The Shmoopy DINKs’ 4th Annual Xmas Trip – Segways, V&As, and Castle B-fast!

[girlbomb]

Friends, DISers, countrypeople, it is with great joy and relief that I start our first ever pre-trip report – joy, because it allows me to spend yet more time thinking about the amazing trip we’re planning, and relief, because I know that writing a pre-trippie is the only thing that will keep me sane through the next six months of waiting!

The backstory on me and my Dear Bill and our Disney trips is old news, as I wrote about it in last December's trip report, but for anyone who’s not already bored to tears by the antics of the Shmoopy DINKs, please allow me to introduce the cast:

I’m Janice, age 38, a lifelong New Yorker who still doesn’t know how to drive because I never had to learn. I’m the author of two books (represented in obnoxiously large graphics in my signature, until I can figure out how to shrink them); I also teach writing and do speaking engagements related to the topics of my books: homelessness, teens in crisis, and women’s issues (fun, fun, and fun, right?). My dad took me to Disney World when I was seven, and to Disneyland when I was nine or ten; I went back to the ‘World twice in the early ‘90s, once with a boyfriend, and once with my mom and my kid half-brother. But I hadn’t been anywhere near a Disney park in years and years, and barely thought about it until 2004, when I met a brilliant, damaged teenaged junkie named Samantha at the shelter where I was volunteering, and I promised her a trip to Disney World to celebrate her first year of sobriety – if she could make it to a year.

Samantha is the missing cast member on our trips – she’s the reason my dear domestic partner Bill and I scheduled our first Disney trip for December 2005. Sam fell prey to a number of health issues, some physical and some psychological, so she never made it to Disney with us, but I never fail to think of her and feel gratitude for our relationship and everything it taught me (not to mention the book I got out of it). I’m also grateful that she re-introduced me to Disney, which brings me a great deal of pleasure every single day – most of the time, that pleasure comes from reading the DIS boards!

And of course there’s my dear domestic partner, Bill (or, as I repeatedly refer to him in my book, “Shmoo”). Bill just turned 33 this month, so he is a younger man – the innocent widdle bunny wabbit to my cougar – hee hee! He’s a newspaper designer, comic book/Star Wars geek, and my emotional rock. Bill and I have been together since 2002, and became legal domestic partners shortly before our first Disney World trip in 2005. We have no kids (besides our three beloved kittycats), and we plan to keep it that way.

As noted, our first trip was planned as a celebration of Sam’s sobriety, but we were unable to celebrate that with her as we’d hoped. Instead, Bill and I went to Disney World alone, and while it could have been a sad, funereal disaster of a trip, instead we had a wonderful, amazing, dare I say MAGICAL experience – so magical that we knew we had to go back in December of 2006. And then again in December of 2007. And now here we are, planning for our fourth annual Shmoopy DINK Xmas trip in December 2008 – AND talking about what we want to do in ’09! So it looks like the madness – I mean, the MAGIC – may never end.

We like to tour commando-style, with a serious advance plan – we’re those schedule-keeping, Fast-Passing, rope-dropping maniacs you’ll see speedwalking to Space Mountain first thing in the morning, and we try to ride our favorite rides six or seven times in a day. We like to have plenty of ADRs, too, as we looooooove our food, and especially love it at Disney. (And how gratified was I to read the New York Times article the other day about how great Disney food can be? Take that, food snobs who sneer at us for our love of Disney cuisine! Best part of the article: the writer loved the Dole Whip!) We also enjoy trying new things every year, and even though we’re seasoned veterans by now, there’s always new stuff to see and do at Disney World. So planning, for us, is more than half the fun – it’s the only thing that keeps us going between trips! And careful planning makes our trips better and better with each passing year.

So please join us for a peek into our planning process. We’ve got plenty of great things in store, including a Segway tour, dinner at Victoria and Albert’s, and breakfast at Cinderella’s Castle! I hope that this pre-trippie will shed some light on your own dream vacation at Disney World, the way other DISers have shown me the light. Thanks for reading – more coming soon!

 

[girlbomb]

Part Two: Bibbety Bobbity Booking the Trip

When we got home from our first trip to Disney World in December 2005, there was no question that we’d have to go back…someday. But when? There was money to consider, and our work schedules, and all the other places in the world we still wanted to visit – as eager as we were to go back to Disney rightawaynownownow, we didn’t know exactly when we’d be able to make that possible. But oh boy, did we think about it. And talk about it. And mope over it. And look at our Disney pictures. And wish we’d picked up more Disney souvenirs. And talk about it some more.

Finally, in June of 2006, Bill decided to work with my dad and get me a joint birthday present of a return trip to Disney for that upcoming December. I was thrilled, and we couldn’t wait to start planning – unfortunately, we’d already waited so long that our first choice of resorts, the Contemporary, was fully booked. So we decided on the Grand Floridian instead, because we are spoiled brats who simply must be on the monorail, and with the help of the Unofficial Guide, we chose a few restaurants and made whatever ADRs we could get (which was most of the ones we wanted, thank goodness).

Our 2006 trip was even better than our 2005 trip, despite the fact that the weather was cool and rainy, with temperatures dropping in the 40s at night, and I got miserably sick with a bronchial infection by midweek. But we still managed to have a wonderful time, full of fun and laughs and surprises and FOOD.

When we got back from our fateful (but thank goodness not fatal) 2006 trip, we didn’t wait very long to book our 2007 trip – I think we were home for a whole five weeks when we got online and booked a room at the Contemporary (yay). Having visited during Pop Warner week the past two years, we decided to move our trip one week later, so as to avoid the often obnoxious group of teens we’d encountered in the parks. (Sorry, cheerleaders and teen athletes – I know some of you are great kids, and I too was an obnoxious teen in my day, so I shouldn’t judge others too harshly, but I don’t want to deal with thirty minutes of non-stop cheering while waiting for Fantasmic!) As it happened, we still overlapped with Pop Warner for the first two days of last year’s trip, and the crowds got thicker and thicker as the week went on, so I don’t think we saved ourselves any hassles by moving our dates.

This year, we were already talking about “next year” while we were still at the parks. So there was no question that we’d be going back in December of 2008. And sure enough, three days after we got back from Orlando, there we were on DisneyWorld.com, bibbity-bobbity-booking our next trip! If I’d known about “bounceback” offers, I might have tried to see if we could have taken advantage of one while we were still on property; this year, I’ll definitely be on the lookout for a bounceback. Because we haven’t even gone on our 2008 trip, but we’re already thinking about 2009!

We did have a few minutes of debate over whether we should do Pop Warner week again, or go the week after, as we did in 2007. I was in favor of the week after.

“I’m! Annoying! I’m, I’m annoying!” I chanted to Bill cheerleader-style, to make my point.

“We still saw them that first weekend,” he noted, unfazed by my performance. “They weren’t any worse than the Brazilian tour group we were stuck behind in the Space Mountain queue. Besides, the parks were more crowded towards the end of the week.”

“But not by much,” I countered. “We were still able to ride Tower of Terror standby, four times in a row, with no wait, in the middle of the day.”

“Yeah,” he mused. “But if we go the first week, we’ll only have to wait 50 weeks until our next trip, instead on 51.”

SOLD, to the man in the glasses making an excellent point! We’ll take the first full week of December – Friday the 5th through Sunday the 14th. Contemporary Resort, tower room with kingdom view, with a nine-day park hopper pass, and YES we’d like the water parks and more option (this year, weather permitting, we’re hoping to make it to Blizzard Beach). Now all we need is a flight, and some ADRs, and tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and and and and and and…

Zzzzzzzt! (That’s the sound of the needle being ripped from the record, a sound that most readers under a certain age have never heard in real life. Isn’t that weird?) At this point, we heard that Space Mountain was supposed to undergo rehab this year, and wouldn’t be open in time for our Dec. 08 trip. Hmmm. Estimating that a full third of our days at the MK are spent on or around Space Mountain – and they usually are, with upwards of 25 rides per trip – maybe we wouldn’t need to stay at an MK resort this time. Maybe, I ventured to Bill, since 2007 was officially The Year We Finally Started Loving and Appreciating Epcot, we should think about changing our reservation to the Boardwalk, or the Yacht/Beach Club. Our friends Jay and Margie like the Yacht Club (they’re our only “real-life” Disney-loving friends, and they have great taste), and that would put us within walking distance of two parks, with all that yummy World Showcase dining. OR, what about Animal Kingdom Lodge? We loved AKL when we made our first visit there last year, and we especially loved Boma – it would be great to stay there and eat at Boma and Jiko, and if we stayed for two nights concierge level we could even take the sunrise safari, and and and and and…

Bill looked skeptical. He is a diehard Contemporary fan, and an MK junkie – even without Space Mountain, he doesn’t want to be too far from that park. “I don’t know,” he said. “Remember how we pined for the Contemporary when we stayed at the Grand Floridian? And after last year’s view, I don’t think we want to stay anywhere else. I mean, I see the sense in what you’re saying about the Boardwalk resorts, and the convenience…”

“Look, I love the Contemporary too. But this is the perfect year to stay elsewhere – just this one year, while Space Mountain is being refurbished.” Because while I am loyal in my heart to the CR, I was getting kind of psyched about checking out the Boardwalk area (which we didn’t even know existed until I started reading the DIS!).

So Bill was “thinking about it” (read: pretending not to reject the idea out of hand while doing exactly that), and I was going back and forth about it, and then we found out that the Space Mountain rehab had been delayed. Perfect! So we’ll keep our MK view this year, thanks, and maybe next year we’ll think about branching out. Maybe…

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

I'm in!! Not only because I'm having planning withdrawal, but your writing style is very easy to read.

Now, the important stuff...when I go buy your books, if I mail them to you, will you autograph them, you big celebrity!?! Haha!! Congrats! I've seen girlbomb on the shelves here in OK. I'll definitely be on the lookout for both now.

 

[girlbomb]

TotalSnowWhite, thanks for coming aboard! Planning withdrawal is a serious affliction. But look at those adorable pix in your signature -- it looks like your recent trip was a great one. And I actually have a friend named Beau in Norman, OK, a redheaded piano virtuoso -- maybe you've crossed paths? I am always delighted to sign books, or to send people an inscription on a sticker to place inside a book. But why buy the book, when you can get the trip report for free, right?

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

TotalSnowWhite, thanks for coming aboard! Planning withdrawal is a serious affliction. But look at those adorable pix in your signature -- it looks like your recent trip was a great one. And I actually have a friend named Beau in Norman, OK, a redheaded piano virtuoso -- maybe you've crossed paths? I am always delighted to sign books, or to send people an inscription on a sticker to place inside a book. But why buy the book, when you can get the trip report for free, right?

I used to be a voice major at OU!! Haha! I've seen him in a speedo! Funny, funny!!

I will absolutely go buy the books. I graduated from OU in May, so I'm finally getting to read things that don't cost $150 and come from The University Bookstore.

I'm actually hoping to go in October or December this year. We'll see what works out for us. I had some serious "What do I do now?" when we got back from the World.

 

[girlbomb]

TotalSnowWhite, how awesome that we know someone in common! And many congrats on your graduation. Will you be using some of those voice skills at the American Idol attraction they're building at DHS? I'd love to do it, myself, but I don't think people want to be subjected to my squawk when they're on vacation.

Part Three: Extras, Extras, read all about them!

So we have our room reserved, and our park passes are taken care of, and we’re ready to book our flights as soon as there’s room on the credit cards.

And we still have eleven and a half months to go.

OH MY GOD. What am I – sorry, what are we – supposed to do for the next eleven and a half months? I mean, we can start a preliminary plan, but we can’t set it in stone until we see the park hours, which won’t be released for another five and a half months. In the immortal words of Charlie Brown, AUGH.

Well, we could make a list of everything we wanted to do and everywhere we wanted to eat this year. After last year’s awesome Segway tour of Epcot, we knew we wanted to do the Fort Wilderness Segway tour this time. We also wanted to check out Lunch with an Imagineer, as “Imagineer” is now top on our list of things we want to be when we grow up. We’d like to try parasailing, though I’m scared of heights. And we’ve never been to the water parks – as hard as it is to schedule a water park in December, with air temperatures varying from the 80s to the 50s, we’d like to try.

Other must-do’s included repeat meals at Biergarten, Boma, and Le Cellier, our beloved character breakfast at the Crystal Palace with Pooh and friends, and some new ADRs – Coral Reef, Victoria and Albert’s, and, if at all possible, breakfast in the castle at MK. We have to do the Christmas Party again, as we’ve loved it the past two years. And we had to schedule in two nights at the Adventurer’s Club, where we had such an amazing time last year (another attraction we would have missed, had I not read the raves about it here on the DIS – of course, now that Pleasure Island is closing in September, we have two big, sad holes in the schedule). So we hadn’t even started planning in earnest yet, and already the schedule was filling up!

Over the next few months, we did all the things true DW addicts do – we watched all the Disney World-related programming we could find (though we did get nervous when the Travel channel kept showing all those Disney shows – "Don't tell everyone!" we kept yelling at the TV), we made slide shows of our past trip photos and watched them incessantly, we bought and absorbed the latest version of the Unofficial Guide (which is helpful, though it does contain some key errors, and leaves out a lot of important information). I combed the DIS daily for new info, and Bill started listening to Disney World podcasts while on the rowing machine. And around April, we took out a fresh sheet of paper, drew a grid for the nine days of our vacation, and started filling it in, “just preliminarily,” just to see what our schedule for this year might look like. We based it on last year’s schedule, hoping that the park hours would be similar, knowing that we could always change things around once June 1 hit, and the December hours were published.

We quickly determined that we couldn’t do everything we wanted all in one trip, which was fine – it gives us something to look forward to in 2009! So Lunch with an Imagineer and parasailing were stricken from this year’s list of must-do’s. The rest of our must-do’s made their way onto the preliminary schedule, which was refined until it was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT.

(Another side note here: I know that everyone has their own special reasons why Disney World is so dear to them. Mine include: childhood memories; the ability to cut loose and be a kid again; the amazing detail and production values inherent in all the shows, rides, and attractions; it’s freakin’ Disney World and what could be greater than that; etc. But if I’m being really honest with myself, one of the things that draws me to the place so strongly is that I am a complete and utter control freak, and Disney World is a place where control freaks rule. You want to micro-manage every second of your vacation, months before you even get there? Here is your paradise! What a wonderful joy it is to be able to futz with a schedule for weeks on end until it looks, as I said above, ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. And you know, even if everything doesn’t go <German accent> igzactly according to plan </German accent>, the planning is still thoroughly enjoyable, and so is the trip.)

The only problem with coming up with the PERFECT schedule was that there was nothing left to do while waiting for the park hours to come out and our ADR window to open on June 8. I was home from my office one afternoon in late May, cruising the DIS and daydreaming about DVC, when I got a text message from Bill:

I have a sooprise for you.

I immediately texted back:

YAY. What is it I want it gimme.

He wrote:

It has a Disney bent to it.

I wrote:

NOW NOW NOW WANT IT NOW.

Him:

It’s tickets to an Imagineering thingie at the Science Festival at NYU on May 31!

Me:

No [redacted] way! Awesome! So cool! Yay! This sounds like the greatest thing ever!

And then I got up and did a little Snoopy dance. Woohoo! A little bit of Disney, right here in New York City! I couldn’t wait.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long. That Saturday afternoon came, I donned my totally awesome Star Trek storm troopers t-shirt from last year’s trip, and we hustled down to New York University’s Skirball Center, just south of Washington Square Park, a full 45 minutes before the event was due to start. We were going to be FIRST at rope drop for this event!

We lined up outside with a few other early birds, and I noticed that the gentleman behind us was wearing – could it be? – a lime green Mickey head on his backpack strap. “You’re on the DIS boards!” I cried.

Yes, he was. In fact, he was none other than…wildeoscar! WOW! It was like meeting a celebrity! I gushed a little bit about how much I enjoy his posts, and thanked him for all the valuable information he’s shared with newbies like me, and he was very gracious in return. We chatted about MouseFest, DIS meets, and the like; then it was time to file into the hall and take our seats.

Bill and I got seats close to the front, and I was bouncing like Tigger in my chair. I sometimes go through periods of doubt, where I wonder how I became such a Disney enthusiast, and fret that maybe this year’s trip won’t be as fun as past trips – maybe this year it will all seem kind of dumb and juvenile and played out, or something. Well, sitting in that seat, waiting for the show to begin, with my pulse racing and a face-splitting grin on my mug, all doubt was washed from my mind. I LOVE DISNEY WORLD, AND EVERYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH IT. End of story, period.

The show was great! Host Steve Trowbridge brought out several Imagineers from varying disciplines in the parks, and they discussed the science behind the magic. Coaster maven Ric Turner explained G-forces, and how they’re manipulated on rides like California Screamin’ to give guests that amazing weightless feeling – one lucky audience member got to ride in a simulator on stage (the simulator was called the “Basic Articulated Rotational Force Simulator,” or BARFS) to bear witness to what they were talking about. Asa Kalama from the special effects department showed us how they use sound frequencies to enhance the Haunted Mansion, and blew a bunch of fog at the audience from a giant…fog-blaster-thingie. There was a demonstration of the motion capture technology behind some of the attractions, and a short demo of Turtle Talk with Crush. Dr. Ben Schwegler showed us the chemistry behind the nightly pyrotechnic displays, and Dr. Anne Savage from the Animal Kingdom talked about her job as a conservationist both at the parks and in the animals’ native habitats. Fabulous!

And a bonus treat: at one point, event staff started throwing t-shirts into the audience. Bill held up his hand to try to catch one, but I protested – “Let a kid get it,” I said, ever conscious of the ongoing debate on these boards (that debate being “Disney is for kids, and adults should always give up their bus seats/parade spots/chances to ride Dumbo/etc.” vs. “Disney is for everyone, and that includes my elderly butt, so feel free to have your kids line up right behind me for the good stuff”). Bill noted that we were sitting in front of a few rows of empty seats that had been saved for sponsors who never showed up, so if he didn’t grab a shirt out of the air when it was coming our way, it would land on an empty seat. Thus justified, he held up his hand again, and caught me a t-shirt.

Muted, somewhat guilty-faced Snoopy dance!

But boy, I love that t-shirt. It’s a kids’ large, which definitely confirms that I am the Grinch Who Stole a T-shirt from a Kid, but it fits me perfectly, almost like it was made just for me. So who’s to say it wasn’t?

After the event, we walked over to Washington Square Park, where Lucky the Dinosaur was signing autographs. Lucky is amazing – so incredibly lifelike and responsive to the crowd. I wish he were at Disney World year round!

Overall, we were exhilarated by our Disney day, and now we’re looking forward even more to our 2009 trip, when we’ll have Lunch with an Imagineer. Only 524 days to go!

 

[AmericanCaesar]

It's of utmost importance to add faces to the names -- also, we love whipping out the archives and showing family pictures.

Here is our savvy author, Dis-enthusiast extraordinaire, and general bon vivant, Janice!

She owns all of Epcot, apparently.

Here's Janice and I (the Shmoo) at the Crystal palace dinner from last December...

And here we are, in the aforementioned Segway tour around World Showcase -- surely, the funnest thing out of all funnest things that involve strange forms of transportation.

And the Stormtroopers are from Star Wars, not Trek! Very important distinction...

 

[girlbomb]

Oh my god, did I say Trek? I must be out of my mind. You should kick me out of the marriage.

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

So...exciting news!!

I just booked the Yacht Club for December 7-11. We'll be at Shades of Green either 4 nights before or after YC. I wanted BC, but I could only use my code at YC. The CM promised I wouldn't be missing out on a thing, and I'd be a few steps closer to EPCOT.

I'm 90% sure we'll be there!! We may have to move back a bit if my gramma's retirement goes longer than anticipated, but if it's on time, we'll be there!!!

Now I'm extra excited to read all of your early December knowledge!!

 

[girlbomb]

TotalSnowWhite, that's fabulous! I'll make you a deal: I'll share my December experience, if you share your Yacht Club experience. And maybe we'll even get to bump into each other in the World!

 

[girlbomb]

Part Four: Thank you for calling Disney Dining…at 7am on a Sunday!

So months of waiting and planning and planning and waiting had passed, and now it was getting down to the halfway point – our 180-day ADR window was about to open. There were a few tense days of watching the Disney site, waiting for them to post the park hours, and sympathizing with the poor November 08 people, whose park hours were a month overdue in being posted. But the December hours finally hit the Disney site, and what do you know? Our ABSOLUTELY PERFECT schedule was still ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!

But I was nervous about our ADRs. We wanted the 8:05 seating at Cinderella’s Castle, the hottest and hardest-to-get ticket in the parks, as well as several other hot spots – Le Cellier, V&A’s…would we get them all? I re-read the Unofficial Guide’s guide to getting a table at the castle breakfast, and it was intimidating, so I turned to the DIS. Did I really need to get up at 6:45 and watch the atomic clock for the exact second it turned 7 and memorize the prompts on the voicemail and rudely interrupt that reservationist if I wanted this meal?

Yeah, pretty much, said the responses.

Okay. If that’s what it took, that’s what I was going to do.

So Sunday, June 8 dawned, and our alarm rang at 6:45, and Bill and I sprang out of bed (or as close to springing as you can get at 6:45am on a Sunday). He loaded up the official US government atomic clock on his computer, we got the phones ready (me on the landline, him on his cell), and placed our cheat sheets in front of us (the ADRs we wanted, and the phone prompts we’d be skipping past as fast as we could). At EXACTLY 6:59 and 55 seconds, I said, “GO!”, and we both dialed 407-WDW-DINE.

We blew through the prompts, and Bill heard the “sorry, we’re closed message,” but I heard the dulcet tones of…a Disney Dining Specialist! “How can I help…,” she began.

“HI!” I said, cringing as I cut her off (I hate being rude). “I’d like Cindy’s castle, December 10, party of two, earliest possible seating, please.”

Thump, thump, thump, said my heart, as her fingers click, click, clicked. “All right, how about 8:05am on December 10?” she asked.



“Perfect!” I crowed. I shot Bill a triumphant thumbs-up, and he performed the obligatory Snoopy dance. “And I have a few more ADRs to make, please.”

“Sure thing,” she said, with no apparent ill will, despite the fact that I’d totally cut her off like a rude New Yorker.

So I ran down the list:

Friday, Dec. 5: 8pm Biergarten
Saturday, Dec. 6: 8:05am Crystal Palace, 7pm Coral Reef
Sunday, Dec. 7: 7:30 Boma
Monday, Dec. 8: 3:35 Mama Melrose w/ Fantasmic! dinner package
Tuesday, Dec. 9: 1pm Teppan Edo
Wednesday, Dec. 10: 8:05am Cindy’s Castle thank you very much!, 6pm Artists Point
Thursday, Dec. 11: 12pm 50s Prime Time Café, 8pm Le Cellier
Friday, Dec. 12: 9pm Victoria & Albert’s
Saturday, Dec. 13: 8:05am Crystal Palace (again)
Sunday, Dec. 14: 10am Ohana

Okay, I didn’t do them all in that order – after the castle was set, I did Le Cellier, and wasn’t able to get it for our first night – I had to try two other nights until we could finally get it at 8pm on Thursday the 11th. Then I did Boma and the Crystal Palaces, then filled in the rest (except for V&As, which required a separate call). By 7:12 a.m., I had all my ADRs, and most of them for the times I’d wanted. Yahoo!

After hanging up, I realized that I’d forgotten one of the lunches, and wanted to move Boma up a half hour. So I called back at 7:20, and waited 22 minutes on hold before someone picked up and I was able to fix our schedule. Wow! The advice to call right at 7 was spot-on! Then I called back and got right through to the V&A reservationist and secured our 9pm Friday night dinner. Score.

Oh, how smug and happy we were. Our ADRs were made, our Segway tour had been booked weeks ago, and we’d already received our Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party tickets in the mail (we’re going on Tuesday, December 9, the date that DISers seem to be favoring). Now all that was left was…another six months worth of waiting.

AUGH!

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

Friday, Dec. 5: 8pm Biergarten
Saturday, Dec. 6: 8:05am Crystal Palace, 7pm Coral Reef
Sunday, Dec. 7: 7:30 Boma
Monday, Dec. 8: 3:35 Mama Melrose w/ Fantasmic! dinner package
Tuesday, Dec. 9: 1pm Teppan Edo
Wednesday, Dec. 10: 8:05am Cindy’s Castle thank you very much!, 6pm Artists Point
Thursday, Dec. 11: 12pm 50s Prime Time Café, 8pm Le Cellier
Friday, Dec. 12: 9pm Victoria & Albert’s
Saturday, Dec. 13: 8:05am Crystal Palace (again)
Sunday, Dec. 14: 10am Ohana

I'm hungry now!!

We were lucky enough to get a CRT ADR at 8:10 a.m. in May!! May 28, to be exact. I tried to get up early, but, of course, it was a crazy morning. I finally got to work, told my supervisor I had a very important phone call to make, and I made the call at 8:15 CST!! Pixie dust must have been on our side, though. It was great walking down a near empty Main St. to a deserted castle.

DNiece, DS, me (the backpack nerd), mom and grampa

We also at at CP, 'Ohana, Mama Melrose (Fantasmic) and PTC. We may see you at PTC because I absolutely LOVE that place!! They were all delicious, though. We stayed at the Poly and loved the 'Ohana breakfast. It was lots of fun. I sent my grandparents to Artist Point for their anniversary, and they had nothing but great things to say about it. I'm a month behind in making our ADRs, but I'm waiting to see if the rest of our family will join us. I'm totally on the edge of my computer chair waiting to call!!

 

[njdisneyfreak]

Okay, you've got another subscriber! Great start to your PTR. I'm really enjoying it. My DH and I (fellow DINKS) are going in December, too!!! But, we'll be there towards the end of the month. I can't wait to read the rest of your planning, and then hear how your trip went, right before heading off to ours.

Your ADRs sound great. I can't wait to hear about V & A. We have never done that, and keep saying next time.

What was the Segway Tour like? We went on that mini-intro to it in Innoventions on our last trip, and loved it! So, we booked the Segway Tour Around the World for this trip, and I can't wait!!! Tell me about the whole thing.

 

[PinkPrincessZ]

Yay - another Girlbomb TR!!

I completely agree - Disney vacation planning is the perfect way to satisfy the control freak in all of us! I break out my planning spreadsheets (woohoo-spreadsheets!) to tweak, add or just plain stare at on a daily basis! Good times.

It sounds like your trip is really coming together. My mom and I are going in October for our second annual mother/daughter trip to the F&W Festival and I cannot wait! We have an ADR for tea - have you been?

Can't wait for more!

 

[njdisneyfreak]

I completely agree - Disney vacation planning is the perfect way to satisfy the control freak in all of us!I break out my planning spreadsheets (woohoo-spreadsheets!) to tweak, add or just plain stare at on a daily basis! Good times.

That is so true!!! I thank God that my DH understands my sickness , because between my spreadsheets, buying guide books, doing the trip reports, reading other people's trip reports and a myriad of other control freak WDW planning joys, you would think I was crazy. If it wasn't for the Disboards, what would we do?

 

[girlbomb]

DNiece, DS, me (the backpack nerd), mom and grampa

We also at at CP, 'Ohana, Mama Melrose (Fantasmic) and PTC. We may see you at PTC because I absolutely LOVE that place!! They were all delicious, though. We stayed at the Poly and loved the 'Ohana breakfast. It was lots of fun. I sent my grandparents to Artist Point for their anniversary, and they had nothing but great things to say about it. I'm a month behind in making our ADRs, but I'm waiting to see if the rest of our family will join us. I'm totally on the edge of my computer chair waiting to call!!

TotalSnowWhite, what a great pic! Getting into the MK when it's empty like that is one of the great pleasures of the early breakfasts, isn't it? And these will be our first meals at PTC, Artist's Point, and O'hana, so I'm glad to hear your good reviews. I hope you'll hear from your family soon so that you can make your ADRs -- I'm on the edge of your seat too!

Okay, you've got another subscriber! Great start to your PTR. I'm really enjoying it. My DH and I (fellow DINKS) are going in December, too!!! But, we'll be there towards the end of the month. I can't wait to read the rest of your planning, and then hear how your trip went, right before heading off to ours.

Your ADRs sound great. I can't wait to hear about V & A. We have never done that, and keep saying next time.

What was the Segway Tour like? We went on that mini-intro to it in Innoventions on our last trip, and loved it! So, we booked the Segway Tour Around the World for this trip, and I can't wait!!! Tell me about the whole thing.

Hi, njdisneyfreak! I'm psyched for you that you're doing the Segway tour at Epcot -- it was a blast! First, you spend a while at Segway Central learning how to ride the things (which wasn't too hard for me, and I have no balance and can't ride a bike, so if you were able to ride during your mini-intro, you should have no problem). Then you're led to World Showcase by three CMs who take time in each country to give you some behind-the-scene facts about the pavilions. You also get to slalom the columns in Italy, ride up and down some very slight hills in China, and tool around while other CMs are setting up for the day. The tour passed so quickly, and it was exhilarating, as well as informative. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as we did!

Yay - another Girlbomb TR!!

I completely agree - Disney vacation planning is the perfect way to satisfy the control freak in all of us! I break out my planning spreadsheets (woohoo-spreadsheets!) to tweak, add or just plain stare at on a daily basis! Good times.

It sounds like your trip is really coming together. My mom and I are going in October for our second annual mother/daughter trip to the F&W Festival and I cannot wait! We have an ADR for tea - have you been?

Can't wait for more!

PinkPrincessZ, thanks for signing on! One of these days, we're going to shift our trip so we can catch the Food & Wine Festival -- it sounds great, and I hope you and your mom will have a blast. We haven't been to tea, but I've enjoyed reading about other people's experiences there. I hope I'll get to read about yours!

 

[girlbomb]

Part Five: The Insane Control Freak's Minute-by-Minute Guide to Having Fun at Disney World

So our ABSOLUTELY PERFECT schedule looks like this:

Friday, December 10:

5am: Wake up! Up up up! If we were even able to sleep at all! It’s Disney day!

6am: Kiss cats goodbye over and over, while fretting that they will miss us, something will go wrong, our catsitter will be stricken with viral encephalitis and won’t be able to attend to them, etc. (This only applies to me. Bill will be tapping his foot, checking his watch, and clearing his throat, like, LET’S GO ALREADY.)

8:30am: Fly from JFK airport to Orlando, departing at 8:30 (if all goes well – our first two years, we had three-hour delays leaving New York, once for weather, and once because Jet Blue couldn’t find us a flight crew). We should be arriving at about 11:30, and jumping on the Magical Express, which would get us to the Contemporary around 12:30.

12:30: Check in to the Contemporary Resort! We’ll drop our carry-ons with bell services, strap on my trusty fannypack (yeah, that’s right, I wear a fannypack – with pride!), slap a little sunscreen on our forearms and faces, and hit the walkway to the MK. Is there any other way to start a Disney vacay that at the MK? Not for us!

1pm: First glimpse of the castle. Weeping.

1:05: Space Mountain. Space Mountain. Space Mountain. Spicy cheese pretzel from Tomorrowland. Sandwiches from Main St. Bakery. Multiple pinchings of each other, declarations of “We’re here! We’re finally here!” Space Mountain.

2 – 5:45pm: Rides, rides, rides, shows, rides, pinchings, declarations. Space Mountain.

5:45: Castle lighting show, if they’re doing it again this year. It was so spectacularly gorgeous last year!

6pm: Head back to the Contemptuous Resort. Get bags, settle ourselves into room, turn on Stacy’s Must Sees, marvel at what a hyper spaz she remains, maybe take quick shower.

6:45: Monorail to Epcot. Our first ride on Old Band-Aid! If you’re just joining us, welcome! Por favor, mantengase etc etc! Hooray!

7:15: Hit Epcot. Gasp, screech, pinch, exclaim, declare. Take our time walking through the park to Germany.

8pm: Dinner at Biergarten. Hope we get a table with some chatty folks. I used to hate communal seating, but now I love it, especially when we’re seated with people who are game to gab. Stuff faces.

9pm: Roll back out into World Showcase. If we’re still going strong, pick up EMH bracelets by the UK, maybe watch Impressions de France, maybe watch Illuminations; if not, hightail it back to the Contretemps Resort.

11pm: Crash like a bandicoot. I have no idea what a bandicoot it, but apparently there’s one named Crash. So, there.

Saturday, December 6

7am: Wake up. Wait…where are we? Where in freakin’ DISNEY WORLD, that’s where! Open curtains, see castle, freak out. Flip on Stacy, shower, dress, and gooooooo.

8:05: Breakfast at Crystal Palace. Heap plates full of food, greet characters with joy. Watch kids doing the same. Get verklempt.

8:50: Stake place at rope to Tomorrowland. Schmooze cast members, if any are available to be schmoozed. Get poised to walk very quickly right over to…

9am: Space Mountain. Space Mountain. Space Mountain. (Etc.)

9am – whenever we get hungry: Rides, shows, rides, gawking, being happy, stalking Jack Sparrow, basking in glory of it all.

Whenever we get hungry: Lunch at Cosmic Rays? At Pecos Bill’s? At Columbia Harbor House? At wherever we happen to be standing closest to? Sounds great.

After lunch: Do we want to stop back at the room, or hop right over to Epcot? Either a pit stop at the Contrary Resort, or a monorail right to Epcot.

2ish – 7pm: Any FPs left for Soarin’? Yes? No? Let’s do it! Then maybe a few single rider trips on Test Track? Spaceship Earth? Innoventions? Definitely have to stop by Innoventions and see if the 25th anniversary of Epcot display is still there – a highlight of last year’s trip. Guzzle some sodas at Club Cool, check out Mouse Gears and see what’s new since last year. Visit Segways – we’ll be seeing you Thursday morning, Segways, so get ready!

7pm: Dinner at Coral Reef. As the LOLcats say, nom nom nom…

8pm: Walk around, start staking spot for Illuminations.

9:30pm: Lazers! Lights! Music! Kabang!

9:50: Dawdle while everyone rushes to the exit. Enjoy the smell of spent cordite. Eventually, wander towards the monorail station.

11pm: Back to the Continuous Resort. Crash like an Academy Award-winning movie.

Sunday, December 7

7am: UP AND AT ‘EM!

7:45: Stop at the Grab N’ Go, or Chef Mickey’s Express, or whatever they’re calling the fast service food stop by then. Grab, snarf, go.

8am: Bus’ a move to Animal Kingdom. Scoot our butts as far forward in the crowd as we can and watch the opening ceremony while poised at the rope for…

9am: Rope drop! Fast walk to Everest. Everest, Everest, Everest, Everest, Everest. Etc.

9:30 – whenever we get hungry: Rides, shows, attractions, swooning, being happy, snacking, taking goofy pictures of ourselves, taking goofy pictures of Goofy. Maybe the Lion King show, which we’ve never seen; maybe a repeat viewing of Nemo. Everest.

Whenever we get hungry: Flame Tree? Yak and Yeti? Kind of risky, putting the word “yak” in the name of your restaurant, don’t you think? Anyway, lunch.

After lunch – 6:30: Rides, shows, attractions, going “awwwww…,” snacking, rides, appreciating nature, Everest.

6:30: Last ride on Everest, after sun is down. Spectacular at night. Scream throat raw.

6:45: Head to Animal Kingdom Lodge. Gape at majestic surroundings. Walk around animal enclosures, gift shop, lobby.

7:30: Dinner at Boma. I will have one of everything, thanks. And then I will have another one of everything. Thanks.

9pm: Head to Downtown Disney to go to the Adventu – OH NO! They shut down the Adventurers Club! Marching along, we’re not adventurers, because they shut down our club! Stinks! Sucks, even! Boo! Phooey! Grumble! Etc.

(Obviously, we’ll plan something else to go here – maybe La Nouba? Maybe DisneyQuest, minus all the virtual reality games that made me nauseated when we visited back in 2005? Maybe an early night? Maybe standing right outside the closed Adventurers Club yelling “Kungaloosh, you *******s!” at the top of our lungs?)

After that Back to the Convenient Resort.

Wow, this is getting long! Maybe I’ll quit for the day, and save the rest of the WAS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT, UNTIL THEY SHUT DOWN THE ADVENTURERS CLUB, THOSE SHORT-SIGHTED FUN-STOMPERS; NOW NEEDS SLIGHT ADJUSTING SCHEDULE for tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

 

[njdisneyfreak]

Hi, njdisneyfreak! I'm psyched for you that you're doing the Segway tour at Epcot -- it was a blast! First, you spend a while at Segway Central learning how to ride the things (which wasn't too hard for me, and I have no balance and can't ride a bike, so if you were able to ride during your mini-intro, you should have no problem). Then you're led to World Showcase by three CMs who take time in each country to give you some behind-the-scene facts about the pavilions. You also get to slalom the columns in Italy, ride up and down some very slight hills in China, and tool around while other CMs are setting up for the day. The tour passed so quickly, and it was exhilarating, as well as informative. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as we did!

I can't wait!!! When I did the demo in Innoventions last year, the CM actually asked me if I had done this before, because it came so naturally. I loved it. I wish we could get one for every day use, but one, they are WAY too expensive and two, we would probably stand out just a bit. I'm sure we'll enjoy it. Are there times to take pictures? Do they let you put personal items somewhere before we leave, since when we go, the park won't even be open yet and I don't know if they will have access to lockers yet?

Part Five: The Insane Control Freak's Minute-by-Minute Guide to Having Fun at Disney World

So our ABSOLUTELY PERFECT schedule looks like this:

Friday, December 10:

5am: Wake up! Up up up! If we were even able to sleep at all! It’s Disney day!

6am: Kiss cats goodbye over and over, while fretting that they will miss us, something will go wrong, our catsitter will be stricken with viral encephalitis and won’t be able to attend to them, etc. (This only applies to me. Bill will be tapping his foot, checking his watch, and clearing his throat, like, LET’S GO ALREADY.)

8:30am: Fly from JFK airport to Orlando, departing at 8:30 (if all goes well – our first two years, we had three-hour delays leaving New York, once for weather, and once because Jet Blue couldn’t find us a flight crew). We should be arriving at about 11:30, and jumping on the Magical Express, which would get us to the Contemporary around 12:30.

12:30: Check in to the Contemporary Resort! We’ll drop our carry-ons with bell services, strap on my trusty fannypack (yeah, that’s right, I wear a fannypack – with pride!), slap a little sunscreen on our forearms and faces, and hit the walkway to the MK. Is there any other way to start a Disney vacay that at the MK? Not for us!

1pm: First glimpse of the castle. Weeping.

1:05: Space Mountain. Space Mountain. Space Mountain. Spicy cheese pretzel from Tomorrowland. Sandwiches from Main St. Bakery. Multiple pinchings of each other, declarations of “We’re here! We’re finally here!” Space Mountain.

2 – 5:45pm: Rides, rides, rides, shows, rides, pinchings, declarations. Space Mountain.

5:45: Castle lighting show, if they’re doing it again this year. It was so spectacularly gorgeous last year!

6pm: Head back to the Contemptuous Resort. Get bags, settle ourselves into room, turn on Stacy’s Must Sees, marvel at what a hyper spaz she remains, maybe take quick shower.

6:45: Monorail to Epcot. Our first ride on Old Band-Aid! If you’re just joining us, welcome! Por favor, mantengase etc etc! Hooray!

7:15: Hit Epcot. Gasp, screech, pinch, exclaim, declare. Take our time walking through the park to Germany.

8pm: Dinner at Biergarten. Hope we get a table with some chatty folks. I used to hate communal seating, but now I love it, especially when we’re seated with people who are game to gab. Stuff faces.

9pm: Roll back out into World Showcase. If we’re still going strong, pick up EMH bracelets by the UK, maybe watch Impressions de France, maybe watch Illuminations; if not, hightail it back to the Contretemps Resort.

11pm: Crash like a bandicoot. I have no idea what a bandicoot it, but apparently there’s one named Crash. So, there.

Saturday, December 6

7am: Wake up. Wait…where are we? Where in freakin’ DISNEY WORLD, that’s where! Open curtains, see castle, freak out. Flip on Stacy, shower, dress, and gooooooo.

8:05: Breakfast at Crystal Palace. Heap plates full of food, greet characters with joy. Watch kids doing the same. Get verklempt.

8:50: Stake place at rope to Tomorrowland. Schmooze cast members, if any are available to be schmoozed. Get poised to walk very quickly right over to…

9am: Space Mountain. Space Mountain. Space Mountain. (Etc.)

9am – whenever we get hungry: Rides, shows, rides, gawking, being happy, stalking Jack Sparrow, basking in glory of it all.

Whenever we get hungry: Lunch at Cosmic Rays? At Pecos Bill’s? At Columbia Harbor House? At wherever we happen to be standing closest to? Sounds great.

After lunch: Do we want to stop back at the room, or hop right over to Epcot? Either a pit stop at the Contrary Resort, or a monorail right to Epcot.

2ish – 7pm: Any FPs left for Soarin’? Yes? No? Let’s do it! Then maybe a few single rider trips on Test Track? Spaceship Earth? Innoventions? Definitely have to stop by Innoventions and see if the 25th anniversary of Epcot display is still there – a highlight of last year’s trip. Guzzle some sodas at Club Cool, check out Mouse Gears and see what’s new since last year. Visit Segways – we’ll be seeing you Thursday morning, Segways, so get ready!

7pm: Dinner at Coral Reef. As the LOLcats say, nom nom nom…

8pm: Walk around, start staking spot for Illuminations.

9:30pm: Lazers! Lights! Music! Kabang!

9:50: Dawdle while everyone rushes to the exit. Enjoy the smell of spent cordite. Eventually, wander towards the monorail station.

11pm: Back to the Continuous Resort. Crash like an Academy Award-winning movie.

Sunday, December 7

7am: UP AND AT ‘EM!

7:45: Stop at the Grab N’ Go, or Chef Mickey’s Express, or whatever they’re calling the fast service food stop by then. Grab, snarf, go.

8am: Bus’ a move to Animal Kingdom. Scoot our butts as far forward in the crowd as we can and watch the opening ceremony while poised at the rope for…

9am: Rope drop! Fast walk to Everest. Everest, Everest, Everest, Everest, Everest. Etc.

9:30 – whenever we get hungry: Rides, shows, attractions, swooning, being happy, snacking, taking goofy pictures of ourselves, taking goofy pictures of Goofy. Maybe the Lion King show, which we’ve never seen; maybe a repeat viewing of Nemo. Everest.

Whenever we get hungry: Flame Tree? Yak and Yeti? Kind of risky, putting the word “yak” in the name of your restaurant, don’t you think? Anyway, lunch.

After lunch – 6:30: Rides, shows, attractions, going “awwwww…,” snacking, rides, appreciating nature, Everest.

6:30: Last ride on Everest, after sun is down. Spectacular at night. Scream throat raw.

6:45: Head to Animal Kingdom Lodge. Gape at majestic surroundings. Walk around animal enclosures, gift shop, lobby.

7:30: Dinner at Boma. I will have one of everything, thanks. And then I will have another one of everything. Thanks.

9pm: Head to Downtown Disney to go to the Adventu – OH NO! They shut down the Adventurers Club! Marching along, we’re not adventurers, because they shut down our club! Stinks! Sucks, even! Boo! Phooey! Grumble! Etc.

(Obviously, we’ll plan something else to go here – maybe La Nouba? Maybe DisneyQuest, minus all the virtual reality games that made me nauseated when we visited back in 2005? Maybe an early night? Maybe standing right outside the closed Adventurers Club yelling “Kungaloosh, you *******s!” at the top of our lungs?)

After that Back to the Convenient Resort.

Wow, this is getting long! Maybe I’ll quit for the day, and save the rest of the WAS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT, UNTIL THEY SHUT DOWN THE ADVENTURERS CLUB, THOSE SHORT-SIGHTED FUN-STOMPERS; NOW NEEDS SLIGHT ADJUSTING SCHEDULE for tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

I absolutely loved how you explained all your details, especially including time for weeping and pinching. You have such an amusing way of writing. I love it. I'm so glad I came across your PTR. This is fun.

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

What about taking goofy pictures with Goofy???

Love it! So, the retirement is on schedule, and now we're waiting to make sure one more person has the vaca time, then I finally get to start planning!! I love living vicariously through your PTR!

So, what is your Pop Warner strategy??? I've heard baaad things.

 

[addictedtothemouse]

I can't believe I found you!!! I read your TR about your '06 trip and looooved it. I can't wait to read your other TR and following along with this one. It's like running into old friends.