Zipadeedoodah: 105 days to WDW

This week is a rough one...stressful and physically demanding. My shoulders and upper back are very sore thanks to my outpouring of elbow grease. Still, I'm in a fantastic mood because next week the WDW countdown is in the DOUBLE digits!!!!!

I've made a list of my autographs! Look how many I obtained in 2017 vs. 2015. Thanks anxiety meds!

2015: Duffy Bear

2017: Russell, Mickey Mouse, Sadness, Joy, Minnie Mouse, Green Army Man, Dale, Pluto, Goofy, Chip, Rafiki, Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, and Ariel.

I'm also making a spreadsheet (surprise!) with all of the places we've dined on the past two trips with rating from both Jimmy and I. I plan to use this to figure out which counter service places we'll be visiting (a mix of favorites and new places).

What's Next:

• Book a Star Wars Dessert Party (sadly, the times aren't released yet)
• Finish list of our "Must Dos" for this trip
• Finish list of possible quick service places we are interested in trying
• Review some of the preexisting touring plans to see if I want to create my own or modify
• Make an autograph wishlist for this trip

Zipedeedoodah: 110 Days to WDW

My TA said that WDW has been recently releasing dessert party times about ~60 days in advance. So, I still have some time on that.

My autograph book is in my bag today, so I can take an inventory during lunch.

I also *finally* put my pick-a-pearl in the necklace I got for it:

Zipadeedoodah: 111 Days to WDW

Have I mentioned the sounds of the University buses when they drive by me on my walk fill me with joy because they remind me of Disney transportation?

It's possible I'm totally in love with Disney.

I'm trying to do a bit of planning everyday in what little free time I have. We'll see how that goes...

Still no dates available for the Star Wars Dessert party. What gives? I'm thinking of emailing my TA today to see if he knows the situation.

Duffy holds a light saber.

I'm starting a list of our must-dos. We have plenty of time to hit the stuff we love (Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Spaceship Earth, etc...), so I'm focusing on some things we haven't experienced yet....which are more in the "diversion" category, but that's fine.

What's Next:

• Book a Star Wars Dessert Party (email TA)
• Finish list of our "Must Dos" for this trip
• Make a list of possible quick service places we are interested in trying
• Review some of the preexisting touring plans to see if I want to create my own or modify
• Review autograph book and make an autograph wishlist for this trip

Zipadeedoodah: 112 Days to Go!

Wow! Only 11 day until Dalmatian Day! Dalmatian Day is considered a countdown milestone in the Disney planning community. Instead of marking 100 days, we mark 101 in honor of the movie 101 Dalmatians, of course!

I'm feeling rather excited for Disney this morning....I think it's because it's the beginning of October, the double digit countdown is in sight, and it's less than 4 months to my trip. October, November and December are my favorite months...so the wait is even more tolerable now.

Where I'm at in the Planning

Completed:

• Agent chosen
• Dates chosen
• Budget estimated
• Hotel chosen
• Reservations booked
• ADR's made

We are going during our normal time in January- nice weather, low crowds, value season, no holidays....just the way I like it!

We are staying at Pop Century! We've never stayed here before and I'm super excited. Pop is undergoing renovations, and the buildings I'm thinking of I believe were some of the first to be renovated. :)

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/pop-century-resort/

Last year, we stayed at All Star Sports. I liked it, and would happily stay there again. My husband, however, wanted to try something the next step up (small step....still a value, but a better quality value). Hence, Pop! Lots of people LOVE Pop and consider it their "home" resort.

Our ADRs:

• Chip n' Dale Harvest Feast Breakfast at Garden Grille (we loved this last time!)
• Coral Reef Restaurant (it's a tradition....FISH TANK)
• Rain Forest Cafe at Animal Kingdom (okay, this is just so we can check it off our list and then never go again); I love RFC when I'm NOT in Disney
• Be Our Guest (DINNER this time...fancy!)
• Mama Melrose
• Rose & Crown
• Tiffin's
• The Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen

3 of these 8 are repeats. 3 are brand new to us. 1 is a chain we've been too before in other locations. 1 is a place we've gone to but for a different kind of meal. We like to do a mix of new and repeats.

Breakfast at Garden Grille! Dessert = early access to The Land Pavilion. No wait for Soarin'!

What's Next:

• Book a Star Wars Dessert Party (sadly, the times aren't released yet)
• Make a list of our "Must Dos" for this trip
• Make a list of possible quick service places we are interested in trying
• Review some of the preexisting touring plans to see if I want to create my own or modify
• Review autograph book and make an autograph wishlist for this trip

141 Days to WDW!!!!

I made a free decal!

Please note, I am wearing a pin lanyard and carrying Duffy. Our cat Dixee is also on the decal because she's going to Disney with us!

I found this freebie on http://www.chipandco.com/ but, unfortunately, I can no longer find the exact post. If you do find it, please leave it in the comments!

Zipadeedoodah: 159 Days! Choosing your dates!

Only 159 days to go until our trip! So exciting!

In this post, I'm going to briefly discuss how we chose our dates.

Step #1) Check out a general crowd calendar such as WDW Prep's or Kenny the Pirate's. Make a note of the times that are low crowds. Low crowd times tend to be late January, early February, early March, May, early September and early December. You want to avoid anytime there is a school vacation (including summer) or a holiday, basically (if you want to avoid crowds like me).

Low crowds are the best!

Step #2) Consider what you want...do you want to see Christmas decorations (early December)? Do you want to swim (summer!)? Do you like the heat (most of the year!)? Are you interested in the Halloween party (September)? We like Disney when it is cold out, so we chose late January.

Step #3) In your general date range, consider if you might have any conflicts. We like profession football, so we prefer the week in between the championships and the Superbowl, so we don't miss either

Weather can play a huge role in your trip, so research and be prepared!

Step #4) Head to touringplans.com to check out their more detailed crowd calendar and to figure out exactly which days will be best. Hotels are more expensive on the weekends (Fridays included!), so if you are going for a week, aim to only have one weekend.

Once you book your dates, use the touringplans calendar to determine which parks to do on what days!

Zipadeedoodah: 189 days! Choosing an Agent

Only 189 days left: Time to start getting serious about planning!

Walt Disney World is an ideal trip for those who like to plan ahead, make schedules, and dream about their trip well in advance. Your WDW experience will definitely be better if you do at least some planning (unless you are someone who goes very often).

I have 189 days left in my trip, which means in 180 days I will need to make my Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs).  Since I'm going in value season with low crowds, making reservations this far out isn't necessary if you don't care about when and where you eat. However, I have a couple of places in mind that will fill up pretty quick and we like to eat during the typical dinner ours. Therefore, I plan to make most of my ADR's around the 180 mark.

Step 1: Choosing an Agent

Did you know that official/certified WDW agents are free? Further, they might help you save money. WDW already wraps up the cost of the agents into their pricing, so if you purchase from Disney directly, you are paying for an agent without using one.

If you have plenty of time, like to research and pre-plan, and don't mind making phone calls early in the morning....you don't need an agent. However, it wouldn't hurt you to have one in case you need trouble shooting.

I love planning and I intend to make all of my ADRs and Fastpass reservations online. Still, I got an agent. My main reasons were time and phone calls. I arranged my trip via email with my travel agent, which was way easier than dealing with Disney's site or phone system. Further, I want the best possible discount when they are released for winter packages. My agent will be up before dawn calling Disney to make sure I get the discount applied to my package, and will do the math to figure out the best possible discount for me.

Also, if I fail to get an ADR that I wanted, or if I have an issue with the Disney system, or want to book a tour (I do!). My agent can handle all that. Less phone calls and stress for me!

To find an agent, I went to what I consider my most trusted Disney resource on the web.....touringplans.com! They write the "Unofficial Guide" which has to be in the top two most popular Disney guides. They have been collecting LOTS of data for years. And as a scientist, I love going by the data!

http://blog.touringplans.com/2016/06/01/best-travel-agents-2016/

I went to the above link and I scanned all the entries in the best agents list. I selected my favorites based on their specialties and how they sounded. I selected my top 15 candidates, and then emailed them this:

Hi,

I'm getting ready to go to Walt Disney World in late January and I'm looking around for a travel agent. I'd like to be up front and say that I am e-mailing multiple agents in an effort to find one that matches my needs.Thank you in advance for reading my long e-mail, I know your time is valuable.

I'm not in need of a quote just yet, as I'm still working out the exact details of the trip. Further, in the past five years, I've gone to WDW twice, during the same time period, and have stayed at two very different resorts. So, I have an idea of what to expect price-wise

I'm a planner, and part of the reason I love Disney is the planning involved. I wish to book my own fastpasses and plan most of the dining. I also love making touring plans so I am set on that front. My main reasons for getting a TA are to make the phone calls for me (my job makes phone calls challenging during the day and I don't really like phones anyway!), getting the hard-to-get fastpasses and dining reservations, and giving me some extra ideas to make my trip a little bit more magical and different than the last one (perhaps a tour, dessert party, etc...)

My party consists of two adults and no kids. However, you should think of us more like an adult plus a kid. I love childish things and I can easily ride It's a Small World five times in a single trip, and I have no desire to spend anytime on the Boardwalk or Disney Springs. I trade pins, collect tsums and will wait in line to hug a character. I go to Disney to be a kid again. My husband is fascinated by the customer service, quality and magic of Disney, and loves seeing me so stress-free. We are planning on staying at a value resort, but we'll be there for awhile (8 days?).

Now that you know a little about me, here are some questions for you:

1) Do you mind if your clients handle their own fastpasses, touring plans, etc...?

2) Do you wake up super early for clients, or check repeatedly when needed, to get discounts or good Fastpasses/reservations?

3) Do you think we'd be a good match?

Sorry for the third-degree grilling, and thank you so much for your patience reading this. I appreciate your time, and the hard work you do. 

Thanks,

One of the things that mattered most to me was their response time to the email. I want a TA that will respond quickly. I appreciate that they all have lives, but I need someone who will be there promptly when there is a problem.

Other than that, I looked to see how well they read my email....if they were just spewing the standard bits, or if they actually addressed what I wrote personally. As well as how they answered the question.

I crossed out people on my list when I wasn't liking the vibe, and added stars next to their name when they responded in a way I approved.

It came down to two Amanda from Small World Vacations, and Mike from Magic for Less. The thing that tipped it was the fact Mike hosts a podcast that I've listened to on many occasions, and I like this personality on the podcast. His enthusiasm really shines through. That ultimately tipped the scales in his favor.

So far...

Mike has been great! Friendly, fast, efficient and thorough! I'm very pleased with my decision!

Here is his travel agency: http://www.themagicforless.com/

And his podcast: http://www.beourguestpodcast.com/

You can also read his description on the touring plans site: http://blog.touringplans.com/2016/06/01/best-travel-agents-2016/

Zipadeedoodah: 37 Weeks!

Only 37 weeks (roughly) until our 2018 WDW trip (which I'm calling Zipadeedoodah)! And I really need to get planning.

I have done very little planning so far. All I know is where we plan to stay and that we are going sometime in late January.

My core resource for all my Disney vacation planning is touringplans.com. I use the WDW Park Hopper policy of never waiting more than 20 minutes for a ride, and there is no way I'd be able to achieve this without the Touring Plans website.

Based on that site, I need to work on the following things as soon as possible:

1. Establishing a budget
2. Figuring out when to go
3. Staring to look at the crowd calendar to choose park days

Also, figure out my hotel, but that's already done! We are staying at Pop Century. While I was very satisfied with our stay at All Star Sports, and would gladly do another All Star, Jimmy wants a tiny bit of an upgrade. So we are going to give Pop a chance.

More updates on planning coming soon!

Just Keep Swimming 2017- Day 4

I really need to work on doing these faster, as my memory is not very good! Unfortunately, things have been quite hectic the last couple weeks.

Our fourth day was our first and only day at Disney's Hollywood Studios (DHS). Because of all the construction, DHS is really just a one-day park for us. Once Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land open, I'm certain it will get upgraded. Despite the limited rides, and this being my least favorite park, this day was one of my favorite days of the trip!

Location: All of Disney's Hollywood Studios

Eats:

50's Prime Time Cafe- The 50's Prime Time Cafe is setup like a kitchen from the 1950s. They refer to it as "Mom's kitchen" and to their patrons as "cousins". Our server was excellent and polite, but he didn't quite play along with the theme as much as I expected. We shared the Fried Herb and Garlic Cheese served with Raspberry Sauce, Grapes, and Apples, and the Grandma's Chicken Pot Pie- A creamy Cheese mixture of Chicken, Mushrooms, Carrots, Celery, Onions, and Peas topped with a flaky Pastry. Jimmy also tried the famous PB&J milkshake (it tasted mostly like PB to me). Our meal was scrumptious, the environment was great, and it was really quick. Definitely one of my favorite eateries on this trip.

PizzeRizzo- This is a quick service dining location in the Muppet Courtyard. The food was standard Disney quick service pizza (meh) and I wasn't a fan of the Caesar salad. The theme was a little more subtle than I would have liked. Still, I like having more Muppets and the place was SO quiet. We had the top floor completely to ourselves. Finding quiet spaces in Disney to unwind is important. I think this pleasant experience is one of the reasons we made it all the way until park close on this day!

Rides and Attractions:

It was morning extra magic hours at DHS, and we headed for the new Star Wars Launch Bay first. We had a private showing of the documentary film, and then toured around the exhibits with very few people in line. We met Kylo Ren and Chewie with very little wait, and then I traded with the Jawas and had no wait! We met Mickey & Minnie, rode the Great Movie ride (x2), Toy Story Mania (x2), Star Tours (x2), First Time in Forever Frozen Sing Along, Muppet Vision 3D, Indiana Jones, Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away, One Man's Dream, Star Wars: Path of the Jedi, Fantasmic! and Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular. 

Diversions

We earned our Disney Historian Certificates by each completing a trivia quiz in One Man's Dream. Our question's were different, which I liked. 

Side Notes

As usual, we collected pressed pennies.

I met two Green Army Men. One was able to give me a signature, and the other was able to chat. The chatty one said a "friend of Andy's" was also from New England, and we chatted about that for a bit.

The first time we were on Star Tours, I was on Dramamine and did great. The second time, it had worn off and I hadn't taken more- it was a noticeable (and not-so-fun difference). I was the Rebel Spy on our second excursion. 

Just Keep Swimming 2017- Day 3

Our third day of the trip was our first day at Epcot. Sadly, this was one of the least favorite days of our trip. We still had fun, but we had to leave early. The crowds in the world showcase overwhelmed both of us (thanks to Festival of the Arts), and we became tired, cranky and stopped having fun. The morning was was great, though. I have some ideas on how to do Epcot in the future, which I'll discuss in the planning posts for my next trip.

In front of my Dory!

Location- Future World East, The Seas Pavilion, and the World Showcase

Eats

Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe- This bakery and cafe in Norway is often raved about on Disney blogs and podcasts. We ate here for lunch and found it underwhelming. It was small and crowded. We had the Traditional Kjøttkake (Norwegian Meatballs) which were just okay. We also got the Schoolbread (which is pretty infamous) as well as a Troll Horn for later. We found both too sweet and rather bland. We rank this pretty low on our list of eats for now.

Norway lunch.

Coral Reef- This was our second time dining at the Coral Reef. We love the atmosphere and watching the fish tank. This time we sat on the second tier, but up front, so we still had a good view of the tank. I had the Oven-roasted Chicken Breast with Creamy Polenta Cake, Pearl Onions, Swiss Chard with Bacon and Mushrooms and thought it was wonderful. Jimmy had the Seafood Scampi- Seared Skewer of Sea Scallops and Shrimp, Prince Edward Island Mussels, Diced Tomatoes, and Pasta served with Scampi Butter, and thought it was good. We got a free dessert: The Chocolate Wave served with Raspberry Gelato.

Rides and Attractions

Jimmy at Test Track.

Test Track, Mission Space: Green, Ellen's Energy Adventure, Frozen Ever After, Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Cabelleros, Spaceship Earth, The Seas with Nemo & Friends (x2) Turtle Talk with Crush, The Seas Pavilion

Required fish face

Diversions

Joy & Sadness Meet & Greet- The *best* meet and greet! They were so adorable!!!!!! And their area was super well themed.

Sadness gives the best hugs! She really hugs you tight, and she rubs your back. Adorable.

Worth the wait! Will definitely do this meet and greet again!!!

Side Notes

Two pressed pennies (third row), 1 set of signatures, and a couple of resort pennies (right hand side)

Loot for the day!

Just Keep Swimming 2017- Day 2

Our second day was in Animal Kingdom. Animal Kingdom is different from the other parks as it is not about the rides...it's about observation and exploration of the world around us. In the Disney-style of "edutainment" the park has a very clear message about conservation. The Disney Conservation fund does extensive work in many areas of the world (most of which is completely behind the scenes). In Animal Kingdom, they try to inspire appreciation for the natural world, and to provide their animals with amazing exhibit habitats that are as natural as possible.

Location: Africa and Discovery Island in Animal Kingdom

Eats:

Harambe Market- The African area of Animal Kingdom is centered around the fictional town of Harambe (no, it is not named after the gorilla). While the village was designed to be a port in East Africa, the various decorations and creativity reference many of the Imagineers favorite places as they toured Africa for their research. Harambe Market is a fairly new addition...an open air food court based on a marketplace.

The atmosphere was wonderful, if a bit loud, and the food was very good. We had the Tikka Masala Chicken served with Basmati Rice and Black-eyed Pea Salad and the Beef and Pork Sausage Fried in Curried Corn Batter served with Green Papaya Slaw and Black-eyed Pea Salad. We tried two African soft drinks- Bibo (kiwi and mango) and Sparberry (tart and tangy). 

Harambe Lunch

Flame Tree Barbecue- Flame Tree is a quick service location on Discovery Island with a shaded outdoor seating area. We loved the seating area...there was a quiet, cool area, right by the water. It was very calming for a theme park.

Jimmy had the Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich - topped with cole slaw and served with baked beans, and I had the Smoked Turkey Breast Sandwich - with lettuce and tomato on multigrain bread topped with cranberry mayonnaise, served with fresh fruit. We also split french fries. I thought mine was pretty good for a quick service location. Jimmy liked his, but not quite as much as I liked mine. He thought the BBQ sauce was just okay.

Rides & Attractions:

Kilimanjaro Safaris (regular- x2, sunset- x1), Discovery Island Trails, Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, Festival of the Lion King, It's Tough to Be a Bug, Tree of Life Awakening

Safari Selfie

Diversions:

Various small acts (singers, dancers, etc...) in Africa and Discover Island. They have lots of smaller shows...something is always going on, making the atmosphere very lively.

Wilderness Explorers! This activity is not just for kids...it's so well done, everyone will enjoy it. You get an activity booklet and you need to complete certain activities all around the park to receive badges (stickers). It's so fun, teaches you, and gets you to explore the park better. We LOVED it. Obviously, it is themed after Up. <3. I highly recommend this. Don't be shy! I will do a separate post about this later!

Tree of Life Selfie

Sidenotes:

I did my first character Meet & Greet today- Russell from Up! He had a short line. He was really great, and he gave me confidence to continue meeting characters. 

We checked out Zuri's Sweet Shop in Africa and got some cookies...I got a Lion cookie (after Miles) and Jimmy got a Peanut Butter cookie.

Memories:

The sunset safari gave us great views of the lions. A small herd of zebra were moving in the savanna across from them, and we could see them watching the zebra intently. The ride is so different- even if you go on it back to back like we did in the morning. Definitely one of my favorite rides. 

Loot from the day- including a new Animal Kingdom lanyard and my pressed penny folder!

I also took the "Which Bug Are You Like?" quiz in the Wilderness Explorers guide, and I got spider. Mainly because I like to eat things. Throughout the rest of the trip I would affectionately and gently bite Jimmy's shoulder and when he'd look at me, I'd just say "I'm a spider". (For the record, Jimmy was a worm). 

One of my favorite parts of the Animal Kingdom is the music! 

Just Keep Swimming 2017- Our Day 1 Adventure

Many folks are asking me for all the details of our latest Disney trip, so here they are for you, in blog form. I'm going to take one day at a time and cover all the highlights. For those of you who haven't been to Disney, it would take all day to tell you all the details about the trip. Walt Disney World is amazingly huge, and we are very active on our trips!

The castle

Our first day was in the Magic Kingdom...the park that everyone thinks of when you say "Disney World". It has the most rides and, of course, the infamous castle. Over the last couple of trips, Magic Kingdom has elevated itself to my favorite park. The environment is so happy and energetic. I will always be a child at heart, so it suits my silly personality.

Waiting for Adventureland to open

Location:

Adventureland & Frontierland with just a touch of Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom

ShellieMay was in her Sleeping Beauty outfit, while Duffy had a treasure map on his t-shirt!

Eats: 

Nigerian Bread.

Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen- The Skipper's Canteen is a restaurant modeled after one of the classic Walt Disney Attractions (and one of my favorites!), The Jungle Cruise. It is travel and adventure themed with decor and a menu based on tropical destinations in Asia, South America and Africa. The ride has a cast member (a skipper) who takes you on a guided tour. The restaurant is filled with the same pun-filled "dad"-style jokes that are on the ride , and that I adore. The menu and servers at the restaurant have that exact same sense of humor. 

Exotic Coca-Colas.

To drink we had Coca-Cola flavors that are found in other countries. Jimmy liked the Melon flavored one of Thailand, but I preferred the Guarana Kuat of Brazil. Nigerian-style bread with honey was delivered to our table while we waited for our food to arrive. We shared the Falls Family Falafel (A secret recipe of Chickpeas, Garlic, Onions, Lemon Juice, and Herbs served with White Bean Dip and Tomato-Cucumber Salad) and Skip's Beefy Baked Pasta
(Egyptian-inspired dish of Spiced Braised Beef, Pasta, Cheese, and Béchamel Sauce served with Seasonal Vegetables). For dessert we had the Kungaloosh! (An African-inspired Chocolate Cake with Caramelized Bananas served with Cashew-Caramel Ice Cream topped with Coffee Dust).

Everything was delicious, the ambiance was fun, and our server was great. This was definitely one of my favorite meals.

Tortuga Tavern- 

We had planned on eating at Columbia Harbor House, but they closed at 5pm on that day (for some strange reason). We ended up wandering in to Tortuga Tavern, hungry and tired, and afraid other things would close soon too. We ended up having hot dogs, as their menu was limited. The environment was great (quiet, outdoors, plenty of seating, themed like Adventure Land), but the hot dog was average theme park food. This was counter service, so we didn't have a server.

Rides and Attractions:

Jungle Cruise (x2), Pirates of the Caribbean (x4), Splash Mountain (x2), Country Bear Jamboree, Enchanted Tiki Room, Swiss Family Treehouse, Big Thunder Railroad, Haunted Mansion

It'd be too long to explain each of the here, but if you are curious about any of these attractions, please let me know. I love talking about Disney. I also know a great website for ride videos if you want to see what any of them are. Disney attractions are unique- so much more than roller coasters and motion simulators. The detail that goes into the theme of each attraction is simply amazing.

Splash Mountain Drenching!

Diversions:

A Pirate's Adventure- Treasures of the Seven Seas- This was a four part quest around Adventureland. It was a bit like geocaching...we got clues, had to find the right spot, and then got some loot in exchange. I will write more about it in a later post, but I highly recommend it!

Great Moments in History with the Muppets- A short little outdoor show that retells pieces of American history in the style of the Muppets. Adorable and not too crowded. It was a nice filler while waiting for our next activity.

Sidenotes:

We left the park earlier than planned, but accomplished everything we wanted thanks to our customized touring plan (touringplans.com). 

We had no character greetings on Day 1 since there aren't too many in this area of the park.

We gave a shout out to Skipper Patrick when we took an in-park survey about our experience in Adventureland. 

I didn't trade any pins on this day. However, as with pretty much every day, I did purchase a couple of Hidden Mickey pin pouches. I also started my Pressed Penny collection!

Memories:

This was my first time using Dramamine on the rides, as well as being on anxiety medication. WHOA! I had so much fun on Big Thunder! I had my eyes open the whole time and was pointing out decorations I had never seen before. I had no anxiety during Splash Mountain either! In fact, Splash has now become one of my favorite rides.

Stitch's Great Escape Becoming Seasonal

Image: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/stitchs-great-escape/

While I'm still Disney planning when I get a chance, I haven't been able to do official countdown posts as we had some family visiting this past weekend (and before that we were busy getting our guest room ready). However, I plan to do one this weekend!

In the meantime, I wanted to share some quick WDW news with you. As of October 1st, Disney will be switching the attraction Stitch's Great Escape (Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom) to a seasonal-only attraction (meaning they are going to open it up when crowds are expected to be large, like during Christmas).

This is likely a temporary move, as it falls in line with the recent rumor that Stitch's Great Escape is going to be replaced in the near future with a Wreck-It-Ralph attraction.

Despite Stitch being one of my least favorite rides, this makes me sad for a few reasons:

1. When I heard the rumor about it being replaced sometime in the future, I was looking forward to riding it one last time in January.
2. We specifically watched Lilo & Stitch not that long ago in preparation to be riding it again in January. I had hoped refreshing the movie in my mind would make the attraction more enjoyable.
3. The replacement ride is rumored to be a racing attraction that involves an actual competition between players and perhaps some virtual reality or motion simulation. I'm nervous the new idea will appeal to me even less. Though, in fairness, I have yet to see Wreck-it-Ralph.

What do you think?