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

[klacey1]

That looks like an interesting app!
I've done ok with My Disney Experience and Touring Plans apps. But I think I've become a little less Type A about planning since we've been going fairly often.

Amanda

You know, I definitely have become less frantic about planning everything, too! I feel like for our 2011 trip, I was constantly planning and tweaking and thinking about our trip six months out. To only really be doing that six weeks out is a huge improvement!

I just found your PTR and read through all seven pages! I have to first point out our first thing in common - disliking meat on a bone! I always feel funny saying that, but the older I get, the more people I find who feel that way!

That's great that you were able to upgrade to WL! We stayed there for our honeymoon (almost ten years ago) and it was super nice. I don't know that I would go back again, as we really enjoyed the amenities at POR on our last trip, but I'm so glad we had the opportunity. I loved watching the geyser and relaxing in the grand lobby! I would love to stay at Poly someday, but with a family, POR is just so much more practical...

I can't wait to read more details!!

Welcome!! Haha, good to know others understand my dislike for meat on the bone!
Honestly, I love POR, too. It's my Disney "home." It's going to be weird going somewhere new!

That app looks good! I don't mind the MDE one, but I haven't actually used it on a trip yet and also I haven't made any ADRs so I don't have to worry about linking those.

It's hard planning so many days and trying to space them all out nicely! I'm sure our plans won't be 100% accurate, but it's nice to have an idea.

I like DTD, we're definitely going there on our arrival night, and then I'd think probably one to two other nights. Maybe the night we go to Universal if we don't end up staying late at City Walk. The parks close early in September, but I think DTD stays open a bit later, so if we're still energetic it's a nice place to end the night.

I'm glad your braces are getting better

Yeah, every time I look at our plans I see something that could be better. Clearly I need to step away! I just have to remind myself that we'll have a great time no matter what!
Ooo, DTD after Universal is a good idea! If we're not super exhausted, that might be a nice idea...

 

[JessicaKnits]

Oh my word, the MDE app drives me INSANE. Just when I thought I couldn't possibly dislike anything as much as I disliked the new photobucket, Disney goes and does this. Its HORRIBLE. Wait until it starts making you log in for every stinking page. My iphone was lucky it didn't get thrown out the window! And don't even get me started on this new FastPass+ shenanigans....that's a whole other monster to deal with...

 

[princess_momma]

I can't believe how close your trip is getting!! AHHHHH please post everything to FB so I can see live updates. You are already talking me into SO much. I booked Raglan Road thanks to you and now I'm considering a Wishes dessert party as well. I've never done one but it's been on my brain since you mentioned it. Can you only book it 60 days out?

Congrats on getting braces!! So so painful, but it'll be well worth it. I'm probably going to have to do something similar one day...and I already had braces! But that was in middle school and then my wisdom came in and smushed all my teeth back together and they are still in and maybe one day I will finally get them out and get pretty teeth again! Sorry it's been so painful though! I'll ask the tooth fairy and Tinkerbell if they can work together to come up with some kind of pixie dust that makes it unnnoticeable when you are in Disney!

Can't wait for more! You're getting close!!

 

[klacey1]

Oh my word, the MDE app drives me INSANE. Just when I thought I couldn't possibly dislike anything as much as I disliked the new photobucket, Disney goes and does this. Its HORRIBLE. Wait until it starts making you log in for every stinking page. My iphone was lucky it didn't get thrown out the window! And don't even get me started on this new FastPass+ shenanigans....that's a whole other monster to deal with...

Augh, I haven't ever had to log in more than once, but I HATE that some of my reservations don't show up! What I hate about FastPass+ is just the unknown. I wish they were more clear about who was selected to test it, etc.

I can't believe how close your trip is getting!! AHHHHH please post everything to FB so I can see live updates. You are already talking me into SO much. I booked Raglan Road thanks to you and now I'm considering a Wishes dessert party as well. I've never done one but it's been on my brain since you mentioned it. Can you only book it 60 days out?

Congrats on getting braces!! So so painful, but it'll be well worth it. I'm probably going to have to do something similar one day...and I already had braces! But that was in middle school and then my wisdom came in and smushed all my teeth back together and they are still in and maybe one day I will finally get them out and get pretty teeth again! Sorry it's been so painful though! I'll ask the tooth fairy and Tinkerbell if they can work together to come up with some kind of pixie dust that makes it unnnoticeable when you are in Disney!

Can't wait for more! You're getting close!!

Oh, no worries-- I will be instagraming and FBing lots of pics Haha, I'm glad I talked you into Raglan Road-- I just hope you love it! I think the dessert party is definitely worth doing once. They actually release reservations for the party by the month, not 60 days in advance. It's weird. I know September is open now, but I'm not sure about October. You pretty much just have to keep checking the Disney website.
Ahh, wisdom teeth are the worst! So painful coming in. My teeth actually don't hurt anymore, thank God! I'm pretty much used to the braces now.

 

[klacey1]

So on Friday I learned something incredibly displeasing-- they took the delicious Sunday roast off the menu at Rose and Crown!!! This was basically my favorite entree at any Disney restaurant. Checking out the new menu, there are a few things Zach and I would eat, but none that I'm too excited about. Soooo, we are thinking about replacing Rose and Crown with a different World Showcase restaurant for our first night. Here are the places we're considering:

Biergarten

(Photo courtesy of the Disney Food Blog)
We're not huge buffet people, but the food seems unique and the atmosphere seems really fun! Listening to the band and getting a huge stein of beer seems like an exciting way to start off our trip.


Via Napoli

(Photo courtesy of the Disney Food Blog)
This is more of a me pick than Zach. He's pretty picky when it comes to pizza and doesn't tend to like "fancy" or "artisan" types. Give him a big old New York slice with pepperoni and he's happy. HOWEVER, the reviews are amazing and I happen to LOVE fancy pizza! This might be my number one pick, but obviously I want Zach to be happy, too!

Les Chefs de France


Of our picks, this is the only one we've been to before. We had dinner here our last trip and thought the restaurant was really pretty. Our service was fantastic and Zach LOVED his entree (steak au poivre). I didn't love my food as much as I thought I would (macaroni de gartin), but there are other dishes, like the short ribs with pasta, that I would definitely try. This would be a "safe" choice. I wouldn't be too excited about it, but we'd probably enjoy it.

So what do you all think?! Should we stick with Rose and Crown or switch it up? Which of our options is your favorite?

 

[JessicaKnits]

Its always so disappointing when Disney nixes something you really love from one of their menus!

I went to Biergarten on my first trip and loved it! The food is authentically German, just like my Grandma used to make. That being said, a lot of German food can be a bit of an acquired taste, and isn't for everyone. They do have some standby favorites (bratwurst, pretzel rolls, and great desserts.) They do have communal seating, which is an issue for some. We had great table mates and really enjoyed our time!

Via Napoli is probably my favorite of the bunch. I had the artichoke pizza with truffle oil and it was incredible! Definitely a fancy pizza though. They do have more traditional pizzas like margherita, and just plain pepperoni or sausage. I consider myself to be kind of a purist when it comes to NY pizza and I think Zach could still enjoy Via. The crust on their pizzas is amazing! Its thin and not crispy, still doughy, so it will be similar to NY pizza. There are also a few pasta dishes he might like if he doesn't want to cheat on NY pizza! Can't wait to see what you guys decide!

 

[Disneyluvr81]

I put in a 2nd vote for Via Napoli! We ate there for the first time in January and it was awesome! The pizza was so good and I am not even a huge thin crust pizza person. I could sersiouly go for the Aracini appetizer (fried risotto balls) right now. Could make a whole meal out of a couple orders of those!!

 

[blabbermouth]

Silly Rose and Crown, how could they get rid of the quintessential Brit dish?!

I know everyone raves about Via Napoli, but I don't feel like it's "special" somehow, and I wouldn't really go there unless I was craving pizza. BUT, I've never been there, so what do I know?

I also haven't been to the other two, but I was considering Biergarten. DH really likes breakfast buffets, but I just feel like I can't eat my money's worth first thing in the morning. I was thinking about scheduling it for lunch on our drink around the world day so we can split a gigantor beer

 

[princess_momma]

Oh, no worries-- I will be instagraming and FBing lots of pics Haha, I'm glad I talked you into Raglan Road-- I just hope you love it! I think the dessert party is definitely worth doing once. They actually release reservations for the party by the month, not 60 days in advance. It's weird. I know September is open now, but I'm not sure about October. You pretty much just have to keep checking the Disney website.
Ahh, wisdom teeth are the worst! So painful coming in. My teeth actually don't hurt anymore, thank God! I'm pretty much used to the braces now.

I'm sure I'll love Raglan Road! Good to know on the dessert party. That is a really strange way to do it (by month), but we decided it just needed to happen for sure. So I guess I'll check and wait until I can! Yay for your teeth no longer hurting!

I'm a super fan of Via Napoli. This will be one of only two restaurants I've gone to three trips in a row- a can't miss one! (The other being Kona.) They do have really great pizza...maybe you could get the individual and he could get a pasta dish? You must also get the sangria! It's so good! I have been to Biergarten as well but it's not one I'm rushing back to, nor do I think I'd pay out of pocket for it. But I can be pretty picky and that may have affected my opinion. The beer is delish though!

 

[DrMomof3]

Rose & Crown is the only one of those where I haven't eaten... Sorry they took your favorite dish off the menu.

I love Via Napoli. I think the pizza is excellent and the salad is fantastic. I really don't think it's super fancy pizza. Just really good. And I like the space.
My husband loves Biergarten. I think it's one of his favorites. My kids like it, too. My biggest issue is that I don't think buffets are a good value for a family of 5. Otherwise I think we'd eat there more often. The food is consistently good and there is enough variety to suit even a picky eater (they have plain, breaded chicken cutlets which are quite good and yummy pretzel bread, as examples of something a picky eater would like). My family doesn't eat pork (I do but my husband and kids don't) so I worried there wouldn't be enough non-pork but there's plenty. The show is fun. Cheezy but fun.
I think Chefs de France is ok but it's not a particular favorite of mine. I think you can get better French food in New York. I've had some very good meals there and some very mediocre meals there.

Amanda

 

[Mrs T 2009]

I had braces when I was younger and I hated getting the sores using special wax helped to keep the braces from rubbing against my mouth.

I'm not huge on buffets, but biergaarten sounds awesome to try!!!! Let Chefs is really good too, but I'd try somewhere New!!

 

[klacey1]

Its always so disappointing when Disney nixes something you really love from one of their menus!

I went to Biergarten on my first trip and loved it! The food is authentically German, just like my Grandma used to make. That being said, a lot of German food can be a bit of an acquired taste, and isn't for everyone. They do have some standby favorites (bratwurst, pretzel rolls, and great desserts.) They do have communal seating, which is an issue for some. We had great table mates and really enjoyed our time!

Via Napoli is probably my favorite of the bunch. I had the artichoke pizza with truffle oil and it was incredible! Definitely a fancy pizza though. They do have more traditional pizzas like margherita, and just plain pepperoni or sausage. I consider myself to be kind of a purist when it comes to NY pizza and I think Zach could still enjoy Via. The crust on their pizzas is amazing! Its thin and not crispy, still doughy, so it will be similar to NY pizza. There are also a few pasta dishes he might like if he doesn't want to cheat on NY pizza! Can't wait to see what you guys decide!

I love that Disney likes to keep their menus fresh, but I HATE when they get rid of my favorites (like my beloved pork belly at Artist Point!)

Communal seating wouldn't be a big issue for us and we do LOVE pretzel rolls! I have realllly wanted to try Via Napoli! I read Zach the menu and he did like the sound of the pasta with veal meatballs!

I put in a 2nd vote for Via Napoli! We ate there for the first time in January and it was awesome! The pizza was so good and I am not even a huge thin crust pizza person. I could sersiouly go for the Aracini appetizer (fried risotto balls) right now. Could make a whole meal out of a couple orders of those!!

See, I loooove thin crust pizza and arancini! I know I'd love it, I just want Zach too, as well!

Silly Rose and Crown, how could they get rid of the quintessential Brit dish?!

I know everyone raves about Via Napoli, but I don't feel like it's "special" somehow, and I wouldn't really go there unless I was craving pizza. BUT, I've never been there, so what do I know?

I also haven't been to the other two, but I was considering Biergarten. DH really likes breakfast buffets, but I just feel like I can't eat my money's worth first thing in the morning. I was thinking about scheduling it for lunch on our drink around the world day so we can split a gigantor beer

Honestly, that's what I can't believe-- the Sunday roast is by far the most authentic thing on their menu! Why get rid of it?!

I've also thought about that when it comes to Via Napoli. I can get delicious pizza whenever I want. Do I really want to waste a TS credit on something I can easily get at home?!

I'm sure I'll love Raglan Road! Good to know on the dessert party. That is a really strange way to do it (by month), but we decided it just needed to happen for sure. So I guess I'll check and wait until I can! Yay for your teeth no longer hurting!

I'm a super fan of Via Napoli. This will be one of only two restaurants I've gone to three trips in a row- a can't miss one! (The other being Kona.) They do have really great pizza...maybe you could get the individual and he could get a pasta dish? You must also get the sangria! It's so good! I have been to Biergarten as well but it's not one I'm rushing back to, nor do I think I'd pay out of pocket for it. But I can be pretty picky and that may have affected my opinion. The beer is delish though!

Yeah, I don't know why Disney does the dessert party so differently than everything else?!

I totally remember you talking about the Via Napoli sangria! I loveee a good red sangria! Actually, nothing annoys me more than a crappy sangria where the fruit hasn't had enough time to seep its flavor into the wine!

Rose & Crown is the only one of those where I haven't eaten... Sorry they took your favorite dish off the menu.

I love Via Napoli. I think the pizza is excellent and the salad is fantastic. I really don't think it's super fancy pizza. Just really good. And I like the space.
My husband loves Biergarten. I think it's one of his favorites. My kids like it, too. My biggest issue is that I don't think buffets are a good value for a family of 5. Otherwise I think we'd eat there more often. The food is consistently good and there is enough variety to suit even a picky eater (they have plain, breaded chicken cutlets which are quite good and yummy pretzel bread, as examples of something a picky eater would like). My family doesn't eat pork (I do but my husband and kids don't) so I worried there wouldn't be enough non-pork but there's plenty. The show is fun. Cheezy but fun.
I think Chefs de France is ok but it's not a particular favorite of mine. I think you can get better French food in New York. I've had some very good meals there and some very mediocre meals there.

Amanda

I am definitely the most in between Via Napoli and Biergarten. The only reason Chefs is on the shortlist is because Zach loved it. There's a French restaurant we go to sometimes in Cold Springs that I think is much better.

I had braces when I was younger and I hated getting the sores using special wax helped to keep the braces from rubbing against my mouth.

I'm not huge on buffets, but biergaarten sounds awesome to try!!!! Let Chefs is really good too, but I'd try somewhere New!!

I have some wax! I've actually found soaked cotton balls are even better for me personally.

I am not typically a buffet person either, which is another thing kind of holding me back from Biergarten.

Side note-- Today marks SIX WEEKS until we go to Disney!! WOO HOO!!!

 

[SuperNEMOfan]

So for some reason i never subbed in here....could have sworn i did!

Looks like you have your plans pretty well planned out. Im bummed that we miss each other!

WL!!!!!! Im so jealous. I want to stay at a deluxe so bad but i cant afford it and probably never will.

Looking forward to more changes and plans

also thanks for reading my PTR

 

[klacey1]

So for some reason i never subbed in here....could have sworn i did!

Looks like you have your plans pretty well planned out. Im bummed that we miss each other!

WL!!!!!! Im so jealous. I want to stay at a deluxe so bad but i cant afford it and probably never will.

Looking forward to more changes and plans

also thanks for reading my PTR

Yes, we just miss each other I feel like I'm planned out, but it seems like I make a change almost every day!

I really can't wait to stay at WL-- it'll be my first real Disney deluxe! (I loved the Dolphin, but I don't really count it as a Disney deluxe.)

 

[RachelNinja]

It's funny just how excited I am about all that you will get to eat, haha. Isn't that a weird feeling? To be excited that someone else is going to eat at certain restaurants?!? I'm glad that the pain has subsided so that you can enjoy all those dishes!

 

[klacey1]

So I am still just not sure which restaurant I’d like to switch to, OR if we should just stick with Rose and Crown! Zach says he needs more time to think it over, also.

I mentioned using an app to keep me organized in Disney. Previously, for my planning, I used a giant, 1 ½ inch binder. It was pretty (Vera Bradley!) and I do love having a book to flip through, but honestly it was cumbersome. I brought it to Disney and it totally weighed down my carryon. This year, I have been keeping track of my planning in two main Google docs, a word doc and a spreadsheet. I thought I’d share how I currently keep myself organized-- let me know if you have any other tips! I’m thinking when the trip gets closer, I’ll print out the word doc and spreadsheet tabs. I just can’t decide whether to drop them in a folder (I have super cute Vera folders!) or if a light, small binder would be better. I always say I’m going to save my receipts and do a thorough dining plan cost analysis, in which case a binder with page protectors to shove them in would be helpful. However, I literally never do this, so I don’t know if it’s worth it?! I do like how organized a binder keeps things...Ahhh, decisions, decisions!!

I didn’t take a screenshot of my word doc, as it’s a disorganized mess! It’s essentially where I jot things down as they come to my mind-- lists of CS options with favorites highlighted, clothes I’m considering purchasing, food options for the terminals we’ll be in at the airport, every incarnation of our daily plans, and much more.

My spreadsheet, however, starts with this tab:

Park hours! Because I love color coordinating, the parks are colored differently. AM EMH are highlighted in pink and PM EMH are highlighted in blue. I reference this sheet frequently as I shuffle around our daily plans.

Then, we move to crowd calendars:

This is more informative than anything else, as I don’t really ever use these when planning out our days. Do any of you? Since we go in a low crowd time, I don’t think it’s necessary. Plus, TouringPlans and EasyWDW often have straight up conflicting advice or numbers that are waaay off. It’s hard to know who to trust!

WDW attractions:

This is also color coordinated! I’m sorry it’s hard to see/that I couldn’t capture the full list, but must-do rides we’ve done before together are pink, must-do rides we haven’t done together (there’s not much I haven’t done by myself or with other people!) are purple, new rides that we’ll only do if we have time are a brighter pink, and strictly “if we have time” rides are seafoam. I am hoping low crowds allow us to hit a lot of those “if we have time” attractions!

Next up is Universal attractions:

This list also got cut off. It’s a quite ambitious list of all the rides I’d like to do in Universal during our one day there. Since we’ll have the FOTL pass (we’ll be staying onsite one night), I think it’s doable. I am hoping the crowds are as low as they were the last time we went together, also! The yellow highlights the attractions my semi ride wimp Zach is willing to go on (I am too lazy to take another screenshot, but I just realized I didn’t highlight the Jurassic Park Discovery Center, which he LOVES.)

Hours for the parades/fireworks we are interested in:


This is my master confirmation tab, where I keep track of the big ticket items (hotels, plane tickets, etc.):

There's also a tab of ADR times and confirmations, but I couldn't get Photobucket to save my blurring out of the confirmation numbers, so I can't share it with you all.

This tab details snacks I’d like to get with DDP credits:


I’m sorry if these next two are impossible to read, but they’re of my favorite tab of all:




So this tab details quite a bit. I looked at the eight CS options we’re most likely to eat at, and jotted the name and price of the items we’re most likely to get (we’re staying seven nights, but Zach and I prefer different options in the WS), including entree, soft drink, and dessert costs. I totaled those individually for each restaurant, and then overall. I did the same for TS restaurants, except I added a few columns for each meal
-App/Drinks
-Pre-Tax Total
-Tax
-Post-Tax Total
-Tip (a general 20% based on the Post-Tax Total)
-Total OOP Costs Total OOP costs includes the tip and anything in the App/Drinks column. I know that number is not exact because it doesn’t include the tax on the App/Drinks. I may go back and change App/Drinks to Taxed App/Drinks and add a formula to that column.

There’s a column in the screenshot of the CS costs that includes the following figures:
-Total Overall OOP Costs (Again, this is purely an estimate, not only because of the tax on any OOP food/drinks, but we often tip higher than 20%)
-DDP Rack Rate
-Our DDP covered TS costs
-Our DDP covered CS costs
-Total DDP covered costs

With our predicted TS/CS options, if we were paying for the DDP, we would not come ahead. Obviously, since it’s free, this doesn't bother me. Plus, who knows, we may make more expensive choices when we get down there?!

**Roaring Fork is only highlighted because those numbers are ones I calculated based off Riverside Mills’ menu, when I thought we were staying at POR. I’ll want to go back and look at RF’s menu to get more exact numbers.

I love this tab, too! It’s not currently filled out, but it’ll detail the outfits I’ll be wearing for our trip:

I always break down my clothes packing by day and in the hot weather, I must change during our mid-day break. I don’t like going to dinner in sweaty clothes that I’ve been in all day. The only confirmed outfit is a new dress I bought that has little anchors all over it-- it’s very Yachtsman! I’ll definitely be doing a day by day outfit post when the trip gets closer! The rest of this tab details everything else I’ll be packing (pajamas, toiletries, etc.).

Well this was certainly a meaty post! If you made it all the way through, congratulations! My next post will be shorter, I promise! I just got a huge haul of make-up from Sephora specifically for our trip, so maybe I share that. I hope everyone has a good rest of the week!

 

[klacey1]

Side note, I just realized that by reorganizing my Photobucket account, most of my pics from this would disappear! Annoying! I'll insert the proper links later!

 

[lvcourtneyy]

So far behind! But I'm catching up now

I think that's how it is in the app for all restaurants with a CC guarantee. It happened to us in January when we were trying to make reservations for Tusker House while in the FOTLK show

I would NOT have been able to sit still for the next 20 minutes! I'm glad it worked out and you got the reservation!

I'm glad to hear the soreness from the braces has been getting better. I get canker sores ALL the time. I hope yours clear up soon but for me, drinking milk helps sooth them and there's this product they sell at my local CVS that's basically a seal that goes over the canker sore that works amazingly!

The Mouse Memo app looks pretty good for storing confirmation numbers! I've been looking for a better one myself because MDE is so terrible. I have the Lines app from Touring Plans which is ok for wait times.

Ah the menu changing is so frustrating! It could be nice for you to change it and then not have Raglan Road and Rose and Crown close together. Although, I'm sure it'll work out well either way. I've heard great things about all 3 of the other restaurants but I've never eaten at any of them so I can't speak from experience!

I love your planning post! As far as in the parks, I would probably do a folder instead of a binder just because a binder seems bulkier to me. I have a pink plastic envelope with one of those manila envelope string type closures that I keep all my paystubs and such in. Maybe you could put one of those in the folder to keep track of receipts if you decide to go that route?

 

[blabbermouth]

Wow, now that is organization! I'm so impressed, puts my little spreadsheet to shame.

If you printed them out really small you could make them into a booklet for your park bag?

 

[JoanneDisFan]

Wow, your as organized, if not more, than I am. I've got all my info down to about 4 index sized cards double sided. 1 side for each park rides, and best times to do them. 1 side for crowd calendars and park hours including best and worst parks. 1 side for a list of all ADR's. And 1 side my basic itinerary and confirmation numbers. I may also have one to check off snacks and meals used.

I have people say I'm crazy to be so planned, but it really does work for us. Love your organization.