A Long Time to Grow Young! An Epic 40th Bday trip! Update 9/7!

[benji2012]

Awesome! It worked - thank you! I have DMom and Bubbles signed up.

Mom and Bubbles did the tea when we went in 2011 and they LOVED it too! I haven't done it and I probably will some day. The only thing is that I don't really care for regular-type tea. I only really like tisanes or herbals. Something fruity and sweet. I think they only have the one tea available, correct? The rest of it sounds amazing, though.

Instead of tea, Dad, Nature Girl and I are going to be doing the Wild Africa Trek as our "special thing". Though our trek is waaaaay more expensive than the tea. We try to do one special thing each now that we've been several times.

The Marceline tour also sounds interesting. I think Dad would like that.

How are you putting together the catered events that you are doing? Is there a WDW event catering place or is it tied in with the wedding event planning? Do you contact someone and let them know that you have a whole week of stuff you'd like to do and they help you or do you just have to set up each thing with different people each time?? I'm so curious! I can't believe all the great stuff you have planned!!

Glad you got the tea!

To book the special events, I simply called Disney Catered Events, they took some basic info...way back in September or October. Then they assigned me a planner at BWV; planners are assigned by resort.

We are still finalizing some of the details...but once everything is settled, I'll post more details!

 

[benji2012]

As I’ve been thinking about my trip, I have so many thoughts, and have been having trouble getting them together! So I decided to come up with a bunch of MUST DO’s! (Stacy would be so proud!)

I have overall must do’s, and per park must do’s. I’m also going to do a Must Eats...but we are saving that for a later day! I normally only take 3-4 day trips, so this is a totally different trip for me and I’m so excited to be able to do so much! Now, to squeeze it all in! I’ve started with least important (10) to most important (1)!


OVERALL MUST DO’s!
10. Resort Exploring--DBF and I have done some minimal exploring in the past, but I have never even been on the property of a Value. I’m hoping to minimally visit AoA/Pop for a meal and some pics. I may also check out POR/POFQ.

9. Balcony time--BWV is our home resort but we always book garden/pool view. The Grand Villa is a boardwalk view which I’m excited about. I am looking forward to watching the animals from my balcony at AKV-Kidani too!

8. Night time!--We are almost never in the parks at night. We usually do quick trips with nice dinners out (or annually go to HHN at Universal.) I really want to experience MK at night.

7. Food and Wine event--I would really love to do F&W event this trip. I did a demo with wine pairing last year and really enjoyed it.

6. Character Meets--I’m not sure if I’ve ever done character meets outside of charcter dining, but I’m going to try and make this a priority this trip. I want to create a memory book from this trip with lots of pics.

5. Tour--Right now I’m leaning towards Marceline to Magic Kingdom. First, it’s inexpensive. Second, in real life I’m quite shy. There are a few I’d like to do, but I think I’d feel a little awkward solo. (Keys to the Kingdom, Wild by Design, Wild Africa Trek.)

4. All three nightime shows-- All booked in one way or another (Wishes Cruise, Illuminations Dessert Party, and Fantasmic Dining package. Though I’ve never seen Wishes from inside the park, may try and do that once this trip.)

3. Memory Maker--The reviews I’m reading make me a little nervous, but I’m hopeful as time goes on and with greater understanding this will be beneficial.

2. Take time to smell the roses--Because our trips are pretty short, we are usually rushing from point A to point B. I looking forward to taking some time to soak up the atmosphere, hunt for hidden mickeys, watch streetmosphere entertainers, etc.

1. Relax, have fun, and enjoy being with my loved ones (and by myself for the solo part!)--I’ll never have an opportunity just like this one.​

 

[benji2012]

Well, I haven't been as great at chronicling the planning of this trip as I would have liked to have been, but life often gets in the way.

The good news is that plans are starting to get solidified and FP+ have been booked, at least partially. Part of our group doesn't have their tickets yet, so I was not able to book them, but they should be arriving this week.

Day 1-Arrival Day

Day 2--MK-afternoon FP+ or Universal
Joe wants to go to Universal, I don't but we are still in negotiations. (It's not that I don't like Universal, but I want the day before everyone shows up to be relaxing...and leaving the Disney campus is far from relaxing.)

So I made back up FP+ for MK, as we will be staying at BLT

*Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
*Festival of Fantasy Parade--I am not a big fan of parades, because I don't like staking out a spot. I read a few posts where it's not recommended to waste a FP on the parade, but I'm hoping this will be enough leverage to get Joe to stay at WDW for the day.
*Splash Mountain (Me)/BTMRR (Joe)

Day 3--Epcot-Afternoon FP+ with 6 of us, may try for a F&W demo or two on this day
*The Seas with Nemo and Friends
*Maelstrom
*Test Track

Day 4--MK-Midday FP+ with 11 of us (Starting the day at AK in the AM without FP+, but not using FP+)
*Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (8 of us)/Something else (3 of us)
*Jungle Cruise
*Haunted Mansion

Day 5--DHS-Morning FP+ with 11 of us (May move parks and utilize additional FP+)
*Tower of Terror (5 of us)/Muppets (6 of us)
*Toy Story Midway Mania (5 of us)/Rock n Roller Coaster (6 of us)
*Star Tours

Day 6--No FP+ booked most people depart

Day 7--DHS-late afternoon FP+--Start of the almost solo trip
*Beauty and the Beast
*Voyage of the Little Mermaid--I have not made it here in years!
*Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular--Here either!

Day 8--MK--Early evening FP+
*Meet Anna and Elsa--The coveted FP+, I'm still on the fence with this one, but I wanted to take the opportunity while I had it.
*Spash Mountain--If we decide to go to MK on day 2, I will probably switch this one out to something else.
*Wishes--Another don't waste your FP+, but I have never seen Wishes from inside the park and I want to make sure I have a spot where I don't feel claustrophobic

Day 9--Epcot-Late Morning FP+--Hoping to get to a F&W event on this date--The only park I struggle with FP is Epcot.
*Spaceship Earth
*Test Track
*Mission Space

Day 10--AK-Late Morning FP+--last full day
*Finding Nemo-Another I haven't been to in years.
*Kali River Rapids--May switch.
*Safari--Favorite

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

Good job getting the 7DMT! We got it too!

For curiosity, I checked out Anna and Elsa FP+ and the only day we could get it would be 2pm and later the day that we leave. Which would never work since we'd be back home by that time. Not that we really want them but I wanted to see what was out there - or not out there.

We'll be at DHS the same day, I think though we're going in the morning mostly. It's a good thing that you are doing Indiana Jones since it's going to go away in Jan! I know it's an old and tired show but I'm going to miss it. I'm glad that we get this one last chance to see it.

I also found out that the Wild by Design tour is discontinuing as of 9/26. It was a great tour and I'm sad it's going. Hopefully something awesome will be put in its place.

I agree the Epcot FPs are hard. I'm not sure why they tier this park but oh well.

We're getting closer!!

 

[benji2012]

Day 1
We’ll head to the airport and probably have an dinner at an exotic place like McDonalds.

Since our flight lands after 10 pm, we’ll have to head to pick up our luggage before hopping on a hopefully ready to go Magical Express bus to the Contempoary.

http://www.****************/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Magical-Express.jpg

Due to our late arrival, I’m pretty sure we’ll have to check-in at The Contemporary event though we are staying at BLT.

I requested an upper floor on the outer circle via member services. Of the three resorts I’m staying at, I actually care the least about my requests here as we have so little time.

Normally, I like to fully unpack, but I’m going to pack everything I need for these two days in my carry-on suitcase…so that’s all I’ll plan on unpacking so I can get to bed early.

Day 2
We are going to get up early-ish and heading to the dark side. And of course, by the dark side I mean here…

We went back and forth and back and forth on this, but hearing all the amazing things about Diagaon Alley, I finally agreed to go...since Joe could get us free tickets.

We also agree to go early, and leave early so we would be able to relax and enjoy the resort for a few hours.

The last time I went to Universal, I got horrible motion sickness riding FJ first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. So I’m going to head to Contempo Café to pick up a bagel to eat before heading out. I’ll also be bringing my ginger gum!

My main priorities are Harry Potter and well, Harry Potter.

Joe has never seen a Harry Potter…nor has he read any of the books. But he loved FJ, and I think he’ll probably like Gringotts too. His other must do is Transformers; luckily that’s right by Despicable Me and I love the minions!

We are going to hold off on getting Express passes until we get there. Right now, wait times are pretty low and I’m just not sure it’s worth the expense for the time of year.

When we get back to BLT, we’ll either spend a few hours by the pool or just relax in the room.


We’ll then spend some time either by the pool or in the room…grabbing some snacks at Contempo Café. At around 8 pm, we’ll head upstairs to (well downstairs to go upstairs) to Top of the World Lounge to grab a seat and some drinks before Wishes.

I’ll hopefully head to bed relatively early because the next day will be a big one!​

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

Yay! An update!

Oooo....exotic McDonalds....nummy! I approve! I can't help myself, I know it's terrible but I absolutely love their fries!

Oh my gosh, I think you've changed my world - where on earth do you get ginger gum??? I get motion sick very easily (that doesn't stop me at Disney, though!) and I drive everywhere because if I'm in the passenger seat I'm sick for the entire ride. Ginger has been my best friend. I drink ginger ale by the gallon when travelling and I even walked ALLLLL the way to the other side of the airport to go to the only place that sells ginger ale so that my plane ride wouldn't be miserable. I can't believe that I don't know about ginger gum!

I'm so glad that you were able to fit in Universal. I just couldn't with the schedule that we have. I hope to do two weeks at Disney someday so that I can do a Universal visit and a water park along with just resort days. There's so much to do and never enough time!

And I just got the Memory Maker today, so we'll see!!

 

[benji2012]

Yay! An update!

Oooo....exotic McDonalds....nummy! I approve! I can't help myself, I know it's terrible but I absolutely love their fries!

Oh my gosh, I think you've changed my world - where on earth do you get ginger gum??? I get motion sick very easily (that doesn't stop me at Disney, though!) and I drive everywhere because if I'm in the passenger seat I'm sick for the entire ride. Ginger has been my best friend. I drink ginger ale by the gallon when travelling and I even walked ALLLLL the way to the other side of the airport to go to the only place that sells ginger ale so that my plane ride wouldn't be miserable. I can't believe that I don't know about ginger gum!

I'm so glad that you were able to fit in Universal. I just couldn't with the schedule that we have. I hope to do two weeks at Disney someday so that I can do a Universal visit and a water park along with just resort days. There's so much to do and never enough time!

And I just got the Memory Maker today, so we'll see!!

Ginger gum is great! I didn't really want to take a pill, so I looked for some other options. It's not perfect, but it helps. I'm pretty sure I got it at Target, but I think you can probably get in other places. The kind I have is made by Sea Band.

It's actually stressing me a little to do Universal, but it was too hard to pass up the free tickets. I wouldn't have been able to swing it any other way as I've stretched my budget to the max.

Hopefully we both made good decisions with the Memory Maker! I'm hoping the Tower of Terror video alone makes it worth.

 

[benji2012]

Day 3
Today is the first move and we are still working on all the details…but somehow, prior to Noon we will need to hit the Festival Center at Epcot to pick up our seminar tickets, Art of Disney to pick a up a present for Thad for throwing the party, and the Boardwalk to Check-in…all before meeting up with Anne, Brent, Anthony, and Marie at Maelstrom. So glad I got this FP with the rumors of the Frozen closure!


After Maelstrom, we’ll head to Biergarten to celebrate Anne’s Birthday.

After lunch it will be off to use our Soarin’ and Spaceship Earth FPs. We won’t have time for anything else because we are surprising Anne with a culinary demo and wine seminar because today is her actual 40th birthday!

While the six of us are having fun at Epcot, Dawn, Mike and Thad will be landing…So I’ll be booking it back to BWV after we finish our last seminar at 5 pm.

I’m assuming our room will be ready by this time, as it is after 4 pm. I’ll head back to the room to put our Garden Grocer order away AND to put together the welcome gift bags I’ve made for everyone.



Then I’ll probably go with Thad to validate his annual pass at the international gateway entrance.

My plan will be to relax in the room while we wait for Liz and Gwen to show up.

At around 8 or 9 pm, we’re going to have a short reception in the room…really just drinks and giving out the gift bags.

Early to Bed since we need to leave really early to make our first event at AK.

Day 4
We’re off to AK to meet our guide at really early for our private breakfast at Tamu Tamu and private safari. This guy is supposed to surprise us!

Then we’ll try and hit Lion King and maybe one other thing before heading to Magic Kingdom!


It took me awhile, but I was able to get 8 SDMT overlapping for 45 minutes. (Only 8 wanted to ride!) The other three members of our party will be riding It’s a Small World. Then we’ll go back Carousel of Progress and TTA before our HM and Jungle Cruise FPs.

Then it’s on your own time…some will stay at MK, some will head to Epcot, and some will head back to the Boardwalk to hang by the pool. I love my friends to death, but I ‘m a big introvert in real life and may need to go off on my own to recharge.

At 8 pm, we’ll meet for our Dessert Party in Epcot to watch Illuminations and ride Test Track at the end of the night​

 

[benji2012]

Day 5
We’ll sleep in a little today…you know…like 7:30 am!

We’ll have people over to the Grand Villa for some bagels, muffins, and donuts…before making our way over to Hollywood Studios around 9am.

DHS is actually my least favorite park, and I actually didn’t originally plan to go as a group initially, but Tower of Terror is one of my faves, and I really wanted to ride with besties! And now…the video with Memory Maker is the icing on the cake.

So while one group is on Tower of Terror, they’ll be another group at Muppets. Then we’ll meet up again, to split up into different groups to ride RNRC and TSMM.

We’ll all get back together to ride the Great Movie Ride (no FP+) and Star Tours (with FP+) all together. Then we’ll be on our own again. Some people will stay at the park, and some people will head to the pool or to Epcot.

I’ll probably spend most of the time with group…but I may have a little me time too.

Then it’s our big night!

We have a special dinner in the Prop Shop at Hollywood Studios, where we will also have a special secret guest! (Even I don’t know who it will be!)



After dinner, we’ll take magical backstage transportation (aka a 15 passenger van) to the Grand Floridian for our Wishes cruises aboard the Grand I.



If we aren’t too exhausted from our super magical day, we’ll head back to Top of the World Lounge!

DAY 6

This day is almost totally up in the air. And that stresses me not at all.

Ok. So maybe it stresses me a little.

This is the day almost everyone leaves…8 people on 6 different flights…all to the same city.

The only thing I know is that I have reservations for a Food and Wine event at 3 pm at Epcot with Marie and Anthony.

I’m really hoping to get a character meal reservation for Thad and I at around 11 am…but I don’t have one yet, so for now I just keep checking obsessively for Akershus, Cape May, CRT or ‘Ohana.​

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

HEELLLLLOOOOO from The Book of Mormon during intermission!

WOW WOW WOW! Your plans look amazing!

I'm glad you're getting some time to yourself. I also need to be by myself to recharge. Might as well schedule the time now.

I can't believe you are doing all those cool things. Very envious. Epic birthday indeed! I think you are topping any wedding out there.

I can't wait to compare Memory Maker notes - and thanks for the gum tip, I'll try Target. I wouldn't give up free tickets either!

 

[benji2012]

HEELLLLLOOOOO from The Book of Mormon during intermission!

WOW WOW WOW! Your plans look amazing!

I'm glad you're getting some time to yourself. I also need to be by myself to recharge. Might as well schedule the time now.

I can't believe you are doing all those cool things. Very envious. Epic birthday indeed! I think you are topping any wedding out there.

I can't wait to compare Memory Maker notes - and thanks for the gum tip, I'll try Target. I wouldn't give up free tickets either!

Checking disboards during intermission? That's my kind of obsessed! Wondering if you ever saw Avenue Q...that's another favorite of mine.

We are doing alot, but since it's a relatively small group, it's more doable than it would be if we actually had a wedding.

 

[benji2012]

Day 7
This is my first semi-solo day and it is the most jam packed day of the trip!

First up Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour! I had wanted to do Keys to the Kingdom, but I was afraid I would feel awkward at the lunch…plus the price for Keys to the Kingdom was super cheap ($30, I think.) Since it’s on the early side, I will probably hail a cab to make sure I’m on time!

After the tour, I’ll be heading over to Hollywood Studios to meet Marie and Anthony for lunch at Mama Melrose for our Fantasmic package. (Hence, semi-solo!) But first, I’m hoping to make my ToT FP+.

After lunch, it will be fastpass time at TSMM.

I’m then hoping to hit Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones, Characterpalooza, Beauty and the Beast, and Animation Academy before Fantasmic, and Great Movie Ride right after.

http://blog.**********.com/FILES%2f2014%2f08%2f3917550161_15d740f300.jpg.axdx

Day 8
After my commando day the day before, this one is going to be starting a little later. I’m hoping to spend most of my morning either by the pool or just relaxing on my balcony watching the animals.

After a relaxing morning, I’ll head over to the Grand Floridian for tea with Anthony and Marie.



From there, I’ll head to MK! I made some unorthodox choices when it comes to fastpasses today.

My first FP is for the ultra coveted Anna and Elsa. I’m still a little on the fence on this one, I’m a little nervous about the looks I’ll get as a solo adult waiting in line to meet a couple of princesses, but hopefully I’ll get over it!

I’ve always wanted to see Wishes from inside the park, but I never have because the idea of lining up early and being smushed by crowds is very unappealing, so I booked a FP for the Wishes viewing area. I was also able to get a FP for MSEP, which I’ve never seen!

I’ll have quite a bit of time in MK without FP, so I’ll just go where the shortest lines are. I’ll hopefully be able to hit Buzz Lightyear, Pirates of the Caribbean, Under the Sea, and Splash Mountain among other things. I’m hopefully going to be able to do a few more character meets too.​

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

Checking disboards during intermission? That's my kind of obsessed! Wondering if you ever saw Avenue Q...that's another favorite of mine.

We are doing alot, but since it's a relatively small group, it's more doable than it would be if we actually had a wedding.

It's either Disboards or super long waits in line for the bathroom or for concessions!

I have listened to the Avenue Q soundtrack and really liked it but I was a little late to the game and it wasn't on my radar when it came through the Cities. I'm hoping to catch it sometime somewhere.

I know what you mean about a single adult in line to see a character. Even if I'm not by myself, I still feel awkward with the face characters. I try very hard to just go with the flow. I'm not the only adult out there with no kids seeing a character and neither are you! So, there are at least two of us!

 

[benji2012]

We interrupt the day by days to give a "How i'm prepping" update!

The trip is just a couple of weeks away, and my work and personal life is a little crazy over the next few weeks. So, I started to pack in earnest today. I’d been throwing things in the suitcase for a while, but not putting a lot of thought into it.

The good news is we do have an Owner’s Locker (well, actually 2) so I don’t have to pack the usual toiletries and such. I also keep some clothes and shoes in there too, but not enough to last the week. Plus, this trip is special, so I want to look special.

For clothes and makeup, I’m a bit of a cross between low maintenance. I don’t typically wear much, if any makeup, my hair doesn’t take much more than a quick blow dry. (It’s think and fine and not matter how much time I spend on it, it will look exactly the same 10 minutes after it’s done.)

But I tend to dress a little nicer than the average joe. I wear dresses skirts most days, and I hate wearing tennis shoes. Don’t worry, you won’t see me in heals, and I wear dresses on the casual side in the parks! I have back problems so I work to find the most comfortable cute shoes I can find, and those usually are in the Skechers or Dr. Scholls line. I also like planning my outfits for each day, there are typically two since with the heat, I’ll probably shower in the middle of the day.

I follow Disneybound, and I would love to find a way to subtly do that but I just don’t have the time and it doesn’t really come naturally to me.

The closest I’ll come is actually when we are at Universal, I found this T-shirt at target that has a sort of owl pattern, at least to me. So I’ll mbe



I actually got this one for $4 online, but I’ll probably just wear this one while lounging around the room:



I pulled all of my Magic Bands together, and realized I now have a complete set. Doing a split stay with three resorts made that pretty easy. I’m not sure if I’ll try to coordinate with my outfits, but I’m bringing all of them just in case!



Next up, necessary paperwork! I don’t have as many gift gards as I would like, but I should be able to manage most of my food during the solo part of the trip with the gift cards.


These two wallets hold my Disney stuff even when I’m not in Disney. The coach one holds all my cards and the Vera Bradley holds my Socerer’s of the Magic Kingdom Cards. During the Trip, I usually move everything to the Vera Bradley. Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards only come out on Magic Kingdom days.



The other things I’m working on packing are the gift bags I’m putting together. There is one gift bag per room, but some of the items are by the individual. I’ve stuck with a blue and red theme since the bags I picked out (and posted previously) are those colors.

Here we have suckers, little puzzles, hand sanitizers, fruit snacks There are two little baggies…one I’m calling the hangover cure, even though it’s not all about hangovers. If I have time I hope to make cute label. It has Zantac and Alleve, as well as tums, mouthwash, Kleenex, Mickey Bandaids and altoids. It’s also in a travel size Ziploc.

The second little baggy is what I’m calling a Disney Starter kit. It has a couple of Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom cards (they are all my duplicates), a Disney maget (got them off pinterest, and each one reflects a favorite ride of the person who is getting it), and a pin to trade. If I have time, I also create a cute label for these. I’m thinking of making a game out of trading, but I’m not sure what exactly.


Little bags of candy!



I also had personalized M&Ms made. There are in little tins with cute little labels, these are just a few of the extras!
M&Ms


I’m feeling a little better, now that most of my stuff is packed. Now it’s time for a to do list!

• Haircut
• Manicure/Pedicure
  \
• Purchase remaining items for gift bags (still want to get rain ponchos, a photo mat for Mickey to sign for each couple/person
• Print out full size detailed itineraries (mostly done) and small business card size ones for people who don’t love technology. Those who do can just use google docs.
• Send bio newsletter (The people on the trip don’t know each other well, so I did a little biography on each person and put it in a newsletter…they are all addressed I just need to drop them in the mail tomorrow.
  And take my poor kitty to the vet…which is probably going to take a lot of my fun money away. She has a bad cold…second one in a year.

​

 

[benji2012]

Day 9

It’s another big day at Disney! This time, I’ve got something special planned at Epcot. This is also my one and only true solo day, as Anthony and Marie are heading to Universal.

I need to make sure I’m at Epcot pretty early, as I have a date with Robert Irvine at 10 am.

I wanted to a really special Food and Wine Event, and this was the one that most appealed to me being that I’m solo, but it came with a hefty price tag. While I wouldn’t call myself a diehard fan, I always enjoy his shows.

Later in the day, I also have a culinary demo with Gale Gand, who is a Chicago pastry chef. The Culinary Demos are so affordable, I couldn’t pass up the chance.

Between the two culinary events, I have FP for a character meet with Mickey and Pals, Test Track, and Nemo. I know Nemo isn’t necessary, but really most of them aren’t and I’m going to try and get a fastpass for Spaceship Earth later.

After the culinary demo, my plan is to spend some time in the World Showcase and try out a few F&W booths before heading back to my room to relax for a little bit.

Day 10
Final Park Day!

I have FPs for Safari, Finding Nemo, and Dinosaur this morning. I’m hoping to eat lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue. I’ve heard so many good things and I’ve never tried it.

After lunch, I may try and find a couple of character meets and then I’ll call it a day so I can get some packing done before our last dinner at Jiko, my absolute favorite restaurant in all of Disney! Marie and Anthony are joining me here as well. Appetizers are the name of the game here! It’s been years since I’ve had a main course. I have found the desserts pretty lacking in the last few years, ever since they got rid of the coffee and donuts, but there are new ones that sound pretty appealing.

Hopefully, I’ll be almost 100% packed before dinner, because I have an 8 am flight the next morning. Which means Magical Express will roll in at about 5 am to pick me up!​