180 Days From Trip #13 to Walt Disney World

July 2014

Believe it or not, it has been over a year since we have been to Walt Disney World and in another six months, we’ll be back there again. . . over a year and a half later!  I know, it seems like we were just there to us, too.

Today we are “180 days out” as Disney fans put it, which means, we could make Advanced Dining Reservations for our trip.  So, this morning I was on-line and on the phone securing all the plans that could be made at this stage in our trip countdown.

Advanced Dining Reservations went smoothly. . . well, mostly.  This is the first time that I have actually made the reservation as our travel agent typically does it for us, but it is Sunday.  I made all of them on-line but soon realized that I had made a dining reservation for this evening.  There wasn’t a “button” to cancel, so I picked up the phone and a very helpful Cast Member canceled the reservation for me, waiving the cancellation fee, AND added a note to all of our dining reservations about my birthday.  Yep—all the rest of the Williams Family has celebrated a birthday at Walt Disney World and this time, it’s my turn.  It’s a BIG birthday, too, making it even more special.

After making all of the dining reservations, it was time to do one more thing, something I’ve been researching for months.  We made a reservation for the Ultimate Day of Thrills VIP Tour.  Here’s what the tour includes:

“The day begins at Magic Kingdom park, where you’ll brave the excitement of select attractions such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion and the rollicking new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train—all with expedited admission.
A little later in the day, treat your taste buds to a thrilling occasion, courtesy of a delectable lunch at a Walt Disney World table-service restaurant—which comes included with the cost of your VIP Tour.
Then, brace yourself—this adrenaline rush is just getting started! At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you can take off on attractions like Toy Story Midway Mania!, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.
Finally, go wild as you end your VIP Tour with a trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, where you’ll brave a perilous race through time on DINOSAUR and embark on a monumental adventure rocketing you through the Himalayas on Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain.”
The 7 plus hour tour comes with a hefty fee, but we got a 15% discount by using our Disney Rewards Visa.  The tour also includes lunch at the Brown Derby at Hollywood Studios—a new restaurant for us. 
I’ve already added Memory Maker to our reservation which means we’ll get all the ride photos from this day AND the ride videos from Tower of Terror and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Coaster.
When I called to reserve the tour I learned that it is “fast paced,” requires walking, and for guests to wear closed heal and toe shoes—no sandals or crocs.  The Cast Member was very specific about shoes, inclement weather protection, and arrival times.  I’m very excited to give this tour a try.
Whew!  This trip is almost in the bag.  We just need return airfare.  The next milestone is “60 days out” when we can make our Fastpass +’s.