Fresh Out of University and Onwards to Disney!!!An August PTR!!!(Last Update 8/26)

[*Seanaci*]

We-my DD and I debated over buying the unofficial guide verses the unofficial Guide Color Companion to WDW-and in the end we went with the color companion-it has tons of pics including rides,rooms etc and it even has a bit of humor in it. I will be going to the library and borrowing the regular unofficial guide.
love you planner--i just got a small planner that will easily fit in my park bag
and plan to decorate it.
Your plans sound great--by all means get andrew a birthday button and make sure he wears it!!!
Great thinking on your part about planning a "down" day--

I picked up the UG Color Companion today at Boarder's and flipped through it...amazing! I may see if my local library has that one and at least check it out...maybe see how many times I can renew it before they come looking for me.

Well for me, I knew I could look at all the pictures I wanted online. But it's a great way to get your kids pumped for the trip!

You have NO IDEA how long it took me to choose a notebook! I went to dollar stores EVERYWHERE to find something that was light, portable, well space, and cute(yes, that was important) to use as my travel notebook. It came down to this and a pink one with a heart in it. Dollarama has great notebooks to choose from.

I JUST picked up the perfect...kind of...notebook today.

Inside:

I'm not sure thought if I'm going to save it and use it to jot down trip plans and then take it with to the World and use it to take notes of our days...or if I'm going to use it for a food/weight loss journal starting this summer.

Chapter 4.Dining plans and ADRs

No, I'm not on the DDP. This chapter is about my plans for dining.

When I first started planning for this trip, I really liked the idea of the DDP. But I knew I wouldn't eat that much, and didn't like the idea of having to make all those ADRs and planning my day around those meals.

This is before the QSDP and the online ADR system came out. It was really hard deciding whether I should go with a dining plan after all.

I mean, that QSDP is PRETTY sweet. I knew I would be eating a lot of snacks cause I LOVE snacking. And I knew we would only be eating CS meals for our trip. I was also already planning to buy the refillable mug.

The deciding factor was my experience from my past trip. WDW's adult-sized meals are simply TOO big for me! We discovered after a day of eating at Epcot that none of us could finish the meals we bought, so after that, we started ordering more kids meals. And those combos actually turned out to be just my size! My brother (going through puberty at the time) still got an adult combo, so my sister and I would eat off his.

I read through all of the menus at Allears, and deemed most of the kids meals worthy. Too bad there isn't much variation in them, amirite? Mostly chicken fingers, pizza, mac and cheese, and PB&J... Fortunately, Andrew will be ordering from the big kids menu, so I can eat off his plate.

I also found out from researching online that I can buy the food a la carte. Which will help keep the cost down.

So in the end, it came down to cost, and eating OOP was just much cheaper than getting the QSDP, cause I certainly don't eat enough for it to be worth it.

I continue to go back and forth on whether or not to do a dining plan when we go. My Cons are the same as yours...don't eat enough to make it worth it (as portions are huge) and not wanting to plan my days around ADR's. Pros would be that it's all prepaid for. And that's it.

I think in the end, we won't do a DP. There are really only 2 places I have on my ADR list (at the current time lol) that we can just pay OOP for (which I'll be sure to include that in how much we'll need to take with us).

And can I add...Hidden Mickey Book...totally awesome! I picked it up while we were at WDW back in 2008...flipped through it. We found maybe a half dozen of them. Of course, when you're travelling with a 14 month old (at the time)...you can't stay in one place too very long. lol But I think you guys will have a LOT of fun with it.

or take a few drinks purchased at Petals and walk over to the Bridge to NoWhere and sit and enjoy the view....or if you're anywhere near Epcot or DHS, take a ferry over to the Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club area and walk around Crescent Lake and sit on the beach....

I just don't understand why you don't have a girlfriend/fiance/wife yet. You're such a catch!

 

[YukiPhnx]

I JUST picked up the perfect...kind of...notebook today.

Inside:

I'm not sure thought if I'm going to save it and use it to jot down trip plans and then take it with to the World and use it to take notes of our days...or if I'm going to use it for a food/weight loss journal starting this summer.

POOK-A-LOOZ!!!!!!!!!!!! That's absolutely ADORABLE!!!! I neeeed to go to a Disney store soon to look for that new line.

And ya, with something SOOO cute, it's hard to choose exactly what you want to do with it! I'm a notebook collector, so I have these really cute notebooks I still haven't touched!

And can I add...Hidden Mickey Book...totally awesome! I picked it up while we were at WDW back in 2008...flipped through it. We found maybe a half dozen of them. Of course, when you're travelling with a 14 month old (at the time)...you can't stay in one place too very long. lol But I think you guys will have a LOT of fun with it.

Yeah, I'm really looking forward to looking for those Hidden Mickeys! It's going to be so much fun!


I just don't understand why you don't have a girlfriend/fiance/wife yet. You're such a catch!

DITTO! He's just such a romantic! And a cutie too!

 

[jordanyosh]

Oh, that sounds like a wonderful idea! I plan to walk down that bridge at least once while I'm there.

And wow, that beach walk sounds really romantic

It's nice anywhere along Hourglass Lake, but the Generation Gap Bridge has a lot of nice seating areas....

 

[YukiPhnx]

It's nice anywhere along Hourglass Lake, but the Generation Gap Bridge has a lot of nice seating areas....

Jordy, are you sure you're 48? Cause I swear you think like a 20 yr old!

 

[jordanyosh]

Jordy, are you sure you're 48? Cause I swear you think like a 20 yr old!

maturity level? yes 20...

 

[YukiPhnx]

maturity level? yes 20...

 

[jenbear123]

HELLO FELLOW TORONTONIAN! So you go to school at the 'Loo? Sorry couldn't resist. I'm sure you hear that all the time.

Great start to your trip planning so far! I didn't know Pop did 6 inch cakes. That's awesome! It's so cool how you get dressed up in costumes. Only the best fans do that

Might I suggest trying Columbia Harbour House in MK for a CS? They have really good sandwiches, salads, and wraps. Not to be missed! You'll LOVE Beaches and Cream.... as long as you order the right thing. If you read my current TR about my trip in Feb, I was very disappointed in what I ordered. I was expecting a BIG sundae but got this little scoop of ice cream instead. Word from the wise, order one of the sundaes priced at $7.99. Those are the ones you want!

I stand by the UG. My mom actually discovered it and once I realized how good it was, I bought a 2009 version for myself. This was before I had discovered the DIS. When I got my appendix out last February, I was down and out for a week. I was googling stuff about Disney and stumbled about the DIS. It was like a gold mine waiting to be discovered!

I'm in! Subbing

 

[YukiPhnx]

Chapter 6.The ride's the thing

I would describe myself as a thrill-seeker. That's not to say that I don't enjoy non-thrills though. I'm a lover of all kinds of entertainment. Which makes WDW truly the best place for me. I get everything I want! Coasters, stage shows, moving theatres (Star Tours), arcade games, street performers, 3D shows, and everything in between!

On my last trip, I missed out on a lot of rides I knew I would've loved. So here's a list of the attractions I just CAN'T miss, but happened to miss on my last trip.

MK
-Monster's INC Laugh Floor (I didn't "miss" this attraction per se. It wasn't there when I went)
-Splash Mountain (I know, HOW could I have missed this one on my last trip??? Well, on the day we went to MK, it was cloudy and the temperature was pretty cool. We waited for the day to warm up, but it never happened.)
-Aladdin's Magic Carpets (I LOVE Aladdin, so I'm going to try to convince DBF to go on this one during evening EMH, when we HOPEFULLY won't have to wait an hour to get on)
-Liberty Belle Riverboat (This just seems like a nice break to take during the day. I love boat rides)

Epcot
-Test Track (Again, another "how could I have missed it???" ride. Epcot was the first park we went to, so we didn't even know about the fast passes. All we saw were super long lines to get in ALL DAY and decided to pass on it.)
-Nemo ride (Also another attraction that wasn't there in 2006)
-Sum of All Thrills (I'm really excited about this one! I hope the lines aren't too long, it sounds like so much fun!)
-Ellen's Universe of Energy (I didn't even KNOW this ride was there! But I Ellen, so I must go on this)
-Oh Canada! (Only because I haven't seen the new one. I heard it's much better than the old one.)
-Kim Possible's WS Adventure (I can't WAIT to help KP save the world from one of her villians! I watched every KP episode and movie )

AK
-Nemo the musical (Hesitant about this one....I know I would enjoy it, but DBF isn't big on musicals)
-Kilimanjaro Safaris (I actually didn't know this was there either. We just never actually went to that part of the park)
-Rafiki's Conservation Station (This seems like a really fun little break. I can't wait to go to the petting zoo!)

HS
-Toy Story Mania of course!!
-Tower of Terror (Another shocker! I was actually just too chicken to go on this ride at the time. Some thrill-seeker right? But after conquering one of the scariest rides at my local amusement park, I'm ready to take on ToT. I've just never been a big fan of falling rides....)
-One Man's Dream
-Great Movie Ride (Another attraction I didn't know about. How do I keep missing these? )

So I'm really looking forward to experiencing all of these

As soon as I scan them, I'll post up pictures of some of the rides we DID go on. Ta ta for now!

 

[YukiPhnx]

HELLO FELLOW TORONTONIAN! So you go to school at the 'Loo? Sorry couldn't resist. I'm sure you hear that all the time.

Great start to your trip planning so far! I didn't know Pop did 6 inch cakes. That's awesome! It's so cool how you get dressed up in costumes. Only the best fans do that

Might I suggest trying Columbia Harbour House in MK for a CS? They have really good sandwiches, salads, and wraps. Not to be missed! You'll LOVE Beaches and Cream.... as long as you order the right thing. If you read my current TR about my trip in Feb, I was very disappointed in what I ordered. I was expecting a BIG sundae but got this little scoop of ice cream instead. Word from the wise, order one of the sundaes priced at $7.99. Those are the ones you want!

I stand by the UG. My mom actually discovered it and once I realized how good it was, I bought a 2009 version for myself. This was before I had discovered the DIS. When I got my appendix out last February, I was down and out for a week. I was googling stuff about Disney and stumbled about the DIS. It was like a gold mine waiting to be discovered!

I'm in! Subbing

Yay, another one from the T-Dot!

Can you believe our school chant is:
What do we drink?
Water water water!!!!
Where do we go after?
Loo loo loo!!!

Yeaaah, dressing up in costumes for conventions is the best. It's just so much fun!

Columbia Harbour house eh? I'll have to add that to my list!

A $7.99 sundae at BnC, got it. I can't wait! I'll have to hop over to your TR too

Same here! I bought the UG before discovering the DIS! I dunno how it took me so long to find this place, I already found Allears and MouseSavers

Thanks for joining along on my trip planning!

 

[jenbear123]

But after conquering one of the scariest rides at my local amusement park, I'm reading to take on ToT.

Would that amusement park happen to be Canada's Wonderland? And would that ride happen to be the Behemoth? If it is.... you're quite the thrill seeker!

 

[YukiPhnx]

Would that amusement park happen to be Canada's Wonderland? And would that ride happen to be the Behemoth? If it is.... you're quite the thrill seeker!

Yes, it IS Canada's Wonderland! And no, it was actually not the Behemoth. I wasn't scared of that at all! Most comfortable roller coaster I have EVER been on I went on that about 5 times last summer, when for the first time ever, I got a season pass.

I'm talking about Skyrider. The one where you STAND on the ride and it does loops and plunges you face first on the first drop. It's right across SplashWorks

I Wonderland, but won't be going this year cause all my money went into Disney

 

[jenbear123]

I haven't been to Canada's Wonderland in a couple years. I miss when Paramount used to own it. Now they've got rid of all the theming and such. Apparently Top Gun isn't called Top Gun anymore? I remember SkyRider! I almost passed out on that one once too.... once again due to heat and dehydration. Gotta learn to keep myself hydrated on these intense rides! Have you been on Dragonflyer? The one with the double loops? That was my first upside down roller coaster.

You're money went to a much better cause

 

[YukiPhnx]

I haven't been to Canada's Wonderland in a couple years. I miss when Paramount used to own it. Now they've got rid of all the theming and such. Apparently Top Gun isn't called Top Gun anymore? I remember SkyRider! I almost passed out on that one once too.... once again due to heat and dehydration. Gotta learn to keep myself hydrated on these intense rides! Have you been on Dragonflyer? The one with the double loops? That was my first upside down roller coaster.

You're money went to a much better cause

Yah... They changed all the names of the paramount-based rides. Top Gun is now Flight Deck. Tomb Raider is now Time Warp, and Italian StuntJob is now Backlot Stuntcoaster.

I love Dragonflyer! I usually go on it right after Cliffhanger, er Rip Tide I mean

 

[jenbear123]

Wow... they really did an overhaul on all the names. It's like a completely different park... but with the same rides. If that makes sense? Backlot Stuntcoaster? What kind of name is that!?

 

[YukiPhnx]

I know, right??? It seems like the people tasked with renaming all the rides had no creativity whatsoever. They also didn't change any of the decorations, so now that Tomb Raider is Time Warp, the props around the ride just don't make sense!

One ride I have never been on, is Drop Zone. Not only am I terrified at the thought, an hour wait for a 2 second drop just doesn't seem worth it at all.

 

[*Seanaci*]

Try disneystore online...I think it's disneystore.com...at least it used to be.

I have a HUGE list of things I want to do...or TRY to do when we go in 2011. When I finally start my PRT that post may well turn into several. lol

And the Nemo Musical was amazing!! I highly recommend it.

 

[YukiPhnx]

Try disneystore online...I think it's disneystore.com...at least it used to be.

I have a HUGE list of things I want to do...or TRY to do when we go in 2011. When I finally start my PRT that post may well turn into several. lol

And the Nemo Musical was amazing!! I highly recommend it.

Yeah, I plan to buy some things from the store and have it shipped to Pop, to get some of my souvenir shopping done with. Also, I won't have to pay to have them ship it to Canada ! Which will be awesome because the shipping is way too costly.

I REALLY want to watch the musical. But I have to somehow convince Andrew to take the time out of the park to watch that. He's just not big on these types of shows.

Haha, I can't wait to read that list on your PTR! Will you be going during MVMCP nights?

 

[*Seanaci*]

No. We have to go when my mom is off work. She works for a school and won't be off till just before Christmas break. So as of now are dates are something like the 17th through the 27th or 28th of December 2011.

 

[YukiPhnx]

Ohhh, I see. Wow, you'll be there right in the middle of the busiest days! I hope you survive!

 

[YukiPhnx]

Chapter 7.All in the preparation

One of the things I've done to prepare for my trip, is getting contacts.

It's obvious that I wear glasses. I've worn them since I was 10! Up until I tried on the contacts, I had completely forgotten what it was like to have clear peripheral vision.

It's a beautiful thing. No wonder so many people wear contacts. Or maybe there are other reasons? That was sarcasm by the way

So why did it take me so long to get them???

Simple, I don't think I look very good without my glasses. My eyes are kinda small, so my frames pretty much fill up the space on my face, instead of looking like there's something missing there.... I've gotten so used to seeing myself with glasses, I didn't like the way I looked without them.

Also, it just seemed like SUCH A HASSLE. My friends that wore contacts would always complain about them. Which didn't make me want to get them any more. They were all wearing them for aesthetic reasons. But that's cause they've got normal sized eyes. I was blessed with the stereotypical small Asian eyes.

So why now of ALL times??? Two words. 3. D. Haha, more like two letters.

I'm so tired of having to hold up those 3-D glasses because they never stay on top of my glasses! On most of the 3-D attractions at WDW, it's not much of a problem. They're just shows you sit and watch.

But then.....Toy Story Mania surfaced. How am I gonna pull and shoot and hold up my glasses and AIM at the same time???

The solution, contacts. Soo....begrudgingly, I did a little research and found the kind of contacts that would be right for me.

Bought from Clearlycontacts.ca

These are for 2-week wears. Since I don't normally wear contacts, it was the perfect types for me to try out before my trip.

And when I FINALLY managed to get both contacts in my eye After about 30 minutes of tears and sweat, the skies opened up to me It was like a whole new world! By the way, that's my fave song of all time

It was a little dizzy at first, but that's how all new lenses feel. But when my eyes adjusted. Yes, my eyes were wide open for a good 10 seconds before I blinked again.

It was SO STRANGE to see myself in the mirror, without glasses, CLEARLY! It's always been a fuzzy image, unless I got up real close. (best I could find)

So ever since that first encounter, whenever it's nice out, I would put them on to practice putting them in, and I feel reborn. I love having clear peripheral vision.

Another realization that came to me after I got contacts. SUNGLASSES Prescription sunglasses were always too pricey and never that worth it for me. And those transition glasses got pretty bad reviews from a friend of mine.

I haven't worn sunglasses since before I was 10! So hallelujah, I went sunglasses shopping.

And these are the ones I got.

Aren't they cute? I couldn't choose between the two colours, so I got them BOTH! They were only $6 at H&M.

For those of you that wear contacts, you'll know how dry your eyes can get. At first, I bought Bausch and Lombs ReNu eye drops.

Not a great buy. I had to reapply once an hour! It would be sweet relief for about half an hour, then start to get dry and itchy again, then about 30 minutes later, I would give in and re-apply.

My newly graduated optometrist friend (a doctor at 24 ) recommended this.

It's great and it works beautifully. I don't have to re-apply for about 3-4 hrs.

More prep talk, coming up!