Happy Mickey-versary for 15 yrs! An Oct. 2011 PTR NEW: 11/13 Pretend Disney? & TRlink

[mousescrapper]

Decision on food …

Well after I confused you and myself probably even more …bring this crazy fuzzy Disney Math to the non Dis planner and well apparently it seems all clear to him

I ran the numbers multiple ways DDP and OOP vs OOP vs OOP with TIW and using that in Jan ’12 too…and just came to the conclusion…we need to keep this low cost and try to do w/ the minimum…plus this keeps DH happy and my Disney planning wishes moving forward!

Choosing to go OOP vs DDP was actually the easiest decision…can you believe it? (and that is our plan for Jan ’12 too)…I really would never had looked that direction if it wasn’t for my recent trip w/ the Spectrum Mom’s and Heidi showing me the error of my dining ways….she says I am a rebel!

Matt and I both felt we could cut off various things from the ordering restrictions on the DDP and still have plenty of what we’d like and still order good food…just no Surf and Turf $60 dinner at Narcoossee’s but that’s OK.


We also decided we don’t really need 4 TS offerings…that two is fine and a breakfast buffet (another nod of thanks to Heidi) at the Wave will be a special treat…FYI if you are looking for the menu/pricing for the buffet…it’s not up anywhere yet but you can find the info on the WDW blog.


To make the TIW card worth the cost…we’d really have to add in meals to get the investment back and for two short trips it just didn’t seem necessary…but now I know how it works and the pro’s of it (thanks Amy) and something to KIM for future trips…


So this is how the food is rounding out!

We’ll do OOP for 5 days including 3 TS, 3 reg CS meals, 18 F&W choices, a late night snack of sorts and a few other treats (like Dole Whip/float)

Here are my ADR choices:

Narcoossee’s
Hollywood Brown Derby
Wave

Here are my CS 1st picks:

Contempo Café (CR)
Pecos Bill (MK)
Yak & Yeti or FTBBQ (AK)-let Matt choose
Plus some grown up snacks at the Top of the World Lounge (BLT)
And possibly grab some flatbread pizzas to go from Contempo Café before leaving for the airport

We’ll talk more about F&W later…

I also adjusted up my food totals (all estimated off menus from wdwinfo and allears) and came up w/ a total including tax and tip as applicable at $434.62

I also adjusted some things on my first total trip budget…

w/ adjusting the food budget in park and for airport (thinking drinks only), coming up w/ a base for a grocery order (talk more on that later too) and adjusting the mousekeeping tip (cause since we just have a studio and only there 4 nights…they basically come in once the day we leave)
my new total trip budget as of now (w/out a souvie budget at the moment) = $1460.00 feel pretty good about that!

Well up next:

My 6 month to do list! & Re look over my Itinerary & a closer look at the ADR’s…my ADR day is 18 days away on Tues 4-19

Hope you stay tuned!
J~

 

[DisMomAmy]

Your budget looks fantastic! That's less than we're paying for our villa in November!

It seems like you have very thoroughly weighed your options.

 

[jenneth79]

Catching up a bit late but I adored your backstory, so very sweet! I'm looking forward to reading along, and probably getting some pointers of how to budget my own anniversary trip this September!

 

[mousescrapper]

Your budget looks fantastic! That's less than we're paying for our villa in November!

I know Amy...it's actually good...at first I thought for 5 days...but then I realized the whole trip (still w/out souvie's) is still less that a single pay check for Matt I can so live w/ that...the DVC and AP's truely help keep it low! and based on possible babysitting this summer I hopefully can save the funds easily for other things Plus have my new "Mary Poppins" job starting in Oct for my future neice to help rsave for Jan

It seems like you have very thoroughly weighed your options.

I feel I have exhuasted it all THANKS!!! I stink at a real life budget...but hope I do pretty good w/ the Disney ones

Catching up a bit late but I adored your backstory, so very sweet! I'm looking forward to reading along, and probably getting some pointers of how to budget my own anniversary trip this September!

along on my PTR...thank you...it was quite fun to put the backstory together and looking at the pix too have fun planning your own anniversary trip too! This is why I love the Dis...find so many great ideas and tips

 

[mommytothreeboys]

I'm glad you made a decision on the food.....all that math was making my head spin and I'm sure yours too! I imagine it's just nice to have that decision out of the way and be able to move on to other planning!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Apparently I missed a lot of food/budget stuff this week!!!

I have to say that I was convinced that paying OOP was the smart way to go this past summer. We were going to do the dining plan this summer simply because it was free.

Your budget looks terrific! I can totally understand how the Food and Wine Festival is an entirely different category.

 

[MRYPPNS]

Choosing to go OOP vs DDP was actually the easiest decision…can you believe it? (and that is our plan for Jan ’12 too)…I really would never had looked that direction if it wasn’t for my recent trip w/ the Spectrum Mom’s and Heidi showing me the error of my dining ways….she says I am a rebel!

Now you weren't in error when you were using the DDP before because you were using different reasoning.

Your budget looks terrific! I can totally understand how the Food and Wine Festival is an entirely different category.

Her whole budget is going out the window if she finds those Dragonberry coladas at Food and Wine!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Her whole budget is going out the window if she finds those Dragonberry coladas at Food and Wine!

How did you know I was thinking about those very beauties when I typed my comment?

 

[mousescrapper]

I'm glad you made a decision on the food.....all that math was making my head spin and I'm sure yours too! I imagine it's just nice to have that decision out of the way and be able to move on to other planning!

Yes I agree thanks Missy

Apparently I missed a lot of food/budget stuff this week!!!

yes where have you been


Your budget looks terrific! I can totally understand how the Food and Wine Festival is an entirely different category.

Now you weren't in error when you were using the DDP before because you were using different reasoning.


yes that is true...but even though I have gone through that debate before...I don't think actually doing the food OOP after 3 trips on DDP would I actually seriously debate it...

Her whole budget is going out the window if she finds those Dragonberry coladas at Food and Wine!

How did you know I was thinking about those very beauties when I typed my comment?

UH OH...what are you guys doing.... may have to save those for 2012...

 

[irish dancer]

That looks like a great budget! Glad you were able to figure it all out. We've been OOP for the past few trips and it has been good for us too. Just be careful at F&W, that could push the numbers up pretty quickly!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

We're doing OOP as well and I'm nervous about it but I think we'll even save over free dining with the cost we're saving on homeschool tickets and staying in a house offsite! I kept wanting the no-hassle-no-worry of DDP, but every time I added it up, it just didn't work for us, mostly b/c of the number we have (it's just cheaper to stay offsite if you are 5+ people). I have tried to add in every little thing my DH might decide to get on the spur of the moment, but I'm still nervous about my OOP budget! I'm going to try and take a lot more than planned, just in case!

 

[JPFamilyMom]

Glad you and your DH were able to come to an agreement and finalize your dining plans. Looks like a GREAT plan to me.

 

[mousescrapper]

That looks like a great budget! Glad you were able to figure it all out. We've been OOP for the past few trips and it has been good for us too. Just be careful at F&W, that could push the numbers up pretty quickly!

thanks Anne Marie...yes it did take some figuring out. F&W has me still so we'll go into that more later...but I figure when I buy my g/c w/ $$ for food I'll have one for F&W and one for the other stuff...hopefully that will help

We're doing OOP as well and I'm nervous about it but I think we'll even save over free dining with the cost we're saving on homeschool tickets and staying in a house offsite! I kept wanting the no-hassle-no-worry of DDP, but every time I added it up, it just didn't work for us, mostly b/c of the number we have (it's just cheaper to stay offsite if you are 5+ people). I have tried to add in every little thing my DH might decide to get on the spur of the moment, but I'm still nervous about my OOP budget! I'm going to try and take a lot more than planned, just in case!

the 5+ figure has me at times too...we love being onsite, especially for our son who has HFA it just works better for us and the way we tour...that is why we bought into DVC in 09...so now I need to find new ways to cut costs. I feel pretty good about the OOP food, this will be my 2nd trip doing it this way since DDP came out.

Glad you and your DH were able to come to an agreement and finalize your dining plans. Looks like a GREAT plan to me.

thanks Jess...it works and I'm glad to move on to the next fun part planning our park days

 

[mousescrapper]

Most of you know (from my previous PTR/TRs and intro's of the "mousekids") that two of our children live each day on the Autism Spectrum.

April is Autism Awarness Month and just this past Saturday (the 2nd) was World Awareness Day for Autism. We lit it up blue w/ some special signs in our front windows and we all dressed in BLUE for the day!

How does Autism and WDW connect for us? in many ways actually...

* through the Dis...shortly after my son's diagnosis on Spectrum I stumbled upon the Dis while planning an upcoming family trip the following year and it here I met many of best friends and support for being a parent of 3 special needs children

* Disney works for us...the famliarity and the magic of it meets the needs of our children and us as a family. It is a place we can plan for us w/ structure but still have fun in all the little magic that occurs.

* Disney helps us...w/ all the wonderful accomadations Disney makes like a GAC and lots of alternate food options (like GF) makes return trips possible

People always wonder why do we go back, how could there be anything new to see or do...well I don't need to anwser that question for you my fellow Disney fans and lovers...but when you look at Disney through the eyes of a child on the Spectrum or any person who does Disney w/ special needs...you truly gain a whole new outlook and appreciation

my wonderful friend and fellow Diser KathyRN has captured this exact thought in her writing and her latest edition Faces in the Queue on the WDW fan zone site showcasing my son Nathan.

I hope you'll take a moment to read

http://www.wdwfanzone.com/2011/04/faces-in-the-queue-meet-nathan/

thanks

Julie ​

 

[JPFamilyMom]

Most of you know (from my previous PTR/TRs and intro's of the "mousekids") that two of our children live each day on the Autism Spectrum.

April is Autism Awarness Month and just this past Saturday (the 2nd) was World Awareness Day for Autism. We lit it up blue w/ some special signs in our front windows and we all dressed in BLUE for the day!

How does Autism and WDW connect for us? in many ways actually...

* through the Dis...shortly after my son's diagnosis on Spectrum I stumbled upon the Dis while planning an upcoming family trip the following year and it here I met many of best friends and support for being a parent of 3 special needs children

* Disney works for us...the famliarity and the magic of it meets the needs of our children and us as a family. It is a place we can plan for us w/ structure but still have fun in all the little magic that occurs.

* Disney helps us...w/ all the wonderful accomadations Disney makes like a GAC and lots of alternate food options (like GF) makes return trips possible

People always wonder why do we go back, how could there be anything new to see or do...well I don't need to anwser that question for you my fellow Disney fans and lovers...but when you look at Disney through the eyes of a child on the Spectrum or any person who does Disney w/ special needs...you truly gain a whole new outlook and appreciation

my wonderful friend and fellow Diser KathyRN has captured this exact thought in her writing and her latest edition Faces in the Queue on the WDW fan zone site showcasing my son Nathan.

I hope you'll take a moment to read

http://www.wdwfanzone.com/2011/04/faces-in-the-queue-meet-nathan/

thanks

Julie ​

GREAT post Julie, we were out of town so while we wore blue for World Autism Awareness day I really didn't get any pictures. But we have a magnet on our car that makes people aware daily.

I loved the article Kathy wrote. So glad Nathan got to share his story, it was neat hearing it from a kids perspective, as Jack is verbal but still can't really express a lot of those emotions yet.

 

[exwdwcm]

great budget!!! the food choices look fabulous as well. isn't it funny how much time and effort we spend on calculating the best deal for our food. i am working on my spreadsheet now.

love the pics and the blue! Great article on Nathan! love the sample of the book you do for him too- it's amazing.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Kathy wrote an awesome article on Nathan!!

Tell Nathan I think he did a fantastic job expressing himself & sharing his story!! He has a great awareness of himself!

 

[Pixiedust530]

What an AWESOME article about Nathan!!! It is very enlightening to hear about WDW from his perspective.

The guidebook & lanyard card that you have created for him are fantastic!!! You have really gone above and beyond to make sure that Nathan is comfortable and can have a great experience at Disney!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Julie, I loved your blue day and the article! Amazing!!!

 

[mousescrapper]

GREAT post Julie, we were out of town so while we wore blue for World Autism Awareness day I really didn't get any pictures. But we have a magnet on our car that makes people aware daily.

Matt and I have those magnets too, on each of our cars

I loved the article Kathy wrote. So glad Nathan got to share his story, it was neat hearing it from a kids perspective, as Jack is verbal but still can't really express a lot of those emotions yet.

I did too...I really wasn't sure how she'd peice it together...it really is great and it was a good experience for Nathan. It has taken many years for Nathan to develop many of his own conclusions about it all that make sense for him/us and are healthy too...glad the article can bring some light to what our kids go through

great budget!!! the food choices look fabulous as well. isn't it funny how much time and effort we spend on calculating the best deal for our food. i am working on my spreadsheet now.

it is nutty Michelle

love the pics and the blue! Great article on Nathan! love the sample of the book you do for him too- it's amazing.

thank you so much, I have made various other books and helpful guides too for other trips and stages of what he needed

Kathy wrote an awesome article on Nathan!!

I agree

Tell Nathan I think he did a fantastic job expressing himself & sharing his story!! He has a great awareness of himself!

I will

What an AWESOME article about Nathan!!! It is very enlightening to hear about WDW from his perspective.

thanks...it has recieved wonderful feedback too from our non Disney friends too

The guidebook & lanyard card that you have created for him are fantastic!!! You have really gone above and beyond to make sure that Nathan is comfortable and can have a great experience at Disney!

thanks...he really loved the lanyard card this past trip...around town, etc he doesn't wear anything like that, on occassion he has a small autism awarness lanyard and card to help bring awarness to other people when we are out, but he is doing fairly well he doesn't always need it for short things...but at Disney he actually feels comfortable in his own skin for the most part and doesn't scare away from people knowing he's a bit different

Julie, I loved your blue day and the article! Amazing!!!

thanks Karen