I'm Going to Disney with you or without you!

[JoyFaithGrace]

Hi Everyone! I have a TR hanging around here that I haven't finished, I swear I will...Anywho, we are going to Disney again! WOot Woot!

Who:
Me! PrincessTravelAgent Sarah

DD / The Kiddo / Savannah, age 10

DH / The Hubs / John

When: Feb 21 - 26 or 27, 2016

Why: Because I can. And I sell Disney Vacations and so I have to go, it's my job. Right?

 

[JoyFaithGrace]

I am blogging my Trip Planning so I will probably C&P those in - so... Here we go.

Table Of Contents (I swear I will figure this part out this time)

We're Going To Disney World!

Fast Passes - I need to choose them!

Happy New Year & Animal Kingdom Plan

What are we going to wear??
I don't care if you can't go, I'm not Canceling!

Checking In...Online that is!

It's Vacation Be Flexible!

 

[JoyFaithGrace]

We're Going To Disney World!!

We've been talking for a bit about going back to Disney in February. Originally we were looking at spring break, but when spring break is also Easter week, you really couldn't pay me (ha!) to go to Disney that week. Not that I couldn't make it work, but if there is another week that you can go, do it. Avoid Spring Break, Christmas Break and Thanksgiving week. If you can.

We home school, so we can go when we want to. #homeschoolwin

I use a very very specific website for crowd calendars and predicting the crowd levels, weather, and pricing. Seriously, it's a science, and how they figure this out, is far beyond my knowledge but it works.

I priced Spring Break week, and a few other weeks and the last week of February is cheaper and has some really great low crowds. Add in the Stay, Play and Dine offer and I was sold. We are fans of the Dining Plan, as we've done the math and it makes sense for our family, the Quick Service Dining Plan is included in the Stay, Play and Dine offer, and you can upgrade that for just a little bit, which is what we did, to the Disney Dining Plan.

From Spring Break 2015
We will stay at Pop Century Resort again because they have dedicated Disney Buses, meaning they don't share with another resort so you get where you are going faster, and the chance of having to stand is lower. Because I will be renting an ECV again (not sure if I will need it but I want the option) so dedicated buses help since each bus can only take 1 - 2 ECVs and I don't want to have to wait for the next bus if I can avoid it.

I am very pro staying on Disney property. I like being in the bubble. I like the dining plan. I like not having to drive and pay for parking every day. I like using Disney transportation. And the value resorts are really not that much more than a local hotel. For example, our room not in the offer is $123 per night the week we are staying. Add in the savings for time, parking and gas and it works for us.

 

[JoyFaithGrace]

Fast Passes...I need to choose them...
(Written Dec 23 2015)

While we've been talking about going to Disney in February, I had clients that I am sending to Europe and since they come before my families trip to Disney I haven't done any planning for our trip yet. I know with days we are going, and I know which parks we are going to on which day. I already grabbed ADRs, so I was good there.

So, this morning I knew it was 60 days until we check in and that means FAST PASSES!!!!!!

There are some that if you want then you need to grab them as soon as possible, like 7DMT and Anna & Elsa, Illuminations (which is already gone...think about that, the booking window for those dates just opened and they are gone), Wishes, etc.

The same goes for ADRs, I am still checking every day for a Be Our Guest dinner reservation, even though I have a lunch one already.

-----
A few days later I was able to grab a BOG Dinner reservation, but I have since dropped it, since it didn't work in that days plan.

As of Today (1/12) I have all our FP+
Monday - Epcot
Spaceship Earth
Character Spot
Test Track

Tuesday - MK
Enchanted Tales With Belle
7DMT
Peter Pan

Wednesday - AK
Kilimanjaro Safari
Lion King
Meet Disney Pals

Thursday - MK
Festival of Fantasy Parade
7DMT
Wishes

Friday -
I have no idea, because I have considered adding a park hopper so that we can go to EMH at Hollywood studios.

 

[JoyFaithGrace]

Happy New Year & Animal Kingdom Plan??
(Posted 1/6 - Today's Edits in Bold)

Happy New Year! Disney Parks Blog streamed the Walt Disney World Fireworks New Years Eve which was a great, warm, quiet, safe way to ring in the New Year. If you are following me on Instagram (@SarahMoSmith ) you saw the short video I posted. We have a smart tv but it wasn't cooperating, so rather than seeing them on 60 inches of awesome we watched on 13 inches of awesome because I was lazy and didn't want to connect to any of my monitors.

So that is how we rang in 2016. I hope it will be a blessed year for you.

Last week I had our plan "set" and we had our park days "set" since we chose the dates, until I was thinking about all the walking. (The kiddo and I did a big day of shopping, lots of walking and the complaining of her feet hurting began and thus the thought of 5 straight days of parks didn't sound like such a grand idea.)

With that in mind I started looking at the Most Recommended parks and what would work, which park days could we switch. Could we take Wednesday as a Resort day and add Animal Kingdom on Saturday? What to do, what to do...

Since Animal Kingdom is a "minor" park for us this trip, and it was going to get a half-day anyway, I moved it to Wednesday, so we have a later start, and not a full park day, as the park closes at 5:00 pm that day. This meant that I had to cancel *gasp* all the Fast Pass+ for both parks, and all the ADRs for both days and move them around.

I still don't have everything nailed down the way I want it, but I think we are getting there. I know that I added a dinner at Kona Cafe one night and timed it so that we can head to the Polynesian Resort Beach to watch Wishes Fireworks from across the lagoon. I was trying for 'Ohana but haven't had success yet.

Our Lite Day - Wednesday, Park Day 3

• 9:10 am - ADR at 1900 Park Fare for the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast
• 11:30 am - Head to Animal Kingdom
• 1:15 pm - Kilimanjaro Safari FP+
• 3:00 pm - Meet Disney Pals FP+
• 4:30 pm - Festival of the Lion King FP+ (This on might change)
• 5:30 pm - Head to Polynesian Resort
• 6:35 pm - ADR at Kona Cafe
• 7:45 pm - Head to Polynesian Resort Beach for Wishes Fireworks at 8:00 pm

And at this point are you thinking - How exactly is this a light day?

Well, we aren't going to Rope Drop. We aren't taking an afternoon break and then going back to the park until after it closes. We are trying to make it an easy day, that really is an optional day for us. If we are all feeling horrible, or attitudes aren't exactly magical, then a resort day it will be.

 

[JoyFaithGrace]

What are we going to wear to Disney?
(Written 1/8 - Today's Edits in Bold)

Here we are 44 days to go, and I need to start figuring out what we are going to wear when we are at Disney World. We are going at the end of February, so the temperatures should be in the low to mid 70's, which sounds like perfect touring weather to me.

We like Disney Bounding - And I've used it to help teaching DD to put her outfits together. We have the Disney Junior Encyclopedia of Animated Characters, which is a great help for her (and I) when it comes to figuring out the characters and their "look". It also is a great help in introducing her to characters that she may not be familiar with.

Back to our plans. We have 7 days that we will be at Disney, so we need outfits for each day. My plan this year, since the Kiddo has outgrown a lot of last years spring/summer clothes, and I've shrunk and all mine are falling off, is to do black capri leggings, with a skirt and matching shirt.

​

Simple, not overly expensive, and fun. Rather than taking elements of each character, I am going on Esty and getting transfers of each character to put on the shirt.

Between DH, myself and DD that's a lot of characters, and I want to coordinate them with the park we are going to, or with each other, or both.

The Plan...

Sunday: Dinner at 1900 Park Fare - Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner

• Me: Drizella - Green and Lime Green
• The Kiddo: Anastasia - Fushia and Purple
• The Hubs: Lucifer the Cat - Black and Gray

Monday: Epcot, with Lunch at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall - Princess Story Book Lunch

• Me: Ariel or Alice (I still haven't decided) - Green & Purple or Sky Blue & White
• The Kiddo: Mulan - Pink, Red, Blue
• The Hubs: Mickey - Black, Red, Yellow

Tuesday: Magic Kingdom, with Lunch at Be Our Guest

• Me: Belle, in the Yellow Dress - Yellow
• The Kiddo: Merida - Dark Teal, Dark Green, Plaid
• The Hubs: Gaston - Red, Brown, Gold

Wednesday: Supercalifragilistic Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare and Animal Kingdom

• Me: Cinderella - Light Blue
• The Kiddo: Jasmine - Jade, Light Teal Green
• The Hubs: Donald Duck - White, Blue, Red

Thursday: Magic Kingdom

• Me: Rapunzel - Pink and Lavender
• The Kiddo: Cinderella - Light Blue
• The Hubs: Peter Pan - Green and Red

Friday: Epcot

• Me: Snow White - Yellow, Royal Blue and Red
• The Kiddo: Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) - Light and Dark Pinks
• The Hubs: Dopey - Green and Brown

Saturday: 1900 Park Fare Supercalifragilistic Breakfast (Maybe)

• Me: Mary Poppins - Dark Blue, White, Red
• The Kiddo: Belle, in the gold dress - Gold or Yellow
• The Hubs: Mad Hatter - Orange and Green

I've started shopping for tshirts and found a few great deals at Old Navy on clearance that will work but finding a light blue tshirt is proving harder than I thought. I looked at hanes tshirts tonight online and I think that will work, but we'll see.

 

[JoyFaithGrace]

Yes, I love you, but No, I'm not Canceling...
(This is from today, not posted on my blog)

DH is a full time student and works full time, his semester just started and we found out that his GPA dropped last semester to just under 2.0 (like 1.97) so he is under more scrutiny and the dates that we picked to go to Disney were the week of Homecoming and the Preaching Rally (he goes to a bible college), and in the past there haven't been classes and you only have to go to so many sessions or it's counted as an absence. He was going to take the absences.

Well now he can't. So he is all...

And thinking that I am going to cancel the trip. Or he is going to still go, and stay in the room and study.
To which I'm all...

Seriously? I'm going to pay that much money for you to sit in a small hotel room, being all sad, doing your home work? I think not.
We (I) haven't fully decided if he is going or staying. If he goes, we drive down (we are a single car family); if he stays, then DD and I will fly down.

I have no idea, I hate to leave him home but seriously, its not worth it. After this semester he is 6 classes and an internship away from graduating (finally) and if he screws that up, I don't even know, I will not handle that well.

WWYD?

I'm leaning to leaving him home. It will totally change my touring strategy, as DH was supposed to take DD to meet Merida while I stalked,err I mean, go meet Mary Poppins.

Here's my Pro (yes he comes) / Con (nope, no way, stay home) list:
Pros:
My plans stay the same
Family vacation - yippie!
It's already booked
We can drive, so we have a car
Will be easier to keep track of DD

Cons:
It's school, that's more important
DD get to go on a Plane for the first time
Girls Trip!
Might be easier to get FP+ or ADRs that we can't with 3 people
He can work, so money
No cat sitter needed

No idea, really I keep going back and forth, but it's school. I feel bad, but dude, keep your grades up and graduate already.

 

[Giraffeitis]

TBH I think after all the planning you've put into and how hard it is to get an ADR and FP+ and all that jazz, I'd say that DH should stay home and focus on his grades and try to graduate. (Plus this'll give him some time to really cram if all he has to do is work, study, and feed the cat.)

I think that a Girls Trip sounds like an AWESOME idea! TBH I think it sounds like a win-win. Yeah, DH misses out on a trip, but in the long run, he'll be able to go on another trip to WDW trip. School is more important than going to WDW! You can always plan an after-he-graduates trip

But then again I'm just a 21 yo student so what do I know? Also if you're worried about your DD there are plenty of tips for keeping track of kids all over the web.

• Take a picture of her each morning so you know what she looks like if you get lost
• You could always get her a monkey-backpack leash so you know exactly where she is
• You can temporary tattoo your phone number on her wrist by writing on it and then putting liquid Band-Aid over it.

But you know her better than I do, do you think she'll be able to have a fun and safe trip with just you? The parks are super huge, but maybe these tips will help.

I'm not a mom though so IDK

 

[JoyFaithGrace]

DD is 10 and I don't think she'd handle being on a leash very well. Ha! Or she'd love it and be a "dog" all day. 10 is a fun age.

We talked to the Dean of Students and it works out that the sessions can be watched online, and as long as DH turns in a summary of each session he doesn't get an absence. So, at this point he is going with us, and now I want to do a girls trip with DD so I am looking at dates in Oct because Food and Wine!

 

[JoyFaithGrace]

Since it's cheaper to add an additional day ticket (in theory) so that we can go to Hollywood Studios, so now I am going to have to figure out that. There isn't a ton that we want to do there, ride wise, but there is some things that we definitely want to do. Today we went shopping to get somethings for our trip - and found a Jasmine tee for DD for $5.99 and a rolling backpack for $11 at the Disney Store on clearance. WootWoot!

Then it was on to JoAnns Fabric for the material for DD and my skirts. Each day she and I will "be" different characters, and are going to do leggings or shorts with a skirt and tee. And I ended up covered, like Tink was there, covered in glitter, as most of our skirt choices involve glitter because we are girls and we like to sparkle.

Which leads me to wonder what magic vacuums Disney has that sucks up all that glitter because there is SOOOO much of it on every princess dress...

 

[JoyFaithGrace]

**This was written and posted on my blog...**

Today I've made some real progress in our plans. I did our online check in, where I got to choose, or at least put in my preferences for room location, step up the PIN for our Magic Bands, and a few other things. Then I got online and found the ECV I will be renting, from Buena Vista Scooter Rentals (they also rent strollers). I added the additional basket.

I know that I will probably need the scooter at some point, even though I feel good on a regular basis, I'd rather have it and really not need it, than not, need it, and not be able to get one. And they gave me a discount for renting from them again.

Then I set up my orders for the protein shakes, protein bars and a few other things that we will need when we are in the parks. I've been using a nutritional system for nearly 2 years, and have lost over 120 pounds, and knowing that I feel better with high protein, and the Kiddo does better with good protein, so we will have enough packets of protein powder with us. Mostly for breakfasts. We are also getting an electrolyte powder, like Gatorade, but with much much much less sugar and chemicals, to help with staying hydrated. Hydration is so important at Disney, and for on the drive down and back.

I also "nailed" down our plans for our to Magic Kingdom days, I will put those in separate post. There we are, 39 (38 now, as it's past midnight) days out, and I'm still flip flopping on adding an extra park day, a few Fast Pass+ and dining reservations. I

 

[JoyFaithGrace]

It's Vacation Be Flexible!

**This was written for and posted on my blog...And is Gif Heavy**

Ha! The title alone should tell you that we are 35 days out from our Disney World Vacation and I am freaking out!! But, it's a vacation and I *should* be flexible, and relax, it's a vacation...

But it's not, it's a Disney World Vacation and that is not the same as going on a cruise or to an All Inclusive Resort. These things are not the same. If you go on a cruise you may look at the menu's, think about the midnight buffet...But, you are probably not scouring menu's, restaurants in 4 different theme parks and 30 resorts so that 180 days before you check into your Walt Disney World Resort you can get a reservation at the *must do* restaurant because your little one neeeeeddddsss to eat breakfast in Cinderella's Castle. And you being the awesome parent you are - are going to make that happen!

Back to me, silently freaking out that we are 35 days out, we just added a Park Day, so we have 6 day tickets - It was $10 per person to add the 6th day, so really an easy decision. That however leads to the potential of moving park days around. Which means moving ADRs around. Which means...

As I said, a Disney Vacation is not like any other vacation, and while I will have a plan, nearly down to the minute, I also know that it's only a plan, and it will still be magical even if a ride is down. A tantrum happens. Or we take a resort day aka a non park day. We will still be at Disney World and that is better than being at home.

So, here I am at 3 am, with a pile of note cards, MDE app open, my crowd calendar open and a sharpie -Here we go...

I had a conversation yesterday with DH when he found me at 2 am working on our trip, and he sent me his W2 so that I could file our taxes. It was easier to file our taxed than plan our Disney Vacation. Reason #759728 to use a Disney Vacation Planner/Travel Agent.

That said, it is far far easier to plan someone else's vacation than my own. You tell me what you like, what restaurants you want to eat at, rides or characters you want to meet, I make suggestions, if you like it - done! If not, I keep working! Not big deal. But for MY family. My trip, and MY budget it's harder. Your trip! Done, love it. Looking forward to working on it for you.

Back to 3 am tonight, I have some semi-sweet-tea, my note cards and I've got this. 35 days out, and here is where being flexible comes in, because just when I make these arrangements, they are just that - written in pencil (actually printed on a laminated card with directions) but they can be changed, erased, skipped.

Today, Hollywood Studios had some technical difficulties, and many of the rides and shows were down. There is nothing you can do about it. It happens. So you make it work, you explore things you may not have otherwise. Then when the rides come back up, you go and have a grand time.

If you have a Park Hopper on your tickets then you can hop on over to another park, if not you make this one work, or do any of the other activities that are at Disney that aren't park related.

 

[figmentedfollies]

I totally get finding it easier to plan someone else's vacation. But you sound like you have it well in hand and I am seriously jealous of those outfits!

 

[Jasperann]

DD is 10 and I don't think she'd handle being on a leash very well. Ha! Or she'd love it and be a "dog" all day. 10 is a fun age.

This made me laugh out loud!!

We talked to the Dean of Students and it works out that the sessions can be watched online, and as long as DH turns in a summary of each session he doesn't get an absence. So, at this point he is going with us, and now I want to do a girls trip with DD so I am looking at dates in Oct because Food and Wine!

So glad it is going to work out! And a Girls trip is fun. I did one with my oldest DD and we had TONS of fun.