OhioDisneyLover
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2006
- Messages
- 3,648
Hi Everyone
.
After reading pre-trip reports and trip reports on this board, I decided to give it a shot and write my first ever pre-trippie. Hopefully someone will jump on board and help me out with some of my planning decisions. Even though the family is "cooperating" I feel like I'm getting the "do we HAVE to go there again" attitude when it comes to planning.
The Players
Me (46)
Totally Disney addicted. So bad that its the ONLY place I care to vacation. I tend to plan commando style. I take horrible pictures so this one will have to do.
DH (37)
Loves Disney as much as I do although he had never been before we met 11 years ago.
DM (shell be mad if I reveal her age)
Retired. Disney addicted as well. Counts down the days until our next trip. Shes a trooper. Even with her asthma and sciatica, she goes with the flow.
DM is pictured here with DSis.
DSis (31)
Awesome mom to my DNephew. Been to Disney a few times. Seems to like it but I think sometimes that shed rather be at the beach to avoid my commando style planning.
DNephew (11)
Been to Disney several times. For his 5th birthday, again when he was 7, 9, 10 (with just DH and me) and now hes going back again this year. He seems to stay on track more these days. Our first trip we made a zig zag pattern all over the parks. He digs the thrill rides which makes him better than me. I am still trying to get up the nerve to try Splash. He did get me on Mission Space last year and proceeded to tell me that I wasnt doing my job right. 
Background
DH and I were married in September 2000 and go back just about every year for our anniversary.
A few years back we turned it into a family vacation and the rest of the group came along as well. At first we would all stay at the same resort, with adjoining rooms.
Our first trip as a family was 6 years ago (my 40th birthday and DNephews 5th birthday). We stayed offsite at the Quality Suites Maingate. DNiece also joined us that trip. Can you say .never again? I did not care for that place AT ALL. We were on a tight budget back then and we were there for 9 nights and 10 days so all in all, I guess it wasnt too bad (except for the rental car getting smashed by a valet at Universal).
We also did Super Soap weekend one year, stayed at ASMo. DH and DM say never again to Super Soap but DSis and I had a good time. Gotta love Jacob Young
Weve also stayed at POR as a family, which none of us were thrilled about. I know, I know, were in the minority here.
Last year DH and I stayed at the Dolphin and the rest of them stayed at CBR. They love it there so that is where they are staying again this year. DNIece was with us last year but she is not going this year. DH and I are staying at the AKL.
DH and I go at least twice a year and sometimes three times a year and our most recent trip was Feb 2009. We stayed at SSR in a one bedroom suite (yeah, free upgrade!) Makes me want to buy DVC.
Planning
The family wasnt sure last year if they would return this year so they did not take advantage of booking the bounce back offer before we left last year. They had free dining last year. DH and I are AP holders and were not on the dining plan. We knew that we were coming back so I started planning right away.
We were originally booked at the YC. We love the EPCOT resorts and have not stayed there before so that was where we booked. In March, the rest of the family decided to join us. Even though we have APs and could get a room discount, we opted to book free dining and changed our resort to the AKL. We will use the DDE for any out of pocket meals that we pay for and the AP discount at WOD and other places, etc.
Does anyone think that we made a mistake here and that we should have just stayed at YC and gone with the AP discount instead of the free dining offer? Also, we have never stayed at CSR and Id be interested in any comments/pictures, etc. as I am also planning a trip next Feb or April and that resort is on my list.
Daily Schedule and ADRs
Below are our day to day plan and our ADRs. If anyone has any comments about the ADR selections, Id be happy to hear them. Im not sure that we will have much ability to make changes, but Im always curious to hear what others think and I can always try and make a change.
Day of Arrival
No ADRs
WalMart for snacks/beverages
Evening at AKL.
Day 2
EPCOT
Behind the Seeds Tour in the Morning
Biergarten for dinner
Day 3
DAK for the day
Tusker House for Breakfast
Fultons for dinner (DSis favorite place to eat)
Day 4
Sea World (DM got us free tickets)
Raglan Road for dinner
Day 5
MK for the day
Our wedding anniversary
Kona Café for breakfast (yummy .Tonga Toast!)
CRT for Dinner (never done dinner there . this was my pick)
QUESTION: I want to surprise DH at dinner time. Anyone have any suggestions? Every year he does something to surprise me. Last year I got this at dinner (instead of the dinner menu).
Id love to hear some ideas of what I can do for him. For some reason, I am struggling with this and thats unusual for me.
Day 6
DHS for the day
Hollywood and Vine for dinner
Day 7
DTD and Outlet Mall Shopping
CP for dinner
MNSSHP
Day 8
EPCOT in the morning
LeCellier for lunch
DHS afternoon
MK for Spectro and Wishes in the evening
Day 9
Day of Departure
MK for the morning
So, what do you think? I have commando touring plans for each park which will inevitably drive my family crazy. I like to at least have a plan but most of the time it ends up being more of a guide than a plan. Thanks to a fellow DISer, I was able to put together itinerary cards just so that I have a method to my madness and my reminders.
Here is one of my first draft cards. They have totally changed but it's an example anyway:
I tend to need to remind myself of the simplest things like to take pictures for scrapbooking and things that normal people would just know to do. It seems that I get so darn excited when we arrive that I forget all the simple things so these things are just handy dandy for me to have. They have changed much since these drafts and I will probably put the final versions together a week or so before we leave.
So, thats the plan so far. Any thoughts or comments?
Next up, Im working on getting the family to agree to wearing family shirts. Ive already got one made thanks to a fellow DISer (again) and am working on a few more but so far DH isnt all that thrilled about wearing matching shirts. Will I get them to agree?
Thanks for reading!
After reading pre-trip reports and trip reports on this board, I decided to give it a shot and write my first ever pre-trippie. Hopefully someone will jump on board and help me out with some of my planning decisions. Even though the family is "cooperating" I feel like I'm getting the "do we HAVE to go there again" attitude when it comes to planning.
The Players
Me (46)
Totally Disney addicted. So bad that its the ONLY place I care to vacation. I tend to plan commando style. I take horrible pictures so this one will have to do.
DH (37)
Loves Disney as much as I do although he had never been before we met 11 years ago.
DM (shell be mad if I reveal her age)
Retired. Disney addicted as well. Counts down the days until our next trip. Shes a trooper. Even with her asthma and sciatica, she goes with the flow.DM is pictured here with DSis.
DSis (31)
Awesome mom to my DNephew. Been to Disney a few times. Seems to like it but I think sometimes that shed rather be at the beach to avoid my commando style planning.DNephew (11)
Been to Disney several times. For his 5th birthday, again when he was 7, 9, 10 (with just DH and me) and now hes going back again this year. He seems to stay on track more these days. Our first trip we made a zig zag pattern all over the parks. He digs the thrill rides which makes him better than me. I am still trying to get up the nerve to try Splash. He did get me on Mission Space last year and proceeded to tell me that I wasnt doing my job right.
Background
DH and I were married in September 2000 and go back just about every year for our anniversary.
A few years back we turned it into a family vacation and the rest of the group came along as well. At first we would all stay at the same resort, with adjoining rooms. Our first trip as a family was 6 years ago (my 40th birthday and DNephews 5th birthday). We stayed offsite at the Quality Suites Maingate. DNiece also joined us that trip. Can you say .never again? I did not care for that place AT ALL. We were on a tight budget back then and we were there for 9 nights and 10 days so all in all, I guess it wasnt too bad (except for the rental car getting smashed by a valet at Universal).
We also did Super Soap weekend one year, stayed at ASMo. DH and DM say never again to Super Soap but DSis and I had a good time. Gotta love Jacob Young
Weve also stayed at POR as a family, which none of us were thrilled about. I know, I know, were in the minority here.
Last year DH and I stayed at the Dolphin and the rest of them stayed at CBR. They love it there so that is where they are staying again this year. DNIece was with us last year but she is not going this year. DH and I are staying at the AKL.
DH and I go at least twice a year and sometimes three times a year and our most recent trip was Feb 2009. We stayed at SSR in a one bedroom suite (yeah, free upgrade!) Makes me want to buy DVC.
Planning
The family wasnt sure last year if they would return this year so they did not take advantage of booking the bounce back offer before we left last year. They had free dining last year. DH and I are AP holders and were not on the dining plan. We knew that we were coming back so I started planning right away.
We were originally booked at the YC. We love the EPCOT resorts and have not stayed there before so that was where we booked. In March, the rest of the family decided to join us. Even though we have APs and could get a room discount, we opted to book free dining and changed our resort to the AKL. We will use the DDE for any out of pocket meals that we pay for and the AP discount at WOD and other places, etc.
Does anyone think that we made a mistake here and that we should have just stayed at YC and gone with the AP discount instead of the free dining offer?
Also, we have never stayed at CSR and Id be interested in any comments/pictures, etc. as I am also planning a trip next Feb or April and that resort is on my list.Daily Schedule and ADRs
Below are our day to day plan and our ADRs. If anyone has any comments about the ADR selections, Id be happy to hear them. Im not sure that we will have much ability to make changes, but Im always curious to hear what others think and I can always try and make a change.
Day of Arrival
No ADRs
WalMart for snacks/beverages
Evening at AKL.
Day 2
EPCOT
Behind the Seeds Tour in the Morning
Biergarten for dinner
Day 3
DAK for the day
Tusker House for Breakfast
Fultons for dinner (DSis favorite place to eat)
Day 4
Sea World (DM got us free tickets)
Raglan Road for dinner
Day 5
MK for the day
Our wedding anniversary
Kona Café for breakfast (yummy .Tonga Toast!)
CRT for Dinner (never done dinner there . this was my pick)
QUESTION: I want to surprise DH at dinner time. Anyone have any suggestions? Every year he does something to surprise me. Last year I got this at dinner (instead of the dinner menu).
Id love to hear some ideas of what I can do for him. For some reason, I am struggling with this and thats unusual for me.
Day 6
DHS for the day
Hollywood and Vine for dinner
Day 7
DTD and Outlet Mall Shopping
CP for dinner
MNSSHP
Day 8
EPCOT in the morning
LeCellier for lunch
DHS afternoon
MK for Spectro and Wishes in the evening
Day 9
Day of Departure
MK for the morning
So, what do you think? I have commando touring plans for each park which will inevitably drive my family crazy. I like to at least have a plan but most of the time it ends up being more of a guide than a plan. Thanks to a fellow DISer, I was able to put together itinerary cards just so that I have a method to my madness and my reminders.
Here is one of my first draft cards. They have totally changed but it's an example anyway:
I tend to need to remind myself of the simplest things like to take pictures for scrapbooking and things that normal people would just know to do. It seems that I get so darn excited when we arrive that I forget all the simple things so these things are just handy dandy for me to have. They have changed much since these drafts and I will probably put the final versions together a week or so before we leave.
So, thats the plan so far. Any thoughts or comments?
Next up, Im working on getting the family to agree to wearing family shirts. Ive already got one made thanks to a fellow DISer (again) and am working on a few more but so far DH isnt all that thrilled about wearing matching shirts. Will I get them to agree?
Thanks for reading!
Well, I'm sort of bummed out that I've not received responses to my inquiries on this thread so far 
and packing when the cab comes to take them to the airport. 
Love your PTR so far!! and you go ahead girl with the younger hubs!!! I have the other way around, my df is 10 years older then me. It works!! Love your glasses by the way!! I'm so stoked to meet up with you guys, although, I don't wanna mess up your cards
So make sure you print out a little "meet up with inkedupmomma and her motley crew"
OMG, we were laughing.
... obviously before he met me. While I can give him a certificate of some sort, I still want to do something at CRT while we are there for dinner.
They're awesome though. Very "Breakfast at Tiffany" like. I like them. 
Nothing is worse that not having the right sunglasses at WDW. The last trip we took I didn't have any Rx sunglasses. Since I get major headaches without my glasses I had no choice but to just wear them. It was terrible.
I keep trying to ask him if there is anything that he wants. So far all I am getting out of him is some XBox 360 game and another tattoo. 
He's not giving me much to work with here but frankly, I would rather surprise him because he gets me every year. He changes it up though. He's had things waiting in our room and he's had things delivered to wherever we were eating our anniversary dinner. One year I got a Mickey icon ring. OMG, was I floored. I had NO clue. We were at DTD at WoD and as usual, we were trying on jewelry. Both of us collect watches so we were trying them on and he told me to try this ring on. I'm sitting there thinking...why? It's expensive as he** and there is no way he's going to let me have it. Yay, he did! 
