Springtime is Disney Time - A March 2016 PTR Updated 3/7

[amazingact21]

Hi everyone and welcome to my latest pre-trip report! I’ll admit right here and now, I might not be able to update as frequently as I have in the past. This is mainly due to my new duties, but I’ll get to that later on in the update. For now, let me start with the broad details.






This upcoming Disney vacation is taking place May 1-10th, 2016.





Yep, that’s right.





Ten whole days at Walt Disney World!





A first for my family.






There’s a teensy tiny part of me that thinks we’re insane to stay so long, but we’ve never tried before. So who knows? Could be a huge success.




You never know until you try.






My little family lives about 6 hours away from Disney, so we typically try and take several shorter trips throughout the year. But after much discussion and debate, my husband and I decided one big trip would work out better than multiple short visits.






The reasons?






For one:













Alex (my wonderful husband of 4 years). He’s active duty military and figured taking one big chunk of leave would be easier on him. Not to mention, he really really pushed for the long stay. He wants plenty of time to see and do everything he wants, and when he used the argument that we could attack the parks at a much slower pace, I was quick to see the 10 day appeal.








The second reason?













That would be Landon, our feisty, energetic, bright, charismatic 2 year old son. This will be his 7th trip to Walt Disney World. (8th if you count when I was pregnant with him.) He’s a pro at Disney touring, especially if you ask him to find It’s a Small World or a Disney Resort bus.




This time around, though, he’ll be 3. Which you all know means he won’t be free anymore. The fact that he’ll need tickets and his own meals was the biggest reason we’re not going more often. That magic age really does change our vacation style…






And the third reason?















That would be Miss Evelyn. Born a whole 2 weeks ago.




Yep, this will be Evie’s first ever Disney trip, our first trip as a family of 4, and our first trip with 2 young kids.




Alex and I figured we would need a ton of extra time to account for potential days spent in the room due to a cranky kid or more opportunities to ride a missed attraction or some needed rest days if the kids are too crazy.






Are we nuts to take two little ones on such a long vacation? Probably. But we survived taking Landon for 8 days during his first Disney visit, and Evelyn will be about that same age.




So why not?






We’re going to live on the wild side for a week and a half.





I’ve introduced 3 members of this crazy party, lets finish it up.






The ringleader of the plans, the person in charge of making sure we’re all not aimlessly wandering around the parks like a fish in a bowl is me:















I’m Alicia. A 25 year old stay at home mom who’ll be doing all the writing, planning, booking, and stressing.









Anyone who’s read a previous trip report of mine knows that a big Disney trip wouldn’t be complete without my mother:













That’s Zelda, my awesome mom and friend. The two of us are extremely close, and we both share a love of all things Disney. We’ve taken 3 trips just the two of us to the world since I was 14, (9 with others) and my only hope is that we will continue to be able to have these mother/daughter times in the future. She taught me everything I know about organizing and preparing for big trips, and I know she wouldn’t miss Evelyn’s first Disney trip for anything.












And the final member tagging along?








My dad!!!













Everyone who knows me knows that I’ve been trying to get my father back down to Disney for YEARS. He’s been twice in the past. Once with my whole family in 1998, the other time for a day in 2002. I don’t remember much from the 1998 trip, but I do recall the 2002 one and I know my dad had a blast back then. He rode Mission Space about 5 times, listened to Off Kilter in Canada, and watched IllumiNations from France.




It was a special day. It was right before he deployed for 9 months (I have a trend with family and Disney trips) and so much about Disney has changed since then that I want him to see and experience it all for himself. And now that Landon is a little older, he has the perfect “excuse” to join us this time around.




Landon’s his little buddy, and if he asked his grandpa to go with him to the happiest place on earth, there’d be no hesitation on my dad’s end.






If Walt Disney World itself wasn’t enough of a pull, my father is a big gardener and enjoys anything outdoors, so I planned this trip specifically around the Flower and Garden Festival.




He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s going to love the festival. We’re going to have to drag him away from Epcot and beg him to visit the other parks.






I can’t wait.






However, my parents will only be in Disney May 1-6. There’s no way my dad would be able to handle 9 nights, so they’ll be headed back on a Friday, giving him a weekend to chill at home before going back to work. Which means, those last 4 nights Alex and I will have the kids by ourselves.




I’m sure that’ll be the half of the trip that produces many tears and several hilarious stories to write about.










So there it is.




The when and who of my trip.






Next up, I’ll talk a little more about the overall details/goals we have and where we are staying. And then after that I’ll talk about the fun stuff. The park day plans and where we’re eating! Because we all know Disney food is some of the best food…

 

[Chelley00]

Following along! We will be there the same time. Your kids are adorable (love the glasses!)

 

[LizardQueen8]

Joining in! I'll also be there in early May!

 

[kadrachb]

Also joining in! I'll be there in May too! Not the same time as you though (17th - 25th)

Your children are precious, glad everyone is going together!

 

[Gracefulskinny]

That would be Landon

Gosh he's grown!!!

That would be Miss Evelyn. Born a whole 2 weeks ago.

Congrats!!! She's a cutie!!

 

[amazingact21]

Following along! We will be there the same time. Your kids are adorable (love the glasses!)

Thank you! Landon's had his glasses since he was about five months old, so they have kind of become a part of him. He looks so different to us when they're off.

Joining in! I'll also be there in early May!

Thanks for joining in! Early May is my favorite time to visit Walt Disney World.

Also joining in! I'll be there in May too! Not the same time as you though (17th - 25th)

Your children are precious, glad everyone is going together!

Thanks for reading and following along! May is a great time to go to the world, no matter what time of the month it is. I always try to make a trip during that time frame.

Gosh he's grown!!!

Congrats!!! She's a cutie!!

He's so grown up now it makes me a little sad! He's a totally different boy than the one that went to Disney last July.
And thank you! She's such a calm/sweet baby I almost don't know what to do with myself. She let's me sleep!

 

[princessbelle2015]

Joining in! I look forward to reading all your plans. Congrats on Evelyn's birth.

 

[amazingact21]

Joining in! I look forward to reading all your plans. Congrats on Evelyn's birth.

Thank you for following along! I enjoy having all my plans laid out in written form, especially when a big trip like this is concerned. So easy to forget something!

 

[amazingact21]

Well friends, my plan this weekend was to sit down and write all about the ADRs I had planned for this epic trip. I've had my plans figured out for awhile now, and I was just waiting for the perfect opportunity to write about them.


But...



Yesterday, our entire Disney trip went into limbo.


I'm not sure we're even going back to the world, and I doubt it'll be in May anymore.



Why is that?




Because Alex found out that we're moving.




TO GERMANY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm still in shock over the news; it hasn't really sunk in that I'm about to take a 3 year old, an infant, and a dog to a foreign country for 4 years.



And to add to the madness, our report no later than date is 31 May.


We are going to have 5 months to get everything prepared, and lemme just say, there's a lot that goes into PCSing (moving) overseas.


I got a headache yesterday just thinking about it all.




Needless to say, we have absolutely no clue what's going to happen with Disney. We still want to go. We have Annual Passes that we should use, and now it'll be our last trip for at least 4 years. (Never fear, though, we're only going to be 5 hours away from Disneyland Paris.)

I thought about pushing our trip forward and making it a 3rd birthday trip for Landon, but if I did that then my dad wouldn't be able to go. He's got a big inspection at work during the month of April and supervisors are required to be there for the whole thing.


And March would be a busy time, plus my dad might still not be able to go then due to preparing for said inspection.





We won't be able to figure out when/if we can keep our May dates until we get more information about our move. But I just don't see how it's going to work. That's right around the time Alex will have to outprocess from this base (basically meaning sending all our records and documents over to his new base and closing out of his job here...a long and lengthy ordeal) and when the packers will be coming and when we might have to be traveling to a place to ship our car.


So much to do!



I hate not having an exact date anymore. We had everything planned out to a tee. With amazing dining reservation times. We're talking 6:00pm Be Our Guest/ 5:45 Le Cellier (both firsts and splurges for us)/ 6 o'clock Ohana, and an 8:15am Crystal Palace.




I guess now I have plenty to write about on this Pre-Trip Report. To think I was worried I'd have to come up with ideas to post about...

 

[afwdwfan]

Oh wow... I saw Alex post about going to Germany, but I had no idea it was going to happen so fast!

I'm excited for you guys getting to go somewhere that you're looking forward to. But that really is a lot to get done in just a few short months. I'm holding out hope that you can make the Disney trip work out, but it definitely doesn't look good for you. I'd hate for your Dad and Landon to miss out on their bonding time at Disney World.

 

[JPFamilyMom]

Wow! Germany... so exciting. Growing up my family never went to a foreign country because there were 5 of us. Super fun! Following along to see how/when you get to go on your last trip in the states for awhile, and super excited for some Disneyland Paris possible TR's :-D

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Because Alex found out that we're moving.




TO GERMANY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm still in shock over the news; it hasn't really sunk in that I'm about to take a 3 year old, an infant, and a dog to a foreign country for 4 years.

I don't blame you. It makes my gripes about trying to get into our house by christmas look tame! Brave brave brave! I'm sure you can handle it though!

And to add to the madness, our report no later than date is 31 May.

(Never fear, though, we're only going to be 5 hours away from Disneyland Paris.)

There's the optimism!!! After all it's supposed to be fantastic! And think of all the culture you will be able to expose Landon and the baby too! All of the new places to travel and see. (Trying to help find the bright side here. Hope its working!)

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

I do hope you still get to go to Disney, because I'd love to read that trip report, but Germany! How exciting! It's a gorgeous country, truly. I can't wait to read all of the Disneyland Paris TRs!

 

[amazingact21]

Oh wow... I saw Alex post about going to Germany, but I had no idea it was going to happen so fast!

I'm excited for you guys getting to go somewhere that you're looking forward to. But that really is a lot to get done in just a few short months. I'm holding out hope that you can make the Disney trip work out, but it definitely doesn't look good for you. I'd hate for your Dad and Landon to miss out on their bonding time at Disney World.

Originally, we thought we'd be moving near the end of summer. That's when the typical "rotation" for winter orders is, but I guess they need someone over there sooner. I can't believe how much stuff we have to do in such a short amount of time. I learned today that we'll probably need to ship our car right around our Disney dates, so our trip is looking more and more unlikely.

Wow! Germany... so exciting. Growing up my family never went to a foreign country because there were 5 of us. Super fun! Following along to see how/when you get to go on your last trip in the states for awhile, and super excited for some Disneyland Paris possible TR's :-D

My parents were stationed overseas when they had my older brother, but they stayed state side once there were multiple kiddos. Alex and I wanted to get our overseas travels over with while the kids were still young.

Oh, I'm sure DL Paris TRs will be in my future.

I don't blame you. It makes my gripes about trying to get into our house by christmas look tame! Brave brave brave! I'm sure you can handle it though!



There's the optimism!!! After all it's supposed to be fantastic! And think of all the culture you will be able to expose Landon and the baby too! All of the new places to travel and see. (Trying to help find the bright side here. Hope its working!)

We are 90% excited, 10% terrified. Thankfully, my brother and his family are stationed about an hour away so we'll have familyo ver there. That's a big perk.

I do hope you still get to go to Disney, because I'd love to read that trip report, but Germany! How exciting! It's a gorgeous country, truly. I can't wait to read all of the Disneyland Paris TRs!

I can't wait to go out and explore the country. One way or another, Alex and I will make it back to Disney one last time before we leave the U.S. even if it's only for a long weekend. I mean, we have to get Evie her first pair of Mickey ears!

 

[Gracefulskinny]

We are 90% excited, 10% terrified. Thankfully, my brother and his family are stationed about an hour away so we'll have familyo ver there. That's a big perk.

How lucky and fortunate! Glad to hear you won't be over there alone.

 

[natebenma]

Well, just came by to read about your pre-trip plans. Saw your big, big, big news and just want to say that I wish you and your family the very best for this next adventure in your lives. The good news is your planning expertise will surely serve you well in the coming months.

:

 

[amazingact21]

Well, just came by to read about your pre-trip plans. Saw your big, big, big news and just want to say that I wish you and your family the very best for this next adventure in your lives. The good news is your planning expertise will surely serve you well in the coming months.

:

I figured this was the big test to see if all my organization and pre-planning skills were up to muster. It's like the ultimate vacation...a 3 year trip that includes all my furniture!

 

[afwdwfan]

We are 90% excited, 10% terrified. Thankfully, my brother and his family are stationed about an hour away so we'll have familyo ver there. That's a big perk.

That definitely makes it nice! How long will your brother be over there?

 

[amazingact21]

That definitely makes it nice! How long will your brother be over there?

He's definitely going to be there until 2018, but he's trying to extend for another 4. If that's the case, we'll probably come back to the states before them.

 

[amazingact21]

New Dates!






This past weekend, Alex and I were able to sit down and look at a calendar and kind of create a tentative timeline of what needs to happen between now and our move. This helped us figure out what was going to happen with our May trip, and unfortunately there was no way the 1st through the 10th was going to be feasible. We’ll already have had to ship our car by then, and our spare vehicle that we’re going to sell would NOT be big enough to transport us all down to Orlando with our luggage. Also, we’ll need to pack our house by then, and it’s one thing to live out of a suitcase here in town, where my parents have a washer and a bed nearby…it’s another to take all our belongings down on a vacation.






Plus, an important factor to me is the mindset we’ll be in during early May. If we went just weeks before we had to move across the world, all I’d be able to think about would be the impending travel and settling in at a new base. My head would be swimming with checklists and deadlines; I’d be too preoccupied to stop and smell the proverbial (and literal...hello, Flower and Garden Festival) Disney roses.




And when I wasn’t distracted, I’d probably be overwhelmed with sadness. I wouldn’t be able to shake the fact that I was about to have to say goodbye to my family, my beloved theme park, and the city I’ve grown to consider my hometown.






Doesn’t make for a very cheery vacation, now does it?






But what did that leave us with?




April was out of the question.






And Flower and Garden was a must for my parents.






But preferably not during Spring Break pricing.






That left one week open.






February 28th through March 6th.








The Festival starts on the 2nd, it’s the final week before a price hike, and Alex and I didn’t mind the crowds when we went during some of those dates last year.






That’s also going to be an ideal time to step away from our lives here. We’ll have 2 months (January and February) to knock out the time sensitive stuff, then be able to go enjoy ourselves at Disney one last time, then come back and have 2 more months to finish everything up.








Another perk to our new dates is that Landon will be free still. So we’re going to save a good chunk of money on not having to buy him 8 days of tickets and pay for some of his meals at places like Crystal Palace.






It also won’t be very hot yet, so no having to carry a chunky 6 month old in 90 degree heat.








Even with those pros, we do have some cons. The first being that finding our original dining reservations has been unsuccessful. Two of our musts: Crystal Palace pre-park opening and an O’hana dinner are just not available during any of our days. I can’t say I’m surprised, and I’m constantly checking the dining page in hopes that someone will cancel, but it just stings a little knowing we had this amazing schedule of meals that is no more.




I’m going to feel terrible if my mom and Alex can’t eat at their favorite restaurant one final time, and I really wanted to take my dad to Coral Reef for lunch, but that, too, is not going well.






I’m sure it’ll all work out in the end and I’ll make it work, but when this trip was supposed to be a big perfect blowout extravaganza, anything less is a bit of a letdown.






Another bummer is that Alex and I had to shorten the trip from 9 nights to 7. We hated to do it, but by cutting off 2 nights and not having to buy Landon tickets, we now have enough money to go visit his family one final time before we leave.




It goes without saying that seeing family kind of has to be done. Plus, Alex’s brother might be buying our old car so we’d have to go down to Cocoa to sell it to him.






In a perfect world, Alex and I would get another day trip to Disney in and visit Universal (both his siblings live 5 minutes away from the park) but that’s all just wishful thinking at the moment. The big thing is seeing the in-laws. (Although, it’d be a shame to have lived 6 hours away from Universal all these years and NEVER have gone…)








Finally, to round out this extremely long update….there was one consolation to having to trim the trip. After accounting for the family visit and discovering a nice little bonus in the form of cash back credit card money, Alex and I were able to make a splurge.






He managed to score the coveted week of Christmas off. (In his job, you either work 7 days straight at Christmas or New Years. Fortunately for us, there were a lot of young single airmen who preferred to have New Years off. Whoo hoo!)






Soooo, we called Disney and wouldn’t you know it? They had a military discounted room at Pop Century available from Dec. 20th to Dec. 23rd.






Guess who’s going to see the Osbourne Lights in less than 2 weeks?!?!












Yes, it is really sudden and yes, we’re fully aware we’ll be taking a 2 month old on a 6 hour car ride to Disney.




Thankfully, she’s an incredibly easy baby. I mean, I tell her everyday, “You’re such a sweetie, little girl.” She has established a pretty good schedule, where she sleeps most of the morning, so if we leave around 4/5am, we won’t have to stop but 2 or 3 times. (Hopefully.) And she’s still young enough that we can bring her bassinet and not have to stress about a Pack and Play. I wear her in a carrier out in public so that I can keep up with Landon, so around the parks will be easy. Landon’s a go-go-go kind of kid, so she’s been out at parks and gyms and shopping centers so much already the exposure to strangers has already happened.






We’re going to get a test run on how she’ll handle traveling this weekend, too. My father in-law is playing Santa Clause (did you know there’s actually a company that hires people to do that?!) about 3 hours away from us in the city where I went to college, so we’re going to drive over Friday afternoon and visit with “Papa” spend the night, and go take a picture with “Santa” that Saturday, then head back home.






If it doesn’t go well, we can cancel our Disney room without a penalty, but if it goes smoothly, then we’re going to risk it.






Alex and I would kick ourselves if we didn’t see the lights one last time. Especially when we had all the means to do so.






The lights are special to us. It’s what we saw on our first trip together, where we both kind of realized we wanted to marry each other, where I dreamed of taking my kids one day, what I saw when I was pregnant with Landon, what I got to see with my mom and 7 month old son.






They are just too special to us to skip.






Alex and I are focusing on the holiday decorations; if we get to do any attractions or see any shows, that’ll just be an added bonus. However, I do have a Fastpass for 7 Dwarves and Soarin’. Those are two that we HAVE to do…






Okay, that’s all for this update. Hope heads aren’t whirling from all that information. Talk about an overload!