PTR: Francation 2021!

[francis6306]

Well, I wasn't sure I was even going to do a Pre-Trip Report. I mean, it's been YEARS since I have been to Disney. However... I'm super excited about this trip and I realized that some people in my real life land might judge this decision. So, I'm posting here! I may not be the most detailed or exciting post, but here it is! No witty title (Maybe I will edit that if one comes to me?), but our last name is Francis and Vacation? Francation!

My family currently lives in Nashville, TN. Here we are in December at the Opryland Hotel! We love to tour this hotel during the Christmas holidays, and even with Covid- we weren't going to let that stop our tradition!



One of my favorite parts of the Opryland Hotel? I have my own little piece of Disney magic right there! Don't believe me? Look! It's the Backside of Water!




My girls love this as well! LOL We always make a stop during the walk around to take this picture!


I will try and find some non-masked and updated pictures to share with you guys!


So, this trip!

When:
Apr 2- 6
Where:
Saratoga Springs Resort (First time!) and All Star Movies!
Who
Clearly, my DH, and two DD's Cortlyn- 12 & Catie- 9
AND we are hitching along with our nephew, his wife and their 1 year old baby!!!!!

No pictures of the baby until I talk to the mom and make sure she is okay with it. This will be Nephew and great-niece first trip. His wife has been before! They had reached out to us about advice on a trip and I just couldn't help it- I talked myself right into going along with their trip! We were tentatively hoping to go in the fall, but who can miss out on baby's first Disney trip?!? Especially when we are the godparents for this little cutie! And I know, you just have to take my word for it. She is adorable.

I'm so excited to get to share my planning with you guys! Any advice at all is welcome! I'm scanning trip reports about info on Rider Switch and the mobile ordering for food, along with trying to remember what it is like to be at disney with a baby! LOL

Okay, I am off to work. Probably won't get to update much today, so please forgive me.

 

[Bama Mom]

Following along. My daughter and I will be flying out of Nashville for our upcoming March trip. It's cheaper to fly out of there than it is Birmingham and actually about 15 minutes closer. We would fly out of Huntsville but Southwest doesn't fly out of there.
We were hoping to get to the Opryland hotel during Christmas but didn't make it...UGH! Its always so pretty!

 

[francis6306]

Following along. My daughter and I will be flying out of Nashville for our upcoming March trip. It's cheaper to fly out of there than it is Birmingham and actually about 15 minutes closer. We would fly out of Huntsville but Southwest doesn't fly out of there.
We were hoping to get to the Opryland hotel during Christmas but didn't make it...UGH! Its always so pretty!

Awe! Yay! Thanks for following/commenting!

BNA is a great airport and Southwest usually has GREAT deals to MCO! It's such a steal. We actually once flew out of Nashville when we lived in Illinois because it was so much cheaper than Chicago or Indianapolis!

We will actually be in Huntsville next weekend. My youngest daughter is a competitive gymnast, and we have a meet there!

 

[francis6306]

Whew! I thought I would have been able to write more last night, but I got home late from work and it just didn't happen!

I am a hairstylist and I had a busy day. But on top of that, I actually lucked out COMPLETELY and was called by the pharmacy to get my Covid shot! I don't qualify under the tiers, but I signed up as a "backup" so that no vaccine has to be thrown away. So, everything went well with that, but got behind and then ended up working a little late. My clients were all pretty understanding though, so that was a good thing.

Okay, so for some non-mask photos! LOL Apparently, we have failed to take many photos over the last few months.

This is my DH and I at the Starbucks where we first met! Our very first date was at this Starbucks in Georgia in 2004. We met online before online dating was cool- I had friends that thought I was CRAZY for meeting a guy online. But when you know, you know, right?



These are my two daughters. Man, they just keep growing up! This was from Christmas morning and they were excited about the snow, since in Nashville, we don't get snow every year. They are 12 and 9. Good friends, but they sure do know how to get on each other nerves! LOL

Speaking of snow- we had a ton just last week!


It was fun, but very unusual. I am glad that it is GONE!

So, let's talk Disney.

We have been several times in the past, but we have had about 6 years since our last trip to Disney. Life has just taken a lot of twists and turns, but we always wanted to get back to Disney. So much has been added since our last trip and we are just ITCHING to get down to see all the new Pandora and Star Wars stuff!

When our nephew reached out to us about advice for their trip, we joked that we could tag along for babysitting purposes, but then one thing led to another, and we actually ended up booking the trip! I had looked at the cost of two rooms at one of the value resorts, but then for fun, I decided to look up how much more a Villa would be. Turns out, it wouldn't be THAT much more for the villa really, and considering that it had a kitchen that we could use for food and such, it really ended up making way more sense to upgrade and splurge on this trip.

We booked the hotel and then when I went to book the flight, I realized I could save so much money flying down the night before and we could have the WHOLE day at MK. So... DUH. We decided to add an extra night and fly out on Friday! We booked All Star Movies, which this is the first time we have ever stayed at an All Stars resort. Usually, we are Pop Century fans, but, this time the $$ was more important.

We are doing a VERY short trip, but I am confident it's going to be amazing! We are staying at two new resorts and getting to see so much new stuff!

 

[DLo]

Following along . Looking forward to reading more.

 

[Bama Mom]

Awe! Yay! Thanks for following/commenting!

BNA is a great airport and Southwest usually has GREAT deals to MCO! It's such a steal. We actually once flew out of Nashville when we lived in Illinois because it was so much cheaper than Chicago or Indianapolis!

We will actually be in Huntsville next weekend. My youngest daughter is a competitive gymnast, and we have a meet there!

My daughter and her hubby live in Huntsville and it's just an hour away from me. I do love flying southwest though so we just drive a little extra to Nashville.

How much snow did you end up with last week? I live in the northwest county of Alabama and at my house we got like 5 inches which is very rare for us. But we enjoyed it and now we are getting up to 6 inches of rain this weekend! UGH! I don't think our yard will ever dry out between the snow melting and the rain.

My hubby and I tool a trip down to Disney in August 2019 and so we haven't gotten to see Galaxy's Edge nor ridden MMRR so I am looking forward to both of those things during my trip (in 21 1/4 days!!!).

 

[francis6306]

Following along . Looking forward to reading more.

Thanks for joining! Hopefully I can keep this up!

My daughter and her hubby live in Huntsville and it's just an hour away from me. I do love flying southwest though so we just drive a little extra to Nashville.

How much snow did you end up with last week? I live in the northwest county of Alabama and at my house we got like 5 inches which is very rare for us. But we enjoyed it and now we are getting up to 6 inches of rain this weekend! UGH! I don't think our yard will ever dry out between the snow melting and the rain.

My hubby and I tool a trip down to Disney in August 2019 and so we haven't gotten to see Galaxy's Edge nor ridden MMRR so I am looking forward to both of those things during my trip (in 21 1/4 days!!!).

Well, I think all together we got about 5-6 inches, but it was layers of snow and ice! It was crazy! We aren't used to that here at all!

Yay! Your trip is so close! It's so exciting!

 

[francis6306]

So, I'm awake, can't sleep- why not chat a little more about my trip planning.

This is such a weird trip to be planning. I feel like a complete newbie, because so much has changed. I miss all the excitement of booking fastpasses- which is something I'm not sure I would have expected. But I liked having a general idea of what the day was going to look like over all!

So, our day-to-day plans!

• Friday- Fly into MCO and check in at All Star Movies!
  • We get to MCO about 9pm. We are planning on taking ME but again with the changes- we have to get our own luggage, right? That will be interesting. I don't think I have ever paid attention to the baggage claim in MCO! ha
• Saturday- Magic Kingdom!
  • This is NOT negotiable. For our family, we always have to start in MK. I need to see that Castle!
  • Must do's: it's a small world, 7DMT, Space Mtn, Jungle Cruise, and Tiki Room!
• Sunday- Hollywood Studios!
  • Let's be real, this is the biggest part of this trip. Seeing all the Star Wars stuff!
  • Easter Sunday in a park! Yikes. This feels sacrilegious a little...
  • Must Do's: STAR WARS. End of story.
• Monday- Epcot!
  • I'm looking forward to seeing Soarin' with all the new scenes!
  • Must Do's: Soarin', Test Track, Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, World Showcase!
• Tuesday- Split day! Animal Kingdom for us, Magic Kingdom for our family! Possible HS again?
  • This day is really going to be tricky. We WANT to see Pandora and the Safari. However, we are also considering making it another HS day if we don't get ROR.
  • Nephew/Wife/Baby will hit Magic Kingdom again! Too much to do there with just one day, so I'm glad they are taking the extra time.

 

[princessbelle2015]

Following along! I follow you on Instagram do I will be definitely reading.

 

[francis6306]

Following along! I follow you on Instagram do I will be definitely reading.

Awe! Yay! Hello! Glad to "see" a friend!

If anyone else is interested, I do have a public Insta where I share my family, my work, and whatever else comes into focus! @Christen53Hair is my handle!

 

[francis6306]

So, my daughter was asking about the room we were going to stay in and I decided to head to the Google to see if I could find a video or pictures for her. I found this one and I'm SO excited!

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I really hope we get an updated room!!! The girls are already fussing about who gets which bed! LOL

I honestly have never considered staying at Saratoga Springs resort. Usually a Deluxe or a DVC is out of our budget and we have been happy at Values in the past. However, I have taken a few girls trips and gotten to splurge on a room the Grand Floridian (What a DREAM! Seriously, it was amazing! You can check out my super old TR in my signature, July 2014!). I have also stayed at the Boardwalk in 2015 during another girls trip. My family however has not stayed deluxe yet. So this will be all new to them.

I'm excited after seeing the kitchen and realizing how much we could do in there as far as meals. Usually we do the meal plan, but we aren't doing a lot of table service meals this trip. I know everyone has to stay within their comfort level, and for the last year or so, we just haven't eaten inside restaurants. We have done TONS of take out though! Anyway, We also don't want to take away from the time in the parks since it's such a compact trip. The only ADR we have even booked right now is a breakfast at Trattoria al Forno on our Epcot day. I ate here during my girls trip in 2015 and it was delicious. I am looking forward to starting our day off here.My hope is that we are able to enjoy a quick breakfast and hope on into Epcot for the day.

I've been playing around with the app to get used to the Mobile ordering for quick service meals. I'm mostly looking forward to a Dole Whip and then some amazing food at Epcot. I know I should put in the order early, and then make sure to get back in the app to tell them we are close. Whew. So much to remember!

I think I need to get one of those charging blocks so that we can charge our phones on the go! I can see us using the phones quite a bit!

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

It sounds like you have a nice trip planned!

Saratoga has two feature pools (with slides) so hopefully you can squeeze in some swimming time, too.

Mobile Ordering - I used it pre-Covid and really liked having the option. During Covid, it's a little frustrating because you basically have to use it, but it works pretty well for the most part.

YES on getting a portable charger for your devices. There's also the Fuel Rod kiosks, but those are only 2500mAh or 3500mAh, so they don't even give a full charge, and they charge slowly. The main perk is that you don't have to remember to charge them. You can probably find one that is 10,000mAh or even 20,000mAh for the same price as a Fuel Rod - and with faster charging. You just have to remember to keep one more thing charged and have the correct cords for it in the park. Some will even charge more than one device at a time, which is great for a family. I usually top off my phone with my portable charger at lunch and dinner.

 

[francis6306]

Oh my GRACIOUS, the time has gotten away from me! Clearly this PTR is moving slow and I am so sorry! Work has been a little crazy, and well... without having so many reservations to be worried about, I'm not stalking things like I usually would!

To-do list:

• Shopping list
  • We plan to make a garden grocery or some sort of delivery to the room for some basics and liquids.
  • I need to stop at the Dollar General and get some cheap ponchos!
  • Snacks and snack containers.
  • Gotta get a list from our nephew and his wife about what they need that we can pack. We want to make their trip as easy as possible. They are flying a different airline, so we will have more luggage space than they will have.
• Packing list
  • I need to start checking with my kids and making sure they know what they want to bring. This is the first trip back to disney where they will be picking out their own clothes and such. Usually, I have planned out everyone's outfits and I pack like a full week early. That won't be able to happen on this trip.
  • Plan for the carry-ons to be with what we need for Magic Kingdom on Saturday and then the rest can go in the checked luggage. Just in case, right?!?
  • Do we pack the girl's laptops and such for school??

I have never done a split stay at Disney! I gotta say, I am a little nervous about this! I have done the online check-in, so that's out of the way. I was a little bummed about the lack of room request options. All I can say is that I hope we are in a new room! I mean, an old room at Disney is better than being at home, no matter what, but I am more concerned about being away from the construction than anything! LOL

 

[kclark9830]

Sounds like a great trip plan so far! I would love to stay at Saratoga some day.

 

[francis6306]

Oh my STARS! These last few weeks have been CRAZY! How has it been 11 days since I have been able to update this PTR??

Well, first, a little update from Real Life Land... My youngest competed at State and while it wasn't her best showing, she had a good time! Technically she tied for 3rd in her age group for Floor, but because they don't recognize ties at the State level, she didn't get announced. They gave the 3rd place to the girl who had a better All-Around score. I know it's the rules, but a momma can not like it, right? We celebrated like she got 3rd- and so did her gym! Two of her teammates made it to Regionals, which is really exciting! After this last year, things have just been so wild and crazy.



Anyway, we had several last minute changes to our trip!!!



As disney planning usually goes... I had lots of ideas. I had talked to my husband a few times about the idea of him and the girls leaving a little earlier than me, since the girls were out of school, but I still have to work in the salon on Friday. He didn't love this idea, because he wanted all of us to be together, but at the same time, he knew it would take some stress off of him. Our original plan would have involved him dropping me off for work and then picking me up and going straight to the airport. It's just stressful to pack up everything and then WAIT on me. And what if something was forgotten? I prefer to be the last one to leave the house and do a clean sweep of the things we need. And I wanted the girls to have some time to relax and I thought if they could do swimming and hanging out on the first day, it would make the rest of the trip more relaxed.

So, then we got a text from our nephew who said "We are considering flying in a day early!" WOOOHOOO, this sort of changes everything. That settled it! They are coming early, so my husband was totally on board now that he was going to get more time with our family. Of course, there were plenty of options on Southwest, but we are using points, and so I didn't want to spend ALL of my points on flying the 3 of them down early. I found one that was about the same amount of points in the early morning and so I went through only to realize I couldn't JUST move their flights. I moved all 4 of us and I called Southwest. The wait was over an hour, but luckily, they will return your call. I was so worried because around an hour later, I got the callback, but my dog was being loud and for some reason when I answered it never connected and I was like GREAT I'm going to have to wait another hour! So, I start to call SWA back and then I see a call coming through. It's SWA again! Yay!

I get on the phone with a wonderful lady who was very helpful. I also noticed that the flight points had actually ended up being MORE than I thought I saw, but she explained that could happen, but would check and see if I could get some of the points back since the prices were constantly changing. Luckily, she was able to move my flight back down (gave me a different confirmation number for our flights) AND adjusted my points. It was a little more than we had originally planned to use, but it worked out where we still have some points left over!

So, now, my family will get to Disney in the early afternoon and I will get there in the evening. I think my husband will just take all of the luggage with him on the first flight so that I can just run on the plane with my carry on!

More on other changes coming soon! I hope!

 

[kclark9830]

Congratulations to your daughter!

 

[francis6306]

Congratulations to your daughter!

Thank you very much! We are so proud of her!

 

[francis6306]

EEK! We leave in less than 48 hours! Wow!!!

Okay, so I just set our Instacart order up! Yay! That's done! LOL We decided to order a small order, mostly because Disney and Dr. Pepper aren't friends. That's not entirely true, but... I mean, sorta? I love my Dr. Pepper! We also got gatorades and milk, along with some things for the baby. But YAY that is DONE!

Gotta do some last minute grocery shopping for the snacks and such we will pack to take with us.

I think my girls are all packed, but I will do one more round of checking their suitcases tomorrow evening. My youngest had 5 bathing suits packed but only one pair of shorts? I see where her priorities are at the moment, right?

I feel like I just will not sleep tomorrow night. I mean, I might sleep a little, but I have to get my family to the airport by 4:30/5am! IN THE MORNING. Gracious. I'm not sure if I expect myself to wake up early or if I'm going to be running down the stairs at 4am in a panic because we have all overslept!

Anyway, here is hoping that we've thought of everything... and what we have forgotten isn't important!

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

TOMORROW, right?! I hope you have a safe and fun trip!

And yes - you do have to collect your luggage at MCO now, before boarding the Magical Express. Speaking of luggage - good thing you checked the kids' suitcases! Maybe that was a ploy to need to buy Disney clothes in the gift shop.

One thing I always do before a trip is stop by the bank and get several $1 and $5 bills to use for tips and other small incidental purchases while traveling.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Just found your pre-trip report and I see you leave tomorrow!!!! Have a great trip!