Food, Fun, and Frivolity: 8 Funtabulous days w/pics! UPDATE 1/20 HELP!!!!

[franandaj]

When we first bought our contract (resale), there were some points leftover for us to bank, so that will keep us being able to go for 10 nights for a while. When we first bought the contract (2 years ago), it was only 294 points for 10 nights in a 1-BR standard view in July. Then the points chart changed, and this year's vacation was 308 points, and in 2011 the points required will be 310. We're not going to WDW in 2011, but that will affect us for our 2012 trip, and it could change for that year as well. It is my understanding that before 2009 (or 2010, whenever the points chart first changed), the points chart had not changed for several years.

I bought enough for 2-3 weekends in CA, plus maybe an additional night, all in studios. Then the Villas opened and events would go on and I'd want to stay more nights. I went through all the 172 SSR points I had from my 2009 UY with last minute (3-6 mos in advance) reservations! Good thing we didn't have a WDW trip planned until our 2011 UY!

I think 713 will be enough for a while!

 

[bangzoom6877]

I bought enough for 2-3 weekends in CA, plus maybe an additional night, all in studios. Then the Villas opened and events would go on and I'd want to stay more nights. I went through all the 172 SSR points I had from my 2009 UY with last minute (3-6 mos in advance) reservations! Good thing we didn't have a WDW trip planned until our 2011 UY!

I think 713 will be enough for a while!

713?? WOW!

I'm certain that DH and I will stick with our 150 points at BWV and not add on anything. We're not in the financial position to add on, and going to WDW every other year for a nice long trip is perfect for us. Would I go every year if we could? Yes...but only if I could also afford to do other types of vacations (like cruises) in addition to WDW. I love WDW, but it's not my style to have it be my only vacation year after year. With 2 little kids, I don't think we will ever be able to afford to have enough points for a long WDW trip every summer AND do another big vacation in addition!

Of course...whenever DH and I happen to buy a lottery ticket, the first thing I always say to him is, "We're adding on more DVC points if we win!"

 

[ChiCat]

Those pictures of you guys hugging Lilo and Stitch are adorable

 

[Leshaface]

Allison - 713?!?!?!?

I've had a few cocktails () so not sure if i'm reading this correct?!?!

 

[franandaj]

Alison - 713?!?!?!? BTW one "L" in Alison

I've had a few cocktails () so not sure if i'm reading this correct?!?!

We currently own 413, and I'm on the waitlist for 125 at VGC, but I have my eye on a 75 pt VWL and a 100 BCV contract. This would allow us to have a 1br at either new (to us) resort every 2-3 years for 3-4 or 4-5 days respectively. With our SSR contract we could use the leftover points at the VGC (since planning is not such a big deal at SSR). We didn't know this when we bought there, but since I love spa treatments, we bought there because of the onsite spa and other amenities that sounded wonderful. Now that the THV's are there it is cool if I can ever convince DP to go back. I loved it, she didn't.

If you take into account that with the point chart allocations, they moved the first night of CA F&W to Premier Season next year & our studio costs 37 pts (It was 29 in 2010)! Luckily the next night is only 24 (because a new season opens), add in the few other weekends that we "planned" that's 70 points for a total of 131 hands down planned weekends. Things like Destination-D come up and we booked a 1 br for three nights this year (126 pts), there was a scavenger hunt that will come back each year (34 pts), Valentines Day...all kinds of things keep popping up that we did not originally plan for and we end up wanting to stay extra nights throughout the year. At 22 to 25 points per night they can add up. Even though we're only 25 minutes away, the idea of staying over is so tempting especially on the nights of winemaker dinners during F&W

Then there are the trips to WDW...as Bonnie said their 10 night trip costs 300 something points. We will do more like 8 nights, but still always in a 1 BR and probably at resorts that might be a little higher than BWV. We can't stay there anymore because of the addicting fudge shop right outside the door of the hotel! DP says she can't resist going to refill her mug and not buying a chunk of fudge so we need to stay at the BCV instead! Silly things that motivate us and our choices!

I have a feeling that the lure of "Can we get a studio when we go for so and so wine maker dinner?" will start to kick in...hmmm although that would mean I would not get the leftover parts of the glasses of wine if she doesn't have to worry about driving, we may have to reconsider! JK!

We also want to take a lot of our friends, at least the ones who already like Disney, and we don't want to charge them. We just think it would be fun to have other people besides the two of us to visit the world and share it with them. So many So Cal people don't "get it" that we want to share it with those we like, so we're hoping to get 2 br lock offs in the future and have some friends travel along as well.

I have a feeling that within a couple years I will feel that even 713 is not enough!

BTW to relate my trip to yours, while you folks were enoying the AK park and DHS, we went to DTD for our first meal of the day (lunch and we were STARVING) picked up our rental car at the Buena Vista Palace, went shopping at Publix and came back to our THV and cooked dinner on our BBQ Grill. Thanks for letting me relive what we were doing at that moment in time!

 

[Shannon84]

GREAT update I love all of the pictures you shared!!! We are skipping out on Fantasmic! this year, because DBF has zero patience and I have decided to pick my battles when it comes to parades/shows

 

[Queila]

I love the update! Doing the elliptical for one hour after a day at the park is beyond crazy. You are my new hero!

Q

 

[bangzoom6877]

Then there are the trips to WDW...as Bonnie said their 10 night trip costs 300 something points. We will do more like 8 nights, but still always in a 1 BR and probably at resorts that might be a little higher than BWV. We can't stay there anymore because of the addicting fudge shop right outside the door of the hotel! DP says she can't resist going to refill her mug and not buying a chunk of fudge so we need to stay at the BCV instead! Silly things that motivate us and our choices!

That is too funny!

I LOVED Seashore Sweets!!! We stopped in there several times...for candy, ice cream, fudge!!! I went into there at least once a day just to look around! Candy all around me? The place just screams "happy"!

 

[norybell]

Hi Lesha, just found your report, and love it so far! It's a great idea to embed your food reviews in there like you do...I might have to steal that idea for my next TR!

I can't wait to hear all about CSR, because I'm staying there for the first time in October, and it looks so beautiful, I can't wait! I also just (insanely, impulsively) got my first AP, and I'm vaguely thinking about a quick January trip, so I'm curious to see what it's like in the parks that time of year.

Artist's Point looked amazing. I've never even considered it, for some reason, but I certainly will now! And I am a hardcore Brown Derby Cobb Salad/grapefruit cake fan. I have to have that meal on every trip.

I think that pic of your DH sleeping on the stoop at DHS is hilarious! I betcha it's the first time anyone's posed as a homeless person at WDW before!

 

[redlight]

I love the update! Doing the elliptical for one hour after a day at the park is beyond crazy. You are my new hero!

I missed that part! You are my hero too and you must be a force of nature!

 

[Leshaface]

We currently own 413, and I'm on the waitlist for 125 at VGC, but I have my eye on a 75 pt VWL and a 100 BCV contract. This would allow us to have a 1br at either new (to us) resort every 2-3 years for 3-4 or 4-5 days respectively. With our SSR contract we could use the leftover points at the VGC (since planning is not such a big deal at SSR). We didn't know this when we bought there, but since I love spa treatments, we bought there because of the onsite spa and other amenities that sounded wonderful. Now that the THV's are there it is cool if I can ever convince DP to go back. I loved it, she didn't.

If you take into account that with the point chart allocations, they moved the first night of CA F&W to Premier Season next year & our studio costs 37 pts (It was 29 in 2010)! Luckily the next night is only 24 (because a new season opens), add in the few other weekends that we "planned" that's 70 points for a total of 131 hands down planned weekends. Things like Destination-D come up and we booked a 1 br for three nights this year (126 pts), there was a scavenger hunt that will come back each year (34 pts), Valentines Day...all kinds of things keep popping up that we did not originally plan for and we end up wanting to stay extra nights throughout the year. At 22 to 25 points per night they can add up. Even though we're only 25 minutes away, the idea of staying over is so tempting especially on the nights of winemaker dinners during F&W

Then there are the trips to WDW...as Bonnie said their 10 night trip costs 300 something points. We will do more like 8 nights, but still always in a 1 BR and probably at resorts that might be a little higher than BWV. We can't stay there anymore because of the addicting fudge shop right outside the door of the hotel! DP says she can't resist going to refill her mug and not buying a chunk of fudge so we need to stay at the BCV instead! Silly things that motivate us and our choices!

I have a feeling that the lure of "Can we get a studio when we go for so and so wine maker dinner?" will start to kick in...hmmm although that would mean I would not get the leftover parts of the glasses of wine if she doesn't have to worry about driving, we may have to reconsider! JK!

We also want to take a lot of our friends, at least the ones who already like Disney, and we don't want to charge them. We just think it would be fun to have other people besides the two of us to visit the world and share it with them. So many So Cal people don't "get it" that we want to share it with those we like, so we're hoping to get 2 br lock offs in the future and have some friends travel along as well.

I have a feeling that within a couple years I will feel that even 713 is not enough!

BTW to relate my trip to yours, while you folks were enoying the AK park and DHS, we went to DTD for our first meal of the day (lunch and we were STARVING) picked up our rental car at the Buena Vista Palace, went shopping at Publix and came back to our THV and cooked dinner on our BBQ Grill. Thanks for letting me relive what we were doing at that moment in time!

That's EXACTLY why one day I want to be able to get DVC...I have a lot of friends that I would love to be able to take one day so me and DH don't have to be alone..not that I don't love being with him, but sometimes it's just fun to have a group...but I moreso want to get DVC so I can take some family members that would never be able to afford going to the World...let alone Disneyland! So hopefully soon, i'll be able to spread the DVC amongst others!

Oooh I love hearing where you guys are at the exact same time! I'm trying to post a lot of 'crowd' pictures, in hopes that someone will recognize themself! That would be soooo awesome!

GREAT update I love all of the pictures you shared!!! We are skipping out on Fantasmic! this year, because DBF has zero patience and I have decided to pick my battles when it comes to parades/shows

I love it! That's exactly how DH is when it comes to Disneyland shows/parades! Glad someone shares the same pain I feel having to pick and choose! Pure AGONY!!!

I love the update! Doing the elliptical for one hour after a day at the park is beyond crazy. You are my new hero!

Q

You know, I am psycho...I'm sitting here right now, stuffed to the brim with tilapia and shrimp, and thinking, why in the WORLD would I do such a thing?! Couldn't I have used that hour to watch a Disney movie or check out some more of the resort, but NOOOOO! I had to get some more cardio on like a freak..

That is too funny!

I LOVED Seashore Sweets!!! We stopped in there several times...for candy, ice cream, fudge!!! I went into there at least once a day just to look around! Candy all around me? The place just screams "happy"!

Oh gosh, why did you and Allison have to talk about this??? This is horrendous news....one, that i've never been there and two, i'll probably ALWAYS be there from now on!!!

Hi Lesha, just found your report, and love it so far! It's a great idea to embed your food reviews in there like you do...I might have to steal that idea for my next TR!

I can't wait to hear all about CSR, because I'm staying there for the first time in October, and it looks so beautiful, I can't wait! I also just (insanely, impulsively) got my first AP, and I'm vaguely thinking about a quick January trip, so I'm curious to see what it's like in the parks that time of year.

Artist's Point looked amazing. I've never even considered it, for some reason, but I certainly will now! And I am a hardcore Brown Derby Cobb Salad/grapefruit cake fan. I have to have that meal on every trip.

I think that pic of your DH sleeping on the stoop at DHS is hilarious! I betcha it's the first time anyone's posed as a homeless person at WDW before!

So pleased you like my TR! I figured, I did the Dining Reviews so I might as well stick them in there to help anyone out!

Aahh, you're going to LOVE it in January! Sooooo nice and hardly any people...well, except for DHS for F!, but other than that, it was smooth sailing!

Speaking of the Grapefruit cake at HBD, I made it not too long ago and here's the pics I took!

It was YUMMY! Except I think it's a little more yellow than the real stuff! And honestly, I can make Disney recipes all day, but I know it's not the real thing But it does make me happy for a brief moment, knowing that I did have it once at Disney

I missed that part! You are my hero too and you must be a force of nature!

LOl!!! A force of nature i'm not...just a psycho!

 

[redlight]

That grapefruit cake looks delicious.

I'm going to have get psycho myself... I need to run my butt off (literally)!

 

[Leshaface]

That grapefruit cake looks delicious.

I'm going to have get psycho myself... I need to run my butt off (literally)!

Omgosh, I totally forgot to write it, but I thought it, Great job on your weight loss!

As I'm writing this, I myself, am eating a glazed-chocolate donut..and I'm having mixed feelings about it!

Now you made me think of a phrase that I'll tell my DH..everytime I'm going to go to the gym, I'll say, "Babe, i'm gonna get psycho right now!"

 

[Krisscot]

I was in love when you hung the dry erase board. Yay for OCD ness!

 

[Leshaface]

I was in love when you hung the dry erase board. Yay for OCD ness!

YAY!!!

I love that other people share the same love for orderness as me!

 

[kima86]

Just discovered your TR & food reviews (love your format, BTW). I'm all caught up & am looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip. I'm always looking out for more things to do & places to eat on upcoming trips.

I'm in!

 

[redlight]

Omgosh, I totally forgot to write it, but I thought it, Great job on your weight loss!

As I'm writing this, I myself, am eating a glazed-chocolate donut..and I'm having mixed feelings about it!

Now you made me think of a phrase that I'll tell my DH..everytime I'm going to go to the gym, I'll say, "Babe, i'm gonna get psycho right now!"

Thanks, but my weight loss has been stalled for months. I need to get psycho!

 

[Leshaface]

Friday, January 22, 2010

*Note: Pay no attn to the date on the pics...they're off a day and I have NO idea why I didn't change the date. And also PLEASE excuse the crappy quality of the pictures..I was taking mostly video that day and didn't want to lug all my stuff around, so I just threw my point-n-shoot in my bag and was out!

Magic Kingdom day!!!

I set the alarm for around 7:45. I knew we weren't going to make it to rope drop the night before, so we weren't going to rush around like lunatics trying to make RD. But you know how you plan on not rushing and then your realize you could 'potentially' make RD if you just busted butt a little more?? It was around 8:50ish and the park was set to open at 9 and I was speedwalking to the bus stop...BUT we just saw the MK bus leave our stop!!! NOOOOOO!!!! We knew it would be forever until another MK bus came, especially since MK was the furthest from CSR! So what did DH say?? "Let's run to the first bus stop", since the first bus stop is the last So we ran. And it was waaaay further than I thought! I was sweating by the time we got to Bus Stop 1 (yeah, so much for that cardio workout the night before!) But we did beat the bus with a minute to catch our breath.

I wrote down that we actually walked through the turnstiles at 9:40am! Not bad, not bad at all! Only 40 mins after RD! It was going to be a GREAT day!

..You know you're vacation really 'officially' doesn't start until you go to the Magic Kingdom! It has the magical-ness that is released into your blood and you know you're 'home'. Ahhhhh.....

So we didn't have a structured plan like we did for summer of 2008, since crowds were going to be low all week. We did what we felt like doing, which felt extraordinarily wonderful!

We grabbed fastpasses for Space Mountain and our first official ride of the MK was the People Mover! Or the TTA! Or whatever you want to call it! I loved this ride as a kid over at Disneyland, and same with DH. So this is a childhood ride for us. I only took video of this ride...I wish I knew how to post video! I would give you a grand tour of Tomorrowland!

After TTA, we went straight for Buzz with no wait, then Stitch’s Great Escape and Monsters Laugh Floor. The Laugh Floor has become one of our favorites! It’s absolutely adorable!

After Tomorrowland we decided to head over to Fantasyland and here’s where I FINALLY decided to bring out my flippin camera for you!

We went on Philharmagic (one of the best IMO)

and grabbed FP’s for Peter Pan’s Flight

We rode Snow White’s Adventure with no wait and headed over to ride the Haunted Mansion, which is another one of my fav rides.

So we get in line and are JUST about to get in our Doom Buggy when the ride stops and the CM’s tells us that the ride is temporarily out of service and if we wanted to wait we can. Yeah, I’ve waited around LOTS of times before when the ride has broken down and I’ve always waited for like 10 mins with nothing so I knew it would be a waste of time to hang around. It was getting close to noon and we were starving. We had an ADR with Tony’s Town Square at 12:20 but thought about checking in early to see if we could get in any earlier, which we were able to!



---Tony’s Town Square---



After a filling lunch, there was no way we were gonna leave the MK just yet! The weather was GORGEOUS and there wasn’t many people around, so we decided to take a nice leisure ride : what can be more leisure than dodging pirate bullets and cannons??? Lol! Aaah, a pirates life for me indeed! No pics, only video. I wish I can post VIDEO!!! It was the funniest video DH has taken!...sigh..anyways, after Pirates, we grabbed FP’s for Thunder and decided to head back to Fantasyland to use our FP’s for Peter Pan.

(some pics on our way to Fantasyland)

getting ready to board Peter Pan

Feeling brave, we decided to go on the Tea Cups. And actually, this is the FIRST time EVER DH and I have EVER been on the teacups together! AWWWWWW! We were gonna spin together!

….uhhh…that looks like it’s spinning fast.

DH is your food settled???

Don’t worry mine is!

Us spinning

 

[Shannon84]

Great update!!! I have to admit the pics of you guys on the tea party makes me ill just to look at...I cannot handle rides that spin DBF LOVES tea party type rides, but it will be closed when we go next week

 

[norybell]

Ah, you gotta love the MK when it's not busy! (Of course, we all love it when it's busy, too, but you know what I mean!)

I'm like you with the spaghetti thing. I even like it when it's bad.