(More than)A FIVE years of Trips! -- TR Started! Day One - updated 6/10

[hurleysweety]

I think its time for some pictures...

Our one year anniversary trip:
Surprise Anniversary Dinner at Storytellers

Our amazing upgraded 1-bedroom suite with theme park view at the GCH! We were the celebration family of the day.

Taken right after we arrived.

The giant 1-bedroom suite at Grand Californian!

And DH's birthday trip aka Toy Story Mania trip:

and we're tired...

Waiting in line for Indy!

And our HONEYMOON trip to WDW (best trip ever!):

Pirate and Princess party

And of course...I just have to...gotta throw a wedding pic in the mix!

 

[becpee]

Loving your PTR

Living vicariously through you

 

[hurleysweety]

We are 19 days from our vacation. YAY!!!

We still have 3 nights without a hotel room.

I have spent the last couple of days researching hotels, rates and availability. priceline and hotwire research too. I have come to learn that there are very few hotels who even have Saturday night available.

Have done four different bids on priceline today - way above what I normally bid - and no success. I have begun to check rates on expedia, to find that there aren't any hotels available (that we would stay at -- needs to be above a certain quality, and below a certain price).

I'm a little worried and stressed. Even the Disney on-site hotels are booked up that weekend.

 

[disneynerd420]

I'm sure you will find something... You had previosiously wanted to go to the beach... why don't you look for something in between Huntington and Anaheim? Or you could see what is available in Newport beach. I recently went there and loved it.



Just another thougth... If i had three days in Cali that did not involve DLR or the beach, I would tour Hollywood. There is definitely three days worth of fun there.

Or maybe a trip to Long Beach and stay on the Queen Mary.

What ever you do, I'm sure you and you DH will have a great time.

 

[hurleysweety]

I'm sure you will find something... You had previosiously wanted to go to the beach... why don't you look for something in between Huntington and Anaheim? Or you could see what is available in Newport beach. I recently went there and loved it.



Just another thougth... If i had three days in Cali that did not involve DLR or the beach, I would tour Hollywood. There is definitely three days worth of fun there.

Or maybe a trip to Long Beach and stay on the Queen Mary.

What ever you do, I'm sure you and you DH will have a great time.

I hope we find something! We're (well, lets be honest, I'm) doing research for San Diego. Our biggest problem right now is that we want a nice hotel for a cheap price on priceline - but so many hotels have these awful resort fees and parking charges - adding a good $30-45/night!

I know we'll have a great time. I just wish it wasn't so stressful. I haven't even had time to do much disney planning about anything - which is making me even more overwhelmed! So then I have to remember we're going and we'll have fun. But for now - I just wish we had a hotel already!!

 

[hurleysweety]

ALAS! We have figured it out. So what are we doing now? Well logically, we are headed to San Diego!

We were going to just stay in Anaheim, but almost EVERY hotel was booked and we weren't going to switch again. So we're headed south to a beautiful pricelined hotel for $65/night - the Kona Kai Resort. #71 out of #253 hotels in San Diego. Not too shabby! Thanks to DH for doing more research on the bids and taking care of it today. He is now in charge of this portion of the trip since I've never been there! I'm really excited. We're headed to a Padres game, Coronado Island, some time at the beach, and of course, shopping! Aww, I just love DH right now.

Okay so onto some Disney stuff! I'm so glad I can focus on this now!!!!

 

[disneynerd420]

WOW. That sounds great... I love San Diego. Coranado Island is beautiful. I can't wait to see some pictures!

 

[hurleysweety]

Woohoo! I think I have our dining plans down:

Saturday September 26
B-Chic-fil-A - on the road
L-McDonalds
D-Cove Bar

Sunday September 27
B-Room
L-Subway
D-Storytellers

Monday September 28
B-Carnation Café or Riverbelle
L-Ralph Brenan's Creole Café
D-Angels Game!

Tuesday September 29
B-PWC
L-Whitewater
D-Lucky Fortune

Wednesday September 30
B-Room (Originally had Storyteller's breakfast scheduled, but too much $$$)
L-Hungry Bear
D-Rancho del Zocalo

Thursday October 1
B-Whitewater - Bagels
L-Riverbelle Terrace
D-Head to Saaaan Diego!

I know this will change...but oh well

 

[hurleysweety]

Okay - So I've lost my readers. I apologize. I've been busy, and then sick,

Our plans are becoming more and more concrete everyday! I have now made a final schedule!! So good, now you can all come stalk me.

Saturday
Check in around 11:30
Lunch around 12 (restaurant.com certificate place)
Nap after lunch
Store for water/snacks and take back to room
Park at 3 - DCA
DL for dinner, counter service
Fantasmic @ 10:30
Leave after fantasmic

Sunday
Breakfast in room
DCA - TSMM line opening
Drive to subway for late lunch
Nap
Cove bar for dinner

Monday
Pack bags and check in early and store bags at Paradise Pier
Walk to DL for breakfast @ carnation cafe
Hang out at DL
Walk for late lunch creole cafe', downtown disney
Check in at paradise pier later
Head to Angels Game

Tuesday
Pack bags and head to Grand Californian
Check in and store bags at Grand Californian
Breakfast at PWC - cinnamon roll
Hang out at DCA
Whitewater Snacks for lunch
Check into GCH
Hang out at pool/relax
Nap/room
Storytellers for Dinner
Walk around DTD

Wednesday
Breakfast @DTD
DL for park opening
WCT for lunch
Nap
Dinner at Rancho del zocalo
DL til closing

Thursday
Whitewater/room - bagels n stuff
Pack up and check out, store bags at GCH
DCA for one last hurrah
Head out for lunch (restaurant.com certificate place)
Drive to San Diego

 

[hurleysweety]

Yay! We leave in 10 DAYS!!! I have so much going on before I leave that I don't really even have time to do much planning. I have started my planning journal and it looks amazing! I still have a lot to put in there. So far I have our hotel confirmations, daily schedule and entertainment hours and thats it!

I still need to print out
1. Directions based on the new theme.
2. Various coupons
3. Restaurant.com gift certificates
4. Dining plans/Dining Budget and PS times
5. San Diego Info
- Directions
- Hotel stuff
- Sightseeing stuff/info
6. Phone numbers

I'll post pictures soon!

 

[hurleysweety]

My Planning Binder is done!!!

Here is the cover

Menus (of the places I'm not as familiar with)

Daily Park Schedule

Border design

Getting There, directions

Its quite bulky....haha

 

[Seaera]

Wow - you're quite organized...I'm impressed!
Did you do up the daily schedules yourself or were they printed from somewhere?

 

[2wildchildzmom]

Looks great!

So I will say Hi if I see you at the late night Fantasmic on Sat., it is our plan to be there!! Look for a family of four wearing matching Star Wars shirts! Can you believe we are 5 days out!!

 

[hurleysweety]

Wow - you're quite organized...I'm impressed!
Did you do up the daily schedules yourself or were they printed from somewhere?

Thank you! If only I organized the rest of my life like my Disney trips!

And I designed and printed them myself - just a regular ol' desktop color printer.

Looks great!

So I will say Hi if I see you at the late night Fantasmic on Sat., it is our plan to be there!! Look for a family of four wearing matching Star Wars shirts! Can you believe we are 5 days out!!

Oh we're trying to do the late night Sat fantasmic too! Chances of seeing each other will be 1 in 1000 I'm sure, but I'll look. For us, just look for an overly tired DH and an overly excited me !

5 days!!!!!

 

[disneynerd420]

Oh we're trying to do the late night Sat fantasmic too! Chances of seeing each other will be 1 in 1000 I'm sure, but I'll look. For us, just look for an overly tired DH and an overly excited me !

5 days!!!!!

I'll be there with my mom and best friend at the late night Fantasmic on Saturday too. I'll keep an eye out for both of you.

 

[disneynerd420]

I love your trip binder! That is amazing! I am so doing that on my next trip.

 

[hurleysweety]

I love your trip binder! That is amazing! I am so doing that on my next trip.

Thanks you! Its as much fun to do as it looks!

I took the idea from another Disboard member - but I don't remember her username off the top of my head - I know its in another ptr - another one I didn't finish!

 

[hurleysweety]

So I'm pretty much all set for our trip! I have almost all our laundry done, I've done all the shopping for toiletries, ect, and most importantly, I have the planning binder done!

I can barely focus at work right now, I'm already doing some unnecessary planning and thinking about our trip to WDW next year. I just miss it way too much! And then when I get my mind off that, I have this upcoming DLR trip to think about too - although its all planned, so there's not much more for me to do except go and enjoy!

Dining Budget Sheets
I did these excel sheets to help me see how much things cost. It really came about not because I wanted to make a list for everyone, but because I wanted to see if the same thing cost different in different places. I haven't gone through it item by item yet, but it seems across the board, most similar entrees, snacks, and drinks cost either the same or have little difference. And I'm not about to walk across the park to save measly cents. I'm just too lazy... But they are listed by price for all counter service locations in Disneyland and DCA, and also table service as well was added today. Check it out here: http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0ArsCwRWD1J6OdGd0aExqc1dzOVZrSWVocl9yZnZxR1E&hl=en

Its a workout...all that walking!
I'm getting really excited about all the walking next week. I really enjoy feeling like I'm getting my workout in at Disney - without hitting the gym. Tonight will be the last night we're headed to the gym before our trip because of other plans and such. We won't be going the night before either because thats just nuts! And DH needs all the sleep he can get before he drives six hours and then is walking all over DLR too excited with me to realize he needs sleep until he turns into mr. grumpy pants.

RideMax
I have one thing left to do - RIDEMAX. I can't believe I forgot until yesterday that I never did our ride schedule. I mostly use it for more of a guideline than a must-follow-or-die plan. It works so much better that way. Plus it helps me remember to get my FPs!

Halloween!
I'm really looking forward to the Halloween decor too!!! Mickey pumpkins and such - I realized that neither DH or I have been that time of year ---wait, No, I might have been back in the day on one of those youth trips with my students --- but I don't remember them. Also, we're doing a photopass so I'm hoping for some really well themed pics too! Say Cheese! I'm really not into Halloween as a holiday and all stands for stuff and either is DH, but I love fall and Thanksgiving, so I'll be focusing on that instead!

 

[hurleysweety]

One more day!!! just ONE MORE DAY! in 19 hours we will be leaving. In 26 hours, we will be THERE!

I still have so much to do - but at least I will be packed and sleeping at a decent time tonight. I'm determined to be in bed no later than 10:30. Well...we'll see how that goes...

 

[Daisybelle]

I just read through your PTR that's about to become a TR. You and your husband seem like such a nice couple. What a fun way to spend time together.

Have a wonderful time!