Saying 'Aloha' to 30! A Oct/Nov 2018 PTR - Updated 10/25 ONE DAY TO GO!

[emilyhuff]

ALOHA and WELCOME! I hope you will join me in planning my 30th birthday trip to WDW!

Cast of Characters: Me - Emily and DBF - Wonks!! We have been together for 5 and a half years and by this trip it will be 6! This will also be our 6th trip to WDW together!!!

We are WDW people! We are from Pennsylvania and were both fortunate to go often as children - Wonk's grandmother lived in FL and they would visit WDW while visiting her and my grandparents were generous enough to take my entire family 1 to 2 times per year! We took one trip to Disneyland in 2016 and although we LOVED it, we are still fully devoted to WDW!

On with the introductions!

This is Wonks. I am pretty sure he liked Disney World before meeting me, but being with me has made him come to love Disney World. He is more of a "go with the flow" kind of guy. I consider myself lucky to have him and to know that he will always say yes when I say "Let's go to Disney."

Here are some of his favorites:
Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom
Favorite Ride: Splash Mountain
Favorite Character: B'rer Rabbit (see above)
Favorite Resort: Port Orleans Riverside
Favorite WDW Food: Dole Whip Float - must be Vanilla Soft Serve with Pineapple Juice!
Favorite WDW Drink: Schofferhofer Grapefruit Beer from Germany Pavilion

This is me, Emily. I am the planner. I love planning Disney trips and making itineraries only to have something change to get a chance to redo the whole thing! If you couldn't tell by the header - I am turning 30 on October 12th, and I couldn't think of a more magical way to celebrate than with a trip to WDW!​

Here are some of my favorites:
Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom
Favorite Ride: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Favorite Character(s): Chip and Dale
Favorite Resort: Polynesian Village
Favorite WDW Food: ANY breakfast buffet (the real way to my heart ) HELLO MICKEY WAFFLES
Favorite WDW Drink: Banana Cabana

Now back to the pre-trip report! I hope you will join me in my planning adventure!!!

Next Post: The when and where! ​

 

[emilyhuff]

Table of Contents!

Intro
The WHEN and WHERE!
Disney through the years!
February Real Life Update
ADR Wishlist & other news
ADR's
Life Update & 4 parks, 4 snacks
Food & Wine Wishlist
Day 1 Itinerary
Day 2 Itinerary
Day 3 Itinerary
Day 4 Itinerary
Day 5 Itinerary
Day 6 Itinerary
Day 7 Itinerary
Day 8 Itinerary
Day 9 Itinerary
ONE DAY TO GO

 

[MiracleCream]

Excited to follow along!

 

[Spencer Wright]

Sounds great!! My absolute favorite is also Splash Mountain. It was my first Disney ride!

 

[Raeven]

Following along!

 

[absolutmey]

Following!

 

[CaseFace5]

Following! I am currently trying to get my Husband to agree to either a 30th birthday trip or a 1 year anniversary trip!

 

[fallonkendra]

Following along! There's no better place to turn 30, it was one of my must's! (although, most of my 30th birthday was spent on an airplane, flying AWAY from Disney...)

 

[emilyhuff]

Excited to follow along!

Welcome!!! Excited that you are here!!!!

Sounds great!! My absolute favorite is also Splash Mountain. It was my first Disney ride!

We loveeeee Splash Mountain! It was closed on our trip last Sept so we will definitely plan to make up for lost time!

Following along!

HI! So happy that you are here! I love reading your pre-trip and trip reports!!

Following!

Welcome welcome!

Following! I am currently trying to get my Husband to agree to either a 30th birthday trip or a 1 year anniversary trip!

Welcome! That sounds amazing! I think the only reason I am looking forward to my 30th is due to this trip, haha!

Following along! There's no better place to turn 30, it was one of my must's! (although, most of my 30th birthday was spent on an airplane, flying AWAY from Disney...)

I can't wait!!! I won't technically be turning 30 on this trip, the timing didn't work out, but I will be 30 and you better believe I will be wearing a button! It's really only 2 weeks after, haha!

 

[emilyhuff]

The WHEN and WHERE!

Arguably two of the most important details of any Disney trip!! ​

^this was me, around January 1st..... except I was telling that to myself

A little backstory - we stayed at the Polynesian last Labor Day and it was amazing (on a super great discount). The only thing we weren't crazy about was how HOT it was, like unbearable hot. But everything else was fantastic. I really didn't think we would be able to afford another stay here and will I ever be able to talk Wonks into another Labor Day trip again? No, probably not. So I figured September is out for another Disney vacation so October it is!

My 30th birthday (10/12) and his 31st (10/18) also fall in October and it is the month we usually take a trip, but the last two years were just a little weird with timing. We went to Disneyland in 2016 and that was expensive so there were no funds left for WDW in 2016. And I made Wonks travel to WDW with me for the Princess 10K in Feb 2017 so I really didn't think a Labor Day trip was going to happen, until I just booked it and Wonks was onboard. No real surprise though, he is just the best!

So fast forward to now - January 2018! It's time to plan my 30th birthday trip. Wonks knew this was coming, because I have literally been talking about it forever... He turned 30 last October and wanted nothing to do with a birthday trip (to anywhere) so I just kept saying "well when I turn 30, were doing this..."

I debated long and hard over resorts. We LOVE Port Orleans Riverside, like LOVE - I grew up staying here, back when it was Dixie Landings! I still have a reusable mug that is bright yellow (below) and says Dixie Landings, and spoiler, no you cannot use them for life like they originally said! Anyways - this was obviously on the list for resort choices, as was French Quarter. I never stayed here and wanted to knock another resort off the bucket list.

not my picture

French Quarter was booked and we were set with our reservation. I had a spreadsheet outlining all the costs and figured why not get a quote on the Polynesian, just to see....

Next thing you know, I'm telling Wonks it'll be an extra $600 per person for the trip and booking THE POLYNESIAN, for 9 wonderful days and 8 nights!

WHAT!

^ Literally me again

I literally jumped for joy at work and had to tell everyone I was going back to Disney!

WOOO HOO! It was official!

Polynesian Village Resort standard room
October 26th - November 3rd

Countdowns:
ADR Day: 90 days
FP+ Day: 210 days
OUR TRIP: 270 days ​

Sidenote: does anyone listen to Sorcerer Radio? It really gets me through the day at work.. Monday's at 8am are my favorite, its a top 10 countdown of the week previous.. and right now, number 7 is Epcot's Tapestry of Nations parade. MY ALL TIME FAVORITE - the floats with the drums that spun around and someone played them. UGH I MISS IT! Number 6 was the Epcot Entrance loop - are you kidding me... this is the best week yet! Number 5 was the Magic Kingdom Electro-Magic Parade, RIP I sure hope this one comes back! Number 4 was Reflections of Earth - I'm going to be honest, not my favorite night time show, I really wonder how much longer it'll be around....

Up Next: Disney through the years!!​

 

[absolutmey]

OMG. That is my favorite week to go to WDW. I hope you guys have a wonderful time!

 

[CaseFace5]

Love your plans so far! I am DYING to stay at the Poly!! That is the same week we would be going if we did a 1st anniversary trip but the Disney website is hating me this morning and won't let me add anything to my cart to price it out! Our Anniversary is October 28th, and I want to go at a time that we can see both Halloween and Christmas, so color me jealous!

 

[emilyhuff]

OMG. That is my favorite week to go to WDW. I hope you guys have a wonderful time!

REALLY???!?! I was going back and forth and really couldn't decide. I have a strange feeling it'll be BUSY, but we're there for so long that we can just take it easy and do what we can... Do you find that it is more crowded that week?

Love your plans so far! I am DYING to stay at the Poly!! That is the same week we would be going if we did a 1st anniversary trip but the Disney website is hating me this morning and won't let me add anything to my cart to price it out! Our Anniversary is October 28th, and I want to go at a time that we can see both Halloween and Christmas, so color me jealous!

October is such a great month, right!!! You will have to let me know if you decide to go during that week, we can do a Dismeet!!! I really hope that the fall decor is down on 11/2 and some Christmas decor is up, that would be AMAZING!

 

[absolutmey]

REALLY???!?! I was going back and forth and really couldn't decide. I have a strange feeling it'll be BUSY, but we're there for so long that we can just take it easy and do what we can... Do you find that it is more crowded that week?

Surprisingly, no. We've been twice that week and it has been just perfect - weather, crowds, everything.

 

[Raeven]

HI! So happy that you are here! I love reading your pre-trip and trip reports!!

Aw thank you!

The only thing we weren't crazy about was how HOT it was, like unbearable hot.

It is sooo hot in September!

Next thing you know, I'm telling Wonks it'll be an extra $600 per person for the trip and booking THE POLYNESIAN, for 9 wonderful days and 8 nights!

WHAT!

^ Literally me again

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Following along! Spending your 30th at WDW sounds like a great idea.

Sounds like you were able to get a great deal on the Poly! I would love to stay there one day. Here's hoping for a PIN code!

 

[pigletgirl]

I can't think of anything better than celebrating a 30th birthday in Disney! I'm doing something similar but with 3 kids in tow and staying at AOA! It'll be here sooner than we think!

 

[emilyhuff]

Surprisingly, no. We've been twice that week and it has been just perfect - weather, crowds, everything.

HOW REASSURING! I have been stressed about this for a bit because of Halloween and the Food and Wine Half Marathon, but we're going for so long that I am sure we will accomplish everything we want to!

Aw thank you!

It is sooo hot in September!

Treat yo self is right! I am really still in shock that it's happening

Following along! Spending your 30th at WDW sounds like a great idea.

Sounds like you were able to get a great deal on the Poly! I would love to stay there one day. Here's hoping for a PIN code!

Welcome!!!! We did get a pin code and I think that really helped and I don't mind splurging for this milestone!!!

I can't think of anything better than celebrating a 30th birthday in Disney! I'm doing something similar but with 3 kids in tow and staying at AOA! It'll be here sooner than we think!

Oh gosh, kids! I can only imagine how wonderful it is to see their faces and reactions to everything at WDW! Maybe one day!!

 

[buzzrelly]

Joining in

Sounds like a perfect trip and vaguely familiar!

Looking forward to reading more

 

[emilyhuff]

Joining in

Sounds like a perfect trip and vaguely familiar!

Looking forward to reading more

YES!! Welcome!! I am totally following along on your trip report to get ideas for our trip, haha!