The "We're really going this time" PTR - Houston! We have ADRs!

[tinkercat]

Hi, I'm Jen...aka Tinkercat...and I'm really going to WDW this time.

You see, once upon a time, I excitedly started a PTR way in advance. A stay in the castle had me hooked and DH abd I were giddy to start planning our next trip to WDW.

It started out as a 29th Birthday trip for October 2008. Then I got a great new job and that option was out. So then we decided we were going to do Spring Break. We planned, made ADRs...the whole she-bang.

Then we got the bright idea in January that we could just start looking at houses. We told ourselves, "We'll just look to see what is out there, because we aren't in a hurry to buy." And you know what happened, because thats always what happens when you say you aren't in a rush. We found the perfect house at a great price. We were so excited...until we found out that our perfect house had a not so perfect roof that would need to be replaced. So, I bit the bullet and we postponed the trip in the name of buying a new house. We bought the house and got it a pretty new roof and moved in on March 15th.

I would be lying if I told you I wasn't depressed about postponing the trip. As that Spring Break trip loomed upon me and I was cancelling my ADRs instead of stealing lime green mickey heads, I was utterly depressed. I wanted my house and WDW too darn it!

I avoided the DIS for awhile (bad girl, I know) and tried to focus on all the other stuff going on in life. And it worked...for a little while. Then the whole economic stimulus stuff went on and I decided to make a payment on that postponed trip. Then I tweaked the dates a little bit and started to creep back onto the DIS.

And now, here I am, ready to start this PTR and make this trip feel real.
I already bought the plane tickets so we are making this trip happen, for REAL this time!

Here are the basics:

When: November 20th-27th
Where: Pop Century
Cast of Characters: Me, DH, DD5, DS3, and DD(will be 2 by then)

I'll fill in some info on everyone in my next post. I need to do the dinner thing and get some work done tonight, but I'll be back~!

I mean, really, I have to make my ADRs in like 4 days and I'm going to need opinions on my choices!

 

[Jules3Kids]

Sounds like fun and I'm sure you'll make it there this time! When real life creeps in and takes you away from all this...it's a bummer! But now you are back and into the planning....let the fun begin!
Wish I could help you with your ADR choices...but I will be heading to WDW for the first time in June and had to ask for help myself! But you have plenty of time so you should be able to get everything you want.
Look forward to more....

 

[tinkercat]

Whew...things got a little hectic last night and I didn't make it back. But, I'm here now!

Where were we?

Ok, the cast of characters...this should be fun. This trip to WDW is kind of special because it will be our first vacation taken as just our family. In the past, we've always gone places with my family or his...or our vacations were to visit family members. You get the idea. This time, its just us. And to be honest, that is a little intimidating for me because who knows how DH and I will last all week with three kids under 6 at the happiest place on earth. I'm thinking it will be an adventure of a whole new kind and while its exciting, its also scary because there won't be anyone to be our extra hands or whatever when we need them.

Enough of my psychoanalyzing the vacation though, let's talk about exactly who will be there.

First, there is me, Jen aka Tinkercat. I'm a 28 year old wife and Mommy of 3, grad student, and 6th/7th grade teacher extraordinaire. Well, at least thats how I like to think of myself. I'm a typical type A plan-a-holic so the Disney planning is right up my alley, which is great for DH because he is so not a planner. Life keeps me busy, but at least I don't have time to get bored.

Oh yeah...here's a picture for all of you visual learners

This was in December, but you get the idea.

Next on the roster is my DH, Cory. He's also 28 and he is the reason I'm addicted to Disney. You see, he was the one who won the night in the castle suite and that is when Disney hooked me. I complain about DH alot because he does have some non-type A habits and can be lazy, but overall he's a good husband and a super Daddy. He's almost as excited about this trip as I am.

I can't find a picture of him, so you can use your imagination for now.

Rounding out the roster are our three mousketeers

My first DD is Hallie (which rhymes with Sally, just so you know). She is 5 and is getting ready to start Kindergarten in the fall and is a social butterfly. She is also quite the drama queen and has a love of all things Princess, especially Cinderella.

Last time we went to WDW..after the BBB

And more recent since she looks a lot older now...this is a good example of Hallie in drama queen mode

My three year old DS is Leo. He is the quintessential boy and loves trains and cars. He can't wait to meet Lightening McQueen. Luckily, he is also very tolerant of his princess loving sisters. He didn't really like the characters on our last trip so I'm hoping he'll be over that fear and will really enjoy them this time around. Leo is also my most fearful child and gets scared easily. He liked the Barnstormer last time, but will he brave Kali River Rapids with me this time? I really hope so!

This is a silly picture, but he's still cute.

The baby of the bunch is Lucy, who is currently 20 months old. She is already obsessed with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, so you know I've been training her well. She is also developing a love of the Princesses and I think she'll get a kick out of the characters when we go. She is a daredevil all the way and I really hope she is tall enough for the barnstormer by the time we go to WDW because she would love it.

And wow! I found a pic of DH with DS in our old Disney pics so you will be in suspense no more!

So thats our cast. It should be a crazy trip, and a ton of fun...and I can't wait!

I'm going to try to be back later today with some ADR speculation. I've got to get on this planning thing!

 

[tinkercat]

So about those ADRs...

I get to call this weekend and I'm trying to figure out where we should eat when. This is really hard considering that the November hours haven't been posted yet so I can't use my TGM calendar to help me.

So, we have 7 table service credits to use.

On our last trip we went to: Liberty Tree Tavern (dinner), Crystal Palace (breakfast), Cinderella's Royal Table (dinner), Akershus (Breakfast), Play and Dine at Hollywood and Vine (lunch), and 50's Prime Time (dinner).

This time, we know we want to do these:
Crystal Palace
Chef Mickey's
CRT or another Princess meal (breakfast if we can get CRT, otherwise maybe 1900 Park Fare for dinner)
50's Prime Time
Le Cellier

We really like character meals because they are entertaining for the kids, but I didn't love the food at LTT so I don't really want to go back there.

If we do CRT, we need to figure out one more TS meal. If we don't, we need to figure out 2 more TS meals.

I think we might want to try Whispering Canyon, but if there is another good character meal that would be ok too.

Any suggestions??? I only have a few days to decide! (And let's not forget that I need to figure out what days to go where yet!)

 

[tinkercat]

One day until I can make my ADRs and I'm still in limbo. I've been agonizing over where to go when and all that fun stuff. If only we knew the November hours!

I have come up with a general itinerary and as long as the park hours are similar to last years for the week before Turkey Day, I think we'll be safe.

Here is what I have thus far:

11/20 - Arrive in Orlando at 2:00pm
Get to POP and rest before heading out around 5:30 for MVMCP
CS dinner at MK

11/21 Sleep in and then....
AK and MK look like they should be green...I'm leaning towards AK and an early night since we'll have a late night the night before.
Still figuring out food for this day

11/22 Still debating...again its either AK or MK. I'm leaning towards MK even though it was yellow on the saturday before Thanksgiving last year. The hours at MK should be better this day so we can do RD, then take a decent rest, go back and have plenty of time in the evening.

11/23 RD at Hollywood Studios, back to POP to rest, back to HS for the evening.
Probably an early dinner at 50's PT, then we definitely want to see Fantasmic and the Osbourne Lights.

11/24 Epcot day, RD and Future world in the AM, then back to POP for a rest, Back to Epcot for dinner at Le Cellier and WS until Illuminations

11/25 RD at Animal Kingdom, break, and then possible back to AK depending on how we are feeling at that time. If we don't go back we'll have a lazy pool evening.

11/26 RD at MK, break at POP, the back to MK for the evening, with Wishes and Spectro.

We leave around 1:30 on the 27th so we'll just do breakfast and maybe DTD that morning a bit.

I'll come back later and hash out where to eat when. It helps to type it out I think.

 

[tinkercat]

Do I seem obsessed with the food right now? Because I feel like I am, let me tell you!

11/20 - No TS meal

11/21 Animal Kingdom then to Chef Mickey's for dinner

11/22 Magic Kingdom - 8am Breakfast at CRT if possible, if not available try for other MK day then get CP dinner

11/23 Hollywood Studios -Play and Dine at Hollywood and Vine for lunch around noon, 5:00 dinner at 50's Prime Time then 8:00pm Fantasmic

11/24 Epcot - Dinner at Le Cellier

11/25 Animal Kingdom and then maybe lazy afternoon, CS meals today

11/26 Magic Kingdom - 8:00am Breakfast at CRT or CP dinner

11/27 ?? CS or OOP breakfast

Anyone reading and want to give thoughts??

 

[tinkercat]

Whew! I called this morning and got the ADRs all lined up for this trip. Now, I just need to pray that this year's hours will be similar to last year's that I used to make my decisions.

Here they are!


11/21 - Chef Mickey's Dinner at 6:25

11/22 - Crystal Palace Dinner at 5:30

11/23 - Lunch at 12:00 at Play and Dine at Hollywood and Vine
Dinner at 5:35 at 50's Prime Time. I may try to get that one moved
earlier, but there wasn't anything available earlier when I called so I
took what I could get.

11/24 - Le Cellier dinner at 4:20

11/26 - Breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table at 8:10am

YAY!

Now, I don't need to worry too much about planning until the park hours are released. Once that happens, I can tweak the ressies if needed and start planning each day more thoroughly.

180 days from now, I'll be at WDW!!!

 

[jmskinner]

Thought I would join in on your PTR! I had to laugh about your worry of how DH and you would handle it on your own without your family. We are wondering how sick of each other we will be after spending 2 weeks together.

Your ADR's look great.

 

[tinkercat]

Thanks for joining! I can't believe you have time to DIS when you are getting ready to leave in just a few weeks!

How exciting!! I'm heading over to your PTR now!

 

[jmskinner]

I think the Dis is the reason we didn't list our house with a realor until this past Friday. Planned on having it listed the first week in May.

And kids are just adorable!

 

[tinkercat]

Ok, so I disappeared for a few weeks there. Sorry about that if anyone is actually reading.

Life has been super hectic and busy lately. As I mentioned in my first post, I'm a teacher and also a grad student. So, I've been wrapped up in finishing up a course I was taking and getting the school year done with my students. Friday was our last day so now all I need to do is clean up my classroom and I'll be free to daydream about WDW and play with the kiddos at home for a few months.

Well actually, it may be more than a few months. You see, I teach at a charter school and the management company has decided to make everyone in my building re-interview for our jobs this coming week. So, I am hoping that I'll still have a job next year but who knows how it will go. Another of the schools managed by our company is closing and they want to place those teachers in other schools (mostly mine since its in the same town) so no one at my school feels secure in our positions right now. I've spent so much time stressing about the whole thing but now I've sort of decided that there is plan greater than mine and I just need to have faith that things will be OK no matter what happens.

And we ARE going to WDW...no matter what happens...because I already bought the plane tickets. LOL

So now that you know where I've been...let's talk planning!

Now that the November hours are FINALLY posted, I'm going to start trying to put together touring plans for each day of our trip. That is my big goal this summer.

I also need to finished scrapbooking from our LAST WDW trip and make some autograph books for the kids, so you'll possibly be seeing pictures of that stuff in the future here too.

I haven't been able to think much about planning these last few weeks at all, but I'm hoping to get that going now that I'm not working or in class. I hope at least a few people are interested in reading this PTR...but if not at least I have somewhere to write and reflect on my planning efforts.

 

[jmskinner]

I'm still here! I'm sure others will join soon!

Sorry to hear about the work situation.