Our First Family Disney Trip… Take Two! - May 2024 PTR (Update 6/4 - We're Back + Mini Synopsis)

[Newsies]

We’ll be up bright and early and grab a snack in the room before walking to the monorail. We’ll walk to the TTC and directly catch the Epcot monorail thanks to our prime location in the Polynesian Villas.

My favorite part of staying at the Poly!!!

Our plan for early entry is to go the opposite direction of 95% of the crowd racing toward Test Track and Frozen Ever After – we’re heading to Soarin’. M is VERY excited about Soarin’ and I think it’s a great first choice for Epcot. We’ll use rider swap so M may ride twice.

This is the way!

Then it will be back to our resort for a well-deserved night of sleep!

Jenny, this whole day... *chefs kiss*. Couldn't plan this one better if you wanted to! Perfect plan.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

My favorite part of staying at the Poly!!!

I’m so excited about the transportation options there! I’ve walked from the Poly to the Epcot monorail after a breakfast reservation and it was so easy!

This is the way!

With the exception of Peter Pan on our first day (and possibly Remy on our second full Epcot day), we’re never heading to “the most popular” ride first. I’m happy to pay for ILL and Genie+ to avoid the shoving and crowding that’s involved with the “it” attraction!

Jenny, this whole day... *chefs kiss*. Couldn't plan this one better if you wanted to! Perfect plan.

Thank you! I’ve worked really hard to make plans that hit the important things but still work for us… I really appreciate your kind words!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Day 5 Plans
Monday, May 27th

I did it – I got a better time for our Crystal Palace breakfast! Now we’ll be able to enjoy up to an hour of early park touring time before stopping for breakfast with Pooh and friends. If we wrap up early we’ll check in early. I’m so excited!

We also received our last clothing order (a few things for L and a few shirts for me), so I can start prepping for packing. Speaking of packing, today I need to update our trip packing list so I can start checking things off as I go. I’m a bit old-school and print a customized packing list every time we travel – it helps me remember the unique-to-the-trip items every time!

Today’s Plans
Magic Kingdom
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

ADRs
Lunch – Cinderella’s Royal Table
Dinner – 1900 Park Fare

Genie+/ILL Priorities
Peter Pan’s Flight
TRON

After a fun resort day, we’ll be up bright and early for a full day at Magic Kingdom.

This is the day that gave me so much stress in the planning process – we kick off our morning with M’s appointment at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique!

M is SO excited about this experience. She’s been fairly consistent in her desire to dress up as Tinkerbelle (the only non-princess option, amusingly!) but occasionally mentions both Ariel and Rapunzel. My parents’ Valentine’s Day gift for M was the BBB so we’re going all-out with both the makeover and the character dress. Grandparents are sure different than parents – my parents are awesome but there’s no way they would’ve done the full BBB for us as kids!

I scored one of the first appointments of the day so we should have plenty of park time after M becomes a fairy. Or a princess. Whatever she picks is up to her!

As M is initially aiming for Tinkerbelle, I’ll make our first lightning lane of the day for Peter Pan’s Flight. It may be our second time on this attraction if we’re lucky to be near the beginning of the rope drop line on our first day, but I never mind riding a classic again.

Other than Peter Pan, we’ll spend most of our morning in Tomorrowland. My husband and I may ride Space Mountain (M may be just tall enough but has zero interest in riding it) and I think everyone will enjoy Buzz Lightyear, the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, and the Peoplemover. The vacation joy may even lead me to offering to ride the Tomorrowland Speedway with M… maybe.

This will also be the best chance for my husband and I to ride TRON. I know everyone’s description of the ride is “it’s short” – but I’m still looking forward to trying it!

If we have any additional time, we’ll return to Fantasyland to reride another favorite before lunch.

Lunch will be a new-to-me restaurant – we’re having lunch with Cinderella in her castle. I’ve always bypassed this princess meal for Akershus (the cost!), but with a morning at BBB and two little girls it seemed like the right choice. I know the food can be hit or miss (especially for lunch), but I think the surroundings will make up for any shortcomings.

I know the princess lineup changes (and nothing is guaranteed), but I'm hoping we'll get lucky and get a chance to meet Merida. She's been mentioned several times on the dining board as being a recent regular princess at CRT. M loves Merida and CRT is our only shot at meeting her.

After lunch we’ll likely head out for our break, but I have one dilemma…

How are we going to see the Festival of Fantasy Parade?

A daily afternoon break is not very conducive to catching a 3:00 parade. I don’t want to exhaust the girls (and us!) by being in the parks all afternoon, but this parade is so fabulous I know everyone would love it. Perhaps we could walk over to the Contemporary and sit in their atrium for an hour while L naps in the stroller and then walk back for the parade? I’m just not sure how to balance seeing this parade with keeping the girls from meltdown mode come evening.

Hopefully we’ll take some sort of break before heading to our dinner ADR at the Grand Floridian. It would also be nice to have a chance to pack up part of the room as we'll be switching resorts the next day.

I stayed at the Grand Floridian back in 2015 and must admit I like this resort much more after staying there. It’s such a peaceful and lovely resort! It’s also the first (and as of now, only!) resort I’ve stayed on the monorail and agree the convenience is amazing. I try to book at least one ADR here per trip as I love wandering around the Grand Floridian.

We’ll be joining the wish-makers at 1900 Park Fare for dinner. I’m thrilled I experienced the Happily Ever After dinner once before they changed it up for the reopening – the stepsisters were a hoot! Nonetheless, I was so excited this restaurant reopened in time to eat here during our trip. Part of me wishes we were trying breakfast instead of dinner (some of their specialty items look so good!), but I think dinner will also be tasty.

After dinner, we’ll head back to Magic Kingdom for a few more attractions and to soak up a little more magic. Hopefully I can stack a lightning lane or two during the afternoon to cut our wait times.

We’ll head out before fireworks to get to bed at a reasonable time. This will also give us to pack up our stuff before departing in the morning.

Up Next: Day 6 Plans

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Day 6 Plans
Tuesday, May 28th

Today’s Plans
Hollywood Studios
Check in to Beach Club Villas
Fantasmic!

ADRs
Lunch – 50’s Prime Time Café (Fantasmic Package)
Dinner – Beaches and Cream

Genie+/ILL Priorities
Slinky Dog Dash
Rise of the Resistance

This morning will be a little nuts. Somehow we’ll need to get everyone up, pack last-minute things, and get our luggage on its way to the Beach Club so we can get to Hollywood Studios in time for early entry at 8:30. Can we do it?

I have a bit of a conundrum for how to move our luggage for our split stay.

I’ve done split stays several times at Disney World, but I’ve always moved my own luggage. I can’t decide if it makes more sense to have Disney do the transfer or try and do it ourselves. I think it depends on how early we’re ready to go that morning.

Option 1:
If we’re nearly ready to go before 7:00, we’ll order a Minnie Van to take us and the luggage over to the Beach Club. We’ll drop the luggage at Bell Services and then either walk or Skyliner our way to the park. The advantage of this option is our luggage (including L’s nap gear) is guaranteed to be at the Beach Club as soon as our room is ready. This option also allows us to transfer cold storage items to the Beach Club as Bell Services will store it for us.

Option 2:
If we’re running behind (which is likely), we’ll call Bell Services and have them pick up the luggage for transfer to the Beach Club. I’ve actually never called Bell Services to assist with luggage in the room (I’m pretty sure they’ll do it at a deluxe, right?), so this will be new to me. Once they’ve picked up the luggage (or once we drag it to the GCH ourselves if we’re really behind), we’ll catch the bus to Hollywood Studios.

Which plan would you choose? Will it take too much time to call Bell Services to help with luggage or should we just wheel it across the resort ourselves? Would we appreciate having our bags available at the Beach Club early by transferring it ourselves? I’m not sure how much it will matter as DVC check-in is at 4:00, but perhaps we’d get lucky? I just don’t know!

Regardless, somehow we’ll check out of our room and head to the Studios.

Also, somewhere in the middle of this transfer hubbub I’ll be refreshing MDE precisely at 6:59:59 to score us a lightning lane for Slinky Dog Dash. And an ILL for Rise of the Resistance. Fingers crossed!

Our rope drop plan is to head immediately to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. M is VERY excited to ride this (and so am I!), plus a family-friendly ride seems like the right choice to kick off our day.

If MMRR is down (which is common at the Studios), I have two backup plans.

Backup plan #1 (if M is interested), is to head straight down Sunset Boulevard to my favorite attraction – the Tower of Terror.

M is strangely excited to ride this with me, and honestly, I think she may enjoy it more than a roller coaster? She’s watched it a ton on YouTube so I don’t think the “creepy” parts should scare her.

If M is not feeling that, then instead we’ll head back to Toy Story Land and ride both Toy Story Mania and Alien Swirling Saucers. If Tom Bricker’s speed strategy works, then hopefully our Slinky Dog lightning lane will be close to regular opening time.

If we do start at MMRR, then we’ll still head to Toy Story Land next. I’m super excited to see it as it’s new to me. M and L should really enjoy it, too!

While M rides Slinky Dog Dash with G, I plan to get some breakfast totchos from Woody’s Lunch Box. I may even get a tart for M.

After we experience Toy Story Land, we’ll head to the other new-to-me land – Galaxy’s Edge.

I mentioned it in the Studios must-do post, but we’ll fair-weather Star Wars fans. My husband and I have seen the main nine movies, but that’s about it. Galaxy’s Edge still looks incredible, though, and I really look forward to exploring there!

I’ll have plenty of time to explore as L is not tall enough for either GE attraction. Thanks to rider swap M will get two rides on each of them (if desired) and I’ll wander through the shops with L while the others ride. I also hope to grab a Black Caf Cold Brew to enjoy as they look delicious!

If we manage to get a good time for Slinky Dog, I’ll book our ILL for Rise around the 10:00 hour. If not, perhaps I’ll book it earlier and we’ll double back for Slinky Dog.

If we still have time before our lunch ADR (everything will take longer due to the double rides), we’ll watch either the Muppets or ride Star Tours before lunch.

For lunch, we’re heading to 50’s Prime Time Café. I’ve eaten there every recent trip and I love that restaurant. I booked a Fantasmic Dining Package as I prefer to see Fantasmic without waiting in line for an hour. I’m sure I’ll get the pot roast (my favorite!) and will happily pay out of pocket for the peanut butter and jelly milkshake if it can’t count as my “dessert” with the package. I’m not sure if G will go for the fried chicken or the chicken pot pie.

Post-lunch, I’d love to catch a show (either Frozen Ever After or Beauty and the Beast) before heading to our new resort.

Today’s break will be a bit of a struggle. In an ideal world, our luggage will be available and our room will be ready early so we can get everything settled. However, this may be unrealistic as villas are rarely ready before the 4:00 check-in. I don’t know if I should sit with L in the Beach Club lobby (yay, A/C!) or do loops on the Skyliner to lull her to sleep in the stroller?

Do you have any good "park break + nap" ideas that don't involve resting in your room?

No matter how we get her to nap, all my fingers are crossed that we’re able to get us and our luggage into our new room before our dinner ADR. It would be nice to get the room set up before we head back to the park, especially since we’ll have a late night with Fantasmic.

Thankfully we have a short dinner commute as we’re eating at Beaches and Cream. I’m super excited about the ice cream! As for food, I’ll probably get a burger as the grilled cheese and tomato soup did not agree with my digestive system last time.

After dinner we’ll walk/boat/skyline our way back to the Studios.

If we didn’t catch the Frozen Sing Along before leaving, it would be great to watch it upon our return. We’ll also ride the Tower of Terror with a stacked lightning lane if we didn’t catch it first thing that morning. It may also be fun to meet Olaf!

We’ll be sure to head to the Fantasmic Theatre early enough to get a decent seat – perhaps one higher up so it’s easier to beat the crowd to the exit. I’m anticipating stroller parking will be a nightmare so I’m sure it will still take us a long time to exit the theatre and get on our way.

Fantasmic is a bit of a treat. My original plan was only one nighttime spectacular (the MK fireworks) but M insisted we see it after hearing the music and then watching the YouTube video. I think she’ll enjoy the story montages but will especially enjoy all the characters on the boat!

We’ll head out right after Fantasmic. Hopefully we had a chance to set up our room before dinner, but if not, we’ll do it as fast as possible when we return.

The good news is a late night means a rest day will follow… we’ll need it after the craziness today!

Up Next: Day 7 Plans

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Day 7 Plans
Wednesday, May 29th

Today’s Plans
Resort Time
Swimming at Stormalong Bay
Epcot
Magic Kingdom Extended Evening Hours (for Jenny)

ADRs
Breakfast – Topolino’s Terrace
Dinner – La Hacienda de San Angel

Genie+/ILL Priorities
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
TRON

We’ll get a chance to sleep in the morning, which will be welcome after the late night the night before.

All except me, however, who will be up bright and early to score a lightning lane for Remy. We’re going to take it easy most of the day, but as we’re so close to Epcot (a five minute walk!) I thought it was a great opportunity to stack lightning lanes and knock out several of the heavy hitters in case there are technical issues on our next Epcot day.

The rest of the family can get up later as our breakfast reservation isn’t until mid-morning.

Our breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace was unsurprisingly the hardest ADR to book. I don’t recommend booking this breakfast at 60+1 unless you’re not picky about your dining time. There were a few available ADRs when our window opened but the earliest I could book was 11:40am.

That’s not an ideal time when you have a toddler who naps and who would love a chance to splash in the fantastic Beach Club pool complex.

I placed a request with an ADR finder but wasn’t very confident in it due to Disney’s ADR booking changes. As such, I searched a dozen times per day around the 30-day mark to try and get a better time.

It took a ton of attempts, but I succeeded and moved our breakfast up two hours! I’d still love to move it closer to 9:00, but if not, we’re still in great shape. We should have no problem hopping on the skyliner to ride to Riviera for our breakfast with Mickey.

I’m torn on what to order at this breakfast as several things look so good! If they don’t let me order some eggs for L (as she’s free), I may need to take one for the team and bypass the quiche or the sour cream waffle in order to get scrambled eggs. I imagine M will choose the waffle dippers.

After breakfast and taking in the beautiful views at the Riviera, we’ll head back to the Beach Club and enjoy swimming at that fantastic waterpark-esque pool. I know both girls will love the sand bottom pool and I think all of us will enjoy the lazy river. We’ll see if M is brave enough to try the big jib waterslide!

I doubt we’ll be very hungry after our big breakfast, but we could share a lunch or two from Hurricane Hanna’s. I’ll take advantage of my refillable mug with plenty of iced tea.

We’ll put L down for a nap and then head into Epcot in the mid- to late-afternoon. I’ll do my best to adjust our return time for Remy so we can ride shortly after entering from the International Gateway. We’ll also spend some time exploring additional countries that we didn’t look through on our first Epcot day.

We have a dinner reservation at La Hacienda de San Angel. I’ve eaten there twice and enjoyed my meal both times. Mexican food is always a winner with my family and I chose this over the more popular San Angel Inn as the light-filled restaurant would be preferred by my kids.

If I’m lucky enough to score another coveted lightning lane, we’ll ride Frozen Ever After once we’ve finished dinner. If not, perhaps we’ll try another Epcot ride or two.

The remaining plans for this evening are a bit up in the air.

Ideally, I’d love a chance to go to the extended evening hours at Magic Kingdom. I love being in Magic Kingdom at night and the old evening extra magic hours were my favorite time at MK. The kids may also benefit from an early bedtime with two more park days on the horizon. If it works out, my husband will walk back to the resort with the kids and get them to bed while I travel to MK. I may also walk back with them and get L to sleep before heading to MK.

If my extended evening hours dreams come true, I have several must-dos. I’ll stack a few lightning lanes during the day to enjoy another ride on Pirates and Haunted Mansion. I’d also love to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (and perhaps 7DMT) at night as it’s an entirely different experience. I may even ride Dumbo again as it’s beautiful all lit up.

My other big must-dos include Space Mountain (if I missed it on our last Magic Kingdom day) and TRON. I’ll purchase an ILL in the morning to reduce my wait in line and may even try for the virtual queue at 6:00pm.

Although the attractions are my main priority, I’d also love to soak in some Magic Kingdom atmosphere. Perhaps I’ll grab a Cream Cheese pretzel and people watch or catch a last-minute spot to watch HEA again. It will be wonderful to be back at Magic Kingdom after eight long years away!

I look forward to the day when my kids are older and my whole family can enjoy a late night in Magic Kingdom together.

I’ll toe the line between being a reasonable adult and soaking in every last moment of solo park time. As excited as I am to bring my family (especially my girls) to Disney World, I will love a few moments to enjoy the park without distractions.

Once I’m back at the BCV I’ll go straight to bed. We have another full park day coming up!

Up Next: Day 8 Plans

 

[vamassey1]

I did it – I got a better time for our Crystal Palace breakfast! Now we’ll be able to enjoy up to an hour of early park touring time before stopping for breakfast with Pooh and friends. If we wrap up early we’ll check in early. I’m so excited!

Congrats!

I’m a bit old-school and print a customized packing list every time we travel – it helps me remember the unique-to-the-trip items every time!

I have a notebook for each trip. I make my packing list using the information from previous trips and add or subtract as needed. I also cross things off as I pack them and them highlight the last few items that must be packed at the last minute.

As M is initially aiming for Tinkerbelle, I’ll make our first lightning lane of the day for Peter Pan’s Flight. It may be our second time on this attraction if we’re lucky to be near the beginning of the rope drop line on our first day, but I never mind riding a classic again.

Peter Pan would be my choice.

This will also be the best chance for my husband and I to ride TRON. I know everyone’s description of the ride is “it’s short” – but I’m still looking forward to trying it!

It may be short but it's still a thrill.

. I’ve always bypassed this princess meal for Akershus (the cost!), but with a morning at BBB and two little girls it seemed like the right choice.

Every Princess needs to eat in the castle.

How are we going to see the Festival of Fantasy Parade?

That's a hard one.

I have a bit of a conundrum for how to move our luggage for our split stay.

I've never had my luggage moved so I'm no help. Good luck!

Our rope drop plan is to head immediately to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. M is VERY excited to ride this (and so am I!), plus a family-friendly ride seems like the right choice to kick off our day.

This is the perfect family ride to start with.

. I’m super excited to see it as it’s new to me. M and L should really enjoy it, too!

Toy Story Land is so cute and fun looking.

We’ll get a chance to sleep in the morning, which will be welcome after the late night the night before.

You do need that extra sleep.

Ideally, I’d love a chance to go to the extended evening hours at Magic Kingdom. I

I hope you make it. MK is the best park for riding rides alone.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Congrats!

Thanks! ADRs have been popping up regularly for Crystal Palace - I just needed to wait for the right time. I think we’ll really appreciate that early hour of park touring as the extended hours indicate it may be a very busy day!

There’s no similar luck for Topolino’s - not a single breakfast ADR has appeared. Although I’d love to shift our breakfast just a bit earlier, what we have now will work and is a heck of a lot better than my original 11:40am.

I have a notebook for each trip. I make my packing list using the information from previous trips and add or subtract as needed. I also cross things off as I pack them and them highlight the last few items that must be packed at the last minute.

It’s so nice to have a system! It helps stop the second-guessing and fear of forgetting something.

Highlighting is a great idea! Inevitably I always create a post-it note (or two) for the “don’t forget” last-minute items.

It may be short but it's still a thrill.

I’m really looking forward to it!

Every Princess needs to eat in the castle.

It’s the perfect choice for this trip. Even though I’m not super enthused about the food, I am pretty excited to see the inside of the castle!

That's a hard one.

That darn 3:00 parade is not ideal for nap time.

If L sleeps in the stroller, perhaps we’ll catch the parade from the front of Main Street and then hightail it out of the park for a brief break before our dinner ADR. If it doesn’t work out then we’ll have to catch the parade next time!

Good luck!

Thanks! There’s no perfect answer. It would be much easier to have Disney move our luggage, but then we’re at the mercy of the transfer service for when our luggage arrives at the Beach Club. (From everything I’ve read, all resort transfer luggage is moved to a central location before being shifted to the new resort. Your luggage should arrive at the new resort somewhere between 1-4pm. The 1pm would be fine, but the 4pm would be less ideal! They also will no longer move refrigerated items with luggage transfer, but that’s less of a concern.

I’m sure we’ll make it work no matter how it shakes out!

This is the perfect family ride to start with.

We’ll ride MMRR regardless, but it would be the perfect first ride at the Studios. I hope something else breaks down first thing in the morning instead.

Toy Story Land is so cute and fun looking.

Toy Story Land looks amazing! I’ve read it’s hotter than Hades, but hopefully we can knock out the attractions earlier in the day. I think M (and L, because of all the color) will both enjoy this land.

You do need that extra sleep.

We will! Disney is exhausting!

I hope you make it. MK is the best park for riding rides alone.

I do, too! I figure I have a 50/50 shot. I look forward to the day when my whole family can enjoy a late night in the parks, but in the meantime I’d love some personal time to meander and take in the atmosphere. (And to ride a few extra attractions!)

 

[suse66]

Well.

I saw the refund for $59 come through.

And then the next day I saw another $59 refund as well as a $198 refund.

THEY REFUNDED THE ENTIRE DESSERT PARTY!

My heart rate went up by 50% and I immediately checked MDE. Sure enough, our dessert party reservation was GONE.



And no, I never received any sort of ADR cancellation notification.

Oh my goodness!!! So stressful!

What is it with this stinking ADR? Why is the dessert party being so difficult? Who knew I’d have to book it THREE TIMES to get this ADR?!

Yikes!

I’ve been an ordering fool and have SO many cute clothes for the girls. I’ve never been an outfit planner for myself (I do buy some new regular shirts and shorts for vacation, but that’s about it), but apparently all bets are off when it comes to my girls. I’ll be sure to include an update about their outfits once I receive the last few things!

Girl shopping would be so fun with all the cute options!

M was pretty darn excited about hers:

Adorable!

No matter how we fill our time (Trader Sam’s, exploring, swimming) I hope to get our room assignment around 4:00 so we can get settled before dinner. We’ll call bell services for our luggage and groceries if we’re not close to the lobby. It would be nice to set up L’s bed, unpack the toiletries, and set out our clothes for the next day before dinner.

I've actually had pretty good luck having DVC rooms ready early so hope that will happen for you too.

Two other important things to know...

1. We will be daily rope droppers. My husband and I are early-risers (G is a bona-fide morning person and I’ve become one thanks to age and small children) and the kids should roll with this due to either excitement (M) or an easy-going nature (L). We also plan to take daily afternoon breaks to nap or recharge. The added bonus of the breaks is it will get us into air conditioning (or the pool) during the worst heat of the day.
2. We will be purchasing Genie+ for every park day. We also plan to purchase individual lightning lanes rather than mess with virtual queues.

I always do the same. A mid day break is essential.

With the early entry time change, now we’re going to leave extra early to catch the monorail for early entry. I’d love to grab a family picture on Main Street before heading toward Fantasyland. We’ll head straight to Peter Pan if we’re near the front of the crowd and to Winnie the Pooh if we’re further back. I’d also love to hit the Teacups if their wait remains low. Where’s the best spot to line up during early entry if your goal is Peter Pan? Or is there only one Fantasyland entry point and we’ll have to make our way through the crazy crowd charging toward 7DMT?

Go to the path to the right of the castle (as close to the carousel as possible).

During or after our run of Fantasyland, it will be time for lunch!

I think a light lunch by Oasis pool would be lovely. You will be pretty full from a big breakfast and then you have an early dinner at BOG.

I’m very excited about our meal at Garden Grill – I haven’t been there in more than 15 years! The breakfast fare should appeal to everyone (although I wish they still had the cinnamon roll skillet!) and M should be delighted by the character lineup. She has a pink Etsy shirt featuring Chip and Dale just for this breakfast.

Love Garden Grill!

Once the fireworks begin we’ll hang toward the back and pick up the girls to improve their view. I don’t think our view will improve that much by rushing the front fence and I’m paying a ridiculous price for the dessert party so we don’t have be rightnextto dozens (or hundreds) of people.

Sounds perfect!

Our plans for lunch are to grab QS from Capt. Cook’s – this is my best chance to try the semi-famous pulled pork nachos! A Dole whip may also be necessary.

I did it – I got a better time for our Crystal Palace breakfast! Now we’ll be able to enjoy up to an hour of early park touring time before stopping for breakfast with Pooh and friends. If we wrap up early we’ll check in early. I’m so excited!

Yay!

This will also be the best chance for my husband and I to ride TRON. I know everyone’s description of the ride is “it’s short” – but I’m still looking forward to trying it!

It may be short but it's really fun.

Lunch will be a new-to-me restaurant – we’re having lunch with Cinderella in her castle. I’ve always bypassed this princess meal for Akershus (the cost!), but with a morning at BBB and two little girls it seemed like the right choice. I know the food can be hit or miss (especially for lunch), but I think the surroundings will make up for any shortcomings.

Aww, this will be lovely. Especially after an exciting makeover at BBB.

Which plan would you choose? Will it take too much time to call Bell Services to help with luggage or should we just wheel it across the resort ourselves? Would we appreciate having our bags available at the Beach Club early by transferring it ourselves? I’m not sure how much it will matter as DVC check-in is at 4:00, but perhaps we’d get lucky? I just don’t know!

I would get Bell Services to transfer your things. Maybe pack a few essentials in your park bag just to be on the safe side.

Ideally, I’d love a chance to go to the extended evening hours at Magic Kingdom. I love being in Magic Kingdom at night and the old evening extra magic hours were my favorite time at MK. The kids may also benefit from an early bedtime with two more park days on the horizon. If it works out, my husband will walk back to the resort with the kids and get them to bed while I travel to MK. I may also walk back with them and get L to sleep before heading to MK.

Definitely go for some solo park time!

 

[MrsK53113]

Today’s Plans
Magic Kingdom
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

ADRs
Lunch – Cinderella’s Royal Table
Dinner – 1900 Park Fare

This sounds like the perfect princess (or fairy) day!! My daughter wants to hit up the BBB, but with everything else I just can't justify the expense. I hope M loves it and has a blast no matter who she chooses to dress up as!!

Lunch will be a new-to-me restaurant – we’re having lunch with Cinderella in her castle. I’ve always bypassed this princess meal for Akershus (the cost!), but with a morning at BBB and two little girls it seemed like the right choice. I know the food can be hit or miss (especially for lunch), but I think the surroundings will make up for any shortcomings.

I know the princess lineup changes (and nothing is guaranteed), but I'm hoping we'll get lucky and get a chance to meet Merida. She's been mentioned several times on the dining board as being a recent regular princess at CRT. M loves Merida and CRT is our only shot at meeting her.

We’ll be joining the wish-makers at 1900 Park Fare for dinner. I’m thrilled I experienced the Happily Ever After dinner once before they changed it up for the reopening – the stepsisters were a hoot! Nonetheless, I was so excited this restaurant reopened in time to eat here during our trip. Part of me wishes we were trying breakfast instead of dinner (some of their specialty items look so good!), but I think dinner will also be tasty.

I'm excited to read your TR after your trip and see how you all liked the character dining. I'm trying to decide if I want to do dinner at CRT or breakfast at 1900 PF! I was sold on CRT for dinner, but I just watched a youtube Disney mom vlogger and her daughter's experience at 1900 Park Fare for a late breakfast and on top of seeing Mirabel, Cinderella and Tiana I also saw some visiting princesses like Snow White. Now I'm reading about your plans and it's almost like a sign that I NEED to add 1900 Park Fare to our trip!

 

[vamassey1]

I always create a post-it note (or two) for the “don’t forget” last-minute items.

That's a good idea too!

I’m sure we’ll make it work no matter how it shakes out!

I'm sure you will. It's great that you have thought through the options.

We’ll ride MMRR regardless, but it would be the perfect first ride at the Studios. I hope something else breaks down first thing in the morning instead.

Fingers crossed for you.

Toy Story Land looks amazing! I’ve read it’s hotter than Hades, but hopefully we can knock out the attractions earlier in the day. I think M (and L, because of all the color) will both enjoy this land.

TSL is VERY HOT. The Studios as a whole is hot. We call it the Concrete Jungle. We tried to do indoor options after every outdoor attraction last month.

 

[ambula603]

Do you have a favorite QS spot in MK?

Our's is Casey's Corner! I know you said you may want to stay away from fried foods, but the corn dog nuggets are our favorite! Depending on the time, we also love the nutella fruit waffle at Sleepy Hollow but I think they stop serving around 10:30? It is worth looking into, it is SO GOOD!

I may get an appetizer rather than a huge entrée (perhaps the cachapas?)

I recommend the cachapas! My family ordered other things and didn't love it (maybe the pork dish?) but I enjoyed the Brazilian bread and these as my meal!

Otherwise, your trip sounds great to me. Lots to do, but also lots of breaks planned in. We like to rope drop and take breaks but some days we plan to do it and end up changing at the last minute, usually the night before when we are all so exhausted and don't want to think about setting an early alarm! But you have so many options and plan B's that I know you will manage even without getting up early each day.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Oh my goodness!!! So stressful!

I couldn’t believe what a racket the dessert party was. I’ve never had so many issues with an ADR! I wish Disney IT would get their act together and make it consistent (or at least easier) to account for an infant on the prepaid reservations. If I could’ve booked it directly myself without needing to call and adjust it I think it would've been fine.

Girl shopping would be so fun with all the cute options!

Yes, there are so many cute options! M was a great help on deciding what she wanted and then I picked things for L that would coordinate. It was a lot of fun!

I've actually had pretty good luck having DVC rooms ready early so hope that will happen for you too.

That's great to know! I've always had pretty good luck getting into my room before check-in time but I know DVC resorts are less reliable for that. I'm hoping our mid-week check-in will help us in earlier. If not, we'll make it work, but it would be nice!

I always do the same. A mid day break is essential.

I've really grown to love a mid-day break. It's so refreshing and makes the evening touring easier!

Go to the path to the right of the castle (as close to the carousel as possible).

Wonderful - thank you! That should also be helpful for the stroller as I've read stroller parking is near the carousel.

I think a light lunch by Oasis pool would be lovely. You will be pretty full from a big breakfast and then you have an early dinner at BOG.

That's a great idea! Depending on how the day goes perhaps we'll do that!

Yay!

I was very excited! This should work out very well to still get an early breakfast but allow us to hit several attractions before the lines build up. With the expanded hours it may be a very busy day!

Aww, this will be lovely. Especially after an exciting makeover at BBB.

It seemed like the best choice. I hope we have a nice experience!

I would get Bell Services to transfer your things. Maybe pack a few essentials in your park bag just to be on the safe side.

I would love to have Bell Services do the work - it would be a lot easier for us.

Definitely go for some solo park time!

I'd love to if it works out! We'll see how the day (and the trip overall) is going and I'll do my best to make it work! I do love wandering around Magic Kingdom at night.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

This sounds like the perfect princess (or fairy) day!! My daughter wants to hit up the BBB, but with everything else I just can't justify the expense. I hope M loves it and has a blast no matter who she chooses to dress up as!!

I hope so! It's crazy how expensive BBB has become - didn't the basic package used to cost $50?! It helps that her grandparents are gifting the experience!

I'm excited to read your TR after your trip and see how you all liked the character dining. I'm trying to decide if I want to do dinner at CRT or breakfast at 1900 PF! I was sold on CRT for dinner, but I just watched a youtube Disney mom vlogger and her daughter's experience at 1900 Park Fare for a late breakfast and on top of seeing Mirabel, Cinderella and Tiana I also saw some visiting princesses like Snow White. Now I'm reading about your plans and it's almost like a sign that I NEED to add 1900 Park Fare to our trip!

I'd be happy to give you a synopsis before your trip! I'm not a very speedy trip reporter so it's unlikely I'll have both reviews done before you leave. DId you watch Bekah Hart's recent review? I do enjoy both her and Pixie Dusted Mom.

That's a good idea too!

Thanks! It always seems to work well - don't change what's not broken!

Fingers crossed for you.

Thank you! I appreciate it!

TSL is VERY HOT. The Studios as a whole is hot. We call it the Concrete Jungle. We tried to do indoor options after every outdoor attraction last month.

The Concrete Jungle - great. Frankly, I feel that way about a lot of Animal Kingdom, too, despite all their trees and foliage.

I'm a big fan of interspersing the outdoor attractions with the air conditioning! I couldn't survive in the Florida humidity without constant bouts of A/C.

Our's is Casey's Corner! I know you said you may want to stay away from fried foods, but the corn dog nuggets are our favorite! Depending on the time, we also love the nutella fruit waffle at Sleepy Hollow but I think they stop serving around 10:30? It is worth looking into, it is SO GOOD!

M would LOVE the corn dog nuggets from Casey's! I worry it would be a hassle to run to multiple places for food, but corn dog anything is always a hit for M. And both girls love fries!

I have my eye on that fruit and Nutella waffle for our BBB morning. It would be a great mid-morning snack if I don't get much breakfast!

I recommend the cachapas! My family ordered other things and didn't love it (maybe the pork dish?) but I enjoyed the Brazilian bread and these as my meal!

Thank you for affirming my dining choices! I really hope that bread is available!

Otherwise, your trip sounds great to me. Lots to do, but also lots of breaks planned in. We like to rope drop and take breaks but some days we plan to do it and end up changing at the last minute, usually the night before when we are all so exhausted and don't want to think about setting an early alarm! But you have so many options and plan B's that I know you will manage even without getting up early each day.

Thank you! I've tried to hit all the highlights but also give us a good amount of downtime. It helps that we're there for 10 days and have seven days of park tickets.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Day 8 Plans
Thursday, May 30th

Today’s Plans
Epcot
Hollywood Studios

ADRs
Lunch – Via Napoli
Dinner – Roundup Rodeo BBQ

Genie+/ILL Priorities
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure or Slinky Dog Dash
Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind
Rise of the Resistance (maybe)

After an early night for three of us (and hopefully one late night for me), three-quarters of us should be well-rested.

Thankfully we don’t have far to go this morning as we’re taking advantage of our close proximity and spending the morning at Epcot.

Our morning plan depends on our success riding the two World Showcase headliners the day before. If we were successful, we’ll decide if it’s worth lining up early for Remy or if we should bypass it for other things.

Our first-choice lightning lane will likely be Frozen (if we enjoyed it and want to ride again) or Test Track (same reason).

I would guess we’ll enjoy Remy so it’s likely we’ll leave the room before 7:30 to walk over and get in line. I’ve read the people are a little crazy (and run!), so we’ll do our best to avoid the craziness but not lose too much traction in line. It will be nice to figure out the stroller parking the day before to make that process smoother.

After Remy, we’ll head to Norway to get in line for the Anna and Elsa meet and greet. M is especially fond of these sisters as Elsa has blonde hair like her (the older sister) and Anna has reddish hair like L (the younger sister). Both girls will be in Frozen-inspired dresses for the meet and greet.

Once we’ve been the Scandinavian sisters, we’ll either ride Frozen Ever After (depending on our Genie+ choice and ride time) or head back into the front of the park to ride anything we missed on our first Epcot day. This would also be a great time to ride (G) or re-ride (M and me) Cosmic Rewind.

We’ll make our way back to World Showcase for lunch at one of my favorites – Via Napoli.

Via Napoli was the kickoff (or first in-park) meal for each trip with my sister. We loved starting in Epcot as we used Fastpass to ride a few attractions before enjoying a very tasty pizza.

Recent reviews have seemed a little mixed, so we’ll see if the pizza continues to live up to the hype. I’m sure G and I will split a pizza (likely margherita or quattro formaggi as G isn’t a fan of pizza toppings) and I’d also love to get the salad. The girls are a little tougher as neither girl really likes pizza and M won’t eat tomato pasta sauce. L would be thrilled with the kid’s spaghetti and perhaps I’ll get some focaccia and a chocolate gelato for M – that counts as a meal for kids, right?

We’ll wrap up Via Napoli and then explore more of World Showcase. If we picked up a Passport for M, this would be a good time to knock out more countries. I also want to visit the Christmas store in Germany (one of my favorites!) to get an ornament if we haven’t purchased one yet. G and I purchase an ornament on every trip – it’s so much fun to remember our travels each year when we decorate our tree!

As we’ll be right there, we’ll have to stop by Karamell-Kuche for a few yummy treats.

Our afternoon rest should be a breeze with our short walk to BCV from the International Gateway. M may want another chance to swim at the pool and this is her best chance.

Our evening plans take us back to Hollywood Studios. My original plan was a single day in the Studios, but thanks to YouTube M really wants to see Toy Story Land (and ride Slinky Dog!) at night. Slinky Dog may be tough (I’d certainly have to use our first Genie+ pick of the day for that) but the Studios at night is doable!

We may ride something (perhaps another drop on Tower of Terror if M liked it?) or catch a show on our way in before heading to another new-to-me restaurant, Roundup Rodeo BBQ. I’m very excited we booked this as it looks like so much fun! The food should also be a hit with my family. I’m sad they no longer have the fried pickles (M and I would’ve been fans), but I’m sure we’ll leave stuffed regardless.

Our after-dinner plans are quite fluid depending on how long our meal takes (I’ve read it can be a long one) and what lightning lanes we’ve managed to stack that day. If the group loved Rise of the Resistance, I’m not opposed to purchasing another round of ILLs that morning.

If we can manage to hold out to dusk, I’d love to see both Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge with their lights. Both lands appear incredible at night. I’m rather excited M wanted another evening in the Studios!

Once the kids (and us) are done, we’ll head back via the Skyliner or our feet to our resort.

Up Next: Day 9 Plans

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Day 9 Plans
Friday, May 31st

Today's Plan
Animal Kingdom

ADRs
Breakfast - Tusker House
Dinner - Boma

Genie+/ILL Priorities
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Flight of Passage

The sad day has arrived – our last full park day.

Thankfully we have great plans so that will help ease the sadness!

Today we’re finally heading to Animal Kingdom. I’ve become a big fan of Animal Kingdom and I know both kids will love it. I’m also very excited to finally see Pandora – it was still under construction the last time I visited!

The hours for Animal Kingdom have shifted for the entire week. It will be an early morning as early entry begins at 7:30.

The good news is we’re employing a similar strategy as we did on our first Epcot day – we’re bypassing Pandora until mid-morning and instead heading straight to @disneyAndi14 's favorite. We’re riding Dinosaur!

I’m unsure why (it's dark! And potentially scary!) but M is VERY excited to ride Dinosaur. If she enjoys it she’ll ride it twice so both G and I get a chance to experience it (perhaps for the last time).

Our next stop is another attraction M talks about constantly – Expedition Everest. We’re heading there early both to bypass the long lines and to give M the best shot at riding. She’s very close to the 44” height requirement and she has a better chance of hitting the cutoff line early in the day.

G and I will definitely ride it and hopefully M is tall (and brave!) enough to join us!

After Everest, we’ll head to our first lightning lane of the day, Kilimanjaro Safaris. I love the early-morning safaris (so much more animal activity!) and know this will be a hit with my entire family.

Since Disney changed the park hours we now have an extra hour for touring. That’s what most people would do.

I’m not most people.

Once I learned we have an extra hour… we have time another character breakfast! I LOVE the Tusker House breakfast and am glad we have a chance to fit it in. I booked it a few days ago This should give us plenty of time to hit the early entry attractions and ride the safari before heading next door for breakfast. The Tusker House breakfast is also quite different than the Boma dinner, so we don't need to worry about dish overlap.

Our next attraction depends on how fast we finish Tusker House. If it’s a short breakfast, we’ll stay in Africa and see the first Festival of the Lion King show at 10:00. If it takes a bit longer, we’ll head to Pandora.

I’ll book our second lightning lane for Na’vi River Journey and attempt to book our ILL for Flight of Passage in the 10:00 hour. Hopefully M is tall enough (it also has a 44” height requirement) as she really wants to ride it. If she makes the cut and enjoys it, she’ll have a chance at two rides thanks to rider’s swap.

While M and G ride Flight of Passage (fingers crossed!), I’m going to try a Night Blossom drink. It looks very tasty!

The timing on our next few things depend on how the morning shakes out. Somewhere in the 11:00-2:00 timeframe we’ll try to catch Festival of the Lion King (if we missed it early in the morning), walk through an animal trail or two, watch It’s Tough to Be a Bug, and eat lunch at Satu’li Canteen. We should be able to walk on most attractions thanks to Genie+.

I’m going to eat a smaller breakfast (I’m there for the characters and the POG juice!) so I have enough stomach capacity for both part of a chicken bowl and the cheeseburger pods. M will love the pretzel-wrapped hot dog!

The final thing I’d love to do is see the Finding Nemo show. I actually enjoy Nemo more than Festival of the Lion King, so if we have to nix one then Simba will have to go. M is also more excited to see the Finding Nemo show.

Another thing we’ll try to fit in is a ride on Kali River Rapids. G LOVES water rides and this is the only one currently available in Disney World. I will stay with L (who’s hopefully napping?) while M rides with her dad. If L is not napping perhaps I'll grab us a lightning lane to Meet Minnie and Mickey while G and M are in the lightning lane for Kali. We’ll have extra clothes available in the stroller if either of them get soaked.

Writing all this out, it may be tough to hit so many highlights even with the aid of Genie+. Depending on how our trip goes (especially the park breakfasts), I may sadly nix the breakfast at Tusker House in lieu of more touring time. Thankfully with the two-hour cancellation window we’ll have time to decide!

Once we get all we can out of Animal Kingdom (one day isn’t enough!), we’re heading to one of my favorite Disney resorts. We’re spending the late afternoon and evening at Animal Kingdom Lodge!

When I described the resort G agreed that M would love it. One of us may plant ourselves with a sleeping L in the lobby while the other parent explores the resort and views the animals with M. I especially love watching the flamingos near the Jambo House pool.

My other excuse for staying near Animal Kingdom Lodge is so we can have dinner at Boma.

I’ve eaten at Boma for breakfast twice (it’s delicious!) and finally had a chance to try dinner on my last trip. I can see what all the hype is about as that dinner was amazing! I’m very excited to eat here again and think my family will like it, too.

To get back to our resort we’ll either grab a Minnie Van or a bus back to Animal Kingdom. We could also take a bus to Epcot and catch some of the evening views (and perhaps the nighttime spectacular?) before calling it a night.

Up Next: Day 10 Plans

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Day 10 Plans
Saturday, June 1st

Today's Plans
Travel Home

ADR
Breakfast - Cape May Café

We’ll be up bright and early to pack up our room and enjoy our last character meal of the trip.

I wish Trattoria al Forno still offered the Bon Voyage Breakfast (that would’ve been perfect!), but alas, no such luck. Instead, I scheduled a very convenient (and still fun) choice – breakfast with Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Daisy at Cape May Café.

This breakfast never seems to get much chatter, but the character lineup is good and the options look solid. I think it’s a great last Disney meal.

We’ll wrap up breakfast around 8:30 and then go back to our room and collect our stuff. Our airport transportation, Cast and Crew, will pick us up at the Beach Club Villas about three hours before our flight.

I have to give a shout out to Cast and Crew Transportation and their responsiveness. Our departure flight moved up about 15 minutes and I was nervous about our initial pickup time (which I’d cut a bit short due to our TSA pre-check). The MCO airport can be crazy and I didn’t want to be rushed with the earlier departure time. I texted C&C and asked if it was possible to move up our pickup time 15-30 minutes to account for our earlier flight. I had a response in less than a minute (!) and they were happy to accommodate us. I’m already impressed and we haven’t even used them yet!

Once we arrive at the airport we’ll check our bags and get through security. Hopefully it’s a better experience than our last departure flight when G was flagged for additional screening.

I don’t think we’ll be very hungry after our big breakfast, but we’ll grab snacks as needed.

I splurged on Comfort+ seats with Delta so we can look forward to an earlier boarding position (and perhaps some additional snacks?).

We have a connection in Atlanta (which is my least favorite airport, but so it goes) before arriving home just before dinner time.

We’ll pick up some food on our way home and eat before (likely) crashing with an early bedtime. Ten days at Disney is bound to be tiring! (But awesome!)

Up Next: The Final Countdown

 

[kclark9830]

Hooray for a better Crystal Palace time

As far as midday breaks, we have yet to find a strategy that works for us besides going back to our room. I hate doing that! Maybe someday we'll figure it out (probably right about the time our kids no longer need them, lol).

 

[disneyAndi14]

The good news is we’re employing a similar strategy as we did on our first Epcot day – we’re bypassing Pandora until mid-morning and instead heading straight to @disneyAndi14 's favorite. We’re riding Dinosaur!

Great idea, I couldn’t agree more! Best ride EVER!!
Andi and I use to love Tusker House breakfast, haven’t been in awhile!

I splurged on Comfort+ seats with Delta so we can look forward to an earlier boarding position (and perhaps some additional snacks?).

You do get extra snacks and free Booze

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Hooray for a better Crystal Palace time

I was thrilled! I wasn’t anticipating early-morning touring time - it will be great to knock out a few attractions as I think it will be a very busy day. The slightly later time will allow us to meet Rapunzel and perhaps an additional attraction as well!

As far as midday breaks, we have yet to find a strategy that works for us besides going back to our room. I hate doing that! Maybe someday we'll figure it out (probably right about the time our kids no longer need them, lol).

That seems about right! We always figure out things later than we should.

I’m hoping our close proximity will help keep the travel time down (monorail/boat to MK, monorail/short walk to Epcot, etc.) so most of our break is us actually taking a break. I grew to love my afternoon breaks on my last trip and I think they’ll be necessary to keep two young kids happy.

Great idea, I couldn’t agree more! Best ride EVER!!

I knew you’d endorse our plan! I’m so glad we’ll get a chance to ride it before it’s gone. I agree that Dinoland could use a refresh but I’m sad that old favorites will need to go in the process.

I’ll be sure to report back how much M loved your ride!

Andi and I use to love Tusker House breakfast, haven’t been in awhile!

I’ve been there a few times and always enjoyed it. I love the mix of traditional and unique choices. That meal also has Goofy, which always makes me happy.

You do get extra snacks and free Booze

Yay, extra snacks! I don’t know that I’ll take advantage of the free booze (but after ten days at Disney with kids… perhaps I will!).

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Three Days and Counting (!)
a.k.a. It's the Final Countdown!

We’re down to three days to go!

What?!

This means we’re down to the very last character on M’s countdown chain (Rapunzel) and I have three days left to pack and tie up (what seems like) dozens of loose ends.

On a good note, I got a ton done over the weekend. I did laundry, charged camera batteries, and pulled clothes for the trip. I also placed my final Amazon order (fingers crossed!) and picked up cash last week.

On a bad note, three-quarters of my family are sick.

Because of course they are!

Thankfully, it seems to be a minor virus (some congestion and cough), but good grief, we can’t catch a break on illnesses this year! This makes me so happy that we gave a buffer week before the last day of school and the first day of our trip. I was even happier about this when L was running a fever on the day we would’ve flown to Orlando – other than her cough, she’s now much better.

Please cross all your fingers that I stay healthy! I have two suitcases and 1,500 carry-on items to pack!

On the agenda over the next few days is…

• Pack suitcases and carry-on bags
• Final loads of laundry
• Final Target run (it’s inevitable)
• Download the MDE app for G
• Pair our Magic Bands to our phones
• Charge devices

It doesn’t look like much, but I know it will take longer than it seems.

I’d also like to clean the house before we leave – it’s nice to come back to a clean house. Thankfully I did the most time-consuming part over the weekend (the bathrooms), so it should be doable.

Other than packing, I’ve also made some headway on the grocery list. I’m placing an order with Amazon Fresh to be delivered on our arrival day. It's my first time using a delivery service for groceries at Disney World, but I feel (mostly) on top of it thanks to YouTube tutorials.

Our grocery list includes the following:

• Breakfast items (oatmeal, Cheerios, mini muffins)
• Fruit (berries, bananas, apples)
• Snacks (Goldfish, fruit bars, yogurt melts, applesauce pouches)
• Milk (for L)
• Juice (apple and orange)
• Water
• Hand soap

I’m forgoing diapers and wipes (two common grocery order items for toddlers) and bringing them with us instead. They only have a big box available for ordering so I’d have too many – plus the empty spot created by the diapers makes more room for souvenirs!

What grocery items do you put in your cart for Disney World? G and I don’t drink much (G not at all and me rarely) so we skipped alcohol. I plan to get a reusable mug so I shouldn’t need soda – but perhaps it would be handy to have some in the fridge? I have two days to decide before I place my order!

I’ll be back tomorrow to show you our lineup of cute kids’ clothes. I had a ball collecting fun Disney things for both of my girls to wear. And the ears… so many ears!

Up Next: Wardrobe Planning