Oct 2013 Surprise, Free Dining, Magic Band, FP+ testing, Birthday, Pop Century trip

[vleeth]

Assuming the weather co-operates today will Blizzard Beach.



This will not only be our first time at a Disney Water Park, it will be our first time at a water park in many years. Until last year Hope didn’t like getting her face wet. This summer she was on swim team-go figure. I confess I have not done my homework on this park. I think we will be avoiding the straight down slides (Summit Plummet, I believe) so we don’t have that line to worry about.

For the last couple of years Hope has wanted to come to this place to do this



And this



That’s the zipline…guess you can’t tell much by the photo. But I expect her to do this over and over and over.

Dave likes this



And this



Hope likes the wave pools also. I go with them, but there’s something about wave pools that I have a problem with. Maybe it’s getting scraped up on the bottom, or getting knocked down by the waves, or maybe it’s the people that always seem to land on you.

Once we’ve had enough water park we will head back to Pop to get ready for Church. Since tomorrow is our Magic Kingdom Day and Dave’s Birthday, we’ll probably eat at Pop after Mass and then go to bed early.

 

[vleeth]

So, I'm thinking I just might have to pack this weekend.

 

[vleeth]

Didn't get any packing done this weekend. I've almost settled on a rental car. I will book it sometime this week.

Looks like FP+ is now at All Stars Music. Could have saved me some money if I had known they would be included. But I must admit, the Pop people have me excited about staying there.

 

[vleeth]

It’s Dave’s birthday today and he picked Magic Kingdom.
So after a breakfast of



And maybe



we'll be off to the



When we get to Magic Kingdom, I’m looking forward to seeing some of this



And



And of course



The first item on the agenda is the Brave Meet and Greet. Hope loves archery, so this princess is right up her alley and we haven’t met her yet. From there we will head to



It will also be Hope’s first time at the Swiss Family Treehouse. We are in the middle of reading the book and she loves it.
Then



Followed by Jungle Cruise and



After this we will get a FP for Splash Mountain (if we are able to get regular FP with FP+.) Ride BTMR twice (This will be Hope’s first time riding. I really hope she likes it, because it’s my favorite and plan to ride it lots.)



Then use our FP for Splash (assuming it’s not cold.) On our way through Liberty Square we will stop and get Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Cards. I know I can get them somewhere back there. I need to research the name of the place and where exactly the place is. We may play as we go if we get assigned to an area we haven’t been to yet. If not, I have it scheduled for later.
Then we’ll hit Haunted Mansion, Hope’s first time and my first time since the refurb.



Next on the list is lunch at Columbia Harbor House…a first for all of us.
Then after lunch its Small World, Philharmagic & Carrousel (Peter Pan is down this trip.) Little Mermaid & then it should be time to use our FP + for STWB.
After that is Tea Cups, Pooh and Dumbo. We will let Hope spend some time playing in the queue for Pooh and the playplace for Dumbo. If the weather is nice enough she may also hit the Splash area.

We then have a FP+ for



One of us may go and get FP for Buzz. Next up is the Carousel of Progress, Peoplemover, Buzz, & Monsters Inc.

Then I have the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom scheduled. Followed by



The Hall of the Presidents is a must do this trip. We are on American History this year and I have Hope learning the Declaration of Independence…well at least part of it.
Then it should be about time for supper and Pecos Bill’s fixin’ bar keeps us coming back.
After dinner we’ll head back to Big Thunder and ride it until they kick us out. (it’s a party night) I love Big Thunder after dark!

 

[vleeth]

Well, Hope informed me while walking this morning, that she wants to try every slide at Blizzard Beach. So I'm off to do more research on which rides to hit in which order so we don't spend hours waiting in line.

 

[vleeth]

When I got home Friday my Mickey Mail was waiting for me. I think I will get my Magic Bands this Friday. Yay!!!

 

[vleeth]

Today will be our first ever trip to Universal Studios (the park, not the resort.)

We’ll have breakfast at Pop and then drive to the dark side.

Since we have free dining, I’m thinking about getting food from the Pop food court on the way back from Magic Kingdom to put in our fridge (if we get a fridge) overnight and take for lunch at Universal.

Our plan is go straight to Despicable Me and ride it twice (if no one gets sick), then ride Transformers twice. Next up is Twister, then Mummy twice, Disaster, MIB twice, Simpsons, Twirl n Hurl, ET, play area, Terminator and Shrek.

We may do Lucy and Blues Bros also.

Touring plans has us done by 2:00.

When we get back to Pop Dave & Hope will head for the pool while I do laundry. We will probably get a snack at Pop.

That evening we’ll hit DTD for supper, a bit of shopping and our traditional photos.

Hope on her 1st Birthday


Hope at 21 months


Hope at 4.


I have one from her 5th Birthday somewhere.

We also do this out where the Mickey watering the plants fountain is.

 

[vleeth]

UPS has my Magic Bands out for delivery. Now just to keep Hope from asking too many questions when it gets here.

 

[vleeth]

UPS delivered my Magic Bands yesterday. Then I got a letter in the mail inviting me to customize my bands and select my FP+. Today I get an email inviting me to customize my bands and select my FP+. Hope was doing schoolwork when the delivery came so she didn't ask what was in the box and I waited to open it in another room later in the day.

 

[vleeth]

23 days to go. I'm starting to feel overwhelmed with everything I have to do before we leave. I'm trying not to worry because I know I'll get it all done.

Next up is Epcot. This will be the only time this trip that we use extra magic hours. We’ll have to be up early. But it’s our 2nd favorite park and our first Food and Wine Festival. Dave doesn’t know about this yet. I’m not sure when I will tell him. He loves trying different foods and beers.
I had trouble picking FP+ for Epcot. You only really need it in Future World and you don’t really need it first thing in the morning.
In the end I got one for Test Track but put it at the end of the day.
Test Track is first on the list. Hope really wants to design a car so we don’t want to do FP. It will be our first time since they redid it. Then Mission: Space. Dave & I did this one before they added the Green side. We both got sick on it (headaches.) Hope insists on doing it and Dave refuses. So Hope and I will ride the green side (I haven’t told her there is a choice.) Then Spaceship Earth, Sum of All Thrills (at least I’m planning on this.) Then spend some time in Innoventions. Our first FP+ will be Living with the Land followed by our second Soarin. Then we’ll hit Figment and its off of the food. We’ll hit the booths at the entrance and head to Mexico.
This part of the day is a play it by ear thing. We like visiting the countries and will enjoy trying the food. Even with all the new food to try I’ll probably stop by Norway



We will do American Adventure (since we’re doing American History this year.)
I’m not a big fan of Innoventions…not sure why, but we may or may not watch some of it. Our FP+ for Test Track is 8:00-9:00.

 

[vleeth]

Today is DHS. This is my favorite place to have FP+. It means I don’t have to rush off to TSM first thing in the morning. Last time we were there we were close enough to rope drop to see the rope. We fast walked there and still waited almost 20 mins., in Sept!



This time we will head straight for Rock n Roller Coaster. It’s my favorite coaster and Hope is finally tall enough. Unfortunately she is also tall enough for Tower of Terror, which I don’t really care for and she is insisting she wants to do it. So the current plan is to let Dave & Hope do ToT while I go stand in line for Jedi Training. I know she has to be with me to sign up. But if the line is long, I can save us some time by waiting while they ride.

Next up is Star Tours. All 3 of us like Star Wars and we haven’t been on it since it was changed. If I’ve timed things properly we should then do Jedi Training and another round of Star Tours before grabbing an early lunch at Backlot Express. Depending on what time it is, we may take our food to go and eat while watching the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. I really need to find some time to watch the first and maybe the second Indiana Jones with Hope. Otherwise, I don’t think she’ll get much of what’s going on.

Next up is the Great Movie Ride. Our FP+ for TSM is 12-1. While we are doing many character meets this trip, I want to do some so that we have photopass pics. We will go to The Magic of Disney Animation to see Ralph (and anyone else we don’t yet have pics with.)



Then we will try Animation Academy and see One Man’s Dream. Then Mermaid, Disney Jr Characters, Jr show, Beaty & Beast and its back to the Coasters. According to my touring schedule RnR will have a 39 min wait at 4:43. If that is close to correct and we are close to being on schedule we should be able to ride it before riding it again with FP+ which is schedule for 5:40-6:40. Then we’ll have dinner at Rosie’s or one of the places near there. Since we’ll have time to kill before F! one of us will do TOT with Hope again. Hope doesn’t remember F! since she wasn’t yet 2 last time she saw it and I really think she’ll enjoy it.

 

[vleeth]

For Halloween we're going to Disney Quest and play mini golf. Hope & I went to Disney Quest the day after her 5th Birthday while Dave was at a Signs Now meeting. This will be his first time and since it's been more than 3 and a half years, Hope doesn't remember much of it. Also, she was too short to do the really fun stuff. It will be the first time any of us play putt putt at Disney and it will Hope's first time ever playing.

We will trick or treat at the resort that evening. Hope is insisting on dressing up as a Hogwarts student, so I hope she doesn't get teased too much about that.

 

[vleeth]

Monday we closed (selling) a house that we moved out of more than 3 years ago. My husband is friends with the realtor. While we were waiting for the paperwork to come back for the lender, the realtor asked about our trip and then asked me where we were staying. Total deer in the headlights. I said I couldn't tell him because it was a birthday surprise. Dave said he didn't hear anything before birthday surprise so he didn't catch what it was we were talking about. Maybe its a good thing that he spaces out as soon as I start talking about Disney.

In other news I got a call yesterday that my 95 year old grandmother fell and shattered her hip. She is scheduled to operate this afternoon.

 

[vleeth]

Friday is the day my Harry Potter obsessed daugther is waiting for. We have early entry and will head straight for the wwohp. We are making her an Ollivanders shirt to wear in hopes of it helping her get chosen for the show. After Ollivanders we will head to Hogwarts to ride Forbidden Journey (twice). Then we'll visit Buckbeak before getting a butterbeer and doing some shopping. We will hit Dueling Dragons, oops did I say that, either once or twice.

Then I'll drag Hope away (and maybe myself) to ride the Jurrasic Park ride. We will have lunch at Thunder Falls and then hit the water rides (if its warm enough.)

Next on the plan is a couple rounds with Spidey and then maybe Hulk. Hope seems to thing she is all about coasters and will ride all of them, but we'll see how things go before we try this one.

We'll spend some time in Suessworld before visiting Poseiden and Sinbad. If we're still on schedule, we will visit the JP discovery center and camp Jurrasic.

When we are done there we can give Ollivanders another go if Hope doesn't get picked in the morning. And then one last ride with Harry. If the park hasn't shut down yet, we'll do some shopping and hang out in Hogsmead until they kick us out.

 

[vleeth]

As of now, I have us checking out on Saturday and driving home. I think it would be nice to have Sunday to rest and unpack before going back to homeschooling and work on Monday. Of course, that also leaves us the option of adding another day if we decide we don't want to leave.

 

[vleeth]

I'm packed!!!!!!! Well not completely...but 98%.

 

[vleeth]

2 weeks from now I'll be on my way!!!

 

[missangelalexis]

Hooray, you are getting so close! Enjoying all your plans

 

[vleeth]

Hooray, you are getting so close! Enjoying all your plans

Thanks...so excited!

 

[vleeth]

We leave next week and Dave has yet to ask me which hotel/house I chose. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he hasn't asked because that would ruin the surprise. But I'm starting to think he won't ask until its time to switch hotels.