Wooing a Disney Hatin' DH -- in August...SINGLE DIGITS!!!

[WDWRocksMySocks]

Welcome! I'm Kirsten and this is my second (or third...or maybe even fourth) attempt at a PTR. Ha, we'll see how it goes.

The Jist

When: Sunday, August 22 - Saturday, August 28

Where: 5 nights at VWL and 1 night at the Poly

Who: Me and DH (a grumpy Disney hater, but perhaps a closeted Disney lover...more on that below)

I'm sure all of you are just dying know all about me and DH. No? Well, I'm going to share details anyway...

Kirsten

Here's a pic of me and my niece at Biergarten this past January. Yep, I'm sporting a tiara. I went w/ my sisters and one of them insisted we wear them the entire week. I felt quite regal. Anyhoo...as you can tell by the picture, I'm a pin trader. I haven't quite reached the level of wearing a vest or a trench coat with the inside lined with pins...yet. But, give me time. Other than pin trading, I love going to Disney b/c of all the great memories I have of the place. I've been going since I was a baby and have fallen in love. I've been to WDW about 30 times in my life, and always leave wanting more. Of course, no one in my daily life can comprehend this (other than my sisters and nephews).

Aaron

Here is Aaron (DH). This picture truly captures the way Aaron feels about WDW. He thinks the rides are lame, the food isn't that great and all the resorts are the same....blasphemy, I know! The only things about Disney he enjoys is the free cheese sauce at Peco Bill's, Expedition Everest and Tower of Terror. He puts up with it b/c he knows how much I enjoy it. He's a GREAT husband!

Why Disney...again?

Aaron and I started discussing possible vacation destinations back in March. We went to WDW last August together and had a blast (well, I did). We had talked about branching out (GASP!!) and doing something different this year. I felt it was only right, seeing as Aaron had already been to WDW at least six times. Before we met, the farthest he'd traveled was to southern Kentucky (we're from south central Indiana). Needless to say, I felt a little guilty about monopolizing his time with Disney only trips. We discussed heading out west to southern California. We're HUGE baseball fans, so we thought we could hit a Padres game in San Diego and then drive up the coast to LA and do Disneyland and see a Dodgers game. So fun! As I started pricing out things, Aaron kept getting more hesitant about it. He finally said, "Let's go to Disney World again." Once I picked my jaw off the floor, I rushed over here to DIS and started stalking the DVC points for rent area of the boards. I was still was in a little shock, though. How could my husband...my Disney hating husband voluntarily suggest going back to the World?! And no, there was no blackmail or bribing involved.

UPDATES

Deals, deals, deals
The Plans...Arrival, VWL and MK EMH
The Plans...Epcot and AK
Random, off-topicness about our new puppy!
Car Rental Info
The Plans...WWoHP and the rest of Universal/IOA
The Plans...DHS and Le Cellier
More randomness...I <3 Southwest
The Plans...AK and Trade City USA event
Disney pin randomness...complete with pictures
Yet another car rental update
The Plans...checking into the Poly and more Trade City USA
Even more randomness, mixed in w/ some trip info too!
How to beat the ungodly Florida heat
Random Hallmark cuteness
Room requests at VWL and the Poly
Ooh, weather forecast!
Even MORE rental car news

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

Okay, so I'm a sucker for a bargain. I love yard sales, using coupons and getting a great discount code. This is no exception for trip planning. I'm one of THOSE people. You know, the one who books a trip and then stalks the prices to make sure they didn't go down. And if they do go down, well I'll try to get some sort of credit for the difference (ala Southwest). If I can't get a credit, I'll just sit and pout about it for a little bit. Yeah, I know, sad. Anyway, to make a short point longer, here are my deals I've scored for the trip so far:

Airfare - "Visit Florida" Southwest Promo

I originally paid $205.40 per ticket on Southwest. I was pretty bummed b/c it was the first time I'd ever paid more over $200 to fly down to MCO. Le sigh. Of course, I kept stalking the site in case the fares went down. I also stumbled across the "Visit Florida" Southwest discount promotion over on the "Transportation" board. The promo gives you $25 off each ticket purchased. SCORE!!! I rebooked our tickets (which had dropped down in price by $1) and wound up saving $26 off each ticket. Hey, now I have $52 more to spend on pins!

Renting DVC Points

I've rented DVC points three times so far, and enjoyed each time. We first rented DVC points last August. I'd read about it and thought, why not? I'd always wanted to stay at WL, and it seemed like the most affordable option available. There's a great "DVC - Rent/Trade" board here on DIS. For this trip, I was able to find a person to rent from for $9/point. We needed 70 points, so the total wound up being $630. That's $126/night (including tax) for a studio at VWL! I priced it on the Disney site, and regular price it would've been $330/night plus tax and even with the 40% pin it would've been $198/night plus tax. Uh, yeah...we got a pretty sweet deal!

Hitting the Orbitz Jackpot

We were planning on staying at POR for our last night. We knew we didn't want to rent points over Friday or Saturday, and figured doing one night someplace else wouldn't be terrible. We received a pin and I booked POR for $125.21/night including tax. Good for a moderate, not great compared to my VWL DVC rate, but okay. Well, one of my friends on Facebook made a comment about finding a super cheap deal on Orbitz a few weeks ago. Well, of course I had to go check it out. Once there, I literally squealed with joy. They were listing a garden view room at the Poly for $149.15/night after tax! The rack rate is $411/night including tax. The 40% rate is $249/night including tax. So, we basically got 40% off the already discounted 40% rate. Squeeee!!!! Either Orbitz was running a pretty dang good sale that day, or someone got fired for a pretty big whoops. Either way, we're staying at the Poly for one night!! Yeah, a part of me wishes I hadn't rented points (no refund policy w/ my agreement) and stayed the entire week at the Poly. Le pooh. Oh well, one night is better than nothing at the Poly!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[wdwgirl03]

I'm here!

Soooo jealous about your one night at the Poly. You are right, one night is better than nothing! You better take tons of pictures. haha!

Still a bummer we'll miss each other. It would've been fun to have a DIS meet.

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

I'm here!

Soooo jealous about your one night at the Poly. You are right, one night is better than nothing! You better take tons of pictures. haha!

Still a bummer we'll miss each other. It would've been fun to have a DIS meet.

Hey Sarah!!

Trust me, I'll take an obscene amount of pictures at the Poly. I can't wait!! I've only been there one other time, but we've never stayed there. Even Aaron's excited. WOO!!

I know. One day, we WILL do a DIS meet.

 

[ljcrochet]

I can't wait to here about the rest of your plans.

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

I can't wait to here about the rest of your plans.

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

Let me start off by saying we have NEVER stuck to an itinerary. Ever. It doesn't matter how much fun I have creating them, it just never works. I don't get it. I even signed up for another site that has touring plans and it just doesn't work. Of course, I continue signing up for it b/c it's Disney related. Yeah, I'm crazy like that. That said, I'm still going to make one. I know the general days that we want to go/avoid/etc...


Sunday, 8/22

Our flight leaves at 9:50am -- thank goodness it's a nonstop. I'm not an easy flyer...until I pull out my good 'ol friend Mr. Xanax. We're scheduled to arrive MCO at 12:05pm. We're renting a car (we like to eat off-site at times, yeah, I know) so we'll grab the car and head over to Walmart for some necessities (milk, cereal, pop, water, etc...).

We're hoping to arrive at WL around 2ish, but 3ish may be more realistic. We'll see. I'm also hoping we'll be able to get into our room earlier than 4pm. Each time we've stayed at VWL, we've had pretty good luck with that. If we have to wait, we'll probably go down to Roaring Forks to grab a bite to eat. Once we get into the room, DH will undoubtedly take a nap while I go exploring/swimming/pin trading/whatever.

MK is having evening EMH, so we'll probably head over there around 6. I know a lot of places don't recommend doing evening EMH, but I absolutely LOVE it. We've never really experienced a huge crowd issue. Plus, it's always a blast being able to stay at MK until the wee hours of the night. Oh, and I love eating dinner at Peco Bill's at 10 pm. Something about it excites me. Yep, I'm a nerd.

Just so my PTR isn't full of my long-winded ramblings, here are some photos from our first day during our trip last August for your enjoyment:

Aw, DH was SO excited to get his picture taken w/ Humphrey and the gang. NOT!

DH crashed as soon as he got to the room. Just looking at him laying on the comforter gives me the creeps. Dateline, anyone? I have an irrational fear of hotel comforters thanks to that.

While Aaron slept, I stalked some newlyweds getting pics taken. Yeah, I have no shame.

I also took a few pics of the WL.

We made it to MK around 7ish that evening.

Swoon...the castle! It looks way more crowded than it actually was that night.

And one more, for good measure.

 

[heathers4um]

Hi Kirsten!

I'm Heather and I think we are Disney Soul Mates. And our hubby's...well, lets just say I think they would understand eachother.

Subscribing....

Oh...and I am planning a trip too - the tiara just made my list of must-do's!

My DFiance hasnt been to Disney ever so I am working HARD to make this an out of his world experience complete some Disney only garb for our Owners Locker (we just closed on our own DVC points)! I have our itinerary all drawn up and flights and dining ressies all taken care of - this is an adults only trip celebrating his first trip, our first trip as DVC'ers, our first adults only trip ever and my 40th birthday...I have the list of shows I want to hit and the not to miss rides...I think I will convince him!

I have a 17 yr old Prince and he has a 20 & an18 yr old Prince, and an 8 yr old Princess...I am SURE we will get to make good use of those points! BTW - shes never been either.

Sorry I hijacked your thread...I will go make my own now...

 

[Nermel9]

I'm in!

I know what you mean about hotel comforters...I always pull them down before I even sit on a bed!

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

Hi Kirsten!

I'm Heather and I think we are Disney Soul Mates. And our hubby's...well, lets just say I think they would understand eachother.

Subscribing....

Oh...and I am planning a trip too - the tiara just made my list of must-do's!

My DFiance hasnt been to Disney ever so I am working HARD to make this an out of his world experience complete some Disney only garb for our Owners Locker (we just closed on our own DVC points)! I have our itinerary all drawn up and flights and dining ressies all taken care of - this is an adults only trip celebrating his first trip, our first trip as DVC'ers, our first adults only trip ever and my 40th birthday...I have the list of shows I want to hit and the not to miss rides...I think I will convince him!

I have a 17 yr old Prince and he has a 20 & an18 yr old Prince, and an 8 yr old Princess...I am SURE we will get to make good use of those points! BTW - shes never been either.

Sorry I hijacked your thread...I will go make my own now...

Hi Heather...welcome!! You absolutely MUST do the tiara. It was a blast! I even had a coronation ceremony at the shop we bought them...very royal. Congrats on closing on DVC, where is your home resort? I can't wait to buy DVC. Sadly, that won't be for awhile -- DH just graduated and is currently finishing up an internship. I'll live vicariously through you!

Ooh, I bet you can't wait to take your 8yo for her first trip. That's one of the things I look forward to the most -- taking my kids (which we haven't had yet) for their first visit. So fun!!!

I hope you start a PTR...I want to read all about your plans!!

I'm in!

I know what you mean about hotel comforters...I always pull them down before I even sit on a bed!

Welcome!!

Yep, I'm the same way. One of the first things I typically do is pull off the comforter. ::shudders:: Everyone in my family things I'm nuts.

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

Day Two

We'll start off the day by eating breakfast in the room. We just do quick things, like bagels and cereal. We'll probably head over to Epcot in the AM. It's definitely not our favorite park, but I've always had a lot of fun pin trading there. I also love riding SSE, TT and Maelstrom (not sure why, but it's definitely a favorite). We usually do a really quick tour of the World Showcase --quick as in we cover the whole thing in an hour. Not sure where the Epcot aversion stems from, maybe years of spending countless hours being dragged through the WS with my family. Drove me NUTS!!!

Before leaving Epcot, we'll probably do lunch at Sunshine Seasons. I ate there for the first time in January and really enjoyed it. The salmon was way better than I was expecting. After lunch, we'll head back to WL for an afternoon break. It gets crazy hot and DH will get grumpier if we don't take a break. It's actually nice to relax, take a shower and pin trade a bit back at the resort. That August humidity is BRUTAL!

AK is having evening EMH, so we'll be heading over there after we're all rested up. I'm a little bummed that it doesn't get dark until after 8 (when AK closes). I absolutely LOVE riding AK at night -- highly recommended. The view at the top (before you go backwards) is awesome. Plus, if you strain your neck when you're going up the big hill you can see Cinderella's Castle. Love!

Gratuitous pictures of the day:

DH sharing his feelings about Epcot

Last August, we brought along Flat Rachel (my BFF -- who couldn't go b/c she had just had a baby). Here she is enjoying KS:

EE at dusk

More AK at night...swoon!

Bootleg picture from EE

 

[HeatherBelle614]

Followed you over from my PTR! Hiiii!!!

I'm a bargain shopper, too! I refuse to pay full price for anything! I <3 renting DVC points, too. I don't know if I will ever go again without renting. (Well, until we can buy our own.) What a great deal for that night at the Poly, too! You have to make sure to have a ton of free time that day to explore and enjoy the resort!

We'll be at AK for PM EMH for the first time this year; I've heard it is absolutely beautiful, and that picture you posted is fantastic! I can't wait to see it in the dark!

 

[monymony3471]

Hi Kristen,

I too followed you over from my trip report. Its fun reading other trip reports, especially when you will be there at the same time.

I so very briefly looked into renting points, and now it seems I should learn more about renting dvc points. My sister is a dvc owner, sigh.

I literally have sat up from sleeping waking my husband because I think I know how I can find a better bargain.

Your pictures are great! What kind of camera did you or do you use?

 

[Nermel9]

You don't like Epcot? I love it, it's probably my favorite park! I agree though, WS is boring when you're a kid, when I went back in 2008 for my first "adult" trip, we skipped WS all together, I didn't really appreciate it until last November, but now it's probably one of my favorite places in all of Disney! I LOVE Maelstrom, it's definitely one of my favorites!

I can't wait to go to evening magic hours at AK, I finally get a chance to this November! I hope it's dark when I go, I'd love to see Cinderella castle from EE!

 

[Legendofthehawk]

Hi there! Early subscriber this time around.
Grats on converting the disney hater! lol.

So jealous about your 40 off 40 poly stay! Hope you guys take a lot of pics!

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

Followed you over from my PTR! Hiiii!!!

I'm a bargain shopper, too! I refuse to pay full price for anything! I <3 renting DVC points, too. I don't know if I will ever go again without renting. (Well, until we can buy our own.) What a great deal for that night at the Poly, too! You have to make sure to have a ton of free time that day to explore and enjoy the resort!

We'll be at AK for PM EMH for the first time this year; I've heard it is absolutely beautiful, and that picture you posted is fantastic! I can't wait to see it in the dark!

Ha, that's exactly how I am! It seriously pains me when I have to pay full price. Isn't renting DVC points great? It's really easy and you save SO much money. It's great. Hopefully, I'll be able to convince DH to buy DVC at some point in our lives. ::crosses fingers::

I couldn't believe the deal on the Poly. As soon as I saw it I had to snatch it up. There was a huge thread on it during the 24 hour period it happened. I felt so bad, some people just missed out on the great rate by minutes.

Oh, you'll absolutely LOVE AK in the evening. It's so gorgeous.

Hi Kristen,

I too followed you over from my trip report. Its fun reading other trip reports, especially when you will be there at the same time.

I so very briefly looked into renting points, and now it seems I should learn more about renting dvc points. My sister is a dvc owner, sigh.

I literally have sat up from sleeping waking my husband because I think I know how I can find a better bargain.

Your pictures are great! What kind of camera did you or do you use?

Howdy! I'm becoming obsessed w/ reading PTR/TRs...especially when I'm procrastinating at work. Shhh...don't tell.

If you ever want any help about renting points, let me know! It's super easy and makes staying deluxe affordable!

Oh my gosh, I know exactly what you mean! I'll grab my phone and start searching deals in the middle of the night. HA!!! At least we're not alone.

Thanks! I use a point and shoot Canon Powershot SD780 IS (I only know that b/c my camera is sitting right in front of me, haha). I'm completely photographically illiterate and even I can use it. It's a great camera!

You don't like Epcot? I love it, it's probably my favorite park! I agree though, WS is boring when you're a kid, when I went back in 2008 for my first "adult" trip, we skipped WS all together, I didn't really appreciate it until last November, but now it's probably one of my favorite places in all of Disney! I LOVE Maelstrom, it's definitely one of my favorites!

I can't wait to go to evening magic hours at AK, I finally get a chance to this November! I hope it's dark when I go, I'd love to see Cinderella castle from EE!

Ha, yeah...we're like two of the ten people who hate Epcot. Although, I did enjoy it during the F&WF. I feel like we should try to give it another chance. DH is a pretty picky eater, so that doesn't help. Plus, he can't understand why I like Maelstrom so much. I love it!!

Ooh, yay!! It's such a different experience at night. Swoon!!!

Hi there! Early subscriber this time around.
Grats on converting the disney hater! lol.

So jealous about your 40 off 40 poly stay! Hope you guys take a lot of pics!

Thanks for stopping by! Haha, I think it's still a work in progress. But, the fact that we wanted to go back is a HUGE step. Right?

Isn't that a crazy deal?? I'm really amazed I actually got to take advantage of it. Usually, I'm the person who misses out by a few seconds. I'll make sure to take TONS of pics.

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

WARNING: OFF TOPIC!!

I'm pretty bad about going off topic, so I apologize in advance. I can be really random at times. But, I just had to share about our adventure into the world of Dog. I never thought I'd be one of THOSE people. You know, the ones who talk about their animals an obscene amount. Well, I totally am. We recently (Memorial Day weekend) got a four week old Siberian Husky, named Mishka. We already had two stubborn cats, and for some crazy reason we thought it would be great to get a dog. Um...clearly we weren't thinking. She's a really sweetheart, but she loves to chew, and chew, and chew some more. Here's just a small list of things she likes to eat:

• Toys
• Socks
• Feet
• Towels
• Paper
• Flesh
• Apples
• Tomatoes
• Lettuce
• Grass

Needless to say, she's quite a handful...especially for our first dog ever. She's really smart, though. She's just about potty trained -- never even pooped in the house! Yeah, sometimes it's the little things. We're starting her in puppy kindergarten this Thursday. I'm really hoping she's not one of those crazy dogs who flunks out. It should be interesting!

Here are so pictures:

The day we first got her.

Cuddled up with DH

Snuggling w/ Mr. Coon -- her FAVORITE toy

Giving the side eye to someone at the park

Most recent pic

 

[Nermel9]

OMG you're dog is absolutely adorable!!! I want to get a dog sooooo bad, but I have 3 cats who go crazy any time a dog is around, so it's not going to happen! I hate upsetting my poor kitties!

And yes, I am one of THOSE people too...I talk about my cats constantly!

 

[monymony3471]

The dog grew as I progressed through the pictures. Adorable!

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

OMG you're dog is absolutely adorable!!! I want to get a dog sooooo bad, but I have 3 cats who go crazy any time a dog is around, so it's not going to happen! I hate upsetting my poor kitties!

And yes, I am one of THOSE people too...I talk about my cats constantly!

Aw, thanks! She's definitely a handful, but we love her...most of the time, anyway. Our cats weren't thrilled when we brought Mishka home. I think they're still confused why she keeps getting bigger and bigger. It's pretty funny.

Ha, so glad I'm not the only one!

The dog grew as I progressed through the pictures. Adorable!

It's crazy. I swear she's bigger each morning when we wake up. I hate to see how big she's going to be.