Here's to a DRAMA-FREE vacation! A Sept. 2013 PTR, FINAL UPDATE, 9/1!!

[klacey1]

Hello and welcome to my pre-trip report!
I’ve written one PTR/TR and a dining review, as well! You can check them out in my signature! (Didn’t finish the dining review though-- whoops!) This PTR is for the September 2-9th trip I’m taking with my boyfriend, although I am also going to the World June 9-14th for a business trip! I’ll share details about that trip here, too!
Some intros!
I’m Kylie, a magazine editor. I live in New York, in a suburb of NYC with my boyfriend. I’m an obsessive, Type-A planner in every aspect of my life, including Disney trips! I love my job but live for vacations! I love hockey (GO RANGERS!), Broadway musicals, HBO Sunday night shows (especially Game of Thrones) and shopping. This recent gorgeous weather we’ve been having has allowed me to read in our yard on the weekends with a craft beer-- FAVORITE ACTIVITY! My boyfriend, Zach, and I also do a weekly trivia night at a bar with a group of friends. We usually dominate . The September trip will be my tenth trip to the World; I’ve been to Disneyland once as well. My favorite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast and my favorite ride at WDW is probably Splash Mountain.
This is me at POR our last trip:

Zach is my amazing boyfriend. He’s really funny and smart (the main reason we dominate at trivia!), as well as kind, compassionate, and chivalrous. His main interests are history, the NY Rangers, and shopping. The man loves suits and has only one pair of shorts, which are soccer shorts that he works out in. So he’ll be that crazy guy in WDW in the summer in jeans or khakis! He works with the mentally and physically handicapped at a government agency. He is way more patient than I am, and much more willing to go with the flow. Before we got together, he never really travelled and didn’t have a desire. Now he looks forward to our vacations as much as I do! This will be Zach’s third WDW trip. Zach would probably say Aladdin or The Lion King is his favorite Disney movie, and Test Track is definitely his favorite ride. He’s not a huge fan of change and is nervous about the new Test Track!

Annnnnd one of the both of us for good measure!

So, like I said, this trip is September 2-9th and we’re staying at Port Orleans Riverside. We stayed here our last two trips and just can’t stay away. The grounds are just gorgeous and we’ve gotten lucky with two great rooms in the past. Right now, we’re booked in a regular room, but I am toying with the idea of upgrading to a Royal Room SOLELY for location. We were upgraded to a preferred AB room in 2009 and loved being so close to the main building, but last trip we stayed in Acadian House and preferred the look of the mansions. The buildings the Royal Rooms are in are the old mansion preferred rooms. Has anyone here stayed in a Royal Room?? Thoughts on location?? ETA: THIS HAS BEEN CHANGED! WE ARE NOW STAYING IN A STANDARD VIEW ROOM AT THE WILDERNESS LODGE!!
I am hoping for a complete DRAMA free vacation. Our last trip, while wonderful, certainly had its moments! (For those who didn’t read my last TR, I’ll fill you in in a future update!
So please, I hope you introduce yourselves and stick around! Zach really is a trip and we have a lot of adventures together haha. I'm sure I'll have lots to report over the next few months! I'm looking forward to planning and sharing with everyone who decides to stop in

 

[klacey1]

The story behind my title...
Work trip details!
ADR choices
Mini work trip update
I'm back! Work trip mini ADR, part 1!
Work trip mini ADR, part 2!
Final work trip update!
Some action and possible changes!!
Changes made! (a tiny update)
A little shopping!
Quick update-- and a question?!
Transportation!
Park days
A little bit of this, a little bit of that
An ADR change?!
How I stay organized
Make-up haul
Things to look forward to at WL
Packages on their way!
Day 1 Plans
Day 2 Plans
Day 3 Plans
Day 4 Plans
Day 5 Plans
Day 6 Plans
Day 7 Plans
Trip outfit selections
Final to do list
A Universal problem
Universal decision/last minute prep
Packing time-- FINAL UPDATE!!

 

[mickeysgirl1190]

I'm in! Looking forward to hearing about your trip!

 

[MiaBella05]

joining in

 

[JoanneDisFan]

Subscribing

 

[monkey30]

YAHoo I am following along!

 

[klacey1]

I'm in! Looking forward to hearing about your trip!

joining in

Subscribing

YAHoo I am following along!

Thanks, everyone! I'll have an update up tonight or tomorrow!

 

[klacey1]

So let me explain my trip title a bit. This will be a refresher course for anyone who read my last TR! My last trip with Zach was in August 2011. It got off to a bad start right off the bat. My dad dropped us off at the airport (LaGuardia), and ten minutes later, just as we finished checking me in, I get a call from him saying that he totalled the car he was driving. MY CAR. There were no injuries at all, my dad says that a homeless man jumped in front of his car and he swerved to avoid him to hit a tree. This story is rather suspect, and my dad is honestly such a reckless driver. I had been nervous about letting him drive my car in the first place and was proved my intuition was correct. To top it off, I had to pay for most of the deductible because he couldn’t afford it. Ugh!
Anyway, so I’m crying in the security line, worrying about the cost and not having a car. Once we find our terminal, Zach suggests getting a little breakfast to calm me down. We go to Au Bon Pain, where I get an OJ and Zach gets a steaming cup of coffee. He unfortunately overfilled the coffee almost to the top. Apparently there was nowhere to pour it out AND they had no tops! As he was walking out of the little area, a woman with a huge carryon sharply turns and whacks him in the back. Hot coffee poured all over his hand, instantly turning it red and a blistery. I started crying AGAIN-- what else could go wrong?! Zach held it together, turned down my insistence of trying to find burn cream, and tried to calm me down again.
When we finally got to WDW, we had a great night at Epcot and I began to just enjoy our vacation. Unfortunately, the next morning, on our first full day, we experienced another mishap. Our first ride during EMH was Space Mountain, a ride I knew Zach would love. (It was being refurbed our previous trip.) After going around a turn, Zach’s $500 beloved glasses flew off his face, never to be seen again. These were the first pair of glasses he ever loved-- I felt AWFUL!
I made Zach read me letters from Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor as proof he’d be okay for the rest of the trip-- I wanted to go to a local mall and get him a new pair (he left his spares at home), but he didn’t want to be a both.
This is the last picture of Zach in his favorite glasses of all time, taken at the POR bus stop that morning:

Zach cursing Space Mountain!

We did manage to have a good vacation, but those events really did put a damper on things. I just want this trip to go smoothly with NO expensive hiccups!
So, I’m off-- it’s trivia night! Wish us luck!

 

[glaserjm]

I'm in! I'm sorry your last trip had so many mishaps and I'm really hoping this one goes more smoothly for you.

 

[klacey1]

I'm in! I'm sorry your last trip had so many mishaps and I'm really hoping this one goes more smoothly for you.

Thanks for joining in!! And I hope so, too!!

 

[klacey1]

I am leaving bright and early June 9th (6:30 a.m. to be exact) to go to the World for a business trip! My publishing company is putting on a technology conference at the Swan & Dolphin Monday-Wednesday morning. Sunday night, and possibly Monday and Tuesday could be heading to DTD for dinner. I’ve only been with this company since last October, so I haven’t been to this conference yet. I keep asking people what usually happens at night, etc. It seems like everything is very up in the air and decided on the fly. The planner in me who doesn't know what to pack is very frustrated!

I’ll be heading to the parks with some coworkers Wednesday afternoon (Epcot) and all day Thursday (MK). I had planned to get an after 2:00 p.m. conference ticket and a one full day, but to get the 2 full day convention tickets plus one bonus visit to DQ, the water parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports, etc. was only $6 more than the other option! So just in case I can sneak away earlier on Wednesday, I have that choice. My flight isn’t until 6:30 p.m. on Friday, so I’m planning on using my bonus visit that day. I hate water parks, so I’m planning on going to DQ. I’ve never been before-- anyone have any tips/suggestions for the things I should make sure to hit?? How is it for a solo traveler?

I will be staying at two new resorts this trip! Sunday-Wednesday nights I’ll be at the Dolphin. We get a pretty high food per diem-- I’d love to eat at Shula one night if I could convince my coworkers to! The night I have to cover, Thursday, I’m moving over to Pop. Not only is it cheaper, but I really want to visit the Art of Animation! I’ve really only heard great things about Pop. This way I’ll also get to take ME back to the airport. I never enjoy this ride, but I’ll be happy to come home to Zach after a week. Also, I’ll be back in less than three months!
So then, updates are going to be non-existent next week, unfortunately!

 

[Disneyluvr81]

Subscribing...can't wait to hear more about your upcoming plans. I hope you have a great time at the World next week...even if you have to be there for work!

 

[librarygeek]

Sounds like we have a lot in common! My favorites are also Beauty and the Beast and Splash Mountain, and we love POR. Plus I love Broadway musicals and trivia nights! When I studied abroad in England we went to pub quiz every week, but I haven't found one around here that I really like yet.

So sorry your last trip was such a bummer! Fingers crossed that the next one will be MUCH better!

And have fun next week in Disney! Even if it's a business trip it still sounds like it will be an awesome time!

 

[klacey1]

Subscribing...can't wait to hear more about your upcoming plans. I hope you have a great time at the World next week...even if you have to be there for work!

Thanks for following along! And thanks-- it should be a crazy, but hopefully fun week!

Sounds like we have a lot in common! My favorites are also Beauty and the Beast and Splash Mountain, and we love POR. Plus I love Broadway musicals and trivia nights! When I studied abroad in England we went to pub quiz every week, but I haven't found one around here that I really like yet.

So sorry your last trip was such a bummer! Fingers crossed that the next one will be MUCH better!

And have fun next week in Disney! Even if it's a business trip it still sounds like it will be an awesome time!

Oh wow! That is a lot in common! Ahh, I LOVE England! Studying abroad there must have been amazing. What school was it?
We found our trivia night through word of mouth-- a coworker went to one of the trivia guy's other spots. Otherwise, I don't know how we would have known about it!

 

[klacey1]

Here’s a quick trip update before I leave-- ADRs! As I know is the case with many DISers, planning out where we’re going to eat is one of my favorite parts of vacation! I know Disney food can sometimes get a bad rap, but we’ve only had a few meals we’ve actually disliked at WDW. As far as our tastes-- I’ll eat almost anything. Seafood, steak, pretty much any kind of ethnic food. Zach, however, is strictly a meat and potatoes guy. He’ll only eat cheese it it’s on a pizza and doesn’t like fish or creamy sauces.

We’ve been fortunate to go during free dining for our last two trips, which Zach loves. How easy Disney makes things for you is one of the reasons why it’s one of Zach’s favorite vacation spots. He doesn’t like driving in unknown places or hassling with cabs or stressing out about where to eat or how much is too much to spend-- so Disney really is PERFECT for him!

Anyway, after that tangent! We also have free dining for this trip! I was so stressed about when it would come out because I remember booking it in March for our 2009 trip and December 2010 for our August 2011 trip. Eventually it did come out, and I was able to change my reservation the day it was released to Disney Visa holders. We had already made our ADRs and were able to get MOST of the meals/times/days we wanted, except for one...

September 2nd:
We currently have two dinners booked for this day, haha. One at Be Our Guest and one at Rose and Crown. This is the only day during our trip that I could find an opening for BOG. Here comes a dilemma. Zach is very into routines and traditions. For our past two trips, on our first day, we went to DTD, then to Epcot for dinner. Our first full day would then be at the Magic Kingdom, so we could first feast our eyes on that glorious castle in the morning, with few others in the park and happy cast members welcoming us. I say Zach is big into traditions, but I honestly love our little first two days routine too! However, I REALLY want to try BOG! Like I said, it’s my favorite movie, plus the pictures look amazing and I’ve heard great things about the dinner food. Nothing on the lunch menu really interests us. So do we try the new restaurant we really want to try OR stick with our usual plan?!

Whether we eat at Rose & Crown this night or later in the trip, this is a must-do for us. The entire menu looks delicious, but I’ll probably have to stick with the Sunday roast, which is what we both got last time. The roast beef and yorkshire pudding were my favorites, but the whole plate was fantastic! Our ADR is two hours before Illuminations, so I’d love a patio seat, but Zach wants to check out the inside of the restaurant. (We sat on the patio last time.) He loves pub vibes.

If we decide to eat at BOG this night (which is what I’m leaning toward), I’m sure I won’t regret it. Lots of things sound delicious, but I’m most drawn to the shrimp and scallops in puff pastry. I love scallops a lot more than shrimp-- do you think they’d do just scallops for me?! For Zach, there’s no question-- it’d be the steak and frites. We had steak & frites at this great place in Vegas. I don’t know if BOG’s can top theirs!

September 3:
La Hacienda de San Angel
This is a new one for us! I’m a bit more adventurous when it comes to Mexican food, but Zach loves a spicy steak. The meat paradilla sounds right up both of our alleys! This dinner is also close to Illuminations and I’d love a window seat this night if we don’t end up going to Rose & Crown on 9/2

September 4:
This night is our other Rose and Crown reservation. It’s on the early side and there’s no way we’ll still be there when Illuminations starts, so inside seating would be fine with me. If we decide to NOT go to BOG, I will try to find an ADR in the MK area for this night, possibly at WCC. We loved it our last trip, but I was disappointed with the menu change and removal of pulled pork from the skillet. Has anyone been with the new menu??

September 5:
This is our signature night! We’ll be returning to an old choice, Yachtsman Steakhouse. We went in 2009 and Zach had one of the best meals of his life. I wasn’t crazy about it. See, I ordered the largest steak on the menu because I liked the sound of the garlic butter and fries it was served with. This is despite the fact that 8 oz of steak is MORE than enough for me AND I hate meat on the bone. I also didn’t really like my dessert-- a sorbet trio. Zach ordered some chocolate trio that he says is the best dessert he’s ever had. However, I loved those onion rolls with the fresh garlic! Plus, reading over the menu, there are multiple steaks/sides that I’d love to try that I know I’d like. (I hope they’re amenable to swapping out sides from different steaks.) Which is your favorite meal at Yachtsman?? The hanger and the filet sound delicious. I’m sure Zach will get the porterhouse.

September 6:
No ADR-- we will be going to Universal Studios this day! I don’t want to be tied to a reservation or feel like we have to leave those parks before we’re ready. Last year after our Universal day we were exhausted and just spent the time hanging out and eating CS at our resort. We needed this night to recharge and I imagine we’ll need it again this trip!

September 7:
Tonight will be another new restaurant, Raglan Road. It seems pretty similar to Rose and Crown with a much larger menu. I imagine we’ll definitely be paying OOP for an appetizer or side. The Dalkey Duo sounds fantastic, as do the garlic truffle fries. I like the sound of sod the stew for an entree.

September 8:
Our last night will see us at Tony’s. I know it doesn’t get the best reviews, but our last night is non-negotiably at the Magic Kingdom. We ate at Liberty Tree Tavern last trip and thought it was okay. Zach’s family is Italian and takes their food very seriously. As in, we are not allowed to have jarred sauce in this house. Only freshly made will do! So I’m not really sure what Zach will think of Tony’s. I love chicken parm and hardly ever have it, so that might be a good option.

What does everyone think of these choices? Any entree choices I didn’t mention that you recommend? What about desserts?

 

[Marsheliz]

Oh man, It does sound like everything went wrong.... Our trip last September sounded exactly the same!!

My DH didn't put the ME tags on luggage, hence our luggage got lost at airport...
My dad lost track of my son in the lobby at POFQ while talking to manager about how to get said bags back.
Left babies formula on plane....
My mom was ill so the trip had a lot of bumps that I just didn't plan for. We had to push her in the wheelchair and it was just a lot hotter and harder than what I expected. She passed away in April so when I think about that trip and think about all the hiccups, I am still thankful that we got to go, even though the trip was less than magical... Here's to our upcoming trips as being the most magical ever! I could use a lot of pixie dust!

 

[glaserjm]

Here’s a quick trip update before I leave-- ADRs! As I know is the case with many DISers, planning out where we’re going to eat is one of my favorite parts of vacation! I know Disney food can sometimes get a bad rap, but we’ve only had a few meals we’ve actually disliked at WDW. As far as our tastes-- I’ll eat almost anything. Seafood, steak, pretty much any kind of ethnic food. Zach, however, is strictly a meat and potatoes guy. He’ll only eat cheese it it’s on a pizza and doesn’t like fish or creamy sauces.

We’ve been fortunate to go during free dining for our last two trips, which Zach loves. How easy Disney makes things for you is one of the reasons why it’s one of Zach’s favorite vacation spots. He doesn’t like driving in unknown places or hassling with cabs or stressing out about where to eat or how much is too much to spend-- so Disney really is PERFECT for him!

Anyway, after that tangent! We also have free dining for this trip! I was so stressed about when it would come out because I remember booking it in March for our 2009 trip and December 2010 for our August 2011 trip. Eventually it did come out, and I was able to change my reservation the day it was released to Disney Visa holders. We had already made our ADRs and were able to get MOST of the meals/times/days we wanted, except for one...

September 2nd:
We currently have two dinners booked for this day, haha. One at Be Our Guest and one at Rose and Crown. This is the only day during our trip that I could find an opening for BOG. Here comes a dilemma. Zach is very into routines and traditions. For our past two trips, on our first day, we went to DTD, then to Epcot for dinner. Our first full day would then be at the Magic Kingdom, so we could first feast our eyes on that glorious castle in the morning, with few others in the park and happy cast members welcoming us. I say Zach is big into traditions, but I honestly love our little first two days routine too! However, I REALLY want to try BOG! Like I said, it’s my favorite movie, plus the pictures look amazing and I’ve heard great things about the dinner food. Nothing on the lunch menu really interests us. So do we try the new restaurant we really want to try OR stick with our usual plan?!

Whether we eat at Rose & Crown this night or later in the trip, this is a must-do for us. The entire menu looks delicious, but I’ll probably have to stick with the Sunday roast, which is what we both got last time. The roast beef and yorkshire pudding were my favorites, but the whole plate was fantastic! Our ADR is two hours before Illuminations, so I’d love a patio seat, but Zach wants to check out the inside of the restaurant. (We sat on the patio last time.) He loves pub vibes.

If we decide to eat at BOG this night (which is what I’m leaning toward), I’m sure I won’t regret it. Lots of things sound delicious, but I’m most drawn to the shrimp and scallops in puff pastry. I love scallops a lot more than shrimp-- do you think they’d do just scallops for me?! For Zach, there’s no question-- it’d be the steak and frites. We had steak & frites at this great place in Vegas. I don’t know if BOG’s can top theirs!

September 3:
La Hacienda de San Angel
This is a new one for us! I’m a bit more adventurous when it comes to Mexican food, but Zach loves a spicy steak. The meat paradilla sounds right up both of our alleys! This dinner is also close to Illuminations and I’d love a window seat this night if we don’t end up going to Rose & Crown on 9/2

September 4:
This night is our other Rose and Crown reservation. It’s on the early side and there’s no way we’ll still be there when Illuminations starts, so inside seating would be fine with me. If we decide to NOT go to BOG, I will try to find an ADR in the MK area for this night, possibly at WCC. We loved it our last trip, but I was disappointed with the menu change and removal of pulled pork from the skillet. Has anyone been with the new menu??

September 5:
This is our signature night! We’ll be returning to an old choice, Yachtsman Steakhouse. We went in 2009 and Zach had one of the best meals of his life. I wasn’t crazy about it. See, I ordered the largest steak on the menu because I liked the sound of the garlic butter and fries it was served with. This is despite the fact that 8 oz of steak is MORE than enough for me AND I hate meat on the bone. I also didn’t really like my dessert-- a sorbet trio. Zach ordered some chocolate trio that he says is the best dessert he’s ever had. However, I loved those onion rolls with the fresh garlic! Plus, reading over the menu, there are multiple steaks/sides that I’d love to try that I know I’d like. (I hope they’re amenable to swapping out sides from different steaks.) Which is your favorite meal at Yachtsman?? The hanger and the filet sound delicious. I’m sure Zach will get the porterhouse.

September 6:
No ADR-- we will be going to Universal Studios this day! I don’t want to be tied to a reservation or feel like we have to leave those parks before we’re ready. Last year after our Universal day we were exhausted and just spent the time hanging out and eating CS at our resort. We needed this night to recharge and I imagine we’ll need it again this trip!

September 7:
Tonight will be another new restaurant, Raglan Road. It seems pretty similar to Rose and Crown with a much larger menu. I imagine we’ll definitely be paying OOP for an appetizer or side. The Dalkey Duo sounds fantastic, as do the garlic truffle fries. I like the sound of sod the stew for an entree.

September 8:
Our last night will see us at Tony’s. I know it doesn’t get the best reviews, but our last night is non-negotiably at the Magic Kingdom. We ate at Liberty Tree Tavern last trip and thought it was okay. Zach’s family is Italian and takes their food very seriously. As in, we are not allowed to have jarred sauce in this house. Only freshly made will do! So I’m not really sure what Zach will think of Tony’s. I love chicken parm and hardly ever have it, so that might be a good option.

What does everyone think of these choices? Any entree choices I didn’t mention that you recommend? What about desserts?

We too have our little first night traditions that are hard to break away from! Ours is, arriving at OKW, having a drink at the Gurgling Suitcase the little bar there and then heading to MK where we just do a quick through Frontierland and Adventureland hitting those rides and grabbing a Turkey Leg for Joe and Pecos Bills for me then a Dole Whip on the way out. This year we are adding Wishes on the beach at the Poly to this tradition!

I won't be a whole lot of help as far as dining recommendations go as we've only been to Rose & Crown out of the restaurants you've picked...but a lot of yours are on our "must do" lists for future trips. I'm really looking forward to trying La Hacienda and the Yachtsman at some point!

I think you should try for BOG and see what happens. Who knows...maybe you could start a new tradition that you love just as much!

 

[momofmaz]

Looking forward to reading your TR and PTR

 

[klacey1]

Oh man, It does sound like everything went wrong.... Our trip last September sounded exactly the same!!

My DH didn't put the ME tags on luggage, hence our luggage got lost at airport...
My dad lost track of my son in the lobby at POFQ while talking to manager about how to get said bags back.
Left babies formula on plane....
My mom was ill so the trip had a lot of bumps that I just didn't plan for. We had to push her in the wheelchair and it was just a lot hotter and harder than what I expected. She passed away in April so when I think about that trip and think about all the hiccups, I am still thankful that we got to go, even though the trip was less than magical... Here's to our upcoming trips as being the most magical ever! I could use a lot of pixie dust!

Oh no! I am so sorry about your mom. You are definitely most deserving of a perfect, magical trip and I hope you get it!!

We too have our little first night traditions that are hard to break away from! Ours is, arriving at OKW, having a drink at the Gurgling Suitcase the little bar there and then heading to MK where we just do a quick through Frontierland and Adventureland hitting those rides and grabbing a Turkey Leg for Joe and Pecos Bills for me then a Dole Whip on the way out. This year we are adding Wishes on the beach at the Poly to this tradition!

I won't be a whole lot of help as far as dining recommendations go as we've only been to Rose & Crown out of the restaurants you've picked...but a lot of yours are on our "must do" lists for future trips. I'm really looking forward to trying La Hacienda and the Yachtsman at some point!

I think you should try for BOG and see what happens. Who knows...maybe you could start a new tradition that you love just as much!

Ahh, I definitely do get the appeal of starting new traditions. And I REALLY want to try BOG!

Looking forward to reading your TR and PTR

Thanks for joining in!!

 

[RachelNinja]

I hope you have a mishap free trip this time!

I too am dying to try that shrimp and scallops puff pastry dish at BOG, but since our last minute trip in less than 10 days was planned quickly, there are no openings there. I will have to wait until our next trip!