**A Disney Salute! June 2011 Military Discount/Anniversary PTR!** Update 6/23 Pg 12

[therussells08]

Hi everyone! I hope that you are all having a good week. All I can say is thank goodness tomorrow is Friday! This has been the longest week of my life! I think that has to do with the fact that I haven’t seen John in a month and he will be home in two days! I am so excited! Also, our trip is less than a month away! I can’t believe it’s so soon! Four weeks from Saturday we will be checking in at Disney!

Speaking of our check-in day, that’s where I left off in our detailed itinerary! When we wake up on June 11th we will be so excited because this will be our check-in day at Disney! However, we still have one more stop before we head to the World!

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! We went here for the first time in December. John and I are both huge Harry Potter fans. I don’t want to give away too much about our experience there, because I still haven’t written about that day in my TR, but if we’re going back you know it must have been good! We are planning to get there as soon as the park opens in the morning and staying there until the early afternoon. That will give us plenty of time to fly with Harry, and explore the magical world of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade!

After we finish our visit to the magical world of wizards it will finally be time to go to the magical world of DISNEY! I think that buy this time, since we will already be almost three days into our vacation, I am going to be more than ready to get under that big beautiful arch and settle down in WDW for five days!

Our first stop of course will be to check in to our awesome resort, Port Orleans Riverside! We stayed at POFQ on our honeymoon but did very little resort exploring, so I’ve never even seen POR! I am really looking forward to taking it all in.

Since we will be arriving in the afternoon I am pretty much counting on our room being ready. Operating on that assumption, we will then go check out or beautiful KING room and freshen up. If you’re reading my TR you will know why I am so excited about our guaranteed king room. We were supposed to have one in December at POP but didn’t get it. When the CM who booked my trip asked me if I wanted to pay a little extra for either a water view room or a king room I said YES!

After we’re changed and ready we will hop on the boat that will take us to Downtown Disney! I have to say, I am sooo excited about trying out this new mode of transportation! Plus I am really looking forward to going to Downtown Disney on our first night. We usually go there later in our trip, so this will be really fun!

Isn’t it beautiful at night? Once we get to DTD we have a pretty early dinner reservation at T-Rex. I am thinking that John and I will both be really hungry at this point, so I don’t think eating dinner at 4:00 will be a big problem.

After dinner I think you know what the plans are. Shop, shop, shop! I have so many things I want to look into getting that I didn’t get on our last trip. I can’t wait to really take my time and go through all the shops. Especially this big one:

That will be so great! I better start saving more money, though… Anyway, after we spend a wonderful evening shopping we will head back to the resort and if we are feeling up to it maybe take a late evening swim in the POR pool!

This will conclude our third day of vacation and our first fabulous day at Disney! Gosh, June 11th can’t get here fast enough!

Up Next: Our first full day at Disney is a day full of our favorite parks! Stay tuned!

 

[Tracy161]

Your plans continue to sound wonderful!!! DTD is definitely beautiful at night! I can't believe you'll be leaving so soon!!!

So happy that John will be home in a couple days!!!

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

Sounds like a good plan!! I'm looking forward to Universal too!! I know we'll only be there a day but we're getting in for free (thanks bro!) so we'll see what we can see and save the rest for another trip! Of course Harry Potter will be first on the list of things to do!

 

[TanzUnited99]

I can't wait to visit WWoHP and read all about it in your TR!

The boat trip to DTD sounds soo relaxing and I agree that the shops look so nice all lit up at night time!

 

[Nermel9]

Day 3 sounds like fun! I really have to get to Universal...we seriously put it off every trip, and I know it would be a lot of fun! I can't wait to read about it in your TR (and the sleigh ride )!

Spending the night at DTD is a great idea, I love hanging out there at night! I'm not much of a shopping girl, but I love to shop at Disney!

 

[Disneyfreak616]

Great plans! I'm a huge Harry Potter fan too, so I can't wait to go there for the first time!

 

[dancin_princess]

I've never ate at Five Guys. Everywhere I lived, there hasn't been one close by.

Mmm, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, never ate there either but bet it tastes good.

St. Augustine has memories for me too. Not special ones but a field trip (or 2) and on one of those field trips I was on crutches.

I may be completely off with this but I thought KSC was shutting down.

You're going to be having so much fun before you even get to Disney. It makes me very interested in finding out what your side plans are...turns out they were just as exciting as I thought they could be. WWoHP! One word (or 2?) Butterbeer!

 

[shelbys mommy]

Hi everyone! I want to start by saying thank you SO much for all of your suggestions! It really meant a lot to me that so many of you took the time to really think about it and give me your opinion!

Now, with that being said, I've got some big news! After much deliberation, I have completely changed the plans. Are you ready?
....

....

....

Are you sure?
....

....

Okay, I'll tell you! I have decided to cancel the Dining Plan for this trip! Now, let me explain this choice.

On our last trip we were on the Deluxe Dining Plan and it was a wonderful experience. We ate at so many nice new restaurants that we would have never dreamed of trying if we were not on than plan. However, we also spent A LOT of time either waiting around for an ADR, rushing to make it to an ADR, or actually sitting there enjoying the ADR. This was all fine and dandy for a December trip when it was crazy cold and crazy crowded, but this had two effects on me.

1. It kind of made me sick of TS restaurants. Sounds crazy, I know. But I started to miss the "simpler" meals that you can get at a CS location.

2. It made me not very keen on the idea of spending our next trip planning around ADRs.

Is it starting to make sense? Also, I have another few reasons that made me feel like this was the right choice for us. First, I think that my inability to decided on ADRs wasn't stemming from my excitement about the restaurants, but rather my lack of enthusiasm. I wasn't completely sure on a lot of them because I honestly didn't care.

Furthermore, if we are going to be at Disney in the middle of June in the million degree weather, I don't see myself wanting big meals all the time. I eat like a bird when it's hot out, because my appetite is just not what it usually is. I think that having a TS meal everyday would almost be a waste of money, because there's no way I'd eat it all.

Lastly, I really miss those good ol' days when John and I were new to this whole Disney thing and we just kind of went with the flow. Don't get me wrong, I love planning meticulously for our Disney trips, but I want to go back a little bit to just doing what we felt like at that exact moment. I mean, I'm still planning which parks we will go to on which days, but I don't want our entire trip to be ruled by ADRs!

Well, there's my reasoning in a very large nutshell. I hope you all don't think I'm too crazy, and I hope you will stick with me when I do my TR, because I still plan on stuffing my face like I always do. This will just give us the opportunity to try some awesome CS restaurants that we've never had before!

Sorry for this lengthy post with no pictures! I will be back in the next day or two to post the ADRs we kept and the CS restaurants that we are going to enjoy!

Ok, you need to call me so we can talk about the no dining plan, like as soon as you read this!

 

[shelbys mommy]

Did ya miss me??? I'm here!!!!!

 

[Cat0727]

Ahh 4 more weeks!

Your Day 3 plans look great. WWoHP is amazing. I wish we had more time to spend there but we were visiting Universal the same day. I can't wait to read about your visit in your TR!

 

[therussells08]

Your plans continue to sound wonderful!!! DTD is definitely beautiful at night! I can't believe you'll be leaving so soon!!!

So happy that John will be home in a couple days!!!

Thank you! I can't believe our trip is soon soon either!

John came home this weekend! It was great!

Sounds like a good plan!! I'm looking forward to Universal too!! I know we'll only be there a day but we're getting in for free (thanks bro!) so we'll see what we can see and save the rest for another trip! Of course Harry Potter will be first on the list of things to do!

Thanks! That's awesome that you're getting in for free!

I can't wait to visit WWoHP and read all about it in your TR!

The boat trip to DTD sounds soo relaxing and I agree that the shops look so nice all lit up at night time!

I am going to be posting my WWoHP update probably tomorrow!

I love the shops at night! So gorgeous!

Day 3 sounds like fun! I really have to get to Universal...we seriously put it off every trip, and I know it would be a lot of fun! I can't wait to read about it in your TR (and the sleigh ride )!

Spending the night at DTD is a great idea, I love hanging out there at night! I'm not much of a shopping girl, but I love to shop at Disney!

Thanks! I am getting to Universal next, and the sleigh ride is not far behind! I can't believe how long this TR is taking me!

I am a crazy shopper wherever I am, so it just gets a million times worse at Disney!

Great plans! I'm a huge Harry Potter fan too, so I can't wait to go there for the first time!

It is so fun! You're going to love it!

I've never ate at Five Guys. Everywhere I lived, there hasn't been one close by.

Mmm, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, never ate there either but bet it tastes good.

St. Augustine has memories for me too. Not special ones but a field trip (or 2) and on one of those field trips I was on crutches.

I may be completely off with this but I thought KSC was shutting down.

You're going to be having so much fun before you even get to Disney. It makes me very interested in finding out what your side plans are...turns out they were just as exciting as I thought they could be. WWoHP! One word (or 2?) Butterbeer!

You have got to go to a Five Guys someday! They have the most amazing burgers EVER!

Bubba Gump is great too, and so much fun!

Oh no! I'm sorry your St. Augustine memories aren't that special. I love it there!

Really? I didn't hear that! I hope not, because John would be really disappointed!

YES Butterbeer is my main reason for going back to the WWoHP! It's SO good!

Ok, you need to call me so we can talk about the no dining plan, like as soon as you read this!

I'm so glad we got to talk and catch up!

Did ya miss me??? I'm here!!!!!

Of course I missed you!! You're my other Joni!

Ahh 4 more weeks!

Your Day 3 plans look great. WWoHP is amazing. I wish we had more time to spend there but we were visiting Universal the same day. I can't wait to read about your visit in your TR!

I can't believe it's so close! AHHH!

Thank you! I loved WWoHP so much. I just wish the crowds had been a little lighter. Maybe this time!

 

[therussells08]

Hi everyone! How are y'all doing? I am great! I had a very interesting weekend. It started on Friday (the 13th) with me falling down in the shower and cracking my elbow! Luckily I didn't need a cast or anything. I just had to wear a sling for a few days. The weekend got much better though because John came home Saturday! We had a wonderful time together. On Saturday we went to our favorite Japanese restaurant and on Sunday we went to the movies to see Bridesmaids. It was hilarious! Anyway, it's just so nice having him back on the weekends.

So...it's nice to catch you guys up with my personal life, but that's not my main reason for posting tonight. I have HUGE news. I'm talking gigantic. Bigger than my cancelling the dining plan news! Are you ready to hear what it is?

I changed our resort! Not only did I change our resort, I upgraded us to a DELUXE resort! Our FIRST EVER deluxe resort! But wait, there's more...it's a surprise for John! I'm not going to tell him about it until we arrive in Disney World!

Before I reveal the resort, let me explain why I did this. I have many reasons.

1. John was away for training on his birthday and I never got to give him a gift, so this is the perfect present!

2. John just graduated from Special Forces training, meaning he is officially a Green Beret! He has worked so hard for this for the last two years so I want to show him how proud I am.

3. This is our ANNIVERSARY trip so I want to do something special for my Prince Charming to make our trip even more memorable!

4. This is going to be our last trip for awhile. I am an Army wife and I know how things work, so it's pretty likely that John will be deployed before too long. All the more reason to really go all out for this trip!

5. John has always desperately wanted to stay at this resort more than any other! Who am I to deny my wonderful husband this pleasure?

So there you go, that's my reasoning. Now, do you want to know the resort I changed to? Any guesses?

Well, if you guessed...

you're right!

That's right folks! We will be spending six wonderful nights at the Animal Kingdom Lodge! John's favorite park is Animal Kingdom and he has always wanted to stay here so badly. I am so excited that I am going to surprise him with this beautiful getaway!

Unfortunately we won't be staying in a Savannah view room. It was just a little out of our budget. That's okay though, because we will still be right there with all of those gorgeous animals, and with the 40% off military discount this room was not much more than our original room at POR!

Now, here's my problem. I am the world's worst secret keeper. I'm seriously not kidding. I'm terrible at keeping any secret, let alone one this huge. On our December trip I tried to surprise John with a romantic sleigh ride, but I blew that WAY before the trip. I need everyone's help keeping this hush hush! Also, do you have any ideas on how I should surprise him? I'm so excited!

Up Next: How did our new resort reservations change our other plans? Stay tuned!

 

[DisneyFirefly]

I have no idea on keeping it a secret, but that's still so awesome!

 

[shelbys mommy]

That is awesome!!! And there is no way I could keep that a secret!!! Good luck!!!

I can't wait until school ends so we can talk like that more often!

 

[amazingact21]

What a wonderful surprise gift to your DH!!! Animal Kingdom Lodge looks like such a gorgeous resort, and it looks like a wonderful place to celebrate an anniversary. Good luck keeping it a secret, though, I wouldn't have lasted half a day!

 

[BelleTinkMom]

What a wonderful surprise!! John will be so excited. I know I would be.

 

[Nermel9]

I know I already told you last night, but that is amazing!!! What a great surprise for John, you guys are going to have such a fantastic trip! I'm still a little sad about not staying in AKL, it is SO beautiful!

I don't know how you could keep that secret though...I would probably just spill as soon as I booked it! It would be fun if you could keep it all the way until you drive up to the resort...just give him the directions to AKL instead of POR and see how long it takes him to catch on!

 

[Tracy161]

This IS huge!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW!!! I'm so happy for you guys, what a wonderful surprise it'll be for John!!! You two really know how to treat each other well!!!

I probably would tie with you in the competition for "world's worst secret keeper" so I won't be making any suggestions, but I wish you all the luck!!!

 

[TanzUnited99]

on upgrading and changing to AKL!! I love the list of reasons but don't think you need to justify your decision. It is your anniversary and holiday so why shouldn't you upgrade?!

Good luck with keeping the secret - unfortunately I am rubbish with them so can not be of help. I hope you guys get some pixie dust and get upgraded to a Savannah view - I will keep my fingers crossed for you

 

[Disneyfreak616]

CONGRATS ON AKL!!!!!!!!

We stayed there last July and absolutely LOVED it.

It was gorgeous, so relaxing, and just an amazing escape from reality. You guys will love it! What a fantastic surprise!

We didn't stay in a SV room either. We stayed in a pool view room, because the extra $$$ to be in a SV just didn't interest us. You can see the animals just outside the lobby, and the SV room would just remind us of the intense heat, also.

The pool view room suited us PERFECTLY. We could always go out on the balcony to check out how crowded the pool was, and it just made the whole resort seem more tropical, what with all the vegetation as well, which we loved.

I am so excited for you! It's getting so close now!