Hail, Hail, the gangs all here - Sept. PTR Updated 6/20 - Hollywood Studios

[lsenquiz]

Welcome to my third PTR. I am proud to say I completed the first two! This PTR is for our trip coming up in September 2014. We also have a two week trip scheduled for May 2014 but I simply do not have the time to handle two PTRs at the same time so I am just doing a PTR for this one. The main reason I chose this one instead of May is because we have several family members that are going to be joining us for this trip that have never been to Disney with us (some have never been at all!!!). So I thought it would be more fun to document our large family trip rather than the trip with just the three of us. Hopefully I can keep this PTR interesting enough that people will want to follow along. If you are following stop in and say hello. It definitely helps to know someone is reading what you are writing.

First up as always the cast:

Me(Lisa) - I work fulltime in IT but have the luxury of working from home. My only hobby is planning vacations. I prefer Disney but am happy as long as I have a vacation in the works. I turn 50 in November 2014 and the celebrating for that special birthday started December 1st 2013 and will continue until my Birthday. Thats right, I plan to celebrate turning 50 for a whole year. I am calling it Lisapalozza. My favorite park is Hollywood Studios with EPCOT a close second, favorite attraction is Soarin and I really dont have a favorite character as I love them all. For those that have not followed my previous PTRs or TRs I am a BIG character hunter. We always reserve plenty of time on our trips to spend with them.


. by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

DH(Kenny) - He also works fulltime in IT(same company as me) and could have the luxury of working from home but prefers to go into the office. All of his hobbies revolve around sports and Boy Scouts with my DS. His favorite park is Hollywood Studios, I dont think he has a favorite attraction and his favorite character is Grumpy.


wdw20132596422110_6853118644_copy by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

DS9(Gabriel) he will turn 10 right before this trip) - He loves Star Wars, video games and Super Heroes. His hobbies usually involve a screen of some kind (TV, Tablet, Laptop etc) although he is showing a real interest in Boy Scouts. His favorite park is Hollywood Studios, favorite attraction is Star Tours and favorite character is Buzz Lightyear.


wdw20132586210953_6853115833 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

DS26 (Ryan - he will turn 27 while we are on this trip) - The last time he was at Disney with us was to celebrate his 21st Birthday. He recently moved to Virginia with his Fiancé. His favorite park is Hollywood Studios, favorite attraction is RNR, and I am not sure who his favorite character is? Perhaps he will follow along and let us know.

Future DDIL21(Alexis) She is currently serving in the Navy. She has never been to Disney in her whole life. Boy do I love taking people that have never been before. I hope she falls in love with it like I did because I see many trips in her future especially when the grandchildren come along. Since she has never been before she has no favorite park, attraction or character.


ryan and alexis by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

DD22(Chelsea) Chelsea comes to Disney with us as often as possible but college has gotten in the way for the last couple of trips. I think her favorite park is probably Magic Kingdom, I am not sure she has a favorite attraction but she does love Soarin as much as me, and her favorite character is Eeyore.


Photo0058FourBySix by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Chelsea BF(Ashton) Ashton has been to Disney with us once in September 2011. I am not sure if he has a favorite attraction or a favorite character although he did love the Toy Story vinalmations while we were there.


Photo0020FourBySix by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DNiece27 (Emily she will turn 28 while we are on this trip) I know that Emily has been to Disney (or at least MK) at least one other time in her life for a one day trip but she was a young teen at the time and it was definitely not her thing. However, I hope that all changes with this trip since she will be seeing Disney through the eyes of her 3 year old daughter who will be going to Disney for the first time. Like Alexis, she does not have a favorite park, attraction or character.

Emilys fiancé (Justin) I actually have no idea if Justin has been to Disney before or not? He does strike me as the type that will be an immediate Disney lover. He tends to enjoy new adventures to the fullest and IMO there is no better adventure than Disney. Again no idea what his favorite Park, attraction or character is but have no doubt they will be firmly established by the end of this trip.


emily and Justin by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Finally the star of this trip my Great Niece (Caroline) She will turn 3 years old while she is at the happiest place on earth and I think that is just the perfect age. I plan to encourage Emily and Justin to watch Disney movies with her frequently leading up to the trip so we can have some idea of what her favorites are.


caroline by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Kenny, Gabriel and I are Disney passholders and go often. As I mentioned above we will be there for 2 weeks in May (just the three of us). I will make sure that Gabriel gets to see and do everything that is important to him then so our focus for this trip can be to make sure that the family members that have never been to Disney or don't get to go often get to see and do everything that is important to them. We will also be celebrating four birthdays while we are there, Emily, Ryan, Gabriel and Caroline's. I cannot wait to see Disney through the eyes of our first timers!

 

[lsenquiz]

Chapter 1 - Introducing the cast!
Chapter 2 - Trip Dates and Resorts(BLT & Shades of Green)
Chapter 3 - Training and weight loss
Chapter 4 - Room request & Stroller Rental
Chapter 5 - Day 1 - The gangs all here!
Chapter 6 - Day 1 - Part 2 (Chef Mickeys)
Chapter 7 - Day 2 - Epcot (Akershus)
Chapter 8 - Day 2 - Epcot (Future World)
Chapter 9 - Day 2 - Epcot (World Showcase)
Chapter 10 - Day 3 - Magic Kingdom - Part - 1
Chapter 11 - Day 3 - Magic Kingdom - Part - 2
Chapter 12 - Day 4 - Hollywood Studios

UP Next:​

Day 5 - Wednesday September 17th - Brunch with Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins and the Mad Hatter(1900 Park Fare) then some relaxing pool time and an evening at the Hoop Dee Do review
Day 6 - Thursday September 18th - Animal Kingdom and dinner at Ohanas
Day 7 - Friday September 19th - Magic Kingdom with lunch at Be Our Guest(fingers crossed) and dinner with Cinderella and Prince Charming(1900 Park Fare) to celebrate Emilys 28th birthday
Day 8 - Saturday September 20th - Catch-all day ending with a Hibachi dinner in Japan(Tappen Edo) and a farewell gathering in the Top of the World Lounge
Misc:
T-shirts/shoes
MNSSHP Costumes
Quilt for Caroline
Pre-trip shopping/ Photopass+(memory maker)
Luggage/ Unique packing items/ Packing system
Summary part 1 Parks by day
Summary part 2 Dining by day
Summary part 3 Characters
Summary part 4 Extras

 

[lsenquiz]

Chapter 2 - Trip dates & Resorts (Part 1)​

We will be coming from all over the United States. Some farther away than others. Kenny, Gabriel and I will be coming from Georgia. Emily, Justin and Caroline will be coming from Ohio. Ryan and Alexis are coming from San Diego and Chelsea & Ashton attend college just 5 hours from Orlando. Everyone will arrive on Saturday the 13th so our dates will be Sept. 13th – 21st.

So for the first time ever I will be watching airfare very closely. Emily, Justin and Caroline need to fly because I think 15 hours in a car with a 3 year old would just be too much. Ryan & Alexis also need to fly because driving from California is out of the question. Kenny, Gabriel, Chelsea, Ashton and I will drive. It would be great if everyone could be in Orlando by 3pm on Saturday because I want to plan a special dinner that night.

Our plan for the week is for Kenny, Gabriel, Emily, Justin, Caroline and I to all stay in a two bedroom lock-off at Bay Lake Towers and Ryan, Alexis, Chelsea and Ashton to stay at Shades of Green. I have put all 10 of us (9 plus infant under 3) on the reservation for BLT so we can all use the pool since that is where we will spend our resort time(just cannot imagine all of use sleeping there).

We have never stayed at BLT so are very excited to see how we like it. I don’t have any pictures of my own of BLT so I had to borrow from the internet again.


baylake living room by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Borrowed from the internet


baylake dining room by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Borrowed from the internet


baylake master bedroom by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Borrowed from the internet


baylake master 2 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Borrowed from the internet


baylake master bath by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Borrowed from the internet


baylake master bath 3 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Borrowed from the internet


baylake studio bed & couch by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Borrowed from the internet


baylake studio tv by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Borrowed from the internet


baylake studio bathroom by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Borrowed from the internet

Kenny and I will sleep in the master bedroom and Emily and Justin will sleep in the studio. I always bring a 2 person pop-up tent for Gabriel to sleep in because I like to keep the sofa beds free for sitting. I bring Disney window cling decorations with the tent and let him decorate it. We usually set it up in the master with us because I like to have the living room completely free of sleepers. That way early risers like me have somewhere to go before everyone else wakes up and late nighters like Kenny have somewhere to go when everyone else has gone to bed and most importantly the little ones can go to sleep even if the big ones want to stay up! I suspect Gabriel and Caroline will both sleep in the tent. Caroline can decorate half the tent in a Disney girls theme and Gabriel can decorate the other half in a boys theme.

I also love that the two bedroom will be a lock-off. That way Emily and Justin will have their own entrance door and can close the connecting door to their studio when they want privacy. They will also have their own kitchenette and bathroom.

Ryan, Alexis, Chelsea & Ashton will stay at Shades of Green. As you know, Alexis is in the Navy so she qualifies to stay there. The location is great because it is just a 5 minute walk from the Poly so they are basically on the monorail line. The one downfall to Shades of Green is that it does not offer Magic Bands but we have that covered since all our names are on our Bay Lake Tower Reservation. Shades of Green would really just be used for someplace for them to get a comfortable night’s sleep and since it is just a short Monorail ride or a 5 minute($7 cab) ride away from Bay Lake Towers it seems perfect. Also at $95 a night the price was definitely right.


0896-ShadesOfGreen by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Borrowed from the internet


shades of green1 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Borrowed from the internet


shadesofgreen2 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Borrowed from the internet


Shades-of-Green-View-Out-Back by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Borrowed from the internet


shadesofgreen3 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Borrowed from the internet

 

[lsenquiz]

Training has started​

Yep that’s right, I train for my Disney vacations. To anyone that has never been to Disney that probably sounds strange, training for a vacation. Well it is a must for me unless I already have a steady exercise program in place (which I definitely do not). Sadly I have gained 25 pounds over the last year and that extra weight is going to take its toll unless I get it off. In fact, I was carrying the extra weight for our trip last September and it made touring much harder than it has been in the past. So my goal is to get back to the weight I was at for our 2012 trip. I have included pictures from both 2012 & 2013 trips to compare.

Before(2012):


P1010235 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
I am on the right. The person on the left is my cousin who usually travels with us to Disney in September but can’t make it this year.

After(2013)


DSC04887 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Unless we are going for 2 weeks we follow a semi-commando touring plan whenever we go to Disney. We always arrive for rope drop and remain in the park until 8-9pm. We usually take a day off from the parks midweek to enjoy our resort but rarely take breaks to return to our resort on park days. This results in us walking an average of 10 miles per day which is why our 9 year old who has not had a stroller since he was 3 still rides in one while we are at Disney (admittedly he is very small for his age which is why he still fits in a stroller). That way he can take all the breaks he needs without slowing us down. I will be renting a double stroller this trip that both Caroline and Gabriel will fit in.

So with the start of the New Year, I have started eating healthy and exercising. We actually have a 2 week trip to Disney planned for May so I need to be back where I was by then. Right now I have 25.4 lbs. to lose in 4 months to reach my goal. I will update on my progress regularly to help keep me motivated and accountable. Feel free to share your strategy if you are in the same boat.

 

[lsenquiz]

Room Request​

I have spent the last week scouring pictures of Bay Lake Towers since we have never been there before. I wanted to make sure that I had all the facts before I added a room request to my reservation. During my search I found an awesome thread on the DVC boards – Insert thread.
This thread has pictures that include the view of just about every room in Bay Lake Tower.

Our reservation is for a 2 bedroom lake view lock-off room. Based on the room diagram in the thread I want to try to get an odd number room on a high floor (8th or above) north facing. With the views I looked at for these rooms you can actually see Magic Kingdom from your room if you look to the left and the lake if you look to the right. So getting one of these rooms would allow us to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the room in the evenings and the sunrise from the room in the morning. Based on this knowledge, I went ahead and added the “high floor, odd number room, north facing” request to our ressie. Being the anal person I am I enhanced the diagram in the thread I found to highlight the rooms I want based on priority. Green – 1st, blue 2nd and red 3rd.


blt request by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

I plan to bring this with me when we check into BLT so I can make a plea if our initial request is not granted. We will be checking in very early Saturday morning (probably 7am) so hopefully I will be able to get the room I want.

Stroller Rental

For the first time ever we will be renting a stroller while we are at Disney. Since we always drive we usually just bring our own. We actually have a nice umbrella that hold a child up to 55lbs. However, with both Caroline and Gabriel needing a stroller for this trip I have decided to rent one. This will also keep Justin and Emily from having to lug a stroller on the plane with them. I know the one I want:


city_mini_gt_double by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Both Gabriel and Caroline will fit comfortably in this and it is super easy to fold for the few times we will have to take a bus while we are there. I have not settled on who I will rent from. I would love suggestions from anyone who has rented before. Also, has anyone rented from a company that includes accessories like a cup holder with the stroller? I can find companies that include a cooler and a rain cover but cannot find any that include the cup holder. It would be great if that was included.

 

[asenquiz]

What are we going as for mickeys not so scary Halloween party?

 

[lsenquiz]

What are we going as for mickeys not so scary Halloween party?

Anything Disney that is appropriate for kids. Just remember it will be HOT so you do not want to choose a costume that is too heavy or prevents you from riding the rides.

 

[lsenquiz]

cancelled

 

[anniebabymu]

I'm here and following along! I can't wait to catch up with all of your plans! Love getting to see others Disney plans... makes me even more excited for our trip

 

[lsenquiz]

I'm here and following along! I can't wait to catch up with all of your plans! Love getting to see others Disney plans... makes me even more excited for our trip

I agree. Even after 10+ trips to the world and 1000's of hours on the DIS I still get new ideas for each trip from reading others plans.

 

[nikki7680]

I'm here! Following along!

 

[lsenquiz]

I'm here! Following along!

Thanks for stopping in. Looking forward to following along as you make your plans also!

 

[wiigirl]

Following along!

 

[lsenquiz]

Following along!

Yeah

 

[leshunlenese]

Hello fellow Georgian! following along!!!

 

[lsenquiz]

Hello fellow Georgian! following along!!!

Good to see you again. Are you still in South Georgia or did you get to move closer to home?

 

[sweetpeaandevie]

Hello, just popped over from the fb page......I have never been to WDW so I am counting on everyone's trs to help me plan!!! I am just addicted to them. Sounds like your trip is gonna be great with all of the family going. Can't wait to hear more about it

 

[lsenquiz]

Hello, just popped over from the fb page......I have never been to WDW so I am counting on everyone's trs to help me plan!!! I am just addicted to them. Sounds like your trip is gonna be great with all of the family going. Can't wait to hear more about it

Glad to have you along for the ride. This is our 7th trip in September and we love it. I try to be pretty detailed in my TRs and include lots of pictures from previous trips. If you are ever looking for anything specific just let me know and I will be happy to help.

 

[leshunlenese]

Good to see you again. Are you still in South Georgia or did you get to move closer to home?

I am still here but I am still planning to move back. Just taking my time!

 

[lsenquiz]

I am still here but I am still planning to move back. Just taking my time!

I hope you get back home soon. It is my greatest fear that my children will have children and have to live far from me . I want me Grandkids within walking distance of my house.