A Birthday Trip without a Birthday - 2/16: Conclusion and Bonus Birthday Tea

[tiggrbaby]

Sounds like you are on track! Makes it more real, too.

 

[vamassey1]

Important "must dos" now checked off.

 

[nodnol]

I still have to update my information on the ESTA system... Maybe I will get it done this weekend. Right now we are busy cleaning our storage room (we now have space for a Cars2 poster. And as summer seems to have definitely ended in Berlin, nothing tempts me to go outside.

What about the new "entrance fee" to the USA? Will I have to pay this upon entering, do you know about that Magdalene?

 

[Flossbolna]

I still have to update my information on the ESTA system... Maybe I will get it done this weekend. Right now we are busy cleaning our storage room (we now have space for a Cars2 poster. And as summer seems to have definitely ended in Berlin, nothing tempts me to go outside.

What about the new "entrance fee" to the USA? Will I have to pay this upon entering, do you know about that Magdalene?

It is even colder here in Nuremberg: 13°C!!! (that's about 55°F).

Don't worry about the "entrance fee" it is only payable for new ESTA registrations. So you don't have to pay.

 

[nodnol]

Thank you, it is really great to have you as my personal travel agent!

 

[podsnel]

I am another one of your fall-behind readers, so sorry! Shame on me! Maybe it has something to do with writing 2 TRs at once... Anyway....

Loved taking a trip to Helsinki with you and your gorgeous photos! And I am very excited for you managing to find a whole slew of firsts to try on your next WDW visit- I always am excited to try new experiences there as well, and I am starting to feel like I am running out of them...almost... Good thing they keep imagineering new things!

You can't smile on passports? We just renewed ours this year right before our cruise- with big 'ol smiling faces. Well...smiling until we compared our pics from our old passports that were taken 10 years ago...OUCH!! We are OLD!!!

 

[englishrose47]

Magdalen we have to get our heads together for our Meet in October !! Next week I will start my touring plans for the 5 days we are their based around our ressies !! Our group this year seems a little older so it may be a slower paced trip !!
Next year Carol and I are definately going to Universal , and a seperate trip to Disney, and I may even get to do a cruise and all for FREE. If we do the cruise I too will need a new passport mine expired years ago , but as long as I can dig it out I should have no problems !!

 

[Flossbolna]

I'm glad to see you're getting those important things done, like passports and park tickets.

Sounds like everything is falling into place!

Sounds like you are on track! Makes it more real, too.

Important "must dos" now checked off.

Yes, it really makes the trip feel much closer now!!

The funny thing is, as I cross things from the to do list, new things are creeping onto it... Now, I also have to order the MNSSHP tickets - seems like I have to order them in advance to get the DVC discount. And we need to order the Universal tickets through Dreams Unlimited to get the deal on the shuttle...

Katharina and I had a long planning talk yesterday and we came up with a few tweaks for our schedule and rearranged a few ADRs (luckily there was still a lot of availability!). I am starting to get very excited about the trip!! Only 6 more weeks at work!

 

[Flossbolna]

I am another one of your fall-behind readers, so sorry! Shame on me! Maybe it has something to do with writing 2 TRs at once... Anyway....

Loved taking a trip to Helsinki with you and your gorgeous photos! And I am very excited for you managing to find a whole slew of firsts to try on your next WDW visit- I always am excited to try new experiences there as well, and I am starting to feel like I am running out of them...almost... Good thing they keep imagineering new things!

You can't smile on passports? We just renewed ours this year right before our cruise- with big 'ol smiling faces. Well...smiling until we compared our pics from our old passports that were taken 10 years ago...OUCH!! We are OLD!!!

Don't worry about falling behind... I am soooo behind on your TR it just isn't funny...

I hope you got through Irene without too much trouble, I guess you must have been affected by it? I was thinking of you this weekend!

Glad you liked Helsinki, it was a very pretty place.

And I know what you mean about running out of new things, I still have some time, but yes, they definitely need to keep refreshing the parks!

Somehow for the digitalized pictures you cannot have your teeth showing... And I know what you mean about comparing the 10 year old passport to the new...

 

[Flossbolna]

Magdalen we have to get our heads together for our Meet in October !! Next week I will start my touring plans for the 5 days we are their based around our ressies !! Our group this year seems a little older so it may be a slower paced trip !!
Next year Carol and I are definately going to Universal , and a seperate trip to Disney, and I may even get to do a cruise and all for FREE. If we do the cruise I too will need a new passport mine expired years ago , but as long as I can dig it out I should have no problems !!

Rosie, welcome back!! I am looking forward to find out what your plans are and I am sure that we will be able to come up with a meet which makes sense for all of us!

How exciting that you are definitely going to Universal and Disney next year. And the cruise would make it even better. So much travelling! But I think it is also a lot of work which you put into those "free trips", so I think it is a very fair deal they are getting from you!!

 

[podsnel]

Don't worry about falling behind... I am soooo behind on your TR it just isn't funny...

I hope you got through Irene without too much trouble, I guess you must have been affected by it? I was thinking of you this weekend!

Glad you liked Helsinki, it was a very pretty place.

And I know what you mean about running out of new things, I still have some time, but yes, they definitely need to keep refreshing the parks!

Somehow for the digitalized pictures you cannot have your teeth showing... And I know what you mean about comparing the 10 year old passport to the new...

We did fine in the hurricane, thanks for thinking of us! It had been downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it got here- we were ready for disaster with water, food & candles, but never needed it- the power never quuit, and we had no flooding, just a mess outside from fallen branches. Others in our town were not so lucky, lots of peole are without power for a week and lots of flooded basements. Many streets are still closed today due to downed wires and trees. Really, we are very, very lucky. NYC shut down, that NEVER happens.

We also had an earthquake last week- that never happens either. Crazy, crazy, crazy!!!!

 

[Curiouser&curiouser!]

Yippee for all your passports! The trip will be here before you know it!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Glad all of your paperwork is in order! Seems like we're making it harder and harder to travel anywhere these days. Did you have to provide a vial of blood or promise to hand over your firstborn at customs?

 

[englishrose47]

Rosie, welcome back!! I am looking forward to find out what your plans are and I am sure that we will be able to come up with a meet which makes sense for all of us!

How exciting that you are definitely going to Universal and Disney next year. And the cruise would make it even better. So much travelling! But I think it is also a lot of work which you put into those "free trips", so I think it is a very fair deal they are getting from you!!

I am working on the plans this week !! We are really flexible other than on Friday 14th we are doing the Safari Tour from 1 p - 4p !! So other than supper plans we can flex around as we have Hoppers and even better BLUE CARDS , so we don't have to wait in line which is such a blessing as some of them don't so well waiting and some can't be in crowds for to long and can't s go on !!

 

[marvali]

I am working on the plans this week !! We are really flexible other than on Friday 14th we are doing the Safari Tour from 1 p - 4p !! So other than supper plans we can flex around as we have Hoppers and even better BLUE CARDS , so we don't have to wait in line which is such a blessing as some of them don't so well waiting and some can't be in crowds for to long and can't s go on !!

Must be nice being able to go on a trip when your plans are totally flexible and you can just "go with the flow!" I am waaaayyyyyyyy too OCD to EVER be able to make such a trip!!!

 

[Flossbolna]

We did fine in the hurricane, thanks for thinking of us! It had been downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it got here- we were ready for disaster with water, food & candles, but never needed it- the power never quuit, and we had no flooding, just a mess outside from fallen branches. Others in our town were not so lucky, lots of peole are without power for a week and lots of flooded basements. Many streets are still closed today due to downed wires and trees. Really, we are very, very lucky. NYC shut down, that NEVER happens.

We also had an earthquake last week- that never happens either. Crazy, crazy, crazy!!!!

Yes, it sounds indeed that far too many weired things are happening in your area right now! I hope things quiet down a bit for the rest of the year!!

Yippee for all your passports! The trip will be here before you know it!

Yes, Mickey is already approaching the last picture in my countdown!!

Glad all of your paperwork is in order! Seems like we're making it harder and harder to travel anywhere these days. Did you have to provide a vial of blood or promise to hand over your firstborn at customs?

I am quite relieved that the essentials are now all sorted... And you are right, travelling is getting harder unfortunately. We aren't at the vial of blood yet, but I think the day when you have your DNA stored in your passport is not too far away... Have you ever seen the movie Gattaca?

 

[Flossbolna]

I am working on the plans this week !! We are really flexible other than on Friday 14th we are doing the Safari Tour from 1 p - 4p !! So other than supper plans we can flex around as we have Hoppers and even better BLUE CARDS , so we don't have to wait in line which is such a blessing as some of them don't so well waiting and some can't be in crowds for to long and can't s go on !!

Oh, I would not want to make your whole group hop just because of us!! Friday we will be at DHS when you are at AK, but I will just follow your plans over on your TR and I am sure we will be able to figure something out!

Must be nice being able to go on a trip when your plans are totally flexible and you can just "go with the flow!" I am waaaayyyyyyyy too OCD to EVER be able to make such a trip!!!

I can't really do that either. We have at least a certain plan of when we want to be where - however the last three days of the trip are wide open. I think after one week at WDW, we will have seen most of our must dos. So for these days we will just do whatever we will feel like. Did work quite well on our last trip that way.

 

[Flossbolna]

As I mentioned before, we will spend one day at Universal. It is a Tuesday which supposedly will bring low crowds. So we are hopeful that we will be able to cover quite a lot. It will also be the least relaxed day of our trip since we will spend the whole day at the two parks...

Reading all the different advice available, I have come up with a plan for that day:

1) Take the Mears shuttle to Universal and arrive before park opening

2) Start at IoA

Go directly to Wizzarding World of Harry Potter (WWoHP) and ride Forbidden Journey (we have no interest in the show at the Wand Shop)

Maybe get a butterbeer...

3) Hop over to Universal Studios

without any certain order, those are the attractions, we want to see there:

Men in Black (from what I understand it is similar to TSMM)
Jaws (has been described to me as "Jungle Cruise with shark")
E.T. (from what I understand a dark ride)
Mummy (a coaster)
Simpsons (I think it is a simulator ride like Star Tours)

I also am really looking forward to checking out the scenery, I like the Hollywood architecture and from the pictures I have seen, I think some of it looks really interesting.

4) Lunch will be at whatever CS place we come across when we feel hungry

5) Hop back to IoA

attractions we want to see here:

Cat in the Hat (dark ride)
Spiderman (I think kind of a very advanced dark ride? At least it is considered one of the best themed rides in Orlando)
Hulk (coaster)

and then also the water rides:
Jurassic Park (flume ride)
Popye & Bluto's Blige-Rat Barges (raft ride, I love raft rides and this is supposed to be really good)
Dudley D-Right's Ripsaw Falls

after the water rides we expect to be soaked, so we will bring a change of clothes, planning to store them in a locker at the park entrance. So I think at some point after all the water rides, we will get changed into dry (and most likely also a bit nicer) clothes.

6) end the day at WWoHP

all reports say that WWoHP empties out in the last hours of park operation. So this is when we will do our exploring there and ride the rides:

Forbidden Journey (definitely want to get a second ride!)
Duelling Dragons (inverted coaster)

7) after the park has closed: Dinner at Tchoup Chop at Royal Pacific Resort. The restaurant looks lovely in my opinion:

The cuisine is what I think is called Asian fusion - and that is something which is really good for Katharina: not a lot of dairy and tomatos!!

 

[nodnol]

Thank you for cheering me sick up with this update!
Even though there are a lot of things we want to do, I hope we Won't stress ourselves. I think, the most important thing ist WWOHP and getting an impression od the rest of the parks (and of course some rides) to find out whether we like it. If we do, I think we will be back with more time on a future trip!

 

[lovealldisney]

Sounds like great plans! Can't wait to read about WWoHP. Thanks for the update. Your trip is getting so close now. How exciting!

Katharina are you sick? If you are I hope you feel better soon....