New Plans...A trip in honor of our 12th anniversary! But DS still gets to come!

[TxRabbit]

*WARNING* I ramble on and on. I write long posts. After seeing so many people look but not comment, I'm seriously considering editting myself to make myself more appealing! LOL. But I don't really have the time...instead I invite you to fast forward to post #4 where you can meet my family and me and begin reading about our finalized plans for our trip.

While the tv droned on and I puttered around the family room/kitchen, the Disneyworld commercial offering buy 4 nights and get 3 free blazed through my consciousness and drew me like a magnet to the tv. It seemed too good to be true. It was actually a deal that included some summer months. We could actually take advantage of this offer. Hmm.

I had to know. Could we afford to go to Disneyworld in 2009?

We visited WDW twice in 2007.

We took our first family vacation during DS spring break, March 2007. (kindergarten year). I call it our first family vacation, not because it was the first time that we ever traveled, but because it was the first time that we ever traveled alone. We didn't go visit family. We didn't go visit somewhere with family.

DH was in consulting at the time. His schedule was very erractic and totally dominated by client needs and wants. We didn't have the ability to plan ahead. So with a short one-month notice, I planned our first family vacation and our first real trip to WDW.

I say, I did a pretty good job. *self pats on the back*

We stayed at AKL, pool view. Loved it! I even snagged a ressie at CRT. I didn't think I would be able to. In my most leading, trying to manipulate the answer way, I asked my then 6 DS, "You wouldn't want to eat with a bunch of princesses in the castle, would you?" DS: "Of course I would!"

Secretly, I was delighted. Sometimes it's hard to be the only girl in the family. I wanted to eat in the castle. I had never eaten in the castle. It seemed like something everyone should do at least once, right? But it certainly wouldn't be any fun to drag an unwilling, unhappy DS. Not that he would really have a choice if I was determined. But fun is the name of the game in WDW. So I was really excited that my little guy wanted to eat in the castle.

We had so much fun on our trip, that of course, we couldn't wait to go back.

And we didn't.

We came home and started talking about when we could go again.

We decided on August 2007.

We booked the AKL again. Queen beds were the main attraction. DH just didn't think that it sounded like going on vacation to pick to sleep in a full sized bed and leave behind our beautiful king. That and AKL was one of the cheaper deluxes.

We really enjoyed AKL, but didn't really take advantage of all the resort opportunities there. We planned a week-long vacation with plenty of resort time.

And then there was construction.

Would our ressie be affected?

Why yes, it would.

And then, suddenly, we were booked at the Beach Club, for the price of the AKL.

But I was freaking out, because some of the Beach Club rooms have double beds!

And wouldn't you know....

When we arrived...

We were named the family of the day at the Beach Club!

We were upgraded to conscierge.

And our beautiful room, that technically wasn't a water view, but could still totally see the pool and the lake, the room we were so grateful to get, excited and ecstatic over even had DOUBLE beds!

And you know what?

No problem.

Which seems like a really understated view of how incredible that vacation was. But this PTR is not a recap of that trip. I digress.

So now that we realize that we can totally deal with a full sized bed, we can look at all the options that WDW has to offer.

And you know what looks too good to miss?

At least to our family anyway...

Are Pirate Themed Rooms at CBR!!!

It's just an artistic rendition. But the whole idea is just too cool to pass up.

Especially in the first year. New rooms!

Now you have to understand our obsession with pirates.

It did begin with the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. DS has never seen one, but that doesn't stop him from knowing about Jack Sparrow and becoming a Cap'n Jack fan. We got the fancy Cap'n Jack costume from the Disney Store for Halloween when he was 5.

For his sixth birthday, DS had a pirate themed party.

Now you must understand that I am not talking about just having a pirate cake, pirate napkins, and a few decorations hanging around.

I am talking about completely transforming my house into a pirate adventure. Complete with two card board ships in the backyard between which the most fantastic balloon sword battle ever took place. We walked the plank. We did the treasure hunt. We provided costumes upon arrival. Dressing up was the arrival activity. Pick your vest, your scarf, your jewels, your temporary tattoos. And get your pirate speak on....Arggh! DH and I were in full costume. DS wore his Cap'n Jack costume.

You the kids in DS's class had these outrageous parties. Their parents were renting bouncy castle places all over town and inviting the entire class to the party. I thought that it had to be cheap to do this because everyone was doing it. Yeah right. I could go to WDW with the money these people were speading on 2 to 3 hours! Well, not completely, but it would pay for the airfare. Yikes! $800 for a kids' b-day party? Puhleeease. So part of my party planning and execution was a result of my competitive nature. And my protective nature. I didn't want DS to have a lame party.

Not that I care what other people think.

Too much.

During our March trip, we managed to catch the Pirate Training in front of the POC. We grabbed a front row spot for DS. While he was not one of the few kids picked to participate in the majority of the street show, he WAS among those chosen to join in at the end to take the pirate oath and get a pirate training certificate!

And you know that we DID go to the Pirate & Princess Party in August! In the pouring rain even! Again, we all went in full costume. Who could miss the opportunity to go to MK in costume? I know you really want to know if we waited in line to meet Jack...We didn't.

We watched the fireworks show and then BOOKED it over to the Cap'n Jack meet and greet and DID NOT wait in line, we BREEZED through the line. Cap'N Jack was awesome!

OK. So maybe we are not obsessed. More like pirates just seem to be a part of some special occasions in recent years.

The deal is that the pirate themed rooms will be a lot of fun for us. I think that we will really enjoy them.

The new pool looks pretty cool too. And I am loving the tropical beach theme. The more I look at the resort and read about the resort, the more I picture my family there.

I'm big into attitude.

I think that your mind set will have a great bearing on how much potential for fun you will have. Staying at a moderate resort after staying concierge deluxe, especially the Beach Club with the tremendous pool area SAB, may seem like a step down to some people. I've read about how people are worried about being disappointed in some resorts. To those people, I say, get your mind set on. Stop comparing the resorts and try to appreciate each one for what it is.

So, I am totally pumped about our hopeful vacation to CBR.

Yes, I said hopeful.

I did make the ressie. I invested my $200 to keep the deal. But the fact is that if we really can't afford it, then we will be canceling come May 6, 2009.

But I am so hopeful that we will not. It is the main reason that I am writing this PreTrippie.

I hope to use this PTR not only to organize my ideas and plan out the trip, but also to serve as a daily reminder to do the things that I know I need to do in order to afford the trip.

So now I will finally introduce myself.

I am the DW. I am a planner. A scheduler. A researcher. I'm striving to not be too critical in a bad way, but still having quite a few opinions about most things. I am 36, turning 37 in March. I am a homemaker. I love that old fashioned word. I didn't used to, I admit. But the fact is that it is a really great description of how I spend my time. I do all those things that need to be done to turn the brick and wood house we live in into a home. I'm not very good at it though. It's horrible to admit, but I really hate cleaning. I love to cook. I hate doing dishes. I'm like to think that I am good at organizing, but I don't come by the talent naturally and it's more of a trial and error thing. I just have to keep trying a new system to see what will actually work for my family and the way we live. Meanwhile, things get pretty messy...

My family includes my DH. He's turning 36 in Jan. A New Year's baby! He is the big time provider in our family. I love him with all my heart. We met in college 16 years ago. We've been married for over 10 years. We have a good time together. We both like fun more than work. (I'll never understand work-a-holic type people) We went to WDW on our honeymoon as part of a timeshare package deal. We stayed in Kissimmee, not on site. We only had one day to spend in WDW. But we had a blast. Our fav ride of that trip was the Alien Encounter. We had never experienced anything like it. We thought it rocked!

DH is so deserving of a vacation. He started a new job this past April. The story is long, but the short of it is that he commutes 61 miles, one way, to work everyday. It's rough business. But I'm so grateful to him for doing it. There is something about WDW that is very relaxing even while it is very exciting. I think there is only so much hammock time that I could stand on a vacation. I like the downtime, but I prefer to DO. DH is the same way. And those of you that understand the Disney attraction that keeps you coming back know exactly what I'm talking about when I say that WDW is a world unto itself. It separates you for the everyday in a magical way that can't really be described by words.

DS is currently in second grade. He'll be 8 when we go. When Christmas break 2007 started, he asked when we were going to WDW. We asked him why he thought we were going. He said that we always go to WDW when he is on break from school. At the end of summer 2008, he explained that he missed going on vacation. He explained the idea of the long day and the short day. In the short day, nothing really happens. It's just a day. But in the long day, you get to the end of the day and you can't believe that what happened that morning was only that morning and not yesterday. Disney days are long days. He missed having long days that summer.

He doesn't know that we are planning this trip.

I don't want him to be disappointed in the event that we don't actually get to go.

And what is that all about anyway?

We have some totally attainable financial goals. We just have to walk it out. We just have to hope that nothing major happens between now and then that would diplete our finances.

I really have to do my job.

I need to keep the budget. I need to cook. We need to spend our money wisely and not without forethought. It's just going to require some discipline.

I'm hoping this PTR will keep that self control alive. I need to keep my eyes focused on the prize and run the race well between now and then.

So what is the plan anyway?

Dates: June 20 to 27
Resort: Caribbean Beach Resort with Pirate Water View Room

We will be driving. Oof! It's 1000.69 miles to CBR from our address! Again, it's all in the attitude people. We can't afford to fly. And the more I think about driving, the more advantages I see to it. I'm pretty excited about the packing opportunities that I missed because we flew on our last two trips. Researching the route will definitely be a part of my trip planning.

I've opted for the Quick Service Dining Plan. We did the Dining Plan for both trips in 2007, back when appetizers and tips were included. For this trip, I ran the numbers and the Quick Service option will really be the best money spent for us. We enjoy TS meals, but actually prefer TS lunch and even breakfast. Moneywise, it doesn't work out for us to do the normal plan and eat breakfast and lunch.

So, don't worry, if you are still with me, I will be making ADRs.

And I realized, as I made my countdown ticker, that I only have two weeks to plan our ADRS! Yikes!

I better get to doing some research. I haven't kept up with the changes because I didn't have a trip to plan. I know that there are many changes since 2007!

If you're still with me...I invite you to join in.

Meanwhile, have a magical day!

 

[TxRabbit]

How in the world am I supposed to make plans when the park hours aren't available?

The one character meal that DS really wants is anything with Donald Duck. He is one of the classic characters that he hasn't yet met. And he is a favorite. DH can do a pretty good Donald immitation.

I'm not sure where all Donald is. I know that he is at the Tusker breakfast buffet in DAK. I like the idea of using the ADR to get into the park early. But we also work well doing the first lunch shift on an AM EMH.

By the time lunch rolls around we are ready to eat! But lunch isn't a character meal at Tusker.

 

[TxRabbit]

Ok. So Donald is only available at 3 different places!

Tusker House Breakfast
Cape May Cafe Breakfast
Chef Mickey's Breakfast and Dinner

The advantage of Tusker is getting into the park early. And Donald is a guaranteed character. The disadvantage is that we would want to ride EE first thing! Do I really want to ride EE with such a full tummy?

We did Cape May on our August Trip. It was a good meal. The character interaction WAS really great. But since we aren't staying at BC, this doesn't work for me. I want something new.

I would LOVE to try CM! We just haven't yet and I know that it is a favorite. It could be a great thing to do for dinner on our arrival night. Since we are driving, getting there wouldn't be a problem. It could be nice to look forward to an exciting character meal with lots of choices for our first meal on our trip. I definitely would not want to do breakfast. Again. The resort thing. It's not where I want to be in the a.m. if I'm not staying there. Hmm. And Donald isn't always there...

What to do? Any opinions?

I wonder when they will post the park hours.

 

[TxRabbit]

Everyone loves pictures!

Everyone but my DH anyway. I should clarify that he doesn't want me to post full on face pictures of the family on the internet. I call him Safety Man like in the one Recess cartoon...do you know what I'm talking about?

But I managed to find some personality shots that should be approved for public viewing.

Here's DH in DAK on our March trip:

You wouldn't think he was an enginerd would you? He is the exception to the rule, a social engineer! Those of you who know engineers, you KNOW what I'm talking about. I have so MANY pics of him being attacked by inanimate objects at WDW. We laugh a lot in our family. Even if we just laugh at ourselves. We crack ourselves up! We are crack-a-lackin'!

Here's DS at the speedway, also from March:

He kept saying, "Make it go faster Momma!" He really loves his Lego and Star Wars. But lately, it's all about FOOOOOOTBAAAALL! Seriously, football is better than Saturday cartoons.

And that says a lot in our family, because we don't have cable or satelite. We are among the few, I know. I have my coupon on order to prepare for the big broadcast change. But now you understand. Saturday morning cartoons are a BIG deal in our house, because you really can't see them EXCEPT on Saturday! And now...football is better. He is all over the NCAA AND the NFL.

And here's me on Tom Sawyer Island, also in March (see the jacket?):

We get into playacting in our family. We were all over the fort on the island. We went there after eating lunch in the castle. DS had his sword from the meal, we were protecting that place from BAD guys. I got a great one of DS manning the cannons somewhere.

Don't you just LOVE that about Disney? I do. It really is a big playground. Pick your party place and have some fun.

Speaking of playacting, here's one pic that Photopass photography took with our camera at the Cap'n Jack meet and greet:

I think we've decided that we each will pick one TS for our vacation. We'll see. We'll have to explain to DS that we are planning a trip that we might not be able to take. I think that it will be helpful for him to understand our saying to NO to things so that we can save for our vacation better if he understands that our behavior over the next several months will determine whether or not we can afford to go.

Is that a downer for everyone to read? I'm okay with it. Planning is half the fun after all! It helps me to read the Dis and not be sad about not having a vacation to plan. I had to take a break there for a while...

Have a magical day!

 

[TxRabbit]

I've seen so many people begin to question their resort decisions...I guess I am no different.

The one thing that started to worry me was the location of the pirate rooms at CBR. It appears that they took the least desirable location at CBR and then added some new decor, and then decided to charge a premium for it!

I really started questioning whether or not this was money well spent.

DH and I decided that we WOULD talk to DS about our potential WDW plans. He was just thrilled with the idea of going to WDW. He didn't really care about the room decor. He didn't really care about the hotel. He didn't really care about the pool. He was just happy to be able to go to WDW.

And wouldn't you know...the one character that he wants to see is Donald. He picked the Donald Safari breakfast idea.

So, DH and I started thinking about what we would really like, since DS could care less.

DH got to stay at CSR for a business trip several years ago while he was in graduate school. That's one of the reasons that I couldn't go with him. No money, no extra time (for either of us). It was only for 2 nights. He didn't get to go to any of the parks.

Anyway, he remembers really liking the feel of the resort.

And he likes that they now have queen-sized beds.

And we both like the idea of the Pepper Market, especially since we are doing the QS dining plan.

So, now we have changed our ressie and we are headed to Coronado Springs!!

And we now we have some more money in the budget to spend at TS and for other trip extras.

I'm really excited.

This feels right.

Hope everyone is having fun with their own planning!

 

[TxRabbit]

DH and I were married on July 5, 1997.

The major draw back to that particular weekend are the prices for everything around it!

Airfare, hotels, etc all have "holiday" pricing. *sigh*

So we have never traveled anywhere for our anniversary DURING our anniversary. We even waited a week to go on our honeymoon!

I made my WDW ressie over the internet, but I had to call in to change our resorts. While I was chatting with the CM, she asked if we were celebrating any birthdays or anniversaries or anything else on our trip.

And I thought to myself...our anniversary IS really close to our vacation...

So I answered that yes, we were traveling in honor of our anniversary, but not during it because of the 4/3 deal. She asked me when our anniversary was, and I think that she entered it onto our ressie, and she advised me to get an anniversary button from guest services.

Now...I will definitely get an anniversary button from guest services. I would just want one to have one. It relates back to our honeymoon trip, when we visited Epcot and MK. And while 12 years isn't a major milestone, it still is a great number for remembering. A dozen years. Celebrating a dozen years.

But I don't know if I would actually wear it around the parks. I mean, it isn't like it is our real anniversary. And people will ask, "When's your anniversary?" And we'll answer July 5. And they'll wonder why we have a button on for a date that is two weeks away.

I guess toward the end of the vacation, it'll be less than two weeks...but still.

I just don't know about that.

What do you think?

I don't want to be thought of as one of THOSE people. I wouldn't expect special treatment just because of a button, but somepeople obviously do. I've seen them in the parks. And read about them on the DIS. And they actually think they have something to complain about when they DON'T get anything special. Geez. I know how I obviously feel about that, so I don't want someone thinking the same of me.

So, I just don't know about wearing the buttons around the parks, etc.

But from a personal stand point, this vacation has just gotten a new focus. I think that we will be celebrating our marriage on this trip. We've had some trials and hard times over the years. But we have a strong marriage coming through it all.

I think DS could really benefit from a memory celebrating his parents 12 years together.

So speaking of...

I AM really excited about newly refurbished rooms at CSR. With queen beds!!

And I am doubly excited about the Pepper Market. I think that we are going to get a lot of bang for our buck with the QS DDP and the Pepper Market. I think we'll be eating a lot at the resort on this trip!

But that works for me.

We hightailed it back to BC often on our last trip to take advantage of the concierge evening offerings. Including some adult libation which we stashed for later enjoyment after DS went to bed.

I was getting a bit worried about DS and food. He's right there on the cusp at 8 years old. He still is restricted to the kids menu. Which we all know is really limited, with little variety, and little meat. And MY boy is a MEAT eater. He absolutely positively LOVES protein. Good quality protein. Salmon, grilled chicken, MEAT, even venison, and boar. DH hunts. Can you tell? Don't get me started on BBQ.

But the Pepper Market has really set my mind at ease.

I know that the kids menu there is just as limited. But we'll easily be able to share the adult meals. And the options are so good. And the fact is that between all the snacks and desserts, there will be plenty to go around.

Plus, DS has heard great things about the pool slide at CSR from his classmates. Funny, huh? He KNEW about the slide all on his own.

So we were thinking about our possible ADRs for the trip.

I know we want Donald's Safari Breakfast at Tusker in AK.

The other we have landed on is Le Cellier. I know, I know. So popular. Good luck getting a ressie. But we can hope!

We have only repeated on restaurant at WDW. Crystal Palace. We did one lunch and one dinner. Because I couldn't get Chef Mickey. I would like to try everything, so we generally try to not repeat. Le Cellier would be new to us. DS was sold on it when I said that it was supposed to have good steaks. We have done Japan and Mexico and enjoyed both. I love the themes in Epcot! So fun.

Since we are paying OOP for our TS, I might try for one of the last lunch seatings. I'll have to check out the menu. I think this would make a good anniversary celebration dinner.

That leaves us with one more TS to pick.

We have done:
Boma
CP
CRT
Japan
Mexico
H&V
Sci-Fi Dine In
Cape May Cafe
Yacht Club Galley
Wolfgang Puck
MBYBBQ.

I'm tempted to pick the TS at CSR. When else would we eat there right? But we will be eating at Pepper Market so much, I don't know about staying at the resort...

I'm not big into picking another character meal, or another buffet. I want to be served. And I'm not sure that there are any other characters that we really want to see right now.

We'll have a car, so eating at another resort wouldn't be too bad. We could drive there if need be. Decisions. decisions. And such happy ones!!

DH said to me last night. You aren't going to live in WDW for the next 3 to 4 months, are you? We have some things that need to get done.

Of course not. But we need to plan our ADRs and get them made. You KNOW how that is.

Speaking of, I thought you could make them 180 days out. Something I read made me question that. Can anyone confirm?

I have rambled along enough. I think I ramble too much for people to deal with. Oh well. Time to do some reading and researching.

If you're there, have a magical day!

 

[TxRabbit]

I picked up the Unofficial Guide 2009 from the library today! My turn finally came! I was only #23 in line when I put the hold request in, so it wasn't too bad. I've been in the triple digits before! I love the library.

I'm busy trying to pick our ADRs for our trip. I really enjoy a nice sit down meal in a fun atmosphere. It's a nice break from the crowds. I like to be served and eat someone else's cooking.

Certain things factor heavily into my decision.

1. My family doesn't want to repeat a restaurant. We haven't been that many times. We don't have the family traditions associated with WDW that lots of families seem to have. i.e. we ALWAYS eat dinner at CM on our first night.

2. DS enjoys adult food. He LOVES mac and cheese, but he is picky about it. He HATED it in WDW. Steak. Salmon. Mahi mahi. Teriyaki chicken. Saucy pasta. These are high on the fav list. Also high, but somehow unavailable to kids in WDW is pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs.

3. Not over eating. DH and I can pack away the food. And suffer for it later. I need to not set myself up to do that. We fall victim to the mentality of "getting our money's worth" from a buffet. Like a buffet is a totally unique type meal where your money's worth is packing away as much food as you possibly can, way more than what is really satisfying, you know, because it's a BUFFET. When appetizers were also included with the DDP, that was difficult too! It's included, paid for, to NOT eat it would not be getting our money's worth.

It's all combining together to make it difficult to pick TS places. Which is why I originally picked the QS DDP, and chose CSR with the Pepper Market. I just know that I will not get a satisfying vacation experience without having some TS meals that function as a break, a quiet time.

Another difficulty in my planning is our typical schedule. DH and I are normally up by 5:00 am. Even on weekends, we are up around 7:00 am. And we are hungry in the mornings. And we like breakfast food. We all eat lunch around 10:30 or 11. DS eats at 10:30 AM at school. I know. We are pretty darn hungry for dinner around 4:00 PM, when most TS are closed.

Even on vacation. I like to tour the parks early. DS functions much better with good sleep. DH and I generally enjoy some adult libation after he goes to sleep, which is at a decent time. We brought some from home once, and we stashed it away from the concierge the other time. We sat on the balcony, talked, had some good couple time, enjoyed our drinks. (I'm not sure how that time will work out at the moderate, with no balcony.) We ARE on vacation, and we feel sleep depraved enough in our normal life, that we do enjoy SLEEPING at WDW too!

Help from the boards has me looking at California Grill, Coral Reef, Chefs de France, Grand Floridian Cafe, and Kona to satisfy my family's needs and wants. That is in addition to Donald's.

If only they would post the hours of the parks for June.

 

[VAisforDisneyLvrs]

I'll reply! I just started a pre-trip report, too. No one has commented on mine either, and it feels a bit lonely!

My family has only been to WDW once, so we don't have any family traditions there yet. But, we are planning to visit again and again (We hope!), so we are starting a new tradition: Our first full day in a park will always be at Magic Kingdom with lunch at Cinderella's Castle! That is what we did in '07 and it's our plan again for January. I have all daughters, so it isn't a problem for me to book CRT. We are doing some repeat TS meals plus a few new ones. We didn't eat at any of the ones you mentioned that you are considering, so I can't help there. We are doing the breakfast at Animal Kingdom, too, so I'll be able to tell you about that once we return.

We are going on the buy 4 get 3 plan, too! We already had our trip booked before the deal was announced, but it sure was nice to get that discount.
Looking forward to hearing more of your plans.