Oregonians try WDW PTR May 6-15 2014

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

Hi everyone! I need a place to put down my thoughts and wonders as we plan our 1st trip ever to WDW!


Cast of characters: Me the 29 yr old (wink wink) mom, Hubby --who thinks all this vacay stuff is crazy but is willing to go along, and DD who has just discovered a love for big water slides, and last December conquered Screamin at DL, so I think we need a WDW trip to see the differences as well as a waterpark!

When? Well, I actually bought airfare the other day, so I guess we are going... Fly out of Portland at the crack of dawn on Tuesday, May 6th, arrive at MCO around 5 pm. Planning on 7 nights at WDW, and then moving over to the darkside for 2 nights, and banging out their parks commando style in 1 day, before a crack of dawn flight back to Portland on Thursday, May 15th.

Where? I've booked a standard room at CSR... We love Mexico and the Mayan culture, so the hotel really appeals... I am trying to do this trip semi-reasonably and was very tempted to do a value hotel--but we need queen beds or one king... And a coffee maker in the room is a must for hubby... So values are out. Then we are going to do RPR at the darkside... Looks gorgeous, again standard view room... Don't need to stare out my window much

What else? Planning on renting a car... We are DL people... I really don't want to wait on buses or whatever... Now I just need a good deal... Oh and it hit me, it might be a better deal to get the car for the one week we are at WDW and not pay the premium for the two extra days, if so, I can drop off the family and check in at RPR, and then go get rid of the car... Which would save me from having to make sure it is topped off and turn it in at 5:30 am on fly-out day.

So, I checked out easywdw and touring plans... And I think I know which park when, and even made myself some touring plans (really I like planning!) Left to be seen is how magic bands will effect us and whether the dwarves ride will be done (please, please, please!)

Right now this is what I have:

Arrival day Tues 6th- maybe a little time at the pool and dinner, and then pass out for rope drop in the a.m.
Day 1 Wed 7th- MK day
Day 2 Thurs 8th- Epcot day
Day 3 Fri 9th- HS day
Day 4 Sat 10th- pool day (I figure Fri and Sat are the biggest arrival days, so we will just avoid the masses and stay at the pool and probably eat at Ohana for breakfast and maybe do DTD and T-Rex for dinner--we don't have these near us, and DD is a Dino freak!)
Day 5 Sun 11th- Mom's day! And AK day
Day 6 Mon 12th- this is usually when my feet are done done done at DL so I think I will find a lounger at TL or float the lazy river for a bit lol
Day 7 Tues 13th- planning only a half day or there abouts, and not sure which park... Will let DD decide most likely... Bet it will be MK. Then we'll transfer to RPR for the afternoon where another lounger by the pool will be calling my name.
Day 8 Wed 14th- all day in the darkside
Departure day Thurs 15th- up before dawn for a 7:30 am flight out

I have some thoughts on ADRs... But I am tired of typing lol... So I'll be back later!!

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

All right, I am back... Not that anyone was really worried about it!


Here are my ADR thoughts... I did go ahead and book the dp, because I ran the numbers to death (including using two different site calculators) and it came out so close, I figured that to get the mugs I am not sure we will use much, and the option to order more than just tap water to drink (which is our typical m.o. when we eat out) the extra $70 or so will probably make it worth it...

So: arrival day... We won't get to CSR till 6:30 or 7 pm... I thought I might book a late dinner at the Maya Grill... Maybe 7:30 pm, and if we get there a little early so be it... Then we will probably pass out from being up all day...

Day 2 MK day... Hubby and dd need real food for breakfast, a croissant does not get it, so we'll head to Pepper Market... Let me know if this sounds reasonable? Pepper Market at 7:30, eat for 30 minutes (it might be quicker??) then drive to MK, and get in line for rope drop by 8:30. I am allotting enough or too much time here? So used to DL being a 10 minute walk!! Then lunch at Liberty Tree (again, hubby needs protein pretty consistently and so does dd, and then everyone is happy all day) around 11:30. Then I hope to get a BOG ressie... And will take whatever I can get my hands on... But typically we do dinner early 4:30 or 5 pm.

Day 3 EP day... Pepper market ~7:30 am, whatever looks good for lunch-- it's the flower festival, and they had extra food kiosks last year... So we'll just eat around the world I guess. Then Teppanedo for dinner--we all like this style of food ~5pm.

Day 4 HS day... Pepper market, take the boat or ?? to Beaches and Cream--I understand they don't do Adrs and are busy, so we'll aim for arrival ~11:30, the mama melrose fantasmic package for dinner 5:30ish.

Day 5 pool/rest day... Sleep in and then go to Ohana at 9:30 am, then pool time, eat by the pool etc that afternoon, get cleaned up and go to DTD and Trex for dinner (we don't have that near us and dd loves dinos!!)

Day 6 AK day... Boma at 7:30 am, so we can get close to making rope drop... Yak and yeti for lunch ~12, and then Sanaa for dinner 7 pm. A dear friend swears I won't want to stay at AK open to close (9 am to 7 pm last year for our dates) and that we could even do Sanaa at 6:30 pm... Thoughts?

Day 7 TL day... Sleep in a hair lol, and do 1900 Park Fare at 8:00 or 8:15 at DL I always factored 90 minutes for character meals... Does this hold true for WDW? Then head over to TL for opening at 10 am. Lunch there. Can you water park hop on the same day with the water park and more thing on your tickets?? If not, no biggie... But I did have a thought that if we are there 10-1 and wanted to/were allowed to we could go over to BB for the afternoon (realizing it would be more crowded by then and longer lines etc) and stay till it closes at 5 pm. Then go back to the room and get cleaned up and go have a nice dinner at Kona at 6:30 pm.

Day 8 ?? Day... I know we'll do pepper market again for breakfast at 7:30ish... And then head to the park (we'll be packed and have the car loaded and will be checked out of our room. But, whether we do MK or EP I don't know... It'll be voted on Plan to just spend a few hours.. 9-1? And then head out as the crowds get thick in the afternoon... And head over to RPR, check in, get rid of the rental car? And go chill by the pool. Part of me thinks we should get 2 day passes and at least go in and ride some rides that night (3 pm to close??) and part of me thinks we will be exhausted and need a nap by the pool and some down time. If its a pool day I suspect we'll eat by the pool, and then go have dinner at Islands at the resort and crash.

Day 9 IOA and US day... Room service starts early, so we will probably order that for 6:30 am arrival... Head to the parks for early entry (which rumor has it has been 15 minutes before the stated time) so we want to be there by 7:30 for 7:45/8 am open. Mythos for lunch around 11:30 am, and then maybe do the preferred seating thing for dinner at Lombards that night around 5. We'll split the day since IOA will close at 7 pm, and US is open till 9 pm... And start at IOA and Harry, and then around 2 or so cross over and do US.

Day 10 we have to be up at the crack of dawn, get to the airport and fly out on a 7:30 am flight... *yawn* but I think it will all be worth it!

What do you all think?? I have heard lots and lots about wdw food from my friend who goes down twice a year... A couple places on my list she wasn't thrilled with... But she tends to always do Hoop de Doo, Brown Derby, and Cape May... And frankly none of those were that appealing to me. And we love Hawaii and go often, so where I want to do Ohana and Kona, I have no need to do a luau that isn't actually in the islands

 

[wiigirl]

Following along.

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

Following along.

Hi!! And welcome!

So, I learned that yes indeed, if we want we can leave TL and head to BB on the same day with the waterpark and more tickets... Told dd and she is really excited about that idea... I know it will be tiring, but we have a car... And I heard a tip, that we can take towels from our pool and use them at the waterpark and they are the same towels? So we can just leave them and not haul around wet towels?? So does that mean if I grab 6 towels, we can use 3 at each park? Yay!

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

2 weeks and 2 days till I can make my adrs... May hours are out, not a lot changed from what I guessed based on last year... But I did switch based on touring plans and easy wdw input...

Now I have:

Fly in the 6th... Maya grill for dinner and crash

MK day on the 7th... PM breakfast, Liberty Tree early lunch, and cross my fingers BOG for dinner

Epcot on the 8th... PM breakfast, eat around the world lunch, and Teppan Edo dinner

AK is what I switched the 9th to... Boma early so we can make rope drop, Yak and Yeti lunch, and Sanaa dinner @7 pm ish

Saturday the 10th is our pool day... Ohana for breakfast, eat at the pool bar or PM for lunch, and DTD and T-Rex for dinner (dd will be stoked!)

Mother's Day... Hopefully HS is the least popular! PM breakfast, Beaches n Cream early lunch, Mama Melrose dinner (probably the F! Package)

Monday the 12th we are going to do 1900 Park Fare for an 8 am breakfast, and then attempt both water parks! TL first at open, till 1 ish... And head to BB for the rest of the day. Go clean up and go to Kona for dinner.

Last day... PM breakfast, and head to MK for a couple favorites... Then drive over to RPR and the dark side.

I think I've been convinced to buy 2 day passes... We can chill at the pool for a bit then head to the parks for the evening and get the lay of the land, then hit them hard on Wednesday with early entry and everything... Go until close and then pass out for a 5 am trip to the airport *yawn*

What'cha all think?

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

Adrs are made! 180 days till we are in the world!

I got everything I wanted and the times I wanted for the most part (within a half hour or so a couple times.) Except the elusive BOG... But I don't give up easily and will keep checking for it!