TikiFamily Summer 2014 Pre-trip Report
Tikigoddess Family Trip, July 2014
Our Traveling Party:
TikiGoddess, 41
Tim, DH, 46
K, DD9
J, DD11
Yep, it’s time for our annual summer trip to Tampa and Disney. We’re splitting up our trip this year to accommodate a visit with some longtime friends. They will be at Disney for a week and we wanted to overlap our Disney days with theirs. So we have 4 days in Tampa (visiting my DH’s family), 4 days at Disney (never enough but I’ll take what I can get!), and then 3 days back in Tampa. It also lets us fly in and out of Tampa, which made our flight cheaper.
Speaking of cheap, I got some good deals for this trip.
1. By signing up for the Southwest Rapid Rewards card, we received 50,000 points which more than covered our 4 roundtrip tickets from Hartford to Tampa. The dollar value of the flights was around $850 and we paid a whopping $89 ($69 annual fee and $20 for the flight fees). Plus now we are using the credit card for every purchase we make. Those points add up - we should be able to fly just as cheaply next year.
2. I rented DVC points from one of our awesome ICOT members, so for the first time we’re staying at Bay Lake Tower! We’re so excited to be so close to the Magic Kingdom. We have a Lake View studio booked.
3. Thanks to another ICOT member’s tip, I found a $129/week deal on a midsize-SUV through Dollar. I’ve been looking at rates since then and have not found anything even close to it.
4. Thanks to our recent basement renovation and other costs, we racked up $500 in rewards on our Disney Visa. We’ll use these funds to pay for meals and souvenirs. I always say we don’t need souvenirs, but then we go to the Japan Pavilion and my daughter sees all the Pokemon stuffed animals… and I go to Main Street and see the Dooney and Bourkes…
Wednesday - Saturday
So we’re sticking with our normal plan… time in Tampa will be spent swimming in the pool, going to the beach, visiting our favorite zoo (Lowry Park Zoo), and possibly seeing a Red Sox/Rays game. Lots of time to read books and visit with family.
Sunday
At o’dark thirty we’ll get up, pack up the car, and head over to WDW. (Is there anything better than a Florida morning, right before the sun comes up, and you know you’re headed to Disney??) I’m hoping we’ll get there early enough to check in at Bay Lake Tower before heading to Epcot. (I’m not going to do online check-in… I like being able to interact with the CM at the desk. Anyone with me on this?)
Epcot Touring Plan
I’m not sure what we’ll start with – I would like to do the Epcot Character Spot but the kids will most likely want to go on Test Track, so they get two rides on it. We’ll hit Future World attractions in between FPs, then make another FP+ reservation before leaving the park around 2.
9:45-10:45 Test Track FP+
10:50-11:50 Soarin’ FP+ (yes, we have two Tier 1’s… what happened was we had a FP+ for Living with the Land. Then WDW decided to make it a Tier 1 ride, and the app let us switch it to Test Track!)
12:55-1:55 Spaceship Earth FP+
A nice break at the hotel to cool down in the afternoon, then back to Epcot for World Showcase time. DD11 will want to go to the Japan Pavilion. And who can resist a ride through Mexico with Donald? Maybe we’ll find a new favorite dessert at Boulangerie Patisserie, or a new favorite adult beverage along the way.
Monday
We’ll start at the Studios. DD11 and I are headed to RnRC, and DH and DD9 will do ToT. I’m hoping we can do ToT again with all of us, then we’re going to try some new things – Legend of Jack Sparrow and the Beauty and the Beast Show. A trip to Star Tours and a visit to the Muppets, then we’re out of the park and back to the hotel for lunch and an afternoon break.
The rest of the day will be spent at Magic Kingdom.
4:30-5:30 Space Mountain FP+
5:30-6:30 Seven Dwarves Mine Train
6:30-7:30 Splash Mountain
We’re hoping to fit in a light dinner and some less popular rides (or Sorcerer’s) in between FPs. After we’re done with Splash, we’ll try for FP+ on rides like Pirates, Jungle Cruise, etc. This is summer, remember, and the park will be packed. But we are going to try and stay in the park for the 9pm parade and possibly… for the girls’ first time… the fireworks at 10pm. We’ll have to play it by ear though. We cover a lot of ground when we’re at Disney. I have a feeling we’ll be a little tired by the end of the day!
Tuesday
Morning: ZZZZZzzzzzzzzz. Sleep in.
Mid-morning: go on Monorail Resort Scavenger Hunt. You see, Tinker Bell always visits our hotel room at night and leaves little presents for the girls. On Monday morning they will find chocolate coins hidden all over the room. On Tuesday morning, they’ll find papers detailing the scavenger hunt (that I put together) and two envelopes. We’ll split up, one adult and one child on each team, and our job is to earn as many points as possible doing such tasks as getting pressed pennies, resort maps, taking pictures of certain places at each resort, or trading pins. Whichever team gets the most points gets first pick of the two prize envelopes. (the envelopes will both have $10 Disney gift cards in them)
I haven’t told my husband about this yet. Guess I should inform him.
Afternoon: time in the arcade and swimming in the pool.
Evening: Dinner at California Grill, with our longtime friends. One word: sushi.
Wednesday
Up bright and early for our 8:00am reservation at Crystal Palace! This is our tradition on every trip. (Hint: pay your bill when the waiter brings you your drinks. Then you don’t have to wait around at the end of your meal for him to come back. You get out into the park much quicker!)
Plan is to head to Peter Pan first, then Pooh, Dumbo, and Under the Sea
9:35-10:35 Seven Dwarves Mine Train FP+
Small World, Haunted Mansion
10:35-11:35 Thunder Mountain FP+
12:05-12:35 Be Our Guest lunch FP+ (just booked this one yesterday… it will be worth it just to see the inside of the restaurant!)
12:55-1:55 Space Mountain FP+
Depending on how we feel, we may stay in the park and try to get some FP+ for rides like Buzz Lightyear, Town Square Mickey, or go on Carousel of Progress or Monsters Inc. We will have checked out of our hotel that morning and will be headed back to Tampa whenever we’re ‘done’. Who knows where the afternoon will take us… hey, not everything needs to be planned…
Thursday-Saturday
Recuperation from WDW time. Pool, beach, naps, and more pool time at the in-law’s house in Tampa.
That’s it, folks. Oh, and one more thing. I WILL catch the golf ball on Soarin’ this year. No ifs, ands, or buts.
Kathy
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Originally Posted by mamatedd
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