*12/13 Some News* 39 and Going Back at Christmas! A Dec. PTR

[ladybugmom]

We're home!!

I've started a trip report that you can find here:

Pole Dancing and Food Porn

YAY!! Headed that way!

 

[All7OfUs]

Coming on over~

 

[shannn]

I'll be officially starting my TR tonight, so I changed the title of this PTR to focus on my December trip. I'm reposting my dilemma hoping for advice. Here it is:

We were booked for our first night (Saturday) at the Holiday Inn in Downtown Disney. Well, now I'm reading that they aren't going to be ready for their opening (although I'm only reading that on the boards. I haven't gotten any official notification.) My dilemma is this: Do I
1) take a chance that they will be ready and wait and see
2) jump off the sinking ship like lots of people on the boards are and try and find another hotel room
3) try to change our ressie for OKW and pay cash for Saturday night
4) try to find a room at a different onsite hotel

I'm leaning toward trying to book a cash ressie for OKW for Saturday night. Changing resorts was a royal pain this time.

 

[shannn]

The times they are a-changing

So, after all that planning, things are changing all over the place. My Saturday dilemma may be moot because we got our karate schedule for this term and guess when the graduation ceremony is?

Yep, Saturday, December 19!!

And, my child is getting his black belt.

After 4 years of training.

So, I have no choice not to be here. Luckily, my DVC reservation was for Sunday & Monday nights anyway. I called my friend who's the member and asked her to call about adding on Tuesday night. My fingers are crossed that it will work. I've been thinking all afternoon about dining reservations. So, right now, I have these reservations:

Saturday 12/19
Brown Derby 7:55 (probably will cancel)

Sunday 12/20
Olivia's 12:30 (probably will cancel)
Les Chefs 7:00 pm (may try to move later if we're driving all day today)

Monday 12/21
Chef Mickey's 10:00 pm (probably will cancel since the staying for EMH Sunday night thing won't work if we've been driving all day)
Chef Mickey's 12:20 pm
California Grill 7:10pm (is this early enough to get finished in time for the Wishes cruise? I thought it was earlier and now I'm really nervous about it.)

Tuesday 12/22
Grand Floridian Cafe 12:35
Yachtsman 8:30 pm (is this the signature I should go with this night??)

Wednesday 12/23
Brown Derby 11:35 am

 

[Happydog]

When is the Wishes Cruise? 7:10 at Cali Grill is likely to be closer to 7:20ish for seating, and then they are rather leisurely in there service, purposefully, they don't rush, so what time and where do you go for the cruise??? Is it 9pm? If so that might be a LITTLE close, yes, but if it is 10, that should be fine...

 

[shannn]

Advice Needed---

I did get our ressie extended although we're going to have to move to SSR for the last night. It will be okay though.

I've been changing dining all morning (love the online reservations!), and I think I have a new plan. Here it is:

12/20 drive all day
DHS for Osborne Lights only
Hollywood Brown Derby 7:55 dinner

12/21 EPCOT RD
Les Chefs 12:00
California Grill 5:55 or 7:10

12/22 MK RD
Chef Mickey's 12:20
Yachtsman 8:30

12/23 DHS RD
Grand Floridian Cafe 12:30
drive home

So, what I need help with is California Grill. Yes, right now I have TWO reservations (bad girl!!), but I'm going to cancel one of them when I get this figured out. ANITA, what time were we supposed to meet? An hour before Wishes? I think Wishes is at 10 so we'll have to meet at 9. Should I go with the 7:10 reservation or the 5:55 reservation. With the 5:55 we'll have plenty of time, but we'll have just eaten at Les Chefs at 12:00!! I don't know what to do!

 

[erika412]

I came and have no advice. I'm not the scheduler in the family, but DH is and he is reading your PTR, so I will make him come here if he has any words of wisdom.

 

[MrsSpratt]

I would go for the

I don't know. They really are only an hour apart - I guess the question is do you want to watch Wishes from CG or in the MK?

Maybe the 5.55pm, then watch Wishes from the train station bridge? (I'm really no help....)

Mrs. Spratt

 

[middlepat]

I came and have no advice. I'm not the scheduler in the family, but DH is and he is reading your PTR, so I will make him come here if he has any words of wisdom.

I've been recruited.

Personally I would take the 5:55 CG ressie, but I would do the following, show up early at Chef's. See if they will seat you sooner than your ADR. This way if they let you in, it will add a bit more separation from dinner. This way you are not rushing you dinner, you will get to enjoy the Wishes cruise and hopefully you won't have too much time to kill after dinner before the cruise. Alternatively, if you do have time, a nice stroll through the Poly (which is so close and on the Monorail line) might be nice.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Shannon, I thought we were meeting between 9:00 and 9:30.....
So I see you are doing Osbourne lights on Sunday. Can we expect to see you there? We are eating at 50's PT at 4:00 then hanging around the park to see the lights, then heading to MK for Spectro and Wishes....I hope!
Anita

 

[wigdoutdismom]

OK, let me get this straight....
You have a 7:10 ressie for Cali Grill?
We are meeting at the boat dock at 9ish?
You will be right there at the Contemporary, even if it took you an hour and a half to eat you still would have plenty of time to get down to the dock.

Do you know if they have blankets on the boat?

 

[MaryAz]

I would take the earlier time just in case things run late. IMO it is better to have more time than you need.

 

[cmskok]

Hi! I just found you and I have been reading your TR and PTR. I just had to jump in and defend kimsstitchintime. I ordered several shirts from her and they turned out perfect...I feel bad that you did not have the same experience. I just checked back on Etsy and looked at her feedback and it was 99%positive so I think it was of course a fluke that yours came incorrectly...

Hopefully it won't happen again, I planned to order more from her for our upcoming trip!!

Your mom and monther in law seem great! I hope your weather wasn't as hot as ours was in September!!

 

[shannn]

cmskok,

I'm so glad your things turned out well! I noticed that kim's feedback was really good, so hopefully my experience was a fluke. I was really upset, but it all worked out okay.

I hope your things turn out perfectly and your trip is magical!

My mom & MIL are both wonderful. I'm very lucky!!

~~~
Anita,
We are having dinner at DHS at 7:45 on Sunday night and hopefully seeing the lights. I'd love to go over the MK afterwards too, but I'm going to play that by ear because we will have driven all day so we may be beat!

~~~~
I'm still torn because some people think the 7:10 time will work, but I think more people are leading towards the earlier time in case we need more time. Maybe I should keep trying for a 6:30 time??

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Shannon, keep trying for that 6:30 if you are more comfortable with it! Trying to hurry isn't fun at all!
Now, when we were there in June some days we had lunch at noon and dinner around 5:00. We were so darn busy that we were ready to eat again. So you might be OK with that earlier time....

 

[shannn]

So, I am still trying for the 6:30 time. I've about decided to keep the 5:55 time if I don't get one a little later. I'd rather have more time to hang out there than worry about getting down to the dock on time. If we end up with extra time, we'll just explore the CR.

21 more days of November + 19 days in December= 40 Days until our trip!!!


Which means,
21 more days of November + 10 days in December= 31 Days until Courtney's birthday and I reveal her surprise! I've been thinking a lot about how to do it. It will be at a birthday party that we're having for her on December 10.

Here's my idea so far: (btw, her mom told me that she had an inkling when I talked with her in September about Disney, so I haven't mentioned it at all since then.)

1) Wrap up balloons that will come out when she opens up a big box and tie a note onto one of the balloons
2) Get tie-dyed green & red Mickey tees and give them to her with a note under them
3) Get personalized maps and wrap them up

More ideas?

I did buy a used copy of the Unofficial Guide at a book store near us. I'm going to highlight and sticky note the places where we're going (probably leaving the Wishes cruise as a surprise) so she can read it in the week before we go and get ideas for things she wants to do.

 

[ladybugmom]

Oh wow!! How exciting!! My friend Kristen here on the DIS surprised her mom with a Disney trip--she posted about it here and she did some cute things. Let me see if I can find the link to her PTR!! I'll be back!!

 

[ladybugmom]

Here you go!! It's the first post in her TR!! http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2301918

 

[manntra]

I like the first idea with the balloon...it reminds me of the Disney commercial when the balloon comes out of the envelope
How exciting!!

Tracy

 

[All7OfUs]

Could you do some sort of scavenger hunt with progressive clues?? Ending with a treasure box and the balloons??

Dying to find out what you go with!