September 2011 - The Planning Has Started!!!

[MissLiz]

Yay!!! It will be filled to the brim shortly I'm sure with all kinds of fun stuff!!





Oh my mercy.

*sigh*

I might as well go on and admit here and now that the whole REAL reason we are going to Florida on LD weekend is that we just HAVE to head to Gainesville on that Saturday...

DH is a Univeristy of Florida Alum and we just have to go to the first game.

We can still be friends though.
Well, at least until Sept 17th. Then all bets are off, since y'all are comin' to the Swamp....

On the 18th we'll go back to bein' all friendly-like.

Oh man! I just lost all respect for you now!!!

I did offer to stop in Gainesville and go to the game on the 17th, but DH thought that would probably be a bad idea with the kids. DH just finished his MBA at UT in December.

We usually stop in Gainesville for lunch/dinner on our drive down to Orlando and DD tries to kick the Gator at the Perkins every time. lol I think we may have to skip that stop this trip. We have a huge Power T on our back windown AND a UT license plate on the car. We'd be in big trouble.

 

[JoBird]

I can see the riot now and the news-
" Little girl lost in throng of orange and blue as she attempts to kick the Gator at Perkins. Parents seen fleeing from the scene with a large UT sticker on car.
Details at eleven."


Yeah, maybe not a good idea.

I cannot wait to go!!

I think we may have to get there early enough for a Perkins drop.
I'll make sure to tell the Gator your DD said "Wassup".

 

[L-Harper]

I can see the riot now and the news-
" Little girl lost in throng of orange and blue as she attempts to kick the Gator at Perkins. Parents seen fleeing from the scene with a large UT sticker on car.
Details at eleven."


Yeah, maybe not a good idea.

I cannot wait to go!!

I think we may have to get there early enough for a Perkins drop.
I'll make sure to tell the Gator your DD said "Wassup".

Awesome!

 

[MissLiz]

Yeah, I don't think a 9-year-old and a 2-year-old Vols fans would be good at the Swamp. That might get a little ugly.


We are already so excited for Labor Day weekend and the first game at UT. It's one of our favorite trips of the year. Of course, the hotels charge too much for rooms, but whatever. It's so worth it!! We play Montana for the first game this year. What the heck is that?

I'm not a big Perkins fan, but the one we go to every trip is so convenient.

 

[susieq76]

I would be heartbroken if they changed our schedule AGAIN! I am not a real fan of the year round schedule we have here in Raleigh, but the one awesome thing is Disney in September or December

So This year we are doing (I think)

Breakfast
Tusker House (we do it every year)
Kona (need to try Tonga toast)

Dinner
Tony's (our first time)
Coral Reef (by request from my 7 year old)
Raglan Road (DH & my request)
Chef's de France(new for us)
O'Hana (they better still have those wings)
50's Prime time (I think the kids are old enough to love the antics)
Biergarten (hubby loves it- I wanted Captain's Grill but my husband does not like even going to the Yacht Club because of some really rude people who we encountered there a few years ago (guests))

 

[jbmom]

Has anyone seen these? I love them!
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...P=SOC-DPFY11Q2TwitterDisneyParks18-02-11@0005

 

[JoBird]

Yeah, I don't think a 9-year-old and a 2-year-old Vols fans would be good at the Swamp. That might get a little ugly.


We are already so excited for Labor Day weekend and the first game at UT. It's one of our favorite trips of the year. Of course, the hotels charge too much for rooms, but whatever. It's so worth it!! We play Montana for the first game this year. What the heck is that?

I'm not a big Perkins fan, but the one we go to every trip is so convenient.

Aren't game weekends the best??
We've never been to UT but DH is wanting to go there next. Well, there and LSU- but I'm not taking my babies there.
Montana.... Better than the Citadel when we played them. Or Charleston Southern.

Has anyone seen these? I love them!
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...P=SOC-DPFY11Q2TwitterDisneyParks18-02-11@0005

They are so cute! I'd love to have one, but I fear it's not in the cards with the trip being so much.
Are you gonna get one?

 

[CozumelDisneyFan]

I will be bringing a Grand Gathering of 1st timers from Cozumel Mexico... CANNOT WAIT!!

 

[KellyWasHere]

So, I think I've narrowed it down to these places and I would LOVE to hear your guys' opinions on all of them. Please!

Breakfast:
Tusker House

Lunch:
Le Cellier (only if they don't change the menu)

Dinner:
Ohana
Crystal Palace
Coral Reef
Garden Grill
Cape May Cafe
Boma
Planet Hollywood

Tusker House was my family's fav character meal. Delicious food, and the juice?? YUMMY!

Have also done CP and Garden Grill for lunch and dinner. Enjoyed both very much.

 

[disneydreamin247]

I wanted to ask your opinions about HS for us. How long do you think I should allow for HS for a touring plan like this:

-Get to DHS by 8:30
-Get to Toy Story Mania ASAP (FP if needed)
-Voyage of the Little Mermaid
-Disney Junior - Live on Stage (check daily schedule)
-Muppet*Vision 3-D
-Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure
-Use Toy Story Mania FPes
-lunch- on Sunset Blvd.

I really don't think there is anything else we want to do, especially with our two little ones. Is there anything else I should make sure we do?! Planning is stressing me out!

I'd say try to do the Great Movie Ride. Also, Lights! Motors! Actions! is pretty cool. DS saw it for the first time when he was 3 and loved it. The Backlot Tour is pretty cool too. It shows you how they do special effects in movies. Ds is a big chicken. Actually, he has a lot of sensory issues and has a hard time with loud noises and he loves all of these things....except when the alien comes out of the ceiling in the Great Movie Ride. Fantasmic! is also really cool, at least to us. We saw it in October when it was really crowded and didn't have a problem getting a seat. We got in line about a half hour before the show started.

Good morning, everyone!

I hope nobody minds if I vent for a minute because I am just sick to my stomach this morning.

Last year, our school board voted to change the school calendar to a balanced calendar for the next three years which gives breaks in Sept and Feb as well as the normal winter and spring breaks. We have planned our vacations around that break: we have WDW this year and Germany next year.

So, last night, at the school board meeting (despite a lot of public outcry), the board voted to go back to the traditional calendar starting next year.

That means, NO September break.

I'm almost in tears because we use that time to go to WDW and now, if we go, we have to take my DD out of school. She will be in 4th grade next year and I'm going to have a hard time convincing DH that it will be okay to take her out for a week.

I have always said that I refuse to go to WDW in the summer or on spring or holiday breaks. DH said last night when we were discussing it that we can always take a few weekend trips during the year, but that's just not the same.

Sorry this is so long, but I'm just so stinking upset. At this point, I refuse to cancel my booking because, if I have any fight in me, we ARE going in September!

Thanks for listening.

I don't see a problem pulling her out. DS has a 12 month school program because he's in special ed. I can't take off from work for Christmas, and the week and a half he's off at the end of summer are always taken so I can't get off then either. I won't pay Easter prices. No way! So that leaves me with not going at all, or pulling him from school. He never misses school for any other reason. Maybe 2 or 3 days all year for being sick, so I pull him. I say do it and don't feel guilty. Life experiences are as much a part of learning as classrooms are.

Hugs to all of your for your support! Thank you, thank you!!!

I did think about Labor Day weekend, but that would mean missing the first Tennessee football game of the season and there is no way DD or DH will allow that to happen!!! That is probably the one thing that would trump WDW for them.

I'm just going to go with it. Like you all said, it's not like she's not going to get into a good college because she missed a week of school in 4th grade. Shoot, we just took her out of school for a day this week to go to WDW.


We may just leave a little later on Friday so that she is considered "present" for that day instead of having her miss 6 days.



Back to the matter at hand: have any of you eaten at Grand Floridian Cafe? I'm trying to find one more dinner for us and I've narrowed it down to:
Ohana
Boma
Crystal Palace
Grand Floridian Cafe

We've eaten at the first three, so we know how they are. I was trying to stay around MK that day, but we love Boma so I added it to the list.

We LOVE 'Ohana. The food is good and the ambiance is fun. DS is a super picky eater and he requests dinner at 'Ohana twice, especially when he found out it's in our resort.

So, I think I've narrowed it down to these places and I would LOVE to hear your guys' opinions on all of them. Please!

Breakfast:
Tusker House

Lunch:
Le Cellier (only if they don't change the menu)

Dinner:
Ohana
Crystal Palace
Coral Reef
Garden Grill
Cape May Cafe
Boma
Planet Hollywood

I've never done TH. We had an ADR there, but slept through it.
Le Cellier is delicious! Good choice.
'Ohana is a big
CP is delish!
We love Coral Reef. The steak I had there was pretty good.
Garden Grill is good for characters. The food isn't so great.I take DS there if he requests it. If not, it's a pass.
Cape May Cafe is REALLY good.
Boma is good if you're an adventurous eater. I went with my BFF who is NOT and we had to stop at Mc Donalds after lol
Planet Hollywood we usually do just for a brownie sundae to use our voucher from our package. The food is okay, but it's overpriced. We also have one here in NYC so it isn't a huge deal if we miss it. DS prefers T-Rex Cafe or Rain Forest Cafe, but they're loud and can be intimidating for little ones. DS hated it when he was 3, but likes it now.

 

[kristinakrn]

Hi Everybody! This is my first ever to post on the disboards I'm a newbie at this! This is my DD(4) first trip to Disney and she is soo excited. We are staying at the Grand Floridian Sept 17-24 The last time I was at Disney was 1995, so I am also superexcited!

 

[KellyWasHere]

disneydreamin247 - I see you're due in a week? How are you feeling??

Welcome to all the new September travelers!!

I'm feeling really torn about doing breaks for our September trip. We don't do breaks, ever, but then again, we always travel during cooler months. But, it just seems like we're going to be wasting so much of the day to stop what we're doing, trudge all the way back to the buses, wait for the bus, get the kids and the stroller loaded back up, trudge all the way back to the room, rest or swim (which means having to change the kids out of their clothes, into bathing suits, then out of the suits and back into clothes - not even thinking about baths here, ugh!) then trudge back to the buses, wait for one, trudge back to the area of the park where we stopped to pick up again. Seems like so many people swear by it, here and especially on TGM website, so we will try it. But I won't be a believer until I see the benefits.

 

[MissLiz]

Some days we do breaks and other days we don't. It really depends on what we have been doing and what we have planned that evening.

There are those days that we just need to get completely away from the craziness of the park. Those are the days that we spend the afternoon at the pool or wandering around the resort, depending on where we are staying. Then, we head back to the parks for dinner and for the parade/fireworks.

Then, there are the days where we really don't need a huge break, but sitting down in the shade or air with a Mickey ice cream is perfect.

If we know we are going to be out late, we really try to get the kids back to the resort for a little while. Even if they just sit on the balcony for a bit, it helps.

 

[L-Harper]

Why does planning a Disney trip have to be so darn stressful! I'm also not sure about planning mid-day breaks.

 

[E&As Mom]

I would say play it by ear. Last year, there were some days we felt like we needed it... we'd go to a park for the morning, head back to the resort for a nap and/or swim, and then head to a park (sometimes the same one, sometimes a different one since we had hoppers) for the evening (and throwing in dinner somewhere). Depending on where we had dinner reservations that night obviously played an impact on where we went in the afternoon/evening.

Somedays, we didn't feel like we needed real break, so we just kept it going, and then left a little before closing @ the park, in order to avoid crazy bus crowds.

I'd say just try to go with the flow, if you can. I realize that everyone plans differently, but if you try to plan it down to the minute, you'll end up making yourself crazy I did that for our first trip in 2008, trying to keep everyone happy, and the only one who ended up unhappy was me!

 

[disneydreamin247]

disneydreamin247 - I see you're due in a week? How are you feeling??

Welcome to all the new September travelers!!

I'm feeling really torn about doing breaks for our September trip. We don't do breaks, ever, but then again, we always travel during cooler months. But, it just seems like we're going to be wasting so much of the day to stop what we're doing, trudge all the way back to the buses, wait for the bus, get the kids and the stroller loaded back up, trudge all the way back to the room, rest or swim (which means having to change the kids out of their clothes, into bathing suits, then out of the suits and back into clothes - not even thinking about baths here, ugh!) then trudge back to the buses, wait for one, trudge back to the area of the park where we stopped to pick up again. Seems like so many people swear by it, here and especially on TGM website, so we will try it. But I won't be a believer until I see the benefits.

I am absolutely miserable lol the DIS is my happy place

We insist on midday breaks. I don't think me OR DS, and now DD would make it through the day without it. We do take extended trips, though. 9 nights, 10 days. So we plan our days around having rests in the middle. I tried to go all day once. It ended with me and my BFF fighting in Epcot and eating dinner at separate tables and then DS puking all over the bus line on the way back to the resort. It was not pretty. The heat makes you extra tired.

 

[L-Harper]

Welcome to all of the new September travelers that have joined us! I have you all added to the first post.

 

[Missoutandabout]

I'm hoping to add my name to the list soon.

I see some familiar names from last September!

Just trying to figure out the logistics of a split stay (possibly) between BC and Poly.

I'm getting too excited already... and we have nothing planned yet, how lame is that?

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Welcome to the new September travelers!!

I wanted to ask your opinions about HS for us. How long do you think I should allow for HS for a touring plan like this:

-Get to DHS by 8:30
-Get to Toy Story Mania ASAP (FP if needed)
-Voyage of the Little Mermaid
-Disney Junior - Live on Stage (check daily schedule)
-Muppet*Vision 3-D
-Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure
-Use Toy Story Mania FPes
-lunch- on Sunset Blvd.

I really don't think there is anything else we want to do, especially with our two little ones. Is there anything else I should make sure we do?! Planning is stressing me out!

It might take you about half the day. Maybe RD until about 2-ish.

What about the Backlot Tour, Indy show, and LMA stunt show? Would your boys be interested in those? My boys have always loved them!

Good morning, everyone!

I hope nobody minds if I vent for a minute because I am just sick to my stomach this morning.

Last year, our school board voted to change the school calendar to a balanced calendar for the next three years which gives breaks in Sept and Feb as well as the normal winter and spring breaks. We have planned our vacations around that break: we have WDW this year and Germany next year.

So, last night, at the school board meeting (despite a lot of public outcry), the board voted to go back to the traditional calendar starting next year.

That means, NO September break.

I'm almost in tears because we use that time to go to WDW and now, if we go, we have to take my DD out of school. She will be in 4th grade next year and I'm going to have a hard time convincing DH that it will be okay to take her out for a week.

I have always said that I refuse to go to WDW in the summer or on spring or holiday breaks. DH said last night when we were discussing it that we can always take a few weekend trips during the year, but that's just not the same.

Sorry this is so long, but I'm just so stinking upset. At this point, I refuse to cancel my booking because, if I have any fight in me, we ARE going in September!

Thanks for listening.

That really stinks!! Something similar happened to me last year with our trip. I had way too much planning done to change weeks so we just went with what we already had planned and they missed 5 full days, rather than the 3 1/2 they would have missed had the calendar stayed the same as the year before.

They have missed 4-5 days each year for Disney and it's a lot of make up work but they are always caught up within a week. I wouldn't worry about her missing until Middle School/High School age.

So, I think I've narrowed it down to these places and I would LOVE to hear your guys' opinions on all of them. Please!

Breakfast:
Tusker House

Lunch:
Le Cellier (only if they don't change the menu)

Dinner:
Ohana
Crystal Palace
Coral Reef
Garden Grill
Cape May Cafe
Boma
Planet Hollywood

Those are some great choices. I think I already gave you my opinions on most of them on your PTR awhile back. Did you decide against Chef Mickey's?

Has anyone seen these? I love them!
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...P=SOC-DPFY11Q2TwitterDisneyParks18-02-11@0005

Those are awesome!

I'm feeling really torn about doing breaks for our September trip.

Why does planning a Disney trip have to be so darn stressful! I'm also not sure about planning mid-day breaks.

Mid day breaks are kind of a pain in my opinion! All the travel time back and forth seems like such a waste of time. So what we do is either open a park or close a park, but not usually both on the same day. Rather than going to MK at RD, traveling back to the hotel around 1 or 2, then traveling back to MK at 5 or 6, then back to the resort after fireworks -- we just go to MK at RD and stay until about 2, then have the evening free. Then another day we will sleep in, have the morning free and head to MK around about 2 and stay until closing. That way we've been there in the morning when it's less busy and we've also been there at night to see the parade/fireworks. Then we do the same for Epcot and DHS.

 

[L-Harper]

Question- On our very first night if we end up going to see Wishes, I'm wondering where would be a good place to watch the fireworks from. We want to be able to make a quick exit. Is at the end of Main Street near the entrance looking toward the castle alright?