MARCH 2017 Pre Trip Report - The family's first transatlantic visit *update 1/16*

[Lei]

THE BACKGROUND

Hello everyone!

My name is Lei, and I can’t believe I’m on the pre-trip report board. Because it means I’m going to Walt Disney World soon! *hyperventilates*

I’m from Jakarta, Indonesia, all the way in South East Asia. Born, raised, and still lives here, currently with my husband and our 4 years-old son.

I’ve been obsessed with Disney parks since I was about 6 years old, when I first experienced the magic at Tokyo Disneyland.

My dad used to do business with the Japanese, and he often brought the family along on his business trips to Tokyo. Therefore, Tokyo Disney Resort is my “home park”. I’ve visited it a number of times (before Hongkong and Shanghai came along, it’s the nearest Disney park to Indonesia for the longest time), so it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Aaand next year, I’m going to Walt Disney World, Orlando!!

It won’t be my first time, but it will be for my husband and son. In fact, it’s our very first family trip to Disney together, so we’re all super, super excited about it. Well, okay, maybe me more than my husband and son. But still!

The background:

My husband is going to United States next year, for business and medical reasons. Initially, he’s going alone, but then I crunched the numbers, and came to the conclusion that it is possible for all three of us to have a US trip! Wooo!

I quickly decided we HAVE to go to Disney. But which one?

I’ve been to both Disneyland Resort and WDW, and I loved both. Theoretically, DLR should be less expensive, because there are only two parks. Also, coming from Indonesia, plane tickets and travel duration to California is cheaper and shorter. So it’s kind of more sensible to visit Disneyland Resort, rather than WDW.

But I kept thinking: dude, go big or go home. We’re coming from halfway around the world after all, so a family trip to USA is rare!

That translates to “we should go to the biggest Disney resort in the world”. So, WDW here we come!!! #YOLO #isthatstillathing?

My husband’s schedule is flexible, so we have the ability to decide when to go, as long as it’s before June 2017.

I really, really wanted to go in January or February.

First, because Orlando's weather would be up to our liking. We love cool weather! Living in a tropical country, we are absolutely sick of the scorching heat and humidity, all year round. Bleh. Also, my son’s mood and appetite increase dramatically when we’re in cooler weather. And being a hijab wearer most of the time, hot weather is almost always a deal-breaker.

Second, because it’s supposed to be relatively less crowded in Jan-Feb.

Overall, the period seems very appealing.

However, as we’ve just made the decision of going to USA a few weeks ago, Jan-Feb seems tight. We need time to save up a bit of more, plan properly, and take care of the paperwork first. Our son’s passport has expired, and in Indonesia, US Visa is notorious for being one of the hardest visas to get. Not to mention my husband needs to sort his schedule and appointments first, too.

I frantically browsed several WDW websites, and concluded that a week after Easter 2017 is probably the best window for us. It’s a week after Easter, spring breaks’ supposed to be over, no major events, and the weather is still not too hot. It should be good... right?

I am not 100% sure about it, because Josh of easywdw.com hasn’t release 2017 crowd calendars yet (will he ever, though?). And yes, I’m one of those people who take Josh's words as gospel.

But as Pete Werner says, there’s almost no such thing as “off-season” at WDW anymore. So, except on major holidays, I guess crowds are pretty much the same all year long.

My husband later checked his schedule, and then we officially decided the date—late April it is!

(update: of course, as the thread's title suggest this will change!)

That's all for my first post, and I'll leave you with a sessy picture of me in my glamorous trashbag-slash-raincoat in MK, a few years ago, sans the family. Sessy!

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[Lei]

THE CAST OF CHARACTERS

Me - Like everyone here, I luhveee Disney, but perhaps the theme parks more than the films and other franchises.

I’m a freelance writer / SAHM, and I love obsessing over my jumble of passions, which includes: (Disney) theme parks, horror stories, Japanese food, and blogging.

I used to be a thrill-rides-or-die kind of person, but since I become a mother, I found beauty in slower, overlooked rides in amusement parks (read: aging gives me post-coasters migraine #32goingon62).

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Before Moana came along, my one and only favorite princess was Ariel, although now I’m not sure why I thought giving up your whole life and identity for a guy you’ve seen only once was awesome. But to be fair, being a mother made me re-assess every Disney princesses’ actions. Except for Moana, of course.

Most anticipated park? Epcot
Most anticipated ride? Soarin’

Speaking of Moana…

My husband – My husband’s real name is awkward to pronounce for English speakers. It almost sounds like ‘Tuh-goo”, emphasizing on the “goo”. So we’ll just call him T.

(I’m thinking of putting his name as “Bob” on the MagicBands later, to make Castmembers and characters easier to greet him )

T is not a Disney fan, and very indifferent towards Disney. I notice this is the trend among the Disney-fans’ husbands here! And being raised in a very small, sleepy town in Indonesia, he didn’t grow up with Disney movies or cartoons, so he has zero nostalgic feeling for Disney. Tragic.

I’ve dragged him to Hongkong Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea, each once, and though he sort of enjoyed the experience (I think?), he’s generally apathetic towards both parks.

Being 6 months pregnant at Tokyo Disney​

But also like many of the awesome Disney-fans’ husbands here, T always happily supports my love for Disney, and he even says this trip is “necessary” and he “needs it” (it’s been a rough year at work).

However, we saw Moana two weeks ago. After the show, he was smiling and kept saying, “What a great movie! Brilliant!” Then, he couldn’t stop listening to Moana’s soundtrack. He’d burst into “Shiny”, and would be working very seriously on his laptop, with the “I am Moanaaaaa…!” line screaming from his headphone.

It’s a miracle!

So I want to think that Moana has increased T’s excitement for the trip… by probably 5%. Alright!

My son – His name is Raya, which means “grand” in Indonesian. But contrary to his name, Raya is a rather timid child, who often thinks deeply, asks hard questions, very critical and observing, has wild imaginations, and can be anxious for many things. He prefers playing with his own imagination, rather than boisterous activities. A true introvert, just like me.
https://flic.kr/p/yU33Jk

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https://flic.kr/p/yU33Jk
But unlike me, he’s not a Disney lover (YET!). He’s a true amusement park lover, though, because we regularly take him to local parks since he was a baby.

Now, at age 4, he loves them, has tried different kinds of ride, understands the concept of queuing (and be patient about it) and the importance of beating the crowds (which means waking up early, moving fast, etc).

Though he’s anxious about—and often rejects—thrill rides (even the kiddie ones), Raya’s favorite type of ride is actually haunted houses. I swear to God, no creepy figure can scare that kid. We once rode a legit haunted house in Jakarta—where I closed my eyes all the way—and he opened his eye wide, observed everything, asked to ride it again 3 more times.

His favorite Disney movie is The Lion King, and after showing him several YouTube videos of MK rides, I want to say he is most excited about Haunted Mansion (of course) and Splash Mountain, thanks to my brainwashing (“It’s like IASW, but with animals! Not scary at all! Look at that girl younger than you riding it!”).

I’m currently in the process of convincing him to ride Mine Train and Test Track. Wish me luck!

 

[Lei]

Happy Holidays everyone!

So, BIG news. The April trip ain't happening after all, because now it's been officially changed to... early MARCH trip. Whaaaa--?

​

Due to one thing and another, we had to push the trip earlier to the first week of March. Though it wasn't perfect (will it still be warm enough to swim? will the early Spring Break crowds be crazy?), it worked better than April eventually, largely because of the resort's much lower prices. Yass.

I can't believe I can set our FP+ by the end of this month! Just a week away! It feels like we had such a short time to plan, for such a huge trip. But I actually don't mind, because as much as I love planning and anticipating for a big trip, with work and everything else in life, it can be draining. Lately, I prefer not to plan so far out for a trip. Anyone else feels the same?

And oh, I said we've "officially" changed the dates becauuuuse today... I've booked everything!!! From rooms to park tickets to Memory Maker (yep, we're getting them) to special events and dining reservations. Will tell more about them.

Later I just need to customize our MagicBands (weirdly, for me, customizing MBs is the most exciting part of the planning. Please tell me I'm not the only one), put our flight details for Magical Express, and put our room requests.

Our travel documents are also 90% done. Passports and US Visa are all set. We just need to take care of our Korean visa, because we'll be transiting in Seoul, South Korea, to and from US.

Here are the deets:

When: First week of March, for 10 days. We'll then continue our trip to Georgia, South Carolina, and Chicago.

Where: Pop Century

Special things we'll be doing: Early Magic Morning, and After Hours. I KNOW, RIGHT. How greedy can we be for MK?! Plus, the prices are definitely not cheap. But it feels justified because we're from halfway around the world, and a family WDW trip is rare for us. So if we can greedy for some MK-time, let it be!

I really wished Club Villain is scheduled during our stay. Alas, no words on Club Villain in March

Bucket list: I have a few, but on the very top of my list is actually meeting The Dis Unplugged team. I first heard their podcast in 2014, loved it, and started listening/watching their show again while planning for this trip. And my God, I am so obsessed with it right now! I also love each of the team member's personalities, from Pete to Oliver, and I even have a not-so-mini crush on Steve. Makayla, you lucky girl.

I would absolutely die if I bumped into one of them in WDW!

I also discovered the major leagues spring training, and offered T to go watch, but he's not interested and would rather watch an NBA game instead (for us non-Americans, it is some of the things that feels quintessential American ). So I might squeeze in that for him on our non-park days. We'll see.

It's really happening, you guys! We're going to Disneyworld!

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[Lei]

FASTPASS+

Praise the Lord Almighty, Fastpass+ picks are done, done, done!!!

It was tense. My eyes twitched maniacally all the way through the process, but I strangely enjoyed the anxiety. Betcha uber planners out there relate to this

All in all, we got 100% of the attractions we want, although not all of them are in our preferred timings.

During our visit, we will have 6 park days. Two days at each MK, Epcot, and AK.

At one point, I seriously considered visiting DHS for Moana’s meet & greet due to DH’s current obsession with the movie, but the cons—constructions! Lack of rides! Frozen Karaoke something-something! Too many Star Wars things! Can you tell we're not Frozen/Star Wars fan?—eventually outweighs the pros of going to the park. No offense to DHS fans, but the park is currently not very appealing to us.

If you’d like to see, here are our FP+ picks for those six park days:

Epcot Day 1
Spaceship Earth 9.40 - 10.40
Ride Test Track 11.05 – 12.05
Meet Characters at Character Spot 19.30 – 20.30

MK Day 1
Mine Train 9.35-10.35
Space Mountain 12.30-13.30
Tomorrowland Speedway 13.35 – 14.35

AK Day 1
Festival of The Lion King 10.00 show
Ride EE 11.50-12.50
ITTBAB 13.10-14.10

AK Day 2
Dinosaur 14.15 – 15.15
Kilimanjaro Safari 16.00 – 17.00
EE 17.00 – 18.00

MK Day 2
Pirates of the Carribean 11.10-12.10
It’s A Small World 12.15-13.15
Meet Mickey 18.50-19.30

Epcot Day 2
Spaceship Earth 12.10 – 13.10
Frozen 14.00-15.00

For other headliner rides that aren’t on this Fastpass list, we’ll be doing them at rope drop, right before closing Extra Magic Morning, or After Hours.

DINING

We originally didn’t feel the need to do any table-service meal, because we are definitely not foodies, especially my husband. As long as he has something to eat—even if he didn’t enjoy the food so much—he’ll be happy! I could serve him burnt scrambled eggs for breakfast, and he’d finish it without batting an eye. I’m the luckiest lazy wife in the world, I know

I also felt a bit guilty to splurge on meals, because we’ve spent so much on EMM and DAH.

But the more I researched, the more I feel dining experience is such an important part of a Disney trip. So I started to consider ONE table-service meal. Two, the most.

After some research, we decided on *drum roll*...




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You know what they are!

T-Rex because my son is currently into dinosaurs, and because the restaurant’s in-your-face, over-the-top, kitschy-but-fun theming is something we definitely don’t have in our city. Jakarta is a metropolis, vibrant city with awesome dining choices. We have our “California Grills”, our “The Waves”, our “Sanaas” and we have dined in some of those top restaurants, but we don’t have something like T-Rex or Rainforest Cafe, ambiance-wise.

To be honest, The Garden Grill is more for me than for DS. DS is really timid around characters, and actually prefers to be away from them. Face characters are even worse. My son doesn’t speak English at all and tend to be terrified if someone strikes a convo with him in English. Poor kid, LOL. 


However, I reaaaally want to do a character meal. And it’s, of course, something unique to Disney. After much consideration between Tusker House / Crystal Palace / Cape May Café / The Garden Grill, I settled with GG. Yay!

Hopefully DS will change his mind about characters once he experiences character meals. If not, I’ve already promised that he can hide under the table until the character goes away. I am such mother of the year.

 

[thebyrdwoman]

Loving your PTR! We are going to be there a few weeks before you. While still in the US, Hawaii seems FAR so we are trying to make the most out of a long trip too!

My husband is very much like yours - not a big Disney person, very much looking forward to this trip AND loved Moana

Your son is very cute.

Can't wait to read more!

 

[Lei]

Loving your PTR! We are going to be there a few weeks before you. While still in the US, Hawaii seems FAR so we are trying to make the most out of a long trip too!

My husband is very much like yours - not a big Disney person, very much looking forward to this trip AND loved Moana

Your son is very cute.

Can't wait to read more!

Oh, wow! Super excited to have someone actually read my PTR, LOL. Mahalo for joining in!

 

[Suprize2017]

Am loving your enthusiasm! We will be at Disney the week before you and I was also excited to make our FastPass selections! We are from Montana and I am so nervous about it being too warm when we are there. I really wanted to go in January as well, but alas, it wasn't to be.

 

[distherapy]

Looks great! We'll be there early March, as well, and can't wait!

We have the EMM booked and I am debating the After Hours (by debating, I mean, just waiting until I can get an excuse to book it...)

 

[Lei]

Am loving your enthusiasm! We will be at Disney the week before you and I was also excited to make our FastPass selections! We are from Montana and I am so nervous about it being too warm when we are there. I really wanted to go in January as well, but alas, it wasn't to be.

Hello! and thanks for reading! Yeah, January seems really appealing with its low crowds, low temperatures, low prices, doesn't it? But the end of February should just as good, plus you'll get to see Flower & Garden at Epcot, if you're staying at least until March 1

Looks great! We'll be there early March, as well, and can't wait!

We have the EMM booked and I am debating the After Hours (by debating, I mean, just waiting until I can get an excuse to book it...)

Hello there fellow March visitor! I'm actually more excited with After Hours than EMM for its longer hours. Don't worry, you'll find an excuse soon enough LOL.

 

[Lei]

So! This is not a trip preparation update per se, but I thought I’d share this piece of thought here.

Yesterday, on easywdw.com, I read a review on Rivers of Light preview show. I think basically Josh (the writer) said it was good, but under-delivered. Many things that were promised simply did not appear. For instance, the 100 lanterns.

What was promised:



What was presented, lol:


from easywdw.com​

I got the impression that this is the trend in Disney. From what I read, many people feel that Disney ‘s going downhill for the past few years, i.e. overhyping what turns out to be underwhelming attractions (Mine Train, Frozen, etc), under-delivering a number of promises (incl Rivers of Light), making cutbacks, increasing prices, not doing proper quality control, etc.

And a lot of people are disappointed; especially because they say Universal next door is definitely way more improving, and gives more value.

(as a disclaimer, I’m writing those based on what I read, not my personal experience, because I am not a regular visitor and doesn’t “feel” the comparison between old Disney vs new Disney, if that makes sense )

Anyway, on that post, someone wrote this comment:

It’s sad to say but that’s the new Disney. I think I will get a lot of grief for saying this, but I blame the true die hard fans. There are way too many people who think everything is amazing because the Disney label is associated with it. It’s the ones who must have everything that is new at Disney, that allowed Disney to lower its quality standards yet still sell every piece of high price junk they can offer.

Disney doesn’t care about your opinion or even this public post, they care about your wallet. When we stop attending parks, when we stop buying low quality items, when we stop eating low quality food, their quality standards will improve.

Last point I’ll make on this cyber soapbox. I don’t see Disney changing anytime soon. What I worry about is the long term here in the US. Disney is riding the coattails of what out once was. That’s still what’s keeping it popular. What I mean is this. Disney is like a drug. You are always looking to achieve that first high from the first trip. You’ll never forget that first feeling of warm emotion where you teared up from that special moment you shared with your kids, or when you remembered something from your childhood that was more pure than most kids have today.

What about when this generation stops going for that price of nostalgia? I don’t see the next generation getting excited about planning their trips. Disney is work. I see more families moving toward a beach vacation in the future. What I’m getting at is that Disney set a great foundation years ago that is getting them record profits today. If they keep screwing up today, their tomorrow is going to tank in the US. That might explain why they are trying to tap into other countries and recreate that first high for an untapped audience.

I miss the days where you would typically say, “Wow, Disney really got it right.”​

To me, that observation makes a lot of sense. If Disney does lower their quality standards—and keep doing it—it’s probably because of… us? (read: the die-hard fans)

Disney has successfully created a utopian bubble that got people addicted, and I agree it gives similar effect to drug. This one I definitely experience. What makes me want to keep going back is because of those warm, magical Disney park memories from my childhood, which I constantly try to recreate and/or pass it on to my future children. That first “high” was that strong, and I’m sure many people feel the same way.

I live so far away from US Disney—the best Disney parks. IMO—so I don’t want to be “too critical” when I have the chance to go. I’ve paid a LOT to have fun in this magical bubble, so I’d rather be oblivious towards Disney’s so-called “downgrades”.

But actually, I don’t want to be a sheep. For instance, I really don’t like Hong Kong Disneyland park, the closest Disney park to my home. I don’t want to say “hate”, but I really dislike it. So even it’s Disney, I don’t recommend HKDL it to my friends or family. I say to them, spend your money elsewhere.

So I wonder—if I live nearer to US Disney, would I be more critical? Would I hold myself from going as much as I’d like to, to not be submissive to Disney’s alleged low quality standards? Would I hate the idea of EMM and After Hours?

I’m a Disney park fangirl, no doubt, and I’d definitely come back to (US) Disney for a few more times in my lifetime. But for this upcoming trip, I think I will observe Disney with a more critical eye (while still having fun, or course!)

This sort of reminds me of my husband. He’s a big fan of Arsenal, the England soccer team since almost two decades ago (soccer is huge, huge, HUGE thing in Indonesia).

But unlike most die-hard soccer fans in Indonesia, he doesn’t collect Arsenal’s paraphernalia. Well, he has 1-2 Arsenal jerseys, but he never deliberately collects the merchandises. He just religiously watches the game and follows their news.

When I asked why, he said, “Why should I? I’m interested in the games, not the merchandises. I’m a fan, but I’m not obliged to make Arsenal even more rich by buying their stuff.”

An example of loving something reasonably

Or he’s just being a cheapskate.

Okay, enough pondering. Will definitely make the next one about actual trip prep updates!

 

[Corrine 1973]

Hey there. Joining in with the fun. I love that you are traveling over seas to see the mouse. Makes my 2 1/2 hour trip seem that much more endurable. lol. Your son is very cute. I hope he enjoys the characters at GG. My youngest son is still terrified of the characters and he will be 7 in August but, like your son, want to go on the roller coasters. I understand what you say about Disney. I live near Chicago and Six Flag Great America is only about 15 minutes away. Because of this we have season passes. We go often but are always comparing it to Disney World (where we would rather be.) Maybe if we were able to go to Disney more often I would be comparing it to the "old" Disney.

 

[Lei]

Hey there. Joining in with the fun. I love that you are traveling over seas to see the mouse. Makes my 2 1/2 hour trip seem that much more endurable. lol. Your son is very cute. I hope he enjoys the characters at GG. My youngest son is still terrified of the characters and he will be 7 in August but, like your son, want to go on the roller coasters. I understand what you say about Disney. I live near Chicago and Six Flag Great America is only about 15 minutes away. Because of this we have season passes. We go often but are always comparing it to Disney World (where we would rather be.) Maybe if we were able to go to Disney more often I would be comparing it to the "old" Disney.

Hi there, Corrine!! Oh wow, I was just reading your PTR the other day, and I think what you're doing is totally awesome and inspiring. For the life of me, I can't commit to a good habit, including saving so relentlessly like you do, even if it's for Disney! I even tell my (non-Disney) friends about your story and they were impressed So, really, kudos to you, and thanks for dropping by!

 

[Lei]

A few days ago, I almost had a heart attack.

For the last one month or so, DS has been having trouble with his throat. He’s not coughing or even complaining, but he’s clearing his throat a LOT (like, twice every minute), and his voice changed a bit.

He seemed very normal, though. He also didn’t have any fever, and never said anything about his throat hurting. I suspected he was having a mild sore throat, so I wasn’t worried.

But after almost a month like this, I finally brought him to a pediatrician. The verdict? DS’ tonsils are swollen really badly. I then took him to an ENT Specialist, and he confirmed it. DS’ swollen tonsils is in “stage 3”. If they get to “stage 4”, DS will need to have tonsillectomy a.k.a. his tonsils removed. NOOOOOO!

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My heart really sank. Even though it's not a major surgery, the poor thing would be in pain. Knowing how much of an anxious boy he is, it'd be a torture. And if DS is eventually operated, I’m not sure he'd be completely recovered on our departure day. Not to mention the cost

Fortunately, the doctor said DS’ tonsils could be saved with strict diet and antibiotics. The strict diet is the most crucial part—no cold food/drinks, refined sugar, fried food, preservatives, and MSG (basically, all the good things in life LOL) for the next one month. The antibiotics will be useless in “deflating” DS’ swollen tonsils, if he doesn’t follow the diet strictly.

Phew.

To see things in a positive light, if DS tonsils’ really get better, the trip would be some kind of celebration to his health. Fingers crossed!

47 days until we ride the REAL Dumbo!

DS and DH riding the rip-off Dumbo at our local park. Still happy, tho! ​

 

[Corrine 1973]

Hi there, Corrine!! Oh wow, I was just reading your PTR the other day, and I think what you're doing is totally awesome and inspiring. For the life of me, I can't commit to a good habit, including saving so relentlessly like you do, even if it's for Disney! I even tell my (non-Disney) friends about your story and they were impressed So, really, kudos to you, and thanks for dropping by!

Wow!! I feel so honored. That is very sweet of you to say that. I would love to say that I have great self disipline but it is more for the fact if I didn't do this I wouldn't be able to go. I live on a very tight budget.

Oh no, I hope he feels better soon and does not need surgery. But if he does need the surgery it is better to get it done and something to celebrate while at Disney. "Celebrate good times. Come on!!"

 

[Lei]

Do you prep your kid for Disney?

Like most parents, I do. I kind of have to, actually!

Raya loves amusement parks, but he is an anxious kid. He doesn’t like venturing the unknown and has to know what to expect.

So I’m trying to "prepare" him as much as I can, physically and mentally, by:

1. Building up his courage


Like many other kids, Raya experiences phases. When he was 3, he’s an Evil Knievel. In 2015, we visited Tivoli Park in Copenhagen, and he rode ALL the thrill rides he’s allowed to ride with zero fear. I love thrill rides, so I was very excited when he was in that phase. I thought, “My son is going to be my coaster-buddy, yay!!!”

All smiles and thrill rides at Tivoli!​

But recently, he’s been exactly the opposite. He doesn’t want to go near any kind of thrill rides. I’m disappointed, I won’t lie. I know Raya will enjoy a lot of Disney’s mild thrill rides (Mine Train, Test Track), if only he’d try.

So, I take DS to local amusement parks as often as possible, in order to see what kind of rides he likes / dislikes / dislikes but can still tolerate, etc. And I’ll probably be flamed for this, but I'm also training Raya’s "stomach".

A couple of months ago, I forced, ehm, took him to ride kiddie coasters at our local amusement park. He cried a bit after we got off, but was fine overall. On Christmas holiday, we went to the park again, and I convinced him to ride the coaster once more. He’s still upset afterwards, but wasn't traumatized. Everyday, I tell Raya I won’t force him to ride anything at Disney, but rides that look scary for him actually aren’t sscary at all. A lot of fun, even.

I also show him more and more ride videos on Youtube, especially the ones that show little kids happily riding them.

(I wonder if this will take away the magic a bit, though, because he won’t be surprised with the details later!)

Sloooowly but surely, Raya is building up his courage. Fingers cross his FP+ for Mine Train won't be wasted!

2. Building up his Disney movies’ knowledge

I really want Raya to “get” Disney’s immersive theming; so naturally, I’ve been showing him various Disney movies. I think, this is even more important than building up his courage (point #1). If he’s not familiar with the characters and stories, Disney won’t be different from a state fair in his eyes!

For the movies, my picks are based on how much that film is going to be "exposed" at the parks. So far, they are:



- Finding Nemo (2 rides and 1 major show at Epcot)

- Little Mermaid (1 ride at MK, 1 meet and greet at MK, 1 ride at HS)

- The Lion King (because I feel AK takes a lot of elements from Lion King, not just for the Festival of the Lion King show)

- Jungle Book (same reason as above)

- Toy Story (1 ride at MK, 1 meet and greet and 1 ride at HS)

- Frozen

- Winnie the Pooh (1 ride and several meet and greet op)

- Cinderella (the castle IS Cinderella's after all)

- Peter Pan (because one of Disney's classic ride is based on this film)

- Beauty and the Beast

It’s not that easy showing him these films, though, because my son speaks ZERO English. So I have to be his interpreter, and translate every dialogue throughout the film. If I missed a sentence, he would go, “What did he say, Ibu?! What?! WHAT? Rewind it a bit, please!!” Zzzzz.

I've also been showing him a bunch of The Fab Five’s classic cartoons. Though most of them don’t have dialogues—so no translating needed—some of those classics still need to be explained, because, IMO some of them could have really weird stories, seen through our modern eyes!

So far, he’s been enjoying this “program”. He’s absolutely obsessed with The Lion King (but he's been into TLK since he's 2 anyways), enjoys Toy Story, Nemo, Jungle Book, doesn’t care about Cinderella, and hates Peter Pan for some reason

With his Simba cake on his 3rd birthday​

3. Making countdowns, of course!

Do you prep your kid for your Disney trip? I’d love to hear some ideas!

 

[elaine amj]

Just found your PTR Its been fun reading your prepping. I'm originally from Malaysia so "Hi Neighbor!!"

I've been living in Canada for about 20 years now though so very Canadianized. I've recently started paying more attention to the foods my family and friends particularly enjoy when they come to visit me and its fascinating. Definitely the focus is on American food they can't get as easily back home - cool gourmet burgers, good pizzas, etc. I love the choices u made for dining. We really enjoyed Garden Grill and its less intimidating for your son since he can stay behind the table. Plus, the restaurant ROTATES (my kids thought that was the coolest thing and I have a neat pic of my daughter leaning against the railing as the restaurant rotated). And T-Rex is mindblowing - especially for dino-obsessed kids.

Its a pity you're missing DHS though - Sci Fi Dine In is truly amazing. And Toy Story Mania is an FABULOUS ride - IMO, the best for little kids (and multi generational groups) in the whole place. And Fantasmic is my fave nighttime show to take newbies to. Its a very well done show and having seating is so much more comfortable. Have you considered adding parkhoppers?

We discovered WDW about 8 years ago and have been going back every year since! This year, we are bringing my 3.5 yr old niece so I am curious to see how your son handles everything. We are a wee bit nervous about how she will react (and how I will cope with adjusting my precious plan!). I did use Christmas to get her completely hooked on Mickey though And she LOVES Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!!

Can't wait to read your trip report - it will be fascinating to see the parks through your eyes!