I must be crazy! - An October-November 2016 Solo PTR - Update 10/9 2 Weeks to Go - That's a Wrap

[Volunteer]

In my previous visits to the states I've visited Los Angeles (including Anaheim), Las Vegas, New Orleans, New York, and have driven from North Carolina (where I have family) up to D.C and back. Oh and Orlando obviously!

I was thinking of driving this time only because it's the quintessential image - driving cross country across the States (perhaps in a convertible ). And I thought it might let me see some cities that I would otherwise never visit. But I'm equally happy to fly and visit one place too!

If I end up going to Memphis I'll definitely pick your brains

Sounds like you've thought it out, nice work.

 

[Elevationist]

I swear, this is some sort of amazeballs fairy tale magical unicorn vacation. I couldn't possibly be more jealous! What an awesome experience this will be!

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

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[pkondz]

Phew! Caught up!
So much stuff has already happened here!
Like Donna said, thanks for the Canada cupcakes!

Man that business class looks.... decadent. Want.

I was so excited when I saw you might be coming in October.
I'm toying with heading over myself then.
But it would be around the 20th and I have a feeling we'll just miss each other.

Poop.

 

[jandlinz]

I'm just catching up, but what an incredible trip you have planned! I love your cupcake themes. I can't wait to see what your final plans will be.

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

I swear, this is some sort of amazeballs fairy tale magical unicorn vacation. I couldn't possibly be more jealous! What an awesome experience this will be!

Thank you!

O!M!G! This is incredible, especially with the extra time you are going to add in.

I 'm just hoping that I can actually fit it all in!

You had me at leg room... This looks seriously amazing.

I'm sure it is going to ruin normal flights for me but what the heck

And thank you for the Canada cupcakes!

You're welcome

Phew! Caught up!
So much stuff has already happened here!
Like Donna said, thanks for the Canada cupcakes!

I thought you might like them even if they're a little stereotypical

Man that business class looks.... decadent. Want.

It could be yours too if you're willing to get more than one credit card and earn enough miles

I was so excited when I saw you might be coming in October.
I'm toying with heading over myself then.
But it would be around the 20th and I have a feeling we'll just miss each other.

Poop.

Oh no sadsies.
I'm probably going to be on the west coast until the 19th and then I may be in Florida on the 20th but not Orlando

I'm just catching up, but what an incredible trip you have planned! I love your cupcake themes. I can't wait to see what your final plans will be.

Thanks for joining in!

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

49 Weeks to Go

This week was pretty exciting as I got my first ever piece of Disney mail!! I got home from work one day and was expecting the usual bills and junk mail and instead saw this.



I raced up stairs and opened it. It was from DCL and was my planning guide. It didn’t actually contain any new information but it was pretty





But back to trip planning. I booked a hotel in Anaheim this week as a backup in case I don’t end up doing a package through Disney. It’s nothing exciting – just the Motel 6 Maingate, but they are a good neighbour hotel so you get a lot of the benefits of staying onsite for a lot less $$$.

The topic I had planned for this week was to talk about my activity wish list for this trip. It’s not very long but seeing as I will have plenty of time in WDW I’m hoping that I will be able to achieve them all.
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• Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party – obviously what could be more fun than being able to go to WDW in a costume? I’m hoping that Hocus Pocus will return next year as I’m obsessed with that movie but I’m not getting my hopes up. I already own a Snow White costume (the one in my profile) so that is probably who I would dress up as!

• Epcot Food & Wine Festival – Well this is self-explanatory as it involves my favourite thing – food and my favourite activity – day drinking.
• Wine & Dine Marathon – I’m probably going to miss this – I’m pretty sure it will be on the few days that I am on the cruise, but if not I will definitely be signing up for the half marathon.
• Castaway Cay 5K – I want my medal!
• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – Christmas is my favourite holiday so I’m looking forward to being able to see Main Street in all its wintery glory.
• Halloween Horror Nights – (Over at Universal) – this looks incredibly fun (and just a tad scary) so I think it will be exciting to experience it.
• Drink Around the World @ Epcot – I’m probably not going to attempt this in one day (or I’d end up on the floor somewhere I’m sure) but I think over two days it will be manageable to cross off every country.
• Monorail Crawl – more alcohol (I’m not an alcoholic I swear!) but this time it will let me experience all three monorail resorts.
• Four Parks in one Day – I don’t think this will be hard to do but I want to be able to join this club!

So they’re the main activities I want to try and cross off this trip and I think it’s achievable.

For this week’s cupcakes we return to World Showcase and move onto the Moroccan Pavilion. To celebrate Moroccan Independence Day (which is this week on the 18th) I’ve made some baklava inspired cupcakes. Basically they’re flavoured with honey, almonds, walnuts, cinnamon and rosewater. The decorations didn’t really work out like I imagined – they were meant to be inspired by the Moroccan tea glasses (blues and reds with gold accents) but oh well you can’t win them all.





However the birthday cake I made for my boss was a much better success!

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[DonnaBeeGood]

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[pkondz]

Oh no sadsies.
I'm probably going to be on the west coast until the 19th and then I may be in Florida on the 20th but not Orlando

Well, one never knows.... still haven't figured anything out yet.

This week was pretty exciting as I got my first ever piece of Disney mail!! I got home from work one day and was expecting the usual bills and junk mail and instead saw this.

It's amazing that it got to you considering instead of a name and address, there's just a blank box.

Oh. Of course. Everyone in Oz knows you're going, right?

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party – obviously what could be more fun than being able to go to WDW in a costume?

YES!!

my favourite activity – day drinking.

However the birthday cake I made for my boss was a much better success!

Very nice!

 

[Saphire5742]

So I have booked my flight over to the US which means this trip is well and truly happening.

Which means my big news this week is that I’ll be flying business class!!!!! I’m so excited about this - 13 and a half hours of flying in luxury on my luxury birthday trip.

How exciting! Way to celebrate your birthday in style!
This is turning out to be the birthday trip of a lifetime.
Your vacation wishlist sounds like loads of fun. Hope you get to do everything you want.

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

Exciting! I get motion sick on some rides (Mission Space, I'm looking at you while typing) and had absolutely no problem on a week long cruise, even on one day with some swells. You will be thoroughly pampered and fed for those 3 days, I'm sure!

I'm glad to hear that - but I'll probably pack a whole bunch of Dramamine just in case

Is it possible to be jealous of something I've already done? I guess so!

Well I'm jealous in return that you've already done all these things!

I think I could conceivably do this, if I didn't care how I looked while trying.

Apparently it is not actually even 5K long and you can walk it so I'm pretty sure you'd be able to do it no problem

Again, been once, and loved it! I watched a live broadcast of the party and parade just last night.

I'm sort of avoiding watching too many things about it as I want it to be a surprise in as much as it can be.

Mmmmm, I really enjoyed the Sparkling Pomegranate Kir at France. Wish I ha a refillable mug for that one!

I hadn't heard of that one so I'll add that to my list - I keep hearing about the grey goose citron slush so that was what I had down for France!

No judgement here! My monorail salad crawl - lame! (But tasty!)

Oooh - now I'm thinking I could include something other than drinks in my monorail crawl - but I'm thinking cake more than salad

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

It's amazing that it got to you considering instead of a name and address, there's just a blank box.

Oh. Of course. Everyone in Oz knows you're going, right?

How exciting! Way to celebrate your birthday in style!
This is turning out to be the birthday trip of a lifetime.
Your vacation wishlist sounds like loads of fun. Hope you get to do everything you want.

Thanks - although with so much time and so much planned now I'm worried that it is leaving more things to go wrong!

 

[RedHatDisney]

Following along...read your 2015 solo TR and will be reading the DR, too.

HOW did you do 5 weeks in France with only a carry on? Tips, please.

I'm "semi-slightly" claustrophobic and was concerned about cruises. In fact, a cruise wasn't on the horizon at all. Then, my daughter found a great deal on a Disney cruise (the Wonder to Alaska). 4 of us, DD, DGS13, DGS8, and me, in one stateroom for a week. It was wonderful. I now have cruise fever!

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

Yep you'll be on the cruise for wine and dine. It's the 5th/6th. That's why we are going down that particular week. DF wants to do MNSSHP. And the BFF is running it. So we are overlapping a week to do both.

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

Following along...read your 2015 solo TR and will be reading the DR, too.

HOW did you do 5 weeks in France with only a carry on? Tips, please.

I'm "semi-slightly" claustrophobic and was concerned about cruises. In fact, a cruise wasn't on the horizon at all. Then, my daughter found a great deal on a Disney cruise (the Wonder to Alaska). 4 of us, DD, DGS13, DGS8, and me, in one stateroom for a week. It was wonderful. I now have cruise fever!

My tips for packing light are to stick to one colour palette and pack things that can be either worn more than once or that dry quickly. I wore one winter outfit on the plane (jeans, boots and a woolly jumper - oh an a coat) and then packed two dresses, another pair of jeans, five tops and one pair of flats in my carry on. It was easy!

Yep you'll be on the cruise for wine and dine. It's the 5th/6th. That's why we are going down that particular week. DF wants to do MNSSHP. And the BFF is running it. So we are overlapping a week to do both.

I thought I might miss it - but doing the cruise then was the only way I could guarantee that I could do both MNSSHP and MVMCP. I'll just have to stick to the Castaway Cay 5K or do my own run at one of the gyms instead!

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

I thought I might miss it - but doing the cruise then was the only way I could guarantee that I could do both MNSSHP and MVMCP. I'll just have to stick to the Castaway Cay 5K or do my own run at one of the gyms instead!

Yep stretching from MNSSHP to Wine and Dine is why we are going the week we are. Ano has become a runDisney addict lol and the DF wants to see Jack Skellington. Though I'm now super stoked they lit the castle this year the week we will be there next year. The icicle castle is my favorite sight.. besides that first castle view down main street.

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

48 Weeks to Go

I got another bit of Disney related mail this week – the tickets I ordered from Undercover Tourist finally arrived so I am all set with my 10 Day Park Hopper! I was starting to get worried they had gotten lost in the mail as it had taken a lot longer than the last time I ordered through them but who cares now because they are here

I thought I would use this week’s update to fill you in on my accommodation plans for my time at WDW. This trip I am going to try and use DVC rentals for the first time. In the first instance I am trying through David’s but if this doesn’t work I’m open to using other sites or private rentals. I’ve actually submitted my David’s request but seeing as I’m planning on a split stay they can’t actually start searching until the last component of the split stay reaches 11 months out. I’m hoping that this doesn’t mean I miss out on the first two components but fingers crossed I have pixie dust on my side!

But back to the plan. As you know this trip is all about luxing it up so the only way that I can afford to do this is through rentals. I’m hoping to be able to stay at three different deluxe resorts, both before and after the cruise.

For the first few days of my trip I have put in a request for the Animal Kingdom Villas. I’m hoping to be able to secure a value studio for four days. The value rooms are located in the Jambo House area of AKV only (so there are none in Kidani).







Then I’m hoping to move across to Old Key West for the three nights before my cruise. I’ve requested a Deluxe Studio.







And finally for the few days after my cruise I’m hoping to get into Boardwalk Villas. This is the one I am most excited about and am really hoping to get. The location here is my perfect location for WDW, walking distance to Epcot and DHS and obviously the Boardwalk. Here I’m requesting a Deluxe Studio – Standard View.







Hopefully I will know on December 8 if I’ve gotten all the requests I’ve put it so now it is a waiting game (which isn’t stressful at all! ).

This week’s cupcakes celebrate the most famous bear in Disney (no, not Duffy), Winnie the Pooh. These are a honey flavoured cupcakes because if there is one thing we know it's that bears like their honey!

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[Zosha]

I love that you are feeding your co-workers Disney cupcakes on the quiet. Fantastically subversive ;-) Did you see that Qantas are now putting on more direct flights from Syd - San Fran? Something like 10 extra a week and American are picking up the slack and doing the Syd-LAX route. Even more options, although I guess your flights are locked in now?

 

[Dentam]

Those bee cupcakes are adorable!! We've stayed at the AKL, including during our last trip in Sept. It's one of my dad's favorites - however, keep in mind that you have to take a bus everywhere and the ride can be long... not so fun when it's late at night and you just want to be in your bed!

 

[RedHatDisney]

Sorry I'm late, had jury duty......thanks so much for your packing tips.........