend an afternoon doing putt-putt or go karts. Do some swimming. But downtown Gatlinburg just doesn't have much appeal to me. We did want to check out the "legal moonshine" places, but due to the crowds we encountered on our first visit, decided against going back.

I think part of what bit us was that usually we go in the spring when it isn't as crowded. The one time we went in July before, there was only 7 or 8 of us and it wasn't near as difficult.

Sorry the adult night did not work out. Kind of dashes all hopes for WDW.

I didn't exactly have high hopes of that happening before this occurred. I mean look at the ADR list. There's no date night destination there.

It is really frustrating traveling with such a large group that doesn't gel with your vacationing style. But hey, at least you gathered some info of what NOT to do when in Disney! The first time we took a group trip to Disney, we were sans Paxton, so we were more agreeable to waiting around for everyone in the group to be ready to do something. Now that we have him around, we learned to just split up and do our own thing if the group was lagging behind!

I think it will work better for us in WDW than it did on this trip. At least I hope so. I can assure you that there is a general itinerary of at least where we'll be going and how early we need to go. And I feel pretty confident that MiL and FiL will be ready to go when we ask them. But I can see them going back to the resort before we do in the evening, possibly.

Oops sorry Now I have no idea who recommended it! I think it's because i've seen it a lot on TR's recently and then seeing it on your ADR list kinda pushed me to book it.

I just didn't want to be blamed if you don't like it. I totally understand. TR's kind of run together. I think we follow a lot of the same ones and I've seen several really good reviews for this one lately.

 

[afwdwfan]

Weekend Getaway

It will have been 2 years since our last Disney World visit when we go this year. We know that DS loved “Goofy’s Roller Coaster” last time and he still talks about it. But now he’s at 42” which opens a whole new world of possibilities for him. I really wanted to see how he feels about rides like that now before we book FP+.

So we decided a day at Kings Island would be a good idea, just to test the waters. DW doesn’t work on Fridays so we decided I’d take a day off and hopefully, it wouldn’t be quite as crowded as a weekend.

Spoiler alert: It turned out to be the least crowded day that I think I've ever been to Kings Island. Longest line we waited in was 15 minutes.

When we looked for a day that would work, I cross referenced it with the Reds home schedule and found a weekend with a Saturday afternoon game and requested we just make a weekend of it and that could be my Father’s Day gift.

We arrived before the park opened to take care of some things. They’ve got a great parent swap system there where you go to guest services and get a paper. Then one parent rides, gets the paper signed by a ride attendant as they exit and then the other parent comes back up the exit to ride. They also will measure kids and give them a color coded arm band indicating which height level they reach.

Our plan was for DW and I to hit a few “big kid” rides before it got too crowded and then just take our time letting the kids do what they wanted. We started off with the newest ride, Banshee. It just opened this year and is the world’s longest inverted roller coaster.

Borrowed via Google:

Now, I like roller coasters. Bonus points for speed, going upside down, being inverted, and being a long ride. I couldn’t wait to ride it.

DW went first and I met her at the exit. She gave me the parent swap pass and I headed up the ramp… only to be told the ride was going to be down. I was welcome to wait if I wanted, but they had no idea how long it would be.
The parent swap pass specifically says it must be used within 10 minutes of the first ride. I didn’t want to miss out, but I hated to waste valuable time during the first hour of the day waiting. After a couple of minutes, a ride attendant told me to just leave and come back up the exit when I see it running later in the day and she’d let me in.

Well, I’ve got nothing in writing, but it is something. Just gotta hope for the best.

We headed across the park to ride Diamondback. It is a fun coaster. 215' drop with an 80 mph top speed. I’ve just got this thing about coasters that I appreciate them more if they go upside down. This one is tall, fast, smooth as can be and gives a lot of airtime over the hills. But if it had a few loops or got me disoriented along the way, I’d love it a heck of a lot more.

Images Borrowed via Google:

DW decided she was done with coasters for a while and the kids wanted to ride some rides. She took them to Planet Snoopy to check out a few kids rides while I headed over to a couple of the coasters that are a “must do” for me and too rough for DW.

First up was Vortex.

Borrowed via Google:

I love, love, love this roller coaster. I’ve ridden it more times than I can count over the years. It was the first “intense” roller coaster I’ve ever ridden with multiple loops. I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed it, but due to closures and other unfortunate situations, it has been probably 8 years or so since I’d ridden it. I couldn’t wait to ride. As we climbed the lift hill, I checked out the line for the Beast. It sits back in the woods and you can’t see the queue or loading station from anywhere else. It didn’t appear to be more than a walk on yet.

I plummeted down the first hill and as we hit top speed and entered the first inversion, I realized something. These years since I’ve ridden this coaster have not been good. I don’t know if it was me, or if it was the Vortex, but things have aged.

About halfway through, I was afraid I was going to get a concussion. For a moment, I literally feared I was going to black out. I’ve never felt that way on a roller coaster. Ever. Especially, not on this one. It just absolutely beat the crap out of me.

Well, my plan was to ride a couple of my old favorites. An old steel coaster that just about did me in… and a legendary wooden coaster that was celebrating its 35th year in operation. Who in their right mind would get on a 35 year old wooden coaster after that experience?







But it was a walk on! I’ve never, ever ridden The Beast when it was a walk on! No way I'm passing this up.

Images Borrowed via Google:

And guess what. Something magical happened. A steel roller coaster went and made a long wooden roller coaster with a reputation for being rough feel like I was riding on a cushion of air. While I never remember ever having such a rough ride on the Vortex, I don’t remember the Beast ever feeling so smooth.

I headed back to meet up with the family and we spent the morning riding kids rides and seeing a Charlie Brown show. It was so bad that it seemed almost like a parody show making fun of a kids’ amusement park show, but DD loved it and was dancing along so I guess that makes it worthwhile.

We then headed to Festhaus for lunch. It is a large, dark, air conditioned food court with a Panda Express and a La Rosa’s Pizza in it. I always like grabbing lunch there, because it makes a nice mid-day break away from the sun and heat.

We found a spot and I headed over to grab us some lunch from La Rosa’s. Now, I like La Rosa’s pizza. I always make a point to eat some when I go to Kings Island or a Reds game. It is a local Cincinnati chain and while it is far from Via Napoli quality, they have a distinct sauce that gives it a little bit different flavor that I really like.

We got the kids settled in with their food and then I sat down and took a bite out of mine. And it was the absolute worst piece of pizza I’ve ever had. It was doughy, flavorless and the toppings were rubbery. I’m pretty sure they were using the La Rosa’s name only, because the sauce just didn’t taste right. I was thoroughly disappointed. I choked my lunch down at about the time that the hourly musical show that they have in Festhaus started. It was a live 90’s boy bands musical performance. Sorry, khertz, I don’t know if Hanson was represented or not.

Festhaus is located very close to Banshee, so I told DW I’d go try my luck there while she and the kids finished eating. Yes, I was going to try to ride a roller coaster about 5 minutes after eating lunch.

I headed up the exit and quickly looked all around the platform. And I didn’t see the attendant that I’d spoken with that morning anywhere. Fortunately I remembered her name so I found the closest one and explained my story. I don’t know if he was buying it or not, but at about that time, she walked out of the control room and verified my story. Within minutes, I was on Banshee.
All I’ve got to say is that they need to quit promoting it as the world’s longest inverted coaster. It is sooooo much more than that. It has a great mix of speed, inversions, and direction changes and is absolutely smooth. It is amazing. I think this might just be my new favorite coaster.



Which is rather convenient since it takes up the footprint of a now dismantled former favorite of mine… RIP Son of Beast.

Images Borrowed via Google:

I headed back to find the family and we headed off to spend the afternoon back in Planet Snoopy.

We were eventually ready to work DS up to the bigger rides in that area, the main focus being Woodstock Express.

Borrowed via Google:

It is a wooden roller coaster somewhere between The Barnstormer and BTMRR in intensity. I took DS on his first ride and I headed straight for the last seat since there was no line. I mean, might as well start him off right.


He screamed his head off the entire ride.


But in a good way.

He absolutely loved it.

We got off and he took DW on it… and took her straight to the back row.
I think he rode it probably 10 or 12 times that afternoon. DW only rode 2 or 3 times, so it was mostly with me, but we rode in the front row, back row and everywhere in between. Our coaster experiment was a huge success!

At one point in the afternoon, we headed over to ride a couple of other roller coasters that DW and I wanted to do. While she was in line for one, I walked around a quiet pathway with the stroller and managed to get both kids to crash for a stroller nap. So glad that stroller naps still work!

We dodged a few rain showers that afternoon. None of them put a damper on the day. They actually cooled things down and made it more bearable. But a more intense rain did hit at around 5 pm, so we ducked into the Reds Grille, a table service type restaurant, to grab something to eat and wait it out.

I have to say, if you ever go to Kings Island, don’t waste your time with the counter service places. Go here. The food was much better and our meal at Reds Grille was only $8 more than our lunch not counting the tip. But we didn’t even buy any drinks at lunch (used our “free refills” cup we purchased earlier in the day), and we all bought drinks at dinner and I even had a beer.

We had an enjoyable dinner, and DS and I walked around looking at some baseball memorabilia after we ate. By the time we finished, the rain had stopped so we headed back out to ride a few more rides. We wanted to stay for the fireworks show at 10, but we had done about all that we wanted to and at around 8 the kids were fading. We had some ice cream and did a few other rides to kill some time, but after a ride on the carousel where DS nearly had a meltdown after he got off, we decided we were done.

We got to our room at the Comfort Suites just down the road just after 9. We saw that our window had a clear view of the park, so we did quick baths and sat on the couch watching the fireworks.



The next day we got up and had breakfast at the hotel before doing some swimming. DD and DW took a short nap before we checked out at noon and grabbed some lunch at the Outback Steakhouse across the parking lot.

We made it into Cincinnati and got to the ball park at around 2:30 for a 4:00 game. The Reds were celebrating the anniversary of Ken Griffey Jr’s 500th home run with a bobblehead, and in honor of the occasion, I reached deep into the dark depths of the closet for a shirt I hadn’t worn in a while. DW got this picture on the way to our seats.

SiL and her family were meeting us at the game. They made it just a few minutes before it started. We had a good time, but I think SiL and BiL were getting frustrated. My 3 year old nephew was more interested in the river boats than the game and kept wanting to get up to go see the boats again. Their 4 month old was great though.

We did have one interesting thing that happened. This guy.

DW took that picture when I got up to take DS to the restroom He was in the seat right next to me. At one point, he pointed to the back of DS’ shirt that said “VOTTO” on it. He asked if that’s one of the players. Uh… yeah.
He also asked SiL if he could kiss her baby. We were glad to see him leave in about the 5th inning and not come back. Probably passed out in a bathroom stall somewhere, but that is someone else’s problem.

Most importantly though, final score: Reds 11, Blue Jays 1
All in all, we had a fantastic weekend.

I’m sorry for the long post, but it has been over a month ago and I just wanted to get it all done in one shot. I also apologize for the lack of pictures. We didn’t take DW’s camera and I had my phone stashed away all day at KI since I knew we’d be riding roller coasters, so I had to count on Google Images to help bail me out.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

My but those young’ens are getting big. They’ll be out running you before you know it.

Glad y’all enjoyed the outing and more pleased to hear that your oldest is now officially ready to take on all the good stuff down in The World. Looking forward to hearing about how that trip goes.

 

[amandaw]

Sounds like a great weekend getaway!

It sounds like you love roller coasters as much as Ed & I do. I am thinking we seriously need to plan a trip to this Kings Island sometime in the future. It has some really fun looking rides!

Glad DS loved the coaster!

Your kids are getting big but still cute as ever!!

 

[ddstratton]

Sounds like a great weekend! Yay for DS liking the bigger coasters, too!

 

[glennbo123]

Don't apologize for the long post -- it was great!! That's wonderful that your son is enjoying the coasters. Sounded like a great weekend!

 

[KatMark]

Great update, Andy.

First, I cannot believe how big the kids have gotten...especially your daughter. They are both adorable.

The Vortex! I rode that once or twice when we took our kids to Kings Island one year (we did Kings Island and Cedar Point in one trip). I for sure know that I couldn't do it ever again (I can't even handle Rock & Roll).

The Beast Jr. is gone? That was our youngest son's favorite. After begging him to try it, we couldn't get him off of it.

I'm so glad it was a success with your son for the roller coasters. Is he tall enough for all of them now at Disney or does he still have a bit to go?

Looks like a great day at the ballpark. What was with that guy sitting next to you?

 

[afwdwfan]

My but those young’ens are getting big. They’ll be out running you before you know it.

to the first part.

And we'll see about that second part.

Glad y’all enjoyed the outing and more pleased to hear that your oldest is now officially ready to take on all the good stuff down in The World. Looking forward to hearing about how that trip goes.

I'm looking forward to it too!! I just hope he doesn't suddenly lose his bravery.

Sounds like a great weekend getaway!

It certainly was!

It sounds like you love roller coasters as much as Ed & I do. I am thinking we seriously need to plan a trip to this Kings Island sometime in the future. It has some really fun looking rides!

Just make sure to do the Ohio double... KI and Cedar Point. You'll have hit some of the best in the country.

Glad DS loved the coaster!

I was excited that he was into it. He tends to be fearful going into things so hopefully remembering this will make him want to try rides at Disney.

Your kids are getting big but still cute as ever!!

Thanks!

Sounds like a great weekend! Yay for DS liking the bigger coasters, too!

It was. I was so glad that he enjoyed it!

Don't apologize for the long post -- it was great!! That's wonderful that your son is enjoying the coasters. Sounded like a great weekend!

Thanks. I can't wait to try Thunder Mountain now. I'm kind of thinking we might need to skip Dinosaur though.

Great update, Andy.

Thanks

First, I cannot believe how big the kids have gotten...especially your daughter. They are both adorable.

No kidding. She has hair now!!!

The Vortex! I rode that once or twice when we took our kids to Kings Island one year (we did Kings Island and Cedar Point in one trip). I for sure know that I couldn't do it ever again (I can't even handle Rock & Roll).

I used to absolutely love it. I know it had to have gotten rougher. Either that or the Beast has gotten smoother and I highly doubt that is the case!

The Beast Jr. is gone? That was our youngest son's favorite. After begging him to try it, we couldn't get him off of it.

I think you mean the Beastie... which has been re-named Woodstock Express and that is the one DS liked.

Son of Beast was built in like 1999 or 2000. It was the tallest, fastest and only looping wooden rollercoaster in the world. It was a LOT of fun. I LOVED it. But it was a rough ride. So rough people got hurt and lawsuits were filed. The loop came out after about 2 or 3 years and a couple of years after that they closed it down for good due to some structural damage. The wooden structure apparently couldn't hold up to the speed and force of the cars. It sat in limbo several years and was torn down in 2011-2012 and replaced with Banshee.

I'm so glad it was a success with your son for the roller coasters. Is he tall enough for all of them now at Disney or does he still have a bit to go?

He's 42" right now, so he can do most of them. No RnRC or EE, but he might be tall enough for EE if he gains a couple more inches.

Looks like a great day at the ballpark. What was with that guy sitting next to you?

 

[afwdwfan]

Question for my California readers...

I think we all know that southern California traffic has a certain reputation. As in there's a lot of it. As I'm looking ahead to the conference/Disneyland trip in January, I'm trying to find what will work best for us.

I'd really like to find a non-stop flight... I just don't think having a layover and then trying to get the kids settled in for another leg will go over all that well. So far, I'm having no luck finding a non-stop flight that will take us into San Diego, but not all the airlines have itineraries out that far yet. I'll keep looking.

Basically, I'm thinking flying in and out of San Diego will be our best bet. It looks like it will be a relatively simple drive on I-5 from Anaheim to the airport when we return home, but does anyone have any input on that? Like, is that highway a nightmare to drive on?

I've considered looking at flying into and out of LAX if I could find a good rate on a direct flight, but looking at the map and the location of things... it just seems that it might be twice as far of a drive, but possibly easier to just go to San Diego and avoid going through or around LA to get to LAX. Our flights in and out would both be on a Saturday so I wouldn't think traffic would be horrible... but that's why I'm asking for input.

I've considered flying into one airport and returning through the other, but if we're going to rent a car, it will cost considerably more to do a 1 way rental, so I think both flights out of one airport would be best.

Basically, any of you who live in the area or have been there... What would you do? Is there anything I'm missing here that I should look at or consider?


Thanks in advance!

 

[franandaj]

First off, your little weekend getaway sounded like it was a nice fun escape for your family and great that you figured out the coasters are a hit! Now you can really plan on some fun times on your WDW trip.

I had to chuckle at your comments about the one coaster, I think it was Vortex that you hadn't been on in eight years and it was "different". Doesn't aging suck? I remember RnRC as being one of those coasters that I couldn't get enough of, and then there was the trip that I was done after two times in a row. I've even noticed that the Stretching room at the HM gets me sometimes. Hopefully you still enjoy all the other coasters for many years to come.

Now onto your So Cal questions. First off where are you flying from? I know that for my upcoming trip, I had a heck of a time trying to get to Cleveland and we ended up flying into Columbus to get a non stop flight from LAX.

Have checked out John Wayne Airport (SNA)? Also the drive to San Diego from Anaheim can be brutal on a Saturday. What should be a 2-3 hour trip can sometimes take 5 hours if the traffic is really heavy. San Diego is a popular getaway location for Angelinos and Friday through Sunday that road is bumper to bumper from San Clemente all the way to the 805 split. (hopefully you have looked at maps enough to know what I'm talking about)

LAX isn't that bad and LA freeways aren't terrible to navigate. Mainly in rush hour traffic on the weekdays and evenings on get away weekends. There is always that odd accident that can really screw things up, and when they do major roadwork there can also be heavy delays. However, in the normal scheme of things, it's just busy roads with a lot of traffic. If you come from a rural area, it could be daunting, but the trip to San Diego can be just as bad too, you just don't have to get on different freeways.

I'd be happy to give you whatever advice I can. I've lived in some part of LA County now for 30 years and we get around quite a bit so I'm familiar with most of the Freeways and know traffic patterns very well as I'm constantly checking Sigalert.com and other online traffic sites to get us the best route.

I don't know what carriers you are checking, but I know American releases their flights 11 months in advance (or used to). I suspect you might be trying to fly Southwest. If Anaheim is your destination, you might look into Burbank or Ontario as well. Long Beach is a small airport and easy to navigate, but I doubt you could get a non-stop into there from anywhere but Phoenix. Good luck with planning!

 

[momabbate]

Your Kings trip and game looked like fun.
As for planning, it is such a time saver as long as it is stuck to. Our first trip to WDW was with Sil and her family. We had adr set and what park set but didn't set when we would split up although we talked about splitting up. Needless to say we didn't split up enough. Lesson learn. Now my next trip will just be Chris, DH and me, I have already told him I will let him know my schedule and he can do what he wants. lol I know he will keep up. He understands my planning just doesn't understand why I plan with no real dates. lol

 

[that's nice]

Ok, apology time. I'm sorry.

You should be.

Also, if I'm reading your TR or PTR, I'll get caught up sometime. Maybe. I haven't logged on to the Disboards since July 11. So I'm just a little bit behind. I might have a little bit less to comment on as I'm trying to read through and catch up. You're welcome, Kathy.

You stealing my excuses again?

keep my opinions of everything inside. Ok, DW, SiL and I may have had a few conversations about things, but other than that…

First lesson... there will be no date night for DW and I at Disney World. Then about 2 1/2 hours into our evening DW starts getting texts asking when we'll be back and saying that they should have set a curfew.

And this is the reason I leave an hour by hour itinerary with the grandparents when they watch the kids. There are no excuses. Follow what's written. plain & simple.

But MiL was upset that we were out late and they couldn't go to bed. The kids are all on the same floor with doors that open to a common hallway with a baby monitor. But whatever…

HUH?

You're kidding right? I would of lost my mind, them had another beer.

Second lesson... when traveling with a group of 18, always have an itinerary.

Wow, sounds like lessons have been learned! You go Andy! Get your sister-in-law on board and run with it.

I think this summed up the whole post!:

Glen is right. and I thought the same thing.

Make the itinerary and give a printed copy or share a google calendar with everyone. Someone wants to sleep in? Fine, they know where to find you when they wake up. Someone wants to go left when you go right? Fine. Meet up with you at dinner. They miss the dinner ADR? They own you $10 each.

Your Kings Island trip looked like a lot of fun! They have a lot of coasters there! The kids are getting so big!!!! Very cute!

 

[amazingact21]

Sounds like a pretty successful weekend trip! Luck was on your side with low crowds and decent weather.


Those look like some biggggg coasters. I think I'll stick with my puny Disney rides. Although, Alex would have a field day there. I wouldn't be able to get him to leave.


Sorry the steel coaster was not kind to you. Getting older stinks.



Good thing that employee came out at the right time, since you ended up loving the ride.




Good to hear your DS is an official coaster junkie. In my husband's mind, that's a proud day for any parent.
And I have to say, 10 to 12 times on any ride is impression for someone, no matter their age. So kudos to your DS for having some serious ride stamina.



Great that your kids still take stroller naps. And I couldn't help but laugh at your DD crashing and burning on her stomach. That was too adorable.





What a great picture of your kids walking with you up to the baseball stadium.



You see all kinds of people at sporting events.
They can be quite unique...



Wow, your kids look so grown up compared to your last Disney TR. Especially your DD. I'm sure it'll be really interesting to compare how they looked on your last vacation to the one you're taking later this year.

 

[LuvEeyore]

Glad to see your update. I leave for Ohio Weds week and will be staying in Beavercreek. I went to Kings Island last in 1980. I am looking forward to going again August 7. I am taking my cousins girls for the day (my cousin is going to be the keeper of the 'stuff' as she doesn't ride roller coasters) I think I will leave Vortex off my list but will try Banshee from what you have said. I have ridden roller coasters since my Meniere's surgery but not since my last flair. I am hoping to get to ride some at KI. I probably wont ride vortex just because I don't want my head banged around. The Beast was one of my favorites but I have sworn off of wooden coasters because of the jarring--well I may have to rethink that. One place I am learning to ride a roller coaster is the front car. It would seem the jarring isn't as bad.

Thanks for the update on Kings Island. Your review was useful.

Did you see the cirque type show?

Don't guess I'll try to fit in a Reds game this time. Limited time with family.

Can't wait to hear more on you WDW plans.

DL, have you looked at flying into Burbank. That was cheaper for us and we flew southwest.

 

[afwdwfan]

First off, your little weekend getaway sounded like it was a nice fun escape for your family and great that you figured out the coasters are a hit! Now you can really plan on some fun times on your WDW trip.

I had to chuckle at your comments about the one coaster, I think it was Vortex that you hadn't been on in eight years and it was "different". Doesn't aging suck? I remember RnRC as being one of those coasters that I couldn't get enough of, and then there was the trip that I was done after two times in a row. I've even noticed that the Stretching room at the HM gets me sometimes. Hopefully you still enjoy all the other coasters for many years to come.

I can still handle them, for sure! I'm sticking with my story that the Vortex itself is rougher, just because The Beast seemed smoother by comparison and I know from past experience, that hasn't been the case.

Now onto your So Cal questions. First off where are you flying from? I know that for my upcoming trip, I had a heck of a time trying to get to Cleveland and we ended up flying into Columbus to get a non stop flight from LAX.

Planning on flying from Indy. Direct flights thus far are non-existant. I was waiting to see what SW has. So far I'm finding cheaper 1 stop flights to SD, but flights to LA are considerably higher priced.

I could also look into flying out of Cincinnati, but flights tend to cost more out of there than Indy. Louisville would also be something we could look into if it comes down to it.

Have checked out John Wayne Airport (SNA)?

No, but I will. Thanks.

Also the drive to San Diego from Anaheim can be brutal on a Saturday. What should be a 2-3 hour trip can sometimes take 5 hours if the traffic is really heavy. San Diego is a popular getaway location for Angelinos and Friday through Sunday that road is bumper to bumper from San Clemente all the way to the 805 split. (hopefully you have looked at maps enough to know what I'm talking about)

This is what I really needed to know. It isn't what I was hoping to hear, but it is what I needed to know.

Is heading to San Diego for the weekend a big thing in mid-January?

I'd be happy to give you whatever advice I can. I've lived in some part of LA County now for 30 years and we get around quite a bit so I'm familiar with most of the Freeways and know traffic patterns very well as I'm constantly checking Sigalert.com and other online traffic sites to get us the best route.

Thanks! This might not be the last local info I ask for. I know nothing about the area!

I don't know what carriers you are checking, but I know American releases their flights 11 months in advance (or used to). I suspect you might be trying to fly Southwest. If Anaheim is your destination, you might look into Burbank or Ontario as well. Long Beach is a small airport and easy to navigate, but I doubt you could get a non-stop into there from anywhere but Phoenix. Good luck with planning!

Thanks. I really don't care who we fly with. Probably want to avoid Delta, because there's like a 99% chance I'll have a layover in Detroit and I have never had a layover there that hasn't been a disaster. Especially in the winter.

Your Kings trip and game looked like fun.
As for planning, it is such a time saver as long as it is stuck to. Our first trip to WDW was with Sil and her family. We had adr set and what park set but didn't set when we would split up although we talked about splitting up. Needless to say we didn't split up enough. Lesson learn. Now my next trip will just be Chris, DH and me, I have already told him I will let him know my schedule and he can do what he wants. lol I know he will keep up. He understands my planning just doesn't understand why I plan with no real dates. lol

I always like to have a plan, but don't always feel like we need to stick to it 100%. If we stay together, fine. If we split up, fine. I think the most important thing is just to know where you're going to start and what time. That way everybody knows when they have to be ready. If they decide they don't want to join, no problem. If they go for a while and want to venture off course, see ya later.

You should be.

Yeah... because your last update was when?

You stealing my excuses again?

No. I have most certainly not been DJ at some high school prom or wedding.

And this is the reason I leave an hour by hour itinerary with the grandparents when they watch the kids. There are no excuses. Follow what's written. plain & simple.

You know, I don't want to be that overbearing. I mean, they know how to take care of a kid, so I'm ok with them doing it as they want to. Let the kids enjoy grandparent time. It isn't like we ever manage to follow any kind of an evening schedule, exactly, on our own anyway.

HUH?

You're kidding right? I would of lost my mind, them had another beer.

That was the part that upset me. And that is exactly what I did.

Glen is right. and I thought the same thing.

Make the itinerary and give a printed copy or share a google calendar with everyone. Someone wants to sleep in? Fine, they know where to find you when they wake up. Someone wants to go left when you go right? Fine. Meet up with you at dinner. They miss the dinner ADR? They own you $10 each.

Google calendar. You're funny. They don't even have the Disney app. Or the phone to put it on.

Your Kings Island trip looked like a lot of fun! They have a lot of coasters there! The kids are getting so big!!!! Very cute!

It was a blast. And yes, they grow up way too fast.

Sounds like a pretty successful weekend trip! Luck was on your side with low crowds and decent weather.

It really was. We couldn't have asked for more.

Those look like some biggggg coasters. I think I'll stick with my puny Disney rides. Although, Alex would have a field day there. I wouldn't be able to get him to leave.

The parks in Ohio just have this thing about records. Every new coaster has to break some type of record.

Sorry the steel coaster was not kind to you. Getting older stinks.

Brutal. I can't even remember how old I am most of the time. I quit really thinking about it after I hit 30. I've got to sit and think about whether I'm 32 or 33. (32, by the way... for a few more months)

Good thing that employee came out at the right time, since you ended up loving the ride.

Good to hear your DS is an official coaster junkie. In my husband's mind, that's a proud day for any parent.
And I have to say, 10 to 12 times on any ride is impression for someone, no matter their age. So kudos to your DS for having some serious ride stamina.

It certainly was a proud moment. He was having an absolute blast. Maybe we can try doing that on BTMRR instead of Barnstormer on this trip.

Great that your kids still take stroller naps. And I couldn't help but laugh at your DD crashing and burning on her stomach. That was too adorable.

She asked me to lay the seat back so she could lay down. She knew she was tired, but she kept flopping around until she finally found the sweet spot, I guess.

What a great picture of your kids walking with you up to the baseball stadium.

Thanks. I really liked it.

You see all kinds of people at sporting events.
They can be quite unique...

And the more social lubrication they have, the more unique they are.

Wow, your kids look so grown up compared to your last Disney TR. Especially your DD. I'm sure it'll be really interesting to compare how they looked on your last vacation to the one you're taking later this year.

I know! DD really does look a lot different now that she has hair.

Glad to see your update. I leave for Ohio Weds week and will be staying in Beavercreek. I went to Kings Island last in 1980. I am looking forward to going again August 7. I am taking my cousins girls for the day (my cousin is going to be the keeper of the 'stuff' as she doesn't ride roller coasters) I think I will leave Vortex off my list but will try Banshee from what you have said. I have ridden roller coasters since my Meniere's surgery but not since my last flair. I am hoping to get to ride some at KI. I probably wont ride vortex just because I don't want my head banged around. The Beast was one of my favorites but I have sworn off of wooden coasters because of the jarring--well I may have to rethink that. One place I am learning to ride a roller coaster is the front car. It would seem the jarring isn't as bad.

It is supposed to be a smoother ride on the Beast if you sit in the middle row of one of the cars. So second row, first car would probably be your best bet.

I didn't ride it this time, because it was closed, but you will want to avoid Flight of Fear also. It is a really cool, well themed coaster. You walk into a hangar and see a UFO inside it. You walk into the UFO and get in a coaster. It is a launched coaster similar to Rock 'n rollercoaster, but it has a reputation of being rough. The shoulder restraints even have these extra huge pads on them because it specifically jerks your head around a lot. So I'd definitely leave this one off your list.

Diamondback, Banshee and the Bat are all 3 very smooth though, although the zero G hills on Diamondback and inversions on Banshee are pretty intense. But in a good way.

Invertigo is a smooth ride, but it puts some different types of forces on your body... you'll see what I'm talking about when you see how it works.

Adventure Express is similar to BTMRR.

Racer... wood, very rough.

Stunt Coaster has cool effects, but not too intense of a ride. Not really a must do for me. Cars are too small for my legs anyway.

We didn't get to ride Firehawk this time, but it is a fun ride too. You lay down on it and hang under the track face down. Well worth trying if you're up for it!

Did you see the cirque type show?

No. DW and DD did go to the 80's musical show by the Eiffel Tower while DS and I were in middle of our Woodstock Express rally. She enjoyed that one.

Don't guess I'll try to fit in a Reds game this time. Limited time with family.

Not worth watching them the way they're playing right now. We actually went to another game Friday night and I almost felt like putting a popcorn bag over my head.

DL, have you looked at flying into Burbank. That was cheaper for us and we flew southwest.

No, but I will. Thanks.