TR LINK POSTED! - 14 ADRs PLUS F & W!? Our 10th Anniversary Pig-Out! An Oct 2013 PTR

[Simba22]

Hello everyone! And welcome aboard the Walt Disney World Transportation System! We're on our way to....

Wait, wait, wait. First things first.

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Ali, I'm from CT, and this will be my 11th trip to WDW.

My DBF is Lumar (pronounced LOO-mar; his parent's were Luis and Maria and they combined their names to make his), and this will be his 10th trip to WDW.

This November will be our 10th anniversary so we're celebrating by going to WDW!

This is us in 2010:



I had decided to start this PTR when I finally hit...



But alas....that was yesterday, and I was at a picnic all day. So instead...



:ause for Double Digit Dance::


So, as you may have guessed... there has been a lot that has gone into getting this trip planned and sorted out and just when it seems like everything is finally A-OK, something happens that makes me...well....want to cry.

I've been really struggling with anxiety a lot over the last few months...some of it has been trip related and some of it hasn't. But I'm going to share it all with you anyway. I know that if there's anyone who can make me feel better, it's DISers!

Coming Up: Better Intros and Where We'll Be Staying

 

[Simba22]

Chapter One: Dates and Resort added 7/7

Chapter Two: The Source of my Stress

Chapter Three: Pre-Trip Purchases!

Chapter Four: Arrival Day and Day One Plans! added 7/15

Chapter Five: Plans for Day Two and Day Three! added 7/21

Chapter Six: Day 4! added 8/11

Chapter Seven: Days 5 and 6! added 8/14

Chapter Eight: ADR swap and Day 7! added 8/29

Mini Update: I Need to Learn to Write My ADR Info in Pencil Until the Night Before We Leave added 9/8

Chapter Nine: My new "baby" and Plans for Day 8! added 9/14

ADR problems are resolved! added 9/15

Chapter Ten: Day 9! added 9/22

Holy Crud! We're leaving NEXT WEEKEND! added 10/4

Chapter Eleven: Last update! Days 10 & 11! added 10/8

 

[freckles04]

Hi Ali! What a cute couple! I'm following along... we are also going in October!

 

[Simba22]

Since this is a "milestone" anniversary, and since we probably won't go again until at least 2015, we decided to try and make this trip special. We decide to go for two weeks and just needed to pin down where to stay.

We love CSR and had thought about staying there again, but we rented DVC points for our trip last summer and it worked out way better, financially. So our first suggestion was to stay here:





With a view of this:





Unfortunately, the guy we rent from does not own a contract at BLT, and in order to secure a castle view room, you have to book at 11 months out, which you can only do if you own at that resort, otherwise, it's 7 months out. So we started thinking about Epcot resorts instead, since we'll be there during the F & W Festival. I had wanted Beach Club but our DVC Guy doesn't own there either. So we opt for:



We've never stayed there before, and I'm not totally sold on it yet...but within walking distance to both Epcot and DHS, is worth something so why not? But then I start thinking "Hey...with DVC, we can ACTUALLY afford to stay at my first Dream Resort!"

So we opt for our first split stay!



On Sunday, October 13th, we check in at:





I've always wanted to stay at AKL but wanted a Savannah View room...and the regular prices are astronomical. But renting points made it super affordable so we got one for a few nights before we switch over to the BW on 10/17!

So our official booking is 10/13 - 10/17: AKV, Jambo House, Savannah View and 10/17 - 10/25: BWV, Garden View.

We also opted, for the first time, to get Park Hoppers. We normally get base tickets and have found that it's perfect for us. We get a lot done when we don't feel we have to get our money's worth by going to two or three parks a day. But since we've been to WDW many times and since we'll be so close to Epcot, we figured we'd do Hoppers this time and really try to take full advantage of F & W.

We'll also be going to:



Three times.

Yes, that's right. THREE Halloween Parties. Why? Because it's awesome and we love it! And it means that we can spend the days at other parks, and still have plenty of time at the MK! And since the lines for rides are generally non-existent during the party, we'll get a lot done!

Up next: The Source of My Agony and our ADR Plans!

 

[littlebee33]

My husband and I did out 10th and 15th and For our 10th we got reservations at the California Grill at 9:30 pm so we could watch the fireworks while we dined. My husband slipped a set of earrings to the waiter and they were delivered under a a silver tray with our deserts. It was magical. Congratulations on 10 hand cheers to 10 more.

 

[freckles04]

A 2 week stay? I'm green with envy! We're checking out on the day you guys check in.

 

[Simba22]

This part may be a bit long and boring so I apologize in advance

For those of you that read my PTR/TR from last July, you'll remember that I got laid off from my job last March. I worked for a call center for a health insurance company for six years. Was it a fantastic job? Heck no. But it paid well, I had amazing benefits, and I loved the people I worked with. Unfortunately, the company was sold and the employees weren't part of the deal.

I was given 26 weeks of unemployment (which about 6.5 months) and 6 months of company paid benefits. I had tried searching for a new job right away and couldn't find anything, and my unemployment pay was actually going to work out to be the same as what I was making while working, so we agreed that I could be a Stay At Home Pet Mom for a while.

If you are ever faced with this option....DO NOT DO THIS. YOU WILL NEVER WANT TO GO BACK TO WORK AGAIN. At least, not if you're like me.

My house was always clean, my dog was well behaved, the bills were paid on time, and I had ZERO stress.

And staying home with this all day:




What's not to love?

But I knew my free money would stop coming at the end of August so I had no choice but to actively job hunt. I was tired of Customer Service and decided to start looking for animal related jobs...namely, doggy daycare. The first place I interviewed at was more like Doggy DayPrison than anything else. No toys, no doggie swimming pools, no playing outside... it was horrific. Then I find out that my parents take their dogs there for kenneling. Oh, and they pay minimum wage.

I definitely couldn't afford to open my own place, so I default to customer service and immediately get an interview. The place is about 30 minutes from my house. I get benefits, good pay. OK. Job accepted. We go to WDW for a week at the beginning of July 2012. I start the new job the day after we get back. Big mistake. I was exhausted, I was withdrawing bad. I got sick my second week and had to call out for 2 days. It was around that time that I started to realize that the commute was 30 minutes in the middle of the day, with no traffic. At 7:30am, it was a nightmare. It takes me 45 minutes to get there. At 4:30 in the afternoon, it's the Devil's Commute. It takes me an hour to get home. Oh, and I really, really, REALLY, hate this job. As in I've considered, on several occasions, reverting to Irresponsible Teenager Mode and just leaving one night and not coming back. I spent a long time looking for a job that was going to pay me what I was making at my old job, but now I spend so much money in gas because of the commute that it would be more worth it to find a job here in my own town and take a pay cut.

So as far as stress and anxiety goes, this job is absolutely the cause of it all. I've been looking for something else, but when Customer Service is the only paid experience you have, it's the only jobs available it would seem. And all of the other stresses in my life are a direct result of me being at this job.

For example, since I've gone back to work, the dog has started having issues with dominance aggression. Not towards me, but a little towards Lumar and a LOT towards other dogs. She's lost the pack mentality that was keeping her balanced because she's home alone for 9 hours a day. She thinks she owns the apartment complex and with the exception of two dogs, every other dog is far beneath her, in her opinion. Which means I've had to pay for a behaviorist to come out and help us get her back under control. It's a slow process, and the neighborhood is terrified of her - another source of anxiety for me. But it's starting to get better.

Another thing, is that we had to buy a second car. Which means a car payment, plus gas, insurance, taxes, registration, and wear and tear. In the last year, we've spent $2000 just on car repairs alone and Lumar's car is still in desperate need of more work.

Oh, and his job screwed up his tax forms so he did not get an income tax check this year, which is how he planned to pay for Disney.

Then there was the day that I submitted my request for time off for this vacation, and my boss' boss denied it. Why? Because I called out so much that I didn't have enough time available, AND, we're going for two weeks and I'm one of only THREE customer service reps.

She told me that if my time off is not approved and I go anyway, I'll lose my job. My anxiety went through the roof but I maintained my composure, held my ground, and told them basically "oh well, I'm going anyway."

We've been considering moving in April when our lease is up anyway, so Lumar told me that it's basically win-win for me. If they fire me for going, then I can collect unemployment for a few months at the end of the year and apply for jobs in whatever area we opt to move to. If they don't fire me, then I still have a job and I can STILL look for new jobs come January or February anyway.

A week later she told me that she re-reviewed my time off accrual and I had almost exactly enough time available so she was going to approve it after all. I gave her my new request two weeks ago....she STILL has not approved it and given it back to me.

So there's that. I've never felt "trapped" by a job before and it's a horrible feeling. Lumar can turn it off and go to a job that he doesn't love and just be happy to come home with a paycheck. But I have constant headaches, constant stomach aches, and I'm just tired...ALL the time! And I know it's stress.

But at least I only have 98 more days until WDW!!

 

[Simba22]

Wow you guys are fast! Thank you for joining in!

Hi Ali! What a cute couple! I'm following along... we are also going in October!

Thanks!

My husband and I did out 10th and 15th and For our 10th we got reservations at the California Grill at 9:30 pm so we could watch the fireworks while we dined. My husband slipped a set of earrings to the waiter and they were delivered under a a silver tray with our deserts. It was magical. Congratulations on 10 hand cheers to 10 more.

Wow! What a guy! We did CG last year and really liked it but I wasn't that thrilled with watching the fireworks from there! I'd rather go back to MK and watch from Main Street. We picked a new place for our "special dinner" - I'm actually really excited to try it!

A 2 week stay? I'm green with envy! We're checking out on the day you guys check in.

We did 10 days in 2010 and decided to just add one more day this year. We really like the idea of having "resort days," where we just hang at the pool, maybe do laundry, walk around and take pictures, etc. You pay a lot of money for the resort and most people don't even get to enjoy it so we decided to start taking advantage of it! Where are you guys staying?

 

[freckles04]

We are doing 8 nights at Port Orleans Riverside. I've never stayed there before. It looks really pretty!

I'm only allowed a 10 day long vacation at work. I'm already bending the rules by taking 11 days (needed a packing day and some rest time after the vacation).

Sorry things have been so stressful for you. I have an anxiety disorder and totally get where you are coming from. Medication helps. lol.

Just think though, very soon we will be at our happy place!

 

[Simba22]

Just so that we don't end on such a bad note, I'll do one more update!

Before every WDW trip, I buy a couple of new things to bring with me.

This trip is no different and I've already picked up a few things!

First, is my new camera, which I am super excited about! My mom actually bought it for me for my birthday and I can't wait to use it in WDW!



Second, are my awesome new Disney T-Shirts!





(here's the back):



Next, I was at Bath and Body Works one night a few weeks ago just browsing and I found this:



I always bring something "vacationy" smelling to WDW but this one smells amazing and it's an Alice in Wonderland reference (at least to me, it is), so I went for it!

Next is the dress that I plan to wear to our anniversary dinner. I actually bought it for my cousin's wedding shower but I love it so much I want to try and get another use out of it!



And I bought these shoes specifically to wear with the dress but I also wear them to work and they are amazingly comfortable!



So that's it for now! I may buy a few more shirts but I have a ton already so may not. But I'm excited for what I've got so far!

Next up: Our Meal Plans!

 

[Simba22]

We are doing 8 nights at Port Orleans Riverside. I've never stayed there before. It looks really pretty!

I'm only allowed a 10 day long vacation at work. I'm already bending the rules by taking 11 days (needed a packing day and some rest time after the vacation).

Sorry things have been so stressful for you. I have an anxiety disorder and totally get where you are coming from. Medication helps. lol.

Just think though, very soon we will be at our happy place!

I've never been to POR, either but it looks beautiful! We did stay at the FQ a few years back and had a really nice time!

I never had anxiety issues before I started working at this place! It's so awful! I keep telling myself the same thing, though! Soon, I'll be in Epcot, getting ready to watch Illuminations!

 

[momminnie]

Hey! I'm jumping on the Disney monorail with you for your journey. Can't wait for your next post.

 

[Simba22]

Hey! I'm jumping on the Disney monorail with you for your journey. Can't wait for your next post.

Thanks for joining!

 

[KatMark]

Ali, I'm here. I had no idea you started this. But I have two very good excuses:

1) I was in Disney for a week last month

2) My baby boy got married last month


I just started my TR last week.

Please forgive me for being late.

I can't wait to hear about all of your plans (and we LOVE AKL, and we are trying the Boardwalk in December).

 

[Simba22]

Ali, I'm here. I had no idea you started this. But I have two very good excuses:

1) I was in Disney for a week last month

2) My baby boy got married last month

I just started my TR last week.

Please forgive me for being late.

I can't wait to hear about all of your plans (and we LOVE AKL, and we are trying the Boardwalk in December).

I just started it yesterday so you aren't late! And I was thinking on my way home today that I should PM you but you found me first! Thanks for joining me again! I have to mosey on over to yours!

Congrats on becoming a DMIL!!

 

[freckles04]

WHERE did you get those fantastic shirts? Please don't tell me that you got them online... I refuse to buy clothes online... (I'm kinda hard to fit)

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I understand the feeling trapped in a job. I felt like that in my last job.

Have a great 2 week trip!

 

[Simba22]

WHERE did you get those fantastic shirts? Please don't tell me that you got them online... I refuse to buy clothes online... (I'm kinda hard to fit)

Disney store! They were on sale for $15! I don't usually buy online either... I have to try things on!

I understand the feeling trapped in a job. I felt like that in my last job.

Have a great 2 week trip!

Thanks for stopping in!

It's awful! I've never felt like this at a job before and it's so frustrating! I keep looking for a new one but all I can find is stuff that's way too far from home. I'm already paying $360-$400 a month just in gas!

 

[freckles04]

Closest Disney store is an hour away from me but it looks like I may take a mini road trip soon!

 

[M303871]

Ali
Holly cow how did this get to two pages before I found it, I am totally slacking. Congradulations on the upcoming trip and boo to job induced stress I deffinitly know how that feels, I have just been hired on fulltime at the place I am working in April before that for two years and four months I worked the same job just as a contractor so no benefits just a paycheck and a known end date, I got hired on fulltime with only four hrs left on my contract but deffinitly keep looking and you will find something better.

M303871