Disney World 2025 Planning Part 4

March 18, 2025
H minus 61 Days
Chatted a bit with Anabelle late last night about meal strategy for tomorrow. (Scheming!) It’s all based on what’s available.

(Foreshadowing- EVERYTHING! YAAAY!)

I found a Gluten Free Disney group on Facebook and sent it to Rosa. We both supplied Disneyland answers for someone visiting there in real time. NIFTY! Then Rosa started reading it and asking about menus at places. Fortunately, my “menu reconnaissance” is almost as frequent as my “line length reconnaissance.”  (That is... constantly.) Therefore, though I couldn’t pull up the menus as fast as she asked, I had an inkling on how to start answering each question.

I fiddled with borders on the back of The Grid to make it easier to read. Literally no one, including me looks at the back of The Grid on the trip. However, I need to keep doing planning things or I’ll explode. 

(Foreshadowing- “What color of the spectrum is that?”)

New pins announced for the 25th Anniversary of Pin trading. (Which means it did start a couple of years before Rosa and my first trip together.) Instantly, I get a message from Anabelle saying, “I MUST find Donald.” I figure she’ll try to get “Her boys” for Mami. 
(Foreshadowing- Did anyone have the Stitch one on their bingo card?)

Me- “Oh. The new Universal Park opens on May 22, Thursday of the week we’re there. That should keep the Memorial Day weekend crowds down. Maybe?”
Rosa- “Cool”
Anabelle- “Oh no. There’s probs gonna be crowds.”
Me- “Maybe. It should really thin out Animal Kingdom and EPCOT.”
Anabelle- “I guess.”

(Foreshadowing- There were not big crowds.)
Me- “Looking right now (3pm) for 60 days out (a Saturday) I could get all of our meals at the times we wanted them that day.
YAAY!”

(Foreshadowing- Some of our conversations have quotes, some do not. Someone who cared would make sure they all align. That someone is not me. Yes, I know this is not foreshadowing. The someone who cares about that is also not me.)

March 19, 2025
H minus 60 Days
6:00 AM  
Anabelle email- thank you for booking the meals :) 
and for enacting wwwgng mode on such short notice
I love you 
and I miss you a lot
also I “schedule sent this” because no way I'm waking up at 6 after the past 2 days I've had. lol
love
Anabelle

My reply- You’re very welcome. Mami and I got them all, love and miss you too. Grid attached.
Here we goooooooooooooo!
Love Daddy

Anabelle- “YIPPEE”

Me- "All of our confirmation Meal emails have character pictures on them. Except the one with French Onion soup. Le Chef’s De France is gonna be a different experience for us. "
(Foreshadowing- But super tasty! YAAY!)

“Also, I updated the Website so it isn’t just “Jeff and two guests” for the meals but all of us listed for meals.”
Anabelle- “Yippee” 
Rosa- *two Party emojis*

More meal details.
Rosa and I got up at a quarter to six, and for a change, the meal reservations for our entire trip opened up at Six AM on the dot. We used the “meal cheat sheet” kept in the usually unprinted section of The Grid

I went for the Castle first (duh) at 12:30 on Thursday and it was no longer available. I panicked but didn’t stop clicking and booked it at 12:50. Went without a hitch. Not bad for the goal of “whenever available.”

Rosa started with Snow White and finished before me. (The Castle has extra steps for guarantees.) She got a 7:30 dinner on Monday. We pushed it out a half hour from the original idea to allow time for bus delays… or post Animal Kingdom closing shopping… or freshening up at the Wilderness Lodge… or a moment of quiet meditation on the Bridge of Wahs. 
(Foreshadowing- Yet again, we were a half hour early for this meal, as it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be.)

Rosa went for the Crystal Palace next. (Yes, Anabelle… we know.) And got 4:30 the first night. Leaving the house at 3AM that day, whatever time we grab a bite in the hotel, we’re going to need an early dinner to avoid CrazyHungryLand right out of the chute. Plus, if we want it later, that’s one of the easiest meals to book, so shifting will likely be an option. 
(Foreshadowing- Or, in fact, need it later.)

I got the last of the character meals, Tusker House on Friday at 11:35. The early lunch is in case we decide to Hop over to the Magic Kingdom at or before Animal Kingdom closes, it will leave adequate time for grabbing churros and/ or ribs on the way out. 
(Foreshadowing- I did not grab my ribs. I did not know it would be my final chance. WHY DO I NEVER LEARN!?

Anabelle- Will you shut up about the stupid ribs?

Me- No.)

I closed out with the seemingly as easy to get as the German Buffet (but much less noisy) Le Chefs de France. That’s at 1PM… because even though we are incapable of predicting when we will be where in World Showcase ever, that’s our normal Disney World lunch time and I figured at least one meal should be then. 

Question- am I getting the one Figment Magic Band, and do either of you have any ideas for what the personalized text should be inside it?
Love
Daddy/ Jeff

Anabelle- “Yeah you get the Figment Band because me and Mom will have easier access to our cards
For the text you should put Luz so Abuelita can be with us :)”

Conversation with Rosa after finding the Facebook gluten free group-
Me- Question.  
You got all excited about Hollywood Scoops after looking at the Facebook gluten free page.  
However. 
You don’t like brownies 
You don’t like whipped cream
You don’t like hot fudge
And vanilla is far from your favorite.  
Why were you excited?
Disney is contagious, isn’t it?
Rosa- Yep jijiji

Hey! The first day of our trip is finally on the website calendar!

Magic Band Plus ordered. We talked about getting one for the family, the Figment one. Anabelle suggested “Abuelita” printed on it, so she was with us. There was a bit of last minute chaos when Rosa asked to see the other selections while I was finalizing the order, but we got it. 

(Foreshadowing- Using it was an all around weird experience.)

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