A Safari Christmas Goes Pop! (w/pics)

[njdisneyfreak]

We were reviewing our ADRs again, and decided to make some changes. The changes were the result of two things, I wasn't happy about waiting till our third day to see the MK and we weren't settled on Christmas and Christmas Eve dinners. With us making our first day a MK day, we had to make time for DTD, too. So, here is the latest:

Tues. 12/23
- lunch at Columbia Harbour House
- dinner at Peco's Bill Cafe or The Plaza

Wed. 12/24
- Segway Tour at Epcot (early)
- late breakfast at Akershus
- Use snack credits for lunch
- dinner at Hollywood & Vine

Thurs. 12/25
- breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Banquet Hall
- lunch at Crystal Palace
- dinner at Chefs de France

Fri. 12/26
- breakfast at Crystal Palace
- lunch somewhere in DTD, though we're keeping our ADR for Marrakesh
- dinner at Chef Mickey's

Sat. 12/27
- breakfast at Tusker House
- lunch at Nine Dragons
- 50s Primetime Cafe

Sun. 12/28
- breakfast at 1900 Park Fare
- lunch at Tony's Townsquare Restaurant
- dinner at Narcoosee's

Mon. 12/29
- breakfast at Everything POP
- lunch at Sci-Fi
- dinner at Coral Reef

Tues. 12/30
- breakfast at Ohana
- lunch at Sunshine Seasons (we're flexible)
- dinner at 1900 Park Fare

Wed. 12/31
- breakfast at Kona Cafe
- lunch at Tusker House
- dinner at Mama Melrose

Thur. 1/1
- breakfast at Everything POP
- lunch at Cinderella's Royal Banquet Hall
- dinner at Teppan Edo

Fri. 1/2
- breakfast at Crystal Palace
- lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern
- dinner at LeCellier

Sat. 1/3
- Head back home


As usual, stay tuned. I keep thinking there will be no more changes. . .but, hey! Who am I kidding?!

 

[joelp]

I've had a sore throat since yesterday, which stinks. Every year, when the weather begins its changes, this happens.

Try the Zinc losenges that Target sells ... I don't know if they do anything to relieve "colds" - but they do seem to kill most of my sore throats if I start taking them as soon as the throat starts getting sore ... [plus - they taste pretty good, too ... ]

I can't believe that we're now 93 days away! I can't wait to go. We keep talking about which clothes we should take with us, even though we really can't know for sure till we get closer.

That's why we have the Weather Channel ... I'm gonna have a packing list - but Plan to hold off until I get the week's weather report ...

Aw, man! We still have how much time left? We're starting to go nuts!

"Starting" ... ???

 

[joelp]

We were reviewing our ADRs again, and decided to make some changes. The changes were the result of two things, I wasn't happy about waiting till our third day to see the MK and we weren't settled on Christmas and Christmas Eve dinners. With us making our first day a MK day, we had to make time for DTD, too. So, here is the latest:

As usual, stay tuned. I keep thinking there will be no more changes. . .but, hey! Who am I kidding?!

Aaaaaagh!! You Jersey Girls!! ...

 

[njdisneyfreak]

"Starting" ... ???

Hey, no comments from the peanut gallery!

Aaaaaagh!! You Jersey Girls!! ...

I reserve the right to change my mind however often I want as a member of the female species, and not necessarily just because I'm from NJ. . .we're all this way! Isn't it great?!

 

[njdisneyfreak]

I've been crazy busy during the week, working, but at least I get a reprieve on the weekend. I try very hard to not work during the weekends. It helps to keep me sane.

We've been talking a lot about what clothes we might bring with us, again. I have decided to bring my Mickey ears Santa hat from the last trip, but my DH wants to leave his behind and get a new type on this trip. So far, he is thinking he might get the Pluto reindeer one, but he hasn't decided yet.

It's the neatest thing to see a 2 in the months column of my ticker!!! A two! With the cooler weather and the ticker, I'm getting more and more excited each day.

My DH has been monitoring ticket prices like crazy, and we're getting happier about our options. The way things are right now, some of the prices have dropped as much as $300 from what they were when we first started looking! Pretty cool. We just can't decide if we should go ahead and buy now and hold off a little longer. We'd hate to get our tickets and see a sweeter deal later on.

There's a chance we may have to arrive a bit later that morning than we last thought, which would mean no MK on our first day, but that's fine. We could just go to DTD instead, as originally planned. At this point, I just want the next 87 days to fly!

 

[joelp]

I've had a sore throat since yesterday, which stinks. Every year, when the weather begins its changes, this happens.

OK - I don't know how you did it - but somehow - you managed to pass your sore throat on to me ...!! ...

Hit me Tuesday night (as I was ...) ... got ugly on Wednesday - and unfortunately, I had to go to NYC for a meeting Thursday morning (on a 6:30 train no less ... ) ...

On the bright side, it was short-lived (made a run to Target for some Zinc ... ...) and I appear to be pretty-much over it ...

But - THANKS!!

 

[njdisneyfreak]

OK - I don't know how you did it - but somehow - you managed to pass your sore throat on to me ...!! ...

Hit me Tuesday night (as I was ...) ... got ugly on Wednesday - and unfortunately, I had to go to NYC for a meeting Thursday morning (on a 6:30 train no less ... ) ...

On the bright side, it was short-lived (made a run to Target for some Zinc ... ...) and I appear to be pretty-much over it ...

But - THANKS!!

Hey, I have powers you can't begin to imagine!

My doctor, this past week, told me that my sore throat is my yearly reaction to the rise in ragweed. So, at least I'm not sick, sick. It's allergy related. It comes and goes in intensity. I personally like Cepacol. It helps, though I was prescribed the Z-pack antibiotics to help, should I need it. Too much information? Look what happens when there isn't much to update on the trip!

 

[njdisneyfreak]

Okay, I just checked out the info and pics on DHS's Block Party Bash, and I have to say that I'm so psyched to see it! It looks terrific. I love it whenever I get to experience something new at WDW, and the whole Pixar thing they've done over at the Studios seems like so much fun! Here's a link to some pics of the parade, if you haven't checked them out already:
http://allears.net/tp/mgm/bpbash_pho.htm

 

[jillianjewels]

I've been crazy busy during the week, working, but at least I get a reprieve on the weekend. I try very hard to not work during the weekends. It helps to keep me sane.

We've been talking a lot about what clothes we might bring with us, again. I have decided to bring my Mickey ears Santa hat from the last trip, but my DH wants to leave his behind and get a new type on this trip. So far, he is thinking he might get the Pluto reindeer one, but he hasn't decided yet.

It's the neatest thing to see a 2 in the months column of my ticker!!! A two! With the cooler weather and the ticker, I'm getting more and more excited each day.

My DH has been monitoring ticket prices like crazy, and we're getting happier about our options. The way things are right now, some of the prices have dropped as much as $300 from what they were when we first started looking! Pretty cool. We just can't decide if we should go ahead and buy now and hold off a little longer. We'd hate to get our tickets and see a sweeter deal later on.

There's a chance we may have to arrive a bit later that morning than we last thought, which would mean no MK on our first day, but that's fine. We could just go to DTD instead, as originally planned. At this point, I just want the next 87 days to fly!

Ok, you seem like to DIS expert so let me ask you a question. We too are going in December and we are staying at AKl for our first four nights. Then I was thinking of moving the family to POP for 6 nights. We have never stayed at a value, but I'm game for anything and you seem to have good taste. So I was thinking why not. Have you questioned the decision you made. Or are you just as happy to save the money.. thanks for your help. I hope you have a great romantic trip full of Christmas joy!! Baby dust..
Jennifer

 

[njdisneyfreak]

Ok, you seem like to DIS expert so let me ask you a question. We too are going in December and we are staying at AKl for our first four nights. Then I was thinking of moving the family to POP for 6 nights. We have never stayed at a value, but I'm game for anything and you seem to have good taste. So I was thinking why not. Have you questioned the decision you made. Or are you just as happy to save the money.. thanks for your help. I hope you have a great romantic trip full of Christmas joy!! Baby dust..
Jennifer

Hi and welcome! I feel honored that you think I'm a DIS expert and have good taste! I'll help you any way I can. Well, as for whether or not I have questioned my decision, we actually originally planned to go to AKL and recently made the switch to POP. To be honest, we really think we made an amazing decision. Having done POP before, we knew what to expect, and honestly, we loved POP! When you're there, you feel like you're truly at a WDW resort with all the great theming. There are so many picture taking opportunities, it's such a fun atmosphere and we love reminiscing about when we were younger, when we look at stuff they have from the decade when we were kids. While we know the AKL would have been a great place to stay, when it came down to it, we couldn't see ourselves paying that much more for a resort when we spend most of our time enjoying the parks. The difference in cost didn't seem worth it to us. So, while I was thrilled with the original prospect of staying at the AKL, we have both been very excited about going back to POP and don't regret it at all.

Thanks for the good wishes, too! Since you're staying at both resorts, I think you're getting the best of both worlds, though if you are considering shifting down to POP, I think it's a great money saving move and a great place to stay.

When, in December, are you going? How old are your kids? Have you gone during this time before? It's such a great time of the year to go. We really can't wait to get there!!!

 

[DISNEY4XMAS]

Hey So glad to hear that your time is coming fast!
For us our time will come since we still have about oh A YEAR left!

But We have until Friday (October 3) to move into our new house! We won't officially own it until Oct 1, 2008, but we are slowly moving in stuff now.

Then our next big wait will be waiting for DISNEY!!! In September of 2009.

Hope that you have a Great time again this year!!!

 

[njdisneyfreak]

Hey So glad to hear that your time is coming fast!
For us our time will come since we still have about oh A YEAR left!

But We have until Friday (October 3) to move into our new house! We won't officially own it until Oct 1, 2008, but we are slowly moving in stuff now.

Then our next big wait will be waiting for DISNEY!!! In September of 2009.

Hope that you have a Great time again this year!!!

I know your trip is a ways away still, but at least you're busy with your new home. That's so exciting that you are almost all set with the new place! I still remember when you first mentioned about the idea of it.

Thanks for the good wishes! Feel free to live vicariously through our trip, and you can do the same for us, when you go next year.

 

[jillianjewels]

Hi and welcome! I feel honored that you think I'm a DIS expert and have good taste! I'll help you any way I can. Well, as for whether or not I have questioned my decision, we actually originally planned to go to AKL and recently made the switch to POP. To be honest, we really think we made an amazing decision. Having done POP before, we knew what to expect, and honestly, we loved POP! When you're there, you feel like you're truly at a WDW resort with all the great theming. There are so many picture taking opportunities, it's such a fun atmosphere and we love reminiscing about when we were younger, when we look at stuff they have from the decade when we were kids. While we know the AKL would have been a great place to stay, when it came down to it, we couldn't see ourselves paying that much more for a resort when we spend most of our time enjoying the parks. The difference in cost didn't seem worth it to us. So, while I was thrilled with the original prospect of staying at the AKL, we have both been very excited about going back to POP and don't regret it at all.

Thanks for the good wishes, too! Since you're staying at both resorts, I think you're getting the best of both worlds, though if you are considering shifting down to POP, I think it's a great money saving move and a great place to stay.

When, in December, are you going? How old are your kids? Have you gone during this time before? It's such a great time of the year to go. We really can't wait to get there!!!

We are going december 8-17. My kids are 7 and 2. We have never been in December so we are very excited. We are looking forward to seeing all the sights and sounds of Christmas and we are doing MVMCP. Regarding AKL we are only staying there, because we are renting from a fellow disser and we got it for $125 a night. A darn good deal. So for the first time ever, we are trying the DDP. I look forward to reading your thead as we get ready for an adventure.
Take Care

 

[bellasmommy0]

We are going december 8-17. My kids are 7 and 2. We have never been in December so we are very excited. We are looking forward to seeing all the sights and sounds of Christmas and we are doing MVMCP. Regarding AKL we are only staying there, because we are renting from a fellow disser and we got it for $125 a night. A darn good deal. So for the first time ever, we are trying the DDP. I look forward to reading your thead as we get ready for an adventure.
Take Care

For 125.00 I would stay there, and that is saying alot as I am CHEAP!!! Well Frugal is the word I guess!!!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Okay, I just checked out the info and pics on DHS's Block Party Bash, and I have to say that I'm so psyched to see it! It looks terrific. I love it whenever I get to experience something new at WDW, and the whole Pixar thing they've done over at the Studios seems like so much fun! Here's a link to some pics of the parade, if you haven't checked them out already:
http://allears.net/tp/mgm/bpbash_pho.htm

The block party bash is so much fun!! It is very high energy with a lot of singing and dancing. It really is like a big party.

 

[njdisneyfreak]

We are going december 8-17. My kids are 7 and 2. We have never been in December so we are very excited. We are looking forward to seeing all the sights and sounds of Christmas and we are doing MVMCP. Regarding AKL we are only staying there, because we are renting from a fellow disser and we got it for $125 a night. A darn good deal. So for the first time ever, we are trying the DDP. I look forward to reading your thead as we get ready for an adventure.
Take Care

What a great deal! You'll have a blast.

For 125.00 I would stay there, and that is saying alot as I am CHEAP!!! Well Frugal is the word I guess!!!

Hey, if you're going to afford WDW more than once or twice, it pays to be cheap. . .um. . .frugal! I totally hear that!!!

The block party bash is so much fun!! It is very high energy with a lot of singing and dancing. It really is like a big party.

I can't wait! I wonder if they'll change it in any way for the holidays. I know that the old parade was redone somewhat, as far as decorations, for the holiday. Do you have any pics you can share with us? I just love how you can literally go yearly to WDW and experience new things every time.

 

[wdwgirl03]

I can't wait! I wonder if they'll change it in any way for the holidays. I know that the old parade was redone somewhat, as far as decorations, for the holiday. Do you have any pics you can share with us? I just love how you can literally go yearly to WDW and experience new things every time.

Yeah, I wonder if they'd change it at all for the holidays. I do have a few pictures from May, but we only caught the end because we decided we'd rather ride Toy Story Mania. And I totally agree about being able to experience something new each year.

 

[njdisneyfreak]

Yeah, I wonder if they'd change it at all for the holidays. I do have a few pictures from May, but we only caught the end because we decided we'd rather ride Toy Story Mania. And I totally agree about being able to experience something new each year.

Great pics! Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to see it. It looks like fun.

 

[njdisneyfreak]

Okay. . .we've been hemming and hawing about trying this restaurant out, and we've finally decided to eat there on our first night. We're going to the MK, for the day, so getting there shouldn't be a problem. Having never been there before, can any of you give us any pointers. I know there are a lot of surprises with this dining experience and there are certain things to avoid saying. Any tips would be appreciated. I'm looking forward to seeing the resort, especially with the holiday decorations. It's supposed to be beautiful.

 

[njdisneyfreak]

Well. . .I was checking out a food porn thread and was convinced to change our Sci-Fi and 50s Primetime Cafe ressies. Based on what I saw of the lunch at 50s, I realized the lunch menu had some items we would enjoy, but that weren't on the dinner menu. Meanwhile, we had planned to go to Sci-Fi during lunch, which always feels weird when you feel like it's at night while inside. So, easy switch. Thankfully, they had the same time frames for those places on the dates we needed. Ah! I just love making plans for our WDW trip.

Tomorrow, I'm back to work. . .so I imagine changes will be less frequent!