Did you really just say YES?! ~A February 2013 PTR~ (Updated 12/30)

lauren_elizabeth

Disney World Lover
Joined
Feb 1, 2006
Since we're almost at our 3 months to Disney World mark, I thought it'd be the perfect time to start the pre-trip report! I've attempted one or two in the past, but never got around to finishing them due to those oh so lovely Disney blues. :sad1: You know what I'm talking about.... you get home from Disney and you can't even bring yourself to log on to the DIS for a week because seeing pictures makes you wish you could go back. But as my promise to you, this one will be finished. It's going to be one heck of a trip! :thumbsup2

Before we get into any details, let's introduce the family.

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Yes, we're a wild bunch. This was our last day in Cancun this past May and my husband wanted to use timer on the camera to take a bunch of pictures in a row. None of the pictures were directed... so we didn't know what anyone else was doing. I love how this turned out. It depicts our family perfectly. :rotfl:

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This was at Jake's preschool graduation in June.

First up, ME! I'm Lauren. I'm a 25 year old stay at home mama to my two wild & crazy kiddos and just recently earned my Real Estate License! I have an obsession with Disney World ~ but don't we all? ;) If I had my way, we'd be going at least twice a year. I love Diet Dr. Pepper, Karen Kingsbury books and Zumba.

Favorite Park ~ Magic Kingdom
Favorite Ride ~ Tower of Terror :love::cloud9:
Favorite Character ~ Belle, Rapunzel & Sully!
Favorite Disney Movie ~ Monsters Inc

Then there's my DH ~ Josh. He's a 27 year old service manager at a car dealership. He's one of those "I'll do Disney World because you love it so much and never stop talking about it" kind of guys. I'm hoping to change his mind on this trip. And you know what? I have a feeling that I will. DH loves cars and playing basketball (real life AND video games. BIG KID anyone?!)


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My Son ~ Jake. He's 5 years old and just started Kindergarten this year. HE IS LOVING IT! He comes home everyday and can't wait to tell me what color he got that day. (They all start on green and can move up to blue and then purple or move down to yellow or red. He has been getting consistent purples and we are SO proud!) He loves playing basketball with my husband in the driveway, reading books to his little sister and just having fun! Jake has a heart of gold, that's for sure.

Favorite Park ~ Magic Kingdom
Favorite Ride ~ Test Track and Soarin'
Favorite Character ~ Buzz Lightyear & Sully
Favorite Disney Movie ~ Monsters Inc and Toy Story 1, 2 & 3

My daughter ~ Mallory. 20 months old and full of spunk. She's a girly girl through and through. She loves playing with her baby dolls, wearing Mama's high heels and getting her nails painted. I can't wait to see how she reacts to the characters and rides this trip. On our last trip, she was 3 months old... so this will be like her very first trip!

Favorite Character ~ Rapunzel
Favorite Disney Movie ~ Tangled

So, I had been bringing up a Disney vacation to my husband for the longest time. He always just brushed it off. :headache: He knows how much I love WDW and how much I wanted us ALL to go. I suggested December 2012 and he seemed okay with it. I rented points for AKL Villas, started pricing out the dining plans vs non-dining, etc. Then he said, "I won't be able to take the time off of work, I'm so sorry." I knew I couldn't get a refund for the rented DVC points, so I sent an email over to the owner saying that I knew it was a longshot. but could we switch our trip to early 2013 sometime? Surprisingly, he said it was no problem at all.

Fast forward a few days later, I brought it up to Josh when he was out watching the football game with a few buddies of his. (I knew he was in a good mood because his Tampa Bay Bucs were winning... ;) ) What did he write back and say?

"Sure babe, that works."

WHAAAAAAAAT?! Did you really just YES?! :cool1::woohoo::dance3::banana:

So, it's official.

February 3-9, 2013
AKL Villas ~ Kidani Village

Grab your coffee, pull up a chair & get comfortable. This is going to be fun!


 
have read your other reports and enjoyed them...looking forward to this one.

i have seen others rent points as well...have always wondered about doing this and wondered how it works...
 
I saw your link in your signature! I'm definitely in girl! You have the cutest little family!!! So glad everything worked out and that you get to go in February!!! :dance3:
 


have read your other reports and enjoyed them...looking forward to this one.

i have seen others rent points as well...have always wondered about doing this and wondered how it works...

:welcome: Thanks for joining along!

Renting points is wonderful.... and easy, too! I just went on the DVC Rent/Trade board here on the DIS and found someone who had points to rent with the home resort of where we wanted to stay since I wanted to book at 11 months out. Once determined it would work, I sent him half of the balance as a deposit and the other half is due at one month before arrival.


I saw your link in your signature! I'm definitely in girl! You have the cutest little family!!! So glad everything worked out and that you get to go in February!!! :dance3:

:welcome: So glad that you're here, Marissa! :goodvibes Thanks so much! We're so excited that everything is finally settled and we know 100% that we're going!
 
:welcome: Thanks for joining along!

Renting points is wonderful.... and easy, too! I just went on the DVC Rent/Trade board here on the DIS and found someone who had points to rent with the home resort of where we wanted to stay since I wanted to book at 11 months out. Once determined it would work, I sent him half of the balance as a deposit and the other half is due at one month before arrival.

that sounds easy enough, how do they make sure they are on the up and up, and wont take you.

i would like to think most people would be honest there.
 
that sounds easy enough, how do they make sure they are on the up and up, and wont take you.

i would like to think most people would be honest there.

Most of them let you know that they have references if you want to check things out. The owner I rented from sent me the confirmation from WDW as soon as it was booked. :thumbsup2
 


Most of them let you know that they have references if you want to check things out. The owner I rented from sent me the confirmation from WDW as soon as it was booked. :thumbsup2

thats good, i hear you save a good deal of money doing it that way as well.
looking forward to more.
 
I love that pic. You have a beautiful family! You will love AKV at least I did. I have heard people who do not care for it much. We rented points this past december and stayed in Jambo. It's one of the best things ever and i would do it again if I knew when i was exactly going.
 
Hope everyone is having a wonderful Thursday! I just finished making dinner and it's cooling on the stove. I made Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti. It's so easy & delicious. If you need something fast and filling one night, definitely give this a try.

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Photo by: Kraft

Here's a link to the recipe if you're interested:
Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti

Jake has choir practice at church tonight, so I figured since I had a little time before hand that I would go ahead and post our ADRs! Who doesn't love talking about food right? :thumbsup2

Sunday, February 3 (Superbowl Sunday)
~ Kona Cafe @ 5:20pm
So, the Superbowl starts at 6:30pm this evening and I know my husband is going to want to watch it. I wasn't going to make any reservation at all, but I went ahead and scheduled an early dinner just in case. I've been craving the Tuna Oscar, so if my husband doesn't want to leave the room then I'll take Jake for a mommy/son date night! We don't get many of those and I figure Mallory will be tired early since it's arrival day.

Monday, February 4
~ Garden Grill @ 5:55pm
We've never been to this restaurant, so I'm excited! Jake is going to get a kick out of the restaurant spinning in circles and of course, the characters.

Tuesday, February 5
~ Crystal Palace @ 8:25am
I originally made this one to take the place of our TS credit from Sunday night. If we end up DO going to Kona, I'll probably cancel this one. We aren't huge breakfast eaters, but the appeal of entering the park early wins out.

~ 'Ohana @ 8:00pm
WE LOVE THIS PLACE! I seriously just love the whole atmosphere of the Poly in general... and when you add in good food, you can't beat it! I AM GOING TO EAT TONS OF BREAD PUDDING! I know 8pm seems kind of late to eat dinner with kids, but it's all they had and we'll be taking breaks every afternoon. :thumbsup2

Wednesday, February 6
~ T-Rex @ 6:00pm
This is another first for us! Dinosaurs are one of Jake's favorite things, so this was a no brainer. I can't wait until he sees that we're having dinner here.

Thursday, February 7
~ Sci Fi @ 1:25pm
Who doesn't love eating lunch in a car while watching movies? :goodvibes

Friday, February 8
~ Whispering Canyon @ 5:25pm
I know this restaurant seems to get a lot of mixed reviews, but we love it. The milkshakes are delicious and the servers are hilarious!

Well, there ya have it! Our list of ADRs. What do you think? If you've been to any of these places, please feel free to share what you thought!
 
I love that pic. You have a beautiful family! You will love AKV at least I did. I have heard people who do not care for it much. We rented points this past december and stayed in Jambo. It's one of the best things ever and i would do it again if I knew when i was exactly going.

Thank you so much!

We are definitely looking forward to staying at AKL. It's always been a dream of mine and I can't believe it's actually happening! :goodvibes
 
You have some really good ADRs!! I'm so glad you were able to get 'Ohana! YUM. I bet yall will love Garden Grill. It's so much fun and the rolls there are amazing!
 
You have some really good ADRs!! I'm so glad you were able to get 'Ohana! YUM. I bet yall will love Garden Grill. It's so much fun and the rolls there are amazing!

Thanks!

Girl, I'm SO glad I was able to snag a ressie for 'Ohana! I want to listen to the singing lady so badly. ;):rotfl:

I'm looking forward to Garden Grill. It's one I've always wanted to give a shot, but have never been able to get an ADR.
 
I'm joining in! Your kiddos are adorable. :cutie: Oooh, Kidani Village sounds awesome! It is such a great resort.
 
I'm joining in! Your kiddos are adorable. :cutie: Oooh, Kidani Village sounds awesome! It is such a great resort.

:welcome: Thanks so much!

We're so excited to be staying at Kidani Village. I booked a standard studio, but I'm hoping that since we're going at a slower time, they can maybe give us some pixie dust and upgrade us to a savannah studio! ;)
 
I need opinions! So, I was planning on getting some of that yummy Tuna Oscar at Kona on our arrival night. But unfortunately, I just learned that it's been taken off of the menu and replaced with some other seared tuna entree. :scared1: NOOOO!

Now, I know they have yummy bread/butter & steaks, but I made the ressie specifically to order the tuna oscar.

So now I'm torn with what to do and where to go. Should I just keep that night free of all ADRs since the Superbowl will be on? Maybe we can hit up the MK for a few hours, grab dinner at Casey's and head back to AKL around 6ish.

Or should I try and schedule another ADR in or around MK? If so, which one would you suggest?

Thanks yall! :hug:
 
Joining in!!


Sunday, February 3 (Superbowl Sunday)
~ Kona Cafe @ 5:20pm
So, the Superbowl starts at 6:30pm this evening and I know my husband is going to want to watch it. I wasn't going to make any reservation at all, but I went ahead and scheduled an early dinner just in case. I've been craving the Tuna Oscar, so if my husband doesn't want to leave the room then I'll take Jake for a mommy/son date night! We don't get many of those and I figure Mallory will be tired early since it's arrival day.

Monday, February 4
~ Garden Grill @ 5:55pm
We've never been to this restaurant, so I'm excited! Jake is going to get a kick out of the restaurant spinning in circles and of course, the characters.

Tuesday, February 5
~ Crystal Palace @ 8:25am
I originally made this one to take the place of our TS credit from Sunday night. If we end up DO going to Kona, I'll probably cancel this one. We aren't huge breakfast eaters, but the appeal of entering the park early wins out.

~ 'Ohana @ 8:00pm
WE LOVE THIS PLACE! I seriously just love the whole atmosphere of the Poly in general... and when you add in good food, you can't beat it! I AM GOING TO EAT TONS OF BREAD PUDDING! I know 8pm seems kind of late to eat dinner with kids, but it's all they had and we'll be taking breaks every afternoon. :thumbsup2

Wednesday, February 6
~ T-Rex @ 6:00pm
This is another first for us! Dinosaurs are one of Jake's favorite things, so this was a no brainer. I can't wait until he sees that we're having dinner here.

Thursday, February 7
~ Sci Fi @ 1:25pm
Who doesn't love eating lunch in a car while watching movies? :goodvibes

Friday, February 8
~ Whispering Canyon @ 5:25pm
I know this restaurant seems to get a lot of mixed reviews, but we love it. The milkshakes are delicious and the servers are hilarious!

Well, there ya have it! Our list of ADRs. What do you think? If you've been to any of these places, please feel free to share what you thought!

We ADORE Garden Grill! The food is SO yummy and the character interaction has always been wonderful for us. Crystal Palace is another one of our favorites. We love entering the park early and we love our big breakfast buffets. Jake will love T-Rex! The food is good, but everyone goes to see the dinos. I also love Sci-Fi, but Madison was creeped out by the movies the last time we ate there (2009). I love the food there...especially the milkshakes!
 
Hey girl! I wouldn't miss this one for the world! Cutest pics ever of your family....absolutely adorable!

Great ADR's! We ran into the same predicament at Kona two summers ago. Shanleigh loved the mahi mahi is miso broth and what they replaced it with she didn't like at all! Now we just go for breakfast:lmao:

Can't wait to hear more...and my opinion would be no ADR just enjoy the MK and grab something...anything...whatever you feel like! I love Casey's tho so that would be my choice!
 
Well if you cancel Kona, you wouldn't have to cancel Crystal Palace, right? It stinks that they don't have what you wanted, but I think the MK/Casey's idea is a good one! :)
 
Joining in!!

:welcome: So glad to have you here! :goodvibes


We ADORE Garden Grill! The food is SO yummy and the character interaction has always been wonderful for us. Crystal Palace is another one of our favorites. We love entering the park early and we love our big breakfast buffets. Jake will love T-Rex! The food is good, but everyone goes to see the dinos. I also love Sci-Fi, but Madison was creeped out by the movies the last time we ate there (2009). I love the food there...especially the milkshakes!

I've been hearing such awesome things about Garden Grill lately!

Yes, we love being able to enter the park early as well! We've never done a CP breakfast (only dinner), so I'm excited to give it a try!

I'm really excited to eat at T-Rex! I was looking at pictures tonight and I just can't wait to see Jake's reaction to it all.

I didn't even think about the movie clips being a little scary! :headache: Hopefully it doesn't even phase him! Mmm I agree ~ the milkshakes are DELISH!



Hey girl! I wouldn't miss this one for the world! Cutest pics ever of your family....absolutely adorable!

Great ADR's! We ran into the same predicament at Kona two summers ago. Shanleigh loved the mahi mahi is miso broth and what they replaced it with she didn't like at all! Now we just go for breakfast:lmao:

Can't wait to hear more...and my opinion would be no ADR just enjoy the MK and grab something...anything...whatever you feel like! I love Casey's tho so that would be my choice!

:welcome: Hey Queen! Thanks so much for joining along! And thanks so much for the sweet compliment about my family! :goodvibes

Aw man! It totally stinks when they take one of your favorite things off of the menu. If it ain't broke, don't fix it ~ right? ;)

I think that's what I've decided to do. I'm canceling Kona and keeping our options open. I actually just added something fun on our arrival day which I'll update on here in a bit! I love Casey's as well, so I bet we'll end up there!



Well if you cancel Kona, you wouldn't have to cancel Crystal Palace, right? It stinks that they don't have what you wanted, but I think the MK/Casey's idea is a good one! :)

Yep, you're right! :thumbsup2 I've decided to just cancel it. This way, we can enjoy our time at the Magic Kingdom and then head back to AKL in the evening. I know that I'm not going to want to sit and watch the Superbowl, so I'm thinking that I can get Mallory ready for bed and then head out with Jake to do something!
 

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