Magic in the Bayou...POR April 28-May 3

[longing2Batdisney]

Hey! Jen just caught up
great job on the cake...at least from the picture
Jilly is so cute...you guys are a really cute family!

you will love POR, we stayed at POFQ years ago; Jilly is going to love the slide at POFQ. Danny wanted to go back there again this trip but having three rooms and two of which I am paying for POP just fit the wallet alot better. {We did ASSp last May and we did not have any problems with noise levels at all...we were not by the pools, though--and I plan to ask for a lake view hoping for a fireworks view but I hear it is quiet there.}

The boat ride over to DTD is awesome and relaxing...last year Danny and I brought Ashton ride when we were unable to get into Epcot.

As for the dining part of it we are CS people, you will love the food at POR and POFQ...when you have the crew I have DDP is out of the question and so is TS. So, I have a list of what other dissers say to be great QS and the ones we like...

can't wait to continue planning along with you
great start to your planning!!
Connie

 

[littlelovebug]

Just found your pre-trip report link over on Connie's report. I wanna join in on the planning fun too!

Your family is so cute and your daughter is simply adorable. I think you and your friend did an awesome job on the cake.

Thanks for joining in on the fun! I'm glad someone who is not obligated by family laws to lie through their teeth liked the cake!

Hey! Jen just caught up
great job on the cake...at least from the picture
Jilly is so cute...you guys are a really cute family!

you will love POR, we stayed at POFQ years ago; Jilly is going to love the slide at POFQ. Danny wanted to go back there again this trip but having three rooms and two of which I am paying for POP just fit the wallet alot better. {We did ASSp last May and we did not have any problems with noise levels at all...we were not by the pools, though--and I plan to ask for a lake view hoping for a fireworks view but I hear it is quiet there.}

The boat ride over to DTD is awesome and relaxing...last year Danny and I brought Ashton ride when we were unable to get into Epcot.

As for the dining part of it we are CS people, you will love the food at POR and POFQ...when you have the crew I have DDP is out of the question and so is TS. So, I have a list of what other dissers say to be great QS and the ones we like...

can't wait to continue planning along with you
great start to your planning!!
Connie

Hi Connie! Thanks for hopping over to my PTR! Your family is super cute as well! I hear really great things about POP...my cousin was going almost every six months before she had her baby and that is where she usually stayed. I stayed at ASSp with my sister's drill team several years ago, so of course it was noisy. I mean, how could a hotel host hundreds of girls and NOT be noisy???

Happy planning!!

 

[lauren_elizabeth]

Oh my goodness! What a great birthday party!

 

[Peter Pan Fan 22]

Hi Jen! Great start to your pre-trip report! I'm interested to hear what CS restaurants you've chosen!

That cake is beautiful! Sorry to hear it was so stressful for you and your friend, but I know your daughter must have been thrilled when she saw the final product!

 

[littlelovebug]

OMM!!! (Oh My Mickey...I'm not sure if that is in the DIS list of abbreviations...I'm pretty sure I just made it up...) OUR TRAVEL PACKET CAME TODAY!!! I just love getting mail from Mickey! I'm tempted to start packing now just so I can use the luggage tags!

Here's one quick trip detail as promised...Why 1900 Park Fare and not CRT (or another character experience)?

When I asked Jilly what she wanted on her birthday cake this year, she said "Cinderella and her girl mouses." I really thought I was in trouble here...visions of molding tiny mice out of fimo were racing through my head. You might be thinking, "She wouldn't have remembered if you had just gotten a Cinderella cake with no mice..." WRONG! This is the girl who still remembers that she had Tinkerbell AND a ladybug on her cake last year. Now I know why DH is often annoyed by my photographic memory...

Luckily, I enlisted the help of my family, and my stepmom immediately found a listing on ebay for a set of figurines...Cinderella, her Fairy Godmother, and a basket of yarn with the "girl mouses!" She is my hero!!

So that's what started the whole Cinderella craze this year. When I decided we were going to WDW (prior to Jed's approval) I checked out special experiences. I knew right away we would have to do the BBB. About a week later I found out that the closest Disney store was closing While this is not normally something to be happy about, I just happen to have an aunt who worked there and was able to get Jilly a Cinderella dress for $12!! She also bought her a matching tiara and wand!!

So what better way to follow up a princess makeover than an enchanting dinner? After comparing the princess dining experiences, I decided 1900 Park Fare would be the best chance for Princess Jilly to interact with all of the characters from the Cinderella movie! I had already read the horror stories about ADRs, so I went online and set one up at least a week before we ever booked our trip!

In addition to the dress, wand and tiara, Jilly also got a Cinderella hooded sweatshirt, tshirt, and sunglasses. She even got a matching dress for her Build-A-Bear, Silver! My sister gave her a Disney Princess comb set and silver gladiator sandals for her BBB day! Oh, and I almost forgot!! My dad and stepmom gave her a Disney giftcard to cover her makeover!

 

[littlelovebug]

Oh my goodness! What a great birthday party!

Thanks! It turned out even better than I expected!

Hi Jen! Great start to your pre-trip report! I'm interested to hear what CS restaurants you've chosen!

That cake is beautiful! Sorry to hear it was so stressful for you and your friend, but I know your daughter must have been thrilled when she saw the final product!

I promise I'll get to our itinerary and dining plans soon! I almost forgot, when we asked Jilly what she thought of the cake, she pointed out that one of the turrets was crooked. Once I fixed it, she said it was beautiful! I decided at that point that hers was the only opinion that mattered!

 

[__disneygirl]

Hi Jen.. loving the PTR.. i'm in!

You have a beautiful family and I think that cake turned out awesome! She must have loved it!

We are going next month and did the same math on the Moderate VS Value resorts with the gift cards. I don't think the price has ever been this close before but I am loving it!

Can't wait for more

 

[jenniferkeala808]

happy birthday to princess jilly! Thanks so much for sharing the pictures! That cake came out amazing! I love it!!

Yay for getting Mickey Mail!! Which travel packet is this? the ME one? Or the Disney one? I've been waiting for mine...what does it look like?! (Sorry, if you read my PTR, I'm a little worry wart! lol! ) I'm guessing it takes a little longer to get to Hawaii...hopefully it's on its way!!

I've heard OKAY things about CRT but I've heard good things about 1900 Park Fare!! Can't wait to hear more!!

 

[MikeandSulley]

Cute party! You did a great job on the cake!

I'm sure Jill will have a ball (pun intended) at 1900 Park Fare, that is a great Cinderella experience.

 

[Peter Pan Fan 22]

Yay for Mickey Mail!! And I'm with you on the wanting to start packing. I have all my disney shirts together on one side of my closet just waitng to be folded and packed!

 

[lauren_elizabeth]

Yaaaaaaaay for getting Mickey Mail! It's always so exciting to receive it - it just makes the trip seem that much more REAL!

Yall are going to have a blast at 1900 Park Fare. I haven't been since they added in the Step Sisters, but everyone says they make it hilarious!

 

[pinkxray]

Just joining in. Your family is adorable and that cake looks awesome! We will be at POR a few weeks after you. Can't wait!

 

[littlelovebug]

Hi Jen.. loving the PTR.. i'm in!

You have a beautiful family and I think that cake turned out awesome! She must have loved it!

We are going next month and did the same math on the Moderate VS Value resorts with the gift cards. I don't think the price has ever been this close before but I am loving it!

Can't wait for more

Thanks, Lia! I just subscribed to your PTR...do any of our travel dates overlap or do I have to wait to find out???

happy birthday to princess jilly! Thanks so much for sharing the pictures! That cake came out amazing! I love it!!

Yay for getting Mickey Mail!! Which travel packet is this? the ME one? Or the Disney one? I've been waiting for mine...what does it look like?! (Sorry, if you read my PTR, I'm a little worry wart! lol! ) I'm guessing it takes a little longer to get to Hawaii...hopefully it's on its way!!

I've heard OKAY things about CRT but I've heard good things about 1900 Park Fare!! Can't wait to hear more!!

Hi Keala! I'm glad you liked the pictures! I know some people apologize for posting big pictures but I'm a sucker for details!

I remember reading in your PTR that your travel packet had arrived at your mom's, so I started watching the mail! I think I received the ME package on Saturday, and the Disney one came yesterday!

Cute party! You did a great job on the cake!

I'm sure Jill will have a ball (pun intended) at 1900 Park Fare, that is a great Cinderella experience.

I LOVE the pun!

Yay for Mickey Mail!! And I'm with you on the wanting to start packing. I have all my disney shirts together on one side of my closet just waitng to be folded and packed!

Are there any guidelines for packing...I mean who decides what is too early?? I really want to know if I can pack one suitcase inside another so I can have an extra bag for souvies on the way home...

Yaaaaaaaay for getting Mickey Mail! It's always so exciting to receive it - it just makes the trip seem that much more REAL!

Yall are going to have a blast at 1900 Park Fare. I haven't been since they added in the Step Sisters, but everyone says they make it hilarious!

You're right! It's a nice little reminder that we really are going!

I think reading about people's interaction with the Step Sisters is what finally made me choose 1900 Park Fare. I'm so excited!!!

Just joining in. Your family is adorable and that cake looks awesome! We will be at POR a few weeks after you. Can't wait!

Thanks for joining in! I just took a look at your PTR and will be subscribing! I'm glad you decided on POR...I also considered CSR based on the pictures and theming, but decided on POR after reading the reviews. Hopefully I can give you some info about the resort when I return!

 

[Cory's Gal]

Hi JEN!! So glad you started a PTR!! Happy Birthday to Jilly!! What a fantastic Cinderella Birthday!! The cake looked spectacular!! Jilly is completely adorable! My mom bought my daughter, Helen, a Cinderella dress at our Disney Store back in January and got it for $15!! She will be getting it for her birthday in 2 weeks!! I think it may be too big for her to wear for our trip though Jed's truck caught Gabe's attention, he has been really into monster trucks recently so he thought it was cool that Jed has his own Monster Truck!!

Can't wait to hear more of your plans!!!

 

[littlelovebug]

Now that you have gotten to know a little bit about us, let's move on to the itinerary!! (I should probably mention that DD4 is well over the 40" mark, but typically refuses to ride anything but the Carousel at our local theme park. I'll give you all an update on how she does this year, since it opens a couple weeks before our trip!)

DAY 1: April 28 (Following "Late Arrival One-Day Touring Plan for Parents with Small Children" from touringplans.com)

We will arrive in Orlando at approximately 10:00 AM (we were arriving earlier but I received an email stating our flight was being pushed back about 45 minutes...) I'm hoping for a good experience with the ME...it wasn't available when we went in 2003, and I read lots of mixed reviews. Is it possible that we'll be able to get to our resort, zip through the online check-in line, and be on a bus to Epcot by noon???

Once we arrive at Epcot (during the International Flower & Garden Festival ) I plan to make a quick stop at Guest Relations for a "My 1st Visit" button for DD4, then head straight to the Land Pavilion to grab some Soarin' fastpasses and pick up lunch at Sunshine Seasons. After lunch we'll ride LWTL.

Next we'll skip over to the Seas with Nemo and Turtle Talk.

Moving on to the Imagination Pavilion, we'll visit my beloved Figment!! We might skip HISTA, since DD4 will probably be freaked out by it, and DH and I are not dying to see it again...

Then we'll head back to the Land Pavilion to use our Soarin' FPs and check out Circle of Life. After that we'll make the obligatory stop at SE. I think we'll pass on Universe on Energy, but try to detour to TT (yes I do realize the contradiction of NOT taking DD4 to HISTA but trying to drag her on TT...) which is not on the touring plan.

After that we'll head to WS, where I hope to ride Gran Fiesta (can't wait to see it with the addition of the Three Caballeros) and Maelstrom, then see the Dragon Legend Acrobats (those kids are amaaaaaaazing! ). I'm thinking we'll probably skip the American Adventure, look for Miyuki in Japan, and head over to Morroco to eat dinner at the Tangierine Cafe (other options are the Liberty Inn or Sommerfest). After dinner we'll head to France and pick up some baked goods at the Boulangerie Patisserie for the next day's breakfast, and check out the Fragrance Garden (maybe try the Bee Scavenger Hunt). Then we'll probably skip the O Canada! film and head back toward FW. I figured we could find a cozy spot near the WS Lagoon and let DD4 play in the Pixie Hollow Fairy Gardens or Let's Get Moving playground while we wait for Illuminations to begin! Then we'll follow the crowds, board our bus and head back to POR to get a few hours of sleep before rope drop at AK the next day! Phew!!!

 

[littlelovebug]

Hi JEN!! So glad you started a PTR!! Happy Birthday to Jilly!! What a fantastic Cinderella Birthday!! The cake looked spectacular!! Jilly is completely adorable! My mom bought my daughter, Helen, a Cinderella dress at our Disney Store back in January and got it for $15!! She will be getting it for her birthday in 2 weeks!! I think it may be too big for her to wear for our trip though Jed's truck caught Gabe's attention, he has been really into monster trucks recently so he thought it was cool that Jed has his own Monster Truck!!

Can't wait to hear more of your plans!!!

Thanks for checking out my PTR! Don't you absolutely love that Cinderella dress? It's so fun having a girl!!

Jed will be glad to hear that Gabe likes his truck. He bought it while I was pregnant with Jilly, and it was totalled. He and his friends spent a lot of time fixing it up and it turned out great! To top it off, he went to a truck show two summers ago, and as he was pulling in the parking lot, a guy waved him over to the side and said, "I want to put your truck on the cover of a magazine." They photographed it that day and that picture was used for the cover of Diesel World Magazine!

Happy planning!!!

 

[martinolichfamily]

I'm in!
Jumped over to your PTR from Cory's Gal PTR!

Your plans sound great so far!

We had dinner at 1900 Park Fare last year...and we ALL loved it! Good food & a lot of FUN!!

Looks like ya'll had a great Cinderella Bday Party! to Jilly!

Can't wait to read more.

 

[littlelovebug]

I'm in!
Jumped over to your PTR from Cory's Gal PTR!

Your plans sound great so far!

We had dinner at 1900 Park Fare last year...and we ALL loved it! Good food & a lot of FUN!!

Looks like ya'll had a great Cinderella Bday Party! to Jilly!

Can't wait to read more.

Yay! I'm glad you liked 1900 Park Fare! Thanks for the birthday wishes! I'm getting ready to post some more details, so thanks in advance for reading along!

 

[littlelovebug]

Day 2: April 29 (Following "AK One-Day Touring Plan for Parents with Small Children" from touringplans.com)

Hopefully we'll be able to drag ourselves out of bed after a long day of travelling and hitting up Epcot. I'd like to try to get on the AK bus by 8 AM (with our baked goods from Boulangerie Patisserie in hand) in order to make it to the entrance at least 25 minutes early.

After the opening ceremonies, we'll head straight to Kilimanjaro Safaris. Hopefully I can snap a good shot of the Lion King himself! Then we'll determine if DD4 is willing to board the KRR (I already bought some ponchos!) and check out the Maharaja Jungle Trek. While DD4 and I check out the Flights of Wonder, I'm hoping DH will swing over to EE for some FPs...we've never ridden and I really want to check it out, even if it means riding solo using the rider swap.

Next I really want to take DD4 to see ITTBAB but I keep picturing myself running out of the theater with her screaming...

After checking out the Tree of Life, we'll head to lunch at the Flame Tree Barbecue (or Pizzafari). Afterwards we'll explore Camp Minnie-Mickey and head over to FTLK. When we visited for our honeymoon in 2003 I was soooo disappointed to see this was closed for refurbishment. I had spent months telling DH how wonderful it was and was so sad that he couldn't see it.

Next we'll check out Finding Nemo (although I'm sad that Tarzan Rocks is gone, I'm excited to see this one) and play around in the Boneyard. If DD4 is willing we'll also try out Tricera Top Spin.

If it's close to parade time, we'll stick around and find a good viewing spot. If we get through everything earlier though, we might go back to the hotel for an afternoon break.

I have two alternatives for our evening plans:

1) Depending on what time we leave AK, take the bus straight to DD or take the boat from POR to DD and have dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express, then take the boat back to POR and hop on the bus for MK.

2) Go straight to MK (either from the resort or AK, depending on time) and have dinner at Columbia Harbour House.

Either way, we'll make a stop at the Chapeau so DD4 can use one of her birthday giftcards to make her own ear hat , then scope out some good seats for Spectromagic (my favorite parade!!! ) and end the night viewing Wishes! (Any good tips for viewing Tinkerbell's flight?)

Then we'll make the journey back to POR and hopefully fall asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow!! We'll need to get some rest if we want to make it to rope drop at MK the next day!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Hi! I followed you over from Cory's Gal's report. We'll be there the same week, but staying off-site. I'll try to get caught up tonight...