OH BOY!!*My 1st PTR for our 1st ever WDW trip JUNE 2011* 6/14: Started my TR.

The Dis just ate my reply...
Anyway, hello fellow Alabamain. Your trip looks so fun! I can't wait to see their faces when you tell them. A friend just surprised her kids over spring break and the video made me cry. I would drive your car the day you do 2 parks. You can easily wait several hours in total that day for buses. We drive lots of places.
 
The Dis just ate my reply...
Anyway, hello fellow Alabamain. Your trip looks so fun! I can't wait to see their faces when you tell them. A friend just surprised her kids over spring break and the video made me cry. I would drive your car the day you do 2 parks. You can easily wait several hours in total that day for buses. We drive lots of places.
Well, hello! :)
Ah, good advice! I think I might plan to drive that day then!
:thanks:
 

I'm here, but it looks like I've got lots of reading to do!!! You're a girl after my own heart....a PLANNER!!!!
 
I never thought about meal invitations....I think I'm going to have to use this idea for our trip!!!!:thumbsup2
 
Day 1 - Wednesday June 8th: Arrival Day!
2:15a - Wake up, get ready, finished packing the car!
3:00a (CENTRAL TIME) - Leave home, head for Orlando, FL! Yay!
7:00a (CENTRAL) - Stop for gas & eat a quick breakfast in the car.
11:30a (EASTERN) - Stop for lunch and gas.
2:15p (EASTERN) - Arrive @ Disney!!!
6:00p - Dinner @ the Food Court in the hotel!?
7:00p - Check out the arcade if there's time or go for a night swim.
(OR... head over to Downtown Disney for dinner (maybe at WPexpress!?))
9:00p - Get some sleep!

Above is my plans for Day 1, as I have on my 1st post ;) I've been editing that whenever I think of something to add, remove or change. I've been getting lots of advice from here and from friends so I am constantly trying make my plans better!! :upsidedow

So on to the DETAILS for Day 1! :wizard:

I'm hoping that we will arrive at Disney close to 2pm. And maybe if I do online check-in the room could possibly be ready then, but if not then it would only be like 2 hours until regular check in time. I am hoping that we will have the time and not be to tired to go over to DTD that night for a little while and have dinner there. Perhaps at WPE??? I tried to get a ADR for T-Rex for that night but nothing is open right now :sad2: How bad of a wait would it be to do a walk in there??? Anyone have an idea??? :confused3 I know my kids would love it, they both love dinosaurs!!! I thought about switching around my ADR's too but there is no opening at all for our days.
Other places I must check out while in DTD: Ghiradelli, The World of Disney, and maybe the Christmas shop! Any other suggestions? :goodvibes

 
I think it looks great. We are driving South through Montgomery for the first time this trip. Usually, at B'ham we head East to ATL and 75 S from there but inevitably the traffic/construction on 20 and 75 gets us way delayed. So we are going to try this. Since we are doing it over 2 days I figure it is okay to experiment. And then on the way home we can pick which way we want to go. We are staying in Dothan on the way down. Originally we thought kindergarten grad was at 1:30 but now it is at 10:30 so I wish we had picked a place a little further South. Right now it should be 5 hours day 1 and 7 hours day 2. We'll see. How are you going? Losing the hour with the time change Stinks but making it up on the way back is great!;)
 
The current plan is to drive 65 to Montgomery, take 85 there and then get on 110 ---> 82 ---> we'll go through Trifton, GA, then take 75 down from there. That way is supposed to be estimated at 10 hours, 18 minutes. But I think going through Dothan would only add like 10-15 minutes. Hmmm. Not sure which will be better....! :)
 
Day 2 - Thursday June 9th: MK Day!
6:00a - Wake up, get ready!
7:35a reservation - Character Breakfast @ Chef Mickey's!
9:00a - Magic Kingdom opens! Head to the park right after breakfast! EMH=8-9am!
----> Tomorrowland: *Buzz Lightyear ride, Monsters, Inc laugh floor, *Stitch's Great Escape
----> Fantasyland: Cinderella's Castle, *Peter Pan's Flight, *Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo, Mad Tea Party cups, It's a Small World, Rapunzel show, Mickey's Phillarmagic show
12:30p - Grab lunch at a QS place.
----> Liberty Square: Hall of Presidents
----> Frontierland: Country Bear Jamboree, Tom Sawyer Island

***OPTION 1: (if it's not too hot and kids are doing ok)
2:30p - Find a spot to watch the parade!
3:00p - Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade!
----> Adventureland: *Jungle Cruise, Magic Carpet of Aladdin, Pirate's of the Carribean
----> (If we have time) Head back to Main Street U.S.A to ride the railroad & meet Mickey and Minnie in Town Hall.
6:00p - Grab dinner at a QS place?... or head back to the hotel right away and eat at the Food Court!
***If kids are still doing OK and want to say for the fireworks, then we will stay for the 9pm parade and 10pm fireworks, then go back to hotel, if not then:
8:00p - Take a night swim in the pool or check out the hotel's arcade.
9:30p - Sleep!

***OPTION 2: (if it's getting too hot and kids are worn out & don't want to stay for the 3pm parade...)
2:30p - Drive back to the hotel, rest up, cool off, and swim.
5:30p - Go back to the MK, finish up rides like in Adventureland, see Main Street and have dinner at a QS place.
9:00p - Main Street Electrical light Parade!
10:00p - Wishes Fireworks!
10:30p - Back to hotel and sleep!

^My itinerary for DAY 2.... as of right now! Could change, who knows! :lmao:

We will have to get up early and get ready and out the door to make our 7:35am ADR at Chef Mickey's. I'm so excited to have this character breakfast to really jumpstart our vacation!!! :cool1:
MK has EMH that morning but I doubt we will make it there during that 8-9am window. I read a great tip the other day for buffet meals though...when your order your drinks, ask for your bill!! That way, when you are done you can get up and GO...instead of waiting around to pay your bill afterward. :thumbsup2
I think we will probably grab a FP for Buzz and then head to Fantasyland to get rides like Dumbo, Peter Pan, & Pooh all done before the big crowds get in the park (which I'm gathering is usually around 10am?). Then go back to Tomorrowland for those rides. Whenever lunch time hits, we will eat at a QS place, depending on where we are...the places I have on my list are: Pinocchio Village in Fantasyland, Pecos Bill in Frontierland, or Cosmic Rays in Tomorrowland. :)
We may or may not hit Liberty Square, not sure. Depends on how much time we have and I know the kids will be bored with the Hall of Presidents even though myself and DH would like to see it. And hopefully we will get to see a couple of things in Frontierland, like the Country Bear Jamboree. Not sure about Tom Sawyers Island, since I've read it can take up a lot of time. :confused3
Then I have my "options".... This is all based on how the kids are doing at that point in the day. If it's not miserably hot and the kids are still in good spirits, then we will totally stay for the parade and then head to Adventureland! If we have time I would really like to ride the train around MK too! The other option is that we go back to the hotel and take a break for a couple of hours, then come back by dinner time. Have dinner at a QS place, do some more rides...and if the kids can make it, then we will stay for the electrical light parade and wishes fireworks! I am considering going over to the Poly beach to watch Wishes. :goodvibes
Maybe we will make it to bed before midnight. :rolleyes:

Ah!! I can't wait!!!! 10 weeks to go!!!!! :banana:
 
I tried to get a ADR for T-Rex for that night but nothing is open right now :sad2: How bad of a wait would it be to do a walk in there??? Anyone have an idea??? :confused3 I know my kids would love it, they both love dinosaurs!!! I thought about switching around my ADR's too but there is no opening at all for our days.
Other places I must check out while in DTD: Ghiradelli, The World of Disney, and maybe the Christmas shop! Any other suggestions? :goodvibes


T-Rex is a very cool restaurant and apparently in demand. I heard from another DISboarder that they tried the walk up approach and they said it was a 2 hour wait. We tried getting ressies about 2.5 months ago and could only find a 10pm time slot.....:eek: I am not sure we will be able to eat dinner that late, but we did keep it. That is the same day we are going to RFC. :confused3:confused3
Your plans are looking great!!! It is so touch and go when you have little ones and with the constant Florida heat. :thumbsup2 Wonderful idea to come up with alternate plans. I am very eager to read your TR, as well, I am sure it will be fabulous!
 
T-Rex is a very cool restaurant and apparently in demand. I heard from another DISboarder that they tried the walk up approach and they said it was a 2 hour wait. We tried getting ressies about 2.5 months ago and could only find a 10pm time slot.....:eek: I am not sure we will be able to eat dinner that late, but we did keep it. That is the same day we are going to RFC. :confused3:confused3
Your plans are looking great!!! It is so touch and go when you have little ones and with the constant Florida heat. :thumbsup2 Wonderful idea to come up with alternate plans. I am very eager to read your TR, as well, I am sure it will be fabulous!

I was justing reading someone elses PTR and they were also having trouble getting ressies for T-Rex and they said they called the restaurant directly and was able to get one. May be worth a try!
 
I was justing reading someone elses PTR and they were also having trouble getting ressies for T-Rex and they said they called the restaurant directly and was able to get one. May be worth a try!

I was actually going to suggest this myself. :lmao:
 
Thanks girls, I'm unsure on whether I want to make an ADR for our arrival night now anyway, so I'm going to think about it some more. I had the phone in my hand this morning and was about to dial T-Rex and then sat here thinking that maybe I should wait and decide for sure what we want to do lol... ahhh, decisions, decisions!!! :headache: :laughing:

Before I go onto the details of the other days, I'm going to go over my list of what to pack. ;) Here is what I have, if anyone can think of anything else I need on my list, please let me know!! :hug:


What we need to pack for Disney:
  • Camera, battery charger, cords, etc!
  • Laptop computer.
  • A good backpack for wearing around the parks!
  • Spray bottles and hand held fans!
  • Water!!!
  • Baby Wipes.
  • The kids "If I'm lost" badges!
  • Lots of snacks for the car ride, the hotel and the parks!
  • Quick breakfast foods: Pop Tarts, Cereal bars, fruit, etc?
  • Medicines, bandaids, etc.
  • Sunglasses, Sunblock.
  • Bug Spray
  • Sun hats.
  • Eyeglasses, Extra contacts & contact solutions, etc.
  • Hair products and accessories: Hairspray, bows, brushes, etc!
  • Plenty of clothing including extra undies, shoes, socks, etc!
    (Tip: Pre-pack outfits in ziplocks for each day.)
  • Light sweaters/coats for cool nights or cold restuarants.
  • Bathing suits, sandals & beach towels for swimming.
  • Toys, cards, games etc for car ride entertainment!
  • Rain ponchos & umbrella's!
  • Ziplocs: large and small, and plastic bags.
  • Books, pens, maps, planning print outs!
  • Needle & thread & safety pins!
  • Flashlight.
  • Ice cooler!
  • Clean pennies for penny-presses!
  • Tip envelopes w/tip money!
 
Thanks girls, I'm unsure on whether I want to make an ADR for our arrival night now anyway, so I'm going to think about it some more. I had the phone in my hand this morning and was about to dial T-Rex and then sat here thinking that maybe I should wait and decide for sure what we want to do lol... ahhh, decisions, decisions!!! :headache: :laughing:

Before I go onto the details of the other days, I'm going to go over my list of what to pack. ;) Here is what I have, if anyone can think of anything else I need on my list, please let me know!! :hug:


What we need to pack for Disney:
  • Camera, battery charger, cords, etc!
  • Laptop computer.
  • A good backpack for wearing around the parks!
  • Spray bottles and hand held fans!
  • Water!!!
  • Baby Wipes.
  • The kids "If I'm lost" badges!
  • Lots of snacks for the car ride, the hotel and the parks!
  • Quick breakfast foods: Pop Tarts, Cereal bars, fruit, etc?
  • Medicines, bandaids, etc.
  • Sunglasses, Sunblock.
  • Bug Spray
  • Sun hats.
  • Eyeglasses, Extra contacts & contact solutions, etc.
  • Hair products and accessories: Hairspray, bows, brushes, etc!
  • Plenty of clothing including extra undies, shoes, socks, etc!
    (Tip: Pre-pack outfits in ziplocks for each day.)
  • Light sweaters/coats for cool nights or cold restuarants.
  • Bathing suits, sandals & beach towels for swimming.
  • Toys, cards, games etc for car ride entertainment!
  • Rain ponchos & umbrella's!
  • Ziplocs: large and small, and plastic bags.
  • Books, pens, maps, planning print outs!
  • Needle & thread & safety pins!
  • Flashlight.
  • Ice cooler!
  • Clean pennies for penny-presses!
  • Tip envelopes w/tip money!

Very Impressive!!! I think I will use your list when getting ready to pack. :thumbsup2
I think it is very smart to bring the water mist fans. You can get them a lot cheaper at Walmart and the like. We bought one in Disney one year and paid $15 for it and then goofy me left it under the flap of the umbrella of one of the rental strollers. Didn't realize it until we were back in our room....Poof! $15 dollars down the drain. I hope another family found it and was able to use it.
Band-aids, antiseptic spray/neosporin is definitely a must. You don't realize how much you will walk in Disney and even shoes that you think are broken in might not be with the amount of walking that will be done. Expect blisters.... I wish someone would have told me that for our first trip! You may also want to bring some mole skin. Are you guys renting a stroller or bringing your own or is the plan for the kiddos to walk?
 
Very Impressive!!! I think I will use your list when getting ready to pack. :thumbsup2
I think it is very smart to bring the water mist fans. You can get them a lot cheaper at Walmart and the like. We bought one in Disney one year and paid $15 for it and then goofy me left it under the flap of the umbrella of one of the rental strollers. Didn't realize it until we were back in our room....Poof! $15 dollars down the drain. I hope another family found it and was able to use it.
Band-aids, antiseptic spray/neosporin is definitely a must. You don't realize how much you will walk in Disney and even shoes that you think are broken in might not be with the amount of walking that will be done. Expect blisters.... I wish someone would have told me that for our first trip! You may also want to bring some mole skin. Are you guys renting a stroller or bringing your own or is the plan for the kiddos to walk?

I'm hoping the kids will be able to walk but we will rent a stroller if we feel that we need to, I'm not going to bring ours. My youngest will turn 4 before the trip so maybe he will be ok. He usually does better about walking around than my 7 year old DD anyway! :rolleyes: She's the one that complains! :rotfl2:
 
I'm hoping the kids will be able to walk but we will rent a stroller if we feel that we need to, I'm not going to bring ours. My youngest will turn 4 before the trip so maybe he will be ok. He usually does better about walking around than my 7 year old DD anyway! :rolleyes: She's the one that complains! :rotfl2:

Your kids are tougher than mine. I guess if you take it at leisurely pace you will be fine. We will be renting a single stroller this year for Jay (and I am sure Kay will take turns with him when he wants to walk). There is absolutely no way that he would ever be able to keep up and I am not even sure my DD will, either. :sad2: Last time we went in 2009, Kay was 7 and Jay was 3 and we rented a double. My DH is a "drill sargeant" literally on our WDW trips. It is more like a marathon than a vacation, but I love it! I swear we walk up to 10 miles a day in the parks, to the bus stops, around the resorts, etc. I should bring a pedometer on this trip just to track it. Looking at our Photopass pics we looked to have lost weight by the end of our trips. :lmao: That is why I have to have a beach vacation planned after Disney to rest up and let my blisters heal. If you do plan on renting a stroller from Disney it is best to do it for the week up front then to rent it day by day. I think we paid somewhere around $300 for a week for a double and that was in 2009. :eek: We were astounded about how pricey it was, but the strollers are good quality, easy to push and you don't have to lug it on the trains, buses and such. They give you a name tag for it so you can leave it at the rides and then come back for it and if someone happens to take it, you just get a new one with your receipt. It is very convenient. One thing you will see is many older children (7-10) riding in strollers around WDW, the walking is crazy along with the heat. Maybe that is why so many more people are renting those scooters, even the adults are exhausted from all the walking. :laughing:
 
I had planned on renting a stroller at first but then a friend of mine told me how frustrating it was for her to push the stroller through the crowds and that it was so much faster if you can get the kids to walk. :confused3 I also can't imagine paying that much for the stroller rental... :eek: .
We are planning to drive our car to the parks as much as possible, I've heard too many negatives about the bus system now. So it might not be a bad idea to just bring our stroller along if we have the room in the car... Hmmm... ?? :scratchin
 
I had planned on renting a stroller at first but then a friend of mine told me how frustrating it was for her to push the stroller through the crowds and that it was so much faster if you can get the kids to walk. :confused3 I also can't imagine paying that much for the stroller rental... :eek: .
We are planning to drive our car to the parks as much as possible, I've heard too many negatives about the bus system now. So it might not be a bad idea to just bring our stroller along if we have the room in the car... Hmmm... ?? :scratchin

:scared1: Yes, so much to think about with the upcoming trip. We do like to drive, too, but the parking areas are sooo huge you will more than likely have to ride a shuttle to the front of the park unless you make it to RD or have very early ADRs. We have had pretty good luck with the busses, but lately I have read some very negative comments about the transportation, too. I hope it was just a fluke. Really, there is NO easy way to get around in Disney maybe unless you stayed at a Deluxe resort and could just ride the monorail :confused3.
You may want to look into getting a cargo carrier for the top of your car, if you think room will be an issue and if you pack anything like I do. :rotfl: We purchased one for our last trip and it was a life saver. It is the collapsible type and we could fold it up and put it in the car after we had everything in our room.
I like the strollers because you can push people out your way while you run for the FPs. :rotfl2: What a picture that created! Good luck with your planning! :goodvibes
 







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