Shhhh......It's still a secret

[heatsinker]

Hello all,

I am very happy to have found these boards to help with our upcoming family vacation........thanks everyone.

This is the plan, Please share your critiques....

Me and DW(38+39) plan on waking our little princesses (10+6) up at 4am next Saturday 10/30 with our secret.......Come on girls, lets go visit Mickey and Minnie for Halloween (note-DW had me go out and buy a camcorder to record their reactions.......and because "I need one").

We are staying offsite at Orange Lake Country Club through our timeshare exchange. We arrive in Tampa around 11am and figure a 90min drive to OLCC area. Still to early to check in but hey we will be there.

Now for our itinarary.........Did I miss any "must-do's"?


Sat 10/30- OLCC for check in and to experience the resort
6:40 PS for Chef Mickey, to "feel the magic", then back to OLCC to relax.......We were up early.

Sun 10/31 "Halloween"- Sleep late and maybe tour the area.
4:20 PS for Crystal Palace and then MNSSHP (we have tickets) and stay till they escourt us out.

Mon 11/1- Animal Kingdom/MGM-Disney Studios (any suggestions?)

Tues 11/2- Ummm, this is Election Day and call me a worry wart, but I think we will go to US/IOA/SW and stay away from the WDW parks

Wed 11/3- Magic Kingdom PS for CRT at 8:25 possibly a mid-day break at OLCC and then back to MK till closing.

Thurs 11/4- Nothing planned.......DTD,PI.......suggestions?

Fri 11/5- My girls have the Princess Tea at 10:30 in GF, while I will just find something to do......Suggestions? Then off to Epcot, We have PS for LeCellier at 7pm and want our last night to go out with a bang......Illuminations (where should we be?)

Sat 11/6- OLCC till checkout and back to Tampa for a 3:30pm flight.

Thanks in Advance........please feel free to help with suggestions and/or advice,
Keith

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

heatsinker

Sounds great, on Monday Nov 1st your AK/MGM day you could have lunch either at Rainforest Cafe or (my favorite) 50's Prime Time Cafe at MGM.

Have a GREAT TRIP.

 

[heatsinker]

Thanks MAGICinMYHEART........

..........I think we will try for the 50's Primetime cafe for a late lunch. Do they also have PS? Again, thanks for the tip.

Keith

 

[shatzjsl]

Sounds like a great trip!

I would recommend getting PS for 50's Prime Time. We ate there last may around 4:00 in the afternoon. We had PS's and people coming in without them were told it was a 4-hour wait.

I tried to surprise my daughter last year but couldn't do it. I was just to excited not to share it with her. Congrats on keeping your secret!!

 

[thejenjens]

My opinion is that the girls my love the Animal Kingdom's safari. I know i did when we went four years ago. We even saw a baby hippo about 8 weeks old.

I hope that you have the BEST trip and I know that your girls are going to be SO excited. Congrats on this wonderful family vacation.

Jen

 

[heatsinker]

This has been torture I tell ya..........

.......This trip planning started way back in Febuary when I traded into OLCC. Everything done thus far has gone undetected by my girls as far as I know. They keep asking when we are going back to WDW and that we promised (after our '99 trip) "in a few years", well its been a few years now.........no kidding.

This has been made even more difficult because our neighbors and their children are in the world right now.....we are taking care of the pets. Our trips overlap by one day and then they will be minding our pets. Pulling that off was no easy task I tell ya . Also (this will be Jersey week afterall) My co-worker and his entire family are arriving wednesday and will be there the same time. When our brides got together at a church function and did not spill the beans.........I was agast, I guess I should have more faith in chatty female gender...............Ut Oh, anyways thanks for the kind wishes.

 

[dizcrazy]

Hello Also from NJ!



Your plans - start to finish - sound wonderful!

I second the Animal Kingdom Safari and also want to remind you to see the Bug's Life 3D movie in the Tree of Life at the Animal Kingdom.

last trip, we spent two days at AK - first day, got there early with the rest of the world! Second day, tried a new strategy. Got there in time for lunch and experienced less crowds.

While your little ladies enjoy their tea, how about just relaxing with a drink at the GF pool?

 

[StormalongKay]

Heatsinker - what a great secret!!!

You sound so carefully planned out! My only thought was to give AK and MGM each their own day rather than get them both in on Mon. Both parks have a few shows and sometimes you can't always get them in if you're moving on to another destination. Also the shows are primarily the princess ones - Beauty & the Beast, Pocahontas and the Little Mermaid, etc.

But I wouldn't skip DTD or PI either. I would just move them to a night. Also we have found an excellent place to watch Illuminations is on the outside terrace in Great Britain - & also its close to the back door for easy exit!!!

Have a great time!

 

[heatsinker]

We were just sitting around chatting about my eldests day in school when she begins to tell us about an extra credit report she is doing about animal intelligence.......Her favorite animal apparently is the Dolphin (yes, its a mammal......we know) and after my lovely wife took her to karate we wondered if there is someplace while we are there we could take her to "swim with the dolphins"........can this be done, and if so.......where might I find info/can I book this special event?

TIA,

Keith

 

[thejenjens]

There is a place that you and your family can swim with the dolphins. It is affiliated with Sea World. The cost is almost 200 pp. I think that is the price. I also think that children are cheaper. You can stay there all day, you swim with the dolphins they give you lunch and there is even a tank that is split. There is sharks on one side and you side on the other and you can swim right up to the window a feel as if you are swimming with sharks. You can do a lot of other things also.

Hope this helps. Also the buses I forget what ther name is, however they have transportation to and from the dolphin swim place.

Thanks,

Jen

 

[heatsinker]

Thanks Jen,

I suppose i'm off to the Sea World thread.........yip-eeee


Keith

 

[thejenjens]

P. S.

The ticket you buy for the dolphin swim also includes a free seven day ticket to Sea World. We are going on the cruise on Dec 11th, however do not have the extra time to go down early to go to the swim. I am planning to go in the next year or two.

Hope that you and your family have a great time. And I hope that you have made a decission on going to AK or MGM. I agree with the person that said not to miss A Bug's Life. It was great. And if you do go I hope that there will be some baby animals. I loved seeing the baby hippo. It was soooo cute.

However I LOVE MGM. I mean who would not love dropping 13 floors on Tower of Terror. That is a great ride. I wish we were going to the parks. However who can beat a seven night cruise. Our first seven night cruise I should add.

Have a GREAT trip.

Jen

 

[dondiane]

Hey Keith.... sounds like you have everything planned wonderfully. Get those Surprise get up moments... I can't wait to see them.... I'm sure both girls will be so excited. Don't forget to bring their halloween costumes for the party on the 31st. If you tell them when you are entering the park that you have the ticket/card for the MVSHP you will use that as your pass to the park and they'll give you a orange wrist band to wear...so they don't escort you out at 6pm.... Last time the girls wouldn't sit thru the "Bugs Life" if you get a chance....do it.... the big one is old enough now and the little one has no fear ( I know their names...but want to keep some anonymity)
Have a wonderful time . I'll keep my cell phone on in case you need any last minute info. Sorry I missed you on the phone earlier....
love to all BRING SUNSCREEN !!!!

SORRY FOLKS....STILL HIS MOMMY

 

[dondiane]

all bars/nightclubs and improv.... not girl appropriate...

Downtown Disney......shop till you drop..... not Dad appropriate.

Swim....relax...eat... enjoy the warm weather.... you'll come home to a yard of fallen leaves!

 

[heatsinker]

Thanks Mom.........

We are all set, Let the fun begin.

 

[TammiMcMan]

Keith,

The SeaWorld site is www.discoverycove.com. It's by reservation only though and the one day they have availability for is the day you check out, 11/6. I'm not sure if they have a waitlist. My DD and DH did this a few years ago and because of it, my DD is now in college for marine biology. She was hooked.

Epcot offers a couple of tours. They have a Dolphin one, but the minimum age is 13. The other tour is called Aqua Seas and it does involve using scuba gear in the tank. The minimum age for this one is 8, but she'd have to be accompanied by an adult. Here's a link to Deb Willis's site with the info and some comments, http://www.allearsnet.com/btp/tours.htm#aqua . Other than that, I'm sure if you visit the Living Sea's, your DD will be able to find a CM there that could answer some questions for her.

Tammi

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Just out of curiosity, why are you arriving in Tampa? That 90 minute drive to WDW can be torturous at times. Orlando airport is so much more convenient.

 

[heatsinker]

OK, My girls were stunned when we woke them at 4am with our surprise. They just could'nt believe how we planned this and they didn't know. Anyways......The video is priceless. I thank everyone for their help and suggestions and I will try to see what is available. We caught up with our neighbors who arrived last week and leave tomorrow so the 1st try at chef mickey's was a bust, Oh well...so much for trying.

Tammi-Thanks for the links and I will look into it for my baby, A Marine Biologist huh? I would be very happy if that was the path she chose.

Duke-I used the advise from the info I found on this site, We needed to rent a vehicle anyways staying offsite and the cost difference in airline tickets offset more than paid for the rental SUV. The trip from Tampa to our resort (OLCC) took 75 minutes from door to door. There was very little traffic to deal with (lucky I suppose).

Keith