mom2febgirls
Castle Decorator
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2002
- Messages
- 956
With DD15 being in High School our days of going during slow seasons is over...so we bit the bullet and decided that we'd, at least, avoid the heat and use Thanksgiving Week.
We asked some friends to join us and rented a 6 bedroom house in Windsor Hills (Sun Kissed Villas...awesome) We left Friday after school and got into Orlando really late. We rented a car and headed to Loews Royal Pacific Resort so we could use Express Pass and visit US/IoA on Saturday.
Sunday at MK was packed (but it didn't hold us back) DD7 had a BBB appointment at 8:15 so we were in Fantasyland at 9 and rode everything but Pooh by 10:30. We then hit Monster's Inc (kids loved it and we saw it 4 times over the course of the day) until DD10 had to be at the Pirate League (11) We had lunch at Pecos' Bill and rode Splash. Then we headed back to tomorrowland for more Monster's Inc, Buzz and Space. Then we left the park for our Chef Mickey dinner at 5:30. The kids were done but the grownups went to Downtown Disney around 10 and then back to MK for PotC and Haunted Mansion...it was a great day!
Monday was Epcot...I headed to Soarin' and got FP with a return at 11. Rode it with a 30 minute wait (me plus dd7) Then met up at Test Track with the rest of our group who had ridden Mission Space. DD15 went to World Showcase at 11 to start collecting autographs while most of us rode TT in the single rider line. Grabbed some FPs for later. Then headed to Le Cellier for lunch (yum!) The older girls went to Japan while DD7 and I got some more autographs. It started to rain (right before we got to Snow White
We headed for cover and stopped at Club Cool and then used our FP for TT and Soarin and DH took the girls to ride Spaceship Earth and we left for the day (probably around 4)
Tuesday was Hollywood Studios...DD15 wanted a day off so she stayed home and slept all day. DD7 and I did the Toy Story Stampede...skipped the FP line and rode in 30 minutes. DH took DD10 and got in the 11:00 show for Jedi Training. After Toy Story we headed to Star Tours where we ended up riding 6 times through a combination of FP and Standby. DD did her Jedi training and we ate lunch at Pizza Planet. Then we saw the Indiana Jones stunt show. We grabbed some ToT FP for later and headed to the house. The girls hit the pool while we relaxed. We headed back around 7 with DD15. Rode ToT and watched Fantasmic! (second show at 8)
Wednesday US/IoA
Thursday...Happy Thanksgiving! Hollywood Studios again! Today I ran to get Star Tours FP (kids loved it!) while DH took everybody else to Toy Story. I met up with them before they entered the TSM building so I joined them. DD15 and I headed to RnRC and picked up ToT FP and headed to Star Tours to meet up with everyone else and we rode it another 5 times (only DD15 and DD7 saw the city but we saw all the other sequences). Then we used our ToT FP and DH rode RnRC and headed to the house to cook Thanksgiving Dinner. After dinner the kids stayed at the house with our friends and DH and I headed back to Hollywood Studios and rode Star Tours 2 more times (DH was determined to see all the sequences and we did!). Then we took a stroll down Streets of America to watch the Osborne Lights before heading back to the house.
Friday we went back to Epcot (on the way we called to see if Pirates League had any openings for DD15 and they did at 1!) We went to Mission Space first and rode Standby and got FP for later. I went to get Soarin' FP (return at 3) while DH took the girls back to Spaceship Earth. We met at Sunshine Seasons for lunch and split up (I took DD15 to MK for Pirates League). I have no idea what DH and the girls did but I'm pretty sure it involved Spaceship Earth and Mission Space. DD15 and I finished our Pirates League and were back in Epcot by 3. We met up with the rest of the family and got a Kim Possible mission and headed to World Showcase. We did 2 KP missions, shopped and then headed back to the house for dinner (around 5). Around 8 we headed back (park closed at 9:30) and used our Mission Space and Soarin' FP and rode Spaceship Earth (again...lol) I then talked everybody into going to Magic Kingdom (my favorite but everyone else prefers HS or Epcot). We got there around 10:30 and saw Monster's Inc Laugh Floor. Then we rode Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan and Splash Mountain. I got my pictures in front of the castle and we headed back to the house.
Saturday we had planned to go to Animal Kingdom but my kids just love Epcot so back we went. DD7 and I rode Mission Space while everyone else rode Spaceship Earth. They joined us and we rode Mission Space again (my first time Orange...I'll stick with Green). Then we grabbed some Test Track FP (return at 12:15) and headed to Club Cool. DD15 wanted to do some more shopping in Japan so she went to World Showcase while I took DD10 to Spaceship Earth (she loves it) and DH took DD7 to Test Track with 2 of our FP. Then I dropped DD10 off to ride TT with DH and DD7 (last 3 FP) and went to pay for DD15's shopping. We hit Club Cool on the way out and headed to the airport.
Final thoughts...it was a great trip. I was worried about going over a holiday but even though it was crowded I don't feel it kept us from doing anything we wanted. I was also worried about our decision to stay offsite but it worked out well and the kids loved having our own pool.
We asked some friends to join us and rented a 6 bedroom house in Windsor Hills (Sun Kissed Villas...awesome) We left Friday after school and got into Orlando really late. We rented a car and headed to Loews Royal Pacific Resort so we could use Express Pass and visit US/IoA on Saturday.
Sunday at MK was packed (but it didn't hold us back) DD7 had a BBB appointment at 8:15 so we were in Fantasyland at 9 and rode everything but Pooh by 10:30. We then hit Monster's Inc (kids loved it and we saw it 4 times over the course of the day) until DD10 had to be at the Pirate League (11) We had lunch at Pecos' Bill and rode Splash. Then we headed back to tomorrowland for more Monster's Inc, Buzz and Space. Then we left the park for our Chef Mickey dinner at 5:30. The kids were done but the grownups went to Downtown Disney around 10 and then back to MK for PotC and Haunted Mansion...it was a great day!
Monday was Epcot...I headed to Soarin' and got FP with a return at 11. Rode it with a 30 minute wait (me plus dd7) Then met up at Test Track with the rest of our group who had ridden Mission Space. DD15 went to World Showcase at 11 to start collecting autographs while most of us rode TT in the single rider line. Grabbed some FPs for later. Then headed to Le Cellier for lunch (yum!) The older girls went to Japan while DD7 and I got some more autographs. It started to rain (right before we got to Snow White
We headed for cover and stopped at Club Cool and then used our FP for TT and Soarin and DH took the girls to ride Spaceship Earth and we left for the day (probably around 4)Tuesday was Hollywood Studios...DD15 wanted a day off so she stayed home and slept all day. DD7 and I did the Toy Story Stampede...skipped the FP line and rode in 30 minutes. DH took DD10 and got in the 11:00 show for Jedi Training. After Toy Story we headed to Star Tours where we ended up riding 6 times through a combination of FP and Standby. DD did her Jedi training and we ate lunch at Pizza Planet. Then we saw the Indiana Jones stunt show. We grabbed some ToT FP for later and headed to the house. The girls hit the pool while we relaxed. We headed back around 7 with DD15. Rode ToT and watched Fantasmic! (second show at 8)
Wednesday US/IoA
Thursday...Happy Thanksgiving! Hollywood Studios again! Today I ran to get Star Tours FP (kids loved it!) while DH took everybody else to Toy Story. I met up with them before they entered the TSM building so I joined them. DD15 and I headed to RnRC and picked up ToT FP and headed to Star Tours to meet up with everyone else and we rode it another 5 times (only DD15 and DD7 saw the city but we saw all the other sequences). Then we used our ToT FP and DH rode RnRC and headed to the house to cook Thanksgiving Dinner. After dinner the kids stayed at the house with our friends and DH and I headed back to Hollywood Studios and rode Star Tours 2 more times (DH was determined to see all the sequences and we did!). Then we took a stroll down Streets of America to watch the Osborne Lights before heading back to the house.
Friday we went back to Epcot (on the way we called to see if Pirates League had any openings for DD15 and they did at 1!) We went to Mission Space first and rode Standby and got FP for later. I went to get Soarin' FP (return at 3) while DH took the girls back to Spaceship Earth. We met at Sunshine Seasons for lunch and split up (I took DD15 to MK for Pirates League). I have no idea what DH and the girls did but I'm pretty sure it involved Spaceship Earth and Mission Space. DD15 and I finished our Pirates League and were back in Epcot by 3. We met up with the rest of the family and got a Kim Possible mission and headed to World Showcase. We did 2 KP missions, shopped and then headed back to the house for dinner (around 5). Around 8 we headed back (park closed at 9:30) and used our Mission Space and Soarin' FP and rode Spaceship Earth (again...lol) I then talked everybody into going to Magic Kingdom (my favorite but everyone else prefers HS or Epcot). We got there around 10:30 and saw Monster's Inc Laugh Floor. Then we rode Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan and Splash Mountain. I got my pictures in front of the castle and we headed back to the house.
Saturday we had planned to go to Animal Kingdom but my kids just love Epcot so back we went. DD7 and I rode Mission Space while everyone else rode Spaceship Earth. They joined us and we rode Mission Space again (my first time Orange...I'll stick with Green). Then we grabbed some Test Track FP (return at 12:15) and headed to Club Cool. DD15 wanted to do some more shopping in Japan so she went to World Showcase while I took DD10 to Spaceship Earth (she loves it) and DH took DD7 to Test Track with 2 of our FP. Then I dropped DD10 off to ride TT with DH and DD7 (last 3 FP) and went to pay for DD15's shopping. We hit Club Cool on the way out and headed to the airport.
Final thoughts...it was a great trip. I was worried about going over a holiday but even though it was crowded I don't feel it kept us from doing anything we wanted. I was also worried about our decision to stay offsite but it worked out well and the kids loved having our own pool.
