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

[SimplyGoofy]

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!

Thank you! I'm really excited about our choices, even with scaling back on my usual ADR stacking. I'm sure I'll likely order the kid's fish with a side of mac and cheese for one side (both girls like fish and L LOVES mac and cheese), but I think both may try the bread service as well.

I love the Boma brunch but must admit that the Sanaa breakfast choices sound really good!

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.

This is really good to know - thank you! We stuck with pretty basic fare the last time we dined here (Anika had a burger and I had a reuben sandwich) and thought it was good but not great. I'm sure we'll order mini corn dogs for M which should also be fine.

Also, I'm glad the booster is an option! We exclusively used high chairs last time, but L is more likely to use boosters this time. We'll still need something for her as my girls are NOT tall.

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!

Oh my, ME TOO!!! Anika has a running list of must-try snacks and I need to put together a list as well. I'll have a full post about snacks (plus Flower and Garden treats, which are kind of like snacks?), but on the top of my list is the cheeseburger egg rolls from the Adventureland cart since I missed them last time.

 

[Mollydolly334]

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.

We LOVED our brunch ADR here back in September. The characters were top-notch, the restaurant is just gorgeous, and the food was DELICIOUS. It was everyone's favorite meal and Jake won't stop raving about it to this day. And this is coming from a guy who doesn't prefer character meals! He vowed that it needs to be an every-trip tradition from now on! This was an ADR I booked on a whim just in case we wanted to do something on our last day (I almost forgot we even had it booked), and it was definitely the "sleeper hit" of the trip!

 

[Isabelle12345]

I agree - 1900 Park Fare brunch was my highlight during our summer trip where we tried many new-to-us character meals!
We are repeating it in March for our next trip!
Everything was delicious and the characters were so fun! Enjoy!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

We LOVED our brunch ADR here back in September. The characters were top-notch, the restaurant is just gorgeous, and the food was DELICIOUS. It was everyone's favorite meal and Jake won't stop raving about it to this day. And this is coming from a guy who doesn't prefer character meals! He vowed that it needs to be an every-trip tradition from now on! This was an ADR I booked on a whim just in case we wanted to do something on our last day (I almost forgot we even had it booked), and it was definitely the "sleeper hit" of the trip!

This is great to hear - thanks for validating this choice, Molly! Now I feel even better about swapping out our Ohana for Park Fare!

The characters were wonderful when we went here for dinner, but I’m especially excited to try this lineup of breakfast food. The fact that Jake is still talking about it and wants this brunch to be an every-trip tradition says a ton about the quality of this meal!

I agree - 1900 Park Fare brunch was my highlight during our summer trip where we tried many new-to-us character meals!
We are repeating it in March for our next trip!
Everything was delicious and the characters were so fun! Enjoy!

Thank you so much for another endorsement! The fact that you’re repeating it for your upcoming trip is a great sign.

Our dinner at 1900 Park Fare was wonderful (the food didn’t taste like it came from a buffet!) and I agree that the characters were excellent.

 

[madeline07]

Plans sound so amazing! I'm looking forward to keeping up with your trip

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Plans sound so amazing! I'm looking forward to keeping up with your trip

Welcome, Syd! I’m so glad you’re here!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Magic Kingdom, Here I Come!
Magical Extras

With the park plans and dining ready to go, let’s talk about those magical extras!

First up, I can’t imagine a trip without Memory Maker.

I LOVE getting all those pictures and feel like we missed a ton of fun photos during our last trip. The heat and fumbling with the stroller (not to mention my somewhat picture-adverse husband) meant we didn’t stop nearly as much as I’d hoped.

Anika is not as enthusiastic about pictures as I am, but she’s used to it thanks to our prior trips. She should also be a good influence to encourage the girls to stop for pictures. I’m most excited about pictures with the Epcot topiaries!

The big downside is Memory Maker is getting expensive ($185!). I knew G wouldn’t be thrilled about the expense, so instead I used Target Circle rewards to acquire Disney gift cards to pay for it.

(Technically you can’t use rewards or gift cards to pay for Disney gift cards. However, I haven’t had trouble using the rewards toward a purchase that included both a Disney gift card and enough other merchandise that was more than the value of the rewards being used. Your mileage may vary!)

One additional note – you can consolidate your Disney gift cards onto a single card on a Disney gift card site. I did this to use a single card to purchase Memory Maker. It was also very useful on our last trip to pay for mobile orders!

One magical extra we’re skipping this time is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. We loved our experience there and would absolutely do it again, but we’ll wait until our next family trip when M and L can do the experience together. L is only two and therefore not big enough for BBB quite yet.

A magical extra I already mentioned is the Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Party – M was a big fan last time!

She ate four (!) of the chocolate pops – they were a hit!

The value of the dessert party is not the desserts – they’re fine, but the selection is slim and the quality falls in the fair-good range. The value is the prime garden seating – I’d say you’re paying $20 for the desserts and $75 for the seating. Still, it worked remarkably well for us last year and I know Anika will enjoy it as well.

Speaking of Anika, that leads to our next extra…

I ordered new Magic Bands!

Anika has not been to Disney World in ten years, so her old original bands no longer work. I know a Magic Band is not required, but we got used to them and find they make things easier. Anika was happy to pay for her own band.

Thanks to @vamassey1 I discovered you can decline bands so I didn’t order them for the girls. L doesn’t really need one and M has a Sally band from last year.

But you may have noticed an extra magic band in the picture.

Did I need a new band?

No.

Did I fall in love with a design and order it anyway?

You betcha.

And yes, Anika and I both loved the same band. We’re sisters, after all. Thankfully, our names are on the back so we shouldn’t have trouble figuring out which one belongs to each of us.

Our biggest magical extra is just for me.

Anika had mentioned to my mom that I could enjoy some time by myself on this trip. Once I heard that, I schemed about which park would be fun to visit at night (my favorite time in the parks and one that’s not great with young children).

Then I was curious… what special events were going on during our visit?

Much to my delight, an after-hours event at MAGIC KINGDOM would be happening during our trip!

(screenshot from Disney site)

I adore Magic Kingdom. I’d hoped to enjoy some alone time during our last trip, but I skipped the extended evening hours as I was SO TIRED that night. (Thanks, developing illness!) I was sad to miss time wandering around and riding a few favorite attractions again (Haunted Mansion! The Peoplemover! Dumbo at night!).

I double-checked with Anika first, but she gave me the go-ahead and I booked the Magic Kingdom After Hours event for myself!



Oh my goodness, I’m SO excited for my late night in Magic Kingdom! The late-night extra magic hours back in the day were my FAVORITE time in the park. (Anika’s, too – maybe someday we can do it again together!)

The After Hours event is from 10:00pm to 1:00am, but I can get in as early as 7:00 on the event ticket. My solo evening at MK is the same day as our second day in that park, so I could actually arrive before 7:00 on my regular ticket.

My plan for that evening is to enjoy dinner with the crew and help Anika get the girls back to the room. She’d be happy to do it herself, but it would be tough with two single strollers. Once they’re settled I’ll catch a bus to MK and enjoy my evening!

I’d like to get there early enough for another spin on the Carousel of Progress (which closes at regular park closing) and perhaps have a lightning lane or two ready to go. I’d also love to get a Cream Cheese Pretzel from the Lunching Pad if I missed it earlier in the trip – it’s one of my favorite snacks that I missed during our last trip.

I may or may not stop for Happily Ever After (as we’ll see it two days before) but I look forward to short lines at several classic attractions. Haunted Mansion and Pirates are must-dos, as is Space Mountain and the Peoplemover (both of which I missed last trip). I’d love to ride Mine Train again if the lines are short and I may try TRON again. I also love Storybook Circus at night – Dumbo is beautiful when it’s all lit up!

I’m going to be mighty tired after my late night, but I’m sure the Disney adrenaline will power me through Hollywood Studios the following day. The exhaustion will be worth it!

That leads us to our next difference...

Difference #9 - I get to attend my first Disney After-Hours event.

Bring on the Mickey bars!

Let me know if you have a favorite magical extra that you love to include in your trips!

Up Next: More Food

 

[pkondz]

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

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

I used to always buy park hoppers... then rarely used them. I almost always would spend the entire day at one park. I couldn't justify the time lost for travel. Especially when I already had a limited supply of time.

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

And it's longer than many of mine.

Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table

Good choice.

Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Party

Nice! Which one did you book? Pre? During? After?

First up, I can’t imagine a trip without Memory Maker.

I never got it at first... until I started writing TRs.

The big downside is Memory Maker is getting expensive ($185!).

Did I need a new band?

No.

Did I fall in love with a design and order it anyway?

You betcha.

I double-checked with Anika first, but she gave me the go-ahead and I booked the Magic Kingdom After Hours event for myself!

That's great!!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I used to always buy park hoppers... then rarely used them. I almost always would spend the entire day at one park. I couldn't justify the time lost for travel. Especially when I already had a limited supply of time.

It’s true that you lose a lot of time park hopping (except perhaps between Epcot and the Studios given their proximity and the Skyliner). The park hopper made a lot more sense when they had the old extra magic hours setup - it was nice to go to one park during the day and then the late extra hours park that night. I’ve also enjoyed going to one park during the day and then going to another park for dinner and the evening show.

Since we want to take advantage of as much park time as possible (and the late magic hours aren’t applicable at the value resorts), foregoing the hoppers made sense for this trip. It just feels strange to me!

And it's longer than many of mine.

I didn’t realize that! You seemed to get a lot done, then, if you had limited time!

Good choice.

We loved our meal at CRT - I even felt it was a pretty good value for lunch (at least a good value for Disney). I’m excited to try breakfast and Anika is excited for her first visit to that restaurant!

Nice! Which one did you book? Pre? During? After?

I booked the Pre-Party, which makes the most sense with young kids. I’d love to try the After Party once they’re a little older, although honestly we had no problem finding a spot in the garden even with our late arrival with the pre-party. I liked the closer garden view to better see the castle projections.

I never got it at first... until I started writing TRs.

I bought it for the first time for my 2012 trip, which come to think of it, is after I joined the DISboards.

I’m sure there’s no coincidence.

I remember when it was a mere $99! $185 is ridiculous (although I’m still paying for it, so perhaps not ridiculous enough?).

But I mean, honestly, isn’t that band the greatest?! It has the partners statue! And the icons from each park! And it’s a neutral color that goes with everything!

That's great!!

I’m SO excited for my solo night in the Magic Kingdom! I’m excited for the rides and the treats, of course, but most excited to wander around MK at my leisure. It will be delightful!

 

[pkondz]

I didn’t realize that! You seemed to get a lot done, then, if you had limited time!

Usually 4-5 days

We loved our meal at CRT - I even felt it was a pretty good value for lunch (at least a good value for Disney). I’m excited to try breakfast and Anika is excited for her first visit to that restaurant!

Last time I ate there was dinner, but the first time (about 20 years ago!) there was only breakfast available.

I booked the Pre-Party, which makes the most sense with young kids. I’d love to try the After Party once they’re a little older, although honestly we had no problem finding a spot in the garden even with our late arrival with the pre-party. I liked the closer garden view to better see the castle projections.

Are there seats in the garden area? Or are you sitting on the grass?

I remember when it was a mere $99! $185 is ridiculous (although I’m still paying for it, so perhaps not ridiculous enough?).

But I mean, honestly, isn’t that band the greatest?! It has the partners statue! And the icons from each park! And it’s a neutral color that goes with everything!

How could you not??

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Are there seats in the garden area? Or are you sitting on the grass?

Yes, you just sit in the grass in the right garden (the left garden is for VIP tours).

A few minutes before the fireworks begin a CM comes around and most people stand up and crowd toward the front. We stood but stayed where we were - the view was essentially the same and it was much less crowded. We were in the back corner as we arrived about 30 minutes before the fireworks started - many people arrive earlier as the same garden holds both the pre- and post-party guests. Since we were in the back, there was no one behind us.

How could you not??

Absolutely!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

So Much to Do, So Little Time...
Dones and To-Dos

Can you believe it… we leave in just 29 days!



Twenty-nine days from now we’ll be checking in to Art of Animation Resort and taking the Skyliner to Epcot for Flower and Garden goodies.

Whoo-hoo!!!

With less than 30 days to go (!) it’s time to get going on my (bigger than I thought) pre-trip to-do list.

First, let’s review a few things I have taken care of…

I sent in my room request through Touring Plans.
I know they’re more hit-and-miss now, so I plan to call Disney early next week and reiterate our request. We booked the Lion King Suites, so I’m requesting Building 6 with a view of Hourglass Lake. It’s not the worst thing in the world if we don’t get our request, but it doesn’t hurt to ask!

I completed my resort online check-in.

I purchased Memory Maker.

I’ve purchased most toiletry and travel items (or they’re sitting in my Amazon cart).

With those four things out of the way, we’re left with… 34 things left to do at last count.

These include:

Purchase a few clothing items, including jeans and a few shirts for me and sandals (and possibly shorts) for M.

Make lists of snacks, good quick service options, and must-try items from the Flower and Garden booths (once those menus are released).

Create a grocery list and place our order with Amazon Fresh.

Give Anika her Magic Band and pair my new one to my phone.

Plan and book our lightning lane selections.

Gather our travel documents.

Clean up our stroller and pack up the stroller and park gear.

Finalize and print the packing checklist.

Pack two suitcases, three carry-on bags, and one diaper bag.

Add AirTags to our bags and stroller.

Charge all the electronics and download movies to the girls’ tablets.

Whew! In some ways preparing for the vacation is the worst part of vacation!

One other item I need to do is purchase my additional Disney gift cards. I alluded to it in my last post, but I’ve been racking up Target Circle rewards and using those and other gift cards to build my Disney gift card stash. Between the Visa gift cards I’d forgotten about and the Target rewards, I’ll have about $400 in extra gift card funds. Bring on the snacks!

One thing I’m scaling down a bit is the outfit coordination. On our last trip, both girls had outfits that were themed for our park plans or meals. Don’t get me wrong – we still have a great selection of Disney shirts and dresses (not to mention tons of ears!), but I’m taking a more relaxed approach this time.

Nonetheless, I’m considering some Epcot-themed ears and a vintage Walt Disney World shirt for me… I’ll let you know if they end up in a shopping cart!

With 29 days to go, I can easily get through the list by knocking off 1-2 things per day. I was pretty specific (each purchase or task is a single item on the list) so it should be easy to knock out several things in a short period of time.

Up Next: Surprise Trip Reveal

 

[pkondz]

Yes, you just sit in the grass in the right garden (the left garden is for VIP tours).

Ah, okay. That's what I thought. I've only done the "during" party. I like having my own table and chair to watch. Only downside is it's off to the side so you don't get that optimal view straight on to the castle. Then again, there are folks who like to watch from behind the castle, so...

Can you believe it… we leave in just 29 days!

Getting cloooooser!

I sent in my room request through Touring Plans.
I know they’re more hit-and-miss now, so I plan to call Disney early next week and reiterate our request. We booked the Lion King Suites, so I’m requesting Building 6 with a view of Hourglass Lake. It’s not the worst thing in the world if we don’t get our request, but it doesn’t hurt to ask!

Good luck. I too have heard some people being successful, others... not so much.

With those four things out of the way, we’re left with… 34 things left to do at last count.

Whew! In some ways preparing for the vacation is the worst part of vacation!

Because you're not on vacation.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Ah, okay. That's what I thought. I've only done the "during" party. I like having my own table and chair to watch. Only downside is it's off to the side so you don't get that optimal view straight on to the castle. Then again, there are folks who like to watch from behind the castle, so...

Our last trip was the first time I tried one of the garden options - they didn’t exist when I last went in 2016. HEA is really nice in the garden - all the projections would be tougher to see from Tomorrowland Terrance.

That said, I’m not opposed to trying the Sweets and Seats version of the dessert party. It certainly was nice to sit during the show!

Getting cloooooser!

Now just 19 days!

Good luck. I too have heard some people being successful, others... not so much.

Thankfully there are only two Lion King building options so it doesn’t matter as much as other resorts. I called Disney last week (another task completed!) and added our room request there too so we should be well covered.

I feel like I keep adding to the list! But I did knock off quite a few things AND packed all of our toiletries and medicine items. I feel like I’m ahead of the game packing-wise.

Because you're not on vacation.

True, true.

 

[pkondz]

Now just 19 days!

You're in the 'teens!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Surprise!!!
Surprising M with Our Trip

We’re just 18 days away from our trip… holy cow!

I crossed off a ton from my to-do list last week, which I’ll highlight below. But first, I have to share a very special present that M opened for Valentine’s Day.

From the moment I thought of taking this trip I thought it was my best chance for a “surprise” trip like you see in the Disney Parks commercials. M falls between my husband and I on surprises (I love them and G does not), so my compromise with G is we’d tell M she was going on a trip during spring break but not tell her where right away.

I considered springing the surprise the night before we left, but I wanted her to sleep (and frankly, wanted her opinion on a few park plans) so that plan was scrapped. We decided Valentine’s Day was the perfect time to unveil the surprise.

And we don’t have just one surprise. The vacation location was the big surprise, but it would also be a fun surprise that Auntie Anika was coming with us. My girls adore their aunt and I knew M would be PUMPED that Anika was coming.

Of course, both girls came down sick a few days before Valentine’s Day. M felt so poorly that she didn’t even want to open her Valentine that Friday night (poor girl!) so instead the surprise waited for the following morning. Thankfully M was feeling better (but still looked a little bedraggled from the illness).

I took a video of the unveiling which I won’t share here, but I did capture a few pictures from within the video.

At the bottom of M’s Valentine gift bag I inserted a document I’d made that looked like this:

Here is M opening it…

and the response...

“We’re going to DISNEY WORLD?!”

Why yes, we are!

Once she learned that, she opened this little box:

Inside the box were our new Magic Bands. I realized after I’d ordered them that I should’ve ordered a new band for M so all three of us (me, Anika, and M) would be listed on the box insert. Thankfully there was an extra slot where I could insert M’s old Magic Band so all three of our bands could be there anyway.

She opened the box and said, “Oh, our bracelets!”

I asked what she saw when she looked in the box.

Pause.

“Auntie Anika?”… <Gasp> “Anika? SHE’S COMING WITH US?!”

Insert screaming. Seriously. She screamed.



As for the band, I didn’t feel as bad not buying a new Magic Band when she immediately wanted to put on her Sally band. She still loves it!

But lesson learned folks… it’s far more important to include the fun aunt than to choose the right vacation destination!

M is super excited about Disney World, though. She’d guessed that Disney was a likely vacation destination when she knew we were leaving Dad at home. I guess my love of Disney gave that one away!

Still, it was fun to surprise her! It’s also fun to be able to talk about our plans and about our most important must-dos.

And my sister was thrilled that M was excited that she was coming. I sent her the video right away and she said it made her day.

On the planning front, I accomplished a lot last week, including:

• Adding Anika’s new TSA precheck number to our flights
• Giving Anika her Magic Band+
• Purchasing toiletries and medications
• Pre-packing the girls’ vitamins
• Downloading our airline’s app
• Setting up M’s new tablet

I even got a head start on packing – our toiletry bags and medicine bags are just about done and I even gathered a few room essentials.

And remember my comment about not coordinating outfits this time?

Okay, I’m not “coordinating” outfits, but I did order three new Disney dresses for M (she prefers dresses over shirts) and two new Disney shirts and one pair of Minnie ears for me. They’re still coming in but I’ll post about them soon!

I also started putting together lists of must-try snacks and breakfast and lunch options in each park. I’m also making a list of where to find hot dogs, corn dogs, and mac and cheese in each park… my girls do have a wider palette than that, but my list may come in handy to avoid hangry meltdowns!

I’m most excited that the food guides for the Flower and Garden Festival should be released this week so I can make a list of our must-try foods. I chose two Epcot days over two Hollywood Studios days specifically for the Flower and Garden Festival and we intend to enjoy as much as we can. Anika has never been to an Epcot festival (!) and she's very excited to try this one!

Up Next: Park Must-Dos

 

[pkondz]

“Auntie Anika?”… <Gasp> “Anika? SHE’S COMING WITH US?!”

Insert screaming. Seriously. She screamed.

But lesson learned folks… it’s far more important to include the fun aunt than to choose the right vacation destination!

She’d guessed that Disney was a likely vacation destination when she knew we were leaving Dad at home. I guess my love of Disney gave that one away!

Your reputation precedes you.

And remember my comment about not coordinating outfits this time?

Uh, oh...

I’m also making a list of where to find hot dogs, corn dogs, and mac and cheese in each park… my girls do have a wider palette than that, but my list may come in handy to avoid hangry meltdowns!

That's smart.

 

[ambula603]

What a fun and adorable surprise!! Good job on pulling the old Mickey band, that worked perfectly! I love the list of trusted foods. Never a bad idea!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I knew she’d be excited about the trip (and about our surprise guest), but I didn’t expect screaming! I’ll take it, though!

My sister was so touched that M seemed more excited about her coming than she was about Disney World. It will be a special trip!

Your reputation precedes you.

Yes, indeed it does!

Uh, oh...

I didn’t go too crazy this time - just a few shirts for me and a few dresses for M. In a bit of good luck, I have a whole stack of Disney related shirts for L because we were originally going to take M when she was two (the trip that was cancelled due to the pandemic). I’m thrilled that someone does get to wear those shirts in Disney World!

That's smart.

I swear my children used to have bigger palates (especially the two-year-old), but that’s how it is right now. The filters on MDE aren’t great for specific menu items so I decided a list was the best move.

What a fun and adorable surprise!! Good job on pulling the old Mickey band, that worked perfectly! I love the list of trusted foods. Never a bad idea!

Thank you! Thank goodness there was an extra slot in that Magic Band box - I was kicking myself once I realized “giving” the box was the best way to surprise M about the trip’s surprise guest. I’ve never been so excited to see an empty slot!

Yes, the more I think about it the happier I am that I made that list!

 

[pkondz]

I knew she’d be excited about the trip (and about our surprise guest), but I didn’t expect screaming! I’ll take it, though!

I have a whole stack of Disney related shirts for L

This surprises... no one.

because we were originally going to take M when she was two (the trip that was cancelled due to the pandemic). I’m thrilled that someone does get to wear those shirts in Disney World!

I'm betting you had another child just so you could put them in those clothes.