Disney World 2014: A Halloween Road Trip

It seems like we’re creating a habit of last minute trip plans to Disney World. While 2011 was booked about 6 months in advance this time it was just three. This year marked our 5th wedding anniversary, and 15 years being together. Such a milestone deserved an awesome celebration and so after some budget wrangling, deliberation, discussion, and angsty hand-wringing we got a hold of a TA and put down the deposit.

Our first option had been for Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort. Unfortunately we didn’t manage to get it booked in time and the last room sold. Mind you – we were trying for a popular time (Halloween, October), and specific dates (free dining qualified), so there were very few rooms (within budget) that were available. After some frantic searching we decided on Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas Resort, Kidani Village. I made the deposit on the phone while standing in line for lunch at a food truck at work.

While I have passed the College of Disney Knowledge course (during a job in a past career choice) and am proud to have all the information needed to handle booking my own trip (and even prouder to have the graduation ears and pin), I’m much happier to hand all of that over to someone and let them earn a commission. In this case it was Leigh at Small World Vacations. She was excellent at taking care of anything I needed, or getting me information if it was something she couldn’t do directly.

Once we’d actually paid our deposit those 3 months took almost no time at all. I tried not to overdo the crafts for this trip – some pennies and a penny tube. A new set of tie dye shirts (custom-ordered, not home-made). A food review book. I refused to stress over any plans I didn’t get to. It was a short trip and all our hours were to be spent enjoying the parks, not stringing halloween lights in the room and painting intricate designs on our Magic Bands. (Next time…)

Once again – this page will be a table of contents if you want to bookmark it so you don’t get something out of order. Each chapter will be linked as it’s published, and there will be a post of random details at some point as well that doesn’t fit in anywhere else, such as camera gear reviews and details of the few crafts I did get to.

Saturday
Road Trip to Orlando – Through Mountains and Mayhem

Sunday
Kobe Steakhouse and a Room for the Night

Monday
Kidani Village and Animal Kingdom
Our Kidani Room and Lunch at Sanaa
Return to the Yachtsman Steakhouse

Tuesday
Our Morning in the Magic Kingdom
Lunch at Be Our Guest
Thundering and Splashing In the Magic Kingdom
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Wednesday
Melting Around the World

Thursday
Toy Wars Stunt Spectacular of Terror

Friday
Last day in the Kingdom – with a dash of Epcot
Our Last Disney Dinner – Yachtsman Steakhouse

Saturday
Pop Goes the Century

Sunday

Miami to Michigan