Tale of Two Princesses...Finally, an update! June 3rd.

[abcangie87]

Alright. I'm gonna do a trip report. We don't leave for about a month, so we're going to start with a PRE trip report. My brain can't keep up with doing them in two separate threads so we'll just start here with the back story, and chit chat plans the next month and roll right into the TR after that!

Who's with me?!

I promise that I'll try to be more interesting than the stupid shows your spouse may watch like Ax Men, Swamp Loggers, Ice Road Truckers.

Definately the DIS is more interesting! I gotta tell ya, I love the DIS. I met one of my dearest most wonderful friends via the DIS last year on our cruise thread, and am so blessed.

Alright, so a bit about us. This trip consists mostly of Me, DH, DD8, and DD4.
Here we are on our cruise from 2011.

Flying down and back with us are the MIL and the FIL, but they are not doing WDW with us (they've done the past four vacas with us, so we said we are doing our own thing this trip, plus MIL didn't really want to do WDW again and we did). They are going on a tour-de-Florida while we do the world.

After we got this trip booked, my mom asked if we would let her and stepdad tag along. He's never been to WDW before. We really wanted to stick with doing our own thing, but also wanted to share the MAGIC of WDW with other members of our family too, so we said they could come along for the last 3 nights there. They are going to Sarasota to visit Gma for a few day before they come to the World.

Since we've been married, (13 years), DH and I have been to WDW 5 times, and on three Disney cruises. DCL by the way. DD8 has been on the three cruises with us and at WDW three times, and DD4 has been on two cruises, and two WDW trips. I think we've got them hooked.

DD8's first time meeting the mouse, at age 3

DD4's first Disney vaca, that was the one day MK and the 7 night cruise. I have to share this picture because it's so cute.

Okay....so you've been introduced to the gang for the most part! In the next post, I'll tell ya a bit about our resort and dining plans!

Oh, and I forgot to tell you, the girls don't know about this trip! It's a surprise!!!

 

[abcangie87]

So this trip started out being just the four of us, and we were going to just do six nights at our home resort, Bay Lake Tower.

We usually fly in the day before and just stay at an airport hotel so we can start our Disney stay fresh and not airline-exhausted.

So we had a one-bedroom booked at BLT. A one-bedroom instead of a studio b/c we wanted washer/dryer in room so we didn't have to pack as much.

Them my Mom/Stepdad decided to come along. Because I'm a points hoarder, I dropped our first three nights down to a standard studio, and then switched the last three nights to a two-bedroom. I hate switching rooms mid stay, but it was just the way it was going to work the best.

We LOVE the pool at BLT by the way.

Now, all this time, we keep telling the girls 'we haven't decided what to do for vaca this year, but we are going to Hawaii in 2013!!"

All DD4 has said for the last few months is that she wants to go to the beach! I kept telling her I didn't think the beach was in our plans this year. She is a DCL/Castaway junkie

We toyed around with about 438 different options of how to incorporate beach time into the trip but without spending more money or using much more vacation time. Yes, I hoard DVC points, and hubby-vaca-days.

Finally, after reading nickandlogansdad's trip report here on the DIS for a second time, I had an epiphany ya Rob

We could stay at Disney's BEACH CLUB the night we fly in instead of an airport hotel, and spend that evening at Stormalong Bay and maybe part of the next morning. I decided I could spend the points for that one extra night and still have enough to roll over for our Hawaii plans.

Seriously, does anyone else know what they are doing for vacation two years down the road? Because I do!!

I wasn't sure it was going to make a lot of sense, or that we would get in the 'beach' time we wanted this way, until I decided on our flights. We are flying SW for the first time (and paid extra for that priority zoning thing or whatever it is), and are on a non-stop flight going down. Amen! If all goes well, we'll be on the ground by noon that day.

So!!! Kansas City on a Friday night.

Reveal the big surprise Saturday morning and get on a flight.
Check in for one night at the Beach Club on Saturday. Swim Swim Swim.

Send the bags to Bell Services on Sunday morning and head off to a park. Meet bags over at Bay Lake on Sunday afternoon to check into our studio for three nights.

Wednesday morning, Mom and stepdad arrive and we switch over to a two bedroom.
Fly home the following Saturday.

 

[abcangie87]

Apparently, i need to do a better job of resizing my pictures on photobucket. Forgive me, It took me forever to remember how to even post pictures on here!

One more real quick post on here to tell you our dining plans, then I better go be productive

We are still on the fence about getting the QS dining plan for our beach club night. If we go over to Wolfgang Puck Express that eve, it's worth it. If we don't, we dont think it will be. So that is on the fence.

We are doing the standard dining plan the other six nights. We've got dinner reservations at
1900 Park Fare (I love the strawberry soup, thought the food was fine last time, and it is an easy way for some Princess time!).

Fantasmic dinner package at Mama Melrose's. I went back and forth between this one and Hollywood/Vine.... and I'm still not completely sold on either of them, but we have NEVER seen Fantasmic and I think this is the way to do it. So Mama's it is!

Chef Mickey's..again...easiest way to see characters IMO. plus it's at the Contemporary/our hotel and we love that.

For the first time we are hitting the Cape May Cafe Beach Blanket buffet/clam bake thing. I'm a crab leg fan, so I have high hopes for this one!

Also for the first time we are hitting Whispering Canyon Cafe. I've sent many clients there and hear that it is a very fun atmosphere, so thought we'd try it out.

Last but certainly not least, dinner at O'hana's. I know there are Lovers and haters of Ohanas but I gotta tell you, we it. Cannot wait. We always eat there and are always happy.

For quick service meals, we'll probably hit Flame Tree BBQ, the taco place in Adventureland, Cosmic Rays, another stop at WPE, and I dont know what else. Feel free to shout out your fave counter services for me!

I'm sure I'll post several random things over the next month or so, to pass/kill the time. Not that I don't have anything else to do!Nothing at all.

Stick around, my friends! Say hi!

 

[NateNLogansDad]

I'm in!!!!

 

[PrepandLanding]

Your trip sounds wonderful. I'm not sure when you are going, but I read Stormalong Bay is being refurbished April 9/12 - April 23/12. Hope this doesn't interfere with your dates.

 

[abcangie87]

Your trip sounds wonderful. I'm not sure when you are going, but I read Stormalong Bay is being refurbished April 9/12 - April 23/12. Hope this doesn't interfere with your dates.

I read that too and initially had a bit of a heart attack, but from whatI understand it is mostly the big slide that will be down. We will be there a few weeks after those dates so we should be good to go, but as long as we can have some sand in our toes and play in the pool, we'll be happy!

 

[burly]

Sounds like fun.

 

[wakica]

joining in. Found you on the May DISers Facebook page We'll be heading down around the same time as you so I'll be interested to see if we are in any of the same parks

Sounds GREAT so far. We still have a cruise on our docket so I'm jealous of your cruisin We planned to this time but we ended up having a destination wedding to photograph while down there so the cruise got put off.

 

[abcangie87]

I posted this in it's own thread before I decided to do a PTR, but wanted to stick it in here too. We have been all over the board on how to surprise the girls for this trip.

Some friends are like 'aren't they expecting to go to Disney this year, since you guys go to WDW or a DCL every year?!"

Fortunately, the girls have not reached the 'expect to' do anything stage of life. So, although they have mentioned many times 'when we go on vacation' they don't have any idea when/where/what the plans this year might be.

We've finally told them we are going to KC for a long weekend (so they can say goodbye to the furball), and that's it. We are going to spring the trip on them that Saturday morning at the KC hotel before we load up and head to the airport.

I made a book and when we get up, we're going to tell DD8 "why don't you sit and read to Hannah for a little bit while we get ready?"

Here's the big reveal link, where I posted the entire book that I made. Personally, I'm totally excited about this and think it's so fun!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2897214

 

[wakica]

The story is SO great!!!! you are so creative I wish I could be a bug on the wall when they read it

 

[salann]

Joining in from the FB goup! We are doing a surprise trip for the kids as well!! the BLT looks amazing

 

[abcangie87]

Last year for our cruise, I really wanted to make some kind of journal/book for the girls but I couldn't figure out a good way to print some of the things I found on the Disigns here.

Now that I discovered that I can (currently) print 8x11 color prints at UPS store for 25cents each, I'm on a roll!

I found this thread here on the boards with some cute journal pages. I wanted to make some more of my own as well, so I did. They are not quite as fancy as the ones I found on here, but I'm still a novice at them! Here are a few of the pages I made:

I really had fun doing them. DD8's has a lot more detail/journaling pages in hers. For DD4 I have some of the basic pages, like one for each park, etc, but for hers I also printed off some coloring book pages to go in it as well. I will take them to Kinkos/Fed Ex Office and get them bound for about $2/each once I decide I've gotten everything I want for them. It's a fun way for them to unwind in the room at the end of the day, or on the plane, in the airport, etc. I think they will love them. They will also serve as somewhat of a scrapbook for them too. I think i will put some blank cardstock pages in the back of each one so if they want to affix some of their favorite pictures to them they can!

I have a few clients that I am working with on their disney trips and I printed a few copies of this too to give to their kids as booking gifts when the time comes. I think they'll like them!

I swear there is a Camera smiley but I can't find him.

I have decided i am NOT going to pre-purchase the photopass cd this time. We did last time and honestly I've hardly even looked at it, let alone printed any of it! Our trip a year ago was on the cruise and whle I did buy some of the pics from that...I take a gazillion pictures on each vacation, then I put them together in a digital book from winkflash. I get lots of decent shots (not as many as Rob/Nateandlogansdad), and the books come out great. I wait for them to have a flat-rate sale where the book is $25 for up to 100 pages and order it then! So, no photopass CD this time.

Anyways, that's that little tidbit....

Whatcha all doing this weekend? This past week has been our Spring Break and it's rained the ENTIRE week. Finally saw some sun today for a few hours and hoping it sticks around. DH is working overtime tomorrow, we have a bday party to go to on Sunday afternoon. Other than that, looks to be a pretty lowkey/normal weekend around here.

Have a great one!

 

[wakica]

awe rainy spring breaks are no fun!

I LOVE the journal pages I did some more basic ones for Dd when she was younger but it's more like work to her now that's she's a teen.

This weekend is a nice slow weekend for us. We are going to enjoy it b/c the next month will be busy busy with preperations. Hmmm, since we have a quiet weekend maybe I should make a Tower of Terror Family night
Thanks for getting me brainstorming my weekend!

 

[abcangie87]

awe rainy spring breaks are no fun!

I LOVE the journal pages I did some more basic ones for Dd when she was younger but it's more like work to her now that's she's a teen.

This weekend is a nice slow weekend for us. We are going to enjoy it b/c the next month will be busy busy with preperations. Hmmm, since we have a quiet weekend maybe I should make a Tower of Terror Family night
Thanks for getting me brainstorming my weekend!

What is a tower of terror family night?!?!

 

[wakica]

just a theme night. You know Dinner and a Movie. I've done a few theme nights already. Feel free to pop over to my ptr to see some

 

[NateNLogansDad]

You're making me blush over here

I'm with you on the photopass cd though, especially with the prices going up. We did it a couple years ago and the pictures really weren't all that great

I loved the book you made up for the surprise!!!! Do you think you might record it when they read it??? That would be an awesome update right before you go

 

[ajf1007]

I'm totally in! Loving the PTR so far, what beautiful girls you have! That book is one of the sweetest things I've seen! You are so creative! I can't wait to hear more and I have to agree with Rob, if you can record that book reading, it would be awesome! I can't wait to see or hear about their reaction! Ready for more updates!

 

[abcangie87]

I am hoping to record the reading of the book if I can pull it off. Of course, it's going to be at 5a.m. so we'll see how it goes! Both girls tend to be early risers (awake by 630 and laying in their beds waiting for the get-out-of-jail time of 7a.m.) so hopefully that morning they'll be early risers too..... I can see DD4 throwing a kink into the big reveal b/c when you wake her up she's a little crabby. Oh well.... ...we are sticking with the plan.

on a totally unrelated note.... I think I have a case of plantar fascitis on my right foot.... no, no warts...it's something like inflamed tendons or something in the heel of your foot. PRetty sore, especially when you first get to moving after vegging for awhile. I have a friend who is a personal trainer and she said to roll my foot around on a tennis ball four times a day (to massage internally), ice it (which I'm doing now), and do a lot of calf stretches and ankle roll type stuff. Hoping it stops flaring up real soon.... because it will not be fun to trek all over WDW with a sore foot!

 

[abcangie87]

Someone asked me if I had started packing for the trip yet..... not quite, but I'm definately thinking about it!

I did get our garden grocer order placed. Have you ever used them? We have, and it is a great, handy thing!! While we do the DDP, we tend to eat breakfast in the room/on the go...like granola bars, etc.

If you haven't used them, it might be worth trying. Especially if you stay in a hotel with a fridge in the room. Especially if you are a fellow diet dr. pepper fanatic. Seriously, this is what I am getting delivered: Muffins, butter (for the muffins), bananas, bottled water (because I can't drink the tap water-gross), granola bars, turkey bacon (we have a full kitchen at BLT), milk, and diet dr pepper. I'm not a coffee drinker, so DDP it is for me!

Anyways, the prices aren't inflated a whole lot over regular grocery prices. I think the minimum order is $40, and any order under $200 has a $12 delivery fee. They bring it to your resort at a set window of time. If you are not there to get it, they leave it with bell services (who also have a fridge to store your cold items until you return). Such a great service. When we were at WDW in 2010, we had them deliver a package of diapers for DD(then 2) so we didn't have to pack them! It was so handy!

I suppose I should break down and be productive for awhile. Hope you all are having a great day!

 

[abcangie87]

Thought it'd be fun to fill some time with a little get-to-know you (well, me) post. A disney-fied version of course.

Favorites:

Color: Pink
Food: Pizza or crab legs
TV Show: Amazing Race and Modern Family
Movie: Goonies and Couples Retreat
DISNEY Movie: Beauty and the Beast, and Enchanted
Ride at WDW: Rock-n-Roller Coaster, baby.
Restaurant at WDW: Ohana's dinner, fo' sho.
Place on earth: Castaway Cay!
Workout: Zumba (but it hurts my foot!)

How did you meet your spouse: thru Yahoo!Personals,
Job: mommy, travel agent, and the occassional cake/cupcake gig

Things I hope to do this trip that I never have before: See Fantasmic and DeVine!

Alright, I am now having a brain cramp and can't think of much more! But what about you? What are some of your answers to this?

*****
Also, on a side note, can anyone confirm this info for me? I had read that on Counter Services on the dining plan that kids don't HAVE To order from the kids menu...that you have X number of counter meals, not specific to kids meals/adult meals. IS that right?