40 is fabulous, but it's magical with the Mouse! A Mar 2015 PTR

[IndianaRRT]

Greetings to all who enter here!

Welcome to our first PTR! Please take a moment to read our terms and conditions:



You (referred to here as “the reader”) hereby agree to read our plans with at least a minimum degree of enthusiasm and to refrain from any snickering, snorting, or judging of the fact that the author is really an overgrown child masquerading as a responsible adult. The reader further agrees to post replies with good ideas or the aforementioned enthusiasm as the author and family prepare to embark on their adventure.


Agree?


Good!


Now for some introductions!


Here we are…

I’m Mary. Nice to meet you! Currently I’m counting down the days to the big 4-0, which is why this PTR exists. I’m a Disney fanatic who didn’t get to make my 1st visit until 2007. This will be my 3rd trip. My favorite park is Epcot and favorite Disney movie is Peter Pan. While I used to work as a respiratory therapist, I’ve been in engine remanufacturing since last April, and I LOVE MY JOB! 2015 is a big year for me—not only do I have a milestone birthday, but DH and I will also celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary this fall.


DH is the strong silent type, but don’t let that serious face fool you—he’s a Disney fan of the highest order. He was blessed to go several times as a kid, but didn’t go back as an adult until he took us in 2007. We met and married in college where he played football, and I was very active in community work and Greek life. Now, he works in manufacturing management and coaches middle school football in our southern Indiana community. His favorite park is Magic Kingdom and his favorite movie is Mary Poppins. And DH is a Dole Whip lover. Seriously, it’s all the man’s talked about!


DD is sweet 16 and a high school sophomore, and like her momma and daddy, loves all things Disney. She also loves Doctor Who and Sherlock, Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and has an eclectic music collection. Our princess has a razor-sharp wit and is quick with the pun. Her favorite park is Magic Kingdom, and her favorite movie is Peter Pan. She is beyond excited for this trip, not only because it’s WDW, but also because it extends her Spring Break by an extra week.


DS is almost 19. He’s a college freshman and attends our alma mater. He’s also following in his daddy’s footsteps as a football player there! He’s our prince, but he’s a very predictable college kid. He loves food, girls, food, football, music, sleeping late, free food, and the occasional glorious text/email that class has been cancelled. While not the Disney fan that the rest of us are, he loves his mother (we share a birthday) and would like us to continue paying for his education, so he’s being a good sport and playing along. Plus, it’s a free trip to Florida! With great food! Doesn’t he have the best parents?!?


We'll be driving from southern Indiana, just steps from the mighty Ohio River, and will be staying at Port Orleans Riverside from 3/29-4/3.


Now that we’ve made our introductions, you need to know how this whole birthday trip came about! Please join us!

 

[IndianaRRT]

Part 1: SURPRISE!!!!



So, what’s the big deal about celebrating my 40th birthday at Disney? Well, maybe it’s not a big deal to some, but to me, it’s because for my big birthday, DH gave me the World.


Seriously.


Here’s how it went down. This time last year, I said to DH and DD, “I would love, love, love to spend my birthday at Disney.”


“Well, maybe I can’t spend the ACTUAL day, cause it’s Easter and all. But maybe really close.”


At that point, DS (still a high school senior) made noises like Chewbacca might make if he had stomach and intestinal issues. Groaning. Moaning. Pained agony even. Suddenly, DS realized he’d be in college by then. Hallelujah! “Go ahead, Mom! That’s awesome! You should do that.” He thought he was off the proverbial hook. [Insert maniacal laugh here]


Fast forward to August. DS’s first college tuition payment was due. We’re a normal middle class family with normal middle class jobs. I could’ve gone to Disney 3 times on what we gave for the first payment. I looked at DH and said, “Well, we can watch a Disney movie for my birthday.” I’m a mom first. The kids come first. No big trip for Momma. And it was ok.


Or so I thought.


January 2015. It’s a normal Wednesday night at our house. I made dinner. DH took DD to her academic team practice and brought her home again. DS was at school. I cleaned the kitchen and started getting ready for bed. Then DH said, “Come into the living room and sit down. We need to talk.” Fear shot through me. What’s wrong? Is someone sick? Am I sick? Is everyone’s job ok? Did he do the laundry and turn everything pink?


DD got her phone out and held it up to take a photo. I looked at her as if she were crazy.


WHAT IN THE SAM HILL IS GOING ON HERE?!!?


DH began. “I know we said we couldn’t do it. But you deserve to have what you wanted for your birthday. Please don’t get mad at me for going behind your back.”


Get to the point, man! I was sweating!


“But it’s all taken care of. We’re going to Disney World the week before your birthday.”


Whaaaaaaaaaa?


I asked him if this was real. I couldn’t believe it.


Do I have the best hubby in the world or what?


DD snapped a picture and texted it to her brother. The phone rang. It was DS. Then the details came out. DH had been working on this since autumn. He’d told my mother and stepfather at Christmas. His co-worker helped him with the planning. And he’d managed to keep the kids quiet. And all the while, I—the one who keeps all the plates spinning in this family—was the last one to know.


I cried like a baby. Like a momma. Like a wife whose husband has moved the moon and stars to give her the 40th birthday present of her dreams.


“So, get on the internet,” DH said. “Here’s your budget. It’s your trip. Whatever you want to do, let’s do it.”


Wishes come true, DISers.


Stay tuned! We’ll start laying out the plans next!

 

[princessbelle2015]

Joining in. What a great surprise from your family.

 

[IndianaRRT]

Joining in. What a great surprise from your family.

Welcome and thanks for joining! I'm so excited to hear thoughts and ideas on our adventure.

 

[IndianaRRT]

25 days until we leave!!!

So, so happy!

Even though we don't arrive until the 29th, we'll be on the road the day before. And with 9-15 inches of snow forecast for southern Indiana, I'm happy thinking warm Disney thoughts. And what better thought to begin with than our resort!

Port Orleans Riverside!

Seriously...who wouldn't want to stay here?

Our last visit we stayed at Pop Century, and we loved it! But POR has been on the wish list for many years, so it was my first choice once DH gave me this amazing gift. And what better way to spend my birthday trip than...

A royal room!

So, while we wait with the yardstick to measure another snow, I'll be Disney Dreaming. Can't wait to share park plans and ADRs next!

 

[princessbelle2015]

The royal room at POR look great!

 

[accountingbabe08]

what a wonderful surprise... I look forward to reading more about your trip. I went to WDW last year from 3/18-3/25 two weeks after I got back I had a massive stroke. I am ok now and look forward to going back sometime in 2016.

 

[disneyjes]

Joining on in! What a wonderful and sweet surprise!!!!! How exciting

 

[IndianaRRT]

The royal room at POR look great!

I think so too. Can't wait to be there!

what a wonderful surprise... I look forward to reading more about your trip. I went to WDW last year from 3/18-3/25 two weeks after I got back I had a massive stroke. I am ok now and look forward to going back sometime in 2016.

I was so glad to read that you're ok now! Thanks for being part of our journey!

Joining on in! What a wonderful and sweet surprise!!!!! How exciting

Welcome! I still marvel at his thoughtfulness. Thank you!

 

[IndianaRRT]

The World arrived in a brown box...

So in honor of our Magic Bands arriving today, let's talk plans!

This family is headed south 3 weeks from today, and though it seems like an eternity, it'll be here before we know it. We woke up Thursday morning to 10 inches of snow in our backyard, so planning my Disney days have been a great distraction.

I'll save the mile-by-mile pics and details for the future TR, but our trek to Orlando will take us through Bowling Green, KY--->Nashville, TN--->Chattanooga, TN--->Atlanta, GA--->GA/FL state line the first day. We'll bunk down 3 hours north of POR, then get up early Sunday and (hopefully) be arriving around 10am. And our fun can begin!

For a "plan-to-the-minute" tourist, I am surprisingly relaxed about our plans this trip. But since DS and DD are essentially adults, we can change things on the fly and not worry about strollers and gear and exhausted kiddos. And part of the reason for this PTR is to hear your ideas and experiences, so we're totally open to your suggestions. So, without further ado...

Day 1--Sunday Funday

We are a park-hopping family, but Day 1 will most likely be pretty contained. We plan to arrive at POR, check in (probably leaving our bags stored happily in our car until our room is ready), and head to Downtown Disney.

I love the idea of getting right to some retail. What if I find the perfect souvenir at World of Disney?

And as the birthday girl, I totally reserve the right to find some chocolate or candy that could, in theory, make it home with me.

(Who am I kidding? It'll never make it home!! )

And hungry Disney fans have to fuel up for the day ahead, so we'll be noshing here:

We haven't been here before, but one look at the menu told us we'd all be happy!


Then, it's off to....

EPCOT!!!

Holy mackerel, this is my favorite place. Seriously, if I could pitch a tent near a bench somewhere near Morocco, it'd be heavenly for sure. We have FP+ for the Character Spot, Soaring, and Mission:SPACE, so we'll be taking those in, as well as making our first lap around the World Showcase. And, it's our first time for the Flower and Garden Festival, so we know our first day will be full of fantastic rides, experiences, and photo ops.

Now, what could make the 1st day of my birthday trip to WDW with my family even better?

The news that 2 of my best girlfriends will be there, too!!

K and S (real names a secret to protect the shenanigans) will be wrapping up their Disney Cruise that VERY day and staying at POR that night as well before their flight back to Indiana on Monday. And nope, we didn't plan it that way. DH had no idea the girls were even going when he planned my surprise.

It was a big ole Pixie Dustin' party when we figured out we would be at the same resort on Sunday.


And to make it even more special, S's birthday is the next day. Sure, she'll be on a flight home while we're just getting started with Day 2, but we'll just celebrate on Sunday night!

So, here's where you all can chime in...what would you do? K and S will not have park tickets, so we'll meet them when we're done at EPCOT. We've thought about dinner at a place on the Boardwalk or resort hopping a little. We don't have an ADRs yet, but we could make some. K would love to see the Electrical Water Pageant, so where's the best place to see it? What's a great "first night at Disney with my best girlfriends and family and double birthday celebration" fun thing to do? Can't wait to hear your ideas!

After our birthday fun with K and S, we'll head back to POR where I'll try to remember to write down some thoughts from our day. Then it's off to dreamland with the little fireworks show from my headboard lighting the way!

Yep, I'm gonna be 40. Not 5. But I'm gonna love me some Royal Room cuteness!

 

[IndianaRRT]

Life update and Day 2 plans

So, the snow blanketed us here in God's country, but not for long! We've had 2 days in the upper 60's with tomorrow predicted to be 70 degrees.

Because I work in the engine re-manufacturing industry, hard winters translate into big business. So work has been super busy, but believe me, that's a good thing. It's slowed down my trip-reporting though, and maybe a little bit of planning. But DS was home from college this weekend, so we took that opportunity to get him all caught up, and now...it's onto

Day 2--Nobody dislikes Monday in Disney World!!

Monday morning, we'll wake up at POR hopefully rested and definitely happy. No breakfast ADR for Monday, but instead we'll have some in-room goodies like granola, oatmeal, fruit bars, etc. And of course, all 4 of us are coffee drinkers. That should fuel us up before we head to the buses.

Our park for the day...

Animal Kingdom!

I love the idea of this being our first park. Since our "kids" are not kids at all, we don't feel rushed to get to MK (though we love it), and we can really take our time to enjoy all the beauty AK has to offer. My one priority was trying to land an early FP+ for the Safari, and our window opens at 9:20 am. Like most, the Safari is a family favorite, and I'm hoping to get pictures that have more variety than this:

Yes, it's blurry, but this is what I usually get--a whole lotta animal booty! Boy, would Megan Trainor be proud. So here's to all the best chances I have for getting the 'heads' instead of the 'tails' in the proverbial Safari coin flip on AK day.

Lunch will be QS. If Flame Tree is back open by then, I think that's the winner. But we've looked at some nom noms at Yak & Yeti QS as well. We also have FP+ for Dinosaur and Expedition Everest, and we'll catch Flights of Wonder, Festival of the Lion King, and It's Tough To Be a Bug.

Just for fun, here's a little throwback to our 2007 trip when we saw It's Tough To Be A Bug. *sigh* They grow up so fast.

After we wind up our AK day, it'll be back to POR for our dinner ADR at Boatwright's. We are really looking forward to trying our resort's restaurant, especially since it's long been a favorite of many close friends. Then after dinner, it's free time. We may head to DHS for some late EMH, we may catch a movie at POR...it's all up in the air. It's one luxury of this crew not being little anymore.

We'll be in the World 2 weeks from today! Hope to update every day this week, friends!

 

[IndianaRRT]

Time gets away from me...

I had every intention of updating my PTR all week, but it was so crazy. Alas, it didn't happen.

We leave one week from today!! It's time for us to start the prep. Car prep, trip prep, packing, budgeting. All you fabulous DISers know what goes into leaving for the Happiest Place on Earth. And call me crazy, but I totally adore it.

We'll start today with car prep--detailing our vehicle (we our Jeep) and making sure we've got room for everything. And this road trip will be different in that we have to prepare the technology. When our kids were small, DVD players and personal devices in the car were nowhere near this common. Now, DD wants to make sure she has movies and tv shows ready on her iPad. DS wants more music and new games on his iPhone. I can't wait to put all sorts of new reading material on my Kindle.

And DH is thrilled that everyone will be so busy while he's driving that we won't be critiquing his music choices.

It's been 5 years since we've taken this kind of road trip. Lots of smaller ones, but none more than 6 hours.

As the week goes on, we'll get our "summer" clothes packed. So far, the weather looks promising--80 degrees-ish with occasional rain. Friday, DH starts his time off as he travels north to get DS from college. DD is on her spring break. It's just so exciting!! Family, traveling, vacation, birthday!!

What's your favorite part of trip preparation? Hope you're along while we detail more of our plans!

 

[IndianaRRT]

Backtrack and update...
So earlier, kids, we were trying to decide what to do Sunday evening (day 1) with my best girlfriends, K and S, as they join us at the World after their Disney Cruise concludes. They're also staying at POR that night, and we wanted to do something fun to celebrate S's birthday the next day. And today, the plans were made...

After our family enjoys some Epcot time, we'll be headed to Fort Wilderness for a dinner ADR with K and S at Trails End! Boy, am I looking forward to this! This resort is always one I've wanted to explore, and we hear Trails End is yummy. I think everyone will find something they enjoy. Then we'll head down to the beach and hopefully see some (or all) of Wishes, followed by the Electrical Water Pageant.

We couldn't be happier with this ADR. Day 1 is gonna be wonderful!

 

[ursalita]

Hi! I'm joining in. What a wonderful surprise from your family and a bonus night with your besties!

Your leaving so soon. How exciting! And your road trip actually sounds really fun. I don't think I could handle the trip now since my kids are still young but maybe in the future. It's cool to be seeing so many parts of the country even just from car.

I've heard really good things about the food at Trail's End. I really wanted to fit in an ADR for our trip this year but it didn't work out. I'm sure you'll enjoy!

 

[GracieKam]

Joining also! A couple years ago I was lucky enough to spend my 41st bday in Magic Kingdom!

 

[IndianaRRT]

Hi! I'm joining in. What a wonderful surprise from your family and a bonus night with your besties!

Your leaving so soon. How exciting! And your road trip actually sounds really fun. I don't think I could handle the trip now since my kids are still young but maybe in the future. It's cool to be seeing so many parts of the country even just from car.

I've heard really good things about the food at Trail's End. I really wanted to fit in an ADR for our trip this year but it didn't work out. I'm sure you'll enjoy!

Welcome, ursalita! Thank you so much! It's getting so close, and it'll be here in a flash. We're looking forward to our road trip, which was a bit more challenging when the kids were smaller. Our route to WDW takes us through 2 of our very favorite cities (Chattanooga and Atlanta), so it's enjoyable for us. And we're excited about Trails End and Ft. Wilderness in general. K & S just left on their girls' cruise this morning. It'll be so much fun to hear all about their trip while we're together.

Joining also! A couple years ago I was lucky enough to spend my 41st bday in Magic Kingdom!

Thanks for coming along, GracieKam! If you had any fun birthday experiences, please tell me all about them. I'm hoping for a sprinkle of Pixie Dust while we're there. But if not, I'm still at WDW with my awesome family, so it'll be great!

 

[IndianaRRT]

OHMIGOSH! It's just a week!

And only 6 days until we leave!

So let's do some catching up. DD and I are spending the rest of this weekend watching Disney movies (Brave, Tangled, Little Mermaid) while DH works on packing. He worked at UPS during and right after college, and the "I can get all that stuff in this tiny space" fuse still works!

So DD and I have made a couple shirts. Here's my Minnie shirt for our MK day:

DD isn't done with hers yet, but she's working hard on a Baymax shirt. Hopefully she'll be done with it tonight, and I can share it with all of you!

And to countdown this week as we prepare to leave, DH and I visited his mom today, and got copies of pictures from his WDW visits in 76, 85, and 86. And let me tell you, DH was a cutiepahtootie of the highest order. Can't wait to be sharing those gems with you and our social media friends this week!

So let's talk about Magic Kingdom!

Day 3--Mickey and Magic on a Terrific Tuesday

Our Tuesday will start with a 7:50 am ADR at Chef Mickey's.

And I am completely scared of this meal. Yep, almost 40 and scared of a meal. All I read on these boards is what a nightmare this place has turned into. The place is dirty, they say. The food is cold and scarcer than a potato in a famine, they say. The characters don't remember they're characters and barely brush by your table, they say.

I'm hoping that the little bit of pixie dust I get on this trip makes the food good and filling and gives me enough time with the characters to get a hug and a picture. And that it's not dirty. But Tusker House was booked, and I knew of no other place I could have a birthday breakfast with the the fab five. So please, please Tink, if you have any to sprinkle, please let Chef Mickey's be a decent place.

From the Contemporary, we'll move on to MK! All of our FP+ are for the evening, but I'm happy to say we have BTMRR, PPF, and 7 Dwarves Mine Train, which will be after dark. We've had friends ride this after dark and say they love it. But all that evening revelry leaves our daytime free as we please. DH will be in line for a Dole Whip ASAP. We'll ride as much as we can and explore Fantasyland, since that's all new to us. We have a lunch ADR at BOG! Our favorites are the teacups, POTC (which we know is having challenges), and Philharmagic. But we're gonna have as much fun as we can!

We'll be doing QS for dinner, maybe at CHH, and I'm really looking forward to the parades and, of course, Wishes! Such a wonderful day planned!

 

[IndianaRRT]

5 days until we leave!

6 days until we're there!

All of you who've commented and those of you who've read our plans !

Our excitement is building, and we're looking forward to this time as a family. But you all know what it's like as the days count down to something you're sooooo ready for--time just t...i...c...k...s... along . But I'm happy to report the work day moved along at a decent pace, so Monday down!

I'm excited to talk about our plans for day 4!

Day 4--Wonderful Wednesday with Walt!

Our Wednesday will be April Fool's Day, but we won't be feeling foolish in the World. Our park for the day...

I know this DHS is not a favorite for everyone, but I really, really love this park. I'm an old Hollywood fan. I'm an Art Deco nerd. I love old radio shows, old movies (even silent films), and all that cheesy great stuff. So you can imagine how giddy I am as I walk through the entrance and onto that fantastic street front. Photo ops galore! But we also have rides to ride and shows to see!

Our FP+ for the day are TSMM, ToT, and Star Tours. We'll have breakfast at Starring Rolls, and a QS lunch. Last visit, we ate at Pizza Planet and really liked it, but the great thing about QS is we can decide as we go. And we'll be sure to catch the MuppetVision 3D, Indiana Jones Stunt Show, and One Man's Dream. We're also excited to visit Animation Academy for the first time.

Our Wednesday dinner ADR will take us over to Beach Club for Beaches & Cream! All 4 of us agree that the menu and decor/theme there will be a great addition to our DHS day. After dinner, it's back to DHS for Fantasmic!

The rest of our night is up in the air, and we're so glad we built some "free" time into the schedule. Our Wednesday in the World is really something to be happy about!

 

[IndianaRRT]

Hello again! It's 3 days until we leave!

And 4 days until we arrive!

We've been using our evenings to get things ready a little at a time because Saturday morning at 4 AM, we're rolling out... Packing and 'to-do' lists are the order. So let's review our plans for

Day 5--Thursday Around the World

Our last full day at WDW is always bittersweet. We want special plans but it's sad that it's the "last". On 4/2, we're pretty happy with what's ahead.

We'll start our day with our breakfast ADR at MK, Crystal Palace This is our first meal there, and we're looking forward to this. We have a 7:20 AM ADR, so we should be able to get in a few minutes before the early EMH begins. Maybe we can get a picture without a huge crowd.

Epcot opens at 9, so we'll have time to hop the monorail over. We have a Test Track FP+ and lunch will be "eating around the World". We did this on our 2010 visit by getting a dish in each country in the WS and splitting it among the 4 of us. It was so fun! We look forward to exploring one of our favorite places anywhere. We love the Mexico pavilion, but they all have so much to offer.

As the day winds down, we may use our park hoppers and check out something we'd like to do again. And then, it's a late ADR for dinner at Ohana! This is another first for us. Although our reservations are 9:15 and Wishes should start at 9, you never know! We may catch a glimpse or 2 if we're lucky. Regardless, we're excited about trying Ohana and spending that time together.

It'll be here before we know it! And there's still packing and laundry to do!

 

[IndianaRRT]

Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh!! We leave in the morning!! 0400, if you're military inclined. I can't put into words the excitement. But all you DISers know...

We really hope you all will join us after we get home and start our trip report. May God bless your week and your Easter celebrations!