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

[debrapagliasotti]

We are only going to have a day at F&W, so I really have to figure out which places will be priority once the booth info comes out this summer. DH & I are a bit more brave in our food choices, but we also want our older kids to be able to try some stuff they might actually enjoy.

I have never been to LTT, but we are planning on eating there in Dec.

 

[smile4stamps]

We are only going to have a day at F&W, so I really have to figure out which places will be priority once the booth info comes out this summer. DH & I are a bit more brave in our food choices, but we also want our older kids to be able to try some stuff they might actually enjoy.

I have never been to LTT, but we are planning on eating there in Dec.

From what I've seen in various reviews there looks to be quite a bit of variety in the booths! Goodluck getting to try as much as you can! Are you planning to have that be your lunch & dinner?

 

[Joyciemc]

What the what?!? HDDR better not be gone this fall! I will be a very sad camper.

I hadn't even figured in the F&W special events... I may just have to make a decision to not even look at them so I am not tempted to book something. I just don't think we'll have time! Why does there have to be so many awesome things about WDW??

 

[Imagineer5]

So glad youre still going in October! And of course that your moms surgery went well. This weekend you get to join your husband for a few days right? I hope you have fun out there and plan for some fun with him!

So while this trip is going to be focused a lot on the food obviously that can't be all or we would gain 100lbs!!

So some of the special things I am planning include:

The Magic Behind the Steam Trains Tour
A Carriage Ride
MNSSHP of course...
Cirque du Soliel
Mini Golf (maybe)
Round of Golf for DH: Hubby likes to Golf but I never have... wondering if they would pair him up with someone or how that would even work?

Possibly a day at Discovery Cove and a day at SeaWorld (opinions?!?)

I want this trip to be memorable to us as a well rounded trip not just rides and food. What other things would there be for us? Keep in mind we are both Pooh Sized and scared of heights so no parasailing for us!

Cirque is awesome! If you haven't seen it yet I'd definitely recommend it. The steam trains tour and carriage ride (the halloween themed one) should be fun and mini golf is always great. No idea how golfing would go there, he'd probably be put into a group to make 4, but that's just been my experience.

Discovery Cove is nice. My dh had an awesome time there when we went for our honeymoon. It's very $$$ and since I don't like to sit around, I thought it was over priced, but my dh who doesn't like to spend money thought it was totally worth it! But that being said, we both totally hated Sea World (included in DC admission price thankfully).

One thing I really want to do is a fireworks cruise. We also always love to rent boats, last time we rented the Boston whaler from the Poly and it was so much fun. And also like to rent the Surreys at the boardwalk.

Anyway, I look forward to hearing more about your planning!

 

[smile4stamps]

What the what?!? HDDR better not be gone this fall! I will be a very sad camper.

I hadn't even figured in the F&W special events... I may just have to make a decision to not even look at them so I am not tempted to book something. I just don't think we'll have time! Why does there have to be so many awesome things about WDW??

I agree about HDDR! I can't imagine breaking that news to my hubby! If it does happen I think I am not telling him till we are there or even if he asks why we didn't go as we are leaving... I don't want him to change his mind about going and believe me all it would take is one thing that he remembers enjoying!

I think it would be better if I hadn't looked at the events!

Although I have eliminated one for sure... My husband loves cheese so I was going to sign him up for a cheese seminar... however, I've just read a few reviews of them and they just don't seem worth it, you get 4 small pieces of cheese and 2 tasting glasses of wine for $75 + tax! (And that was LAST years price so this year is probably more!) I think that is outrageous!!

So glad youre still going in October! And of course that your moms surgery went well. This weekend you get to join your husband for a few days right? I hope you have fun out there and plan for some fun with him!



Cirque is awesome! If you haven't seen it yet I'd definitely recommend it. The steam trains tour and carriage ride (the halloween themed one) should be fun and mini golf is always great. No idea how golfing would go there, he'd probably be put into a group to make 4, but that's just been my experience.

Discovery Cove is nice. My dh had an awesome time there when we went for our honeymoon. It's very $$$ and since I don't like to sit around, I thought it was over priced, but my dh who doesn't like to spend money thought it was totally worth it! But that being said, we both totally hated Sea World (included in DC admission price thankfully).

One thing I really want to do is a fireworks cruise. We also always love to rent boats, last time we rented the Boston whaler from the Poly and it was so much fun. And also like to rent the Surreys at the boardwalk.

Anyway, I look forward to hearing more about your planning!

I fly to CO to join my hubby on the 21st!! 3 more days!!

I am thinking we won't have time for Discovery Cove or Seaworld anyways if I stick with all the other stuff. Why did you hate Seaworld? I remember having a great time going with my parents as a teenager.

A Fireworks cruise would be awesome! How hard are they to book and do you know the price?

 

[DizNee Luver]

Hi Paula!!!

How fun.....a Food & Wine trip!!! A lot of the Diva's go during that time....you might be able to meet up with some of them!!

I did not know your hubby was a pastry chef!! My son Tyler (the one going to DL with me in 3 days) got his pastry culinary degree & worked a few different places using those skills. He'll be forever in debt paying off his school loans (sheesh, culinary school is SOOOO expensive!!) But after working his last bakery job...we've decided he's allergic to the flour (not eating but touching it).......his hands look like they had gone thru a meat grinder....it was really bad!! Poor kid was miserable. He did find some gloves to use, but they would tear quite often & he finally just said enoughs enough. So I'm not sure what direction he'll go in next.

I'm so glad your mom's surgery went well & continued prayers for her health, treatments & you!!

We looked at Coronado Springs but when I read it was the "convention" hotel......I ran away.....FAST!! lol Started looking at some of the others & found POFQ......fell in love with it. It has that NOS feel....something WDW doesn't offer in the parks. So we switched from the POP to POFQ!!! Sounds like you're still up in the air on the DVC stuff......I looked into that as well.....but since we want to eat mostly at the parks....I couldn't see spending extra to have a full kitchen. They're beautiful.......just too much for us.

I thought I had all my restaurants figured out.....but after looking at some of your choices....I'm rethinking my plan. We usually only do 2 meals a day, so we're going with the regular dining plan.....but I might want to add a couple more meals & just pay for those out of pocket. Sure hope we get the adoption credit on Addy........ I see this trip getting more expensive......lol

Looking forward to the rest of the planning.....hopefully your hubby will get excited & get bit by the "Disney Magic" bug!!

 

[smile4stamps]

Hi Paula!!!

How fun.....a Food & Wine trip!!! A lot of the Diva's go during that time....you might be able to meet up with some of them!!

That would be cool if I could meet up with some Diva's! I am sad I'm not going on the DIVA trip to DL this year but I miss my hubby so increadibly much I can't imagine if I wasn't going to see him in CO!

I did not know your hubby was a pastry chef!! My son Tyler (the one going to DL with me in 3 days) got his pastry culinary degree & worked a few different places using those skills. He'll be forever in debt paying off his school loans (sheesh, culinary school is SOOOO expensive!!) But after working his last bakery job...we've decided he's allergic to the flour (not eating but touching it).......his hands look like they had gone thru a meat grinder....it was really bad!! Poor kid was miserable. He did find some gloves to use, but they would tear quite often & he finally just said enoughs enough. So I'm not sure what direction he'll go in next.

I'm so sorry he found out to late about the allergy! My husband was a fine dining pastry chef... All kinds of fancy desserts! I think I posted some in my May 2009 food report somewhere....

My husbands culinary degree is actually paid off with the sale of the CA house, we are still paying for his Computer Science degree that he got before the Pastry one though! Not sure which direction my hubby plans to go in next either!

I'm so glad your mom's surgery went well & continued prayers for her health, treatments & you!!

Thank You! Unfortunatly she started the Chemo last week and its made her really sick already. I was talking to someone and they said they knew someone who never got sick from the Chemo and the oncologist said that means its not working so I guess since my mom is getting really sick its really working

We looked at Coronado Springs but when I read it was the "convention" hotel......I ran away.....FAST!! lol Started looking at some of the others & found POFQ......fell in love with it. It has that NOS feel....something WDW doesn't offer in the parks. So we switched from the POP to POFQ!!! Sounds like you're still up in the air on the DVC stuff......I looked into that as well.....but since we want to eat mostly at the parks....I couldn't see spending extra to have a full kitchen. They're beautiful.......just too much for us.

From what I have read the convention doesn't really affect the resort as a whole... I picked it because it was the last day I could book something with the PIN I had rec'd and I had to go to sleep so didn't really put that much thought into it!

If we do go DVC I am not renting points to do it. We own another timeshare and we didn't use our allotted points 2 years ago so I "banked" them with RCI. The only thing I have to pay is an exchange fee and a Disney fee, so about $300/week. (Unfortunately my weeks are actually supposed to expire March 31 so I have to pay a fee to extend them so it will be a little more than that but still cheaper than paying for even a value for 2 weeks!)

I thought I had all my restaurants figured out.....but after looking at some of your choices....I'm rethinking my plan. We usually only do 2 meals a day, so we're going with the regular dining plan.....but I might want to add a couple more meals & just pay for those out of pocket. Sure hope we get the adoption credit on Addy........ I see this trip getting more expensive......lol

Which restaurants have now caught your eye? Have you thought about not doing a dining plan, getting an AP for you, and getting a TIW card the TIW card costs $75), which then gets your 20% off all your meals for up to 10 people? It automatically will add 18% gratuity but it is still a savings...It takes a little work to figure out which one becomes more cost effective. Obviously if they offer free dining that is probably the better choice but otherwise you could upgrade your park ticket the day you get there and buy the TIW card...

Looking forward to the rest of the planning.....hopefully your hubby will get excited & get bit by the "Disney Magic" bug!!

One could hope hubby will get the Disney bug but its wishful thinking I think... As long as I can get him to go every once in awhile I am okay...

 

[smile4stamps]

Advance warning!

I am leaving tomorrow to go see my hubby!! I am not sure if I will have computer time while there so this thread may be silent for 1.5weeks!

 

[DizNee Luver]

As this trip is ALL about the food I thought I would prepare my list of restaurant's/events I wish to enjoy!!

Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic... trying to decide if we should do both the days or just one. Last year the menu was released in August so I am hoping the 2012 one is released as well so I can decide which day to go or if to do both.

Food & Wine Events (Presuming they are the same!)
Party for the Senses!
3D: Dessert Discovery
French Regional Lunch
Sweet Sunday (depending on who the Party presenter is!)
Possibly some Wine seminars!

Breakfasts
Wave (new)
Crystal Palace (revisit)
Cinderella's Royal Table (new - maybe!)
Kona Cafe (new for breakfast)
1900 Park Fare (new)
Tusker House (revisit)

Lunch
Mama Melrose (revisit)
Brown Derby (new)
Raglan Road (revisit)
50's Prime Time Cafe (revisit)
Biergarten (revisit)
Yak & Yeti (new)
Le Cellier (new)
Liberty Tree Tavern (revisit)
Kona Cafe (revisit)
+ dining around the world at the food booths!

Dinner
Citrico's (revisit)
California Grill (revisit)
Blue Zoo (or Flying Fish) (new)
Victoria & Albert's (new)
Yachtsman Steakhouse (revisit) (or Shula's (new))
Bistro de Paris (new)
Hoop de doo Revue (revisit)
'Ohana (new)
Wave (new)

I put (new) next to the restaurants we have not dined at yet! Obviously revisit means we were there in 2009!

Any excellent restaurants I've missed? What about desserts? We were pretty disappointed in the desserts last time and with hubby being a Pastry Chef we were expecting more!

A few of the restaurants I'm looking at menus is Mama Melrose, Liberty Tree Tavern, California Grill & Hoop de doo Revue. I'm pretty happy with the choices I've made.....but I keep hearing about all of these & wondering if I'm really missing something by not going. Of course there's no way we can do it all & eat it all........lol

I'm sorry your mom is so sick with the chemo......most people are......Just tell your mom it's the cancer leaving her body & to get it out of there is worth it!! (not that I really think that will make it better or easier for her.....but I always try to find the positives!!) How many weeks of chemo does she have to do?

I've looked at a few of the other options for dining....but with this being our first time there....I think going with the dining plan & knowing we have a couple meals we'll be paying cash for (figured out the cheapest meals) is the easier way for us this trip. I also like knowing that it's all paid for! We usually only do 2 meals on these trips......so we're doing the regular dining plan.....but if we decide to add a lunch.....we'll have that option to pay cash for them. Mike just wants to eat his way around Epcot......lol

Have a wonderful time in Colorado!!

 

[smile4stamps]

I'm back in California and therefor back on the DIS!!

I think I have 45 days till I can begin making ADR's!!

 

[DisneyStitch626]

I'm back in California and therefor back on the DIS!!

I think I have 45 days till I can begin making ADR's!!

Yay to being close to making ADR's!!!

Boo for being back to your old home, home and away from your new home and your husband.

 

[smile4stamps]

Yay to being close to making ADR's!!!

Boo for being back to your old home, home and away from your new home and your husband.

thanks Andrea! the problem is its not even my old home... We sold our old place and I moved into a room in a condo... I'm very lonely here and its very boring! Oh well... work, work, work... thats why I am here... The more I can work the sooner I can move to CO!

 

[Imagineer5]

How was your trip? Hope you had a nice visit with your husband. How's your new house in CO?

 

[smile4stamps]

How was your trip? Hope you had a nice visit with your husband. How's your new house in CO?

The trip was wonderful! It was way too short but I think anything outside of a permanent move will be too short!

It was also an interesting trip as a bunch of stuff happened!

We bought my hubby a new truck (it had been planned to do so). He had originally wanted a Ford truck but I have family that owns a Dodge dealership and we could get a better deal going that route. We contemplated going through my uncles dealership but that is in WI and would mean hubby traveling there to do the trade in or not using the vehicle we had as a trade in. We ended up going through a local dealership. They were able to come pretty close to my uncles price so in the end it was okay. However I felt really guilty going against family and it was almost as if it was an omen as after we drove the truck off the lot and were close to our house the motor seized and it just stopped running! It had 74 miles on it!!

We ended up having to use my POS Jeep to tow it into our driveway! the ironic part was we had contemplated trading the Jeep in as well! It was a really good thing we ended up not doing that! The following day we had to have a tow truck bring us and the defective truck back and we spent the entire day picking out a new truck. It was really difficult as the first one we had bought had everything we wanted... We ended up with one that was close but the color wasn't what my husband wanted but they threw in some free window tinting and some different mirrors so we were finally the owners of a RUNNING Dodge Ram Truck!

The rest of the time sped by! We picked out a new King Size bed set... we had always had a queen and it was a tight fit... now with a King our dogs can be on the bed too and it doesn't feel like I am going to fall off!

Spent quite a bit of time unpacking and getting things sorted out. Not quite as much as I hoped but for the most part my hubby and his mom won't be tripping over boxes...

I can't wait to go back again! Unfortunately it will probably be May 1 before I can head over again.

 

[smile4stamps]

Last night I returned to work to find out that Vacation Planning had occurred that morning! I was upset as last year during vacation planning I had picked up a lot of extra hours so I was afraid I had missed my chance!

I posted to FB that I was available for extra shifts in case any of my FB coworker friends had been denied and by morning I had 4 extra shifts from one person! I then went to the staffing office to discuss with the person who does the schedules if there were shifts left for me to pick up. A half hour later I was confirmed for 19 more shifts!

There is one more department that has their vacation planning meeting on Monday that I am hopeful I can pick up some more shifts for!

On good news for my own requested vacations I am approved for my anniversary/Husband's birthday in May and the 2 weeks I wanted in October!!

Unfortunately I was NOT approved for the time I wanted around my Birthday in June! I don't want to be stuck in CA by myself on my birthday!!

 

[DisneyStitch626]

Last night I returned to work to find out that Vacation Planning had occurred that morning! I was upset as last year during vacation planning I had picked up a lot of extra hours so I was afraid I had missed my chance!

I posted to FB that I was available for extra shifts in case any of my FB coworker friends had been denied and by morning I had 4 extra shifts from one person! I then went to the staffing office to discuss with the person who does the schedules if there were shifts left for me to pick up. A half hour later I was confirmed for 19 more shifts!

There is one more department that has their vacation planning meeting on Monday that I am hopeful I can pick up some more shifts for!

On good news for my own requested vacations I am approved for my anniversary/Husband's birthday in May and the 2 weeks I wanted in October!!

Unfortunately I was NOT approved for the time I wanted around my Birthday in June! I don't want to be stuck in CA by myself on my birthday!!

Oh, that's good news Paula!!! Except about the birthday part. Can your husband come and visit you?

 

[smile4stamps]

Oh, that's good news Paula!!! Except about the birthday part. Can your husband come and visit you?

I'm going to keep trying to find someone to work for me so I can go to CO. I want to spend more time in my house!! If I am not able to find anyone than we will look into him coming to CA...

 

[Imagineer5]

The trip was wonderful! It was way too short but I think anything outside of a permanent move will be too short!

It was also an interesting trip as a bunch of stuff happened!

We bought my hubby a new truck (it had been planned to do so). He had originally wanted a Ford truck but I have family that owns a Dodge dealership and we could get a better deal going that route. We contemplated going through my uncles dealership but that is in WI and would mean hubby traveling there to do the trade in or not using the vehicle we had as a trade in. We ended up going through a local dealership. They were able to come pretty close to my uncles price so in the end it was okay. However I felt really guilty going against family and it was almost as if it was an omen as after we drove the truck off the lot and were close to our house the motor seized and it just stopped running! It had 74 miles on it!!

We ended up having to use my POS Jeep to tow it into our driveway! the ironic part was we had contemplated trading the Jeep in as well! It was a really good thing we ended up not doing that! The following day we had to have a tow truck bring us and the defective truck back and we spent the entire day picking out a new truck. It was really difficult as the first one we had bought had everything we wanted... We ended up with one that was close but the color wasn't what my husband wanted but they threw in some free window tinting and some different mirrors so we were finally the owners of a RUNNING Dodge Ram Truck!

The rest of the time sped by! We picked out a new King Size bed set... we had always had a queen and it was a tight fit... now with a King our dogs can be on the bed too and it doesn't feel like I am going to fall off!

Spent quite a bit of time unpacking and getting things sorted out. Not quite as much as I hoped but for the most part my hubby and his mom won't be tripping over boxes...

I can't wait to go back again! Unfortunately it will probably be May 1 before I can head over again.

That's awful about the truck. What kind of vehicle seizes when it is NEW? Eek I might be afraid of that! I don't blame you for not wanting to use your family's business so far away, they can't be mad about that.

Glad to hear the visit was fun though, but I can't believe you have to wait until may to return. Is your husband coming to visit you in the meantime?

Last night I returned to work to find out that Vacation Planning had occurred that morning! I was upset as last year during vacation planning I had picked up a lot of extra hours so I was afraid I had missed my chance!

I posted to FB that I was available for extra shifts in case any of my FB coworker friends had been denied and by morning I had 4 extra shifts from one person! I then went to the staffing office to discuss with the person who does the schedules if there were shifts left for me to pick up. A half hour later I was confirmed for 19 more shifts!

There is one more department that has their vacation planning meeting on Monday that I am hopeful I can pick up some more shifts for!

On good news for my own requested vacations I am approved for my anniversary/Husband's birthday in May and the 2 weeks I wanted in October!!

Unfortunately I was NOT approved for the time I wanted around my Birthday in June! I don't want to be stuck in CA by myself on my birthday!!

Glad to hear you were able to pick up extra shifts, but that is terrible about your birthday leave request. I can't imagine having to *hope* for my vacation time to be approved. That's ONE thing i like about my job, they are totally fine with me taking as much leave as I want (as long as I have the leave to use lol)

 

[smile4stamps]

That's awful about the truck. What kind of vehicle seizes when it is NEW? Eek I might be afraid of that! I don't blame you for not wanting to use your family's business so far away, they can't be mad about that.
I know right! We just happened to get lucky in that I was following him in the POS Jeep which had been delivered via transport earlier in the week. (The Transport company was a pain! they didn't want to deliver it to our house as we are in the hills a little bit so they left it 6.5miles away...) The dealership could not believe that it happened. It had to have been a manufacturer's defect as they checked all the oil and fuel levels and everything was ok in that respect.

Glad to hear the visit was fun though, but I can't believe you have to wait until may to return. Is your husband coming to visit you in the meantime?

No unfortunately he won't be coming to visit during that time. it will be difficult to go 8 weeks without seeing each other but we will survive.

Glad to hear you were able to pick up extra shifts, but that is terrible about your birthday leave request. I can't imagine having to *hope* for my vacation time to be approved. That's ONE thing i like about my job, they are totally fine with me taking as much leave as I want (as long as I have the leave to use lol)

Yeah... Thats the downside of being a nurse. They can only let one or two people be on vacation at a time... they need to make sure there are enough staff to care for the patients after all. I've been a RN at this hospital for 4 years and on my department I am still second from the bottom for seniority so unfortunately almost everyone else gets to get their vacations granted first and since my birthday happens to fall when school is let out for the summer I ALWAYS have a hard time getting vacation approved there. Last year it was only one day that was not approved but I was able to pretty easily get the shift covered. This year I need to get 2 shifts covered and I think it will be much more difficult.

 

[smile4stamps]

RCI has DVC rooms available for the last week of September!! A few more weeks and I can see if we can stay DVC!!!