The moments leading to your WDW trip

[acishere]

Wherever I travel to there is a similar routine. In the weeks leading up to the trip I research. I go through yelp, tripadvisor, and with Disney usually a guide book to get an idea where to eat, what to see, and when. If its a city I'm visiting I'll go through Google Maps with street view to get a decent sense of direction of the place. Disney I just look at the park maps. I then have to either prepare my dog's supply of stuff for the kennel or family/friend watching her. Sometimes I get a dog sitter which means instead cleaning the house. For Florida trips in general I usually fly out in the morning and wind up spending the night before packing everything, getting no sleep usually, and praying I have time for coffee in the morning BEFORE I have to deal with airport security. Since I try to leave early I don't like to bother people for rides all the way to Newark I usually either take an airport shuttle thats near where I live or if he is on summer break I ask my dad (he hates Disney so its not like he is going to voluntarily come on the trip anyway) who wakes up at the crack of dawn everyday to take me.

And then I get on the plane, put on my iPod to drown out the baby behind me, take a 2 hour nap, and awake in Florida.

 

[spectromom]

I start packing about a month prior. I have a list saved on my computer, as I put things in the suitcase I check it off the list as the month goes by. I clean my house spotless

That is so funny, it is the same thing I do!! I also have to wash the van the day before we leave. Once we get there, we check into Old Key West, swim till our room is ready then off to Downtown Disney. The 1st full day its off to the Magic Kingdom and then the Studios at night. Its the same thing every year!

 

[diddy_mouse]

I use to drive down to WDW with my family when I lived at home but now my husband and I fly. For us we like knowing it only takes about 2 and a half hours to get to our favorite vacation spot.

I make sure I have the day off work so I can go into full-flegged OCD mode with packing, even though my suitcase has been ready for a week. My husband and I end up getting a bite to eat out somewhere before settling in back home. The rest of the day/night is spent planning out times to wake up, double checking plane tickets, relaxing on the couch watching "Ultimate WDW," at least one classic Disney movie, and a lot of Resort TV. When bedtime is decided I put in one of the Resort TV DVDs as we drift off to sleep...dreaming of WDW! On the day we leave, we grab the bags, make sure we have the plane tickets and any reservation info then it's off to the airport!

 

[liloohana]

We've stayed in a few places in downtown Savannah. Our favorite is the River Street Inn. Orbitz has some awesome prices on it right now. I also like the Mulberry Inn and the Marriot Courtyard.

The Pirate's House is incredible. I suggest going at lunch. They have an awesome buffet. I think the buffet is over at three. I also suggest making a reservation because it can get busy.

The Moon River Brewery is also great. DH and I don't like beer, so I can't comment on that, but I can suggest the pork BBQ and fries. Yummy! It's very reasonably priced as well.

Have fun is Savannah! It's one of my favorite places to visit. It's definitely worth paying for a hotel in the historic district and walking down to the river. There are lots of neat shops as well as some awesome boats on the Savannah River. By the way, if you go to River Street, two suggestions.
1. a praline from River Street Sweets
2. forzen yogurt from Columbo shop -peach is the best

I looked into the River Street Inn...no more reservations on Orbitz, but I can book directly at their website-thanks!! We're trying to leave early Saturday, and have a few hours that night so we can stretch our legs and space out a bit.
We'll find River Street Sweets, too....sounds right up our alley!!
Have a safe trip down, and enjoy your trip!!
Thanks again!!

 

[EvilQueen-T]

I looked into the River Street Inn...no more reservations on Orbitz, but I can book directly at their website-thanks!! We're trying to leave early Saturday, and have a few hours that night so we can stretch our legs and space out a bit.
We'll find River Street Sweets, too....sounds right up our alley!!
Have a safe trip down, and enjoy your trip!!
Thanks again!!

i have to agree. if you have to stop somewhere driving to/from disney savannah is a fantastic place to visit and staying in the historic district is like staying on property at disney...it's that feeling of being immersed in the vacation.

 

[mperry]

Pre-trip

Just got back from WDW and already making getting ready for next year, it will start with ordering the 2012 planning DVD (yes it will not be much different then 2011 but it help get pumped for the next trip, then book the next trip around March as soon as SWA releases the flight schedule for summer; after that it's countdown time.

 

[JimJam]

We Get Up At About 5 am to be at the airport by 630 am and the flight leaves at 730 am

 

[Disneydreamer23]

i pre pack a month priar and every day check it to see if i missed any thing. the night before i cant sleep so i usually pass out at 3 am and have to get up at 5 this yr we are taking a 10 30 flight so for the first time i wont have to get up super early. my grandma always drives us to the air port and i usually end up crying the night before i leave bc i drop my 3 dogs off at a Petsmsart Hotel and I cry because I will miss them so. When im there the petsmart ppl must hate me bc i call to check on them every day!

 

[Thomas morrow]

The wife and I drive from Allentown Pa, we have done it 6 times now. We leave at 4:30 am. I tell my wife make sure we have our meds and any park tickets eveything else we forget we can buy there. Then its off to a stop at Dunkin Donuts for coffee and bagels. Leaving at 4:30 we beat the rush hour in Philly and get to Washington DC after. Our first trip people would warn me about the beltway in DC but after driving the Schuylkill expressway(or as my dad called it the surekill) to get to the Jersey shore all those years it was nothing. Next is a stop at the Wawa in Richmond VA there sandwiches taste great maybe its cause were on our way to WDW. The rest stops on I-95 are really nice and clean especially NC SC. South of the Border "you never sausage a place" love the billboards. Usually make it to Port Wentworth or Brunswick GA nice Hampton inns at both exits. Stop for the night then on to the free OJ at the welcome center in the morning. Funny thing there is a tall building on I-4 that looks like it was built but never used when I see that I know were close

 

[EvilQueen-T]

we just finally got dunkin donuts back in our area and it has once again become part of our routine...glad i'm not the only one who feels the need to kick off eating recklessly before actually getting to disney

 

[brisem]

I'm so glad to hear from someone else who enjoys the drive!
We also look forward to the welcome center OJ. I always look for the JR Outlet signs. They make me laugh.
As far as other traditions, we leave in the early AM and drive to Savannah for an overnight stay and lunch at the Pirate's House.
What we do when we arrive depends on where we stay.

Yay! Fun thread! Getting me excited - just 9 more days...

Don't forget the corny South of the Border signs.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

Don't forget the corny South of the Border signs.

Haha! Yes! How could I forget?

 

[WDW-Crazy]

Don't forget the corny South of the Border signs.

Do you guys ever count them? I know the closer you get to that place, there seems to be five every mile lol!

One time we counted the Waffle Houses going down (95 trip). We managed to stop at one for breakfast as well.

 

[xsupaxmanxsfnex]

I usually have a really hard time falling asleep the night before. But I make sure that I have everything packed and then I either put in a VCR classic Disney movie or put on my Disney playlist on my computer and look over the forums or watch YouTube videos and get really excited. I love getting to the airport early so I wake up pretty early to get ready and get my bags down to the car and let the dogs out and everything. Get to the airport and maybe grab some coffee and a snack and then onto the plain and get there around noon. For our next trip we are going to take Magical Express to POP Century and get our souvenir mugs and then off to the Magic Kingdom for evening extra magic hours until 2 AM! I can't wait for this next trip because I am going with 2 of my friends and it will be our first time going together and we are going to do the Keys to the Kingdom tour!! Sorry for rambling I am just so excited!!!

 

[Disneydreamer23]

I usually have a really hard time falling asleep the night before. But I make sure that I have everything packed and then I either put in a VCR classic Disney movie or put on my Disney playlist on my computer and look over the forums or watch YouTube videos and get really excited. I love getting to the airport early so I wake up pretty early to get ready and get my bags down to the car and let the dogs out and everything. Get to the airport and maybe grab some coffee and a snack and then onto the plain and get there around noon. For our next trip we are going to take Magical Express to POP Century and get our souvenir mugs and then off to the Magic Kingdom for evening extra magic hours until 2 AM! I can't wait for this next trip because I am going with 2 of my friends and it will be our first time going together and we are going to do the Keys to the Kingdom tour!! Sorry for rambling I am just so excited!!!

when are you going>

 

[EvilQueen-T]

not sleeping is the rule right?

we live 2 1/2 hrs north of wdw. in 04 or 05 we let the disney excitement get the better of us. my sister use to work for a resort in orlando and said anytime after midnight if a room is open you can be checked in as the date is "that day" so we thought we'd roll the dice and go since it was value season. of course the resort was full so we had to wait in the car...4 people (2 teens, 2 adults) in a 4 seater. no one could nap, it was warm and started to rain. we were able to check in around 5am. still didn't sleep. went to mk at 7. thought we'd come back to the hotel to get cleaned up for dinner (this was around 4pm)...we woke up at 7pm lol and of course headed back to the park but even though we don't sleep much if at all the night before our disney trips we try to reign it in a little more now lol.

 

[xsupaxmanxsfnex]

when are you going>

August 14th

 

[CaptainShortty]

We almost always drive from our vacation house in Ft. Lauderdale to Orlando when we go. We have always, since we were little gotten up at the crack of dawn and then my sister and I would fall asleep again in the car. About an hour into the trip we stop at a service station and get Cinnabons for breakfast. We never eat them any other time but on the way to Disney so it turned into a Disney special treat. Nothing like a little more sugar to start off a Disney vacation!

 

[jjharvpro]

It all starts when we book the trip. Then when Disney starts sending the ads, "personalized park maps", DVD, etc. All great marketing that gets me especially super pumped! Packing is exciting, putting Disney movies/books together to watch in the car, getting all the Disney shirts to wear everyday in the parks. We've flown once, but driving there is awesome. It's a long haul, but of course it's completely worth it. The second you see those WDW billboards when you're getting closer to Orlando...ahhh, I love it.. Every bit is special..