****I keep getting kicked off when I pull up Photobucket. Dh (my live-in IT help) is sleeping so I'll put the pics up later. Sorry!****
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Sunday October 18 2009
Today was the day I had been waiting for. We were heading to MK for
MNSSHP.
Yeah!!!
I’ve only been to one hard ticket event before. A Pirate and Princess Party back in 2007. It was great. It was during the week in August and the park was practically empty. I get why Disney stopped holding those parties. An empty park not so great for them but it was for us guests. Plus it was the first time my kids had ever been to MK before. We were able to do tons of things in a small time. I knew I wouldn’t be that lucky at MNSSHP today. But I held out some hope.
The plan was to do POC, HM, CoP, BUZZ and IASW plus the parade and fireworks. I was trying to psych myself up to watch the parade. You see, I’ve only watched one WDW parade as an adult (tons as a child). That parade was the aforementioned Pirate and Princess party parade. Since as I mentioned the park was quiet that night my kids had lots of space around them and could handle staying to watch.
Truthfully I can’t blame this lack of parade and firework watching all on the kids. I was planning to watch a parade on my adult only birthday trip with Dh last April. But then, it got crowded in the park and I started to feel sort of crowded and panicky.
So we left. But all those other times, it was the kids. Well,… mostly. I certainly didn’t push them to stay.
I had been mentally preparing myself to stay in the crowds for the parade. I was going to do this. I had the image of the little engine that could running through my head all day. “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.” Don’t you just love that story? Eeoyre my DS11 was obsessed with trains when he was little. He also had some anxiety issues, which I’ve eluded to above so the moral of the little engine that could really hit home with him. He would be mortified now if he knew I was sharing this with you so let’s not tell him. Shh!
But I’m off topic. We (Dh and I-Eeoyre was at home) had the rest of the day to fill before MNSSHP.
Whatever would we do?
Now if you were my Dh you would answer that question with something like “the horizontal mambo”.
Since you’re my disboards friends you’ll probably suggest a park. Sounds good but I couldn’t do that.
I didn’t buy tickets for today. I bought the party tickets and a one-day park pass, which we used yesterday at Epcot. I needed a one-day ticket to qualify for free dinning. I wanted to buy more days than that but I didn’t want to push Dh. This was supposed to be a relaxing low-key weekend. At Dh’s request. Or we were going someplace like Vegas. Don’t flame me. His idea-Not mine. So I had to promise that if we went to WDW that we would keep the touring plans to a minimum. I didn’t want to break my promise or he might not come back again. Like ever… Turns out he isn’t coming on our next trip anyhow but that hadn’t been decided upon yet. In fact, during this trip he wasn’t aware that there would be a trip in July. I had yet to reveal it to him. But don’t worry. I tell him this weekend so you’ll get to hear all about it.
Originally we were only supposed to get the MNSSHP ticket and stay out of the parks otherwise. But then when I did the numbers it seemed cheaper to buy a one-day park ticket and get free dinning. It’s a good thing I had already bought the MNSSHP tickets when I showed Dh the crunched numbers. Cause otherwise Dh would have vetoed the party
Funny story about the tickets actually. I bought them through my
travel agent. She called up Disney and ordered them. Only Disney told her the day I choose was a “premium price”. So she called me and passed the good news forward. “Would I pay the premium price?” She asked. “Does Miss Piggy love Kermit? Like I had a choice?” I answered. So it seems I had bought me some premium tickets. A couple of days later I got the tickets in the mail. Only they weren’t what I had asked for. They were for the Holiday Party on December 18th. Not the Halloween party on October 18th.
UGHH!
Many thoughts went through my mind. These were non-refundable tickets. Maybe I should go to WDW in December too? I actually looked at the calendar. I let myself be whisked away to that happy planning phase for a few minutes before crashing to reality. I had to work and there was no way I had the money to go back for the third time this year. I mourned the loss of a trip that never was before I turned my attention to the fact that I still didn’t have tickets for when I wanted to go.
What if October 18 was sold out?
How much was Dh going to freak out if I couldn’t get my money back?
I sent my TA a message explaining my package. Because naturally it was after 5pm when I arrived home from work and opened my mail so my TA’s office was closed.
I worried about it all night. Dh was adamant that he was not going to pay Disney another stinkin cent. I was adamant that we were going to the party no matter what I had to pay. It was one of those nights that you huff and puff at each other and you go to bed facing the wall.
Luckily my TA (who is wonderful) had sorted it all out. New tickets came in the mail for the proper date and money was refunded to my credit card. Not all of it. Just the “premium price”. It turns out that October 18th was only premium to me. Disney was charging regular rates.
Now back to the report…
It was the morning of the MNSSHP party and I woke up to see the clock reading almost 7:30. By a little after 8 am we were arriving at Pepper Market for breakfast. In case you’re wondering how we did that so quickly let me clarify.
1) I escaped Mr. Octopus (for the time being anyhow)
2) We were super close cause we were staying in Casita #1 so the walk was negligible.
3) We were coming back to the room after breakfast so we were going to make ourselves “pretty” then. In other words we didn’t look our best. No pictures were taken to prove this. You’ll just have to believe me.
It was very cold this morning. Take a look at the fog off the lake. This is my view from outside our door.
**okay you could put I didn't put the picture in yet.**
Here are the courtyards from four stories up.
**imagine looking down***
Again, it is really pretty here. I loved the courtyards and the fountains. I really hope I get to stay at the Casitas again on our next trip. You know the trip that Dh didn’t know about yet.
Breakfast was made fresh and we both enjoyed it. It’s not Tonga toast but it will do. Especially since it was free dinning.
**imagine a plate of french toast and bacon.**
Dh loves breakfast foods so even though I evaded him earlier he was a happy hubby. Not sure what he had so I'll let the picture speak for itself.
I must address this tipping thing again at the Pepper Market. For all purposes Pepper Market is a counter service restaurant. Generally one does not tip at a counter service restaurant except of course for Pepper Market. The way it works is that you get seated by a CM host/hostess and given a blank food card, then a CM waiter/waitress takes your drink order and you go up to the “food islands” to get your food. The CM’s at the “islands” marks your card with what you have ordered and you return to your table to consume your meal. Upon exiting you take your card to the cashier and pay them. The cashier adds the tip. Or in my case is supposed to add a tip. The ones we had all said they don’t add the tip to anyone on the dinning plan.
But again, I felt bad so I left a tip on the table. It wasn’t much. Just enough to ease my conscience.
Having stayed at the allstars and POR I liked Pepper Market better for their food selections. Plus Pepper market was much less crowded. I just feel funny about the tip thing. I guess I just need to get over it.
So back to the room we went with our full bellies. We bundled up as we walked and I thought about buying a hoodie again. I really didn’t think I had enough warm clothes to get us through today and tonight.
I still haven’t mentioned what we did that morning. Some things I can mention and some things I can’t. So after some unmentionables we headed out the door to a resort I would love to stay at one day. Dh had never enjoyed the décor here so I doubt that I will ever get to stay here but then again stranger things have happened like convincing Dh to do two adult only weekend getaways in one calendar year. So maybe one day….
We were going to eat an early lunch. Technically the restaurant would call it breakfast but I’m not one to let technicalities get in my way. It was lunch for us. There would be characters. We had noticed that these adult only trips didn’t merit much interaction with the characters. Would this meal be different? Where did we go? Click here to find out.
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