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After a small lull, I'm really excited again! Today I (to my surprise) received an envelope bearing return address Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista FL.
I opened it up and found a brochure titled, "Your Magical Vacation Starts Right Now, Hurley Family!" (OK so they don't know I'm single.) Inside was personal information about my trip, including "we're excited that you're coming back to visit us," so they even know I've been there before, info about my hotel (Pop), etc. I knew a lot of what was in there, but it was so exciting. I'm reading this thinking, "Oh, my, the people at Disney World know I'm coming, and THEY'RE excited to have me!" I mean, what tourist attraction on the planet acts this way? (Answer: none other than WDW!)
I know, I know, I sound like I'm ten. Don't care! This is a perfect way for Disney to use the technology now available to put together a personalized brochure for people. (I still remember when I reserved a trip back in 2005 and got a nice form letter with similar information, and thought THAT was cool -- that was sort of as far as technology went back then.)
November 7, you are so circled on my calendar! Consider yourself to be a red letter day!
__________________
Joe
“Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.” – Walt Disney
Hi folks, been a while since I've posted on my trip. I know I promised to post again once I had fleshed out the details.
Well, the "180 days till I arrive" mark arrived yesterday, so yesterday and today I made all my dining reservations for the trip.
So, my itinerary now sort of looks like this:
11/7 (what I am calling day 0): After work, come home, have dinner with Mummy and Daddy, put the suitcases in Daddy's nice big SUV, and then he will drive me over to the Sheraton at Bradley International Airport, where I'll stay the evening before my flight (yet to be reserved).
11/8: Fly to Orlando; Magical Express to Pop Century. Check into Pop Century (hopefully room will be available), change into shorts. Quick lunch at the food court of Pop Century.
Then off to Magic Kingdom to, well, play! (This will be called Magic Kingdom Day)
Early dinner (4:25 pm) at 1900 Park Fare at Grand Floridian (the Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner).
After dinner, back to MK for the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and stay there as long as my eyelids will permit , then bus back to the hotel to sleep
11/9 is EPCOT day.
This morning I'll go first to whatever park is having morning extra magic hours. Then over to the Beach Club for a 9:30 am breakfast at Cape May Cafe with Minnie! (I do hope she'll like my Apple Watch featuring, well, her announcing the time!) After breakfast, I'll spend the day at EPCOT.
Dinner will be at the Swan, Garden Grove Character Dinner featuring seafood = well, I'm a New Englander, I LOVE LOVE LOVE seafood!
Then back to EPCOT for the evening and Illuminations. I'm still hoping to reserve the Frozen Dessert Party for the desserts and reserved seating area. Don't know when reservations for that will open up but they aren't yet.
11/10 is Studios Day (I still think of it as MGM studios...)
Breakfast today will be at Hollywood and Dine, the character breakfast there, at 9:05 am. Then I'll spend the day enjoying studios, especially the new Toy Story Land which I've never seen (of course I guess nobody else has either, have they?) excluding tower of terror and the roller coaster (PM me if you want to know why).
Then I have dinner reserved at Chef Mickey's at 7:55 pm, after which (or maybe during which) I'll try to find a location to view the fireworks at MK. Then off to bed.
11/11 will be Animal Kingdom Day, starting with breakfast at 8:40 AM at Donald's Safari Breakfast at Tusker House (which honestly I've never eaten at), which I reserved as part of the package to see the Rivers of Light (which I've never seen), then touring of Animal Kingdom. Since I don't do the thrill rides, I figure that touring it won't take the whole day, so after I'm done, I'll go to whatever park has attractions I missed. Then over to MK for an early (3:55 pm) dinner at Crystal Palace with that silly ol' bear and friends, then back to AK for the Rivers of Light that evening. Then back to the hotel to pack up for the cruise.
Then Monday morning, the bus will bring me to Port Canaveral for my first ever cruise.
Oh my gosh, I'm already so excited and still almost six months till the trip! What'll I do? What'll I do? What'll I do? Oh dear, it's so long......
Any ideas people have to amp up the magicality of this trip are more than welcome!
Oh, one question -- why is it that there are $1 charges I'm being notified by American Express about each time I made these dining reservations? Is that actually a charge or are they just holding my card to guarantee the reservation?
thanks all for your ideas and help to make this the best trip ever!
Joe
__________________
Joe
“Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.” – Walt Disney
All your dining reservations sound great! Yes, the $1 won't actually be charged. You give you card number because if you don't show for the reservation, your card will be charged $10.
your idea to hit a park that has EMH before your 9:30 breakfast at Cape May...Is that just to catch a bus to Beach club? Or do you intend to hang out at the park? I only ask because they usually advise you to give yourself a good hour to get where you're going if you are using bus transportation. That really wouldn't give you much time at the park.
First part of my trip plan, days zero and one (day zero? what the heck is a day zero? read on and find out)
Hi, everybody! Well, it's just seventeen sleeps until I go to Disney World again! (There was a Disney podcast where a dad called their voicemail line each day for the week before a trip, and that's what his girls said on the phone, and I liked it.) As the date approaches, this past weekend, I wrote up a trip plan for my four days at WDW next month.
So here it is:
Part 1 -- Days Zero and One
Wednesday, November 7 (Day Zero, since it's the day before the actual trip, but is still the beginning of the trip): 7 am check in online for outbound flight; after dinner, dad brings me to the Sheraton at Bradley International Airport, stay one night there paid with SPG points
(Editorial note: You KNOW I'm going to be the dad in the ad who is like, "I'm too excited to sleep!")
Thursday, November 8 (Day One): 4 am wake up
Check out of hotel by 4:45
Go to Southwest counter and check in for flight at 5 am counter opening
Breakfast at McDonald's after security
SWA Flight 990 departs BDL 7:05 am, arrives MCO 10:05 am
Go to Disney Magical Express; bus to Pop Century; expected arrival around 11:30
Check in at Pop Century if room available, else leave checked & carry on at luggage services, get needed items for the day and put in backpack
Lunch at Everything Pop; get refillable mug -- both with Dining Plan
Bus to Magic Kingdom
Afternoon attractions: Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin (FP+), Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor (FP+), Journey of the Little Mermaid (FP+)
Get Mouse Ears with my name at The Chapeau, maybe the one that lights up and interacts with stuff! (Did I mention that, except when I'm at work, I'm basically a big kid? And even a little bit there.... if you ever were to follow me closely in the hall you might hear me humming a Disney tune. I like to tell my friends that, you remember they called Dick Clark the world's oldest teen? Well, I've done him one better, I'm the world's oldest tween!)
Monorail to Grand Floridian Resort; dinner at Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner at 1900 Park Fare
Monorail back to Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
Events: 7:40 pm Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration (there's a grammar issue in there somewhere...), 8:15 pm Frozen Holiday Wish, 8:30 pm Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, 9:25 totally Tomorrowland Christmas, 10 pm Holiday Wishes
Whatever attractions can be fit in with the above, especially Haunted Mansion and Jungle Cruise
Then bus back to Pop Century and sleep (zzzzz zzzzz )
So, what do you think? Huh? Huh? C'mon, i want to know! (More than that, i want this to happen already!!! Seventeen days is still too long to wait!!!)
I am suspecting this may wind up being the bestest best ever Disney vacation! Maybe in part because it's been fourteen years since my last one! What's that old saying about absence and a fonder heart? I just can't wait to see all the new things (even the ones I won't actually ride -- roller coasters)
Stay tuned for day two! (You can't wait, can you? I've already written it, and I can't wait! Well, you'll have to, until tomorrow or Wednesday)
Signing off for tonight, one very excited Joe, whose teddy bears are trying very hard to keep him from bouncing off the walls of his room. But it's a losing battle for them...
__________________
Joe
“Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.” – Walt Disney
Get Mouse Ears with my name at The Chapeau, maybe the one that lights up and interacts with stuff!
Mouse ears, great!
Don’t waste your money on the glow ears because we’ve seen hardly anyone wearing them the last few years.
They peaked out about four years ago, I think. We saw lots fewer of them at Christmas 2015 than the year before and fewer than a dozen in our weeklong stay last year. Which was a disappointment because we’d spent even more money on the Sorceror Mickey wand you can use to change colors on other people’s ears. Didn’t even get them out of the suitcase after seeing maybe one or two people, if that, per night with those earhats.
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
Wow, Joe! Your description of the first day sounds fantastic! How very exciting that you get to return after such a long time and then see MVMCP! Enjoy every moment!
Part two of trip plan, covering (wait for it) day two!
Hello sports fans. Hope you enjoyed part one of the trip plans, because part two is rolling on out!
Day Two -- Friday, November 9
Not being interested in too early wakeups (I AM on vacation, I think), I'll wakeup at 7. Get myself ready for a fun day! Have a little snack and some juice at the food court to take my morning medicines with, then get a bus around 8:15 to Hollywood Studios. (Wait! Didn't this guy say he was having an EPCOT day? Why a bus to Hollywood Studios? Patience, please, and all will be revealed.)
When I get to Hollywood Studios, I'll get the boat over to the Beach Club Resort for my 9:30 am Character Breakfast at Cape May Cafe with Minnie, Goofy, Donald and his girlfriend Daisy, and today's table service credit meal. (See, I told you it would make sense! I couldn't figure out a more direct way from Pop Century to Beach Club; I consulted several websites with transportation information and it seemed the most direct.) I've had this character breakfast before and found it to be (a) a not so crowded experience, perhaps because of the aforementioned transportation difficulties, and (b) really good food for a character breakfast.
Having started off the day with a yummy breakfast, and some time with Minnie (I think she will enjoy my Apple Watch, whose watchface currently stars, well, her!), I'll walk off the breakfast walking over to the International Gateway entrance at Epcot. (See, I told you we'd get to Epcot! Oh ye of little faith or patience.)
First stop is the Food & Wine Festival Center -- I'm for the first time going to be at WDW during the food & wine festival and am excited to see what it is all about (and have some really delishy snacks!). Then we will tour World Showcase. Here's the list of planned activities in order:
Try some bougatsa at the Greece booth
Visit Mexico pavilion for the Gran Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros (do I have that name right?)
Visit Norway pavilion
Frozen Ever After ride
Meet & greet with Her Royal Highness Princess Anna and Her Majesty Queen Elsa
Then return to Future World, where I have Fastpass Plus for Turtle Talk with Crush at 11:50
Back to World Showcase
Visit China pavilion
Reflections of China movie
The acrobats (if available)
Bao bun at the festival booth (I love char siu bao, as it is the thing on which Philippine siopao is based, and I always get it when I have dim sum in Boston's Chinatown)
Visit the outpost for a Dole Whip at Refreshment Port
Visit Germany pavilion
Visit Italy Pavilion
Visit American Adventure
Voices of Liberty
American Adventure
Food & wine festival stand -- lunch! lobster roll
Visit Japan pavilion
Belgium food booth -- Belgian waffle!! (Evoking memories of the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville TN where we had breakfast at the Belgium pavilion every morning with a Belgian waffle)
France pavilion -- Impressions de France; creme brulee with raspberry sauce from the festival booth
Canada -- movie and whatever else is going on
Now, back to Future world!
Land Pavilion
Living with the Land and Soarin around the World (never been on this!)
Imagination Pavilion
Journey into Imagination and Pixar Short Film Festival
Seas with Nemo & Friends
Fastpass for ride at 4:10
Next Eats - Coastal Eats, lump crab cake from festival
Taste Track -- croissant donut
Innoventions
Mission Space (green team please!)
Spaceship Earth
6:30 pm walk back to International Gateway entrance, boat to Swan Hotel
Dinner at Garden Grove Character Dinner with the seafood sensation buffet at 7 pm
Back to Epcot Center for more fun in Future World,
9:30 pm go to Fastpass seating area for Illuminations
Enjoy my soon-to-be gone (sigh) favorite music for a fireworks show, Illuminations, Reflections of Earth.
Bus back to Pop Century; sleep.... zzzzzz zzzzzz
So there's day two! What do you think? Thoughts, suggestions, etc. are most welcome!
Signing off for tonight, one very excited Joe, whose teddy bears are trying very hard to keep him from bouncing off the walls of his room. But it's a losing battle for them...
Tune in soon for day three's plans! And, for all you guys watching the world series, go red sox!!!
Have a Disney day!
__________________
Joe
“Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.” – Walt Disney
Wow! You’ve got quite a bit planned that day!
Hopefully you’ll get it all in.
Breakfast at Cape May sounds fun! We’ve never done the character breakfast there but are thinking of it for our next trip. Your plan of taking a bus to DHS and then the boat to Beach Club should work ok, but be sure to give yourself enough time. The boat will make a stop at Swan/Dolphin first.
Most of the time it’s quicker to walk, but these days with the construction detour, it’s hard to say.
Yes, it is. I'm not going to go hell bent for leather just to tick off boxes, but that is the list of things I'd like to do.
Part of why I make that is, so that if I finish a less intensive park, say Animal Kingdom, early in the day, I can go back to a park and finish up whatever I missed the first time through.
__________________
Joe
“Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.” – Walt Disney
Trip plan part three. Do I need to specify which day it covers?
Hello everybodeeee!! (I hope everyone recognized the Grover reference.)
I hope you are enjoying reading the plans for my upcoming trip. I know I'm enjoying making them!
So we are up to day three, which is Saturday, November 10, and my Hollywood studios day. Today, we will wake up at 7 am and try to leave the resort around 8 am with a bus to Hollywood Studios. I am assuming that they will allow me to enter the resort prior to the 9 am opening time as I have a 9:05 priority seating reservation for breakfast at Hollywood & Dine, the Play n Dine breakfast.
After breakfast, we will tour Hollywood Studios, seeing the following attractions (in no particular order, except for the reserved fastpass plus):
Great Movie Ride
Beauty & the Beast on Stage at 10:30
Star Wars, Path of the Jedi
Celebrity Spotlight – meet Olaf
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple
Star Tours – Adventures Continue
Muppet Vision 3D
Mickey & Minnie Starring in Red Carpet Dreams
Toy Story Mania (FP+ at 12:55)
Meet Buzz & Woody
Walt Disney One Man’s Dream
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Disney Jr. Live on Stage
Music of Pixar Live
Frozen Sing-Along Celebration (FP+ at 4:30)
Lunch will be at the ABC Commissary, because I can't find a better quick service option for lunch. (I am using lunch as my quick service meal on the dining plan every day).
At 7 pm, I'll leave MGM and get the bus to the Contemporary Resort, where I will have dinner with Mickey at Chef Mickey's at 7:55 pm.
After dinner, I will probably take a bus over to Disney Springs to do some shopping at World of Disney and the other stores at Disney Springs, since I haven't been there since the latest redo of it. Since it's my next to last evening at WDW this seems like the best time to do it. Then bus back to my hotel for sleeping.
So that's day three! Hope you like it - suggestions always are welcome!
Stay tuned to this channel for day four, Animal Kingdom day!
All the best,
Joe
__________________
Joe
“Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.” – Walt Disney
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