Before the Shenanigans: A Christmas 2012 PTR (TR Link Posted 1/12/13!)

[SoNotAPrincess]

Heyyyy welcome back!
Sorry to hear about your big family plans. I also know the value of trip insurance. I'm along for the rest of the ride, however bumpy it may be!

HEYYYYY...thanks for sticking with me! Trip insurance is a must have; it certainly saved my bacon!!

I have no doubt that it's gonna be challenging, so, in my best Bette Davis imitation, "Fasten your seatbelts; it's gonna be a bumpy ride!"

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

There is something to be said for extreme Disney planning. Our 180-day ADR window opened the other day, and I was able to get our first choices for everything!

Note: Gabriel has a very adventurous palate. I have a moderately adventurous palate. My brother and his family, not so much, which made picking restaurants to please everyone a bit of a challenge.

I thought Hoop-de-Doo Review would be a great kick off for the magical mayhem and merriment, so we’ll do that on Christmas Eve. Christmas breakfast is at Kona, with Christmas dinner at California Grill.

As we proceed through the week, we’ll have Tea at GF (just the girls…the guys will have to fend for themselves) and dinner at CRT. We also have dinners planned at Boma, Brown Derby, and Whispering Canyon and breakfasts at Cape May and Crystal Palace.

It wouldn’t be a Disney trip without lunch at Le Cellier and dinner at ‘Ohana, so those are on the agenda, too. Gabriel and I are taking everyone to Flying Fish to celebrate Earl and Lenny’s anniversary…FF is Gabriel’s favorite, so it’s really a gift to him, too.

I’m hoping to add dinner at Be Our Guest, but ADRs don’t open until August; so we’ll have to wait and see.

I was pretty worried that ADRs for this trip were going to be a nightmare, so I’m THRILLED to have them made!


Up Next: Click here for "Day-by-Day Plans, Day 1-Christmas Eve"

 

[marDgreen88]

That's awesome! Glad you got everything you wanted!

Oh man, I hope you're able to book Be Our Guest. If I end up going in December, I REALLY want to go there too! The cool thing is that it's quick service at lunch, so if you can't get it for dinner, I think it'd still be cool to eat there!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Your ADR's sound great!!! That'd be awesome if you could eat at Be Our Guest!

 

[teekathepony]

Omg, Hoop Dee Doo on Christmas Eve!? What a fantastic, fun idea! And how wonderful to have Christmas dinner at the Cali grill!
I love the sound of your ADRs! I hope you get to eat at the Be Our Guest restaurant!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

That's awesome! Glad you got everything you wanted!

Oh man, I hope you're able to book Be Our Guest. If I end up going in December, I REALLY want to go there too! The cool thing is that it's quick service at lunch, so if you can't get it for dinner, I think it'd still be cool to eat there!

Be Our Guest is going to be a hot ADR, for sure!! I can't wait for the annual passholder sneak peek at the Fantasyland expansion in November!!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Your ADR's sound great!!! That'd be awesome if you could eat at Be Our Guest!

I really want to eat there! Of course, the others in my party are very much, "What's the big deal?" Which makes me want to smack them (HARD) with some pixie dust!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Omg, Hoop Dee Doo on Christmas Eve!? What a fantastic, fun idea! And how wonderful to have Christmas dinner at the Cali grill!
I love the sound of your ADRs! I hope you get to eat at the Be Our Guest restaurant!

I'm really excited about HDDR! I haven't been there in a VERY long time, and its always TONS of fun!!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

After woefully neglecting this PTR for over a month, I’m motivated to post an update by some truly inspired TR writers and their recent postings!

To start, I apologize for not replying to the last comments. I mean, I responded to them today…over a MONTH late. Sheesh! I adore getting comments and promise to be much timelier (more timely?) in responding!

So! I logged onto Disney.com today and found that we are 156 days from our trip. In my honest opinion, that’s way too long; but if the Internet says it is so, then it is so.


Bummer.

I’m at that awkward point in planning where resort reservations are made, ADRs are made, and park days have been determined…for now. It doesn’t leave much to talk about in a PTR.

BUT!

I can do a day-by-day breakdown! Even though, if past trips are any indication, plans will change before “D” day finally gets here!

Day 1 – December 24, 2012

My spreadsheet for this day looks like this (only smaller):

There aren’t many plans for this day, mainly because my brother and his family will be arriving later in the day, for sure not until after lunch and maybe even as late as early evening. They’re driving in from Indiana, and a lot will depend on how many times they have to stop for Miss Bri and how horrendous the holiday traffic is.

Gabriel and I will arrive around mid-morning and hope that our room is ready. Since I’ve never stayed at Disney over the holidays, I’m pretty excited about decorating our room and window. I already have a small tabletop Christmas tree and plan to pick up another for my brother’s room. We’ll take the boat to DTD; and even though it won’t be sunset, this is one of my favorite photos from the boat ride:

The first order of business is to hit up the Christmas store, which I anticipate will be jam packed; but that’s OK…I’ll be in search of a special ornament for Brianna, something to commemorate her first Disney trip. And maybe one or two or ten for me, too!

Gabriel isn’t much for CS places, but he likes Puck’s and the Earl, so we’ll try to squeeze in one of those places for lunch. He’s very impatient when it comes to waiting in line for food, so I’m considering making an ADR at Raglan Road, our very favorite DTD restaurant.

Speaking of DTD, someday I’ll take a flight in this beauty:

Eventually, we’ll all meet up at POR and get settled in our rooms. I’ve requested rooms close to each other, and I really hope it works out; but if not, we can make it work. We have an ADR at HDDR, and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s been approximately forever since I’ve seen it, and I think it’ll be a great way to start off the trip!

(Ifiwasanimagineer.blogspot.com)

Sorry the picture sizes are all over the place in this installment...I'll try to correct that for next time!!

Up next: Christmas Day!

Next update: Click here for "Since When Does Time Fly When You're Waiting for Disney?!?!??!"

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Oh, the weird point in planning where you can't do anything but it feels like your trip is still SO far away...I know how annoying it is, but your trip is going to come up so soon!!!

I'm not sure why, but reading your post, I got the Alvin and the Chipmunks "Please Christmas Don't Be Late" stuck in my head. They want Christmas to come as much as you!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Oh, the weird point in planning where you can't do anything but it feels like your trip is still SO far away...I know how annoying it is, but your trip is going to come up so soon!!!

I'm not sure why, but reading your post, I got the Alvin and the Chipmunks "Please Christmas Don't Be Late" stuck in my head. They want Christmas to come as much as you!

I hate this stage of the planning process almost as much as I love knowing the trip is coming!

LOL...I love Alvin and the Chipmunks, especially that song, so it's cool that you thought of it!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Thud.

That's the sound of readers fainting because after no updates for over a month, there are two in as many days!

Anyway, this will be a short update. I logged on to Disney.com this morning because I'm jonesing for WDW and dreaming of a short getaway at the end of the month once the summer crowds die down. We're going for my birthday in October, but that's just TOO FAR AWAY!!

But I digress.

Again.

As usual.

Remember yesterday when I said we were 156 days from our Christmas extravaganza? Well, today, we're 140 days away! Wowza! Time truly does fly! Sixteen days zoomed by in just a few hours!

Needless to say, I'm very happy to be over two weeks closer to the trip than I thought. I also manually counted the days on my calendar to make sure the Internet was correct.

I may have counted twice, just to be sure.

Up next: Click here for Day 2 - Christmas Day!

 

[marDgreen88]

I understand that planning lull... yikes!

WOW! Two less weeks than you thought, that's awesome! I've been hearing such great things about Hoop Dee Doo Revue lately, I'd love to go! That sounds like a wonderful Christmas Eve.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Yay for being closer to the trip than you thought!!!!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

I understand that planning lull... yikes!

WOW! Two less weeks than you thought, that's awesome! I've been hearing such great things about Hoop Dee Doo Revue lately, I'd love to go! That sounds like a wonderful Christmas Eve.

Yeah, I hate the planning lull. A lot. Why does it even exist? Oh, yeah, because of obsessive over-planners like ME!

I'm very excited for HDDR...I think it's the perfect Christmas Eve experience!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Yay for being closer to the trip than you thought!!!!

I know! Exciting, right?!?!?!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Day 2—Christmas Day!

I can only imagine how exciting it will be to wake up on Christmas morning and be at DISNEY! I’m sure Brianna will have us up and at ‘em pretty early; and, truth be told, I’m such a kid at Christmas that I may even be up before her! And while the trip itself is in itself a large present, there will still be gifts to tear into!

The spreadsheet for the day looks like this:

Sorry it's blurry!

That’s right, people, second day at Disney, second day of NO PARK. This might just kill me, and, quite honestly, I don’t know if it will stick. All the adults have signed off on the plan, but Brianna might not be able to tolerate being so close to the Disney parks without going in.

What I’ve planned for Christmas is touring the monorail resorts (and WL if we're so inclined), soaking in the ambience, and LOTS of great Disney food! Breakfast is at Kona, so naturally I’ll be obsessing over Tonga Toast but will probably order the Macadamia nut pancakes because they are yummilicious and never disappoint.

YUM!!

Since we’ll be at the Poly, I’m envisioning a walk around the resort, some photos on the beach, and admiring the decorations.

From the Poly, we’ll monorail over to GF for the giant gingerbread house, lots more photos, decorations and general wandering around.

Lunch is at the Grand Floridian Café. If you remember from my Divas at Disney TR, I was pretty much underwhelmed by GFC on that trip, but my SIL wants to try it, so I’m in for a second chance. But no pork chop!

Next up is a monorail ride to MK, where we can hop a boat to WL. If we’re resorted out, we can head back to POR for some R&R, pool, hot tub, whatever time. We’ll be back at WL later in the week!

Dinner is at Cali Grill, followed by a tour of the resort and, hopefully, Holiday Wishes from the CG observation deck at 10 p.m. I’m planning to surprise Brianna with one of these beauties (and I’m hoping Gabriel picks up on my not-so-subtle hints, and I get one, too!):

Next up: We FINALLY make it to a park!

Up Next: Click here for "Visions of a Monorail Meltdown"

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Your plans sound great - but I agree...I don't know if I could stand being so close to the parks and not going!!! The resorts are bound to be extra magical on Christmas though!!

Keeping my fingers crossed for a slipper for you!!!

 

[marDgreen88]

Ahhh I love it! Let me just tell you how much I already miss seeing those monorail resorts... it's a lot.

YUM such good food on Christmas! It might be the best choice though. I know I'd probably go crazy not going to a park but seriously, Christmas day at the parks doesn't sound like that great of a time! Just picture moving down Main Street inch by inch and everything having 60+ minute waits, then you may want to stick with this plan!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Your plans sound great - but I agree...I don't know if I could stand being so close to the parks and not going!!! The resorts are bound to be extra magical on Christmas though!!

Keeping my fingers crossed for a slipper for you!!!

The more I think about it, the more I think we should go to a park on Christmas Day. I'm just not sure which one!

I think I'm going to do what you did and give him all the ordering info. He can choose which meal, so there will still be an element of surprise. Thank you for the genius idea!!