So This is Love...Celebrating 1-Year Disney-Style! **BYE! 7/31 p.3**

[Wonders10]

Hi everyone! I’m back and going to attempt another pre-trip/trip report! I do appreciate those who read and comment, and I enjoy being able to “talk” about all things related to my vacation, so I’m giving it another go!

First the Basics:

The Who
Shannon

32, speech-language pathologist in South Florida where I work in various school settings. I love Disney, but with work and the “real world”, I don’t get there as often as I used to. My last 2 trips were overnighters in September and December of 2012.

Jeff

36, my boyfriend and he works in home health. He thinks he went to Disney once when he was 8 years old, but most recently went with me on the September and December trips mentioned above.

The When
August 2-5. 2013

The Where
Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort

The Why
Our 1-year anniversary! Ok, time for the sappy stuff. I have not had many relationships in the past for a variety of reasons. And those that I had were not that great, obviously. Truthfully, I was lonely and at the age where everyone around me was getting married and starting a family. So summer 2012, I moved back “home” (meaning South Florida) and decided to be proactive about my life. I joined many online dating sites – I should write a book about my experiences. It was hilarious. But then one day I winked at “Jeff”, and he winked back. We emailed, exchanged numbers and texted each other all day long, arranging to meet the next night for a drink. I felt in my gut that this would go well, but I was SO nervous. So on Saturday, August 4, 2012 I met him at a restaurant half way between where we each lived and talked for hours. When he sent me a text asking if I got home okay, I was smitten lol. The next day we texted a lot and met for lunch the day after that. By the end of the week, we had been on 3 dates and the rest is history. His roommate moved out in November and he asked me to move in, along with my huge 63lb goldendoodle, Winston, and I have never been happier. He is my best friend. Jeff is funny and silly, but has been through a lot and sometimes doesn’t feel like he deserves to be happy and have good things happen to him. He also loves how Disney allows him to escape reality (one of the things I love too!).

Even our dogs love each other! My Winston on the left and his little mutt, Sazzy on the right:

Awhile ago (optimistic we’d have a 1-year anniversary), I mentioned going away that weekend, and threw out a lot of ideas, but I always would think of Disney. To me, it has it all and you can really make it the trip you want – romantic, casual for adults or go go commando morning to night. Or a little bit of both! So Jeff is so easy-breezy, he didn’t care where we went as long as it wasn’t too expensive and he didn’t have to miss a lot of work. So we’ll be leaving Friday morning and heading back home Monday morning. 3 nights, almost 3 full days and we’ll have a blast! I’m so excited to have a Disney vacation with my sweetie!

We finally settled on the Wyndham Bonnet Creek because it allows us to have a full kitchen and separate rooms, a must for him and his sleeping issues. The resort is practically on Disney property and costing us the same as the moderate Disney resort I thought we’d be staying at. I’m actually really looking forward to staying there…it looks great and I haven’t read anything negative yet. I just sent in our rental agreement and the deposit yesterday so we are official!

That’s it for now! There is still lots to do…where will we eat, what parks will we visit, etc but there is plenty of time for that! Stay tuned and thanks for reading!

 

[Eventer98]

I've never been the first to respond to a pre-TR before! How exciting!! I can't wait to read more about it..esp since I will need something to pass the time between my May and Nov trips!! I also met my husband on Match...I was a nanny and obviously met NO ONE through work. I was on there off and on for years because I was so picky until it finally worked out. Glad to hear you had success with it too!
P.S. It's Tara

 

[Wonders10]

Obviously, I have been many, many, many times to WDW and visited all the parks a countless number of times and I could go another countless number of times. Jeff loved his visits with me at MK, Epcot and a teeny peek of Disney Studios, but wants to see the things he has never done before. So that would be Animal Kingdom and most of Disney Studios.

And DisneyQuest because I opened my big mouth and told him it’s basically a 5-story arcade and deep down, Jeff is a 12 year old boy . So those are our must-do places to visit! I'm actually really excited because poor Animal Kingdom always gets tossed out on my visits because we don't have time to fit it all in, so I'm looking forward to having a whole day to enjoy it!

 

[wiigirl]

In for your PTR!

 

[Wonders10]

Staying off property (technically) means that a package is not an option for us so no dining plan and now the big issue is what tickets do we buy?! What I wanted to do was get a Florida resident 3-day ticket with water park and more option. It’d allow us admission to AK, DS, and a couple visits to DQ, plus maybe even an extra park on our arrival day for dinner and a couple rides or something. But everyone is telling me that the 3-day ticket is blacked out for the time we’ll be there. I understand the $119 ticket would be because it’s a really good deal, but I’m fine paying the listed price of $194 – how could that be blacked out too? Florida residents aren’t allowed to buy 3 or 4 day tickets? It doesn’t make sense. Not that I don’t trust the DIS because they haven’t steered me wrong yet, but I may call and talk to someone. If the 3 day ticket is really not an option at all, then my next thought was to purchase a 1-day Fl. Res. ticket plus a 1-day ticket with water park and more option for both of us. A 3-day ticket would be a better value, but the other option is a similar price and gives us what we need.

 

[Wonders10]

I've never been the first to respond to a pre-TR before! How exciting!! I can't wait to read more about it..esp since I will need something to pass the time between my May and Nov trips!! I also met my husband on Match...I was a nanny and obviously met NO ONE through work. I was on there off and on for years because I was so picky until it finally worked out. Glad to hear you had success with it too!
P.S. It's Tara

Hey...thanks for coming over! Its amazing how many people say "so and so met their DH on match, or wherever". Years ago I would have been almost embarassed to say anything like but now no one bats an eyelash. Its hard though...I work and always have worked in a school with 98% women, who were mostly married or still in their party-girl phase.

In for your PTR!

Welcome!

 

[Eventer98]

What about a FL resident AP? They offer those right?? It has to be worth it if you go at least twice a year....esp since it comes with park hopper. I get the DVC member AP and it's $100 off...totally worth it if you do at least two trips/yr, which we do. Just an idea!

 

[Wonders10]

What about a FL resident AP? They offer those right?? It has to be worth it if you go at least twice a year....esp since it comes with park hopper. I get the DVC member AP and it's $100 off...totally worth it if you do at least two trips/yr, which we do. Just an idea!

We really only need 2 park days and I have no idea when he/I/we will return to the parks so the AP just doesn't seem economical for us right now. Plus we'll still need a ticket for DQ. I'm tempted to get one for me, but I really can't justify $400 right now when I only need $200 worth of tickets. But of course I have time to change my mind and a couple things have popped up that might change our plans a wee bit (but the trip is still on!)...

 

[Wonders10]

Woo-hoo! It's the weekend. I failed to mention in my intro and other posts that I have been really sick since last weekend. The Dr. says upper respiratory infection, I say possible bronchitis because it just seems worse than a URI. Either way, I'm coughing, blowing my nose constantly, had a fever for 4 days straight and missed 3 days of work. Made it through today okay, but I'm really tired and really glad its the weekend!

Speaking of weekends, Jeff and I will be heading out of town for an overnight tomorrow in Jupiter, Fl, a small town about an hour north of where we live. Its just a quick getaway for the 2 of us because we have had some rough moments the past couple weeks and need to have fun and enjoy life a little. I'll try to do a mini-TR when we return. Have a great weekend everyone!

 

[Wonders10]

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend whatever you did. Jeff and I had a wonderful time visiting Jupiter, Fl for an overnight. Its such a great, beautiful town.

I was a little nervous during the week leading up to it because of the weather, and for once the weathermen were right. Our drive up there was through a downpour.

Hoping the weather would clear up!

As we got near the hotel, we stopped in a shopping area and debated heading back home and just calling the hotel cost a wash since everything we planned on doing was outdoors. But I figured we were going to be spending the money anyway and we might as well just make the best of it. And boy were we glad we did. We got to the hotel and brought our things to the room

And wouldn’t you know it…the rain stopped and I was actually seeing sunshine and blue skies!

We decided to head out and grab some linner (lunch/dinner) and found Bubba Gumps Shrimp Co. not far from our hotel. Which Jeff was really excited about for some reason. Since the weather was finally getting better, we opted to eat outside and had a great view of the intracoastal and the famous Jupiter lighthouse.

After lunch I wanted to head to the beach to see what is called the Blowing Rocks, but it was closed so we headed to a public beach down the street for a short walk.

*Continued in next post*

 

[Wonders10]

Summer is coming in Florida because even at 5pm, we were both sweating! We thought about heading back to the hotel for a swim, but then I remembered there was a minor league baseball game nearby that was starting soon so we opted to do that instead. 20 minutes later we were pulling up to the stadium. Since its minor league and not too popular, tickets are incredibly cheap and we were able to sit anywhere we wanted. I let Jeff do the seat picking and he chose right behind home plate.

We stayed for a few innings but Jeff was getting hungry so we headed out before the game ended and started the drive back to the hotel. We decided to stop at TooJay’s deli since we know its good food. It was good but boy were they slow! After finally finishing our meal and paying, we headed back to the hotel to unwind before getting a good night’s sleep.

The next morning, I was up first and showered and dressed. While Jeff was waking up, I headed to the hotel lobby for the free continental breakfast, just simple cereal, muffins, oatmeal, coffee and juice. I couldn’t carry too much so my first trip was for coffee and juice. Jeff was still trying to wake up (lazybones…) so I headed back down again, this time bringing my iPhone to take some pictures of the pool area and the view.

Then I went back inside and grabbed a small bowl of cereal for myself and made oatmeal for J, who was finally up and in the shower when I got back to the room. We finished getting ready, packed up and checked out with a destination of visiting the Blowing Rocks, since we missed it yesterday. I had been here years ago and it was very scenic.

Well, this time not so much. It was a beautiful beach of course, but I think maybe the tide was out or something because I didn’t say any waves crashing (blowing?) against the rocks. Oh well, it was on the way and my curiosity was satisfied. We tried to find a cute little café the hotel manager recommended but we couldn’t seem to find it so we headed back to TooJay’s for a yummy breakfast before driving to my mom’s to get our dogs. Overall it was just what the doctor ordered for Jeff and myself even if it was a really short trip. I’d love to go back for 2 nights and Jeff and I even said how much we’d like living there.

So that was my weekend! Hopefullly more Disney planning will be happening. I’m thinking of printing some menus for J to peruse and help decide where we should go for our anniversary meal.

Have a great week! Thanks for reading!

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

Hi Shannon, I'm here too!!! Thanks for following along with my report

 

[Wonders10]

Hi Shannon, I'm here too!!! Thanks for following along with my report

Hey Megan! Welcome! Thanks for reading...stick around!

 

[Wonders10]

Hi everyone! Nothing too major in my planning, but I have checked out the park hours and I'm trying to make an itinerary for our trip. Because it is April and our trip is 4 months away, I will be calling this a tentative version of a tentative itinerary. It will most certainly change over the next few months, and I even anticipate it changing once we arrive in Orlando. But I like to plan and know we have something to follow if needed. So here we go:

Friday 8/2/13
I'd love to leave the house by 8am. But Jeff isn't as OCD and eager as me in that sense so we'll probably leave closer to 9. After a few stops because J has the bladder of a 90-year old woman, we'll be arriving at Disney! I thought we'd check in to the resort first, on the off chance our room is ready. Then, its off to lunch at ESPN Club on the Boardwalk since J really likes it there and then grocery shopping to get our snacks and breakfast items. Hopefully by the time we arrive back at the resort, our room will be ready if it wasn't earlier. Then we'll unpack and probably head out to DisneyQuest. Dinner will be at DTD somewhere - suggestions?

Saturday 8/3/13
Today will be Animal Kingdom day! I want to get there as close to park opening as possible and I'm hoping to make a lunch ADR at Yak-N-Yeti, just in case we want a cool, sit down restaurant to relax in. I'm thinking we will need a nap/pool time in the afternoon so after that, our plans are up in the air. Maybe another trip to DQ (because we have the ticket) or some miniature golf? Our dinner plans are also completely undecided.

Sunday 8/4/13
Happy Anniversary to us! We'll be celebrating at DHS today, and our lunch ADR will be at the Sci-Fi Drive, which I've been wanting to try forever! Jeff thought it looked neat as well. Again, a nap/pool time perhaps and tonight will be our romantic anniversary dinner at a still to be determined restaurant. Suggestions? Depending on where we have dinner, we might walk around at that resort for a bit before heading back to our resort.

Monday 8/5/13
Jeff has said he wants to be able to go into work for a little bit so we'll probably be leaving in the morning so we get back around noon. I'd love for him to change his mind, but I'm fine either way since I usually don't do much on our departure days anyway.

So that's it! I think our next big decisions will be dining and ADRs so stay tuned for that!

Thanks for reading!

 

[Eventer98]

Loved your weekend getaway pics...esp the Juniper Lighthouse. My son loves lighthouses and one of the reasons we go to Maine each summer (and to see my aunt and uncle..lol) Looks like you had a great weekend!
Your itinerary looks great too...nice and relaxing!! For a a romantic dinner what about Narcooses? DH and I went there when DS was only 9 months. I had a drapey sweater on and reached across for some bread and it caught on fire...they have real candles on the table! Good thing it went right out and even my sweater wasn't damaged!

 

[Wonders10]

Loved your weekend getaway pics...esp the Juniper Lighthouse. My son loves lighthouses and one of the reasons we go to Maine each summer (and to see my aunt and uncle..lol) Looks like you had a great weekend!
Your itinerary looks great too...nice and relaxing!! For a a romantic dinner what about Narcooses? DH and I went there when DS was only 9 months. I had a drapey sweater on and reached across for some bread and it caught on fire...they have real candles on the table! Good thing it went right out and even my sweater wasn't damaged!

The lighthouse is neat. We wanted to climb and visit the museum (the lighthouse keeper's cottage), but just didn't have time with the weather acting up and us arriving later than I had hoped. I definitely am trying not be so commando, for myself and because Jeff will not enjoy that! Narcooses' is on the potential restaurant list, so stay tuned and see what we choose...

 

[Wonders10]

Hi everyone! Hope you had a great weekend! Below are two small updates! Enjoy!


Dining Discussions
I know ultimately, I will have the final say in where we dine simply because Jeff doesnt know any better lol. But I am definitely keeping his likes in the back of my head when choosing restaurants and a couple of days ago, I printed out some menus from AllEars for him to look over (basically the restaurants I mentioned in one of my earlier posts). I showed him some pics from Sci-Fi at DHS and he said that does look fun. So, I want to get these ADRs done, even if we end up not using them just to make sure we have options if its hot and crowded and we want a nice, cool indoor sit down lunch, you know?

So yesterday, well just sitting at the table, having lunch and I decide Im going to stop being so nice about the Disney planning and take some initiative. I handed him the menus and told him to look through them  we need to make reservations for our anniversary! He browsed through some and once he got to Yachtsman Steakhouse, he said Doesnt Don Shula have a restaurant at that hotel we stayed at? remembering Shulas at the Dolphin (where we stayed in September 2012). I remembered reading a review of Shulas on the Disney food blog so I quickly pulled it up and had him start reading. Jeff loves anything related to football, and knows that it must be pretty darn good food too. So, despite the huge price tag, it sounds like our anniversary dinner will be spent at Shulas! Im so totally ok with this, I just wanted a nice adult meal for the 2 of us. We are concerned about the price and the amount of food since we cant exactly take the leftovers with us. Well we could, but we are leaving the next day. So I thought itd be okay if we split an appetizer, entrée and 2 sides, and probably dessert? Id probably get a drink as well. Anyone think the restaurant would frown on sharing?

So, my goal for this week is to book our 3 ADRs that I know we will want then I will start thinking about our other dinners for Friday and Saturday!

Another trip to WDW?
Before Jeff and I agreed to do Disney for our anniversary, I still really wanted to head back at some point over the summer. So I didnt think Jeff would want to go in June because he travels to NJ to visit family so I went with my old standbys&my mom, niece and nephew who have been my constant trip companions for years. My mom was in! The kids were in too, but my nephew (age 10) plays baseball practically year round and the schedule was not available to know what dates would work for him. So&fast forward to this weekend when my mom went to visit them and discussed Disney. My sister-in-law said that we should just pick a weekend, bring my niece (age 12) and if my nephew doesnt have baseball, then he can come too! So&it looks like Im going to get a second trip to WDW this summer. We are thinking June, right after school gets out and just for a couple nights. And we will probably stay at a value resort to save money. The itinerary is of course still undetermined. But stay tuned! I may incorporate some of that planning into this pre-trip report!

 

[blessedmom4]

Hi Shannon! How happy was I to see this PTR and all of your new, exciting news! Just wanted to say I am sharing in your good fortune and loved seeing Winston again!

 

[Wonders10]

Hi Shannon! How happy was I to see this PTR and all of your new, exciting news! Just wanted to say I am sharing in your good fortune and loved seeing Winston again!

Hi Judy! Thanks for stopping by! I saw your new trip report and have peaked a few times, but don't have tons of time to DIS these days. How are you and your family?

It's funny, I re-read my trip report ("I made plans and God laughed") and I was such a downer! I would never have imagined a couple years later, I'd be so happy and with such a great guy.

 

[Wonders10]

Hello DISers! Hope you all enjoyed your weekend. I had a pretty good one. On Saturday, I visited my mom and had breakfast with her. Then, Jeff and I went to the local zoo! I love zoos! Today, I hit the pool at our clubhouse and despite my fair, freckled skin, I actually got a little tan! It was a lazy Sunday around here, just the way I like it.

I officially made some ADRs so that is a load off my mind. We have lunch at Yak-N-Yeti during our Animal Kingdom day, lunch at Sci-Fi on our DHS day, and then the biggie….our anniversary dinner at Shula’s Steakhouse at the Dolphin Resort. Ooh la la. Dinner on our arrival night and Saturday night is up in the air, but I made the ones I was most eager to have so its good enough for now.

I also decided that I will be purchasing the Tables in Wonderland Card which for those that don’t know, is available to Annual Passholders and Florida Residents (me!). It gives you 20% off (including alcohol) most table service restaurants and some counter service restaurants in the world, such as food courts at a resort that does not have a sit down option (i.e. Pop Century). I didn’t really think we’d save enough to make the cost of the card worth it during this vacation, but…

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I’ll be able to use it when I go in June with my mom, 12 year old niece and (hopefully) 10 year old nephew! My sister in law finally gave us the go ahead that we could book the trip and if my nephew does not have a baseball game, he will be able to join us. If not, it will be us girls. Hopefully none of you will mind me talking about that trip in this pre-trip here and there.

My “job” this week is to actually book this second trip, but it looks like we are going to stay at Pop Century and for the first time ever, get a Magic Your Way Package. We are only staying 2 nights and will have one full park day – either Magic Kingdom or Epcot. Then on our arrival day, I plan on using the miniature golf tickets that come with the package, swim at the resort and explore DTD. More details to follow plus an introduction to the cast!

Stay tuned! Thanks for reading!