If it wasn't for bad luck we would have no luck at all...Update 1/4 Evening at the Magic Kingdom

[STLMickeyMom]

When you login to pick FPs everything that is available-shows and rides-will pop up, so if you want to FP a show, you don't have to look in a different place. Whatever you are picking, make sure to do whatever is most important first. Some of the passes go super fast!

And, you don't all have to get fastpasses for the same things if little ones or some adults don't all want to ride the same things.

If you can't get a 7 dwarves FP (cuz they go fast) go there first thing. We went straight there in May and only waited in line for about 15 minutes. It was great--you'll all love it!

 

[Chicago Mo]

View attachment 111824 The UPS truck brought us a package from Disney today!!

OMG HOW EXCITING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyways, we received our 4 park Hopper tickets and 2 gift cards in our package. The picture above is the front of the little folder they sent the tickets and gift cards in. I will try and get some more pictures up. This sure makes it feel REAL!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH this is just SO MUCH FUN to read along!!!! Just so happy happy for you!

Any tips for Fastpass +?? This is our first time using the new system, and I am not sure which rides to pick for each of us. I don't think Henry will like the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

I think everyone pretty much summed this up. Don't forget if you don't like the time they give you you can change it!!!

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

So, we had been trying to get an ADR for Chef Mickey's for dinner in our first night. And I just couldn't get one. So we started looking at other options. We decided to go to Downtown Disney after the Magic Kingdom closes for the Halloween Party and eat dinner at The Boathouse and gelato for dessert at the new shop.

For our character meal we are hoping to have breakfast at Cape May Cafe in the hotel.
Because we are driving we decided to leave a day early and stay offsite so last night we booked our Hotel for that night.

Last night Henry was taking selfies,

Silly boy, can't believe he turns 4 in just a couple weeks.

 

[Pluto0809]

Good luck with the FP+ selection. It can be a little complicated. I love this thread for info on the FP+.

FastPass + Basic Info

 

[VailRaven]

Congratulations on winning an awesome trip! Following along and can't wait to hear about your time in WDW.

 

[Chicago Mo]

YAY for FP time! geesh your trip is coming fast you have a lot to do! Hope you get all your ADR's together!!!

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

A couple of questions,
we haven't purchased Henry's ticket yet, so should I wait and make all the Fastpasses at one time after we buy Henry's ticket? I am thinking it will be hard to add him to Fastpasses, if I make a Fastpass for 4 of us and then try to add him after we get his ticket.

For our first day, we well be going to the Magic Kingdom. We are spending the previous night offsite so we can drive down the day before our Beach Club reservation starts.

We also have a 7:30 ADR for The BoatHouse restaurant at Downtown Disney that night. I couldn't get an ADR for Chef Mickey's and the food there looks so good!! We decided to try and go to a Character Meal for Breakfast, ideally at Cape May Cafe because it is in the Beach Club.

So how do we get from Magic Kingdom to Downtown Disney? Driving seems like a good option, but we will have to check in at Beach Club, get our parking pass, and then drive to Magic Kingdom. Then we have to worry about trying to park at Downtown Disney.

I understand there aren't any buses from Magic Kingdom to Downtown Disney though, so we would have to take a bus to our resort and transfer to a bus to DTD or take a bus to Port Orleans, and transfer to a boat to DTD.

Help! Has the parking garage at DTD opened? Could we go from our offsite hotel directly to Magic Kingdom and not pay for parking? Then drive to Beach Club in the evening and then check in and get a bus from Beach Club to DTD?

 

[kcpinwdw]

I am thinking it will be hard to add him to Fastpasses

If you can make FPs for the other 4, you may as well. It is really easy to see what is available and find time. You can also copy one person FP to Henry once his ticket is linked, though this wotn work if no more are available for that time. If none are available, you will then be able to go back and change the whole thing for all of you. So bottom line it is probably easier to book them all at the same time if you want all the FPs to be the same, but if not there is no harm in going ahead with the other ones first. Play around with the App as well as the website, I really find it easier to change things in the app, though I know some people would say the opposite.

 

[STLMickeyMom]

im no help on the driving/parking/transportation--we always fly in and take a bus everywhere. to me, it'd be easiest to go check in at the resort, leave the car there, go to MK, then go to a resort (doesn't have to be your resort, any one with a bus to DTD will do unless you need to go to your resort first) to grab a bus or boat to DTD. I just like getting out of driving as soon as I can.

i'd get Henry's ticket then get FPs. it never fails that if I wait, I can't get things or get times that I want. to me, it's easier to do them all together, especially if there are things you really want to do, you won't want to take a chance that it might be available later.

 

[Pluto0809]

So how do we get from Magic Kingdom to Downtown Disney?

I would avoid driving to DTD if you can help it. Not sure what it is like now but parking and road construction was a nightmare in February. And we were there in the middle of the day not in the evening. The quickest way to DTD from MK is to walk to or take the Monorail to the Contemporary and then a bus from there. The walk to the Contemporary takes about 5 to 10 minutes.

Has the parking garage at DTD opened?

It was open in February but for some reason, we were directed over to the casting building to park (across the street from DTD near Planet Hollywood) and we had to walk from there to DTD.

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

This morning Abby and Ethan went back to school!
So this is our little "what we did on summer vacation" report

In June we traveled to Illinois to see my family because my Grandmother passed away.

At the end of July my sister had a new baby!



And the first Sunday in August we took a short trip to Lake Martin, Alabama. We spent the day on the lake with a Family Friend.


Ron and I in the boat

The kids up front

Watching people jump off the cliff


A little fishing

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Henry helping drive the boat.


Starting School this morning Abby is a Freshman in High School and Ethan is a 6th Grader, so they each went to new schools.




Henry will go back to preschool after Labor Day, in the meantime, his birthday is coming up next week and we are having a Minion themed Birthday Party for him this weekend. In a couple weeks I will go back to work getting my classroom ready for the new year.

 

[OregonMomToWDW]

Loved the pictures of your family. Two are transitioning to new schools? Probably lots of excited nervousness this morning. My daughter is nervous about starting Middle School, but the first day isn't until September 9th.

Your van looks like it could be my car's twin. Have a great day with just Henry home today.

 

[kcpinwdw]

At the end of July my sister had a new baby!

oh congrats she is so sweet!

Hope your kids had good first days back... boy is it early!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Your lake vacation looks like it was a lot of fun, and very relaxing.

 

[Chicago Mo]

WOW! school started! We don't start until the 25th. Thankfully as i don't have one thing ready for them! LOL.
Sorry to hear about your Grandmother. one death lead to a new LIFE! the baby is just adorable!!!

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

I have a Henry with an August birthday! I commend you on your naming choices.

Your lake trip looked like a lot of fun!

 

[jlmlodzik]

Congratulations! I'll be following along on your trip! You go 5 days after we leave.
You have inspired me to add more planning details to my pre-trip report so I'm going to go in and do that.

Congrats again! Cheers to a good luck streak for you and your sweet family!

 

[ariane37]

Congrats!! I came over from jlmlodzik's PTR which I just read, so excited to be following along with TWO trip winners! As much as I would love to win a contest myself (I certainly enter enough of them lol) I'm truly happy for those of you who do win, and it seems your family could really use it this year

I hope you enjoy the Beach Club! We've stayed next door at BWV a few times and will be there again in Nov., we absolutely love the convenience of the Epcot resorts. Strolling to and from Epcot, especially at night after Wishes is truly magical for me as corny as it sounds.

As a pp said, being in NY it seems so funny to me that your kids are back to school! Mine only got out June 25th and don't go back until after Labor Day, so Sept. 8th this year.

The Boathouse does look good! DH and I are doing a quick trip w/o the kids in Jan. and I think we may try it.
Have you made your FP's yet?

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Well even though we haven't bought Henry's ticket yet I went ahead and made our Fastpass + selections. We should be able to get his tickets soon, so I hope it won't be too hard to add him.

I printed out the Cheat Sheets at easywdw.com and read over their touring plans and crossed out everything that wasn't really a big priority for us.

The Fastpass + system is kind of odd, it was giving us some times that were the same as our lunch reservation in The Biergarten. I ended up canceling the Fastpass it gave us for Turtle Talk with Crush because I didn't want to hike back to that part of the park all the way from Germany in the World Showcase.

So this is our Itinerary

Day 1 Magic Kingdom
Fastpass+
Space Mountain 9:25-10:25am
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin 10:35-11:35am
Peter Pan's Flight 12:20-1:20 pm

Lunch at Columbia Harbor House

Parade at 3:00 with VIP seating

Probably either try for another Fastpass + or Head back to the hotel to get ready for dinner at The Boathouse

Magic Kingdom closes early for the Halloween Party so we will be out of the park by 5:00.

Day 2 Animal Kingdom

Breakfast at 7:40 am at Cape May Cafe
Fastpass +
Festival of the Lion King 11:30-11:50 am
Kilimanjaro Safaris 1:15-2:15
Kali River Rapids 2:50-3:50 pm

Hop to Magic Kingdom or go back to the Hotel to enjoy Stormalong Bay. Magic Kingdom has the Main Street Electrical Parade at 9:00pm and Wishes at 10:00pm this evening.

Day 3 Epcot!

Fastpass+
Spaceship Earth 9:00am-10:00am
Soarin' 12:00-1:00pm
Lunch at Biergarten at 1:00 pm.

I am a little worried that our Soarin' Fastpass time is too close to our Lunch reservation. After I cancelled our Turtle Talk reservation I couldn't figure out how to get another Fastpass+ without cancelling the other two fastpasses

Day 4 Hollywood Studios
Fastpass+

Toy Story Midway Mania! 9:45-10:45 am
Star Tours 11:20-12:20

Lunch at 50's Prime Time Cafe at 12:20 pm

Disney Junior Live on Stage! 1:10-1:25 pm
I will probably only take the boys to this one, and Ron and Abby will go ride Rockin' Roller Coaster

Hop to Epcot to enjoy the Food and Wine Festival

Day 5 Magic Kingdom!!

Fastpass+
Pirates of the Caribbean 11:15-12:15pm
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 12:30-1:30pm
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train 2:30-3:30pm

 

[Kirby]

Sounds like a good plan. All I know is keep checking the FP times. Last December my daughter played around with the MDE app on my phone all the time and was able to snag two Toy Story FP that week plus an Anna and Elsa meet and greet. You never know what they will release or what someone else will give up.