Heading into the Wilderness (Lodge) - A PTR

[misstheworld]

Greetings my fellow Dis-ers! As this is my first PTR (and subsequent TR) I hope you'll be welcoming and forgiving! I've read many TR's in the last year or so that I've been lurking so I hope that I know a little bit about what and how to write. Of course, I'll never gain the fame that Zzub has, but if I can get him to read this I'll be happy!!

So grab a Coke (or Pepsi if you must) and the popcorn and let's get started!! I would love any comments about our plans so feel free!!

How this all got started!​

Almost two years ago, on June 3rd, 2006, DH and I were discussing our honeymoon. He had proposed the night before and knowing that our wedding would be exactly six months away...we had to get started on the honeymoon planning!! After spending some time discussing the pro's and con's of a cruise, I asked if he'd ever had the desire to go to Disney World. And, as they say, the rest is history!

DH is the best planner I've ever met. He can create a spreadsheet for literally anything (that's kind of what he does for a living). So while I had a little input on our first (and only) trip to the World, he did the majority of the planning. We stayed at CSR and had a marvelous time. So much so, that we told anyone who would listen about our trip. We both harbored secret hopes that we'd be able to return soon.

Sometime in 2007 we set about planning a 1st anniversary trip. We selected our resort (Poly), had our ADR's, and even had our deposit paid. Then came the crossroads...do we go on our trip or do we save the money for our first home? We did the only thing two newly married adults can do, and we cancelled the trip. We were both very sad, but kept reminding ourselves that we would go back to the World one day!!

Fast forward to February 2008. We start looking for a home and on our second outing with our real estate agent we found "the one"!!! In a few short weeks it's ours and we're covered in various colors of paint!! We love our new home and are so thankful that we didn't take the trip last year.

Next post...how we got to planning our December 08 trip!!

 

[misstheworld]

Thanks to all of you who took the time to read the beginnings of this PTR!! I hope this time I'll get some responses!!

A few weeks ago I told my DH that I wasn't really thrilled about going on our family vacation (with my side of the family) to Tennessee this fall. This will be my third year in a row to go and I just can't emotionally handle it anymore. The place where we stay, an absolutely lovely state park, is where my family went when I was a kid. I have so many incredibly happy memories from our stays there. However, my mom died two years ago and we scattered her ashes in that area on her family's land. When we went last year we had added new family members (including my dad's new wife...no worries I love her) and it was just too hard. I'd rather leave that place as a happy memory from my childhood. Can anyone understand?

So when I told him that, he suggested that we could go to Disney instead! YEAH!! I'd much rather go there, the site of lovely memories of our Disneymoon!!

After all that back story...here are the details about the cast of this TR.

Me - My name is Katie and I'm 27 years old, although I'll be 28 by the time we get to WDW. I have a perfectly good BA in English that I rarely use in my job as an administrative assistant at our church. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my job!! I have a new boss so work is really busy right now!! We have no kids and have no plans to have kids for a few more years.

DH - His screen name is mecarroll. I'll call him M or DH. He works for a government contractor plugging numbers into Excel worksheets all day long. M is absolutely the best and most thorough planner I've ever met in my life. He'll book and re-book a rental car reservation three times in one day and manage to save us $100! I have no idea how he does it.

Oh...if you're interested in how we met (it involves him insulting me) just let me know and I'll add that sometime.


Trip Details

We are headed to the WL to stay from November 30 - December 6. We'll actually arrive sometime on the 29th and are planning to (most likely) stay off site the first night. The goal is to wake up early on Sunday, head to WL, and check in for the best possible room we can get!!

At the moment the plan is to do the DDP. We did the regular DP in December 2006 when appetizers and gratuity were included. It worked out great for us as we ate at several signature resturants and almost always ordered the most expensive thing! DH figured it up when we got home and we saved quite a bit of money. We figure this will be the last trip to the World before kids come along so we want to live it up! Eating that much food (as is often a complaint on these boards) won't be an issue at all. Bring on the filet and the lobster baby!!

Here are the resturants we've picked out so far...

Yak & Yeti (TS-lunch)
Boma (dinner)
Whispering Canyon (breakfast)
Jiko (dinner)
Kona (breakfast)
Cali Grill (dinner)
Yachtsman Steakhouse (dinner)
Crystal Palace (breakfast)
Narcoosee's (dinner)
Chefs de France (dinner)
Roaring Forks (breakfast -departure day)

We'll also be doing at least one lunch in Epcot and a location TBD. My votes are for Biergarten or Sunshine Seasons. Suggestions?? I just figured at those two locations they would surely have something to please both DH and myself!

So that's what we've got so far.

Oh yeah...anyone know how to get latex paint off of Crocs??

More soon...Katie

 

[hurleysweety]

I'm in!

I am planning my Disneymoon for the first week of June! I haven't been in 11 years, so its almost like a first trip for me! I am so excited to hear about your second trip back as I too would love to take another trip back.

Congrats on the house! We have been saving for awhile now to get our house so I understand the sacrificing of fun and exciting things, like WDW trips. Truth be known, our house is actually more of a town house, so we'll be saving for an "actual" house in the coming years. But in coming years, I hope to be blessed enough to take my family on annual trips to the magical world.

 

[misstheworld]

Welcome Hurley!! And congrats on your upcoming wedding!! (Any questions...I'm a wedding planner too!)

It was so hard to cancel that last trip, but oh so worth it!!

I'm heading to read your PTR now!!