***Official August 2023 Thread***

[weather_lady]

You sound super prepared! I am impressed!

Thank you! I truly enjoy all of the preparation leading up to a trip -- almost as much as I enjoy the trip itself. For me, staying organized is what makes the process fun and stress-free. (I realize that for others, it can be the opposite.)

 

[BarbLynnM]

We’ll be returning to AKL on Aug. 26th for a week. I’m trying not to wish the days away until our departure, and enjoy the summer but it’s hard not to start packing lol.

 

[BarbLynnM]

I truly enjoy all of the preparation leading up to a trip -- almost as much as I enjoy the trip itself. For me, staying organized is what makes the process fun and stress-free. (I realize that for others, it can be the opposite.)

I enjoy the process too. Getting packed early is almost mandatory for me, a left-over from camping trips when there’s so much to plan for. I pack and re-pack and re-re-pack until it’s just right I have to remember not to bring the kitchen sink lol

 

[ellishardy21]

Is this thread only for girls?

 

[weather_lady]

Is this thread only for girls?

No.

 

[PVTim]

Going to be there in almost exactly 14 days (14 days, 4 hours and 9 minutes to be exact).

Suitcases are out, gift cards are loaded and ready, reservations/itinerary prepped and ready, screenshots made of all reservations, MNSSHP tickets for the 22nd ready, EPCOT after hours tickets for the 17th ready, got my carry on packed - just waiting on the rest of the family and watching every video I can for Food and Wine (our first).

Can't wait to leave- only 5 more days at work before my vacation begins!!!! 8/16-8/24

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

10 days to go.
Odds and ends we won’t need before our trip are put together on the dining room table and some have made it into suitcases/ carry-ons.

Outfits decided. We don’t match, but I like to somewhat coordinate. I emphasize “somewhat” and I use the word “coordinate” loosely. I’m a photographer and I can’t help trying to make those family photos work.

Ears are made (specifically I made several bows and I can attach them to a set of ears with Velcro so that I don’t have to pack so many full sets of ears- yet more than one full set of ears is currently parked in the previously mentioned carry-on).

Touring plans are roughly made. We’ll see what the wait time and genie plus gods have in store. Very different “strategy” for us this time around with no rope dropping planned.

Gift cards purchased and combined.

Grocery order for drop off was in the cart, then we got an unpleasant update from the company we were using so that order has been cancelled and tonight I’ll punch it all in with another service.

Which leads me to- car service booked, grocery pickup canceled, grocery delivery cancelled, so grocery pickup re-added. All on my lunch break today. This car service guy is going to think I’m insane and just “forget” to pick us up and I wouldn’t blame him right now.

Still to do: actual packing, continue frantically trying to modify 2 ADR’s I made 60 days ago that will not be modified despite my best efforts, deep clean the house (coming home to a clean house makes it feel like vacation for 5 extra minutes), talk myself out of booking a second Capture Your Moment when I had to talk myself into doing the first one. Oooof.

 

[Justrose]

18 days and I am starting to panic - talk me down!

We are doing things different this time - we will be there for 7 days but have the 4 day/4 park ticket. We are doing one rest day with MNSSHP at night, and a day at Typhoon Lagoon. We are using DAS and not getting Genie+. This was supposed to be a more relaxed, "go with the flow" kinda trip. Our itinerary is as follows:

Monday: arrival day, dinner with a friend at her house in Orlando
Tuesday: MK/MNSSHP #1, Crystal Palace
Wednesday: Epcot
Thursday: HS, Woody's Roundup Rodeo
Friday: rest day/MNSSHP #2
Saturday: Disney Springs and Typhoon Lagoon, Chef Art's
Sunday: AK and leave for airport at 5pm, Tusker House

We decided to do 2 Halloween parties and cut a couple TS reservations to pay for it. We typically do at least one TS each day we are in WDW. Having one TS meal on only Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday is freaking me out, LOL! I know it's silly and we won't starve to death eating QS but not having those reservations just seems so crazy to me as well as no park reservations and only going to each park once (well, 2 for MK if you count MNSSHP #2). DD is older now and cares a lot less about characters. It's just so weird!

 

[KellyKateri]

Almost at sub 20 days for me!

Thursday: travel day, dinner in VA
Friday: actual Disney arrival day, AK and then park hop MNSSHP
Saturday: rope drop HS and then park hop to AK, dinner at Toledo
Sunday: rope drop MK or AK, I can't decide! Afternoon park hop to Brown Derby lounge, Ogas and Fantasmic
Monday: Switching resorts, Golf tee time at 6:50 AM (yikes, but we will beat the heat) then afternoon VIP tour to celebrate my birthday by doing all four parks!
Tuesday: (my actual b-day) Kona brunch, then drinking around the world that afternoon and dinner at Trattoria al forno before probably sprinting to Fantasmic in HS
Wednesday: Pool/rest day/walk around World Showcase before dinner at Steakhouse 71 ending at MK EEH
Thursday: Meet up with one of my friends for her first time in Studios ever!
Friday: Disney Springs, Pool and take Mears to MCO to pick up our rental car to drive further south for the beach week portion of our vacay

I can't wait!!!

I still have SO MUCH to do, watch more EarScouts, determine Genie+ days, plan outfits, pack, buy GC's, clean the apartment... the list goes on

 

[beccasmom]

22 days for us, but the time seems to be dragging. We’re long-time WDW veterans, but anticipating our next visit never gets old! 8/25-8/30 at BRV, a relatively short trip, but we’re returning again in November!

 

[Sacahara]

The 20th needs to pick up the pace lol. I'm starting to get anxious!

 

[madzy]

Anyone nervous about crowds picking up? We've been in August many times. I feel like more and more people are starting to jump on the "low crowd" month. 2 more weeks for us .

 

[weather_lady]

Anyone nervous about crowds picking up? We've been in August many times. I feel like more and more people are starting to jump on the "low crowd" month. 2 more weeks for us .

I think they'll drop off a little (at least on weekdays) when Florida schools start up in a few days.

 

[Palaura]

I think they'll drop off a little (at least on weekdays) when Florida schools start up in a few days.

Every year august looks like this. A spike at the start…then drops end of second week. Hoping it stays the same.

 

[han22735]

Every year august looks like this. A spike at the start…then drops end of second week. Hoping it stays the same.

We go every August, and it was very busy last year for our trip 8/13-25. Last year it took until the last week of August to really drop off. Mostly due to pent up travel demand. I think we will see it lighten up a little earlier this year like you think.

Also 10 more workdays till our trip!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MamaMaleficent2016]

I leave for Disney, tomorrow! My last trip of 2023. Cannot wait! Been in August before. Always build in pool or AC time in the afternoons.

Staying at Pop Century
Focus for this trip is Food & Wine and deep exploration of EPCOT. my friend has never been to EPCOT before. Will be so fun.

Saturday- arrive, check-in @resort, HS and DS
Sunday- MK, Pool, EPCOT, Tiffany concert
Monday- EPCOT, Pool/resort, Celebration at the Top(Contemporary Resort)
Tuesday-EPCOT, San Angel Inn, Pool/resort, EPCOT
Wednesday-Lyft to AKL BOMA breakfast, explore AKL, EPCOT, evening Crescent Lake Bar Crawl
Thursday-pool/resort/hangover recovery, EPCOT, Biergarten
Friday- Lyft to OKW, Brunch at Olivia’s, boat Port Orleans to explore, boat to DS, pool/resort, MNSSHP
Saturday- go home

 

[han22735]

Slight update to park hours. A lot of 30-minute earlier openings.

 

[QueenofPrideRock]

Slight update to park hours. A lot of 30-minute earlier openings.

They're updated on a rolling basis every Friday it seems. So this Friday 8/11, hours for the week of 8/27 should get an update.

 

[lizzyb]

13 more days for us.

I still have not pulled out the suitcase as I think my dog starts getting worked up. lol

Ordering some disney shirts from etsy and need to fill my instacart for grocery delivery.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

6 more days to go. By this time next week we’ll be wrapping up our first MK day, sitting down to dinner (or just finishing dinner- I’ll see where the day takes us), and deciding what we might want to do before the fireworks.

- suitcases are almost completely packed. I don’t know what got into me but once I started tossing a few things in yesterday, I kept going.

- ADRs have still not budged. At this point I don’t know why I look because I know enough to know I can probably move it the night before or the day-of. But also it gives me something “Disney” to do for the next few days.

-parents have offered to drop us off at the airport. Secretly concerned this is so they can announce they’re actually joining us (LOVE them but we have VERY different travel/ Disney “styles”)

-will resist the urge to pack anything else because I can see that there’s an inch of space in a suitcase.

-have given up the deep clean of the house. Cleaning my house with my kids in it is like brushing my teeth while chewing Oreos.