Have fun storming the castle! A Feb. 2010 PTR - Mods I can be closed now!

[Minnie&Nana]

Forgot to mention www.disneyflorist.com - we've order gifts through them for years - even before they had a website and we could do it through the resort. I've had things delivered to friends when they were on vacation and baskets to those traveling with me - for a birthday or first trip. Can be pricey, but you can get ideas from the website and they will put together pretty much anything you want, however you'd like.

That's hilarious about the teens in the yellow t-shirt!!!

 

[eliz991]

Forgot to mention www.disneyflorist.com - we've order gifts through them for years - even before they had a website and we could do it through the resort. I've had things delivered to friends when they were on vacation and baskets to those traveling with me - for a birthday or first trip. Can be pricey, but you can get ideas from the website and they will put together pretty much anything you want, however you'd like.

That's hilarious about the teens in the yellow t-shirt!!!

Thanks for the idea about the Disney Florist - I have it bookmarked. They have some really cool stuff there; I'll have to wait to see how my budget looks when we get closer to decide exactly what to do.

In other news...as soon as I offered Donna Sue the 7:15 show she jumped at it. I'm glad we will be able to go earlier so I don't have to worry if she is getting too tired. That will still give us time to get the lay of the land at MK and I can check out the Lodge after dinner. There is a bar/lounge at WL, right?

I had a busy weekend between shopping, football, and beating my husband at mini golf (which never happens!) so I haven't been around much. I will probably be around a lot tomorrow so I'll post day two then.

 

[vamassey1]

I followed you over from Jordan's and Punkin's PTR. We'll be there at the same time too. We're arriving 2/13 but we're driving from Baton Rouge, La.

Just a few thoughts. Don't forget the time difference. Your ADR is for 9 but you're body will be thinking 8. I bought tickets to enter a park that day and we're also thinking MK too, but we may just hit DTD. You can note your friend's birthday on all your reservations but make a special note for her actual birthday.

I have a binder and a notebook. I make lists and plans in my notebook and save printed out information in the binder. Both make the trip with me but do not get to visit the parks. I just grab what information I need out of the binder for that day.

We need to have a meet with Jordan that week!

 

[eliz991]

I followed you over from Jordan's and Punkin's PTR. We'll be there at the same time too. We're arriving 2/13 but we're driving from Baton Rouge, La.

Welcome! Glad you are reading and commenting! How long of a drive is it for you? My sister and her family were going to drive last summer but ended up finding cheap flights. My sister was more excited that they didn't have to drive than the kids were.

Just a few thoughts. Don't forget the time difference. Your ADR is for 9 but you're body will be thinking 8. I bought tickets to enter a park that day and we're also thinking MK too, but we may just hit DTD. You can note your friend's birthday on all your reservations but make a special note for her actual birthday.

True - we changed it to the 7:15 show which will be 6:15 our time. Donna Sue is really not a night person! I will be wandering around for hours I'm sure but that's okay. One reason I wanted to stay at WL is there are lots of nooks where I can curl up and read. And I don't mind going to bars (or, well, anywhere) by myself so I can drop her off and go somewhere if I really want.

I have a binder and a notebook. I make lists and plans in my notebook and save printed out information in the binder. Both make the trip with me but do not get to visit the parks. I just grab what information I need out of the binder for that day.

I bought a binder and dividers, I think I know how I want to do it. Need to work on that tomorrow too (I have one day off and I think I have about 3 days worth of stuff planned to get done!)

We need to have a meet with Jordan that week!

Absolutely! I would love to meet some DISers while there!

 

[vamassey1]

Welcome! Glad you are reading and commenting! How long of a drive is it for you? My sister and her family were going to drive last summer but ended up finding cheap flights. My sister was more excited that they didn't have to drive than the kids were.

I mapquested it today and it said 10hrs 32 minutes. But that would be without stops. We've flown it 3 times and drove it 4 times. It usually takes us about 11 and a half hours if we do it straight. This time we're going to split it up. We're not telling my youngest daughter and niece until we're leaving. We're going to start on Friday afternoon and try to get to Tallahassee.



True - we changed it to the 7:15 show which will be 6:15 our time. Donna Sue is really not a night person! I will be wandering around for hours I'm sure but that's okay. One reason I wanted to stay at WL is there are lots of nooks where I can curl up and read. And I don't mind going to bars (or, well, anywhere) by myself so I can drop her off and go somewhere if I really want.

Sounds like a good plan to change your time. We ate at WCC on our trip in June. I loved the WL. We sat in front of the fireplace while we were waiting.



I bought a binder and dividers, I think I know how I want to do it. Need to work on that tomorrow too (I have one day off and I think I have about 3 days worth of stuff planned to get done!)

Did you get page protectors too?



Absolutely! I would love to meet some DISers while there!

I would ask about your plan but I'm sure that's something you've got planned for an update. Don't want to mess up your postings.

 

[eliz991]

I would ask about your plan but I'm sure that's something you've got planned for an update. Don't want to mess up your postings.

Update coming!

That drive doesn't sound so terrible, and since you've done it before at least you know what you're up against. I think from here to Baton Rouge is 6.5 hours so they were looking at two very long days of driving.

No page protectors yet - actually I was just thinking I'm not even sure I have a 3-hole punch handy!

 

[eliz991]

Okay sure enough I didn't get very much done today. I did some errands but needed to draft a motion for my dad that I didn't do, and meant to get my nails done but got lazy and didn't go. (Yes, I am aware that it is the height of laziness to not want to sit still and let someone else do your nails for you.)

I did call Disney and give them our info for the TSA/airline (dates of birth and full names) and requested a room on an upper floor, north wing, facing the MK.

Also started the binder - okay, the binder cover. I need to get my husband to print it for me though because photoshop is not my friend and I couldn't make it do what I wanted in word.

I did watch Monsters Inc, does that count as planning? Thanks to the folks on the budget board I got that blu-ray 4 disk set and the Up blu-ray 4 disc set with free "adventure journal" for a total of $11.89. I figure I will use the journal to take notes during our trip and there are stickers in it that can further decorate the binder.

Now I am waiting for Donna to agree to pay $12 each to reserve our seats on AirTran. Tony and I didn't do it and didn't sit together. It's a short flight, but still, $12 isn't that much to ensure you're not sitting next to a weirdo (well, not a weirdo you don't know anyway!)

Day 2 is Sunday and Valentines' Day. We are planning to go to AK. I haven't been before - I asked this somewhere else but has anyone here used ridemax or the unofficial touring plans? I'm thinking having one of these would help us out.

The only plan we have so far for AK is to hit rope drop - we will probably eat in the room; if I feel super-hungry I'll run downstairs and grab some eggs, otherwise we plan to keep cereal and granola bars in the room.

We have a lunch ADR at Tusker House for the preferred seating at the 3:15 Nemo show - anyone done this? I'm not sure we need to but we both love Nemo so it might be worth it. We will miss the parade which is at 3:45, but that's okay. We also want to see FOTLK but I'm thinking we may need to come back another day for that.

Sunday night we have an ADR at The Wave. My sister and BIL really liked this restaurant and the contemporary should be easy to get to from WL and back again. The ADR is for 6:45; AK closes at 6 but I'm going to leave it open as to whether we go straight there or back to WL first. Neither of us feels the need to be super dressy for dinner but if it is unseasonably warm then we may need to get into something non-sweaty. I'm also open to skipping this one if we don't feel up to it. We may be the only non-romantic couple there! After dinner I will go back to the hotel with Donna and then either stay there or go back out. MK has EMH until 2 am if I am feeling really squirrely.

 

[jordanyosh]

Elizabeth,

The preferred seating for Nemo is fairly new. I imagine it's similar to the Fantasmic Dinner Pkg.

I just purchase Ridemax....I would say I'd give you feedback, but we'll be there at the same time.

From what I've heard, most if not all head directly to Kilimanjaro Safari and Everest. My advice would be to head to Kilimanjaro Safari and grab a FP,then walk directly to EE and ride it. Then head to Dinosaur, ITTBAB and Primeval Hurl. Dinoland seems to be uncrowded early in the AM because people are at the back of the park....just my 2 cents.

 

[eliz991]

Elizabeth,

The preferred seating for Nemo is fairly new. I imagine it's similar to the Fantasmic Dinner Pkg.

I just purchase Ridemax....I would say I'd give you feedback, but we'll be there at the same time.

From what I've heard, most if not all head directly to Kilimanjaro Safari and Everest. My advice would be to head to Kilimanjaro Safari and grab a FP,then walk directly to EE and ride it. Then head to Dinosaur, ITTBAB and Primeval Hurl. Dinoland seems to be uncrowded early in the AM because people are at the back of the park....just my 2 cents.

That sounds like a good plan. AK is the one park I haven't been to at all yet, so I'm excited about it.

I think I am going to buy the ridemax (in 3 days to get my 90 days worth.) I'll be interested to see if it helps you since you've been so much. I'm also kind of interested to see if it would give us the same advice - it would be funny if it told you to go to EE and me to go to KS or something like that!

 

[jordanyosh]

That sounds like a good plan. AK is the one park I haven't been to at all yet, so I'm excited about it.

I think I am going to buy the ridemax (in 3 days to get my 90 days worth.) I'll be interested to see if it helps you since you've been so much. I'm also kind of interested to see if it would give us the same advice - it would be funny if it told you to go to EE and me to go to KS or something like that!

I know. I'm thinking of doing my own version of ridemax and see how it pans out vs the real thing.

 

[eliz991]

Hmm, my PTR is starting to bore me. I think it's time for some random pictures.

Here's me and Tony:

Donna Sue dancing in her living room:

Wedding pictures (from May 2008):

Remainder of trip details in next post....

 

[eliz991]

Okay, so Monday, Prez day, we're doing Epcot. CS somewhere for lunch (I need to investigate the various CS options, although I really like the fish & chips we had at the UK stand in July. Good cold beer too. ) Dinner is at 7:10 at Chefs de France, Illuminations is at 9.

Tuesday is DHS, Fantasmic package with "dinner" at Brown Derby at 3:30. Donna won't ride RNRR, but that's okay because I've done it and don't mind skipping it. I am making her ride TOT though because of the theming.

Wednesday is Donna Sue's birthday and we're having breakfast at the castle at 8:05 so we'll probably stay in the MK area that day and do everything we didn't do Saturday (which will be most things!) No ADR for dinner that night at Donna Sue's request. AK has evening EMH which is very tempting.

Thursday, free morning, tea at GF at 2, dinner ADR at Fulton's Crab House at DTD at 8:30. I think we are going to get massages after tea, around 4 pm, I need to call and reserve those. We can go to a park this morning if we want, or not, we have 8 day hoppers but if we don't feel like using them one day I don't mind.

Friday also free, I'm assuming we will spend another day at Epcot here. dinner ADR at Artist Point at WL at 7 pm, although Epcot has EMH until 11 pm, so if we feel like bagging dinner and staying there we can.

Saturday we leave - we have ADRs at CM at 8 am, and the rest of the day again we will go wherever we feel like we missed something. If I had to guess I would say AK unless we do that on Thursday, otherwise probably MK since it's the closest. Our flight leaves MCO at 8:15 pm so I'm assuming we will leave on the ME sometime between 4 and 5 pm?

 

[vamassey1]

We're planning on spending Tuesday afternoon/night at DHS too. We're also planning on hitting Fantasmic but without the package.

 

[eliz991]

We're planning on spending Tuesday afternoon/night at DHS too. We're also planning on hitting Fantasmic but without the package.

Cool! Maybe we can meet up somewhere!

My husband just totally redid the binder cover for me. I gave him the castle picture and the text and he did the rest (and considering how goofy he finds my planning and this whole trip, I am so appreciative!)

Here it is:

 

[Microcell]

Going the week before you! Looks like you are getting things together quite nicely.. I am just putting random notes on my Excel spreadsheet!

 

[jordanyosh]

I, too, am at DHS on Tuesday. I have an ADR at Brown Derby at 11:30am that day. I'm not staying long I'll probably leave right after my lunch, but I'd be willing to stick around if we were going to do a mini-meet

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Aw, I love the new binder cover! What a sweetie. I'm sure sorry I won;t be there in Feb to meet you and Sue.

A note concerning TOT - is she afraid of heights or thrill rides? TOT is absolutely terrifying for someone who has a fear of thrill rides. I was literally shaking when we walked off - could not get money out of my wallet to pay for the photo because my hands were shaking so bad!! Now I do the walk through with family and friends, but take the chicken elevator down while everyone else rides and then meet them at the photos.

So, if she is really afraid, just have her go along right up to the elevators, then tell a CM she has changed her mind and they will take her down on a regular elevator.

Sorry to go on so, but I hate to see anyone forced on an attraction if they are fearful.

 

[eliz991]

Going the week before you! Looks like you are getting things together quite nicely.. I am just putting random notes on my Excel spreadsheet!

Hi! Thanks for reading and posting! If I were better at Excel I could probably do that...I can't even get my current spreadsheet to print right. I am excel stupid.

 

[eliz991]

I, too, am at DHS on Tuesday. I have an ADR at Brown Derby at 11:30am that day. I'm not staying long I'll probably leave right after my lunch, but I'd be willing to stick around if we were going to do a mini-meet

We will probably be there all day so I am open to whatever. Sounds fun!

 

[jordanyosh]

We will probably be there all day so I am open to whatever. Sounds fun!

Cool. Okay. Let's touch base as the day gets closer.