A Overplanner's Pre-Trip Report

[CatNipRules]

Thanks for the well wishes!! Apparently it's just a really bad sprain. Although to be on the safe side she did send me for an x-ray. She did say that it would take about 8 weeks to fully heel. So, that's right after our Disney trip. I hope that I heel fast and am able to walk fully by then.

DH told me today that if I'm not better in time for the trip then we are going to rent me an ECV. He said that he's not going to let me cancel the trip because I've done a lot of planning and that we all need this trip.

I'm not 100% ready to go the ECV route. Still determined to walk it, but if I can't then I will have to get one I guess. I've got it elevated and wrapped in an ace bandage. She gave me some anti-inflammatory medicine to take and I have orders to rest and stay off of it as much as I can. Thankfully I don't go back to work until Tuesday.

It doesn't hurt a lot, it just hurts because of the swelling. I need to take it easy and rest in order for me to be better or as much as I can by vacation time......

 

[BearcatsFan]

So glad to hear it isn't broken, but sorry to hear it will take so long to heal.

I agree 100% with your DH. DO NOT let this spoil your trip! If you need an ECV, get one. Period. They're there for people who need to use them, whatever the reason is! Don't hurt yourself trying to walk too much too soon, and do not be embarassed at getting the ECV.

Here's some pixie dust for quick healing of that ankle!

 

[CatNipRules]

So glad to hear it isn't broken, but sorry to hear it will take so long to heal.

I agree 100% with your DH. DO NOT let this spoil your trip! If you need an ECV, get one. Period. They're there for people who need to use them, whatever the reason is! Don't hurt yourself trying to walk too much too soon, and do not be embarassed at getting the ECV.

Here's some pixie dust for quick healing of that ankle!

Thanks! I appreciate all the pixie dust that I can get.

 

[BearcatsFan]

How's your ankle feeling today?

 

[MEK]

I really hope that your ankle is starting to feel a little better day by day. Ankle injuries can be stubborn and if you need an ECV, go for it. Walking around Disney can be exhausting. Wouldn't that qualify you for the GAC pass so you can skirt the standby lines. Might not be such a bad idea.

Anyway - hoping that you are on the mend!

 

[CatNipRules]

My ankle is feeling marginally better. I have to stay off of it alot because it starts hurting after awhile. Otherwise it's getting better. I think. LOL!!

I got a reminder message on my Disney home page. That on September 24th we can check in online. I'm still not 100% sure if I want to do online check in or not.

Okay, so it occurred to me today that I haven't posted which parks we are going to be visiting on what days. So, because that is a bad Disboard member, I have to rectify that today. So, without further ado, here we go.

Originally we had planned on arriving at WDW on Friday October 5th. Well, because the Free Dining offer was extended out to October 4th, my TA told me that she could extend my dates. Well, I told her to do it as long as it wasn't going to cost us any more money.

So, she checked it out and it ended up saving me $108. Yay!!

With that planned, I had an extra day to plan for.

Well, we originally had planned for only 6 days in the park. Well, since we would be there an extra day, we want to buy an additional day for the parks.

I was going to have my TA buy an additional day for the tickets, but after asking around here I discovered that the easiest way to do it is to upgrade the tickets once we use them at the first park on the first day. So, I plan on using some of my Disney Gift cards to pay for the additional days tickets. It won't be as much as someone that doesn't have a package. I think I figured that it would be an extra $150 or so for the three of us.

So, for our plans for each day.....

Arrival Day- October 4th 2012.​

We will be flying from Huntsville International Airport. Now, International airport is probably a bit of a misnomer. Our airport is incredibly tiny. Although it looks smaller from the outside than the inside. When we went to visit it I was surprised to see how big it is on the inside.

So, there are no non-stop flights anymore. Thanks to Jet Blue leaving our city. So, we are flying from here to Atlanta. We have a layover of a little over 2 hours.

We are planning on eating at Yachtsman Steakhouse on our first night there. DS and I both love steak. DS can eat his weight in steak. LOL! DH likes the smell of it, but it makes him sick to his stomach. Which is funny, because that's the very first thing that my dad cooked when we were dating and he came to his house for dinner for the first time. I had no idea that DH couldn't eat it. LOL!

This will be our first time eating there.

We are rope drop type of people. We are early risers and I'm usually up before the crack of dawn. Especially when we are at Disney. I don't seem to need my alarm clock when we are at Disney. LOL!!

Does anyone else have this problem? Not that it's really a problem, but I just find it funny that we never need an alarm when we are at Disney.

I've pretty much planned our days around the EMH. I know, I know, it's probably suicide to do that, but I think we will be fine. The only day that I don't have planned is Friday the 5th. No ADR's. No plans for the day. I think we are just going to take that one by ear.

I will write more later. I don't want to get too long winded here. LOL!!

 

[CatNipRules]

How's your ankle feeling today?

It's feeling a bit better. It's slow healing so far, but it's only been a few days. LOL!

I really hope that your ankle is starting to feel a little better day by day. Ankle injuries can be stubborn and if you need an ECV, go for it. Walking around Disney can be exhausting. Wouldn't that qualify you for the GAC pass so you can skirt the standby lines. Might not be such a bad idea.

Anyway - hoping that you are on the mend!

Thanks!!

I can tell that it feels a little better today. It still hurts to walk on it and walking for an extended period of time is hard.

I'm going to take it one day at a time. I'm thinking that a GAC might be something to think about. Although if I have an ECV I won't need a GAC. I'm just going to wait and see. One day at a time. LOL!!

 

[CatNipRules]

DH decided that he needs more shorts for our trip. He said that he was looking through our old pictures and we always wore shorts. We visited mainly in October and every single picture of us is of us in shorts. I remember wearing pants a few times at night, but for the most part during the day we wore shorts.

Okay, so our plans are as follows:

Friday: Winging it. This will be our extra day. We might do EMH at AK. Then we are going to head over to Epcot. Because Epcot is our favorite park. Tied with AK for our favorite park.

Saturday: AK until 3 or 4, then over to MK and dinner at 'Ohana. After 'Ohana's we might go to MK For a bit.

Sunday: We are going to the MK. Probably going to spend the entire day there.

Monday: DHS. This is our least favorite park. It just seems like there isn't much to do there. Not many rides and the layout of the park just seems odd to me. Back in the day, I loved it, but now, it just seems to be in terrible need of a rehab. Not just parts of the park, but the entire park. I know a lot of people like the park, but I find it just blah.

We have parts of it that we love. Rock N Roller Coaster is great. I was to try Toy Story Mania and Star Tours is always a must for us. The Great Movie Ride is awesome and the backlot tour is always interesting.

I'm just not sure that this is an all day park. Maybe a half day, but probably not an all day park. We will have to wait and see when we get there.

Tuesday is our off day. DH & DS are going to do the Mouseboats/Sea Racyers. I'm going to go shopping at DTD. Then we are going to meet up and do Disney Quest. Now that DS is old enough to ride all of the rides and actually enjoy it, it's going to be much more fun.

Wednesday is our first, maybe second, Epcot day. We love Epcot and we love the F&W festival. I'm really looking forward to it this year. It's always so much fun!! We have our Le Cellier reservation for this day.

Thursday is another MK day. It's also our MNSSHP day also. We love the Halloween party. This is our favorite time of the year.

Friday is our last park day. Epcot is always the last park of our trip. Every single trip since we've started going to Disney. Epcot has always been our trip of choice to end our vacation. Like I said, my family's favorite park is Epcot.

So, there it is in a nutshell. I can't wait for our trip and to do our trip report.

 

[BearcatsFan]

Your daily plans look great! I wouldn't worry too much about scheduling around EMH. You're going at a slower time of year, so crowds shouldn't be terrible. Have you checked into any of the crowd calendars to see what you're getting into?

I thought we were the only ones who didn't set the clock while we're at WDW! I'm up at the crack of dawn before the rooster crows whenever we're on vacation, wherever we are. And once I'm up, DH soon follows.

I also don't think DHS is an all-day park, though my hubby would disagree. For me, there just isn't enough to do there. I feel the same way about AK, too.

Hope your ankle is feeling better every single day! Have you decided on the ECV yet?

 

[CatNipRules]

Your daily plans look great! I wouldn't worry too much about scheduling around EMH. You're going at a slower time of year, so crowds shouldn't be terrible. Have you checked into any of the crowd calendars to see what you're getting into?

I thought we were the only ones who didn't set the clock while we're at WDW! I'm up at the crack of dawn before the rooster crows whenever we're on vacation, wherever we are. And once I'm up, DH soon follows.

I also don't think DHS is an all-day park, though my hubby would disagree. For me, there just isn't enough to do there. I feel the same way about AK, too.

Hope your ankle is feeling better every single day! Have you decided on the ECV yet?

Yeah, I've checked out the touring guides and the crowd calendars. Most of the week isn't bad. There are a couple days that look iffy, but even then they aren't too bad.

That's too funny about you getting up at the crack of dawn. I swear it has something to do with being on vacation. Because I never get up without the help of my alarm at home. LOL!!

It's funny that we never used to like AK all that much. However, over the years we have grown to really like it. I'm not sure that it's an all day park, but we can still get a lot done.

My ankle is feeling better every day, but it still hurts to walk. I've reserved an ECV just in case, but I can cancel it if I end up feeling better. I'm hoping that it will feel better. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Thanks for the pixie dust! Every little bit helps.

 

[BearcatsFan]

I'm the exact same way. I could sleep all day here at home without the benefit of the alarm to wake me, but seems like we hit the road and suddenly it's up at 5 a.m. all on my own. Something about sleeping in a strange bed, I guess!

Glad to see you've reserved the ECV. Better to have and not need than need and not be able to get, I say. Just promise you won't push it! Ankles are funny things. My DH broke his years ago and walked sooner than he should - it's never been right since.

We went to AK the year it opened and haven't been back, to tell the truth. We just didn't find anything there that blew us away, and now it's our least favorite park. No plans to go there anytime soon.

I think you need to post a pic of YOUR go-with-nothing shoes!

Here's some more ankle pixie dust for ya.

 

[CatNipRules]

Okay, so I got a call back from my doctor's office today. I got confirmation that my ankle isn't broken. Although, she did say that I have a bone spur in both my heel and my ankle. Lovely. LOL!! Which is probably why my feet hurt all the time.

That is basically what the guy at the shoe store told me. Basically my feet over pronate.

Well, apparently since I mentioned my ugly shoes I have to post them now. LOL! Some written or unwritten rule. Hah!!

So, here's the picture:

I know a lot of people would think that they look nice, but I don't think I like the red and silver combination. LOL!!

I can't believe it's only a little over a month until vacation!! I can't wait!

 

[BearcatsFan]

So glad to hear your ankle isn't broken. Bone spurs, huh? That does not sound like fun.

Saucony, eh? Nice choice! And yep, I do like the color combo ... much better than yellow and silver with purple accents like mine. Just remember, it's about function and comfort - not style! That's what I keep telling myself, anyhow ...

Exactly how many days are you down to now? Any more thoughts on online check-in? I'm hoping someone can push me over the edge into making a decision ...

 

[CatNipRules]

So glad to hear your ankle isn't broken. Bone spurs, huh? That does not sound like fun.

Saucony, eh? Nice choice! And yep, I do like the color combo ... much better than yellow and silver with purple accents like mine. Just remember, it's about function and comfort - not style! That's what I keep telling myself, anyhow ...

Exactly how many days are you down to now? Any more thoughts on online check-in? I'm hoping someone can push me over the edge into making a decision ...

I was shocked when you knew what kind of shoes they are. I had never heard of them before. LOL!! I like your color combo. LOL! Of course those are my favorite colors. Especially purple.

I'm down to 35 days now. I'm still undecided on online check in. I just don't want to hate my location and think it would be easier to check in when we get there. I'm not 100% sure yet. Still trying to decide!!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

I'm glad to hear that your ankle isn't broken!!! The ECV definitely sounds like a good idea for you though!

 

[CatNipRules]

I'm glad to hear that your ankle isn't broken!!! The ECV definitely sounds like a good idea for you though!

Thanks!

Yeah, it looks like I'm going to have to use it for this trip. Normally I would hold off on one, but it looks like walking without pain isn't going to be an option this time.

 

[BearcatsFan]

I was shocked when you knew what kind of shoes they are. I had never heard of them before. LOL!! I like your color combo. LOL! Of course those are my favorite colors. Especially purple.

I'm down to 35 days now. I'm still undecided on online check in. I just don't want to hate my location and think it would be easier to check in when we get there. I'm not 100% sure yet. Still trying to decide!!

I ruined a super-comfy pair of Saucony sitting on a bridge in the rain waiting to see fireworks last Summer. Haven't been able to find shoes that were as comfy since.

35 days! It's gonna start flying by for you soon, believe me. Seems like we went from about 45 days to 25 days in record time.

 

[CatNipRules]

Okay, so first I want to wish everyone in LA well. They have been through so much and it's just so devastating.

I remember back when Katrina hit 7 years ago. It was terrible.

So, anyways, I'm wanting to have someone drive us to the airport. It's $8 a day to park in the budget parking lot. So, it would be about $80 total for the 10 days. I would love to have someone take us. However, there are a few problems with that.

Problem #1-We have no relatives here.

Problem #2- I don't want to ask one of our friends to drive us. We have to leave our house at 4 in the morning. Our flight takes off at 6:30 a.m. I can't imagine myself getting up that early. I'm not sure what I was thinking booking a flight that early.

We could rent a car to drive to the airport, but that just seems like another pain. None of the air taxis run that early and they are not cheap.

So, we are going to just take and park our car and pay the parking fee.

I think we are going to do online check in. I don't have many requests. Just a ground room floor since I'm going to have an ECV.

I had some other things to say, but I've forgotten about what I was going to write. LOL!!

 

[BearcatsFan]

Our situations sound so familiar!

Do you have AAA? If so, they may give a discount for the long-term parking (they do at our airport). Worth checking into! It's not a huge discount (ours is $1 off per day), but every little bit helps!

 

[CatNipRules]

Our situations sound so familiar!

Do you have AAA? If so, they may give a discount for the long-term parking (they do at our airport). Worth checking into! It's not a huge discount (ours is $1 off per day), but every little bit helps!

No, we don't have AAA. Our car insurance has most of the stuff that AAA offers included with it so we never saw the need to have it. I know they do other things, but we've never bothered with signing up for it. LOL!!