Dawgs go to Disney - Hallobirthary 2010

[cassidyh]

Hi! I'm Cassidy and I'm rather new to the DIS! I'm still trying to figure everything out, and wondering why I didn't find this magical place sooner!

I found the DIS because an acquaintance of mine recommended checking it out for information on the Disney College Program (I'm a Spring 2011 or 2012 hopeful!). I've been exploring and lurking since May

My favorite things to read on the DIS are PTRs. They just get me so excited for whoever is going, and I love hearing about other families' countdown rituals, what they're going to pack, and how they're dealing with WAITING!

My mother really sparked my Disney obsession. I basically grew up on the VHS's of every movie. We used to go every year up until I was about 13. She had a friend who worked at Delta and she always got free tickets. Since the yearly trips, I've been once or twice since for single-day trips, but it never really felt the same as staying on-site with my whole family.

My last trip was in March of 2010. My mom had extra park-hopper tickets, so before my DBF (Morgan) and I headed down to Miami for Spring Break, I took him for his FIRST TIME EVER. We split the day -- AK and Epcot. We had such a great time. There were no lines (except for Soarin'... which we waited for regardless because I had never been --- WORTH IT), the weather was perfect, and I got to do a lot of things I had never done before with a newbie! Still, we didn't go to MK or DHS, and I could feel that our trip to the World was lacking. After that trip, I could not WAIT to go back. I had thought about doing the College Program for a while, but after that trip, I knew I had to apply ASAP!

On our way home, I asked my DBF if he would want to go back, and he said yes for my birthday/anniversary (Annibirthary... )!! My birthday is in August, and our anniversary is some time over the summer (shame on me for not really knowing...just kind of fell into place! ), so we had planned to do that. We did the GAD program with an AWESOME dog rescue and got free one-day tickets. My DBF is an Eagle Scout, so I thought he would enjoy roughing it at the campsites (plus it's so much cheaper ) I was worried about the heat, but he was planning on going to Bonnaroo and I figured he wouldn't mind as much, and as long as I was at Disney I did not care. Plus, we wanted to bring our precious baby Wally because the campgrounds allow dogs! Here he is:

I made the reservations for August 8-11 at the Campgrounds with a pet loop, and also made reservations for the on-site kennel (which is in the process of moving). Early in the summer though, my DBF's job kind of came to a halt. He worked in the UGA greenhouses doing something with watermelons and they just didn't need him anymore. So, August wasn't going to work for us. I knew I had to get to WDW somehow, and Morgan knew how much it meant to me to go back, so we looked at our school breaks. I heard Labor Day weekend is always really busy, so I shot that down. Then we had Fall Break in October...the 29th. Fall Break is always the weekend that UGA plays Florida in Jacksonville, and I really did want to go this year, but I thought about how fun it would be to go down to Orlando during Halloween weekend, especially since I won't have Thursday classes, and we have Friday off!! Morgan does have Thursday classes, but I think he gets out around 2pm. Hopefully his professors will be nice and let him out early or just cancel class altogether (people are really serious about their football here).

Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself!! So, instead of an Annibirthary, we're having a HALLOBIRTHARY!!! We'll be there from Oct. 28-31, but probably only have time for two days in the parks. School is too important to miss

Ok ok ok, if there are any Dawgs or Gators reading this, I know what you're thinking...HOW COULD I MISS THIS GAME?? No offense Dawgs, but my DBF and I have decided that we don't want to drive all the way to Jacksonville and watch the Dawgs lose...we'd much rather drive all the way to Orlando to play at Disney World!

Up next, where are we staying, and WHERE are my ADRs??!

Oh, and what do we look like!?

 

[redlight]

Hi Cassidy. Wally is so precious.

 

[cassidyh]

Hi Cassidy. Wally is so precious.

Thank you! He is my spoiled baby brat, and I love him to death. He has really changed my life

 

[cassidyh]

Welcome back to any readers!!!

Today I will introduce the cast to our Hallobirthary Disney vaca. It isn't very big, but we're awesome

First....ME!!!! Cassidy!

And my DBF Morgan

Photoed with our dear baby Wallace Beauregard

Originally as you've read before, Wally was going to come with us and camp, but that's not going to happen anymore. We plan on dropping him off on the way down from Athens, GA at either DBF's mom's house or my house (we'd have to pay my little bro to watch him since he'll be in school, but I assume the DBF's mom will watch him for free since she works remotely).

Here we are together at Epcot from March 2010 when we went for our single-day trip:

That was like the only picture we took together since it was just the two of us. Just asked some guy standing around to take it and he did!

Here's daily life with all of us together. I took this on the 4th of July a couple nights ago.

HOW does a dog make that bratty face??? I love it.

So, there we are. Our little family.

I promise next post I'll reveal where we're staying AND where we're eating... just wanna make sure people are reading!!

 

[onelilspark]

I'm joining in! My cousin & best friend (2 different people...) both did the College Program. And I've done a lot of short trips...actually last year's F&W trip was only 2.5 days in the park!

 

[redlight]

Love the last picture!

 

[cassidyh]

Love the last picture!

Thank you! He's such a goofy pup

 

[HeatherBelle614]

I'm in!

We'll be there at the same time!

BTW, love your fur-baby! I don't know what I would do with my brats, errr, pets.

 

[cassidyh]

PLEASE PRAY OR SEND PIXIE DUST, GOOD VIBES...ANYTHING.

DBF ran into some trouble with the law at Bonnaroo because some of the kids in his caravan had things they should NOT have had Everyone got a ticket because no one would fess up, and it's REALLY expensive. Like, unbelievable. He is looking into a lawyer in Tennesee right now, but I'm not really sure if that will work out. Worse comes to worst, he'll have to take out a hefty student loan and pay it back after he graduates since he has about $20 to his name right now Just please cross your fingers that everything works out for him because knowing me, I'll pay for the entire trip just so we can go, when wer're really supposed to be going Dutch here.

UGH..... UGH. I am SOOO STRESSED OUT.

Back to the normal programming....

So, I promised resort and ADRs today. I'll give you a hint for resort...

It is a BIG weekend for the Dawgs... so I thought staying in this particular themed resort would be appropriate for our stay...













If you guessed All-Star-Sports, YOU'RE RIGHT!!!

I requested to be in the Touchdown area, but I think we'll be fine with anything (except maybe baseball...we are not big baseball fans at all). I knew I wanted to go with a Value because I mean...we are only college students! I thought we would enjoy ASSp because the theme is fun and I've stayed there before.

So, yay, that is all set (again cross your fingers for this whole legal issue ). Next...where are we eating!!

This was kind of a big stressor for me, because A) we don't have much money, and B) there's SO MANY choices. I decided that one table service meal would be enough. I also knew that I wanted the table service meal to be in EPCOT, and preferably for dinner.

In March, Morgan and I went to Restauarant Marakesh. He really liked what he got. I think it was like lamb shank and couscous. I got chicken shish kebabs, and they were kinda dry. I remember eating there as a kid and loving it, but it seems like the WDW restaurants fluctuate with how good they are.

Since I'm the expert (in relation to Morgan), he pretty much left it up to me to narrow done some choices in World Showcase. I remember LOVING Coral Reef as a kid, as well as San Angel Inn....it's SO gorgeous in both of those restaurants. I also thought about Le Cellier....but it was wayyy too late to make ADRs for that!!! Plus sooo expensive. I thought about Chefs des France because my mom told me great things about it. Also considered Biergarten because I know Morgan loves all things German

We then narrowed them down together. I wasn't really down with Biergarten because I don't eat red meat, and almost everything on the menu was some sort of sausage or something. Le Cellier....well of course there weren't any ADRs for that! Neither of us have had French cuisine before, so we weren't really sure if Chefs des France would be worth it for our only table service meal for the weekend.

So, it was down to Coral Reef and San Angel. We both LOOOVE Mexican (yes, we even have room in our hearts for Taco Bell ), but I LOVE seafood and I think the atmosphere intrigued Morgan a little bit. So, I turned to the DIS!! I read so many things in favor of San Angel over Coral Reef, so I figured we would try San Angel. I am really excited to have traditional Mexican food. Granted, I love places like On the Border, but I'm ready to expand on the Tex Mex!!!

Our ADR is set for 5:15. I'm sure we'll get appetizers around World Showcase since it will be F&W when we're there, and then dessert somewhere else, too! So excited.

So, there we are. Resort and ADR. Now I just need LOTS OF PIXIE DUST for this ridiculous fine.

 

[cassidyh]

I'm in!

We'll be there at the same time!

BTW, love your fur-baby! I don't know what I would do with my brats, errr, pets.

Yay!!!

Hehe thank you. He's my little brat head. What kind of fur babies do you have?

 

[HeatherBelle614]

Yay!!!

Hehe thank you. He's my little brat head. What kind of fur babies do you have?

We have two that live at grandpa and grandma's house because we can't fit them (they're labs). Technically, one is my mom's dog and the other is ours, but they are litter-mates and you can't separate them at all. When we eventually get our own house, we'll have to decide if they'll stay where they are used to living or if we'll take them.

With us, we have two cats (both strays that I saved) and Queen Brat. Are you a SATC fan? If so, do you remember Charlotte's dog, Elizabeth Taylor? I have one that looks exactly like her; she is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Wendy (after Pan's Wendy.) We weren't planning on getting a dog to live with us any time soon, but we fell in love with her at a trade-show, and ended up saving her from this awful breeder. (We spent a small fortune saving her life; she was such a sick little puppy.) But, she's the most rotten dog I have EVER seen and that says a LOT considering we're all big animal lovers!

I hope your DBFs issue works out; be careful with attorneys, though. (Haha. I work in a law firm and am getting ready for law school, but I'll be entirely honest.) I interned at a local District Attorney's office during undergrad, and there were always attorneys coming in there, ripping kids off in the same sort of situations. Sometimes it is just easier to pay the hefty fine. But, if you can find a reasonable attorney that can get the incident off of his record, then it is definitely worth the cost. (That's the big deal - making sure that it isn't on his long-term record. That's something he'd have to report to future employers.)

I will have to wait to see what you have planned, but I always love meeting DISers in person if you're up for it! I'm planning on meeting a couple more on this trip (one of them for the second time. We met on our trip last year!)

 

[redlight]

Wishing your bf lots of luck and pixie dust.

 

[cassidyh]

We have two that live at grandpa and grandma's house because we can't fit them (they're labs). Technically, one is my mom's dog and the other is ours, but they are litter-mates and you can't separate them at all. When we eventually get our own house, we'll have to decide if they'll stay where they are used to living or if we'll take them.

With us, we have two cats (both strays that I saved) and Queen Brat. Are you a SATC fan? If so, do you remember Charlotte's dog, Elizabeth Taylor? I have one that looks exactly like her; she is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Wendy (after Pan's Wendy.) We weren't planning on getting a dog to live with us any time soon, but we fell in love with her at a trade-show, and ended up saving her from this awful breeder. (We spent a small fortune saving her life; she was such a sick little puppy.) But, she's the most rotten dog I have EVER seen and that says a LOT considering we're all big animal lovers!

I hope your DBFs issue works out; be careful with attorneys, though. (Haha. I work in a law firm and am getting ready for law school, but I'll be entirely honest.) I interned at a local District Attorney's office during undergrad, and there were always attorneys coming in there, ripping kids off in the same sort of situations. Sometimes it is just easier to pay the hefty fine. But, if you can find a reasonable attorney that can get the incident off of his record, then it is definitely worth the cost. (That's the big deal - making sure that it isn't on his long-term record. That's something he'd have to report to future employers.)

I will have to wait to see what you have planned, but I always love meeting DISers in person if you're up for it! I'm planning on meeting a couple more on this trip (one of them for the second time. We met on our trip last year!)

Love labs! I grew up with them, and my parents still have one at home. So cute that the litter-mates love each other!! We don't have any cats. For some reason they scare me until I'm super familiar with them.

I think Cavalier King Charles's are SOO cute. I'm so glad you saved her from a bad breeder. I hate hate hate hearing stories about bad breeders. I volunteer with a dog rescue and the local pound so I hear a lot of stories Really really glad you saved her. It's too bad she's bratty though!!! Is she still a baby baby? You'll have to post a pic if you have any. I think they are sooo cute.

Thanks for the legal advice. I'll talk to him about it. He claims to have found a firm that does a lot of work with people who get in trouble at Bonnaroo and he'll be hearing from them tomorrow, so I'll update how it goes. Maybe you can let me know if it sounds fishyyy... I'm sure he'll end up paying the fine anyway. I just hope he can cover it with loans because I don't see any other way unless is mommy or daddy swoops in to save the day.

I would LOVE to meet you if our plans work out! You'd be my first DIS friend!! I plan to be in Epcot on the 29th like ALLL dayy and then MK on the 30th like ALL day (since there's no MNSSHP that night and we can't afford to get tickets...maybe next year!) Depending on if he can get out of class early, we'll probably spend the 28th evening at DTD. If we finish everything we want to do early, we may hang out at DTD one evening, too.

Yayayay!

 

[cassidyh]

Wishing your bf lots of luck and pixie dust.

Thank you. I really appreciate it! fingers crossed fingers crossed fingers crossed

 

[HeatherBelle614]

Love labs! I grew up with them, and my parents still have one at home. So cute that the litter-mates love each other!! We don't have any cats. For some reason they scare me until I'm super familiar with them.

I think Cavalier King Charles's are SOO cute. I'm so glad you saved her from a bad breeder. I hate hate hate hearing stories about bad breeders. I volunteer with a dog rescue and the local pound so I hear a lot of stories Really really glad you saved her. It's too bad she's bratty though!!! Is she still a baby baby? You'll have to post a pic if you have any. I think they are sooo cute.

Thanks for the legal advice. I'll talk to him about it. He claims to have found a firm that does a lot of work with people who get in trouble at Bonnaroo and he'll be hearing from them tomorrow, so I'll update how it goes. Maybe you can let me know if it sounds fishyyy... I'm sure he'll end up paying the fine anyway. I just hope he can cover it with loans because I don't see any other way unless is mommy or daddy swoops in to save the day.

I would LOVE to meet you if our plans work out! You'd be my first DIS friend!! I plan to be in Epcot on the 29th like ALLL dayy and then MK on the 30th like ALL day (since there's no MNSSHP that night and we can't afford to get tickets...maybe next year!) Depending on if he can get out of class early, we'll probably spend the 28th evening at DTD. If we finish everything we want to do early, we may hang out at DTD one evening, too.

Yayayay!

I'm going to PM you.

 

[cassidyh]

Other silly news...reported in BLUE!

The other day I called DVC to do some phone tour to get a $25 gift card (like I can afford DVC right now...HA ) So, I sent it to my parents' address thinking MAYBE it would spark some interest...heheh I can't wait to hear what they say...

 

[HeatherBelle614]

Other silly news...reported in BLUE!

The other day I called DVC to do some phone tour to get a $25 gift card (like I can afford DVC right now...HA ) So, I sent it to my parents' address thinking MAYBE it would spark some interest...heheh I can't wait to hear what they say...

Is that offer still available??

 

[cassidyh]

Is that offer still available??

I got it in an e-mail after I booked when I thought we were going in August. There is a thread about it here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2487094


If you call DVC before the 10th and ask for the 10 minute phone tour for the $25 gift card, I bet they would still do it!!

 

[onelilspark]

If you're looking to save money but do Table Service meals, have you thought about lunch? At Chefs de France they have a 3 course price fix menu for $20!

 

[cassidyh]

If you're looking to save money but do Table Service meals, have you thought about lunch? At Chefs de France they have a 3 course price fix menu for $20!

Wow I did not realize they had that option! That sounds like a really good idea. I'll ask Morgan about it. Maybe we can do a late lunch and then snack around F&W for dinner! I don't know if he's willing to give up Mexican though! Hahaha

Do you know if they change their fixed lunch options throughout the year? Two out of three main courses (according to allears.net) have ham and I don't eat red meat. That lobster bisque sounds sooo good right now, too.