PopPhan No-So-Scary Pre-Trip Musings (Part 1)

**PopPhan** · 08-21-2018, 08:58 AM

Dates: October 16, 2018 – October 24, 2018
Resort: Pop Century – Standard Room
Visitors: Me, myself, and I -- 56 and proud to be a Disney Phanatic!

“Now it’s time to say goodbye…” Well, not in this case! It’s time to say “Hello!”

Just a few short weeks until I jump on the ‘big old jet airliner’ and make my way back to ‘the World’ to visit Mickey and company during the Fall festivities – Mickey’s No-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP), EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival (F&WF), and more. NOTE: On first time use, I will probably spell out the entire name of parks, rides, attractions, etc. until I just get lazy, then use the acronym/abbreviation/etc. after that.

This should prove to be a very interesting and fun trip, including a morning INTERCOT semi-meet and greet, thanks to Cinderelley, at Kona Café for breakfast on the 17th….9:55am, at last count Christi had booked for a party of 10!!!And there is a possibility of meeting up with DisneyFreak2002 somewhere along the line. (For someone who is a bit of an introvert, this is BIG news!! BUT, it’s Disney!!! LOL)

Before I get too deeply into this report, (and if any of you have ever read one of my reports, I do tend to make them pretty deep!!) I really want, and need, to thank Denise Keeler at Magical Journeys for putting up with my, sometimes incessant, questioning and requests for discounts. Denise has been working with me for years now, and I know she will get me any deals that are possible, but I still bother her from time to time. Thank you ever so much, Denise!!!!! You ARE my hero! (Heroine??)

OK, now on to the trip pre-report, or is that pre-trip report?

Day One: Tuesday, October 16, 2018

As I begin this, there are 57 days until my arrival in the Orlando area. For once, I am NOT taking one of the earliest flights down from BWI (Baltimore-Washington International [Thurgood Marshall] {Friendship} Airport -- 3 names, one great airport to fly to Orlando from.) My Southwest (LUV) flight leaves at (or around) 11:55am and is scheduled to arrive at MCO (Orlando International Airport [OIA] {McCoy Airfield} What? Only two names???) at (or around) 2:10pm. With Southwest, it is generally an On Time departure and an early arrival, but we shall see.

I am still on my Platinum Annual Pass (what is it with these names…FL Resident, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Premium…So confusing!) so in the spirit of getting the most for my money, I am making my third trip in 11 months. BTW: Based on the price of the PAP, with the MemoryMaker included, I made it a wash against ‘normal’ MYW + ParkHopper + MemoryMaker in about 8 or 9 days!!!

Staying at Pop Century, standard room, for my visit and using Disney Transportation to go anywhere. Remember the old commercials: “Go Greyhound and leave the driving to us!” Well, I use the same thought pattern while at WDW. Let them take care of all my transportation needs.

Once I drop off my backpack – always carry on a backpack with necessities for at least one day – either at Baggage Check or in my room if it is ready, I will be looking for the first bus over to the Magic Kingdom (MK.) I have a MNSSHP ticket for tonight. (Another reason to take a later flight and sleep in this morning!) By my calculations, I should be at the park right around 4pm (+/- 15 minutes) barring mishaps. I had done MNSSHP once before with my ex and her sister and brother-in-law and it did not go well (for reasons I will spare you and NOT go into LOL) so I wanted to give it another go. I am really looking forward to seeing the ‘Boo To You’ parade and the HalloWishes fireworks (both for the first time) and just enjoying the evening with all the rides, shows, and trick-or-treating. Hopefully, I will make it to closing time for the party.

Day Two: Wednesday, October 17, 2018

OK, the details will be much more sketchy from here out….(You can thank me later!!)

This day will start with a meet & greet breakfast at Kona Café, thanks to Cinderelley!! It looks like the initial group of two or three has grown! Welcome INTERCOTees!!!! Being a bit on the introverted side, the bigger the group, the easier it will be for me to feel comfortable. (Figure that one out Dr. Freud!!!) Since the reservation is for 9:55am, I should be able to get enough to sleep so that I do not arrive with bags under the bags under my eyes, but time will tell. As long as I can get my first cup of Kona coffee in me, post haste, I should be a very happy camper!!

Not knowing how long this gathering will last, I have tentatively scheduled my early park as Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS) and then head on over to EPCOT (EP) for my FP+ options for the day. I’ll probably do more wandering around World Showcase (EP:WS) check in for ‘visit 1’ for the F&WF Passholder Cutting Board and pick up my Chef Mickey Passholder Magnet.

I got kind of lazy with the FP+ options here, but I am more interested in the “Eat To The Beat (E2B) Concert Series” show this evening -- .38 Special. I’m hoping to get the Passholder wristband for concert seating, but I’m not sure if that will be offered in October.

My FP+ options are: Living With The Land (LwtL) @ 5:10pm; Test Track (TT) @ 6:45pm and Spaceship Earth (SSE) @7:55pm. NOTE: Times listed are the opening time for the one hour window.

Since the last E2B Concert is 8:00pm and Illuminations is at 9:00pm, we shall see if I use the SSE FP+ option or not. (Dang!! Spewing alphabet soup already!!!)

Was actually thinking of trying to get back to MK for evening Extra Magic Hours (EMH) but think I will hold off after just being there the night before for MNSSHP. Certainly don’t want to burn myself out after just a day and a half!!!

Day Three: Thursday, October 18, 2018

Here comes the ‘lazy’ me!!

Get up when I get up, grab a coffa cuppee, and go somewhere. LOL Morning (early) park isn’t planned. Initially, I was going to head right back to EP, but I’m kind of rethinking that right now…Strike that!!!! EP it is!!! (And early too!) Just saw that there is something called “Thank You Thursday” being held for Passholders from 8:00am to 9:00am, with Passholder-exclusive merchandise available at The Festival Center and MouseGears! And purchase Mimosas at the Festival Center!! LOL
[NOTE: For those Passholders on INTERCOT: If you haven’t seen the article, it is on the WDW site…3 dates – Aug. 30; Sept. 20; and Oct. 18.]

Since this will be my second entrance into EP during F&WF, I’ll tick off another ‘visit’ for the Cutting Board!!! Yippee!!!! – You need 4 ‘visits’ to F&WF before you can get the Cutting Board…

After all that fun, my plans are to make Disney’s Animal Kingdom (AK) my evening park. Just being in that park for sunset is a real treat for me.

My FP+ options are: Meet & Greet w/Mickey & Minnie at Adventurers Outpost (M&G) @ 4:40pm; DINOSAUR @ 5:50pm; and Na’vi River Journey (NRJ) @ 6:55pm. May hang around The Oasis until closer to the end of the NRJ window, to see if I might sneak in a ride on Avatar Flight of Passage (FoP) right before park close. If I go to NRJ around 7:15pm, I should have plenty of time to ride and get in the FoP queue, right? (I’ve yet to do FoP through the Stand-By queue.)

Day Four: Friday, October 19, 2018

Something a little different here….Morning (early) FP+ options!!! Planning to start the day at MK for my FP+ options.

My FP+ options are: Splash Mountain (Splash) @ 9:25am; Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (BTM) @ 11:00am; and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (7DMT) @ 1:40pm.

Still, nothing to get me up REAL early, but MK DOES have Morning EMH, so will open at 8:00am. That MIGHT get me up and at ‘em to get some of the more difficult attractions (Peter Pan [PP] anyone?), that I don’t have FP+ for, in with slightly smaller crowds. Again, we shall see…This is a vacation, after all!!! (REALLY??? When do I get to rest? …when I get home!!!!!! LOL)

With my FP+ options running into the early afternoon, my thoughts were to head over to DHS for the evening and not worry about riding anything, but get the after dark tour of the new Toy Story Land. (I may just hit 3 parks in one day and go from MK to EP via monorail (just to get my third ‘visit’ for the Cutting Board.) I DO, however, want to use this day to hit Fantasmic! and Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular before I leave. (But, if I poop out before they start, I will still have another evening in DHS that I can fit them in.)

Well, that’s the half way point…….

...to be continued...