*******Official August 2017 Countdown Thread ~ Feeling hot, hot, hot!!!******

[hsmamainva]

So......does anyone else already have their NEXT trip planned (after the August trip)? Since planning for this one is almost over, I need to have another one to think about/plan.

I'm thinking potentially February, 2018..... Possibly an extended family trip with sister's family and my father. If that doesn't work out, then it would be just me and ODS for a mother/son trip (since this upcoming trip is just me and YDD). I'm thinking Deluxe this time - maybe share a villa if everyone goes. If a villa, doesn't matter which one really, I've never stayed in a villa, so any will be new to me. If just me and DS, I'm thinking a regular room at AKL (or studio.....whatever is available).

Yep!! Going November 29 - December 9 for a Christmas trip with my youngest daughter! Planning 2 trips next year -- May & August -- but haven't booked those yet! Waiting on college / work schedules to pan out!

 

[cici6198]

So excited to be coming again this August (August is our normal Disney travel month) super excited for this trip because we will be catching the very beginning of Food and Wine for the first time! Our dates are 8/27-9/2. Coming with DH and three kids. DD's oldest is 6 and has been too many times to count. The others will be 17 months and 8 months. Any good tips are on touring the parks with the little one. We've never come with babies under 1 and 1/2 years old.

 

[Monykalyn]

So excited to be coming again this August (August is our normal Disney travel month) super excited for this trip because we will be catching the very beginning of Food and Wine for the first time! Our dates are 8/27-9/2. Coming with DH and three kids. DD's oldest is 6 and has been too many times to count. The others will be 17 months and 8 months. Any good tips are on touring the parks with the little one. We've never come with babies under 1 and 1/2 years old.

It has been a looong time since we went with kids that young-and yet DH and I still look back on that trip as "best ever family trip". Probably because we went with no expectations, took touring at the kids pace and really slowed down to enjoy the moment, took in shows we normally wouldn't have (nap space!), etc. Plus we also hire a babysitter (from a bonded, licensed company that came with great references-and OMG she showed up with a suitcase of toys etc tailored to my kids likes, my oldest remembers this and she was 6 at the time) to do a date night. Victoria & Alberts then closing down Pleasure Island.
All that to say-the slowing down to kids pace, appreciating the moment and not trying to do "everything" made the trip exceptional.

 

[OThopeful35]

4O more days left til my epic celebration!! My DS and I will at WDW from Aug 1 to 15 with a split stay between CSR and AKL. I cannot wait. Now back to studying for my state boards (NCLEX-RN).

 

[Monykalyn]

Now back to studying for my state boards (NCLEX-RN).

Good Luck!!

 

[Tomh]

It's funny, because before our first Aug. trip in 2014 this is what I heard - rain storms every day. On that trip we had rain 2 days, one shower each day, and neither one lasted longer than 15-20 minutes lol. Then in 2015 we went down during a hurricane and it rained pretty much every day for a little while, sometimes torrential downpours, but we still had plenty of pool and park time. Last Aug. we also only had rain one day out of 4; that day it rained for HOURS. Anyway I think the moral of this story is while daily rain storms can and do happen in August it's not necessarily guaranteed. Our Oct. 2011 trip was our wettest trip ever!

We've visited in August for the past 8 years. The daily afternoon / early evening shower is by far the most common weather pattern, but certainly not the only possibility. We have had a year or two where there was hardly any rain through our entire 12 day stay. We also had one year where several evenings were cut short by torrential rains and intense lightning that lasted for hours on end.

FP day for me was today!! Mission Space wasn't available any day that would work for us. I don't see that it is down for referb at that time so don't know what that is all about.

Did get everything else and the times I wanted!! Even FOP and Navi!!

Mission Space is indeed undergoing a refurb. It is supposed to be done, and open well in advance of our arrival, but apparently, they aren't booking FP+ for it yet. Likely when it is much closer to reopening, FP+ will become available for it again.

 

[kittercats85]

My husband and I have our trip booked for the end of August! By looking at a few replies in here, I see that we'll also be there when the beginning of Food and Wine Festival. We honestly only plan on doing EPCOT one day and spending our other days at Universal (I have been itching for the Wizarding World for YEARS). My husband hasn't been to Disney since he was six and still is bitter that his parents never brought him to EPCOT. Trying to decide if we should go at the beginning of the week before it, or now at the end during it. Is it really something super impressive we should check out?

 

[frostymom]

4O more days left til my epic celebration!! My DS and I will at WDW from Aug 1 to 15 with a split stay between CSR and AKL. I cannot wait. Now back to studying for my state boards (NCLEX-RN).

Good Luck! Welcome to a great profession!

 

[frostymom]

Yep!! Going November 29 - December 9 for a Christmas trip with my youngest daughter! Planning 2 trips next year -- May & August -- but haven't booked those yet! Waiting on college / work schedules to pan out!

Our next trip is a (complete surprise) cruise on the Dream for my son's 13th bday in October. Then another cruise at Christmas and April 2018. I am addicted to cruising and WDW. Is there a 12 step program?

 

[hsmamainva]

40 days!!! Just 10 more days until I can start making Fast passes!!!!!!!

 

[MinnieWebster]

FP day is tomorrow!! Crossing my fingers that we can get what we want!

 

[MrsMama]

Just made FP selections. Thanks to all who suggested going further into the trip to get FoP. There was zero availability for our first AK day (60+3), even for just two people. On our second day (60+6), I had plenty of times to choose from. Everything else had pretty much open availability!

 

[AliceNDinah]

MonyKaylyn! We have the exact same dates as you, fun! We can't even wait!!!!!

It has been a looong time since we went with kids that young-and yet DH and I still look back on that trip as "best ever family trip". Probably because we went with no expectations, took touring at the kids pace and really slowed down to enjoy the moment, took in shows we normally wouldn't have (nap space!), etc. Plus we also hire a babysitter (from a bonded, licensed company that came with great references-and OMG she showed up with a suitcase of toys etc tailored to my kids likes, my oldest remembers this and she was 6 at the time) to do a date night. Victoria & Alberts then closing down Pleasure Island.
All that to say-the slowing down to kids pace, appreciating the moment and not trying to do "everything" made the trip exceptional.

 

[AliceNDinah]

Sorry!! I think I meant Cici6198. Sorry for the error. I was just excited to see someone else with the exact same vacation dates, ha.

 

[Monykalyn]

Sorry!! I think I meant Cici6198. Sorry for the error. I was just excited to see someone else with the exact same vacation dates, ha.

Totally get the excitement!

 

[JackOliva07013]

well... 60 days... Just made FP selections. It feels like I am tired of over planning. I love when people say "go with the flow" but with younger kids - I cant allow myself for it. They would not wait in line for 30 min or more without getting on our nerves. The DD is 5. no stroller. She is 42" so she will be upset she cant go on some rides. If DS goes on SM - what do I do with DD ? how to turn negative into positive? What is our last ride on the trip? everything planned out.

I am exhausted. I need a drink.

 

[srauseo]

If DS goes on SM - what do I do with DD ? how to turn negative into positive?

I think my advice would be distraction. Offer something just as good and don't even bring up what she'll be missing. While we did Space Mountain, the 5 year-old got her face painted right nearby. We didn't even tell her what we were doing. Would DS play along?

 

[Pills]

Got my FPs done! Well, most of them - I got everything I wanted, but I didn't fill a lot. We wanted to leave things fairly open for the trip.

So, we knew we had two EP days, so I got Soarin' for one, and Frozen for the first F&W day. I got FOP for the first AK day (3:55, dinner is at 4:40 at Tusker House... should be OK, right?), but I got NRJ on two other days so we can choose.

8 weeks from tomorrow!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Got my FPs done! Well, most of them - I got everything I wanted, but I didn't fill a lot. We wanted to leave things fairly open for the trip.

So, we knew we had two EP days, so I got Soarin' for one, and Frozen for the first F&W day. I got FOP for the first AK day (3:55, dinner is at 4:40 at Tusker House... should be OK, right?), but I got NRJ on two other days so we can choose.

8 weeks from tomorrow!

So exciting! Perhaps I should have left things more open in our schedule, too. I know we're likely to veer from the plans I've set. But FP can always be cancelled or modified, so that makes me feel better if we end up changing our minds.

I would think your FoP FP should be okay. You can always enter the FP line 5 minutes early, too. And the reports of people waiting in the FP line for 30-60 minutes seem to have mostly just been in the first few days when they were working the kinks out. Once you get through the line/rooms and on the ride, itself, it's only 5 minutes. And Pandora shouldn't be too long of a walk to Africa if you take the path by the Lion King theatre.

 

[momma2ethan]

Whew FP+ morning sure makes for an early wake up when you are a west coaster like me. I briefly considered setting my alarm for 4AM when I went to bed but it was a fleeting thought. I'm glad I didn't because my hyper-vigilant internal clock woke me up at 4:15 anyway I grabbed my phone and booked out AK days and tier 1 EPCOT days then went back to sleep. I was completely out of it so I really need to go back and look at what I actually booked. HAHA I do know I got FoP, Navi River, Soarin (for me), Test track (for ds), FEA and Splash (before it goes down for refurb. No clue what else my sleepy fingers did in my trance-like state