As we brainstormed ideas for our current writing for WDW Fan Zone, we toyed with ideas ranging from our favorite attractions to how to deal with toddlers in Walt Disney World.  If you have been to Walt Disney World with a toddler, you understand there is not a way to deal with a toddler.  As three year old Mia taught us, she will deal with her parents.  We decided it might be a lot of fun and a fascinating read if we discussed our up coming trip and the planning (read OVER planning) that goes into our pilgrimage to the happiest place on Earth.

This trip will be especially fun for us because we are going for two seasons wrapped up in one trip and we will get to see The World change right before our very eyes.  See, we have been to Walt Disney World during Marathon Weekend, and during this time it’s still possible to see Christmas decorations in the parks and then one morning you walk into The Magic Kingdom and the Christmas tree is down, the poinsettias are gone, and suddenly it’s Spring in Walt Disney World.  For this trip however, we are arriving in Walt Disney World on Halloween.  Of course, Halloween in Walt Disney World would not be proper if you didn’t trick or treat in The Magic Kingdom during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.  Even though this hard ticket event is sure to sell out and the crowd will rival mid July evening, the experience of this party will be one we can remember for years to come.

We will spend ten nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village, our favorite Disney Vacation Club property.  What is special about this trip is that not only will we attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party on Halloween, we will attend the first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, but more on that later.  We also will take advantage of The Disney Dining Plan…NO, not the dining plan.  That is the response we hear from many Disney “experts” because the evil Disney Corporation is trying to make money by selling one of their products.  Seriously though, as uber planners, we love the dining plan.  It really does go beyond the convenience of the dining plan.  We can simply enjoy our vacation and so many of the yummy food offerings at Walt Disney World without worrying about the price tag associated.

As serious vacation planners, we try to pay attention to the details of each day.  We have our touring plans figured out (relatively speaking of course) several months in advance.  We make our Advanced Dining Reservations 180 days out.  We change our ADR’s several times as the clock ticks in an attempt to fine tune our days and create the perfect vacation.  The rational part of our minds realizes there is no such thing as a “perfect” vacation, but that does not keep us from trying.  We attempt to determine which parks are the best to visit each day and on which days we should hop.  One thing we have never really done is to plan time to spend at our resort.  This is especially disappointing since we stay at DVC resorts and the resort properties are really quite beautiful and have so much to offer.  Last October, we stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House and The Beach Club Villas and spent so little time at The Jambo House that we were really disappointed.  We spent some time at The Beach Club and their magnificent pool, Stormalong Bay.  After spending some time there we said we needed to make an effort to spend time at our favorite resort.  Each Disney resort has distinct differences and advantages that only the guests staying there can realize.  We love to stay in a villa with a Savanna View and we love to sit on our balcony in the morning if for just a little while to watch the animals.  But it’s not enough time.  Both The Jambo House and Kidani Village feature fabulous pools.  Kidani Village, our destination for this trip has Samawati Springs Pool.  This pool is perfect for both of our children.  Eight year old Peyton love the slide as he adventures into the deeper portion of the pool.  Three year old Mia loves the zero entry as she can wade into the water and splash about.  Both of our kids love Uwanja Camp, the interactive water play area.  We love to have lunch at the Maji Pool Bar.  Even thought Kidani Village does not have a dedicated Counter Service restaurant or food court, The Jambo House is a short walk if we want something from the Mara.  If walking isn’t your thing, no worries, there is almost always a delightful cast member with a golf cart to transport guests from one building to another.

Another new and exciting thing for us this time is our daughter is finally old enough to visit the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique to be dazzled like the princess she is. Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother owns two boutiques on property, one located at the World of Disney store in Downtown Disney’s Marketplace  and the other in the magical Cinderella Castle itself. The Fairy Godmothers in training will give your little one three hairstyles to choose from, nail polish, glitter, make up, and you can even purchase your gown for the royal ball. Naturally this is the place to be, so make sure to book your little ones appointment far in advance.

As we get closer and closer to Disney trip #6 we make it a point to reflect on past trips and make note of things that we still have not done or seen. Yes, it will take many trips to do, see, and experience all that Walt Disney World has to offer.  Since each of us have our favorite things to do in Walt Disney World, we tend to do those things multiple times each trip.  We decided that for this trip we will make a conscious effort to try new things we have not experienced, while still enjoying our favorite attractions.  However, there are certain must-do’s for our family.  For example, riding on The Mad Tea Party is the first attraction for us on every trip.  Eight year old Peyton is a little less enthused about this each trip, but it has become a tradition in our family.  We are so excited to keep our traditions as well as start some new traditions as well.

We cannot wait to return from our trip and share all of our wonderful experiences with you.  Until next time…

This entry was posted on July 22, 2012 at 9:40 AM and is filed under Columns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.