Updated: Feb Trip plans "It's a Bit Less Humid Today, Right?" - a September 2018 Trip Report

Enjoy the yacht club and wilderness lodge!
thank you! I'm *super* excited to try these two resorts. :)

VERY exciting!

Is Priceline Express the one where you can’t be certain of which resort you are getting until you book?

Can you cancel without penalty? I want to look into some Sept options.

For solo....first, your times when you and Trevor split off to ride attractionsb/c he doesn’t like some rides were great practice runs for solo trips. You saw that you could still enjoy things even when alone.

Second...just stay busy...which is easy to do at WDW. The only time I really felt like a fish out of water was alone at the hotel.

Yep, that's the one. Theoretically that's why you get the discounts, is there's "no way" to know what it is til you book it. There are no cancellations, so that's definitely something to factor in (the confirmation says "Remember, your Priceline hotel reservation is non-refundable, non-transferable and non-changeable."). But there's a great thread on here and touring plans did a blog post about booking these deals and how to figure out which hotels are Disney hotels, so with all that info, I felt pretty confident booking. :) You can get some great deals, so I'd definitely recommend looking for September.

Thanks for the advice! I think I'm definitely planning to stay busy...always so much to do at WDW!
 
Current Plans! Totally Set in Stone! Definitely Not Going to Change!

Maybe I should have started a pre-trip report, I keep adding posts here! This trip is giving me more troubles with trying to plan my days than September ever did....I did commit and bought tickets to Disney After Hours: Hollywood Studios for February 9th, my arrival night. Riding RnRC and ToT over and over again sounds amazing.

TanElasticAnophelesmosquito-small.gif

I originally had planned to eat at the Brown Derby before DAH:HS, but then the Storybook Dining at Artist Point opened. It looks awesome! I'm desperately trying to get an ADR there for around 6 pm or so. I got lucky and snagged one at 4:40 pm, but hoping to get one a bit later. My husband loves Grumpy, and I need to get him a picture. :)

My current plans are still a bit in flux...I think a lot of this will be just how I feel at the moment. I'm ok with that. :)

Feb 9th: Arrival Day: MK and HS

  • Flight lands at 11:07am at MCO. DME to Wilderness Lodge.
  • Magic Kingdom! No lunch plans set yet--depends on timing. :)
    • FP #1: 1:10 to 2:10: Peter Pan's Flight
    • FP #2: 2:25 to 3:25: SDMT
    • FP #3: 3:25 to 4:25: Haunted Mansion
  • 6:00 pm (ish...hopefully!): Artist Point: Storybook Dining! I have Touring Plans ADR finder going, but so far no luck
  • Disney After Hours: Hollywood Studios. 8:30 to 11:30
  • Trader Sam's bar at the Poly? maybe? It's open til 1 am
Feb 10th: Epcot
  • Check out of Wilderness Lodge and check in to Yacht Club
  • Epcot Festival of the Arts day!
    • FP#1: 9 to 10am: Soarin
    • FP#2: 10 to 11am: Spaceship Earth
    • FP#3: 11 to 12 noon: Mission Space
    • Check out the 11:30 am seminar: Disney Store Design Odyssey Festival Showplace
    • Eat at the booths
    • Broadway concert: Heidi Blickenstaff & Gavin Lee. 5:30, 6:45 & 8:00. Not sure which I'll catch...also hoping there's an AP line for reserved seating.... :)
  • Ample Hills creamery!
Feb 11th: Epcot
  • Check out of Yacht Club and check in to All Star Music
  • Epcot Festival of the Arts day!
    • 8:30 ADR Garden Grill, with tickets to the 8pm Broadway concert (I may cancel this if there's an AP line for seating at the concert? Or just if I don't feel like it? I'm on the fence)
    • FP#1: 9 to 10am: Soarin
    • FP#2: 10 to 11am: Spaceship Earth
    • FP#3: 11:05 to 12:05 pm: Pixar Film Festival
    • Eat at the booths
    • Broadway concert: Ashley Brown & Josh Strickland. 5:30, 6:45 & 8:00pm. If I keep my Garden Grill breakfast, I'll catch the 8pm one. Otherwise...who knows? :)
Feb 12th: AK/Disney Springs/Epcot
  • So I think I'm committing to doing AK in the morning today...I made fastpasses to that effect! :)
    • FP#1: 9 to 10am: Flight of Passage (duck in and out of Pandora land! :D)
    • FP#2: 10 to 11am: Safaris
    • FP#3: 11 to 12noon: Expedition Everest
  • 1:05pm ADR: Sanaa. I want that bread service! :)
  • Disney Springs
    • World of Disney, Ever After, Amorette's Patisserie (gotta pick up a cake for breakfast...), the Ganachery...
  • When I'm bored, head back to Epcot for more Festival of the Arts. Ashley Brown & Josh Strickland are back doing the Broadway concert tonight. Dinner at the booths? Maybe dinner at Flying Fish? Dunno. Really up in the air. :)
Feb 13th: Magic Kingdom
  • FP#1: 9 to 10am: Buzz Lightyear
  • FP#2: 10 to 11am: Space Mountain
  • FP#3: 11:05 to 12:05 pm: SDMT
  • Lunch: I am torn. Not sure whether to do Skipper Canteen or the Plaza, cause I love both of them. I currently have a 12 noon ADR for Skipper Canteen, but can't find any ADRs for the Plaza, which seems a bit weird. Guess I'll just see how I feel on the day. :)
  • 6:00 ADR: Be Our Guest!
  • Happily Ever After Fireworks! 8 pm. I'm hoping that a 6pm ADR will get me out in enough time to see them? Not sure...
  • EMH: 8 to 10 pm
Feb 14th: Departure Day!
  • Not entirely set on my plans for today. Currently thinking another AK morning.
  • FP#1: 9:05 to 10:05am: Flight of Passage
  • FP#2: 10:05 to 11:05am: Safaris
  • FP#3: 11:05 to 12:05pm: Everest
  • 12 noon ADR: Yak n Yeti
  • DME at 3 pm from All Star Music
  • 6:25 plane back home.
 
So, I want to say at one point in time, The Plaza only took reservations from like 11:00-12:00 and then 1:00-2:00 and the other times were walk up only? Maybe? If you want to eat there’s, give it a try. You can’t loose with either really.
 
Darn, looks like we will just miss each other! We are there Feb 5-9 and 14-16, with a cruise in between. Doing AK on Feb 9, so no overlap there!

But I hope you have fun!
 


So, I want to say at one point in time, The Plaza only took reservations from like 11:00-12:00 and then 1:00-2:00 and the other times were walk up only? Maybe? If you want to eat there’s, give it a try. You can’t loose with either really.
Oh, riiiiight, I forgot about that. Yea, I kind of figured I'd see what my mood was and try walking up to the Plaza.

Darn, looks like we will just miss each other! We are there Feb 5-9 and 14-16, with a cruise in between. Doing AK on Feb 9, so no overlap there!

But I hope you have fun!
Aw dang, that is a bummer! But you're going to have an awesome vacation--a cruise bookended by WDW? I hope you do a TR :)
 
So my mom might be coming on the trip now! That would be awesome, but they're moving in January, so she and Dad are still deciding if the timing and budget works. :) I think it'd be really fun if she could come--she's never been!

Anyways, I'm continuing planning like it's a just me, so I'm thinking about doing the dining plan for just that first night.
For 2019, the Standard Dining Plan costs $75.48 per adult--I figure I can save about $10 doing the dining plan.
  • Artist Point Storybook dining: $49.50 ($25.98)--it's actually $55 but since I get 10% AP discount, I'm only counting how much that would cost. And I don't drink, so the whole alcoholic beverage thing doesn't help.
  • 2 snacks at Festival of the Arts on Feb 10th--estimate this at $14 since last year there was a bunch of $7 snack credit eligible items at the Festival of the Arts booths ($11.98)
  • QS--I can convert this to 3 snacks, or use it for breakfast at WL. If I convert it to snacks, I could prob get $21 worth of use out of it
The refillable mug I don't count, 'cause that's a bonus. I wouldn't buy it but I'll take it if it comes with the dining plan.
1534598872.5476-smiley.gif
Though, the dining plan website says that "All unused meals and snacks and the ability to use your refillable mug expire at midnight on your package reservation checkout date." Is that true? I thought the refillable mug expired after 10 days? Anyone have any recent experience with this?
 
"All unused meals and snacks and the ability to use your refillable mug expire at midnight on your package reservation checkout date." Is that true? I thought the refillable mug expired after 10 days? Anyone have any recent experience with this?
So, it is confusing but I do think it should work for the length of your entire stay... What would you use it for? Cause really that is mostly for the soda, the coffee and tea don't have readers, and I don't think anyone would stop you from using it at those.
 


So, it is confusing but I do think it should work for the length of your entire stay... What would you use it for? Cause really that is mostly for the soda, the coffee and tea don't have readers, and I don't think anyone would stop you from using it at those.

Aah, gotcha. Yea, I'd probably use it mostly for soda. I just thought I remembered reading (or maybe I made up? totally possible) that the readers aren't really sophisticated enough for dates, they just allow 10 straight days once they're activated. Not a huge deal, cause like I said, bonus! :)
 
So fun if your mom joins in on your trip. I am pricing out hotels for April. An extra person sure makes the hotel room prices more reasonable! I hope I can find one of the express deals like you did.....hoping for something on Crescent Lake. May go with Swan/Dolphin.

I didn’t know you could do the dining plan for only 1 day....is that because it’s a split stay?

Your plans look great. Trip will be here soon. :yay:
 
Aah, gotcha. Yea, I'd probably use it mostly for soda. I just thought I remembered reading (or maybe I made up? totally possible) that the readers aren't really sophisticated enough for dates, they just allow 10 straight days once they're activated. Not a huge deal, cause like I said, bonus! :)
I am honestly not sure. I think they can code it in. You could always just ask them to code it for longer. But I believe you should be able to get it to last the whole trip. Cause if you buy a single one, it shouldn't matter what resort you are at.

I am hoping this is the case. We aren't doing the dinning plan any more. I plan on getting a mug or two for us for the week. And we have the 3 hotel stays.
 
I am honestly not sure. I think they can code it in. You could always just ask them to code it for longer. But I believe you should be able to get it to last the whole trip. Cause if you buy a single one, it shouldn't matter what resort you are at.

I am hoping this is the case. We aren't doing the dinning plan any more. I plan on getting a mug or two for us for the week. And we have the 3 hotel stays.

So I did some more searching on the boards, and it looks like the mugs are always good for 14 days, regardless of length of stay. You shouldn't have any problem :)
 
So fun if your mom joins in on your trip. I am pricing out hotels for April. An extra person sure makes the hotel room prices more reasonable! I hope I can find one of the express deals like you did.....hoping for something on Crescent Lake. May go with Swan/Dolphin.

I didn’t know you could do the dining plan for only 1 day....is that because it’s a split stay?

Your plans look great. Trip will be here soon. :yay:

Good luck! Try both hotwire and priceline, people have had luck at both. :)

Yep, dining plan has to be for length of stay, but if you booked only one night, then length of stay is only one night :)

yay! can't wait!
 
image1 (1).jpeg

Magic bands are here! My split-stay-apalooza is almost here! :)

Mom has decided not to come, so it's just me, which honestly I'm ok with. I wish Mom could have come, but I'm definitely ok with a solo trip. Though I'm a moron and didn't realize that I couldn't book the dining plan since I booked through Priceline. Apparently I would have had to buy it through Priceline and they don't sell it. Oh well, it would only have saved me like $10.

But I think my plans are fairly well set--they haven't changed from my above post, except that I found out Paige O'Hara is going to be at Epcot on February 14th, so if the times work out (ie, if she'll be there before I get picked up by the Tragical Express) I'll head over to Epcot at some point on that day.

Excited! :)
 
So, for reals this time, Mom is coming with me! Circumstances have shaken out in such a way that she can come with me--I'm super excited! It's her first time at Disneyworld, and also going to be her 60th birthday, so, should be super fun. Of course now I'm over here freaking out trying to get all my fastpasses doubled...wish me luck that I can score a Flight of Passage for her! Hopefully my September fastpass luck continues--I got pretty lucky with same day fastpass scores, so hopefully I can do that again.

Also, 5 more days!!
 
So, for reals this time, Mom is coming with me! Circumstances have shaken out in such a way that she can come with me--I'm super excited! It's her first time at Disneyworld, and also going to be her 60th birthday, so, should be super fun. Of course now I'm over here freaking out trying to get all my fastpasses doubled...wish me luck that I can score a Flight of Passage for her! Hopefully my September fastpass luck continues--I got pretty lucky with same day fastpass scores, so hopefully I can do that again.

Also, 5 more days!!
YEAH!!! You are soooo close!!!! Jealous! I still have 17 days... Slowly getting there.
 
YEAH!!! You are soooo close!!!! Jealous! I still have 17 days... Slowly getting there.

It'll be here before you know it, though that week before will DRAG. There's even a big launch going on at work for me this week, and then the constant trying to get fastpasses for Mom, and it *still* feels like this week is dragging. Come on, Saturday!
 
It'll be here before you know it, though that week before will DRAG. There's even a big launch going on at work for me this week, and then the constant trying to get fastpasses for Mom, and it *still* feels like this week is dragging. Come on, Saturday!
Well, one more day down!

I was just talking with a co-worker who is on vacation next week. And he was so over the week and ready to go.

Of course there is a big launch before you go! Hopefully that will make the work time go by faster. I do billing at my office, so I almost always and trying to get the billing done the day I leave.

Good luck with the fast passes situation.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top