Not-So-Scary Eat & Drink Until We Drop PTR...TR link pg.9!

[aprilisis]

Bear with me here- I haven’t done a PTR before. I’m kinda nervous about you guys thinking I’m a doofus…or rather, REALIZING I’m a doofus.
When: Monday, September 28- Saturday October 3, 2009
Where: Animal Kingdom Lodge
Cast: April (me), 33

& John, 31 (He is being a goofball in this photo- probably not the best I could have chosen of him. LOL

Just so you get a little bit of an idea of our personalities, I am going to throw in a few sentences here. I still live right where I grew up- in Massachusetts. I work for as small town doing computer mapping (GIS for those of you who know) in a town an hour away from my house. I’m a dog lover, and I was a bit of a loner until I met John. My life was pretty rough from 2002-2008 due to numerous deaths in the family (& of friends and pets), health problems, and also two very bad personal relationships. It seems like the skies may have cleared a little now. (I’m keeping my fingers crossed) Photography is probably my biggest hobby. John was born in Athens and grew up there until he was 7 or 8. His parents moved him to Massachusetts. They opened a diner in Rhode Island, and John is sort of a “jack of all trades” there. He cooks (& entertains the customers with his silly sense of humor), does the books, cleans, and gets supplies. He takes ONE day off a week- IF that- and a typical work day for him is 4:30am-6pm. He could also work for that radio show “Car Talk”- I swear he can accurately diagnose car problems from a description of a noise! He’s also a dog lover and a loner. We both love food which is why I can’t wait to take John to the Food & Wine Festival. This is kind of off-topic, but I am a vegetarian & he is a steak lover. Our food photos will be completely different! We both have an AP & I have the “Tables in Wonderland” discount card, too. I’m just looking forward to getting away from it all & completely relax for a few days.

Isis is my 10 year old mixed breed dog (she looks like an Australian Dingo) who had to stay home with my mom while we are gone. I always get her some sort of stuffed toy & a box of cookies from WDW. She will be mopey while I am gone, then excited to see me when I get home. After the 5 minutes of excitement wears off, she will give me the cold shoulder- so much so, that when I call her name, she will walk into another room & completely ignore me. That’s the way it goes after every trip.
This is Isis: Puppy:

And Now:

I know it is a little early to post a PTR, but I am already feeling like I am in “vacation mode”. I am really enjoying reading all of the TR’s & PTR’s here, too. You guys are such a fun bunch of people!
I'll post a little more about our plans soon.

 

[aprilisis]

So far, this is what we have planned. I just threw in a few photos here for fun.
Day 1- Monday, September 28th
We will be waking up pretty early to leave at 4:25am from Worcester on a Knight’s van & should get to Logan airport in Boston by about 6:15am. After checking our bags and going through security, we will most likely stop at Dunkin Donuts to get a little breakfast & some MUCH needed coffee. I like to grab a couple of magazines to read on the plane & a few waters, too. I’m still on the fence this trip about whether or not I should take my dvd player. We take off on JetBlue at 8:15am. We should arrive at about 11:15 in Orlando. We will pick up our rental, hit Winn Dixie to pick up some snacks for the week, and then go check in at AKL. We will relax for a bit before an early dinner at Jiko & if we are up for it, go to EPCOT for EMH. I hope to at least get on Test Track, since John has never been on it before & he loves cars so much. John has also never seen Illuminations, so that will be a must-see.

Day 2- Tuesday, September 29th
We’re hitting Universal & IOA today. I’m planning to get the Express pass, just so we can get on everything we want to. Our “must” rides are The Hulk, Dr. Doom’s Fear Fall, Spider-Man, Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls, Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges, Jurassic Park River Adventure, & Dueling Dragons at IOA; then Revenge of The Mummy, Jaws, Men in Black, The Simpsons Ride, and whatever else we have time for there. After a short break, we are meeting up with my stepmom for a late dinner at California Grill. I make sure I go to CG every trip- it is my favorite!

Day 3- Wednesday, October 30th
We are going to spend the morning at AK, take a mid-day break, and go to DHS for evening EMH. I’m hoping to get on Expedition Everest more than once this trip. We definitely will be doing KS, PW, Dinosaur, MJT, & I’m still on the fence about KRR. It depends upon how hot it will be that day. We will definitely be doing RnRC, ToT, TSMM, and LMA Stunt Show. I have a 3:05pm ADR for Mama Melrose (that was the only time available!), but I’m not sure if we will make that.

Day 4- Thursday, October 1st
I am not too sure if we will be too tired or not, but I was planning on going to Sea World to get on Manta today. I have an AP, but John doesn’t- I’m still debating on whether or not it is worth the money for just the few rides we would do. The only other thing we want to do there is feed the sea lions. We have a dinner ADR for Liberty Tree Tavern & we will be going to MNSSHP. I’m still not sure if we will get costumes & dress up, but it is a possibility. There is SO much we want to do at MK, that I can’t even list it all!

Day 5- Friday, October 2nd
We have a 10:25am ADR for 1900 Park Faire, so we get to sleep in a little. After this, we will head straight to EPCOT & stay until closing (I hope!). I love EPCOT- especially WS. I am planning to eat my way through World Showcase and do a ton of shopping. What will we be doing at EPCOT?? Everything we can! I’m really looking forward to Soarin’ & to the F & W Festival.

Day 6- Saturday, October 3rd
We have an early ADR for Boma, and then we’re off to the airport. Our flight leaves at noon, so I will have a “recovery day” before going back to work.

BTW, does anyone know when the Animation Tours at DHS are?
Plus, do you have any suggestions for activities that I may have missed over 15 trips? Like out of the way things to do or things that few people know about, etc. Thanks!

 

[aprilisis]

What a bad day at work. I'm sure you can ALL relate to people dumping their work on you. That happened to me today- ony with 6 different people!!!! I need to learn to say no. Sometimes it is just easier to do the work rather than explain something to someone who doesn't want to learn anyways. I'm updating quick from work- I'm here until 7:30- today was a 12+ hour day with my hour (one way) commute. Ugh. But I did walk outside & see this:

I thought from here until my departure day (Sept. 28) I will add some WDW photos every few days of some of my favorite things and/or moments from past trips.

This was after my first ride on Splash Mountain. I was hooked!

I'm kinda new here & have been lurking on others' reports, so forgive me if I'm not doing this right.

 

[BBG-BLT]

Nice PTR - I love your photos - the one of all the different color lights (Christmas?) is just wonderful. I've never done Christmas - waiting for the kids to get just a bit (like 8 years ) older.

 

[aprilisis]

Nice PTR - I love your photos - the one of all the different color lights (Christmas?) is just wonderful. I've never done Christmas - waiting for the kids to get just a bit (like 8 years ) older.

The photo w/ all of the lights was at the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights. I loved that! There is SO much to see at all of the parks & resorts during the Holiday season that you will need lots of energy! Thanks for reading.

 

[aprilisis]

More favorite things/moments...

Hopefully I will pick up some readers soon! I have 45 days until my trip & this site is the only thing keeping me from going insane with anticipation!
This weekend I am hoping to do a major purge of old clothing- I have been saying this for the past 10 weekends, but I always end up getting distracted & not cleaning at all! The problem is, I am notorious for buying something & never wearing it. My closet is full of these things. In reality, I have about 20 articles of clothing that I wear regularly. The rest I can live without! I am planning to donate a ton of clothing to the Salvation Army. That's enough of the boring stuff. I may post some older photos this weekend.

 

[glennbo123]

Subscribing! Looking forward to the rest.

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

April-I followed you over here...-you are a really good photographer-all your photos are great but I really appreciate the ones at evening /dusk-I could never get my photos to look that good...

It sounds like things are going well for you now... Sometimes I think people have a string of bad luck and then things go well for a very long time...I hope that's you...

John sounds like a good guy-is he from Athens, Greece?
It sounds like the two of you make a nice couple...

(I love car talk btw-I don't know much about cars but I just like to listen to them talk...)

I love New England-we done some road trips through Mass, RI, VT, NH and Maine...are you in Western or Eastern Mass.?

Your itinerary sounds great-wow you guys are thrill riders-my 7 year old ds is the most daring rider of all of us-he'll go on anything his height permits...

DD and I think we could both go Vegetarian but not Vegan...with maybe some fish thrown in occasionally-ok I guess that's not really vegetarian but its a step in that direction....

I'm very excited for AKL-you'll be going in not that long too...

 

[tink1957]

I love your pics, especially the Epcot ones with the wand & the HS with the Xmas lights. We're going to be there for a few days of your trip staying at CSR Sept 18-29, maybe we'll see each other at Epcot.

I love your Isis pics, she is so cute, it makes me miss my 13 year old German Shepherd, Harley who I lost last month.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your plans.

 

[CupidsKiss]

. I have a 3:05pm ADR for Mama Melrose (that was the only time available!), but I’m not sure if we will make that.!

I have few of these "less than perfect time ADR"S. I forgot about the 90plus 10 day rule *gasp*. Given that we are used to pacific time it probably will work in our favour for the first couple of days anyway.

I would have loved to have done US down there (love coasters!) as we have done California but 8 days does not seem enough to get it all in.

Your plans look great. Have a fab time!

 

[aprilisis]

I love your pics, especially the Epcot ones with the wand & the HS with the Xmas lights. We're going to be there for a few days of your trip staying at CSR Sept 18-29, maybe we'll see each other at Epcot.

I love your Isis pics, she is so cute, it makes me miss my 13 year old German Shepherd, Harley who I lost last month.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your plans.

I'm SO sorry about Harley! It is so hard to lose a pet.
Will you be at EPCOT for the EMH on the 28th?
Thanks for reading!

April-I followed you over here...-you are a really good photographer-all your photos are great but I really appreciate the ones at evening /dusk-I could never get my photos to look that good...

It sounds like things are going well for you now... Sometimes I think people have a string of bad luck and then things go well for a very long time...I hope that's you...

John sounds like a good guy-is he from Athens, Greece?
It sounds like the two of you make a nice couple...

(I love car talk btw-I don't know much about cars but I just like to listen to them talk...)

I love New England-we done some road trips through Mass, RI, VT, NH and Maine...are you in Western or Eastern Mass.?

Your itinerary sounds great-wow you guys are thrill riders-my 7 year old ds is the most daring rider of all of us-he'll go on anything his height permits...

DD and I think we could both go Vegetarian but not Vegan...with maybe some fish thrown in occasionally-ok I guess that's not really vegetarian but its a step in that direction....

I'm very excited for AKL-you'll be going in not that long too...

Thanks! To be honest- any of the sunset photos were pure luck for me! I'm also hoping my bad luck streak has run out. I can't take any more! John is from Athens, Greece- he has been here since he was 7 or 8, so he has no accent at all. He is fluent in Greek, though. I have tried to pick up some of it, but I am totally cluless!
Where are you from? I am in central MA, but I really love driving through Western MA. I love Boston, too.
That's awesome about your 7 year old! I was a total chicken until I was about 14!
I can't say anything about the vegetarian thing- it was easy for me to take the step because I never liked meat! I could never go Vegan, either- I LOVE cheese too much!

Subscribing! Looking forward to the rest.

Thanks!

I have few of these "less than perfect time ADR"S. I forgot about the 90plus 10 day rule *gasp*. Given that we are used to pacific time it probably will work in our favour for the first couple of days anyway.

I would have loved to have done US down there (love coasters!) as we have done California but 8 days does not seem enough to get it all in.

Your plans look great. Have a fab time!

It is tough to get any ADR's when there is free dining. I hope the times DO work out for you! It looks like you get there just a week before I do- have a great time!! Thanks for reading!

 

[aprilisis]

I had a busy weekend- trying to clean out everything & throw away or donate (whatever is in good shape) old clothes & things. I also started using my Wii fit- for those of you who have never used this before, it certainly doesn't sugarcoat anything. It called me fat & made my "Mii" fat around the midsection! It also told me my balance stinks! I guess they think if they break you down, they will motivate you. It must work because I worked out with that & the basic Wii Sports boxing this weekend on Saturday & Sunday. I don't know if anyone out there has turtles, but I recently adopted 2 from someone who could no longer care for them. They are pretty low maintenance, but I can't find a good filter to filter their water, so I am cleaning their tank every 2-3 days. If any of you DO have turtles, you know how unpleasant this actually is. Sorry- that was completely off- topic! My plan is to clean & get rid of as much stuff I possibly can to make room for a treadmill & for some souveniers after the trip. I may as well admit this to you guys now: I have a hoodie addiction. Every trip I buy at least one hooded sweatshirt. It has become such a problem that family members intervene! Maybe I will photograph them all just so you can have an idea of how bad it really is. I keep telling everyone- It would only be a problem if I never wore any of them, but I wear them all! Sorry for rambling on- I can't thank you enough for actually reading this! I have to get to work, but I just wanted to throw in a few photos today, too. Have a great day, everyone!!

 

[tink1957]

I'm SO sorry about Harley! It is so hard to lose a pet.
Will you be at EPCOT for the EMH on the 28th?
Thanks for reading!

Yes, we'll be there for EMH, it's our last night & we want to get every minute of magic we can before going back to the real world.

 

[aprilisis]

Ok- So I couldn't find ANY of the photos I wanted to scan yesterday! Well, I decided to let you in on what may make Isis even MORE angry than leaving her for a week. I get some sort of "ears" on every trip & this is usually what happens to them:

I just figured I would throw this one in of her as a lobster for Halloween:

And I wonder why she growls at me!
I will hopefully be able to find & scan those photos tonight.
Tink1957- Maybe I will see you at EPCOT!! I hope to get there by 8pm that night.

 

[aprilisis]

I haven't had time to scan in any older photos yet- I have been having car problems. I thought it was the battery at first, but it turned out to be a part I have never heard of! It is the Neutral Safety switch. I will spare you the details of how I got to that point (an hour testing my battery at Auto Zone by a very pokey employee until 9 last night, my boss breaking one of the bolts that holds the battery on, etc.). It is only a $41 part & very easy to put in, so I am happy with that. Now I just have to hold my breath & hope it starts to go home later! Since I didn't scan any older photos, I decided to share some from my September 2008 trip. I went with my stepmom & had booked a regular room at BW- but I got upgraded to concierge! That was my first time staying in a concierge room. The funniest part was that our room could not have been farther from the lobby! I loved it, though, and would love to stay again.
The view from our room:

The carpet in the hallway (I know, I am a dork):

Dresser & chairs in the hallway at BW:

Hiiden Mickey on mirror at BW:

France after passing through the International Gateway:

Dirk from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at the Eat to the Beat Concert Series in 08:

Sorry again if anyone is following along & waiting for some older photos. There will be some soon- I promise!

 

[aprilisis]

Does anyone know if AKL ever has special activities or events that are Halloween themed? How do I find out what activities are offered at AKL? I've never really explored activities at the resorts & I would like to try after reading some of the trip reports on this site.
One more question I have is can we post or link to youtube videos in a post?
I had a few Halloween Party & random photos that I wanted to post from a few years back:

Decorations at POR:

Main Street:

Inside the castle:

POR:

I'm trying to survive my LONG day at work...7:30am to 7:30pm with my hour long commute & night road work. I'm not complaining about my job- I love it- just the long day & long ride. Then I have to go home & clean the turtle tank. Does anyone else have turtles & if so, what kind of filter do you use?? At least I have lunch to look forward to!!! Chipotle's here I come! Can you say GINORMOUS black bean & guacamole burrito????

 

[aprilisis]

Yesterday I spent 10 hours scanning & editing old photos. I went through almost every photo we have in the house! It was tedious, but it is something I have wanted to do for years. I am hoping to find more old photos from relatives to scan. I DID find a few old Disney World photos- mind you, when I say old, I mean 1998. My first visit was at age 23. I thought I would share some with you:

35 Days until I'm back at AKL. I can't wait! It seems like everyone I work with is on edge & ready to explode lately. It is such a tense environment that I have to really think before I say anything to anyone. I think they all need a vacation to the Happiest Place on Earth!

 

[reyasmommy]

I love all of your photos, thanks for sharing!

My DD (3) was looking over my shoulder when I got to the photos of your dog and his cute stitch ears..... She laughed and said "" Awweee hahaha Doggie FUUUNNNYYYY"

 

[aprilisis]

I love all of your photos, thanks for sharing!

My DD (3) was looking over my shoulder when I got to the photos of your dog and his cute stitch ears..... She laughed and said "" Awweee hahaha Doggie FUUUNNNYYYY"

What a cuite! That is so funny!

 

[aprilisis]

I just wanted to post a bit more background that will help you understand why John & I are both looking forward to this trip so much. I work about an hour away from where I live, so I am up at 5:30 every morning. John has about the same commute in a different direction- plus he gets up at 4am. Most of the time we get to see each other, he is sleeping. He doesn’t get to my house most nights until after 8pm, so we usually only have a short time together before we both go to sleep. He can fall asleep immediately & sleep through explosions. I, on the other hand, can’t fall asleep unless the conditions are perfect and a pin drop makes me wake up. I also have tons of nightmares- usually about zombies chasing me. (Zombies are my #1 fear- I know it is completely irrational- and I am sure it is a result of watching every zombie movie I could possibly see. I also saw my first one by age 10, I think.) John moves around A LOT in his sleep. Once he was completely asleep but had both arms up in the air, pointed towards the ceiling! I tease him that he was dreaming he was Superman. While in Disney World I usually want to cram as much fun as possible into every day and that means I am exhausted by the end of the day so I actually SLEEP in WDW. It is fantastic. Not to mention that John & I will actually see each other during daylight hours.
There are a couple of other Disney people here at work, but for the most part (as I am SURE you all have to deal with whenever the topic of where you’re vacationing comes up) people always say something along the lines of “Let me guess- you’re going to Disney again??? Don’t you get sick of it?” Being known as the “Disney Girl” has its perks, though. People give me little Disney gifts here and there if they find something cool & I am pretty much guaranteed that our “Secret Santa” gets me something Disney themed for the Holidays. This past year I got a flying Tinkerbelle!!! The guys in the office are the ones that want to play with that the most. It’s pretty funny. I’m inserting a couple of photos of my work area to give you an idea of what I’m talking about.

I feel like a crazy person because work has been so busy lately & I’m so afraid I won’t get organized before I leave- 34 days to go! All I have done is my list of children in the family & of my friends & clothing sizes & favorite characters. That’s about it, though. I’m curious- when does everyone start packing? What else do you have done 30 days before you go?