If your heart is in your DREAM ……… a Aug/Sept 2011, NEW - links to dining/trip report

[dizneeat]

……………30 days at Disney are not extreme!

We are going back to Disney this summer ……. for another 30 days of Disney fun!



If your heart is in your DREAMs
No request is too extreme
Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Any thing your heart desires
Will come to you

These are bits and pieces of “When You Wish Upon A Star”, but it expresses exactly what we are feeling about this trip

Cast:

There is DB Tom, a worker for the Austrian postal office. He loves everything and anything Disney and goes along with most of my plans.

And then there is me, Karin, teacher in a small village about 20 miles from where we live. My favourite things to do ……. planning our trips to Disney, changing the plans and changing them again!


Before we started dreaming one thing was a fact! We were going back to Disney in 2011.
This is where the DREAMing comes in.


There were a lot of DREAMs that had to come true for our summer trip to become a reality, so let me explain them to you!



DREAM one ………
While still at WDW and after some number crunching we decided to play it simple in 2011 and booked a room at Pop Century Resort.



We were DREAMing to be able to upgrade to another resort …… preferably Old Key West.





DREAM two ………
While on our Disney cruises last year we were DREAMing to do another back to back cruise on the Disney DREAM.





DREAM three ………
Still while on vacation we rebooked for the third part of our trip, Pop Century again with Free Quick Service Dining.



And still there’s another DREAM, DREAMing to be able to upgrade to a moderate resort with the regular Disney Dining Plan.





So, will some of our DREAMs come true? And if so, how did it happen? Wanna come along for the ride?



Table of contents:

The DREAMs that have come true!
Good News and Bad News
First attempt on planning our meals
NEWS!!!
Door decorations and Fish Extender

Planning has started!

Trip overview
Day 1, August 13
Day 2, August 14
Day 3, August 15
Day 4, August 16
Day 5, August 17
Day 6, August 18
Day 7, August 19
Day 8, August 20
Day 9, August 21
Day 10, August 22
Day 11, August 23
Day 12, August 24
Day 13, August 25
Day 14, August 26
Day 15, August 27
Day 16, August 28
Day 17, August 29
Day 18, August 30
Day 19, August 31
Day 20, September 1
Day 21, September 2
Day 22, September 3
Day 23, September 4
Day 24, September 5
Day 25, September 6
Day 26, September 7
Day 27, September 8
Day 28, September 9
Day 29, September 10
Day 30, September 11

[KatMark]

I'm first???? Now, I have to go back and read. And how the heck am I supposed to keep up with this many reports????

[dizneeat]

Originally Posted by KatMark

I'm first???? Now, I have to go back and read. And how the heck am I supposed to keep up with this many reports????

Kathy is first!!!!!!!!

BTW, Kathy, I was asking myself the same question!

[athenna]

As usual, I'm in

[Teri1]

I want to be a part of your "Dream"

[dizneeat]

Originally Posted by athenna

As usual, I'm in

I am so happy you are coming along for the "ride"!

Originally Posted by Teri1

I want to be a part of your "Dream"

Hi Teri! How wonderful to have you join us! I am keeping my fingers crossed you will come in early and we get to see you in September!
Say "Hi" to Mickey for me!

[Teri1]

I just made the reservations for CSR this morning. We got a preferred room 35% off.

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Count me in....

[alpinemouse]

DREAM on!!!!
I'm in ( looks like real)

[dizneeat]

Yes, DREAMs do come true!


Let me get this into sequence …… first of all DREAM two came true and got even better!


While we were cruising on the Wonder last summer on the second day of our cruise we rebooked and asked the sales rep if we could book a back to back with the same discount. His answer was YES!!!!!!!!!! Well, he might not have been all that enthusiastic, but he did smile!



So we booked a back to back for August 25 – 28 and Aug 28 – Sept 1! During the second one of our cruises last year we were sitting at the beach at Castaway Cay,



drink in hand,



enjoying the heavenly time we had there, when an idea popped into my head – why not add ANOTHER cruise to next years itinerary?



We played with the idea and when we got back to the Wonder we took a pen and a piece of paper and played with the numbers a bit.
If we would stay with Pop Century and got a value resort for our February trip we would be able to wing it!
So, once we had figured it out we headed back to the sales desk and added another cruise from Aug 21 - 25! Guess what, this time the rep DID smile – BIG TIME!!!! For the next two days he was waving at us whenever he saw us!



DREAM two is a DREAM come true!!



Next up was DREAM one!

After we had gotten back from our vacation and things were back to real life we started wishing and hoping to be able to go back to Old Key West again!



We love the resort, the way it feels like a little village, the space of the 1 bedroom villa, the fridge and the possibility to have a washer and dryer on hand for a 4 week vacation!



No way we would be able to wing it, BUT then the British Disney Travel company lured us in again. They offer 42% off the resort rack rate AND Free Dining.



We played with the numbers again, it would be tight, but if we stuck with a value for February it would be doable.
So, guess what, we did upgrade and are now are booked at a 1 bedroom villa at Old Key West with a huge discount and the Free Dining from Aug 13 – 21!



DREAM one is a DREAM come true!!



That still left DREAM three!

At the back of my head I had hope that maybe, just maybe Disney would offer an AP discount close to 40 % off for Old Key West, as that would come out very close to what we would have to pay for our already upgraded stay to Port Orleans Riverside with Free Dining, for the third part of our stay. No way would they offer an AP discount so soon, so I was still hopeful but did not expect any discount when I checked the DISboards on January 1. They announced a general public discount of 40% for Villa Resorts! Hoping and praying I called the reservation line on Jan 1 after I had read that people had been able to book the discount already. I got a really nice Cast Member, who was hopeful, looked it up and NOTHING!!!!!! But he told me to call back, maybe it wasn’t in the system yet.
So the next day I called again, Ferris took my call, I asked, held my breath and there was the answer I was looking for ……. a 1 bedroom villa at Old Key West available with the 40% discount.



You’ve seen my photo, now picture me dancing around my flat with joy!

Yes, DREAM three is a DREAM come true!!



DREAMS DO COME TRUE! All you need is faith and trust and a little Pixie Dust! (and some Disney discounts)


So, here is the finished itinerary as far as we have it.

Aug 13, 2011: travel to the US and check in at Old Key West



Aug 13 – 21: stay at Old Key West, enjoy the parks and hopefully on Aug 19 there will be a DISmeet with Rosie (englishrose47), Christine (Minnie & Nana) and Yuki (YukiPhnx)



Aug 21 – 25: First cruise on the Disney DREAM (4th Disney cruise)





Aug 25 – 28: Second cruise on the Disney DREAM (5th Disney cruise)



Aug 28 – Sept 1: Third cruise on the Disney DREAM (6th Disney cruise – we’ll become Gold Castaway Cay Club Members this trip!!)



Sept 1 – Sept 10: back to Old Key West and enjoy the parks. Our friends Mary Ellen and Joe and two of their four grown up kids will come down to WDW for the last week of our stay.

So, what do you think? Anyone who wants to help planning the DREAM trip?

[DaveInTN]

I gotta tell ya Karin...I don't know of anyone that has more trip reports in process at the same time as you!

What does this make...4??

I love the back to back to back Dream cruises!!

You are the master of Disney vacation planning.

[dizneeat]

Originally Posted by Teri1

I just made the reservations for CSR this morning. We got a preferred room 35% off.

You are going to LOVE CSR!!! It is so beautiful! And I guess Kathy would agree on that too!
When are you arriving? Tom and I would REALLY LOVE to meet you!

Originally Posted by Pooh&OurHunny

Count me in....

Yeah! You are here too!

Originally Posted by alpinemouse

DREAM on!!!!
I'm in ( looks like real)

Hey, you found OUR TR too! We need to update your signature - you're missing some vital links!

Originally Posted by DaveInTN

I gotta tell ya Karin...I don't know of anyone that has more trip reports in process at the same time as you!

What does this make...4??

I love the back to back to back Dream cruises!!

You are the master of Disney vacation planning.

Does that mean ........ I am slow when it comes to posting? Just kidding, Dave!

We were talking about me starting another pre-trippie today and I told Tom that I really wonder HOW I am going to manage with all my active threads! But somehow I will ...... and by the way - there are two pre-trippies, the trip report for 2010 and the dining review for 2010 and I even have a cruise meet thread running - so 5 threads to look after!

You need to take your DW on one of those cruises, Dave. They are heaven on earth - Disney really is MAGICAL.

[DaveInTN]

Originally Posted by dizneeat

You need to take your DW on one of those cruises, Dave. They are heaven on earth - Disney really is MAGICAL.

We do want to do that someday. But right now, about the only cruise we would be interested in is one with a Baltic sea itinerary.

[dizneeat]

Originally Posted by DaveInTN

We do want to do that someday. But right now, about the only cruise we would be interested in is one with a Baltic sea itinerary.

[DaveInTN]

Originally Posted by dizneeat

I can't WAIT to hear reports on how that water coaster ride is. It looks awesome!