SPOILER! We originally booked for CBR, as you'll read below, but ended up upgrading to OKW!!! Our first ever deluxe stay. Can't wait!
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Hi! So, here I am, planning yet another trip. I just finished our January 2015 TR, which you can read here. I've already been planning this next trip, but couldn't stand the thought of writing a pre-trip before the other TR was done. So here we go.
I was talking to mom a few weeks ago, after accidentally browsing around resort reservations and OOPS finding a good deal for CBR... so we mentioned it to dad, and booked! It'll be my fifth trip, mom's sixth, and also dad's fifth, I think.
I'm actually surprised that dad wants to come along again this year, since he normally likes to be a bit more "worldly" than hitting up WDW year after year, but he loved everything about the trip last year so didn't hesitate to jump on board with us again.
So far, we have a room-only reservation for CBR from January 27-February 6, 2016. We stumbled across Play, Stay, Dine and Save last year, and we're hoping for a similar ticket + dining package to add to our room reservation over the next few months. I'm sure we'll find something between now and late fall. We're not super excited about going to CBR instead of POR or POFQ, but the price difference was about $40 per night, so for now, we'll stick with it! If prices change, we'll likely move. Really, it's only for the water taxi service to DTD, which we absolutely love. My family actually stayed at CBR once before (without me!) and they liked it, so I'm sure it would be fine.
Here's the cast of the trip, all in red, from our 2015 trip.
Our plan is as follows. I managed to get most of our ADRs made this morning, at the 180 day mark, minus the Fantasmic Dinner Package at Mama Melrose's, Akershus, and Trail's End. I called to see what the problem was, and was told that they're blocked at the moment but may open up in a few days. So I'll keep trying.
Wed, Jan 27
-Early morning drive to YHZ, Halifax, Nova Scotia
-Direct flight (on points!) lands at MCO at 7pm
-DME to CBR (or POR/POFQ if we end up switching)
-Quick service at the resort (the Shutters menu doesn't turn my crank and we'll be tired anyway)
Thurs, Jan 28
-Magic Kingdom day 1
-Cinderella's Royal Table: booked for 6:40pm; I hear the food is sometimes sub-par, but mom has her heart set on eating in the castle and it will be cool just to experience the atmosphere; we don't really care about meeting characters but I'm sure it'll be entertaining and worth a few pics!
-Wishes at 8
Fri, Jan 29
-EPCOT day 1
-Les chefs de France: booked for 6:10pm; another one of mom's choices
-IllumiNations at 9
Sat, Jan 30
-Animal Kingdom (AM extra magic hours - see the animals while they're active!)
-Rainforest Café: booked for 5:45pm; I'm not super excited about the menu, but mom really wants to give it a shot.
Sun, Jan 31
-Hollywood Studios (AM extra magic hours)
-Mama Melrose's (Fantasmic Dinner Package): not available to reserve until 180 days before Jan 31, so I'll try in a few days
-Fantasmic at 7
Mon, Feb 1
-Potential day off/Downtown Disney/resort hopping
-The Turf Club at Saratoga Springs: booked for 5:35pm; my pick, mostly because I really want to see SSR!
Tues, Feb 2
-EPCOT day 2 (PM extra magic hours)
-Lunch at Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club: booked for 12:50pm
-Akershus (Norway): not available to reserve until 180 days before Feb 2, so I'll try in a few days
-IllumiNations at 9
Wed, Feb 3
-Magic Kingdom day 2 (PM extra magic hours)
-Be Our Guest: booked for 6:30pm; my pick, since we loved lunch there and I hear dinner is even better!
-Wishes at 8
Thurs, Feb 4
-EPCOT day 3 (AM extra magic hours)
-Trail's End at Fort Wilderness: not available to reserve until 180 days before Feb 4, so I'll try in a few days
-IllumiNations at 9
Fri, Feb 5
-Boma breakfast buffet: 10:30am; I absolutely CANNOT wait for this; we absolutely love Boma and go almost every time we're at WDW
-Magic Kingdom day 3
-Wishes at 10
(we may do AK again instead, and potentially the Wild Africa Trek!)
Sat, Feb 6
-Quick breakfast at the resort
-DME to MCO
-Flight leaves from MCO at noon; three flights total and two different carriers to get home, which may end up being a disaster, but who cares!
I have been really hoping that the new night show at AK might be started by the time we're there again, but it sounds like March 2016 is their target. Maybe I'll cross my fingers and hope for a preview? Nah, probably too ambitious.
I'm also curious what state Disney Springs will be in come the end of January. Last year, it was quite heavily under construction and not much new stuff was open yet.
Any thoughts? I am ALWAYS open to ideas, suggestions, pointers, corrections...
***************************
Hi! So, here I am, planning yet another trip. I just finished our January 2015 TR, which you can read here. I've already been planning this next trip, but couldn't stand the thought of writing a pre-trip before the other TR was done. So here we go.
I was talking to mom a few weeks ago, after accidentally browsing around resort reservations and OOPS finding a good deal for CBR... so we mentioned it to dad, and booked! It'll be my fifth trip, mom's sixth, and also dad's fifth, I think.
I'm actually surprised that dad wants to come along again this year, since he normally likes to be a bit more "worldly" than hitting up WDW year after year, but he loved everything about the trip last year so didn't hesitate to jump on board with us again.
So far, we have a room-only reservation for CBR from January 27-February 6, 2016. We stumbled across Play, Stay, Dine and Save last year, and we're hoping for a similar ticket + dining package to add to our room reservation over the next few months. I'm sure we'll find something between now and late fall. We're not super excited about going to CBR instead of POR or POFQ, but the price difference was about $40 per night, so for now, we'll stick with it! If prices change, we'll likely move. Really, it's only for the water taxi service to DTD, which we absolutely love. My family actually stayed at CBR once before (without me!) and they liked it, so I'm sure it would be fine.
Here's the cast of the trip, all in red, from our 2015 trip.
Our plan is as follows. I managed to get most of our ADRs made this morning, at the 180 day mark, minus the Fantasmic Dinner Package at Mama Melrose's, Akershus, and Trail's End. I called to see what the problem was, and was told that they're blocked at the moment but may open up in a few days. So I'll keep trying.
Wed, Jan 27
-Early morning drive to YHZ, Halifax, Nova Scotia
-Direct flight (on points!) lands at MCO at 7pm
-DME to CBR (or POR/POFQ if we end up switching)
-Quick service at the resort (the Shutters menu doesn't turn my crank and we'll be tired anyway)
Thurs, Jan 28
-Magic Kingdom day 1
-Cinderella's Royal Table: booked for 6:40pm; I hear the food is sometimes sub-par, but mom has her heart set on eating in the castle and it will be cool just to experience the atmosphere; we don't really care about meeting characters but I'm sure it'll be entertaining and worth a few pics!
-Wishes at 8
Fri, Jan 29
-EPCOT day 1
-Les chefs de France: booked for 6:10pm; another one of mom's choices
-IllumiNations at 9
Sat, Jan 30
-Animal Kingdom (AM extra magic hours - see the animals while they're active!)
-Rainforest Café: booked for 5:45pm; I'm not super excited about the menu, but mom really wants to give it a shot.
Sun, Jan 31
-Hollywood Studios (AM extra magic hours)
-Mama Melrose's (Fantasmic Dinner Package): not available to reserve until 180 days before Jan 31, so I'll try in a few days
-Fantasmic at 7
Mon, Feb 1
-Potential day off/Downtown Disney/resort hopping
-The Turf Club at Saratoga Springs: booked for 5:35pm; my pick, mostly because I really want to see SSR!
Tues, Feb 2
-EPCOT day 2 (PM extra magic hours)
-Lunch at Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club: booked for 12:50pm
-Akershus (Norway): not available to reserve until 180 days before Feb 2, so I'll try in a few days
-IllumiNations at 9
Wed, Feb 3
-Magic Kingdom day 2 (PM extra magic hours)
-Be Our Guest: booked for 6:30pm; my pick, since we loved lunch there and I hear dinner is even better!
-Wishes at 8
Thurs, Feb 4
-EPCOT day 3 (AM extra magic hours)
-Trail's End at Fort Wilderness: not available to reserve until 180 days before Feb 4, so I'll try in a few days
-IllumiNations at 9
Fri, Feb 5
-Boma breakfast buffet: 10:30am; I absolutely CANNOT wait for this; we absolutely love Boma and go almost every time we're at WDW
-Magic Kingdom day 3
-Wishes at 10
(we may do AK again instead, and potentially the Wild Africa Trek!)
Sat, Feb 6
-Quick breakfast at the resort
-DME to MCO
-Flight leaves from MCO at noon; three flights total and two different carriers to get home, which may end up being a disaster, but who cares!
I have been really hoping that the new night show at AK might be started by the time we're there again, but it sounds like March 2016 is their target. Maybe I'll cross my fingers and hope for a preview? Nah, probably too ambitious.
I'm also curious what state Disney Springs will be in come the end of January. Last year, it was quite heavily under construction and not much new stuff was open yet.
Any thoughts? I am ALWAYS open to ideas, suggestions, pointers, corrections...
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