Its a Very Merry Engageymoon! A December 2011 PTR *6/15 So Sad*

[JessicaKnits]

Well here it goes, my first attempt at a real pre-trip report!

First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Jessica. Medicare insurance sales guru by day, knitting designer by night, and closet Disney freak, all the time! I went on my first ever Disney World trip last August with my then boyfriend Adam. Before I get started with all the details of this trip, let me share a few pictures from our last trip!

Before our last trip, Adam swore up and down, that it would be our only Disney trip. I accepted that, and crammed as much as possible into our 11 day trip. That, along with the extreme temps of late August, made me feel like we needed a vacation from our vacation. Hey, I'm young. I learned, and we moved on.

A few weeks ago, we got engaged! It was the perfect, fairytale moment I have waited for all my life! So lets make a long story short about how we (mostly I) decided to go to Disney.

We were on our way back from looking at our reception site. It was the PERFECT place. Exactly what I wanted. However, even though we went looking in March, it was already booked solid every Friday AND Saturday from May - August for 2012. I was really bummed, and was sensing my first wedding planning melt down. Thats when Adam, always the voice of reason, said "You know, we can just wait till 2013 for the wedding, and that way we can have a vacation in between." See why I am marrying this guy? I do know perfectly well that when he was suggesting vacation, he was envisioning Mexico, or Hawaii, and not Disney. The fact that I just got the worlds most perfect diamond engagement ring did not give me very much bargaining power either. So, I just started dropping hints about Disney at every opportunity. When all those wonderful Disney commercials came on "Ohhhhh, wouldn't it be lovely to go again?" I also started working feverishly on the scrapbook from our last trip so that every time I came across a great picture, I could go "Oh, don't you remember how much FUN this was?" After a few weeks of this, the man of my dreams finally said "Alright, how much is it for Disney?" Woohoo!

Without further delay, I invite you to sit back, fasten your safety restraints, pull up on the yellow tabs to make sure they are secure, stow away any loose belongings you wish to keep with you, and enjoy the ride!!

Index:
The Framework (The Who, What, When, Where, Why)
The Framework (Revised)
My Ring
Day 1 Plans
Day 1 Plans (Revised)
Day 2 Plans
Day 2 Plans (Revised)
Day 3 Plans
Day 3 Plans (Revised)
Day 4 Plans
Day 4 Plans (Revised)
Our First Huge Road Block
And What We Decided To Do About It...

 

[JessicaKnits]

The Cast:

Me (Jessica) will be 24 at the time of our trip. As mentioned before, I sell insurance by day, and knit up a storm at night! I didn't get bit by the "Disney" bug until I was 18, and it was on a post-graduation trip to Disneyland with friends. I was a TERRIBLE planner back then. Really, it was bad. It was on a weekend day, in the middle of June, and we didn't even bother getting into the park till almost noon. I have since learned from that experience, and I went on 3 subsequent trips to "The Land" before I finally got to make my pilgrimage to "The World" last summer.

And then there is my fiance, Adam. He will actually be just a few days past his 28th birthday when we make this trip. He is a contractor and is kind enough to build me lots of nice things around our home, and is quite handy to keep around. Adam has still not admitted to being bitten by the Disney bug, but I know he has been, otherwise he would not have agreed to go on this trip.

When:
December 10th - 18th. We can't depart until the 8th at the very earliest, as my "selling" aka really really busy season at work does not end till December 7th. Leaving on Saturday and coming back the following Sunday makes the most sense, since we can get out before the insanity really starts.

Where:
Coronado Springs. I really struggled with my decision. We stayed at Pop in August, and thought it was fabulous. Hideous to look at, for certain. But we really weren't in that room anyway. Also, their recent upgrades are really nice! Decided to go with the Coronado though for a few reasons. The first, being that its my (I mean "Our") engageymoon, and I wanted to splurge a little, but not a lot. Also loved the fact that there are numerous pools, and a hot tub. They also have the in room fridge, which I really missed on our last trip. We ended up tossing half of a specialty cake we had ordered because we couldn't finish it before it went bad. It also offers a table service restaurant. And lastly, its obviously a little nicer on the eyes than the pop.

In What:
A preferred King Bed room. I did quite a bit of research, and definitely want to stay in the Casitas section. So, preferred King made the most sense.

With What:
The Deluxe Dining plan. Struggled with this decision a bit too. After our last trip and going deluxe, we certainly came out wayyyyyyyyyyy ahead numbers wise. But, if we didn't have that dining plan, we also never would order 2 apps, and 2 desserts, or have 2 beverages at breakfast. But again, I wanted to splurge, so Deluxe it is!

Tickets:
Going with 9 day regular tickets

Special Events Planned:
Nothing, yet. I need advice on what is/is not worth doing at Christmas time!

 

[rachel09985]

You need to post a picture of THE ring!! I want to see it!!!

Ive been with my boyfriend for 8.5 years (am 25 now) and STILL no ring!!! Hopefully soon =)

 

[JessicaKnits]

You need to post a picture of THE ring!! I want to see it!!!

Ive been with my boyfriend for 8.5 years (am 25 now) and STILL no ring!!! Hopefully soon =)

Because you asked, but mostly because I NEVER turn down an opportunity to show this baby off, here you go. Ignore the fact that they are kind of blurry.

The center stone is an Asscher cut, and then its surrounded by rounds on all four sides.

And don't worry, when you least expect it, it will happen. Or, if you are like me, it will BE happening and you don't notice it. Like when a waiter brings out a cake that you did not order, so you just start eating the cake any way and get two bites in before you realize there is a diamond nestled in the flower on top.

 

[rachel09985]

Because you asked, but mostly because I NEVER turn down an opportunity to show this baby off, here you go. Ignore the fact that they are kind of blurry.

The center stone is an Asscher cut, and then its surrounded by rounds on all four sides.

And don't worry, when you least expect it, it will happen. Or, if you are like me, it will BE happening and you don't notice it. Like when a waiter brings out a cake that you did not order, so you just start eating the cake any way and get two bites in before you realize there is a diamond nestled in the flower on top.

Lol that is a funny proposal story! The ring is absolutely beautiful!!! Seriously!! I love the sides!!!

 

[JessicaKnits]

Lol that is a funny proposal story! The ring is absolutely beautiful!!! Seriously!! I love the sides!!!

Thank you! He did a very very good job, with only minimal assistance before hand (nothing round, and no yellow gold!)

 

[JessicaKnits]

My hope is to get a very early morning flight out of Milwaukee that hopefully puts us into Orlando around 11:30. Last year, I went with Southwest because we booked RIGHT at the 180 day mark, and the only non-stop they offered didn't put us into Orlando till slightly after 3. This year, since we are a bit further ahead of the game, I will go with AirTran and pay their bag fees, if they offer the flight time I want!

If all goes as planned and we get an early morning flight, and knock on wood, barring any Wisconsin snow storms, we will spend the early afternoon at Downtown Disney and have a light lunch at Earl of Sandwich. I really wanted to try this place out last time, but it just wasn't in the cards.

Then we plan to go back to the hotel, freshen up, perhaps some pool time, and then head over to Flying Fish Cafe for dinner.

Once we are done at Flying Fish, the plan is to stop in at Jellyrolls, if they have some space, because I hear this is a can't miss place. Last year it was on our "To Do" list, but due to a torrential down pour on our first night, which we got stranded in, poncho-less at Raglan Road, (rookie mistake!) we just weren't up for it.

After Jelly's its back to the hotel for some good ole R&R, because our first full day at Disney is going to be JAM packed!

 

[beebeeryan]

Beautiful ring and funny proposal story! Congrats on both!

 

[Villainess]

I'm in! Gorgeous ring!!! We'll be there Nov. 25 - Dec. 4th so we'll miss you by a few days. Definitely have to do MVMCP!

 

[JessicaKnits]

Beautiful ring and funny proposal story! Congrats on both!

Thank you!

I'm in! Gorgeous ring!!! We'll be there Nov. 25 - Dec. 4th so we'll miss you by a few days. Definitely have to do MVMCP!

Ahh...Since you mentioned MVMCP...

 

[JessicaKnits]

I plan to spend our first full day in "The World" at Magic Kingdom, even though Touring Plans says it is a park to avoid on this day. I guess you could call it a tradition, since its where we started our trip last time as well, but it is only our second trip after all. Nothing beats the magic of the Magic Kingdom, so it will be where our journey begins.

I hope to snag an early morning ADR at Crystal Palace. We also had our first breakfast on our last trip here, and it was such an amazing success that I can't help doing it again.

After breakfast we plan on checking out Adventureland and Frontierland, and hope to take a quick spin on the Liberty Belle, which was out of commission during our last trip. After that, its back to the hotel for some pool time and a nap, because our day is JUST getting started.

Once everyone is well rested, I have decided to gamble on getting a 5PM reservation at O'Hana. We did not give this a try last year because it just simply didn't fit in to our schedule. Just in case check in is a total nightmare, I will have a back up reservation for Kona. I have heard, after all, that they offer some pretty amazing sushi.

Once we have had our fill with dinner, it is off the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! It was a hard decision on whether or not to book this. Last time we were here we did the Wishes Dessert Party and had a TERRIBLE time! We must have just been there on an off night when they weren't serving people, but ravenous wolves instead. I was embarrassed to be a human being that evening, things were just too rowdy and people acted like savages over that buffet. Anyhow, when I factored in that we spent all that money on desserts that we hardly ate (because I don't elbow and shove people out of my way at the trough), it didn't seem like so much of an extravagance to pay a bit more and get cookies, cocoa, a parade AND fireworks out of it. Plus, I absolutely adore Christmas. I put my Christmas decorations out on November 1st, or first snow fall, whichever happens sooner, so really, I HAVE to go, right?

I am sure we will be absolutely beat after the party, so it is straight home and straight to bed!

 

[BerrysGirl]

I'm here! Me and my DBF have the same age gap as you and your DF (I'm 24, he's 28). I want to stay at Coronado for my birthday. The King Bed sure would be nice...

 

[amazingact21]

Joining along! My DF just recently proposed to me, as well, and we're about to go on a celebration Disney trip, so of course, I love reading about other people's trips. Coronado Springs sounds wonderful, especially with the king bed preferred room.
I can completely understand what you mean about wanting a fridge in your room. It's one of those small conviences you miss when it's not available!

You are going to have a blast at MVMCP. DF and I went this past December, and the atmosphere is wonderful. It's hard to believe WDW could make the place more magical, but they somehow manage to.

 

[rachie05]

Congrats on your engagement! I will actually be on my honeymoon December 10-17 then we are going on a 7 night cruise and coming back to the world for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I haven't been to Disneyland since I was 10 and have never been to Disneyworld so Im beyond excited! Good luck with all your planning!!! Planning what restaurants we are going to has been so fun, Im going to check out your dining review now!!

 

[JessicaKnits]

I'm here! Me and my DBF have the same age gap as you and your DF (I'm 24, he's 28). I want to stay at Coronado for my birthday. The King Bed sure would be nice...

We also had a king bed when we stayed at Pop, but I think just got it out of sheer dumb luck, or perhaps because we did online checkin and had it noted previously on our reservation. Not sure what caused it, but we were really lucky!

Joining along! My DF just recently proposed to me, as well, and we're about to go on a celebration Disney trip, so of course, I love reading about other people's trips. Coronado Springs sounds wonderful, especially with the king bed preferred room.
I can completely understand what you mean about wanting a fridge in your room. It's one of those small conviences you miss when it's not available!

You are going to have a blast at MVMCP. DF and I went this past December, and the atmosphere is wonderful. It's hard to believe WDW could make the place more magical, but they somehow manage to.

It is definitely a small convenience. We had groceries sent from Garden Grocer last time and had to make due with a styrofoam cooler. NEVER again.

Congrats on your engagement! I will actually be on my honeymoon December 10-17 then we are going on a 7 night cruise and coming back to the world for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I haven't been to Disneyland since I was 10 and have never been to Disneyworld so Im beyond excited! Good luck with all your planning!!! Planning what restaurants we are going to has been so fun, Im going to check out your dining review now!!

Thank you! The dining review includes the good, the bad, and some ugly! Which resort are you staying at for your honeymoon?

 

[JessicaKnits]

Day 3 is a sleep in late day! We will need it after all the Merry Christmas Party-ing. So, no breakfast reservations made.

We plan to spend the day at Epcot. We mostly go to World Showcase in this park. The only rides we rode repeatedly were Soarin and the one inside the golf ball, whose name escapes me now. I cannot stomach even the green version of Mission Space.

So, no judging, but our first stop this day will probably be to La Cava. I looooooooooove tequila. Like really really really love it. And their margaritas do not dissappoint. So, I need to have another. And probably another.

I'm trying to decide if/when/how/where to do the candlelight processional package. I've heard this is a don't miss, but I don't know that we want to have 2 late nights in a row. Thoughts? I really don't know much about the packages. Are they always 2 credits regardless of which restaurant?

Going to leave this one up in the air for now. If we don't go this night, the next time we will be in Epcot will be our last night. Decisions, decisions.

If we decide to go with the processional this night, it will probably be with the lunch package. We will probably go with Le Cellier, since eating dinner there would cost us 2 credits now anyway. Back up reservation would be Chefs de France!

After lunch we will probably just spend the afternoon wandering about, snacking and shopping until it is performance time. Even though we get a preferred view of Illuminations with the package, I imagine we will be tired enough to just go home afterwards, but you never know.

 

[amazingact21]

I did the CP last year without buying the package and it was very hectic. The lines for the 5:30 showing began at 3:00pm, so DF and I wasted pretty much our whole afternoon sitting around in line.

So, if the CP is something you want to experience, I'd suggest going with the package. That being said, I think the Le Cellier lunch sounds like a smart idea, that way you get some time in between eating and watching the event.

 

[rachie05]

We also had a king bed when we stayed at Pop, but I think just got it out of sheer dumb luck, or perhaps because we did online checkin and had it noted previously on our reservation. Not sure what caused it, but we were really lucky!



It is definitely a small convenience. We had groceries sent from Garden Grocer last time and had to make due with a styrofoam cooler. NEVER again.



Thank you! The dining review includes the good, the bad, and some ugly! Which resort are you staying at for your honeymoon?

We are actually staying at Pop Century, I know it's not very honeymoonish but I figure all we will be doing there is sleeping and I wanted to go on a cruise too so we had to cut somewhere and I refused to cut the DDP! I read your reviews they were great. We are planning to go to a lot of those restaurants so it was really helpful!

 

[JessicaKnits]

I did the CP last year without buying the package and it was very hectic. The lines for the 5:30 showing began at 3:00pm, so DF and I wasted pretty much our whole afternoon sitting around in line.

So, if the CP is something you want to experience, I'd suggest going with the package. That being said, I think the Le Cellier lunch sounds like a smart idea, that way you get some time in between eating and watching the event.

Super! This is exactly the type of advice I was looking for. DF is NOT a line person for anything, at Disney or at home. Anyone know when they start selling the CP packages?

We are actually staying at Pop Century, I know it's not very honeymoonish but I figure all we will be doing there is sleeping and I wanted to go on a cruise too so we had to cut somewhere and I refused to cut the DDP! I read your reviews they were great. We are planning to go to a lot of those restaurants so it was really helpful!

Had I not been given to permission to splurge, we would be staying at Pop again without hesitation! It is not all that pleasant to look, but I have to say, the renovated rooms there looked a lot nicer than say, the rooms at POR that had not been renovated, and you would pay a lot more for those. One thing I CANNOT stand at a hotel is a dirty bathroom, and Pop's passed the test. To bypass paying for a fridge we ordered a $5 styrofoam cooler with our groceries from Garden Grocer. It did the job getting waters cold overnight (We would just fill it with ice and put it in the bath tub). So, it is definitely worth it if you need something like that. It was a pain in the butt, but it would have been $120 + tax for a fridge for our stay. Also, we thought the bus system was AWESOME at Pop. We had breakfasts all over the resort at various hotels and in the parks, all for either 7:30 or 8 AM and were not ever late for one. If you have any questions let me know!

 

[JessicaKnits]

Day 4 we are off to my favvvvvvvvorite park. Hollywood Studios! I don't know what it is about this park, but I just really love it. Love the rides, love all the little characters roaming about, and honestly don't mind the food. This will be a park we definitely make for rope drop. This is also not scheduled to be a Fantasmic night, so hopefully it cuts down on some of the daytime crowds.

We are going to try out the table service at our hotel (Maya Grill) for breakfast. I love Mexican food, and they offer some interesting sounding twists on breakfast.

Then, off to Hollywood Studios for rope drop. We usually ride the Rock N' Roller Coaster first, followed by Tower of Terror. Loooooooove these rides!! Then I usually go on the Great Movie ride, I love this one too and don't mind riding it over and over again, even though nothing changes. People were fascinated by the pictures of Munchkin Land last time!

We did not get the chance to see the Lights...Motors...Action! show last time, so it will be tops on our priority list. Then We will head over for some lunch at 50's Prime Time Cafe. We had some awesome food here last time, all be it pretty crappy, non existant service. But the old re-runs and the view finders are lots of fun. And the obvious reason that there are pretty limited options for TS in this park.

We will probably spend the afternoon either back at the hotel for pool time, or catching some shows. Afterwards its time for the Osbourne Lights! So excited about these! We will enjoy this as much as we can tolerate without being crushed, and then its off to the Yachtsman Steakhouse for dinner! I know! right? For those of you that read my last dining report, I'm sure you are shocked to see this on our list again. But DF wants to like this place really bad. I had a fantastic meal here last time, however Adam's steak was a disaster. He got a really bad cut of meat that was not cooked properly. To add insult to injury, there was a nasty vomit incident that just horrified me. But, we will chalk it up to a really bad night, and hope that this night is much much better.

Afterwards its back to the hotel for some rest, another full day ahead tomorrow.