I love reading these, so I thought I'd share mine!
My name is Frank and I'm a single dad or an 11 year old daughter. This is the 6th trip to Florida that we have done since her mother an I divorced back in 2008. I travel with my daughter very often, mostly by car, except for our Florida trips. I have big plans for the future, including Disneyland and Hawaii, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. We are off to WDW in just a handful of weeks!
Day 1 - Direct flights from out local airport to Orlando take off early. We'll be to the airport by 8 AM and should land in Sanford around 12:30 PM. We pick up the rental, grab a bite to eat (fast food) on the way to WDW. I take the tollroad around rather than I4, which is just a personal preference.
Normally, we head to the resort and get settled in, but, check in isn't until 4 PM and since we have a couple extra days on our tickets, I decided we are headed straight to Animal Kingdom. I have FP+ booked for Kilimanjaro Safari, Kali River and Primeval Whirl (one of DD's favorites), all in a row from 3 PM until 6 PM. I would also like to see the Gorillas and maybe It's Tough to be a Bug. We have done Everest before and she isn't a fan, to say the least, so it's off the table.
I'd like to Saratoga Springs Resort at about 5:30 to check in. We'll swim a bit, weather permiting, and then get cleaned up and head to Beach Club Resort for our Cape May ADR. We will make a loop around the Boardwalk and then head back to SSR for the night.
Day 2 - We'll be up early for rope drop at Hollywood Studios. The Great Movie Ride will be the first thing we head for. Then it's our FP+ for the Frozen Sing-a-long. Muppet's 3D is next and then we'll meet character's of DD's choice. Next up is Star Tours FP+ just before our ADR for Sci-fi Dine-in. After lunch, it's Toy Story Midway Mania FP+ and then head over to see Hiro and Baymax and a few other characters. Then it's either the Little Mermaid or Indiana Jones Stun Show before we head out for the day.
After DD gets so pool time, it'll be a walk over to DTD for a late dinner reservation at The Boathouse, which I have booked through Open Table. Then we'll do a little shopping and head back for the night.
Day 3 - We'll be up sort of early and then head to Port Canaveral to board the Disney Dream for our first ever Disney Cruise! The day will be swimming, wandering the ship and maybe the Golden Mickeys show before our second seating dinner. DD may try the kid's area too if she's up for it.
Day 4 - Once we arrive in Nassau, we will be headed to Paradise Island and Atlantis for a Shallow Dolphin Encounter and then enjoy Aquaventure. Lunch is included. Once we have had our waterpark fill and checked out the resort, we will head back to the ship and see Villians Tonight! before our dinner. This is also the Pirate Party night and fireworks, which we will be seeing.
Day 5 - Today is the Castaway Cay day. I have booked the Extreme Getaway Package, so it'll be a morning bike ride, Stingray Adventure and snorkeling along with our tube rental. This should be a great day. We will skip the show and, depending on our dinning restaurant, maybe even hit the buffet. If DD wants to go to the kid's area, I'll check out the bars by myself and wander the ship.
Day 6 - We will be off the boat early and then head to Kennedy Space Center. I haven't been to KSC since about 2000, so i am looking forward to this. I have booked a Up Close Tour in the afternoon to see the VAB up close, check out the Shuttle Landing Area and the Launch Pads. The IMAX films will be a priority for my daughter.
We will probably leave around 5 PM and head to Fishlips for dinner. Then it's back to WDW, stop off for some water and snacks and then check in at Port Orleans Riverside. We will swim and settle in for the night.
Day 7 - We'll be up early for rope drop at the Magic Kingdom. It'll be Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, BTMR and maybe the Magic Carpets (sadly, POTC is in refurb) before our first FP+ on Splash Mountain. Next is FP+ for the Jungle Cruise, then go up in the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House. We then will need to head over to the Contemporary Resort for our ADR lunch at The Wave. My daughter loves their Grilled Cheese on Rainbow Bread.
We will then head back in and hit Philharmagic, Small World and as much of Tomorrowland as we can before our ADR at Be Our Guest. Once we are through, it's Dumbo, Little Mermaid and a couple characters before out last FP+ on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which I got from 10 PM - 11 PM on purpose so we can do it at night. We have done it during the day 3 times already. If my daughter is up for it, we'll also head over to BTMR and do it at night too. Yes, we are skipping the fireworks tonight.
Day 8 - We can actually sleep in a little before our ADR at Chef Mickey for breakfast. We will then be off to Aquatica, which is our favorite water park. We'll spend 5-6 hours there before we head back to POR to relax and get ready for our ADR at the Poly for Spirit of Aloha. Last year we did Hoop-Dee-Doo and loved it, so I wanted to do this one this year. We'll watch the fireworks from the Poly and then go in and shop a little and take pictures of all the changes. Then back to POR.
Day 9 - We have to be up for rope drop at Epcot do get to Soarin' ASAP since we don't have FPs for it. Then Figment on a FP+, Nemo, Turtle Talk and maybe the Character Spot before Spaceship Earth FP+. Our ADR at Akershus is for lunch and then it will be back to Test Track for our third FP+. I'll see in DD is interested in Mission Space (green) before heading into the rest of the World Showcase. I love the Mexico pavillion and the Three Caballeros, so that is a priority. I'd also like to see the China film and do Pick a Pearl in Japan before our ADR at Teppan Edo. We may make it to the Canada movie before they close it down for the night. We'll watch Illuminations before we shop a little and head out.
Day 10 - This will be an interesting day. My daughter's mother will be in Tampa with her family, so we are meeting them so DD can spend the day at the beach with all of them. I had a whole list of things I could have done and decided on the following. I'm heading back to Hollywood Studios and doing Rockin' Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror with back to back FP+. Then I'm headed to Polk City and seeing the Fantasy of Flight which is open just as a museum. From there, I'll head to Clearwater Beach. Maybe I'll stop and see Winter at the aquarium, if they are still open. I'm going to wander the shops and the pier until they bring DD up to me and we have dinner at Crabby Bill's. From there, it's the long drive back to WDW and either DTD or just call it a night. I'll have to pack too.
Day 11 - To the airport. The flight leaves really early.
I hope you enjoyed my plans. It's nice to put them out there so interested people can see them. Most people I know aren't Disney crazy and have little interest in all of the work that I've put into the plan.
Thanks for any input!
My name is Frank and I'm a single dad or an 11 year old daughter. This is the 6th trip to Florida that we have done since her mother an I divorced back in 2008. I travel with my daughter very often, mostly by car, except for our Florida trips. I have big plans for the future, including Disneyland and Hawaii, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. We are off to WDW in just a handful of weeks!
Day 1 - Direct flights from out local airport to Orlando take off early. We'll be to the airport by 8 AM and should land in Sanford around 12:30 PM. We pick up the rental, grab a bite to eat (fast food) on the way to WDW. I take the tollroad around rather than I4, which is just a personal preference.
Normally, we head to the resort and get settled in, but, check in isn't until 4 PM and since we have a couple extra days on our tickets, I decided we are headed straight to Animal Kingdom. I have FP+ booked for Kilimanjaro Safari, Kali River and Primeval Whirl (one of DD's favorites), all in a row from 3 PM until 6 PM. I would also like to see the Gorillas and maybe It's Tough to be a Bug. We have done Everest before and she isn't a fan, to say the least, so it's off the table.
I'd like to Saratoga Springs Resort at about 5:30 to check in. We'll swim a bit, weather permiting, and then get cleaned up and head to Beach Club Resort for our Cape May ADR. We will make a loop around the Boardwalk and then head back to SSR for the night.
Day 2 - We'll be up early for rope drop at Hollywood Studios. The Great Movie Ride will be the first thing we head for. Then it's our FP+ for the Frozen Sing-a-long. Muppet's 3D is next and then we'll meet character's of DD's choice. Next up is Star Tours FP+ just before our ADR for Sci-fi Dine-in. After lunch, it's Toy Story Midway Mania FP+ and then head over to see Hiro and Baymax and a few other characters. Then it's either the Little Mermaid or Indiana Jones Stun Show before we head out for the day.
After DD gets so pool time, it'll be a walk over to DTD for a late dinner reservation at The Boathouse, which I have booked through Open Table. Then we'll do a little shopping and head back for the night.
Day 3 - We'll be up sort of early and then head to Port Canaveral to board the Disney Dream for our first ever Disney Cruise! The day will be swimming, wandering the ship and maybe the Golden Mickeys show before our second seating dinner. DD may try the kid's area too if she's up for it.
Day 4 - Once we arrive in Nassau, we will be headed to Paradise Island and Atlantis for a Shallow Dolphin Encounter and then enjoy Aquaventure. Lunch is included. Once we have had our waterpark fill and checked out the resort, we will head back to the ship and see Villians Tonight! before our dinner. This is also the Pirate Party night and fireworks, which we will be seeing.
Day 5 - Today is the Castaway Cay day. I have booked the Extreme Getaway Package, so it'll be a morning bike ride, Stingray Adventure and snorkeling along with our tube rental. This should be a great day. We will skip the show and, depending on our dinning restaurant, maybe even hit the buffet. If DD wants to go to the kid's area, I'll check out the bars by myself and wander the ship.
Day 6 - We will be off the boat early and then head to Kennedy Space Center. I haven't been to KSC since about 2000, so i am looking forward to this. I have booked a Up Close Tour in the afternoon to see the VAB up close, check out the Shuttle Landing Area and the Launch Pads. The IMAX films will be a priority for my daughter.
We will probably leave around 5 PM and head to Fishlips for dinner. Then it's back to WDW, stop off for some water and snacks and then check in at Port Orleans Riverside. We will swim and settle in for the night.
Day 7 - We'll be up early for rope drop at the Magic Kingdom. It'll be Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, BTMR and maybe the Magic Carpets (sadly, POTC is in refurb) before our first FP+ on Splash Mountain. Next is FP+ for the Jungle Cruise, then go up in the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House. We then will need to head over to the Contemporary Resort for our ADR lunch at The Wave. My daughter loves their Grilled Cheese on Rainbow Bread.
We will then head back in and hit Philharmagic, Small World and as much of Tomorrowland as we can before our ADR at Be Our Guest. Once we are through, it's Dumbo, Little Mermaid and a couple characters before out last FP+ on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which I got from 10 PM - 11 PM on purpose so we can do it at night. We have done it during the day 3 times already. If my daughter is up for it, we'll also head over to BTMR and do it at night too. Yes, we are skipping the fireworks tonight.
Day 8 - We can actually sleep in a little before our ADR at Chef Mickey for breakfast. We will then be off to Aquatica, which is our favorite water park. We'll spend 5-6 hours there before we head back to POR to relax and get ready for our ADR at the Poly for Spirit of Aloha. Last year we did Hoop-Dee-Doo and loved it, so I wanted to do this one this year. We'll watch the fireworks from the Poly and then go in and shop a little and take pictures of all the changes. Then back to POR.
Day 9 - We have to be up for rope drop at Epcot do get to Soarin' ASAP since we don't have FPs for it. Then Figment on a FP+, Nemo, Turtle Talk and maybe the Character Spot before Spaceship Earth FP+. Our ADR at Akershus is for lunch and then it will be back to Test Track for our third FP+. I'll see in DD is interested in Mission Space (green) before heading into the rest of the World Showcase. I love the Mexico pavillion and the Three Caballeros, so that is a priority. I'd also like to see the China film and do Pick a Pearl in Japan before our ADR at Teppan Edo. We may make it to the Canada movie before they close it down for the night. We'll watch Illuminations before we shop a little and head out.
Day 10 - This will be an interesting day. My daughter's mother will be in Tampa with her family, so we are meeting them so DD can spend the day at the beach with all of them. I had a whole list of things I could have done and decided on the following. I'm heading back to Hollywood Studios and doing Rockin' Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror with back to back FP+. Then I'm headed to Polk City and seeing the Fantasy of Flight which is open just as a museum. From there, I'll head to Clearwater Beach. Maybe I'll stop and see Winter at the aquarium, if they are still open. I'm going to wander the shops and the pier until they bring DD up to me and we have dinner at Crabby Bill's. From there, it's the long drive back to WDW and either DTD or just call it a night. I'll have to pack too.
Day 11 - To the airport. The flight leaves really early.
I hope you enjoyed my plans. It's nice to put them out there so interested people can see them. Most people I know aren't Disney crazy and have little interest in all of the work that I've put into the plan.
Thanks for any input!
