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

I like your ADR list! We have Raglan Road and Kona on ours. I'm SUPER excited for Raglan Road. The menu looks fantastic (the lunch one at least, we're going for lunch so I never looked at the dinner menu)
And the beer list looks marvelous.

I've only been to 50's, Tutto, and Rose & Crown for the rest of your list so I can't really comment! Enjoyed them all.
 
Joining In! Your plans sound awesome so far! I feel very far behind... we have no idea where we are going to make ADRs yet! :scared1: Well I do have some ideas but DH needs to ok them. Can't wait to here more and thanks for all the websites!!! :goodvibes
 
Joining In! Your plans sound awesome so far! I feel very far behind... we have no idea where we are going to make ADRs yet! :scared1: Well I do have some ideas but DH needs to ok them. Can't wait to here more and thanks for all the websites!!! :goodvibes

Welcome aboard. And don't feel like you're too far behind. You can't even book ADR's yet. Plus, now that some reservations demand credit cards, there will be a lot less squatting by people and that should free up some ressies. Also, there are only 2 or 3 dates of the MVMCP that sells out. Osbourne lights are there to be taken in.

The only crunch that you might feel, is if you decide to do Candlelight Processional. That can be a blood bath, anxiety attack and mental breakdown all rolled into one on CP/meal combo day.

But the payoff of all the planning and stress is MORE than worth it.
 
Welcome aboard. And don't feel like you're too far behind. You can't even book ADR's yet. Plus, now that some reservations demand credit cards, there will be a lot less squatting by people and that should free up some ressies. Also, there are only 2 or 3 dates of the MVMCP that sells out. Osbourne lights are there to be taken in.

The only crunch that you might feel, is if you decide to do Candlelight Processional. That can be a blood bath, anxiety attack and mental breakdown all rolled into one on CP/meal combo day.

But the payoff of all the planning and stress is MORE than worth it.

Well I guess I am golden then because we aren't doing the Candlelight Processional, as much as I would love to, I doubt my 2 1/2 year old would sit through it. :eek:

I only feel behind because at this point I normally have all the resturants we would like to try and the back ups but its my fault for changing the time of the year we are going this year. lol:laughing:
 

Took another step towards trying to make this vacation as cheap as possible. For a while now, if ever I won anything on a scratch ticket, I just added it to the stack of winners I keep on my desk at work. Yestarday I noticed that the stack was really starting to get high. So I went to Stop n Shop and cashed in my stack. No major winners. A lot of $2 and $4 winners and 1 $25 winner. Immediately parlayed the winnings into $125 of the Disney shop/vacation gift cards. I'll add these to the $75 in cards I already have and next payment, I use these to help offset the cost.

Also, there was a little left over, so what did I do? I got 1 more scratch ticket. And... "Yes", the stack is starting up again. :thumbsup2
 
Took another step towards trying to make this vacation as cheap as possible. For a while now, if ever I won anything on a scratch ticket, I just added it to the stack of winners I keep on my desk at work. Yestarday I noticed that the stack was really starting to get high. So I went to Stop n Shop and cashed in my stack. No major winners. A lot of $2 and $4 winners and 1 $25 winner. Immediately parlayed the winnings into $125 of the Disney shop/vacation gift cards. I'll add these to the $75 in cards I already have and next payment, I use these to help offset the cost.

Also, there was a little left over, so what did I do? I got 1 more scratch ticket. And... "Yes", the stack is starting up again. :thumbsup2

:cool1: Woo Hoo!!! Nicely done!! :woohoo:
 
Took another step towards trying to make this vacation as cheap as possible. For a while now, if ever I won anything on a scratch ticket, I just added it to the stack of winners I keep on my desk at work. Yestarday I noticed that the stack was really starting to get high. So I went to Stop n Shop and cashed in my stack. No major winners. A lot of $2 and $4 winners and 1 $25 winner. Immediately parlayed the winnings into $125 of the Disney shop/vacation gift cards. I'll add these to the $75 in cards I already have and next payment, I use these to help offset the cost.

Also, there was a little left over, so what did I do? I got 1 more scratch ticket. And... "Yes", the stack is starting up again. :thumbsup2

Lucky!! But how many tickets did it take to get so many winners? I keed I keed. Nice to be able to throw the winnings on a gift card and know it goes to paying off your trip!
 
Well, finally got the be all, end all response from LIL. As many of you know, I wanted as much feedback from the in-laws, about our upcoming trip as possible. And more often than not, I got "Wahtever you plan will be fine."

Yesterday, I sent out a T-minus 7days email, for our ADR window opening. And included some testimonials of people that have been trying to book ADR's in late Nov and nothing being available. And, yes... I did try to play the guilt card a little. Sure enough, I got a reply. 2 quotes stand out. The 1st one, very sensible, insightful and logical. the 2nd... More of a STOP ASKING ME QUESTIONS... type statement.

"Book what you want at whatever restaurant you want as long as SIL gets to Epcot and also gets to see Chip and Dale. One thing you may think about is if we have a lot of something at home ie Italian Food you may not want to overbook those type of restaurants"

And...

"As for myself one of the things I looked most forward to with this vacation was NOT having to plan it or really anything about it – Just tell me how much, where and when"

Ok... There you have it folks. I have my responses. Now I can start planning (and re-planning and re-re-planning) the ADR's and my hands will be completely clean.

And isn't it funny, that we plan our days at the parks around where we are eating and not vice/versa.
 
You got the green light to basically do whatever you guys wanna do!! Can't beat that. Book every ADR for V&A's chef's table!! :thumbsup2

Meant to add that I love the pics on the previous page. You guys are an adorable couple. Will be looking for you guys when we are there in December!
 
You got the green light to basically do whatever you guys wanna do!! Can't beat that. Book every ADR for V&A's chef's table!! :thumbsup2

Meant to add that I love the pics on the previous page. You guys are an adorable couple. Will be looking for you guys when we are there in December!

We'll be easy to spot. Look for the same attire that we had on the last trip. :laundy:
 
Hi all:

Now that I have been given free reign, I'm starting to execute it. This will probably change at least a dozen times depending on CP/dinner pkg, MVMCP date, (most importantly) availability and change of schedule. MAYBE... I'll make adjustments based on in-laws input after booking (maybe ;) ).


12/6 Thursday: Leave Logan late afternoon/night. Eat at food court at the airport. Arrive in Orlando, check into off-site motel. Get a good night's sleep.

12/7 Friday: Wake up and grab free continental breakfast at motel. Take cab to POR. Check in and hopefully room is ready (like last time). Drop bags in lobby holding area (or room). If the room is ready, let everyone take in the room decor for a few minutes. We got the POR Royal Guest Rooms. Catch the next available bus to EPCOT. Catch my breath as I look upon Spaceship: Earth (happens every trip). Pretty much walk right though Future World on our way to the World Showcase. Take in the ways that the individual countries are decorated. Hopefully catch a few of the storytellers (last trip we caught La Bofana in Italy and Monkey King in China). Aim to have lunch as early as possible, some where in the WS. Make our way around the World and take in some of the JOYFUL performance (I think LIL will really like this. She's a musical soul). Since we made it to the front, SIL and I will ride SOARIN' while LIL and BDLsgal go to either Mouse Gear or head to a pin trade station (If we can't get onto SOARIN' via line or FP, all 4 of us will either do Mission: Space or Test Track). By now it's late afternoon/early evening and (God willing) it is time for our CP/dinner pkg meal. Have a nice family dinner (maybe a beverage or 2 :drinking1 ). After dinner, walk to the American Gardens Teater and wait in line for our CP performance. Sit back and enjoy the show. When the show is over, walk briskly, yet SAFELY ;) , to the VIP Illuminations viewing area. Take in the show to cap a GREAT 1st day at WDW. At this point, it's up in the air. If the schedule holds true to the last trip, this will also be an EMH. Those that want to can partake, those that want to rest, are free to do so as well.

Lunch possibilities:
TS: Tutto Italia, Teppon Edo, San Angel Inn.
CS: Boulangerie Patisserie, Liberty Inn, Yakitori House (SIL & LIL like sushi)

Dinner possiblities: This is 100% dependent on what I can land for the CP pkg.
Rose & Crown, Tutto Italia, Chef de Paris, Garden Grill, La Hacienda de San Angel, Coral Reef

Like I said, it all depends on CP pkg availablity. I'm alreadt looking forward to waking up at 5am on booking morning.

Coming next, Day 2 & 3.
 
So look for the LA Kings fans?

Ouch... You know I heard once that words are like weapons they can wound sometimes. Now where did I hear that...? Something about a battleship and inappropriate clothing... Oh well.

But... Dagger in the back, aside, I think you have the wrong black clad championship team. :)
 
Like I said, it all depends on CP pkg availablity. I'm alreadt looking forward to waking up at 5am on booking morning.

You can wake up at 5:57am to be online at 6! ;) Sounds like a great first Disney day!!

And you know I am kidding about the Kings' jerseys. Just messing with you cuz it is fun! :dance3:

So tell me more about the WS Holiday performers and which ones are really good.
 
So tell me more about the WS Holiday performers and which ones are really good.

Like I said, we only saw La Befana and Monkey King. But they were both entertaining as well as engaging.

I'll let them explain it:

La Befana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoGi0EC8rGQ

The Monkey King

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMp6fbuiddU


And I wake up at 5, so that I can be to work by 6. That way I can use my cell phone, my work phone and my coworkers' who come in later phones.
 
Your first day looks great! We'll be arriving the next day and staying in a Royal Room - save us a nice one, okay? :)
 
I can't wait for your TR, which is really pathetic sounding! I really want to hear about the CP dinner package, what you are able to get done on that first full day, what the rooms look like, etc!
 
Hello,

Before I begin, here is the link to the December hours, parades, EMH's, MVMCP's, etc...

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/hours/dec12.cfm

That, in conjuncture with BDLsgal talking some sense to me, I may have to revise my Day 1 itinerary. We will probably skip the mid-day rides of SOARIN', TT and/or M:S, and ride them during the EMH. Instead, we'll take that time to head back to POR, and get refreshed for dinner and CP. That being said, let's move on to days 2 & 3.

Day 2 - Dec 8th

We had 3 really good breakfasts on our last trip. And this was 1 of them. Hopefully, we'll be able to do again a post-rope drop Donald Safari buffet at Tusker House. What I liked about AK at the opening, they already had characters making their rounds. They had characters from Jungle Book and Tarzan all over the place. Instead of going straight for Tusker House though, take a quick detour for a FP at Expedition Everest (side note: EE has the 2nd coolest ride themed t-shirts, I'll get to #1 later). Then it's off to Tusker House and our picture with Donald. I like the food at Tusker House and the character interaction is great. I don't think there was any that we missed a photo opp with. After breakfast, we'll guage how our tummies are in relation to riding EE and when we can do it safely ;) . In the mean time, I bet SIL will really put her camera to work. She loves taking pics and making movies of them with her laptop. 1 thing we all want to do is try to get a ride on the Kilimanjaro Safari. Other rides we are looking to get on are Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids and maybe Maharajah Jungle Trek. You better believe that BDLsgal and I are gonna buy the post ride pics of EE and Dinosaur. And we are not going to tell LIL and SIL where the pic parts are :ssst: . From here we might head back to the resort to change and maybe refresh. But on the way out... I gotta get another 1 (at least 1) of corn dogs that they have there. YUM!!!

After we make the turn, it's off to MGM (yes... MGM. It will always be MGM to me). I figure it will take us at least 60-90 minutes to get up Hollywood Blvd, with all the shops and PhotoPass opps. But it will be worth every minute of it. Once we make it to the corner of Hollywood and Sunset, this is where a decision HAS to be made. Do we turn right and head towards the Tower of Terror and Rockin Rollercoaster? Or do we turn left for the interactive shows and the new Star Tours? I think we should turn right. BDLsgal keeps saying that the 1st thing we should do at MGM is Star Tours, because it was closed during our trip, and she saw how much I missed it. But I figure, we turn right, get in line for either ToT or RnR and get a FP for the other. Once we've ridden them, we can get a nice CS meal on the way to George Lucas-ville. When we get there, we can guage the line and decide if we have time for Star Tours or if we should do the Movie Ride. There will probably be only time for 1 of these. Because we will definitely want to squat and secure an area for the the beginning of Osbourne Lights. Oh my God... It is awe inspiring to be emersed in all those decorations. In 2010, we were standing there in pure anticipation before they flipped the switch. Afterward, you could hear 1000 people gasp all at once. I am really looking forward to seeing the reactions of SIL AND LIL here. With the lights, the music and the snow(p). Word of advice... Make sure you buy your Osbourne Lights shirts early.

From there, it's back to POR. Maybe dinner at Boatwright's (very underrated place). I do love their crawfish bites. And after dinner, we'll have the choice of calling it a day, or taking in the musical and comedy stylings of Yee Haw Bob (and take in a few bev-ies :drinking1 )

Day 3 - Dec 9th

This will probably be our MVMCP day. Like I said in a previous post, I wanted to get the Big 3 done as soon as possible so that we'd have the option of doing at least 1 of them again. And since it is our MVMCP day, I believe this will be a v - e - r - y : s - l - o - w : w - a - l - k - i - n - g day. Wake up at a very leisurely time. Tend to foot and heel blisters. Then, it is off to 1 of the other memorable breakfasts that we had last time. Heading to Kona Cafe. Even when we were planning our last trip LIL was fascinated to try the macadamia nut pancakes. And now she gets to enjoy them first hand. I can't wait to have them again. Plus the coffee is great. Then we continue our v - e - r - y : s - l - o - w : w - a - l - k - i - n - g to the monorail platform and go from resort to resort and ooooh and ahhhh at all of the decorations, Christmas trees and gingerbread structures. Once we take in all the decor and do some shopping, we v - e - r - y : s - l - o - w : w - a - l - k back to the monorail, take it to MK and then take the bus to POR. At this point it is resting/napping time. After that, get on the bus with our MVMCP hard tickets in hand and get our bracelets as close to 4pm as possible. Depending on availability, we will probably have dinner at either Crystal Palace or Liberty Tree Tavern. In either case, we WILL be seeing Pooh and friends at some point this trip pooh: :tigger: :eeyore: . After dinner, we'll maintain our leisurely pace and make our way to Cinderella's Castle for the lighting ceremony and show (a MUST do for BDLsgal). Even if you don't have tickets to MVMCP I recomend checking this out. After th show, it is a free for all. We'll ride on all the E-ticket rides with practically no waiting. Last trip, these included Haunted Mansion (it broke and we were stuck right next to a speaker for 20 min), Space Mtn and Pirates of the Caribean (the #1 ride themed t-shirt "The beatings will continue until morale improves"). We will probably skip the first parade of the night in lieu of rides and shopping for MVMCP shirts and pins. Then it is time for the Wishes fireworks. After that show, there maybe time for 1 more ride and then the 2nd parade. The parades are fun to watch. If you do go to MVMCP, make sure you get the merchandise, and get as many free cookies and cocoa as you can. Then, it is time for the v - e - r - y : s - l - o - w : w - a - l - k - i - n - g down Main St. Looking at all the decorations and being snow(p)ed upon. Back to the resort.

Stay tuned for days 4 & 5.
 







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