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

[jenny105]

AHHHHHHHHH! I love, love, love the Wilderness Lodge! Upgrade upgrade! It's my favorite resort. I love that it is so close to MK but you feel like you're a million miles away because it's so peaceful. DO IT!

I love mini-coopers! I think they're so cute. My co-worker drives one and everytime I see one on the road I'm like 'I want one.'

I had to work today and I'm hurting lol. We went to a family BBQ and spent hours playing flip cup & beer pong so..yeah lol.

 

[Disneyluvr81]

I am putting in another vote for upgrading to WL! We stayed at Contemporary the first night of our trip in 2011 and while the room was nice and being on the monorail line was amazing we probably would never stay there again. I personally hated the bathroom - there was no place to put my makeup when I was getting ready because there isn't a true counter. We may have just had bad luck too but we had terrible waits for the elevators! We are willing to give BLT a try one day though. Being able to walk to MK was awesome!

Congratulations on the Cooper. That has always been DH's dream car and he finally got his S back in 2009. With him being promoted to a job where he was going to be doing a lot of driving, we traded in Mr. Cooper for a 2012 Ford Focus earlier this year. Better gas mileage and not needing premium gas gave the Focus the edge. He still misses the Cooper though and I think eventually we will have one again in the household.

 

[klacey1]

Ok, I've only read the PTR portions so far

Wow, your last trip! This one will definitely be better, but let's not jinx it!

Too bad we're going to Universal on the 9th, so we'll miss you there. Your ADRs sound yummy. I think I'd do BOG first night and Rose and Crown later.

Oh oh, I LOVE Minis, congratulations!

I'd switch to WL if you really don't mind the extra money. It reminds me of the Grand Californian in DL which we love and will probably never be able to afford (or choose to spend that much). It's a really relaxing resort, I think.

Welcome!! I'm definitely hoping nothing bad happens on this trip!

We went to Universal on a Monday last trip and it was awesome! No crowds whatsoever. I'm leaning toward keeping that BOG reservation...

AHHHHHHHHH! I love, love, love the Wilderness Lodge! Upgrade upgrade! It's my favorite resort. I love that it is so close to MK but you feel like you're a million miles away because it's so peaceful. DO IT!

I love mini-coopers! I think they're so cute. My co-worker drives one and everytime I see one on the road I'm like 'I want one.'

I had to work today and I'm hurting lol. We went to a family BBQ and spent hours playing flip cup & beer pong so..yeah lol.

I'm in love with my new car-- it's hard getting used to such a tiny car though!

Haha, you poor thing! It sounds like a really fun BBQ!

I am putting in another vote for upgrading to WL! We stayed at Contemporary the first night of our trip in 2011 and while the room was nice and being on the monorail line was amazing we probably would never stay there again. I personally hated the bathroom - there was no place to put my makeup when I was getting ready because there isn't a true counter. We may have just had bad luck too but we had terrible waits for the elevators! We are willing to give BLT a try one day though. Being able to walk to MK was awesome!

Congratulations on the Cooper. That has always been DH's dream car and he finally got his S back in 2009. With him being promoted to a job where he was going to be doing a lot of driving, we traded in Mr. Cooper for a 2012 Ford Focus earlier this year. Better gas mileage and not needing premium gas gave the Focus the edge. He still misses the Cooper though and I think eventually we will have one again in the household.

That's actually the first negative review I've heard of the Contemporary! Honestly, no where to lay my stuff out in the bathroom would be super annoying!

Aww, I hope he gets a Cooper someday again! I am NOT looking forward to paying for preminum gas-- I put whatever in my Saturn!


So, first things first. One of my good friends was in WDW last week. On July 3rd, at 4:40 they walked up to BOG and inquired about a table. They were given one right away!!! What the what?! Nothing available in September during a slow time (even before FD was announced), but during one of the busiest weeks of the year walk ups are available at a reasonable hour?! This is reallllly making me want to cancel our reservation on our first night and then attempt for a walk up later in the trip. Of course, I'm not sure the control freak planner in me could actually do this. Thoughts?!

Also, if you would direct your eyes below to my shiny new ticker, you'd see I emailed my travel agent last night and formally requested switching to the Wilderness Lodge! I am SO excited to stay in a true WDW deluxe hotel (I'm not going to count the Dolphin)! I'll do a post soon on the things I'm most excited about regarding the Wilderness Lodge, but in the meantime, tell me what you love about the WL!!

I hope everyone has a great weekend-- I'm heading out for a tapas brunch with some girlfriends. Yum!!

 

[Mrs T 2009]

The last of your work trip sounds hectic!!! LoL

The deluxe DDP is A LOT of food!!!! Very filling and just too much!!! I would spend the $ on staying at wilderness instead. And just do the regular dining plan.

 

[klacey1]

The last of your work trip sounds hectic!!! LoL

The deluxe DDP is A LOT of food!!!! Very filling and just too much!!! I would spend the $ on staying at wilderness instead. And just do the regular dining plan.

I am definitely glad I decided to upgrade my resort instead of dining plan! I do wish there was a dining plan in between the regular DDP and deluxe. I'd love the option for an appetizer instead of dessert.

 

[klacey1]

Hello everyone! I don't know about where you all live, but here in the tristate it is HOT, HOT, HOT. At 9:00 a.m., my phone read 86 degrees, feels like 100. Ick! I mentioned in my quick update yesterday that I was going for a tapas brunch with some girlfriends. What I didn't know was that one of was bringing her dog! As such, we had to eat outside. At a table with no umbrella. Not only was it the mid-90's and just uncomfortable eating weather, but I am extremely fair. Had I known I would have been sitting in direct sunlight for an hour and a half when the sun was high in the sky, I would have covered myself in sunscreen. My shoulders and arms are bright red and PAINFUL. We stuck to light tapas like ceviches, but still, eating in that weather made me pretty nauseous. We also ordered a pitcher of sangria for the table, and obviously I didn't have to drink it, but this place serves literally my favorite sangria in the world! After half a glass, though, I was done. They were super slow with the water service, too.

My day did pick up from there. Zach and I went to go see Monsters University last night! Honestly, I loved, loved, loved it! I really thought it was one of the better movies (Disney or not) that I've seen in a long time. It was fun, funny, and heartwarming, with a great message. I highly recommend if anyone hasn't managed to see it yet!

Zach went out with his brothers today to see White House Down (while I love me some Channing Tatum, I had ZERO interest in this movie!), so I occupied my time with a little shopping!! I went to Michaels first to check out Disney scrapbooking paper and stickers. I used to be an avid scrapbooker and made pages for all trips, holidays, and special events. When Zach and I got a place of our own a few years ago, I left all of my scrapbooking stuff at my mom's house (hey, she has more closets than I do!) and I haven't done any new books in years. Whoops! I really want to get back into scrapbooking and record this trip! (And maybe I'll get around to some past trips/events, too.)

After Michaels, I popped into Marshall's (it's right next door). Marshalls has always been pretty hit or miss for me, but I found an adorable black top and black dress that I think will be coming with me to Disney in September! I know you're probably thinking-- black?! In September?! Yeah, I know! I try to wear bright colors in Disney, but these are both very light weight.

Here's the top. I know it's hard to see the detail, but it's got a cute pocket on the chest and some ruching on the sleeves:


And the dress. It's SO comforable and has some cut outs on the upper back. It might look a little fancy, but I was wearing it with flip flops when I tried it on and it looked good casually accessorized. I always like to change for dinner, so I think it'll be good for one evening:

 

[PetersLittleFairy]

The top and the dress are so cute ! It's something I would definitely wear ! Do you think its easier to get around Disney in a shirt or is it about the same with a dress?

 

[blabbermouth]

Nice shopping finds! I wish I could wear black, but with blond hair and pale skin it just doesn't suit me (I don't think).

Too bad about the brunch, I totally understand how you must have felt! How annoying.

I really want to see Monsters University! We're getting together with our friends who we're going to Disney with tonight to watch Brave, so we're obviously a bit behind in our movie watching.

 

[Mrs T 2009]

Eating in hot weather always makes me nauseous!!!

Cute cute cute top and dress!!!! I can totally see you in that black top and some colored shorts or pants!!!!

We went to see despicable me 2 today! So cute and funny!!!!

 

[jenny105]

Yay! I'm so glad you upgraded to WL! You're going to love it.

I need a break from the heat. It's been sweltering here. I hate walking out the front door and immediately you start sweating before you even move. Yuck.

I can't see any pictures. Stupid work computer.

I saw Monsters U last week. I thought it was cute. Saw Dispicable Me 2 on Saturday. I love the minions!

 

[princess_momma]

Hello!!

OMG, I love your Mini! So adorable! I'm so glad that you finally got your dream car! Life's too short not to!

Also, hooray for the WL!!! You are going to love it and never regret it for a single moment! I'm so happy for you and can't wait to hear about all your wonderful times there!

I love love love scrapbooking too. I made one for my first trip. And arranged how I wanted the pages for the second trip but never did it. And my 3rd, I didn't even get that far! I miss it. It's just so time consuming though. I might get modern and photobook the next one. Would you ever do that? I hate it. Lol. It's just for convenience, there's something about a REAL scrapbook with real scraps and textures and everything. Kinda like book vs tablet. But I've jumped on that bandwagon too...WHY IS TECHNOLOGY SO CONVENIENT?

Anywho, glad you had a good 4th! I loved Monsters U soooo much!! I love those guys! They are my favs!

 

[RachelNinja]

Oh cool! I'd love to see any pics of your scrapbooks if you happen to have them.

Cute purchases! I haven't yet had the patience to really go through Marshall's, but I do pop in for paper crafting supplies or any potential nail polish finds!

 

[klacey1]

The top and the dress are so cute ! It's something I would definitely wear ! Do you think its easier to get around Disney in a shirt or is it about the same with a dress?

Thanks! I love wearing skirts and dresses in Disney! It takes a bit more effort climbing out of the boats in Pirates, but I love feeling a bit more put together!

Nice shopping finds! I wish I could wear black, but with blond hair and pale skin it just doesn't suit me (I don't think).

Too bad about the brunch, I totally understand how you must have felt! How annoying.

I really want to see Monsters University! We're getting together with our friends who we're going to Disney with tonight to watch Brave, so we're obviously a bit behind in our movie watching.

I think black looks great on everyone!
Definitely make time for Monsters University!

Eating in hot weather always makes me nauseous!!!

Cute cute cute top and dress!!!! I can totally see you in that black top and some colored shorts or pants!!!!

We went to see despicable me 2 today! So cute and funny!!!!

Yeah, I did NOT enjoy that brunch! I've heard so many great things about Despicable Me 2! May have to make a trip to see it!

Yay! I'm so glad you upgraded to WL! You're going to love it.

I need a break from the heat. It's been sweltering here. I hate walking out the front door and immediately you start sweating before you even move. Yuck.

I can't see any pictures. Stupid work computer.

I saw Monsters U last week. I thought it was cute. Saw Dispicable Me 2 on Saturday. I love the minions!

It has been sooo disgusting here! We need a good rainstorm to cool things down!

Hello!!

OMG, I love your Mini! So adorable! I'm so glad that you finally got your dream car! Life's too short not to!

Also, hooray for the WL!!! You are going to love it and never regret it for a single moment! I'm so happy for you and can't wait to hear about all your wonderful times there!

I love love love scrapbooking too. I made one for my first trip. And arranged how I wanted the pages for the second trip but never did it. And my 3rd, I didn't even get that far! I miss it. It's just so time consuming though. I might get modern and photobook the next one. Would you ever do that? I hate it. Lol. It's just for convenience, there's something about a REAL scrapbook with real scraps and textures and everything. Kinda like book vs tablet. But I've jumped on that bandwagon too...WHY IS TECHNOLOGY SO CONVENIENT?

Anywho, glad you had a good 4th! I loved Monsters U soooo much!! I love those guys! They are my favs!

Hey girl! Thanks-- I am sooooo excited for a new resort, especially WL!! It's going to be so weird not staying at POR, though!
I've made a few photobooks to give away as presents, but it honestly doesn't compare to scrapbooking for me. I love the pretty papers and stickers!
Plus, for photos in my home, I either want a cool, textured scrapbook where I can display tickets, FPs, etc. or photos in frames. A photobook wouldn't do it for my personal photos! (Although I LOVE my Kindle Fire, so it's not just the technology thing for me!)

Oh cool! I'd love to see any pics of your scrapbooks if you happen to have them.

Cute purchases! I haven't yet had the patience to really go through Marshall's, but I do pop in for paper crafting supplies or any potential nail polish finds!

When I finally manage to pick up all of my scrapbooking stuff from my mom's (hopefully this Saturday!!), I definitely will take a bunch of pictures and post them here!

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Hey! I popped over from my PTR and now I'm totally confused because I definitely starting reading your PTR at some point and I'm not really sure how I lost it.

Anyway, glad to find my way back! We literally will just be missing each other in September.

It was interesting to read about your work trip to Disney. I'm glad you were still able to have some fun. I have to say, work conferences would be so much more pleasant if someone would move them to Disney.

I'm gonna try to find you on Instagram now! I'm rncourtney over there. Can't wait to hear about the rest of your plans!

 

[librarygeek]

Sorry your MK day was off to a rough start! It sounds like you made the most of it though. I think if I ever stay at Swan/Dolphin I'll make sure to do it on a trip where we drive down or rent a car, judging by your experiences!

 

[klacey1]

Hey! I popped over from my PTR and now I'm totally confused because I definitely starting reading your PTR at some point and I'm not really sure how I lost it.

Anyway, glad to find my way back! We literally will just be missing each other in September.

It was interesting to read about your work trip to Disney. I'm glad you were still able to have some fun. I have to say, work conferences would be so much more pleasant if someone would move them to Disney.

I'm gonna try to find you on Instagram now! I'm rncourtney over there. Can't wait to hear about the rest of your plans!

Haha, I do that sometimes. I respond and totally forget to subscribe. So annoying!

The trip definitely had its ups and downs, but overall I was so glad I went and it was DEFINITELY better than a week in the office! Obviously the time in the parks was the best part!

I just accepted your Instagram follow!

Sorry your MK day was off to a rough start! It sounds like you made the most of it though. I think if I ever stay at Swan/Dolphin I'll make sure to do it on a trip where we drive down or rent a car, judging by your experiences!

YES! I loved the Dolphin, but a full vacation there would have driven me crazy!! WORST buses!


So, in a minor update, on Monday night I got Six Month Smile braces put on! This is the first time I've ever had any type of braces, as my parents picked one kid to get braces and they picked my brother. After doing some saving, I decided to get a type I actually read about on the Disboards! They have clear wires and brackets and honestly aren't visible unless you're very close. The first day going to work (yesterday) was pretty awkward, as I had only told one coworker that I was getting them. I felt pretty self-conscious, but that has subsided

My only concern with the braces was Disney! No wonderful Disney popcorn for me . Chewing has been painful/difficult and I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to have any of my Disney favorites, but apparently that won't be the case!

Also, I think I have finally finalized our days' plans and will be posting those in the next few posts!

On another Disney note, September reservations opened for the Wishes Dessert Party yesterday! I am SO on the fence about booking a reservation. There's really only one night that it would work in our plans (our third night) and I'm not sure I want to be tied to another reservation. We also didn't love the desserts last time. However, what we did love was having a reserved table to watch Wishes! Also, our third night is a PM EMH night, so we would have time to play in the parks after...Ahh, I feel like for every con I have, I have a pro! What do you guys think?!

 

[lvcourtneyy]

I am 100% in the same boat as you with the parents failing me on the teeth front! I hate my teeth and will definitely be looking into adult braces at some point.

I'm glad your first day going to work with them on went well!

Hm I was on the fence about the dessert party also. For us, I decided against it in the end because DBF isn't a huge dessert person. But the idea of having reserved seats to watch Wishes is a great one. Having never done it, I can't really offer an opinion beyond that but I'm interested to hear what you decide!

 

[klacey1]

I am 100% in the same boat as you with the parents failing me on the teeth front! I hate my teeth and will definitely be looking into adult braces at some point.

I'm glad your first day going to work with them on went well!

Hm I was on the fence about the dessert party also. For us, I decided against it in the end because DBF isn't a huge dessert person. But the idea of having reserved seats to watch Wishes is a great one. Having never done it, I can't really offer an opinion beyond that but I'm interested to hear what you decide!

It's one of those things that's really annoying now, but I know I'll be sooo glad I did it when it's all over!

I think I'm also leaning toward no. Now, if they did a Wishes appetizer party?! I'd be all over that. We're not dessert people either.

 

[klacey1]

So I know I discussed this in my last PTR, but I love flying. I love the experience of going to an airport, picking up last minute snacks and magazines, and the flying itself. My post-trip depression usually doesn’t set in until after I land in New York because I even look forward to the flight home! (Yeah, I guess that makes me pretty weird!)

For our flight down, we are flying JetBlue from JFK. We take off at 7:30 a.m. and land at 10:10 a.m.! I flew JetBlue for the first time last fall and loved it! The TVs, unlimited snacks, and free bags are great perks! Plus, I absolutely love flying out of JFK. I know a lot of people consider it kind of grimy, but I have very fond memories of flying out of there as a child to go to Ireland to visit my family. Plus, I love all of the shopping and food choices! It USED to be super convenient, also...

I live about an hour, hour and a half with bad traffic from JFK. Up until this month, my dad lived in the Bronx, only 25-30 minutes from the airport. We used to stay with him the night before all of our trips and he’d drive us to the airport the next morning. Not only was this service free, but my dad always made us a delicious dinner the night before. (I love my dad’s cooking and don’t get to eat it often enough!) HOWEVER, as of the beginning of July, my dad has moved back to Ireland, where he is from. He’s been in the US since he was 19 and it was time to move home. He plans to come out here every so often and I hope to go out there, but it is still very, very weird to think he’s no longer a 40 minute drive away!

This complicates our airport transport plans. I did some Googling and to get a town car is about $150, plus tolls and tip one way. Eek!! I’m going to comb the Pennysaver this weekend and hopefully will find some cheaper rates. My brother (who lives in Connecticut) says if he’s not busy, he doesn’t mind driving us, but as I know it’s a hike for him, I’d rather use that as a last resort. I’m having trouble finding a shuttle-type transportation....

I’m also a little worried about coming home. We are flying Delta (it was so much cheaper/I got much better times by doing two one-ways) and leave MCO at 2:45 p.m. and land at 5:35 p.m. Not only do we need to figure out how we’re getting home from the airport (in the middle of rush hour, ugh), but: the last time we flew Delta, in 2009, the resort airline check in folks wouldn’t let Zach check in. I was able to, however, and they gave me a phone number to call to pay for our bags. However, when we got to the airport and attempted to check Zach in and drop off the bags, Delta had no record of me paying and I had to shell out another $40! I eventually straightened things out and got my money back (weeks later!), but it was a huge hassle! I hope that doesn’t happen again...on a positive note, I am definitely looking forward to the delicious Biscoff tea biscuits that they serve!

As much as I love flying, I think my absolute favorite transportation vehicle has got to be the Magical Express! I took a Mears taxi van to the Dolphin for my work trip and stared daggers (not really!) at all of the people getting on the ME buses! Nothing makes me tear up like that video! It’s the perfect way to ease into a Disney vacation!


And as I pack everything I’d need for the day/night in my carry-on, it’s never a big deal if my bags don’t arrive until late.

We have never rented a car in Disney. Zach hates to drive but is also old-fashioned: whenever we go somewhere, he HAS to be the one to drive! So Disney gives him a break from that. Honestly, even with their delays, I love the Disney buses. Being able to relax and let someone else deal with traffic, etc. is totally worth it to me. When I was there in June, I saw a few of the new buses, and I have to say, I’m not a fan! I thought the old ones were whimsical and these are a bit...industrial.

(Photo courtesy of Disney Parks Blog)
As long as the bus gets me to where I’m going, I’ll be fine no matter what color it’s painted!! I do love the fun music for different destinations, though. Hopefully that stays!

Because of a surprise today at work, my park days have been TOTALLY switched around! I can’t wait to share them with you all!

 

[blabbermouth]

I don't like flying. I think it's being trapped with so many other people (says the girl who's going to WDW, what?)

The new buses are kind of ugly! Grey isn't the best choice. Guess they don't have to wash them as often now?

We were torn between Delta and Southwest this time, but decided to go with Southwest because then our bags are paid for up front, and they had slightly better times. But we're still leaving at 8am both ways Better than 6 I guess!

Ooh, foreshadowing! Can't wait to hear what happened at work...