This year is lookin good..Get it? Because it's 2020?- Another international Disney PTR

[Lesley Wake]

Thanks for the offer! We went to Oahu/Aulani a couple years ago so if we do Hawaii we'll go to a different island, either Kauai or Maui!

Oooh Maui! Loved it so much! Though in February is awesome because of all the whale watching. If you are on the west side of the island you can literally see whales breaching while relaxing on the beach! Plus whale watching boats - I did 2. One where we stumbled upon a mom and calf who decided we were interesting and circled around and around us. And the second we came across a "whale fight" (as our guide started screaming) with two males racing after a female and trying to one-up each other!

Plus Maui has the best authentic pineapple tour and Surfing Goat Dairy, which is such a chill place!

Sorry... gotta control myself there!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Oooh Maui! Loved it so much! Though in February is awesome because of all the whale watching. If you are on the west side of the island you can literally see whales breaching while relaxing on the beach! Plus whale watching boats - I did 2. One where we stumbled upon a mom and calf who decided we were interesting and circled around and around us. And the second we came across a "whale fight" (as our guide started screaming) with two males racing after a female and trying to one-up each other!

Plus Maui has the best authentic pineapple tour and Surfing Goat Dairy, which is such a chill place!

Sorry... gotta control myself there!

That sounds amazing!!

 

[amazingact21]

I made a rough plan yesterday and if we went we would probably do 5 nights in Dublin, 5 nights in Killarney, and 5 nights in Galway

We stayed in Killarney for 3 nights back in 2017, and I have been dying to go back! Ireland is number 1 on our list of places to return to outside the U.K.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

We stayed in Killarney for 3 nights back in 2017, and I have been dying to go back! Ireland is number 1 on our list of places to return to outside the U.K.

I went in high school and I've been dying to go back! So if we go, I want it to be a mix of taking Jon to see some of my favorite things and then trying new things together

Bring on the bacon and cabbage!!

 

[pkondz]

Well, this coronavirus is certainly adding some ambiguity to our China plans. The State Dept just upped the travel advisory to a level 4 (do not travel). We still have 7 months to go before our trip so there's a chance this could be contained by then. I'm not hopeful, but Jon is absolutely sure we'll be able to go.

Hmmm... 7 months...

It could be over by then... I'm trying to remember how long the SARS one lasted...

Okay, Googled and it was about 2 years long, but mostly contained within a few months.

Timeline of the SARS outbreak

Plus I'm sure you've seen that both Shanghai and Hong Kong Disneyland are closed until further notice.

Ugh... I'm a dolt. That hadn't even occurred to me.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Updates!

We got off our cruise last Thursday and let me tell you- we had the absolute time of our lives. This was one of my favorite trips out of the last several that we have taken. The weather was stunning, Marvel Day at Sea was everything I hoped and more, Castaway Cay was just the most beautiful I've ever seen it... It would be a gross understatement to say that I didn't want to get off the ship. I felt like a toddler, dragging my feet and begging Jon to find a place to hide me so I could stay on.



I'll write a TR for that soon. I'm getting toward the end of our France/DLP report (here!) and I've written my November DLR report and just need to get posting it. So hopefully I'll get to the cruise one soon! I've also started writing articles here on the Dis so that takes up some of my writing time (and alas, actually provides some income). In the meantime if anyone has any questions they're dying to ask I would love to answer them!



May WDW

We are almost two months out from our May trip and you know what that means- FP day!

As I typed this I realized I didn't know how the FP booking window works these days for split stays. It's been a few years since I've done one. Both our reservations were booked through DVC with points- I should be able to book FPs for the whole trip starting at 60 days from our 1st check in date, right??

Anyway, assuming I can do that, here's my rough plans, including the FP selections we want:

Day 1: Travel
Arrive around 11:30pm (yay for a nonstop flight this time!)
Stay @ hotel near airport (did this to minimize extra travel time while we're super tired)

Day 2: Transfer to CC & Magic Kingdom
AM/early PM transfer to Copper Creek & hang at resort
Afternoon head to Magic Kingdom
Meals: Breakfast @ airport hotel, lunch @ Geyser Point (Wildnerness Lodge QS), early dinner @ Ohana
FPs(MK): Big Thunder, Space Mtn, Mickey

Day 3: Dapper Day @ Epcot
AM in Epcot
Afternoon break @ hotel to change
PM in Animal Kingdom, see Rivers of Light
Meals: None planned/booked. Probably eat lots of Epcot festival snacks
FPs(AK): Safari, Everest, Flight of Passage

Day 4: May the 4th & DVC Moonlight Magic (hopefully!)
AM in DHS (for Star Wars festivities, may try for Rise of the Resistance boarding group)
Resort break over lunch
PM in Epcot, with DVC event at night
Meals: lunch @ Whispering Canyon Cafe, no dinner plans but voucher included w/ DVC event
FPs(DHS): Smugglers Run, Star Tours, Rock N Roller Coaster

Day 5: Last CC day
AM sleep in a bit, then AK
PM in MK and at resort
Meals: no lunch plans, dinner @ Hoop De Doo (late show- 8:15pm)
FPs(AK): Flight of Passage, Dinosaur, Festival of the Lion King

Day 6: Rest day
AM transfer to Beach Club
Lunch and early PM @ Disney Springs
Evening at Beach club
Meals: no breakfast or lunch booked, dinner @ Yachtsman
FPs(Epcot- may not use): Spaceship Earth, Soarin', LwtL
We don't have plans to visit the park but just in case we do I'll make a few reservations

Day 7: Rise of the Resistance Day
AM @ DHS- definitely trying for boarding group
PM @ Epcot
Meals: No meals booked. Lots of Epcot snacks
FPs(DHS): Mickey's Runaway Railway, ToT, Toy Story Mania

Day 8: Typhoon Lagoon
AM @ Typhoon Lagoon
Resort break
PM @ MK with Villains After Hours
Meals: No meals booked
FPs(MK): 7 dwarfs mine train, Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder

Day 9: Last park day
AM @ Epcot
PM @ DHS
Meals: lunch @ Beaches & Cream, no dinner booked
FPs(DHS): Runaway Railway, Rockin Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror

Day 10-: Return home
Leave for airport by 11am
Meals: Breakfast @ Cape May Cafe
No park time

My priority for booking FPs will definitely be our DHS days. I'm really hoping to get at least one FP for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway!

After FPs our next priority is getting registered for Moonlight Magic. I'm so excited about this and I really, really hope we get it!



China ABD
Things are still way up in the air on this one. ABD has officially cancelled all May China trips, but no others. They gave them about a 3 month notice so hopefully that holds true for us. I feel certain I can plan an alternative trip in 3 months but it's the increased flight prices that might get us. Oh well, it's totally out of our control at the moment!

 

[missangelalexis]

I'm glad you had a great cruise! Can't wait to hear about it!

Your plans for May sound great- so exciting!

I'm sorry you're still in limbo about China

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I'm glad you had a great cruise! Can't wait to hear about it!

Your plans for May sound great- so exciting!

I'm sorry you're still in limbo about China

Hopefully I'll be able to start posting about it soon!

 

[pkondz]

We got off our cruise last Thursday and let me tell you- we had the absolute time of our lives.

Yay!!!!

The weather was stunning, Marvel Day at Sea was everything I hoped and more

Oh, good! I'm quite curious to see all about that.

I felt like a toddler, dragging my feet and begging Jon to find a place to hide me so I could stay on.

Awwwww.

Things are still way up in the air on this one. ABD has officially cancelled all May China trips, but no others.

Fingers crossed!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Hi, Ann! I hadn't realized this PTR was going over here!!

I really enjoyed the pics you posted on IG from your cruise. Your Marvel Day at Sea costume mash-up was simply amazing! Very well executed Looking forward to the TR whenever you get it started. Though, I have NO room to talk since I only started our Christmas cruise/WDW TR a couple weeks ago finally!!

This Coronavirus is seriously messing with a lot of things I hadn't even thought about!! I hope by the time your trip is within 3 months, things will have settled down and been contained to a degree where you will be able to travel without worry. I'll keep thinking happy, pixie dusted thoughts for sure!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Hi, Ann! I hadn't realized this PTR was going over here!!

I really enjoyed the pics you posted on IG from your cruise. Your Marvel Day at Sea costume mash-up was simply amazing! Very well executed Looking forward to the TR whenever you get it started. Though, I have NO room to talk since I only started our Christmas cruise/WDW TR a couple weeks ago finally!!

This Coronavirus is seriously messing with a lot of things I hadn't even thought about!! I hope by the time your trip is within 3 months, things will have settled down and been contained to a degree where you will be able to travel without worry. I'll keep thinking happy, pixie dusted thoughts for sure!

I'm excited to start the TR too! No telling when that will happen since I haven't even started my November one yet

 

[dolewhipdreams]

May Updates!

Our Fastpass day came and went last week (while I was out on a work trip, which was extra stressful). For the most part I got everything I wanted. The only exception was Smuggler's Run on May 4th. I was going for some time before noon but couldn't get one until late afternoon. So we'll have to pop into DHS real quick and ride that before heading over to Epcot for the Garden Rocks concert and Moonlight Magic.

We have FPs for FoP twice and the big win is that we also got FPs for Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway twice! So excited that we'll have two chances to ride.

The other big news is I just snagged our Epcot Moonlight Magic tickets. It was quite the process, so prepare yourself.



Registration opened at 9am EST (8am for me here at home) which was actually perfect because I usually get to work around 7:30am and have some time to myself. I blocked off my calendar and closed my office door so no one would bother me and by 7:45am I had all 4 of my devices on the webpage, waiting for 9am.

​

The way it works is that anyone on the webpage right at 8am would be entered into a random spot in the virtual queue and anyone who got to the webpage after 8am would be in numerical order. The webpage automatically refreshed right at 8am to put everyone in the queue so once you were there, you didn't have to do anything but wait. I had read from other Diser's experiences that multiple devices helped so I had an entire arsenal at my disposal, sure that at least one of them would have a nice, low number.

As you waited, fun little messages would pop up down below and there was also some scrolling Epcot trivia. I thought it was a cute touch.

​

That didn't really work in my favor because at 8am all 4 devices rolled over (actually there was about a 1 minute lag where it said wait you're being redirected) and my lowest # was 2676. I was following a board over here on the Dis and poster after poster came on and said 'got my tickets' or 'only 300 in line yippee' and I've never wanted to reach into the computer to slap someone so hard.



For those who like numbers, here's where everything stood:

8am
iPad mini: 3461
iPad: 3428
Laptop: 2676
Phone: 3126
All in all, not very spread out at all.

By 8:05am each one had only dropped by about 400 and at 8:10am they had all dropped 900-1000 from the starting position. FINALLY at 8:25am my laptop took me out of the queue and to the registration page. All I had to do was type in my DVC number and it knew who I was, what date and I wanted, and that I had a DVC resort reservation for that night. I had to check a bunch of boxes to show that I understood the rules and terms of the events, then I put in my part number and clicked submit!

On that reservation page it said at the top "EXTREMELY LIMITED QUANTITIES AVAILABLE" I'm not sure if it said that for everyone and it was just a general warning message for people to get registered, or if by the time it was my turn they were close to selling out of the tickets available for today's release.

Either way, we got registered and I'm so happy!



As of today, March 11, we have no plans to cancel or reschedule our WDW trip due to coronavirus. And I'm really hoping that doesn't change. I haven't been back to WDW since Jan 2019 and I need to come home.

 

[pkondz]

Our Fastpass day came and went last week (while I was out on a work trip, which was extra stressful). For the most part I got everything I wanted.

good!
The getting part... not the stress part.

The only exception was Smuggler's Run on May 4th. I was going for some time before noon but couldn't get one until late afternoon.

Not bad!

We have FPs for FoP twice and the big win is that we also got FPs for Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway twice!

Wow! Impressed.

Either way, we got registered and I'm so happy!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I was following a board over here on the Dis and poster after poster came on and said 'got my tickets' or 'only 300 in line yippee' and I've never wanted to reach into the computer to slap someone so hard.

I actually laughed right out loud at this because I totally understand the feeling!!!!!!

I'm so relieved for you that you've got your tickets and everything worked out in your favor Yay!!

We are going to WDW 4/12-4/17, and my Mom is getting a little nervous, but we both agreed we are going no matter what!!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I actually laughed right out loud at this because I totally understand the feeling!!!!!!

Glad I'm not alone in this

We are going to WDW 4/12-4/17, and my Mom is getting a little nervous, but we both agreed we are going no matter what!!

Yay have fun and wash those hands!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

So since talking about upcoming trips that may or may not be happening would really bum me out, I decided to start a TR for my solo Disneyland trip last November! Here it is for anyone who needs a space where you-know-what-virus will not be mentioned at all:

A Girl Power Solo Disneyland Adventure!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Not really updates, just some ramblings

We still haven't pulled the plug on our May trip. With how quickly things are changing it seems unnecessary. I did, however, make a backup room reservation for the end of June at Caribbean Beach Resort. If that doesn't work out then I have my birthday trip still planned for the end of October.

The backup June reservation is still far enough out that I think I'll know if our May trip needs to be cancelled before our FP day rolls around for it (FP day is April 20 and our May trip is supposed to start on 5/1 so I'm really hoping they know by then if they're keeping the parks closed). I'm trying to stay as optimistic as possible. There were a few special things on this May trip that won't be possible for the June trip, specifically Dapper Day, Flower & Garden, and the DVC Moolight Magic event. It will also be hotter and more crowded than we're used to- but we'll be at Disney. And that's the important part.

I made some ADRs for the June trip and some good news is I got to put a few more in that I had to take out to accommodate some other stuff in May! I'm also putting together a rough schedule and FP plan just so I can be ready in case I need it.

 

[pkondz]

We still haven't pulled the plug on our May trip. With how quickly things are changing it seems unnecessary.

True. It may get canceled for you.

It'd be nice if you could do it, but... I'm not overly optimistic, right now.

I made some ADRs for the June trip

Hmmm... While I have my doubts about June... I should probably do the same. I mean... I guess?
Just... not a lot of motivation, right now.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Just... not a lot of motivation, right now.

Yeah it took a lot for me to get to the point of logging in and making reservations. It wasn't until I was on a horribly boring conference call that I finally did it.

 

[NJlauren]

Ugh i am so sorry about the May trip! Hopefully they will get a handle on a time line soon!

I feel like you are exactly right every thing is changing so quickly! Finger crossed for you!