Our family of 5 is heading to Disney World in September, so we're busy planning. As relatively "rookies" at this, we sure would welcome any insight and advice y'all might have to offer.
WHO:
WHY:
With our son planning a wedding and our daughters graduating college and heading off on their own, we see this as something of a "last family vacation together." Oh, sure, we'll still do things as families in the years ahead, but it will never be just the 5 of us again. So we're savoring our lives together as a "last hurrah!"
WHEN:
September 15-21
WHERE:
We're booked for the Polynesian Resort. (Boy, adding that 5th person to a room sure changes your options and adds a whole lot of expense to the trip. Ack. Since we went beyond our expected budget, and since the difference wasn't all that much more, Mom said she wanted the pseudo-Hawaii experience for the hotel.) Yes, we know there will be construction going on, but we're hoping it won't be too big of a distraction. And having a monorail & boat available for transportation is kind of a plus.
FOOD:
We're doing the Disney Dining special offer, and have made some tentative reservations just to get something on the books.
Our thought was to eat a light breakfast (granola bars or something), grab an early counter service lunch in the parks, and enjoy a snack whenever the mood struck us. That would allow us to do an earlier dinner most days.
No idea about counter-service lunches or snacks.
FASTPASSES:
Absolutely no idea here. This is new to us, and a bit confusing. I've read advice from different threads in the forums, and I'm just more confused. Some suggest reserving the 3 Fastpasses/day for mid-day when the crowds are bigger. Some suggest getting them in before lunch so that you can reserve 3 more Fastpasses (if available) for later in the day. The whole "get 'em from a kiosk" thing is a bit foggy for us; do you have to go to the kiosk at a specific ride to reserve a Fastpass for later in the day?
We could really use some recommendations for what Fastpasses to reserve and what times would be good.
THE MOOD:
It's probably important to share our expectations here. We are *not* worried about "doing everything" on this trip. We've done that kind of vacation before, and it's a lot of fun. But this time 'round we're more focused on lingering a bit. Enjoying the atmosphere. Stopping to enjoy an unexpected street performance, or do a little people-watching, or savor the beautiful landscaping. Yes, we love all the rides and want to enjoy the best of them, but we don't want to rush about too much. A more leisurly pace. Also, with our ages and interests, we're not concerned with character meet & greets (boy, I miss my childhood days at Disneyland, when we had ticket books, and character connections were always spontaneous, unexpected, and with absolutely no wait whatsoever).
So... I *think* we've made a good start. Any ideas, insights, suggestions, warnings, etc. that you might have to offer will be GREATLY appreciated. We get one shot at this "last hurrah" and want to make it the best trip possible.
WHO:
- Dad & Mom (50s; Dad's birthday is while we're there)
- Son (24; popping the question "real soon now")
- Daughter (23)
- Daughter (21)
WHY:
With our son planning a wedding and our daughters graduating college and heading off on their own, we see this as something of a "last family vacation together." Oh, sure, we'll still do things as families in the years ahead, but it will never be just the 5 of us again. So we're savoring our lives together as a "last hurrah!"
WHEN:
September 15-21
- Drive from Virginia on Mon/15th
- Epcot on Tues/16th
- Typhoon Lagoon on Wed/17th
- Magic Kingdom on Thu/18th
- Animal Kingdom on Fri 19th
- Hollywood Studios on Sat 20th
- Drive home on Sun/21st
WHERE:
We're booked for the Polynesian Resort. (Boy, adding that 5th person to a room sure changes your options and adds a whole lot of expense to the trip. Ack. Since we went beyond our expected budget, and since the difference wasn't all that much more, Mom said she wanted the pseudo-Hawaii experience for the hotel.) Yes, we know there will be construction going on, but we're hoping it won't be too big of a distraction. And having a monorail & boat available for transportation is kind of a plus.
FOOD:
We're doing the Disney Dining special offer, and have made some tentative reservations just to get something on the books.
- Tue/16 -- Biergarten in Epcot @ 5:00 PM
- Wed/17 -- Sanaa in Animal Kingdom Villas @ 7:00 (after a day at the water park)
- Thu/18 -- Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom @ 4:00 (had a tough time figuring this one out)
- Fri/19 -- Hoop De Doo in Fort Wilderness @ 6:15
- Sat/20 -- Hollywood & Vine/Fantasmic @ 4:30
Our thought was to eat a light breakfast (granola bars or something), grab an early counter service lunch in the parks, and enjoy a snack whenever the mood struck us. That would allow us to do an earlier dinner most days.
No idea about counter-service lunches or snacks.
FASTPASSES:
Absolutely no idea here. This is new to us, and a bit confusing. I've read advice from different threads in the forums, and I'm just more confused. Some suggest reserving the 3 Fastpasses/day for mid-day when the crowds are bigger. Some suggest getting them in before lunch so that you can reserve 3 more Fastpasses (if available) for later in the day. The whole "get 'em from a kiosk" thing is a bit foggy for us; do you have to go to the kiosk at a specific ride to reserve a Fastpass for later in the day?
We could really use some recommendations for what Fastpasses to reserve and what times would be good.
THE MOOD:
It's probably important to share our expectations here. We are *not* worried about "doing everything" on this trip. We've done that kind of vacation before, and it's a lot of fun. But this time 'round we're more focused on lingering a bit. Enjoying the atmosphere. Stopping to enjoy an unexpected street performance, or do a little people-watching, or savor the beautiful landscaping. Yes, we love all the rides and want to enjoy the best of them, but we don't want to rush about too much. A more leisurly pace. Also, with our ages and interests, we're not concerned with character meet & greets (boy, I miss my childhood days at Disneyland, when we had ticket books, and character connections were always spontaneous, unexpected, and with absolutely no wait whatsoever).
So... I *think* we've made a good start. Any ideas, insights, suggestions, warnings, etc. that you might have to offer will be GREATLY appreciated. We get one shot at this "last hurrah" and want to make it the best trip possible.
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