TheNeverEndingPTR! Sept2010...no, November...WAIT! January?Ugh. maybe September 2011!

[mebbradley]

I'm in! Subscribing!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I'm in! Subscribing!

Yay!!!!!! I love when I know people are reading me...although I'll talk to myself even if no one is reading too.

 

[hmschlmomof2]

Yay, I've subscribed, too. We are planning on going the same time next year, maybe we can "plan" together!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Yay, I've subscribed, too. We are planning on going the same time next year, maybe we can "plan" together!

I'm glad you figured it out! Planning together would be fun, considering I already have my park days planned out 10 months ahead of time, there may not be much planning left!

Ok, I joke about my OCD, but I'm starting to realize it's not much of a joke...I really AM OCD! Who knew?!

 

[Disney Girl35]

Ok I am in. I want to see how this turns out.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Ok I am in. I want to see how this turns out.

Welcome Disney Girl!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Oh yes! I got Rey talking about food last night and he was talking about the trip like we are already there!

Rey LOVED the different foods last time, including the F&W festival, so that was one of the big reasons I wanted to go during free dining or get the DDP. We have a few places we loved on the trip, a few that were fun to try that we won't go back to, and a few that we would like to try! We're going to let the kids choose 1 place they would really like to go as well.

Biergarten: This is an absolute must for Rey, he was born in Germany when his father was in the military and lived there until he was 3. He loves the "traditional" German atmosphere and anything German (maybe why he married me??)

Please remind me to make a DINNER reservation this trip so we don't lose 2 HOURS of touring like we did last time! I couldn't get him out of this place!

Ohana: This is Dylan's pick, he LOVED it. I think it must have something to do with endless food! I enjoyed my veggie meal but went on a night that Chef TJ wasn't there (known for making amazing vegan/vegetarian meals) and this time I want to make sure he's there! He doesn't work on the weekends, so I'll make sure to pick a weekday!
I think this must have been one of Dylan's favorite things at WDW, he was happy as a clam at Ohana!

YES, this IS happy as a clam...he's 15, cut him some slack!

Tusker House: This is my choice! They have a huge selection of vegan food and I love the spices that are used. Boma is the same way for me (you'll notice as I go along just how many choices I have for restaurants! Here is my yummy plate of food at Tusker House and me, STUFFED, afterwards!

Crystal Palace:This is a MUST do, not b/c I loved the food or the characters (yet I'm sure we shall enjoy them again) but b/c of THIS:

I LOVED LOVED LOVED having an early breakfast at Crystal Palace and not having to rush down Mainstreet with rope drop. I unfortunately didn't realize that the lens hood that I was using was showing in my shots until during breakfast, you can see a little black in the top left corner of that shot, that's the hood. So, I must be there early again, non-negotiable! I'm not demanding, really, I just like what I liked!

Boma: Surprise, surprise! Another place that KAREN wants to go! We didn't go to Boma this past trip, Savannah & I went our first trip when we went alone with my friend M.A. and her daughter. LOVED it! The chef came out and walked me around to let me know what was vegan and what was not. It was a great meal. I would like to go here again. If for some reason we have to cut a meal though, I guess it will be Boma? Not sure. It's similar to Tusker and so the family may negotiate me out of this one. Here is a shot from our first trip, look how young Savannah looks! *sob*

Are you keeping track of how many meals that is? No, no, don't go back and count, I'll do it for you. It's 5. That leaves 2 more TS meals to choose and we are leaving those for Eli & Dallas to choose. Eli is coming for the weekend, so we'll look over some of the TS restaurants and she can pick something that sounds good. I'm not sure if Dallas will pick something from a list or not, he doesn't like making choices like that. He didn't care for Ohana though so I want him to pick a place that HE might like, especially since we're going back to Ohana when he doesn't like it!

Savannah wants to go to RFC at DTD. They are NOT on the dining plan, so I told her that I would make an ADR and we would go for a VOLCANO. It's the only reason other than the atmosphere that she likes the place...and I can get a margarita! Everyone's happy!

So, where did we go that we will not be returning? Sci-fi is the first one. It was really fun for the experience, we had a nice time, but the food was meh, ok, and it wasn't something we wanted to repeat. It's one of those been there-done that kind of places for me.

Chef Mickey's was another! Although we got Savannah's cake there and it was AMAZING, without the cake we would have been sorely disspointed in CM. Characters were fun but the food was dismal. There was really only one thing (some sort of mixed veggies) that I ate, I had 3 servings of it and for the price of this place? We'll pass this time. If they put the same effort into the food as the cake we had ordered for Savannah that would be another thing! We loved it and she did as well. Besides, going back and not getting a cake would kind of ruin it, I think. It was a once in a lifetime sort of thing for her 9th birthday.

Big River Grille is another we ate at that we won't return to. It was perfect for Rey & I to celebrate our anniversary and sit outside, but there was really nothing very good about the food. Atmosphere was perfect sitting on the boardwalk, but I could have done that at one of the free tables!

Oh, we also ate at the pizza place on the Boardwalk one night and Rey hated it. it was ok, just pizza...the beer was good! Apparently it cost a LOT though (MIL was paying) and I wouldn't spend a lot of money on it.

If we ate anywhere else, I don't remember, so it couldn't have been that memorable!

So anyone have suggestions of great places to eat?!?

Did you catch that I've found a way to post photos! It makes it better to have them, doesn't it?!?!

 

[WeLuvDiz]

I'll start by saying that I'm starting a Pretrip for a trip that may never happen. I'm hopeful, I'm dreaming, I'm planning, and I'm going to save until I can't save anymore...and what comes of it we won't know until September 2010! Did you know that's about 10 1/2 months from now? Doesn't sound very long when you start crunching dollar signs!!! Money will be our biggest obstacle, we don't have a lot and it's going to take a lot of saving to make this happen!

Sheesh, I had a whole new post typed up and firefox crashed.

Let's see, I guess I better find out how these pretrip reports work or I'll tell you all my plans in the first post! I'm guessing I have to drag it out so you want more, huh?

If you have read my trip report you will know I'm not capable of such a thing, so no worries!

The planning started before I even made it home. We homeschool and have a wonderful group of families that we have a co-op with and weekly playgroups. When I got back and showed them the pictures it took about 5 minutes before they were onboard for a homeschool trip in Jan. 2011. After crunching numbers I realized that Sept. 2010 would save us a LOT of money, so that is what we are planning for.

Free dining is a must if we are to do this right. Rey & the boys love to eat, Savannah is a picky vegetarian, and I'm a vegan (vegetarian on a bad day). This means we spent a TON of money on food this past trip and we were blessed to have MIL paying for it. This time it's on us baybee and when I crunch the numbers, the dining plan will save us...FREE dining will save us even more.

We will have to get a 1 day ticket for all of us to do Free dining (IF they offer it) but we will also be able to get the rest of our tickets through homeschool days. They only have them in Sept. and Jan, so this is another reason for September!

Ok, it seems SO strange not to be posting pictures? Don't you find it boring? If you read my trip report, you know I'm a VERY amateur photographer who is slowly learning and I LOVE taking photographs. LOVE it. I may just have to start adding random pictures in this pretrip report to make it fun!

Here's one of my cats.

How's THAT for random!

Karen, First I want to tell you what a FABULOUS TR you did, I have never read one front to back before yours, you should write a book. I think your pictures are great especially the ones with you and Savannah, you two look so happy together. Looking foward to more. Anyway, what is home school days? My DW homeschools and I've never heard of this, please tell.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Karen, First I want to tell you what a FABULOUS TR you did, I have never read one front to back before yours, you should write a book. I think your pictures are great especially the ones with you and Savannah, you two look so happy together. Looking foward to more. Anyway, what is home school days? My DW homeschools and I've never heard of this, please tell.

Wow, a book?!? You are too kind, I doubt I could write a book!

Homeschool days is something that Disney does in September and January, most likely to boost crowds. It is usually the 3rd Monday & Tuesday of that month and there are 5 day park hopper/WP&M tickets you can purchase as well as special programs they have on those 2 days. Here is the website, but it will only have info for Jan. 2010. You have to sort of guesstimate when they will do HS Days in Sept. b/c they don't release the dates until about 2 months beforehand. THAT is not enough time for a planner like me!

Disney Homeschool Days

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Let's see, what has been going on? In my head, I've been constantly planning, but I think it's just the same stuff rolling around in there over and over again!

I got the verbal OK for Eli to miss any school in September to go with us! There will likely be some teacher conferences anyway, so she won't miss too much. She's here this weekend, so I've been filling her head with Disney, she has no idea what she's in for!

Rey's idea of having Dallas & Eli each pick a restaurant might be harder than he thinks! Neither of them have any idea what place they would like to eat at and most of the restaurants are a little more "exotic" than they have tried, so they have no clue if they will like them. I sat down at the computer with Eli and when she saw the list of restaurants for WDW, her eyes got big and she and asked if THAT was the list. I laughed and said yes and she said "I'M GOOD... No, really. I'm good!" She wasn't about to go through that list!

I'm unclear as to how many in our homeschool group will be going in September, but my friend Hope and her family are for sure. I've been having a good time sending her link after link and chatting her up about WDW ever moment I get! Sharing an obsession can be fun!

Rey is finally (I say finally like the trip is tomorrow or something or I've been planning this for months! LOL) talking about the trip like it is going to happen. He still says things like "we need to make sure we get this paid off" and "I hope we can swing this" but that's a BIG FAT YES WE ARE GOING in Rey's world!

I have more petsitting than normal coming up for Thanksgiving, so I'm hoping to actually BOOK our rooms! I was going to wait until January, but if I have it, I think I'll just go ahead and do it. I had to laugh b/c I got a pin code yesterday! 30% off at a value...for the next month or two. Nice rate, but I don't have the time or the money in the next 2 months! I'm pleased that I'm on "the list" though and have a chance at more pin codes! I doubt any of them will save us what free dining will, but then again, they could not do free dining for some strange reason and a pin will help!

I just realized there's no pictures in this update...we can't have THAT! Here are some shots of the girls yesterday, making a fire and attempting to roast marshmallows.

 

[bumbershoot]

Do you think it's unhealthy to be thinking of WDW ALL the time while living everyday life? Maybe I should try to leave it here in my preTR when I log off. I doubt I can though, I'm constantly thinking about ADRs, things I missed, and crunching numbers in my head all day long. Is this normal?!?!?

Oh I hope it's normal....


So I read your trip report, and LOVED it, but couldn't reply b/c they close finished trip reports on the WDW area. Not so much on the DLR trip report forum, thank goodness!

I loved your report b/c you tell it all, you don't just gloss over the negatives. I do that too, and people have said that they love it, but I didn't realize why until I read your report. Don't get me wrong, I'd LOVE to have an all happy happy joy joy trip, but it hasn't happened yet, and I don't want people to think that they are the only ones having moments that are less than pure joy. So anyway, loved your report. And I noticed it b/c you had updated your post about when Rey's truck was having problems, etc, and I'm SO glad you were able to go!!!!


It's pretty cool that you're vegan and raw most of the time. I aspire to be vegan, but, being honest with myself, I'm not sure it'll ever happen. But then you're also open to allowing yourself to be "just" vegetarian, and that's cool.

I wish the homeschool days were in December, b/c that's when we want to go! Your posts about your group made me long for a group of our own. Sigh. We're still kind of hermit-ish about homeschooling, but it's early days, so we have plenty of time to find people (DS is 5).


Just wanted to let you know I'm reading and appreciating! Oh and you also showed me the beauty of putting trip-report-related posts in bold and replies in just normal font. Thank you for that!!!! I'll be reading!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

OMG, I had NO IDEA that they closed the finished trip reports and wouldn't let people post! I wouldn't have been so pushy about it being put in the finished trip reports if I knew THAT!

I'm so glad you liked it and so glad you are reading my pretrip report now too!!

Oh and as for a homeschool group, I started ours when we moved out here. We were "hermitty" when we first started too, you'll know when it's time to get a group going or find one. We love ours, it's grown to a large group and we've started a co-op as well, which is perfect for my kids as they are getting older now! If you ever want to chat homeschooling, PM me!

 

[njtinkmom]

Hey Karen, I have not been around much - don't get much computer time on the weekends - Kids take it over! Yes, you would have to put $200 per room down. Have you figured out if free dining is cheaper than getting a buy 4 get 3 free deal? I don't think I paid that much for the 7 of us in July and we were there for 8 days?

Anyway glad you are planning away - great job! I am leaving Sunday and still have nothing packed UGHHHH! But I am definatley getting hyped up for sure! Have fun planning and keep a look out for those specials!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Leaving Sunday and you have nothing packed!?!?!?!?!?

Yes, I crunched the numbers and with all the places that Rey wants to eat, Free Dining is the best value for us.

So, even if I'm booking a package of 2 rooms with 1 base ticket for each of us, will I need 200$ per room? Anyone know? I thought if it was a package and not just rooms that you just paid the $200?

We're down here, feeling under the weather, sorry I don't have any new updates!

 

[bumbershoot]

I'll help you think about your past trip and the future one, by asking you questions! What did you find to eat at the biergarten? Although I do love beer, since all of us are vegetarian, I figured we'd just cross that place off the list. But if there's something good to eat as a family of ovo lacto vegetarians, maybe we could swing by.

Also, you had lunch at Tusker House, yes? I know you enjoyed your meal and I think you said you're going again on the future trip? I had thought about breakfast there, just to be at the park early, but honestly lunch looks so much more interesting!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I'll help you think about your past trip and the future one, by asking you questions! What did you find to eat at the biergarten? Although I do love beer, since all of us are vegetarian, I figured we'd just cross that place off the list. But if there's something good to eat as a family of ovo lacto vegetarians, maybe we could swing by.

Also, you had lunch at Tusker House, yes? I know you enjoyed your meal and I think you said you're going again on the future trip? I had thought about breakfast there, just to be at the park early, but honestly lunch looks so much more interesting!

Mmmm, I really loved the potato leek soup at Biergarten! I know, I'm supposed to be a vegan (I am a vegan for health first, then ethics, so sometimes I slip right back into vegetarian when faced with amazing veggie food!) I couldn't resist that soup and I dipped their pretzel bread in it and thought I would just float away! Very good stuff.

There was also a variety of salads, I remember liking the beet salad, tomato salad, and cucumber salad. There were some amazing roasted potatoes and I had sauerkraut as well that I enjoyed. My dd, who is vegetarian, had mac-n-cheese, if anyone in your group eats that. There was Cheese Spatzle as well.

I'm not sure I would go there with just an amazing vegetarian meal in mind, but I felt there was plenty of food for me to at least enjoy and take in the atmosphere, which is what I was really there for...and of course the beer was the icing on the cake! We will be going back b/c Rey LOVED it, it is top on his list for the next trip!

Tusker House (and Boma, but we didn't go there this trip) were the two that I felt had an amazing variety for vegetarians and I WOULD go there for just the meal! I haven't had breakfast at either though, but if your family is ovo-lacto, there should be lots of selections for breakfast as well!

 

[bumbershoot]

Their soup is veggie? That's so awesome and unexpected!

So, biergarten goes back on the list.



Oh by the way, before I got into your trip report and saw the actual picture, I saw your avatar picture, and wondered where the other daughter came from...totally thought you were a teenager. That healthy vegan living!!!!!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Mini-update!

I can't help it, I just want to update every day and I'm pretty sure I'll run out of things to say if I do that for 10 months!

I appreciate all the questions, I would love to answer any that anyone has (anything to keep me talking, right?)

I'm still annoyed with myself for pushing to have my trip report put with the finished reports, I had no idea that meant it got closed and no one could post on it! DOH!

On to the "update"

I told Rey today that for Christmas I would pretty please like the money to book our rooms. I know, I know...if you read my OFF WITH THEIR HEADS TP, you are gasping right now that I didn't tell him I wanted the 35mm lens that I complained about not having the WHOLE TRIP! I swore I wouldn't ask for another thing until I had that lens, but...

Finding 200$ is a little tricky for a trip 10 months away. It seems that when I have it, there is always something else that it can be used for. This is EXACTLY why I want to book soon and start paying on it instead of just SAVING for it. If I save the money for the trip, things will happen (like they always do), stuff will break, etc. and we will end up using that money. If I book and make payments to Disney, the money is "gone" and we will find it elsewhere when things happen.

So, my goal is to get over this little mini-hump and book those rooms! I talked to Rey and he said he would like to give the money to the whole family for a group Christmas gift! WOW! He's really onboard here, I'm thinking I have completely converted the man!

In FACT, HE said that he would save up on the road from his advances (this means the food money he gets folks!) and make payments on the trip as well. WOW! I don't even know what to do with that!

So anyway, it's just a tiny report, but I think that's news worth reporting!

hmmmm...I need a picture, don't I?
random WDW shot time!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Their soup is veggie? That's so awesome and unexpected!

So, biergarten goes back on the list.



Oh by the way, before I got into your trip report and saw the actual picture, I saw your avatar picture, and wondered where the other daughter came from...totally thought you were a teenager. That healthy vegan living!!!!!

OMG, you just scored brownie-point-poster of the year!! I'm going to have to make up a special title, just for you. Something about my favorite reader or something!

 

[bumbershoot]

Yay, I get a gold star!


Wow, Rey is totally converted now, isn't he? !