The Year of Disney is Over...But We're Going Back Anyway! (Oct. 2011) ~ Updated 10/20

[Dugette]

Welcome to our pre-trip report!

If you haven't joined us before, let me start the introductions!

I'm "Dugette" and this will be my 10th trip to WDW:

My DH is "Dug" and this will be his 7th trip to WDW:

We also have a dog, Bailey, and a cat, Kitty, that enjoy making brief appearances in our TRs, though they've never been to WDW (on a side note, though, how awesome would it be if WDW had a take-your-dog-to-the-park day and your dog could sit on your lap and ride Pirates?!?)

The details of our trip are:
Wednesday, October 5th through Wednesday, October 12th
Celebrating our 6th anniversary (which is actually October 1st and coincidentally shared with WDW's anniversary)
Staying at Pop Century with Free Quick Service Dining
8-day Park Hoppers (oh, that feels weird to type, after having APs in 2010!)
Big focus on enjoying the Food & Wine Festival, but also excited to take in Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party!

Only 6 and a half weeks to go!!

Chapter Links:
Disney Trip Practice
Mickey Demands We Return
Can Dumbo Just Fly Us There?
Disney Stuff
2011 Strikes Again!
Bad News & Good News
Disney Everywhere
Day 1 Plan - Weds. 10/5
Day 2 Plan - Thurs. 10/6
Day 1 & 2 Revisions
Day 3 Schedule & More
Revised Day One - by Dug
Brief Update
Day Two - by Dug
We're Back!
Who Wants a Trip Report?

 

[Dugette]

Looking at the pictures on Dug’s iPhone, I have to say that we’ve really been “practicing” up for our upcoming trip! Check out all we’ve done to prepare:

Look, it’s Mickey…or, um, some random mouse :

Mmmmmm…delicious food photo…mozzarella sticks that look this tasty must be Disney, right?

Is this a new mini-golf course at WDW? We’re hoping to try a new one out!

Okay, so those were actually from last weekend. We went to visit my Grandma in Madison, Wisconsin and stopped in Wisconsin Dells on the way back. Ate some yummy food and played a little mini-golf. The Dells stop was a 3-hour-long “summer vacation.” At that time, we weren’t sure if we’d have any other vacations for awhile, as this trip was not yet confirmed.

Then, this weekend, we headed across town to the Mall of America. We needed to swing into the Apple Store to get a new charger for our laptop. But, while we were there, we had to practice for Disney some more. Not just by doing all the walking around, either. There were random photos to capture!

Look, a squirrel living in an unusual squirrel environment:

Not as nice a place as the WDW squirrels have, but this one was living in a Mall of America parking ramp, several floors up.

So, upon entering the Mall, we first went to Animal Kingdom and rode Kilimanjaro Safaris:

I don’t remember the animals being this cuddly last time!

Next, we hopped over to the Magic Kingdom to check out the Dumbo ride:

Then, we hopped over to Epcot’s World Showcase to admire China:

Um, wait, I don’t think you’d ever see this type of character beheading at WDW :

Next, we strolled over to Italy for some gelato:

To complete our 4-parks-in-1-day journey, we hopped over to DHS:

Boy, that looks totally different than it did in 2010!

Okay, we’re just goofballs who went to the Mall of America (and the Disney Store within) and took silly pictures! But it got us in the spirit, right?

Oh, and our pets also have been practicing for our trip. A couple weeks ago, for her birthday, we took Bailey to a dog-park. She took it as an opportunity to practice for all the fun and messy outdoor activities that my dad and step-mom are likely to do with her while we're at WDW (we call their house “Wilderness Adventure Puppy Camp” when she stays there):

This morning, Kitty saw a suitcase sitting out and got into her you-can’t-leave-me position:

So, I think we’re almost ready to go!

Ha! Actually, there’s a ton of planning left to do. We booked with WDW at the end of July, just got our flights a few days ago, and only have a very rough schedule outlined so far. So, stay tuned for more fun!

Up next: How this trip came to be. The Year of Disney was 2010 and we weren’t planning to go back until the Fantasyland Expansion was completed. What happened? Did Mickey call and blackmail us into coming back sooner or something? Answers coming soon!

 

[IheartDDuck]

Yay on your upcoming trip! We will overlap for a few days. I am there with my best friend from October 7 - 15. Love F&W!

 

[AprilRenee]

(on a side note, though, how awesome would it be if WDW had a take-your-dog-to-the-park day and your dog could sit on your lap and ride Pirates?!?)

THAT...would be AWESOME!!! I would LOVE to take my dog to Disney and go on all the rides. She'd love them! LOL

And your fake "Disney trip" cracked me up!! LOL

 

[njtinkmom]

Yeah another trip!! I am in!! I had hoped for more adventures from you guys ! Already subbed and ready to read!

 

[Nermel9]

I'm in!

 

[MiaBella05]

joining in

 

[TheThomsLuvDisney]

I'm here from your Christmas trip and subbing in. So glad you are doing another TR, I've been stalking your TR's for awhile now!!!

We also have a trip for Disney booked in October, but this time we are making the trip to Disneyland! We will also be doing the MNSSHP. We have done MNSSHP in WDW but never in Disneyland, it will be interesting to see the differences (if any). I guess we will have to compare notes!!! We will be in Disneyland October 8th through the 12th with the MNSSHP on the 11th.

 

[Dugette]

Yay on your upcoming trip! We will overlap for a few days. I am there with my best friend from October 7 - 15. Love F&W!

Welcome! I've actually been lurking along with your PTR! Very cool that we'll overlap a few days! I'll have to keep an eye out for you two!

THAT...would be AWESOME!!! I would LOVE to take my dog to Disney and go on all the rides. She'd love them! LOL

Same here! I've probably spent far too much time thinking about this. For instance, Bailey would probably sit nicely on my lap for Pirates (she sits on my lap like a kid--tail down, legs out--silly dog!) She'd enjoy all the singing, but probably bark at the dog and the other animals! I'm pretty sure WDW would have some major liability and janitorial issues if they ever did this, though! But a girl can dream, right?

And your fake "Disney trip" cracked me up!! LOL

I'm glad you enjoyed our goofiness! Nothing like standing in the Disney Store re-creating the Dumbo ride!

Yeah another trip!! I am in!! I had hoped for more adventures from you guys ! Already subbed and ready to read!

I'm glad to have you here! I was hoping for more adventures from us too!

I'm in!

Glad to have you here! Another overlapping trip, just like last year!

joining in

Great to have you joining in again! Enjoy!

I'm here from your Christmas trip and subbing in. So glad you are doing another TR, I've been stalking your TR's for awhile now!!!

Oh, you're not totally a stalker, I recognize you! Great to have you here!

We also have a trip for Disney booked in October, but this time we are making the trip to Disneyland! We will also be doing the MNSSHP. We have done MNSSHP in WDW but never in Disneyland, it will be interesting to see the differences (if any). I guess we will have to compare notes!!! We will be in Disneyland October 8th through the 12th with the MNSSHP on the 11th.

How did you like MNSSHP in WDW...worthwhile? Any recommendations? That's so cool that you'll be in Disneyland! I'm sure it will be awesome to see the Haunted Mansion overlay and I think Space Mountain has an overlay too? Hope you have a great time there!

 

[Dugette]

Okay, that’s not really what happened at all. Mickey did beg and plead with us to renew when our APs were expiring, but after that he pretty much just let us be.

Those of you who have followed my plethora of trip reports may recall that our 2010 Year of Disney was a one-time deal. It was the result of several circumstances coming together: Our newfound love of WDW , established on our September 2009 trip (Dug’s first trip ever to WDW and my first since more-or-less childhood). Our 5th anniversary year, which deserved a big trip to celebrate. The completion of paying off all of our non-mortgage debt at the end of 2009.

We cannot do a Year of Disney every year (though we would love to!) That cash flow that we freed up from paying off debt, which largely went to WDW in 2010, is now being repurposed towards other goals. But travel is still important to us. We knew we’d be back to WDW, many times, after the Year of Disney. But not for a couple years. Once the Fantasyland Expansion is complete, we planned to return.

In the meantime, there were other trips to take and a significantly smaller travel budget in 2011 than in 2010. Our travel has not been very glamorous this year. Over Memorial Day Weekend, we drove down to Kansas to visit my 94-year-old Grandpa:

This is actually the biggest “vacation” we’ve done so far this year. We drove from MN to Lincoln, NE on the Saturday, but added a few “vacation-y” things to the drive--stopped in Des Moines, Iowa and played a round of mini-golf:

Then, had dinner at Biaggi’s (yum!):

Sunday we drove to KS, spent the day with my Grandpa, then drove back up to Lincoln to spend another night. On the drive home Monday (Memorial Day), we stopped for a few hours at the awesome Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, where the bears have their own DJ (who played “The Bare Necessities”) (no kidding!):

It was crazy, since it was Memorial Day. Crowds like a busy time at WDW. I found it funny, though, how many people were hauling around coolers, sometimes in their stroller in place of a child.

So, even though we did a few fun things (and spent quality time with family), I wasn’t exactly feeling like I’d been on a vacation, after driving for 20-ish hours in a weekend:

Real Iowa rest area:

We still needed a vacation.

Luckily, we were planning to go up to the North Shore (Lake Superior, MN) in July with Dug’s parents and siblings. We had a cabin on the lakeshore rented and were all very excited. Certainly, this trip would provided some needed relaxation!

Well, right before the trip, we found out that Dug’s dad needed to have heart surgery. Thankfully, they were able to do the surgery fairly soon and he is doing very well in his recovery! However, that vacation had to be cancelled. Even the tentative plans for a day visiting Duluth (MN) with Dug’s brother (who had flown in from CA for the family trip) didn’t work out for us. No summer vacation here! (That’s why we took the 3-hour one in the Dells, that I wrote about before…and it was very nice and relaxing!)

We were really needing a vacation by this point. 2011 has been a rough year. Not only the cancelled trips, but multiple medical issues, and a lot of other unfortunate things (i.e. – had to replace transmission in my car). It’s to the point now where, when something bad happens, we just say, “Oh, it’s 2011!” Yeah, not the best year. Even the MN Twins are terrible (though they’ve managed to win the couple games we’ve been to):

Hey, at least our pets are still cute :

Luckily, we still had our tentative plans to go to California this fall to visit Dug’s brother and…Disneyland! Well, it being 2011 and all, that just wasn’t working out either. Trying to schedule around work and other commitments was difficult, airfare (using frequent flyer miles) wasn’t giving us what we needed, and Dug’s brother’s new schedule was not conducive to visitors (working 2 jobs, 6 days/week). Not to mention that Pirates and the Blue Bayou (must do’s for us) are closed all fall! And, the icing on the cake, we just could not get a satisfactory trip to fit into our budget. We have $1400 allocated for a vacation and the minimum we could get it down to was around $1700. Despite having free flights and over $300 in rewards points from our Disney Visas, it was still $1700+. Car rental, gas, off-site hotels, food, tickets…it all adds up to go to CA for a week (DL for 3-5 days of it, the rest just visiting). With all of these factors against it, we finally decided that the CA trip just wasn’t going to work out.

But, wait, there’s suddenly a new trip possibility: a cruise with Dug’s parents and sister/BIL next Spring! Long story short, Dug’s parents need to do it over Spring Break (teachers), and there are no frequent flyer flights to be had over those dates…not to mention the higher cruise fares! Way more than our little budget. So, that dropped out of contention also (until 2013, at least).

Well, we had joked about going back to Food & Wine if nothing else worked out. Little did we know that, well, nothing else would work out. So, we started looking into it. I had saved some itineraries on the WDW website to see if it might get me a PIN offer. And…bingo! However, we didn’t actually know what my PIN was good for. The email just gave me a package example for dates in September, which was not what we wanted. So, the email just sat in my box for a couple weeks. Until we decided that we should call and see what the PIN covered. Turned out that it was free dining, with no blackout dates, and it was good all Fall! Exactly what I wanted…snack credits to use at Food & Wine! We booked our trip on the spot (but added another day later). The Disney CM was so magical…it was nice to talk to someone so helpful and happy…we missed that!

Our package is for 7 nights at Pop Century, 8-day Park Hoppers, free Counter Service dining and, of course, Magical Express. After applying our $300-ish Disney Rewards dollars, it was less than $1200 for the package! That gives us just enough to get MNSSHP tickets and some OOP drinks and such from Food & Wine, while still coming in under our $1400 budget. And we plan to get a few more Rewards dollars to use for some miscellaneous things, like mini golf and La Cava, for instance.

The last piece of the puzzle was the airfare. We actually picked our dates initially because there were non-stop flights available on those days, at good times, for our miles. Well, while we were waiting to make sure that the other non-WDW trips were not happening, the good flights increased in miles needed. So, we stalked Delta’s website , all day long, for a week or so. We finally gave up and booked connecting flights both ways. I don’t love flying (especially taking off and landing), so I’m not crazy about the connecting flights, but they’ll do. They’re free and at decent times (arriving early, leaving late).

We paid off our package yesterday, at the 45-day mark. We’re really going! It doesn’t quite seem real yet!

Plenty more planning to come!

 

[jc040404]

I'm finally here! LOVED your little "4 parks in a day" trip! That was hilarious!

Sorry you've been having such a rough year. You need a vacation after all that. Sorry you had to settle for WDW, but I think it's a pretty good place to have as your last possibility! Can't wait to hear about this one!

 

[IheartDDuck]

Happy to hear that you have been lurking on my PTR. Feel free to de-lurk anytime.

Much like 2010 was your year(ish) of Disney, November 2010 to January 2012 has really been mine. I'm clocking 6 trips, which is not normal for me. I don't know what I'm going to when it's over! Probablly do what you're doing.

I know what you mean about staying under budget. I really want to go back to DLR, but I'm waiting for the rest of DCA to be finished with the construction, because I know it's not the cheapest trip to take.

Also, didn't get to comment, love that you went to the Dells. We're about 3 hours from there.

 

[Nermel9]

Glad you found a way to get back to Disney this year! $1400 for 8 days in impressive, but I suppose the free flights helped!

I'm so excited for Food and Wine!!! Did you read the menus, btw? I don't see that cherry colada on there this year... I was looking forward to trying it after reading about it in your TR from last year!

 

[TheThomsLuvDisney]

Oh, you're not totally a stalker, I recognize you! Great to have you here!


How did you like MNSSHP in WDW...worthwhile? Any recommendations? That's so cool that you'll be in Disneyland! I'm sure it will be awesome to see the Haunted Mansion overlay and I think Space Mountain has an overlay too? Hope you have a great time there!

Honestly I hardly remember that trip, it was in 2003 and my girls were 2 and 6, it's all such a blur! I know I must have really enjoyed it because I have been wanting to go again ever since!!!

I really want to compare notes, WDW vs Disneyland, should be interesting!

 

[Dugette]

I'm finally here! LOVED your little "4 parks in a day" trip! That was hilarious!

Glad you enjoyed! There's Disney everywhere!

Sorry you've been having such a rough year. You need a vacation after all that. Sorry you had to settle for WDW, but I think it's a pretty good place to have as your last possibility! Can't wait to hear about this one!

I hope I don't sound disappointed that we're going back to WDW. We're super excited. It's just not what we expected to be doing. I cannot wait to be on vacation (for a week!), though.

Happy to hear that you have been lurking on my PTR. Feel free to de-lurk anytime.

Done.

Much like 2010 was your year(ish) of Disney, November 2010 to January 2012 has really been mine. I'm clocking 6 trips, which is not normal for me. I don't know what I'm going to when it's over! Probablly do what you're doing.

Wow, I didn't realize how many trips you have/had. (I am also lurking on your current TR too. ) I hope you're having a wonderful time on all the visits. It seems so strange to go through WDW withdrawal. I'm sure you'll get pulled back soon too!

I know what you mean about staying under budget. I really want to go back to DLR, but I'm waiting for the rest of DCA to be finished with the construction, because I know it's not the cheapest trip to take.

That's one thing I've been thinking about...maybe it's for the best if we save DLR for when all the new stuff is finished. Maybe in a couple years? Not sure if Dug's brother will still be out there by then, but it's a good place to visit anyway. I really wish they had Magical Express, value resorts, and free dining at DLR...that would make a huge difference!

Also, didn't get to comment, love that you went to the Dells. We're about 3 hours from there.

And we're about 3.25 hours the other direction from there! I was there many, many times as a kid (the perk of having grandparents that lived 45 minutes from there). Dug had never been, so I took him while we were dating. Saw all the "must do"s and had a great time. We've only stopped by on our way through and played mini golf a couple times since then.

Glad you found a way to get back to Disney this year! $1400 for 8 days in impressive, but I suppose the free flights helped!

Yes, free flights definitely helped! Otherwise, they'd be mid-$300's each! I like to tell people that the only things we're paying for on this trip are the ($100 night) resort and the park tickets. Free flights, free airport transportation, free luggage transfers, free food. Of course, we'll have a few OOP odds and ends, but not bad!

I'm so excited for Food and Wine!!! Did you read the menus, btw? I don't see that cherry colada on there this year... I was looking forward to trying it after reading about it in your TR from last year!

I know! I was so looking forward to more Cherry Coladas! That was the first thing I checked for! But, that whole booth is gone. Rather than Puerto Rico, they have the Caribbean Islands booth this year. Which has a Frozen Dragonberry Colada on their menu. I had to google dragonberry, but I guess it is strawberry. So, I'm assuming that this item is (hopefully) just like the Cherry Colada, but with Strawberry instead. I'm kinda partial to cherry, but I'm hoping this will be an acceptable substitute.

Honestly I hardly remember that trip, it was in 2003 and my girls were 2 and 6, it's all such a blur! I know I must have really enjoyed it because I have been wanting to go again ever since!!!

I really want to compare notes, WDW vs Disneyland, should be interesting!

When you get back, you'll have to report back on your experience. If not a TR of your own, feel free to do a mini-TR in mine!

 

[reelmom]

You lucky duck! Getting to go back to Disney is AWESOME! And with free dining. I hope this trip makes the bad memories in 2011 disappear.

 

[407-W-DISNEY]

I'm here!
Hopefully, this trip in October will be warmer than your last trip - LOL
I have a feeling it will be

I would love to take my dogs to disney! they would love the rides!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dugette]

You lucky duck! Getting to go back to Disney is AWESOME! And with free dining. I hope this trip makes the bad memories in 2011 disappear.

Yes, going back with free dining is awesome! I hope this trip is a bright spot in 2011. I have this paranoia that, because it's still 2011, something bad will happen and/or the trip will get cancelled. I sure hope not!

I'm here!
Hopefully, this trip in October will be warmer than your last trip - LOL
I have a feeling it will be

I would love to take my dogs to disney! they would love the rides!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I sure hope it will be warmer too! It's so funny to be still be writing about a trip where I was wearing a winter coat and hat! When we went for Food & Wine last year (although it was November) the weather was just beautiful! I'd say the best of any of our trips. I'm hoping for that again!

I'm glad your dogs would enjoy the rides too! Mine sure thinks she's at least part-human, so she'd be all about sitting nicely and looking around at all the cool things. She'd love Peter Pan, It's a Small World, Pirates ...I think the Safari (and maybe Jungle Cruise) might be an issue, though!

 

[Dugette]

We leave 5 weeks from today!

Just thought I'd write a quick entry about our flights. We are really breaking our old habits on this one. On ALL of our previous trips, we flew out in the evening. On direct flights. But not this time, thanks to good ol' Delta's limited options with our Skymiles (and our schedules).

We fly out on a Wednesday early morning and return on a Wednesday late evening. Connecting flights through Atlanta both ways. So many new things because of this.

A big one will be the early morning flight. We take off at 6:30am! Dug's sister has agreed (willingly!) to bring us to the airport at some insane time that morning, so we'll park in her driveway and she'll drop us at the nearby airport and go back to sleep. (On a side note, Dug is evening the score by bringing her & her DH to the airport super early this upcoming Friday so that they can go to Disneyland!)

One reason we're flying out in the morning, rather than the night before, is because I may need to work late on Tuesday night before we leave. I work in accounting and we will just be completing our "month-end" work. I need that flexibility to make sure all my tasks are complete before I leave. So, no rushing off to the airport on Tuesday evening after work. On our other trips, we've found the evening flights to be preferable for many reasons, but this will be a fun, new adventure.

I am hoping to get a good amount of sleep on the flight to Atlanta. I am generally a pretty good sleeper, so I'm hoping that I can be well-rested for our arrival. Plus, I don't really like flying, so I might as well try to sleep through it! My favorite flying experience ever was 10 or so years ago when I fell asleep at the gate, slept through takeoff, woke up mid-air (thought, "Great, we're on our way!"), went right back to sleep, slept through landing, and woke up at the gate. I've always wanted to re-create that! I was so tired that day!

Anyway, we get into Atlanta and have just under a two-hour layover around (early) lunchtime. We are thinking that should be enough time to go grab some food. Originally, when we thought we could get direct flights, we figured we'd grab lunch at Chick-Fil-A in MCO, as we keep hearing how good it is, but it's always been closed when we've been there. However, ATL also has Chick-Fil-A (and Popeye's) and both of those are not available around here. So, we'll see what's accessible from our gate and grab some yummy lunch before our second flight.

After lunch, we'll fly that last leg to MCO. I'm sure it sounds silly to most people, but I'm super excited about the Magical Express luggage transfers! Because we've always arrived after the 10pm cutoff, we've had to pick up our own luggage on the carousel and bring it to be loaded onto the ME. Not this time! I'm hoping this will make our departure to Pop a bit speedier.

Our flight lands at 1:23pm, so we're figuring we'll probably be to Pop around 3-ish. Hopefully, our room will be ready when we check in! We'll pick up our free refillable mugs, stop into the room, maybe unpack or change, and head off! We thought about putting a nap into the schedule here, but it seems to me that it would defeat the purpose of flying out so early. Why get here so early just to sleep when we could have slept in at home, then flew out? But, we've made plans that do include a nap, just not in our room...

Anyway, we'll hop on a bus to the Magic Kingdom. And then...we'll ignore the Magic Kingdom and hop on a boat to the Polynesian instead! Once there, we'll split a counter service credit for dinner (and Dole Whip) at Captain Cook's and we'll take naps in hammocks on the beach (not necessarily in that order, just depends what we feel like). I think we've been sold on trying the Grown-Up Grilled Cheese for dinner. Believe it or not, our last trip was entirely at the Poly and we never once got to nap in a hammock. Granted, it was freezing, but we've got to rectify that now!

After our Poly break, we'll walk over to the TTC and catch a monorail to Epcot. We'll grab a few Food & Wine treats, then spend the late night in Future World, as it's Extra Magic Hours until midnight!

I know, crazy first day. Those of you who have done the early morning flights, do you have any advice for us? Are we loony?

For our last day we actually have very late flights. We don't leave until 7:30pm, so I'm guessing Magical Express around 4:30pm. That gives us the majority of the day to do stuff. Nice!

Our first flight is to Atlanta with an hour layover, then we fly back to MN and arrive around midnight. I'm a little worried about this, though. All of our flight choices had lousy on-time statistics on Delta's website. This flight from MCO to ATL was a frightening 32% on time! And the flight we connect to an hour after arrival is the last flight to MN of the night! I'm a little worried that we're going to get stuck in Atlanta for the night. I've already warned my boss, just in case I have to call in to work that morning. There really weren't any good options, though, so we figured why not get the most time at WDW as possible and hope for the best. So, that might make for an exciting end to the trip. Oh, and hopefully these flights will also be filled with lots of sleep! Assuming we make it home that night, Dug's sister will pick us up and bring us back to our car. And back to work bright and early the next morning!

 

[IheartDDuck]

I know exactly what you mean about month end stuff! All of my vacations get scheduled around it.

I hate layovers, but it seems like you guys have enough time when you're there. I can't believe you don't have Popeyes by you! I love me some Popeyes.

Your plan about sleeping on the hammocks is pretty cool. I would totally do that too!