June comes before August & the APs will still be valid! I think we're done here!

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Tia, right now they are promoting this fireworks show as being for summer only, but that may change!

We are putzing this morning. DH is all showered and dressed but DS and I are dragging.

I have some sort of knee thing. There is a lump behind my left knee and it hurts. I Googled it. Sounds like a Baker's cyst. I had a ganglion cyst in my wrist, so maybe I am susceptible to that sort of thing? Anyway, it is bothersome. It started yesterday AM but I didn't realize there was a lump until today. I took some Advil. Hopefully it will just go away. That metatarsal bone that was so painful before we left has done well, so that's one good thing!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Well, our experiment with the gift card vs. the CS DDP has proven that we should NOT buy a dining plan. EVER! The plan would have cost over $1200. We JUST finished the first $500 gift card this morning, and we only have today, tomorrow, and Friday that we'll be doing any CS meals. Saturday we're going to Boma and then to the airport. I think I even cheated a few times and put things on the gift card that wouldn't have been covered by the plan, like alcohol.

So THANKS, Star, for suggesting we load the gift cards and pay for CS that way. It would have been bad to pay $1200 for a dining plan that we would have only gotten about $600 of use out of!

 

[Dizney73]

Well, our experiment with the gift card vs. the CS DDP has proven that we should NOT buy a dining plan. EVER! The plan would have cost over $1200. We JUST finished the first $500 gift card this morning, and we only have today, tomorrow, and Friday that we'll be doing any CS meals. Saturday we're going to Boma and then to the airport. I think I even cheated a few times and put things on the gift card that wouldn't have been covered by the plan, like alcohol.

So THANKS, Star, for suggesting we load the gift cards and pay for CS that way. It would have been bad to pay $1200 for a dining plan that we would have only gotten about $600 of use out of!

Tell me more.... what did you do exactly??? I came on just about a week before you left so I meissed out on this gift card thing! Did you buy any dining plan??? Did you pay for ALL of your meals with the gift card? I NEED to know more!!!

 

[PghLybrt]

That gift card is a great idea! I do not think we ever eat enough food for the meal plan, well at least not the type that is covered by it!

I really am leaning to buying into AKL.

Sorry about Yachtsman, again! Now you have sealed it for me completly, next time I am going and requesting him too!


Oh June!! I havent been since middle school! All I really remember is massive crowds, horrible heat and getting rained on everyday!! I am much better suited for November!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Tell me more.... what did you do exactly??? I came on just about a week before you left so I meissed out on this gift card thing! Did you buy any dining plan??? Did you pay for ALL of your meals with the gift card? I NEED to know more!!!

I suspected the CS meal plan would be a waste of money for us. Star suggested I load a gift card with the amount the plan would cost, and use the card to pay for every CS meal and snack to see if we would zero out the cards over the course of the trip. If we didn't use all the money on the cards we could apply them to our room charge balance at the end of the trip because we are charging all of our souvenirs and TS meals with the room key.

Before we left we loaded 3 gift cards because at Walgreens the cards max out at $500. We JUST finished the first card this AM, with only 3 days to go. So realistically the plan would have cost us $1200, and paying OOP we have only spent $500. I imagine over the next couple of days we might spend another $100 or so on CS, but NOT another $600!

 

[Dizney73]

Thanks... good idea. We are doing QSP when we go down in July. I guess I will save all of my receipts and see what it adds up to. This is our first time doing the QSP. I am hoping that we amke out since we can use a snack credit each day for a small breakfast and eat at a resort CS for most meals.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I will say we haven't had a tremendous amount of CS food and we are sick to death of it. The thought of more CS food just makes all 3 of us go "BLAH!"

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We got to Epcot about 11 AM today. It was crowded. And hot. That seems to be our theme now.

DS rode Sum of all Thrills (25 minute wait). We walked through the Seas pavilion, rode Journey into Imagination, got our free Disney Visa photo taken (Minnie and Goofy were our characters), rode Spaceship Earth, ate lunch at Electric Umbrella (counter service - BLAH), then went on the boat to Boardwalk so we could go to Welcome Home Wednesday. That event is only fun if you win something. We won nothing, but got a free D23 magazine, some Cracker Jacks, and 3 DVC baseball caps.

We got back to the hotel and realized we had no dinner plans. We ended up having dinner at Jiko. It was really good!! Now I am exhausted. Will post pics tomorrow!

 

[disneymomof1]

Loving your report !! We have done the dining plan before and always end up with several CS and TS meals left over. I am definitely taking your advice and doing the gift card thing, what a great way to track what you spend on food. Last year when we checked out after a 8 days on the DDP, we had 3 TS meals and 6 CS meals left, what a waste, but it is just way more food than we can eat in a day !!! Looking forward to the rest of your TR. Have a great trip !!!

 

[starann]

I'm so glad that the GC worked out for you....at least now you can show DH it was not, nor will EVER be worht it for you!!!


I don't think I could ever do the CS plan....I like the DDP for the fact you get the best of both worlds!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Welcome, disneymomof1!

Star, we eat too many signature dinners to do the DDP, and the DxDDP doesn't work for us, either. But the gift card has been awesome!

We are attempting to make it to AM EMH at MK this morning. We'll see if it is crazy crowded like it was on Tuesday.

 

[Tammi67]

STOP! Today is a red day for MK! I'm comparing what your report your crowd levels to be with TGMs advice. Yesterday was green for Epcot, but I suspect you found it more crowded because you got there later in the morning.

I've never eaten at Jiko, but would like to try it someday. I've heard great reviews of it!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Tammi, I missed your post. We went to MK and it was fine. Nowhere near as bad as it was Tuesday. We just came back for a break and it is POURING rain, so we timed it well.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Hi Elizabeth, Getting caught up

Sounds like you are busy, having fun and braving the weather. I think I like May and December weather best.

Hope you knee is better too. They thought ds22 had that cyst thing too. He ended up having knee surgery anyway.

Sorry you had to cancel yachtsman. I love your pics of sanaa. Dh would love those food choices.

What souvenir has Princess asked for?? I remember she wanted a bracelet last year?

When I was there I was admiring the warm fuzzy blue castle blanket, but figured I would wait to december. I bought myself that brightly colored mickey bowl if you have seen it. I figure its good for summer stuff etc. And I bought the beach towel that matches it.

Do you ever get to go swimming. I think with all that heat I would be parked in the pool!!

Looking forward to the Jiko pictures.

 

[Tammi67]

When I was there I was admiring the warm fuzzy blue castle blanket, but figured I would wait to december. I bought myself that brightly colored mickey bowl if you have seen it. I figure its good for summer stuff etc. And I bought the beach towel that matches it.

I got that blanket in January! I LOVE it!

I'm glad the crowd levels weren't bad today!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Maryann, I bought that blanket in December. It is still in the shrink wrap. I keep thinking I will wash it and put it out to use, but I haven't done it yet. I have a woven AKL throw that is my favorite. We bought a Star Wars throw for DS. My knee does feel better today, thanks. It isn't as swollen or sore.
Princess didn't ask for anything - she wanted me to surprise her. I bought her a shirt and some Fairy stickers. We haven't been to the pool at all. And I forgot the water park tickets.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We got to MK a little before 8 AM. They did the opening show, then we went straight to Tomorrowland. DH went to get FPs, and I told DS to go hop on Astro Orbiter because he hasn't done it yet this trip. DH made it back in time to go with DS. DS got to stay on and ride twice.

We rode Buzz twice, then Snow White, Small World, Big Thunder, and Haunted Mansion. At 10 AM we went to Toon Town for charatcer photos becasue we were trying to stretch out the day until our 1 PM ADR at the Plaza. The fairy line was 75 minutes at 10 AM! Princesses were 15, so we got Princess photos. Our Princess at home will be THRILLED.

DS and DH rode Space with their FPs (stand by was 30 minutes). From there we went over to meet Tiana and Naveen. I bought a Christmas ornament, we saw the Country Bears. We planned to ride Pirates but the queue was WAY long - not sure what the issue was. We wandered around a bit, DS bought some little toys on Main St., then we went to lunch.

The Plaza is under some sort of construction and the seating area is about half what it ususally is. Still, lunch was good.

We all had naps and now we are trying to sort out what to do since it is still raining.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Dinner at Jiko

Amuse bouche of cauliflower soup

Bread (honey bread and caroway bread - the honey bread is amazing!!)

Peach salad

Trio of African breads

Trio of dipping sauces for breads

Filet mignon (I would have loved this if i had remembered to tell them NO SAUCE)

Kid's meal steak

Maize crusted halibut

 

[Dizney73]

yummo... Jiko sure looks good! With our 17 month old sit down meals will be few and far between!!! Our 4 year old is fantastic (and always has been) but our little guy.... ooooo when HE is dine... WE ALL ARE! Maybe in 4 years or so

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We went back to MK last night. For some odd reason DS was under the impression that there wouldn't be any lines. Um, hello? We couldn't decide if we were going to sit on the curb for the parade or not. Indecision is a killer. We rode the tea cups and by the time we got off there weren't any spaces left.

We got hot dogs at Casey's and managed to find a table outside. In the rain. It wasn't raining hard, but still, it was rather unpleasant. We decided to head to Frontierland. We did find a spot at the rope over there, and DS had a poncho in his bag so we didn't have to sit on the wet concrete.

I liked MSEP a bit better this time.

DS didn't want to try to find a spot for fireworks, he wanted to go on rides. We rode Buzz twice with no wait, then he rode Space Mtn. with a FP we got earlier in the day. Our last ride was the TTA.