Pre-Trip Hotter Than Tatooine on a Good Day...A September Pre-Trip Report

I can't believe I'm writing my pre-trip report before finishing up my April birthday report, but we leave in exactly 14 days, so time is of the essence!

WHO: My dad (Matt) and me (Carrie) — we're leaving my mom home for our very first father/daughter trip!

WHEN: August 30-September 8

WHERE: Port Orleans French Quarter

WHY: Cause it seemed like a good idea at the time...

(Here we are in Toy Story Land during our Christmas 2018 trip!)

With this trip, it will be the first time ever that I'm in Disney three separate times in the same year! We used to go every other year, and since 2014, I've been once a year. But 2019 has been a year full of Disney (not that I'm complaining)! We're taking 2020 off (though we're debating doing our third Disney Cruise...I haven't been on one since I was 12, so I'm excited!), so I really want to savor this trip.

This weird, weird trip. Originally, my dad and I were planning a trip to Disneyland. But then we heard that Galaxy's Edge would open there first, in the Spring. So we decided that it would be way too crowded for a while, so we'd put DL off until another year (yes, I know, I can hear you laughing at me). I mentioned that WDW hadn't been too crowded at all when my friend B and I were there the week of Labor Day in 2017 (never mind the fact that that was the trip I tore my ACL on...), and that the crowd calendars were mostly showing 1s and 2s for that week in 2019. Since we had to leave our 2018 Christmas trip four days early since we were all very sick, wouldn't it be nice to have a WDW do-over before Galaxy's Edge opened in the late fall (which is WHAT THEY HAD ANNOUNCED)? Since we all know "late fall" for Disney means like December 20, we'd beat the GE crowds and have a hopefully pretty chill week. The only thing we'd have to contend with would be the heat. We tend to go to Disney in the late fall, winter, or early spring to avoid the oppressive heat and humidity.

Well. That all worked out in exactly the opposite way, didn't it? DL is a ghost town and we're checking in the day after Galaxy's Edge opens.



We debated canceling the trip after the GE opening date was announced, but we'd already booked our flights, so we decided to just go with the flow and try to have as fun a trip as possible.

Though it will be hotter than the surface of the sun, and the crowds may be much greater than expected, we're still excited. This is the first time my dad and I are going on a trip together, so that will add another element of challenge/newness .

As some of you may know, I just went to Disney with my mom for my 30th birthday in April, and we had THE. BEST. TIME. EVER. I keep telling my dad he has a lot to live up to...

We leave in 14 days!! I can't believe it! I'll post about our many (probably too many) plans in the next post!

 

[KellBelle]

Fun! Count me in!

 

[Spash007]

Woohoo, I'm in! Do you have any plans to check out GE, or are you going to avoid it?

 

[PacNWTigger]

Definitely following along. I might have to pitch a daddy/daughter trip to my dad...

 

[Swissmiss]

Can’t wait to hear about this trip - and yes, your dad does have a lot to live up to as your mother/daughter TR has been great

 

[Laura Loves Tigger]

Following! My daughter and I arrive September 18th!

 

[NRL2003]

I'm there the same time and had the same thoughts about booking during a slower time, Disney obviously had other plans

Love the idea of a father / daughter trip!

 

[Rista1313]

We'll be there just after you leave... can't wait to read this trip too!

 

[carriehpotter]

Fun! Count me in!

Yay!

Woohoo, I'm in! Do you have any plans to check out GE, or are you going to avoid it?

We debated back and forth how to approach GE. Originally we were gonna avoid it, but then we decided, hey, we're going to be there, so why not try? It's going to be...interesting...to say the least.

Definitely following along. I might have to pitch a daddy/daughter trip to my dad...

It's going to be interesting, that's for sure! I get along great with my dad, but 8 days together with no mom to referee...should be interesting.

Can’t wait to hear about this trip - and yes, your dad does have a lot to live up to as your mother/daughter TR has been great

Thank you!! And yeah, my poor dad. I've been just slightly emotive about how great my bday trip was. I think he's taken it as a challenge!

 

[carriehpotter]

Following! My daughter and I arrive September 18th!

Awesome! Hopefully it will be a tiny bit cooler and less crowded/crazy!

I'm there the same time and had the same thoughts about booking during a slower time, Disney obviously had other plans

Love the idea of a father / daughter trip!

They definitely did. Since when is late Fall August 29?! Oh well. Enjoy your trip!!

We'll be there just after you leave... can't wait to read this trip too!

Have fun!! And thanks!

 

[Katiekitten]

I'm a bit late to the party, but I am in!

 

[carriehpotter]

I still can’t believe that this trip is literally right around the corner. Usually time crawls to a stop before any Disney trip for me, but this one just snuck up on me!

I also LOVE to surprise my dad (since he is a hard guy to surprise), so I have a bunch of extra stuff planned that he doesn’t know about!

Here are our full plans for the trip.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30: Travel Day

Our flight leaves from Newark Airport at 5:38 p.m. My dad is not a huge fan of flying (and my mom refuses to fly), but he acquiesced to it, so we’d have more time at WDW. So I’m a nervous flyer and my dad hasn’t flown in at least 15 years. Should be fun! We’re supposed to touch down at MCO at 8:26 p.m. We’ve debated back and forth for like 2 months, but we’ve decided to take a Minnie Van from the airport instead of DME. 1) We have an early start the next day, so we want to get in, eat, and get to bed quickly. 2) My parents don’t trust Uber or regular Lyft, so it’s either a Minnie Van or a taxi. We hope to get to POFQ (a new to us resort!) by 9:30 and to be eating beignets by 9:45 .

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31: Animal Kingdom

Today we are doing one of many new-to-us experiences! We booked the 8:45 a.m. Wild Africa Trek! I am SO EXCITED. AK is definitely tied for my favorite park, so I’m super excited to do this Behind-the-Scenes tour (and any chance for more giraffe time is fine by me!). Has anyone done this? Any advice, tips, warnings, etc?

We have a Na’vi River Journey FP from 1:30-2:30 p.m., Kilimanjaro Safaris from 2:30-3:30, and Expedition Everest from 3:40 to 4:40.

Our ADR today is our fav, Yak & Yeti, at 5:00 p.m. Then it’s time for the first of my dad’s surprises (my poor dad…he has no idea what he’s in for): the Frozen Ever After Dessert Party! I swear by this party for watching Illuminations, and since this is the last time I will be seeing it (for real this time), the party was a must. I booked it for this night because, 1) if it rains, we’ll have the chance to try to see it again, and 2) we didn’t really have another night we could comfortably do it (but we’ll make time if we get rained out).

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1: Resort Hopping/Disney Springs

One of my dad’s specific requests for this trip was a more thorough exploration of Disney Springs. My mom can take it or leave it, but my dad at least wants to see everything, so we scheduled a day for it. This was the day that was most crowded per the crowd calendars (of course, that was before GE was announced), so we decided to avoid the parks.

We’re starting the day with the ADR I’m most excited for: California Grill—Brunch at the Top at 10:20 a.m.! Every review I’ve read and video I’ve watched (including Tim Tracker’s review from a while go) say this is a great experience, so I’m ready!

Then I figured we’d resort hop a bit around the monorail resorts. I’m planning to finish up at Polynesian right at 4 so we can hopefully get into Trader Sam’s. This was my dad’s FAVORITE thing during our Christmas 2018 trip. He’s allergic to tree nuts, so he had a bit of a struggle finding something (everything has a liqueur made with almonds, it seems), but the bartender could make him the HippopotoMai-Tai without it, so that’s what my dad got. If you know Trader Sam’s, you know that’s the drink that gets the call and response of “TWO SHOTS OF RUM!” which absolutely delighted my father. (The amount of times the man has randomly cried, “Two shots of rum!” since then is astronomical.)

Then we’ll head to Disney Springs and walk around. We have a Morimoto Asia reservation at 7:30 p.m. This is another experience mostly for my dad, since he loves sushi and great Asian food. I plan to eat light here, and then graze around DS a little bit.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2: Magic Kingdom

This is the first of one of our loooong days. We have a 9:00 a.m. breakfast ADR at The Wave (this is one of my dad and I’s fave breakfast buffets in the World), and then it’s off to MK!

We have a Big Thunder Mountain Railroad FP from 12:10-1:10, Splash Mountain from 1:30 to 2:30 and Jungle Cruise from 3:10 to 4:10.

Then we’ll head back to our room to get ready for…….Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party! I’m excited about this, because we haven’t done MNSSHP since 2014 (we’ve done MVMCP 3 times in the interim). We shall definitely be in costume.

But another surprise for my dad is that we’re also doing Cruella’s Halloween Hide-A-Way at Tony’s! I know this was a divisive add-on, but we did Tony’s Most Merriest Celebration at MVMCP over Christmas, and we absolutely loved it. 1) Unlimited food and alcohol. 2) Reserved viewing for the parade in an amazing spot (at Christmas, in front of the tree looking up Main Street) and 3) It goes until 12:30, so it’s fun to relax there and have some more food and drinks while the park clears out.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3: Epcot

Today is one of two Epcot days. We plan to eat around the F&W festival for the most part. Our FPs are for Soarin’ from 10:25-11:25 a.m., Living with the Land from 11:30-12:30, and Spaceship Earth from 12:55 to 1:55 p.m.

We have a Le Cellier ADR at 5:00 p.m. There are EMH from 9:00-11:00 p.m. that we’d originally planned to take advantage of, but our plans for the following morning changed drastically, so we will probably try to be in bed pretty early tonight because….

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4: Hollywood Studios

Sigh. Today is the day. This is the day we originally planned to head to HS, and we decided we’d still do so. As of right now, we’re planning to take advantage of the Extra, Extra Magic Hours and get to the park for the 6 a.m. opening. I’m already tired just thinking about it.

I've been trying desperately to get an Oga’s Cantina ADR, but no luck so far. We did nab a reservation to build a droid at 10:20 a.m. (I really debated Sa’vi’s Workshop, but I can’t justify a $200 light saber right now.) My plan is to hopefully get our fill of GE before the park opens at 9, and then we’ll “rope drop” Rock n Rollercoaster while everyone else goes to GE. Since they changed the FP tiers here, we weren’t able to FP RNR. Then we’ll make our way back to build our droid. We then have a Star Tours FP for 10:30-11:30 a.m., and Tower of Terror from 11:40-12:40.

We’ll head back to POFQ for what I’m sure will be a much-needed nap (and maybe a dip in the pool) and then be back in time for our 5:00 p.m. 50’s Prime Time Café ADR. We haven’t eaten here in a while (since it’s not part of the Fantasmic! Dining Package), but we love it. Then we booked the Fantasmic! Dessert & VIP Viewing Experience for 7:50 p.m. This is one of only two special things my dad already knows about . My mom and I enjoyed this last time (we especially enjoyed not feeling obligated to eat the desserts right then).

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5: Magic Kingdom

Here is the second of our looooong days (though, I guess our HS day could count too, huh?). We’re starting off with a breakfast ADR at 9:05 a.m. at Crystal Palace (we just really like this one).

Then we have FPs for PotC from 11:00-12:00, Haunted Mansion from 12:35-1:35, and Space Mountain from 2:15-3:15. We may try to squeeze in a break at POFQ for an hour nap here.

Next, we have the only ADR I’m unsure of. We have a 5:50 p.m. Be Our Guest reservation, and I’ve heard some people praise the new prix fixe menu and others blast it. As of right now we’re keeping it, but I’m a little unsure…

Then (I told you this was a full day!) we have the Happily Ever After, After Fireworks Dessert Party with Plaza Garden Viewing. If you’ve read my birthday trip report, you know that I love and highly recommend this party. We’ll check in at 8:15, claim our spot, and then have our dessert after the 9:15 show is over.

Which segues into the final part of the evening…the Disney After Hours event at MK that night. It runs from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., so we will miss the first 15 min or so finishing up our desserts, but that’s OK. I’ve always wanted to do one of the after hours events, so we decided to go for it. I’m hopeful that if we find that everything is more crowded because of GE, at least with this we’ll get some re-rides on our faves with low crowds.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6: Epcot

We’ll be sleeping in a bit this morning, I think . Then we have FPs for Test Track from 10:20-11:20, Spaceship Earth from 11:30-12:30 (again, like my birthday trip, I’m riding this as many times as possible before it gets refurbed!), and 2:00-3:00 for Journey into Imagination.

We have a 12:30 lunch ADR at Via Napoli (we had to fit this one in somewhere, as my dad and I both adore the Quattro Formaggi pizza here!). Then we have another new to us restaurant. We’re doing the Garden Grove seafood buffet at the Swan at 7:30. We missed Cape May Café dinner over Christmas (it was on one of the four days left when we went home early). My dad loves seafood. But when I researched, a lot of reviews said that this buffet was way better than CMC (plus it’s cheaper), so we decided to give it a try instead!

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7: Animal Kingdom

Our last full day . We have a 9:05 a.m. ADR for Donald's Dining Safari Breakfast at Tusker House. We’ve enjoyed this every time we’ve done it.

Our FPs are for Flight of Passage from 12:15-1:15, Kilimanjaro Safaris from 1:35-2:35, and DINOSAUR from 3:10-4:10.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8: Check-Out Day

Our flight is at 10:30ish, so DME will be picking us up super early, at like 7:30. Sigh. Then it’s home to NJ, and no WDW until Fall 2021 . That is, unless my best friend B and I go next December like we plan to…. It's a sickness, isn't it?


So there you have it. This trip is everything my birthday trip wasn’t (at least, as planned). Where that one was laid back and relaxed, this one is action-packed! I’m hoping that that differentiation will help make both trips equally as memorable, but in different ways!

Things didn’t work out quite as we planned, but I’m still excited and ready to go! And I’ve purchased more cooling apparatuses than I care to admit (which I can make a post about it anyone’s interested, lol).

Only 11 days!!

 

[carriehpotter]

I'm a bit late to the party, but I am in!

Yay!!

 

[Rista1313]

But another surprise for my dad is that we’re also doing Cruella’s Halloween Hide-A-Way at Tony’s! I know this was a divisive add-on, but we did Tony’s Most Merriest Celebration at MVMCP over Christmas, and we absolutely loved it. 1) Unlimited food and alcohol. 2) Reserved viewing for the parade in an amazing spot (at Christmas, in front of the tree looking up Main Street) and 3) It goes until 12:30, so it’s fun to relax there and have some more food and drinks while the park clears out.

I personally think the MK dessert parties are so worth it... I added on the MNSSHP with garden viewing. It's SO nice to have personal space while watching projections and fireworks. Can't wait to hear about Cruella's party..I toyed with that one instead, but I'm sure we can find a place to watch the parade that might not be as crowded as the fireworks!

 

[Laura Loves Tigger]

Sounds like great plans! Would love some info on what you are using for cooling.

 

[jrogue]

Following along -- sounds like a great plan!!

 

[NRL2003]

I'm going to MNSSHP on the 2nd too but doing the dessert party instead of Cruella's. Are you dressing up.

I'm also at Epcot on the 3rd during the day to hit some F&W booths, but then going to DAH at AK that night

 

[carriehpotter]

I personally think the MK dessert parties are so worth it... I added on the MNSSHP with garden viewing. It's SO nice to have personal space while watching projections and fireworks. Can't wait to hear about Cruella's party..I toyed with that one instead, but I'm sure we can find a place to watch the parade that might not be as crowded as the fireworks!

We debated back and forth between the two, as well. What clinched Cruella's for us was the fact that you can come and go for three hours. We liked that freedom. But I agree...the MK dessert parties are soooo worth it! We're doing the HEA After Fireworks party later in the week!

Sounds like great plans! Would love some info on what you are using for cooling.

Thanks! And I'll make a post. One of the gadgets I ordered won't get here in time but I'll mention the other stuff!

Following along -- sounds like a great plan!!

Thanks!!

I'm going to MNSSHP on the 2nd too but doing the dessert party instead of Cruella's. Are you dressing up.

I'm also at Epcot on the 3rd during the day to hit some F&W booths, but then going to DAH at AK that night

We are dressing up! What we will be dressed up as remains to be seen. I've been desperately trying to find my costume from 2014, but if I can't find it, I have a backup!

Sounds like you have a lot of fun plans, too!

 

[carriehpotter]

Hey all! I can't believe it's only 4 days until we leave!!!!!

I have some updates. One, some expressed interest (or at least @Laura Loves Tigger did ) in what we're bringing to keep cool/dry. Well, in my infinite wisdom, I've already packed everything. We ALWAYS wait until the last minute to pack, and I swore not this time. We actually got about 95% of our stuff packed this past weekend. I know, I'm shocked too.

So suffice it to say, I ripped a lot of these images from Amazon instead of taking pics of my actual purchases!

Two, while I knew it was a large possibility, my dad didn't realize that this Friday is a...uhh...busy one for air travel. As I said before, my dad hasn't flown in about 15 years. Well, he had a dentist appointment this past Saturday (this is relevant, I promise) and our dentist told him that Friday is the second-busiest travel day of the year. Thanks, Doc. So now my dad is freaking out, worried that the 3 hours early we planned to get to the airport isn't enough. We don't have TSA pre-check, but we are flying with JetBlue and we got the "Even More Space" option, which comes (allegedly) with "Even More Speed." We checked and Newark offers Even More Speed, so I'm hoping that will help get us through security faster and assuage his fears!

I have to work until 2:30 on Friday (our flight is at 5:36), but I plan to ask my boss to work through lunch and leave at 2 (I'm working from home that day, and EWR is only about a half hour from our house) so my dad knows we have plenty of time for security!

Anyway, here's what we're doing to keep cool/stay dry. I'm sure most of you use stuff like this already, but we're newbies at going to WDW this time of year! If all my research can help anyone stay cooler and drier, I'm happy! (Also, all names link to Amazon for ease!)

Frogg Toggs Chilly Pads

Handheld Fans

We also ordered moisture-wicking EVERYTHING, clothing wise. I got some stuff on sale at Columbia for myself and my dad got four pairs of these shorts. I got a lot of stuff from, of all places, Walmart online. We also hit up an Under Armor outlet and got some stuff. So, sorry if this is TMI, but I have moisture-wicking pants, shirts, underwear, bras, and socks. My dad has moisture-wicking shorts, shirts, underwear, undershirts, and socks. Overkill? Probably. We each have a few Disney shirts we want to wear, so my plan is to bring a moisture-wicking shirt to change into as the day heats up. I'm not sure how much it will help keep us dry, but I'm hopeful!

I got myself a pair of RYKA Women's Hydro Sport Water Shoe Cross-Training Shoes, which have drainage, removable insoles, and sticky soles for walking on slippery surfaces, to change into when it's raining.

We also ordered these things, but they are arriving after we leave (they were back-ordered).

They're "personal cooling devices" that clip onto your clothes. They sounded interesting, but it was not to be.

I also bought a rain jacket (I hate ponchos, and umbrellas can be a pain, though we're bringing them, too. Even got microfiber bags to dry them quickly if they get wet) and waterproof bags for my backpack and cellphone, a waterproof blanket in case of wet surfaces, and electrolyte powder for hydration (and to avoid paying Disney a ton of money for Powerade). We also got microfiber towels to dry off if we get wet and a portable luggage scale for weighing our bags for the return trip. Brita water bottles are also the best for Disney, as they filter out the icky Florida water taste, for the most part.

In case you haven't figured it out, I'm pretty extra.

We're also bringing several pairs of shoes each to rotate each day! I think we're pretty well-prepared, but we'll have to see. My mom just thinks I'm nuts!

On a final note, I'm pretty bummed because I couldn't find my Hades costume from our 2014 Halloween trip. I know it exists in my house, and I'll probably find it once we get back, but I'm pretty upset. When I wore it in 2014, we got GREAT reactions from both CMs and characters. My parents had Pain and Panic shirts my mom made. You can see pics here. But oh well, I guess it was not to be. I have a backup costume (which is a surprise!), but I'm not nearly as jazzed about it as my Hades costume. Oh well.

Only 4 more days! Just gotta pack my dad's carry on and personal item (a backpack) and we're pretty much ready. Ack!!

 

[Laura Loves Tigger]

Thanks!! This is very helpful. Hope you have a wonderful trip!