Disneyland 2019 - the 4th 5th bday celebration: PTR

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Is it possible to be flexible with Monday as your rest day? Just in case? Mondays have been pretty busy days fairly consistently over the past year -- good in the mornings, but then the crowds build fast. Tuesdays are usually better. Wednesdays have been consistently good. So, if there is any flexibility in the schedule and you can play things by ear, you might want to think about that. If not, just keep going with your great planning skills and use MP and those morning hours to your advantage.
ETA: Just saw that Monday is your DD's birthday -- so go ahead and celebrate in DL! (Get a birthday button and I'm Celebrating buttons for everyone else!) Just be sure to start early, use MP, stack those FPs, and stay ahead of the crowds. Some Mondays haven't been so busy, so hopefully this will be one of those!

I was seriously considering switching around so we did Monday as non-Disney, and then Tues-Fri Disney days. DD's actual birthday was last week - its just 'her' special trip in lieu of a party so I keep referring to her as the birthday girl. We currently have Plaza Inn breakfast booked on Monday though, and I waited to long to check Tuesday availability and there is nothing left. So - Monday it is and we'll see how it goes. I'm anticipating some pretty decent sized crowds since some of the local schools will be on spring break that week too, plus the now normal visitor Monday bump.

Yes, you can mobile order at both Starbucks (Starbucks DTD and Starbucks West) from outside the parks. We usually place our order from M&F, and the order is ready by the time we get to the counter.

Yay! This will be great!

Baby won't need to pay for the WOC Dessert Party since she's under 3.

Oh man, this is getting more and more tempting every second. $160 is a decent chunk of the budget, but doing dinner package for everyone just doesn't seem like a good idea for schedule or budget. I'm leaning towards FP at this point, since it is so budget friendly and I keep seeing food and treats I want to have!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... I'm leaning towards FP at this point, since it is so budget friendly and I keep seeing food and treats I want to have!

You have enough adults in your group to make free FP really work for you if you can get everyone on board with the program! Pick your day (earlier in your trip is better so you have a chance for a do-over later, if needed). Memorize the viewing area map from the WOC Superthread. (I have that first post on my phone for days when I need it -- sure comes in handy!) Have at least 3 specific spots chosen for your group (A,B,C) and scout them out earlier in the day to make sure that the view of the bay will work for even the littles from those spots. Have all the adults KNOW where these spots are and WHICH spots they are (no mixing up A with B or C!). When your viewing area opens, you'll need 2 adults to MOVE it to your chosen spot (A) to hold it while the other 2 shepherd the kids to follow. If (A) is taken (and they should be able to see this ahead of time), move immediately for (B). Repeat with (C) if (B) is taken. You get how this goes. I've never had to use my (C) plan. People usually only have one spot chosen, if that. Then, if it's taken, they stand there and argue while all the other good spots disappear before their eyes. Don't argue, just move it! And if your group can stand tandem -- littles in front, biggers, then biggest -- you won't need as much room across at a railing. Strollers work great to hold stuff and hold spaces. My family never get why I get so militant about WOC viewing, but after they can't stop talking about what a great view they had AND they hear other people complaining how they couldn't see anything and how the show was ruined for them by the bad view -- then they start to understand. This can work for you and save a lot of money, too!

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

You have enough adults in your group to make free FP really work for you if you can get everyone on board with the program! Pick your day (earlier in your trip is better so you have a chance for a do-over later, if needed). Memorize the viewing area map from the WOC Superthread. (I have that first post on my phone for days when I need it -- sure comes in handy!) Have at least 3 specific spots chosen for your group (A,B,C) and scout them out earlier in the day to make sure that the view of the bay will work for even the littles from those spots. Have all the adults KNOW where these spots are and WHICH spots they are (no mixing up A with B or C!). When your viewing area opens, you'll need 2 adults to MOVE it to your chosen spot (A) to hold it while the other 2 shepherd the kids to follow. If (A) is taken (and they should be able to see this ahead of time), move immediately for (B). Repeat with (C) if (B) is taken. You get how this goes. I've never had to use my (C) plan. People usually only have one spot chosen, if that. Then, if it's taken, they stand there and argue while all the other good spots disappear before their eyes. Don't argue, just move it! And if your group can stand tandem -- littles in front, biggers, then biggest -- you won't need as much room across at a railing. Strollers work great to hold stuff and hold spaces. My family never get why I get so militant about WOC viewing, but after they can't stop talking about what a great view they had AND they hear other people complaining how they couldn't see anything and how the show was ruined for them by the bad view -- then they start to understand. This can work for you and save a lot of money, too!

I love Hydro's tips and the map. Good idea to have it saved on the phones! Tandem should work well for us. We'll just need 3ish across. This is probably one time when I'll insist someone else manage the stroller and I will go direct to our first choice. The location really does make the show, but I hadn't realized how good the blue hydrant area could be. It is a fun dilemma - I'd planned MMM our first night, since it is new and of course fireworks can be so fickle, it is good to get them in early, but that was before WoC reopening was announced. We'll either hit it that first Monday night (especially if we can see fireworks Sunday night from our rental), but worst case we go Wednesday and have another shot Thursday if its a bust. I just wish I could MP the WoC FPs instead of having to hoof it around. Can't wait for updates so I know where the distributions are!

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Itinerary: Day 6 - BBB

Day 6: Wednesday March 13
Park Hours: DL 8am-11pm; DCA 8am-10pm (EMH @ 7)

One of the only things I have managed to keep secret are reservations for all of the kids with BBB on Wednesday, so that will be our princess day. DD5 currently loves Elena and Tiana most, adores Elsa & Anna, but she still swoons over Belle, Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella and Snow White too. If I’ve managed my pre-trip plan and put together makeover bags for the kids, this is the morning I will bring them out! Not sure if I will bring them to the park and only give them to the kids when we get to BBB for the appointment, or if I will just do it at the rental house before we leave in the morning. Chances are high that I will somehow blow the surprise before then anyway (I am just too darn excited), but assuming I don’t blow it, if anyone has ideas about which timing is better let me know. Logistically getting dressed up probably makes more sense before we leave the house, so I’m leaning towards that. Here’s the rough itinerary for the day!

Morning:

• Breakfast at house, and then a leisurely walk to DTD for (more) coffee. Would like to be in the DTD area before 8, but not wanting to RD or anything.
• First up: Get WoC FP in DCA; I was thrilled when we found out WoC would be up in time for our visit!
• Next: DL - this is the day I will FINALLY go on Peter Pan. I have never been on it - every single trip something has conspired against me. It was down for refurb my first visit, lines too long on our first family trip and then DD5 wanted to meet Rapunzel so bad and we couldn’t do both, 3rd trip I was sick the morning everyone else went on it, 4th trip it was down for refurb again. This trip my kids have declared we HAVE TO go on PP and they are prepared to wait. Our BBB makeovers start at 10:30, and if PP is the only ride we manage before that, it will still be ok!
• Assuming PP doesn’t take ALL of the morning, I’m also hoping to get some nice pix with Maleficent scrim in the background if it is available! Plus snacks! Must feed the kids something before their appointments, or I will end up with cranky gremlins instead of gorgeous prince and princesses.
• During all this makeover madness, I’ll probably be doling out FPs to the rest of the group and sending them off to Matterhorn, Indy, ST, BTM - whatever we didn’t hit on Monday or what they loved the most. BBB will be doing 2 of our kids at a time, back to back to back. The last one to start is my son, who I assume will take the least amount of time.
• Once makeover is complete we will do Royal Hall to meet princesses. Hopefully the snacks from earlier will tide everyone over so we can make it through the character line with smiles on! And then lunch at Red Rose Tavern. DD5’s name is Rosie, so she’s going to LOVE it.

Afternoon:

• If we missed Tiana on Monday, we’ll definitely catch her after lunch before leaving DL and heading to DCA for the afternoon.
• If Elena is scheduled, we’ll definitely hit her up too, likewise with Jasmine & Aladdin.
• Little Mermaid is going to be a must-ride this day (it was on refurb last trip).
• Snacks throughout the afternoon at the food carts for Food & Wine
• Meeting Anna & Elsa while the kids are still all fancied up and maybe catching Frozen in lieu of going to the rental for a break (last trip it was a great nap location for our then littlest). This is when I’ll miss bugs land the most, but things change and there are lots of other fun things to do!
• Monsters, Inc ride might be good here. Captain Marvel comes out the Friday before our trip, so I’m guessing she’ll be doing M&G, but also guessing the lines might be pretty long. DD5 wants to meet Black Panther, but not sure about other characters.

Evening:

• Dinner: Two majorly different options:
  1. WoC dining package at WCT. I have reservations at 5:50, but I’m not in love with it. I had already adjusted budget to NOT have WoC available, and eking out time & budget for this package is possible but doesn’t feel like a ‘must’ to me this time. Very likely that I cancel in the next few days and commit to option b.
  2. Re-hit any DCA sip & savor that made an impact, and CS. The specifics will depend on whether or not we have evening FP for RSR or some other evening FP, and how long lines are for the food booths. I’m hoping mobile ordering will help us avoid some of the food waiting.
• After eating dinner, it’ll be close to queue time for World of Color! If we have time, we’ll try to get on Mermaid again or even Golden Zephyr, but I want to get there 90 minutes in advance whether we did the dining package or not. There are so many fun things to see in that general area though, that even if it is still pretty early, I’m sure we’ll find things to do.
• World of Color show times aren’t available yet, but I’m guessing the show will be around 9 or later (DCA closes at 10pm, MMM w/ fireworks is scheduled at 9:30). Once the show is over, we’ll grab bedtime snacks either in DCA or in DTD and head home for bed.

It’ll be tough for me to resist the urge to hop to DL for a couple night rides, but our MM is the next day, and I’ll need to be rested and fresh!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... I just wish I could MP the WoC FPs instead of having to hoof it around. Can't wait for updates so I know where the distributions are!

Only one adult needs the tickets to get the WOC FPs. That should make it quick and easy. Also, I read that you can scan the bar codes from your phone to get the FPs now (disclaimer: I haven't tried this personally), so if another adult has all the tickets scanned into the app, that might work, too. The rest of you could ride something or get a snack while the WOC FP runner completes the task.
Also, check the Blue hydrant spot -- the map was made before the Dessert Party was created. I don't know if the high tables get in the way of the view or not. No one has commented on that. But it can't hurt to double check beforehand.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Itinerary: Day 6...

• Next: DL - this is the day I will FINALLY go on Peter Pan. I have never been on it - every single trip something has conspired against me. It was down for refurb my first visit, lines too long on our first family trip and then DD5 wanted to meet Rapunzel so bad and we couldn’t do both, 3rd trip I was sick the morning everyone else went on it, 4th trip it was down for refurb again. This trip my kids have declared we HAVE TO go on PP and they are prepared to wait...

You're in for a real treat! Here's hoping the line won't be too long. If it is on the longer side, just grab some good snacks and enjoy! When you board, the first room you enter is the nursery. Look at the blocks on the floor. Sometimes the spelling changes, but usually they spell out Peter Pan. The kids who can read will like that. I always try to imagine how much joy this ride has given however many guests since opening day in 1955! That's a lot of magic...

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Itinerary: Day 7 - DCA, DL & A Very Special High Tea

Day 7: Thursday March 14
Park Hours: DL 8am-midnight (MM/EMH @ 7am); DCA 8am-10pm

Thursday is the only day I can use our MM. It is possible that we end up not using it at all if everyone has gotten worn out, and I am going to try so very very hard to NOT be too aggressive in waking everyone and marching them to the parks.

Morning:

• Early wake up - 5:30am (5 for me)! Breakfast at the house, attempting to leave by 6am.
• Get through security and DTD quickly this time - no leisurely stroll for coffee today!
• At RD, we’ll take the ‘safe’ route to FL, going along the parade route path to the right of SBC, and queue for Alice. Being pretty inexperienced with RD, I don’t think it makes sense to try for PP.
• After Alice, we’ll do the rest of FL, whatever order makes the most sense at the time. I’ll FP Matterhorn and then hopefully FP IJ or BTMRR or ST.
• We’ll do some more substantial snacks in FL, and possibly even try to do brunch/super early lunch around 10:30 but I’m not sure where.

Afternoon:

• The girls and I will head to Steakhouse 55 @ DLH for the Mickey’s Tea Party Celebration. Our reservations are at 1:05pm, but the DLH lobby sounds pretty neat so I hope we can get there well in advance and check things out beforehand. I’ll be the only adult wrangling 4 girls, ages 5-11. DH & the other two guys will have DS and the baby. I have no idea what they will end up eating - probably something at DTD.
• Baby will need a nap, and whether DH manages to get her down in stroller or heads back to the rental will be a game day decision.
• I think the tea will be around 2 hours, and the kids will likely be exhausted from the early morning, so we will plan on heading back to the rental for a rest.

Evening:

• Early dinner at the rental.
• Back to the parks from some evening fun! If we got evening FP for RSR or other DCA ride(s), we’ll head there first. This will be our last opportunity for night time stuff at DCA, so unless the kids are done with it or it ends up too crowded, we won’t hop to DL until late.
• Revisit any favorite Food & Wine offerings and/or grab any we’ve missed so far. I’ll be making a checklist of Food & Wine items as well as a list of the Get Your Ears on offerings so we can attempt to try everything!

Night:

• If we need a do-over for WoC, we’ll be doing that tonight, or if we really liked MMM and want to check a different vantage point we’ll hop to DL around 8. I’m assuming we’ll have seen it from Main Street the first night, so we’d probably do train around to Toontown and grab a spot near iasw. Time allowing, kids can hop on iasw before the show, but I won’t plan on it.
• Hopefully all the kids managed a late afternoon nap and can enjoy the night. If not, we’ll send the tired ones back home with a grown up around 10, and I’ll lead the charge for nighttime DL rides. Odds are high DD5 and DH will be tired and ready for bed before the rest of us, and possibly DS and their cousin too. But DD11 and DD9 have been eager for nighttime rides and I am looking forward to spending time with both of them. It is a midnight close, so it is doubtful we will have the energy to stay that late but I can always hope!

This day is a high-risk day - early mornings can really throw off kids, and I've made it doubly risky with an afternoon reservation. I'm fully prepared to throw the morning plan out the window and let the kiddos sleep in or seriously dial back the activity in the morning. Or - leave any sleepy kids (or adults) at home for a leisurely morning with DH while I take the park-stormers with me. Hopefully having a good plan but being ready to throw it out and adjust will keep everyone on an even keel and avoid major meltdowns.

With Thursday in the books, it just leave us one last park day!

 

[Bluewild79]

An update on all my DIY pre-trip plans: I've almost finished putting together electronic copy of ONE Journal. I'm using pages linked from the WDW section on these boards, but the pages I liked most are WDW specific, so I'm trying to make some of my own, and just matching fonts has been time consuming. It is surprisingly hard to find a good match to Disneyland font versus the Walt signature font! TBH I was more than a little shocked when my first google search was unsuccessful.... Still hoping I get at least ONE of these planned projects done...

I'm also refreshing/fixing up dresses the kids already have. If I get them back in 'ok to wear in public' shape, it'll save me a trip to our local Disney store... Fingers crossed

What kind of journal are you making? I made a Disneyland one for my kiddos (ages 10, 8, and 6) and I'd be happy to share it with you if you want it! It was super time consuming but they really loved it. Well except the 8-year-old who thought i Was trying to make her do something suspiciously like homework during summer vacation! It probably needs a bit of updating since there are changes since our trip last August but PM me if you want a copy of it!

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

What kind of journal are you making? I made a Disneyland one for my kiddos (ages 10, 8, and 6) and I'd be happy to share it with you if you want it! It was super time consuming but they really loved it. Well except the 8-year-old who thought i Was trying to make her do something suspiciously like homework during summer vacation! It probably needs a bit of updating since there are changes since our trip last August but PM me if you want a copy of it!

Basically a travel journal to capture their thoughts and feelings throughout the trip, with some starter questions and some general blank pages for capturing thoughts. I need to make 4 of them (3 of my kids who are readers/writers and 1 cousin), and I am trying to figure out a journal option for my 5 year old who is still a bit pre-literate. I was thinking something very similar to the ones for the bigger kids, but instead of blanks with options to circle, and instead of lined blank pages, some completely blank drawing areas. PM'd to ask for a copy!

Edited to add - literate kids are 11, 9, 7 (girls) and 7 (boy); pre-literate daughter is 5.

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Itinerary: Day 8 - Last Disney Day (only chance for F!)

Day 8: Friday March 15
Park Hours: DL 8am-11pm; DCA 8am-10pm (EMH @7am)

This is the day I want to start in DCA and try to recapture some of the magic from our last Disney trip. We won’t have EMH, but park opens at 8am anyway, so walking over and getting through security we may be able to rope drop DCA which we’ve never done before! We’ll end the evening in DL for sure, as this is the only night F! Is scheduled during our trip and it was on refurb last time, and I was sick the trip before - it has been 7 years since I’ve seen it, and I absolutely loved it! Can’t wait to see it again, and from a totally different vantage point.

Morning:

• Light breakfast at the house, and a coffee pickup in DTD before queueing at DCA, ideally by 7:30
• Explore Pacific Wharf and all it has to offer!
• Use MP to grab FP for morning returns in DCA, and then for afternoon Space Mtn which should be off refurb finally! Hopefully we’ve gone on all the other ‘big’ rides at least once, and I can focus on FP for attractions we want to repeat. Either way, I’ll be using MP to grab them!
• Get any must-have photos we don’t have yet, hopefully utilizing the photopass photographers.

Afternoon:

• Lunch: CS either on our way out of DCA or on our way into DL. We’ll probably be ready for food by 11, but this will be our goodbye to DCA and the kids may want to linger.
• Explore Tomorrowland! The specifics will depend on when our FP for Space Mtn are, but I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun here. We will check out Nemo & Autopia - I lean towards Autopia, but we probably won’t have time for both. If we haven’t managed to meet Tinker Bell and spend time in Pixie Hollow, that’ll be a bigger priority than the rides.
• ***Edited to move Splash before break in case of soaked clothes*** if we haven’t managed to do Splash, we’ll be doing that now too. I’ve got to remember to bring ponchos because it is likely to be chilly if we get damp!
• We’ll take the monorail back to DTD and head to the house for a rest and naps so we are fresh for F! Later.
• I’ll see if any FPs are available for DL stuff to stack - especially looking SM so I can get one more ride in!

Evening:

• Head back to DL by 4:15 and head towards Critter Country.
• Dinner: We have On the Go F! package from HB at 5pm.
• Explore Critter Country - Winnie the Pooh is a must for my small fry (and for me). if we haven’t managed to do Splash, we’ll be doing that now too. I’ve got to remember to bring ponchos because it is likely to be chilly if we get damp!
• Explore NOS some more. Maybe PotC if we haven’t managed it earlier, or as a repeat (I could do this everyday but who knows how the little ones will react, dark rides are always a gamble).
• Explore Adventureland - and evening Jungle Cruise seems like it might be fun! Possibly IJ if that FP lined up. I’d definitely like to catch Enchanted Tiki Room this time - I don’t think any of the kids have done it, and it has been half a lifetime (or longer) for me!
• Space Mtn again if we can - I love that ride so much, and it’ll only be up the one day we are there, so I will feel lucky to get on it once, but if I can get it twice you bet that’s what I’m going to do!
• Evening snacks - with dinner so early, I am thinking we’ll want some substantial snacks before F! Possibly some Bengal BBQ skewers or maybe even a light 2nd dinner at Rancho del Zocalo. Either way, we’ll be staying in that general area of the park until time for F!
• F! Is at 9pm, so I’m planning on queuing at 8. I believe that is early enough for the dining package and it isn’t a 90 minute line up like with WoC (but I will be rechecking with the wonderful DIS-experts as we get closer to our trip). After F! we will be staying in place to catch MMM from that vantage point.

Night:

• After MMM, since it is our last day, we will all probably stay in park.
• Assuming the train runs again after MMM, we’ll hop on and ride around it until we get to wherever we want to explore next (hopefully Tomorrowland for Space Mtn again!), and try to close the park.
• Park closes at 11pm even though it is a Friday, so theoretically we should be able to stay up late enough for Kiss Goodnight (which I’ve never done ***Edited to add: because that's at MK not DL!).

Long, exhausting day to be rewarded with a long, exhausting drive home the next day, but while at Disney, we don’t think about such things until we must!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Whew! A full day! One thing to think about: don't know if you've noticed on the trip planning board, but recent posts have comments about guests getting very wet on Splash. This has been pretty consistent since the last refurb. Depending on the weather on Day 8, you might want a backup plan that puts Splash before your afternoon break at the house. That way, if the weather is chilly, and in case the ponchos aren't enough and your group gets very damp/downright wet, everyone can change into dry clothes back at the house. (If it rains during your trip, that's the day to ride Splash -- repeatedly! You'll already be wearing rain gear, so go for it!)
The good thing about the F! reserved areas is that once you're in and established in your spots, the adults can take turns holding down the fort (leave 2 with some kids), while the other 2 take other kids on a restroom run. NOS restrooms are closer, but HB restrooms are less crowded.
If you are in TL later in the evening, check the lines for Nemo. They can be surprisingly short at night sometimes.
No Kiss Goodnight at DL, only at MK. Only sometimes do the characters come out at the train station -- for parties and special events. But -- if you are at DCA at closing, Mickey and Minnie get on the trolley at the trolley stop by the entrance and do a lot of play acting, then they ride the trolley back to Hollywoodland, waving at everyone as they go. Very cute and good for photos.

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Whew! A full day! One thing to think about: don't know if you've noticed on the trip planning board, but recent posts have comments about guests getting very wet on Splash. This has been pretty consistent since the last refurb. Depending on the weather on Day 8, you might want a backup plan that puts Splash before your afternoon break at the house. That way, if the weather is chilly, and in case the ponchos aren't enough and your group gets very damp/downright wet, everyone can change into dry clothes back at the house. (If it rains during your trip, that's the day to ride Splash -- repeatedly! You'll already be wearing rain gear, so go for it!)

Good idea! It has sounded like Splash is as wet as GR these days, and I don't remember it being that wet previously. Hopefully we can hit Splash earlier in the trip, or I can grab a FP for before our afternoon break. I'll adjust it above. Funny thing about rain is, all my plans other than ressies will be up in smoke and we'll just go with the flow. Which reminds me - I need to make up my mind today on rainboots vs shoe covers and get them ordered!

The good thing about the F! reserved areas is that once you're in and established in your spots, the adults can take turns holding down the fort (leave 2 with some kids), while the other 2 take other kids on a restroom run. NOS restrooms are closer, but HB restrooms are less crowded.

Oh good idea! Do the adults need to have their tickets with them to re-enter the area?

If you are in TL later in the evening, check the lines for Nemo. They can be surprisingly short at night sometimes.

Definitely will check Nemo out then. It'll be interesting to see how perky the kids still are that last night, and Nemo is such a cute ride I'm sure they'd love it.

No Kiss Goodnight at DL, only at MK. Only sometimes do the characters come out at the train station -- for parties and special events. But -- if you are at DCA at closing, Mickey and Minnie get on the trolley at the trolley stop by the entrance and do a lot of play acting, then they ride the trolley back to Hollywoodland, waving at everyone as they go. Very cute and good for photos.

Well then now I know why I've never done it before The only night we would close out DCA would be WoC night, and since that's the night before our MM I'll probably have to miss it this trip. But good to know for planning both my next trip (likely 2022 for the last 5th birthday) and my next vicarious trip (my sister's family is going sometime in 2020 so of course I introduced her to this board).

 

[VandVsmama]

Basically a travel journal to capture their thoughts and feelings throughout the trip, with some starter questions and some general blank pages for capturing thoughts. I need to make 4 of them (3 of my kids who are readers/writers and 1 cousin), and I am trying to figure out a journal option for my 5 year old who is still a bit pre-literate. I was thinking something very similar to the ones for the bigger kids, but instead of blanks with options to circle, and instead of lined blank pages, some completely blank drawing areas. PM'd to ask for a copy!

Edited to add - literate kids are 11, 9, 7 (girls) and 7 (boy); pre-literate daughter is 5.

I think that this is a great idea! I'm thinking of bringing ODD's small sketch book w/us into the park some of the time. She really likes to draw and that might be a fun way for us to all unwind.

 

[Bluewild79]

Itinerary: Day 6 - BBB

Day 6: Wednesday March 13
Park Hours: DL 8am-11pm; DCA 8am-10pm (EMH @ 7)

One of the only things I have managed to keep secret are reservations for all of the kids with BBB on Wednesday, so that will be our princess day. DD5 currently loves Elena and Tiana most, adores Elsa & Anna, but she still swoons over Belle, Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella and Snow White too. If I’ve managed my pre-trip plan and put together makeover bags for the kids, this is the morning I will bring them out! Not sure if I will bring them to the park and only give them to the kids when we get to BBB for the appointment, or if I will just do it at the rental house before we leave in the morning. Chances are high that I will somehow blow the surprise before then anyway (I am just too darn excited), but assuming I don’t blow it, if anyone has ideas about which timing is better let me know. Logistically getting dressed up probably makes more sense before we leave the house, so I’m leaning towards that. Here’s the rough itinerary for the day!
!

What are you going to be putting in the makeover bags? The girls will get a cute drawstring bag with the leftover BBB products after their appointments. I had my kiddos wear their cute outfits out of the hotel room. I didn't want to deal with extra clothes and changing, etc.

Itinerary: Day 8 - Last Disney Day (only chance for F!)

Day 8: Friday March 15
Park Hours: DL 8am-11pm; DCA 8am-10pm (EMH @7am)

• F! Is at 9pm, so I’m planning on queuing at 8. I believe that is early enough for the dining package and it isn’t a 90 minute line up like with WoC (but I will be rechecking with the wonderful DIS-experts as we get closer to our trip). After F! we will be staying in place to catch MMM from that vantage point.

You will find that people might start lining up as early as 7:30pm for a 9 pm showing. We did the same package in August on a Friday night that wasn't super busy and I was NOT the only one waiting at 7:30 pm. I wanted to be front row, as far to the right as possible and I didn't mind waiting to get it. I got to the entrance at Harbour Galley around 7:30 pm and there were already people hanging out in the area. FYI, the park attendance was very light that day so a bigger crowd might have people lining up even early. They started lining us up by package around 740 pm and leading us to the seating around just before 8 pm. I did manage to get first in line by hanging out towards the left of the entrance. Once in the reserved area, I got spots along the railing toward the right, as close to the Blue Bayou section as I could get. I brought a large blanket to fit our group of 8 and protect our space or people will try to sit as close to you as possible. I don't understand that but whatever! I thought the seats were fantastic for the price and it was definitely worth it to not have to wait hours for a semi-decent spot.

Good idea! It has sounded like Splash is as wet as GR these days, and I don't remember it being that wet previously. Hopefully we can hit Splash earlier in the trip, or I can grab a FP for before our afternoon break. I'll adjust it above. Funny thing about rain is, all my plans other than ressies will be up in smoke and we'll just go with the flow. Which reminds me - I need to make up my mind today on rainboots vs shoe covers and get them ordered!


Oh good idea! Do the adults need to have their tickets with them to re-enter the area?

Once you get set up in the Fantasmic area with your blanket and all that, you can leave to get snacks or go to the bathroom. The cast members at the entrances will give you a Fastpass to get back into the area after you leave since you give them your Fastpass when you enter at first. Also, there is dedicated stroller parking inside the viewing area, so bring your stroller along, park in the area and grab what you need out of it. But have someone go grab your spots and someone else deal with the stroller. Unless you don't mind sitting further back. I just had it in my brain that we NEEDED to sit front row so my toddler could see. And he was completely enthralled with the show despite the late hour.

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

I think that this is a great idea! I'm thinking of bringing ODD's small sketch book w/us into the park some of the time. She really likes to draw and that might be a fun way for us to all unwind.

Definitely! My ODD is also a sketcher, so many of her pages are just going to be blank. I think I will have them in easy to open binders/easy to remove binding, and when we get home I will scan it all in and make one of those keepsake books through shutterfly or something. I've never done anything like that though, so who knows if it'll work.

What are you going to be putting in the makeover bags? The girls will get a cute drawstring bag with the leftover BBB products after their appointments. I had my kiddos wear their cute outfits out of the hotel room. I didn't want to deal with extra clothes and changing, etc.

Mainly new (or touched up) outfits and accessories. Thinking earrings for my older girls, and necklaces for the littles. And possibly a card with the BBB options if I can find one I like, so they can be thinking of what they want before we get there.

You will find that people might start lining up as early as 7:30pm for a 9 pm showing. We did the same package in August on a Friday night that wasn't super busy and I was NOT the only one waiting at 7:30 pm. I wanted to be front row, as far to the right as possible and I didn't mind waiting to get it. I got to the entrance at Harbour Galley around 7:30 pm and there were already people hanging out in the area. FYI, the park attendance was very light that day so a bigger crowd might have people lining up even early. They started lining us up by package around 740 pm and leading us to the seating around just before 8 pm. I did manage to get first in line by hanging out towards the left of the entrance. Once in the reserved area, I got spots along the railing toward the right, as close to the Blue Bayou section as I could get. I brought a large blanket to fit our group of 8 and protect our space or people will try to sit as close to you as possible. I don't understand that but whatever! I thought the seats were fantastic for the price and it was definitely worth it to not have to wait hours for a semi-decent spot.

Thanks for the info. We'll have to plan on lining up closer to 7 than 7:30 then, because I want my littles to be able to enjoy it and see everything.

Once you get set up in the Fantasmic area with your blanket and all that, you can leave to get snacks or go to the bathroom. The cast members at the entrances will give you a Fastpass to get back into the area after you leave since you give them your Fastpass when you enter at first. Also, there is dedicated stroller parking inside the viewing area, so bring your stroller along, park in the area and grab what you need out of it. But have someone go grab your spots and someone else deal with the stroller. Unless you don't mind sitting further back. I just had it in my brain that we NEEDED to sit front row so my toddler could see. And he was completely enthralled with the show despite the late hour.

Thank goodness for stroller parking! I'll probably do a divide and conquer - one grownup park the stroller, one wrangle kids, and the other help me get our spot. We plan on having two rows - kids in front, adults behind. I'll have to remember my park blanket to define the space!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... The only night we would close out DCA would be WoC night, and since that's the night before our MM I'll probably have to miss it this trip...

Right now, WOC is scheduled for after park closing, so... depending on where your viewing spots are located (if you can get the hydrant spots, this could work) -- if two adults are willing to hold your viewing area spots, it might be possible for the other two to take the kids to BVS to see the trolley with M&M waving good night to everyone at closing, then hurry back to the WOC area for the show. Just a thought (like you need more right now!).

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Just a thought (like you need more right now!).

One of the best parts of planning a Disney trip is the beginning of the list of all the reasons why you need to plan ANOTHER Disney trip. We've got a lot of 'play it by ear' kind of moments (which of course are actually highly planned but dynamic based on all the variables we can't control like crowd, weather, toddler mood, etc), and after our first trip I vowed to just roll with any 'disappointments' and add them to the 'next time' list. If we don't make it this trip, I've got 2022 right around the corner!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

One of the best parts of planning a Disney trip is the beginning of the list of all the reasons why you need to plan ANOTHER Disney trip...

Totally get it! I had a list, then a folder, now a folder on the desktop of all the things we want to do, haven't done yet, good ideas to do, want to do for certain people when they visit, etc. -- the list just keeps growing! And we're in the park almost weekly -- it's so wonderful to know that DLR never gets old and that we never can "do it all"! There's always something new to try on the next visit.

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

AAAAAAAH! TWO WEEKS!

I just finished the journal pages - now I have to figure out how to get it all printed. After all the time and love that has gone into making these electronic pages, I have grossly underestimated the complexities (and expense) of getting them printed. Yikes! Also - I have abandoned the shirts idea. I have an unexpected business trip for 3 days next week, so prepping for that and spending about 10 times longer on the journals than I'd imagined has totally pushed that off the table (another to-do for next trip!). But in two weeks, I'll be loading up my van and driving to Disneyland and life is wonderful!

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Itinerary: Days 9-10 - Farewell Surf’s Up Brunch & Going Home
Day 9: Saturday, March 16

Morning:

• Early coffee & very light breakfast at the house.
• Pack up, clean up, and check out by 10 (preferably earlier)
• Donald’s Surf’s Up Breakfast at PPH @ 10:30am.

Afternoon:

• Possibly take one more drive by the ocean, but DH will likely be eager to be done with the trip and get on the road.
• Say goodbye to California and start the loooooooooooooooong drive home. Defying all logic, I swear the return trip is twice as long as the way there.

Evening:

• Dinner in Mesa, AZ or push on through to Tucson, AZ
• Change kids into jammies and load up on snacks and caffeine for the night drive.

Day 10: Sunday, March 17
Morning:

• Breakfast in Austin.
• Drop off BIL #2, possibly visit other family in the area and do lunch to let kids burn off some energy.

Afternoon:

• Drop off niece & BIL #1.
• Make it home and collapse in heap and hope kids don’t trash the place while we rest.

Evening:

• Dinner will be anything I don’t have to cook.
• Massive amounts of laundry.
• Prep for school the next day.

It’ll be an early bedtime for everyone, and back to the grind in the morning! Hopefully we’ll be able to pack up backpacks with any precious souvenirs the kids want to take to school.

At some point after this trip, I may try scanning in the journals the kids have filled out, and compile them into little keepsake books - either little ones for each kiddo or one just for myself for mother’s day. The past 3 trips I’ve had every intention of scrapbooking our family trip, but never managed to do it. This journal thing might be the closest I get to actually doing it!