The Redemption Reunion Tour - Mar 2025 (+2024 PTR) - (Updated 3/7 - Lightning Lanes)

[DLo]

Following along. Looking forward to reading more. Now going to pop over to the trip report

 

[SimplyGoofy]

The Redemption Reunion Tour
March 2025 Spring Break Trip

I’m super excited (and shocked!) to be planning another trip to Disney World!

My family of four enjoyed a wonderful trip to Disney World in May 2024. It was my first time back to the World in eight years after enjoying nearly annual trips from 2012-2016. It was also my first trip with my husband and two girls:

This is my husband G, and our girls M (now age six) and L (now age 2).

Even though we enjoyed tons of magic (and good food) on our family trip, there were things we missed.

Traveling with two young kids is very different than traveling with another adult. We did a great job getting to the parks for rope drop and killed it on the character meal front, but our one-year-old (and the excessive heat) meant a big daily break. We also ran out of steam at the end of our trip when three of the four of us came down with a respiratory illness (which we discovered was COVID when we got home – no wonder we felt so tired! ).

That led to several "must-do" things we all missed, including…

• The Festival of Fantasy Parade
• Fantasmic!
• Many snacks from the Flower and Garden food booths
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
• Muppet Vision 3-D
• Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
• Both animal trails at Animal Kingdom
• Festival of the Lion King

I also missed a few things including riding the Peoplemover (!) and Dinosaur, visiting the Animal Kingdom Lodge, and some solo time at night at Magic Kingdom.

I was sad to have missed riding Dinosaur for the last time (M rode it with G while L and I were on TriceraTop Spin), but news about the demise of Muppet Vision 3-D (check out my avatar, folks!) got me scheming about a way to return before those and other attractions are gone.

Enter the redemption tour!

After melting last May I dreamed about an Orlando trip earlier in the year. Our state has strict attendance standards so pulling M out of school wasn’t a good option, therefore spring break was the most logical choice.

Unfortunately, my husband has work commitments that can’t be moved during the spring break period, although I don’t think he was too upset. He wasn’t as enamored with Disney as I’d hoped during our family trip. I contemplated leaving L at home with some daytime grandparent help, but ultimately with G’s crazy schedule, it made more sense to bring L along, too.

However, M and I would miss out on quite a few rides if L came along without another adult. L is several inches taller now (she’s big enough for Alien Swirling Saucers and the Tomorrowland Speedway and may even be able to ride the Barnstormer!) but is nowhere near the 38” height requirement for Slinky Dog (let alone the 40” height requirement for Tower of Terror).

It came to me… what if my sister Anika came along?

Anika was my original travel companion in 2012. We enjoyed three sister trips until 2015, when I took her to Disney World and Universal for two weeks to celebrate her high school graduation.

I’d barely started to pitch the idea to Anika before she said, “would you like me to come?!”



G agreed this was a solution to the problem – this would give G flexibility (and likely more sleep) during his crazy work week and would allow M and I to experience every ride we wanted at Disney World. Even better, the cooler temps and L’s new trend of not wanting to nap meant we had a good shot at the afternoon activities we missed last time!

Less than an hour after deciding to book the trip I booked our vacation package and requested our airport transportation. Our airfare was booked the next morning.

I don't waste time, folks.

Now our redemption tour was a reunion tour, too!

I’m so excited to travel back to Disney World with my OG travel companion! Auntie Anika is very excited to return to the World after a ten-year hiatus (she bought shirts for each park day within days of booking our trip ) and spend time with me and her nieces.

And don’t feel too bad for G… he has some solo trips planned to hike the Grand Canyon and summit some Colorado mountains – much more his thing than touring a theme park.

Our redemption reunion tour is quite different than my usual planning and park-touring style, so it will be interesting to see how it all unfolds!

You can find the table of contents links for this part of the PTR here.

Up Next: Hotel and Travel Plans

 

[SimplyGoofy]

We’re Going on Safari
Hotel and Travel Plans

The day between pitching the idea of Anika coming along to G and booking the trip, I ran a cost analysis of our potential trip.

I checked airfare (spring break prices… oof! ), transportation options, and priced out three different resorts.

We were pretty locked into airfare as I wanted direct flights to maximize our park time. We have one (one!) option for direct flights from our airport with a discount airline. Spring break prices meant it was not very discounted, plus this airline only has one flight per day to and from Orlando. However, they had expanded travel days thanks to spring break so I found dates and times I was happy with.

As for transportation, rental car rates weren’t bad for spring break. The weekly rental was half the price of the rates I found for last May! However, G thought it made sense to get private transportation again as it was so easy last time and we don’t really need a rental car in Disney World.

Well, you don’t have to twist my arm.

As for resorts, I was pleasantly surprised at the availability given our dates and short timeframe. All of the monorail resorts were booked except some rooms at the Polynesian Villas (probably the tower?), but nearly everything else was available. I wanted park transportation to be as easy as possible with a stroller, and with the monorail resorts out I turned my attention to the skyliner resorts.

Our least expensive option I was willing to consider was a skyliner favorite, Caribbean Beach. It’s a lovely resort and had two potential skyliner options (the main hub and the Riviera station), but it was my least favorite option given the sprawling resort size and the lack of elevators.

The most expensive option was staying at the Boardwalk Inn – they had availability on the hotel side. I loved the short walk to Epcot from the Beach Club Villas and the Boardwalk would be a similar commute. Plus, the Boardwalk is closer to Hollywood Studios!

Where we landed was the middle (in cost) and number one (in preference) choice, Art of Animation:

(photo from Google)

AoA was perfect for this trip – it’s on the skyliner and has great theming for a six and two-year-old. Amazingly, there were still discounts available for the family suites so we chose it for the extra space. We’re going to use two single strollers this time (instead of the double) and still need a Pack N Play or floor toddler bed for L, so the extra space will be wonderful.

Plus, it will be nice to put the girls and I in one room and let Anika use the murphy bed in the other room. The two bathrooms are a great bonus, too!

I’m super excited about our resort. I’ve never stayed there and think it’s the perfect choice for this trip!

I have visited this resort during my trips at Pop Century, though, and can’t wait to show it to my girls! I think they'll love our Lion King Suite:

Anika is pretty excited to stay there, too.

Once G and I decided this trip was a go, I hopped on my computer and booked everything ASAP. My biggest concern was booking our private transportation – it’s a small company and was worried it would have slim availability between the spring break crowds and our pickup being at the smaller Sanford Orlando.

First, I booked our resort with the room discount. Interestingly, it was cheaper to use the room discount instead of the Stay and Play discount even with adding park tickets. It was my first time booking a package through Disney since 2013 – I’ve done third-party resort bookings and third-party tickets for my trips since - until this one!

It was super exciting to see this screen in MDE:

We were doing this!

Second, I submitted my ride request form to Cast and Crew Transportation. Even better, past customers can submit requests 90 days in advance rather than new customers requesting at 60 days – hence my anxiety to get that booked!

I was surprised (but not entirely, given my great experience last time) to receive confirmation of my booking the following morning less than 12 hours after submitting the request. I got this confirmation via text (the preferred communication method I requested) and they even double-checked my car seat and stroller needs (I’d requested both on the form) on a Sunday morning! It was above and beyond!

Cast and Crew is the best!

The final big piece of our travel plans was booked the next morning – I paid an arm and half a leg for the four of us to fly during spring break. I also pre-paid for three checked suitcases (it was only $4 more for a checked bag than a carry-on bag – seemed like a no-brainer) as well as paying for seat selection and priority entry. In other words, our “discount” airfare was not so discounted, but at least it will get us there early in the day with a direct flight!

The most fun part (other than my own excitement) was sharing the news with Anika. I told her I’d let her know if the trip was a go:

She’d said during my original idea pitch that she planned to buy a big suitcase for another upcoming trip but that it would also be useful for Disney World. Also, I never send texts this late at night, but I decided this event was an exception. I was shocked she was still awake to reply right away!

Whoo-hoo! We were going to Disney World!



Remember I mentioned this trip was different for me? Let’s keep track, shall we…

Difference #1: I booked a room and ticket package directly with Disney World.

Difference #2: We have a direct flight and will arrive in Orlando before noon.

Difference #3: We’re flying into Sanford Orlando Airport instead of MCO.

Difference #4: I booked this trip just 62 days out.. prior trips have been booked months and months in advance.

Difference #5: I selected base park tickets with our package - I've never done Disney without park hoppers!

Difference #6: (From my last trip) – it was the return of the girls' only trip!

More differences to come...

Up Next: Park and Dining Plans

 

[pixiedust33]

Following along! So funny that I got a notification on this thread because our timing and plans are again quite similar! I was following your last trip as I was also planning a trip to the Poly with my 2.5 year old last spring (we discussed cast and crew! So good!). Like you, I had been a bunch but never with my son. Also like you, we’re going back again in late March! And we did some similar thinking about the Skyliner resorts but opted for Caribbean Beach, largely for proximity to Riviera and my son is pretty into pirates!

Your post also reminded me that I can book cast and crew now since I’m a returning customer, so thank you for that!!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Following along! So funny that I got a notification on this thread because our timing and plans are again quite similar! I was following your last trip as I was also planning a trip to the Poly with my 2.5 year old last spring (we discussed cast and crew! So good!). Like you, I had been a bunch but never with my son. Also like you, we’re going back again in late March! And we did some similar thinking about the Skyliner resorts but opted for Caribbean Beach, largely for proximity to Riviera and my son is pretty into pirates!

Your post also reminded me that I can book cast and crew now since I’m a returning customer, so thank you for that!!

Wow, how great to see you here! I certainly remember you and your trip! You were so kind to give me a rundown of your experience at the Poly and experience with Cast and Crew - it made me feel so much better about our plans, particularly with using the private transportation and the rental stroller. (Isn’t Cast and Crew great?!)

How funny that we’re going around the same time and chose similar resorts again. What are your dates? We’ll be there just six days from March 14-19th - a shorter trip this time.

Caribbean Beach is a great choice - you’ll have tons of room as a family of three! Did you choose one of the fifth sleepers? I don’t know if your son could swing it yet, but one of M’s favorite parts of both rooms was the M-sized pull down kid bed.

I was reading the dining boards (my second favorite spot after the trip report boards) and saw your seafood dining question. You got a lot of feedback there but wanted to suggest another and plug a favorite of ours. As you’re at Caribbean Beach, what about Sebastian’s Bistro? It’s a family style menu but does include baked fish with the entrees (not to mention a variety of enhancements you could add out of pocket). Many people seem to love it and the bread pudding dessert is often touted as being better than Ohana’s.

An unexpected favorite of ours was Ale and Compass at the Yacht Club. It would also be a one-credit meal and is conveniently on the skyliner. My husband and I did not order seafood (we got half chicken and the burger), but our daughter did and her salmon was excellent. The Parker House rolls are also 100% worth paying OOP for.

Finally, unrelated to seafood, I 100% endorse your plan to visit Boma for brunch on your last day. I’ve done that brunch twice and loved it both times - I’d suggest a slightly earlier time slot so the restaurant is more quiet, but then you have plenty of time to explore AKL (I LOVE that resort!) and look at animals. The zebras are cool and all, but I prefer the crazy flamingos near the pool.

 

[pixiedust33]

What are your dates? We’ll be there just six days from March 14-19th - a shorter trip this time

We’ll be there like a week later! March 28 to April 3!

Did you choose one of the fifth sleepers? I don’t know if your son could swing it yet, but one of M’s favorite parts of both rooms was the M-sized pull down kid bed.

We did! Our son also loved that little bed at the poly. He ended up in the big bed with me at night but he loved napping there and just using it as a little play fort and napping space when we were in the room. We actually initially booked a regular room but switched over to a package deal to get a promo and it was cheaper to get the fifth sleeper so it was a no brainer!

As you’re at Caribbean Beach, what about Sebastian’s Bistro?

You read my mind! We do already have this on our agenda. I’ve never been but have heard great things and this was part of the appeal of CB too. We’re planning this for our first night. Other TS meals we have planned are Topolinos breakfast, Cape May breakfast, beaches and cream dinner and I think we’ve actually decided to just go with the Boathouse. I was set on the dining plan because it worked so well for us last time and my husband liked it but I feel like I’m trying to fit a square peg in a round hole with what we wanted to do this time, so I think we’re going to skip it so we have more freedom. I’m currently debating getting a Disney Visa card for the discount (and currently a $400 credit!)

I need to go back and read your trip report now because do I also recall that you did crystal palace? We had a frankly terribly experience there last trip but my son loves the characters, and my parents are also joining us for this trip too and my mom wants to check it out. So it may be back on the agenda for us, but I’m thinking maybe lunch will be better than the switch over between breakfast and lunch when we went last time (the breakfast food was dried out and only half the buffet was open so it was also very slow and the characters took more than 1.5 hours to get around. We had to leave without seeing Pooh!)

An unexpected favorite of ours was Ale and Compass at the Yacht Club.

This is good to know! Seems super convenient from CB so I may add this in as an option.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

We’ll be there like a week later! March 28 to April 3!

So close! It’s too bad we’re not there at the same time - it would be fun to say hello!

You read my mind! We do already have this on our agenda. I’ve never been but have heard great things and this was part of the appeal of CB too. We’re planning this for our first night. Other TS meals we have planned are Topolinos breakfast, Cape May breakfast, beaches and cream dinner and I think we’ve actually decided to just go with the Boathouse. I was set on the dining plan because it worked so well for us last time and my husband liked it but I feel like I’m trying to fit a square peg in a round hole with what we wanted to do this time, so I think we’re going to skip it so we have more freedom. I’m currently debating getting a Disney Visa card for the discount (and currently a $400 credit!)

This is good to know! Seems super convenient from CB so I may add this in as an option.

Your food lineup sounds good! I hear nothing but great things about Sebastian’s and it will be so nice to dine at your resort. I don’t remember if you went to Topolino’s on your last trip, but I thought it was very good (the food especially) when we visited. Don’t miss going out on the outside deck for the excellent views!

Ale and Compass was SO good - it’s a hidden gem. It was such a chill vibe which was welcome after a hectic day in the theme park.

I need to go back and read your trip report now because do I also recall that you did crystal palace? We had a frankly terribly experience there last trip but my son loves the characters, and my parents are also joining us for this trip too and my mom wants to check it out.

I just got around to starting my trip report but am happy to give my two cents! I’ve been to Crystal Palace five times and have yet to meet every character - the best I’ve done is three out of four. I’ve returned so often as I always loved my breakfast, but I have more pause after our experience on our May trip. On prior trips I’d always done a PPO breakfast (one of the first ADRs of the day and before others could enter the park) and LOVED our time there. The restaurant was quiet and uncrowded and the food was super fresh. It was much busier when we went thirty minutes after official park opening and they no longer have two of my favorite menu items (Pooh’s puffed French toast and the custom omelet station). It took forever to even see two characters and our experience was fine but average at best. We’re forgoing CP this time in favor of CRT - we LOVED our lunch there and we’re in prime princess years.

I’d say if you’re willing to do one of the first slots of the day, breakfast is nice - that’s what I’d do when I return. Lunch is another option if you’re really excited to see Pooh and friends. Frankly, I’d skip CP in favor of another character meal (1900 Park Fare was amazing and the food was excellent - just a boat or monorail ride away!) and meet Pooh and a friend at either MK or EP (he meets in the United Kingdom in World Showcase).

 

[pixiedust33]

I don’t remember if you went to Topolino’s on your last trip, but I thought it was very good (the food especially) when we visited. Don’t miss going out on the outside deck for the excellent views!

I haven't been to Topolino's yet! I'm super excited for the food and Minnie is my son's favorite so we're excited to be doing two character meals with her on this trip!

I’ve been to Crystal Palace five times and have yet to meet every character - the best I’ve done is three out of four. I’ve returned so often as I always loved my breakfast, but I have more pause after our experience on our May trip. On prior trips I’d always done a PPO breakfast (one of the first ADRs of the day and before others could enter the park) and LOVED our time there. The restaurant was quiet and uncrowded and the food was super fresh. It was much busier when we went thirty minutes after official park opening and they no longer have two of my favorite menu items (Pooh’s puffed French toast and the custom omelet station). It took forever to even see two characters and our experience was fine but average at best. We’re forgoing CP this time in favor of CRT - we LOVED our lunch there and we’re in prime princess years.

Ok this is very good intel! Thank you! My gut is telling me not to risk wasting time on another bad experience with CP, since we're doing just one MK day this trip, and the fact that you've done it 5 times and the characters have always been slow is definitely weighing heavily against it! To pile on against CP, we went for the turnover from breakfast to lunch, because we wanted to take advantage of early entry and then have a break and I also thought it would be neat to have both breakfast and lunch available. Instead, we had the stale dregs of breakfast, only one side open, and then the very slow beginning of lunch. There was basically no food available for at least 10 minutes and then a huge line built up because only one side was open. We waited at least 45 minutes for one character, then three came in a quick succession and didn't even spend much time with us. We spent over 1.5 hours there and we gave up when Pooh was nowhere in sight still and my son was losing patience and ready for his nap. Servers were also not very friendly and very hard to get their attention for drink refills.

So, now the question of whether it might be worth it for us to do CRT. My son DOES love beauty and the beast and he knows the princesses, but he was also pretty wary of face characters on our last trip. He LOVED all the big stuffy looking ones, but had no interest in speaking to one that just looked like an unknown adult. But kids change a lot in a year and I think he might be more likely to recognize them now. Or maybe we add in a non-park character meal on a different day.... Did you do Storybook Dining by chance? I love Dopey so that one is tempting to me personally!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I haven't been to Topolino's yet! I'm super excited for the food and Minnie is my son's favorite so we're excited to be doing two character meals with her on this trip!

Oh, you'll love it! Our character interaction was good and the food was awesome. The view is also amazing!

We had an early ADR (8:40am?) when it was only moderately busy and got right in. The restaurant lobby was much more crowded when we left an hour later.

Ok this is very good intel! Thank you! My gut is telling me not to risk wasting time on another bad experience with CP, since we're doing just one MK day this trip, and the fact that you've done it 5 times and the characters have always been slow is definitely weighing heavily against it! To pile on against CP, we went for the turnover from breakfast to lunch, because we wanted to take advantage of early entry and then have a break and I also thought it would be neat to have both breakfast and lunch available. Instead, we had the stale dregs of breakfast, only one side open, and then the very slow beginning of lunch. There was basically no food available for at least 10 minutes and then a huge line built up because only one side was open. We waited at least 45 minutes for one character, then three came in a quick succession and didn't even spend much time with us. We spent over 1.5 hours there and we gave up when Pooh was nowhere in sight still and my son was losing patience and ready for his nap. Servers were also not very friendly and very hard to get their attention for drink refills.

Definitely skip Crystal Palace if you've only got one day at MK. You can meet Pooh elsewhere (not to mention get much better food with less frustration elsewhere in the park). If you want a sit-down break, what about Tony's Town Square? They updated the menu and it sounds pretty tasty now. Liberty Tree Tavern is also very tasty - and has Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake!

So, now the question of whether it might be worth it for us to do CRT. My son DOES love beauty and the beast and he knows the princesses, but he was also pretty wary of face characters on our last trip. He LOVED all the big stuffy looking ones, but had no interest in speaking to one that just looked like an unknown adult. But kids change a lot in a year and I think he might be more likely to recognize them now. Or maybe we add in a non-park character meal on a different day.... Did you do Storybook Dining by chance? I love Dopey so that one is tempting to me personally!

CRT exceeded my expectations, but it is a pricy character meal if you're not sure he'll enjoy it. You might like it, though!

Yes, we did Storybook Dining! We had a good experience overall, but Grumpy must've been extra grumpy that day as it took him forever to come out. We were there almost two hours and would've been done in less than 90 minutes if not for the wait for Grumpy. The extra wait made me grumpy.

That said, our food was EXCELLENT and the character interactions were very good. The restaurant is also beautiful, as is the Wilderness Lodge. This character meal fell in the middle of the pack for us because of our extra-long wait, but I think 90 minutes is more typical and would be happy to return.

As I mentioned above 1900 Park Fare would be another wonderful choice if your son is open to face characters. For a buffet, the food is AMAZING and the characters (Mirabelle, Aladdin, Cinderella, and Tiana) were great.

 

[pkondz]

I’m super excited (and shocked!) to be planning another trip to Disney World!

Always a good thing.

It was my first time back to the World in eight years after enjoying nearly annual trips from 2012-2016.

That must've been a bit of a shock to the system!

Traveling with two young kids is very different than traveling with another adult.

You don't say.

our one-year-old (and the excessive heat) meant a big daily break.

Good! Kids need those breaks.

We also ran out of steam at the end of our trip when three of the four of us came down with a respiratory illness (which we discovered was COVID when we got home – no wonder we felt so tired! ).

Oh, no. Sorry to heat that. I take it that everyone is okay now?

I also missed a few things including riding the Peoplemover (!)

He wasn’t as enamored with Disney as I’d hoped during our family trip.

Are you sure you married the right guy??

It came to me… what if my sister Anika came along?

I remember her!

I’d barely started to pitch the idea to Anika before she said, “would you like me to come?!”

I checked airfare (spring break prices… oof! )

Ugh... airfare in general is off the charts now.

We have one (one!) option for direct flights from our airport

That's one more than I've got!

Remember I mentioned this trip was different for me? Let’s keep track, shall we…

Difference #1: I booked a room and ticket package directly with Disney World.

Difference #2: We have a direct flight and will arrive in Orlando before noon.

Difference #3: We’re flying into Sanford Orlando Airport instead of MCO.

Difference #4: I booked this trip just 62 days out.. prior trips have been booked months and months in advance.

Difference #5: I selected base park tickets with our package - I've never done Disney without park hoppers!

Difference #6: (From my last trip) – it was the return of the girls' only trip!

Plans are coming along. Lots of differences, but lots of fun, too!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Always a good thing.

I’m not sad about it! It’s amazing, though, how fast you can plan a trip when you’ve been so many times before. Disney World is overwhelming but it’s easier when you know what you don’t need to waste time on.

You don't say.

I know, I know. Everything is different with kids, but I wasn’t sure exactly how it would play out at Disney World. Frankly, they did very well (we’re lucky that they’re great in restaurants) and M was super excited most of the time, but rider swap in particular really slowed us down.

Good! Kids need those breaks.

Frankly, I needed those breaks with the heat! There’s a reason we’re going back in March when it’s much cooler!

Oh, no. Sorry to heat that. I take it that everyone is okay now?

Oh, yes! Thankfully it was a fairly moderate case (both girls got mild fevers, but they do for nearly every illness) and I was mostly really tired. All of us were vaccinated and three of us had it before, so it wasn’t too bad. And G never tested positive, although he felt quite tired and had some muscle aches. Mostly I feel bad that we exposed others as we didn’t realize it was COVID until we got home.

I know - I can’t believe it either! G rode it with the girls while I was on TRON (I chose my favorite Carrousel of Progress during his TRON ride) and never had another chance. After missing it I planned to ride it during the extended evening hours, but I skipped my solo time as I was SO tired. (Likely thanks to the certain virus we picked up.)

I’m not missing it this time!

Are you sure you married the right guy??

He’s awesome other than his feelings about Disney World. His favorite vacation spot is the National Parks where he can hike away from the crowds - he loves being in nature. The crowded parks (and especially the entitled and rude guests) in Disney World really bothered him and was a bit much for his introverted nature. One of these years I’d love to visit Disneyland instead - I think he’d like that lower-key and smaller park more than the sprawling Disney World.

She’s SO excited! I’m excited that she’s excited!

Ugh... airfare in general is off the charts now.

It’s nuts! Certainly, spring break hikes up the cost, but the airfare we’re booking for a trip this June is also pretty high. I’m not a fan.

That's one more than I've got!

After college I lived in a bigger city that had multiple direct options to many more cities, including Orlando. I miss it!

Plans are coming along. Lots of differences, but lots of fun, too!

Yes, I think it will be great! I just find it amusing that I’m throwing my usual rulebook out the window - it may be my favorite trip yet!

 

[Woth2982]

Love the Redemption Tour title! How fun for your sister to join you and the girls. I always joke I have more fun without my husband. My Best friend and I took our families in November and promptly decided we needed a husband/kid free Disney trip for our 20th Friendaversary in 2026. Yes we celebrate being friends

My mom and I are arriving on March 26 so we just miss you guys! I accidentally booked the wrong flight so we just HAD to come in two days earlier. Disney Mathed it somehow. We are doing a split stay so now we are debating if we want to do a water park on the day we check into Poly. Guess it will depend on the temps.

 

[pkondz]

Disney World is overwhelming but it’s easier when you know what you don’t need to waste time on.

Everything is different with kids, but I wasn’t sure exactly how it would play out at Disney World. Frankly, they did very well (we’re lucky that they’re great in restaurants

That's a huge plus.

Frankly, I needed those breaks with the heat!

He’s awesome other than his feelings about Disney World.

Hmmm... Okay... He's on probation.

His favorite vacation spot is the National Parks where he can hike away from the crowds - he loves being in nature

Not a bad second choice.

The crowded parks (and especially the entitled and rude guests) in Disney World really bothered him and was a bit much

The entitled and rude guests bother me... heck, everyone too.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Love the Redemption Tour title! How fun for your sister to join you and the girls. I always joke I have more fun without my husband. My Best friend and I took our families in November and promptly decided we needed a husband/kid free Disney trip for our 20th Friendaversary in 2026. Yes we celebrate being friends

Thanks! I had fun coming up with that one.

I’m SO excited to return to the World with Anika! We have very similar touring styles (plus, she loves snacks as much as I do!) so I think we’ll have a great time. I love your plan for a Friendaversay trip!

My mom and I are arriving on March 26 so we just miss you guys! I accidentally booked the wrong flight so we just HAD to come in two days earlier. Disney Mathed it somehow. We are doing a split stay so now we are debating if we want to do a water park on the day we check into Poly. Guess it will depend on the temps.

Well shoot, I’m sorry we’ll miss you! (Also, Disney math. )

The water park perk is great but sometimes tough to work in. If it sticks around I can see using it on a split stay but we don’t usually arrive early enough to make it work on arrival day. I think your plan of possibly using it if it’s warm enough is a good one - a chilly day at the waterpark sounds miserable.

Hmmm... Okay... He's on probation.

My older daughter seemed to love Disney World, though, so I’ll have a built-in travel companion regardless!

The entitled and rude guests bother me... heck, everyone too.

It seemed like there was more poor behavior than I remembered. I think the rudeness has risen with the prices.

 

[pkondz]

My older daughter seemed to love Disney World, though, so I’ll have a built-in travel companion regardless!

It seemed like there was more poor behavior than I remembered. I think the rudeness has risen with the prices.

Maybe there's a correlation. Or maybe it's just more and more people feel entitled these days. There's certainly enough videos out there of Karens and Kevins doing their thing.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Hey, I just had to convert one of the them into a fan. I still have a shot with L, too!

Maybe there's a correlation. Or maybe it's just more and more people feel entitled these days. There's certainly enough videos out there of Karens and Kevins doing their thing.

I mean, I get it to some degree... between the crowds and the heat and the exhaustion, I've gotten cranky, too. Still, it's not fair to ruin someone else's magic with my cranky moment. There's enough magic for all of us!

 

[pkondz]

I mean, I get it to some degree... between the crowds and the heat and the exhaustion, I've gotten cranky, too.

It’s a lethal combination.

Still, it's not fair to ruin someone else's magic with my cranky moment. There's enough magic for all of us!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Let’s Skip the Park Hopping?
Park Plans

I’m sorry in advance for the word-heavy post. You’ll find more pictures in the next one!

With the trip officially booked I had one day to finalize our park plans before our ADR window opened.

No pressure.

Thankfully, I’d been thinking about our park lineup long before I hit the “purchase” button on the Disney World website.

With our flight times and skyliner access, I knew I wanted to start and end our trip in Epcot. Epcot was the traditional “first” park when I used to travel with Anika and I knew it would be easy to get to and from there. Plus, I wanted to make sure we had time to try the Flower and Garden Food booths, so skipping an ADR and snacking around World Showcase on arrival day sounded like a win!

I also knew I wanted our first full day to be in Magic Kingdom. There are so many things that both girls can ride (and I LOVE the Magic Kingdom).

I wanted full days in the other two parks as well. There’s so much atmosphere at Animal Kingdom (it’s my second favorite park) and we could have a chill day even while being in the park. Hollywood Studios practically requires a full day with all the big-name attractions that are stuffed into that small space.

That left one empty day – obviously, we needed an additional day at Magic Kingdom. You can’t get through everything in one day!

But… six park days in a row with two young children?

Yes, indeed.

I may regret it later but now it sounds like a GREAT idea.

The cooler temperatures will help us tremendously here. We needed that break last May to get extended time out of the heat. We also needed that break so L could nap, which she no longer wants to do. If she gets tired she can conk out in the stroller or Auntie Anika can take her back to AoA for a rest while M and I keep touring.

Plus, although I’m a rope-drop-all-the-time person, we could forgo it on two mornings if needed. Animal Kingdom is doable in less than a day (especially when you purchase lightning lanes), so we could get there later in morning and still knock out our must-dos. Our second Magic Kingdom day is another flexible day – lightning lanes should help us here as well.

I also have only two nighttime priorities – Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom and Fantasmic at Hollywood Studios. Happily Ever After is a must-do for me (I love the MK fireworks!) and I’d love another shot at Fantasmic. We don’t plan to stay late for Luminous at Epcot (I watched it last May and it was… fine?) so that will give us a bit more sleep that night. Animal Kingdom will be another early night as the park closes at six and we’ll head back to the room after dinner. Our second Magic Kingdom day will also be on the early side as we won’t stay for a second round of fireworks.

Although crowd calendars are not perfect, I used the crowd calendar from Touring Plans to determine the order for our remaining park days.

Here is our final schedule:

Friday – Arrival day + Epcot
Saturday – Magic Kingdom + Happily Ever After Fireworks
Sunday – Animal Kingdom
Monday – Magic Kingdom
Tuesday – Hollywood Studios + Fantasmic
Wednesday – Epcot + Departure day

The only morning that might be tough is our final one – the girls may be tired Wednesday morning if we do make it to Fantasmic. However, since it’s our last day I think we can power thought it. At least they get to ride in the stroller!

Something you may notice from this schedule... we are doing zero park hopping on this trip.

I've never done a Disney World trip without park hoppers (even the trips with my parents in the mid-2000's). I realized we really could do this without park hopping and save $300... this might be a good idea for this shorter trip! We wanted full days in each park and wouldn't need hoppers for extended hours at our value resort.

Regular base tickets it was!

I should've saved adding it to the official "difference list" on this post rather than the last one, but switching from my regular park hopper to a base ticket is a BIG difference for me!

However, another difference is...

Difference #7: This is the shortest Disney trip I've taken in almost 20 years!

I've been very fortunate to enjoy longer Disney trips since I started planning my own in 2012. Anika and I took two nine-day trips and one 17 (!) day trip, and my last two trips have been 10 days long. Six days feels very short but we're going to make the most of it!

I’m very pleased with this lineup. This gives us one full day in each park (we’re arriving at Epcot on the first day around the time we’ll be leaving on the last day) and two days in Magic Kingdom. Our early evenings on our Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and second Magic Kingdom nights should help with our early mornings. We won’t have much pool time, but we may not need (or want) much pool time depending on the temperatures.

With our park plans determined it was time for the most important part… the food!

Up Next: ADR Time!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Let’s Eat!
Booking ADRs

I love Disney dining. A lot.

On past trips with Anika, we’d eat at two or three table service restaurants per day. I loved experiencing the restaurants and having built-in breaks in the air conditioning. My craziest day was back in 2013 when we had four ADRs in a single day – breakfast at Kona Café, lunch at Rose and Crown, early dinner Le Cellier, and the fireworks dessert party at MK. It was so much fun!

I tempered it down a bit for our family trip last May – I stuck with no more than two ADRs each day. It was still nice to get out of the heat and have a guaranteed high chair for L.

To maximize our park time with our short trip, we’re going to try only one ADR per day.

You know, like normal people do when visiting Disney World.

None of my choices are new restaurants for us (well, me), but I’m excited to revisit a few favorites. Unlike the onslaught of character meals last trip, we only have two character meals planned this time (favorites from last May) as well as three other places I haven’t been to in almost ten years.

We landed on…

Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table

This was our favorite character meal last May. The setting was awesome, the characters were great, and the food was very good. I actually felt it was a good value for the overall experience and food selection!

We enjoyed lunch last time and are doing breakfast this time around. I feel the value isn’t as high but it will be nice to eat in a more quiet restaurant. We scored an ADR first thing in the morning on our first Magic Kingdom day – hooray! It will be Anika’s first time dining here and she’s excited!

“Brunch” at 1900 Park Fare

This was another favorite character meal last May. We have a late-morning ADR on our second Magic Kingdom day. Anika is excited to eat at the Grand Floridian (it’s her favorite resort) and we’ll all enjoy the great breakfast fare (pull-apart bread! Eggs benedict! Cheesy Potato Casserole! Strawberry soup!). Honestly, the menu sounds SO good. It will be Anika’s first time here since the re-do (we had dinner there back in 2015) and everyone’s first time here for breakfast.

Lunch at Via Napoli

Spoiler: we missed our Via Napoli reservation last May and it made me SO sad. I love that restaurant and had eaten there on every trip since 2012, so it was tough to miss. I want to enjoy many of the Flower and Garden food booths, but this ADR was a must-do. Anika loves it and I think the girls will, too!

Dinner Fantasmic Package at Sci-Fi Dine-In

Anika and I tried Sci-Fi back in 2015 and enjoyed it. The food was decent but the atmosphere was super fun. I have some hesitations trying this place with L (the cars and high chairs do not mix), but we may be able to make a booster seat work so… why not? I booked a Fantasmic package as I love being able to walk right into the theatre and get a semi-decent seat. We would’ve gotten a better value just eating at Sci-Fi without the Fantasmic package, but I figure I’m also “paying” for the reserved seating so I’m okay with the inflated price.

I was pleasantly surprised I was able to book this – it was the ADR that I deemed was the hardest to get. It helps that our Hollywood Studios day is near the end of our trip. Our dinner is absurdly early (just before 5:00), but perhaps that’s how it is for the Fantasmic package? It works for us regardless, so Sci-Fi it is!

Dinner at Sanaa

Another spot I was sad to miss last May was our visit to Animal Kingdom Lodge. Anika and I stayed here back in 2012 and I fell in love with that resort. M (and now L) will LOVE seeing the animals. We bypassed Boma (our planned dinner spot last May) in favor of Sanaa. Anika will split the bread service with me (G would be a hard no on those dips) and dining near the animals will be fun for the girls. I hope to spend some time at Jambo House, too – I love that lobby!

Finally, it wouldn’t be a Disney trip for me without…

Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Party

I’ve booked this experience for every trip since 2013. The price is now more than twice what I paid for our first dessert party, but I found it 100% worth the new price with young kids. The desserts were fine (good, but nothing spectacular and a smaller selection than I remembered from past trips), but the reserved garden seating was AMAZING.

Technically, I cheated on my one-ADR-per-day rule for this trip… but as it’s not a “meal” I’m going to say it’s fine.

Booking ADRs for this trip was very easy and straightforward. L woke me up early on ADR day (thanks?) so I booked everything within minutes once the site refreshed. I was super pumped about our CRT time considering I booked that at 60+1 and also thrilled to nab the Fantasmic package for Sci-Fi. Our original plans included an Ohana brunch instead of 1900 Park Fare, but after speaking with Anika we swapped it out to get the better food.

I also learned my lesson after my dessert party ADR issues last time.

In case you’re new, I had to book our dessert party three times (!) and it was stressful. This time I booked Anika, M, and I for the party and then called to add L to the reservation. She is under three and therefore free but still needs to be counted in the reservation. Unlike CRT they don’t have a spot to add infants (why?!), so I elected to book the paid folks and modify the number rather than modify the payments and request a refund. This plan worked great and I highly recommend it if you’re worried about availability and your “free” child makes your party an even number. They’d give us the same table for three as they would for four, so it seemed like an easy update to me. Whew!

As for the rest of our meals, we plan to eat a LOT of snacks in addition to some quick service dining. I feel like this is a “bonus” trip so I’m trying to keep our costs in check. My husband is not a snacker, but my sister is all-in on this plan. We may also consider adding an ADR on the fly (Spice Road Table would be fun and loved by everyone), but we’ll see how we feel once we’re there.

To wrap this up we just need to add our next difference...

Difference #8: I booked only one ADR each day.

I’ll be sure to talk more about food once the Flower and Garden food lineup is announced!

Up Next: Magical Extras

 

[pixiedust33]

You've got some great dining planned and I'm excited to hear how it all goes! Also would really like to hear about how your girls like Sanaa and how the animal viewing is! I'm on the fence myself about Sanaa versus Boma for our upcoming trip. I booked Boma earlier this week on our ADR window, but I'm also thinking about switching to Sanaa or maybe trying it for quick service breakfast!

Anika and I tried Sci-Fi back in 2015 and enjoyed it. The food was decent but the atmosphere was super fun. I have some hesitations trying this place with L (the cars and high chairs do not mix), but we may be able to make a booster seat work so… why not? I booked a Fantasmic package as I love being able to walk right into the theatre and get a semi-decent seat. We would’ve gotten a better value just eating at Sci-Fi without the Fantasmic package, but I figure I’m also “paying” for the reserved seating so I’m okay with the inflated price.

I am a die hard Sci Fi apologist, so I fully support this and think the atmosphere is super fun and exactly what I want out of Disney. But I feel I must warn you that the food was BAD, like, really bad to inedible on our trip last March. I think where we erred was not just getting burgers and fries at a place that is clearly intended for that. If I recall right, on our last trip, I got some sort of sandwich that was labeled a Bahn mi, because I love Bahn mi, and it was so flavorless, and overcooked and also tasted like poor quality meat. I only ate a few bites. My husband also got some sort of specialty sandwich and thought it was really bad. The best food was definitely my two year old's kid burger and fries! I will definitely return but will have learned my lesson on branching out.

But also just a note on the seat with L - they did offer a booster, but we were also trying to set three across in one row, and that was a tight fit. My son is tall so he did fine with no booster even at 2.5, but definitely a good option with your group of 4 to split between two rows and use a booster. The cars make it so much more fun so I really didn't want to be in a table.

I'm also so excited about snacks! Anything you're particularly excited about?? I've seen this creme brûlée croissant in Gaston's Tavern that is new since we last went and that people have been raving about, so that's high on my list!