- Joined
- Oct 19, 2004
Cast.
Me: Karen (a.k.a Kaz) Still 40-something. Loves all things Disney, a Kir Royale in Mizner's Lounge and spending somewhat less of DH's $$$ than previously...
Her: Sophie (a.k.a Soph) Still 20-something. Like her Mother, loves all things Disney. Like her Father, loves a Kir Royale in any Lounge and holding onto her purse at all times...
Rogues Gallery:
Mother & Daughter June 1983...
...and June 2009...
The Story So Far...
A few years ago, when my DD, Sophie, hit 21 and I crashed face first in 40, we decided that we should celebrate those milestones with a Girls Only trip together. After much brainstorming and Haribo StarMix we realised that, for us, the only place on earth was the Happiest Place on Earth and duly booked a vacation for May 2005 - a 3 night DCL cruise followed by a week in the Beach Club to experience the EPCOT's Flower and Garden Festival. To cut a long, rambling and rather female fairytale of character photos, fine dining and excessive shopping short, the trip was rip-roaring success and we promised ourselves another asap. Sadly life, university and finances got in the way so we didn't make a second trip until October 2007 but this was quickly followed by another in May 2008 - tho' that did require us to transform Dick (aka my DH & Sophie's Dad) into an honorary lady which, despite the waxing, the makeup and the hair extensions, wasn't the same thing. At all!!!
So keen were we to get back to the original "just the two us" format that, earlier this year, I explored the option of extending my already booked September cruising trip with Dick with a post-cruise Girly WDW week in the company of Sophie. And, to our delight, it looked promising. Despite incurring deposit charges at cancelling our Fly-Drive, we were able to save £££ during a VA sale and scored some sweet UC seats at a better price than previously available. Result!!! Next, I contacted DVC and nervously crossed my fingers, legs and eyes that a 1 bedroom villa would be available at Wilderness Lodge... All that crossing worked - it was!!! So, with flights and accommodation well and truly sorted there wasn't much left to do other than sit back and wait for those booking windows to open...
We decided we couldn't flash the cash too much this trip as both of us are entering the second half of the year less solvent than usual. Sophie's just had her house totally renovated and I'm about to embark on an ambitious extension and refurb project of my own - dear readers, you have no idea how expensive cosmetic surgery is!!! But of course not!!! I jest - it's our decaying domicile that's getting the Extreme Makeover and, as I price up bathroom fittings and floor tiles, I'm aware that my vacation budget has strict limits... With this in mind, I'm now the proud owner of a FairFX card which I have been judiciously 'loading' as and when the exchange rate beckons...
Anyway, back to the trip and our itinerary which is as follows:
Saturday Sept 19th: If you recall, Dick and I disembark the Magic in Port Canaveral this morning, pack up the car and drive to IHOP for brekkie. For more pre-trip prattle about this portion of the vacation, click here... Then it's down to WDW where Dick checks in at DTD for his flight back to Gatwick and I check in at VWL. We plan to spend the early part of the afternoon hanging out here before Dick heads off to MCO. I know that will be super sad after our week of Total Tortolan Togetherness but I'm sure the imminent arrival of the lovely Sophie will alleviate some distress. Hopefully delays are minimal as we have an ADR at Whispering Canyon Cafe @ 8.30pm...
Sunday Sept 20th: Up early and off to our nearest park, Magic Kingdom, by FriendShip. I wager we'll scale those Mountains before catching the monorail to EPCOT where we have an ADR for a rather precious Princessy lunch at Akershus @ 2.45pm... Not sure what we'll do after - probably stroll around EPCOT and enjoy our fave park...
Monday Sept 21st: Today it's all about Mall Madness. We plan to go to Prime Outlets and Mall at Millenia as, unbelievably, Sophie hasn't experienced either of these therapeutic retail centres of excellence!!! We will be eating offsite as I'm keen to introduce my darling daughter to the delights of the Cheesecake Factory at Mall at Millenia...
Tuesday Sept 22nd: We plan to get up early and hit Hollywood Studios this morning as Toy Story Midway Mania cannot/will not be missed!!! There's a DIS meet scheduled @ 1pm in the Tambu Lounge of the Polynesian so looks like I will finally get to try a Lapu Lapu!!! After a couple of these fruitaholic beverages, I imagine spending the rest of the afternoon at the resort will seem rather appealing... Later we will be getting ready for an ADR at Narcoossees @ 8.00pm and hopefully catching 'Hallowishes' from the Grand Floridian dock as tonight is MNNSHP...
Wednesday Sept 23rd: This morning it's the turn of Animal Kingdom before returning to the sanctuary of the resort pool in the afternoon - maybe even slotting in a trip to Downtown Disney and THAT Christmas Shop... The focus of our day is another new experience that occurs this evening when we have an ADR for the late sitting of the Hoop de doo Revue!!! Yeeee haaaawww!!!
Thursday Sept 24th: We're doing something a little different this morning and driving around 30 miles north to visit the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art which houses the World's most comprehensive collection of the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany!!! I'm very excited about this as I especially love his stained glass designs so this will be a real treat... Later, we plan to attend our first ever Velvet Session at Hard Rock Hotel @ 6.30pm and will be taking a taxis so we can take full advantage of a free cocktail or three...
Friday Sept 25th: Our last full day so we're up for braving the craziness and plunging back into EPCOT for our last park visit of this trip and the start of the International Food & Wine Festival!!! We LOVE this event so, whatever the crowd levels, it will be a fabulously fitting way to spend our final Floridian foray... We'll stay as long as we can but I imagine we'll be back at the resort by mid-afternoon and starting to pack before getting ready and shipping back out to the World Showcase for our final ADR at the Le Cellier @ 8.40pm...
Saturday Sept 26th: Sadly all too soon, it's over. Now's the time to check out of the Villas at Wilderness Lodge and catch a Friendship to the Contemporary for our last ADR at Chef Mickeys... Afterwards, we'll be taking time to enjoy some last minute Florida Mall moments before driving to MCO, dropping off the hire car, checking in and relaxing in the Delta Lounge with a good book and a glass of wine until our flight's called and we are homeward bound once more...
And there we have it. I can't quite believe this but we don't currently have any plans whatsoever to return to WDW in 2010 so I'm sure these last days will feel bittersweet. But, for now, this terrific trip is still a pleasure to be keenly anticipated...
Party on!!!
Me: Karen (a.k.a Kaz) Still 40-something. Loves all things Disney, a Kir Royale in Mizner's Lounge and spending somewhat less of DH's $$$ than previously...
Her: Sophie (a.k.a Soph) Still 20-something. Like her Mother, loves all things Disney. Like her Father, loves a Kir Royale in any Lounge and holding onto her purse at all times...
Rogues Gallery:
Mother & Daughter June 1983...
...and June 2009...
The Story So Far...
A few years ago, when my DD, Sophie, hit 21 and I crashed face first in 40, we decided that we should celebrate those milestones with a Girls Only trip together. After much brainstorming and Haribo StarMix we realised that, for us, the only place on earth was the Happiest Place on Earth and duly booked a vacation for May 2005 - a 3 night DCL cruise followed by a week in the Beach Club to experience the EPCOT's Flower and Garden Festival. To cut a long, rambling and rather female fairytale of character photos, fine dining and excessive shopping short, the trip was rip-roaring success and we promised ourselves another asap. Sadly life, university and finances got in the way so we didn't make a second trip until October 2007 but this was quickly followed by another in May 2008 - tho' that did require us to transform Dick (aka my DH & Sophie's Dad) into an honorary lady which, despite the waxing, the makeup and the hair extensions, wasn't the same thing. At all!!!
So keen were we to get back to the original "just the two us" format that, earlier this year, I explored the option of extending my already booked September cruising trip with Dick with a post-cruise Girly WDW week in the company of Sophie. And, to our delight, it looked promising. Despite incurring deposit charges at cancelling our Fly-Drive, we were able to save £££ during a VA sale and scored some sweet UC seats at a better price than previously available. Result!!! Next, I contacted DVC and nervously crossed my fingers, legs and eyes that a 1 bedroom villa would be available at Wilderness Lodge... All that crossing worked - it was!!! So, with flights and accommodation well and truly sorted there wasn't much left to do other than sit back and wait for those booking windows to open...
We decided we couldn't flash the cash too much this trip as both of us are entering the second half of the year less solvent than usual. Sophie's just had her house totally renovated and I'm about to embark on an ambitious extension and refurb project of my own - dear readers, you have no idea how expensive cosmetic surgery is!!! But of course not!!! I jest - it's our decaying domicile that's getting the Extreme Makeover and, as I price up bathroom fittings and floor tiles, I'm aware that my vacation budget has strict limits... With this in mind, I'm now the proud owner of a FairFX card which I have been judiciously 'loading' as and when the exchange rate beckons...
Anyway, back to the trip and our itinerary which is as follows:
Saturday Sept 19th: If you recall, Dick and I disembark the Magic in Port Canaveral this morning, pack up the car and drive to IHOP for brekkie. For more pre-trip prattle about this portion of the vacation, click here... Then it's down to WDW where Dick checks in at DTD for his flight back to Gatwick and I check in at VWL. We plan to spend the early part of the afternoon hanging out here before Dick heads off to MCO. I know that will be super sad after our week of Total Tortolan Togetherness but I'm sure the imminent arrival of the lovely Sophie will alleviate some distress. Hopefully delays are minimal as we have an ADR at Whispering Canyon Cafe @ 8.30pm...
Sunday Sept 20th: Up early and off to our nearest park, Magic Kingdom, by FriendShip. I wager we'll scale those Mountains before catching the monorail to EPCOT where we have an ADR for a rather precious Princessy lunch at Akershus @ 2.45pm... Not sure what we'll do after - probably stroll around EPCOT and enjoy our fave park...
Monday Sept 21st: Today it's all about Mall Madness. We plan to go to Prime Outlets and Mall at Millenia as, unbelievably, Sophie hasn't experienced either of these therapeutic retail centres of excellence!!! We will be eating offsite as I'm keen to introduce my darling daughter to the delights of the Cheesecake Factory at Mall at Millenia...
Tuesday Sept 22nd: We plan to get up early and hit Hollywood Studios this morning as Toy Story Midway Mania cannot/will not be missed!!! There's a DIS meet scheduled @ 1pm in the Tambu Lounge of the Polynesian so looks like I will finally get to try a Lapu Lapu!!! After a couple of these fruitaholic beverages, I imagine spending the rest of the afternoon at the resort will seem rather appealing... Later we will be getting ready for an ADR at Narcoossees @ 8.00pm and hopefully catching 'Hallowishes' from the Grand Floridian dock as tonight is MNNSHP...
Wednesday Sept 23rd: This morning it's the turn of Animal Kingdom before returning to the sanctuary of the resort pool in the afternoon - maybe even slotting in a trip to Downtown Disney and THAT Christmas Shop... The focus of our day is another new experience that occurs this evening when we have an ADR for the late sitting of the Hoop de doo Revue!!! Yeeee haaaawww!!!
Thursday Sept 24th: We're doing something a little different this morning and driving around 30 miles north to visit the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art which houses the World's most comprehensive collection of the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany!!! I'm very excited about this as I especially love his stained glass designs so this will be a real treat... Later, we plan to attend our first ever Velvet Session at Hard Rock Hotel @ 6.30pm and will be taking a taxis so we can take full advantage of a free cocktail or three...
Friday Sept 25th: Our last full day so we're up for braving the craziness and plunging back into EPCOT for our last park visit of this trip and the start of the International Food & Wine Festival!!! We LOVE this event so, whatever the crowd levels, it will be a fabulously fitting way to spend our final Floridian foray... We'll stay as long as we can but I imagine we'll be back at the resort by mid-afternoon and starting to pack before getting ready and shipping back out to the World Showcase for our final ADR at the Le Cellier @ 8.40pm...
Saturday Sept 26th: Sadly all too soon, it's over. Now's the time to check out of the Villas at Wilderness Lodge and catch a Friendship to the Contemporary for our last ADR at Chef Mickeys... Afterwards, we'll be taking time to enjoy some last minute Florida Mall moments before driving to MCO, dropping off the hire car, checking in and relaxing in the Delta Lounge with a good book and a glass of wine until our flight's called and we are homeward bound once more...
And there we have it. I can't quite believe this but we don't currently have any plans whatsoever to return to WDW in 2010 so I'm sure these last days will feel bittersweet. But, for now, this terrific trip is still a pleasure to be keenly anticipated...
Party on!!!
my DH that I won't take any long haul flights next year as he thinks (and let's face it, he ain't a dermatologist!) that it adversely affects my skin!!! Yeah, whatever... But I did promise, so that's that really!!! We are booked on a 
