What are we celebrating - everything - again - Trip report link added

[Ruthie5671]

Hello friends old and new and welcome to my pre-trip report. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Ruthie, and I'll be your narrator and tour guide for this PTR. As a child, I have been to Disney tons of times (we lived in Miami when I was a kiddo), but as an adult the trips have gotten fewer and fewer. Our last trip was in 2009. We were supposed to go to WDW last December, but that trip got cancelled (more on that later). However, an unexpected monetary blessing was dropped on our laps and the first thing we did was book a vacation. So who are the "we" that I speak of? Well, let's meet the Kellogg party of two . . .

As I said, I'm Ruthie - lover of all things Disney. Although I'm chronologically 46, I have a young at heart spirit and Disney magic makes me all a flutter. I cannot say that I have a favorite this or that, because the entire experience is my favorite part of it all. Seeing the castle for the first time at each trip makes me tear up. Honestly just typing about seeing the castle makes me a little misty. Or I'm just a sap - you make the call. I spend my days working as a social worker and my weekends driving for a ride share company (not the one with all the bad press - the other one). Any free time I have is spent watching Netflix, napping or pretending to do laundry. Oh and spending time with the other part of my heart. My husband Tony is my partner in crime and coming with me on this trip. He does not have all the magic beliefs that I do, but he is excited about the trip. He is a full-time security guard and a full-time student and is probably one of the hardest working men I know. And he loves me, despite my numerous flaws. And he's just so cute.

This is last spring going to a fancy event. Please excuse the messy house - we live there.



We were supposed to go to WDW in December, 2016. I'm sure if you dig thru the archives of pre-trip reports, you will find the one I started last year. It ended abruptly due to financial concerns. You will also note that our party is missing one person. My mom gained her heavenly wings last November. She was one of the toughest women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. She also drove me crazy, but that's what moms do best. She survived an accident that broke both her legs and lung cancer only to get an infection that spread thru her so fast that there was nothing that could be done. She will be missed on this trip, just like she is missed every day. And when we go to the Magic Kingdom and I see the castle, she will be there.



That is who we are. I promise no more sad stuff - because this is Disney, and I cannot and will not make this a sad trip. Coming up next - when are we going - where are we staying - and what dining reservations did I snag???

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Wahoo! A Ruthie PTR! Girl, you know I'm in for the countdown . No one deserves a magical time more than you guys do!

And for the record......I have never seen the "numerous flaws" of which you speak. I think you're nothing short of adorable .

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Joining in the PTR, I love reading along.

 

[JenLanDisney]

I followed you over from Gina's report. Nice to meet you! I just love hearing about folks' plans.

 

[Ruthie5671]

First off, my thoughts and prayers are with everyone who are in the path of Hurricane Irma. My family in Miami have evacuated, but I know that no everyone will. Be safe folks - vacations will still be there. And now, back to our story.

When we decided to make this vacation happen, we initially wanted to travel the first week in December. I get on line, clicky click click, and (cue the sad music), nothing is available. Umm, what? Not that I was going to stay in a deluxe hotel, but even those were booked solid. So okay, how about the second week in December? Yeah, same thing. WHAT???? That's just nine kinds of crazy. So I called Disney thinking that they had access to super secret lodging that us mortals could not see. That would be no. Due to my work schedule, there was no way that we could vacation any further into the month of December. It would just be too hard to take off work. We regrouped and decided to just go the first week in January. Easy peasy, clickity click, and we're all booked to arrive on January 3, 2018 for five nights at the All Star Music Resort!



I have been a band geek since middle school, so this is right up my alley. We decided to "upgrade" to a preferred room. The additional cost per night was not very much so in my mind, it was a good deal for us.

We live in Kentucky, and it is about a 13-14 hour drive for us to Orlando. I do all of the driving for one very important reason. Tony is an awful driver. I mean really bad. If you are in Kentucky, and you see him driving, move out of the way. Our plan is for Tony to get off of work during the early morning hours of January 2nd and we are going to hit I-75 South until the weather is no longer chilly. I hope to get to at least Lake City, Florida. If I can get that far, when we get up the next day, we will only have three hours until we're in Orlando. I know, you're probably thinking, why don't we just fly? Yes, I know we would get there in just a few hours. I just hate flying. First off, I'm a fairly fluffy gal and my wide hips and those tiny seats are just not a good combination. And with packing limitations, security checks and having to rent a vehicle once we get there, I just would rather drive.

That's all for now. Gotta go be productive with something at work. Maybe!

 

[Ruthie5671]

Wahoo! A Ruthie PTR! Girl, you know I'm in for the countdown . No one deserves a magical time more than you guys do!

And for the record......I have never seen the "numerous flaws" of which you speak. I think you're nothing short of adorable .

Aww Gina, you are too kind. I hide my numerous flaws pretty well.

Joining in the PTR, I love reading along.

and thanks for reading along. I enjoy knowing that people are reading!

I followed you over from Gina's report. Nice to meet you! I just love hearing about folks' plans.

- don't you just love @Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina's trip reports. She's pretty awesome!

 

[pattyw]

I'm here, Ruthie! Followed you from Gina's report. So happy that you have a trip on the horizon! Can't wait to hear all the details!

 

[Curiouser&curiouser!]

Jumped over from Gina's report!

I will be there then too! I am headed down on January 4th. My BFF and I are running the 1/2 Marathon on Saturday the 6th- and leaving the husbands and kiddos behind! Apparently I will do anything, including run 13.1 miles, to finally get a weekend away! (We were registered last year, for the now notoriously cancelled race. This is our DO-OVER!)

We aren't staying at All Star Music this trip, but we have in the past. I was watching a video with my husband the other day that was a tour of All Star Music and we both said we would stay there again!

Looking forward to more!

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Was December full because of the free dining? It used to be a quieter time to go. So you moved to January, I'll be interested to see how crowds are just after New Year, we were in Florida Christmas and New Year last year but have never been early January.

Hope your family are ok, how far will they have to go to get out of the path of the hurricane?

 

[Ruthie5671]

Happy Sunday everyone. I hope everyone is enjoying a nice day and safe from the storms. My family in Miami are safe and sound. They ultimately decided not to evacuate (we are a stubborn genetic code). I've been keeping in close contact with them and everyone is doing well. Back to our story . . .

I realized that I neglected to talk about what we are celebrating. I mean really, it is the title of the trip report and there must be a reason we are celebrating. Right? Of course right. Obviously, we have had a pretty difficult year. Losing mom was about the hardest thing I have had to go through. Tony was my rock thru the entire thing. I could not have survived without him, so when you ask me what I am celebrating, it would be our marriage. Now let me tell you, he can get on my nerves as quick as anything. But I cannot imagine this world without him in it. We've been married for seven years and together for eight years. It is definitely worth celebrating. And what is Tony celebrating? Well, me of course (hahaha). I'm sure if you ask him, he would just give you a puzzled look and go on about his day. But he has a lot to celebrate. He received a kidney transplant 3 1/2 years ago from a living donor and is doing so well. He attends college full-time working on his associates degree and should be done sometime next year. There are so many great things happening for him right now that all of them need to be celebrated.

Lets talk about food!!!

After we made the reservations, I immediately decided to see what dining I could secure. I went on ahead and got the dining plan for us that entitled us to one table service, one counter service and two snacks a day. There are really no money saving opportunities with the dining plan. It is mostly just easy to know that all dining (except tips) are paid for. I had not yet figured out what parks we would be visiting each day, other than knowing day #1 was Magic Kingdom. Our first reservation is Liberty Tree Tavern. The rest of the dining is Rose and Crown Pub in Epcot, Cape May Café at the Beach Club, Yak and Yeti in Animal Kingdom and Art Smith's Homecoming at Disney Springs. The only one I have been to before is Liberty Tree Tavern. I remember it being yummy and there were not many other options available at Magic Kingdom. The rest of the restaurants are completely new to us. I am really excited about Art Smith's Homecoming. I have read some extremely yummy reviews about this place and in looking at the menu, oh my goodness. Our counter service choices will likely be something along the lines of - hey we're hungry and hey, there is a counter service place.

113 more days!

 

[Ruthie5671]

I'm here, Ruthie! Followed you from Gina's report. So happy that you have a trip on the horizon! Can't wait to hear all the details!

Thanks for making the trip over. Hope you enjoy!

Jumped over from Gina's report!

I will be there then too! I am headed down on January 4th. My BFF and I are running the 1/2 Marathon on Saturday the 6th- and leaving the husbands and kiddos behind! Apparently I will do anything, including run 13.1 miles, to finally get a weekend away! (We were registered last year, for the now notoriously cancelled race. This is our DO-OVER!)

We aren't staying at All Star Music this trip, but we have in the past. I was watching a video with my husband the other day that was a tour of All Star Music and we both said we would stay there again!

Looking forward to more!

I didn't realize it was a race weekend. That's exciting. But yes, running a marathon for a girls weekend is hard core!!!!!!

I haven't looked at any videos of the hotel. I really want to be surprised by all the details. I haven't even watched any videos of any of the Pandora area.

Was December full because of the free dining? It used to be a quieter time to go. So you moved to January, I'll be interested to see how crowds are just after New Year, we were in Florida Christmas and New Year last year but have never been early January.

Hope your family are ok, how far will they have to go to get out of the path of the hurricane?

I've never been in January before either, so I'm hopeful that since the kiddos will have gone back to school it will lower crowds.

 

[JenLanDisney]

He attends college full-time working on his associates degree and should be done sometime next year. There are so many great things happening for him right now that all of them need to be celebrated.

My husband also completed his degree as an adult. Congrats to your husband for going back to school! It's hard, but worth it! Sometimes I think that college students would appreciate the work and do a better job if they were more experienced.

 

[pattyw]

The rest of the dining is Rose and Crown Pub in Epcot, Cape May Café at the Beach Club, Yak and Yeti in Animal Kingdom and Art Smith's Homecoming at Disney Springs. The only one I have been to before is Liberty Tree Tavern. I remember it being yummy and there were not many other options available at Magic Kingdom. The rest of the restaurants are completely new to us.

Ruthie- We've eaten at all but Art Smith's. You will enjoy them!! We are seafood lovers and we LOOOOVE the Cape May(can you say all you can eat crab legs!) We didn't think we'd enjoy the Rose & Crown as much as we did- but it was delicious! And the Yak and Yeti was excellent! Can't wait to hear about Art Smith's- always try to get in a new dining experience on our trips!

 

[Ruthie5671]

My husband also completed his degree as an adult. Congrats to your husband for going back to school! It's hard, but worth it! Sometimes I think that college students would appreciate the work and do a better job if they were more experienced.

I am so ridiculously proud of him for going back. He was a pitiful high school student and it was a challenge to convince him he could do this. But he has done such a good job.

Ruthie- We've eaten at all but Art Smith's. You will enjoy them!! We are seafood lovers and we LOOOOVE the Cape May(can you say all you can eat crab legs!) We didn't think we'd enjoy the Rose & Crown as much as we did- but it was delicious! And the Yak and Yeti was excellent! Can't wait to hear about Art Smith's- always try to get in a new dining experience on our trips!

I am all about the all you can eat seafood. Bring on the crab legs!!!

 

[chicagoshannon]

I'm joining in. Have to live vicariously through others since we won't be back til end of next year. I don't blame you with the driving. We usually drive too (18 hours). You must live in the north part of Kentucky. I've never even visited the All Star music but your picture makes it look fun!

 

[Ruthie5671]

So lets see, I've talked about where we are staying and the major restaurants we are eating at and our mode of transportation. Now lets talk about part two of the vacation - I like to call it "relaxing in Orlando".

After our five days at WDW, we will then leave the bubble of Mickey Mouse and move over to three nights at a yet to be determined condo in Orlando. Our plans for these three days are also yet to be determined. There are literally a million things that we can do and it is just so hard to decide. I really want to do Sea World, but only if they have a good Black Friday sale on tickets (they have in years past). I really, really, really want to have some down time lounging by the pool at the yet to be determined condo. It would be so nice to just relax with a book and a margarita without a care in the world. Tony would be bored in 10 minutes. I wouldn't mind hitting up the outlet malls, but that is more of what Tony would like to do (yes, he gets a vote). I have looked at VBRO for some ideas and good grief, there are a lot of options. So I am reaching out to you, my dear DISboards friends - offer up some suggestions. Interesting things we absolutely must do. Completely delicious restaurants (not chains) that we must try. The best condo we should try to snag a reservation at. I'm open to all ideas. When we were planning the previously cancelled trip, we had planned to do the Orlando Eye, so that is something I might consider again. Even though I'm afraid of heights. Terribly afraid of heights. I have also been stalking Groupon and Living Social for discounted dining and entertainment. I am such a planner that having days of vacation without a definite plan just seems wrong. And since it is too early to book fast passes and definitely too early to get the suitcases out, planning the back end of vacation is what I need to do.

I'm joining in. Have to live vicariously through others since we won't be back til end of next year. I don't blame you with the driving. We usually drive too (18 hours). You must live in the north part of Kentucky. I've never even visited the All Star music but your picture makes it look fun!

We live in Frankfort, which is in between Lexington and Louisville. I always pad my drive time to include potty and stretching breaks, along with the inevitable traffic that comes with I-75. Thanks for joining me on this wacky ride!

 

[JenLanDisney]

In Nov 2016, we ate at Black Fire Brazilian Steakhouse in Orlando. It was a special treat and top quality. DS10 (at the time) commented on how nice everyone was there. There's a Groupon, too.

 

[pattyw]

After a rave review by another Disser, we had lunch at the Teak Neighborhood Grill. It's close to Universal, but it's tucked back on a residential side street so it's not a busy tourist location. We had lunch there last January. It was excellent! We sat outside (unheard of in Buffalo, NY!! in January) and it was fairly quiet in there. They have nighttime music so that would be busier and louder. Their food is wonderful- fresh and homemade!

 

[Ruthie5671]

Hi everyone and happy Monday (yes, I hear the moans and groans from that statement). I thought I would check in today and give a couple of "real time" updates on the trip.

Last week my DH found out that his work schedule was changing. He had been working Saturday 3-11, Sunday 3PM-Monday 7AM and Monday 11PM-Tuesday 7AM. He is now working Sunday 11PM-Monday 7AM, Monday 11PM-Tuesday 7AM and Wednesday and Thursday 3-11. Why is this important? Well, when we were planning vacation, we had to ensure that we would be back home so that Tony could work his Saturday shift. But now that he no longer has that shift, we can add an extra day to the trip!!! The bigger question is do we add another day to Disney or another day at the yet to be named condo? I asked Tony what he wanted and he had no opinion (he's just not helpful with the planning). If we add another day to Disney, I don't think we would add another park day. We want a day to see the different resorts and spend time at Disney Springs. But another day in Orlando would give me another day by the pool drinking margaritas. Ugh, I'm just so torn. First world problems - I know.

Now I'm normally a fairly thrifty person. I pride myself on using coupons everywhere I go and to try to save money. But then I decided to poke around the Disney Store website (mistake #1) and then I decided to look at their purses (bigger mistake #2).



I mean seriously, how adorable is this purse? And I really want it. I haven't started to butter Tony up yet and it is not even close to reasonably inexpensive, even with coupons. But it is so cute! Why did I even start looking??

105 more days!

 

[Ruthie5671]

In Nov 2016, we ate at Black Fire Brazilian Steakhouse in Orlando. It was a special treat and top quality. DS10 (at the time) commented on how nice everyone was there. There's a Groupon, too.

Oh that sounds delicious and I love using Groupon. Thanks for the tip.

After a rave review by another Disser, we had lunch at the Teak Neighborhood Grill. It's close to Universal, but it's tucked back on a residential side street so it's not a busy tourist location. We had lunch there last January. It was excellent! We sat outside (unheard of in Buffalo, NY!! in January) and it was fairly quiet in there. They have nighttime music so that would be busier and louder. Their food is wonderful- fresh and homemade!

That also sounds yummy. I love giving business to local restaurants when I travel. Thanks for the tip!