Pre-Trip SSR Pre-Trip Report! September [2018]

So is anyone in for a REALLLLLY long Pre-Trip Report ala @tonythetigger style ?
Because I’M FINALLY GOING BACK!!

……BUT. Not until NEXT November.

I will admit this is extremely premature, but I’m dying to start the PTR because THREE people I know personally are there, or going there this week, and darn it, I want in on the fun!

So.. about the trip.
Here are the things I know:

*We will be staying off park. It’s cheaper this way!

* I’m finally going to see the Christmas decorations!

* 5 Day tickets ! (I already have my ticket from the trip I wasn’t able to go on this year!)

*Leaving RIGHT after Thanksgiving! Tentative dates are 11/24-12/1. I am also off on 11/22 & 11/23 so I won’t have to take EXTRA days off work. This excites me!

Cast:

Me – Britt. Mom to Harper.

Harper – currently just over 3. Will be almost 4.5 on the trip!

My mom & Step Dad.

Plenty of things could (and likely WILL) change by Next November, but I wanted to use this thread to track savings and tid bits up to the trip!

I haven’t been since April of 2016, so by the time I get back, it’ll be about 2.5 years since I’ve been! Harper was lucky enough to go this April with her grandparents. She is a total Disney freak. She asks me every day when we are going back!

So please, follow along on the ride!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

More refined plans are brewing!!

Looks like I will get my Solo day!

 

[PacNWTigger]

Along for the adventure. Harper is super cute! I'm sure you guys will have a wonderful time!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Along for the adventure. Harper is super cute! I'm sure you guys will have a wonderful time!

Thanks for following!!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

*waves*
Sorry it's been so long everyone! Life has been hectic! I'm back though!

So. Trip is still on, but now we're STAYING ON PARK! Plan is now to stay in a cabin at FW! I am super stoked. In the past this isn't something I thought i'd be excited about, but i'm apparently changing and now i'm really excited.

Harper is just going to love it so much seeing lights and decorations!

Anyway, jumping back in!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

269 Days to go.....

Harper knows we're going "this year" but doesn't really grasp what that means. I'll say we're going this year, and she'll say "Today!?" and I have to break her little heart. Last week I pulled our calendar off the wall and flipped alllllll the way to November ( one month at a time) to show her when we were leaving. She said "Mommy.. that's a lot of days!" But I assured her it would be here before we know it.

We are still trying to come up with plans for ADR's and FP's but we have a gooood bit of time before we'll actually be able to do them. SIGH!

I want to make a countdown chain, but I think we're going to wait until we have about 100 days left, otherwise the thing will take over my entire house! Hopefully that will help Harper with a visual guide for how long we have left!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

BIG NEWS!!!!
Our trip has changed and we are coming TWO WHOLE MONTHS SOONER than originally planned! We have 172 left now instead of the 249 days we had left yesterday!

New Dates: 9/8- 9-/15!!!

Why? : Well. The end of November is really late in the year, and if you have children, you know that you need some vacation days for Cold/flu season. I started to get pretty worried that this vacation would roll around and I just wouldn't have vacation time left to go and that would crush me. We've always gone in September, and I've never had an issue. I also like that it's not DURING cold/flu season!

I also like that it will still be HOT HOT HOT and we can swim! That's always one of my favorite things to do in the evenings at Disney.

New Where: We are switching from Ft. Wilderness to POR! They want to do the cabins/Christmas thing when my nephew can come, so we're doing POR instead! I haven't been since it was Dixie Landings, so I'm excited to get to go back !

Now I need to start shopping for summer clothes! I've lost nearly 30lbs since last July and need a whole new wardrobe!!!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Tentative Plans:
Saturday, September 8
Arrive Port Orleans Riverside
7:20 pm ADR Rose and Crown for Illuminations

Sunday, September 9
Magic Kingdom
8:55 am ADR Cinderella’s Royal Table

Monday, September 10
Pool
Disney Springs (rest day)

Tuesday, September 11
DHS
1:25 pm ADR 50s Prime Time

Wednesday, September 12
AK
2:00 pm ADR Rainforest Cafe

Thursday, September 13
Epcot
2:00 pm ADR Garden Grill

Friday, September 14
MK
1pm ADR Whispering Canyon


The best part? Every single one of these ADR's is new to me! I've never been to any of these places! That's super exciting!

 

[PacNWTigger]

Awesome news that you were able to shorten your WDW wait time! Does Harper know of the date change?

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Awesome news that you were able to shorten your WDW wait time! Does Harper know of the date change?

I told her this morning and she said "but why are we not going in NOVEMBER!?" I tried to explain to her that September is MUCH SOONER. I don't think she gets it yet. I'm going to make a countdown chain we can start doing at 100 days!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

More potential news: The trip just keeps getting better and better. We may be now upgrading to Yacht Club.......................Club Level!

It's been talked about a good bit, but not locked down. We are waiting to see what happens with discounts and such over the next week or so.

141 days!!!

 

[PacNWTigger]

Fingers crossed that things work out for Yacht Club CLUB level! That would be awesome!!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Fingers crossed that things work out for Yacht Club CLUB level! That would be awesome!!

It would! I honestly can't even imagine it! Not getting my hopes up yet!

 

[wdisney9000]

More potential news: The trip just keeps getting better and better. We may be now upgrading to Yacht Club.......................Club Level!

It's been talked about a good bit, but not locked down. We are waiting to see what happens with discounts and such over the next week or so.

141 days!!!

Once you go Deluxe...

I seriously hope you get to experience YC. The new rooms are awesome! Harper will LOVE Stormalong Bay too, and you will too. Either way, you guys/gals are gonna have an excellent trip. Can't wait to hear more.

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Well.
No YC this trip! They only had Lagoon Club Level rooms which were massively pricey, so mom decided to settle once and for all on Saratoga Springs! We are doing the 1BR Villa since there will be 4 of us. It'll be nice to have a room with a door where we can put Harper down for a nap or early bed time and not have us all just sitting on top of each other! While the decor doesn't excite me in the least, it's a big room with a kitchen and a balcony, so i'm happy! Being right next to Disney Springs could be pretty cool as well. I've only ever been for World Of Disney, so it'd be nice to explore a bit more! 135 Days today! I'm excited!!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

I've been doing some reading and mom has sent me some reviews from SSR, and it actually looks quite nice. It appears to be a very big spaced out resort. I think the pools look pretty nice and the excitement is getting real! Just a little over a month until Double Digits!!!

 

[Zipadeelady]

I've been doing some reading and mom has sent me some reviews from SSR, and it actually looks quite nice. It appears to be a very big spaced out resort. I think the pools look pretty nice and the excitement is getting real! Just a little over a month until Double Digits!!!

I've read a few "meh" reviews but I think SSR sounds really nice. It seems like it's a little quieter which is kinda a good thing. I'm betting you'll have a great time!

 

[becca_]

I LOVE SSR! You guys will have a great time. There is a splash pad area (if I'm not mistaken) for kids! Plus you can't beat the boat/walk to Disney Springs!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

I've read a few "meh" reviews but I think SSR sounds really nice. It seems like it's a little quieter which is kinda a good thing. I'm betting you'll have a great time!

Same! I mean, it's Disney, so It can't be terrible! I am excited about having a balcony!!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

I LOVE SSR! You guys will have a great time. There is a splash pad area (if I'm not mistaken) for kids! Plus you can't beat the boat/walk to Disney Springs!

Yes!! The pools like quite awesome! and being so close to DS is going to be quite nice too!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

It's not the DISNEY Creep, but vacation creep has started! We were originally going to leave around 1pm on Friday 9/7. I was going to work a half day and then leave and head out, but we've decided to leave 9/6 after work! 131 days now! We drive down, so we are going to have an extra night sleeping but we have plans for things we are stopping and doing along the way, so this works out!