The Shmoopy DINKs in "Plussing the Weenie" -- now COMPLETE!

[girlbomb]

I Fail at Pre-Trip Report!

Oh, wonderful Disfriends, how I have failed you! And myself! And calculus, back in college, but that's a different story. You see, way back in June, I started a PTR for our fabulous fourth annual Disney Xmas-stravaganza, and then completely flaked on updating it.



How lame is that? Very very very very lame, with an extra very on top! But I am committed to writing a new PTR, and fast, so that when we get back (sob!), I will be able to jump right into a trippie, instead of jumping off a tall building.

So here it is: The Shmoopy DINKs 4th Annual "Have You Found Her" Disney Xmas-stravaganza Pre-Trip Report, take two.

If you're interested in last year's trip report, here it is: The Shmoopy DINKs 3rd Annual Face-Stuffing and Ride-Riding Orgy of Joy and Delight

But if you'd like the shorter version of our Disney history:

We're Janice and Bill, childless New Yorkers in our thirties, a pair of jaded, sarcastic liberals who never expected to become Disney World fans. Our first trip, in 2005, was supposed to be a reward for our friend Samantha, a homeless teenager I met at the shelter where I volunteered, for staying sober for a year. While Sam never made it to Disney with us, Bill and I went through with our planned vacation, and fell in LOVE with the Mouse. Since then, Disney has become a daily subject of conversation for us, and our annual trip is the highlight of our year.

Here's me, with BTMRR in the background (obvs):

And here's Bill, at Le Cellier:

So if you see us in the parks sometime between December 5 and December 14, tap us on the shoulder and say hi! We'll also be at the MegaMouseMeet, part of MouseFest, at the Yacht and Beach Club on Saturday, Dec. 13 -- I'll be signing copies of the (peripherally Disney-related) book I wrote about Samantha, HAVE YOU FOUND HER, and I hope to meet lots of DISers and other Mouse fans!

Here's a handy index for this P/TR:

Pre-trip posts:

Only 362 days to go!
What we did while we waited
Yes, we go for the food
The horror!
Disney Denial
Disney Distraction
Disney Desperation
AAAAHHHHHH!!!

----

Post-trip posts:

And we're back!
Day One: Friday, Dec. 5: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Day One, Part Two: Still the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Day Two: Saturday, December 6: It's a Marshmallow World in the Winter
Day Two, Part Two: It's (Still) A Marshmallow World in the Winter
Day Two, Part Three: Now It's Just a Mini-Marshmallow
Day Three: Sunday, December 7: All I Want for Christmas is to STAY AT DISNEY FOREVER AND NEVER EVER LEAVE, EVER
Day Three, Part Two: Never, Ever Leaving. Kthxbai.
Day Four: Monday, December 8: Grandma Got Run Over by an Emotional Reindeer
Day Four, Part Two: Emotional Reindeer Droppings
Day Five: Tuesday, December 9: Girlbomb the Red-Eyed Reindeer
Day Five, Part Two: Girlbomb the Red-Eyed Reindeer Rides Some More
Day Six: Wednesday, December 10: Walking in a Disney Wonderland
Day Six, Part Two: Still Continuing to Walk in a Disney Wonderland
Day Seven: Thursday, December 11: Let it Precipitate, Let it Precipitate, Let it Precipitate
Day Eight: Friday, December 12: On The Eighth Day of Disney, My True Love Gave to Me...
Day Eight, Part Two: On the Eighth Day of Disney, My True Love Didn't Give Me Anything Material, But He Gives Me So Much Love and Emotional Support All Year 'Round, Awwww!
Day Nine: Saturday, December 13: Have A Holly, Jolly MouseFest
Day Nine, Part Two: Have A Holly, Jolly Post-MouseFest
Day Nine, Part Three: Have Yet More of a Holly, Jolly, Post-MouseFest
Last Morning: Sunday, December 14: I'm Dreaming of a Next Christmas
Epilogue: And they lived happily ever after!

Coming up: What we did while we waited all year long! (Besides read the DIS boards, of course...)

 

[girlbomb]

Chapter Two: Only 362 days to go!

I've read enough PTRs to know that you've got to cover certain basics: When you booked your trip, how you chose your resort (because of course you're staying on property), how you're planning your days, and especially how you're planning your meals. And since this is going to be an awesome PTR, and not a failure at all, unlike some PTRs I've started rolleyes1), let me cover that right now:

At first, we were thinking of skipping our December 2008 trip. We'd heard that Space Mountain was going down for a rehab, and we spend a good 10 percent of any given trip riding that darn thing, so we figured we might save the money, vacation somewhere else for a change, blee blur bloo -- you know, all those things you've told yourself from time to time when you're trying to talk yourself OUT of going to Disney. We figured we'd go back in 2009, when our beloved Space Mountain was back; we'd just skip a year.

AS IF.

As soon as we got back from last year's amazingincredibleawesome trip, we looked at each other seriously, and Bill said to me, "There's no way I'm waiting two years to go back."

And I was like, "I don't want to wait two minutes to go back! We're going back next year."

Even if Space Mountain was down, we figured, we'd just console ourselves with the rest of the mountains: Splash, Big Thunder, Everest, and of course the mountains of food we shovel into our faces every day.

So within three days of returning from Disney, we booked our next trip -- December 5-14, Contemporary Resort (because it's our fave, and you can't beat walking to the Magic Kingdom!), tower room with MK view. And then we did this:



And then we heard that Space Mountain wasn't going down until 2009, and we did this:



Basically, the dancing banana had nothing on us. We were going back to Disney World! Yahoo! Yippie! Zoinks, Scoob! Grab those suitcases and start that ticker! Life is worth living again!

Only...362 days to go!

 

[girlbomb]

Chapter Three: What we did while we waited

January: Pined.

February: Moped.

March: Complained. Why is December such a long time from March? It's really unfair, when you think about it.

April: Booked plane tickets using frequent flyer miles on Continental. Started making a list of everything we wanted to do this year, and everywhere we wanted to eat. Created an Excel spreadsheet and started to plug in day plans based on last year's schedule. Faint glimmers of hope appear on the horizon. December 5 will come one day, it will.

May: Went to the Disney "Science of Imagineering" show at New York University. Learned how the Imagineers use G forces in their coaster rides, special sound effects at the Haunted Mansion, motion capture technology in Turtle Talk, zoology at the AK, and chemistry in the pyrotechnic displays. Met DISer wildeoscar, and saw Lucky the Dinosaur. Renewed my thirst for all things Disney.

Also, bought tickets to MVMCP, and booked our Fort Wilderness Segway tour. Excel spreadsheet filling up nicely...

June: Park hours released, and our advance plan works perfectly! Woke up at 6:45 a.m. on a Sunday to call Disney Dining and make our ADRs. Castle breakfast on the day we wanted! Le Cellier! Victoria and Alberts! WOOHOO!

Also, started pre-trip report, got off to great start, then had to move apartments, and completely lost momentum.

July: Early birthday present: Bill gets me Tigger ears off eBay. This will finally be the year I succumb to goofy headgear. Well, Tigger headgear, anyway.

August: On-time birthday present: Bill gets me signed photo of Stacy Aswad. I will cherish it forever! (Gonzo voice: ForEVER?)

September: Pleasure Island to close? No more Adventurer's Club? WAAAAAAHHHH!

October: Signed up for MouseFest, and bought an ad in the program guide for my book. Made arrangements to sign books at the MegaMouse Meet -- maybe I'll see you there?

November: ADRs and reservations double-checked and confirmed. Counting down in earnest now. Plans are perfected and memorized. Nothing left to do but read the DIS boards, start new PTR, and PACK! Which I think we'll start tonight. Only nine days to go!



(Coming next: Our schedule, a.k.a., a handy guide for those who want to stalk the Shmoopy DINKs!)

 

[girlbomb]

Chapter Four: Yes, We Go for the Food

I don't know how many of you saw this New York Times article this summer, which raved about the food at Disney, especially praising Jiko, Flying Fish, and California Grill and Victoria & Albert's, but I made sure everybody I knew saw it. Finally, vindication for all the times people roll their eyes when I say we love the food at Disney!

When Bill and I start to plan a trip, we take two things into consideration:

1. Park hours and recommended days

2. FOODS (nom nom nom nom nom)

Of course we want to hit the least crowded parks at the least crowded times. So we consult both the UG and Tour Guide Mike, we plan to avoid morning EMH parks, and we plan for evening EMHs only when we have no other options.

Then we decide where we want to eat.

This year, our ADRs look a little something like this:

Friday, Dec. 5: Arrival day! CS lunch at the MK; Biergarten at 8pm.

Biergarten was one of the first places we stumbled into on our first, not-so-well-researched trip -- a trip with NO ADRs! (Horror!) Since then, it's been on our schedule every year, usually for lunch. This time, it's our Welcome Home dinner. Can't wait!

Saturday, Dec. 6: 8am breakfast at Crystal Palace, CS lunch at the MK, Coral Reef at 7pm

Crystal Palace is the only other restaurant we've visited on every trip. We love getting early entry into the park, and being first on line for rope drop at Tomorrowland. Plus, the food and the atmosphere make us happy. And we've never tried Coral Reef -- despite the mixed reviews, I'm looking forward to this.

Sunday, Dec. 7: Breakfast on the go from the new CS at the Contemporary, CS lunch at AK, then a 7:30 dinner at Boma.

Just tried Boma for the first time last year, and loved it. So yummy, and such great variety! We thought about trying to get Jiko in on this trip, but with only one day at AK, we decided to stick with Boma again -- maybe next year, we'll do Jiko.

Monday, Dec. 8: 8am Breakfast at Hollywood & Vine at DHS, Mama Melrose with Fantasmic! dining package at 3:30, post-Fantasmic! snack at Sci-Fi Drive-In Cafe at 8:30

A big dining day for us, starting with an early entry breakfast that, we hope, will get us to the front of the rope for the Toy Story Midway Mania mania (plus we've liked H&V for lunch, and wanted to try breakfast). This will be the only character dining we do where we're not interested in the characters, though the lion is darn cute. Mama Melrose is a new one to us -- we're doing it mostly for the dinner package -- and we love the atmosphere at Sci-Fi but not the food so much, so we thought we'd stop in for dessert only. Funny thing: the park hours end at 8 that night, and yet when I asked for the latest possible reservation, they gave me 8:30. We'll take it!

Tuesday, Dec. 9: Breakfast on the go before morning EMH at Epcot, Teppan Edo at 1pm, CS dinner at the MK for MVMCP

Never done Teppan Edo. And never would, at home -- we usually eschew dining with people we don't know. Except at Disney, where we kind of love it. Weird, huh? And we thought about making TS ressies at the MK for dinner, but don't want to waste precious party time. (Party time! Excellent!)

Wednesday, Dec. 10: 8am castle breakfast, baby! CS lunch wherever we happen to be that day (if the weather's good, Blizzard Beach), then 6pm dinner at Artist's Point.

I know, we're childless adults; we shouldn't be quite so psyched about the castle breakfast. And yet we are. We've heard all the negative reviews of the food; it's the atmosphere we're after. Whereas Artist's Point is supposed to be great for DINKs like us -- we've never been, but we'll see.

Thursday, Dec. 11: Breakfast on the go before our 8:30 am Segway tour! (Where's the smiley riding a segway? We need that one!) 12 noon lunch at 50's Prime Time; 8pm dinner at Le Cellier.

Never done 50's Prime Time, and we're psyched for it. Did Le Cellier last year and loved it -- so happy we're going back.

Friday, Dec. 12: Breakfast and lunch are undecided! We're leaving this day open in case we can go to Blizzard Beach (if we didn't go on Weds.); if not, we'll choose the park we're enjoying the most and spend the day there. Then we have a 9pm dinner at Victoria & Albert's.

OH MY! Are we fancy or what? V&A's! (Though not the chef's table -- we're not quite that fancy.) I look forward to reporting back on this one, especially to my food snob dad. it's got five diamonds from AAA; it should be great!

Saturday, Dec. 13: Another 8am breakfast at the Crystal Palace for our last day in the parks.

After that, who knows? It's another one of our compulsively planned "free days."

Sunday, Dec. 14: Departure day, augh! But first, a 10am breakfast at Ohana before we go.

We did Kona last year and it was yummy; this will be our first visit to Ohana.

So that's the plan -- oh yeah, and we'll be riding rides and seeing shows and gawking at stuff along the way, too. But mostly, food!

Except...something's just come up to throw a wrench in our dining plans! More on that tomorrow...

 

[natale1980]

Don't worry - I have also failed at a PTR before. It happens.
I'm along for the ride!

-nat

 

[girlbomb]

Thanks, nat, and congrats on your upcoming trip -- sounds great!

 

[girlbomb]

Chapter Five: THE HORROR

You know what? I wrote a whole little thing about going to the doctor and being reminded that I'd gained a bunch of weight, and being put on a diet. And it seemed really funny when i wrote it, but then I went back, and it seemed really self-loathing, so I'm editing it.

The nutshell is: I'm on a diet at Disney World.

THE HORROR!

 

[Circusgirl]

Love that you're going, and that you're writing about it.
Love your schedule.
Not so fond of the diet concept. I can write you a veterinarian's note exempting you for the trip if that would be helpful.
Looking forward to more!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

A Disney Diet!?! Don't forget all of the walking that you will be doing! It will almost make the calories an even trade........

 

[girlbomb]

Love that you're going, and that you're writing about it.
Love your schedule.
Not so fond of the diet concept. I can write you a veterinarian's note exempting you for the trip if that would be helpful.
Looking forward to more!

Circusgirl, I'm loving your current TR, and am selfishly very happy that you'll be in Disney when we will, for two reasons -- A) I get to meet you! B) Another TR will be on its way!

A Disney Diet!?! Don't forget all of the walking that you will be doing! It will almost make the calories an even trade........

Wigdoutdismom, thank you for reminding me of that. We walk enough to make the Michael Phelps diet seem reasonable!

 

[girlbomb]

Chapter Six: Disney Denial

So we've been planning this trip since the second we got back from our last one. And after counting down to it every single day, now it's only six days away. And I feel like I should be doing something right now, like starting to pack, or...I don't know. Checking on things. Making sure we have everything. Doing everything I'll wish I'd done on Thursday night, when I have to teach a workshop instead of staying home and fussing over last-minute things. But instead I am poking at the internets.



Here are some of the things I've done recently to prepare for our trip:

Got meds for my horrible fear of flying
Got hypnotherapy for my horrible fear of flying
Got sudoku book for my horrible fear of flying
Got business cards made for MegaMouseMeet
Confirmed ADRs

Here's what's left to do:

Download movie onto iPod for my horrible fear of flying
Get extra cat food
Write instructions and emergency vet check for catsitter
Get Epcot t-shirt tailored (I know, this sounds weird and frivolous, and it is, but they didn't have my size last year, and I want my Epcot t-shirt to be cuter on me than it is)
Contact bookseller for MegaMouseMeet
Convince Bill that it is a good idea to take three hours out of our touring to do MegaMouseMeet
Get over my horrible fear of flying

Oh yeah! And...

PACK!

We should also probably:

Find out exactly where to go for our Ft. Wilderness Segway tour, and how to get there
Confirm room reservation
Hyperventilate some more over the fact that we're leaving in six days! Does not seem real! I'm in Disney denial!

I'm also thinking of investing in one of those two-piece rain suits, like the Gorton fisherman wears, in case it's rainy when we're there. But that might be overkill. I mean, it's rain, it's not The Perfect Storm with George Clooney and Marky Mark. We'll see.

Six days!

Nope, still doesn't seem real.

 

[TigerKat]

Hi there! Circusgirl sent me over, sounds like this should be fun. As for the diet, I've recently lost 35 lbs and was worried that a week of Disney food & booze would set me back - didn't gain an ounce!!!!!!

 

[girlbomb]

Welcome, TigerKat! How awesome of Circusgirl to recommend me; I'm a big fan of hers. And thanks for the very welcome news about weight management at Disney! I see you're planning far ahead to a Universal trip -- we look forward to checking it out over there on an upcoming trip.

 

[girlbomb]

Chapter Seven: Disney Distraction

So we leave in four days, and I should be supremely excited, which I am! But something has come along to "bump Disney off the front page," as Bill just said:

We've been trying to buy an apartment for a year and a half, and deals keep falling through, but we just shook on a deal for an apartment we really like, and I have to get the paperwork in before we leave. So on top of work and everything else I'm doing this week, I have a TON of important stuff to do for the apartment, and I will be holding my breath the whole time we're away, hoping that everything will go well, for a change.

The great thing is that we have something potentially wonderful to look forward to when we come back (we hope), which is so helpful for countering that post-Disney depression we're so susceptible to. As a matter of fact, we'd both be feeling that weird pre-Disney depression right now -- the one where you feel like, "I've been planning this trip for months, and now it's almost here...which means it's almost over! And then what will I look forward to?"

Well, now we know what we can look forward to -- finally moving into a place of our own, after a year and a half of bouncing from temporary place to temporary place. It's a big distraction, but a hopeful and happy one! I just wish it were done, already...

Four days to go!

 

[TigerKat]

Welcome, TigerKat! How awesome of Circusgirl to recommend me; I'm a big fan of hers. And thanks for the very welcome news about weight management at Disney! I see you're planning far ahead to a Universal trip -- we look forward to checking it out over there on an upcoming trip.

Believe me I ate & drank like there was no tomorrow too! My next trip is going to be 4 nights at WDW and 4 nights at Universal. I am so excited already!

 

[Circusgirl]

Chapter Seven: Disney Distraction

So we leave in four days, and I should be supremely excited, which I am! But something has come along to "bump Disney off the front page," as Bill just said:

We've been trying to buy an apartment for a year and a half, and deals keep falling through, but we just shook on a deal for an apartment we really like, and I have to get the paperwork in before we leave. So on top of work and everything else I'm doing this week, I have a TON of important stuff to do for the apartment, and I will be holding my breath the whole time we're away, hoping that everything will go well, for a change.

The great thing is that we have something potentially wonderful to look forward to when we come back (we hope), which is so helpful for countering that post-Disney depression we're so susceptible to. As a matter of fact, we'd both be feeling that weird pre-Disney depression right now -- the one where you feel like, "I've been planning this trip for months, and now it's almost here...which means it's almost over! And then what will I look forward to?"

Well, now we know what we can look forward to -- finally moving into a place of our own, after a year and a half of bouncing from temporary place to temporary place. It's a big distraction, but a hopeful and happy one! I just wish it were done, already...

Four days to go!

WOW! Congratulations and keep breathing! What a great but gigantic project to add to your pre-trip week.
And I thought I was under pressure because I have to make Mousekeeping envelopes and buy some camera stuff.
I hope it all goes smoothly. You will be so excited and happy when you turn the key in your very own door!
I know that pre-Disney poignancy. Planning is so happy and means all the experiences are still ahead.
A cool place of your own would certainly make for a terrific post-Disney time!

 

[girlbomb]

Thanks for the empathy, Circusgirl. Also: Mousekeeping envelopes! Good call. It's not too late for me to whip something up...

 

[girlbomb]

Chapter whatever: Disney Desperation

So, as stated above, I thought we were finally going to make a deal on a new apartment, after two bad deals have fallen through, leaving us in limbo for the past year. But now it looks like the third time is NOT a charm, and this deal may have gone south too. I can't tell you how disappointed and demoralized we are. All of our stuff has been in storage since last February, we've been living out of suitcases, and we are no closer to resolution than we were a year ago.



BUT!

We're STILL going to Disney World!

THANK GOD.

If there is anything that can remind us how lucky we are to have so much pleasure and abundance in our lives, it's Disney.

If there is anything that can soothe the screaming neurotic in me, with its "architecture of reassurance," and its giant roaming herd of life-sized stuffed animals, it's Disney.

If there is anything that can satisfy the thwarted control freak in me, it's the intricate ongoing competitive logic game that Disney presents, with its best days and ADRs and infinite choices of experience...

Yeah, if there is anything that can distract me from how frustrated I am with my housing situation, it's Disney. And Friday can't come soon enough!

Again, I'm just trying to focus on how lucky we are that real estate is our biggest problem right now; how lucky we are that we get to take a yearly trip to Disney World; how lucky we are that we're going in just two days!

Packed my suitcase last night; only toiletries left to go. Bill is going to make me crazy and wait until tomorrow night to pack his suitcase (did I mention I'm a thwarted control freak?); we'll do the travel documents tonight. Friday morning, we leave our house at 6:15 for an 8:15 flight -- if all goes well, we're at MCO at 11:30!



Phew! It feels good to instead of .

Two days until !

 

[Circusgirl]

Chapter whatever: Disney Desperation

If there is anything that can remind us how lucky we are to have so much pleasure and abundance in our lives, it's Disney.

If there is anything that can soothe the screaming neurotic in me, with its "architecture of reassurance," and its giant roaming herd of life-sized stuffed animals, it's Disney.

If there is anything that can satisfy the thwarted control freak in me, it's the intricate ongoing competitive logic game that Disney presents, with its best days and ADRs and infinite choices of experience...

Hilarious, wonderful and true. I read this and went, "Oooh I wish I'd written that!

So sorry about the demise of your domicile deal. It's rough to get close and start looking at your new world and then have nothing happen. Having it happen just now when you are already booked into your favorite travel home makes the prize of the trip even more lovely.

It's getting to be hours away!

 

[Dizneydawn]

We will be sure to try and run into you as well...and I am glad I am not the only one who has fallen off the bandwagon into ...PTR destraught and demise...althought I started out stronger than you... ahemmm...I am just sayin...

So my fine freezing your tukkus off ...winter of the north...friend...

Let us run into one another in the land of the mouse...and toast to a better TR...cause we need it before we are pelted with softballs...like the ones kids bring into IASW ride to make it more endearing!