A Newbie's 4 Celebration PTR! ~ Updated 7/15

[Amunet]

Hello! I'm Kris I'm rather new to DIS Boards and I thought; what better way for people to get to know me than to write a PTR & TR?

I've read a lot and have taken a few tips, I just hope that my first ever PTR (and later, Trip Review) will be a success

My cast will be in the next post, but first I'd like to say that DH and I have been to WDW once before ...
When? July 28th 2008 (forget for how long)
Where? Caribbean Beach Resort
Why? Honeymoon & First Trip

Awe, aren't we cute?​

And it was awesome!! We're very excited to go back ... which leads me to my PTR ^_^

The purpose of our trip is to celebrate 4 things:
DH and Mine's 3 Year Anniversary
DH and Mine's early Graduation to ourselves
My friend's FIRST plane trip, ever ... and first ever visit to WDW
To help my grammy experience everything she can before she passes

I have to admit, we're really excited to go!! We made reservations for ...

Port Orleans - French Quarter Resort​

And are staying 7/26 - 7/31


Quick Links
The Cast
The Plans
Resort Update
Flight Info/Update
Meal Planning
What about Luna?
School & Luna, Oh My!

 

[Amunet]

Here is everyone going with us to WDW ... either in person or in thought

Amanda

This is Amanda, she's 24 and will be going with us on this trip. We have been friends for YEARS! Since we were 7 years old We've been besties for a long time, she was even my Maid of Honor at our wedding! ...

(In the middle)​

Her family is large (Mom, Dad, Sister & 3 Brothers) and really has never had a chance to do anything because of her family is very much a hand-to-mouth family, financially speaking. Me, my mom and my sister have always been the one to 'kidnap' Amanda and take her on family vacations. This year, DH and I decided to FINALLY take Amanda on a proper vacation, which includes a plane ride, she's never been on one Why not take her to the most magical place in the world as well?!
She deserves it as well, she takes care of old and mentally disabled people as a job and STILL helps her family run the 'family business'. She definately needs a break and some magic

Grammy

My Grammy! I won't tell you how old she is though But she's awesome. She's my only, biological, grandparent alive. She will very much be with us in thought and spirit while in WDW.
About 4 years ago, she was diagnosed with a cancer, I believe it was in her intestines; she beat it! Last year, it came back ... bad. We had planned to take her on a cruise, which has been her life dream since she was small. Due to the complications with her cancer (which had spread to her lungs/lymph nodes), we had to cancel the cruise and use the money to visit her for Christmas.
Again, in March (during our spring break), we tried again, but it got worse and she started chemo again, so we couldn't. Instead, we took a trip somewhere else and videotaped EVERYTHING for her
Again, we tried doing a cruise, but with our budget, we can't. But, we can go to Disney World! Another dream and we will be documenting EVERYTHING again for her ... as well as for readers here on the DIS Boards

Luna

Again, not with us at the park, but she will be in thought! We hate leaving her but I think the fireworks and crowds would scare her
She is our baby though! 2 years old and a spoiled only child.
We won't have kids for a bit, so we spoil her like crazy! Well, spoil her just short of a vacation to Disney

Jon

My DH ^_^ He's 25 and also loves Disney ... okay, not as much as me, but I'm SLOWLY pulling out the 'kid inside'
His favorite part of the last time we went to WDW was going on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride with me. Awe ... so sappy.
As I said in the first post, we're celebrating our graduations Jon is graduating this August with a Bachelors in Philosophy. Soon, he will turn that Bachelors into a Masters of Oriental Medicine, which he will THEN get a Doctorates in Naturopathy (ND) and get his pharmacology training.
Bit of an overachiever, huh?

Me! (Kris)

I'm 23, will be 24 by the time we have our trip ^_^ I'm a HUGE Disney fan! Always have been. You may notice I'm a rather big fan of Ariel ... why yes I am I also Belle and Eeyore! During our Honeymoon, I embarrassed Jon so much by acting so much like a kid! Haha there was more than one time when he did this:
I'm also going to graduate this August with a Bachelors, however mine is Interdisciplinary Studies, which is a sort of 'make your own major'; I modeled it to be a major in World Cultures

I suppose that's it for the background information! Now ... let the planning begin ...

 

[Amunet]

So far, we have a rough plan of what we want to do:

Tuesday, July 26th ~ Flight & Arrival
Just hang out, get used to the jetlag, take it easy by the pool

Wednesday, July 27th ~ Magic Kingdom
As Amanda's first trip, we HAVE to go to MK first, don't you agree? This is also our Anniversary date, gotta have those fireworks!

Thursday, July 28th ~ Disney Hollywood Studios
Got to catch Fantasmic and the two shows for Little Mermaid & Beauty and the Beast!
We never got to go here during our honeymoon

Friday, July 29th ~ Typhoon Lagoon
So excited to go back to TL!! I loved it and DH is a huge fan of the lazy river!

Saturday, July 30th ~ Animal Kingdom
Never were able to go to to AK during our honeymoon and I really can't wait to go. I've been drooling at the expedition everest ride forever!

Sunday, July 31st ~ Departure
We plan to sleep in, check out and relax a bit at the pool before we leave for our flight ^_^

Flights
We fly out of Salt Lake City and into MCO. We arrive at MCO @ 4:30pm ... enough time to get to the hotel and relax for a bit (and to shed off jet lag!).
We will totally be taking the Disney buses, I think Amanda will get a kick out of not having to worry about luggage

Dining
We signed up for a Disney Dining Plan (the quick service one). Not really to save us money, but so that Amanda will be able to eat food. She won't have tons of money and this will be a nice surprise for her to not have to worry about that ^_^
Update
I know the reservation PLUS we added a new one:
7/27 ~ Cinderella's Royal Table @ 4:25pm
7/30 ~ Garden View Tea Room @ 3:20pm

If you have any tips/suggestions/advice on planning for this trip, please let me know! We're still in the beginning stages and haven't reserved anything but our room/package.

 

[Amunet]

Whooh! Flight has been booked!!

 

[Amunet]

Haha I don't think anyone is reading this XD That's okay, somewhere for me to excite about my trip ^_^

WELL today DH booked 2 separate ADR's. I know one is the fireworks on the terrace in MK (dessert buffet) for me, him and Amanda! Yay! He also booked another, but I don't know what it is because he wants to be all romantic (it's for our anniversary).

He keeps denying that it's Cinderella's castle ... which makes me sad, I was really hoping for that! But I'm sure anything he picks will be just as romantic and magical ^_^

 

[gray2402]

Hi Followed over from the July thread! What a nice thing to do for your friend! Can't wait to read the TR!

 

[Amunet]

Oh yay! Thank you for being the first one to post ^_^ Haha I thought I was doing something wrong and caused my only visitors to be crickets lol

I can't wait to write the TR either! I have a travel blog and I pretty much do TR's for every trip I take ... though, I'm rather behind in updates. NOT For this one though ^_^

 

[DalmationGal29]

Great PTR! Sounds like you have your trip really mapped out!

I keep meaning to start my PTR and now our trip is only 30 days out, should get my butt in gear!

Can't wait to hear more and to see if you get your DH to tell you about the second reservation! Good Luck!

 

[Amunet]

Great PTR! Sounds like you have your trip really mapped out!

I keep meaning to start my PTR and now our trip is only 30 days out, should get my butt in gear!

Can't wait to hear more and to see if you get your DH to tell you about the second reservation! Good Luck!

Thank you ^_^ Yeah, mapped out ... but not to the smallest detail, I don't think I can micromanage on that level ... yet!

Yes! If/When you get your PTR up, be sure to let me know, I'd love to read it ^_^

No luck yet on him telling me the mystery reservation, I think he's gonna hold out until we get there




Though, DH did cancel our firework dessert reservation, I told him that I'd rather use the money on disney swag

 

[Amunet]

WAHA! I figured out how to post links for individual posts! *happy dance*

 

[Amunet]

Still no luck figuring out the secret reservation! It would be easy enough to just login to our ADR's, but where's the fun in that?

 

[Amunet]

I found out the mystery reservation!! Only cause I took a peek, DH doesn't know that I know XD

It's Cinderella's Castle!!! WHOOH!

We also booked a reservation at The Garden View Tea Room at the grand floridean ^_^

 

[carrie6466]

You peeked! Terrible

Now you have someone else to read if you want to write...

 

[Amunet]

Haha I know, I know, terrible BUT I will still be 'surprised' when he does the surprise for me ... so he won't know that I looked ^_^ It will still be a surprised since we both have never experienced it

And yay!! Thank you for reading ^_^ As of right now, there is nothing really to update except for my decorations I made. Maybe I'll take a picture!!

I'll update this a lot more after I get back from san fran (July 3rd).
Before then, DH and I are moving about 2 hours way and into my father's house. So I'm really busy with packing and preparing for our interview.
Once back on July 3rd, we'll be busy with getting everything all set in THEN it's my birthday and time for the trip.
Lol so I'll have a week or 2 before to really update this thread

Yeah, I'm crazy with planning all this stuff so close together lol

 

[Amunet]

Okay, so this may not be exciting to anyone but me but ...

I found my SPF 100 sunblock!!!!

 

[shelbys mommy]

I'm in! I love how you are taking your friend to Disney! What a great friend you are! So sorry to hear about your grandmother's battle with cancer. And for the record, I so totally would have peeked too! But my hubby leaves all the planning to me, so no chance of that happening! LOL! Can't wait to read more!

 

[Amunet]

Hello! Thank you for those that have posted and those that are lurking (I know you're there!)

I have some news concerning my Grammy, mentioned in my Cast Post ....

My grammy is dying. I've known this since fall of last year, but we didn't know when. Today I just found out that they are moving my Grammy out of testing and into 'Quality of Life'.
This means they will be stopping her Chemo after 3 months ... at the latest. After Chemo is done, my grammy will not last long.

I just wanted to share this as she is my last living grandparent and has really been the only one I've grown up with.

Prayers, well wishes and pixie dust is always welcomed.

 

[Amunet]

So, today we are really ready to move ... and guess what ... we actually have a box designated 'the disney box' to put stuff that we want to make sure to bring on our trip! Haha!

Other than that, progress has been slow. I'm going to be checking on our flight because we have no seats and it makes me uneasy not having assigned seats.

ALSO, I can't say now or not, but if we don't get the interview, I have a special plan for DH for our Anniversary ^_^

 

[Amunet]

Hello!

So, we did not get the job in Japan BUT this means we have more money for WDW!

 

[Amunet]

We have upgraded from Allstar Movies Resort (premium room) to a standard room at the Port Orleans French Quarter!



We're really excited! This way DH and I can sleep on the same bed without pushing each other off (yes, it has happened ) and Amanda will have a nice sized bed to herself