I'm excited to get married but I'm stoked for our honeymoon - Sept 2016 Disneymoon PTR (UPTD: 8/25)

[kpearl]

Well now that we broke the ice let me start off by introducing myself! I'm Katie - your hostess with the mostest during this PTR presentation. Once on board, remain safely seated with your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside at all time. Oh, and if you enjoyed your ride and liked your guide please tip kindly!


So as I mentioned, I'm Katie, I'm 26 (less than 2 weeks away from 27!), and I'm from Massachusetts.



I'm a Disney fanatic like most of you and it all started waaaay back when my parents took me during elementary school. Fast forward about a decade or so, my Disney obsession was kicked into full force when I went in 2009 with my fiancé and his family and there's been no looking back. I've been in 2011, twice in 2014, and now eagerly planning our 2016 Disneymoon! So if you've been counting that's a grand total of 5 times.. but it doesn't matter if you've only gone once in your lifetime or once a year, Disney magic captivates everyone! Aaaand then just like that we're totally hooked for life and left with PDD (Post Disney Depression) where the only cure is spending every waking second scanning and planning our next adventure. It must be something in the water.. Or the smells they pump out on Main Street.. Okay back on track!

Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom
Favorite TS Restaurant: as of now, Liberty Tree Tavern - but I'm sure that'll change!
Favorite QS Restaurant: Tied between Columbia Harbor House & Be Our Guest
Favorite Magic Kingdom Ride: Tied between Space Mountain & Haunted Mansion
Favorite Epcot Ride: Soarin'
Favorite Hollywood Studios Ride: Tower of Terror
Favorite Animal Kingdom Ride: Expedition Everest
Favorite Show: Festival of the Lion King
Favorite Fireworks: HalloWishes
Favorite Parade: Boo To You
Favorite Disney Movie: The Lion King and Lady & the Tramp
Favorite Disney Character: Lady




That handsome fella right there is Rob. He's 27 and just as crazy about Disney as I am. (Okay maybe not as crazy, but he's right up there with me!) He's been to Disney more than half a dozen times with his family over the years. We went to Disney together to celebrate his college graduation in 2011 and it was our first "real" vacation together (without adults! Gasp?!). He's really into Star Wars and hopes we can come back in May to experience the Star Wars extravaganza at Hollywood Studios. Plus he's dying to get a Star Wars magic band. Priorities?


Favorite Park: Epcot
Favorite TS Restaurant: Liberty Tree Tavern
Favorite QS Restaurant: Pecos Bills
Favorite Magic Kingdom Ride: Space Mountain
Favorite Epcot Ride: Mission Space (Orange side)
Favorite Hollywood Studios Ride: Tied between Star Tours and RnR
Favorite Animal Kingdom Ride: Expedition Everest
Favorite Show: Fantasmic
Favorite Fireworks: HalloWishes
Favorite Parade: Boo to You
Favorite Disney Movie: Toy Story 3
Favorite Disney Character: Boba Fett (hey, Star Wars is part of Disney now!)


What are some of your favorites?


Next post: Accommodations​

 

[kpearl]

CONTENT

1. Introduction & About Us
2. Accommodations
3. Transportation
4. Restaurant Ideas
5. Travel & Day 1 Mock Itinerary
6. Day 2 & 3 Mock Itinerary
7. Day 4 & 5 Mock Itinerary
8. Day 6 & 7 Mock Itinerary
9. Day 8, 9, & 10 Mock Itinerary
10. Day 11, 12, & 13 Mock Itinerary
11. Pre-ADR Day Updates
12. Confirmed ADRS & Real Life Update
13. T-Minus 2 weeks until I Do!​

 

[han22735]

Following!!! Can't wait to hear more about your plans.

 

[kpearl]

Accommodations


(photo courteous Google image search)

Where: Polynesian Villas (we rented points through David's DVC)
When: Sept. 12th 2016 - Sept. 24th 2016

So.. we weren't actually staying a Poly at first. We booked Caribbean Beach for the same duration a couple months back. During first discussions we kept mentioning how much we loved CBR when we went in 2011. A moderate would be great for our honeymoon. We were familiar with the layout. Yada yada yada. We put down the $200 deposit and called it a day. Well as months ticked by and having all this idle time in between planning I began reading trip reports and dreaming about staying at a deluxe again. It just didn't seem feasible. Nope, don't think about it. I kept telling myself, "Katie push the thought aside and move on." I mean, we have a wedding to pay for for crying out loud! Then my soon to be in-laws stayed at Poly by renting points from David's. It was an option I knew about but never really put much thought into. They came home this past September raving about the villas and how gorgeous it was. They traveled with my soon to be sister in law, her husband, and their daughter. Everyone enjoyed the resort - so much so my future SIL and her family booked a trip for this past January to stay there again.

Okay so that's what did me in. I couldn't push the thought aside anymore. No. self. control. I did what any Dis'er would do - I made spreadsheets and calculated my options just to prove to myself (and my DF mostly) that this was doable. Heck, it was actually more bang for our buck! Our current reservation was just over $4400 for CBR 12 nights/13 days with 10 day park hopper/water park tickets. That's it. But.. if we waited for the 7 month mark with David's DVC we could get Poly for $2800.. and instead of purchasing tickets we could get platinum AP's for almost $1600, which seems like the logical thing to do since we're coming back in May of 2017 with the family. If I do the math correctly, well.. that's $4400! Spreadsheets in hand I approached DF and laid out all the facts and numbers in front of him. I was a nervous wreck he'd take one look at it and be like, "Nope." but to my surprise he was on board!


This is my reaction.

So now we technically have two trips booked at this point since we finalized our Poly stay yesterday with David's. I'll be cancelling CBR in the next couple of days and we can get our $200 deposit back. No hard feelings CBR, I still love ya!

Next Post: Transportation​

 

[kpearl]

Transportation

We've been holding off on flights hoping to find the deal of all deals. This morning I woke up before 6 AM to check Southwest since they released their flights for September this morning. I kept refreshing to see if they were able to be booked yet and gave up. After getting ready for work I checked before leaving and they were available (seems like they're doing it around 6:25/6:30 AM now) but they were horrible! Out of Boston and Providence they had no nonstop for the morning. ugh! But if I flew out of Manchester, NH then I had the ultimate departure/arrival flight choices, nonstop, and $100 cheaper. Only problem.. it's over an hour away, an airport we're not used to, and it would be a headache trying to get there for a 6 AM flight. And I'm just really not a morning person..

yeah that pretty much sums me up

So I gave up on Southwest and tried the other airline carriers out of Boston and settled with good ol' trusty Jet Blue. 6 AM departure, arriving in Orlando at 9 AM. Departing Orlando at 7 PM and arriving in Boston around 9:30 PM. Nonstop. Seats right at the front of the plane. We didn't want to wait any longer and we booked. Another thing to check off our checklist, woo!



And now we wait... ADRs can be booked March 16th!!

Next post: Restaurant Ideas​

 

[kpearl]

Restaurant Ideas

I'm a foodie - there is no denying that! I've put together a "wish list" of sorts and with our tentative itinerary (posts coming soon!) I placed specific dining as fit. The following at what we have so far! I always have more than necessary - I'm a Plan A, B, C, D, ..., Z kind of girl. These are in no particular order.

1. Tusker House Character Breakfast: This is a place that I feel comes up quite a bit in TR's and DR's. I've always had it on my "must try" list! Plus who doesn't want to see the gang in their safari gear??

2. Raglan Road: Fun fact - I did Irish Step Dancing in junior high school. I wasn't the greatest but I had a lot of fun! Rob's sister, husband, and daughter went here in January and they loved it. My niece was brought up stage and doted on, she had a blast! I'm really looking forward to doing this for dinner one night and enjoying the entertainment.

3. Garden Grill: I never thought I would want to eat here until I saw pictures from a few Dis'ers DR. The food looks amazing! I love the selection and again, another character interaction. Depending on what we pick as a priority we will weed out some character meals. For now this is just one of many I have interest in.

4. Chefs De France: I ate here in 2014 with my Mom, Aunt, and her daughter. It was our first time and I just simply fell in love with the atmosphere. The fresh baguette, being able to people watch through the large windows, hearing cute waiters talk in their french accents (sorry Rob! ). Plus I'm such a sucker for crème brûlée it isn't even funny. Oui, s'il vous plaît!

5. Teppan Edo: I. Love. Habachi. That isn't even an understatement. I've been dying to eat here and now we may have the chance to do so. Insert happy dance here.

6. Rose & Crown Pub: My future in-laws and Rob's sister & family ate here in September and said it was wicked good. Oops, showing my true Bostonian. I am eager to try the fish and chips. Rob isn't really a fan and after looking over the menu I'm not too sure if he'll try any of the British cuisine. I thought he may go for the Sheppard's pie but it has ground lamb in it and that may impact his decision. We shall see!

7. Via Napoli: My game plan was to book a lunch reservation here and split a pizza. I've done Tutto Italia (what I feel is a hit or miss at times...) and since we won't be doing too many nights in Epcot this would be a fun alternative. But then sneaky Disney unofficially announced F&W is starting two days after we get there.. so this may be pushed to the "until next time" slot. F&W will be a first for us and I'd rather walk around and sample the different booths for lunch.


(but pizza.... )

8. 50's Prime Time Cafe: Always has and possibly always will be a Disney staple. I can't get over the pot roast dinner.

9. Mama Melrose's: We've never eaten here and I could take it or leave it, but for now it's on our list. HS needs to step up their food game! We did H&V in 2011 and both of us got really, really sick.. No interest in Brown Derby. And Sci Fi is kind of meh. We could always go out of park for dinner and come back. Decisions decisions....

10. Crystal Palace Character Breakfast: I don't think I will be doing a dinner here any time soon. The last 2 times I've been the food felt seriously downgraded and for what you're paying to enjoy this experience I felt it just wasn't up to par. However, I love my main man Tigger. Looking at pictures and DR for the breakfast here sparked my interest. We may only do one or two sit down breakfasts so we'll have to narrow it down within the next month.


11. Liberty Tree Tavern: My precious. Oh how I love thee. I don't need to go into too much detail but I just absolutely loved this restaurant for dinner. Plus, if you get out at the right time watching MSEP & Wishes from here is awesome. A whole different perspective for sure.

12. Plaza Restaurant: Another spot we've never quite ventured too. For the longest time I didn't even know you needed reservations to eat here! In 2014 I waltz right up and went to walk in for lunch.. only to be stopped and informed it was a TS. Oh.. my bad. Goes to show I don't know everything when it comes to Disney.

13. Kona Cafe: Well since we're staying at Poly it only seems right to eat breakfast here. I'm on the fence - do we do Kona Cafe or Ohana's. Someone help me decide!

14. Maya Grill: I had this booked during my trip in August of 2014 and ended up switching it. Whyyyyy? I don't know. But alas we will get to it this time around!

15. 1900 Park Fare: It's been suggested to us and an excuse to hop on the monorail and head on over to GF. Is the strawberry soup a must?

16. Narcoossee's: And another reason to go on over to the GF. I'm not bitter there weren't any studios available for DVC rentals or anything.. I wanted to do at least one "fancy" dinner with Rob. After all, we're celebrating! I'm a lobster girl. We're from New England, it's in my blood. So after peeking at the menu here I was pleasantly pleased with their options.



17. Whispering Canyon Cafe: I need ketchupppppppp! The family ate here together and we had such a blast. If we get the chance this time around I wouldn't mind heading on over again. I absolutely love the boat ride from MK to WL. It's so relaxing and beautiful.

18. Tony's: I'm a sucker for Lady & the Tramp. It's been one of my favorite movies for years. Tony's can be hit or miss but I might feel incomplete if we don't have dinner here...


19. Shula: If we decide to skip Narcoossee's this was my second choice. We've gone to dinner at a few similar restaurants that share the same experience up here in MA/RI. I'm not sure if any of you are familiar with Ruth's Chris or Flemings? It's pretty much the same deal. I've never been over to the Swan and Dolphin. This would be a first for the both of us.

20. Be Our Guest: For lunch. Every trip I've been on so far since this has been open we make a stop here. It's a staple! And the gray stuff? Yeah it's delicious.


What do you guys think? Any suggestions, comments, thoughts? Throw them at me. I'd love to hear your feedback and experiences


Next Post: Travel & Day 1 Itinerary​

 

[Vernie822]

Hey Katie! I just saw your PTR and it grabbed my eye since we're honeymooning in September, too! Only we'll be in Hawaii & at Disneyland. Similar time frame, though. When's your big day!? Ours is 9/3.

YOU WILL NEVER WANT TO LEAVE THE POLY. We booked through a rental agency too and stayed there in November. I hope it is everything you dreamed of, I'm sure it wil be!

Sorry Southwest didn't work out for you. I was up at 5:30 AM waiting to book ours this morning, too! Never know what you're going to get and you also never know the price. Blech.

I am obsessed with your restaurant list. Seriously dream honeymoon ADR's! I love it.

1. Tusker House Character Breakfast: This is a place that I feel comes up quite a bit in TR's and DR's. I've always had it on my "must try" list! Plus who doesn't want to see the gang in their safari gear??

This breakfast is AMAZING. Seriously I loved it. I thought it was great for adults, had a bunch of different themed foods and overall the theming, food, and characters were awesome.

3. Garden Grill: I never thought I would want to eat here until I saw pictures from a few Dis'ers DR. The food looks amazing! I love the selection and again, another character interaction. Depending on what we pick as a priority we will weed out some character meals. For now this is just one of many I have interest in.

I always kinda pushed this one off too, but I've seen a ton of people report about how good it is.

4. Chefs De France: I ate here in 2014 with my Mom, Aunt, and her daughter. It was our first time and I just simply fell in love with the atmosphere. The fresh baguette, being able to people watch through the large windows, hearing cute waiters talk in their french accents (sorry Rob! ). Plus I'm such a sucker for crème brûlée it isn't even funny. Oui, s'il vous plaît!

I have been DYING to go here. It looks amazing!

7. Via Napoli: My game plan was to book a lunch reservation here and split a pizza. I've done Tutto Italia (what I feel is a hit or miss at times...) and since we won't be doing too many nights in Epcot this would be a fun alternative. But then sneaky Disney unofficially announced F&W is starting two days after we get there.. so this may be pushed to the "until next time" slot. F&W will be a first for us and I'd rather walk around and sample the different booths for lunch.

Always yes to pizza! Although, if you'll be at F&W, I totally see why you'd skip it. We had extra pizza once here and we just saved it for the next day and it was pretty good cold.

9. Mama Melrose's: We've never eaten here and I could take it or leave it, but for now it's on our list. HS needs to step up their food game! We did H&V in 2011 and both of us got really, really sick.. No interest in Brown Derby. And Sci Fi is kind of meh. We could always go out of park for dinner and come back. Decisions decisions....

MM has been sitting on my "I want to go here eventually" list. I think it looks so cute.

13. Kona Cafe: Well since we're staying at Poly it only seems right to eat breakfast here. I'm on the fence - do we do Kona Cafe or Ohana's. Someone help me decide!

KONA IS AMAZING. Ok, so is Ohana (btw have you had dinner there? Absolutely love it). We did both Ohana and Kona breakfast when we stayed at the Poly. I thought they were both good. Personally I really liked the food at both but I think the Poly was lacking a little since it's basically the bounty platter food plus the special breads, POG juice, and characters. Don't get me wrong, we absolutely loved it. But Kona was amazing too, the pineapple macadamia pancakes are where it's at!

16. Narcoossee's: And another reason to go on over to the GF. I'm not bitter there weren't any studios available for DVC rentals or anything.. I wanted to do at least one "fancy" dinner with Rob. After all, we're celebrating! I'm a lobster girl. We're from New England, it's in my blood. So after peeking at the menu here I was pleasantly pleased with their options.

Narcoossee's sounds perfect! I have never been there but the atmosphere and the food looks amazing.

 

[Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Daa]

Following along! Your plans look great so far! How amazing to have your honeymoon at WDW!

I copied your favorites so here are mine:

Favorite Park: Magic kingdom
Favorite TS Restaurant: 'Ohana
Favorite QS Restaurant: Sunshine Seasons
Favorite Magic Kingdom Ride: Splash Mountain
Favorite Epcot Ride: Test Track
Favorite Hollywood Studios Ride: Tower of terroe
Favorite Animal Kingdom Ride: Expedition everest
Favorite Show: Indiana jones
Favorite Fireworks: Wishes
Favorite Parade: Main street electrical parade
Favorite Disney Movie: Princess and the frog
Favorite Disney Character: Piglet
I just booked myself and my boyfriend for September too! I would have loved to stay at the Poly but he wasnt feeling it so Im stuck at the Grand floridian hehehe!

Cant wait to hear more!

 

[kpearl]

Hey Katie! I just saw your PTR and it grabbed my eye since we're honeymooning in September, too! Only we'll be in Hawaii & at Disneyland. Similar time frame, though. When's your big day!? Ours is 9/3.

YOU WILL NEVER WANT TO LEAVE THE POLY. We booked through a rental agency too and stayed there in November. I hope it is everything you dreamed of, I'm sure it wil be!

Sorry Southwest didn't work out for you. I was up at 5:30 AM waiting to book ours this morning, too! Never know what you're going to get and you also never know the price. Blech.

I am obsessed with your restaurant list. Seriously dream honeymoon ADR's! I love it.

What a coincidence! I was reading your PTR the other night - I'm actually following it. Congratulations! It's going to be here before we know it. We're getting married on 9/10 so just a week after you. I am super jealous - Hawaii?! Gahhh, one day I'll get over there. Have you ever been to DL? I have yet to visit but I hear their Haunted Mansion is out of this world.. and you'll get to see it decorated for Halloween I'm sure!

I have a feeling this trip is going to be the one that turns me into a deluxe snob I may never go back to doing anything aside from renting DVC points until we purchase DVC ourselves (it will happen someday!!!)

This breakfast is AMAZING. Seriously I loved it. I thought it was great for adults, had a bunch of different themed foods and overall the theming, food, and characters were awesome.

If I were to pick a character breakfast I have a feeling this is going to be the winner! So hearing that makes me super excited.

I always kinda pushed this one off too, but I've seen a ton of people report about how good it is.

Now that F&W has been released I may kick this to the curb. But the food looks so darn good. Decisions, decisions!

I have been DYING to go here. It looks amazing!

Giiiirl, you need to go here at some point. It was so good! I felt like I was literally teleported to Paris.

Always yes to pizza! Although, if you'll be at F&W, I totally see why you'd skip it. We had extra pizza once here and we just saved it for the next day and it was pretty good cold.

Right?! Always pizza! I wanted to eat here during one of my last trips and I could not get a reservation no matter how hard I tried.

MM has been sitting on my "I want to go here eventually" list. I think it looks so cute.

Their menu is actually huge. Something for everyone for sure. HS needs to put some more options in there for TS, which I'm sure will happen with all the revamping they are doing, but it is honestly lacking.

KONA IS AMAZING. Ok, so is Ohana (btw have you had dinner there? Absolutely love it). We did both Ohana and Kona breakfast when we stayed at the Poly. I thought they were both good. Personally I really liked the food at both but I think the Poly was lacking a little since it's basically the bounty platter food plus the special breads, POG juice, and characters. Don't get me wrong, we absolutely loved it. But Kona was amazing too, the pineapple macadamia pancakes are where it's at!

I have never eaten at Poly before so this will be a first. My fiance's brother in law recreated the wings they have there and holy moly, they were hands down probably the best damn things I've ever had! I am looking forward to the POG juice and Tonga Toast. I wish I was a macadamia nut fan - it's just one of the few I can't get into.

Narcoossee's sounds perfect! I have never been there but the atmosphere and the food looks amazing.

I'm torn between Narcoossee's and Shula, but I think I may go with Narcoossee's just because it's GF. Any reason to get to scope out that resort I will take it!

What are your plans for Hawaii? Are you staying at the disney resort or going elsewhere? How many days are you staying in DL?

 

[kpearl]

Following along! Your plans look great so far! How amazing to have your honeymoon at WDW!

I copied your favorites so here are mine:

Favorite Park: Magic kingdom
Favorite TS Restaurant: 'Ohana
Favorite QS Restaurant: Sunshine Seasons
Favorite Magic Kingdom Ride: Splash Mountain
Favorite Epcot Ride: Test Track
Favorite Hollywood Studios Ride: Tower of terroe
Favorite Animal Kingdom Ride: Expedition everest
Favorite Show: Indiana jones
Favorite Fireworks: Wishes
Favorite Parade: Main street electrical parade
Favorite Disney Movie: Princess and the frog
Favorite Disney Character: Piglet
I just booked myself and my boyfriend for September too! I would have loved to stay at the Poly but he wasnt feeling it so Im stuck at the Grand floridian hehehe!

Cant wait to hear more!

Hi, thanks for following!

It didn't take too much convincing for either of us to not go back to the World! We thought about Atlantis in the Bahamas, maybe doing a Mediterranean cruise, but it never went any further then the talking stages. I'm very excited for our honeymoon!

Oh geez, well isn't that a drag... I'm so jealous. I asked if GF was open (I pretty much knew it wasn't) during our stay. One year we'll do it. That's what I keep telling myself! What part of September are you going??

You know - I've yet to see Princess & the Frog.. it is on my list. I think I might download that to watch on the way down to Disney. I also need to watch Brave. That's another I haven't seen.

 

[Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Daa]

Hi, thanks for following!

It didn't take too much convincing for either of us to not go back to the World! We thought about Atlantis in the Bahamas, maybe doing a Mediterranean cruise, but it never went any further then the talking stages. I'm very excited for our honeymoon!

Oh geez, well isn't that a drag... I'm so jealous. I asked if GF was open (I pretty much knew it wasn't) during our stay. One year we'll do it. That's what I keep telling myself! What part of September are you going??

You know - I've yet to see Princess & the Frog.. it is on my list. I think I might download that to watch on the way down to Disney. I also need to watch Brave. That's another I haven't seen.

I never need convincing to go to WDW! I'm really hoping to turn my boyfriend into a WDW addict too! We are hitting Universal too for Harry Potter so that and Star Wars should help!! I would have picked WDW as well! Although the Bahamas is very nice!

I know how ever will we cope! Hahaha! We had a choice of Beach club or Grand floridian but the monorail made my mind up! Cant wait! We are booked from 9/22-9/25 at Royal pacific at Universal then 9/25-9/29 at Grand floridian! We are drving down from Savannah as the boyfriend thinks its cheaper!

You must watch Princess and the frog! Its so sweet and so underrated! I didnt like Brave that but its still Disney so I guess you have to watch it!

 

[Vernie822]

What a coincidence! I was reading your PTR the other night - I'm actually following it. Congratulations! It's going to be here before we know it. We're getting married on 9/10 so just a week after you. I am super jealous - Hawaii?! Gahhh, one day I'll get over there. Have you ever been to DL? I have yet to visit but I hear their Haunted Mansion is out of this world.. and you'll get to see it decorated for Halloween I'm sure!

I have a feeling this trip is going to be the one that turns me into a deluxe snob I may never go back to doing anything aside from renting DVC points until we purchase DVC ourselves (it will happen someday!!!)

Thank you! Congrats to you too! It will be here before we know it (AHHH)

I am hoping to see the HM overlay! I've never been to Disneyland before, so this will all be new to me. I have no clue how we are going to see everything in 2 park days, but I think just being there will be enough for me. Same thing happened to us when we rented last year.. I fell in love, hard!! Resale was definitely the way to go for us when buying DVC. I hope you guys eventually find the perfect contract! Renting is really such a great deal though. No free dining, but the deluxe resorts are fab!

If I were to pick a character breakfast I have a feeling this is going to be the winner! So hearing that makes me super excited.

Awesome! I loved it. I went with my mom, aunt, and cousin, and it wasn't the madhouse that I suspect Chef Mickey's is, so I was happy with that.

Right?! Always pizza! I wanted to eat here during one of my last trips and I could not get a reservation no matter how hard I tried.

Ughhh it's so good. The carciofi is my favorite and the quattro formaggi is too.. OK its all good.

I have never eaten at Poly before so this will be a first. My fiance's brother in law recreated the wings they have there and holy moly, they were hands down probably the best damn things I've ever had! I am looking forward to the POG juice and Tonga Toast. I wish I was a macadamia nut fan - it's just one of the few I can't get into.

Those wings are delicious! Ahh. They do sell Tonga Toast at Captain Cooks, but it comes without the strawberry sauce that they have at Kona.

I'm torn between Narcoossee's and Shula, but I think I may go with Narcoossee's just because it's GF. Any reason to get to scope out that resort I will take it!

What are your plans for Hawaii? Are you staying at the disney resort or going elsewhere? How many days are you staying in DL?

Exactly! The GF is amaaaazing!!

Our plan is to fly to California on 9/4.. then fly to Hawaii on 9/5. I didn't want to risk flying from Pittsburgh to Hawaii (making at least 1 or 2 stops) the day after the wedding. It ended up working out really well, so we bought RT flights through Southwest to LAX and back, and flights from LAX to Hawaii. 9/5-9/8 we'll be in Maui, then Aulani 9/8-9/14, then Disneyland 9/14-9/17 and flying home from LAX to Pittsburgh on 9/17. Whew. It ended up working out really well because our points we bought via resale is enough for a week at Aulani in an oceanview studio! I was thinking about starting a PTR.. You've inspired me, now I think I have to do it! Haha.

Have you ever been during Food and Wine? We absolutely loved it last year. So many delicious stuff to try and the seminars and concerts and stuff are so fun!

 

[kpearl]

I never need convincing to go to WDW! I'm really hoping to turn my boyfriend into a WDW addict too! We are hitting Universal too for Harry Potter so that and Star Wars should help!! I would have picked WDW as well! Although the Bahamas is very nice!

I know how ever will we cope! Hahaha! We had a choice of Beach club or Grand floridian but the monorail made my mind up! Cant wait! We are booked from 9/22-9/25 at Royal pacific at Universal then 9/25-9/29 at Grand floridian! We are drving down from Savannah as the boyfriend thinks its cheaper!

You must watch Princess and the frog! Its so sweet and so underrated! I didnt like Brave that but its still Disney so I guess you have to watch it!

We're doing the same! I'm taking 1 day out of our stay to go to Universal for the entire day. My DF is a huuuge HP fan, me not so much, and we've talked about having the chance to visit it so he could check it out for awhile now. We just never had time to do it. So I made it a priority this trip. I'm excited for the rides and what not - I just don't follow along with the series so I may be a bit lost hahah

Aw man, I'll be missing you by just a day. Are you planning on checking out F&W? Have you done that before? It'll be a first for the two of us. A pleasant surprise! We just happened to pick a good time to go.

That should be too bad of a drive, right? I get nauseous in the car after a few hours. Having to go from MA down to FL would be hell for me.

 

[kpearl]

Thank you! Congrats to you too! It will be here before we know it (AHHH)

I am hoping to see the HM overlay! I've never been to Disneyland before, so this will all be new to me. I have no clue how we are going to see everything in 2 park days, but I think just being there will be enough for me. Same thing happened to us when we rented last year.. I fell in love, hard!! Resale was definitely the way to go for us when buying DVC. I hope you guys eventually find the perfect contract! Renting is really such a great deal though. No free dining, but the deluxe resorts are fab!

Oh you're DVC owners? That's awesome!! If you don't mind me asking, were you able to buy outright or are you financing? I think we may save until we are able to afford it. Our next priority after we get married is to buy a house. Then maybe, fingers crossed, we can start looking for resale. Until then we'll continue renting.

Those wings are delicious! Ahh. They do sell Tonga Toast at Captain Cooks, but it comes without the strawberry sauce that they have at Kona.

I have a vision in my head of ordering those wings from room service (and maybe a couple of drinks) and sitting on our balcony eating them one night

Our plan is to fly to California on 9/4.. then fly to Hawaii on 9/5. I didn't want to risk flying from Pittsburgh to Hawaii (making at least 1 or 2 stops) the day after the wedding. It ended up working out really well, so we bought RT flights through Southwest to LAX and back, and flights from LAX to Hawaii. 9/5-9/8 we'll be in Maui, then Aulani 9/8-9/14, then Disneyland 9/14-9/17 and flying home from LAX to Pittsburgh on 9/17. Whew. It ended up working out really well because our points we bought via resale is enough for a week at Aulani in an oceanview studio! I was thinking about starting a PTR.. You've inspired me, now I think I have to do it! Haha.

Oh my goodness. I am so envious! Please do a PTR - I will totally follow along. A good friend of mine did a program where he taught in Hawaii in a lower income area with a struggling school system. He did it for about 2 years. I lived vicariously through him on FB while he was there - gushing over all his photos and posts of the island and adventures he went on. It was certainly a place one must visit in their lifetime. I can't wait to see what Aulani looks like! You're going to have such a fun time - I'm excited for you!

Have you ever been during Food and Wine? We absolutely loved it last year. So many delicious stuff to try and the seminars and concerts and stuff are so fun!

Nope, never been. It was a surprise to us when they announced it. Now I'm stalking TR and DR to see the different food that was offered during F&W. Any suggestions? Whoa whoa whoa, I had no idea about concerts! Now I need to go read up some more.

 

[Vernie822]

Oh you're DVC owners? That's awesome!! If you don't mind me asking, were you able to buy outright or are you financing? I think we may save until we are able to afford it. Our next priority after we get married is to buy a house. Then maybe, fingers crossed, we can start looking for resale. Until then we'll continue renting.

Yes! We just bought in last year. The resale process was long, but we saved a ton by buying via resale. We probably researched it for a year before we decided to take the plunge. I think we probably paid half of what Disney is currently selling at. Granted, we bought at Saratoga Springs and not the Poly or GF, but that was OK with us. It took probably 4.5 months from start to finish but it was worth it. We ended up starting with a small-ish contract (150 points) and financed via Lightstream.

Nope, never been. It was a surprise to us when they announced it. Now I'm stalking TR and DR to see the different food that was offered during F&W. Any suggestions? Whoa whoa whoa, I had no idea about concerts! Now I need to go read up some more.

Omg, you will LOVE IT. Seriously! I have some pics in my dining review and I know there are lots of other reports in the dining reports section with lots of food and wine pics. A few days during our trip this fall, we just ate around the world. And ate, and ate some more.

The beverage seminars are pretty cool. We did a wine one, I think they have some beer ones and some mixed drink ones as well. They were only $15 which isn't too bad for an hour's activity.

The concert was so fun. When we were there Hanson was playing! It's usually some older bands but still a fun thing. I think they're nightly and there are 3 shows. You can use a FP+ for them but I think it's a Tier 1. We have a Chase Visa and there was a Chase Visa cardholder lounge in the America pavilion which was nice, they offered free soft drinks and they had wristbands for the concerts, too.

 

[Sarahh1027]

Just finished reading your plans so far!! Your trip sounds absolutely amazing

So as I mentioned, I'm Katie, I'm 26 (less than 2 weeks away from 27!), and I'm from Massachusetts.

Happy almost Birthday!! Yay for Massachusetts girls!

So if you've been counting that's a grand total of 5 times.. but it doesn't matter if you've only gone once in your lifetime or once a year, Disney magic captivates everyone!

I love this...sooo true! Very well said.

Aaaand then just like that we're totally hooked for life and left with PDD (Post Disney Depression) where the only cure is spending every waking second scanning and planning our next adventure.

Awww the struggle is real! I totally understand this.

That handsome fella right there is Rob. He's 27 and just as crazy about Disney as I am. (Okay maybe not as crazy, but he's right up there with me!)

Hiya Rob!! Horray for him being a Disney fan! I hope my James falls in love with it!

Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom
Favorite TS Restaurant: as of now, Liberty Tree Tavern - but I'm sure that'll change!
Favorite QS Restaurant: Tied between Columbia Harbor House & Be Our Guest
Favorite Magic Kingdom Ride: Tied between Space Mountain & Haunted Mansion
Favorite Epcot Ride: Soarin'
Favorite Hollywood Studios Ride: Tower of Terror
Favorite Animal Kingdom Ride: Expedition Everest
Favorite Show: Festival of the Lion King
Favorite Fireworks: HalloWishes
Favorite Parade: Boo To You
Favorite Disney Movie: The Lion King and Lady & the Tramp
Favorite Disney Character: Lady

^Alright here are mine:
Favorite TS Restaurant: Although I haven't really been to many, (I think 5), my favorite is Crossroads at the House of Blues. But this upcoming May vacation we have a table service a day booked, and I can totally see this changing!
QS Restaurant: Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafe
MK Ride: Splash Mountain!
Epcot Ride: Soarin'
HS Ride: RnR Coaster
AK Ride: Dinosaur
Show: Fantasmic!
Fireworks: Illuminations
Parade: I've only seen MSEP to be honest but I can truthfully say Festival of Fantasy is my favorite just from seeing pictures hahaha
Disney Movie: Tangled! No, Snow White! No, Aladdin! ..Beauty and the Beast! Frozen! Ughh too many!!!
Disney Character: Snow White & her cute lil forest animals, Bashful the Dwarf, Aladdin, Pascal & Maximus from tangled, Nala from Lion King...I don't do good when it comes to picking one!

as months ticked by and having all this idle time in between planning I began reading trip reports and dreaming about staying at a deluxe again. It just didn't seem feasible. Nope, don't think about it. I kept telling myself, "Katie push the thought aside and move on." I mean, we have a wedding to pay for for crying out loud!

You sound so much like me! I've changed so many plans!

Spreadsheets in hand I approached DF and laid out all the facts and numbers in front of him. I was a nervous wreck he'd take one look at it and be like, "Nope." but to my surprise he was on board!

Hooray! That's fantastic!

This is my reaction.

Hahaha perfect!

So I gave up on Southwest and tried the other airline carriers out of Boston and settled with good ol' trusty Jet Blue. 6 AM departure, arriving in Orlando at 9 AM. Departing Orlando at 7 PM and arriving in Boston around 9:30 PM. Nonstop. Seats right at the front of the plane. We didn't want to wait any longer and we booked. Another thing to check off our checklist, woo!

JetBlue is my fav! Can't beat nonstop flights, picking your seats, and knowing everything is secured!

13. Kona Cafe: Well since we're staying at Poly it only seems right to eat breakfast here. I'm on the fence - do we do Kona Cafe or Ohana's. Someone help me decide!

We had Kona booked for breakfast to try the coffee and I really wanted to try the tonga toast! Unfortunately we switched our plans for that day and cancelled. But you should go there and live it up for me We are however going to Ohana for dinner- it'll be my first time at the Poly!

16. Narcoossee's: And another reason to go on over to the GF. I'm not bitter there weren't any studios available for DVC rentals or anything.. I wanted to do at least one "fancy" dinner with Rob. After all, we're celebrating! I'm a lobster girl. We're from New England, it's in my blood. So after peeking at the menu here I was pleasantly pleased with their options.

Lobster all the way! I wanted to go here too! My vacation just isn't long enough! Hahaha next time!

18. Tony's: I'm a sucker for Lady & the Tramp. It's been one of my favorite movies for years. Tony's can be hit or miss but I might feel incomplete if we don't have dinner here...

Yes yes yes! Tony's is a must! I love Lady and the Tramp too!

Can't wait to read more!!!!!

 

[kpearl]

Yes! We just bought in last year. The resale process was long, but we saved a ton by buying via resale. We probably researched it for a year before we decided to take the plunge. I think we probably paid half of what Disney is currently selling at. Granted, we bought at Saratoga Springs and not the Poly or GF, but that was OK with us. It took probably 4.5 months from start to finish but it was worth it. We ended up starting with a small-ish contract (150 points) and financed via Lightstream.

Thank you for the insight! I apologize if I came across as nosy. SSR is my SIL & family's home resort as well! And my girlfriend who is celebrating her honeymoon in April will be staying at SSR as that is her family's DVC home. Seems to be an extremely popular place and it is absolutely gorgeous as well.

Omg, you will LOVE IT. Seriously! I have some pics in my dining review and I know there are lots of other reports in the dining reports section with lots of food and wine pics. A few days during our trip this fall, we just ate around the world. And ate, and ate some more.

Oh my, heading over to read that ASAP! Did you have a hands down favorite that I should be on the lookout for?

The beverage seminars are pretty cool. We did a wine one, I think they have some beer ones and some mixed drink ones as well. They were only $15 which isn't too bad for an hour's activity.

Oh this is RIGHT up my alley. I'm what I would refer to as a "basic" wine connoisseur haha. I stick with the typical whites. I need to be more adventurous so this will maybe help me step out of my comfort zone. Although I have the toughest time getting into reds. I don't know what it is! Maybe because they're a room temp. wine and I am not really a warm beverage lover. Except coffee. Coffee will always be an exception.

The concert was so fun. When we were there Hanson was playing! It's usually some older bands but still a fun thing. I think they're nightly and there are 3 shows. You can use a FP+ for them but I think it's a Tier 1. We have a Chase Visa and there was a Chase Visa cardholder lounge in the America pavilion which was nice, they offered free soft drinks and they had wristbands for the concerts, too.

Shut the front door, Hanson was there? Insert my pre-teen/tween boyband crush loving self jumping up and down and screaming right now. I was team Zac all the way, BTW. Even had goldfish named after all three of them I would have died and gone to heaven to be able to experience that. I'll keep my eyes peeled for the shows. Hopefully we get a goodie!

 

[kpearl]

Just finished reading your plans so far!! Your trip sounds absolutely amazing


Happy almost Birthday!! Yay for Massachusetts girls!

Aww thank you! Welcome welcome welcome. Can we just take a second and talk about how beautiful today was? I'll take it for February!

I love this...sooo true! Very well said.

It's definitely an experience that can effect just about anyone. I've never felt this way about anything else. And it's hard to explain it to people, especially those who are skeptical of Disney or just don't find the appeal of it. It's like, gah.. you just DON'T understand.

Hiya Rob!! Horray for him being a Disney fan! I hope my James falls in love with it!

Oh I'm sure he will! Be sure to ask him what some of his "must-sees" are and have him be a part of the planning - I tend to run off on my own planning and what not, so I made sure to include Rob in a lot of the decision making (restaurants, narrowing down between resorts, going to US one day). But I'm sure you're already on top of that!

^Alright here are mine:
Favorite TS Restaurant: Although I haven't really been to many, (I think 5), my favorite is Crossroads at the House of Blues. But this upcoming May vacation we have a table service a day booked, and I can totally see this changing!
QS Restaurant: Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafe
MK Ride: Splash Mountain!
Epcot Ride: Soarin'
HS Ride: RnR Coaster
AK Ride: Dinosaur
Show: Fantasmic!
Fireworks: Illuminations
Parade: I've only seen MSEP to be honest but I can truthfully say Festival of Fantasy is my favorite just from seeing pictures hahaha
Disney Movie: Tangled! No, Snow White! No, Aladdin! ..Beauty and the Beast! Frozen! Ughh too many!!!
Disney Character: Snow White & her cute lil forest animals, Bashful the Dwarf, Aladdin, Pascal & Maximus from tangled, Nala from Lion King...I don't do good when it comes to picking one!

I have never been to Crossroads! Actually that's a lie - I went in to use their bathroom once

JetBlue is my fav! Can't beat nonstop flights, picking your seats, and knowing everything is secured!

Exactly! I just wish they never got rid of the 1st bag flies free deal they had. Womp womp.

We had Kona booked for breakfast to try the coffee and I really wanted to try the tonga toast! Unfortunately we switched our plans for that day and cancelled. But you should go there and live it up for me We are however going to Ohana for dinner- it'll be my first time at the Poly!

Just another stop to add to your list for future visits! I'm sure you'll love Ohana! Everyone I know that has been raves about it - especially their signature chicken wings.

 

[kpearl]

IRL Update: We had our wedding menu food tasting today and it was so much fun! I know I have a few brides to be following along. Have you done this already? I thought it would be so hard to choose, but it wasn't at all. I can't believe how quick it is coming up, ahhh!

Tentative Travel Day/Day 1 Itinerary
September 12, 2016

We decided to take a "rest" day after the wedding (which is on Saturday) so we will be flying out early on Monday morning. This will give us some time to just relax and recoup and most likely organize our bags for our trip. Our flight is at 6 AM out of Boston and I don't think we'll be hitting any crazy traffic going into the city. Luckily we only live about 20 minute south of the city so we won't have to get up too early either. (A+ for me, although I really don't even sleep anyways when I know I'm going to Disney!!)

Once we check our bags and go through security we need to keep up with our on going airport tradition of stopping at good ol' trusty Dunkin Donuts. Because, coffee.



If all goes according to plan we should be landing in Orlando about 9 AM and we'll head right on down to catch our resort ME. Then I'll probably hyperventilate because A) We're in Disney and B) We're staying at Poly!!!




So after all the check in process is taken care of you best believe I will be running, not walking, my butt on over to MK. It's been somewhat of a routine since I've been going to Disney with Rob's family that the first day is always MK and our first stop is always Peco's Bills for lunch. Then after lunch the first ride is Pirates of the Caribbean. Even when I went with just my Mom, Aunt, and cousin I followed the same tradition. It just doesn't feel official if we deter from these customs. Weird, right?

Do any of you have your own first day rituals? Or are we the only silly ones here?

My ADRs are up in the air since I really don't have a concrete schedule to go by yet but since Day 1 will be a MK day I thought about booking The Plaza for our first dinner. We have a few more dinners in MK throughout our two week adventure but this will be a first time visit for us. I have my eye on the Plaza Club and a Brownie Sundae Have any of you eaten here before? What would you recommend?

And just to throw it out there - we'll probably make our FP+ for the following, in no particular order:
1. Space Mountain
2. 7 Dwarfs Mine Train
3. Big Thunder Mountain

I'll layout the other days as well and we can watch them change a dozen times together because that is just what I do!
Until next time!

Next Post: Day 2 & 3 Itinerary​

 

[Vernie822]

Thank you for the insight! I apologize if I came across as nosy. SSR is my SIL & family's home resort as well! And my girlfriend who is celebrating her honeymoon in April will be staying at SSR as that is her family's DVC home. Seems to be an extremely popular place and it is absolutely gorgeous as well.

Not nosy at all!! I seriously asked so many questions and did so much research because I had NO stinkin clue how this whole process worked. We ended up at SSR kind of just by chance, first we thought we'd be at Old Key West, but SSR contracts were longer by I think 12 years, and at the same (ish) price per point, we decided on SSR instead. I am sure they will love honeymooning there!

Oh my, heading over to read that ASAP! Did you have a hands down favorite that I should be on the lookout for?

Everything! Lol. But really, I absolutely loved the waffles in Belgium, the filet and soup in Canada, the Hawaiian pulled pork slider, the strudel in Germany, and the nitro liquid almond truffle at the Chew booth.

Oh this is RIGHT up my alley. I'm what I would refer to as a "basic" wine connoisseur haha. I stick with the typical whites. I need to be more adventurous so this will maybe help me step out of my comfort zone. Although I have the toughest time getting into reds. I don't know what it is! Maybe because they're a room temp. wine and I am not really a warm beverage lover. Except coffee. Coffee will always be an exception.

Girl you and me both! I will drink semi sweet white usually, I can really only handle a few sips of red before I'm like "OK, I'm bored, where's the good stuff" - so I'm pretty basic as well hahaha. I have to have it cold, too! I think they released the schedules for the food and beverage seminars around July last year.

Shut the front door, Hanson was there? Insert my pre-teen/tween boyband crush loving self jumping up and down and screaming right now. I was team Zac all the way, BTW. Even had goldfish named after all three of them I would have died and gone to heaven to be able to experience that. I'll keep my eyes peeled for the shows. Hopefully we get a goodie!

I was SO team Zac hahahaha. The shows were fun, it was nice since they were free you could go to any of them!

Story of my life. Majorly jealous your airport has a Dunkin!

IRL Update: We had our wedding menu food tasting today and it was so much fun! I know I have a few brides to be following along. Have you done this already? I thought it would be so hard to choose, but it wasn't at all. I can't believe how quick it is coming up, ahhh!

YAY, that sounds like so much fun! We haven't done ours yet. What did you end up choosing?

And just to throw it out there - we'll probably make our FP+ for the following, in no particular order:
1. Space Mountain
2. 7 Dwarfs Mine Train
3. Big Thunder Mountain

Love, love, love. Big Thunder and 7DMT are always on our list too. I'd go on space if my stomach could handle it.

I think your first day plan sounds great. Have you tried the new Pecos Bill menu? I've seen pics and everything looks so yummy. We've never done the Plaza, but I don't think you could go wrong there!