YES! We are going again! Spring Break 2016 PTR! Complete: TR Link

[deedee2177]

I can't wait to hear how it all works out for you! (And I got your email, I'll send you something by the end of today! I'm on break at the moment!)

Update coming soon! Thanks again for your help!!

 

[deedee2177]

Oh oh! your doing the frozen sing along!!! LOVE THAT!
and wishes! make sure you get there EARLY! that was a big mistake on our part..

I tried to pick FP selections that we haven't done in the past. After seeing the Wishes FP section during the last trip, I definitely want to try it out. Thanks for the advice on getting there early!

 

[BlvInMagic]

Joining in! We are going to WDW the exact same time and will be staying at the AoA Resort. This will be our first time staying at AoA -- so fingers crossed that it was a good choice! We were a little apprehensive about taking a trip during Spring Break, but we decided that it was a MUST to get out of this winter weather I booked our FastPasses at the wee hours of the morning -- I was going for a 12:01 a.m. booking but ended up sleeping thru my alarm and woke up at 3:40 a.m. instead. No matter -- we still got favs booked close enough to the desired time frame. Now all we have to do is wait...and wait....and wait! It looks like our plans align a little as we will be at HS on 3/31 and MK on 4/1 -- maybe we'll see each other

 

[deedee2177]

Fast Pass and Online Check-in Updates!!

Last night was the night....Fast Pass Night!!! As mentioned in my previous update I was a bit worried about MDE showing me 60 days out. Luckily when I logged in right at midnight I was able to book for my days!!! Keep in mind I could only book for me and Keith right now, but I'm hoping to be able to copy some of these over to the rest of the family when they get their tickets. If that is not a possibility we will figure something else out. So, here is what I ended up getting:

Monday, 3/28/16 - Magic Kingdom:

Splash Mountain: 1pm-2pm
Thundermountain: 2:25pm-3:25pm
Mine Train: 3:25pm-4:25pm

Tuesday, 3/29/16 - Hollywood Studios

*We will be spending the morning in AK, but I did not make any FP selections.

Rock 'N' Roller Coaster: 1:30pm-2:30pm
Frozen Sing-a-long: 4:05pm-4:20pm
Tower of Terror: 5:50pm-6:50pm


Wednesday, 3/30/16 - Magic Kingdom

Peter Pan: 9:35am-10:35am
Splash Mountain: 10:50am-11:50am
Mine Train: 11:55am-12:55pm

Thursday, 3/31/16 - Hollywood Studios

Star Tours: 9:40am-10:40am
Toy Story: 10:40am-11:40am
Tower of Terror: 11:50am-12:50pm

*We will be spending the afternoon/evening at Epcot so I will try to get some FP's throughout our visit at the kiosks

Friday, 4/1/16 - Magic Kingdom

Mine Train: 9:25am-10:25am
Thunder Mountain: 10:25am-11:25am
Wishes: 8:35pm-8:55pm

Well, there you have it...our FP selections!! I'm sure there will be some juggling around once the rest of the family gets their tickets, but for now this is our starting point. I do have to say it seemed like I had a MUCH easier time getting FP selections for this trip than our November Trip...crazy!

Now onto you Online Check-in Update. I decided to pick the same selections for both rooms in hope that it helps us to have rooms close together. I chose 60's Section and Lake View for both rooms. We will see if it works out.

The arrival time I chose for both rooms is 7pm....however that has changed. Yes, a change already and it's only been 9 hours. Due to our wonderful friend @Elevationist looks like Keith, the kids and I will be arriving earlier on Monday than we had originally planned. We had planned to stop outside of the Savannah area, but after chatting (well emailing) with @Elevationist and receiving some guidance. Keith and I decided to drive a bit further that Sunday afternoon/evening and we will be staying on the south side of Jacksonville. It makes for a longer ride on Sunday, but we won't be in a hurry and can take our time. Most importantly that only puts us about 2 1/2 hours away from Disney. So, the next morning, we can get on the road nice and early and could potentially be on Disney Property around 10am. Since that is the case, I'm going to move the check in for our room to 10am. If we get that magical text/email that our room is ready we will head there and check-in and grab some lunch at the food court, and then make our way to Magic Kingdom! If the room isn't ready then we will head straight to the Magic Kingdom!!!

There you go the official Fast Pass/Online Check-in Update!!! ​

 

[deedee2177]

Joining in! We are going to WDW the exact same time and will be staying at the AoA Resort. This will be our first time staying at AoA -- so fingers crossed that it was a good choice! We were a little apprehensive about taking a trip during Spring Break, but we decided that it was a MUST to get out of this winter weather I booked our FastPasses at the wee hours of the morning -- I was going for a 12:01 a.m. booking but ended up sleeping thru my alarm and woke up at 3:40 a.m. instead. No matter -- we still got favs booked close enough to the desired time frame. Now all we have to do is wait...and wait....and wait! It looks like our plans align a little as we will be at HS on 3/31 and MK on 4/1 -- maybe we'll see each other

Thanks for following along!!

We stayed at AoA in November 2012 and we LOVED it!!!! We were in the Little Mermaid section. It is such a fun resort. I'm going to try to work in some time to walk over there from Pop because I just enjoy the resort so much. Not to mention the food court is yummy too!

I see in your signature you have stayed at Pop...what are your thoughts...this is our first stay there. I'm excited...I think the kids are going to love it.

We went during Spring Break in 2014...honestly it was not that bad. I don't know if that had something to do with the fact that Easter was late that year (toward the end of April). What we found that worked for us was getting at the Parks right when they opened, having an earlier lunch (11am or 11:30), then head back to the resort for a rest. Then we would be back at the Parks around 4pm. It helped to avoid the crowds at the busiest times (1pm-4pm), and it was also hot so it was nice to take a break in the pool.

Yay for plans aligning!! Not to mention our resorts our neighbors

Thanks again for following along!

 

[Chicago Mo]

YAY!!! you got everything you ever need!! Billie is the best!

 

[deedee2177]

YAY!!! you got everything you ever need!! Billie is the best!

I'm telling you it was much easier this time around then when I was trying to make FP selections for this past November. I was really shocked considering we are going this time during Spring Break!

Yes, I agree Billie is the best!!!

 

[BlvInMagic]

Resort Neighbors!!! Very cool We stayed at Pop in 2013 (it was DS's first trip) and we had a 2nd floor room in the 70s section. The room was great -- it was close enough to the pool and main bldg -- we had no issues with noise, no loud neighbors, mousekeeping was very good as was bell services. We found the bus system to be ideal -- most times a bus was waiting when we were exiting the main bldg., or one was just about to pull up. DS loved the Pop pool too and enjoyed the activities that the cast members did with the kids in that area. I hear the Nemo pool at AOA is pretty neat too with the underwater sounds -- very much in his wheelhouse (he's a water baby!)

Thanks for the Spring Break Touring Tip! We're very excited over here and counting down the days!!!

 

[deedee2177]

Resort Neighbors!!! Very cool We stayed at Pop in 2013 (it was DS's first trip) and we had a 2nd floor room in the 70s section. The room was great -- it was close enough to the pool and main bldg -- we had no issues with noise, no loud neighbors, mousekeeping was very good as was bell services. We found the bus system to be ideal -- most times a bus was waiting when we were exiting the main bldg., or one was just about to pull up. DS loved the Pop pool too and enjoyed the activities that the cast members did with the kids in that area. I hear the Nemo pool at AOA is pretty neat too with the underwater sounds -- very much in his wheelhouse (he's a water baby!)

Thanks for the Spring Break Touring Tip! We're very excited over here and counting down the days!!!

I'm excited to stay at Pop...I know the kids are going to love it too! I did my online check in the other day and I selected the 60's building and a lake view....fingers crossed.

The Nemo Pool is great!!! The whole resort is so much fun! I'm hoping for the chance to take a walk over there at some point during the trip.

I'm hoping for some pool time, my kids love the water as well. The pool water will probably be a bit too cold for DH...I swear that man likes the water to be the temperature of bath water..YUCK!

 

[snowwhitesmom]

Hi there! May I join in? I'm very interested in your PTR because we are going to POP in April!
We have been to Disney several times, but haven't stayed at POP in years and I am all new to FP+ and online ordering?
Sorry - didn't mean to hijack your thread - if I promise to behave, may I join in?

 

[deedee2177]

Hi there! May I join in? I'm very interested in your PTR because we are going to POP in April!
We have been to Disney several times, but haven't stayed at POP in years and I am all new to FP+ and online ordering?
Sorry - didn't mean to hijack your thread - if I promise to behave, may I join in?

By all means, please join us!! I'm glad you found my PTR and I hope it helps.

This will be my first stay a Pop, I'm very much looking forward to it. I've heard a lot of great things!

All the FP and online ordering can be a bit overwhelming especially your first time dealing with them, but the website is super user-friendly. If you haven't done so already I also highly recommend downloading the My Disney Experience App to your phone (they have an app for phone Iphone and Android).

Please don't hesitate to ask me anything, I'm sure if I can't answer someone else can.

 

[deedee2177]

Quick Update

For a very belated Christmas Present to myself I bought a few Disney Shirts. As a Pooh-sized girl it is a bit harder to find some cute Disney Shirts, however Torrid has a Disney Line and they have eliminated this problem for me. Now they have a created a bigger problem...too many to choose from. Luckily I received a great coupon from them after Christmas and I was able to get these shirts at a pretty reasonable price:



I'm super happy with them, and between these and the ones I got for our November 2015 I'm all set for clothes on this trip!! Well, for myself anyway. I would like to get a few more for the kids...they aren't so hard to find! I think Keith is all set on his as well. He has his couple he will wear and after that it will be just regular t-shirts and shorts..LOL.

54 days until we leave and 55 days until we are on Disney Property!!!!​

 

[Elevationist]

For a very belated Christmas Present to myself I bought a few Disney Shirts. As a Pooh-sized girl it is a bit harder to find some cute Disney Shirts, however Torrid has a Disney Line and they have eliminated this problem for me. Now they have a created a bigger problem...too many to choose from. Luckily I received a great coupon from them after Christmas and I was able to get these shirts at a pretty reasonable price:

I love all three of these! So cute!

54 days until we leave and 55 days until we are on Disney Property!!!!

Girl, it's coming up so soon! You'll be back before you know it!

 

[Li Li]

Looks like great plans! Crazy how Easter is easier to plan than November!

 

[Chicago Mo]

Love the shirts!!!

 

[deedee2177]

I love all three of these! So cute!

Thanks...I never buy anything for myself. I always buy for the kids and Keith. So, I splurged a bit and got these. I love them too, and they are nice and loose...just the way I like them.

Girl, it's coming up so soon! You'll be back before you know it!

I can't believe how quickly the time is going. I was looking at the calendar and we have something planned every weekend (except one) between now and the trip!!

Looks like great plans! Crazy how Easter is easier to plan than November!

I was so surprised...I had no issues getting ADRs or Fast Passes this trip, but in November it was a battle of checking the websites every day!!

Love the shirts!!!

Thanks!! I like them too...my Disney Shirt Collection has grown nicely because of these trips.

 

[deedee2177]

So, it’s about this time when I start to think of my day to day plans for our trip, and try to work out more of the details. If I do 1 update a week I will be able to cover all the days, and it will take me right up to the week before we leave!!!​

We will begin with the boring travel day, but at least we will be officially on vacation!!​

March 27, 2016: Let the fun times begin​

We will be driving from North Carolina (near Charlotte) to the south side of Jacksonville this day. I will be picking up our rental car (well intermediate SUV) the day before so we have it to pack up. The example they give for the vehicle is a Toyota RAV4. Of course I had to google it and check it out. Based on what I have seen it looks like it will be just fine for the 4 of us and all our stuff. Anything will be bigger than our every day car (Hyundai accent).
​

We will be picking up Emma from her Mommy’s place at noon and will get on the road straight from there. The plan is for us to eat lunch before getting on the road, and have snacks in the car. We will stop for an early dinner probably around the Savannah area, most likely a Cracker Barrel or something of that nature. This will allow us all to get out of the car for a bit too.

After our tummies are full we will head the rest of the way to Jacksonville. I will probably drive this leg of the trip because Keith doesn’t like driving through major cities and I know the roads in Jacksonville can be a bit crazy (even on a Sunday).

As mentioned previously our friend, Billie, helped me find a place for our overnight stay. We will be staying at a Quality Inn right off of I-95 on the south side of Jacksonville.

​

I’m hoping we won’t be checking in any later than 8pm. I will do my standard trick of having an overnight bag packed just for this night so we don’t have to drag in all the suitcases for the 1 night. We will let the kids play for a bit since they will have been in the car for so long. The hotel has a pool, but that will all depend on the weather!

We will call it a night and hopefully get some sleep, but let’s be honest I probably won’t sleep a wink because of excitement!!!

There you have it the boring travel day. However, I promise there will be some Disney in the next update!!

46 days until we leave and 47 days until on Disney Property!!!​

 

[deedee2177]

March 28, 2016: Disney Day!!

Finally the day we (the family) have all been counting down to….we will be on Disney Property!!!! Keith and I have done quite a bit of talking regarding the time we will be getting on the road on this morning. Since it will be on a Monday, we would like to plan it right so we can avoid as much rush hour traffic as possible.

So, I think we have decided to get on the road at 8am. This will put us in the Orlando area around 9:30 or so which hopefully means we will miss the bulk of the traffic. This means I will probably up around 7am…oh who am I kidding I will most likely already be awake!! The hotel we are staying at provides a free continental breakfast (thanks again for the hook-up Billie)!


​

https://flic.kr/p/EdQpST

Based on the pictures, it looks like they have a great selection of items. Emma loves the waffle maker so I’m sure we will be testing that out. J

8am: On the road! According to Google Maps it is about a 2 ½ hour drive. I’m sure there will be a potty break in there somewhere so planning purposes I’m shooting for 11am Check-in at Pop. When I did my online Check-in I put 10:30 just in case we are lucky. I will be keeping an eye on my email/text to see if we get that magic notification that our room is ready!

11am: Plans if room is ready. We will go and check out the room and unpack. Then head over to the food court to grab some lunch. I will also take this time to stop by the front desk to check on the status of Mom/Sister’s room and see if there is any possibility their room could be close to ours. After lunch we will head to MK by bus.



11am: Plans if room is not ready. We will drive straight to Magic Kingdom and find some lunch. I’m thinking Cosmic Ray’s.





1pm-2pm: Splash Mountain Fast Pass. My son is so excited for this ride. He has been watching YouTube Videos of it and can’t wait. Fingers crossed he will be tall enough. He was knocking at the door of 40 inches barefoot a few weeks ago, so here’s hoping that his shoes give him that extra boost. If not, we are going to have one devastated kid. This is one of Keith’s favorite rides. If Joey is not tall enough we will use the child swap and Emma will get to ride twice.

2:25-3:25pm: Big Thunder Mountain Fast Pass. Another one Joey is excited about. Please!!! Be tall enough!!! From here we will need to decide what direction to move in….POC or Haunted Mansion. I will use the handy dandy MDE app to help us decide.

3:25-4:25pm: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Fast Pass. At least I know Joey will be tall enough for this one and this is the one he is probably the most excited about. J Emma is looking forward to this one as well.

Here is where our plans have changed a bit. We originally had a dinner ADR at Rainforest Café at Disney Springs at 5:30pm. However, we were all a bit nervous about Mom/Sister making it in time since they will be driving down on this day. So, we decided to cancel that reservation and decide about dinner based on when they arrive. If they make good time they could potentially arrive around 4pm or so.

The plan is for them to text me when they get on I-4 because we know it takes about 45 minutes from there to get to Disney. Once we get that text we will head back to Pop Century. We will meet up with Mom/Sister at the main lobby. From there we will get them all checked into their room (and into ours if we weren’t able to check in earlier in the day).

From there we will decide what we want to do for dinner. The tentative plan right now is to still head over to Disney Springs, but by bus and grab some dinner there at one of the many quick services that are available. If we are too tired then we may just head across the bridge and grab some dinner at AoA’s food court.

Either way, I don’t think it will be a very late night because Mom/Sister will have been up since very early in the morning…not to mention we have a VERY busy day scheduled for the next day.

So, there you have it…the first official day on Disney Property!!

39 days until we leave, 40 days until we are on Disney Property!!!! Before I know the Magic Bands for my kids, Mom and Sister will be arriving!!!​

 

[tabrizia]

If you want to do Rainforest or T-Rex, just get the Landry card. It costs $25 but you get a $25 credit when you use it. It also gets you basically front of the line privileges at Rainforest, T-Rex and Yak and Yeti. We waited under 1 minutes when we went to T-Rex our first time with 5 people when we had the card (the regular wait was around 45 minutes) and we waited 15 minutes with 16 people the second time we went (regular wait time was 90ish minutes). You just show it at the podium and they get you in as soon as they possibly can.

 

[Chicago Mo]

YAHOO!

The hotel looks FANTASTIC!!! YUM breakfast too!!! Great Job Billie! (as always)

Don't forget to ask for the parking pass once you get to the resort. I forgot to grab mine when we were there.

You guys are going to have a blast! Can't wait to hear how he loves all the rides!