Now to victoria and alberts!!!
That’s awesome! I hope my DH has the same reaction, as he’s not a Disney fan. Have a nice dinner!
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“I never thought I would say this, but we should do this every year.”
MISSION.
ACCOMPLISHED.
!!!
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Wow!
Well, the plan this morning was to try for another boarding group, but hubs is still snoozing while kids and I watch puppy dog pals in the lobby. We have fpp starting at 830, but I’m not optimistic about that first one. It’s just as2. We were in v&a almost 4 hours last night. It was totally insane. I’m ruined on food forever lol. Pics to come!
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What a great trip report so far!!! Looks like fun!
Just interacted w R2! My daughter has no fear lol. If you havent watched the imagineering episode, do it! Now in line for jr dance party. Was our son’s favorite at 2.5 so hoping dd18m loves it! After this, tsm fpp!
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Welp, woodys was fine!! We had to find a party about to get up to grab a seat, but only waited about 3m. Mobile order took 10 max. Loved the lunch box treats!
Also, I want to ride TSM ALL DAY LONG. omg.
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Artist Point now. I feel like this is chaotic even compared to Tusker, but maybe it’s our server. Snow White was great.
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Well, we ended our trip in disney transportation. Which was a bad idea, more on that when I do a full report. We are leaving at just the right time. The crowds are noticeably thicker just since yesterday.
For now, thanks to you guys and TP, we had a fantastic trip.
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Day 1-3 - 2/29-3/2
I booked 10am SW flights so that we didn’t have to get up earlier than normal, and whuddya know, DS6 and DD18m were too excited to sleep! Since we were going to UO first, no DME, so we hired Tony Hinds, recommended on all the UO boards, for a 3 way trip. The rest of this day and the following day were UO. Day 3 was Epcot for me (live report here: FOMOm solo day live report!) and Legoland for DH and DS. Day 4 the family fun began!
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Day 4, 3/3 - MK day 1. Predicted CL 7, actual 8.
We checked out of Royal Pacific (pretty, but tiny, tiny rooms) and Tony picked us up at 7. We arrived at the Poly around 725, just in time to meet BabyWheels for our rented double stroller and my friend, who happens to be a retired professional nanny who now travel nannies for fun (yeah, you read that right. her weekly fee is less than a night at AKL and i paid her expenses with points), to drop off DD18m, who would have been hot and bored at UO. We had checked in online, and I had sent a TP room request for Tokelau third floor. We dropped our bags at bell services, decided to hit Kona Island for coffee instead of waiting in MK and hopped on the monorail!
We didn’t have plans to RD anything because we were only doing the left side of the park that day. We stood in a very short PP line for this gem:
watched the welcome show and then headed to the swiss family treehouse (I know, waste of an RD, but we had the FPs we needed and an 18m old, so…) and the tiki room, which i hadn’t seen in at least 20 years. SO fun! Then to splash and BTMR. Splash was down for at least an hour, which threw off our TP a little but gave me an anytime FP (we were splitting FPs for rider switch). We loved BTMR and DD loved the laughing place, a great shady spot to wait out RS with the littles. Then we all rode POTC with FP before heading back to Splash, now that it was finally open. The RS took more time than expected, esp w/ FP lines longer after downtime, so Tom Sawyer Island got tossed from the TP, which was a real bummer. But DS and DH LOVED Splash. This is where DH started to have fun, I think, and by the end of the week he was sad to leave.
We grabbed an I Lava You float and citrus swirl at Sunshine Terrace as our HM FP switched to anytime. Sadly, it didn’t come back online for our entire trip. One of my favorites. Oh well, next time! We decided to head to our FoF parade package at Tony’s a little early for our 12:35 reservation as everyone was tired, hangry and//or in need of a diaper change.
Tony’s was fine! The service was meh, and my hubby’s food was Olive Garden-ish, but my wings and salmon were great.
We were running early, so I grabbed 3 single overlapping FPs to meet Mickey next door, and DD’s absolute lack of fear of characters was hilarious. She did a lot of nose grabbing LOL
Then, it was time for DD’s first haircut! DS desperately needed one too, but Harmony couldn’t fit him in. DD’s cut took about 30 seconds, but the experience was fun! They really need a PP photographer in there, but it’s so small, I can see why they don’t have it.
I had scheduled the haircut for 2:20, thinking we would have to wait 15m, then it would take at least 10, then we could wander the emporium until time to use our FoF passes. Welp, we were done by 2:23, and killing an hour in gift shops with a no-nap toddler, an exhausted DH and a “IS IT POOL TIME YET?” DS… I said, okay, we can go to the parade Thursday. And then our room ready text came… we didn’t get third floor or the side with the sneaky castle view, but we did get the building we wanted so…
We hopped on the monorail, threw on our suits and enjoyed the Lava pool for a couple of hours. We still had 2 anytime FPs to use, so I pretty much insisted that I was going back in the park whether they did or not after DD went to bed at 630. DS was game, so after feeding DD and DH Captain Cooks (we ate there a LOT), DS and I headed back for some one on one time! It was a moonlight magic night, so it was far more crowded than I had expected, but using DH’s band and our anytimes, we managed to ride Space, Buzz and the Tea Cups before HEA even started! Mickey Bars were the perfect dinner, and we hopped on the monorail just as HEA began. I almost had to carry DS back to the room at that point, but we had tons of fun and created lots of room in our Thursday MK plan, and we all slept like rocks in preparation for the next day at AK, which turned out to be our favorite!
FPs: BTMR, splash, PoC, space, buzz, teacups, meet mickey
Walk on: Tiki, treehouse
Dining: Kona Island, Tony’s, Captain Cooks, Sunshine Terrace, ice cream cart
Experiences: first haircut, family pool time
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Day 5, 3/4, AK predicted CL 5, actual CL 3
We had planned a late start for this day, with brunch at Tusker followed by EE and dinosaur split fps, but our dogs were barking and we had a lot of park days to go, so I switched it around a bit to reduce the trekking. We arrived a little before our 1015 fp window and walked in to ITTBAB. everyone loved it, which I know isn’t common. Then we headed to dinosaur, where my son left his hat that his grandma had given him, never to be recovered. We did end up getting him a Vader hat just to keep the sun out of his eyes, but it broke my heart to pay for it lol. That whole section of the park needs redone… and I’m a huge JP nerd, so that’s saying something.
Then we went over to EE, which I think ended up as DS’s favorite ride. DD loved watching the coaster come out of the mountain and kept saying wowwww in the cutest voice. Again with RS these two rides took a ton of time.
Then we were off to a 1230 tusker house reservation, which ended up being a great decision. It seemed like Africa was just mobbed, and a character buffet felt quiet in comparison. Food was tasty and service was fine.
Then off to our KS FP. I wasn’t expecting much from a midday timeslot but wow! We saw so many great animals too close for comfort and had a fantastic driver.
Then we walked gorilla falls and then sat in the shade until FOTLK. I checked every day for months for an opening for the tier 1 package but it just didn’t happen. I think DD would’ve lasted the whole show if we had sat closer, but it’s always a fun show to see!
DH had a headache and was over park time by this point but we hadnt even been to pandora. Here is where reading @OBNurseNH trip reports and good planning saved the day. I dropped DH and DS off at the sacred space, DS with a target dollar section play pack, and met DD’s nanny at rainforest. DD was a trooper all day but I knew night would be a different story, so off she went for dinner and bedtime. Our nanny/friend had brought her 4 year old daughter and she and DD became BFFs by the end of the trip. I’m already calculating how to save enough points for her to come with us again next year.
I ran back to my new favorite spot and ordered bread service for me and chicken nuggets for the kiddo. As a non drinker, I appreciate the abundance of mocktails throughout disney… I even had a mocktail flight at V&A! As a drinker, my hubby appreciated the bourbon lol.
This kind of break is exactly what we needed to make it to PM activities, and made me realize we would only see FOF if I planned similarly, which then threw me into a tailspin for our MK plans the next day, but that’s for the next post.
We tapped in for our 520 FOP at 515 and I immediately started looking for navi… instead I found more FOP! My aunt, who goes at least once a year, had told me this ride was pretty much a spiritual experience, and she wasn’t joking. My jaw was on the floor the whole time. I am so glad we got to ride it twice. I would wait in a 2 hour line for this. Holy cow. Our last AK trip Pandora wasn’t even open, so this was a huge treat.
We had about 45m before our window opened so we grabbed a night blossom.and margarita and split a bowl and alien dessert at satuli. The difference in food quality when you pick the good places is just staggering. DH said AK has the best food, and I tend to agree.
After we tapped in for the second fop ride, I asked DH and DS if they wanted me to try for Navi or everest. EE was the unanimous choice and I’m so glad it was.
We took in the amazingness that is pandora at night and then walked back to Asia, catching some of ROL along the way. We all rode EE twice and def did not need the FPs. At night it’s a whole different ride.i love everything about that coaster. After 2, I was toast, but DS and DH rode at least 3 more times. With rider swap earlier in the day, that was 7 rides for DS on everest. A good day indeed. On the way out we caught some awakenings, which i had never seen before. SO. COOL.
We caught a lyft back to poly, and our driver was an APH who made me rethink my entire MK plan for the following day, which caused some disgruntledness the next am but turned out to be the right call 100%.
Overall, next time I will do 2 AK days as we had an absolute blast but barely scratched the surface. Pandora is amazing. I thought WWoHP was the pinnacle of theming but I clearly had never seen Pandora, SWGE or even TSL. And I will get tier 1 FOTLK and maybe wild Africa trek.
Next up: second MK day!
FPs: FOPx2, EEx2, DINOSAUR, KJS
Walkons: ITTBAB, FOTLK
Dining: Kona Island, Tusker House, Place Who Shall Not Be Named, Pongu Pongu, Satuli Canteen
Experiences: Meeting Kevin, DD’s first character dining, Gorilla Falls, some of ROL, Pandora at night, Tree Awakenings
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Day 6, 3/5 MK predicted CL 5, actual 5
Day 6 was supposed to start with BOG PPO so that we could hit 7DMT and drop our 2pm FP so that we could snag others. And then we missed the parade on Tues. I knew there was no way we would make it from 745-4 in the parks and then come back for the dessert party that night. And by we I mean DH LOL.
So the night before, I cancelled our BOG PPO, moved one of our FPs back a little and said, okay, we’ll hit the park 12-4 then 630-830. The TP was showing some wait times I didn’t love for pooh and ariel, but we had finished Space and Buzz on Tues so I wasn’t overly concerned.
Then the wise Lyft driver, Dusty in a 4 door pickup (no lie!), talked me out of it. I knew DH would not be happy at the get-up-and-go thing, but I just went with it, because I knew the kids would get up at 6 am anyway. I was able to snag an 835 BOG (vs the 805 I had earlier, sigh) with a plan to test the first come first serve policy and ride 7DMT before official open. I preordered crepes, gaston’s, a cupcake and the kids’ mickey eggs, and we were among the first in, but that place was still a mob. We were eating before 815.
By the time we headed to the line at 845, the train was already running. Oops. But we got our RS, and the queue is so long that by the time we got up there, it was walk on. Then as the giant RD mob made its way in, DS and I hopped on for his second ride. I dropped the 2pm FP and picked up Pooh.
Cute, but if I waited 2 hours for this I would be throwing things. I like BTMR and Splash WAY better. This is a fine ride, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t get the hype.
While I’m deep in the sacrilege, I might as well mention that I dropped a 950 PPF so that we could FP everything else. I probably didn’t need to do this, but I was the only one who would miss it, and I wanted to get and use multiple FPs before 10 am, as even 10m here and there was worth it to me. (OK, stop throwing tomatoes guys, I get it)
We used our 910a Pooh, which DD loved, and then took advantage of short/walk on IASW. I think this is my favorite pic of the whole trip. captures the whole reason we do all this!
After IASW we had picked up Dumbo, which always feels long even in FP because of the low capacity. The play area wasn’t open yet. I had casey’s splash zone on our TP and the barnstormer, but DS didn’t want to ride, and they chose more time at the pool vs. Casey’s, which seemed smart to me. Then we used FP to ride Ariel, and then we peaced out, caught some main street shows and were on our way back to the pool by 1030 am.
There’s a lot we could have done with DD… philharmagic, waited for the carousel (but she rode CaroSeussel at UO, so…), not dropped that PPF, Enchanted tales, a princess meet or 3, tmwland speedway, ppl mover… but DS was eager to get in the pool, and did not want to wait in any of those lines. it was HOT for March, and I was trying not to FOMOm (though I was dying inside, trust me), so back to the room we went!
I grabbed an uncrustable at Capt Cooks for DD and had her down for nap by 1115, while DS and DH rented one of the small speedboats at 7 seas marina to explore the lagoon! They had a blast, and DS is now slightly obsessed w/ discovery island. I wish I could have gone, because they got to see Reflections construction and the bungalows up close, but I did sneak in a 45m nap.
Then, nanny M came to pick up DD at 1pm, as we were doing the fireworks that night and early HS the next day. I met DS and DH at the pool, where DH had kicked back a margarita and was looking at the Barefoot Pool Bar menu for lunch. I ordered a spinach and watermelon salad and malasadas and DH the wonton chips. I’ll just leave this gem from allears here. Typos are always fun!
Then DH went back to the room to nap, and DS went down the slide a few dozen times and played some pool games with the Poly CMs. They did a nice job of involving all the kids, and the weather was perfect for pool time, so I just relaxed and tried not to think about the fact that I wasn’t actually in the park. DS also had his first of many Te Fiti Cones, which is just lime dole whip with an orchid, from Pineapple Lanai. I was saving up for our first-ever dessert party.
They didn’t want to rush to MK to try to grab any tomorrowland FPs (again, telling the FOMOm to STFU, but so hard), so we hopped on the mono around 545 and were in line to check in by 620… and we weren’t the first people. I didn’t realize there’d be a line this early! Anyway, I’d heard mixed things about the desserts, but I was pleasantly surprised! We chowed down on some cheeseburger egg rolls, ooey gooey toffee cake (OMG), mini cupcakes, etc. before heading out to the Plaza around 7. I had brought some dollar store/target light up toys, and that, combined with the liner tip to lean on the fence in the back, helped a lot.
I cry at YouTube videos of HEA. It really is amazing. DH didn’t really understand the whole “castle projection” idea and thought Fantasmic was bound to be better (we saw that in 2015), and then the show started. He had my 60# DS on his shoulders the whole time (“This could be the last time he ever asks me to do this!” cue tears), and kept going on about how amazing it was, how he could do this every night, how we can’t figure out how they made it that good…
If you know my DH, this sounds crazy. Medicine has made him so cynical, burned out, exhausted, that few things short of a 3 am call-in for a heart attack get him going anymore. It meant SO much to me that he was able to enjoy it and savor the time with DS. It was amazing and perfect.
Andddd then we fell victim to the crap signage and ended up in 3 different lines before finally getting on the Poly boat. We should have just taken the giant TTC boat and walked over from there, but lesson learned, and the night was not lost.
My main regret for this day was missing the parade. I mean, we paid to eat at Tony’s for the tickets!!! But after 2 trips missing it, I realized that I need to plan better if we’re going to push through that 2pm slump at MK. A late lunch or dessert at a TS, a strategically timed carousel of progress, etc. Standing around main street saying “we can just wait 45m!” hasn’t tended to work with DH. Next time, WE WILL GO TO THE DANG PARADE.
Also BOG PPO is critical for Fantasyland. We ordered 2 kids and one adult meal, and it was still overpriced, but we could’ve managed with one fewer meal I think. We will definitely do that again.
Next time, we’ll try to hit things we missed and take more time to explore and take in the ambiance. The trouble with this particular day is that we all really needed a rest day, so I was trying to get DD on some things she could actually do before mutiny occurred.
FPs: Pooh, Ariel, Dumbo
Walk on: 7DMT, IASW
Dining: BOG, Barefoot pool bar at poly, Pineapple Lanai, Tomorrowland Terrace fireworks party
Experiences: Main St. shows, pool time, 7 seas lagoon exploration, HEA, dessert party
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That typo! 
I’ve enjoyed reading your review. I’m glad your husband came around and was able to really enjoy the moment. I’m hoping for a similar outcome when we go in April.
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What time was your dessert party? We are doing the garden view in May. 7:30. I wasn’t planning on being there THAT much earlier.
- I just assumed that people would arrive closer to 7 than 630 since HEA wasn’t until 8 and how long can it take to eat enough cupcakes to feel sick? (it doesn’t take me long, and I have a very high sweets tolerance LOL).
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