Getting ready for a magical adventure
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jedigas007 · 08-02-2011, 03:54 PM

It seems like all my free time is spent searching for tips and little known secrets. I probe the information super highway from one end to another looking for that one piece of info that no one else knows. I study schedules, memorize menus, and read every trip report I can get my hands on. You might wonder where on earth we are going. Could it be Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, or maybe the happiest place on earth Walt Disney World?
Walt Disney World has become a tradition for our family of three (some friends and family might say it’s more of an obsession). It all started back in 2004 on my wife’s (Renee) and mine (Luke) first anniversary. We drove down to Orlando from St. Louis, MO and spent ten terrific days in WDW. After that trip we told each other that we would come as often as we could and we did. Twice in 2005, once in 2006, once in 2007 (with a trip to Disneyland mixed in, not the same), twice in 2008 (first time with our son, Ethan), once in 2009 and three times in 2010. After our second trip in 2005, we were positive that we had done and seen it all. But then in 2006 we discovered Disney dining. OMG, this was a whole other world. It was on that trip when I started to understand the complexity of Walt Disney World. Up till then I just thought there was four really awesome theme parks and a bunch of hotels. This kind of revelation only sparked my infatuation with WDW. I started to visit websites like allearsnet.com and mousesavers.com everyday. I started reading trip reports on passporter.com and ordering behind the magic type books off Amazon. I wanted to know what else I could possibly be missing.
After seven more trips (each between 8-10 days long) I can still tell you that I have not seen or done everything there is to see or do. Now I will admit we are stuck in a little bit of a rut. We always stay at Pop Century (except one time in 2005 when we stayed at All Star Movies) and this upcoming trip from 9/8/11 – 9/18/11 is no different. While I would love to grace the Polynesian with my company for a 10 night stay, it’s just not financially feasible for us and given the choice between 5 nights and 10, my clan will always choose more Mickey. Since 2006 we have always went at least once a year during the free dining promotion. We have never paid for the dining plan and even though we absolutely love it, I probably never will. I am a very budget minded Disney lover. We always try to go during value season and never book without a promotion code. I feel like this type of frugalness allows us the opportunity to go more often and that is a good thing.
So even though this trip will be much of the same (Pop Century), I am so excited for all of the old and new. One of the things that will be different on this trip from our normal routine will be no vehicle. We usually drive down and therefore we always have our car. This will be a tough one for me since I am really not looking forward to waiting in lines for buses after nightly fireworks, plus the buses sometimes give me motion sickness. Even though I am sure my 3 year old son will miss his comfy seat and personal air conditioned vent he is definitely looking forward to getting to ride on the busses, boats, trams and monorails. Another thing that we will be doing different this time is using the quick service dining option. Last year we paid the upgrade to the regular dining plan and loved it. This year Ethan is a little older and seems to be a little more rambunctious than last year, so we were a little concerned on how well he would sit and eat when he knew that Mickey was waiting for him to come and play. Plus the quick service option is going to give us some more flexibility than we are used to. As much as I love some of the WDW restaurants, it will be nice not to have to plan our day around our ADR. This way we can change our plans on the fly a little easier, and go with the flow (one of my goals every vacation I go on). The last reason I am excited about doing the quick service option is the additional savings. Not having to pay to upgrade to the regular dining plan or having to tip the wonderful servers of WDW is going to make a significant difference in the wallet.
Even though there will be a couple variances from our normal routine, most of our trip will be pretty familiar. Our normal grind is to wake up early and hit the day running. We try to take advantage of the early morning extra hours and hit the park hard while it is still cool and everyone is in a good mood. Then we will try to either eat lunch at the park or back at Pop Century. Once Lunch has been had we will head back to our room for maybe a nap or some swimming depending on the mood of the day. One of my rules is to never stay at a morning extra hour park past early afternoon. I am big believer that those parks end up being more crowded than normal.
Another thing I am a big believer in is the park hopper. I think this option gives you the ability to take advantage of the all the parks have to offer. Anyway, I need to get on topic. After our afternoon break, (which usually last about 3 hours) we head to whatever park we are planning to finish the night at. Then we head back to the room and do it all over again the next day.
This is pretty much our routine. Once we are in the parks, we try to experience everything from attractions to shopping to character interactions to dining. We are always looking for a new hidden Mickey or an off beaten trail that we have never seen before.
So, we are just over a month away from our favorite adventure and we seem to be ready to go. Airfare is booked, we are stocked up on my favorite SPF 85 sun block, and Disney has been paid. So at this point I guess I am just waiting for our Magical express luggage tags and our 10 day window so we can check in online. This is not the end, but only the beginning. I can’t wait to share our favorite adventure in the happiest place on earth with you all.