Our 2nd Trip in 3 Years. This Time, She's In On It (Dec 2012) CP Narrator Update 9/13

[BDL]

Wait, so where does our conquering of Canada fit into the plan?!

There's always time for an all-NHL throw down... ummmm... I mean DISmeet.

Speaking of the NHL... How about Quick throwing around the F bombs at the Stanley Cup rally at the Staples center?

 

[Sam33]

There's always time for an all-NHL throw down... ummmm... I mean DISmeet.

Speaking of the NHL... How about Quick throwing around the F bombs at the Stanley Cup rally at the Staples center?

Woah, missed that. Had to work during.
But have you seen that video of his press conference with his adorable daughter interrupting? So cute!

 

[oboedm]

Love Day 5 and 6! I think Ghradelli would be my strongest request as well. Can't wait to hear what ADRs you were able to make!

BTW, I must comment on Jodi Benson. When I saw the list, I thought, "if I were going this year, that is the time I would not want to go!" My family (i.e. my and hubby) have a serious issue with Ariel. She signed a legitimate contract wiht Ursula and then calls daddy in to rescue her from the consequences of her decisions, LOL!

 

[Sam33]

Go Chara and Bergeron!


As long as Karlsson or Datsyuk don't win, I'm okay, though!

 

[BDL]

Go Chara and Bergeron!


As long as Karlsson or Datsyuk don't win, I'm okay, though!

Congrats on your guy getting the Calder.

 

[BDL]

Congrats to Patrice Bergeron on his well deserved Selke award. Now the league has recognized what Bruins fans have known for a while. Bergeron is THE top 2-way center. And kudos to Seguin. While reading the tweets at the bottom of the screen during the post-awards show, he congratulated him and finished with "...#rolemodel".

THAT... For people who kept whining that Seguin should've been partnered with Krejci (looking at you Felger) is why he was partnered with Bergeron. To have someone teach him responsibility on the ice (responsibilty off the ice is taught by Thornton).

Also, here are the Will Arnett clips from the show last night. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo0AqkbYzZU

 

[BDL]

WHOOOO HOOOOO!!!!

We are now even closer to Disney. Thanks to the Ston n' Shop discounts I had a total of $475 of Disney gift cards, for $405. Add that to the money I applied today, our vacation is 60% paid for. YAY!!!!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

WHOOOO HOOOOO!!!!

We are now even closer to Disney. Thanks to the Ston n' Shop discounts I had a total of $475 of Disney gift cards, for $405. Add that to the money I applied today, our vacation is 60% paid for. YAY!!!!!

Woo Hoo!!!!! Nicely done!!!!

 

[debrapagliasotti]

Joining in from our Dec group.

Your plans sound great so far!

We also have TBA for our CP narrarator.

 

[BDL]

That's right. I got to work at 5:30am in the hopes that someone at Disney screwed up and either the phone lines or the online booking were set for Nova Scotia time instead of EST. No such luck. So there I was. Left to putter with my extra strong coffee and Disboards to keep me company. And like I said at the December Roll Call thread , I could hear the clock from 24 going off. But in the end, it was all worth it. We'll be seeing the 6:45 show on 12/7 with a 4pm ADR at Garden Grille.

Not only did I get a Candlelight Processional dining pkg booked... I got the restaurant that SIL wanted, (she's nuts for Chip n Dale ), a show time that means we won't have to hurry to the CP viewing area, which LIL will like, but it is also an EMH night for EPCOT. Which means that after Illuminations, we get to pretty much walk on to TT and M:S.

And, while I had the CM on the phone, I was also able to book a Fantasmic! dining pkg for 12/10 with a late lunch at the Hollywood Brown Derby.

It's been a good morning.

 

[RooRach0906]

Awesome morning!!! Congrads on getting both dining packages!!

 

[BDL]

Awesome morning!!! Congrads on getting both dining packages!!

Thank you. But I couldn't have done without the help of my good friends Dr. Maxwell and Dr. House.

 

[BDL]

Well, thanks to a very fortunate day yesterday, I have pretty much nailed down the itinerary of our vacation. Bare in mind, these are always subject to change (especially now that I have an itinerary, the in-laws will FINALLY offer their opinion). I think that we will have a healthy mix of activity and rest (rest = tending to foot, knee and back issues). So, without further fanfare, here is our general itinerary. I have asked everyone that will listen and read what I have written done, and that question is "Am I being too Griswald-ian with this plan?" If you think so, let me know and PLEASE , for the love of God, tell me what to do. I crave feedback.

12/6
Fly out of Boston Logan Airport mid/late afternoon, land in Orlando that night and stay at an offsite motel

12/7
Wake up before 8am. Check out, take a cab to Port Orleans-Riverside. Hopefully, the room will be ready at check-in. If not, leave bags in the baggage waiting area and hop the 1st bus to EPCOT. On the bus ride there, take in the scenerey and the facial expressions of BDLsgal, SIL and LIL as they can start making out the "golf ball" on the horizon. Once inside, pictures galore and walk to the World Showcase. Make our way through the countries until our ADR.

11:30am Tutto Italia

After lunch, head back to POR for refresh and clothes change. If we were unable to fully check-in, I'll give the keys to the women folk, while I get the bags and try to get a golf cart ride to our ROYAL GUEST ROOMS . It takes me less time to shower and get ready, anyways. Do the turn-around and head back to EPCOT for our.

4pm CP/ADR Garden Grille

BDLsgal and I have never eaten here before and SIL really wanted to see Chip n Dale. After dinner, leisurely walk to the American Pavillion for our 6:45 Candlelight Processional (Narrator: still TBA). The show will let out about 7:30-45 which will leave plenty of time to walk to Karamelle Kuche and still make it to the CP viewing area fro Illuminations. I can't wait to see everyone's reactions to Illuminations. BDLsgal LOVES fireworks and I think the in-laws are the same. After the show, this night is an EPCOT EMH. Short lines for TT, M:S and Soarin' (hopefully). But if some people are tired, we can split up and meet up again in the morning. But when we finally do go to sleep, it will be to the LED fireworks of the light up headboards.

 

[Sam33]

Sounds like such a magical first day!

 

[BDL]

12/8
Ahhhhhh... The first wake up, on property, always takes a little time for me to get my barings. Then my Cheshire Cat smile kicks in when I realize where I am. Oh well... Up and at 'em. Make sure everyone else is up. Then we take that oh so beautiful walk along the river towards the main building. From there, it's on our way to Animal Kingdom and our breakfast.

9am Tusker House

I had originally, wanted to see the welcome to the park show, but seems the parks except Magic Kingdom have done away with them. So, this will allow us a slight head start. On the way to TH, try to grab fast passes for the Safari. We'll have our buffet with Donald and friends and then it's either off to the Safari or Expedition Everest. Either way, it's win/win. In our travels between the rides, we'll stop by and check out the Tree of Life and the monkeys at the temple. It is just awesome watching them fly around. But, my "I'm going to Hell" moment will come when we go on Dinosaur. When SIL and LIL will be riding it for the first time. Those that have been on the ride before know what I mean.

From AK, we can either head back to POR to change or head straight to MGM. Depending on what time we get there, BDLsgal has STRESSED that we must do Star Tours. I keep telling her it's ok, but she wants to guarantee that we get to go on it since it was closed for refurb, our last trip. And to be honest I CAN'T WAIT!!!! After that, it's dinner time.

4:40pm Sci-Fi Dining theater

From there, I think you can all guess where we head to next. Yep, that's right. It's off to the Streets of America to see the Osbourne Dancing Lights. Anyone who says that you can go to Disney at Christmas time and NOT see the Osbourne Lights, either call the men in white coats or the men in black. Because that person is either insane or an alien. You feel a swell inside of you when you are surrounded by the lights. Especially if you are there for the initial lighting of the night. After we've soaked up all we can, it is back to the POR and hoping to sing along with Yee Haw Bob.

 

[Valgoof]

Joining in from the Roll Call thread. No idea what took me so long!! Love the pics of last year's trip!! We also went last December and loved it so much we are going back this December. Feedback--Day 1 meals seem awfully close together. Maybe a lighter lunch or late breakfast?? Day 2 looks awesome. We rode Star Tours over and over. So fun!! And I agree the Osborne Lights are AMAZING!!!!

 

[BDL]

12/9

This will be the day when we start to slow things down. We will still have to be up and ready before 9am to make our breakfast:

9:30 Kona Cafe (Mmmmmmm coffee... Mmmmmmmm... TONGA TOAST!!!)

Anyone who has been to Kona Cafe, can not find enough nice things to say about it. The coffee is the ultimate pick-me-up. The Big Kahuna ( French toast, Pancakes topped with Pineapple sauce and Macadamia Nut Butter, eggs, home fried potatoes, ham, bacon, and sausage ) is a very filling breakfast. And don't even bother trying to ask someone, who ordered the Tonga Toast, if you can try a piece. You will get 1 of 2 reactions. 1, they may snarl at you like a dog and his bone . Or 2, they may come back with something like, "...when you can pry it from my cold dead hands." Once again... Ask anyone who has been there before. They will tell you, I'm not exaggerating.

From there, we will start our resort hopping. If you haven't dedicated a 1/2 day to check out the decorations at the other resorts, you may want to try to squeeze it in. Great photo ops. Amazing decorations. And life-sized gingerbread structures. Last time we stuck with the monorail resorts. This time, I'd like to see if we can check out the campgrounds, and the boardwalk resorts (AKL is too isolated to just check out). After this, it will be a prolonged rest period. Because this night will be our MVMCP night . So it's back to the POR. Rest... Maybe squeeze in a nap or hot tub (or both). Then it's off to the Magic Kingdom.

We'll enter the park at 4:01pm with our MVMCP hard ticket. We'll have time to stop for a couple of photo ops, maybe some shopping, but we'll have to make dinner.

4:45pm Crystal Palace (And, yes...... I do like hanging with Pooh, Tigger and Eyeore.)

After dinner, we'll try to get on a couple of the rides before the Castle lighting ceremony. The stage show is a little hokey, but it is fun. Watching the Disney characters argue about how to decorate Cinderella's Castle is pretty entertaining. The castle lighting itself, is jaw dropping. You literally do not know how long you've been standing there with your mouth open until the 1st person that bumps into you as the crowd disperses. The plus side of that, is that maybe the last time someone bumps into you (unless you are at a Thanksgiving MVMCP or the last MVMCP of the year). There is lots of elbow room at the MVMCP. From this point til the Wishes fireworks display, it's all riding the E-ticket rides with no lines. Hopefully, Haunted Mansion will not break down, again, just when our Doom Buggy is right next to a speaker. Then it's time to make our way back to the castle to see Wishes. After Wishes, the park REALLY clears out. And the length of your time in a queue area depends on how fast you walk through the maze or the ropes. We will take a break from the rides long enough to line the street for the 2nd parade of the night. It is a really cool parade. Then maybe a few more rides. There are 2 more "must-do"s that I haven't mentioned yet. The 1st, make sure you load up on the free cocoa and cookies. The 2nd, make sure you snag all the MVMCP specific merchandise as possible. They fly off the shelves and are not available at any other times besides at MVMCP's.

In closing, I'd like to share a little story with you. Last night, my sister was over. And she has always given me and BDLsgal grief for choosing to go to Disney, instead of going on the random cruises that her, my sister-in-law, my folks, and other family members and friends. To the point where she literally said "Why do you go down in Decemeber? There's nothing to do in December." So, last night, I had BDLsgal show her the itinerary that I had come up with, for our trip. Her response was priceless. The symphony of "Oooohs and Ahhhhhs" was music. Then she got to the part where I printed out the menus of the restaurants we were going to. You'd think she was ordering her last meal from death row the way she was looking at it. Same thing with the cocktails and wine lists. But the cherry on top, was when I got my Kindle Fire (thanks LIL) and showed her youtube's of Osbourne Lights and the Castle lighting. Her response was AWESOME. My sister, who has never been wrong or mistaken in her life said "If you guys are going in 2014, we'll consider going."

 

[BDL]

Joining in from the Roll Call thread. No idea what took me so long!! Love the pics of last year's trip!! We also went last December and loved it so much we are going back this December. Feedback--Day 1 meals seem awfully close together. Maybe a lighter lunch or late breakfast?? Day 2 looks awesome. We rode Star Tours over and over. So fun!! And I agree the Osborne Lights are AMAZING!!!!

Thank you very much. Welcome aboard. I think the meals are kinda close too. But I needed to get Garden Grill as our CP (6:45) ADR and Tutto Italia is fairly light fare.

Besides, Tutto Italia is some good food and Garden Grille is family style. So people can take what they want. Though I do wish Tutto opened at 11 instead of 11:30

 

[BDL]

12/10

Phewwwwww......

That was an exhausting first 3 days. So we're going to take it a back a bit. This is our "wake up when you want" morning. Then it is off to Downtown Disney to REALLY start throwing money around. I figure we'll take thw ater taxi there. There are few things in this world that are as relaxing as a slow moving boat ride down the river. Once we get to DTD, I'm sure I'll have to reign in SIL and LIL. There are few that can resist the siren call of opening our wallets and purses once in sight of the stores. I'll have to remind them that the stores run the whole length of the water front, and to pace themselves. But I know 1 place that wild horses wouldn't be able to keep us away... Ghiradelli. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.... CHOCOLATE!!!!! From there, the Christmas store is a must. After that, I would like to head to the sports store. And, I don't think I'm alone in this, I really wish they'd bring back a wider variety of Disney sports jerseys. Not just a variety in sports jerseys to choose from, but also a variety of character themed teams. But I digress... No trip to DTD would be complete without a trip to the pin store. Just to see the wide selection is incredible. And then you get to see the little kids swap and trade. It's cute. And, by the way, Disney pins make GREAT stocking stuffers.

From DTD, we head to MGM. HOPEFULLY, we can get a fast pass for TSMM (but not holding my breath). But the consolation choices are great in their own right. ToT, RnR, Star Tours and the Movie Ride. There are also great shows too. The Indiana Jones stunt show and the new Legend of Jack Sparrow. But we'll have to keep an eye on our watches.

3pm - Hollywood Brown Derby

The reason this is so important, this is our Fantasmic! meal pkg. No one in our party had seen the show yet. But I keep hearing amazing things about it. Fast forward to 6:30 and we will be in our seats ready for the show to begin. And, to add the cherry to our day, we get to check out the Osbourne Lights before the park closes. Maybe even sneak 1 more ride on ToT or RnR.

 

[TinkLovinMomma]

Hey There! Stopping by from good ol' NY. I havent read through your entire PTR yet but I got up to about page 3 {editing to add that now I have officially read everything}. I promise to go back and finish. (Side note for Sam33- The Rangers do not have Ice Girls either THANK GOODNESS! They make me cringe hardcore when I go to Rangers/Isles or Rangers/Devils away games ) I am jealous of your plans to stay at POR I want to stop over there and check it out. Looks gorgeous in the pics I have seen. I'm subbing in now cant wait to read more!