2 or 3 TRIPS in 2012! Celebrating my bday DISNEY STYLE - 3/12 & 11/12 and ?? PTRs!

[kittylady1972]

Is it normal for them to not release dates this close? I've never booked the dessert party. I don't even know how much it costs or what it includes. I just know you can see Wishes from a reserved place and get treats.

And I agree, these boards are dangerous and remind you of all the options out there. (As you can see from my PTR.)

From what I'm reading, it is normal to wait this long for openings for the Wishes Dessert Party since it's still considered a "new" thing and not a regular scheduled event. Hopefully I'll get a pretty good jump on the reservations by subbing here. I swear this waiting is almost as bad as the days when I used to do the Cindy's Phone Marathon...you know start calling a few minutes before 7am exactly 180 days before my dates in order to book breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table! I snagged ressies there twice I think...and it was worth it but even though I'd LOVE to eat in the castle again someday I can't bring myself to pay those prices now! YIKES!

I can't wait to hear what you decide! You did cause me to look into Amtrak ... but I couldn't handle a 60 hour trip and it was the same price to fly. (We don't need a car at WDW.) So I didn't even consider looking at the options and such.

Well we have decided to stick to our original plans and dates for now. Seems that Amtrak website loves to mess with my mind. While they have the rooms that I want to book priced at $350, every time I add them to my cart the total is actually $459 per room. That's making a huge difference for me and so we'll stick to our plan or riding the train back in coach...and saving the money! I'm actually very okay with this.

 

[kittylady1972]

So here we are less than a year away from our first Disney cruise and what is ALL over the news right now? Of course, that poor cruise ship off the coast of Italy! My kids are now a bit leery of the idea of the cruise...but I am sure it will be fine. Now my mom on the other hand...I have a feeling she won't be joining us after that but I haven't talked to her about it. Unfortunately she has some medical issues on her mind right now...so until that stuff has all been worked out I won't be asking her about anything else.

As for our train decision, as I just replied here, we have decided to stick it out on our current plans. So that means we'll be taking the train down to Florida in rooms, but returning in coach seating for the first time. I keep thinking about how much extra money that would cost and I just can't get myself to spend that kind of money just to be a bit more comfortable. I am sure we will still all enjoy NOT having to do the drive back, being able to get up and walk around the train more, and then we'll get as much sleep as we can from our coach seats for overnight. Worst case we return home Sunday morning, make the 1 hour drive back home, and then we can all crash for a while if we need to sleep!

I am still waiting (IM)patiently for them to release the March dates for the Fireworks Dessert Party at the MK. I am really hoping to snag a Wednesday night slot for that and hope my chances are good for that. If I have to take another night that week, that's okay...it just means I'll move around my other ADRs as necessary!

I also have not yet booked any of our tours. I am thinking that's not as crucial, but once I have the dessert party worked out I plan to book my tours as well.

In other news, I'm also working on losing some much-needed weight before our trip. After all, I need to be able to fit into my summer clothes again and I can tell you right now, with my current weight being 10 pounds more than I was during our June trip...my clothes will not be comfortable if they fit at all!

This weekend we are going on a skiing trip with my brother and his wife. It's our first time skiing in about 2 years and we are all looking forward to it. Let's just hope everything goes well for that since I know DH and I are not in the best of shape right now. The kids are REALLY excited and we are just hoping this mountain is kid friendly because none of us are even close to advanced!

 

[Lidian]

From what I'm reading, it is normal to wait this long for openings for the Wishes Dessert Party since it's still considered a "new" thing and not a regular scheduled event. Hopefully I'll get a pretty good jump on the reservations by subbing here. I swear this waiting is almost as bad as the days when I used to do the Cindy's Phone Marathon...you know start calling a few minutes before 7am exactly 180 days before my dates in order to book breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table! I snagged ressies there twice I think...and it was worth it but even though I'd LOVE to eat in the castle again someday I can't bring myself to pay those prices now! YIKES!

Oh, I didn't know it was new. I've never done the Cindy Marathon. Granted, I've never had a trip booked 180+ days out, either! This was the closest one to the 180 mark we had, and it was about ... hmm ... 10 days or so off I think? (Well, I think it was much later than that before we actually BOOKED. I can't remember. )

I'd love to eat at CRT ... it's on my "to do" list, but DH won't give approval on anything that uses 2 TS credits unless it's Cali Grill (or similar adult-type dining), and he definitely won't go OOP for that price tag.

Well we have decided to stick to our original plans and dates for now. Seems that Amtrak website loves to mess with my mind. While they have the rooms that I want to book priced at $350, every time I add them to my cart the total is actually $459 per room. That's making a huge difference for me and so we'll stick to our plan or riding the train back in coach...and saving the money! I'm actually very okay with this.

I love saving money! How long is your trip on Amtrak?

G'luck with your ski activities! I'd never attempt it; I'm a huge clutz! And g'luck with your weight release! Lost things can come back ... so be sure you release it instead.

 

[kittylady1972]

Oh, I didn't know it was new. I've never done the Cindy Marathon. Granted, I've never had a trip booked 180+ days out, either! This was the closest one to the 180 mark we had, and it was about ... hmm ... 10 days or so off I think? (Well, I think it was much later than that before we actually BOOKED. I can't remember. )

I'd love to eat at CRT ... it's on my "to do" list, but DH won't give approval on anything that uses 2 TS credits unless it's Cali Grill (or similar adult-type dining), and he definitely won't go OOP for that price tag.

I can't say I blame DH for having that philosophy about CRT. I think the last time we booked it was in 2006, we were only paying for 2 adults and two kids and it MIGHT have been about $30 or so for the adults...for breakfast....but probably under $20. I am sure, somewhere, I still have the receipt at home! Not even kidding!

I love saving money! How long is your trip on Amtrak?

The train is not bad at all. We have to arrive at the Autotrain station before 1pm and it's about an hour drive from our house, give or take traffic in the Washington, DC/Northern Virginia area. I think the train departs around 4pm and we arrive close to 9am the next morning. So all in all it's about 18-20 hours on the train of which you are (if lucky) sleeping for a lot of that!

G'luck with your ski activities! I'd never attempt it; I'm a huge clutz! And g'luck with your weight release! Lost things can come back ... so be sure you release it instead.

Thanks! We are not experts by any means, and the last time we took the kids skiing was in March of 2010 but they do okay and enjoy it. This is a new resort for us so we'll see how it goes.

I love the idea of weight release...good one. I'll keep that in mind because it does keep coming back in my case and I'd certainly like to get rid of it for GOOD!

 

[kittylady1972]

OH SO EXCITING...ANOTHER MARCH UPDATE!!!


So I logged into here this afternoon and I see that people are posting about March 2012 dates for the dessert party...so of course my fingers could not move fast enough to the WDW Website. I put in my dates and YIPPEE...got it! I will spend my very last night in WDW, the night before my birthday, at the Fireworks Dessert Party! I am SO EXCITED

I also did some quick checking on some other meals and ended up making some minor changes there too. I really do anticipate we'll do the dining plan, because I think it will be worth it for us even if we pay OOP for things like appetizers and drinks...and use our TIW discount for those.

So I dropped lunch at Sanaa one day. It was sorta smack in the day and I'm just not sure I want to worry about getting there just in case we aren't at AK that day, even if that's what I have planned. I also managed to snag a lunch at LeCellier for later in the week...so I am probably going to drop my Sunday lunch reservation for there now. I'm leaving Sunday open all day for meals with the only keeper being our late reservation for Rose & Crown that evening, to catch Illuminations is my hope there. I'm seriously considering dropping my ressie for Marrakesh as well, not because I don't want to eat there. I do...but I think we can probably walk right into that one, as a party of two, for lunch or dinner whenever. I don't think we need to be tied down to a set day for it.

With that, here is the tentative new schedule for March!

Saturday March 3rd: Late night arrival at MCO; pick up our rental car and drive out and checkin to Boardwalk!

Sunday March 4th: I think right now we'll aim to hit Hollywood Studios early this morning so that we can get in a ride on TSM and TofT as well as ride Star Tours at LEAST two times...if I can stomach that one! At some point in the afternoon we'll head over to EPCOT. I have both lunch and dinner open this day, so we can eat at HS, or EPCOT or maybe even head back to our resort and walk over to Beaches and Cream for lunch and/or dinner...YUM! We have a 7:50pm ressie at Rose & Crown Pub so we can have appetizers or dessert there and catch Illuminations before heading back to our resort.

Monday March 5th: I'm planning on booking the Keys to the Kingdom tour for this day. It does include lunch so we'll do that and then spend some extra time at MK for the day if we have it. Then we'll head back to our resort to freshen up for our signature meal that night at Flying Fish Cafe.

Tuesday March 6th: I think this will be our Animal Kingdom day. We'll spend the morning there, leaving around 1pm or so and heading to EPCOT. We have a 2:45pm lunch at LeCellier but I'm hoping to check in a bit earlier. I'd like to take advantage of lunch prices there...and lunch ends at 3pm. Anyone know how that works? Will it be based on when we checked in or when we ordered our food to know if we'll get charged lunch or dinner prices? Worst case we'll pay OOP for part of a meal here if we end up having to use 2 credits. Nothing planned afterwards so we can spend more time at EPCOT or maybe head over to MK since that is also a preferred park for this day and EPCOT is not.

Wednesday March 7th: I'm planning on booking our EPCOT Segway tour for this day, and then we will spend some time afterwords at EPCOT. I still have Marrakesh reserved for this day, but if we've managed to squeeze it in at another time (like maybe Sunday) then our day is open. I am planning to head over to MK later in the afternoon. We will be enjoying the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party this evening so we may eat counter service at MK for dinner (Columbia Harbour House) and then head to our Dessert Party!

Thursday March 8th: We'll have to be packed and checked out in the morning but we have a lot of the day to enjoy before our flight out. I was thinking maybe an early MK morning, maybe even breakfast at Main Street Bakery. Then we'll head to EPCOT for the afternoon where we have a 1:30pm lunch at Chef de France...my birthday meal! I sure hope I enjoy the French Onion Soup! We will depart EPCOT by about 4pm or so since our flight leaves at 6:35pm that evening out of MCO.

 

[Lidian]

OH SO EXCITING...ANOTHER MARCH UPDATE!!!


So I logged into here this afternoon and I see that people are posting about March 2012 dates for the dessert party...so of course my fingers could not move fast enough to the WDW Website. I put in my dates and YIPPEE...got it! I will spend my very last night in WDW, the night before my birthday, at the Fireworks Dessert Party! I am SO EXCITED

Grats on getting the dessert party reserved!!! That will be awesome to spend your last night munching yummies and watching Wishes!!

I also did some quick checking on some other meals and ended up making some minor changes there too. I really do anticipate we'll do the dining plan, because I think it will be worth it for us even if we pay OOP for things like appetizers and drinks...and use our TIW discount for those.

That sounds like a good plan! I've never used TiW, so not sure about the savings vs DDP. And I know not everything with the DDP is a savings, too. But I do love the freedom of ordering what I want and not looking at the price and thinking what the check will look like. I can relax and know it's already paid for, so I don't feel bad if I just eat three bites of dessert.

So I dropped lunch at Sanaa one day. It was sorta smack in the day and I'm just not sure I want to worry about getting there just in case we aren't at AK that day, even if that's what I have planned. I also managed to snag a lunch at LeCellier for later in the week...so I am probably going to drop my Sunday lunch reservation for there now. I'm leaving Sunday open all day for meals with the only keeper being our late reservation for Rose & Crown that evening, to catch Illuminations is my hope there. I'm seriously considering dropping my ressie for Marrakesh as well, not because I don't want to eat there. I do...but I think we can probably walk right into that one, as a party of two, for lunch or dinner whenever. I don't think we need to be tied down to a set day for it.

Sounds good! That is the one bad thing about ADRs, having to be tied down to that place, that time, and that park (if no hoppers). I hate that I want to eat at ______ but I may not be craving fish/steak/italian/etc that day.

With that, here is the tentative new schedule for March!

Saturday March 3rd: Late night arrival at MCO; pick up our rental car and drive out and checkin to Boardwalk!

Sunday March 4th: I think right now we'll aim to hit Hollywood Studios early this morning so that we can get in a ride on TSM and TofT as well as ride Star Tours at LEAST two times...if I can stomach that one! At some point in the afternoon we'll head over to EPCOT. I have both lunch and dinner open this day, so we can eat at HS, or EPCOT or maybe even head back to our resort and walk over to Beaches and Cream for lunch and/or dinner...YUM! We have a 7:50pm ressie at Rose & Crown Pub so we can have appetizers or dessert there and catch Illuminations before heading back to our resort.

I could ride STs over and over and over and over... you get the picture. If you're worried about getting motion-sick, try Bonine in the morning. And don't ride near meal times (empty or full tummy may have poor effects).

Monday March 5th: I'm planning on booking the Keys to the Kingdom tour for this day. It does include lunch so we'll do that and then spend some extra time at MK for the day if we have it. Then we'll head back to our resort to freshen up for our signature meal that night at Flying Fish Cafe.

Tuesday March 6th: I think this will be our Animal Kingdom day. We'll spend the morning there, leaving around 1pm or so and heading to EPCOT. We have a 2:45pm lunch at LeCellier but I'm hoping to check in a bit earlier. I'd like to take advantage of lunch prices there...and lunch ends at 3pm. Anyone know how that works? Will it be based on when we checked in or when we ordered our food to know if we'll get charged lunch or dinner prices? Worst case we'll pay OOP for part of a meal here if we end up having to use 2 credits. Nothing planned afterwards so we can spend more time at EPCOT or maybe head over to MK since that is also a preferred park for this day and EPCOT is not.

I think it's based on your ADR time. I would verify that the server is going to charge me "lunch" prices when ordering. If they bring your check and they charge you 2 TS meals per person, I'd ask for a manager, since you booked your meal for lunch and the lunch pricing. Also, there may be different menus for lunch and dinner. Verify your menu as well!

If someone else has experienced this, they may be able to offer their advice. I'm just going by logic and how I expect it to be handled. You can always verify at check-in that you'll be charged lunch pricing, regardless of when you're seated and how long it takes you to order.

Wednesday March 7th: I'm planning on booking our EPCOT Segway tour for this day, and then we will spend some time afterwords at EPCOT. I still have Marrakesh reserved for this day, but if we've managed to squeeze it in at another time (like maybe Sunday) then our day is open. I am planning to head over to MK later in the afternoon. We will be enjoying the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party this evening so we may eat counter service at MK for dinner (Columbia Harbour House) and then head to our Dessert Party!

Thursday March 8th: We'll have to be packed and checked out in the morning but we have a lot of the day to enjoy before our flight out. I was thinking maybe an early MK morning, maybe even breakfast at Main Street Bakery. Then we'll head to EPCOT for the afternoon where we have a 1:30pm lunch at Chef de France...my birthday meal! I sure hope I enjoy the French Onion Soup! We will depart EPCOT by about 4pm or so since our flight leaves at 6:35pm that evening out of MCO.

I'm confident you'll enjoy the FO soup at Chefs de France! Gosh, I may even swing by and try a bite of yours just to be sure. (Seriously, if you see me at Epcot, be sure to say "hi"! I'd love to wish you a happy birthday in person!)

Departure days are always so sad.

Plans look great!

 

[kittylady1972]

Grats on getting the dessert party reserved!!! That will be awesome to spend your last night munching yummies and watching Wishes!!

That sounds like a good plan! I've never used TiW, so not sure about the savings vs DDP. And I know not everything with the DDP is a savings, too. But I do love the freedom of ordering what I want and not looking at the price and thinking what the check will look like. I can relax and know it's already paid for, so I don't feel bad if I just eat three bites of dessert.

I know...I am soooo excited about the dessert party now....and spending my last night at MK seems just perfect! I know we'll save with the TiW card...but I still think we'll do better with the DDP. I'll run the numbers again as our date gets closer and I'm sure I have finalized my meal plans though!

Sounds good! That is the one bad thing about ADRs, having to be tied down to that place, that time, and that park (if no hoppers). I hate that I want to eat at ______ but I may not be craving fish/steak/italian/etc that day.

Well we have APs so the hopper isn't an issue...just the fact that moving from park to park is never quick. Plus with the new penalty in place for cancellations, I think I may be better off winging a few of them since I know we can always find someplace to eat and know the places to go that won't require an ADR...and having a party of two makes it easier too!

I think it's based on your ADR time. I would verify that the server is going to charge me "lunch" prices when ordering. If they bring your check and they charge you 2 TS meals per person, I'd ask for a manager, since you booked your meal for lunch and the lunch pricing. Also, there may be different menus for lunch and dinner. Verify your menu as well!

If someone else has experienced this, they may be able to offer their advice. I'm just going by logic and how I expect it to be handled. You can always verify at check-in that you'll be charged lunch pricing, regardless of when you're seated and how long it takes you to order.

Agreed...my plan is to check on this and also arrive earlier than our ADR as I know, with experience, many times they will seat you earlier than your ADR if you have one...not always, but it does happen and I'm sure easier when it's just a party of two as well!

I'm confident you'll enjoy the FO soup at Chefs de France! Gosh, I may even swing by and try a bite of yours just to be sure. (Seriously, if you see me at Epcot, be sure to say "hi"! I'd love to wish you a happy birthday in person!)

Oh I really REALLY hope so (about the soup) but you can bet I'll let you know for sure! Same goes for you with spotting me but I can tell you I am in my own little world all of the time. I really just don't notice other people around me most of the time! If for some reason it does happen though...it would be cool to say hello!

BTW on another note...I just read the bad news about Dumbo! They have delayed the opening until March 12th which means the chances of me seeing any of the new Fantasyland stuff might be much smaller now. I was so looking forward to riding the NEW Dumbo in the new location and seeing some of the new expansion. I guess it's still possible it might open a little earlier...but I am not holding my breath on that. Kinda sad about it. The only good thing is that I know we'll be back in November and we'll get to experience it then for sure (fingers crossed)!

 

[Lidian]

I know...I am soooo excited about the dessert party now....and spending my last night at MK seems just perfect! I know we'll save with the TiW card...but I still think we'll do better with the DDP. I'll run the numbers again as our date gets closer and I'm sure I have finalized my meal plans though!

Sounds like a great plan!

Well we have APs so the hopper isn't an issue...just the fact that moving from park to park is never quick. Plus with the new penalty in place for cancellations, I think I may be better off winging a few of them since I know we can always find someplace to eat and know the places to go that won't require an ADR...and having a party of two makes it easier too!

The penalty is only on places that require a CC to guarantee it. So if you don't have to put your CC# down, then they can't penalize you. It's mostly some signature dining and character meals.

Agreed...my plan is to check on this and also arrive earlier than our ADR as I know, with experience, many times they will seat you earlier than your ADR if you have one...not always, but it does happen and I'm sure easier when it's just a party of two as well!

I've been reading a lot of people stating that places aren't allowing guests to check-in until their ADR time. I'm hoping this is just people stirring a pot and complaining though ... but fingers are crossed that you'll get seated earlier at Le Cellier so this won't even be an issue!

Oh I really REALLY hope so (about the soup) but you can bet I'll let you know for sure! Same goes for you with spotting me but I can tell you I am in my own little world all of the time. I really just don't notice other people around me most of the time! If for some reason it does happen though...it would be cool to say hello!

Well, I still think I need to taste-test it for you ... to make sure it's edible and stuff.

And I understand. When I'm at WDW, I'm in the zone. I probably wouldn't spot my mom if she ran me over.

BTW on another note...I just read the bad news about Dumbo! They have delayed the opening until March 12th which means the chances of me seeing any of the new Fantasyland stuff might be much smaller now. I was so looking forward to riding the NEW Dumbo in the new location and seeing some of the new expansion. I guess it's still possible it might open a little earlier...but I am not holding my breath on that. Kinda sad about it. The only good thing is that I know we'll be back in November and we'll get to experience it then for sure (fingers crossed)!

Fingers are so crossed for a soft opening in early March. I know they usually do soft openings before the "actual" opening in some cases ... so maybe we'll still get a Dumbo spin! Fingers are crossed anyway!

 

[kittylady1972]

I've been reading a lot of people stating that places aren't allowing guests to check-in until their ADR time. I'm hoping this is just people stirring a pot and complaining though ... but fingers are crossed that you'll get seated earlier at Le Cellier so this won't even be an issue!

Yes I'm sure that's probably true...but we'll probably chance it!

Well, I still think I need to taste-test it for you ... to make sure it's edible and stuff.

And I understand. When I'm at WDW, I'm in the zone. I probably wouldn't spot my mom if she ran me over.

Glad to see I'm not the only one!

Fingers are so crossed for a soft opening in early March. I know they usually do soft openings before the "actual" opening in some cases ... so maybe we'll still get a Dumbo spin! Fingers are crossed anyway!

Yes I'm hoping for this as well...especially since it was pushed SO far beyond the original planned opening which was in February.

 

[kittylady1972]

MARCH 2012 TRIP UPDATE: SAVING MONEY A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME!

Ok, so the one thing that's been bugging me is the rental car charges for our trip. While it's true we don't NEED a rental car, we enjoy having the flexibility to drive to the parks when we want to do so, saving us some time, and driving to/from the airport on our own schedule. For some reason most of the discount codes that are out currently are only through early February though! This obviously doesn't help us at all.

So we had a rental car booked through SWA and using Budget...a company we have not used before, or at least that I can recall. We always book using Dollar and I am a Dollar Express member and love that POWER I feel that I can bypass the long lines to go through the express line...even if I think the most it's done is had me bypass one or two people! Still...it's there!

Today I took another look at rentals and sure enough I was able to use a discount code and book a rental through Dollar...and the same size vehicle will now cost a WHOPPING $45 less! It's still more than I'd really like to pay, so I may keep checking back as we get closer to our dates to see if some better deals come along, but for now...it's a savings!

I'm still not quite ready to book our tours but I will probably do that next week just so we have them set. I'm hoping that we can get the days and times that I want but I have no idea how fast those things book. Might have to call sooner just to check in case it requires MORE changes to my schedule!

I really can't believe I'm just over a MONTH away from the trip! I am SO EXCITED! DH asked me over the weekend if he still needed to buy me a gift for my 40th birthday, considering that we are going to be spending plenty of money for the trip. I told him no...but of course secretly it would be nice to get SOMETHING extra. If not, I can always buy myself something special there though...right??

 

[kittylady1972]

PERSPECTIVE AND REFLECTIONS
This trip report has been all I've focused on for several weeks...okay maybe months...now. I just love that it's so close even though my plans for losing weight are not going well. Funny how a little life smackdown will change things for you in an instant.

So the first thing I will mention is that it looks like we'll be missing the kids' basketball awards ceremony after all. You may recall I made our flights for late on a Saturday night because I knew the younger two kids had a basketball awards ceremony for SOME time that day. I figured if it was 4pm or 5pm maybe we could stay for some of it. Well it starts at 5pm for the younger one (DS7) and 6:30pm for the older one (DD9) and honestly I bet DS7 would be fine with missing it himself but DD9...not so much. Since we've attended these things several times now, we know it's not that big of a deal, there is no individual recognition, it's a big ceremony, cheerleading performances and then the kids go up as a group to get the designated prize of the year. They all get the same thing. We've gotten a lunchbox, backpack, and other things. I know the kids WANT that prize and we were told that DD9 could attend the earlier ceremony and just pick up her award then as she and DS7 actually have the same coach. I just don't think DH and I will be able to make it there though. I could try to convince him to go for about an hour or so if we leave right from there and go right to the airport for our 7pm flight. I know he won't go for it though. While I am an always-late person he HATES to be late and must be REALLY early. Oh well.

And yet, as bad as that was to find out, that was not the worst news I got this weekend. My mom (who is a lifelong NON-smoker BTW) was diagnosed with lung cancer. She has a small growth in her lung. She had a biopsy Wednesday and got the results Friday. She could not even call me until Saturday and that gave her time to do more google research which we all know is not a good thing. As a quick background for you, my mom had breast cancer back in 2006. She had that removed and went through chemo and has also had several bouts of depression as well due to all of that. We were finally in a good place and I was finally starting to feel "safe" again. She goes every 6-months for bloodwork and I guess back in December the markers in her blood showed something off. This type of cancer, unlike the breast cancer, is an uglier form that tends to spread so she now has several follow-up MRIs this week to scan her brain and possibly a colonoscopy as well for signs of spreading. I don't know if they are telling her the whole story or trying not to alarm her. There are so many unknowns and I know she is scared to death...and so am I...but I'm trying to put on a brave front for everybody. She won this battle once, she just has to win it again. I know she is dreading chemo and hair loss and all that stuff again. I'm praying we've caught it early and it has not spread anywhere else. We won't know until this week though and I hate this waiting. That's when we'll get a stage on it and know really what we are in for here.

The hardest part this time is that my parents no longer live an hour away in Maryland like they did back in 2006. Now they are 3 states and a 7.5+ hour drive away in NC so I can't just drop by and check on her. I know surgery will be scheduled very soon on the lung mass and she meets with that surgeon today. The priority is to get that active spot out before it does more damage...and then to check and make sure there is nothing else.

My grandmother (my mom's mom) died in her 60s I think (maybe even late 50s?) of colon cancer. That was back in 1990 and of course things have come a long way and I know my mom is diligent about being checked for that for sure. I know she's had a colonoscopy but I'm not sure how long ago yet with her history, that's a priority. However that same grandmother had several siblings (she was one of 10 kids) and I think 7 or 8 of them all died at younger ages (40 - 60) of different forms of cancer. Stomach, brain are the ones I know about for sure. My mom is 65.

Of course, things like this make you also think of your own mortality. I'm about to turn 40. I am seeing my primary care doctor tomorrow to discuss a bunch of things with her and go for a physical and I hope I don't come off too psycho when I mention my fears to her. This appointment was made BEFORE I knew for sure about my mom. I have a few health concerns of my own right now and I plan to address them...and make sure they are nothing.

I haven't told my kids and probably won't until I have to for sure. They were much younger during the first round of cancer and chemo and depression for mom and didn't clearly understand what was happening. Now they would and I HATE that.

So sorry to bring this thread SO down but if you don't see me around for a while you will understand. I'm hoping to stick around and keep myself distracted here. I'm hoping to not have to cancel this trip in March or in November but with this new news there will have to be priorities. We'll see what happens.

 

[Lidian]

Your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

It's very smart of you to take your list of concerns to your doctor. Especially when there is a family history. It's easier to catch something earlier than to catch it late... or much too late. Everytime I go to the doctor, I always bring up elements of family history. I don't care of he thinks I'm crazy. I would rather be SAFE and have something screened early than to have symptoms and diagnosed in a later stage.

Please keep us posted. We're here for you.

 

[kittylady1972]

Your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

It's very smart of you to take your list of concerns to your doctor. Especially when there is a family history. It's easier to catch something earlier than to catch it late... or much too late. Everytime I go to the doctor, I always bring up elements of family history. I don't care of he thinks I'm crazy. I would rather be SAFE and have something screened early than to have symptoms and diagnosed in a later stage.

Please keep us posted. We're here for you.

Thanks Lidian! I did have a regular physical this morning and brought up my concerns and additional family history. Now I just have to schedule a bunch of follow-ups with specialists. Going to see a dermo for a skin survey...I have tons of freckles and moles and want to make sure they are kept in check! We are doing a full panel of bloodwork to check for anything out of the ordinary and since it's fasting I'll do that later in the week. As an extra bonus, I'll schedule another mammo for March right after my birthday...just to add to the fun!

And now off to update my TR because it's all YOUR FAULT that I couldn't leave it alone...and changed my dining ressies yet AGAIN!!

 

[kittylady1972]

MARCH 2012 TRIP REPORT UPDATE...NEW ADRs!!

Ok, so I could not resist Lidian's PTR photos of the food at 50's Prime Time Cafe. Since we already had a day scheduled for Hollywood Studios and NO lunch plans there...I figured I should make one. Therefore 50s Prime Time Cafe has been added.

For some reason I also decided to check into the Cape May Clambake again, since I was unable to book it before. I LOVE seafood so why not try it again? I thought it might be best as a first-night place to give me the rest of the trip to walk off all of that all-you-can-eat food. I snagged an ADR for that as well.

And now, the updated PTR for March 2012!!

Saturday Mar 3: Flight departs at 7pm to arrive at MCO at 9:25pm. We will hustle down to the rental car place and get our vehicle and hit the road for the World! Hoping to be checked into our room at Boardwalk by 10:30pm!

Sunday Mar 4: No big rush but we'll try to get up and head out to Hollywood Studios by 9am. We are early risers, so we'll probably just grab breakfast on the go. I think as long as DH gets some coffee he'll be good! We'll be hitting TSM, RnRC, Tower of Terror and Star Tours as must-dos. Star Tours we'll have to hit at least two times, if I can tolerate it. Beyond this, we'll probably do Great Move Ride and One Man One Dream. Lunch is scheduled at 50s Prime Time Cafe. After lunch we'll finish up anything we did not already do at HS and then probably head back to our hotel. We can relax for a while there. Around 4:30pm we'll head over to the Beach Club for our dinner reservation at the Cape May Clambake! I expect that should go pretty quickly, and then we'll walk I'll stuffed-to-the-gills selves over to EPCOT. We can wander around the World Showcase for a while, maybe do Maelstrom and explore some of the countries. We will head over to Rose and Crown Pub around 7:30pm as we have a reservation just before 8pm there. This is going to be just dinner and drinks and maybe an appetizer...if we have room after that buffet! DH must get Sticky Toffee Pudding to try! Hoping to hang around until Illuminations and hopefully we get a great table to view it from!

Monday Mar 5: BOOKED the Keys to the Kingdom Tour, so we will have to arrive at MK by about 8am or so and head to City Hall for checkin. The tour is a few hours and includes lunch at Columbia Harbour House. We'll hang around MK for a while and then probably head back to our room around 4pm to get ready for dinner. We have a meal at the Flying Fish Cafe that evening...my signature birthday meal of the week!

Tuesday Mar 6: This is going to be our Animal Kingdom morning, so we'll head there first. We'll explore most of that park, leaving around 1:30pm or so. We'll probably drive, so park the car back at our resort and then walk or take the boat over to EPCOT. We have a lunch reservation for LeCellier at 2:45pm. We'll hang out at EPCOT after lunch and explore...and then I have dinner planned again for Cape May Clambake. I'm still trying to decide if I'll keep this second one or the first one, but I'm leaning towards keeping my first one on Sunday. I have a feeling we will be full from LeCellier and won't want a big dinner.

Wednesday Mar 7: BOOKED the Around the World at EPCOT Segway tour...for 7:45am for this day! So we'll have to be up and out and heading over to EPCOT to checking by 7:30am at the front. Not quite sure how we'll get there, as I don't know if we can walk the path over to the back entrance and somehow be escorted through to the front of the park. I'll have to clarify this later. The rest of the day will be spend touring EPCOT and we'll have lunch at Marrakesh. After that, we'll head over to the MK for a while. We'll do counter service for dinner. Around 7pm we'll report to the Tomorrowland Terrace for the Fireworks Dessert Party!

Thursday Mar 8: Happy Birthday to Me Day! I think I want to hit MK that morning first, maybe breakfast at the Main Street Bakery. Well hang around MK for a few hours and then depart around noon or so. We'll then head to EPCOT, explore for a while and have lunch at Chef de France. More walking around, last minute shopping and such, and then around 4pm or so we'll leave the park, and Disney , for the airport. Our 6:35pm flight should have us landing at home close to 8:30pm and with any luck we'll walk through the door at home before 9:30pm.

 

[Lidian]

Thanks Lidian! I did have a regular physical this morning and brought up my concerns and additional family history. Now I just have to schedule a bunch of follow-ups with specialists. Going to see a dermo for a skin survey...I have tons of freckles and moles and want to make sure they are kept in check! We are doing a full panel of bloodwork to check for anything out of the ordinary and since it's fasting I'll do that later in the week. As an extra bonus, I'll schedule another mammo for March right after my birthday...just to add to the fun!

And now off to update my TR because it's all YOUR FAULT that I couldn't leave it alone...and changed my dining ressies yet AGAIN!!

I will totally take the blame!

Glad you booked 50s! YUM! I can't wait!!!!!!

Glad that you have your appointments under way! Keep us updated!

Your plans look great! Can't wait to hear how awesome everything goes! Can you believe it's almost time????!!!!

 

[kittylady1972]

I will totally take the blame!

Glad you booked 50s! YUM! I can't wait!!!!!!

Glad that you have your appointments under way! Keep us updated!

Your plans look great! Can't wait to hear how awesome everything goes! Can you believe it's almost time????!!!!

I'm probably really pushing it having that as lunch and then dinner that night at Cape May Cafe. Will probably have to drop one of them...probably Cape May but we have another one there for later in the week.

31 days to go (really it is 30 days until departure on Saturday evening for us) and I am SO looking forward to it!

 

[Lidian]

I'm probably really pushing it having that as lunch and then dinner that night at Cape May Cafe. Will probably have to drop one of them...probably Cape May but we have another one there for later in the week.

31 days to go (really it is 30 days until departure on Saturday evening for us) and I am SO looking forward to it!

Huzzah for 30ish days!

 

[kittylady1972]

MARCH 2012 UPDATE: DROPPING THE CAPE??
Ok, so when I look over my spreadsheet all I keep seeing is the food...and thinking about my thoughts of not spending too much time eating and spending more time in the parks. So I've gone ahead and cancelled ONE of my ADRs for Cape May Clambake, even though I LOVE seafood. I just wasn't sure I wanted to worry about getting to that one and since I have a nice lunch scheduled that day (Sunday) for Prime Time Cafe, I can fill up on food and milkshakes there!

Plus I keep thinking about the dining plan...to do it or not...and if I do it I'll need days open for counter service. Really right now I have a few bookings already for lunch at table service restaurants, so that means counter service for dinner. I'm okay with that. Plus I think snack credits will probably be used for breakfast for me for the most part...and ice cream in the parks because park visit REQUIRE me to have ice cream!

I still have one more reservation for Cape May Clambake out there. The problem is that the dinner is reserved for 6:35pm and we have a lunch scheduled that same day...at Le Cellier...at 2:45pm! Now my HOPE is that we can actually get to Le Cellier closer to opening and perhaps be seated earlier than our ADR...MUCH EARLIER! Then I'd have plenty of room for my Cape May Clambake feast that night. If not...well that's going to be way too much food in a short period of time. I am wondering what my chances are of walking into Cape May Cafe that evening WITHOUT AN ADR as a party of two...and being seated! I just don't know...but I may take my chances.

This leaves me to another thought about changing. My plan for this day (Tuesday) was to head to Animal Kingdom in the morning, then back to EPCOT that afternoon for the 2:45pm lunch. We usually don't spend too much time at AK anyway...but do I want to worry about rushing around just to get there for an ADR? I have our Segway tour at EPCOT scheduled for Wednesday...but perhaps I should just make that Tuesday instead? That way we are already at EPCOT and heading to lunch would be easy. We could leave AK for Wednesday. Now that does go AGAINST the recommended parks for that day...AK is recommended on Tuesday and EPCOT is recommended for Wednesday, but with crowds being not too high I wonder if it will be that big of a deal to switch that. I wish I could make my Le Cellier lunch for Wednesday but it's just not available. I may keep checking back just in case and as we get closer to the trip I just might make that switch.

So for now we have the following plans:

Saturday: Arrival late that night
Sunday: Morning at Studios, lunch at Prime Time Cafe, Drinks/Dessert at EPCOT at Rose and Crown Pub to view Illuminations
Monday: Keys to the Kingdom Tour (including lunch at Columbia Harbour House), spend the day at Magic Kingdom, Flying Fish Cafe that night for dinner
Tuesday: Animal Kingdom morning, EPCOT afternoon with lunch at Le Cellier, dinner at Cape May Clambake
Wednesday: EPCOT Segway tour early morning, lunch at Marrakesh, head to Magic Kingdom in afternoon, evening viewing of Wishes while enjoying the Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party
Thursday: Morning at MK including breakfast at Main Street Cafe, EPCOT for the afternoon, lunch at Chef de France, catch flight home at 6:35pm

 

[Lidian]

We usually use snack credits to buy a couple of drinks and then a couple of larger snack items (pretzels) and stuff when we all need a good snack (to hold us over until a meal). Then some days, when we don't need something to hold us over, we get ice cream! YUM!

If I was you, I'd sit down and figure out the estimated cost of your meals (including tax, but not tip) and then calculate the cost of the DDP. Then you can see if you'd be better overall with or without.

Just remember, when using the DDP, you get a dessert with every meal (except breakfast). But when calculating your OOP expenses, only estimate what you know you'll spend (and don't include alcohol or other non-included items). We have always come out ahead using the DDP in the past. But with the changes, I don't know if we would have this year or not (thank goodness we have FD). And remember, this year the DDP has the mug. So if you were going to purchase mugs, you can include that in your cost as well.

Can't wait to hear what you decide about your days and the DDP. Sorry I can't help you. I have mine set in stone and won't budge.

 

[kittylady1972]

We usually use snack credits to buy a couple of drinks and then a couple of larger snack items (pretzels) and stuff when we all need a good snack (to hold us over until a meal). Then some days, when we don't need something to hold us over, we get ice cream! YUM!

If I was you, I'd sit down and figure out the estimated cost of your meals (including tax, but not tip) and then calculate the cost of the DDP. Then you can see if you'd be better overall with or without.

Just remember, when using the DDP, you get a dessert with every meal (except breakfast). But when calculating your OOP expenses, only estimate what you know you'll spend (and don't include alcohol or other non-included items). We have always come out ahead using the DDP in the past. But with the changes, I don't know if we would have this year or not (thank goodness we have FD). And remember, this year the DDP has the mug. So if you were going to purchase mugs, you can include that in your cost as well.

Can't wait to hear what you decide about your days and the DDP. Sorry I can't help you. I have mine set in stone and won't budge.

Great advice and that was my plan...but I just have yet to sit down and do it yet. So much going on right now...so I'll do a quick update on that now!