How many acronyms can we fit in 1 trip?MNSSHP,F&W,WWOHP,&HHN-Update 10.21-TR started!

[arbolita]

I love reading the trip reports here, so I decided I would join in on the fun!

This will be my fourth trip to Disney, and my third in as many years.


The cast:

Me! Theresa, a.k.a. Tree. I'm 25 and I currently work for a University, managing their donor database. This trip will be my 4th to the World! I'm pretty laid back, except when it comes to trip planning! I cannot pick a favorite park, because I love them all for different reasons. But ever since last year, I have become a HUGE fan of the Tower of Terror. I love Dole Whips, chocolate covered ice cream shaped like Mickey's head, and the chocolate milk creme brulee from the France booth at the Food and Wine Festival (can you tell I have a bit of a sweet tooth?) I am most excited for this trip to FINALLY go on Space Mountain for the first time!!

This is Scott, my husband, who will probably be referred to here as Mr. Arb. He turns 36 a week from today, and currently works in IT, after working several years at a local radio station. This will also be his 4th trip to the World. If you asked him to pick his favorite park, he's probably say Universal Studios , but he is a big fan of Hollywood Studios and the Country Bear Jamboree. Ever since our dinner last year at the Yachtsmen Steakhouse, he has compared every steak we've ever had to their filet. That is probably his most anticipated part of our trip.

He also bears a slight resemblance to Beaker:

Table of Contents:

Previous Trips to Disney
October 2010 - The Trip That Almost Wasn't
ADR's!
My Disney Must Dos
Farewell, Mango Lassi
Time for a new toy?
Double Digits!!
Two more days at Disney? Yes, please!
Updated ADR's
New Toys and a Tour?
We're completely paid off! Now how will we spend our days?
Daily Plans, Part II
Testing, testing...
One Month to Go!
DHS Top 5 Must Dos
Epcot Top 6 Must Dos
Magic Kingdom Top 5 Must Dos
Animal Kingdom Top 5 Must Dos
SINGLE DIGIT DANCE!

 

[arbolita]

Let's do a brief history of my past trips to Disney

June 1990

Sadly, I have no pictures on my computer of this trip. However, I'm heading to my parents house this weekend and I'm hoping to bring back albums of old pictures to scan, so maybe I can fix that problem!

I was 5 years old during this trip, and I was lucky enough to be going to Disney with my parents, sister and another family who had a video camera. I do have some specific memories of this trip, such as "driving" on the Tomorrowland Speedway, being terrified of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and the Haunted Mansion, and getting ice cream from a giant blue dinosaur, but throughout my childhood I was able to relive the magic of Disney over and over by watching that tape. It's still great to watch it now to see how the parks have changed, as well as reliving rides that are no longer in existence like the Skyway and 20000 Leagues Under the Sea.

June 2008

Yes, it's true, I had an 18 year gap between my first and second trips to the park. My boyfriend at the time had made the suggestion for us to do a weekend trip to Orlando so I could experience Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure for the first time, and head to DHS for Star Wars Weekend.

We stayed off property, near Universal Studios, and spent our first full day at DHS. My boyfriend was enjoying getting pictures with Darth Vader and storm troopers, whereas I was ecstatic that I was able to eat an ice cream shaped like Mickey's head and seeing that the ice cream stand shaped like a brontosaurus still exists.

Little did I know what was in store for me the next day...

My boyfriend and I packed up early, and headed out for my first trip ever to Universal Studios. Ever since we got to Orlando, I'd known the two rides I wanted to go on at the Universal Studios Parks: the Jurassic Park ride at Islands of Adventure, and the Jaws ride at Universal. To my dismay, when we arrived at the Jurassic Park ride, the was a staff person saying it was closed due to "dinosaur malfunctions." I was disappointed, but I still had Jaws.

We headed over to the Universal park, and after a quick stop to check out the new Simpsons ride, we finally made our way towards Jaws. As the ride was reaching it's climax, the shark rose out of the water, and there was a cloud of fog. As the fog cleared, I heard my boyfriend say, "Hey, what's that?" so I turned my head thinking I'd see something amazing on the other side of the boat.

There in his hand, was a ring.*

I am just so awesome, that instead of crying or screaming out "Yes!" my response was:

"I don't know which finger it goes on?"

*Now, for those of you who get the reference, you are awesome. For those that don't, Scott and I are huge Kevin Smith movie fans. In the movie Mallrats, there is a scene where one character tells another that before his girlfriend dumped him, they were planning on taking a trip to Orlando, where he was going to propose to her on the Jaws ride when the shark pops out of the water, to which the other character responds, "That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard."


As we began planning our wedding, almost immediately I knew I wanted to return to the World for our honeymoon - after all, I'd only gotten a chance to revisit one of the Disney parks! I had been re-bitten by the bug and there was no stopping my need to return!


September 2009

For our honeymoon we spent 8 days, 7 nights at the Coronado Springs Resort

By this point I'd discovered The Dis, and used it to become a planning fiend. I checked park times and the Touring Plans crowd calendar to pick what park we would visit on each day; I'd planned my ADR's months in advance (and then changed them. And changed them again. And again...). Mr. Arb thought I was a bit nuts for planning out so many things ahead of time when we hadn't done so for our last trip, but while we were down there, he saw just how much more we were able to get accomplish each day, while still having mid-day breaks at the room to get out of the sun and rest.

Since we were down at the parks the last week in September, we were able to take advantage of Free Dining, the Food and Wine Festival, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, and the first trip for each of us to Animal Kingdom.

Oh, and Mr. Arb got to experience Beverly

 

[arbolita]

October 2010 - The Trip that Almost Wasn't

After spending two vacations in a row in Orlando, I had come to terms with the fact that I probably would not be so lucky to come back for a third consecutive year. Mr. Arb and I were talking about places we would both like to visit, and the United Kingdom and Ireland we the two places that topped both of our lists.

So I put my planning skills to good use and planned an amazing 2.5 week trip to go throughout Ireland, Wales, England and Scotland, giving us time to explore the cities/landmarks we really want to see without having to worry about rushing through everything. Because of the cost of the trip, we were going to forgo a big vacation this year and go in the fall of 2011.

Then Mr. Arb spoke with his employers, and because of the nature of his job and the small size of his office, there is absolutely no chance he will be able to get more than one week off for vacation at a time. We were both incredibly disappointed, and decided that we'll still plan to go overseas next fall, but just do Dublin and London. That led Mr. Arb to saying 9 of the most amazing words in the English language:

"Do you want to go to Orlando this year?"




So here I am, planning my third Disney trip in a row!

We had such a great time last year in the fall, that we decided to plan our trip around the same time, just a couple weeks later.

This year we will be staying at the Port Orleans - Riverside from October 11-15. We've already purchased our tickets for MNSSHP for October 12, and have left October 14 opened to head over to Universal Studios for the day/night to check out Harry Potter at IOA and spend another evening screaming at Halloween Horror Nights

 

[arbolita]

ADR's

Monday October 11
Kouzzina 6:05 PM

Tuesday October 12
Raglan Road 6:30 PM

Wednesday October 13
Yachtsmen Steakhouse 6:30 PM

Friday October 15
Le Cellier 12:45 PM


Of our four ADRs, we have been to two of them before - Yachtsmen and Raglan Road. I know that Mr. Arb will be ordering the same entrees at each that he had last year (the Shepard's Pie and the Filet Mignon), but I'm looking forward to trying something new!

 

[onelilspark]

Joining in!

 

[KatMark]

I'm here, Theresa, and can't wait to follow along.

 

[arbolita]

Joining in!

I'm here, Theresa, and can't wait to follow along.

Great to have you both here!

 

[arbolita]

Disney Must Do's


Last year, it became a running joke anytime we were in the room, one of us would turn on the TV and say "I wonder what the Must Do's are?"

I want to start my own personal list for this year!

- Toy Story Midway Mania - I've never been on this ride; we've either gotten to the park too late in the day to get a FP, the FP's have been for a time we couldn't use, or the lines have been way too long to go standby. I am determined to ride this year though.

- Space Mountain - I was too young to go in the 90's, my next trip to WDW we only went to DHS, and last year it was closed for refurbishment. Keep your fingers crossed that this year I won't run into some sort of breakdown!

- - who doesn't love a Mickey ice cream bar?

- Purchase a VinylMation figurine - I purchased my first one last year, and I decided that as long as they are being sold, I want to purchase one each year we are in the parks. Though I heard in August they are coming out with a Star Wars line, so if Mr. Arb has anything to say about it, we will be purchasing the entire box so he can get a full collection

- Get a picture looking out at the park while you are at the top of Tower of Terror - Last year I was too nervous about dropping my camera to attempt this, but I'm going to make sure I have the cord tight around my wrist, and see if I can pull it off (whether or not it will turn out is another story...)

- Visit more Food and Wine Festival booths - The weather was so hot last year when we attended the F&W Festival that I couldn't even think about eating most of the foods available. We're going to be in Florida about three weeks later in the year this time, so I'm hoping I'll be able to deal with the temperature a little more and try things other than the Mango Lassi and Milk Chocolate Creme Brulee that we did last year. I definitely won't be opposed to getting them again though!


I have many more things I want to do on my list, but I'll leave you with those for now I have to finish packing up a bag to head to my parents house this weekend. My best friend from high school is having her annual Summer Solstice Bonfire, and I never miss it.

I live about an hour away from my parents, so I decided to stay for the entire weekend instead of making the trip again on Sunday for Father's Day.


Hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend!

 

[KatMark]

I love your top five. One of these days we will get there for Food & Wine; what is a VinylMation figurine ?

Have a great weekend.

 

[HeatherBelle614]

Hi!

I followed you over from my PTR and subbied!

I can't wait to hear more. Your engagement story is too cute; what a great memory!!

 

[arbolita]

Hi!

I followed you over from my PTR and subbied!

I can't wait to hear more. Your engagement story is too cute; what a great memory!!

Woohoo, thanks for following!

Due to his engagement, any trip to Orlando will not be complete unless we take a ride on Jaws. I think I'll cry if they ever try to replace it with something else.

I love your top five. One of these days we will get there for Food & Wine; what is a VinylMation figurine ?

Have a great weekend.

Food and Wine is definitely worth experiencing at least once. Last year on the honeymoon we were actually able to get there before Free Dining ended, and have our trip overlap with the beginning of the Food and Wine festival. It was great using our snack credits to get things from the booths.

You've probably seen the VinylMation and just not known what they are called. I found this description on a blog that explains it very well:

Vinylmation figures are figurines of various sizes shaped like Mickey Mouse. Artists from around the world paint their own interpretations onto the blank figures and sell them in mystery packs to surprise you every time you buy one.

They come as figurines of different sizes (typically 3" and 9") and you can also get them as trading pins. They're also only available at the Disney Parks and Downtown Disney, or online. I like to buy the 3" ones, and it's fun not knowing what you will get until you open the box.

This website has images of every single one available, and previews of some of the upcoming collections: http://www.vinylnation.net/

 

[arbolita]

I only have time for a quick post because I have a lot of reading to do this week for my class I'm taking.

I had a fun weekend with my parents. The only downside was when I was at the bonfire, I was telling a story to my friend and pointed at my eye, and my contact lens popped out! I'm guessing my eyes were really dry due to all the smoke, but I've never had a lens completely pop out like that before. We spent some time looking for it, and I even came back the next day, but with no luck. I wear my glasses the majority of them time, but I like having the option to wear my contacts when I'm out. I'll definitely need to order a replacement before heading for Florida, because I hate either having to take my glasses off on thrill rides, or worry that they'll come flying off in the middle.


I also found out today that the university where I work is closed the entire week of Spring Break, so I am thinking about potentially making my first spring Disney trip. I know Mr. Arb would not be able to join me, so it'd probably be a solo trip. I need to check prices and see what sort of pin code I can get for that time. But I think it'd be really fun to go by myself and do everything on my own time table.

 

[Nermel9]

Hi I'm joining in!!!

I love your engagement story...Mallrats is one of my favorite movies!!!

Toy Story Midway Mania is one of my must do's for my November trip, I've never done it either!!! I'm determined to do it this year!

I want to go during October sometime, I'm really hoping next year so we can do MNSSHP and Food and Wine, it seems like such a great time to be there!

 

[arbolita]

Hi I'm joining in!!!

I love your engagement story...Mallrats is one of my favorite movies!!!

Toy Story Midway Mania is one of my must do's for my November trip, I've never done it either!!! I'm determined to do it this year!

I want to go during October sometime, I'm really hoping next year so we can do MNSSHP and Food and Wine, it seems like such a great time to be there!

Since you love Mallrats, I'm just going to go ahead and assume you're a Kevin Smith fan too, which makes you alright in my book =)

I fell in love with Food and Wine and MNSSHP last year. I think the weather is great in the fall in Florida, and since it's so early in the school year, most parents won't take their kids out of school for vacation, so crowds are pretty low. I want to experience the park at least once in each season, but I don't think I'll find a better time than the fall!

 

[KatMark]

I only have time for a quick post because I have a lot of reading to do this week for my class I'm taking.

I had a fun weekend with my parents. The only downside was when I was at the bonfire, I was telling a story to my friend and pointed at my eye, and my contact lens popped out! I'm guessing my eyes were really dry due to all the smoke, but I've never had a lens completely pop out like that before. We spent some time looking for it, and I even came back the next day, but with no luck. I wear my glasses the majority of them time, but I like having the option to wear my contacts when I'm out. I'll definitely need to order a replacement before heading for Florida, because I hate either having to take my glasses off on thrill rides, or worry that they'll come flying off in the middle.


I also found out today that the university where I work is closed the entire week of Spring Break, so I am thinking about potentially making my first spring Disney trip. I know Mr. Arb would not be able to join me, so it'd probably be a solo trip. I need to check prices and see what sort of pin code I can get for that time. But I think it'd be really fun to go by myself and do everything on my own time table.

Sorry about the contact...that's too bad (it probably was the smoke and the dryness).

I've never done a solo trip....but I know lots of people that have and they love it.

 

[arbolita]

I have been following the 2010 Food and Wine Festival thread here on the DIS, and someone posted the list of all the booths for this year - and I am very sad to note that India is not on the list!

I will miss you Mango Lassi. I can only hope to find something else as nice and refreshing to quench my thirst this year.

 

[shordiebecka]

hey! I'm going to be at POR right before you...it can't come quick enough! I love your response to the engagement ring...sometimes it's so surprising that something just comes out of your mouth and you have no control!!!

 

[arbolita]

hey! I'm going to be at POR right before you...it can't come quick enough! I love your response to the engagement ring...sometimes it's so surprising that something just comes out of your mouth and you have no control!!!

Ohh, if you remember, come back here and post some pictures/give a review when you get back!

Honestly, I was completely shocked that he proposed. We had talked about marriage, so I knew it would come eventually, but I didn't think it would happen for another year or so.

 

[onelilspark]

I totally missed that they started a 2010 F&W thread! Thanks for posting that!!

 

[glennbo123]

Joining in Arbolita!