My Possibly Solo/Forget about the Mayans PTR.

[carverebain]

Hi all,
I have been lurking on the boards for a few weeks now, and I thought I would go ahead and post my PTR for my visit to WDW in December. One thing I should reveal is that I have never been to any of the Disney Parks after the AK park was built. Supposedly, I have been to WDW as many as 10 times, but all I can remember is that I got scared riding SSE and the Norway ride in EPCOT, and throwing an EPIC tempertamtrum so bad that my mom pulled me yelling and screaming out of MK. I do remember seeing the oil rig platform being installed as the giant tree for the AK park while riding the monorail on my last trip to WDW as a kid. Hopefully, I can build some better memories this time around. (Edit: scratch that I do remember having a blast eating at the DHS SciFi drive in diner).

So here we go:
Who:
The current list of inmates of the Center for those are Clinically Insane for Disney

Me AKA Joelly, Jolius Maximus, Carver E Bain:

My favorite Park: EPCOT. I love the Morocco pavilion. I remember that my Grandma didn't like my Grandpa watching the belly dancers when we ate there. (I am remembering more and more of my trip as kid while I write this.)

Favorite MK Land: Frontierland

Fave MK attraction: I loved the shooting gallery as a kid. I never got to ride Splash Mountain because I think it was being built during my last trip, or Haunted Mansion or Big Thunder Mountain or Space Mountain as I think my mom thought I was too young for these rides. Those might become my favorite rides once I try them.

Favorite Epcot Ride: SSE. As a kid the ride back down going backwards did kinda freak me out.

Favorite WS Country: Morocco

Favorite DHS Ride: Star Wars. I rode the original, and thought that was cool. Version 2 should be completely awesome. I'm gonna ride it till I get picked as a rebel spy and take a photo of it.

Favorite AK Ride: Never been to this park.

Favorite Show: Indiana Jones Stunt Show

Favorite Princess: Jasmine. What can I say Arabic girls are pretty attractive.

Favorite Fab 5: Donald. Later in the work day at my job, I kinda turn in Donald when I get pissed off. Not really fully on anger, it just looks comical. I work in IT.

Who else:
Possibly of one my co-workers might come with me. I don't know who it may be or if even anyone else might come with me as no one has given me a definite answer yet. I asked my mom to come with me since no one has given me a definite answer, but her and my dad have already paid for a pretty expensive cruise around Hawaii. Apparently, they reserved the largest stateroom on the cruise ship, and it comes with a butler and a concierge guy. They said I should go on the cruise with them in a separate room. But I think I would just get in their way as they are trying to make it something like a mini-second honeymoon.


When:
December 1st through the 8th, 2012 or during the last week of the Food and Wine show. I need to check which week would have the larger crowds as I want to avoid them.

Where am I staying at:

Pop Century. But I would love to stay at the Contemporary, but that it is kinda out of my price range. I get about two bonuses a year, and I should be able to pay for the most of the trip with one of them.
---------------------------
Of course the 180 day mark hasn't come up yet so no set ADRs yet.
I think I'll be getting the Deluxe Dining plan so I think as little as possible about food money for this trip. I wish tips were included in the plan, but what can ya do. So I think I only have to bring money out of pocket for tips, alcoholic beverages, and souvenirs during the trip.

I think I'll eat some Sushi at the Poly the first night after I arrive, and then I'll eat at Le Cellier at least once during the trip (most likely during lunch as I don't really feel like dressing up for dinner if I am alone.)

I might try to reserve a spot for a run of the Richard Petty Experience and maybe see the Cirque du Soleil show for some extra fun as well.

BTW, here is another little story for my trips from when I was a kid.
We went usually went to WDW during Christmas week, but one time we went in July or August during the year that Universal Studios just opened. We were miserable when we went to Universal Studios. The heat was baking our brains. I was really jazzed to see the Ghostbuster's stage show (Venkman FTW), but nothing and I mean NOTHING was working at the park. I think there was supposed to be a Jetson's ride that I wanted to go on too. (Thank god for youtube. Now, I can watch those rides and shows online as I don't think they exist anymore.) Eventually, we gave up trying to find something to ride that was indoors. We went to go to the management office get our money back to find a sea of people all angry as hell to get their money back. I think some guy even got arrested for throwing a garbage cage through a window. Never been back to that park since.

Well, that's the tentative plan so far. I'll update this thread as plans get more set in stone.

 

[carverebain]

BTW, I just bought a new camera for the trip, so now I have to go to justify the cost of the camera.

Nikon CoolPix L810

 

[carverebain]

Wow, its been over a month since my first post. I think it's high time for another. But now on to the good stuff.

What has changed since my first post?
Almost everything about this trip.
My dates have changed from:

December 1st through December 8th.
to
November 30th through December 7th.

I figure if I leave and come back on a Friday that way I'll have a weekend before I have to be back at work again.

Also, now its confirmed that this will definitely be a solo trip down to Florida. None of my friends are really keen to go to Disney. A lot of them never really grew up watching Disney movies, and I don't think any of them have ever been to a Disney park before either. Plus, they weren't really sure they want plop down 2 or 3 grand for something they didn't know they would enjoy.

My family can't make it either. My mom and dad have their cruise that they booked at the beginning of 2013, and they just decided to upgrade their flight to and from Hawaii up to 1st class tickets due to some problems with the legroom they had in their original seats. My aunt also can't make it either. But my mom and my aunt might be able to arrange for all of us (Dad, Mom, my sis and her husband, and my Aunt) to go down to Florida sometime in late 2013.

I am also not doing the Deluxe dining plan as well. It just seemed like it would have been too much food. I usually don't eat a breakfast when at work. At most, I'll have a bagel with cream cheese, and a x-large coffee. (Side-note: I read that Starbucks coffee is officially setting up in the Disney parks in some form. That's awesome. I really prefer their coffee. Hopefully, they will be in Value hotels as well.) So I'll do the regular plan with the 1 counter service, 1 table service, and snack a day plan. I just found out that appetizers aren't included though. Not a deal breaker, and it would have been probably too much food anyway. I will be getting appetizers for my Le Cellier ADR though.

I made the initial deposit for the trip TODAY. Now, half of it is paid off, and I have just over 5 months to pay the rest off.

The wait is going to kill me.
198 days until I leave.
153 days until I have to pay the final part of the balance of the trip.
18 days until I need to start making ADRs.

 

[carverebain]

Well, I haven't updated my PTR in a while, and I think its about time. I am usually just a lurker on the forums, and I really enjoy reading the trip reports.

Right now, I am watching the Steelers Vs. Broncos game; hoping they don't give the ball to Antonio Brown anymore. I am only 4 points down in the first Fantasy Football match-up of the season. BTW, I have to applaud RG3 for a stellar first game. I hope he is that good for the rest of the season. GO 'SKINS!!!!

I completely paid off my trip to WDW as of September 1st. If I had know that I would have paid it off this soon then I would have added an extra day to my stay. I could do that now as I have already asked off from work for the day before I leave. I wanted to keep that day open to do any last minute things or leave early due to weather concerns. Usually, the bad winter weather doesn't start in DC until about January, but I wanted that option just in case.

Also, I finalized my ADRs as well. I was pretty lucky to get a Le Cellier reservation as I tried to get my reservations after the 180 day mark as I didn't know I could get them a 190 days before the start of the trip if you stay on property. I am pretty happy with what I have gotten so far. Here is what I got:

Teppan Edo
Date: Friday, November 30, 2012
Time: 6:50 p.m.

Le Cellier Steakhouse
Date: Saturday, December 1, 2012
Time: 3:45 p.m.

Raglan Road™ Irish Pub and Restaurant
Date: Sunday, December 2, 2012
Time: 7:15 p.m.

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater
Date: Monday, December 3, 2012
Time: 1:55 p.m.

The Wave...of American Flavors
Date: Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Time: 6:50 p.m.

Les Chefs de France
Date: Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Time: 1:40 p.m.

Grand Floridian Cafe
Date: Thursday, December 6, 2012
Time: 7:20 p.m.

The Wave...of American Flavors
Date: Friday, December 7, 2012
Time: 9:30 a.m.

Anyway, I am pretty much all setup for the trip. If anything changes then I'll let you all know.