So list checking did work out... both times. 3/7/10 - FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PNO4TE]

Trip Report #1 Starts Here:.
Trip Report #1 - Day 1 at post #304
Trip Report #1 - Day 2 at post #310

Trip Report #2 Starts Here:.
Trip Report #2 - Days 1 & 2 at post #321
Day 3 @ post #322 and continued on post #323
Day 4 @ post #333 and continued on post #334
Candlelight Processional Video! post #353
Day 5 @ post 371
Day 6 @ post 372
Day 7 @ post 384
Day 8 is @ post 385, but the DIS is messing up the links...
Day 9 @ post 402
Day 10 @ post 411
Day 11 (the last day!) @ post 412

I am still in the midst of my October PTR but my December trips are getting in the way. So I decided to start a December PTR that will encompass two trips.

The cast of characters (and we are that!) are:

Me - 58 year old lover of all this stuff.
myBob (to differentiate between all the other Bob's out there!) - 59 year old lover of vacations. Anywhere.

Occasional guest performers:

Sandy - first online WDW friend I ever met in person. That was 11 years ago, I think!
Val - Sandy's best friend from all the way back to elementary school.
(We have all three traveled together before.)

New Cast Members!!!
Laura (RachelTori) - a DIS friend
Diana (DisneyBride'03) - a DIS friend

various other DIS friends as well as friends I have yet to meet!

Kathrin - 31 year old DD
Kristin - 23 year old DD

Here is what is happening:

TRIP ONE: I am meeting two "old" friends at WDW for 48 hours just to do the MVMCP on December 6, and Osborne Lights. That trip is December 5-7. And it is literally just 48 hours! I am also lucky enough to have a bunch of other DISers who will be there that weekend and we are having lunch together at Mama Melrose on my arrival day. I think the count is up to 14 now! Sandy is a DVC owner and had "spare points" just burning a hole in her pocket (I think I may have rented all her other points for the year for our October trip! ). So she booked a studio at AKV and invited me to tag along with her and Val. She knows I can't get away in December until all my recitals are over but she asked anyway. For once her time frame and mine worked perfectly and I will be able to join them for this whirlwind trip! Val has never been to WDW during the holiday season so it will be delightfully fun to see it from her perspective. Oh, none of us are bringing DHs or children on this trip!!

TRIP TWO: This is our annual family trip to WDW for Christmas. We started way back in 1996, and have gone every year but one. This is trip number 13 and is happening December 18-27. We are still working out who will arrive when and how we are all getting there but we have rooms booked at POFQ for the 19th-27th so our time frame is completely covered.

I will add more a little bit at a time and some of it will probably be moved over from my October PTR. I figured I had better get this up and running since I make our ADRs on Sunday morning!!

I hope you enjoy our holiday celebration!

ADR Planning: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33633844&postcount=9
ADRs We Got: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33645305&postcount=24
ADRs We Tweaked: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33988562&postcount=48
Travel Plans Updated: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34065107&postcount=54 and http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34078184&postcount=60

 

[jpmom97]

Sounds great!!! Can't wait to read more! I will be there for some of the same dates too!

 

[PNO4TE]

Sounds great!!! Can't wait to read more! I will be there for some of the same dates too!

Well, that didn't take long at all! And I hope you enjoy your trip as much as I know we will!!

 

[PNO4TE]

I figured it would be easier than retyping everything!

It suddenly occurred to me this morning that I have to make ADRs for our Christmas trip soon. So I checked the calendar. I need to make them on SUNDAY! I am not ready. I am still working on this darned trip!

Wow, Sunday is soon!!! Do you have any standard ADRs you always do for Christmas? And are your daughters more interested in having any input than yourBob?

myBob and Kristin and I managed to talk a bit at dinner tonight. We are in agreement that the girls and I have to do Tea at the Grand. It has become a Christmas trip tradition. We had a horrible meal at Jiko last Christmas night and Kristin would like to try it again. We would love to take them to Raglan Road since we enjoy it so much.

There is our traditional Christmas morning breakfast at Boma too. And Kristin has requested breakfast at Fresh again.

There is the Citricos/Narcoossee's debate and I am thinking they would like Flying Fish. And we have the possibility of Victoria and Albert's (Although I am thinking Bob is going to back out of that one )

So, I have some ideas but not much of a plan so far!

and ADRs-tommorrow for Christmas?...having never had to make ADRs for Christmas-is that trickier than the rest of the year due to the volume? Do you have any special tricks or is it pretty much the same as usual? -Either way-Good Luck...

ADRs are on Sunday for the Christmas trip. And it is always hard. Couple that with the fact that free dining will be finishing through that time I think things might be tough to get.

No special tricks that I know. Well, except for one: get a really good friend (who is arriving before you are) to make the Candlelight Processional ADRs!! Thanks to Laura (RachelTori) we will be eating at Biergarten with friends and then seeing Whoopi Goldberg narrate the CP! I am excited to have that taken care of. THANKS, LAURA!!!

Sounds like some nice plans there! I remember that you were very dissappointed in Jiko and that there were a number of not so good reviews at the beginning of 2009. But recently I have read many good reviews. I think they got a new chef early this year. You can tell that the menu has been changed quite a bit. I think lots of the dishes sound wonderful. So I guess Kristin has a point in wanting to try again!

For some strange reason, I have no desire to eat at Citricos. So I would not have that debate! Flying Fish would indeed be a wonderful meal!

The very sad thing about the chef change at Jiko is that we were so excited last fall because Brian Piasecki (of Le Cellier fame) was the new head chef at Jiko and we had an amazing meal there. Two months later he was still listed as head chef but we know now that the change to the chef that is there now was probably happening at that point. Couple that with the fact that we were there for Christmas dinner and it was just a disaster. I understand the chef who is at Jiko is terrific. So that is a plus in their favor. Chefs can make a huge difference in the service as well as the food.

On another tangent... Chef Brian now being at CA Grill won't get myBob there again any time soon. Too many mediocre meals and service for the past couple of years has soured us on one of the seemingly best WDW spots. We just haven't seen it for at least 5 years. And I am not picky; we just have been unlucky, I think.

I had never wanted to eat at either Citricos or Narcoossee's until last fall when we gave them both a try. We had terrific meals at both locations, although our service was actually substandard both evenings. Had we been at a "lesser" restaurant the service would have been adequate, but at a couple of their best? Not acceptable. But, again... we will give them another try. And it might be Christmas!

Bob and I are trying Flying Fish for the first time next month so I am hesitant to book it again until we have eaten there. However, everyone I know who has eaten there lately says it is one of the best meals they have had at WDW.

Older DD, Kathrin, has put in a request for Coral Reef for lunch too. She has not decided when she is joining us yet, but if she wants Coral Reef she needs to get there before Christmas Eve! We are running out of meal slots to fill.

(It appears my October PTR is turning into a December one too... I might have to start a new one and copy/paste all the things that are on here!)

 

[Flossbolna]

I like it how I am already featured on your December PTR without having posted there yet! Your plans sound great, the trip with your friends will be great fun and 13 Christmas trips to WDW are absolutely amazing! We used to travel over Christmas for many years in my family as well and we always enjoyed it. It prevented us from anyone stressing out over the planning and organizing. And everyone was truly free to just enjoy the holidays as a family.

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Yes...and I'm quite anxious to see what you get for ADRs-the tension is mounting...

Actually I'm curious-when you go during Christmas-do you brave the parks on the actual day of Christmas-I've read that they are pretty intense- or do you do a more relaxed dine, hang out together, kind of a thing?

 

[PNO4TE]

Yes...and I'm quite anxious to see what you get for ADRs-the tension is mounting...

Actually I'm curious-when you go during Christmas-do you brave the parks on the actual day of Christmas-I've read that they are pretty intense- or do you do a more relaxed dine, hang out together, kind of a thing?

Sometimes we go into a park on Christmas Day. In the past we have done a little bit of touring World Showcase and checking out the Storytellers back there. Other years we have gone into AK because it is usually the least busy. Once or twice we have gone into HS to view the Osborne Lights. Usually we are not in the parks for very long at all, though. It is not a fun place to be in our opinion!!

And I am curious to see what ADRs I get on Sunday too!!

 

[PNO4TE]

I got Kristin's plane ticket today. AirTran for $109 + fees = $119.20. I had a $30 credit for those changed fares from earlier this week, so OOP expense was under $90. Merry Christmas, Kristin!

 

[PNO4TE]

For TRIP ONE there are no ADRs or meal plans with the exception of my DDA/DIS meet on the 5th. That is one vacation that is easy to do. No plans at all except MVMCP and spending time with good friends wherever that may be.

For TRIP TWO we have some lists to work with finally! I have consolidated them into one list and present them to you. Any suggestions are most appreciated!

Saturday, 12/19 - no plans being made. myBob and I might decide to stop a second night and make our trip very relaxed. I wouldn't mind spending one night at the beach on the way down. hmmmm.... :

Sunday, 12/20 - CP package with dinner at Biergarten before the 8:15 show. Whoopi Goldberg will be the narrator. Someone new!

Monday, 12/21 - open as of now

Tuesday, 12/22 - open as of now

Wednesday, 12/23 - Coral Reef for lunch or dinner; hoping Kathrin will arrive either the evening before or early today so that we can make this work out.

Thursday, 12/24 - Kristin arrives at MCO at 9:30 a.m. so we have the whole day to plan! She will need a nap for certain since I have the towncar picking her up at home that morning at 5:00 for her 7:30 flight. They may actually push that time a bit earlier! Poor thing. Dinner tonight will be at Flying Fish or Citricos or Narcoossee's.

This is still being brainstormed as we like all three menus and the girls have never eaten at any of the three spots. Any thoughts here? Wishes is being shown at 10:00 that night so the view from the Grand would be rather... grand (sorry, I couldn't resist! ).

Friday, 12/25 - Boma for our traditional breakfast about 10:00. I am thinking maybe Raglan Road for dinner if we don't get V&A (or if Bob just says "no way.")

Saturday, 12/26 - annual Girls Only Tea at the Grand.

I will try for an ADR early so that we can put our plan for the evening into affect sooner. We are going to start out with a Progressive Monorail Adult Beverage afternoon and early evening.

After hitting everything we can find in those three resorts we are going to have our much-missed Eat Around the World evening at Epcot. We haven't done that in probably 5-6 years and both girls had it on their list for this trip. We start at one end of WS and stop at every country to share something to eat and drink. Usually takes us a few hours and we can then take the bus back to the resort without fear of not being in any shape to drive!

Sunday, 12/27 - Fresh at the Dolphin for breakfast around 9:00. And then we will start our trek back home.

Please note that Jiko is not on there. I just don't know where we can fit it in this trip.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Just found your new report and I'm jumping on board. I love your Christmas photo from last year. You have a beautiful family Elin. We'll also be at the 12/20 8:15pm show for the CP...so see you there! We're doing Tutto beforehand...so only one country away. LOL!

ETA: I just realized we will see you Christmas morning too. We have 10:15am at Boma. I swear...we are not stalkers.

 

[John's Mom]

I just left a post on your other PTR.

That's a great holiday picture of your family. Your DDs are beautiful! I really enjoyed the slideshows from your last Christmas trip.

I already have a list of adult beverages for our trip. Of course, we will start at the AKL with our two favorite drinks (I always carry the recipes for these drinks with me whenever we go to WDW). Most of the other drinks will be found at Epcot.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Followed your link over and will be reading along!

 

[PNO4TE]

Just found your new report and I'm jumping on board. I love your Christmas photo from last year. You have a beautiful family Elin. We'll also be at the 12/20 8:15pm show for the CP...so see you there! We're doing Tutto beforehand...so only one country away. LOL!

ETA: I just realized we will see you Christmas morning too. We have 10:15am at Boma. I swear...we are not stalkers.

Thanks for the compliments, Alison! And... If we end up at V&A on Christmas Eve, you can accuse me of stalking you! I guess we both just have impeccable taste!

 

[PNO4TE]

I just left a post on your other PTR.

That's a great holiday picture of your family. Your DDs are beautiful! I really enjoyed the slideshows from your last Christmas trip.

I already have a list of adult beverages for our trip. Of course, we will start at the AKL with our two favorite drinks (I always carry the recipes for these drinks with me whenever we go to WDW). Most of the other drinks will be found at Epcot.

Thanks for joining in, Kathy! You say such nice things.

We have to make sure we get together at AKL!!!

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Thanks for the compliments, Alison! And... If we end up at V&A on Christmas Eve, you can accuse me of stalking you! I guess we both just have impeccable taste!

It just proves that great minds think alike. (or should that be great bellies?)

 

[PNO4TE]

Followed your link over and will be reading along!

Thanks!!

 

[PNO4TE]

It just proves that great minds think alike. (or should that be great bellies?)

maybe a little of both!

 

[Flossbolna]

Good luck with the ADRs today!!

 

[PNO4TE]

Good luck with the ADRs today!!

I am working on it, Magdalene! I got everything we wanted EXCEPT I can't seem to book anything at all for Christmas Eve dinner or Christmas night dinner. I am going back in to try again. Thanks for the good wishes!

 

[PNO4TE]

I think I broke the online ADR system this morning.

I got most of what we wanted for our December trip, but when I got to booking Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day dinner I ran into problems. I can get CA Grill on Christmas Eve but the system is too busy to respond to my request for Narcoossee's that night.

I can get Jiko for Christmas night but again the system can't respond to the request for bluezoo or Flying Fish.

I have CA Grill and Jiko booked but we really don't want to eat at either place!

Oh, and I have only been at this for 2 hours this morning. Please note that it is only 5:45 ...