Snow Unexpectedly Turns 3 Nights Into How Many?? NEW TR UP!!

[disneyfan61]

I have always wanted to try the Food & Wine Festival however with 2 sons (one in college & one in high school) we have always gone in April (school vacation) or May when college lets out. So this year my son Ryan graduated college & we went to Disney in May. I knew we would be going back next April because our son Cody would be graduating high school & we took a trip when Ryan graduated high school so we have to do the same for Cody right?? So on our May 2011 trip we updated our park passes to annual passes.

Well one night I said to DH "Gee I have always wanted to go to Disney in October for the Food & Wine Festival & we have annual passes so he said "Sure Let's Go". Woo Hoo!!! You don't have to tell me twice. I did not want to go for too long as I knew we would be planning a trip for next April...Now keep this in mind as the trip goes on.

So I booked for Oct. 26th through the 29th. Three nights & 4 days as I booked a late on Oct. 29th (5:30 pm). So we would have some morning time in the parks.

Let me introduce Jeff & I. I am the Disney addict in the family. I do all the planning & my husband Jeff is very easy going & will just about go along with anything I plan. Although I was going to book an earlier home & it was his idea to book a later so we could enjoy some more Disney time. He does have some great ideas once in a while.

Here is a pic of Jeff & I with a pal from our May 2011 trip

I will post our first day tomorrow..

Coming Up:

First flight on a different airline from a new airport
Do we get there early or late??
Where are we staying???

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Could I be first?

 

[disneyfan61]

One & only.

 

[wigdoutdismom]

You need to put up the bat signal on FB!
And
Do an invite over on the old trip report.

I found this because I knew you were starting so I searched it out last night....

 

[disneyfan61]

Good idea. I also just updated my signature. I am going on FB now.

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Put the link in the DISers group too!

 

[disneyfan61]

I will do an update tonight. We are headed to look at a college for Cody today. It is in NH and only about an hour away. It is a technical college (he wants to be a personal trainor) and he would be able to play soccer also which he wants to do badly. He has teammates that went there this year that will be introducing him to the soccer coach. I on the other hand want to see the housing units & hear about the classes.

 

[zendisney]

The anticipation...

 

[englishrose47]

Did I make Page one ????

 

[brookelizabeth]

I'm here! Looking forward to it all!

 

[Charleston Princess]

I'm here, Doreen!

 

[MeMom]

I will do an update tonight. We are headed to look at a college for Cody today. It is in NH and only about an hour away. It is a technical college (he wants to be a personal trainor) and he would be able to play soccer also which he wants to do badly. He has teammates that went there this year that will be introducing him to the soccer coach. I on the other hand want to see the housing units & hear about the classes.

Maybe this will be a good fit for him. I know he would like to keep playing soccer, plus this is close enough for you to go and see home games. Having buddies already there will be nice, too, to help him feel comfortable. Keep us posted on his decision.

I look forward to the report. We always try to get the latest flight out of MCO on departure day, too, so that we can soak up all of the last bit of magic we can before going back to face the real world. It would be really tough to wake up early on the last day and have to go straight to meet the Unmagical Express bus.

 

[disneyfan61]

The anticipation...

Welcome!!

Did I make Page one ????

You did Rosie!!!

I'm here! Looking forward to it all!

Hi Brook. You will be mentioned in this report.

I'm here, Doreen!

Hi Jackie. Glad you're here!!

Maybe this will be a good fit for him. I know he would like to keep playing soccer, plus this is close enough for you to go and see home . Having buddies already there will be nice, too, to help him feel comfortable. Keep us posted on his decision.

I look forward to the report. We always try to get the latest flight out of MCO on departure day, too, so that we can soak up all of the last bit of magic we can before going back to face the real world. It would be really tough to wake up early on the last day and have to go straight to meet the Unmagical Express bus.

The visit went very well. The school is a 2 year school but the credits transfer easily to other NH colleges & we got to meet the soccer coach & have an extensive conversation with him. Where it is a smaller school the classes are small which I like so you get more of a 1 on 1 type of class & they have a learning center where professors & students will help other students if they are having issues. These professors & students do this on their own time & it is free. So different than big colleges. I think Cody would do well in this environment. There are some classes he has no problems with but then give him Math & forget it. He would not like me saying this but it's the truth.

Anyway yes I think it is great to get a flight later in the day. We had a good last morning before we left (the first time).

 

[DisMomAmy]

Sneaking in a few minutes of Dis time & saw your new report!!!!! I'm so excited that you started! Can't wait to hear more!

 

[disneyfan61]

I am having a problem downloading my pictures with Photobucket. I don't know what their problem is. Is there another photo sharing site that others use?????

Let me tell you a little about the planning for this trip. We wanted to stay at POFQ as that was our favorite Moderate. When I called to make the reservation they did not have any rooms available with the AP rate but they did have POR Riverside. I was not happy as I have always felt that resort was so huge & so many bus stops that we would not like it but I booked there in the hopes that something would open up at POFQ. Well nothing opened up so POR it was.

So with the resort booked the next decision was if we were going to MNSSHP. I was not sure if we would be visiting Disney again in Oct for a while so I wanted to do it. So I ordered and printed our tickets online. My husband Jeff is NOT one to dress up but he did do a little of it.

When planning this trip little did I know I would end up in the hospital 2 1/2 weeks before our trip!!! I kept telling my doctor that I am leaving on Oct. 26th and I have to get better by then. Well I was better thank God even though I found out I was anemic the night before we left. I had to rush & get some iron pills that were prescribed & my primary care doctor panicked & said I should get an appt. with Hematology?? because I was bleeding inside. NOOO I was not bleeding still. My anemia was due to my Colitis not anything else.

So a little drama before my trip but no one was stopping me from getting on that plane Wednesday!!

Ok I need to see about Photobucket so I can get some pictures on here.

 

[disneyfan61]

Sneaking in a few minutes of Dis time & saw your new report!!!!! I'm so excited that you started! Can't wait to hear more!

AMY!!! I have been thinking about you!! I hope you are having a wonderful time!! How has the weather been down there??

So glad you took a few precious Disney moments to come on & say hi!!

 

[disneyfan61]

OK Photobucket is working again.

I forgot to mention as far as airlines. We live in NH & we have an airport in NH but we have always flown from Boston (Logan) & always with Jet Blue. Jet Blue has the tv's so with the boys that has always been great. Now DH will not drive to Boston so we have to hire a car service to pick us up & bring us home. That is an added cost of about $250.00. I figured for this trip we could drive to Manchester (an hour away) & leave our vehicle there for $10.00 per night. We would be gone for 3 nights (or so we thought) so $30.00. Not bad. So we flew Southwest which we had not done before. I was not sure about this A boarding & B boarding so I paid the extra $20.00 for preboarding.

So on Wed. morning DH & I got up around 6:00. Our flight was for 10:55. We left the house around 6:50 & got to the airport around 7:50. We were early. I should have taken a pic of where we parked our car but luckily my DH remembered because I did not.. We went through security no problem. I had my UNH Mom shirt on & the security guard asked me if it was my $100,000.00 shirt (tuition for college). I promptly said NO. Ryan commuted so it was not that bad. Thank goodness.

Anyway we were in A boarding 31 & 32. We had great seats I think like row 8. Keep this in mind for our trip home.

Here are some pics from the air..

HELLO Orlando....

Touchdown

We are going in this line

This would prove to be one of our longest waits of the trip. The line was huge

We finally got on the bus & this is the pic I got of the famous sign

Then we arrived at POR. We were the first stop!! We were not Concierge though:

The line for check in was not bad because I went ahead & got in line while Jeff got our carryons from the bus. There was quite the line behind me though.

I had requested Magnolia Bend but we got Oak Manor which was closer to the main building so that was good. We found our room (the long way), put our carryons in the room, I wiped the room down which I always do (especially the remote), & we were off to Epcot. We could not wait to get to Food & Wine. We had breakfast at the Dunkins in the airport & a snack on the plane but we were ready to eat. When we got to the bus stop at POR the Epcot bus came in like 20 seconds. I said to DH "I hope this continues". It actually did most of the trip. Although there was this one night...

I will continue later.. I need to take advantage of my last week off of sick leave & do some fall cleaning.

Coming Up:

Where or where do we eat first (or drink)???
How much $$ do we go through our first afternoon there???
Where else do we head to on our first night???

 

[DWGal210]

New reader saying hi!

Can't wait to hear all about it!!

- Katie

 

[disneyfan61]

New reader saying hi!

Can't wait to hear all about it!!

- Katie

Welcome Katie. So glad to have you.

 

[uncw89]

I'm here! I'll try to keep up. I just happened to see the link in your siggie on Memom's TR!