A Very Lurkyloo Christmas is FINISHED! New 3/16: Last Day of the Trip!

[MAGICFOR2]

So I went by the bakery section yesterday...

...and picked up a giant cupcake! It was sooo good! And in my defense I got a huge, unexpected raise yesterday and an unexpected bonus check so I did have something to celebrate . Although I made up a big fat lie when the cashier and bag guy asked me what I was celebrating .

Congratulations! What a nice way to celebrate.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Congratulations! What a nice way to celebrate.

Thanks! I thought so too. Cake is a great way to celebrate everything And, yes, I did light the candle

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

Just getting caught up. Congrats on the fantastic deal on your airfare!

 

[lurkyloo]

We are going Nov. 4 - Nov. 11th, taking my son, his g/f and her two kids .

Bill, my lovely significant other is in a power wheelchair - he has Cerebral Palsy. He has been to WDW 11 times, I have been 6 now and we have NEVER been to Disneyland, can you believe that? I want to do the "Walk in Walt's Footsteps" tour, I think that is what it is called. It just seems a little overwhelming with transportation etc because of the wheelchair. I will talk him into it one day, I wanna see the original park!

Sorry for typing so much, I seem to do that a lot .

Oh I do hope you'll get to Disneyland some day. We took my mom to Disneyland when she needed a scooter, and it was definitely a challenge, but Disney does a lot to make things easier for guests with mobility challenges. I wish PassPorter had an "Open Mouse" book for Disneyland - that would probably be really helpful for you!

Wow Carrie . . . that cake looks like it would be colorful going down as well as, ahem, coming o-u-t.

You ain't whistling Dixie! (According to DH...)

I'll have to catch up later, but just wanted to share this wedding video - they had so much fun - looked like something you might do, Carrie!

I love that! I hope more people will start doing fun things like that for their processional (although I'm surprised the church let them play a pop tune - I've heard lots of them are strict about what you can play).

i went to publix and gave them another picture of my cake and talked to the baker about adding just the right amount of almond extract..she was very excited to make a disney wedding cake...if it turns out good, maybe we see if the can make a mini lurkyloo peanut butter mousse and chocolate cake...you know..I am only 3 hours south..isn't cake worth a 3 hour tour??

Ooooh - peanut butter chocolate mousee made by Publix would probably be amazing!

Nope, we're going with the good old brownie menu. Feel free to smuggle in some of those squares though

Aye aye, cap'n!

All the cake talk, made me realize that I never submitted my admission! Here you go!

I cannot take credit for this, one of my best friends made this for my niece's Sweet 16. It was a beach themed party. Inside it was poundcake with strawberries and buttercream. It was delish!

Thanks for the pic! That's really cute what she did with the shells and sand and all.

So I went by the bakery section yesterday...


...and picked up a giant cupcake! It was sooo good! And in my defense I got a huge, unexpected raise yesterday and an unexpected bonus check so I did have something to celebrate . Although I made up a big fat lie when the cashier and bag guy asked me what I was celebrating.

Sheesh! That cashier should MYOB - it doesn't matter what you got the cupcake for! (But congrats on the raise and the bonus - way to splash out! )

Just getting caught up. Congrats on the fantastic deal on your airfare!

Thanks for reading!

 

[29apr00]

OK, at least tell me what flavors I will be missing out on...

Don't forget, this is DCL, not the Grand making the cake....nothing fancy. So it's Chocolate with White Chocolate mousse, and White with chocolate mousse. Atleast until Disney tells me no again.

 

[lurkyloo]

OK, first off, I did something plan-y last week!

I joined Tour Guide Mike again. I thought I didn't need TGM anymore after 5 trips, but this whole Christmas thing has thrown me for a loop, so I wanted to read his articles on the best ways to see it all.

This is despite the fact that I have a free subscription to TouringPlans.com, which came with my May vacation package. I've poked around it, and while I love the Least Expensive Ticket Calculator, I totally can't read their Crowd-Level Calendar... it is hard for my brain to process the info in that format, and it doesn't seem detailed enough to me after a few years of Tour Guide Mike.

Also, just like the Unofficial Guide's WDW guidebook, their website's format is SO reader-unfriendly... lots of dense text, few pictures or layout tricks to make info easier on the eyes and accessible to the casual reader.

Now at first I was kinda grumbling to have to pay almost full price to re-join Tour Guide Mike (he gives repeat buyers a discount, but I only qualified for the $16.95 price, not the $9.95 price). But then I realized I was doing exactly what I always laugh about when people ask if it's "worth it" to buy my Disney Weddings & Honeymoons book for $4.95 - $7.95. That's, like, the price of a Starbucks coffee drink or two to learn everything you could ever possibly want to know about planning your WDW wedding!

So I will not begrudge Mike his $16.95. May it cover his next four trips to Starbucks.


Another trip thing I did was try to figure out if the free dining plan Disney was offering just to Visa holders last week (now it's available to everyone) would save us any money on the non-DVC portion of our trip. Answer: Heck no! I forgot that Free Dining only saves you money if you stay at a Value Resort. The room-only discount we have at BoardWalk Inn is much better. But I had been fantasizing about using Free Dining as a way to get a discount on the price of Deluxe Dining, so I'm a bit sad that didn't work out.

I'm also that they're offering Free Dining during our trip because now it's gonna be impossible to get any ADRs, especially with only a 90-day window to make them. Grrrr....


Enough whining - how about some cake?


We went to the Orange County Fair yesterday, and I snapped a not-so-hot iPhone pic of the prize-winning cake:

Can you believe that's a cake?



I also liked this runner up because it's so colorful and looks like it might actually be edible:

 

[lurkyloo]

Don't forget, this is DCL, not the Grand making the cake....nothing fancy. So it's Chocolate with White Chocolate mousse, and White with chocolate mousse. Atleast until Disney tells me no again.

Aw, I'm sorry you're having so much trouble with these new DCL restrictions. I will keep my fingers crossed that they say YES because those sound like great flavor combinations!

 

[Happydog]

Okay so I read your other TRs and PTRs in tandem earlier this year, and then I see a Christmas trip!!!?? WOW!! I am looking forward to this, because we are headed there for Christmas, too! BCV, 1 bedroom Dec 20 - 27.... and I just added two days on the beginning of the trip the 18th and 19th at AKL... I can't wait to get all the Christmas dirt from LurkyLoo ESPECIALLY about BLT, I dream of staying there!!!! OH, and I agree with the TGM!! I just signed up again, after our 4th of July trip, I was sold!!!

Regarding the CAKE thing... yeah... well I made a "rocket" cake for my DS7's 5th Bday party??? Purple, green and orange. It was..... interesting. Especially since I had to patch a hole with a glob of purple frosting Don't know which 5yr old guest got that extra sugar surge!! I will look on the internet for a cake photo find...

Anyway, I am so glad you have this PTR started! IT will make the next four months go by in a SNAP!

I am freaking out about online ADRs... I hope you have some good advice!!!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Those are such cool cakes! Well maybe not "cool" as I'm sure it was 100-billiony degrees (it feels like it is here!)

I'm not planning another Christmas trip until the second week of December 2011. I'm hoping there'll be no free dining during this time period but it seems Disney's in love with their great scheme, er, marketing tool. Free dining has never worked out for us either as our last two trips we've been able to use a 40% off PIN code but it seems, nowadays, most people are on some sort of DP as the waiters/hosts seem surprised when you tell them you're not on it (way to make someone feel like they don't 'belong' ).

Can't wait to hear more of your plans! (except the stressful ADR gettin' time, that's no fun for anyone )

 

[Donald'sGirl]

Carrie I completely feel you on the 90 day thing. Its so frustrating as I am trying to plan several group dining ressies and events for my wedding and I can't book a darn thing until the stupid 90 days so I might not be able to do some of the things I want!

 

[mrsksomeday]

Oh I do hope you'll get to Disneyland some day. We took my mom to Disneyland when she needed a scooter, and it was definitely a challenge, but Disney does a lot to make things easier for guests with mobility challenges. I wish PassPorter had an "Open Mouse" book for Disneyland - that would probably be really helpful for you!

That would be wonderful to have an Open Mouse for Disneyland, can you drop some hints for me to the appropriate people .

We have never used TGM, I have thought about it but never done it, you are making me think I should try it.

I love the cake pictures they are great!

 

[lurkyloo]

Regarding the CAKE thing... yeah... well I made a "rocket" cake for my DS7's 5th Bday party??? Purple, green and orange. It was..... interesting. Especially since I had to patch a hole with a glob of purple frosting Don't know which 5yr old guest got that extra sugar surge!! I will look on the internet for a cake photo find...

Anyway, I am so glad you have this PTR started! IT will make the next four months go by in a SNAP!

I am freaking out about online ADRs... I hope you have some good advice!!!

Hi there! OK, #1, I would love to see your "rocket" cake - I love the sound of hole-patching with frosting! If I were at that party, I would secretly hope to get that piece.

#2 All I have in the way of ADR tips at the moment is that you get a 1-hour head start on phone callers if you do them online starting at 6am ET. What I don't know is whether those of who live on the West Coast should stay up until 3am to make ours or go to bed early and get up at 3am.

Also, supposedly travel agents can make ADRs starting at 12:01am ET, so they have the drop on all of us - if you can find one dedicated enough to stay up that late....

Free dining has never worked out for us either as our last two trips we've been able to use a 40% off PIN code but it seems, nowadays, most people are on some sort of DP as the waiters/hosts seem surprised when you tell them you're not on it (way to make someone feel like they don't 'belong' ).

Totally! We get that a lot. Which is funny, because don't they have a better chance of getting a big tip if you're *not* on the plan? And now that the tip isn't included, aren't Free Diners the ones who (perhaps unintentionally) stiff them on tips?

Carrie I completely feel you on the 90 day thing. Its so frustrating as I am trying to plan several group dining ressies and events for my wedding and I can't book a darn thing until the stupid 90 days so I might not be able to do some of the things I want!

Oh no! What about Grand Gatherings? Would they be able to help you sooner than 90 days if you registered your group as a Grand Gathering?

That would be wonderful to have an Open Mouse for Disneyland, can you drop some hints for me to the appropriate people .

We have never used TGM, I have thought about it but never done it, you are making me think I should try it.

I love the cake pictures they are great!

OK, something I should warn you about Tour Guide Mike - cuz a lot of people hate this - they plug your name into every page on the site, and in emails, and it's sort of grating how often your name turns up. You'll be reading along and every fourth sentence is like "..and saves you time. And don't we all want to save time, Carrie?" or "We all know, don't we Carrie, that..." or "Carrie, you're probably thinking to yourself 'Carrie, I like to save money.' Am I right, Carrie?"

 

[lurkyloo]

OK, something exciting happened, but it's not about my December trip, but it's exciting so I'm sharing it anyway:

Our wait list for our Thanksgiving trip to the Villas at Disney's Grand Californian came through! So we get to try out a brand-spanking-new DVC studio at Disneyland in November. Hooray!!!

 

[Donald'sGirl]

Hi there! Oh no! What about Grand Gatherings? Would they be able to help you sooner than 90 days if you registered your group as a Grand Gathering?

You know I never thought of that. I wonder if I could? I am going to check into it tomorrow. Thanks Carrie!

That is awesome about Disneyland!! We will of course need a full report with lots of pics and a TR!

 

[beatlesblonde]

OK, something exciting happened, but it's not about my December trip, but it's exciting so I'm sharing it anyway:

Our wait list for our Thanksgiving trip to the Villas at Disney's Grand Californian came through! So we get to try out a brand-spanking-new DVC studio at Disneyland in November. Hooray!!!

That's awesome Carrie. DF and I are planning on heading our your way probably in early 2011 (hopefully near my birthday in February since I know it'll be warmer in So Cal than it will be here in Indiana).

 

[annnewjerz]

I completely feel your pain about December free dining. I did a whole thread on the Dining Plan board about being a little bummed---but since we want to do the Deluxe DDP I know that planning is required and if there was any chance of a last-minute or walk up ADR, sadly they will be gone now.

So, question time. Do you really like TGM that much more than Touring Plans? I got a free year subscription to their site because I bought the book (which I happened to really like) but find the website pretty useless. The crowd level calendar freaks me out, seeing the numbers go up and down and seeing the wait times associated with each number (although I don't think I've waited in line that long for anything before, seeing an 85 minute peak wait time for something is just ).

So, I'm not asking if TGM is worth the money, but more wanted to ask if you think there is a point to having both. If I already have one, is the other going to provide that much useful information for me other than which park is best on which day??

Okay so I'll stop before I write a novel. Congrats on all of the planning and the waitlist coming through for Disneyland! Less than 5 months until we December-goers leave for The World!

 

[knewton64]

I always get the case of the giggles whenever I read your trip reports as I just have this song, "Moon River," in my head.


Ya gotta break out "that hat" of yours when you go! I miss it already.


YEA!!! only a few more weeks until my Adventures by Disney Trip via my pre-trip report:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2201584&referrerid=208040

 

[Happydog]

OK, something exciting happened, but it's not about my December trip, but it's exciting so I'm sharing it anyway:

Our wait list for our Thanksgiving trip to the Villas at Disney's Grand Californian came through! So we get to try out a brand-spanking-new DVC studio at Disneyland in November. Hooray!!!

Hey!!! What fun!!!! Great luck!!! We made a daytrip to DL this past January -- I hadn't been back to DL since I was in my 20s, but the GC was Sooooo beautiful... and there was a private wedding party/reception thing in the center courtyard... lovely place!! I am sure it is amazing at that time of year!!!

OH, and regarding the 3am thing... whew... you'd need a caffine high or a really loud alarm clock!!!!

Can't wait for more posts!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Our wait list for our Thanksgiving trip to the Villas at Disney's Grand Californian came through! So we get to try out a brand-spanking-new DVC studio at Disneyland in November. Hooray!!!

Does this mean we get a Villas-at-Disney's-Grand-Californian-Thanksgiving-brand-spanking-new-DVC-studio trip report?

 

[lazydoxy66]

Here is a cake worthy of the Lurky-loo cake admission. I found it on the web. This is the description:
The Bride, from Texas, had a 5ft cake made into a life-sized model of herself to renew her vows after 10 years of marriage to her husband.

The $5,000 cake took weeks to make and required 2gallons of amaretto, 50lbs of sugar, 200 eggs and weighed a whopping 400lb. It needed four men to lift it into the wedding venue.

Things that make you go - "HOLY SMOKERS!!!"