Nine Nights: Filling 2019 with Disney Adventures around the World *New TR Link 7/31

[luvpoohandcompany]

Alicia I would ask either in the disney moms panel or start a new thread in the disboards. I’m sure someone will know. I had read that the on-site reservation overrides the 7 day limit for annual passholders but I can’t remember which thread I read it on- sorry. If I get a chance later I’ll try to find it. Just keep breathing- I’m sure it will be fine xx

 

[suse66]

Then the move madness started. Lately, I have been swamped with getting everything in order to leave Germany, and I know it’s ten times worse for Alex right now. We’re keeping our heads afloat, but it’s taking a lot of work and a massive amount of organization. You should see our phone calendars; it’s just a stream of deadlines and appointments and to-do lists.

I can't even imagine the stress and busyness of moving countries! You have a lot on your plate!

And it’s three days after Halloween.

Can we just discuss how precious these babies are?? The cutest Peter Pan and Tink ever!!

If I were to go to the Wine and Dine race weekend, I would want to participate in all three races. I’d also want to frontload the trip in order to be able to do Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Halloween Horror Nights.

And I want to take the trip with my mom and do a couple special outings, such as a day at Discovery Cove and brunch at California Grill.

I totally get wanting the trip to be the way you want it to be. If it is meant to be, it will all work out.

Our first day in the parks will be a special occasion. A little bit of wiggling and some smart planning allowed me to be at Disney with my mom on her birthday. This won’t be the first time she celebrated her big day at Disney (she went a few years ago with friends) but this will be MY first time going with her, and I’m really excited.

So awesome! What a special day that will be for you both!

None of us have ever done Turtle Talk with Crush before, and I think the kids are old enough now that they’d enjoy the show. In a perfect world, we will be able to knock that out this morning.

I think they will love it! My boys were 6 and 8 the first time they saw it and they loved it. I still love it, lol!

In the late afternoon, we will all head back to Epcot and make our way slowly around the World Showcase.

Perfect!

For my mom’s birthday dinner, we are going to be dining at Via Napoli. This is both of our favorite Disney restaurants and a must do on every one of my vacations. I should probably feel bad that I have eaten here 6 times when there’s dozens of other Epcot restaurants I have never tried before.

I get it....I had my first Via Napoli meal on my March trip and am now a proud member of their fan club. It is awesome!

Putting my educated brain to work, I pondered the situation over and realized the easiest solution would be to flip flop the day’s plans. I hopped on the dining page and found a 12:30 Le Cellier lunch on that same day. I booked it and moved my remaining two Fastpasses to a later time in the afternoon.

You know, I think that's an even better plan. Having your big meal at lunch time gives you more time to digest and not feel so full going to bed. And really, Animal Kingdom at night is so special. Especially riding Everest in the dark!!

Also, Disney announced the Villain’s After Hours Party at the MK which messed with our tentative plans! I had been impatiently waiting for June days to be released for the MK After Hours Party, and I’m probably one of the few people who were disappointed with this announcement. Alex and I don’t care much for villains – that was my half marathon’s theme last year so I’m kind of “villained” out – and this raised the price of the event by a few dollars. Between the high demand for the event, the higher cost, and dates not coinciding I have had to give up the idea of attending the event.

Same for us. I debated moving our trip dates but it would cost so much to change flights by a day and add an extra nights accommodation, that it just isn't worth it.

Does this sound correct to you guys? Anyone else encountered this issue? I'm pretty stressed about this new system that I was oblivious about up until today. And had I known I think Alex and I would have not become passholders and saved the money by staying at a Disney resort where we would be guaranteed the 14 days.

I am so stressed about this too! Really hoping that staying onsite over-rides this rule. It doesn't seem fair to passholders at all!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I think part of the problem is that they are seperate reservations, and then the fact that Shades of Green is slightly different rules. (Which is kind of crappy)

Can you book a fake reservation to span over all of the time to get the fast passes? Something cheap that you only need to hold onto for a little bit. @Lesley Wake is the master at this. I do believe that the hotel reservation would override the AP rule. As the rule is to stop AP holders from basically booking ALL of the FP's. So, having the on site reservation should allow you to book all the day.

This would mean I couldn't get passes on our final day, the 14th,

Otherwise, I would say treat the last day like a "mystery day" And once you can make reservations for that day, have the kids each pick a ride to book. And the adults pick the 3rd one. And I don't remember where you were going that day, but maybe make it Magic Kingdom? You will have the most options still for that park. You probably won't get 7DMT, but you could still get BTM possibly. And you will have plenty of options to get something, you know?

Or even take it a step further, and make the day a whole mystery day. Picking the park you want to go to once you are there as well. It might be kind of nice to be able to go with the flow a little?!?!

Bascially turn this silly rule into a fun little adventure and decide while you are there. I know it's crazy talk, but it might be a nice change of pace.

 

[missangelalexis]

That sounds so stressful! Unfortunately it's all way over my head and can't give any advice, but I just hope it all works out for you

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Disney VIP AP 1-(407) 939-7277

This is the number people with annual passes seem to be calling if they fall foul of the fastpass system. When you read the rules it seems that annual passholders can make 7 days fp for any 30 day period without a hotel reservation but they are able to get fp for resort stays the same as anyone else. There is a thread that says some people have problems occur when more than one trip booked and that calling that number seemed to get you to someone who can resolve issues. Crossing my fingers for you

 

[Lesley Wake]

Sorry didn’t see your latest posts til now!

I do not know if Shades of Green counts as a Disney Springs hotel. If it does then, yes, you are limited to just 7 days total. Super annoying and ridiculous in my opinion! Best way to get around it is to do what @StarWarsMomofGirls! just said, make an on-site reservation for your dates. Then you can book those fast passes. Another complication though-did you get a Platinum or Gold AP? If its Gold, then it could be another super annoying glitch, so you should make the on-site reservation include all the days from check-out of AKL to check-out of Shades. PM me if you have other questions!

 

[amazingact21]

So awesome! What a special day that will be for you both!

It's hard at times, living so far away from my mom, so I'm really excited to be with her on her birthday. I think just getting the opportunity to hang out with her in her favorite Disney park will be one of my favorite memories from the trip.

I think they will love it! My boys were 6 and 8 the first time they saw it and they loved it. I still love it, lol!

This is great to hear! I think I might book a Fastpass for it later in the week to make sure we see the show. (I tend to commit to something more than if I planned to fit it into the day.)

I get it....I had my first Via Napoli meal on my March trip and am now a proud member of their fan club. It is awesome!

It sounds silly, but when I went to Rome a few years ago one of the first foods I wanted to order was a pizza to see how it compared to Via Napoli.

You know, I think that's an even better plan. Having your big meal at lunch time gives you more time to digest and not feel so full going to bed. And really, Animal Kingdom at night is so special. Especially riding Everest in the dark!!

Very true. I do worry I won't be able to moderate myself and will eat too much at the Disney restaurants. Being able to walk off such a huge meal the rest of evening will hopefully help with that issue.
Expedition Everest at night is the best!

I am so stressed about this too! Really hoping that staying onsite over-rides this rule. It doesn't seem fair to passholders at all!

I can respect Disney trying to close the loopholes that were floating around, but I wish there was a way it didn't penalize passholders in the process. It's making a lot of passholders with trips close together scramble!

Otherwise, I would say treat the last day like a "mystery day" And once you can make reservations for that day, have the kids each pick a ride to book. And the adults pick the 3rd one. And I don't remember where you were going that day, but maybe make it Magic Kingdom? You will have the most options still for that park. You probably won't get 7DMT, but you could still get BTM possibly. And you will have plenty of options to get something, you know?

Or even take it a step further, and make the day a whole mystery day. Picking the park you want to go to once you are there as well. It might be kind of nice to be able to go with the flow a little?!?!

Bascially turn this silly rule into a fun little adventure and decide while you are there. I know it's crazy talk, but it might be a nice change of pace.

That's a really good piece of advice. Sometimes, I need to hear a new perspective on a situation; you helped me see how to make lemonade from lemons! By that point, the kids will have been to the parks 6 other days so all our must do's will have probably already been accomplished. They might appreciate having the "power" to choose what rides we do. Originally, I was going to get us Fastpasses for 7DMT that morning, but I was doing it more for Landon's sake. I got motion sick on the ride and don't have much desire to do it again, and we're still waiting to see if Evie hits the 38" mark. So it's really no big deal if we miss it.

Thanks for reminding me that, ultimately, a few days without Fastpasses is not the end of the world. The four of us will all be on vacation together, that's the important thing...

 

[amazingact21]

That sounds so stressful! Unfortunately it's all way over my head and can't give any advice, but I just hope it all works out for you

It was making my head swim, too! I have been out of the WDW loop for so long, I can't remember the old rules, never mind keep up with recent policy changes! I'm thinking planning a Disney trip in the middle of the move was an ambitious task, but hopefully once we are there and having fun this will all blow over.

There is a thread that says some people have problems occur when more than one trip booked and that calling that number seemed to get you to someone who can resolve issues. Crossing my fingers for you

Thanks for sharing the number. I'm going to keep it handy in case major problems arise when my Fastpass window opens. After mulling it over yesterday and talking to some people about it, not being able to get 2 days' worth of Fastpasses is not the end of the world. We'll still have fun regardless. I was getting swept up in the madness of Disney planning and forgetting the real reason for the vacation.

I do not know if Shades of Green counts as a Disney Springs hotel. If it does then, yes, you are limited to just 7 days total. Super annoying and ridiculous in my opinion! Best way to get around it is to do what @StarWarsMomofGirls! just said, make an on-site reservation for your dates. Then you can book those fast passes. Another complication though-did you get a Platinum or Gold AP? If its Gold, then it could be another super annoying glitch, so you should make the on-site reservation include all the days from check-out of AKL to check-out of Shades. PM me if you have other questions!

From what I dug up yesterday, Shades is considered a Disney Springs resort. It's my fault for not knowing about the 7 day limit before choosing Shades. Now I know and will plan accordingly for future trips. And yeah, my Annual Pass is a Gold one. I've realized I'm creating more stress on myself with trying to get Fastpasses for those two days of the trip, and I have to just take the hit. The move has taken all my attention and this trip is supposed to be a break from the madness, not create more. It's frustrating that the policy changes are making life harder for passholders; I feel terrible for people who have several trips coming up in the early summer!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Thanks for reminding me that, ultimately, a few da

It is easy to get focused on certain things. I think that is why these pre-trip reports are great. Get other oppions and ideas.

I know in the past trips, we had let the girls each pick 2 rides that they want to ride on the last time. And they loved the "power" to choose the rides.

And like you said the important thing is you guys being together. It will be a great trip!

 

[Steppesister]

Unfortunately, when I accessed the Fastpass page, the earliest time I could get for FOP was 5:50 to 6:50.

Right smack dab in the middle of our dinner.

Boo.

Well, that stinks! But, yeah, part of the planning is replanning. Always seems to happen.

If we can manage the DHS trip, then the rest of our morning will be slow going. We’ll take our time getting over to Epcot. The Flower and Garden Festival will still be in its last days, so I imagine we’ll get to the International Gateway when World Showcase opens at 11 and spend the next hour and a half enjoying its offerings. (Minus the food.)

Sound planning... until you have to re-plan. LOL!

This new plan cuts out IllumiNations (Alex’s favorite nighttime show) but since we are eating dinner at Via Napoli later in the week, we can just stay in Epcot a bit later and catch the show then. Besides, I told my mom that IllumiNations was ending this summer and now she wants to see it one last time. So we would have ended up seeing it twice had we watched it on our adult trip.

I think a lot of people are trying to catch it one last time. I hope you get to!!

Slightly disappointing, but it was never a guarantee and Alex wasn’t completely into the idea anyways. I’ll just shelve it under “Something to do down the road.”

I have so many of those. All great reasons to keep going back!

Does this sound correct to you guys? Anyone else encountered this issue? I'm pretty stressed about this new system that I was oblivious about up until today. And had I known I think Alex and I would have not become passholders and saved the money by staying at a Disney resort where we would be guaranteed the 14 days.

I had never heard of this! I'm happy for these boards and TRs so I can learn about this stuff!

 

[amazingact21]

So that long post I made earlier in the week about the Fastpass drama? Apparently, it didn't pertain to me. I had no issues booking Fastpasses yesterday. I was able to get almost everything I wanted and now the trip feels a lot more real.
It's pretty exciting!

That being said, I think I am still going to follow @StarWarsMomofGirls! advice and let the kids help decide our last day's plans. Landon and Evie will love having a say and it'll guarantee they get to repeat anything they loved.

 

[rdkeim]

Glad you were able to get the passes you wanted! Disney trip planning has become so complicated. In a few years we're planning on taking a family trip so our 2 young grandsons can be introduced to Disney! I may consider using a travel agent that specializes in Disney trips for that one. I also like the go with the flow idea for your last day.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

So that long post I made earlier in the week about the Fastpass drama? Apparently, it didn't pertain to me. I had no issues booking Fastpasses yesterday. I was able to get almost everything I wanted and now the trip feels a lot more real.
It's pretty exciting!

That being said, I think I am still going to follow @StarWarsMomofGirls! advice and let the kids help decide our last day's plans. Landon and Evie will love having a say and it'll guarantee they get to repeat anything they loved.

Glad that the rules didn't apply and you can decide what you want to do! Sometimes I do think they make things so complicated...

 

[amazingact21]

Glad you were able to get the passes you wanted! Disney trip planning has become so complicated. In a few years we're planning on taking a family trip so our 2 young grandsons can be introduced to Disney! I may consider using a travel agent that specializes in Disney trips for that one. I also like the go with the flow idea for your last day.

I don't remember planning for Disney being this complicated! Maybe it was because it's been a few years or maybe it's because it used to be just Alex and myself, but all I know now is my head starts spinning when I try to think about this trip. I think when Disney introduced different priced tickets based on the specific day you were visiting is when I threw in the towel and said, "Yep, this is above my head."
I would completely understand if you went through a Travel Agent when planning your next trip. I know there are lots of people out there who love the planning part of a WDW vacation and know all the ins and outs. And sometimes it's easiest to hand them the reins and let them take charge.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

So glad everything went well. You can relax a little now

 

[amazingact21]

We're in full-blown move madness here at my house. I've spent the last two days in the attic, getting rid of all our baby gear and minimizing our excess stuff. We've had multiple friends warn us that houses are much smaller in England, and so Alex and I are trying to pare down as much as humanely possible.
The good news is that we have the packers scheduled, the final walk-through of our house on the books, and a time set up for our appliances to be picked up and returned. Forward progress!
Next on my agenda is sorting through the kids' playroom. Right now they share a bedroom but when we move, they are each getting their own space and so the toys in their playroom need to be separated and organized. I think I'm gonna earn a drink from the Edison after enduring THAT battle.



June 8th, Day 3 Plans:

The only downside to visiting Disney when we are is that I’ll be on Week 4 and 5 of my half marathon training plan. This means that while Alex and the kids get to sleep off the Epcot exhaustion, I’ll be headed to the Shades gym at 5 in the morning to knock out my 6 miles. This is gonna be a rough day for me, for sure!

Once I am back and showered, Alex and I will feed the kids breakfast in the room and meet up with my mom shortly before 8 a.m. in order to head to:


Disney’s Hollywood Studios!



My mom has actually been to this park more recently than we have, which is saying something because the last time SHE was there it was in June 2016. Alex and I snuck into the park in April of 2016 just long enough to get Landon and Evie’s pictures with Jake and Doc McStuffins.

And for me to buy my favorite purse of all time…




(Baby Evie!)

Needless to say, a lot has changed since we last visited Hollywood! (The best possibly being that my kids don’t have to visit the Disney Junior stage show anymore)



I think it goes without saying that all of our priorities will be Toy Story Land. We will all get to see the new area for the first time together, and I’m not sure who is more excited…the kids or my mother.

Toy Story is my mom’s favorite Disney film, and usually we have to meet Buzz and Woody with her on every trip. She’s going to love looking around this new land and becoming immersed in the story she’s followed for so many years.


My goal is to ride Toy Story Mania standby at park opening.




Alex and I will have to play Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who gets to sit next to Landon and show him the ropes. Whoever gets that job will doubtless spend the length of the ride aiming Landon’s gun and reminding him how to shoot. Evie will care less about the game and just want to watch the cartoons, so I’ll let her chill next to my mom.


If the odds are in our favor this morning, perhaps Alien Swirling Saucers will have a 20-30 minute wait and we’ll have time to ride standby. If not, we will just wait until 9:30-10:30 when our first Fastpasses becomes available.

I chose to go with Alien Swirling Saucers on our TSL morning for two reasons. The first being that my mom can no longer ride coasters, so she told me she wasn’t going to go on Slinky Dog Dash. So I chose the attraction we can all experience together.

Plus, this will give us time to check Evie’s height. Right now, she’s measuring 37 inches without shoes. Whether shoes gets her that final inch or she hits a growth spurt in the next two months will be up for debate. But at least we can stand her up against the marker and see if she makes the cut.

If she doesn’t, that gives us enough time to go in to MDE and change our passes for both Slinky and 7DMT.

And if she does…well that gives us enough time to gauge her interest and see if she can even handle SDD. She could very well take one peek at it and refuse to ride. Giving ourselves some extra days to decide seemed like the smartest route.



My group has a 10:30 Fastpass for Voyage of the Little Mermaid. It’s been 7 or 8 years since us adults have watched the show, and the kids have never seen it before. Plus, I figured we would get hot walking around the uncovered sidewalks of TSL and would want a cool place to sit for a few minutes.

Once the show is over, I’m hoping we can backtrack and grab lunch at Woody’s Lunch Box. It’s a new restaurant, and I want to try out their smoked turkey sandwich.


We’ll be cutting it close, but we have a 12:00 Fastpass for the Frozen Sing Along show at 12:30. If lunch runs long (I’m looking at you, Evie) then I’m confident we can grab a later show time.




It is at this point that I am going to break a cardinal Disney rule in my family.

We are NOT going to take an afternoon break.


Bum bum BUM!!!


I could be making a horrible mistake, but for this day the plans worked out in such a way that it made more sense to stay in the parks after lunch.

The only other goals we have inside Hollywood Studios are character meets, which a lot of them are indoors and out of the direct sun. So we’re going to take a gamble and see if we can stick it out for a few more hours.


The kids really want to meet Mickey in his sorcerer garb:

[google image]

They have me read “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” short story frequently and see him on my half marathon medal that’s hanging in the front hall. So now that they’re more familiar with him, they want to say hi and get a photo with whom they nicknamed “Magic Mickey.”



We might go say hello to Olaf if his line isn’t too long, and then we will try and accomplish a Star Wars meet. Ideally with this guy:




Because one of my dear nephews shares his name, and Landon and Evie would love to tell Kylo Ren that they are cousins with a Kylo Dean.





@missangelalexis , my character guru, am I missing anyone important at DHS? I am depending on you to remind me about all the awesome character meets in each park!


Sometime in the afternoon my group will call it quits and head back to the resort for the remainder of the evening. The kids and my mom will probably go swimming, and then we’ll all figure out a quick dinner. Shades has a buffet restaurant that wasn’t half bad the last time I stayed there, so that’s probably where my mom and I will try and convince Alex to eat.

And knowing me, I will have probably only completed 2 or 3 miles that morning, so I’ll have to head back to the gym to finish my workout.


It’s a busy morning, but I think the plans are doable with two young kids. Besides TSMM and Alien Swirling Saucers, we’re not trying to accomplish a bunch of rides, so it should be pretty relaxed and easy going. And then we’ll have lots of time to rest up, because the following day is going to be a doozy.


Day 3 Goals:
- Complete my long run so I don’t derail my training plan.

- Toy Story Midway Mania

- Alien Swirling Saucers Fastpass

- Meet Sorcerer Mickey




Up Next: Day 4 Plans

 

[missangelalexis]

Your plans sound great! It's going to be so amazing when all of you walk into TSL and see it for the first time! It will be a busy morning/afternoon but smart that you're not making plans for the evening so you can just relax!

Haha the character guru is here! Are your kids into Vampirina? If so, she would be a good one to meet! I also heard they are replacing Sofia with Fancy Nancy if that's of any interest.Otherwise I think you've got it covered! You'll get to meet Minnie when you meet Mickey (2 seperate meets but it's one line so you get 2 for 1!). Oh and Mike & Sulley are back! I think their line gets a little long but it is indoors so something to consider!

 

[Lesley Wake]

And don’t forget about BB-8! He’s a cute meet!

 

[Cloe Colton]

Sounds like great plans! Mike and Sulley were a fun meet in DHS! The line was long but hopefully it won't be too crazy for you!

I'm glad your fastpasses all worked out! It stinks that you can't select some feature to say like "on my fastpass day this is what I'll see". I feel like that would solve a lot of issues!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Next on my agenda is sorting through the kids' playroom. Right now they share a bedroom but when we move, they are each getting their own space and so the toys in their playroom need to be separated and organized. I think I'm gonna earn a drink from the Edison after enduring THAT battle.

Meh. I say throw it all in boxes... They will get all mixed up the second you unpack those boxes... Well, at least that is what would happen in our house back in the day...

If the odds are in our favor this morning, perhaps Alien Swirling Saucers will have a 20-30 minute wait and we’ll have time to ride standby. If not, we will just wait until 9:30-10:30 when our first Fastpasses becomes available.

Fingers Crossed. We had good luck getting on first thing/second.... Maybe actually do the opposite? Aliens first then TSM? TSM has a bigger capacity? Plus the line is inside if you have to wait longer?