Plan, plan and plan some more-AKA Mom's driving her son nuts- A September 2017 PTR

[CatNipRules]

I'm with you sorta...yes and no.

I would PREFER to not have to plan every facet of my vacation so far ahead of time, because:
It's a vacation
What sounds good today (food) may not 6 months from now
Someone gets sick (it's happened more than once), so that changes the best laid plans
Weather. When we were there in Feb, we had the rain that actually ended up flooding MK.
Individuals -- what if someone is really tired or injures themselves or whatever? If you've already got the day fully planned, little room for modification.

I'm sure there are some others, but those are what I could think of now. I guess in a nutshell, I consider a vacation should be rest & relaxation and not constantly trying to figure out where we have to be next.


Now the flipside
I understand the only way you're going to get the things you want is planning well ahead.
If planned well, it can save a lot of wear and tear on feet.

We kind of know what we like to eat. I have a VERY picky child. When he was little the majority of his diet was chicken fingers or pizza. Now, I have kind of put my foot down and told him he wil find something to eat on the menu.

On our last trip we had some days where we were exhausted. We would make early days of it and go back to the hotel and rest.

I can understand planning some of it, but the people I'm talking about are the ones that plan nothing and then do nothing but complain. LOL!!

 

[CatNipRules]

Okay, so Monday is my fastpass day. I think I have most of them figured out. Epcot is always so hard.

So, I have a question about Room requests. I've never stayed at AKL. We have a pool view reserved. Is there anything else that I should request? I'm a total newbie when it comes to there.

I almost spilled the beans on where we were staying at Universal. Chris and I were talking about the trip and I mentioned early entry. He was like, for Disney right. In my head I'm thinking crap....Yeah..Exactly for Disney. I made it up like I was confused...LOL!! He's used to me being weird. LOL!! He has no idea we are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge. I know this because he was talking to Jordan the other day and telling him about the hotel. He thinks we are staying at Riverside.

So, I bought us lanyards for Universal. I didn't like the Minion ones. They were huge. Like the size of wallets. So, I got Harry Potter ones. I like them much better. Slytherin for Chris, Hufflepuff for me and Gryffindor for Jordan. They are a much better fit.

I also ordered some headbands. 10 for Disney and 4 for Universal. One for each day. They are so cute. Themed for each day. I bought from the same person when we went 4 years ago. I still have some of them, but my nieces took most of them. LOL!! So I wanted new ones. LOL!!

Three Harry Potter themed ones and a Cat In The Hat one. The Disney ones are some Anna and Elsa and various other characters. I'll post pictures when they are done. LOL!!

 

[Raeven]

Okay, so Monday is my fastpass day. I think I have most of them figured out. Epcot is always so hard.

Yeah for Epcot I have one day with TT, and one day with Soarin and SE

So, I have a question about Room requests. I've never stayed at AKL. We have a pool view reserved. Is there anything else that I should request? I'm a total newbie when it comes to there.

What are your choices for AKL? I would do close to transportation and maybe lower floor. At AKL you'll be closer to the animals on a lower floor if you end up with a room that overlooks the savanna.

I almost spilled the beans on where we were staying at Universal. Chris and I were talking about the trip and I mentioned early entry. He was like, for Disney right. In my head I'm thinking crap....Yeah..Exactly for Disney. I made it up like I was confused...LOL!!

"Oh no I'm so confused and I don't know what I'm talking about". I think I did that to Josh once when I was keeping the surprise a secret.

I'll post pictures when they are done. LOL!!

Can't wait to see!

 

[CatNipRules]

Rant ahead..... Spoilers also

So, I'm not really happy with a lot of the changes that they are making to Disney. They are closing the Great Movie on August 13th. They are closing Ellen's Energy Adventure on August 13th. So, Ellen's I'm not really upset about. It's time for that one to be redone. However, the Great Movie Ride is a awesome classic. Okay, so what we will have like 3 rides in the park and a handful of shows. Most of the park in under construction. They charge the same price to go inside. I think that's one park we will cross off our list for our upcoming trip.

I understand that they have to evolve and change, but they should wait to close until the rest of the other lands open. Or charge less for admission. It doesn't make good business sense to have most of the park under construction.....

 

[Raeven]

So, I'm not really happy with a lot of the changes that they are making to Disney. They are closing the Great Movie on August 13th. They are closing Ellen's Energy Adventure on August 13th. So, Ellen's I'm not really upset about. It's time for that one to be redone.

I'm totally loving most the news (especially the Epcot news, as you know I'm not a Star Wars fan). I love Guardians and have never been on Ellen, BUT I am so upset about The Great Movie Ride! It's my favorite at HS. And while I have faith that Disney will create something incredible the idea they came out with is really different than what I thought. I'm very disappointed that Old Hollywood theme of HS is slowly going away. I really thought we'd have one last chance to ride in Sep (because why would it close before then?), and was very surprised to find it closed before our trip.

. However, the Great Movie Ride is a awesome classic. Okay, so what we will have like 3 rides in the park and a handful of shows. Most of the park in under construction. They charge the same price to go inside. I think that's one park we will cross off our list for our upcoming trip.

If we didn't have APs this trip I think we might skip it too. I can't do most the rides there, so my only options are shows, meet and greets, food and TSMM. Which is still something, and I love HS too but I don't know if it's enough for most people. Without our AP I'd skip it till next fall (I can't wait for Toy Story Land)!

 

[Dumbo777]

I just started following this thread. I'm so sorry to hear about your husband. I understand how difficult it must be. My mom lost my brother and my grandpa within a month of each other. The holidays and Jan Feb time are really hard for her. I try to cheer here up around that time as much as possible. Big hugs to you.

I wanted to ask a question. Is T rex really that bad? We are taking our first Disney trip in April 2018. We are taking my son and daughter for their birthdays. My son's only request is that we eat at T Rex. Is it really that bad that we should consider not getting reservations? Thanks

 

[CatNipRules]

I just started following this thread. I'm so sorry to hear about your husband. I understand how difficult it must be. My mom lost my brother and my grandpa within a month of each other. The holidays and Jan Feb time are really hard for her. I try to cheer here up around that time as much as possible. Big hugs to you.

I wanted to ask a question. Is T rex really that bad? We are taking our first Disney trip in April 2018. We are taking my son and daughter for their birthdays. My son's only request is that we eat at T Rex. Is it really that bad that we should consider not getting reservations? Thanks

Thank you. I appreciate it. It's very hard. I couldn't imagine losing 2 people. It's just wow...

T-Rex isn't that bad. I think we might have caught it on an off night. Plus, it was our first night there. We had driven all day and we were starving. I think that coupled with everything else it just made me grrr...LOL!! We are going to do it again this coming trip. My son loves it. I can promist you that your son will love it also. LOL!!

 

[Dumbo777]

Thank you. I appreciate it. It's very hard. I couldn't imagine losing 2 people. It's just wow...

T-Rex isn't that bad. I think we might have caught it on an off night. Plus, it was our first night there. We had driven all day and we were starving. I think that coupled with everything else it just made me grrr...LOL!! We are going to do it again this coming trip. My son loves it. I can promist you that your son will love it also. LOL!!

Thanks you so much. We are so excited about our trip. I'm trying to keep it a secret from the you get kids, but it's killing me. My son will be turning eleven and my daughter will turn three while we are there. We also have a sixteen year old daughter that is coming also. I'm trying to think of everything I can do to make it extra magical while we are there. I have started travel journals for them and have been collecting little items for Tinkerbell gifts. I see that you had mentioned headbands, is there an Etsy shop that you buy them from? Thank you

 

[CatNipRules]

Thanks you so much. We are so excited about our trip. I'm trying to keep it a secret from the you get kids, but it's killing me. My son will be turning eleven and my daughter will turn three while we are there. We also have a sixteen year old daughter that is coming also. I'm trying to think of everything I can do to make it extra magical while we are there. I have started travel journals for them and have been collecting little items for Tinkerbell gifts. I see that you had mentioned headbands, is there an Etsy shop that you buy them from? Thank you

I'm never able to keep a secret. Although I'm keeping the hotel where we are staying at Disney and Universal a secret. LOL!! I'm pretty impressed with myself. LOL!! I'll message you with a link to the shop that I ordered my ear from. Since I'm not sure I can post it here directly.

 

[Dumbo777]

Thank you so much. M

I'm never able to keep a secret. Although I'm keeping the hotel where we are staying at Disney and Universal a secret. LOL!! I'm pretty impressed with myself. LOL!! I'll message you with a link to the shop that I ordered my ear from. Since I'm not sure I can post it here directly.

Thank you so much. My 16 yr old knows we are going, so at least I have someone to share some of my excitement with but I'm pretty sure that I am driving her crazy with all my Disney talk.

 

[CatNipRules]

Thank you so much. M




Thank you so much. My 16 yr old knows we are going, so at least I have someone to share some of my excitement with but I'm pretty sure that I am driving her crazy with all my Disney talk.

It won't let me message you, but the shop name is LeEars714

My son is the same way. I think he's sick and tired of me talking about Disney all the time. Getting ready to write an update about the latest....LOL!

 

[Dumbo777]

It won't let me message you, but the shop name is LeEars714

My son is the same way. I think he's sick and tired of me talking about Disney all the time. Getting ready to write an update about the latest....LOL!

Can't wait

 

[CatNipRules]

OKay, so today was our fast pass day. Lets just say that I was up way too early. I had planned on getting up at 5:30. Giving me time to wake up and get some caffeine in me. I'd already printed off my list of rides to fast pass. We managed to get everything we wanted. Got both of the Pandora rides, but on different days. Also did a Fast Pass for Rivers of Light. Not 100% sure on that one. Well, for some reason it won't let me make fast passes for Mission Space. I just checked and supposedly Mission Space isn't opening until October 1st. Really??? Ugh!! All the more reason to plan another trip.

Of course, I tell Chris what attractions I've got fast passes for and he starts complaining. Mostly about the Hollywood Studios ones. I did a fastpass for Frozen sing along. It's all he could complain about all day. I finally looked at him and told him that we are doing it. He had months to tell me what fastpasses he thinks we should do and he waits until after I make them to complain. I know that it's stupid, but I just turned away from him and walked into my room and started crying. Today was just overwhelming for so many reasons. Mostly because my bed frame cracked tonight and I'm going to need to get a new one. Chris reminded me that it's old. I couldn't tell him the real reason I was upset....

Oh and I did online checkin. There are very few requests for Animal Kingdom Lodge. I made the mistake of telling Chris that I requested the top floor. Crap. He knows that Port Orleans has 2 floors and no elevators. Crapola.... So, I did the standard, well crap I forgot about that. Because I'm going to have an ECV with me. And we aren't taking it apart to carry it upstairs. LOL!!

Now because he's going to wonder why we are going to City Walk instead of the offsite hotel, I told him that we were going to eat there. See? Mom does have some brains. Of course it's hard keeping it a secret. LOL!! I'm not the worlds best secret keeper on the best of days. Only 60 more days....lol...

 

[Raeven]

We managed to get everything we wanted.

Also did a Fast Pass for Rivers of Light. Not 100% sure on that one.

I think right now the FP and dining packages are still the only way to get a seat.

Well, for some reason it won't let me make fast passes for Mission Space. I just checked and supposedly Mission Space isn't opening until October 1st. Really??? Ugh!! All the more reason to plan another trip.

Ugh I found that out too. I was going to make one for Josh.

Of course, I tell Chris what attractions I've got fast passes for and he starts complaining. Mostly about the Hollywood Studios ones. I did a fastpass for Frozen sing along.

What else does he expect you to FP in HS?

I know that it's stupid, but I just turned away from him and walked into my room and started crying. Today was just overwhelming for so many reasons. Mostly because my bed frame cracked tonight and I'm going to need to get a new one. Chris reminded me that it's old. I couldn't tell him the real reason I was upset....

Aw hope you feel better about things. And I'm sure he appreciates that you woke up early and got all the FP's, he probably doesn't realize how hard you're working to make the trip perfect because all he sees is the end result.

There are very few requests for Animal Kingdom Lodge.

So today I saw that my original choice of YC was available again! I figured if we're spending the same amount of money now why not go where I had wanted to originally? But yeah there was only 3 choices for online check in upper, lower, and ground floor. That's the smallest amount I've ever seen.

I made the mistake of telling Chris that I requested the top floor. Crap. He knows that Port Orleans has 2 floors and no elevators.

Oops I didn't even know that

So, I did the standard, well crap I forgot about that. Because I'm going to have an ECV with me. And we aren't taking it apart to carry it upstairs. LOL!!

You're so forgetful lately "Did I say top floor, I meant bottom floor of course..."

Now because he's going to wonder why we are going to City Walk instead of the offsite hotel, I told him that we were going to eat there.

That makes sense to me. After all you're meeting us there! Just tell him it's for dismeets

See? Mom does have some brains. Of course it's hard keeping it a secret. LOL!! I'm not the worlds best secret keeper on the best of days. Only 60 more days....lol...

Lol so close!

 

[CatNipRules]

What else does he expect you to FP in HS?

Aw hope you feel better about things. And I'm sure he appreciates that you woke up early and got all the FP's, he probably doesn't realize how hard you're working to make the trip perfect because all he sees is the end result.

Oops I didn't even know that

You're so forgetful lately "Did I say top floor, I meant bottom floor of course..."

That makes sense to me. After all you're meeting us there! Just tell him it's for dismeets

Lol so close!

Yeah. He said that he would rather do the Indiana Jones show. We have done that show to death honestly. I'm not a huge fan of it to be honest. The whole park is just not my favorite. I think if it wasn't for Jordan going with us we would skip it. Jordan does like Star Wars. So, we will probably spend a little time there doing that.

I was just having one of those days on Monday. In the end, I think he was kidding with me and I took it the wrong way. Plus I was exhausted and some other things had happened that had me upset. LOL!! I'm feeling better now. I told him that dragging him to the Frozen Sing Along is a way for me to make him suffer. LOL!!

Yeah. I totally for that. He has a good memory for some things. Other things he forgets almost as soon as I mention them. LOL!!

I am meeting you there. LOL!! He just doesn't know when.

 

[Raeven]

Yeah. He said that he would rather do the Indiana Jones show. We have done that show to death honestly. I'm not a huge fan of it to be honest. The whole park is just not my favorite. I think if it wasn't for Jordan going with us we would skip it. Jordan does like Star Wars. So, we will probably spend a little time there doing that.

So we've never done that show because it's outside-ish and we can never bring ourselves to do outside shows when we go in May/September. He will be thanking you for choosing something with air conditioning when the time comes lol.

Josh didn't watch the show when we went but he did appreciate the nap in the cold air.

I was just having one of those days on Monday. In the end, I think he was kidding with me and I took it the wrong way. Plus I was exhausted and some other things had happened that had me upset. LOL!! I'm feeling better now. I told him that dragging him to the Frozen Sing Along is a way for me to make him suffer. LOL!!

Glad you're feeling better!

I am meeting you there. LOL!! He just doesn't know when.

 

[CatNipRules]

So, I thought I had all of my ADR's planned. Yeah right. So, basically I've been up in the air about a few of them. Well, the ROL dining packages came out for September today. Thank you @Raeven So, I booked a ADR for Tiffins. I was originally going to do one for Tusker house, but there weren't any for breakfast. They had some for lunch, but we prefer the breakfast there honestly. So, I went ahead a booked one for Tiffins.

Then I reserved an Eat To The Beat breakfast for Garden Grill. I wanted to get one for the day that Air Supply was going to be there. Unfortunately there was nothing available. So, we are going to see Sister Hazel. There are a few others that I'm thinking about either canceling or changing. Simply because I'm seeing how close together I scheduled some of them. I clearly wasn't thinking when I reserved them. LOL!!

 

[ariel_fan76]

Just started following!!!

 

[Raeven]

So, I thought I had all of my ADR's planned. Yeah right. So, basically I've been up in the air about a few of them.

Well, the ROL dining packages came out for September today. Thank you @Raeven

 

[CatNipRules]

Just started following!!!

Thank you for following along!! Great to have you here!