DisneyMooning with the In-Laws—An August 2013 PTR (Updated July 26th)

[Jesobelle]

The Cast and some History
Emergency booking procedures--go!
A slightly Disneyfied wedding
So much Disney Dining, so little time...
The group expands & how to keep it special?

 

[Jesobelle]

Hi DISers welcome to my first ever trip report! I've been meaning to start this for ages, so there'll be a bit of catching up to do! I reckon 'I'm going to intersperse the PTR with pics from our 2011 trip whenever relevant as pics are always fun.

I'm not entirely sure where to start, so introducing myself sounds like a good first bet. Im Claire - Jesobelle on the boards. Im 28 years old and live just outside London, England, with my new husband (*eek* - still not used to that!) Tom. Ill get onto him in a moment.

Here I am in 2011 enjoying my Crystal Palace breakfast with Piglet.

I was so excited at that meal (our first full day in Disney) that I bounced with Tigger and had so much bounce left in me that I had to go hide in the bathroom and bounce a little before I could return to my seat!

That was my second ever trip to the World. Id also done DLP back when I was about 6, and all I remember was the spinning teacups being fun and it being cold.

My first proper Disney vacation was actually a really cool story. When we were 13 years old, our local police department ran a competition for local teens to design and complete a community project. 5 of us from our school got together and did a range of activities raising around $3200 over a summer, and designed and built 2 sensory gardens for disabled kids one at the hospital and one at a special needs school. We won top prize a 10 night all-expenses paid trip to Orlando! The best thing&no parents! We had 2 officers chaperone us for the trip which we took in April 2000. Stayed in Quality Inn on I-Drive, ate at Ponderosa lots and saw MK, Epcot, HS, Universal (not IoA), Busch Gardens, Kennedy Space Center, SeaWorld, Typhoon Lagoon and spent a day with the Seminole County Sheriffs Office seeing how law enforcement in the US differs from the UK!

We were so fortunate as our families would have never been able to afford to take us. I thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime trip&until I met Tom.

Toms a little younger than me, at 26, and is already a seasoned WDW-er. His family have been going every 2-3 years since he was 5 years old. We met online when I was trying to make a point and prove match.coms make love happen guarantee wrong, and ended up proving it right. He works in Entertainments at a theme park in England not quite as high-budget as Disney but at least its fun. Here he is, joining me in a glow-cube filled margarita at San Angel in in 2011.

I joined him, his parents and sister and her husband on their trip 2 summers ago I thought I wouldnt enjoy it so much (I tend to want to go someplace different every year) but the Disney bug well and truly hit! And so did the effect on the DDP on my waistline&

So, when Tom proposed in Rome last May, one of the first things we discussed was having a DisneyMoon. And here we are 2nd-16th August 2013.

At this point, I should also mention some supporting characters who are the reason for the title - my in-laws. My MIL is a wonderful Disney-mad lady whose house is covered with all kinds of Mickeys. It wouldn't be a Disney trip without her. My FIL is a laid-back guy who doesn't really get Disney but goes along for the ride to keep her happy. The 4 of us were ready to research our trip.

Continued in next post...

 

[Jesobelle]

It was early July 2012 about 6 weeks after the proposal, and I get a call from my travel agent at Virgin. They said that if we didnt book in the next 2 days, then we would miss the 14 day free DDP offer! At this point wed been looking around and were still considering dates and resort etc.

So, a decision had to be made. I decided on OKW which was where wed stayed last trip and that wed get a 2-bed villa so we could have our privacy. Oh, and so we could use that amazing Jacuzzi tub! I also liked being close to DTD for the great QS food options (loved Earl of Sandwich, Cookes of Dublin etc.) It was pricey, but I decided our half was just about in our wedding budget.

Wed seen it cheaper via an online tour operator, but I wanted my frequent flyer miles so decided to try and haggle with Virgin. After some back and forth, and checking with managers, he matched the price! I like using them so we can have the DTD check-in and make the most of our last day.

So after some checking with the in-laws we went ahead and booked it 1 hour before the offer ended! So we now had a package for 14 nights @OKW 2 bed villa, return flights for 4 from London, 14 day unlimited tickets for the price of 7 (which is hoppers, water parks etc, DQ and so on) and DDP for 14 days. Woooo!

Then something magical happened&the in-laws said that they were going to pay for the whole trip! I mean, how great a family was I marrying into?! I felt bad considering I'd insisted on a pricey resort, but they wouldnt take no for an answer. We even got a Disney themed wedding gift (which Ill tell you about later.) My new family are the best

Continued in next post

 

[Jesobelle]

Were slightly out of sync here, as ADRs came next, but I just want to give you a sneak peek into the subtle Disney-ness of our wedding.

First of all, the invitations:

Secondly, the cake:

We had And they lived happily ever after enscribed around the layer with Mickey heads  oh, and the Dalek represents my Doctor Who passion. For those interested, we had a sugarpaste topper of us coming out of the TARDIS!

We also had some other guests&

It was an amazing day and when we got back, we had Mickey confetti sprinkled on the bed, and were greeted by balloons wearing these:

I will not be removing those bride ears for the whole trip! I will never get to wear a veil again after this...

We also opened our gifts, including the in-laws who had gifted us some mickey head cutlery from the parks (they went over New Year), and a voucher for gratuities paid for all our shared meals!

Speaking of which  I think food is next on the agenda&

 

[momminnie]

Hey! I am jumping on the Disney train with you from the southern state of South Carolina. I am also a Disney Diva. I love everything Disney. Wish one of my sons would get married at Disney but that ain't gonna happen I know. One is 26 and the other 14. The oldest thinks I am absolutely crazy. Enough about me I can't wait to read about your plans!

 

[Jesobelle]

Hey! I am jumping on the Disney train with you from the southern state of South Carolina. I am also a Disney Diva. I love everything Disney. Wish one of my sons would get married at Disney but that ain't gonna happen I know. One is 26 and the other 14. The oldest thinks I am absolutely crazy. Enough about me I can't wait to read about your plans!

Hi momminnie - welcome aboard! I know what you're saying about folks thinking you're crazy. Everyone I work with, and my own family think I'm mad to be wanting to go back to Disney, but I'm lucky to have married into a Disney family!

 

[Jesobelle]

Right, sorry for the gap life is getting way too busy at the moment. Anyways, I think after some last minute shuffling around, our dining is finally sorted! Yay!

Now, food was one of my favourite things about the 2011 trip. I heard that standards have started to slip, but Im hopeful that this wont be the case. In the UK packages tend to include Free Dining as standard at the beginning of the booking period so the question is always how to best spend those 14 TS credits.

Before I get onto what we actually booked, its time for some honourable mentions. These are some meals we booked but cancelled, or nearly booked but didnt in the end.

1) Le Cellier: This was the In-Laws favourite meal in 2011. FIL said it was the best steak hed ever had. Sadly, I was scared off with reports that since becoming a 2-credit with day-long menu it was no longer up to par. The In-Laws December experience confirmed this, and it no longer made the cut.

2) Garden Grill: Now this one Im really sad about. It was some of the best character interaction we had last time. It seemed the characters were really having fun with the fact we were a pair of adults and we got some great pics including one instigated by Mickey who wouldnt take no for an answer when he suggested getting a pic with my (now) husband.

Unfortunately, the food was just okay for me. Tom liked it, but Ive never been a big fan of family style and we didnt really get our moneys worth. Neither of us eat the salads (picky eaters) and we only had one tray full before we were full.

The peach cobbler was delicious though.

Now, those that did make the cut. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! These are in chronological order, not order of preference the latter would be far too hard to pick!

1) Olivia's Café (OKW): This is for breakfast our first morning. Im certain Ill be starving by our 8.30am ressie, as jet lag on my trips tends to see me wide awake by 3am!

This is a a la carte breakfast, and Im not sure what Id eat. Im leaning towards the Conch Republic Omelet with Shrimp, Avocado, and Pepper Jack Cheese and asking for it without the avocado& I dont really get the US breakfast tradition of mixing sweet and breakfast savoury foods (e.g. pancakes, syrup and bacon) so many of the options are not to my tastes. Dont get me wrong, I love all 3 of those foods, but in my head the pancakes and syrup should be an appetizer or dessert, whereas eggs and bacon are a delicious entrée. Actually, Ive just spotted the Crab Cake Eggs Benedict (Two-Poached Eggs and Two Crab Cakes on an English Muffin with Key Lime Hollandaise) and that is grabbing my attention somewhat, even if Im a bit unsure on the key lime hollandaise. Looks like my problem may be deciding what to have, after all! This is an out of pocket one, as we used our credits on signatures.

2) Be Our Guest: We are lucky enough to be in possession of one of the hottest ADRs in the World. We didnt even need to do it on the 180+10 (our hotel res wont link on MDE). Looking forward to this for the experience more than anything else. Very excited to see inside the castle the pics look amazing! I am hoping to be fortunate enough to get to try the grey stuff as well be celebrating our DisneyMoon. If not, I wont be desperately disappointed I refuse to ask for pixie dust outright as I feel its rude. My mum always taught me I want never gets and I kind of live like that.

3) Cape May Café (Beach Club): This dinner buffet is one of the meals Im most looking forward to. I *love* seafood. I mean, just love it. Tom is not so keen he eats fish but no shellfish. Im kind of worried he may not find enough to eat, but looking through the menus and picture reviews on Disney Food Blog Im hopeful hell be satisfied. If not, hell just have to watch me work through a plate piled high with seafood salad, shrimp, crab legs, calamari, mussels and clams&

4) The Wave& (CR): Much underrated I feel, on these boards, this was my favourite meal in 2011, food wise. It wasnt the most comfortable experience. I had just got soaked to the skin in a thunderstorm, and the air conditioning was freezing! All my clothes were soaked through, right to the underwear (TMI, sorry&) and I had to sit, dripping as they have no blow dryers or hand dryers in the bathroom in the CR foyer. I remember trying to warm myself over a candle in the lounge!

The food definitely made up for it though. I had melt in the mouth beef tenderloin and a trio of delicious desserts.

I may have to choose something other than the beef though, given our next ressie at&

5) Yachtsman's Steakhouse (YC): I was recommended this as a replacement for Le Cellier. Im hoping it lives up to the 2 credit signature price. Ooh, Ive just looked at the menu and seen Wild Halibut Bouillabaisse with New Potatoes, Lobster, Clams, Mussels, Tomato and Saffron. Would it be sacrilegious not to have steak at the YS? If so, how do I decide between fillet mignon with mash, New York strip with gratin, and Hanger Steak with truffle frites& oh this is such a 1st world problem! I am so fortunate to have these tough choices!

6) Crystal Palace (MK): Yay! Tigger! And breakfast pizza! And Eeyore and Piglet and Pooh. And crispy bacon! And Mickey waffles! And french toast! Yayyyy!!!

We have an 8.35am ressie so wont be ahead of the rope drop crowd, but should still give us a good start on the day.

7) Biergarten (Ep): Another one more for me than Tom, as I love German food and he does not eat pork. Hopefully the dessert trolley will please him enough to not mind the sausage-heavy buffet too much. The atmosphere should be fun though. Were a little shy so the bench-style seating could be a challenge&

8) Boma (AKL): Im really looking forward to trying some of the more unusual menu items here. The pics made it all look simply delicious.

9) Chefs de France (Ep): This was tied as our favourite food last trip. We had a long wait to get in, about 40 minutes past our ADR time, but it was worth it. We had the prix fixe, but portions were so huge that we skipped dessert much to Toms dismay as he was desperate for those giant profiteroles! We pretty much filled up on appetisers. I loved Toms French onion soup, but dont think I could give up my divine lobster bisque. Sadly, due to Toms seafood aversion, we cant share both.

I enjoyed my beef rib but only got through half before it beat me. This was leftovers:

This time, Im not eating a thing after breakfast to make room! I may see if they can make a smaller portion for me too I hate wasting so much food.

10) Kouzzina (BW): This wasnt on DDP last trip, but the In-Laws said they really enjoyed it in December. Im really looking forward to this as greek food is one of my very favourites at least I love it in Greece. Lets hope it travels well.

11) Artist Point (WL): This was one we wished wed tried last time. The In-Laws did it without us, and raved. Im probably going to be substituting sides, as Ive not seen a whole dish on the menu Ill like, but Ive heard theyre good with that. I may have to pay OOP for an appetiser though, as I dont think I can pass up the smokey portobello soup. It is calling me right now already, all the way across the Atlantic! I can hear it& Thats my only gripe about DDP is that you cant select between appetiser and dessert. Im much more of a savoury than a sweet tooth, but Im forced into a dessert I dont always want.

12) Flying Fish Café (BW): This is our last reservation and Im very much looking forward to it. Fish and seafood are my favourites often, and there is so much choice. Ive heard great things about the Potato-wrapped Red Snapper, and that will remind us of our trip to Jamaica, so may end up going for that. Otherwise there are so many other choices including scallops and tuna. I dont think Id be able to eat Flounder as it would remind me too much of The Little Mermaid!

Other family members ADRs Im jealous of:

Teppan Edo (Ep), Fulton's Crab House (DTD), Raglan Road (DTD), Tony's (MK), T-Rex (DTD), Olivia's Café (OKW dinner)

If only I had time for them all!

Im also looking forward to Snacking/Drinking around the World Showcase (roll on School Bread etc!), our MK dole whip, and having our arrival night Earl of Sandwich.

Any suggestions for snacks around World Showcase (or anywhere else)? particularly savoury ones, as we have sugar overload planned this trip!

Continued in next post

 

[Jesobelle]

Nearly up to date now…

So a couple of months ago, after all our ADRs were booked, we find out that Tom’s sister and her husband were coming to join us, staying at POFQ! Very exciting, as we’re back to the 2011 group again. So they tack onto our Boma ressie, BOG ressie and we swap out the CP breakfast so myself, Tom, MIL and SIL are going, and the BIL and FIL (who are character humbugs a little – but put up with it due to us) take a pass and arrange to cook themselves bacon sandwiches back at the OKW villa.

A little later we discover that our second week overlaps with BIL’s sister and her family visiting Orlando! We aren’t planning on meeting up, but SIL and BIL will spend a couple of days visiting with them. It’s turning into a big trip!

Then talk turned to spending most of the time together, which is great, but then Tom mentioned several things he wanted to do with his dad, including several afternoons at the cinema. I started to feel like this wasn’t our DisneyMoon anymore, and I was just tagging along on one of Tom’s family holidays.

I’ve asked if we can spend some time alone during the trip, and Tom said yes, but it’s tricky telling family you don’t want to spend time with them. We have a couple of meals alone (Cape May, France, Biergarten) which will be good. Plus, we’ve planned to share a Wishes cruise with another family one night which should be amazing. Not alone though, so possibly less romantic.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what things we could do to make it feel like a ‘moon’ not just a regular trip?