Pre-Trip Wait, we're actually going?! A Feb 2017 Pre-Trip Report

Hello! And welcome to my first ever adventure with trip reporting! I'm going to WDW in May 2017 and thought that maybe I should write a TR since I love reading other people's. Let's see how this goes.

I'm not really sure how to start these things so I guess I'll just jump in...

Since I'm completely new at this I'll introduce myself a little more. I'm Kaitlyn, I'm 23 years old, and I love all things Disney. Most people in my daily life don't understand my relationship with Disney and think that I'm crazy. That's why I'm on this forum, you all make me feel like I'm not alone in my appreciation for the magic that is Disney!

I grew up going to Disney with my family, my dad is a kid at heart and loved Disney just as much as my sister and I did. We went every few years while I was growing up and those trips hold some of our best family memories. Before this year my last trip to Disney was during my freshman year of high school. Once my sister and I got older and my parents started planning for us to go to college, Disney trips just weren't practical anymore and we stopped going. My love for Disney kind of got pushed to the side. Of course, I would still talk about going back to Disney but I wasn't obsessed. Last fall my boyfriend and I were talking about planning a vacation together and he was the one who suggested Disney. Not because he loves it, but because he knew I did So just like that, we were planning a Disney trip. We went down in January 2016 and had the best time letting our inner-children run wild for the weekend! Since then, I've been dreaming of the next time I'll make it down to my happy place.

Fast forward to this September. I was talking with my best friend about wanting to go on a vacation. Of course, I mentioned Disney and to my surprise, she actually seemed interested! We kind of left it there for a while, I honestly thought that we would never actually get around to planning it out so I didn't get my hopes up. But a few weeks later she brought it up again: "So when we're in Disney..." I freaked out. Hence the title of this Pre-Trip Report: "Wait, we're actually going?!" And that brings us to today, we have our trip dates nailed down, I have some ADRs scheduled, and the pre-trip feels are in full effect.

I'll get to the real details of the trip in my next post!

 

[kaitertot5249]

Planning is one of my favorite parts of any vacation so I literally jumped on the planning train the second it rolled into the station! Here are the details:

Who: Me (Kaitlyn) and my best friend (Becca)

When: May 11-16, 2017

Why: Becca and I have ALWAYS talked about going on a vacation together and it's never happened. Now that we're both real adults (most of the time) and have full-time jobs and have racked up some vacation days we're finally able to plan a girls trip! This will be a delayed celebration of our college graduations, Becca graduated in August 2016 and I graduated in May 2015, and a chance to go away on a girls only vacation before life gets too real.

Where: We don't have our resort figured out yet, we're thinking that a moderate is our best bet. My boyfriend and I stayed at POFQ in January and I loved it. My top choice right now is POR and if we want to go for a splurge maybe we'll try and get a royal room so that we can feel like the princesses we know we are we need to get this figured out soon so I'll keep this thread updated once we make a reservation.

At the moment, I'm thinking that it will make the most sense for us to get a 5-day, one park per day ticket. Here are our rough plans as they stand now. These will likely be subject to many revisions over the next few months so I won't get into too much detail.

May 11 (Travel, no park)
ADR - 6:55pm Dinner @ 'Ohana
We are hoping to get an early flight to Orlando and arrive at our resort before 11am. As of right now, I would like this day to be fairly low-key, we'll have the whole trip ahead of us and we need to conserve our energy! Ideally, we'll be able to hang out at the resort for a bit, maybe stop by the pool before we head over to the MK area. I've never visited any of the resorts and would love to see the MK area resorts. We'll hopefully be able to do the monorail loop and grab a drink at some of the hotel lounges before our dinner reservation. We'll finish this night out by watching Wishes! from outside of one of the resorts, any suggestions for the best spot to watch the fireworks from outside the park would be greatly appreciated!

May 12 (Magic Kingdom)
ADR - 11:40am Lunch @ Be Our Guest
Magic Kingdom is my favorite place in the world. This is the only park that we're planning on going to twice this trip and I'm super excited about it! We're probably not going to plan this day too much and just kind of go with the flow. My favorite thing to do in MK is to take in the atmosphere so we'll likely take it kind of slow and not rush around too much.

May 13 (Hollywood Studios)
This will probably be a fairly slow-paced day, there isn't much going on at Hollywood Studios right now and it doesn't seem like it will be much different come May. There are some great attractions here though and the Beauty and the Beast show is one of my all-time favorite things in all of WDW. Fantasmic ranks pretty high on that list too. We will probably also head over to the Beachclub, Yacht Club, Boardwalk area at some point on this day, maybe as a mid-day break or after HS closes. It's an area I've never explored and I would love to see it, I also love ice cream so Beaches and Cream is a high priority for me but now that there's also Ample Hills Creamery I'm not sure which I should choose! I think I'm still leaning towards Beaches and Cream.

May 14 (Animal Kingdom)
ADR - 1:20 Lunch @ Sanaa
I've never spent much time at AK and I'm really excited to set aside a full day at this park. Hopefully Rivers of Light will be running by May and maybe if we're lucky Pandora will be open or at least have some soft openings for us. This will be a day of firsts for me and I'm really excited about it! My boyfriend and I only had 3hrs at AK during our trip in January and I felt like I missed so much by not giving this park the time it deserves.

May 15 (EPCOT)
Flower & Garden will be on while we're there and I'm super excited to see all that this festival has to offer. I'll also be looking forward to Frozen Ever After and the new Soarin'. I've actually already been on this version of Soarin', my family went on a trip to California this summer and we spent 2 days at Disneyland. I'm still excited to experience it at WDW though!

May 16 (MK and departure day )
ADR - 12:30 Afternoon Tea @ Grand Floridian
I like to spend my first and last day at Magic Kingdom if possible and it seems like I'll be able to make that happen this trip! We'll be tired after having a full weekend of park touring behind us so this will be a very leisurely day. I'm super excited to try the Afternoon Tea at the Grand Floridian. I haven't heard much about this but I thought that it would be a great way to end our girl's weekend in true princess fashion I would also like to see the afternoon parade at MK before we need to leave so I'm hoping to book the latest possible flight out of MCO.

So much for not getting into too much detail... but those are our plans as of now!

 

[blreinsel]

We have so much in common, including many of our ADR's for our upcoming trips! I insist on spending my first and last days at MK, too! I've never done tea at the GF, but I remember reading another TR and it got great reviews! Best friend trips are so much fun.. That's who I typically travel with, but she got a new guy and priorities shifted. But now I get to go with my prince! Enjoy your pre-feelings.

 

[kaitertot5249]

Best friend trips are so much fun. That's who I typically travel with, but she got a new guy and priorities shifted. But now I get to go with my prince!

Looks like we're switching trip styles! I had so much fun on my trip with my boyfriend and I'm sure you'll have a great time. Going with Disney newbies is always so much fun, it's almost like you get to experience it for the first time again just through their eyes!

I read your most recent trip report and it looked like you and your friend had a really great time, reading your TR got me really excited for my trip with my best friend!

 

[kaitertot5249]

I have some potentially very sad news. This trip might not happen

Over the past few weeks, some unexpected medical and financial situations arose and my friend and I are unsure as to whether or not we will be able to make this trip a reality. Hopefully, we will know for sure in the next week or so.

 

[LisaBelle]

I have some potentially very sad news. This trip might not happen

Over the past few weeks, some unexpected medical and financial situations arose and my friend and I are unsure as to whether or not we will be able to make this trip a reality. Hopefully, we will know for sure in the next week or so.

So sorry to hear that your trip might not happen. Sending pixie dust your way so that you will still be able to go!

 

[DimpledDevil18]

Oh no... I hope the trip doesn't get cancelled and you can work out whatever is going on. I've had my hopes up for a trip only to have it not work out, but at least it wasn't very far into the planning stages yet. Sending some pixie dust!

 

[kaitertot5249]

So I have so bad news and some great news...

My girls trip has been cancelled, unfortunately medical costs are going to be too high to swing a girls trip with my best friend this year. However, I got a call yesterday from my boyfriend's mom and she wants to plan a Disney trip! There is a catch though...

We're going in less than two weeks!!!!!!

Like most Disney fanatics out there, I feel that Disney trips require at least a few months of planning, preferably 7-8 months for a yearly trip. Planning a weekend trip in 12 days is HARD. Nevermind when the trip falls over a popular school vacation week. The next 12 days will be a planning whirlwind for me but I am so excited to be going to my happy place in 2017 after all so I am embracing the challenge with my Minnie ears at the ready

I think I'll still try and do a trip report for this trip, I'll start a new thread for it though. Stay tuned!

 

[amjt660]

So I have so bad news and some great news...

My girls trip has been cancelled, unfortunately medical costs are going to be too high to swing a girls trip with my best friend this year. However, I got a call yesterday from my boyfriend's mom and she wants to plan a Disney trip! There is a catch though...

We're going in less than two weeks!!!!!!

Like most Disney fanatics out there, I feel that Disney trips require at least a few months of planning, preferably 7-8 months for a yearly trip. Planning a weekend trip in 12 days is HARD. Nevermind when the trip falls over a popular school vacation week. The next 12 days will be a planning whirlwind for me but I am so excited to be going to my happy place in 2017 after all so I am embracing the challenge with my Minnie ears at the ready

I think I'll still try and do a trip report for this trip, I'll start a new thread for it though. Stay tuned!

WOW - extreme planning required
Try not to stress out about it - although we love planning ADRs and FPs way in advance it is truly just being in the park, soaking up the atmosphere and being with friends/family that make the trip magical
No matter what you plan or do (or do not do) I know you and your BF' mom will have a great time

Max

 

[prfctlyximprct]

Tea at Grand Floridian sounds awesome! I used to always watch the See ya Reel Soon Disney vlogs on YouTube and Joe and Ashley went for tea a few times and loved it! It's on my Disney bucket list... only thing is, I like coffee. LOL

You will have the greatest time! Best friend trips are the best!

 

[prfctlyximprct]

So I have so bad news and some great news...

My girls trip has been cancelled, unfortunately medical costs are going to be too high to swing a girls trip with my best friend this year. However, I got a call yesterday from my boyfriend's mom and she wants to plan a Disney trip! There is a catch though...

We're going in less than two weeks!!!!!!

Like most Disney fanatics out there, I feel that Disney trips require at least a few months of planning, preferably 7-8 months for a yearly trip. Planning a weekend trip in 12 days is HARD. Nevermind when the trip falls over a popular school vacation week. The next 12 days will be a planning whirlwind for me but I am so excited to be going to my happy place in 2017 after all so I am embracing the challenge with my Minnie ears at the ready

I think I'll still try and do a trip report for this trip, I'll start a new thread for it though. Stay tuned!

Ah I didn't read far enough down! Sorry about your girls trip being cancelled, but there is a silver lining! So happy you still get to go and will look forward to reading about your plans!

 

[kaitertot5249]

No matter what you plan or do (or do not do) I know you and your BF' mom will have a great time

I am definitely planning on embracing the spontaneity of a last minute trip and making the most of it. There are 6 of us going in total so a lot of this trip will definitely be different from my typical trip in many ways. I'm super excited about it!

Ah I didn't read far enough down! Sorry about your girls trip being cancelled, but there is a silver lining! So happy you still get to go and will look forward to reading about your plans!

Surprise Disney trips are the best kinds of silver linings!

 

[kaitertot5249]

Since one week from now I will be stepping foot into my happy place, I figured I would just continue this pre-trip thread rather than creating a new one.

Due to the INSANELY last minute nature of this trip, we are approaching it with very general plans and are most likely going to just go with the flow as much as possible and soak in the atmosphere and time we have together. Here are the basics of the trip:

When: February 23-25/26
Why: Last minute family trip/celebration/why the heck not
Who: Me, my boyfriend, and his family (Mom, Dad, and two sisters)

We are staying off-site because nothing was available on property for our dates because we decided to go so last minute. Since we are a larger group we decided on the Quality Inn Royale Parc Suites. I haven't really heard anything about this hotel but it was one of the cheaper options we could find that offered suites that could accommodate the whole group.

We are also coming and going at different times. Everyone but my boyfriend's mom is flying down on Thursday morning, landing at MCO around 11:30. She will be arriving Friday night at 7. Then I need to leave on Saturday night, a day before everyone else, to get back for a work event. This trip will be a whirlwind but I'm very excited by the spontaneity of it all -- maybe this trip will change how I plan all my Disney trips!

I'll check back in soon with a rough outline of our daily plans later tonight or tomorrow!

 

[kaitertot5249]

Tomorrow I will be in my happy place!!!!!

I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to get back to posting with the details of this trip, it's all come together so fast and nothing has really been set in stone. As I've mentioned previously, this trip is very spontaneous and we are embracing a go with the flow attitude. We have rough plans for the weekend and are kind of just going wherever the wind takes us.

Our group of 6 is coming and going at different times through the weekend so we have kind of disjointed plans. 5 of us are flying down tomorrow morning. We will be landing at MCO just after 11am. Cody's Mom will be arriving on Friday night and then I have to leave for a work engagement on Saturday night. Because of this, we had some logistics to work out when it came to which park we plan to visit when.

Here is our rough plan with the FastPasses we have arranged at the moment:

Thursday: Travel and Animal Kingdom

• Expedition Everest - 2:20PM
• DINOSAUR - 3:55PM
• Kilimanjaro - 4:55PM
• I also hope to see Festival of the Lion King and we'll try and get in to see Rivers of Light but I'm not sure what the standby line will be for that (we'll play that one by ear)

Friday: EPCOT and Magic Kingdom

• Spaceship Earth - 9:25AM
• Turtle Talk with Crush - 10:30AM (this one will likely get changed)
• Soarin' - 12:55PM
• Lunch Reservation - San Angel Inn - 1:40PM
• I should also note that Cody's younger sister has Celiac so we need to factor that into our dining plans. Disney is an awesome place for allergies and dietary restrictions but we still need to be mindful of this when planning our meals.
• Cody and I will be celebrating our 6 year anniversary while we are in WDW this year (our actual anniversary was the 18th but I was out of town last weekend so we are making this our actual celebration). The two of us will separate from his dad and sisters in the late afternoon and head to the Poly for some drinks and to take in the atmosphere before heading over to MK for some nighttime rides and Wishes. The rest of our group will likely make their way over to Hollywood Studios and try to catch Fantasmic.

Saturday: Magic Kingdom

• This is the only day that we will all be able to visit a park together, I have a 9pm flight back to Boston so I will be there for most of the day but will need to leave at some point in the afternoon.
• Space mountain - 10:00AM
• Big Thunder - 11:15AM
• I haven't booked a third FP yet but I am thinking we might do Pirates or a dark ride in Fantasyland since we likely won't want to set aside a lot of time to wait in line for those rides. We'll see what we end up with.
• I am also hoping to convince everyone to watch Festival of Fantasy because I love it so much so we'll see what we have time for.

Sunday: Hollywood Studios

• Sadly, I will be home by this point but the rest of the group will spend their morning and afternoon at HS
• Tower of Terror - 9:25AM
• Rock 'n' Rollercoaster - 1:05PM
• The rest of the family flies out at 9PM so this will also be an abbreviated day

So, that's where our plans stand at the moment. I am really excited about the more laid-back approach I have been forced to take while planning this trip. Now I just have a few last minute things to pick up and some packing to do and we should be good to go!

 

[amjt660]

Tomorrow I will be in my happy place!!!!!

I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to get back to posting with the details fo this trip, it's all come together so fast and nothing has really been set in stone. As I've mentioned previously, this trip is very spontaneous and we are embracing a go with the flow attitude. We have rough plans for the weekend and are kind of just going wherever the wind takes us.

Our group of 6 is coming and going at different times through the weekend so we have kind of disjointed plans. 5 of us are flying down tomorrow morning. We will be landing at MCO just after 11am. Cody's Mom will be arriving on Friday night and then I have to leave for a work engagement on Saturday night. Because of this, we had some logistics to work out when it came to which park we plan to visit when.

Here is our rough plan with the FastPasses we have arranged at the moment:

Thursday: Travel and Animal Kingdom

• Expedition Everest - 2:20PM
• DINOSAUR - 3:55PM
• Kilimanjaro - 4:55PM
• I also hope to see Festival of the Lion King and we'll try and get in to see Rivers of Light but I'm not sure what the standby line will be for that (we'll play that one by ear)

Friday: EPCOT and Magic Kingdom

• Spaceship Earth - 9:25AM
• Turtle Talk with Crush - 10:30AM (this one will likely get changed)
• Soarin' - 12:55PM
• Lunch Reservation - San Angel Inn - 1:40PM
• I should also note that Cody's younger sister has Celiac so we need to factor that into our dining plans. Disney is an awesome place for allergies and dietary restrictions but we still need to be mindful of this when planning our meals.
• Cody and I will be celebrating our 6 year anniversary while we are in WDW this year (our actual anniversary was the 18th but I was out of town last weekend so we are making this our actual celebration). The two of us will separate from his dad and sisters in the late afternoon and head to the Poly for some drinks and to take in the atmosphere before heading over to MK for some nighttime rides and Wishes. The rest of our group will likely make their way over to Hollywood Studios and try to catch Fantasmic.

Saturday: Magic Kingdom

• This is the only day that we will all be able to visit a park together, I have a 9pm flight back to Boston so I will be there for most of the day but will need to leave at some point in the afternoon.
• Space mountain - 10:00AM
• Big Thunder - 11:15AM
• I haven't booked a third FP yet but I am thinking we might do Pirates or a dark ride in Fantasyland since we likely won't want to set aside a lot of time to wait in line for those rides. We'll see what we end up with.
• I am also hoping to convince everyone to watch Festival of Fantasy because I love it so much so we'll see what we have time for.

Sunday: Hollywood Studios

• Sadly, I will be home by this point but the rest of the group will spend their morning and afternoon at HS
• Tower of Terror - 9:25AM
• Rock 'n' Rollercoaster - 1:05PM
• The rest of the family flies out at 9PM so this will also be an abbreviated day

So, that's where our plans stand at the moment. I am really excited about the more laid-back approach I have been forced to take while planning this trip. Now I just have a few last minute things to pick up and some packing to do and we should be good to go!

The plans look great
I hope you get to see rol

 

[Zipadeelady]

How are you sane?!! That is come crazy planning. Hope you have a great time!

Happy anniversary!

 

[kaitertot5249]

How are you sane?!! That is come crazy planning. Hope you have a great time!

Happy anniversary!

Thanks! I have barely managed to stay sane. Luckily, they put me in charge of the planning so I was free to do what I wanted in terms of what park we visited on which day and there has been hardly anything to actually plan because typically hard to get ADRs and FastPasses were already gone before we even decided to go on this trip. I'm actually really excited about the slower pace that this trip will be, it's different from my normal style and I'm learning to love it. We'll see how the actual trip goes!

 

[WDWDarling]

Sounds like a whirlwind trip but I'll take a few days in Disney verses a few days anywhere else! Hope you have a great time .

 

[Princess Leia]

Can't wait to hear about your trip! It sounds like a complete whirlwind, but I'm sure you've had a wonderful time in Orlando.

 

[amjt660]

Looking forward to your return to the boards to tell us about this awesome trip

Max