When Does It Start to Feel "Real?"--A Nov 2017 PTR UPDATE- 11/12/17 Final Thoughts. <3

Coming up with Ways to Save... Maybe

So today I wanted to go to Target and sign up for a Redcard debit card. I know most everybody on this site knows that if you have a redcard, you can get 5% off all purchases at Target and that would include, you guessed it, Disney gift cards! And that’s how I want to pay for my vacation!

I have been meaning to go sign for the redcard up for months because we’ve had the money saved all and ready to go for it for a long time, but life gets in the way sometimes, (because we’d have to get a voided check and go back to Target and blah blah blah). Well, when I got to Target I had a print out from my bank of a voided check with our routing and account number. I had just gotten it from my bank today. And the Target employees informed me that I needed a real check. . .

I don’t have real checks. I’m young, I pay all my bills online or have them set up on auto-draft. LOL. Maybe my bank will give me a real check instead of just a pretend one on printer paper? Because by the time I order checks, I wouldn’t be saving that much money. I think—I HOPE—I can sign up for a Redcard online. . .So I’ll have to check on that and then just wait to get the card in the mail then . . . *Jeopardy theme song plays* Someday I will actually pay for this vacation. Someday.




Yay a couple trip in November...just like us however you are A LOT younger. I have to admit that the beignets totally tip the scale for me too. I LOVE POFQ! It is the perfect moderate resort...besides the beignets the size and the charm are real winners in my book!

Personally I would stay with the BOG lunch vs changing it for breakfast, after all you really must try the grey stuff cause the dishes are right it is delicious!

As far as other locations...I am looking forward to trying the new place in Avatar...
Satu'li Canteen. In Magic Kingdom my favorite is Sleepy Hollow (love the chicken and waffle). My favorite way to dine in Epcot is a snack serving in each country split with someone...try the entire World. There is not much that interests me in DHS right now...

Thanks for the advice and the assurance about the beignets! Since there are so many review videos of Pandora now, I'm really interested in trying Satu'li canteen as well. Sleepy Hollow sounds amazing too, but for me, because of the Nutella~!
 
Your bank should be able to give you "starter" checks. If I ever need extra checks, my bank will print them up for me to use. Hope this helps.
Also the wholesale clubs, Sam's, Costco and BJs also sell DGC at 5% off. Sam's sells a $500 for $475
 
Your trip sounds super fun! I'm following along. We were set to go November 14-17, but ended up cancelling our trip for various reasons (hubby got a new job, I had a baby who has some health issues, etc.). So, now we're going next year. But I'm interested to see how it is that week :).
 
My Ears (and other Random stuff)
So the other night I made my husband watch those trip planning videos from the Disney website. And my goodness are those outdated. The Animal Kingdom video was hyping up Rivers of Light opening in the future. No mention of Pandora at all. LOL.
My doggy also got in on the fun.


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I texted my brother yesterday to tell him that we only have 120 days left until we're in Disney World together. And then I called him and we talked D23 news because Ellen's Energy Adventure and Great Movie Ride will be closed while we're there. I'm so glad that my brother is joining us. At first I was unsure since it was going to be just me and my husband and that would be nice. But now I would be disappointed if he couldn't come.


The main thing I wanted to share were the ears that I have made and that my husband bought for me.
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Anyway, I made the first two pairs and my husband bought the second two. He bought the Rapunzel pair from Etsy and the sparkly ones from Amazon, I think?

Your bank should be able to give you "starter" checks. If I ever need extra checks, my bank will print them up for me to use. Hope this helps.
Also the wholesale clubs, Sam's, Costco and BJs also sell DGC at 5% off. Sam's sells a $500 for $475

My husband checked at the bank and they told him they don't give out cashier checks or anything. But it's all good, we signed up online and should hopefully get our Redcard soon. I would totally go get the gift cards at Sam's. . . If I had a membership. I don't have family members nearby who have one either. Alas.


 


Thoughts and feelings from me and my Travel companions + BOG Breakfast

So, a while back I polled my brother, Kyle, and husband, Jacob, on what they are most looking forward to, attraction-wise, at WDW in Novemeber. My brother, of course, is basing his answers on his own nostalgia and experience from the last time my family took a trip. My husband's answers are based on what he's heard about Disney from me and from theDIS and other YouTube Disney peoples. Here are their answers:

Kyle says, generally he looks forward to experiencing Disney as an adult, plus being with sister and brother in law. Awwww :o
  • MK: Liberty Square, specifically HoP and HM. (Hopefully HoP opens back up by the time we're there!!!)
  • Epcot: Soarin//The Land Pavilion
  • HS: Fantasmic
  • AK: Kilimanjaro Safari

Jacob says he looks forward to . . .
  • MK: Country Bear Jamboree -- He claims the bears are his people (since he's from Tennessee, lol. He's a southerner.)
  • Epcot: World Showcase
  • AK: Harambe market -- He really just threw this answer out there because of his love for Harambe, the dead gorilla from the Cincinnati zoo :rolleyes2 But if we wind up eating there, he was interested in some of the food options available as well.
  • HS: Star Wars stuff. He's actually a pretty big Star Wars fan!

Me! I look forward to. . .
  • MK: Dumbo and Haunted Mansion (last time we were there, Haunted Mansion was being refurbished, so I missed it! First time as a 6 yr old, I was too afraid to open my eyes)
  • Epcot: walking around the World Showcase, shopping around, etc.
  • HS: Fantasmic!
  • AK: Expedition Everest and seeing the animals


I went to the mall yesterday with my husband to see if he could get a new wallet from Fossil, since his wallet was starting to come apart and they have a replacement warranty. While at the mall, who can resist making a little stop at the Disney Store? We didn't buy anything, though I am always tempted by the tiny Dumbo Tsum Tsum. I picked up a WDW brochure while I was there, because though I don't need any convincing, I still like flipping through the pages and looking at the little park maps. :)

I am taking a day off Tuesday since I had earned some extra PTO at work that I need to use before the end of the month, and we've decided to take a day trip to Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN. It's been the summer of Amusement Parks. We spent our Anniversary at Kings Island, we got season passes to Kentucky Kingdom, and now we're heading to Holiday World. I wish I could make going to amusement parks my living. Next Summer, I hope we can hit up Cedar Point and Carowinds for more high thrill rides. But I also am thinking of taking a cruise next year too. . . We'll have to see what PTO and budget allow next year! Anyway, I'll let you know how Holiday World goes for us. I haven't been since I was little and they have gotten 2 new roller coasters since then and their water park is the best in the mid west! I think it will be a great day!

BTW I got an email on Wednesday, I believe, from touring plans, alerting me that a BOG breakfast reservation had been found for 11/19/17!! Woohoo! As I have said in a previous post, I was considering changing my BOG reservation to breakfast because A) It's a better value on the Dining Plan because their breakfast is a more expensive counter service than their lunch is and B) We have an early reservation for Ohana and want to make sure we are properly hungry for that! Another thing is that this reservation is at 8:40 which is a PPO reservation. I hear those are very coveted. I'm still hanging on to that lunch reservation for BOG though, because in my heart, I know I want breakfast, but I don't want to regret changing it either. So I can really waffle back and forth if I want.

Questions: What would you do? Breakfast or lunch? Also, if we do go with Breakfast, how early can we get into the restaurant? Is it possible to be seated before our 8:40 reservation time? What is your experience in this area?
 
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YAY for the BOG reservation! Lunch is probably my favorite meal there and of course I get the same thing...the Roast Beef Sandwich with pomme frittes, french onion soup and of course the Master's Cupcake (one must have the grey stuff when dining at BOG and they do not have that for breakfast). I am not a fan of quick service breakfast and now with the early entry for everyone prior to rope drop for the Good Morning show it is almost a wash getting great pictures without people.
 
Following! I'm loving your PTR so far! It's so nice that your bringing your brother with you and your husband, I'm sure you'll all have a blast together!:figment:

Does anyone else feel this way when planning a trip? When do you finally feel like it's really going to happen? When do you just feel excited instead of anxious?

I definitely feel your pain with anxiety prior to a trip. I really start feeling a bit more at ease when the DME luggage tags come in the mail, as well as the Magic Bands. The excitement really starts when we land at MCO, then I can really just let go and start enjoying the fact that I'm FINALLY home.

I'm most looking forward to 'Ohana and Homecomin' myself. I mean, I'm excited for all of them! But these will be new to me.

'Ohana is one of my favorite TS restaurants on property and I can't talk about it enough, but Homecomin' is something I've never done but I'm really looking forward to your opinion on it! I've heard nothing but good things about it.

I still have a hard time in Louisville. I'm a little lonely being away from family and old friends. I was thinking about it last night and how much I miss everyone. But Disney has been something to look forward to. I try to live in the now as much as possible, and not wish the present away, but when I have nothing to keep me going, I feel stuck. So Disney is the next big thing! In the meantime, I'm trying to enjoy myself as much as possible.

Disney has always been an escape for me from troubles in my life. My next trip is in August and it took some difficult and emotionally draining weeks at work to really push me to plan this trip since it gave me something to look forward to, and the planning always makes me happy. I'm sorry you're having a rough time in Louisville but I'm happy Disney can be that source of light for you!

Wednesday 11/15/17—Tangierine Café in Epcot? Open to other counter service, but like this idea since it’s not basic American fare.
Saturday 11/18/17—Backlot Express for lunch? Again, open to change.

Tangierine Cafe is such an underrated QS in WS and I only discovered it a few years ago. The food is delicious and even though my family doesn't like the food (since they're not as adventurous as I am when it comes to food), I will always choose that place as my QS on the day we wander WS. I'm also not a huge fan of the QS options in DHS. I would prefer leaving the park and taking the boat to BW and grab a sandwich from the Bakery over there. In the past, my boyfriend and I have gotten sandwiches and snacks from there and made an improptu picnic in the grassy area near the main building.

The main thing I wanted to share were the ears that I have made and that my husband bought for me.
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These ears are so cute!

Questions: What would you do? Breakfast or lunch? Also, if we do go with Breakfast, how early can we get into the restaurant? Is it possible to be seated before our 8:40 reservation time? What is your experience in this area?

If it were up to me, I'd take the early breakfast at BOG since you really want to bring your appetite to 'Ohana, plus I've always wanted to get into MK before the park officially opens and enjoy the peace before the crowds take over for the day.
 


I love your PTR!
So smart to change your BOG to breakfast. We have learned the hard way not to book our meals too close together. We have literally sat through meals where we barely ate anything because we were still full from the meal before. It's such a waste, and completely disappointing when these are meals that you've been thinking about for months.
Can't wait to hear how your trip goes :)
 
Thoughts from Holiday World

I went to Holiday World with my husband on Tuesday and it was so much fun. I figured I would come here and share some thoughts I had while there.

We rode one roller coaster, Thunderbird, when we got there before the water park opened. Then we went to the water park Splashin' Safari first and went on 4 slides total. We went in the lazy river and wave pool and ate lunch there as well. The w
ater park has the two longest water coasters in the world and they were awesome. We only rode 4 waterslides total, but had a lot of fun anyway. The water was a pleasant temperature.

They had "Dole Whip" at the water park after we had our pizza lunch. We got a strawberry swirl one--very refreshing! My husband and I shared it, so when we go to Disney World, I'm thinking we will probably share there too. I really want to maximize our snack credits and eat as many different snacks as possible!

After we left the water park we ventured out into Holiday World proper and headed for some roller coasters.


The Voyage, considered the best Wooden Roller coaster in the world. . . Not my favorite. It’s too long and nothing about it is particularly special. Just a big, long roller coaster. Nothing to make it unique from any other woodie. I rode it twice to try to give it a fair chance, even. I liked it but just didn't really get too into it. I have ridden the longest wooden coaster in the world, btw, and it doesn’t feel like it’s too long. Goes to show, no matter how great a ride looks on paper, it’s the feeling you get on it that matters.

The Legend, another wooden coaster, jerked my back around and threw my husband (big guy) into me on several occasions. But it was very intense and the sharp turns made it a lot of fun. Probably my favorite because both it was both intense and had a memorable feel.

The Raven was more gentle, but still very fast. This one was really nice in that it gave a beautiful view of a lake and whipped through trees and used the natural landscape to its advantage, which is something I really appreciate in a wooden coaster.

Thunderbird is a launched wing coaster. It felt larger than life and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would, so much that we rode it twice. (Even though the walk back to it was laborious.)

I got very sweaty walking around the regular park as large portions are uphill walks. I was exhausted when we came home and slept amazingly. Obviously, I am concerned about the long walks at Disney and seriously need to start a walking regimen very soon to prepare! At least I know I will get good sleep at Disney.

We walked onto all the roller coasters, pretty much, with the longest wait being 10 minutes at the most. Waits in the water park were only a little longer. This makes me wonder if amusement park attendance is down everywhere? When I went to Kings Island earlier this summer, we walked on to almost everything as well. And Kentucky Kingdom also never has long waits for their roller coasters? This seems consistent with reports from Disney that crowds are lower. Wondering what is causing this trend?


Holiday World features great, helpful, friendly employees. It's an all-around family-friendly park. The theming is a little cheesy, but super cute. Holiday World also has free Soft drinks, free sunscreen (still got burned though), and free parking, which makes it a great value. Definitely want to go back. I really have caught the amusement park bug now, or I was probably born with it and it's just now manifesting itself!

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YAY for the BOG reservation!

Thanks for the moral support. I know the grey stuff is a huge deal, but I really can't justify eating lunch and then dinner less than a few hours later. It's tough, but I think the Breakfast might be better for us. I'll just have to read people's dining reports and live vicariously through them,

Disney has always been an escape for me from troubles in my life. My next trip is in August and it took some difficult and emotionally draining weeks at work to really push me to plan this trip since it gave me something to look forward to, and the planning always makes me happy. I'm sorry you're having a rough time in Louisville but I'm happy Disney can be that source of light for you!

:hug:

Tangierine Cafe is such an underrated QS in WS and I only discovered it a few years ago.

So glad to hear that you think so! I never hear anything about it, really, but the menu looks so interesting! My hubby and I are adventurous, so it will probably suit us well!

If it were up to me, I'd take the early breakfast at BOG since you really want to bring your appetite to 'Ohana, plus I've always wanted to get into MK before the park officially opens and enjoy the peace before the crowds take over for the day.

I think it will be pretty magical!

I love your PTR!
So smart to change your BOG to breakfast. We have learned the hard way not to book our meals too close together. We have literally sat through meals where we barely ate anything because we were still full from the meal before. It's such a waste, and completely disappointing when these are meals that you've been thinking about for months.
Can't wait to hear how your trip goes :)

Thanks for agreeing! Lol :thumbsup2
 
REDcard Thoughts and Movie Nights
We finally got our REDcard for Target in the mail Tuesday and so went to Target to get $2000 worth of Disney gift cards. . . Once there we found out the limit for gift card purchases with a REDcard is apparently $250? And not just per transaction, but per day? We tried to purchase all the gift cards at once, but were rejected. Then we tried just $1000, and it still didn’t work. Then finally $250, which did work. And when we tried to do $250 again. . . rejected. So I guess we will have to make 8+ trips to Target over the next few days/weeks so we can save $100. Ehhh. . . All smiles. :D

In preparation for our trip, my husband and I have instated movie nights. We are working our way through a list and we’re using the old DVD netflix to rent titles as well as using instant streaming Netflix. Our first movie was Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin. We made a special dessert just for the occasion: HONEY cream crescent rolls. Super easy to make. They are just crescent rolls filled with honey, cream cheese and sliced almonds, dusted with cinnamon sugar. They made yummy breakfast left overs as well.​
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Yummy

Next up was Hercules, which we got in the mail today. We had some Mediterranean food for dinner to go with the theme. Gyros and hummus. LOL.

How do you folks suggest purchasing souvenirs at Disney? We get discounts with Disney Visa, but after our vacation ends, there will be no benefits for having the reward points (not likely to take another Disney Vacay anytime soon. Want to do a cruise, but Disney cruises are really expensive.) Plus, don’t like charging things to the credit card. I'd prefer to pay cash/with debit card. . . . ? Opinions?
 
Sorry about the hassle with the redcard. I am not a target shopper for lots of reasons including their lack of customer service. I use Sams Club or BJs for my Disney Gift cards, no hassle with a red card.

I love movie nights..what a great way to spend time together.

As for how to pay for souveniers...cash is king. Charge with your magic band and the go to your front desk each night and pay your bill with cash.
 
#Goals
I have been talking about wanting to shed a few (or 30) pounds for months (or over a year), but I had a moment of clarity last Thursday when I weighed myself that I reaalllly need to get on it. So for the last week I have been tracking calories and I have already lost about 3 pounds, so I'm off to a good start. I also got a Wii Fit from Goodwill on Tuesday for like $5 and have been playing with that. I used to play on it all the time in college since my roommate had one and I loved it. It combines my favorite thing, video games, with my least favorite thing, exercise. Makes it a little more manageable.

So, to get started, my first goal is to lose 20 pounds before Disney and as it is now, I think I can do it! I have still been able to have a few cookies and some ice cream from time to time and stay under my calorie limit, so I'm really optimistic.

And on the RedCard note, last weekend I was in Cincinnati for a wedding and it was a tax free weekend, so we were doing a little clothes shopping at Target. My RedCard would not work for the life of me. Ugh. But the cashier was nice and gave us $5 off anyway, which turned out to be a better savings than 5% anyway, so I was happy.

And last night, my husband and I had our 3rd movie night. We watched Mulan, ate Asian food, and folded laundry. Super fun.

Sorry about the hassle with the redcard. I am not a target shopper for lots of reasons including their lack of customer service. I use Sams Club or BJs for my Disney Gift cards, no hassle with a red card.

I love movie nights..what a great way to spend time together.

As for how to pay for souveniers...cash is king. Charge with your magic band and the go to your front desk each night and pay your bill with cash.

Thanks for the input on the souvenir situation. That's not a bad idea.

ETA: I am only 96 days away from my trip! AHHHHhhh! :rainbow:
 
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Good luck with the weight loss...sounds like you are doing great!
 
Daily Itineraries, Days 1-4
So, as of today, I am now only 87 days out from our glorious trip!! (Only 86 days for my brother who arrives a day before us!) Now is really the time to iron out our daily itineraries so we can strategize our fast pass plus selections. I actually made preliminary touring plans quite a while ago on touringplans.com with my subscription to the website. Anyway, with that said, I am going to share my plan for our time in the parks and would greatly appreciate any feedback on which fast passes you would pick and what you think of the plans in general.

This is Day one at the Magic Kingdom, the day of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Our flight is supposed to land at 10:50am in Orlando. Hoping to make it to the park by 3 o'clock so we can get started on the fun before the part officially begins. This is when we'll ride the little rides and do the little things that aren't normally recommended for adults, like Dumbo. Our dinner reservation for LTT is at 5:15. Don't care about fast passes on this day since my brother will probably want to reserve three of his own for that morning before my DH and I get there.
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This is Day Two at Epcot. Some of these steps admittedly make no sense. Like why would I tour the whole Mexico pavilion before getting on Frozen Ever After just to ride Gran Fiesta Tour right after? That's a bit out of order, lol. You'll note a big gap between our last stop around World Showcase and our Dinner at Teppan Edo, so we may head back to the hotel for a rest or a swim or we may repeat some rides, who knows. We have some flexibility built in.
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This is Day Three at the Magic Kingdom. Fast Pass suggestions highly appreciated.
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After our start at Magic Kingdom on this day, we may park hop to Hollywood Studios for Fantasmic and maybe Tower of Terror.

This is Day four at Animal Kingdom. And I have tons of questions about this day. With tiered fast passes and the sheer unpredictability of Pandora, what do you recommend? Is it possible to ride NRJ, FoP, Safari, and EE all in this day without waiting forever for at least one of them? Touring plans optimization seems pretty optimistic about getting the Avatar rides done in the morning. How optimistic would you be? Another big question, we have a reservation at Chef Art Smith's Homecoming at 8:00pm. Does anyone think we'll be able to watch Rivers of Light and then leave in time to get to that reservation? And if we don't do ROL on this night, will it be worth it to park hop back to AK later in the trip just to see it? If we do, it would be on our very last in park day. Is it worth ending the trip on?
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Please critique these plans and if you have any experience with mid-November, how accurate do you think these touring plans times will be? How much walking around will we wind up doing? Any advice on how to better navigate these attractions, please let me know!!

Stay tuned for days 5-7 in the parks.

(And update, I have now lost 4 lbs total, so only about 16 to go, lol. Making progress!)
 
Hi Elizabeth! I followed you over from my TR. Just wanted to say I really love your enthusiasm for your upcoming trip. It's nice to be able to see planning from a fresh set of eyes. I've been so many times it's become almost routine to book ADRs and FP+. I kinda miss having that "newbie" feeling!

Anyway, I made the first two pairs and my husband bought the second two. He bought the Rapunzel pair from Etsy and the sparkly ones from Amazon, I think?

LOVE the ears! Wow you made the first two? That's really cool!!

I went to the mall yesterday with my husband to see if he could get a new wallet from Fossil, since his wallet was starting to come apart and they have a replacement warranty. While at the mall, who can resist making a little stop at the Disney Store? We didn't buy anything, though I am always tempted by the tiny Dumbo Tsum Tsum. I picked up a WDW brochure while I was there, because though I don't need any convincing, I still like flipping through the pages and looking at the little park maps. :)

I love this! I used to open park maps so eagerly and now I don't even use a map. LOL.

BTW I got an email on Wednesday, I believe, from touring plans, alerting me that a BOG breakfast reservation had been found for 11/19/17!! Woohoo! As I have said in a previous post, I was considering changing my BOG reservation to breakfast because A) It's a better value on the Dining Plan because their breakfast is a more expensive counter service than their lunch is and B) We have an early reservation for Ohana and want to make sure we are properly hungry for that! Another thing is that this reservation is at 8:40 which is a PPO reservation. I hear those are very coveted. I'm still hanging on to that lunch reservation for BOG though, because in my heart, I know I want breakfast, but I don't want to regret changing it either. So I can really waffle back and forth if I want.

Questions: What would you do? Breakfast or lunch? Also, if we do go with Breakfast, how early can we get into the restaurant? Is it possible to be seated before our 8:40 reservation time? What is your experience in this area?

I like PPO breakfasts followed by lunch. Since your breakfast is so close to opening time, I'd pre-order my food so that it's delivered very quickly to your table. And yes if you arrive earlier they will usually seat you earlier. Just show up at 8:15am, that's what I would do. Your goal is to be out and in line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train by 9am, haha, at least that is the goal for us. We never get to ride it on standby unless we do this.


Lovely picture!

In preparation for our trip, my husband and I have instated movie nights. We are working our way through a list and we’re using the old DVD netflix to rent titles as well as using instant streaming Netflix. Our first movie was Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin. We made a special dessert just for the occasion: HONEY cream crescent rolls. Super easy to make. They are just crescent rolls filled with honey, cream cheese and sliced almonds, dusted with cinnamon sugar. They made yummy breakfast left overs as well.​
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Sounds and looks delicious. I love your movie night concept!

How do you folks suggest purchasing souvenirs at Disney? We get discounts with Disney Visa, but after our vacation ends, there will be no benefits for having the reward points (not likely to take another Disney Vacay anytime soon. Want to do a cruise, but Disney cruises are really expensive.) Plus, don’t like charging things to the credit card. I'd prefer to pay cash/with debit card. . . . ? Opinions?

I personally would put all my purchases on a miles-earning points card, like Chase Sapphire, United Explorer card or whatever airline you usually take. Since I fly so much I need the points! I also like to use my Starwood Preferred Card so that I can stay at the Dolphin or Swan via points. That is the only way I can stay on Disney property for free (or close to free, damn resort fee) so I'll take it!

This is Day one at the Magic Kingdom, the day of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Our flight is supposed to land at 10:50am in Orlando. Hoping to make it to the park by 3 o'clock so we can get started on the fun before the part officially begins. This is when we'll ride the little rides and do the little things that aren't normally recommended for adults, like Dumbo. Our dinner reservation for LTT is at 5:15. Don't care about fast passes on this day since my brother will probably want to reserve three of his own for that morning before my DH and I get there.

I would definitely make some FP for the evening though. You can always rearrange it if you don't use it. I vote for Pirates, 7DMT and BTMRR. :)

This is Day Two at Epcot. Some of these steps admittedly make no sense. Like why would I tour the whole Mexico pavilion before getting on Frozen Ever After just to ride Gran Fiesta Tour right after? That's a bit out of order, lol. You'll note a big gap between our last stop around World Showcase and our Dinner at Teppan Edo, so we may head back to the hotel for a rest or a swim or we may repeat some rides, who knows. We have some flexibility built in.

Yeah doesn't make sense. I personally don't think FEA is worth the FP+. It's a nice ride but it's very short. I would rope drop Soarin', then FP Test Track, Character Spot, and then maybe Mission Space or Spaceship Earth.

This is Day Three at the Magic Kingdom. Fast Pass suggestions highly appreciated.

I'd definitely do Mine Train, BTMRR, and Pirates. Oh wait, did I say that already for your first day? LOL I just love those rides. I'd also say Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan, and Space Mountain since they all have long lines during the day.

This is Day four at Animal Kingdom. And I have tons of questions about this day. With tiered fast passes and the sheer unpredictability of Pandora, what do you recommend? Is it possible to ride NRJ, FoP, Safari, and EE all in this day without waiting forever for at least one of them? Touring plans optimization seems pretty optimistic about getting the Avatar rides done in the morning. How optimistic would you be? Another big question, we have a reservation at Chef Art Smith's Homecoming at 8:00pm. Does anyone think we'll be able to watch Rivers of Light and then leave in time to get to that reservation? And if we don't do ROL on this night, will it be worth it to park hop back to AK later in the trip just to see it? If we do, it would be on our very last in park day. Is it worth ending the trip on?

Both Pandora rides are in Tier 1. Definitely shoot for Flight of Passage. OK and here's the key, when you make fastpasses, start on your Animal Kingdom day (Day 4) first. Flight of Passage will be the hardest FP+ to get so you want to get that one first. You will not regret it, it is a great ride. After you make FP for your Animal Kingdom day, then head back and do Day 3 at MK, then Day 2 at Epcot then Day 1 at MK. Or if you have other days planned at AK, then do those FPs right after. It's a bit of a process but you should be able to get everything that you want that way.

Navi River Journey is not exciting in comparison. But if you want to ride it you can do it during EMH or rope drop immediately and head for it.
Then for your other FPs you can do the Safari and EE. :)

Looking forward to more plans!
 
Your plans look great...I am not sure though that the Mexican Pavilion will be open at 10 am...World Showcase does not open until 11 am. I know that Frozen will be and a few dining locations, but not the pavilion....you might check that.

Everything I have read about Pandora says to do Flight of Passage first. Last week the line at 9:15 am was already at 70 minutes.

Word of caution...while I love Touringplans...they can be off and be off bad with wait times.

I love that you have made time for the trails in AK...they are so much fun!
 
(And update, I have now lost 4 lbs total, so only about 16 to go, lol. Making progress!)
:banana::banana::banana:Way to Go! I know it's hard! We just got back from a summer vacation, so I am trying to get back on track!

This is Day Three at the Magic Kingdom. Fast Pass suggestions highly appreciated.
I would say def grab a Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Fastpass. Maybe Jungle Cruise, it tends to get a long line sometimes... Pirates of the Caribbean is another good one to grab a FP for. And/or Space Mountain, Big Thundermountain.
 

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