It's ALL about the FOOD! An October 2012 PTR! - Trip Report Started.

[smile4stamps]

Hello Everyone!

I've decided to rewrite my intro for anyone new coming over...

I'm also going to confiscate post #2 for a Table of Contents!


My name is Paula and I LOVE DISNEY! (But then who reading this doesn't!!)
(picture taken at DL)
I'm a RN and I'll be 35 when we travel. This will be my 6th trip to WDW. My first trip to WDW was when I was 12. My family drove down to Florida from WI towing our camper in February. We stayed at Fort Wilderness. I unfortunately have an AWFUL memory and do not remember a lot of the details from the trip besides having a ton of fun! I also remember it being pretty cool and possibly raining for most of it. It did however spawn my love of Disney Parks. A few of the trips were just 1-2 days while I was in HS and college. The last trip in college was two days. I remember one day going into the parks with just my mom and dad. My brothers didn't want to go! :scared The following day I went into the parks solo! My dad dropped me off at the gate and I spent the day doing whatever I wanted! It was Christmas time and CROWDED! Unfortunately, it was also COLD!! I remember being so COLD and despite the park not being closed yet I called my dad to pick me up because I just couldn't bear it anymore. That trip was Christmas 1999. Fast-forward a few years and we are planning our wedding. I am from Wisconsin and my Husband is from California. We figured since at least one side of the family would have to travel why not make both sides travel!! We started planning to have our wedding at WDW! It was a dream come true! However that dream didn't come to fruition. No one from either side of the families were willing to travel to WDW so it would have been just us and our parents. We wanted to share our day with more people so we ended up getting married in Wisconsin where I was from to save money and allow our family & friends to join in our day. During that time I was upset I would not be getting my WDW wedding but it turns out my husband is an AWESOME wedding planner and we had quite a special day!



We had a castle theme since we couldn't have the wedding at WDW!


My aunt made us this box for our cards!


Our cake!!


After getting married in Wisconsin my hubby promised we could go to WDW for our 5 (or was it 10?!?) year anniversary. Using my selective memory a few months before our 5 year anniversary I approached the subject with my husband and he agreed to go for the 5 year anniversary!!

My husband is Hunter, he will be 40 during our trip. He is NOT a Disney lover. He would be satisfied NEVER going to WDW again. Unfortunately he is married to me and I keep bringing it up so he has agreed to go but ONLY if we go during the F&W festival! He also said, we can go “But it has to be about the FOOD!” (I thought the last trip was about the food!) My husband is/was a Pastry Chef and we are self proclaimed foodies! His first trip was our Anniversary trip in 2009. I think 3.5 years in between trips is too long!



I did not wait 3.5 years between Disney Trips. Yes, I was not able to return to WDW but upon my husbands urging I planned a trip to DL! You can read about 3 of my DL adventures by following the links in my signature.

So now we come to this trip! When I first started planning I knew it had to be during the F&W festival. I wanted it to be during a less-crowded time so I knew I had to avoid the Columbus day weekend. I was originally planning for the end of October beginning of November. Doing it this way we would be able to hit Halloween, Holidays and F&W! Sounded perfect to me! But then I discovered the Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic. It was going to be October 12&13. I knew I didn't want to go before the 12th as it would be more crowded. That meant arriving on the 12th.

How long to stay?!? Hubby says 1 week, I say 3 weeks!! Compromise?? 2 weeks!!!!
Where to stay? I knew we definitely wanted to stay on property. Our last trip had been at CBR. Hubby was fine with returning there but I kinda wanted to try another location. The dream location is the WL however even with a 30% off PIN code I received that would be too expensive. I debated all the Moderate resorts and just as I was heading to sleep on the last valid day of the PIN I hastily booked the CSR! What I am hoping to do though is exchange through RCI our banked weeks from our timeshare to DVC! Fingers crossed as that will save some money!!

So to consolidate?!?
WHO: Paula and Hunter
WHEN: October 11-26
WHERE: Coronado Spring Resort October 11(really the 12th)-19th, Villas at Wilderness Lodge, October 19-26th.
WHY: Food & Wine FEST!!

[smile4stamps]

Table of Contents!!

The first seven pages include a lot of rambling... I'm going to try and link to a few posts.

I'll also have links here to my daily plans when I get that far!

The debate over where to stay!

The debate of when to go before I decided!!

How I decided on two weeks!

The restaurant list!

Finding out my mom has breast cancer

Non-Food things to do!

PhotoPass Pics from 2009

Flight Dilemma!

The RCI/DVC issues!

The DAILY plans!
Day #1, Day #2, Day #3, Day #4, Day #5, Day #6, Day #7, Day #8, Day #9


DVC Comes through!!

Back to the Daily Plans!
Day #10, Day #11, Day #12, Day #13, Day #14


ADR list

Booked V&A Chef Table!

Park Passes bought and my confusing Disney Math!

Flights booked!

CHANGES!

Special Events booked!! More details to follow!

Daily Plans Revisited!!
Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8 , Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15

[smile4stamps]

I am torn on where we should stay. We most likely will be relying on Disney Tansportation espescially as we plan to drink at the F&W I don't want to be driving!

I would LOVE to stay at Wilderness Lodge! However it's not extremely convienent for the F&W festival at Epcot! The Ambiance would work perfect for my husband and I though!

Nest Choice: Return to Carribean Beach resort where we stayed for our 5 year anniversary. We enjoyed the resort and hubby said he would be fine returning there.

A Different Mod: I'm also thinking possibly POR of POFQ! I've heard the resort is beautiful but need to research more on the transportation there.

Swan / Dolphin: My husband has a friend that works for a Sheraton so I think we might be able to get a Friends/Family discount...

Timeshares: So I currently have 3 weeks banked with RCI from our timeshare. They expire before October but I am hoping for a small fee I can extend them. If that is possible then I will try to exchange into a DVC resort. But then it becomes a question of which one?!?!

HELP!!!! Ideas/Suggestions?!!?

[smile4stamps]

I'm so torn on exactly when to go...

Of course the length of the trip is still up in the air as well! If it were solely up to me it would be a 2 week trip so we can wine and dine till our stomachs are content (+some!!) This would also give us pleanty of time to enjoy the parks!! (As despite what the title says it won't be ALL about the food! That would be pointless for going to WDW!!)

However, since it does have a lot to do with the food I need to choose the dates wisely!

Obviously it will be during Epcot's Food & Wine Festival. I'm so torn on whether it should also cover the Swolphin Food & Wine Classic. If I include the classic that means we need to arrive October 11th or 12th. A 2 week trip would mean then staying through the 25th or 26th whereas a one week trip would most likely have us leaving the 20th.

If I forgo the Classic than I would most likely choose an arrival date of October 31 and stay till November 10. This would allow for MNSSHP and MVMCP and F&W! This would be if hubby won't stay 2 weeks. If he agrees to two weeks we would arrive a few days earlier October 27th.

AcK!!

Anyone have any input on the Swan/Dolphin Food & Wine Classic?!?!?

[Joyciemc]

I think it would be amazing to be there for MNSSHP, F&W, and MCVMCP! That's like the fall WDW trifecta

I'm sure which ever resort you pick, your trip will be awesome!

[smile4stamps]

Originally Posted by Joyciemc

I think it would be amazing to be there for MNSSHP, F&W, and MCVMCP! That's like the fall WDW trifecta

I'm sure which ever resort you pick, your trip will be awesome!

Thanks for stopping by!! I won't know the resort for awhile. To exchange into DVC through RCI they usually only show up 5-6months in advance so I have a bit to wait for that. That is what I hope to do! Would love to stay at Villas at Wilderness Lodge... I'm thinking an Epcot one would be better though since we will be doing a lot at Epcot though but I will take what I can get!

As far as the WDW trifecta I would LOVE for that to happen! However I think hubby would really enjoy the Food & Wine Classic at the Swolphin so I am very torn!! Plus the trifecta goes into Jersey Week which I hear is more crowded...

[DisneyStitch626]

Hey! I just read in your DLR TR, that you were starting a trip report for WDW, so I thought I'd venture over to the "other side" and tag along on this journey. I so badly want to go to WDW (never been) so I am going to live vicariously through you, if you don't mind!

[smile4stamps]

Originally Posted by DisneyStitch626

Hey! I just read in your DLR TR, that you were starting a trip report for WDW, so I thought I'd venture over to the "other side" and tag along on this journey. I so badly want to go to WDW (never been) so I am going to live vicariously through you, if you don't mind!

Of course you can live vicariously through me! Thanks for coming over!! It's pretty disorganized right now but I needed a place to share my thoughts and to hopefully get organized!

[DisneyStitch626]

Meh, that's what PTR's are for! For people to help you get ideas and get info and stuff so you can plan! I love the idea of the F&W Festival and also the bonus of MNSSHP...if you'd be up for something like that again.

[DisneyStitch626]

And although I have ventured onto this side a bit in the past, I am not sure what a lot of these stand for, can you help me out?

"I'm also not sure if we will do DxDDP again, simply pay OOP, or upgrade to a AP and get TIW"

[DisneyFirefly]

Hello! I saw you posting on Nermel9's TR and saw that your dates are similar to mine for your next trip, so I thought I'd join in Looking forward to reading more!

[smile4stamps]

Originally Posted by DisneyStitch626

Meh, that's what PTR's are for! For people to help you get ideas and get info and stuff so you can plan! I love the idea of the F&W Festival and also the bonus of MNSSHP...if you'd be up for something like that again.

Oh! I'm definitely up for MNSSHP! I love being able to trick or treat! And at WDW you can meet the seven dwarfs!!

Originally Posted by DisneyStitch626

And although I have ventured onto this side a bit in the past, I am not sure what a lot of these stand for, can you help me out?

"I'm also not sure if we will do DxDDP again, simply pay OOP, or upgrade to a AP and get TIW"

DxDDp is the Deluxe Dining Plan. For $85per person per night you get 2 snacks and 3 meals

OOP is Out of Pocket

TIW is Tables in Wonderland.. you can purchase the card for $75 when you have an AP and then you get 20% off at most sit down restaurants

Originally Posted by DisneyFirefly

Hello! I saw you posting on Nermel9's TR and saw that your dates are similar to mine for your next trip, so I thought I'd join in Looking forward to reading more!

Welcome!! It looks like there are a bunch that have similar dates! Maybe we can plan a DISmeet!

[DisneyFirefly]

A Dismeet would be fun! My last trip was technically a solo trip, but some friends of mine on here and I set up Dismeets throughout the week and I wound up spending three or four days with one friend It was a lot of fun

[smile4stamps]

Originally Posted by DisneyFirefly

A Dismeet would be fun! My last trip was technically a solo trip, but some friends of mine on here and I set up Dismeets throughout the week and I wound up spending three or four days with one friend It was a lot of fun

A good portion of my Disneyland trips have been solo. I've learned I can do a few days solo but not a long time! I could probably do a day at each park solo and then I would go crazy. I like to talk and share things!!

[DisneyFirefly]

Originally Posted by smile4stamps

A good portion of my Disneyland trips have been solo. I've learned I can do a few days solo but not a long time! I could probably do a day at each park solo and then I would go crazy. I like to talk and share things!!

Well... I'm a former WDW CM, so I'm kind of used to being in the parks by myself I'd go before or after work and just wander around.