"Enchanted:” The E! True Disneyworld Story of a Birthday Princess (UPDATE 4/18)

Enchanted

DIS Veteran
Joined
Sep 5, 2005
“Enchanted:” The E! True Disneyworld Story of a Birthday Princess
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Once upon a time, there was a princess named Emily, who loved the kingdom of Magic in the faraway land of Florida more than any other. This is her story….

Introduction

Hey everyone!

I’ve read a lot of TRs over the years that I’ve been a part of the DIS boards, but this is my first attempt at writing my own. So if I’m a ginormous failure at this…you’ve been forewarned. ;)

I should probably start by introducing myself….

My name is Emily, but everyone usually just calls me Em. I will be turning 21 years old in just a couple of weeks, which is why we will be taking a trip to the World in March: to celebrate my birthday, albeit a month late. I’ve never really done anything exciting for any of my birthdays, just went out for modest family dinners and stuff. When I was ten, I had a sleepover with a couple of my friends, but that’s about it. So this trip is really exciting for me because I FINALLY get to do something really special for my b-day, even if it is a month late! See, I’m currently in college so I can’t just skip on off to Disney whenever I want to, no matter how badly I wish I could…. Darn it…. So we’re taking this little vay-cay while I’m on my spring break between quarters.

While we’re on the subject of school, I should probably tell you that I’m currently going to a small, local two-year school for now, and I plan on transferring to a four-year school to get my Bachelor’s degree (And hopefully I’ll graduate with little to no debt! Oh yeah! :thumbsup2 ). I’m planning on majoring in either English or English Literature because I love books, and I hope to write them myself one day. In fact, my life’s ambition is to write a well-received children’s/young adult novel. I’m already working on a fantasy novel that I hope to be the first of an epic trilogy. Maybe one day you’ll see my name on the bookshelves of your local bookstore! Fingers crossed!

Other things about me:

- My favorite Disney princess is Belle because she is a lot like me. We both love to read, have brown hair and eyes, hate conceited jerks like Gaston, want adddventure in the great wiiiide, somewherrre! I want it more that I can telllll!

...Ahem. I think you get the gist. :rolleyes1

- My favorite Disney resorts include the Poly, AKL, CBR, and Pop Century.

- I am a total television nerd and movie geek and have a bad habit of quoting lines from my favorites constantly. You will probably see a lot of memorable quotes sprinkled throughout this report. Whoever guesses them correctly gets a cookie! My treat! ::yes::

- My favorite band is The Fray. If you don’t know who they are, LOOK THEM UP! They’re beyond awesome!

- I was born in Tennessee, but moved to Ohio when I was seven. Still, I often have a Southern twang when I talk, and I use the word “y’all” far too much.

- I’ve been to Disney so many times I’ve lost count, but I think this trip will be the twelfth or thirteenth? Maybe? Possibly?

- I LOVE photography. I got a camera for Christmas in ’07, and ever since I’ve been obsessed with picture-taking. And, not to brag or anything, but I think I’m pretty good at it!

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Sunflowers in a field near my old job.

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More sunflowers….

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Lifeguard station on the beach at Clearwater from our July vacation.

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Palm trees! :goodvibes

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Foggy day outside my house…

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Taken outside my aunt’s house before we left for Disney in November….

As you can see, I love picture-taking so you can expect this PTR and subsequent TR to be CHOCK-FULL of pictures. Cause that’s just how I roll. :moped:

Now, onto some specific details about our trip!

The when:

March 21st-27th, 2009

The who:

Me - See above. ;)

Mom - Everybody says this, I know, but…my mom is the best mom EVER! She’s my best friend, and I just adore everything about her. Since we’re the only girls in my house (I have two younger brothers, 19 and 15, and of course there’s my Dad), Mom and I have to stick together. Disney is one of our strongest common bonds. Mom loves the classics, particularly Peter Pan (He’s her absolute favorite, I think. She loves to point out that I’m like Wendy and my brothers are like John and Michael.) and Lady and the Tramp. We also both love the Pirates movies and have crushes on Johnny Depp. He’s SO dreamy! Mom and I often sit around and talk Disney while catching up on our Tivo’ed soaps. Mom is very cheerful and upbeat and always ready to lend a helping hand.

Also, she has a MASSIVE pin collection, which she is always bringing with her to WDW. These days, I think she has one whole bag that’s JUST lanyards and she switches them off every time we leave the hotel room. Meanwhile, I only have one lanyard and I hardly ever wear it!

My aunt Cindy - The first thing you should probably know about my aunt Cindy? Her name ain’t Cindy. But since Cinderella is her favorite Disney princess (and both she and my mom wish to remain anonymous…or anonyMOUSE…:lmao: …sorry I had to….), I thought the nickname suited her. ;) Aunt C lives and breathes for all things Disney, shopping, and happily ever after. Which is what makes her so awesome. She and my uncle couldn’t have kids so she has taken to spoiling me and my brothers rotten, including taking us to Disney at least once a year. She always knows how to make me laugh, and she’s always up for a good time. She’s always let me be in on the planning of our trips and often lets me take the reins completely when she’s feeling lazy because she says I’m such a good planner! It was her who got me and Mom so obsessed with WDW, and this year all three of us have annual passports to indulge our obsession! Woo-hoo! Aunt C also enjoys pin trading but doesn’t bring her large collection of pins with her each trip.

The why:

I’m turning 21!!!! And we have annual passports!!!! :cheer2:

The where:

…..Um….I…have no idea! My aunt booked the hotel, and she refuses to tell me which one she booked because, “It’s a surprise…”

A surprise hotel?! That can mean only one thing…. :scratchin

DELUXE, baby! :woohoo:

So yeah, I guess you guys are just going to have to be surprised like I am because I have no clue where we’re staying this trip! Truly though, I would sleep in a bathtub at one of the All-Stars (which are actually pretty dang cool!) just to be in Disney, so a deluxe stay is just icing on the [birthday] cake! :banana:

Now, with 44 days to go and counting, the magic is starting to fill me up. I can't wait to get to WDW and see Wishes, eat a Dole Whip, smell Splash Mountain, and all of the other little things that makes Disney my favorite place in the whole world. Because even though I'm an "adult" by society's standards, when I'm at Disney, I'm still that little girl who believes that every story has a happily ever after.

As a wise man once said: Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you just might miss it.

IMHO, that's what Disney's for! Stopping to enjoy the little things in life with the people you love. :goodvibes

And so that concludes my little introduction to what I hope will be a magic-filled adventure in WDW. I hope you’ll join me on my birthday quest, and until me meet again….

Faith, trust, and pixie dust! pixiedust:

Emily


Next time: princess: A Birthday Princess’s Top 10 “Enchanting” Things To Do While in WDW….princess:
 
Your title caught my eye....and you pictures kept me interested. :goodvibes I'm a Photographer myself...your stuff looks great! I just love the tractor one! You have a good eye and that's what's important. Anyone can buy an expensive camera...that doesn't make one a Photographer. :goodvibes
 
Your title caught my eye....and you pictures kept me interested. :goodvibes I'm a Photographer myself...your stuff looks great! I just love the tractor one! You have a good eye and that's what's important. Anyone can buy an expensive camera...that doesn't make one a Photographer. :goodvibes

:wave2: Welcome!

I'm so glad you liked my pictures! :goodvibes Mom is always telling me that I have a great eye, but I never really listen. Moms are supposed to say stuff like that, y'know? ;) But the fact that you're a photographer (Do you work professionally or just enjoy it as a hobby?), and you like my stuff is a wonderful compliment! Thanks! :flower3:

The tractor one is one of my favorites too. I'm hoping to put together an album soon of photos I've taken from all four seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter. I think the tractor one will be on the front page for fall.

As Tigger would say, TTFN! (Ta-Ta For Now!)

Emily
 
Hi!

Great start!! I'm also a university student and lover of all things Disney.:cheer2: I'm no photographer, but I love your pictures! They're beautiful.

Sounds like it's going to be an exciting trip... especially since you don't know where you'll be staying.:goodvibes Can't wait to read along and see how things unfold!
 


Hi!

Great start!! I'm also a university student and lover of all things Disney.:cheer2: I'm no photographer, but I love your pictures! They're beautiful.

Sounds like it's going to be an exciting trip... especially since you don't know where you'll be staying.:goodvibes Can't wait to read along and see how things unfold!

Hey there! :wave2: Is Autumn your "real" name? I have a friend named Autumn, and I think it's a gorgeous name. :goodvibes Thanks for the picture love! Even from a non-photographer, your compliments are still really nice. :blush:

The secret resort is driving me banana sandwich! I'm DYING to know where we're staying but Aunt C and Mom are keeping tight-lipped about it. Sigh. But at least it's adding some excitement to my PTR. :laughing:
 
Nah, my real name is Meg... I chose my screen name kind of randomly. I was sitting at the computer and I love autumn and I love palm trees so I combined the two together. Really creative. :laughing:
 
I just came up on your Pre TR and am liking it so far! I am a 23 year old college student and love Disney too! Oh and I am from Ohio and well still here..lol.. I am soooo trying to get my Mom to go on an all girls trip with me next year, just me and her and some aunts and cousins! We are going in September with a huge group and I know it is going to be chaos. But still lots of fun! I can't wait to hear more about your trip!
 


That's what I do...concerts, weddings, beach portraits...etc. :goodvibes The book sounds great and you should listen to your mom! ;)
 
I'm hoping to have an update sometime tonight, everyone!

Nah, my real name is Meg... I chose my screen name kind of randomly. I was sitting at the computer and I love autumn and I love palm trees so I combined the two together. Really creative. :laughing:

Meg's a pretty name too! And I also love autumn and palm trees so I think your screen name is pretty cool. :thumbsup2

I just came up on your Pre TR and am liking it so far! I am a 23 year old college student and love Disney too! Oh and I am from Ohio and well still here..lol.. I am soooo trying to get my Mom to go on an all girls trip with me next year, just me and her and some aunts and cousins! We are going in September with a huge group and I know it is going to be chaos. But still lots of fun! I can't wait to hear more about your trip!

Hi there fellow Buckeye! :goodvibes You should totally go on an all-girls trip! Mom, Aunt C, and I all took my ex-boss (who is also one of Mom's friends from high school) to WDW this past November for her 50th birthday. It was a blast! We all wore tiaras princess: and shopped until our hearts content! Usually we can't even look at a gift shop without one of the guys in our party going, "You're not going in THERE, are you?" :rolleyes:

I'm sure your September trip will be awesome no matter how chaotic it is! ::yes::

That's what I do...concerts, weddings, beach portraits...etc. :goodvibes The book sounds great and you should listen to your mom! ;)

That's so cool! That would be my dream job! Maybe I will start listening to Mom... ;)
 
Love it so far! I was an English major in college, I highly recommend it :)

Looking forward to more!! :wave2:
 
Stop by the trip reports..in the older ones I put a lot of my band stuff. You probably saw some of our stuff...remember the Travis Barker/DJ AM plane crash? We had pics from that show posted all over the World. That's in the Disney waiter one from Spetember. I'm currently working on December.
 
Love it so far! I was an English major in college, I highly recommend it :)

Looking forward to more!! :wave2:

Welcome! :goodvibes It's always nice to meet another English major!

Stop by the trip reports..in the older ones I put a lot of my band stuff. You probably saw some of our stuff...remember the Travis Barker/DJ AM plane crash? We had pics from that show posted all over the World. That's in the Disney waiter one from Spetember. I'm currently working on December.

Wow! That's so amazing that you've had that kind of coverage! I'm mucho impressed. :laughing: I'll definitely catch up on your TRs so that I can see the pics.

New update in next post!
 
In math (my WORST subject), there are things called givens. Givens are defined as anything that is “known or independently determined.” What could this possibly have to do with Disney, you say? Just hold on, I’m getting there…. ;)

You see, there are certain things when I go to Disney that are givens. Riding Pirates? Given. Seeing Wishes? Given. Haunted Mansion? Given. Soarin? Given. Dole Whip? Given. Pin trading? Given. I know all of these things will happen, at least once, while I’m there. I’m sure each of you have your own givens, the things you don’t even have to plan because you just KNOW you’ll do them.

This post is about the un-givens. The things that you always mean to do but never quite get around to or the things you’ve just discovered on the DIS/in a guidebook/Disney website etc. and are dying to try out. I’ve compiled a list of those little things that I hope to accomplish between the many givens of our upcoming trip.

The following is my “Top 10 Enchanting Things to Do While in WDW” list:

10. See the “Beauty and the Beast” stage show

Although I love Belle the most princess:, we hardly ever go to see her DHS show because I’m usually the only one who wants to see it, and our timing always seems to be off regarding our free time and the show schedule. But this time I’m going to insist that we see it. With rumors swirling that the show may be closing soon (I’m still mourning the loss of Four For a Dollar), I want to make sure I see it again and get lots of pretty pictures should those rumors come true.

9. Make-your-own souvenirs at DTD

This may be shocking to hear, but in my 10+ trips to WDW, I’ve never stepped foot into Goofy’s Candy Company. We always just figured that Goofy’s Candy Company only featured CANDY. (It’s in the name, you know? ;)) But then I was browsing one of the many food porn threads and discovered the “make-your-own-treats” that you can make at Goofy’s. :eek: Talk about treats! I can’t decide whether I want a Mickey-head krispy treat or an apple or what, but I know it’s going to be drizzled in caramel and dunked in Oreo pieces no matter what! Haha!

Also, while I mourn the loss of the stationery store at the Marketplace (I have this irrational need for notebooks…), I am greatly looking forward to seeing what all you can make at the new “make-your-own-Disney-tee” store. I especially hope that you can make shirts with characters like Alice or Lilo, characters that don’t always get the t-shirt treatment.

8. Get my picture with a Disney princess

The only pictures I’ve ever taken with characters were at character meals, and none of them were the Princesses. So at some point, I’d like to stop by Toontown and get my picture taken with some of the Princesses. (Preferably with Belle, Aurora, or Ariel…) Because it just wouldn’t be right for a Birthday Princess not to spend time with her fellow princesses. princess:

7. Buy a balloon on Main Street

There’s something about the balloons on Main Street. To me, a bundle of those balloons are as synonymous with the MK as Cinderella’s castle. In fact, my computer wallpaper right now is this:

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Aren’t they purty? :lovestruc

Despite my love of the balloons, I’ve never actually bought one for myself. This trip? I’m getting one! (And if, by some freak, we end up staying at AKL where balloons are verboten, I plan to play Fairy Godmother and give my balloon away to the most well-behaved kid I see.)

6. Take my picture underneath the “Singin’ In The Rain” umbrella at DHS

Okay, something you should probably know about me: I was a dancer from the age of three until I was sixteen. I took every dance class available: ballet, tap, jazz, modern, etc. (The theme of my first recital was Disney. I kid you not. Three hours of Disney-inspired dancing! I still watch the entire tape to see all the cool routines…) During those thirteen years, I was in two different “Singin In The Rain” tap routines. One involved sparkly neon raincoats and the other involved me dancing a solo in the beginning. So I sort of have this emotional attachment to “Singin” because I spent two different years in my life dancing to it. :cool1:

Now, in case you were unaware, there is an umbrella attached to a light pole on one of the streets in DHS, a photo opportunity (with, from what I’ve heard, a special twist…) that’s a tribute to Gene Kelly and “Singin.” I believe it’s supposed to be somewhere near the LMA stunt show. I have wanted to have my picture taken with this umbrella for YEARS, but we never have had time to look for it. This year, it’s a priority. I WILL find that umbrella.

5. Get a Disney tattoo

I absolutely love the creativity and artwork of tattoos. I love to watch the show “LA Ink” on TLC just to see all of the interesting designs that people come up with. However, I’m a big chicken when it comes to getting one myself. It’s not so much about the pain, but about the idea that I might regret it later. So, for now, I’m sticking with just getting temporary tattoos at Disney! Last year, I got a special sparkly tattoo of Squirt from “Finding Nemo” while we were at the AK this summer. Some pictures of Squirt:

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I don’t know if I’ll get the sparkly stuff again, but I definitely want to get another tattoo! :banana:

4. Pick a Pearl

I did this on our summer trip for Aunt C’s 25th anniversary and LOVED it. We did it in the Japanese pavilion, and the girls there really do it up right, making the whole thing into a ceremony of sorts. I picked the ugliest oyster I could find, and when the CM opened it up…I had twins! Here’s the setting I picked:

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Sorry, these are kind of blurry. I loved this setting because of the way the pearls hang on two different levels. I thought it was really different!

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Here’s me wearing the necklace so you can get the gist of how it hangs.

This trip, I’m hoping to get a colored pearl, either pink or black and maybe set it in a ring (I think they had rings the last time I was there….). Fingers crossed! Even if I don’t buy a setting I’ll still pick a pearl because I enjoy the mystique and suspense of the ceremony as you wait to see what’s in your oyster.

3. Try a margarita!

Since this is my 21st birthday celebration, it seems only appropriate that alcohol factor in somehow. :lmao: The only alcoholic drink that I’ve ever really wanted to try was a margarita so I told Mom that one of my goals this trip is to try one. Surprisingly, she said that was fine! Not that my mom is really uptight or anything, but nobody in our family really drinks and it just seems kind of weird to go drinking with your mom! (I think she might secretly want to try one too….:rolleyes1 ) Aunt C already loves margaritas (but only drinks them on vacation) so it looks like we all might have one!

2. Ride Everest at sunset

We’re going to AK for EMH (and dinner at Boma at AKL! :woohoo: ) so I’m hoping that I’ll get to ride EE around sunset, that way I can see the landmarks of the World just as the sun sets over the horizon. :cloud9: The very thought gives me goose-bumps….

1. See Wishes! from California Grill

Aunt C got us an ADR for CG, and I think it’s the one I’m most looking forward to. We’ve never been there before and since it’s a little “fancier” than some of the other restaurants, it will be extra-special for celebrating my birthday. It gives me an excuse to dress up a little which is always fun for a Birthday Princess! I think I’m going to wear this yellow sundress that I call my “Belle” dress. You’ll get to see a picture of it in a future installment, don’t worry. ;) But most important of all, our ADR is timed perfectly so that we will get a chance to see Wishes! I’m really looking forward to this because Wishes is my favorite of the fireworks shows, and I hear the view is AMAZING. :love:

So there you have it. A list of my un-givens for this trip. What about you guys? Do you have any un-givens you’d like to accomplish soon? :wizard:
 
I just found your PTR!! I love your writing style and I'm so excited to be onboard for the trip!! :thumbsup2
 
Oh, I just love your list!!!:love: Do you mind if I borrow your idea for my PTR?

10. I LOVE the Beauty and the Beast show. My favourite show at DHS!
9. Mmmm Goofy's Candy Company is so yummy!
8. You're right, you've got to get a princess picture!!princess:
7. What a sweet idea if you're staying at AKL. And I've never bought a balloon either but they look so fun.
6. I love the umbrella. I got my first pic with it last July.
5. I've never gotten a tattoo at Disney but that is such a cute one! Now I totally want to get one.
4. My mom and I are planning on doing this in May!
3. Mmm enjoy your Margarita!
2. That sounds so beautiful. EE is so much fun.
1. What a perfect birthday dinner. Looking forward to seeing your Belle dress!
 
Aw, I'm so glad you liked it! :goodvibes And of course you can use the idea for your PTR! I'd love to hear about your non-givens. :thumbsup2

You and your mom are going to love Pick A Pearl. It's so much fun! :cheer2:
 
Love the list! I never even knew about the balloons at AKL!? WOW.

Thanks! :goodvibes I personally didn't know about the balloon rule until we stayed at AKL a couple trips back. There are signs in the lobby and in the rooms that ask you not to bring balloons into the resort. They don't want them accidentally escaping off the balcony and into the areas where the animals are. It makes a lot of sense when you think about it, but it's one of those things that you wouldn't think about on your own, you know what I mean? But Disney really DOES think of everything so it's okay for us to not be so up on things. ;)

Now that I'm almost over my cold, I should have an update (or two! :banana: ) up tomorrow!
 

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