Our Very First Time To WDW!!! -- Oct 2015 PTR -- Update 5/23: Disney Memories

[Glittercat]

What a beautiful room you've booked! Your dining plans look fab! My daughter and husband made me promise we would include Sanaa again the next time we're there as it was pretty close to perfection. We went for dinner, but I hope you both love it!

 

[bunnyboo]

ADRs DONE!!​

ADRS ARE DONE!!! I was very nervous and scared that I wouldn't get the ADRs I wanted. Now that it's over, it's a huge relief. I can stop stressing and relax!! (Until FP+ time comes around...) For some reason the website just would NOT work for me. Even though my dates weren't grayed out, I got an error message every time I searched. Thankfully the app on my ipad worked so I was able to make most of my ADRs without calling in. I had to change some things around, but got basically everything I wanted! SOOO happy and excited!!!

Sun 10/25 - Boma at 6:05pm
Mon 10/26 - F! Package HBD at 4:40pm
Tues 10/27 - -----
Wed 10/28 - Chefs de France at 6:30pm
Thurs 10/29 - Jiko at 9:00pm
Fri 10/30 - BOG at 11:30am, BOG at 6:30pm
Sat 10/31 - -----
Sun 11/1 - CP at 8:10am, CRT at 6:55pm
Mon 11/2 - -----

You'll notice V&A missing from the list. Apparently their reservations aren't officially open yet because they're going to release a new menu for F&W along with a higher price. The price raise will be from $150 to $185 per person for the 7-course meal. They'll be offering the QVR 10-course meal in the main dining room as well. I already felt guilty about going to V&A when it was $150, now I feel even worse. But since it's been in our plans for a while and I've grown attached to the idea of having a special dinner there, we're still going. I called and was placed on a list for dinner on 10/31. Once the changes are released and they're ready to open reservations they'll contact me.

I ended up having to take Sanaa out of our plans again. The lunch timing is just too close to our arrival time. However I am DETERMINED to eat there the next time we visit WDW.
I also ended up with a BOG dinner I hadn't planned. The dinner menu doesn't appeal to me, but I really want to go and see the beast! We'll probably order an appetizer and desserts, then grab the rest of dinner at CHH.


On a completely unrelated note... Mother's Day is coming up!!
Happy (early) Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms on here.
I'm sending my mom flowers and narrowed it down to 2 of my favorites.



The first one is more unique and stands out. The second one is classic and I love the pink/lavender colors. Since I'm torn, which would you choose/prefer??

 

[bunnyboo]

Following along! It'll be nice to follow someone else who is going for the very first time who usually goes to DL! How did your ADRs go?

I know, I was so excited when I found your PTR! Really looking forward to reading about your trip, especially what you think of MNSSHP. We're still on the fence about going, not sure if it's worth the extra money since my BF isn't really into character meets. My ADRs went great! It was a bit annoying that the website wouldn't work, but I got everything I wanted using the app and by calling so I'm more than happy.

What a beautiful room you've booked! Your dining plans look fab! My daughter and husband made me promise we would include Sanaa again the next time we're there as it was pretty close to perfection. We went for dinner, but I hope you both love it!

Thanks! Unfortunately the timing didn't work out and we're going to have to skip Sanaa this trip. It's definitely going to be a top priority the next time we visit WDW!

 

[Gracefulskinny]

ADRS ARE DONE!!!

Happy (early) Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms on here.

Thanks! As long as it doesn't rain mine is set to be pretty darn spectacular!

The first one is more unique and stands out. The second one is classic and I love the pink/lavender colors. Since I'm torn, which would you choose/prefer??

Both are beautiful, but my vote is for the first one.

 

[kadrachb]

ADRS ARE DONE!!!

Isn't that a great feeling! Your ADRs look great.

The first one is more unique and stands out. The second one is classic and I love the pink/lavender colors. Since I'm torn, which would you choose/prefer??

For my mom, I'd pick the first one.

 

[bunnyboo]

Thanks! As long as it doesn't rain mine is set to be pretty darn spectacular!

Both are beautiful, but my vote is for the first one.

Can't believe you're going to WDW TODAY!! Hope the weather is great during your entire stay!

Isn't that a great feeling! Your ADRs look great.

For my mom, I'd pick the first one.

Yea, except now I feel like I have so much extra time! I spent so many hours reading reviews/looking at menus/etc. now I need something else to distract me lol.

My BF likes the first one too. Going to place my order~

 

[Elleshoodat]

Oh my gosh, my mouth is watering just looking at your ADR list! That's too bad about Sanaa, but you're right -- just have to do it next time!

As for the flowers, I'd send the second option to my mom, but personally I prefer the first. (Really helpful, huh? LOL!)

 

[bunnyboo]

MNSSHP!!​

We originally weren't planning on MNSSHP since we figured we're both adults, it won't be a big deal if we skip it. We also weren't keen on spending the additional money for tickets. But... the more reviews I read, the more pictures I see... the more I want to go!! (Darn you disboards!)

Because my BF is wonderful, he agreed to it, WE'RE GOING!!!!!!

​

AHH I'M SO EXCITED!! We have the option of going on our arrival day 10/25 or on our last full day 11/1, both Sundays. The good thing about going on arrival day is that it would give us an extra park day! More time in MK!! However, this would be after 10+ hrs of flight time. BF and I can pull all nighters, but I'm not sure the excitement would keep us perky til midnight. I can't count on being able to sleep on the plane, so I'm leaning toward the 11/1 date.
I'll figure it all out later. I'm just thrilled that we're going!!!!

AND COSTUMES! Time to costume shop!!

 

[kadrachb]

AHH I'M SO EXCITED!! We have the option of going on our arrival day 10/25 or on our last full day 11/1, both Sundays. The good thing about going on arrival day is that it would give us an extra park day! More time in MK!! However, this would be after 10+ hrs of flight time. BF and I can pull all nighters, but I'm not sure the excitement would keep us perky til midnight. I can't count on being able to sleep on the plane, so I'm leaning toward the 11/1 date.

Yay! I've always wanted to go to one of those ticket events! They look like a lot of fun!

 

[Marnm02]

Joining in! Your ADRs look great! I love BOG lunch and F! Package!

 

[Lidian]

Eeek! I'm tagging along!

Your PTR already has me looking forward to the TR! So many experiences that we haven't been able to do!

Which flowers did you settle on? My favorite color is purple, so I'm biased.

 

[bunnyboo]

Oh my gosh, my mouth is watering just looking at your ADR list! That's too bad about Sanaa, but you're right -- just have to do it next time!

Every time I do restaurant or ADR research I get hungry from looking at all the pictures!

Yay! I've always wanted to go to one of those ticket events! They look like a lot of fun!

I never went to any of the parties at DL so I'm really looking forward to going for the first time. Hope you get the chance to attend one in the near future!

Joining in! Your ADRs look great! I love BOG lunch and F! Package!

and thank you!

Eeek! I'm tagging along!

Your PTR already has me looking forward to the TR! So many experiences that we haven't been able to do!

Which flowers did you settle on? My favorite color is purple, so I'm biased.

Yay, glad to see you here!
I definitely tried to squeeze in as many special experiences as I could since we're not planning to return to WDW anytime soon. Here's to hoping I can actually stick with the plan and stay away after this year. I'm so jealous of your almost yearly visits!
I was set on the first one, then changed my mind last minute to the second one because she loves pink/purple.

 

[bunnyboo]

Budget Shock, Double The Price?!​

When we first started planning for this trip in March, my BF and I came up with a rough budget after looking at room and ticket prices. We estimated around $2500, not including airfare, for the both of us.

Now that I've done a lot more planning and have ADRs all set, I worked out how much everything is going to cost.

Airfare: $210 (it's so low because we're going to fly standby)
Resort: $1280 (5 nights AKV, 3 nights POR)
Tickets: $1122 (5day WDW, 2day USF, MNSSHP)
Transportation: $80 (between WDW and USF)
Food: $1550 (I actually went through all the menus and calculated cost + tax & tip)
Souvenirs/Misc: $250
Total: $4492

So basically around $4500!! Not exactly double our initial estimate, but almost!
The new budget was a real shock, I didn't expect it to be so high! It breaks down to $500 per day of vacation! But there are just so many things I want to do/experience/EAT, and they all cost money.

Last year we went to Brisbane Australia for 5 days and it only cost us around $1500 total, so it's a big surprise how much WDW is! After this vacation we're definitely going to keep it simple for a few years. I showed my BF the new budget and although he wasn't happy, he was very understanding since this is our dream WDW vacation. There are a lot of reasons why the cost went up so much, we added an additional night, MNSSHP, V&A, etc. We'll have enough savings to pay for everything without incurring debt, so it'll still work out fine.

Thankfully this is just a one time thing. I know when we return to WDW again it'll be wayy cheaper because we'll be able to skip a bunch of things like CRT and V&A. We could probably stay at a value next time too! (I'm secretly planning to return to WDW in 6 years for the 50th anniversary in 2021! )

 

[Dis_Yoda]

$4500 for what all you are planning seems not too bad. (Then again I just came back from a 3 night trip to WDW and came home $2000 poorer and we had DVC to cover our hotel)

Thats awesome you were able to get to Australia for only $1500!

 

[Glittercat]

However, now that I'm all grown up (debatable)

We all get to be kids at Disney World!

The Boyfriend - The BF and I have been together for 2 years, and this WDW trip will be our 3 year anniversary! Our first official date as a couple was at DL, so an anniversary at WDW seems very fitting.

What a terrific way to celebrate your anniversary!

Yup, it's going to be just the two of us. This is a big vacation for us and we want it to be unforgettable. We probably won't be able to visit WDW again for a few years, so we want to splurge a bit and experience everything Disney has to offer.

I think you've made a wise decision going just the two of you!

At first we were set on going the second half of August to celebrate my birthday.

Maybe next time you'll be there for a birthday!

The final dates ended up being Oct 25 - Nov 2, with the F&W festival as an added bonus! My BF and I both love love love food, so the F&W festival definitely solidified our plans.

Woo hoo Food and Dining will be dangerously delicious!

Although there's something special about each resort, I immediately fell in love with AKV. My BF and I are both avid animal lovers, most of our previous mini trips were to different zoos, so it's no surprise that AKV was our favorite.

Such a beautiful resort!

I was actually happy that I now had an excuse to experience 2 resorts instead of just one.

*high fives*

​

I couldn't justify paying the premium for a Royal Room for the entire trip, but if it was just for 3 nights then maybe... I asked the BF if we could and he agreed to let me play princess and stay at POR's Royal Guest Room for 10/30-11/2!! Even though I'm in my twenties, the idea of staying in a beautiful princess room makes me all giddy inside. I can't help smiling every time I see pictures of those rooms!

Those rooms are dreamy! We're going back in 2018 for my kids 17th and 12th birthdays in Dec. or Jan. (they were both Jan. babies ) and we hope to have a Royal Room at POR too! There is just something magical and playful about them!

There's so much to learn and it's a bit overwhelming.

Seems to me you are doing quite well sweetie!

I'm so thankful that this forum exists, it's been such a valuable resource.

Ditto on that!

We're not really breakfast people, so we'll be having 2 meals each day with lots of snacks in between.

Same with our family just don't do the sit down sort of breakfast very often.

BUTTERBEER!! I want to try both the frozen and hot Butterbeer!

PREtty please review this in your TR!!! Want to taste! We may go to US on on the 2018 trip- but not the 2016.

We're really looking forward to eating at the HP restaurants, BF and I are both big fans.

We're fans as well.

MMM salmon can you tell I've already stalked all the menus and decided what I want to order at every restaurant? lol

I'm so glad I'm not alone in doing this! I projected what each member of the family might eat at each restaurant we were considering.

Then some chocolate frogs from Honeydukes for dessert.

Woo hoo! I wonder if they come in dark chocolate?

Just look at that picture. Simply gorgeous. It was really hard deciding whether I wanted to have lunch or dinner at BOG. I ended up choosing lunch so I can take as much time as I want to wander through and admire the 3 dining rooms.

Such a stunning place, can't freaking wait to see it!

My BF was the one who suggested going to V&A, which surprised me because I'm the one who's into fine dining. It'll be the most expensive meal we've ever paid for ourselves, so I was hesitant at first. After I read about their exquisite service and food, I was fully on board. It's going to be an unforgettable experience! Plus, if we're going to splurge on a nice dinner, what better place to do it than at WDW?

Oh wow zowie awesome!

There you have it, our dream ADR schedule! Food is definitely a big part of this trip. We won't be able to visit WDW again for a very long while, so we wanted to try and fit in as many special dining experiences as we could. Since we both grew up in California and currently live in Hawaii, we thought skipping California Grill and everything at the Poly would be okay. Now to wait anxiously until 4/28...

We skip all the Pacific Northwest style of restaurants for this reason too.

ADRS ARE DONE!!!

I also ended up with a BOG dinner I hadn't planned. The dinner menu doesn't appeal to me, but I really want to go and see the beast! We'll probably order an appetizer and desserts, then grab the rest of dinner at CHH.

I hope you get to see the Beast!

We originally weren't planning on MNSSHP since we figured we're both adults, it won't be a big deal if we skip it. We also weren't keen on spending the additional money for tickets. But... the more reviews I read, the more pictures I see... the more I want to go!! (Darn you disboards!)

Because my BF is wonderful, he agreed to it, WE'RE GOING!!!!!!

Have a blast!

AND COSTUMES! Time to costume shop!!

What costumes are considering?

Food: $1550 (I actually went through all the menus and calculated cost + tax & tip)

I've done this, well, all except tax and tip.

Not exactly double our initial estimate, but almost!

Yeeouch.

But there are just so many things I want to do/experience/EAT, and they all cost money.

They do...still I expect you'll have the trip of a lifetime!

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Airfare: $210 (it's so low because we're going to fly standby)

I'm impressed that you actually found tickets that low in price! Most impressive.

 

[McGreezy]

Hi there!!! We are hitting WDW for the first time this October 25th as well, so I wanted to make friends!! Haha. We were originally set to stay at POR as well but due to some budget issues we had to switch to off site. Anyways, your ideas look awesome, and Im a foodie too. We snagged BOG, Sanaa, 50's PTC, and Coral Reef for our week. Gonna hit Boatwrights on our arrival day still I hope you all have a blast!!!

 

[bunnyboo]

$4500 for what all you are planning seems not too bad. (Then again I just came back from a 3 night trip to WDW and came home $2000 poorer and we had DVC to cover our hotel)

Thats awesome you were able to get to Australia for only $1500!

Yea, when I think about it the price makes sense/is reasonable for everything we planned. It's just when I'm planning and going "oh I want to do this, oh I want to eat there!" the prices don't really stick in my mind. Then I add everything up in the end and ! lol
WOW, $2000 in 3 nights?! That must have been an incredible trip!! I can't wait to see your pictures and review of Boathouse!

I'm impressed that you actually found tickets that low in price! Most impressive.

I wish!! They're only so cheap because we're flying standby. I work for an airline so we can buy tickets at a deep discount, but it's not a guaranteed seat. If the flight has unsold empty seats then we can get on, if not we wait for the next flight. I'll be stalking the availability very closely and if need be we'll just end up buying guaranteed full price tickets.

Hi there!!! We are hitting WDW for the first time this October 25th as well, so I wanted to make friends!! Haha. We were originally set to stay at POR as well but due to some budget issues we had to switch to off site. Anyways, your ideas look awesome, and Im a foodie too. We snagged BOG, Sanaa, 50's PTC, and Coral Reef for our week. Gonna hit Boatwrights on our arrival day still I hope you all have a blast!!!

Hi! Did you check out the Free Dining offer? I know for some staying onsite with FD was cheaper than staying offsite. You have some great ADRs! Hope you have an amazing first visit too!!

 

[bunnyboo]

We all get to be kids at Disney World!

One of the great things about DL/WDW!

Woo hoo Food and Dining will be dangerously delicious!

I know, I'm already trying to lose some weight since I'll be gaining a few pounds in Oct!

Those rooms are dreamy! We're going back in 2018 for my kids 17th and 12th birthdays in Dec. or Jan. (they were both Jan. babies ) and we hope to have a Royal Room at POR too! There is just something magical and playful about them!

Hope your family gets to stay there! Sounds like it's going to be a very special trip.

PREtty please review this in your TR!!! Want to taste! We may go to US on on the 2018 trip- but not the 2016.

Will do! I have to admit I was sort of tempted to skip Universal this year because there's just SO MUCH I want to do at WDW. My BF would never let us leave without visiting WWoHP though, so I'm trying to squeeze everything in. You really should check it out in 2018, especially since you're a fan of HP! They might even have the new Nintendo attractions by then!

I'm so glad I'm not alone in doing this! I projected what each member of the family might eat at each restaurant we were considering.

Yay, I'm not the only one!

Have a blast!

Thanks!

What costumes are considering?

I'm debating between Ariel and Belle right now. I remember seeing princess dresses at DL when I was young and wanting one SO BAD, but my family couldn't afford it back then. Now that I have the opportunity, I'm definitely going to wear a princess dress!

They do...still I expect you'll have the trip of a lifetime!

Yup, it's all going to be worth it!

 

[Glittercat]

I'm debating between Ariel and Belle right now. I remember seeing princess dresses at DL when I was young and wanting one SO BAD, but my family couldn't afford it back then. Now that I have the opportunity, I'm definitely going to wear a princess dress!

Both are such fabulous choices! Can't wait to see what you decide! I would be Ariel with tail and would dress up my wheelchair with shells and strands of beads hehe! Belle would be amazing too as she has so many gorgeous gowns to choose from! Will you mostly be making or buying your gown?