Trip Chronicles: January 2018 Trip Plans
We are extremely excited to be planning our next family trip to Walt Disney World this coming January. After having cancelled our trip three weeks ago due to Hurricane Irma we were quick to reschedule our trip. Resorts were booking up quickly with other Disney Vacation Club members reshuffling their trips just like us. We also didn’t want to see the funds we had allocated for our trip just disappear into unexpected costs that creep up. There was no availability during October, November or December at any DVC resorts with the amount of DVC points we were looking to use so we looked at the next possible option. The month of January. Which works out perfectly because our daughter’s birthday is in January. So the main purpose of our upcoming trip is to celebrate the 5th birthday of our own princess.
We wanted to stay for at least 8 days. For two reasons. One, we are combining two vacation years into one so we want this vacation to be large. Secondly, we want to take advantage of the current offer for DVC members of a 7 day park pass for the price of 5. With this in mind we looked at accommodations available and the best priced flights around the dates of our daughter’s birthday. We landed on a 11 night vacation, staying at three resorts and covering the four parks. It’s going to be an epic adventure.
When putting the initial plans in place we asked our daughter what she wanted to do for the day of her birthday and she said she’d like to go to the Magic Kingdom. So that was one park day nailed down. All the other park days are being dictated by Magic Hours. Magic Hours are offered to guests staying at a Walt Disney World resort. It’s one of the perks to staying on property. Magic Hours happen either after the park closes or before it opens. The park is only open during Magic Hours to those guests. Magic Hours are offered at different parks each day. Our plans for our trip in September were dictated by Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. We wanted to go to the Magic Kingdom on a day that didn’t have a party so we could stay at the park the whole evening. Without that one thing structuring our whole trip I feel much more flexible. We are going to visit the Magic Kingdom twice, Animal Kingdom twice, Hollywood Studios twice and Epcot once. Our children are preschoolers, and although Norway is now overrun with Frozen, Epcot is still not a park that screams young kids. With all the delicious dining and informative pavilions, this park is more targeted for adults and teens. Whereas two days at all the other parks will give our family an opportunity to enjoy a variety rides, with our three separate height requirements, parades, stage shows and character meet and greets. The main reason for creating structure for our trip this far ahead of time is to secure our dining reservations.
When we booked this trip we were already 120 days out, missing the 180 day reservation window. Luckily, the second and third week of January are very quiet weeks and we were able to get many of the reservations we were hoping for. We like to choose restaurants at least one of us hasn’t been to before. As much as I love enjoying an old favourite, like Tony’s Main Street Restaurant, I never know what I’m missing until I try something knew. Check out the table service restaurants we’ll be enjoying on our upcoming trip.
Trail’s End Restaurant Dinner. Hubby’s Choice. Fort Wilderness. Resort Table Service Restaurant.
Princess Storybook Dining Dinner at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. Epcot. Character Dining.
Be Our Guest. QSR. Daughter’s Choice. Magic Kingdom.
The Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen Dinner. Magic Kingdom.
T-Rex Lunch. For the little guy. Disney Springs.
Yak & Yeti Restaurant Lunch. Animal Kingdom.
Disney Junior Play “n” Dine Breakfast. For the kids and the waffles. Hollywood Studios Character Dining.
The Plaza Restaurant. My Choice. Magic Kingdom.
Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast. Trattoria al Forno Disney’s Boardwalk. Character Dining.
50’s Prime Time Cafe Dinner. Hollywood Studios. An old time family favourite that my husband has never been to. Can’t wait to take the family here. Really hoping we get a good server.
So the countdown begins yet again. We look forward to staying at Saratoga Springs for two nights, Boulder Ridge at Wilderness Lodge for five nights and the Boardwalk for four nights. Stay tuned as we’ll book our fastpasses next month and then make some adjustments as the days approach. Happy Planning Friends.
