PRE TRIPPIE (First annual sisters disney trip!!!) Aug 15th-21st

[Girldreamer02]

My sister and I are taking a Disney trip together August 15th-21st. We are staying at ASM in a preferred room, the trip was booked through Dreams Unlimited whom I highly recommend and we have free dinning. This is our first trip together since we were little and went with our parents. With only a few days to go I thought I’d start a little pre trippie. Enjoy!

Meet the Cast:

My name is Ashley and I am 26. I married my prince charming (Matt,28)two years ago. We love Disney and we bought DVC during our Jan 09’ trip while we were at sea. We own at BLT! Our first trip home will be this December! I live in Va (ten hours from my family in friends who live in ohio☹) with dh, our five and a half month old boxer ( Dixie Grace…we just call her Dixie) and our two year old calico kitty Perla (Cinderella is my favorite disney movie!) and our minature wiener dog Zoey(4) who lives with my parents b/c she is best friends with their chocolate lab, Charlie (5) I love photography and scrapbooking. I finally finished all three of our trips to Disney as far as scrapping goes so I am super excited to finally be caught up! I am super excited to be going to Disney with my sister. She is my best friend!

And just because they are so stinkin' cute (more dixie than perla lol)

My sister (Erin) is 23 and as I mentioned she is my best friend. We hate that we live so far away from each other, but due to my traveling for work this isn’t really much of a choice. If she had it her way she’d move to Va and probably take the apartment for rent next to mine. ☺ She married her dh this past june and they had a beautiful wedding. She isn’t into the fairytails and Cinderella like I am. In fact she tells everyone I am obsessed with Disney and dosen’t understand why we always go there for vacation. I must have won her over to the dark side at least a little though since she is coming along! She works in a day care and is going to school for early childhood education. She is amazing with children and a very caring and compassionate person. I can’t wait for her to be the aunt of our children someday. She is also very much into photography and scrapbooking just like me. Her and her dh (Aric, 23) have a boxer mix named Beanie (after beanie wells that played for ohio state university.) Oh yea, I forgot to mention everyone in my family is a very big ohio state fan! Even the dogs!

And of course Beanie...this was when he was a puppy...I believe they got him in march. I had a better pic from my sisters page, but she disabled her downloading lol.

 

[Girldreamer02]

I was home in June helping my sister prepare for her wedding and my dh had asked her to poke around and ask me for some wedding anniversary gift ideas, which I didn’t know at the time. I said I didn’t really know anything that I wanted or needed and then the grand idea of a sisters trip to Disney popped into my head. I knew if mixed with free dinning and a value resort that dh might go for the idea.

Dh did the math of us staying at the value and getting free dinning or staying somewhere with our points and paying for dinning and as you can tell we know which one worked out better. I have to say I really don’t care because if it was between going to Disney and staying at a value and not going at all due to cost then I’d rather do the value of course! I am not picky and I am excited to stay in a value because I’ve never stayed in one (and probably won’t again unless it was a similar situation) due to having DVC. I’ve seen pictures though and I think the theming is awesome. I don’t need a huge room because I am there to be in the parks. The room is just a place for us to rest, which we’ve decided we will be doing mid day when the heat is at its worst. Like I said all this went down in early june so as you can imagine with free dinning a lot of the adrs were booked up, but we did manage to get some half way decent ones so I am pretty excited about that. And we got what I wanted the most (because it’s a tradition.) Breakfast at cp the first day we are in the parks!

Back tracking a little bit dh and I made a deal to arrive at the conclusion that I would get the trip for our anniversary present. He wanted the iphone four, but I didn’t think he needed it because of the fact that he had just gotten the third one when that came out and the ipad too of course. (he is a major apple geek.), but I digress. So we bargained. He got the iphone four and I got my sisters trip to Disney. Of course we still traded a few gifts on our actual anniversary, but we are both very happy with our gifts I’d say. Hes a great man to send my sister and I to Disney on his dime! I know its killing him to not be with me because he loves Disney as much as I do!

 

[Girldreamer02]

All the details:

My sister is driving to our apartment in Va. She should be here sometime late tonight. And we will probably hang out the next two days, tan, and she'll repack for disney and I'll pack in general

Like I said we are going to be at ASM August 15th-21st with a preferred room and free dinning. We are flying out of Lynchburg, Va on delta.(really we have no choice...this airport is so very tiny that you actually walk on the tarmac to the plane. We have a layover in Atlanta( home of the never ending line for take off. I don't think i've ever left on time from atlanta.) and then its full steam ahead to MCO!

We are taking the magical express to ASM where we will check in and hopefully our room will be ready. If not we will store our carry ons with the front desk or whomever you do that with (maybe the bell hop) and then head to DHS because the 15th is the last day for TSM before it goes into refurb. Normally we wouldn’t go into the parks on the day we get there, but I want her to ride TSM! Also of course I want to as well since its one of my favorite rides! Depending on what else is going on at the studios we will either stay there and hang out or head to DTD for some Earl of Sandwich and walk around the shops. Our mode of transportation will be the Disney buses.

Next up: I'll post the plan for each day and our adr's. There aren't many, but we didn't do to bad with them.

 

[disneymom1980]

I just wanted to be your first comment . I can't wait to hear all about your trip and see lots of pictures to tide me over until our trip in December.

 

[Girldreamer02]

I just wanted to be your first comment . I can't wait to hear all about your trip and see lots of pictures to tide me over until our trip in December.

Yay and welcome! Oh yea, I am hoping this tides me over too. I mean what the heck would I have done without it?! Lol. I would of been in the same boat as you girlie! December isn't that far off. Do you know there are people out there already counting down the days left of christmas shopping? That is not even something I want to consider. Thanks for reading! I'll be posting again tomorrow. I have my itinerary our dreams unlimited travel agent sent me!

 

[mandas08]

Hope you have a great trip..I love trips with my sisters they are so much fun!

 

[Girldreamer02]

Hope you have a great trip..I love trips with my sisters they are so much fun!

Thank you! I'm sure we will. Where in ohio are you from? I'm from Ohio too!

 

[Girldreamer02]

Monday (8/16/10) :

Magic Kingdom opens at nine this morning. The plan is to get there in time to see rope drop as I never have and of course it’d be nice for my sister to see it since we basically remember nothing of our trip together when we were younger. The next course of action is depending on crowds is to get a fast pass for something in fantasy land and try to ride something before our adr at crystal palace at 10:20. I am hoping that we could try to wipe out fantasy land before breakfast, but I am not going to freak out if we don’t as this is kind of unrealistic especially for the time of year we are going and its also free dinning, which means I’m sure there are larger crowds due to that. I’m not sure if my sister wants to do the afternoon parade, but if she dosen’t then we’ll either head out of the parks for a rest or ride a few rides to try and finish our day there and head on out. If we don’t finish something then we’ll come back after our rest time. I know for sure we want to see the night time parade (its not spectro…the name for it escapes me at the moment…sorry) And of course we’ll finish our night with Wishes. We don’t have a dinner adr so I’m not sure where we’ll eat, but it might just be counter service.

Tuesday(8/17/10)

This morning Epcot opens at nine, but we won’t be there when it opens due to the fact that we have to be at akl to eat breakfast at Boma by 9:50 a.m. I am a little worried about this. I am afraid all the travel time is going to kill our day at Epcot. Also for the fact that we want a fast pass for soarin’ obviously. I discussed this with DH and decided since there are quite a few shows at DHS and that since TSM will be closed that even if we don’t get there at opening we won’t be hurting ourselves a ton. So I think that sounds like a good plan. I don’t know if my sister wants to do the Indiana jones stunt show or LMA so we’ll just play tha by ear. I’ve seen both so if she dosen’t want to then I am not going to be broken up about it. I do think that she would enjoy the American idol experience though and also of course we’re hoping to run into lotzo huggin’ bear. That would be awesome! Fantasmic is tonight as well so maybe we’ll try to catch that. I LOVE Fantasmic and can’t wait for my sister to see it! I think she’ll love it too!

Wednesday ( 8/18/10)

Today AK opens at nine and as stated before we would like to be there at rope drop (which will be the reoccurring theme through out this trip.) I want to take her to the safari, FOTLK, ITTBAB and of course Nemo. We have a adr at tusker house for 1:20, which includes the nemo priority seating so we’ll do that after lunch and try to hit up everything else before hand. I think its doable if like I said we get there at rope drop and lets face it AK is going to be hot as heck! I want to get everything done as quickly as we can and get out before we’re into the hottest part of the day. AK isn’t my favorite park because of the heat factor alone, but also because its so huge and sometimes annoying to navigate. That is another thing I am worried about. Yes, I can read a map, but dh always gets us from point a to point b and this trip all that will be on me. So this is going to be a little test. ☺

Thursday ( 8/19/10)

We don’t have a breakfast adr this morning so I am open to suggestions for breakfast at DHS. Thank you in advance! I am hoping since we’re be there at park opening that we’ll get to see some street performers. I love them! DH and I rarely see them since we don’t typically make park openings due to yours truly. Although there is hope for me on this trip. My puppy has me trained. She wakes up between six and seven every morning and I start my day after I take her out and get her settled so I am fairly confident in my ability to get up early this trip! Also my sister is one of those people that has to be early (not just on time) to things so she’ll be pushing me to be on time. Also if I won’t get out of bed she won’t hesitate to jump on me. Yes, she still does this to me at times. Lol. Gotta love siblings! I know for sure we’ll see little mermaid and beauty and the beast because both of those were my sisters favorites growing up. I would also like to take her to the drawing class in the animation building. Sorry the name escapes me at the moment. Don’t ya hate that? Dh and I are both huge Disney nuts and yet names are escaping me left and right as I write this trippie. We’ll also do anything that we didn’t get to do on Tuesday. We have a lunch adr at sci-fi for 1:55. Kind of late for lunch, but as I stated before the trip was very last minute so I’m thankful for the adr’s we were able to get. I’ve never ate at sci-fi. I’ve heard they are decent. Anyone have any opinions they are willing to share? I’m thinking a milk shake might be in order. Yum! If we are unable to catch Fantasmic on Tuesday then tonight will be our night to catch it! And if we do watch it Tuesday and want to go back then we might do that as well. I can never get enough Fantasmic! I think that if we don’t do fantasmic tonight that we’ll head to DTD for a little shopping and fun.

Friday ( 8/20/10)

This morning we have breakfast at Park Fare at 10:05. I think we’ll wait to go to MK until after we eat because I don’t want to get into the park and then have to leave again. I love Park Fare because we always have good character interaction there. They get a lot of mud slung at them due to their food choices at their buffet, which I know isn’t that great, but to me I am not a big eater anyways and I’d rather have the character interaction. Breakfast is always kind of a mystery as to who will show up. I am hoping for cinderella’s evil step sisters as they are a hoot, but I believe they are usually out at dinner time. Last year when dh and I went for breakfast we had tigger, pooh (who ignored us and kind of made me mad about boasting about the good character interaction.) mary poppins, alice in wonderland and the mad hatter who was a hoot! This man was really into his character. They all usually are, but ya’ll know what I mean right? Sometimes someone just pulls it off better! I think after breakfast we’ll head to MK, but we won’t stay there all day. It just depends what Erin wants to do since I have done mostly everything I want to do in Disney and she hasn’t been in so long. I am all about doing whatever she might want to do as long as it dosen’t involve one of the few rollar coasters, but alas I think I am safe as she dosen’t care for them either. We may not look alike, but at least we have similar tastes! What dh and I typically do on our last day in the parks is hop and go to the stores that we saw stuff we liked at. Now I promised dh that I would try not to buy many souvies, but as you well know sometimes you just get sucked in by the awesomeness that is Disney! I will try to honor my promise to the best of my abilities! Famous last words right?

Saturday (8/21/10)

Today is check out day. So very sad! Have no fear though because I am already scheduled to come back and stay at BLT in early December! I haven’t decided if we will add a day to our tickets and go to the parks this morning or not. I think it will depend what time magical express is picking us up. If its not till later in the day then maybe we’ll consider it or maybe we’ll just go hang out at dtd. Either option is fine with me although I’m sure dtd is the cheaper of the two. I always hate to leave Disney. Dosen’t everyone? But the fact that I already know I am coming back in December I think will some how make it a little more okay than usual.

 

[Girldreamer02]

Now I know I already gave my adr’s, but in case you want to see them without reading through all of that here you go! Also I would like to say that we don’t really have any dinner adr’s so I am hoping maybe to just walk up to somewhere, but at an off time so our chances would be better. I have no problem eating early (like my grandma) or eating later ( like I typically do at home anyways.) Has anyone tried this? Have any suggestions? Etc? Let me know! I am not expecting to have great success, but you don’t know if you don’t try! The worst they can say is no and we end up eating counter service.

Monday- Crystal Palace- 10:20

Tuesday-Boma-9:50

Wednesday-Tusker House-1:20 with priority seating for nemo

Thursday-Sci-Fi Dine In Theater-1:55

Friday-1900 Park Fare- 10:05

 

[Girldreamer02]

That is the question! Dh and I have been going to Disney together each year since December of 2006 when he proposed to me at crt. On that first trip we started collecting pins and boy oh boy do I sometimes wish we hadn’t. Seriously, I know there are many out there who clearly have more than we do, but since we travel lugging these things around just gets plain ridiculous. We have several pin books that are FULL. A ton of traders (some of which are going with me!) and two cork boards in the guest bedroom. One is completely full and the other one isn’t quite there, but it has several on it. Dh is a pin fanatic and I am not going to lie…I am pretty bad myself! I look on ebay and send him the links and then I send him into a downward spiral. Poor guy! He has also been known to spend way to much money on the Disney shopping website. Oye! The Disney gift cards are the best gift I could of ever started giving him for holidays. I recommend to my family and his as well if they don’t have any ideas. That way he can get the pins he wants and not have to worry about returning them. He has traded with what we refer to as “the crazy people.” And I mean that in the most loving manner. These people have mega tons of pins and they are the ones who sit at the pin trading stations usually at epcot and dtd with a bunch of their pins laid out and then you try to play lets make a deal with them. Often times its harder to try to make that deal than you would think. These people know what they are looking for, what they have and also what they need. I will admit I usually know if I have a pin or not, but I don’t know all what is out at any given time. I don’t pay attention to new releases, limited editions etc. I just do it for fun. I don’t collect any certain one (they love you ask you, what are you looking for?) I am looking for whatever I think is cute! Cinderella is big with me…she is getting harder to find since I have most pins of her. I also adore any of Minnie dressed up as different things. I have several. Her dressed up as tink, Cinderella, belle, a nurse. Etc. You get the idea. A friend of mine is in Disney right now and she posted a picture on her facebook of a lanyard. I told her not to start collecting and that she had been warned. She still is trading. I plan to trade while I am in the parks, but I won’t be dealing with the “crazy people.” They make me stressed and dh is the one that deals with them anyways. He is the all knowing pin guy.

 

[Girldreamer02]

This is a bit of a loaded question since dh and I love our toys and also photography to boot! However the decision has become a little more simple due to the fact that the camera I wanted to take is in the shop being repaired. To say I am beyond disappointed is an understatement. It’s a Nikon d3000 that we won at a auction when we went to AZ for his dads convention in Feb. So instead I am taking our cannon rebel xt (haven’t decided if I’m taking the second lens or not.) and also dh just bought a new camera off the recommendation of his brother (who ironically enough loves photography too!) It’s a lumix GF1. I am pretty stoked about this camera, but also a little worried just because of the fact that I don’t know a mega ton about it since we just got it about a week ago and I’ve only got to shoot with it a very few times. I have to say I’m a little nervous. Not that I am going to break it or anything, but that I am going to have a question and not be able to get a hold of dh who was suppose to teach me how to use it and still hasn’t. Its pretty basic, but I just need a quick run down. Ya know? And last, but not least I will also be carrying my flip video recorder. We have a little video camera, but I don’t want to lug that around. Also it should be known that I won’t be carrying around both cameras all day every day. I may just take one or let my sister carry the other one in her bag. Who knows. That is a decision I have yet to make.

 

[Girldreamer02]

I carry a dark pink bagalinni. I love it! Its light, has just the right amount of pockets and holds everything that I need it to hold. Best of all it goes across my body, which is good because I hate carrying stuff in my hands! My sister is carrying a hipster by vera bradely. She loves her vb! If her hipster does well for her in the parks I might toy with the idea of getting one for my trip in December. What kind of bag does everyone out there carry? I think its just all a matter of preference. If my sister didn’t bring a bag I was going to let her carry dh’s bagallini.

For shoes I swear by crocs! I know many think that they are ugly, but I won’t be wearing the traditional crocs on this trip. I have had the Capri croc flip flops for quite some time and I have worn them in the parks too so I know that they work well for me. I have a few different pairs and I am thinking about taking two in addition to my old navy flip flops that I’ll wear for bumming around the hotel since the little nubs on the flip flops start to make my feet sore after so long. I won’t wear old navy flip flops in the parks though. I’d only last about a hour before I’d die. My sister is taking her rainbow flip flops, which she swears by! Also a pair of chacos, which again she swears by. I looked into buying a pair of the chacos, but they are expensive. Not that I am cheap, but my croc flip flops are holding up for now and I am happy with their performance. To each their own right? What do you wear when you go to the parks? I was thinking about taking my tennis shoes, but I think I’d hate wearing them since I hate wearing shoes in general. Not to mention how hot it will be. This is still something I am taking under consideration.

 

[Grammie3]

My sister and I are both Disneyaholics and we started doing a sisters trip to WDW 6yrs ago. We have since made 4 trips and our 5th one is the first week of October.

We have the best time because we do things we want, when we want. We do have ADR's but don't feel tied to them and if our plans change we don't worry about it.

I love my DisneySisters Vacations, this year we are staying at POR, been trying out a different resort each time. Plus we enjoyed the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot so much that we wanted a do over!

Have fun! I can't wait for October 1 for my trip.
Cindy

 

[Girldreamer02]

My sister and I are both Disneyaholics and we started doing a sisters trip to WDW 6yrs ago. We have since made 4 trips and our 5th one is the first week of October.

We have the best time because we do things we want, when we want. We do have ADR's but don't feel tied to them and if our plans change we don't worry about it.

I love my DisneySisters Vacations, this year we are staying at POR, been trying out a different resort each time. Plus we enjoyed the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot so much that we wanted a do over!

Have fun! I can't wait for October 1 for my trip.
Cindy

Aww yay for sister vacations! I hope we can keep going each year or at least every other year!

 

[disneymom1980]

I don't know if you'll get a chance to see this before you leave, but I just wanted to tell you to have a great time. DH and I had lunch at Sci-Fi when we were there the last time, and I thought it was pretty good. We did keep it simple and just ordered burgers there though, which, I hear, is the safest thing to do there.

We'll be thinking of you at Addy's party today .

 

[mandas08]

Sounds like you hae great plans...hope u have a good time!!

 

[Girldreamer02]

Thanks everyone! We're having a great time here in the parks! The resort is nice! The lines are moving pretty quickly and we got to see fantasmic tonight! No rain today=good day in disney!