My 1st PTR (& maybe a weight loss story thrown in)-BC: May 2011-5/17-We outta here!

[matkensgirl2000]

Hello, fellow Dis-ers! I am going to chomp the bit and start my very first PTR. I am an obsessive planner and this is the first time in the last 5 WDW trips that we haven't brought other people with us. So, I have no one to obsess over WDW with. My husband is game, but he never reaches the level of excitement that I do and the kids just want to GO. As we know on these boards, half the fun of going to Disney is the PLANNING! I know the Dis-ers will help me!
Anywho, I am definitely not a newbie to planning a Disney trip (this will be my sixth trip and the 4th in 5 years), but I AM a newbie to posting on the boards. I've only posted a few questions on the boards since I've been a member, but I lurk like a crazy woman (wasn't there a character on Rainbow Brite named Lurk or Lurky?..that's what I always think of when I'm on here) when I'm planning a trip. I am a detail woman and if you want the deets on Disney, this is the place to find it.
Ok, to get started, a little of my WDW history:
1) I first went to Disney at the ripe old age of 18 on a class trip. Lovely time, but I did not know the first thing about Disney. I spent a lot of time sleeping and pining for my boyfriend (now my DH). It was so romantic and I did not have my lovah to share it with. I didn't even set foot in Epcot!! (Sacrilege and Blasphemy, I know).
2) 2 years after I got married, my husband and I went and stayed in ASMu. At the last minute, we brought my younger sister and her husband. Everything's funner when she's around 'cuz she was my childhood playmate.
3) We went in 2006 (we had 2 kids by then..1 and 2). We brought my mom and other younger sister along (a graduation present). We were originally staying in POFQ, but my husband surprised me by telling me to upgrade. We did...to Grand Floridian and were given a club level room for free on check in. This was also the first year they had the dining plan where it included apps, entree, dessert AND the tip. Those were the fancy days.
4) We went again in 2008 after I graduated from college (I had finished up my senior year after taking an extended break in 2002). My kids were 4 and 3. We brought along my sister again with her husband and FOUR kids. Needless to say, we stayed in a value resort...the POP. Quite a different trip than from 2006. We had DDP again.
5) We went last year and brought along my mom. My cousin also met us there. We stayed in POFQ. This time, we had 3 kids, 6, 5 and 1.
6) Finally! We are going again, just us!
Ok, stay tuned for the next post when I give the 4 W's and the how and while I figure out how to post some pics!

Table of Contents
1) The Why
2) The Who (not the band)
3) The When
4) The Where
5) The How
6) ADRs, part 1
7) ADRs, continued
8) Memories, 1999 edition
9) Memories, 2002 edition
10)Memories, 2006 Edition
11)Memories, 2008 Edition
12)Memories, 2008 edition, Part 2
13)Memories, 2010 edition
14)Driving
15)Park Hours
16) Shoes and Such
17) Wish List
18) Shoes and Such
19)Itinerary Planning
20)Itinerary, Cont'd
21)Friday Itinerary + Disney Store Magic!
22)Saturday and Sunday Plans
23)Happy Happy Joy Joy
24) IPO and PT
25) Settling into Disney Mode

 

[matkensgirl2000]

Why this year instead of next year? Our policy was Disney every other year--a "trip"--and in the alternate years, go somewhere more relaxed--a "vacation". As much as I love Disney, even I will admit that it is a LOT of work, especially with kids.
First, my youngest will still be free this year, but is old enough to appreciate Disney. He is even going to have a Mickey birthday party this year.
Second, we are debating whether or not to go for another baby later this year or next, which would clearly throw a wrench into our plans for 2012.
Third, Uncle Sam was a bit kinder to us this year than in previous years.
Fourth, there is a nice little 40% off Pin Code sitting by mail drawer, making a deluxe resort stay again possible. For a while now, I've been thinking that park proximity was key to how relaxing our WDW vacation is. Our stay at the GF was so relaxing and I have so many pleasant memories associated with that trip. I don't think you can relax as much when you are consistently spending 2-3 hours a day waiting and riding on Disney's spotty bus service.
And finally, my oldest two (6 and 7) are getting grown and who knows how much longer the magic will last? I want to make a REAL priority to make sure they appreciate the little things at Disney instead of rushing from ride to ride. Soon, they will be real tweens and only worried about the next thrill. If we only want thrills, we'll go to Universal. If we want MAGIC, we'll go to Disney.

 

[matkensgirl2000]

Ok, a little note on the "maybe weight loss" part of the title. I weigh right now about what I did when I went to WDW last year. I have definitely weighed more and I have definitely weighed less. I was not entirely thrilled with the pics of me last year, so I have about 13 weeks to lose some pounds. I would consider myself too hot to trot if I lost 20 lbs. So, each week, I'd like to post how much weight I've lost. When the weather is warmer, the fam and I will definitely do some Disney pre-walking to get ready for those 8 miles a day!
Now I'll start with the who:

That's me, Matkensgirl, age 30 (that is only about the 5th time I've said OR written that number in relation to my age) and my husband, Matt (33). We've been married almost 11 years. He is a restaurant manager and I am a SAHM. Even after 12 and 1/2 years together, I still can't say enough good things about him. He is so good and kind and hard-working (and good looking, wouldn't you say?) and he spoils me ROTTEN! Hence, the WDW trips. He is a practical joker and loves thrill rides. I am a type-A personality, your classic perfectionist. I love the rides in WDW, but I love the atmosphere, the details and the FOOD (hence the need for weight loss!). Can you guess where we're standing in this pic?

And now for the 3 little folks:

To the left is my oldest, DD, age 7. She will be almost 8 when we leave for Disney. She is a girl's girl. I think they were thinking of my daughter when they invented princesses. She is very smart and likes to try new things.

The middle is my DB, Wee. He will be 2 in a month. He is at the age where everything he does is CUTE. He loves "NuhNow" (Mickey Mouse) and is not afraid of characters at all. He is easygoing and will do anything for a glass of chocolate milk.

The one on the right is my DS. He is 6. He is smart, athletic and VERY competitive. He is most looking forward to riding BLSRS and beating everyone.

The oldest 2 are collectively known as the Bigs. They are only 17 months apart and though they fight like animals sometimes, they can't do without one another. Since DS is the same height as DD, they are often confused as twins. They have both declared that they will NOT be riding ToT again this year. We'll see about that.

 

[matkensgirl2000]

So, I haven't booked yet. It looks like I could be doing it today, but I need to re-check their booking policies. I think it's a $200 deposit at booking and the remainder paid 45 days out. I will probably call for 2 reasons:
1) My dates are a bit flexible, so I will need to speak to someone to make sure I can get what I want based on availability.
2) I'm a little embarassed by this...I like calling because I actually LIKE being put on hold. Listening to that music (You Can Fly, it is usually) just sets off that magic for me. Is that sick? I do use online booking to help me price and I used it last year to book my ADRs (are they still doing that?). Since I am using a pin, though, I haven't found anything to help me figure out the prices. I have just estimating. We'll see how close I was today!

Here's the when:
Sometime around the end of May. Last year, I swore I wouldn't go in May again. We usually go the week before Memorial Day. The crowds are no problem until that Friday. Somehow, a year has erased all the bad May memories. I can't remember why I said I wouldn't go then. The crowds, maybe? Goodness, I live about 60 miles from the Gulf Coast, so our weather here is not much different from Orlando's. I know that May is chump change compared to July and besides, wouldn't you rather be sweltering in WDW than stuck at home? Before the Bigs were school-age we went a teensy bit earlier in May and usually caught the end of the Flower and Garden Festival. Since I am a gardening amateur (emphasis on amatuer), I really appreciate Epcot at that time. I mean, it even SMELLS like flowers! But it seems like they are ending FGF a little earlier than they used to.
Anyway, I also like May because it is warm enough to swim. We have been to Blizzard Beach twice (loved it) but skipped it last year. Having a 1 year old would have really put a damper on water-sliding, which I love. Wee is old enough to enjoy it more this time, but if we get to stay where we want, we won't need a waterpark! (Can you guess?)
May also works because schools around here get out a little early. My son is Kindergarten which means his school year ends early, around the 17th. My daughter is done a week later. Luckily, she is my little "ox" health-wise and she has only missed 3 days of school all year. This means she will have about 4left to miss at the end of the school year. Since it will be after their standardized tests, the school year will pretty much be over anyway. She is head of her class anyway, so no worries!
So, I am thinking anywhere from 5/18 to 5/25 would be a good range for us. The 26th is the Friday before Memorial Day. I am a CROWD hater!

 

[melser13]

I'm following along...your PTR amuses me so far because your family reminds me of us. We like to do Disney every other year and alternate with the beach to relax!

Our last trip was with "just us" when there were 4 of us and WE LOVED IT! Not that family isn't fun at Disney, it's just that we got to move at our own pace that time.

Happy Planning! Enjoy the ride!

 

[matkensgirl2000]

Welcome, melser! Thank you for joining. One more way you are my Disney doppelganger...I have a Disney souvenir, too! She is from our Sep. 2002 trip. Don't you think that they should have a special club for Disney souvenirs? They should get free passes or something!

I just booked! Details to follow!

 

[matkensgirl2000]

I called Disney yesterday and made my ressies. And the winner is...


Beach Club

I have always wanted to stay here. Even when we stayed at GF in 2006, my first choice was BC, but it wasn't available. I have been to WDW 5 times and I have never even set foot in the Epcot Resort Area. And the thought of staying in a nice, beach-house setting is just what I need to get over the influx of arctic air in the U.S. It's ridiculously cold, people.

And thanks to that wonderful 15-digit code called a PIN, we get to stay club level. I'm going to contact the concierge services ahead of time just because I CAN!!

I wonder where in the BC the CL rooms are located.

I also made my ADRs, but those might be subject to change. I'll get to that in the next post. Right now, I'm baking cookies for Valentine's parties tomorrow at the kids' school. That makes me sound all domestic and stuff, but it's really because I was in the mood for some cookies.
Speaking of cookies, I am under my calorie count for today (cookies included) and am down 1 lb. Whoopee!!

 

[Queila]

Signing up!
I was at WDW last May and will be back this May also.

Cannot wait to read more about your plans.

 

[blessedmom4]

Subbing (How could I not, your Who, When, Why reminds me of something ). Your children are GORGEOUS!!! Looking forward to reading and BELIEVING you can drop a few pounds before you go!

 

[melser13]

I am so jealous that you got a PIN code for BC. We booked through a friend who has DVC points, but if the right offer comes I'm gonna have to jump on it. We are staying at BC this summer for the first time...and we can't wait! I'm looking forward to storm-a-long bay the most!

Now...I just have to figure out how to get myself a PIN code...I keep trying!

On another note - I agree with you, any "Disney Souveniers" should come with a lifetime pass...since they are the most expensive souvenier!

 

[matkensgirl2000]

Welcome, Queila! I love meeting a fellow May-er. We will be there for two of the same days. Congratulations on YOUR weight loss. 20 lbs is really something to be proud of. I would be over the moon if I could lose that much.
BlessedMom, thank you so much for the encouragement and for the compliment about my kidlets. I am rather partial to them myself. As for PTRs, I guess great minds think alike.
Melser, that pin code saved me $1300. That's like a PH and DDP put together. I'm guessing you get the PINs from ordering the vacation planning CD? I started getting those PINs ever since I signed up for that first one.

I woke up this morning after a long night with a sick kid (I know all of you can sympathize) to find 2 new subbers. That cheered me up quick!! Thank you and WELCOME!!!

 

[matkensgirl2000]

And, whoa, whoa, blessedmom4. I just noticed YOUR weight loss. That is just great!! Congratulations. I know every single step walked and every single calorie counted was a sacrifice, but it paid off big time. Way to go!

 

[matkensgirl2000]

The one thing I am agonizing over is whether to drive or fly.

We live about 9 hrs. from Disney. If you include stops, it takes about 11 hrs. altogether. We have always driven before.

It only takes an hour and 45 minutes to fly, though you'd have to tack on extra 2 hours for getting to the airport, going through security, etc. My husband's vacation time is limited and it would be nice if he didn't have to spend 2 of his days off driving. I have flown a few times before, but DH and the small people have never. It would be a fun experience.

But there's one problem: flying costs 6x what it would cost in gas and food. That's painful. I would be giving up most of my spending money, the use of our car in Disney and the fun of the road trip on the way there. But I REALLY hate that drive home...when you are so tired and all you can think of is getting in your own bed and there is nothing to plan in your future but laundry and housework. 11 hours of that is NOT fun. Last year, my cousin flew in to WDW from Detroit. We all left WDW at the same time, she on ME and us in our vehicle. She got home before we were even out of FLORIDA.

I'm sure we'll be driving. I don't see my DH wanting to shell out the cash for plane tickets unless some crazy good deal comes along. There is only one carrier that flies out of our airport nonstop to MCO and if we're not doing nonstop, it's pretty pointless to fly anyway.

Our trip is from May 18-May 23. We'll likely leave right after school on Tuesday the 17th. With any luck, it will still be Tuesday when we arrive in Orlando. We'll stay in a cheap hotel (maybe even in a value resort) and check in Wednesday. We have no plans to make rope drop that day. We may go to AK and explore the resort that day. I'm sure the DH will want to sleep. He works in a restaurant and his hours are crazy. But my thinking is that, if he wants to sleep, Epcot is right there and I can go there or explore BC or the Boardwalk with the kids. So that's the how.

Up next, my most favoritest, wonderfullest part of WDW planning...the ADRs!

 

[matkensgirl2000]

Before I get started on my ADR post, anyone wanna guess what DS is doing in this picture??

Am I evil?

Well, one of my favorite parts of Disney is eating in the restaurants. No theme park I've ever been to has had such a range and quality of eating choices...well, at least as far as the sit-downs go. Most of the QS are standard theme park fare, but there surely some standouts even among them. The last 3 times we've gone we've been on DDP. When we went in 2006, the DDP included apps and gratuity. That was awesome, especially since I usually prefer appetizers to desserts; though I do love my sweets, I hardly ever order dessert in a restaurant.

Here are my previous sit-down experiences:
50's Prime Time Cafe- 2002
Sci-Fi Dine In- 2002, 2006
Les Chefs--2002, 2006, 2008
Akershus--2006
Ohana--2006, 2008, 2010
Mama Melrose's--2006
1900 Park Fare--(Cinderella's Gala Feast)--2008, 2010
Boma--2008, 2010
WCC--2008, 2010
The Wave--2010
Chef Mickey's--2006
Garden Grill--2010

Hey, where are the international foods that you can get from Epcot? Unfortunately, my little crew is not very adventurous. We prefer to take our chances with QS dining rather than our TS. That is one of the things I have to think about when planning it out.

What other things do we have to take into account? Well, I use TP to figure out how busy the parks are each day as well as park hours. I try to schedule meals near the parks we'll be at or plan the parks near the places we'll eat. It's hard to know this far out, but I do like to have a general idea. It's also important to plan according to when we'll be arriving and leaving WDW. In other words, no character breakfasts the morning we arrive!

For this time, I wanted to have at least one Mickey meal, since the Wee-man is really into Mickey. Since we are staying CL this time, I thought we could do Hoop-Dee-Doo since we will have extra food in the lounge to help make up for the extra TS credit. We have never been and I want to try it at least once.
As you can see from my list, there are several things from my list that we have done over and over and we're ready to mix it up a bit. So that cancels out Chef Mickey and Garden Grill (I was none too impressed with GG either...the character interaction was pretty awesome, but the food was bleh and I got sick with the rotation of the restaurant). I looked into Tusker House, which has Daisy, DD's fave of the big 7. Since one of our meals will be OOP, this was pretty inexpensive--$65 for all 5 of us for a character meal. Ok, I'm in. Plus, we've never eaten TS in AK. And an early breakfast will get us further back in the park early, before AK even opens. I like.

Next, I really want to do Hoop-de-Doo. We've never done it, but we've always liked dinner shows. I've never done a TS that takes 2 credits before, but since this is supposedly a must-do, we're going to give it a shot. I calculated about how much it would cost OOP vs. how much it was costing me on the DP and the DP won.

So far...
HDD--7:15 pm, 5/18
Tusker House--8:15 a.m., 5/19

Now, I must sit down with the crew and hash out the rest...

 

[MelMel11]

Count me in. I can't wait to hear more. We go in July I cannot wait.

 

[blessedmom4]

And, whoa, whoa, blessedmom4. I just noticed YOUR weight loss. That is just great!! Congratulations. I know every single step walked and every single calorie counted was a sacrifice, but it paid off big time. Way to go!

Thank you, each day is a challenge!

Before I get started on my ADR post, anyone wanna guess what DS is doing in this picture??

Am I evil?

EVIL??? Only if you just let your DS try Beverly UNWARNED!!!! Is that it? Yes, I have a Beverly story as well...so, is that what made that precous child look like that?
If not, I have no clue.

 

[blessedmom4]

Sounds as if you might live near us from the distance you drive...are you in NC?

 

[matkensgirl2000]

Sounds as if you might live near us from the distance you drive...are you in NC?

No, I'm a little "souther" and a little "wester"--in MS. Yes, that is DS trying Beverly. For the record, that is the second time he'd tried it, but the first time he was 3 and didn't remember. I have never tried it...the result of reading the boards. Does that make me even more evil? You must share your Beverly story. I get everyone with that stuff!

Welcome, Melmel11! Thanks for joining in. I've never been in July, but I'd rather be suffering the heat and humidity in Disney than here at home.

I'm watching Bambi with the Bigs right now. I like to immerse them in Disney so nothing in Disney will be wasted. Who wants to go to Disney and have kids not know about the Swiss Family Robinson when they see the tree? And truthfully, NO movie made these days can match those old Disney classics. Sigh...

 

[matkensgirl2000]

On the last post, I had nailed down at least 2 of my ADRs--Hoop De Doo and Tusker House. I had a list of restaurants I thought would be fun for us to try. I love Boma so I definitely wanted to go there again. Just in case all the new places we tried weren't so great, I knew I could count on Boma to at least salvage the yumminess. Plus, my husband. loves. buffets. He eats circles around me everytime we go to one. A picture of DD and me at Boma:

And just like every year I've been to Disney, I tried to get ADRs at Le Cellier. And just like every year, I couldn't. I tried to get a lunch so we could only use 1 TS credit, but it didn't pan out. Oh well. I can get good steak around here, fortunately.

Others that were on my list:
To Try:
Via Napoli or Tutto Italia--Because the whole family loves Italian food. The first food my baby ever ate on his own was a piece of pizza on his first birthday. My daughter cried when an Olive Garden gift card got "stolen" from me during a Dirty Santa gift exchange.
Kouzzina--I love Greek food, it's near our hotel and it would be fun to get the family to try a new cuisine. Plus Cat Cora's a native Mississippian!
Beaches and Cream--It's supposed to be awesome, it's in our hotel and something called a Kitchen Sink.

To Try Again:
The Wave--I liked the food and it had a neat ambience.
50s Prime Time--I just thought this would be a fun experience.
Sci-Fi--Again, fun experience.
Mama Melrose's--Again, Italian. Plus I'd like to get the Fantasmic Dinner Package because I have no intention of waiting hours in the standby line with a 2 year old just to see a fireworks show. We'd done this before. Food was yum.

So I sat down with the crew and gave them their options. I asked DD, since we were eating with Mickey and Donald, would she like to eat with the Princesses again or would she like to try something new like eating with Tigger and Pooh. To my surprise, she chose Pooh!! We HAVE eaten Princess meals for the last 3 visits. She was ready to try something different and she knew Wee (DB) would love to see Pooh. Sweet girl

Matt (DH) ixnayed 50s Prime Time. He hated the food last time we ate there. He NEVER has an opinion on anything, so when he actually does, I let him win. He said the same thing about Sci-Fi. I remember not loving it that much either. So FPT and SFDI--out.

They had no opinions about anything else, so I hopped online and fiddled around at the Disney online reservations page and here's what I ended up with:

Wednesday--HDDMR
Thursday--Boma 8:30 pm
Friday--Tusker House 8:15 a.m. OOP (DD is thrilled to be eating with Daisy)
Saturday--Kouzzina 8 pm
Sunday--Crystal Palace 8:15 pm

I didn't make ADRs for our last day (Monday). I did that last year and it really cut into our park time. We are usually using up all of our snack credits on that day anyway. In previous years, I also did early dinners but by the time we were done, we had hardly any time to tour the parks in the evening. So I'm going to try something different this year and do late dinners.

I'm also tossing around the idea of doing Wishes Fireworks buffet again this year. We loved it last year...no waiting for the show to start and lots of yummy desserts. DH loved it. The kids loved the view of Tink flying from the castle. She flies right over Tommorowland Terrace! Of course, the only day we could do it would be Friday, so it would depend on if they're offering it again that night.

Next time, I'll share a few of my favorite Disney Memories and maybe start thinking about which park/which day and QS restaurants.

Ack! And I still need a new camera. Mine got stolen 2 1/2 years ago and I haven't replaced it. I've been borrowing my mom's. Do you have any suggestions?

 

[pinkxray]

Joining in. We will be there for a few of the same days this May. We went last year May 22-June 1 and I swore we wouldn't go during May again. I guess 6 months erased the memories of crowds and heat b/c we are booked May 14-23 this year.

Your kids are adorable! I will catch up on the rest of your plans tomorrow, off to bed.