January 2018 - Our "Relaxing" Family Trip Pre-Trip Report

FastPass day was today so it's time to put together a Pre-Trip Report!

This one's just going to be me, Jon, and Penny and we are planning on going much slower paced. It will also be our first time with park hoppers (well...annual passes technically) in a long time so we're excited to be able to go wherever we please whenever we please. Penny is receiving this trip as her Christmas gift so she doesn't know she's going yet. Planning on giving her a box with her Magic Band, a countdown, and a new princess dress in it on Christmas morning.

Lots of new dining for us this trip! Everything bolded and italicized is a new experience for us!

Saturday, January 27th

We have a 1:17pm flight out of MSP and will be landing at 5:33pm. The first half of our trip we will be staying in a Royal Guest Room at Port Orleans Riverside. We've stayed at French Quarter before and loved it so we're looking forward to this! No plans this night other then getting dinner at the River Roost Lounge to catch our first Yehaa Bob performance.

Sunday, January 28th

Penny has a Pirates League appointment this morning at 10:25am. She loved Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique when we were there in November and she's really been into pirates lately so I think she'll love this. She has a pirate costume she wore for Halloween that she wanted to wear on our November trip because otherwise "how will they know on the Pirates ride that I'm a real pirate?" We have a lunch reservation for The Plaza Restaurant at 11:15am (pushing it, I know hoping I can get a slightly later time) and FastPasses are for Cinderella/Elena, Rapunzel/Tiana, and Big Thunder Mountain.

Monday, January 29th

PPO breakfast at Garden Grill this morning at 8:05am with hopes to get a head start on the crowds for Soarin', Joy/Sadness, and Baymax. Penny really loves meeting characters, can you tell? FastPasses are for Living with the Land, Seas with Nemo, and Frozen Ever After. Dinner reservations are at Boatwrights at 7:40pm.

Tuesday, January 30th

Starting the day at Hollywood Studios for a couple of hours with FastPasses for Toy Story Mania and Tower of Terror. Lunch is at Epcot at Tokyo Dining and we have the Tomorrowland Dessert Party this night with the garden view for our first time ever seeing Happily Ever After. So excited!

Wednesday, January 31st

Today we're moving to Animal Kingdom Lodge! We're going to sleep in a bit, eat breakfast at the Riverside Mill, and check out the Riverside pool a bit before checking out. Lunch is at 1:30pm at Frontera Cocina (LOVE me so Rick Bayless) and then we're planning on hitting up the pool at Animal Kingdom Lodge and dinner at Mara. I have evening Kilimanjaro Safaris and Na'vi River Journey FastPasses if the urge strikes us.

Thursday, February 1st

PPO breakfast at Be Our Guest* at 8:00am for a hopeful head start on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan's Flight. If not, I do have FastPasses for both of these attractions plus Big Thunder. A late lunch is planned at Nine Dragons at 1:40pm.

*have done lunch and dinner at BOG but never breakfast

Friday, February 2nd

Today is the first day of our trip that Splash Mountain will be open from its refurb. I know it will be cold, but Penny loved this ride on our last trip and it is my favorite so we will brave it. FastPasses are for Enchanted Tales with Belle, Big Thunder (Penny also loves this ride, have you noticed?) and Splash Mountain and we have dinner reservations at Rose & Crown at 7:55pm.

Saturday, February 3rd

Last full day FastPasses today are for Kilimanjaro Safaris, Na'vi River, and Expedition Everest. Hopefully getting in some more pool time today and we have dinner at Jiko which I'm super excited about!

Sunday, February 4th

Breakfast reservations at Boma* this morning and then checking out. We have a 6:40pm flight out this night, but if Magical Express is still doing a 4 hour prior pickup like they changed to on our November trip, we might consider paying for private transportation. We have TSA Precheck so there is just no reason for us to be getting to the airport three hours prior to departure. No FastPasses made for this day and we're not even positive we'll go to the park or if we'll just explore the resort, so we'll see!

*have done dinner at Boma but never breakfast