VandVsmama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2011
We are Disneyland veterans and live in Arizona...the land of the searing hot desert, where rain is a major event and people get out of their cars to look at how there's actually water in the local rivers.
Well, DH was informed earlier today that he's going to be attending a big work conference at the Orange County convention center in Orlando in June! And of course now we are planning our first ever family vacation to WDW!
I've dreamed of doing a trip like this and didn't think that it would ever happen. But DH's airfare, hotel, and car rental will be covered by his employer because of the conference. And the cost of his breakfasts and dinners will be covered, too. Here are our cast of characters for this trip:
In my head, I have 2 possible itineraries:
Option #1:
Option #2:
What we don't care about:
Well, DH was informed earlier today that he's going to be attending a big work conference at the Orange County convention center in Orlando in June! And of course now we are planning our first ever family vacation to WDW!
I've dreamed of doing a trip like this and didn't think that it would ever happen. But DH's airfare, hotel, and car rental will be covered by his employer because of the conference. And the cost of his breakfasts and dinners will be covered, too. Here are our cast of characters for this trip:
- DH - 45
- me - 44
- ODD - 11 (will almost be 12 on this trip)
- YDD - 10 (will have just turned 10 a week before the vacation)
- DH will most definitely fly out separate from me & the kids.
- We'll be staying at an off site hotel for most of the time...convention hotel, none of which are on site WDW hotels.
- We are going to extend our stay by an extra 2 days after the convention ends.
- DH's rental car will not include a provision for me to be able to drive it, so if I need wheels, I'll need my own rental car. OR I'll need transportation to/from WDW each day.
- Not sure how many days' worth of park tickets DH will get.
- Not sure whether the convention includes an option for purchasing convention tickets at a discounted rate. DH is going to check.
- have dinner at the Hoop Dee Doo Review
- take family pictures in front of the castle
- see either fireworks at Magic Kingdom or Illuminations at Epcot with all 4 of us.
- spend 1 night in the Contemporary Resort. I was 5 years old on my first and only trip to the Magic Kingdom back in 1978 (so this was before Epcot was even there). We camped in a nearby campground and on 1 of the days, we took the monorail to the Contemporary Resort. I remember my mom saying, "Isn't this hotel amazing? Some day, maybe we'll be able to afford to stay here. Some day, I really want to spend the night here." She passed away a few years ago before we were ever able to do that.
In my head, I have 2 possible itineraries:
Option #1:
- Day 1 (Sat 6/9) - DH flies to Orlando. Kids & I fly to Orlando as well.
- Day 2 (Sun 6/10) - day 1 of the convention. DH goes to convention. Kids & I go to a WDW park in the morning, take break at hotel in the afternoon. We all have dinner at Hoop Dee Doo Review in the evening. And yes, I know that dining reservations have already been underway for about 3 months now!
- Day 3 (Mon 6/11) - day 2 of convention. DH probably done ~ 4-5pm. Kids & I spend morning at a WDW park, back to the hotel to rest, nap, swim. Then kids & I go back to the park for evening entertainment. Not sure if DH will join us. Part of this convention involves him taking a certification test, so he would benefit from having wife & kids out of his hair 1 or 2 evenings.
- Day 4 (Tues 6/12) - day off from the parks. Maybe sleep in. Or maybe kids & I will do an organized tour of Cape Canaveral. I've always wanted to see that. Meet up w/DH for dinner. Any evening is an option for the Hoop Dee Doo dinner.
- Day 5 (Wed 6/13) - DH is at the convention all day, kids and I go to a WDW park in the morning, hotel in the afternoon, head back w/DH in the early evening for dinner and rides.
- Day 6 (Thurs 6/14) - last day of the convention. DH said the convention should be done by 3pm on this day. So he'll definitely go w/us to a park in the late afternoon/evening.
- Day 7 (Fri 6/15) - We check out of the convention hotel in the a.m. Then drive to the Contemporary Resort and check in there. Go straight to a park for the rest of the day. This would be a good evening for us to watch fireworks at Magic Kingdom or see Illuminations at Epcot, I think. Whichever park we go to, we'll stay until closing.
- Day 8 (Sat 6/16) - check out of Contemporary Resort. Sad! Head to the airport and fly home.
- Sun 6/17 - Father's Day and DH's birthday. Recuperate from the trip!
Option #2:
- day 1 (Sun 6/10) - we all fly to Orlando. DH heads to the convention. Kids & I swim at the hotel. We maybe have dinner at Disney Springs. I'm reluctant to make ADRs on our arrival day in case there are flight delays.
- Day 2 (Mon 6/11) - Day 2 of convention. Kids & I have our first park day. At a park for rope drop, leave shortly after lunch time. Rest at hotel. Head back to park in the evening
- Day 3 (Tues 6/12) - Day 3 of convention. 2nd park day for kids & I. Same routine as the day before with kids & I heading back to a park in the evening while DH studies for his certification test.
- Day 4 (Wed 6/13) - Day 4 of convention. Day off for kids & I from the WDW parks. Maybe go to Cape Canaveral on this day. Dinner w/DH.
- Day 5 (Th 6/14) - last day of convention. Same routine as Tues except DH will come with us back to the park earlier than he might have on prior days.
- Day 6 (Fri 6/15) - We check out of convention hotel. Check into Contemporary Resort for probably 2 nights instead of 1. Or stay at a budget resort for Fri night & do Contemporary Resort on our last night (Sat night). The 4 of us spend most of the day at the park. But realistically, given the humidity and the time of year, I think that we'll start to melt by about 1-2 pm, so a break will be necessary.
- Day 7 (Sat 6/16) - Contemporary Resort night #2. Magic Kingdom probably today. Hoop Dee Doo Review for dinner would be a fun way to end the day, I think.
- Day 8 (Sun 6/17) - maybe if we get flights that leave later in the day, we can spend the morning at a park. Not sure, though. it'll depend on how everything works out logistically.
What we don't care about:
- character meet & greets - We're going to Disneyland for 2 days later this month with my sister to experience DCA's Food & Wine Festival and we're going to do character M&G's there. The only exception to this would be to meet Mickey in Town Square if Mickey still talks there.
- Space Mtn
- Rock n Roller Coaster
- BTMRR (we like to refer to this as Fast Choo Choo)
- Test Track
- eating anything in that Beauty & the Beast themed restaurant in Fantasyland
- Soarin'
- Buzz Lightyear
- Primeval Whirl
- It's tough to be a bug
- the Frozen sing along show at Hollywood Studios. We did that a couple of years ago at DCA and it was fun, but my kids are no longer into Frozen enough to warrant going to this.