First Time Ever WDW Happily Ever After - a Newbie's Trip Planner

[DisneyAndrew]

I'm sorry to hear you couldn't get the Fantasmic Dining Package. It is definitely one that I think is worth continuing to check on.

Doing Trail's End on your resort hop day. If you start at the TTC, you can ride the monorail to the Contemporary, Grand Floridian, and Polynesian Village. Then you can catch a both to the Wilderness Lodge and also to Ft Wilderness. Then, if you felt real adventurous you could take a bus from MK to one of the Epcot area resorts (Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk, Swan & Dolphin) and walk between any of those (if you have your walking shoes on). The resorts in the Epcot area are truly beautiful.

Best of luck with the rest of your planning. Glad you've come to rely on the DIS for help. I remember how overwhelming it was trying to plan our first family trip last year. If it wasn't for the people on here, I wouldn't have had as good of an experience.

BTW, I am one of those people who love Port Orleans Riverside. The peaceful, serene settings with the beautiful river are great. Plus, the boat right to DTD is really convenient, and a nice way to relax. I'm sure you guys will be content at whichever resort you stay. Let's face it, it's Walt Disney World, and you have to try hard not to have a great time!

 

[mdsouth]

I would probably skip Le Cellier since it is now 2 Table Services.
If it is one at lunch you might try it then.

We have found that if we make late lunch plans or early lunch plans and skip breakfast that works for us. Then you can do the counter service credit for dinner. There are lots of nice counter service options in Epcot which have nice places outside to eat around the lagoon.

 

[mdsouth]

I know you want to go to some place warm with a beach.

You could always extend your WDW trip and then do a day trip to a beach somewhere or just hang out at the resort pool and enjoy the hammocks on the beach at CBR.

Then you would have more days/nights to experience Disney dining options! Tee Hee!

 

[Austriankrystl]

I know you want to go to some place warm with a beach.

You could always extend your WDW trip and then do a day trip to a beach somewhere or just hang out at the resort pool and enjoy the hammocks on the beach at CBR.

Then you would have more days/nights to experience Disney dining options! Tee Hee!

Ha ha, Ms. South! You know, that wouldn't be half bad--if only the Disney prices were more "budget" for that.

Seriously though, we are now thinking something around the Everglades Ntnl. Park could be nice. Dream: 22nd-27th December: inexpensive hotel/lodge with inexpensive food options but right in the park. A bit of hiking, maybe something ranger-lead (kayaking or something) and just discovering the quiet. Working on that week.

I'm sorry to hear you couldn't get the Fantasmic Dining Package. It is definitely one that I think is worth continuing to check on.

Doing Trail's End on your resort hop day. If you start at the TTC, you can ride the monorail to the Contemporary, Grand Floridian, and Polynesian Village. Then you can catch a both to the Wilderness Lodge and also to Ft Wilderness. Then, if you felt real adventurous you could take a bus from MK to one of the Epcot area resorts (Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk, Swan & Dolphin) and walk between any of those (if you have your walking shoes on). The resorts in the Epcot area are truly beautiful.

Andrew, you have great ideas! Yes, we are planning on at least 1/2-1 day touring the decorations... I really need to get my butt in gear and get all our plans out for all to critique! Lack of time... But you really have given me a nudge to consider visiting the campsites, too, which wasn't on the radar. Planning, planning, planning...

We'll keep a look out for that package, but I think we'll have fun at 50's. I'm not sure what the wait is for the show, but shouldn't be too bad, I don't think. Kids are still in school, right? Well, we'll see.

I would probably skip Le Cellier since it is now 2 Table Services.
If it is one at lunch you might try it then.

We have found that if we make late lunch plans or early lunch plans and skip breakfast that works for us. Then you can do the counter service credit for dinner. There are lots of nice counter service options in Epcot which have nice places outside to eat around the lagoon.

Yeah, I guess Le Cellier is out. Just doesn't seem worth 2 credits. If we do the 2, it'll be for fireworks or amazing atmosphere. But now I am really thinking possibly doing Cali Grill out of pocket (IF we can grab the ressis on the right day) and grabbing something on the boardwalk, or so.

We are doing the 50's for a late lunch. I like that idea. We are NOT morning people (heck, we've just snacked a bit today and it is 5pm) and I am not thinking we are "rope drop" people. Cannot be bothered . Instead, leisurely heading over and enjoying the atmosphere, grabbing lunch and then a late dinner (in whatever order happens to work best).

e.g. Magic Kingdom: IF the Disney gods are good and gracious, a late BoG around 7pm would match the firework schedule, etc. perfectly for us (ok, me). That would mean an early lunch with a late evening snack (park open until midnight),

If we eat at 'Ohana or Cali Grill for the fireworks, that is 8:30pm or so, a late lunch is in order (we can be seated relatively late compared to families with children).

Just read about the atmosphere at Cali Grill with all the kids running around because the parents brought them to watch the fireworks and it is LATE for littles to eat, etc. That kind of makes me nervous/turns me off. I wish there was a "real adult" possibility to view the fireworks over dinner that doesn't involve potentially screaming babies/impatient or over-excited kids.

Love kids, really, I do, but really, is that too much to ask for there to be adult/teen-only dinner experience with a view of the fireworks for under $300 (V&A)? I know Disney is "child-oriented" but I do feel it's kind of out-of-place outside the park (they get character meals galore). It seems a bit selfish/egotistic of the parents, in my opinion; and most would never take their littles to a 4-star restaurant at 9pm in the "real world". Just get a babysitter or wait a few years.
<RANT OVER, no flames please. And yes, I am a nice person--really honestly and truly. >

 

[mdsouth]

Ha ha, Ms. South! You know, that wouldn't be half bad--if only the Disney prices were more "budget" for that.

Seriously though, we are now thinking something around the Everglades Ntnl. Park could be nice. Dream: 22nd-27th December: inexpensive hotel/lodge with inexpensive food options but right in the park. A bit of hiking, maybe something ranger-lead (kayaking or something) and just discovering the quiet. Working on that week.


Just read about the atmosphere at Cali Grill with all the kids running around because the parents brought them to watch the fireworks and it is LATE for littles to eat, etc. That kind of makes me nervous/turns me off. I wish there was a "real adult" possibility to view the fireworks over dinner that doesn't involve potentially screaming babies/impatient or over-excited kids.

Love kids, really, I do, but really, is that too much to ask for there to be adult/teen-only dinner experience with a view of the fireworks for under $300 (V&A)? I know Disney is "child-oriented" but I do feel it's kind of out-of-place outside the park (they get character meals galore). It seems a bit selfish/egotistic of the parents, in my opinion; and most would never take their littles to a 4-star restaurant at 9pm in the "real world". Just get a babysitter or wait a few years.
<RANT OVER, no flames please. And yes, I am a nice person--really honestly and truly. > [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

I totally get you wanting a nice dinner at Cali Grill to watch the fireworks without being distracted by other people's kids. I know when my kids were younger, we picked places that we not upscale to dine at with our kids at Disney. We were happy we did.

The Everglades National Park plan sounds really nice. It will be a nice way to totally kick back and enjoy the outdoors and each other before you head back home.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Just read about the atmosphere at Cali Grill with all the kids running around because the parents brought them to watch the fireworks and it is LATE for littles to eat, etc. That kind of makes me nervous/turns me off. I wish there was a "real adult" possibility to view the fireworks over dinner that doesn't involve potentially screaming babies/impatient or over-excited kids.

Love kids, really, I do, but really, is that too much to ask for there to be adult/teen-only dinner experience with a view of the fireworks for under $300 (V&A)? I know Disney is "child-oriented" but I do feel it's kind of out-of-place outside the park (they get character meals galore). It seems a bit selfish/egotistic of the parents, in my opinion; and most would never take their littles to a 4-star restaurant at 9pm in the "real world". Just get a babysitter or wait a few years.
<RANT OVER, no flames please. And yes, I am a nice person--really honestly and truly. >

Just wanted to add that we have done Cali Gril both alone for date night and with kids and both times it has been great - even alone we never felt the kids ruined the atmosphere or anything.

And to add right after the fireworks the families really clear out so if you are ok doing it a little later you could try to start your meal close to fireworks time, maybe get a drink and go out to watch them and then have your food and the % of kids/families will go way down

If you want a more "adult" feel you could try something like Flying Fish (though it can get noisy) or go over to the Swan/Dolphin for something like Bluezoo or Shula's (though, while not V&A pricey, they aren't cheap either)

 

[Austriankrystl]

I totally get you wanting a nice dinner at Cali Grill to watch the fireworks without being distracted by other people's kids. I know when my kids were younger, we picked places that we not upscale to dine at with our kids at Disney. We were happy we did.

Just wanted to add that we have done Cali Gril both alone for date night and with kids and both times it has been great - even alone we never felt the kids ruined the atmosphere or anything.

And to add right after the fireworks the families really clear out so if you are ok doing it a little later you could try to start your meal close to fireworks time, maybe get a drink and go out to watch them and then have your food and the % of kids/families will go way down

If you want a more "adult" feel you could try something like Flying Fish (though it can get noisy) or go over to the Swan/Dolphin for something like Bluezoo or Shula's (though, while not V&A pricey, they aren't cheap either)

Thank you for your validation, Ms. South. I guess I didn't realize what my parents "sacrificed" when we were little. I know times have changed but it is throwing a wrench in my plans (and yes, I do have a Cali Grill reservation at 8pm on Tuesday-I just don't know whether we will keep it). I am so disappointed right now.

Unfortunately, Max, from neither the flying fish nor the other restaurants have a view of the fireworks in focus, nor do they meet any of our other dining requirements so no, they really aren't an option. Eating later? After 10pm (fireworks at 9:30-9:45)? That is one seriously LATE dinner! Not a realistic option for us.

The Cali Grill is a 2 meal credit restaurant geared towards adults whose clear draw is the adult menu and late-night view of the WDW skyline and the fireworks. I was assuming it would be a no-brainer for adult-oriented dining. I do not judge all families or children, and I am sure your children (2 & 5 and under 1?) were perfect angels.

My statement wasn't meant to be a blanket "no kids", but I have just read several Dis threads/posts of people saying that their date experience was less than ideal for that quality of restaurant owing to the lack of "child-control" in the restaurant: parents not taking over-tired children out/home, parents ignoring their children running freely in the restaurant and interrupting/disturbing other diners, etc.

It really shocked me that that would even be an issue. Remember, the issues were not children in general--rather children overly active/loud/disruptive. It is these types of reports that make me seriously have problems making decisions on where to go/eat.

My posts just report how WDW challenges our decision-making. I wish I could "gloss" over all these thoughts/feelings (they're not very PC, I'll admit), but they are a real part of my "journey. I am sure that I am not the only person to have them or to be surprised and dismayed that a "simple choice" is not simple at all.

We LOVE children! Honestly! Hey, we adopt children and play with them and converse with them. Please just understand that I am trying to work through these dining plans and find a good "balance" for us.

Until a couple days ago, Cali Grill was at the top of our list for a "date night". Because of these Dis threads, I feel either 'Ohana (as it is "cheaper"--meaning that kind of "interruption" wouldn't be so disappointing) or Narcoossee (which isn't really the menu-options we wanted at all, but somehow has much less "upsest-child-interference" problems listed on these threads) are better options. Neither would have been as great as Cali Grill.

At the same time, a lot of the threads here on the Dis seem to fall into 2 categories that kind of depress me: "it's my (our) party and I'll (my child'll) ..... if I (they) wanna." and "Disney is for kids so get over it..." vs. "Children were meant to be seen, not heard." Perhaps I am getting old.

*Just feeling Disney disillusioned today.* I think it is time for me to stop the "children/adult" thought process before feelings get hurt.

 

[Waiting2goback]

Austriankrystl- I finally had a chance to come over here and read your thread. And all I can say is, I am jealous. I may have mentioned on the other thread that my first trip to Disney was my honeymoon. I remember how excited I was when I got there. I was not a "Disney person" when my wife talked me into going there. It is still one of the best times of my life.

I wish I could go back and live it again. It was a bit different back then because you couldn't plan everything the same way you can now. I am sure you could do ADR's and stuff but I remember watching the vacation planning on VHS tape. The internet was around but not the major source of info it is now. So, we kinda just went and figured it all out on the fly.

It was still awesome and your trip will be too. I don't see how your then husband will not be loving it too. Of course, I am biased.

I can't wait to read your report after you return.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

don't worry - definitely didn't take you comments to mean that you hate kids or anything - just to let you know that we had a different experience at Cali Grill.

If you are worried about it and think that it would make for a less than great evening and feel like your $/credits were poorly used then there are definitely different options and probably better ones for you.

Narcoossee or Citricos I think would be quieter than Cali Grill and there are places at the Grand Floridian you can watch the fireworks from

We like 'Ohana's a lot but there are definitely going to be more kids there - they even do "coconut races" where the kids push coconuts using brooms, etc. - so just now that going in

There is also Kona Cafe at the Poly but that is open to the lobby and can get a bit loud

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

I hope your ADR planning is going smoothly. I wanted to chime in in regards to the dinning. DH and I ate at Cali Grill for the first time on our past trip. It was always pretty pricey so we never considered it but a family friend gave us a nice Disney gift card before our trip and suggested we use it for a nice dinner at their favorite restaurant, California Grill. DH called and found availability (within a month of our trip) for our arrival night. This was our only night without the in-laws (they were flying in the next morning). It also happened to be timed right around Wishes.

I have to tell you, it was AMAZING! Now, coming to you from the perspective of a person with no children, I don't think you have anything to worry about. When DH and I sat down at Cali Grill, we had a perfect view of the Castle and the whole restaurant was gorgeous. There was one table between us and the window that had several small children running around. One kid even took a shoe off (they left without it! Mom did come back later for it). Might I add this kid was at least 6 years old....how do you leave without a shoe They were playing on the floor, fiddling with the servers drink stands, etc. The parents were disinterested in what their children were doing and for a moment, it was a distraction. But then we were in awe over the menu, the fact that they have simple syrup on the table and how elegant and breathtaking the whole place was. The table of "misfits" became pure entertainment. We were leisurely about our meal, taking time to decide on exactly what we wanted, ordering appetizers and sushi, savoring every bite. Before we knew it the family left and we had a wonderful evening watching the fireworks (we didn't even have to move!) We even ordered dessert afterwards. It was by no means a child free environment but it was still the best meal I have had at WDW and one of the most romantic! I would go back in a heart beat, even if it meant that shoeless child and his oblivious mother were sitting right next to me. Sending you some pixie dust that your ADR's all come out just how you want.

 

[Austriankrystl]

Hi everyone! I know I am usually really good about answering everyone personally, but I just don't have the ability to at the moment.
Thank you all for the advice, recommendations and encouragement! I really do love it all and seriously, it is helping me out so much! Life here just got a bit "crazy" for me and I needed a few days to "sort things out".

In addition, yesterday I picked up my visa/work permit (renewal) and did all the little steps you do when you get something like that. (YAY!) It's been a lot of work and slowly I am focusing again on our vacation. It also allowed me to try again to apply for a Gold Visa.

You see, unlike in the USofA, credit cards are not as prevalent and they are harder to come by (at least that's the way it seems to me). Actually, many people don't have a single one and live quite well not missing any of the payments, cash-free shopping or potential monthy bill shock. Because everything from rent to insurances to utilities is completely automated here and the costs are "fixed", I haven't seen a bill in... oh... years. In Austria I had a credit card solely for the purpose of purchasing my flights online and using the "built-in" insurance to avoid a major insurance fault.

As an American living in Germany, I can get a regular "travel insurance" for vacations. Just like everyone else in the world. However, and this is a big one: it doesn't cover when visiting "home". (None of them do. My Schatz had the same problem when he was an ex-pat from Germany--in Germany his travel insurances never qualified, either).

Just imagine: getting seriously ill (HUS) after landing on US soil, ending up in the Urgent Care and then ER with saline, nutritional and morphine drips, having CAT etc. scans and the entire run-down of lab work to diagnose said illness; serious antibiotics, follow up care, a call to WDW to inform you that you need immediate emergency surgery and are scheduled for it 3 hours after landing back home (that was my last WDW experience), laproscopic surgery with a 2 month recovery period... and your well-planned insurance cops out and leaves you with the bill. Nope, not going to happen ever again!

Enter (taa-ta-ta-taaaaa!) the Gold Visa. They are the only insurance I have found that a) is not tons of money, b) covers both of us completely and equally, and c) will cover me in the USA and my Schatz here in Germany. YAY! Score! Win! Except... I don't qualify for one as a new immigrant. Yes, I moved a whole 30 min. away from where I was living. I am still in the EU. But I lost every thing I had built up--including my credibility. The lack of a long-term visa means I don't qualify for a credit card. We are trying this again. ( <cheekily> "Why not use your Schatz'?" you may ask. "Well," I may respond, "he doesn't believe in credit cards and looking into it, his bank will not cover me because we are not yet married.") Yeah, sometimes life's rough like that. Ding, ding, ding... time for round 2 fighting for Independence (yet again).

Add to that (I have a serious math hang-up today), I have put some time into the cruise portion of our 29 day vacation. Yesterday marked the "final payment" for that, too. (YAY!) That means that the flight and the cruise are 100% paid off and disney is 1/2. This vacation is going to happen!!!

BUT doing that gave me major sticker shock! It actually depressed me. We had looked at pricing, etc. and are both very careful with money and budgeting and I knew the cost down to the last cent, but paying it off just kinda jolted us back to reality. My Schatz had no problems whatsoever, but I needed to hibernate and marinate that for a while before getting all thrilled again. YKWIM? I have never spent this much for a vacation in my life! The pragmatic in me is rebelling something fierce (Girl, you coulda go yerself a car for that money; the downpayment on the house would be a good bit larger; etc)

I was on my way to burning myself out. So I took a break and didn't do vacation this weekend. Instead I focused on home and extra time with my Schatz!

 

[Austriankrystl]

So, after skipping my weekend report, I thought I should jump in here for a bit and at least explain the next thought process I went through in planning our ADRs.

Remember, my Schatz goes cross-eyed if I start talking dining in 6 months (ok, 2 1/2 months now). It's kind of like the look men get when women start talking knitting patterns, dress styles or china settings. That glassy-eyed glaze that tells me they have checked out and gone to their inner sanctuary to wait out the storm and for their love to return to normal. We all know it.
To avoid tension, I asked him some pointed questions and then dropped the matter completely for him after making him pinky-promise (he's a minion fan) to like what I chose at the desperate threat of possible unavoidable tears of disappointment. How could he say no?

Actually, getting this down on paper is harder than the actual process itself. Let's see if I get this right.
Last time I told you I had mapped out our days and made plans for the rest. Then I selected restaurants based on that plan. A couple were rather easy to plan, but others... we'll just say, I'm not convinced. And I am still holding out hope that the Disney gods will grant my every wish and desire. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, after creating a general "list of locations" and booking the ones I wanted from there. I took note of what was "left" to be scheduled. It was important for me to get a variety of dining experiences during the week because we can. We are on vacation spending time and money to "step out of real life" and focus on us and experiencing life together. Where else can we have this experience without real life knocking on our door, the wallet reminding us of what we are spending, forcing us to make an effort to do the "better dinner" instead of what is pragmatic.

Now, had we not gotten "Free Dining" as part of our package (and yes, it wasn't free, but the price reduction without it was not enough to off-set it for us and pricing out the "cheaper options" requiring a rental, etc. were about the same pricing--we just decided to go with it), I am sure we would have done things differently. But the fact is: we are one free dining and we are going to eat the way it allows us--not worrying if we maximize the value or not.

So, I made a list of the top rated restaurants on the dining plan (according to several sources and adjusted to our situation and personalities). I then wrote what type of dining experience it was and the type of food served. I recreated it here:



Anything in quotes is where I qualify that it is Americanized (actually, it all is, but... honesty). The word "Experience Dining" means nothing less than character/atmosphere dining. 'Ohana I left out, as I was gearing towards evening meals (they all are, for the record--breakfast/lunch was not taken into account) as that is what we are looking for.

The goal: a) We can repeat a type of dining 2 times (signature once) but must do each at least once; b) We try to eat a different cuisine at each meal.

Right now, the only problem is Chefs de France/BoG that would repeat. So I am keeping that in mind.

Something I realized was just how many seafood restaurants there are! A lot of restaurants were voted out because of that. Usually it would be a K.O. criteria for us. We are not seafood people--quite the contrary. Coral Reef made the list because we are aquarium people and I read the desserts are lovely (we are dessert people!). Narcoossee, Cali Grill are both on the list for very obvious reasons: the signature with the best view. I suppose we could just eat a steak at Narcoossee (and Cali we would do out of pocket for appetizers, drinks and dessert--thanks Max!)

Places on the back up list: Marakeesh in Epcot (got mixed reviews but a lot of new positive ones), ok, half of Epcot is on the back up list. But we only have our park days (no hoppers).

One restaurant seeming to be regularly on the top 10 that we are not considering at all: The Biergarten. Let's face it: we live that every day here. We're in Munich this weekend. Prost!

To Be Continued...

 

[Austriankrystl]

Now this is not a Disney post. Feel free to skip this one and join again next time when I return to our regularly scheduled posts.

As my Schatz has fallen asleep on my lap (making for some awesome cuddle time, but also holding me hostage to the sofa, my evening tea and... well... my laptop), I thought I would take the time to fill you in a bit on the rest of our planning. I know it isn't Disney, but I am just so excited for our vacation and it has so many different aspects to it that I really hope balance each other out.
I'm odd like that. I love balance. In college I was the student who had to minor in Ancient Greek for the sole purpose of balancing out my (required) minor in Latin (causing a messy "3-way major-minor of classic studies). It was fun. I ended up in Germany because I needed to "balance" my French degree with a Germanic language (my Schatz should be really glad of the wars in the Middle East--I was headed there to balance my European languages with Arabic when they pulled me out last second because of a war threat. Crazy people!) So I did Gaelic and Sanskrit (and then Hebrew), instead. I tell you--it's a sickness... really and truly. Can you major in majoring??? hmmm....

I digress (yet again...)

Oh yes, the cruise. Let me refresh your memories: We arrive in Atlanta, Georgia in time for Thanksgiving weekend with friends before heading down to Port Canaveral to board our cruise on the 6th. The day before, the 5th of December we are planning on visiting Kennedy Space Center. Then we board the Carnival Liberty for a 7 night cruise through the Western Caribbean.

Why Carnival: Simple. You try to get my Schatz into any form of formal wear. 'Nuff said.

Why this itinerary: it was the right time from the right port. Seriously, at first I was not thrilled with the ports. I had always heard people talk of the Eastern ports and didn't really want Mexico. Mexico has never held any pull for me (Belize, on the other hand...)
Really, we were going into this blind with only stereo-types and pre-conceptions to guide us. So I did what any good girl does.... no, I didn't call my best friend! I took to the internet (the travel books of the day) and started reading up. And was hooked (except for one port that had me stumped!)

Where are you going: Our itinerary is:

6th Dec. Board and Sail

7th Dec. Sea Day

8th Dec. Cozumel, Mexico

9th Dec. Roatan, Honduras (say what? Honduras?)

10th Dec. Belize

11th Dec. Costa Maya, Mexico (hmmm... nothing to do here, right?)

12th Dec. Sea Day

13th Dec. Port Canaveral, Disney!

and most importantly,
What are you going to do: Well, glad you asked:

As it looks now, we are planning the following:

Cozumel: a discovery double dive: Paradise Reef then either Yuncab or Passo del Cedral. I am looking at 2 master divers who offer it.

Why? My Schatz wants to dive with Crush (Finding Nemo has a special place in our hearts).
n, a

Roatan: not going to kid you; I had no idea why a ship would have a port here and there is no real advertising that you are on the 2nd largest reef in the world! We are heading to a great beach snorkeling location. (Yes, I need to buy a "fitting" mask. Waiting for the USA for that.) The discovery scuba here was to no where special.

Why? Supposed to be the most colorful view into Ariel's world.
n, r

Belize: As there is again amazing snorkeling here, as well as Mayan ruins and outdoor adventure, I am rather torn and looking into more option.

Costa Maya: We are heading to a minor half-excavated Mayan Ruin and then heading to a lagoon for some kayaking and/or chilling out.

Why? Because the idea of hiking through the jungle to see a lesser ruin without the "tourist tidyness" just makes me feel like Indiana Jones.
n, a, h

As you can see, we are busy at each port. "Why", you might ask? "Well", I might respond, "I am just not up to imitating a thanksgiving turkey (baste and turn every 30 min. to ensure an even brown skin). Plus the idea of having an AI cruise and then spending money to go to an AI beach just confuses me."

My Schatz has found the weakness of cruises, however. He is much more a free-spirit when it comes to travel. He literally will just see where the road leads him (and don't even ask about the missing panties on our Neuschwanstein visit--that was my lesson to always leave a full set of clothing, sunscreen, make up and snacks in the car no matter where we are headed--you just never know where we'll end up). In that manner, the idea of "leaving when the clock strikes...." just itches. There is no "stay as long as you want".

To make up for this one-and-only "flaw" (in his eyes), I have decided to "let it go" for our final week.

We will be spending a week in Southern Florida around the Everglades National Park. It is supposed to be their "high season" as it is the dry, mild season. Here we are going to go where the road takes us and see what we want to see. I have ideas and locations (we need those and he says that's my job), but no fixed plans will be made. This will be my week of learning to not plan and just do.


To Be Continued...

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I am totally inexperienced with cruising so can't help much there but did have a few thoughts on your dining plan.

First, I think your thought process makes a ton of sense and as a spreadsheet lover I appreciate your process as well

I think Chef de France and BOG are different enough that you won't feel like you overlapped too bad - but there are definitely other places in EPCOT if you don't want anything even close

Oh, and I have read a ton of really positive reviews of the steak at Coral Reef so you can definitely go that direction to avoid seafood.

Oh, and there is a new quick service/lounge/not sure what it qualifies as in the Morocco pavilion called Spice Road where you can get a snack and some drinks if you want to experience that cuisine without doing a full meal there

 

[Waiting2goback]

Hi everyone! I know I am usually really good about answering everyone personally, but I just don't have the ability to at the moment.
Thank you all for the advice, recommendations and encouragement! I really do love it all and seriously, it is helping me out so much! Life here just got a bit "crazy" for me and I needed a few days to "sort things out".

In addition, yesterday I picked up my visa/work permit (renewal) and did all the little steps you do when you get something like that. It's been a lot of work and slowly I am focusing again on our vacation.

Add to that (I have a serious math hang-up today), I have put some time into the cruise portion of our 29 day vacation. Yesterday marked the "final payment" for that, too. (YAY!) That means that the flight and the cruise are 100% paid off and disney is 1/2. This vacation is going to happen!!!

BUT doing that gave me major sticker shock! It actually depressed me. We had looked at pricing, etc. and are both very careful with money and budgeting and I knew the cost down to the last cent, but paying it off just kinda jolted us back to reality. My Schatz had no problems whatsoever, but I needed to hibernate and marinate that for a while before getting all thrilled again. YKWIM? I have never spent this much for a vacation in my life! The pragmatic in me is rebelling something fierce (Girl, you coulda go yerself a car for that money; the downpayment on the house would be a good bit larger; etc)

I was on my way to burning myself out. So I took a break and didn't do vacation this weekend. Instead I focused on home and extra time with my Schatz!

I know how you feel. We stayed at the GF for our honeymoon and as I look back, the money could have been used elsewhere. It would have been much more practical to go cheaper but I am so glad we didn't. It was an awesome honeymoon and I can only hope my next honeymoon will be as nice, if not better.

You only get married once, hopefully. Try to feel good about spending the money because these memories will last you a lifetime.

 

[Austriankrystl]

I am totally inexperienced with cruising so can't help much there but did have a few thoughts on your dining plan.

First, I think your thought process makes a ton of sense and as a spreadsheet lover I appreciate your process as well

I think Chef de France and BOG are different enough that you won't feel like you overlapped too bad - but there are definitely other places in EPCOT if you don't want anything even close

Oh, and I have read a ton of really positive reviews of the steak at Coral Reef so you can definitely go that direction to avoid seafood.

Oh, and there is a new quick service/lounge/not sure what it qualifies as in the Morocco pavilion called Spice Road where you can get a snack and some drinks if you want to experience that cuisine without doing a full meal there

Thanks, Max. Great to read from you!

Actually, I didn't use spreadsheets in real life, but I thought this was a good way to "show my work," so to speak. I think it can help to "simplify" the process to break it down into basic steps. I just didn't want to write both in one post (that would have been long and too confusing for me to write concisely.

There are some People on these threads I just must admire--they really do have full spreadsheets of everything. If you ask, I bet you can get them. I just got scared by the whole thing. However there was something very satisfying in creating these tables.

Thank you for the support that Les Chefs and BoG are different enough to be "OK". The idea of separate everything is just a kind of "restriction" I made myself to keep me from picking the same thing over and over (and also to help in "kicking" a good option out and choose another). If we do break the restriction, that's actually fine, too (I just have to rationalize it to myself).

Oh, and did you see there are 2 character meals on this list? Did you? Did you? I decided to leave them there and see what happens. I wasn't sure whether Whispering Canyon counted as "experience dining" but... hmmm.

I really am tempted by the desserts and steak of Coral Reef (and the location, if it is really amazing). I just wish... well, that it wasn't so fishy

As for Marakeesh--part of th ereason it's not on there is I have heard great things about the Tangierene Cafe for our QS. (Either that or Sunshine, I think. German and French bakeries we have here a dime a dozen.)

At least we have options (and more than we can actually book). I have not elected to do what some people do and make multiple reservations for a single night "just in case". I just don't think it's fair to others. It doesmean I have to be flexible--and it's a great lesson in... restraint, self-discipline and decisiveness.

 

[Austriankrystl]

I know how you feel. We stayed at the GF for our honeymoon and as I look back, the money could have been used elsewhere. It would have been much more practical to go cheaper but I am so glad we didn't. It was an awesome honeymoon and I can only hope my next honeymoon will be as nice, if not better.

You only get married once, hopefully. Try to feel good about spending the money because these memories will last you a lifetime.

Hi Waiting! How are you doing?

Thanks for showing up here and taking the time to read through my posts. Yes, I am trying to keep just that in mind. I'm really hoping that this is the one and only honeymoon we'll (both of us) either have. It's just my selfish wish!

We really are doing everything we really want to experience. Thankfully neither of us is a "Victoria and Albert" kind of person. I love dressing up and "going elegant", but am way too... ummm... ok... cheap... to justify the cost and my Schatz... well... for the same reason we chose Carnival: I love dressing up; he avoids it as well as he can (and yes, he has cancelled going to friends' weddings to avoid buying a suit!).

 

[ValarDisneyus]

Hi Waiting! How are you doing?

Thanks for showing up here and taking the time to read through my posts. Yes, I am trying to keep just that in mind. I'm really hoping that this is the one and only honeymoon we'll (both of us) either have. It's just my selfish wish!

We really are doing everything we really want to experience. Thankfully neither of us is a "Victoria and Albert" kind of person. I love dressing up and "going elegant", but am way too... ummm... ok... cheap... to justify the cost and my Schatz... well... for the same reason we chose Carnival: I love dressing up; he avoids it as well as he can (and yes, he has cancelled going to friends' weddings to avoid buying a suit!).

Whew! Your Schatz sounds like my hubby. You're much further ahead of me on meal-choosing. All I know is that if it involves characters and is in a park, we're trying to catch it. I'm trying to get my husband to predict how he wants to eat on vacation so I can figure out which dining plan is best for us.

 

[Austriankrystl]

Whew! Your Schatz sounds like my hubby. You're much further ahead of me on meal-choosing. All I know is that if it involves characters and is in a park, we're trying to catch it. I'm trying to get my husband to predict how he wants to eat on vacation so I can figure out which dining plan is best for us.

Haha, Val, glad to know I'm not the only one.

His style is best described as "polo and jeans". But he's definitely not sloppy, so it's all good! Oh! And he bought his first suit a month ago with me... for a wedding of a friend. When he came home with the announcement, he kind of "tossed" it playfully in my lap and said: "you know, this is all your fault!" I was so confused because I didn't even know the couple. Turns out I am the first lovely lady with whom he has ever gone to a wedding.

No worries, I am not as far along as I should be by "DIS standards"--then again, I am a newbie and not as stressed as some.

A lot of what I write took more time to write than to set up/decide.

You'll definitely get there. But character meals? Whew! good luck! I've heard stories. Something I am noticing--our facebook page has a lot of dropping and exchanging going on somehow. You might have some great luck finding your dates/group.

 

[Austriankrystl]

Tonght my Schatz is of on a Polterabend (like a bachelor party) and tomorrow is a bank holiday (Unification Day) so I have the evening off.

Our count down has officially started--in 60 days we will be heading to the USA! Now things are getting serious. Time to finalize the car rentals, the transfers, the few hotels we'll need.

Have I mentioned how I LOVE all inclusive vacations? Seriously, the 2 weeks we are at Disney and on the cruise are all taken care of (more or less-repressing FP+ and missing ADRs)!

Well, I guess the post says it all. We have decided to go with Memory Maker. It was definitely not something we were planning on doing.

For those about as knowledgeable as I was when I started reading Dis: Memory Maker is an offer for all of the photos taken of you in WDW by the photopass photographers around the parks (including the water parks in the summer months), the ride photos and videos, pictures during all special parties, etc. and before/during the character meals (I think usually just before not during). A friend of mine said she thought it would have been worth it when they were there last summer just for the photos in Typhoon Lagoon, which would have allowed her to leave the DSLR at home for the day and not worry about sand and water and lenses.

It does not completely replace your own camera (they aren't always there for the magic moments) but are a great supplement if seen that way.

On the one hand, we (OK, who'm I kidding, I) wanted to get a lot of pictures for us together. I knew that just telling my Schatz that, we wouldn't end up with tons of pics with both of us (on our visit to Venice that is the only picture we are missing and what made me pull a "typical woman" and almost ruin the otherwise perfect birthday mini-vacation--not my most brilliant moment). When I read about Memory Maker, I thought: what a great idea! Get tons of pictures (even normal "vacation pictures") and do it rather painlessly. Just ask. Wow! What a great solution.

Then I saw the price.

On the other hand, the pricing scheme that makes Disney seem really affordable to families with young children makes a lot of things more "collectively" expensive for a couple without kids (or much older kids). Memory Maker is no exception. The price is a stumbling block for a lot of people. $149 before arrival. For a few pictures, it's really not worth it for us. Now if we were a family or an extended family or on vacation for multiple weeks, this is not a bad price. And, of course, that is what Disney is thinking when setting the pricing the way they do.

I even read about having a brief photo shoot taken on the Dis (but that was even more expensive and was nixed right away.

So I decided that trying for a pic or 2 a day asking strangers for help wasn't so bad after all. (I really don't like having to look around for a photographer--and yes, I know the PP will use your camera, but...) It would be a great challenge for me.

Then we ended up with MM rather by accident if you will.

On our FB page (the December Disney Visitors) someone started posting about a "MM Share". By the time I had figured out what it was, etc. of course that "share" was full. So I did what every person does in a moment of lack-of-concentration: I posted on the thread; something to the likes of: "Oh, man, I missed it; wish we could have been one of the lucky ones."

A couple hours after organizing a bunch of other people posting like I did, and with the amazing work of another "MM-Share newbie" willing to tackle the job, I was a member of a MM share.

What does that mean? It means that we are spending ca. $25 for our Memory Maker for the whole week.

Then, I had a great idea . I went back to the Dis and asked if there were PPhotographers at the delux hotels with the amazing Christmas decorations. It took a while, but finally someone was kind enough to respond ((thanks Pirate ) that, "yes, there are photographers at the trees" complete with photo examples. A few more questions (because one is never enough) and I figure we are getting our 30 min. photoshoot, too if we add up the 5 minutes at each hotel. (What can I say; I'm cheap--or at least needing to limit cost now that the vacation costs are... real.)

Here's hoping we get some good photographers and perhaps a bit of "pixie dust" and one or two who will have/take a bit of time to take some extra pictures.

So how does a Memory Maker Share work? Memory Maker allows families and friends to have the same Memory Maker (it can really save money in a group) no matter who has the picture taken. Memory Maker Shares take advantage of that by having previously unrelated families travelling around the same time connect to pitch in and purchase a Memory Maker account together.

Each Share "starts" with the first picture taken (3 days after purchase) and is "valid" until 30 days after the first download. That is the last day a picture can be taken (not downloaded). All pictures expire 45 days after each was taken.

That time can be used to "edit" all photos adding borders, disney registered art, changing coloring, zooming, cutting out, etc. making even more pictures to download.

Some shares get rather large: 10+ families (ca. $15/p fam). That can result in tons of pictures to go through making it rather difficult to sort your pictures out of the bunch. I have read of families having 1000s of pictures (yes, there really are 4 zeros) alone in 2 weeks!

(Disney has aparrently made searching for photos easier by allowing sorting via date and/or park. I don't know how this works, so I'll have to report back later in January.)

For more information: dopeyrunr. blogspot.com/2014/06/memory-maker-share-guide-for.html (I hope the link stays)

Knowing how many potential pictures we could be sorting through made me and several others nervous and we decided to create a much smaller group or a slightly higher price per person. We are 6 families travelling without extended family. The funniest thing happened. We are complete strangers (MMShare is a serious trust issue--especially for the "leader" who pays and then collects the money from each family)--have never met. However we started a facebook group to get organized and have gotten to know each other a bit. I really like each and every one of them and would be THRILLED to meet any of them in Disney. It was actually quite sad when one family had to leave because they changed the time of their vacation. We still have contact in the group and that makes me smile.

Here's to hoping that this is as great as it seems it is going to be. We are already linked together through MDE.

Hope you have a magical day.

To Be Continued...