"Everyone's A Cousin On This Trip!" - AUG 2018 | UPDATE 4/25: The Tower of Enchanting Extras! :o

[KJeff90]

A Small Update
While all updates are good updates when it comes to planning for a big trip, especially Walt Disney World ones, this update is just to catch everyone up as to where we are.

We're slowly buying our park admission tickets, one by one. We're going to need a total of four for this trip. Right now, we're at two. The recent price increases of tickets at Walt Disney World has made things tricky, so I am veering away from buying them directly away from Walt Disney World. Luckily, I was able to find a great deal on UndercoverTourist for 6 days + 1 day Parkhopper tickets (my math skills say that equals 7 days worth of tickets).

Me Doing Math

We've also done a few changes with our ADRs. Most of them were simple time adjustments. We did change our Sanaa reservation to a Boma reservation as it seems like it would be a better value with more options for the prices, even though we are using the Disney Dining Plan. And well, there are Zebra Domes.

Deciding whether or not to attempt to go for an ADR at Be Our Guest for dinner was easy with the recent changes there. Now that it is a 2 credit option, it ruled itself out.

That seems to be it for now. Who knows what the next chapter of trip planning will come next... ​

 

[eiblehs]

Looks like my trip will overlap with yours! I'll tell you "Aloha!" if I see you and your cousins around. Great blog posts--I love your visual additions! Lol!

 

[jchurch0409]

Joining in!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

As promised, popped in after seeing your post on the restaurants board. Your plans sound great. I love how involved everyone is in planning! Can’t wait to hear more!

 

[KJeff90]

Looks like my trip will overlap with yours! I'll tell you "Aloha!" if I see you and your cousins around. Great blog posts--I love your visual additions! Lol!

Aww, well I hope to see you around! We'll probably be that obnoxious group of people wearing the 8 pairs of Made w/ Magic Ears in front of the castle!

Joining in!

Thanks for joining us along for the journey!

As promised, popped in after seeing your post on the restaurants board. Your plans sound great. I love how involved everyone is in planning! Can’t wait to hear more!

Glad you're coming along too! All this planning, and a few surprises up my sleeve... I got to keep things interesting and keep folks like you interested. We're all in this together. Uh, oh...

I had to get the GIF with the hand clap... it took a painstaking 20 seconds of googling to find this treasure
...you're welcome.

 

[Spencer Wright]

This sounds like a really excellent trip!! I am especially excited to hear about your experiences with BLT. I have been trying to convince my family to stay there to no avail.

I believe you will really enjoy Sanaa. It is one of those hidden gems which is quickly becoming not so hidden.

 

[starvenger]

I am a big fan of using animated gifs in posts.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I'm enjoying your pre-trip report.

 

[KathyTbell]

Following and living vicariously through your WDW planning!

 

[KJeff90]

This sounds like a really excellent trip!! I am especially excited to hear about your experiences with BLT. I have been trying to convince my family to stay there to no avail.

I believe you will really enjoy Sanaa. It is one of those hidden gems which is quickly becoming not so hidden.

Well I'm excited to tell you all about BLT! I hope that I can make an actual trip-report that will get people interested! As of now, it looks like we changed our Sanaa reservation for the Zebra Domes at Boma, I had to give in to the Zebra Dome-iness.

I am a big fan of using animated gifs in posts.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I'm enjoying your pre-trip report.

I'm glad you're enjoying the gifs in my posts. I think they add a little kinetic fun to what would normally be a flat experience.

Following and living vicariously through your WDW planning!

Thanks for living vicariously through my planning! There's plenty of room aboard the trip-planning train!

 

[KJeff90]

We're Gonna Brunch, Brunch, Brunch to the Top
On a very special episode of "The Winds of Change: A WDW Trip Planned with Jeff" we're faced with the most sudden and drastic of plan changes yet in this season...

The awkward time between planning ADRs and booking Fastpass+ selections is a time where I sit restless, second guessing things booked, and wondering when the next thing to plan will present itself.

Evidence of my second guessing:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/second-guessing-adrs-help.3670834/

Every once in a while, a spark of inspiration hits me in the planning process. Usually it's while I'm browsing YouTube Videos, looking at forum threads or randomly exploring the Walt Disney World website; regardless of which of the previously listed it was, it probably happened late at night.

Well, it hit me twice in one sitting at the computer, and then practically changed all of my plans... and I inherited an ambitious mess to somehow make everything work.

What am I trying to squeeze into an already action-packed itinerary? Well, what could be the best thing to squeeze in than a brunch?!

Well, not just any brunch, but the brunch of all Disney brunches...
A brunch with a view...
A brunch that bopped, bopped, bopped, that it made it's way to the top...

I apologize for putting up two HSM GIFs in less than a week, and this one with unnecessary sexual tension between siblings, but back to what's being added to the ADR list!

We're going to be having "Brunch at the Top", the brunch that is held at the California Grill at Disney's Contemporary Resort!

Well, we're also adding a Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue dinner in the mix too!

It's going to be kept a secret until the timing is just right to reveal to the cousins. I think it'll be one of those "unique, something extra special" meals that we can look back on after the trip. One thing that had to be done was that our party of 8 is now two parties of 4 that may not be seated together/near each other.

May the Disney Dining Plan and a discount on something I stumbled upon be ever in our favor.

As much as I love a good meal, or 6... there is a limit. So we had to get rid of a few of the ADRs we had, and switch a few. So cue the Sarah McLachlan music, because now we say goodbye to the ADRs we loved but had to let go of too soon...

Biergarten and 1900 Park Fare

-pours out bottle of Dasani water-

...we hardly knew you.

With the brunch being only held on Sundays, I had to shift around the Garden Grill breakfast to our arrival day, and then the 'Ohana breakfast to the day before it was originally scheduled. It somehow all worked out. So here's the mess of an ADR list that we have now:

Day 1 - Arrival Day: Garden Grill Breakfast
Day 2 - Boma Dinner
Day 3 - 4:00pm Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue
Day 4: 'Ohana Breakfast
Day 5: "Brunch at the Top" - California Grill Brunch
Day 6: Tusker House Dinner
Day 7 - Departure Day: Be our Guest QSR Lunch

Well I'm glad we survived the drastic winds of change during this episode, who knows what will happen next on our trip planning saga!​

 

[KJeff90]

Planning From A Long Time Ago...

...On a Computer Far, Far Away From Walt Disney World.

It's been a while since I last posted; almost a month. But there has been quite a been of planning going on.
Being busy with my final quarter of college, and work has kept me busy and away from keeping you posted about all the planning going on. I have made some minor posts through the DIS, looking here and there, but I've been putting off making a post as there are quite a few "surprises" I have lined up for our little party of 8.

Well now it's time to bring an old friend we're familiar with: the winds of change!

I thought I would offer up a different interpretation of our favorite Gif-friendly song.

At this point, so many things have been shifted, moved or deleted, it's almost beyond recognition. So to prevent heartache, and build up anticipation for future posts, I'll hold off on posting what our itinerary is until after our Fastpass+ day comes.

I'll will give you one detail that was a short-lived surprise. It revealed itself to the rest of our party as it is something that requires a certain dresscode...

...we're going the H2O Glow Nights at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon!

That's right, I thought it would be the courteous thing to let them know that they have to bring something to swim with. We're excited about this unique experience. Apparently Woody, Buzz and Jessie are taking over Typhoon Lagoon and going to let us join in on a Partysaurus Rex pool party!

The winds of change are back with a fury, and should be bringing back some more surprises for our group. I hope you'll continue to follow along on this journey of planning... I also hope to post more to keep interest.​

 

[KJeff90]

The Tower of Enchanting Extras
I realize now that there's a restless period between booking your ADRs for restaurants, and that time when you're due to book your Fastpass+ selections. It can lead to a very fidgety Jeff trying to figure out what else he could plan for the epic Walt Disney World adventure he had ahead of him. So what better place than to peruse the Walt Disney World website? Well, little did he know that there was more to this little ol' site than than meets the eye...

-cues the film noir music, puts on snazzy Rod Serling jacket that he needs to return by 4pm... it's rental -

...there's the "Enchanting Extras Collection" tab.

You unlock this link with the key of imagination.
Beyond it is a list of paid experiences.
Experiences that take you backstage.
Experiences that involve dessert parties.
Experiences that require you to wake up at ungodly early hours.
You're moving into lands of both of walking and sitting, of discounts and exclusive access.
You've just crossed over into. . .The Enchanting Extras Collection.

Wherever Jeff is on his computer, 2018. Amid the cups of coffee and poor life decisions that have led Jeff to be up in the wee hours of the morning. The Enchanting Extras collection was a forbidden temptation in its own right; a beacon for Jeff to spend money. Now something is about to happen that will change all that. The time is now, on an evening very much like the one Jeff constantly witnesses.

Tonight's story of Jeff and the Enchanting Extras Collection is somewhat unique and calls for a different type of cheesy introduction.

This, as you may recognize is a Walt Disney World cast member, rushing his guests to Toy Story Mania, surprisingly still in operation today, waiting to eat up people in the purgatory that is its queue, but they won't have to wait too long. We invite you, if you dare, to tag along because in tonight's episode, money will be spent. And this cast member will enjoy a thing or two from. . .the Enchanting Extras Collection.

Welcome back to the harsh reality of a non-italicized world. Yup, I clicked around here and there. . .made more calls to Disney than I'd like to admit cancelling/moving/modifying ADRs, and booking a thing . . .or two . . . or five.

Well that's all I have for you now, I'll get into details about what was actually posted in upcoming posts. For now, this is just a teaser of things to look forward to. So many surprises, so little time.

 

[KathyTbell]

Love your style of writing! I'm excited for your trip!

 

[rlk]

Hi Jeff, after posting on your other thread, I decided to join you on your PTR. I'm hooked! Looking forward to reading more.
By the way, Bay Lake Tower is our DVC home resort. We don't usually stay there, but we do love the location. You will love the ease of walking to and from MK. Having the security check along the walking path allows you to bypass any security backup at MK.