"Reach for the sky!" We're finally getting there in JAN 2012!!!TR LINK PG 69!

[Victoriasmom98]

Karen, you will LOVE LOVE LOVE POR!!! The only thing I had a complaint about is everything is such a walk away!!!! It's beautiful and I saw rabbits every morning but the walk to fill up the mugs, ugh! I am so glad that these shoes fit you! That is sooo important....

oh, and I'm sure you noticed that Hope started a ptr!!! Hee Hee!!! You are such an enabler!!!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Karen, you will LOVE LOVE LOVE POR!!! The only thing I had a complaint about is everything is such a walk away!!!! It's beautiful and I saw rabbits every morning but the walk to fill up the mugs, ugh! I am so glad that these shoes fit you! That is sooo important....

oh, and I'm sure you noticed that Hope started a ptr!!! Hee Hee!!! You are such an enabler!!!

I'm not sure enabler quite covers it!

 

[-Hope-]

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Wow.....what a slacker.....Hope already has her itinerary up.....what's ailing you, girl????

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Wow.....what a slacker.....Hope already has her itinerary up.....what's ailing you, girl????

I'm trying to savor the moment!

and I thought I would make you squirm a little first! I know everyone is just dying to know.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Disclaimer: this plan will change. It will and there's nothing I can do about it. If you think it won't change, you don't know me very well! I guess there is a possibility that the days (which is all I'm giving you right now, no details just yet!) MAY not change, but I frequently tweak my itinerary until I get it just right! ... now that you know I'm completely certifiable, here's the basic plan:

Oh and I decided to copy off Hope and put some pics from our last trip to illustrate each day...since we can't have me posting without pictures. If you have no idea who Hope is, you need to keep up! There is a link on my first page to her PTR! She's my partner in crime.

We will arrive on Thursday, Sept. 29th and head to DTD to shop, take it all in (sigh...I LOVE DTD at night!)

and go to Savannah's favorite place...

Friday, Sept. 30th we'll head where we always have gone on our first day! Oh yes, I like to arrive as the sun comes up! LOL

Saturday, Oct. 1st, I'll be up at the crack of dawn (nothing new for me!) and running through Magic Kingdom! WOOT! (this is not my picture)

after resting up, that night we'll head back to MK and for Wishes. This is one of my most cherished pictures, for a few reasons,(certainly not b/c it's a good shot, it's not) but b/c my battery died right after I took this shot and I didn't get any others. I had to stop myself from getting upset and really just soak in the moment, so when I see this picture I remember is so clearly! Sigh...

I still have yet to get a good photograph of Wishes, although I did get a ton of Hallowishes!(see below) So, I'll be poised with my tripod this night, I think!

Ooops, TMI, I said I was just going to tell you where we were going which day! I can't control myself.

Sunday, Oct. 2nd we'll head to the park with my favorite roller coaster!

Sunday night we'll do MNSSHP!

Monday, Oct. 3rd we will meet up with Hope and hopefully our other friend, Summer, at Epcot! Time to eat around the World!

Tuesday, Oct. 4th we head to DHS for the day

our last day, Wednesday, Oct. 5th we head back to Epcot and we'll see Illuminations and close the park down (I believe it will be EMH!)

Next up...FOOD OF COURSE!!!!!!! and drink!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

I don't see "meet up with Ann and her family" anywhere in your plans.......I don't know if I feel like continuing to read this ptr.......

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I don't see "meet up with Ann and her family" anywhere in your plans.......I don't know if I feel like continuing to read this ptr.......

Ann, you are supposed to be supporting my NOT rambling on in this update! I'm not to the details yet! Do our days overlap at all??? Thursday or Friday? Off to look at your dates!...

 

[-Hope-]

I would ask you what happened to your restraint... but I know that you're holding back the touring plans (I know this because I'm doing the same thing). :lol:

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

WE INTERRUPT THIS TRIP REPORT TO REPORT THIS ROCKING NEWS!!!!...
Babycakes has opened at DTD!!! Babycakes is a cupcake bakery and they make VEGAN cupcakes!!!! Where is Karen headed her first night???? I will have to control myself as they may have gluten free, vegan cupcakes, but they still have sugar and I don't react well to that either most of the time. But still! Vegan cupcakes!!!! Check it out...

Babycakes opens! (ok some chicken place too, but LOOK! VEGAN CUPCAKES!!!

 

[-Hope-]

Holy cripes- that little chicken place you just glossed over has SANGRIA!!!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Holy cripes- that little chicken place you just glossed over has SANGRIA!!!

Now Hope...priorities!...wait...I think I must be having an off day, that's not right! Alcohol...vegan cupcakes...alcohol...vegan cupcakes...does not compute. does not compute!

 

[-Hope-]

well, alcohol seems like a clear winner but I'm not vegan so...

 

[Tea4Alice]

Hi new here, just read your ptr. We stayed at por last year during 4th of July week with a 2yr old child and rooms weren't even redone yet, we loved staying there.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Hi new here, just read your ptr. We stayed at por last year during 4th of July week with a 2yr old child and rooms weren't even redone yet, we loved staying there.

Welcome!!! I'm glad you decided to join in the madness! That's great to hear, were you in the mansions or AB? Was the trundle really tiny? I've seen pictures and it looks small, but I don't think my daughter will care, it's Disney after all!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

well, alcohol seems like a clear winner but I'm not vegan so...

Well, it was a tough one, you know how I am with my drinks, but I went to the Babycakes site and it put me over the edge! Not only are they vegan and gluten free (bwahahahaaa, more ammunition for Mike to like WDW) but they are REFINED SUGAR FREE as well!!!!! They use Agave in most of them. This is like a dream, please no one wake me up!

check out their NY site! I did email them just to make sure that the Orlando DTD store will have the same offerings. OMG, I don't think there has been a person the history of the world that has been as excited about cupcakes!!!

Babycakes Website

 

[carissanboys]

Very glad you found a pair of sneakers that works for you.

Very cool about Homeschool Days! I read a TR a couple of years back from someone who took her kids. Sounds like a great experience.

One of my favorite things about staying at POR was the boat ride to DTD. So relaxing!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Very glad you found a pair of sneakers that works for you.

Very cool about Homeschool Days! I read a TR a couple of years back from someone who took her kids. Sounds like a great experience.

One of my favorite things about staying at POR was the boat ride to DTD. So relaxing!

I'm really looking forward to it! I have planned for us to ride the boat to DTD on our arrival day, but also again on another night further into the week!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Since the snow is getting on my nerves, I shall focus on warmer things, and food is warm, right?

First off, I was shocked, going back through my 3000+ photos (yes, I took that many!) that I didn't take many food shots at all! WHAT a disgraceful DISer I am! It seems I was too involved having fun, but the shots I did get were a little blurry. I would love to attribute this to the lighting, but I'm guessing some of it was the food-stupor I had put myself in. No wonder I gained 15 pounds!

I normally eat salad. That's really it, although I eat PB occasionally and probably too much. So, should I go over where we want to eat and ask for advice and reviews first or post a few shots from last year/my fav's...yep, better do that first just so you'll actually look! Here are a few shots of things I ate in 2009.

At RFC, I had a portobello burger (and fries? On the first night?? I was ready to pig out, I guess!) but alas, the shot I have is horrid, not only is it blurry, but I had taken a few bites already and that's just not pretty. But THIS, my friends, THIS is quite pretty! My margartia. I believe Rey got one as well, took 1 drink, and gave it to me! FINE BY ME!!!

We will definitely be going to RFC again this year. I know it's a chain, but we don't have one near us and Savannah LOVES the Volcano and thinks we must go here first thing anytime we go to WDW. The portobella was good, but I better make sure to hold off on fries the first night when I'm running on Saturday. I may have to hold off on the margarita's too?!?!? *sob*

This is a gigantic plate of food from Tusker House. Yes, I ate that all (and then some, I think!) TH is a great place for a vegan, the chef came out and walked me around the buffet, telling me what I could and couldn't have. I was in couscous heaven as you can see. He also brought me out vegetable samosas that they cooked in a separate fryer from the meat products. It was AMAZING food both times I've been there and we will be making a lunch ADR there this trip too!

We ate at Ohana in 2009 as well. I was really looking forward to Chef TJ, who makes special meals for vegans and people with dietary issues, but he wasn't there that night. I did get a yummy tofu meal, but it's really all they offer and Chef TJ has left Ohana and gone to Park Fare, so there's no reason for me to go back there. My oldest did love Ohana, but the rest of the kids didn't like it, and the service wasn't the best (they were slammed). Of course, one of the yummiest things I had that night was the Lapulapu (see pineapple)! I had two of them, actually, I'm not sure I remember walking (read: stumbing) out of the restaurant that night or not!

We ate at Sci-fi in 2009 and I loved the atmosphere! Food was meh...take it or leave it. I had a veggie burger with vegan/gluten free bun (think crumbly and dryish) and it was ok, but I wouldn't go back for it.

On our last day, Savannah & I snuck away to DTD for the morning (everyone else was feeling a little sick or packing) and we went to Wolfgang Puck cafe on the west side of DTD. It was the last day and I was wanting to gobble up anything junky I could (you can see a brownie or cookie, not sure which, to the left of this pic) so I got a veggie sandwich. I remember it being VERY good, but how couldn't it be with cheese melted all over it?!?!?!

I have us going to Wolfgang Puck Express on our last morning before leaving b/c I think they have a lot of options. Not sure if I'll get the same thing or not!

So, that concludes the assortment of foods I ate last time. Obviously I have vegan/vegetarian issues, Savannah is a vegetarian and that can sometimes be hard too with kids meals, but I still would like to know if anyone has tried these places and they like them. So, without further ado, here's where I have planned for us this fall:

TS:
Rainforest Cafe
Boma (Savannah & I went here on our first trip and loved it, the guys haven't ever been)
Park Fare (not for the food, but the characters!...and chef TJ is there now so I will hopefully get a vegan meal!)
Tusker House
Crystal Palace (for dinner, we've only done breakfast there)
Kouzinna (breakfast)
Raglan Road
Biergarten

CS:
POR food court?
Earl of Sandwich
Wolfgang puck express
Sunshine seasons
Sunset Blvd CS (we'll have different needs so will get stuff at different places at DHS)
Marrakesh (for me at least) and Food & Wine
Sassagoula Floatworks (POFQ)
Columbia Harbor House

Oh and of course we'll hit Goofy's and Babycakes for vegan cupcakes amongst other snacks through the week. I haven't even begun to think about those!

I think that's it! OMG, we may roll out of there! Of course, things will change if there is no free dining and I'll have to rework some meals to be cheaper if it's OOP. So, who has been to any of these places, and what are your favorite things to eat there?? No worries about if it's meat, my husband and sons both eat meat and need suggestions too!

 

[-Hope-]

I'm drooling over your food pics and restaurant choices. I think I'm going to have to try to save up for at least on TS meal OOP.

Keep in mind when looking for food for Savannah that most places are very accomodating about letting kids who are Disney adults order a main course from the kids menu while still getting a dessert and drink from the regular menu.