KatMark
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2007
- Messages
- 42,443
This was a trip that wasn't going to happen this year--no way, no how. With DH getting another pay cut (third in three years) and the boys college tuition bills rising, we just knew that this trip was not going to happen. So back in April we cancelled the trip and left the deposit for a new date in October (we did this only so we had something on the books and didn't lose insurance, etc. and then will change again for dates in 2010).
I have worked at the same job for 34+ years (a law firm). One of the lawyers I work with has become a good family friend and our yougest son coached his youngest son for two summers in wrestling. He has a two-bedroom condo in Marco Island and offered to let us use it any time we wanted (assuming they weren't). So the plan was set and we were going to Marco Island from September 19-29. This worked out well as it was not costing us anything and we have enough miles to get free airline tickets. Therefore, the only cost would be the rental car and food--and I figured we could eat out a couple of times and I could cook the rest of the time so we weren't spending an outrageous amount of money on food.
So I was sitting home bored one night and remembered that Disney had just come out with a $96 rate for moderates and began to think. What if we went just a couple of nights to get our Disney fix (we were really missing not getting to CSR this year and seeing the new rooms in person) and we still had that deposit from our canceled trip. So I started searching dates and was able to get our travel agent via email within five minutes and she was able to get us the $96 rate for three nights at the beginning of our trip. Therefore, we're going to be at the CSR the nights of September 19, 20 and 21 and we'll leave around 4:00 on the 22nd and drive to Marco Island until the 29th.
I could tell DH was real excited because I had no sooner finished doing the dinner dishes that night and he said, "you better get started on looking for ADR's for a few meals). So, I hopped on the computer and went to online dining to see what I could find. Well, of course nothing we REALLY wanted was available, so we started out with these: Mama Melrose, Fulton's, Kona, Chefs de France and Plaza. The next day I added 50's Prime Time and dropped Mama Melrose (only because we've done MM the last three years and we wanted to go somewhere else for a change of pace). Well, I kept playing with online dining over the weekend. On Saturday night, I was able to get Sci Fi (DH really wants that reuben sandwich and onion rings) and dropped 50's Prime Time. On Sunday morning, I found Crystal Palace for an 11:30 lunch. Now, we've only done breakfast at CP and I'm not keen on lunch/dinner buffets at Disney after two disastrous experiences at Hollywood & Vine, but I took it because I love the CP and Pooh and friends. In the meantime, I dropped Fulton's.
So here comes Monday morning and I walk into the office at 8:10, log in to indicate I'm in the office, and go to Walt Disney World and online dining. And what to my surprise do I find: Crystal Palace at 10 a.m. for breakfast AND LeCellier for lunch at 12:55 p.m. I was so exicted I yelled out YES at the office (thankfully, no one else had yet arrived).
So our final ADR's are as follows:
Saturday, September 19 (arrival day) -- Lunch at Sci Fi at 3:35 p.m.
Sunday, September 20 -- Lunch at LeCellier at 12:55 p.m.
Monday, September 21 -- Breakfast at Crystal Palace at 10:00 a.m. and dinner at Plaza at 6:40 p.m.
Tuesday, September 22 -- we have nothing. LeCellier is expensive and we were trying to keep this cheap, so we'll just eat counter service this day before we start driving to Marco Island.
Coming up later...our park plans for four days of unexpectedly going to Disney.
CSR -- We are coming "HOME".
I have worked at the same job for 34+ years (a law firm). One of the lawyers I work with has become a good family friend and our yougest son coached his youngest son for two summers in wrestling. He has a two-bedroom condo in Marco Island and offered to let us use it any time we wanted (assuming they weren't). So the plan was set and we were going to Marco Island from September 19-29. This worked out well as it was not costing us anything and we have enough miles to get free airline tickets. Therefore, the only cost would be the rental car and food--and I figured we could eat out a couple of times and I could cook the rest of the time so we weren't spending an outrageous amount of money on food.
So I was sitting home bored one night and remembered that Disney had just come out with a $96 rate for moderates and began to think. What if we went just a couple of nights to get our Disney fix (we were really missing not getting to CSR this year and seeing the new rooms in person) and we still had that deposit from our canceled trip. So I started searching dates and was able to get our travel agent via email within five minutes and she was able to get us the $96 rate for three nights at the beginning of our trip. Therefore, we're going to be at the CSR the nights of September 19, 20 and 21 and we'll leave around 4:00 on the 22nd and drive to Marco Island until the 29th.
I could tell DH was real excited because I had no sooner finished doing the dinner dishes that night and he said, "you better get started on looking for ADR's for a few meals). So, I hopped on the computer and went to online dining to see what I could find. Well, of course nothing we REALLY wanted was available, so we started out with these: Mama Melrose, Fulton's, Kona, Chefs de France and Plaza. The next day I added 50's Prime Time and dropped Mama Melrose (only because we've done MM the last three years and we wanted to go somewhere else for a change of pace). Well, I kept playing with online dining over the weekend. On Saturday night, I was able to get Sci Fi (DH really wants that reuben sandwich and onion rings) and dropped 50's Prime Time. On Sunday morning, I found Crystal Palace for an 11:30 lunch. Now, we've only done breakfast at CP and I'm not keen on lunch/dinner buffets at Disney after two disastrous experiences at Hollywood & Vine, but I took it because I love the CP and Pooh and friends. In the meantime, I dropped Fulton's.
So here comes Monday morning and I walk into the office at 8:10, log in to indicate I'm in the office, and go to Walt Disney World and online dining. And what to my surprise do I find: Crystal Palace at 10 a.m. for breakfast AND LeCellier for lunch at 12:55 p.m. I was so exicted I yelled out YES at the office (thankfully, no one else had yet arrived).
So our final ADR's are as follows:
Saturday, September 19 (arrival day) -- Lunch at Sci Fi at 3:35 p.m.
Sunday, September 20 -- Lunch at LeCellier at 12:55 p.m.
Monday, September 21 -- Breakfast at Crystal Palace at 10:00 a.m. and dinner at Plaza at 6:40 p.m.
Tuesday, September 22 -- we have nothing. LeCellier is expensive and we were trying to keep this cheap, so we'll just eat counter service this day before we start driving to Marco Island.
Coming up later...our park plans for four days of unexpectedly going to Disney.
CSR -- We are coming "HOME".
). He hopes to teach special education at the high school he went to and help coach the wrestling team (during the breaks from school he coaches a youth wrestling program).
.
Look forward to reading about your adventures
