What I did on my End-of-Summer vacation pt. 1 & 2

[kittythepoohbear]

This is a little late as I have already been back for a couple of weeks. I have been playing catch up with things at home and have not had time to devote to a proper trip report. So without further ado, I present my trip report.

What I Did on my End-of-Summer Vacation

The cast: Me - 28 y.o. certified Disney freak. I have a terrible Piglet fixation,
want to adopt Lilo, and never, ever want to live in a world without Disney. I live in New York City with my bunny Jellybean where I make my living as a voice teacher.
My boyfriend - just turned 34 y.o. who used to say Disney was stupid. I force him to watch Disney movies, but he still buys me Piglet stuff. He lives in Pennsylvania with his cats and owns his own publishing company.


Part I - Background and getting there

Let's start at the very beginning - Jan. 2005. I sit looking at the 'book it' button on Expedia for about half an hour before finally clicking it. I figure that we both work for ourselves and it wouldn't be too difficult to reschedule so that we can get away for a long weekend, right? I immediately start jumping up and down and run to the bedroom where my boyfriend was sleeping to tell him the news - I am surprising us with a last minute trip to WDW! He promptly tells me he can't do it - business plans concering a brand-new project (that he neglected to tell me were to start THAT weekend). I slowly start to die inside as I call Expedia and beg them to cancel my non-refundable, just booked, 4-night stay at Pop. The woman I spoke with was a doll and was able to cancel it. I think it was because I sounded like I was about to cry hysterically. I then remain angry at boyfriend for quite some time.
In March, I decide, "Hey, I went to WDW last year by myself. Why can't I go solo this year as well?" So I start the planning. You know what its like: countless nights researching the best resort, the perfect number of nights, package or room-only. I was going to go with the Pop, but then I joined AAA and decided to go all out. I booked 5 nights at POR. I decided that this would be a birthday present to myself, even though my b-day is in June. I needed a way to rationalize spending $1000 on myself. The CM I spoke with, Hamill, was super nice and made me even more excited. When I got off the phone, I literally started to dance around my apartment, chanting "I am going to Disney!!!!" There was no one there to share my excitement with, so I tell Jellybean. He looked back at me slightly frightened. So I pick up the phone and call my best friend. However I forget that it is Friday at around 9pm and being that she is Jewish, is already celebrating the Sabbath. So I leave a crazy sounding message on her machine, hang up, and start dancing again. Then I figure I should tell my boyfriend that I am planning on doing this. So I call. And he sounds slightly miffed. I should save my money. After all, I am planning on moving to PA next year and I have lessons to teach. Yes, I say, but I can reschedule all my lessons so that I can leave on Thursday and return on Tuesday. Besides, I deserve a trip. He wishes me well and I hang up, feeling a little sad that he won't be joining me but hey, I am going to WDW!!!! I mark the days in my calendar and that's when it hits me: September is a loooooong way away. I have to wait 6 months. At least I get to plan.
Fast forward to July. I changed my main reservation to include the free dining. I have my meal ressies all done, including lunch at Cindy's (planned before it became a character meal) and lunch at Coral Reef. Nothing can get me down, except that my sweetie isn't coming with me. I try a subtle guilt trip. I try showing him the commercials with the puppy dogs and the "So this is love" song. I promise to go on ToT. He said maybe. MAYBE!!!! It was hope and hope was all I could ask for. I gave him the due date and made a deal. Since this trip was going to fall right in between our 3 year anniversary (8/22) and his 34 b-day (9/22), I would pay his ticket. I was going to be out $200 either way, so why not be poorer at Disney? He said maybe again.
He kept saying maybe until the day the balance was due on my package. I called to ask him if he was sure he couldn't come. I was prepared to hear no when, to my amazement, he said "ok, I will go." OMG!!!! It was a miracle! I practially hung up on him as I called CRO and added his name to the reservation. Fifteen minutes later, he had bought his plane ticket (same flight, the seat next to me, and $30 cheaper than I paid!) and we were going to Disney as a couple. Yeah!

Wed. night, 9/7. BF came drove down tonight to prepare for our 7 am flight in the morning. I force him to watch Lilo and Stitch and he informs me that he has been listening faithfully to Inside the Magic podcast and now knows more about Disney than I do. I laugh and remind him he asked me when we would see Bugs Bunny. He sticks out his tongue and we order in sushi.

Thurs. way-too-early-in-the-morning, 9/8. My Winnie The Pooh alarm clock goes off at 4 am. I stumble out of bed and notice my bf on the couch, where he must have fallen asleep at who knows what time. I shower with my peppermint soap and before I know it, the cab is here to take us to the airport. We think the cabbie might have been on drugs. He propositioned me twice and even said he would be into other things involving my bf. He also asked if he could come to my apt. and get high. My bf was ready to kill him when we finally arriced at JFK and headed for the gate.
Those of you who live in NYC really must fly JetBlue out of JFK. It is the best
experience I have ever had in an airport. Everytime I fly any other carrier out of Laguardia, I end up with 6 hour delays and a dingy gate. At JetBlue, we ate breakfast while BF checked his email and last minute business arrangements on his laptop with the free hi-speed connection. We got on the plane and off we went. I did manage to sleep for around 20 minutes, in between Firehouse videos on VH1 classics and watching the Animal Channel. We finally touched down in Orlando slightly ahead of time at 9:40 am. Now I was glowing. I pulled him onto the shuttle and made our way to the ME counter. The counter was easy to find and although the line seemed huge, it moved quickly. On to another line for POR and soon on the bus itself. The bus was comfy, with a placard in front saying gratuities accepted. We stopped in Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, POFQ and finally POR. The resort was lovely, better than I imagined. In we walked through the lobby doors and right up to the check out counter. In summary, plying your reluctant bf with Disney movies, Disney pictures, Disney music, and commericals of puppies on the tea cups will eventually lead said bf to go to WDW. Cabbies - just say no! JetBlue and JFK rock! Next installment coming very soon! I will put all the reports in one thread since I am not computer savvy and don't know how to do the links.


Kat

 

[kittythepoohbear]

Part 2 - Where I become a pin trader, bf earns his ears and we meet Cinderella

Thursday 9/8 11 am: POR was everything I expected and more. Check-in was very quick as there was no line whatsoever. We soon learned that this was very indicative of our whole trip. Go September! I had requested a non-smoking room in Alligator Bayou. If possible in bldg. 18. And if it wasn't an inconvenience, a corner room. So of course we got a room in Magnolia Bend. 9071 Parterre Place to be exact. I wasn't disappointed cause, hey, a request is a request and besides, the mansions looked really pretty. We walked over to Parterre Place and quickly discovered we had taken the long way around. Not that we didn't mind the tour, but we had a date with a princess that we had to keep. We finally make it to the room to discover that it was indeed a non-smoking corner room. The room was lovely and very clean. I happily dumped our luggage on the bed and began to take pictures while bf freshened up. After much picture taking and calling the respective families to let them know that we made it in one piece, we were off to MK and lunch with Cindy and friends.

I admit I was a bit nervous about the buses at POR, having read a lot of negative comments on them, but we had fabulous service. We waited for about 5 minutes before a MK bus came and off we were. I rattled off Disney Trivia while my bf kept looking at the passing scenery. I was wondering how he would like MK, especially since it didn't have Bugs Bunny. But I need not have worried. He really loved the castle and took a ton of pictures on Main St. Then he promptly decided to get Mickey ears. I on the other hand, dragged him through to Fantasyland which was rather empty.

We did Mickey's Philharmagic first since I thought that would be a good intro to Disney. I am happy to say he was pleased. We continued our way through Fantasyland and into Liberty Square where we did the Haunted Mansion and attmepted to do Hall of Presidents. I have bad luck with this attraction. Last year, it broke down and they kicked everyone out of the theater. This year, we kept just missing the show. So we did the Country Bears and then it happened. I walked into the shop next door and bought a Winnie the Pooh starter lanyard. I became a pin trader. I had resisted the call of the pins for so long, but looking at a smiling and waving Lilo, I caved. Bf bought me a bobble head Piglet pin and off we went to the castle to meet the princesses.

The first time I went to WDW, I was 4 years old. I have gone almost every year since then and I never, ever remember being inside of the castle. I am sure I must have wanted to. Yet I never ate there until my 28th year. Bf and I had decided to pay OP for this meal and save the TS credit for another meal later on. We entered and got the Fairy Godmother's autograph for a friend. It was great to see all the little girls in their princess costumes. Before my hormones got the best of me and I scared my bf off with cries of "I want a baby girl!" we were called to our table.
Our table was very nice, on the 'balcony' with a view of Fantasyland. The food was good and the blueberry and lemon ice cream desert was amazing. Best of all, I was able to get photos with all the Pincesses and I was surprised with a birthday card for all of them to sign. I had forgotten I had told Hamill all those months ago that I was treating myself to Disney as a birthday present.

We headed for Tomorrowland and did Carousel of Progress before we decided to head over to EPCOT for EMH. On the bus over, I thought of all the terrible things people had said about evening EMH. If you go off season, use the evening hour. It was pretty empty. We walked on Spaceship Earth, a ride I thought my bf would find hokey but he ended up enjoying very much. I soon realized that everything I thought he would hate he liked and everything I thought he would like he thought was only ok. Men are funny like that. As I mulled over my new found knowledge of my bf, we walked over to WS and positioned ourselves at the gondola landing in Italy for Illuminations.

I personally miss the old Illuminations where they would light up each contry individually, but I wanted bf to see the famous Disney firework displays. We waited 30 minutes or so before it started. Bf enjoyed the show although it was very smokey. We did not realize that we were standing downwind and got a face full of smoke and ash quite a few times. After the fireworks, we sauntered over to Mexico where we walked right into a lovely table on the river. It was one of the most memorable meals of our trip. The food was tasty, more Chi-Chi's than authentic Mexican. Our original server went out of her way to get us the river-side table even though it meant giving us another server. Our next server was very friendly and attentive. I am a vegetarian and he happily discussed my menu options. I had the tortilla soup, which I was assured did not contain meat stock (it didn't taste like chicken stock and I didn't get sick, so I guess it was true) and the enchilada plate. The portions are huge!!! We both only ate half our entrees and then shared only one desert since we were so stuffed. At this time it was almost 11pm, so we went decided to walk over to FW and try Soarin.

The wait seemed huge. The line was the longest we had encountered. I tried to talk bf out of it. We would be back in EPCOT tomorrow morning and could ride it first thing. Nope, he wasn't budging. He had heard it was great in the podcasts and this is the one ride he really wanted to go on. Finally we were moving and were seated in the second row. I was a bit nervous when were we lifted up. I don't like heights and did not take to well to the feeling of dangling in the air. But the ride itself was very tame and we enjoyed it. My bf's complaint - the movie can be edited better. He felt that the transitions between scenes were too abrupt and distracted from the experience.

It was now 11:45pm. We were so tired we were silly. Walking toward the bus stops, we cracked "Your mother" jokes until we got back into the room. We brushed our teeth, used the bathroom, and crawled into bed. It was 1 am. We had been up since 4 am. But we were at Disney, so it was worth it.

In summary, mothers, please take your little girls to eat inside of the castle. If not, they will bug you about it for the next 28 years. I really want a daughter so I can take her to Cinderella's Royal Table too. Men are strange. Your mother jokes are really funny at midnight.

Next installment - a full day at EPCOT including my first real pin trade and bf starts to really like Disney.

Kat

 

[VanniGirl]

Sounds like you had a great trip so far - looking forward to the next installment.