The "I Can't Believe I'm Doing a PTR for This Trip"PTR-UD 5/17*TR Link!*

[mommytothreeboys]

Hello all! From my title, I'm sure you can figure out this is not your typical Disney PTR. For starters, this trip is not necessarily a Disney trip. Now, don't freak out and stop reading.....bear with me! Let me start at the beginning with some introductions.

My name is Missy and I just turned the dreaded big 4-0. Believe it or not, I'm fine and still fully functioning! I LOVE Walt Disney World and all things Disney. I've been to WDW a total of 4 times....once as a teenager with my grandparents (1983ish), once on my honeymoon(1992), and twice with my husband and boys(2007 and 2009). I am a planner in all aspects of my life, but when it comes to planning a vacation I go into overdrive! My favorite character is Tink and my favorite princess is Snow White. Links to my two other reports are in my signature if you care to read them, but it won't be necessary to join in on this one! Here's a picture of me so you can put a face with a name!

The other person involved in this trip will be my fabulous husband Jeff. We have been married 17 ½ years. Jeff loves Disney as much as I do, but you probably won't get him to admit that out loud. His favorite character is Pinocchio.

Here are a few pics of us from our last Disney trip.

All “inked” up and ready to hit the waterpark!

Breakfast at 'Ohana.

So.....on to why this is not really a typical Disney trip and why I'm doing a PTR anyway! This year Jeff and I both celebrate our 40th birthdays. We took a big family vacation last year so it was our year to do something, just the two of us. Perfect since we both had a milestone to celebrate! I, of course, want to go to Disney (DUH)! Although Jeff was not completely opposed to that, he really wanted to try something new. On top of that, we are really trying to be budget conscious and save some of his bonus money and our tax refund to do some much needed work on our house, so money was an issue. All that being said, we decided to look into a cruise.

Long story short, we have decided to take a 4 night Bahamas cruise in May! I wanted to leave from Port Canaveral so that, if I couldn't actually go to my happy place, at least I'd be close enough to hit DTD and get my Disney fix.

Then why a PTR on the DISboards you ask?? Well.....like I said, I'm a planner and once we decided where and when, I was off to the races. HOW could I sneak in a trip to the happiest place on earth?? The Give A Day-Get A Day promotion of course! YAY! Thanks to the help and advice some of my great friends here on the DIS, I have signed Jeff and I up to make blankets for Project Linus. In return, we get a free day at Disney. PERFECT!! We will only be in Orlando for the weekend after the cruise, so this is the perfect way to be able to go see Mickey!

But a PTR for a one day visit....really?? Truthfully, I have made such great friends here on the DIS that it just doesn't feel like a vacation if I don't have a place to hash out all the details with them! I can't keep going on their TR's and PTR's and talking about MY trip, so.......a PTR it is! Plus....as much as Jeff loves me, he just doesn't get the same joy and giddyness from the trip planning that I do. Crazy, huh? With a PTR, I have the outlet to gush and overflow and obsess and plan with those who share my joy!

And for that, I thank you!


ON TO THE DETAILS!!

Update Links
The Plan
PROS and CONS
The Big Decision!
We're Cruisin'!
To-Do List
MK Rewind and Must-Dos
Who's Minding the Children?
Like a 5 Year Old on Christmas!
Shopping!
My War with Weight!
Random!
April Fool's Day Fun
Happy Easter
3 Weeks to GO!!
Do it All at the MK in One Day!
Just a Quick One!
Bring Me Back A.....
The Single Digit Boogie!
List Revisit!
7 Days to Go!
5 days to go!
4 Days to Go!!
2 Days to Go!
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes!
We're OUT OF HERE!
Home!
TR Link!

 

[longing2Batdisney]

Hey! Missy
Congratulations! on the cruise and the short disney fix. You and Jeff are going to have a wonderful time. And, what better way to celebrate your birthday's. Can't wait to follow along and hear all your plans.
Connie

 

[carissanboys]

Yay!!! I'm so glad you listened and started one. I hope you'll talk about your cruise plans as well! Chuck really wants to go on a cruise someday (a real one - not like the one he's currently on ).

 

[mickeystoontown]

Woo Hoo! I love your family and look forward to hearing all of the details!

 

[Angies1274]

YAY!! I'm so glad you decided to do a PTR!!! Can't wait to hear all the details!!!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Hey! Missy
Congratulations! on the cruise and the short disney fix. You and Jeff are going to have a wonderful time. And, what better way to celebrate your birthday's. Can't wait to follow along and hear all your plans.
Connie

Hi Connie! I'm so glad you're here...we're going to miss being in Orlando together by 2 days!

Yay!!! I'm so glad you listened and started one. I hope you'll talk about your cruise plans as well! Chuck really wants to go on a cruise someday (a real one - not like the one he's currently on ).

Thanks Carissa! Thanks for encouraging me to write a PTR....I love having a place to share with all of you and pick your brains for ideas and advice!

I'm surprised Chuck would want to go anywhere near a ship once he's home! I'll be sure to keep you informed though...Jeff and I are very excited as it's our first experience cruising!

Woo Hoo! I love your family and look forward to hearing all of the details!

Awww...Hi Lisa! Thanks for coming over!

YAY!! I'm so glad you decided to do a PTR!!! Can't wait to hear all the details!!!

Hi Angie! I can't wait to get your opinions on all the details!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

YAY! My friends are here! If you are lurking, feel free to say hello....I welcome any and all comments!

Before I move on to the big plans, I want to take a minute to introduce the rest of my family. My boys will not banana be joining us for this trip, but they will be mentioned and therefore I want to tell you a little about them.

My oldest is Dan and he is 15. Daniel is super competitive, loves sports of all kinds, enjoys singing and performing in the school's productions, and is a HUGE Disney fan! Dan is a planner like his mom and "going with the flow" does not come naturally for him.

Next is Isaiah and this one is going to put me in an early grave! Isaiah is 12 and has always been a challenge. Let's just say that Isaiah marches to the beat of his own drummer. He has told me before that he lives in Isaiah-world...where only his rules and expectations apply! UGH! Although he continually frustrates me, he also makes me laugh ALL THE TIME and is quick with a kind word or a hug.

The baby of the family is Jonah. At 9 he is energetic, loving, and sensitive . Jonah is in Cub Scouts, plays baseball, and is currently taking drum lessons. Jonah loves Disney and spends a lot of time watching the Disney channel...Phineas and Ferb are his current favorites!

Here is a picture of the boys last spring at the POR pool.

And here they are this past Christmas.

Now that you know my whole family, it's time to talk about the trip!

The OFFICIAL PLANS!

The cruise departs Port Canaveral on Monday May 3rd at 4:30 pm. Jeff and I are flying out of Rochester at 5:55 am and are scheduled to arrive in Orlando at 10:30 am on Monday.

We will be on board the Monarch of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) from Monday May 3-Friday May 7. Stops include CoCo Cay (a Royal Caribbean owned island) and Nassau, Bahamas.

On arrival back in Orlando, our plan is to rent a car for the weekend. I got a great rate at the Doubletree Castle Hotel ($49/night for a room with a King bed) so that is where we are staying. I looked into staying onsite at a Value, but for the price it just made more sense to stay offsite.

We will visit WDW on Saturday May 8th with our GAD vouchers.

Our flight leaves on Sunday May 9th at 8pm.

So...there is the plan....at least the "very rough--no details filled-in" plan.

Now you all come in! I need help! When we decided to do the GAD promo and visit a park, we instantly started debating WHICH ONE. The first thing Jeff said was, "What do your DISfriends think?". LOL....he trusts you guys and wanted me to put it out there!

If you had only ONE day to visit WDW and it wasn't your first visit, which park would you choose and why?

I can't wait to hear your responses!

 

[mickeystoontown]

First off, love the pictures of your boys.

Ohhhh nooooo, I don't know which park I would chose to visit if I only had one day. It's a toss up between Epcot and Magic Kingdom. I think I'd have to go with Magic Kingdom because it IS Disney.

 

[longing2Batdisney]

Whoa! Missy
that is a hard one...one park... :
I think if it were just Danny and I it would have to be Epcot! to me it has the thrills and it is geared more to the adults...you could drink around the world! and eat too! (although with all the food on the cruise I'm sure you may want to skip that part). So, what are your plans for that Sunday if you don't fly out until 8 pm. You guys could take in a nice lunch at DTD and just soak up the last of the Disney magic.

You guys are going to love cruisin'; we went back in 2001. We keep talking about going back but have yet to plan something. My problem is I would want to take Ashton and that kinda puts a crimp in the fun
My parents usually do two a year and my dad goes on and on about the frozen yogurt and my mom about all the desserts; so, you guys may want to try to loose a few pounds before the trip to gain it all back plus some
that's what dad does.

what a bummer that we miss one another by days...

 

[carissanboys]

Thanks Carissa! Thanks for encouraging me to write a PTR....I love having a place to share with all of you and pick your brains for ideas and advice!

I'm surprised Chuck would want to go anywhere near a ship once he's home! I'll be sure to keep you informed though...Jeff and I are very excited as it's our first experience cruising!

One thing he has loved about being on the ship is seeing the ocean every day. I think he'd like to have that same experience, but with plusher accommodations.

How much cheaper is it to go the Carnival route as opposed to Disney? I'm figuring you looked at both. Not looking for totals or anything, but I've heard it's a lot cheaper doing non-Disney?

Someone else has a PTR for a one day trip and she asked which park too. I said it would be a toss up between Epcot and MK. MK is more magical to me and a trip doesn't feel right without going there, but I think I would find more to do at Epcot. I love the WS and could spend so much time there. Plus, there are some great rides too.

 

[mom2mek]

Hi Missy! I'm so glad you are doing a report! A cruise? Disney? What a great vacation for you too! Consider me jealous!

I love your descriptions of your boys...isn't it funny how 3 kids can come from the same 2 people and be so different from one another? It's such a wonder!!

Hmmm...one park? That is super-duper hard! I mean the Magic Kingdom goes without saying...totally IS Disney; however, Epcot is certainly more "adult" what with all the yummy beverages! Add into that the Flower and Garden Festival....it's a tough one! Illuminations vs. Wishes is a tough one too! I'm really being no help, am I? Sorry. Then there are the rides....hard to compare the few rides at Epcot (even though they are good ones) to the vast choices of things at the MK.

Saturday is "usually" a better day for Epcot than the MK (I use TGM), but there's Spectro at the MK that day too! (Just looked it up). Ugh. I don't know.

I can't wait to hear all about your plans though!!

Sara

 

[Angies1274]

Hi Missy!

Ahh...great pictures of your boys!!!

I'm so excited that you are going on a cruise!! What a great way to celebrate your birthday's!! I'm hoping that you share all the details when you come back...I've always wanted to go on a cruise!!--and to the Bahamas...even better.

Okay, I'm thinking that you probably know my answer since you have read my TR's but......you may be surprised. Although, I absolutely LOVE Magic Kingdom and I can't imagine not visiting when we go. I think if it was just DH and I, then we would probably choose Epcot to visit. Surprised? I think a lot of the reasons that MK feels so magical to me is that I see all the excitement and joy through the boys eyes and it makes me love it even more! At Epcot there just seems to be so much more to see and do especially for adults. Just being able to tour WS at our own pace, drink and try some new things that we probably wouldn't be able to do if the boys were with us. Plus...the F&G Festival will still be going on and that's always so much fun! Wow! What a decision!! It really is a tough one because both parks are so great!! I can't wait to hear what you decide!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

First off, love the pictures of your boys.

Ohhhh nooooo, I don't know which park I would chose to visit if I only had one day. It's a toss up between Epcot and Magic Kingdom. I think I'd have to go with Magic Kingdom because it IS Disney.

Hi Lisa...such a tough choice! I'm really just thankful we are able to go!

Whoa! Missy
that is a hard one...one park... :
I think if it were just Danny and I it would have to be Epcot! to me it has the thrills and it is geared more to the adults...you could drink around the world! and eat too! (although with all the food on the cruise I'm sure you may want to skip that part). So, what are your plans for that Sunday if you don't fly out until 8 pm. You guys could take in a nice lunch at DTD and just soak up the last of the Disney magic.

You guys are going to love cruisin'; we went back in 2001. We keep talking about going back but have yet to plan something. My problem is I would want to take Ashton and that kinda puts a crimp in the fun
My parents usually do two a year and my dad goes on and on about the frozen yogurt and my mom about all the desserts; so, you guys may want to try to loose a few pounds before the trip to gain it all back plus some
that's what dad does.

what a bummer that we miss one another by days...

The beauty of this trip is that, aside from WDW, we really have no plans for the weekend. I'm sure we will spend some time at DTD.

I've been losing weight since January, so I'm a little nervous to put it all back on during the cruise!

One thing he has loved about being on the ship is seeing the ocean every day. I think he'd like to have that same experience, but with plusher accommodations.

How much cheaper is it to go the Carnival route as opposed to Disney? I'm figuring you looked at both. Not looking for totals or anything, but I've heard it's a lot cheaper doing non-Disney?

Someone else has a PTR for a one day trip and she asked which park too. I said it would be a toss up between Epcot and MK. MK is more magical to me and a trip doesn't feel right without going there, but I think I would find more to do at Epcot. I love the WS and could spend so much time there. Plus, there are some great rides too.

Hi Carissa. We did research a Disney Cruise and, honestly, it's about double the price for the same number of nights, same destination, same time of year. Our cruise total for the two of us was just over $700 which includes all the port fees, etc. And we got an oceanview cabin. The same DCL cruise for an oceanview cabin was over $1200. Now....the cabins on the DCL ships are significantly larger. 122 sq feet on RCL as compared to 214 sq feet on DCL. I know that's a small space, but I am approaching it the same way I approach rooms at WDW...it's for sleeping and showering. I don't plan to spend much time there! I'm sure a DCL cruise is fantastic and you get what you pay for...I know that much about Disney. But....this time, in this instance, under these circumstances, it made more sense to go a non-Disney route.

Hi Missy! I'm so glad you are doing a report! A cruise? Disney? What a great vacation for you too! Consider me jealous!

I love your descriptions of your boys...isn't it funny how 3 kids can come from the same 2 people and be so different from one another? It's such a wonder!!

Hmmm...one park? That is super-duper hard! I mean the Magic Kingdom goes without saying...totally IS Disney; however, Epcot is certainly more "adult" what with all the yummy beverages! Add into that the Flower and Garden Festival....it's a tough one! Illuminations vs. Wishes is a tough one too! I'm really being no help, am I? Sorry. Then there are the rides....hard to compare the few rides at Epcot (even though they are good ones) to the vast choices of things at the MK.

Saturday is "usually" a better day for Epcot than the MK (I use TGM), but there's Spectro at the MK that day too! (Just looked it up). Ugh. I don't know.

I can't wait to hear all about your plans though!!

Sara

Hi Sara! It really does amaze me how different my 3 boys are. All fantastic in their own way, but so different!

Hi Missy!

Ahh...great pictures of your boys!!!

I'm so excited that you are going on a cruise!! What a great way to celebrate your birthday's!! I'm hoping that you share all the details when you come back...I've always wanted to go on a cruise!!--and to the Bahamas...even better.

Okay, I'm thinking that you probably know my answer since you have read my TR's but......you may be surprised. Although, I absolutely LOVE Magic Kingdom and I can't imagine not visiting when we go. I think if it was just DH and I, then we would probably choose Epcot to visit. Surprised? I think a lot of the reasons that MK feels so magical to me is that I see all the excitement and joy through the boys eyes and it makes me love it even more! At Epcot there just seems to be so much more to see and do especially for adults. Just being able to tour WS at our own pace, drink and try some new things that we probably wouldn't be able to do if the boys were with us. Plus...the F&G Festival will still be going on and that's always so much fun! Wow! What a decision!! It really is a tough one because both parks are so great!! I can't wait to hear what you decide!

Hi Angie...I'm so conflicted over this choice!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Jeff and I sat down and talked about which park we should visit on our one Disney day. Much like the responses I've been getting, we immediately had it narrowed down to Epcot or Magic Kingdom. I've decided to break it down into the pros and cons we came up with and run it by all of you. So, here's the list...feel free to add, subtract and/or comment!

PROS for Epcot

*this is far and away our favorite park to visit
*Flower and Garden Festival
*adult beverages—now we're not big drinkers, but Jeff likes a beer on occasion and I enjoy a good Margarita!
*Soarin' and Test Track
*Tangierine Cafe--our favorite WDW CS
*the WS—one of those places we never feel like we have enough time to fully appreciate. It might be easier without the boys and having to do masks, passports, etc.

CONS for Epcot

*this is NOT a one day park. We would have to miss things we enjoy.
*no parade—I LOVE the parades


PROS for Magic Kingdom

*NOTHING is more Disney than walking down Main Street—the smell of the popcorn, the balloons, the horse drawn carriages, the music, the castle.... These are the reasons we LOVE Disney like we do.
*We can hit all the major attractions that we would want in one day—with no Dumbo, no Toontown, etc.
*Dole Whips—this was Jeff's addition!
*refurbished Space Mountain—closed on our last trip
*afternoon parade
*Wishes—seeing Tink fly and the music just melts me every time


CONS for Magic Kingdom

*we are going on a Saturday
*no adult beverages


When we first decided to add a park day, I thought it would be a no-brainer. Epcot is our favorite park so we'd obviously go to Epcot. But the more we talked about it the less clear that choice became. Although we love Epcot, it is a 2+ day park for us. Will we feel cheated or rushed if we try to enjoy it to it's fullest in one day? With only one day I want to soak up as much Magic as I can....MK is definitely all that is best and most magical about Disney.

Bottom line...1 day is NOT enough, but it's what I have to work with! What to do??

 

[DisMomAmy]

I'm here, I'm here!! So glad you decided to write a report. Now the question is, did I make it on page 1 or will I be sent to page 2?

 

[mommytothreeboys]

I'm here, I'm here!! So glad you decided to write a report. Now the question is, did I make it on page 1 or will I be sent to page 2?

Yee-Ha! You JUST made it on page 1....thanks for joining in!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Ok now that I've actually read your updates...

I would agree that it's a hard choice between Epcot & MK...

My suggestion would be to change your whole vacation around so you can be a Disney the weekend BEFORE your cruise so we can make up for last year and actually have a DISmeet!

 

[carissanboys]

I think it's going to come down to you imaging you are there that weekend. And think about how you will feel if you don't get to go to MK at all. Then think about how you will feel if you don't get to visit Epcot. Which thought makes you more sad?

 

[Angies1274]

Boy, this is hard. After reading your pros and cons both parks seem evenly matched.

It's so funny because like you the first park I thought of was Epcot. (probably because there is still so much we want to do there and although the boys love FW, they get a little bored with WS) But, now that I've read your pros for MK all I kept thinking was ahhh....how could we miss seeing the castle or Wishes?

As far as the cons for MK...we visited on a Saturday last April (the week of Easter) and we didn't find the parks too bad and Spectro was even showing that night. We didn't find it any more crowded than our trip in August. We actually thought the following Tuesday was worse crowd-wise. I've read that a lot of people either are arriving or leaving on Saturday so maybe it wouldn't be too bad, especially since it's in early May and not on a school vacation/ or during summer break??

 

[mom2mek]

Oh, man - that is so hard! But one day is better than none, right!! Well just to hit on a few of your bullet points....

You know you can get a Dole Whip at the Poly, right? It's not the float - just the ice cream - I don't know which you like better.

Wishes is at 10 that night? Soooo....if you choose Epcot, you could attempt to see Illuminations from the FW side of the World Showcase (right near the friendship boat launch or even a little further back if it isn't too crowded and you can still see), and then hop on the monorail, get off at the TTC, and walk to the Poly beach and watch Wishes!!! That way you still see the castle and you can see Tink fly from there too (she's just a green speck, but it's kind of cute)! You can get a drink from the Tambu Lounge and/or a Dole Whip from Capt Cooks afterwards too! I only mention this in case you pick Epcot - you can still get a "little" bit of the MK this way! Sitting on the beach with your sweetie is really nice! Just a thought.

Sara