A Disney Decade-August 2014 Pre-trip report

[darthtatty]

Pre trip report
August 2014​

Cast-
Nicky- me, love water rides.
Matt- Husband, loves Star Tours.
Luke- 14, loves Star Tours
Well, it’s been 10 years since our 1st trip to WDW. Where we decided to stay at Disney’s Contemporary resort and get married at Disney’s wedding pavilion.
We have been back twice, our last being August 2011. Since then we have been on a holiday to Perth, Australia. We had a fab time, hopefully we can go back in a couple of years….if my brother lets us.
After our last trip to Florida in August 2011 a lot of things have changed: Fantasyland, MDE, Magic Bands, FP+, GAC and universal’s policy. I’m sure more things have changed but can’t quite remember them at the moment.
This holiday is mainly to celebrate my 40th birthday in June but also our 10th wedding anniversary and our son leaving high school.

We are staying (yet again) at Disney Contemporary resort, it’s our second home. As much as we toy with the idea of staying at an Epcot resort, I’m not sure we ever will.
Every trip for us is our last trip. Currently we have no holidays planned after this one. It all depends on how we cope with our son & how all the policy changes affect our holiday.
At the end of every trip, I usually write a list of things in my notebook of what to change next time.
A few things we’re missing or changing are…
Usually we have a meal at Kona after arriving. We struggle due to tiredness but we manage, however last time we were so exhausted. This time we’ve planned it later in the holiday, so we can enjoy it.
We’re not doing a water park as there is nowhere for us all to change together. There’s a companion restroom but its tiny and no changing bench, so just going to use the hotel pool more.
Sea World- we just never seem to spend long there. I usually get bored after a couple of hours. So this time we are going to skip it.
That’s why this time it’s just Disney!
We’re looking forward to exploring Disney a bit. We have a tour booked and plan to look around AOA resort. I’m looking forward to Fantasyland too. I really want to look around BOG but we’re all not keen on the menu. I do have an ADR booked for dinner but hoping to change this for a lunch one- when they become available.
Yesterday, I picked our plane seats and then chose our Fastpasses. Oh what a fun process that was. It was easy but took a while and was pretty boring, it just felt too much having to plan the holiday in so much detail-Ok I know we don’t have to. Basically you have to imagine each day when you’re on holiday-Time you’d arrive at parks, walk to rides, have meals, watch shows & parades etc. It was a bit difficult if someone wanted to do a different ride, in the end I found it was easier just booking all the same to begin with and adjusting them after. I’m sure we’ll just go with the flow when we’re there.

​

Our plans
Day 0- travel to Manchester after work, stay at the Radisson.
1-fly, check into hotel, unpack, Contempo café for dinner, full loop on monorail
2- Chef Mickeys, MK, BOG (hoping to change to Lunch FP+)
3- DHS, Mama Melrose Fantasmic package
4-Downtown, Cape May Café meal booked for evening
5-Kona Breakfast, Epcot, Via Napoli
6-DHS, sci-fi diner
7-MK-Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour, Ohana dinner
8- AK, Yak & Yeti table service (late lunch)
9- Look around AOA, Chef Mickeys Dinner
10-Ohana, MK, Tonys
11- Downtown Disney, T-rex
12- Epcot, Beaches & Cream
13- Dhs, Kona café dinner
14-swim, pack, MK
15-Chef Mickeys breakfast, check out, MK, flight
16- Drive home​

 

[darthtatty]

Links- to be edited.

Our plans
Day 0- travel to Manchester after work, stay at the Radisson.
1-fly, check into hotel, unpack, Contempo café for dinner, full loop on monorail
2- Chef Mickeys, MK, BOG (hoping to change to Lunch FP+)
3- DHS, Mama Melrose Fantasmic package
4-Downtown, Cape May Café meal booked for evening
5-Kona Breakfast, Epcot, Via Napoli
6-DHS, sci-fi diner
7-MK-Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour, Ohana dinner
8- AK, Yak & Yeti table service (late lunch)
9- Look around AOA, Chef Mickeys Dinner
10-Ohana, MK, Tonys
11- Downtown Disney, T-rex
12- Epcot, Beaches & Cream
13- Dhs, Kona café dinner
14-swim, pack, MK
15-Chef Mickeys breakfast, check out, MK, flight
16- Drive home

 

[darthtatty]

Well yesterday- June 16th was my 40th birthday.
I really struggled for ideas what I wanted. So I said as long as I didn't have to get my own cake for a change and a nice bottle of bubbly Id be happy.
I did try and give them some other ideas too but I really struggled.
I got some really cool presents-iTune vouchers, bottle of bubbly, me2u blanket, some me2u 40th bears, candles and my first yankee candles.
My son had also used one of my holiday pics of the castle and bought me a large acrylic version of it. (will try and post some pics at some point)

My husband also bought me a fab cake-after making me think he'd forgotten


Im sure some have seen it already. He's very cute & tasty, it was such a shame to cut into him.

 

[BudgieMama]

Following along! What are your dates for your trip?

 

[darthtatty]

Hey we're going the last 2 weeks of August, not long to go now.
Double checked all our plans today and pretty happy with them. Decided to keep our ADR at BOG on the 1st day,we preferred the food at dinner more. Weve got more ADRs than credits but theres a couple of meals that are cheap options, so we'll probably pay for one of them. Kona breakfast is probably 1 and Beaches & cream will be the other one. I was thinking of paying there anyway as my son & I will probably share. Neither of us are big ice creams fans but d love to order one of the big sundaes.

Been sorting through clothes this weekend, the packing is well underway.

 

[BudgieMama]

Been sorting through clothes this weekend, the packing is well underway.

I started writing a packing list last night (I can't pack until after we've had guests in a couple of weeks) and my husband laughed at me... Apparently "but it's 5 weeks on Monday!" is too early! I'll tell him it's not just me!

 

[Chilly]

I love your cake!

 

[darthtatty]

I started writing a packing list last night (I can't pack until after we've had guests in a couple of weeks) and my husband laughed at me... Apparently "but it's 5 weeks on Monday!" is too early! I'll tell him it's not just me!

I wrote a list a couple of months ago. We've done an excel version, so can save it for each trip
usually we're packed by now. Mine shouldn't take too long as I have rail full of holiday clothes in the spare bedroom

I love your cake!

he was gorgeous

 

[darthtatty]

well all the packing is done, just waiting for my husband to get home from work and then we are off.

Already checked in online, although it didn't go smoothly- so took a while. Think its all sorted now.
Staying at the Radisson tonight and fly tomorrow morning.
wooohooo

 

[eeyorefanuk]

Love your birthday cake

Have a fab holiday

 

[darthtatty]

Thanks, had a brilliant time. Shame we had to come home.
Hoping to write a trip report, mainly for my benefit but hope others enjoy it too. I know I love reading others

Will try and think of some highs and lows...................

 

[darthtatty]

well I spent ages last week doing my highs and lows but when I went to post them they vanished. S0 will try again but cant remember them at the moment.........

Yesterday, I asked my husband for his highs & lows, he said that TOT was a high but then he said it was also a low

Highs

Just being there

The weather- was lovely and hot, sure we had the daily rain but we managed to avoid it.

MDE & FP+-although I thought there was too much pre-planning in advance. It worked brilliantly for us.

our hotel-I know many aren't too keen on the theming of the Contemporary but to us its home. It has everything we need and we love the location.

lows
Peco bills-the service & food were terrible

Flights-travel sickness.

pictures-my camera broke & although we take 2, over the course of the holiday, I haven't really taken any decent pics of anything.


that's all I can think of for now.........................