Wait! Where's your wedding ring? An Oct. 2013 Disneymoon TR Updated 5/7!

[natebenma]

Why am I not shocked that you've yet to ride LM?

We didn't even step foot in NFL

 

[natebenma]

Nope. I've never been in the Grand Floridian resort either.



OK, that's a pretty cool morning!!!

Delicious breakfast at the Grand Floridian Café. Both of your meals looked incredible.

Then getting added on to the GF villa tour. WOW!!! Really beautiful rooms and spaces.

Of course Franklin's pictures could be in the DVC brochures.

The trundle bed under the tv struck me as odd, though. The people sleeping there couldn't watch and the ones who could would be watching the sleepers.

And the resort that has blown me away. Well, since I have only been to All Star Music, All Star Movies and the Beach Club at Disney, I'm gonna go with BC!

 

[Shazzasmd]

Thanks for the excellent VGF Tour & Photos!

 

[wiigirl]

Great update!

 

[katt789]

May you say?? What dates?? We’ll be there the 4-11th! Ahhh AS IF!! I’M SO EXCITED TO SEE ALL THESE PICTURES THEY’RE GONNA BE SO PRETTY!!

I have officially died and gone to heaven…that was an incredible photo tour and I have decided that I NEED to stay in that grand villa! I’ve always wanted to stay at the GF for my wedding trip, but now that villa is going to be what I’m staying in…a girl can dream, right?!

AMAZING PICTURES, seriously. They are gorgeous and I very much appreciate you guys taking them! They suites are amazing. I can’t stop saying how amazing they are!

Hmmm…there are 2 resorts that come to mind with the mind blowing lobbies!

We had had a SUPER rough and long travel day filled with a bunch of airline travel, and it was my Mom’s first trip to wdw in Sept 2012, so when we walked into the AKL lobby and had a cast member say “Jambo! Welcome home” I was in tears again. The lobby is so HUGE AND MAGESTIC AND I JUST CAN’T, it’s a huge breath of fresh air everytime I walk into it and getting to stay there twice was amazing and wonderful and I looked around every time I walked through.

The other one would be the Yacht Club! We arrived a night early in Dec to avoid airline troubles and ended up booking a one night stay at YC, and despite having been around the resort prior, and hearing amazing things about the lobby, I was totally un prepared and the moment I walked into the lobby I let out a huge gasp and stopped dead, much to the amusement of my friend, and the cast member. It’s not as huge as AKL, but there’s still something so amazing about it!

The GFlo is probably next on that list, but, like you said, there is that whole “stuffy, gramma’s house” thing about it, which is why I’ve been hesitant to stay there, but now that I’ve seen the villas, I know where I’m saving up for!!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Thanks for posting those pictures of the VBF. It looks so beautiful there. We'll have to stop by the next time we resort hop.

Is that a reflection of Franklin in the picture of the master bedroom of the Grand Villa? It looks like he is taking a picture.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We love the Epcot resorts, especially the Beach Club, but it was the lobby of the WL that blew me away. When the cast member said "Welcome home" as we walked in, I think I got tears in my eyes.

 

[RachelNinja]

Oh my gosh, those DVC rooms are ten times larger than our studio apt here in NY. Drooling over all that space! I never liked the Grand Floridian because of personal preference, but those villas completely change my mind about the resort as a whole!

Considering we've only stayed at AKL Jambo during our Disneymoon and Pop Century, I can't say that one resort has really taken my breath away because I am amazed just when we're on Disney property at all! We're usually there with my parents at their timeshare, which I love, but staying on site is such a treat. We're heading back this Saturday and staying at Pop, and I'm so giddy! I love that the magic is present in the value, moderate, and deluxe resorts

 

[JulieODC]

What a beautiful and peaceful late night at MK!! I feel like a night like that gives you time to truly appreciate the little details around the park!

And, the GF villas are gorgeous!! I am totally with you in that the GF resort rooms don't really do it for me...but those villas are so much more modern. Thank for the photo tour!!

 

[Tiggerrn2]

Beautiful photos. The Villas at GF are much nicer than I thought. Like you, I didn't care for the décor over at GF. Never had a desire to stay there AT ALL. The villas are beautiful, though. Everything looks crisp and fresh. The bathrooms are amazing. The showers are as bigger than my entire bathroom at home!

I never got to the museum that day to take photos. The snow and really bad weather moved in and no one was going anywhere. We still plan to do a day to see the archives, but no trees this year.

Looks like you all may get some snow today. Hope it's not too bad. The big weather band just missed us. But it is COLD!!!

Have a great day!! Looking forward to hearing (and seeing) all the party stuff!

 

[khertz]

Dh was so excited about these photos that last night he pulled it up on the laptop on the dining room table while we were eating dinner to show me!! Seriously, though, how gorgeous are those VGF rooms?!?! That is so cool that y'all were able to get into a tour on the spot to check them out! I have never been too concerned with DVC, but my mind changed when I saw those pics. Stunning!!! I wouldn't mind staying there one day, that's for sure.

 

[courtneybelle]

Oh my gosh, I am in love with those rooms! The Grand Villa is absolutely breathtaking. Penguins are my favorite animal so I have to say that the fountain in the lobby is my favorite part.

As far as resorts I've stayed at, Port Orleans Riverside absolutely blew me away. I thought the mansion buildings and scenery were just as stunning as some of the Deluxe resorts. My dream resort, though, is the Polynesian. I think it's so beautiful and peaceful. I could sit in that lobby for hours just taking everything in!

 

[Pixel Dust]

Beautiful shots as usual Franklin! I like the cinemagraph of the castle... that one is a little sneak, it's almost not quite noticeable and it looks like you're really there because standing there, that would be the only thing moving! So thanks for that moment for me.

I had a few LOL moments just reading about your LOL moments! Those darn photographers getting in each others' way!

And I have to agree! Sebastian is the hardest for me on the Little Mermaid ride. His eyes are never quite right.

Thanks! And yes, I did sneak the castle cinemagraph in there to see who's paying attention. ​

The pictures and cinemagraphs were amazing! I wish I could take good pictures.

Thank you! Earlier, I had recommended the book Understanding Exposure. Even if you don't get into photography, it will help you recognize what the camera is trying to do, and what you can do to make it better.​

Your photos and cinemagraphs are amazing! What a peaceful night at MK!

Thank you so much. Yeah, evening EMH is so much more relaxing. Most people won't stay until closing.​

Amazing Photos Franklin! I find the thought of a bunch of adults in the Magic Kingdom getting all mad and yelling at ducks

And I continue to love the cinemagraphs. I think one reason they work so well at Disney is there is usually so many things moving and going on that isolating just one movie part really stands out. good job!

Yeah, it was a pretty hilarious moment.
I learned about cinemagraphs a while ago and thought it could be applied to Disney really well. I didn't want to copy stuff that was out there so I did search. It only turned up a few Disney cinemagraphs. So, the door was wide open to do anything creatively.​

Your pictures are gorgeous.

It would have been nice if all the photographers could have "taken turns" so each of you could have gotten the best shot, but all of you are probably too free-spirited for that.

Have you ever used a program like Photoshop to erase people from your pictures?

Thank you so much! It was a really fun relaxing atmosphere. People were sharing tips and equipment. No one was rushed. We would stay at one spot for 30 minutes or more.

Back in high school, one of the first times I used Photoshop was to remove someone from a group photo we didn't like anymore. Oh, to be young. I was pretty much hooked on Photoshop from that point.

Most of the photos here I used Lightroom to edit. It just has a better workflow and makes batch editing more efficient. It can then be exported to Photoshop if it needs heavier editing, like removing people. The panoramas and cinemagraphs are all done in Photoshop. ​

Excellent TR! Just joining in!

Thanks! Welcome!​

Such beautiful photos! I really like the cinemagraph photos. I see TRs like this and I wish I had a "good" camera myself! Instead, I'll just keep taking the phone pictures and deal with it.

Cellphone cameras are getting better every year. Though, a point-and-shoot will yield better quality in low light and have a stronger flash.

With all that said, the best camera is the one you have with you. ​

Wow! Those photos are truly amazing!!!

Thanks! I'm thrilled you enjoyed them.​

Gorgeous photos!!!! Love the cinemagraphs as well. So nice of you to share your equipment and your tips!! I found the book you recommended and am working through it. Tough in the winter in Chicagoland, though. Not much to look at or photograph.
Headed to Museum of Science and Industry on Thursday for the Disney Archives and to see the trees. Hope to get some good shots then.

Wanted to be sure to wish you both a very Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year to you and your family! I'm excited to hear you are getting the chance to go through that book. I can't wait to see some before/after in a new trip report compared to ones from an old trip report.​

Just joining! So happy to have found this! Missy I love your other TR's and this one even has me more excited for our first stay at BLT/BCV with first experience at MNSSHP and F&W in Sept/Oct this year.

Your wedding pics are fantastic!!! You guys look so great

And as always I love Franklins photos on the TR! Can't wait to read more.

Welcome! you guys are going to have so much fun at the party and F&W is just lovely to walk around with a beverage and a snack.

Sadly, I was not the one taking the photos at our wedding. ​

So I just found your TR's. I've read 3 of them while I've been snowed in today. They are fabulous.

1) Love the pictures! They are all breathtaking.
2) Your wedding pictures are gorgeous.
3) We spent part of our honeymoon at Disney before jet setting to Hawaii for the rest of it. It's the perfect place to celebrate the beginning of your honeymoon. It's so magical as newlyweds. It's also the best time to slow down and take it "easy" at Disney.
4) I can totally empathize with you on always being beat by your husband in Toy Story and Buzz Lightyear. My husband destroys me EVERYTIME!

I wanted to just chime in and say Congratulations! and that I love all of your TRs. Can't wait to read more!

Welcome and thanks for all the wonderful compliments!​

Just discovered your TR now but I’m definitely subbing in, I’ve gone back to read the CRT updates though! Lol. Your pictures are gorgeous!! Cinderella’s so pretty!!! Those engagement photos are priceless and so beautiful, that’s so incredible! Gorgeous ring!! And the photo with it and the slipper is beautiful! Amazing story!

I LOVE those soul mate shirts, so cute! Also, Yacht Club!? I may die reading this TR, I beyond love that place! Gorgeous wedding photos! Congratulations! I love all the Disney touches, and you look beautiful!

Wow, California Grill looks amazing, I’ve never seen inside it before! Lavander bread? That’s intriguing! The meal looks super tasty, it’s definitely something I’ll have to check out now! The view from the deck is amazing too! Arrrgg HALLOWISHES IS MY LOOOOOVE seriously though, best fireworks ever!

Wow! Hallowishes, a delicious dinner and celebrity meeting, now that is an awesome start to a trip! The room is gorgeous! I absolutely ADORE YC and after finally getting to stay a night in Dec there I’ll forever be sad that I can’t live there! Bahaha!

Great Epcot shots! I do love the walk over from YC, it’s amazing! Ugh, Food and wine needs to happen in my life!! I know I’m going next Nov for it, but seriously, I just want it to be now! Lol, everything looks so delicious! Wow that TT line is insane! Glad you ended up bailing!

Super cute pictures with the characters! The one with Goofy is so adorable! We kind of had a problem with TT fp + a few weeks ago, the line stopped before the design stage and we had an ADR to get to so we bailed pretty quick but I think it was more just us being late.

Those moving pictures are awesome, so cool!!

Looks like the concerts were all amazing, glad that you guys had a fun time! And of course dinner looks delicious! WOW amazing photos from MK that night! I wish I could take ones like that…then again, I haven’t invested any time or money into anything photography lol!

Thanks for joining in! I'm glad we had a Photopass photographer at CRT. The moment went by so fast. Yacht Club is wonderful. I took some lobby photos towards the end of this trip. ​

Just read all your updates! I read your Geek-tastic one too, but I don't think I commented on it.

I'm loving your storytelling along with Franklin's photos! I even got my husband to read your TRs after showing him your DH's pictures AND after he commented on my Disneymoon TR. That's such a rare thing because he isn't on DIS very often. Looking forward to more!

Thanks! I've been PM'ing with your DH on photo stuff. Maybe he'll try a cinemagraph or two. ​

Gorgeous wedding photos and cool details with the sweatshirts and ears for your bridesmaids!

Fabulous photos in Epcot and MK - love the cinemagraphs! I so want to learn how to do that.

And your writing is fantastic! Great tips about the Chase Lounge. I had no idea but made some notes for our upcoming trip in April. Hoping the frozen beer and cosmo slushie are available permanently.

Looking forward to reading more.

Congratulations and best wishes!

Thank you so much! The frozen beer was a surprise. I had not seen it before. If there is enough demand, maybe I'll do a cinemagraph tutorial. ​

Oh my gosh! I was drawn into your TR because of the title (I've been married 19 years and my hubby is on his 6th wedding ring...) so I had to read. Your wedding photos are amazing and I love the Disney touches that you added so very beautifully. Now to go back and read through everything since I only skimmed the last few pages as well.

We're just getting to that part. I won't spoil it. ​

Franklin- I enjoyed reading about your time in MK with and without your photography buddies. The pictures and cinemagraphs are stunning, of course!

I'm glad you decided to ride Little Mermaid. I haven't been on the ride, so I always enjoy seeing pictures.

Nice to have your own personal transportation back to the Yacht Club.

G'night!

Thanks! It's hard to pass up a good ride with no lines. Having my own bus was awesome. We waited for no one. Though, I was a little scared that I stayed too late and no one was going to be at the bus depot. ​

Subscribing!! I love your TR so far! That Boys II Men story was so sweet!

Thanks for joining in!​

We're going 2 weeks 8th-22nd staying at CSR. We'd love to stay at Beach Club, but with the cost of flights from the UK included it's WAYYYY out of our price range... Around $8000 for the whole trip :/

But really looking forward to a resort I've not tried before

We've got ADRs at California Grill, BOG and HBD (fantasmic). Plus my husband to be is SUPER excited about SWW, coz he's a total Star Wars nut!

Do you have any advice?

It will be our first SWW, too. Though, we were there for the "May The 4th Be With You" celebration in this trip report: Food, friendship, flowers and a touch of the Force. We have been trying to get up to speed on it too. There's a thread on the Theme Parks board for SWW: Official Star Wars Weekends 2014 Tips and Tricks ​

LOVE your trip report! Your wedding was beautiful...congratulations! Love the pics. They are just amazing. Can't wait to read more!!

Thanks! More to come!​

Wow I was SO far behind!!

Wonderful updates! Awesome Pictures!!

Oh my gosh! We were at the Matt Carter Demo as well!! Totally would have said hi if I was following your reports before now!

I think that was the night we were going to do the BoyzIIMen concert but the line was crazy looking so we skipped it! Looks like you guys had a great strategy though!

Thank you so much! Crazy that you guys were in the same demo. Yeah, the line can get insane for Boyz II Men.​

Can't wait for more report and beautiful photos. I really loved the Tiki Mister shot!!

Thanks! That was a tough shot at night.​

Wow! Such eye-popping color in your photos Franklin. Do you get the saturation with the long exposures? Or is that question too broad? I'm waiting for your 'it depends' answer.

I bought the 'Understanding Exposure' book you recommended...last time I was serious about photography was before the age of digital. The great thing I'm finding is that I CAN experiment, and see the results immediately. The camera will record the settings for each picture, so I can go back and look at a series of photos and see that changing a setting made a discernible difference. Much easier than jotting everything down in a notebook and then trying to line up the notes when the photos arrived back from the lab weeks later. Love being able to work with different ISOs as well for the same shoot.

Are you referring to the night photos? Saturation and, more importantly, dynamic range (the range between the darkest and brightest parts of the photo), has more to do with low ISO. Those night photos I use ISO 100, as low as it will go. That then requires the long exposure (and tripod). That alone doesn't give you the saturation you see. But it allows the camera to record as much information as possible. It then allows me the latitude to increase the saturation while editing, without degrading the quality. It also allows me to brighten the shadows and even out the photo.

Conversely, shooting a high ISO in the same situation, with a shorter exposure, will yield a photo that may look grainy and less sharp. It will also have much less dynamic range, resulting in a more contrast.

ISO 100

ISO 800

Yes, digital has made it much easier to experiment. I too had difficulty writing down and remembering settings with a film camera. ​

Hey Missy and Franklin,

We just added on a couple days in DC at the end of our May WDW trip and I have a couple questions for you.

We're planning on staying in Alexandria near the King Street metro station. It seems like that will be a very easy way to get around. I read that you can't bring purses or cameras into a lot of places, do you know if there are lockers for rent at the metro stations? We're flying in and out of DCA, which also looks close to everything. Is this the airport that you guys fly through? This question probably seems silly, but if you ever come to Vegas, you should sit on the right side of the plane to see the strip from the plane; when we fly in, is there a certain side of the plane we should plan to sit on when flying in or out to see some of the monuments from the sky?

And then a Disney question: do you know, if we are doing a split stay, will it be a problem if I buy 10 day tickets, or do we need to have a separate 5 day pass for each leg of our stay?

Any random DC advice you want to give will be happily accepted. We're going cheap, but are also not opposed to having a drink in an upscale DC bar or dinner in an expensive, must-see spot.

Thanks so much!

There aren't any lockers in the metro stations. What do you plan to visit? Most museums allow bags and cameras. Though, some have metal detectors and a few places have X-Ray machines for bags. That shouldn’t deter you from visiting those places.

The issue with flying into and out of DCA is that it acts like an airport with one runway. They can alternate the direction of takeoff and landing at anytime. If the plane takes off to the south or arrives from the south, you won’t see any monuments. With that said, you want to be on the left for landing and right for takeoff. ​

 

[Missyrose]

Wow! Those villas are just beautiful!

I was in the Grand Floridian for the first time in 1995. The lobby blew me away. Almost twenty years later, it still leaves me awestruck.

I love that lobby, so much so that Franklin had one rule when we decided to buy a DVC contract at VGF: He made me promise that I would actually leave the GF lobby when we stay there.

Those Villas are absolutely amazing!! Beautiful doesn't do them justice! I agree with you that the GF rooms have never really appealed but these certainly do!

Our favorite resort is the WL and VWL. We like the woodsy feel! I love relaxing in the GF lobby though! I think I've taken a few naps on the couches in there!

I'm so with you Paula, it's hard to find adjectives GRAND enough to describe those villas.

Here's my shameful secret, I've never set foot in WL. I want to, desperately, it just hasn't happened yet. I will get there (at the very least next December so I can see the legendary Christmas decorations!)

We didn't even step foot in NFL

All I can do is shake my head.

Nope. I've never been in the Grand Floridian resort either.



OK, that's a pretty cool morning!!!

Delicious breakfast at the Grand Floridian Café. Both of your meals looked incredible.

Then getting added on to the GF villa tour. WOW!!! Really beautiful rooms and spaces.

Of course Franklin's pictures could be in the DVC brochures.

The trundle bed under the tv struck me as odd, though. The people sleeping there couldn't watch and the ones who could would be watching the sleepers.

And the resort that has blown me away. Well, since I have only been to All Star Music, All Star Movies and the Beach Club at Disney, I'm gonna go with BC!

We're going to need to spend about a month at Disney for our eventual girls' trip to take care of all these things you've never seen/done.

Thanks for the excellent VGF Tour & Photos!

You're welcome!

Great update!

Thank you!

May you say?? What dates?? We’ll be there the 4-11th! Ahhh AS IF!! I’M SO EXCITED TO SEE ALL THESE PICTURES THEY’RE GONNA BE SO PRETTY!!

I'll be at Boardwalk May 19-26 (and Franklin will be there May 23-26)! I'm so excited, and now that January is almost over, the May trip is starting to feel close!

I have officially died and gone to heaven…that was an incredible photo tour and I have decided that I NEED to stay in that grand villa! I’ve always wanted to stay at the GF for my wedding trip, but now that villa is going to be what I’m staying in…a girl can dream, right?!

AMAZING PICTURES, seriously. They are gorgeous and I very much appreciate you guys taking them! They suites are amazing. I can’t stop saying how amazing they are!

That is one dream I can TOTALLY get behind! The grand villa is to die for. So sleek and beautiful and all that sunlight! We were just so excited to finally get to see the villas, and I even find myself flipping through those photos every few days. I cannot wait until we stay there in August!!!

Hmmm…there are 2 resorts that come to mind with the mind blowing lobbies!

We had had a SUPER rough and long travel day filled with a bunch of airline travel, and it was my Mom’s first trip to wdw in Sept 2012, so when we walked into the AKL lobby and had a cast member say “Jambo! Welcome home” I was in tears again. The lobby is so HUGE AND MAGESTIC AND I JUST CAN’T, it’s a huge breath of fresh air everytime I walk into it and getting to stay there twice was amazing and wonderful and I looked around every time I walked through.

The other one would be the Yacht Club! We arrived a night early in Dec to avoid airline troubles and ended up booking a one night stay at YC, and despite having been around the resort prior, and hearing amazing things about the lobby, I was totally un prepared and the moment I walked into the lobby I let out a huge gasp and stopped dead, much to the amusement of my friend, and the cast member. It’s not as huge as AKL, but there’s still something so amazing about it!

The GFlo is probably next on that list, but, like you said, there is that whole “stuffy, gramma’s house” thing about it, which is why I’ve been hesitant to stay there, but now that I’ve seen the villas, I know where I’m saving up for!!

I was actually a little surprised how much I loved AKL.You're right, that lobby is truly majestic. You feel like you've completely left Florida.

And Yacht Club is also so pretty! The rich colors and warm wood really set the tone for the elegant resort.

Thanks for posting those pictures of the VBF. It looks so beautiful there. We'll have to stop by the next time we resort hop.

Is that a reflection of Franklin in the picture of the master bedroom of the Grand Villa? It looks like he is taking a picture.

Good eye! That is Franklin in the master bedroom of the GV. The doors on the armoire are mirrored! And VGF is definitely worth a stop while resort hopping.

We love the Epcot resorts, especially the Beach Club, but it was the lobby of the WL that blew me away. When the cast member said "Welcome home" as we walked in, I think I got tears in my eyes.

I'm an Epcot resorts girl at heart. Don't get me wrong, I love CR, BLT and GF. But Boardwalk, Beach Club and Yacht Club are my favorites at Disney. And Boardwalk especially feels like our home. I love how pretty that whole area is. And you can't beat the dining options in those resorts!

I really, really need to visit WL. You guys have totally convinced me.

Oh my gosh, those DVC rooms are ten times larger than our studio apt here in NY. Drooling over all that space! I never liked the Grand Floridian because of personal preference, but those villas completely change my mind about the resort as a whole!

Considering we've only stayed at AKL Jambo during our Disneymoon and Pop Century, I can't say that one resort has really taken my breath away because I am amazed just when we're on Disney property at all! We're usually there with my parents at their timeshare, which I love, but staying on site is such a treat. We're heading back this Saturday and staying at Pop, and I'm so giddy! I love that the magic is present in the value, moderate, and deluxe resorts

Yeah, the size of that GV is ridiculous. I still am in shock how much I liked the villas decor. I really had convinced myself there was no way they would build villas at GF that I would actually like. And then they went and built villas that I LOVE.

I'm with you, I love Disney resorts in general. The details and the colors and the sights and the smells just make them all so inviting!

What a beautiful and peaceful late night at MK!! I feel like a night like that gives you time to truly appreciate the little details around the park!

And, the GF villas are gorgeous!! I am totally with you in that the GF resort rooms don't really do it for me...but those villas are so much more modern. Thank for the photo tour!!

I loooooove MK at night. The lights and the colors are just so magical and you're right, you get more of a chance to notice the details.

Beautiful photos. The Villas at GF are much nicer than I thought. Like you, I didn't care for the décor over at GF. Never had a desire to stay there AT ALL. The villas are beautiful, though. Everything looks crisp and fresh. The bathrooms are amazing. The showers are as bigger than my entire bathroom at home!

I never got to the museum that day to take photos. The snow and really bad weather moved in and no one was going anywhere. We still plan to do a day to see the archives, but no trees this year.

Looks like you all may get some snow today. Hope it's not too bad. The big weather band just missed us. But it is COLD!!!

Have a great day!! Looking forward to hearing (and seeing) all the party stuff!

I'm glad you liked the virtual tour of the villas! The bathrooms are simply stunning. I feel so spoiled that they added stand-alone showers to the studios. That was one of my favorite things about staying in one-bedroom villas and now they made it available in the studios!

Sorry the snow froze out your archives trip. It is REALLY snowing here. They closed the federal government and since Franklin's work goes by the federal government's schedule, he was off work today. I worked from home so I didn't have to drive in the snow. I'm such a girl, I hate driving in bad weather!

Dh was so excited about these photos that last night he pulled it up on the laptop on the dining room table while we were eating dinner to show me!! Seriously, though, how gorgeous are those VGF rooms?!?! That is so cool that y'all were able to get into a tour on the spot to check them out! I have never been too concerned with DVC, but my mind changed when I saw those pics. Stunning!!! I wouldn't mind staying there one day, that's for sure.

Uh-oh. Once the DVC bug bites, it's hard to get rid of. Those villas are pretty convincing though, right? They're totally worth at least one stay!

Oh my gosh, I am in love with those rooms! The Grand Villa is absolutely breathtaking. Penguins are my favorite animal so I have to say that the fountain in the lobby is my favorite part.

As far as resorts I've stayed at, Port Orleans Riverside absolutely blew me away. I thought the mansion buildings and scenery were just as stunning as some of the Deluxe resorts. My dream resort, though, is the Polynesian. I think it's so beautiful and peaceful. I could sit in that lobby for hours just taking everything in!

The fountain is so adorable. And it fits the decor so perfectly. I love all the Mary Poppins details in the lobby and in the villas!

The Poly lobby is pretty awesome. The greenery and the whole natural vibe of GCH is so unlike anywhere else.​

 

[Missyrose]

This is a totally off-topic post. I know there are plenty of people who are probably sick of hearing about our wedding. But I promise, this is it for the wedding posts! We got the rest of our wedding photos and I wanted to share the ways we found to incorporate Disney into our big day. Disney is a big part of our lives, but we didn’t want our wedding to look like a cartoon. So we worked with our planners to make the Disney details subtle and elegant. I was really excited with the way everything came together and I’m really excited to share all of this with you today!

Let’s start with the rehearsal dinner, Franklin’s sister made these gorgeous centerpieces for all the tables. They’re Mickey head topiaries made out of ribbons (in our wedding colors of charcoal and aubergine). They were absolutely adorable!

Let’s start the wedding day in our getting-ready suite. I got a Cinderella-themed hanger for my gown.

Then there were my shoes! My planner had come across these shoes and sent me the link. Christian Louboutin had made a shoe called “Madame Mouse.” And in the words of my best friend and matron of honor Kristin: “You mean to tell me that Christian Louboutin made a Minnie Mouse shoe the year you’re getting married? How could you NOT get them?” It really was one of the easiest decisions of the entire planning process.

I also had a pair of Toms custom painted for later in the evening.

They had “Once Upon a Time” with our engagement date painted on one side.

And it said “Happily Ever After” with our wedding date on the other side.

The amazing thing was the Toms were an off-white color, so all the background color is all hand-painted.

Our photographer got a cute Hidden Mickey picture of our rings on my Kindle cover that has one of Franklin’s Cinderella’s Castle pictures on it.

The inscription on Franklin’s ring reads: Love to infinity and beyond.

I had hoodies made for myself and all my bridesmaids. Theirs had a Minnie head and said “Bridesmaid.” Mine had a bridal Minnie head and read Mrs. Khamvongsa and had the wedding date on it.

For Franklin’s cufflinks, we had custom ones made. They were one of his photos of Spaceship Earth.

For our wedding party photos, I had custom Minnie ears made for my bridesmaids. Their bows matched their dresses and my bow matched my dress and had a cute little veil!

One of my favorite Disney details of the entire wedding was the escort card display. Up is Franklin and my favorite Disney movie and our planners came up with this way to display the escort cards.

The escort cards sat in the grass in front of the house.

There were two places for light designs (and Hidden Mickeys!). The first was on the back wall of the ceremony where the terrace would take place.

The second was on the dance floor.

​

 

[Missyrose]

On the terrace, there was an HVAC unit that was, well, a little ugly. So our planners came up with the idea of creating a screen to cover the unit and included one of my favorite Disney quotes of all-time.

We had a string quartet for the ceremony. The wedding party walked down the aisle to “Once Upon a Dream” from Sleeping Beauty. My dad and I walked down the aisle to “When you Wish Upon a Star.” And our recessional song was “Kiss the Girl.”

The first page of our program also had a Disney quote:
Like a bolt out of the blue,
Fate steps in and see you through.
When you wish upon a star,
Your dreams come true.

In the cocktail hour room, there was a giant video screen. Throughout the night, it scrolled through photos of us, as well as some of Franklin’s favorite photos (most of which were taken at Disney!)

Even the flip-flops we had for all the women had a cute Disney tie-in.

Now you can’t see it in the cake pictures but there is a cute Disney story behind it. We got to know our cake artist, Maggie Austin pretty well during our planning process. You see, she takes all her own pictures of her cakes for her portfolio. She had recently gotten a new camera (a model Franklin used to have) but didn’t really know how to best use it. So we went to her studio a few times so he could give her some pointers on the camera and the editing software. In the course of those visits, we all got to chatting. It turned out that Maggie was going on a Disney trip with her sister’s family and their parents. But none of them really knew what they were doing when it came to planning. So I volunteered to help them with the planning and created a whole itinerary for them. They had a blast!

When our planners brought Franklin and I into the reception room, they wanted to show us where Maggie had marked where we should cut the cake. It was a silver shimmering Mickey head. And they gave us a message from Maggie. She said she’s “never done that before and would never do that again.” It was just for us!

We also played “Be Our Guest” as we cut the cake!

The planners had picked ghost chairs in the room to represent the glass slipper.

And the table decor included white pumpkins as another subtle nod to Cinderella.

Nothing Disney to note here, just a funny picture of the terrifying moment when they lifted me up on the chair during the Hora.

And since photos are such a big part of why Franklin loves Disney, I figure I’d show you his favorite photo of the night. We’d slipped out with our photographers to take some evening photos outside our venue and Franklin wanted a few photos of him with a camera in his hand (it was the first time all day that he’d picked up a camera).

Our photobooth also had Disney hats, Mickey and Minnie ears and Disney-themed signs.

That’s it! What do you guys think? We didn’t want the wedding to feel overpowered by the Disney-ness, so we aimed to have most of the touches be so subtle that some people wouldn’t even realize there was a Disney connection. And I think it all turned out just perfectly!​

 

[ElenaJane]

Um, wow. I mean, wow. Your Disney Wedding details just kept going and going! It would be so hard to pick one out...but ahsjdfhjkdjdf!!! those shoes!! Seriously? Wow. And the Epcot cufflinks? If you had a wedding in Disney....using their Disney Wedding Planner....I cannot imagine you would not of had such attention to Disney detail!

 

[Mom2m&k]

Oh my goodness I think that was just perfect! I think it was done so tastefully...so many wonderful and special little touches! And OH EM GEE the VGF are just beautiful! My DH is sitting next to me and he has never shown any interest in any resort other then our home resort of AKV...however, he just said he would like to live in the VGF!!

 

[roamingcat]

I have one word to describe your wedding - AWESOME!

 

[Ceryssa]

OK seriously? Coolest themed wedding ever. I love the music choices--fun and yet classic. Those colors are gorgeous! I can tell you spent a lot of time planning the details, and it turned out great!! I never would have thought of things like the custom cufflinks or shoes--very nice touches. And the hoodies you had made, awesome bridesmaid gifts!

As for posting wedding details--this IS your honeymoon TR! It's kinda related. And it's even Disney-related! I love it.