So, This is What Makes Life Divine...MY FIRST PTR (May/June 2011) *5/27 LAST POST*

[britt_ji]

Welcome to my first PTR!

I'm excited to plan my upcoming trip and hopefully share that excitement with fellow Disney lovers!
I thought making a pre-trip report would be a great way to celebrate my 100 day countdown (which starts today - 2/18/11)!

So, let's get started...

Who: My Family and Me(22)

I'm Brittany. The "trip planner". Soon to be graduate.

What: A college graduation/birthday/first trip celebration EXTRAVAGANZA!

When: May 29 - June 3 (plus a few travel days)

Where: Port Orleans - Riverside

Why: Why not? Actually, I'll get to that in the next post...


If you've made it here...THANKS FOR READING!
There's more to come soon.

Contents:
Free to do it all my way...
We stick together and we see it through...
Tie your napkin 'round your neck, cherie...
Every hour we spent together lives within my heart...
They can't understand, the magic of your wonderland...
Just a week of rest and relaxation...
There's nothin' can upset me, 'Cause now we're on our way...
Look at this stuff. Isn't it neat...
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete...
Be our guest. Oui, our guest...
A dream is a wish your heart makes...
And a smile means friendship to everyone...
Tale as old as time. Song as old as rhyme...
There's more to see than can ever be seen...
There ain't nothing gonna stop me now ‘cause I'm almost there...
More links to follow...


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[britt_ji]

So, here's the "WHY"...

My last/only trip to Walt Disney World...

There we are...my two older brothers, myself, and my mother.
The year was 1992 (I think) and I would start kindergarten in a few months.
Flash forward to 2011 and I'm still waiting on my trip back HOME to WDW.

A few months back, I was having a casual phone conversation with my mother.
We were discussing my upcoming college graduation.
I mentioned (for probably the thousandth time since 1992) that I wanted to go to Disney World.
We had tried to plan other trips before, but nothing ever worked out.
My father and middle brother have gone twice without us

Well, by now you may have guessed, she agreed to my plans.
Our whole family is going together--including my oldest brother, his wife, and my niece.
It will be the two latter's first trip ever

More about our cast of characters in the next post...

Oh, and just for fun, another blast from my Disney past

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[britt_ji]

Our Cast of Characters:

Me, again:

This was the last time I graduated from something...high school.
I'm Brittany. I have the pleasure of planning this trip
I will have my BA in Psychology this May and will be in graduate school this Fall.
More school...but I'm happy.
I've been a Disney fanatic since childhood (thanks Mom & Dad)!
I might be the most excited about this trip, but the others are catching up

Mom and Dad:

My parents at our Tacky Christmas party
They are kids at heart, and I can't wait to see them at Disney.
My Dad loves Disney animated movies. (Lion King and Alladin are his favorites)
Our first day in WDW will actually be my Mom's birthday
(Still trying to plan something special for her!)
She deserves this trip more than any of us...
She's a full-time caretaker to my brother who suffered a spinal cord injury 5 years ago.
She'll love seeing her only grandchild at Disney for the first time.
I'm so glad we all get to do this trip together. It was worth the wait.

My Two Brothers:

We are all in our 20s now...the oldest is pushing 30 ...but sometimes it feels like we're still 4, 6, and 11.
We laugh and argue. They're too overprotective. I still get away with too much. It's great. :
My oldest brother is married with a daughter and we only see each other a few times a year.
Originally, we were only going to bring my niece...but sometimes things just work out better than planned.
My middle brother has been to WDW three times, but this is his first trip back since his accident.
I actually found this forum while looking up information about Disney World for those in wheelchairs.
Thanks to this site, my worries have been put at ease.
We're all going to have a great time

My Sister-In-Law:

She and my brother were married last summer after 8 years together.
Finally, I have a sister after years of bossy big brothers
This will be her first trip to Disney and our first vacation all together.
She's really excited to go, and is working hard to keep the secret from my niece.

My Niece:

She will be 8 when we walk through those gates at Magic Kingdom.
Of all the fun things I'm planning, watching her face when she sees the castle is at the top of my list.
I've been planning great things for the big surprise reveal when we tell her we are going.
In the past 5 years, we have only been able to go to my brother's house together once (when Niece graduated from Kindergarten).
We want to surprise her first by showing up unannounced...then the BIG DISNEY SURPRISE


That's it...
All 7 of us!

Next post will be about the good stuff...
FOOD!
ADRs and other plans coming soon, thanks for reading.
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[britt_ji]

ADRs and Other Planning

So, we've made the decision to go to Disney World...
What now?
It's a big place...lot's to do and see.
We need a hotel and tickets and dates and...

So, my planning began.

Hotel, Tickets, Dates:

We decided on Port Orleans - Riverside.
Well, I decided, but I haven't gotten any complaints
I think the property looks great and a moderate is good for the 7 of us.
5 Day Tickets - No Park Hoppers (didn't think we would need them)
Hope that works out (I think it will)
We needed to go after school let out for my niece, but not too late.
Oh, and I'm sure you have all heard of a thing called FREE DINING...
I've heard mixed reviews, but I think it's a good way to get some character meals in.
So, I decided on May 29 - June 3 (after secretly adding a day to the beginning and end of the original trip)


So, now we have a place to sleep and dates to mark on our calenders.
What else do I need to plan for? Oh, yeah, food...

Free Dining means ADRs (thankfully I found this forum before my 180 day mark)
No Park Hoppers means I needed to decide on park days.
I've made a tentative list, and here it goes...
(Feel free to share your response to it)

ADRs and Parks:

Sunday, May 29
We will drive overnight from my brother's house in Louisiana.
We'll probably use the beginning of the day to rest.
Magic Kingdom is open until 2:00AM for EMH...
So, I want to see the parade and Wishes that night
I also hope to ride the Mountains and anything else I can before 2AM.
No ADRs, but we'll probably use a CS.
I'm also surprising Niece with an appointment for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

Monday, May 30
EPCOT DAY
Lunch: Coral Reef @ 11:40
Dinner: Akershus @ 6:45
Must-Do's: Character Spot, Captain EO, Illuminations

Tuesday, May 31
Hollywood Studios Day
Breakfast: CS - Riverside
Lunch: Mama Melrose's @ 2:20 (Fantasmic Package)
Dinner: CS - Somewhere in DHS (Any suggestions?)
Must-Do's: Indiana Jones, Beauty and the Beast, Fantasmic
My PERSONAL Must-Do's:
Tower of Terror, my #1 priority - it's an absolute MUST for this trip
Voyage of the Little Mermaid, it's the only distinct memory I have of my first/only trip

Wednesday, June 1
Animal Kingdom Day
No ADRs, we plan to use CS for lunch and dinner.
We will probably do lunch at Restaurantosaurus.
I'm too afraid of birds for Flame Tree
Dinner will probably be back at Riverside...
Unless we decide to venture off after AK closes (maybe DTD?)
Must-Do's: Finding Nemo, Lion King, Camp Minnie - Mickey

Thursday, June 2
The Holy Grail...
MAGIC KINGDOM DAY
Okay, so we will have gone to MK already...
But this is the official day!
And we get to ride the MONORAIL thanks to our first ADR
Breakfast: Ohana @ 9:45
Dinner: Crystal Palace @ 4:50
Snack Credits: Funnel Cake @ Sleepy Hollow & Dole Whip @ Aloha Isle
(Yes, I planned snacks )
Must-Do's: EVERYTHING!
Okay, maybe not everything...
Dumbo and Tea Cups for Niece...
Hall of Presidents for Middle Brother...
Meeting Princess Tiana for Me...
Jungle Cruise and it's a small world

Friday, June 3
Our last day
We'll check out and hit the road...
Use some snack credits.
Do some last minute shopping.
Who knows...
I'm not planning this day


There you have it...
Park Days and ADRs.

Thanks for reading!
Not sure what next post will be about yet.
Pre-trip shopping? Surprise plans? We'll see...

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[merbobear]

Subscribing! I have just spent hours toiling over my ADR and we are not even done yet ...and i am glad to see that I am not the only one that is planning out snacks. The Napoleon at Epcot France is calling my name! I have also heard great reviews about popcorn at WDW, so we will give that a go as well, and of course the dole whips and about a dozen other things!

 

[britt_ji]

Subscribing! I have just spent hours toiling over my ADR and we are not even done yet ...and i am glad to see that I am not the only one that is planning out snacks. The Napoleon at Epcot France is calling my name! I have also heard great reviews about popcorn at WDW, so we will give that a go as well, and of course the dole whips and about a dozen other things!

Yes! We have to do popcorn during a parade...and the mickey ice cream bars

 

[creativeamanda]

Joining in! I love, love, love Port Orleans-Riverside. It's been real hard for me thinking about not going home for this coming trip. We have been to all of your ADRs except Akershus for dinner (we did do breakfast).

So excited for you and Congratulations!

 

[teachermommy78]

Following you from my PTR! I'll catch up later!!!

 

[fadingjamie]

Subscribing! Yay for May graduation vacations! Congrats. I'll comment more when I have more time to read everything.

 

[britt_ji]

Joining in! I love, love, love Port Orleans-Riverside. It's been real hard for me thinking about not going home for this coming trip. We have been to all of your ADRs except Akershus for dinner (we did do breakfast).

So excited for you and Congratulations!

Thank you! I really am looking forward to staying at POR. I've heard great things.
Yeah, we're doing lots of character meals (I just added another today ). I'm trying to get the most Disney magic in as I can.

Following you from my PTR! I'll catch up later!!!

Thanks for following and WELCOME

Subscribing! Yay for May graduation vacations! Congrats. I'll comment more when I have more time to read everything.

WELCOME
Congratulations to you, again!

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[britt_ji]

Yesterday, I checked the Disney World website and saw this...

I love that they added this feature in the recent updates!
I'm officially in DOUBLE DIGITS
So, I decided to write another update in my PTR...

Mom's Birthday
I mentioned previously that our first day at WDW will be Mom's birthday.
I tried to think of some special plans for her on May 29th...
Nothing seemed to fit our plans.

UNTIL...

I thought of a great birthday gift for her:

A Carriage Ride!

We will be at Animal Kingdom on June 1 and the park closes at 6:00 that day.
That leaves the night open for pretty much anything.
So, I booked a carriage ride for Mom and Dad at Port Orleans
It's going to be a SURPRISE...
I plan to tell her on her actual birthday (the 29th)
I think she will really enjoy it

I also booked dinner for Mom, Dad, Middle Brother, and Me at Boatwright's.
Our ADR will be after their carriage ride.
I will pay OOP and it's another part of Mom's birthday surprise.

This will also give Oldest Brother and his family time to spend together alone.
I'm sure they will be sick of us by then


Breakfast with Niece...and Daisy

I realize that we already have 3 character meals planned...
But what's one more, right?

My last addition (for now) is Donald's Safari Breakfast at Animal Kingdom.

I will take Niece to Tusker House at 9:25.
All the other adults will get a chance to sleep in...
And we will get to have a girl's breakfast together

I can't believe it's been 6 MONTHS since I've seen her

Niece and I - NYE 2009/2010


Those are the NEWEST plans!
Thanks for reading...

I plan to do future posts about individual days, plans for Niece's surprise, pre-trip shopping, and more...

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[mtgirl29]

Just saw your TR and yours is FABULOUS!!! I need to take some pointers and I didn't realize the trip is only 95 days away....whooohoo!
We are staying at Carribbean Beach, but stayed at POFQ last time. POR looks wonderful as well. I know you can take the boat down to Downtown Disney from those resorts....so worth it! Very relaxing and scenic.
Look forward to reading more!

 

[mtgirl29]

94 days is even better!!!!

 

[fadingjamie]

You are the awesomest aunt EVER! I'm sure just getting to see you after 6 months will be enough but all the little things that you've added with her in mind? Sooo nice!

Your mom's birthday will be really special with all the things you have planned.

Coral Reef... we really enjoyed ourselves there for lunch too. How many will be in your party for that meal? On the day of your reservation, have POR's front desk call the restaurant for you and ask to be seated closest to the tank as possible. If it's a large bunch of you, you won't be up against the glass but rather in a booth on the lowest tier but closest for that size table. It'll be fun!

 

[TanzUnited99]

Have just read all your plans - they sound great!

Am loving the surprise you are going to give to your mum - look forward to reading about her reaction when you tell her.

Definitely check out Karamel Kuche...it is so yummy! I am also looking forward to reading about your dining experiences at Akershus and Donald's Safari Breakfast as we are planning them both in our plans as well

 

[anjalee6]

Following you from our June 2011 thread. Your plans sounds so great and lots of fun!

 

[leshunlenese]

Im here girl! Congrats to you again! i know you are excited. I love the flashback photos!!

 

[mtgirl29]

I think a carriage ride for your mom's birthday is a wonderful idea. She will be sooo surprised. You are such a thoughtful daughter. You are quite the planner with including snacks. LOVE IT!
Look forward to reading more!

 

[britt_ji]

Just saw your TR and yours is FABULOUS!!! I need to take some pointers and I didn't realize the trip is only 95 days away....whooohoo!
We are staying at Carribbean Beach, but stayed at POFQ last time. POR looks wonderful as well. I know you can take the boat down to Downtown Disney from those resorts....so worth it! Very relaxing and scenic.
Look forward to reading more!

Thank you! I'm still trying to get used to posting, but having fun learning.

We're so close to May! Carribbean Beach looks like a great resort, too.

I really want to try the boat ride at POR.
I was thinking of doing it on our last day, or maybe in the evening during the week.
Not sure how it will work out, but I think we can fit it in somewhere.

You are the awesomest aunt EVER! I'm sure just getting to see you after 6 months will be enough but all the little things that you've added with her in mind? Sooo nice!

Your mom's birthday will be really special with all the things you have planned.

Coral Reef... we really enjoyed ourselves there for lunch too. How many will be in your party for that meal? On the day of your reservation, have POR's front desk call the restaurant for you and ask to be seated closest to the tank as possible. If it's a large bunch of you, you won't be up against the glass but rather in a booth on the lowest tier but closest for that size table. It'll be fun!

Aww, thanks! That's such a great compliment I try to be as awesome as possible

There will be 7 of us at Coral Reef. Thank you for the tip! I will definitely do that...
I was planning to request when we got there, but I will for sure have the front desk call.

Have just read all your plans - they sound great!

Am loving the surprise you are going to give to your mum - look forward to reading about her reaction when you tell her.

Definitely check out Karamel Kuche...it is so yummy! I am also looking forward to reading about your dining experiences at Akershus and Donald's Safari Breakfast as we are planning them both in our plans as well

I am excited about getting to surprise her! She won't be expecting it at all.

Thank you for reading! I'll be sure to take and post lots of pictures ​

 

[britt_ji]

Following you from our June 2011 thread. Your plans sounds so great and lots of fun!

Thank you for reading!
We're definitely hoping for lots of fun!

Im here girl! Congrats to you again! i know you are excited. I love the flashback photos!!

Very excited...for the trip and graduation

Thanks...I plan to post more flashback pictures after I visit my parents.
I need to go through their photo albums.

I think a carriage ride for your mom's birthday is a wonderful idea. She will be sooo surprised. You are such a thoughtful daughter. You are quite the planner with including snacks. LOVE IT!
Look forward to reading more!

Thank you! I think she'll really enjoy it.
Plus, it's great that I finally GET to do things for her

Haha...after reading other PTRs, I'm comforted in knowing that there are other people out there that plan snacks. I guess reading dining reviews and trip reports on the DIS just makes you want to try so many things


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