I dreamed that it would be somewhat--but not--like this!

[SweaterInJune]

I'd hoped and wished
And wanted so to be here.
Wished and prayed
And planned it to a "T".
Prayed and WOW!
Just look - it's really me here!
Walking around, strange as it seems
Somewhere beyond my wildest dreams!
-Ariel, The Little Mermaid (Broadway)​

Hello! This is my first foray into trip reporting, so, for your safety, please remain fully seated with your arms and legs inside the ride vehicle at all times. Please place any loose belongings in the net bag in front of you. It's going to be a bumpy ride!

We will be heading to WDW August 13-19, 2017. This is a surprise trip, thanks to my ever-giving father! We are so grateful and excited. We didn't expect to go until Fall 2018 again, at the earliest. Our last trip was February 2016. When I first started pricing, I was looking bare-bones budget trip--as this the first time we'd be paying full-price/rack-rates for a trip, since I was 7, but that's not how things have turned out! Let me start at the beginning!

Introductions:

I'm Nell (Danielle), a 33-year-old graduate student (MA Arts & Entertainment Admin/M.Ed-Elementary--yes, double-major grad student!). I have a BFA in Theatre design and had hoped to become a set decorator for WDI, but the years around when I finished at WVU, were years where most things for WDI were shopped out. I did the WDWCP and was fortunate to work at Kilimajaro Safaris! It was the BEST! After this, I moved to Germany for a year to work as an au pair--also amazing. In the years in between--nearly a decade, I have worked for WDW, Universal, and the Disney Store, most recently (among other things). It is beyond safe to say that when I finish with school, I really just want a CAREER with Disney.
In addition to being a student, I am currently a stay-at-home mom to the Wombat. I love all things Disney, especially the Renaissance-films (TLM, B&tB, A, TLK) of my childhood, as well as Tangled and Princess and the Frog. I also adore Ratatouille and Wall-E! Haunted Mansion is my favorite ride.

My husband (32) is Nick. He is an assistant registrar at a university and just received his MS in Digital Media. He would also love to have CAREER with Disney, but is content in academia. He is also a former CM in Animal Kingdom. We've known each other for more than 20 years and were born exactly one year apart. We met at a magic club as kids. (Did I mention we are also magicians?!) He loves all Disney too, especially the cats...he loves cats, and VW Beetles (vintage). HM is his favorite ride.

The Wombat is our 3-yr-old daughter. She turns 4 on July 31st--where did the time go?! She loves to have fun, reading, science, Dinosaurs, and not-surprisingly, all things Disney! She is currently obsessed with princesses, especially Belle, and dressing up. She will start pre-K this fall, but has already been in pre-school for a year.

My Dad...I'm his only child, and the Wombat is his only grandchild. Our other family members all lives in TX, so it's just us in northern Indiana. He is newly retired, and wanted to be sure to get in one great trip with Wombat before health concerns become impediments. He enjoys Disney and took me on my first trip when I was 7--it was a total surprise! He loves the Haunted Mansion too...and anything Wombat loves, naturally.

The Trip:

So, that brings me to our upcoming trip...it started as a pipe dream, with my Dad casually mentioning he'd like to go if possible. I started pricing and looking at dates. We picked our dates between my class schedule, but I ended up dropping my Summer II class. We ended up with a better time, this way; however, I begin class, literally the day we return...

With this trip, since my Dad was treating, he wanted us to make it special, while still affordable. It will still seem bare-bones to many, but to us (other than wanting more time at WDW) it's perfect!

We will be staying at the Art of Animation in a Little Mermaid room for 6 nights (first time!). My Dad will stay at Pop--he wanted his own room). We are driving down from the Chicago area. We have 5 day tickets and are on the deluxe dining plan (sharing).

Surprise!:

The best part about all of this, is that Wombat, who asks to "go to Disney World again" daily, has NO IDEA we are going! We're going to visit my in-laws in Nashville the week before, and are just heading to WDW when we leave... I can't believe we've been able to keep it secret! I am so excited to see her reaction when we pull into WDW instead of our house. I won't be lying--we're going "home".

Plans to follow...

 

[SweaterInJune]

We expect to leave Nashville between 9/10pm (Central), after a solid nap, and will arrive about 12 hours later. We like to do this because Wombat gets to sleep the entire way, or most of it. This way we don't lose time and she can cope with excitement of arriving at WDW. This will be especially important this trip!

Day 1 (Sun Aug 13th):
Our first day is a day of firsts!

We hope to get an early room, but are prepared if we can't. After checking-in, if we have a room, we plan to have Nick sneak in with a wrapped present (from Cinderella) to leave in the room, while I walk a bit with Wombat outside. When we arrive at the room, and go in, she will find the present. In it, will be a letter welcoming her back to WDW, and announcing that she has an appointment with her fairy-godmother at that afternoon! It will also have a Cinderella gown and "glass slippers". She is going to be so excited!

We will then head to Disney Springs for lunch (Earl of Sandwich), some shopping, and the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. I have been somewhat anti-boutique, but when I saw the light in Wombat's eyes when she learned of this from a Disney World video...that was it. MAGIC! I also absolutely love the design of the new DS location--it is gorgeous!

Once my Dad arrives, we will meet up with him, likely at the hotel campus, and head to Trader Sam's for our thank-you treat to him. He has been building a tiki hut-bar on his back patio, and should love this. He will get all of the souvenir glasses.

After this, we will head back to the hotel for a rest before our 8:30pm Hoop Dee Doo reservation. We have never done this, but hear great things!

Day 2 (Mon Aug 14th):
Magic Kingdom

Breakfast: 1900 Park Fare at 8am
Dinner: Be Our Guest at 4:30pm
Snacking through lunch.

Wombat is tall enough (42+"!!!) to ride several new things at WDW, so we have FP+ for 7DMT, Thunder Mtn, and Splash... She is beyond excited to ride all of these "next time..."

We will do whatever we can fit, including multiple trips on HM. She gets to call the shots this day. We will leave immediately following Splash (around 11:30) for an afternoon rest before returning just in time to catch Festival of Fantasy.

Our princess will likely dress as Belle (peasant) in the morning--she wants to meet Gaston--and change into the gold ball gown for the evening, once she learns where we are dining! (I hope her boutique look holds out through this dinner). After dinner we are heading to Enchanted Tales with Belle.

We will watch Happily Ever After this night.

Day 3 (Tues Aug 15th):
Disney's Hollywood Studios

Lunch: Sci-Fi at 11am
Dinner: Mama Melrose at 6:30p

After so much excitement, we need slower day. As they will close GMR, my 2nd favorite attraction, the day we arrive, our load here has become even lighter.

ToT, B&tB, TSMM, then lunch. We will leave after lunch for a swim and a nap, returning around 4pm. We will hopefully meet some characters, including Chewbacca, and maybe catch VoTLM.
At 5-ish, we have an ADR package for the Pixar concert, followed by dinner, and then an attraction break (TBD), followed by ADR for Fantasmic!

Day 4 (Wed Aug 16th):
Disney's Animal Kingdom

Breakfast: Boma at 7:30a
Dinner: Tusker House at 4:30p

This is the day we are truly home! We love DAK, due to Nick and I both having worked here and it is phenomenal.

We are still deciding where/how we want to start. We will be there for rope drop, so we may head to Pandora first, or Safaris, but we'll see. We have FP+ for Pandora and Safaris in the evening. We will head to Asia, Discovery Island and Dinoland in the morning. After watching Nemo, we have a FP+ for Dinosaur, then it's back to the hotel for a swim and nap before dinner.

Evening takes us to Pandora and Africa. We will see RoL and Awakenings. If we are hungry, we will grab some CS at Satu'li Canteen.

(More to come...)

 

[tink1957]

Joining in on the fun...sounds like a wonderful trip.

 

[SweaterInJune]

Day 5 (Thurs Aug 17th):
Epcot

Dinner: Via Napoli at 7:05p
Lunch: Munch around the world (I'll likely grab a sandwich at Kringla in Norway)
AM EMH

We will be waiting for EMH to open...Head straight to Test a Track, then directly to Soarin'. After that, we're moving on to the Seas, Imagination, and SE. Then we're off to the World Showcase (left): Mexico, Norway, and China. We have a FP+ for Frozen at 12:55p (earliest I could get). After that, back to the hotel for swim/nap.

When we return, we will repeat any Wombat favorites in Future World, then go the World Showcase (right). We will visit the rest of the pavilions, spending extra time in Germany and have dinner in Italy. After dinner we will go to Japan. We will watch Illuminations from Japan, if we watch. Wombat has always been afraid of it. I plan to get a brioche ice cream sandwich in France at some point.

Day 6 (Fri Aug 18th):
Magic Kingdom
AM EMH

Dinner: 1900 Park Faire at 4:30p
Lunch: CS...Cosmic Ray's or Pecos

Our last parks day...

Again, we plan to be waiting for EMH admission. We will head straight to Peter Pan, and Fantasyland. We want to be waiting for Merida's meet and greet at its open. The rest of the day will take us around MK. We have FP+ for 7DMT, BTM, and SM again. After Splash, we will leave for a swim/nap before our dinner at 1900. I expect Wombat will dress up in her Cinderella rag dress for this.

Day 7 (Sat Aug 19th):
Magic isn't over yet!

Breakfast: Bon Voyage Breakfast at 8am
Lunch: Earl of Sandwich

We will have breakfast, go swim at the hotel, then head to DS for some end-of-trip shopping before starting our drive away from WDW.

This is the overall scope of our trip. I will add to this as plans are updated, and of course--as we experience it!