Pre-Trip no boys allowed!

I wasn't going to start this quite yet, but I've reached a point in my planning that I need a bit of advice from the experts. So here I am. By experts, I mean people who go more often than once every 3-5 years and know shortcuts and tricks. @Tuvalu @Darstarr @ajrwdwgirl @riverside I know there are many of you, so I apologize for not naming all of you, but these were the names that came to me off the top of my head because I'm reading your TRs often.

The basics:
Who: My daughter (E) and me. My husband isn't a Disney fan and would rather spend the money on a gaming computer, which he did last Summer and told me I should take E on a trip with just the 2 of us because we have a similar travel style and both LOVE Disney and will get a lot more out of it than he or our son would. So...no boys on this trip. Just us girls. There may be appearances from a few other players, but we're not sure yet. My best friend Shasta might join us for a few days, my cousin C and her daughter L might pop in as well, and we'll be staying a couple nights with my friend D.

When: July27 - July 29th at Universal's Endless Summer Dockside Inn and suites
July 29th and 30th with my friend at her home in Kissimmee
July 31-August 14th at Disney's All-Star Music resort

Why?: Because that was the deal. My husband and A both got gaming computers so E and I get a Disney trip. And E is going to be a senior next year, but didn't want to do a graduation trip because she didn't want to be trying to do her senior projects while also planning a Disney trip, because she's a perfectionist and wants to focus on school. So we're doing a trip to celebrate her senior year!!

 

[Songbird76]

Got our hotel in Philly booked for the way back. It was like pulling teeth, but I got it. I kept getting an error message that the rate was no longer available, even though I tried several different ones...a King room, a room with 2 doubles, etc. None of them worked, so I finally just went through booking.com, which wouldn't take my American credit card, so I had to use my Dutch one, but I finally got it booked and it's done.

 

[Songbird76]

The River Roost is a lounge so there are no reservations. It’s first come, first serve. The show doesn’t start until 8:30(Wednesday-Saturday) but you want to be there around 7 to get a good seat-maybe even a little earlier.

Thank you! I wrote it down in my itinerary to get there before 7 now.

 

[littleroo]

Everything looks great to me! I don't think you will have any problems getting reservations. You are definitely doing a lot! I hope you 2 have so much fun!

 

[Songbird76]

Ok, so my ADR window opens tomorrow. I did a test run today to make sure I know how to do it on my phone since I'll be at work and won't have access to my laptop. I also added two credit cards to my Disney experience so it's all ready to go tomorrow. I'll have limited time to book everything so I want to have everything all ready to go as smoothly and as quickly as possible. I checked availability for July 30th for Artist point and Ohana, and both had a couple of times for dinner, so that bodes well for us. Beaches and cream didn't have anything at regular lunch time, but they did have times available and that's only 60 days out. I have ours planned for our 10th day, so it's 70 days out, so we should be good.
I'll also book behind the seeds and caring for giants.

I also called Universal to add express passes to our tickets and to cancel our shuttle now that my bestie is picking us up at the airport. Got everything paid for, so everything is all ready.

I'll feel better once all the ADRs and tours are booked and paid for. I'm also slightly worried about my friend we are staying with in between the two parts of our trip. She had a heart attack a couple weeks ago and another "incident" yesterday. She says they think it's anxiety-related and not heart disease. So that's good news, but I'm worried that hosting us will be too stressful for her.

But after tomorrow almost everything will be taken care of. I'll still have to make the ADRs for the last 4 days of our trip as each window opens, but I think that's it. Right? Am I forgetting anything important?

 

[Songbird76]

Got every restaurant we wanted, but had to book some at different times than planned. There were no dinner reservations left for Via Napoli at all on the day we wanted to go, so I booked us a lunch instead and we'll snack at food booths for dinner. Wine bar George had no dinner reservations and the only lunch ones were for weird times, so we're going there at 2pm. It's fine, because I'm only going for the melty cheese. We can just do a light meal.

Apparently you can not book tours at 60 + 10 days. It has to be 60 days from the day you want to do the tour, so I'll have to book those in a couple of days. I have to book Ohana tomorrow, as it's our 11th day and I couldn't book it today, and Liberty tree Tavern is our 12th day, so I'll book that on Saturday. I'm just relieved that I got everything I could book today. I was a bit nervous about Artist Point, but that turned out to be no problem at all, even though it's only on our 5th day.

 

[rshell68]

Congrats!!!

 

[Songbird76]

I don't understand Disney math. You can make your ADRs for 10 days. July 31st is our first day. Meaning August 1st is our 2nd day, thus making August 9th our 10th day. Correct? And I have O'hana on August 10th, which is our 11th day, and Liberty Tree Tavern on August 11th,which is our 12th day. So since our ADR window opened yesterday (and I tried to make reservations starting at 5:30 Eastern and couldn't until 6:00 on the dot, AND I got a reminder from touring plans that yesterday was my ADR day) I should have not been able to book O'hana until today and Liberty Tree Tavern tomorrow.
I tried to get in at 5:30 this morning and couldn't, but at 5:40 I was able to book O'hana for the 10TH, AND the 11th was highlighted. So I tried to book LTT, but it was showing that there was no availability for any restaurant for any time. But I went back at 6:00 and was able to book it no problem. So now I'm wondering... Was I actually able to book O'hana yesterday, but didn't think I could because that's actually day 11? How does Disney calculate the days?

Regardless, I got the ones I wanted at the times I wanted them, so we're good to go. Tomorrow I can book Behind the seeds. I checked just to make sure I couldn't book it today, since I was able to get LTT for the 11th, which is a day sooner than I thought. But I couldn't. So if it's a glitch, it didn't carry over to booking tours.

 

[Katiekitten]

Glad you've got everything you wanted so far!

 

[Songbird76]

OK the My Disney Experience app LIES!!! It SAYS you can book tours via the app. Spoiler alert: You can not!!! I tried on the day my ADRs opened, but I could only view the available times. I could not book. I assumed this was because I could not book tours until 60 days out, and as we wanted tours on our 3rd and 4th days, it was still 63 days out. But, I should have been able to book Behind the Seeds today for August 2nd at 6:00am Eastern, and I could not. I could book my dining reservation for August 12th, but I still could not book tours. So I went onto my laptop and instead of using the app, I used a VPN to get to the American site like I did with the Halloween Party tickets, and was able to book both Behind the Seeds AND Caring for Giants, and I could actually book times all the way up through August 12th, just like dining. So the app lies. Also, you can apparently book the first 11 days, not just the first 10. Maybe it doesn't count your arrival day? In any case, all ADRs and tours have been booked, screenshots saved, confirmation numbers recorded, accessible on both my laptop and my phone, and I will have a printed out copy in case of a device failure/dead battery. I believe we are prepared now.

 

[Songbird76]

Made a slight change to our ADRs. I was watching Disney Food Blog videos, and there was one about the best things they've eaten this year and they mentioned Salted Caramel Beach Buns at Cape May Cafe breakfast. So we decided to add that to our ADRs on an Epcot day so we can walk there from the IG. So I checked park hours and the early entry starts at 8:30, which we'll probably want to rope drop for Frozen or soarin' and then after that we can walk to breakfast. So I got an ADR for 9:50am. BUT we had Via Napoli lunch at 1:30. We had wanted dinner, but it wasn't available when our ADR window opened, but now it was, so I modified it to 7:05pm so we have plenty of time in between ADRs.

 

[Songbird76]

Only a week and a half left! I still need to book some sort of transportation from Disney back to MCO, but everything else is arranged. I have made a food and wine festival list with must-try dishes and maybe-try dishes on it. I'm going to have to start packing soon. I got myself a new anti-theft backpack that is supposedly watertight, so should be good for Disney. I'm so excited!!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Only a week and a half left! I still need to book some sort of transportation from Disney back to MCO, but everything else is arranged. I have made a food and wine festival list with must-try dishes and maybe-try dishes on it. I'm going to have to start packing soon. I got myself a new anti-theft backpack that is supposedly watertight, so should be good for Disney. I'm so excited!!

I have done Uber the last few times and been pleased with that. I haven’t pre booked it either. Mears is fine too but I don’t like the idea of multiple stops, I just like to get there.

 

[Songbird76]

I just heard on DFB that Satuli Canteen changed their menu and the beef bowl is now a different kind of beef and it was dry and not very good. So I guess we don't need to worry about eating there. Sad. It wasn't really E's favorite last time anyway.
And 1900 Park Fare still hasn't reopened, which makes me sad. But we have plenty of other meals to look forward to.

 

[Songbird76]

Almost there! We leave Tuesday morning. I have to work today, but then I'm off. I wasn't supposed to have to work, but one of the guys called in sick yesterday while I was working and they asked if I can work today if he's still sick. But it's only 4 hours, so it could be worse.

E finished my Halloween party costume last night, and I've packed pretty much everything I CAN pack, so it's just the last minute stuff now.

 

[Swissmiss]

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Songbird76]

Enjoy your trip!

We are soooooo excited and I know we'll have so much fun!!

Turns out I don't have to work today, because the guy who was sick yesterday is better today, so I don't have to work for him. YAY!! It works out well, because even though it was only 4 hours, I have SO much I still have to get done. I have laundry to do, though we've been mostly wearing stuff for the last week that we aren't bringing, so we won't have to worry about things being clean and ready to pack. I taught my husband to do laundry yesterday since I won't be here to do it for 3 weeks, and his and A's stuff is really easy because there are no special instructions for anything but the polo shirts my husband wears to work. He won't have to worry about intimites and dresses and things that have to be hung a certain way, etc. So today is getting the laundry all caught up, going through the packing list and making sure everything is there, checking our must do lists, etc. I feel like I'm forgetting to do something, so I'm having some anxiety.

 

[Songbird76]

And then someone else called in sick, so I had to work. 4 hours... I can do this.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Almost there! We leave Tuesday morning. I have to work today, but then I'm off. I wasn't supposed to have to work, but one of the guys called in sick yesterday while I was working and they asked if I can work today if he's still sick. But it's only 4 hours, so it could be worse.

E finished my Halloween party costume last night, and I've packed pretty much everything I CAN pack, so it's just the last minute stuff now.

Great! Those 4 hours will fly by fast. I hope you and E have a good trip.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

We are soooooo excited and I know we'll have so much fun!!

Turns out I don't have to work today, because the guy who was sick yesterday is better today, so I don't have to work for him. YAY!! It works out well, because even though it was only 4 hours, I have SO much I still have to get done. I have laundry to do, though we've been mostly wearing stuff for the last week that we aren't bringing, so we won't have to worry about things being clean and ready to pack. I taught my husband to do laundry yesterday since I won't be here to do it for 3 weeks, and his and A's stuff is really easy because there are no special instructions for anything but the polo shirts my husband wears to work. He won't have to worry about intimites and dresses and things that have to be hung a certain way, etc. So today is getting the laundry all caught up, going through the packing list and making sure everything is there, checking our must do lists, etc. I feel like I'm forgetting to do something, so I'm having some anxiety.

Wait.... you taught your husband how to do laundry yesterday? I know I'm unique in that my husband does 90% of the laundry, but I still know how to do it. We both were taught how to do laundry as teens/pre-teens so we could help at home and have the skill as an adult. Does A and E know how to use the laundry machine?

 

[lindawdw]

So excited for you!!!