**A Planning Freak's Anniversary Trip!**

[devonsmommy]

Somehow I just stumbled onto this section of the boards and have spent a little bit of time this morning reading some other trip reports. I love this idea! I am a planning and organizing freak and dh doesn't get it. So this is the perfect place for me to share, bounce ideas, etc with others who can help me out!

First up:

Cast
Me = Taryn, 31 yo, SAHM, "retired" Special Education teacher (autistic support), scrapbooker, scrapbook retreat house owner, mother of 2 darling little girls (2.5 and almost 5 months)

DH = "E", 35 yo, Sales consultant for a printing company, father of 2 darling little girls!
(I couldn't find a picture of him by himself.)

And here's picture of our adorable little girls who AREN'T going on the trip.

A little bit of background...

We were married on the beach in Jamaica in August 2003. At that time we decided that every 5 years we would return to a different Caribbean island because we loved it so much! Well, it's time for our first return trip, and we originally were going to go to Turks and Caicos. The rest of our family was also going to go (brothers, sisters, parents, etc.), but back in the fall when I started planning we got no response. In the meantime we have been renovating a house to become a scrapbook retreat house which is costing us a lot of money, so we decided a trip to the Caribbean wasn't really in the budget for this year. Then I started thinking about Disney. I was supposed to go to Disney last September with my mom and aunt and uncle who were visiting from Australia. When we booked that trip, all was fine...then I found out that I was PREGNANT! And would be due in December. That's fine, except with my first pregnancy I was on bedrest for 3 months. We only had until August sometime to change the ressie without penalty and I decided I should cancel just in case.

So I started lurking on the boards here again and saw people talking about codes, etc. I signed up for the credit card in hopes of magically getting a code, and then this free dining offer came about! I couldn't pass it up!

Just a note that dh is NOT thrilled about this trip at all. He is extremely frugal and with spending all this money on another house, he wasn't too hip. He also isn't a big Disney person. But I figure once he's there, he'll experience the magic!

I figure this is the last time for awhile we will ever get to go and experience it without our kids.

Well, I have to get kids to bed for naptime now, but will be back with more specifics on the trip!


Previous Disney Trips
The Original Plan
Plans Change
Rough Itinerary and Existing ADRs
TGM and the Disney VISA
More Changes and Some Questions!
Budget...I guess I should have one!

 

[ForeverDance]

Looking forward to hearing more. DH and I are making our first child free trip this September (and I mean first trip to anywhere without our kids) and we are really looking forward to it

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

you will enjoy your kid free vacation. if you want to you can read my kid free trip report to get ideas for your trip. you will enjoy the magic you will get without the kids.

 

[devonsmommy]

you will enjoy your kid free vacation. if you want to you can read my kid free trip report to get ideas for your trip. you will enjoy the magic you will get without the kids.

Thanks so much for joining me you two!

And thanks KY for telling me about your kid free vacation. I definitely will be reading it!

 

[devonsmommy]

I think the first time I ever went to Disney I was about 3 years old. I don't remember one single thing but I've seen pictures! We stayed at Fort Wilderness.

Then when I was 9 I went with my dad. We stayed off site at a Ramada I believe. We visited MK, Epcot, Sea World, Circus World. My dad made me pose with every single character and get their autograph. This is back when there were no lines and it was a free for all.

My next trip was sometime around the time I was 12 or so. It was my mom, sister, aunt, and 2 cousins on this trip. We stayed off site this time too. I remember MK and Epcot on this trip. Not too much else. I was approaching that bratty teenage time in my life and really didn't like spending time with my family at such a fun place.

I went again when I was a junior in high school. My dad took a friend and I, along with his girlfriend. My aunt, uncle and 2 cousins also went at the same time but were at a different resort. We stayed at POFQ. I really liked this resort! We did all the parks and Universal.

During college, my mom and I took a trip around 97. I cannot remember what we did! I'm not sure if we went to all the parks, and not even sure where we stayed! I do know that we bought a timeshare for Vistana Resorts while we were there.

I also went to the Council For Exceptional Children national conference in Orlando while I was in college. We did do downtown Disney but didn't go to any parks.

My mom and I went again around the year 2000 or so. We stayed at our timeshare Vistana Resorts. I actually loved this resort! The accomodations were great. We went during Thanksgiving and my mom cooked an awesome meal. My sister who lived in Tampa drove and met us there. Did I mention we drove from PA to FL for this trip? NEVER AGAIN will I drive! We went to Epcot and MK on this trip.

My last trip was in June 2004. This time it was me, dh, my mom, my MIL, FIL, SIL, her dh, their daughter, my BIL. We stayed again at our timeshare in Vistana Resorts. We did all the parks including Sea World and Universal. I felt like we did a lot of running around on this trip. We would get into the park, and run from one thing to the next. It's very difficult traveling with a larger group of people.

I definitely want this trip to be more organized and laid back than that trip was.

 

[ForeverDance]

you will enjoy your kid free vacation. if you want to you can read my kid free trip report to get ideas for your trip. you will enjoy the magic you will get without the kids.

Jumping over to read that one... after I read the next installment from devonsmommy of course

 

[devonsmommy]

added pictures to the OP

 

[devonsmommy]

Well, to start, I booked us at POP with free dining from Sept. 13-20th. I also booked all of our ADRs and then started researching flights. We had miles to redeem and saw that US Air changed the way you redeem. It's no longer 25,000 miles per free ticket. It's by leg of the trip and costs many more miles if you leave and return on the weekend.

ADRs that were made:Lunch at Le Cellier
Dinner at 50's PT
Lunch at Sci Fi
Breakfast at Kona
Dinner at Raglan Road
Dinner at Kona
Lunch at Coral Reef

Rough Itinerary:
9/13--Epcot
9/14--MK
9/15--DHS
9/16--Off--pool day, Boardwalk
9/17--???
9/18--AK
9/19--Epcot

You will see soon that hardly anything stayed the same!

 

[devonsmommy]

First let me say, I am a little bummed more people aren't joining me with this PTR! It's the first one I'm doing, and was hoping to have a lot of feedback, but that's okay. I can muddle through on my own!

Anyway, I started researching flights through US Air since we have a ton of miles to use up. I quickly learned they have changed the way you redeem the miles now. Instead of it being 25,000 per ticket, it goes by leg of your trip and can vary between 12,500 and 50,000 miles one way! Yikes, and of course leaving on a Saturday it cost 25,000 one way. Not what we were expecting. So after looking at the calendar we saw it was cheaper if we left and returned on a Wed. So it was only 12,500 one way.

I decided to change the dates of our trip based on this. I am a SAHM and E has great flexibility with his job, so it wasn't a big deal.

NEW DATES:
Sept. 10-17th

AND

NEW RESORT:
Port Orlean Riverside!

I decided to change our resort too from POP. Since it IS our anniversary trip I wanted something a little more romantic. I originally wanted the Poly, but that was way over our budget, so I decided on POR after some research.

 

[devonsmommy]

Well here is what I have lined up for NOW

Wednesday Sept. 10th
*Arrive in Orlando 1:50 p.m. (not my ideal time, but dh didn't want to fight Philly traffic in the morning, AND we actually get to sleep in because we won't have our girls! )
*Check into POR, check out the room, grounds, maybe the pool
*5:00 p.m. Whispering Canyon Cafe for dinner (now, I don't have an ADR for this but have been trying! I'll keep calling everyday until we leave, but if we don't get one, we'll just go as a walk in.)
*Head to the Boardwalk, and eventually enjoy a No Way Jose at Beaches and Cream (never been here, but have read and seen wonderful things here on the DIS!)
*Back to POR to bed!

Thursday Sept. 11th
*Breakfast at POR
*RD at DHS
*11:00 a.m. ADR at Sci Fi
*Possibly a break here depending on how much we get done in the morning.
*5:30 p.m. ADR at 50's PTC
*Fantasmic

Friday Sept. 12th
*Breakfast at POR
*RD at MK
*Lunch at Cosmic Ray's around 11:00 a.m.
*Afternoon break at some point
*4:50 p.m. ADR at Crystal Palace
*MNSSHP!
*Dole Whip snack, funnel cake snack

Saturday Sept. 13th
*Breakfast at POR
*9:00 a.m. Segway Tour in Epcot
*Epcot
*12:15 p.m. ADR at Le Cellier
*Afternoon break
*Back to Epcot, dinner at Sunshine Seasons
*Illuminations

Sunday Sept. 14th
*Breakfast at POR
*Relax at resort...swim, maybe rent a boat, etc.
*Head to DTD
*Wolfgang Puck Express
*Pleasure Island--Comedy Club, Adventurer's Club (never been to this one, but want to check it out!)

Monday Sept. 15th
*7:40 ADR at Cape May Cafe
*Epcot
*1:30 ADR at Coral Reef (special anniversary lunch!)
*Break
*MK for Spectromagic and Wishes

Tuesday Sept. 16th
*Breakfast at POR
*RD at AK
*6:40 p.m. ADR at Kona
*DTD?

Wednesday Sept. 17th
*9:00 a.m. ADR at Kona
*Leave

Any input on this would be greatly appreciated!

 

[ForeverDance]

I'm still around The weekend was extremely busy for us because we are in the middle of renovations (nothing like completely overhauling the house to keep you busy before your Disney trip )

Our trip dates are exactly the same as your original dates (Sep13-20th) and I thought that was pretty funny. We also have a lunch ADR for LeCellier on Sep13th but ours is at 1:20. Your plan looks pretty good. Do you have anything special planned at Coral Reef for your anniversary lunch (a diver of a special menu maybe)?

 

[devonsmommy]

I'm still around The weekend was extremely busy for us because we are in the middle of renovations (nothing like completely overhauling the house to keep you busy before your Disney trip )

Our trip dates are exactly the same as your original dates (Sep13-20th) and I thought that was pretty funny. We also have a lunch ADR for LeCellier on Sep13th but ours is at 1:20. Your plan looks pretty good. Do you have anything special planned at Coral Reef for your anniversary lunch (a diver of a special menu maybe)?

We'll probably still be at Le Cellier when you get there!

I do have the diver and special menus lined up for our lunch. Dh is going to be very surprised!

 

[Jaelynnandmom]

I can't wait to read more Disney is definitely different when you don't have a stroller to lug around... I hope you and DH have a magical time.

 

[devonsmommy]

I can't wait to read more Disney is definitely different when you don't have a stroller to lug around... I hope you and DH have a magical time.

Thanks! I am looking forward to it.

 

[devonsmommy]

I decided a few weeks ago to join TGM. Doing this has actually saved me several hundred dollars. I originally was getting us 7 day non expiring hoppers because I know we'll be back. But after going through my whole itinerary were only going to be really hopping on one day. So I canceled the hopper part and brought the days down to 5.

We have OLD, OLD, OLD, hopper passes with some days, so we will just use those for the day that we hop.

***Okay, I just got a new laptop and I somehow keep hitting enter by accident and it's posting before I'm done!

The title should be Disney VISA.

I also signed up for the Disney VISA. We are in the process of renovating a house to become a scrapbook retreat house, so we are putting the maximum we can on this card and getting the $750.00 in Disney dollars to use towards the trip.

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

2 important things to remember......
1 it will be hot and humid at WDW
2 i think you are going at the tailend of free dinning it should be packed on fridays and saturday.
love your plan so far

 

[devonsmommy]

I need to stop reading these dining reviews! I am very happy with all the ADRs I have made, so why do I even consider changing anything?

Here are a few I am up in the air about:

Tutto Italia--everyone keeps saying how great it is! I look at the menu and nothing thrills me though.

Ohana's--I keep reading mixed reviews about this. This is the kind of place dh would love and I would not.

ESPN Zone--Also another one dh would love.

Chef de France--or whatever the one in France is called. I can't get that macaroni and cheese picture out of my head!

California Grill--would take 2 TS credits, but will we ever have the chance to eat here again?! We'll be without kids on this trip.

I guess I didn't really take into account what he would like to eat. Although he is not picky at all and will eat anything! Food doesn't excite him like it does me!

So if anyone has any opinions on any of these restaurants, please tell me! Help make my decision a little bit easier.

I still haven't been able to get an ADR at WCC for our first night there. So I am contemplating just going to Beaches and Cream for dinner and then a sundae.

Another question: Is Beaches and Cream a table service and do they take ADRs? I have a feeling the answers are yes and no. I've read so much information I forget!

My final question: Has anyone heard about the Disney VISA changing the limits on how many dollars you can accumulate? I saw a posting that they took away the $750 limit. But didn't have any confirmation on my statement.

Up next...my list of desired snacks!

 

[lmillercrew]

DH and I went to Disney by ourselves last Oct for our Anniversary and a much needed vacation, as DH was bitten by a shark on our "dream vacation" in Hawaii.
Anyway, we had the best time together. We have always taken our kids with us to Disney, and it was just nice to go at our own pace and eat things that we never would have with the kids. In fact we bought snacks that I would never have gotten our kids because of the cost factor. We shared a lot of those. You will have a great time and keep up the PTR. You will love POR, that's our favorite resort, so far. Although one day I'm going to stay at the GF! (without kids )

 

[Paparazzimama]

Just stumbled onto your PTR from another thread and am really enjoying it! My family will be at POR 9/11-9/16 so chances are pretty good that we may see each other! (Oh, and check out the dismeet link in my signature) Your plans look so great so far!!! If you have your heart set on WCC - don't give up! We got a CRT lunch ADR during Thanksgiving week 3 days before we left for our trip last year - persistance pays off! I know exactly what you mean about needing to stop reading all of these dining reviews. I'm trying to talk dh into adding some days to our trip just so I can try some more restaurants!!! It hasn't worked yet, but I'll let you know if I wear him down! Ooh, and I can't wait to hear your report when you get back - dh and I are planning on booking a bouncback trip (if they offer it) for September '09 that will be just for the 2 of us. The last time we vacationed without kids was BEFORE we had them!!! I hear that Disney is a whole new experience as an adult trip. Anyhoo, enough babbling, can't wait for your next update!

 

[ForeverDance]

So if anyone has any opinions on any of these restaurants, please tell me!

Sorry no advice for you here. I haven't been to any of those restaurants myself so I have nothing to offer.

Another question: Is Beaches and Cream a table service and do they take ADRs? I have a feeling the answers are yes and no. I've read so much information I forget!

I'm pretty sure you are right on both accounts: it is a table service but it doesn't take ADRs. Of course I haven't been to this one yet either (it's on the list for this coming trip) so I could be wrong.