Feeling the Disney Love... Wedding/Disneymoon May 2010

[DisneyLifer87]

Starting the pre-trippie a little late this time around, but work has begun to slow down so I find more time to DIS! Please do NOT tell me boss that one.

DF and I decided back in January '09 while in Disney celebrating our engagement (which was done at home) that Disney would be the perfect place to get married. It was basically just an idea and when we returned home, it seemed like a fantasy due to my still being in school and not banking enough cash to fund a wedding. In June of 2009 (specifically the 26th) I completed my final course as an undergraduate and had officially obtained my bachelor's degree in English Literature. It was a great feeling until I realized that I no longer had a job....

After many sleepless nights filling out applications and attending interview after interview, I was offered a position at the local cable company doing receptionist work with three other lovely ladies. I started July 6th and after only a month, DF and I realized a Disney wedding might be within our grasps. A quick side not about my job... the other three ladies I work with our Disney fans as well. One in particular just returned from a trip to the world perhaps she will find me here and post a few words. Moving on...

The idea for a wedding at the Swan resort was initially appealing due to the lower cost in comparison to a Disney package. We got in touch with Just Marry! wedding consultants, crunched a few figures and on December 12th we had booked our wedding with a 50% deposit. Closely following that we received a 25/35/45 Disney pin and booked our stay at Disney CBR Standard view, 6-day park hopper tickets, DDP from stay dates 5/15-5/22 with the wedding on 5/18

Our Cast of characters is a long and extensive one as may family members are coming along for the wedding. Look to the next post for this.. and maybe the one after that as well!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Cast of Characters

Like previously stated, we have a wide variety of characters coming along for the trip. Everyone's dates are different and I do not have images for everyone, however you'll get the general idea.

Me, aka Meagan aka

Chef Mickey's, January 2009

I'm your standard obsessive planner. The ticker you see below has been counting down for a little over a year now! I guess you could say I had the Disney bug from birth, but the world sucked me in my first trip in 1998. I'm a 22 year old full-timer as mentioned above and I hope someday to teach. Maybe about Disney!? Currently I'm all about collecting Disney DVDs and BluRay (recent inspiration as we just picked up a PS3 for Xmas.. our gift to each other) My favorite characters are definitely Tinker Bell, Princess Belle, and Simba. My favorite movie of all time is The Lion King. I am a true Disney veteran and this will be my 5th trip in my lifetime. You will hear a lot of random Disney fun facts from me in the planning stages, and you may hear me stress out frequently. Hopefully someone can give me encouragement during those times! Or pixie dust? Ah well, let's move on...

DF/DH2B, aka Matt aka

Chef Mickey's, January 2009

DF is slightly lazy and a true gamer. He's usually in front of the tv and rarely cares for planning. He'd rather let me do it and just go along. I do manage to beat a little comment or two out of him so I can at least say I tried. Currently he is a full-time student online for an Associates degree in Law Enforcement. He works part-time at a local restaurant chain and pretty much is satisfied with an Xbox 360 planted right in his face with a can of Coke within reach. You will hear little from him in the pre-trippie, as is expected I'm sure. However, his favorite characters are Mickey (particularly Steamboat Willie and Sorcerer's Apprentice), the Genie, and Sebastian. His favorite Disney movie is a tossup between Aladdin and Up!

And now for the wedding party......

The Best Man, aka Randy, aka

An earlier picture with his daughter
DF's brother Randy is a Disney virgin as are a lot of people on this trip. For awhile we were wondering if he would be able to make the trip. However, after much persuading, we made him see how affordable a Disney vacation actually can be if you're smart about it. Randy is a sports fan, mostly baseball (MN Twins) and not much for weddings. He isn't much of a Disney fan outside of the desires of his daughter and he claims he's only looking forward to this trip for her. We'll see...

The Missing Groomsman
Right now we don't have a second groomsman for DF as his other brother Josh was unable to attend. Sadly we only learned of this last week and may have to replace him with my MOH's husband who you can see pictured below alongside of her.

The Maid of Honor, aka Amy, aka

Amy and her husband Dan who will be making the trip. With them are their two little boys, Adam and Christopher who will not be making the trip

My MOH is very much living in her role as my cheerleader throughout all of this. As my older sister she has a lot of advice from her own wedding, though that was not a destination one and was here at home. Her husband Dan, aka (due to his ritual of drinking around the world showcase) may be filling in for us as a groomsman. These two have been to Disney together twice; once for their honeymoon in 2007 and again with Adam in 2008. Adam is 20 months and Christopher is 5 months.. they've been busy Anyway, Amy's a Disney addict, but a bit of a recovering princess. Two children will hit the bank pretty hard, and the D&B purses sometimes have to be sacrificed. Pun intended as she and her husband are both bankers.

The Bridesmaid, aka Heather, aka

Heather is my cousin and has been like a second sister to me. My first trip to the World in 1998 was also her first trip as she went with my mother and myself. We have done a lot together and it seems only fitting that she would be in my wedding.. and in Disney! Heather is pretty much my partner in crime, and even though we may live apart and get into less trouble as we used to, we're still trying to keep close. She will be making her 5th trip to Disney this time around.

The Flower Girl, aka Sydney, aka

Sydney is 4 and will be 5 when we make our Disney trip. She is DF's niece and daughter to Randy, the BM. This will be her first Disney trip and she has an obsession with Disney Princesses. It should be an interesting ride Sydney has energy that doesn't stop and we're all taking bets as to how long she'll last in the parks before a meltdown! Don't let that sweet face fool you, she can be quite the little devil! Sydney will be traveling with her father and also her mother, Holly.

The family will be introduced in the next post, but unfortunately those posts will be picture-less....

 

[ClareH37]

LOL at your DF, but that's a positive - a man who lets the woman loose on the planning

 

[MainStMandy]

YAY another Disbride!! Can't wait to read more! Your plans sound great!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Cast of Characters cont...

The Family

My mom, aka
My mom is like my best friend and she's helped me through a lot of tough times. She has graciously offered her home for our at-home reception, and also agreed to fund our after wedding dinner at Ohana'! She will be only in Disney for the wedding and the venturing off into other Florida locations as she claims she has seen enough Disney. Is that possible?? She will be traveling with her husband, my stepfather Dan.

My dad
Before I describe my dad I should forewarn you that my parents have been divorced for about 17 years and neither of them has truly forgiven the other one. It's usually a battlefield when they are in the same room! But my father is not always on my good graces and we rarely see one another. He is going to the wedding mostly because he feels he has to. Maybe we'll grow closer in Disney? We'll see... He is traveling with his wife Patty.

My Grandma (dad's side)
I love my grandma, but she can be a bit fiesty. I dont' mean that in a funny way, but rather in a she likes to insult my mom behind her back way. As it is, I hope she keeps her cool. She is very excited for Disney afrer seeing my pictures and at 84, this will be her first and only Disney trip.

My Uncle Terry (dad's brother)
My Uncle is laid back and pretty much goes with the flow. He is escorting my grandma (above) around the parks and to the wedding. He isn't excited, but I suppose Mr. Cool wouldn't show it even if he was! His weakness is the Wii, however, and he and my grandma have a newly found bowling obsession via Wii Sports.

My Grandpa and Grandma (mom's side)
My Grandparents are like the perfect version of how you would expect grandparents to be. They have been married for over 50 years and constantly travel. My grandpa used to run a family farm, however they recently sold it for a large sum of money and have been dancing on that retirement for years. They are looking forward to the wedding more than I would have thought and my grandpa wants to get me on the Tower of Terror.

DF's Parents
DF's mom and I have a fairly close bond and she is typically calling me with questions on Disney and everything else. She was at first a bit skeptical on me for moving in with Matt 150 miles north of their home, however she appreciates how much we do for each other. DF's dad is not much of a talker, but he seems to enjoy how happy I make his son. Or, well, maybe he enjoys the fact that I have gotten him out of the house?!

That's our group and the end to my cast! Upcoming will be a bit more details on our trip and my ADRs as they stand right now. Hello my few readers yet, I know I may have a lurker or two as well! Back to work!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

The trip details thus far...

We're flying out of Minneapolis at 1:15pm (central) on Saturday, May 15th. Right now I'm unsure if we will be leaving from Duluth to make the drive to the cities on Friday night or Saturday morning. My mother has the same flight so we will be traveling with her from the airport once we reach the cities from Duluth.

In the World we will be staying at the Caribbean Beach Resort in a standard view room. This will be our first time in a moderate resort. Previously we had stayed in the POP century, so it will be nice to make a comparison. We have 6-day park hopper tickets and are also on the Dining Plan, though we may be canceling this because it's hard to determine if it's worth the money with the wedding. The wedding itself is on Tuesday, May 18th which means we will have two days in the park beforehand and about four days afterward.

As for ADRs....

Sunday (5/16) - Teppan Edo for dinner
Monday (5/17) - House of Blues group dinner
Tuesday (5/18) - Reception dinner at Ohana'
Wednesday (5/19) - Chef Mickey's Brunch and dinner at Cindy's Royal Table
Thursday (5/20) - Coral Reef for dinner
Friday (5/21) - 50's Primetime Cafe for lunch and Mama Melrose Fantasmic! dinner package

Who knows if these will change, but knowing me, it's bound to happen.

 

[mkleinbe]

The wedding itself is on Tuesday, May 18th

That's my birthday!!!! Great day for a wedding.


Subscribing as you are now one of my "countdown buddies".

 

[jemgumby]

Count me in! Can't wait to hear more!!!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Oh, so much has changed since my last post. Where do I even begin??

As we reach the 1 month mark to the wedding, we have successfully completed the following items:
--We have the trip and the wedding amoutns paid in full
--The rings are picked out, fit perfectly, and are ready to go
--My dress is under final alteration to be picked up on 4/22 where I will have it home before shipping it out to Carolynn Allens. But, I don't know when I should ship it? Two weeks?


It's all coming together. I am suepr happy and excited!

 

[princessallegra]

So exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats on your upcoming wedding!!!!!!!! And trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Time to start extensive planning! I'm working on an itinerary that will help us see all that we want to see/do what we want to do. Future DH and I are not Disney virgins by any means (except FDH who will be experiencing his second trip this time around). However, I'm planning obsessed as previously mentioned, and I like to figure out a game plan for each day. Even if I'm going to end up throwing most of it to the wind once we get there.

Day One - May 15th
Saturday... our traveling day! I have taken a half day off of work the Friday prior to finish last minute packing and to travel to my mother's house in the cities which is closed to the airport. On this day we will wake up at her place ideally around 7:00am to gather the rest of our things and get ready for the journey.
We need to leave with my mother and stepfather (who have the same flight) by 8am to travel a good ways outside of the city to drop off their puppy at doggy daycare for the week. We are hoping to make that trip and make it to the airport at 11:00am. This would give us 2 hours of time before our flight which is plenty of time to get through security and everything else.

We should arrive in FL around 5:30pm and after getting off the plane and to the magical express, I' wager we'd be in our room around 7:30 which means we should be able to hit Downtown Disney for dinner and shopping!
Pretty simple day planned out with perhaps a late dip in the pool before heading to bed for an early start the following morning!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Day Two - (First Disney Day) May 16th

EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival

I know this is the final day so a lot of the greenery may already be removed, however we are still hoping to catch whatever is left. FDH is not too thrilled by the prospect of looking at plants all day, however I have it planned out perfectly to mix in rides and drinks which will please both parties

Wake up call will be at 7:00am so we can shower and get ready. We will hop on disney transportation to DHS at 8:00am and take the boat over to Disney's Swan Resort where I will leave FDH for his breakfast at the Boardwalk Bakery while I get a manicure at the spa at 9:00am After which I will go collect him and get my own breakfast before we slowly walk over to EPCOT
We're going to spend the morning in Future World collecting FastPasses as needed to accomplish the rides we would like to do. We will also be taking a gander at the F & G items scattered throughout. The must-do or like-to-do rides are:
--Soarin'
--Test Track
--The Seas with Nemo and Friends
--Turtle Talk with Crush
--Spaceship Earth

We would also like to spend some time at the pin trading center. Afterwards we will head to World Showcase to check out the F&G items there and drink around the world. I am thinking we will start in the UK with beer for FDH and a Grand Marnier in France for me

Illuminations that evening and we're done for day one

Up next.... Monday... Animal Kingdom

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Day Three - May 17th

Animal Kingdom

This say has EMH scheduled, so FDH and I will try to get there by 8am. First stop is Expedition Everest, of course!
After escaping the Yeti we will cross over to the Kilimanjaro Safaris and watch the animals wake up.
From these two big headliners, we continue on:

--Tour the Pangani Exploration Trails
--Cross over to the Wildlife Express Train
--Explore Rafiki's Planet Watch
--Take the train back and cross over to Asia once more for the Maharajah Jungle Trek
--Grab a fastpass for Dinosaur!
--Ride Primeval Whirl
--Grab lunch
--Return for Dinosaur! fastpass time frame
--Explore the Discovery Island trails
--See Festival of the Lion King
--Grab a spot and snack for the afternoon parade
--Tour the Oasis trails

We will need to leave the park and be back on a bus to the resort by 4:30pm. At the resort we will quickly change and head to Downtown Disney for a 6:30pm "rehersal" dinner at House of Blues (I quote rehersal because we do not have one).

busy day which we hope is sunny.

 

[ddstratton]

The idea for a wedding at the Swan resort was initially appealing due to the lower cost in comparison to a Disney package. We got in touch with Just Marry! wedding consultants, crunched a few figures and on December 12th we had booked our wedding with a 50% deposit. Closely following that we received a 25/35/45 Disney pin and booked our stay at Disney CBR Standard view, 6-day park hopper tickets, DDP from stay dates 5/15-5/22 with the wedding on 5/18

I've got to go back and read, but I had to take a minute to comment. Our first trip was in October 2008 - we stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort with a standard viewand just LOVED it!

We will be in Disney the same time as you! Our dates are May 12th thru the 19th.

And the main reason I had to comment -- our wedding anniversary is also MAY 18th!!! We'll be there to celebrate our 19th anniversary.

Congratulations, by the way!

 

[Disneychix]

Wow! Congrat's on your wedding!
I was a Swan bride 5yrs ago and we also had our 'reception' at Ohana'! It was magical!

I can't wait to hear more plans. It sounds like you will have a lot of fun!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Followed you over from my TR. So exciting you are having your wedding in WDW. Your plans sound great so far...can't wait to hear more.

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Welcome. Glad you're here!

We're doing the single digit dance today and working hard. I haven't updated in FOREVER witht he craziness of what is going on.

I will post our wedding day itinerary in a few short moments.

 

[jemgumby]

We are in single digits today too!!!! Can't wait to hear more!!!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Day Four - The Wedding

What a busy and insane day. This is the only day broken down into time slots for everything to get done!!

6:30am: Wake up and shuffle down to the food court for some breakfast with the hubby to be. We will then part ways and he will take the tuxes to his brother's room where the men will get ready!

8:00am: My dress will be steamed in the room at this time while I digest and try to remain calm while waiting for my cousin and sister.

9:00am: Beaute Speciale will arrive to do hair and makeup for me, hair and make up for my cousin, and make up for my sister.

11:30am: My mother will arrive to pick me up and take me to her room at the Swan to change into my dress

12:30pm: Pictures start with Randy Chapman

2:00pm: Ceremony begins

2:30pm: Cake/Champagne begins

3:30pm: Pictures end and everyone heads off to change and relax (except me.. I will only be bustling the dress)

4:45pm: Meeting at Ohana`

5:00pm: Reception dinner at Ohana

From here on we have no plans except for enjoying being a married couple with the family and partying it up in Disney!

Stay tuned for Wednesday... sleep in, Chef Mickey's, and the Magic Kingdom!!

 

[bellebookworm9]

Joining in...I eventually want to get married at Disney at Seabreeze Point. I got very excited to see you will have your reception dinner at Ohana at 5pm, until I realized it's the day before our reservation! So, we won't see you there. But perhaps we'll see you some other time!