Great Expectations! A Family SOG trip in June 2018 (“here now” and “just back” journey)

[Cindylieu]

I remember my childhood days of wonder, smiling family members, excitement and anticipation of a trip to Disney! My heart has built layer upon layer of happy memories- glossing over the frustrations, the headaches, and the crowds.​

I will seek to highlight the JOY and the MAGIC along the way.

I look with grace upon the flaws I find and appreciation for the delights along the way.

Here is my attempt to build a trip report that would give answers to the same questions I might ask while also showing the good and the great to be found in our favorite place of Magic...

 

[Cindylieu]

I took a quick look through my childhood photo albums...I am amazed that out of 6 childhood trips to WDW and DL I could only find three photos. In these days of thousands of photos per trip perhaps we forget to just EXPERIENCE the moments. Or perhaps I was just unwilling to spend money on photo development back in the day...


One of my very first trips to Disney Land. I was about 11 years old. (I got so SICK on this ride!)



One of the last trips I took before heading off to college and nearly the last trip taken with my grandparents. What a great trip this one was!
(Also..those shorts weren't even cool back THEN. Yikes.)

 

[Cindylieu]

So now, today, my little family of 3 is planning our three generation trip (my Mom and Dad are coming) to WDW (and a day at Universal) in June 2018.



I have been planning this 12 day trip for more than a year. This website has been SO VALUABLE in my learning and planning.
I DO appreciate all of the reports, questions, and suggestions. Without the DISboards I would have been totally LOST in my planning quest.

WHAT ARE MY "GREAT EXPECTATIONS"??
I would love to be able to provide a happy, excited, delightful trip for my family.
I know that days might be crowded and wet, cast members might be stressed and overworked...but I believe that we can all still look for the good and experience the magic.
Using the FP+ system should help us.
Booking "sit-down" meals in the afternoon should provide some much-deserved rest after a morning of rides.
Planning for and enjoying the shows and entertainment should help us to rest our feet in the afternoons and evening.

WHERE ARE WE STAYING?
My Dad is retired Air Force, so we are OVERJOYED to be staying at Shades of Green for the very first time!
Mom and Dad have spent one night there, last year, but our wee family has never been.
The pictures I have seen have been beautiful.
I am planning some "Disney theming" for our rooms to up the Mickey Factor at this military retreat.

 

[Cindylieu]

WHAT ARE OUR PARK PLANS?
2 days at MK
2 days at AK
1 day (and some hopping) at EPCOT
1 day at HS (pre-toystory)
1 day (hopper) at Universal (can we say HARRY POTTER?)

WHAT ARE OUR REST PLANS?
2 flight days (arrive at 4pm, depart at 4 pm)
3 rest days (explore WDW Resorts, go to Celebration Community Church, and Disney Springs)

WHAT ARE OUR FOOD PLANS?
Pay as we go, 1 TS meal per day, Mickey Snacks, breakfast from home

Jungle Canteen
Be Our Guest (lunch)
Tusker House
Yak and Yeti
Restaurant Marrakesh
50s Prime Time
Ohana
Hoop-Dee-Do
Sanaa
Three Broomsticks

WHAT ARE OUR DAY PLANS?
We plan to rope-drop every park day
We are avoiding EMH morning parks
We are strategically planning FP+ on all park days
We plan to park hop only occasionally
We intend to avoid the new Toy Story Land if there are soft-openings...we will be back again and will catch that when the "new car smell" wears off.
Mornings are structured and quick, lunch at TS in the early afternoons, later-afternoons are loose and open to change.

 

[Cindylieu]

WHAT ARE MY REMAINING QUESTIONS?
Mostly they are about how big/small are the servings are at the TS restaurants we are going to. I know that the prices are expensive. I have seen the theming. I have heard about the quality of the food. I am wondering mostly about whether the appetizers are big enough for meals AND whether 2 people could share a meal and still feel full. I have looked for pics of the food in menus and on food blogs, but it is difficult to find current reports on the restaurants we are planning to eat at. I am sure that I could dig through trip reports and find the answers I am seeking...I just have been unsuccessful so far. Ah well.

WHAT DO I HOPE TO ACHIEVE HERE??
I just want to do the same thing all of you are doing- give an easy-to-read report of my planning and my trip.
Help out others following after me to know what they are getting into.
Keep it simple.

 

[Cindylieu]

WHO IS GOING?

Myself- Cindy, a 44 year old mom
My Husband- Ray, a 56 year old sweetheart
Our Daughter- Emma, a 15 year old darling
My Mom- Kathy, a not-quite-70 wonder-mom!
My Dad- Bob, a not-quite-70 dynamo!

WHAT IS OUR DISNEY HISTORY?
Mom (Kathy) went once as a child
Dad (Bob) never went as a child
These wonderful people took my brother and myself on 6 different trips! Wow!
Bob and Kathy went on a Southern CA tour after I left for college...they sent me postcards from DL.
Last year they went to AK together....in AUGUST! Whew!

I went to DL 3 times as a child and to WDW 3 times as a child, always with the above amazing parents (and my nutty brother).
Ray went to DL many times as a child, growing up in Southern CA
Ray and I went to WDW early in our marriage and then took our wee-girl to DL and to WDW.
Emma has been to WDW once, at 7 and to DL once, at 10

 

[Cindylieu]

And here I am....on the cusp of our journey! Yesterday was the last day of work for my husband and myself. Today is Emma’s last day of her freshman year in High School. We have 18-19 days off for our 12 day Disney Journey.

Today begins the packing!

I’ve been....”meh” for the past week or so; I evidently hit that planning wall that some of y’all have spoken about. I finally figured that it was due to the PLANNING stage completed but the PACKING stage not yet begun. Well, the packing stage has begun and I am getting GIDDY! I bowed out of work yesterday with a flourish and a flurry and told them all, “See you in theee weeks!”

I’ll be periodically plotting my “here now” posts in abbreviated style. Hope it is HELPFUL and HOPEFUL for anyone who cares to follow along.

June 4th, here we come!