Well fine then, I will go be crazy on the Dis!

[danalee]

Yep that is what I said when a couple friends and family said..."your planning another trip and for when?"(insert rolling eyes)

But thats fine because they just don' "get It" and they have no happy place, a place that gives them as much joy and pleasure to plan as it does to wake there and take it all in!
You have to feel sad for those folks, really you do, albeit they are annoying with there snide comments and eye rolling the fact that a place that could bring them so much happiness, fun and magic is not even on there radar.

Oh well more for us!!!!!!!

Now on with it~

My best friend has been wanting to come to Disney with us for years and it has just never worked out, well as of yesterday that ALL changed!! Wahoo!!! I am thrilled beyond belief and cant wait....

Waiting is something we will have to do for awhile, about 16 months...sigh... BUT it will be sooooo worth it!

Next August we will be hitting the road from good ole' Western PA and heading south! Yep we are driving, my bestie is afraid to fly and this past September my family and I drove down for the first time and I have to say it really wasn't bad! So doing it again, no problem

So here is a line up of the crew..
US
(me) Dana~ Disney nut and planner~
Hubby/Eric~ Planning is not his thing, he just goes with flow, I turned him to a Disney nut years ago
Son/Hunter~ My little nut in training~
G-Ma/My Mom/Sally~ My sounding board & late bloomer Disney Nut
BFF's Crew
Bestie/Beth~Been to Disney years ago and has been wanting to go back!
Her Hubby/Andy~ Also been once and is excited to take the kiddos
Son1/Mason~ Loves anything Disney and is a Disney Movie buff!
Son2/Brendan~ Cant wait for AK animals are his thing!
Princess Rylie~ All girl, all Disney Princess!!

So now on to the planning...

We most likely with be staying Port Orleans Riverside as that will work with there group of 5
So my first question is...My mom has to use a wheelchair on our trips, and for that reason(well and it is our favorite) we stay at Port Orleans French Quarter mainly because of size, the small compact size is easy with wheelchair and last time we stopped over and visited POR and I will say, we loved it, but its soooo big!

Any tips on the best place to request in POR for a stay there?

Also eating (my favorite planning part) I am thinking we will hit mostly buffets with characters, what is your favorite?


Well thats all for now, thanks so much for reading and any help you can offer!!

 

[KatMark]

Your title grabbed me...so I'm in.

Did you know that as of January 1 of this year, you can pay for a preferred room at POR-Riverside. I believe this puts you closer to the food court. It is something you might want to look into.

So nice that your BFF is going with you for this trip.

 

[danalee]

Thanks for coming along!

I'm thinking that might be best to get a preferred room, I will look into that

 

[becauseisaid]

Ugh! What is it with people feeling the need to comment on YOUR vacation?! I swear if my mother says something just ONE MORE TIME...

Oops. Sorry 'bout that. I think I need to start my own thread.

Congrats on your future trip. AND getting to have your Bestie with you!

 

[danalee]

In the words of my 11 yr old...'I know right!"

I get it all the time and it drives me nuts! it always seems to be the WDW vacations that bug "those" people to???

So we are all staying at Port Orleans Riverside! I am excited, as we did really like it there when we visited last time, my son however is a French Quarter kid and not as happy about it!

Also I was chatting with my bestie and I was telling her about the Character Buffets to pick from...forgetting...her middle son is afraid of anything dressed up!

Soooo we are thinking a couple character buffets and some other sit-downs, which is fine with me, I just want to make this as magical for them as possible

On that note, since she does have a little princess we are thinking of giving Akershus in Norway a try!~ We have never been...anybody have a yay or nah for that one?

Now I need to make up a payment type chart...yep...a payment chart, her hubby likes to see it all written down...so I am sure he is gonna love my day to day itinerary

Good thing he loves me!

 

[KatMark]

I would do the Princess breakfast in Norway (we did not care for lunch, but you can't really ruin too many breakfast foods ).

 

[danalee]

Well, well, well what a difference a year makes!!

So if anyone still cares, besides me here is our trip update!

Sadly a couple months ago my BFF family said "sorry we cant go" all the plans, charts and whatnot...out the window
So like any good Dis Planner I started from scratch and made new plans for myself, hubby, son and my mom.
We changed from August to September, staying at our favorite POFQ and I made our dining plans O'hanas, Mama Melrosa, Yak-n-Yeti, Cape May Dinner, Boma and Le Celliar....

Then two days ago BFF called "We Changed Our Minds and Want to GO"

Shut The Front Door!! Are Ya Kidding Me????

Please dont get me wrong, I am honestly happy, thrilled really because I wanted them to go so badly and I knew how dissapointed they were when they thought they could'nt... But holy plan changer batman!!!

Sooooo I tried to get them booked at POR for free dining with us, no go those rooms all gone, not shocked by this...well lets say I AM not shocked, but her hubby (whom I do love dearly) stated many, many, many times "well if we changed our minds we will just go" this is also coming from a guy who wanted to go at the cheapest way possible, but eat at all character places, etc, you know most things that you need a plan for

Anyway it looks like two rooms at a value with an upgraded dining plan is on tap.....

For them....

Is it mean of me to say "I'm not changing my plans"??? I mean we are driving from PA and they wanted to stay Sunday and check out friday to head home and do most character places to eat...
we changed to check in Saturday and stay to the next Saturday. Plus our dining reservation are no character meals
but my bestie says "I feel bad that you have to change your plans"

I did say, "um here is the thing, I'm not changing but I will help you plan your out" that was the end of the coversation, she arrived at work and is calling me later to "book" so this all maybe for not, who knows they may change there minds, tonight or 2 months from now...sigh...

So please make me feel netter and say this can work...they can stay some place else, eat some place and we can meet up inbetween time! Right??

I think this could be best, then its not only "OUR" vacation but also "family" vacations as well...right?

Any insight...Have you done a trip like this before? Any tips, hints or advice is needed!!

Thanks so much

167 days and counting

 

[JennyWren]

I don't blame you a bit for not changing your plans. It will probably be best for everyone that you each do your own thing.

Good luck and I hope your family (and BFF's family) have a fabulous time.

 

[danalee]

I think we are all set, they made there reservations today and will be staying at All Star Music, checking in a day later than us and leaving a day earlier but at least they are going!!

Dining plans are figured out as well, when we are dining at Ohana they will be at The Crystal Palace. I changed our time at Mama Melrosa so we are all eating a late lunch together.
We also got the Yak-n-Yeti at the same time. When we eat at Le Celliar they will be dining with the princess's in Norway.

So it has all worked out!! We will be staying at different places and spliting up sometimes for dinner but its all good

Have a Happy Easter

 

[danalee]

I'm Baaaack!! and with just 70 days to go!

So did you ever read on here, "just wait keep trying what you want might come open up" well I can now say with all certainty that yes this is indeed TRUE!!

One night a couple months ago my bestie texted me at 1am stating to call her ASAP she had a Disney emergency Ok...Um wait I thought only I had those, I was so proud, I think I am rubbing off on her a bit

Anyhoo...she was online, on WDW main sight and was playing with the reservations (you know like we all do when we dont have a trip planned but want to really bad) again so proud of her

So she say it popped up that POR IS open the days we want!! So since she was already booked (and it was 1am) I frantically emailed the lady that books my trips, (yes I use a TA, she is amazing at getting me deals and I like the comfort of knowing she has my back) anyway she emailed me back in the am and longer story short...My bestie and her family got booked at POR from Sat-fri with Free Dining, cheaper than 2 rooms at All Star Music!!

So all is set, leaving PA friday getting to Disney Saturday!
Hoping for a late Downtown Disney Dinner Saturday evening, Planet Hollywood or T-Rex...Then our week of Disney Magic
They are pulling out Friday to stop and vist family on the way home and we will leave Disney on Saturday...

Moral of my story so far...I love it when a plan comes together

70 days & counting