(Updated 8/12) **PTR-Pixie Dust, Magical Memories, and SNOW?! WDW, August 2014

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

Hi,

This is my pre-trip report, for the biggest trip of our lifetime.
August 20, 2014 we are heading to WDW!


This will be our families longest trip away, ever.

We could not make up our mind on where to stay so in the end after debating from CL at WL to RR at POR we decided to go small, and try the POP.

The Gang:






(Yeah, we are that type of family... matching shirts, all the way!)

Me: Stay at home mommy, photographer, and long time Disney fanatic. I am also the mega-planner of this get up. I love anything Disney and find it hard to pick one favorite character or movie. I like Tinkerbell and Aerial, to me, I get emotional when I watch movies, or go to DL. I like the memories.






DW: Newly founded member of the Disney fanclub, for Christmas I got her a gold membership to D23. I took her to DL, for her first trip only 2 years ago.
Shoot out to the fact, she is the bank roller in our trip here, so she works hard, so we can play hard. Favorite character is Goofy, and Piglet.






DD: 8, is our princess, and has been to the DL multiple times. Loves Frozen, so much so I made a dress from scratch for her 8th birthday, she also loves Rapunzel.







However, WDW is our newest adventure, and a long time dream that we have been making for so long. Ever since I saw Muppets go to WDW in the late 90's on a CBC Sunday Special I have wanted to go to this magical place.

When DW and I got married in 2012, we wanted to go then, and do to job loss and finances we couldn't go, so instead we went on a small trip to DL, and saved up for this trip.

Originally, we were going to go in Novemember 2014, and then one day in May I saw a sale ad on the website.... and now we are going in August.

My parents think we are crazy, as it will be hot, not too much hotter than here, but WAY more crazy with the humidity.

We have some awesome things planned, and I have some surprises that even my DW doesn't know about.

I really wanted to do the Trip Report, as I have read so many of yours and finally felt comfortable enough to share my plans.

So whats the plan... tune in to the next post as I type away the plans of this awesome dream vacation.

 

[Scully127]

Sounds like you are going to have a fantastic trip. Secret plans that others in the family don't know about are always exciting (especially when you can hide them from your DW).... I will be following your trip and you post and will be excited to see how you like your first trip to WDW.

You're very lucky to have a family that can do this together....

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

So what are the plans??

Well according to our DD, we are leaving Aug 21st at 2am to drive to Seattle... when in fact, we are going to leave on the 20th!

That's secret #1.



The plan is to pack the night before, and put the bags in the car.

My DW has to work until noon on the 20th.

So DD gets to pull off our last mickey circle from our countdown, which will revel a lambee (Sp?) from Doc McStuffins, and I am going to take her to the old fashion car wash, and then to the geloto place near my wifes work.

Where we will just happen to run into her on her "lunch break".

And I will ask something along the lines of do you want to go for a drive, where will head to the boarder, and hopefully DD will realize we are off!

The plan is do to some back to school shopping and we are going to stay in a hotel near the airport, for a 5am wake up, on the 21st.

THE UPDATE:

I am using my spa gift certificate to do a Mommy and me Mani/Pedi combo, before we get my DW from work.

So excited!

Next up, the WDW plans.

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

Our flight is an early am flight from seattle and a late afternoon arrival in Orlando.

Surprise #2... I hired a towncar to pick us up.

I know, I know magic express is available, but I wanted to stop at a grocery store, and have a little more control on departing, than what was offered with the ME... it scared me honestly, to depend on Disney to pick up 2-3 hours prior to a flight, and then not make it.

I used the company recommended by Mousesavers.

My plan is to hit the grocery store, grab fruits, veg, and water.

I have a sulpha allergy, along with a peanut one... and I keep reading how the water is strong sulhpa tasting, so I need to keep some in the room, for teeth brush. Wierd I know, possibly TMI... but again, I am a guider, and you can never be prepared!

( No offense to the boy scouts of america, I realize that Girl Guides Canada, that is not the motto, but I am borrowing it!)

We hopefully will get to the POP, by dinner time, and have dinner at the resort and check it out and hopefully AoA too.

Side note, more of a side ways rant...we really struggled to pick a resort to stay at.

When we were last in Anaheim we met a family staying in our hotel (we were offsite at the Hilton, from Orlando) and they strongly recommended the Hilton Bonnet Creek, but it was booked FULL... so we decided to do the on property thing... and THERE ARE SOOOO MANY CHOICES.

We were going crazy with options and idea, and we like WL, we love POLY and were going to do POR FQ, and decided to just do POP, and try value and move up, for a future trip.

See I am already assuming we are going to love it!

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

August 23 will be a water park day/ DTD day.

When I orignally bought our tickets in 2012, I purchased the water park and more tickets... so we have a few break days.

Goals:

Typhoon Lagoon

Downtown Disney, must see Lego Store.

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

Sat August 23

The plan:

HIT MK in all of its glory!

All day in MK, with a break or however our legs and body handles the heat!

Plans:

~See rope drop opening show.


FP+ plans:

Space Mountain 10-11am
Splash Mnt 2:15-3:15pm
BTMR 3:15-4:15

Goals:

Ride the people mover, that one is for me. I have wanted to ride this for SO long. I just missed the chance in DL, before it was closed.

Try and not cry, when we walk past the castle.

Food: Well I have not planned anything, I am thinking QS Coal Harbour House, or Cosmic Rays.

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

Oh This will be our EPCOT day.

Plan:

Hit Epcot for opening,

Our FP+
Spaceship Earth9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
Test Track® Presented by Chevrolet®10:15 AM - 11:15 AM
Maelstrom 2:50 PM - 3:50 PM

Goals, to see as much as we can, and to try to eat our way around the world, by sharing meals, and trying different things.

Although, SURPISE #3, we have a meal booked at Akerhus Princess Storybook Dining Lunch 1:30 PM, which should be fun for the family, and I thought a good chance to cool down too.

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

Monday August 26, this is our one day in HS.

Anna & Elsa-polza Day!

before the Frozen Fest was announced we had a different plan for HS.

Since it has become a A&E day, the plans have changed a bit.

SURPRISE #4... and this is a BIG ONE, as DD doesn't know that HS has all of the frozen stuff. We are printing an invite at home to have Tinkerbell leave for her that morning, inviting her to HS to find her friends.

SURPRISE #5... we booked the Frozen Premium Package. Yup, suckered in to doing that. Hopefully it will be fun.

FP+

Toy Story Midway Mania! 1:10 PM - 2:10 PM

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 4:10 PM - 5:10 PM

Star Tours® – The Adventures Continue 5:20 PM - 6:20 PM


Goal:

See Beauty and Beast on Stage

See late night Fantasmic.

Do not go crazy! LOL.

Have fun!

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

Rest Day... possibly check out Blizzard Beach and DTD.

We have booked Pirate Pals Firework cruise booked.

Not much else, other than go to contemp cafe for dinner before the Pirate Pals.

UPDATE:

I booked a 5pm reservation at the Kona Cafe for dinner. It looks lovely, and since I really wanted to see the Poly, I needed a reason to get us there.

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

Return to Epcot Day.

Today we will return to Epcot to see what we missed on the first day.

FP+

Soarin'® 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
The Seas with Nemo & Friends® 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM
Meet Disney Pals at the Epcot Character Spot 11:50 AM - 12:50 PM

Again, we want to try foods from around the world, so we didn't book any meals.

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

--- insert opening music to the Lion King ---

The day we venture to Animal Kingdom!

The Goals:

See the Lion King!




LOL! In my head that totally works with the opening credits song.

Anyhoo...

FP+

Kilimanjaro Safaris® 9:20 AM - 10:20 AM
Kali River Rapids® 1:25 PM - 2:25 PM
Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain® 2:50 PM - 3:50 PM

Foods: Well the Flaming BBQ looks good, and so does Yak and Yeti, so it will be a time and place thing as to where we eat!

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

Our return to the MK.

Today is our return back to the MK.

Also likely we will sleep in too!

Originally was going to do BBB @ 12:20, but with our DD she has some sensory issues, and on top of doesn't like her hair being touched by anyone except my us, that we decided to a few weeks ago to cancel it.

So we took her to the Disneystore at the mall here and let her pick out any princess dress.

She choose Rapunzel.

So today will be the princess palozaa...

Side Note: on our 60 days marks, we raced to the computer at 8:50pm to set up out FP+ at 9:00pm... and the look on her face when we were able to SNAG an A&E FP was priceless.

This on top of the fact we are also going to CRT for dinner, is like her biggest dream.

We watched the videos on here that bosox2001 posted from their family's trip and she has been drooling to see A&E, since she knew they were in Norway.

FP+

Enchanted Tales with Belle12:10 PM - 1:10 PM
Meet Cinderella and Rapunzel at Princess Fairytale Hall2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Meet Anna and Elsa at Princess Fairytale Hall 6:10 - 7:10PM

Goals: ALL OF FANTASYLAND, if we can!

Dinner: Fairytale Dining 4:05 PM, I know its early, but better than 8:45pm!

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

Our last day in the park...

I have us booked as a MK day, assuming we want to go back here.

I don't know, maybe we will want to go back to HS or AK?

So for now it is technically booked as MK.

FP+
Peter Pan's Flight® 11:10 AM - 12:10 PM

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train 1:25 PM - 2:25 PM

Main Street Electrical Parade 8:40 PM - 9:00 PM

Dinner:

This is SURPRISE #6, or 7 I can't remember now...

Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner 4:30 PM

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

Our last day... so sad!

I am going to assume we stayed to 2am in the MK.

So today is sleep, and pack day.

We have Chef Mickey's booked for 10:20 AM.

After which my plan is to check out the Poly, DTD and all of that fun until 3:00pm, when we will get picked up and returned to the airport.

Oh Sign, I already don't want to think that it will be over, but it will be.

And when we arrive, it will be close to mid-night, and a good 2-3hour drive across the boarder back home.

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

I know not technically part of the trip, but this day is our get back to West Coast time and living, as the next day is the return to school for both DD and myself.

Its sad to think it is almost here and almost over, right now 30 days away to start and only 43 until this date and time.

Ugh.

Anyways, thanks for reading my PRE-TRIP REPORT.

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

Sounds like you are going to have a fantastic trip. Secret plans that others in the family don't know about are always exciting (especially when you can hide them from your DW).... I will be following your trip and you post and will be excited to see how you like your first trip to WDW.

You're very lucky to have a family that can do this together....

Thank you, you are the only person to comment!

I am hoping for good weather, and magical times.

 

[Scully127]

Epic epcot day.

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

Return to Epcot Day.

Today we will return to Epcot to see what we missed on the first day.

FP+

Soarin'® 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
The Seas with Nemo & Friends® 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM
Meet Disney Pals at the Epcot Character Spot 11:50 AM - 12:50 PM

Again, we want to try foods from around the world, so we didn't book any meals.

Okay, so I have added a Via Napoli reservation to this day.

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

Our flight is an early am flight from seattle and a late afternoon arrival in Orlando.

Surprise #2... I hired a towncar to pick us up.

I know, I know magic express is available, but I wanted to stop at a grocery store, and have a little more control on departing, than what was offered with the ME... it scared me honestly, to depend on Disney to pick up 2-3 hours prior to a flight, and then not make it.

I used the company recommended by Mousesavers.

My plan is to hit the grocery store, grab fruits, veg, and water.

I have a sulpha allergy, along with a peanut one... and I keep reading how the water is strong sulhpa tasting, so I need to keep some in the room, for teeth brush. Wierd I know, possibly TMI... but again, I am a guider, and you can never be prepared!

( No offense to the boy scouts of america, I realize that Girl Guides Canada, that is not the motto, but I am borrowing it!)

We hopefully will get to the POP, by dinner time, and have dinner at the resort and check it out and hopefully AoA too.

Side note, more of a side ways rant...we really struggled to pick a resort to stay at.

When we were last in Anaheim we met a family staying in our hotel (we were offsite at the Hilton, from Orlando) and they strongly recommended the Hilton Bonnet Creek, but it was booked FULL... so we decided to do the on property thing... and THERE ARE SOOOO MANY CHOICES.

We were going crazy with options and idea, and we like WL, we love POLY and were going to do POR FQ, and decided to just do POP, and try value and move up, for a future trip.

See I am already assuming we are going to love it!

So I read all the reviews and decided to just order groceries from Garden Grocers for our staple and supplies. There was a discount for ordering two weeks out.

I just googled Garden Grocer Coupon and found it.

I spent with the exchange rate, 97 dollars Canadian on the grociers, and mostly picked fruits, breakfast foods, snacks and Rassberita BL and BL Lime for my wife, as our night treats.

 

[TNS_Tinkerbell]

Budget-tary Food Goals:

11 nights total, for all meals, tax and tips I have budgetted 2200.

I went on to Allears and other wdw menus and tried to budget based on what we as a family eat know a days. There are some expensive meals, yes, but mostly when we travel I know we share. Plus its supposed to be blazin' hot... and we never eat as much in the heat.

The biggest challenge for me, I believe will be the drink costs.

And for that challenge, when my DW and I were last in Oregon, we found a Disney Store outlet, and picked up some water bottle and straps, so I am hoping to take them and fill them with the free water from QS places.

I also picked up those flavored squirts to change the taste of the water.