4th Anniversary Pre-Trip Report

**brentbrit** · 08-22-2010, 04:30 PM

We will be returning to WDW on September 11 and leaving the 18th. It will be our third trip together, having gone on our honeymoon in September of 06 and again in March of 09. We decided on September again as non-busy season was great for our honeymoon trip and we'll actually be arriving exactly 4 years to the day from that trip. Also...FREE DINING!

We decided to drive down this time, which will actually be our first significantly long road trip together. We just thought it would be a fun and different experience so we'll brave the drive starting Sept. 10 from Michigan to FL and hope that we don't kill each other on the way. We did order Lou's trivia books and plan to alternate between listening to podcasts, listening to music and the passenger reading from said trivia books. So that should make the drive very tolerable.

We will arrive at Port Orleans Riverside where we will stay the duration of our trip, the same resort where we spent our honeymoon, Disney is going to try to get us in the same building as well...if only we could remember the room number they would have tried to get us the same room.

We're both fans of staying busy and doing a thorough job of planning out the trip ahead of time so we split the days up into morning/evening parks and have our dining reservations set...with the exception of one decision we have to make, but we'll get there shortly.

Saturday the 11th is a trip to Epcot in the evening. We figure we'll get in a little later in the day so rather than try to book a for sure dining reservation we just plan on walking around world showcase and picking out a counter service meal. Maybe fish and chips?

Sunday the 12th we'll be meeting up with Brit's brother, sister-in-law and niece (who we only get to see maybe once a year) at Animal Kingdom in the morning and spending the day together and enjoying a counter service lunch. Flame Tree BBQ? In the evening we'll be heading over to Magic Kingdom where we will run around like little kids hitting all our favorite attractions before having yet ANOTHER counter service meal. Possibly Columbia Harbor House.

Monday Sept. 13 We return to Epcot and will grab our first table service meal of the trip at San Angel Inn. I know it's not everyone's cup-o-tea but it's one of our favorites. We love the ambiance but we've chosen lunch purposefully for the Tampiquena Con Chilaquiles which, as far as I can tell, are only on the lunch menu. In the afternoon we head over to Saratoga Springs for a couples massage followed by dinner at Turf Club and then maybe a trip over to Downtown Disney.

Tuesday the 14th is where things get a bit more confusing as we have to make a decision. We're trying to make a decision between what we have scheduled now: Magic Kingdom in the morning/afternoon with a trip to Liberty Tree Tavern and then Hollywood Studios in the afternoon before a quick trip back to Epcot for Le Cellier reservations (the one night they had an open res) OR we could go to Hollywood Studios in the morning/afternoon with lunch at Sci-Fi Dine In and then a trip over to Magic Kingdom for a counter service dinner and then staying until midnight for the Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. We have reservations set up for either situation, we just need to decide if we'd rather eat at Le Cellier or if we'd rather buy tickets to attend the Halloween party.

Wednesday we're getting up, heading to Kona Cafe for breakfast (for our first Tonga Toast) and then it's back to Magic Kingdom. Animal Kingdom is the plan in the evening and we have Tusker House reservations but, to be honest, we're both a little worried about a lack of food we'll be interested in at the buffet. It's extra magic hours night at Animal Kingdom though so Yak and Yeti is fully booked.

Thursday depends on Tuesday as if we DO NOT attend the Halloween party we'll be doing Hollywood Studios in the morning/afternoon and hitting up a counter service meal (Studio Catering Company) before heading off to Magic Kingdom and Tony's Town Square for a late dinner after going attraction crazy yet again. If we DO attend the Halloween Party on Tuesday we'll instead be doing Magic Kingdom in the morning with our Liberty Tree lunch reservations moved to this day and then evening at Hollywood Studios with counter service dinner (still at Studio Catering Company). Should we decide to attend the party on Tuesday it would also allow us to attend Fantasmic on this night (Thursday) which we have never seen.

Friday is our last full day which means a trip to Animal Kingdom in the morning to ride Expedition Everest a bunch of times (one of our absolute favorites) and eat another counter service lunch before making one last trip to Epcot where we will no-doubt go on Spaceship Earth several times, making stupid faces at the camera and laughing non-stop at the ending video. We also have reservations at Via Napoli where we'll get to try out the newest restaurant in the park and see how we like it.

Saturday we'll get up, pack our bags, check out of Port Orleans Riverside and head over to spend the early part of the day at Hollywood Studios where we'll spend our final counter service credit, ride a few final attractions and then hit the road for the long drive back.

That's the plan for now anyway. We'll keep the thread updated with any changes, decisions, developments and the like.

Only 20 more days!

**petals3485** · 08-22-2010, 05:49 PM

sounds good! We'll be arriving the thursday you're over there but not getting to disney parks til MNSSHP on sat night

**Thumper10** · 08-22-2010, 06:55 PM

Sounds like a great plan! I have never done the Halloween party, we have a slim chance of maybe getting to attend it this fall..but I have done the Christmas party which my whole family loved! I've heard only good things about the Halloween party and if it is anything like the Christmas party, I'd say give it a shot. I can't wait until I get to try it.

As for seeing Fantasmic for the first time, do it!!! It's an amazing, amazing show that never gets old! We took my aunt with us on our last trip to Disney and took her to see Fantasmic for her first time- I can still clearly remember her reaction right after the show ended, "I feel like we should be heading home back to Indiana now, because that seemed like a grand finale!"