The Redemption Reunion Tour - Mar 2025 (+2024 PTR) - (Updated 3/7 - Lightning Lanes)

[Woth2982]

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 always put in a 12 pack of soda because at the end of the night I want one, and I REALLY don't want to walk all they way to the quick service area to refill my mug. I am the odd duck that has to have a diet coke before I go to bed because for some reason caffeine calms me (I think I have undiagnosed ADHD). I also always order a pack of Cliff Bars, bag of animal crackers and a case of water, although I think next time I am gonna go with a 1 gallon bottle of water instead (we bring reusable water bottles). We also order some fruit since that is all my kids ever want to eat.....well fruit and french fries. Balance right?

 

[Jsharp13]

I've enjoyed reading along with your pre-trip report! You've done so much research and planning (too much for most people!) but I can tell you enjoy it! I hope your family appreciates all of that work (and fun work) that went in to planning and prepping! And, I learned a few things reading through your plans too!

I leave on Sunday 5/26, so our times overlap a little. One thing that I was not anticipating (and maybe was a wild card for your plans too) - THIS HEAT. It is markedly going to be changing up some of my pre-planned ideas, and I am prepared to also adjust on the fly when we are there because that heat is going to zap us. I have ALL the cooling items as I'm sure you do too, and planned breaks during the hottest times. I'm sure you are considering that too. With the little ones, it might be a good idea to prepare for a bit extra on the pool and nap time, and maybe even a swim suit into the parks for things like a splash pad in Epcot or MK. It's nice that you have a good amount of ADRs to sit and relax in the cool climate!
Enjoy your trip! Everyone will get feeling better soon I hope and you'll have a great time!

 

[vamassey1]

I'm so excited for you! Only 3 more sleeps!

The last days before you leave can be so stressful and exciting. I'm sure your lists and sticky notes will help a lot.

I'm sorry 3 out of 4 are feeling bad. Hopefully this means everyone will be well in Disney. You know, get the sickness over and done with.

As far as food items, I always like to have water, gum (since they don't sell it at Disney and fresh breath is important and bathroom wipes (again more freshness). I have trouble with the airport in New Orleans when I bring baby wipes in my carryon. I get pulled aside and my bag checked over.

 

[pkondz]

We’re down to three days to go!

So close!!!

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

Because of course they are!

Oh, no.

Please cross all your fingers that I stay healthy!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I always put in a 12 pack of soda because at the end of the night I want one, and I REALLY don't want to walk all they way to the quick service area to refill my mug. I am the odd duck that has to have a diet coke before I go to bed because for some reason caffeine calms me (I think I have undiagnosed ADHD). I also always order a pack of Cliff Bars, bag of animal crackers and a case of water, although I think next time I am gonna go with a 1 gallon bottle of water instead (we bring reusable water bottles). We also order some fruit since that is all my kids ever want to eat.....well fruit and french fries. Balance right?

I appreciate your feedback! I likely will get a soda or two - I don’t know that I’ll need a 12-pack, but having some on-hand would be nice. Also, I wish I could still drink caffeine in the evening but now it keeps me up for hours!

The Cliff bars (or something similar) is good idea! So is the gallon of water instead of bottles as we’ll also have our reusable water bottles.

And yes, I imagine many French fries will be consumed by our two kids! And bread. So much bread!

I've enjoyed reading along with your pre-trip report! You've done so much research and planning (too much for most people!) but I can tell you enjoy it! I hope your family appreciates all of that work (and fun work) that went in to planning and prepping! And, I learned a few things reading through your plans too!

Thank you! And thank you for commenting!

Yes, certainly too much for most people. When I showed my husband the printed list of the Flower and Garden food booths (so we could scope out what to order), he asked why I don’t get as excited and in-depth about planning our other vacations as I do for Disney World. I do love planning in general, but something about Disney makes it SO much fun for me. I think the community here helps, too!

Despite my eight-year absence from the parks, I’m glad my research helped you too!

I leave on Sunday 5/26, so our times overlap a little. One thing that I was not anticipating (and maybe was a wild card for your plans too) - THIS HEAT. It is markedly going to be changing up some of my pre-planned ideas, and I am prepared to also adjust on the fly when we are there because that heat is going to zap us. I have ALL the cooling items as I'm sure you do too, and planned breaks during the hottest times. I'm sure you are considering that too. With the little ones, it might be a good idea to prepare for a bit extra on the pool and nap time, and maybe even a swim suit into the parks for things like a splash pad in Epcot or MK. It's nice that you have a good amount of ADRs to sit and relax in the cool climate!

Hooray - you have less than a week to go!

Yes, the heat looks brutal. I’ve been to Disney World three times in May (and twice over Memorial Day weekend) and I don’t remember such high temperatures. I’m grateful we’ll have tons of cooling gear available on the stroller (fans, cooling towels, extra water, etc.) but I know we’ll be taking advantage of plenty of A/C. I do think the heat is one of the reasons I enjoy eating at TS restaurants - the hour break in the A/C (and the unlimited iced tea) make touring in the heat more bearable. I’m also very happy we have planned breaks and plenty of opportunities for pool time!

The swimsuit (or water clothes) for the splash pads is great idea!

Enjoy your trip! Everyone will get feeling better soon I hope and you'll have a great time!

Thank you so much! Have a wonderful time on your trip as well. If you spot us, please do say hi!

I'm so excited for you! Only 3 more sleeps!

Now just two!

I actually would love if I could get a decent night’s sleep. L wakes up at least once per night due to coughing and then she’s a bear to get back down. She’s usually an excellent sleeper - hopefully her cough improves soon. She’s back to normal except for the cough at night.

I feel more for G, though, as his cough is also keeping him up at night. He’s naturally a light sleeper and it’s tough for him to fall back asleep if he wakes up… he’s averaged 3-4 hours a night of sleep over the past few days. Poor man.

Hopefully everyone’s cough improves - if not, I may need to bring some ear plugs once we’re all sharing a room!

The last days before you leave can be so stressful and exciting. I'm sure your lists and sticky notes will help a lot.

Yes and yes. Thank goodness for my lists!

I actually feel pretty on top of it - I’m planning to pack most of our bags today which I usually don’t start until the day before. I’m a whole day ahead of schedule!

I'm sorry 3 out of 4 are feeling bad. Hopefully this means everyone will be well in Disney. You know, get the sickness over and done with.

Goodness, I sure hope so!

As far as food items, I always like to have water, gum (since they don't sell it at Disney and fresh breath is important and bathroom wipes (again more freshness). I have trouble with the airport in New Orleans when I bring baby wipes in my carryon. I get pulled aside and my bag checked over.

I forgot about Disney not selling gum until you mentioned it! I did buy gum during one of last week’s Target runs, so we should be set there. And water is a must!

That’s so strange about the wipes! I’ve had a boatload of wipes in our carry-on/diaper bag since I’ve had kids and never had any issues. Perhaps because I’m toting along children they expect the wipes? Who know?!

So close!!!

Yes, just TWO DAYS to go!

Oh, no.

We just can’t catch a break on illness this year. It feels like at least one person has been sick every week since January. Thankfully this illness is a minor virus but the cough is a bugger. Thank you so much for the good wishes and crossed fingers. We need them!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Wardrobe Planning
a.k.a. All the cute kids’ clothes!

I’ve never been a Disney fashion person.

Don’t get me wrong, I own a Mickey tee and a few Disney sweatshirts, but I don’t plan coordinated Disney outfits for each park day or wear any Minnie ears.

And then I had children.

I’ve bought them plenty of Disney-themed clothing over the years (and figured they’d wear some Disney gear in the parks), but never thought I’d be an outfit-planning person.

Then during yet another bout of household illness a month ago I started perusing Etsy… and soon I had bags of stuff arriving at our house.

Not only that, M insisted that she needed Minnie ears for all our outfits. I went from owning a few ears (Stitch ears purchased years ago and a few inexpensive ears used for wedding photobooth props) to owning over a dozen pairs of ears.

I’m a sucker. They’re darn cute, though! (Plus, the Etsy prices are a heck of a lot better than the Disney prices! And more comfortable, too!)

Outfit planning was done the old-school way with a piece of white paper:

Their outfits matched either our park plans or a meal each day. I bought a few extra dresses for our meals, but don’t plan to do many outfit changes each day.

Speaking of dresses, you’ll notice nearly all of M’s clothes are dresses. This is because she’s currently in a dress phase and that’s the only thing she wants to wear. They’ll get a ton of use even after this trip!

Without further ado… here are a bunch of cute kids’ clothes!

Day 1
Travel Day

Travel Outfit:

They’ll be wearing shorts (or a skirt) which is yet to be determined. M picked Stitch for her travel shirt and we chose princesses for L.

Dinner at Chef Mickey’s:

Minnie all-around! L’s shirt is actually an infant dress that we turned into a shirt. They were out of her size and it was too cute to pass up!

Day 2
Magic Kingdom

M was allowed to choose a few casual princess dresses. Her first choice was Rapunzel – we’ll try and catch the meet and greet so we can get a picture with their matching dresses. For L, I chose a Pooh outfit due to our breakfast at Crystal Palace.

Day 3
Epcot

We went with a Chip and Dale shirt for M thanks to our breakfast at Garden Grill – I’m sure the chipmunks will appreciate it! I went with a Nemo and Dory shirt for L.

Day 4
Resort Day

Breakfast Outfit:

M is pumped to wear her Lilo dress with the fancy flower clip for our ‘Ohana breakfast. L will be in a coordinating Lilo and Stitch dress.

Dinner Outfit:

Snow White was a must with our dinner at Artist Point. M is in the traditional colors with a matching bow headband while L is in a cute Snow White shirt.

Day 5
Magic Kingdom

M requested this Stitch shirt to wear into Magic Kingdom for her Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique day. L will be donning a Little Mermaid jumpsuit – we may need to visit Ariel in her grotto if she’s not at our CRT lunch!

Day 6
Hollywood Studios

I tried to steer M toward a Yoda or Toy Story dress… but she was insistent on Princess Leia. Thankfully, I found one! The Grogu ears are not the right vintage for Leia, but they were so cute I couldn’t resist. L blends with M thanks to her cute Grogu shirt.

Day 7
Resort Day

The Mickey/Minnie/Donald/Daisy dress for M is perfect for Topolino’s! L should be equally cute in her Daisy shirt and Minnie skort.

Day 8
Epcot

Elsa was M’s other princess dress choice, so I had to go with a Frozen dress for L. This is also the only ears I bought with L in mind – if my blonde older child has Elsa ears, obviously my redheaded younger child needs Anna ears!

Day 9
Animal Kingdom

We went with a Lion King theme for our Animal Kingdom day – that seems fitting for their 30th anniversary year!

(Also, I remember seeing that movie in theatres… how was that released thirty years ago?!)

Day 10
Travel Day

We’re ending our trip with a cute multiple-character dress (with Cinderella castle!) for M and an adorable Minnie dress for L.

After collecting such cute things for the girls, I decided I needed to get in on the action.

I ordered my own “Best Day Ever” shirt for our travel day – featuring Goofy, of course! I completely lost my mind and went with coordinated Goofy ears because, why not?! I also got a second shirt featuring a favorite Disney movie of mine – Up is a treasure!

I also purchased a few surprises for the girls.

I’m so impressed with @StarWarsMomofGirls! amazing Tinkerbelle gifts. I didn’t go for daily surprises, but I thought some surprise pajamas might be a treat.

For our first night, the girls will wear Stitch (M) and Minnie Mouse (L):

I also bought a coordinating set of princess jammies:

My greatest achievement, however, was finding a Star Wars nightgown that included Leia. That was tough but the Disney Store came through for me!

Also pictured is the other surprise for M – she’ll have a Grogu shoulder buddy for our Hollywood Studios day. It should work well with her Leia dress!

Whew! That’s a lot of coordinated clothes (and so many ears!). Thankfully my outfit planning should make the packing part go smoothly.

Do you tend to coordinate outfits with your park days? Or are you more like my husband who has zero interest in a park-related shirt?

Up Next: Final Post Before Departure

 

[vamassey1]

I actually would love if I could get a decent night’s sleep.

I really hope everyone improves and the coughing goes away.

I actually feel pretty on top of it - I’m planning to pack most of our bags today which I usually don’t start until the day before. I’m a whole day ahead of schedule!

You go Girl! Planning has paid off.

That’s so strange about the wipes! I’ve had a boatload of wipes in our carry-on/diaper bag since I’ve had kids and never had any issues. Perhaps because I’m toting along children they expect the wipes? Who know?!

I guess it's just a New Orleans thing.

Outfit planning was done the old-school way with a piece of white paper:

I love this!!

The girls dresses and outfits are so cute!!!!!

I can't wait to see the photos.

 

[amazingact21]

The end of the school year has me insanely busy, but I wanted to make sure I jumped on here before you left to see your last few updates. I can't believe your trip is so close!!! Is it hard to believe it's finally here? Is M bouncing off the walls with excitement?
Very smart of you to plan that buffer between school and vacation. I really, really hope everyone's congestion and gunk clears up soon. You all can't catch a break! (For what it's worth, it does tend to get a little better as the kids get older. Pretty sure those toddler/preschool years were the sickest we've ever been.)

All the outfit choices are so cute! I love, love, love that Lion King dress. And the Stitch/Little Mermaid outfits. Your girls are going to look adorable in the parks and around the resort. There's something to be said for donning your kiddos in a Disney shirt and tapping into a park.

I second a gallon of water in the grocery order. We like to have some in the room for nighttime/mornings.

 

[jewels1916]

Where did you find M's princess dresses? Are those Etsy? I'm going to need to find some for my little princess!

 

[lulu2121]

Love the outfits! Besides being adorable, they also look practical and comfortable, which is so important on a hot park day.

 

[cindianne320]

Adorable outfits! Have a great time- I hope everybody feels better ASAP!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I really hope everyone improves and the coughing goes away.

Thank you! G is still coughing (and tired), but looks a little better which has to be a good sign. L is still a little cranky and coughs a bit at night, but hopefully is turning the corner. Thankfully M is back to normal and I’m still well. (Crossing all my fingers and knocking on all the wood!)

You go Girl! Planning has paid off.

I got a ton done yesterday! Our room/park suitcase (L’s gear, stroller gear, rain gear, etc.) is almost fully packed, the toiletries and medicines are all packed, and clothes for G/M/L are all pulled. I just need to pull (and decide on!) my clothes and pack the carry-ons. So close!

I love this!!

The girls dresses and outfits are so cute!!!!!

I can't wait to see the photos.

Thank you! I had a ton of fun planning and purchasing them.

The end of the school year has me insanely busy, but I wanted to make sure I jumped on here before you left to see your last few updates. I can't believe your trip is so close!!! Is it hard to believe it's finally here? Is M bouncing off the walls with excitement?

Thanks so much, Alicia! ONE MORE DAY which seems unreal. I’ve thought and dreamed about this trip for so long that I can hardly believe it’s here!

Southwest has already checked us into our flight (hooray for early bird check-in) and I just need to finish packing and tie up loose ends today. M is SUPER excited… and so am I!

Very smart of you to plan that buffer between school and vacation. I really, really hope everyone's congestion and gunk clears up soon. You all can't catch a break! (For what it's worth, it does tend to get a little better as the kids get older. Pretty sure those toddler/preschool years were the sickest we've ever been.)

Our lack of buffer bit us in the butt last year - we had to delay our trip to the north shore of Minnesota by a day because both girls had fevers. Thankfully it was easy to adjust as we were driving, but it was still a bummer.

I know we’re in the prime illness years, but it’s still tough to have someone sick almost all the time. My husband almost never got sick prior to kids and I certainly get sick more than I used to. I don’t want to wish them older too soon, but I do look forward to fewer illnesses!

All the outfit choices are so cute! I love, love, love that Lion King dress. And the Stitch/Little Mermaid outfits. Your girls are going to look adorable in the parks and around the resort. There's something to be said for donning your kiddos in a Disney shirt and tapping into a park.

Thank you so much! I know you’re a big Lion King (and Animal Kingdom!) fan. M is a huge fan of that shirt and wears it all the time. I’m glad I refreshed their spring wardrobe with a bunch of Disney gear - it will be fun to see them wear everything on our trip!

I second a gallon of water in the grocery order. We like to have some in the room for nighttime/mornings.

It’s a really good idea!

Where did you find M's princess dresses? Are those Etsy? I'm going to need to find some for my little princess!

Many of them are, yes! My favorite dresses (and honestly, the best quality) came from two Etsy shops. The Rapunzel and Elsa dresses (with matching ears) and Disney character dress came from one shop and the Lion King dress and L’s Frozen dress came from another shop. The “Best Day Ever” shirts also came from Etsy. I’m not sure if I can list the shops here, so let me know if you want me to send a PM with the shop names. They should also be easy to find!

I used Amazon and Walmart for most the rest and the quality ranged from good (M’s dress for Topolino’s) to okay (M’s Minnie, Snow White, and Leia dresses). The latter all came from Walmart but via an Amazon seller - I ordered from Walmart as I could get things faster. I believe those Walmart dresses were direct from China as they had a goofy brand name.

All that to say, I’d highly recommend the Etsy sellers for Disney dresses or everyday wear - the quality was great and the price not bad, either. The Amazon dresses will be fine for Disney or dress up but could be skipped otherwise.

Love the outfits! Besides being adorable, they also look practical and comfortable, which is so important on a hot park day.

Thank you so much! Yes, I was absolutely aiming for comfort along with cuteness. M will have a sparkly/fancy dress from the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, but it didn’t make sense to me to wear a rough scratchy dress every day. Plus, my husband has a major aversion to glitter so I picked things that are glitter-free!

Adorable outfits! Have a great time- I hope everybody feels better ASAP!

Thank you so much Cindi! Thankfully M is fine and G and L are (slowly) improving. I can’t believe we’ll be in Disney TOMORROW… it almost seems unreal.

 

[vamassey1]

I'm so excited for your family. I hope you're able to get some sleep tonight. I usually have trouble sleeping the night before we leave.

 

[MrsK53113]

Those outfits are all super adorable! I've been searching the whole internet for cute Disney themed clothes for my 7 year old. Surprisingly she's the hardest to shop for. I bought a few new pieces to add to my Disney wardrobe, but I did already have a decent base, lol.

You're going to Disney TOMORROW!!! AHHHH I'm so excited for you! I hope you all have a super magical and fantastic vacation!!

 

[Mollydolly334]

YOU LEAVE TOMORROW!!!!!! So excited for you and your fam can’t wait to hear all about it!! I hope you have an absolutely incredible time!!

 

[pkondz]

Wanted to say before you leave… tomorrow!

Have a great trip!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I'm so excited for your family. I hope you're able to get some sleep tonight. I usually have trouble sleeping the night before we leave.

Despite how tired I am, sleep was hard! L finally slept and didn't wake me up at midnight... but I struggled to fall asleep.

But, no matter... we leave TODAY!

Those outfits are all super adorable! I've been searching the whole internet for cute Disney themed clothes for my 7 year old. Surprisingly she's the hardest to shop for. I bought a few new pieces to add to my Disney wardrobe, but I did already have a decent base, lol.

Thank you! I had a ton of fun picking them out.

You're going to Disney TOMORROW!!! AHHHH I'm so excited for you! I hope you all have a super magical and fantastic vacation!!

Thank you so much!

YOU LEAVE TOMORROW!!!!!! So excited for you and your fam can’t wait to hear all about it!! I hope you have an absolutely incredible time!!

Thank you, Molly! I really appreciate your good wishes and your following along!

Wanted to say before you leave… tomorrow!

Have a great trip!

Thanks so much, Pkondz!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

How Far We'll Go
a.k.a. It's Travel Day!

Our bags are packed and we're ready to go... 'cause we're leaving on a jet plane! TODAY!!!

After so many months of planning (and eight years of waiting), we're going to Disney World THIS MORNING!



We wrapped up the last items on our to-do list and G packed up the car yesterday after dinner. M was so excited about our departure that she came down for dinner in her full Belle ballgown regalia. It was adorable!

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who followed along on this pre-trip report. I appreciate everyone who read, commented, and gave suggestions or advice to make this trip our best ever. It's hard to believe I'll be entering the lobby of the Poly (!) as a resort guest (!!) in just eight hours (!!!).

I can't wait to tell you all about it when we return!

Up Next: We're Back!

 

[suse66]

Do you tend to coordinate outfits with your park days? Or are you more like my husband who has zero interest in a park-related shirt?

I am a full on Disney outfit girl with ALL the accessories. It's so fun! All your choices are adorable!!

But, no matter... we leave TODAY!

Yay!!!!!!!

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who followed along on this pre-trip report. I appreciate everyone who read, commented, and gave suggestions or advice to make this trip our best ever. It's hard to believe I'll be entering the lobby of the Poly (!) as a resort guest (!!) in just eight hours (!!!).

Oh my goodness, have the best time ever! I am so excited for you.

 

[DLo]

Hope you have the most magical trip