The "Should we really be going again" pre-trip report - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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The "Should we really be going again" pre-trip report
Ok, so here we go!!! I've written trip reports before (on another site) but never a pre-trippie before. So, sit back and relax and have a cup of tea or ice cream or whatever you need to get through my long winded posts!
Cast:
Me: Regina - mom, wife, history professor
DH: Clint - Dad, husband, and I still can't figure out what his job EXACTLY is. He is kind of like Chandler in Friends. We know he has one and we know the company but I really don't know what it is he does every day! And, yes he has explained it to me several times.
DS(5): Tommy - the "mostly good" boy. He has his moments but for the most part, he is really well behaved, a good listener and math wiz. This will be his 4th trip
DS(1 1/2): Sean - the active one. Not much to say other than that. He is REALLY active. He is constantly in motion and gets into EVERYTHING but then again....don't all 1 1/2 year old boys? This will be his 2nd trip.
Now, there are more members to the cast but I'm not exactly sure if they want me publishing info about them on here so I'll have to get permission before I put anything up here. The most info I'll give you is that it is DB, DSIL, DNephew, DNiece.
Now, before I mentioned that DS5 is the "mostly good" boy. But when him and DNephew get together, that "mostly good" changes.
Both families have different arrival/departure dates so I'll mostly post our dates. And they are:
Friday, August 25th to Monday, September 3
I'm not at all happy about these dates. We much prefer to go in the winter and escape some crowds and blistering heat but it's just not possible anymore. We don't want to take DS5 out of school and I can't take off as I don't get vacation time and really do not want to take off in the middle of the semester. The good thing is that we can take advantage of free dining.
We will be driving from NJ and my brother and his family will be flying. We much prefer driving right now. Maybe when the kids are older flying would be more convenient but we find it very difficult to worry about suitcase weights, strollers and security checks. This will be the 5th time we are driving and find that DS5 is quite accustomed to it. We shall see how DS 1 fares since last time we was only 2 months old and slept the majority of the trip.
And lastly (for now at least) the resorts. We prefer to stay on property and usually in the moderates. This is the first time in a long time that we will be staying back at Carribbean Beach. We did it for DS5 because he is into pirates right now. We are concerned about the amount of walking that is involved with this resort but as of right now we have resolved ourselves to using the van if it becomes a problem. I'm not sure which I prefer though. The hot walk back to the room or getting into a hot van to go back and forth. I think this one will just have to work itself out on the trip.
Yes, I DID say resorts above!!! DB and family will be staying at the Wilderness lodge. Not really much else to say on this. They have always wanted to stay there and since there is free dining, they are making up that difference by staying at a deluxe for the first time.
I hope that you and your family have a magical time at the world
__________________
Heather - "I'm Tinkerbell's biggest fan!"
WDW - August 1997 Off Property
WDW - January 2005 AKL
WDW - May 2006 Pop Century
WDW- november-dec 2007 pop century
WDW- dec/jan 2009/2010 pop century
WDW- oct/nov 2012 art of animation
WDW- sept 2013 port Orleans riverside
WDW- july 2015 beach club
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We are going during the same time!!! I was booked over Thanksgiving originally, but with the price of airfare and 3 kids in school now we changed our dates. Art of Animation is where we had planned to stay, but since it is free dining we are going to change and upgrade to Poly. You never know, we may run into you somewhere. Maybe I should start my PTR....I thought it might be too early,but as this trip is a surprise for my kiddos I may want to share so I don't explode. Sorry for hijacking you PTR......carry on
as this trip is a surprise for my kiddos I may want to share so I don't explode.
We can never keep the secret from my guy!!! I've tried but I just get too excited myself. And, he is always talking about Disney world. The only thing so far that is secret is that his cousins are coming.
I left off on our driving down. Our plans so far are to leave around 10:00 AM from Jersey on Friday, August 24. That time has to be very strategically planned. If we leave earlier, it has to be A LOT earlier and we really can't leave too much later. The reason why is traffic, and lots of it. Any roads going south on a Friday in the summertime in New Jersey are subject to a lot of traffic because of people going down the shore. It can get so difficult sometimes that when a friend of mine was planning her wedding that was taking place in June, she arranged everything around the traffic!
As of right now we are scheduled to take 2 days driving there. This seems like it's going to take a little longer than necessary but we are planning on smaller driving stretches and stopping a lot so the little one can run off his energy.
Plans MAY change as I'm hoping to work at the summer school which would increase the $$ we have available so we might add an extra day for Wizarding World. In which case, we would re-arrange our leaving time and adjust our driving schedule as well.
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The Fun, Old-Fashioned Family Vacation, 3.0 http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...ml#post4472933
Ch-Ch-Changes July 2015
[URL="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/sharing-adventure-disney-world-trip-reports/288847-ch-ch-changes-ptr-july-16-24-a.html"]
First, we will start with Tommy (DS5). I know that this is the age that most people debate and have some really strong opinions on stroller use. For us, it's really about what our tempers can handle. We know Tommy will ask to be in a stroller. He asks now to ride in Sean's stroller. And, we know this will get worse as he gets more exhausted. Like a lot of other children, he can also become very obnoxious when he is exhausted.
Instead of dealing with his exhaustion, whining and being obnoxious, we have opted to use the Disney strollers. While we severely dislike having to pay for a stroller to use every day, he is too big to fit for any length of time in a regular stroller. We will try to have him walk while we are starting the day out but as he gets more tired, we'll get the stroller.
Now, onto Sean's stroller. We have one of those Jeep strollers (the big 3 wheeled jobs) and we have a McLaren. I like both of them very much and I'm still debating with myself on what to do. Here are our arguments:
The jeep stroller is excellent for a lot of reasons - It has a cupholder, it has a very good shade cover, it has a large basket in the bottom and it's comfy for Sean to sleep in (he tends to nod off even when we are on our way to naptime).
The downside to the Jeep stroller is that it is difficult to maneuver on the busses. The cons to the McLaren are the opposite points to what I've said above (no cupholder, very little shade, can't recline too far back).
As of right now I've resolved myself to taking both. We'll use the jeep stroller in the mornings and then when we go back to the parks later in the afternoon after our midday break we'll bring the McLaren. I figure the McLaren is easier to deal with on the crowded busses after park closing. There is no question of the room since we have a van with only 4 people so the third row will be folded down into the floor, providing plenty of room.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
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. Maybe I should start my PTR....I thought it might be too early,but as this trip is a surprise for my kiddos I may want to share so I don't explode
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