They Let Anyone In these Clubs Now! An Aug. 2017 PTR * TR link! 8/17!*

[xlsm]

Will come back to catch up later, but saving my spot

 

[Raeven]

It's a good thing we didn't book flights, because then something happened. Something that seems to want to keep biting me in the a%* when it comes to planning my family Disney trips.

Oh no! I was going to comment on this last post, but I'm just going to wait till I read the next one now.

Why It Sucks That We Changed Our Trip Dates
1. Crowds will be higher
2. We won't be there at all for Food and Wine
3. I was looking forward to possible Dismeets with @MeghanEmily, @disneyAndi14, @heathsf and @suse66, none of which will happen now I'm pretty sure.
3. What is really upsetting is that we won't be attending MNSSHP, AGAIN this year.
4. We will not be staying for 8 nights
5. We most likely won't be seeing Blue Man Group

Awwww, I'm sorry you have to miss MNSSHP, Universal, and F&W.

 

[xlsm]

Steve is a very big vacation guy and so not going away over the summer is out of the question.

I wish Matt was more of a vacation guy. It's not his fault, I blame his job. He can take pretty much all the vacation time he wants, but he is usually in the middle of overseeing a big project. I have a love/hate relationship with his job - sometimes it's incredibly flexible, but when it's not, it's NOT.

It's a good thing we didn't book flights, because then something happened. Something that seems to want to keep biting me in the a%* when it comes to planning my family Disney trips.

No! NO! I was just getting all excited about you going to MNSSHP!!

Oh. Sports. Boo. They are so time consuming! But I understand. I wished and wished that the boys would be into baseball or tennis and nope. *sigh* I'd be a crazy sideline mom, so probably it's for the best.

never even attended a sports function during high school, the same high school Ricky goes to FYI (my parents went there, too)

That's kind of neat. I went to the same high school as my mom and stepdad, and had some of the same teachers!

So like, all summer.

WHERE: Wilderness Lodge, Club Level

Yesssss!!!!!

we need to find somewhere else to stay our first 2 nights

My mom and I are homeless for our first night too. I have Poly booked for 10/15 - 21, but because of flights we are probably arriving on the 14th. Prefer to do WL for this night, but I haven't even looked in several weeks...I should maybe do that, lol!!

Glad to be all caught up!! I'm sorry it's been another wacky planning cycle, though!

 

[KathyM2]

So glad I found your PTR.

So like, all summer.

This is insane. Even more insane than the competitive dance schedule. Luckily...my daughter has decided not to try out this year! I feel your pain.

WHERE: Wilderness Lodge, Club Level
WHEN: 8/7-8/12

I know that you are sad about a lot of things but...this sounds still like an amazing trip. Also LOVE WL!! AND...you will be there for a few of the same days as us!! I know you will probably be pretty busy but if it works out...you never know We will be at the CR.

Too bad about Blue Man though. It is a lot of fun though. BUT...they do shows in other cities...maybe there's a chance you can do that sometime? Or just wait until next time in Orlando....

You will still have a great trip of course!! Have fun making new ADR's!! Just think...you'd probably still be tinkering with them anyway even if your dates hadn't changed lol

 

[Whit64130]

WHY: I love taking our adults only trips, and Steve and I took 2 of them already this year. Now it's time to bring the boys! Steve is a very big vacation guy and so not going away over the summer is out of the question.

AKL CLUB LEVEL. Whoo! Club level food with 2 growing boys? Yes! Club level adult beverages with two.....adults? Yes, YES!!!

Soooooooooo......I was going to comment on all the above quotes but you totally took me on an emotional roller-coaster with the change of plans! I did not know this!

WHERE: Wilderness Lodge, Club Level
WHEN: 8/7-8/12

You know my heart is with WL!!!!

Remember how I also made some random ADR's for our original trip dates? Yeah, those went out the window. Next I need to work on those and also figure out what to do with those pesky MNSSHP tickets...................

I had a friend who ended up getting refunded on the tickets for Halloween last year. I know that pretty uncommon but it doesn't hurt to ask! Also We are going to try to go to the party in September. I know they say they can't change the dates yada yada yada but again sometimes Disney magic happens depending on the CM and guest services. If that is possible I could purchase 2 them from you so not all money is lost. But you never know what their rules are for that day

I meant to tell you I started this but you're always so busy and I didn't want to lay on any guilt

Ahh I can always make Disney time! I am thinking of starting a PTR for our November trip. We will see!

Try TWENTY FOUR I'll take your ten any day!

Ughhhh was Chris dropped on his head as a baby????

 

[kastoney]

Wow, the trip planning hadn't even started in earnest yet and you have already been through the ringer. I'm not gonna lie, I'm secretly hoping Casey never discovers sports. Dealing with all that time does not sound like my idea of fun. I can handle dropping her off at dance for an hour a week, but I have no desire to do anything more than that. You are most definitely a better parent than me

Drama aside, so thrilled you get to keep club level and now at both of our favorites WL!!!! We did club level there a few years back and it was awesome. Jason and I would head up every night and fill our fancy styrofoam coffee cups with as much wine as we could then sit on our balcony overlooking the lake drinking wine and eating their amazing cobbler. To this day one of my most favorite disney memories. Hope you all make some of the same ones or at least just drink copiously

 

[Wood Nymph]

My wonderful DH Steve, who fell in love with Disney and has been known to suggest our adults only trips with no prodding from me!

That is nice that Steve is suggesting trips to Disney. It fits perfectly with your desire to go there.

Oh and yes, my picture is from inside Pandora!! If you're following my current dining report you'll also notice my bra is making another appearance in this picture; she just refuses to be contained!

I thought that your flesh colored straps were fine and rather a better idea than those uncomfortable X back bras.

I love taking our adults only trips, and Steve and I took 2 of them already this year. Now it's time to bring the boys! Steve is a very big vacation guy and so not going away over the summer is out of the question.

My husband is a big vacation guy and having an AP just makes it too easy to take a trip. We are going back for 4th of July. I think it is a new record number of Disney trips for us.

And that's a very bad personal picture of my favorite resort, Wilderness Lodge!!! It will be mine and Steve's 3rd time staying there and the boys first. I'm excited for them to stay there and I'm really excited for all of us to try club level.

I got a tour of the new club lounge when we were there in March. You can see the MK fireworks from the CL balcony and they pipe the music in, too. It looks really nice up there. And they'll have the construction walls down by August so you'll get the Bay Lake view again.

Steve is happier to be at WL than he was to be staying at AKL, although if he had it his way we'd be here or near here: .... as the Epcot area resorts are truly his favorite. If availability with my rate happens to open up for our dates at Yacht or Beach, we may be on the move again since our two adults only trips were my pick as far as resort!

We love the YC and BC just a little more than the WL.

You might be able to get your money back on those MNSSHP tickets. I've read a lot of reports of people getting refunds.

 

[ariane37]

This is why I should never have kids, because I'd be leaving Ricky home to play with his football! ...kidding! ...mostly.

I promise you won't! Although I think Steve came close to wanting to do that

But yay for WL!! (Unless things change and Steve gets his way on this one...) And how exciting that you'll get to share it with your boys for the first time!!

I sound mean but I do hope we stay at WL. And then the next trip we can do an Epcot resort, I'll promise him lol.

Also, your MNSSHP picture was adorable. I love your outfit, and the boys look sooo much younger in it!

Thank you I forgot how young they looked in the picture until I pulled it up to post! Ricky was 12 so not even that young! Chris was 8

Ever sad about our lost Dismeet, (but thankfully we had the pleasure of meeting anyway,)

It's still bothering me big time that I'm going to miss you, and everyone else. Does make it a tiny bit better that we got to meet last month, but I would have loved to see you after you guys are married

Oh my we would have been at the same MNSSHP!! Bummer!

I know Don't rub it in lol!

Bummer! I do understand the sport commitments, my son Jack played football all through school and we would never have been able to go during football practice.

I knew some here would understand. I get it, and I know kids get penalized. Steve things it's stupid they can't miss and he also doesn't believe they'll get penalized no matter how many times I tell him and even when Ricky tells him. Luckily he goes with the flow and I just tune him out when he complains........

I enjoy your writing style, really keeps me entertained!

I'm glad you're here!

I can't wait for my DH to start doing that!

It' totally took me by surprise when he began doing this! And I can't really bring adults only trips up myself; I can subtly push him towards the idea, but I have to let him think it's always his idea even when I've planted it in his brain that it's time

Awwww maaaaaan! I'm disappointed but I totally understand why you had to move the trip.

SO AM I!!! Guarantee this won't be the last trip we have to move, either But also guarantee it won't be that long until your NEXT trip to WDW so one of these days we'll meet up.
Oh and we only live like 90 minutes from each other, but we'll meet a couple thousand miles away

I can't wait to hear how you like CL!

I can't wait to see how I like it!

Wah!! So sad but completely understand. The things we do for our children! We will meet up, one trip, one day!

Yes we will. I do things for my kids that I never thought I'd have to do!

re you sure he isn't just trying to sabotage your plans?

I hadn't thought of that but now that you mention it, he IS pretty smart

Man...what a ride you have taken us all on already!

LOL the rest of the report will probably seem pretty boring now!

I'm so glad my boys are still young and don't play sports (yet)

Yeah and you probably just jinxed yourself for the future now!

I was so excited for you for MNSSHP and F&W. But like you said, the most important part is you are ALL still going and ALL at the exact same time.

Even though last Nov. worked out just fine, I'm not in any hurry to have us go down on different days again. But missing MNSSHP is killing me, I won't lie! It's a huge letdown, but I feel guilty feeling that way because of all the things that could be wrong in life it's a small thing to be upset about.

But I'm still upset about it, don't get me wrong!

OMG! I am praying my kids don't do sports for this exact reason - it's such a time eater!

That's for sure! And it'll continue to irk me most likely until we don't have to do it anymore, and then I'll miss it. And when you think about it there are by far worse things Ricky could be involved in so I guess I really shouldn't complain..............

I'm really glad you made it work though and you are an awesome mom for being so diligent in working around it since you know it's important to Ricky.

That's the #1 thing; it's important to him. When he gets an "I don't care" attitude because he does bad in a game I get so MAD because of all we do for him and I KNOW it's important to him but he acts like it isn't, so frustrating it makes me want to stop working our months around him and his schedule! But we continue to do it for just that reason.

I'm looking forward to seeing where you land for the first part of your trip. You might have noticed I'm a fan of split stays.

I know you are I don't mind them either, in fact I like them, especially when they involve at least one new to me resort. I don't find them annoying or difficult, so I'm trying to have our first 2 nights somewhere we haven't stayed, even if it's a value!

Haha, we just happened to become FB friends when there was a lot of Hanson stuff going on! Don't worry, I usually only post pictures of my kids

Gotta be honest, I'm surprised there's still ANY Hanson stuff going on! Don't hate me

Wilderness Lodge is one of our favorites as well! We are really itching to get back there after all of the renovations that have been done the last couple of years.

You'll be amazed when you see all the differences. We never stayed there until the renovations were in full swing, which was last August. The construction didn't bother us one bit, nor did it bother us this time. Even having never stayed before all the renovations I believe things such as Geyser Point and the main pool after refurb just make it better

It's always sad when you need to make changes to your trip but at least you still have one to look forward to.

Very true. Sometimes I feel I lose sight of the fact that I still get to go, for the 3rd time this year no less! So having to change dates and miss 2 things that I still have the option to attend in another year really shouldn't ruin anything for me

My daughter was a cheerleader for six years. I know all about not missing practices. You just have to schedule around it. Not always fun but part of "team" sports.

Oh boy, Ricky has friends who are cheerleaders and it can be brutal if you miss those practices! Plus all the away competitions, forget it. And with any team sport if you aren't there you risk your teammates getting angry with you for not taking it seriously

Yea on Wilderness Lodge. I've always wanted to stay there at Christmas time. Maybe one day.

I would LOVE to stay there at Christmas time! We failed to even visit during our Thanksgiving trips so I've only seen pictures but it looks gorgeous and given the feel the lobby has the rest of the year, I think it's the perfect resort for that time of year

 

[ariane37]

Wow I felt like I was reading your November PTR

I felt like I was re-writing it! I don't even think we'll book our next family trip until like 30 days out, just in case

I love your pic of you and the boys. I'd love to attend MNSSHP again but Kathy's college is getting in the way.

Great, as soon as Ricky graduates high school and the sports are done it'll be college I have to work around lol!

You're such a good Momma, I'd probably be telling my kid to enjoy their time home alone, because I was going to Disney!

You Canadians are brutal! Maybe your kids and @MeghanEmily 's can babysit each other while you all are in Disney, since you both feel you'll leave them behind for sports

I didn't play any sports in high school, I don't have an athletic bone in my body.

That's me

I was involved in pretty much everything else that was offered though - drama, band, choir, student council, Girl Guides (I was pretty cool...).

LOL, the only thing I did, and only until 7th grade, and then only because my mom was my leader, is Girl Scouts (your Girl Guides). Speaking of my mom works for the Girl Scouts and has for many years, and now my sister has for the last 4 years.

Awwww, I'm sorry you have to miss MNSSHP, Universal, and F&W.

Thank you, I appreciate your sympathy! Most upset about MNSSHP

I wish Matt was more of a vacation guy. It's not his fault, I blame his job. He can take pretty much all the vacation time he wants, but he is usually in the middle of overseeing a big project. I have a love/hate relationship with his job - sometimes it's incredibly flexible, but when it's not, it's NOT.

Ugh, that stinks. However if he did go away during a big project his mind would be on that and then he wouldn't be able to relax, and then you guys wouldn't enjoy vacation. Doesn't make that whole scenario any better, just saying.........

No! NO! I was just getting all excited about you going to MNSSHP!!

I was too!

Oh. Sports. Boo. They are so time consuming! But I understand. I wished and wished that the boys would be into baseball or tennis and nope. *sigh* I'd be a crazy sideline mom, so probably it's for the best.

I thought it was so cute when the boys were younger and ran around the baseball and soccer fields. Look at them in their little uniforms, so cute and their only 5! Oh, you still want to play and you're 10? No problem, just one weeknight practice and a Sat. game, we can handle that. Oh now you're both playing so 2 weeknights and 2 Saturday games. Now it's basketball and you're each in TWO leagues so double that? OK, it can't last long. Can it

That's kind of neat. I went to the same high school as my mom and stepdad, and had some of the same teachers!

My dad was in the first graduating class of the school And in 7th grade Ricky had my math teacher for honors math. Funny because when I had him how many years ago I thought he was like, 80

My mom and I are homeless for our first night too. I have Poly booked for 10/15 - 21, but because of flights we are probably arriving on the 14th. Prefer to do WL for this night, but I haven't even looked in several weeks...I should maybe do that, lol!!

It just dawned on me last night that I need to book something before next Wed. so I can make all our FP's, or I'll only be able to make them for Steve and I! Going to work on that tomorrow

So glad I found your PTR.

I am too, I have to tell you I read through almost all of your PTR the other day, and then I had to go pick Chris up at school before I got to comment. I've been meaning to get back over there but haven't had a chance! I've been crazy busy with work but I do want to say how sorry I am for the difficult times you've gone through. I actually wondered a couple times where you'd gone to I'll get back over there soon, promise!

This is insane. Even more insane than the competitive dance schedule. Luckily...my daughter has decided not to try out this year! I feel your pain.

Ha, lucky for you! It is much more serious and insane at the high school level which I kind of knew in the back of my head but chose to not think about until I got to this point! Doing football totally took us by surprise as he's never had an interest in it. I think the coach wanting him to play plus his friends telling him to, plus him liking all the football guys he didn't know before he started working out with them as part of the basketball program just all made it click. Yay lol!

Also LOVE WL!! AND...you will be there for a few of the same days as us!! I know you will probably be pretty busy but if it works out...you never know We will be at the CR.

I remember when you and DD stayed at WL! We will definitely try and work out a time to meet up as it gets closer! I had to give up so many Dismeets I was looking forward to by switching dates so I'd love to be able to meet you

Too bad about Blue Man though. It is a lot of fun though. BUT...they do shows in other cities...maybe there's a chance you can do that sometime? Or just wait until next time in Orlando....

I believe they perform in NYC which is only a little over an hour from us so I really should check that out!

Have fun making new ADR's!! Just think...you'd probably still be tinkering with them anyway even if your dates hadn't changed lol

Very true! I finally came up with a park plan so I also need to work on ADR's. I'm never this far behind when we're going with the kids!

I was going to comment on all the above quotes but you totally took me on an emotional roller-coaster with the change of plans! I did not know this!

I swore I told you all this!! I'm sorry, we talk about so much else on the phone I probably meant to and got sidetracked I'll fill you in more next time we talk.

I had a friend who ended up getting refunded on the tickets for Halloween last year. I know that pretty uncommon but it doesn't hurt to ask!

I've heard quite a few reports on that happening too so I'm crossing my fingers, just something else on my list of things to do...........

If that is possible I could purchase 2 them from you so not all money is lost. But you never know what their rules are for that day

Most definitely! If I can't get refunded will work on this

I am thinking of starting a PTR for our November trip. We will see!

You should! It'll be fun to both write and read since you're traveling with extended family plus two little princesses

Ughhhh was Chris dropped on his head as a baby????

No but I did drop my sister out of her bassinette on to her head when she was a few months old and she never let's me forget it!

I'm not gonna lie, I'm secretly hoping Casey never discovers sports. Dealing with all that time does not sound like my idea of fun.

Look at it this way: many of the sports complexes, including the one Steve is at tonight with Ricky in Ct., have bars in them And if you end up going away for the weekend, that's exactly where the majority of parents end up!

You are most definitely a better parent than me

I am the Queen of all parents, unless you ask my kids.

Drama aside, so thrilled you get to keep club level and now at both of our favorites WL!!!!

I am too! CL will go a long way feeding the boys and quenching mine and Steve's thirst.

We did club level there a few years back and it was awesome. Jason and I would head up every night and fill our fancy styrofoam coffee cups with as much wine as we could then sit on our balcony overlooking the lake drinking wine and eating their amazing cobbler. To this day one of my most favorite disney memories. Hope you all make some of the same ones or at least just drink copiously

Snark aside that does sound like you made great memories. I want us back at the resort a couple nights to enjoy it at night; I know the boys won't mind between the club food, pool, and arcade and Steve and I certainly won't mind, either. A great resort to spend evenings at!

I thought that your flesh colored straps were fine and rather a better idea than those uncomfortable X back bras.

In my older age I much prefer comfort to style.

My husband is a big vacation guy and having an AP just makes it too easy to take a trip. We are going back for 4th of July. I think it is a new record number of Disney trips for us.

Those AP's go a long way in extra vacations! We'll have gotten 4 out of our current AP's and if it weren't for our kids (whom we do love, believe me!) it would've been more. I really want to go over July 4th one of these years.

I got a tour of the new club lounge when we were there in March. You can see the MK fireworks from the CL balcony and they pipe the music in, too. It looks really nice up there. And they'll have the construction walls down by August so you'll get the Bay Lake view again.

I believe I saw where you reported on this in the WL thread! So awesome you got a tour of it and I cannot wait!

You might be able to get your money back on those MNSSHP tickets. I've read a lot of reports of people getting refunds.

I'm going to attempt it, wish me luck!

 

[Neverland_Girl]

Finally getting caught up. I feel for you with the sports. I played basketball my entire life through high school and it's basically year long. I don't know how people played three sports. Just use it as material to guilt them in to taking you on long trips when they're older. Hope you can get rid of the MNSSHP tickets with no problems!

 

[ariane37]

Finally getting caught up.

Hi there, , nice to see you here!

I played basketball my entire life through high school and it's basically year long. I don't know how people played three sports.

I don't either. Most of Ricky's friends do play 2 and that's crazy enough but 3

Hope you can get rid of the MNSSHP tickets with no problems!

Thanks! I meant to try that today but now today is half over and it hasn't happened yet lol.

 

[ariane37]

PARK PLANS
​

Since tomorrow is FP day I figured over the weekend I should work on park days, no? This is the farthest behind I've ever been on planning for a trip with the kids! I changed things around about 5x because that's what a good Dis'er does, and because after thinking more and more I wanted to try something we haven't done on our last couple trips - breaks in the middle of most days and even some-blasphemy!-resort time. We did try this on our very first August trip in 2014 but by the 2nd day we were back at the resort going, "now what do we do?" Kids didn't want to swim, none of us wanted to rest, so we toughed it out all day in the parks and managed to have fun. However the boys are older now and like downtime, more than need downtime. Between that and the club level offerings I decided we'd go for the breaks again and if we don't like it, we just cut those out!

Here are my park days as of now; I'll fill in what I've made for ADR's and more specifics later:
​

Friday, 8/5: plane gets in at 8:20
Saturday: 8/6: MK morning, break, back to MK at night
Sunday, 8/7: AK for EMH, break, Epcot WS at night
Monday 8/8: resort time, HS by 4, stay till close
Tuesday, 8/9: Epcot FW, DS, MK at night
Wednesday, 8/10: resort time, AK by 3 until close
Thursday, 8/11: MK for EMH, possibly break depending, HS at night
Friday, 8/12: HS, MK, DME around 5:15-5:30

I have no problem adding park time if we get there and the boys want it, Steve and I have our AP's and the boys have 7 day hoppers.

Because we cut out Universal and Blue Man Group I told the boys we'd go somewhere we tried to fit in on our last 2 Thanksgiving trips but never got around to:



I'm planning to go there on the 9th after Epcot and if we don't, or we do and they want to go back, we can always go on the 10th. I think it'll work perfect for a nasty hot August trip, something other than swimming or just hanging at the resort. I'm dying to see the retro design inside!

Another thing they'd like to do which we've done before is mini-golf. I don't mind at all but it'll be HOT, so maybe in the morning or if we choose not to stay at a park late one night. We've done Fantasia Gardens by the Beach Club back in 2015:



It was fun, but a bit hard for Chris at the time when he was just 10. We've also done the winter side of WinterSummerland twice and found it fun and much easier; here's a picture from our first visit there in 2012:


Sorry it's a weird picture but I don't have these on my computer so I took a picture of the picture in my photo book

But never the summer side, so that's probably what I'd choose. Again, only if it's not the middle of the day and I think that'll be second to bowling.

Before I go, in light of tomorrow being FP day I finally booked us a resort for our first 2 nights! Just in the nick of time lol. Now some of you might ask yourselves why I chose where I did if you think about our past stays and what's going on at this particular resort right now. But since we can't get those nights CL at WL we figured we might as well save some $$, and also since it's only 2 nights if it isn't a place we love it'll still be ok. Plus I wanted somewhere we hadn't stayed before if possible, so I went with the least expensive moderate that was available:



Yes boys and girls, we're staying in the middle of Construction Central!! I've been quite surprised in reading the CBR thread over on the Resorts forum, the reports since the construction started haven't been nearly as negative as I thought they'd be. I do know someone that recently stayed for 3 weeks and said the food situation kind of sucks and the resort is a mess. I expect the mess and I'm prepared for a not ideal food situation, again for 2 days I don't think it'll impact us much. Right now all I know is we're good to go with our resorts and I know what I want for FP's tomorrow, and I think the boys will be ok with my daily plans. It's so much easier going with only Steve, not used to all this thinking ​

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Yes boys and girls, we're staying in the middle of Construction Central!!

Should be interesting for sure! But 2 days will go by fast, and as long as you know that you really just don't wan too eat at the resort, you should be fine. We didn't want to eat there before they started all that construction.

I'm dying to see the retro design inside!

That should be fun, and like you said perfect for a break from the heat!

However the boys are older now and like downtime, more than need downtime. Between that and the club level offerings I decided we'd go for the breaks again and if we don't like it, we just cut those out!

You can enjoy Geyser Point as well!

 

[MeghanEmily]

I find it hard enough planning for just Nathan and I, and he's super easygoing, so I don't envy you having to think about 4 different people's wishes in your planning!

I'll be interested to hear what you think of CBR. My mom and I are in the camp that likes CBR, but it'll be interesting to see how much the construction affects people's experiences. Good that you've been doing some research on reviews. Depending on whether you booked through Disney or through your company, etc, were they still offering the $75 gift cards to make up for the inconvenience when you booked? I think that was a smart move on their part and we even considered staying there instead for that perk alone, but it wasn't worth changing all our plans since we're planning for our bridal party too, and I didn't want to be somewhere with an awkward food situation on our one and only honeymoon. But on any other trip we might have switched.

Good luck with FP day tomorrow! Ours is just around the corner, too. Your park plans look great so far. Nathan and I are big fans of the afternoon break, so it'll be interesting to see whether it fits your family's style or not now.

 

[Raeven]

I'm planning to go there on the 9th after Epcot and if we don't, or we do and they want to go back, we can always go on the 10th. I think it'll work perfect for a nasty hot August trip, something other than swimming or just hanging at the resort. I'm dying to see the retro design inside!

We've never been either, but we have been to the Galaxy Bowl. I'm not really a fan of bowling, but I would like to eat there.

But never the summer side, so that's probably what I'd choose. Again, only if it's not the middle of the day and I think that'll be second to bowling.

We've also never done mini golf there.

Yes boys and girls, we're staying in the middle of Construction Central!! I've been quite surprised in reading the CBR thread over on the Resorts forum, the reports since the construction started haven't been nearly as negative as I thought they'd be. I do know someone that recently stayed for 3 weeks and said the food situation kind of sucks and the resort is a mess. I expect the mess and I'm prepared for a not ideal food situation, again for 2 days I don't think it'll impact us much. Right now all I know is we're good to go with our resorts and I know what I want for FP's tomorrow, and I think the boys will be ok with my daily plans. It's so much easier going with only Steve, not used to all this thinking

Good luck! It's only 2 days so it shouldn't be too bad, but WL was a lot worse than I had heard. It's made me a little wary of the resorts with a lot of construction going on. I'm glad I ditched our CBR reservation for September but that was for our whole trip.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I'm planning to go there on the 9th after Epcot and if we don't, or we do and they want to go back, we can always go on the 10th. I think it'll work perfect for a nasty hot August trip, something other than swimming or just hanging at the resort. I'm dying to see the retro design inside!

I think a trip to Splitsville would be a lot of fun. You need something do to if it is too rainy to swim.

 

[suse66]

Since tomorrow is FP day I figured over the weekend I should work on park days, no? This is the farthest behind I've ever been on planning for a trip with the kids! I changed things around about 5x because that's what a good Dis'er does, and because after thinking more and more I wanted to try something we haven't done on our last couple trips - breaks in the middle of most days and even some-blasphemy!-resort time. We did try this on our very first August trip in 2014 but by the 2nd day we were back at the resort going, "now what do we do?" Kids didn't want to swim, none of us wanted to rest, so we toughed it out all day in the parks and managed to have fun. However the boys are older now and like downtime, more than need downtime. Between that and the club level offerings I decided we'd go for the breaks again and if we don't like it, we just cut those out!

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Plan, change plans, plan again.....isn't that how it goes? You may be surprised at how much you enjoy down time with the lounge to hang out in. When we stayed at Beach Club, I felt it gave me a whole other area to relax in. If DH wanted to nap and the boys wanted to play on their Ipads, I could grab my book and head up to the lounge for some R&R and yummy snacks too. That being said, we all LOVE resort time. We find 4-5 hours at a time is plenty in a park, then we are ready to rest, recharge, swim and head out somewhere different in the evening.

Another thing they'd like to do which we've done before is mini-golf. I don't mind at all but it'll be HOT, so maybe in the morning or if we choose not to stay at a park late one night. We've done Fantasia Gardens by the Beach Club back in 2015:

This is another favourite of ours! On our last trip day in March, we headed over to play around 10 to play a couple of games then hopped the bus to MK and did all the classics as we didn't have any FPs booked.

Yes boys and girls, we're staying in the middle of Construction Central!! I've been quite surprised in reading the CBR thread over on the Resorts forum, the reports since the construction started haven't been nearly as negative as I thought they'd be.

For two nights I'm sure it will be entirely manageable. Plus it's kind of nice to check another resort off your list.

 

[Fia]

Im following along! I love all of your reports. Cant wait to hear all about it.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

OMG Ariane! Your plans make my head spin-LOL! I'm so happy everything is working out so nice for you! Working vaca around kids' sports IS difficult! My daughter Ali runs track and it literally starts in January and runs (like how I did that) until the end of the school year. Ash plays badminton, and it starts in late winter and goes through the end of the school year...Pus, Ash refuses to miss school (even for Disney). Go figure...

 

[KathyM2]

breaks in the middle of most days and even some-blasphemy!-resort time.

I'm with you but...yeah...the heat is gonna be bad...and I am trying to build in breaks too. It's hard when there is so much you want to do...but I think it will be worth it if you plan it this way. Then at least you don't feel like you are not accomplishing as much as you'd hoped.

I decided we'd go for the breaks again and if we don't like it, we just cut those out!

I think if you find you don't need them it will feel like "bonus time" that you have and you get to do whatever you want. That's the way I'm trying to look at it.