August 2012 Pop Century PTR... Lists, Planning, and General Thinking Outloud

VACamm

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jun 29, 2012
Hi! Howdy! Hola! and GREETINGS to anyone who wants to read this Pre Trip Report!! xo

This is my first Pre Trip report on the Dis Boards. I decided to write one because for the past couple of weeks I've been sitting here reading everyone elses trip reports and pre trip reports and it just seems like so much fun! I'm also fairly new to the boards.... however that doesn't mean I don't know you all because I regularly stalk and read everything you write :lmao:

This is my fun crazy family:

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The DETAILS:
We are flying out EARLY from Lynchburg, VA August 25th 2012 at 5:30am and will arrive in Orlando at 9:23am. Yes its a VERY early morning but it means we get to WDW sooner ?? haha We are staying at Pop resort for the first time and I am kind of nervous because I have always stayed in Moderate resorts, BUT we are looking forward to trying it out and saving some money! We will stay from 8/25 - 8/30 so we have 6 days and 5 nights in BEAUTIFUL Walt Disney World!!!!!

The people going on this amazing and wonderful trip are: Myself, my husband Kevin, my 16 yr old son Zack and my 9 yr old son Ethan. Oh... also my dad and stepmom are flying down from NY to join us. (hopefully that won't be a bad judgement call but we will just have to wait and see how this plays out... anyhoooooooooo)

A little bit about us:

My name is Aimee. I'm in sales and marketing, I LOVE COFFEE, I chew gum constantly but only Orbitz Peppermint, I love lipgloss, I read a LOT, I cook and bake a LOT and its one thing that I'm actually pretty good at, I absolutely love shoes, and of COURSE I am absolutely obsessed with anything Disney related. I'm also kind of weird... but thats ok because I'm going to DISNEY WORLD!

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My husband Kevin and I got married almost 2 years ago ...
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Kevin has NEVER been to Disney World (can you imagine??? lol)... so this will be his first trip ever! He doesn't want to know any of the planning, and has basically left that all up to me :cool2:

Kevin is an Extension Agent for our city as well as the 4H agent for all of the area schools. He loves to canoe, camp, listen to music, and eat my cooking ;) Kevin is also obsessed with the Virginia Tech Hokies and loves to go to as many VT college football games as he can.

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So this is my first post.... and will continue to post #2 in a bit. I hope that you all will join me on my obsessive planning and worrying about this trip! xoxo :grouphug:
 
I was previously married and have 2 awesome and hilarious sons who have been brought up with Disney since birth. They absolutely LOVE Walt Disney World, Disney Movies,Disney Music, and the Disney Channel :thumbsup2

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Zack (16) just finished 10th grade, runs track for his scool, is an online gamer and loves playing online with his friends, hes also majorly into competitive paintball. This boy could eat pizza 3x a day every day. Its ridiculous how much this kid eats!! Hes SO excited to go back to WDW and said hes most excited to ride Space Mountain again! Zack is also SO excited to eat at his most favorite restaurant again in the whole wide world: Sci Fi Dine In Theater in HS. This was his only request for the whole trip was to get ADRs for dinner.... and of course Mom got them for her little boy :cool1:

This is Zack in a paintball tournament this spring...
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Ethan (9) just finished 3rd grade and is a mama's boy all the way. Hes the reader in the family and is probably going to end up being a scientist somewhere discovering the cure for the common cold. He loves animals, macaroni and cheese, playing pranks on people, and watching Disney Channel. He also cannot wait to get back to WDW and he is most excited to ride EVERYTHING!!

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We sadly will be leaving our furry family members behind...

Our 2 cats M and Moneypenny (James Bond names... :cool2:) ) Moneypenny is only 4 months old and is just the cutest kitten EVER. M is a rescue cat who has a permanent broken leg... someone shot her as a kitten in her leg and it healed crooked and twisted before someone took her to the Humane Society where I met her... but shes ok. She is very cranky every day because she has shotgun pellets in her leg but I love her so much anyway. Yes... I'm the Crazy Cat Lady!

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Also Milo will be left in VA... hes 1/2 English Bulldog and 1/2 Beagle... hes a Beabull :lmao:
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So there you have it... that is all four of us... and our 3 animals which I just had to show you because they are cute! :flower3: I will have to get some pics of my dad and stepmother to add in here as well... I'll get to that later.

So I was thinking: Today is July 27th and we leave August 25th. Wow thats awful close!! And I have a MILLION things to do before we leave!! The GOOD news is that yesterday I received this amazing envelope from WDW and I was jumping with joy!!

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The only problem was that when I opened up the envelope and I was reading all of the paperwork... our Arrival flights and our Departure flights were NOT LISTED!!! :confused3 TIME TO PANIC!! I immediately called WDW transportation and gave them my flight information AGAIN which they assure me they entered and that there will be a bus waiting for us on August 25th :rolleyes:

We have our luggage tags and transporation tickets.. So we are good to go... right?
 
You ALL know how much planning it takes when you're going to WDW. I've been reading the boards, looking at EasyWDW and reading Josh's walkabouts, making ADR's, ordering things from Amazon that we might need, and also making lists so that we don't forget anything.

The ADR's that we have for this trip are:

Saturday 8/25 (arrival day)
Magic Kingdom
Lunch: QS @ Pecos Bills
Dinner ADR @ Liberty Tree Tavern

Sunday 8/26
Epcot
Lunch: QS @ not sure yet
Dinner ADR @ San Angel Inn (my kids LOVE this place!)

Monday 8/27
Animal Kingdom
Lunch: QS @ not sure yet
Dinner: QS @ not sure yet... maybe at DTD? or at Pop?

Tuesday 8/28
Hollywood Studios
Lunch ADR @ Mama Melroses (Fantasmic Dinner Package)
Dinner ADR @ Sci Fi Dine In (my sons FAVORITE)

Wednesday 8/29
Epcot
Lunch: QS @ not sure yet
Dinner ADR @ Rose & Crown (this is our first time....)

Thurday 8/30
Magic Kingdom
Lunch ADR @ Crystal Palace (LOVE the buffet and Pooh characters!)
Dinner: Sadly we will be eating at the airport :guilty:

I've never eaten at Rose and Crown ... well let me take that back. I've eaten at the fish and chip to-go cart out front many times. They have the most amazing fish and chips (and Guiness!) that I've enjoyed eating while walking around World Showcase. I looked at the menu for Rose and Crown and it really does look pretty good. I'm hoping it is!!

My dad told me to make reservations for all 6 of us (including my stepmother) and his 1 request was to eat at LeCellier.... YEAH RIGHT! I could't get a reservation there even if I tried. That place was booked for every single lunch and dinner for our entire vacation. Sooooooooooo I sadly had to tell my dad that we wouldn't be eating there. :guilty::confused3

I'm pretty excited about our ADR's though... should be some pretty good meals :cool1::cool1:
 
My dad told me to make reservations for all 6 of us (including my stepmother) and his 1 request was to eat at LeCellier.... YEAH RIGHT! I could't get a reservation there even if I tried. That place was booked for every single lunch and dinner for our entire vacation. Sooooooooooo I sadly had to tell my dad that we wouldn't be eating there. :guilty::confused3

Don't give up! Keep trying, even up until the day of your trip! Since it's a credit card guarantee, people who change their minds WILL cancel. I was lucky enough to score CRT breakfast last September the night before our visit to MK :thumbsup2
 
mommys3 said:
Don't give up! Keep trying, even up until the day of your trip! Since it's a credit card guarantee, people who change their minds WILL cancel. I was lucky enough to score CRT breakfast last September the night before our visit to MK :thumbsup2

Really???? wow! My father will be so surprised if I can get that ADR! Do you call or do you use the online reservation service?
 
Really???? wow! My father will be so surprised if I can get that ADR! Do you call or do you use the online reservation service?

I usually book our ADRs online since it's just easier for me. Good luck :goodvibes Seriously, the best tip I can give is don't give up! There are people that are constantly changing and canceling their ADRs...I love that Disney has reinforced a credit card guarantee on most of their table service restaurants because people are obligated to cancel rather than just not show up.
 
:wave2: I'm in! :welcome: to the DIS!

ITA with PP ... don't give up on LeCellier. Keep checking daily!

Don't be worried about staying at POP. We stayed there last year and loved it. The food court is great and the staff is very friendly. Our room was super clean, too. :thumbsup2

You have a beautiful family! Look forward to reading more. popcorn::
 
I usually book our ADRs online since it's just easier for me. Good luck :goodvibes Seriously, the best tip I can give is don't give up! There are people that are constantly changing and canceling their ADRs...I love that Disney has reinforced a credit card guarantee on most of their table service restaurants because people are obligated to cancel rather than just not show up.

Thank you so much for the HOPE that you gave me... I'm going to keep checking back :cheer2:
 
:wave2: I'm in! :welcome: to the DIS!

ITA with PP ... don't give up on LeCellier. Keep checking daily!

Don't be worried about staying at POP. We stayed there last year and loved it. The food court is great and the staff is very friendly. Our room was super clean, too. :thumbsup2

You have a beautiful family! Look forward to reading more. popcorn::

If there is ONE THING that I keep reading about Pop... its about the Food Court being so great! Unfortunately we won't be eating there that much if we stick to our plans... but we WILL be eating breakfast there most mornings... I think ;) Also... my goal is to find that KING CUPCAKE that everyone is talking about. It looks so gross... but delicious at the same time! :lmao:

And thank you :) for the kind compliment towards my family :flower3:
 
I'm laying on the sofa with my laptop watching the Olympic Opening Ceremonies!! :cheer2: Go USA!! :cheer2:

I decided to write a little bit more about our upcoming trip to POP ... which is a very short 28 Days away! :rainbow:

My plan is on our FIRST DAY in WDW as we are walking into the Magic Kingdom to have our picture taken in front of the Castle for our Christmas Card photo for 2012. I've ordered Mickey Mouse Shirts and Mickey Mouse Ears for our first day. Kevin and I will wear Gray shirts (mine is a tank top) and the boys will wear White shirts. The boys and Kevin will all wear Mickey Mouse Ears... and I will wear a Minnie Mouse Ear headband.

I found all 4 shirts AND all 4 sets of ears on Ebay for a fraction of the cost as buying them in WDW. I was super excited for the deal I found!! Everything still had original tags on them and are all brand new. The 3 sets of Mickey Mouse ears (hats) had embroidery on the backs that were used to practice on in the stores with different colored threads. The person who was selling them bought them as 2nds and sold for like $7 I think if I am remembering right. One night I spent 30 minutes PER HAT with tiny scissors and tweezers getting all of the threads out... but they are now looking absolutely perfect!

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Here are my awesome Ebay finds!

I Love Love Love the Vintage look of these shirts!
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I was too lazy to pluck the white fuzz off of the bottom hat for the photo...
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I'm sad that my Minnie Mouse Ear headband still hasn't arrived yet. According to the tracking information it was sent out 4 days ago... :sad2: They are absolutely PERFECT... they are Sequined black ears on a black headband with a GORGEOUS RED SEQUINED BOW in the center! I can hardly wait to try them on... so Mailman can you please HURRY?? :littleangel:
 
In search of the perfect Disney Bag to carry while hoofing it through the parks... I tried many many bags. I first ordered a Baggalini Messanger Bag from Ebags.com because so many Dis'ers on here loved them so much. I tried it on when it came in, but it just wasn't going to work with me. Maybe it was too big? I'm not sure but I wasn't comfortable with it... so I sold it on Ebay and got about 1/2 of what I paid for it :mad: :mad: :mad:

I then went to a local store and tried on several Vera Bradley bags... I fell in LOVE with the Saddle Up bag in black and white. I love it because there are 2 pouches in the front that will hold water bottles....it seems like its big enough to hold all of my necessities (cell, camera, lipgloss, money, etc) AND its super comfy to wear. I absolutely love it but I refuse to use it until our trip :crazy2: I'd love to hear from someone else who uses the Vera Saddle Up bag for WDW!

I'm hoping the bag works well... if not I'll have to buy a cheapo bag in WDW or something... :p

Isn't it cuper cute??
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AND>>>>> I even ordered ......

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Wait for it..... its SO EXCITING>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>



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EMERGENCY PONCHOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hahahaa :lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:

They were so cheap on Amazon... that I ordered 12 ponchos that we can just throw away. So it can technically rain for only 3 days during our 6 days in WDW ;) The ponchos are really thin... but will be perfect to stow in our day bags and will keep us dry at least :) At least they are clear and not bright yellow... I think they will be perfect for us!

12 ponchos divided by 4 people = 3 Days. Crossing fingers because I don't want to have to pay for the $$$ ones in the parks :) Am I cheap? No! But I do love saving money! :cheer2:
 
So I've started packing... well... more like 'gathering'... and have everything that is going on our journey to WDW in a big basket. Here are 2 things that already are in the basket and are ready to go....

A ziplock bag with $10 in quarters for laundry... and some Purex Laundry Detergent Sheets...

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I've heard the washers and dryers are $2.00 each, so I didn't want to be caught in the laundry room unprepared. I'd like to be able to wash 1 or 2 loads of laundry mid week. I think we will each be wearing 2 sets of clothes most days.... better to be prepared I am hoping :)
 
Here are all of my 'Bags of Stuff' that are ready to go in the checked luggage... :lmao::lmao:

I've got a gallon Ziploc filled with shampoos, conditioners, body washes, etc...

I've got a gallon Ziplock filled with bandaids, neosporin, tylenol, allergy meds, etc...

I've got a gallon Ziplock filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste,floss, etc...


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Oh a big pack of AA batteries too :cool1:
 
You are on a roll :cheer2: And I thought I was prepared :rotfl: Thanks for reminding me about ponchos...I think that is one thing I have failed to put on my list. And I am still on the search for the perfect WDW bag! I love yours!
 
mommys3 said:
You are on a roll :cheer2: And I thought I was prepared :rotfl: Thanks for reminding me about ponchos...I think that is one thing I have failed to put on my list. And I am still on the search for the perfect WDW bag! I love yours!

Thank you! I can hardly wait to wear it in WDW !!

Check out Amazon for ponchos.... They definitely aren't fancy....but they will work and are so inexpensive :)
 
So I am sitting here icing my knee.... I'm a runner and have problems from time to time with them and i can barely bend my left knee today. Not good.

At least the Olympics is on though !!! !!!!! :)

Our first day at WDW we will be arriving at 9:30ish am. I'm GUESSING that we will arrive at Pop around 10:30am?? Does this sound right???? Our PLAN currently is to check in.... Drop our bags with the luggage service at Pop and hop on a bus to the most Magical of all the WDW parks: Magic Kingdom!! I'm guessing we will arrive around 11:30ish am??

The PLAN of action is to........

Photos ASAP in front of My Castle, I mean Cinderellas Castle
Splash Mt
Big Thunder Mt
Pecs Bills for lunch
Pirates of the Caribbean
Jungle Cruise
Haunted Mansion
Dinner ADR's at Liberty Tree Tavern
Mickeys Philharmagic
Its a Small World
Pooh
And anything else in Fantasyland if we have time........

Then I'd like to reserve a spot for Electrical Parade and Wishes somewhere around 8pm for the 9pm Parade. I'm still trying to figure our where the best curb spot is. Last time we had nice curb spots to sit in The Hub.... Might try there again. Was perfect viewing for the parade and fireworks.

I'm just so excited!!!! Only 27 days!!!!!
 

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