WDW for the First Time Together! Pre-Trip Report for two "Big Kids!"

[dvan]

While it is not my nor my boyfriend's first time to Walt Disney World (as we've both been with our families when we were younger), since it's our first time to the World as a couple, we've constituted it as our first time.

Steve and I have been dating since 2009, and every year since then, we have traveled to California to visit my relatives over there and we make it a point to spend two days at the Disneyland Resort. We would spend a day at California Adventure and then a day at Disneyland. I have been going every year since I was thirteen, so my love for the Disney magic is clear. However, Steve never really saw the true draw of Disney until 2012, when we decided to spend a day at Universal Studios Hollywood before our two days at Disney. We enjoyed our time at Universal, but it wasn't until those next two days at Disneyland that Steve finally caught on to why I was so in love with the place.

Thus, this December in 2014, we are finally able to get fully immersed in the best that Disney has to offer. We will be staying at the Contemporary Resort for about a week and a half and we will be on the Deluxe Dining Plan. In addition to staying and playing at Walt Disney World, we will also be going to Universal Studios for two days (because I'm also obsessed with Harry Potter!) LOL

This is my first time writing a Trip Report (and a Pre-Trip Report), so please bear with me I very much want this trip report to be a good documentation for people who would want some insight into how two adults in their mid-to-late twenties (with no kids) planned and executed a go-hard-or-go-home type trip, so I hope you enjoy!

(All photos are both shot and edited by me. I am just an amateur, but if you like my photos, please feel free to share them, but please credit me! Thank you!)

(PS! All of my posts are now featured in my new blog! Click here to check it out!)

Part 1: Planning the Nitty Gritty: Paperwork and Computer Screens
Part 2: Packing the Essentials: For a Woman, EVERYTHING is Essential!
Part 3: Leaving the Baby Behind: Preparing for Corgi Withdrawals

 

[dvan]

First thing to know about me -- I have a hardcore Type-A personality. I never, ever feel comfortable planning anything anywhere without an itinerary or a packing list. I spend the weekends at Steve's place, and I have to have a physical, hand-written packing list of things just to spend three days over at his apartment... which is only a five-minute drive from my house.

When we first started planning our trip, we originally anticipated going in December of 2013. However, we had some family issues that set us back and decided to go in December of 2014 instead. With the Frozen craze and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opening up, this year proves better for us than last year, but it basically gave me two and a half years to plan, rather than just a year and a half. So, for two and a half years, I scoured every Disney Blog or Disney Review site possible trying to plan dining reservations, Fastpass+, and bigger details such as flight information and the rental car.

Every night, before I'd sleep, I would usually stay up for at least an hour, perusing restaurant reviews while tucked into bed. I used an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, so I could have easily let her do most of the work for me, but my personality wouldn't let me. I sent her my list of ADRs and times I wanted well before the 180-days mark. I freaked a little when she told me that I would probably have to shift some times on certain days because of party nights, but I was able to make things work (even better, if I might add!), but I definitely appreciated her telling me before ADRs opened for our timeframe. I allowed her to book my ADRs for me, since it would have meant me waking up at 5:00AM to do so, but as I was able to book my Fastpass+ reservations at 11:00PM (living in Texas), I went ahead and did this myself to familiarize myself with the system. Thankfully, I got every single ride I wanted, at the exact timeslots that I wanted. I even ended up changing one during booking (gasp! I know!) because I didn't realize that there were going to be Fastpass+ available for the Frozen Sing-Along show. Therefore, I thank my lucky stars that I was blessed enough to snag Fastpass+ for both Frozen events (the Sing-Along and Meet Anna & Elsa).

I've pretty much exhausted any and every kind of last-minute change I could ever do to my trip plans. I have my rental car reservation, my flights booked, and a touring plan for each day, including transportation to and from the resorts to the parks, or from the resorts to resort. It is now truly just a waiting game.

These are my ADRs and Fastpass+ for each day:
Day 1 (AK & EPCOT)
Dinner @ Yachtsman Steakhouse
Fastpasses - Kali River Rapids, DINOSAUR, Expedition Everest
Day 2 (Universal Studios Florida)
Dinner @ Jiko: The Cooking Place
Day 3 (Islands of Adventure)
Breakfast @ Chef Mickey's
Dinner @ Flying Fish Cafe
Day 4 (DHS & MVMCP)
Lunch @ Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater
Dinner @ Cinderella's Royal Table
Fastpasses - Star Tours, Toy Story Mania, Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Day 5 (DHS)
Lunch @ 50's Prime Time Cafe
Dinner @ Hollywood Brown Derby
Fastpasses - Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania, Frozen Sing-Along
Day 6 (AK)
Breakfast @ Tusker House
Dinner @ California Grill
Fastpasses - Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo - The Musical, DINOSAUR
Day 7 (EPCOT)
Breakfast @ Akershus
Lunch @ Coral Reef (Candlelight Processional Package)
Dinner @ Le Cellier
Fastpasses - Mission Space, Turtle Talk with Crush, Soarin'
Day 8 (MK & MVMCP)
Breakfast @ Crystal Palace
Dinner @ Be Our Guest
Fastpasses - Peter Pan's Flight, Meet Anna & Elsa, Enchanted Tales with Belle
Day 9 (Departure)
Breakfast @ Kona Cafe

 

[dvan]

One of my favorite things to do before a trip is to create lists. One of my favorite kind of lists -- packing lists! I make a spreadsheet on Microsoft Excel with exactly everything I need. It usually ranges between broad things like "sleeping shirts" or "shampoo and conditioner," to very specific things like "Minnie Mouse Striped Sweater" or "Spider-Man Socks." This trip to Walt Disney World was definitely no exception.

In fact, I actually planned my outfit list about six months ahead, while shopping online to see what was available at the time. Since my trip is in December, obviously, there aren't going to be many sweaters on sale in June. However, I outlined what I basically wanted to wear. For instance, for the two days that we were going to go to Universal Studios, I knew that I wanted to wear something Harry Potter related on both days. So I scoured a lot of websites, including Pinterest and Etsy, looking for ideas. I slowly modified my list as awesome accessories or better, more original shirts came into play.

When it came to toiletries for this trip, I had some debating. I personally like to check my bags so I never really have to worry about carrying more fluids than allowed on a carry-on. However, since this trip was more than a week long, and I have a very full head of long, thick hair, I didn't think I would have been able to get away with using the resort's travel-sized shampoo and conditioner bottles. When I'm on a weekend trip, I normally have to ask the housekeepers for an extra two or three bottles every day in order to cover all of my hair. However, I feel bad asking Mousekeeping for an extra eight bottles every single day (3 Shampoos and 3 Conditioners for me, 1 Shampoo and 1 Conditioner for Steve), so I decided to buy a full bottle of shampoo and conditioner for both of us to share. Since I bought those full-sized, I figured that I might as well buy everything full-sized -- face wash, body wash, moisturizer, toothpaste, the list goes on...

I have a standard set of electronics I bring on every vacation, which includes, but is not limited to, my MacBook, my iPad, my iPhone, and my point-and-shoot camera. If I know that I'm going to be outdoors or somewhere scenic for a long period of time, I also bring my DSLR. Since we already spend a lot of time on our iPhones, and we know that we will be spending even more time on our phones while waiting in lines (for example, getting our Sunday Football fix while waiting in line for Tower of Terror), we invested in an external battery that has two ports so that we can charge both of our phones at the same time. We bought this one!

When it comes to park touring, I don't like to carry a lot of things on me. Luckily for us, we have our MagicBands for touring, but I never like to rely on one thing for my entire trip; I like having backups. Therefore, free ice-water can only go so far when we're walking around for extended periods of time. Steve and I drink a lot of water. He gets his normal sixty-four ounces a day (which I know is already a lot), but I normally drink somewhere close to eighty ounces a day (and in case you're wondering, yes, I pee a lot... LOL). Therefore, Steve's carrying our Camelbak. Click here to see which one we have; we prefer this one to the normal Camelbaks because the one that we have is closer to an actual backpack, which can hold things like a change of clothes or a jacket. Just keep in mind that water is heavy. If you have any back or posture issues, I don't recommend a Camelbak for all-day touring.

Steve has his Camelbak for carrying our big stuff, but for the small stuff that we would need more frequently, I normally carry my crossbody bag or my fanny pack. Of course, it all depends on your own personal style and budget, but for me, I have always found that high-end designer things last a long time, even for long durations of heavy use. For instance, my crossbody bag is my every-day bag. I use it every single day to go to work or school or run errands, and it is still in nearly mint condition after two years. Likewise, I have used my fanny-pack when I go to amusement parks, the rodeo, concerts, and many other events, and it has lasted me three and a half years. The pocket is a bit of a tight squeeze, though, so I opt for a pocket organizer for when I'm on vacation.

As for style of outfits, I generally go for more classic looks that are also comfortable. I typically opt for function over fashion, but still try to stay with the times as well. That being said, all of my outfits include Mickey or Minnie, Star Wars, or Harry Potter, with the exception of the Sunday that we will be at Walt Disney World. I will proudly be wearing my JJ Watt jersey that day as the Houston Texans are playing the Jacksonville Jaguars that Sunday, and nobody swats like Watt. LOL. However, I'll find a way to incorporate Disney into it, somehow, and I'll make sure to show that incorporation in my actual trip report.

So there you have it -- and extensive look on my packing habits and what the gameplan is for our upcoming trip. Also, the day before our sixty-day mark, I was very nervous about booking our Fastpass+ reservations, so Steve bought me a small, huggable Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey Mouse stuffed animal. This really truly meant a lot to me because I have been talking about this trip for the past two-and-a-half years (non-stop for the past six months), so you can say I've been a little obsessed. However, when I thought that I was really starting to get on his nerves and that he wasn't excited about going on the trip anymore because I kept overselling it, he got me this "Just Because" gift to show that he supports my love for Disney. Yeah. I cried. LOL.

 

[dvan]

This is one of my least favorite things about going on a business trip or a vacation -- leaving my poor fur-baby at home. Normally, when my family goes on vacation, Abby stays with her Uncle Bruce and Aunt Diane (Steve's brother and sister-in-law), but since my parents will be home, Abby will be staying with them.

Usually, Steve and I really enjoy a vacation care-free for the first few days, and Disney World is no different, especially since we are able to immerse ourselves in the experience. However, after a while, we get really homesick. Not just for our beds or the comforts of home, but we start to miss getting to see this dog smile every day, especially when my brother or my father takes adorable pictures of her and texts it to us while we're on vacation. Of course, this homesickness doesn't get us down, but we find ourselves on our phones looking at pictures of Abby a lot more after that four-day-mark.