Sungela's PJ & TR Merged! Finally an Update! Faux Disneymoon Time
- Thread starter sungela
- Start date
alissa2008
I'll take two.
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- May 6, 2008
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BEAUTIFUL!!!
lov2b@disney
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2007
- Messages
- 2,115
Just catching up! CONGRATULATIONS! You both looked beautiful!
Sorry about the troubles with the crazy man
Good for Disney with tossing his sorry a-s out! Sorry that you have to deal with people like that, sad that he mad you feel like you couldnt be they way you want
We had the same trouble with ASM-lots of our families stayed there and they put them all clear across the resort from each other--3 of my sisters complained and eventually all had to move to get together- what a pain, but it ended up ok in the end!
Cannot wait to see more and read all about partying like a rock star!!
Sorry about the troubles with the crazy man
Good for Disney with tossing his sorry a-s out! Sorry that you have to deal with people like that, sad that he mad you feel like you couldnt be they way you want We had the same trouble with ASM-lots of our families stayed there and they put them all clear across the resort from each other--3 of my sisters complained and eventually all had to move to get together- what a pain, but it ended up ok in the end!
Cannot wait to see more and read all about partying like a rock star!!
I promise, this section will be short. I just want to put you all in the proper mindset before we even get to Day -1. The weekend before the weekend of the wedding was my little brothers high school graduation, so we were off to Connecticut. I was glad we were there for Noah, but it made us slightly rushed in the days before we left for Florida (on Thursday, to make the timeline understandable).
So rushed, in fact, that we still hadnt picked up Angelas dress from the alterations place, we hadnt made the welcome packets, and we didnt have a pen with which to sign the ketubah. We also hadnt written the programs, which Angela insisted we complete (she wanted all our non-Jewish friends and her family to understand what was going on, a reasonable request). But I am artistically-challenged, and I couldnt figure out how to make a classy looking program. No staples at my wedding! I eventually calmed down, wrote out the text, and sent it to Angelas mother to figure out.
To make matters worse, my MOH, Eileen, came over on Tuesday night which meant we really couldnt get anything done. (I confess, Im a gabber, a yakker, a chitchatter. I cant get anything done when my friends are over. I barely get anything done when Angelas home). And, of course, Eileen forgot her purse at her (now exstory to follow) boyfriends house, so we have to drive an hour (roundtrip) at 11 PM, further diminishing my hopes of finishing anything or packing.
However, having Eileen come over early did help in one area: she noticed that my beautiful tiara was missing one of its gems. Oy vey! I hadnt even taken my precious headpiece out of its box, lest I mess it up somehow. But I showed it to her late Tuesday night, and she saw the problem right away.
Ok, no panicking. Calm, slow breathing. Frantic call to closed bridal store. More calm, slow breathing.
So rushed, in fact, that we still hadnt picked up Angelas dress from the alterations place, we hadnt made the welcome packets, and we didnt have a pen with which to sign the ketubah. We also hadnt written the programs, which Angela insisted we complete (she wanted all our non-Jewish friends and her family to understand what was going on, a reasonable request). But I am artistically-challenged, and I couldnt figure out how to make a classy looking program. No staples at my wedding! I eventually calmed down, wrote out the text, and sent it to Angelas mother to figure out.
To make matters worse, my MOH, Eileen, came over on Tuesday night which meant we really couldnt get anything done. (I confess, Im a gabber, a yakker, a chitchatter. I cant get anything done when my friends are over. I barely get anything done when Angelas home). And, of course, Eileen forgot her purse at her (now exstory to follow) boyfriends house, so we have to drive an hour (roundtrip) at 11 PM, further diminishing my hopes of finishing anything or packing.
However, having Eileen come over early did help in one area: she noticed that my beautiful tiara was missing one of its gems. Oy vey! I hadnt even taken my precious headpiece out of its box, lest I mess it up somehow. But I showed it to her late Tuesday night, and she saw the problem right away.
Ok, no panicking. Calm, slow breathing. Frantic call to closed bridal store. More calm, slow breathing.
Eventually, we went to sleep, only to awaken Wednesday morning, the day before we leave for Disney, with a to do list ten miles long. More calm, slow breathing. First stop: dress alterations place. We dropped off Angela’s dress to be altered on May 19. They promised it would be ready on June 13. June 13 comes and goes, and the alterations people need more time. Ok, no biggie, as long as we have it in hand ASAP. But they want it to be ready on June 18, aka the day before we leave for Disney. Then, on June 17, they start getting snippy. They blame Angela for not coming in to be fitted on Tuesday, even though we’ve explained many times that Angela works in NYC, and is gone from 6 AM until 9 PM just about every day. And they were supposed to be finished so that Angela could be fitted on Sunday, when she would be home. But we go in on Wednesday morning at 8 AM (we were five minutes late because of rush hour traffic, and boy, did we hear about it). They claim that they can’t steam the dress because there won’t be time, and they aren’t going to do one of the alterations they said they would. And as Angela and Eileen leave (I wouldn’t go in—I didn’t want to see the finished product even if I’d seen the dress before), they claim that it wasn’t their fault the dress wasn’t done. Um, then whose fault was it? Grrr….
Next stop: civil union license! We march into the office at 9 AM sharp, only to be asked, “Do you have an appointment?” Um, what, appointment? No, I called and asked about civil unions and read the online stuff, and nowhere was there anything about making an appointment. And the only person who can fill out the paperwork isn’t there. But we wait, and wait, and wait a little more. Finally, the clerk shows up, a little frazzled from her mother’s illness and her son’s newly broken bone. And it’s fine. We apply, with Eileen as our application witness (what a weird system—you need one witness to apply, and two to be certified), and then head out. Of course, the online info said you only needed your social security number, so we didn’t bring the cards, but we live five minutes away and can just pop back with them later.
So we run back to the house, pick up the cards, run to the ATM for cash, dash back to the office, and then we’re on the road. On the road to… the mikvah! The mikvah is a Jewish ritual bath (the origin of the baptism), and it is customary to go for a dunk before you get married. Angela went to the mikvah as part of her conversion process, but I’d never been (neither, actually, had my mom or grandmother; apparently, it was not as customary for Conservative or Reform Jews twenty years ago). Naturally, we get totally lost on the way to the mikvah, and wind up 20 minutes late. But we get there, and it was amazing.
You have to ritually cleanse yourself before you can even get in the bath. Nothing can get between you and the water—including nail polish, makeup, and jewelry. So off, for the first time in four years, came my belly button ring. Ironically, nobody I know (save for Angela, my mother, and my friend Scott, who was there when I got pierced) knew that I had a belly button ring. I just don’t generally show off my torso. But I decided that I didn’t want to wear one as a married woman, and taking it off for the mikvah was as good a time as any.
Stock photo of mikvah, not actual one:
Anywho, we dunked into the water (separately; Angela went first, then me). I felt so intensely clean and purified. And ready to be married. If only the calm, spiritual purity feeling would last…
But twas not to be. We had to rush Eileen off to the train station so that she could go back home. And Angela and I had to rush to the dress alterations place to pick up the dress. At this point, there was no way we were going to pay $450 for the alterations when they didn’t do everything included in the price and they were nearly a week late. (Seriously, she paid just about as much for the alterations as she did for the dress. Still less than my dress, but I’m so glad alterations were included). She isn’t a very good haggler, though, so they only knocked off $50. Whatev. We got the dress, and we’re never going back to use their (overpriced) dry cleaning service.
Meanwhile, I had spent a good amount of time on the phone to my bridal salon. They were so nice and friendly, but they didn’t have the tiara in stock. They got in touch with the designer, and arranged for them to ship it to my Disney hotel. One less thing for me to carry! And if I was tiara-less on the day of the wedding, so be it.
We brought the dress home, and I proceeded to start on my welcome packets. I will include the full text later, but suffice it to say that writing the info sheets took a lot longer than expected. I’m known for my dry, wry, corny sense of humor, and it definitely came out in the packets. While I was writing, Angela napped. Remember this later, when I’m still up at 5 AM and Angela is happily sleeping. Grrr….
Then, 4:00 came, I wake up Sleeping Beauty, and we head out to the next round of appointments. First, our monthly massages. For our anniversary, Angela and I signed up for a monthly massage package at Massage Envy. Best present we could have given ourselves. The massages were great, but I couldn’t at all relax. I hate when I can’t focus on relaxation! But I kept going through everything I didn’t want to forget, writing a mental to do list instead of breathing deeply. Double grrr….
After the massages, we were off to get hair cuts. I was absolutely fine with my hair, given that we were paying someone else to make it look pretty on Sunday. But Angela didn’t want a single split end (odd, because her hair was up, and mine was down for the wedding). I’m glad we did go to the hair salon, though, because my hair looked happy and healthy and ready to be wed.
Alright, it’s 7-ish, I’m semi-relaxed, we have both dresses, the tiara issue is taken care of. It’s time to start panicking.
We rush home so I can finish the welcome packets. We included: an overall welcome letter, Sungela’s Disney Tips, the Wedding Day Festivities schedule, Bridal Party/Special People Special Info, Dessert Party info, and Contact Info. Eight pages, with eight appropriate/horribly corny jokes.
Next stop: civil union license! We march into the office at 9 AM sharp, only to be asked, “Do you have an appointment?” Um, what, appointment? No, I called and asked about civil unions and read the online stuff, and nowhere was there anything about making an appointment. And the only person who can fill out the paperwork isn’t there. But we wait, and wait, and wait a little more. Finally, the clerk shows up, a little frazzled from her mother’s illness and her son’s newly broken bone. And it’s fine. We apply, with Eileen as our application witness (what a weird system—you need one witness to apply, and two to be certified), and then head out. Of course, the online info said you only needed your social security number, so we didn’t bring the cards, but we live five minutes away and can just pop back with them later.
So we run back to the house, pick up the cards, run to the ATM for cash, dash back to the office, and then we’re on the road. On the road to… the mikvah! The mikvah is a Jewish ritual bath (the origin of the baptism), and it is customary to go for a dunk before you get married. Angela went to the mikvah as part of her conversion process, but I’d never been (neither, actually, had my mom or grandmother; apparently, it was not as customary for Conservative or Reform Jews twenty years ago). Naturally, we get totally lost on the way to the mikvah, and wind up 20 minutes late. But we get there, and it was amazing.
You have to ritually cleanse yourself before you can even get in the bath. Nothing can get between you and the water—including nail polish, makeup, and jewelry. So off, for the first time in four years, came my belly button ring. Ironically, nobody I know (save for Angela, my mother, and my friend Scott, who was there when I got pierced) knew that I had a belly button ring. I just don’t generally show off my torso. But I decided that I didn’t want to wear one as a married woman, and taking it off for the mikvah was as good a time as any.
Stock photo of mikvah, not actual one:
Anywho, we dunked into the water (separately; Angela went first, then me). I felt so intensely clean and purified. And ready to be married. If only the calm, spiritual purity feeling would last…
But twas not to be. We had to rush Eileen off to the train station so that she could go back home. And Angela and I had to rush to the dress alterations place to pick up the dress. At this point, there was no way we were going to pay $450 for the alterations when they didn’t do everything included in the price and they were nearly a week late. (Seriously, she paid just about as much for the alterations as she did for the dress. Still less than my dress, but I’m so glad alterations were included). She isn’t a very good haggler, though, so they only knocked off $50. Whatev. We got the dress, and we’re never going back to use their (overpriced) dry cleaning service.
Meanwhile, I had spent a good amount of time on the phone to my bridal salon. They were so nice and friendly, but they didn’t have the tiara in stock. They got in touch with the designer, and arranged for them to ship it to my Disney hotel. One less thing for me to carry! And if I was tiara-less on the day of the wedding, so be it.
We brought the dress home, and I proceeded to start on my welcome packets. I will include the full text later, but suffice it to say that writing the info sheets took a lot longer than expected. I’m known for my dry, wry, corny sense of humor, and it definitely came out in the packets. While I was writing, Angela napped. Remember this later, when I’m still up at 5 AM and Angela is happily sleeping. Grrr….
Then, 4:00 came, I wake up Sleeping Beauty, and we head out to the next round of appointments. First, our monthly massages. For our anniversary, Angela and I signed up for a monthly massage package at Massage Envy. Best present we could have given ourselves. The massages were great, but I couldn’t at all relax. I hate when I can’t focus on relaxation! But I kept going through everything I didn’t want to forget, writing a mental to do list instead of breathing deeply. Double grrr….
After the massages, we were off to get hair cuts. I was absolutely fine with my hair, given that we were paying someone else to make it look pretty on Sunday. But Angela didn’t want a single split end (odd, because her hair was up, and mine was down for the wedding). I’m glad we did go to the hair salon, though, because my hair looked happy and healthy and ready to be wed.
Alright, it’s 7-ish, I’m semi-relaxed, we have both dresses, the tiara issue is taken care of. It’s time to start panicking.
We rush home so I can finish the welcome packets. We included: an overall welcome letter, Sungela’s Disney Tips, the Wedding Day Festivities schedule, Bridal Party/Special People Special Info, Dessert Party info, and Contact Info. Eight pages, with eight appropriate/horribly corny jokes.
And just because I really loved seeing other people’s welcome stuff, I’m including mine for your reading pleasure:
Welcome to Walt Disney World! We are so glad that you are here to share in our special day. We hope that your travels weren’t too taxing (and our sympathies if a) your airline lost your bag; b) you waited 6 hours on the tarmac or c) you were detained by security for saying something vague about your suitcases). No matter what, though, you’re here in the most magical place on Earth, ready to spend your weekend at Sungela’s wedding extravaganza.
There’s a lot to do at Disney, and we have a lot planned for you. Please read over the information provided in this folder, including schedules detailing where you need to be and when, important contact info, and fun/ interesting/mildly amusing Disney facts. Please note that Disney is a stickler for punctuality, so make every attempt to be early to all scheduled events. Our wedding planner has warned that the show waits for no one, including the brides! Besides, you wouldn’t want to risk angering either of the Bridezillas, would you?
Once again, we are thrilled that you are here for us. We know you have many choices for vacations and destination weddings, and the fact that you chose ours means a lot.
All our love,
Sunny & Angela
We might not be full-fledged Disney experts, but we’ve been around the World a few times, and we figured you might want to know what to do with the few minutes that we haven’t overscheduled with wedding funness. Forthwith, our magical Disney tips:
Downtown Disney
Who says that Walt Disney World is all about the parks? Pish posh! The most fun you can have in Orlando doesn’t even cost $100. Take a stroll around Downtown Disney. You can get a calorific bite to eat at Ghirardelli, peruse for overpriced Disney tzotchkes at the Disney Store, and even get dolled up to look like a princess (bridesmen, we’re looking at you). For the shopping-haters, the AMC Pleasure Island 24 offers all the newest releases, including Kung Fu Panda…
Mini Golf
When Disney’s famous Imagineers plot out 18 holes of golf, you know it has to be something special. And the best part is, you don’t need a rental car to get there! Just ask your concierge for a free taxi voucher, and you’re on your way for free. We particularly recommend the Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course next to the Dolphin Resort. It’s the “hippo-est golf around” (I promise, I didn’t make that up).
Disney Quest
It’s late June in Orlando. It’s hot. If you’re anything like Sunny, your skin has become one giant red ball of burn. What better way to pass the time than to duck inside and spend your day reminiscing about the arcade games of your (long or short ago) youth? For just $37, you can go on a virtual magic carpet ride (no pun intended), play pinball to your heart’s content, and design your own roller coaster—then ride it, thanks to the magic of the simulator! Located on the west side of Downtown Disney, it’s pretty easy to spot the five-story building directly across from Cirque du Soleil.
Extra Magic Hours
So you say to yourself, “Self, I want to explore one of the parks. After all, how often do I make it down to Florida?” But which park, and which day? Let us clue you in: if you stay at a Disney resort (aka, All Star Movies or the Caribbean Beach Resort), you’re entitled to enter one hour early or leave three hours late from the parks on specified days. During your trip, there are Extra Magic Hours (EMH) on:
June 20:
Morning EMH at Animal Kingdom • Evening EMH at Magic Kingdom
June 21:
Morning EMH at Animal Kingdom • Evening EMH at Typhoon Lagoon
June 22:
Morning EMH at Epcot • Evening EMH at Magic Kingdom
June 23:
Morning EMH at Hollywood Studios (MGM) • Evening EMH at Animal Kingdom
Buses/transports
Disney is like a small, immaculately clean, and disconcertingly happy city: it has a vast fleet of over 263 buses, numerous boats and, of course, the monorail. And unlike SEPTA, Disney transportation is clean, air conditioned, and fairly reliable. If you’re headed to a park from your resort, you have to wait 20 minutes max between buses. Park transportation begins approx. 1 hour prior to the park's opening time and runs until approx. 1 hour after the parks close. There are also select buses for Downtown Disney and the water parks, but the wait time might be longer.
If you’re going between resorts, you have to take a taxi (ask the concierge) or go to a park first, and then switch buses. It’s fair to say that you should give yourself a solid hour to get anywhere if you’re relying on Disney transport.
Another bad joke du jour:
What do Viagra And Disney World have in common?
They both cause you to stand around for an hour waiting for a two minute ride!
Wedding Day Festivities
It’s the day you’ve all been waiting for: June 22, 2008. Noah’s 18th birthday, Rich’s 49th, the first full day of summer, School Teachers’ Day in El Salvador, and OUR WEDDING DAY!!!
Since you’ve traveled all this way, we don’t want you to miss it, so please be on time to catch the bus.
If you’re staying at the All Star Movies Resort, the bus leaves at 8:30 AM from the main lobby entrance. So wake up at 7:30, grab a quick bite to eat, put on your formal wear and your dancing shoes, and walk down to the main lobby at 8:15. We’re waking up at 4:30 AM for hair and makeup, so I have no sympathy for the night owls.
If you’re staying at the Caribbean Beach Resort, the bus leaves at 8:50 AM from the front of your building. So wake up at 7:50, grab a quick bite to eat, put on your formal wear and your dancing shoes, and walk downstairs.
If you make the horrible mistake of sleeping in, and you—heaven forbid—miss the bus, run to the concierge and ask to get a taxi. It’ll set you back $10-$15, money you could have spent on wedding presents, so try really hard to make the bus pickup time.
The ceremony officially starts at 10:00 AM at Disney’s Wedding Pavilion, with a light pre-reception/really early cocktail hour from 11:00 to 11:45, and the awesomest ever reception from 11:45 to 3:00, both at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. (We have buses to take you between the ceremony site and the reception). If, for some strange reason, you decide to duck out of the reception early, the bus will leave from the Grand Floridian at the top of every hour, with the final bus departing at 3:00 PM. Since we will be providing an open bar for your drinking pleasure, we recommend that you avail yourself of the buses rather than driving to the ceremony or reception. All guests who appear under the age of 30—so really, all of you—must bring IDs, as you will be carded.
Everyone coming to our wedding is special, but some people are more special than others. And that includes you! Here’s the important info of where you need to be and when:
Saturday, June 21, 2008
When? 8:00 AM
Where? All Star Movies
Who? Cliff, Michal, Noah, Rich, Ken, Sunny & Angela
What? Tux fittings and dress steamings
Either you’re at the ASM, or you have to cab it over.
When? 4:30 PM
Where? 1900 Park Faire, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Who? Bridal party and the families
What? Rehearsal Dinner (character dining!)
You have a few transportation options: take the bus to Magic Kingdom, then the monorail to the Grand Floridian; cab it over; or find a willing chauffeur.
When? 8:00 – 9:00 PM
Where? Wedding Pavilion
Who? Bridal party and the families
What? Rehearsal
We’re going to leisurely walk over after the Rehearsal Dinner, and hopefully there will be enough drivers/cars to take everyone home.
When? 10:00 PM
Where? Your hotel
Who? You
What? Sleeping, because you have to wake up super early tomorrow, and Sungela will be very, very angry if you’re hung-over/unkempt/exhausted on their wedding day.
Sunday, June 22, 2008 aka the Big Day!
When: 7:00 AM
Where: All Star Movies
Who: Eileen, Jess, Angela
What: Gettin’ Ready Rag!
Put on Angela’s dress. Pretty simple… it has a zipper.
When: 7:00 AM
Where: ASM
Who: Michal, Cliff, Sam
What: The boys have to be in their formal attire, gussied up and ready to go.
If you are not already at the All Star Movies hotel, TAKE A CAB. There is no other Disney transportation at that time in the morning.
When: 7:30 AM
Where: ASM
Who: Michal, Cliff, Sam, Angela, Christine, Ken, Melissa, Christopher
What: Depart for Grand Floridian
Off you go in the limo!
When: 7:30 AM
Where: ASM
Who: Sunny, Eileen, Jess, April
What: Gettin’ Ready Rag, Part Deux!
Sunny’s dress might be a tad more complicated than Angela’s. Just a tad.
When: 8:00 AM
Where: ASM
Who: Sunny, Eileen, Jess, April, Rich, Sheri, Noah
What: Our chariot awaits…
When: 10:30 AM
Where: Wedding Pavilion
Who: Bridal Party and Families
What: More pictures, please!
Please note: if you miss the bus, you miss the party! Because we’re getting a special tour into the park, you cannot miss the bus. So before you take your post-wedding nap, remember to set an alarm.
If you’re staying at the All Star Movies, the bus will pick you up at 7:40 PM at the main lobby.
If you’re staying at the Caribbean Beach Resort, the bus will pick you up at 7:55 PM at the front of your building.
The party will last from 8:30 to 9:30 PM, and then the bus will take you back to your hotel. Because this is a dessert party, yummy food will be provided.
If you have a park ticket, please bring it to the party. If not, don’t worry about it; we’ll take care of you.
Q: What do you get when you cut a jack o'lantern by its diameter?
A: Pumpkin Pi!
Q: What do you get when you take green cheese and divide its circumference by its diameter?
A: Moon Pi.
Q: What do you get when you take the sun and divide its circumference by its diameter?
A: Pi in the sky.
We’d love to hear from you! You know, in the case of a dire emergency.
Angela:
Sunny:
Ken (Angela’s Dad):
Christine (Angela’s Mom):
Rich (Sunny’s Dad):
Sheri (Sunny’s Mom):
Cliff (Angela’s Best Person):
Eileen (Sunny’s Best Person):
Walt Disney World Info: 407-824-2222
To make dining reservations: 407-WDW-DINE (clever, huh?)
Downtown Disney Tonight Info Line: 407-939-2648 (gives you the scoop on anything that’s going on)
Truly Stupid Joke:
Did you hear about the recent Cell Tower wedding?
These 2 towers met and fell in love....and had a rooftop wedding!
The ceremony was so-so, but the reception was excellent!
Welcome!
Welcome to Walt Disney World! We are so glad that you are here to share in our special day. We hope that your travels weren’t too taxing (and our sympathies if a) your airline lost your bag; b) you waited 6 hours on the tarmac or c) you were detained by security for saying something vague about your suitcases). No matter what, though, you’re here in the most magical place on Earth, ready to spend your weekend at Sungela’s wedding extravaganza.
There’s a lot to do at Disney, and we have a lot planned for you. Please read over the information provided in this folder, including schedules detailing where you need to be and when, important contact info, and fun/ interesting/mildly amusing Disney facts. Please note that Disney is a stickler for punctuality, so make every attempt to be early to all scheduled events. Our wedding planner has warned that the show waits for no one, including the brides! Besides, you wouldn’t want to risk angering either of the Bridezillas, would you?
Once again, we are thrilled that you are here for us. We know you have many choices for vacations and destination weddings, and the fact that you chose ours means a lot.
All our love,
Sunny & Angela
Bad joke of the day:
A man says to his psychiatrist: "Doc, you gotta help me. In the middle of the day, I get the feeling that I am the real Mickey Mouse. Sometimes, I feel I've turned into Donald Duck."
The doctor replies, "How long have you had these Disney spells?"
Sungela’s Disney Tips
A man says to his psychiatrist: "Doc, you gotta help me. In the middle of the day, I get the feeling that I am the real Mickey Mouse. Sometimes, I feel I've turned into Donald Duck."
The doctor replies, "How long have you had these Disney spells?"
Sungela’s Disney Tips
We might not be full-fledged Disney experts, but we’ve been around the World a few times, and we figured you might want to know what to do with the few minutes that we haven’t overscheduled with wedding funness. Forthwith, our magical Disney tips:
Downtown Disney
Who says that Walt Disney World is all about the parks? Pish posh! The most fun you can have in Orlando doesn’t even cost $100. Take a stroll around Downtown Disney. You can get a calorific bite to eat at Ghirardelli, peruse for overpriced Disney tzotchkes at the Disney Store, and even get dolled up to look like a princess (bridesmen, we’re looking at you). For the shopping-haters, the AMC Pleasure Island 24 offers all the newest releases, including Kung Fu Panda…
Mini Golf
When Disney’s famous Imagineers plot out 18 holes of golf, you know it has to be something special. And the best part is, you don’t need a rental car to get there! Just ask your concierge for a free taxi voucher, and you’re on your way for free. We particularly recommend the Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course next to the Dolphin Resort. It’s the “hippo-est golf around” (I promise, I didn’t make that up).
Disney Quest
It’s late June in Orlando. It’s hot. If you’re anything like Sunny, your skin has become one giant red ball of burn. What better way to pass the time than to duck inside and spend your day reminiscing about the arcade games of your (long or short ago) youth? For just $37, you can go on a virtual magic carpet ride (no pun intended), play pinball to your heart’s content, and design your own roller coaster—then ride it, thanks to the magic of the simulator! Located on the west side of Downtown Disney, it’s pretty easy to spot the five-story building directly across from Cirque du Soleil.
Disney Definitions:
Disney World: a people trap operated by a mouse
Disney World: a people trap operated by a mouse
Extra Magic Hours
So you say to yourself, “Self, I want to explore one of the parks. After all, how often do I make it down to Florida?” But which park, and which day? Let us clue you in: if you stay at a Disney resort (aka, All Star Movies or the Caribbean Beach Resort), you’re entitled to enter one hour early or leave three hours late from the parks on specified days. During your trip, there are Extra Magic Hours (EMH) on:
June 20:
Morning EMH at Animal Kingdom • Evening EMH at Magic Kingdom
June 21:
Morning EMH at Animal Kingdom • Evening EMH at Typhoon Lagoon
June 22:
Morning EMH at Epcot • Evening EMH at Magic Kingdom
June 23:
Morning EMH at Hollywood Studios (MGM) • Evening EMH at Animal Kingdom
Buses/transports
Disney is like a small, immaculately clean, and disconcertingly happy city: it has a vast fleet of over 263 buses, numerous boats and, of course, the monorail. And unlike SEPTA, Disney transportation is clean, air conditioned, and fairly reliable. If you’re headed to a park from your resort, you have to wait 20 minutes max between buses. Park transportation begins approx. 1 hour prior to the park's opening time and runs until approx. 1 hour after the parks close. There are also select buses for Downtown Disney and the water parks, but the wait time might be longer.
If you’re going between resorts, you have to take a taxi (ask the concierge) or go to a park first, and then switch buses. It’s fair to say that you should give yourself a solid hour to get anywhere if you’re relying on Disney transport.
Another bad joke du jour:
What do Viagra And Disney World have in common?
They both cause you to stand around for an hour waiting for a two minute ride!
Wedding Day Festivities
It’s the day you’ve all been waiting for: June 22, 2008. Noah’s 18th birthday, Rich’s 49th, the first full day of summer, School Teachers’ Day in El Salvador, and OUR WEDDING DAY!!!
Since you’ve traveled all this way, we don’t want you to miss it, so please be on time to catch the bus.
If you’re staying at the All Star Movies Resort, the bus leaves at 8:30 AM from the main lobby entrance. So wake up at 7:30, grab a quick bite to eat, put on your formal wear and your dancing shoes, and walk down to the main lobby at 8:15. We’re waking up at 4:30 AM for hair and makeup, so I have no sympathy for the night owls.
If you’re staying at the Caribbean Beach Resort, the bus leaves at 8:50 AM from the front of your building. So wake up at 7:50, grab a quick bite to eat, put on your formal wear and your dancing shoes, and walk downstairs.
If you make the horrible mistake of sleeping in, and you—heaven forbid—miss the bus, run to the concierge and ask to get a taxi. It’ll set you back $10-$15, money you could have spent on wedding presents, so try really hard to make the bus pickup time.
The ceremony officially starts at 10:00 AM at Disney’s Wedding Pavilion, with a light pre-reception/really early cocktail hour from 11:00 to 11:45, and the awesomest ever reception from 11:45 to 3:00, both at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. (We have buses to take you between the ceremony site and the reception). If, for some strange reason, you decide to duck out of the reception early, the bus will leave from the Grand Floridian at the top of every hour, with the final bus departing at 3:00 PM. Since we will be providing an open bar for your drinking pleasure, we recommend that you avail yourself of the buses rather than driving to the ceremony or reception. All guests who appear under the age of 30—so really, all of you—must bring IDs, as you will be carded.
(In)appropriate quotation:
“I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” (Rita Rudner)
Bridal Party/Special People Special Info
“I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” (Rita Rudner)
Bridal Party/Special People Special Info
Everyone coming to our wedding is special, but some people are more special than others. And that includes you! Here’s the important info of where you need to be and when:
Saturday, June 21, 2008
When? 8:00 AM
Where? All Star Movies
Who? Cliff, Michal, Noah, Rich, Ken, Sunny & Angela
What? Tux fittings and dress steamings
Either you’re at the ASM, or you have to cab it over.
When? 4:30 PM
Where? 1900 Park Faire, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Who? Bridal party and the families
What? Rehearsal Dinner (character dining!)
You have a few transportation options: take the bus to Magic Kingdom, then the monorail to the Grand Floridian; cab it over; or find a willing chauffeur.
When? 8:00 – 9:00 PM
Where? Wedding Pavilion
Who? Bridal party and the families
What? Rehearsal
We’re going to leisurely walk over after the Rehearsal Dinner, and hopefully there will be enough drivers/cars to take everyone home.
When? 10:00 PM
Where? Your hotel
Who? You
What? Sleeping, because you have to wake up super early tomorrow, and Sungela will be very, very angry if you’re hung-over/unkempt/exhausted on their wedding day.
Words of Wisdom:
A hangover is the wrath of grapes.
A hangover is the wrath of grapes.
Sunday, June 22, 2008 aka the Big Day!
When: 7:00 AM
Where: All Star Movies
Who: Eileen, Jess, Angela
What: Gettin’ Ready Rag!
Put on Angela’s dress. Pretty simple… it has a zipper.
When: 7:00 AM
Where: ASM
Who: Michal, Cliff, Sam
What: The boys have to be in their formal attire, gussied up and ready to go.
If you are not already at the All Star Movies hotel, TAKE A CAB. There is no other Disney transportation at that time in the morning.
When: 7:30 AM
Where: ASM
Who: Michal, Cliff, Sam, Angela, Christine, Ken, Melissa, Christopher
What: Depart for Grand Floridian
Off you go in the limo!
When: 7:30 AM
Where: ASM
Who: Sunny, Eileen, Jess, April
What: Gettin’ Ready Rag, Part Deux!
Sunny’s dress might be a tad more complicated than Angela’s. Just a tad.
When: 8:00 AM
Where: ASM
Who: Sunny, Eileen, Jess, April, Rich, Sheri, Noah
What: Our chariot awaits…
When: 10:30 AM
Where: Wedding Pavilion
Who: Bridal Party and Families
What: More pictures, please!
Yet Another Truly Tasteless Joke:
Why are there so few limo jokes?
Because they’re too long!
Dessert Party
The fun just doesn’t end! If you’re not sick of food and/or our company, join us for a Dessert Party with a special viewing of the fireworks in Epcot. Dress is casual, but we will be outside, so you might want a sweater if it gets chilly.Why are there so few limo jokes?
Because they’re too long!
Dessert Party
Please note: if you miss the bus, you miss the party! Because we’re getting a special tour into the park, you cannot miss the bus. So before you take your post-wedding nap, remember to set an alarm.
If you’re staying at the All Star Movies, the bus will pick you up at 7:40 PM at the main lobby.
If you’re staying at the Caribbean Beach Resort, the bus will pick you up at 7:55 PM at the front of your building.
The party will last from 8:30 to 9:30 PM, and then the bus will take you back to your hotel. Because this is a dessert party, yummy food will be provided.
If you have a park ticket, please bring it to the party. If not, don’t worry about it; we’ll take care of you.
Pi Jokes (get it? Pie, pi. Hehehe.):
Q: What do you get when you cut a jack o'lantern by its diameter?
A: Pumpkin Pi!
Q: What do you get when you take green cheese and divide its circumference by its diameter?
A: Moon Pi.
Q: What do you get when you take the sun and divide its circumference by its diameter?
A: Pi in the sky.
Important Contact Info
We’d love to hear from you! You know, in the case of a dire emergency.
Angela:
Sunny:
Ken (Angela’s Dad):
Christine (Angela’s Mom):
Rich (Sunny’s Dad):
Sheri (Sunny’s Mom):
Cliff (Angela’s Best Person):
Eileen (Sunny’s Best Person):
Walt Disney World Info: 407-824-2222
To make dining reservations: 407-WDW-DINE (clever, huh?)
Downtown Disney Tonight Info Line: 407-939-2648 (gives you the scoop on anything that’s going on)
Truly Stupid Joke:
Did you hear about the recent Cell Tower wedding?
These 2 towers met and fell in love....and had a rooftop wedding!
The ceremony was so-so, but the reception was excellent!
Glorious, isnt it? Only certain people got the Dessert Party sheet or the Special People sheet (obviously). After I finished writing, and adding in all the tasteless jokes, we tried to print out the papers, only to have our printer finally run out of ink (always at the best possible time, right?). We print in dark blue, and set off to buy folders and make copies.
First stop, Walmart. At this point (9 PM), I have my customary conversation with my mother. Were chatting as we stroll the store, looking for folders. Angela spots some beautiful bright-colored ones, we pick out 25, and off we go to Kinkos. We select day-glo paper (orange for the welcome letter, green for the Disney tips, yellow for contact info, pink for the dessert party, etc.), and copy to our hearts content.
Beautiful folders:
Home again, home again, jiggety jig. Were at 10:30, all stores are closed, and we have less than 12 hours til pick up time. We havent started packing, but at least we have the folders and the copied welcome sheets. Except we open the folders, and instead of the beauty of the outside color scheme, it says in huge letters, Lisa Frank Queen of Color. It is fair to say I lost it. I laughed, uncontrollably, for about an hour. I had spent so much time and energy making sure that our wedding was tasteful, and here I was, with folders meant for third graders. In our infinite, sleep-deprived wisdom, Angela and I decided that the best tactic was to cover up the offensive words with stickers. Except we only had small smiley face stickers, and HRC equal signs. I went a little sticker crazy, making smiley face patterns, and stickering up the outside labels.
Queen of Color Attack:
What Queen of Color?
I sticker and sticker until its 4 AM, and Im stickered out. And oh yeah, we still hadnt packed. Angela conked out around 2 AM (she was always the first to nod off at a sleepover party; I was the kid who stayed awake the whole night, dipping everyone elses hands in warm water). So I put everything together, pack it in all in our enormous suitcases (which wed bought on Tuesday night, of course, because we didnt have big enough luggage), print out the info letter for the cat-sitter, run through our packing list a few dozen times, turn off and unplug all appliances, go through the fridge to throw out all food that wont last a week, write my goodbye message on the Dis for all of you, print out all my vendor contact info and reservations numbers, and wait for Angela to wake up.
Next up: Day 0, Off to Disney World! But can it really be that simple???
First stop, Walmart. At this point (9 PM), I have my customary conversation with my mother. Were chatting as we stroll the store, looking for folders. Angela spots some beautiful bright-colored ones, we pick out 25, and off we go to Kinkos. We select day-glo paper (orange for the welcome letter, green for the Disney tips, yellow for contact info, pink for the dessert party, etc.), and copy to our hearts content.
Beautiful folders:
Home again, home again, jiggety jig. Were at 10:30, all stores are closed, and we have less than 12 hours til pick up time. We havent started packing, but at least we have the folders and the copied welcome sheets. Except we open the folders, and instead of the beauty of the outside color scheme, it says in huge letters, Lisa Frank Queen of Color. It is fair to say I lost it. I laughed, uncontrollably, for about an hour. I had spent so much time and energy making sure that our wedding was tasteful, and here I was, with folders meant for third graders. In our infinite, sleep-deprived wisdom, Angela and I decided that the best tactic was to cover up the offensive words with stickers. Except we only had small smiley face stickers, and HRC equal signs. I went a little sticker crazy, making smiley face patterns, and stickering up the outside labels.
Queen of Color Attack:
What Queen of Color?
I sticker and sticker until its 4 AM, and Im stickered out. And oh yeah, we still hadnt packed. Angela conked out around 2 AM (she was always the first to nod off at a sleepover party; I was the kid who stayed awake the whole night, dipping everyone elses hands in warm water). So I put everything together, pack it in all in our enormous suitcases (which wed bought on Tuesday night, of course, because we didnt have big enough luggage), print out the info letter for the cat-sitter, run through our packing list a few dozen times, turn off and unplug all appliances, go through the fridge to throw out all food that wont last a week, write my goodbye message on the Dis for all of you, print out all my vendor contact info and reservations numbers, and wait for Angela to wake up.
Next up: Day 0, Off to Disney World! But can it really be that simple???
OceanGdss
Mrs. Deej696 on 12/18/08
- Joined
- May 29, 2007
- Messages
- 1,314
love the update!!! 
Can't wait for more! Glad you got the tiara fiasco worked out!! Now im wondering....will it make it to the resort? will her head be bare on her wedding day? will Sungela get everything they dreamt of?? Ooooooh....i HATE to be continueds
Can't wait for more! Glad you got the tiara fiasco worked out!! Now im wondering....will it make it to the resort? will her head be bare on her wedding day? will Sungela get everything they dreamt of?? Ooooooh....i HATE to be continuedsThis works:
LOL!
There was definitely a fair amount of
We have a long way to go before we hit Day 1. And Angela wonders why I consider vacations to be stressful...
I just found this....
To start congratulations!!!
Second, um...MORE PLEASE! Waiting...but just because I have to!
Gracias! I'm writing as fast as I can, but I also want to stall so that I can put Misty's photos in the right places.
Go red and blue! Penn is such a romantic school, isn't it? Wait til the wedding day, when we were saluted with the fight song during our staged exit.
What a trip it was! And I haven't even started writing about the Disney part.
Thank you! We were so happy.... well, we get happier as we get closer to the wedding. I cried my fair share.
Thank you!
Hello....Just started reading your PJ.....I am enjoying it so far, even though I am only on page 2!!!
It was a perfect day to get married. The weather was perfect (it rained when we were inside, so we got all the luck of rain on the wedding day without any of the hassle).
Just catching up! CONGRATULATIONS! You both looked beautiful!
Sorry about the troubles with the crazy man
We had the same trouble with ASM-lots of our families stayed there and they put them all clear across the resort from each other--3 of my sisters complained and eventually all had to move to get together- what a pain, but it ended up ok in the end!
Cannot wait to see more and read all about partying like a rock star!!
Yeah, if anyone reading this takes away one thing, it should be: urge people not to stay at ASM. And definitely not the wedding party. It worked out in the end, but what a pain!
lov2b@disney
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2007
- Messages
- 2,115
more...please
DisneyBrideToni
<font color=deeppink>Proud BLT DVC Owner<br><font
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2008
- Messages
- 3,267
I am in love with your TR so far...keep it coming!!
pixiemama3
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2008
- Messages
- 148
i just read this from front to back. everythign was gourgous including both of you..
Congradulations and sorry for the A$$ that is closed minded.
cant wait to see more.
Congradulations and sorry for the A$$ that is closed minded.
cant wait to see more.
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