Pls input on my Jan itinerary before going online tomorrow line and getting ADRs

[irisesareblue]

I thought I would get some input on our itinerary for step-daughter (35) and myself (45). She recently reunited with her dad (my lovely hubby!) and I'm taking her on a girls-get-a-way / get-to-know-ya trip! She has never been to WDW before and I've only been once (however, I'm going again in November for MVMCP one night visit after a cruise) I just want to bless her with a good trip and wondered what you all thought? I'm on a budget but I'm trying to make it as magical as possible!

January 1st – Friday – leave for Orlando at 4 am and drive through Detroit then down I-75 – drive to Marietta GA (14 hours) & arrive at 7-8 pm.

January 2nd – Saturday – driving to Orlando at 6 am – drive to Orlando (8 hours driving) & stay at Best Western Lakeside Kissimmee - arrive about 5 pm (this reservation may be cancelled if the weather is bad along the drive down and we are delayed)

If in Orlando, pick up groceries this evening @ Publix (west on I-192)

January 3rd – Sunday – drive to Disney World – check into Pop Century resort (asked for Lake View/Illumunations view on 3rd or 4th floor for quiet factor). Will pick up fridge (we got a free fridge though a swap - yay!) and go to MK for afternoon and early evening – lunch at approx. 2 pm at Tony’s Town Square – (I will ask to be seated in glassed in area to watch parade at 3 pm) - Spectromagic at 7 pm and Wishes at 8 pm – stake out a spot in Frontierland at around 7 pm (Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café) - MK Hours 9 am to 10 pm (EMH until 1 am, if we're awake that long!)

January 4th (Mon) – Animal Kingdom – bring picnic lunch (locker $10.00) - AK hours 9 am to 5 pm (EMH from 8 am) – dinner at hotel – shopping this evening at DTD or Disney's Character Outlet

January 5th (Tues) – 10:00 am character breakfast at Cape May Café (step-daughter tells me she is NOT a breakfast person so I thought a brunch idea might work best) – relaxing for the afternoon – go to Epcot for evening to see Illuminations or watch from hotel balcony

January 6th (Wed) – Epcot for day – go early in morning then return to hotel for lunch and a rest – return to the park for dinner at counter service (looking at the menus I can't justify any Epcot World Showcase dinners!) – we'll Illuminations in evening if not seen the night before – Epcot 9 am to 9 pm

January 7th (Thurs) – Hollywood Studios for day - eat an early dinner at Hollywood and Vine and go to Fantasmic at 7 pm

January 8th (Fri) - appointment for 10 am at The Day Spa at Ashley Park in Northern Orlando - go to MK or Epcot for afternoon – then shopping & visit to DTD for evening - got to go to the Ice Cream Shoppe (Ghirardelli's or something like that!)

January 9th (Sat) – checking out of hotel – package up and drop off fridge at Luggage Services - driving DSD to airport – we'll be there at 10:25 - 3 hours before flight at 1:25 pm - I'll leave for drive home to Manitoba and hope to get to Chattanooga tonight. I will play my Disney CDs all the way home and enjoy being alone (I work with my husband and do ministry with him so being alone is not a luxury I normally enjoy!)

January 10th (Sun) – driving to St. Joseph MO tonight (12 hours)

January 11th (Mon) – driving home (14 hours)

Any other ideas? I plan on having Minnie Mouse (step-daughter's fave) sign an invitation card to the Cape May Breakfast and will mail it from Disney World in November when we are there!

Blessings!

 

[Wrexie]

Sounds great! I'll be there at the same time and need to make my ADR's tomorrow morning.

I've been to WDW twice in the last 12 years or so and am hardly an expert, so I can't really comment on the specifics of stuff you've planned to do.

Since you don't know each other too well yet (at least I'm assuming from what you wrote), it might be good to spend some time talking over plans and getting an idea whether she likes to have lots of scheduled activities as opposed to liking things more "unscripted." I'm an obsessive planner at times but realize that not everyone thinks like me. My husband likes to plan ahead too and is happy to go in with a "game plan," but if I travel with my sister, she likes to keep things more open-ended. Usually, I find that the non-planner types are actually grateful for us planning types or they'd just sit around dithering about what to do next, but this isn't always the case!

I think it's great that you're getting to do some "girl bonding!" I have 3 stepkids that were ages 8-16 when I married their Dad and are now all grown up, and we get along great because we've always had more of an "adult" relationship and not a parent-child one.

I hope you get all the ADR's you want!

 

[irisesareblue]

Thanks for the input - I'm looking forward to this trip. My husband and I have been married for 10 years but he is just getting to know to his daughter after an estrangement of 18 years - since his divorce from his first wife in fact. We are really happy that she is back in touch and have been to Ontario once already to see her and her family. We talk on the phone every couple of days so we've developed a good friendship now

She says that she is not a planner but will go along with anything I plan.... I've tried to get some input from her and fit it into our plans (such as if she would like to have reserved seating for Fantasmic), which character she would like to see at a character meal (Minnie, thus the Cape May Cafe) and what Disney movie she loved most as a child (Lady & the Tramp), thus Tony's Town Square Restaurant.... I'm hoping that all the ADRs will be available that we want - will try to wake up at 2 am tomorrow morning - if not, will make a phone call at 6 am. We are on a tight budget (I am paying for the hotel and the travel down and back) so am only doing 3 table service meals.

I hope your ADRs go smoothly - your itinerary looks great!