Mommy, Daddy, Baca, Mimi, Mickey's Castle!!!--Pre Trip Report - UPDATED 4/11 - Page 2 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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We know who, we know when (4/27-5/2). On to the what...wait, back to the when and where. My old age is getting to me. I can't even remember how we came up with this date! Seriously, I just sat here stumped. And then I remembered-Mom pulled out of the over the top 50th anniversary shindig and we changed plans. Honestly, I'm only upset about that change because I took some heat from SIL about planning at all and now that she's off my back, I'm all good. The DVC points isn't too much of a problem, I can still bank my points and we've decided to upgrade a bit on this trip and the FWF trip for just Mommy/Daddy in October.
We booked a two bedroom Standard View at AKL-Jambo. We've done both Jambo and Kidani and prefer Jambo. The lobby is probably the biggest selling point, but I don't really have a great reason for this, its just what we prefer. My super cautious kid hated the Kidani pool play area for kids--unexpected sprays of water are one of many things that make him "very upset" (really, he says that. He's 2). So the very basic, round baby pool at Jambo is just right for him. We've done Savnnah view and value and find that standard is a happy medium--its usually a pool view and its not bad. Savannah is great but the points limit our ability to do two trips a year and the parking lot view is not one I want again.
My parents stay in the studio part of the two bedroom, we stay in the master bed room and (as posted before) Adam sleeps in the bathroom. I'm not in love with that, but sleep is the second ingredient to a good vacation (Disney is the first) and he has yet to successfully sleep while one of us is in the room, so the gigantic bathroom is where his blowup toddler bed will go.
The rough itinerary looks like this:
Sunday-travel
Monday-AM is either DHS or EPCOT/PM DHS
Tuesday-MK all day--Wishes at 9PM (earliest night of the trip, we thought best for the weeman)
Wednesday-no parks, just pools etc
Thursday-AK AM/EPCOT PM
Friday-Travel
I've based this on avoiding EMH because I am certain we can't make rope drop and won't stay up that late. The FP+ has me trying to plan differently and I'm not sure what our strategy is. I make seletions and then change them, but in general have been booking FP+ for afternoon/early evening and hoping the AM isn't too crowded. My other thought for our plan is preventing the meltdowns of last year. We didn't commando it by any stretch, but we also learned that we need to ease into everything. Monday is an ease in day, that's why Epcot seemed good--low key and quiet. DHS first stop needs to be Disney Jr and I thought that might make a good morning activity, but fear for the immediate immersion in loud preschoolers that will turn weeman into a spider monkey that refuses to take his face out of my neck.
Still working out the details.
My next posts will be, not necessarily in this order: tickets and FP+ breakdown of plans; a meal plan (Jiko for sure); a budget post (there was just a post in planning about what's too much and it got me thinking); possible Mimi health apocolypses--surely she will stub her toe and require a body cast and halo; and how I'm trying to prep Adam so that he won't freak out and might actually have fun.
I absolutely love your pre-trip report! Our personalities are very similar except I would be throwing in a few f bombs! Lol
Your mother reminds me of my sister!!! Good luck & can't wait to read more!
Its a family site. F bombs are like my second language when there are no children around!!
Look, I love my mom. I do, really, I have a mostly good relationship with her. But this spiral of self-neglect and head-in-the-sand thinking is frustrating. My DH is so much better at the "you can only control your reaction, not her actions" mindset (or f'in bs, am I'm more inclined to think).
Well you've got quite the trip in the works. Reading your post about "life after baby" hit a little close to home for me. My DS had colic and was a terrible sleeper for a year. And then a not-the-best sleeper for another year. We've had to modify our trips so much since he was born. And have to think about things like sleeping arrangements and how the heck we're going to get him to sleep when out of the house. So much of a pain. I mean I love the kid, but it's really affecting my sanity (I think). So if having him sleep in the bathroom is what will work - well just don't tell people who might judge you. Whatever makes the trip easier. That's my strategy.
Well you've got quite the trip in the works. Reading your post about "life after baby" hit a little close to home for me. My DS had colic and was a terrible sleeper for a year. And then a not-the-best sleeper for another year. We've had to modify our trips so much since he was born. And have to think about things like sleeping arrangements and how the heck we're going to get him to sleep when out of the house. So much of a pain. I mean I love the kid, but it's really affecting my sanity (I think). So if having him sleep in the bathroom is what will work - well just don't tell people who might judge you. Whatever makes the trip easier. That's my strategy.
Thanks Missy! I know what you mean about not telling people. For the first 2 years we were so strict about sleep routines that we were never kept him out later than 6PM. Bath was as at 6:30, and bedtime routine started at 6:45-7. Never ever kept him up and we never ever skipped nap in a crib, because he wouldn't sleep in the stroller or car.
On our first Disney trip, we followed all of that, he had just turned 1, and he did okay, not great. We had one horrible day in Epcot that made us late for nap (Daddy was on Soaring, the FP line stalled for some reason and he was gone for 45 minutes). I stood at the Soaring exit with a screaming, like purple face screaming, thrashing kid, waiting. It was awful. That day, as we were leaving, to go get nap started he wailed in the stoller and then fell asleep in the stroller and we left him there for the next hour. It was amazing!!
The leaving him to sleep on his own, the bathroom--I know that gets some Mommies in a bunch. They clearly don't have my kid and are a better Mom than me. Its okay, I'm get more sleep than they do!
Lets talk meals. Cause I loves me some eatin' (and some wine too!)
First meal, Sunday night after arrival and Adam's bedtime in the bathroom, Jake and I have ressies at Jiko at 9PM. I'm going to have to send him over to AK when we first check in to by the TIW card this year. I've debated buying it this year as I'm not sure we'll get three trips out of it, but we get our money back on it fast with the 20% of booze thing...don't judge me, 20% drinks at Disney makes them almost an agreeable price. TIW is $100, so we need to spend $500 in 13 months (the card is good til the end of follwoing month the year you after you purchase it). Pre-game at the bar and dinner at Jiko will probably run us $200 (2-4 glasses at the bar, apps, entrees, one dessert, bottle of wine, coffee-depending on what we get, its acutally more than that). That's $40 back on the first day. So, anyway, Jiko. We've had great and slightly less great meals, but never had a bad experience. Except that time we met another couple there, seated at the next table and decided to go to Jellyrolls with them after dinner. They drank alot. I mean, we did too, but wow. And then the wife danced on stage and the husband stood up and yelled (and I'm not kidding at all!) "I wanna eat your a$$." I excused myself to the ladies room, Jake said he was going to the bar, and then we left them there.
Every now and again, Jake will lean over and whisper that when we see people making fools of themselves.
Monday has no ressies, breakfast in the room, lunch in the rooms (thank you, Garden Grocer, for your overpriced deli meat and diet coke, you're still cheaper than Disney lunch). Dinner at DHS, somewhere.
My parents have been harping on Crystal Palace for a couple of years, but I've been loathe to use park ticket time for a meal (unless is Monsieur Paul, then I'd walk on hot coals across the park while giving up full day pass and my left eye. Its really good. I wish people would dress like its as good as it is, and in truth, I like the old version better, but its still really really good). So I booked CP for breakfast on Tues 4/29 at 8:05. MK does not have EMH that day and we want to do a less crowded day for Adam, given the three meltdown days we had there last time. I'd like to think getting in an hour early, and eating fast will help us. Plus, he loves Pooh. I mean LOVES Pooh.
see.
Wednesday is no parks, so room and Mara? But at 3PM Mommy and Daddy have date afternoon and evening!! Jiko has a Wine Tasting on Wednesdays, its an hour, you taste 4 wines, with small bites, and we are very excited because we feel like we never get to really sample their offerings. At 4 we will leave to do our monorail tour of the bars, starting GF (we don't stop at poly...I don't know why...) at Mizners. Where I will eat my weight in bar snacks. Because I can't stop myself. And if you move the bar snack bowl away from you, to another table or down the bar, they just bring you another one. So, bar snacks!! Then we'll go over th BLT ToW. We haven't been yet, and I'm very excited. Then CG for dinner at 7:40. I've heard mixed reviews of the refurb, but we've always had great service and great meals, so maybe we just not hard to please.
In other important questions, what should I wear??!! We get over dressed (anyone remember the gi story? Jake STILL talks about that). Jake says there is no such thing. Last time, to Monsieur Paul's I wore the gold sparley dress from them 40th trip report (postpartum has been relatively kind, but loosey goosey dresses are far kinder!) and we got a couple of snarky comments about prom, etc. But then there was one lady who punched her husband in the arm, hard, and said, with a heavy Jersey accent "Eyes forward, Howard!" I'll take my compliments where I can get them!!
Thursday is again breakfast in the room, lunch before nap in the room, and dinner at Sunshine Seasons in the Land Pavilion. I really like it there.
Great meal plans!!!! LOVE that you and hubby are getting date nights in!!! Can't wait to hear about the wine tasting at Jiko, as we have considered that!
I had to about the couple at Jellyrolls............OMG!!! I would have done the EXACT same thing as you!!! As a matter of fact, we have in the Bahamas!!! OH MY!! Some people!!
And that little Adam!!! So cute!!! And by the way..........no judging here on the bathroom/bedroom idea - if that works for you, then by all means go for it! I just know that my pea size bladder would not be happy
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..........no judging here on the bathroom/bedroom idea - if that works for you, then by all means go for it! I just know that my pea size bladder would not be happy
Ah, the beauty of the two bedroom villa is two bathrooms at Jambo and THREE at Kidani! The master bath is big, image taking the foot print of a regular hotel room and making 1/2 bathroom and the other half bedroom. The Jambo house master is a bit smaller than Kidani.
See, on this Jambo floorplan--the master bath and bedroom are on the left, with the hallway, its just a regular room with the door to the hall removed and a the entire front of the room converted to a bathroom, with a really heavy door the creates a toilet room. For reference, a packnplay fits in that space between the shelves and toilet door, wedging the door shut. I plan to wedge the blowup toddler bed into that same space (I'm not confident that it will fit there though, so I'll put our luggage in front of the toilet door) :
In Kidani, that hallway isn't there and in the center section there is another bathroom:
So, small bladders don't matter!!! We've stayed in both, and prefer Jambo house even though Kidani has another bath and more square footage.
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Let's see...who, when, where, and some what. Let's do some more what.
FP+
If you read that 'other' board, you'll find that people are declaring that they will never return to Disney because of the apocolypse that is Fast Pass Plus....dun dun dun.
Whatever. Change happens. Were this people pissed when Disney stopped with ride tickets and went to a full day pass, or how about hoppers, or electronic cards instead of paper (and glow in the dark handstamps!! I loved those). Don't get me wrong, I was knew how to make FP work for us, and when they didn't enforce the return window, man, that was some good stuff. But the overplanner with a small excel addiction (there is no such thing as Spreadsheets Anonymous, I checked) booking my FPs ahead of time is like manna on steriods.
Except I want even more features!!!
I like MDX, it shows my room reservation number, my dining ressies and my FPs. I wish it gave me options to build a plan around those things, spaces to add my own notes (maybe it does, I can't seem to figure it out on my phone and frankly, I've got a paying job to do so learning the ins and outs of MDX is not getting the priority it ought to).
Drawbacks? Well, I have to plan differently, its hard to get away from the mindset of RD and running to collect passes and what that means for choosing parks. I've stuck with what seems to be the prevailing wisdom of afternoon or evening FPs but it also seems that we may not park hop as much. Not due to FP+ but more due to EMH and choices we made for dining.
So here are my FP+ plans right now (note that we have existing tickets and an existing room reservation, as such we could book FP+ more than 60 days out).
Sunday: Arrive, no parks. Monday: AM likely Epcot or DHS, not sure yet, FP+ for DHS (4-5PM Star Tours; 5:30-6:30PM TMM on two of four MBs; 6-7 RRC on the other two MBs; 7-8PM ToT)
so here's the interesting thing we're trying--we have four MBs with tickets (adults) but my Mom won't ride anything, and Dad will do some but not others, so to get more FPs for our family we are doing somethings on two and other things on the other two. We'll see how this works. The glitch is that I can see these when I'm on my laptop, but the app doesn't show them all despite all tickets being linked. So, there's some technical stuff.
Tuesday: MK all day (with mid day break) and FP+ in the afternoon/evening for Peter Pan, Tomorrowland Speedway, and Dumbo with hopes that in the mornign we'll be able to do Pooh, Barnstormer and Jungle Cruise (things Adam likes). Wishes is that night at 9, so this should workout well for us. I'll trade in a FP for Wishes FP when that option opens.
Wednesday: no park, but I did add Ohana breakfast, at my Mom's request. Plus we can see Mickey without the park nonsense (with TIW its 20% off too, so its not too bad).
Thursday: AK in the AM, and Epcot in PM with FP+ for Nemo, Turtle Talk, and Soarin' all back to back, with dinner planned at Sunshine Seasons and then Illuminations if Adam is up to it.
See, its not horrible. But we aren't going at spring break or christmas or any other insane time of year. I'm remaining open to the changes.
Also, kids can be cute. This morning in the car we were talking about Disney in 51 days. Adam said that we would go on the plane to see Mickey and Mimi's scooter would come with us. I told him that the scooter (how he remembers something from when we was turning 2 is beyond me) is waiting for us at Disney. He then asked if Mickey was holding on to it for Mimi so it wouldn't roll away. I die from cute, overdose of cute, cause of death-cuteness. Now I'll have to get a Mickey plushie it sit in the seat when we pick it up from bell services...
LOVE the scooter story!!! Kids are so darn CUTE!!!
I was one of those that was hesitant on the FP+, but having been able to use it twice now - I actually really like it - and love the ease of being able to make changes if necessary! The only advise I have with it is - be careful how close one schedule attractions depending on the location - our first time using it at MK, we literally were bouncing from one end of the park to the other 3 times in 3 hours! but now we know for the future
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Cute, cute picture of Adam with his Pooh bear! 
about the couple at Jellyrolls............OMG!!! I would have done the EXACT same thing as you!!! As a matter of fact, we have in the Bahamas!!! OH MY!! Some people!! 
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