The Final Countdown - 8 Days!

Onward to day eight of the countdown - or three of the trip! This post is particularly exciting because I can daydream about the double helping of yummy food from Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom and the perks of a pre-park-opening reservation to take pictures of the castle and other iconic spots without lots of people in the photos!

First, a quick rundown of the itinerary and then we'll focus on Be Our Guest advance ordering service.

Sunday September 18

• 7:00am - Wake Up!

• 7:30am - Walk to Magic Kingdom (MK) entrance 

• 7:45-8:00am - Cast members allow people with breakfast reservations to enter the park

• 8:00-8:15am - Take pictures

• 8:20am - Breakfast reservation at Be Our Guest

• 9:00am - MK opens

• 9:25am - 7DMT Fastpass, Winnie the Pooh, Mad Tea Party, PeopleMover

• 10:25am - Space Mountain Fastpass, Carousel of Progress, Buzz Lightyear, Stitch's Great Escape, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor

• 11:25am - Haunted Mansion Fastpass, it's a small world (if time permits), Hall of Presidents

• 12:00pm - lunch at any quick-service restaurant

• 12:30pm - Riverboat, Dole Whip, Country Bear Jamboree, grab extra Fastpasses

• 2:30pm - Position for Festival of Fantasy Parade at Pecos Bills

• 3:00pm - Festival of Fantasy Parade

• 3:30pm - Try to get more Fastpasses, Mickey's Philharmagic, Cinderella's Castle, Gaston's Tavern for snacks, Walk through circus area of Fantasyland

• 6:00pm - Dinner at Be Our Guest

• 7:00pm - MK closes 

No plans beyond 7pm yet but I suspect we will be very tired after our first full day of walking and may want to spend the rest of the night resting. We may decide to stroll around Disney Springs and check out the PhotoPass Studio located there if we feel up to it. But first, I promised more information regarding Be Our Guest!

Be Our Guest (BoG) is a fairly new restaurant that was opened with the expansion of Fantasyland in 2012. It is notoriously difficult to get reservations as you must secure them most often at 180 days out. There are plenty of stories of people snagging reservations closer to time but that's often due to diligent checking of the availability and/or usage of Touring Plans' Reservation Finder. Usually it's easier to book a reservation at 180 days, if possible. The breakfast and lunch options are quick service, meaning that you will not be served by a dedicated wait staff. These meals also offer advance order options so that you can select your meal 30 days before arriving and then just show up! Your order will magically arrive at your table once seated. Dinner is a table service dining experience and quite a bit more expensive. I highly recommend BoG if you have the opportunity to try it.

Advance ordering for breakfast is quite easy but it's one of those things that you won't be able to see unless you have the reservation already. I've taken screenshots of my experience to share with you  here:

At 30 days out, you'll be able to see the "Place Your Order" link next to your reservation

Clicking the link will bring you to a summary of the Order-Ahead Dining Option. Click "Start Order".

You'll be presented with the menu specific to your reservation. Selecting an item will open a box with a picture and description. You can make some custom requests here but I advise meeting with someone at the restaurant for complex or allergy-related issues. You'll also have the option to select a beverage to accompany your meal. Click "Add to Order" once ready.

After selecting all meal items, you will be directed to review your order. The total is listed for confirmation although payment is not expected until arrival.

And that's it! A final screen displays the order summary and reservation details.

Not too hard, huh? And if you change your mind then you can always come back and make different selections. You can even make changes at the restaurant - just find a Cast Member and they'll help you out.

That's day three in a nutshell and I'm already tired just thinking about it! I can't wait to share day four with you tomorrow!

The Final Countdown - 9 Days!

Definitely using this blog as a diary now. Sorry-not-sorry. These daily posts are certainly helping me chase the countdown blues away and also helping to keep my thoughts in order!

As previously determined, day 9 of the countdown corresponds with day 2 of the trip so let's keep moving!

Saturday September 17

• 9:30am - wake up! (allowing myself to sleep in a bit to counteract the late party from the previous night)

• 10:30am - brunch at Kona Cafe, Polynesian Resort via monorail

• 11:30am approx. - Lapu Lapu drinks from Tambu Lounge, Dole Whip from Pineapple Lanai (both at Polynesian Resort), then monorail back to Contemporary Resort

• Afternoon - pool time at Contemporary Resort

• 5:45pm - dinner at California Grill (Contemporary Resort)

• 8:00pm - Wishes fireworks from California Grill observatory deck

• 10:15pm - Electrical Water Pageant on Seven Seas Lagoon

I'm most excited to finally explore the Contemporary Resort on this day because we will be at the Halloween party for most of our arrival day and probably won't have time to walk around the resort much. I will need to locate a few key spots around the Contemporary: pool (duh), laundry room, souvenir shop, hostess stand for California Grill, and Contempo Cafe for quick service dining. I'm sure there are plenty of other sights, sounds, and smells that will catch my attention along the way but at least I've got a plan on where to start!

I'm also giddy over the idea of having brunch at another resort. The Polynesian is a huge favorite among many Disney fans and I am curious to see what the hoopla is about. Perhaps it will convince us to book a future trip at this property...(sooner than later!)

And I must share another way I'm passing the time - watching the Harry Potter movies and reading the books! I added to the experience today by trying my hand at a homemade Butterbeer recipe. It's rather delicious! Let me know how it fares for you if you try it!

The Final Countdown - 10 Days!

It's no secret that I'm crazy about Disney - as many of us are - but that passion is amplified when my annual trip to Disney World reaches what I like to call "The Final Countdown". In ten short (ugh, please be short!) days we will be arriving in Orlando for our ten-day vacation. To get myself through these next ten days, I've decided that I will be considering each day as if it were my actual trip and think about what I will be doing.

So let's try this out! This is day 10 on the countdown - we'll correspond that with day 1 of the vacation to keep things easy. Here's my day:

Friday September 16

• 7:30am - head to airport

• 9:30am - flight departs

• 12:54pm - flight lands

• 1:00pm to 3:00pm - grab rental car, pick up a few groceries, head to Contemporary resort and change into Mickey's-Not-So-Scary-Halloween (MNSSHP) party costumes

• 3:30pm - line up at entrance to Magic Kingdom

• 4:00pm - enter Magic Kingdom for early party access

• 4:00pm to 7:00pm - get party wristband and treat bag, Fastpasses for 7DMT, Space Mountain, and Haunted Mansion, 4:40pm reservation at Skipper Canteen, and grab party souvenirs/snacks if available before 7

• 7:00pm - official start to MNSSHP, head to Main Street Firehouse for Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card, grab any souvenirs/snacks that weren't available before 7 ...and PARTY! Trick-or-treat, rides with low wait times, Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular show, Boo-to-You Parade, and Happy HalloWishes fireworks

I promise I will try to keep these posts short but I will also be sneaking in a little preview of our pre-park-opening Be Our Guest order so that you can see how the advance order system works!

Thanks for reading! 

Packing for Two Adults

It's less than two weeks til the trip and that means it's time to pack! Or, at the very least, pre-pack. Some people are professionals at getting everything done in the final 24 hours before vacation but I was not gifted with that superpower so I have to make a list, review the list a few times, do a mock run, and then the final pack with quality-control review for accuracy. Thankfully this post won't take you down the rabbit hole of my perfectionist tendencies but it will give you an overview of what is on our packing list as well as luggage recommendation and a packing strategy.

I know checked luggage is expensive - especially on the budget airlines. We're flying Allegiant Air and they are currently charging $50/checked bag and $36/carry-on. WOW! Our goal is to take on two FREE personal items (backpacks) and check one bag for two adults. Challenge accepted!

First, packing list. This is our list for adults-only but more info is offered here.

• 5 outfits each
• shoes
• socks
• under garments
• swimsuits
• sunglasses
• medication - prescription, OTC items (allergy/cold/headache)
• makeup and makeup remover
• sunscreen
• razors and shave cream
• hair brush or comb
• ponytail holders, bobby pins
• jewelry/outfit accessories
• feminine hygiene items
• toiletries - toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, mouth wash, face wash, body powder, deodorant, etc
• chapstick with spf
• phone chargers
• phone battery pack cases (to re-charge phones in park)
• travel-sized laundry detergent and dryer sheets
• first aid items
• bug repellant (although Disney is now offering this for free in the parks)

There are a few other items packed that are specific to this trip, such as our Mickey's-not-so-Scary-Halloween costumes, but this list is a pretty good representation of what will be packed in our bags. We like to keep the medication and phone chargers in our personal backpacks in case of emergency but nearly everything else is packed away in the checked luggage.

About that checked luggage - this is what we're using:

It's a 29" upright suitcase with wheels and an ergonomic walking handle. I found it for $47 on eBags.com, which was a huge discount from its usual $200+ price tag. This specific suitcase is about 4 pounds, which is very important to us because Allegiant only allows standard checked luggage 40 pounds or less (I think most airlines allow 50 pounds without a heavy luggage fee). I really like the space inside the bag - it is very roomy and has handy pockets inside for organization.

I always start with shoes. Put them sole-to-sole in the first layer and make sure they line up with the bottom of the bag so that when you're walking with it the shoes will take the bulk of the weight from your clothing - and not the other way around. If you put your shoes at the top of the bag (near the handle) then they'll be weighing down on your clothes when you're rolling your bag at the airport and your clothes are more likely to get wrinkled.

Cover the shoes with clothing. I prefer to roll my clothes to make more room and minimize wrinkles. This picture is showing you all five of my vacation outfits - complete with extra shirts and undershirts - and it only takes up half of the bag.

My favorite feature of this particular piece of luggage are the pockets. We've stored most of our unmentionables here but this is plenty of room for two adults!

This is a separate bag that I will be packing away in the checked luggage, as well, but I like to keep all toiletries and first aid products in one place. This ensures that I don't have loose items rolling around in my suitcase and confines liquid/gel in case of spills.

And finally, my traveling jewelry/accessory box. I'm not a huge jewelry fan but I like to have options in case of days where I feel like wearing it. Normally my attire is limited to a bracelet and earrings but I've included hair clips in this case, as well. I purchased this jewelry container from Thirty-One for about $20-$30 and it includes the clasps on the top that allow for earrings and rings to be secured. My only complaint is that the earring holder seems to be better suited to small studs so if you like dangling earrings or large studs then this may not be the best option.

I didn't take any pictures of our backpacks but we are both carrying JanSport bags on the plane and I will be putting a small cross-body purse inside my backpack for convenience. I don't normally carry a purse on vacation but it's nice to have if we decide to go off-property for dining or shopping.

I'm always open to suggestions for packing more efficiently so please share any feedback or ideas below!

Trip Update - Less than a month to go!

Travel was booked, reservations were made, tickets were purchased, and FastPasses were secured. This trip is finally happening. My approach to planning a vacation is much like my job - I don't just clock in every day, I immerse myself in the experience and it's part of my routine. I wake up in the morning, check for Disney and Universal news, browse forums and group pages on social media, then log into my own Disney account to review my trip plans (as well as the countless spreadsheets I've made to keep my itinerary in order). And now all of that hard work is finally about to come to fruition and it's bittersweet. I enjoy the planning and waiting almost as much as the trip itself!

I know that some vacations can witness last-minute changes but I've done everything in my power to eliminate any obstacles. This is where we stand:

• Dates: Sep 16-26, Disney Sep 16-23/Universal Sep 23-26
• Airfare: Allegiant, flying SGF to SFB
• Accommodations: Disney, Contemporary Resort Deluxe Garden/Universal, Cabana Bay Beach Resort Courtyard Family Suite Poolside
• Car Rental: Dollar Rent a Car (mid-size rental)
• Special Events: Disney, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party & Food and Wine Festival/Universal, Halloween Horror Nights

I've created an itinerary that I'll share here if you're interested. I would consider this more of a 'touring plan' because I learned long ago that nailing things down to a specific time is very difficult to do while on vacation and especially at Disney.

Dining was probably the most difficult part of planning because there are so many options out there and we also have Food and Wine Festival to consider. Here is the final list:

Fri 9/16: 4:40pm Skipper Canteen

Sat 9/17: 10:30am Kona Cafe, 5:45pm California Grill

Sun 9/18: 8:20am Be Our Guest**, 6:00pm Be Our Guest

Mon 9/19: 11:30am Via Napoli, 4:45pm Le Cellier

Tue 9/20: No reservations - hoping for PizzeRizzo and Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge

Wed 9/21: No reservations - F&W Festival + Tokyo Dining and Tangierine Cafe

Thur 9/22: 12:30pm Yak and Yeti, No reservation for dinner (Flametree BBQ)

Fri 9/23: No reservations, planning on Blaze Pizza for lunch and Hash House a Go Go for dinner

Sat 9/24: Mythos lunch, Cowfish dinner

Sun 9/25: Leaky Cauldron lunch, snacks for dinner (have to line up by 4:45 for Halloween Horror Nights)

** 8:20am is a pre-park opening reservation

We've also got our FastPasses (FPs) and our strategy was to book all FPs early so we can utilize the option to keep adding FPs throughout the day. This is how our Disney plan looks:

Fri 9/16: 3:20-4:20 7DMT, 4:20-5:20 Space Mountain, 5:25-6:25 Haunted Mansion

Sat 9/17: Resort Day, No FPs

Sun 9/18: 9:25-10:25 7DMT, 10:25-11:25 Space Mountain, 11:25-12:25 Haunted Mansion

Mon 9/19: 9:10-10:10 Mission Space, 10:15-11:15 Soarin', 11:20-12:20 Journey Into Imagination

Tue 9/20: 9:20-10:20 Rock'n'Roller Coaster, 10:35-11:35 Tower of Terror, 11:50-12:50 Star Tours

Wed 9/21: 9:00-10:00 Mission Space, 10:35-11:35 Living with the Land, 11:40-12:40 Frozen Ever After

Thur 9/22: 1:25-2:25 Kali River Rapids, 2:25-3:25 Expedition Everest, 7:00-8:00 Kilimanjaro Safaris

(We booked the FPs for Animal Kingdom later in the day because we wanted to keep an evening FP for Kilimanjaro Safaris since this is the first year that AK will be staying open later.)

MagicBands and luggage tags arrived 25 days before trip begins

MagicBands after adding decals from myfantasybands.com (Pocahontas and Tron themes)

We've been busy with buying necessities and cleaning out our suitcase for early packing, but the planning is mostly easy from here. I'm still waiting on a few Universal dining reservations to open (usually only 2-3 weeks in advance of the trip). We've decided that we will be checking one large piece of luggage and utilizing free personal bags on the plane. My vacation wardrobe this year will consist of light garments that can be rolled up in the suitcase for more space. We are going to try to keep our personal bags empty so we can bring souvenirs back in them. Wish me luck as I try to make one suitcase work for two people :)

Next up: Be Our Guest Order-Ahead service and Packing Lists/Strategies!

Chase Disney Rewards Visa Cards

As promised, this post is all about the Chase Disney Visa cards and perks. If you plan on making Disney (any U.S.-based park) a major part of your routine then you'll want to know about these options!

Let me start by saying that the Disney credit card was a major "adult" goal for me. I racked up a lot of debt from my college years and had what most would consider average credit but I wanted to make sure my score was pristine before I applied because I had heard horror stories about how difficult the approval process could be. I finally felt ready enough to apply last year and I'm so glad I did! I've since heard that the approvals have grown more relaxed so give it a try if you're interested!

Types of Cards

There are two types of Chase Disney Visa cards: the Disney Rewards Visa and the Disney Premier Visa. The quick summary is that the Disney Premier Visa require an annual fee but it accumulates rewards more quickly and allows you to use Dream Dollars (the rewards currency) on any airfare purchase in addition to the standard Disney Rewards redemption card. I know I just unloaded a lot of information on you so we'll take this step-by-step.

• Annual Fees: Disney Premier is $49, Disney Rewards is $0

• Accumulating Rewards: Disney Premier earns 2% at gas stations, grocery stores and most Disney locations and 1% everywhere else. Disney Rewards earns 1% on all purchases.

• Cashing In: Disney Premier allows you to use Disney Dream Dollars (1-for-$1) toward a credit on your balance when you purchase airfare or transfer to a Disney Rewards redemption card to be used at most Disney locations. Disney Rewards does not have the airfare credit option.

Now, you may be skeptical of putting so much time and effort into accumulating points on a credit card - I know I sure was! - but I told myself I would try it for a year and if it didn't help me reach my savings goals for this Disney World trip then I would re-evaluate for next year. But I have to say, I'm very impressed with the amount of Disney Dream Dollars I've earned and it's going to allow me to enjoy an extra signature dining experience on my next trip! I had originally decided I would just use this card for my weekly grocery and gas purchases so that I could pay it off with every paycheck and reap the rewards. After seeing the points add up, I realized that this could be used more efficiently with my every day needs. I currently accumulate about $25/month in Dream Dollars but that was a goal I had set for myself and I encourage everyone to monitor their spending habits and see if this would work for you, too. So let's do a little math to see if this could work for you -

You can always go to the Disney Rewards site to input your information without doing the math yourself but I'll put an example here.

Let's say you use $50 in gas per month and $600 for groceries. That's $650 at 2% cash back, which will earn $13 per month or $156 per year with the Premier card! I don't know about you, but that's easily a meal or two at Disney for just using the card for something you buy already. But there's more...

Chase Disney Visa cardholders have access to extra perks. Here's a list:

• 10% discount on Disney Store and DisneyStore.com purchases of $50 or more, plus special cardmember access to events year-round
• 0% financing for 6 months on Disney vacations
• Special financing for Disney Vacation Club 
• $50 onboard credit for Disney Cruises
• Special hotel and resort discounts throughout the year
• Private meet-and-greet lines for characters in the parks 
• 10% off park merchandise purchases of $50 or more
• 15% off guided park tours
• 10% discount on recreation experiences (Disney World)
• 15% discount on spa and salon services (Disney World)
• Dining discounts on Disney property
• Deals on Disney Broadway, Disney on Ice, and other Disney-related entertainment
• Special cardmember-only pins
• Access to the Chase Lounge in Epcot at the Food and Wine Festival, with special opportunity to receive a wristband for reserved viewing of Illuminations!

There are limited-time offers, as well, but those change frequently and you can always visit the site to see what is currently being offered. In addition to the Dream Dollars, the other perks can really add to the value of the Disney Visa cards and even provide more savings depending on how it's used.

I'll wrap this up by saying I am in no way affiliated with Chase or Disney and this is just my honest review of the card program, but I think it's a wonderful opportunity Disney for fans and it can be an asset to your vacation plans if you make a strategy for using it to benefit your savings goals. Also, who can turn down these cute card designs?!

photo courtesy of disneyrewards.com

Post your questions below or tell me about your experience! I would love to hear how everyone else uses the Disney Visa card to maximize their vacation!

Trip Planning Update and Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort

Sorry, it's been far too long since I last made a blog post! And I promised an overview and review of the Chase Disney Visa options, but so much has happened in the past couple of months that I think a trip planning update is in order.

First, I joined several Facebook planning groups and browsed disboards.com for ideas and reviews on my dining reservations. I was able to make ADRs (advance dining reservations) at 180 days and I shared those with you a couple of posts ago. As with most trips, my plans have changed a few times and I have an updated itinerary that is still composed of mostly the same restaurants I mentioned previously. Notable additions include Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen at Magic Kingdom (because they recently changed this new restaurant to allow for reservations) and Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort (because I've never had Tonga Toast and all of my new virtual friends recommended it!) After the 180-day mark, not much happens until we reach the 60-day countdown so I've been taking it easy on the trip planning stuff.

But something big has happened.

And when I say big, I mean BIG.

My annual Orlando trip is almost always 10 days in duration and usually includes two hotel stays - one for Disney World and another for Universal. This trip is no different. I had originally planned to stay at the Best Western Orlando Gateway hotel near Universal because I got a great deal at hotels.com but I was presented with a special travel agent offer directly from Universal to get a Cabana Bay Beach Resort family courtyard poolside suite at a discounted rate. Normally I would pass on a deal like this because the family suite is way too big for just two adults but then I thought about the opportunity to walk out of my room and directly to the lazy river. Yes, that's right, the LAZY RIVER! One of my most favorite memories from my stay at Cabana Bay last year was getting my raft in the water and letting the lazy river wash my cares away. It was truly an amazing experience and that's why I'm going to dedicate the rest of this blog post to giving an overview of my last stay at Universal's Cabana Beach Resort and the things to come.

Universal Orlando has five on-site resort hotels, all of which are owned by Loews. The prices range from about $125/night on the low end (Cabana Beach) to $400+/night on the high end (Hard Rock Hotel and Portofino Bay Hotel). The top three most expensive options also include an express pass to skip the lines on certain attraction at Universal Studios and Universal's Islands of Adventure. While I may someday decide to take the plunge and stay at one of the more expensive properties, I found Cabana Bay quite delightful and it suited my needs just fine. The newest hotel addition is Sapphire Falls and it will open this month. The only hotel I haven't mentioned here is Royal Pacific and it's one of those more expensive options.

Cabana Bay Beach Resort opened in 2014 and is the largest hotel on Universal Orlando property:

The notable details of this resort hotel include two pools areas, a bowling alley, retro theme, a rec center, and a better-than-average arcade. The two pool areas are a huge plus because they each cater to a different audience. On the left side of the map you'll notice the Lazy River Courtyard, which is home to a fairly large pool with sand beach and, of course, the lazy river! On the right side of the map is the Cabana Courtyard which houses a zero-entry pool, water slide, and kids' play area. As previously mentioned, the arcade is definitely better than most you'll find inside hotels and I enjoyed spending some time here on my last visit. They even have small prizes to trade for the tickets you earn!

We didn't have the pleasure of experiencing the bowling alley last year but I've heard great reviews and I look forward to finding some time to visit that part of the resort on the next trip.

My last reservation was for a standard room, which was booked for us in the Americana building. I'm not certain that Cabana Bay is as accommodating on room requests as Disney, but it's certainly worth a try if you have a specific pool you would prefer to visit. Also, keep in mind (see map above) that the shuttle to the parks stops in front of the Americana building and could be a bit of a trek if your room is located in Starlight or Thunderbird. The rooms are all themed similarly to the overall resort and provide ample space for families of all sizes. 

Two queen beds in a standard room

Vanity area is separate from bathroom

The option I booked for the next trip is a Courtyard Family Suite Poolside, as opposed to a Tower Family Suite Poolside. In this case, if you're booking a family suite then you have the option to choose and pay for a room closer to your pool preference. The Courtyard Family Suites are near the Cabana Courtyard (the kid-friendly pool) and have outward facing doors like a motel. The Tower Family Suites are near the Lazy River Courtyard and are hotel-style with inward facing doors and hallways to the main lobby area. There are perks to each option; the Courtyard Family Suites offer immediate access to your room from the pool (i.e., no cold a/c on your wet skin as you're walking down the hall to your room) whereas the Tower Family Suites will offer protection from the elements if it should rain while your trying to get from one place to another (your room to the bowling alley, etc.). I think the overall decision here should be based on your preference but we value the ability to reach our room quickly after hanging at the pool over the hallway access to the main building.

Cabana Bay Beach Resort has several dining options, including a food court-style area called Bayliner Diner, the Galaxy Bowl Restaurant inside the bowling alley, two poolside bars, a lounge bar, and a Starbucks. I enjoyed a burger from Bayliner Diner on my last trip and it was pretty standard. I ordered a few drinks at the Hideaway Bar & Grill near the lazy river and I highly recommend it if you enjoy sipping a cocktail while soaking in the sun. The drinks are expensive (no surprise) but well-made and the bartenders are incredibly fun. You can also get your drink poured into a souvenir glass for an extra charge:

Souvenir glass on the left, standard cup on the right

Overall, I highly recommend Cabana Bay Beach Resort and hope you'll give it a look when planning your next trip to Orlando. Some cheaper options may catch your eye on International Drive but trust me, those I've used before now haven't been worth the money that was saved. If you happen to have any recommendations then feel free to share them in the comments!

Next, I'll look to make Fastpass+ reservations in about two weeks (my 60-day mark!) and keep watching for upcoming posts on the Chase Disney Visa cards, as well as Fastpass+ updates and Universal's Halloween Horror Nights!