Welcome to my pre-trip report for my November/December 2017 holiday. I will be spending the most time this trip at WDW but I will also be having brief stop-overs at Disneyland and Las Vegas. This will be my third trip to WDW hence the trip title (It's really hard to come up with interesting name for trip reports!!). I know some people don't like the pre-planning that goes into a WDW trip but I enjoy it and it is one of the things I prefer about WDW compared to Disneyland (although Disneyland is my "spiritual home" and will always be my favourite).
Details
Who: Me (Renee). I am hanging on to the latter stages of my early 40’s with all my might! I’m from Auckland in New Zealand and have lived here all my life. This is me in 2015 meeting my favourite character in his most stylish outfit.
When: I’ll leave Auckland on Tuesday the 21st of November and fly home on the 12th of December. This is around 3 weeks including travel time.
Where: I will be at Disneyland until Friday the 24th staying at the Park Vue Inn on Harbor Blvd. I wasn’t originally planning on going to Disneyland this year but I just can’t stay away from the place. It would seem like a betrayal to be on the American continent and not go. I am fully expecting it to be bat#$&# crazy busy due to Thanksgiving but I really want to check out the newly reopened river and train, the new Guardians ride and the Christmas entertainment, especially the Viva Navidad parade.
On Friday I’m taking the bus to Las Vegas. I have done this trip a few times before and really love the scenery on the way. I’ll stay at the Venetian Hotel for three nights which looks like an amazing hotel. On Friday afternoon and Sunday I will explore the strip and gamble and on Saturday I want to take a day tour and am tossing up three options, either go to Death Valley, the Grand Canyon sky bridge or an Arizona ghost town tour which includes a visit to Oatman which has wild donkeys walking free throughout the town. Has anyone done any of these day tours from Vegas? I have been to the Grand Canyon a few times so it would seem to make more sense to do one of the other options but it is quite magnificent so hard to pass up!
On Monday the 27th I will fly from Las Vegas to Orlando. I will stay three nights at Pop Century followed by 6 nights at Port Orleans French Quarter and 5 nights at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (14 nights in total). This is part of my mission to eventually stay at all the resorts. I have previously stayed at All Star Music, Art of Animation and Yacht Club.
I have a 10 day park-hopper ticket that I bought early last year which isn’t quite enough to cover all the days. I am tossing up putting the ticket cost towards an annual pass which would give me photopass and I would hopefully be able to make up some of the difference with food and merchandise discounts and by not going to MVMCP.
My Itinerary:
Monday 27th: My flight should arrive around 4.30 in the afternoon. I might explore the resort and maybe go to Disney Springs if I’m feeling energetic after travelling. If I buy an annual pass I may go to Magic Kingdom instead.
Tuesday 28th: On the plan for today is breakfast at the Wave in the Contemporary, a visit to the Disney outlet store and MVMCP in the evening. I really wanted to have breakfast at Captains Grille in the Yacht Club for chocolate waffles which I loved last time, but they are undergoing renovations. If they get back up and running before my trip I might change this booking.
If I get the annual pass I will do Magic Kingdom during the day and perhaps Epcot at night.
Wednesday 29th: Animal Kingdom day. This is my favourite WDW park. Main goal for the day: Pandora, Pandora, Pandora!!!!! I have been so excited to see Pandora and been trying very hard to avoid spoilers but given that I am a big consumer of Disney twitter and You Tube this has not been that successful. I have been averting my eyes and doing lots of quick scrolling past photos and mainly just have impressions of greenness and blueness. I’ve also been avoiding Rivers of Light spoilers for a while and am excited to see this as well. I have booked the Rivers of Light dining package at Tiffins and also want to eat in Pandora.
To help gear up for my visit to Pandora will be going to Toruk the Avatar themed Cirque du Soleil show tomorrow night which I am quite excited about. I bought tickets for my father for his 65th birthday because I really wanted to go and I couldn't think what else to buy him.
Thursday 30th: Epcot day. I have booked Restaurant Marrakesh for lunch. I also need to check out of Pop Century and check in to French Quarter. Once I am settled in my room I would like to catch a boat from the resort to Disney Springs.
Friday 1st of December: Hollywood Studios. I have the Fantasmic dining package at Hollywood Brown Derby.
Saturday 2nd: Animal kingdom in the morning and Magic Kingdom in the evening. Skippers Canteen for dinner.
Sunday 3rd: I haven’t booked it yet but I would like a day tour to St Augustine. I would have liked to stay here for longer but without a car it is really difficult and expensive to get to. If I get the annual pass I won’t do this.
Monday 4th: Magic Kingdom. Happily Ever After dessert party with Plaza Gardens viewing. This was a tough decision between this option and the one that has seating in the Tomorrowland Terrace but this one seems to give a better view of the projections.
I'm now going to use @amjt660 's technique for building suspense by posting the rest of itinerary on another day (after I have written it!).
Details
Who: Me (Renee). I am hanging on to the latter stages of my early 40’s with all my might! I’m from Auckland in New Zealand and have lived here all my life. This is me in 2015 meeting my favourite character in his most stylish outfit.
When: I’ll leave Auckland on Tuesday the 21st of November and fly home on the 12th of December. This is around 3 weeks including travel time.
Where: I will be at Disneyland until Friday the 24th staying at the Park Vue Inn on Harbor Blvd. I wasn’t originally planning on going to Disneyland this year but I just can’t stay away from the place. It would seem like a betrayal to be on the American continent and not go. I am fully expecting it to be bat#$&# crazy busy due to Thanksgiving but I really want to check out the newly reopened river and train, the new Guardians ride and the Christmas entertainment, especially the Viva Navidad parade.
On Friday I’m taking the bus to Las Vegas. I have done this trip a few times before and really love the scenery on the way. I’ll stay at the Venetian Hotel for three nights which looks like an amazing hotel. On Friday afternoon and Sunday I will explore the strip and gamble and on Saturday I want to take a day tour and am tossing up three options, either go to Death Valley, the Grand Canyon sky bridge or an Arizona ghost town tour which includes a visit to Oatman which has wild donkeys walking free throughout the town. Has anyone done any of these day tours from Vegas? I have been to the Grand Canyon a few times so it would seem to make more sense to do one of the other options but it is quite magnificent so hard to pass up!
On Monday the 27th I will fly from Las Vegas to Orlando. I will stay three nights at Pop Century followed by 6 nights at Port Orleans French Quarter and 5 nights at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (14 nights in total). This is part of my mission to eventually stay at all the resorts. I have previously stayed at All Star Music, Art of Animation and Yacht Club.
I have a 10 day park-hopper ticket that I bought early last year which isn’t quite enough to cover all the days. I am tossing up putting the ticket cost towards an annual pass which would give me photopass and I would hopefully be able to make up some of the difference with food and merchandise discounts and by not going to MVMCP.
My Itinerary:
Monday 27th: My flight should arrive around 4.30 in the afternoon. I might explore the resort and maybe go to Disney Springs if I’m feeling energetic after travelling. If I buy an annual pass I may go to Magic Kingdom instead.
Tuesday 28th: On the plan for today is breakfast at the Wave in the Contemporary, a visit to the Disney outlet store and MVMCP in the evening. I really wanted to have breakfast at Captains Grille in the Yacht Club for chocolate waffles which I loved last time, but they are undergoing renovations. If they get back up and running before my trip I might change this booking.
If I get the annual pass I will do Magic Kingdom during the day and perhaps Epcot at night.
Wednesday 29th: Animal Kingdom day. This is my favourite WDW park. Main goal for the day: Pandora, Pandora, Pandora!!!!! I have been so excited to see Pandora and been trying very hard to avoid spoilers but given that I am a big consumer of Disney twitter and You Tube this has not been that successful. I have been averting my eyes and doing lots of quick scrolling past photos and mainly just have impressions of greenness and blueness. I’ve also been avoiding Rivers of Light spoilers for a while and am excited to see this as well. I have booked the Rivers of Light dining package at Tiffins and also want to eat in Pandora.
To help gear up for my visit to Pandora will be going to Toruk the Avatar themed Cirque du Soleil show tomorrow night which I am quite excited about. I bought tickets for my father for his 65th birthday because I really wanted to go and I couldn't think what else to buy him.
Thursday 30th: Epcot day. I have booked Restaurant Marrakesh for lunch. I also need to check out of Pop Century and check in to French Quarter. Once I am settled in my room I would like to catch a boat from the resort to Disney Springs.
Friday 1st of December: Hollywood Studios. I have the Fantasmic dining package at Hollywood Brown Derby.
Saturday 2nd: Animal kingdom in the morning and Magic Kingdom in the evening. Skippers Canteen for dinner.
Sunday 3rd: I haven’t booked it yet but I would like a day tour to St Augustine. I would have liked to stay here for longer but without a car it is really difficult and expensive to get to. If I get the annual pass I won’t do this.
Monday 4th: Magic Kingdom. Happily Ever After dessert party with Plaza Gardens viewing. This was a tough decision between this option and the one that has seating in the Tomorrowland Terrace but this one seems to give a better view of the projections.
I'm now going to use @amjt660 's technique for building suspense by posting the rest of itinerary on another day (after I have written it!).
