MinnieGirlNE
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 16, 2013
- Messages
- 29
Hello again. Long time lurker- infrequent poster. 
Its time to post the pre-trip report and get some feedback and ideas from more seasoned vets than myself. Lots of the trip has already been planned out but there are some unknowns yet.
The big adventure starts right after our last days of school this year. In Lincoln we get out on Wednesday, May 24. I still have to work one more day but we'll head out bright and early on Friday morning.
After last year's attempt at flying we cut our losses and have decided to drive both ways this time - with scheduled stops!
Also different this year is we are bringing along a friend of Gracie's. She's a neighbor and a girl that has been part of our family for years- Gracie has traveled with their family and now she is going to travel with ours.
So the cast.
DH- Stever, railroader huge star wars fan - favorite park MK and HS
Me- the planner - favorite park MK and EPCOT
Gracie- 15, our teen - this will be her third trip - favorite parks MK and EPCOT
Marysa- 14 - our Gracie's BFF - this will be her second trip - but we're not sure if she did all the parks last time- we think she only did two.
Tatum - 7 our little austistic bundle of joy. She has become a Disney expert- her favorite park - is any park with a store to buy plushies. Her favorite characters are Nanna from PP, Simba and Bolt.
The dining reservations have been made - the day to day schedule is penciled in subject to change if need be. FP reservation window will be coming up here soon and we're all getting pretty excited for new magic bands and a whole new adventure with the summer heat and crowds. (Although seriously I still think the marathon crowd we saw last year was the worst I've ever seen it.)
Some firsts for this trip:
1-driving both ways- we are crazy but excited and more relaxed about getting Tatum through flights.
2-Going to Le Cellier- Tatum did so good in the restaurants we're giving it a try, Ohanas for breakfast- Stitch is a favorite for Marysa and this was a place we've tried to go to our two last trips AND the fantasmic dinner package with Mama Mia.
3-staying at Old Key West
4- going to a waterpark! which do folks recommend- Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon?
5- going down early to see more of Orlando. This is where we could use some input. Read on...
That last part has a story- we had intended to go down and do Universal/IOA. After some medical bills we opted to cut that part out of our trip to save some money. It was hard- I so miss butterbeer and we've looked at ways to put it back and still might but we had originally planned to be there for Memorial Day and the Sunday before and stay at Hard Rock in a room for 5. We already booked our hotels for traveling down there and for one room we even have a nonrefundable deposit. So we're locked into our days. But, cutting US/IOA out saved a LOT of money. We found a room at Caribe Royal (a place we have wanted to try if we ever decide to stay off-site) near WDW- a 2 bedroom villa in fact for 1/5 of the price we were paying for the extra nights at US/IOA, we are there for two nights including memorial day and are just trying now to figure out what we will do. We considered trying another Waterpark or theme park? I've read good things about Aquatica and Legoland? We may just stay at the hotel and venture out to see the Orlando Eye, the Wax Museum and Aquariam. We may add on SeaWorld we really can't decide. We just anticipate Memorial Day to be crazy crowded this year with all the new stuff opening and we've never had our own vehicle (aside from our mad rental drive home last year at this time.) We want to explore Orlando a little bit and are curious what folks might recommend for us to do.
We arrive in Orlando around noon on Sunday and don't check into Old Key West at WDW until Tuesday after Memorial Day. We do have a room right now at Caribe Royale but what should we do or see? What do folks here recommend? Those who have stayed at Caribe Royale is there enough to just keep us busy there for a day and half? We do enjoy our hotel pool days.
Also- we think we'll only be able to get in ONE of the WDW water parks- which do folks here recommend- Gracie, Tatum and I love wave pools and lazy rivers- Steve and Marysa are slide people- the rest of us not so much but I'd like to think I could get Gracie and Tatum on a family raft slide if it isn't too intense. The videos make the wave pool at typhoon lagoon look very intense and I worry that it might be too much for our little Tater tot. What do water park veterans think?
Thanks for any advice or input you can give us.
Its time to post the pre-trip report and get some feedback and ideas from more seasoned vets than myself. Lots of the trip has already been planned out but there are some unknowns yet.
The big adventure starts right after our last days of school this year. In Lincoln we get out on Wednesday, May 24. I still have to work one more day but we'll head out bright and early on Friday morning.
After last year's attempt at flying we cut our losses and have decided to drive both ways this time - with scheduled stops!
Also different this year is we are bringing along a friend of Gracie's. She's a neighbor and a girl that has been part of our family for years- Gracie has traveled with their family and now she is going to travel with ours.
So the cast.
DH- Stever, railroader huge star wars fan - favorite park MK and HS
Me- the planner - favorite park MK and EPCOT
Gracie- 15, our teen - this will be her third trip - favorite parks MK and EPCOT
Marysa- 14 - our Gracie's BFF - this will be her second trip - but we're not sure if she did all the parks last time- we think she only did two.
Tatum - 7 our little austistic bundle of joy. She has become a Disney expert- her favorite park - is any park with a store to buy plushies. Her favorite characters are Nanna from PP, Simba and Bolt.
The dining reservations have been made - the day to day schedule is penciled in subject to change if need be. FP reservation window will be coming up here soon and we're all getting pretty excited for new magic bands and a whole new adventure with the summer heat and crowds. (Although seriously I still think the marathon crowd we saw last year was the worst I've ever seen it.)
Some firsts for this trip:
1-driving both ways- we are crazy but excited and more relaxed about getting Tatum through flights.
2-Going to Le Cellier- Tatum did so good in the restaurants we're giving it a try, Ohanas for breakfast- Stitch is a favorite for Marysa and this was a place we've tried to go to our two last trips AND the fantasmic dinner package with Mama Mia.
3-staying at Old Key West
4- going to a waterpark! which do folks recommend- Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon?
5- going down early to see more of Orlando. This is where we could use some input. Read on...
That last part has a story- we had intended to go down and do Universal/IOA. After some medical bills we opted to cut that part out of our trip to save some money. It was hard- I so miss butterbeer and we've looked at ways to put it back and still might but we had originally planned to be there for Memorial Day and the Sunday before and stay at Hard Rock in a room for 5. We already booked our hotels for traveling down there and for one room we even have a nonrefundable deposit. So we're locked into our days. But, cutting US/IOA out saved a LOT of money. We found a room at Caribe Royal (a place we have wanted to try if we ever decide to stay off-site) near WDW- a 2 bedroom villa in fact for 1/5 of the price we were paying for the extra nights at US/IOA, we are there for two nights including memorial day and are just trying now to figure out what we will do. We considered trying another Waterpark or theme park? I've read good things about Aquatica and Legoland? We may just stay at the hotel and venture out to see the Orlando Eye, the Wax Museum and Aquariam. We may add on SeaWorld we really can't decide. We just anticipate Memorial Day to be crazy crowded this year with all the new stuff opening and we've never had our own vehicle (aside from our mad rental drive home last year at this time.) We want to explore Orlando a little bit and are curious what folks might recommend for us to do.
We arrive in Orlando around noon on Sunday and don't check into Old Key West at WDW until Tuesday after Memorial Day. We do have a room right now at Caribe Royale but what should we do or see? What do folks here recommend? Those who have stayed at Caribe Royale is there enough to just keep us busy there for a day and half? We do enjoy our hotel pool days.
Also- we think we'll only be able to get in ONE of the WDW water parks- which do folks here recommend- Gracie, Tatum and I love wave pools and lazy rivers- Steve and Marysa are slide people- the rest of us not so much but I'd like to think I could get Gracie and Tatum on a family raft slide if it isn't too intense. The videos make the wave pool at typhoon lagoon look very intense and I worry that it might be too much for our little Tater tot. What do water park veterans think?
Thanks for any advice or input you can give us.
