Team Renfroe - Pre-Trip Report for May 15-22, 2009 **Final Chapter**

[englishrose47]

Hi Alan !! I know what you are going thru with the clothes !!The Twins will0only wear Aeropostale, Hollister,American Eagle etc !!Believe me we hit the sales !!!Of course they are now in Prep School soooo we have to wear make up and primp and prime every day !!
Seeing as you likes Yorkshire pudd maybe DW could try "Toad in the Hole " which is Yorshire with link sausage in it !! Another English delight !!!

 

[bertegirl]

I know the feeling...and Jenny is only 4. She wants make up, perfume, certain clothes and THINKS she has a boyfriend. Ugh and we haven't even come close to the teenage years!

 

[alan_renfroe]

The biggest surprise for me was the Yorkshire Pudd. How is ma Southern Belle cooking a truly English dish!!My family loves them!!Many have asked for my recipr but I don't have one I just make them!! I have no idea of amounts I just watched my mum for years and learnt how !!

Hi, Rosie, it's "Ellen", Alan's DW. I'm delurking to reply to your post. I think Yorkshire pudding must be like cornbread, biscuits, and/or dressing in the south. Every southern grandmother has a specific way she makes one of the above and there's no recipe. They can just do it. No granddaughters can figure out how to make whatever it is just like their grandmother.

I've enjoyed getting to know you and Alan's other disboards friends. I hope you have a wonderful 2009.

 

[alan_renfroe]

That's hysterical!

And, yep - Lauren wants perfume too! What's up with that?

Aww - thanks for the compliments are my girls! I've got to get moving on my TR though - I've been slacking! Before you know it, my next trip will be here!

Our DS is a 12-yr-old as of today! Yep, 12 years ago I became a father....and life hasn't been the same since! I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Wow, your trip really is coming up soon. Can't wait to read all about it! You do such a great job with your reports. DW and I are constantly taking advice from your reports and pictures in our planning. Because of your reports, we've added Raglan Road and Mama Melrose to our list.

Hi Alan !! I know what you are going thru with the clothes !!The Twins will0only wear Aeropostale, Hollister,American Eagle etc !!Believe me we hit the sales !!!Of course they are now in Prep School soooo we have to wear make up and primp and prime every day !!
Seeing as you likes Yorkshire pudd maybe DW could try "Toad in the Hole " which is Yorshire with link sausage in it !! Another English delight !!!

Love the Toad in the Hole idea!! That's awesome! I think I must have been British in a previous life.

I know the feeling...and Jenny is only 4. She wants make up, perfume, certain clothes and THINKS she has a boyfriend. Ugh and we haven't even come close to the teenage years!

I know, right? I think DD went through a little phase like that for awhile. She even had a boy kiss her at church when she was 5!

 

[racefanof88]

YEP! It's official!! We booked our "Buy 4, Get 3 Free" package TODAY!! We will be at the POP Century checking in on Friday, May 15th and checking out on Friday, May 22nd. We added the Water Parks package and Deluxe Dining. We ended up saving $419!

Now I'm ready to move on with planning. I can't wait until Disney posts their May '09 hours...that will have a lot to do with our itinerary.

Ok joining in, us Bama folks have to stick together............lol. Love the pictures of the family. I wish my husband got into the planning of our trips with such zest. He lets me do the planning, that way if something goes wrong he doesn't have to take any of the blame..............

We will be at Disney at the same time you will. We are staying in the Cabins for the first time and I AM TOO EXCITED . We did the DDP last May and the Water Parks and more option, we didn't care for the DDP but we loved the water parks.

Looking forward to the next update. And congrats on the new job.

 

[alan_renfroe]

Ok joining in, us Bama folks have to stick together............lol. Love the pictures of the family. I wish my husband got into the planning of our trips with such zest. He lets me do the planning, that way if something goes wrong he doesn't have to take any of the blame..............

We will be at Disney at the same time you will. We are staying in the Cabins for the first time and I AM TOO EXCITED . We did the DDP last May and the Water Parks and more option, we didn't care for the DDP but we loved the water parks.

Looking forward to the next update. And congrats on the new job.

Hi Dana! Yes, us Bama folks certainly have to stick together!! Thanks for your kind compliments. I love planning....in fact, I plan events for a living! I am an "I-dotter and a T-crosser" you might say. Plus, planning our Disney trip gets me excited...and gives us all something to look forward to.

That's cool that you all will be there same time as us! Maybe our paths will cross. We did the Deluxe Dining Plan last year and really enjoyed it. As many posters have said, it really is too much food....but we loved feeling like we could basically eat anything we wanted any time we wanted. I think my favorite thing about it was that it made our trip feel all-inclusive. In other words, once we arrived on WDW property, we knew we didn't have to worry about anything, except tips. It was nice to just order from the menu without regards to what the prices were! Plus, we are a family that loves and appreciates good food. My DW almost became a chef, and our DD says that she wants to be a chef.

 

[alan_renfroe]

Thanks for all the good wishes on the new adjunct teaching assignment! Unfortunately, it has been cancelled for this spring semester. We needed 10 students to make the class official, and only 4 signed up by the cut-off date. I was reassured that I would be given a class this fall, for sure. Oh well, that means no extra money for Disney this spring....but it also gives me a little more time to prepare for teaching the class this fall. I think things like this happen for a reason.....so I'm thankful that I will have a little extra time this spring. Believe me, I am PLENTY busy with my regular job and its responsibilities anyway!

 

[racefanof88]

Hi Dana! Yes, us Bama folks certainly have to stick together!! Thanks for your kind compliments. I love planning....in fact, I plan events for a living! I am an "I-dotter and a T-crosser" you might say. Plus, planning our Disney trip gets me excited...and gives us all something to look forward to.

That's cool that you all will be there same time as us! Maybe our paths will cross. We did the Deluxe Dining Plan last year and really enjoyed it. As many posters have said, it really is too much food....but we loved feeling like we could basically eat anything we wanted any time we wanted. I think my favorite thing about it was that it made our trip feel all-inclusive. In other words, once we arrived on WDW property, we knew we didn't have to worry about anything, except tips. It was nice to just order from the menu without regards to what the prices were! Plus, we are a family that loves and appreciates good food. My DW almost became a chef, and our DD says that she wants to be a chef.

I almost love the planning for our Disney trips as much as the trips themselves. I start planning, with many changes, as soon as we get home from each trip .

Maybe our paths will cross. I will keep my eyes open. I guess the main reason we didn't care for the DDP was all the time it took away from the parks. I liked the idea of having food payed for too and I would love to do the CS plan. I liked the snack part more than anything else. It is cool about your DW and DD wanting to be a chef, both of my sons want to be chefs.

Thanks for all the good wishes on the new adjunct teaching assignment! Unfortunately, it has been cancelled for this spring semester. We needed 10 students to make the class official, and only 4 signed up by the cut-off date. I was reassured that I would be given a class this fall, for sure. Oh well, that means no extra money for Disney this spring....but it also gives me a little more time to prepare for teaching the class this fall. I think things like this happen for a reason.....so I'm thankful that I will have a little extra time this spring. Believe me, I am PLENTY busy with my regular job and its responsibilities anyway!

I hate that your class was cancelled. My daughter works for the web services department at her college. Her major is CIS and she loves her job. She had a German class cancelled this past fall due to low enrollment. Good luck and magical planning........

 

[JAHokie46]

Hello Alan!

New to this PTR... but I've just finished reading your first trip report and caught up on this one. Your trip last year looked wonderful and the report was top notch- great job of making us feel like we are there with good storytelling and pictures. The pictures were great as well- a good mix of park/lodging/scenery shots, family shots, and food porn

It's great "Rusty" is so ambitious. That was just simply wasted on me- I lived in the Bahamas for 4 years growing up and had access to free free seafood of all sorts but never liked any of it

Congratulations on having such a great family and the adjunct professorship gig, even if it got post-poned until Fall semester. Looking forward to more updates!!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Maybe our paths will cross. I will keep my eyes open. I guess the main reason we didn't care for the DDP was all the time it took away from the parks. I liked the idea of having food payed for too and I would love to do the CS plan. I liked the snack part more than anything else. It is cool about your DW and DD wanting to be a chef, both of my sons want to be chefs.

I hate that your class was cancelled. My daughter works for the web services department at her college. Her major is CIS and she loves her job. She had a German class cancelled this past fall due to low enrollment. Good luck and magical planning........

Hey! That's cool that your sons want to be chefs!

No worries on the class being cancelled. I think it may have been fate's way of telling me that I needed a little more time to prepare!

Best of luck to you and your planning as well.

Hello Alan!

New to this PTR... but I've just finished reading your first trip report and caught up on this one. Your trip last year looked wonderful and the report was top notch- great job of making us feel like we are there with good storytelling and pictures. The pictures were great as well- a good mix of park/lodging/scenery shots, family shots, and food porn

It's great "Rusty" is so ambitious. That was just simply wasted on me- I lived in the Bahamas for 4 years growing up and had access to free free seafood of all sorts but never liked any of it

Congratulations on having such a great family and the adjunct professorship gig, even if it got post-poned until Fall semester. Looking forward to more updates!!

Hey JAHokie46! Welcome to the our PTR!! Glad to have you along for the ride! Thanks for the wonderful comments about the trip report and the family!

Wow, you lived in the Bahamas for 4 years? What was that like? I've been to the Bahamas once and loved it. I've never seen water so beautiful.

 

[alan_renfroe]

As many of you know, we went stayed at Coronado Springs Resort last May and LOVED it. As this May trip gets closer, I am really missing CSR! We booked our vacation for May 15-22 at the Pop Century, and I am happy with that. However, CSR now has renovated rooms with queen-sized beds! I am going to check on how much money the difference would be to upgrade, and we will consider it.

Again, we were looking forward to the Pop.....but we loved, loved, LOVED CSR last year! I'll let you know what we decide.

 

[englishrose47]

Hi Alan !! I know you will make a wise decision about Pop or CSR!! Regardless I sure hope we get to meet while weare there !!I am not against visiting CSR , isn't PM there !! I love that cs!!!

 

[bertegirl]

I love the look of CSR...with our 2 little ones and no car I just thought POFQ might be better for us. It totally reminds me of home.

Have you tried Biergarten or Marrakesh? I am thinking we may do Epcot twice and eat at them. They both sound like a lot of entertainment for my DD.

 

[alan_renfroe]

Hi Alan !! I know you will make a wise decision about Pop or CSR!! Regardless I sure hope we get to meet while weare there !!I am not against visiting CSR , isn't PM there !! I love that cs!!!

Hi Rosie! Thanks for your vote of confidence! Yes, the Pepper Market is at CSR and we loved eating there. We loved everything about CSR, and now that they have the refurbished rooms with queen-sized beds, that is a major advantage for a big guy like me. I'm afraid that DS and I would not get much sleep in a reg. size bed.

I love the look of CSR...with our 2 little ones and no car I just thought POFQ might be better for us. It totally reminds me of home.

Have you tried Biergarten or Marrakesh? I am thinking we may do Epcot twice and eat at them. They both sound like a lot of entertainment for my DD.

Hi! I've always liked the look of POFQ too....and we think we may try that one at some point in the future. In fact, we almost chose POFQ for our trip last May. A friend of ours strongly recommended CSR, and after looking at several hundred pictures, we thought it looked great! We ended up staying there and falling in love with the place. I know I would be happy pretty much anywhere in the World (afterall, your at Disney World!) However, CSR now has a certain sentimental feeling to it for us.

We have not tried Biergarten or Marrakesh. I would LOVE to try Biergarten. I think our kids would really enjoy the entertainment aspect, but I doubt they would eat the food. DS absolute cannot stand sausages, wursts, or anything that remotely resembles a hot dog! DW spent her early childhood in Germany, so she would love it. Marrakesh might be a little hard on my stomach. I have reflux disease and I'm a little afraid of anything too spicy. (Otherwise, I would love it!)

 

[MaryAz]

Another May trip planner here! We are at POP at almost the same time. Though I see you are considering a change. Gotta go back and read your your PTR. Think I already checked out your TR from last year. I love that you as the "guy" is planning. I am trying to get my hubby involved but it is not working so well. He is excited about the Rose and Crown and Biergarten. He is a beer guy.

 

[englishrose47]

I loved the Biergarten last year !! Te carved roast pork ,Alan note not asausage oranything that ressembles a hot dog, was the best I ever had , they also have beef dishes adlots of sides !! The band is very god and th encourae the kidsto comeout on the dance floor and participate !!Being Lutheran I hae grown very fond of German food !!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Another May trip planner here! We are at POP at almost the same time. Though I see you are considering a change. Gotta go back and read your your PTR. Think I already checked out your TR from last year. I love that you as the "guy" is planning. I am trying to get my hubby involved but it is not working so well. He is excited about the Rose and Crown and Biergarten. He is a beer guy.

Hi Mary! Yes, I am definitely a planner. In fact, I plan special events as a career....so I enjoy covering all of my bases down to the last detail! Hahaha....tell hubby that I'm a beer guy too! Rose & Crown sounds great. If you guys are there at the same time as us, we may have to meet up for a beer at the R&C.

I loved the Biergarten last year !! Te carved roast pork ,Alan note not asausage oranything that ressembles a hot dog, was the best I ever had , they also have beef dishes adlots of sides !! The band is very god and th encourae the kidsto comeout on the dance floor and participate !!Being Lutheran I hae grown very fond of German food !!

I am going to "work" on introducing our kids to some German food in the months to come.....maybe I can get them excited about going to the Biergarten. To me, it looks absolutely terrific!! I think we would all enjoy the band and the atmosphere.

 

[alan_renfroe]

Well, it is official. I called Disney Travel and upgraded our reservations from the Pop Century to Coronado Springs Resort. The price difference was about $40 per night more, and we felt like it would be worth it for the extra amenities. Here's why:

1 - I am a big guy, and CSR now has queen-sized beds in their newly renovated rooms. To me, the only bad thing about vacations is that I miss my bed at home, and I usually don't sleep that well. (We sleep on a queen-size at home.) I think these beds are going to really make a difference in my relaxing and getting sleep.

2 - The rooms are bigger, and as our kids are growing I was afraid the four of us would be all over each other while in the room. While it is true that we spend most of our time in the parks anyway, we are big believers in the afternoon breaks.....so we do spend some afternoon time at the resort.

3 - The Dig Site pool. Ahhhh.... need I say more? Seriously, we LOVED this big pool area and the jaquar slide. My kids would have been perfectly happy to just hang out at the resort and swim all day! I know the Pop has three really cool pools, but we all loved the slide at CSR. Also, we loved having the towel service poolside.

4 - Siesta's Cantina. DW and I enjoyed having a nice, tropical drink while watching the kids swim in the pool. It was a great way to relax in the afternoon! The kids used their refillable mugs to keep from being thirsty.

5 - The Pepper Market. Even though we only ate their twice on our last trip, we really enjoyed it and we thought the atmosphere was really cool! Most people consider it to be one of the best values for counter service in all of Disney World. We also filled our refillable mugs there often.

6 - The room amenities, such as refridgerator, flat screen TV, a vanity area that can be seperated from the rest of the room for changing, etc.

7 - Maybe it sounds a little corny, but it just feels "homey" to us now. I think it is just "our place."

All in all, the cost was just over $280 extra dollars, and when we look at the investment we are making in this trip otherwise, $280 doesn't seem like a lot. We are thrilled and I can't wait!!!

 

[Lady Lallie]

Congrats on the upgrade, Alan! Sometimes it's worth it to pay a little extra, especially if you know you are going to enjoy where you are staying.

 

[MaryAz]

Congrats on the upgrade. I agree that it pays to be comfortable!