Pre-Trip "On a scale from 1 to 10, how excited are you?"

Hello all!
This is my first attempt at anything like this, so bear with me.

Every other year growing up, my parents would pile us into the car and make the 16 hour drive down to Orlando, Florida. With no stops (aside from the occasional bathroom break). And with four children (complete angels of course) and all of our luggage. How they managed, I have no idea.

Fast forward twenty-ish years and here I am. This will be my second trip to WDW sans parents. The first occurred in a semi-mad rush a few years back when I did literally none of the planning. Therefore, this is my first trip where I'm required to plan. I get by with the help of my friends (and extensive research into all things Disney).

There's 189 days, 14 hours, and 42 minutes until the trip... but who's counting?

General Info
Dates: October 28th - November 5th
Hotel: Port Orleans Riverside​

 

[GotEarsSayCheers]

25 Days left for us! I brought my son 2 years ago when he was 2 and now he's 4 and we have a 14 month old daughter. I'm really hoping to style her hair like Boo from monsters inc and get her on camera in the laugh floor.

 

[IAmMoana]

During this trip, I will be travelling with my two best friends and boyfriend. The trip a couple years ago was also with my friends, but my boyfriend has not been since he was young. Full disclosure: I'm not entirely sure he's on board. He pretends to be because the three of us are over the moon, but he's not feeling the magic quite yet. On a scale from one to ten, he's currently at a six. He says it's too far away for him to be excited. He obviously doesn't know how awesome Disney is.

 

[IAmMoana]

25 Days left for us! I brought my son 2 years ago when he was 2 and now he's 4 and we have a 14 month old daughter. I'm really hoping to style her hair like Boo from monsters inc and get her on camera in the laugh floor.

That's so exciting! I can't wait to take my (future) kids to Disney. It must be so awesome to get to experience their excitement.

 

[GotEarsSayCheers]

That's so exciting! I can't wait to take my (future) kids to Disney. It must be so awesome to get to experience their excitement.

Start Saving now lol.

 

[blreinsel]

My boyfriend is the same way.. We're going in June and it'll be his first time. He's excited about the general idea and about going on vacation but he doesn't truly understand how fantastic Disney is yet. These boys don't know what they're missing.

 

[IAmMoana]

My boyfriend is the same way.. We're going in June and it'll be his first time. He's excited about the general idea and about going on vacation but he doesn't truly understand how fantastic Disney is yet. These boys don't know what they're missing.

They'll understand soon enough!

 

[IAmMoana]

So my group met the other day to plan with a little more detail since we're getting closer to our 180-day mark. This is the loose outline we set (subject to change of course):

Day One
Animal Kingdom
Lunch @ Flame Tree BBQ
Fast Passes: Flight of Passage, Dinosaur, Expedition Everest
Dinner @ Rainforest Cafe (for nostalgia reasons -not because the food is any good)
Hop to Epcot (if park hours don't increase for Animal Kingdom by then)
Illuminations

Day Two
Magic Kingdom
Lunch @ ?
Fast Passes: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Buzz Lightyear, Space Mountain
Hop to Epcot
Boyfriend's birthday dinner @ Teppan Edo
Snack at F&W Kiosks
Illuminations

Day Three
Universal Day (Islands of Adventure)
Lunch in Jurassic Park area
Hogwarts Express to Universal Studios
Dinner @ Finnegans
Halloween Horror Nights

Day Four (HALLOWEEN)
Magic Kingdom
Fast Passes: Big Thunder Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Jungle Cruise
Early dinner @ Be Our Guest
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

Day Five
Hollywood Studios
Lunch @ Brown Derby (Cobb Salad)?
Fast Passes: Toy Story Midway Mania, Star Tours, Tower of Terror
Dinner @ Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre
Fantasmic

Day Six
Universal Day (Universal Studios)
Lunch @ Three Broomsticks
Train to Islands of Adventure
Leave Early
Late dinner @ 'Ohana
Disney Springs

Day Seven
Epcot
Late lunch/early dinner @ Garden Grill
Fast Passes: Frozen Ever After, Turtle Talk with Crush, Spaceship Earth
Snack around the world (Food & Wine Festival)
Hop to Magic Kingdom
Fireworks

Day Eight
Animal Kingdom
Lunch @ ?
Fast Passes: Na'vi River Journey, Kali River Rapids, Rivers of Light (?)
Dinner @ Tusker House (?)

Day Nine
Breakfast @ Whispering Canyon
Disney Springs

This is probably the part I should mention we're planning on getting the dining plan. Since this is our first trip as adults with a disposable income and we don't visit often, we decided we didn't want to skimp on food. Food is the thing all of us are most excited for -especially since we'll be there during the Food and Wine Festival. Once we thought about the high prices at F&W and crunched some numbers concerning our table service meals, we discovered it would be worth it if we threw in two more TS meals (Tusker House & Whispering Canyon). We understand the dining plan isn't for everybody (and we're not entirely sure it's even for us), but the math works.

This is just a loose itinerary for right now, but we'll be making our ADRs on May 1st.

 

[IAmMoana]

So this is the part where you all realize I think about Disney way too much. There a few things you have to know first: 1. I am a planner. I'm one of those people that will panic slightly when people say things like "let's just go with the flow". No thank you. I'll consult my meticulously planned schedule to figure out what to do next. I don't know what it is about last minute changes that makes me want to curl into the fetal position. I know it sounds ridiculous to some, but it's who I am. 2. I have a terrible memory. Like abysmal. Almost Dory level. I have no memory of my last trip to Disney even though it was only 3 years ago. My memory is that bad.

So what I decided to do for this trip was to make a planning binder. This will hold all the plans for the trip from the resort confirmation number to the fast passes for each day. I won't bring this into the park, but it'll be making the trip to the hotel room. After the trip, I'll write notes in about what I liked and what I didn't. That way, I can stick it on my shelf to look at before my next trip. It simultaneously fulfills my need to plan and my memory loss problems! Below, I've inserted a couple of pictures of my binder at this stage.

The hotel tab also has a map of the Port Orleans Riverside and will contain a schedule of events once it gets closer.

This is in the "Parks" section which also has maps of each of the parks.

Each of the restaurant pages has an Information section, a place for the menu, and a spot for a short review after we eat there.

That's my Disney binder. It's going to take some time to complete, but it keeps me excited along the way. (Sorry for the poor picture quality. I took them at night in my poorly lit apartment).

 

[WDWDarling]

So this is the part where you all realize I think about Disney way too much. There a few things you have to know first: 1. I am a planner. I'm one of those people that will panic slightly when people say things like "let's just go with the flow". No thank you. I'll consult my meticulously planned schedule to figure out what to do next. I don't know what it is about last minute changes that makes me want to curl into the fetal position. I know it sounds ridiculous to some, but it's who I am. 2. I have a terrible memory. Like abysmal. Almost Dory level. I have no memory of my last trip to Disney even though it was only 3 years ago. My memory is that bad.

So what I decided to do for this trip was to make a planning binder. This will hold all the plans for the trip from the resort confirmation number to the fast passes for each day. I won't bring this into the park, but it'll be making the trip to the hotel room. After the trip, I'll write notes in about what I liked and what I didn't. That way, I can stick it on my shelf to look at before my next trip. It simultaneously fulfills my need to plan and my memory loss problems! Below, I've inserted a couple of pictures of my binder at this stage.

View attachment 201101 View attachment 201102 View attachment 201103 View attachment 201104
The hotel tab also has a map of the Port Orleans Riverside and will contain a schedule of events once it gets closer.View attachment 201105
This is in the "Parks" section which also has maps of each of the parks.View attachment 201106
Each of the restaurant pages has an Information section, a place for the menu, and a spot for a short review after we eat there.

That's my Disney binder. It's going to take some time to complete, but it keeps me excited along the way. (Sorry for the poor picture quality. I took them at night in my poorly lit apartment).

Love it! I'm a planner too (DH calls it crazy, I call it being thorough) so this makes my heart happy!

I tend to have to type everything out though because if my handwriting doesn't turn out exactly how I want it, it'll bug me forever lol .

Love having all the maps in one place too. Following along .

 

[amjt660]

Hello and congratulations on your upcoming trip.
3 out of 4 over the moon + one on the fence for now = No problem
He will come around as it gets closer
You might not want to bombard him with details until he shows more interest though...

Your 9 day plan is very detailed , logical and well planned.
I realize you are young but want to caution you on over planning out the whole trip.
You may want to schedule in a lighter day around the mid way point to recharge the batteries
It does not have to be devoid of park activity but just ligher
Maybe a sleep in day??

Following along and looking forward to it all coming together

Max

 

[IAmMoana]

Hello and congratulations on your upcoming trip.
3 out of 4 over the moon + one on the fence for now = No problem
He will come around as it gets closer
You might not want to bombard him with details until he shows more interest though...

Your 9 day plan is very detailed , logical and well planned.
I realize you are young but want to caution you on over planning out the whole trip.
You may want to schedule in a lighter day around the mid way point to recharge the batteries
It does not have to be devoid of park activity but just ligher
Maybe a sleep in day??

Following along and looking forward to it all coming together

Max

I definitely understand the importance of sleep. While our touring style is pretty intense, we don't have any breakfasts planned and will most likely get our fast passes in the afternoon when the crowds are at their highest. That way, we can decide if we want to rope drop or not the day before. Our last trip, I turned into a zombie about halfway through. I won't be making that mistake again!

 

[amjt660]

I definitely understand the importance of sleep. While our touring style is pretty intense, we don't have any breakfasts planned and will most likely get our fast passes in the afternoon when the crowds are at their highest. That way, we can decide if we want to rope drop or not the day before. Our last trip, I turned into a zombie about halfway through. I won't be making that mistake again!

OK
Just checking to make sure
Your zombie state is def not what you want on a vacation
Save that mindset for work!!!

Max

 

[IAmMoana]

The other day we learned that Splash Mountain will be closed for our trip. My friends were very disappointed. I, however, was not. I don't like drops. Period. But I always do Splash Mountain and Tower of Terror because I think they're Disney staples. This seems silly, but I put myself through it time and time again. Last trip, my most vivid memory is looking at the emergency exit sign right before the drop for Splash Mountain and feeling the urge to immediately vacate the ride vehicle. My friends had to actually talk me into doing the ride in the first place. After the hour and a half wait we all endured, I took one look at the ride vehicle and wanted to skip the ride and wait for them at the end. They told me I was being silly and that I would be fine. Of course I would be fine! The rational part of my brain realizes I'm not going to die on this ride. But that is just a thought in the background when my flight or fight instinct kicks in. So I'm excited this year -there's one less ride that I'll have to fight .

 

[amjt660]

Do not feel pressured to do something that you are not comfortable with.

Now if you have never tried it I would take a different stance - but if you have tried it - did not like it- why subject yourself to it again?

I have been fortunate to travel to Japan and have on occasion found something on my plate that I was not sure about but went ahead and ate it.
Some things I liked - some I did not
If offered a second helping of something I did not like - I politely declined.

Max

 

[amjt660]

Now if you like something you should tell the world how much you like it.

Let me see if I can come up with an example........

Lets say hypothetically you were communicating with someone over the internet and they replied with a nice response to your question or commented on your discussion point.

It is okay at this point to say that you liked it


(okay not very transparent - I know - work on being more subtle - LOL)

Max

 

[IAmMoana]

Do not feel pressured to do something that you are not comfortable with.

Now if you have never tried it I would take a different stance - but if you have tried it - did not like it- why subject yourself to it again?

I have been fortunate to travel to Japan and have on occasion found something on my plate that I was not sure about but went ahead and ate it.
Some things I liked - some I did not
If offered a second helping of something I did not like - I politely declined.

Max

It's tough for those rides, though. There are definitely aspects I enjoy. For example, I absolutely love the theming for both. And overall, I enjoy the rides after it's all said and done.

 

[amjt660]

That is cool
Splash is around 12 min
So if you can tolerate the drop then you get to enjoy the theme
I like your approach

Max

 

[IAmMoana]

186 days!
Which means in less than a week, I'll be making my ADRs. I've made one change to the plans above and that's to do the dining package for Rivers of Light at Tusker House our last Saturday there. They haven't announced shows yet, but I'm sure they will soon. The dining package is only one TS credit on the DDP so it's kind of a no brainer since we were planning on eating there anyway. This way, we can skip the fast pass for RoL and get another one for Expedition Everest (one of my favorite rides in all of Disney).

 

[Thecorsi4]

View attachment 201297
186 days!
Which means in less than a week, I'll be making my ADRs. I've made one change to the plans above and that's to do the dining package for Rivers of Light at Tusker House our last Saturday there. They haven't announced shows yet, but I'm sure they will soon. The dining package is only one TS credit on the DDP so it's kind of a no brainer since we were planning on eating there anyway. This way, we can skip the fast pass for RoL and get another one for Expedition Everest (one of my favorite rides in all of Disney).

You are to the best part next to actually being in Disney World, I love the planning almost(almost) as much as being there. I am currently in that horrible window of the Trip is planned to as close to perfect as i can get it and still a few days before i can start my FP reservations. Thank goodness for the forums. gives me something to do when not planning.