It's a birthday surprise! 2/2014

[Mom2Luci]

Hi everyone! This is my first PTR DH and I are surprising our daughter for her 6th birthday in February

So, let's get the intros out of the way


This is us on our trip last August. I'm Jamie, my DH is Shane and the birthday girl is Luci

The surprise trip will be our 3rd trip, but our first just the 3 of us. The first trip included my in-laws in October 2012, then we were there in August 2013 with assorted siblings, in-laws, parents and cousins.

So far, we have reservations at POP for 5 nights with SPD. I've been debating on upgrading to the DDP, but for now, we will stick to QSDP.

We have 2 ADR's - Akershus for breakfast on our first full day because we all loved it, and the Wishes dessert party on DD's actual birthday. We also plan on a dinner visit to Trail's End at Fort Wilderness at some point because that was also wonderful and a very peaceful break from the craziness.

I had wanted the Akershus breakfast on DD's birthday, but we have a 9 am ressie at BBB in Downtown Disney and the only ADR I could get is at 10:50.


I'm also debating on an in-room princess celebration, but I can't decide yet.

Thanks for reading along

 

[Mom2Luci]

When DH and I decided to do this a few weeks ago, we also decided to drive from the Chicago area to Orlando.

Our surprise plan is to take DD out of school around noon on Friday and tell her we are driving to see my mom in Georgia. We'll drive to Chattanooga or Atlanta that day, then finish the 3-4 hours to my mom on Saturday. Sunday morning we will get up early and finish the drive to WDW hoping that DD is too out of it to ask many questions

We will get to POP by 11 or 12, then head to AK. I think we might do our Trail's end dinner after AK, then head back to POP for a good night's rest.

Monday we have a 10:50 ADR at Akershus for a late breakfast and will spend the day at Epcot. I'm hoping with cooler weather we will feel up to doing much more in a day than we did in the August heat and hopefully stay for Illuminations. Our only must-ride here is Soarin' and DD would probably like to do the WS character M&G's. I'm thinking either CS in Mexico or Sunshine Seasons for dinner.

Tuesday is up in the air right now. It might be a RD at AK and hop to MK if we decide to get hoppers, or this might be another good day to do only AK because we have to be up early Wednesday.

Wednesday is DD's birthday. Our day will start with a quick breakfast, then off to BBB at DTD. I did just get an ADR for Chef Mickey's at 11:25 and will be ordering a cake for her. From CM's we will go to MK and let DD have her day as a princess before heading to the dessert party. DD is a night owl, so I'm hoping to get a little more done after the party.

Thursday will either be another Epcot day or a HS day. DD's only real interest at HS is the characters and the Beauty and the Beast show. DH and I will probably try to get on RNR if we do go to HS.

Friday is our last day at WDW. If we do Epcot on Thursday, we will do HS today. Otherwise, we will go to MK. If we do MK, we will head out after the first parade and drive a few hours before stopping for the night.

Saturday will be a travel day and we should be home by Sunday afternoon.


There are a couple days where I can see using a PH, but I'm still having the internal debate on that one. We haven't used PH before.

 

[Mom2Luci]

Plans are evolving and changing - but that's nothing new. We might fly down now after a lucky instant lotto ticket that covers the flight costs, but not much more.

Another change - we are going to upgrade to the DDP for sure now because I scored an ADR at BOG(!!!!!) which gives us 4 TS planned which is much more OOP than the cost of upgrading.

So now our week is looking like this:

Sunday: AK and Trail's End or DTD (Earl of Sandwich for dinner)
Monday: Epcot with Akershus for brunch
Tuesday: MK with BOG for dinner
Wednesday: BBB at DTD at 9:05, Chef Mickey's at 11:25, then to MK and the dessert party at 7
Thursday: Epcot or DHS
Friday: DHS or MK then start the drive home if we don't fly


We are also thinking about letting DD in on the trip Christmas Day, but we still haven't decided yet.