Your travel traditions

[kupperman]

Cool thread. We get up around 1am. Before we pull out the driveway, we pop in the Lion King soundtrack and off we go. My husband does the first leg of the trip then I take over after we stop for breakfast. When we get to the hotel, we unpack and head for downtown Disney on arrival day. Thats how its been for the 10 plus trips we've done.

 

[may12th]

Well 98 for a big part is still only 2 lanes and we have found that it takes longer going on it because you have to fight the traffic. The last time we went we went on the new road on highway 49 between Hattiesburg and Gulfport and it took a good 20 to 30 minutes off the trip.

Interesting. Are you talking about the new connection to I-10 just south of Wiggins? We are stopping the first night to stay in Tallahassee but we are getting there pretty late since we can't leave home until after lunch time. If we can get that part of the trip shortened it would be great!

 

[kangaroodle]

We always fly down to Orlando. It's just too long of a drive from Chicago! We stop at Dunkin' Donuts on the way to the airport for a quick snack and then have breakfast at the McDonald's airport (I know...healthy eating at it's best! But hey, it's vacation!)

Once we arrive in Orlando we get our rental car. As we are passing under the big Disney sign, we all try to put our hands farthest out near the windshield and say "First one here!" (The kids in the backseat can never win because they are seatbelted in. Ha!)

On our way to the resort we always go to Buffalo Wild Wings at the Crossroads. After we eat we go Winn Dixie down the street to stock up on food for the week (we stay at DVC). By this time we are ready to check in, walk around the resort, maybe a quick swim (depending on the weather) and then to bed early so we can hit the parks at rope drop the next day.

Glad to see other have silly traditions too! And it's fun to see what other Dis'rs do!

 

[GrillMouster]

Whenever we drive to WDW we always stop at a particular McDonalds for breakfast. We never eat there otherwise. It's a tradition my wife and I started eleven years ago when we were dating.

 

[tndisneyfan]

Well we do pack our luggage in the back of the truck a certain way. Not because of tradition, but because we take so much stuff we can barely get all our luggage back there. DS calls it working the puzzle.

 

[Figaro972]

as a tradition in preparation for the trip we always try to watch our favorite disney movies before we go. definately Beauty and the Beast, Tower of Terror, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Lilo and Stich and hopefully time for a few others.

we usually get the first flight out of PHL (against DH's will of course, he hates getting up early), check in to the resort (usually an epcot resort BWV or BCV or Swan) visit some friends that work along the Boardwalk and start off with a quick ride on Figment to get things started then head over for an ADR at Rose and Crown. (which is where i will be in 15 days about this time)

 

[WhispyPixie]

This thread makes me smile.....we live in Greensboro NC...so here are our traditions....

Get on the road and headed south at whatever time does NOT put us in Charlotte gridlock traffic.

We are power drivers so drinks are small and snacks are plentiful! Disney movies playing the entire ride until we hit Jacksonville then we switch to music!

Once we are at WDW....we are like kids in a candy store....the HAVE TO's are

Mickey Bars & Popcorn with a parade!
Ohana's for a family meal!
Getting extra Fast Passes and giving them away to a family that looks like they need a little Pixie Dust!
Staying up late at least one night to capture the complete EXHAUSTION feeling!
Downtown Disney and the HUGE DISNEY store!
Hot Dogs @ Caseys!

On the way home.....well just stopping at the orange stands for fruit and nuts..haha!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

The only travel traditions we have is that I have to try to wake up the family, catch the cats, put the cats in their carrier and take them to boarding.

Then I get to come home and keep trying to wake up the family. Over and over again. In the meantime, I've been ready for 2 hours and am exhausted. Doesn't change for any vacation destination we are going to.

Unless we are flying. Then they will usually get up on time.

 

[qohweddings]

We are creatures of habit....

Regardless of where we fly we HAVE TO be on the first flight out in the morning as we've learned that later flights too often get us delayed or bumped.

We get to WDW and check in, too early for rooms to be ready in most cases, so we store luggage at the resort and head for DTD...

Disney's Days of Christmas is usually a first stop to by an ornament ( we get one every place we vacation, Disney usually means multiples)...

We hit Goofy's Candy Company to stock up on some snacks, Pin Trader to see what's new and then off to lunch.

Wolfgang Puck Express is the traditional lunch stop as we love the choices...

We try to get a lot of our shopping done here, early, so we can take things back to the room; rather than buying a lot in parks and carrying them

10 days and we get to put this plan back in action!

 

[bigbabyblues]

We leave as soon as the boys get out of school for the day, usually on a Thursday, and drive through the night. We arrive at WDW sometime between 6:00 and 7:30 in the morning, depending on how many stops we make, etc. We check in, unload suitcases if our room is ready (it has been all but one time), grab breakfast in the food court and head to AK. We stay at AK until after lunch or later if we aren't too tired, then go back to the resort and take a nap.

On our last day--usually a Saturday- we like to do a character breakfast and then a couple hours at a park before we start home. Sometimes we leave earlier than others, but we drive back to Charlotte, NC (only stopping before that for gas/bathroom/drive thru), where we stop at the REI store for an hour or, then back home to Ohio.

 

[ReneeA]

We always take the earliest flight out of Detroit Metro airport the last Saturday of August. We leave the house by 4:30, drive through Tim Horton's near our house, I get an assorted timbits for everyone to share, and an iced coffee for me. Head to the airport, plane takes off by 7:15.

We arrive at MCO by 9:30 and make a beeline for Magical Express. We check in and take a bus to the MK where we eat our first WDW meal (every trip!) at Columbia Harbor House.

 

[LMN]

Great thread! We have several traditions:

1) If we leave first thing in the morning, we break out donuts and chocolate milk in the car that I have purchased the day before. If leaving in the morning it is always early (around 4am). No one has trouble getting up because we're on our way to DISNEY!

2) For each day we are driving (2 going and 2 coming home) I buy each child some sort of book or travel game. It is a surprise each morning and they really look forward to it. I have fun shopping for things in the weeks/months before our trip

3) Our first park is always MK and our first ride is usually POTC

4) We have to eat at Caseys (MK) at some point during the trip (at least once) as well as have breakfast at Kona's.

Looking forward to these traditions on our next trip- which will hopefully be in June 2012.

 

[nooneshome]

The nights leading up to our trip I take out my Disney box and start to get ready. I see if we need things like ponchos and koolaid singles. I try to get the car mostly packed the night before and we try to leave Baton Rouge around 5:00 AM, we usually leave on a Saturday. We have made the trip so many times we know where to pull off for gas and McDonalds. Our trips are the only time I eat at a McDonalds. As all good dads do I also monitor if we are making "good time". That keeps me sane and drives DW crazy. Nothing beats when we make the turn off I-10 onto I-75!!!! That really gets me going and thank goodness because people drive really fast on I-75. Once we hit the Turnpike we are ready to have fun. We take the back way off the Turnpike and the kids try to see who can see one of the Disney landmarks first.

We check in probably around 5:00 PM Disney time and by after we check in and unpack we will take a drive to DTD and do some light shopping and get a sandwich at the Earl. We used to go to MK after unpacking but for some reason we quit. I could go either way.

 

[Lancer]

I have a travel home tradition, that involves white Castle and a crave case of cheeseburgers......no pickle.

 

[jennibug]

The first park I went to when I was 9 was EPCOT. We climbed on Spaceship Earth not have a clue what the ride was. After we got on my aunt leaned forward and said loudly, "I hope this isn't a roller coaster" scaring the crap out of me. Needless to say, everything worked out okay and since then I always have to go to EPCOT and ride Spaceship Earth first.

This year we are adopting our frist child and we are taking her to WDW for Christmas to celebrate and I was planning on taking her and our other foster daughter to MK first for them to see Cinderella Castle first but my soon to be daughter told me she wants to go to EPCOT first and ride Spaceship Earth just like her mom. I almost cried. I love that child so much!!

 

[KikiFan]

This year we are adopting our frist child and we are taking her to WDW for Christmas to celebrate and I was planning on taking her and our other foster daughter to MK first for them to see Cinderella Castle first but my soon to be daughter told me she wants to go to EPCOT first and ride Spaceship Earth just like her mom. I almost cried. I love that child so much!!

Oh that's so awesome it brought tears to my eyes! Congrats!! I hope you have the most magical time ever!!

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

The first park I went to when I was 9 was EPCOT. We climbed on Spaceship Earth not have a clue what the ride was. After we got on my aunt leaned forward and said loudly, "I hope this isn't a roller coaster" scaring the crap out of me. Needless to say, everything worked out okay and since then I always have to go to EPCOT and ride Spaceship Earth first.

This year we are adopting our frist child and we are taking her to WDW for Christmas to celebrate and I was planning on taking her and our other foster daughter to MK first for them to see Cinderella Castle first but my soon to be daughter told me she wants to go to EPCOT first and ride Spaceship Earth just like her mom. I almost cried. I love that child so much!!

What a great story, I hope she enjoys it as much as you do!

I know you feel, I have a Godson that I am real close to, he might as well be my own and he likes the same football team I do (despite his older brother and father liking another). I love hearing stories like this!

 

[GAGirlInVA]

Well..
We pack the night before.

We leave wearing Florida clothes. Sometimes it is shorts, sometimes it is lightweight longsleeves. But we don't pay attention to the current weather that day when dressing. We dress in anticipation of Florida weather.

Dh and I make a coffee to go. We pack it in a throw away coffee cup.

We fly out on the first direct flight. We eat once we pass through security.

As soon as we land, we jet over to the Magical Express area. We always take a picture of the Welcome to Disney archway.

We check in (usually with some kind of nonsense *sigh*) and grab something to eat. Then we hit the parks.

 

[GAGirlInVA]

This year we are adopting our frist child and we are taking her to WDW for Christmas to celebrate and I was planning on taking her and our other foster daughter to MK first for them to see Cinderella Castle first but my soon to be daughter told me she wants to go to EPCOT first and ride Spaceship Earth just like her mom. I almost cried. I love that child so much!!

Congratulations on your adoption! ((HUGS)) Have a fabulous trip!

 

[kellyg403]

We always leave on a Sat afternoon after we both get home from work. Around 4 or so. We drive to Savannah and stay the night at the Hampton Inn. We are usually WDW bound by 8:30 am. We rarely stop when we are traveling unless we need gas. I usually pack snacks in the car and dh will run through a drive if he gets hungry.

Once we get there, well we always go to the Great Movie ride and SCI FI in DHS first thing and wait for the Osborne lights.

16 days...I CAN NOT WAIT!!!!!


Kelly