Our First Family Disney Trip… Take Two! - May 2024 PTR (Update 4/23 - MK Must-Dos)

[vamassey1]

Congrats on successfully booking your first set of ADRs and Extras. You did really well. I'm sure M is going to love BBB an all the fun meals you have planned.

Sorry you had to settle for the post-party. I actually like it more but I haven't done it with young kids. I suggest you get to the reserved area as soon as possible and stake out some room for the girls to move around.

Good Luck on the next set!

 

[jrmint427]

I LOVE Disney Dining Day and it's one of the only times I don't mind getting up so stinkin' early.

I love Disney Dining Day too! Even with the early wake-up time it's exciting to see what you can get

Boy, am I excited to wake up again on Friday to do it again! Darn you, Disney, and your split-stay first-world problems.

They really need to fix that for split-stay! If someone is staying on property for their entire trip, they should be able to book all reservations on the same day.

First, and most importantly, I got a GREAT appointment time for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique! M will be SO excited to be made into a princess, or Tinkerbell, or whatever the heck she wants.

That is awesome!!

As for the dining reservations, I got everything I wanted around the time I wanted it. Hooray!

Woohoo! That is the best feeling.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Ouch. Hopefully you can take it easy and not do too much the rest of the day.

Sunday was rough. Both kids are good sleepers (minus illness and the occasional bad dream) so I’m not used to such little sleep! I was very happy to see my bed that night!

Yay!!!



Another win! This is great to hear.

I was so excited about the dining reservations and even more excited about the BBB. M is going to LOVE it and she is so excited! I know we could’ve made another time work, but I really wanted one of the first slots so we still had plenty of park time (and so M could soak up more time being dressed up). I was amazed how many reservations were open once you got more than a day or two out!

You're not wrong. At the end of the day, little kids are going to want to go visit Beast's Castle over a restaurant in a resort. You can introduce them to the finer foods when they're older.

Yes, it was 100% the right decision.

When I told M that morning that I’d booked BOG, she gasped and said, “I really wanted to eat there!” I’m glad my husband encouraged me to book that dinner - although it’s a lot of food and a steep price, it is a magical setting.

Ironically, M loves the fancy food more than most “kid” foods! She’d pick salmon or steak over a cheeseburger any day!

Oh wow. That's crazy! It was the opposite for me. The post-party was sold out but the pre was available. Those reservations have been up in the air this spring.

Yes, I was very surprised! Seats and Sweets always seems to disappear first, followed by the post-party and then the pre-party. I’m just glad I was able to get one of them!

I haven't done the post with little kids, but I will say, it does go smoother than the pre, I feel like. You go and get your wristbands, and then you get prime seating spots in the garden. When we did it, there was a Cast Member playing trivia and getting the kids involved. So it kept the boredom at bay.
And then there was a CM that made a path through the leaving crowds to get us back to the Terrace. And once there, the kids could eat at their pace. I don't know about your girls, but Evie would take half an hour to eat a cookie, so not feeling rushed was nice.

Thank you for the description! I was wondering how it would go to move through the hoards of people to get back to Tomorrowland Terrace - I’m glad the CMs help! It will be nice to not feel rushed - I just hope M (and maybe L?) are awake enough to enjoy a few desserts. (And that my husband and I can enjoy a few without too much crankiness from said kiddos.)

You’re a parent. You already know this.

I know… but I’m used to sleeping through the night now! Sunday was brutal! (But worth it!)

Great!

Thank you! I was so excited that my ADR plans worked out so well. I was even more excited about getting a great slot for BBB!

Sorry you didn’t get what you wanted but glad you at least got this.

Yes, that’s the truth. I’d much rather deal with a late dessert party than miss out on the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or another planned restaurant. I couldn’t believe the other two parties disappeared so fast! (That makes me worried about the crowds in MK that night!)

Congrats on successfully booking your first set of ADRs and Extras. You did really well. I'm sure M is going to love BBB an all the fun meals you have planned.

Sorry you had to settle for the post-party. I actually like it more but I haven't done it with young kids. I suggest you get to the reserved area as soon as possible and stake out some room for the girls to move around.

Good Luck on the next set!

Thank you! It all worked out remarkably well - I’ve continued my trend of nabbing good ADRs!

M is VERY excited about the BBB and I’m thrilled I got an appointment. It should be magical!

I think the post-party would be my first choice if I was traveling with adults or older children - the thought of sitting with desserts while thousands of other people work their way out of MK is very appealing. I’m happy we were able to book a dessert party at all and we’ll just make it work!

I love Disney Dining Day too! Even with the early wake-up time it's exciting to see what you can get

It’s the best day, despite the early hour. I agree the best part is seeing what you can get!

They really need to fix that for split-stay! If someone is staying on property for their entire trip, they should be able to book all reservations on the same day.

I know, it doesn’t really make sense to me. If you’re staying on Disney property the entire time you should be able to book all your ADRs at once.

That is awesome!!

Thank you! I was thrilled (and relieved) that it was easier than I expected.

Woohoo! That is the best feeling.

I couldn’t believe how well it worked out! I think I was within 5-10 minutes of my planned times for each ADR. You can’t beat that!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Transport and Memories
a.k.a. Two more things checked off the list!

Jumping in with a quick update that I knocked two more items off our Disney to-do list!

First, I purchased our Memory Maker for the trip. I’ve purchased this for every trip (boy, it’s gotten more expensive! ) because I LOVE all the pictures and most of my favorite trip photos come from the Photopass photographers. I take a lot of photographs at Disney World but it’s nice to see myself in some of the pictures!

One nice thing is you can use your Disney Rewards redemption card for payment (it’s part of the payment screen)… so our pictures are practically free, right?

More importantly, I booked and confirmed our airport transportation!

After reading so many rave reviews (including @pixiedust33 ’s very recent review) I sent a ride request to Cast and Crew Transportation. I had to wait until I was 60 days out from our first ride to make the request - since I was up early, I sent it while waiting for our ADR window to open.

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a reply that evening as their website said to expect a response within 48 hours. I received both an email and text message confirming they could fulfill our request, including renting their *double stroller!

I’m thrilled it all worked out! I’m excited to use Cast and Crew and it will be fantastic to have a direct ride to our resort and the airport (complete with guaranteed car seats!).

*As for the stroller, it will be very convenient to use the C&C stroller as they’ll have it in the car waiting for us and we won’t have to arrange pickup and drop off with another company. My only hesitation is if something would happen to the stroller I don’t know if they’d have as many options to replace it as a large stroller rental company… please cross your fingers we don’t have any issues!

It’s great to have two more items off the list! As promised, I’ll be back later this week to report on our other set of ADRs. I’ll take all the good vibes I can get to score a Topolino’s breakfast reservation!

Up Next: ADRs - Part II

 

[pkondz]

I know… but I’m used to sleeping through the night now! Sunday was brutal! (But worth it!)

Hmmm... not sure whether to or

I couldn’t believe the other two parties disappeared so fast! (That makes me worried about the crowds in MK that night!)

Uh, oh... hadn't thought of that.

One nice thing is you can use your Disney Rewards redemption card for payment (it’s part of the payment screen)… so our pictures are practically free, right?

Disney math!

More importantly, I booked and confirmed our airport transportation!

Great! Getting your ducks in a row.

After reading so many rave reviews (including @pixiedust33 ’s very recent review) I sent a ride request to Cast and Crew Transportation

I'll have to keep this in mind for future reference.

 

[vamassey1]

Two more important task marked off your list.

I've been adding the photo pass to my AP since I had to start paying for it, not that I'm happy about it. It helps me see photos of DD and her friends when they visit the parks and of course photos when we get there too.

Having your transportation secured is important and having a stroller ready to go is a big weight off your mind. If something happens to the stroller you can always rent 2 stroller from Disney in a pinch.

Good luck on your second set of ADRs.

 

[jrmint427]

First, I purchased our Memory Maker for the trip. I’ve purchased this for every trip (boy, it’s gotten more expensive! ) because I LOVE all the pictures and most of my favorite trip photos come from the Photopass photographers. I take a lot of photographs at Disney World but it’s nice to see myself in some of the pictures!

Memory Maker is a must! I know it's gotten expensive but it was still something like $0.33 per picture on our last trip, we made good use of it. I didn't even think about the fact that it lets me be in a lot of pictures with my family, but that's an important perk!

 

[piglet1979]

I love Memory Maker, my family not so much. I make them stop at every Photographer I see. They are annoyed with me by the end of the trip.

 

[amazingact21]

You're getting things checked off for your trip!
Too true about PP pictures. It provides proof that Mom was there, too!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Uh, oh... hadn't thought of that.

It’s so bizarre - there’s still tons of availability for every other pre- and post-party, other than that Saturday. I’m glad we’ll have a spot for fireworks rather than fighting with the (likely) crowds for that.

Disney math!

Absolutely!

Great! Getting your ducks in a row.

It was especially nice to get the transportation checked off the list. I was worried about availability given the holiday weekend and was thrilled it worked out.

Two more important task marked off your list.

Yes, I was happy to mark off both of them!

I've been adding the photo pass to my AP since I had to start paying for it, not that I'm happy about it. It helps me see photos of DD and her friends when they visit the parks and of course photos when we get there too.

It’s bizarre they no longer include Photopass on the AP. That’s fun that you can see pictures of Danielle, though!

Having your transportation secured is important and having a stroller ready to go is a big weight off your mind. If something happens to the stroller you can always rent 2 stroller from Disney in a pinch.

That’s certainly true. I asked my husband about which stroller we should choose and he thought the stroller from C&C was a no-brainer. He didn’t seem concerned about a replacement but a park stroller would certainly work in a pinch.

Memory Maker is a must! I know it's gotten expensive but it was still something like $0.33 per picture on our last trip, we made good use of it. I didn't even think about the fact that it lets me be in a lot of pictures with my family, but that's an important perk!

Yes, it certainly is for me! I don’t know if it would be worth it for shorter or more frequent trips, but for a long trip on an infrequent basis, it’s pretty easy to get the value from it. I love all the pictures, especially those with the characters and the magic shots!

I love Memory Maker, my family not so much. I make them stop at every Photographer I see. They are annoyed with me by the end of the trip.

I’m very similar! I used to travel with my sister and made her stop frequently - she was willing only because I paid for her trip so she went along with it. I hope my family doesn’t get too annoyed, but I think they’ll play along.

Also, welcome! I don’t recall seeing a comment from you before this one - I’m so glad you joined in!

You're getting things checked off for your trip!
Too true about PP pictures. It provides proof that Mom was there, too!

It’s great to knock things off the list.

And yes, I love being included in the pictures, too! My husband takes a few pictures on vacation (but far fewer than me), so other than that and our selfies, I’m out of luck! It will be nice to have the additional Photopass pictures.

 

[pkondz]

It was especially nice to get the transportation checked off the list. I was worried about availability given the holiday weekend and was thrilled it worked out.

Right! Hadn’t even thought of that

 

[SimplyGoofy]

ADR’s Acquired - Part II
a.k.a. Whew!

We’re back from our trip to the Grand Canyon and Death Valley and it was… rough. Perhaps the toughest vacation we’ve ever had. Our eight day trip included no less than an interstate closure, a backup hotel, a souvenir debacle, an angry driver, additional airport screening after our bag was flagged, crossing paths with a huge (50+ people) literal biker gang (they ignored us but it was unnerving), and almost running out of gas.

If that wasn’t enough, both kids developed a stomach bug (on different days of the trip, thankfully?) so we had to deal with throwing up and yucky laundry. IT. WAS. NOT. FUN.

We had a few good moments including a great 1.5 mile hike on a rocky path and seeing the slot canyons in Page, Arizona. We also had a few good meals (at least G and I did). But overall, it was not our favorite trip.

Fingers crossed that our next trip is better. Please?!

Two good things we learned from the trip is both kids did exceptionally well on the airplane (our flights were one of the easiest parts of the trip) and I confirmed some of our packing and traveling must-haves (our new “diaper bag” and my bag worked very well). I’ll write an update on that later this week.

But… back to Disney dining!

The day before our crazy trip I secured the remainder of our ADRs.

As expected, the only one to give me trouble was the Topolino’s Terrace breakfast. I knew getting an ADR at the time I wanted would be tough at 60+1, but I wasn’t expecting they would have nothing within 2.5 hours of when I preferred to eat. We’re visiting Topolino’s on our resort rest day at the Beach Club and I wanted an ADR around 9:00am to maximize swim time. Instead I had to settle for 11:40am - I’m happy there was a reservation (the remaining slots went fast!) but hope I can shift it closer to the morning to give us plenty of pool time.

Our lineup for the last four days includes...

Breakfast/Brunch

• Topolino’s Terrace
• Cape May Cafe

Lunch

• Via Napoli

Dinner

• La Hacienda de San Angel
• Roundup Rodeo BBQ
• Boma

When I discussed all the ADRs with Grant, I had him choose our Epcot dinner and what to do on our Animal Kingdom day. Grant chose La Hacienda over other options (Le Cellier, Chefs de France, etc.) as he throught M would be most excited about their food (chips and salsa are always a winner). I’m a little sad to miss out on the Cheddar Cheese soup, but I’ve loved both meals I’ve had at La Hacienda and agree it’s the right choice for right now.

As for Animal Kingdom, G thought going to Animal Kingdom Lodge for dinner at Boma made more sense than eating lunch at Tusker House. I didn’t want to eat at both on the same day as the menus are similar. Therefore, we’ll try Sa’tuli Canteen for lunch on our Animal Kingdom day, which I’m very excited to try for the first time. M should also LOVE seeing the animals at AKL (and honestly, I’m pretty excited to visit that resort again myself!).

Minus stalking the Topolino’s Terrace ADRs for a better time, it’s great to have dining in place.

Now that we’re back and I can concentrate on this trip, it’s time to order fun Disney clothes for the kids and decide on our park must-dos and plans. We have just 45 days to go until our trip - huzzah!

Up Next: Travel Gear

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Right! Hadn’t even thought of that

It was a slight concern, but I think it helps that we're arriving the Thursday before the holiday. I'm really excited to use their service!

I thought of you on our trip - we passed a Harley Davidson store on our drive (in either Las Vegas or in Utah) and I thought of your collecting the coins from the various stores. I don't think I ever paid attention to Harley Davidson stores until reading about them in your past trip report.

 

[vamassey1]

I'm so sorry your recent vacation was a little rough. I hope Disney goes much better. On the bright side you will be better prepared for mishaps and know the flights shouldn't be bad.

Choosing between Disney restaurants is always hard. There are just too many good ones. You have a great line up ready to go. Fingers crossed you get that better time you're looking for at Topolino's.

Your trip is getting closer and closer. So many kids and parents will be counting down to the start of summer vacation and you have the added bonus of a Disney trip.

 

[jrmint427]

If that wasn’t enough, both kids developed a stomach bug (on different days of the trip, thankfully?) so we had to deal with throwing up and yucky laundry. IT. WAS. NOT. FUN.

I'm sorry, that sounds like a really tough trip! I'm not sure whether it's better for the stomach bug to hit on the same day or different, but yikes. Hope they are both feeling much better now!

Fingers crossed that our next trip is better. Please?!

It has to be!!

Instead I had to settle for 11:40am - I’m happy there was a reservation (the remaining slots went fast!) but hope I can shift it closer to the morning to give us plenty of pool time.

I hope you can find an earlier reservation time as you get closer to the trip! Reservations always seem to open up.

Therefore, we’ll try Sa’tuli Canteen for lunch on our Animal Kingdom day, which I’m very excited to try for the first time. M should also LOVE seeing the animals at AKL (and honestly, I’m pretty excited to visit that resort again myself!).

This sounds like a great plan! We LOVE Satuli and Boma. We went to Boma for dinner on our AK too and were really happy with that decision.

 

[pkondz]

We’re back from our trip to the Grand Canyon and Death Valley and it was… rough. Perhaps the toughest vacation we’ve ever had. Our eight day trip included no less than an interstate closure, a backup hotel, a souvenir debacle, an angry driver, additional airport screening after our bag was flagged, crossing paths with a huge (50+ people) literal biker gang (they ignored us but it was unnerving), and almost running out of gas.

Yikes! You've been through the wringer!
Regarding the biker gang... unless they were patched as Hells Angels... it was probably just a local club out for a memorial ride or fund raising ride.

If that wasn’t enough, both kids developed a stomach bug (on different days of the trip, thankfully?) so we had to deal with throwing up and yucky laundry. IT. WAS. NOT. FUN.

So sorry to hear about all your troubles.

seeing the slot canyons in Page, Arizona.

Aren't they spectacular??

Fingers crossed that our next trip is better. Please?!

Animal Kingdom Lodge for dinner at Boma

Mmmmm... vanilla bread pudding...

I thought of you on our trip - we passed a Harley Davidson store on our drive (in either Las Vegas or in Utah) and I thought of your collecting the coins from the various stores.

Awww.

I don't think I ever paid attention to Harley Davidson stores until reading about them in your past trip report.

They're pretty visible, since a lot of them are adjacent to the highway. A quick Google says there are over 660 in the US, so not surprising you see one once in a while.

 

[amazingact21]

So sorry to hear this trip was rough! Sounds like it was one thing after another for you all. And, ugh, we dealt with the stomach bug on a Disney vacation once and it's the worst.
However!!! Think of it all like a dress rehearsal. Now, your Disney vacation should go a lot smoother. You've seen how things can go wrong, it'll be time to see how it all goes right now.

Topolino's is so popular! Hopefully, the closer the trip gets, the more people will tweak their plans and cancel their ADRs.

Getting to see the animals at AKL at Boma sounds great. Plus, you know me, I'm all for people trying Satuli Canteen. I hope you like it!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I'm so sorry your recent vacation was a little rough. I hope Disney goes much better. On the bright side you will be better prepared for mishaps and know the flights shouldn't be bad.

Thank you. Thankfully so many of the things were flukes or unlikely to repeat themselves (I don’t think they’ll be any snow in central Florida!). I was grateful we were prepared for the unexpected illness - the large wet bag I threw in and all the extra Ziplock bags I always bring along came in very handy.

Choosing between Disney restaurants is always hard. There are just too many good ones. You have a great line up ready to go. Fingers crossed you get that better time you're looking for at Topolino's.

That is so true! I’m pleased with our choices and think M (and I!) will love all the character dining. I’m also thrilled we got everything we wanted to book, even if one ADR is not at the ideal time.

Your trip is getting closer and closer. So many kids and parents will be counting down to the start of summer vacation and you have the added bonus of a Disney trip.

Yes, just 42 days to go! I think M and I will start a countdown chain soon - she wants the colors to be related to princesses and Pixar characters (she specifically mentioned the Incredibles). Duly noted!

I'm sorry, that sounds like a really tough trip! I'm not sure whether it's better for the stomach bug to hit on the same day or different, but yikes. Hope they are both feeling much better now!

It was the most problematic vacation we’ve ever had - so many things went wrong! The stomach bug was the biggest bummer and thankfully both kids are well now (M was fine within 24 hours on our trip and L had another incident the day after we got home but is since fine). Amazingly my husband and I never caught it!

It has to be!!

I mean, really, doesn’t it?! I know they’ll be bumps in the road and some things won’t work as planned, but if we can avoid this many mishaps (and a stomach bug?!) we’ll be way ahead of the game.

I hope you can find an earlier reservation time as you get closer to the trip! Reservations always seem to open up.

Yes, it seems a few slots open up a day or two before as people change their plans. Honestly, I’ve been checking daily, but I think I’m more likely to see an opening around the 30-day mark (for those who cancel their packages) or the week-of. We’ll see what I can do!

This sounds like a great plan! We LOVE Satuli and Boma. We went to Boma for dinner on our AK too and were really happy with that decision.

I’ve eaten both breakfast and dinner at Boma - both are excellent. I’m very excited to try Sa’tuli Canteen as so many people seem to love it!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Yikes! You've been through the wringer!
Regarding the biker gang... unless they were patched as Hells Angels... it was probably just a local club out for a memorial ride or fund raising ride.

It was a rough go.

In most cases I would agree with you - I’ve seen many groups of bikers (especially since I’ve tended to travel west during Sturgis more than once). This group looked a bit more rough than usual, and the fancy knife (not a pocketknife) in its own case on someone’s belt gave me pause. They were not marked as the Hell’s Angels but were defiantly a set group (several were wearing gear with a matching set of initials, which I don’t remember now and never looked up) and we were in the middle of nowhere so it was an odd place to see such a large group of bikers.

Oh, well! Just another story for this crazy trip.

So sorry to hear about all your troubles.

I appreciate it! Surely we can’t have so many things go wrong again… right?

Aren't they spectacular??

Yes! Our day in Page was my favorite - we saw Horseshoe Bend, went on a great hike, and then toured the Lower Antelope Canyon in the afternoon. No one was sick! Everyone had fun! Thank goodness for one great day.

Thank you!

Mmmmm... vanilla bread pudding...

So much of the food at Boma is declious. I’m really looking forward to it!

Awww.

They're pretty visible, since a lot of them are adjacent to the highway. A quick Google says there are over 660 in the US, so not surprising you see one once in a while.

I didn’t know there were so many! Wow!

So sorry to hear this trip was rough! Sounds like it was one thing after another for you all. And, ugh, we dealt with the stomach bug on a Disney vacation once and it's the worst.
However!!! Think of it all like a dress rehearsal. Now, your Disney vacation should go a lot smoother. You've seen how things can go wrong, it'll be time to see how it all goes right now.

Thank you - I appreciate it. It may be too soon to laugh (yet), but it’s almost comical how many things went wrong. Stomach bugs stink everywhere, but they seem tougher on vacation when you don’t have access to your washing machine and extra stuff. I’m thankful L’s illness came near the end of our vacation and M is old enough to help the mess from going everywhere.

Topolino's is so popular! Hopefully, the closer the trip gets, the more people will tweak their plans and cancel their ADRs.

Yes, I’m hoping there may be some openings 30ish days out (when people change their packages) or week-of. We’ll see how it shakes out!

Getting to see the animals at AKL at Boma sounds great. Plus, you know me, I'm all for people trying Satuli Canteen. I hope you like it!

I’m really looking forward to both! I’m a little sad to miss Tusker House, but I think both choices will be excellent. I’m also excited to visit AKL - I LOVE that resort!

 

[pkondz]

In most cases I would agree with you - I’ve seen many groups of bikers (especially since I’ve tended to travel west during Sturgis more than once). This group looked a bit more rough than usual, and the fancy knife (not a pocketknife) in its own case on someone’s belt gave me pause. They were not marked as the Hell’s Angels but were defiantly a set group (several were wearing gear with a matching set of initials, which I don’t remember now and never looked up) and we were in the middle of nowhere so it was an odd place to see such a large group of bikers.

No idea. The odds are that it wasn't an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang... but the odds aren't zero

I appreciate it! Surely we can’t have so many things go wrong again… right?

Right!

Yes! Our day in Page was my favorite - we saw Horseshoe Bend, went on a great hike, and then toured the Lower Antelope Canyon in the afternoon. No one was sick! Everyone had fun! Thank goodness for one great day.