"Princess" and "Sport's" TR. (formerly the Procrastinators PTR!) (July 20-25th!)

[t_daniels]

Trip Report!!

Day 1a- AKA the flight, and other boring details leading up to arrival at AKL!
Epcot! Via Napoli! Pretty Italian accents.. and characters!!
Third Update on TR! (Day 2-A) Ohana!
Fourth Update! (Rest of Day 2!) AK!



Brief intro here. Bear with me. I have no idea what I'm doing here..... Though I am reading through some other trip reports/ PTR. So hopefully this won't be too random here..

DH (Matt) and I.

DH is a musician- our house very often doubles as a recording studio. He does his own music... and works with 2 or 3 other bands around town, periodically. (Won't shamelessly promote here, but if anyone is curious, I'll share!)
His day job is working at an architectural design firm. Not his favorite thing, but pays the bills.

I take care of my Mom during the day (think hospice-ish). She had a stroke my freshman year of high school, and it left her half paralyzed. She's wheelchair bound, and her speech is highly impaired. So I help her out, & take care of things around her house, while my sister works.

We've been married for 3 years this February- no kids, but two crazy cats (that think they own our whole house...)

This will be our second trip to Disney, we went last summer- & stayed at AKL. Was a fun trip, but we really didn't do much planning for it.

Trying to think if there's anything interesting that I could add here.....
I have a very high (probably irrational) fear of flying... DH loves to tease me about it. Wanted to make a montage of plane crash footage to take with us last year......

Very big Stitch fan- did not make our goal of meeting Stitch last year, so.... that is one of our very big must do's...

Think that's about it for now . Will post soon with more actual trip information.


When & Where

AKL- Jambo House - July 20-25th

Chapters!

Background on our last trip, and how this trip came about! - Post #3
ADR's- Round 1 - Post #6.
ADR's... Part 2!!
Rough Must See/Do list! Suggestions welcome....
Shopping!! Post # 35!

 

[ZFamily5]

I'm in! And I love Stitch too!

 

[t_daniels]

Little bit of background on this trip:


Last year, our Disney trip was pretty random. We'd talked about maybe "someday going" .. but it wasn't ever something we were realistically going to do. Especially since I had never flown... and since we live in Oklahoma.... driving was out of the question.

Then one day- we had extra money in our tax return... so, we decided we were going to go!

Didn't really do much research aside from looking through the booklets Disney & SW sent us... Our only goal that trip, was to find Stitch. And sure, there were a couple of rides DH wanted to go on, and we HAD to eat at Rose and Crown- the hubby is DYING to move to London... but the rest, was pretty unplanned. Stayed at AKL, which was GORGEOUS. Loved our view... except for this guy....

who.. unfortunately, I forgot our curtains were open one day, and hopped out of the shower.. only to INSTANTLY be mortified that he was directly outside our window, staring at me.

It was like a sitcom. I dropped to the floor behind the bed, and started babbling to DH to shut the curtains, because the animal (can't remember what kind! Help me out here!) was staring at me. DH laughed, and said he doubted it.. but I kept on and kept on, so he went over, still poking fun at me, and shut the curtains.

Only to burst out laughing, and admit that, yes, he really did seem to be starting.

In fact... this guy sat in the same spot, pretty much every day, outside our window. AKL people- is this normal??

Anyway... After we got back, we kept talking about how we didn't see Stitch... and didn't do DH's Fantasmic... so we "had to go back,". Which.. was a joke. We knew we didn't have the money... we weren't sure when we'd ever have the money.... but we knew we wanted to go back before we had kids. Because then, it'd be a whole different ball game.

So... we started saving up for an espresso machine.

And by that... I mean... we started saving up for a $2,000 dollar, Vibiemme , commercial grade, beautiful, espresso machine. That no sane person would EVER buy. But.. DH knows that I'm a coffee snob. We've talked about getting this machine since before we got married. Unfortunately, it kept getting bumped back. Sometimes for bills... sometimes for music equipment... you name it.




So.... we finally were close to getting it. I'm deliriously happy...fixing to stock up on Ghiradelli's chocolate sauces... cleaning off a spot on the counter...

And DH tells me... that he is getting a Christmas bonus.

That... he has the option of taking early.

And we could go to Disney!


There's a catch...............


Wait for it.......

The espresso machine money, would have to go with it. Hotel, plane, food, souvenir money..... etc.


Talk about confusion.

So... we talk about it.... some.

The option is there.... But it's not a "for sure" thing. At all. Of course.. neither is the espresso machine... DH has me convinced at this point, that a Disney trip, if we could get it, would be better to take now. The espresso machine would be easier to save for. And would need no time off... ;-)

So... life goes on.. per usual....

And I get a call one day. From DH, at work.

He has gotten an email. From SouthWest. About Disney specials.

We can afford it... he can get time off..... do i want to go?

Well, yes! Then, I ask when it is.

DH pauses...and says that we'd leave in a week.


Not possible. Not at ALL possible. I go into panic mode... trying to figure out what I'd do about Mom (see post #1 if you're lost here) ... because we have very, very few people we'd trust to stay with her. Especially since she's a little bigger, and it would require them helping her bathe, get dressed, etc)

So, that whole day, DH, my sister, my brother and I played phone tag with each other, family members, etc.

A lot of drama... and trip changes later.... we settled on July 21-24th. My sister was going to ask off work (thank god,) to stay with mom. Which, is a lot easier said than done, since she's asking off for a week about a week before DH and I go.... her boss isn't too thrilled with her. But understands.

All is solved!

The next day.. DH figures out it'd be better to go July 20-25.
.....


So, in panic mode, yet again, I called everyone, and thankfully, she hadn't asked off yet. So crisis averted.

So. All is done... no more stress..... until DH tells me, I should do some research to see where Stitch normally is... because last year was a wash. We finally found him at a Club 626 dance thing... but I wasn't allowed to get a picture with him. No CM's seemed to be able to tell me where he was in MK, which I thought was crazy.... but. Long story short, it had been a stressful day..and a 24 year old should not admit to tears in Disney. Really.

So... I did some Googling.... and found Disboards!

Poor DH... bet he wishes he NEVER suggested Google......

 

[t_daniels]

I'm in! And I love Stitch too!

Yay! Hopefully it isn't too far off from what a PTR should be.....

 

[ZFamily5]

Yay! Hopefully it isn't too far off from what a PTR should be.....

It's great so far! Can't wait to hear more!

 

[t_daniels]

Ok. So... we had decided so far, that we were staying at AKL.

Wanted to stay at the Poly, but the AKL won out. Such a unique atmosphere. And, Poly is so pretty... but so is AKL. And the animals. Loved it. And the food? Phenominal.

However.... we booked the Ohana Best Friends Breakfast. Not going to put up with this lack-of-Stitch nightmare from last time.

And... we have the DDP. So, it was almost a no brainer.

Voila! Our first ADR. Even though... we had no idea what an ADR was.

Enter, Disboards.

DH suggested I do some research.. to make sure we knew what we wanted to do. Poor man. Don't think he knew what he was getting into.

At first... I was completely and utterly lost. All the abbreviations... PTR/TR's? All the different forums... oh my good lord.

Made good use of the subscribe button...... once I figured out what is was.

So. I start looking around... and everyone.. i mean EVERYONE... is talking about ADRs. ADR, ADR, ADR!!! If you don't have an ADR... you might not get to eat. ADRS! They can't get an ADR..... So and so has 26 ADRS!

Uh oh. We don't have any ADRS.

So... the only places we really knew we wanted to eat were VN, and R&C.

Last time...we waited 45 minutes for R&C.. so DH isn't worried.

However... the more I read... the more I freak out, and decide we really, really need ADRs.

DH says no, no, we'll be fine. Everyone on your board probably is booking these nice places... or they go all the time.... etc etc. In short, we don't need them.

Which, I get irritated and explain that there are plenty of families who go all the time, because they save. Or they do DVC. Or they do this. Or that. Not everyone has tons of $ or whatever. (and why that matters, i don't know.)

Anyway. I keep telling DH that we're very close to our trip. And don't have any ADRS. And we may not get to eat. And people keep saying it's too late, that it's hard to get ADRS this late.. etc etc.


Finally, I got through to him (or he got sick of me complaining), and I convince him to make an ADR. For me.

So we get online... and make our ADR.

Of course... the computer system is being silly. Or DH clicks the wrong day/wrong time. Very frustrating.

But we finally book VN, R&C, and on a whim of mine-- the High Tea at Grand Floridian.

I'm happy, and dancing around, all smiles. DH thinks I'm crazy... but the UK boy in him is really happy that we are guaranteed dinner at the UK, and that we get to do an English Tea.

Needless to say... ADRs have become a running joke at our house. And I'm still the crazy one... except for later in the planning stage, DH ended up warming up to ADRS....

 

[teekathepony]

I'm in!
I was the same way with all the acronyms around here
2 weeks! I'm so excited for you!
Can't wait to read the rest!

 

[ZFamily5]

Love Rose and Crown!

 

[t_daniels]

I'm in!
I was the same way with all the acronyms around here
2 weeks! I'm so excited for you!
Can't wait to read the rest!

Thanks! Reading yours now as well.

Oh. I've learned some. But some still throw me. Sigh.

 

[teekathepony]

Thanks! Reading yours now as well.

Oh. I've learned some. But some still throw me. Sigh.

Sometimes I have to google them.

 

[t_daniels]

Love Rose and Crown!

mhm! Our waitress was so nice/sweet/cute!

We both just got fish and chips... pretty standard, but! Good nonetheless! And I got the drink that's named something like dragon...the one with the melon! Mmm.

On the DDP... so may try something else for dinner! Isn't there a fish/steak option?

 

[ZFamily5]

mhm! Our waitress was so nice/sweet/cute!

We both just got fish and chips... pretty standard, but! Good nonetheless! And I got the drink that's named something like dragon...the one with the melon! Mmm.

On the DDP... so may try something else for dinner! Isn't there a fish/steak option?

Yes, my aunt, uncle and both my parents got that and LOVED it! I got the vegatarian shepard's pie and it was great as well! And I love their accents!

 

[t_daniels]

Yes, my aunt, uncle and both my parents got that and LOVED it! I got the vegatarian shepard's pie and it was great as well! And I love their accents!

Mhm!! Very much so. Could NOT agree more.

 

[carrie6466]

I am here! Good job!

 

[t_daniels]

Thank you!

 

[carrie6466]

I am almost inspired to write my own.

Problem is last time I wrote a PTR, it never actually grew into a TR. I got so involved in tweeting from the parks that I felt it would be redundant to the repost all that info in TR form.

 

[t_daniels]

I am almost inspired to write my own.

Problem is last time I wrote a PTR, it never actually grew into a TR. I got so involved in tweeting from the parks that I felt it would be redundant to the repost all that info in TR form.

Why not take all the tweets, and compile them into a TR? Then fill in bits of info here and there that you may not have tweeted?

I have a circle on my G+ account that I'll be sending pics and posting from in the parks.. then will make it public after we get back. Figure I'll use that as a starting point for a TR. Since I'm forgetful sometimes... ;-)

 

[t_daniels]

Also... figured out how to post chapter links.

And.. by that.. I mean I PMed someone who looked like they knew what they were doing, and they very politely explained it to me.

 

[carrie6466]

Why not take all the tweets, and compile them into a TR? Then fill in bits of info here and there that you may not have tweeted?

I have a circle on my G+ account that I'll be sending pics and posting from in the parks.. then will make it public after we get back. Figure I'll use that as a starting point for a TR. Since I'm forgetful sometimes... ;-)

I have absolutely no idea what this circle thing you are talking about is. I'm really not that technologically advanced, even though I do actually know how to use twitter and facebook LOL

 

[t_daniels]

I have absolutely no idea what this circle thing you are talking about is. I'm really not that technologically advanced, even though I do actually know how to use twitter and facebook LOL

It's on Google Plus- which is Google's version on FB, basically. Basically it's privacy settings, only people in certain circles, can see what you choose to let them see.