They get it now! They really get it! - A November 2019 PTR (updated 11/18/19 - TTFN!)

[lvcourtneyy]

The homecomin brunch does sound delicious! I want to try it but I can’t seem to fit it into our plans lol

 

[kimberwee]

DAY 6
We are headed back to Animal Kingdom

Wrapping up the trip, we always try to get back to our faves before heading home. This is the day before we leave and we loved Animal Kingdom so much, we are going back. We don't plan on staying all day as this also starts Thanksgiving week and the crowd levels will be insane. SO, we are going to just grab a ride on some of our favorites or anything we missed and then head to Disney Springs for drinking, shopping and dinner. Specifically, eating at The Edison!

I mean really...any restaurant that has bacon as an app, is good with me:

And the deviled eggs...get out of here:

So to recap -

Day 6 Restaurants: Animal Kingdom QS & Dinner @ The Edison

RESERVATIONS NEEDED:
Day 1 = 0
Day 2 = 0
Day 3 = 1 (Yak & Yeti @ 6:30)
Day 4 = Universal
Day 5 = 1 (Homecomin' @ 11:30)
Day 6 = 1 (Edison @ 7)

 

[kimberwee]

DAY 7
This is technically a travel day, but we plan on making it an evening flight and are headed back to Magic Kingdom for the afternoon. So, I thought it would be a great idea to have our final big meal as a late breakfast at Be Our Guest.

We've had lunch at BOG, but never breakfast. I checked the menu and it sounds great, but HOLY COW on those breakfast prices.

Depending on flight times, we may have time for a final Mickey Pretzel or Dole Whip...

So to recap -

Day 7 Restaurants: Be Our Guest @ 10:30

RESERVATIONS NEEDED:
Day 1 = 0
Day 2 = 0
Day 3 = 1 (Yak & Yeti @ 6:30)
Day 4 = Universal
Day 5 = 1 (Homecomin' @ 11:30)
Day 6 = 1 (Edison @ 7)
Day 7 = 1 (Be Our Guest @ 10:30)

 

[kimberwee]

WE DID IT!

This holiday weekend we spent time at Lake Texoma, where we have a small place and keep our boat. The drawback? We hit 180 days out on Friday with little cell reception and NO wifi. I limped right along though and this is what we got:

RESERVATIONS MADE:

Day 1 = 0 planned - 0 made
I stayed true to this after wavering a few times. You just never know what arrival day will bring and we want to be flexible.

Day 2 = 0 planned - 1 made
This is where I started to fall apart. I kept the plan of hitting the BDL early, but after hearing good things about the new menu and thinking the boat ride before the MVMCP might be nice, added an early dinner reservation for:

Day 3 = 1 (Yak & Yeti @ 6:30) planned - 1 made
This is where I started cursing the My Disney Experience altogether. I could not find a single dining reservation for Yak & Yeti. I mean, I know its great and its a crowded time of year, but at 5:10am central, this should have been easy. I had to wait until I could call customer service and they gave me the same "no availability" speech, but then told me to call the restaurant directly. So, I did call and got the reservation, outside of the Disney System. They gave me a confirmation number and let me know it wouldn't show up in my list of reservations, but to add it as a note. Very Easy... will have to remember that for restaurants not really run by Disney.

Day 4 = Universal

Day 5 = 1 (Homecomin' @ 11:30) planned - 2 made
Brunch was available for an 11:20 reservation and I was so excited! Deviled Eggs and moonshine, here we come. I was so over the top excited, that I decided it would be nice to snag a reservation at La Hacienda in Epcot so we could see the new fireworks show. We will probably be ready for a break and maybe an app/drinks, so I booked 8:30pm.

Day 6 = 1 (Edison @ 7) planned - 1 made
Apparently, 7 is too large of a party to make reservations for at The Edison and I am STILL trying to get someone to answer the phones there. I emailed today and am waiting with baited breath. Do I make a backup reservation somewhere else in Disney Springs or just try to get in when we get there...UGH!

Day 7 = 1 (Be Our Guest @ 10:30) planned - 1 made
And...I am toying with the idea of cancelling due to the price. I would honestly rather eat at Kona Cafe, but couldn't snag a reservation. SO, I will keep checking to see if I can score one.

Stay tuned for more...

 

[kimberwee]

CHANGE #1 OUT OF WHO KNOWS HOW MANY...

Day 2 - Whispering Canyon

We've dropped this for Grand Floridian Cafe. This was done so that we could wander the GF Gingerbread House display after eating, before heading to the MK for MVMCP. This, from our Poly studios, will be much easier to handle than going over to WL. I'm not AS excited about this meal as I was Whispering Canyon, but it will be less stressful.

 

[kimberwee]

Flights are booked!

Southwest finally released flights yesterday and I booked. DH travels a lot for work, so we are blessed with not only enough points for him and DD, but an annual companion pass for me. Points/Price seemed a little higher than what I was expecting, but it is the week before Thanksgiving. We will keep an eye on it and re-book should the price lower.

Regardless, our arrival into MCO is noon. This will mean lunch at the resort at Captain Cooks after dropping our carry-on bags off, with a quick drink and maybe a Dole Whip, because we're kinda obsessed with them, before heading to the MK. Our departure that morning is at an ungodly hour, so I am actually going to look at scheduling FP in a quick group after 2:30. That way, we can come back to the resort and relax/get settled in our rooms before heading back to the park for EMH or push through and get back to the resort for some resort time.

Our departure on the 26th is scheduled for after 5pm, which would give us some great time in the park. The original plan is to make that a MK day, but we may switch to DHS as FP may be easier to get that far out. DHS is the park that we visit for the shortest amount of time, so we may want to go back and checkout things we missed... OR, because of SWGE, maybe not.

 

[kimberwee]

Crowd Calendars are bouncing all over the place!

We get regular emails from our calendar of choice, that expected park crowd levels are reducing for our dates. This is putting us back to the levels we were expecting before SWGE was announced... anyone else experiencing this for their November/December trip?

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Crowd Calendars are bouncing all over the place!

We get regular emails from our calendar of choice, that expected park crowd levels are reducing for our dates. This is putting us back to the levels we were expecting before SWGE was announced... anyone else experiencing this for their November/December trip?

I keep getting the emails from TPs and I feel like no one really knows what to do with crowd calendars right now. Until we see what happens when SWGE actually opens, I feel everyone is just taking shots in the dark lol

 

[kimberwee]

I totally agree! That is who we use and it seems like it is changing almost daily.

 

[kimberwee]

The Saga Really DOES Continue...

Saw something release today on possible changes to the FP Tiers @ HS...not good.

Big changes are coming to the FastPass+ tier system at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on August 29th.

On the same day that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens at the park, nearly all rides, including Alien Swirling Saucers, Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, will become Tier 1 attractions, meaning guests will only be able to pre-select one of these attractions as a FastPass+ reservation in advance of their visit to the park. The lone exception is Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, which will remain a Tier 2 attraction. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, which will open the same day, will not have FastPass+ available at opening.

AAAGGGHHH!!!!
I know that we haven't talked about FP in this PTR yet, but it was literally going to consist of Slinky Dog and a pass for Rockin Roller Coaster + Tower of Terror

Let's just hope these are dirty rumors...

 

[Minniemoo15]

Looks like a great trip! We are brand new Poly DVC owners, too. We have been to Disney countless times but never stayed at Poly - so I am so excited for our first trip to try it out. It's always been my dream resort to stay at!

I think I would cancel your late morning BOG. I LOVE BOG for a pre-park opening meal and do it almost every year for the 7DMT advantage. But we always do the dining plan so it's a great use of a quick service credit. If I wasn't doing the dining plan, I would not pay that ridiculous price. The food is not that good.

 

[MinnieWebster]

Following along! Your plans sound great!

 

[kimberwee]

Looks like a great trip! We are brand new Poly DVC owners, too. We have been to Disney countless times but never stayed at Poly - so I am so excited for our first trip to try it out. It's always been my dream resort to stay at!

I think I would cancel your late morning BOG. I LOVE BOG for a pre-park opening meal and do it almost every year for the 7DMT advantage. But we always do the dining plan so it's a great use of a quick service credit. If I wasn't doing the dining plan, I would not pay that ridiculous price. The food is not that good.

Totally agree! We weren't impressed with the lunch we had there. Seriously, the grey stuff wasn't THAT delicious The problem is that we don't know what to replace it with. The W family suggested a buffet, but choked at the cost of Chef Mickey's last time. I suggested an early Crystal Palace, but it took too long to make a decision and the availability is gone. Toying with the idea of Whispering Canyon now.

The Poly is AMAZING and you will love it. Just a tip, we've always requested bottom floor in Tokelau, because of it's proximity to pools and being able to walk right out to the pool. It worked well for us last time we went with the W family because we had one big common "balcony/patio" area instead of just ours to use.
Our only complaints about the resort last time: The Dole Whip Machine was malfunctioning most nights we wanted a Dole Whip, the pools closed early and we had to ask for our lei greeting...None of these were really all that annoying and didn't in any way dampen spirits or impact our stay too negatively.

I hope you have a magical trip "home"

Following along! Your plans sound great!

Thanks!

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Ugh the FP changes at HS are terrible. I’m hoping it’s only temporary for the opening of Star Wars and they go back!

 

[kimberwee]

Ugh the FP changes at HS are terrible. I’m hoping it’s only temporary for the opening of Star Wars and they go back!

The problem is that it will likely happen after our trip. I really don't think we will be able to do both RnR and ToT before lunch. The W family doesn't move quickly in the mornings. We were planning on having a break between a day at DHS and the MVMCP...don't think that will happen now.

 

[Minniemoo15]

Totally agree! We weren't impressed with the lunch we had there. Seriously, the grey stuff wasn't THAT delicious The problem is that we don't know what to replace it with. The W family suggested a buffet, but choked at the cost of Chef Mickey's last time. I suggested an early Crystal Palace, but it took too long to make a decision and the availability is gone. Toying with the idea of Whispering Canyon now.

The Poly is AMAZING and you will love it. Just a tip, we've always requested bottom floor in Tokelau, because of it's proximity to pools and being able to walk right out to the pool. It worked well for us last time we went with the W family because we had one big common "balcony/patio" area instead of just ours to use.
Our only complaints about the resort last time: The Dole Whip Machine was malfunctioning most nights we wanted a Dole Whip, the pools closed early and we had to ask for our lei greeting...None of these were really all that annoying and didn't in any way dampen spirits or impact our stay too negatively.

I hope you have a magical trip "home"


Thanks!

That is an amazing tip, thank you! We love the pools and travel with my parents in so having a common patio between the two rooms sounds amazing.

I’ve heard great things about the Wave breakfast?

 

[lvcourtneyy]

The problem is that it will likely happen after our trip. I really don't think we will be able to do both RnR and ToT before lunch. The W family doesn't move quickly in the mornings. We were planning on having a break between a day at DHS and the MVMCP...don't think that will happen now.

The only thing i can hope is that since everyone can only make 1 tier 1 is that it will be easier to get same day FPs for them. I’m thinking my strategy for our DHS days in October will be to book everything as early in the AM as possible so we can use our 3 and then start getting new tier 1s ASAP

 

[kimberwee]

The only thing i can hope is that since everyone can only make 1 tier 1 is that it will be easier to get same day FPs for them. I’m thinking my strategy for our DHS days in October will be to book everything as early in the AM as possible so we can use our 3 and then start getting new tier 1s ASAP

There's been a lot of talk about that and how to get through them quickly on the Strategies board. I kind of feel bad for those young families who want the first showing of Frozen Sing Along or Disney Jr Dance Party, because they will be really unhappy when everyone eats those as a throw-away. I don't see any way around it though

 

[yeheyprincex2]

Hmmm, wonder what we will want to eat 180 day's from now...I'm going to guess:

DAY 1

11/20 - Travel Day + Magic Kingdom - This is always a hard one. We are flying Southwest and the flight schedule hasn't been released yet for our dates, so it's hard to tell what time we will arrive and what lay-overs will look like. If we leave early in the morning as planned, we would land around lunch time... add in ME and who knows what time we will arrive at the Poly. Last trip, we ate at Captain Cooks upon arrival, which was just ok. We never dined at Ohana with the W Family, so I was going to suggest a quick bite and cocktail at the Tambu Lounge, but looking at the pictures, I am thinking the lack of actual "table space" may make everyone a little cramped and cranky after being on a plane and then bus all morning. It may be best to just save that as a quick random bite some other time. The menu and ambiance does look good though.

Other choices in the running are all QS, so I don't have to worry about lunch...but that does leave dinner. One of the big sticking points from our last trip was to have at least 1 TS meal a day, so that we can unwind. Because we will be at MK, and the food choices aren't our favorite, I am really struggling. Will we try to pry the kids from the parks for a meal elsewhere? We weren't impressed with BOG last time and we aren't into buffets, so I am wondering about these restaurants that we haven't tried...The Plaza, Skipper Canteen and Torguga Tavern (which isn't TS, but still might be a good break)

Thoughts? Suggestions?

To recap -

Day 1 Restaurants: Still Unknown

RESERVATIONS NEEDED:
Day 1 = 0

we are also not big fans of the QS lunch choices at MK the last few times we have been at MK we have taken the boat over to trail ends. Its not hard to get an ADR. theres a playground and sitting areas, rocking chairs everywhere to rest and relax close to the restaurants.

 

[kimberwee]

Feeling Crafty...

Typically, I consider myself to be fairly creative. We have a Cricut and EasyPress that have gotten me through some fabulous Disney related projects. The last time we went to Disney with the W Family, I made a countdown chain similar to this, that had a weekly Disney related activity for the girls to do (like watch a particular movie, watch a specific youtube video about a ride/park or talk about their favorite character, etc):

​

I also had matching "First Visit" shirts for the girls and a couple of other little things. We've also found some great Christmas ears on sale at our local Disney Store Outlet for this trip.

This time, I want to do something different and am in the brainstorming phase. What are some crafty things you do to get ready for your trips?