My PC, GF, VWL, BCV, VWL, and SSR vacation

[Janet2k]

The Grand Floridian Convention Services Cast Member e-mailed me the Banquet and Events Order (BEO) for my Summerhouse dinner party. For those of you who are unfamiliar with a BEO, here is something that I sent to Bonzie1:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BEO = Banquet and Events Order. In my case, the BEO document is several pages long. Each page is for a different aspect of the event. The document states timing, pricing, and specific details regarding the event. My party and its flow will be defined by the BEO. I guess you could say that the BEO is like a pseudo-script and my party is like the play for that script. Disney scripted things and it was up to me to yea or nay them. I didn't touch a thing. I know nothing about throwing a party at a resort, so I've left things to the hands of the experts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My BEO stated the details of everything revolving around my dinner picnic baskets & dinner invitations, daily event board & door marquee, back-up location, dinner party location, dessert party location, menu for both dinner & dessert, bartender fee, list of non-alcoholic & alcoholic drinks, timeline for party, Mickey Mouse’s arrival via float boat, and so on. It was fairly detailed and gave me a good idea of how my dinner party would play out.

I thought you folks might like to see my BEO. I have posted an edited version of it in my on-line photo album. Sadly, you won’t be able to view the details of it due to the size of the images; however, those images should at least give you a general idea of what a Disney BEO looks like:
BEO Page 1
BEO Page 2
BEO Page 3
BEO Page 4

Upon reviewing my BEO, I made a small adjustment to it and sent it to my Cast Member’s attention. It was at that point that I asked him to have Disney Event Productions assign a photographer for my event. He told me that he would set that up. I was pleased to hear that.

I next received a copy of my estimated billing. This statement had an itemized breakdown of the estimated charges for my event: picnic baskets & invitations, bar bill, food bill, catering fees, audio/visual & entertainment fees, recreation fees, dessert bill, and so on. I’ve put an edited version of this document in my on-line album (again, the size of the image is too small to show any detail; however, it will give you an idea of what Disney’s estimated billing looks like):
Estimated Billing

Since I had mentioned to the Cast Member that my family was going to be arriving at the Grand Floridian a day earlier than originally scheduled, he asked me if I was available to walk through my event with him. He thought it would be helpful if I could see both of my party’s venues – the Summerhouse patio & beach area plus the marina area. I was touched by his generous offer. I did not expect him to do anything like that for me. So after exchanging a few e-mails back and forth, we settled upon a time to meet on the day prior to my event. I can’t tell you folks how much I was looking forward to finally meeting the gentleman who had put together my dinner party.

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

Wow! Wow! Wow! This sounds so incredible, Janet. I dream that someday we will do something similar.

It is most definitely not within our means now.

Unless . . .

I wonder what Disney would charge for a chips and dip buffet followed by milk and oreos for dessert????

I can't wait to hear how everything went. I bet your guests will never forget this!!

 

[Janet2k]

Hi, gang. I apologize for not moving along quicker with my trip report. Besides being busy at work, I am just beginning to plan my Fairy Tale Weddings' vow renewal. That vow renewal is basically four months away. Yikes!

I am trying to schedule an on-site planning session with the Fairy Tale Weddings folks for sometime in July since my vow renewal has moved from their "intimate" category to their "custom" category. Since my category has changed, that means I'm going to have to get serious about planning the ceremony (which should still be a very simple ceremony) and the dinner celebration (which promises to be a real hoot – I am absolutely over-the-moon about it).

As I find the time, I will continue adding to my current trip report. Once again, thank you for your kind words both here in this thread and via e-mail & PMs. Dis'ers are the greatest.

 

[Janet2k]

As you folks know, I had broken my leg last year. Because of my injuries, swelling in the foot and ankle area was an everyday occurrence for me. On some days, the swelling was minor. On other days, my leg looked like the Michelin Man (click here). I think you get the picture.

And with that picture in mind, try to figure out what sort of sandal you could wear that would fit one foot that was normal, and the other foot that was always swollen. It’s a difficult proposition, isn’t it?

What you folks don’t know about me is that I have been a QVC customer for years. I buy a lot of items from them (especially from their website) and have always been pleased with what I’ve purchased. One morning I had the TV on while I was getting ready for work. I flipped the channel to QVC for a little background noise and saw that they were selling shoes. A pair of sandals came on the air and they caught my attention. They were made with elastic bands. I stopped what I was doing and listened to the sales pitch. It was then that I realized those sandals would be perfect for someone like me. With elastic bands, those sandals would fit my one good foot and my one bad foot. Eureka! I had found the answer to my prayers! I grabbed the telephone and quickly dialed QVC’s automated ordering phone line. Two minutes later, the shoes had been ordered and I headed out the door for work.

Had this Cinderella found her perfect slipper? Well, I thought I had. The shoes arrived within a few days and I quickly tore open the box. I pulled out the sandals and gasped when I saw the size of the heel. For some odd reason, I thought the shoes had a much lower heel. I showed them to my husband and said, “Gosh, I thought the heel was only 2 inches tall. These look like they’re 2-1/2 inches tall.”

Well, this Cinderella put those slippers on and quickly let out a gasp of pain. For months I had been wearing only flats and sneakers. I hadn’t worn a heel that was more than ½ inch high. Yikes but my leg hurt to be bent at such a large angle. It was at that point that my husband said he thought the heels were higher than 2-1/2 inches. From what my foot was telling me, I had to agree. I kept the sandals on and s-l-o-w-l-y climbed the stairs. Once upstairs, I booted up my computer. I immediately went to the QVC.com website and entered in the item number. Up popped the following description:

Product Detail
Item Number A04795 (click here for photo)

White Mountain Double Strap Stretch Sandals with Backstrap
For a comfortable fit, these White Mountain sandals are designed with a backstrap and double straps that stretch with every step. They also offer a padded insole for cushioning, a 3-1/2"H heel for exceptional lift, and a flexible rubber outsole for traction and durability.

A 3-1/2 inch heel? Were my eyes deceiving me? If they were, my foot certainly wasn’t lying to me. I yelled for my husband to come upstairs. As soon as he did, I told him the height of the heel, and he told me to return them.

Now, I am not a vain girl. Far from it. But I was under a time constraint here – my vacation was only a week away and I didn’t have time to go shopping for another pair of sandals. So practicality won out and I told my husband that I was going to keep those sandals and take them with me to Florida. I was going to wear them to my party, come hell or high water. He laughed at me and pointed out that I walked funny in them.

Let me state right here and now that I did not walk funny. I just walked stiff with one leg. Kinda the way Frankenstein walked, but a little swankier because I had one good leg that attempted to counterbalance the one bad leg. And as far as that groan goes that Frankenstein lets out when he walks, well, I promised my husband that I would keep my groan under control (a.k.a., under my breath). I would learn to walk in those mile-high shoes and no one would snicker at me, he would see. To paraphrase Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With the Wind:”

As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never walk funny again…”

Yes, my husband would see. I would never walk funny again.

 

[Janet2k]

It’s time for another word. I must warn you that this word is truly Rated “R” (click here). It has been known to flutter many a heart of the weaker sex. Now that I have my legal disclaimer out of the way, brace yourself, here’s the word:

attire
(Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary)
Function: noun
1 : DRESS, CLOTHES; especially : splendid or decorative clothing
2 : the antlers or antlers and scalp of a stag or buck

Definition # 1 of that word begins the topic at hand: ”What to wear?”

One of the oldest questions known to humankind was posed to me via e-mail. No, it wasn’t, ”Are we there yet?” It was far worse. Yes, both Bonzie1 and Floridafam had asked me, “What should we wear?” It was funny that they brought up that topic because I had been wracking my brain over it for a week or two.

As you folks already know, I was going to have Mickey Mouse at my family’s Summerhouse dinner party. Since I had specifically requested a traditional Mickey, I knew he would be attired in a black jacket, white shirt, red pants, and yellow tie (click here for photo). Knowing that, I thought I should pick an outfit to wear that wouldn’t clash with Mickey’s outfit, mind you, strictly for the sake of photographs. (Okay, I don’t care what my husband says – just because I did not want to clash with Mickey Mouse does not mean that I am vain.) I took a look through my closet since I didn’t have time to go shopping for any new clothes.

After awhile, I settled upon three outfits. One was navy-blue & white and quite nautical looking (I’m a sucker for a sailor). The other two outfits were identical except in color. They were both gingham-checked, silk dupioni outfits. One was pink & white and the other was black & white. I couldn’t decide which of the three outfits to choose so I put on a little fashion show for my daughter and husband.

I liked the nautical outfit the best, even though it wouldn’t go too well with Mickey since he would be in black and I would be in navy-blue. My second choice was a toss-up between the black, gingham-checked outfit and the pink, gingham-checked outfit. I gave the edge to the black outfit because it would go nicely with Mickey’s attire. However, my husband liked the pink outfit the best and told me to select that one. Pink? Mickey would be in red. That would clash, yikes! But my husband insisted. And then my daughter chimed in and sealed the deal – she liked the pink one the best, especially since she was going to be wearing pink herself. I was outvoted and so the pink outfit went into my suitcase. (But unbeknownst to the two of them, the blue and black outfits went into the suitcase, too. Hey, that’s a girl’s prerogative, isn’t it?)

With the decision of attire out of the way, I could relax. I really do hate picking out what to wear every day, even while on vacation. There are plenty of times that I wished I had a uniform to wear – my mornings would flow a lot smoother if I didn’t have to waste time deciding on what to wear.

As soon as Floridafam had asked me what to wear, I sent her the following e-mail message:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You asked what to wear to the Summerhouse dinner. Please wear something casual. I’ll be in Capri or cropped pants and probably a t-shirt or short-sleeved blouse. My husband will probably wear shorts & a polo shirt. My daughter will either be in a dress, skort, or shorts (she is such a clotheshorse). We are definitely going to dress for the warm weather. We want to be comfortable (remember, we don’t do well in humidity because we are not used to it; I expect my family will be doing a lot of sweating on this vacation, drats!).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Floridafam sent me this response:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sounds good. We will be casual yet cute!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I sent her the following:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As for the dinner party, don’t you dare be too cute! ;-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey, I had seen photos of her before. She would be cute even in a burlap sack.

Then Bonzie1 sent me the following e-mail message regarding the very same topic of what to wear:

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Question: What is the hostess’ preferred attire??? Seriously. What should I plan on... casual, dressy, formal? Let me know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I sent her the following response:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wear whatever you like. It should be a casual party. I’ll be in cropped pants, no doubt. My husband will probably be in shorts and a nice polo shirt or short-sleeved shirt. My daughter has way too many cute clothes for me to determine at this point what she’ll be wearing (cropped pants, probably, and a cute t-shirt or blouse). Don’t forget to bring a sweater in case the evening turns cool (I doubt that it will, but you never know).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bonzie1 soon sent me the following reply:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My husband was relieved to hear that your husband may be wearing shorts. I had told him I wanted him in long pants because we were going out to dinner (double smile). I promise you he'll look presentable!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had seen Bonzie1’s husband before. He was just like Floridafam – he would look cute even in a burlap bag.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, your husband can wear shorts to the dinner! It’s a beach party / BBQ, nothing fancy, just something fun and relaxing with good food and drink.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bonzie1 included the following postscript in another e-mail message:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
P.S. I think I'll be wearing a cropped pants set - pink with palm trees... how wild is that!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like her husband, I knew Bonzie1 would look adorable no matter what she wore, including palm trees. With all those beautiful people at my party, I was starting to feel a little like a wallflower. Did I tell you people in my last post that I wasn’t vain? Well, I lied.

 

[johnsonet]

Janet2k:

I have to tell you that you have opened up a whole new world to me and I really mean it. I have always enjoyed your posts and having read this thread I am inspired to have my own special event at Disney World - a place which- particularly in the past 3 or 4 years - has become my refuge and my joy!
We have already had our wedding, so there will be no Disney wedding in my future (although DD(7) says she wants to get married at the Haunted Mansion after watching the recent Food Network DFW special... ) and I don't think we will have a vow renewal ceremony, although I think that is very touching...but what I CAN picture myself having is a fabulous private party at WDW. And I can think of no better cause for celebration than a birthday celebration for my DD! I have been so inspired by you that I am now DEFINITELY going to plan to celebrate DD's 9th or 10th birthday (too soon for her 8th) and I want the characters, the food, all the many special touches (like the dessert buffet with the view of Wishes ) ...the whole nine yards!! DD's favorite resort is GF and I can simply imagine no better way to give her an incredible birthday to remember and entertain our family and have a ball (and give me the BLISS of planning and Disney planning at that ) than to work with the creative folks at Disney.
Sorry this is so long but I just had to let you know that you are an inspiration and have really opened my eyes to all these possibilities. Thank you and thank you for sharing all the incredible details and all the photos!
Liz

 

[tammy]

Liz,

Oh my God, I was thinking the same thing. I want to plan a special event at WDW.

 

[Minybear]

I haven't been on the DIS for a long time and I decided to see what's happening on the DIS and I come upon this post .

Janet2k I am glad you enjoyed your trip. All your trip planning doesn't surprise me. You are definately not selfish. You are a very giving person and you go to the highest degree for all your family/guests/friends for an event you are planning. I cannot wait to hear about the rest of youe trip. Looks like this trip out does our Haunted Mansion dinner. Which doesn't surprise me. I cannot wait to hear about the rest of your May trip and plus I cannot wait to hear about your upcoming October trip.

Minybear

 

[zalansky]

Does anyone have the link for the Haunted Mansion dinner? I'd love to read it!

 

[Janet2k]

Minybear, hello! I've missed you. Did the Summerhouse Dinner Party top the Haunted Mansion Movie Set Dinner Event? Oh, I don't know -- that is just too dang close to call. Each event was wonderful and unique in its own right. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to top either, but I might come close with my upcoming vow renewal. I have an on-site planning session scheduled with the Fairy Tale Weddings folks next month. I promise to share all the details of that planning session upon my return. I am very excited about it.

Zalansky, Minybear was talking about the "Haunted Mansion Movie Set Dinner Event." This evening I spent quite a bit of time in that old thread fixing a lot of the photo links that Yahoo had once again broken on me (arg!!). I only had enough time to fix the links in my posts pertaining to that particular event (the other day I had fixed the links to the children’s events at the Grand Floridian). If you would like to read about the event, please click here. On Page 9 of that thread, I began describing how it came about. It was an incredible evening and quite a fitting way to both celebrate my wedding anniversary (my husband and I met on Halloween many moons ago) and thank my family for literally waiting on me hand and foot while I was recovering from a broken leg and surgery.

My fellow Dis’ers, since the July 4th holiday weekend is upon us, I hope to devote some time to working on my current trip report (I'm certainly going to try). I also need to fix all the broken photo links in here. And speaking of photos, I should begin loading quite a few of them to my on-line photo albums. I have photos to share of my Pop Century room, my Grand Floridian room, my Villas at Wilderness Lodge room (two different rooms), my Beach Club Villas room, and my Saratoga Springs Resort room. I also have photos to share from the DVC Members Homecoming Events and the Grand Gatherings Safari Dinner. I’m sure there are other photos to share that I’m presently forgetting, but once I stumble upon them, you can be sure that I will share anything that I think might be of interest to my friends here on the Dis. And who knows, maybe I’ll be able to top my favorite obscure photos:
Photo # 1
Photo # 2

 

[KayleeUK]

Excited to hear more

 

[Janet2k]

Please let me start this post with an old Irish blessing:

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.​

I thought that was an appropriate way to begin, especially considering I have heard that blessing used as a toast at many festive occasions throughout my life. And with that toast stated, I’m going to move onto the topic at hand – beverages.

My BEO listed information regarding beverages, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic, for my dinner party. Since what Disney charges is fairly standard fare, I thought you might like to see what those charges are.

- - - - - - - - - -

Catering Fees and Equipment
6:30pm – 9:30pm: SUMMERHOUSE BBQ

(1) Fee, Bartender
Price: $100.00 per each (+)
* This charge will be waived should beverage sales exceed $500.00 per bar exclusive of tax & gratuity.

(2) Small Party Service Fee
Price: $50.00 per each location (+)
* A $50 fee is applicable for service of 19 Guests or less.

- - - - - - - - - -

Bar
6:30pm – 9:30pm: SUMMERHOUSE BBQ

(BOC) Hosted, Premium Brands Bar

(BOC) Hosted, Domestic Beer
Price: $ 4.25 per each (Bill On Consumption, ++)

(BOC) Hosted, Imported Beer
Price: $ 4.75 per each (Bill On Consumption, ++)

(BOC) Hosted, Assorted Sodas
Assortment of Regular and Diet Soft Drinks
Price: $ 2.75 per each (Bill On Consumption, ++)

(BOC) Hosted, Bottled Water
Price: $ 3.50 per each (Bill On Consumption, ++)

(BOC) Hosted, Premium Cocktails
Price: $ 5.75 per each (Bill On Consumption, ++)

(BOC) Hosted, Premium Cabernet Sauvignon
Hosted Premium Robert Mondavi Coastal Cabernet Sauvignon, CA
Price: $ 6.25 per each (Bill On Consumption, ++)

(BOC) Hosted, Premium Chardonnay
Hosted Premium Robert Mondavi Coastal Chardonnay, CA
Price: $ 6.25 per each (Bill On Consumption, ++)

(BOC) Hosted, Assorted Juices
Fruit Juice
Price: $ 3.50 per each (Bill On Consumption, ++)

(BOC) Hosted, Beringer White Zinfandel, CA
Wine by the Glass
Price: $ 5.50 per glass (Bill On Consumption, ++)

* Florida law prohibits possession of alcoholic beverages by persons under 21 years of age. Accordingly we may not serve alcoholic beverages to persons under 21 years of age and such persons are not allowed to possess or consume alcoholic beverages on the premises.

- - - - - - - - - -

That’s all pretty standard stuff. Basically, if my party’s beverage sales exceeded $500 (exclusive of tax & gratuity), the bartender’s $100 fee would be waived from my final bill.

As to the “Small Party Service Fee,” that fee (plus tax) would be charged to me for each of my party’s two venues: the Summerhouse area (for dinner) and the marina area (for dessert). On my estimated billing statement, those two fees came to $ 106.50. That's something to keep in mind if you are considering hosting a small party that will be held in multiple locations.

I should note that beverages would be free for my guests -- they would not be charged for anything, be it an alcoholic drink or a non-alcoholic drink. They had no idea what the charges would be for the various drinks, either. I kept that from them because I did not want them to worry about what my beverage bill would be if they sipped Drink A as opposed to Drink B. Guests are never supposed to worry about anything, especially not about the cost of a cold drink on a warm Florida night. I did not want them having a care in the world, Disney or otherwise.

As to the beverages that you saw listed on my BEO, I did not request any specific soft drinks, juices, wines, liquors, or cocktails. What was stated there was simply standard fare for Disney. After I read the beverage list, I asked both Floridafam and Bonzie1 if they had any particular beverage requests to make (I wanted to make sure that if they did, their needs would be met). They both assured me that they didn’t. (They’re such easygoing guests.)

On the topic of not requesting specific beverages, it appears that history definitely has a habit of repeating itself with me. In my trip report from last Fall’s vacation, I stated the following:

"As to libations, both red and white wine were part of the offerings. For those folks who did not drink, the beverage choices were soft drinks, juices, coffee, tea, milk, and water. If I would have been thinking, I would have added champagne to the drink selection. Here I sit, over one month later, and this idea just popped into my head right now. I guess you can tell that I am not a big drinker. With that said, I do love champagne. How could I have forgotten to have had champagne served for the anniversary toast? Shame on me. I will make a mental note to not forget that little detail for my future anniversary parties."

To quote that old pop song, “Oops! I did it again!” May I ask you kind folks here on the Dis for a small favor? Please (pretty please) do not let me forget to add champagne to the beverage list for my upcoming Fairy Tale Weddings’ vow renewal. My track record isn’t too good in the “memory” department right now and I certainly could use a little help.

I thought I’d end my post with two Irish toasts that I found on the Internet this evening (click here). Here's the first toast:

I wish you health, I wish you well, and happiness galore.
I wish you luck for you and friends; what could I wish you more?
May your joys be as deep as the oceans, your troubles as light as its foam.
And may you find, sweet peace of mind, wherever you may roam.
​

And the second toast:

God bless the corners of this house and all the lintel blessed.
And bless the hearth and bless the board
and bless each place of rest.
And bless each door that opens wide
to strangers as to kin.
And bless each crystal windowpane that lets the starlight in.
And bless the rooftree overhead
and every sturdy wall.
The peace of man, the peace of God,
the peace of love on all.
​

By the way, on the “Wedding Toasts” page on that website, I found the following (and wouldn’t you know it, it was the very first toast that was listed):

May all your joys be pure joys,
and all your pain champagne. ​

Please, folks, make sure to remind me to order that champagne, will ya?

 

[bonzie1]

Hey Janet2k... make a note... order that champagne... okay?

 

[Nicoal13]

I've read through your whole planning process and I'm sitting on the edge of me seat to find out how it all turned out.

Can't wait to hopefully see pictures of the event as well.

It sounds absolutely amazing!

Have a great holiday weekend

 

[2dogmom]

I am thoroughly enjoying your review. I usually don't have time to read lots of reviews, but I figured since it was PAGES long, it must be very good. I can't wait to read more

 

[hightown]

Janet2k, Have so enjoyed reading your report and looking forward to future installments. Can't wait to read of your Fairy Tale Wedding Vow Renewal. DD and I will be in the world in November. If your dates are during our trip, I'll raise a glass to you where ever we might be.


Sharon

 

[Janet2k]

[...Please click the following link for a little mood music: official James Bond website. Note: If you minimize that window, the music will continue to play...]

Once you’ve achieved Secret Agent status, you must work hard at maintaining it. What does it take to be a Secret Agent? Take a look at the following paragraph that is stated on the official Central Intelligence Agency website:

Clandestine Service
More than just a job, the CIA offers a unique career — a way of life that will challenge your deepest resources of intelligence, self-reliance and responsibility. It demands an adventurous spirit, a forceful personality, superior intellectual ability and mental toughness, as well as personal integrity, courage and love of our country. You will be challenged by fast-moving, ambiguous and unstructured situations — and rewarded with the knowledge that your work is making a difference on a national level.

After reading that description, I wondered if I had what it takes to be a CIA agent. My answer? Heck no! But I decided that I did have what it takes to be a party planning Secret Agent at Walt Disney World. If the CIA ever opened up a position for that particular career path, I knew just the lady to fill it – me.

I’ve seen enough James Bond movies to know that it could be fatal if my cover ever was blown. So I kept my head down and my trench coat buttoned up as I lurked amongst the shadows of the Information Super Highway. I worked hard to achieve my double-oh status; this chickie-baby wasn’t about to blow it.

After my BEO had arrived, I decided to use it as a stratagem whenever I was communicating with Bonzie1 and Floridafam. I would disguise my e-mail communications in such a manner that they would think of me as nothing more than your average, run-of-the-mill Disney fan.

With my cover set, I began my latest round of sleuthing. My mission? To make sure my guests would get to the dinner party in time for Secret Agent Mickey Mouse’s special arrival.

I sent the following communication to both Floridafam and Bonzie1:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I received my BEO a few hours ago for the dinner party. Everything looks wonderful and I am very excited about it. It suddenly feels so very real - it took me a long time to get to this point.

There is a bartender listed on my BEO. What do you folks drink? Should I request anything special?

The Cinderella's Slipper dessert is also listed on my BEO. I will finally get my wish to try one of those special Disney desserts. I'm sure it will be wonderful.

Lastly, my BEO's "Event Agenda" states that the guests will arrive between 6:00 PM and 6:30 PM. My family will probably head to the Summerhouse at 6 PM. If any of you care to join us, please feel free to do so. And whatever you do, do not be late to the party. Take it from me, if you're late, you're gonna regret it. It should be an incredible party and one heck of a night to remember.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bonzie1 fell for my innocent girl-next-door routine and replied with the following:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for the update. Everything will be GRAND. My husband and I LATE to ANYTHING??? We're usually the first to arrive ... wild horses can't stop us! (Only a plane delay, in which case, I'll call from my cell phone to the GF and leave a message for you!)

As far as the bartender, we have no special requests.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was satisfied with my intelligence gathering efforts in regards to the Bonzie1 Family. Things were moving along exactly as planned. Perfect.

Floridafam sent me an e-mail stating that they planned on being at the dinner party no later than 6:30 PM. When I read that, I was satisfied with my intelligence gathering efforts in regards to the Floridafam Family. Our watches were still synchronized for the 6:30 PM time-frame. Excellent.

But something in Floridafam’s e-mail caught my eye (you don’t achieve double-oh status without learning to read between the lines):

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, are you at Pop Century for one night followed by the Grand Floridian? Will you be able to check into the Grand Floridian and do the Family Magic Tour? Just let me know if you need me to switch things around at all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interesting. I wondered if Floridafam was inquiring about my family’s resort-hopping schedule due to the timing of the Family Magic Tour that they were so graciously treating us to, or did she have another more sinister motive in mind? Being the thorough Secret Agent that I am, I decided to delve a little deeper in order to find the answer. I sent her the following message:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As to the party, if you want to arrive at 6 PM, that would be great. But whatever you do, try not to miss the 6:30 PM deadline - or at least make sure the kids don't miss it. The official start of the party should be pretty special.

I am sad that I'll only have a few hours at the Pop Century instead of two days. I'll just have to see as much of the Pop Century as I can on Friday night. On Saturday morning, we'll have our luggage transferred and then we'll hightail it to the Magic Kingdom in order to buy our Annual Passes. We'll be at City Hall in time for the Family Magic Tour to begin. We're really looking forward to the tour. My daughter was asking me about it last night. I told her that the tour is different from one tour to the next and we just won't know what it's about until we're on it. She can't wait to see what our tour guide will ask us to do that morning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Floridafam’s response was quite nonchalant:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I CAN'T STAND THE SUSPENSE! I can't wait for the party. I'm speechless. I don't know what else to say other than it's going to be awesome!

The GF CM's do sound wonderful. I'm so glad to hear they have been treating you so well. Now I want to stay at the GF in the Fall. Decisions, decisions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As you can see, there wasn’t one hint of espionage plans in her response. ~Phew!~ I breathed a sigh of relief.

I heard again from Bonzie1. She was now considering booking a Grand Floridian stay on DVC points for the night of the dinner party. She wasn’t sure if she was actually going to switch over to the Grand Floridian for only one night, but she was considering it and said that she would keep me posted. I made a mental note of that little tidbit of information. I would have to keep a close eye on any future correspondence from Bonzie1 in case she decided to pull a last minute switch-a-roo on me (that’s spy-speak for changing resorts). As that other famous spy (Robert De Niro) said in the movie, Meet the Parents: “I’ve got my eye on you, Focker.” Yes sir-ee. I had to keep my eye on Bonzie1. If I didn't, she could easily wind up foiling my well-laid plans.

Floridafam soon sent me an e-mail asking if my daughter needed anything for the party besides coloring books and sand toys. Being certain to keep the ruse up regarding the boring (~yawn~) time the children would be having at the dinner party, I replied with the following:

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Don’t worry about getting anything for my daughter other than one coloring book and a small box of crayons. I have a funny feeling that the kids won’t be too terribly bored during the party. I’m sure there will be plenty of rocks to throw into the lagoon, and plenty of sand and twigs to create a small sandcastle with. I bet they’ll have a great time just hanging out together.
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Yeah, right: ”…the kids won’t be too terribly bored… I’m sure there will be plenty of rocks to throw… and plenty of sand…to create a small sandcastle with…” Too bad I couldn’t add the following sentence to my message: ”By the way, Mickey Mouse will be there to entertain them.” [In my best Snidely Whiplash voice:] “Hee, hee, hee!”

Now, I don’t want you folks thinking I was the only sneaky one in the bunch. There were other undercover operatives amidst my little group, I just didn’t quite grasp that yet…

From Floridafam, I received the following message:

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Just to confirm...you check into the Pop Century on Friday evening around 8pm?

I'll make sure the kids have stuff to play with. My son and daughter are looking forward to meeting your daughter.

You sound so "sneaky" about the party. What do you have up your sleeve? I have my ways of making people talk. (heehee)
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I sounded sneaky? I wondered why Mata Hari, ~er,~ Floridafam had stated the time in her message. I found that a little odd. At first I considered the possibility that she was up to something. But on second thought I decided that she wasn’t. Not Floridafam. She was as pure as the new fallen snow. I didn’t need to worry about her. No, sir-ee.

Or did I? I decided to play it safe and sent the following message:

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We expect to make it to Pop Century anywhere from 8 to 8:30 PM. I’m hoping all our flights are on time. I really want to spend a few hours walking around the Pop Century and also swimming in its pools. I am excited about trying out a Value Resort. I know we’ll like it.

My daughter doesn’t know much about the dinner party, so put your bamboo shoots and water torture tests away! I already told her that she can’t mention anything at all about it to your daughter and son on Saturday. She’s usually pretty good at keeping a secret – I hope she doesn’t fail me this time!
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If Floridafam was up to something, my Secret Agent training had taught me that it was best to immediately put a stop to any sleuthing plans that she might have in store for my daughter during the Family Magic Tour. She needed to know that she would be unable to make my little canary sing like a bird.

Mata Hari (a.k.a., Floridafam) sent me one final communication before her family headed to Florida:

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I just wanted to let you know that we are leaving in the morning. We will see you Saturday at the Tour Garden. Please, do not worry if you get delayed at the Guest Services window. I will inform them of what is going on. Just take your time on Saturday, everything will work out. Remember to bring I.D. to the tour.

My motto for this trip is "go with the flow." I'm not going to let anything get to me. If something doesn't go off as planned, oh well.

Have a safe trip and I hope you get to Pop Century safely and are able to enjoy the resort for a while. I left a note for you at check-in so don't leave the front desk until you pick it up.
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When I read her message, I wondered what she had in store for me? I eventually decided that she was probably going to leave the coloring books & sand toys at the Pop Century’s Front Desk. There was no need to be paranoid when it came to Floridafam. She was a good ‘ol girl. Red, white & blue, and all that jazz. Or so I thought…

[...Jane Bond is signing out for now... Over...]

 

[Janet2k]

I should mention that amidst all the exciting last-minute vacation preparations, I made sure that I was safely grounded in the reality of life. I did something far more important than the planning of a silly ol’ dinner party. Two days before my vacation began, I went to visit my friend whose son had been killed while being stationed in Iraq.

Another one of my dear friends accompanied me that evening. Our visit had been arranged in advance because we did not want to arrive unannounced considering our friend's family was still grieving. Even though our visit was an emotional one, I can’t tell you folks how thankful I was to have spent a few hours in the presence of such a remarkable man and his family. Through all his pain and suffering, it was he who comforted us. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. There but for the grace of God go I.

I mentioned in a prior post that quite a few of us had banded together and planned some memorial gifts to honor our friend’s son’s life. One gift that had been suggested was the naming of a star. How simple. How elegant. How sentimental.

A star is something that is both tangible and intangible, just like the love that we share here on earth with our family and friends. Like love, a star is ethereal. It’s something that you can’t quite hold, but you can certainly bask in the glow of its presence. And on those long nights when you’re feeling like it’s almost impossible to continue on, you can look towards the Heavens and find that star shining down upon you, giving you direction. And even when it’s too cloudy to see that star, you don’t worry because you know it’s out there, somewhere, and that gives you great comfort. And so the star was one of the memorial gifts that we chose to honor our friend’s son’s life.

I thought I’d reprint below excerpts from the e-mail that was sent out to our circle of friends regarding the gift of the star:

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Everyone:

We have come up with a wonderful way to honor Xxxx’s life - there is going to be a star named in his honor. We are going to purchase the “Ultimate Framed Package” (see below) plus a duplicate of it. One package will be given to Xxxx’s father while the other package will be given to his widow. That way there will be only one star in the Heavens that is named after him, and everyone in his family can wish upon that exact same star.

Sincerely,
Your Friends

- - - - - - - - - -

International Star Registry Package:
Ultimate Framed Package

- - - - - - - - - -
Somewhere Out There
(click here for audio clip)
Written by James Horner, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
Performed by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram in the movie An American Tail (1987)
- - - -
Somewhere out there, beneath the pale moonlight
Someone's thinking of me, and loving me tonight

Somewhere out there, someone's saying a prayer
That we'll find one another, in that big somewhere out there

And even though I know how very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star

And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky

Somewhere out there, if love can see us through
Then we'll be together, somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true

And even though I know how very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star

And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky

Somewhere out there, if love can see us through
Then we'll be together, somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I visited my friend that evening, the star package was presented to him. He immediately hung it upon his wall. He thought it was the perfect gift and understood completely why we had chosen it. He was truly touched by it.

My friend blew me away when he stated that the Boötes constellation (click here), the constellation that his son’s star resided within, held special significance to his son. And when I had mentioned the song "Somewhere Out There" and how I had included the lyrics to that song with the e-mail that was sent out to our circle of friends, he stated that the movie "American Tail" was one of his son’s favorites. It was suddenly as if the Heavens above had sent us a sign that the star was indeed quite a fitting way to honor my friend’s son’s life. It was all I could do to keep the tears from streaming down my face. Like I said, it was my friend who comforted us that night.

This weekend the second memorial gift will be presented to my friend. There is a tree planting ceremony in his son’s honor at a park in the city where he lived. Our circle of friends will be meeting at the park for the planting of the tree, and that ceremony will be followed by an old-fashioned barbeque. It should be a very emotional day for everyone. But I’m not worried. Mother Nature will see to it that the sunshine will dry up all of our tears. And that night, even though I know how very far apart we are; it helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star. And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby. It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky...

 

[DisneyMomOK]

11111111111

 

[Janet2k]

With my vacation at hand, I had a few loose ends to tie up before I left. I decided to check in with Bonzie1 one last time regarding her resort plans:

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Floridafam left today and I leave on Friday. You leave on Sunday, correct? Are you still going to be at PO-FQ? Let me know.

You and your husband will be arriving at the dinner party sometime between 6 and 6:30 PM on Sunday night, correct? My family should be there around 6 PM. I ~might~ go down earlier in the evening to take photos of DEP setting up the lighting. I have no idea if it will be those "floating" lights that they use like the ones at the MNSSHP that "float" way up in the air like some big 'ol lit balloons or lights that sit on the ground. It will be interesting no matter what they use. I can't wait! I just pray we have good weather that evening.
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Bonzie1 responded that she would be checking into the Port Orleans – French Quarter Resort as planned. With her vacation set to begin in only a few short days, I knew it was now set in stone. I could rest assured that the surprise picnic basket and dinner invitation would find their way to her at check-in.

With my dinner invitation delivery concerns finally out of the way, I decided to concentrate on my party’s photography needs. As you folks know, I had hired a Disney Event Productions’ photographer to take candid photographs throughout the event. I thought it would be a good idea if I let the photographer know exactly what sort of photographs I was after:

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Hello. I thought I would mention a few requests regarding photography for my Grand Floridian Summerhouse dinner party.

As you know, Mickey Mouse will be arriving at my party via boat. I definitely want photos of both his arrival and also the looks upon my guests’ faces as they watch him arrive – I haven’t mentioned anything to my guests about Mickey Mouse being at the party, let alone his unique arrival.

And speaking of Mickey Mouse, once he’s arrived at the Summerhouse, I am hoping that the photographer will be able to take both group photographs as well as individual photographs of Mickey Mouse with my guests. Is that an option?

My second request is for a photo of my husband, our daughter, and myself. When I used you folks for my photography needs last November on the ballroom set of the “Haunted Mansion” movie, I did not get any photos taken of my husband and myself. I’ve been kicking myself in the butt ever since. That particular dinner was our wedding anniversary celebration and somehow a nice photo of the two of us did not happen. Since I didn’t think to ask for such a photo last time, I want to make sure that I ask for it this time. I hope that’s okay.

My last couple of photography requests are for the standard photographs of the dinner venue (the Summerhouse patio and beach area), the dessert venue (the marina), the food, as well as candid photographs of my guests throughout the evening.

I should also mention that sometime between dinner and dessert, the children (my daughter plus my friend’s son & daughter) will be asked to “find” a “buried” treasure map. I want photos of the children as they are searching for this map, as well as photos of the children as they follow this map through the grounds of the Grand Floridian Resort. This map will lead my guests to the marina for the dessert party. I definitely want photographs of this activity – it’s another “surprise” that I have been keeping from my guests.

My fingers are crossed for good weather on Sunday night. I know the party that the Grand Floridian Convention Services folks have put together for me will be wonderful. I’ll be checking into the Grand Floridian on Saturday, so if you need to contact me, please feel free to give me a call at the resort.
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Disney Event Productions soon sent me a response. In it, they told me that a photographer had been assigned to my event, and that my list of photograph requests was going to be passed along to him. That was excellent news. They were definitely on top of things.

With my photography needs under control, it was time for one last e-mail to my Grand Floridian Convention Services Cast Member. In my brief message, I asked if we were still on for our meeting on the afternoon prior to the dinner party. He was out of the office but his assistant responded and assured me that the meeting was still on. I was pleased to hear that. I couldn’t wait to meet the man who had planned my family’s event.

I devoted my remaining hours to packing and bill paying, two of my least favorite activities. When they had been completed, I checked my e-mail one last time. The following message from Bonzie1 gave me complete assurance that her resort reservations were truly set in stone:

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Janet, get packed my friend... and ready to FLY!!! We'll see you soon!
Bonzie1

P.S. Should you need to reach us:
Port Orleans French Quarter.......407-934-5000
Port Orleans Riverside...............407-934-6000
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Finally, both my party planning and vacation planning were complete. I breathed a sigh of relief that could be heard all the way to Orlando.