Its OFFICIAL! I just pulled the trigger on our vacation!

[Daddy's 'lil Princess]

Hello fellow DIS'ers
"IT'S OFFICIAL"

After several years of hoping wishing, researching and planning (Only to be halted by the pandemic for 2 years) Things are starting to level off and am able to say "I have finally pulled the trigger on our VERY 1st FAMILY VACATION!"

TRAVEL time: January 17-24 / 2023

• Flights Booked and Paid
• Pop Century / park tickets(6) + mm PAID

I have NO idea if i am doing well with it as my spreadsheet of costs are fluctuating like crazy and is increasingly difficult to stay within our budget without taking away from other areas. I announced yesterday to my wife and little one our tickets were purchased. All i could do was smile as they both started jumping around dancing(as best our little one could) shouting we're going to Disney! (Dads excitement and joy is there and for me its all about making them happy and seeing that happiness, BUT i know I know I still have a lot of work to do.)

TBH I am still a little plan mode or Just over whelmed by the number of confirmations I just got bombarded with with all the rules and conditions and documents for flying- Security concerns about our little one going through security with a prosthetic leg etc.

I NOW need to start navigating and implementing how to use park reservations (fairly straight forward) dining reservations (should we need) which parks when why how booking a stroller ordering a grocery drop plan (if possible) and how it works for our room.

I am excited and sick to my stomach all at the same time. LOL I am just hoping i can make this a special vacation and relax a little and let it carry me a bit. I think the hardest part for me is the NON planned events or issues. I am trying very hard to make the entire experience as magical as possible for them. At this point I had to make a very hard choice (may change) I decided to forgo my light-saber building event to balance for the little ones (POTENTIAL) B-B-Boutique (but i may have a contingency plan for it if it will even be available.) I was planning on perhaps 2 Dinning experiences. (Hoop-Dee-Doo Review) and or a character meal of some kind for the little one and of course cost being a factor.

Its difficult and NOT from lack of choices but value for experience as wife and little one will love whatever I pick and to be honest I want to surprise them as we are there. Cindy castle is a definite NO just on the shear cost of it (wifes dream). Belles castle Seems ok but again $$ IDK. (little one)
For me its easy HDDR or the Space 220. But willing to sacrifice them so they can get the experience they want.
Really its looking as though we could do 1 or 2 Will still need to dig deep for reviews and value of experience still.

Then also potentially the Fireworks end of day or end of trip type thing planning maybe desert show or restaurant that we could see them from etc?( still working on it)

Well thats all for now more work / planning ahead for sure. I have a feeling Now that all is ready its going to come very quickly hope i can be ready!

Have a great day all!

 

[PalmettoPath]

Always super fun and a great feeling! Congrats and let the anticipation begin

 

[john7994]

Hello fellow DIS'ers
"IT'S OFFICIAL"

After several years of hoping wishing, researching and planning (Only to be halted by the pandemic for 2 years) Things are starting to level off and am able to say "I have finally pulled the trigger on our VERY 1st FAMILY VACATION!"

TRAVEL time: January 17-24 / 2023

• Flights Booked and Paid
• Pop Century / park tickets(6) + mm PAID

I have NO idea if i am doing well with it as my spreadsheet of costs are fluctuating like crazy and is increasingly difficult to stay within our budget without taking away from other areas. I announced yesterday to my wife and little one our tickets were purchased. All i could do was smile as they both started jumping around dancing(as best our little one could) shouting we're going to Disney! (Dads excitement and joy is there and for me its all about making them happy and seeing that happiness, BUT i know I know I still have a lot of work to do.)

TBH I am still a little plan mode or Just over whelmed by the number of confirmations I just got bombarded with with all the rules and conditions and documents for flying- Security concerns about our little one going through security with a prosthetic leg etc.

I NOW need to start navigating and implementing how to use park reservations (fairly straight forward) dining reservations (should we need) which parks when why how booking a stroller ordering a grocery drop plan (if possible) and how it works for our room.
View attachment 675678
I am excited and sick to my stomach all at the same time. LOL I am just hoping i can make this a special vacation and relax a little and let it carry me a bit. I think the hardest part for me is the NON planned events or issues. I am trying very hard to make the entire experience as magical as possible for them. At this point I had to make a very hard choice (may change) I decided to forgo my light-saber building event to balance for the little ones (POTENTIAL) B-B-Boutique (but i may have a contingency plan for it if it will even be available.) I was planning on perhaps 2 Dinning experiences. (Hoop-Dee-Doo Review) and or a character meal of some kind for the little one and of course cost being a factor.

Its difficult and NOT from lack of choices but value for experience as wife and little one will love whatever I pick and to be honest I want to surprise them as we are there. Cindy castle is a definite NO just on the shear cost of it (wifes dream). Belles castle Seems ok but again $$ IDK. (little one)
For me its easy HDDR or the Space 220. But willing to sacrifice them so they can get the experience they want.
Really its looking as though we could do 1 or 2 Will still need to dig deep for reviews and value of experience still.

Then also potentially the Fireworks end of day or end of trip type thing planning maybe desert show or restaurant that we could see them from etc?( still working on it)

Well thats all for now more work / planning ahead for sure. I have a feeling Now that all is ready its going to come very quickly hope i can be ready!

Have a great day all!

I will actually be at WDW on some of those same dates, but congratulations on your first family vacation! How special, and I am sincerely excited for you and your family. Looks like you got a good foundation going with travel dates, airfare, lodging and tickets all planned out. As you are finding, there is a lot to do and see with varying budget options, but you have time for a lot of consideration and I am sure you will find plenty of advice on these forum threads based on your style of vacation desired.

I am a spreadsheet fan as well, so while things may be fluctuating now, as you get into the 60 Days + (Length of Stay) to make your advanced dining and magical extras choices, budgets will likely still stretch a bit more in a few different directions . Now is the fun time in planning the possibilities. As mentioned, you will find a lot of good suggestions from those here on how to plan your six days, park time versus resort time, attractions, shows, dining, and other magical experiences. Best wishes on your trip and safe travels!

 

[igrsod]

Congratulations, that is so exciting. You are all going to have a great time. Don't get to caught up in worry about the planning. Whatever you choose, I'm sure will be great.
Remember, you won't be able to do it all... so just do what you do and have a great time. Some of our family's best memories have been impromptu things that just happened.
You don't need to spend a tonne of money to have a good time.
If you want table service meals, I would suggest booking those at 60 days out for sure. But there are so many quick service meals on property that aren't too expensive and the food is pretty good.
The first time I went with the kids, we were oblivious to all the planning and we had a fantastic time, I can't even remember what rides we did or didn't do, but I do remember the look on my son's face when he first saw the "real" R2D2 coming down the street.
Amazing.

 

[Drewsdad]

Congrats have a great trip

 

[Daddy's 'lil Princess]

I will actually be at WDW on some of those same dates, but congratulations on your first family vacation! How special, and I am sincerely excited for you and your family. Looks like you got a good foundation going with travel dates, airfare, lodging and tickets all planned out. As you are finding, there is a lot to do and see with varying budget options, but you have time for a lot of consideration and I am sure you will find plenty of advice on these forum threads based on your style of vacation desired.

I am a spreadsheet fan as well, so while things may be fluctuating now, as you get into the 60 Days + (Length of Stay) to make your advanced dining and magical extras choices, budgets will likely still stretch a bit more in a few different directions . Now is the fun time in planning the possibilities. As mentioned, you will find a lot of good suggestions from those here on how to plan your six days, park time versus resort time, attractions, shows, dining, and other magical experiences. Best wishes on your trip and safe travels!

Thank you very much. Yes this forum has been extremely helpful thus far. Between this forum and the DFB videos and blog I get alot of advice pointers and recommendations.

At the moment playing with Gift cards and also how to link my disney with the reservation and tickets but am hitting a wall :

• Also CAN definitely confirm DISNEY Gift card option for paying for as much as I can, is the way to go. its a simple X - exchange rate(whatever the exchange rate was for today or yesterday) both days were at the same rate. Received FULL rate no extra fees.

 

[Daddy's 'lil Princess]

Congratulations, that is so exciting. You are all going to have a great time. Don't get to caught up in worry about the planning. Whatever you choose, I'm sure will be great.
Remember, you won't be able to do it all... so just do what you do and have a great time. Some of our family's best memories have been impromptu things that just happened.
You don't need to spend a tonne of money to have a good time.
If you want table service meals, I would suggest booking those at 60 days out for sure. But there are so many quick service meals on property that aren't too expensive and the food is pretty good.
The first time I went with the kids, we were oblivious to all the planning and we had a fantastic time, I can't even remember what rides we did or didn't do, but I do remember the look on my son's face when he first saw the "real" R2D2 coming down the street.
Amazing.

Yes thank you
Honestly we have already decided that she will control the flow and all i will do is is navigate, (stear towards special meets locations etc) as far as rides go i really feel will be just wing it and use the LL for the for sures experiences. And if we just happen to be near one with low wait times regardless we may just jump on it. But i dont expect an exuberant amount of riding I think a big part is the meeting of characters. so far I feel it is EVERY PARK (4) days i bought us 6 days cause for an extra $75 we have options. 1 Day Lil ones choice(probably MK) (5) as we want to END our vacation on MK fireworks etc(hoping). We have a flex/floater day (6) to use eaither as a WE ARRIVE in Florida at like 1030 am so have time to kill before check in so option is go and check some stuff out. OR Use on our REST day MID week.

 

[john7994]

Thank you very much. Yes this forum has been extremely helpful thus far. Between this forum and the DFB videos and blog I get alot of advice pointers and recommendations.

At the moment playing with Gift cards and also how to link my disney with the reservation and tickets but am hitting a wall :

• Also CAN definitely confirm DISNEY Gift card option for paying for as much as I can, is the way to go. its a simple X - exchange rate(whatever the exchange rate was for today or yesterday) both days were at the same rate. Received FULL rate no extra fees.

I remember back last January, for the first time, getting a little confused with the linking. I called guest services and they got me on the right path in minutes - once they patiently explained how it all worked - it made a lot more sense. Definitely worth the conversation - in fact - I have to call them this morning for my July trip to rearrange some guests and reservations for magical extras. Gift Cards can be beneficial for sure, and it sounds like you have that nailed down for what you need - whole threads devoted to that topic as well.

 

[SleeplessInTO]

Great writing. I’m smiling just reading your first post. I hope you and your family enjoy the planning, the anticipation, and the trip

 

[JennJac]

We just had our first trip back in January at Pop and loved it! To answer your question about possibly seeing the fireworks from a restaurant, I know California Grill (at the Contemporary) has a great view of the MK fireworks if you were to grab a reservation for around that time. It's a bit of a more relaxed/upscale environment, since Main Street gets very crowded during that time with everyone making a mad dash for the Monorail as soon as they're over lol.

I hope you and your family have an amazing time!

 

[mikeuno]

!ow! Thank you, very informative post. Have a great family vacation

 

[Daddy's 'lil Princess]

We just had our first trip back in January at Pop and loved it! To answer your question about possibly seeing the fireworks from a restaurant, I know California Grill (at the Contemporary) has a great view of the MK fireworks if you were to grab a reservation for around that time. It's a bit of a more relaxed/upscale environment, since Main Street gets very crowded during that time with everyone making a mad dash for the Monorail as soon as they're over lol.

I hope you and your family have an amazing time!

Nice thank you so much for the recommendation! I know there are a few and we are far from fancy pants people. But yes I thought of timing the Fireworks for the End of our trip or the start I dont know, we have many options. It is one of those find a spot make it happen etc. I have heard the WORKS arent every night and may be on specific days so trying to find park and event schedules this far advance is a tad tricky. But i keep forgetting that epcot does Fireworks as well so may need to end our epcot (if only 1 trip) with fireworks.
But i will look into the grill and see what they offer GRILL is a nice word for me and i think we were planning on a regular sit down dinner at some point as daddy needs steak break lol.

ADD: lol OUCHie $90 per and $40 = $220 + tip and tax we looking at 300usd = 400cdn that may be a tricky fit on our budget. I will shop around I thought I saw poly or something similar where you can see them from the beach area or something....TBH if i have to cut it and plan for timing of a long wait for good spot to view I will. Additionally: I hear what your saying about the exit traffic but I would just make sure we lift or uber or Mears may be back by then I would juts pay $40 for direct back to hotel.

 

[Jonfw2]

Maybe take the monorail to Grand Floridian to watch the fireworks at MK.

 

[JennJac]

Yeah, a friend of my sister recommended getting a Dole Whip at Pineapple Lanai at the Poly and watch the fireworks from one of the beaches there. (I don't believe you need to be a guest of the Poly, but if I'm wrong - please correct me!)

 

[Daddy's 'lil Princess]

Yeah, a friend of my sister recommended getting a Dole Whip at Pineapple Lanai at the Poly and watch the fireworks from one of the beaches there. (I don't believe you need to be a guest of the Poly, but if I'm wrong - please correct me!)

From all that I have heard any WDW resort allows any person(s) staying on property access to other resorts. (as far as ammenadities or services etc pools, gym etc) I am unsure. But i have heard that you are allowed access to properties. Yes i was thinking of that place specifically lol Saw on the DFB guides

 

[teenal100]

Hello fellow DIS'ers
"IT'S OFFICIAL"

After several years of hoping wishing, researching and planning (Only to be halted by the pandemic for 2 years) Things are starting to level off and am able to say "I have finally pulled the trigger on our VERY 1st FAMILY VACATION!"

TRAVEL time: January 17-24 / 2023

• Flights Booked and Paid
• Pop Century / park tickets(6) + mm PAID

I have NO idea if i am doing well with it as my spreadsheet of costs are fluctuating like crazy and is increasingly difficult to stay within our budget without taking away from other areas. I announced yesterday to my wife and little one our tickets were purchased. All i could do was smile as they both started jumping around dancing(as best our little one could) shouting we're going to Disney! (Dads excitement and joy is there and for me its all about making them happy and seeing that happiness, BUT i know I know I still have a lot of work to do.)

TBH I am still a little plan mode or Just over whelmed by the number of confirmations I just got bombarded with with all the rules and conditions and documents for flying- Security concerns about our little one going through security with a prosthetic leg etc.

I NOW need to start navigating and implementing how to use park reservations (fairly straight forward) dining reservations (should we need) which parks when why how booking a stroller ordering a grocery drop plan (if possible) and how it works for our room.
View attachment 675678
I am excited and sick to my stomach all at the same time. LOL I am just hoping i can make this a special vacation and relax a little and let it carry me a bit. I think the hardest part for me is the NON planned events or issues. I am trying very hard to make the entire experience as magical as possible for them. At this point I had to make a very hard choice (may change) I decided to forgo my light-saber building event to balance for the little ones (POTENTIAL) B-B-Boutique (but i may have a contingency plan for it if it will even be available.) I was planning on perhaps 2 Dinning experiences. (Hoop-Dee-Doo Review) and or a character meal of some kind for the little one and of course cost being a factor.

Its difficult and NOT from lack of choices but value for experience as wife and little one will love whatever I pick and to be honest I want to surprise them as we are there. Cindy castle is a definite NO just on the shear cost of it (wifes dream). Belles castle Seems ok but again $$ IDK. (little one)
For me its easy HDDR or the Space 220. But willing to sacrifice them so they can get the experience they want.
Really its looking as though we could do 1 or 2 Will still need to dig deep for reviews and value of experience still.

Then also potentially the Fireworks end of day or end of trip type thing planning maybe desert show or restaurant that we could see them from etc?( still working on it)

Well thats all for now more work / planning ahead for sure. I have a feeling Now that all is ready its going to come very quickly hope i can be ready!

Have a great day all!

Congratulations on booking your first family trip. The exchange on the dollar can really eat into a budget. If you know someone that is a senior and has a currency exchange location near them, Monday's are seniors day and they get a decent exchange rate. I utilize this when we are planning Disney trips.

 

[Daddy's 'lil Princess]

Congratulations on booking your first family trip. The exchange on the dollar can really eat into a budget. If you know someone that is a senior and has a currency exchange location near them, Monday's are seniors day and they get a decent exchange rate. I utilize this when we are planning Disney trips.

It isnt really required when using GC's. I just watch for the flux of +/- .02 My budget works on .75 as a buffer guard. Seems most banks and CC's pretty much just stay at this number or worse. lol
As far as cash goes I would just watch the bank rate and buy $200-$300 in Travellers and cash them in as needed in disney. Or open a USD account but the buy sell rate is a joke LOL. DISNEY does give fair exchange on the GC's so makes my life alot easier.

 

[DisneyMama811]

Congratulations! we are there almost the exact same time as you (flying in on 16th) staying at AoA you sound like such a wonderful Daddy/Husband planning a magical trip for your family. I hope you have an amazing time