This is my first pre-trip report, so hopefully I'm doing it correctly!
Who: It was originally my mom, my 4 1/2 year old daughter (Bella), and myself. Then it turned into a larger family vacation (somewhat) with my grandpa and brother going as well, albeit separate vehicle and separate resort/hotel. This is the first Disney trip where I paid for everything. My mom made me the Disney addict that I am today, so it's only fair to return the favor.
Bella in all Sofia everything.
My mom and Bella
Me and Bella last August
When: September 12th-21st
Why: We wanted to see if the "Disney World is dead in September" theory rang true. Also, my daughter is in pre-k this year, so it doesn't affect her much by missing a week of school (three days actually, since she only goes Tuesdays and Fridays). I'm not opposed to taking her out of school in the future, but it all depends on how her grades and behavior is in school.
Plans
Friday (holy cannoli THIS Friday!!), September 12: We are driving from Memphis, TN, which is around 12~ hours away from my true Home. We're wanting to be on the road around 8AM. My mom is going to bring over Chick fil A for breakfast. Ugh, those chicken biscuits send me into a whirl. I'm sure there will be tons of potty breaks. I thought Bella would never get potty trained, but it happened (seriously) overnight...soon after she turned 4 this past April. And by overnight...I mean...no accidents during the day or night. Woot!
We'll be stopping in either Troy or Dothan, Alabammy, like we usually do. This will make day one a 6-7 hour car ride.
Saturday, September 13th: We're going to stop at Po Folks in Marianna for breakfast. Po Folks holds a special place in my heart. It was my grandparents favorite restaurant to visit whenever they took my brother and I down to Disney World.
We were going on a family vacation June 2013 (my grandparents, my mom, my daughter and myself), and my grandmother was acting a little out of it. We thought she'd snap out of it like she always did. We arrived at our resort on June 29th, and she was acting back to herself. She was eating the leftover catfish she had ordered from Po Folks earlier that day. The next morning, none of our lives were the same again, and our hearts were shattered. My grandmother passed away peacefully in her sleep, with her family with her, in the happiest place on earth. We drove back home to plan her funeral and await the state of Florida to send her body to Tennessee. As our pastor who officiated the funeral said it best, "She fell asleep on Earth and woke up in Heaven." If anybody made it to Heaven, it was her.
We decided to go back to Disney World two months later. And yes, we went to Po Folks in memory of my grandma. It definitely hurt that she wasn't physically there with us to enjoy WDW, but we knew she was looking down at us from the best seat in the house. -WHEW- Time to wipe away the tears.
We will be stopping in Ocala, which is 4-5 hours from where we'll stop in AL. We decided to stop in Ocala so we could enjoy a full day at our resort and Downtown Disney the following day.
Bella's first time on the tea cups last August. As you can tell, she was indifferent and probably thought it was boring.
Sunday, September 14th: We'll be checking in to the Caribbean Beach Resort. This will be the first time any of us have stayed on Disney property, unless you count the KOA campground near Disneyland. We're planning on hitting up the pool today, since the remainder of our days at WDW will be at the parks. Later, we will be going to Downtown Disney to get some grub. We're thinking about Wolfgang Puck Express, but we're going to play it by ear. I will be doing serious shopping tonight. I'm most looking forward to World of Disney, Once Upon a Toy, and Days of Christmas.
With Ariel at Akershus. She adored all of the princesses, but especially Ariel, Cinderella and Belle.
Monday, September 15th: Today is ANIMAL KINGDOM DAY! I don't get why people think this is a half day. Yeah, it's my least favorite park out of the four, but I still LOVE it! We have FPs for Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids and Kilimanjaro Safaris. Bella won't be able to ride EE, but this will be the first year she'll be able to give KRR a go! We also have an ADR for lunch at Rainforest Cafe. Another ride we're looking forward to getting on is Dinosaur. Bella has FINALLY crossed that magical 40" line. She's a daredevil, and I imagine she'll do just fine.
LOL! I look so focused, and she looks bored out of her mind.
Tuesday, September 16th: Today will be pretty tight for a while. We have an ADR for breakfast at 1900 Park Fare at 10:10am. Then, we have Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique reservations at Downtown Disney at 1:50pm. After Bella transforms into Belle, we will be on our way to Magic Kingdom to party it up with Mickey Mouse at his not so scary Halloween party. I'm most looking forward to the shorter lines and bags full of candy! Hopefully we'll be able to fit in Hallowishes and the parade in there somewhere.
This will be a late night, and tomorrow will be another early morning. If anybody can keep up, it's my daughter who wishes sleep was banned.
My favorite picture of all time, hence why it's my avatar.
Wednesday, September 17th: It's MAGIC KINGDOM day...again! We have an ADR for breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table. We originally had planned to do this on the June 2013 trip, but had to cancel because of my grandmother's death. I tried to get a reservation for August, but they were all gone. We decided to do Akershus instead, and Bella L-O-V-E-D it. It was her first Princess experience.
My FPs for today are kinda back-to-back, we'll head to 7DMT for our 12:15-1:15 FP. Then we'll head over to Peter Pan's Flight for our 1:40-2:40 FP. THEN, it's Splash Mountain for our 3:40-4:40 FP. I'm sure we'll fit in a few rides in between our FPs. OH, I FORGOT....I have a lunch FP for Be Our Guest, and our time frame is between 1:05-1:35. I'm sure we'll be able to make it if we do 7DMT towards the beginning of our time slot and Peter Pan towards the end.
I promise you. She's really happy. I was like that as a kid, too. I could be super happy, but not smile.
What we DON'T have a FP for is Anna and Elsa. I'm praying that since it's September, the lines won't be outrageously long. I'd prefer to wait under an hour. My 4 year old is obsessed. I mean, what 4 year old little girl isn't obsessed?
Other rides/attractions we're looking forward to are Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain (sans Bella), Under the Sea Journey of the Little Mermaid (what we originally had a FP for but changed it) and Enchanted Tales with Belle.
We're ALSO wanting to hit up the rides/attractions that we haven't done (or not with Bella): Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, Enchanted Tiki Room, Tomorrowland Speedway, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, Jungle Cruise, and Haunted Mansion. The only rides I've gone on out of that list is Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion. Can't wait to make new memories!
Affection Section at AK. Bella loved the goats and pigs!
Thursday, September 18th: Today is HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS day! Our first FP of the day is Tower of Terror! Bella will be getting on it with us. I'm worried about the buildup scaring her moreso than the ride. Then we have to book it to the Frozen sing-a-long FP for 12:30. After that we have a lunch ADR at 1:40 for Hollywood and Vine so Bella can meet the Disney Junior characters. Our last FP of the day is Toy Story Midway Mania!
Another attraction we're hoping to do is Wandering Oaken's Frozen Funland. I'm going to take Bella ice skating for the first time. I know...why pay to go ice skating when you have WDW at your disposal? Well, why not? I'd also like to try one of the Frozen themed treats that they have.
Bella is starting to get into the Muppets, so we'll definitely make sure to do that.
Can you believe we've NEVER done Fantasmic? We always miss it. As much as I tell my mom we're going to do it this time around, chances are we won't. -_-
YUM!
Friday, September 19th: Our last day is EPCOT! I really don't know why I always put Epcot towards the tail end of our trip knowing my feet are going to be worn out, let alone try to walk the entire World Showcase. Oh well.
Our first FP is Test Track. This is my favorite ride at Epcot, so I made sure to get this over Soarin'. Next, we have our last lunch ADR at 1:45 for Coral Reef. I'm going to request a seat by the huge tank. Afterwards, we have a FP for Maelstrom before it's shut down permanently. I know I'm in the minority, but I can't wait to see what they do to it with the Frozen theme-ing. Our last FP is Mission: SPACE (sans Bella).
What I like about Epcot is that there are two main rides, and the rest of the rides have really short lines (at least whenever we go). At Epcot, I'm able to get in every single ride, and sometimes more than once. Spaceship Earth and Living with the Land are always tradition to ride. We recently discovered Turtle Talk with Crush, and I'm hoping Crush talks to Bella this time around!
As far as the WS goes, this is the first day of the Food&Wine Fest. My mom and I are going to have one drink each. I'm wanting to try the Torontopolitan in Canada or the Grey Goose Citron Lemon Slush in France. My mom really wants to try the Kung Fu Punch. We're not adventurous eaters, so we'll pass on the strange food that y'all seem to go nuts over.
Waiting in the blistering heat at Carousel of Progress.
This just scratches the surface, and there will be loads more we'll do that I haven't mentioned. I can't wait to have my first full Disney experience!
I'm going to include photos of her first trip to Disney World in the next post. My goal for this trip is to take MORE photos. I thought I took a lot, but when going through my FB and IG feed, it seems like large chunks are missing. Oh well.
Who: It was originally my mom, my 4 1/2 year old daughter (Bella), and myself. Then it turned into a larger family vacation (somewhat) with my grandpa and brother going as well, albeit separate vehicle and separate resort/hotel. This is the first Disney trip where I paid for everything. My mom made me the Disney addict that I am today, so it's only fair to return the favor.
Bella in all Sofia everything.
My mom and Bella
Me and Bella last August
When: September 12th-21st
Why: We wanted to see if the "Disney World is dead in September" theory rang true. Also, my daughter is in pre-k this year, so it doesn't affect her much by missing a week of school (three days actually, since she only goes Tuesdays and Fridays). I'm not opposed to taking her out of school in the future, but it all depends on how her grades and behavior is in school.
Plans
Friday (holy cannoli THIS Friday!!), September 12: We are driving from Memphis, TN, which is around 12~ hours away from my true Home. We're wanting to be on the road around 8AM. My mom is going to bring over Chick fil A for breakfast. Ugh, those chicken biscuits send me into a whirl. I'm sure there will be tons of potty breaks. I thought Bella would never get potty trained, but it happened (seriously) overnight...soon after she turned 4 this past April. And by overnight...I mean...no accidents during the day or night. Woot!
We'll be stopping in either Troy or Dothan, Alabammy, like we usually do. This will make day one a 6-7 hour car ride.
Saturday, September 13th: We're going to stop at Po Folks in Marianna for breakfast. Po Folks holds a special place in my heart. It was my grandparents favorite restaurant to visit whenever they took my brother and I down to Disney World.
We were going on a family vacation June 2013 (my grandparents, my mom, my daughter and myself), and my grandmother was acting a little out of it. We thought she'd snap out of it like she always did. We arrived at our resort on June 29th, and she was acting back to herself. She was eating the leftover catfish she had ordered from Po Folks earlier that day. The next morning, none of our lives were the same again, and our hearts were shattered. My grandmother passed away peacefully in her sleep, with her family with her, in the happiest place on earth. We drove back home to plan her funeral and await the state of Florida to send her body to Tennessee. As our pastor who officiated the funeral said it best, "She fell asleep on Earth and woke up in Heaven." If anybody made it to Heaven, it was her.
We decided to go back to Disney World two months later. And yes, we went to Po Folks in memory of my grandma. It definitely hurt that she wasn't physically there with us to enjoy WDW, but we knew she was looking down at us from the best seat in the house. -WHEW- Time to wipe away the tears.
We will be stopping in Ocala, which is 4-5 hours from where we'll stop in AL. We decided to stop in Ocala so we could enjoy a full day at our resort and Downtown Disney the following day.
Bella's first time on the tea cups last August. As you can tell, she was indifferent and probably thought it was boring.
Sunday, September 14th: We'll be checking in to the Caribbean Beach Resort. This will be the first time any of us have stayed on Disney property, unless you count the KOA campground near Disneyland. We're planning on hitting up the pool today, since the remainder of our days at WDW will be at the parks. Later, we will be going to Downtown Disney to get some grub. We're thinking about Wolfgang Puck Express, but we're going to play it by ear. I will be doing serious shopping tonight. I'm most looking forward to World of Disney, Once Upon a Toy, and Days of Christmas.
With Ariel at Akershus. She adored all of the princesses, but especially Ariel, Cinderella and Belle.
Monday, September 15th: Today is ANIMAL KINGDOM DAY! I don't get why people think this is a half day. Yeah, it's my least favorite park out of the four, but I still LOVE it! We have FPs for Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids and Kilimanjaro Safaris. Bella won't be able to ride EE, but this will be the first year she'll be able to give KRR a go! We also have an ADR for lunch at Rainforest Cafe. Another ride we're looking forward to getting on is Dinosaur. Bella has FINALLY crossed that magical 40" line. She's a daredevil, and I imagine she'll do just fine.
LOL! I look so focused, and she looks bored out of her mind.
Tuesday, September 16th: Today will be pretty tight for a while. We have an ADR for breakfast at 1900 Park Fare at 10:10am. Then, we have Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique reservations at Downtown Disney at 1:50pm. After Bella transforms into Belle, we will be on our way to Magic Kingdom to party it up with Mickey Mouse at his not so scary Halloween party. I'm most looking forward to the shorter lines and bags full of candy! Hopefully we'll be able to fit in Hallowishes and the parade in there somewhere.
This will be a late night, and tomorrow will be another early morning. If anybody can keep up, it's my daughter who wishes sleep was banned.
My favorite picture of all time, hence why it's my avatar.
Wednesday, September 17th: It's MAGIC KINGDOM day...again! We have an ADR for breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table. We originally had planned to do this on the June 2013 trip, but had to cancel because of my grandmother's death. I tried to get a reservation for August, but they were all gone. We decided to do Akershus instead, and Bella L-O-V-E-D it. It was her first Princess experience.
My FPs for today are kinda back-to-back, we'll head to 7DMT for our 12:15-1:15 FP. Then we'll head over to Peter Pan's Flight for our 1:40-2:40 FP. THEN, it's Splash Mountain for our 3:40-4:40 FP. I'm sure we'll fit in a few rides in between our FPs. OH, I FORGOT....I have a lunch FP for Be Our Guest, and our time frame is between 1:05-1:35. I'm sure we'll be able to make it if we do 7DMT towards the beginning of our time slot and Peter Pan towards the end.
I promise you. She's really happy. I was like that as a kid, too. I could be super happy, but not smile.
What we DON'T have a FP for is Anna and Elsa. I'm praying that since it's September, the lines won't be outrageously long. I'd prefer to wait under an hour. My 4 year old is obsessed. I mean, what 4 year old little girl isn't obsessed?
Other rides/attractions we're looking forward to are Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain (sans Bella), Under the Sea Journey of the Little Mermaid (what we originally had a FP for but changed it) and Enchanted Tales with Belle.
We're ALSO wanting to hit up the rides/attractions that we haven't done (or not with Bella): Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, Enchanted Tiki Room, Tomorrowland Speedway, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, Jungle Cruise, and Haunted Mansion. The only rides I've gone on out of that list is Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion. Can't wait to make new memories!
Affection Section at AK. Bella loved the goats and pigs!
Thursday, September 18th: Today is HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS day! Our first FP of the day is Tower of Terror! Bella will be getting on it with us. I'm worried about the buildup scaring her moreso than the ride. Then we have to book it to the Frozen sing-a-long FP for 12:30. After that we have a lunch ADR at 1:40 for Hollywood and Vine so Bella can meet the Disney Junior characters. Our last FP of the day is Toy Story Midway Mania!
Another attraction we're hoping to do is Wandering Oaken's Frozen Funland. I'm going to take Bella ice skating for the first time. I know...why pay to go ice skating when you have WDW at your disposal? Well, why not? I'd also like to try one of the Frozen themed treats that they have.
Bella is starting to get into the Muppets, so we'll definitely make sure to do that.
Can you believe we've NEVER done Fantasmic? We always miss it. As much as I tell my mom we're going to do it this time around, chances are we won't. -_-
YUM!
Friday, September 19th: Our last day is EPCOT! I really don't know why I always put Epcot towards the tail end of our trip knowing my feet are going to be worn out, let alone try to walk the entire World Showcase. Oh well.
Our first FP is Test Track. This is my favorite ride at Epcot, so I made sure to get this over Soarin'. Next, we have our last lunch ADR at 1:45 for Coral Reef. I'm going to request a seat by the huge tank. Afterwards, we have a FP for Maelstrom before it's shut down permanently. I know I'm in the minority, but I can't wait to see what they do to it with the Frozen theme-ing. Our last FP is Mission: SPACE (sans Bella).
What I like about Epcot is that there are two main rides, and the rest of the rides have really short lines (at least whenever we go). At Epcot, I'm able to get in every single ride, and sometimes more than once. Spaceship Earth and Living with the Land are always tradition to ride. We recently discovered Turtle Talk with Crush, and I'm hoping Crush talks to Bella this time around!
As far as the WS goes, this is the first day of the Food&Wine Fest. My mom and I are going to have one drink each. I'm wanting to try the Torontopolitan in Canada or the Grey Goose Citron Lemon Slush in France. My mom really wants to try the Kung Fu Punch. We're not adventurous eaters, so we'll pass on the strange food that y'all seem to go nuts over.
Waiting in the blistering heat at Carousel of Progress.
This just scratches the surface, and there will be loads more we'll do that I haven't mentioned. I can't wait to have my first full Disney experience!
I'm going to include photos of her first trip to Disney World in the next post. My goal for this trip is to take MORE photos. I thought I took a lot, but when going through my FB and IG feed, it seems like large chunks are missing. Oh well.
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