Getting ready for WDW 2006

So we have a trip to Walt Disney World coming up at the end of May. This is still a secret from Katherine (it’s her “Birthday Surprise”), so mum’s the word.

Four big differences — aside from Kitten’s age — from our previous WDW excursions (10/01, 12/02, 12/04):

1. We’re doing it “voluntarily” — no conferences going on as an excuse to be down there. So Margie and I get to spend the entire time together, which will be nice.
2. It’s May/June, not October/December. Hopefully less rain. Doubtless higher temps and mugginess. Alas, with Kitten now in school, that’s really the timing we’ll need.

3. We’ll have the grandparents along. The Ks will be there most of the week, and the Hills will be there the entire time. We’re staying once again at the Port Orleans Riverport resort. That should be fun.

   We were hoping we could get some of the sibs/cousins along, but California’s school year runs a lot later than our, etc. Maybe next time.

4. Disney’s Magical Express.

The latter looks to be a huge “Quality of Life” improvement for travellers to WDW who are staying at the resort. You basically sign up for the service (currently free, though it would be worth a chunk of change) and you’re sent a special set of luggage tags for your checked luggage.

When you arrive at MCO (Orlando), you don’t worry about your checked luggage. You are greeted and escorted to special WDW busses, which trundle you off to WDW and drop you at your resort. Meanwhile, WDW luggage gnomes grab your luggage from the conveyor belts and whisk it to your room within 3 hours. No fuss, no muss, and only mild disconcertment for those who Cannot Rest Until They Are Unpacked.

It gets better. If you’re on one of the airlines that’s bought into this (most of the majors, as far as I can tell), the end of the trip is equally keen. You check your luggage in at the resort the day of your departure when you check out. Swoosh. You can spend the rest of your time hitting one last park or just lounging about. Be back at the resort for the bus (you’re told the time) and be whisked off to the airport again with just your carry-on. Your bags are already checked for you; you just check in and get on your plane, and your bags await at your destination.

The only thing that could improve this deal for the customers would be if they picked you up at your house, or hung up your clothing for you at your hotel.

Given the hassle of checking a week’s worth of luggage, getting it back again, finding/using a limo or van or rental car service, and then dealing with it on the back end again, it sounds faboo.

WDW and the tourists are pleased as punch with the deal. Neighboring hotels and, esp., shuttle vans and limo services and rental car agencies not so much. But the service has been extended until at least 2011, so obviously Disney and MCO see it as a positive.

UPDATE: Having now looked back at the trips we took in the past (and having created index posts for them — maybe I should go for actual subcategories?), a major difference I expect from past trips will be ad hoc photos posted via my cell phone. On the flip side, I expect business calls (hopefully few and far between), too.

While the 2004 trip has pictures, I don’t know whatever happened to the photos of the two earlier trips.

If I ever win the lottery, I will get my photographic house in order …

It also occurs to me that Katherine’s age — she’ll be 6, vs. 4.5 — will, indeed, be another big difference. I expect her interest level in things to be higher, her opinion of what she wants to do to be more forcefully expressed, etc. I expect it to be even more fun, too.

And I’m very much looking forward to taking the ‘rents to the Adventurers Club.

UPDATE: I’ve actually collected the previous three (gads!) WDW trips into their own categories, visible over in the category archives (as something like “Travel – WDW 01” etc.).