We are almost to the 30 day countdown...tomorrow!!!! After that we are in the 20s...YAHOO!!!!
My mom ordered their (mama and daddy's) tickets today. We will reserve our "halfway" hotel tomorrow. This is getting super exciting!
I have a very good idea for a contest that I will be hosting in the near future. It has to do with my trip planning and there will be a PRIZE, so check back as we get closer to the trip to see what the contest will be about and for the wonderful, exciting, memorable, special prize you could win!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Absotively Posilutely....the final plan!
No one could have more information about the parks on the days we go than me! Here are our final plans!!!!
Friday: Head south. Staying overnight in Valdosta.
Saturday: After a quick free breakfast, drive the last 3 1/2 hours to Orlando. Head straight to Magic Kingdom for the Spectromagic Parade and Wishes fireworks.
Sunday: Epcot - After a potentially late night at the fireworks and getting groceries, etc, we don't have to be up super early for this park since it is open the latest and has the least amount WE want to do.
Monday: Hollywood Studios- Since we will be at Epcot late, we can take our time getting here since we are spending two days in this park. We will be staying for the evening show: Fantasmic.
Tuesday: Hollywood Studios-doing whatever else we want to do here. We don't have to stay late and Katie has early morning tomorrow!
Wednesday: Magic Kingdom- Katie has 8:40am reservation for the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Thursday: Animal Kingdom - 10:30am character breakfast at Tusker House.
Friday: Magic Kingdom-ending the trip with one more Wishes show!
There you have it. If I change them again I will eat my hat! ha ha! Just kidding! Now, the other members in our traveling party better get their tickets ordered!!!!
I know I don't have any "planned" rest days, but I really think we will be good. Since we plan to go back to our room for about a 3-4 hour nap/rest time each day, I think we will hold up just fine. None of the parks are open super late this time of year anyway.
Now, I will be more casually working on our daily plans. :)
Friday: Head south. Staying overnight in Valdosta.
Saturday: After a quick free breakfast, drive the last 3 1/2 hours to Orlando. Head straight to Magic Kingdom for the Spectromagic Parade and Wishes fireworks.
Sunday: Epcot - After a potentially late night at the fireworks and getting groceries, etc, we don't have to be up super early for this park since it is open the latest and has the least amount WE want to do.
Monday: Hollywood Studios- Since we will be at Epcot late, we can take our time getting here since we are spending two days in this park. We will be staying for the evening show: Fantasmic.
Tuesday: Hollywood Studios-doing whatever else we want to do here. We don't have to stay late and Katie has early morning tomorrow!
Wednesday: Magic Kingdom- Katie has 8:40am reservation for the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Thursday: Animal Kingdom - 10:30am character breakfast at Tusker House.
Friday: Magic Kingdom-ending the trip with one more Wishes show!
There you have it. If I change them again I will eat my hat! ha ha! Just kidding! Now, the other members in our traveling party better get their tickets ordered!!!!
I know I don't have any "planned" rest days, but I really think we will be good. Since we plan to go back to our room for about a 3-4 hour nap/rest time each day, I think we will hold up just fine. None of the parks are open super late this time of year anyway.
Now, I will be more casually working on our daily plans. :)
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
AH! We're Set!
After feverishly consulting the charts and hours, etc....We have a plan!
2/6 Friday: Leave for Orlando, stop halfway overnight.
2/7 Saturday: Arrive early afternoon, check-in, head to park (Magic Kingdom)
2/8 Sunday: Hollywood Studios
2/9 Monday: Magic Kingdom, Katie at BBB 3:30pm
2/10 Tuesday: Magic Kingdom
2/11 Wednesday: Epcot
2/12 Thursday: Animal Kingdom, Tusker House 10:30am
2/13 Friday: Hollywood Studios
2/14 Saturday: Head home!
Starting Over....
Well, I finally decided it was worth $7.95 to sign up with an expert touring guide website. You get a "year" of sign up time.
www.touringplans.com
It gets great reviews. The site provides a detailed description of different "touring guides" for each park. Just suggestions on the most efficient way to see the parks and characters. Different guides are available for families with young children, older children, just adults, etc. It's not like it is a written in stone kind of plan, but just a guide for using throughout the day and ways to avoid the more popular rides at the heaviest time of the day, etc. The website has some free samples if you would like to see one....
Another thing it has is a crowd calendar. The people at this website have people who visit the parks ALL the time, every day of the year. They then compare all the data they gather like people who are in the park (they count them, not sure how), estimated wait times, and actual wait times for all the rides. They also take into consideration holidays and other special events. Very long and complicated process later, they actually have a calendar that tells you which park to visit (less crowds, short wait times) and which park to avoid (larger crowds, long wait times). For EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR!
WELL...my beautiful little plan is being stepped all over now. I had some good "general" info about the best days to visit each park, but now their data does not totally coincide with what I had planned and the reservations I had made.
THEREFORE....ha ha ha.....I get to spend some more time.....PLANNING!
Detailed FINAL plans TBA!
www.touringplans.com
It gets great reviews. The site provides a detailed description of different "touring guides" for each park. Just suggestions on the most efficient way to see the parks and characters. Different guides are available for families with young children, older children, just adults, etc. It's not like it is a written in stone kind of plan, but just a guide for using throughout the day and ways to avoid the more popular rides at the heaviest time of the day, etc. The website has some free samples if you would like to see one....
Another thing it has is a crowd calendar. The people at this website have people who visit the parks ALL the time, every day of the year. They then compare all the data they gather like people who are in the park (they count them, not sure how), estimated wait times, and actual wait times for all the rides. They also take into consideration holidays and other special events. Very long and complicated process later, they actually have a calendar that tells you which park to visit (less crowds, short wait times) and which park to avoid (larger crowds, long wait times). For EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR!
WELL...my beautiful little plan is being stepped all over now. I had some good "general" info about the best days to visit each park, but now their data does not totally coincide with what I had planned and the reservations I had made.
THEREFORE....ha ha ha.....I get to spend some more time.....PLANNING!
Detailed FINAL plans TBA!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Touring Plans
We have been so blessed this Christmas to receive some gift cards and money to use for our trip. Our food budget is pretty much ready and the kids have plenty of spending money for their extra little things. I have, though, again....changed the touring plans. This is to fit in some extra things we wanted to do on certain days and with the days that are best for each park. I got a travel book with my Barnes and Noble gift certificate I got for Christmas, so I have had fun transferring all my "digital" plans and reservation numbers to our paper and pencil book. Here are the modified plans....with 40 days and counting!
Friday 2/6: Depart at some point in the day. Drive to Valdosta, GA, to visit with friends overnight.
Saturday 2/7: Arrive in Orlando, pm, visit Magic Kingdom to see fireworks and ride a few rides, see characters maybe?
Sunday 2/8: Animal Kingdom! Character Breakfast at Tusker House, 10:30am
Monday 2/9: Epcot!
Tuesday 2/10: OFF day. Relax at Resort. Downtown Disney 4:40pm reservation at Boma for Corey and me. Perhaps visit park for a few hours that first thing in the morning.
Wednesday 2/11: Magic Kingdom, 8:40am reservation for Katie at BBB
Thursday 2/12: Magic Kingdom
Friday 2/13: Hollywood Studios
Saturday 2/14: Head home, maybe revisit a park in the morning because we can? ha.
Friday 2/6: Depart at some point in the day. Drive to Valdosta, GA, to visit with friends overnight.
Saturday 2/7: Arrive in Orlando, pm, visit Magic Kingdom to see fireworks and ride a few rides, see characters maybe?
Sunday 2/8: Animal Kingdom! Character Breakfast at Tusker House, 10:30am
Monday 2/9: Epcot!
Tuesday 2/10: OFF day. Relax at Resort. Downtown Disney 4:40pm reservation at Boma for Corey and me. Perhaps visit park for a few hours that first thing in the morning.
Wednesday 2/11: Magic Kingdom, 8:40am reservation for Katie at BBB
Thursday 2/12: Magic Kingdom
Friday 2/13: Hollywood Studios
Saturday 2/14: Head home, maybe revisit a park in the morning because we can? ha.
Friday, December 12, 2008
WOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!
How awesome is it that in the "post-Christmas letdown" we will just be starting our final countdown for our trip?!
A gift update:
For Katie and Noah's "something they need" gift for Christmas, we got them big nice Disney storybook collections to use for autographs. We also have small autograph books in case the big books end up being too much of a hassle to carry around. I do hope to do the books though because it will be a nice collectible item they can keep for years that won't get messed up. We also got them each a t-shirt for the "something they need" box. Who doesn't need a new t-shirt when they go on a vacation?
HERE is the book we got for Katie, and HERE is the book we got for Noah. Pretty cool!
A gift update:
For Katie and Noah's "something they need" gift for Christmas, we got them big nice Disney storybook collections to use for autographs. We also have small autograph books in case the big books end up being too much of a hassle to carry around. I do hope to do the books though because it will be a nice collectible item they can keep for years that won't get messed up. We also got them each a t-shirt for the "something they need" box. Who doesn't need a new t-shirt when they go on a vacation?
HERE is the book we got for Katie, and HERE is the book we got for Noah. Pretty cool!
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