1st trip to the World under our belts, May 2015 @ CSR

[mdgineok]

This is my first ever trip report. I read through allot of these while doing the planning for our trip and let me warn you, I dont have the keen writing abilites that many of you possess. Many have the ability to interject their thoughts and feelings into what they write that make the story compelling. I am not that kind of writer. This will be more of a "here is what we did and how we did it" report. I think it is more directed towards those who would ask what we did, not why we did.

I am copying most of it from a trip "diary" that I wrote after we got back. My Mom wrote one about a cross country car trip we took when I was in 4th grade and I still have it. I thought our kids might like one too.

I also want to thank all of the Forum members for their help while planning our trip to the World. It would have not been as successful without all of the tips and tricks I learned here.

We (me-Mark, wife Linda, Josh 10, and Holly 8) booked our first trip to WDW in July of 2015 for May 10-16, 2015 staying at Coronado Springs Resort. We decided to stay business class due to the room location and access to the lounge. We completed our package with the Dining Plan, Memory Maker and 7 day PH’s.

We decided we were not going to tell the kids until the morning of our flight. It was the longest I have ever kept a secret and there were several close calls between me and Linda while planning the trip.

As we got closer to our ADR date I started to narrow down our itinerary. I used several touring plan websites to help figure out which day to do what parks. I knew we wanted to meet friends at the beach one day so using the recommended days we chose Wednesday as our off property day. It was about in the middle of our stay so we would be able to get a break from the parks.

Before our ADR date we spent a lot of time looking at park maps to figure out where we might be to help figure out where to eat. We also looked at menus to figure out if there were things we would actually eat at the restaurants. My plan was to avoid having more than two reserved meals at any park on any day. We were on the dining plan so I used a website I found through the forums to help figure out which ones to pay out of pocket and which ones to use the dining plan on.

Once we had our park days figured out and our dining places figured out we started to come up with a touring plan for the parks. I wanted to avoid backtracking as much as we could, but I also didn’t want to schedule the activities so rigidly that it wouldn’t allow time to explore and do things over that we enjoyed. I created a daily outline but it was more used as a guide to move logically through the park than to hurry from ride to ride. This also helped identify which rides/activities to get FP+ for.

to be continued.........

 

[mdgineok]

I wasn't sure how many characters I have so I cut the intro into a few seperate posts. So we had our touring plans complete, next came airfare. I was watching the arifare to try and capitalize on when it would trend downward. I knew from watching it previsously that it often would be lowest sometime after Thanksgiving until the middle of January or so.

We booked our flights in December of 2014 and were able to use rewards points to cover most of the airfare. I made ADR’s for our entire stay at the 180 day mark. I also pre-booked Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boutique at MK for the afternoon before our CRT reservation. We booked Happy Limo for airport pickup and drop off instead of using DME. Linda wanted the kids to experience that and we also wanted to stop on the way to get room supplies/snacks.

A few weeks before our FP+ day I was notified that Delta cancelled our outbound flight. They rebooked us on a flight later in the day but that was not going to work for us because we were going to go to AK on arrival day. With it closing so early we would only have a couple of hours in the park. I called Delta and had them switch us to an AM flight a day earlier. I then called WDW and added another night to our stay, so now we were staying 8 days, 5/9-16. I was glad this all happened prior to our FP+ day so I didn’t miss out on booking FP+’s a day earlier.

Once our FP day came around I had my list ready and was on the computer when it opened. We were able to get everything we wanted. A big thank you to mesaboy2 for his thread on FastPass+ Priorities. With that and ADR’s complete our only “can’t miss” event was Jedi Training at DHS, but there was nothing we could do about that until our morning at DHS.

We had planned to do BOG for Lunch and then they switched it from a FP to a lunch ADR. Because of the DIS members I knew of all this and was able to get online and get our lunch reserved when it opened up. I got online a little early to get logged in and setup and was surprised to see I could book it. So I booked our lunch just prior to 0700 ET and shortly after that is when the mess began for those trying to book. Who knew they were going to open it up prior to 0700ET like all the other ADR’s? What a mess it was for those who waited until after 0700ET. It seems it all worked out in the end, but I remember a lot of angry DIS members that morning.

Here is what our itinerary looked like after pre-booking what we could:

Arrival day – Happy Limo to CSR with a stop for supplies. World Showcase, from UK to Germany, Pick a Pearl in Japan.

Sunday – Animal Kingdom, EMH ride EE, FP+ for Kilimanjaro Safari, Mickey and Friends at Adventurers Outpost and EE FP+ in the afternoon. We had an ADR for Rainforest Café at 6:30PM.

Monday – Epcot, FP+ for Turtle Talk with Crush, Soarin’ and Spaceship Earth. We had ADR’s for 8:00AM at Akershus and 6:00PM at Le Cellier.

Tuesday – Magic Kingdom, FP+ for BTMRR, Meet Mickey at Town Square and MSEP. We had ADR’s at Crystal Palace at 8:00 AM and CRT at 6:40 PM. I also had a reservation at BBB at MK for 5:00 for Holly.

Wednesday - Honeymoon Island State Park, beach day.

Thursday – Disney Hollywood Studios, FP+ for Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania and Star Tours. We had an ADR for Mama Melrose’s with the Fantasmic Dinner Package at 6:00PM.

Friday - Magic Kingdom, we had FP+ for 7DMT, A&E and Enchanted Tales w/Belle. We had ADR’s for lunch at BOG at 11:00 and dinner at California Grill at 9:05.

Saturday – Typhoon Lagoon? Happy Limo to MCO.

We shipped a package to ourselves ahead of time so it would be there when we arrived. We packed beach towels, water shoes, extra sun screen, extension cord, power strip, chip clips, rain ponchos, folding hamper, hanging shelves, sound machine and spare shoes/flip flops.

As our arrival day got closer we started to watch the weather forecasts. It drove Linda and I crazy how wildly the forecast swung back and forth between rain and sunny. The lesson to be learned is that don’t bother to look at the long range forecast because in the end they rarely get it right.

to be continued......

 

[mdgineok]

One day to go.

On the night before our departure we told the kids to pack backpacks for a road trip the following morning for the MN fishing opener. We also told them we would need to get up early to beat the traffic. They weren’t all that suspicious because we have had our travel trailer on a seasonal site on a lake for several years, so they just figured we were going to “the camper” for the weekend. After they went to bed Linda and I packed gift bags for each with a special tee shirt, their magic band, mouse ear headbands that Linda made and a Disney lanyard. We set them aside until morning.

In the morning we woke the kids and had them get cleaned up and called them to the kitchen. On the table were the gifts bags. I had the video recorder going and Josh was eager to open his but Holly was still a little sleepy. They started to pull items from their bags but just had puzzled looks on their faces. Then Linda told them that we were leaving for WDW and Josh jumped up and down and teared up. Holly sat there with her mouth open in shock. Then they both ran to their rooms to finish dressing for the trip to the airport.

Our flight was scheduled for 9:00AM. We were parking at the airport in long term parking so to get to check in we had to find a spot in the ramp, take a train one stop, then a tram to the main building. Once there, we checked our bags and headed to security checkpoints. I wasn’t quite sure how busy the airport was going to be so I built some extra time in to allow for missed trains/trams and long lines to get through security. We ended up having none of those issues and were even approved for TSA Pre-check so we did not need to remove, shoes/belts etc. We were through security and headed to breakfast by 7:10AM. Josh and Holly had never flown so they were interested by everything at the airport. Of course, our gate was at the very end of the concourse so that meant we used four people movers to get to the end. The kids thought the “flat escalators” were pretty neat.

On our concourse they were testing a new gate configuration. Instead of the customary sections of rows of seats it was set up as a very large bar/restaurant with tall long tables. At each seat was a tethered iPad where you could order drinks or food and play games or surf the internet. You placed your order and there was a card swipe between each seat. Once your order was complete and paid for a server would appear with it. There were also servers available to help explain the system or answer questions. It was cool and the kids were able to pass the time quietly.

During the flight I explained to Holly and Josh that they had a fixed amount of money to spend on souvenirs, etc. I told them that they could use the money to buy whatever they chose (within reason) and that when the money was gone, it was gone.

 

[wiscbugs]

Kids look excited

 

[mdgineok]

Kids look excited

I forgot to mention they had never been on a plane before. Holly took it in stride, Josh was a little frightened during take off. Good thing Mom was there to hold his hand.

 

[mdgineok]

Ariving at the WORLD!

The flight was uneventful and on time and our Happy Limo driver was waiting for us at baggage claim before the bags came out. We grabbed our bags and loaded up the Suburban and were off to Publix for supplies in no time. Just as we were entering Disney property I received a text that that our room was ready, Sweet! We pulled in to registration and were met by a CM with a tablet who confirmed who we were. We stopped at the front desk to get the welcome packet and check that our magic bands were activated for room charging and we were off with bell services to our room. I had them stop at the business center and I grabbed our package that was waiting for us. I did have to pay the $10, but I still thought it is worth it.



Our room was 9530 in the building closest to bus stop #1 and just around the corner from the business class lounge. It was ground floor as I had requested when I did online check in. The room was as expected but they are definitely starting to show wear. It seems I read something about refurbishment beginning at CSR and it seems it is about time.

We dropped off our bags and organized the room a little and then we were off to the World Showcase.

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Hi Mark!! We stayed at CSR in Business Class, too, last year! Loved it!! Looking forward to more updates!!

 

[mdgineok]

Hi Mark!! We stayed at CSR in Business Class, too, last year! Loved it!! Looking forward to more updates!!

It was definelty worth the extra expense. A coworker, who is a DVC member and has been to WDW more than 10 times recommended CSR. I'm glad we took his advice.

 

[KatMark]

I'm joining in. We have not stayed at CSR since December 2012 for my husband's surprise 60th birthday trip. We have though stayed there 10 times and LOVE it. If we didn't stay DVC all the time now, we'd be back at CSR in a heartbeat.

Glad the kids did well for their first flight.

I'm surprised about the worn rooms...it's only been six or seven years since last refurb. And you are right...they are getting another refurb.

Looking forward to reading more.

 

[kadrachb]

Joining in! Your kids look so excited!

 

[Sailormoon2]

Joining in. CSR was our initial first choice, then we got a stupidly good deal on BC so we are headed there. I am of course pumped to be staying at a Deluxe, but I really, really love the look of CSR!!!

 

[mdgineok]

Joining in. CSR was our initial first choice, then we got a stupidly good deal on BC so we are headed there. I am of course pumped to be staying at a Deluxe, but I really, really love the look of CSR!!!

Someday we would love to try a deluxe. We were originally thinking of staying at Wilderness Lodge, but we just couldn't do it this time and stay on budget.

 

[mdgineok]

In Search of a Pearl.

After getting settled we headed to the World Showcase.

We decided we did not want to walk through Epcot to get to the WS and then back through again to catch a return bus so instead we hopped a cab to Boardwalk and walked around to International Gateway and entered the WS from there. We did not realize that it was Flower and Garden Festival so it was pretty crowded at WS. We visited UK first and had pictures taken with Alice. Holly asked Alice if she had seen the Mad Hatter and she replied “I did earlier but not in a while, have you?” Alice was clever in her interactions with Holly and Josh. During the main shot with Holly hugging Alice a man walked through the back of the scene and photo bombed it. The handler stopped his cohorts from also cutting through. It was too bad as it would have been a cute shot.


We then had a PhotoPass photographer take our picture on the bridge to France. They were supposed to be the magic shot with kids holding balloons. They were posed correctly but the balloons never made it to the picture, so our first two PP experiences weren’t the best, but we did get many other nice shots. (After our trip we contacted PhotoPass support and they were able to add the balloons in.)


Next we visited France and had a light dinner at Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie. We were really hungry by then and the place was very full with nowhere to sit. We also made a mistake and did not have the sandwiches heated. Josh had trouble eating the baguettes as he had his braces adjusted on the Friday before we left and it was painful to eat the hard bread. Add this to having to stand to eat resulted in a crabby 10 year old. We should have planned better for dinner to avoid the frustrating time we had at Les Halles.
After dinner we headed to Morocco. Again it was very crowded in Morocco so we looked around for a bit and then moved on to Japan.

In Japan we headed straight for Pick a Pearl as this was the main reason we went to WS. Surprisingly, the line was not that long and Holly only had to wait for 5 others before it was her turn. She had been paying close attention to the others before her so she already knew how to count to three in Japanese. The CM made a big deal about it to the crowd. Holly ended up with a nice white 7mm pearl and really enjoyed the little ceremony they did after opening the mollusk.



We did some shopping and Holly found a small purse she liked and then we moved on to America.

America was very busy as well so we looked around. I wish we would have been able to take pictures of the ship behind the America Gardens Theatre. We could not figure out how to get closer to it. We just missed the beginning of the show at American Heritage so we moved on to Italy.

In Italy we stopped at Gelati and got some frozen treats to cheer up Josh. It was one of only two places during our entire stay that I could not pay with my magic band. I had my driver’s license and a credit card in my phone case so it was not a problem.

Lastly, we visited Germany. We watched the trains and took some pictures and then went to Karamell-Kuche for caramel corn and chocolate covered caramels. Linda also bought a glass Christmas tree ornament from one of the shops.


By then we were pretty tired so we headed back towards Boardwalk while taking pictures of opportunity along the way. Once at Boardwalk we grabbed a Mickey bar and cabbed it back to CSR.

Once back I tried to get into the Business Class lounge but none of our magic bands would let us in. Linda and kids headed to the pool to cool off and I went to registration and they were able to fix it while I waited. They had BC access on our reservation but had not activated it on our bands. Other than this we had no problems with our Magic Bands during the trip. The Dig Site was great and just across the bridge from our building. We swam for just a bit and then it was off to bed.

 

[KatMark]

Great update!

The pictures of Holly with Alice and the balloons are great!

Sorry World Showcase was so crowded. But a Saturday night, F&G with food...yep, you are going to have crowds. You should see it during Food & Wine.

I love the picture of the kids with Miss Piggy.

The Dig Site is one of our all-time favorite pools...glad you enjoyed it.

 

[mdgineok]

Great update!

The pictures of Holly with Alice and the balloons are great!

Sorry World Showcase was so crowded. But a Saturday night, F&G with food...yep, you are going to have crowds. You should see it during Food & Wine.

I love the picture of the kids with Miss Piggy.

The Dig Site is one of our all-time favorite pools...glad you enjoyed it.

Thank you. Reading your trip reports nudged me along to do this one. If I remember right you planned a surprise meet with relatives/friends of Mark's, or was it a surprise trip all together? In any event I remember reading it and anxiousl awaiting the reveal video.

 

[KatMark]

Thank you. Reading your trip reports nudged me along to do this one. If I remember right you planned a surprise meet with relatives/friends of Mark's, or was it a surprise trip all together? In any event I remember reading it and anxiousl awaiting the reveal video.

Thank you! And you have a good memory. It was a surprise trip for Mark's 60th birthday. We kept it a secret from him for six months. Our oldest son and his girlfriend went with us. He asked when we told him the night before the trip if Nicki and Todd were going and I told him no. They surprised him when we got to the Coronado.

 

[mdgineok]

Day 2 – 5/10/2015 Animal Kingdom w/morning EMH.
We headed to the bus after eating breakfast at the lounge and were walking through the gates at AK by 8:05. The crowd was very light. As we crossed the bridge to Discovery Island I took a picture of the tree of life and there are just over a dozen people in the shot.



We headed straight to EE and rode three times with the wait growing to 20 minutes after our last ride. Josh would not ride EE so we picked out a spot for us to meet once we were done. He stayed there and it was not a problem, but it did make me nervous leaving him alone. Had the wait been any longer I may not have done it. Looking back we should have had him wait in the gift shop instead of outside it.

We then went to DinoLand and rode Triceratops Spin and Primeval Whirl. Josh really liked PW so we rode it again and then a third time with Linda. She did not like it.



We then headed to Africa to use our Kilimanjaro’s Safari FP. We saw lots of animals and took many pictures. Our driver was funny and my son was worried when we crossed the “old bridge” that it may not hold us. Luckily, we made it across.




We grabbed a snack at Harambe Fruit Market and then some souvenirs at Mombassa Marketplace. Josh chose a shark tooth necklace and Holly chose a soapstone hippo. Next we headed to Adventurers Outpost to meet Safari Mickey and Minnie but on the way we saw that the line was short for Russell and Doug so we stopped for pictures there first.



We then used our FP+ for the character meet at AO. Holly was very excited to meet Mickey and Minnie. Even with the FP+ it took more than 30 minutes to make it through.



We doubled back to DinoLand to catch lunch at Restaurantosaurus. We had another challenging dining experience with Josh here. Since he is 10, he is a “Disney Adult” and orders from the adult menu. This is a first for him, as up until now he has been ordering from the kids menu’s whenever we eat out. I decided I would order myself a sandwich and a different one for him. This way we could switch if he didn’t like what he ordered. He ended up with the chicken sandwich and I had the cheeseburger. Well, he bit into the chicken sandwich and the contents squeezed out of the bun and landed on the table. He then had a meltdown. His teeth hurt, his legs hurt, he was tired which ended up with him crying in his hands. Linda and I were both surprised as we never would have guessed that he was the one that was going to lose it during our trip. We let him regroup and I gave him my sandwich and I salvaged what was left of the chicken and by the time lunch was over he had composed himself.

Next we went to ride Dinosaur.




Linda and Josh did not want to ride it so it was just Holly and me. We had fun and were in and out in about 30 minutes. While Linda and Josh waited for us they heard rustling in the bushes behind the bench they were seated at. Looking closer they saw that there were three armadillos digging in the foliage no less than three feet from where they were sitting. They thought that was pretty cool.

It was hotter than I expected during our stay. In talking to locals it was unseasonably warm for that time of the year, highs were around 92 and the dew point was in the high 60’s all week. One thing that really helped us to keep cool was our water bottle. We carried a Brita squeezable filtered water bottle. It held 20 oz. of water and we filled it whenever we found a fountain that had enough of a stream to fill it. I agree with others about the taste of the Florida water. Straight out of the fountains and even in the glasses of ice water we got from QS locations I did not like the “mechanical” tasted of it. It tasted like engine grease. Out of the Brita bottle it tasted fine. We paid like $9 for the filtered bottle and it was worth every penny.

We walked back to EE to ride again using our FP. Linda and Josh did not want to ride so again it was just Holly and me. We rode once and then swapped our MB with Linda and Josh and we rode again using their FP.

After EE we saw “It’s Tough to be a Bug”. I was just as surprised as others at the number of people who had to leave with their frightened little ones. I guess the multitude of written and spoken warnings were not enough for people to not try to bring their little ones in. We thought it was a fun show and it was nice to sit in the air conditioning for a bit.

Next we stopped at a FP+ kiosk to get a FP for Finding Nemo – The Musical. We were able to get ones for the 4:00 show so we headed right there after a restroom break. We watched FNtM and really liked it. It was amazing how the performers made their characters swim. It was nice to sit inside for a bit where it was cool.

Once we did that we were walking towards EE and saw that the standby line was only 20 minutes. This time we convinced Josh to go with. His only condition was that he would ride next to me. He ended up really having fun so we jumped back in line and rode again. Holly ending up riding EE seven times during the day, she couldn’t get enough.

We then slowly made our way through Discovery Island and shopped a bit and took more pictures befor our 6:30 reservation at Rainforest Café.





The food was good and the experience was fun. After dinner we pressed some pennies and then headed to the buses. Using a suggestion from the forums I had filled a Mini M&M’s container with quarters and pennies and left that in our park bag so we always had change on hand for pennies.

Back at CSR we stopped at the lounge for to go cups of beer and went to the Dig site to cool down in the pool.



Next up day 3, EPCOT.