"How Can The Second Trip Be As Good as the First??" (We're baaaack-- 9/1!)

klacey1

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 19, 2008
Hi! I have loved reading PTRs over the years and was really inspired to write one of my own this time! I'll try to keep this entertaining

I'm Kylie. I live with my wonderful DBF and travel partner, Zach in Westchester County, in a suburb of New York City. I'm an editor (recently switched from books to a magazine. Not sure how I feel about that switch yet...) and love traveling, scrapbooking, jogging and shopping!! I'm hugely OCD and a Type-A planner-- which, like many Dis'ers, means that planning our vacations is almost as fun as going on them! This trip will be my sixth and I can't wait!
This is me in Las Vegas, where we traveled last summer. This sums me up pretty well, haha
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As I said, my DBF is Zach. He works with the mentally and physically handicapped and has a level of patience that I admire (and definitely do not have!). He's very smart-- a history buff (especially WW2)! Together, we love watching movies and are addicted to certain TV shows (especially Top Chef, Modern Family, and The Office! HBO Sunday programs are also amazing. It's not TV. It's HBO. I Love You Man-- anyone?). He also LOVES the NY Rangers! It's hard to believe, but he's a clothes horse and may enjoy shopping even more than I do! Zach is a riot and we laugh a lot-- although probably mostly at things no one else finds funny.
This is Zach on our last Disney trip, in 2009.
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Zach's family never really traveled he was younger-- he only flew once before he and I started dating, so he's a bit of a homebody and wasn't into taking vacations the way I was. However, when I told him my biggest wish was to take a “Disney” vacation-- staying onsite, getting the dining plan, he agreed that we should do it (whether because I had convinced him or just to shut me up, I'll never know)! We took that trip in August 2009 and had so much fun! Zach was totally converted into a Disney lover! He became obsessed with the ease of the dining plan, the buses (he hates driving), and the niceness of the CM's. I had never stayed onsite prior to that trip and we agreed after that we'd never go again without staying at a Disney hotel!
So this trip: Zach is kind of a hotel snob-- he just has the feeling that if he's on vacation, he wants a touch of luxury. So no values for us. At the same time, I have a hard time stomaching deluxe prices when it's just the two of us and we're hardly ever in the room. We're staying at Port Orleans Riverside from August 24-31st! This is where we stayed two years ago and loved it. We stayed in AB-15 last time and loved the proximately of it to the main building and bus stop. The resort just felt really “homey”-- I can't wait to get back!

It is easier for Zach to get time off in the summer, so that's why we're going in late August. I'm hoping the crowds won't be too bad-- they were definitely manageable last time. Also, there's something about going to WDW in the summer. I love thinking about my trip and planning out shorts and sundresses. When I look at pictures of people in WDW in winter in coats and pants, it is NOT appealing.

Going in late August also gives us the advantage of Free Dining! We both love the DDP. Since I'm such a planner, it's really nice to have our meals set before our vacation. Also, I love the peace of mind that comes with not having to budget money for meals (only tips).

The title of this PTR comes from Zach. He loved our first trip, as I said. He has this big thing that there's no way this trip can be as magical as our first onsite trip. Needless to say, I am feeling the pressure to make this trip amazing. We also had a conversation that we won't be going back for a couple of years :sad1:. There are other places we want to go-- California (I went once several years ago and went to CA Adventure-- amazing!), New Orleans, etc. So we decided that our next trip will be after the Fantasyland expansion-- I can't wait to eat in the Beauty and the Beast restaurant (FAV Disney movie)!
So stay tuned for my next update :-) I'll be sharing our ADR's!
 
Hoooo-ray! You started a PTR!

Can't wait to read all about your plans!

p.s. You are totally rocking those fanny packs in Vegas. :cool2:
 
Hoooo-ray! You started a PTR!

Can't wait to read all about your plans!

p.s. You are totally rocking those fanny packs in Vegas. :cool2:

Hey Joyce! Haha, I was modeling those fanny packs pretty great. We did see multiple people doing this up and down the strip for real. Ack!
I'm off to see your update now!
 
I'm here! Thanks for letting me know you started this!

That pic of you cracks me up!

I cannot wait for the Beauty & the Beast restaurant either!!
 


Hooray for a PTR!!! :cool1:
As you know, we'll be there 8/27-9/3 this year. Last year we were there a week before that (8/22-8/28, I think?). The crowd levels were quite low! We used baby swap and found that we didn't even need to use the passes because the lines were so short!!! It was hot and we had afternoon rain every day but it was still a great trip.

Amanda
 
I'm here! Thanks for letting me know you started this!

That pic of you cracks me up!

I cannot wait for the Beauty & the Beast restaurant either!!
Haha, thanks. I know, right-- I've been wanting a Beauty and the Beast ride or restaurant or something (even though I love the stage show at DHS) for years! Waiting for that will ease the sting of not going back for a couple of years.

Hooray for a PTR!!! :cool1:
As you know, we'll be there 8/27-9/3 this year. Last year we were there a week before that (8/22-8/28, I think?). The crowd levels were quite low! We used baby swap and found that we didn't even need to use the passes because the lines were so short!!! It was hot and we had afternoon rain every day but it was still a great trip.

Amanda
Yes-- I'd love to see if any of our overlapping days match up! Yeah, in 2009, we were there 8/20-8/25 and crowds were moderately low. I'm hoping for even lower this year! We only had one rain, though, which was great-- 40 minute downpour during one of our afternoon breaks! It was awesome!

I'm here!!!!! :cool1:
Yay!! Welcome :goodvibes
 


YAY for a PTR!

The pic of you with those fanny packs is awesome. Greatest picture of you ever, Kylie! The pose makes it even better.

I love that Zach knows a lot about WW2! I should tap into some of his knowledge next year when I do the WW2 novels again!

I don't think I could do Disney in big coats and all that either, but I do love WDW in a hoodie! Howard is like a furnace, so even in the summer, he gives off so much heat. When I'm hot and he tries to hold my hand, I'm like, AGHHH. Haha. In a loving way, of course.

Ooo, I can't wait to see your experiences when you eventually go to New Orleans! That's a place I always wanted to visit because I want to eat!
 
Hi!! I'm one of Jenny's readers and decided to pop over here to read your PTR!!

I love the picture of you with the fanny packs!! :laughing:

Can't wait to read all your plans!
 
I'm here I'm here I'm here....I have to go back and read....but I'm here!!!:cool1::cool1::cool1:

Ok all caught up...I can't wait to hear all about your plans and figure out that days we're in the same parks!!! So excited for you!!! I love the pics of you both!!
 
Hi! I'm here! :)

Too bad I can't see the pictures :( Work blocks photobucket, flickr, etc. But not facebook. :confused3 Go figure.

Zach rules because he is a Ranger fan and I am a Ranger fan. :thumbsup2

Were you able to get the free dining plan? I know the promotion doesn't start until 8/28 this year. Did you get a pin code? Just curious.

Can't wait to read more!
 
ADR update:
So now I'll fill you in on the ADR's we're getting, and why we decided to pick each one! We take our Disney dining very seriously. ;-) Part of vacationing for us is enjoying great meals-- especially dinners. Neither of us are huge breakfast eaters and the idea of eating a big meal in the middle of day in the Florida heat is a little nauseating. We'd much rather eat granola bars for breakfast, a good CS lunch, and a TS for dinner.

All pictures are from Allears.net!

Rose and Crown (8/24): We love spending our first night in Epcot (and always our first full day in the Magic Kingdom!), so this will be our very first dinner. I love the prospect of being able to watch Illuminations after we eat. We think the pub-feel will be perfect for a casual and fun first dinner. There's honestly so many things on the menu that I'd like, it'll be so hard to choose!
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Coral Reef (8/25): This is the only restaurant from our last trip that we both wanted to return to. Everything last time was amazing-- the food, the service, the atmosphere. We were about as far away from the tank as can be, but that was okay. I'm definitely the type that would get annoyed if people we constantly on top of us, trying to look at the tank. I've heard this happens to most people who get a tank-side table. I definitely understand why kids would want to look at the tank up close, we just wouldn't be crazy about being crowded like that. We're fine admiring from afar! I'd absolutely love if we could have our server from last time (David), but since it's been two years, I don't even know if he works there anymore.
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California Grill: For some reason, Zach was adamant about wanting to eat here. I'm not too sure why, except for that he thinks of it as the “classic” signature restaurant. Plus, we both love getting a little dressed up and this will be our place to do it. I can be a little picky, but the pork dish here sounds delicious! Zach is strictly a “meat and potatoes” guy and will definitely get the oak-fired filet. To say he's picky is a gross understatement. Steak and fries are his two main food groups.
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Whispering Canyon Cafe: I absolutely love barbeque and think the skillet sounds so yummy! Zach is a bit more apprehensive since we didn't have a great experience at our last family-style restaurant (Ohana-- terrible service and we did NOT like the food), but thankfully, WCC does have a regular menu as well.
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Chefs de France: I think this restaurant looks so pretty! I also like the pre-fix menu that allows you to have an appetizer on the DDP.
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Liberty Tree Tavern (8/30): Now, I know I said Zach isn't a huge fan of family-style meals, but it wasn't too hard to convince him that this should be our last night's dinner. Last time, I almost burst into tears at Yatchsman Steakhouse on our last night! I was sad about our vacation ending (and some other personal things) and just wanted to finish dinner and spend our last night in the MK! Zach told me after that trip, that our last night's dinner would have to be in the MK or at least in one of the monorail resorts. We decided that LTT had the most appealing menu in the MK. It'll be nice to be able to do attractions after dinner without traveling anywhere!
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I think our dinner choices are nice and varied. Last year, a lot of our meals were hard to get to or didn't really fit in with the plans I wanted. This time, our places are in or near the MK and Epcot, where we like to spend our nights. They're not 100% set in stone though-- it's just too tempting to play around on the Disney website! Any thoughts??
 
YAY for a PTR!

The pic of you with those fanny packs is awesome. Greatest picture of you ever, Kylie! The pose makes it even better.

I love that Zach knows a lot about WW2! I should tap into some of his knowledge next year when I do the WW2 novels again!

I don't think I could do Disney in big coats and all that either, but I do love WDW in a hoodie! Howard is like a furnace, so even in the summer, he gives off so much heat. When I'm hot and he tries to hold my hand, I'm like, AGHHH. Haha. In a loving way, of course.

Ooo, I can't wait to see your experiences when you eventually go to New Orleans! That's a place I always wanted to visit because I want to eat!
Oh, I'll make sure to tell you all about New Orleans when we go! I'd actually love to drive down-- it's about 22 hours. Not sure if Zach would be up for that-- maybe I'll show him your TR's and all the fun your family has driving to FL haha.
Zach is seriously obsessed with WWII and all military history. Every year he takes time off and volunteers at a high school to give a talk on "The Things They Carried," a Vietnam lit book. He brings in all of his Vietnam war stuff and lets the kids try all of it on. I'm sure he'd love for you to pick his brain on WWII haha.
LOL about Howard being a furnace. Some people are just like that! Doesn't make rejecting hand-holding any easier though lol.

Hi!! I'm one of Jenny's readers and decided to pop over here to read your PTR!!

I love the picture of you with the fanny packs!! :laughing:

Can't wait to read all your plans!
Hi! Haha-- we had some time to kill in Vegas before our room was ready, so we got a little picture happy in one of the gift shops.

I'm here I'm here I'm here....I have to go back and read....but I'm here!!!:cool1::cool1::cool1:

Ok all caught up...I can't wait to hear all about your plans and figure out that days we're in the same parks!!! So excited for you!!! I love the pics of you both!!

Yay! Glad you're here, Queen :goodvibes

Hi! I'm here! :)

Too bad I can't see the pictures :( Work blocks photobucket, flickr, etc. But not facebook. :confused3 Go figure.

Zach rules because he is a Ranger fan and I am a Ranger fan. :thumbsup2

Were you able to get the free dining plan? I know the promotion doesn't start until 8/28 this year. Did you get a pin code? Just curious.

Can't wait to read more!
Ack-- my work censors flicker but not photobucket. The other day, I was looking for a new avatar for this website during my lunchbreak and I was suddenly blocked-- "reason: pornography." A Disney photos site? OKAY! We love the Rangers! Sorry again for telling you Henrik is engaged lol.
We got free dining-- last fall, they started a promo for FD from Aug 20ish-end of September. You had to book by the end of December 2010, though.
 
I think I died a little inside when I heard Henrik was engaged. I'll never look at him the same way again. If I find out Ryan Callahan is engaged, I might lose it completely. :rotfl:

I forgot all about the FD promo from last yr! And I'm a TA, shame on me! Nice you were able to take advantage of it.

Your dining choices look good! I've never been to any except Coral Reef. I liked it but thought the portions were small. Sorry to hear you had a bad experience at Ohana. I've been there twice and loved it both times!
 
I'm here! :goodvibes I'm so excited that you have a report going! I can't wait to read about all of your plans! The ADRs look great. I wouldn't change a single one of them! :thumbsup2
 
Joining in, we're going back again August 26 to Sep 1. We were there last year from the Aug 27 to Sep 4 and the crowds were great and the weather fantastic, we had drizzle one night the first weekend and that was it, no rain, no afternoon storms, nothing the rest of the week. Unusual, but great! You'll love it, most rides were walk on or less than a 10 minute wait all day long.

WCC is great, the Canyon Skillet is yummy. I could do without all the antics really, but it wasn't too bad when we were there last year, didn't even hear a ketchup call. If your guy is meat and potatoes he'll love it. And it's just a short boat ride from MK. Coral Reef is good too, although our service was a bit slow and it wasn't busy when we went, but it was lunch time. We did get a tank side table by making the first reservation time when they opened for lunch. Because it wasn't crowded we didn't really have issues with people coming up around us, but that could be annoying for sure. We ate with a Stingray watching us the whole time though :lmao:
 
Hi Kylie!

I am here :banana:

It's so funny how similar we are!!!

I didn't realise you did Vegas last year? Where did you stay? Vegas is my second favourite holiday destination!!

I have checked and none of our ADR's match but I will send you a list of where we are going each day to see if any of those match - it would be lovely to meet up for a drink if we can ...

Sara xx
 
Good ADRs!!!
We really like California Grill. I've never had dinner at Liberty Tree but we go there for lunch on most trips. I also like Chefs de France. We've never eaten at Flying Fish, Rose & Crown, or Whispering Canyon.

Amanda
 
Love your ADR list! Ben and I loved WCC! We ate there as part of the Backstage Magic tour and weren't sure what to expect. We didn't get to order- they just brought out the skillets and it was delicious! The cobbler dessert (haha, I couldn't remember how many 'esses' were in 'dessert' vs. 'desert' and almost put three in for good measure...) was amazing!!!
 

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