Planning a WORLD of fun; a... WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE!!!

[midwesternbelle]

I Never Want to Grow Up: The Last Family Vaction to Disney World
​

Hey ya'll my name is Ariel. Yes, this is my REAL name. If its not clear already, my parents LOVED disney enough to name their first born child after disney's newest princess (at the time of my birth of course) when i was younger, but as we have all grown up their enthusiasm has wained (to my dismay). They say that now that I am going to college it is time for our family trips to be more adventurous, AKA they want to see more of the world than Orlando, FL. As the title of this post suggests, this trip will be the last trip for my family (at least for a while) to the wonderful World of disney. We have been 4 times so far; 2000, 2006, 2008, and 2011. I also went to disney for my senior year (high school) spring break trip. Every trip has been so enjoyable, and it's so sad that this is the end--at least for a little while--but i know this trip is going to be amazing!


Before we begin with the pre trip report, lets get an intro:

Me: Ariel (the one in the striped shirt, Jack Skellington backpack, and hair up in a bun--photo taken in EPCOT, Mexico this spring, 2012, with one of my friends)
Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom, followed quickly by Animal Kingdom
Favorite Disney Movie: Peter Pan, Princess and the frog, The Little Mermaid
Favorite Restaurant: Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but my favorite dinner is the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue at fort wilderness.
Favorite Character: Peter Pan (who I have NEVER seen in disney world ) and Winnie the Pooh (who I have seen every trip!)

The rest of them

DisneyMom: Rose (also named after a disney princess--sleeping beauty!)
Favorite Park: EPCOT
Favorite Disney Movie: The Little Mermaid or The Lion King
Favorite Restaurant: Artist Point (My mom is mostly a vegetarian although she will eat some seafood and some chicken, so she loves this restaurant because the food caters to her diet and is still wonderful) and Jiko
Favorite Character: All the characters of Winnie the Pooh (particularly Tigger)


DisneyDad: John
Favorite Park: EPCOT
Favorite Disney Movie: The Little Mermaid or The Lion King
Favorite Restaurant: Whispering Canyon Cafe, Jiko, Artist Point, and ALL other food establishments. He also loves the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue and Spirit of Aloha Dinner shows (he is obviously a big meat eater!)
Favorite Character: The Fab Five!


DisneyBro: Derek (age 13, 14 when we go to disney in December 2012 )
Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom or EPCOT, but loves all of them!
Favorite Disney Movie: Pirates of The Caribbean
Favorite Restaurant: Whispering Canyon Cafe, Artist Point, and Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue (he is also a big meat eater, in fact he rarely eats anything else!)
Favorite Character: Donald or Captain Jack, but he isn't really into characters because he is at THAT age.



WHY?

As i mentioned earlier I just graduated from Highschool and so this year I am going to college! AND... I am moving from the midwest to the south (under stand my username now? Midwestern Princess + Southern Belle = Midwesternbelle). So, i really wanted one more awesome disney Vacation. My parents agreed and i was off and running.

Here is what we have so far:
(everthing is tentative)

Dates: Saturday december 22nd-29th... that is SEVEN nights and EIGHT days! a fairly long trip (in my opinion).
Where: Not quite decided on this yet... either Coronado, Port Orleans French Quarter, or Art of Animation.
Food: The DELUXE disney dining plan. This will be our 3rd time using the dining plan, and the first time with the deluxe plan. Super pumped!

Well, thats all for now. Up Next: Trip Plans and Restaurant descisions!

Please feel free comment and join in!
Questions for comments:
Where are the best places to use snack credits?
What restaurants should we visit?
Are the water parks worth it? What about Park hoppers?

THANKS A MILLION!
Ariel

 

[midwesternbelle]

Table of Contents:

[post=45351521]1. Let's Meet the Family![/post]
[post=45360178]2. Restaurants, Parks, and Planning OH MY![/post]
[post=45361433]3. New Ideas: How much can you eat in one day?[/post]
[post=45363085]4. Best food in all the World-- Disney World that is...[/post]
[post=45363968]5. A History of Disney: Spring Break 2012 (Part 1) [/post]
[post=45364077]6. A History of Disney: Spring Break 2012 (Part 2) [/post]
[post=45379958]7. *Update* My forth of July! [/post]
[post=45425663]8. ADRs: Food, Food, and more... you guessed it: FOOD! (Part 1) [/post]
[post=45426560]9. ADRs: Food, Food, and more... you guessed it: FOOD! (Part 2) [/post]
[post=45434807]10. A History of Disney: Summer 2011 with our best friends! (Part 1) [/post]
[post=45435705]11. A History of Disney: Summer 2011 with our best friends! (Part 2) [/post]
[post=45436048]12. A History of Disney: Summer 2011 with our best friends! (Part 3) [/post]
[post=45436112]13. A History of Disney: Summer 2011 with our best friends! (Part 4) [/post]
[post=45436843]14. A History of Disney: Summer 2011 with our best friends! (Part 5) [/post]
[post=45438022]15. A History of Disney: Summer 2011 with our best friends! (Part 6) [/post]



Table of Contents: (Weight-loss Diaries)

[post=45439322]1. WEIGHT LOSS: GOALS, PLANS, AND MORE. [/post]

 

[midwesternbelle]

Restaurants, Parks, and Planning OH MY!

Here we go again with another post today, but i have some time, so lets get right into it. The topic today is dining and park plans.
Currently this this what i have planned for each day:

Day One (December 22nd 2012):
Arrival Day - Downtown Disney
[NEED: Dinner place, preferably in downtown disney... any recommendations? Preferably 1 TS per person on DDP]

Day Two (December 23rd 2012):
Magic Kingdom - EMH from 8AM-9AM and 10PM-1AM
[NEED: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner in or around the Magic Kingdom Area (not at crystal palace or Cinderella's royal table, we want to try some new places this trip! )... any recommendations? Preferably 1 TS per person on DDP]

Day Three (December 24th 2012):
Animal Kingdom- 9AM to 8PM
Thinking: Tusker house for early breakfast (7:30ish) and dinner at Yak and Yeti around 4:00PM
[NEED: Opinions on these ideas... any recommendations? Preferably 1 TS per person on DDP]

Day Four (December 25th 2012):
No Plans Yet
[NEED: Suggestions. This is Christmas Day Ya'll I was thinking that Epcot would be a good Choice, i know all the park will be crazy but Magic will probably be the worst and I would like to get some more meals in at EPCOT. Any places I need to try?... any recommendations? Preferably 1 TS per person on DDP]

Day Five (December 26th 2012):
Hollywood Studios - EMH from 10PM to 1AM
I am thinking late Lunch at Sci-Fi Dine in and Dinner at The Hollywood Brown Derby, not sure where to go for breakfast.
[NEED: A nice, convenient place for breakfast. Also, i was thinking of only using 4 TS credits at the HBD by splitting two meals between the four of us, I figure with a late lunch and the appetizers, meal, and dessert we should be full... any comments?]

Day Six (December 27th 2012):
EPCOT - EMH from 10:30PM to 1:30AM
I know i want at least two sit down meals this day, but i don't know where. Is three too many?
[NEED: I really want to try as many restaurants as possible at EPCOT, without getting sick , any suggestions? ]

Day Seven (December 28th 2012):
Magic Kingdom - EMH from 8AM to 9AM and 11PM to 2AM
So i really want to maximize my time in the park this day BUT i don't want to eat very much in Magic Kingdom because the restaurants there are minimal.
[NEED: I really have no plans as for as dining goes... MAYBE the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue (it's a family favorite!)... and other ideas?]

Day Eight (December 29th 2012):
No Plans
What is the best thing to do on the last day of vacation?
[NEED: Ideas!]


Thats all i have so far. I have 21 TS credits per person so finding really great places to eat is high on my level of priorities. Christmas day is also a big question mark, as well as our final day. Got Ideas? Post 'em!

Thanks a Million,
Ariel
​

 

[midwesternbelle]

New Ideas: How much can you eat in one day?​

Hey ya'll, so last night we had a family meeting and discussed some things we want to do during our vacation.
A few things on the list:
This place:

Or

We have never been too a disney water park, and if this is our last trip, we need to visit at least one (if not both!). This was a request from my dad-- he loves to swim!!! Which one is better?
I know that usually only one is open during the winter, but I wonder which one is better anyway!

Next up is some highly anticipated dining:

SO MUCH hype about this place! Could it possibly live up? We will see!

AND

My mom LOVES italian food (because we are extremely italian), and so this place is a must hit! I hear its also very good... WDWmagic ranks it ABOVE Le Cellier!

As previously mentioned, my family LOVES the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue! Its the best dinner we ever had (food-wise its good, but the show blows everything else out of the water). This was a much needed repeat for this trip. Although i don't want to repeat very many things we have done before... i think we can make an exception for this show!

Finally
*trumpet plays*
....




....

I am DETERMINED to get a reservation at the all new Be Our Guest Restaurant in the new Fantasyland! It is slated to open for "the holidays" and if christmas isn't considered "the holidays" i don't know what is! So excited to book this in august!

The last thing on our list:

Big Thunder Mountain was closed for refurb when i was last in disney.... and i need me some crazy wilderness ridin'! So pumped to ride this coaster!

Thats all the updating for now, let me know where else i should be going. Next post will showcase some disney favorite sweet treats! See ya real soon! (can't you hear mickey mouse!)

Thanks a Million,
Ariel

 

[KeroKero]

Love your writing style and the incorporation of the photos. Good job!

Looking forward to reading more

 

[midwesternbelle]

Best food in all the World-- Disney World that is...​

No... I'm not talking about Breakfast, Lunch, or even Dinner... I'm talking:

SNACKS!!!


I really want this PTR to not only keep me and my family excited for our trip, but to share some of our favorite things about the wonderful world of disney. So what better to talk about than the all-important snacks. Anyone on the DDP (Disney Dining Plan) knows that these babies are a DREAM! My family absolutely LOVES snacks. So with out further ado... The dining room proudly presents... Our favorites

The Cupcake Trifecta.
[left to right] Butterfingers Cupcake (from Starring Rolls in DHS), Smores Cupcake (Boardwalk Bakery), and Peanut Butter Cupcake (Starring Rolls).
I suggest getting 2-3 and splitting them between everyone... trust me you will be plenty full by the end, and you will get to try them all!

Two Delicious Cookies
[left to right] Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich (Main Street Bakery, Dino Bites, and EPCOT's Fountain View Cafe) and Carrot Cake Cookie (Writer's Shop DHS)
These are both SOOO yummy and convenient when watching wonderful Fantastic show at DHS or strolling down Main Street on a hot summer day! Actually, these are awesome no matter what your up to... so next time your in the World check out these amazing cookies!

Paw Print Brownie
Wow! If your tummy is a little rumbly while your strolling through Animal Kingdom-- Have no fear! This scrumptious brownie will fill you right up! It's even big enough to share!

"Real Food" you say?
Pretzel from locations all over the disney parks and hotels can help you if your not quite in the mood for something sweet. These salty, buttery twists from heaven will feel right at home in your stomach!

Frozen Dreams
[left to right] Dole Whips (Adventureland, Magic Kingdom), Kakigori (Japan, EPCOT), and the classic Mickey Ice Cream Bar (ANYWHERE!),
These cold confections are the perfect treat for the hot florida weather! Plus, you can't go wrong when your icecream is shaped like mickey mouse!


Yumm! Well this post sure has made me hungry! And excited to be heading back to the most magical place on earth! Hopefully you've got some new ideas for your next trip and the snacks to accompany it! Please post your favorites (be sure to include anything i missed!) in this thread! I love feedback and would love to hear your favorite snacks!

Well before I finish off for the day, i do want to leave ya'll with one last tip:
Eat the World!

Meaning: on your next visit to EPCOT, instead of sitting down for lunch, consider getting snacks from each country-- its a fun way to sample the flavors of the world!

Thats all for now.

Thanks a Million,
Ariel








P.S. I just wanted to show you my delicious Kakigori from last trip. YUM! I got the red kind which is my absolute favorite!

 

[midwesternbelle]

A History of Disney: Spring Break 2012​

I figure a good way for y'all to get to know me (and my family) just a little better. Today, however, is all about MOI! And some of my friends... lol

WARNING: Bad photo quality ahead... i went without my parents so i was stuck with my poor quality camera, and i apologize, but i promise my Christmas trip photos will be FAR better!

Me! (Ariel) Who you all know and love! (right?)
This was my 5th trip to WDW
Fave Memory of the trip: Breakfast at Chef Mickey's OR my Jog at our lovely hotel of Coranado Springs.

These are the Girlys who travel down to Orlando with me for spring break 2012:

Rachel
She would kill me if she knew this picture was online, but i honestly love it! Its super "her" if ya know what i mean.
Favorite Memory: Dancing at the Magic Kingdom after dark

Suze
This is also a good pic of Suze, she was awesome on this trip... unfortunately she only stayed for half the time
Favorite Memory: Swimming at midnight (breaking the rules of the pool)

Monica AKA miss "I have to respond to this text message... hey where did my friends go?"
On this trip monica was constantly on her phone, which was super annoying at times. Particularly when she forgot to get in the log with Rachel on Splash Mountain, which was very unfortunate because she is TERRIFIED of water. Oh well, she should have paid attention if it was so important to her...
Favorite Memory: Magic Kingdom Daytime parade with Me!

Us Four (on the way to Cinderella's Royal Table):

And finally...

Kara (Guest Star)
Kara only made a small appearance on this trip-- she visited with us for 2 days before going down to miami to see her grandparents!
Favorite Memory: Edamame and Illuminations


Of course i am not making a full on TR for this visit, so let em just give a little overview of where we went and what we did.
****Side note: The reason you do not see parents in any of these pictures is because... we did not go with parents. We went ourselves. Suze and Kara were 18 when we left, Rachel turned 18 while we were in disney, and Monica and I were 17.

On this trip we stayed at Coranado springs during March, visited each of the four parks, and had sit down meals at Chef Mickey's, Hollywood and Vine, Cinderella's Royal Table, 1900 Park Fare, Boma, and Les Chefs de France! All of these were wonderful, and the only one where i would probably not return is Hollywood and Vine: Our server was really nice but the food is just ok.

Here are some Pics of the things we did on this trip:

Winnie the pooh!

I know some don't like the food at pepper market, but for us it was perfect! We ate there 3 times during our vacation... super yummy!

Graduation Ears!

Dinner at Boma!

More food from Pepper Market! Breakfast here was awesome!

And some Safari Pics:

Spirit of the Lion King, our section leader! This is my favorite show in any of the parks.... Nemo is REALLY good too though!

Dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express. The pizzas here are sooo good and it is such a good value, especially on the dining plan!

Yummy breakfast buffet at Chef Mickey's.

This guy gave Kara some major love! And he signed my book. What a great breakfast!

[Continued in next post]

 

[midwesternbelle]

[Continued from previous post]

Such great characters at this meal! The Fab Five!

Epcot Fish!

What a very peculiar person: It's alice! Can i just say... she was awesome!! She was perfect; like she stepped right out of the disney movie!

Not the best pic of all of us, but we were quite tired...

Shameless selfy...

Germany!

Bus ride... love the disney transportation system!!! love!

Parade Pics:

Captain Hook kissed my hand! I love him! (not as much as peter, but hey it works)

There he is!!

1900 Park Fare. Really nice food and characters, but the lighting... ehhh

Only Picture from Hollywood studios! How sad! Really cute skit though!


Overall this was an amazing trip. There were the typical ups and downs but i loved my time in disney just the same.
Favorite restaurant: Chef Mickey's
Favorite Day: Animal Kingdom Day

Cannot wait to go back!
Next Update will be about my 2011 summer trip to the world! This time with my family and close family friends! See ya then!

Thanks a Million,
Ariel

 

[midwesternbelle]

*UPDATE* My forth of July​

Hope everyone had a wonderful forth of July. I had to work through the afternoon, but when i came home my family had a cookout and my best friend came over and we went swimming! It was really, truly fun.

Most importantly though, on July 3rd my family and i went to see:

BRAVE!
This movie was really quite good. I am going to do a short review of this movie without spoiling too much. Here it goes:
Firstly, I have seen all 13 pixar movies, (along with swarms of others--can you name them all? [answers in end of post]) so throughout the movie i found myself saying "do i like this movie better than -insert pixar movie name here-?" And i cam the conclusion that, unfortunately, it's not my favorite. I found the beginning of the movie to be absolutely amazing, but halfway through there is a very odd plot twist that was a little strange to me... I felt like this movie was a little all over the place with its meaning. Overall i enjoyed the movie, and I am sure it will grow on me if I see it again, but from a first viewing I would give it a 3 out of 5.

I must say however, that I LOVE Merida. She is such a good princess/hero because love is a non-issue to her, which isn't a common trait for a disney princess. I also love her relationship with her horse (Angus), and the character of Lord Macintosh, who was voiced by Craig Ferguson.
It was truly a cute movie, but i felt that it lacked... something. Let me know how you liked it if you saw it... feel free to disagree with me... I have been wrong before.

[Merida and her horse Angus]

Now as promised, Here is the list of all 13 pixar movies (I even ranked them in order of my favorites; 13-least 1-most):
13. Cars 2
12. WALL-E
11. a bug's life
10. Ratatouille
9. Brave
8. Toy Story 2
7. Toy Story
6. The Incredibles
5. Finding Nemo
4. Monsters Inc.
3. Cars
2. Up
1. Toy Story 3


Thats it, all 13 Pixar movies in order of my favorites. Have you seen them all? Which are your favorites?
Let me know by posting a comment!

Thanks for reading... there should be at least one more post today so look out for that!

Thanks a Million,
Ariel

 

[RachVH]

Hello! Your plans look good so far. I would put in my choices for places to eat, but I haven't been to "the world" in over a decade, so I have no basis for my selections. Your snack food list is amazing though.

And don't worry about your slightly negative review of Brave, because I totally agree! The movie might grow on me later, but after this weekends viewing my feeling about it was definately meh. I liked the story and the characters, particularly Merida and all of her family members, but the plotline of the move seemed a little...off. Not sure why, but I didn't love it like I did Up!, Monster Inc., Finding Nemo, and of the Toy Story's and The Incredibles.

 

[midwesternbelle]

Hello! Your plans look good so far. I would put in my choices for places to eat, but I haven't been to "the world" in over a decade, so I have no basis for my selections. Your snack food list is amazing though.

And don't worry about your slightly negative review of Brave, because I totally agree! The movie might grow on me later, but after this weekends viewing my feeling about it was definately meh. I liked the story and the characters, particularly Merida and all of her family members, but the plotline of the move seemed a little...off. Not sure why, but I didn't love it like I did Up!, Monster Inc., Finding Nemo, and of the Toy Story's and The Incredibles.

I am glad you agree! I feel bad because it wasn't a BAD movie... it just didn't live up to my expectations for a Pixar film!
Thanks for reading!
Ariel


P.S. Congratulations & hope your Disneymoon is AMAZING! (Of course it will be)

 

[niknakk]

I am loving your PTR!!! Keep the posts coming!

And I couldnt agree more on Brave! You summed it up perfectly. I saw it the day it opened, thought it was going to be amazing but for the first Pixar Princess it was a little off.

 

[DsnyMama]

Followed you over here from the Dec 2012 thread! Subbing along! We went to WDW last year around the Holiday's and we'll be headed back this year about the exact same time! I LOVE Christmas in Disney!!!!


Downtown Disney restaurant ideas - for me, my FAV in all of DTD is Raglan Road! Super fun atmosphere and GREAT food! The drunken chicken appetizer is great, the fish and chips is to die for, and Ger's Bread and Butter Pudding dessert is DELISH! It's 1 TS on the dining plan!

MK restaurant recommendations - You said "around" MK is good too, so I vote for 1900 Park Fare or Kona Cafe for breakfast, Be Our Guest for lunch or dinner, and 1900 Park Fare for dinner (if you don't do BOG!). You can get to Kona and 1900 park fare from the monorail - super easy from MK and very close! WONDERFUL food and 1900 Park Fare is a character meal and breakfast and dinner!

AK day - I think your choices are perfect!! We too are doing a tusker house breakfast and yak and yeti (but for lunch). GREAT choices!

Epcot - Will probably be PACKED but you know that already! AK would be a good choice for thinner crowds, or DHS, but neither are as "magical"... EVERY Epcot dining place is wonderful, but especially Le Cellier, La Hacienda, Chefs de France, Via Napoli!!

DHS - Make sure you CAN split meals - many places won't allow it on the dining plan.... Will this leave you with an odd number of credits later? We love Hollywood and Vine for breakfast - food is good and characters are great! That being said, your group may not like it because it is geared towards the younger crowd with playhouse disney characters. You could always take the boat from DHS to the boardwalk and have breakfast at Kouzzina! It is LOVELY!

Epcot - The suggestions I listed above still apply! Breakfast at Akershus is always nice - TONS of princesses there! World Showcase has lots of quick service lunch options and then you could do a nice TS dinner! Or, walk to the boardwalk from Epcot and do a TS dinner there - Flying Fish Cafe, Kouzzina, or Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club! Cape May has a delish seafood buffet with crab legs!

MK - Same suggestions as your first MK day. There are 4 resorts super close to MK - Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, Grand Floridian, and Polynesian. You can get to them all VIA the monorail except for Wilderness Lodge and you can take a boat there. Each has WONDERFUL meals!
Contemporary: Chef Mickey's, The Wave, California Grill
Wilderness: Whispering Canyon Cafe
Grand Floridian: Citricos, Narcossee's, Grand Floridian cafe, 1900 Park Fare
Poly: 'Ohana, Kona Cafe

Last Day: Depends... Do you want to do another theme park? Something more relaxing? DTD? Resort hopping (see other resorts, their decorations, ect..). Boardwalk? Are you leaving early or late? Any meals this day?



Waterparks: Typhoon Lagoon is closed this winter season - so Blizzard Beach would be your choice. My recommendation is to NOT buy tickets until you are there because of the weather... In 2010 it was FREEZING - barely got out of the 50's for the high.... last year we hit 78 twice during our trip. It can and does hit 80 in December, but the weather is sooo crazy! I wouldn't make hard core plans for waterparks.

Le Cellier is a 2TS credit meal now for dinner but only a 1TS meal for lunch - you may want to keep that in mind! Also, after the renovation, MANY are disappointing with Tutto Italia, so you may want to look into Via Napoli which gets consistently better ratings lately!

Everything looks GREAT! Have you added up your credits? We always do the deluxe plan and it looks like you may end up with extra credits left. Look into some signature dining experiences, you may enjoy that!




Oh, and here's my Pixar rankings!

13. Wall-E
12. Monsters Inc
11. Toy Story
10. Cars
9. Toy Story 2
8. Cars 2
7. Toy Story 3
6. The Incredibles
5. A Bugs Life
4. Up
3. Finding Nemo
2. Brave
1. Ratatouille

 

[midwesternbelle]

@niknakk
Thanks for checking out my PTR! I love yours by the way! Supe fun that your going to WDW for the FIRST TIME EVER!

@DsnyMama
Firstly, may i say: THANK YOU for the amazing feed back it is soo helpful!

For the first day: I think Reglan Road sounds good to me, and i am pretty sure we will go there... the only thing that could change those plans is.... my mother wants to stay at the Yatch Club Resort, so if that ends up happening we will make our first dinner at Yatchsman steakhouse. Yum!

MK: Thanks for the Tip about the resorts... sometimes i forget how convenient the monorail/boat launch can be. 1900 Park Fare is a restaurant i have been to 3 out of my 5 trips... but i have never been for breakfast so that is going on the list. As for Be Our Guest... I (and every other DISer) am DETERMINED to get a ressie there... at all costs!

EP: I know that braving this park may be difficult on christmas... but we have ressies for Le Cellier at lunch and Tuttu Italia (My mother tried this on her first trip and LOVED it... hopefully we will have a good experience... although i must admit i am a bit worried now...) for dinner. So... i think that we will face the storm... Hopefully we can sleep in on that day and minder over to Lunch at 2:10 without hearing that the park is filled to capacity... that would be bad.

HS: I am very Undecided on this park. I love some aspects of it (Starring Rolls, ToT, RnRC, Animation Place, and of course TSM) but the food in this park is lacking to me. There aren't many options... currently i am thinking Sci-fi for lunch with dinner at Mama Melrose... but that would be the third "italian" dinner in a row... is MM's worth it? Also... Kouzzina's is definitely on the list for breakfast!

and finally...
AK: I am pretty happy with my plans (Tusker House for BF + Y&Y lunch)... but i still need a dinner outside of the park... Maybe Artist point?

Water Parks: Thanks for the tip... we will wait and see how the weather goes before we buy the tix! Also... if we do stay at the Yacht Club we get free entrance to Stormalong Bay... is that enough to get a water park fix?

Also... love your list... I agree that WALL-E isn't Pixar's best movie! So many good ones... its hard to pick a favorite!

Thank you again for the input! It is so helpful... really!
New posts are on the way this weekend!
Ariel

 

[My2Qtz0205]

I have to chime in on my Pixar picks. I only have 12, because I haven't even seen Cars 2.
12. Cars
11. Ratatouille
10. A Bug's Life
9. The Incredibles
8. Toy Story 2
7. Monsters, Inc.
6. Toy Story 3
5. Brave
4. Toy Story
3. Finding Nemo
2. Wall-E
1. Up

As for your Christmas Day plans, I can't speak from personal experience, but I've been reading other December trip reports, and one Dis'er said that they used Christmas day as a day to explore the resort decorations and swim. I don't know if you want to use a vacation day for that, but I just thought I'd throw that out there. You could also do the Candlelight Processional at Epcot that evening, or view the Osbourne Lights at DHS. I think it will still be a magical day without going to the MK.

 

[niknakk]

Hope you doing mind, but, I'm joining in on the Pixar fun!

I have yet to see Cars 2, Up, or WAll-E, ( I know, I'm slacking!!) so this will be based on the 10 I have seen. Before I begin I must say that while I do love them all, I enjoy some more than others

10. Brave
9. The Incredibles
8. Cars
7. Toy Story 2
6. Bug's Life
5. Toy Story
4. Ratatouille
3. Monsters, Inc.
2. Toy Story 3
1. Finding Nemo

 

[midwesternbelle]

I have to chime in on my Pixar picks. I only have 12, because I haven't even seen Cars 2.
12. Cars
11. Ratatouille
10. A Bug's Life
9. The Incredibles
8. Toy Story 2
7. Monsters, Inc.
6. Toy Story 3
5. Brave
4. Toy Story
3. Finding Nemo
2. Wall-E
1. Up

As for your Christmas Day plans, I can't speak from personal experience, but I've been reading other December trip reports, and one Dis'er said that they used Christmas day as a day to explore the resort decorations and swim. I don't know if you want to use a vacation day for that, but I just thought I'd throw that out there. You could also do the Candlelight Processional at Epcot that evening, or view the Osbourne Lights at DHS. I think it will still be a magical day without going to the MK.

Cool picks! I LOVE Up... Toy Story 3 is just a little more sentimental for me but Up is absolutely amazing... Dug is adorable (also i love how his name is "dug" instead of "doug"--so cute)!
I am hoping we relax in morning... but my family is a very "get up and do things" kind of family and we rarely sit around by the pool. So i was thinking chill out in the morning and go to EPCOT for lunch, dinner, and Candlelight Processional. Thanks for all the feedback though! Great Tips!

Hope you doing mind, but, I'm joining in on the Pixar fun!

I have yet to see Cars 2, Up, or WAll-E, ( I know, I'm slacking!!) so this will be based on the 10 I have seen. Before I begin I must say that while I do love them all, I enjoy some more than others

10. Brave
9. The Incredibles
8. Cars
7. Toy Story 2
6. Bug's Life
5. Toy Story
4. Ratatouille
3. Monsters, Inc.
2. Toy Story 3
1. Finding Nemo

I can't believe you've never seen Up! Thats crazy! It is truly amazing... go see it! I promise you will be glad you did! Finding Nemo is amazing i definitely understand why it tops your list!


Can't wait to tell everyone the new updates for my trip... but that must wait for the next post *maniacal laugh* (quote from the muppets movie-- such a great quote!)
Thanks for the comments!
Ariel

 

[DsnyMama]

Comments in PINK!

@DsnyMama
Firstly, may i say: THANK YOU for the amazing feed back it is soo helpful! Absolutely!!!

For the first day: I think Reglan Road sounds good to me, and i am pretty sure we will go there... the only thing that could change those plans is.... my mother wants to stay at the Yatch Club Resort, so if that ends up happening we will make our first dinner at Yatchsman steakhouse. Yum! Ohhh now that would be a tough call! we LOVE the Yatchsmen Steakhouse! It is wonderful!!

MK: Thanks for the Tip about the resorts... sometimes i forget how convenient the monorail/boat launch can be. 1900 Park Fare is a restaurant i have been to 3 out of my 5 trips... but i have never been for breakfast so that is going on the list. As for Be Our Guest... I (and every other DISer) am DETERMINED to get a ressie there... at all costs! We haven't been for breakfast, but I want to soon! Dinner always wins out since the characters are AWESOME for dinner!!!

EP: I know that braving this park may be difficult on christmas... but we have ressies for Le Cellier at lunch and Tuttu Italia (My mother tried this on her first trip and LOVED it... hopefully we will have a good experience... although i must admit i am a bit worried now...) for dinner. So... i think that we will face the storm... Hopefully we can sleep in on that day and minder over to Lunch at 2:10 without hearing that the park is filled to capacity... that would be bad. I hear ya! Hopefully you have another wonderful experience at Tutto!! I hope the park doesn't close to capacity!!

HS: I am very Undecided on this park. I love some aspects of it (Starring Rolls, ToT, RnRC, Animation Place, and of course TSM) but the food in this park is lacking to me. There aren't many options... currently i am thinking Sci-fi for lunch with dinner at Mama Melrose... but that would be the third "italian" dinner in a row... is MM's worth it? Also... Kouzzina's is definitely on the list for breakfast! I can't wait til Kouzzina for breakfast this trip! MMM waffled with marscapone and honey! We had a horrible experience at MM.... Food was horrible service was even worse! Some LOVE it, but I'd venture to say 70% of the reviews I read here on the DIS are negative about MM.... I'd go 50's Prime Time or Sci-Fi!

and finally...
AK: I am pretty happy with my plans (Tusker House for BF + Y&Y lunch)... but i still need a dinner outside of the park... Maybe Artist point? I'v never done Artist's Point but it looks wonderful! We like Narcoossee's and Citricos toO! Oh and California Grill!

Water Parks: Thanks for the tip... we will wait and see how the weather goes before we buy the tix! Also... if we do stay at the Yacht Club we get free entrance to Stormalong Bay... is that enough to get a water park fix? I MUST stay at the beach club once just for stormalong bay! it looks SO great!!!!


Also... love your list... I agree that WALL-E isn't Pixar's best movie! So many good ones... its hard to pick a favorite!

Thank you again for the input! It is so helpful... really!
New posts are on the way this weekend!
Ariel

 

[midwesternbelle]

ADRs: Food, Food, and more... you guessed it: FOOD!​

This is something I was VERY excited for, especially because we are trying out deluxe dining! But I really wanted to try new things on this trip, so i limited myself to three (3) repeat dining experiences. That means that out of all the restaurants we are visiting we have only tried three!!!Crazy right? Well, i like to live on the edge. But seriously i think that this should be fun! And since we are only repeating three i made sure they were our absolute favorites!
Before i start i would like to announce that we are staying for an EXTRA DAY!!!
Lets get into it:

December 22nd 2012
Arrival Day!
Dinner: Yachtsman Steakhouse

So excited to visit this place! The food here is rumored to be amazing, and as i said in my very first post, we have two meet lovers in our family! Hopefully it will help us start off our trip with a BANG I am also hoping to hit EMH at MK afterwards, but we will see if we have the energy for that!

December 23rd 2012
Breakfast: snacks-main street bakery
Lunch: The Plaza Restaurant @ 11:15

I have heard this place is nice for lunch and they have a nice veggie sandwich so we might as well try it out! Anything I need to know?

Dinner: Be Our Guest: No Reservation Yet

[Top picture is the "invitation" i found online with the artist renderings of the restaurant, and the bottom is a current picture of how the restaurant is turning out... pretty well i must say!]
Obviously this was a MUST for this trip. It will be pretty much brand new when we arrive in december, so ressies are going to be tough... hopefully i can swing one... if i can't we will most likely be doing dinner at the Crystal Palace! I love CP but i really want to get a ressie at BOG for this trip!

December 24th 2012
Breakfast: Tusker House

I am really excited for this day! It is christmas eve and we are spending it in one of my favorite places: ANIMAL KINGDOM! I absolutely love this park, and it would probably be my favorite... exempt MK is the ABSOLUTE favorite--the magic was born there! Anyways. This is a great start to the day: meeting the fab five and enjoying breakfast in AK before the park opens! I am so pumped!

Lunch: Yak & Yeti @ 12:00

This is a restaurant i have wanted to try for YEARS! In fact, on my last trip i have a reservation here, but i had to cancel it because Suzanne's (my friend who accompanied me on spring break 2012-disney world) mom didn't want her going to AK because of her severe animal allergies. Of course we wouldn't take Suze to AK if we knew she would get sick! So we went to EPCOT instead and had to move AK to another day... sadly i couldn't get a reservation for Yak & Yeti. Oh well.. it all worked out because this time we are DEFINATELY eating at Y&Y!

Dinner: Artist Point (heehehe... see it is an artist smilie)

This is my mother's FAVORITE restaurant... anywhere. Did i mention she loves it? So of course we will be eating here on Christmas eve! Now this is one of our repeats which i think is fair for christmas eve. It is also quite fancy (for disney) so we will be able to get a little dressy and celebrate the holiday!

December 25th 2012
Breakfast: Cape May Café (A late reservation- we are planning to wake up and open presents and then crawl back into bed and sleep a bit more before we head over to breakfast and hit the parks)

This is another meal i am really excited for... I have always wanted to go to CMC but i am HIGHLY allergic to seafood and the dinner here is a--you guessed it--SEAFOOD BUFFET So, dinner wasn't an option... why not breakfast? You get to see the fab five in their surf attire! Sounds good to me!

Lunch: Le Cellier @ 2:10

Now... if you have been reading along you should know by now that this restaurant was at the TOP of my list. So i searched and searched and found the perfect reservation for 2:10 on CHRISTMAS DAY! This makes me so happy! I think we will enjoy touring the world showcase and ending up in canada for a late lunch of champions!

Dinner: Tutto Italia @ 8:24

Now, I was very VERY excited when i first booked this... however i must admit that after hearing some warnings about poor food/service since the remodel (*cough* DsnyMama *cough* ) i must admit i am a bit worried. My family is straight up italian and we usually eat italian food on Christmas day, so i thought this would be a great option. Let me know if anyone has any suggestion on what to do about this! (Keep/change)

[Continued in Next Post]

 

[niknakk]

Nice ADr's! you guys are going to be eating REALLY well, and its awesome you get to be there for christmas eve and day!!

I cant wait for BoG!!