The Family That Runs Together...Vacations Together-A May 2012 PTR *5/12

[20thingamabobs]

WOO HOO!!! Annual Passes and Single Digits! So Exciting!

Lots to dance about!

 

[MHTeacher]

YAY for your single digits and being AP holders! It's such a nice feeling to know you can head back to Disney anytime, and have such a huge expense already taken care of!

 

[pinkxray]

Congrats on the AP and getting down to single digits

I can't see the top 100 foods through the link either. I have to try google. I just have to find out now.

 

[Joyciemc]

Happy single digit day!

That stinks about the car... I hate when stuff goes wrong close to a trip! there's all the time in the world that isn't right before a vacation, why can't these things happen then??


And super hooray for the APs!!

 

[amazingact21]

Phew! All caught up! Before I do anything else, I'm doing a single digit dance for you!


WOOHOO! 9 DAYS!

Your day 6 plans sound wonderful! Nice relaxing day. We discovered Rosa Regale during the Food and Wine Festival one year and I have been a fan of it ever since. It's a yummy, sweet wine.

Outfit spreadsheet? I have never heard of it. Now that I have, I want to do one! We do plan out our outfits for the trips though. I put the kids outfits in gallon bags so that way DH can get the kids dressed without having to stress over what shorts/skirt goes with which shirt.

If your bib number is so much higher than your mom's, will you have to run in different waves?

So sorry about Alex's car! Why do these things happen right before our trips?! I have at least one tire on my van that has a slow leak which we discovered late last week. Hopefully neither of us won't have to spend a ton of money to get our vehicles Disney ready.

I am so going to go check the 100 Disney Foods to Eat! THank you for posting that!

Thanks for the single digit dance! Makes me excited just seeing it!

We're pretty sure that my mom's bib number is low because she's a single runner and DH and I are a coed team. We figure she'll be in the first wave, whereas Alex and I will hopefully be in Wave 3. She's a tad bit nervous about running alone, but we are all carrying our cell phones so she can call if she gets turned around with the clues.

9 days!

Single digit dance!



I can't get the 100 foods link to work.

Urgh..I got DH to figure out how post the 100 food list in a hyperlink, because the link was ridiculously long, but I guess it didn't work. I'll try to fix that....

WOO HOO!!! Annual Passes and Single Digits! So Exciting!

Lots to dance about!

I'm really excited about buying annual passes. Alex and I talked about it last year, but we still had the military promotions to use. We reached our cap, though, so this was the next best option.

YAY for your single digits and being AP holders! It's such a nice feeling to know you can head back to Disney anytime, and have such a huge expense already taken care of!

It really is! And with Alex's family living about an hour away, we can now justify a weekend getaway.

Congrats on the AP and getting down to single digits

I can't see the top 100 foods through the link either. I have to try google. I just have to find out now.

Hmm, I just realized that the link isn't working. I'm going to try and fix it without posting the actualy link, because that would take up about 10 lines.

Happy single digit day!

That stinks about the car... I hate when stuff goes wrong close to a trip! there's all the time in the world that isn't right before a vacation, why can't these things happen then??


And super hooray for the APs!!

Yeah, the car situation isn't fun. I just laughed, because we had our annual pass money sitting in our savings for alomst 6 months, just waiting to be used. And then the day after we make that huge purchase, we get handed a car repair bill.....But that's the way it works. We pretty much guranteed that by buying such a big "play" purchase.

 

[wakica]

congrats on the annual pass!! that's SO EXCITING Lots of Disney magic in your future!!
And yippeeeee for double digits!!

I will have to check out the 100 Disney foods to eat. I'm sure I probably have eaten less than you but it might give me something to try for this next trip. Not that i'd try all of course. LOL but a few any way. haha

 

[wakica]

almost forgot to say sorry about the car I hate it when unplanned for expenses like that pop up on me!!!

 

[Queenofallthings]

How did I miss your single digit dance....sorry honey....but I'm dancing now

 

[amazingact21]

almost forgot to say sorry about the car I hate it when unplanned for expenses like that pop up on me!!!

Yeah, the car situation was not fun, but it's over now. We picked up DH's car late yesterday afternoon and aside from having to shell out money on something practical, we are ready to go to Disney!

How did I miss your single digit dance....sorry honey....but I'm dancing now

Thanks! It's hard for me wrap my head around the fact that I only have a week of waiting left!

 

[amazingact21]

Our Last Day…

May 10th, 2012:


Ugh, our Disney trip begins in 6 days, and I’m already sad about having to leave the world.


That might be a little pathetic, but c’mon, who really wants to think about accomplishing those “last’s” of their trips. The last Disney restaurant you’ll try. The last turn on Pirates of the Caribbean. The last entrance song you’ll hear going into the park. The last look you’ll have at the castle.



Breaks your heart a little just picturing those things, doesn’t it?



But, since we all can’t stay in the world forever, there has to be a last day, and that what this update is going to cover.


The night before, my mom and I will have hoped to have called it an early night at Epcot, although there’s a possibility that might change. I read that The Land is keeping Soarin’ open until 10pm to help with wait times, but that they are not posting it in the times guide as of yet. If that is the case, I possibly might want to stay behind a grab one last flight on Soarin’. (Ah, the ride is so close…I can close my ears and hear Patrick Walburn in my head…”Soarin’ to Tower, we’re clear for take off.”)


Whether we make that quick change of plans or not, my mom and I will be getting back to the resort and hitting the hay as early as possible. We need all the rest we can get, because on this morning we’ll be getting up at the crack of dawn.


The Magic Kingdom has morning EMH at 8:00am, so I want to get to the park by 7:40am. Meaning, we’ll have to leave around 7. Ugh. I don’t want to think about getting up that early on vacation.



I’d consider waiting a little while, but I have never seen rope drop, and I really want to.



You see, I’m going to make a little confession here.







May 7th is the day designed for Alex. Hitting all his favorites, eating at restaurants I think he’d like, riding rides I know he enjoys.


The following two days are strictly my mom’s days. I’m letting her experience all the magic of the parks, going on the best rides, eating at her dream resort, etc etc.


Well, this last day….




It’s my day.



I know that sounds horrible and selfish and bratty, and maybe that’s why I put off writing the update, but I can’t help it. I wanted the last day of the trip to be all about my favorites. I love planning this trip around someone else and imagining their reactions when they get to experience something I’ve planned, but I think as a reward, I wanted my last Disney day to be something I planned for myself.


Therefore…everything we do today will be things that I’ve wanted to do for awhile.


And that begins with rope drop.


I absolutely LOVE the soundtrack to the welcome show, and I can only imagine how cool it must be to stand in front of the train station and watch Magic Kingdom open.


Add to that…I’ve never been to Magic Kingdom early in the morning. Never! Ever!



There must be something wrong with me…




I am hoping to get into the park and ride a few attractions. I’d really like to grab a FP for Space Mtn right around 9 o’clock when the park opens, but my worry is that the return time will be posted during our breakfast. This whole no-late FP returns will be a big learning curve for me.


I’d like to go on Peter Pan when it first opens, Pirates, and maybe Haunted Mansion.


Really…anything and everything I can fit in before 9:20am.


Because at 9:20 I am doing something I have wanted to do for over a year!!!



Eating breakfast at The Crystal Palace!!!!


When Alex and I went to Disney in Dec. ’10, I saw the restaurant and fell in love with its look. I just think it’s so elegant and classical and Disney-esk. So, when we began planning last May’s trip, I looked into booking an ADR there. Unfortunately, Alex didn’t want to eat with any characters. He thought that two adults doing something like that was silly.


So, sadly I cancelled that reservation and resigned to waiting until kids came along to eating there. I wasn’t upset with Alex or anything. He loves Disney as much as I do, and he is such a good sport about all of it, and I would never make him do anything he was uncomfortable with.


But, when my mom and I decided to do a mother/daughter trip, I saw a door opening. My mother could care less if there were characters around and she didn’t have any children. We’re both big kids at heart, anyways.


So, I’ll admit…I planned our portion of the trip around eating at CP.


And I actually love that we’re ending up eating here on our last day. It’s going to give me something to look forward to throughout the week, and I can distract my last day blues with the infamous stuffed French toast.


*Side note: Now that Alex and I have gone on the cruise and dealt with character interactions, and since his coworker (a big Disney fan) raved about Crystal Palace and 1900 Park Fare, Alex has said he’d be willing to eat there on our next trip. Sweet!*


After the two of us completely stuff ourselves, the plans will go two ways.


One) We go back to the resort in the early afternoon and pack up all our stuff.

Two) If we pack the day before, then we’ll stay in Magic Kingdom and ride more attractions. I like this idea the best. I know it’ll be horribly crowded in the afternoon, but if we pick up FPs for the things we really wanna ride, we can take it slow and soak up the different lands. Maybe catch Phillarmagic a few times, see the Pirates, take a spin or two on the Teacups….


If we do decide to stay in the park, I’m thinking I might do something for my mother. Her favorite Disney movie of all time is Toy Story; she absolutely loves Woody and Buzz. So, if we’re not busy, I’ve read that Woody and Jessie (I think) do meet and greets in Frontierland by Splash Mountain. At one time, I heard my mother say, “I don’t care if I am a grown adult, I would totally meet the Toy Story characters if I could.”


If my mother only knew that anything you say to a Disney planner will be duly noted and recorded into memory…



Needless to say, I am going to do my best to get my mother her picture with the Toy Story gang.



Whether we go back to the resort or stay in Magic Kingdom, the two of us will have to think about heading to Disney’s Hollywood Studios around 5:00 o’clock.


We have a 5:50pm reservation at 50’s Prime Time Café. This is a new restaurant for me. Normally, I’m a Sci Fi fan, but I prefer to eat there at lunch and get the burger and milkshake. It’s always a nice break being able to get out of the heat in the middle of the day and relax in this dark room and fill up on food you would normally feel guilty eating at home.

Plus, Sci Fi is kind of Alex’s and I’s go-to restaurant in DHS, so I wanted to choose someplace else for my mom and I. My mother loves fried chicken, and I’m really easy-going with food selection (so long as it’s not seafood) so I thought 50’s would be a great choice.



However….my mom and I are the one small strange group of people who DO NOT want any antics to occur while we’re there. Both of us are pretty shy people, and we’d much rather eat our food in peace. Blend in with the other guests and not have attention drawn on ourselves.


We’ll see how that goes….


After dinner, my mom and I will hang out in the park until it closes at 9:00pm, then head back to our room and get a good’s night of sleep before we have to leave the following morning.





Hmm, normally I’d feel like my plans are set in stone, and I wouldn’t budge on changing them, but I have a second confession to make.


I kind of don’t want to go to DHS this last night.


Some part of me is wishing we could just stay in MK the whole day, and eat at Liberty Tree Tavern for dinner.


The only thing is, I promised myself on the last trip that the Magic Kingdom wouldn’t be my last park on my last night. It’s just too dang sad!


But….DHS just isn’t sounding appealing. I mean, we’ll have already visited it that Sunday morning and that Monday night. Do I really need to go again? Well, I promised my mother a table service meal at every park, plus we’ll have been to MK Saturday morning, Sunday night, Tuesday night, and Thursday morning….I think by the evening I’ll have had my fill of that park.


I guess the good news is that 50’s Prime Time doesn’t have a cancellation fee, so if the two of us really wanna stay in MK, we can try finding a new ADR or suck it up and pay a QS meal out of pocket.


As of right now, I’m keeping sticking to our original plan and finishing the trip in DHS.


Wow…I can’t believe that was the last day’s plans. Now all that’s left is the actual trip!!!



Ooh, I almost forgot! Tonight/tomorrow morning, Alex and I are making our Expedition Everest Shirts….yes, I caved and we’re making shirts again. I swore and swore I wouldn’t, but both my mom and Alex really wanted to, so I gave in and agreed. I’ll post pictures of them when they are completed!

 

[20thingamabobs]

Hey! I think your last day plans sound good! I love the opening ceremony at MK and I actually suggest getting there just a little earlier to get a nice spot in the middle! I also love Crystal Palace! The breakfast is so good! DF and I ate here back in 2008 when I took him for the first time and it was delicious!

I can totally understand your feelings on DHS your last night. To me, it just doesn't have quite the same feel as when you leave Epcot or MK for the night. Of course, I'm biased and almost always spend my last night in MK. I like to look at the castle one last time and I love doing last minute shopping in the Emporium!

But, that being said, we ate at 50s Prime Time back in January and it was actually pretty good. I had the sampler and the fried chicken was the best part.

I can't wait to see your EEC shirts! I'm just going to wear my same "costume" from last year. I may make my mom and brother shirts though. DF refuses so I think you're lucky that your DH actually wants a shirt!

Also, I wanted to let you know that I fell in love with the animal print Mickeys mug you posted a little while back and I can't wait to pick one up when I go!

 

[pinkxray]

YOUR day sounds great.

Last year for my day all I wanted was to spend the day in MK and have breakfast at CP. I didn't care what other ADRs were cancelled that week as long as we made it to CP for breakfast. (Okay, and 'Ohana for dinner)

I don't like antics either. We went to 50's when it was packed so our server didn't really have time to do anything other than drop off the food. I was so relieved.

 

[MHTeacher]

Your last day sounds great, even though it's always hard to think about having to leave!

I'm so glad you're going to eat breakfast at CP! It's one of our favorites!

 

[Nermel9]

Your day sounds great, and I don't think it's selfish at all to want to have a day just for yourself, to enjoy your favorites. It's your vacation too!

I love MK rope drop, I really hope you get to see it! And Crystal Palace is one of my favorite breakfasts, I keep thinking about canceling my Cape May breakfast ADR and adding CP again!

DHS that night sounds fun, but if you want to stay in MK, then stay there! I've always wanted to try 50's PT, but like you, I'm too nervous about the antics! At least you're brave enough to make an ADR there!

 

[PirateKate]

Honestly, when we're at Disney, nearly every day is about me. I suppose I plan things the boys will like to some extent, but for the most part, we do all my favorite things. I don't think taking one day for yourself is bad at all.

I'm with you on 50's PT! The food sounds pretty good, but I think the antics would annoy us. We just want to be left alone to eat in peace. I've read that 50's PT isn't as antic-y as it used to be, so hopefully they'll leave you alone.

 

[MEK]

Your plans sound great! I love Crystal Palace. One of my all time favorite character breakfasts!

Congrats on your trip being right around the corner!

 

[WDWCPALUM03]

May 10 is my Birthday so celebrate for me. The 2 times I've been at WDW for my Birthday I were at Animal Kingdom and Studios. I think you will love 50's. I ate there this past Oct and it was one of the best meals of our trip. I had the sampler, my mom had the fried chicken, and my husband had the pot roast. All were amazing and if you go with the sampler you get to have it all

Have a great trip!

 

[amazingact21]

Hey! I think your last day plans sound good! I love the opening ceremony at MK and I actually suggest getting there just a little earlier to get a nice spot in the middle! I also love Crystal Palace! The breakfast is so good! DF and I ate here back in 2008 when I took him for the first time and it was delicious!

I can totally understand your feelings on DHS your last night. To me, it just doesn't have quite the same feel as when you leave Epcot or MK for the night. Of course, I'm biased and almost always spend my last night in MK. I like to look at the castle one last time and I love doing last minute shopping in the Emporium!

But, that being said, we ate at 50s Prime Time back in January and it was actually pretty good. I had the sampler and the fried chicken was the best part.

I can't wait to see your EEC shirts! I'm just going to wear my same "costume" from last year. I may make my mom and brother shirts though. DF refuses so I think you're lucky that your DH actually wants a shirt!

Also, I wanted to let you know that I fell in love with the animal print Mickeys mug you posted a little while back and I can't wait to pick one up when I go!

Ugh, the idea of getting up earlier (while completely logical) makes me cringe a bit. Sometimes, I feel like I wake up earlier on WDW vacations than I do in real life.

Hmm, the sampler, gonna have to write that down so I remember. Thanks for the tip!

Your costume was so cute last year! I loved it, and it was because I thought it was so cool that I spotted it before the race. I am sort of cheating with the shirts this year, but I think they'll still end up looking decent. For Alex, it's more about doing something together and getting ourselves excited for the race.

That mug is really cute!

YOUR day sounds great.

Last year for my day all I wanted was to spend the day in MK and have breakfast at CP. I didn't care what other ADRs were cancelled that week as long as we made it to CP for breakfast. (Okay, and 'Ohana for dinner)

I don't like antics either. We went to 50's when it was packed so our server didn't really have time to do anything other than drop off the food. I was so relieved.

Your comment made me even more excited to go to CP for breakfast. It sounds like such a great restaurant!

Your last day sounds great, even though it's always hard to think about having to leave!

I'm so glad you're going to eat breakfast at CP! It's one of our favorites!

It is extremely hard to think about this trip, which I've been planning since the end of July, will eventually have to end.

Your day sounds great, and I don't think it's selfish at all to want to have a day just for yourself, to enjoy your favorites. It's your vacation too!

I love MK rope drop, I really hope you get to see it! And Crystal Palace is one of my favorite breakfasts, I keep thinking about canceling my Cape May breakfast ADR and adding CP again!

DHS that night sounds fun, but if you want to stay in MK, then stay there! I've always wanted to try 50's PT, but like you, I'm too nervous about the antics! At least you're brave enough to make an ADR there!

Hmm, a Cape May breakfast would be nice for you and Brandon, since you're staying at Beach Club, but I would be missing CP!

It seems like there are way more people who dislike the antics than ones who enjoy it, so maybe 50's has toned down on the nonsense a bit. My mother will be a good sport about it and play along, but I'll sink lower and lower into my seat, going, "Why didn't I stay in MK? Why?!"

Honestly, when we're at Disney, nearly every day is about me. I suppose I plan things the boys will like to some extent, but for the most part, we do all my favorite things. I don't think taking one day for yourself is bad at all.

I'm with you on 50's PT! The food sounds pretty good, but I think the antics would annoy us. We just want to be left alone to eat in peace. I've read that 50's PT isn't as antic-y as it used to be, so hopefully they'll leave you alone.

I'm sure once your boys get older and become more vocal about their favorites/least favorite things in WDW, you'll have to start planning trips to what they might like, so I think you planning the trips the way you want them now is perfectly fine. I'll probably do the same the first few years I go with young children.


I think the food at 50's is worth the risk of possible antics. Besides, maybe if my mom and I look serious and unamused, the server won't wanna mess with us.

Your plans sound great! I love Crystal Palace. One of my all time favorite character breakfasts!

Congrats on your trip being right around the corner!

So happy to hear such rave reviews of CP! Makes me so happy with my decision.

May 10 is my Birthday so celebrate for me. The 2 times I've been at WDW for my Birthday I were at Animal Kingdom and Studios. I think you will love 50's. I ate there this past Oct and it was one of the best meals of our trip. I had the sampler, my mom had the fried chicken, and my husband had the pot roast. All were amazing and if you go with the sampler you get to have it all

Have a great trip!

Thanks! And Happy Early Birthday! Glad to hear the food at 50's is delicious, and I might just have to take your advice and get the sampler! I don't know if I could choose between fried chicken and pot roast, so why not worry about that and just get both.

 

[teekathepony]

Sounds like a great last day! I love breakfast at Crystal Palace

 

[Queenofallthings]

I love that you saved your day until the very end...and you shouldnt feel bad about it...enjoy it, you deserve to have your day! Which, btw, sounds amazing!

I got a little lump in my throat when you were describing the lasts of everything, glad I am not the only one that does that!