Newsies
Headlines don't sell papes.
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2013
- Messages
- 5,353
2025... a year of surprises. We feverishly hunted for Labubus, we Googled "what does 67 mean," and with bated breath, we watched the most popular football star in the U.S. propose to the most famous pop singer in the U.S.
2026... 2027... who knows what's in store for us?
For the Newsies family, one thing is for certain: we will be spending time with the Mouse. And I'll be sharing every step of the planning journey(s) here on my latest PTR!
Welcome welcome to my latest PTR! I have 3 trips planned for the next two years (so far), so for ease of access & organization, I'm just going to use this thread as a rolling PTR instead of making a new thread for each excursion. If you don't already know me, I'm Kait, and this is my family -- the Newsies family!
We're 4 adults from New Jersey and we are crazy about the Mouse! We've been traveling to Walt Disney World once or twice a year for the past decade. My mom caught the Disney bug while she was growing up and passed it on to me while I was a teenager, which kind of sparked a chain reaction with the rest of the family. Since I've started writing TRs for DISboards in 2014, our love for Disney has grown and grown. We were Annual Passholders before COVID shut the parks down and re-structed AP levels at WDW, and we've been Disney Vacation Club members since 2017. Our first home resort was the Polynesian, and this year, we bought another contract and made the Riviera our second home. I'll introduce everyone from the top left working clockwise.
On the top left is your host - I'm Kait! I'm a 28-year-old customer experience professional who manages social media inboxes, product reviews, and assists my manager with our loyalty & VIP services. I love my job and I have a passion for customer experience that I picked up while I was working at Walt Disney World during two different DCPs between 2016-2020. I am also very, very passionate about writing and cherish all of my PTRs and TRs on the board! I'm the "rogue" of the group and always trying to pack as much action as possible into our vacation. You can count on me to be sneaking out the door at 6 AM to get on the first bus to Epcot! I do all the planning, which can be tough when we have different touring styles, but I don't mind hitting the parks alone before the family wakes up so I can get my priorities done and still spend time with them in the afternoon. Actually, I love touring solo and did my first solo vacation last September! I'm definitely an "extroverted introvert" and love talking to Cast Members & meeting characters.
Standing next to me is Grace, my younger sister! Grace is 24 years old and works in college student affairs. Grace is the most go-with-the-flow member of our party and will normally do whatever mom and dad are doing. Like our mom, she loves sleeping in, having a pool day, and hitting up the Parks in the afternoon. She really loved our Disney cruise this year and took full advantage of all the activities on board like learn-to-draw classes and trivia. She also loves buying silly Disney hats and calling every Disney character "her shayla." And, actually -- the Newsies family is growing thanks to Grace! Back in September, Grace got engaged to her fiancé, Jake. He's never been to WDW, and while you haven't met him yet, we're excited to bring him to Disney with us over the years.
Underneath her is Susie, our mom! Mom has put in 40+ years at her job as a real estate manager for a propane company, and she's not too far away from retirement! Mom grew up driving to Florida with her parents and siblings, where they'd stay somewhere along the beach in Daytona and do a day or two at Magic Kingdom. She always dreamed of staying at the Contemporary and the Grand Floridian and now she gets to live that dream with her own family! I like to think that she and I are partners-in-crime, especially when it comes to all things Disney... once one of us has an idea to book a vacation, it doesn't take much convincing for the other person to get on board
Mom is the queen of the pool day -- no rope dropping for her unless we're rope dropping her favorite breakfast spot before securing our spot on the pool deck! But she also just loves to be at the Parks. Haunted Mansion is her favorite ride and Pooh Bear is her favorite character, but she's content to just be drinking in the sights & sounds of the Magic Kingdom.
Last but not least is Tom, our dad! Two years ago, he retired from 35 years of service in our town's volunteer fire company. He still has a few years to go as a zoning official before he retires for real, but he's already talking about how excited he is to move to Florida with mom! It really is all about Florida with him. He just loves being somewhere warm and sunny where he doesn't have to shovel any snow! I call him the chief logistics officer, since he's the one who does most of the driving and travel planning for us when we head down south. Disney really is his favorite place on earth, and Buc-ee's is a close second. When he's on vacation, you never know how he's going to feel on any given day! Sometimes, he's ready to rope drop Magic Kingdom and run to 7DMT. Other days, he's ready to spend a day sitting under an umbrella at the pool bar. No matter where he goes, he makes a friend. Be very careful if you see him in public! If you catch his eye, there's no stopping him from striking up a conversation.
Not pictured above, but joining us for our 2027 vacation is Molly. You'll meet Molly later on, but she has been my best friend since first grade and she's excited to go on her very first Disney Cruise with us!
With introductions out of the way, let's talk a little bit more about what we actually have lined up for the next few years:
May 2026 - Walt Disney World Resort
"The Standing Reservation Trip"
Who: The Newsies family
What: Our yearly family vacation
When: May 3-9, 2026
Where: Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
Why: To refill our pixie dust in 2026!
Our first upcoming trip is the "standing reservation" trip we try to take sometime between March and May every year. We'll be at our normal haunt, a studio at the Poly, and it's just going to be a normal, run-of-the-mill vacation for us. No surprises here!
September 2026 - Walt Disney World Resort
"The MAYBE This Will Happen, But Only If Very Specific Conditions Are Met Trip"
Who: Just me!
What: A solo trip
When: September 9-12, 2026
Where: Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
Why: Seizing a potential opportunity to do a quick, thrifty trip if all the stars align
Okay, so I was trying to see if there was another way I could fit in a quick WDW vacation next year for as cheap as possible and it looks like I could potentially do it with leftover points from our current DVC Use Year. I booked a Tower Duo Studio at the Poly for now, but I'm trying to lock down a reservation with less points once my 7-month window opens up in February.
This is one of those trips I throw together that may or may not happen. In this case, specific criteria need to be met. For starters, I have to secure a spot at the 9/10 DVC Moonlight Magic when that window opens up in July. Otherwise, I am not going on this trip. Second, airfare needs to be as cheap as it's historically been for this weekend. Otherwise, I am not going on this trip. And lastly: Harry Styles needs to not have any crazy comeback concerts or residencies this year... otherwise, I'll be there instead!
May 2027 - Walt Disney World Resort and Disney Cruise Line
"The Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving Trip"
Who: The Newsies Family (Minus Grace, Plus Molly)
What: A land-and-sea adventure with Mickey!
When: May 18(ish)-26, 2027
Where: Somewhere at a DVC resort first, then the Disney Fantasy
Why: I'm turning 30 and the family wanted to cruise again!
I am so excited for this one already! We used our bounceback offer from our first cruise to book our 2027 cruise, and we'll use our DVC points to add on some days at Walt Disney World before we set sail. Mom & Dad will drive down, Molly & I will fly down. From May 18(ish)-20, we'll be at the Parks, and then on May 21, I'll get to celebrate turning 30 years old on the Disney Fantasy. The Fantasy has always been the ship I've been most excited to sail on, and I can't wait to be back at Castaway Cay (and hopefully see Lookout Cay for the first time)!
I think this rounds out everything you need to know about the trips we'll be focusing on in this PTR! I'm so excited to plan along with you all and document all of the fun in store for us through 2027... and beyond! Away we go!
2026... 2027... who knows what's in store for us?
For the Newsies family, one thing is for certain: we will be spending time with the Mouse. And I'll be sharing every step of the planning journey(s) here on my latest PTR!
To Infinity (Or at least 2027)... and BEYOND! Our 2026-2027 Land & Sea PTRs
We're 4 adults from New Jersey and we are crazy about the Mouse! We've been traveling to Walt Disney World once or twice a year for the past decade. My mom caught the Disney bug while she was growing up and passed it on to me while I was a teenager, which kind of sparked a chain reaction with the rest of the family. Since I've started writing TRs for DISboards in 2014, our love for Disney has grown and grown. We were Annual Passholders before COVID shut the parks down and re-structed AP levels at WDW, and we've been Disney Vacation Club members since 2017. Our first home resort was the Polynesian, and this year, we bought another contract and made the Riviera our second home. I'll introduce everyone from the top left working clockwise.
On the top left is your host - I'm Kait! I'm a 28-year-old customer experience professional who manages social media inboxes, product reviews, and assists my manager with our loyalty & VIP services. I love my job and I have a passion for customer experience that I picked up while I was working at Walt Disney World during two different DCPs between 2016-2020. I am also very, very passionate about writing and cherish all of my PTRs and TRs on the board! I'm the "rogue" of the group and always trying to pack as much action as possible into our vacation. You can count on me to be sneaking out the door at 6 AM to get on the first bus to Epcot! I do all the planning, which can be tough when we have different touring styles, but I don't mind hitting the parks alone before the family wakes up so I can get my priorities done and still spend time with them in the afternoon. Actually, I love touring solo and did my first solo vacation last September! I'm definitely an "extroverted introvert" and love talking to Cast Members & meeting characters.
Standing next to me is Grace, my younger sister! Grace is 24 years old and works in college student affairs. Grace is the most go-with-the-flow member of our party and will normally do whatever mom and dad are doing. Like our mom, she loves sleeping in, having a pool day, and hitting up the Parks in the afternoon. She really loved our Disney cruise this year and took full advantage of all the activities on board like learn-to-draw classes and trivia. She also loves buying silly Disney hats and calling every Disney character "her shayla." And, actually -- the Newsies family is growing thanks to Grace! Back in September, Grace got engaged to her fiancé, Jake. He's never been to WDW, and while you haven't met him yet, we're excited to bring him to Disney with us over the years.
Underneath her is Susie, our mom! Mom has put in 40+ years at her job as a real estate manager for a propane company, and she's not too far away from retirement! Mom grew up driving to Florida with her parents and siblings, where they'd stay somewhere along the beach in Daytona and do a day or two at Magic Kingdom. She always dreamed of staying at the Contemporary and the Grand Floridian and now she gets to live that dream with her own family! I like to think that she and I are partners-in-crime, especially when it comes to all things Disney... once one of us has an idea to book a vacation, it doesn't take much convincing for the other person to get on board
Mom is the queen of the pool day -- no rope dropping for her unless we're rope dropping her favorite breakfast spot before securing our spot on the pool deck! But she also just loves to be at the Parks. Haunted Mansion is her favorite ride and Pooh Bear is her favorite character, but she's content to just be drinking in the sights & sounds of the Magic Kingdom.Last but not least is Tom, our dad! Two years ago, he retired from 35 years of service in our town's volunteer fire company. He still has a few years to go as a zoning official before he retires for real, but he's already talking about how excited he is to move to Florida with mom! It really is all about Florida with him. He just loves being somewhere warm and sunny where he doesn't have to shovel any snow! I call him the chief logistics officer, since he's the one who does most of the driving and travel planning for us when we head down south. Disney really is his favorite place on earth, and Buc-ee's is a close second. When he's on vacation, you never know how he's going to feel on any given day! Sometimes, he's ready to rope drop Magic Kingdom and run to 7DMT. Other days, he's ready to spend a day sitting under an umbrella at the pool bar. No matter where he goes, he makes a friend. Be very careful if you see him in public! If you catch his eye, there's no stopping him from striking up a conversation.
Not pictured above, but joining us for our 2027 vacation is Molly. You'll meet Molly later on, but she has been my best friend since first grade and she's excited to go on her very first Disney Cruise with us!
May 2026 - Walt Disney World Resort
"The Standing Reservation Trip"
Who: The Newsies family
What: Our yearly family vacation
When: May 3-9, 2026
Where: Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
Why: To refill our pixie dust in 2026!
Our first upcoming trip is the "standing reservation" trip we try to take sometime between March and May every year. We'll be at our normal haunt, a studio at the Poly, and it's just going to be a normal, run-of-the-mill vacation for us. No surprises here!
September 2026 - Walt Disney World Resort
"The MAYBE This Will Happen, But Only If Very Specific Conditions Are Met Trip"
Who: Just me!
What: A solo trip
When: September 9-12, 2026
Where: Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
Why: Seizing a potential opportunity to do a quick, thrifty trip if all the stars align
Okay, so I was trying to see if there was another way I could fit in a quick WDW vacation next year for as cheap as possible and it looks like I could potentially do it with leftover points from our current DVC Use Year. I booked a Tower Duo Studio at the Poly for now, but I'm trying to lock down a reservation with less points once my 7-month window opens up in February.
This is one of those trips I throw together that may or may not happen. In this case, specific criteria need to be met. For starters, I have to secure a spot at the 9/10 DVC Moonlight Magic when that window opens up in July. Otherwise, I am not going on this trip. Second, airfare needs to be as cheap as it's historically been for this weekend. Otherwise, I am not going on this trip. And lastly: Harry Styles needs to not have any crazy comeback concerts or residencies this year... otherwise, I'll be there instead!
May 2027 - Walt Disney World Resort and Disney Cruise Line
"The Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving Trip"
Who: The Newsies Family (Minus Grace, Plus Molly)
What: A land-and-sea adventure with Mickey!
When: May 18(ish)-26, 2027
Where: Somewhere at a DVC resort first, then the Disney Fantasy
Why: I'm turning 30 and the family wanted to cruise again!
I am so excited for this one already! We used our bounceback offer from our first cruise to book our 2027 cruise, and we'll use our DVC points to add on some days at Walt Disney World before we set sail. Mom & Dad will drive down, Molly & I will fly down. From May 18(ish)-20, we'll be at the Parks, and then on May 21, I'll get to celebrate turning 30 years old on the Disney Fantasy. The Fantasy has always been the ship I've been most excited to sail on, and I can't wait to be back at Castaway Cay (and hopefully see Lookout Cay for the first time)!
I think this rounds out everything you need to know about the trips we'll be focusing on in this PTR! I'm so excited to plan along with you all and document all of the fun in store for us through 2027... and beyond! Away we go!
