Has it really been three years since I started a proper PTR?
WOOF. You and I are looking at a screenshot of a PTR that existed in a world before Genie+, a world before Park Reservations, a world before Lightning Lane, and a world before... well... *gestures wildly in COVID-19 pandemic shenanigans* I've written three(ish) TRs since COVID-19 began, but this is really my first PTR/planning thread since 2019 and I'm excited to compare it to past threads to see just how much has changed!
But there is one thing that hasn't changed since 2019... how much we love the mouse!
Hello hello hello from the Newsies clan! We're in NJ right now, but soon enough we'll be back at our favorite place in the world for the first time this year! For those of you who haven't met us yet: it's nice to meet you! We are a party of four and DVC members at the Polynesian Village Resort. We visit Walt Disney World at least once a year. We've been to Disney World as a family 10 times so far. In recent years, it's been twice a year (a spring trip and a summer trip), and this year, we're getting a triple dose of Disney. More on that later... let's get some quick introductions out of the way!
All the way on your far left you'll find me, your reliable narrator: I'm Kait! I am a 24-year-old customer experience associate and two time Disney College Program alumn. I love writing and have been writing PTRs and TRs for the Dis since 2013. I am the planner of the family and I lead the charge when we're at the Parks together! There are a lot of Disney things I love: I'm a huge fan of the Flower & Garden Festival, I'm a Disney foodie, and I love a good solo morning at the Parks before the rest of the family wakes up. Some of my favorite rides are Rock'N'Roller Coaster, Expedition Everest, Slinky Dog Dash, and Peoplemover!
Next to me, front-and-center, is my sister (and partner in crime), Grace. Grace is the baby of the family at 20 years old. She's a current junior in college who keeps us all laughing. There's a lot she loves about Disney! She loves Gideon's Bakehouse, Toy Story Land, and mornings at Magic Kingdom. Grace is our "go-with-the-flow" girl who just loves being at Disney World and is just happy to tag along with whatever plans we make!
Standing behind her is Susan, or as I call her, Mom. Mom is the one who gave us the Disney bug! She went to Walt Disney World twice a year growing up and loves every inch of the Parks. She adores Pooh bear, Joffrey's Coffee, and everything about Magic Kingdom. Mom is the one who likes to relax-- she is always looking to spend more time at the pool (or at least at the pool bar). She's also my best friend in the whole entire world and loves to sneak off with me to little side adventures, whether we're headed back to the Magic Kingdom to close out the Park after fireworks or just headed to the hotel bar for a cocktail!
Last but certainly not least is DISboards crowd favorite, Tom-- or as I call him, Dad. Dad has been visiting the parks since 1976 and just loves to spend time with us at the Parks! He's a big goofball and since we drive from NJ to Florida and back in his truck, he's our travel coordinator. Dad is also our "gotta-try-it" guy! If there's something new to see, do, eat, or buy at the Parks-- he's gotta be the first to try it! Dad loves the Country Bear Jamboree, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, and any type of souvenir that lights up!
Now that you know us, let's talk a little bit about the three vacations we have lined up for 2022!
March 6-12, 2022 Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort Our Spring Break vacation!
We are so excited to be heading back for Spring Break this year! Crowds are higher, but we love the cooler temperatures and we absolutely adore the Flower & Garden Festival This will be our first time at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, our first time using Genie+, AND our first time trying several new restaurants. This trip is coming up rather quickly now, and we are really excited for it. I can't wait to share more details with you soon!
May 20-24, 2022 Disneyland Hotel Our father/daughter birthday trip!
I am finally officially headed to Disneyland this May! I'm going to ring in my 25th birthday by seeing Sleeping Beauty's Castle for the first time, and I'm bringing dad along with me! He has always wanted to go, so I surprised him with this trip on Christmas morning (I wanted to bring mom & Grace, but neither of them fly, so we can't get them out west yet). We are flying into LAX from Newark on May 20, we'll be there for three days before heading back! Some of you who have been reading my TRs for a few years now might remember Austin, my best friend from college who was supposed to go DLR with me back in 2017 before that fell through and then I visited him in Arizona at the beginning of 2018-- he will be touring the Parks with us as well! All in all, I am super excited for this one. It's going to be a great vacation!
August 7-13, 2022 Disney's Contemporary Resort The "maybe" summer vacation trip!
This is the one trip this year that we're not entirely sure is happening yet. I was able to book this room at an extremely low rate, so I went for it, but we're going to have to crunch the numbers as far as tickets, food, and other expenses are concerned for this trip to work. We'd love to turn this trip into a more relaxed summer break trip where we see more of Orlando, so if this trip ends up happening, we'll likely only do 3 or 4 days at the actual Parks. I can't wait to see how this trip develops (or doesn't!)
I'm really excited to plan all three of this trips and I hope you all enjoy my first PTR in a hot second!
March 2022 31 days ADRs -- Our Most Dining Packed Trip Yet!
We have a BIG trip coming up next month! Right now, we have a total of 7 ADRs over the span of 6 days, which is the most we've ever had. Obviously, this can still change, but we have some really fun plans lined up for this trip. The only two we weren't able to book this trip were Space 220 and Topolino's Terrace for breakfast. It's not a huge loss if we don't go to Topolino's again this trip, but I am still desperately holding out for Space 220!
Here are our plans so far:
Sunday, March 6:
Garden Rocks - Biergarten (6:45 PM) Dinner - 4:15 PM
Our arrival day! We are really excited to enjoy the Flower & Garden Festival once we get back in our happy place It's my favorite festival and I couldn't be happier to see Garden Rocks return. This was the day we were really hoping to get into Space 220, but we originally had Nine Dragons booked when that fell through. Even though I've never been interested in the Biergarten menu, it's something that mom and dad have always wanted to try-- so when I was scrolling through MDE for this day a few weeks ago and saw this pop up, I booked it for us and cancelled Nine Dragons!
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Garden Rocks/the GR Dining Package: During the Flower & Garden Festival, Disney invites some pretty big music acts to put on a series of concerts in Epcot. The concerts take place at the American Gardens Theatre stage and include names like The Guess Who, Simple Plan, The Plain White T's, The Pointer Sisters, Kool & The Gang, and more. Some of the shows for more popular artists can get pretty crowded, so Disney has introduced a dining package for die-hard music fans! With the dining package, you eat lunch or dinner at one of four restaurants (Biergarten, Coral Reef, Rose & Crown, and Garden Grill), and you're guaranteed seating for that evening's concert. We're going to get to see Rick Springfield that night, which is fun! I hope he sings Jessie's Girl!
Monday, March 7:
Jungle Skipper Canteen Dinner - 3:50 PM
We LOVE a late lunch/early dinner situation at the Magic Kingdom. The first (and only) time we went to Skipper Canteen was back in 2019 and we were less than impressed with the portion size and speed of the service, but we were also very tired after waking up at 3 AM and being at Magic Kingdom all day. We're ready to give Skipper Canteen another chance and try some of the secret menu items!
Tuesday, March 8:
Yak & Yeti Lunch - 3:00 PM
Now THIS is an ADR I'm excited for!! I love, love, love Yak & Yeti Restaurant and we rarely get to see it because the tables fill up so quickly for the tiny space. I can't wait to try the Ahi Tuna nachos this year!
Wednesday, March 9:
Oga's Cantina Lunch - 12:35 PM
This is one ADR my mom insists on every year and I honestly can't blame her. It's such a nice break from the crowds to be sitting at Oga's, enjoying batuu bits and drinks for a little while. I just need to pick out which drink I want to have this time!
Frontera Cocina Dinner - 7:00 PM
On our quest to try every great restaurant in Disney Springs, we've stumbled upon Frontera Cocina. We are really interested in the dishes we've seen on YouTube and in various reviews, so this is a new restaurant I'm excited for!
Thursday, March 10:
Beaches & Cream Lunch - 2:55 PM
Mom has been dying to come here, so when I was able to get a lunch reservation for our second Epcot day, I was thrilled! Can't wait for a grilled cheese and some ice cream
Friday, March 11: Steakhouse 71 Dinner - 6:40 PM
THIS is the creme de la creme. THIS is the ADR we are the most excited for! We have heard such amazing things about this restaurant and we are so excited for this one!!! Ending a week of fun at the parks with that 12-layer chocolate cake
we are heading to WDW the same week so this report caught my eye. CBR is where I spent every March break as a kid … it holds a special place in my heart !!
We have Space 220 reservations we are going to be canceling if you would like to coordinate a drop. It’s for 3/11 though so may not work for your plans.
we are heading to WDW the same week so this report caught my eye. CBR is where I spent every March break as a kid … it holds a special place in my heart !!
We have Space 220 reservations we are going to be canceling if you would like to coordinate a drop. It’s for 3/11 though so may not work for your plans.
We'll be on the road in 15 days... I can't wait! Two weeks from today, I'll be scrambling to finish packing up my bag.
Not a lot has changed in the past few weeks but I figured I'd give an update about something that's completely new to me... Genie+ Strategizing. The last time I made a PTR, I was still booking FP+ 60s out (those were the days, amiright?). Our ticket package is a 6-Day Park Hopper with Genie+ for this trip, so this is going to be our first experience with Genie+, and subsequently will be the trip where we determine whether Genie+ is worth the price point or not.
FP+ planning and booking was very intense back when I planned our 2019 trip, but since the Parks bounced back from COVID, our trips in general have been much more laissez-faire. Personally, I don't hate the idea of Genie+-- while I hate the fact that this service is a premium add-on and we now have to pay for Lightning Lane reservations, I think the concept of booking same-day only adds a little bit more flexibility to our days. It may make every morning of the vacation a bit of a virtual bloodbath, but if I'm already going to be up at 7 AM anyway, I might as well be making a reservation for Slinky Dog Dash.
Here's my 7:00 AM strategy for our trip so far:
March 6 - Epcot Park Reservation
Lightning Lane purchase: Ratatouille First Genie+ reservation: Test Track
March 7 - Magic Kingdom Park Reservation Lightning Lane purchase: 7DMT First Genie+ reservation: Peter Pan's Flight
March 8 - Animal Kingdom Park Reservation
Lightning Lane purchase: Flight of Passage First Genie+ reservation: Kilimanjaro Safari
March 9 - Hollywood Studios Park Reservation
First Genie+ reservation: Slinky Dog Dash Lightning Lane purchase: Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
We don't have any intention of buying Lightning Lane for RotR (at least not right now) this trip, so this is the only day of the trip where I'm planning on booking our Genie+ reservation before booking our Lightning Lane purchase, since SDD seems to be the most popular Genie+ reservation to make. If anyone has feedback on this strategy (or really any strategy I've made so far), please let me know what I can adjust!
We have Epcot for the 10 and Magic Kingdom for the 11, but I'm really just going to take it day by day for both days. If we do Ratatouille and 7DMT on Sunday and Monday, I don't see a need to buy those Lightning Lane reservations again unless someone else in the family really wants it.
I won't lie: I'm a little concerned about how frustrating Genie+ will be on this trip. I know the Parks have been crazy busy lately, so Genie+ success has been 50/50 for some people. I really only see the value in Genie+ for Magic Kingdom right now, but I'm eager to see what the outcome will be. If anyone has any pointers on how to get the most out of Genie+, please let me know!
Your plans sound great! Our trip starts a week from today - it's a family trip with a group of 7. Grandsons and daughter-in-law are first timers. I'll be in charge of Genie+ and I'm really concerned how it will go I don't like the thought of starting out the day with frustration and not knowing ahead of time how our day will go. But, I will give it my best shot!
Your plans sound great! Our trip starts a week from today - it's a family trip with a group of 7. Grandsons and daughter-in-law are first timers. I'll be in charge of Genie+ and I'm really concerned how it will go I don't like the thought of starting out the day with frustration and not knowing ahead of time how our day will go. But, I will give it my best shot!
You are going to have the greatest time! Genie+ is definitely going to be an adjustment and I'm worried about the learning curve-- let me know how it works out for you!
We got to do the single digit dance on Friday! Now, as I unwind from the weekend on a Sunday night, I can officially say that we leave for Disney this week! We had a very standard pre-vacation weekend. Yesterday, we went to Bed, Bath & Beyond and 5 Below for toiletries and other travel essentials, plus a last minute trip to the mall to grab those last remaining outfit pieces.
Speaking of those last remaining outfit pieces... as I pack my suitcase, I just wanted to share my new shirts for this trip!
These two are from Hundred Acre Threads:
I fell in love with the designs this small shop had! This was my first time shopping with this shop so I'm thrilled with the quality and craftsmanship
I also bought a new t-shirt and castle joggers from one of my favorite small shops of all time, wishesthreadco
wishesthreadco is hands down my favorite small shop I've ever worked with, they are so kind and their quality of product is unmatched.
From myohmy supply co, I got this cute shirt:
And lastly, I got this fun Gonzo shirt off of Etsy:
Have the best time! Your plans look great. I am a week behind you as we arrive on the 13th, The crowds are going to be bananas but we are only doing 2 park days and have Genie+ for both days as well as hoppers. We'll see how it goes!
Have the best time! Your plans look great. I am a week behind you as we arrive on the 13th, The crowds are going to be bananas but we are only doing 2 park days and have Genie+ for both days as well as hoppers. We'll see how it goes!
Hey, thank you so much! Let me know how you enjoyed your trip -- we had a great time (except for one or two snafus, and we're still unsure how to feel about Genie+) but the Parks were definitely crazy!
Last week, we returned from Walt Disney World -- that TR is up, and if you're interested in reading it, you can find ithere!
And just like that, it's time for us to book dining for our first ever Disneyland vacation. I made my first dining reservations today and I could not be more excited! Let's jump into our plans for May:
May 20 - Fly in
Dinner at Trader Sam's - 7:45 PM
We're flying into LAX early in the morning (wanted to fly into John Wayne, but no flights went direct and it was faster to fly into LAX) and not doing any parks this day. We'll arrive at Disneyland Hotel probably closer to 12:30-1:00 and our plan is to just enjoy Downtown Disney and the resort until our room is ready, then unpack and relax (ideally by the pool) until our dinner time at Trader Sams with Austin.
I heard that Trader Sam's would be the hardest reservation to get at DLR, so I'm really happy we were able to book dinner for the time we wanted!
May 21 - Disneyland
Dinner at Cafe Orleans
My birthday and our first day at the Parks! Austin, Dad, and I are rope dropping Disneyland and our hope is that we'll be there all day to enjoy everything the Park has to offer. We really want to eat at Cafe Orleans for dinner! May 22 - Disney California Adventure Dinner at Lamplight Lounge
We're so excited to do DCA! I'm obsessed with Radiator Springs Racers and Cars Land in general, and the new Avengers Campus looks great too. Our hope is that we'll be able to get some golden hour pics at Lamplight Lounge!
May 23 - Disneyland (hop to DCA in the evening)
Breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen
This is our day to do anything we didn't do during the first two days at the park. We're starting the day at Disneyland, but because we have hoppers, we might hop to DCA after 2:00. May 24 - Fly Home
No ADRs this day -- unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and we'll fly home
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This will be our first time at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, our first time using Genie+, AND our first time trying several new restaurants. This trip is coming up rather quickly now, and we are really excited for it. I can't wait to share more details with you soon!
So much to look forward to! I think you will love DLR - I could feel Walt's presence there 
It's my favorite festival and I couldn't be happier to see Garden Rocks return. This was the day we were really hoping to get into Space 220, but we originally had Nine Dragons booked when that fell through. Even though I've never been interested in the Biergarten menu, it's something that mom and dad have always wanted to try-- so when I was scrolling through 
I don't like the thought of starting out the day with frustration and not knowing ahead of time how our day will go. But, I will give it my best shot!
