*** The Official August 2018 Thread*** - let's have some fun....

[chiisai]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events/mickeys-not-so-scary-halloween-party/purchase/

Thanks to @AntJulie for posting in the MNSSHP threads. Tickets are online now. We are going to be there during the first party; a few days ago I called to buy. Pretty excited, it will be our first. We will be hot and sweaty, but should still be fun.

 

[Tomh]

I guess I am lucky, my family are all troopers. We typically are at rope drop every day we go to the parks, and stay until closing.

 

[disneyjr77]

I told them they had to be at the bus stop at 6:30 for 8am AK EMH and they looked at me like i had 2 heads BUT were okay with it once i showed them the line for FoP (and said only 2 super early mornings). DD said unh uh, no way are we standing in that line she's also one that still, at the age of 11, can sleep anywhere. She was 9 almost 10 on our last trip and would get cat naps on the bus and be fine. Heck we went to see FotLK and she had a headache, so she curled up on my lap (comfy for her, not so much for me) and slept through the whole thing, then was fine for the rest of the day.

 

[Aladora]

I just had the BEST experience with a Delta customer service agent!

I had called yesterday to ask about changing our departure date from the 21st to the 19th and the agent yesterday said it would be $400US$/ticket (difference in flight cost + a $200/ticket change fee!!!) to change. I had to talk with DH about it so I did not book it then. After talking to DH we decided to just go ahead and make the change since all 3 of us still had around $110/US$ in travel credits to apply to the change.

I called the same phone number this morning and after waiting on hold for almost 30 minutes I hung up and tried calling the international reservations number. (We are in Canada so I figured that we were actually international!) I got Georgia on the phone and she was not only lovely and helpful but she also managed to waive the change fee for all of us! This meant that all we had to pay was the difference in ticket price which was $214/ticket. Since we had that travel credit, the changes only cost us a little over $100US$ each!

So, if anyone is still updating the list on the first page of this thread, our correct info is:

Aug 19-21 BWV, Aug 21-29 AKV Jambo

I also had great luck this morning and by switching our second HS and AK days around I managed to snag a Sci-Fi lunch ADR for our last day! So now, the only two outstanding ADRs that I am trying to get are Jiko Wine Tasting and Star Wars Dessert Party. Our only date for the wine tasting is Aug 22 and for some unknown reason that is the only date in August that is showing with no availability. There are no dates yet in August for the Star Wars dessert party so I will just have to have some patience with that one!

 

[DaniMoon]

We did a 7 am rope drop last year for Pandora. My kids did great with it. Lot more 7 am openings for HS than there were for Pandora. We did two 8 am mornings, too. We don't do parks all day, my kids like to swim and we like to chill and have a drink or two in the afternoon before heading back to the park.

My youngest two will be 10 and 11 this trip, so hoping for some later evenings. The youngest has a limit and it's not worth pushing that limit.

 

[DisneyObsessed87]

I am excited about the hour changes for HS! Although I have not broken the news to DH. He hates getting up early but he knows it makes all the difference with crowds.

 

[MamaJessie]

I guess I am lucky, my family are all troopers. We typically are at rope drop every day we go to the parks, and stay until closing.

Rope drop (for me) means I need to be there almost an hour ahead of that. So 9am openings are fine, 8 is 'ehh' and 7am means I will be GENEROUS and not ask to be there until 6:30, so leaving the cabin at 6am if we drive... so up at 5:30 am at the latest. I can see why he wasn't totally in love with it I will be following along once TSL opens though and seeing how far ahead of EMH they recommend arriving.

 

[Ds4angels]

We normally take the bus, but I think for our HS day we'll drive. So I figure we will need to be out the door at 6 at the latest for the 7am opening. Which means we will be checking out the breakfast sandwich at Woody's Lunchbox I guess

 

[MamaJessie]

We normally take the bus, but I think for our HS day we'll drive. So I figure we will need to be out the door at 6 at the latest for the 7am opening. Which means we will be checking out the breakfast sandwich at Woody's Lunchbox I guess

Are you camping or staying in the cabins? I don't even know what time the internal buses start running, just going to drive since it is so early.

I think I am going to pack breakfast, help keep them entertained when in line. I can guarantee DH will make a run over to Starbucks lol

I am considering switching my DHS day to the beginning of the trip - while we still have energy I want to take a break mid day but then hit the park until close!

 

[Tomh]

Rope drop (for me) means I need to be there almost an hour ahead of that. So 9am openings are fine, 8 is 'ehh' and 7am means I will be GENEROUS and not ask to be there until 6:30, so leaving the cabin at 6am if we drive... so up at 5:30 am at the latest. I can see why he wasn't totally in love with it I will be following along once TSL opens though and seeing how far ahead of EMH they recommend arriving.

I shoot for being at the front gate 20 to 30 minutes before open. However, I won't be going to the EMH at DHS. To be honest, I won't be going to DHS at all this year. Neither of my kids (DS14, DD23) have much interest in the new Toy Story land, and there is so little left in DHS that appeals to us that it just isn't worth a full day right now. Together, I think we would only do Toy Story, Indy Jones, and Little Mermaid. Some will do Star Tours, Some might do RnRC. None of us ride ToT. We will spend an extra day in AK instead.

 

[MamaJessie]

I shoot for being at the front gate 20 to 30 minutes before open. However, I won't be going to the EMH at DHS. To be honest, I won't be going to DHS at all this year. Neither of my kids (DS14, DD23) have much interest in the new Toy Story land, and there is so little left in DHS that appeals to us that it just isn't worth a full day right now. Together, I think we would only do Toy Story, Indy Jones, and Little Mermaid. Some will do Star Tours, Some might do RnRC. None of us ride ToT. We will spend an extra day in AK instead.

I get that. I LOVE AK and think it is so underrated and totally worth an extra day.

 

[Aladora]

I shoot for being at the front gate 20 to 30 minutes before open. However, I won't be going to the EMH at DHS. To be honest, I won't be going to DHS at all this year. Neither of my kids (DS14, DD23) have much interest in the new Toy Story land, and there is so little left in DHS that appeals to us that it just isn't worth a full day right now. Together, I think we would only do Toy Story, Indy Jones, and Little Mermaid. Some will do Star Tours, Some might do RnRC. None of us ride ToT. We will spend an extra day in AK instead.

On our previous trip we had 6 day tickets and we had tentatively planned to go to AK and Epcot once each and to spend 2 days each at HS and MK. As it turned out, we totally flipped that plan and if not for the Osborne lights, we might not have even done a full day at HS! This trip we have 7 day tickets plus the MNSSHP so we will have 2 days at each park, although we really will only get 1.5 each at HS and MK since we can only get into MK on the second day at 4:00 and our last day at HS is our check out day and we will only be there until after lunch.

 

[Tomh]

On our previous trip we had 6 day tickets and we had tentatively planned to go to AK and Epcot once each and to spend 2 days each at HS and MK. As it turned out, we totally flipped that plan and if not for the Osborne lights, we might not have even done a full day at HS! This trip we have 7 day tickets plus the MNSSHP so we will have 2 days at each park, although we really will only get 1.5 each at HS and MK since we can only get into MK on the second day at 4:00 and our last day at HS is our check out day and we will only be there until after lunch.

We have 10 day tickets, and MNSSHP as well. We will be spending 2 days in AK, and 4 each in MK and Epcot. One of our MK days is also the MNSSHP. Prior to all of the new offerings at AK, we skipped that for a couple of years. We won't spend a day in a park that we don't feel has enough attractions in it to fill our day. For a while, AK fit that bill. When we visited, we were really done by early afternoon. Now, with Pandora, and the new nighttime offerings, we have no problem filling the day there, and expect that we will be able to fill 2 days.

 

[Aladora]

We have 10 day tickets, and MNSSHP as well. We will be spending 2 days in AK, and 4 each in MK and Epcot. One of our MK days is also the MNSSHP. Prior to all of the new offerings at AK, we skipped that for a couple of years. We won't spend a day in a park that we don't feel has enough attractions in it to fill our day. For a while, AK fit that bill. When we visited, we were really done by early afternoon. Now, with Pandora, and the new nighttime offerings, we have no problem filling the day there, and expect that we will be able to fill 2 days.

On our previous trip in 2015, DS just loved doing the Wilderness Explorer activities in AK and the Agent P missions in Epcot. We played around with SotMK but he didn't get that into it. I've read about the Epcot Passport Kit on WDWInfo but have not yet been able to confirm that it is still available. If it is, I can see us shelling out the $ for it. I've also read about the Pirate's Adventure in MK and we will likely do that as well.

All 3 of us really loved AK and could have happily spent more than 2 days there. Not only did we go on most of the attractions more than once, we loved just wandering around and seeing the animals. My family is from South Africa and being in AK and staying at AKV reminds me a lot of trips I took as a child.

 

[Ds4angels]

@MamaJessie we will be camping (first time at the Fort).

 

[highwayg]

Getting a little panicked.....haven’t been in a while. Trying to figure out crowd calendar and which part to hit which days is throwing me off. Trip is 8/1 to 8/8. I feel like toy story land could be a game changer for plans at HS.
We typically do rope drop, nap and then go back at night or to dinner and chill out, but kids are older now too. DH will be the one who needs the nap! Lol

 

[Monykalyn]

Ok so I priced out a FD package given the rumors and the AP deal is better for us- so it is official we are staying at Ft Wilderness Aug 18th-25! So fun to start planning now that I have that settled!

We are staying at Cabins for 1st time in June! Have tried for a couple trips now to get FW booked-price/dates/party just hasn't worked until now

Hey fellow Augusters (Augustees?) lol i need a scoch of a pick me up for this years trip. We've been to Disney and Uni multiple times and have always loved it. Last year i was so excited to plan our Uni trip, but this year i feel like kinda blah about our Disney trip...don't get me wrong, i'm still looking forward to going but i would be lying if i said i hadn't thought about switching to the park up the street instead I don't know if it's all the negativity towards Disney, the changes they're making, or what. The only threads i read now are this one, free dining, and the Pop one (we had to switch from WL)...i'm trying to avoid anything that will mess with my opinion. This will also be the first trip for DBF and i want him to love it as much as DD11 and I do, maybe i'm too worried about that part of it I know it's going to be a great trip and it's DISNEY so no matter what happens i'll still be at my happy place, but i just can't shake this blah feeling Sorry if i'm rambling or sound whiny, but i wanted to get this off my chest and nobody else understands.

Yeah totally get it. My oldest DD and I went on a quick trip in March, then she found out she is going back for 2nd DCP for summer alumni-check in on May 21. I was done with Disney and told DH it was his turn. Well, life happens and now we are both going with her in May...ah well-excited to get a 2nd shot at Flower&Garden festival in Epcot. DH is also completely set on going to Universal on June trip (planned before we knew DD was going to back at WDW)-and honestly-both the other kids are way more excited for Uni than Disney this year...(they got 2 trips to Disney last fall).

I've also read about the Pirate's Adventure in MK and we will likely do that as well.

So much fun! My oldest DD and her roomie from first college program did this in March! It is a neat little thing all over Adventureland that most people have no clue about. We got FP for PoC after we completed 2 of the maps (they did 2 more maps-I sat and watched them while eating a Dole Whip LOL).

 

[DaniMoon]

Getting a little panicked.....haven’t been in a while. Trying to figure out crowd calendar and which part to hit which days is throwing me off. Trip is 8/1 to 8/8. I feel like toy story land could be a game changer for plans at HS.
We typically do rope drop, nap and then go back at night or to dinner and chill out, but kids are older now too. DH will be the one who needs the nap! Lol

Which crowd calendar? I've been looking at Kenny's and Touring Plans. They are pretty similar. We also do rope drop, break, and evenings we wing it. We have hoppers, so can do whatever the kids want. My kids will be 10&11 this trip (24yo is not coming), they like to take a break and hit the pool. I like to throw a load of laundry in and have a drink

 

[highwayg]

I didn’t check out Kenny’s yet. I have looked at touring plans and most days are 6 or 7. No big differences between one park to another, bedsides EMH.

 

[Tomh]

On our previous trip in 2015, DS just loved doing the Wilderness Explorer activities in AK and the Agent P missions in Epcot. We played around with SotMK but he didn't get that into it. I've read about the Epcot Passport Kit on WDWInfo but have not yet been able to confirm that it is still available. If it is, I can see us shelling out the $ for it. I've also read about the Pirate's Adventure in MK and we will likely do that as well.

All 3 of us really loved AK and could have happily spent more than 2 days there. Not only did we go on most of the attractions more than once, we loved just wandering around and seeing the animals. My family is from South Africa and being in AK and staying at AKV reminds me a lot of trips I took as a child.

We haven't done the Wilderness Explorer activities. My youngest is now 14, so a bit too much of a big boy to really get any fun out of Agent P anymore, though he enjoyed it when he was younger. Both DS14, and DD23 enjoy SotMK. I know they still had the passports at Epcot last summer, and I'm pretty sure they will still be there this August. The Pirates Adventure is quite a bit of fun, and you get bonus FP for Pirates of the Caribbean if you finish enough maps (3 I think).