It's our "Last" Trip to WDW, so we're going DELUXE! *We're Back After 11 Days in WDW*

[JoShan1719]

It's too bad you have to miss a Disney day for the beach. I'm a native and I hate the beach, so the thought would not thrill me at all. I'd be having the same panic attack about missing all that good food!

 

[cdotla]

You win! I thought I had issues with my group of 9. At least I'm not giving up any time at the World nor am I having to cancel ADRs. And I won't be a pretty sight if anyone tried!

You seem surprisingly calm. If it were me...

But I'm sure you'll have a great day at the Beach and spending time with the family.

Gosh it is great to have people who would feel the same way I do, even when I feel I shouldn't feel that way!

Well, at least your trip to Disney is long enough that leaving for one day probably won't effect you being able to do all you want to do in the parks. And, you know you guys will have a great time at the beach once you get there, it could be a nice break.

That does stink about your ADRs though, especially if those were places you were really anxious to try. We really enjoyed Teppan Edo in December, the kids got a real kick out of watching the chef cook.

Hey Michelle...as crazy as it sounds, even having 10 days in the park, I couldn't even get everything I wanted to do onto the agenda. Not even close! But as it stood, I thought I had come up with the perfect mix of park touring and relaxing. Now a whole day's worth of plans are having to be re-jigged. However, I have to focus on the positive, and yes, you are right...it is a lot easier to re-jig when the trip is 11 days as opposed to 7.

If truth be told, I am still reeling about the thought of losing Coral Reef. This has been a restaurant I have tried to get to on the last 2 trips. None of us have eaten there before, and as much as the trip just wouldn't be the same without going back to our old favourites, this was a 1st time experience I was very excited about.

I am also disappointed to lose Teppan Edo. The kids have only been to one habachi restaurant before - that was in Cuba last year. Hmmmmm....maybe I shouldn't mention our visit to Cuba...Homeland Security may not let us into the country!

Anyway, the whole family took a trip there to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary including my family of 4, my parents, my brother and his partner, my uncle, aunt, cousin and her boyfriend. All 12 of us.

Our night at the habachi grill was the best meal of the trip. The kids LOVED it!!!!

There's my brother's partner on the left, followed by my brother, Katie, my aunt, and my parents.

And there's Declan at his first habachi grill, Chris, my cousin, her boyfriend, and my uncle. As usual, I was taking the pictures.

The food was fabulous, and the presentation was over the top. We all loved it, and were hooting, hollering and claping the entire time. It was so fun!

Here is my son getting spoon fed by my brother's partner...can you say love-struck??!

Anyway...it was an experience I was really looking forward to sharing with my family in Disney. I have thought and rethought things, but I have come up empty on where we can fit it in. So it looks like we are going to miss it.

Hooray for Peter Pan? How was it? Did Peter or Tink fly?

Ok, I have to say, that was very nice of you to concede to the beach day. It disappoints me that the SIL won here (although I guess lots of the others were pulling for the beach day, but still). I know how frustrated you were when they first decided to join you on the trip, and now she's starting to call some shots. I just hope this was the last one for her to call.

I agree - stand your ground. Guard those ADRs! Don't let anymore of them get hustled.

All that said, I'm sure you'll have a great time at the beach with the extended family. And it sounds like some great bonding and re-bonding time.

Peter Pan was awesome! And yes - he actually flew. Many times! So did Wendy, John and Michael!

Tink actually didn't present as a full character...she was always a little spark of light throughout. But how they did it was impressive in and of itself. The lighting and music effects associated with her were spectacular...you really thought she was there!

As for the beach...I don't blame my SIL for this. I had heard from day one that she intended to take a day to go to the beach. However, once her plane was booked, it ended up that she couldn't get a full week, but instead would be flying in Saturday evening at 11:30pm, and leaving Thursday morning, meaning she really only has 4 full days.

In addition to spending the afternoons enjoying SAB, she wanted a day to shop the outlets, and a half day to visit one of her son's friends who apparently is staying somewhere just outside of Orlando. She also wanted her family to visit WDW for the very first time, and of course, she also wanted some time to see my kids, who she hasn't seen in years. As a result, I kinda thought the beach plans would fall by the wayside. But on Friday my MIL confirmed that the beach was still on the agenda.

While DH wasn't aware of his sister's plans, I suspected the moment he heard she was going to the beach he would want to go too, no matter what was on the park touring agenda. So instead of getting down to Disney and finding out at the last minute that a day of park and resort plans would be scrapped, I decided to lay it out on the table and see if he was going to want to join them at the beach. Of course he did!

To me, this was the better option than getting down there and having a day that was really important to me scrapped at the last minute. No one in DH's family plans...they would just get up in the morning and decide what they want to do that day. This way I at least had some advance notice and was able to have a say in picking the day. Pretty well every other day that my SIL will be down there we have things booked that would be absolutely impossible to switch and that I would be crushed to miss. That said, I am still going to miss Teppan Edo and Coral Reef!

However...as you say, at this point I have to focus on the positive things...like getting to the beach and hanging out with family! And hopefully this little "sacrifice" on my end won't be forgotten by my Disney-resistant husband when it comes time to spend the rest of our vacation ON PROPERTY as planned!

And if that doesn't work...I have no hestitation bringing up my birthday and mother's day, both of which will be occurring while we are down there!

It's too bad you have to miss a Disney day for the beach. I'm a native and I hate the beach, so the thought would not thrill me at all. I'd be having the same panic attack about missing all that good food!

Yeah...it is not ideal. Not only for me, but also my SIL. Given that she only has 4 days down there, I thought having the cousins come to us as opposed to us going to them would have been far smarter! Plus, I think she is going to find it awfully hard to fit everything that she wants to do into her trip. However....

 

[SoonerGirl]

Wow! Your dinner at the hibachi grill in Cuba looked like so much fun. It's great when you have a chef that gets into the entertainment aspect of the meal.

I fully understand your frustration, and honestly, I don't think I'd take all these last minute changes to my vacation as well as you seem to be. Maybe revisit the idea with your DH of leaving the beach in time to get back to WDW for your Coral Reef ADR. Let him know that there is no availability any other time during your trip and tell him how much you've been wanting to try it. After all, it's his fault that this is your LAST trip, so you can't just put it on the list for 'next time'. If you get up early and drive to the beach you can still have most of the day there. Sounds like a pretty good compromise to me...........

 

[DrMomof3]

If it makes you feel better, they were strictly checking room keys at SAB last weekend. When you showed your key, you got a wrist band which changes color every day.
I wouldn't be happy about the change in plans either!

Amanda

 

[dismagiclover]

I don't know if this will make you feel better or not, but I don't think you would have gotten your cousin's family into SAB. They have a lifeguard at all entrances checking every person's room key. Even the 4 year olds. Then you get a color coded wrist band. They change the color every day so that you can't check out and still manage to get in the next day. This is the only pool on property that they do this. So your SAB plans would have been foiled anyway. Maybe that will make you feel a little better.

 

[kschafer]

Boy that Disney Kool-Aid is powerful stuff!!

I know it's not what you planned but enjoy your day at the beach and appreciate it for what it is, quiet time with family you don't get to see often enough.

Are there any signature dining you can try to switch to in order to use the lost credits?

I understand, I had to switch plans including giving up a prized ADR when my parents decided to join us for a day so I am with you!

The picture of your brother's partner feeding Declan is too cute!!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I'm sure you'll love a day at the beach! You might have had issues with the "smuggling mission" anyway. You're always asked for a room key when entering and getting towels but I've also seen times where they have people assigned to walk around all the lounge chairs making sure everyone has wristbands. But that's not all the time. Anyway, I think the beach will be a fun break.

Your trip is getting close!!!

 

[Pixieflip]

Wow, I totally feel your frustration. When others bend my WDW plans, and sometimes they do, ugh! I just want to tell them to keep their paws off my vacation!! I'm glad you have a roll with it attitude because that's probably the only way you'll survive. If you don't, you'll come off as...well...not who you really are or want to be portrayed. Sometimes you just can't fight it. So, think of it this way, a day at the beach is good for us northerners!! Great experiences for the kids and one they'll have lots of good memories of with their cousins.

P.S. I'd still rather be at WDW, too. Hahahahaha!!!

 

[kangaand2roos]

I'm so behind on reading my TR's. Trying to catch up! Enjoy the beach day! (Not as good as a WDW day, but it beats a work day by a mile!!)

 

[klacey1]

Hmmm, I would definitely be upset about plans being thrown by the wayside. I guess now that you KNOW what's going to happen, you just have to focus on the positive, seeing your family, and try to forget about the Coral Reef and Teppan Edo. Maybe you can discover a cool seafood restaurant near the beach!
Glad you enjoyed Peter Pan! I saw it at Madison Square Garden here in NY and it was just wonderful. It's a fantastic musical.
You're getting so close-- so exciting!

 

[Native NYer]

I understand your disappointment about losing a Disney day.
Maybe a slot with open up at Coral Reef on another day.

 

[cdotla]

Wow! Your dinner at the hibachi grill in Cuba looked like so much fun. It's great when you have a chef that gets into the entertainment aspect of the meal.

I fully understand your frustration, and honestly, I don't think I'd take all these last minute changes to my vacation as well as you seem to be. Maybe revisit the idea with your DH of leaving the beach in time to get back to WDW for your Coral Reef ADR. Let him know that there is no availability any other time during your trip and tell him how much you've been wanting to try it. After all, it's his fault that this is your LAST trip, so you can't just put it on the list for 'next time'. If you get up early and drive to the beach you can still have most of the day there. Sounds like a pretty good compromise to me...........

Michelle...you and I definitely think alike! I am fully prepared that we won't be getting back in time for Coral Reef....but I haven't cancelled our ADR either! I won't be calling Disney to cancel until I know for sure we won't make it.

However, DH's sentiment was definitely that he wanted to enjoy a day at the beach with family, and rushing back to make an ADR or use dining credits simply isn't high on the priority list.

Plus, I don't want to loose all of the goodwill I will hopefully have created by abandonning Disney for the day by forcing DH into the car to make the trek back a couple hours earlier than the rest of the family. Know what I mean?

I am secretly hoping that if we get there early enough, and spend a bunch of hours in the hot sun, the kids will be tired, and DH and I will feel like heading back to the resort for a shower, ect. and somehow we will just naturally gravitate back to the resort in time to make the ADR.

If it makes you feel better, they were strictly checking room keys at SAB last weekend. When you showed your key, you got a wrist band which changes color every day.
I wouldn't be happy about the change in plans either!

Thanks Amanda!!! That actually makes me feel IMMENSELY better!!!

If that is in fact the case, I think the new plan will work much better! Of course, I assume we could have probably slipped into one of the quiet pools without the wristband police throwing out the cousins, but definitely not as enticing as SAB!

I don't know if this will make you feel better or not, but I don't think you would have gotten your cousin's family into SAB. They have a lifeguard at all entrances checking every person's room key. Even the 4 year olds. Then you get a color coded wrist band. They change the color every day so that you can't check out and still manage to get in the next day. This is the only pool on property that they do this. So your SAB plans would have been foiled anyway. Maybe that will make you feel a little better.

Hey Jenny!!! Another post that actually makes me feel A LOT better!!! Now that I know the original plan wouldn't have worked out, this is a lot easier to take!

Of course, I won't be filling DH in on this little detail...I will need to generate all the goodwill I can out of this detour off property in case I need to resist any further challenges to my touring plans!

Boy that Disney Kool-Aid is powerful stuff!!

I know it's not what you planned but enjoy your day at the beach and appreciate it for what it is, quiet time with family you don't get to see often enough.

Are there any signature dining you can try to switch to in order to use the lost credits?

I understand, I had to switch plans including giving up a prized ADR when my parents decided to join us for a day so I am with you!

The picture of your brother's partner feeding Declan is too cute!!

Thanks! Overall I expect we won't have a problem using those credits. I had allocated splitting meals at a couple of restaurants to ensure we had enough credits to last...now there will be less pressure on that. Really, the dining credits angle was just something I threw out there to try and entice DH back to the resort in time for Coral Reef. Unfortunately it didn't work!

Honestly, the best value of the DDP to me is the assurance that we will be staying on property.

I'm sure you'll love a day at the beach! You might have had issues with the "smuggling mission" anyway. You're always asked for a room key when entering and getting towels but I've also seen times where they have people assigned to walk around all the lounge chairs making sure everyone has wristbands. But that's not all the time. Anyway, I think the beach will be a fun break.

Your trip is getting close!!!

Thanks Christine! Yes, that does make me feel much better!

And yes, I do have to remember that I really do love the beach!

Wow, I totally feel your frustration. When others bend my WDW plans, and sometimes they do, ugh! I just want to tell them to keep their paws off my vacation!! I'm glad you have a roll with it attitude because that's probably the only way you'll survive. If you don't, you'll come off as...well...not who you really are or want to be portrayed. Sometimes you just can't fight it. So, think of it this way, a day at the beach is good for us northerners!! Great experiences for the kids and one they'll have lots of good memories of with their cousins.

P.S. I'd still rather be at WDW, too. Hahahahaha!!!

Thank you so much for posting!!!

You hit the nail on the head! I decided I really do just have to roll with the punches on this one. Plus, I know this is something my family will enjoy. However, the rest of the trip is non-negotiable!

I'm so behind on reading my TR's. Trying to catch up! Enjoy the beach day! (Not as good as a WDW day, but it beats a work day by a mile!!)

Hey...great to hear from you again! And yes, you are right. Perspective right? Here I am complaining about a day at the beach - crazy!!!

Hmmm, I would definitely be upset about plans being thrown by the wayside. I guess now that you KNOW what's going to happen, you just have to focus on the positive, seeing your family, and try to forget about the Coral Reef and Teppan Edo. Maybe you can discover a cool seafood restaurant near the beach!
Glad you enjoyed Peter Pan! I saw it at Madison Square Garden here in NY and it was just wonderful. It's a fantastic musical.
You're getting so close-- so exciting!

Thanks so much!!! Yes, I am really glad that this is worked out now, and not thrown on me last minute during the trip. Much better when you are prepared!

 

[cdotla]

I understand your disappointment about losing a Disney day.
Maybe a slot with open up at Coral Reef on another day.

Unfortunately, I don't know what the greater challenge would be...finding an alternative reservation, or figuring out what to drop on the agenda to fit it in!

 

[DrMomof3]

You totally could use the quiet pools but they aren't terribly exciting. I don't think you could have "snuck" a bunch of people into SAB. They had a lifeguard at every entrance checking wrist-bands. I asked if they use a different color every day and he said yes. It was definitely one wrist-band per room key....

Amanda

 

[cdotla]

You totally could use the quiet pools but they aren't terribly exciting. I don't think you could have "snuck" a bunch of people into SAB. They had a lifeguard at every entrance checking wrist-bands. I asked if they use a different color every day and he said yes. It was definitely one wrist-band per room key....

Amanda

Good to know! Definitely doesn't feel so bad now!

 

[DrMomof3]

Good to know! Definitely doesn't feel so bad now!

Oh good! I'm glad I could help!

Amanda

 

[cdotla]

Clothing Shopping for the Trip

In addition to the bathing suits I posted about earlier, I also picked up a couple of other items for myself for the trip.

Great little Summer Dresses

One trick I have learned and re-learned is that when you find something that really works, grab a couple, especially if it comes in multiple colors. That is exactly what I did with the J.Crew Saturday Twist Dress.

Oh, how I love this dress. First off, it is the softest cotton ever, with a little bit of spandex to help keep its shape.

Not too short, not too long.

Not to dressy, not too casual. I have dressed this thing up, and have even worn it super-casual as a beach cover-up.

Last year I bought it in Black and a Deep Plum. This year it came out in Navy, as pictured above, so I scooped it up again. I even have 2 of the plum color dresses because I like it so much, which if you are counting, means that I have a total of FOUR of these dresses! I will likely be taking all three colors with me to Disney!

Another very comfortable, casual J.Crew summer dress that I picked up in multiple colors last year is this one:

I have this in papaya (as pictured above) and in turquoise and will likely pack at least one of these for the trip.


Bag Dilemma Solved...I think!

I think I have also finally solved my bag dilemma. Up until recently, I was quite certain that in addition to my old, tired baggalini (which I plan to bring and leave in the stroller), I was going to get this bag to use as my primary park bag:

Unfortunately, when I checked it out in store a couple weeks ago, I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. The main thing that I didn't like was that there is a large cell phone pocket right on the front of the strap that is not removable and would be highly visible whenever you are wearing the bag. It is a fairly bulky pocket and I think it really detracts from the streamlined nature of the rest of the bag. While I wouldn't completely rule it out, I am decidedly not as keen on getting it.

I also finally had a chance to look at some Vera Bradleys when I was in Atlanta a few weeks ago. I also ruled this one out for two main reasons: (1) for me, the patterns on the bags would be too limiting to use this as a core, staple bag, and (2) the hipster (about the only VB style bag I would want) is too small for my needs.

So I went back to the drawing board. And Lands End once again came to the rescue for me. (You would think I own stock in this company for all of my promotion of it!)

Lands End came out with a brand new, somewhat hipper subline this year called the Canvas Collection. They are really trying to attract a new segment of the market with this brand, and have even launched a fun style blog to promote the line: http://canvasblog.landsend.com/

Anyway, I found this bag in the new Canvas line that I think will suit my needs:

I love that it is casual enough for the Parks, yet elegant enough to bring along to dinner at a signature dining restaurant.

I love that it is neutral, and will really go with anything.

I love that it is roomy, but not too big.

And I love that I was able to get it this weekend for 25% off during the Lands End Friends & Family event. (Which is still going on if you are interested!)

Hopefully the bag will arrive by the end of the week. I will update again once I have a chance to see it in person. If it doesn't meet my expectations, I will make a trip back to MEC to purchase the pod bag.

While we are on the topic of Lands End, I should also mention that I received another package on Friday from the clearance section. You will recall this is where I found my park shoes. While I didn't get these items for my trip, I thought I would pass this info along.

First, I got this lightweight cotton sweater in three colors for wearing under suits at work for just $16.99.

I am really pleased with this purchase - it looks great, and is a perfect lightweight sweater that you can wear year-round. I even wore the ivory one with jeans today and liked it so much I ordered another today along with the canvas bag to have as a spare. Great staple at an awesome price!

Also, I picked up this t-shirt in 2 colors for $7.99 for wearing around the house with the kids. Again, this is so comfortable! It is a looser fit, great for lounging around the house. Super soft, and appears to be great quality!

I am really becoming a devotee to the excellent prices of staple items in the clearance section of Lands End!


Shoes, shoes, shoes....

Anyway, back to the vacation talk. Of course I also have to decide what shoes I will be bringing on the trip.

First off, I have my two rotating pairs of park shoes: my 2 yr old Privos and my $11.99 new shoes from Lands End:

For poolside, I plan to bring these, both from J.Crew:

And remember the deal I got on these from Target for $19.99? I plan to bring these along for the evenings.

I will also be bringing 1-2 other pairs of dressy sandals, which should just about do it.

Unfortunately, the dreadful task of hauling out the rubbermaid of my summer clothes, then washing, ironing and packing them awaits. I had so wanted to get through that this weekend. Thank goodness I got the kids' stuff mostly done a number of weeks ago!

And last but not least...DH:

As for DH...well typically I don't have much involvement in his packing for the trip. However, I did pick him up a couple of things in the last few weeks.

These shirts:

These shorts:

And these sandals:

And DH picked these up on his own when he was in Vancouver last week:

So overall, I think we are in pretty good shape for the trip in terms of clothes and footwear. Our biggest challenge at this point will be to get everything we want to bring to fit in our suitcases!

 

[SoonerGirl]

So overall, I think we are in pretty good shape for the trip in terms of clothes and footwear. Our biggest challenge at this point will be to get everything we want to bring to fit in our suitcases!

Oh, I'm so with you on this one, and I'm just packing for one! I really think I need to do a quick trial run of most of what I want to take tomorrow and see if I can fit it all into one suitcase. If I can't, I need to call ME right away and have them send me another yellow tag!

Love all your purchases, especially the dresses - very cute!

 

[swwake]

What fun and practical clothing purchases! I think I am officially in love with that J Crew Saturday Twist dress. I need to check it out.

 

[kcandbella]

First off, sorry to hear about "having" to go to the beach. I would be disappointed to have to leave Disney property too. You will have a good time though, I'm sure. As long as it's not on the 5th so you are still available for the Cinco meet...

Second, I love your two dresses. Both very cute! I have the same problem about fitting everything in our suitcases...I hate packing!!!