Pre-Trip We were due

First time try one of these, so here we go-

Cast of Characters
Josh (your humble OP)- 36 year old married father of 3. Will be 7th trip, 4th as adult.
Brandi (DW)- 37 year old. Will be 4th trip, all as an adult.
Lawton (DS)- 11 year old. 4th trip
Madison (DD)- 8 year old. 4th trip
Ella (DD)- 4 year old. 2nd trip

Butch- 63 year old father of Josh, grandfather of many. This will be his 5th trip to the world.

McCall- 28 year old (turns 29 during trip) mother of 2 and sister to OP. Will be 3rd trip, 2nd as adult.
Molly- McCall's 5 year old daughter. Will be 2nd trip.
Jackson- McCall's 18 month old son. 1st trip.
Lisa- will not admit age. McCall's mother-in-law. Disney noob.

Pertinents-
7 days/6 nights - Port Orleans Riverside (May 21 - May 27)
Dining Plan: yes
Park Hopper: no
Water Park: nice try

 

[jharvey]

I haven't been in 10 months but last June the traffic going to and from DTD was the biggest struggle. This is a huge perk to staying at POR and to answer your question yes there is a bus that could get you back to POR from DTD. I know earlier you asked about POR in compassion to POP. A few years ago we were a family that only stayed at Pop Century. Then we upgraded to the family suites at AOA. In 2014 we stayed at POR for the first time. It was our first moderate resort and after visiting them all except coranado, it remains our favorite resort. It is great for families of 5 because of the extra bed. The pool is great! Be sure to check out ye ha bob one night! Have a great trip!

Thanks for the reassurance. Does POR have the monitors to track bus arrival times? I thought I had heard they were being tested forever ago.

 

[jharvey]

About transportation to and from parks... you have picked a great location. There are multiple bus stops inside POR for parks... but once you get going, it's a short ride to the parks... AK is a little far, but it's not close to anything. You'll love the resort-it's very big, but very nice. You will see the difference! OH- and the boat to Disney Springs/DTD.... The kids will like it. It's slow but relaxing, and fun for the kids.
About the Park Hopper- I don't think you are missing anything... Mainly because each park has its own flavor, and it's weird to me to leave MK and head somewhere else.... different thinking I know, but its what I see... Sounds like you will have a fantastic trip, and a well earned one as well!

thanks. You bring up a question I have. With the multiple stops being the biggest unknown for me, my thoughts were to walk to the main building for refills and just take the bus from there. Do you know if it typically the first bus stop on the loop or the last?

 

[jharvey]

Day 4: Epcot

As I mentioned earlier, this is my absolute favorite park. We typically do two days, but the current state of the park pushed us to cutting it to one. Honestly, if Soarin was up, I would've fought to keep the second day. This will be our first trip during the Flower & Garden festival

ADRs:

• Lunch at Via Napoli. This is my family's pick as favorite TS on property ( beating out Tusker House and Le Cellier). The food is very good and we love the service.
• No ADRs for dinner. Thinking about hitting up the different F&G spots. I've heard some not so nice reviews recently. If we eat CS we will try something new. This is due to us having never eaten a CS at EPCOT. We've always used TS for all of our EPCOT meals. Sunshine Seasons, and Tangierine Cafe would be ones we would look at.

FP+:

• Character Spot
• Spaceship Earth
• Test Track. I have never ridden Test Track. This is mainly due to my being a coward (notice a trend). But each trip I've made as an adult I've tried to go on a ride outside of my comfort zone. 2010 trip that was Splash Mountain (don't laugh). 2012 trip I tried Soarin for the first time and it is now in a fight to the death with Toy Story Midway Mania and POTC for my second favorite (ironically enough, behind Splash). And 2013 I some how worked up the nerve to try Tower of Tower. This was no easy thing considering I darn near blacked out on Barnstormer.

Questions for the class. Do you have a can't miss food from Flower & Garden? And if you are not big fans of the food offerings during F&W, what is your favorite EPCOT CS?

 

[Frauline]

I don't like drops so Splash is out for me, but I love speed and that is what Test Track offers. It's a speedy quick loop around the exterior of the building and banked to make you feel like you are going faster than you really are, and it is fun fun fun!

 

[WDWDarling]

If you can ride Tower of Terror, Test Track will be a breeze! I'm a wimp when it comes to thrill rides and ToT had me shaking when I got off but Test Track was totally fine - just a little fun speed at the end. I've never had the F&G offerings but if you do go the QS route Sunshine Seasons pretty much has something for everyone. If you want to be a little more adventurous, my DH and I think the Chicken Shawarma platter at Tangeriene Cafe is really good!

 

[bee]

Do you have a can't miss food from Flower & Garden? And if you are not big fans of the food offerings during F&W, what is your favorite EPCOT CS?

I haven't tried this year's F&G (last went in 2014) but you should try at least a few things. You can check out the official menus here, and there are plenty of reviews and photos on sites like this and this so you can see what items appeal to you.

 

[jharvey]

If you can ride Tower of Terror, Test Track will be a breeze! I'm a wimp when it comes to thrill rides and ToT had me shaking when I got off but Test Track was totally fine - just a little fun speed at the end. I've never had the F&G offerings but if you do go the QS route Sunshine Seasons pretty much has something for everyone. If you want to be a little more adventurous, my DH and I think the Chicken Shawarma platter at Tangeriene Cafe is really good!

We've always threatened to try Sunshine Seasons and something always comes up. Kinda like Coral Reef. We have had reservation each of the last four trips and always get scared off by reviews.

 

[jharvey]

Day 5: Hollywood Studios

I know this park is the bombed out shell of a park. I really do. But I love it. Also member of a surprisingly large minority that loved, and now misses, the BAH. Though there are not that many attractions/rides at DHS, the rides they have make this, pound-for-pound one of the better parks. My family loves TSMM, ToT, Star Tours, TGMR, Muppet Vision and Indy. In a few years, I look forward to Hollywood, or whatever they call it then, becoming a two day park.

ADRs:

• Lunch at Sci-Fi. We've only eaten here once, and loved it. The last two trips we've not made ADRs for it. Without fail, we regret the decision.
• A CS for dinner. The kids are selecting for us. It should be interesting as we've almost always done Pizza Planet when we go CS at Hollywood Studios and that is down.

FP+:

• Star Tours- we love this ride. I know a FP+ is not really necessary for this ride, but I dont want to chance it.
• Toy Story Midway Mania
• Tower of Terror for the 6 more adventurous of the group
• Frozen Sing-Along Celebration for the remaining 4 that are not riding ToT.

 

[Po'Rich]

Day 4: Epcot

• Test Track. I have never ridden Test Track. This is mainly due to my being a coward (notice a trend).

Test track is really not bad (on a thrill level). My DS hates rollercoasters, refuses to ride Tower and Splash Mountain, yet he LOVES Test Track. It all has to do with designing your car at the beginning and then seeing whose car does the best through the test. The ride itself isn't much.

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

Sounds like an awesome time. I would say to give 7 dwarfs/dwarves a go as it isn't even as bad as Thunder mountain.

 

[myhappyplace]

I would say, go for the 7DMT...you can definitely handle that. Also, FotLK show is my single #1 must do on all of property.

Love your humor in all of your posts, even when talking about the difficulties, it is clear that you are an awesome person.

 

[jharvey]

Test track is really not bad (on a thrill level). My DS hates rollercoasters, refuses to ride Tower and Splash Mountain, yet he LOVES Test Track. It all has to do with designing your car at the beginning and then seeing whose car does the best through the test. The ride itself isn't much.

Hard to describe my reservations with some rides. This is especially true of Test Track. I have a fear of flying, but I've flown hundreds of time. Its not a fear of plunging to my death. What gets to me is turbulence. Its the feeling of helplessness (lack of control may be a better description) that kicks my tail. I kid you not, I NEARLY BLACKED OUT ON BARNSTORMER!

Test Track will give me a reprieve from something bigger. I am technically trying something new that is a "thrill ride". It pushes off, till at least the next trip, hard decisions on Big Thunder, Expedition Everest, Mission Space.

 

[jharvey]

I would say, go for the 7DMT...you can definitely handle that. Also, FotLK show is my single #1 must do on all of property.

Love your humor in all of your posts, even when talking about the difficulties, it is clear that you are an awesome person.

the more I see video of 7DMT I start thinking I could do it. I might use this trip as an opportunity to gauge my family's reaction and work up the nerve for the next time.

And thanks for the comment. I'm from the school of thought that laughter will get you through alot if you let it.

 

[jharvey]

Day 6: Magic Kingdom (McCall's Birthday)

ADRs:

• Be Our Guest for breakfast. This will be our first time dining here. We have a pre-open reservation. Going to try and get done quick enough to get to the front of the line for some of the headliners.
• Be Our Guest for lunch.
• Crystal Palace for dinner. We really like this restaurant, but if a Be Our Guest reservation opens up, we will change. However, the odds of a 10 person reservation freeing up are not very good.

FP+:

• Enchanted Tales with Belle. We've never experienced this attraction. It opened not long before our last trip, so we were unable to give it a try.
• Splash Mountain. I know this one is showing up more than once, but we love it and the crowds will keep us from riding stand-by as much as we would like.
• Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater. Only reason this is on here is because we figured it would be a happy for McCall.

 

[jharvey]

So today was the last day of a charity sale my company does for a charity we run that gives free eye exams and glasses to needy children in economically depressed parts of the states and the third world. As we were wrapping it up, I had to witness the money being counted by two leadership members. As they counted, I filled out the deposit form. As I wrote down 4/23/16, it hit me that the date was significant. After a moment I remembered why.

April 23, 2014 I was working for a company that had recently filed for bankruptcy protection. That day quickly took the shape of the final scene in Godfather when all the family business was taken care of. Throughout that day, friends and acquaintances were being let go. While at lunch, I received a call from a phone number tied to my corporate office. I answered......nothing. A moment later, the phone rang again.... still no one said anything. I then call it back, and at that time I, like 90% of the corporate team, and 60% of our store count, was terminated.

As I mentioned in an earlier part of this thread it took me 15 months to find a new job. In that time, my family spilt along a fault line. I went through a time that was unbearable and had to bring my wife and three small children along for the ride. That ride included April 23, 2015, when I had the realization that I had just gone 365 without a job.

April 23, 2016......... I've been employed for 9 months. I just got back from my first international trip (China) where I took part in helping screen and give glasses to 4,400 poor students aged 12-17. I just completed a three day fund-raiser (ended today) that raised $54,000 for that same charity. I came home to a family I can take out to eat (a impossibility those 15 months). And yesterday we got in our magic bands. We are 27 days away from a trip that will be a celebration of so much that I am not 100% sure Disney will have enough pins for them all.

 

[jharvey]

Day 7: Magic Kingdom

Our last day. AKA the saddest day of the year.

ADRs:

• No reservations. We want the ability to go full speed without mandated down time.

FP+:

• Space Mountain. We've never ridden this. Me because, lets all say it, I'M A COWARD. And my wife has a medical condition we thought might preclude her from ridding. Turns out we were wrong. So, I will herd the three little ones while the rest knock this one out.
• 7DMT. This trip will be our first exposure to this attraction.
• Splash Mountain. We love this ride. With our trip ending on the Friding leading in to Memorial Day weekend, we wanted to make sure we would not be shut out.

 

[jharvey]

So I am in the - Watch all things Disney on Youtube phase- and discovered that Dole Whips are in all the resorts now?!? I was watching a family check in to Pop and the next shot has them eating a Dole Whip. I was thinking that it was kinda weird to not show them entering Magic Kingdom or the Poly. So, this is awesome.

 

[jharvey]

Checking in question. With us changing our arrival procedures I was curious about luggage drop-off. I know if you fly in and ride the DME your luggage will be waiting in your room. If I am just driving in, are we allowed to drop our bags at the front desk and go straight to the park?

 

[lostpro9het]

If I am just driving in, are we allowed to drop our bags at the front desk and go straight to the park?

Yes, just drop your luggage of with bell service and they will deliver it to your room when you call them.

 

[Tuvalu]

So I am in the - Watch all things Disney on Youtube phase- and discovered that Dole Whips are in all the resorts now?!? I was watching a family check in to Pop and the next shot has them eating a Dole Whip. I was thinking that it was kinda weird to not show them entering Magic Kingdom or the Poly. So, this is awesome.

Pretty sure it was an editing issue. Pop did not have Dole Whips when I was there in February. To my knowledge, Poly is the only resort that offers Dole Whips, at Pineapple Lanai.