Great ideas for your arrival day!!!
I just started looking over the park hours for our trip & trying to finalize our trip dates, decide which park we'll go to each day, etc. But now that I read this, I think its a WONDERFUL idea to head to DTD from POR for dinner! I think I'll save our EoS lunch for our actual full DTD day, but we may head to Wolfgang Puck Express, T-Rex, or Raglan Road for dinner! Thank you for the idea!!! Our airport used to have 3 direct flights but now we're down to one morning and one evening. We always take the first flight out & are usually at our resort by noon. I think dinner at DTD sounds perfect!!!
We actually have three direct flights, and we have always taken the early one in the past. It would have us landing at 11. But her school schedule is really trimming this trip. i keep having to tell myself we are just so lucky to be able to go during our favorite time of year, but its hard not to be down about losing time on arrival day and days on the end of the trip. I think its a great idea for you to utilize DTD on your arrival day. So many good places to eat there! A (very) small part of me is glad that the park hours are shorter in October, because otherwise we may not have the time this trip to take advantage of being so close and convenient.
I am soooo excited for your trip!!! We are staying in a Royal Room at POR in December. I may be texting you during my trip to get some pointers since you'll have just recently stayed there!
feel free to text me. I'm working on talking my dh into just getting unlimited- we keep going over our little amount and may as well have the unlimited if we are paying anyway.
I'm behind on my replies -- I have been reading & catching up, just not posting. I tend to DIS between midnight & 3am so I just read & reply later!
that used to be my online time too. it was really a struggle to get myself to go to bed this school year. they have been out less than a week and i'm already finding myself staying up later again. i keep telling myself only 20 more years until they are done with school 
I have no idea how anyone keeps an entire Disney trip a secret!!! I know that many DISers have done it & I looooove watching the videos of their children being surprised! BUT I stink at keeping secrets, especially when it comes to Disney!!! I was very proud of myself last trip for keeping the Behind the Seeds Tour a secret from my husband until our arrival day at Disney! I only told him a day in advance, but I still think the surprise would've been better had I not told him at all until we checked in for the tour!!! I'd also like to have a few surprises for Luke this trip (Tyler is too young to understand yet). I totally give credit to you and everyone else who's kept a trip a secret!!! I can't wait for you to tell the kids in October!!!
don't give me credit yet... i haven't been successful yet. its been helpful that we have been so busy lately. less free time = less disney talk= less opportunity to slip! I've convinced myself that it must be a surprise because otherwise she will tell all her friends at school and get me in trouble. I love the little surprises on the trips too. the kids really eat them up! I didn't do too many physical surprises last trip. they each got a goody bag at arrival. But each day, they had a letter from a Disney friend who told them what there surprise was that day. there was something fun scheduled most every day, and i kept that stuff a secret until the day of. you can read about it in my forever long TR if you haven't already. Just check out the beginning of the various days. I don't remember how old Luke was when you guys first took him. But we went when James was 9 months and i promise you out of all 8 of us, he was by far the easiest. If you didn't take luke that young, i'll be happy to share a couple things that worked well for us.
I have to put my two cents worth in about
MNSSHP. On our MNSSHP day, I had originally scheduled a pool/resort day. But we got ants in our pants & wanted to go to a park! LOL! We ended up sleeping in and heading to MK, ate lunch at The Plaza, did a few things, left, went back to the resort for a nap, arrived back at MK around 7pm. My biggest regret about the day was that we were tired a few hours after lunch, so we didn't make it back to MK until 7 -- I had originally planned to be there at 4pm when they first let you in for MNSSHP. And this year, we'll be attending
MVMCP and we will definitely, without a doubt, be taking it easy that morning/afternoon and arriving at MK by 4pm. I learned my lesson the hard way, so I'm passing it along to anyone reading this!
Had we arrived at MNSSHP at 4pm, I think we could have gotten some rides in between 4-7pm. I also would've lined up for the 7 Dwarfs by 6:30-6:45pm and then when the actual party started at 7, we could've enjoyed the shows, fireworks, parade, etc more. I felt that it was crazy arriving at 7 -- it was super busy & the lines for everything was already 30-45 mins! So my advice, arrive at 4 and take it easy that morning!
They are great cars and so roomy. I drive about 400 miles a week between dropping off at school, going to work and generally running around. Add in a few trips a year to grandparents in FL, etc. and it ends up with lots of miles. 
I'm so glad to hear that you woudl recommend it and that it was reliable for you. 
We're both really happy with them 
Mine had to be ordered in though, because I needed it in a smaller size, but my fiance's was perfect. 
I always wanted to get surprised with a trip to Disney World...well, I still do 
There are lots of fun things you could do though...have you given it much more thought?
, which is always a good thing 
I really hope y'all like TRex or else I'll feel really bad about it. 
I have never been so embarrassed and angry. I picked him up & carried him outside where I sat him on a bench. I told my DH he could deal with him & walked away. 
