A Very Merry unBirthday! We're taking a stroll on the Boardwalk_A Sept 2018 PTR_link to TR

[kclark9830]

Hi fellow Disney lovers! As I type this I am watching snow fall in Alabama. School is cancelled and I am in my jammies.

I am really excited to start this PTR because I am getting what I've wanted for a long time--a stay at this place right here!



We have rented DVC points and will be staying at Disney's Boardwalk Villas!

That's the where. The when is Sept. 1-8, which will include my birthday. I like going on my birthday, which is something I decided when we went in 2016.

And then we have the who. This is us!



I'm Katie, and this is DD Ashlyn. We are Disney lovers, and Ashlyn loves trip planning as much as I do. Which is fun, because this guy below us isn't quite as in love with it.




This is hubby Micheal. Next month we will have been married for 15 years, but we've been together since we were 13 years old. Yes, you read that right. I have spent 21 years hanging with this guy, and I am so very in love with him. Even if he doesn't really love Disney (he likes it well enough, but he certainly doesn't love it).

That is not where our crew ends, though. If you've read any of my other reports you know all about our newest addition, but who doesn't love a cute baby pic? This is Miles! He will be 1yo for our next trip. *Fun fact--Ashlyn was 1yo when we took our very first Disney trip!*



And I also can't leave out Emma, our oldest. I'm sorry, I really just can't help mentioning her because NOT mentioning her feels *wrong* (as her mom, ya know?). So this is Emma. She is in Heaven now, after fighting cancer twice. She LOVED Disney, and totally believed that Neverland was real. Because of this, I sorta kinda have an obsession with Peter Pan and Tinkerbell.



She will be with us in spirit, I fully believe!

So, that is the Who, What, When, and Where! I can hardly wait to start making firm plans like flights, dining, and all that jazz! See ya real soon!

 

[Araminta18]

Yay Boardwalk!!! Can't wait to read along

 

[kclark9830]

OK, so, I'm finally back. I feel like the next month is a big month for my trip planning. Not only do Southwest flight schedules get released in a couple days (which will dictate a few other things), I also get to make dining reservations in one month! And then there is a decision to be made about park tickets because they'll probably be going up in price really soon, so...

Here we go!

First things first, where are we going to eat?! We won't have the dining plan, so that will change the way we eat. We went once without the dining plan. That was the first time we ever went, but it was a Make A Wish trip, so it was a little different. We stayed off property at Give Kids the World, and we ate most of our meals there. With that being said, there are definitely a few choice reservations I plan to try to snag!

Be Our Guest - lunch
I would honestly leave this one out if it wasn't a quick service for lunch (well, if it remains QS, with all these rumors going around!). We ate here back in 2014, and we did enjoy it, so I would like to do it again. I'm going to be trying for this either Sunday or Tuesday.

O'Hana - supper
I really want to do a meal that's a little more of an "experience" without the price of a dinner show, so I've settled on O'Hana. I'm going to be trying for this either Tuesday night (I'm guessing that'll be a MNSSHP night, so we'll plan to go to MK until party time), or possible Friday night or Sunday night.

Sci-Fi Dine In Theater
I could do without eating here again, even though I liked it, but Ashlyn specifically requested this one and I'm not going to turn her down.

Bon Voyage Breakfast at Trattoria Al Forno
This will be my one pick for a character meal. It's convenient to our staying at the Boardwalk (THE BOARDWALK, GUYS!!! sQUEeE!!!), and it's princesses, so...Hoping to get this on for Friday morning, our last day before flying out on Saturday. (Here are a few pictures of us meeting these princesses at other times, just so we won't go pictureless )

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Beaches N Cream
I've wanted to eat here for years, and again it's convenient to us staying at BWV. I want to get this either Saturday night (arrival day), or Friday night, or maybe Tuesday night if we can't get O'Hana. I'm flexible.

That's all of my MUSTS. We may slip a Cape May Cafe breakfast in there because my nephew is a huge Mickey/Minnie/Goofy/etc. fan. I don't remember who all greets at this one, but I know at least a few of them do. Which brings up another point -- my sister and her family are coming and staying at BWV too! That's no surprise to anyone, though, as we like going together.

Now on to flight stuff...
We will be flying in on a Satruday and out on the following Saturday. I'm hoping to take the earlist flights (well, earliest after the red eyes) on both days. But this will depend on pricing, of course. If prices aren't good just yet, I'll be waiting to see if tickets get discounted later. I should be able to find out soon, so fingers crossed!

And lastly, I have my great ticket debate. I'd like to buy tickets before the prices go up, but I can't decide if I want regular tickets or park hoppers. We'll be doing 6-day tickets. I love park hoppers, but I'm not sure if I want it bad enough to shell out the extra money. Think, think, think...

Speaking of think think think, has anyone seen Goodbye, Christopher Robin? We rented it tonight, so I'll let you know what we think.

 

[kclark9830]

Yay Boardwalk!!! Can't wait to read along

I thought of you when we decided on this trip .

 

[Araminta18]

I thought of you when we decided on this trip .

Aw We're basically twins at this point--a birthday trip to the Boardwalk, and wanting to eat at Be our Guest and O'hana and the Bon Voyage character breakfast and Beaches and Cream... I hope everything goes a lot more smoothly with the planning and such this time! And good luck with the flights, though apparently Southwest doesn't open for booking until the 15th now. It keeps changing (boo!).

 

[kclark9830]

FLIGHTS ARE BOOKED!

Well, I'm not super happy with our flights, but they're booked. Southwest released their Sept. schedule (as a bunch of you probably already know!). There were only less than stellar choices. Boo! We finally decided on flights with layovers in Atlanta. So, our normally 1hr 15min nonstop flight is now a 4 hour flight with a stop in another airport. Not cool, Southwest! Not cool at all.

In other news, I haven't bought my park tickets yet as I'd hoped to. I can't decide between base or park hopper, and besides that I have a different dilema. We have never booked a Disney trip that we didn't already have the money set aside for--like, 100% of the money. This time, we are booking piece by piece, and all on credit (with an interest-free deal...I would never do it and pay interest on it). I HATE doing this. It makes me extremely uncomfortable. But you see, this go around, I am paying for the trip all by myself, through extra freelance jobs I pick up (I'm a writer by trade). I have enough extra jobs lined up to pay for the room at BWV, and the plane tickets. Our food is already covered by our Disney Rewards that we have saved up. But, I don't have enough jobs lined up to cover the cost of tickets yet. I thought I was going to, but then one of my jobs fell through. That got me to thinking...what if some of the other jobs fall through?! Did I mention I don't like buying things on credit?! Ug.

So, anyway, no tickets for us yet. I'm hoping to get some other work lined up soon, before the ticket seller people run out of last year's tickets. We'll see.

And lastly, we went to New Mexico last week to visit my grandparents. It had been almost 20 years since I'd been, and the rest of my little family had never been. It was as lovely as ever so I will leave you with a pic or two.


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[Araminta18]

Aw, such a cute family! I hope everything works out for you to get your tickets soon. And the flights are a bummer, but still--going to Disney!

 

[kclark9830]

Let Us Eat Food!

Last week was our dining window for booking ADR's. Nom, nom, nom! I woke up by 6am as I always do because, well, I have a baby. But even though I had been waiting for days for this window, I actually completely forgot until 6:45. Ha! I blame mommy brain.

Anyway, at 6:45 I DID remember, and I bolted to my computer like a maniac. My husband, who was getting ready for work, laughed at me. (He'll be more appreciative when he's eating delicious food, I'm sure.)

What did I get?!?!?!
*Saturday night, arrival day - OhAna
*Sunday afternoon - Beaches & Cream
*Sunday night - San Angel Inn (I think that's what it's called? This was my sister's pick, but it looks neat.)
*Monday afternoon - Sci Fi Dine In Theater
*Tuesday afternoon - Be Our Guest
*Wednesday morning - Garden Grill breakfast
*Thursday - nothing for now, planning on all QS at Animal Kingdom
*Friday - Bon Voyage Breakfast at the Boardwalk
*Saturday - Beaches & Cream for lunch before departure

All of these are new to us except Sci Fi and Be Our Guest, so I'm excited for that!!!

 

[Araminta18]

Ah, ADR anxiety. But you got awesome meals planned, despite the short delay! Ohana, Beaches and Cream, Be Our Guest, Bon Voyage...so much yum... We're also gonna do Ohana for the first time, and I'm super excited for the Bon Voyage breakfast.

What do you think about the new Be Our Guest dinner prix fixe menu? Or are you doing BOG lunch on Tuesday?

I'm just over here, counting down the days til I can book my ADRs....only 5 more days!

 

[kclark9830]

Ah, ADR anxiety. But you got awesome meals planned, despite the short delay! Ohana, Beaches and Cream, Be Our Guest, Bon Voyage...so much yum... We're also gonna do Ohana for the first time, and I'm super excited for the Bon Voyage breakfast.

What do you think about the new Be Our Guest dinner prix fixe menu? Or are you doing BOG lunch on Tuesday?

I'm just over here, counting down the days til I can book my ADRs....only 5 more days!

The wait for ADR's is so long!!! hahaha But then it's over, and now I'm like...what can I do now? LOL I can't wait to read all about yours .

We will NOT be doing dinner at BOG. Doing lunch. I'm a fairly adventurous eater, but that menu doens't look too appealing to me. And hubby and DD? No way in all of the Amazon would they eat that food.

We had lunch when we ate there a few years back, and we did enjoy it then. So that's what we're doing again!

 

[Araminta18]

The wait for ADR's is so long!!! hahaha But then it's over, and now I'm like...what can I do now? LOL I can't wait to read all about yours .

We will NOT be doing dinner at BOG. Doing lunch. I'm a fairly adventurous eater, but that menu doens't look too appealing to me. And hubby and DD? No way in all of the Amazon would they eat that food.

We had lunch when we ate there a few years back, and we did enjoy it then. So that's what we're doing again!

I guess all that's left is to count down to making fastpasses? but it seems so far away!!

Yea, what we've heard of the new menu does sound...interesting. We've enjoyed dinner at BoG enough that I'm still gonna try to get dinner there, but I'm *very* curious to see the full menu and to hear reviews from people who try it! I'm gonna try and do lunch too, since I did that on my last trip and enjoyed it but my husband hasn't ever had lunch there. I don't get all the hate for BoG--I love it. *shrugs*

 

[kclark9830]

Changes, Changes, Changes...
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As is bound to happen when you're trying to plan a trip 6 months in advance, I find changes I'd like to make. First off, party dates were set AFTER I made my dining reservations. But if I'm being honest, this wouldn't matter too much because I still haven't decided if I want to do park hoppers or not. That will make a huge difference in our touring style.

Anyway, that's not too important right now. What I'm trying to decide TODAY is whether I want to shell out the money in advance and do Hoop Dee Doo. I would love to do it, and had planned to do it when we were going to go in January. But now I can't decide. Any opinions on that? Right now we have an ADR for O'Hana, and HDD might replace O'Hana if we do it (maybe, or maybe we'll do both?). I JUST DON'T KNOW!!! Oh, the agony.

What I would really like to know is if O'Hana and HDD are on equal footing, for both food and entertainment. If HDD is hands down better, then I would do that (and same with O'Hana). But if they're equal then maybe I should just keep O'Hana and call it a day.

Micheal and I have decided that this will probably be our last trip to WDW for several years. With the continuing price increases and the likely increased crowds in the next couple years, it's just not worth it. We aren't Star Wars fans , and there are so many other places we would like to explore. This makes me examine this trip to make sure we get the things that we really want to do. Does that make any sense? It's not that I'm trying to plan the "perfect" trip. It will be what we make it. I'm just considering my options!

Opinions, anyone? Opinions? Or maybe Mickeys backyard bbq? We'll have little one's who are major mickey lovers.

 

[Araminta18]

Oooh, big decisions! I haven't eaten at Ohana or HDD, so I can't offer opinions, only wish you luck as you plan!!

 

[kclark9830]

Annnnnnndddddd! I'm back! We've made a couple of dining decisions, and some other good things have happened. We're down to 139 days! (that is still a very long time, I know )​

So, first off, our dining choices. We decided to do...
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Mickey's Backyard BBQ! Our thoughts behind this choice were two-fold. First, the menu will please everyone, including picky children and my picky husband. Second, Mickey Mouse! Seriously, I think this will please the kids, and all us parents too. My husband will enjoy the music, and overall I think this is something that will work for us as right now while there are very young children in the party.

With that in mind, we decided to cancel our reservation at Garden Grill. Eventually, I still hope to eat there, but with the bbq being pretty pricey, I don't want to pay to meet Mickey twice.

For now, we've decided to keep our O'Hana reservation...just in case. Hubby would probably enjoy the meats, and I really DO want to eat there. I'll decide later. Also, we might switch our BOG reservation for lunch at The Plaza Restaurant. Or maybe we'll do both. We'll see!

Now! On to some other good things! I've been keeping an eye on our flights and guess what?!?! The prices went down!!!!! That's right, they went down. So, we've got a shiny flight credit on our account now, to be used at a later date.

And then there are a couple of happy real life updates I'd like to share. First off, baby Miles has a minor heart thing called SVT. He was diagnosed at 2 weeks old, and has been in and out of the hospital several times with it. He's been on two heart meds for it. Well, last month his doc cleared him to drop 1 of them! And next month he'll have a procedure to see if he's possibly outgrown it. If he has, he'll get to drop the other med!!!! I cannot explain how happy this possibility makes me. So, we're keeping our prayers going up and our fingers crossed! The second happy thing is that my 7th novel released on Friday, and that is always exciting for a writer . So yay for books!

Overall, all good things. We've got 5 weeks left until summer break, which Ashlyn is really looking forward to (and so am I). I'll have all summer to look at Disney stuff I want to buy for our trip.

 

[Araminta18]

For now, we've decided to keep our O'Hana reservation...just in case. Hubby would probably enjoy the meats, and I really DO want to eat there. I'll decide later. Also, we might switch our BOG reservation for lunch at The Plaza Restaurant. Or maybe we'll do both. We'll see!

Do both. Eat ALL the things. It's Disney. Calories don't count. And I've heard the same about the Plaza--it seems like an under the radar yet yummy place to eat.

Now! On to some other good things! I've been keeping an eye on our flights and guess what?!?! The prices went down!!!!! That's right, they went down. So, we've got a shiny flight credit on our account now, to be used at a later date.

Huzzah! Flight credit means free flights to Disney for another Disney trip, right?

And then there are a couple of happy real life updates I'd like to share. First off, baby Miles has a minor heart thing called SVT. He was diagnosed at 2 weeks old, and has been in and out of the hospital several times with it. He's been on two heart meds for it. Well, last month his doc cleared him to drop 1 of them! And next month he'll have a procedure to see if he's possibly outgrown it. If he has, he'll get to drop the other med!!!! I cannot explain how happy this possibility makes me. So, we're keeping our prayers going up and our fingers crossed! The second happy thing is that my 7th novel released on Friday, and that is always exciting for a writer . So yay for books!

YAY!! That's so awesome! Fingers crossed and praying that he gets to drop the second med too. But even if not, just dropping one--YAY!!!!!!!

And also awesome about your book! What kind of books do you write? Yay for books indeed-I'm a librarian, so definitely understand the book love, though from the opposite end of the production line.

 

[kclark9830]

And also awesome about your book! What kind of books do you write? Yay for books indeed-I'm a librarian, so definitely understand the book love, though from the opposite end of the production line.

You're a librarian?! How fun! I actually almost applied for a job at our local library just last week. Finally decided against it though, because I don't know what I'd do with my kids all summer .

I write mostly YA sci-fi and fantasy, though I've got some adult romance mixed in there, too. I also write NF picture books for educational publishers.

 

[Araminta18]

You're a librarian?! How fun! I actually almost applied for a job at our local library just last week. Finally decided against it though, because I don't know what I'd do with my kids all summer .

I write mostly YA sci-fi and fantasy, though I've got some adult romance mixed in there, too. I also write NF picture books for educational publishers.

Yep! It can be, but there's a surprising amount of social work involved, especially in more urban libraries. So I do more corporate library work at the moment, but I would love to be a part-time children's librarian at our local library when I retire or something. Maybe your library will have another job opening once your kids are older

Awesome! Congrats again on the new book

 

[kclark9830]

What to Wear?

School is nearing an end, it's getting hot in Alabama, and I've got WDW on my mind! Today I'm going to share some of the things I hope to be wearing when we go in September. Firsts up, I want matching shirts. The Mary Poppins shirt is what Ashlyn and I will be wearing, and hubby and baby Miles will have the "To Infinity and Beyond" duo. I can't wait to get these. My usual lady who does shirts for me is too backed up with life right now, so I've got to find someone else...but I don't anticipate a problem with that!


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I also have a few standard Disney pieces I hope to bring along, but I'm not sure exactly how I'll be wearing them. I don't like "shorts" all that much. I mostly wear skirts or gauchos. I like airy. So we'll see, but I do have this Lularoe Disney princess top I hope to wear.

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I've also got a whole bunch of "ears" I want from Etsy, or maybe I'll make some of my own like I did for our last trip. Or maybe I'll just bring some I already have. Again, we'll see.

That's all for now. I think I've better narrowed down what we'll be doing each day, but I'll wait to share that after I've made FP's.

TTFN!!!

 

[kclark9830]

And the beat goes on...​

This week we got to talking about Miles's tiny bits of hair actually starting to grow at last. Of course, that got me to thinking of his 1st haircut. I remembered hearing about the Harmony Barber Shop in Magic Kingdom and so...

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...voila! Reservations made for that.



Miles will get his first haircut on his first trip to Disney. The lady on the phone was excited about this and said she was making a note that Miles should receive extra pixie dust. I have no idea what that means, or if it will amount to anything at all, but it sure is fun to think about.

We're also thinking about doing the Pirate's League makeover for Ashlyn. She's already done Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, so we're not too interested in that one again. She likes the idea of being a pirate (at first she wanted to do the mermaid package, but then we Googled it and weren't impressed with the pictures). We haven't made a firm decision on that yet, so we'll have to see.

Making the reservation for Harmony Barber Shop, though, made me buckle down and REALLY make firm plans for park days. Here's a rough breakdown of that:

Saturday - arrival day, we land at noon, so hopefully we'll be at the resort by 2'ish. We plan to head directly to Magic Kingdom
Sunday - We'll be doing an early service at a local church, then Ubering straight to Animal Kingdom
Monday - Hollywood Studios day (we'll be eating at either Sci-Fi Dine In OR 50's Prime Time, at lunch or dinner respectively--I really can't decide which!)
Tuesday - Magic Kingdom in the morning, with Harmony Barber Shop and lunch at Be Our Guest. This will also be the day we'd do the Pirate's League if we go that route. Then back to the resort for afternoon break. The evening will be spent at Epcot, dinner will be at San Angel Inn, and my sister and her hubby will take all the kids back to the resort while Micheal and I enjoy a date night for Epcot's evening EMH.
Wednesday - Epcot in the morning, evening at Magic Kingdom. Dinner will be either at O'Hana or The Plaza. Haven't decided yet! Then, hubby and I will take all the kids back to resort so my sister and her hubby can do date night at MK's evening EMH. We may even end up nixing both of these diners. It will depend on how tired we think we'll be by this point!
Thursday - Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. No ADR's on this day, and the schedule is pretty lax. We'll see.
Friday - Resort day. We have breakfast reservations for the Bon Voyage Breakfast (yay!), and supper reservations for Mickey's Backyard BBQ.
Saturday - departure day (boo!). This will be a couple hours at Epcot, then lunch at Beaches N Cream before catching ME back to the airport.

 

[Araminta18]

Oh my gosh, that first haircut is going to be *adorable*!! Super exciting!

Your park days sound awesome! Busy, but not overly so--lots of relaxing time.