Pre-Trip The wait, who is coming and where are we staying PTR Part 2

Hi! Its me again! I am indeed going on a trip in a few weeks but I also have another trip coming up and I wanted to do a PTR to help organize my thoughts
So here we go!
Is it ever an entire family trip without confusion?
Some of you may remember our last big family trip in November of 2016. It was filled with last minute additions to the trip, at least 3 different resort changes, split stays because of resort changes etc etc.
THIS time I was prepared though. This trip has been in the works for at least 3.5 years (I will explain more on that later). We picked out the dates months and months ago....made sure it worked for everyone who wanted to come...booked rooms way back in July...and I gave EVERYONE involved a deadline for changes to who was coming. This deadline was the day before the 180 day booking window so that dining reservations would be all set..............................but were we all set?

On a random side note I was just looking back at my old TRs and my pictures are gone
Anyway...

Lets start with why?:
Many moons ago when we were on our Princess Half Marathon trip we dreamed up this vacation. This was before we would fall into the Disney trap and go all the time so we thought we would plan a trip 3 years from then so that we wouldn't be sad Funny that we went on 12 trips (and one Disneyland one) between then and now!
Anyway, the plan was we would go back to Disney to celebrate my Mom's 5 Year Cancer Free Anniversary. Technically we can't officially say she is 5 years yet so for now we will be saying 4 years until its true...but 5 years is a huge reason to celebrate cancer free because the risk of relapse drastically falls! So, my Mom always said when/if she makes it to 5 years we HAVE to celebrate in Disney

Well, I think I will stop here for now to organize the pictures I want to use. I will leave you in suspense of the drama

Next up: who...and another reason why

 

[Doc Disney]

REALLLLLLLLLLLLLY keep this in mind when you're booking your fast passes.... because the kid will still be listed as a member of your party. Which means you can either hit the "everyone in your party" button and unclick the kid, or you can click everyone separately except the kid. IF YOU FORGET and you click on the kid, it takes you to an error message that someone in your selected party doesn't have a ticket and you'll have to scroll and deselect.

Which is not a YUGE deal, but it does waste time when you're trying to book the harder to get fastpasses

Oh I already made the FPs but thanks Had to make them on two different days so super easy because it was just my one sister on the second day (since she and my nephew come later). Usually its just my Mom and I anyway so I never ever select whole party since I manage like 15 people on My Disney Experience

 

[Doc Disney]

You guys...I was at dinner today and I heard a woman at the table next to me .... "who can go to Disney twice in a year?"
My Mom and I looked at each other like....
Some people just don't get it

 

[riverside]

You guys...I was at dinner today and I heard a woman at the table next to me .... "who can go to Disney twice in a year?"
My Mom and I looked at each other like....
Some people just don't get it

Most don’t get it....

 

[krisri18]

You guys...I was at dinner today and I heard a woman at the table next to me .... "who can go to Disney twice in a year?"
My Mom and I looked at each other like....
Some people just don't get it

We are a special breed!

 

[Songbird76]

Well, to be honest, I would have wondered that myself until I started reading TRs for some of you. I WISH I could go more than once every few years, but with international flights, school vacations, etc...it just isn't doable for me. So I live vicariously through those of you who are living the dream.

 

[Doc Disney]

Most don’t get it....

True

We are a special breed!

Very true we are indeed

 

[Doc Disney]

Well, to be honest, I would have wondered that myself until I started reading TRs for some of you. I WISH I could go more than once every few years, but with international flights, school vacations, etc...it just isn't doable for me. So I live vicariously through those of you who are living the dream.

Oh yea totally get it money wise/time wise. This lady was disgusted that someone would even be interested twice a year "because all you do is stand in lines"

 

[LadyBelle]

Oh yea totally get it money wise/time wise. This lady was disgusted that someone would even be interested twice a year "because all you do is stand in lines"

I'd love to as well. Working my way towards it, though. This lady must not know of the fun that is Fast Pass. Oh well, more room for us!!

 

[LeighM]

I've never been much of a drinker although I do enjoy an occasional drink sometimes - usually a good mixed drink, bourbon, or a Leinenkugel shandy I can't drink most beer and don't like wine from grapes. But, like you, I had to cut out most alcohol completely because of worsening migraines. I think I finally found a good migraine control regimen, since I'm unable to take meds for them, and I haven't had a migraine for over 3 months. I've slowly been introducing certain things back in and I think I might be able to actually have a few drinks during my WDW trip next week. I'm gonna be livin on the edge yall

 

[kybred72]

You guys...I was at dinner today and I heard a woman at the table next to me .... "who can go to Disney twice in a year?"
My Mom and I looked at each other like....
Some people just don't get it

I wonder if she meant....'who can afford to go to Disney twice in a year?' instead of like twice in one year, who would want to endure that!?

 

[Tiggerlovr90]

You guys...I was at dinner today and I heard a woman at the table next to me .... "who can go to Disney twice in a year?"
My Mom and I looked at each other like....
Some people just don't get it

.

Absolutely why I am on this forum. Get so tired of the looks and comments when I tell people we are going again.lol I don’t even understand the strong addiction I have to WDW and Disneyland, it’s just such an amazing feeling when I am there. I have also met some very nice people thru being a fan of Disney.

 

[ELeigh]

Touring Plans list (or maybe Disney Food blog?) of top 5 (or 6? jeez my memory is fuzzy....) drinks in Disney Word

This sounds like a fun challenge I may steal this idea!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I've never been much of a drinker although I do enjoy an occasional drink sometimes - usually a good mixed drink, bourbon, or a Leinenkugel shandy I can't drink most beer and don't like wine from grapes. But, like you, I had to cut out most alcohol completely because of worsening migraines. I think I finally found a good migraine control regimen, since I'm unable to take meds for them, and I haven't had a migraine for over 3 months. I've slowly been introducing certain things back in and I think I might be able to actually have a few drinks during my WDW trip next week. I'm gonna be livin on the edge yall

Leinenkugel's!?! Good choice, it is brewed in a town near me!

 

[LeighM]

Leinenkugel's!?! Good choice, it is brewed in a town near me!

They're really good! A friend introduced me to their Summer Shandy several years ago when I was having trouble finding a good light flavored beer and since then I've become a fan of their orange, grapefruit, and cranberry ginger shandies. They seem to be the only beers that don't trigger a migraine.

 

[Doc Disney]

I'd love to as well. Working my way towards it, though. This lady must not know of the fun that is Fast Pass. Oh well, more room for us!!

I agree more room for us

I've never been much of a drinker although I do enjoy an occasional drink sometimes - usually a good mixed drink, bourbon, or a Leinenkugel shandy I can't drink most beer and don't like wine from grapes. But, like you, I had to cut out most alcohol completely because of worsening migraines. I think I finally found a good migraine control regimen, since I'm unable to take meds for them, and I haven't had a migraine for over 3 months. I've slowly been introducing certain things back in and I think I might be able to actually have a few drinks during my WDW trip next week. I'm gonna be livin on the edge yall

I will probably live on the edge too and have a few cocktails

 

[Doc Disney]

I wonder if she meant....'who can afford to go to Disney twice in a year?' instead of like twice in one year, who would want to endure that!?

Oh no...totally said she couldnt believe anyone would want to go more than once (even if that) a year

.

Absolutely why I am on this forum. Get so tired of the looks and comments when I tell people we are going again.lol I don’t even understand the strong addiction I have to WDW and Disneyland, it’s just such an amazing feeling when I am there. I have also met some very nice people thru being a fan of Disney.

Agreed!!! Its so hard when friends/people at work dont undsertand and always question your decision to go to Disney all the time. The feeling at Disney is unlike anywhere else!

 

[Doc Disney]

This sounds like a fun challenge I may steal this idea!

Its super fun! You should really try it!!

 

[Songbird76]

I'd love to as well. Working my way towards it, though. This lady must not know of the fun that is Fast Pass. Oh well, more room for us!!

I'm one of those people who plan a lot. Not every minute, but I do book fastpasses and ADRs so I know which park we'll be in which day and we don't miss anything we REALLY want to do. But apparently there are a lot of people out there who do not do this!! I was talking to a friend of mine who went to DLP a couple of months before us, and she said they didn't use this Fastpass thing at all because she didn't understand what it did....but then they gave up on a ride because the line was too long. I was like...THAT'S what the fastpass is for! She couldn't even remember the names of any of the rides, she's just describing them to me and I can tell her exactly what it's called. They just decided to go, spur of the moment and didn't plan a thing. It boggles my mind.

 

[Doc Disney]

I'm one of those people who plan a lot. Not every minute, but I do book fastpasses and ADRs so I know which park we'll be in which day and we don't miss anything we REALLY want to do. But apparently there are a lot of people out there who do not do this!! I was talking to a friend of mine who went to DLP a couple of months before us, and she said they didn't use this Fastpass thing at all because she didn't understand what it did....but then they gave up on a ride because the line was too long. I was like...THAT'S what the fastpass is for! She couldn't even remember the names of any of the rides, she's just describing them to me and I can tell her exactly what it's called. They just decided to go, spur of the moment and didn't plan a thing. It boggles my mind.

I've definitely done last minute trips with not much planning but I still pick up Fast Passes here and there it makes a difference for sure! I feel like the biggest misconception is that you can't be spontaneous but I have even done days where we just randomly pick a park to go go then picked up Fps as we went. You may not get the best of the best rides but I think people would be surprised how many Fps you can still get!

 

[Doc Disney]

Ok....time to talk about Fast Passes!
This was a bit of a challenge for me as I work at 7:30 on Mondays (the day I had to make our FPs) but I just got to work super early to make FPs then finished right before my first patient showed up ... hooray! Then on Wednesday I got up and made my sister's FPs since she and Max are coming down later. I volunteered to make hers since her work schedule would not allow her to make them until the afternoon and I don't start until 12 on Wednesdays. Luckily I got everything we had/she wanted within 0-5 minutes of our Fast Passes. Does anyone else obsessively change FP times like I do? I book them with whatever dumb times they try to give me then go back and edit them and I can usually get the exact times I wanted! I try to get Fast Passes exactly back to back from each other so that its faster to add on a rolling FP. Sometimes I think its my Type A coming out though
Anyway, enough rambling!

I'm keeping the times in because I'm too lazy not to just not copy and paste from my word document
April 27
10:35-11:35 Haunted Mansion
11:35-12:35 POTC
12:35-1:35 BTMR

April 28
9:00-10:00 Everest
10:00-11:00 Kilimanjaro Safaris
6:25-7:25 Flight of Passage - a little later than I had hoped but it was either pick before/after dinner or pick a middle of the afternoon time which is when we usually are hanging out at the pool!

April 29
9:25-10:25 Test Track
10:25-11:25 Spaceship Earth
11:25-12:25 The Seas

Betta and Max fly in at 4:15 so she asked me to make her evening Fast Passes for MK because she "plans on getting off one bus and right on another" - if Max seems cranky I may volunteer to take him so she can enjoy some rides...because I'm a nice aunt! But, also may being the operative word
5:55-6:55 Haunted Mansion
6:55-7:55 Dumbo
7:55-8:55 BTMR

April 30
9:15-10:15 T of T - Betta and Max will be doing Disney Jr. which works out well for us since Betta hates T of T...so does Nick....maybe I should make him a Disney Jr. FP too...
10:15-11:15 Aerosmith
11:20-11:35 Little Mermaid
The weird thing is you can't get Toy Story Mania Fast Passes - I read the ride will be open but the 3rd track won't be while they work on Toy Story Land so they are not offering any Fast Passes. We plan on trying to rope drop it

May 1
9:15-10:15 Peter Pans Flight
10:15-11:15 7DMT
11:20-12:20 Meet Mickey

May 2
9:10-10:10 Character Spot
10:10-11:10 Soarin’
11:10-12:10 Living with the Land

May 3
9:10-10:10 Everest
10:10-11:10 Safari
11:25-12:25 Na’vi River Journey - Betta will be doing Flight of Passage - we will take Max on Na'vi River Journey with us!

May 4
9:10-10:10 Winnie the Pooh
10:10-11:10 Space Mountain
11:20-12:20 Buzz Lightyear

May 5
Betta and Max leave at 11 so they won't be joining us in the park
So...for the rest of us:
9:10-10:10 Frozen
10:15-11:15 Mission Space
11:15-12:15 Figment

The end...awww why does it make me sad thinking about the last day when we aren't even there yet