I'm not sure I can wait! Dec 2010!

[stephielela]

Hello everybody! This is my first ever pre-trip report, which will be followed by my first ever trip report! I know this is a bit early to be starting, but whatever, I need something to make me feel like it's getting closer! :rotfl2:

First things first, the "cast"! I am a single mother to my DS who will be 2 in April. I honestly would not be able to make this trip without my very supportive (and Disney crazed) family, so it will be the first time all of us will be going together! :yay: My dad (DD) 48, mom (DM) 48, sister (DSis) 21 (by the time of the trip), son (DS) and I (26) will all be celebrating Christmas early at Disney, so rather than getting presents this year, the trip is our gift. Of course I'm sure DS will be getting visited by Santa anyways, but many of his gifts will undoubtedly come from the World! :rotfl:

Our current dates are Dec. 16-22nd. We would like to be able to go earlier, but since DSis is in college, we won't know when she will be done with finals until August or so, so we will adjust our dates accordingly. We went in Dec 07 (I was 6 months pregnant) and had a blast, the crowds were still pretty light, and the weather was great, but it was about 4 days earlier, so we will have to wait and see! We will probably initially book the 13th -22nd so that we can just cut days off of one end or the other when we know.

I am assuming that at some point will will manage to wrangle some sort of workable discount, I have already gotten a couple pin offers, but they all end the 16th, so they don't do us much good. A free dining pin would be ideal, since we plan on doing the deluxe dining plan, but we will take whatever we can get. Both my parents and I have/will be applying for the Disney Visa, and I know sometimes cardholders are offerred discounts before the general public. My dad is also retired military, so we will be keeping our eyes out for an extension of their current military discount, which I believe is 40% on rooms or something along those lines.

Assuming we get a discount of some type, we are planning on 2 rooms at CBR, with the dxdp and 6 day park hoppers. We will probably initially book a room only reservation though, since those are more flexible when it comes to cancellations. If we don't get a discount, we will switch to a value resort, probably ASM to save a few bucks.

So far we are planning on dropping into MVMCP, but we have to wait till they announce the dates to see if it will work for us. We also have several (most) of our restaurants picked out, but I will save that for a later post! We are also pondering the idea of crossing over to Universal (I know, the "other" park :scared1:) for a half day to check out the new Harry Potter section.

So hopefully I have not been too boring, it would be nice to have some readers, but I guess we will see if I have the wit and charm to sustain an audience! More later!

[AuroraRose]

Sounds like an awesome trip! I am hoping to get to WDW during the winter one of these years! If things work out, perhaps next year!

Looking forward to your updates!! :thumbsup2

[mom2rtk]

If you have a PIN that ends on the 16th, it should work as long as you CHECK IN by the 16th.

Good luck!

[MickeyisBeast]

Sounds like ya'll are going to have so much fun!
I love Disney during the Christmas season, it's the best

[jenniferkeala808]

I don't think i could wait that long!! Sounds like fun...i'm along for the ride!!

[jenseib]

If you have a PIN that ends on the 16th, it should work as long as you CHECK IN by the 16th.

Good luck!

I was going to say the exact same thing! :thumbsup2 I don;t think much will come out for dates after that since it's the holiday season. I'm excited to hear what you will plan!

[stephielela]

If you have a PIN that ends on the 16th, it should work as long as you CHECK IN by the 16th.

Good luck!

Wow, really?? i am going to have to call about that next week then! Thanks for the heads up!

[stephielela]

Well, we haven't chosen ALL of our meals yet, but we decided each person could choose 4 meals, and we are also doing the candlelight processional package with les chefs de france for late lunch, which we have eaten at in the past and enjoyed. all the other meals are new to us as a family. most of these choices are based heavily on (countless) reviews i've read here. let me know what you think!

crystal palace~planning on doing the earliest breakfast seating here possible, to get into mk early and see what it's like to have a near empty park!

tusker house~ same as above, doing donald's safari breakfast

cinderella's royal table~ planning on dinner prior to mvmcp

california grill~ this will be the adults only dinner, i will get a sitter for ds, and we hope to time it for wishes

le cellier~ we got shut out of this one the last time, so we are really looking forward to it

rose and crown~ planning on timing this one for illuminations

o'hana~ we canceled this one last minute last trip, everyone was tired and i was feeling overly pregnant that night, so now we hope to try it. i've heard this is also a good place to eat during wishes.

50's prime time café~ we have actually eaten here before, but not in the past couple of trips, i only wish they were part of the fantasmic package!

biergarten~ ds really enjoys music and noise, and i've heard the polka music is pretty entertaining, so we plan on eating lunch here

i have managed to get all of these squeezed into a decent schedule, and we are thinking we may not make plans for the remaining credits, and just use those for qs as we need them, or for ds. part of the reason we opted for the dxdp is because it offers so much food at each meal, and since ds won't be on the plan, he will be sharing with the rest of us, and let me tell you, that boy can eat! :rotfl2:

[jenniferkeala808]

looks like you've chosen the best restaurants...i wouldn't know from personal experience but...with all the reviews and the yummy pics i've seen on the DIS...sounds like a great plan!! hope to hear some dining reviews from you after you've tried these places!!

[MainStMandy]

Sounds fun! I'm in!!!

Where are the pics?? ;)

[jenseib]

YUM! I would love to do deluxe dining some day too!

[stephielela]

Sounds fun! I'm in!!!

Where are the pics?? ;)

ok, I think I have figured out how to post pictures from photobucket, so here is my DS, at 19 months on our cruise this past November
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/jackcruisin2.jpg

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/017.jpg

and the two of us at Christmas
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/100_1859.jpg

[MainStMandy]

Aww what great pictures!! He's adorable!!

[jenseib]

What a cutie

[stephielela]

thanks! he is growing up so fast! sorry the pics are so big, i'm new at the photobucket thing :rolleyes1

after this weekend i will know what, if any changes we will be making to our adr plans!

[stephielela]

I am starting my planning journal/binder creation, and I spent a couple hours surfing the Disigns board, but if anyone has any good suggestions of layouts or artwork, that would be awesome!

[stephielela]

:scared1:since i don't have anything else to update yet about our disney trip, i thought i would post a mini pre trip report fro my weekend jaunt to san antonio! my family decided that we wanted to get away from the cold for a few days, and i was wanting a small break from work, so we figured we would go down to san antonio to visit my sister who goes to college there. so my parents left yesterday with my son (i had to work last night) and drove, and i got off work an hour early and caught a 6 am flight. i am currenlty in memphis waiting for my connection. my parents and sis will pick me up, and we will probably try to check into our hotel (on the riverwalk!) early. then we are heading to the mercado to do some shopping, and our traditional dinner and pitcher of margaritas at La Margarita. We may try and get to church today too, but we might wait till tomorrow. Then tomorrow, we are going to Mi Tierra for our traditional breakfast, and then to the zoo. i am a "friend of the zoo" at our local zoo, so i get a discount (50%) on tix! after the zoo, we will probably just hang out a bit, we have been to san antonio many times and seen everything, so there's no pressure to sightsee, and then we are leaving inthe late afternoon to begin our 13 hour journey home... i get to ride with them this time:scared1: i know it is a short trip, but we will stop at my fave place, the kolache factory on the way home! and at least we will see the sun for a bit!

[jenseib]

Sounds fun!

[stephielela]

The weather was perfect in San Antonio. Saturday the family picked me up at the airport and we went to the Mercado to shop. I finally got the pitcher and glasses I’ve been wanting forever, and I decided to get tumbler glasses instead of traditional margarita glasses, that way I can use them for other stuff, and they will be harder (for DS) to knock over J We ate at La Margarita which is my fave restaurant there, and we had 2 pitchers of tasty margaritas with our delicious fajitas. DS thoroughly enjoyed the chips, salsa, and guac, which was interesting. After lunch we headed to the hotel to check in and relax, and then when we finally felt less full, we walked down the riverwalk to the Rivercenter Mall for some ice cream! It was chillier, since it was dark, but it still wasn’t too bad.



Sunday we slept in a bit, then had our free mini breakfast in the lobby before we went to church at the cathedral nearby. DS was surprisingly good, and right across the street there was the courthouse, and it’s a tradition that all day on Valentines Day they marry people for free, so there were a ton of brides and grooms around. After church we packed up and checked out of the hotel and went to the zoo. We walked around the zoo and looked at animals in the beautiful 70 degree weather! :cool1: I wore flip flops and a t-shirt! It was great. After we ate at a place called Saltgrass something or other, it was yummy, and I even ate ribs, which I never do. Then we got dropped DSis back at school and got in the car and headed home, with a mandatory stop at the Czech Stop for Kolaches in West, Texas. I LOVE kolaches! :lovestrucThe drive wasn’t too bad, DS went to sleep about 9 and slept on and off until we got home at 5, and then went to sleep in his bed till 11:45! I just wish we could have brought some of the weather back with us!

While we were there we finalized our dining plans, so I will be posting a rough schedule later. Obviously since we don't know park hours yet, I can't assign dates to the days, but that's why it's a rough draft!

[jenseib]

Sounds like a wonderful weekend!!!

[stephielela]

ok, so for our trip, we are planning on doing a full day at each park, a half day at epcot on our arrival day, a half day at magic kingdom on our departure day, and then a short day at the "other" park, to check out the new wizarding world of harry potter. so , without assigning an order or actual dates, here is the schedule...

Arrival Day:
Take first flight, get into MCO by 11 am.
Epcot:
Late lunch at biergarten
commence drinking around world (accomplish 1/2)
Dinner at Le Cellier

Full day Animal Kingdom:
Tusker House Breakfast (prior to park opening)
tour Animal Kingdom
Back to Hotel to shower/ relax
Dinner at ohana
DTD for some shopping

Full day DHS:
arrive in time for rope drop
tour DHS
late lunch/early dinner at 50's Prime Time Cafe
back to hotel for nap/swim time (if warm enough)
Return to DHS to see Osborne lights, and possibly Fantasmic

Full day Epcot
arrive in time for rope drop
tour future world
lunch at Les Chefs de France (Candlelight processional Package)
Candlelight processional
finish drinking around the world
dinner at Rose and Crown timed for Illuminations

Full MK day:
breakfast at Crystal Palace (prior to park opening)
break at hotel midday/early afternoon
dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table 5pm (ish)
MVMCP!

Universal day:
get to park before opening
tour major rides at WWOHP
check out other roller coasters/ seuss landing (for DS)
lunch and shopping in WWOHP
Head back to hotel to change, meet babysitter
adults to Cali Grill for dinner (timed for wishes)

Departure day MK:
finish up any rides or shopping at MK
lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern
take last flight out

Day after... spend day in bed depressed at lack of Disney magic

[stephielela]

My parents got their Disney Visa's in the mail, so we went ahead and booked this morning! We are currently booked Dec 13-22 at CBR, though we will only be staying 6 nights total. I actually wasn't thinking, and I should have booked the 11th-22nd, since the 11th is the earliest possible scenario if my sister doesn't have finals, but for some reason I wasn't thinking clearly. We got the 30% discount from my pin code, but only for the nights before and including the 16th, the other nights are regular rate. Hopefully we will be able to go early or we will get a better discount with different dates... who knows, I'm just glad it's official! :banana:

[jenseib]

Yay! Thats wonderful news!

[stephielela]

well, i haven't updated lately, mainly because there is nothing to report, lol. when you trip is still 9 months away... there is only so much you can do! i have now booked fot the 11th-22nd, and we will got the earleist 6 nights possible... which means i need to make a chart of all the ressies we want and every possible outcome so that the day i can make adr's (june 14) i can make them for every possible alternative, and then cancel the ones we won't be using once my sister knows her dates... it's going to be complicated... plus i can only book the first 10 days, so i will have to wait to book adrs for the last 2... ugh so confusing! lol.

i do want to add the the wishes dessert party to my plans, so i hope they are doing it again by then! it was so great on our last trip.

[stephielela]

well, there is still not much to update, but at least we know for 99% certain what our dates are going to be! unfortunately my sister has 2 finals on the 15th of Dec, so there is no use in us showing up in orlando before the 16th... which means that my pin code is pretty much useless! i am still holding out hope that my parents get a decent deal with their disney visa, or that maybe i could get another pin, but i doubt there will be much in the way of discounts fot the week we will be there... but in any case, our official dates are Dec 16-22! at least we know, and at least we are going! now i have to calculate the number of days till ADRs!

[jenseib]

Can some of you check in a day early to get the discount?

[KathyRN137]

Hey, Stephie, glad you've got your dates set!

If you think you've got a tough time waiting... remember me! I've got to wait until December 2011!! :faint:

CBR is a great resort for kids... we stayed there on our first-ever trip to Disney in '03.

Are you planning to get the Pirate-themed room for DS? pirate:


Kathy

[stephielela]

Hey, Stephie, glad you've got your dates set!

If you think you've got a tough time waiting... remember me! I've got to wait until December 2011!! :faint:

CBR is a great resort for kids... we stayed there on our first-ever trip to Disney in '03.

Are you planning to get the Pirate-themed room for DS? pirate:


Kathy


Hey Kathy! Yeah, that is a long wait, but just think, by then there will probably be even more stuff to see!!

We stayed at CBR the first time our family ever went when I was 6, and I absolutely loved it then. There has been some talk of having to switch to something cheaper since my pin code isn't valid for the dates we are going, but I think we are going to hope for a Visa discount, or maybe even an extension of the military discount. I really want CBR, but any trip to Disney is worth it, even if we can't stay there...

I thought about the pirate room, but I read a review that said the beds were really uncomfortable! I hope they figure out a wat to fix that problem, but unless we get a sweet discount, I don't think I can justify spending the extra $ this time around. DS is only 2, so he won't care that much, and his room at home is pirate-y themed (though no where near as cool as the CBR pics!)

[stephielela]

So after some discussion last night, we are beginning to rethink the day at Universal... it's going to be upwards of $400 just for the few hours we are going to spend there, and while we are huge HP fans, I'm just not sure that justifies the cost. I know that the theming will be awesome, and I will definitely want to go there, but there is only the one new ride, and while it sounds awesome, it just doesn't seem logical to spend that kind of money... plus we are already thinking that without a discount we won't be able to stay at CBR, but if we cancel Universal, then that savings on top of the fact we wouldn't need a rental car... that could be enough to keep us at CBR. Not to mention we were already facing a jam packed schedule, so this would give us a little freedom... but I really love HP! It's a dilemma! The other problem is that rumor has it the ticket prices to Universal will go up once WWOHP is open... and we are not going to buy our park tix before that I'm sure... What do you guys think?:confused3

[jenseib]

So after some discussion last night, we are beginning to rethink the day at Universal... it's going to be upwards of $400 just for the few hours we are going to spend there, and while we are huge HP fans, I'm just not sure that justifies the cost. I know that the theming will be awesome, and I will definitely want to go there, but there is only the one new ride, and while it sounds awesome, it just doesn't seem logical to spend that kind of money... plus we are already thinking that without a discount we won't be able to stay at CBR, but if we cancel Universal, then that savings on top of the fact we wouldn't need a rental car... that could be enough to keep us at CBR. Not to mention we were already facing a jam packed schedule, so this would give us a little freedom... but I really love HP! It's a dilemma! The other problem is that rumor has it the ticket prices to Universal will go up once WWOHP is open... and we are not going to buy our park tix before that I'm sure... What do you guys think?:confused3

Ticket prices for Universal already went up. ALOT. It used to be $99 for 7 days hopper. I don't know the exact costs now, but that price is about what a 1 day 1 park ticket is now. It went up in Feb. I think. (Maybe Jan) I was hoping to get DH to do a mini vacation htere this year, so I was watching the Universal board, and it went up when day while I was actually pricing out a trip. So I doubt the ywill go up again this year. I think that was the price hike for Harry Potter.

[jenseib]

I forget, which resrot is your origional plan to be at?

[stephielela]

Our original plan, the reservation we have now, is at CBR. After disucssing it with the family, we ahve decided to stick with that resort, and cut out the 1/2 day at Universal. I really want to see the WWOHP, but seriously, including the car rental we are talking $600 for like 4 or 5 hours. We figure we will obviously be back in Florida in the future, so we are waiting. I am kind of hoping that they continue to add to WWOHP as time goes on! Plus after I took a second glance at our itinerary, I realized that as of now we have no overlapping parks, so we don't actually need the park hopper option. It kind of goes against what we normally do, but the PH option is $200 more total for the 4 of us that we could save... so we will probably cut it too. This added to cutting the car rental and Universal should just about pay for the price difference of the resort!

On another note, I was looking into the no expiration option, since I am going back to disney for the marathon 3 weeks after our trip, and after pricing it all out, I found it was actually cheaper to get an annual pass!!! I am so excited about this, because I was already toying with the idea of going in October since my Disneyland/San Diego trip seems to be in jepordy, and since flights from here to Orlano run like 12 times a day, and are often super cheap! Not to mention I have a pin code good for October, and ds will still be 2 so he won't cost me anything for tickets... I am so excited, I have always wanted to have an annual pass... I'd prefer to live in Florida and have one so I can just drive over for the weekend, but this is better than nothing!

[stephielela]

Every year for Christmas, my sister and I combine funds to book a room for my parents at a nice hotel, for an evening away. It all started the year I worked for a world class resort in California, and the tradition stuck...

Since we are arriving at Disney the last day my pin code is good, we had decided we would apply the 40%, and the $100 (after the 20% pin) my parents would have been spending at CBR for that night and pay the difference for them to stay at a deluxe resort. I was originally thinking GF, but after number crunching :surfweb: and looking at all the deluxes, I found that the CR is way cheaper, so cheap in fact, that we could afford to get both rooms there the first night! :woohoo: This is ideal because I am planning on scheduling an early morning ADR at Crystal Palace, and we will be able to walk right over and not have to worry about getting my parents to switch resorts etc. The only downside is we will have to send someone to CBR to check in the rooms for the rest of our stay so that we can get our tix and meals for that day, but I figure one person cabbing it over early and meeting us in time for breakfast is still simpler than trying to both link up. Plus I have heard that they will transfer our luggage for us... is that true? I just think it would be a great way to start off our vacation... and while the CR isn't my dream deluxe, it's better than a sharp stick in the eye! :rotfl2:

I can see how a split stay would be kind of difficult, and I'm not sure I would want to do it if we were staying in one place more than a day, but since we will only be there one night, we just won't unpack or anything. Plus if we are both there it makes it easier to take the ME to the same place, check in and get our tix ASAP since we will have a lunch ADR planned...

What do you think?

[stephielela]

So, I guess my PTR title hit the nail on the head! As it turns out, I can't wait!:rotfl:

The original plan was for me and DS to take a trip to Southern California (SD Zoo, Universal, Sea World, and of course Disneyland) in October with my BFF Melissa. I lived in CA fro 6 years, and had only been to DL and US, and she had never been to either. Unfortunately due to money issues, and vacation time issues, it looks like that trip has been axed. :confused3

The upside? Well, since I had already determined I would be buying an AP, I figure I will just get it in September, and go to WDW for 4 days the last week that prices are low :rotfl2: That combined with the pin I have (20% off value resorts) plus the decent odds free dining will be offered (if not, there's always the Tables in Wonderland card) means we will be *probably* going September 27th-30th! :cool1:

Flights seem to run from here to MCO every other hour or so, so i figure we will catch an early flight in, and a late flight back, and experience Disney at a whole new time. I am hoping my BFF will be able to join us, but I haven't heard back from her yet. We will be finally attending the MNSSHP (I have been DYING to see it, Halloween is my FAVORITE holiday of all!) and just having a slow paced trip. I made a few dining reservations, but nothing too serious, just late lunches on a few days, we will probably be doing mostly CS food, which is fine with me. I will be starting a PTR for this trip as soon as I find out if Melissa is going or not! :banana:

On another note, I called Disney reservations today and booked 2 rooms at the Contemporary Resort for the 16th and the rest of the nights at CBR (17-22) The CR rooms were $108 more each than what we would be paying for CBR which is perfect for a Christmas present for all of us! It sucks that we will have to head to CBR to check in before we can go to MK, but it makes me think I might move our scheduel around a bit to fully enjoy our time at CR... I will have to take a look!

[DenishaT]

:banana: I stumbled on your ptr and wanted to say yay!! Glad everything is working out! If you're a sushi fan, you will love Cali Grill! DBF literally dreams about the sushi from there.

[stephielela]

:banana: I stumbled on your ptr and wanted to say yay!! Glad everything is working out! If you're a sushi fan, you will love Cali Grill! DBF literally dreams about the sushi from there.


*Welcome!* Personally I am not a sushi fan, though I haven't really tried all that many types... I just don't like much fish at all. There are plenty of things on the menu at CG to keep me interested though

So, it is official, I am planning a trip for 9/28-10/1 to POP! I have started my PTR, I am going to attempt to insert the link below...
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2444149

Hopefully that worked! I will have itinerary updates for the Dec trip momentarily... :santa:

[stephielela]

Due to the resort changes, as well as cutting WWOHP from our plans, I have made a few changes to our schedule. Let me know what you think!

Dec. 16th Arrival day
*take early flight, to arrive MCO by noon
*ME to CR!!! I think I am going to wait to surprise my parents until we are getting in line!
*Check in. If room is ready, explore resort and have QS lunch. Does anyone know about QS options at CR? If not, head to DTD for some shopping and maybe Earl of Sandwich.
*Dinner at CG (babysitter for DS). I figured since we were staying here this night, it made sense to have dinner here. Especially since I plan on hiring a babysitter for DS, at least if he freks out, I will be close by :rotfl: Does anyone know firsthand of the babysitting services reccomended by Disney?

Dec 17th
*Sleep in. I think it would be a good idea to be fully rested before starting the heavy park days, and since this may be our only chance to stay here ever, we might as well enjoy the resort, maybe go for a swim if weather permits.
*2 people (probably me and my DDad) will head over to CBR to check in the second reservation.
*Meet at Epcot for lunch at Biergarten.
*World Showcase touring
*Dinner at Le Cellier
*Back to CBR

Dec. 18th
*Animal Kingdom
*Tusker House Safari Breakfast
*Church (off property)
*Ohana dinner

Dec. 19th
* Magic Kingdom
*Crystal Palace Breakfast
*CRT dinner
*MVMCP!

more later!

[jenseib]

Every year for Christmas, my sister and I combine funds to book a room for my parents at a nice hotel, for an evening away. It all started the year I worked for a world class resort in California, and the tradition stuck...

Since we are arriving at Disney the last day my pin code is good, we had decided we would apply the 40%, and the $100 (after the 20% pin) my parents would have been spending at CBR for that night and pay the difference for them to stay at a deluxe resort. I was originally thinking GF, but after number crunching :surfweb: and looking at all the deluxes, I found that the CR is way cheaper, so cheap in fact, that we could afford to get both rooms there the first night! :woohoo: This is ideal because I am planning on scheduling an early morning ADR at Crystal Palace, and we will be able to walk right over and not have to worry about getting my parents to switch resorts etc. The only downside is we will have to send someone to CBR to check in the rooms for the rest of our stay so that we can get our tix and meals for that day, but I figure one person cabbing it over early and meeting us in time for breakfast is still simpler than trying to both link up. Plus I have heard that they will transfer our luggage for us... is that true? I just think it would be a great way to start off our vacation... and while the CR isn't my dream deluxe, it's better than a sharp stick in the eye! :rotfl2:

I can see how a split stay would be kind of difficult, and I'm not sure I would want to do it if we were staying in one place more than a day, but since we will only be there one night, we just won't unpack or anything. Plus if we are both there it makes it easier to take the ME to the same place, check in and get our tix ASAP since we will have a lunch ADR planned...

What do you think?

I'm totally confused? So are you now going the 16th? I thought you couldn;t go then? So you are stayin one night at CR and then going to CBR?

[stephielela]

We were hoping to go before the 16th, but the 16th seems to be the earliest date we can go, based on my sisters finals. We are staying the first night (16th) at CR and then the rest (17th-22nd) at CBR. Trust me, I am pretty confused myself after running so many different scenarios trying to save a few bucks! :lmao:

[stephielela]

Dec. 20
*DHS (to me it will ALWAYS be MGM)
*Lunch at 50's Prime Time Cafe
*Osborne lights!

Dec. 21
*Epcot!
*Late lunch at Les Chefs- we are planning on doing the CP package, and I think I read somewhere you could get in a lunch around 4 and get to the early showing...
*Dinner at Rose and Crown, timed for Illuminations viewing

Dec. 22 Departure Day
*Magic Kingdom for rope drop
*lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern (if time permits)
*late afternoon flight home

[stephielela]

I have heard these are great! I also recieved a coupon for 20% off in my welcome paperwork, so I think we are going to book one for our MK/MVMCP day at the GF. Does anyone know if they get the holiday decorations in the photos?

I am starting to like my schedule more and more, of course, nothing will be final until 1. tickets go on sale for MVMCP (I based my predicted dates off of the past 3 years schedules) and 2. ADR's are made! But I really hope it works out the way I planned!

[DisneyFirefly]

This trip looks like a lot of fun, too! You're gonna have a busy few months! :)

[stephielela]

This trip looks like a lot of fun, too! You're gonna have a busy few months! :)

Thanks! Yeah, I am hoping that a year of AP trips will be enough to keep my happy till my DS turns 5 (he just turned 2) and I can take him on our 2 week extravaganza! I really should consider just moving there...

[DisneyFirefly]

Thanks! Yeah, I am hoping that a year of AP trips will be enough to keep my happy till my DS turns 5 (he just turned 2) and I can take him on our 2 week extravaganza! I really should consider just moving there...

I miss Orlando :( I lived there for a while when I was working for Disney, and I just absolutely loved it. I'm hoping to eventually move back. It was the plan, but now that things have changed in my life, it's no longer a plan and is now just an option. But yeah, if I had the money, I'd totally buy an AP and go down every few months :lmao:

[exwdwcm]

Hi- consider me subbed- your little boy is so cute! mine is about the same age (2.5)!

Loving your plans so far!!! We are staying at BLT, as new DVC members, so i've been researching more on the Contemporary too (since we've never stayed there either). I know they have a great little quick service place- contempo cafe that is located on the same floor as Chef Mickey's. They just recently moved it in the past few years up there, it used to be located downstairs near the lobby. I hear they have a great variety of stuff, similar to the other resorts- baked goods, a grill for burgers etc, and the refillable mugs etc. Plus i like the open feeling up there, with the monorail whizzing by!

For Babysitting- I can HIGHLY and personally recommend KIDs Nite Out. It is also recommended by the boards here. We used them twice on this last December trip. We had booked them in advance to watch the three kiddos on our trip- who were 2, 3, and 6. The first time we had booked them so all of us adults could have dinner at Shula's at the Dolphin (fantastic!!!) and drink around Epcot. The sitter was college aged, arrived on time, came with a suitcase full of toys, puzzles and coloring books. They are all CPR/First aid trained and certified. They will stay as long as you need them. there is a minimum time limit too. check out their site for more. We were gone from about 4:30pm-11pm and they kids did great. We had ordered room service pizza for them and she fed them all. They stayed in the room the entire time and had a ball.

the kids enjoyed it so much, that we booked the sitter again later in the trip for our dinner at Le Cellier on the fly. We actually called about 5 hours before we needed the sitter and had no problem getting one. the 6yo was asking to have the babysitter come back, she loved it so much!! lol. if that doesn't speak volumes, i don't know what does! We will definitely consider using them again in the future. The kids clubs at the resorts are great too, but the kids must be 4yo and potty trained for that and we had a 2 and 3yo, so that wasn't an option for us. it wasn't cheap, but we loved using Kids Nite Out.
http://www.kidsniteout.com/svcs_sitter.aspx

On missing Harry Potter, iw ouldn't stress about it too much- my guess is that it is going to be super busy this year since it is just opening. I plan to wait until the 'buzz' has settled down a bit in a year or so before we go visit it and can enjoy it more. let them work out all the kinks and stuff too first! ;)

[stephielela]

Hi- consider me subbed- your little boy is so cute! mine is about the same age (2.5)!

Loving your plans so far!!! We are staying at BLT, as new DVC members, so i've been researching more on the Contemporary too (since we've never stayed there either). I know they have a great little quick service place- contempo cafe that is located on the same floor as Chef Mickey's. They just recently moved it in the past few years up there, it used to be located downstairs near the lobby. I hear they have a great variety of stuff, similar to the other resorts- baked goods, a grill for burgers etc, and the refillable mugs etc. Plus i like the open feeling up there, with the monorail whizzing by!

For Babysitting- I can HIGHLY and personally recommend KIDs Nite Out. It is also recommended by the boards here. We used them twice on this last December trip. We had booked them in advance to watch the three kiddos on our trip- who were 2, 3, and 6. The first time we had booked them so all of us adults could have dinner at Shula's at the Dolphin (fantastic!!!) and drink around Epcot. The sitter was college aged, arrived on time, came with a suitcase full of toys, puzzles and coloring books. They are all CPR/First aid trained and certified. They will stay as long as you need them. there is a minimum time limit too. check out their site for more. We were gone from about 4:30pm-11pm and they kids did great. We had ordered room service pizza for them and she fed them all. They stayed in the room the entire time and had a ball.

the kids enjoyed it so much, that we booked the sitter again later in the trip for our dinner at Le Cellier on the fly. We actually called about 5 hours before we needed the sitter and had no problem getting one. the 6yo was asking to have the babysitter come back, she loved it so much!! lol. if that doesn't speak volumes, i don't know what does! We will definitely consider using them again in the future. The kids clubs at the resorts are great too, but the kids must be 4yo and potty trained for that and we had a 2 and 3yo, so that wasn't an option for us. it wasn't cheap, but we loved using Kids Nite Out.
http://www.kidsniteout.com/svcs_sitter.aspx

On missing Harry Potter, iw ouldn't stress about it too much- my guess is that it is going to be super busy this year since it is just opening. I plan to wait until the 'buzz' has settled down a bit in a year or so before we go visit it and can enjoy it more. let them work out all the kinks and stuff too first! ;)

Welcome!! :yay: Glad to have you!

I had just realized that the Contemp Cafe replaced the Concourse Steakhouse! I read a review that said it was pretty tastey and had plenty of options, and I agree, that open feeling up there is nice! Now I'm wondering, since we are doing a split stay, can we use the mugs from CR at CBR? I mean I know they all look the same, and since it is the same trip, I wouldn't think it would be considered breaking the rules? We def will not be buying identical mugs at both resorts, that would be silly! :confused3

I had heard a lot of good things about Kid's Nite Out, and was pretty settled on it, until I started thinking. I am moving our Cali Grill res to the night we are staying at CR, since we can spend time relaxing before dinner etc. And because of the minimum requirements for KNO... I am thinking we will just take DS with us to dinner. Am I crazy? :scared1: i just figure with 4 adults, we can keep him busy and take him out to the terrace to run around... he is pretty well behaved and if necessary, I can always bail early from dinner and take him back to the room. I just have a hard time spending $75. I don't know, I haven't made up my mind completely yet, so thanks for the info!! I'm glad you had a good experience with them!

I am glad we are ditching WWOHP for the time being, it frees up a lot of time and money for us. Don't get me wrong, I :love: HP, but this is going to make our itinerary much less cluttered and more relaxed! I think we will wait till the kinks are worked out and the craze dies down a bit!

[DisneyFirefly]

I don't think you're crazy for considering bringing your son with you to dinner instead of paying $75 for a babysitting service :) That's probably what I'd do :rotfl:

Your reasons for skipping the HP park are actually quite similar to our reasons for skipping it. It'll be about six months after opening, but it's still going to be insane.

As for the refillable mugs, as far as I know, you can use the same ones. I'm not sure, though, as I've never had one. :hug:

[stephielela]

Well, I got lucky and sure enough, the 19th is the last day for MVMCP. Does anyone know why they stop it so early in the month? Is it because the parks are just too crowded after that to close them early for the party? I just think it's wierd that in the week leading up to Christmas there aren't any parties, or any after, like with MNSSHP. Oh well, the date we needed is there! Now we just have to buy the (super expensive) tickets. I'm pretty sure this is the last time we will be doing this part until DS is much older. It's hard to justify spending $60 a person :scared1: I want to go this time, since I know he will enjoy it, and it may be the last holiday season we go to Disney (I'm getting more into the idea of fall trips) and because I want to compare the MVMCP and MNSSHP.

I have recieved coupons in the mail for 20% off the photo sessions! I am pretty sure we will be going to GF for ours, which is perfect since we can take a break midday on our MK day, head back to the resort to freshen up, then go to GF for photos before our ADR at CRT. I suppose if we opt for photo session at the Boardwalk, we will do it our first day instead, but I'm pretty sure my mom wants GF, and that's a-ok with me!

I broke down and went on ebay to get a few Vera Bradley mini hipster purses for our trip as well! I have decided to ban myself from ebay, since my competitve nature worked against me, and I ended up with 4 instead of the 3 I needed, but lesson learned. I read on another thread (about which bag is the best to carry at WDW) that this bag was popular, so I hopped onto the VB website to look at their clearance items. Naturally, all the reall cheap mini hipsters were "temporarily unavailable online" so I waited a few days and checked again, same message :confused3 At that point I decided I would need to look elsewhere, so I went to the VB store nearby and of course, they had NO sale items! Who does that?:mad: So I finally gave up an scoured ebay and found ones to bid on. After several days of waiting and watching :surfweb: I ended up with 4 (3 that I really like) Why so many? Well, I figured that one would be a great mother's day gift for my mom. We are celebrating mothers day by shopping for dresses for a wedding at the end of the month, and these bags are also perfect for serious shopping trips. I got one for my sister as an early bday present because she is going to Paris for 6 weeks for a study abroad program, and then a week in Rome. These bags are great for that because they are very secure, and lightweight, and since she will be in Rome in July, it will probably get sweaty, and they are washable. The 4th is going to my BFF as a late bday present because she is going with me on my fall trip with my DS to the world. So there you have it. A very long explanation trying to justify my ebay addiction, and compulsive shopping habits :rolleyes1 Now that you all know I'm crazy, I hope you will still read my reports! :rotfl2:

[stephielela]

I don't think you're crazy for considering bringing your son with you to dinner instead of paying $75 for a babysitting service :) That's probably what I'd do :rotfl:

Your reasons for skipping the HP park are actually quite similar to our reasons for skipping it. It'll be about six months after opening, but it's still going to be insane.

As for the refillable mugs, as far as I know, you can use the same ones. I'm not sure, though, as I've never had one. :hug:

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can find something more fun to do with that extra money :)

I don't mind crowds or hectic trips, but I just feel like I want to be able to relax at least a tiny bit, and skipping HP is going to help. I know this will not be our last visit to Orlando, so we will see it eventually, and maybe it will be even better by then. :thumbsup2

I'm def planning on only buying the mugs at CR and taking them to CBR. There is no reason to have to pay twice if its the same trip. That would be cra-azy!

[DisneyFirefly]

Well, I got lucky and sure enough, the 19th is the last day for MVMCP. Does anyone know why they stop it so early in the month? Is it because the parks are just too crowded after that to close them early for the party? I just think it's wierd that in the week leading up to Christmas there aren't any parties, or any after, like with MNSSHP.

The reason they stop the parties early is because during the week of Christmas, they run the Christmas entertainment instead of the everyday stuff :) I believe it usually starts one to two days after the last party, but I don't remember right now (brain is dead).

[exwdwcm]

Welcome!! :yay: Glad to have you!

I had just realized that the Contemp Cafe replaced the Concourse Steakhouse! I read a review that said it was pretty tastey and had plenty of options, and I agree, that open feeling up there is nice! Now I'm wondering, since we are doing a split stay, can we use the mugs from CR at CBR? I mean I know they all look the same, and since it is the same trip, I wouldn't think it would be considered breaking the rules? We def will not be buying identical mugs at both resorts, that would be silly! :confused3

I had heard a lot of good things about Kid's Nite Out, and was pretty settled on it, until I started thinking. I am moving our Cali Grill res to the night we are staying at CR, since we can spend time relaxing before dinner etc. And because of the minimum requirements for KNO... I am thinking we will just take DS with us to dinner. Am I crazy? :scared1: i just figure with 4 adults, we can keep him busy and take him out to the terrace to run around... he is pretty well behaved and if necessary, I can always bail early from dinner and take him back to the room. I just have a hard time spending $75. I don't know, I haven't made up my mind completely yet, so thanks for the info!! I'm glad you had a good experience with them!

I am glad we are ditching WWOHP for the time being, it frees up a lot of time and money for us. Don't get me wrong, I :love: HP, but this is going to make our itinerary much less cluttered and more relaxed! I think we will wait till the kinks are worked out and the craze dies down a bit!Is he is good at meals, you should be fine. I LOVE Cali Grill. I've eaten there so many times and it never disappoints. We did take my niece back in 07 and she was 2.5 at the time. She did just fine. lots of families have young children in there. So don't worry about it. My son does awful at long meals (or restaurant meals for the most part)- so we wouldn't take him, but if you have a kiddo that is good at meals, you are golden and shouldn't worry about it. My son just hates sitting that long and then i inevitably end up having to hold him and entertain while my food gets cold. :rotfl: But they definitely can handle kids if you are comfortable with it.



lol at getting 4 bags! i just discovered those bags and they look awesome!!! i might have to look into them. As far ending MVMCP at christmas week- i think it is because they pretty much just start offering everything they offer at MVMCP (holiday WISHES, Christmas parade) and some of those other shows every night that week. So what happens at MVMCP sort of becomes standard for the public that week. THe only thing you really miss is the hot chocolate/cookies I guess. Plus the park hours are opened later too already that week, so you get the extra park hours too.

So really if you are going to the MK at all christmas week, then you will see everything the MVMCP would offer, but for free. there isn't really a reason to pay to go to MVMCP if you are going christmas week (I think anyhow). :santa::wizard:

[stephielela]

As far ending MVMCP at christmas week- i think it is because they pretty much just start offering everything they offer at MVMCP (holiday WISHES, Christmas parade) and some of those other shows every night that week. So what happens at MVMCP sort of becomes standard for the public that week. THe only thing you really miss is the hot chocolate/cookies I guess. Plus the park hours are opened later too already that week, so you get the extra park hours too.

So really if you are going to the MK at all christmas week, then you will see everything the MVMCP would offer, but for free. there isn't really a reason to pay to go to MVMCP if you are going christmas week (I think anyhow). :santa::wizard:

Hmmm... this is something to consider... after all, the tickets are $60 each and there are 4 of us :scared1: So I guess if there is a day when MK is open late that is after the 19th, we can expect to see the special parades etc and wishes for free? :rolleyes1 My mom would love me if that was the case... I will have to look into that! Thanks for the info both of you!!

[exwdwcm]

Hmmm... this is something to consider... after all, the tickets are $60 each and there are 4 of us :scared1: So I guess if there is a day when MK is open late that is after the 19th, we can expect to see the special parades etc and wishes for free? :rolleyes1 My mom would love me if that was the case... I will have to look into that! Thanks for the info both of you!!Yes, typically that whole week the park will be open late every night, since it is one of the busiest weeks of the year at WDW. They stay open late to accomodate the larger crowds. it looks like that week last year- hours were like this- so probably very similar this year....for the 'week of christmas'.

The christmas parade runs twice daily during christmas week. Holiday WISHES is nightly (last year at 10pm each night).

sunday- open til 11pm
monday- open til midnight
tuesday- open til midnight
wednesday- open til midnight
thursday- open til 11pm
friday- open til 1am
saturday- open til 1am

So yes, you will see everything you would see at the party. i would keep my $60 a person and see it for free. It is going to be crowded that week no matter what, the parties closer to Christmas (the last few) are usually reallly packed too anyhow. :)

[stephielela]

I mentioned the info to my dad and sister, and my sister was pretty adament about wanting to do it. I set up 3 different itineraries, one for attending the party on the 17th, one for the 19th, and one for not attending at all, and it also seems to work best for our schedule to do it, but we are waiting to buy tickets for a while longer anyways, and if they sell out, we'll live, since we know we can see the parade etc anyways. I think DS would like it, but at least now I am not wedded to the idea. :rotfl: I'll live either way... plus I did want to do a comparison between MNSSHP and MVMCP

[stephielela]

The other night my family and I had one of our Disney Family meetings. Basically, my sister makes recipes from WDW and I put together a "presentation" for our trip. This is only the second one we have done, the first was when we first decided to go on the trip. I know to most people, this seems incredibly nerdy, but I figure if anyone can appreciate the nerdiness, it's people here on the DIS! You guys can understand how I'm just trying to build up excitement, and keep us going for the next loooong months ahead :rotfl: Anywho, we had a fantastic dinner, and we all sat around and discussed our restaurant choices, which ones might need replacing, since the menus aren't appealing to some of us, our basic itinerary and the budget. My mom works in accounting for a living, so she is big on budgets etc, so she was having trouble reconciling the numbers (that I was very vague about to begin with) with the charges that were already on her Disney Visa. I had told her that in order to use my discount for the 16th (our first night) I had to make 2 seperate reservations for each room and blah blah blah. I tried ot make it complicated sounding, and it was working, but then she said I should just print off a copy of the reciepts sent my the CM. Well, since she was askign for tangible proof (that I couldn't alter) I had to fess up to the Christmas surprise of staying at the Contemporary for the first night. Needless to say they were happy and surprised, mostly at my ability to make stuff sound true when trying to be convincing, but they are totally on board with the idea. In the end it will actually make thigns easier, not having to keep this secret even when the ME paperwork gets here etc. Now I get to go check out the park hours and make sure they don't mess with my plans! Oh yeah, does anyone know about making before the park opens ADR's for days with morning EMH? For example, if we wanted to do Tusker House on 12/20, would we be able to get and ADR for 7 since the park opens for EMH at 8? If not we will def stick to our original plan of not using EMH's for AK and DHS, but if we can, I will just flip those days around and we can take advantage of EMH's for BOTH parks and have more evening time :love:

[exwdwcm]

good question on the EMH ADRs, that i don't know.........let me know what you find out- i am just curious!

sorry the surprise was done early, but so glad they liked it!!! they must have been so happy!

NOT nerdy at all..........in fact my family did a monthly newsletter for the 14 of us going this past december. Well really my sister and i did it each month and it was probably 10 pages long each time. :rotfl::rotfl: We also did disney meetings to discuss plans and let everyone pick dining choices etc. My mom also threw two parties- one Peter Pan themed and one Alice themed for us- and she gave prizes for games in the form of disney dollars. We had themed food, cake etc. It was so much fun. Keep in mind out of the 14, only 3 were children. :lmao: So nope, disney meetings are not considered nerdy in my book and if they are- then i proudly wear the nerd badge. ;)

[stephielela]

NOT nerdy at all..........in fact my family did a monthly newsletter for the 14 of us going this past december. Well really my sister and i did it each month and it was probably 10 pages long each time. :rotfl::rotfl: We also did disney meetings to discuss plans and let everyone pick dining choices etc. My mom also threw two parties- one Peter Pan themed and one Alice themed for us- and she gave prizes for games in the form of disney dollars. We had themed food, cake etc. It was so much fun. Keep in mind out of the 14, only 3 were children. :lmao: So nope, disney meetings are not considered nerdy in my book and if they are- then i proudly wear the nerd badge. ;)



I LOVE that!! I wish we had more people going so I could throw a big party! I guess we will stick to our dinners, we have actually found some good recipes that way, the Kona salad recipe we actually used for a big dinner with relatives and was a HUGE hit, everyone wanted copies of the recipe :rotfl:

Once my sister goes back to college, I will probably start doing a brief newsletter as well... if it's not all planned to the minute by then, lol.

[stephielela]

good question on the EMH ADRs, that i don't know.........let me know what you find out- i am just curious!

Well, I called this morning (btw at 7:45 it only took 1.5 minutes to get through... good sign for when its time to make ADR's?) and the CM seemed to think that no, they didn't open early for morning EMH's. I asked and she said, yes, they would be open for the EMH, so I said, "Oh, so I would be able to get a 7 am reservation" and she said "No, you could get an 8 am reservation" to which I replied "Well, since I could get an 8 am reservation on a normal day, I thought I might be able to get one an hour earlier if the park was open an hour earlier..." to which she didn't reply at all, so I said thanks for clarifying... but I am not all that clear... However, it is my assumption (from the confusing convo) that you cannot get a 7 am ADR... I think we are going to leave our schedule the way it is, after all, I think being dressed ready and seated in a restaurant at 8 am will be a big enough stretch :laughing:

[stephielela]

I just found out about these!! I looked on the website, and while it is kinda limited, it will do the job! I am going to set "good morning" calls for DS on the morning of each of our trips! I think I will probably set one for my BFF too. What a great way to start out a vacay!!

[jenseib]

No on EMH days they do not open resturants earlier than the park opens. Thats why alot of people rather have an ealry ADR on a day thats not EMH. Then there is less people in the park for early pictures.

[erikawolf2004]

I LOVE that!! I wish we had more people going so I could throw a big party! I guess we will stick to our dinners, we have actually found some good recipes that way, the Kona salad recipe we actually used for a big dinner with relatives and was a HUGE hit, everyone wanted copies of the recipe :rotfl:

Once my sister goes back to college, I will probably start doing a brief newsletter as well... if it's not all planned to the minute by then, lol.

Just joining in on your PTR. I would love the Kona Salad Recipe. We will be there Dec. 1-8..can't wait!!!

Erika

[therussells08]

Hi! I too am just joining in to this PTR! Your son is SO CUTE! I can't wait to read more! I just started my PTR for December as well. It's my first too, so maybe I can use yours for inspiration! :rotfl:

[stephielela]

No on EMH days they do not open resturants earlier than the park opens. Thats why alot of people rather have an ealry ADR on a day thats not EMH. Then there is less people in the park for early pictures.

Thanks for the clarification!! I was pretty sure that was the case, but it's good to know for sure!

[stephielela]

Just joining in on your PTR. I would love the Kona Salad Recipe. We will be there Dec. 1-8..can't wait!!!

Erika

Welcome!!!:banana:

I originally got the recipe off the Mickey Mom's Club website, but when I googled it again, I found this awesome thread right here on the DIS! The link is below.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1575103

[stephielela]

Hi! I too am just joining in to this PTR! Your son is SO CUTE! I can't wait to read more! I just started my PTR for December as well. It's my first too, so maybe I can use yours for inspiration! :rotfl:


Yay! More readers! Welcome to you too! Thanks for saying DS is cute. Let me tell you, he has hit the terrible two's HARD this past week, so I am finding him less cute at the moment, but he is very photogenic :goodvibes (unlike his mommy) I'm heading over to check out your PTR now!

[stephielela]

Not much new to report... only 22 more days until ADR's!!! And I think Southwest releases their fares right around then too! We are waiting to buy our MVMCP tix until our ADR's are confirmed, since we have 2 parties while we are there, just in case our ideal ressies aren't available.

As far as ADR's go, I haven't decided how I want to go about making them... We can make ADR's on 6/19 which is a Saturday. I'm pretty sure that by then I will no longer be working overnights, so I won't be at work at that time, so I will have to actually get up to do it. I figure I will make my parents get up and help. I was thinking about all 3 of us calling in, each for one or two of our "essential/hard to get ressies" (Le Cellier, Les Chefs with CP package, 8 am ADR's for Tusker House and Crystal Palace, and dinner at CRT) and then doing the others online. Plus I think you can do online reservations starting at 5 am... is that right? I guess we will get up and do as many as we can do online first, and then wait on the phone for CP package, since I think that is the only one we can't do online... I don't know, I have heard of a lot of people going to make their ADR's online, and the system being down :scared1: I would flip out! I guess we will have to wait and see what happens, and what my parents are willing to do :laughing: Of course if I am still working this shift (overnights) problem solved, since I will be awake and ready, and online!

[ChildAtHeart82]

Just found your trip report and I'll be subbing! :) I started my first PTR for our December trip last week. It looks like our dates overlap with yours. We'll be there 19-26 Dec and we might end up being at DHS and MK on the same dates. This will be our first trip to Disney at Christmas time and we are really excited!

Your mini report about San Antonio brought back good memories for me. We used to live in San Antonio and miss a lot about it. We miss the Riverwalk and eating at Saltgrass.

We're hoping to book a CP Dinner Package as well, though we haven't decided where we want to eat yet. Still waiting for Disney to release details for this year including when reservations will open up.

Looking forward to more updates!

[BippityBoo]

Joining in your PTR :goodvibes Your DS is sooo adorable!! We are going to WDW in December as well! We will be there from Dec 11-16th. I am in full planning mode..I can't believe it is only 6 months away!

I started working on my binder as well! I will go back and look at the posts that I used for it on the creative boards...they had some really good lists to keep track of ADR numbers, park hours, etc. I should post the pic of mine on my PTR soon! I will get back to you about that and I can't wait to read more about your trip popcorn::

[BippityBoo]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2114031

This link was the most useful! You can just copy and paste the lists onto a Word document. Hope that helps a little :goodvibes

[stephielela]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2114031

This link was the most useful! You can just copy and paste the lists onto a Word document. Hope that helps a little :goodvibes

Thanks so much for the link!! I have started lookign at pages, but I haven't printed anything out yet. I want to wait till I have everything I know I want, otherwise I know I will keep changing my mind (and wasting ink!) :rotfl:

[stephielela]

Wow I can't believe we are getting do close to the 6 month mark (not to mention ADR's). I remember when I was a year out and thought it would take FOREVER! Of course, I have a feeling time is going to drag as we get closer, but that's ok, I have found a way to combat it! I was reading another PTR and the DISer (wlwilliams9) has Disney themed movie nights, where the food and everything coordinates! I am planning on starting that in our house next week, so once a month we will do one. It will help burn off some Disney energy :rotfl: Plus we are going to try and see some movies we haven't all seen yet.

As for ADR's, I'm getting a little nervous due to posts I have read about people who have managed to make their reservations earlier than their 180 mark online! :surfweb: I am going to investigate as I get closer to my date and see if I can manage it, but my date isn't till the 19th anyways. I'm hoping the will have opened up CP package reservations by then!

We spent the past weekend in Dallas at a family friends wedding. It was TONS of fun! It was nice to have a little vacation, especially from work! On the upside it looks liek in a couple weeks I will be on the 3-11pm shift! :banana: Thank goodness because I am SO SICK of working overnights! I have been on this shift for 8 months now and it is driving me crazy. I will probably have less time for DIS, but more time for sleep, and marathon training, which is a definite good thing!

I have a trip coming up in July to New Mexico, so that should help get me through my Disney anxiety, plus my mini trip to Disney at the end of September! But the one I'm looking forward to most is December, because there is just something about holidays at Disney that makes everything seem perfect! :santa:

[wlwilliams9]

I'm in!! Your plans sound great! We had planned WWoHP too, but decided to wait until our girls are a little bigger and they (hopefully) add more attractions/rides!

Disney Visa ususally announces their discounts for Oct-Dec the last week of July. They need to do it before we need to make our ADRs, but that's another story!! Anyway, Disney Visa usually offers 20/30/40 off or Free Dining through 12/24 so hopefully you will still be able to get a discount. Last year Disney also offered FD & b4g3 during that time. Keep your fingers crossed because we need a discount too! :thumbsup2

We did a photoshoot last year at the Poly and it was great. I'd love to get a discount for this year since we have a new member in our family!:lovestruc I know that there is a PP photographer at the WL that takes pics in front of the Christmas tree & little stream and adds them to your PP card without having to set up and pay for a photoshoot. I don't know if that is the case at the other resorts, but we are definitely getting our pics taken while we are there. I'm hoping to get a good Christmas card picture!:santa:

Can't wait to read more! Now I need to read your PTR for the fall!

[wlwilliams9]

Oh, have you seen the thread on the family boards with all of the family Disney nights? If not, here is the thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1707141

I thought it would help in your Disney night planning!

[stephielela]

Oh, have you seen the thread on the family boards with all of the family Disney nights? If not, here is the thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1707141

I thought it would help in your Disney night planning!

Welcome! Glad to have you!:yay:
That is awesome news about the Disney Visa discounts, I will be payin gvery close attention! I wonder if it will be later this year since they announced FD for falllater than usual? We decided to just go ahead and add the DxDP and book our ADR's, and then if we decide not to do it, or to go with the DDP, we will change later.

Wow thanks so much for that link, it really is going to help! I think we are doing a ratatouille night this next week, in honor of m sister being in Paris. I'm really excited. I was going to do it only once a month, but now I'm thinking maybe every 2 weeks? :lmao:

[stephielela]

I called today to add the DxDP to our reservation so that when I start booking ADR's next week, we won't have to prepay anything! Here's my question... I was under the impression that you did NOT have to have park tickets to add dining, but the CM told me I did. :confused3I don't understand why that is the case, since the dining plans are tied to your room nights, not the number of days you have on your tickets. The other thing is my dad is military, so he can get our tickets for (slightly) cheaper through them than through Disney... Since it's not free dining, I don't see why I have to buy park tickets at all. I understand that the promos often require you to buy a few days worth of tickets, but we are paying full price (at this point). I was planning on upgrading my tickets from my September trip to an AP since the price difference is minimal and I am planning a 3rd trip in January for the marathon, but if I am required to buy tickets to add dining, it's not cose effective anymore, and I might not go For now, I added 6 day PH's, until I get clarification on this issue, so if anyone has any insight, let me know! :confused:

[DisneyFirefly]

You have to have at least a one-day ticket in order to utilize the dining plans. I believe it's different with an AP, but I've never been a passholder, so I'm not entirely sure. :)

[jenseib]

You have to have at least a one-day ticket in order to utilize the dining plans. I believe it's different with an AP, but I've never been a passholder, so I'm not entirely sure. :)

Dining plan is part of a package. You have to have at least 1 day pass to add dining. Ap holders don't get a break. They still have to buy a pass to get the plan or go with the tables of wonderland discount pass. DVC members can add dining. I thin kthey can do it at check in.


I'm in!! Your plans sound great! We had planned WWoHP too, but decided to wait until our girls are a little bigger and they (hopefully) add more attractions/rides!

Disney Visa ususally announces their discounts for Oct-Dec the last week of July. They need to do it before we need to make our ADRs, but that's another story!! Anyway, Disney Visa usually offers 20/30/40 off or Free Dining through 12/24 so hopefully you will still be able to get a discount. Last year Disney also offered FD & b4g3 during that time. Keep your fingers crossed because we need a discount too! :thumbsup2



Can't wait to read more! Now I need to read your PTR for the fall!

Last year was the first year they offered free dining to the general public for Oct-Dec. (I got a pin for it the 10 of July, and then a few days later it was available to Visa holders, then went to the public not long after that) The year before was the first year they offerred it to Visa holders and also they sent out PINs. But it wasn't till like Aug or later when they did this.
The buy 4 get 3 free deal came out around Oct I think, but wasn't good to use till after Christmas.

I called today to add the DxDP to our reservation so that when I start booking ADR's next week, we won't have to prepay anything! Here's my question... I was under the impression that you did NOT have to have park tickets to add dining, but the CM told me I did. :confused3I don't understand why that is the case, since the dining plans are tied to your room nights, not the number of days you have on your tickets. The other thing is my dad is military, so he can get our tickets for (slightly) cheaper through them than through Disney... Since it's not free dining, I don't see why I have to buy park tickets at all. I understand that the promos often require you to buy a few days worth of tickets, but we are paying full price (at this point). I was planning on upgrading my tickets from my September trip to an AP since the price difference is minimal and I am planning a 3rd trip in January for the marathon, but if I am required to buy tickets to add dining, it's not cose effective anymore, and I might not go For now, I added 6 day PH's, until I get clarification on this issue, so if anyone has any insight, let me know! :confused:

I think I answered your question in the posts above. You have to have a package deal with one ticket at least to get the dining plan. Now with free dining you have to have 2 days tickets and 3 nights minimum stay.

[exwdwcm]

Wow I can't believe we are getting do close to the 6 month mark (not to mention ADR's). I remember when I was a year out and thought it would take FOREVER! Of course, I have a feeling time is going to drag as we get closer, but that's ok, I have found a way to combat it! I was reading another PTR and the DISer (wlwilliams9) has Disney themed movie nights, where the food and everything coordinates! I am planning on starting that in our house next week, so once a month we will do one. It will help burn off some Disney energy :rotfl: Plus we are going to try and see some movies we haven't all seen yet.

As for ADR's, I'm getting a little nervous due to posts I have read about people who have managed to make their reservations earlier than their 180 mark online! :surfweb: I am going to investigate as I get closer to my date and see if I can manage it, but my date isn't till the 19th anyways. I'm hoping the will have opened up CP package reservations by then!

We spent the past weekend in Dallas at a family friends wedding. It was TONS of fun! It was nice to have a little vacation, especially from work! On the upside it looks liek in a couple weeks I will be on the 3-11pm shift! :banana: Thank goodness because I am SO SICK of working overnights! I have been on this shift for 8 months now and it is driving me crazy. I will probably have less time for DIS, but more time for sleep, and marathon training, which is a definite good thing!

I have a trip coming up in July to New Mexico, so that should help get me through my Disney anxiety, plus my mini trip to Disney at the end of September! But the one I'm looking forward to most is December, because there is just something about holidays at Disney that makes everything seem perfect! :santa:hey there- i was able to book all my ressies at 190 days out so give it a try! and scary enough, it was actually tough getting a few of them- Le Cellier was totally booked for one evening.......i assume they are holding some spots for the candlelight processional packages for later, but if not- that's pretty scary!!

so what do you do that you work the overnight shift? so glad you might be getting a break and switching to a different shift! :)

so where did you stay in Dallas? that's where I live! ;)

yes, on the ticket situation/dining- everyone is right, they require that each person that wants to get dining must have at least a one day ticket. I know, it takes a master's degree to figure out the ticketing process! :lmao:

[stephielela]

Dining plan is part of a package. You have to have at least 1 day pass to add dining. Ap holders don't get a break. They still have to buy a pass to get the plan or go with the tables of wonderland discount pass. DVC members can add dining. I thin kthey can do it at check in.




Last year was the first year they offered free dining to the general public for Oct-Dec. (I got a pin for it the 10 of July, and then a few days later it was available to Visa holders, then went to the public not long after that) The year before was the first year they offerred it to Visa holders and also they sent out PINs. But it wasn't till like Aug or later when they did this.
The buy 4 get 3 free deal came out around Oct I think, but wasn't good to use till after Christmas.

Thanks for all the info! I'm really hoping they offer free dining, it would help a lot. I think if they did that we would probably still upgrade to deluxe, but maybe not. Maybe we would just pay for the additional meals OOP since we haven't even decided on ADR's for all of them yet anyways...

[stephielela]

You have to have at least a one-day ticket in order to utilize the dining plans. I believe it's different with an AP, but I've never been a passholder, so I'm not entirely sure. :)

Yeah, it looks like my fantastic AP plan wasn's so fantastic :rotfl:

[stephielela]

hey there- i was able to book all my ressies at 190 days out so give it a try! and scary enough, it was actually tough getting a few of them- Le Cellier was totally booked for one evening.......i assume they are holding some spots for the candlelight processional packages for later, but if not- that's pretty scary!!

so what do you do that you work the overnight shift? so glad you might be getting a break and switching to a different shift! :)

so where did you stay in Dallas? that's where I live! ;)

yes, on the ticket situation/dining- everyone is right, they require that each person that wants to get dining must have at least a one day ticket. I know, it takes a master's degree to figure out the ticketing process! :lmao:


Yeah, I am hoping we are successful at booking these ADR's. It's become more complicated than I had anticipated.

I work in a hotel. I am SO GLAD I am getting to finally switch shifts. It's based on seniority and about 8 months ago the girl who was working nights (who was way more senior than me) decided to switch to days, so it bumped me all the way down. We have 2 overnight shifts, and I was second from the bottem in seniority, and no one had quit/been fired in the almost 2 years I have been here, until now. Thankfully, I should be able to get back to the 3-11 shift by the 21st. :woohoo:

We stayed at the Aloft hotel. It was pretty cool, definitely a modern and trendy hotel, a lot of the older guests didn't like it, but I thought it was great. Some of their staff was less than stellar, but the hotel itself was great. I had never really been to Dallas before, but I liked it. The rehearsal dinner was in Plano, and the wedding and reception were at the Old Red courthouse. It was a beautiful place to get married. I think I have flown through DFW before, and I have to say, I enjoyed flying into Love much better (yay for SW).

As for the ticket situation, this may change my future plans... stay tuned!

[stephielela]

Ok, well today is 190 days before we check in for our first (and only) night at the Contemporary! That also means that at 5 am, we can book our ADR for California Grill (hoping for 8pm). Normally this would be fantastic news, since I will obviously be wide awake and at a computer at 5 am. Unfortunately, our computers here do not have a new enough version of Internet Explorer, and I can't download a newer version since I am not a system administrator! :scared1: I managed to sweet talk my dad into getting up at 5 to do it (after all it's his trip too!) but I would really feel better about it if I was doing it. I might try bringing in a laptop tomorrow, but I lent my mini to my sister to use for her trip to Paris so I'd have to haul her huge heavy laptop into work, and I would prefer not to draw that much attention to myself, since I would like to keep my job. The ADR's for the 17th aren't very special, or essential to our happiness, so I won't need him to do those, they can wait till I get home, but Friday :rolleyes1 well we need to make our before-the-park-opens Tusker House ADR's that day... Same thing for Saturday, just at CP instead... we will see. I will cross my fingers and hope for the best!

As for the ticket thing, I am beginning to think that I will have to drop my trip in January for the marathon. I know that it might sound silly, but the extra $ I would have to spend on tickets for that trip might put me over the limit. Plus if I don't go, I could always do a solo trip the next year for the marathon, and maybe even stay longer since I would't just be coming off a week long trip less thana month prior. We will see, I think I will wait till the end of the summer to decide, see how my training progresses etc. It's non-refundable registration and it's NOT cheap!

We started our Disney movie theme nights on Monday! We did Ratatouille, which none of us had ever seen, in tribute to my sister who is spending the summer there taking classes for college. I put a tablecloth and cloth napkins and china on the table and we had an onion soup, croissants, and crepes for dessert. I also pulled out some framed prints and a mini eiffel tower from my last trip there. The soup was awesome (though I got the recipe off of allears.net, and it was listed as a Le Cellier recipe, not from France, but close enough), and the crepes were a bit tricky, but they worked out in the end. I will post pics later. DS of course had chicken nuggets and corn... he's not old enough for soup :rotfl2:

Hopefully I will have an update in a few hours about a perfect CG ADR!!!

[stephielela]

UGH!!!! my dad called me at work to tell me that the dining reservations system is down for maintenance!! are you kidding me??? i told him to go exercise and then try again :lmao: hey, at least if it's down, no one else is makin online adr's yet either!

[stephielela]

Woo Hoo!!! :banana: Well, my dad stuck it out and when the system came back up, he snagged us a 7:45 pm ADR at California Grill!!!! We were hoping for 8, but this is close enough. Since we will be staying at CR that night we can make sure DS takes a late nap, and then head to dinner and see Holiday Wishes (it's a MVMCP night) as we are finishing up and then crawl back to our rooms!! 1 down, many more to go! (I've decided to probably bring in my sisters laptop tomorroe, I can't hadle the stress! :rolleyes1)

[jenseib]

I have a dumb question. How are you making ADR's at 190 days?

[stephielela]

I have a dumb question. How are you making ADR's at 190 days?

It is being discussed heavily on the Dec. 2010 thread:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2329631&page=45

but here is the abbreviated version

"Yes, if you are staying at a Disney Resort you can book 190 days out. Here's the link.
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining/
When you click on the calendar and put in your date it will ask you to log in and enter your confirmation # and date of arrival. The only drawback is I had to do this every morning but I got what I wanted. Good luck. "

Basically you log into the system as usual, but instead of putting your arrival date, put the date that is 180 days from the day you want the reservation. For some reason Disney has not implemented a way to prevent people from doing this, and from what I've read they are aware of it, as are many of the travel partners who offer to make reservations for their clients, because they don't have the access and are trying to get it.

This morning we are trying for Le Cellier ( long shot I know) at anytime of day. We have many contigency plans though :laughing:

[stephielela]

We managed to get our ideal Le Cellier time! :lovestruc

Today we booked for 12/17:

Biergarten @ 12:30 pm~ never been here, but I'm pretty sure DS will love the noise and music

Le Cellier @ 7:45 pm~ this was my mom's #1 choice for this trip. I'm so glad we got it, I was really starting to freak out after reading reports saying it was booked solid.

I believe Epcot has EMH's that night, so since we will be getting a late start, we should be able to last through Illuminations at least. We will be spending most of our time in the WS anyways that day, so I'm not sure we will need to stay late, but it's good to know we can if we want! The plan is to finish up at dinner just in time to catch Illuminations, but we have another full day et Epcot if we can't get out in time, which I'm sure is a distinct possibility.

Tomorrow: trying for an 8 am Tusker house and dinner at 'Ohana!

[stephielela]

And our luck continues! Today we got ADR's at Tusker House (8 am!) and 'Ohana (8 pm). Does anyone know how long a meal tends to last at 'Ohana? I was hoping to catch Wishes from there, but the beach after dinner wouldn't be bad either!

[stephielela]

Well, we got our Crystal Palace breakfast ADR at 8:05 am! :cloud9: I wonder why theirs doesn't start till 8:05 instead of 8 like Tusker House? Wierd. Anyways, we still have to wait to call in our dinner res for CRT. I also added a lunch to our 12/18 AK day at Yak and Yeti. My dad's finally off the hook, I will be able to be home to make the rest of the ADR's (not many left at this point) but since he was the one sacrificing sleep :worship: I figured we should eat at a place he loves. :lovestruc Once we are done with all our ADR's we will still have 2 credits per person. Since they can be used for any kind of meal we will probably just use them for CS meals to fill in any gaps. I know it's not the most cost effective use of the plan, but there is just no room for more food! :scared1:

[jenseib]

Why do you have to call in your CRT one? Just curious, as even thoug hwe don't have a trip booked, I am hoping to go in Dec, and tomorrow is 180 days from DD's birthday. I thought I would get up early and book online, if possible CRT for her b-day. That wasy if we go, we wil lhave that. If not, I will just cancel it.

[stephielela]

I haven't been able to find it online, and I read a few posts saying that it wasn't available for the online booking system. I think it might be because you have to prepay? :confused3 I wish it was online, it's so much easier! I'm going to go looking now to see if I can find out why... That's an awesome birthday meal!

[jenseib]

I haven't been able to find it online, and I read a few posts saying that it wasn't available for the online booking system. I think it might be because you have to prepay? :confused3 I wish it was online, it's so much easier! I'm going to go looking now to see if I can find out why... That's an awesome birthday meal!

I may have done something wrong, but yesterday I was palying around and put in Dec 8 and it came up with a time for me to book. I didn't book because thats not the date I want, but as far as I know, I could've went further. I'll let you know.

[stephielela]

Wow, it would be awesome if I could book today! I will check when I get home for sure! I read that for some reason Fantasmic packages, dinner shows, and CRT were unable to be done onlline. I think the only thing these have in common is the pre-payment, but I don't see why you couldn't pre pay online? Who knows, Disney likes to keep things complicated just to keep us on our toes! :rotfl:

[jenseib]

OK, I just tried it for Dec 9th and it I got all the way to check out page. I didn't check out, as thats not the date I want. It might be different if you are on the plan already. I plan on paying this OOP, so I would have to put my credit card in.

[stephielela]

It looks like you can book online (which is fantastic) but not at 190 days out like you can with the rest. This leads me to believe the 190 ADRs are not a glitch in the system, since it is obvious they are keeping people from booking at CRT. This is however excellent news, it means i can just hop online on the 19th! I did book a Tony's Town Square for our mvmcp night just in case...

[jenseib]

I had read today the the glitch was fixed. Whether that is true or not I don't know.

[stephielela]

i'm leaning towards the line of thinking that it's not a glitch. regardless, we were able to book our 12/22 ressies today :yay: so it's not fixed. So now I am just waiting on CRT (i can book 6/19) and Candlelight processional package, which a CM told me today looks like they will be booking in August, but in the same breath she told me to check back daily, lol. We also booked our plane tix today!!

We arrive at MCO at 2:15 pm on the 16th (perfect timing, our rooms at CR should be ready by the time we get there) and we depart at 5:40 pm on the 22nd, which is also nice since we will have a half day at MK before we leave!

[exwdwcm]

Yeah, I am hoping we are successful at booking these ADR's. It's become more complicated than I had anticipated.

I work in a hotel. I am SO GLAD I am getting to finally switch shifts. It's based on seniority and about 8 months ago the girl who was working nights (who was way more senior than me) decided to switch to days, so it bumped me all the way down. We have 2 overnight shifts, and I was second from the bottem in seniority, and no one had quit/been fired in the almost 2 years I have been here, until now. Thankfully, I should be able to get back to the 3-11 shift by the 21st. :woohoo:

We stayed at the Aloft hotel. It was pretty cool, definitely a modern and trendy hotel, a lot of the older guests didn't like it, but I thought it was great. Some of their staff was less than stellar, but the hotel itself was great. I had never really been to Dallas before, but I liked it. The rehearsal dinner was in Plano, and the wedding and reception were at the Old Red courthouse. It was a beautiful place to get married. I think I have flown through DFW before, and I have to say, I enjoyed flying into Love much better (yay for SW).

As for the ticket situation, this may change my future plans... stay tuned!too funny, we use that Aloft in plano for all our folks that come in town on business. i work just miles from there and i live in Plano. :) what a coincidence. and yea for the other shift. i bet the third shift gets really old!!

Woo Hoo!!! :banana: Well, my dad stuck it out and when the system came back up, he snagged us a 7:45 pm ADR at California Grill!!!! We were hoping for 8, but this is close enough. Since we will be staying at CR that night we can make sure DS takes a late nap, and then head to dinner and see Holiday Wishes (it's a MVMCP night) as we are finishing up and then crawl back to our rooms!! 1 down, many more to go! (I've decided to probably bring in my sisters laptop tomorroe, I can't hadle the stress! :rolleyes1)

We managed to get our ideal Le Cellier time! :lovestruc

Today we booked for 12/17:

Biergarten @ 12:30 pm~ never been here, but I'm pretty sure DS will love the noise and music

Le Cellier @ 7:45 pm~ this was my mom's #1 choice for this trip. I'm so glad we got it, I was really starting to freak out after reading reports saying it was booked solid.

I believe Epcot has EMH's that night, so since we will be getting a late start, we should be able to last through Illuminations at least. We will be spending most of our time in the WS anyways that day, so I'm not sure we will need to stay late, but it's good to know we can if we want! The plan is to finish up at dinner just in time to catch Illuminations, but we have another full day et Epcot if we can't get out in time, which I'm sure is a distinct possibility.

Tomorrow: trying for an 8 am Tusker house and dinner at 'Ohana!yeah for all the ressies- so did you get everything you wanted? sounds like you got great times for Cali Grill and Le Cellier!!! :thumbsup2

[stephielela]

So far we have gotten ALL the ressies we want! I still am waiting till Saturday to get CRT at 5pm on the 19th, (before MVMCP) and still hoping to convert one of our 4 Epcot ressies into a CP package. We also booked our flights, so now we just need get our tix for MVMCP! I start my new shift 6/21, so this is my 3rd to last overnight! I am training my replacement tonight, and it's going well, and it's nice having someone to chat with, especially since he is a friend of mine! Tomorrow I will start posting a new, more detailed itinerary!

[jenseib]

I booked CRT for the 10th in hopes we are going.. I figure I can cancel if we don't and it will be snatched right up. I wanted 5 too, but I got 4:15. That was fine for me. I figure we'll do MVMCP too that night if we go...and I am think MK in the day as well, as it's DD's b-day and I will try to make her a BBB apointment as well.
Now to just get DH to agree to go.

[stephielela]

I booked CRT for the 10th in hopes we are going.. I figure I can cancel if we don't and it will be snatched right up. I wanted 5 too, but I got 4:15. That was fine for me. I figure we'll do MVMCP too that night if we go...and I am think MK in the day as well, as it's DD's b-day and I will try to make her a BBB apointment as well.
Now to just get DH to agree to go.

Good luck convincing DH! It took a bit for me to convince my family, but not much. We enjoy going in December because we do that rather than have a big Christmas. This year we won't really do presents, except for DS, and his presents will probably all be souvenirs from our trip :rotfl: We will probably just have family over for dinner and that's it. My mom has decreed that we can only get a small tree this year, since we will be gone for the week, (and since our 12 foot tree was a fiasco last year). I'll probably just let DS pick out what he wants from the trip, and then when we get home, re-wrap it.

[stephielela]

It's mostly the same, just with more detail!!

12/16~ Arrival Day
*Our flight leaves MCI at 10:30 am
I had wanted to leave earlier, but the earilest flight only gets in 5 minutes earlier and is more $$
*Arrive at beautiful MCO at 2:15 pm
At least this way I can be pretty confident our room will be ready when we get to...
*Check in at Contemporary Resort :banana:
Odds are we will look around at some stores, swim (if weather permits) and then at the very least DS and I will take a nap. It's possible that some of us might head to DD to shop before coming back and getting ready for our...
*7:45 ADR at California Grill
I'm hoping that napping late will help DS behave, and usually he's not too terrible when there is food involved. I'm also assuming that by then we will have reached a better stage in the "terrible two's" cuz let me tell you, these past few weeks have not been extremely pleasant. However, when he feels like being good, he's an angel! We plan on eating at a pace that will allow us to finish up right around 9:30 when Wishes starts (its a MVMCP night). That way after Wishes we can crawl back to our rooms and get some quality deluxe resort sleep :rotfl:

12/17~ Resort Move/Epcot Day
*I'm hoping to sleep in a bit this day if DS allows.

*11 am Check in at CBR
Two of us will head over to CBR to "check in" and get our park tickets etc. We have been told that they will move our stuff to our new resort for us, so the others will kill time at CR and then we will all rendevouz at Epcot's WS entrance at 12 pm so we can be in time for...
*12:30 ADR at Biergarten
I really think DS will like this restaurant. We recently went to a German restaurant for a rehearsal dinner and he loved his food, and it reminded me how much I like German food too.
*After lunch we will tour the world showcase. We might send someone over to try and get fastpasses for Soarin' or something. Plus we will commence our "drinking around the world". This will be the first trip my sister will be 21 for, and the last time we went I was pregnant, so this time will be way more interesting. I've heard it can get pretty intense though, so we plan on splitting the "world" in half since we will have 2 evenings there.
* 7:45pm ADR at Le Cellier
We are really looking forward to this one! Especially with the buzz that it might become a signature restaurant next year, I figure it must be good!
*After dinner it's possible we will watch Illuminations, but if not, it's ok because we are planning on seeing it on our next Epcot night. We will probably just go back to the hotel and sleep!

12/19~ Animal Kingdom Day
*8:00 ADR at Tusker House!
I am really excited about our before-the-park-opens ADRs (we have 2). I never realized they did this until i started here on DIS! We plan on being done in time to wait for rope drop between the restaurant and Kilimanjaro Safaris. There aren't a whole lot of rides DS can ride at this park, so it will be nice that we are starting with one he can.
*We will knock out all our big rides first, and then try the shows. We aren't huge animal people, though I know DS will enjoy seeing some of them up close, but this park is usually a half day for us.
*1 pm ADR at Yak and Yeti
We ate here on our last trip, and it was great! My dad likes it since he has been to Nepal or Kathmandu or wherever and stayed at the Yak and Yeti hotel there. I'm interested to try the pineapple dessert!
*After lunch we will finish up anything we missed and then head back to CBR to change and get ready for church
*We go to church at Mary Queen of the Universe when we are in Orlando (Catholic), and since we are not renting a car, we will be taking a cab there and back.
*8 pm ADR at 'Ohana
We are hoping to get finished in time to see Wishes from the beach at Poly, or maybe if we get a window table we will drag it out till Wishes is over

12/19~ Magic Kingdom Day
*8:05 ADR at Crystal Palace
*Park touring till lunchtime, then back to the resort for rest, change and beautification!
*Photo Session at Grand Floridian (not booked yet)
We are hoping to book for 3pm. It's too bad these can only be booked 30 days out. I wonder what the thinking is behind that...
*Dinner at CRT 4:15pm
I just thought that dinner at the castle would be a great way to kick off our MVMCP!
*MVMCP
Hoping to stay late enough to catch the second parade, but since we will have gotten an early start, I'm not sure DS will be up for that. Of course, he will be in a stroller, so I guess he could fall asleep...

12/20~ DHS Day
* We are rope drop people, so we will be there at 8:30!
I'm sure we will hit TSM first, followed by RnRC and ToT. After that it's whatever makes sense.
*Lunch at Pizza Planet
It's a tradition. I actually don't mind their pizza, though I have heard a lot of bad reviews. I will admit, I'm not a huge pizza fan in general though.
*Back to CBR for break
This park is also usually a half day park, but we want to see the lights, so we are taking a break for a few hours in the middle.
*5:20 ADR 50's PTC
Yum!
*Osborne lights!
I loved these the last time, and my mom did too. We are hoping to get some better pictures this time around

12/21~ Full Epcot Day
*Rope Drop
*Future World
Our family loves Soarin'. We lived in California longer than we have lived anywhere else, so this is like going home for us. We have all morning to conquer future world, and we might even explore innoventions, which is something we normally avoid, due to time constraints.
*2:20 pm ADR Les Chefs de France
We are hoping to convert this into a Candlelight Processional package lunch once those are open for booking
*Candlelight Processional
I'm hoping DS will sit through it!
*8pm ADR at Rose and Crown
I am requesting a terrace seat so that we can watch Illuminations from here!

12/22~Departure Day, Magic Kingdom
*We will check our luggage etc at the resort before heading to MK for rope drop
*I'm sure there will be things we missed on our first day, so we will knock thos out before
* 11:30 ADR at Liberty Tree Tavern
We've never eaten here, but it sounds great
*Our flight leaves at 5:30 pm, so we will head back to CBR after lunch and kill time till our ME arrives!

12/23
The depression sets in... luckily we have Christmas around the corner to keep it from getting too bad!

[jenseib]

Sounds good. Looks like alot of eating. LOL! I would like to try delux someday, but DH is always overstuffed with just the regular plan. Plus I have read with delux alot of your day is around eating and you don't get to do as much park stuff. I think it depends on the family though and what they like to do as well. But someday I hope to try it.

[stephielela]

Yeah, back in the days of our first few trips, we NEVER would have had 2 sit down meals a day. These days though, we've already done everything and we have gotten to the point where we aren't trying to fit it all in. We will ride our favorites, and as much as we have time for, but if we miss something, it's not the end of the world. DS is too young/short to ride a lot of things, so that shortens the list, plus with baby swap, it serves as a fastpass of sorts, so that will cut down on wait times. After the last December trip when I was pregnant, I really got to be ok with doing less and experiencing more. On our next trip, which likely won't be until DS turns 5 (2.5 years after our December trip :scared1:) we will probably be back to crammign everything in (at least DS and I will) :rotfl: Luckily he is young enough now not to care if he doesn't see everything. And after seeing TS3 today, (and the 25 viewings EACH of TS1 and 2 he's had) I think all he cares about is seeing Buzz Lightyear!

[stephielela]

Whew! CRT ressie made! It's not the time I wanted, I was hoping for 5 pm and all I could get was 4:15pm, but that's ok, I will probably keep my eye out for openings. Plus I had a total brainfart and forgot that my 180 days is from my day at CR, which does NOT have a dining plan attached, so for now I just put it on the credit card ($258!!! :scared1:) and I will call back and change it later. I am so blonde sometimes, but I am glad I went ahead and booked it anyways since the time was already so limited. I was on the phone at exactly 6 am and didn't even wait 10 seconds, so that was nice, but I am sure that all those people who were able to get online to book got my 5pm :rotfl: I wish my work wasn't so silly. If they could have just upgraded our internet explorer... :laughing: I love that I expect my job to be a place where I can plan my vacations without problems. Anywho, tonight was my last night on the overnights, so in 30 minutes I get to start my life as a person who sleeps at night! :banana: It's the small things in life I guess!

[jenseib]

YAY! I tried for 5 too. Must be really popular time. I got 4:15 as well.

[mom2rtk]

And after seeing TS3 today, (and the 25 viewings EACH of TS1 and 2 he's had) I think all he cares about is seeing Buzz Lightyear!

If I were you, I'd talk up the Buzz Lightyear ride as he gets older as opposed to Toy Story Mania. It's SO much easier to ride Buzz lots of times without all the TSM hassles!

Whew! CRT ressie made! It's not the time I wanted, I was hoping for 5 pm and all I could get was 4:15pm, but that's ok, I will probably keep my eye out for openings. Plus I had a total brainfart and forgot that my 180 days is from my day at CR, which does NOT have a dining plan attached, so for now I just put it on the credit card ($258!!! :scared1:) and I will call back and change it later. I am so blonde sometimes, but I am glad I went ahead and booked it anyways since the time was already so limited. I was on the phone at exactly 6 am and didn't even wait 10 seconds, so that was nice, but I am sure that all those people who were able to get online to book got my 5pm :rotfl: I wish my work wasn't so silly. If they could have just upgraded our internet explorer... :laughing: I love that I expect my job to be a place where I can plan my vacations without problems. Anywho, tonight was my last night on the overnights, so in 30 minutes I get to start my life as a person who sleeps at night! :banana: It's the small things in life I guess!

It might be that there just WERE no openings at 5 for your party size. I have found that they seat the restaurant in waves, and only have so many openings for that particular "seating".

I think they open earlier for dinner now that they added princesses. I know last year we did the first seating and it was 4:45. I scheduled for 4:15 this trip too, which seemed SO early, and means we'll have to eat lunch WAY early too. But to be honest, it's so much better to be in the first seating and not get in a bottlenecked line waiting for your Cinderella picture on the way in!

[mom2rtk]

YAY! I tried for 5 too. Must be really popular time. I got 4:15 as well.

See my previous post Jen. I don't think some times are EVER available for a certain party size. I figured this out last year when I was trying to get an Akershus ADR for a certain time. I was using the new online system that was just around a week old at the time, and had an hour's head start on anyone calling. And I was trying at 90 + the full 10 days out.

And I think they try to seat the restaurant full, then empty it, the seat the entire thing again. Makes no sense to me, but I think they do. Probably to make touring the princesses through easier.

[BippityBoo]

Wow!!! Your plans look awesome! I tried to get Le Cellier, but they were all booked up. I am hoping to secure it when the CP dinner packages come out. I am so happy you were able to get an ADR!!!

[stephielela]

If I were you, I'd talk up the Buzz Lightyear ride as he gets older as opposed to Toy Story Mania. It's SO much easier to ride Buzz lots of times without all the TSM hassles!



It might be that there just WERE no openings at 5 for your party size. I have found that they seat the restaurant in waves, and only have so many openings for that particular "seating".

I think they open earlier for dinner now that they added princesses. I know last year we did the first seating and it was 4:45. I scheduled for 4:15 this trip too, which seemed SO early, and means we'll have to eat lunch WAY early too. But to be honest, it's so much better to be in the first seating and not get in a bottlenecked line waiting for your Cinderella picture on the way in!


Yeah the Buzz ride definitely seems to be easier to get on, probably since TSM is so new.

That's interesing about CRT ressies. I think you might be right, since several of us have had that problem. I will keep looking, but i'm just happy to have it!

[stephielela]

Wow!!! Your plans look awesome! I tried to get Le Cellier, but they were all booked up. I am hoping to secure it when the CP dinner packages come out. I am so happy you were able to get an ADR!!!


When I talked to the CM's about booking the CP package they said they are holiding back reservations specifically for CPP so I'm sure that will help.

[stephielela]

YAY! I tried for 5 too. Must be really popular time. I got 4:15 as well.

Yeah I just thought 5 would be better so we could have more rest time int eh afternoon, but I guess in the grand scheme of things 45 minutes doesn't make a difference...

[jenseib]

That could be. I tried a few dates just to see if 5 was open and it always gave me 4:15.
I'm a little bummed myself. DH had a hip replacement last Oct and we didn;t go this year. And we (DD and I) were hoping to go in Dec, instead of next March. Well DH's hip is not right, basically they put to large of a peice in. He's been tolerating it, but over the last few days he can barely walk. So bad now ,that he went back to using a cane. Which means they may have to re do it over again. which means there's a good chance no Disney again. I love my DH dearly, don't get me wrong, but I have no desire to sit with a baby (and yes he is a big baby healing. LOL) again and then missing going to a fun spot on top of that. Time will tell, and he is going to try and get in to the Dr again this week, but I have a bad feeling about it.

[stephielela]

That could be. I tried a few dates just to see if 5 was open and it always gave me 4:15.
I'm a little bummed myself. DH had a hip replacement last Oct and we didn;t go this year. And we (DD and I) were hoping to go in Dec, instead of next March. Well DH's hip is not right, basically they put to large of a peice in. He's been tolerating it, but over the last few days he can barely walk. So bad now ,that he went back to using a cane. Which means they may have to re do it over again. which means there's a good chance no Disney again. I love my DH dearly, don't get me wrong, but I have no desire to sit with a baby (and yes he is a big baby healing. LOL) again and then missing going to a fun spot on top of that. Time will tell, and he is going to try and get in to the Dr again this week, but I have a bad feeling about it.

That's not fun!!! My dad had a hip replacement 2 years ago when he was 46. He recovered pretty quickly. but it still bothers him from time to time, and he's not allowed to run or play tennis or anything like that. I wasn't working at the time, so for the first couple weeks I helped take care of him, and while I love my dad, it was a bit much at times I kept thinking he should recover from that as fast as I recovered from my C section :rotfl: I hope it all works out! I will keep my fingers crossed!

[stephielela]

Not much to report, though we are planning our next Disney movie theme night for tomorrow night! We are doing Finding Nemo this time, and we are having Tuna sandwiches, blue jello with gummy fish in it, and anemone (macaroni) and cheese (macaroni and cheese with colored goldfish sprinkled on top. I got some construction paper for DS and I to make fish out of tomorrow since it's my day off. I'm super excited, I LOVE Nemo! I even have a clear plastic bag that I am going to put water and a fish bath toy in as a centerpiece (like when Nemo rolled around the dentists office!). I will take pictures and post them hopefully afterwards, along with the ones from our Ratatouille night!

[stephielela]

I called today and got a 5:15 CRT!!! I tried to book online and it wouldn't give me the option to use credits, so I had to call. Lucky I did since I found out they had charged our visa for BOTH of the other CRT ressies rather than just holding it on there. I'm much happier with the 5:15 time though because I know it's going to be a late night so DS is going to need a nap duriing the day for sure before our photo shoot! So now they are crediting back the two CRT charges and I have a better time for our ADR!

P.S. The way I found it was by putting in a request for 5:30. I am not sure why the CM's couldn't find it... but whatever!

[jenseib]

Yeah, CRT always charges your card IMMEDIATELY. It's not a hold at all. Did you have 2 ADR's there then? I wonder if I looke at 5:30 if I will find anything closer to 5?

[mom2rtk]

Yeah, CRT always charges your card IMMEDIATELY. It's not a hold at all. Did you have 2 ADR's there then? I wonder if I looke at 5:30 if I will find anything closer to 5?

It actually does not charge your card if you have the dining plan. They then just use it as a guarantee. I just made our ADR's and did this. To verify the card, they actually placed a $1 charge on the card. To do this though, you need to retrieve your resort reservation to associate it with your dining reservations, then the online system should know not to charge you yet, since it recognizes the dining plan in your confirmation number.

[jenseib]

It actually does not charge your card if you have the dining plan. They then just use it as a guarantee. I just made our ADR's and did this. To verify the card, they actually placed a $1 charge on the card. To do this though, you need to retrieve your resort reservation to associate it with your dining reservations, then the online system should know not to charge you yet, since it recognizes the dining plan in your confirmation number.

Right, but I'm not sure she did it with the dining plan/reservation with it. I thought I read...and could be wrong...that she couldn't or soemthing like that.

[stephielela]

The first one I knew they were charging me because I wasn't using credits. The second one I explicitly told her I wanted to use my dining plan, and she evidently charged me anyways! When I called for the 5:15 is when she told me I'd been charged twice! She canceled both of those and released the charges, and my mom says once we have the credits back on her Visa, we can book our MVMCP tickets!!

I would check for a later time and see what you get, that's how I found my 5:15!

[jenseib]

Sounds liek the CM I had last year. I had booked an ADR for WCC for one time, then went back and changed it to a later time. So she canceled the 1st one and booked the later one. Then I had to cancel it altogether as we decied to do Cape May for breakfast, because it worked better for the days schedule. So I called back to cancel the second time, and there was no ADR. I gave my conf number and she said it was canceled already. I said I had just booked it 2 days earlier, then I gave her the 1st AdR time and that one was still there. LOL! So that CM basically did nothing with the one I wanted cancel, and then booked and canceled the one I wanted. The new CM I talked to was excellent, she canceld it, mad the new one for Cape May and then went through all my other ADRs to be sure they were all right.

Here's a little hope...I have heard a few people are being told that free dining will be released for later this year mid Jluy! Lets hope thats true.

[stephielela]

I am keeping keeping my fingers crossed for free dining! We are going for 3 days in September for free dining, so I will also be on the lookout for bouncebacks, but it would be easier if they released FD in July!!

[stephielela]

I need to stop shopping on the disney store website! I was looking for some long pj's for DS for our trip to New Mexico (we are going to the mountains and evidently it gets chilly at night, and the highs are only in the 70's) and I ended up finding him some Toy Story pj's, a Toy Story long sleeved hooded shirt, and then, because it was on sale and because we are having a Wall-E night next month, a Wall-E tumbler glass. Plus I saw a Bozz Lightyear stocking and decided that for our December trip, I am going to hang it in our room and then every day put a couple little things in it to cut down on the number of souvenirs I have to buy! The upside? I got all 4 things for $20 and the shippign was free since I got at least 1 Toy Story item!

[exwdwcm]

I called today and got a 5:15 CRT!!! I tried to book online and it wouldn't give me the option to use credits, so I had to call. Lucky I did since I found out they had charged our visa for BOTH of the other CRT ressies rather than just holding it on there. I'm much happier with the 5:15 time though because I know it's going to be a late night so DS is going to need a nap duriing the day for sure before our photo shoot! So now they are crediting back the two CRT charges and I have a better time for our ADR!

P.S. The way I found it was by putting in a request for 5:30. I am not sure why the CM's couldn't find it... but whatever!woo hoo! yeah for getting CRT!!!! so glad it worked out.

I need to stop shopping on the disney store website! I was looking for some long pj's for DS for our trip to New Mexico (we are going to the mountains and evidently it gets chilly at night, and the highs are only in the 70's) and I ended up finding him some Toy Story pj's, a Toy Story long sleeved hooded shirt, and then, because it was on sale and because we are having a Wall-E night next month, a Wall-E tumbler glass. Plus I saw a Bozz Lightyear stocking and decided that for our December trip, I am going to hang it in our room and then every day put a couple little things in it to cut down on the number of souvenirs I have to buy! The upside? I got all 4 things for $20 and the shippign was free since I got at least 1 Toy Story item!me too sister! i just found a disney warehouse store that was here temporarily and just found it on the last day it was open. apparently it is a traveling store that sells excess merchandise- it was all parks and disney store stuff. i spent $100. mom spent $500! ouch. sounds like you got some good deals though!!! now you are making me want to go look online! :laughing:

[stephielela]

woo hoo! yeah for getting CRT!!!! so glad it worked out.

me too sister! i just found a disney warehouse store that was here temporarily and just found it on the last day it was open. apparently it is a traveling store that sells excess merchandise- it was all parks and disney store stuff. i spent $100. mom spent $500! ouch. sounds like you got some good deals though!!! now you are making me want to go look online! :laughing:

what I found interesting is now ther was a link to a disney outlet online store. so i found stuff there, put it in my cart and bought it as one order, but the sites are seperate! it was very interesting. also they seem to be going through some sort of upgrade because the site was saying you couldn't sign into your account, that purchases had to be made as a guest. i wonder where the traveling store is headed next?? i might try to find it online...

[creativeamanda]

Joining in! Your son is so darned cute! We're going to be there the same time!

[stephielela]

Mickey finally litened to my wishes!!! We added FD to our CBR ressies today, 12/17-12/22 and saved almost $1000, $469 for each room!!! We kept the Deluxe Dining Plan, so I'm not sure what the cost to upgrade was, but I (and my parents) are THRILLED!!! My mom says tomorrow night we will talk about what we will do (if anything) with the extra money. Perfect timing since we are doing our Cars theme night tomorrow, before my dad heads off to Rome to meet up with my sister.

[creativeamanda]

Mickey finally litened to my wishes!!! We added FD to our CBR ressies today, 12/17-12/22 and saved almost $1000, $469 for each room!!! We kept the Deluxe Dining Plan, so I'm not sure what the cost to upgrade was, but I (and my parents) are THRILLED!!! My mom says tomorrow night we will talk about what we will do (if anything) with the extra money. Perfect timing since we are doing our Cars theme night tomorrow, before my dad heads off to Rome to meet up with my sister.

Congrats on the free dining! My daughter and I booked free dining this am!

[jenseib]

Yay!

[DisneyFirefly]

Yay for free dining! I booked it for my October trip this morning :)

:yay: :dance3: :yay:

[stephielela]

Yay!

Are you goign to be able to talk DH into a trip now that free dining is out? How is his hip doing?

[stephielela]

Yay for free dining! I booked it for my October trip this morning :)

:yay: :dance3: :yay:

Excellent!! I'm so excited about it! It's ridiculous, my coworkers think I'm crazy!

[DisneyFirefly]

Excellent!! I'm so excited about it! It's ridiculous, my coworkers think I'm crazy!

:rotfl2: My mom and dad probably think I'm crazy for blabbing about it all the time :) They're not sure if they're going to be able to make it, but with the free dining, it'll be more affordable, saving us almost $600 for the three of us. So, hopefully they'll be able to make it :) I think they'd like the F&W festival, you know? :cutie:

[ChildAtHeart82]

Yay for free dining!! :yay: I just added free dining to our reservations for December too!

[jenseib]

Are you goign to be able to talk DH into a trip now that free dining is out? How is his hip doing?

I sure hope so. He's been so cranky the past week or so, with the heat, his hip in bad shape, and just being SUPER busy, so I have to wait till he's not in the cranky mood again. I wish this would've actually waited another week. LOL! I think I'll put a vaction on hold (deposit) so we don't lose out and go from there.

[exwdwcm]

yeah for FD! what a huge savings! I vote for 'shopping' spree! ;):wizard:

[amandatym]

Just found your PTR. We'll be there in December too, with our son who will be 22 months at the time.
Looking forward to reading more of your plans (since we haven't made many of our own yet...eek!).

[stephielela]

Just found your PTR. We'll be there in December too, with our son who will be 22 months at the time.
Looking forward to reading more of your plans (since we haven't made many of our own yet...eek!).

Welcome! :banana:

Well it occured to me today that my full payment is due for my September trip in about a month... Luckily it's onyl another $300 so while it won't be easy, I should be able to have that ready in plenty of time. As for the December trip, I checked online this morning and the girl I spoke with on Monday had only added it to one of our reservations :eek: I called imediately and got the other one switched, though obviously i will be double checking... again :rotfl: We talked about it last night and decided we won't plan on using that extra money for anything specific. We don't want to upgrade resorts, since it would cost more than the money we are saving, and we don't really care about an upgraded room category... so we will just look at it as money saved. We might rent a car, but I really don't see the need to do that. My parents want to though... we shall see! Next up... posts form our Disney theme nights!

[stephielela]

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/disney%20theme%20nights/7Jul2010002.jpg

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/disney%20theme%20nights/7Jul2010003.jpg

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/disney%20theme%20nights/7Jul2010001.jpg

I decorated the table fanncier than usual, and we used the "good china". I made an onion soup and we had criossants and crepes for dessert! I had a few trinkets from when I went to Paris, and some framed prints that I used to decorate the table. The soup was awesome! The movie was ok, my m om didn't like it (she has a fear of rats) and DS Jack was not really into it for some reason. It was a fun evening though!

[stephielela]

Sorry these pics are so big, I will try and remember to upload them in a smaller size in the future!

[stephielela]

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/disney%20theme%20nights/7Jul2010008.jpg
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/disney%20theme%20nights/7Jul2010007.jpg
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/disney%20theme%20nights/7Jul2010009.jpg
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/disney%20theme%20nights/7Jul2010010.jpg
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/disney%20theme%20nights/7Jul2010011.jpg
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/disney%20theme%20nights/7Jul2010013.jpg

We had tuna sadwiches and chips for this night. DS and I spent the afternoon hanging blue crepe paper around the kitchen/living room area and making fish out of construction paper. We had beach and ocean desserts, (vanilla pudding with grahm cracker crumbles and blue jello with gummy fish inside). DS likes Nemo, but not as much as Toy Story, so it was hard to keep him watching the movie.

[stephielela]

Last night we did a Cars night. We ate out of "hubcaps" and had sandwiches with pickle wheels:
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/disney%20theme%20nights/7Jul2010023.jpg

and Dinoco blue chips with Maters "Tomater" Salsa and some guacamole. I set all "fixin's" up in the Pit Stop area
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/disney%20theme%20nights/7Jul2010025.jpg

and I put all DS's Cars cars on the "track" that ran around the table
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/disney%20theme%20nights/7Jul2010025.jpg

For dessert we had stoplight crackers and Luigi's leaning tower of tires (Nascar oreos).
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/stephielela/disney%20theme%20nights/7Jul2010026.jpg

DS had been dying ot watch Cars all day so he was great during this movie, and it was the first time my mom had seen the whole thing. We won't be having another Disney night for a while since we will be on vacation, but whenwe are all present and accounted for we are supposed to do a Wall-E night. I'm not sure DS will like that one though, so we might do Toy story since we have the plates and the mac and cheese from Target already.

[jenseib]

awesome! Love the themes. I have to admit we have only seen part of cars once. We don't even own it! :scared1: But from what I saw it was really cute.

[amandatym]

How cute!! I love Nemo in the bag in the middle of the table. :rotfl:
We've got that Toy Story mac and cheese too. Maybe I'll have to make a theme night to go with it now!

[stephielela]

I love having these theme nights, it helps keep the excitement alive, even though our trip isn't for another 5 months...

[exwdwcm]

omg- love all the themes, so adorable!! love the pickle wheels! too darn cute.

i haven't seen all of rataouille yet and need to buy it. we have a lunch booked at Chefs to see him!

[creativeamanda]

Those themes are too cute. I wish my children were younger, because they would have loved that--of course, the Ratatoulle may be up the girls' alley.

[DevonsDisneyMom]

All caught up!!! Plans look great!!! I have to agree with you, there is just something about going to Disney during that holidays that make it that much more magical!!!

PS your movie theme meals are adorable!! :)

[stephielela]

thanks! i am planning a toy story theme night for next week, even though we have already seen the ne movie. i saw these adorable cakes at our grocery store, they are petite cakes, so naturally i had to order both (they had a Buzz and a Woody one). we are also going to have my aunt and uncle and cousins over, and we have the toy story plates from target. we might not get around to a movie since we will have guests, but i'm positive DS will love it anyways!

[stephielela]

Well, not a whole lot to report, but I did go ahead and book us into the Wishes Dessert Party the night that we do the MVMCP. I am super excited about this, my dad, DS, sister and I did this last year and it was FABULOUS! plus having a guaranteed viewing point for the fireworks is great too. It was the highlight of our trip last time. Now I am just waiting on the CP packages to be open for booking!

I also still need to book the ME for us. This is a bit complicated since we need it to take us to CR for our first night, but pick us up from CBR at the end. Has anyone else had any experience with this? Plus my sister is coming on a different flight, but it gets in 5 minutes after ours so I am debating as to whether or not to schedule hers seperatly or if I should just lump her into our reservation... decisions decisions!

[francis6306]

I'm:love: loving all of us that are going in December... even though our dates don't overlap, I LOVE reading what you are thinking about and planning! I love the theme nights! I MIGHT have to do that with the other family that we are going with to DisneyWorld! party:

[stephielela]

I'm:love: loving all of us that are going in December... even though our dates don't overlap, I LOVE reading what you are thinking about and planning! I love the theme nights! I MIGHT have to do that with the other family that we are going with to DisneyWorld! party:

Welcome! Glad to have ya! :yay: These theme parties are turning out to be way more fun than I had even anticipated! It's a great way to create some Disney magic at home (for cheap). There's a whole thread devoted to various theme nights.

[stephielela]

Nothing new to report, except I have found the water bottles I was looking for! They are called water bobbles, they are water bottles with filters attached, and they are only $10 each! We are going to order them so that we don't have to use our snack credits on bottles of water!

Tomorrow I will start with our Disney history, and how this trip came about!

[DisneyFirefly]

You may want to see if there's a Container Store near you... They sell the water bobbles there, and then you don't have to pay shipping :)

[stephielela]

You may want to see if there's a Container Store near you... They sell the water bobbles there, and then you don't have to pay shipping :)

There is no Container Store here :mad: but stay tuned!

[stephielela]

I found our water bottles today!! They aren't sold very many places around here and I managed to find them at Cracker Barrel, but they only had 2 colors, and when we go in December there will be 5 of us... so I tried JC Penny and lo and behold, there they were! I got yellow, red, pink, blue, and black! The filters work for up to 2 months of continuous use, so they will last for a few vacations, and the bottles are BPA free. Plus, they were only $10 each, and since I got them in person, I didn't have to pay for shipping (thanks firefly for pointing that out!)

[DisneyFirefly]

Yay for finding the bottles! :yay: I'm going to go pick one up at the Container Store before I go. I have a Camelbak, but it doesn't have a filter in it.

[stephielela]

As promised- Disney History! Most of it will be brief...

The first time I went to the World, I was 6. It was 1990, and MGM had just opened. This was my mom's first trip as well, my dad had been once before when he was a child. I don't remember a lot, but we went in the late spring/early summer, and it rained ALOT. Also I rode Space Mountain and was terrified. My dad had one of those backpacks to carry babies around in, so my sister slept on his head most of the time, (she wasn't even 1 yet). After that we went back when I was 8 and again when I was 10. The first two trips we stayed at CBR, and the third we stayed at Shades of Green.

In 1996 we lived in California, and when I was 12 we took our first trip to Disneyland. I think we only spent 2 days there, it was before DCA was open.

When I was 14 we went back to the World around Christmas time and stayed at ASMo, and then when I was 17 we went to Florida but DIDN"T go to the WDW, we went to Universal! In the spring of 2002 we went back to WDW and got a great deal because we were active duty military and they were running great deals for military personnel. Again we stayed at Shades.

Fast forward to 2006, it's my senior year of college and my BFF Patrick and I decided to go to WDW for our spring break. We stayed at POP and had the Basic (at that time- only) dining plan. This opened my eyes to the joys of Disney dining. I swore I would NEVER return to the world without the DDP (of course back then it was a far better deal- 1 QS, 1TS with app, entree and dessert, 1 snack, and it included tip!). Also while we were there I interviewed for a job... they told me I was welcome to wait tables for them... in the end I passed, I had way too much debt and would not have been able to support myself.

In the spring of 2007 (a year after graduation) I moved home. It had been a rough year on me and my family, lots of drama and issues, and we decided early on that we were going to take a family trip to WDW aorund Christmas, rather than do presents. I was so excited, it was time to introduce my parents to the joys of Disney Dining!! (At this point I had not found the DIS or any other forums, and had no idea that Disney ever offered discounts or anything. I was still an avid planner though) Then came the news that I was pregnant... my parents questioned whether it would be worth going for me since I wouldn't be able to ride many rides, and they weren't sure I'd be up to the walking (I was going to be 6 1/2 months along). I said that I thought it would be fun to go, after all it would be nice to enjoy the small details and the shopping, and I could go get other people fastpasses while I was waiting. We stayed in 2 rooms at POP and had a great time. We went to MVMCP and CP and the weather was pretty cooperative for us. It was probably one of the best trips we have ever taken. Afterwards, we decided that this should be a tradition for every 3 years or so.

In August we went for 5 days without my mom (she couldn't take the time off work). When we were there I assumed it would be the last time for a while, but when we got home we were talking to my mom and it seemed like she was open to going again for the holidays, and it will have been 3 years... so I started presenting different scenarios and here we are! This time is going to be so much better because I have found the DIS and all of the knowledge that comes with it... not to mention I've been planing for over a year! I am so excited to share WDW at Christmas time :santa:with DS (Jack) and I am excited for all of our new experiences. The reason we are staying at CBR is because it's the first resort we stayed at on our first family trip, and now that this is our first full family trip with DS, we are going back! So there's out loooong history, 20 years of Disney!

[ChildAtHeart82]

Great update! It's so fun to read about a family tradition of Disney. :)

[exwdwcm]

Well, not a whole lot to report, but I did go ahead and book us into the Wishes Dessert Party the night that we do the MVMCP. I am super excited about this, my dad, DS, sister and I did this last year and it was FABULOUS! plus having a guaranteed viewing point for the fireworks is great too. It was the highlight of our trip last time. Now I am just waiting on the CP packages to be open for booking!

I also still need to book the ME for us. This is a bit complicated since we need it to take us to CR for our first night, but pick us up from CBR at the end. Has anyone else had any experience with this? Plus my sister is coming on a different flight, but it gets in 5 minutes after ours so I am debating as to whether or not to schedule hers seperatly or if I should just lump her into our reservation... decisions decisions!

loved the history too! so how old is Jack now? what a great story- your family sounds very close like mine. Even as adults, we still all vacation together. we just have a good time!

and yeah for the dessert party- what night did you book it? I was considering it, but would only be able to book on our MVMCP night of 12/9. heck, they are probably sold out by now anyhow. still waiting to figure out who is going on our trip- it is drama! lol

[jenseib]

Love the history update. I always like to read when and how many times others have gone

[stephielela]

loved the history too! so how old is Jack now? what a great story- your family sounds very close like mine. Even as adults, we still all vacation together. we just have a good time!

and yeah for the dessert party- what night did you book it? I was considering it, but would only be able to book on our MVMCP night of 12/9. heck, they are probably sold out by now anyhow. still waiting to figure out who is going on our trip- it is drama! lol

Jack is 2 and 1/4 :lmao: he is a very big 2 year old, so sometimes I forget that he's still a toddler.

We are going to the dessert party during our MVMCP since that was our only real option, and it's 12/19... I can taste those desserts now... :love:

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

OK, I am finally caught up on your PTR. Sorry I didn't get here sooner. I like the history entry, I may steal that idea from you . Of course, I've only been there a few times before. And two of them I was a teenager, so I didn't do any planning, just ran around and rode on rides. Nothing overly memorable.

[Tinker_Tam]

I love to read the history of how everyone's love for Disney came around. I am wondering if this is the trip to start the insanity for us! :lmao:

[francis6306]

Nothing new to report, except I have found the water bottles I was looking for! They are called water bobbles, they are water bottles with filters attached, and they are only $10 each! We are going to order them so that we don't have to use our snack credits on bottles of water!

Tomorrow I will start with our Disney history, and how this trip came about!
I want those bottles!!!! I'll have to go to JC Penney's and look for them. Where are they?

Jack is 2 and 1/4 :lmao: he is a very big 2 year old, so sometimes I forget that he's still a toddler.

We are going to the dessert party during our MVMCP since that was our only real option, and it's 12/19... I can taste those desserts now... :love:
My Cortlyn is really tall. :thumbsup2She's 36.5 inches, and I'm praying we get another 3.5 inches before Dec so she can ride more rides!!! I won't do anything to MAKE her tall enough, but I do hope she IS tall enough- you know? :)

[ChildAtHeart82]

Found the water bobbles at JC Penney last week and bought them for our trip in December. Thanks for the tip! :)

[exwdwcm]

Jack is 2 and 1/4 :lmao: he is a very big 2 year old, so sometimes I forget that he's still a toddler.

We are going to the dessert party during our MVMCP since that was our only real option, and it's 12/19... I can taste those desserts now... :love:yum!!! the desserts are delish!

lol- my Will is a big guy too at 2.5 he is over 38 inches! just weighed in at 38.5- he is just really tall!

[stephielela]

I haven't been paying enough attention to this PTR. It's so wierd, for my September trip I have been making changes left and right, but this plan seems to be staying untouched! I know part of the reason is that this trip is plenty long, while my September trip is just a quickie. I keep trying to squeeze more in :lmao: The other difference is the price. While our budget is not unlimited for this trip, my parents are paying since it's a family trip, and their finances allow for more than mine obviously. That being said, there are a couple minor changes to this itinerary, so I am going to start with our day to day summaries, and any feed back is much appreciated!

December 16~ Thursday
Arrival Day

I don't have access to my flight info at the moment, but I believe our flight leaves around 10 am and arrives at MCO around 3. At this point we are not plannign on renting a car, so we will be taking the ME to the CR for our room only reservation.

Side note: Are we doing the right thing by not renting a car? My parents want the flexibility, but I am happy with resort transportation... I just don't see the reason to spend the money on a car, especially since we are only leaving property once to go to church.

I'm pretty sure our room will be ready by the time we get there, so our plan is to drop our carry on's and go exploring. We will probably grab a snack, and if it is warm enough, we will head to the pool. I also want DS to have a nap because I want him to be well behaved for our dinner ADR at 7:45 at California Grill We hope to finish uo in time to see the fireworks before crawling back upstairs to bed!

[stephielela]

Found the water bobbles at JC Penney last week and bought them for our trip in December. Thanks for the tip! :)

I'm glad you found them! I'm really excited about them, I am just so glad we won't be using snack credits for water anymore! My sister has decided to take hers with her to college, so we will just buy a replacement filter for when she gets to WDW. She really likes it. I haven't used mine yet, but i will be when we go in September!

[stephielela]

yum!!! the desserts are delish!

lol- my Will is a big guy too at 2.5 he is over 38 inches! just weighed in at 38.5- he is just really tall!

Yeah, I am hoping DS has hit the 38 inch mark by September. He has a Dr's appt on Friday, though I'm not sure they will measure him since it's not a check up really.

[stephielela]

My Cortlyn is really tall. :thumbsup2She's 36.5 inches, and I'm praying we get another 3.5 inches before Dec so she can ride more rides!!! I won't do anything to MAKE her tall enough, but I do hope she IS tall enough- you know? :)[/QUOTE]

40 inches really does seem to be the big cutoff doesn't it? I am crossing my fingers for DS too, but I also know that even if he was super tall, like tall enough to ride roller coasters, he probably shouldn't just because it would be too scary. I really wish he was tall enough to ride Soarin though...

[stephielela]

December 17th~ Friday

Originally we were going to be lazy this morning. After much discussion we have decided to make the most of our time and hit MK this morning at rope drop. Our original plan was lacking in MK time. I also was under the impression that some of us were going to have to haul oursleves all the way over to CBR to check into our package reservation in order to gte our park tickets, but I have recently discovered that is not the case!:banana: Evidently you can pick up park tickets up to 3 days prior to your package reservation!! This means we can all go to rope drop, then 2 of us can split off and check in at CBR and then we will all meet back up at Epcot.

We are waiting to get our CPP ressies made for this day, they start booking those on Thursday so once I get that done, we will be all set. We are trying for Via Napoli and the 2nd showing of CP. We are going to be flexible though, and if we can't get it for the 17th, we will try for the 21st, which is our second Epcot day. Currently we have reservations at Biergarten and Via Napoli for lunch and Le Cellier for dinner. Obviously one of the lunches will have to go. We are having a hard time deciding between the 2, but I think we are leanign towards Via Napoli. I'm almost inclined to do all 3, since we have an extra credit... but that's a lot of food in a 7 hour time span! We will be spending most of our Epcot time in the World Showcaase th is evening, maybe swinging by Future World if we have time. Also we will attempt to drink around at least 1/2 the world.

[exwdwcm]

Hi Steph---
parents paying is always nice! our parents paid for ours last December- treated all 15 of us and it was great- first class all the way.

we prefer renting a car, but that's just us- we do it almost every trip. we just like NOT having to wait on ME and having the option to stop at the store or go off property if we want (outlets!). we also typically visit DTD twice and like driving over (although parking is a nightmare). we just like driving- we rarely use the buses. We just like not waiting for a bus. in the end, it probably doens't save us much time (since we have to park, ride a tram or walk to the gate), but when we want to go, we want to go, so we don't like waiting around. it is a car all the way for us. But it isn't for everyone. We also like visiting the other resorts, so having a car is much easier for that.

[stephielela]

Hi Steph---
parents paying is always nice! our parents paid for ours last December- treated all 15 of us and it was great- first class all the way.

we prefer renting a car, but that's just us- we do it almost every trip. we just like NOT having to wait on ME and having the option to stop at the store or go off property if we want (outlets!). we also typically visit DTD twice and like driving over (although parking is a nightmare). we just like driving- we rarely use the buses. We just like not waiting for a bus. in the end, it probably doens't save us much time (since we have to park, ride a tram or walk to the gate), but when we want to go, we want to go, so we don't like waiting around. it is a car all the way for us. But it isn't for everyone. We also like visiting the other resorts, so having a car is much easier for that.

Wow! 15 people! At least we are only 5 people total!

You are probably right about the car. I know it would be more convenient, and I am sure that is the route they will go. If it was a slower time of year, I would be more opposed, but the idea of waiting to pack into a crowded bus is less than pleasant. Plus Jack and I will get to ride the ME anyways in September, and probably some of us will ride it in December as well, and some will take the car...

[jenseib]

I say skip the car. My DH always wants a car, and we have gotten one twice now. It sits for almost the while time. We do fly into Sandford, so we need it to get to Disney, but we could fly out of Detroit and not need one. He would rather have one for some dumb reason though. I think it's a totaly waste of money personally.

Can you tell me exactly how you get your tickets early. I read this too awhile back, but wasn't sure exactly how you go about it.

[PRmamiDEdos]

Subbing!!! Love your parents!!! That's an awesome Christmas gift! You and your son are precious!! God bless you both!

OAN - You forgot to put your CPP date on the CP Dis meet page! You can find the link in my signature!

[stephielela]

Subbing!!! Love your parents!!! That's an awesome Christmas gift! You and your son are precious!! God bless you both!

OAN - You forgot to put your CPP date on the CP Dis meet page! You can find the link in my signature!

Welcome! :dance3: I edited my post, duh! I am so slow sometimes! Sorry!

[taramoz]

I just got all caught up on your PTR! So awesome! And FYI, I love your theme dinners, so creative!! I am just not that creative! I may steal he idea:idea: from you!

I cannot wait to hear more!

[stephielela]

I just got all caught up on your PTR! So awesome! And FYI, I love your theme dinners, so creative!! I am just not that creative! I may steal he idea:idea: from you!

I cannot wait to hear more!

Welcome!! Actually, I stole those ideas from someone else, who I am sure stole them from someone else so they are up for grabs!! There's actually a thread of them, if you google "post disney family theme nights" it shoudl come up!

[stephielela]

Well, the 26th was a big day for a lot of us going in December! It was the day Candlelight processional packages were available for booking. It was RIDICULOUSLY difficult for me to get through, though my son was also having surgery that morning, so it was admitedly not the first thing on my mind. When I did eventually call and get through, I got what we needed, so life was good. Later that evening we reviewed our dining plans, and my mom seemed to be less than thrilled with some of our choices. I was ecstatic, it meant pulling out the Disney books and looking at new restaurant options, and since I have been pretty much done planning for a while... it gave me an unexpected plot twist. On that note, I am going to review our restaurants etc below!

December 16th- Arrival Day
~lunch: we will probably eat something in the QS area of the Contemporary. Since we are having a big dinner, we will hopefully eat light!
~dinner: California Grill! This is a new place for us!
We are actually paying for this meal OOP so I am not 100% sure what I am going to order, but I know it won't be an appy, entree and dessert, lol. I am actually considering ordering the Sweet Potato-Ricotta Tortelloni, but I don't know for certain. I might just order a flatbread and a salad... this is probably the restaurant I know the least about what to expect!

December 17th- Morning at MK, Afternoon at Epcot!
~breakfast: probably something quick in the room. I actually would LOVE to try a cinnimon bun at the MK bakery...
~lunch: CPP!! We are eating at Les Chefs at 1:50 (going to the 5pm showing) We have eaten here before, but for dinner, so this will be a little different. I think I am going to get the onion soup, Plat de Cote de boeuf au cabernet avec pates - beef short ribs briased in cabernet with pasta, pearl onions and mushrooms, and probably creme brulee for dessert! I will likely be STUFFED, maybe I won't eat breakfast after all...
~dinner: Le Cellier! This is another first for us! We really wanted to eat here last time, but the lady pretty muched laughed at us when we asked if they were taking walk ups... Here I think I will get cheese soup, mushroom filet, and chocolate moose!

December 18th- AK
~breakfast: We are having a before the park opens breakfast at Tusker House. This is a new choice as well, and really, our two biggest reasons for trying it are the positioning for rope drop, and the characters for Jack. I'm looking forward to the :frunch" but I don't really have a good idea of how good the food actually is...
~lunch: Yak and Yeti... I am looking forward to dessert here most! I am plannign on getting Thai chili chicken wings, chicken lo mein, and the fried wontons!
~dinner: Ohana! This is a new one for us! Looking forward to those drinks that come in pineapples...

December 19th- MK
~breakfast: Crystal Palace: New for us as far as breakfast goes! The reasoning behind this one is pretty much the same as Tusker House.
~lunch: probably just snacks, since we have a busy day ahead of us!
~dinner: CRT! we have a 5:15 ressie! I will probably go with the BLT salad and the prime rib. We haven't eaten here as a family for dinner before. Dessert isn't that important to me because...
~Wishes Dessert Party!! We are really cramming a lot in on this day, sinc ewe are doing the dessert party AND MVMCP, but it's the only way it would work for us, and I am super excited about both!

December 20th- DHS~breakfast: something quick in the room.
~lunch: this is a minor change. We are going to do 50's PTC for lunch instead of dinner. We have eaten here before. I am planning on getting soup, or maybe splitting onion rings if someone else wants it. I wanted pot roast for my entree, but I don't see it listed on the lunch menu, so perhaps I will get the chicken ceasar salad. For dessert, dad's brownie sundae.
~dinner: This is the change I am most excited about! We decided to squeeze in dinner at Jiko! (we dropped Pizza planet from this day and LTT from our last day) I really wanted to try dinner at Jiko, but couldn't make it fit before! I am planning on getting a flatbread for my app, the oak grilled filet, and the Jiko Trio for dessert, if it's still an option! (I think some of these menu items might have changed)

December 21st- Epcot
~breakfast: unknown
~lunch: Via Napoli which is obviously a new choice. I'm super excited to try some awesome pizzas! I wouldn't be surprised if we got the Fritto Misto (fried veggies) for an app. I'm looking to try the Carciofi - artichoke, pecorino, mozzarella, truffle oil, I super love artichokes! Zeppole di Catarina - ricotta cheese fritters with whipped cream and chocolate sauce sounds like an interesting desert, or I may just go for the Gelati E Sorbetto...
~dinner: another 1st for us, Rose and Crown! One of the big motivations was getting a time that would be condusive to viewing Illumintations. We are going to request a patio seat. I'm not a huge fan of British food... but if I had to guess I'd say I will be getting the potato and leek soup, Sunday roast, and chocolate scotch cake. I wonder what kind of meat the Sunday roast is...

December 22nd- 1/2 day MK, Departure day
~breakfast: I will insist on getting something from main st makery this morning. For lunch we will probably do CS since we will want to have as much park time as possible before we have to head home, which is why we traded in our LTT ressie. We all like Columbia Harbour House so we might end up there...

[ChildAtHeart82]

That sounds like a lot of food! It also sounds delicious. I look forward to your pics and reviews. :)

[stephielela]

That sounds like a lot of food! It also sounds delicious. I look forward to your pics and reviews. :)

It does sound like all we will be doing is eating doesn't it? :lmao: Well we are going to be dieting hard core between now and then... and I will be sharing most of my food with DS, who eats about as much as I do! I'm looking forward to pigging out for 5 days... after all I will walk most of it off... right???:rotfl:

[taramoz]

... after all I will walk most of it off... right???:rotfl:

I have to say yes, for sure. :cool1:

[ChildAtHeart82]

I hope the walking cancels the eating out because that's what I'm hoping for too! :) I'll be dieting ahead of time too to try and balance it out.

[DisneyFirefly]

I think I'm going to start (again) trying to lose weight after I get back from my trip. In preparation for next year :teeth: You and Jack should come down next November and we can have a meetup!

[exwdwcm]

so hope your son is doing well! i thought of you that morning when i was calling to try and get the CP- i sent a quick prayer your way! so mom didn't like some of the choices- are you going to rebook anything then? don't you hate when that happens. luckily most of my crew was flexible and my DH doesn't care, he'll eat whatever- his only request was Le Cellier. ;)



December 16th- Arrival Day
~lunch: we will probably eat something in the QS area of the Contemporary. Since we are having a big dinner, we will hopefully eat light!
~dinner: California Grill! This is a new place for us!
We are actually paying for this meal OOP so I am not 100% sure what I am going to order, but I know it won't be an appy, entree and dessert, lol. I am actually considering ordering the Sweet Potato-Ricotta Tortelloni, but I don't know for certain. I might just order a flatbread and a salad... this is probably the restaurant I know the least about what to expect!
you will LOVE CG!!! i have had the filet of course and it is heavenly. I also had the pork and it was pretty good too. sweet potato tortellini sounds pretty good! The flatbreads are all very good.

December 17th- Morning at MK, Afternoon at Epcot!
~breakfast: probably something quick in the room. I actually would LOVE to try a cinnimon bun at the MK bakery..
they are delicious! can't wait to eat another one. i rarely eat sweet stuff like that in the am, but it was oh so good.
~lunch: CPP!! We are eating at Les Chefs at 1:50 (going to the 5pm showing) We have eaten here before, but for dinner, so this will be a little different. I think I am going to get the onion soup, Plat de Cote de boeuf au cabernet avec pates - beef short ribs briased in cabernet with pasta, pearl onions and mushrooms, and probably creme brulee for dessert! I will likely be STUFFED, maybe I won't eat breakfast after all...
i am also doing lunch here- i can't decide on the sandwich or the mac/cheese. i love their french onion soup, so that's a must.
~dinner: Le Cellier! This is another first for us! We really wanted to eat here last time, but the lady pretty muched laughed at us when we asked if they were taking walk ups... Here I think I will get cheese soup, mushroom filet, and chocolate moose!
a fave of ours- we think a like- or our tummies do---i always get the cheese soup (I am a soup nut!), the fiilet, no mushrooms iwth cream cheese mashed potatoes and choc mousse for dessert!

December 18th- AK
~breakfast: We are having a before the park opens breakfast at Tusker House. This is a new choice as well, and really, our two biggest reasons for trying it are the positioning for rope drop, and the characters for Jack. I'm looking forward to the :frunch" but I don't really have a good idea of how good the food actually is...
had breakfast here like almost 8 years ago and it was very good
~lunch: Yak and Yeti... I am looking forward to dessert here most! I am plannign on getting Thai chili chicken wings, chicken lo mein, and the fried wontons!
this is on my to try list for next time!
~dinner: Ohana! This is a new one for us! Looking forward to those drinks that come in pineapples...
my other FAVE!!!! the lapu lapu!

December 19th- MK
~breakfast: Crystal Palace: New for us as far as breakfast goes! The reasoning behind this one is pretty much the same as Tusker House.
~lunch: probably just snacks, since we have a busy day ahead of us!
a must every trip!
~dinner: CRT! we have a 5:15 ressie! I will probably go with the BLT salad and the prime rib. We haven't eaten here as a family for dinner before. Dessert isn't that important to me because...
i've done breakfast and dinner here and never impressed, but it is more about the experience, sitting in the castle and seeing Cindy.
~Wishes Dessert Party!! We are really cramming a lot in on this day, sinc ewe are doing the dessert party AND MVMCP, but it's the only way it would work for us, and I am super excited about both!
did it this past Dec and is so so good!

December 20th- DHS~breakfast: something quick in the room.
~lunch: this is a minor change. We are going to do 50's PTC for lunch instead of dinner. We have eaten here before. I am planning on getting soup, or maybe splitting onion rings if someone else wants it. I wanted pot roast for my entree, but I don't see it listed on the lunch menu, so perhaps I will get the chicken ceasar salad. For dessert, dad's brownie sundae.
i've had the pot roast, we okay. the meatloaf looked good- want to try that next time! love the s'mores here.
~dinner: This is the change I am most excited about! We decided to squeeze in dinner at Jiko! (we dropped Pizza planet from this day and LTT from our last day) I really wanted to try dinner at Jiko, but couldn't make it fit before! I am planning on getting a flatbread for my app, the oak grilled filet, and the Jiko Trio for dessert, if it's still an option! (I think some of these menu items might have changed)
so jealous- i tried to squeeze in jiko this trip too and just didn't happen. i think i will save it for next time- now that we are DVC, there is ALWAYS a next time! :rotfl:
December 21st- Epcot
~breakfast: unknown
~lunch: Via Napoli which is obviously a new choice. I'm super excited to try some awesome pizzas! I wouldn't be surprised if we got the Fritto Misto (fried veggies) for an app. I'm looking to try the Carciofi - artichoke, pecorino, mozzarella, truffle oil, I super love artichokes! Zeppole di Catarina - ricotta cheese fritters with whipped cream and chocolate sauce sounds like an interesting desert, or I may just go for the Gelati E Sorbetto...
we are trying this too- i can't decide if i want pizza or pasta here!
~dinner: another 1st for us, Rose and Crown! One of the big motivations was getting a time that would be condusive to viewing Illumintations. We are going to request a patio seat. I'm not a huge fan of British food... but if I had to guess I'd say I will be getting the potato and leek soup, Sunday roast, and chocolate scotch cake. I wonder what kind of meat the Sunday roast is...
i've booked this, but hoping to replace it with hacienda instead. not sure i see anything on here i like. i want to hear what you think of it afterwards.


December 22nd- 1/2 day MK, Departure day
~breakfast: I will insist on getting something from main st makery this morning. For lunch we will probably do CS since we will want to have as much park time as possible before we have to head home, which is why we traded in our LTT ressie. We all like Columbia Harbour House so we might end up there...

[jenseib]

Did you ever find out the info on how to exactly get your park tickets ahead of time?

[stephielela]

Did you ever find out the info on how to exactly get your park tickets ahead of time?

I read that all I have to do is go to the park and go to guest services and they can get me my park tickets there. I'm not sure how this will affect my Key to the World card... but it will certainly save us some time!

[stephielela]

I am getting geared up for my next Disney night! We are doing out 97 days till... party next Friday! I went to home depot and got the micky paint chips, I went to target and got a black table cover and red and yellow plates (I am going fro a mickey theme) and I got Mickey chicken nuggets! I still need to find Mickey pizzas, I haven't been able to find them yet... My mom isn't really a fan of chicken nuggets, so I am also making Kona salad from the Polynesian... it's a very popular salad in our house. I still haven't decided what to make for dessert... I think we will probably go over our plans now that pretty much everything is set (just waiting on our photo session which I can't book till the month before). We might play the Magic Kingdom game, and we will probably watch a movie... though Jack and I watch movies every noght that i am off. He has gotten so cute, he always says he wants to watch a movie in monny's bed before he goes to sleep, so we get all brushed and washed and ready and then we climb in my bed and watch whatever. Lately his favorite movie to watch with me has been Monsters Inc, which is encouraging, it means he is broadening his horizons! My mom says to appreciate this time that he wants to spend with me because when he is older he won't be as sweet, which I am sure is true... plus I can always read while he watches his movie!

We went shopping today and I got him 2 pairs of PJ's at the Disney store (2 for $22) one halloween pair for our September trip, and one Mickey and Friends one for our December trip. I think the Mickey ones will be the first present he gets in his Buzz Lightyear stocking... That way he can wear them the first night! Pretty soon I am going to get all my pictures of the massive amount of crap I have bought uploaded so I can post them... along with pics from our last Disney night... over a month ago... wow I am slacking!

Oh and in other news, I evidently cannot do basic math! After I updated all of our ADR's I went through and counted again and sure enough, we still have 1 more credit! For now I have not canceled out LTT the last day, just in case, but I assume we will end up using it for counter service, but who knows!

[DisneyFirefly]

:eek: Where did you find Mickey chicken nuggets? If you can't find the pizzas, you could always make your own :) Do English muffins and then pieces of pepperoni for the ears :lmao:

I'm actually going to make the ooey gooey toffee cake from LTT tomorrow. I'm hoping it comes out good :teeth:

You know what I did to keep track of the credits for the DDP? I have a spreadsheet I made in Google Docs and just go based on that. It's actually been very helpful, because then you can see how many credits you're using and how many you have to use :)

[jenseib]

you can actually book your photosession now. I have read that the 1 month prior no longer applies and several people have booked for Dec already.

[stephielela]

you can actually book your photosession now. I have read that the 1 month prior no longer applies and several people have booked for Dec already.

ARGH!!!! Are you serious??? How did this slip past me??? :scared1: Oh my gosh if you hadn't told me I would have waited till November and been so so sad when they laughed at me and said they had been booked since September! Thanks so much, I will call tomorrow! You know, I was actually thinking it was pretty wierd they waited so late to book them, I guess they figured that out too!

[stephielela]

:eek: Where did you find Mickey chicken nuggets? If you can't find the pizzas, you could always make your own :) Do English muffins and then pieces of pepperoni for the ears :lmao:

I'm actually going to make the ooey gooey toffee cake from LTT tomorrow. I'm hoping it comes out good :teeth:

You know what I did to keep track of the credits for the DDP? I have a spreadsheet I made in Google Docs and just go based on that. It's actually been very helpful, because then you can see how many credits you're using and how many you have to use :)

I have seen Mickey chicken nuggets, chicken patties and even ravioli at Target in the past, however I am having trouble finding the ravioli now too. I had read about the pizza's on a thread here somewhere, but I haven't found it in person yet. Let me know how your cake turns out! That;s a good idea for the spreadsheet, I might need to try that...

[taramoz]

Still loving all your Disney theamed dinners:goodvibes! I have never heard of Mickey shaped anything (pizza, nuggets, pasta??). I am going to go on a search now. I want to do my first Disney themed dinner on our 100 day mark! Cannot wait to see the latest photos of yours!:banana:

[stephielela]

Still loving all your Disney theamed dinners:goodvibes! I have never heard of Mickey shaped anything (pizza, nuggets, pasta??). I am going to go on a search now. I want to do my first Disney themed dinner on our 100 day mark! Cannot wait to see the latest photos of yours!:banana:

I am going to look at the package to see if there is a website... maybe they will tell me where the other products are sold? I figured I'd check out some more Targets and maybe Wal-Mart if that doesn't work... maybe I should just google it...

[DisneyFirefly]

I have seen Mickey chicken nuggets, chicken patties and even ravioli at Target in the past, however I am having trouble finding the ravioli now too. I had read about the pizza's on a thread here somewhere, but I haven't found it in person yet. Let me know how your cake turns out! That;s a good idea for the spreadsheet, I might need to try that...

I googled it, and it looks like the Mickey pizzas are at Costco. I don't normally go grocery shopping at Target, which may be why I haven't seen any of those :lmao:

The cake came out well :) If you want, I can send you a screenshot of my spreadsheet so you can see how I have it set up. Do you want me to?

[stephielela]

I googled it, and it looks like the Mickey pizzas are at Costco. I don't normally go grocery shopping at Target, which may be why I haven't seen any of those :lmao:

The cake came out well :) If you want, I can send you a screenshot of my spreadsheet so you can see how I have it set up. Do you want me to?
I googled it too, and I think they may be at Wal-Mart too.. I will probably check both places on Thursday! I don't do much grocery shopping at Target either, only if i'm there and I just need one or two things. I just happened to stumble on the chicken nuggets one day, and they are suprisingly yummy!

Glad the cake came out well!

Sure! Send me a screen shot, I'm all about checking out other people's ideas!

[stephielela]

jenseib you might have saved my trip! I woke up this morning and the first thing I did was call to schedule a photo-shoot! i managed to get exactly what I wanted! It's on 12/19 at 4 pm at the Grand Floridian! They have chenged their packages a bit, she said they have 3 choices, 20 min with CD for $99.95, 40 min with CD for $149.95, or 20 min with prints for some very cheap price, I think maybe $29.95? We are doing 20 minutes with the CD and we have a coupon for 20% off I think! It's a little closer to our CRT ressie than I would have liked, but the choices were 2:30 or 4 and 2:30 would have left us with an awkward amount of time to kill, and worse, no nap for DS :scared1: I am starting to think he won't need many naps, but we want him to be cooperative for the photoshoot, and this is our looooong day (rope drop -midnight) so a nap will probably be in order! Anywho, again a big thanks to jenseib for the info that saved our plans! :dance3:

[Tinker_Tam]

I used to get Mickey Pizzas in the frozen section of my walmart but they have been gone for a while. Hope you can find them at yours!

[DisneyFirefly]

I googled it too, and I think they may be at Wal-Mart too.. I will probably check both places on Thursday! I don't do much grocery shopping at Target either, only if i'm there and I just need one or two things. I just happened to stumble on the chicken nuggets one day, and they are suprisingly yummy!

Glad the cake came out well!

Sure! Send me a screen shot, I'm all about checking out other people's ideas!

I'll send it over in a PM :)

And yay for getting your photo session booked! pixiedust:

[stephielela]

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d726b3127ccefb5af4231ab200000030O02AbNXDNu1Zsw e3nwI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d726b3127ccefb5ab9355a1a00000030O02AbNXDNu1Zsw e3nwI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d726b3127ccefb5b78e73a7c00000030O02AbNXDNu1Zsw e3nwI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d726b3127ccefb5b5f0e7a1e00000030O02AbNXDNu1Zsw e3nwI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d726b3127ccefb5b3b8ffb9d00000030O02AbNXDNu1Zsw e3nwI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

So even though there are no pictures of the food... we had Toy Story mac and cheese, Slinky Dogs (hot dogs) and "Al's Chicken-Man Enchiladas" (one of our neighbors came over for dinner and brought enchiladas, so I'm just trying to make it fit!)

[DisneyFirefly]

Awww, I love the cakes! And the label on the lightbeer! :lmao:

[Tinker_Tam]

Oh my gosh! Those cakes are too cute! My DS decided he wanted a Toy Story party for his birthday at the end of the month. I ordered the cupcake cake at Walmart, but those are too cute!

[photographymom517]

I'm finally caught up! lol I read through all my subscriptions the other night but I was just too exhausted to post comments! I replied on your September PTR & caught up on it! Your plans for both trips sound really great!!!

I absolutely love all of your Disney nights! I really have to do that next trip! I saved the thread from the family boards on DIS so now I'll have some good ideas! It will be hard to narrow down the movies though because I think my son loves all of them. I loved your themes...especially the Cars one because thats one of my son's favorites. Plus it reminded me of seeing Lightning McQueen & Mater at DHS!!! ;)

LOVED the Toy Story cakes!!! They turned out really great!

Can't wait to read more!!!

[taramoz]

LOL, Buzz Lightbeer cracking me up!:lmao: I am gonna do my first disney themed night tonight, but I cannot live up to yours!!

[stephielela]

LOL, Buzz Lightbeer cracking me up!:lmao: I am gonna do my first disney themed night tonight, but I cannot live up to yours!!

Mine are really just thrown together. I'm looking forward to hearing about yours!

[stephielela]

ummmm not sure how i missed it, but...


I'm doing the DOUBLE DIGIT DANCE!!!!


:dance3::dance3::dance3::dance3:

98 days today!

[jenseib]

I have seen Mickey chicken nuggets, chicken patties and even ravioli at Target in the past, however I am having trouble finding the ravioli now too. I had read about the pizza's on a thread here somewhere, but I haven't found it in person yet. Let me know how your cake turns out! That;s a good idea for the spreadsheet, I might need to try that...


My mom is head of human resources for the company that makes the Mickey pizzas. When they were 1st making them, trying them out, she brought home alot for us to try. Claire loves them. She likes me to cut the ears off to eat! LOL! I can ask her who sells them. I know alot of the stuff they make goes to Krogers, if you have 1 near you. I know they make the Kroger brand pizzas too.

jenseib you might have saved my trip! I woke up this morning and the first thing I did was call to schedule a photo-shoot! i managed to get exactly what I wanted! It's on 12/19 at 4 pm at the Grand Floridian! They have chenged their packages a bit, she said they have 3 choices, 20 min with CD for $99.95, 40 min with CD for $149.95, or 20 min with prints for some very cheap price, I think maybe $29.95? We are doing 20 minutes with the CD and we have a coupon for 20% off I think! It's a little closer to our CRT ressie than I would have liked, but the choices were 2:30 or 4 and 2:30 would have left us with an awkward amount of time to kill, and worse, no nap for DS :scared1: I am starting to think he won't need many naps, but we want him to be cooperative for the photoshoot, and this is our looooong day (rope drop -midnight) so a nap will probably be in order! Anywho, again a big thanks to jenseib for the info that saved our plans! :dance3:

YAY! I just read about it a few weeks ago. they just started opening up all dates til lthe end of the year I guess. But from what I have read lately, it's pretty easy to get an appointment, even when you are there. I think the 40 min price is $129.95 though. I'm thinking of that one too. I also have a 20% off coupon. It all depends on if we go or not, so I have been holding off on making an actual appointment. But I would LIKE to do it on the 9th of Dec at 1 at the GF also.

[jenseib]

ummmm not sure how i missed it, but...


I'm doing the DOUBLE DIGIT DANCE!!!!


:dance3::dance3::dance3::dance3:

98 days today!

:dance3: :dance3: :dance3: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :yay: :yay::woohoo: :woohoo:

[DisneyFirefly]

Yay for double digits! :banana:

[ChildAtHeart82]

Yay for double digits!! :yay::banana::yay: I think we start double digits on Saturday.

[stephielela]

My mom is head of human resources for the company that makes the Mickey pizzas. When they were 1st making them, trying them out, she brought home alot for us to try. Claire loves them. She likes me to cut the ears off to eat! LOL! I can ask her who sells them. I know alot of the stuff they make goes to Krogers, if you have 1 near you. I know they make the Kroger brand pizzas too.

Wow that would be awesome. I ended up searching 2 walmarts, and costco with no luck :confused3 It would be nice to have them for our big party we will have when my sister is home in November for Thanksgiving...

YAY! I just read about it a few weeks ago. they just started opening up all dates til lthe end of the year I guess. But from what I have read lately, it's pretty easy to get an appointment, even when you are there. I think the 40 min price is $129.95 though. I'm thinking of that one too. I also have a 20% off coupon. It all depends on if we go or not, so I have been holding off on making an actual appointment. But I would LIKE to do it on the 9th of Dec at 1 at the GF also.

I might have gotten the $ wrong, I was really focused on the 20 minute package :rotfl:

[creativeamanda]

Hey! I'm back! I'm going to be there same time as you--I'm going to be there by myself at POP Century, but I will be there! :banana:

[stephielela]

Hey! I'm back! I'm going to be there same time as you--I'm going to be there by myself at POP Century, but I will be there! :banana:

Welcome back! Yay for more December people!

[stephielela]

We had our Mickey theme night! I of course have not gotten the pics off my camera yet, but I will post them tomorrow, since I will be off again! We had Mickey chicken nuggets, Kona salad, bruchetta (just because we like it) and cupcakes with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse decorations! I finally finished our plannign journal (it was over 60 pages long!) and I had it bound at Staples. We didn't feel up to playing a game so Jack watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while we discussed our first couple of days of touring plans! We also took off a Mickey Head off our countdown calendar, and as of today we are at 94 days! We will have another Mickey night when my sister is home in November, and while I am at WDW later this month, I will pick up some Mickey pasta so that we can have soemthing besides chicken nuggets :lmao:

[bartleyosu]

Hey! I'm back! I'm going to be there same time as you--I'm going to be there by myself at POP Century, but I will be there! :banana:

When are you going? have you ever been there before solo? I wondered how that would be.

[stephielela]

Yay for southwest fares dropping... at least a little! As it turns out, my sister is finishing finals early enough that she is going to drive home and fly with us to MCO. So I was checking on flight prices and our flight's dropped TWICE in the last week! So I fixed our reservations and now, between the 5 of us, we have saved $300!!! Here's hoping for more savings!

[DisneyFirefly]

Yay for price cuts! :cheer2:

[ChildAtHeart82]

Yay for lower fares! :)

[exwdwcm]

your toy story night was so darn cute. i just might have to do these little themed nights too. just not sure my DS 2.5 will 'get it' and he won't sit through more than 10 minutes of a cartoon or movie. but love it! my DH might not be that into it either, but maybe he would for our son. :confused3;) heck he bought DVC for that reason.
especially the buzz light beer! :rotfl:

can't wait to see the mickey party pics. what's the kona salad recipe?

also- thanks for the mickey food- i had no idea there were mickey pizzas. i will be checking target, sam's and kroger. i don't have a costco membership, but could ask a friend to get me in there.

[stephielela]

I have been completely neglecting this PTR! I am currently working on my September TR so that's part of it, but that's no excuse! I just realized I hadn't even posted our pics from our Mickey party! I promise to get that done this week! Please don't write me off! :lmao:

[DisneyFirefly]

I'm still here! :)

[jenseib]

I'm gonna go check out your TR! :thumbsup2

[exwdwcm]

can't wait to see the mickey party pics! i might have to do one for my son!

[taramoz]

I have been completely neglecting this PTR! I am currently working on my September TR so that's part of it, but that's no excuse! I just realized I hadn't even posted our pics from our Mickey party! I promise to get that done this week! Please don't write me off! :lmao:

LOL, too funny, I realized the other day how I had also been neglecting mine, must just be something in the air!!!:)

[stephielela]

I'm still here! :)

Yay! I promis somethiing more exciting by the end of the weekend! Thanks for sticking with me!

[stephielela]

can't wait to see the mickey party pics! i might have to do one for my son!

It was fun! The Kona salad recipe is yummy! We sub apples for the pears though. You can find it by googling kona salad recipe and then going to the disboards link with all the recipes. If I have it saved on my other computer I will post it later. It has been very popular with everyone we have served it to. I think I want to buy the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Halloween DVD and have a halloween Mickey night, but I am not sure... the DVD is like $12.99... I think we will do a Bug's Life night this Tuesday!

[stephielela]

LOL, too funny, I realized the other day how I had also been neglecting mine, must just be something in the air!!!:)

I think it's just that we are in that time period where most of our plans are made, so there isn't a whole lot more to do, but there's still so much time left before we can pack etc. It's a rough patch, I'm sure we will get through it! :rotfl:

[stephielela]

There aren't very many pictures from this night, we had Mickey chicken nuggets and Kona salad (recipe below).

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce28b3127ccefb06b2a7273000000030O02AbNXDNu1Zsw e3nwI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

For display I used our Disney albums so we could reminisce. We have Disney Candyland, and I know we have the Magic Kingdom game too but I couldn't find it. The yellow album on the far right is from my 1st trip!

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce28b3127ccefb06cd1e672e00000030O02AbNXDNu1Zsw e3nwI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

I got the cupcake decorations from Wal-Mart during my search for Mickey pizzas. They had plenty of Disney theme party stuff!

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce28b3127ccefb07239ec6a500000030O02AbNXDNu1Zsw e3nwI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

We also had bruschetta... just because

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce28b3127ccefb062b1ee66d00000030O32AbNXDNu1Zsw e3nwI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D3/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

This is our countdown calendar!

I somehow managed to NOT take a picture of our giant planning book, but I will include pics later on that.

Here is the Kona Salad recipe, it's a favorite in our family!

Kona Salad
Kona Café, Disney's Polynesian Resort, WDW
Serves 8

3 unpeeled Asian pears, cored and thinly sliced
9 cups (or 1 pound bag) spring mix or gourmet lettuce mix
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
3/4 cups smoked almonds, chopped in large pieces
6 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, gently toss pears, salad mix, blue cheese, onion, and almonds. In a separate bowl, mix orange juice, rice vinegar, and sugar. Whisk in canola oil, salt, and pepper. Pour over salad and gently toss; serve immediately.

Cooks Note: if Asian pears are not available, you can substitute fresh peaches, strawberries, or other berries - what ever is in season. Pair this salad with a light crisp wine like a Riesling Spaetlese.

[DisneyFirefly]

That looks so cute! You're really good at planning these theme nights :)

[Tinker_Tam]

Sounds like a great Mickey night! That salad sounds to yummy!! And I know the kiddos will want that Candyland as soon as they spot it.

[stephielela]

That looks so cute! You're really good at planning these theme nights :)

Thanks! I get pretty into it, just because I need something to do since I am practically done planning! We are doing Bug's Life on Tuesday and I am working on the menu for that next...

[DisneyFirefly]

You should do ants on a log for a snack or appetizer!

[stephielela]

Sounds like a great Mickey night! That salad sounds to yummy!! And I know the kiddos will want that Candyland as soon as they spot it.

I wish Jack was old enough to play games, but he has no interest yet. I like the Kona salad because the dressing is nice and light so it doesn't make you feel wieghed down.

[stephielela]

You should do ants on a log for a snack or appetizer!

I was totally thinking that. I think my dad and I are the only ones who like those but still.

[DisneyFirefly]

Well, if the others don't like the ants, they can pick them off and give them to you :) How do you make them? I know some people make them differently, but ours were always just peanut butter in celery stalks with raisins arranged on top.

[Tinker_Tam]

I have done "dirt" with the pudding and oreos but instead of worms I got gummy bugs! My kids loved it.

[stephielela]

Well, if the others don't like the ants, they can pick them off and give them to you :) How do you make them? I know some people make them differently, but ours were always just peanut butter in celery stalks with raisins arranged on top.

That's how I make them.... though maybe M&M's will make them more tempting :lmao:

[DisneyFirefly]

Or you could do chocolate covered raisins! That might be good :teeth:

[stephielela]

I have done "dirt" with the pudding and oreos but instead of worms I got gummy bugs! My kids loved it.

I LOVE dirt cake! We make it all the time in the summer! That's a good plan too!

[DisneyFirefly]

http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/dept/bugfood3.asp

[MarelloDisney]

What a cute idea!!!

[stephielela]

http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/dept/bugfood3.asp

awesome link! thanks!!

[DisneyFirefly]

No problem! I just googled 'insect themed party food' and that was the first thing that popped up :)

[wdwgirl03]

Saw your post on another TR and decided to come on over! We went almost the exact same dates a couple years ago and had such a great time. The crowds were pretty low, though they were definitely starting to pick up our last night there. :eek::eek:

I love all your theme nights! They look like so much fun.

Can't wait for more!

Well, I got lucky and sure enough, the 19th is the last day for MVMCP. Does anyone know why they stop it so early in the month? Is it because the parks are just too crowded after that to close them early for the party?

When we went, ours was the 18th I believe (I know it was the second to last one for that year). I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head. I can't imagine them closing the park early for a party during such a busy time.

[stephielela]

Saw your post on another TR and decided to come on over! We went almost the exact same dates a couple years ago and had such a great time. The crowds were pretty low, though they were definitely starting to pick up our last night there. :eek::eek:

I love all your theme nights! They look like so much fun.

Can't wait for more!



When we went, ours was the 18th I believe (I know it was the second to last one for that year). I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head. I can't imagine them closing the park early for a party during such a busy time.

Welcome! :goodvibes

[stephielela]

Ok, I will apologize in advance for the lameness of this night. I ended up spending the entire day running around and could not find the things I was looking for to make this theme night perfect, so it turned out pretty lame.

Here's Jack wearing his ant antennas (except he ket callign them google-heads from a show he watches that is appropriately titled "Jack's Big Music Show")
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce35b3127ccefb09b8d9717a00000030O02AbNXDNu1Zsw e3nwI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

I used green wrapping paper ont eh table and windo to simulate grass, and as you can see we had some ants on a log... and tuna salad... I know, it doesn't really go, but we were originally going for a picnic feel so we had sandwiches and chips (except Jack who had leftover chicken nuggets and french fries)

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce35b3127ccefb0922d4713a00000030O02AbNXDNu1Zsw e3nwI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

I drew some ants here and there for decoration

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0ce35b3127ccefb08ba59d08700000030O02AbNXDNu1Zsw e3nwI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

We used plates that were the color of mums, and drew stems. And we had broccoli and carrots as well... I guess I was thinking broccoli= little trees?

For dessert we had mint grasshopper ice cream sandwiches... asn watched the movie... and that's it.

It's sad because there are so many cooler ways this could have been done, btu I just didn't have time. Next time will be better!

[exwdwcm]

Mickey night and bug's life night turned out cute! do they sell the mickey candyland at regular stores or only at WDW? i need to get it!

looks like a great time on both nights! i really need to do something for us soon. October is just a crazy month for everyone i think.

[DisneyFirefly]

Aww, I think the Bug's Life night turned out cute!

[stephielela]

Mickey night and bug's life night turned out cute! do they sell the mickey candyland at regular stores or only at WDW? i need to get it!

looks like a great time on both nights! i really need to do something for us soon. October is just a crazy month for everyone i think.

I think we probably got it at Target or someplace like that. I am positive we would not have bought it at WDW we would never have roo to haul it back :lmao: