DisneyDreamer13's Pre-trip report for May 2008

**DisneyDreamer13** · 11-22-2007, 02:20 PM

I know its early, but i cant resist any longer, its time to start my pre-trip report.
This holiday has already been 3 years in the planning so its a HUGE deal to all of us. Nearly all of the trip is thanks to my late Nan. My Mum decided that the money she left when she passed away should be used to give us the holiday of our lifetime. Nan died in 2004, but we thought the little ones would be too small to cope with the trip until they were at least 6, so 2008 was picked as our magic year.

So the ‘us’ includes 9 people
Me /DisneyDreamer13 / Fiona age32, a total Disney nut (i’m looking forward to Sea World too)
DF / Chris age33, never been to any Disney park.(neglected childhood obviously)
Our DS#1 / Jay age10(going on 50), been to DisneylandParis aged 3 but cant remember much, wants to get to EPCOT.
Our DS#2 / Alex age6, never been to Disney,we think he’ll love AK the most, slightly crazy kid
My Mum age ?? but she’ll be having a birthday during the holiday.
My older sister/ Sarah, age 35, slowly getting excited about the holiday
Sarah’s DH/ Pete, age 35, hardly talks about the trip
Their DS/Thomas age8 , wants to get to universal, I’ll make him change his mind!!
Their DD/Rebecca age6, a true Disney Princess

The rough outline of the holiday is a 16 night trip, flying from London for about 9 hours (yuk), 2 hire cars, 5 bed/ 3.5 bath villa in Kissimmee, 3 week unlimited hopper ticket to WDW, 14 day ticket for Sea World/Universal Studios/IoA.

We arn’t all staying together for every moment of the holiday, the 4 of us (me, chris,jay & alex)plan to visit Kennedy and see the shuttle and rockets and things like that, we also have 1 night booked in the contemporary which should be a nice way to have a little time as a smaller family group. My sister and family also plan on an airboat ride at Boggy Creek, possibly a helicopter flight over WDW too (i’m tempted by that now too)

As far as ADR’s go, so far we have a Princess lunch booked in Norway for everyone, even though my 2 boys are less than excited and we are booked in at Chef Mickey for breakfast the night after we stay there, the others will drive in to join us. Very soon we’ll be getting an ADR sorted for the last day at CP for lunch, it’ll be my Mum’s birthday so it should be a special way to finish the holiday. I’m not sure where we’ll be eating the rest of the time, a mixture of off site and wherever we happen to be that day.

One of the other plans for while we are in FL is to see if Chris likes it enough to want to return in 2010 to get married, of course if he doesn’t like it, he’s the wrong man for me anyway LOL

So in the time we have our plan is to visit
Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Animal Kingdom
Disney Hollywood MGM Whatever-its-now-called Studios
Typhoon Lagoon
Blizzard Beach
Universal Studios
Islands of Adventure
Sea World
Kennedy Space Centre,
(Some of the places, more than once.)
Mum says we also need time to sleep, but i’m not sure when we can fit that in!

Please feel free to give me any tips and ideas of things to do, places to visit, good local restaurants to try etc. Its been about 15 years since any of us were in FL so we need all the advice we can get to make this a great holiday.
I'll post more details as we get more things organised.

**Tinker Bell** · 11-22-2007, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by DisneyDreamer13

The rough outline of the holiday is a 16 night trip, flying from London for about 9 hours (yuk), 2 hire cars, 5 bed/ 3.5 bed villa in Kissimmee, 3 week unlimited hopper ticket to WDW, 14 day ticket for Sea World/Universal Studios/IoA.

One of the other plans for while we are in FL is to see if Chris likes it enough to want to return in 2010 to get married, of course if he doesn’t like it, he’s the wrong man for me anyway LOL

Please feel free to give me any tips and ideas of things to do, places to visit, good local restaurants to try etc. Its been about 15 years since any of us were in FL so we need all the advice we can get to make this a great holiday.
I'll post more details as we get more things organised.

First of all, 3 week hopper for 16 nights? 14 day ticket for the rest? I am confused.

Chris better like it, I am planning my 2010 trip around you!

IHOP, you have to go at least once, the kids will love it. The pirate mini-golf was a hit too!

**DisneyDreamer13** · 11-22-2007, 02:44 PM

The best value tickets in the UK cover consecutive days, either 14 days in WDW or 21 days, (the price difference is minimal) if we only did the 14 day ticket we couldnt do MK on the 1st AND last day like we want, so we went for the 21 day ticket.
And the 14 day 'flex ticket' covers 2 universal parks, Sea World and Wet n Wild for any 14 consecutive days, and the cost equals about 3 days in any of those parks, so really we can come and go as we please to any of them anytime!
It must sound really excessive but its actually the best value way to be able to do everything we want to.

**Tinker Bell** · 11-22-2007, 02:58 PM

It looks like you have different ticketing over there, that makes sense. Might as well be able to come and go as you please, more relaxing that way.

**mini-V** · 11-22-2007, 05:08 PM

Shouldn't this thread be called the pre-moving report for May 2008? I guess I'll just ride your coat tails on this one.

Yes, the Brits get some pretty good deals on 3 weeks stays. I think it's more common for Europeans to get a 3 week vacation that it is for Americans, so Virgin Airways has some specials that can't be beat.

I'm just so bummed that I will just miss seeing you in Kissimmee. Well, there's always 2010!

**DisneyDreamer13** · 12-26-2007, 01:59 PM

Here are some of the latest plans
We fly out of London on May 15th, so our first real day will be friday16th (hitting MK), our last full day will be 30th May, we're going to CP for Mum's birthday, then fly out of MCO late on the 31st. I have a list of our 'plan' for the days inbetween, although who knows how any of them could change,
Thurs 15th - fly - find villa - get food shopping etc
Fri 16th - MK
Sat 17th - Universal Studios
Sun 18th - Typhoon Lagoon
Mon 19th - Epcot (norway princess luch)
Tues 20th - Sea World
Weds 21st - Islands of Adventure
Thurs 22nd - Blizzard Beach
Fri 23rd - WDW (something) - check in @ Contemporary
Sat 24th - (Chef Mickey breakfast) - MGM - Check out of Contemporary
Sun 25th - Kennedy Space Centre if there are no launches
Mon 26th - Animal Kingdom
Tues 27th - Quieter day, typhoon lagoon again maybe?
Weds 28th - Sea World
Thurs 29th - Spare to repeat any park
Fri 30th - MK, Mum's birthday (lunch @ CP)
Sat 31st - leave Villa - DTD - fly home

Hope that gives you an idea of what we are up to

**Tinker Bell** · 12-26-2007, 02:07 PM

Is that the same exact thing you had PMed me?

**DisneyDreamer13** · 12-26-2007, 02:20 PM

Yep!!!! (I finally remembered to add it to here)

**Tinker Bell** · 12-26-2007, 02:21 PM

I thought I was having a deja vu!

**GaRain** · 12-26-2007, 02:36 PM

Wow, that sounds like a great trip so far. Are those tickets non-expiring?
IMHO, you can do all of Sea World in one day - no real need to return.

**mini-V** · 12-26-2007, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by DisneyDreamer13

Here are some of the latest plans
We fly out of London on May 15th, so our first real day will be friday16th (hitting MK), our last full day will be 30th May, we're going to CP for Mum's birthday, then fly out of MCO late on the 31st. I have a list of our 'plan' for the days inbetween, although who knows how any of them could change,
Sat 31st - leave Villa - DTD - fly home

Hope that gives you an idea of what we are up to

Have you all noticed that Fiona conveniently LEAVES FL before June 1st ? I am due to return to the states in June (probably mid-June), but she isn't taking any chances. Won't she be surprised when we end up coming back early! (It won't happen, but I can pretend.)

**DisneyDreamer13** · 12-27-2007, 04:54 AM

Originally Posted by mini-V

Have you all noticed that Fiona conveniently LEAVES FL before June 1st ? I am due to return to the states in June (probably mid-June), but she isn't taking any chances. Won't she be surprised when we end up coming back early! (It won't happen, but I can pretend.)

Cant you convince DH that you need a 'pre-moving' trip and fly over for a few days?

**mini-V** · 12-27-2007, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by DisneyDreamer13

Cant you convince DH that you need a 'pre-moving' trip and fly over for a few days?

DH isn't in charge of this trip. It's Uncle Sam who calls the shots on this one.

**DisneyDreamer13** · 01-07-2008, 07:57 AM

Wooohoooo, just got CP booked for lunch on the last day, ordered the Disney tickets and the Orlando Flex tickets and reserved spaces in the V-room at Gatwick airport. I just dont wanna think about how much Mum spent today