Pre-Trip Good thing I like warm hugs...because it's going to be hot between all those people!

Although I am in the middle of another PTR for our DLP trip, I also wanted to get started on this one because I HAVE TWO UPCOMING DISNEY TRIPS IN THE WORKS :happy: **happy dance**

So without further ado...let's get to some of the details of this trip.

Introductions
Hello. I'm Michelle and I am a Disney addict, undoubtedly if you are reading this you are as well so it's nice to be in the same company. I have no idea how many trips I've taken to WDW (yes, I've been very lucky growing up in a DVC family), but this will be my first trip back since our Disneymoon in August 2015 - yes, I've been away for just over 2 years by the time of this trip which is UNHEARD of.

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And this is my handsome prince Ryan. Ryan has traveled to WDW many times - some with his family when he was younger (always staying offsite, renting a house nearby) and when we met , he started joining my family trips. Ryan is not the Disney addict that I am, but he agrees to frequent trips to make me happy. Although I would be content going to Disney (one park or another) for every trip, Ryan pushes me out of that comfort zones and makes me experience new places and cultures. At the end of the day, we always return to WDW though!

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When
We will be visiting at the craziest time of the year (because apparently we are crazy)! We will arrive on Tuesday December 26,2017 and will be staying until Tuesday January 2, 2018. We will then move over to Universal Studios for a quick two day trip until Thursday January 4, 2018 - this was part of the compromise to "returning to Disney" that I've gotten used to making!

Since I am Canadian, we get December 26th off as a statutory holiday so we initially wanted to head to the world earlier and be there for actual Christmas day. However, we have a rule in our family that Christmas day is ALWAYS spent together and since this is just a couples trip, no go on missing Christmas - which I am fine with!

Why
Well....why not?
Okay, not the greatest answer - but really, seriously, why not?

So this year marks a very special anniversary for Ryan and I. We will have been together for 15 years (yes, we started dating back in high school when we were just wee little kiddies). Ryan also proposed to me during the Christmas season (late November) during Wishes at MK back in 2012. AND Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year; even more so when you see the amazing decorations all over Disney World.

The last time we were in Disney World for Christmas (like the actual Christmas break) was back in 2006, so we are due to return! It has been on my mind for quite a while (as you would expect), but I think the "we have to go back" set in for Ryan last Christmas when I mentioned to him that;

"I'm sitting here on Christmas day, watching the Disney parade, in my Disney PJ's, with my Mickey Christmas hat, drinking a mimosa out of my Disney champagne glass".

See...I wasn't joking!

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YES...I was trying to throw myself a pity party for not being IN Disney World on Christmas LOL :banghead:. Needless to say....I planted the seed in Ryan's head that very moment! ;)

Where

As I mentioned above (and before on these boards), I've been very lucky to have grown up in a family who bought into DVC WAY back in 1992 (or maybe 1993) when Old Key West was the ONLY DVC Resort (and actually used to be name Disney's Vacation Club Resort)

Needless to say, I spent many many many trips there as this was the only DVC resort for the first few years of the program. This also makes this truly my "home away from home". So we will be spending our trip here.

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Not only this is "home" for me, but it is a beautiful resort. It is HUGE so it can be difficult to navigate, but we have decided to rent a car this trip, so no worries on that front!

For the Universal part of our trip, we will be staying at Cabana Bay Beach Resort.

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I've never stayed here before (truth be told, I've never stayed on Universal property - if we've gone it's been a day trip during our Disney holiday), but I've heard great things about it so I am excited!

 
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DryerLintFan

Premium Member
On our Epcot day, the hours are posted at 8 - 9 am EMH then 9 - 10:30 regular park hours. I would like to somehow throughout the day ride Soarin', Test Track and Frozen Ever After and have breakfast at Garden Grill. Since we are visiting at Christmas (peak peak peak season) and Epcot has the tiered system for Fastpasses....I am trying to figure out how to do all of this with the minimum wait time.

Here's what I'm thinking...please let me know if you think this will work, if I am bonkers or if you have another suggestion that you think would work better!


Rope drop EMH at 8 am
Head straight to Soarin' Around the World
Then to Living with the Land
Breakfast Reservation at Garden Grill (8:45/9:00 am?)
Book a Fastpass for Test Track to be used at some point (not sure what the available time will be, probably after breakfast or later in the early afternoon)
Go to World Showcase for opening and get in line for Frozen Ever After for opening


Question is....when do they allow you to begin lining up for World Showcase attractions? If WSC opens at 11 am, when would I need to be there to line up for Frozen?

As Max said, Norway and Mexico open with the park opening, not with World Showcase. The strategy I've seen the most is to rope drop either Soarin or FEA, have a fast pass for the other one, and do the single rider line on TT.
 

amjt660

Premium Member
As Max said, Norway and Mexico open with the park opening, not with World Showcase. The strategy I've seen the most is to rope drop either Soarin or FEA, have a fast pass for the other one, and do the single rider line on TT.
I do not like the single rider at TT because you skip the design portion.

Is there a way to design a car in the after ride showroom and then use it in the single rider line?

Max
 

TheMouseFan

Well-Known Member
I do not like the single rider at TT because you skip the design portion.

Is there a way to design a car in the after ride showroom and then use it in the single rider line?

Max
Yes, they have a whole bank of computers in the after ride area! You take as long as you want to design your car and save it to your band, then go get in the single rider line.
 

amjt660

Premium Member
Yes, they have a whole bank of computers in the after ride area! You take as long as you want to design your car and save it to your band, then get in the single rider line.
Based on this info I would do single rider again!!
Thanks @TheMouseFan
I find the new version of the ride to be boring up until you go outside.
I might be in a minority but I liked the campy feel of the original and I wish they had kept the video intro (updated of course) and add the vehicle design portion.
Just my two cents
Max
 

mlegerto

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Not sure about the FEA plan.
When I was there in December FEA opened up early - same time as Future World.
If you wait to line up until after breakfast you will be facing a long line ( think 90-120 min depending on how many times it has broken down so far)

That sounded negative but FEA did break down a lot on our last trip and everytime it breaks down Standby goes through the roof because the FP line gets longer.

C and I did it at rope drop - we came through the IG and rushed to Norway
Our line was still a good 15-20 at that point.

Oh wow, I didn't realize that they opened FEA at the same time as Future World...that does change things then. We do have two days at EPCOT, so I will probably just split up Sorin and FEA and use Fastpasses....I was just trying to get the most out of each visit to each park if possible. Thanks for the info Max!

If its anything like 4th of July there will not be a dessert party. They don't seem to do them for their special fireworks. California Grill will still have their Celebration at the Top dessert party though

Booo...I saw that there wasn't anything going on for July 4th (dessert party). I hope this isn't true for our visit, but if it is it is. Thanks for the info!

As Max said, Norway and Mexico open with the park opening, not with World Showcase. The strategy I've seen the most is to rope drop either Soarin or FEA, have a fast pass for the other one, and do the single rider line on TT.
Yes, they have a whole bank of computers in the after ride area! You take as long as you want to design your car and save it to your band, then go get in the single rider line.

Yes, I was trying to avoid the single riders line at TT because of the design your own car portion, but being able to design a car then get into line does change my opinion on it. Thanks for the information and suggestion!
 

mlegerto

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
OKAY GUYS....so 179 days till our trip. You know what that means....yesterday was ADR day! They have also released park hours for our trip - I know these can still change between now and then.

We were pretty lucky as we got every reservation we wanted with the exception of one (we couldn't get Garden Grill breakfast on December 28th, the only AM we will be at EPCOT), but I cannot complain! Here's what we have booked;

December 26, 2017
5:25 pm - Ohana' Dinner
Go to MK after to watch Happily Ever After

December 27, 2017
MK - AM
HS - PM
5:30 pm - Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Dinner
Fantasmic

December 28, 2017
EP - AM
XXX - Garden Grill (will continue to try and get a breakfast reservation)
AK - PM
5:00 pm - Tiffins Dinner (upgrade to the ROL dining package when they announce the next dates)

December 29, 2017
No park day
10:05 am - Kona Cafe Breakfast
7:30 pm - Chef Arts Smith's Homecomin' Dinner
Possibly 10:30 pm Yehaa Bob Jackson Show

December 30, 2017
MK
2:25 pm - Be Our Guest Lunch
6:30 / 11:50 pm Fireworks

December 31, 2017
EP
1:45 pm - Via Napoli Lunch
11:40 NYE Countdown

January 1, 2018
No park day
12:10 pm - Afternoon Tea at the Garden Tea Room
6:45 pm - Yatchsman Steakhouse Dinner
11:00 pm - Beaches n Cream Dessert

January 2, 2018
Move to Universal Studios Resort
 

bee

Well-Known Member
A few suggestions based on what we like:

NORWAY
Drink(s):
Snack(s): School Bread
Drinks: VIKING COFFEE!

CHINA
Drink(s): Tsing Tao Beer, Green Team Plum Slush
Snack(s):
Drinks: Tipsy Ducks in Love

(The above two are both for coffee lovers :D)

GERMANY
Drink(s): Altenmunster Oktoberfest Beer, Schofferhofer Grapefrit Beer (Radler)
Snack(s): Pretzel, Caramel Popcorn
Drinks: Check out the Weinkeller! I know it seems strange to choose wine over beer in Germany but you might find something you like in one of the flights.
Snacks: Nudel Gratin

ITALY
Drink(s): Wine Flight (Tutto Gusto), Moretti La Rossa Beer
Snack(s): Gelato (ice cream sandwich), Cannoli (Tutto Italia cart is often not open)

*someone once mentioned to me a really nice Rose' wine they had here, but I cannot recall the name...anyone know what I'm talking about?*
Snacks: If you're already at TG you might as well get one of the samplers. If you're an olive lover you can get one that includes olives or just get an a la carte order (we love them so much we have done this before!).

AMERICA
Drink(s): Bell Oberon Beer
Snack(s): S'mores Mousse Brownie (Liberty Inn)

*someone suggested not getting a snack in this pavilion, but instead going to the Refreshment Port to get a Cronut....would this still count as an "American Snack" on our checklist to you guys?
Cronut totally counts.

FRANCE
Drink(s): Grand Marnier Slush, Grey Goose Orange Slush (this one is a fav. of ours already!)
Snack(s): Napoleon, Citron Tarte, Duo Au Chocolat, Ice Cream
Drinks: Wine flight in the wine shop!
 

mlegerto

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
A few suggestions based on what we like:


Drinks: VIKING COFFEE!


Drinks: Tipsy Ducks in Love

(The above two are both for coffee lovers :D)


Drinks: Check out the Weinkeller! I know it seems strange to choose wine over beer in Germany but you might find something you like in one of the flights.
Snacks: Nudel Gratin


Snacks: If you're already at TG you might as well get one of the samplers. If you're an olive lover you can get one that includes olives or just get an a la carte order (we love them so much we have done this before!).


Cronut totally counts.


Drinks: Wine flight in the wine shop!


Thank you for your suggestions! They've all been added to the list. I am not a coffee lover at all (can't stand the stuff), but hubby certianly is so he will appreciate those items very much!
 

mlegerto

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Updated dining....

I was able to grab a breakfast reservation at 9:05 am at Garden Grill on December 28th like I was hoping for! This means that we successfully booked every dining reservation on the date/time we hoped to for this trip - something I wasn't anticipating happening due to the busy time of year, but I'll take it! ;)
 

mlegerto

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So if you've read my honeymoon TR, you will know that I unfortunately suffer from motion sickness. It's something that I have developed in the last few years - Ryan keeps reminding me that I'm getting old and that's whats caused it ;).

I absolutely love rides still, but I do pay the price afterwards. I am a bit worried about our visit to Universal because I know a lot of the rides are more intense thrills rides OR screen/simulator type rides. Last time we were at Universal I was sick all over myself on the Simpsons ride (Yep, yours truly had to buy and wear theme park clothes all day LOL) and the mummy I had to run to find a bathroom right after.

Long story short....what are your best remedies to combat motion sickness on rides? I've tried gravel and ginger, neither helped. I've also tried the timing of meals (not to close to riding, but not to far either).

HELP ME! LOL
 

DryerLintFan

Premium Member
Updated dining....

I was able to grab a breakfast reservation at 9:05 am at Garden Grill on December 28th like I was hoping for! This means that we successfully booked every dining reservation on the date/time we hoped to for this trip - something I wasn't anticipating happening due to the busy time of year, but I'll take it! ;)

I'm new here (obviously) and never visited the parks before so I don't know the ropes. I just learned yesterday that there is a whole underbelly of the internet on Facebook where you can trade ADRs with people and grab ADRs for people going later than you if your trips overlap. I immediately thought of you and how I could have potentially grabbed this for you when my ADRs opened up.

It doesn't seem completely above the board though, so I'm both regretful and relieved I didn't know about it :hilarious::hilarious:. I'm SO glad you were able to snag this reservation on your own though!
 

amjt660

Premium Member
T swears by taking sour candy after
She says it reduces the saliva in you mouth and helps the wooziness

After forbidden journey and dragon challenge I consumed a lot of sour candy from Honeydukes

But you already know this story!!!!

Max
 
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mlegerto

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
T swears by taking sour candy after
She says it reduces the saliva in you mouth and helps the wooziness

After forbidden journey and dragon challenge I consumed a lot of sour candy from Homeydukes

But you already know this story!!!!

Max

Haha...yes I was thinking this sounds rather familiar haha
 

drcasey

Well-Known Member
So if you've read my honeymoon TR, you will know that I unfortunately suffer from motion sickness. It's something that I have developed in the last few years - Ryan keeps reminding me that I'm getting old and that's whats caused it ;).

I absolutely love rides still, but I do pay the price afterwards. I am a bit worried about our visit to Universal because I know a lot of the rides are more intense thrills rides OR screen/simulator type rides. Last time we were at Universal I was sick all over myself on the Simpsons ride (Yep, yours truly had to buy and wear theme park clothes all day LOL) and the mummy I had to run to find a bathroom right after.

Long story short....what are your best remedies to combat motion sickness on rides? I've tried gravel and ginger, neither helped. I've also tried the timing of meals (not to close to riding, but not to far either).

HELP ME! LOL

I have horrible motion sickness too! But I take half of a Dramamine about 20 min before I start riding anything that may make me sick and I have no problems. It's a miracle drug. It can make some people drowsy (there is a non drowsy version but it doesn't work at all in my experience) but if you drink some caffeine with it it's not bad! There is no way I'd be able to ride anything at universal without it. If the half doesn't do the trick, you can take the other half!
 

ScarletBegonias

Well-Known Member
I don't even get Motion Sickness and the Harry Potter rides made me about half ill from the screens! Having that would be so awful. I agree with PP. Try Dramamine!
 

mlegerto

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I have horrible motion sickness too! But I take half of a Dramamine about 20 min before I start riding anything that may make me sick and I have no problems. It's a miracle drug. It can make some people drowsy (there is a non drowsy version but it doesn't work at all in my experience) but if you drink some caffeine with it it's not bad! There is no way I'd be able to ride anything at universal without it. If the half doesn't do the trick, you can take the other half!

I don't even get Motion Sickness and the Harry Potter rides made me about half ill from the screens! Having that would be so awful. I agree with PP. Try Dramamine!

Thanks for the tips! I will most certianly try dramamine on this trip and report back on how it worked! It is truly awful having motion sickness like this. I think the worst part is that I actually still love rides, so I do them....but then I pay the price LOL! It's just something that came on out of no where....never really experienced this as a child or teen. Guess I really am getting old o_O
 

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