We just got back Sunday from what I call a "Quick Trip" and a very tiring one too. When we got home at 11:00 Sunday night as I was putting my DS8 to bed he looks up at me and says "Mom, from now on I only go to Disney when you plan the trip. It's to tiring other wise.!" It really made me smile and of course it gave me a reason to start planning our next trip. 
So a few things I learned from a trip with no planning:
1. PLAN - at least some!!! For our family we needed a plan especially when it came to ADR's, and park times. We missed a lot because I didn't spend enough time on the DisBoards before this trip.
2. ADRs - it's very important to book your ADRs at your 180 day mark. This saves you so much time and waiting. It also helps to ensure you don't miss your favorite restaurant or one that you really wanted to try. Also, if you have a large party (we were a family of 7) it is important to book ahead or its really hard to get in. Something I learned - every person (no matter how small) counts when you are making an ADR.
3. LESS IS BETTER - This was my first time in 8 years going with a little one (7 months old) and on the first day at the park I took a full day supply of everything plus extra in a huge very expense diaper bag. (My DH tried to tell me but I just didn't listen or research enough
) After about 2 hours I thought I was going to cry. When we got back to the room I took everything out of the diaper bag and left it in the room. I ended up taking a small light weight bag with just the basics and everything went just fine. In fact I found I was leaving more and more in the room each day and taking less and less.
- NOTE: I carried 2 empty bottles with me into the park because I didn't want to fill them up with water to make my DD bottle and have them spill in the stroller or in the diaper bag. I did find it hard to get bottle water that was not cold. My DD is use to drinking her bottle at room temp. So I checked out the Baby Station to warm the bottle. IT WAS REALLY NICE and the STAFF WAS TOO!! They had everything you could ever need and then some.
4. CITY MINI STROLLER - it was perfect in every way. I have no complaints at all. I had the "Mommy Hook" to hang the small diaper bag and I purchased a "Stroller Bag" from Esty which worked really great. We placed our sweat shirts and a blanket under the stroller (which still allowed it to fold when needed). I did add a stroller liner to give my DD extra padding so she would be more comfortable riding and napping. I also had a Stroller Spotter I purchased from Esty and it made finding the stroller a lot easier. With all my Mickey/Minnie accessories it was easy to find even at night. My DH could fold it with one hand and it was light weight to carry on and off the bus. It also didn't take up a lot of room on the bus allowing more people.
5. MVMCP - We had tickets for 2 nights (Thursday and Friday). On Thursday we arrived at the park at 11:00 because my DD10 was going to be in the 3:00 Parade doing Jingle Bells. As soon as the parade was over we headed to BOG (pixie dust because we didn't have an ADR - my DD's Dance Teacher gave us hers) for a 4:20 ADR. After dinner we went to the front of the park to store my DD Dance Bag because it was way to heavy to carry all night. By the time we did all this and got our wrist bands it was a little after 7:00. Again I had NO plan or CLUE about MVMCP. We started walking around with me trying to read the map in the dark. IT WAS VERY CROWDED ON MAIN STREET. We got to Space Mt. (kids screaming they wanted to ride - while the adults wanted to see shows and parades) and only had to wait about 20min. Then we went back to Main Street to see one of the shows. My DS8 and DD10 could not see and started crying. IT WAS CROWDED!!! My DH and I took them to ride Stitch (no wait) while the others watched the show. When we came back the parade had started and my DM was able to get them a better spot. I gave her the kids and DH and I moved out of the way. Once the parade was over the kids were tired and ready to go to the room. It was about 9ish I think. We fought our way to the exit and I cried to my DH when we got to the room. I had not seen the parade, a show or a single character in Christmas clothes but I had paid a ton of money for six people to attend. I went straight on the computer to the DISboards and asked questions so that Friday night wouldn't be a waist.
Friday was much better - we left everyone at the room except me, DH, DD12 and DS8. We spent all day relaxing and sleeping in at the room so we didn't arrive at MK until 4:00. We went to ride Pirates and Jungle Cruise (less than 5 min wait). Then got a Dole Whip and walked over to Thunder Mt (less than 10 min wait). After that we went to the bathroom and got in line to see the 7 Dwarfs (lined up at 6:15). At 7 we were third in line and once we had pictures made we headed to find a QS meal. We ate and then rode HM (5 min). The kids went to dance with Woody (20min) while we got cookies and hot chocolate. Then it was off to see Scrooge and Cinderella (no wait). We rode Peter Pan and Pooh (no wait). Then went to see Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy (Circus area). We were the only ones in there so we got to spend lots of time with each character and they took 45 pictures. It was great. Just disappointed they were not in Christmas clothes. We rode the coaster in that area (sorry don't remember the name) and I am glad it didn't have a wait because it was a waste of time for me and the kids. I didn't like it because there was nothing to it. We then headed to Space Mt (again no wait). We saw the show in front of the castle, the fireworks and part of the parade. We then headed back to the room at 10:45 because the kids were tired. I was a lot happier when we got back to the room. I felt like we did a lot more and saw a lot more. Still not everything I would have liked (I could have stayed to 12) but with kids I didn't want to argue with them.
6. DINNING PLAN - we have always had the dinning plan (once with deluxe but it was too much). I have always kept my receipts and watched what we ate and left behind (I don't like to waste food). I have only lost once and that was before I knew you could use all your left over snack credits for treats on the way home. We didn't have the dinning plan this time and I hated it. I never ordered anything for myself - I just ate what was left on the kids plate or picked off of DH's plate. Most of the time this was OK except at BOG. We had not had anything big to eat before our 4:20 ADR so we were all REALLY hungry. I didn't order anything but there was no left overs. The portions were small compared to the other places so I left hungry. I did get a bite of the French Onion Soup and it was Wonderful. I will always go with the dinning plan (just the basic with 1 QS, 1 TS and 1 S). I feel that we get our money's worth and it sure is nice to not have to pay the bill when they bring it.
7. IT's OK TO SPLIT UP - since this trip was last minute and not planed we stayed together as a family the whole time. BAD IDEA!!!! My DS wanted to play the Sorcerers game and my 2 DDs wanted nothing to do with it. My DM was the only one who wanted to see parades and shows so when she would stop to watch the kids would start crying and I would roll my eyes. Also, I am the only adult that will ride roller coasters with 3 kids. It made it very hard when they would only ride if they could sit next to me (still a little scared to ride alone at their age). After the third time I started to feel very old. So I believe it's OK to split up and meet back. Pick things to do as a family and then allow the kids to split (if possible) to do what only they want to do.
8. PHOTO PASS - get one and use it. One plus to this trip was my DD Dance Teacher wanted lots of pictures. She kept texting us to remember to use our Photo Pass when we could. I came home with TONS of great pictures. I also purchased the Attractions Pass and was able to get all our ride photos too. I will be getting the Photo Pass Plus on our next trip when I have Character ADRs. It is worth the money for me.
9. BABIES TRAVEL LITE - Since this was a short trip we decided to fly. With a 7 month old I was in a panic on how to pack food, diapers, formula, bath stuff, toys, etc. for our 5 day trip. Babies Travel Lite was wonderful. The prices were good too. When we arrived at the hotel I told them I was expecting a package and it was there waiting on me. The staff brought it to my room and all I had to do was unpack it. The night before we left I boxed up the left over items plus added the things we had purchased and a bag of dirty clothes. The tape and shipping label were in the box and all I had to do was close it back up. The staff came and got the box and shipped it home for me. It was easy and saved me money.
10. MAGICAL EXPRESS - if you are going to fly be sure to take advantage of the Magical Express and luggage directly to your room. Because we didn't book this trip or plan this trip we didn't have the tags for our luggage so we had to claim them at baggage claim and take them to the bus. We also had to stand in a very long line (all the dancers were arriving at about the same time) waiting to get our tickets for the bus. We then had to take all the luggage in the line to get on the bus which was also very long. It took over an hour to get on the bus. It was not a fun time.
I have a few more topics I would like to share but I need to get some sleep. I will try to post again tomorrow night - PARKS ON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE DAYS, POR vs CBR, FOOD COURT MEALS, etc.
I hope some of you will find this helpful. If you have any questions please ask. I can tell you how it was to travel with a 7 month old (4 kids total - ages 7 months, 8, 10, and 12). I can also tell you about the ABC Christmas Parade Taping and what it is like for a dancer who is in the parade.
Thanks for reading. Have a Magical Day!!
So a few things I learned from a trip with no planning:
1. PLAN - at least some!!! For our family we needed a plan especially when it came to ADR's, and park times. We missed a lot because I didn't spend enough time on the DisBoards before this trip.
2. ADRs - it's very important to book your ADRs at your 180 day mark. This saves you so much time and waiting. It also helps to ensure you don't miss your favorite restaurant or one that you really wanted to try. Also, if you have a large party (we were a family of 7) it is important to book ahead or its really hard to get in. Something I learned - every person (no matter how small) counts when you are making an ADR.
3. LESS IS BETTER - This was my first time in 8 years going with a little one (7 months old) and on the first day at the park I took a full day supply of everything plus extra in a huge very expense diaper bag. (My DH tried to tell me but I just didn't listen or research enough
) After about 2 hours I thought I was going to cry. When we got back to the room I took everything out of the diaper bag and left it in the room. I ended up taking a small light weight bag with just the basics and everything went just fine. In fact I found I was leaving more and more in the room each day and taking less and less. - NOTE: I carried 2 empty bottles with me into the park because I didn't want to fill them up with water to make my DD bottle and have them spill in the stroller or in the diaper bag. I did find it hard to get bottle water that was not cold. My DD is use to drinking her bottle at room temp. So I checked out the Baby Station to warm the bottle. IT WAS REALLY NICE and the STAFF WAS TOO!! They had everything you could ever need and then some.
4. CITY MINI STROLLER - it was perfect in every way. I have no complaints at all. I had the "Mommy Hook" to hang the small diaper bag and I purchased a "Stroller Bag" from Esty which worked really great. We placed our sweat shirts and a blanket under the stroller (which still allowed it to fold when needed). I did add a stroller liner to give my DD extra padding so she would be more comfortable riding and napping. I also had a Stroller Spotter I purchased from Esty and it made finding the stroller a lot easier. With all my Mickey/Minnie accessories it was easy to find even at night. My DH could fold it with one hand and it was light weight to carry on and off the bus. It also didn't take up a lot of room on the bus allowing more people.
5. MVMCP - We had tickets for 2 nights (Thursday and Friday). On Thursday we arrived at the park at 11:00 because my DD10 was going to be in the 3:00 Parade doing Jingle Bells. As soon as the parade was over we headed to BOG (pixie dust because we didn't have an ADR - my DD's Dance Teacher gave us hers) for a 4:20 ADR. After dinner we went to the front of the park to store my DD Dance Bag because it was way to heavy to carry all night. By the time we did all this and got our wrist bands it was a little after 7:00. Again I had NO plan or CLUE about MVMCP. We started walking around with me trying to read the map in the dark. IT WAS VERY CROWDED ON MAIN STREET. We got to Space Mt. (kids screaming they wanted to ride - while the adults wanted to see shows and parades) and only had to wait about 20min. Then we went back to Main Street to see one of the shows. My DS8 and DD10 could not see and started crying. IT WAS CROWDED!!! My DH and I took them to ride Stitch (no wait) while the others watched the show. When we came back the parade had started and my DM was able to get them a better spot. I gave her the kids and DH and I moved out of the way. Once the parade was over the kids were tired and ready to go to the room. It was about 9ish I think. We fought our way to the exit and I cried to my DH when we got to the room. I had not seen the parade, a show or a single character in Christmas clothes but I had paid a ton of money for six people to attend. I went straight on the computer to the DISboards and asked questions so that Friday night wouldn't be a waist.
Friday was much better - we left everyone at the room except me, DH, DD12 and DS8. We spent all day relaxing and sleeping in at the room so we didn't arrive at MK until 4:00. We went to ride Pirates and Jungle Cruise (less than 5 min wait). Then got a Dole Whip and walked over to Thunder Mt (less than 10 min wait). After that we went to the bathroom and got in line to see the 7 Dwarfs (lined up at 6:15). At 7 we were third in line and once we had pictures made we headed to find a QS meal. We ate and then rode HM (5 min). The kids went to dance with Woody (20min) while we got cookies and hot chocolate. Then it was off to see Scrooge and Cinderella (no wait). We rode Peter Pan and Pooh (no wait). Then went to see Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy (Circus area). We were the only ones in there so we got to spend lots of time with each character and they took 45 pictures. It was great. Just disappointed they were not in Christmas clothes. We rode the coaster in that area (sorry don't remember the name) and I am glad it didn't have a wait because it was a waste of time for me and the kids. I didn't like it because there was nothing to it. We then headed to Space Mt (again no wait). We saw the show in front of the castle, the fireworks and part of the parade. We then headed back to the room at 10:45 because the kids were tired. I was a lot happier when we got back to the room. I felt like we did a lot more and saw a lot more. Still not everything I would have liked (I could have stayed to 12) but with kids I didn't want to argue with them.
6. DINNING PLAN - we have always had the dinning plan (once with deluxe but it was too much). I have always kept my receipts and watched what we ate and left behind (I don't like to waste food). I have only lost once and that was before I knew you could use all your left over snack credits for treats on the way home. We didn't have the dinning plan this time and I hated it. I never ordered anything for myself - I just ate what was left on the kids plate or picked off of DH's plate. Most of the time this was OK except at BOG. We had not had anything big to eat before our 4:20 ADR so we were all REALLY hungry. I didn't order anything but there was no left overs. The portions were small compared to the other places so I left hungry. I did get a bite of the French Onion Soup and it was Wonderful. I will always go with the dinning plan (just the basic with 1 QS, 1 TS and 1 S). I feel that we get our money's worth and it sure is nice to not have to pay the bill when they bring it.
7. IT's OK TO SPLIT UP - since this trip was last minute and not planed we stayed together as a family the whole time. BAD IDEA!!!! My DS wanted to play the Sorcerers game and my 2 DDs wanted nothing to do with it. My DM was the only one who wanted to see parades and shows so when she would stop to watch the kids would start crying and I would roll my eyes. Also, I am the only adult that will ride roller coasters with 3 kids. It made it very hard when they would only ride if they could sit next to me (still a little scared to ride alone at their age). After the third time I started to feel very old. So I believe it's OK to split up and meet back. Pick things to do as a family and then allow the kids to split (if possible) to do what only they want to do.
8. PHOTO PASS - get one and use it. One plus to this trip was my DD Dance Teacher wanted lots of pictures. She kept texting us to remember to use our Photo Pass when we could. I came home with TONS of great pictures. I also purchased the Attractions Pass and was able to get all our ride photos too. I will be getting the Photo Pass Plus on our next trip when I have Character ADRs. It is worth the money for me.
9. BABIES TRAVEL LITE - Since this was a short trip we decided to fly. With a 7 month old I was in a panic on how to pack food, diapers, formula, bath stuff, toys, etc. for our 5 day trip. Babies Travel Lite was wonderful. The prices were good too. When we arrived at the hotel I told them I was expecting a package and it was there waiting on me. The staff brought it to my room and all I had to do was unpack it. The night before we left I boxed up the left over items plus added the things we had purchased and a bag of dirty clothes. The tape and shipping label were in the box and all I had to do was close it back up. The staff came and got the box and shipped it home for me. It was easy and saved me money.
10. MAGICAL EXPRESS - if you are going to fly be sure to take advantage of the Magical Express and luggage directly to your room. Because we didn't book this trip or plan this trip we didn't have the tags for our luggage so we had to claim them at baggage claim and take them to the bus. We also had to stand in a very long line (all the dancers were arriving at about the same time) waiting to get our tickets for the bus. We then had to take all the luggage in the line to get on the bus which was also very long. It took over an hour to get on the bus. It was not a fun time.
I have a few more topics I would like to share but I need to get some sleep. I will try to post again tomorrow night - PARKS ON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE DAYS, POR vs CBR, FOOD COURT MEALS, etc.
I hope some of you will find this helpful. If you have any questions please ask. I can tell you how it was to travel with a 7 month old (4 kids total - ages 7 months, 8, 10, and 12). I can also tell you about the ABC Christmas Parade Taping and what it is like for a dancer who is in the parade.
Thanks for reading. Have a Magical Day!!
