This Trip brought to you by Truck Fire & Eye Surgery ~ Magic Cruise 11/24/12

[vleeth]

Originally Posted by jenseib

I had requested 1st floor in one of the refurbed rooms, because at the time, they all hadn't been done. I was put in Fantasia. I liked it. I was not on the pool side, but that was OK. I checked in really early, I can't remember for sure now, but I want to say around noonish and my room was ready.

I have been debating at looking at making a plan for us on touring plans. I am usually one who never sticks to a touring plan, so I'm not sure it would do us good.

Its nice to hear about all these early check-ins! I put in a request, but it really won't hurt my feelings no matter where they put me.

For me part of the fun of planning the trip is making the touring plans. I'm not saying we follow them at all cost, but we usually stick to it pretty well.

[vleeth]

Park Day 2 ~ Nov 26

I won't have any pictures to go along with this update because this will be our Universal Studios day and we've never been there before! Not quite sure how that happened...I've been to IOA twice.

I'll need help with this one from those of you who have been there before. This is the plan I have so far...

Be there for rope drop (we're rope drop kinda people) and do
Despicable Me (maybe twice),
ET (again twice),
Simpsons (probably just the one time..Dave gets motion sick on some rides and Hope doesn't even know who the Simpsons are. Dave and I aren't really fans either)
MIB (twice)
Disaster
lunch
Mummy (single rider because Hope doesn't want to ride)
Twister
Shrek
T-2
Makeup Show
Animal Actor

Is it possible to do this by 6:00, or earlier? The park closes at 6:00 this day.

Also, does All Stars Movies have premade/packaged cs food that we can buy the night before and take to US for lunch?

Since I don't have any US pics here are a couple random and unrelated ones!

Just because I like it


Hope in her car seat on the way to Disney, Sept 2009. We did our driving overnight so she could sleep most of the way.

[momabaarjo]

I think you plan for USO is really doable...I worry about Thanksgiving Crowds and your plans. Not sure how they will work against you...I only have express pass touring plan knowledge. The key is to stay in front of the crowds by getting there early!

Also you can save a lot of hassle and TIME with lockers by taking minimal into the park...what fits into deep cargo pockets or a tiny cross body bag.

[vleeth]

Originally Posted by momabaarjo

I think you plan for USO is really doable...I worry about Thanksgiving Crowds and your plans. Not sure how they will work against you...I only have express pass touring plan knowledge. The key is to stay in front of the crowds by getting there early!

Also you can save a lot of hassle and TIME with lockers by taking minimal into the park...what fits into deep cargo pockets or a tiny cross body bag.

We'll be there the week after Thanksgiving, so the crowds should be way down from Thanksgiving week.

We will get there early!

As of now the plan is to bring the stroller, so we shouldn't need lockers.

I was surprised they closed so early. But I was hoping to be done with this park early so we can have at least one early night to get some sleep. Now that I know the closing time, we have no choice but to be done early, because they will kick us out.

[vleeth]

Park Day 3 ~ Nov 27

This will be the day of many buses. First we will take a bus to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Side note: When we had to cancel our June trip, the only thing that Hope was upset about was missing Star Wars Weekend. So Jedi Training is at the top of the list.

Here are my plans as of now

Send Dave to get TSMM FP while Hope and I get signed up for Jedi Training. Hopefully we can get there early enough to get into the second show.
Then we'll hit RNR (Hope's first time on this one!)
Next is the Disney Jr. show,
followed by Jedi Training (we'll have to walk briskly to get from one to the other)
Then we'll use our FP at TSMM



and maybe go to
Animation Academy (this is where you draw...right?)
We'll stop off at Staring Rolls for lunch and then on to the bus

At Animal Kingdom we will
get Safari FP then see Lion King, followed by pics of the characters in their Christmas outfits.


By the time we're done with that we should be able to use our FPs, then we'll try to catch the parade and hit Dinosaur

before we head back to the bus

Back at DHS we'll get supper possibly at Fairfax Fair and stake out a spot for F! After that we may decide we want to see the lights again. And then take the you-know-what back to the hotel.

With this many buses chances are one of them will have a short wait...right?!?

I'm exhausted just reading this day...but I need to be there early for Jedi and late for F! (of course AK is closed at night anyways)

Does anyone happen to know how long before your Jedi show do you need to be in the Jedi area? Also any thoughts on Staring Rolls for lunch and Fairfax Fair?

[jenseib]

Another fun day!!!

[vleeth]

Originally Posted by jenseib

Another fun day!!!

Thanks!!!

[reyasmommy]

Your plans look great. I'm excited to try Despicable Me sometime. I remember riding it when it was a Hana Barbara ride and Jimmy Neutron. ((Should be fun, I LOVE that movie)) You'll love MIB and the Mummy. Actually I love most the rides at Universal. The biggest difference between Disney and Universal is that it seems like rides are constantly down for maintinance at Universal. Almost every single time I've gone they have one or two rides down at a time because something is wrong with them. It becomes quite annoying. However the theming and rides are really pretty great. We're debating whether or not going to IOA. ((which you already know from reading my ptr )) Look forward to reading more. Keep up the good work.

[JessiMommy]

Originally Posted by vleeth

I also want to mention that this weekend I was hit with a desire to start packing. Someone please tell me that is crazy and no one in their right mind would start packing this far out.

No, this is NOT crazy!!! My family and I arrive a couple weeks before you on November 11 and I have been itching to pack since June! LOL! I do have a Rubbermaid tub in my bedroom that I am filling a little at a time with items I've bought here and there for the trip. That has helped ease my urge a little... I'm starting to wonder what I'll do with my free time once the trip is over because planning it is all I want to do lately. I'm sure you can relate.

[vleeth]

Originally Posted by reyasmommy

Your plans look great. I'm excited to try Despicable Me sometime. I remember riding it when it was a Hana Barbara ride and Jimmy Neutron. ((Should be fun, I LOVE that movie)) You'll love MIB and the Mummy. Actually I love most the rides at Universal. The biggest difference between Disney and Universal is that it seems like rides are constantly down for maintinance at Universal. Almost every single time I've gone they have one or two rides down at a time because something is wrong with them. It becomes quite annoying. However the theming and rides are really pretty great. We're debating whether or not going to IOA. ((which you already know from reading my ptr )) Look forward to reading more. Keep up the good work.

Thanks! I hope we don't have too many rides down since we'll only be there one day. I'm very excited about our IOA day. I'm reading the first Harry Potter book to Hope at bedtime. We are so hooked!

Originally Posted by JessiMommy

No, this is NOT crazy!!! My family and I arrive a couple weeks before you on November 11 and I have been itching to pack since June! LOL! I do have a Rubbermaid tub in my bedroom that I am filling a little at a time with items I've bought here and there for the trip. That has helped ease my urge a little... I'm starting to wonder what I'll do with my free time once the trip is over because planning it is all I want to do lately. I'm sure you can relate.

I have a rubbermaid tub in my bedroom too!!!!!!!!!!!! It's purple and it's so full now that I have stuff on top of it. I think I need to go through it and maybe pack some of it so I'll have room in the box. I can relate with the planning is pretty much all I want to do...but when our trip is over, it'll be way past time to start planning for our cruise!

[vleeth]

Here's some things I started working on yesterday for the trip.

Lanyards...I think I'll put our names of these...but I'm not sure


Shirt for Hope


Shirt for me

[jenseib]

awesome...where did you get the lanyards at?

[vleeth]

Originally Posted by jenseib

awesome...where did you get the lanyards at?

Thanks!

We own a Signs Now and everytime we go to a sign convention we end up with lanyards. Can't really remember which one it was.

[JessiMommy]

Love the shirts! I have plans to make us some too but don't know where to begin. November seemed too far away for so long but all of a sudden it seems close.

[vleeth]

Originally Posted by JessiMommy

Love the shirts! I have plans to make us some too but don't know where to begin. November seemed too far away for so long but all of a sudden it seems close.

Thanks! I hope to do our tie dye ones this weekend. November is getting closer...as a matter of fact today makes 100 days for us! Yay!