Wait, do we have a Fast Pass for that? Final Update, Final Thoughts and Favs 1/26

[Riles_and_Gabe]

I just found your report today and have really enjoyed reading it. We will be going to POR in August so it was great reading about your experience there. Do you remember how much the Pirate Cruise was for the kids. I am wondering if this would be something fun for my 5-year old.

Looking forward to finding out what happens next on your trip!

 

[PrncessA]

Unfortunately, as Mark has umpped for years, he has seen how ALL youth sports has gone downhill (less and less kids, too many "travel" teams and not enough park teams), lack of parent involement, etc. No, he doesn't do kids anymore. The park doesn't pay enough, so he sticks to his association and does high school and travel ball for ages 8 - 14.

Lack of parent involvement is a problem all around, there is practically no one on PTO's anymore.

Sad that we won't run into Mark at a game. Some time when he is umping and you don't have any company we should go out and get some dinner!

I'm glad you got to enjoy some time at the pool.

I am sure that even if you own DVC, that the two pools you cannot pool hop to our Stormalong Bay and I believe AKL. I think those people were trying to pull a fast one...and they succeeded.

I kept trying to figure out if they were telling the truth or not, and I just couldn't figure it out. They were really strict at SAB, and they give out colored wrist bands so you can use the slide.

I will often nod off on the train and wonder if I'm snoring and people are looking at me all weird and stuff.

I've done it on the train as well, when I working downtown at a law firm as well!

I'm so glad you enjoyed your dinner at Kona (I know how disappointed you were, like us, with Ohana).

Kona was wonderful!

I could never do the Deluxe plan. I can't eat appetizer and dessert and way too many meals to plan.

I agree!! We will probably do the DDP on our next trip though. We like the convenience of prepaying. I did a breakdown of all of our food expenses and we came out WAY ahead, but we also ate way more food than we would have normally.

It's great you enjoyed the dessert party. We've never been able to snag an ADR so have yet to do.

Great photo on Splash Mountain, although poor Lorelai being cut out again.

The Dessert Party was wonderful! Keep trying to get one, they are so worth it!

We finally get some good shots on other rides later in the week, thank goodness.

What a way to start your down time at the pool.....with people fussing about pool hopping. Like you said, it is a very real possibility that both sides were in the right on that particular situation.

I felt really bad for the woman crying holding the littlest child!

You tickled me when you said that you fell asleep and woke up to your own snoring. I have caught myself doing that very thing when I'm really really tired.

I love when I embarrass myself in front of strangers.

Yes, the meet really did happen! I am sorry that it took me a minute for names to actually register. I will blame it on the freezing cold temperature. We were all dancing around trying to keep ourselves warm.

It was so cold in there! It was fun to meet you and your family!

I agree with you wholeheartedly that the dessert party is worth it even if simply to avoid the crowds. Back in the day when the kids were younger, we'd watch the fireworks from that very same location. Then, Disney caught on and started making you pay for the view.

Disney is good about that!!

Excellent Trip Report! I am loving the pictures and from what I can see, you are wasting no time having fun! I absolutely agree with what you said on how you can do a few Disney attractions in a day and still feel like you got your money's worth versus other theme parks. I think the Disney difference influences that and there is more to Disney to appreciate than just the attractions, like the characters, food, theming, and the other treasures on property like the hotels. Keep the fun going with Erik, Ethan, and Lorelai and best of luck in your studies! Have a great weekend!

The Disney Difference is completely worth the cost!!

It was such a fun trip!!

Thanks! I have an assignment due today that I have put off... nothing like the last minute!

 

[PrncessA]

Joining in! I am loving your report so far.

Thanks!!!

I did the dessert party on my April 2013 trip and loved it! I agree with you that even if I just ate one cookie I would do it again in a heartbeat. In fact I am thinking of surprising my DM and DD with it on my April 2015 trip.

Not having to fight with the crowd in front of the castle is what we felt like we were paying for, and all the desserts were our bonus!!

I tried keeping it a surprise from my DH, but I broke!

SOunds like you had a great trip. Can't wait to read the rest.

Coming up soon!

I found your report through kathys and i am loving every minute of it.I love meeting people from The dis it's so fun and I have made forever friendships out of it,but i gotta say today is the very first time that my daughter sat here and said that she wants to meet a family in Disney ( she sits with me whenever I read trs) her words were "they look fun I wanna be their friend.Thats a lot of trip reports and of all she likes yours the best so far Can't wait to see what's next

I love the Dis and the many wonderful people who I have "met"!

I am so glad that you and your daughter are enjoying the TR!! We had so much fun on this trip, I love sharing it!

I just found your report today and have really enjoyed reading it. We will be going to POR in August so it was great reading about your experience there. Do you remember how much the Pirate Cruise was for the kids. I am wondering if this would be something fun for my 5-year old.

Looking forward to finding out what happens next on your trip!

We just loved POR and I am pretty sure we will be staying there again in February to keep it under budget. I am counting down the days until they release package pricing on July 30. We really loved the location of YC, but when it came down to it, we thought that POR was beautiful and a much better value!

I am almost certain that the pirate cruise was $36 (that includes tax) per child. The kids really liked it. Here is a short video (sorry for the shakiness) of their arrival at POR.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNmDUYQa4nE&feature=youtu.be

 

[martinmont]

I'm so jealous ! Your trip sounds sooo fun! Anyway I could get you to help plan my trip lol. Btw why dint the kids eat in kona with you guys'? The food sounds delish! Oh and the desert party is definitely something I'm really excited about, no crowds makes dis girl very happy!

 

[PrncessA]

I'm so jealous ! Your trip sounds sooo fun! Anyway I could get you to help plan my trip lol. Btw why dint the kids eat in kona with you guys'? The food sounds delish! Oh and the desert party is definitely something I'm really excited about, no crowds makes dis girl very happy!

It was a blast!

The kids weren't hungry at all after eating all the appetizers in the Yacht Club, I was disappointed at first since I chose Kona because of the menu being adult and kid friendly, but it was no use in ordering food that they woudn't eat. I originally ordered a side of fruit for them, but after the waitress walked away they both said they didn't want anything so I cancelled the order.

They actually didn't eat too much at the dessert party either, which surprised me. Still the dessert party was completely worth it!!!

 

[NaughtyQueen]

Getting caught up. I’m just loving your report.

The three photos of Lorelai in line for A&E!

Her face in the photo with the Bill Cosby bust is PRICELESS!

And that family photo at H&V is great as well!

I love that Ethan got stuck in his shirt. That must have been quite the sight! <- looked a little like this maybe?

 

[PrncessA]

Getting caught up. I’m just loving your report.

Thanks for joining in!

The three photos of Lorelai in line for A&E!

Getting a good picture can sometimes be impossible.

Her face in the photo with the Bill Cosby bust is PRICELESS!

She loves him!!

And that family photo at H&V is great as well!

Thanks, it is one of my favorites, it is my desktop on my computer.

I love that Ethan got stuck in his shirt. That must have been quite the sight! <- looked a little like this maybe?

I was crying, I was laughing so hard.

 

[PrncessA]

Just a quick life update!!

First off I am so excited to announce that we have officially booked our 2015 WDW Trip!! Tentatively, the specifics are February 7-14 at POR. Our 10 year wedding anniversary is Feb. 11 and Lorelai turns 8 on Feb. 12 so it the perfect week to go for celebrations. I say it is tentatively booked because of a few reasons:

1. There are no discounts right now, and we are willing to move around dates to get a better price. But we are definitely sticking with the least busy times of year.

2. Mine and the kid's school schedule. We will have to miss school if we go during this week, that is not ideal. I don't know what my schedule will be yet either. We could go during our spring break, the price difference isn't huge, but the difference between crowd predictions is a 3 vs. a 10, which is NOT going to work.

3. Flight costs will factor in of course.

Right now we are booked with the dining plan, but as soon as Orbitz gets the room costs, if I can get a better deal though a room only booking, we will drop the dining plan and put that money in gift cards to pay for food. So even though we have booked, it is all still up in the air! I am still excited though!!

This past weekend we took the kids to Rainforest Cafe to get a little taste of "Disney" and of course we had to stop in the Disney Store for some "souvenirs". I am not a fan of the food at RC, but I actually enjoyed the tortellini that I had.





I also found some more matching shirts!



I am hopeful that a new update will be up soon, I am putting off my last bit of school work this week as long as possible because I am procrastinating!

 

[ddstratton]

Woo hoo! for booking! Even if it's tentative, it's booked!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Yay for booking your trip! I'm with you and Darla, even if it's tenative, it's still booked.

 

[MarbleBob]

Congrats on the 2015 booking, sound like you are in store for another fun trip. And pre-congrats on the 10 year wedding anniversary. Anniversaries at Disney are the best

 

[disneywlf]

Awesome! I wish I could go back to WDW, so congratulations on booking the trip . And I also wish you a Happy 10th Anniversary!

 

[KatMark]

Congrats on booking!

 

[ZehnJahren]

I need to go to RC again before I leave the area!

Congrats on booking!

 

[martinmont]

Yay for booking! I wish we could book too but I'm gonna count on getting a bounceback from our trip later in December, maybe for October next year during food and wine! Which room did you book in POR? Might have to do moderate next yr, hopefully I dun get too spoiled in dec lol

 

[ashleymrush]

I'm so jealous of your February trip. I won't be far behind you. I get to go in mid-March but I'll only be going for 3 days (2 days a WDW and 1 day at Universal) and I'll be with 25 teenagers. At least I don't have to walk around with them. Any little fix I can get is good though. I'd love to go in February. Can't wait to read that TR too!

 

[PrncessA]

Woo hoo! for booking! Even if it's tentative, it's booked!

Thank you! I am so excited to start the planning!

Yay for booking your trip! I'm with you and Darla, even if it's tenative, it's still booked.

I saw you are booked as well!!

Congrats on the 2015 booking, sound like you are in store for another fun trip. And pre-congrats on the 10 year wedding anniversary. Anniversaries at Disney are the best

We are squeezing in one more trip before Ethan becomes an "adult".

Thanks!

Awesome! I wish I could go back to WDW, so congratulations on booking the trip . And I also wish you a Happy 10th Anniversary!

Thank you!!

Congrats on booking!

Thanks!

 

[PrncessA]

I need to go to RC again before I leave the area!

Congrats on booking!

It is so funny that the RC isn't at all connected to Disney, but it makes us feel such a connection!

Thank you!

Yay for booking! I wish we could book too but I'm gonna count on getting a bounceback from our trip later in December, maybe for October next year during food and wine! Which room did you book in POR? Might have to do moderate next yr, hopefully I dun get too spoiled in dec lol

I was so dissapointed in the bouncebacks that were offered when we were there in June, I am sure by the time you are there in December that it will be a different offer.

Right now I booked a garden view room, non-preferred, which is what we booked last year. My hope is to request the same room/area we had last June. We loved POR, it is just so beautiful and serene.

I'm so jealous of your February trip. I won't be far behind you. I get to go in mid-March but I'll only be going for 3 days (2 days a WDW and 1 day at Universal) and I'll be with 25 teenagers. At least I don't have to walk around with them. Any little fix I can get is good though. I'd love to go in February. Can't wait to read that TR too!

Disney is Disney right? I am looking forward to low crowds and cool temps!

 

[JPFamilyMom]

Hooray for booking a 2015 trip. I've got my eye on February too, my little one turns 7 Feb 19, but we would also like to avoid crowds. Looking forward to your next update

 

[PrncessA]

When last we left off we had an ended a magical day at the Magic Kingdom! We woke up on June 4 early, since today was to be a BIG day all around. The kids were not hard to get up as soon as we reminded them of what the day would hold.

We picked up some quick breakfast in the club lounge and quickly made our way down to the dock to catch the boat to Disney Hollywood Studios. It doesn’t look like I hardly any photos of this morning. I was on a mission, get to DHS, and sign up for Jedi Training Academy (JTA)! Don’t worry; I ended up with 292 photos that day! They just came from right before lunch and after!

We arrived at DHS at about 7:30 for EMH and it was already super packed. Every single line was already at least 20-30 families deep! We got in what looked like a “fast” line, aka “no strollers”, but then another family merged with our line in front of us, with not one but two double strollers. Oh well, how crazy could it really be trying to get to the Jedi Training Academy sign ups?

About 15 minutes before opening a CM came and scanned everyone’s bands to confirm we were all staying on Disney property and right at 8:00 our line started moving… slowly. As soon as we made it through the turnstiles we were on a mission, as it seemed everyone else in the park was. The mad dash to Toy Story has now been replaced with a mad dash to JTA sign ups.

I wasn’t sure exactly where the sign ups were, just the general area, but we didn’t have to wonder much since the crowd was all headed that way. When we got close to the ABC sound studio they had CM’s holding up signs and directing traffic. We got in line inside the building but the line was pretty long already. I was worried that we wouldn’t get an early enough show, since we were leaving DHS right after lunch.

I however wasn’t as worried as the woman in front of me who had came to sign up 5 children, and didn’t have any of them with her, which she realized was a problem when they made the announcement that all children had to be present at the sign up. She freaked out! She started calling her mother, who wasn’t in the park yet and was pacing (which was a feat) and kept looking out the door, then she would call her mom again, repeat. It was exhausting to watch! Her mom did show up right before it was her turn to sign up though! Erik was shocked at the turn out; I think he had thought I was exaggerating it.

Originally we thought that both kids would want to the JTA, but Ethan was saying he didn’t want to do it. I tried to explain that this was a one-shot chance, but he was adamant that he did not want to do it, so we sign up Lorelai only. Our goal was to get a time slot before 12:00 because we had an ADR at 12:25. We were in luck and we took one of the last slots for 11:50. I believe that meant she needed to be back at the sign up station at 11:20.

After sign ups, which ate a lot of our EMH time, we headed straight over to Toy Story Midway Mania. The wait was 30 minutes, but it definitely didn’t feel that long.





After all of our Midway fun, Erik wanted to take a look in the Villains shop on Sunset for a Jack Skellington hoodie. We were disappointed in the selection in store. Nothing really unique. We had our fill of browsing and were in need of a little sustenance to get us through to lunch, so we stopped by Starring Rolls of course.

The line was crazy and out the door, but it moved pretty fast. No food pics, surprisingly, but I got a cherry turnover, Erik got a cheese Danish, Lorelai got a chocolate muffin and Ethan went with a huge chocolate chip cookie. We grabbed some teas and milks and surprisingly walked out and snagged a table! It was about 9:30 at this point.

This was the first place we noticed training that week, I don’t think they could have fit any more CM’s behind that register; they were packed in there like sardines. The rest of the week we saw a LOT of training happening all over.

I was really looking forward to trying Starring Rolls, but it was just okay. Ethan was however more than happy with his giant chocolate chip cookie! I did see the yummy sandwiches that looked much better than the pastries, but we were just after a quick snack. After relaxing with our pastries for a while, we decided to head out to some rides and we hit Journey of the Little Mermaid. We sat in the front row, which didn’t afford us the best view, but we of course we enjoyed the show and the fake kiss at the end.

We stopped for some photos along the way of course!







And we all need a magic shot!


After our journey under the sea we headed over toward Star Tours, since there wasn’t a wait and make sure Lorelai knew just who she was going to be fighting… although it was HOT that day and she was getting grumpy! In fact after we loaded into seats in the third row she was pouting and saying she wouldn’t be able to see. Know what cheers up a grumpy Star Wars fan?
When Darth Vader says they are the rebel spy! She was grinning ear to ear for an hour after that ride! The kids liked the new adventure we took, which was finally very different than our last two adventures, finally. The photo they took of her when she was pouting, which was very funny!



We still had a few minutes until Lorelai had to check in at the JTA and it was getting HOT outside at this point. I had an inspired idea of heading over to the ABC Sound Studio and watch the Maleficent preview and relax in the AC. We checked how long the preview was, and we had just enough time, so we ducked in. The preview was pretty cool to be honest, and it actually convinced me to give the movie a chance.

***
Side note: Lorelai and I did go and see Maleficent a few weeks after we got back from WDW and we both really loved it. I know that the reviews weren’t too good for the movie, so I wasn’t expecting much, but we thought that although the story line was a little hokey at times it was a very good movie. Very emotional!
***

We finished up our preview just in time for Lorelai to start being turned into a Jedi, or at least get her cape and lightsaber! Erik took her to get checked in and Ethan and I headed over to sit and wait for them at the Backlot Express. I was sure that he would be upset when he saw Lorelai do the JTA without him, but he actually was really excited to watch her.

Doesn't he look excited in this photo????



Next up:
We have a Jedi in the family and one our best lunches of the trip!!