Resorts, Relatives & Restaurants - and a 3 day cruise!

[Lady Lallie]

Oooh, a night at AKL! That is so awesome.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

You know, it dawned on me that I should tell you a little about my family. Usually this is done at the beginning of a TR, but I thought it might scare you off! JK! No, really I feel like many of you already know me!

Me - Sheree - I'm just a tad over 40 (gulp) and was not lucky enough to go to WDW until after I was married. At 30 years old, my DH introduced me to what would become an obsession!! He took me to WDW with a bunch of his family in June 1999. I love Mickey, particularly when he is the sorcerer's apprentice! By day, I'm an attorney four days a week and I work as a judicial law clerk for a judge. I do legal research and writing and spend lots of time in court with her. (sometimes I'm at a computer and can DIS!) I enjoy scrapbooking, reading, hockey and baseball (watching) and in a former life was a figure skater. I grew up in Minnesota, went to college in Massachusetts and have been to Disneyland twice as a kid. I now have 7 trips to WDW under my belt.

DH - my enabler! Dave is 5 years older than me (I like to remind him!) He is my hard worker - ever since I've known him he's had two jobs. His day job is as a letter carrier ("mailman" to most of us). He also works evenings and weekends selling merchandise, t-shirts and jerseys at Minnesota Vikings games and at the Xcel arena for concerts. He has a love of football, cars, things you can buy at Best Buy, his iPhone and of course, Disney!!
He grew up mostly in VA and FL, but did move quite a bit over the years. He is the BEST husband and daddy!!

DD8 - Sarah - my smarty pants 3rd grader!! She's 8 going on 14!! Sometimes I call her my mini-me. She looks exactly like I did as a child. Smart as a whip, loves American Girl stuff, Tinkerbell, animals and books. I have trained her well in loving Disney! She is a gymnast and dancer too. Sometimes I think she's a little too sassy, but she's really a sweet, sensitive girl. She has her drama queen moments and is quite the extremist!

DD6 - Paige - in 1st grade and losing teeth all the time! She had the typical first grade school picture missing her two top teeth! She has been known to be shy, but is really quite feisty! No one will push her around - she'll punch and kick her way out of anything! When she's a lot older, I'm sure that will be a good thing! She has just developed a love of reading this year - it's so exciting. Her favorite princess has always been Belle (how appropriate). We sometimes call her Lu or Lulu belle (her middle name is Lucine and we've called her Paigey-Lu). She is in dance (which she loves since she was three) and gymnastics too.

Both of my girls have developed a talent for finding hidden Mickeys - guess we've trained them well! This trip was their 5th trip to WDW!! Are they lucky/spoiled or what???

Last June they were flower girls in our nephew's wedding. They got their hair done up and wore "princess" gowns. I'm pretty sure they thought they became princesses that day.

The remaining member of our family is Cody. He is a three year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. We surprised the girls with him just before Christmas 2006. I'll have to scrounge up a good picture of him when I get home. When we go to WDW, he goes to the Grandma and Papa hotel! He generally thinks he owns the house, sleeps on all the couches and beds whenever he pleases. Because he's so cute, he's gotten away with a few things. It might have saved his hide one or two times!

Well, that's us.

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

Next up: My favorite thing - reading menus! Where should we eat??? Did I ask anyone else's opinions?? How would I schedule our days? Thank goodness we have park hoppers! By the way, when will I book our flight home? Watching for good fares is a PITA (Pain in the A**)

*P.I.T.A.* - Yes, it is, but isn't it addictive? I know that I am NOT going anywhere too soon after this trip BUT, I just can't help myself, gotta watch those flights!

DD8 - Sarah - She has her drama queen moments and is quite the extremist!

DD6 - Paige - No one will push her around - she'll punch and kick her way out of anything! When she's a lot older, I'm sure that will be a good thing! She has just developed a love of reading this year - it's so exciting.

Both of my girls have developed a talent for finding hidden Mickeys - guess we've trained them well! This trip was their 5th trip to WDW!! Are they lucky/spoiled or what???


Well, that's us.

Your girls sound SO MUCH like mine! Same ages, same grades, same stages of life, same personalities! Em and Nat are ALSO very good at finding hidden Mickey's!

Very nice to *meet* you all!

 

[ladybugmom]

I will tell you whatever you want to know! I would say I liked our week, but there are a few reasons I would have preferred the week before ours. Crowds were okay - more than I thought, but there was a reason for that (Pop Warner, Christmas parade tapings) however, they didn't seem to really impact the lines for rides. We had pretty good weather overall.
Stay tuned for more details. I promise I'll get to arriving at WDW in the next couple installments!

Thank you so much!! I'm sure I will have a lot of questions as your TR progresses!! Thanks for the info on the crowds/dates!!

Love your updates!! I have 2 girls as well (5 & 2). My 5 year old (Ally) is really into American Girl and Tinkerbell, too!!

Can't wait to read more!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Loved meeting you all! Your girls sound so darn cute! I'll tell you that husband of yours is a keeper too!
You can't beat a guy that loves Disney!

 

[Charleston Princess]

I am here, Sheree! Now I need to go back and catch up!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Loved meeting you all! Your girls sound so darn cute! I'll tell you that husband of yours is a keeper too!You can't beat a guy that loves Disney!

Thanks! I'm sure he'd be glad to hear that! (not that I don't tell him once in a while)

I am here, Sheree! Now I need to go back and catch up!

Yay!* *Happy New Year everyone!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Found some pictures of Cody.

This is Sarah and Cody.* She used to say she was married to him.* She has since found a human she wants to marry. Teen years will be interesting.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

OK, I'm all caught up. Can't wait to hear all the details. I'm in awe of you already for being able to travel with in-laws and other family!

 

[stace208]

I made it here...all the way from VA and I'm all caught up to boot! Looking forward to more

 

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

HAPPY 2010!!!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Oops, problems with posting!! Getting **** showing up when I want to hit return!!! Plus I was halfway through my update!Sorry, will keep trying.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Okay, let's see if this works.

So I have a party of 12. My ADR day is on Labor Day. Good and bad, I guess. I didn't have to work, but I still had to be up early to call the Grand Gathering number. I couldn't do a party of 12 online.
I had already decided that I was going to go to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. I knew enough that you shouldn't go on a Friday or Saturday. We had the choice of Sunday 12/6 or Tuesday 12/8. I asked everyone if Sunday would be okay. It was a travel day, and I hoped no one would be too tired to stay up late and party. That was the day. I bought the tickets way back when they went on sale in June.

I also had planned to get an ADR for Kona for lunch on Sunday before the rest of the family arrived. I knew I wanted sticky wings!! I also wanted breakfast there, but since we were going to be at AKL, that was too much hassle. So I got the lunch ADR on line while talking with the CM.

So I knew most of our group was on the DDP and would have 4 TS credits to use. I was pretty sure this group would not want to do any signature dining and "waste" a credit. Here's what I hoped to get for our ADRs:
Sunday 12/6 - Dinner at Tony's Town Square before MVMCP

Monday 12/7 - Sci Fi Dine In dinner (DH decided this wasn't worth it and said we should go to Epcot to eat) So then my plan was to get Teppan Edo for dinner and get the Candlelight Processional package. But OH, then they decided the CP would be 2 TS!!!! Okay, no package we'd just wing it for seeing the show.

Tuesday 12/8 - Early dinner at LeCellier (HA!) Backup plan, Tutto Italia so we could go back over to DHS to see the Osborne Lights.

Wednesday 12/9 - none

Thursday 12/10 - breakfast at Ohana before leaving to the cruise

I told the whole clan this is what we were hoping for, but didn't know what we'd get. I referred them all to the menus so they could be sure it would be okay. They all said, oh that's fine, whatever you can get. I'm sure that was a nice way of saying, "as long as you do all the work, we don't care where we eat."

So what did I end up getting?... stay tuned.


PS - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Before I tell you what we ended up with, I should tell you I did what any good DISer would do.*I spent the weekend poring over the newly released (at 90 days!) park hours, EMH, Fantasmic, Wishes, parade schedules. I planned which park we would be at each day. When we would need to hop, what TGM said were the best parks for each day (thanks to a special DIS friend).With one in a scooter(ECV) and at least one "slow walker" I figured we should not bounce around too much. I didn't need that kind of hassle.I informed everyone that I was making a plan for park days to try to include as much of the Christmas stuff as I could squeeze in, but they did not have to do it all. We did NOT have to stay together (and secretly - or not so secretly hoped that we wouldn't) the whole trip. I knew that would make me crazy. **Of course, everyone was VERY agreeable and said, again, that's fine, we trust you Sheree, whatever you decide is okay with us.** Hmmm...this was too easy, I was going to get to pick anything I wanted and do it all MY way! Could it really work? Would I be able to shed the big crowd and go off and do stuff for just the four of us during this "family reunion trip"? Yeah, right. I got a very nice CM on the phone from Grand Gatherings and she searched high and low for a spot at LeCellier and basically got NADA for our group. Amazingly, she also got NADA at Tony's for that WHOLE day.So she found these choice ADRs: (you can decide if I'm being sarcastic)Sunday - Crystal Palace 4:45 dinnerMonday - Teppan Edo 5:20 (two separate ressies for 6 each - actually I think I booked this online while she was searching for Sunday's dinner options)Tuesday - Tutto Italia lunch 2:20** I was able to score LeCellier for 4 people at 2:15 online.Which 4 would get to go??????Wednesday - noneThursday - Ohana - 9:10So not too bad. I really didn't think anyone would be too excited to eat with Pooh (our family had breakfast with him in January), but they were very happy with what we got. Whew. I did NOT want to make changes.* I knew Free Dining had been extended to cover our stay (no, we weren't using it) so it would be tough to change, especially for a large group.We ate at LeCellier with MIL and SIL Sharon in January and loved it.* Could I be a martyr and give up the Mushroom Filet?I knew SIL Donna and family had never been there before.* SIL Debbie might have but she could go anytime since they go to WDW a few times a year.So it was down to my foursome, or the Virginia SIL family.*What to do????Well, DH became the voice of reason. I hate when he does that to me.* As he put it, we had just eaten there.* It was so good, everyone should get to try it.* We would get to go back again someday.* They might not get to go again (HA! They go to FL every year, they could too go back!!).Luckily for DH, I love all things Italian (including him) so I sucked it up and became willing to sacrifice that yummy filet and cream cheese mashed potatoes*

for some scrumptulescent (it's a special word) Italian food and decor. (by decor I mean the attractive servers!) And it was settled. The Virginia rednecks would dine at LeCellier and the rest of us would head to Italia.* I can call them rednecks because they (1) generally acknowledge that they are rednecks and are proud of it and (2) they consider it a compliment and (3) I am from the suburbs of a northern state metropolitan area and am no way considered a redneck. Actually I was okay with this as I do someday want to try all the restaurants around world showcase.So here were are, Labor Day, all the basic plans are in place.* I generally don't make detailed touring plans, just say here's where we are going and here's what we would like to do each day.* None of that "ride XXX, then ride XXX, then eat YYY, then go to the bathroom, then look at ZZZ gift shop..." crap. I have two little kids, no one will tell them when it's time to shop. I do tell them when they have to pee.* I hate having to run back to a bathroom when the one kid didn't go 1/2 an hour before while kid #1 and I went. AARRGH!Okay, it looks like most of the stuff that would have been in the PTR is done. * Just a few more things in the planning stages (like shopping and packing and cruise meet planning!) and we will get on the road!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

I apologize for the mess that was my last post.* I edited it 3 times!!* It wouldn't let me preview it because of a "database error" and then it would not correct it as I had done in edit!!!Can anyone explain why I get an * when I want a space or a new paragraph??
Did I hit something by accident?* How can I reset the format????

You should have heard the stream of foul language that came out of my mouth.* New Year's Resolution #1 - blew it already!
Now watch - this will come out perfectly.

 

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

You are cracking me up!!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Thanks!

I'm glad to offer some entertainment!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Enjoying immensely!
I've heard really good things about Tutto, not that I could have given up Le Cellier.
Next trip, I'll try for LC and Tutto!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Maybe the trick is not to edit.This just started happening a day ago.* I'll have to wait to post another update until I cool off, my head stops hurting and my kids are not in the house. They have heard too much from me today.

 

[praisehisname]

Jumping on board and loving it!