KylesMom
07-14-2010, 03:00 PM
KylesMom’s Kooky Disney Caper Pre-Trip Report
July 24-August 7, 2010
Twelfth Annual Disney Trip as a Family and our 19th Wedding Anniversary Celebration
Travelers: Me, DH, DS (12)
Resort: Wilderness Lodge
Time for our pre-trip report, as I completed on line check-in for the first time this morning!
We’ll be flying 7:15 am out of Chicago O’Hare on Saturday, July 24th – which means we’ll be getting up at about 2:30 am so my mom can take us to the airport about 60 miles away. The plan? Grab our car from National’s Emerald Aisle, hot-foot it to WL to check in, request a Flag Family date, find our shipped FedEx box, stow our luggage with bell services and hit the boat for MK! We’ve got some business to take care of first . . . exchanging one-day base tickets, Disney Rewards & all of our Gift Cards for new A/Ps as well as purchasing a new Tables in Wonderland card. Our top four things today? Space Mountain, TTA (they were closed last trip), HM & PotC. We have a 3:05 reservation at The Plaza & intend on just winging it the rest of the afternoon & evening once we’ve eaten. I suspect we’ll be heading back to the hotel around sundown as we usually do to unpack, wander WL & let the reality of arrival set in. :cloud9:
Day 2 will be spent at MK with rope drop planned, with an 11:45 lunch ADR at Crystal Palace. As I expect it will be awfully hot, we’ll hang around MK for a short time after lunch, and then head back to WL for some pool time. We have a grocery store run slated for late this afternoon. While we’ve sent down plenty of munchies & breakfast foods, we still need to stock up on perishables & adult beverages. We may end the day hanging out this evening in Territory Lounge, or just grab CS from Roaring Fork . . . we’ll see!
Day 3 we have a morning EMH date with TSM, ToT & RnRC as well as a 12:30 ADR at Sci-Fi. Looking forward to those onion rings! We may head over to MK this evening to catch MSEP & the new fireworks show. MSEP is very sentimental to us, as it was the parade showing when we took DS on his first trip back in 2000. Can’t wait to see it again!
Day 4’s schedule is AK rope drop in the morning (how many times can we ride Kali & E:E?), with a scheduled Fantasmic! Dinner Package at Mama Melrose at 4:55 pm. Mama’s is one of our traditional favorites. Hopefully we won’t get poured on, and Fantasmic will go on without a hitch.
Day 5 is a planned “slow” day. We have a 9:30 ADR for Chef Mickey’s, and then will cruise to DTD to order our traditional customized Christmas ornament. The afternoon is totally open to shop or swim or just do nothing. Until our 6:30 ADR at LeCellier, of course! We usually take quite a long time dining here, so we’ll meander out shortly before Illuminations is ready to start.
Day 6 we’ll start where we left off the night before – Epcot! I’m sure TestTrack will lead the day. We’ll meander around Epcot & World Showcase until it gets too hot & head back to WL for a bit of pool time. We can’t stay too long, because we have an ADR for 5:00 at Ohana – another family favorite. After all that food (and a few Lapu Lapu’s) :papple: we usually head back to WL for a relaxing evening. Who knows what this night will bring?
Day 7 – A bit of an explanation before I lay out our plans for the next three days. Four years ago, we began a tradition with DS when he got a bit too old for the pirate cruises. He could pick a day in whatever park he wanted, and we’d just follow him. This included whatever ADR he wanted to schedule. This year, we decided to incorporate a “pick it” day for all three of us! Today is DH’s day, and he’s chosen MK. We’ll have fun throughout the early part of the day, head back to WL to cool off & clean up, then we have a 6:05 ADR at Whispering Canyon. He chose this restaurant last day for Father’s Day, too! With evening EMH hours until 2 am, we may decide to head back over to MK to enjoy MSEP & a few attractions. While we don’t really enjoy the summer crowds during evening EMH, transportation back to WL is a breeze awhile after the park is officially closed.
Continuing on, Day 8 is DS’ day. He’s chosen DHS (or MGM, as he insists on calling it) for some serious RnRC, ToT & Star Wars time :darth:. Lucky guy, he got to schedule TWO ADRs for today - Mama Melrose for our traditional Pepperoni Flatbreads for lunch at 12:05, and then a 7:05 ADR at Chef Mickey’s. I think it’s great that he hasn’t yet outgrown CM’s. Somehow I think we’re going to be pooped after this, but if we don’t hit MK on Day 7 in the evening, we’ll head over there after dinner.
Day 9 is mine! Although I must confess, I’m still in a quandary over which park I’m picking. It’s either going to be Epcot or AK, I’m just not sure which yet. However, there was no debating my ADR choice – LeCellier at 6:25 pm. We’ll either hang around for Illuminations, or if the previous few evenings disappoint (heat/rain/tired) & we’re unable to enjoy MK, we’ll head over there. In other words, the only REALLY set plan today is dinner!
Day 10 is a sleep in day, followed by shopping time at DTD. We’ve scheduled a 12:00 ADR for TRex (first time), as we saw it being built and like the things they have on the menu. The rest of the day is open, so we’ll decide on the fly where we’re going in the afternoon/evening.
Day 11 will see us at morning EMH for MK, with an 11:40 am ADR at Liberty Tree. We’ve tried dinner here a few times over the years & didn’t really enjoy it, but I’m hoping we have a good luncheon experience. The rest of the day will be spent enjoying MK. We have no plans for tonight – we’ll just see how everything goes as to whether we’ll hang out at WL or head back to MK. Somehow, I bet we'll be at MK! :mickey:
Day 12 – we’re off to morning EMH at AK to catch things we haven’t seen, and of course we’ll be hitting our favorites as many times as we can. Due to the heat, we can never last past 1:30 or 2 at AK, so we’ll head back to WL & hit the pool for awhile. We have a 6:35 pm ADR at Cape May at BC, which is another first for us. I’m hoping that everyone in my family enjoys this place! DH specifically requested this one. We may hang out at the Boardwalk for awhile after dinner – we’ve never done this in the evening before.
On Day 13, we’re hoping to be able to participate in Flag Family at the Lodge. Although Ranger Stan is going to be absent, we’d still really like to do this. It’s always a highlight of our trip. From there, we’ll drive on over to DHS to enjoy ourselves for the morning. Although we have an ADR scheduled for 50’s Prime Time (another first), I think we’re going to end up cancelling it. We have another Fantasmic Dinner package scheduled for this evening at Mama Melrose, and it has to be an either/or. We usually do two Fantasmic packages each trip, but I wanted to have an ADR on standby after we (hopefully) see the first one. Since Mama’s is among our favorites on property, I just don’t see us cancelling this. I know that I’ll need to start packing once we return to the room, so I’m not anticipating staying out too late.
Day 14 is still kind of up in the air – it really all depends on which park we feel we’ve missed more at – AK or Epcot. It will also depend on if we’re able to get Flag Family on the 13th, or if the 14th is open. Our last 6:00 pm ADR is at . . . you guessed it, LeCellier! :wine: Usually we save Mama Melrose for our last night, but with it being morning EMH at DHS, we know that the park will be jammed, so we’re altering our plans. We’ll catch Illuminations one last time, and head back to WL to complete most of the packing. At some point today I’ll need to call BAGS to pay for our AA luggage fees.
Day 15 - Oh no – Our last day!!! Up early, finish packing, down to Resort Airline Check-In, and off to MK for one last hurrah on our favorites. We’ve got a late lunch ADR scheduled for The Plaza, and will need to head back to WL before 4:00. Our goal will be to head out for the airport around 5:10, thus arriving in plenty of time to return the car, get through security and to our gate before they start boarding. Sadly, our flight departs at 8:10 & we’ll be back in Chicago for my mom to pick us up at 9:55 pm.
Well, that’s it. Except for our ADRs, we always leave the option open to change our plans on the fly. In other words, nothing is set in stone! I know that we’ll have a magical time, and all of us are anxious to get this Kooky Disney Caper underway! :mickey:
I really need to thank Terrisue at MJ - she made our initial reservation & then kept an eye out for a better deal until she found one, saving us an incredible amount of money and frustration. Thanks, Terrisue!
July 24-August 7, 2010
Twelfth Annual Disney Trip as a Family and our 19th Wedding Anniversary Celebration
Travelers: Me, DH, DS (12)
Resort: Wilderness Lodge
Time for our pre-trip report, as I completed on line check-in for the first time this morning!
We’ll be flying 7:15 am out of Chicago O’Hare on Saturday, July 24th – which means we’ll be getting up at about 2:30 am so my mom can take us to the airport about 60 miles away. The plan? Grab our car from National’s Emerald Aisle, hot-foot it to WL to check in, request a Flag Family date, find our shipped FedEx box, stow our luggage with bell services and hit the boat for MK! We’ve got some business to take care of first . . . exchanging one-day base tickets, Disney Rewards & all of our Gift Cards for new A/Ps as well as purchasing a new Tables in Wonderland card. Our top four things today? Space Mountain, TTA (they were closed last trip), HM & PotC. We have a 3:05 reservation at The Plaza & intend on just winging it the rest of the afternoon & evening once we’ve eaten. I suspect we’ll be heading back to the hotel around sundown as we usually do to unpack, wander WL & let the reality of arrival set in. :cloud9:
Day 2 will be spent at MK with rope drop planned, with an 11:45 lunch ADR at Crystal Palace. As I expect it will be awfully hot, we’ll hang around MK for a short time after lunch, and then head back to WL for some pool time. We have a grocery store run slated for late this afternoon. While we’ve sent down plenty of munchies & breakfast foods, we still need to stock up on perishables & adult beverages. We may end the day hanging out this evening in Territory Lounge, or just grab CS from Roaring Fork . . . we’ll see!
Day 3 we have a morning EMH date with TSM, ToT & RnRC as well as a 12:30 ADR at Sci-Fi. Looking forward to those onion rings! We may head over to MK this evening to catch MSEP & the new fireworks show. MSEP is very sentimental to us, as it was the parade showing when we took DS on his first trip back in 2000. Can’t wait to see it again!
Day 4’s schedule is AK rope drop in the morning (how many times can we ride Kali & E:E?), with a scheduled Fantasmic! Dinner Package at Mama Melrose at 4:55 pm. Mama’s is one of our traditional favorites. Hopefully we won’t get poured on, and Fantasmic will go on without a hitch.
Day 5 is a planned “slow” day. We have a 9:30 ADR for Chef Mickey’s, and then will cruise to DTD to order our traditional customized Christmas ornament. The afternoon is totally open to shop or swim or just do nothing. Until our 6:30 ADR at LeCellier, of course! We usually take quite a long time dining here, so we’ll meander out shortly before Illuminations is ready to start.
Day 6 we’ll start where we left off the night before – Epcot! I’m sure TestTrack will lead the day. We’ll meander around Epcot & World Showcase until it gets too hot & head back to WL for a bit of pool time. We can’t stay too long, because we have an ADR for 5:00 at Ohana – another family favorite. After all that food (and a few Lapu Lapu’s) :papple: we usually head back to WL for a relaxing evening. Who knows what this night will bring?
Day 7 – A bit of an explanation before I lay out our plans for the next three days. Four years ago, we began a tradition with DS when he got a bit too old for the pirate cruises. He could pick a day in whatever park he wanted, and we’d just follow him. This included whatever ADR he wanted to schedule. This year, we decided to incorporate a “pick it” day for all three of us! Today is DH’s day, and he’s chosen MK. We’ll have fun throughout the early part of the day, head back to WL to cool off & clean up, then we have a 6:05 ADR at Whispering Canyon. He chose this restaurant last day for Father’s Day, too! With evening EMH hours until 2 am, we may decide to head back over to MK to enjoy MSEP & a few attractions. While we don’t really enjoy the summer crowds during evening EMH, transportation back to WL is a breeze awhile after the park is officially closed.
Continuing on, Day 8 is DS’ day. He’s chosen DHS (or MGM, as he insists on calling it) for some serious RnRC, ToT & Star Wars time :darth:. Lucky guy, he got to schedule TWO ADRs for today - Mama Melrose for our traditional Pepperoni Flatbreads for lunch at 12:05, and then a 7:05 ADR at Chef Mickey’s. I think it’s great that he hasn’t yet outgrown CM’s. Somehow I think we’re going to be pooped after this, but if we don’t hit MK on Day 7 in the evening, we’ll head over there after dinner.
Day 9 is mine! Although I must confess, I’m still in a quandary over which park I’m picking. It’s either going to be Epcot or AK, I’m just not sure which yet. However, there was no debating my ADR choice – LeCellier at 6:25 pm. We’ll either hang around for Illuminations, or if the previous few evenings disappoint (heat/rain/tired) & we’re unable to enjoy MK, we’ll head over there. In other words, the only REALLY set plan today is dinner!
Day 10 is a sleep in day, followed by shopping time at DTD. We’ve scheduled a 12:00 ADR for TRex (first time), as we saw it being built and like the things they have on the menu. The rest of the day is open, so we’ll decide on the fly where we’re going in the afternoon/evening.
Day 11 will see us at morning EMH for MK, with an 11:40 am ADR at Liberty Tree. We’ve tried dinner here a few times over the years & didn’t really enjoy it, but I’m hoping we have a good luncheon experience. The rest of the day will be spent enjoying MK. We have no plans for tonight – we’ll just see how everything goes as to whether we’ll hang out at WL or head back to MK. Somehow, I bet we'll be at MK! :mickey:
Day 12 – we’re off to morning EMH at AK to catch things we haven’t seen, and of course we’ll be hitting our favorites as many times as we can. Due to the heat, we can never last past 1:30 or 2 at AK, so we’ll head back to WL & hit the pool for awhile. We have a 6:35 pm ADR at Cape May at BC, which is another first for us. I’m hoping that everyone in my family enjoys this place! DH specifically requested this one. We may hang out at the Boardwalk for awhile after dinner – we’ve never done this in the evening before.
On Day 13, we’re hoping to be able to participate in Flag Family at the Lodge. Although Ranger Stan is going to be absent, we’d still really like to do this. It’s always a highlight of our trip. From there, we’ll drive on over to DHS to enjoy ourselves for the morning. Although we have an ADR scheduled for 50’s Prime Time (another first), I think we’re going to end up cancelling it. We have another Fantasmic Dinner package scheduled for this evening at Mama Melrose, and it has to be an either/or. We usually do two Fantasmic packages each trip, but I wanted to have an ADR on standby after we (hopefully) see the first one. Since Mama’s is among our favorites on property, I just don’t see us cancelling this. I know that I’ll need to start packing once we return to the room, so I’m not anticipating staying out too late.
Day 14 is still kind of up in the air – it really all depends on which park we feel we’ve missed more at – AK or Epcot. It will also depend on if we’re able to get Flag Family on the 13th, or if the 14th is open. Our last 6:00 pm ADR is at . . . you guessed it, LeCellier! :wine: Usually we save Mama Melrose for our last night, but with it being morning EMH at DHS, we know that the park will be jammed, so we’re altering our plans. We’ll catch Illuminations one last time, and head back to WL to complete most of the packing. At some point today I’ll need to call BAGS to pay for our AA luggage fees.
Day 15 - Oh no – Our last day!!! Up early, finish packing, down to Resort Airline Check-In, and off to MK for one last hurrah on our favorites. We’ve got a late lunch ADR scheduled for The Plaza, and will need to head back to WL before 4:00. Our goal will be to head out for the airport around 5:10, thus arriving in plenty of time to return the car, get through security and to our gate before they start boarding. Sadly, our flight departs at 8:10 & we’ll be back in Chicago for my mom to pick us up at 9:55 pm.
Well, that’s it. Except for our ADRs, we always leave the option open to change our plans on the fly. In other words, nothing is set in stone! I know that we’ll have a magical time, and all of us are anxious to get this Kooky Disney Caper underway! :mickey:
I really need to thank Terrisue at MJ - she made our initial reservation & then kept an eye out for a better deal until she found one, saving us an incredible amount of money and frustration. Thanks, Terrisue!