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? :rolleyes:

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

IAmMoana

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thecorsi4 said:
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.
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I hear ya! Once I'm done planning, the days will probably feel soooooooo long.. But living vicariously through almost strangers will have to do!
 
gobstoper27

gobstoper27

Well-Known Member
IAmMoana said:
Last trip (as poor college students), we decided it was too expensive and opted out. But I'm super excited to be going this time! I love HP. I'll probably be in Diagon Alley during all of HHNs (scary is not my thing).
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It is very easy to spend A LOT of time in both HP areas. It's so immersive and the attention to detail is like nothing that I've ever seen. IDK if you're into ice-cream, if you are, try Florean Fortescues', it's AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You'll definitely have a blast though!
 
IAmMoana

IAmMoana

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
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It's almost time to make dining reservations! We have flipped some stuff around, though. Because planning wouldn't be complete without making changes! Due to the Wine & Dine Half marathon coinciding with the second weekend we're there, we decided to avoid Epcot on Friday and flip that with our Universal day on Thursday.

Almost every Wednesday, we go to trivia at a bar near us. Last night, they had a Disney round. Usually, we nail Disney rounds, but this week we got one question wrong.. We just couldn't think of the bad guy's name in Princess & the Frog!:facepalm: We ended up losing by one point. Oh well... there's always next time..:(
 
kaitertot5249

kaitertot5249

Well-Known Member
Your planning style is what I aspire to. If only I were organized enough. I too am a planner (my boyfriend says I'm an over-planner, I think that's a matter of opinion) and when it comes to Disney trips, I go crazy! I've never made a binder like you have, maybe because my trips are normally shorter and I've only had one trip to WDW in recent years that has been more than two people. Call me crazy, but I can't wait to plan a family trip when I have kids of my own (someday in the distant future) and NEED to make an insanely detailed trip binder :rolleyes:

It's so funny that you said that your boyfriend is less excited about Disney than you are. I've gone to Disney with my boyfriend twice over the past two years and each time he has a lot of fun but doesn't get excited until like 2 days before the trip! I don't understand why he doesn't get excited 8 months before each trip like I do! Don't they know that the planning is just as fun!

I can't wait to hear more about your trip!
 
IAmMoana

IAmMoana

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
kaitertot5249 said:
Your planning style is what I aspire to. If only I were organized enough. I too am a planner (my boyfriend says I'm an over-planner, I think that's a matter of opinion) and when it comes to Disney trips, I go crazy! I've never made a binder like you have, maybe because my trips are normally shorter and I've only had one trip to WDW in recent years that has been more than two people. Call me crazy, but I can't wait to plan a family trip when I have kids of my own (someday in the distant future) and NEED to make an insanely detailed trip binder :rolleyes:

It's so funny that you said that your boyfriend is less excited about Disney than you are. I've gone to Disney with my boyfriend twice over the past two years and each time he has a lot of fun but doesn't get excited until like 2 days before the trip! I don't understand why he doesn't get excited 8 months before each trip like I do! Don't they know that the planning is just as fun!

I can't wait to hear more about your trip!
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Thank you! Planning is definitely the best part next to actually being there.
I agree about the kids thing. At least then I'll have somebody to be excited with me! Silly boys.. :rolleyes:
 
IAmMoana

IAmMoana

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Today marks 180 days until my trip! Which means.... time to make our dining reservations. This is how my morning went:
5:45 - Wake up, grab lap top, sit on the couch, and log in
5:47 - Make myself some tea, wait
5:51 - Fight my cat off of the lap top before he starts pressing buttons.
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Sorry, Bogie, no Disney for you!
5:55 - Wait some more
5:57 - Why is time moving so slowly??? :bawling:
5:59 - Log out and log back in (I read somewhere this helps?)
6:00 - My window is open! Finally! Go to Be Our Guest since this is our hardest ADR. Aaaaaannnddd... nothing for the day we wanted to go. :cry:
6:01 - Panic slightly
6:02 - Make the best reservation I can and move on.
6:30 - Finish the reservations and go lay in bed for a bit before I actually have to get up. Proceed to stare at ceiling for 30 minutes trying to figure out how to make the plans work. :cyclops:

Eventful day so far. I kind of expected to have trouble with BoG, but didn't make a backup plan. I'll be meeting with my friends on Wednesday to decide on a new course of action. :confused:
 
IAmMoana

IAmMoana

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Here's what we have right now (subject to change)

Day One
Animal Kingdom
Lunch @ Flame Tree BBQ
Fast Passes: Flight of Passage, Dinosaur, Expedition Everest
Dinner @ Rainforest Cafe: 5 PM
Hop to Epcot (if park hours don't increase for Animal Kingdom by then)
Illuminations

Day Two
Magic Kingdom
Lunch @ Be Our Guest: 11:45
Fast Passes: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Buzz Lightyear, Space Mountain
Hop to Epcot
Boyfriend's birthday dinner @ Teppan Edo: 7 PM
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
Hop to Epcot
Lunch @ Garden Grill: 12:00
Early dinner @ Be Our Guest Nope
Hop back to Magic Kingdom
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 Theater: 5:20
Fantasmic

Day Six
Epcot
Late lunch/early dinner @ Garden Grill Nope
Fast Passes: Frozen Ever After, Turtle Talk with Crush, Spaceship Earth
Snack around the world (Food & Wine Festival)
Hop to Magic Kingdom
Dinner @ Be Our Guest: 6:55
Fireworks

Day Seven
Universal Day (Universal Studios)
Lunch @ Three Broomsticks
Train to Islands of Adventure
Leave Early
Late dinner @ 'Ohana: 6:55
Hopefully catch fireworks on beach

Day Eight
Animal Kingdom
Lunch @ ?
Fast Passes: Na'vi River Journey, Kali River Rapids, Rivers of Light (?)
Dinner @ Tusker House: 5:15 (have not released a RoL dining package yet)

Day Nine
Breakfast @ Whispering Canyon: 10:00
Disney Springs

& that's all she wrote.
 
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WDWDarling

WDWDarling

Well-Known Member
Keep trying for that BOG reservation. It honestly felt like I made checking the Disney site my part time job for our last trip but I was finally able to snag one.

Also, if you sign up for an account at TouringPlans.com, they have a reservation finder you can use as well. I had some luck with it for a couple reservations I was looking for for my upcoming trip. You just have to be quick to snag them once you get the text/email that something is available.
 
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IAmMoana

IAmMoana

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
WDWDarling said:
Keep trying for that BOG reservation. It honestly felt like I made checking the Disney site my part time job for our last trip but I was finally able to snag one.

Also, if you sing up for an account at TouringPlans.com, they have a reservation finder you can use as well. I had some luck with it for a couple reservations I was looking for for my upcoming trip. You just have to be quick to snag them once you get the text/email that something is available.
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Thanks for the advice! I just signed up. Fingers crossed!:cautious:
 
deanna88

deanna88

Active Member
WDWDarling said:
Keep trying for that BOG reservation. It honestly felt like I made checking the Disney site my part time job for our last trip but I was finally able to snag one.

Also, if you sing up for an account at TouringPlans.com, they have a reservation finder you can use as well. I had some luck with it for a couple reservations I was looking for for my upcoming trip. You just have to be quick to snag them once you get the text/email that something is available.
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I second this, touring plans ADR finder helped me snag a BOG reservation that I was looking for!:D
 

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