rachel09985
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2009
Oh my those shoes are amazing! congrats on owning a pair of Louboutins. Your dress is gorgeous also! I love the lace.
UP & above... Canada & Bonsai Terrace Escape Wedding - 5/5/2016 - UPDATE: Trip plans
- Thread starter Aschenputtel
- Start date
epcotcenter1982
Aussie Pom blend
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2012
Thank you for the feedback. I'm feeling more comfortable now with the whole concept. I've now done a test run with the dress (ten layer ball gown skirt) in a duffle carry on and it fits. We just found an amazing dress preserving shop that will preserve it after I get back but the week before I go will steam, fold and roll my dress into the bag.
There are some you tube videos if you google on best ways to do it and I was going to try myself but they offered and I'm eternally grateful. I am tall but did NOT fancy carrying a dress bag...
Good luck
Oh and no...no wedding things are getting checked...my shoes and all wedding bits and bobs are going in carry on! no chances...
Aschenputtel
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2013
Thank you all so much for following along. Only one of my closer girlfriends has a boyfriend right now, so they're all really not that into wedding planning at the moment (especially since most of us are in the middle of finals or starting their first real jobs).
So, off to:
Second day of our trip - 10/10/2015
We began the day early again, but who wants to sleep when they’re in WDW? (actually I promised my MOH that we won’t start as early in May which kind of annoys me already since she has almost no interest in the parks and doesn't understand why we should walk around a whole day - although I scored CRT and BOG both for our first day! I just hope she gets bitten by the Disney bug once we're there
- unfortunately her favorite Disney movie is the Jungle book and I'm worried that it's one of the not so represented movies - any tips are appreciated!).
We started with our first Food & Wine Festival experience - the Parisian Breakfast at Chefs de France. We were seated with an older couple which made me kind of nervous at first, because I’m normally very shy at first (probably you won’t notice it at first, but I know it). We almost immediately hit the buffet. You get your breakfast from the buffet, but all the drinks are served. I was glad that I read about it on the Disneyfoodblog, because they don’t advertise at all what they offer (Mimosas, champagne, hot chocolate made from real chocolate, coffee…). And DF noticed that they’re actually two buffets around the pillars that offer exactly the same, but no one goes around them to the second one!
When we came back to the table we introduced ourselves and met Cappy and Brian. And yes, they really challenge Nate & Jensey for favorite acquaintances we made on this trip. They’re DVC holders at Old Key West and had a „few days off before their grandchildren came and they had to switch to grandparents-mode“ as Cappy said. We talked the whole event long and it was not only fun, but they had a cat that had an illness much worse than ours and because Jacky was only diagnosed shortly before the trip, it really helped to talk about it!
Oh yes, and the food was delicious! They offered different marmalades, cheeses, croissants, baguette, baguette with cranberries, Croque Monsieur, different pastries - and everything was really delicious and well worth the price. It was 39 $ per person and is definitely one of the cheapest experiences of F&W. I highly recommend the hot chocolate, it’s really how they make them in France and Belgium. Moreover at the end, don’t forget to grab your goodie bag which you only receive when you leave through the entrance. It was full of goodies from Bonne Maman stuff (flyers, a little cookbook and a little marmalade), but nothing really special (although my opinion might be not as valuable since we have the brand over here). Brian and Cappy also found it to be a very good value and they did almost every F&W offering there was!
Although we had FP’s for Hollywood Studios, we couldn’t pass up the chance to look at our wedding venue. I was so anxious that I or DF wouldn’t like it, but Canada Terrace is sooo beautiful! The waterfall, the garden… the only thing I don’t like are the benches right where the altar is set up. Cue in my worst bridezilla moment so far when I found a picture of an Escape wedding where they didn’t remove them! I immediately messaged DF and wrote my WP and just the day before yesterday she confirmed a ‚special work order for the CM’s at EPCOT‘ for the day of our wedding, so that they remove the benches (she had neglected this before, so that was kind of a big deal for me, I think it looks so odd having a table in front of a bench). It also wouldn’t have worked with our decor, but more on that later!
(the bench I probably end up carrying away in my wedding dress)
After rushing over to Japan which we were most excited about (and we love, can’t wait for my DP there, although the venue does come with quite some restrictions), we headed to Hollywood Studios (I think we took the bus - I really had no idea on how to use Disney transportation and I'm kind of worried how Peter and Jenny will handle it. Jenny has almost no sense of orientation and Peter can't read most of the signs due to him only having about 40% eyesight total).
I really think that HS is the most confusing park and I also think it’s our least favorite, although I love the old Hollywood glamour - maybe this is because of all the construction (and bad luck with that park that we had)?
We headed for ToT first, because it wasn’t time for our first FP yet and I thought I had read somewhere that they have a single rider line (I don’t ride it since one terrible experience in DLP - I have a problem with elevators, not as bad as it used to be, but it’s still kind of a deal, but I love the queue of it). When DF asked the CMs about it, they started to laugh and asked him why he is looking for single rider when being ‚just engaged‘ (remember the buttons?). They said he should better spend time with me and gave him two paper FPs, good for any ride in the second tier! We grabbed them and headed to Star Tours which we wouldn’t have been able to experience that day otherwise!
(DF has it now on his bucket list to get one of these for every park - let's hope the wedding ears work ;-))
It was so much better than the old DLP version, but as soon as we entered Tatooine Traders, people rushed in, because it was raining. I got almost run over by a stroller and let go off the cool R2D2 dress I found (my favorite Star Wars character!). And then I made a HUGE mistake: I didn’t take the rain seriously. And to be honest it didn’t looked that bad. Of course we forgot the ponchos we bought at MK the day before (as the CM had warned us) and right when we cued for the FP line of Indiana Jones it really started to rain and we got drenched. To make it worse, people who didn’t even wanted to see the show stuffed themselves in the tent in the queue, so we couldn’t get in. When we finally made it to the theater and tried to dry as good as we could (tissues in sneakers and all), they started the show right away and we didn’t even get in the FP area. They chose the people from the audience (DF not one of them), started the show a and cancelled it due to the weather after the first scene. We were allowed to wait in the theatre, but I decided to run back to Tatooine Traders, because it just cleared and grab the dress to get out of my wet clothes.
I really can’t stand being drenched (like really being completely wet with non bathing clothes on), but we didn’t want to give up our next FP for Toy Story, because they’re so hard to get (little did I know…). After I got changed, we tried to find Pixar Place (I really don’t like how they built HS!) and got in the 20-30 minute long FP line. Right when we were on top of the stairs in front of the cars, the ride broke down and we had to go back the whole queue, getting attacked by people in line for going back. At the end of the line we got a paper FP that was only for ToyStory for the length of our stay. We used the new extra FP we got for Indiana Jones for the Great Movie Ride (that actually worked) and then rushed over to the Frozen Sing Along, our last FP (yes, I like Frozen, but no, I’m not waiting in line). It was really fun to just sit back and relax and sing which really helped to get in a better mood.
Actually it was my birthday this past weekend and DF and I started it early with a showing of Frozen accompanied by a orchestra, live singers, light effects and even the ice cutters going through the audience! It was so magical and I teared up a bit, remembering that Walt himself actually planned to show Fantasia in a similar way.
After the sing-along we had dinner at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre which I love! I had hoped so much to have our rehearsal dinner there during the Star Wars breakfast, but I don’t think that is happening with Star Wars Weekends being cancelled and all…
We shared an Oreo milkshake and the Spicy Buffalo popcorn chicken with blue cheese dressing (so good, go try it!).
I LOVE milkshakes - it's the only way to get dessert as an appetizer
!
Simply deliciousness - but there are a bit spicy, just that you know!
Then I had the Southwest Vegetarian Burger and DF the Smoked Turkey Sandwich which both were delicious, but I love everything with sweet potato fries!
Definitely one of the best veggie burgers I ever had! AND sweet potato fries
!
The plan was to hit a ride after that and then catch Fantastmic!, but we gave in. We still were part wet and had to check into the Wilderness Lodge Villas, so we just took the bus to the Wilderness Lodge. We never managed to see Fantasmic, but really HS isn't our park (still, I'm excited to have our Bridal Portrait session there). I'm really excited to see Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land, especially because the Toy Story area is one of my favorites in DLP and DF and I both think HS is missing something (maybe an easier layout? wider walkways?).
Our luggage was sent with bell services and we never had problems with them, I love that service! You don’t even have to take it to the front desk, you can fill out the paper work in your room. We checked in and went to our room.
It was great! It was on the fourth floor with a view of Bay Lake (although you didn’t see much because of the gigantic trees) and had two windows. One for the balcony and one with a view of the Hidden Springs pool.
I really like the DVC studio kitchenettes and think the studios are perfect for two or maybe a family of three. I really wished we had the sink when we grabbed souvenir mugs later in the week, because the normal bathroom sinks at AKL aren't deep enough to really clean them. But I'll have to admit that the faucet was not my thing:
Too much water comes out, but there's no pressure behind it to clean toothbrushes, etc.
Moreover I wouldn’t recommend staying on the ground level at WLV. You have a little terrace, but everybody can come up right to your room and they have a wall to separate the Bay Lake bank, but there is a lot of wildlife behind it, believe me! That's also one of the reasons (apart from being able to hang some laundry on the balcony) that I hope we won't get a ground level room at the BCV for the wedding.
After unpacking we watched the American Disney Channel and called it a day!
So, off to:
Second day of our trip - 10/10/2015
We began the day early again, but who wants to sleep when they’re in WDW? (actually I promised my MOH that we won’t start as early in May which kind of annoys me already since she has almost no interest in the parks and doesn't understand why we should walk around a whole day - although I scored CRT and BOG both for our first day! I just hope she gets bitten by the Disney bug once we're there
- unfortunately her favorite Disney movie is the Jungle book and I'm worried that it's one of the not so represented movies - any tips are appreciated!).We started with our first Food & Wine Festival experience - the Parisian Breakfast at Chefs de France. We were seated with an older couple which made me kind of nervous at first, because I’m normally very shy at first (probably you won’t notice it at first, but I know it). We almost immediately hit the buffet. You get your breakfast from the buffet, but all the drinks are served. I was glad that I read about it on the Disneyfoodblog, because they don’t advertise at all what they offer (Mimosas, champagne, hot chocolate made from real chocolate, coffee…). And DF noticed that they’re actually two buffets around the pillars that offer exactly the same, but no one goes around them to the second one!
When we came back to the table we introduced ourselves and met Cappy and Brian. And yes, they really challenge Nate & Jensey for favorite acquaintances we made on this trip. They’re DVC holders at Old Key West and had a „few days off before their grandchildren came and they had to switch to grandparents-mode“ as Cappy said. We talked the whole event long and it was not only fun, but they had a cat that had an illness much worse than ours and because Jacky was only diagnosed shortly before the trip, it really helped to talk about it!
Oh yes, and the food was delicious! They offered different marmalades, cheeses, croissants, baguette, baguette with cranberries, Croque Monsieur, different pastries - and everything was really delicious and well worth the price. It was 39 $ per person and is definitely one of the cheapest experiences of F&W. I highly recommend the hot chocolate, it’s really how they make them in France and Belgium. Moreover at the end, don’t forget to grab your goodie bag which you only receive when you leave through the entrance. It was full of goodies from Bonne Maman stuff (flyers, a little cookbook and a little marmalade), but nothing really special (although my opinion might be not as valuable since we have the brand over here). Brian and Cappy also found it to be a very good value and they did almost every F&W offering there was!
Although we had FP’s for Hollywood Studios, we couldn’t pass up the chance to look at our wedding venue. I was so anxious that I or DF wouldn’t like it, but Canada Terrace is sooo beautiful! The waterfall, the garden… the only thing I don’t like are the benches right where the altar is set up. Cue in my worst bridezilla moment so far when I found a picture of an Escape wedding where they didn’t remove them! I immediately messaged DF and wrote my WP and just the day before yesterday she confirmed a ‚special work order for the CM’s at EPCOT‘ for the day of our wedding, so that they remove the benches (she had neglected this before, so that was kind of a big deal for me, I think it looks so odd having a table in front of a bench). It also wouldn’t have worked with our decor, but more on that later!
(the bench I probably end up carrying away in my wedding dress)
After rushing over to Japan which we were most excited about (and we love, can’t wait for my DP there, although the venue does come with quite some restrictions), we headed to Hollywood Studios (I think we took the bus - I really had no idea on how to use Disney transportation and I'm kind of worried how Peter and Jenny will handle it. Jenny has almost no sense of orientation and Peter can't read most of the signs due to him only having about 40% eyesight total).
I really think that HS is the most confusing park and I also think it’s our least favorite, although I love the old Hollywood glamour - maybe this is because of all the construction (and bad luck with that park that we had)?
We headed for ToT first, because it wasn’t time for our first FP yet and I thought I had read somewhere that they have a single rider line (I don’t ride it since one terrible experience in DLP - I have a problem with elevators, not as bad as it used to be, but it’s still kind of a deal, but I love the queue of it). When DF asked the CMs about it, they started to laugh and asked him why he is looking for single rider when being ‚just engaged‘ (remember the buttons?). They said he should better spend time with me and gave him two paper FPs, good for any ride in the second tier! We grabbed them and headed to Star Tours which we wouldn’t have been able to experience that day otherwise!
(DF has it now on his bucket list to get one of these for every park - let's hope the wedding ears work ;-))
It was so much better than the old DLP version, but as soon as we entered Tatooine Traders, people rushed in, because it was raining. I got almost run over by a stroller and let go off the cool R2D2 dress I found (my favorite Star Wars character!). And then I made a HUGE mistake: I didn’t take the rain seriously. And to be honest it didn’t looked that bad. Of course we forgot the ponchos we bought at MK the day before (as the CM had warned us) and right when we cued for the FP line of Indiana Jones it really started to rain and we got drenched. To make it worse, people who didn’t even wanted to see the show stuffed themselves in the tent in the queue, so we couldn’t get in. When we finally made it to the theater and tried to dry as good as we could (tissues in sneakers and all), they started the show right away and we didn’t even get in the FP area. They chose the people from the audience (DF not one of them), started the show a and cancelled it due to the weather after the first scene. We were allowed to wait in the theatre, but I decided to run back to Tatooine Traders, because it just cleared and grab the dress to get out of my wet clothes.
I really can’t stand being drenched (like really being completely wet with non bathing clothes on), but we didn’t want to give up our next FP for Toy Story, because they’re so hard to get (little did I know…). After I got changed, we tried to find Pixar Place (I really don’t like how they built HS!) and got in the 20-30 minute long FP line. Right when we were on top of the stairs in front of the cars, the ride broke down and we had to go back the whole queue, getting attacked by people in line for going back. At the end of the line we got a paper FP that was only for ToyStory for the length of our stay. We used the new extra FP we got for Indiana Jones for the Great Movie Ride (that actually worked) and then rushed over to the Frozen Sing Along, our last FP (yes, I like Frozen, but no, I’m not waiting in line). It was really fun to just sit back and relax and sing which really helped to get in a better mood.
Actually it was my birthday this past weekend and DF and I started it early with a showing of Frozen accompanied by a orchestra, live singers, light effects and even the ice cutters going through the audience! It was so magical and I teared up a bit, remembering that Walt himself actually planned to show Fantasia in a similar way.
After the sing-along we had dinner at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre which I love! I had hoped so much to have our rehearsal dinner there during the Star Wars breakfast, but I don’t think that is happening with Star Wars Weekends being cancelled and all…
We shared an Oreo milkshake and the Spicy Buffalo popcorn chicken with blue cheese dressing (so good, go try it!).
I LOVE milkshakes - it's the only way to get dessert as an appetizer
! Simply deliciousness - but there are a bit spicy, just that you know!
Then I had the Southwest Vegetarian Burger and DF the Smoked Turkey Sandwich which both were delicious, but I love everything with sweet potato fries!
Definitely one of the best veggie burgers I ever had! AND sweet potato fries
!The plan was to hit a ride after that and then catch Fantastmic!, but we gave in. We still were part wet and had to check into the Wilderness Lodge Villas, so we just took the bus to the Wilderness Lodge. We never managed to see Fantasmic, but really HS isn't our park (still, I'm excited to have our Bridal Portrait session there). I'm really excited to see Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land, especially because the Toy Story area is one of my favorites in DLP and DF and I both think HS is missing something (maybe an easier layout? wider walkways?).
Our luggage was sent with bell services and we never had problems with them, I love that service! You don’t even have to take it to the front desk, you can fill out the paper work in your room. We checked in and went to our room.
It was great! It was on the fourth floor with a view of Bay Lake (although you didn’t see much because of the gigantic trees) and had two windows. One for the balcony and one with a view of the Hidden Springs pool.
I really like the DVC studio kitchenettes and think the studios are perfect for two or maybe a family of three. I really wished we had the sink when we grabbed souvenir mugs later in the week, because the normal bathroom sinks at AKL aren't deep enough to really clean them. But I'll have to admit that the faucet was not my thing:
Too much water comes out, but there's no pressure behind it to clean toothbrushes, etc.
Moreover I wouldn’t recommend staying on the ground level at WLV. You have a little terrace, but everybody can come up right to your room and they have a wall to separate the Bay Lake bank, but there is a lot of wildlife behind it, believe me! That's also one of the reasons (apart from being able to hang some laundry on the balcony) that I hope we won't get a ground level room at the BCV for the wedding.
After unpacking we watched the American Disney Channel and called it a day!
LadyD
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
That Parisian Breakfast looks amazing. We're going to WDW for F&W this fall for our (very delayed) honeymoon, and I think we will have to check that experience out. I love when people share their Disney food experiences!! I totally agree with you about being wet and in clothing. It's awful and miserable. Hopefully you can avoid that experience during your wedding trip.
The Canada Terrace is so gorgeous! I cannot wait to hear your plans for decor
I want to have a VR there one day.
The Canada Terrace is so gorgeous! I cannot wait to hear your plans for decor
I want to have a VR there one day.
Happy_Haunt999
An aura of foreboding..
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2015
That is the worst, getting soaked in the rain. It is one of the most miserable feelings. The FP's sounded fun though, hope we can score some of those sometime! Also, I think you just convinced us to eat at the Sci-Fi Dine In next time we visit, that looks so delicious!! I'm excited to see your plans for the Canada Terrace for your wedding!
Lauren1027
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2013
Love your plans so far! Your wedding is coming up SO soon! I just saw your engagement pictures on the Roots blog and am in love with them. Also, I'm glad to hear that your kitties are ok! I just had an emergency with my dog over the holiday break and she had to have surgery which took a big chunk out of our wedding budget as well. She's doing great now though so its all worth it. Can't wait to read more about your trip and planning session!
Disneyducks12
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 14, 2013
I have fallen a little behind on your PJ but you are getting so close to your date about four months left! They are just going to fly by everything seems to really be coming along and I really love your wedding shoes super cute and very princess!
Happy Planning
Melissa
Happy Planning
Melissa
Aschenputtel
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2013
Reneh, you have to do the Parisian breakfast, it was definitely one of our favorite meals!
And Melissa, thank you so much, being under the 100 day mark is a bit scary to be honest - it goes so fast! (especially having my big exam in march).
I'm also happy to say that my dress is in and I'm having the first fitting next week. This turned out to be a bigger deal, as the seamstress isn't sure if she's is able to place cups into the dress, so that I needed to find a new bra which was quite a horrible experience (nasty saleswoman that showed no interest whatsoever to help me), but now I've got one that is ok. Still hope she can put them in the dress!
And Melissa, thank you so much, being under the 100 day mark is a bit scary to be honest - it goes so fast! (especially having my big exam in march).
I'm also happy to say that my dress is in and I'm having the first fitting next week. This turned out to be a bigger deal, as the seamstress isn't sure if she's is able to place cups into the dress, so that I needed to find a new bra which was quite a horrible experience (nasty saleswoman that showed no interest whatsoever to help me), but now I've got one that is ok. Still hope she can put them in the dress!
Aschenputtel
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2013
Third day of our trip - 10/11/2015
We had to wake up very early to catch the first boat for the Contemporary. It’s very romantic taking the boats in my opinion and I also love water very much. Every time we took one, I wanted to make a quick stop at Discovery Island to look around. Initially I wanted to book the Escape to Walt’s Wilderness tour for DF as a wedding gift, but unfortunately it’s discontinued. That would have been so much fun!
From the Contemporary we took the monorail to get to our reservation at 7:45 a.m. at Kona Café. And you know what that means: Tonga Toast!!!
It is sooooo good, I can’t wait to eat it again (although we have a reservation for our last day of our honeymoon, so it will be bittersweet, I guess). I also had a glass of Liliko’i juice - which you have to try and a French press of Kona coffee. It really is the best coffee I ever had and we really wanted to take some home, but we forgot until the next day and couldn’t get it on that day, because we changed resorts and couldn’t have it sent to the WLV or AKL.
Without further ado - the breakfast of champions!
DF had the Big Kahuna and was blown away. I really think we will eat the exact same things again. He also liked the Poly very, very much and wanted to stay there for our honeymoon, but we decided against it. I didn’t want to do to much resort hopping as we would have to travel around with our wedding attire and I really wanted to stay as close as possible to our wedding venue (and I love the look of the Beach Club for the wedding pics). I hope we can stay at the Poly next time! (I’m determined to stay at least once at all the Deluxe Resorts).
After breakfast we took a walk on the beach and headed to the Wedding Pavilion. It’s really not our kind of venue. It’s beautiful, but a bit to classic for us, especially as we have many beautiful Baroque churches here in Germany and we want to do something really different.
As we went around the DVC part of the GF, we saw a bird with one of these plastic can holders around its spout. We went into the lobby of the DVC part and thankfully found a CM who called pest control. I hope the bird is fine now, as he wasn’t able to open its sprout.
Might as well pretend I got a planning session!
When we got to the Main Lobby, guess who was here: Richard! I was determined to get a photo with him as he won’t be there to help me on my wedding day (tip: the CM at the front said he never works an Thursdays, so even if we stayed at the GF, it wouldn’t have happened). I think the GF is stunning, but it’s not DF’s style, so I think we have a good compromise by staying at the BC and BW.
Is it weird that I'm always more excited to see any Disney related "celebrity" than real stars? Especially German ones?
After that we hit MK for our first FP for the Mine Train. We really liked it and it’s WDW’s most comfortable rollercoaster on property, but not worth a 3 hour wait. We only go on it with a FP. The ride itself is very short and I agree with Carrie Hayward: you totally feel like there should be more at the end and that it would go on, but it doesn’t. And the ride video doesn’t make it anymore worth it.
With plenty of time before our next FP, we took a look around Storybook Circus and rode the Barnstormer (much faster than I expected) and Dumbo (the last one much better than the one at DLP and although we don’t have kids I love the queue).
"I can fly, I can fly, I can FLY" (oh darn, wrong movie)
After that we did Philharmagic which was perfect to cool off as the sun began to get pretty strong.
Then it was time for the next FP: Journey of the Little Mermaid. This is a must for everyone that grew up (and had the cool old Barbie that had legs and floor-length hair). It actually stopped at the scene where she gets her legs which turned out fine, because you can’t really see it when driving by or the music isn’t timed right.
Then we took a closer look at Gaston’s Tavern and their amazing gift shop (one more tip: the toilets behind the tavern may be one of the cleanest in the whole MK and you don’t have to queue and the mirrors are perfect for re-applying make-up, etc).
Then we went to the most elaborate toilets on property, I mean, Rapunzel’s Tower. I really like the area, but we chose route 2 with all the Beauty and the Beast stuff for our MK shoot, because Belle is my favorite princess, the movie is my favorite Disney movie and as much as I love Haunted Mansion the graveyard is not very bridal in my opinion and we also do a shoot at HS with ToT and it’s kind of the same style.
We then took a stroll through Liberty Square and through Frontierland. I checked the app and Golden Oak Outpost was open! That meant Waffle Fries!
I had the Brown Gravy and Cheese Waffle Fries and DF had the BLT Waffle Fries. Both were delicious and the perfect in-between-meal after a hefty breakfast. Golden Oak Outpost is actually one of the experimental kitchens, so be sure to check it out once it’s open, they test their new recipes for the other kitchens there!
After that we headed to Pirates for the last FP. It had been down again and we had to wait outside for a bit. I like the ride and it’s interesting to see the evolution of the animatronics throughout the ride, but it’s definitely not my favorite (although it reminds me of DF and my second date - we went to see PoC 3 in the OV. It was actually my third time seeing that movie, but I still agreed to see it, because I thought I would get my first kiss in the theatre. Instead DF held onto his bag in his lap until I said that I always get afraid of that scene where they are trapped in the vortex - I was not, I mean, I saw it for the 3rd time!!! and I wasn’t afraid the first time either. He then put his arm around me, but I didn’t get kissed until he drove me home later that night!).
After PotC we called it a park day and headed back to WLV. DF took a nap while I finally had the time to check out the pools. I love swimming and it’s so relaxing. First thing I hit the Hidden Springs pool. I really like that the DVC pools are laid back and don’t have lifeguards. Growing up next to a lake I really know how to swim and don’t need a babysitter (although I'm totally aware why they're needed, but the ones at WDW seem a bit overprotective to me). When I went over to the main pool area and played ‚dead man‘ (we call it that way when you just lay on your back in the water) the lifeguard got really angry with me and watched me the whole time I was in the pool (like going around the pool when I went to the other side and stuff). What’s better about the main area besides the slide is that it’s much cleaner. The DVC one has the needles from the conifers lying all around it and sometimes in it.
After swimming and laying in the sun (take off that Magic Band!) I made a detour and got one of the famous seven layered cookie bars from Roaring Forks for DF which we ate at our balcony. Being the idiot I am, I actually took a few bites… and got a little rash, because I’m allergic to carrots and that damn thing has carrot cookie in it!! But it’s really good, I’ll have to admit.
After that we got ready for our date night at California Grill during the fireworks. We took the boat over to the Contemporary, only this time it had it’s first stop at FW. But it’s actually really romantic to take the boat at night, so we didn't mind the detour.
Lovebirds on the boat - bonus points if you can guess the characters represented!
We checked in on the second floor and despite my shameless hints as: ‚we’re engaged‘, ‚we have date night‘, ‚we’re getting married here next year‘ - we didn’t get a window table. But the waiter was really nice, made sure I spoke to the Chef and checked everything twice himself. He also made sure to tell the kitchen to hold on our entree after the fireworks, so we could enjoy them on the terrace (we went on the left one, because I heard the view is better).
DF started with the Dragon Roll which he later declared to be the best Sushi on property. I wanted to try the Sonoma Goat Cheese ravioli, but couldn’t due to the broth and decided on the Baby Beets and Citrus Salad which was very fresh and the flavors were very well balanced. After that we enjoyed Wishes from the terrace and I think it is really something every WDW fan should do at least once.
Next up... fireworks and the rest of dinner!
We had to wake up very early to catch the first boat for the Contemporary. It’s very romantic taking the boats in my opinion and I also love water very much. Every time we took one, I wanted to make a quick stop at Discovery Island to look around. Initially I wanted to book the Escape to Walt’s Wilderness tour for DF as a wedding gift, but unfortunately it’s discontinued. That would have been so much fun!
From the Contemporary we took the monorail to get to our reservation at 7:45 a.m. at Kona Café. And you know what that means: Tonga Toast!!!
It is sooooo good, I can’t wait to eat it again (although we have a reservation for our last day of our honeymoon, so it will be bittersweet, I guess). I also had a glass of Liliko’i juice - which you have to try and a French press of Kona coffee. It really is the best coffee I ever had and we really wanted to take some home, but we forgot until the next day and couldn’t get it on that day, because we changed resorts and couldn’t have it sent to the WLV or AKL.
Without further ado - the breakfast of champions!
DF had the Big Kahuna and was blown away. I really think we will eat the exact same things again. He also liked the Poly very, very much and wanted to stay there for our honeymoon, but we decided against it. I didn’t want to do to much resort hopping as we would have to travel around with our wedding attire and I really wanted to stay as close as possible to our wedding venue (and I love the look of the Beach Club for the wedding pics). I hope we can stay at the Poly next time! (I’m determined to stay at least once at all the Deluxe Resorts).
After breakfast we took a walk on the beach and headed to the Wedding Pavilion. It’s really not our kind of venue. It’s beautiful, but a bit to classic for us, especially as we have many beautiful Baroque churches here in Germany and we want to do something really different.
As we went around the DVC part of the GF, we saw a bird with one of these plastic can holders around its spout. We went into the lobby of the DVC part and thankfully found a CM who called pest control. I hope the bird is fine now, as he wasn’t able to open its sprout.
Might as well pretend I got a planning session!
When we got to the Main Lobby, guess who was here: Richard! I was determined to get a photo with him as he won’t be there to help me on my wedding day (tip: the CM at the front said he never works an Thursdays, so even if we stayed at the GF, it wouldn’t have happened). I think the GF is stunning, but it’s not DF’s style, so I think we have a good compromise by staying at the BC and BW.
Is it weird that I'm always more excited to see any Disney related "celebrity" than real stars? Especially German ones?
After that we hit MK for our first FP for the Mine Train. We really liked it and it’s WDW’s most comfortable rollercoaster on property, but not worth a 3 hour wait. We only go on it with a FP. The ride itself is very short and I agree with Carrie Hayward: you totally feel like there should be more at the end and that it would go on, but it doesn’t. And the ride video doesn’t make it anymore worth it.
With plenty of time before our next FP, we took a look around Storybook Circus and rode the Barnstormer (much faster than I expected) and Dumbo (the last one much better than the one at DLP and although we don’t have kids I love the queue).
"I can fly, I can fly, I can FLY" (oh darn, wrong movie)
After that we did Philharmagic which was perfect to cool off as the sun began to get pretty strong.
Then it was time for the next FP: Journey of the Little Mermaid. This is a must for everyone that grew up (and had the cool old Barbie that had legs and floor-length hair). It actually stopped at the scene where she gets her legs which turned out fine, because you can’t really see it when driving by or the music isn’t timed right.
Then we took a closer look at Gaston’s Tavern and their amazing gift shop (one more tip: the toilets behind the tavern may be one of the cleanest in the whole MK and you don’t have to queue and the mirrors are perfect for re-applying make-up, etc).
Then we went to the most elaborate toilets on property, I mean, Rapunzel’s Tower. I really like the area, but we chose route 2 with all the Beauty and the Beast stuff for our MK shoot, because Belle is my favorite princess, the movie is my favorite Disney movie and as much as I love Haunted Mansion the graveyard is not very bridal in my opinion and we also do a shoot at HS with ToT and it’s kind of the same style.
We then took a stroll through Liberty Square and through Frontierland. I checked the app and Golden Oak Outpost was open! That meant Waffle Fries!
I had the Brown Gravy and Cheese Waffle Fries and DF had the BLT Waffle Fries. Both were delicious and the perfect in-between-meal after a hefty breakfast. Golden Oak Outpost is actually one of the experimental kitchens, so be sure to check it out once it’s open, they test their new recipes for the other kitchens there!
After that we headed to Pirates for the last FP. It had been down again and we had to wait outside for a bit. I like the ride and it’s interesting to see the evolution of the animatronics throughout the ride, but it’s definitely not my favorite (although it reminds me of DF and my second date - we went to see PoC 3 in the OV. It was actually my third time seeing that movie, but I still agreed to see it, because I thought I would get my first kiss in the theatre. Instead DF held onto his bag in his lap until I said that I always get afraid of that scene where they are trapped in the vortex - I was not, I mean, I saw it for the 3rd time!!! and I wasn’t afraid the first time either. He then put his arm around me, but I didn’t get kissed until he drove me home later that night!).
After PotC we called it a park day and headed back to WLV. DF took a nap while I finally had the time to check out the pools. I love swimming and it’s so relaxing. First thing I hit the Hidden Springs pool. I really like that the DVC pools are laid back and don’t have lifeguards. Growing up next to a lake I really know how to swim and don’t need a babysitter (although I'm totally aware why they're needed, but the ones at WDW seem a bit overprotective to me). When I went over to the main pool area and played ‚dead man‘ (we call it that way when you just lay on your back in the water) the lifeguard got really angry with me and watched me the whole time I was in the pool (like going around the pool when I went to the other side and stuff). What’s better about the main area besides the slide is that it’s much cleaner. The DVC one has the needles from the conifers lying all around it and sometimes in it.
After swimming and laying in the sun (take off that Magic Band!) I made a detour and got one of the famous seven layered cookie bars from Roaring Forks for DF which we ate at our balcony. Being the idiot I am, I actually took a few bites… and got a little rash, because I’m allergic to carrots and that damn thing has carrot cookie in it!! But it’s really good, I’ll have to admit.
After that we got ready for our date night at California Grill during the fireworks. We took the boat over to the Contemporary, only this time it had it’s first stop at FW. But it’s actually really romantic to take the boat at night, so we didn't mind the detour.
Lovebirds on the boat - bonus points if you can guess the characters represented!
We checked in on the second floor and despite my shameless hints as: ‚we’re engaged‘, ‚we have date night‘, ‚we’re getting married here next year‘ - we didn’t get a window table. But the waiter was really nice, made sure I spoke to the Chef and checked everything twice himself. He also made sure to tell the kitchen to hold on our entree after the fireworks, so we could enjoy them on the terrace (we went on the left one, because I heard the view is better).
DF started with the Dragon Roll which he later declared to be the best Sushi on property. I wanted to try the Sonoma Goat Cheese ravioli, but couldn’t due to the broth and decided on the Baby Beets and Citrus Salad which was very fresh and the flavors were very well balanced. After that we enjoyed Wishes from the terrace and I think it is really something every WDW fan should do at least once.
Next up... fireworks and the rest of dinner!
Aschenputtel
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2013
As promised: arguably the best view of Wishes:
And one more selfie, because Nate and Jensey wouldn't be around until a few days later ;-)
(Just to let you know girls: it is windy out there - be aware when you decide on having your hair down and wearing lipgloss!)
As an entrée I had the Oak-fired Filet of Beef which was the best piece of beef I had the whole trip. The risotto was cooked on point and I enjoyed every bite.
DF enjoyed the Pacific Halibut, but said it couldn’t keep up with the Sushi.
We ended with Heirloom Apple and Walnut cake (DF) and I had the Sundae Sampler. Both were meh… I was really sad, because I had looked forward to it for about 8 months… So our resumée: Don’t get dessert there! It’s overpriced and not worth it and definitely put a damper on an otherwise perfect evening!!! But over all the experience is worth the entrée prices ;-).
Heirloom Apple and Walnut cake:
Sundae Sampler (didn't even like the Shirley Temple float and I love that cocktail):
I took a picture of the menu, because I know it changes regularly:
We still liked it very much, don't get me wrong, but no dessert for us! I just booked the brunch for after our MK session and I'm definitely looking forward to it! (as is DF, because he read that they serve sushi).
We ended the evening by taking a closer look at Walt's train models at the WLV - they're so beautiful:
And that's it for day 3! I'll be sure to let you know how the fitting goes!
Moreover I want to encourage all of you to join me on instagram (I'll accept you, don't worry), as I now started a 100happydays countdown! (you can find me under miss.kathi01)
And one more selfie, because Nate and Jensey wouldn't be around until a few days later ;-)
(Just to let you know girls: it is windy out there - be aware when you decide on having your hair down and wearing lipgloss!)
As an entrée I had the Oak-fired Filet of Beef which was the best piece of beef I had the whole trip. The risotto was cooked on point and I enjoyed every bite.
DF enjoyed the Pacific Halibut, but said it couldn’t keep up with the Sushi.
We ended with Heirloom Apple and Walnut cake (DF) and I had the Sundae Sampler. Both were meh… I was really sad, because I had looked forward to it for about 8 months… So our resumée: Don’t get dessert there! It’s overpriced and not worth it and definitely put a damper on an otherwise perfect evening!!! But over all the experience is worth the entrée prices ;-).
Heirloom Apple and Walnut cake:
Sundae Sampler (didn't even like the Shirley Temple float and I love that cocktail):
I took a picture of the menu, because I know it changes regularly:
We still liked it very much, don't get me wrong, but no dessert for us! I just booked the brunch for after our MK session and I'm definitely looking forward to it! (as is DF, because he read that they serve sushi
).We ended the evening by taking a closer look at Walt's train models at the WLV - they're so beautiful:
And that's it for day 3! I'll be sure to let you know how the fitting goes!
Moreover I want to encourage all of you to join me on instagram (I'll accept you, don't worry), as I now started a 100happydays countdown! (you can find me under miss.kathi01)
Last edited:
Aschenputtel
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2013
Hi Lauren - I wanted to take the time to respond to you personally!
Thanks for joining my journey and yes, the fur babies come first. Sadly we had another emergency this week - this time with our Odin. He turned out to be fine, but we had to put both our kitties on a diet as he appears to have irritated mucosa... (to cut it short - there was blood all over the hallway floor when I woke up and looked after them half an hour early as normal) - we now have a quite weekend to relax a bit before the next workweek! I'll keep you updated!
LadyD
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
I want WDW food so bad after reading your posts. The Tonga Toast. That was the first meal I had when we went to WDW (way too many years ago), and seeing your picture makes me want it so bad again. I'm a huge dessert fan and that is such a bummer about the desserts at California Grill.
I hope your seamstress is able to work some magic with your dress and make it work the way you want. I personally found the alterations part of wedding dress shopping a lot more stressful than finding the dress. Hopefully, after your first fitting next week, everything is smooth sailing for you with the dress.
That is incredible you're counting down the final 100 days. They seem to go so slow and fly by all at the same time. Your wedding is right around the corner!! Ahhh!! I hope your kitties are able to maintain good health between now and the wedding (and hopefully forever). It's so stressful when they get sick.
I hope your seamstress is able to work some magic with your dress and make it work the way you want
. I personally found the alterations part of wedding dress shopping a lot more stressful than finding the dress. Hopefully, after your first fitting next week, everything is smooth sailing for you with the dress. That is incredible you're counting down the final 100 days. They seem to go so slow and fly by all at the same time. Your wedding is right around the corner!! Ahhh!! I hope your kitties are able to maintain good health between now and the wedding (and hopefully forever). It's so stressful when they get sick.
Aschenputtel
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2013
I want WDW food so bad after reading your posts. The Tonga Toast. That was the first meal I had when we went to WDW (way too many years ago), and seeing your picture makes me want it so bad again. I'm a huge dessert fan and that is such a bummer about the desserts at California Grill.
I hope your seamstress is able to work some magic with your dress and make it work the way you want
That is incredible you're counting down the final 100 days. They seem to go so slow and fly by all at the same time. Your wedding is right around the corner!! Ahhh!! I hope your kitties are able to maintain good health between now and the wedding (and hopefully forever). It's so stressful when they get sick.
Oh, Renee... the fitting went well but it took forever! And yes, time flies by. I'm actually now concentrating on my finals in mid-march and then it will be full-blown wedding planning only! Fingers crossed they are going well. Kitties are doing fine for now, although Jacky kind of grabbed my cold from last week... so not a fun week here. (And I just saw your Disney Post on instagram - I want to come to Disneyland so badly!)
Aschenputtel
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2013
First fitting
Oh my, oh my... it went well, I can’t complain, but it took a solid 2 hours! 2 HOURS!!!
If the seamstress not kindly offered to open a window and bring me a chair, I think I would have collapsed. And it was so cold in there! My shop is actually a remodeled factory and it was so cold (especially without tights). My feet were blue by the end of the appointment. And my back hurt from all the standing (still does actually).
I just wanted to let all the ladies out there know that sometimes you need more than a bustle... especially when you’re tiny and your dress is a combination of silk/satin, layers of tulle and a lace top that has to be cut very precisely (and yes, they’ll cut it while your in there... and yes, it hurts to hear all that money rip).
But now onto the good stuff: I wasn’t too fat to fit in it (I’m extremely self-conscious when it comes to my body and size) and I still love it – maybe even more than before!
And here come the pictures:
lovely Polish seamstress in the back
everything under the mirror used to be dress, but I really like that my veil kind of serves as my train now
What do you think?
As you can guess by the amount of fabric that’s left, I had cut off the train (or let’s say 10 pounds?) and I’m going to change into a sweetheart neckline (better for a bigger cup size). moreover the lace-part of the back would actually be a bit lower, but I let her raise it a bit. To conclude there was no boning in the back which made awful wrinkles and she will add that two, altogether with resizing the whole thing, the lace part and the cut-outs for my arms (really couldn’t find the English word). So basically, I’m getting a new dress and that’s what I have to pay for as well. But fortunately we had planned this, especially because we knew that my figure isn’t easy and I’m always having a hard time to find evening wear (and I have a lot doing ballroom dancing).
Moreover I learned a lot in 2-hours of standing straight, so I wanted to make a little list with things that are good to know/good to have:
1. Come in comfy clothes – you don’t have to look your best until you’re in the dress and if the fitting takes a while, you’ll be glad after.
2. Bring everything – literally everything! I brought my strapless bra, two panties (in case one would show), my jewellry, my headpiece, my veil and most important my shoes – both the Louboutins and my dancing shoes.
3. Now where to put these? When you’re a Disney Bride you most likely have lots of suitcases – put everything in your carry-on – it made things so much easier (especially for the shoes) and I was able to put all the fabric she cut off in it at the end (and it rained outside and they only had bags).
4. Bring a comfy bra for after the fitting – ladies with a bit more know that strapless bras can be no fun at all – am I right? (oh yes, and then go to McDonald's - no breakfast and 2 hours of standing straight I deserved it)
5. Don’t buy everything that bridal magazines etc. tell you – example? Well, I invested in some spanx until I realized (on the morning of the fitting – just before we went out for the 1 hour drive to the salon) – I won’t be able to wear them with a corset at the top – how should I use a toilet???
6. Moreover the seamstress said with my bra size (I’m a cup D – I know, it doesn’t really show, but believe me they’re there), she won’t be able to sew cups into the dress... with a corset... these things are supposed to hold them up, you know? Well, she told me to look into the newest strapless wonderbra and I did... it was one of the worst fitting bras I ever tried on. The saleswoman was awful to me and I almost started to cry in the fitting room (at this point I hadn’t seen my dress, thought the fitting wouldn’t go well, etc). A few days before the fitting I actually managed with the help of my mom to find a cheap one that fit, but guess what? The salon got a delivery at the day of my fitting and after handing me cups for a size A/B, the seamstress miraculously brought me a C/D (they are push-ups and honestly I thing the ladies look huge, but my mom and MOH (no 2 – that’s not the one that’s coming to Disney) said that’s the way they always look, so I trust them).
7. Bring everybody that has time, knows you and knows how to calm you – in my case my mom and second (honorary) MOH Michèle. Both had no problem with me telling them what to bring me or seriously listening to my concerns and I felt so much more comfortable.
I think her sweater was a coincidence - she's in team duck (German Disney fans are deeply divided between team duck
and team mouse. We have a whole cartoon series about the ducks only and that's why they're much more popular over here. One of my first plushies was Minnie - now guess which minority I belong to
).
8. Underwear – tip no. 2: I don’t know were this originally came from, but white underwear and white dress – almost never the best choice. Look for underwear in a nude/tan color – you can always change into virgin white later!
9. Try out what you want – you only regret it later! This means put on (at least a similar) kind of nail polish, eyeshadow, lipstick, etc. as you’re planning to do. It can make such a huge difference next to the actual dress and especially if you’re like me and can’t have a trial run before the actual day it helps to make the vision come real.
10.bring a good camera – I brought my new DLSR (as recommended by Nate), because these salons have such bad lighting most of the time – and fittings are also part oft he process and I can’t wait to show DF how my dress evolved!
I hope this helps, I would have loved to know things like this beforehand for sure! Let me know if you have any other concerns or questions!
Oh my, oh my... it went well, I can’t complain, but it took a solid 2 hours! 2 HOURS!!!
If the seamstress not kindly offered to open a window and bring me a chair, I think I would have collapsed. And it was so cold in there! My shop is actually a remodeled factory and it was so cold (especially without tights). My feet were blue by the end of the appointment. And my back hurt from all the standing (still does actually).
I just wanted to let all the ladies out there know that sometimes you need more than a bustle... especially when you’re tiny and your dress is a combination of silk/satin, layers of tulle and a lace top that has to be cut very precisely (and yes, they’ll cut it while your in there... and yes, it hurts to hear all that money rip).
But now onto the good stuff: I wasn’t too fat to fit in it (I’m extremely self-conscious when it comes to my body and size) and I still love it – maybe even more than before!
And here come the pictures:
lovely Polish seamstress in the back
everything under the mirror used to be dress, but I really like that my veil kind of serves as my train now
What do you think?
As you can guess by the amount of fabric that’s left, I had cut off the train (or let’s say 10 pounds?) and I’m going to change into a sweetheart neckline (better for a bigger cup size). moreover the lace-part of the back would actually be a bit lower, but I let her raise it a bit. To conclude there was no boning in the back which made awful wrinkles and she will add that two, altogether with resizing the whole thing, the lace part and the cut-outs for my arms (really couldn’t find the English word). So basically, I’m getting a new dress and that’s what I have to pay for as well. But fortunately we had planned this, especially because we knew that my figure isn’t easy and I’m always having a hard time to find evening wear (and I have a lot doing ballroom dancing).
Moreover I learned a lot in 2-hours of standing straight, so I wanted to make a little list with things that are good to know/good to have:
1. Come in comfy clothes – you don’t have to look your best until you’re in the dress and if the fitting takes a while, you’ll be glad after.
2. Bring everything – literally everything! I brought my strapless bra, two panties (in case one would show), my jewellry, my headpiece, my veil and most important my shoes – both the Louboutins and my dancing shoes.
3. Now where to put these? When you’re a Disney Bride you most likely have lots of suitcases – put everything in your carry-on – it made things so much easier (especially for the shoes) and I was able to put all the fabric she cut off in it at the end (and it rained outside and they only had bags).
4. Bring a comfy bra for after the fitting – ladies with a bit more know that strapless bras can be no fun at all – am I right? (oh yes, and then go to McDonald's - no breakfast and 2 hours of standing straight I deserved it)
5. Don’t buy everything that bridal magazines etc. tell you – example? Well, I invested in some spanx until I realized (on the morning of the fitting – just before we went out for the 1 hour drive to the salon) – I won’t be able to wear them with a corset at the top – how should I use a toilet???
6. Moreover the seamstress said with my bra size (I’m a cup D – I know, it doesn’t really show, but believe me they’re there), she won’t be able to sew cups into the dress... with a corset... these things are supposed to hold them up, you know? Well, she told me to look into the newest strapless wonderbra and I did... it was one of the worst fitting bras I ever tried on. The saleswoman was awful to me and I almost started to cry in the fitting room (at this point I hadn’t seen my dress, thought the fitting wouldn’t go well, etc). A few days before the fitting I actually managed with the help of my mom to find a cheap one that fit, but guess what? The salon got a delivery at the day of my fitting and after handing me cups for a size A/B, the seamstress miraculously brought me a C/D (they are push-ups and honestly I thing the ladies look huge, but my mom and MOH (no 2 – that’s not the one that’s coming to Disney) said that’s the way they always look, so I trust them).
7. Bring everybody that has time, knows you and knows how to calm you – in my case my mom and second (honorary) MOH Michèle. Both had no problem with me telling them what to bring me or seriously listening to my concerns and I felt so much more comfortable.
I think her sweater was a coincidence - she's in team duck (German Disney fans are deeply divided between team duck
and team mouse. We have a whole cartoon series about the ducks only and that's why they're much more popular over here. One of my first plushies was Minnie - now guess which minority I belong to).8. Underwear – tip no. 2: I don’t know were this originally came from, but white underwear and white dress – almost never the best choice. Look for underwear in a nude/tan color – you can always change into virgin white later
!9. Try out what you want – you only regret it later! This means put on (at least a similar) kind of nail polish, eyeshadow, lipstick, etc. as you’re planning to do. It can make such a huge difference next to the actual dress and especially if you’re like me and can’t have a trial run before the actual day it helps to make the vision come real.
10.bring a good camera – I brought my new DLSR (as recommended by Nate), because these salons have such bad lighting most of the time – and fittings are also part oft he process and I can’t wait to show DF how my dress evolved!
I hope this helps, I would have loved to know things like this beforehand for sure! Let me know if you have any other concerns or questions!
LadyD
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
First fitting
Oh my, oh my... it went well, I can’t complain, but it took a solid 2 hours! 2 HOURS!!!
If the seamstress not kindly offered to open a window and bring me a chair, I think I would have collapsed. And it was so cold in there! My shop is actually a remodeled factory and it was so cold (especially without tights). My feet were blue by the end of the appointment. And my back hurt from all the standing (still does actually).
I just wanted to let all the ladies out there know that sometimes you need more than a bustle... especially when you’re tiny and your dress is a combination of silk/satin, layers of tulle and a lace top that has to be cut very precisely (and yes, they’ll cut it while your in there... and yes, it hurts to hear all that money rip).
But now onto the good stuff: I wasn’t too fat to fit in it (I’m extremely self-conscious when it comes to my body and size) and I still love it – maybe even more than before!
And here come the pictures:
View attachment 149755
lovely Polish seamstress in the back
View attachment 149756
everything under the mirror used to be dress, but I really like that my veil kind of serves as my train now
What do you think?
As you can guess by the amount of fabric that’s left, I had cut off the train (or let’s say 10 pounds?) and I’m going to change into a sweetheart neckline (better for a bigger cup size). moreover the lace-part of the back would actually be a bit lower, but I let her raise it a bit. To conclude there was no boning in the back which made awful wrinkles and she will add that two, altogether with resizing the whole thing, the lace part and the cut-outs for my arms (really couldn’t find the English word). So basically, I’m getting a new dress and that’s what I have to pay for as well. But fortunately we had planned this, especially because we knew that my figure isn’t easy and I’m always having a hard time to find evening wear (and I have a lot doing ballroom dancing).
Moreover I learned a lot in 2-hours of standing straight, so I wanted to make a little list with things that are good to know/good to have:
1. Come in comfy clothes – you don’t have to look your best until you’re in the dress and if the fitting takes a while, you’ll be glad after.
2. Bring everything – literally everything! I brought my strapless bra, two panties (in case one would show), my jewellry, my headpiece, my veil and most important my shoes – both the Louboutins and my dancing shoes.
3. Now where to put these? When you’re a Disney Bride you most likely have lots of suitcases – put everything in your carry-on – it made things so much easier (especially for the shoes) and I was able to put all the fabric she cut off in it at the end (and it rained outside and they only had bags).
4. Bring a comfy bra for after the fitting – ladies with a bit more know that strapless bras can be no fun at all – am I right? (oh yes, and then go to McDonald's - no breakfast and 2 hours of standing straight I deserved it)
5. Don’t buy everything that bridal magazines etc. tell you – example? Well, I invested in some spanx until I realized (on the morning of the fitting – just before we went out for the 1 hour drive to the salon) – I won’t be able to wear them with a corset at the top – how should I use a toilet???
6. Moreover the seamstress said with my bra size (I’m a cup D – I know, it doesn’t really show, but believe me they’re there), she won’t be able to sew cups into the dress... with a corset... these things are supposed to hold them up, you know? Well, she told me to look into the newest strapless wonderbra and I did... it was one of the worst fitting bras I ever tried on. The saleswoman was awful to me and I almost started to cry in the fitting room (at this point I hadn’t seen my dress, thought the fitting wouldn’t go well, etc). A few days before the fitting I actually managed with the help of my mom to find a cheap one that fit, but guess what? The salon got a delivery at the day of my fitting and after handing me cups for a size A/B, the seamstress miraculously brought me a C/D (they are push-ups and honestly I thing the ladies look huge, but my mom and MOH (no 2 – that’s not the one that’s coming to Disney) said that’s the way they always look, so I trust them).
7. Bring everybody that has time, knows you and knows how to calm you – in my case my mom and second (honorary) MOH Michèle. Both had no problem with me telling them what to bring me or seriously listening to my concerns and I felt so much more comfortable.
View attachment 149761
I think her sweater was a coincidence - she's in team duck (German Disney fans are deeply divided between team duck
8. Underwear – tip no. 2: I don’t know were this originally came from, but white underwear and white dress – almost never the best choice. Look for underwear in a nude/tan color – you can always change into virgin white later
9. Try out what you want – you only regret it later! This means put on (at least a similar) kind of nail polish, eyeshadow, lipstick, etc. as you’re planning to do. It can make such a huge difference next to the actual dress and especially if you’re like me and can’t have a trial run before the actual day it helps to make the vision come real.
10.bring a good camera – I brought my new DLSR (as recommended by Nate), because these salons have such bad lighting most of the time – and fittings are also part oft he process and I can’t wait to show DF how my dress evolved!
I hope this helps, I would have loved to know things like this beforehand for sure! Let me know if you have any other concerns or questions!
So glad your fitting went well! I cannot wait to see the final product for your dress. It is so beautiful and it sounds like with everything you're doing it is going to be absolutely outstanding. The dress looks so good on you!
I totally feel you on the strapless bra front. I'm in the exact same boat as you and for my wedding day opted to to wear a full bust to hip steel boned corset under my dress rather than a strapless bra. The corset was more comfortable than any strapless bra I've ever worn, and it stayed in place. It's a battle.
Good luck on your finals! Disneyland is amazing and I highly recommend a trip someday!
Aschenputtel
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2013
You're totally right, I don't know why they didn't advertise corsets more. And thanks so much for your kind words and well wishes! I really hope, I can just get them over with and then it's all wedding for a bit - I can't wait for this right now!
Aschenputtel
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2013
Fourth day of our trip - 10/12/2015
Again we woke up early. I left my amazing DF with the last bit of packing as we had to change to AKL, but I had booked a manicure at 7:30 a.m. at Senses at the GF for our engagement shoot the day before. This was a total spontaneous idea, but it was so worth it. When I did my toe nails the next day it looked like a 3-year old tried her best (disclaimer: don’t paint your nails outdoors in the Floridian heat… very dumb idea, but I’m not planning on doing it by myself for the wedding - any nail design ideas are welcome! At the moment I'm thinking of using the Penny Talk by Essie (rosé gold) and maybe a little hidden mickey in blue on my toe?).
I took the first boat to the Contemporary and then the monorail to the GF. You’re supposed to check in at least 30 minutes prior, but having the first available time slot, you have to be there right on time. The treats and teas were delicious, but I wasn’t allowed to go in the water or steam room because of the manicure. Senses Spa is very beautiful and has the perfect relaxing atmosphere. The CMs were very nice, but I had problems explaining everything to the woman who did my nails. She also asked me a lot of stuff and I just nodded - I guess my vocabulary doesn’t work for nail design (I’m bringing photos for sure next time). Moreover definitely plan on needing more time for your nails - in the hour they say it needs to do them they don’t calculate the drying time. While I tried to use the force to dry my nails, DF desperately tried to reach me (mistake number 2: keep your phone by your side, not in the locker) as they wouldn’t let him check in for our breakfast at ‚Ohana. As soon as I thought they were dry, I changed in my park clothes and rushed over - good thing we walked from the Poly to the GF the day before! I made it in time, but it was a unnecessary hassle and I plan on having much more time to enjoy the Spa facilities next time.
I had manicures in other Spas before and I think it was worth it, although I brought my own nail polish. You get a new nail file and a miniature polish of your choice at the end of the appointment to bring home with you which I thought was very sweet. Furthermore I paid an upgrade to have a Disney design (the little Mickey). The whole manicure lasted about 7-9 days and I have very thin, fragile nails. That’s also the reason why I can’t have any acrylic nails or fake ones. I’m looking forward to get another one the day before our wedding as I don’t have to handle my nails on my own and can take some time to relax before the big day!
Fresh manicure with my park engagement ring dupe from DLP!
The character breakfast at ‚Ohana is definitely one of the more relaxing ones. You get everything served family style so that you don’t have to do trips to a buffet. At this reservation my life-long obsession with breakfast potatoes started - if someone knows how to make them, please tell DF (I don’t cook as good as him)! The characters were really fun. We tent to like and interact better with the non-face ones. I had a really great experience with Lilo.
Until January of last year I never had seen Lilo and Stitch - I always thought the concept of a girl with an alien friend was somewhat silly. But now that we’ve seen it, it’s one of our favorite movies and I can relate to Lilo so well.
The only downside for me (DF laughed so hard, he almost had coffee coming out of his nose) was Pluto. As you can see in the pics I wore a strapless top to avoid any stripes from the sun as our shoot was the very next day. Well, Pluto went backstage right before our table and while waiting for the characters to come back out, I was totally absorbed with my food. As you might know the chairs at ‚Ohana have very low handles, so Pluto saw me and jumped on the handle and hugged me from behind (again, strapless!). I screamed although I should have known because DF grinned at me the whole time Pluto was approaching (silly me thought he smiled at me because he was sitting with the love of his life at the most magical place on earth). End of story: I don’t trust Pluto anymore (or DF during character breakfast).
That smile actually says: I'll get you next time, Pluto!
Tip: Be aware that the included photo pass is only available for Stitch, because it is his breakfast (it’s the same at AK at Tusker House with Donald).
Breakfast itself is the usual stuff with a fresh (exotic) fruit platter and my beloved Liliko'i juice! We had the normal coffee, but next time I think we pay extra for the Kona Coffe French press (yes, I rebooked Crystal Palace and changed it to 'Ohana again, because we love it so much - it so much more relaxed than any of the in-park restaurants and we don't mind a stroll at the Poly beach).
Breakfast platter with Stitch waffles! (and yes, that's my Bambi bag pack)
raspberries are my favorite!!!
Everything came out warm, fresh and awesome - we had a second helping!
After breakfast we rolled ourselves to the bus station and took the bus to Animal Kingdom! (Did I mention you get free helpings? And that they have Stitch waffles?)
At AK we immediately became Wilderness Explorers which is so much fun! It really helps to get to know AK better. I immediately was immersed by the vibe of the park. I love all animals and I have an obsession with everything Asian, so AK is (probably) my favorite park. But the heat really hit me as well, so I bought me a Safari hat. I had brought a Minnie cap from DLP, but it wasn’t adjustable and the fabric was way to heavy for Florida. The hat turned out to be perfect for the whole trip. It even has a hidden mickey!
Our first ride was It’s Tough to be a Bug. Well.. not my favorite, but not to be missed (at least once). DF thought it was funny until I pulled my nails in his flesh (carefully, because of my manicure). I have problems with eyes adjusting to light, so I think it was more scary for me than it really is (this is going to be important on our second day at AK, believe me).
After that we went over to Africa to do our first FP of the day: Everest. We were granted to sit in the front row and it was so worth it. It’s our favorite WDW rollercoaster after we were underwhelmed by WDW’s Big Thunder (it’s still in our Top 5, but at as I said, we like DLP’s version more). In the gift shop we adopted our newest family member: Snow Wuck (the last part is the sound our cat Odin makes - don’t ask why, we don’t know). It’s one of the Yeti cats. I really looked forward to add on to my Disney cat collection as I already had a Yeti cat pin from a CM in DLP.
May I introduce you to: Snow Wuck!
After that it was time for our first safari. We grabbed two Chai Teas from the Anandapur Tea Company on the way and they didn’t disappoint!
We had to wait a bit in the FP line, but it was so cool, although sadly we didn’t get to see any lions at this first time. I can’t wait for the nighttime safari at the park!
After that we went for a walk and then grabbed our FP for Festival of the Lion King. We weren’t able to see the full musical in Hamburg yet and Lion King was my first movie at the cinema ever, so it has a soft spot for me. The show at AK is really well executed and perfect to cool off. The only downside was the woman next to me who get drenched at Kali River Rapids right before the show. The bench got all wet, although she tried to slide away from me. I got a little wet, but we wanted to leave the park after the show anyway so I didn’t mind too much (but still, if you're soaking wet, don't go in one of the shows and make everybody near you uncomfortable, except of course, everybody is soaking wet from the rain, but even at HS we both sat on a plastic bag at Indiana Jones).
We checked in at AKL and because of my note at online check-in we got a safari view by staying at the Standard price! It was slightly obstructed and we didn’t have the view of the great savannah (ours was Uzima), but there wasn’t a time of day I couldn’t see at least some animals. I love AKL. It might be quite a bit away from the parks, but waking up with giraffes and going to bed with ‚our boys‘ (a group of bulls - we later learned they were mostly female) who waited every night for us until I said good night to them - can it get better than this?
I mean... look at that!
The only downside was space. We couldn’t get a kingsize bed and I would loved to have a kitchenette again, but it was ok for a non-wedding vacation!
We grabbed dinner at The Mara which we ate in our room. It was delicious: I especially recommend the couscous, but we both didn’t like the famous Zebra Domes - too much alcohol for my taste.
After dinner we headed back out to grab the truck over to Kidani Village for our Night Time Safari. You get to experience all of the savannah and a bit backstage were the animals are fed separately or kept in quarantine or in case they’re pregnant and near there due date. We all got night vision goggles and learned about all the different animals they keep at AKL. The most special moment was when the truck hold right beside a baby giraffe. I was about half a meter away from it - this was so magical! You’re allowed to ask the guide anything you want and she had so much fun as the nighttime animal specialists don’t get to interact with the guest as much. Their shift starts at 5 p.m. and they eat ‚lunch‘ at 12 a.m. She said the upside to being on the night shift is that they get to witness much more births! It isn’t cheap about 70$ per person, but it’s really a once in a lifetime worthy experience and part of the price goes to Disney’s Wildlife Foundation. I think it will be still worth it after Kilimanjaro opens up at night. It’s much longer and only open to 12 people per night and you get a one-on-one experience with the guide and the safari vehicles they use have the benches placed at the corners, so that everybody gets to see everything. You only can participate in the tour when you’re staying at AKL, both Jambo House or Kidani Village. At the end you even get a special glow-in-the dark version of the Disney Wildlife foundation buttons and a glow-in-the-dark nighttime safari bracelet. You can only get them with this Safari!
Here are some examples of pics that are shot through the night vision (we are no Roots...):
Next up: We're meeting the best and loveliest photographers/persons in the world!!!
Again we woke up early. I left my amazing DF with the last bit of packing as we had to change to AKL, but I had booked a manicure at 7:30 a.m. at Senses at the GF for our engagement shoot the day before. This was a total spontaneous idea, but it was so worth it. When I did my toe nails the next day it looked like a 3-year old tried her best (disclaimer: don’t paint your nails outdoors in the Floridian heat… very dumb idea, but I’m not planning on doing it by myself for the wedding - any nail design ideas are welcome! At the moment I'm thinking of using the Penny Talk by Essie (rosé gold) and maybe a little hidden mickey in blue on my toe?).
I took the first boat to the Contemporary and then the monorail to the GF. You’re supposed to check in at least 30 minutes prior, but having the first available time slot, you have to be there right on time. The treats and teas were delicious, but I wasn’t allowed to go in the water or steam room because of the manicure. Senses Spa is very beautiful and has the perfect relaxing atmosphere. The CMs were very nice, but I had problems explaining everything to the woman who did my nails. She also asked me a lot of stuff and I just nodded - I guess my vocabulary doesn’t work for nail design (I’m bringing photos for sure next time). Moreover definitely plan on needing more time for your nails - in the hour they say it needs to do them they don’t calculate the drying time. While I tried to use the force to dry my nails, DF desperately tried to reach me (mistake number 2: keep your phone by your side, not in the locker) as they wouldn’t let him check in for our breakfast at ‚Ohana. As soon as I thought they were dry, I changed in my park clothes and rushed over - good thing we walked from the Poly to the GF the day before! I made it in time, but it was a unnecessary hassle and I plan on having much more time to enjoy the Spa facilities next time.
I had manicures in other Spas before and I think it was worth it, although I brought my own nail polish. You get a new nail file and a miniature polish of your choice at the end of the appointment to bring home with you which I thought was very sweet. Furthermore I paid an upgrade to have a Disney design (the little Mickey). The whole manicure lasted about 7-9 days and I have very thin, fragile nails. That’s also the reason why I can’t have any acrylic nails or fake ones. I’m looking forward to get another one the day before our wedding as I don’t have to handle my nails on my own and can take some time to relax before the big day!
Fresh manicure with my park engagement ring dupe from DLP!
The character breakfast at ‚Ohana is definitely one of the more relaxing ones. You get everything served family style so that you don’t have to do trips to a buffet. At this reservation my life-long obsession with breakfast potatoes started - if someone knows how to make them, please tell DF (I don’t cook as good as him)! The characters were really fun. We tent to like and interact better with the non-face ones. I had a really great experience with Lilo.
Until January of last year I never had seen Lilo and Stitch - I always thought the concept of a girl with an alien friend was somewhat silly. But now that we’ve seen it, it’s one of our favorite movies and I can relate to Lilo so well.
The only downside for me (DF laughed so hard, he almost had coffee coming out of his nose) was Pluto. As you can see in the pics I wore a strapless top to avoid any stripes from the sun as our shoot was the very next day. Well, Pluto went backstage right before our table and while waiting for the characters to come back out, I was totally absorbed with my food. As you might know the chairs at ‚Ohana have very low handles, so Pluto saw me and jumped on the handle and hugged me from behind (again, strapless!). I screamed although I should have known because DF grinned at me the whole time Pluto was approaching (silly me thought he smiled at me because he was sitting with the love of his life at the most magical place on earth). End of story: I don’t trust Pluto anymore (or DF during character breakfast).
That smile actually says: I'll get you next time, Pluto!
Tip: Be aware that the included photo pass is only available for Stitch, because it is his breakfast (it’s the same at AK at Tusker House with Donald).
Breakfast itself is the usual stuff with a fresh (exotic) fruit platter and my beloved Liliko'i juice! We had the normal coffee, but next time I think we pay extra for the Kona Coffe French press (yes, I rebooked Crystal Palace and changed it to 'Ohana again, because we love it so much - it so much more relaxed than any of the in-park restaurants and we don't mind a stroll at the Poly beach).
Breakfast platter with Stitch waffles! (and yes, that's my Bambi bag pack)
raspberries are my favorite!!!
Everything came out warm, fresh and awesome - we had a second helping!
After breakfast we rolled ourselves to the bus station and took the bus to Animal Kingdom! (Did I mention you get free helpings? And that they have Stitch waffles?)
At AK we immediately became Wilderness Explorers which is so much fun! It really helps to get to know AK better. I immediately was immersed by the vibe of the park. I love all animals and I have an obsession with everything Asian, so AK is (probably) my favorite park. But the heat really hit me as well, so I bought me a Safari hat. I had brought a Minnie cap from DLP, but it wasn’t adjustable and the fabric was way to heavy for Florida. The hat turned out to be perfect for the whole trip. It even has a hidden mickey!
Our first ride was It’s Tough to be a Bug. Well.. not my favorite, but not to be missed (at least once). DF thought it was funny until I pulled my nails in his flesh (carefully, because of my manicure). I have problems with eyes adjusting to light, so I think it was more scary for me than it really is (this is going to be important on our second day at AK, believe me).
After that we went over to Africa to do our first FP of the day: Everest. We were granted to sit in the front row and it was so worth it. It’s our favorite WDW rollercoaster after we were underwhelmed by WDW’s Big Thunder (it’s still in our Top 5, but at as I said, we like DLP’s version more). In the gift shop we adopted our newest family member: Snow Wuck (the last part is the sound our cat Odin makes - don’t ask why, we don’t know). It’s one of the Yeti cats. I really looked forward to add on to my Disney cat collection as I already had a Yeti cat pin from a CM in DLP.
May I introduce you to: Snow Wuck!
After that it was time for our first safari. We grabbed two Chai Teas from the Anandapur Tea Company on the way and they didn’t disappoint!
We had to wait a bit in the FP line, but it was so cool, although sadly we didn’t get to see any lions at this first time. I can’t wait for the nighttime safari at the park!
After that we went for a walk and then grabbed our FP for Festival of the Lion King. We weren’t able to see the full musical in Hamburg yet and Lion King was my first movie at the cinema ever, so it has a soft spot for me. The show at AK is really well executed and perfect to cool off. The only downside was the woman next to me who get drenched at Kali River Rapids right before the show. The bench got all wet, although she tried to slide away from me. I got a little wet, but we wanted to leave the park after the show anyway so I didn’t mind too much (but still, if you're soaking wet, don't go in one of the shows and make everybody near you uncomfortable, except of course, everybody is soaking wet from the rain, but even at HS we both sat on a plastic bag at Indiana Jones).
We checked in at AKL and because of my note at online check-in we got a safari view by staying at the Standard price! It was slightly obstructed and we didn’t have the view of the great savannah (ours was Uzima), but there wasn’t a time of day I couldn’t see at least some animals. I love AKL. It might be quite a bit away from the parks, but waking up with giraffes and going to bed with ‚our boys‘ (a group of bulls - we later learned they were mostly female) who waited every night for us until I said good night to them - can it get better than this?
I mean... look at that!
The only downside was space. We couldn’t get a kingsize bed and I would loved to have a kitchenette again, but it was ok for a non-wedding vacation!
We grabbed dinner at The Mara which we ate in our room. It was delicious: I especially recommend the couscous, but we both didn’t like the famous Zebra Domes - too much alcohol for my taste.
After dinner we headed back out to grab the truck over to Kidani Village for our Night Time Safari. You get to experience all of the savannah and a bit backstage were the animals are fed separately or kept in quarantine or in case they’re pregnant and near there due date. We all got night vision goggles and learned about all the different animals they keep at AKL. The most special moment was when the truck hold right beside a baby giraffe. I was about half a meter away from it - this was so magical! You’re allowed to ask the guide anything you want and she had so much fun as the nighttime animal specialists don’t get to interact with the guest as much. Their shift starts at 5 p.m. and they eat ‚lunch‘ at 12 a.m. She said the upside to being on the night shift is that they get to witness much more births! It isn’t cheap about 70$ per person, but it’s really a once in a lifetime worthy experience and part of the price goes to Disney’s Wildlife Foundation. I think it will be still worth it after Kilimanjaro opens up at night. It’s much longer and only open to 12 people per night and you get a one-on-one experience with the guide and the safari vehicles they use have the benches placed at the corners, so that everybody gets to see everything. You only can participate in the tour when you’re staying at AKL, both Jambo House or Kidani Village. At the end you even get a special glow-in-the dark version of the Disney Wildlife foundation buttons and a glow-in-the-dark nighttime safari bracelet. You can only get them with this Safari!
Here are some examples of pics that are shot through the night vision (we are no Roots...):
Next up: We're meeting the best and loveliest photographers/persons in the world!!!
Lauren1027
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2013
Loving you TR so much, Kathi! Can't wait to see your Roota recap (even though I'm sneaky and already saw it on their blog)
LadyD
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
Love your TR! We're considering staying at AKL for our trip this fall, largely because we want to experience the tours (because we're obsessed with animals) and seeing you're TR helps solidify our decision. What a cool experience! I cannot wait for the Roots pictures!!!
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Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
