A Princess Goes Home!! PTR

[JessicaKnits]

I don't have any personal experience with the gift cards, but I definitely plan to try it out! I was following along on another trip report, and she mentioned using her red card to get Disney gift cards. I'm not sure how many she ended up getting, but it looks to be about 20 in the picture! You can read about it in her post here. I hope this helps!

 

[waltsgrl]

Back to trip planning!! It's been too long and I could use a bit of a distraction. It feels like all my responsibilities as an adult are adding up lately, if only I could escape to Neverland... at least I get to go to Disney in September!!

Tuesday:
I am absolutely a rope drop gal and last year with Logan we were able to get up and out in time to hit rope drop everyday we toured a park. I am hoping that we can keep it up this trip, but with another little person in the mix I am a little worried. Reese will still be nursing so that's an extra 20ish minutes I have to plan for in the morning. Any who, this day we will be heading to my favorite park EPCOT!! I just love it there. The music, the smell, it all just makes me giddy! I like to split EPCOT up into two days. Future World and World Showcase. Today will be our FW day... although we will venture into WS to eat because it is my favorite thing to do. I don't think we will be part of the Soarin' crowd because, as much as I hoped, I don't think there is any way Lo will be tall enough for it . Since we won't be in a huge rush (V and I will only go on Test Track & Mission to Mars if there is a short wait) we will just take our time and enjoy!! I do plan on heading over to Mexico or Japan or Mexico & Japan for QS lunch. Then we have 5pm dinner reservations at Chefs de France. I am not going to miss the lobster bisque!! We might make this one an early night. Depends on the girls mood!!

Wednesday:
Gotta make rope drop at DHS for TSMM!! I think Lo will really enjoy the Beauty & the Beast and Ariel show as well. I plan on Pizza Planet for lunch and we have ADR's at Sci-Fi for dinner. The thing I am a little worried about this day is character greetings. I've never been big on meeting the characters but I know Lo will really enjoy it. I hope I can wing it and have her meet some of her favorites... Mike & Sully, Buzz & Woody, Ralph & Venellope, the Incredibles and if rumor is correct Sofia. I also can not leave this park without riding RnR at least once! Fantasmic is scheduled for this evening, agian it will depend on the girls.

Thursday:
Today we will take to relax and unwind. I foresee some pool time, fishing, French Quarter beignets!! We will also head over to DTD. We have lunch scheduled for Rainforest Cafe. I'm not a huge fan of the place but we have a gift card to use. There are also a few stores I really want hit... The Christmas store for our personalized ornament, Miss Mismatched, Trend-D, The World of Disney (OBVIOUSLY!!) and Goofy's Candy Co. for a snack credit make your own rice krispy treat! We will have dinner at one of my favorites, WGP express! I plan on heading back in time to catch a movie and roasted marshmallows at the resort.

Friday:
This will be a shorter day at MK. We will get there in time for the rope drop show... I just LOVE the rope drop show, last trip I cried like a baby!!

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We will head straight over to New Fantasyland and hit up all the main attractions. This is actually a night they are having MNSSHP so I am expecting crowds to be super super low in the morning. We will see. Today is the day we will be paying out of pocket for lunch because I want, no NEED, Sleepy Hollow waffles!! I am not kidding I think we are going to get one chicken waffle, one ham and cheese waffle and one nutella waffle. I can't wait for the waffles y'all!! We will head out of the park around 5pm for our 6pm ADR at Raglan Road, my most anticipated ress. I plan on walking to the Contemporary and grabbing a bus to DTD. This day is going to be super super yummy!!

Whoa, I'm pooped. I'm going to take a break and come back later to plan out the remaining 2 days!!

P.S. Have y'all seen how fantastic Duchess Kate looked after having a baby just 24 hours before that baby reveal?!?!?!?!?! I only wish I looked that good on an average day around my house!!

 

[spiritsim]

Well I am sure Kate gets plenty of help to look that good.....make up,hair just like a movie star.But yes she did look wonderful

 

[Marsheliz]

OMG! Look at you crying! You look just like me!! HAHAHAHHAHA

Yes, I saw Kate... Ahh- Must be nice!! They both look so happy!

 

[waltsgrl]

PAID IN FULL!!!We officially paid off the vacation! It's real!!!!!!

I did decide to go ahead and get a Target Red Card to save the 5% on the trip... I bought 56 gift cards. I ended up checking out at the service desk because a) I was worried something wouldn't work correctly and b) I was nervous about making such a large purchase in the regular line. Glad I did because there did end up being a problem. Since my account was brand new Target was not wanting to accept payment. The lady on the phone wanted me to use the card a few times before making a large purchase. Well I can easily go blow a few hundred dollars at Target but I wasn't really thinking our bank account would look too pretty afterward. After talking with her a little more they ended up letting me check out using the card and all worked out fine!! After I purchased the cards we all went out to lunch where I acted like a drug smuggler with all those cards in my diaper bag!!! Sent all the numbers over to my fantastic TA and she contacted Disney this morning to pay off our trip!! The Disney CM said that I was her record # of Gift Cards used to pay off a vacation!! WOOOOOOHOOOO

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I wasn't impressed with that photo, so I lined them all out...

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I need to figure out something fun to do with all those cards.

 

[Dream426]

YAY!! I love when it says paid in full. Greatest feeling.

 

[kansasdisneygal]

Sorry if this is an obvious question, but with the Disney Gift Cards from Target, they had issues with the purchase because you were a new cardholder? I have a Target Red Card, so wondering if it would give me issues since I use it now and then. Yay for being paid off!

 

[waltsgrl]

Sorry if this is an obvious question, but with the Disney Gift Cards from Target, they had issues with the purchase because you were a new cardholder? I have a Target Red Card, so wondering if it would give me issues since I use it now and then. Yay for being paid off!

Yes, it was only a problem because the account was brand new. I wouldn't imagine an established account would have a problem

 

[waltsgrl]

40 days, friends!! Only 40 days until we head to Disney!!

I've started to shift it into high gear getting our stuff together including a travel bag for Lo. It is filled with lots of princess activities, snacks and a composition book... you know in case Lo wants to compose her thoughts and feelings about our trip. I still need to grab her some gummy bears because they are her favorite! I think she will enjoy carrying her bag around the airport.

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I have had one change in our trip recently. I tend to pine over decisions. I have been really rethinking our choice to stay in an Alligator Bayou room. I've been talking the whole "we are staying at Princess Tiana's castle" up to Logan and I started to feel like a Royal Room is the best for us. So, I tried to wait for one to open up with the September FD offer. A couple did, but they were River View Royal Rooms which are the most pricey rooms at the resort and just not worth the switch. I've spoken to my TA about it a few times and she seems to believe that we have a good chance at getting a RR if she just calls, speaks with the room assigners and requests it. They are still available for our dates with no special offers. I really really hope she is right... although after the craziness that was the FD offer that just came out for Oct/Nov/Dec I am just happy we are at Port Orleans in the first place!!

My little sister is coming to visit us for a little over a week starting Wednesday. I always love having her around and I know the time she is here will fly by!! She loves Disney just as much as I do, so we always have fun talking Disney and dreaming of our fantasy vacations. It's a perfect way to get me even more into the mood Love her!!

 

[spiritsim]

I would be on pins and needles by now..... cute bag for the little princess, we were staying in RR too but have changed to business class at CSR.

 

[marDgreen88]

Hi! Just wanted you to know that I'm still reading, but it's a lot harder to comment now that I'm without a computer. I just wanted to comment real quick though and tell you that if you can get a Royal Room, DO IT!!!! Trust me.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Jackiemarie21]

I followed you over from babycenter! I love your plans! I had to get a prescription to help me with our plane ride, best idea I ever had!!
We also used gift cards from to pay off our trip we also got a bunch to use as spending money when we were in Disney. We had a lot of cards! But it was worth it to save the money!

Have a great trip! I am sure you will!

 

[Marsheliz]

Thought about you this morning and was wondering how the trip plans were coming along!! You definitely don't have much longer!! I am down to 40 days myself and I can't wait!!!!!!!!
I love the travel bag you have for Logan- I need to do the same.. Love the little suckers, santizer and gum!

 

[waltsgrl]

Looks like I successfully ignored this pre trip report for over a month... shame, shame, shame on me!! We are literally less than a week from our vacation and it can not come soon enough.

I'm not going to lie. It has been bonkers around here lately. Children/parents in various states of illness.

Logan started a "Mother's Day Out" program at a local church last week...

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Major preparations for Reese's first birthday are in full swing. This is the photo for her party invitation...

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And I have been busting my hump to get our Halloween costumes together. We are going to be characters from, UP! Lo is Kevin the Snipe, Reese is Dug the Dog, V is Russel and I am Carl. I don't have any photos from my good camera to share yet, but it will be epic.

In some other life update news, we have been having a rough patch with our littlest princess. Reese has always been very very small for her age (obviously, she is a preemie) but over the past month she has not put on very much weight. She is 11 months old and just over 13lbs. We're hoping that its due to her increased mobility, being exclusively breast fed and a cold she had this past month, but we are also starting to prepare ourselves for other possibilities. Our doctor has mentioned a possible kidney disorder or cystic fibrosis. Scary stuff that has certainly made life difficult lately. We will do our absolute best this month to pack some weight on her... Prayers, prayers, prayers!

In trip related news... OH. MY. LORD. It is so close! We were so super excited to find out that we are part of the Magicband testing this month!!! I have all of our FP+ attractions selected and we have these beautiful babies to wear around the World...

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Logan picked out all the colors for our party and I think she did an excellent job. I was shocked she chose red for herself. Her logic is that Mickey and Minnie wear red therefore she must do the same. Smart little girl!! I will immediately purchase the Minnie Slider to add to her band upon arrival. A quick rundown of our FP+ choices:

MK Day 1:
Enchanted Tales with Belle
Under the Sea
Peter Pan's Flight
*I was also able to get a FP reservation for BOG lunch!!

EP Day 1:
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Soarin'
Test Track

HS:
Toy Story Mania
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Beauty and the Beast Show

MK Day 2:
Meet Mickey Mouse
Buzz Light Year
Space Mountain

EP Day 2:
Spaceship Earth
Character Meet
Maelstrom

MK Day 3:
Pirates
Haunted Mansion
Splash Mountain

And there you have it. I feel like they are pretty good choices. Unfortunately parade/fireworks viewing areas weren't available for our days, I know we would have used those. Some of the choices make me laugh a bit because I know the ride will already be a walk on (Pirates, Spaceship Earth, Meet Mickey...) but it is still exciting!

We also found out that the new Princess Meet & Greet in Fantasyland will be opening while we are there! Another bonus for my princess girls

I have actually packed all of the girls clothes, so I can't show photos of how that came together. But I can tell you they will look adorable! Y'all will have to join in on the trip report to see them in all their adorableness.

Finally, tomorrow I am sending in a fax request to POR for room request. Basically I begged to be placed in a Royal Room if it is available, offering to pay for the upgrade of course. I wanted the fax to stand out so I drew a little Princess Lo and Princess Reese for the room assigner. Hope it at least gives them a good smile

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That's it for now. We are counting down the minutes... OH!!! And I got my drugs for the flight so that is absolutely incredibly exciting Zombie mama here I come!!!!!!!!

 

[wiigirl]

YAY!! I love when it says paid in full. Greatest feeling.