PTR turned TR for the most magical and expensive vacation I've ever been on!
- Thread starter zulemara
- Start date
zulemara
<font color=royalblue>Oh Boy! I'm a WDW sailor!<br
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I know, I know, and I'm so sorry. I have spring break next week, I double dee dog promise I'll finish my report! Hang in there!
I received a couple heartfelt PMs from people about our experience and I wanna say thank you. I will PM you guys back individually, but all 3 of you brought me to tears.
Along with that, I'm happy to announce that one of our engagement pictures is going to be used on a gay travel site! I can't link it or I'll get banned, but needless to say, we'll be on a prominent site dedicated to gay vacations.
Whenever I'm depressed about various life issues, looking at the pictures really helps pick me up. All the comments about how happy we look are true! We were and still are that happy and I owe so much of that to Disney.
Anyway, I'm done for now, back to homework.
I received a couple heartfelt PMs from people about our experience and I wanna say thank you. I will PM you guys back individually, but all 3 of you brought me to tears.
Along with that, I'm happy to announce that one of our engagement pictures is going to be used on a gay travel site! I can't link it or I'll get banned, but needless to say, we'll be on a prominent site dedicated to gay vacations.
Whenever I'm depressed about various life issues, looking at the pictures really helps pick me up. All the comments about how happy we look are true! We were and still are that happy and I owe so much of that to Disney.
Anyway, I'm done for now, back to homework.
Hedy
<font color=blue>I'm <s>22</s> 27 and I still kind
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- 11,136
Wow! Congrats!
zulemara
<font color=royalblue>Oh Boy! I'm a WDW sailor!<br
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2007
- Messages
- 2,350
Ok now that I'm done planning other people's trips, I can focus on my trip report!
So where was I? aahh yes Day 2! The big day in terms of $$$$
We woke up at a reasonable hour and were once again greeted by a delightfully sunny, warm day. I usually hate Christmas for a number of reasons, but I just can't be pissy when it's 80 degrees on Xmas eve! We went to Downtown Disney to get some shopping out of the way. I always hate that part, so I try to get all the gifts for people taken care of early in the trip.
We got back to the hotel by 2 I think, took a little nap, then showered and got dressed for dinner at V&A's. I had arranged to be taken by luxury car through Mears since we had to be all dressed up. The car arrived at 4:30 and took us to the Grand Floridian. Ryan is a huge Xmas tree guy, so his eyes absolutely lit up when he saw the gigantic tree in the middle of the lobby. There was a pianist playing and kids everywhere. We had to get some directions, but eventually ended up at V&As. We were told to arrive by 5 and they would seat us even though they don't serve until 5:30. That was wrong. We ended up just letting them know we were there and then walking around. We stopped at one of those handy photopass kiosks to check out the photos we had thus far.
5:30 came and we entered the restaurant. It was absolutely amazing. With all the hustle and bustle outside, it was silent inside. It was very very sound proof! I don't have the menu in front of me to elaborate on what we ate, but needless to say it was all fantastic. I had been trying to decide if we wanted to do wine tasting or not, knowing it was an extra 60 dollars a person. In the end, I figured hey, I'm on vacation so screw it, we're doin it. It was a good decision. We had wine from the top 100 wine list to go with dishes I can only begin to understand. I had arranged ahead of time for the harpist to learn the Moulin Rouge version of Come What May, which is our song. He did, and he played it during his 3rd or 4th set. It really couldn't have been any better. The staff was well aware we were celebrating our 2 year anniversary and treated us very well. I had ordered a cake ahead of time as well and OMG was it GOOD! We ate that thing for the next 3 days in our room. mmmm so tasty! Perhaps one of the coolest things was that there was another gay couple at the table just behind us celebrating their 10 year anniversary. Given it was still early in the trip, I think it really helped Ryan understand that literally everywhere you go, you're probably going to encounter a gay person. I wonder how the fundamentalists handle WDW LOL. Anyway, that's a different subject
I made the mistake of neglecting to tell our server that we had the fireworks cruise to catch right after dinner, so we had to sort of rush through desert, but it was fantastic nonetheless. We paid our bill(500 even with tip) and went on our way to the fireworks cruise dock. It took a couple tries, but we finally found the dock. The driver took my CC (CHA CHING there goes another 300) and off we went. They take you on a nice tour of the lake and place you in a great area to watch the electrical pagent. He got thrown off when the music on the boat started about 4 min early and it was the wrong version of wishes! He hurried over to his spot on the lake, and then at the scheduled time, the music started with the correct version. Whew! The view was fantastic and we got a couple good pictures. I really like the holiday edition of Wishes, maybe even better than the original. It was such a nice night, there was lots of snacks and pop on board, and the driver was very nice.
We got back to the dock, forced the driver to take a tip(3x rejection rule) and caught our luxury car for the way back to POP Century. We were pretty tired, so we went to bed early knowing we would be getting up at the crack of dawn to hit MK on Christmas Day.
So that's the end of day 2. I'll tell ya, after dining at vic and A's, I can barely eat Perkins LOL. We both enjoy dining out and once we move down there for good, I'm sure it's something we'll be doing quite a bit as long as the budget can handle it. It was a great day and seriously, the dinner was worth every penny. The cruise was great, maybe a little over priced, but it fit really well with the night and I hadn't planned on letting him see Wishes the night before, so it was supposed to be his first time seeing it. Oh well, live and learn! I will update the post with pics as soon as I can.
Ok off to bed, I have school tomorrow
So where was I? aahh yes Day 2! The big day in terms of $$$$
We woke up at a reasonable hour and were once again greeted by a delightfully sunny, warm day. I usually hate Christmas for a number of reasons, but I just can't be pissy when it's 80 degrees on Xmas eve! We went to Downtown Disney to get some shopping out of the way. I always hate that part, so I try to get all the gifts for people taken care of early in the trip.
We got back to the hotel by 2 I think, took a little nap, then showered and got dressed for dinner at V&A's. I had arranged to be taken by luxury car through Mears since we had to be all dressed up. The car arrived at 4:30 and took us to the Grand Floridian. Ryan is a huge Xmas tree guy, so his eyes absolutely lit up when he saw the gigantic tree in the middle of the lobby. There was a pianist playing and kids everywhere. We had to get some directions, but eventually ended up at V&As. We were told to arrive by 5 and they would seat us even though they don't serve until 5:30. That was wrong. We ended up just letting them know we were there and then walking around. We stopped at one of those handy photopass kiosks to check out the photos we had thus far.
5:30 came and we entered the restaurant. It was absolutely amazing. With all the hustle and bustle outside, it was silent inside. It was very very sound proof! I don't have the menu in front of me to elaborate on what we ate, but needless to say it was all fantastic. I had been trying to decide if we wanted to do wine tasting or not, knowing it was an extra 60 dollars a person. In the end, I figured hey, I'm on vacation so screw it, we're doin it. It was a good decision. We had wine from the top 100 wine list to go with dishes I can only begin to understand. I had arranged ahead of time for the harpist to learn the Moulin Rouge version of Come What May, which is our song. He did, and he played it during his 3rd or 4th set. It really couldn't have been any better. The staff was well aware we were celebrating our 2 year anniversary and treated us very well. I had ordered a cake ahead of time as well and OMG was it GOOD! We ate that thing for the next 3 days in our room. mmmm so tasty! Perhaps one of the coolest things was that there was another gay couple at the table just behind us celebrating their 10 year anniversary. Given it was still early in the trip, I think it really helped Ryan understand that literally everywhere you go, you're probably going to encounter a gay person. I wonder how the fundamentalists handle WDW LOL. Anyway, that's a different subject
I made the mistake of neglecting to tell our server that we had the fireworks cruise to catch right after dinner, so we had to sort of rush through desert, but it was fantastic nonetheless. We paid our bill(500 even with tip) and went on our way to the fireworks cruise dock. It took a couple tries, but we finally found the dock. The driver took my CC (CHA CHING there goes another 300) and off we went. They take you on a nice tour of the lake and place you in a great area to watch the electrical pagent. He got thrown off when the music on the boat started about 4 min early and it was the wrong version of wishes! He hurried over to his spot on the lake, and then at the scheduled time, the music started with the correct version. Whew! The view was fantastic and we got a couple good pictures. I really like the holiday edition of Wishes, maybe even better than the original. It was such a nice night, there was lots of snacks and pop on board, and the driver was very nice.
We got back to the dock, forced the driver to take a tip(3x rejection rule) and caught our luxury car for the way back to POP Century. We were pretty tired, so we went to bed early knowing we would be getting up at the crack of dawn to hit MK on Christmas Day.
So that's the end of day 2. I'll tell ya, after dining at vic and A's, I can barely eat Perkins LOL. We both enjoy dining out and once we move down there for good, I'm sure it's something we'll be doing quite a bit as long as the budget can handle it. It was a great day and seriously, the dinner was worth every penny. The cruise was great, maybe a little over priced, but it fit really well with the night and I hadn't planned on letting him see Wishes the night before, so it was supposed to be his first time seeing it. Oh well, live and learn! I will update the post with pics as soon as I can.
Ok off to bed, I have school tomorrow
punkin413
feel the magic, dang it!
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2007
- Messages
- 9,581
V & A's sounds sooooo good! i can't wait to go there (one day). i would love to do the chef's table but i just can't justify spending more than my mortgage payment on dinner! 
as for what you said about the fundamentalist, i don't see how you deal with all that. i feel for you. it boggles my mind that some people have the attitudes they do. for example, the whole "i can't take my kids to disney during gay days" thing. i look at it as an opportunity to explain to my kids that there are all kinds of different relationships in the world. the only reason i'd even consider not going during that time is because of the heat and the crowds. i just don't get the attitude.
as for what you said about the fundamentalist, i don't see how you deal with all that. i feel for you. it boggles my mind that some people have the attitudes they do. for example, the whole "i can't take my kids to disney during gay days" thing. i look at it as an opportunity to explain to my kids that there are all kinds of different relationships in the world. the only reason i'd even consider not going during that time is because of the heat and the crowds. i just don't get the attitude.
Shir Kahn
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 27, 2006
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GAH! You gave me a heart attack when you wrote that Le Cellier was closing! Don't do that! 
Sounds like you're going to have a good time, good luck on your surprise! 
Oops, haven't read the whole thing yet, but it looks like you've already gone! Off to read the rest now!
Sounds like you're going to have a good time, good luck on your surprise! Oops, haven't read the whole thing yet, but it looks like you've already gone! Off to read the rest now!
insoin
<a href="http://www.wdwinfo.com/dis-sponsor/" targ
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Umm what exactly does this mean? Are castmembers required to take a tip from you if you insist on giving it to them a total of 3 times? I assume that is normally for positions that do not expect/deserve tips right?
zulemara
<font color=royalblue>Oh Boy! I'm a WDW sailor!<br
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In any role that is not considered a tipped position in terms of wages, a cast member is required to reject a tip 3 times before he or she is allowed to take it. LOL they certainly are not required to take it, but I know most cast members who are offered a tip are dying for that 3rd time so they can take it!
As far as Disney is concerned, only bartenders and waiters are considered tipped roles. I'm not sure if they consider valet to be an officially tipped position or not.
In the case of the boat driver, I think the podcast team actually mentioned that they should be always be tipped. I am a person who budgets for tipping because I feel it's the right thing to do and although Disney is expected to provide excellent guest service, most CMs are doing it for 8.00/hr or less. It's my way of giving back some magic to the cast. It can really make their night. In the case of our driver, it was Xmas eve so it was kind of a duh thing.
With all that said, I have VERY exciting news!!!! I really need to finish my trip report because ya know what?? I"M GOIN BACK BABY! WWWOOOOO
My best friend's parents are planning a trip and said they would pay for me if they came out ahead or even given the discounts I can provide. It turns out the park tickets, hotel, and food discounts are well worth it, so I'm gettin a free trip Jun 19-26! Hurray!
disneygirlinnj
DIS Veteran
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- Nov 24, 2007
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Day 2 sounds amazing! I can't wai tto try V&A's one day! 
insoin
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Thanks for the info, I always feel it necessary to tip as well. But I didn't know that there was a three times rule where they are supposed to turn it down. I have never worked in a position where I have gotten tips, but I always tip at least 20% for everything. It is good to know if I just pester them long enough they will finally be able to say yes
And congrats on the free trip, when does that PTR and TR start
zulemara
<font color=royalblue>Oh Boy! I'm a WDW sailor!<br
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2007
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- 2,350
Thanks for the info, I always feel it necessary to tip as well. But I didn't know that there was a three times rule where they are supposed to turn it down. I have never worked in a position where I have gotten tips, but I always tip at least 20% for everything. It is good to know if I just pester them long enough they will finally be able to say yes
And congrats on the free trip, when does that PTR and TR start
Not all cast members follow the 3x rejection rule, but most will. For instance in the golf course, Disney does not consider it a tipped role, but the nature of golf is to tip the people who service you, so none of the CMs even thought twice about it.
I need to finish this TR before I can start my PTR! I don't have much to put on a PTR because I'm not planning it, but I can at least post pics of all 9 of us going
disneygirlinnj
DIS Veteran
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I think the photopass pics already expired.
I got the email a week or so ago telling me I couldn't view them anymore
insoin
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Come on... You promised during break you would finish!!
You are slacking in you Disney Duties! If you don't finish this, I am calling Mickey!
Your pictures from Disney have also expired... (SAD) I enjoyed looking at the proofs and now that have gone poof!
Take Care and you still owe us a PM!!
disneyma X2
You are slacking in you Disney Duties! If you don't finish this, I am calling Mickey!
Your pictures from Disney have also expired... (SAD) I enjoyed looking at the proofs and now that have gone poof!
Take Care and you still owe us a PM!!
disneyma X2
zulemara
<font color=royalblue>Oh Boy! I'm a WDW sailor!<br
- Joined
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- 2,350
yes, I know!
My photopass pictures can now be found at
http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee13/zulemara/Disneyworld Photopass Pictures 2007/
Our personal pictures(417 of them!) can be found at
http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee13/zulemara/Disneyworld Dec 2007/
My photopass pictures can now be found at
http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee13/zulemara/Disneyworld Photopass Pictures 2007/
Our personal pictures(417 of them!) can be found at
http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee13/zulemara/Disneyworld Dec 2007/
insoin
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disneygirlinnj
DIS Veteran
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Haha... I used to think that was alot too until I somehow managed to take 1000 decent pics on my last trip (not counting the few hundred I deleted b/c they stunk!). I guess i went a little picture crazy!
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