PTR: J & H Vacay 2009!!!

[SKTiger]

I've officially caved! After reading threads and threads of PTR's and TR's, I've caved and am making my own!

I guess I should start like most of these threads do, by introducing the "Cast of Characters!"

First off, there's me. The "H" of this equation. I'm Heather. I'm 23 and I'm an athletic trainer at a Division I University in the South. In my free time, I freelance at a graphic design firm that produces "Community Support Advertising" throughout the nation. Essentially, they're coupon magazines. I'm also in a sorority and volunteer with quite a few different organizations around town.

Then, there's my dear boyfriend, John. The "J" if you will. Also 23, he's an aspiring golf pro/teacher. He currently works at Golfsmith, a nation golf and tennis "big box" chain. He loves it. Golf's his thing, and he spends most of his time at work working on his own game. He's also in school and a fraternity.

Collectively, we're "J & H" and this is our "Vacay 2009!" (Bet you couldn't have figured that out from the title)

We've paid our deposit as well as our insurance, and only have 146 days until we're at the Happiest Place on Earth!

We'll be flying from Memphis (MEM) to Orlando (MCO) on September 24, 2009. Growing up in an airline family, using airport codes in conversation is a bad habit of mine! We'll be flying back to MEM on October 1st.

While at Disney, we'll be staying at Pop Century and have upgraded from Free Dining to the Deluxe Dining Plan. We're also on an 8-Day Magic Your Way Park Hopper.

I think that's about all I have to post at this moment, I'll be posting more tomorrow!

 

[racefanof88]

I hope you are going to keep the PTR going. We will be at Pop the same time you are there.

 

[SKTiger]

I hope you are going to keep the PTR going. We will be at Pop the same time you are there.

Welcome Racefan! I just got to look at some of your PTR, and can't wait to read the rest!

 

[SKTiger]

Well, its been awhile folks, so I have plenty to talk about!

The reason for the long delay is my job. Previously, I've only worked with the football and baseball teams at work, but do to a major coaching change (a coach who basically took the entire staff with him ) I've picked up men's basketball as well, and besides a post here or there, this is the first time I've had a chance to sit down and actually write something of substance.

Since my first post, there has been alot of second guessing about whether we should even take this vacation right now with my added work responsiblities, but after talking to the Athletic Director and coaching staff, they assured me that not only had I earned a vacation, but they would fire me if I didn't take it. I'm so blessed and thankful to be working where I do, with so many coaches and athletes that appreciate what I do.

I guess I should also cover the reason for this trip: I've loved Disney before I can remember according to my family, but haven't been much in recent years due to school and work constraints. Last summer, DBF and I were in Daytona for a golf tournament, and decided to drive to WDW for a day. This would have been fine and dandy, but for some reason, we decided to park hop.

Needless to say, it was a horrible idea. Not only was I hobbling on a sprained ankle, but we spent much of the day mad at each other. I will say, we saw alot, touring most of MK in the morning, highlights of Epcot at lunch, highlights of DHS in the afternoon and back to the MK that night for Spectro and Wishes; but I would never never never never never recommend this to anyone with just one day to spend in the parks.

When we got back to our hotel that night, I started bawling and needless to say DBF felt terrible. He promised once his schedule calmed down, we would take a real Disney vacation for my Birthday (10/24). As soon as his schedule cleared, I was hired by the University of ******* and wasn't eligible for vacation for 6 months, so we put it off for this year. Well, my birthday is smack dab in the middle of football season, but after looking at schedules, we decided to celebrate a month early, now 9/23-10/1.

That's really all the background you need, or never wanted to hear; take your pick :

And on to the good stuff: THE PLANNING!!!

Dis-wise since my last post:
• We're now arriving in Orlando on Sept 23
• We've upgraded to add the Water Park Fun & More option to our tickets
• And most importantly, we've planned our days out and made ADR's!!!

Stick around people! This PTR is about to get good!!!

 

[SKTiger]

I'm so excited to finally be in full planning mode! It's kinda rough pre-90 day mark, because you never really know with those ADRs.

So the plan for day one:
Get to Disney World ASAP. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Our flight leaves Memphis shortly after 8:30, and we'll arrive in Orlando right at 11:30am.

I'm hoping to go ahead and check-in and get our Key to the Kingdom card, so we can start having fun!!!

Our first stop will be the Magic Kingdom, to start the trip off right. Normally, we start our trips with a trip to Space Mountain, but since that isn't possible, we'll have to find something else, maybe Splash or Big Thunder Mountain?!? What do you all start your trips with?

We have a 5:30 dinner reservation at Narcoossee's, from which we will over to Epcot for PM EMH's, and hopefully a spin on Soarin' without a five hour wait!

 

[SKTiger]

DAY TWO:
Our first full day in the parks!!!

To start the day, we have at 7:10 reservation with the Big Cheese at Chef Mickey's!

From there, we'll head over to the Magic Kingdom for my first ever Rope Drop! This will be the first time I haven't gone with younger relatives that kept us from being some of the first people in the park. Park opening is 9:00, so we figure that will give us plenty of time to eat and meander our way over to the park.

After a wonderful morning full of rides and no lines (insert wishful thinking here), we'll have a delicious lunch at Tony's Town Square. We'll depart the Magic Kingdom soon after and head to Downtown Disney.

The plan is to grab some Christmas ornaments for family back home and grab some dinner at Earl of Sammy. I can't wait to try the Scudetto and have DBF try the Cannonballs! Not only do they have awesome names, but their menu descriptions sound awesome too!

From there, we'll check out Disney Quest, and on our way back to Pop, stop by Goofy's Candy Co. to pick up some treats!

DAY THREE:
I am not totally in love with our schedule for today. Maybe someone out there has an idea (Hint, Hint... Feel free to share your thoughts!)

Because of MNSSHP and F & W Festival beginning, we've decided to avoid both MK and Epcot.

The plan is to either start out at Hollywood Studios (the supposed "best park" for today) and switch to Animal Kingdom after lunch. As of right now, we have ADR's at Sci-Fi Diner at 11:15 and at Tusker House at 4:10. I'd prefer to eat somewhere other than Tusker House, so I'm toying with the idea of eating after the park closes at 5.

Or another thought is to just go to MNSSHP that night, if I can talk DBF into dropping the extra money. (Insert more wishful thinking here)

DAY FOUR:
Today is our sleep a little late day!

DBF will start the day over on the Magnolia Golf Course with a 9am tee time. While he's there, I'm going to go take in the sights at Epcot, but mainly the things DBF isn't into, like the Behind the Seeds Tour and slowly meandering around the countries at a leisurely pace.

We'll meet back up at the Boardwalk to check in on all of the Football Scores at ESPN Club.

We plan on heading to either Blizzard Beach, and then back to Pop to freshen up and either nap or head to MK before our 9:30 ADR at the Hoop-De-Doo Revue!

Needless to say, DBF wasn't too keen on the idea of a dinner show until I told him about the bottomless Bud Lite

 

[mickeystoontown]

Hi Heather!

Saw your pre-trip report link when you posted over on my thread.

First of all, what a super cute couple you guys are.

Second of all, glad that you didn't cancel the appointment even if it is busy at work. Everybody needs a vacation. I have just 8 days until we leave and, if you'll recall, I haven't found a fill-in for me yet. Ugh!

Not going to say "third of all" 'cause that sounds just plain dumb.

Movin' on to your Day Three: I know you said you aren't too crazy about your plan for that day. I think I'd suggest that you not eat dinner at the Animal Kingdom. We never do. We usually eat somewhere outside the park for dinner. What about a resort restaurant or one of the Downtown Disney restaurants that accepts the dining plan?

Have you ever been to the Hoop Dee Doo? We have twice and loved it both times. It's cornball goofy good.

Lisa

 

[jojo05]

hey there!

Im In!!

 

[SKTiger]

I'm not just talking to myself anymore!

Needless to say, things have been interesting this week at work, and I found out on Friday, I would have to work during my perfect Disney World vacation. But, as it turns out, the next best time for me to take off work is:

OCTOBER 22-30l, better known as MY BIRTHDAY WEEK!

I'm so excited! I'll be calling the travel agent first thing in the morning, but from looking online, and keeping the same options we have now, we'll actually be saving money! Plus, "Free Dining" as we know it now will be over, hopefully equaling fewer crowds.

With our package, we have Free Quick Service dining, but will be upgrading to Deluxe. I just can't pass up some of the awesome meals at Disney. I just hope everything works out, and I'll still be able to book some of the more popular places, like 'Ohana and maybe even Le Cellier (insert crossed fingers here!)

 

[jojo05]

I'm not just talking to myself anymore!

Needless to say, things have been interesting this week at work, and I found out on Friday, I would have to work during my perfect Disney World vacation. But, as it turns out, the next best time for me to take off work is:

OCTOBER 22-30l, better known as MY BIRTHDAY WEEK!

I'm so excited! I'll be calling the travel agent first thing in the morning, but from looking online, and keeping the same options we have now, we'll actually be saving money! Plus, "Free Dining" as we know it now will be over, hopefully equaling fewer crowds.

With our package, we have Free Quick Service dining, but will be upgrading to Deluxe. I just can't pass up some of the awesome meals at Disney. I just hope everything works out, and I'll still be able to book some of the more popular places, like 'Ohana and maybe even Le Cellier (insert crossed fingers here!)

Sounds good! I`d love to have my birthday in WDW, how amazing will that be for you

 

[ma2jr]

me too

 

[MickeyisBeast]

I am here! Can't wait for more plans!

 

[SKTiger]

Welcome non-lurking readers!

Got on the phone at 9:30 so I could catch our travel agent as she was coming in for the day, and someone else answered!

Apparently, she decided to take a few days off and go visit her son in Alaska. Didn't she plan on me having a vacation meltdown today?!?

Poor lady, I've only changed my plans 30 times.

After being put on hold for awhile, I was able to make all of our changes, move our payments over and get a new reservation number! We are on our way!

DBF and I went to P.F. Chang's for lunch today , and his thought, that he had the nerve to share, was that we could just keep postponing our trip and I would be happy with all of the planning I have to do.

(Secretly, he's probably right, but I don't know if my blood pressure could take it!)

So the new plan:

Oct 22-30, 2009
Pop Century Resort
Preferred Room
Magic Your Way Plus Deluxe Dining
Magic Your Way 9-Day Park Hoppers
(We decided against WP option due to cooler temps)

I'm about to start looking for ADR's, but in the meantime, I did find this rocking picture from last summer.

I'll try to start lacing pictures into my posts, for all of you non-readers like me!

 

[jojo05]

Welcome non-lurking readers!

Got on the phone at 9:30 so I could catch our travel agent as she was coming in for the day, and someone else answered!

Apparently, she decided to take a few days off and go visit her son in Alaska. Didn't she plan on me having a vacation meltdown today?!?

Poor lady, I've only changed my plans 30 times.

After being put on hold for awhile, I was able to make all of our changes, move our payments over and get a new reservation number! We are on our way!

DBF and I went to P.F. Chang's for lunch today , and his thought, that he had the nerve to share, was that we could just keep postponing our trip and I would be happy with all of the planning I have to do.

(Secretly, he's probably right, but I don't know if my blood pressure could take it!)

So the new plan:

Oct 22-30, 2009
Pop Century Resort
Preferred Room
Magic Your Way Plus Deluxe Dining
Magic Your Way 9-Day Park Hoppers
(We decided against WP option due to cooler temps)

I'm about to start looking for ADR's, but in the meantime, I did find this rocking picture from last summer.

I'll try to start lacing pictures into my posts, for all of you non-readers like me!

Pop Century is so nice. We never stayed there, But we did go and check it out. Glad you're all set now!

 

[mickeystoontown]

I am so glad the the reservation modification went smoothly. It may have taken a while but it sounds like you've gotten it done now. We leave for Disney tomorrow after work. I can't wait for 10 glorious days in Disney!

 

[SKTiger]

I am so glad the the reservation modification went smoothly. It may have taken a while but it sounds like you've gotten it done now. We leave for Disney tomorrow after work. I can't wait for 10 glorious days in Disney!

I'm so jealous! Can't wait until you all get back so you can start a new TR, you last was the most fun I've ever read!

 

[SKTiger]

Believe it or not, I haven't forgotten about this lovely little PTR, but the happy part of my job has started! It's officially the beginning of football season! The boys have all reported to camp, and between practices and physicals, they are keeping me busy.

On to the planning! So far, I've gotten about 4 days of ADR's made, so I'm a little behind. The good news: we were able to get a reservation at Le Cellier! DBF isn't quite as excited as I am about this, but he'll come around!

We'll be arriving in Orlando at about noon on Thursday, October 22, a MNSSHP night, so no Magic Kingdom for us. Instead, after check-in at Pop, we'll head to the giant golf ball, Epcot! Since we're on the Deluxe DP, I fully intend on taking full advantage of our snack credits, and eating my way around the world! As much as I'd love to see Illuminations, we'll have to leave Epcot early, and head to the Polynesian, for our 9:30 reservation at 'Ohana! What better way to start a trip to Disney than with loads of protein? I'm hoping that in route to dinner, we'll "happen" to see the Hallowishes fireworks, and I can convince DBF that we need to go to MNSSHP!

As much as I'd love to keep gabbing what I plan on being the best vacation ever, its 1:26, and all my football players will be showing up for treatments at 5:30. I guess that means I need sleep!

 

[SKTiger]

Well, to make the most of the magic, and since we won't be riding Space Mountain, we've decided not to do our usual Magic Kingdom first day, and save it for my birthday.

Instead we'll start of Friday with a quick grab and go breakfast at Pop, and hop the bus to Hollywood Studios. We'll join the herd and head for Toy Story Midway Mania! I'm torn between riding first and then grabbing FPs or grabbing FPs and then riding. We were lucky enough on our last trip to be there for the soft opening, and were able to ride with only a 15 minute wait in the then single rider line. Oh how I wish that was still an option!

We'll do as much as we can this morning, and DBF is insistent that I'll get a really good birthday present if I'll ride Rock'n'Roller Coaster. I love roller coasters, but only the ones I can see and the ones that keep you right side up. As much as I love Space Mountain now, it took years to get me on it!

We have an 11:20 ADR at Sci-Fi Diner. I can't tell you what I'll be eating, but I do know without a doubt that I'll be having Orbiting Oreos!

Afterwards, we may hit a few more rides, then head to our first ever visit to Animal Kingdom! Quite the travesty, but growing up, I always wanted to do MK over AK! Now that I have an appreciation for the architecture and details of Disney, I can't wait!

The plan is to head straight for Expedition Everest, which I'm sure we'll end up riding multiple times. Since today is an Evening EMH day, we'll have quite a bit of time to spend in the park before our 7:30 ADR at Yak and Yeti. I'm quite glad about this, as we were unable to get a reservation here for our September trip, and I was not looking forward to eating dinner at Tusker House. Plus, I've heard great things about the fried wontons for dessert!