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

[devonsmommy]

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 )

Thanks so much for reading! I'm glad to hear good things about POR. I want to stay at the Poly in a future life.

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!

Hello! We probably will run into each other sometime! Not sure yet if I can make the dismeet. I'll have to check where we will be that day/night. I am going to try to talk dh into a bounce back trip too. But maybe take along our oldest dd then and leave the baby at home.

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

Thanks! I actually think I have changed my mind and want to go to Beaches and Cream on our first night now!

 

[devonsmommy]

I want to put my posts in a list in my OP. Can someone tell me how to view a single post so I can put it there? Links so people can just click on them?

 

[devonsmommy]

Well, I probably should have done this FIRST, but I guess better late than never! I'll have to really think about some of these and do some calculating. I'll come back to update it. Let me know if you see anything I forgot!

$1,767.50 Room/Ticket/Free Dining Package with insurance
$10.00 Airfare (just ticketing fees since we used miles to get these)
Airport parking
Dining Tips
Refillable mugs
Tips for baggage handlers/bellman
OOP Food in Parks
Bring along food/snacks
Souvenirs for our girls/us
$50.00 Disney gifts for our babysitters
Photopass Share
$161.50 Epcot Segway Tour
MNSSHP Tickets
Costumes
Special clothes, new sneakers, etc.
Pedicure and wax before trip

 

[lmillercrew]

sounds great to me.

 

[MRYPPNS]

Hi... I just stumbled in on your PTR. I think you have a very good park plan and I'm liking all about 2 of your dinning plans (sci-fi and coral reef...I can't get pass the bad reviews on those 2 )

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. Never been...

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

ESPN Zone--Also another one dh would love. We went for a cocktail one afternoon before dinner somewhere else.

Chef de France--or whatever the one in France is called. I can't get that macaroni and cheese picture out of my head! I was thinking of this one too...but we are bring DS this trip...go while you can!

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. We ate here...very good with or without kids

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! TS yes ...ADR no

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.

I don't know what the limit is but don't cut it too close to your vacation dates to request your rewards card.

Up next...my list of desired snacks!

My PTR has stuff about the Boardwalk and Beaches & Cream for the first night. Link is in my siggie.

 

[ForeverDance]

I want to put my posts in a list in my OP. Can someone tell me how to view a single post so I can put it there? Links so people can just click on them?

Click on the post number on the post you want to link to (upper right side of each post). When you click on it, the post will open in a new window. Just copy the link from the new window and that is the link you need.

Link to Quoted Post

 

[devonsmommy]

Hi... I just stumbled in on your PTR. I think you have a very good park plan and I'm liking all about 2 of your dinning plans (sci-fi and coral reef...I can't get pass the bad reviews on those 2 )

My PTR has stuff about the Boardwalk and Beaches & Cream for the first night. Link is in my siggie.

Thanks! I'll have to go check out your PTR. I just have to try Sci Fi once, I've never been there. And I have the diver booked for Coral Reef with the special menus, so I can't give that one up either!

Click on the post number on the post you want to link to (upper right side of each post). When you click on it, the post will open in a new window. Just copy the link from the new window and that is the link you need.

Link to Quoted Post

Thanks so much! I'm off to try this now...

 

[devonsmommy]

It's official! I saw someone post earlier about them taking the $750 limit away. And now, I saw it on this month's statement! Woo hoo! This is good news for us because we are currently undergoing a quarter million dollar renovation for our business. We've been charging everything and then paying it off right away so we can get the points! Marriott points and Disney points. So our trip should be completely paid for!

I just called and made another payment on our trip. It's nice to see that balance going down!

 

[devonsmommy]

$1,767.50 Room/Ticket/Free Dining Package with insurance
$10.00 Airfare (just ticketing fees since we used miles to get these)
$56.00 Airport parking
(still have to roughly calculate these) Dining Tips
$24.00 Refillable mugs
$10.00 Tips for baggage handlers/bellman
(still calculating these too) OOP Food in Parks
(???????????) Bring along food/snacks
$50.00 Souvenirs for our girls/us
$50.00 Disney gifts for our babysitters
Photopass Share
$161.50 Epcot Segway Tour--PAID
$105.00 MNSSHP Tickets--PAID
(???????????) Costumes
(???????????) Special clothes, new sneakers, etc.
$70.00 Pedicure and wax before trip

 

[devonsmommy]

I am happy to report that we are officially PAID IN FULL!

Woo hoo!

 

[Paparazzimama]

Yay for you!!!! We just paid ours too - now I'm watching the mailbox like a hawk for our packet with the luggage tags!

 

[lmillercrew]

YAY YOU!! Congratulations. It's a great feeling knowing that your trip is paid for before you even get there. That's why I like to make my ressies almost a year out so that I have that long to pay on it. Little here and a little there. Doesn't seem like so much when you go little at a time.

 

[devonsmommy]

Yay for you!!!! We just paid ours too - now I'm watching the mailbox like a hawk for our packet with the luggage tags!

Me too! That will make it seem more real for me!

YAY YOU!! Congratulations. It's a great feeling knowing that your trip is paid for before you even get there. That's why I like to make my ressies almost a year out so that I have that long to pay on it. Little here and a little there. Doesn't seem like so much when you go little at a time.

That's pretty much how we did it. A little here and there.
Thanks!

 

[devonsmommy]

Well I officially started working on our itineraries now, and ackkkkkkkkk!

We originally were supposed to arrive at 1:51 p.m. in Orlando at the airport. However, I just got notification that our plane was changed, and now we get there at 12:35 p.m.

Of course, to me this means we should definitely go to one of the parks! I wasn't planning on it. Just a TS dinner somewhere and then check out the boardwalk.

CHANGE OF PLANS!!!

I finally obtained a WCC ressie which I had been trying for, but have been reading food reports of other's. I just saw some GREAT Tutto pictures, and decided to try to get one there for our arrival night. That way we can maybe get Illuminations out of the way and tour a little bit around the countries. I was lucky to score a 4:45 p.m. ADR. The only other time available was 8 something, and that is just too late for us! Then I had another thought, do they have outside seating? And should we try to see Illuminations from there? If so, maybe we want the 8 seating? If anyone has any info on this, I would love to hear about it!

So here is where we stand so far:

12:35 p.m. arrive at airport
Go to POR, check out resort, head over to Epcot!
Casually tour around countries until our ADR.
4:45 p.m. ADR Tutto Italia
After dinner head over to FW and do whatever attractions/rides we can that have MINIMAL waits. (We do have another full day planned here for the must dos.)
9:00 p.m. Illuminations OR head over to The Boardwalk through the IG. This will totally depend on how we are feeling though. We have RD at DHS the next morning.

 

[ForeverDance]

I'm not exactly sure about Tutto Italia. I believe there is some outdoor seating but I don't think you'd get a good view of Illuminations from there anyway (someone please correct me if I'm wrong).

I'd stick with your itinerary as it stands now. Keep your 4:45 ADR and then you'll have plenty of time to scope a spot for Illuminations (or head to the Boardwalk if that's what you decide to do).

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

I'm jumping on board! You must really be excited with your trip so close now. I love all your plans and ADR's. It sounds like it will be a wonderful anniversary trip.