If I say it out loud, will my wish come true.. PTR May 2011(Link to TR pg41)

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Hey there! I followed you over to your report. You will love WL and the Beach Club looks fab as well!

I understand your ADR stress, I suffer from it too.

 

[MaryAz]

Found you!!! We have gone the past 2 years in May-great trips!! Caught Flower and Garden the first trip and did SWW last year. Congrats on BC! I am hoping to stay there in Oct. To bad you switched your dates there are afew of us going to do a 5k. Will catch up soon.

 

[pinkxray]

I am so glad that I do not have to deal with airports this time around. I know I will regret saying that after the first few hours in a van with 4 kids, but being able to go at our pace and not deal with scanners, and tons of people and feeling rushed. Ahhhh makes me breath a sigh of relief, and then I think about my almost 3 yr old and just pray she will outgrow her car sickness issues in the next 2 months.

Good luck with DD's car sickness. I always got car sick as a kid. Back in those days I got to ride in the front seat or took dramamine (sp?). That was back in when the front seat had a middle seat though, plus kids didn't have to stay in car seats until they are 10.

I would like to drive down at some point, but it would have to be like a two week trip so we could stop along the way. DH will never agree to be away from his precious dog that long though.

Hey there! I followed you over to your report. You will love WL and the Beach Club looks fab as well!

I understand your ADR stress, I suffer from it too.

Right now I have a line up I really like, but then I start to see reviews and think about other places I want to try. We did dxdp last trip and I keep wanting to add it on for a portion of our trip, but then I'll have to rearrange everything again. Sometimes I get so annoyed I swear I'll just drop all TS and do the quick service plan.

Found you!!! We have gone the past 2 years in May-great trips!! Caught Flower and Garden the first trip and did SWW last year. Congrats on BC! I am hoping to stay there in Oct. To bad you switched your dates there are afew of us going to do a 5k. Will catch up soon.

Thanks for coming over.

I am really looking foward to seeing the Flower and Garden Festival this year. We missed it by a few weeks last year. I am waiting for Disney to release the dates for SWW this year. I am hoping since Star Tours is opening May 16th it will be that weekend. I will be very disappointed if they end up having them all in June or something. I guess we'll just have more time for SAB though.

The 5k sounds like fun! I would love to do that some time. DH doesn't get why running 5k and half marathons are different at Disney. He always tells me I can run in CT. Can I run through the castle in CT?

Your trip is so soon. Pop looks like so much fun for the girls and Kidani looks so pretty. I am just so jealous you get to spend x-mas at Disney!

 

[KatMark]

Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family.

 

[pinkxray]

Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family.

Merry Christmas to you too!

 

[2princesses2princes]

So how are things coming, did you tell her on Christmas? We haven't told our kids yet, we were suppose to but had a major setback (see my report for that one) hoping to tell them this Saturday.

You had mentioned dramamine, that is a necessity for my family. If I dont' drive I have to take it to not get sick, I usually just do all the driving though. My 9yr old needs it too if he'll be reading, or watching videos. I am just afraid it will make my little one sleepy and she'll sleep too much during the day and not enough at night.

 

[pinkxray]

So how are things coming, did you tell her on Christmas? We haven't told our kids yet, we were suppose to but had a major setback (see my report for that one) hoping to tell them this Saturday.

You had mentioned dramamine, that is a necessity for my family. If I dont' drive I have to take it to not get sick, I usually just do all the driving though. My 9yr old needs it too if he'll be reading, or watching videos. I am just afraid it will make my little one sleepy and she'll sleep too much during the day and not enough at night.

I ended up not telling her on xmas. She does know that we are going back this year. We talk about it all the time and she is busy saving all her money for Disney. I usually just say next year, maybe summer we'll go back. I have no idea when I'll tell her. I wish I could just pick her up the day we leave since we'll be picking her up at school early, but I would feel bad not letting her say goodbye to our dogs and her other family members.

I did see that you didn't get your autograph books yet. I haven't seen if you have gotten them yet. Work has been so busy this week, I haven't been on here too much. I can't wait for Monday when Caitlin goes back to school and I have a few days off.

I hope you had a great xmas!

You must be so excited that you can now say your trip is next month

 

[pinkxray]

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a nice xmas and New Year's. I've been so busy with work and Caitlin being off this week I haven't been around lately. I have also tried to stay away from anything that mentions anything about WDW restaurants. I can't seem to be happy with my ADRs and when I see reviews of some place good I try to see where I can squeeze it in.


I was thinking recently that staying at Pop on our arrival night might be a little annoying since we are already doing a split stay. I was thinking of just adding another night at VWL, but only if I could get a discount otherwise we would just stay somewhere near the airport that night and head to VWL in the morning. First thing I did this morning was check the WDW for a discount but there was nothing for May. I saw on the discount page over on the resort board a room only discount for my dates and decided to give it a shot. I called and talked to one CM and he said the code was AAA related and I would have to call AAA or pay a fee to have them change my package over to a room only.

I decided to give it one more shot and the nice CM was awesome! I got 40% the one night at VWL I was worried since it said there might be a minimium of nights required but it worked. The only thing that stinks is we might have to change rooms, but that won't be too bad.

I know a few people are going in May so check out the discount threads over on the resort board. It does say that it starts 1/3 but people are having it applied today.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Congrats on the room discount!

 

[ksl5f123]

Wow, I got so behind. Your new plans look like a lot of fun.

I would love to go to Discovery Cove. Of course, my kids are still way too young. DH and I got to swim with dolphins in the ocean when we were in Hawaii 5 years ago, but in the wild, they stay about 20 feet away from you - not the up close and personal you get at DC. My oldest loves dolphins, so maybe someday.

for switching from Pop to VWL!!! We are headed to WL for our next trip and I just can't wait! I think that resort is just so beautiful!

I am glad that you have been able to get reservations using rented points. It is something I would really like to try in the future.

that you are still trying to figure out the ADRs. There are just too many good choices!

 

[pinkxray]

Congrats on the room discount!

Thanks. I really want to try Pop someday but I think I would like to have at least a few days to get the full experience, plus it will be much easier not having to move on our first morning.

Wow, I got so behind. Your new plans look like a lot of fun.

I would love to go to Discovery Cove. Of course, my kids are still way too young. DH and I got to swim with dolphins in the ocean when we were in Hawaii 5 years ago, but in the wild, they stay about 20 feet away from you - not the up close and personal you get at DC. My oldest loves dolphins, so maybe someday.

for switching from Pop to VWL!!! We are headed to WL for our next trip and I just can't wait! I think that resort is just so beautiful!

I am glad that you have been able to get reservations using rented points. It is something I would really like to try in the future.

that you are still trying to figure out the ADRs. There are just too many good choices!

I am so jealous you got to swim with dolphins in Hawaii! DH loves dolphins so we have been to DC once before. He wants Caitlin to be able to do it this time. I enjoyed it but honestly I think I would prefer having one more day to spend at the parks.

I am getting more and more excited about VWL as the trip approaches. I really wanted BWV but it wasn't available those days so VWL it is. I am sure it will be fantastic.

There are way to many places that I want to try in too little time. I also promised that this trip would be at a relaxed pace, so although I could squeeze in a few more I am trying to keep it to 1 ADR a day which is tough. I also seem to like the lunch menu more at many places and you can only do one lunch a day. Sometimes I get so annoyed with the whole thing I think I will just get the QSDP and be done with it!

 

[TinksThree]

I am the same way with the restaurant threads! I either get excited about an ADR I have and then read bad reviews or I hear about places that people love and then I wish I could fit that one in! And I am already stretching myself thin on this trip, so I must stop my madness!!

Congrats on the room discount and change! I saw that discount listed earlier and considered but right now our first night room appears to be free even if it is off-site! And I must say free is mighty nice!!!

 

[pinkxray]

I am the same way with the restaurant threads! I either get excited about an ADR I have and then read bad reviews or I hear about places that people love and then I wish I could fit that one in! And I am already stretching myself thin on this trip, so I must stop my madness!!

Congrats on the room discount and change! I saw that discount listed earlier and considered but right now our first night room appears to be free even if it is off-site! And I must say free is mighty nice!!!

I love the restaurant boards and all the yummy looking pictures, but it always makes me rethink me plans.

Nothing beats a free first night

 

[pinkxray]

As I have mentioned before I am having a tough time getting my plans straight. I am going to post a few different plans and would love any feedback. Keep in mind we only have 1 day for each park.


Day 1 will be at EPCOT.
Breakfast choices include
- Not planning anything and just grabbing something at Roaring Forks and heading to EPCOT.
-Kona- I have been wanting to try this and since we are in the MK area it will be easy to get to the Poly. The breakfast sounds great and it is high on my must try list.
-Cape May- Wouldn't it be nice to start the trip off with a character breakfast? Plus it is close to EPCOT. I also think it would be kind of cool to see the Beach Club and say "Wow, wouldn't it be nice to stay here someday" since John and Caitlin have no idea we will be later in the week.


Lunch-
-Le Chefs- One reason only -Remy. I love Remy but the food doesn't really appeal to me that much. I would probably end up eating onion soup, bread and dessert. I've asked John and Caitlin and they don't care. Caitlin says she wants to see Remy but would rather have pizza then yucky food. Plus there is a chance we might not even see Remy
-Via Napoli- Looks yummy and I can't seem to fit it anywhere else. I am worried though that John and Caitlin will not like it since they are used to chain pizza.
-No adrs and just grab counter service or snacks. There are so many treats I want to try from the caramel shop and the bakeries maybe we should just snack our way through EPCOT. Some of the counter service places look yummy too.

Dinner-
I am thinking of not planning anything here. We will most likely come back to the resort in the afternoon to swim/nap and I am not sure where we'll end up. Maybe back to EPCOT or head to MK for the night parade and fireworks. Thinking maybe WCC for dinner or just counterservice.

 

[2princesses2princes]

First off, yes we did finally get our books, the Monday after Christmas and they are really neat. We did our big reveal on Saturday details on my PTR

For your options for Epcot, this is tough. But if it was me, and I only had one day at the park I'd grab something quick so I didn't miss out on anytime for breakfast. Lunch I'd probably do a counterservice somewhere, there are so many wonderful options. Or chance Via Napoli but that's a tough one. I want to try Kona so bad as well, but if I couldn't get there early enough to make it rope drop I'd skip it. And the Cape May thing sounded really fun too, but taking away from park time is hard for me,.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

As I have mentioned before I am having a tough time getting my plans straight. I am going to post a few different plans and would love any feedback. Keep in mind we only have 1 day for each park.


Day 1 will be at EPCOT.
Breakfast choices include
- Not planning anything and just grabbing something at Roaring Forks and heading to EPCOT.
-Kona- I have been wanting to try this and since we are in the MK area it will be easy to get to the Poly. The breakfast sounds great and it is high on my must try list.
-Cape May- Wouldn't it be nice to start the trip off with a character breakfast? Plus it is close to EPCOT. I also think it would be kind of cool to see the Beach Club and say "Wow, wouldn't it be nice to stay here someday" since John and Caitlin have no idea we will be later in the week.


Lunch-
-Le Chefs- One reason only -Remy. I love Remy but the food doesn't really appeal to me that much. I would probably end up eating onion soup, bread and dessert. I've asked John and Caitlin and they don't care. Caitlin says she wants to see Remy but would rather have pizza then yucky food. Plus there is a chance we might not even see Remy
-Via Napoli- Looks yummy and I can't seem to fit it anywhere else. I am worried though that John and Caitlin will not like it since they are used to chain pizza.
-No adrs and just grab counter service or snacks. There are so many treats I want to try from the caramel shop and the bakeries maybe we should just snack our way through EPCOT. Some of the counter service places look yummy too.

Dinner-
I am thinking of not planning anything here. We will most likely come back to the resort in the afternoon to swim/nap and I am not sure where we'll end up. Maybe back to EPCOT or head to MK for the night parade and fireworks. Thinking maybe WCC for dinner or just counterservice.

Here's my recommendation for Epcot:

Breakfast - Eat in your room/get something fast at Whispering Canyon

Lunch - Have you considered Beaches and Cream? If you get there when they open around 11-11:30 there will be no wait at all and the food and ice cream is yummy! The prices aren't too bad either. It gives you a chance to see the Beach Club and is near Epcot.

Dinner - Via Napoli, the menu is the same for lunch and dinner so why not dinner? If you time it right, you can finish dinner and then walk out and see Illuminations.

Will this be your only day at Epcot? If so, maybe forgo the lunch and just snack around World Showcase.

 

[bouncycat]

For Epcot, I'd do the Italian place for dinner, breakfast do early and then get to the parks. WCC or Kona since you're close to them, and for lunch, we did a TS lunch ONCE, never again!! It took alot longer to do TS lunch than it does dinner, it seemed that way anyways, I'd rather miss 2 hours of park time in the evening before the parade/fireworks, than 2 hours in the middle of the day, so I'd do CS for lunch, but that's just me!

 

[pinkxray]

For your options for Epcot, this is tough. But if it was me, and I only had one day at the park I'd grab something quick so I didn't miss out on anytime for breakfast. Lunch I'd probably do a counterservice somewhere, there are so many wonderful options. Or chance Via Napoli but that's a tough one. I want to try Kona so bad as well, but if I couldn't get there early enough to make it rope drop I'd skip it. And the Cape May thing sounded really fun too, but taking away from park time is hard for me,.

I think you are right about not missing park time. Breakfast isn't a big deal b/c I will schedule it early enough to make it to rope drop, but lunch and dinner will take away some time.

I am thinking cs may be the way to go. Chefs might have to wait until another trip. Just not enough Disney days this trip.

Here's my recommendation for Epcot:

Breakfast - Eat in your room/get something fast at Whispering Canyon

Lunch - Have you considered Beaches and Cream? If you get there when they open around 11-11:30 there will be no wait at all and the food and ice cream is yummy! The prices aren't too bad either. It gives you a chance to see the Beach Club and is near Epcot.

Dinner - Via Napoli, the menu is the same for lunch and dinner so why not dinner? If you time it right, you can finish dinner and then walk out and see Illuminations.

Will this be your only day at Epcot? If so, maybe forgo the lunch and just snack around World Showcase.

Ahhhh, Beaches and Cream. I didn't even think about that for this day. Thanks a lot, another great option. I was thinking about doing this for lunch the next weekend during SWW so we could leave DHS for a bit but it would work this day too.

Right now it is our only offical EPCOT day. I have a few nights that I don't have anything scheduled so we might make it back again during the week but it depends. I am leaving it open for Caitlin to decide what she wants to do.

Snacking around WS sounds like a plan. I have a list of the yummy things I want to try and it will be hard to get them all in if we have a major meal.

For Epcot, I'd do the Italian place for dinner, breakfast do early and then get to the parks. WCC or Kona since you're close to them, and for lunch, we did a TS lunch ONCE, never again!! It took alot longer to do TS lunch than it does dinner, it seemed that way anyways, I'd rather miss 2 hours of park time in the evening before the parade/fireworks, than 2 hours in the middle of the day, so I'd do CS for lunch, but that's just me!

Wow, I never thought lunch would take away more time than dinner. I was thinking of Via Napoli for dinner but right now I don't have many dinners scheduled. I am trying to leave most nights open so that we can pick the park we feel like going to instead of being stuck going somewhere for an ADR. Last trip we almost always took a midday break and it always seemed like a pain to make it somewhere for dinner. Maybe I should just schedule Via Napoli for dinner and hope we make it there.

 

[tinacaplan]

Hi! So sorry it took me so long to get over here! Your plans look great. I can't wait to hear how it all works out with renting points. Its such an attractive idea, but I'm too scared, plus we're happy to stay at CSR.

As for you dining options... I'd go for Via Napoi over Chefs, but we had a terrible meal at Chefs last year and we LOVE pizza. We live very close to New Haven and have been eating amazing pizza all our lives. Plus, I'm Italian-American and love Italian food. Plus, its gotten good reviews from people whose opinion I value.

Also, your daughter is absolutely beautiful. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Years!

 

[pinkxray]

Hi! So sorry it took me so long to get over here! Your plans look great. I can't wait to hear how it all works out with renting points. Its such an attractive idea, but I'm too scared, plus we're happy to stay at CSR.

As for you dining options... I'd go for Via Napoi over Chefs, but we had a terrible meal at Chefs last year and we LOVE pizza. We live very close to New Haven and have been eating amazing pizza all our lives. Plus, I'm Italian-American and love Italian food. Plus, its gotten good reviews from people whose opinion I value.

Also, your daughter is absolutely beautiful. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Years!

I am glad you made it over.

I am a little scared about the whole renting points thing but I figure why not try it once. If it doesn't work out we can find a place offsite or a value and never try it again. I'm not really worried though.

Via Napoli does look good. Where do you go for pizza in New Haven? I have been close to NH most of my life and never tried the pizza there. This year I will try it (just have to convince DH)

Thank you!