The horse girl, her big guy and WDW..a trip report! Update 8/4-Day 10, pg 26!

[oybolshoi]

Hi there! Just popped in to see what your trip looks like... your itinerary sounds like fun. I wish I could comment more on your ADRs but you are headed to many places the hubby and I haven't tried yet.

Yorkshire Fish - awesome! Best fish and chips I've ever had.

Columbia Harbor House - we finally ate here on our most recent visit and it was really good. I just had a tuna sandwich but it was a good one and the hubby had chicken and fish which he inhaled faster than you could say "Can I have a taste?'

Artist's Palette - we tried it once for lunch and it was OK - I wasn't crazy about their selection but I've heard good things about breakfast there. We're headed back in three weeks and we're staying at Saratoga Springs so if we nab breakfast there one day I'll try to remember to come back and let you know how it was.

Sorry to hear about your in-law woes - we can all probably relate in some ways. Sounds like you have a great DH, though, and that's half the battle. I hope you'll both be very happy.

And congrats on the DVC membership! We love ours and I'm sure you will, too!

 

[twob4him]

Hi Horsegirl...remember me? I was so glad to check in and see you were writing your pre-trippie! It is great so far...you are a planner like me!
Congratulations (in advance of the next installment) on your DVC! I will have to live vicariously through you! Its just a distant dream for me. Heck, I am working on just trying to get my DH to agree to leasing a horse. You know with three girls and myself, its down right mandatory to have a soft furry face to pet!
I have only eaten at Ohana's and LTT from your list. I too am hoping to expand a little bit on my limited ADR experiences! We will be leaving the day after you arrive...don't worry, we will leave WDW in good working order for you

 

[Eventer98]

Hi there! Just popped in to see what your trip looks like... your itinerary sounds like fun. I wish I could comment more on your ADRs but you are headed to many places the hubby and I haven't tried yet.

Yorkshire Fish - awesome! Best fish and chips I've ever had.

Columbia Harbor House - we finally ate here on our most recent visit and it was really good. I just had a tuna sandwich but it was a good one and the hubby had chicken and fish which he inhaled faster than you could say "Can I have a taste?'

Artist's Palette - we tried it once for lunch and it was OK - I wasn't crazy about their selection but I've heard good things about breakfast there. We're headed back in three weeks and we're staying at Saratoga Springs so if we nab breakfast there one day I'll try to remember to come back and let you know how it was.

Sorry to hear about your in-law woes - we can all probably relate in some ways. Sounds like you have a great DH, though, and that's half the battle. I hope you'll both be very happy.

And congrats on the DVC membership! We love ours and I'm sure you will, too!

Thanks for the on the two CS places. DH and I love fish/chips but aren't too keen on fish like salmon. So to get our fix it we figured we had to find some decent CS places that have it. I am intersted in dining inside, upstairs, at CHH! As for AP...we figured we would just snag some bfast there while waiting for BIL so show up. I think bfast food is hard to mess up..it's dinners that we are more picky about. That's actually part of the reason you don't see places like C.Grill, Le Cellier and A.Point on our itinerary. We are meat and potatoes kind of people...I think the fancy food at those places would kill our stomachs. Plus, I have never heard of half of the menu items!! I want to try them but I think it would be a waste of TS credits. Oh well. Just give us a buffet anyday!!!!

Hi Horsegirl...remember me? I was so glad to check in and see you were writing your pre-trippie! It is great so far...you are a planner like me!
Congratulations (in advance of the next installment) on your DVC! I will have to live vicariously through you! Its just a distant dream for me. Heck, I am working on just trying to get my DH to agree to leasing a horse. You know with three girls and myself, its down right mandatory to have a soft furry face to pet!
I have only eaten at Ohana's and LTT from your list. I too am hoping to expand a little bit on my limited ADR experiences! We will be leaving the day after you arrive...don't worry, we will leave WDW in good working order for you

Glad to see you here!!!! I was hoping you would say you already have a horse lined up for a summer lease. If I was near you I would let you lease mine for next to nothing!! Sorry that we will miss you at WDW...would have been nice to see some horsey-DIS'ers!!!
We've eaten at a few other places last Aug so if you need feedback on a place let me know!! What do you have planned so far?

Yeah!!! You are writing a TR! You may inspire me to do one for our trip. I really want to but I am afraid it woudl suck and nobody will read it

And I have to say, that is so sad about your sisters b-day and the balloon! Poor kid!!

Oh, and least you DH listens when you talk Disney. My DH would pretend, but I could have said anything and he would have not said a word. He really didnt care at all...until we got there and it was too late for his opinion!

My Peep Meet roomie!! I am glad you are tagging along..that only means it's your turn in September!! I don't know how much DH remembers when I tell him stuff. I do know that his family say we overplan and should leave eating as a last minute decision. I have explained to them that you can't anymore...unless you want a long wait. DH reassured me and says he likes the way we plan ADR's and it worked out well for us last time. Maybe we need to get your DH in the room with mine so he can turn yours around!!!

How are you feeling today?

 

[Eventer98]

So last year I started having weird dreams about WDW when our leave time got close....remember I hadn't been in over 20 years so I had no idea what to expect. I recall one dream where I was riding Space Mt. with the lights on. The ride was in a warehouse and it also went upside down. I lost my "bear" on the ride too..Bear is my stuffed animal that has gone everywhere with me since I got him from a loser X-boyfriend in 94. He even went on my Xcountry trip with me in 99! Anyway..to lose him would be devestating so that dream upset me. I think I asked a CM to let me go back and find him but they laughed and said no. Nice eh? Glad I learned that CM's aren't mean like that!!

Last night I had my first WDW dream since last year. We had to stop and check in at CSR but it was actually a strip mall. DH ended up buying a $300 rug while we were there. I flipped out saying he spent all our gift money and when he tried to return it they said no. So with this huge rolled up rug in hand we treked over to a monorail. We had to get to SOG to buy our park tickets and then to Ohanas. (Some of it's true!) But the line was mass chaos. People were screaming and trying to get on the monorails. We decided we would walk but got there after everything had closed. So that was my first pre-trip dream. I didn't say I was normal!!!

 

[lexmelinda]

Hey there!

Just got caught up on your pre-trip. Disney dreams! I love it!

Before we went last year, I was so caught up in the planning that I thought I might spontaniously combust once I actually set foot Disney property. But we had fun and learned a lot so I'll be more relaxed this year.

Are you gonna tweak? I'm a tweaker! I start to second guess myself at the last minute and change things around.

OK, I'm ready for more....bring it on!

 

[dance2874]

6/26 (My birthday!!! )
-will DH order a cake? I want to believe he will but he won't. he has intentions but he'll just forget!!
AK
*Boma at 9:30am
*Flame Tree BBQ for lunch
*Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at 8:00-tier 2 seats

6/29
MGM-1/2day
*Backlot Express
*1900 at 5:20pm
*Cirque de Soleil at 9pm!!!! (I thought this might frighten me at first..not a fan of weird clowns!! But I wanted to give it a try since I have heard nothing but rave reviews. We have the middle priced tickets.)

First of all, he better do something for your birthday! And it better not be a balloon you have to pop before you come home, unless there is a fantastic gift inside it or something!

And that clown comment had me rolling!!! I have a good guy friend who has a freakish fear of clowns. We like to tease him, alot, because he is this big strong ex-military guy and he will run from clown stuff. We tricked him into watching that movie "IT" based on the Stephen King novel. Anyways, Circue is awesome, no freaky clowns. Just cool acrobats. I dont remember anything looking even remotely like a clown really.

How are you feeling today?

Better, I guess....very sore from my supposed massage. I am sitting on a pillow today from the work she did on my hip/low back/tushy area yesterday. Ouch.

So last year I started having weird dreams about WDW when our leave time got close....remember I hadn't been in over 20 years so I had no idea what to expect. I recall one dream where I was riding Space Mt. with the lights on. The ride was in a warehouse and it also went upside down. I lost my "bear" on the ride too..Bear is my stuffed animal that has gone everywhere with me since I got him from a loser X-boyfriend in 94. He even went on my Xcountry trip with me in 99! Anyway..to lose him would be devestating so that dream upset me. I think I asked a CM to let me go back and find him but they laughed and said no. Nice eh? Glad I learned that CM's aren't mean like that!!

Last night I had my first WDW dream since last year. We had to stop and check in at CSR but it was actually a strip mall. DH ended up buying a $300 rug while we were there. I flipped out saying he spent all our gift money and when he tried to return it they said no. So with this huge rolled up rug in hand we treked over to a monorail. We had to get to SOG to buy our park tickets and then to Ohanas. (Some of it's true!) But the line was mass chaos. People were screaming and trying to get on the monorails. We decided we would walk but got there after everything had closed. So that was my first pre-trip dream. I didn't say I was normal!!!

I love Disney dreams!!!

 

[belle8306]

Hi! I just found your TR. You are doing a great job! Your itinerary looks great! I can't wait to read more.

 

[Eventer98]

Hey there!

Just got caught up on your pre-trip. Disney dreams! I love it!

Before we went last year, I was so caught up in the planning that I thought I might spontaniously combust once I actually set foot Disney property. But we had fun and learned a lot so I'll be more relaxed this year.

Are you gonna tweak? I'm a tweaker! I start to second guess myself at the last minute and change things around.

OK, I'm ready for more....bring it on!

Yeah! Another Peep!! I have already started tweaking. I wish we had more days to add all the TS we want in there. We didn't think we would have the DDP so we had more TS originally. Now that we do for the last 5 days I had to drop Sci-fi and The Plaza to fit in CS. No big deal though!!

I have to try and spread out my posts..I have like 6.5 weeks to go!! What the heck will I write about?

Hi! I just found your TR. You are doing a great job! Your itinerary looks great! I can't wait to read more.

Glad you came over as well!!! I will get another chapter up by tomorrow night!!!

 

[IluvXU]

Can't wait to hear more about your trip! And DVC!

 

[Eventer98]

Can't wait to hear more about your trip! And DVC!

Thanks for reading..next installment coming up!!

 

[fizz13]

Hi Horsegirl,
Your pre-trip hit with me cos I know just what you mean about it being your happy place, its mine too, its been a tough year for me, and WDW is what keeps me going so I'm with ya You made me lol with your disney dreams, just look at my tag, i thought i was never gonna get off Space Mtn till I woke up You've got some great ADRs there, Ohana is the best as you know, can't wait to see how this turns out, oh CONGRATULATIONS on your wedding, you look beautiful

 

[Eventer98]

When we went to WDW last August we saw all those booths set up for “Disney Vacation Club.” We had no idea what it was and didn’t take any interest. Then after we got back DH decided he was going to leave the Navy in June, after 11 years. (His disability will equal what retirement would have been so no reason to stay just for benefits) When he said this I realized that we would no longer be eligible for our favorite hotel, Shades of Green.

You have be to active military or retired with 20 years to stay there. We knew that we would have to stay at a value resort from now on…they equal what we paid for SOG. No offense to the value resorts...we just got spoiled with SOG!! The rooms are almost 400 sq. ft! So I did some research and starting getting information on this Disney Vacation Club. The cost kinda spooked DH but when I explained it all..that it would pay for itself in 7 trips or so…he started listening. I explained how the DVC resorts are the same size/quality as SOG. So we decided we were going to go for it. In the fall!! I figured I could wait….we couldn’t even book our Xmas 08 trip until Jan 08 so no reason to get DVC sooner then that. Plus, DH is starting a new job in July and although it should be the same pay, or more, as the Navy, I take a paycut every summer so funds could be tight. But then DH went out for the day last Sat and I made some phone calls.

I had looked into resale, b/c we liked OKW resort, but those timeshares expire 12 years before buying new at SSR or AKV. We also liked the fact that if you buy thru Disney it doesn’t show up on a credit report so it won’t ever be held against you. That was a nice touch. But then I found out the kicker…if we bought now we would get 2006 pts dues free (saving $600) and pro-rated dues for our 2007 pts (saving another $150) I realized that if we went ahead, and was able to book a DVC resort for our honeymoon then we could save an additional $1200!!!!

I already had a tour set up for the day DH goes golfing with BIL. We liked the themeing at SSR…as you know I have horses and SSR is based on the horse racing town in NY, Saratoga Springs. My horse used to race but it was in NJ at Monmouth (sp?) track.

We thought we might want to look into AKV but they were about $500 more, which isn’t a lot in the end, but since they don’t open until the fall we might have trouble booking there in the future since there won't be many rooms right away.

So I call Judy, my “guide”, and asked her to run my credit to see if I got preferred financing. The difference between preferred and standard financing was almost $3K thru the life of the loan. Preferred was a must for us. Luckily my credit was A-OK so I told her that I would call back the next day with the deposit….remember I still had to talked to DH!!!

DH got home a few minutes later and when I told him the money we would be saving, assuming we get into a DVC resort on such short notice, he was all for it. We had set wedding money aside for the down payment so luckily that wasn’t an issue. I called Judy back the next day and told her we were in and gave her the deposit. She gave me my membership # so I could call member services and make a reservation. Would we get in??? Would we still be at SOG? You all know the answer but let’s pretend you don’t.

Next up..making a reservation and DH’s family’s reaction vs. mine.

 

[dance2874]

You lucky girl!!

I really want to buy in to DVC. Unfortunately we wouldnt qualify for the preferred financing and I dont see how I would convince my Dh even if we did. Maybe someday....

 

[twob4him]

Glad to see you here!!!! I was hoping you would say you already have a horse lined up for a summer lease. If I was near you I would let you lease mine for next to nothing!! Sorry that we will miss you at WDW...would have been nice to see some horsey-DIS'ers!!!
We've eaten at a few other places last Aug so if you need feedback on a place let me know!! What do you have planned so far?

Well guess what I just watched on TV? The Rolex Three-Day Event at the Kentucky Horse Park! It was amazing except one of the horses got hurt Unfortunately they didn't show the dressage part...guess they think its too boring and it probably is to outsiders. So anyways, I am riding at a barn closer to home now and it costs a lot less too. I am riding their large ponies to get them ready for youngins to take lessons on. Perhaps we can lease one of them for the summer! She also has a really nice QH paint with a long smooth stride. He's perfect to practice dressage on! I love your horsey pic too...he is beautiful!

OK now onto Disney...have you eaten at Boma or WCC or in Norway at Akershus?? Those will be new for us this time. We are also revisiting LTT and Ohana's cause we loved them so much!
Congratulations on the DVC....I think it is a wise choice if both of you know you will be vacationing here each year!

 

[Eventer98]

Hi Horsegirl,
Your pre-trip hit with me cos I know just what you mean about it being your happy place, its mine too, its been a tough year for me, and WDW is what keeps me going so I'm with ya You made me lol with your disney dreams, just look at my tag, i thought i was never gonna get off Space Mtn till I woke up You've got some great ADRs there, Ohana is the best as you know, can't wait to see how this turns out, oh CONGRATULATIONS on your wedding, you look beautiful

I'm sorry to hear it has been a rough year for you!!! I know what you are going thru...some days it seems as if the sun will never shine again. I have been in that hole looking up..wondering when someone was going to throw me a ladder down.
I can't wait for more Disney dreams....DH just rolls his eyes when I tell him!!! Thanks for reading!!! 48 more days until Ohanas!!!

You lucky girl!!

I really want to buy in to DVC. Unfortunately we wouldnt qualify for the preferred financing and I dont see how I would convince my Dh even if we did. Maybe someday....

You never know...I have a black mark on my credit but had no problems. If you think you will travel every year or two, and you usually stay at a moderate resort or better, it could be worth looking into when the time is right!

Well guess what I just watched on TV? The Rolex Three-Day Event at the Kentucky Horse Park! It was amazing except one of the horses got hurt Unfortunately they didn't show the dressage part...guess they think its too boring and it probably is to outsiders. So anyways, I am riding at a barn closer to home now and it costs a lot less too. I am riding their large ponies to get them ready for youngins to take lessons on. Perhaps we can lease one of them for the summer! She also has a really nice QH paint with a long smooth stride. He's perfect to practice dressage on! I love your horsey pic too...he is beautiful!OK now onto Disney...have you eaten at Boma or WCC or in Norway at Akershus?? Those will be new for us this time. We are also revisiting LTT and Ohana's cause we loved them so much!
Congratulations on the DVC....I think it is a wise choice if both of you know you will be vacationing here each year!

I can't watch the eventing anymore... My heart is too much in my throat now. But I actually gave it a try 10 years ago (hence the username) and just couldn't cut it. I showed jumpers for 15 years but those jumps fall down when you knock them...4ft. logs do not!!!! We have a Rolex trial near us..Stuart Horse Trials. I have never been but my friend is a jump judge.
Glad to hear you are riding!! My friend and I are helping a young girl (well not young...24 yo. ) get back into riding. She had two bad falls off green horses. Broke her back twice and had bad concussions. She is a trooper though. She actually fell off on the trail with us Sat. when her horse spooked. It wasn't the horse's fault..a deer jumped out at us. But she is short, only 4'10, so her little legs can't grip her horse so she has poor balance. She got right back on though and continued the ride. Possibly more then I could do!!

BACK TO DISNEY...before we bore all these other readers!! I have eaten at WCC. I liked the food, for the most part. I am a huge Bush's Baked Beans fan and the ones at WCC weren't that good. The rest of the food was pretty decent..the salad was really good! It was our first night and we were very tired. The antics were great for the kids but if you are traveling with adults only it may not be the best choice. The HDDR's food was similar but much better. WCC does have a very cheap bfast, which we have never tried, but probably will in 08. Your daughter would probably love it!! (You have 3 kids right??)
We are trying Boma for the first time this trip...I heard the bfast is outstanding!!!! I'm not too sure DH and I would enjoy the dinner foods enough to spend the money. I haven't even been to the AKL so I am excited for that!!!
I am going to Aker. with dance2874 (a PP) for a Peeps Meet in September. DH and I had ADRs for it but I cancelled them when I knew I would be going in Sept. I hear that it's a better bfast (and cheaper!) then CRT!!!

Just got back from Spiderman 3 It was alright. I guess it was the best of all of them but I went more for DH. I am looking fwd. to Shrek, Pirates and Harry Potter!!! Captain Jack makes me weak in the knees!! Who would have thought a man in black eyeliner could look so good!!!

 

[belle8306]

DVC!! How cool! That is something I really want to do someday. I think I might take a tour on this trip and do some "research". Have you bought everything you need for your trip?

 

[dance2874]

I am going to Aker. with dance2874 (a PP) for a Peeps Meet in September. DH and I had ADRs for it but I cancelled them when I knew I would be going in Sept. I hear that it's a better bfast (and cheaper!) then CRT!!!

Just got back from Spiderman 3 It was alright. I guess it was the best of all of them but I went more for DH. I am looking fwd. to Shrek, Pirates and Harry Potter!!! Captain Jack makes me weak in the knees!! Who would have thought a man in black eyeliner could look so good!!!

I did the lunch (or was it dinner) there last year. It was good, for what it is. The food is quite authentic so check the menu ahead of time. I am not a fan of it truly but the princess factor won out. (and the fact CRT was way too booked and costs 2TS credits!)

And that is too funny about those movies. DH wants to see Spidey, I will go to appease him. I am looking fwd to Shrek myself. I actually 'earned' 2 free tickets today at the grocery store here. If you buy 10 items out of a long list of options, you earn the tickets. Pretty cool

 

[Wonders10]

Hi Eventer!

A couple DVC questions, since you're an expert now! I'm sooooooo interested in getting it. I go to WDW so much and I know that even when I start my career, I will still go a lot. Maybe more because I'll have more income. And I've become a hotel snob and (jokingly) say that I slum it when I stay at Port Orleans! So moderates and deluxes are what we do the most now.

Technically I do have money for it (I'm not a spoiled rich girl - just have fallen into some extra $$$ due to unfortunate family things), but I'm still in grad school (re:unemployed until at least May 2008) and do not own a home. But I have awesome credit. Are any of those things required before buying into DVC? The rational side of me is saying that I should just wait a year and then do it, but I'm still curious what all goes into getting accepted into DVC.

Rats, there was something else...hmmm...ok, can't think of it. But if I do, I'll post it!

You're doing a great job on your trippie!

 

[Wonders10]

Oh I think I remembered what I wanted to ask. If I wanted to do a tour, do you think that it would be ok for my 6 and 4 yr old niece to tag a long? And does anyone know how long the tours are?

Thanks!

p.s. sorry for so many DVC ???

 

[Eventer98]

I did the lunch (or was it dinner) there last year. It was good, for what it is. The food is quite authentic so check the menu ahead of time. I am not a fan of it truly but the princess factor won out. (and the fact CRT was way too booked and costs 2TS credits!)

And that is too funny about those movies. DH wants to see Spidey, I will go to appease him. I am looking fwd to Shrek myself. I actually 'earned' 2 free tickets today at the grocery store here. If you buy 10 items out of a long list of options, you earn the tickets. Pretty cool

We have Regal Cinemas (where matinees are up to $7!!!) up here but they have a "frequent shoppers card" where you get pts...I should be due for something soon! You get popcorn, drinks and free tickets. For the price you pay for a ticket they better give you something!!!

Hi Eventer!

A couple DVC questions, since you're an expert now! I'm sooooooo interested in getting it. I go to WDW so much and I know that even when I start my career, I will still go a lot. Maybe more because I'll have more income. And I've become a hotel snob and (jokingly) say that I slum it when I stay at Port Orleans! So moderates and deluxes are what we do the most now.

Technically I do have money for it (I'm not a spoiled rich girl - just have fallen into some extra $$$ due to unfortunate family things), but I'm still in grad school (re:unemployed until at least May 2008) and do not own a home. But I have awesome credit. Are any of those things required before buying into DVC? The rational side of me is saying that I should just wait a year and then do it, but I'm still curious what all goes into getting accepted into DVC.

Rats, there was something else...hmmm...ok, can't think of it. But if I do, I'll post it!

You're doing a great job on your trippie!

Thanks for popping in!! I don't have snacks laid out like 2be4him does on her TR's..I am too cheap!! But there is plenty of animals around to snuggle with while you read!!

DVC made so much sense for us right now!! If you look into it then you can probably get 2006 pts with no dues (so that's like a week of free lodging) and pro-rated 2007 dues like we did. You only need 10% down, about $1600, and you can finance the rest for 10 years at 10.75%. If you want to put more down that would be great....less interest for you. Closing is $325 and you can roll that into the loan or pay it with the d.payment. If you normally stay at the moderat hotels then it will pay for itself in about 7 trips..the DVC hotels are about $325/night for the reg. people (they open the rooms up the public 60 days beforehand)
I do not own a home and they don't pull a full credit report. They just took my SS# and ran it. She knew in 2 min. over the phone. I think it goes by your score. Like I said, I have a black mark on my credit but my score is still great so preferred finacing was np! There is standard financing too but it's like 14%. They do NOT ask for your income..I guess they feel if you default on the loan they can just take it back. You can also pay dues ($640+- a year) yearly or monthly. No fee to do it monthly. The payment for us is $179/month and dues will be about $50..I think. But if you put more down that obviously will be lower. If you can afford the down payment then go for it...you figure that every year you wait you are paying OOP for a hotel. You can also get $100 off AP's every year with a discounted renewal rate. I think they are $335 for the first time..I can't recall what renewal rate is.
You won't be eligible for free dining when they have that promotion but you can always get the dining plan. You will be able to book your home resort (SSR or AKV) 11 months out or any of the other resorts at 7 mon. The minimum pts. you will need to buy is 160. The sale right now is $94 a point for SSR and $96 I think for AKV.
Phew...that was a lot of typing. Do you want the # of my guide? (I think I get something if you buy!! ) She is SUPER nice and not pushy at all. You can schedule a tour with her and she will send you out this awesome DVC book to look through. I think they have childcare for the tours but they only take an hour or so, I was told, depending on what questions you ask. they also pick you up and drop you off wherever you want. I learned a lot from the DVC Operations board on here as well. What other questions do you have? If you have the 10% down and go to Disney at least one a year, and stay at those resorts, it sounds like it may be worth looking into!