No cats to herd this time! It's just the two of us!UPDATED 11/24-DIS Meet & Departure

[ladybugmom]

I need to place my Garden Grocer order as well. Still deciding what I want to get!! Happy Mother's Day to you, too!!

 

[jillyb]

Have fun at the OBX this weekend! That's on our list of vacation places.

 

[lovegrumpy]

Joining in. I have read some of your other trip reports so I have to read this one.

 

[pixidustmom]

Just a quick update before running down to the beach for Mom's Day with, well...the Moms!!

I placed our Garden Grocer order today!! It actually JUST dawned on me today, that maybe I should think about doing one. Oops! We have always done one in the past because we are in a big house offsite, and it made sense to have it delivered instead of wasting a couple of vacation hours at the grocery store, but for this trip, I just didn't really think we needed it being at the Poly.

The more I thought about it, the more I thought I should do one. Don't want to pay $4 for a bottle of water, you know? Of course, we will probably have a ton of stuff left over, but oh well..I did it anyway!

I ordered:
Diet Pepsi (cans)
Water (bottled)
Apples
Bananas
Granola bars
Tostitos and con queso dip (for snacking in the room)
Nabs - Peanut butter crackers (taking to the park)
Donuts
Hand Sanitizer (in case I have a major brain malfunction and forget to bring some)
Clorox disinfecting wipes ( a little swine flu prevention never hurt anyone)
6 pack of Corona for Shawn

Woo-hoo! I had it delivered for between 1 and 3 (our flight arrives at 1:15) so hopefully it will be there when we arrive to check in! Yay!

Now, hopefully I can get some shopping done this weekend, even being out of town. They still have Target and Wal-mart at the beach!

Have a great Mother's Day everyone!!

Sara

(5 more days and counting....)

Ok so it's like 9 months until my trip but last night I was dreaming and got worked up as I had ordered my groceries and they never got delivered. At least it was just a dream but I really felt worried even after waking up. So I have never done the grocer thing, but was trying to figure out how we could do something like that with out a car. Could I have the link please?
Happy Mother's Day!

 

[bbluvsdis]

Hi Sara, I just found your PTR and I'm so excited! We will be leaving for a stay at the Boardwalk on May 23rd! I will be reading your report and getting revved up for our trip, not that it takes much.

Where are you located in VA? We live in Charlottesville and I'm always looking for more Disney freaks like me.

My husband and I went on a solo trip to the F&W festival in October and had a fantastic time. It is a much more relaxed trip when it is just the 2 of us. I love to get ice cream and sit at the little tables at the end of Main Street after Wishes and watch all of the people and then shop through the stores on the way out.

I can't wait to hear of your adventures!

 

[cclovesdis]

Can't wait to hear about your trip!

 

[kaysmommie]

Hi Sara,
hope you are having fun at the beach! Happy Mother's day! Your plans look great for Epcot and MK. I agree add Off Kilter to your list. Have you seen Sergio the juggler in Italy? The one in France is on my list this trip, it's a waiter who balances the chairs. The good part about MK is you will be less rushed without having to ride all the kiddie rides.

 

[mikayla73]

Ok so it's like 9 months until my trip but last night I was dreaming and got worked up as I had ordered my groceries and they never got delivered. At least it was just a dream but I really felt worried even after waking up. So I have never done the grocer thing, but was trying to figure out how we could do something like that with out a car. Could I have the link please?
Happy Mother's Day!

Here's the link for Garden Grocer. http://www.gardengrocer.com/ I know there's another one that is frequently used by people on here, but I can't remember what it is. Maybe someone else will chime in with that one.

mom2mek - have a great time at the beach!

Happy Mother's Day to everyone!

 

[mom2mek]

I know where to go if I get the munchies!

Have a great weekend at the beach Sara and a fabulous Mothers Day!

Sure thing, Michelle! Come on up to our room for some donuts and Tostitos!!! We know how to party, huh?

Hope you had a fabulous Mother's Day as well!

Thanks tell him I'll see him in JUNE!!

Hope your having fun at the beach! Are you going to Virginia Beach?

I will send Enrique your best! No, we live about 25 minutes from Va Beach, but prefer to drive an hour to the Outer Banks of NC - more laid-back kind of beach!! We had a great time!

Well done!

Kathy

Thanks Kathy! I am really way behind on my trip planning stuff; I'm shocked I remembered the GG thing! Happy Mom's Day!

I need to place my Garden Grocer order as well. Still deciding what I want to get!! Happy Mother's Day to you, too!!

Have you thought any more about your order? Being on the dining plan, you probably don't want to get too much, but with 2 little ones it might be nice to have some juice/milk and bottled water along with snacks for the parks! My kids got fanny packs on our Thanksgiving trip and loved carrying around a couple of bags of fruit snacks, their sunglasses, and some chapstick. They thought they were pretty cool! Hope you had a nice Mother's Day!

Have fun at the OBX this weekend! That's on our list of vacation places.

We love the OBX, Jill! So relaxing (and yet the ocean/beach always tires me out for some reason....I think it's all the lugging of junk to the beach, washing off sandy kids, etc, etc...)! We had a great time though! Weather was beautiful!!

Joining in. I have read some of your other trip reports so I have to read this one.

Welcome! Glad you posted! Don't be a stranger, ya here?

Ok so it's like 9 months until my trip but last night I was dreaming and got worked up as I had ordered my groceries and they never got delivered. At least it was just a dream but I really felt worried even after waking up. So I have never done the grocer thing, but was trying to figure out how we could do something like that with out a car. Could I have the link please?
Happy Mother's Day!

Ahhh....I don't like crazy Disney-planner-gone-wrong dreams!!! They scare me!

I think someone else provided it, but yes, it is www.gardengrocer.com The other one that some people use is www.wegoshop.com

I have never used that one - only garden grocer - but I can't say enough nice things about GG - they have always been on time, had everything we ordered, and is a great service to kickstart a vacation!

Hi Sara, I just found your PTR and I'm so excited! We will be leaving for a stay at the Boardwalk on May 23rd! I will be reading your report and getting revved up for our trip, not that it takes much.

Where are you located in VA? We live in Charlottesville and I'm always looking for more Disney freaks like me.

My husband and I went on a solo trip to the F&W festival in October and had a fantastic time. It is a much more relaxed trip when it is just the 2 of us. I love to get ice cream and sit at the little tables at the end of Main Street after Wishes and watch all of the people and then shop through the stores on the way out.

I can't wait to hear of your adventures!

Hi! Glad you stopped in! We were there in October as well - Oct 8 - 13th! Didn't do a whole lot of F&W because of the storms that rolled through when we were at Epcot, but I would love to go back someday and really enjoy it!

We are in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia - Norfolk/Va Beach/Chesapeake area - but we are up towards Charlottesville a lot because my parents own a house up at Wintergreen Resort! We love it up there and we love taking day trips down into Charlottesville for shopping! Beautiful area!

Have fun at the Boardwalk! I'd love to try that resort one day!

Can't wait to hear about your trip!

Thanks!

Hi Sara,
hope you are having fun at the beach! Happy Mother's day! Your plans look great for Epcot and MK. I agree add Off Kilter to your list. Have you seen Sergio the juggler in Italy? The one in France is on my list this trip, it's a waiter who balances the chairs. The good part about MK is you will be less rushed without having to ride all the kiddie rides.

Hi Nichole! Hope you had a nice Mother's Day!! I'm definitely putting Off Kilter, Sergio, and Serveur Amusant on my list!

Are you saying I can't ride Winnie the Pooh or Peter Pan when we are at the MK? I might have to borrow someone's kid to ride with me, huh? Seriously though, I agree, it will be nice to not have to rush so that I can get my kids on the things they want to ride!

Here's the link for Garden Grocer. http://www.gardengrocer.com/ I know there's another one that is frequently used by people on here, but I can't remember what it is. Maybe someone else will chime in with that one.

mom2mek - have a great time at the beach!

Happy Mother's Day to everyone!

Thanks!! We love GG! It has always worked well for us in the past, and I hope it works well this time!

We had a great couple of beach days!!

Sara

 

[jillyb]

Woohoo!! 2 days!!!

 

[faerieprincess]

i'm here (a little late to the party, sorry!) and your plans sound great! i'm so excited for you and it's less than two days away! i can't wait to hear all about it

 

[ladybugmom]

Have you thought any more about your order? Being on the dining plan, you probably don't want to get too much, but with 2 little ones it might be nice to have some juice/milk and bottled water along with snacks for the parks! My kids got fanny packs on our Thanksgiving trip and loved carrying around a couple of bags of fruit snacks, their sunglasses, and some chapstick. They thought they were pretty cool! Hope you had a nice Mother's Day!

Sara--yes I have--I need to go ahead and place my order but I've been so busy. It's on my to-do list for tomorrow. I'm thinking of ordering milk for Claire, bottled water, diapers, wipes, and a few snacks. Am I forgetting anything?

 

[mom2mek]

Woohoo!! 2 days!!!

Woo-hoo! Now it's only 1!!!
(and I am soooo not ready....)

i'm here (a little late to the party, sorry!) and your plans sound great! i'm so excited for you and it's less than two days away! i can't wait to hear all about it

Yay! Hi Sare! I'm glad you came over! I'm getting really excited about the trip. I only wish I were more ready to go! Seems that trips without kids are just as hard (if not a little bit more) to plan for! And it doesn't help that the kids have busy schedules this week! Gotta love grandparents!!

Sara--yes I have--I need to go ahead and place my order but I've been so busy. It's on my to-do list for tomorrow. I'm thinking of ordering milk for Claire, bottled water, diapers, wipes, and a few snacks. Am I forgetting anything?

Sounds good to me Becky! Are you planning any meals in the room, like breakfast? You could get yogurt and cereal or other easy breakfast items if you were. You're getting so close. I will send you a PM about a possible meet on Saturday.


Sara

 

[mom2mek]

Ok, peeps...forgive my stupidity, but having never stayed onsite, I just want to clarify something. So please chime in if you know...

We both have tickets already - I have an AP, Shawn has an old non-expiring ticket with days left on it. When we check in and they give us our room keys, can we put a credit card or cash down and then use that room key to pay for our meals and stuff throughout the park? I know this is a silly question, but for some reason I am drawing a blank. I've never paid for a meal in a TS restaurant with anything other than a regular credit card, but it would be nice to not have to carry any of those around with us.

Help a stupid girl out....all foreign to me!

Sara

 

[mkluvsmickey]

Ok, peeps...forgive my stupidity, but having never stayed onsite, I just want to clarify something. So please chime in if you know...

We both have tickets already - I have an AP, Shawn has an old non-expiring ticket with days left on it. When we check in and they give us our room keys, can we put a credit card or cash down and then use that room key to pay for our meals and stuff throughout the park? I know this is a silly question, but for some reason I am drawing a blank. I've never paid for a meal in a TS restaurant with anything other than a regular credit card, but it would be nice to not have to carry any of those around with us.

Help a stupid girl out....all foreign to me!

Sara

Yes Sara. When you check in they will give you your Key to the World card which will be your room key. They will ask if you want to attach a credit card to it for charging purposes. It is very convenient.

I can't believe you are leaving tomorrow!!! Are you ready?

 

[mom2mek]

Yes Sara. When you check in they will give you your Key to the World card which will be your room key. They will ask if you want to attach a credit card to it for charging purposes. It is very convenient.

I can't believe you are leaving tomorrow!!! Are you ready?

Thanks Michelle! I thought so! Now to decide if I want to put a card down or cash? I feel like with cash we would be less likely to "over-do" you know? That's the budget person coming through.

Will they give us a detailed description of the charges when we check out? Can we use it anywhere? Can we use it at kiosks like the GGLCS stand? Inquiring minds want to know!

Sara

 

[mkluvsmickey]

Thanks Michelle! I thought so! Now to decide if I want to put a card down or cash? I feel like with cash we would be less likely to "over-do" you know? That's the budget person coming through.
Will they give us a detailed description of the charges when we check out? Can we use it anywhere? Can we use it at kiosks like the GGLCS stand? Inquiring minds want to know!
Sara

Yes - it is way too easy to whip out that card and spend when there is a cc attached. Just doesn't feel like you are spending money, you know? A few of my trips I've opted not to use the card for charging and just used cash but I really like the convenience of it. And yes, I'm pretty sure you can attach cash to the card instead of a credit card. You can get a detail printout anytime at the front desk and you will get a detailed listing in the dreaded envelope on your last day too.

 

[mom2mek]

Pre Trip Plans - Day 4 - Saturday, May 16th!

Oops! Almost forgot to put down the last day's plans! This day I thought it might be nice to just take our time (maybe even order room service as a splurge) and head over to Epcot at a leisurely (no rope drop needed) pace!

You have no idea how hard that was to type!

We have an ADR on this day for lunch at Le Cellier at 12:30. I couldn't get any dinner reservations here or any earlier lunch times, but oh well...what I want to order is on the lunch menu anyway!

The rest of the day I hope to just see more of the entertainment that we might have missed on Thursday and sample some foods for dinner....OR we might head back to the Poly in the evening (I really want to try and catch the torch lighting ceremony, and it's at 6:00, so IDK) grab something from Capt Cooks, enjoy the atmosphere and the Tambu Lounge or the Barefoot Pool Bar....OR we could leave Epcot in the evening and head over to DTD for a snack from Goofy's and for Shawn to check out the hot air balloon ride. I don't know if he will really want to do it now that he sees that it really doesn't go up that high and that you are mostly seeing DTD....but we'll see! Either way, I WILL NOT be up in that thing!

We will end our night at the Poly beach for the EWP and Wishes!! What's even better is meeting up with some fellow DISers for the fireworks.


Day 5 - Sunday, May 17th! Departure.....cue the sad music.....

We have a breakfast ADR at Kona Cafe this morning at 8:00 and I'm hoping to get to the marina at the Poly right at 10:00 (when it's supposed to open, I hope) and rent a pontoon boat or a Boston Whaler and cruise around the lagoon for 1/2 an hour. We have to meet the ME bus at 11:30, so if the marina opens at 10, we should be ok.

I have never done the Airline check-in from the resort, but from what I've read, we have to bring our bags and check-in 3 hours before our departure, so I thought I would just bring our stuff down after breakfast and before the boat ride....we'll see. Anyone have any helpful hints about the airline check-in procedures? Our flight leaves Orlando around 2:30 and we arrive back in VA around 4:00!

Thoughts/Ideas/Comments.....


Sara

 

[mom2mek]

Yes - it is way too easy to whip out that card and spend when there is a cc attached. Just doesn't feel like you are spending money, you know? A few of my trips I've opted not to use the card for charging and just used cash but I really like the convenience of it. And yes, I'm pretty sure you can attach cash to the card instead of a credit card. You can get a detail printout anytime at the front desk and you will get a detailed listing in the dreaded envelope on your last day too.

Thanks again Michelle! You're the best!

So you have attached cash to your room key, then?

Hmmm....that might be what we do! Shawn will think that's silly, but I think it will help us stay on track budget-wise!! (Shawn's response would be "budge-smudget" - we're at Disney together - let's just have fun!")

I will have to reign him in a little bit!!

Sara

 

[mkluvsmickey]

We will end our night at the Poly beach for the EWP and Wishes!! What's even better is meeting up with some fellow DISers for the fireworks.

My favorite part of your trip!

Thanks again Michelle! You're the best!
So you have attached cash to your room key, then?
Hmmm....that might be what we do! Shawn will think that's silly, but I think it will help us stay on track budget-wise!! (Shawn's response would be "budge-smudget" - we're at Disney together - let's just have fun!")
I will have to reign him in a little bit!!
Sara

I haven't attached cash to the room key, we just used cash those times. But it would have been much easier to attach the cash and I'm certain I've heard of people who have done that. I usually have more of Shawn's thinking when at Disney but regret it when I get home! It's just so easy to spend money there!