Jilian & BT's VR 3/24/12 Crescent Terr/Il Mulino - Last of the Randy Chapman pics up!
- Thread starter Jilian
- Start date
Jilian
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2010
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Sorry to have vanished. DS2 (the one with the heart defect) got really sick and we ended up having him transported to a Children's hospital 90 mins away. We're still in the ICU. He has/had pnemonia but is getting better. That took 10 more years off my life! Hopefully we'll be out soon, but now that he's more comfortable and I have loads of free time I can start the TR. So here goes.....
Day 1
I already shared how I told DS1 we were heading to WDW but in case anyone missed it:
My DS is funny because I picked him up from school and told him I had to go do a few things. We drove for an hour on the highway when he finally said "OK, where are we going?" I said "Oh I just have to do a few things" and he replied "No, really, tell me where we are going, we've been driving for a long time!" I told him to look in his backpack for a clue. He opened it up and found a Disney Birthday pin and his pin necklace. He said "Are we going to Disney TONIGHT?!" and I said we were. He was all sorts of excited. He said "I'm so excited that I don't know what to do with myself" It was really cute. He loves Disney so much and wants to be an Imagineer when he grows up and build Disney rollercoasters.
So we arrived @ POFQ around 5:30, it was our first time staying there. It was really nice, small and quiet. We checked in and they gave him a birthday pin, some stickers and some beads. We basically just dropped our stuff in the room and then hopped on a bus to DTD. We did the quick service dining plan for 1 night, thanks to the awesome Dis boards I was able to find out about Wolfgang Puck express in DTD. We had dinner there. The food was SO GOOD. It came to something like $36 had we paid out of pocket. I got pasta with chicken, bacon, peas and alfredo sauce (I forget the name). He got mac and cheese. For dessert he got a cookie and I got the brulee. Both were good.
After dinner we hopped on a bus from DTD to Grand Floridian. Then we took the monorail over to MK. They were open until 9 that night and when we got there it was so empty. It was really cool to see it so empty! I've been there a million times and have never seen so few people. So we entered through our usual path through Tomorrowland and hopped on the Spaceranger spin and went on it twice. No wait at all. Then we went to space mountain and he wanted to do it again but I said we'd do it on the way back. That ride makes me dizzy!
Then we stopped at the all-time favorite "Its a small world" I think I've been on this ride at least 50 times now. He's loved it since his first trip in 2004. We used to ride it over and over and over. Now he feels like he's getting too big for it so he makes up excuses to ride it. Today's excuse was "I want to see if they've changed anything in it". He has a photographic memory and can tell which dolls have new clothes or what is new in each room. It is pretty cool.
Then we headed over to Splash mountain. We rode it twice then headed back towards the castle. It was so empty so we raced each other down the foot bridge. We ran all over the place like little kids. We did space mountain once more then it was after 9 and we headed back to the room. We set a wakeup call for 6 am so we could hit to Hollywood Studios for the extra magic hours starting at 8 am the next morning. We were determined to get on Toy Story Mania! We got everything set for the next morning and went right to bed.
Day 1
I already shared how I told DS1 we were heading to WDW but in case anyone missed it:
My DS is funny because I picked him up from school and told him I had to go do a few things. We drove for an hour on the highway when he finally said "OK, where are we going?" I said "Oh I just have to do a few things" and he replied "No, really, tell me where we are going, we've been driving for a long time!" I told him to look in his backpack for a clue. He opened it up and found a Disney Birthday pin and his pin necklace. He said "Are we going to Disney TONIGHT?!" and I said we were. He was all sorts of excited. He said "I'm so excited that I don't know what to do with myself" It was really cute. He loves Disney so much and wants to be an Imagineer when he grows up and build Disney rollercoasters.
So we arrived @ POFQ around 5:30, it was our first time staying there. It was really nice, small and quiet. We checked in and they gave him a birthday pin, some stickers and some beads. We basically just dropped our stuff in the room and then hopped on a bus to DTD. We did the quick service dining plan for 1 night, thanks to the awesome Dis boards I was able to find out about Wolfgang Puck express in DTD. We had dinner there. The food was SO GOOD. It came to something like $36 had we paid out of pocket. I got pasta with chicken, bacon, peas and alfredo sauce (I forget the name). He got mac and cheese. For dessert he got a cookie and I got the brulee. Both were good.
After dinner we hopped on a bus from DTD to Grand Floridian. Then we took the monorail over to MK. They were open until 9 that night and when we got there it was so empty. It was really cool to see it so empty! I've been there a million times and have never seen so few people. So we entered through our usual path through Tomorrowland and hopped on the Spaceranger spin and went on it twice. No wait at all. Then we went to space mountain and he wanted to do it again but I said we'd do it on the way back. That ride makes me dizzy!
Then we stopped at the all-time favorite "Its a small world" I think I've been on this ride at least 50 times now. He's loved it since his first trip in 2004. We used to ride it over and over and over. Now he feels like he's getting too big for it so he makes up excuses to ride it. Today's excuse was "I want to see if they've changed anything in it". He has a photographic memory and can tell which dolls have new clothes or what is new in each room. It is pretty cool.
Then we headed over to Splash mountain. We rode it twice then headed back towards the castle. It was so empty so we raced each other down the foot bridge. We ran all over the place like little kids. We did space mountain once more then it was after 9 and we headed back to the room. We set a wakeup call for 6 am so we could hit to Hollywood Studios for the extra magic hours starting at 8 am the next morning. We were determined to get on Toy Story Mania! We got everything set for the next morning and went right to bed.
Jilian
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2010
- Messages
- 1,253
Day 2
DS was so excited that he kept waking up through the night to check the time. We both got up for the day @ 5:30. We got dressed, had a bagel in the room and brought everything to our van since we had to check out soon. We were on the bus by 7:00 am and at DHS by 7:15. We were fourth in line to get in! DS hated waiting and was getting really anxious with the crowds pouring in so I told him to play his nintendo DS. He was getting grumpy.
They finally let us in and we ran to Toy Story Mania. We got a fast pass then hopped in line. We made the first run of the day! That ride is so much fun! We rode it then went over and hopped in line for The Rock n rollercoaster. It was his first time on and he loved it. When we were done we hopped right back in line again and rode it again. The wait was 10 mins but it didn't take that long. I love extra magic hours in the morning! Then we went and got a fast pass for tower of terror and hopped in line and rode it, wait was only 10 min. When we were done it was time to use our fast pass for Toy Story Mania, it was about 9:20 at this point. We rode Toy Story Mania then it was time to use our fast pass for Tower of Terror. After this we stopped to use our snack credits. We found this great store on Sunset Blvd, it was either the villian shop or right next to the villian shop. They had amazing desserts. DS got a cupcake and I got a giant toffee covered in chocolate. It was bigger than my hand. I ended up saving some for later. By now we had ridden our 3 favorite rides twice so we were ready to leave. It was still only 11 am. We took a bus back to POFQ. At this point I realized that I forgot to pack my cell charger. D'oh! BTW, there is nowhere to buy a cell charger in WDW. Sometimes housekeeping will let you borrow one from lost & found but since we were checked out that was not an option.
We got back to POFQ and got our refillable mugs from our dining plan. We paid for lunch out of pocket at the quick service place at POFQ. I got a bacon cheeseburger and he got chicken nuggets. Both were meh. Then we walked around and took some pictures and checked out the resort. It is really pretty!
DS being a funny guy:
Then we found a little squirrel who followed us. He must get fed a lot because he was coming really close to us and had no fear. Then a horse and carriage was coming down the street and little dude was about to get hit so DS acted fast and chased him out of the street. He asked me to take a picture of him after so here it is:
Then we hopped into our van to go check into Animal Kingdom. We rented points through the timeshare store and stayed in a studio @ Kidani. It was cheaper than the moderate! Only $120! Yay for discounted points! We were so excited pulling into AK, we've been wanting to buy into DVC for a while now and based on internet research this is my top choice. This is also the first DVC place we've stayed at. It wasn't what I expected but I did really like it. Very peaceful. We checked in and headed to our room for a bit. Then we came down and looked around. Here are some pics:
View from lobby looking into savanna
Really nice sitting area outside of lobby that overlooks savanna:
Room (was on 5th floor, standard view):
This pic was taken from on the balcony. I swear I took a pic of the balcony too but I cannot find it now!
This is the kitchenette, in the hallway. The hallway is great because we were able to store our luggage there to keep it out of the way.
Horribly blurry bathroom shot:
View from our balcony:
I'm not gonna lie, this location was a major PITA. I expected the not-so-good view but it ended up being loud. We overlooked the entrance to the lobby so all night we heard car doors opening and closing and luggage rolling. I guess this is a good reason to upgrade to a savannah view.
I really liked the resort. The entrace to Kidani was kind of blah but I know it is still new and the plants are still filling in. Jambo house had a lot nicer landscaping. Kidani is great because it is so quiet and small. There aren't tons of people rushing around. When we visted Jambo house it was like grand central station. Although I will say that the lobby of Jambo house is pretty darn awesome. The view and windowed wall is great. We'd still opt to stay at Kidani again though, and just shuttle over to Jambo to visit. I know this is only our first DVC stay but I think we'll end up buying DVC points with AKV as our home resort.
OK, so back to the trip....
After we checked in a looked around a bit we went to Animal Kingdom. Quick bus ride! We of course headed to Everest and rode that first. It is our favorite. Then we tried the Primevil whirl in Dinoland. Ack! It was awful. So jerky. Don't eat lunch before riding.
Then we went back to Everest. Then to Kilimajaro safarai, then back to Everest. Then we went back to DTD to eat at Wolfgang Puck Express again. Then we went back to AKV and fell asleep early. We had big plans to go to MK but we were so tired from getting up early.
DS was so excited that he kept waking up through the night to check the time. We both got up for the day @ 5:30. We got dressed, had a bagel in the room and brought everything to our van since we had to check out soon. We were on the bus by 7:00 am and at DHS by 7:15. We were fourth in line to get in! DS hated waiting and was getting really anxious with the crowds pouring in so I told him to play his nintendo DS. He was getting grumpy.
They finally let us in and we ran to Toy Story Mania. We got a fast pass then hopped in line. We made the first run of the day! That ride is so much fun! We rode it then went over and hopped in line for The Rock n rollercoaster. It was his first time on and he loved it. When we were done we hopped right back in line again and rode it again. The wait was 10 mins but it didn't take that long. I love extra magic hours in the morning! Then we went and got a fast pass for tower of terror and hopped in line and rode it, wait was only 10 min. When we were done it was time to use our fast pass for Toy Story Mania, it was about 9:20 at this point. We rode Toy Story Mania then it was time to use our fast pass for Tower of Terror. After this we stopped to use our snack credits. We found this great store on Sunset Blvd, it was either the villian shop or right next to the villian shop. They had amazing desserts. DS got a cupcake and I got a giant toffee covered in chocolate. It was bigger than my hand. I ended up saving some for later. By now we had ridden our 3 favorite rides twice so we were ready to leave. It was still only 11 am. We took a bus back to POFQ. At this point I realized that I forgot to pack my cell charger. D'oh! BTW, there is nowhere to buy a cell charger in WDW. Sometimes housekeeping will let you borrow one from lost & found but since we were checked out that was not an option.
We got back to POFQ and got our refillable mugs from our dining plan. We paid for lunch out of pocket at the quick service place at POFQ. I got a bacon cheeseburger and he got chicken nuggets. Both were meh. Then we walked around and took some pictures and checked out the resort. It is really pretty!
DS being a funny guy:
Then we found a little squirrel who followed us. He must get fed a lot because he was coming really close to us and had no fear. Then a horse and carriage was coming down the street and little dude was about to get hit so DS acted fast and chased him out of the street. He asked me to take a picture of him after so here it is:
Then we hopped into our van to go check into Animal Kingdom. We rented points through the timeshare store and stayed in a studio @ Kidani. It was cheaper than the moderate! Only $120! Yay for discounted points! We were so excited pulling into AK, we've been wanting to buy into DVC for a while now and based on internet research this is my top choice. This is also the first DVC place we've stayed at. It wasn't what I expected but I did really like it. Very peaceful. We checked in and headed to our room for a bit. Then we came down and looked around. Here are some pics:
View from lobby looking into savanna
Really nice sitting area outside of lobby that overlooks savanna:
Room (was on 5th floor, standard view):
This pic was taken from on the balcony. I swear I took a pic of the balcony too but I cannot find it now!
This is the kitchenette, in the hallway. The hallway is great because we were able to store our luggage there to keep it out of the way.
Horribly blurry bathroom shot:
View from our balcony:
I'm not gonna lie, this location was a major PITA. I expected the not-so-good view but it ended up being loud. We overlooked the entrance to the lobby so all night we heard car doors opening and closing and luggage rolling. I guess this is a good reason to upgrade to a savannah view.
I really liked the resort. The entrace to Kidani was kind of blah but I know it is still new and the plants are still filling in. Jambo house had a lot nicer landscaping. Kidani is great because it is so quiet and small. There aren't tons of people rushing around. When we visted Jambo house it was like grand central station. Although I will say that the lobby of Jambo house is pretty darn awesome. The view and windowed wall is great. We'd still opt to stay at Kidani again though, and just shuttle over to Jambo to visit. I know this is only our first DVC stay but I think we'll end up buying DVC points with AKV as our home resort.
OK, so back to the trip....
After we checked in a looked around a bit we went to Animal Kingdom. Quick bus ride! We of course headed to Everest and rode that first. It is our favorite. Then we tried the Primevil whirl in Dinoland. Ack! It was awful. So jerky. Don't eat lunch before riding.
Then we went back to Everest. Then to Kilimajaro safarai, then back to Everest. Then we went back to DTD to eat at Wolfgang Puck Express again. Then we went back to AKV and fell asleep early. We had big plans to go to MK but we were so tired from getting up early.
DoomBuggy0922
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2010
- Messages
- 1,835
Yayy a trip report! But I am so sorry to hear about your little boy. I hope he feels better soon. Keep us posted, okay?!
-I love the story of how you surprised your son. You sound like a great mom.
-Wolfgang Pucks is amazinnnggg.
-Your sons photographic memory is kind of awesome.
-Really?! You cant buy a cell charger in WDW?! That is bizarre to me. They are missing a large market there.
-$120 is such a great price for AKL. Wow.
-Im also really glad to read your review of Kidani: glad you liked it! Ill be there in May.
-Cant wait for more!
-I love the story of how you surprised your son. You sound like a great mom.
-Wolfgang Pucks is amazinnnggg.
-Your sons photographic memory is kind of awesome.
-Really?! You cant buy a cell charger in WDW?! That is bizarre to me. They are missing a large market there.
-$120 is such a great price for AKL. Wow.
-Im also really glad to read your review of Kidani: glad you liked it! Ill be there in May.
-Cant wait for more!
Jilian
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2010
- Messages
- 1,253
Non-VR update:
My little guy is improving. They moved us out of the ICU today up to a regular floor. When he can go 24 hours without oxygen we can go home again. Possibly tomorrow or Monday, depending on how he does tonight. It was a case of bacterial croup and pnemonia that triggered an asthmatic response that caused his oxygen levels to plummet. I need to convert my garage into a pulmonary/cardiac critical care unit...lol. I hope this is a one time occasion, it could be the start of asthma. Boo! Thanks for the well wishes. He's a lot better right now, they gave him an inhaler treatment and I'm pretty sure that he'll never sleep again. He usually goes to bed at 7:30 and he's looking like he's gonna pull an all-nighter right about now.
Anyway, onto the last day...
Day 3 aka Superbowl Sunday
Today we slept in. We were so tired from the day before. When we woke up we checked out the pool area at Kidani - really cool! The kids play area looked like lots of fun with lots of spraying and splashing. We tried to sneak through but got splashed a lot. The pool area is big with a poolside bar that serves food too. It was quiet, only 2 people there. I've heard that kidani has a quieter pool.
Then we hopped on a bus over to Jambo house to check it out. It was so busy! Seriously, ridiculously busy. The window that overlooks the savannah is huge and the views are amazing. We went outside and looked for animals but they were all hiding. We shopped a bit and then headed back to our room to pack up and check out. We checked out and headed over to the MK. I was convinced that it would be empty again, boy was I wrong. MK was packed. I timed the bus ride too, because everyone always complains that it takes forever to get from AKV to MK. From the time we pulled out of AK until the time we pulled into MK it took 11 minutes. Not bad.
So MK was packed and we planned to try out tortuga for lunch, only it was closed. So we scrapped that plan and got dole whips for a snack. It was my first time and I ordered the swirl with pineapple and orange. It was pretty good. After I ordered I realized there was a float in pineapple juice that I could have gotten, I'll try that next time. NEXT MONTH!
We rode Pirates then splash mountain and then we grabbed lunch at cosmic ray's. I tried the pulled pork sandwitch. Pretty good but really BBQ-y. I'd get it again though. DS had chicken nuggets again.
Then we rode space mountain and did the buzz ligthtyear ride and were done. We shopped on the way out and then left to take our bus back to AKL. We got back around 4 and headed home. We were sad to leave, it was such a fun trip! I can't wait to go back in March!
Thats all for now, have a great night everyone!
My little guy is improving. They moved us out of the ICU today up to a regular floor. When he can go 24 hours without oxygen we can go home again. Possibly tomorrow or Monday, depending on how he does tonight. It was a case of bacterial croup and pnemonia that triggered an asthmatic response that caused his oxygen levels to plummet. I need to convert my garage into a pulmonary/cardiac critical care unit...lol. I hope this is a one time occasion, it could be the start of asthma. Boo! Thanks for the well wishes. He's a lot better right now, they gave him an inhaler treatment and I'm pretty sure that he'll never sleep again. He usually goes to bed at 7:30 and he's looking like he's gonna pull an all-nighter right about now.
Anyway, onto the last day...
Day 3 aka Superbowl Sunday
Today we slept in. We were so tired from the day before. When we woke up we checked out the pool area at Kidani - really cool! The kids play area looked like lots of fun with lots of spraying and splashing. We tried to sneak through but got splashed a lot. The pool area is big with a poolside bar that serves food too. It was quiet, only 2 people there. I've heard that kidani has a quieter pool.
Then we hopped on a bus over to Jambo house to check it out. It was so busy! Seriously, ridiculously busy. The window that overlooks the savannah is huge and the views are amazing. We went outside and looked for animals but they were all hiding. We shopped a bit and then headed back to our room to pack up and check out. We checked out and headed over to the MK. I was convinced that it would be empty again, boy was I wrong. MK was packed. I timed the bus ride too, because everyone always complains that it takes forever to get from AKV to MK. From the time we pulled out of AK until the time we pulled into MK it took 11 minutes. Not bad.
So MK was packed and we planned to try out tortuga for lunch, only it was closed. So we scrapped that plan and got dole whips for a snack. It was my first time and I ordered the swirl with pineapple and orange. It was pretty good. After I ordered I realized there was a float in pineapple juice that I could have gotten, I'll try that next time. NEXT MONTH!
We rode Pirates then splash mountain and then we grabbed lunch at cosmic ray's. I tried the pulled pork sandwitch. Pretty good but really BBQ-y. I'd get it again though. DS had chicken nuggets again. Then we rode space mountain and did the buzz ligthtyear ride and were done. We shopped on the way out and then left to take our bus back to AKL. We got back around 4 and headed home. We were sad to leave, it was such a fun trip! I can't wait to go back in March!
Thats all for now, have a great night everyone!
BethieTink
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2009
- Messages
- 784
Jillian,
What a great trip with DS. Sounds like you had a blast.
I hope that DS2 gets better soon. How scary. How is your daughter doing?
Wow, March is coming soon.
What a great trip with DS. Sounds like you had a blast.
I hope that DS2 gets better soon. How scary. How is your daughter doing?
Wow, March is coming soon.
Jilian
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2010
- Messages
- 1,253
Thanks Bethie. My daughter is doing ok. She has croup too and she's home with my H while I stay here with the little guy. She doesn't have the heart/lung history that my son does so she usually doesn't get too sick. I don't think her case will develop into pnemonia like his did.
I don't want to jinx myself but his oxygen saturations are really good tonight, if they stay at 95% like they've been doing so far we'll get to go home tomorrow! We've been here since Thurs so I realllllly want to go home soon.
I don't want to jinx myself but his oxygen saturations are really good tonight, if they stay at 95% like they've been doing so far we'll get to go home tomorrow! We've been here since Thurs so I realllllly want to go home soon.
Sizzle
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2011
- Messages
- 218
What an amazing trip, Jillian! I actually got a little tear in my eye when your son found out he was going to Disney right that moment! I can only imagine how exciting that would have been for me as a kiddo. Good Mom 
Sending good vibes and happy thoughts for a swift recovery for your children. Having faith it is going to continue to be good news!!
Sending good vibes and happy thoughts for a swift recovery for your children. Having faith it is going to continue to be good news!!
tinkerbell 766
<font color=purple>If I can't fly, let me sing. Or
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2007
- Messages
- 5,401
Jilian sweetie - Just checking in and catching up!!! So sorry to hear that Evan has been so ill but happy to hear he is on the mend!!!
Your little trip sounds great!! Happy to hear that you liked my 'home'. Kidani is so special to me and although I own at BLT too, it will always be my first 'home'.
Your special day is so close now and I pray that everybody will be fully recovered and raring to go when the time comes
Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers sweetie!!
Your little trip sounds great!! Happy to hear that you liked my 'home'. Kidani is so special to me and although I own at BLT too, it will always be my first 'home'.
Your special day is so close now and I pray that everybody will be fully recovered and raring to go when the time comes
Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers sweetie!!
Jilian
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2010
- Messages
- 1,253
Hi! I've been MIA for a bit while we're all getting over being sick but I think it is safe to say that we're all feeling better now. I've done very little in VR stuff but here is what I've been up to:
I paid off Just Marry for our ceremony and floral and sent back the final contract and planning worksheet. We're oficially PAID IN FULL for this vow renewal!
I switched our vacation reservation to room only and used my passholder discount (we ditched the free dining) and ordered a tables in wonderland card. I managed to rent DVC points from a Dis member and we are renting a 1BR @ Animal Kingdom for the last two days of our trip. I'm really, really excited about this! I think it will be a nice relaxing way to end our vacation.
Today I wrote up my vows. I'll probably still work on them a little but this is what I've got so far:
I also updated my budget to show the final figures. I think I did pretty well! So here is a what a Swan/Dolphin ceremony followed by an Il Mulino reception for 42 people will set you back...
Swan ceremony $1595
Sm bouquet for me ($125), 3 bouts ($39), petals for aisle & staged exit ($130), 2 arrangements ($280) and rental of 2 pedestals ($35) $629
Pomander balls to hang from chairs (12) $36
Chapman Photography 3 hours $480
Violinist and guitarist (Jennie Rudeberg) $350
Dinner @ Il Mulino for 40ish guests (function rooms 1 & 2 hold up to 48 ppl with $3,000 F&B min before tax) we chose the $55 menu and added an app course after tax & gratuities $3,900
Centerpieces for Il Mulino (DIY, $8 each) $32
10 one-way 8 passenger vans @ $14/ea $140
Total . . . . . . . . . . . $7,162
And because I am a complete type A personality, I've kept track of every expense related to this VR so here is the complete version that includes everything:
Seasonal passes for H & I . . . . . . . . . . . $552
Invites (2 DIY kits from Michaels on sale!) . . . $55
Custom wedding sash and matching hair flowers . $250
Dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $486
Alterations for dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $200
Welcome bags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $48
ink for printer (for invites and STDs and Newsletter $56
H's suit and 2 ties with alterations . . . . . . . . $376
Hair & Makeup trial (Beaute Speciale) . . . . . . $145
Hair and makeup day of VR . . . . . . . . . . . $145
Suits for my boys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $62
Daughter's dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20
Welcome gathering @ CBR . . . . . . . . . . . . $450 ESTIMATE
5 nights @ CBR with AP discount . . . . . . . . . $894
2 nights @ AKV 1 BR savanna view DVC rental $608
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,347
added to the above total + $7,162
Grand total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11,509
Have a great weekend everyone!
I paid off Just Marry for our ceremony and floral and sent back the final contract and planning worksheet. We're oficially PAID IN FULL for this vow renewal!
I switched our vacation reservation to room only and used my passholder discount (we ditched the free dining) and ordered a tables in wonderland card. I managed to rent DVC points from a Dis member and we are renting a 1BR @ Animal Kingdom for the last two days of our trip. I'm really, really excited about this! I think it will be a nice relaxing way to end our vacation.
Today I wrote up my vows. I'll probably still work on them a little but this is what I've got so far:
I also updated my budget to show the final figures. I think I did pretty well! So here is a what a Swan/Dolphin ceremony followed by an Il Mulino reception for 42 people will set you back...
Swan ceremony $1595
Sm bouquet for me ($125), 3 bouts ($39), petals for aisle & staged exit ($130), 2 arrangements ($280) and rental of 2 pedestals ($35) $629
Pomander balls to hang from chairs (12) $36
Chapman Photography 3 hours $480
Violinist and guitarist (Jennie Rudeberg) $350
Dinner @ Il Mulino for 40ish guests (function rooms 1 & 2 hold up to 48 ppl with $3,000 F&B min before tax) we chose the $55 menu and added an app course after tax & gratuities $3,900
Centerpieces for Il Mulino (DIY, $8 each) $32
10 one-way 8 passenger vans @ $14/ea $140
Total . . . . . . . . . . . $7,162
And because I am a complete type A personality, I've kept track of every expense related to this VR so here is the complete version that includes everything:
Seasonal passes for H & I . . . . . . . . . . . $552
Invites (2 DIY kits from Michaels on sale!) . . . $55
Custom wedding sash and matching hair flowers . $250
Dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $486
Alterations for dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $200
Welcome bags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $48
ink for printer (for invites and STDs and Newsletter $56
H's suit and 2 ties with alterations . . . . . . . . $376
Hair & Makeup trial (Beaute Speciale) . . . . . . $145
Hair and makeup day of VR . . . . . . . . . . . $145
Suits for my boys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $62
Daughter's dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20
Welcome gathering @ CBR . . . . . . . . . . . . $450 ESTIMATE
5 nights @ CBR with AP discount . . . . . . . . . $894
2 nights @ AKV 1 BR savanna view DVC rental $608
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,347
added to the above total + $7,162
Grand total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11,509
Have a great weekend everyone!
MrsDuck
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2011
- Messages
- 8,393
Day 1: I love how you surprised him with the trip! So exciting!
Glad to hear you liked Wolfgang Puck! We haven't eaten there yet.. we will have to try it next time!
It is AWESOME that the park was practically empty-- I love when that happens!!
I think it's adorable that he loves small world so much. Very impressive memory!
Day 2: It's so awesome you knocked out the best rides so early in the day! So sorry to hear about your phone charger-- that stinks!!
Isn't AKL the best? So quiet, so peaceful. It's really an awesome getaway.
I love EE! And, I feel you on the Primevil Whirl. Makes me feel icky.. UGH. Sounds like an awesome Day 2!
I hope DS and DD get better ASAP!
Day 3: It sounds like you had a great day and a wonderful trip! I'm so glad you both had a blast!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Congrats on being paid in full! SO EXCITING!!
Your vows are just beautiful!
Your budget is INCREDIBLE!! Awesome job!! You are going to have such a beautiful day! So happy for you!
Glad to hear you liked Wolfgang Puck! We haven't eaten there yet.. we will have to try it next time!
It is AWESOME that the park was practically empty-- I love when that happens!!
I think it's adorable that he loves small world so much. Very impressive memory!
Day 2: It's so awesome you knocked out the best rides so early in the day! So sorry to hear about your phone charger-- that stinks!!
Isn't AKL the best? So quiet, so peaceful. It's really an awesome getaway.
I love EE! And, I feel you on the Primevil Whirl. Makes me feel icky.. UGH. Sounds like an awesome Day 2!
I hope DS and DD get better ASAP!
Day 3: It sounds like you had a great day and a wonderful trip! I'm so glad you both had a blast!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Congrats on being paid in full! SO EXCITING!!
Your vows are just beautiful!
Your budget is INCREDIBLE!! Awesome job!! You are going to have such a beautiful day! So happy for you!
DoomBuggy0922
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2010
- Messages
- 1,835
Your final budget is amazing, Jillian! Fantastic work. 
I am getting SO excited for you!!!
I am getting SO excited for you!!!
tric8783
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2011
- Messages
- 988
You are getting so close!!!
I love that you just started driving with DS... haha, that is so great! Sounds like you had an awesome time, what a fun trip!!
Sorry to hear your kiddies aren't feeling well, I hope they are doing better!
Your budget looks awesome & yay you were able to rent AKL points!
PIF... whoo hoo!
I love that you just started driving with DS... haha, that is so great! Sounds like you had an awesome time, what a fun trip!!
Sorry to hear your kiddies aren't feeling well, I hope they are doing better!
Your budget looks awesome & yay you were able to rent AKL points!
PIF... whoo hoo!virtuous girl
Faith, trust, & pixie dust
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2011
- Messages
- 539
ur budget is so realistic! im glad u r able 2 have everything u want U DESERVE IT! 
AWwww ur vows r so sweet 
(tear) ... i would b jumping 4 joy if i were u, SO CLOSE!!! 
U DESERVE IT! AWwww ur vows r so sweet (tear) ... i would b jumping 4 joy if i were u, SO CLOSE!!! 
NoOrdinaryPrincess
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2011
- Messages
- 1,467
Just caught up! I'm glad everyone is doing well!
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