Yes, we are still going!

[Sarahboo]

Yay! What an awesome trip you have planned!

It's disappointing that your original plan won't happen, but this is SO EXCITING and you'll have great experiences you didn't even have on your radar a few weeks ago.

I'm also really hoping more TS opens up in the coming weeks. I'm super excited to stay at the BWV, but there's so little food available and since we can't park hop, jumping into EPCOT for dinner is off the table. But - I'm trying to remember that I still get to be at WDW and I'd take that over my living room any day.

 

[tundra1]

Wow you certainly went through a lot of planning and changing but I guess that's the theme of the year. Having your cruise cancelled definitely must've been devastating but your new plans also sound wonderful. AKL is gorgeous- I dream of staying there also!

We did find TS reservations to be difficult to get/change when we were just there. They have limited tables in use and with so many restaurants still closed, I think it's really taking a toll.

The one good thing is they have added a couple of additional restaurant options, so we were able to snag a Chefs De France reservation for our second Epcot day. That one will be for my son, his wife, and my daughter. I think they will enjoy an adult night out!

 

[tundra1]

Yay! What an awesome trip you have planned!

It's disappointing that your original plan won't happen, but this is SO EXCITING and you'll have great experiences you didn't even have on your radar a few weeks ago.

I'm also really hoping more TS opens up in the coming weeks. I'm super excited to stay at the BWV, but there's so little food available and since we can't park hop, jumping into EPCOT for dinner is off the table. But - I'm trying to remember that I still get to be at WDW and I'd take that over my living room any day.

Yes, I keep telling myself the same thing. When we had park hopper passes, every night we went to eat in a different country in Epcot. With no park hopping options, we are limited to only the two days we are there. I did snag a Chefs De France ressie for my kids so they can have an adult night though!

 

[tundra1]

Every day seems like a new development is occurring at WDW, so this is really an exciting time to be planning a trip! They opened up take out meals at Sanaa', so I cancelled our table service reservation, and decided it will be better to enjoy the meal from our balcony overlooking the Savanna. The kids can run around the villa and I won't have to worry about them bothering other guests. And... I can still get the bread service and butter chicken! It will be a perfect feast!

Chefs de France also will be open when we get there, so I added a reservation for my DD, DS and his wife. They are offering a 3 course meal with a glass of wine and coffee/tea/soft drinks for $49 per person. That sounds like a great deal and their menu options are good. I think they will love it! It will make up for the cancellation of Remy on the cruise ship and Monsieur Paul from our 180 day ADL reservation. It is still rather early in our trip, but will give them a little adult time away from the kids, which is appreciated any night!

Our current plans look like this:
Tuesday 11/10: We arrive at MCO at noon. We should be able to get to Epcot by 3pm. Our dinner reservations at Garden Grill are at 6:30. It will give us three hours in the park before dinner to get some rides in. I am going to try grocery delivery to see how it works. I still need to decide which delivery service to use (Instacart vs. Amazon Prime vs. Garden Grocer). I just don't want the milk to go bad waiting for us to return from the parks.

Wednesday, 11/11: Hollywood Studios day. We plan to be at the bus stop ready for the first bus to Hollywood studios, to hopefully bring us to the park shortly after 9am, and in line for MMRR at park opening. Those lines are posted at 50-105 minutes every hour of every day. I think we need to try to do that ride as soon as we get there. It is Veteran's Day , and I am not sure how crowded the park will be. It looks like the Orlando schools are in session though, so it should not be quite as bad as a weekend day, but from what I have read, every day there is busy. We will have three of us trying for a boarding group for RotR right at 10am, and hopefully one of us will get through. Then we have an 11am reservation at the 50's Prime Time Diner. After that, we will take the day as it goes and will possibly end up splitting up and taking the younger kids back to the resort by mid-afternoon. I want to try out some of the Play Disney games in Star Wars Land. We will eat dinner in Batuu somewhere. I was hoping for an Oga's Cantina reservation, but so far, nothing is available, even for a party of 2-4. I am hoping there is a same day reservation we can pick up if I can't secure anything prior to our arrival. The day will end enjoying the streets all lit up after dark.

Thursday, 11/12: We are heading back to Epcot this day, hoping to enjoy the Food and Wine Booths, and riding most of the attractions. The older boys will try to get the stamps on their passports from all the countries in World Showcase, too. This is the night I was able to get the reservation for Chefs de France for the adult kids. I am excited for them to go!

Friday, 11/13: After staring at Magic Kingdom for 3 days, we are finally heading over there! We plan to walk over from Bay Lake Tower and will hopefully be there before park opening. I really want to see the Wilderness Lodge, so we have a reservation at Whispering Canyon Cafe' for lunch. We plan to take the boat there from Magic Kingdom, here's hoping for good weather! After lunch, we will go swimming at the resort (again, praying for good weather!) and then head back to MK. It would be awesome if The Wave will have started offering mobile ordering for take out because I would love to get dinner from there. Those plans are still up in the air, but if take out is not an option, my husband and I might just go down to the Wave Bar for dinner after the little ones are in bed.

Saturday, 11/14: This is moving day. We have breakfast reservations at Chef Mickey's and then will need to check out of BLT by 11:00am. I am hoping that Disney will move our suitcases from BLT to AKL, but I need to confirm that service is currently being offered. Otherwise, I will need to figure out other plans. The rest of the day will be spent relaxing by the pools at BLT and/or AKL if it is sunny, or doing a monorail loop and exploring the Poly and the Grand Floridian if the weather is not good for pool time. If the pontoon boats are available, we will definitely rent a pontoon boat for an hour and explore the two lakes. I would also like to go Mini-golfing, but I am not sure if there are any Disney transportation options to get there. Does anyone know? At some point we will catch a bus to AKL from MK and begin the next phase of our adventure there!

Sunday, 11/15: We will spend this day at Animal Kingdom. The boys will get their Wilderness Explorer kits and start collecting their badges. I definitely want to ride the Jungle Safari first thing in the morning, and hopefully catch a glimpse of Mara's new baby giraffe. The plan is to leave by mid-afternoon, rest a little, and then take the bus to Disney Springs. We have a 6:15 pm reservation at Homecomin'. Fried Chicken and Sunday dinner just go hand in hand, and I have been waiting to try one of those Moonshine tasty beverages!

Monday, 11/16: We are going back to Magic Kingdom this day. We have reservations for Be Our Guest at noon. It has been on my oldest grandson's wish list ever since he started doing his research for this trip a year ago. We originally had a lunch reservation before they cancelled the ADR's from our 180 day point. But then, lunch was a quick service option, with a more child friendly menu. However, even though it is now a ridiculous price, I saved a lot of money on lodging, so I am happy I was able to snag a reservation.
I originally could not get BOG, and instead had Cinderella's Royal Table booked, but when we switched to Animal Kingdom Lodge, and then moved our park days around, I could not get CRT on that Monday, but was able to get BOG, so it worked out anyway. I am not completely happy with the menu offerings there. The side items they offer for the kids are green beans, wild rice, sauteed Zucchini, and sweet potato wedges. They offer Mac and Cheese as an entree', so I wonder if they could give us a little scoop of that as a side item instead? Why can't they just offer buttered white rice or brown rice instead of the wild rice? Or, should I double up on the sweet potato wedges? For $37, they should have more child friendly choices. Also, as an adult, I really like the child options. I wonder if I could order a child meal, and I could get the zucchini and wild rice? Portion size, I would be fine with a child portion. I might do that and swap meals with one of the kids, so they could get side items that will actually eat! I have not read very many reviews on this restaurant; I am interested to hear what other people think. For us, it will be the experience of eating in the Beast's castle that will make the difference. I hope there is a photo pass photographer there so we can get a picture of us without masks on!

Tuesday, 11/17 is another Animal Kingdom day. We will finish up the Explorer's badges, hopefully be able to get a second chance at the Animation Station, and enjoy another day with the animals. I had originally booked dinner at Sanaa', but after seeing that they now have a take out option, I cancelled our dinner reservation and we will get take out instead. It will be a great way to end our trip. I do plan on stopping by the Nomad Lounge near park closing time for a treat and a tasty beverage with my daughter! It will be our last day together before we head back home, and she will be going to back to New York, so I want to make the most of it!

On Wednesday, I was able to change our airplane tickets to mid-afternoon flights taking us back home, so we will check out, hop on the MDE, and leave from the Orlando Airport for O'Hare / JFK. Looking back on these plans, the trip seems too short. Maybe there will be a big snowstorm and our trip home will be delayed by a day (or 2!) However, coming back on Wednesday does gives me 5 days to quarantine for work, get tested on Monday, and be back to work on Tuesday. That will make my boss happy, if nothing else!

I will update this if anything changes between now and then. I am still nervous and probably won't be able to relax until we finally check into our resort! But, we are only 45 days away!

 

[DisneyMom0604]

Good luck with your trip! I stumbled upon this thread and enjoyed reading it. I remember going in 2000 as a kid. When I went back in 2015 with my husband and little girl things were definitely different! Now we are taking our baby boy for the first time in November. Looks like we will be there the same time as you! Can't wait to see your updates!

 

[tundra1]

Good luck with your trip! I stumbled upon this thread and enjoyed reading it. I remember going in 2000 as a kid. When I went back in 2015 with my husband and little girl things were definitely different! Now we are taking our baby boy for the first time in November. Looks like we will be there the same time as you! Can't wait to see your updates!

I have been watching some of the You Tubers, and it seems like the crowds are really growing! Of course, with more people, Disney seems to be responding by adding more restaurants and things to do, and now the GF hotel has opened for tourists. I sure hope some of the shows open up, like the Indiana Jones Stunt Show, and Festival of the Lion King. I also hope the Citizens of Hollywood return. I love Betty Shambles; it would be such fun to see her roll by as a part of a cavalcade!

I hope we both have a great time there in November! Say hello if you run into us in one of the parks! It should not be hard to miss our group of 9... we are all fairly tall (6'5" 6'4", 6'0", 5'11, plus Hannah and the kids).

 

[buzzrelly]

They opened up take out meals at Sanaa', so I cancelled our table service reservation, and decided it will be better to enjoy the meal from our balcony overlooking the Savanna.

That sounds practically perfect

All of your plans sound great! So happy you got it all figured out so quickly!

 

[CruellaNY]

Every day seems like a new development is occurring at WDW, so this is really an exciting time to be planning a trip!

YES! Even while we were there last week they made quite a few announcements about things reopening and it's exciting every time, even if it's something we don't necessary love. Just need all things to come back!

I really want to see the Wilderness Lodge, so we have a reservation at Whispering Canyon Cafe' for lunch.

Ooh have you never been there? I don't think I realized that! You should definitely go visit You probably know it's my fave.

I am hoping that Disney will move our suitcases from BLT to AKL, but I need to confirm that service is currently being offered.

Yes, as of now this is happening.

Looking back on these plans, the trip seems too short. Maybe there will be a big snowstorm and our trip home will be delayed by a day (or 2!)

LOL all Disney trips seem too short! We just returned from 5 nights and were saying we could have used a 6th; our next 2 trips are only 4 nights with really no way to add on to November and it's making me sad!

Your plans look great So happy you're getting closer and closer!

 

[Sarahboo]

I do 't know how I missed that we'll be there the same days, now! And we're even doing DHS on 11/11, EPCOT 11/12, MK 11/13, and AK on 11/14! Too funny! I imagine we'll pass each other in the parks at some point and never even realize it!

I love your plans and I think it's awesome to let the kids have some adult time in EPCOT. When my kids were younger, I treasured the moments my parents would take the kids for a couple of hours at Disney so I could experience it with a different perspective.

 

[tundra1]

YES! Even while we were there last week they made quite a few announcements about things reopening and it's exciting every time, even if it's something we don't necessary love. Just need all things to come back!

Ooh have you never been there? I don't think I realized that! You should definitely go visit You probably know it's my fave.

Yes, as of now this is happening.

LOL all Disney trips seem too short! We just returned from 5 nights and were saying we could have used a 6th; our next 2 trips are only 4 nights with really no way to add on to November and it's making me sad!

Your plans look great So happy you're getting closer and closer!

Thank you! I really appreciate all the advice you have given. No, we have not been to the Wilderness Lodge ever, but we did stay at the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park for our 30th wedding anniversary. The pictures of Wilderness Lodge remind of that beautiful hotel, so I am excited to spend a couple hours there!

 

[tundra1]

That sounds practically perfect

All of your plans sound great! So happy you got it all figured out so quickly!

Awww! Thanks Kelly! I am so ready to be away from work and able to escape to a happy place!

 

[tundra1]

I do 't know how I missed that we'll be there the same days, now! And we're even doing DHS on 11/11, EPCOT 11/12, MK 11/13, and AK on 11/14! Too funny! I imagine we'll pass each other in the parks at some point and never even realize it!

I love your plans and I think it's awesome to let the kids have some adult time in EPCOT. When my kids were younger, I treasured the moments my parents would take the kids for a couple of hours at Disney so I could experience it with a different perspective.

With adding AKL-Kidani, I ended up changing several of our park days, so that is how we ended up with the current plan. That is exciting that we will be in the parks at the same time! If you see a group of 9 tall people, that will be us! Even the little ones look a couple of years older than they are because of their height. Please stop and say hello! I wish you all the positive vibes of the Force that you get a great boarding group number for Rise of the Resistance on the 11th!

 

[tundra1]

We are now 11 days away! I am excited and praying that we all stay healthy.

I am disappointed with our flights. We are leaving later and the latest check shows a fully occupied plane, with all the middle seats filled. They also put us on a smaller plane, with only 6 seats across, as opposed to the 10 seats across plane we were originally scheduled to fly on. I am surprised the plane has filled up this much on a Tuesday morning! But it is the first flight of the day, so at least we will be getting on a clean plane!

My biggest concern was getting a Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group. It is our first full day in the parks, and of course, happens to fall on Veterans Day, so we will have larger crowds. I have been practicing, had all the keystrokes down, and recently have been able to get in many times until I come to the point where they asked if everyone in my party was really in the park. Now. they are having this new lottery that you can access from anywhere in WDW or "near" the park at 07:00 am. That starts a week before we arrive. I hope it goes well. I am happy that we don't have to worry as much about getting to the park an hour before it opens. I hope it helps to lower the early morning crowds, but I am sure there will still be people who had not heard about the new plan, and therefore won't be aware of the need to log in at 7am.

Our plan for that day now is to try for a boarding group at 0700, and then head over to the park at 0900, wait in line in Toy Story Land, and then move to other attractions depending on wait times. I cancelled our 50's Prime Time Cafe' reservations. At lunch time, we will either hop on the Skyliner and head over to Art of Animation, or hop on the Friendship boat and eat lunch at one of the Crescent Lake resorts (depending on weather). Then we can return mid-afternoon for more attractions. Park close is scheduled for 7pm, and we have a 7:10pm reservation at the Sci Fi Drive-In which we are keeping. I know the boys will love it there!

I was thinking if we could not get a Rise of Resistance boarding group, I might be able to switch out our HS day with Magic Kingdom and try for HS on Friday. Looking at park reservations for that week, every park has availability every day, so we are good there. I just don't know if you can make a last minute park reservation change or not. I will start looking to see what is available for restaurants at HS on Friday. It is nice to know that we have options!

The rest of the trip is unchanged. Can't wait for November 10th to finally arrive!

 

[CruellaNY]

Hello there! So glad your trip is still on!

I am disappointed with our flights. We are leaving later and the latest check shows a fully occupied plane, with all the middle seats filled.

Wow what airline? I know most are keeping the middle seat free through the end of the year On one hand it's great that the plane is filled because it means folks are traveling but the no empty middle seat stinks.

I was thinking if we could not get a Rise of Resistance boarding group, I might be able to switch out our HS day with Magic Kingdom and try for HS on Friday. Looking at park reservations for that week, every park has availability every day, so we are good there. I just don't know if you can make a last minute park reservation change or not.

You can change your park reservation day of as long as you haven't entered a park yet! It'll depend on what's available come that day but generally the answer is yes I thought the same thing for our Thanksgiving trip, if we don't get the 7am BG we may just switch parks if anything is open.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Did you change your report? I am happy to hear the trip is still a go!
Have fun
I will be excited to hear all about when you get back. I am excited about the Rise boarding group change. I think this will help the crowds for sure!

 

[Jaina]

Joining in from my TR. I was hooked and knew I had to read through when I saw that your last visit to WDW was in 1998, which was the same for me! I can't believe all the emotional roller coasters you had to go through getting this trip planned, but you did it! You're there! I hope to hear how it went, and I hope it was as pleasant as possible with all those cute little kiddos!

 

[Isabelle12345]

Following! What a rollercoaster!
I am hoping to get to read how it all went !