***** Official * July 2017 * thread! *****

[Chasesmom]

Heading to Universal and Disney June 30 - July 8th! Can't wait!

 

[LMDisneygirl]

We're booked at the Pop from July 16-25! Been booked for a while. FP res in a few days!!

It's my husband and 2 high school sons & I. This is our big trip before my oldest is a high school senior next year. We love the Pop!!! Only problem is that the 2 full grown boys don't fit well in the double bed. Thinking about bringing a blow up bed. Not sure where it will fit.

We plan to leave from Michigan at 6am on Saturday morning. Considering driving straight through and arrive after midnight (probably more like 2am). Not sure if we want to stay in an "on the way" hotel Saturday night and then finish the drive on Sunday, or go ahead and drive straight through then do a middle of the night check in. We'd miss some of the daytime check-in "magic" of Everything Pop being open, and us being awake and happy. But.... we could go to sleep and wake up in our room, then get our luggage, and BE at WDW. Then get unpacked, get our grocery delivery from Shipt, and go to the MK later that afternoon or evening.

Still working on "what day to go where" and FP plans. Working to get that finished up this weekend.

Looking forward to following along with the rest of you!!

 

[The Fox Menagerie]

Just got all of our fast passes. Now it's real!!

 

[Matoskah Poodle]

The summer before my nephew and nieces senior year in highschool I take them to WDW. This year my nephew wanted to camp, so we are tent camping at Fort Wilderness July 16 - 22. Tent camping in July in central Florida. This should be interesting and memorable!

 

[SaharanTea]

I had to find somewhere I could appropriately post this. I did my fast passes this morning! I got everything within the windows I wanted. I feel like an old vet planning this year compared to last year. Sixty days!

Family of four. Staying at All-Star Sports again (did so last year). July 15-29.

 

[SaharanTea]

Anyone know if Characterpalooza is still a thing at DHS?

I believe it is. I'm planning to get Kenny the Pirate's character locator app for this trip, and it should help with that. We took our kids for their first trip last year and discovered they were big fans of M&Gs.

 

[The Fox Menagerie]

I had to find somewhere I could appropriately post this. I did my fast passes this morning! I got everything within the windows I wanted. I feel like an old vet planning this year compared to last year. Sixty days!

Family of four. Staying at All-Star Sports again (did so last year). July 15-29.

Awesome! This was our first time with scheduling fastpasses for a trip and it went like a breeze, although I was nervous about getting what we wanted.

 

[SaharanTea]

Awesome! This was our first time with scheduling fastpasses for a trip and it went like a breeze, although I was nervous about getting what we wanted.

It's always a bit worrying trying to make sure everything is where you want it.

Frozen Ever After was the only thing I had much difficulty getting a desired time. I got it just inside my preference, but there was no nudging the time after the fact, unless I wanted it way later in the day. Even the new Pandora rides were widely available compared to Frozen. Being hugely popular, low capacity, and on the second park day of our trip made it a challenge.

 

[The Fox Menagerie]

It's always a bit worrying trying to make sure everything is where you want it.

Frozen Ever After was the only thing I had much difficulty getting a desired time. I got it just inside my preference, but there was no nudging the time after the fact, unless I wanted it way later in the day. Even the new Pandora rides were widely available compared to Frozen. Being hugely popular, low capacity, and on the second park day of our trip made it a challenge.

We are staying one day/night at Beach Club (we fly overnight from California) and are going to Epcot after we arrived. I grabbed Frozen for the early evening as my first choice and then picked everything else. When I went back to adjust times there were no other choices, so I agree, Frozen sure went fast. We head out on our cruise on 7/9 and then return to GF on 7/14. I was able to get 7DMT and all that we wanted for our second 5 days easily. When I went in to adjust times, I noticed 7DMT was going quick. We had an issue booking the room we wanted so the cast member offered to call and give us extra fast passes. I did not know what that meant and pretty much forgot about it. On 5/14, scheduled our FPs, she called and added a 4th fastpass for each day with not limitation on tiers or overlapping times, including adding one for our early stay on 7/8. Talk about some pixie dust, we were bouncing up and down knowing we have RRC & TCM at HS and TT & Soarin at Epcot. Now to jsut count down the days.

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

Booked our fastpasses this morning! 60 days, woohoo! I still can't believe we are going in July.

This trip is so different for us, since we always have park hoppers; this time we got the 4 day/4 park special ticket. I usually book our FP's for the evening of our second park, but this time booked them early in the day in hopes of scoring same day FP's for when we re-enter the same park in the evening.

I got all the times basically when I wanted them, and agree that Frozen was definitely the least available. Luckily, I wanted ours around lunchtime, and got 12:25-1:25! We plan on eating QS lunch WS, riding FEA, and heading back to BWV for a swim/nap.

I was also super excited to get Flight of Passage FP early in the day for our AK day. The plan is to head right to Na'vi River Journey at rope drop, and then our FoP FP is for 9:50-10:50.

 

[Ferrentinos]

I believe it is. I'm planning to get Kenny the Pirate's character locator app for this trip, and it should help with that. We took our kids for their first trip last year and discovered they were big fans of M&Gs.

We've used his app for years. It has gotten our DD to meet so many characters in the most efficient way - she is 6 and hasn't wanted to stop with the characters! I just renewed it this past week!

 

[SaharanTea]

We've used his app for years. It has gotten our DD to meet so many characters in the most efficient way - she is 6 and hasn't wanted to stop with the characters! I just renewed it this past week!

How does it do for tracking Characterpalooza at HS? That's the part I'm most interested in.

 

[dnllmz]

Hi! I'm joining in. We just booked a last minute trip for July 3rd - July 8th at Coronado. Booked fastpasses this morning.

 

[jaz0308]

How does it do for tracking Characterpalooza at HS? That's the part I'm most interested in.

IMO Kenny is THE authority on characters and includes the best info for characterpalooza on his paid site

 

[Laurie12820]

Hi there! Just booked a last minute quick trip. This will be our DD's first trips to Disney! We are using DHs Holiday Inn points and are staying in Disney Springs. Only thing I have booked so far is Ohana for breakfast as DD1 is a huge Stitch fan.

 

[peace_all]

Ok we are in.... probably should of joined this thread earlier. 7/21-8/8 POR/BWV/BLT/LRP/BCV/Poly haha were crazy, like nutso official crazy. 1 night each the first two with DH and I and our youngest 3 (5mo to 13yr) then BLT with our close friends and their 3 kids in a 2bd on their points, a night at Universal for the express passes and 2 days of the dark side then a week at BCV 2 bed lock-off with them on our DVC, capped off with a post stay our family only at poly. I may have to do a trip report if I can get our friends in on it, we have both couples anniversaries and DS birthday on the trip, but I think I am more concerned about the three teenagers and their antics, should be interesting.

Can't wait to get our express passes done!

 

[dnllmz]

Hi there! Just booked a last minute quick trip. This will be our DD's first trips to Disney! We are using DHs Holiday Inn points and are staying in Disney Springs. Only thing I have booked so far is Ohana for breakfast as DD1 is a huge Stitch fan.

Ohana breakfast is great! That was one of our favorites last trip.

Since we are doing such a last minute trip, we decided no ADRs this time. Well in 24 hours that's changed. I booked Via Napoli & I'm looking for a Beaches & Cream. I've been dying to go there so DH said to go for it. If I don't get my ADR date for our Nov trip opens up next week so I can try to get it for then.

@peace_all wow that's a ton of resorts but pretty cool that you get to try them all.

 

[SaharanTea]

Ohana breakfast is great! That was one of our favorites last trip.

Since we are doing such a last minute trip, we decided no ADRs this time. Well in 24 hours that's changed. I booked Via Napoli & I'm looking for a Beaches & Cream. I've been dying to go there so DH said to go for it. If I don't get my ADR date for our Nov trip opens up next week so I can try to get it for then.

@peace_all wow that's a ton of resorts but pretty cool that you get to try them all.

Beaches and Cream is a tough one to get late in the game (popular and low capacity). Keep trying, especially as the 24-hour cancellation time approaches. People tend to cancel more as that draws near.

You can also try Touring Plans' Reservation Finder. People have reported good luck with it.

 

[dnllmz]

Beaches and Cream is a tough one to get late in the game (popular and low capacity). Keep trying, especially as the 24-hour cancellation time approaches. People tend to cancel more as that draws near.

You can also try Touring Plans' Reservation Finder. People have reported good luck with it.

Thanks. I figured it was a long shot to get one since it's so small. I did setup a TP finder. FX it comes through. If not, it's no big deal!

 

[Ferrentinos]

IMO Kenny is THE authority on characters and includes the best info for characterpalooza on his paid site

Totally agree with this - I just used his paid site to plan out all of our days to make sure I know when each character is out and the best time to see each one - Characterpalooza is one of those added features to his site that makes the nominal fee to subscribe worth it. Love and appreciate all of the work that goes into that site!