DISer contains excitement over trip 9/11-9/18

[juligrl]

So which is it anyhow DISer or DISser? Eh, what's the diff., I'm going to Disney!

Travel Party: Me, DH (Erik), DD-Jaycie 4, DD-Jenna 18months.
September 11-18, All-Star Music

Well this upcoming trip has been odd for us in a lot of ways. First, it's coming "so soon" after our last WDW trip, and secondly we actually gave this trip some planning and consideration.

DH and I (both 29) really enjoy amusement and theme parks in general and we especially love Disney. We both went there with our families a few times while growing up and were given an early introduction to the Disney Magic.

DH and I met while working summer jobs at the kiddie ride area of a local amusement park, we married and had a carousel horse theme at our reception (which was held at a place that had a lovely view of the park we met at) so it just seemed fitting that we do a WDW honeymoon. I think our honeymoon was the last trip we actually put any planning into - and that's just cause that's what your supposed to do right.

To understand our approach to vacations I'll take you back to New Years Eve 2005. One of the many WDW behind the scenes shows was on the travel channel or something which we both happened to be watching.

DH: We should take Jaycie (then 2) to Disney world - I think she'd like it.
Me: Yup. We'll definately have to plan for that. I could go there anytime!
DH: I think we should go soon - if you think you're up to it (I was going into my 7th month of pregnancy).
Me: You're kidding right! I'm always up for it.
DH: Well, let's think about it.

Next day, Jaycie and I were watching the Rose parade on tv and they had a huge Disney princess float. The kid thought she was dreaming - she kept having me replay it on the Tivo. DH sees this and we agree to book a Disney vacation, sooner rather than later. How soon?

Jaycie would be 3 in March - not knowing how she'd react we prefered to take her while she was still free (wise choice in our case). Also, I was due at the end of March. How about Martin Luther King day - that was like two weeks and a couple of days - sure! If I had known about these boards back then, I'd have probably freaked! Fortunately, we knew how to "do" Disney and it was a really slow time of year, so we had a wonderful trip.

Which leads me round to this trip. We got back and were "homesick", found these boards and said "January 2009". Then our neighbors went in September. They liked it and we had somebody to talk DIS with. Neighbor really wanted to go back this September, but couldn't justify going back so soon. Until I told her when they came out with the free dining for this year. That sealed it, they booked.

Okay, since they jumped off the cliff, we could too! Besides it'll have only been 12 months for them, for us it will have been 20. And it is free dining.

So that's how we came to book this trip months in advance of ever taking it. A first of many new things we have planned for this trip.

Next part: planning my days and getting my ADRs - first time making Disney dining resies from home!

 

[Wannabe Belle]

Hi there,
Your pre-trippie has been great so far!!
My dad's birthday is Sept. 11th. A happy and sad day. We are going on Sept. 22nd-Oct. 1st!! My entire family is so pumped up!! We even made a Disney countdown!
And we were there it WDW in January 2006 but we stayed off-site. But this year we are doing it right!! Free Dining Plan and POP Century.

It just doesn't get any better than this!!

Please keep typing!!

 

[juligrl]

So my trip is now only 2 days away!!! I think I'm ready....I think.
I'm working at both my jobs tomorrow - what am I, nuts?!

I said my next part was going to be about my planning - yes I'm plan-crazy so here it goes!

Thanks to these boards I learned of Disney's recent history of offering free dining for a few weeks in the fall. I vaguely recalled neighbors of ours raving about the dining plan they had "free" on their trip the previous year - I had to check it out. When TPTB (the powers that be) announced a repeat of the deal, I was all over it.

After minimal discussion, we booked our trip for free dining and my hubby told me to start planning where we were gonna eat. How fun! Wait - we didn't purchase park hoppers - okay that's gonna complicate things...

Being a planner by nature I hit the schedule of park hours and put together a workable list of where to spend each day with resort and downtown Disney optiond worked in on unplanned days. I got everything I wanted to book the same day - then my husband started changing things .

We had originally booked our trip the 11th-17th. We had Norway princess breakfast scheduled for our last day there - great! Then DH says "let's extend by one day." Cool! But we still want our last Disney breakfast to be with the princesses so we switch it to the 18th and add a lunch at Le Cellier on the 17th - great!

A few weeks later DH finally makes a decision on going for his MBA (he's going) so we're gonna have to go back to leaving on the 17th . Okay, let's reschedule Norway princess breakfast for then and ditch Le Cellier altogether - what no early reservations (had to book an earlier flight)? Alright we can get a table for 2 on the 15th. DH's always been intrigued by San Angel Inn and schedules a lunch for him and our younger daughter there on the 15th. Not the best solution, but since DH isn't princessey it works for him.

Flash forward a few more weeks and DH has changed his mind on an MBA program (he's not going - he changes his mind with the wind). We'll be staying through the 18th, flight's been rebooked.

Knowing my DH's knack for changing his mind, I never canceled our original princess breakfast for 4 on the 18th so we still had that. I was able to pick up Le Cellier lunch again at a better time, and we canceled the princess breakfast and San Angel for 2.

We could have gone without hoppers the way I have our ADRs arranged, but we like to hop (DH being wierd just likes to think he's paying less - even though we plan on adding park hoppers at check-in). Other than DH driving me crazy I found the whole experience of planning easy.