i can remember seeing the stream and youtube videos last January 1, 2016 and saying I"M DOING THAT NEXT YEAR!!! So i literally started planning then and was able to rent BLT points and booked Dec 30-Jan 1 at BLT. Later a waitlist came through so i could stay at BLT through the 2nd and not move. so here is the quick snapshot and then i'll give a day by day and some photos.
ME
DW
DS 8
DD 12
(all experienced disney folks, so we don't go commando at the parks, but we do rope drop!)
Dec 28 - flew down through Atlanta and connected to Melbourne airport. Rent car and drive to Holiday Inn Disney Springs for 2 nights
Dec 29 - drive to Clearwater Aquarium and see Winter & Hope
Dec 30 - hit MK at EMH at 7am after dropping car at BLT
Dec 31 - Epcot and watch NYE fireworks at MK from TOTWL
Jan 1 - pool day all day
Jan 2 - pool day til 1 then fly home
I found a trip report on another board that helped me a lot and choosing which parks to go to and expectations. I really believe the Tier'd tickets and blackout dates to this holiday weekend helped with crowds a ton. I decided to do MK on the 30th and Epcot on NYE. Our original plan was to be at Epcot for the 6pm Illuminations that had the holiday ending, then make it back to BLT for dinner at 8 and then fireworks at TOTWL. I planned on MK on the 30th being packed and really tried to keep all expectations with my kids in check.
Dec 28
Originally we were flying in Delta through ATL to MLB. About 3 weeks ago i checked and say there was a flight change, and i was floored i didn't get a notice, my Detroit flight was now leaving later and landing "AFTER MY CONNECTION". How did Delta not automatically fix this? so i called and instead of leaving at 140 pm and eventually landing at MLB at 730pm, i was able to get moved to the 825am departure which still connected through ATL but landed at MLB at 140. so now we have like a bonus afternoon and evening to go to Disney Springs.
I fly a lot for work and we travel most holidays. I totally underestimated Dec 28 crowds. We showed up 90 minutes early and the lines were nuts. I have sky priority for Delta and that line was insane as well. we got to the airport at 7am for our 825 am flight. at 745 i was still in priority luggage lane and i told the wife and kids to go to the gate and i'll do my best to make it. The left and then suddenly 2 more agents showed up and i got done in like 10 minutes. I went to TSA precheck, my wife went to sky prioriy lane instead of TSA and we ended up coming out of the security at the same time. about 8am. we caught the monorail, sadly walked by starbucks without stopping and boarded our plane right away. Note: i live on starbucks in the morning, so not having it was not a good start. When we finally connected we hit SB about 1130 and then some lunch and made our connection to Melbourne. Very smooth. Luggage out right away, not at all like waiting at MCO. Got a rental car and we drive the 90 minutes to the Holiday Inn. i had points for Holiday Inn and have stayed at this hotel for work, so i knew it was close to Disney Springs and a nice hotel overall with a good pool. Check in was easy. We did have a twin air mattress sent from Amazon to the hotel since my kids hat sharing a bed. the mattress was $34 with shipping and we used it all 5 nights at HI and BLT so that made sleeping arrangements much better with no fighting.
We went to pool and then to Disney springs for dinner at Delux which is a fav of mine. Big line but went fast about 20 minutes. We did the Christmas Tree walk - very lame in my opinion. And we watched the drone show at 7pm as well. Neat but not breathtaking at all.
Dec 29
We got up 645 and ate and headed to Clearwater to go to the Aquarium with Winter and Hope from the Dolphin Tail movies. It was about $70 for the 4 tickets. Drive was easy. They have the actual movie sets and props at one location in downtown and then the trolley takes u to the Aquarium. We got there right at 9am so not crowded. There were lots of "extras" you could "donate" to and do such as $70 for a photo with HOpe. or $195 to interact for 15 minutes with HOpe. some other photo ops, or hold Winters prosthetic tail for $25 with a photo. We skipped all those. We left about 11am and felt that was plenty of time. on the drive back we saw a billboard for Grandpa Johnson bar b q and were lucky enough to find it in Plant City! it was great. Total out of the way location in the middle of nowhere, but FANTASTIC food!
Then we drove back and swam all afternoon - a bit breezy but nice about 75 degrees. (heard the helicopters as well fly overhead every 5-10 minutes).
We packed that night and loaded the car with everything but our sleeping clothes, the new air mattresss and the next days clothes.
The goal was to get up at 545, eat and drive to BLT and walk to MK for 7 am rope drop.
but it was going to be 40 degrees at 7am and only get up to the mid 50's, so that was going to be fun!
ME
DW
DS 8
DD 12
(all experienced disney folks, so we don't go commando at the parks, but we do rope drop!)
Dec 28 - flew down through Atlanta and connected to Melbourne airport. Rent car and drive to Holiday Inn Disney Springs for 2 nights
Dec 29 - drive to Clearwater Aquarium and see Winter & Hope
Dec 30 - hit MK at EMH at 7am after dropping car at BLT
Dec 31 - Epcot and watch NYE fireworks at MK from TOTWL
Jan 1 - pool day all day
Jan 2 - pool day til 1 then fly home
I found a trip report on another board that helped me a lot and choosing which parks to go to and expectations. I really believe the Tier'd tickets and blackout dates to this holiday weekend helped with crowds a ton. I decided to do MK on the 30th and Epcot on NYE. Our original plan was to be at Epcot for the 6pm Illuminations that had the holiday ending, then make it back to BLT for dinner at 8 and then fireworks at TOTWL. I planned on MK on the 30th being packed and really tried to keep all expectations with my kids in check.
Dec 28
Originally we were flying in Delta through ATL to MLB. About 3 weeks ago i checked and say there was a flight change, and i was floored i didn't get a notice, my Detroit flight was now leaving later and landing "AFTER MY CONNECTION". How did Delta not automatically fix this? so i called and instead of leaving at 140 pm and eventually landing at MLB at 730pm, i was able to get moved to the 825am departure which still connected through ATL but landed at MLB at 140. so now we have like a bonus afternoon and evening to go to Disney Springs.
I fly a lot for work and we travel most holidays. I totally underestimated Dec 28 crowds. We showed up 90 minutes early and the lines were nuts. I have sky priority for Delta and that line was insane as well. we got to the airport at 7am for our 825 am flight. at 745 i was still in priority luggage lane and i told the wife and kids to go to the gate and i'll do my best to make it. The left and then suddenly 2 more agents showed up and i got done in like 10 minutes. I went to TSA precheck, my wife went to sky prioriy lane instead of TSA and we ended up coming out of the security at the same time. about 8am. we caught the monorail, sadly walked by starbucks without stopping and boarded our plane right away. Note: i live on starbucks in the morning, so not having it was not a good start. When we finally connected we hit SB about 1130 and then some lunch and made our connection to Melbourne. Very smooth. Luggage out right away, not at all like waiting at MCO. Got a rental car and we drive the 90 minutes to the Holiday Inn. i had points for Holiday Inn and have stayed at this hotel for work, so i knew it was close to Disney Springs and a nice hotel overall with a good pool. Check in was easy. We did have a twin air mattress sent from Amazon to the hotel since my kids hat sharing a bed. the mattress was $34 with shipping and we used it all 5 nights at HI and BLT so that made sleeping arrangements much better with no fighting.
We went to pool and then to Disney springs for dinner at Delux which is a fav of mine. Big line but went fast about 20 minutes. We did the Christmas Tree walk - very lame in my opinion. And we watched the drone show at 7pm as well. Neat but not breathtaking at all.
Dec 29
We got up 645 and ate and headed to Clearwater to go to the Aquarium with Winter and Hope from the Dolphin Tail movies. It was about $70 for the 4 tickets. Drive was easy. They have the actual movie sets and props at one location in downtown and then the trolley takes u to the Aquarium. We got there right at 9am so not crowded. There were lots of "extras" you could "donate" to and do such as $70 for a photo with HOpe. or $195 to interact for 15 minutes with HOpe. some other photo ops, or hold Winters prosthetic tail for $25 with a photo. We skipped all those. We left about 11am and felt that was plenty of time. on the drive back we saw a billboard for Grandpa Johnson bar b q and were lucky enough to find it in Plant City! it was great. Total out of the way location in the middle of nowhere, but FANTASTIC food!
Then we drove back and swam all afternoon - a bit breezy but nice about 75 degrees. (heard the helicopters as well fly overhead every 5-10 minutes).
We packed that night and loaded the car with everything but our sleeping clothes, the new air mattresss and the next days clothes.
The goal was to get up at 545, eat and drive to BLT and walk to MK for 7 am rope drop.
but it was going to be 40 degrees at 7am and only get up to the mid 50's, so that was going to be fun!