The Imaginary Vacation.....is no longer imaginary! (7/20-Daily plans w/ADRs)

We stayed last year at Windsor Palms in a 5 bedroom house with a pool... I, too, wondered about if it would feel like VACATION when I still did the cooking cleaning etc:laundy:. But, OH, HOW NICE THE EXTRA SPACE was! Everyone pitched in to help keep it tidy. And that we could retire to private rooms at the end of the day was so, so RELAXING!!!. I also appreciated being able to throw a load of laundry in the washing machine so my clothes were actually clean the next day. I don't know about you, but I don't enjoy doing laundry in hotels and will avoid it :sad2:.

We still had DISNEY magic :wizard:... the moment we drove to the park tears came to my eyes when I saw the Welcome signs and I don't think we missed the magic. Of course, I haven't stayed onsite to compare...:confused3

If you haven't booked... check out RomancingtheMouse.com especially if you still have more than just your family going. They have 4, 5 and 6 bedroom homes for rent in Windsor Hills and Windsor Palms. We are going with them this time and have seen nothing but good reviews on DIS boards.

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm getting excited about Windsor Hills. I checked out some of the places that have been recommended on the Dis, but the dates didn't work out, or it wasn't quite what we were looking for.

I was totally ready to book the StoryTime townhouse that has been discussed here, but it turned out that they could only rent Saturday - Saturday that week and we need Sunday-Sunday. Ugh--so it was back to the drawing board.

We definitely want a townhouse with a pool, but we also want to be close to the clubhouse/community pool. I found one that fits the bill, called "Summer Wind," but I can't find any reviews on it, which makes me a little nervous. It's an end townhouse, looks nice and the owner has been prompt to answer my questions, so we'll see...
 
I wish I had powerpoints to help you with this!!!:yay:

Personally, I can't imagine staying at Disney and not being on Property. I also don't have a family however, and have always traveled 3 or 4 to a room. I see what you are saying about Windsor Hills. It sounds like it will work out better for your family! Have you thought about renting DVC points? I don't know much about it, but I've read how a few people have gotten amazing deals on them! Good luck with your decisions...
 
I wish I had powerpoints to help you with this!!!:yay:

Personally, I can't imagine staying at Disney and not being on Property. I also don't have a family however, and have always traveled 3 or 4 to a room. I see what you are saying about Windsor Hills. It sounds like it will work out better for your family! Have you thought about renting DVC points? I don't know much about it, but I've read how a few people have gotten amazing deals on them! Good luck with your decisions...

I have considered renting DVC points, but for some reason, I just can't wrap my brain around the whole DVC concept. The thought of all the research I'd need to do (after all that I've already done) is making me cross eyed!

But maybe I'll wander over to the DVC board tonight just to check it out...
 
:cool1:Congrats on your decision, it really sounds nice & more vacation time is always good. I know because I just asked my boss for the time off today & she said yes, no problem it's a slow time of year for us.:banana::banana::yay::cheer2::woohoo:I got so excited that I booked another night so now we're staying for 9 wonderful nights with Free Dining & both our trips are no longer imaginary.:dance3:

Tink, I don't know how I missed your post the first time around...HOORAY for getting the time off and for adding another day!! :cool1: Now you'll have to start your own non-imaginary PTR!
 

With the change to Windsor Hills and the extra 2 days added to our vacation:cool1:, I've come up with new daily plans. I will probably have to revise them after October hours come out, but here's what I have at this point. I'm excited about the new plans. Love having the extra time so we don't feel so rushed. I thought we might cook one night at the townhouse, but there are just so many places I want to try!

Sunday 10/11
Drive down, check in at 4:00
Evening in Downtown Disney
Lego Store
Dinner:?? T Rex or Fultons Crab House

Monday 10/12
DisneyQuest & Downtown Disney
Breakfast: in condo
Lunch: Downtown Disney couner service
Dinner: ?? Kona?

Tuesday, 10/13
MNSSHP
Breakfast: Chef Mickey's
Lunch: Cinderella's feast?? If we have tix to MNSSHP, can we get in earlier than 4:00 if we have 3:00 reservations at Cinderellas castle? (Assuming we can even get reservations.)
Dinner: CS at Magic Kingdom

Wednesday, 10/14
Blizzard Beach
Breakfast: In condo
Lunch: CS at Blizzard Beach
Dinner: Whispering Canyon

Thursday, 10/15
Hollywood Studios
Breakfast: in condo
Lunch: Sci Fi
Dinner: Fantasmic Dinner Package?? It this worth it?

Friday, 10/16
Open--relaxation day, or maybe Animal Kingdom
Breakfast: (Eeeek--a day that's not planned!)
Lunch:
Dinner: Date night?? Maybe Big River Grill on the Boardwalk, or California Grill

Saturday, 10/17
Epcot
Breakfast: in condo, or Akershus if we can't get Cinderella's castle
Lunch: CS at Epcot
Dinner: Le Cellier or Coral Reef

Sunday, 10/18
Return Home
 
I like all these plans, not that you need my approval but I am giving them anyway, there! I just nodded my head. Well...wait...What's this? you might cook one night? If my smilies were working right now I would give you the eek! it's vacation, C,bon here.!!!!
 
I like all these plans, not that you need my approval but I am giving them anyway, there! I just nodded my head. Well...wait...What's this? you might cook one night? If my smilies were working right now I would give you the eek! it's vacation, C,bon here.!!!!

Here it is::scared1:

You're right--NO COOKING! (But I might bring some emergency mac 'n cheese, in case there's a night we're just too exhausted to move. :faint:)
 
Tink, I don't know how I missed your post the first time around...HOORAY for getting the time off and for adding another day!! :cool1: Now you'll have to start your own non-imaginary PTR!

:sad2:Unfortunately, my trip has turned imaginary again, 3 days after I asked my new boss for the time off, I got laid-off due to "lack of work". It's funny that she was begging me not to quit on her just the week before (due to my other boss', her husband's unreasonable behavior). I think the layoff came from her husband since she told me that he had "run off" two other employee's in my same position last year. It stinks to be out of work for the second time in a year. We still might go, I have a small inheritance from my Mom, who died earlier this year but it all depends on whether I get another job.

Sorry to highjack your thread, but I just had to tell someone.
 
:sad2:Unfortunately, my trip has turned imaginary again, 3 days after I asked my new boss for the time off, I got laid-off due to "lack of work". It's funny that she was begging me not to quit on her just the week before (due to my other boss', her husband's unreasonable behavior). I think the layoff came from her husband since she told me that he had "run off" two other employee's in my same position last year. It stinks to be out of work for the second time in a year. We still might go, I have a small inheritance from my Mom, who died earlier this year but it all depends on whether I get another job.

Sorry to highjack your thread, but I just had to tell someone.

Oh, Tink, I'm so sorry for your troubles. It sounds like you've had a rough year. I can't believe they'd grant you time off, then lay you off. Talk about getting your hopes up just in time to cut you down. They could've at least stalled by telling you they'd think about it so you wouldn't get excited about a trip before getting laid off. From the sound of these people, you're probably better off in the long run without them anyway. Good luck finding a new job you're happy with; hope it all works out. Hugs. :grouphug:
 
Thanks, I needed that hug. :flower3:You're right, I'm better off without them, it was just so out of the blue that it threw me for a loop. I have had the worst year of my life, after working 11 years at the same company, I lost my job in Sept 2008 due to a bogus lawsuit that was filed against my company. My Mom died in Feb after a long fight with Altzheimers & I finally got a job in March with a company that I thought was the one I'd retire from( they said that they hoped I'd work there till I retired) and after I reorganize their files, catch up on their invoices & wage reports and basically get them up to speed on everything, all I get is a pink slip, I'm sorry, I'm venting again:guilty:. I really need a vacation.
 
Thanks, I needed that hug. :flower3:You're right, I'm better off without them, it was just so out of the blue that it threw me for a loop. I have had the worst year of my life, after working 11 years at the same company, I lost my job in Sept 2008 due to a bogus lawsuit that was filed against my company. My Mom died in Feb after a long fight with Altzheimers & I finally got a job in March with a company that I thought was the one I'd retire from( they said that they hoped I'd work there till I retired) and after I reorganize their files, catch up on their invoices & wage reports and basically get them up to speed on everything, all I get is a pink slip, I'm sorry, I'm venting again:guilty:. I really need a vacation.

You definitely need a vacation. Feel free to "hijack" and vent anytime! Good luck!:goodvibes
 
Looks like we can't get in any earlier than 4:00 for MNSSHP, even if we have reservations at one of the restaurants, so Cinderella's Table is out. Sarah Anne would like to eat here, but she doesn't want to take any time away from the Halloween party, so we'll have to change these plans. I think we'll plan to eat sandwiches for lunch at the townhouse since we'll most likely be swimming at the resort this afternoon. Then we'll plan to eat breakfast with the princesses at Akershus on the Epcot day. princess:

Ah, Character meals...

Her whole life, Kate has been terrified of characters. That's Terrified. With a capital T. :scared1: She was 2 when she saw her very first character. We were walking through the mall and Build A Bear had some kind of promotion with a big "Bearamy" Bear at the entrance. I was excited to show him to her--my older kids always loved that kind of thing. Sarah Anne ran over to hug him and I turned to Kate to say "Look!". Kate literally froze, like a deer in the headlights. Bearamy gave Sarah Anne a big hug. Kate's eyes got wider. I think she was screaming inside of her head, "GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF MY SISTER! " Bearamy waved at Kate. Kate wrapped her arms around my legs. We couldn't get out of that place fast enough for her. For months afterwards whe would bring it up out of the blue...
"Mom, remember that BIG Build A Bear?"
"Yes, Kate."
"Mom, that was a BIIIIG Build A Bear."
"Sissy gave that Build A Bear a big hug, didn't she?"
(Silence.)
"Mom, remember that BIG Build A Bear?"
"Yes, Kate."
"That big Build A Bear was not my favorite." (A Kate-ism for "If I ever have to be in the same room as that Build A Bear, I will scream bloody murder.")

Next we took Kate to her first South Carolina football game and she saw "Cocky" for the first time. Cocky was dancing and waving his arms directly in front of our seats. Not a fun situation to be in for the 3 hour football game. So we told her that she didn't have to look at him if he made her nervous. She took this advice to heart and spent the entire game with her eyes closed. :headache:

Ah, the old "If I can't see them, they can't see me" trick.

Fast forward to the Disney trip. We had tried so hard to get her to warm up to the characters, to no avail. Our very first activity at Disney was breakfast at Chef Mickey's. We had prepared her ahead of time, telling her that we would see Mickey and his friends at breakfast. Kate happily hopped off the monorail as we headed to our breakfast, when suddenly she stiffened then stopped dead in her tracks. I looked around. We were near the entrance of the restaurant, but no characters were around. We tried to continue walking and she dug her heels in. I swear, she could sniff those characters out. I picked her up and carried her into Chef Mickey's while Will and Sarah Anne happily posed with Donald.

She spent most of the meal on my lap. With her eyes closed.
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Just as she got comfortable enough to sit in her own chair, Minnie started working her way to our table. Uh Oh. Close eyes--QUICK!
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Actually, it's not just characters that make her nervous. It's anything that she's unfamiliar with or out of the norm. Here she is at Imagination Movers at MGM.
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It took her until the very last song to get comfortable and start dancing, something she wouldn't hesitate to do at home if Imagination Movers were on TV in the comfort and security of her own home.
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By the time we saw the princesses, she knew what to expect, but that didn't keep her from getting grumpy about having to be in an unfamiliar situation.
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(This look was dubbed "The grumpy princess wave.")

She missed posing with 2 of the 5 princesses, including Belle--her favorite--but at least we have some pictures. As long as I held her in them.
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This past Easter we went to brunch and, once again, she sniffed out a character. We were happily walking in to be seated when she started walking slower and slower. (Are we sensing a pattern here?) I could "feel" her tense up and I turned to look at her. She had this look on her face as she turned the corner and, sure enough, there he was. The Easter Bunny was tucked away in the corner, kids crawling all around him. How did she know he would be there?!

It has been almost 2 years since we first saw that first Build A Bear character. Since then she has seen Santa (never on his lap, of course.) She's seen Cocky many times and has graduated to waving to him from a distance while averting her eyes (So as not to look directly at him.)

Characters to Kate are now something akin to the sun. You can enjoy their warmth from a distance, but if you look directly at them you'll be blinded and if you get too close you'll get burned.

Recently she told me that she would hug the characters when she turns 5. Well, she'll be 4 1/2 when we go. Can I talk her into enjoying them even though she won't yet be a brave and wise 5 year old? We'll see...
 
My own DD was the same when she was that age, I think she outgrew it around age 6. I remember when I was pregnant with DS and we attended a Big Sister class & at the end had our picture taken with the Stork. The Stork had to sneek up behind her so we could get the pic.
 
Talked to Bill some more today and we decided to change the itinerary a little bit. I'm sure they'll be changed again and again--especially after the park hours are released--but here's what we have now. (I know this is boring to you guys, but it helps keep me organized. This PTR is turning into my trip binder!) The basic idea is that we want to do a park on our first day when we're fresh and ready to go. Plus, if we do Epcot early in the week and don't get to do everything we want, we can always go back later in the week. We added Animal Kingdom to the end of the week with the idea that we can skip it if we want a day to relax.

Sunday 10/11
Drive down, check in at 4:00
Evening in Downtown Disney
Lego Store
Dinner:?? T Rex or Fultons Crab House

Monday 10/12
Epcot
Breakfast: Akershus Princess Breakfast
Lunch: CS at Epcot
Dinner: Le Cellier or Coral Reef

Tuesday, 10/13
MNSSHP
Breakfast: Chef Mickey's
Lunch: In Condo
Dinner: CS at Magic Kingdom

Wednesday, 10/14
Blizzard Beach
Breakfast: In condo
Lunch: CS at Blizzard Beach
Dinner: Whispering Canyon

Thursday, 10/15
Hollywood Studios
Breakfast: in condo
Lunch: Sci Fi
Dinner: Fantasmic Dinner Package?? Mama Melrose--It this worth it?

Friday, 10/16
DisneyQuest & Downtown Disney
Breakfast: in condo
Lunch: Downtown Disney couner service
Dinner: Date night?? Maybe Big River Grill on the Boardwalk, or California Grill

Saturday, 10/17
Animal Kingdom
Breakfast: In Condo
Lunch: CS at Animal Kingdom or Rainforest Cafe
Dinner: Kona?

Sunday, 10/18
Return Home
 
It's official! :cool1:

Non-refundable deposit's been sent and the dates are on the calendar-- in pen.
October 11-18

We're off to Disney on Ice tomorrow night. Can't wait to see how Kate likes it.
 
:woohoo:/Congratulations on making your plans official. You're dining at alot of the places we have planned for Sept.

Enjoy Disney on Ice, hope you have a great time.
 
Can't wait till I can use ink on my calender. I'm still in the imagine days, it'll happen, just gotta wait.

Congratulations, kinda makes ya go siiiiigh and smile.
 












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