Oct 2011:The Best Laid Plans of Mice & Kids: Itinerary 2.0 Updated 8/17

[exwdwcm]

let's see- for Monday, i would avoid DHS for sure. MK closes early as does AK. So i guess your option would be to try Epcot again. Or what about doing the campfire sing along this night, or did you move it to another night already? is there anything else cool outside the parks he likes to do? What about the Boardwalk area and dinner or ice cream at Beaches and Cream? has he done the build a car at RideMarkerz in DtD?

Thanks on the nursery- yep, for now we can't paint over it, but i know we will have to at some point!

CONGRATS on the new job! Hopefully you will be a lot happier. And the flexibility will be great. I really struggle with being a working mom. A lot of guilt and heck, my job is just really stressful at times too. I am hoping in the next few years, i can stay at home finally. We will see. Maybe pick up some freelance work from time to time. I wish i had more flexibility or something part time like you, but it isn't in the cards for right now. But i am hoping at some point!

 

[TeresaG]

Hi!!

 

[PirateKate]

Without knowing Porter, it's hard to know what he would find Birthday fun. I think, if I were in the parks that night, I would try to book dinner at a Magic Kingdom resort, maybe Ohana, or Chef Mickey's, and catch Hallowishes from the beach. Maybe finish out the night with a late night swim, if it's warm enough.

I do think that having the Pirate & Pals voyage on another night will not matter too much to the kids, as long as they get to go sometime. And it does sound like a really cool night, with the treasure hunt and Pirate's League beforehand.

I love your Jake and the Neverland Pirates Party! Carter loves that show. Maybe we'll throw our own pirate party sometime. Sounds like a lot of fun.

I'll be interested to see which stroller you pick. As for the folded Citi Mini, sometimes, it seems to fold very compactly and other times, it seems to take up more room. Operator error, perhaps.

 

[KatMark]

I'm late to the party, but hope you don't mind me joining. Your children are adorable.

Your plans sound great.

 

[Minnie_Mom]

Our party of six becomes EIGHT!

Wow... sorry about the almost 3 month hiatus. I hope I am forgiven. Life got a little out-of-control between the new job, a 2-week vacation to visit family, and catching up from our vacation.

So, here we go, again, on our adventure. There have been lots of plans made since I last posted and I am very excited about them. My hope is the post several times this week to get everything caught up. I might even try to squeeze in a mini trip report from our vacation since it is the same group that will be traveling to WDW.

The most exciting change that has been made to our plans is that my brother, Rick, and his girlfriend, Jahni, have decided to join us for part of our trip! They will be flying in on the evening of 10/10, Porter’s birthday, and will be leaving with the rest of us on 10/15. I am so thrilled that they our coming... The more the merrier! Plus, Porter and Audrey Anne adore them. Adding to the excitement is that Jahni has NEVER been to WDW before. I am excited to show her Disney World. It is always fun to get to see it for the first time through someone else’s eyes!

Welcome, Rick and Jahni! I am beyond happy that you guys are coming with us!

Since my brother has already complained that I do not have enough pictures of him in this PTR, I will take this opportunity to try to correct this problem...

Here is my very handsome little brother, Rick

Rick shortly after becoming an uncle

Rick introducing Porter to his favorite character

Rick and Porter in front of Magic Kingdom

Porter telling Belle that his Uncle is a really nice guy.

Rick and his actual Princess, Jahni. Sorry Jahni... this is the only picture I had!

That is all for today, but another update is coming tomorrow... Update on Porter’s birthday plans... was I able to go with my Plan A or did I have to default to Plan B?

 

[Minnie_Mom]

Thanks for the warm welcome!! It's always exciting to see others' plans!!

First off congrats on the new position! That's awsome to have more flexibility in a job!

As to Monday's plans, the only thing I can think of is maybe going to DTD? You could get an ADR at T-Rex if they are still open, or letting him to into Once Upon a Toy and letting him build a light saber? OR how about going over to Fort Wilderness and seeing the horse barn? and a show at Hoop de doo? There's also Mickey's Backyard BBQ there that might be fun.

Sorry to have welcomed you and then run away, but this time I should be here to stay!

I tried to get us ressies at T-Rex, but they were booked, but I love the idea of building a light saber. I really think he would love seeing the horses at Fort Wilderness and/or Mickey's BBQ/Hoop de doo. When we were in Dallas, his uncle got him all the "cowboy" essentials. I know that he would love getting to "play cowboy!"

Does anyone have a preference of Hoop de doo or Mickey's BBQ? If so, why? My gut says that the kids would enjoy Mickey's BBQ just because of the characters, but I hear more about Hoop de doo....

Congrats on the new job! That's great that it's a better fit for you! Flexibility can mean the world when it comes to work.

I think Saturday's plans look great. Not sure what to do on Monday evening though. I love the idea of looking into Mickey's BBQ. Friends of ours did it and said their son loved it.

Thanks! The flexibility has been great! I am loving being able to adjust my schedule based on the families needs!

Glad to hear that your friends enjoyed Mickey's BBQ! That makes me feel better about it.

let's see- for Monday, i would avoid DHS for sure. MK closes early as does AK. So i guess your option would be to try Epcot again. Or what about doing the campfire sing along this night, or did you move it to another night already? is there anything else cool outside the parks he likes to do? What about the Boardwalk area and dinner or ice cream at Beaches and Cream? has he done the build a car at RideMarkerz in DtD?

I like your idea about the campfire or Beaches and Cream. Porter loves ice cream! He could easily eat twice his weight in ice cream!

Hmmmm, RideMakers.... that sounds like loads of fun! We might have to try this regardless of if we do this for his birthday or not!

This is what I love about WDW... there is so much you can do. It is unreal!

CONGRATS on the new job! Hopefully you will be a lot happier. And the flexibility will be great. I really struggle with being a working mom. A lot of guilt and heck, my job is just really stressful at times too. I am hoping in the next few years, i can stay at home finally. We will see. Maybe pick up some freelance work from time to time. I wish i had more flexibility or something part time like you, but it isn't in the cards for right now. But i am hoping at some point!

It is so hard to be a working mom. Perfectionism runs deeply through my veins and it is so hard to give 100% to my kids, 100% to my husband, and 100% to my job!

I hope that you are able to build your freelance business so that you can stay at home. My SIL is a SAHM who was an event planner. Since becoming a SAHM, she had been able to do some freelance work from home.

How are your trip plans going?

Hi!!

Hi! How was your trip? I can't wait to get started on your trip report!

Without knowing Porter, it's hard to know what he would find Birthday fun. I think, if I were in the parks that night, I would try to book dinner at a Magic Kingdom resort, maybe Ohana, or Chef Mickey's, and catch Hallowishes from the beach. Maybe finish out the night with a late night swim, if it's warm enough.

I do think that having the Pirate & Pals voyage on another night will not matter too much to the kids, as long as they get to go sometime. And it does sound like a really cool night, with the treasure hunt and Pirate's League beforehand.

I love your Jake and the Neverland Pirates Party! Carter loves that show. Maybe we'll throw our own pirate party sometime. Sounds like a lot of fun.

I'll be interested to see which stroller you pick. As for the folded Citi Mini, sometimes, it seems to fold very compactly and other times, it seems to take up more room. Operator error, perhaps.

Hi, Kate! Thanks for the birthday recommendations! Hallowishes from the beach sounds like a lot of fun!

I will definitely update on my stroller choice this week. I will say that the one I picked has arrived and is sitting in my garage right now. I LOVE it! We took it to Dallas and despite Southwest trying to destroy it, it was perfect for the trip!

I'm late to the party, but hope you don't mind me joining. Your children are adorable.

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!

So, so glad to have you! Hopefully, you can depart some of your knowledge of CSR to me! Don't worry about being late.... I was gone from the party.

Thanks, Porter and Audrey Anne are something else, for sure!

Your plans sound great.

Thank you! I have going need to change this just a little, but nothing major!

 

[Minnie_Mom]

Porter's FINALIZED Birthday Plans

If you have read my previous posts, then you know that I spent a lot of time planning Porter's birthday at WDW only to find out that they would not be having the Pirate and Pals firework cruise on Porter's birthday. They would be having the cruise on other nights during our trip, just not on the night I wanted it.
How dare Disney not accommodate MY plans!

I call almost every day to see if they had added the cruise on Oct 10 (Porter's birthday), but sadly they never did. About 2 weeks after the dates for MNSSHP were added and there was still no cruise added a cast member told me that there was no way that there would be a cruise on Oct 10. So, I began reworking Porter's birthday plans.

Then, my pixie dust moment happened. About a week ago, I called to finally bite the bullet and make the cruise reservations for my alternate date. When the cast member asked me for my date, I told her that I really wanted 10/10 but was calling to book the 10/8 cruise because there were no P&P cruises scheduled for 10/10. She offered to look for a cruise on 10/10, but I told her not to worry about it. However, she insisted on searching. Then, I heard, "Ma'am, it looks like there has been a P&P cruise added for 10/10. Would you like to book it?" I really didn't believe her. I had made it this far in the booking process before only to be told that they were wrong and that there was not a actual cruise. But, then she asked for my credit card information and then I got my confirmation number. She reminded that this was a MNSSHP so the fireworks would start later than normal and would be Hallowishes. I thanked her about 1,000,000 times, then hung up the phone on !

Our original plans stand and the schedule Porter's birthday will be as follows...
Monday, October 10: Happy Birthday, Porter!
Morning:
Breakfast: Granola bars? Maybe we will have breakfast in the Pepper Market for a special birthday treat
Epcot: Future World

Afternoon:
Lunch: Le Cellier at 12:00 w/ birthday cake
Back to CSR for SWIM TIME and rest

Evening: The Treasure Hunt begins
Magic Kingdom 3:00-7:00
Pirates League at 3:30- If they open up later appointments due to MNSSHP, I am going to try to more his appt later in the day, so he can swim a little longer.
Dinner: Casey’s in the MK.
Pirate and Pals Firework Cruise- Meet at CR at 8:15

Instead of fighting the crowds on Porter's birthday, we will be floating on the Seven Seas Lagoon viewing this...

*Photo taken from wdwinfo.com

The whole day is a surprise for Porter. He knows that we are going to WDW for his birthday, but does not know about his pirate adventure. I am so excited that everything worked out!

Now, I have to get started on the treasure hunt and decide what do between 7pm when MK closes and 8:15pm when we can check in for the cruise.

Up Next: What was the outcome of my stroller indecision?

 

[PirateKate]

I'm so happy that they added a cruise on the night that you wanted. I bet Porter will be thrilled with his pirate birthday.

 

[Minnie_Mom]

I'm so happy that they added a cruise on the night that you wanted. I bet Porter will be thrilled with his pirate birthday.

Thanks, I hope he enjoys his birthday!

 

[Minnie_Mom]

The Great Stroller Debate 2011... finally decided!​

And the stroller winner is...
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You didn’t think I would give you the winner in the first sentence did you? Of course not. I won't do it! This is a PTR which means you much listen to me ramble on about the strollers, before announcing the winner! First, I need to recap all the choices.

Maclaren Double:

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This was the front runner from the beginning. I love my Maclaren single stroller. I has been great to use at WDW in the past. I like that this stroller would be lite and would fold compactly... two very important factors!

City Mini Double:

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After reading the PTR of PirateKate, I became very interested in this stroller. Everyone on Disboards raves about this stroller. The big factor with this stroller was the fold and it’s similarity the Bumbleride Indie Twin I already own.

Graco Double Ipo

I like the price point of this stroller as well as the size.

Kinderwagon Hop

This stroller was the dark horse. I stumbled upon a video review of this stroller while I was searching for a video of how the City Mini folded. I like that this stroller is very light, folds compactly, and is different from anything I currently own.

So, which stroller reigns supreme?
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THE KINDERWAGON HOP

I fell in love with this stroller after I saw it. I knew Jonathan would love it because it’s fold is just like a regular umbrella. In fact, when folded it is only a few inches longer than our Maclaren. Not to mention, it only weighs 21.5 lbs! He should have no trouble with this stroller on the buses! I love it because it fills a need that my Bumbleride can not. It can easily fit in narrow places where I would not have been able to take my Bumbleride, and is great for quick trips. Most importantly, the kids love it! I could write an entire report on this stroller, but I won't. If you want to know about this stroller, just PM me!

Here are a couple of pictures of the kids trying it out on our trip to Dallas...

Full-length shot of the stroller with Porter and Audrey Anne

Close-up to show the stadium style seating

Picture with stroller in background to show slim, small style of stroller

Audrey Anne sleeping soundly is stroller



Thank you all so much for all the input you gave me!

Coming up next.... How Free Dining and airfare changed our trip!

 

[Minnie_Mom]

Just noticed on my signature that it is only...

2 months ​

until we are at Mickey's House!​

It's time for the 2 month dance...

​

and its time to start a countdown for the kiddos.

Any suggestions? How does your family like to countdown to your trip? Paper chains? Countdown calendar? I WANT to hear you ideas!

 

[exwdwcm]

congrats on the stroller decision and on the cruise! so glad they added one! we are doing ours on a Monday as well, but i was hoping they would have a Friday. I might try calling back to check. Porter will be so surprised!!!

the stroller looks simply awesome. love the stadium seating!

oh and welcome back!

 

[Minnie_Mom]

congrats on the stroller decision and on the cruise! so glad they added one! we are doing ours on a Monday as well, but i was hoping they would have a Friday. I might try calling back to check. Porter will be so surprised!!!

the stroller looks simply awesome. love the stadium seating!

oh and welcome back!

Thanks... It is great to be back! I am really happy with my stroller and would definitely recommend it to anyone with 2 toddlers looking for a lightweight double stroller!

You should call back and check on the cruise. I was shocked when the reservation went through. I had been told so many times that they would not be having one this night! Good luck!

 

[Minnie_Mom]

How Free Dining and Airline Prices changed our trip...​

When we booked our trip, we were hopeful for some sort of discount. We were willing to pay full price, but a discount would allow us to have more money to go towards all the extra, fun things Disney offers.

I waited and watched and waited some more. I checked the discounts forum almost daily. I did my "Disney Discounts Math" over and over again. The longer I waited, the less hopeful I became.

Then, one day I opened up the discounts forum and saw the most wonderful thread... Free Dining was on its way... well, hopefully, it was, anyway! When we go to Disney, we always use the dining plan. I like paying for everything in advance and not having to worry about money on vacation. We know it may not be the best value but to us it is worth it! Free dining is our favorite discount... we have to eat... so we might as well eat free!

But even better than free food, the discount means that Rick and Jahni can extend their trip and be at WDW for our ENTIRE trip! I am beyond thrilled! We are so excited they will be at WDW to help us celebrate Porters' birthday!

I followed the FD thread closely because I did not want to miss anything important. The frenzy on the boards was incredible, and there was a lot of debate over the blackout dates. According to the rumor, our check-in date was included and we would receive free dining. But, several long-time disers were commenting that the promo dates did not seem right and that they would not be surprised if our check-in date was not included.

On Aug 3, the day FD was to be released, armed with a Plan A, B, C, D, E, and F (what can I say- I like to be prepared ), I called my mom, then I added Jahni to the call, then promptly at 6am (CST) our conference call called Disney. Luckily, we got through very quickly and found out that our check-in date was included, and CSR still had availability... so much for needing Plan B, C, D, E, and F! Thirty minutes later, all three of us had applied FD to our reservations.

It was not even 7am and I had already saved $800! Even though I felt like I had done quite enough for one day and should probably just sit back and relax for the rest of the day (yeah, right), I decided to press my discount luck. So, I opened up my laptop and quickly made my way to Delta's homepage.

You see, the night before Jonathan and I had a long discussion about airfare. Ticket prices were so high that it was going to cost us at least $1200 to fly. While we could pay it, we did not want to pay it. It did not take us long to opt to forgo the flights and just make the 14-hour drive.

As I waited for my laptop to make its way to Delta's homepage, I was thinking of a thread I had seen the day before about Delta's airfare sale. Someone had gotten ROUNDTRIP airfare for $96! I had looked then, but there was nothing available for our dates. However, today would be different. After all, it was MY lucky day... I had called Disney added FD for 3 families with no problems and was off the phone by 6:30. As soon as the webpage loaded, I quickly typed in our airport and hit search.... NO LUCK! sad: Then, I searched again. This time using a smaller airport that is about 3 hours away. I blinked once, twice, and finally by the third time my eyes adjusted to a beautiful site... $96! I called Jonathan who told me to book the flights as fast I as could! Hooray, 14 hour car ride averted. Flights booked at a record price!

Now, it was not even 8:00 am and I had saved a total of $1600! But, would you like to know what is even better than saving $1600? Getting to add a day on to your trip to accomodate the incredibly low priced fight you just booked!

Yes, that is right! We are adding a day to our trip. Instead of leaving Oct 7, Jonathan, Porter, Audrey Anne and I are leaving on Oct 6! The flights were so much lower on the Thursday that we could easily justify paying for an extra night! We will arrive in Orlando around 4:30 on Thursday and will most likely spend the evening swimming or going to DTD. The next morning it is on to the parks!

I am so excited about the money we saved, but even more than that I am thrilled that Rick and Jahni will be with us for the entire trip AND that we are getting an additional day in Disney!

Hooray for FD and for airfare sales!

Since it is a Dis requirement to include pictures with every update (and I have included zero thus far), here are a few flashback pictures of where we'll be 2 months from today and what we will be doing as we celebrate Porter's 4th Birthday!

We will start our day off at Epcot...

Eventually, we will end up here...

Before we leave we will probably ride this...

Although not at 'Ohana, we'll enjoy a little birthday cake along the way...

And all along the way, we will be CELEBRATING!

Wow... this is a really long, wordy update. Sorry. Thanks for staying with me all the way to the end!

Coming Up: Itinerary 2.0

 

[PirateKate]

I'm so excited for you all. Free dining and $96 flights and an extra night and Porter's birthday cruise, everything is coming together perfectly.

It looks like you made a great choice on the stroller. The kids look very happy with it!

 

[Minnie_Mom]

Itinerary 2.0​

Here is our revised itinerary to reflect Rick & Jahni joining us and the addition of our extra day at WDW! All changes will be marked in RED.

Thursday, October 6
Morning:
Mad dash out the door.
We will need to leave the house around 5am for the airport. We will hopefully arrive at airport around 8am. Our flight departs at 10am.

Afternoon:
Arrive in Orlando
Our flight will land in Orlando around 4:30.

Evening:
Arrive at Pop Century
Hopefully, we will be at Pop Century by 5:30 or 6:00. Depending on how our travel day goes we decide on 1 of 4 options for this night.
-Option 1: Quickly go to our room and freshen up, then hop on a bus and go to DTD. Eat a CS supper at Wolfgang's or EoS and do a little shopping.
-Option 2: Quickly go to our room and freshen up, then eat supper in the Pop Food Court. After we finish eating, go over to FW for Chip and Dale's campfire.
-Option 3: Quickly go to our room and freshen up, then eat supper in the Pop Food Court. After we finish eating, go to Winter Summerland for a round of miniature golf
-Option 4: Take our time getting to the room. Eat supper at Pop's food court, then go for a swim. If our day goes really badly or if we are just exhausted, this will be the route we go!

Friday, October 7
Morning:
Check-out of Pop, Check-in to CSR, go to Epcot/FW
Breakfast: Granola bars in the room
It will just be Jonathan, Porter, Audrey Anne and me today as this is the travel day for everyone else. We are planning to tour Innovations. I think Porter loves to discover how things work, so I think he will have lots of fun here. We also want to ride SE and Nemo.

Afternoon:
Epcot/WS
Lunch: Food booths for F&W
After we are done in FW, we will head to the WS. Jonathan wants to spend some time exploring the food booths that will be set-up for F&W. We also rarely have the chance just to stroll through WS with no destination.

Evening:
Epcot/Pool
Supper: La Hacendia de San Angel or Tangerine Cafe
We will either continue exploring through the WS or go back to CSR for a swim. We have a reservation for La Hacendia that would put us there during Illuminations, but I might end up canceling this because we will be paying OOP for this day. If we cancel, we will eat at Tangerine Cafe, then go back to CSR for a swim!
Go to bed fairly early!
At some point after midnight, everyone else will arrive!


Saturday, October 8
Wake up to everyone being at WDW!
Morning:
Breakfast: Granola bars in the room
Animal Kingdom for rope drop
We have never seen the opening ceremony at AK and I have heard is is really nice. I would love to see it this trip!

Afternoon:
Lunch: Flame Tree, one of my favorite CS places!
We will try to get a quiet table under the trees that is by the water and overlooks Experdition Everest.
Rest at the resort. Maybe swim?

Evening:
Dinner: Kona- Sounds amazing in everyone's reviews. Porter and Audrey Anne would love the Kona Cone!
Boma- We all enjoy this style of food but have never gotten to eat here. Crystal Palace- We were not planning on CP this trip, but the kids have been obsessed with Winnie and friends since watching the new movie.
Magic Kingdom
Since this is Jahni's first visit, I just could not let her first day pass without a trip to MK! After dinner, we will head here for the MSEP at 8pm and Wishes! at 9pm

Sunday, October 9
Morning:
Breakfast: Granola bars in the room, again!
Magic Kingdom for rope drop
I love watching the kids see Mickey and friends coming in on the train. It is one of my favorite moments of all our WDW vacations!

Afternoon:
Lunch: Colombia Harbor House or any other CS we happen to be close to when our tummies growl!
Colombia House is my favorite, so I might have to make sure we are in this area around lunch time. But, honestly, I think there are several yummy CS place in MK.
Porter and Audrey Anne nap in park or everyone go to resort to rest/swim
I would love it if we could get naps in the park today, but if not a trip back to CSR will be just fine.

Evening:
Hollywood Studios
Dinner: Mama Melrose at 4:50
This is part of the Fantasmic! Dinner Package. We will probably arrive just in time for our reservation. I have a feeling this park will be pack this evening.
Sci-Fi at 5:00 for Rick and Jahni (I couldn't get them a ressie at MM)
Fantasmic!
Head back to CSR and go to bed!


Monday, October 10: Happy Birthday, Porter!
Morning:
Breakfast: Maybe Pepper Market. I LOVE the banana-topped waffles they have!
Epcot: Future World
Try to make it to Epcot for rope drop. We will explore Future World and do whatever Porter wants to do!

Afternoon:
Lunch: Le Cellier at 12:00
We have never eaten here and really wanted to try it. Some might think this is an unusual place to take a 4 year old for his birthday, but Porter loves “fancy” restaurants!
Rick & Jahni eat at TBD. Unfortunately, they couldn't get ressies at LC
Back to CSR for SWIM TIME
Porter loves to swim so this afternoon will be devoted to the pool and the fun water slide at CSR!

Evening:
The Treasure Hunt begins
After swimming and getting dressed,
Porter will hopefully find a clue that will be the beginning of a treasure hunt which will lead him to MK, then the Pirates League, and ultimately to the Pirate and Pals Firework Cruise.
Pirates League at 3:30
If they open up later appointments due to MNSSHP this evening, I am going to try to more his appt later in the day, so he can swim a little longer.
Dinner: The Plaza at 5:30. Eat a light supper and then have birthday cake! We have never eaten here, but I needed somewhere for us to go to have birthday cake since Rick and Jahni could not eat with us at lunch.
MK closes at 7 pm for MNSSHP and we don't check-in until 8:15 for the cruise... Any thoughts on how to kill a little time?
Pirate and Pals Firework Cruise: Check-in 8:15 pm at CR
Porter loves all things Captain Hook and Peter Pan and I have read great reviews of this event, so it was a easy choice for a birthday treat.

Tuesday, October 11
Morning:
Breakfast: Tusker House at 8:00
We love this place... great food, great atmosphere and great character interaction!
Animal Kingdom
It never seems like we get to do everything here so this trip we decided to work in 2 mornings here.

Afternoon:
Lunch: Probably just a snack as we will be full from Breakfast.
Maybe a stuffed pretzel at AK?
Back to the resort to rest or finish at AK

Evening: TBD. Most likely DTD. This seems like the best place to fit it in. If we are at DTD, I will be eating at Wolfgang's! I want to take Porter to the new Lego Store and to Ridemakerz. We would also like to put together a box for our Mr. Potato Head and our My Little Pony collection. Of course, I have my own shopping list including a certain purse I've had my eye on and finally getting Jonathan to purchase something for himself at Disney. Can you believe that he has never gotten a Disney souvenir?


Wenesday, October 12
Morning:
Breakfast: Another day, another breakfast in the room or Marmee may want to visit Staring Rolls at DHS
Rope Drop at Hollywood Studios (After all these years, I still want to say MGM)
We learned last year how important rope drop was at this park! We got there right after the park opened and barely got to ride TSM. We won’t make this mistake again! Currently, this is our only scheduled time at HS, so we will need to move fast.

Afternoon:
Lunch: TBD
Maybe at DHS, maybe at DTD, maybe at the resort
Rest at CSR
Maybe nap at DHS, but I really think that this is one day that both kiddos are going to need afternoon naps.

Evening:
Epcot: World Showcase
Check-in early for our ADR and then explore World Showcase.
Dinner: Rose and Crown at 7:45pm
Beg for a patio and hope for the best! If all goes to plan (Who am I kidding? My plans never work out... hence, the title of my PTR), we will be watching Illuminations as we eat dessert! If no patio seat is available, we will just walk out to the patio to watch!
Illuminations
Go back to CSR and lights out... Good night!


Thursday, October 13
Morning: TBD... Maybe Epcot?
As I get a little further in my planning I will hopefully be able to determine what park we will need to go back to get fit everything in. Lunch will most likely be at chosen park.

Afternoon:
Lunch: TBD
We will eat somewhere in chosen park
Rest, rest, and rest
This is definitely be another day that Porter and Audrey Anne will need to rest! It will be a long night!

Evening:
Dinner: ‘Ohana at 5:00
This is the only must-do item that Jonathan and Poppy request. They love the food here and we have always have good service!
MNSSHP
When we attended this event in 2008 on Porter’s 1st birthday, he was a little pumpkin. I am thinking about using their costumes from this past Halloween for MNSSHP this year. If Porter and Audrey Anne are Peter and Tink, then the rest of us will be Lost Boys. We plan to stay late and party hard.


Friday: October 14: Our 5th Anniversary!
This day is all day MK!
Morning:
Magic Kingdom
Breakfast: Main Street Bakery
Depending on our plan for the day, I would really like to work in breakfast here.

Afternoon:
Lunch: Pecos Bill
We have never eaten here, but I would really like to try it
More Magic Kingdom
Rick and Jahni eat at CRT
We will try to go without naps today, but may need to go back to the resort to rest for a few minutes!
Rick and Jahni leave MK and head to airport after lunch

Evening:
Dinner:Cinderella’s Royal Table at 5:30
This is my favorite restaurant at WDW! There is just something about eating inside the castle that is magical. Plus, Porter had a great time here last year and hopefully, Audrey Anne will not sleep through the meal this year!
A little more Magic Kingdom
Hopefully, we will have time for a ride or two after dinner.
Wishes!
If the Wishes! Dessert Party is available, I might try to book it as a thank you to Marmee and Poppy for al their help during our vacation. We probably won’t be very hungry, but oh well!
Say good-bye to WDW and try not to cry too hard...


Saturday, October 15
Morning:
Our flight is at 8:15 so we will have to meet the ME at ~5:00.

Afternoon:
We will arrive at the airport at ~11 am, grab our bags, and drive home.

Evening:
Mourn the loss of our meal plan as we scavenger through the house looking for food!


Sunday, October 16
Start planning our next WDW vacation!

So, this is our most updated plan. I still has a couple of holes here and there that need to be worked out, but we'll get there!

Coming up: Dining at Disney with Toddlers!

 

[Minnie_Mom]

I'm so excited for you all. Free dining and $96 flights and an extra night and Porter's birthday cruise, everything is coming together perfectly.

It looks like you made a great choice on the stroller. The kids look very happy with it!

Thanks! It does seem like everything is starting to fall into place. I am really getting excited!

The kids do seem to like the stroller. I think it was the best choice for us because the fold, size, and weight make it perfect for taking on the buses, and it is completely different from the Indie Twin!

 

[exwdwcm]

Thanks... It is great to be back! I am really happy with my stroller and would definitely recommend it to anyone with 2 toddlers looking for a lightweight double stroller!

You should call back and check on the cruise. I was shocked when the reservation went through. I had been told so many times that they would not be having one this night! Good luck!

i tried calling back, but they said nothing for the Friday I wanted, so I am stuck with my monday cruise, which is okay. It leaves our last Friday open, which is kind of good- to enjoy our last night!

Love the new plans- so happy you got FD for all and the amazingly cheap flight! awesome! And most of all- YEAH for adding another day! It's like Christmas with all the stuff you got!

for the first night, i would vote for DTD or the swim option, depending on how tired you guys are. So the airport is 3 hours away from home? that's not too bad for that price!!!