Love the Eric being buried photos.
Seems like a good idea to book a couple of reservations each night.
So the plan is Epcot for NYE? What about the day before? They practise the MK NYE fireworks on the 30th at midnight and they are amazing. We watched them from the Poly beach in 2009 although on NYE. So dinner at Ohana that night could be good and I know they are really good with big groups.
Good point, I had originally had that in the plan, with Biergarten on the 29th for CP but am worried folks won't make it there in time for the CP idea. But maybe that's ok.
Yes, Epcot for NYE. As we are at BWV it just makes more sense and the fireworks looked amazing!
Hi Cynthia, sorry that you are so stressed out at the moment. The allergy thing sounds truly frustrating. I hope this can be sorted out somehow!!
It can be minimized but that's about the best. There really is no way to keep me from the items that cause issues, I just have to minimize exposure as best as possible. Which is forcing me to be creative and spend money on things I'd rather not but, oh well. I do have medication but it just treats the symptom, doesn't fix anything. I'm less stressed now, just sad and really annoyed at the medical community for not giving me what I feel is some key info. It was absolutely buried so I don't really fault my doc but still, I've been operating under a false assumption for almost a year.
On the ADRs. I think your plan to go with two seperate reservation of 6 and 8 sounds good to me. I don't see why you need to call to do it that way. Can't you just set up an account for Jeff as well online? As long as you don't asign him to your reservations he should be able to get a reservation for himself.
I could do it online with dueling computers but I worry that getting matching times that way will be a lot harder than just calling.
Unless it is a meal that takes a credit card guarantee, I never had trouble to drop people from my reservation.
I think the CP package is the only one that will need a CC. What I don't know is if it's a deposit CC or you have to pre-pay.
I think all your reservations sound good to me, except BoG which I just did not like at all. On the last trip I ended up eating at two places which nearly nobody ever mentions: we had dinner at the Garden Grove at the Swan (for the barbecue buffet) and loved it. They had Pluto and Goofy and there were so few people that we got to spend quite a bit of time with the characters despite being an adult table. And we had lunch at Portobello at DtD and that was very good, too. Both places might also be easier to get reservations for, especially if numbers change at the last minute they might be options.
Garden Grove might be a great back up option, I've only ever heard good things about it. Sad that you didn't like BoG!
Cynthia - How stressful to have to make these plans for such a busy time of year - at such a busy time of year. I hate the end of the school year! Thankfully mine have been done since May 30th but now we are getting into the "I'm bored" part of summer break.
Oh yes, the "I'm bored" will be right after the "I can't wait to be done"
I have a lot of empathy for you, hon. I've had some friends who just CANNOT commit to things that I've had to downgrade the amount of time I spend with because it drives me NUTS. Unfortunately,
we're talking about family! And that dynamic makes it even harder. I would definitely start booking your 6-8 groupings. If people decide to come later, you can always try to change and if you can't, there's the separate table route.
I have a hard time being annoyed with them as they are valid things...it's not like there aren't good reasons but UGH. In the big picture there are only a few real stresses about it. One, I don't want to miss out on airfare when it's time to buy. I am tracking but fearful that a deal will show up and we will have to make a call, not knowing. Two, the boys would be devastated not to go with their cousins. Three, I really want it to be all of us and...I just don't have that solid feeling I'd like to have about it. Four, I have a PAP that has to be activated by 12/31. So if this trip gets cancelled or postponed, I need to go solo or something to at least get my ticket activated and not lose that $$.
All your restaurants look good to me, so I'm not much help with input there. I do have to say I've heard great things about O'Hana, and I've chosen it for my upcoming October trip. At that point in the trip, Nana will have gone home, so it will be me and...5 men, so to speak. Our dads and the menfolk of my family. I thought it would be fun for the kids an nice to have all you can eat option for the adults.
Anyway, good luck with everything. After my impromptu May trip with Nana, believe me, I understand the importance of doing these things while we can.
We did Ohana in 2010 and loved it. I do think I need to relook at it for the 30th and move Biergarten to the 29th.
Something about that LOL doesn't feel as much
as it does
.
yeah...tween and teen attitudes and hormones
The Jekyll Hyde boys...
It sure looks like it was a great family day for him! I'm glad he got to spend the day with all the kids together!
He was over the moon happy with his day, it was cool!
Yuck... I understand your frustration, but I definitely understand her hesitation as well. A lot going on and it all weighs on the cash flow situation. Hopefully it will work out.
I hope so. If she, and her boys can go in addition to my parents then it's worth it to stick with the plan.
Ok, this one is tougher. Is BIL just reisistant to the idea, but might be the type to loosen up once he's there, or is he the type that will be miserable just because he's determined not to like it?
It's hard to say, kind of an unknown. He would be doing it for her, he's made it clear that he is ambivalent at best. He definitely has a preconceived notion of it and given that he doesn't have kids he is of the mind that he doesn't understand why adults would want to go. She made it clear when they got married that he would have to go and at least try once. But she really REALLY wants him to love it and is fearful of anything that might keep that from happening.
I have to say though, when we went when DW was pregnant, I didn't have any less fun than normal. She missed out on a few things, but I was able to ride everything (and even had an extra fast passes to get some extra rides on some of my favorites). He could still enjoy drinking around the world, even if she can't. It isn't like they're going to be the only 2 adults. I realize you probably won't all be together 24/7, but really, you could schedule some kind of an adults only evening around the WS or something.
They will be the only two adults without kids. True my parents don't have "kids" but hanging out with the in laws, while fun and something they do a lot of, isn't his idea of vacation. I agree with you and think she's being a bit ridiculous about it but whatever.
That seems... awkward.
It would be one or the other, not together lol. Although seriously at some point they probably will get back together. At least we all think so given behavior on both sides. My ex-sil is still a "sister" as far as we are concerned and in many ways would be the lower maintenance adult to have along. They have both stated they want to go, but she will defer to him if he wants to. Given finances, who knows. There is an event on Sat for the other sisters graduation, it may or may not come up.
It seems like this is an important trip for your dad, so I really hope that everyone can work together and make this happen!
me too.
I like your idea of doing ADR's for 6 & 8. Definitely the easiest and most flexible way to go. I just want to comment that I love this idea, in particular, for NYE!
Well the 6-8 wasn't my idea, came from a
DVC FB group I'm part of but I thought it was brilliant.
I do too! It's really the "one" new place I may well just force on everyone as it seems perfect.
I did see that you mentioned Via Napoli as possibly being lunch or dinner. Are you considering other lunch possibilities, or are you looking at pretty much just doing dinner ADR's? I always like to do some ADR's for lunch, especially when the park is going to be busy. That way we can get a long break to sit down in the AC without necessarily going back to the resort.
Generally speaking we are not fans of sit down lunches. We tend to go commando until it's time for a pool break and so counter service or lunch in the villa (which is the plan for almost all days) works best and is very flexible. I hate feeling like I'm losing my day at lunch sitting down. On the flip side we love TS dinners and really look forward to them....for some reason CS just isn't "dinner" to us.
I'm sure you know how I feel about this one. I think this would be a great fallback for you if you have trouble getting an ADR somewhere. It usually isn't too hard to get into, the food is good and it is a great environment to have fun with a group. It might even be possible to call and get a group seating for 14 even after the 180 day window if you're not too particulary picky about the time.
Good point on last minute switches. I do think all the kids would really like it, we've only ever done breakfast there. I had thought about Trails End as well as I do want to see the Fort all decorated, the kids would love it! Just not sure we would make it over there without a meal scheduled there. Hmmn.
My truck got washed, cleaned out, vacuumed and had the upholstry cleaned on Father's Day... and I was the one that did it. Definitely not what I planned to do that day.
Hmmn. Yeah, not the same when YOU do it.
Last Saturday DW's cousin had his bachelor party. We played paintball and I drove. Apparently a couple of the guys in the back seat didn't worry about taking off the top layer of clothes before they got in my truck. My black seats looked like they were zebra print after they got out.
I hope they paid for the cleaning!!!!!!! That is awful. I would be livid.
It is, I had that idea and then forgot it in my fear that folks would get there late on the 29th but it is a really really good idea...just need to time the ressie right assuming we can get it.
What about Beaches and Cream or do they not take ADRs? How about Hoop de Doo? Or somewhere like that?
