going to disney&uni again! Sep 2011

[kaoden39]

Molly, I know that you like the books like I do so I was wondering if you think that it I will find uses for the Unofficial Guide, and the Passporter? I know that they both have good information.

And which has the better information on the resorts? I find that although I love the pictures in the Birnbaum it tends to be too much on the Disney is great side.

[kaoden39]

I know. We got married outside too and it was over 100 degrees in Carson City, Nevada and where we stood the sun was shining on us. It was something else.

I took my nylons off as soon as the wedding was over.

[bumbershoot]

Over 100, super-fun! We got just under that, in Oregon. I was still deciding between two pairs of shoes...one open-toed (that I wouldn't wear nylons for) and one closed (to be worn with nylons). I chose the open-toed ones, that's for sure!

I'd had Lasik done so I didn't "have to wear glasses on my wedding day", and found that I really could have used sunglasses! Especially b/c of the extreme sun sensitivity that was a co-effect of the surgery... So my walking down the aisle pix have me squinting as I walked directly into the sun which was immediately over the huge magnolia tree that DH was waiting in front of. (grammar, icky, sorry)




It might be overkill to get them all, LOL. Then again, you might have fun. I can't totally remember which has the best info about the resorts. I do recommend you take some time to peruse the various resort threads (each resort has a "fan" thread) on the Resorts Forum.

Shannon, there are also threads about the DTD resorts, too! And don't forget the Swan and Dolphin; they are Starwood hotels and you can use/get those benefits there.

[bumbershoot]

Tweaking food plans. I had a "just in case we lose our minds" 7:30am plan for Kona on the 13th. Um, yeah right! Changed it to a 10:30 adr for all 8 of us, since last time they did show up right around later-breakfast time. If for whatever reason we wanted to just leave Nick Hotel (and my interest in being there at all is waning drastically as I realize how little time we'll have there to enjoy the waterslides etc, which would be the whole reason for being there!) we could check in, go to the Poly, eat, hang out or go to a park or whatever.

It's a thought, at least, and now I have the ADR to allow it to happen. Also, I canceled the 7:30 lunacy. (now wait, 10:30 will BE 7:30 for us, so maybe that's not going to happen either...gah!)


Threw in a San Angel Inn dinnertime reservation on our first Sunday there. Figure we'll either be at AK or chillin' for the morning, then could rest (or get in some swimming if we were at AK), get ready, go to Epcot and have some food in the ancient temple inside the Mexico showcase.

That sounds like a LOT of work for our relaxing day!


I'm just not satisfied with our food stuff. I...want more reservations. But one table service per day worked SO well for our "just us" days, and I don't really have other days! Frustrating.

[kaoden39]

Molly, the whole sun part sounds so familiar. And Oregon nearly 100 is much hotter than 100 in Carson City. Heck most of Nevada is just desert. To give you an idea my MIL wore jean shorts and a tank top, her and her male friend both. I wore a knee length dress so I felt I had to wear nylons. If we were getting married now I wouldn't wear them at all.

I so over plan. I make the meal reservations and then we change our minds but they are there if we want to use them. I love all your meal plans and I think that we will do one sit down a day. And we sooooo have got to go to the 50's place and I want to eat at Boma. So I at least know two things.

[bumbershoot]

I got into town 3 or 4 days before the wedding, and I remember walking across the parking lot to go into Target and just about melting. I had to bring up my memories of how to live and not be a puddle that I learned in SC. So dang hot.

********

Since we've got a couple anniversary trips going on here, and big deal anniversaries are pretty special, might I suggest drooling over this thread?

[kaoden39]

I need to check that out. I have been pouring over the resorts section of the boards.

I am tempted to go with a value resort and use the other money for the extras like lots of souvenirs.

[bumbershoot]

Value+souvenirs isn't a bad idea!

(doesn't go along with the platinum package thread, as you have to book a deluxe to get it, FYI)

[kaoden39]

My lovely husband has told me that he is going to work overtime every week so that we do this right and that we can stay at any resort I want to. Now I need to reevaluate my plans. But oh boy does that open it up.

[bumbershoot]

Awwww.

And with that much work, by the time the trip rolls around he'll definitely need a vacation!

[kaoden39]

Molly, that was my thought. I was thinking about buying points. I just need to figure out if it is worth it. I love the look of the tub at OKW. Is that silly?

[bumbershoot]

The tub is pretty awesome! Hey, maybe he'll work SO much overtime you guys can just buy DVC outright! (ignore the years of dues payments right now) That way he's not just working for one vacation, but decades worth!

Renting points is a great way to stay at a DVC villa. There are people on the DVC rental forum that you can go to, or there's a Dis sponsor that has a business doing it. David's rentals or something like that. Big banner, usually, on the DVC forums, and links as well.

Note: the big tub is only in the 1 or 2 bedroom units, not the studio.

[kaoden39]

I would love to buy DVC. Scotty not so much. I think that I could live with a one bedroom suite instead of a studio if just for the tub. I have started taking notes so I remember everything.

I have a question. Does it smell at the Animal Lodge?

[bumbershoot]

We smelled nothing gross at AKL. And there was a recent thread about that. Most people smelled nothing; a few people smelled something. But the majority were on the "nope, no smells" side.


As much as I didn't enjoy the AKL part of our time, there was something incredibly COOL about having the savannah-view balcony. We just weren't in the mode to sit still, but I kept sort of longing to have some coffee out on that balcony...sort of like the moment on my '09 birthday trip at the Grand when I got room service coffee and sat out on the balcony.

Even though it's basically "just" giraffes and such, pretty docile, it's definitely out of the ordinary! And I highly recommend seeing at least one sunrise (if you're on the correct side of the building to see it) because that was gorgeous. Mists coming up, maybe a glimpse of some animal, pinkyorange sun....beauty.

[bumbershoot]

Yesterday morning, since I'd finished the DLR scrapbook with the trips we've taken, I pulled out the old wedding-planning stuff to put that in order. I want to do this b/c I'm NOT going to throw it away, it was over 2.5 years of my life (engaged Jan '01 married Aug '03), and I might as well put it all together instead of in many places.

So I got all that out.

And then I remembered we had to dye eggs. And after we got all that organized, the tablets weren't dissolving so I started squishing the tablets, and, well, my fingers are dyed.

So now I want to get back to the scrapbook stuff...but my fingers have dye on them!

Frustrating!