[rafiki]

I’ll start with a warning. This is my third attempt to write a trip report, my two previous attempts lie unfinished in the depths of this website. I always start with the best of intentions and feel I should pay it forward after enjoying so many others’ trip reports over the years. I then get on holiday, take no notes, spend my evenings on rides and in the pool and forget what I did by the time I get home.

I promise I’ll try to do better this time!

The cast

David (me). Huge Marvel and comics fan. Fairly secret Disney fan, to the point that I shocked several of my colleagues when I got 20/20 on a Disney Sporcle.

Sam. T’other half. First trip to Disney was our wedding in 2000. A huge Mickey and Minnie fan she needs no encouragement to go back.

Cayla. Turns 17 whilst we are there and is as focused on the Instagram opportunities as the rides.

Jayden. 10 years old and sports mad. Looking forward to trying some of the “big rides” so much that he’s not complained about 2 and a bit weeks without Fortnite and FIFA; yet.

The plot

Our last visit was a three week stay over Christmas and New Year 2012 and 2013. A combination of moving house, GCSEs, work and other commitments has prevented a return any sooner and has also got in the way of any family holiday since Christmas 2016. This feels very overdue.

I started researching last summer and quickly ruled out on-site. We did this for 10 days with free DDP last time and really enjoyed it, however with one adult sized child and one not far off a single room is way too small and more than one room / DVC resort is way too expensive.

I decided to watch flights using an app recommended to me and bought last August / September at a little over £300 pp. Indirect via Newark out, which seems fine as we can clear immigration there, and via Chicago and Brussels back. The return trip does feel like a pain but with older kids and for a pretty significant saving it seemed worth giving it a go.

Plan B was an apartment style hotel somewhere around Crossroads, the plan being to go car-less and walk / Uber to the various nearby restaurants and parks. We’d priced these up and found a couple of likely candidates when I decided to look at Villas on this very site. I found one which had plenty of space, a private pool and was considerably cheaper than the apartments. So much so renting that plus a car would still be cheaper. Job done, villa booked. We’ve used DIBB advertiser, Discount Florida Car Hire, for a full size car which should be plenty as I still plan to use Uber and Lyft on occasions.

Having not been for a few years there is lots we haven’t done. We’ve decided to try to cram it all in and have gone for:

Disney 14 day ultimate (with free magic bands)
Universal 14 day 3 park (with a one night stay in RPR to take advantage of early entry and express pass)
Discovery Cove swim ultimate to do Busch and Seaworld.

I have also spent too many hours looking at fastpass + guides and touring plans and have accepted that Seven Dwarves Mine Train, FOP and SDD will all involve a rope drop. We did look at the early morning magic at Toy Story Land but have decided against it, unless it’s really hammered when we go, in which case we may try to make a last minute booking.

We fly out in a little over 5 weeks and I plan on filling in time between now and then with reading trippies and watching vlogs to really whet the appetite.