A Nutmegger and a New Yorker Walk Into Disney ( SEP 2-11, 2016 )

[sunshinemelody]

Just wondering how your planning is going so far?!

Hi darling! I'm so sorry, life has gotten really, really busy lately.

Just an update for you, like you'd asked. I actually was able to go to Disney Springs in December when I went to visit my best friend down in Jacksonville. It was ... an eye-opener. And I needed it very much. Wow are prices sky-high for food! We ate at Ragland Road and the food was fantastic and the atmosphere as well. But at least I know that for two people a $100 bill is easily attainable by two drinks and two entrees, oh, and a dessert. Yeah, that. Oh well. Hah, lesson learned! I was able to buy a ginormous Stitch for my nephew's first/second official Christmas (we didn't count 2014 as his first for reasons). Anyway, yep!

A bigger update -- we booked our flights on Saturday and our tickets for Universal are on their way to us (we bought ours through Undercover Tourist for a lot less since the pricing just went up, thank goodness)! We're super excited.

Our plane tickets were the same price as JetBlue's official website, so, booking it through Expedia didn't make a difference. Big trouble is that they put us in the back of the plane (uh, why?) and so we called JB immediately and asked if our seats could be moved and they obliged! The lady was shocked as the ENTIRE PLANE WAS EMPTY. I just cannot right now. My evens are annoyed. Anywho, the next thing to do is wait until Sunday!

CAUSE WE BOOK OUR ADRs! *confetti*

 

[sunshinemelody]

IT'S ADR DAY!

And that's a beautiful thing, my friends, so beautiful. My boyfriend and I booked our ADRs between the hours of 8AM and 11AM this morning and we're all done. We had a few changes (not because of time issues, but why spend every meal sitting down to eat?) happen today and I've gotta say--I love, love, love our plan.

September 2 is our arrival day. Our flight leaves JFK at 9:30 and arrives at 12:20, after which we grab our rental car for the week and drive to our off-site timeshare that my aunt provided us. We were going to do a meal at Disney Springs for dinner, but instead decided on grabbing steaks and preparing a meal for ourselves with my best friend in tow. It's our relaxation day before all of heaven breaks open.

September 3 + 4 we're in Universal; we've no real concrete plans for these days, but we've decided that we'll just do quick counter services here and get on with our day.

September 5 is at NASA for 1/2 the day and the other half is at the beach. We've got a Beaches & Cream ADR for 7:30P as it felt appropriate after a day under the sun!

September 6 we arrive at the parks at around 8:30, just in time to see the welcome train and then we have a 9:05 Crystal Palace ADR. We wanted BOG, but it's extremely expensive with nothing to show for it for breakfast. Not willing to spend $24 on scrambled egg whites. We then have a 5:35 BOG dinner though, so, it all worked out in the end. If we're alright paying for Red Lobster prices, we'll survive BOG dinner.

September 7 is our 8:35 Akershus ADR with a 12-hour break until 8:30 for our Restaurant Marrakesh ADR. I'm ecstatic for Marrakesh. The first and last time I went to Disney, I got the lamb and it was the best thing I'd eaten all weekend.

September 8 we venture over to Hollywood Studios. Breakfast is kind of up in the air and we'll most likely do a breakfast at home that day and get into the parks a little later. We don't want to arrive too late as the best rides are obviously going to have the longest waits and we can't have that! Come 1:10 though, we head over to 50's Prime Time Café and then leave the park an hour or so before park closing as we've got an 8:15 Spirit of Aloha ADR. We decided against Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue, but, maybe next time.

September 9 we're in Animal Kingdom! I know that Fred is very excited for this day, especially, as we'll be doing Backstage Tale Tours (although, I'm now on the fence about it, but, this is probably going to be his favorite park and I've personally never been) and so we'll have to make breakfast that morning as we won't be eating until lunch (probably at Flame Tree BBQ) and then we've a 4:45 Tusker House ADR.

So far it seems that our M.O. is to leave the park after everyone has already left. :3

Anyway!

September 10 we'll be in one of the water parks; I don't know what's happening that day. Something with food I suppose.

September 11 we unfortunately depart. We'll be heading into either Universal for one last hurrah or into Magic Kingdom to do anything else that we may have missed; we've nothing planned for this day, but, we might do Cinderella's Royal Table as everything is pretty wide open as of now--if not, not a big deal, who cares. Either way, we're going to have a blast.

Any thoughts? Would you do anything different or have any advice for us?

Thanks!

 

[samiam19]

Fellow Nutmegger following along! I'm from Fairfield County

 

[sunshinemelody]

Fellow Nutmegger following along! I'm from Fairfield County

Hi @samiam19! We're also from Fairfield County. Thank you for following along!