The most fantastic, magical things can happen, and it all starts with a wish. –Jiminy

[ALFranklin]

Hello to you all! My name is Amy and I am a new DISer. I have used the website for years as a reference, but when I began planning our WDW trip, I started reading PTRs and TRs and had to comment on the awesome stories and possibly write one of my own. I tend to get a bit long-winded and detail oriented, so I hope you'll bear with me...

As I said, my name is Amy.

I am a 34 year-old wife and mother. I met my husband about 3 years ago, but under unusual circumstances. He struck my fancy, but we weren't able to begin dating until the end of July of 2010 and it was a whirlwind! We fell in love quickly and got engaged in February 2011. We planned and budgeted and got married in September of 2011.

Due to the fact that he is the father of two little girls (8 years-old & 11 years-old) and I have a little boy (8 years-old) we were not able to have a honeymoon.

Cut to: about a month ago, we got our tax return and I decided to do some exploring and pricing and lucked into the "free" Disney Dining Plan. The dates for that fell perfectly for us to be able to make a quick trip to WDW for our honeymoon/1st anniversary. I pitched it to my husband and he sweetly said, "I'M IN!" The kids are pretty bummed that they are not included in the trip, but dadgummit! we deserve this...right?

I mean, Look at these 2 faces! They deserve some time away together!

So...
Our hotel = booked!
Our passes = booked!
Our flight = booked!
Our ADRs = booked!

As far as our plans for each day and a couple of our ADRs, I have left wiggle-room. This will be my 17th trip to WDW, but only my DH's 5th. I was a CM with The Disney Store for 4 1/2 years and have taken so many trips and seen so many changes that he sees me as his tour guide. I want to make it special for him. I am thinking, cute little "pillow presents" like parents do for their kids or something along those lines. He is a walking Star Wars encyclopedia (I think he might know more than George Lucas) and a big fan of the Marvel Super Heroes. So I welcome any ideas you all may have.

I look forward to sharing our plans with you all and getting your input as I celebrate finding my Prince Charming at the happiest place on earth.

Also, I may be doing this whole PTR thing totally wrong or weird. I may use the wrong abbreviations, so I hope you'll bear with me. I hope we laugh some along the way and just have an overall good time!

 

[ALFranklin]

So, who is the cast of this particular PTR you may be asking? I have introduced myself. I am Amy. I'm from Tennessee and I work in an antique store. I am 34, but by the time we get to WDW I will be 35.

My favorites....
Disney Character: Mickey, because if it weren't for him we might not have all of the wonderful Disney memories that so many of us cherish. However, Eeyore is my other favorite.
Disney Movie: Cinderella and Nightmare Before Christmas
Pixar Movie: Up
Pixar Character: Sully
Disney Park: Epcot
Disney World Attraction: Splash Mountain (Spaceship Earth, Tower of Terror and Haunted Mansion)
Marvel Character (for my DH): Captain America

My love for Disney started at a very young age. The first movie I remember seeing in the movie theater was The Black Cauldron. However, my parents were never really theme park people. They took my sister to Disney World in 1971, but they never felt the urge to retuen so I didn't get to make my 1st trip to WDW until my 15th birthday. My parents got divorced when I was 14, so this was a very special treat that my mother gave to me and my sister. We stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort and there was a card from Mickey in the room when we got there! I nearly died. It was a magical trip and I was hooked. From then on, I went nearly every year until I turned 18 and got a job at The Disney Store.

That was when they used to give free passes as gifts twice a year, so I was able to make my pilgrimages much more often. Over the years, I have gone 16 times with friends from college and from the Disney Store and eventually was able to take my son when he was 2 1/2 years-old in 2006.

He's only 8 and has already been 3 times! Now I am ready to share my love of WDW with my husband!

My husband is Alex. He is my Prince Charming...the man that I waited for for a very long time.

His favorites....
Disney Character: The Headless Horseman
Disney Movie: Mickey's Christmas Carol & Peter Pan
Pixar Movie: Finding Nemo
Pixar Character: Crush
Disney Park: Epcot
Disney World Attraction: Tower of Terror (followed by Mission: Space, Rock'n Roller Coaster, Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean. It's a tough decision!)
Marvel Character: Spiderman

This will only be my DH's 5th time to Disney World. His parents took him and his brother a couple of times when they were growing up. Then he went with some friends in school and was fortunate enough to take his girls a few years ago. He went in July and said that a pair of his flip-flops actually melted! I was worried he might not want to go back. Admittedly, he is not as big of a Disney nut as I am, but he does like it and is looking forward to our trip.

I'm going to tell you something that you might have figured out by now, but Alex and I have never been to Disney World together! I joked with him after we got married that I couldn't believe I married him without going to WDW with him first.

Then, I started to really think this could be serious. I thought, "What if his touring style is different from mine? What if he won't enjoy the same parks that I love tha most? What if his food preferences keep me from eating at my favorite restaurants?" Once he and I started talking about this trip, my mind was put at ease.

He loves Epcot as much as I do and likes to just take things easy and not rush around. The thing that made me happy, which will probably dumbfound some of you is that he is not crazy about Animal Kingdom and niether am I. Therefore, we are taking one day at Hollywood Studios, one day at Magic Kingdom and 2 days at Epcot. We are going to go over on the morning of one of our Epcot days to ride Expedition Everest, since I have never been on it. Don't judge me. The last 3 times I went, it was just me and my sweet son, so no big roller coasters for me in about 9 years!

Well, there you have it. Now you know a bit about me and my husband as Disney fans. Maybe one of these days, we'll be able to take all of our kids and we'll be able to introduce them too. But this time, it's a Disneymoon/1st anniversary, so no kids allowed. (I still feel a little guilty)

What will our plans be? What parks on what days? AND more importantly...where will we eat? I'm SOOO excited!!! I hope you'll stay tuned to find out as well as give any input. I am always open to new ideas or suggestions.

See ya real soon!

 

[marDgreen88]

You and your husband are so cute together! I'm glad you found each other.

Congrats on having everything booked! It's such a great feeling, isn't it?

Thanks so much for letting me know about your PTR! Can't wait to hear about more of your plans and whatnot.

 

[Nermel9]

I'm here!

That's so cool that you used to work for the Disney Store...I always think of quitting my job and getting a job there, but there is only one in CT and it's almost and hour away from where I live, and I can't really deal with that commute!

Can't wait to read more about your plans!

 

[ALFranklin]

I am working on sharing our plans, but wanted to get some opinions real quick...have any of you done the haunted carried ride at Fort Wilderness? When we go it will be during the time of year that they do Mickey's not so Scary Halloween Party and the carriage rides. My husband's favorite literary character is the Headless Horseman (and Sherlock Holmes) and I would love for my DH to have an encounter with him. I'm just not sure what the better choice might be, MNSSHP or the haunted carriage ride? I'd love any input that my readers might be willing to give.

 

[marDgreen88]

This is a perfect question for Jen (Nermel) to answer! I'm sorry I don't actually have an answer myself, but I don't have experience with either of those things. I didn't want to ignore the question altogether though.

 

[CandleontheWater]

Hi There! I'm following you over from Marissa's TR.

What a sweet story, and I'm so happy that you are making time for a Disneymoon! My Dh and I went to Disney without our DS last Oct and had a blast. I agree that its tough to leave the kids (especially since your kids are older and understand what they are missing), but I think it is really important for couples to have time to be alone and reconnect.

I LOVE your wedding pictures, you guys make a cute couple and look so elegant!

Oh and I had to chime in about MNSSHP, I wouldn't miss it if your DH is a fan of the headless horseman, because he rides down the parade route to open the parade. It is really cool, I am always blown away, and I'm not a huge headless horseman fan.

 

[ALFranklin]

Hi There! I'm following you over from Marissa's TR.

What a sweet story, and I'm so happy that you are making time for a Disneymoon! My Dh and I went to Disney without our DS last Oct and had a blast. I agree that its tough to leave the kids (especially since your kids are older and understand what they are missing), but I think it is really important for couples to have time to be alone and reconnect.

I LOVE your wedding pictures, you guys make a cute couple and look so elegant!

Oh and I had to chime in about MNSSHP, I wouldn't miss it if your DH is a fan of the headless horseman, because he rides down the parade route to open the parade. It is really cool, I am always blown away, and I'm not a huge headless horseman fan.

My DH and I have never really gone away just the 2 of us, so I think it will be good for us. The kids are actually being so sweet about us going away. They agree that we deserve it.

Thanks for the sweet compliments. Alex is so handsome, he makes me look good.

As far as the MNSSHP or the carriage ride...I just can't decide. Does the Headless Horseman run down very fast? I was thinking about the HCR, so that he could have a one-on-one encounter too. That might be cool.

I'm here!

That's so cool that you used to work for the Disney Store...I always think of quitting my job and getting a job there, but there is only one in CT and it's almost and hour away from where I live, and I can't really deal with that commute!

Can't wait to read more about your plans!

The Disney Store was such a fun place to work. It was a long time ago, though (Oct. 1995-June 2000) and I was in school, so it was perfect for me. They have changed so many things over the last 12 years, but I have often thought about trying to go back. Mainly for the discount though.

You and your husband are so cute together! I'm glad you found each other.

Congrats on having everything booked! It's such a great feeling, isn't it?

Thanks so much for letting me know about your PTR! Can't wait to hear about more of your plans and whatnot.

Thanks for the sweet words. My DH and I really are blessed to have found each other. He is definitely a keeper.

It DOES feel good to have everything booked. I am going to write up our trip plans ASAP! Stay tuned!

 

[ALFranklin]

Sorry it has taken me a while to reply and add our plans thus far. My family suffered a loss this week and it has been tough scheduling where the kids need to be and when we will be able to make the trip to S.C. for the funeral, so I appreciate your patience.

Alrighty then....our plans so far go a little something like this....
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September 22nd: Our flight leaves at 7:25am and we are flying Frontier. I've never used them, but they were really inexpensive AND they do participate in Magical Express, so it was kind of a no-brainer. Also, I have never used Magical Express, so I am trying to read up on it as much as possible. Our flight is scheduled to land at 8:59am and we are staying at Pop Century. So many people who do TRs stay in the nicer hotels, so I really have no idea what our wait time for the ME will be or how long it will take for us to get there. Our plan is to do the pre-check-in, get our Key to the World and head on over to Hollywood Studios by bus. We don't have any plans for a ADR there. We are saving them for some of the better eateries in MK and Epcot.

On a different note, I am so unbelievably excited to ride Rock'n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror, since the last 3 times I went was during my single motherhood and it was just me and my little boy. He was tall enough for ToT the last time we went, but the wait to ride was WAY long since it was Spring Break. I am also VERY excited for the new Star Tours. As I stated before, my DH is a HUGE Star Wars fan and I know he is going to love this ride!



September 23: Will be our Magic Kingdom Day and we got so fortunate to have an ADR for breakfast at Crystal Palace. I have eaten dinner there, but never breakfast so I am SUPER excited. Plus Eeyore is the greatest! I played Eeyore in 2 children's theatre touring shows years ago, so he and I have a bond.

AND can you believe my DH has never been on Splash Mountain? I am really excited about riding it with him. It's my favorite attraction! Then we are going to hit up Space Mountain because I haven't ridden it in years. My DS wanted to ride when we there but, of course, it was down.

Our dinner ADR for that night is at Liberty Tree Tavern and I am really looking forward to this one, too! I've never eaten there and so many of the reviews I read here on DIS are for their lunch, so I look forward to giving my $.02 on the dinner at LTT.



September 24: Our wedding anniversary! YAY! We are planning to head to Animal Kingdom first thing so that we can ride Expedition Everest. Neither one of us has ever been on it! That is the only reason we are going to AK, so after we ride EE we are heading over to Epcot. I can't wait to eat lunch at Sunshine Seasons and "TRY" to get FPs for Soarin', then do Living with the Land. I adore that ride and I find it so interesting. I know my DH is going to love it, too.

I am also going to finally get to ride Mission: Space. I have never been on it and that was mostly my choice, but I have done every attraction on WDW property except for Tom Sawyer's Island, so I have to do Mission: Space at least once. It is one of my DH's favorites, so I'm going to do the orange side and see if I can keep down my lunch. My DH and I both just love everything about Epcot, so we are going to take it liesurely and do things as they come.

For our anniversary dinner we have an ADR for Les Chefs de France and I am looking forward to this so very much. My DH wanted us to do as many things as possible on this trip that I have never done on any of my previous trips. Eating there is one of those things I have always wanted to do, but never thought anyone else would appreciate it. I love the idea of seeing Remy from Ratatouille AND my DH is a TOTAL foodie! He has a food allergy, but he really does love to try different flavors and food from other nationalities. Plus, it's our anniversary meal. It's going to be so romantic!



September 25: Another Epcot day. We will definitely travel around the world and do some shopping and sample some food and drinks and just take it easy. I can't wait to do the Maelstrom and try a cloudberry horn in the Kringla Bakery and then see the film in france and have a Grey Goose slushie! Our ADR on this night is at The Rose and Crown. This is the one that I keep thinking I should change. I am looking forward to it and I KNOW that when I smell the fish & chips, I'm gonna want them.



September 26: We fly home at 8:10am.
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That's it so far...

On the 25th, we may decide to do MNSSHP or do the Haunted Carriage ride at Fort Wilderness on another night. I just can't decide. My DH wants to do both, but I just don't know if our budget will allow for it. Plus we are going to be there for such a short amount of time. I just don't know.

I am looking forward to planning out what we need to pack and which outfits I should wear. I'm not normally such a planner, but when it comes to WDW, I obsess. I'm sure none of you have any idea how I feel...

So, with all of that said. What do you think? Are there some things I mentioned that you think should be avoided? Are there things that we just MUST DO? I would love to hear from you all.

See ya real soon!

 

[marDgreen88]

I'm sorry to hear about the loss in your family.

I think your plans sound great! I bet you're so excited to do the 'big kid' attractions again!

Splash Mountain is my favorite, too! I hope your DH loves it.

All I know is that I wish I could go to MNSSHP!

 

[ALFranklin]

OK...quick question that will most likely make me look like a newb, but how does Magical Express work? We normally drive, but once we flew into Sanford and that was a disaster that I'll go into on another day. I am just curious what I will need at MCO when we land. I know that I'll get big yellow luggage stickers and such, but what paperwork will I need? Will DH and I need our IDs? Also, how long will the estimated drive time from MCO to POP Century be? Any information is GREATLY appreciated.

 

[marDgreen88]

When you book your flights and your ground transportation (aka Magical Express) they will send you a packet with information on it, as well as the yellow luggage tags. Inside the packet is a piece of paper with perforations on it, that will kind of serve as your 'ticket' when you get to the Magical Express check-in. You just hand it to the attendant and he'll send you into the line for Pop! It's a lot easier than it sounds!

I'm not sure how long it takes to get to Pop, but the drive from MCO to Disney property is about 30 minutes. Keep in mind that the bus may stop at other resorts before it stops at Pop too! I always estimate that it will take about 2 hours from when we land to when we arrive at the hotel. Hope that helps!

 

[Nermel9]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Your plans all sound great so far! I saw you asked about the haunted carriage ride...I would say definitely do it, I did it last year and it was awesome, BUT they are cancelled this year! However, if you want to see the headless horseman, then MNSSHP is a great way to do that too! Just make sure you get a good spot for the parade, he rides by really fast, so it's worth it to wait for 45 minutes or so getting a great spot!!

 

[ALFranklin]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Your plans all sound great so far! I saw you asked about the haunted carriage ride...I would say definitely do it, I did it last year and it was awesome, BUT they are cancelled this year! However, if you want to see the headless horseman, then MNSSHP is a great way to do that too! Just make sure you get a good spot for the parade, he rides by really fast, so it's worth it to wait for 45 minutes or so getting a great spot!!

I am SUPER bummed that the haunted carriage rides are cancelled this year! That would have been a little better for us budget-wise.

I'm sorry to hear about the loss in your family.

I think your plans sound great! I bet you're so excited to do the 'big kid' attractions again!

Splash Mountain is my favorite, too! I hope your DH loves it.

All I know is that I wish I could go to MNSSHP!

Thank you for the kind words. And... YES! I am soooo excited to do the big stuff. It has been way too long!

When you book your flights and your ground transportation (aka Magical Express) they will send you a packet with information on it, as well as the yellow luggage tags. Inside the packet is a piece of paper with perforations on it, that will kind of serve as your 'ticket' when you get to the Magical Express check-in. You just hand it to the attendant and he'll send you into the line for Pop! It's a lot easier than it sounds!

I'm not sure how long it takes to get to Pop, but the drive from MCO to Disney property is about 30 minutes. Keep in mind that the bus may stop at other resorts before it stops at Pop too! I always estimate that it will take about 2 hours from when we land to when we arrive at the hotel. Hope that helps!

Thanks for the info! You are so sweet. Do you know when I can expect to get that stuff in the mail? We payed the balance about a month ago and have gotten our confirmation, but none of that paperwork. I assume they will send it as our vacation dates get closer....?

 

[marDgreen88]

Thanks for the info! You are so sweet. Do you know when I can expect to get that stuff in the mail? We payed the balance about a month ago and have gotten our confirmation, but none of that paperwork. I assume they will send it as our vacation dates get closer....?

You're so welcome! In the past we've gotten ours a month or so in advance. Right now our trip is 45 days away and we haven't gotten ours, so I'm expecting it to come in a couple weeks. I would guess that yours would come in August, but it could come earlier or later. I'll let you know when we get ours, and maybe that will give you an idea of when to look for yours!

 

[zipadeepixie]

Don't be bummed about the Haunted Carriage ride no longer being available. I did that and MNSSHP last year and MNSSHP is by far the better option. The carriage ride was kind of lame. It's a flat rate for the carriage so for my family of 4 it wasn't too expensive but nothing really happened. The driver played a recording of the story while we walked through the dark woods. I kept waiting and waiting for the headless horseman to come along. Finally we were a the end of the ride . . . nothing. The driver stopped the carriage and out walked the headless horseman. Just kind of stood there. Huh? Really lame. Sooo, if you can do MNSSHP you get to see the HH trotting through the park before the parade, AND the parade is sooo awesome! Not to mention all the other fun stuff going on at the party.

 

[ALFranklin]

You're so welcome! In the past we've gotten ours a month or so in advance. Right now our trip is 45 days away and we haven't gotten ours, so I'm expecting it to come in a couple weeks. I would guess that yours would come in August, but it could come earlier or later. I'll let you know when we get ours, and maybe that will give you an idea of when to look for yours!

Awesome! Thank you so much. I know you are so excited to only be 45 days away from going "home"! I know that I am definitely counting the days until our trip. I can't wait to hear all about yours and see lots of photos!

Don't be bummed about the Haunted Carriage ride no longer being available. I did that and MNSSHP last year and MNSSHP is by far the better option. The carriage ride was kind of lame. It's a flat rate for the carriage so for my family of 4 it wasn't too expensive but nothing really happened. The driver played a recording of the story while we walked through the dark woods. I kept waiting and waiting for the headless horseman to come along. Finally we were a the end of the ride . . . nothing. The driver stopped the carriage and out walked the headless horseman. Just kind of stood there. Huh? Really lame. Sooo, if you can do MNSSHP you get to see the HH trotting through the park before the parade, AND the parade is sooo awesome! Not to mention all the other fun stuff going on at the party.

The Haunted Carriage ride sounds SUPER lame. Bummer. Thank you for the info. I would be so upset if we had gotten our hopes up for this awesome encounter and it had turned out like that. I'm sorry that you had such a lack-luster experience. Still, we probably won't make it to MNSSHP. My job is hanging in the balance and I am very reluctant to spend that money when we may need it. However, if things work out we will definitely pick MNSSHP and not feel the least bit bad about it. I would also like to add...I ADORE your avatar!

 

[ALFranklin]

I also just had to stop by and say,

"WE HIT DOUBLE DIGITS!!!"

We hit it yesterday, but because I am a slacker, I missed it. What is wrong with me? I have been living and breathing Disney lately, but the moment I decide to try to deal with real life I miss a major Disney vacation countdown milestone. Imma need to get my act together!

Anywayz...
98 DAYS UNTIL OUR VOYAGE HOME!!! WOOT!!!

 

[reyasmommy]

YAY!! Double Digits! Love that....
So happy you get to take a late disneymoon, they're the best! Have FUN!

 

[marDgreen88]

HOORAY!