Please help me get excited for my upcoming trip.

[Remmy]

Hi,

We booked a one week trip, spur of the moment due a near death experience of a dear friend. We thought you only live once, and with the 4/3 deal, we should book now. Dear friend is doing well but we we are going out of my comfort zone and I am feeling a tad bit edgy.

First, we are trying a new resort. We will be going to the French Quarter January 24-31. We have been at the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds and Pop Century before. We loved the Pop but I have always loved the look of FQ so DH decided since there wasn't that much $ difference with the 4/3 deal now would be the time to try it. I am trying to read the different reviews and some are so great and others are so terrible, I am a bit scared.

Two, this is our first family trip that we are only staying for one week. Due to our travel distance being so great we usually stay longer but only had time to do one week this time. I am wondering how to enjoy both the resort and the parks all in only 7 days. I am a type "A" personality and hope I can relax enough to enjoy the resort and the amenities and not feel that since we paid for 7 days of tickets we have to spend from open to close at the parks. Do you think it is worth a day to spend just at the resort or resort/Downtown Disney since there is the boat transportation? I am a big time planner and our last trip I had 3 years to plan and research the resorts/parks/attractions, now I have a little over a month.

I think these are my two biggest issues. I know we will have an enjoyable time just being together having fun as a family.

Thank you for any help or suggestions.

Remmy

 

[eliza61]

Hi,
Dear friend is doing well but we we are going out of my comfort zone and I am feeling a tad bit edgy.First, we are trying a new resort. We will be going to the French Quarter January 24-31. We have been at the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds and Pop Century before. We loved the Pop but I have always loved the look of FQ so DH decided since there wasn't that much $ difference with the 4/3 deal now would be the time to try it. I am trying to read the different reviews and some are so great and others are so terrible, I am a bit scared.

Two, this is our first family trip that we are only staying for one week. Due to our travel distance being so great we usually stay longer but only had time to do one week this time. I am wondering how to enjoy both the resort and the parks all in only 7 days. I am a type "A" personality and hope I can relax enough to enjoy the resort and the amenities and not feel that since we paid for 7 days of tickets we have to spend from open to close at the parks. Do you think it is worth a day to spend just at the resort or resort/Downtown Disney since there is the boat transportation? I am a big time planner and our last trip I had 3 years to plan and research the resorts/parks/attractions, now I have a little over a month.


Thank you for any help or suggestions.

Remmy

Dear Remmy,
Breathe in, breathe out. I know you type "A"'s there is hope!!!
First, glad to hear your friend is doing ok.
Now, I've gone with type A's before and I gotta tell you, relaxing lazily is not your thing so an entire day may push you to the edge. How about a slow relaxing morning and then go to Epcots World showcase.

We love to relax but we are non planners to the nth degree.

 

[wbk]

I am a Type A, and I drive my family nuts when it comes to WDW. However, if you've done all the planning (resort, tickets, transportation, dinner reservations, etc.), there's nothing more you can do but enjoy the time you have at WDW. I know it's hard to not be in control of everything, but if you've done all you can, what more is there to do but ENJOY!

Glad your friend is recovering, too.

 

[laine&connorsmom]

We stayed at the PO Riverside in November, and we were also nervous since we had not stayed there before. I can tell you that we really enjoyed our stay and would definitly go back. Next time I think we would opt for FQ because the bus lines were much shorter and the food court was way better.

 

[Remmy]

Dear Remmy,
Breathe in, breathe out. I know you type "A"'s there is hope!!!
First, glad to hear your friend is doing ok.
Now, I've gone with type A's before and I gotta tell you, relaxing lazily is not your thing so an entire day may push you to the edge. How about a slow relaxing morning and then go to Epcots World showcase.

We love to relax but we are non planners to the nth degree.

I am a Type A, and I drive my family nuts when it comes to WDW. However, if you've done all the planning (resort, tickets, transportation, dinner reservations, etc.), there's nothing more you can do but enjoy the time you have at WDW. I know it's hard to not be in control of everything, but if you've done all you can, what more is there to do but ENJOY!

Glad your friend is recovering, too.

We stayed at the PO Riverside in November, and we were also nervous since we had not stayed there before. I can tell you that we really enjoyed our stay and would definitly go back. Next time I think we would opt for FQ because the bus lines were much shorter and the food court was way better.

Thank you all for the encouraging words. I truly do appreciate them. The responses have put my mind at ease and I hope for myself and my family's sake that this can be a relaxing trip for all, not a "commando" type of trip (the type of trip I excel at ). Thank you for responding, even though I posted it on the wrong board. I guess I was so worried and I wasn't paying much attention, as I was trying to research on all of the different boards.

Thank you all very much. Remmy

 

[PADMYCELL]

Remmy,
Remember the reason you booked this trip. Ill friend, near death etc.
The French Quarter was refurbished 2004 in March. We were at Dixie Landings now called Port Orleans with our two over 30 sons. We were on a last family of 4 Disney trip. We now have a daughter in law and 1 year old this Xmas Eve granddaughter. Our family is now 6. New Disney adventures abound. We have stayed at PO 3 or 4 times. People we spoke to on the way to downtown disney on the boat said it was very nice and were not disappointed.
I would only spend couple of hours at downtown disney+/- mostly shops.
We usually stay 2 wks also. One year we went the week between Xmas and New Years 7 days. Difficult to see everything. We picked out the things we hadn't seen before and what we wanted to see again. It worked out. Consider it an adventure, seems you have the essentials in order. Enjoy the spontaneity of the trip. High expectations create disappointments.
Happy Holiday
Enjoy
John

 

[troynkasey]

If you're staying at FQ, you HAVE to try the homemade ice cream sandwiches in the foodcourt. We prefer chocolate chip cookies and mint ice cream. They're fantastic!!! The resort is small, quiet, and very nice. it's also rarely busy to the point of annoyance. I think you can enjoy the hotel and still get your experience.

Be prepared for bus trips to pick you up at FQ and then run through Riverside during non-peak traveler times (mid-day). During early morning and late evening, it pretty much picks you up and takes you straight to the parks.

Also...if you want some relaxation, take the boat ride down to DTD. It takes about 20 minutes, but it's worth the view and calming of the boat ride

 

[Remmy]

Remmy,
Remember the reason you booked this trip. Ill friend, near death etc.
The French Quarter was refurbished 2004 in March. We were at Dixie Landings now called Port Orleans with our two over 30 sons. We were on a last family of 4 Disney trip. We now have a daughter in law and 1 year old this Xmas Eve granddaughter. Our family is now 6. New Disney adventures abound. We have stayed at PO 3 or 4 times. People we spoke to on the way to downtown disney on the boat said it was very nice and were not disappointed.
I would only spend couple of hours at downtown disney+/- mostly shops.
We usually stay 2 wks also. One year we went the week between Xmas and New Years 7 days. Difficult to see everything. We picked out the things we hadn't seen before and what we wanted to see again. It worked out. Consider it an adventure, seems you have the essentials in order. Enjoy the spontaneity of the trip. High expectations create disappointments.
Happy Holiday
Enjoy
John

If you're staying at FQ, you HAVE to try the homemade ice cream sandwiches in the foodcourt. We prefer chocolate chip cookies and mint ice cream. They're fantastic!!! The resort is small, quiet, and very nice. it's also rarely busy to the point of annoyance. I think you can enjoy the hotel and still get your experience.

Be prepared for bus trips to pick you up at FQ and then run through Riverside during non-peak traveler times (mid-day). During early morning and late evening, it pretty much picks you up and takes you straight to the parks.

Also...if you want some relaxation, take the boat ride down to DTD. It takes about 20 minutes, but it's worth the view and calming of the boat ride

Thank you to all that responded. I sat down with DH today and tried to plan an itinerary and include resort time. POFQ and POR really seems to be like an excellent place to sit and soak in the atmosphere. I will enjoy that and look forward to exploring both sister resorts. All of the responses have put my mind at ease and we are very much looking forward to our trip. We are looking forward to all the resort has to offer (the pool, the food court, the boat to DTD), and think we will follow John's advice and pick the attractions we truly wish to do, and don't feel bad if we don't do it all. I personally am looking forward to the ice cream sandwiches.

One small thing that bothered me was in the 2010 Birnbaum Guides Walt Disney World for Kids, they state that Journey Into Imagination with Figment may not be open during parts of 2010. I hope we can see this attraction. It is one of our favorites. I always have to purchase something with Figment on it.

All responses were greatly appreciated. Remmy

 

[pwdebbie]

If you want to relax and do something a little different, try a carriage ride through the POFQ and POR resorts. You board the carriage in POR, so you can take a nice stroll up or go by boat. That in itself is relaxing. Then the carriage ride is very nice and you get to see more of the resorts (especially POR) than you normally would. Plus your driver will probably tell you some interesting stories. End your evening with a stroll or boat ride back to POFQ. Or head on down to DTD to spend some money.

Have a great trip!

 

[ml05ries]

One small thing that bothered me was in the 2010 Birnbaum Guides Walt Disney World for Kids, they state that Journey Into Imagination with Figment may not be open during parts of 2010. I hope we can see this attraction. It is one of our favorites. I always have to purchase something with Figment on it.

All responses were greatly appreciated. Remmy

Did it say when in 2010 JII will be closed? I'm going in May and although I'm not a fan of the new version, I'd still like to go. I heard they might be changing the ride back to the original version, but not sure how true that is. But if they are doing a refurb in 2010, I'd gladly skip the ride to come back another year and have it be the original version!

 

[Remmy]

If you want to relax and do something a little different, try a carriage ride through the POFQ and POR resorts. You board the carriage in POR, so you can take a nice stroll up or go by boat. That in itself is relaxing. Then the carriage ride is very nice and you get to see more of the resorts (especially POR) than you normally would. Plus your driver will probably tell you some interesting stories. End your evening with a stroll or boat ride back to POFQ. Or head on down to DTD to spend some money.

Have a great trip!

Thank you for that idea. I have looked into it and I think we may do that. On our last trip we were near Spoodles and they had the Surrey bikes that my children wanted us to do. We didn't have time that trip but promised the next. I think they can be convinced to do a carriage ride instead. I like the fact it takes you through both resorts.

Remmy

 

[Remmy]

Did it say when in 2010 JII will be closed? I'm going in May and although I'm not a fan of the new version, I'd still like to go. I heard they might be changing the ride back to the original version, but not sure how true that is. But if they are doing a refurb in 2010, I'd gladly skip the ride to come back another year and have it be the original version!

It did not state when. It is on page 61 of the book I have states "This attraction may not be open during parts of 2010." Funny thing is that in the regular adult book (2010) it doesn't state that at all. I would have thought since it is the practically the same book, just one geared towards children and the other, the regular one, they would have said the same information. My only guess is they didn't want to disappoint any children that may have had their heart set on Figment this year. I just hope they have it open for all that wish to see him. I am already disappointed that the Living with the Land will be closed for my visit as I love that attraction.

Remmy

 

[Capt. Barbosa]

I just wanted to add that I have done longer trips and just recently have done a couple of shorter trips and I actually liked my shorter trips alot. Knowing that I wasn't going to be able to cram everything into the trip allowed me to hit the highlights and enjoy the atmosphere and little things you always seem to rush by to get to the next attraction.

 

[Remmy]

I just wanted to add that I have done longer trips and just recently have done a couple of shorter trips and I actually liked my shorter trips alot. Knowing that I wasn't going to be able to cram everything into the trip allowed me to hit the highlights and enjoy the atmosphere and little things you always seem to rush by to get to the next attraction.

That is so true. Usually I like to feel we received the most bang for our buck but sometimes you do miss the little things along the way. I actually had a list for some of the little things I wanted to find but we never did find time to discover where they were due to the fact we wanted to experience all the attractions. I am glad we had a trip like our previous ones but there are some things we will do differently this trip and not have to see everything. Good to say you have done it once but don't feel obligated to do it again.

Thank you for your response. Remmy

 

[DisneyMama27]

According to http://allears.net/tp/rehabs.htm, JII will not be closed during your trip. Must be later in the year...

Good luck with planning and enjoy the little things! We've had long and short trips, but have learned not to go commando. Every trip I try to have a different focus for my kids: one year it was autograph books and they loved meeting all the characters (they were too little for a lot of the bigger rides). We have also done penny presses, hidden mickeys, pin trading. If you try to do it all in one trip, you go crazy. But if we just pick one thing we are going to collect/find/etc. while we go to different rides and attractions, memories are created and we end up with a central "theme" for that trip. It also keeps the kids from getting bored with autographs every trip, etc.

Important thing is to have fun and remember this: don't look at success as how many rides/parades/shows you checked off your list, but as how many times your family laughed together or made a memory, even if it was just at the resort pool!

 

[Remmy]

According to http://allears.net/tp/rehabs.htm, JII will not be closed during your trip. Must be later in the year...

Good luck with planning and enjoy the little things! We've had long and short trips, but have learned not to go commando. Every trip I try to have a different focus for my kids: one year it was autograph books and they loved meeting all the characters (they were too little for a lot of the bigger rides). We have also done penny presses, hidden mickeys, pin trading. If you try to do it all in one trip, you go crazy. But if we just pick one thing we are going to collect/find/etc. while we go to different rides and attractions, memories are created and we end up with a central "theme" for that trip. It also keeps the kids from getting bored with autographs every trip, etc.

Important thing is to have fun and remember this: don't look at success as how many rides/parades/shows you checked off your list, but as how many times your family laughed together or made a memory, even if it was just at the resort pool!

Thank you very much for the reassuring thoughts and ideas. I am trying to squish the inner voice that is saying "do it all".

I do like the idea of a "theme" for the trip. I think that we are going to try to take as many photos as we can of all the interesting little tidbits Disney has to offer. I always love looking at trip reports and discovering new little things. I also like the idea of taking it slower and just making fun memories.

I have made up a notebook with all that we wish to do. Luckily, I think we can accomplish it all, as many are photo opportunities I keep forgetting to take. I looked at a list of all the locations for pressed coins and picked out a few that I know the children will want. My DD wishes to pin trade too, but I think we will keep that for certain times, and not go to every cast member we see. I think we should have a fun and enjoyable trip by trying to take it slower.

Thank you, Remmy