The Extinction of the Cranky Pants: An October 2015 PTR

[Lidian]

I love how your financing came about, that's awesome! And oo funny! I'd be computer parts shopping for dh too. :whistle

And it was so nice of dh to "sacrifice" his trip so mom could go... More great memories to be made there.

We've missed having you around.

D~

Hey, it's only fair. And I know our rule was typically if he spends, I can spend ... so I thought instead of spending, I'd save!

Yes, that's very nice of him. "Yeah, I hate that place and I don't want to go. I'll sacrifice staying home instead of being the CrankyPants."

I've missed being here!!!

 

[Lidian]

Good news everyone! (That was typed in my best Professor Farnsworth voice.)

My daily schedule has been sorted out! I'm happy with how it looks and hoppers can be avoided! Also, I've almost finished narrowing down my dining. I need DD13 to verify the selections I have noted. Once her seal of approval is set, I can move forward with my PTR to discuss the daily plans!

 

[collcass]

Following along and enjoying your PTR.

Twins? Before I had my first, I always wanted twins. Twins fascinate me so much! Were you blessed with identical or fraternal? BB, BG, or GG? I'd love to hear more about your twins.

It amazes me how frequently I see this statement. While I do not have any twins of my own, my mom had three sets of identical twins in 4 years. I happen to think twins are pretty cool, but they are a ton of work. Every time someone finds out about the twins in my family, I hear that statement. That being said, i think I probably would have "enjoyed" (for lack of a better descriptor)twins ore than having my olders only a year apart

 

[DMGeurts]

Yay! I am glad you can avoid the cost of Hoppers! I don't think we will be avoiding that this time around - if we want to visit MK twice, we'll have to do them.

I can't wait to hear about it.

D~

 

[solana131]

Oh yay....plans are fun!
I can't imagine going without hoppers. It is just something we have always done and it is a cost I just consider inevitable. I briefly considered it this time because we will have MVMCP to allow us into MK one day. But that is only one day. We love to hit a park for AM EMHs then take a break and hop to another park in the evening. EMH parks are usually busier later, so we get the extra hours without the crowds
I know there are lots of different approaches, just like the dining plan. To each his own
Looking forward to hearing about your plans!

 

[Lidian]

Following along and enjoying your PTR.

It amazes me how frequently I see this statement. While I do not have any twins of my own, my mom had three sets of identical twins in 4 years. I happen to think twins are pretty cool, but they are a ton of work. Every time someone finds out about the twins in my family, I hear that statement. That being said, i think I probably would have "enjoyed" (for lack of a better descriptor)twins ore than having my olders only a year apart

Glad you're joining us on this adventure! I have a sister who has her two about a year apart. I decided to space mine out realllllly good. Nothing like having a babysitter in your own home, right?

Yay! I am glad you can avoid the cost of Hoppers! I don't think we will be avoiding that this time around - if we want to visit MK twice, we'll have to do them.

I can't wait to hear about it.

D~

I am thankful, too! Granted, if we come up with extra funds, it's not entirely out of the question... I just think I'd rather upgrade our room and/or add in some fun breakfast dining before shelling out the funds for hoppers.

Oh yay....plans are fun!
I can't imagine going without hoppers. It is just something we have always done and it is a cost I just consider inevitable. I briefly considered it this time because we will have MVMCP to allow us into MK one day. But that is only one day. We love to hit a park for AM EMHs then take a break and hop to another park in the evening. EMH parks are usually busier later, so we get the extra hours without the crowds
I know there are lots of different approaches, just like the dining plan. To each his own
Looking forward to hearing about your plans!

SUZI!!!!

Ya know, we have been going since 2009 and never used the hoppers. We dedicate one day per park. When we had longer trips, we added rest days and/or additional park days. And since we can ... well, we'll get to that later.

While I can certainly see the benefit of hoppers, I just prefer to stick that money somewhere else. There's certainly nothing wrong with getting them or skipping them. Like you said, everyone vacations differently. I have other plans for "hopper" money that I'll share later. I know my DD13 is stalking this thread. How do I know? She informed me I had more pictures of the boys than I did her. So I added another picture of her. She's totally #1 helper for planning, but I'd like a few surprises for her along the way. Anyway, I'm glad you're here!

 

[collcass]

Glad you're joining us on this adventure! I have a sister who has her two about a year apart. I decided to space mine out realllllly good. Nothing like having a babysitter in your own home, right?

I sort of learned. Those older two are now a jr & senior in high school. We also have a 2 yr old (plus 2 in the middle) It is wonderful to have built in babysitters!

 

[Lidian]

Travel Day Plans
September 29th​

Not much to say for our travel day plans ... We will leave as soon as the kids get home from school, get their snack, and round up their last minute items. If there's any loading that remains undone, we will finish that. I'm hoping mom will come up early so she can help get things in order. If I'm feeling froggy and the school confirms no academics in the afternoon, I might check them out a little bit early so we can get on the road early.

The older kids will be in charge of DVDs and their personal "activity" bags to keep them busy. They will both be in charge of helping Little Sully stay occupied. Since Sully will still be rear-facing, he won't get to watch DVDs. I don't trust that he won't break a "personal" one. So I'm not 100% certain on the best ways to keep him happy. I'm thinking a new toy every hour or so might help, on top of his favorites. However, he still doesn't really play much. We will have to see how far we come in OT I guess. Maybe he'll play more by then and develop favorite toys. Since there's no WiFi, watching videos is out. I'll do some research and see what I can come up with ... but we'll make something work.

We are leaving out of TN and driving about 630 miles to WDW via I-75. We do this every trip. The only difference is ... DH always drove in the past and I navigated (in my sleep). This time, I will be doing the driving and mom will help as needed. We will stop somewhere fast for dinner (like the golden arches or a kingly place). Sure, it's junk, but it's fast and gets us on the road quicker. We'll hit whatever we stumble upon near dinner time. We'll also have a few rest breaks, where we will stop for the potty and stretch our legs.

We plan to drive as far as possible this evening and then we will find a hotel for the night. In years past, we've stopped in south GA (around Adel or Valdosta). I'm hoping to get this far on our upcoming trip, possibly further (but I doubt it). We'll have a separate overnight bag and will bring that in and any valuables. We'll clean up, grab a snack, and crawl in bed for some good (excited) sleep. Who am I kidding .... we won't be able to sleep since the next day we will be arriving in WDW!

 

[DizmeeMom]

I figured out how to post!! yay!! Can't wait for part 2, or is it 3 to find out more of your planning shinnaigans!

 

[Lidian]

I sort of learned. Those older two are now a jr & senior in high school. We also have a 2 yr old (plus 2 in the middle) It is wonderful to have built in babysitters!

Those home babysitters are just awesome!

I figured out how to post!! yay!! Can't wait for part 2, or is it 3 to find out more of your planning shinnaigans!

Dizmee! So glad you're here! Be sure to chime in with your plans, since you totally copied mine. There's a few ADRs that we might as well just schedule one big table for all of us. If you want me to have my TA do it, just let me know.

 

[Lidian]

Arrival Day Plans
September 30th​

We will wake up early at the hotel we pop into. We will shower, dress, and head to the lobby for their continental breakfast (if they serve one). We will nibble quickly before heading back to the van to get this final part of the drive over with! I'd like to be back on I-75 by 8AM. If we can do that, it should put us in WDW around lunch! We will continue to stop for rest and potty breaks as needed. If we don't arrive at our goal time, we'll stop off somewhere and eat a decent lunch (Cracker Barrel or something). Odds are not in my favor to arrive as scheduled, so we'll probably be hitting CB and then finish the remaining drive to our "home" for the next few days.

Where are we staying? Why are we staying there? That's a whole other story ...

When we arrive, we'll head straight to check-in. I think I saw rumors floating around that you can skip this part now ... but I don't wanna. Check-in is vital! Plus, if I don't get my requests, I can politely ask the CM if there is anything available. Especially if I don't get ground floor. If I don't get ground floor, I'll have to ask the CM to switch me to another room or resort. After we check-in and get the room squared away, we will do one or more of the following:

1. Eat lunch if we haven't eaten.
2. Grab our mugs.
3. Take luggage up to room and unpack (whenever room is ready).
4. Take a dip in the pool and/or pick up the scooter.
5. Head to MK for the evening.
6. Eat dinner.

We will certainly do most of those, but not sure of the order.

I plan to FP Jungle Cruise, Buzz Lightyear, and MSEP. I know MSEP might be a waste of a FP, but I don't see us arriving in time to hit 3 attractions with FP anyway. Our first attraction will probably have a FP of around 5:30-6:00-ish; so that puts the second at 6:30; and the third at 7:30. MSEP starts at 8PM. This is our ONLY night to catch it. So might as well use the FP for it.

We will hang out in Adventureland and Tomorrowland on arrival night. If Mickey has a short wait, we'll hit him as we come in on our way up Main Street. If Mickey's wait is too long, we'll come back and check on him later in the evening or later in the week. We're hoping to score a Talking Mickey. I know he's more common, but still no guarantees. The kids want to talk, but I think it's a bit creepy.

Since we are just focused on those two lands, I expect to get a few things knocked out this evening that we won't have to do later in the trip. We will also enjoy MSEP and Wishes, pending the baby will allow us to enjoy them!

I'll state right now, I am concerned about the noise of the fireworks. He doesn't like the TV to be on, so fireworks may cause a meltdown. I'm prepared for that possibility. However, he may absolutely LOVE them. We won't know until we see what happens. If he has a meltdown, no more night shows for me and him. If he likes them, we'll try other nighttime entertainment through our trip.

After Wishes, we will linger in the shops before heading back to our bus. If baby is upset, I'll probably curl up somewhere and nurse him a bit. Since everyone leaves at once, we won't be in a hurry to join the herd. So shopping or nursing will be our go-to for park closing. Once the crowds have cleared out some, we'll make our purchases (if there are any) and head to our bus stop.

We will go straight up to our room, clean up (some people bathe at night, others in the morning -- we'll figure out a cleaning schedule later). We will all pile into our beds, set alarms, and sleep for our big day tomorrow!

EDIT: After discussion with mom and kids, we've made a couple of alterations to arrival day plans. Most of what is stated above still holds true. The biggest difference is we're planning for our first FP to be in the 5:00 time frame. We'll probably eat quickly somewhere in MK after our first FP. Here's what I plan now:

• Splash Mountain FP
• Space Mountain FP
• Jungle Cruise FP
• MSEP
• Wishes
• Room

Hmm... upon further looking, we may reverse those FPs. I still want to knock out as much of Adventureland and Tomorrowland as I can. I may change Splash to Buzz, so that keeps us more in Tomorrowland. All we really need from Adventureland is JC and characters (and mom wants a Dole Whip).

I'm open for thoughts and suggestions. We can hit Splash later, when we'd have more time with the sun to dry us out. Or should we hit it on arrival? We are known to skip Splash. I hate getting wet. I can't stand wet rides. However, it's one that I'd do for the kids. I don't know. Grrr!

 

[collcass]

Sounds like a great first day/night. My kiddos are split when it comes to noise & fireworks. Half didn't even pay attention to the noise when they were little. The other half couldn't stand them.

 

[Lidian]

Sounds like a great first day/night. My kiddos are split when it comes to noise & fireworks. Half didn't even pay attention to the noise when they were little. The other half couldn't stand them.

They bothered DS8 when he was 3, but he's fine with them now. However, Baby Sully has some sensory issues and starts OT soon. He doesn't like the TV to be on (the noise bothers him). He's gotten better with the TV most days ... but still prefers the TV to be off unless it's music. He does well with music. So the BOOM BOOM of the fireworks will be hit or miss. I'm anxious to see how he fares. We don't do 4th of July here (mostly because it never happens in July!!!!) ... and it's INSANE with people.

 

[solana131]

Sounds like a good start. Hope you can stay on schedule and have lunch at your resort!
Maybe if the fireworks are too much in the park that first night, you might be able to try them from away.....like the Poly beach or something. Or Illuminations from the Boardwalk or Frozen Fireworks at HS from the walkway along the river??? Might be worth a try....

 

[Lidian]

Sounds like a good start. Hope you can stay on schedule and have lunch at your resort!
Maybe if the fireworks are too much in the park that first night, you might be able to try them from away.....like the Poly beach or something. Or Illuminations from the Boardwalk or Frozen Fireworks at HS from the walkway along the river??? Might be worth a try....

If he doesn't do well with the fireworks, we will just go back to the room early for cuddle time. Mom wants to see the night entertainment. I could take it or leave it. So if it stresses baby, then extra cuddles sound like a better way to end the night!

If I change my mind, I'll totally go along with your idea. I've seen them all before, and I'd rather go back to the room and crash. I'm only staying for MK fireworks in case it's something the baby likes.

 

[DMGeurts]

Your day sounds awesome! I hope you are able to arrive in a timely manner and I agree - check in is vital... I love checking in. I hope you get all of your requests.

I think the FP for MSEP is a good idea - especially since you aren't arriving until later in the evening.

Hopefully the little one is OK with the fireworks... I know they can be scary.

D~

 

[Lidian]

Your day sounds awesome! I hope you are able to arrive in a timely manner and I agree - check in is vital... I love checking in. I hope you get all of your requests.

I think the FP for MSEP is a good idea - especially since you aren't arriving until later in the evening.

Hopefully the little one is OK with the fireworks... I know they can be scary.

D~

Thanks! Checking-in makes the trip magical! I can't imagine not doing it.

Fingers crossed he does well with night entertainment. But if he doesn't, we'll know and plan around it. I can always get my entertainment fill via YouTube.

 

[Lidian]

FYI, I just updated my Arrival Day plans. I put an "edit" at the bottom with the changes. I'll post them here so no one has to go backwards.

Arrival Day EDIT: After discussion with mom and kids, we've made a couple of alterations to arrival day plans. Most of what is stated above still holds true. The biggest difference is we're planning for our first FP to be in the 5:00 time frame. We'll probably eat quickly somewhere in MK after our first FP. Here's what I plan now:

• Splash Mountain FP
• Space Mountain FP
• Jungle Cruise FP
• MSEP
• Wishes
• Room

Hmm... upon further looking, we may reverse those FPs. I still want to knock out as much of Adventureland and Tomorrowland as I can. I may change Splash to Buzz, so that keeps us more in Tomorrowland. All we really need from Adventureland is JC and characters (and mom wants a Dole Whip).

I'm open for thoughts and suggestions. We can hit Splash later, when we'd have more time with the sun to dry us out. Or should we hit it on arrival? We are known to skip Splash. I hate getting wet. I can't stand wet rides. However, it's one that I'd do for the kids. I don't know. Grrr!

 

[collcass]

• 
  
  
  • Splash Mountain FP
  • Space Mountain FP
  • Jungle Cruise FP
  • MSEP
  • Wishes
  • Room

Hmm... upon further looking, we may reverse those FPs. I still want to knock out as much of Adventureland and Tomorrowland as I can. I may change Splash to Buzz, so that keeps us more in Tomorrowland. All we really need from Adventureland is JC and characters (and mom wants a Dole Whip).

I'm open for thoughts and suggestions. We can hit Splash later, when we'd have more time with the sun to dry us out. Or should we hit it on arrival? We are known to skip Splash. I hate getting wet. I can't stand wet rides. However, it's one that I'd do for the kids. I don't know. Grrr!

I would probably try to work it so they are more in some consecutive order so you aren't going from one side of the park to the other and back again

 

[Lidian]

Our Resort: Where and Why​

We discussed several resorts before we finally agreed on one. The resorts that made the list were All Star Movies, Pop Century, Coronado Springs, Port Orleans Riverside, and Port Orleans French Quarter. We also debated trying to rent DVC points and staying at AKL (or whatever was available). So the kids decided between CSR and Pop.

I initially checked my dates for CSR. Nothing. So I asked my TA to check my dates. She said there was no availability. I was all ... but we decided we'd just stay at Pop Century.

We stayed at Pop Century last October for the first time. We had a blast! We went swimming most days. I spent a lot of time in the laundry room. We also booked a preferred room. So we decided to do that again! Last October, we were in the 70s section (building 10, ground floor). It was nice! I thought this year, we'll get preferred pool, so we'll be able to walk out our door and hop in the pool! Here are a few pics we took at Pop last October.


Playground (I just noticed all three of my kids are in this pic, but two blend in):

Nighttime swim:

The phones worked:

(FYI, DH was on the air mattress that we put between the two beds at Pop. And yes, it does look like he was knocked out, he was where he put himself and passed out.)

And then ... I did some thinking. The baby will be 2 and he may want to splash in the water. (Currently, water is the devil, but anything can happen in therapy.) I thought, maybe we should book something where the baby can splash around better.

So I did some math. We are crossing our fingers for FD, but will take whatever discount is offered and run with it. We'll just make adjustments based on budget afterwards. If we got a preferred room at Pop and upgraded our free QS dining to Regular dining, it's roughly the same price as a moderate resort. If we had a moderate resort, we'd have bigger beds, a little more space in the room, and a much better pool. The kids could have a slide to enjoy. So which resort to book?

I turned back to my options: CSR, POR, and POFQ.

CSR was still booked solid. Last year, POR was excluded from FD and POFQ gets little to no discounts. So then I remembered something. CBR has that amazing splash area. It would be PERFECT for the kids. This would also be our third CBR stay. For some reason, CBR thinks we should be on the top floor. I can't walk up stairs anymore with my leg and hip issues. I'll also have an ECV. Those don't do stairs either. So with the guarantee that we'd have a ground floor, I sent my info to my TA.

So we are booked at CBR from 9/30-10/10 in a standard room. She had it noted that it HAD to be a ground floor room, as I'll have an ECV. Mom decided that she wanted to stay in Aruba. So my TA requested Aruba for our village. If we check in and don't get a ground floor, they'll have to move us to the ground or to another resort. I can't physically do the stairs, and I certainly can't get the ECV up them.

Here are a few pictures from previous CBR stays. The resort itself is nice ... just big. I will miss the very short walk from my room to the pool and food court. I was able to do that without the ECV most days last year. I highly doubt I'll be able to visit the main pool and food court without a ride. Regardless, I'm happy with this decision. The baby can enjoy the splash area and the big kids have a slide at the pool. Plus mom has access to a hot tub.

Aruba:

Pirate toddler splash area for the baby:

Pics of the pool:

DH with DS (in the lifejacket):

Stay tuned for details on our first full day! Where will we go? What will we do? What is in store for mom?