faline
12-10-2009, 07:29 PM
Cast of Characters
Gene
Me
DB
DSIL
DN - Sam - 2
Back in August, Gene and I took a trip to Disney World. It was at the tail end of our annual passes which expired the day before we left the world. In fact, part of our trip was a free dining package which included a one day ticket which we intended to use on the last day of our trip, after our annual passes had expired, Instead, Gene was not feeling well so we didn’t visit a park on that day. That turned out to be a fortuitous happenstance.
Over the last year, my brother had been “thinking” about going on a vacation. He considered going to Disney. He considered going to an island. He considered doing a combination of both. He did not make a decision.
A few days after we returned to normal life – work, eat, sleep, repeat – I receive an e-mail from my brother. He had Melissa at Magical Journeys put a courtesy hold on a room an Animal Kingdom Lodge for early December. That was followed by an e-mail saying he had gotten decent airfare which decided it for him and they were going to Disney. He had Melissa book his room. Were we sure we wouldn’t like to go along?
Let’s see? No trip planned to Disney in the foreseeable future? A visit with our two year old nephew? Can we pull this off? Should we pull this off? I check airfares – not terrific but not horrible either. An e-mail to Melissa proves we can book free dining at the same resort for the same time frame – did I tell you Magical Journeys can work magic?! Do we have enough time off? Tickets? We have a one day ticket left over for our last trip. We’ll have a one day ticket if we book a new package with free dining. Plus we purchased a 10 day non-expiring ticket several years ago. I believe we have three days left on that ticket – at the very least, we have two days left so we have 4 or 5 days worth of tickets. Let’s do it! Besides, who can resist a trip to Disney World with a two year old?
Okay. We book a five night stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge Savannah view – free dining- and request a king-bed room . Based on our time off availability, we will arrive a day later than my brother’s family and will leave a day earlier. Once booked, there are a flurry of e-mails back and forth with my brother asking specific information about a variety of Disney related topics. This is their trip so they pick where they want to dine and when. Based on their dining options as well what I know about the parade filming, I suggest an itinerary which they like and accept.
We also offer to stay with our nephew one evening so mom and dad can have an adult’s night out. That offer is quickly accepted and they book an evening out the day after we arrive!
So things in the pre-planning stages look like this. My brother and his family arrive on Thursday afternoon, December 3rd. They book Boma for this evening and my brother talks about visiting a park as well. I suggest this might be unrealistic given their arrival time and their reservation time.
We are scheduled to arrive late on Friday evening, the 4th. That day, my brother’s family have scheduled dinner at Mama Melrose’s. I ‘ve suggested they spend the day at Animal Kingdom, take an afternoon rest and then head to the Osborne Lights before dinner.
Saturday is for Disney Studios. My DB and DSIL have planned dinner at Narcoosee’s. I think we might check out the animals on the Savannah; the story teller at the fire fit or some other activity with Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Sunday is for Epcot. My DSIL has gotten a Chef Mickey’s reservation for 10:55 a.m. with was the earliest she could get. That really cuts into the day. Additionally, she has booked Coral Reef for 6:15 p.m.
Monday is a return to Animal Kingdom. I was able to reserve Chef Mickey’s for this day at 9:40 a.m. which is better than 10:55 a.m. but, since they’ve also booked a character breakfast for the next morning, they are not crazy about having two breakfasts in a row – particularly since my DB is not a breakfast person. That evening, they have booked California Grill.
Tuesday, they have scheduled Crystal Palace at 9:10 a.m. Therefore, this will be a Magic Kingdom day. I would have liked to plan a Magic Kingdom day earlier in the trip but, given the parade taping as well as the dining schedule, it seemed to fit best here. My DB and family have reservations this evening at T-Rex while Gene and I plan to head to Mickey’s Christmas party this evening.
Wednesday is the end of our trip and we fly home at the end of this day but it is scheduled as another Magic Kingdom day – you can’t have too many Magic Kingdom days with a two year old. We’ll need to leave mid-afternoon for our flight and my brother’s family is scheduled to head to Le Cellier for dinner.
On Thursday, my brother’s family is scheduled to head home. The plan for the day is left to whatever they feel they still need to take in.
My brother stated more that once that this trip is not go at all about what they do or not do but all about their son and what he will enjoy.
For the three months since we made these plans, I tried for a better Chef Mickey’s reservation. Two days before we left, I was able to secure a Sunday morning reservation for 8:25 a.m.! I was thrilled!
Stay tuned and I’ll tell you how it all turned out!
Gene
Me
DB
DSIL
DN - Sam - 2
Back in August, Gene and I took a trip to Disney World. It was at the tail end of our annual passes which expired the day before we left the world. In fact, part of our trip was a free dining package which included a one day ticket which we intended to use on the last day of our trip, after our annual passes had expired, Instead, Gene was not feeling well so we didn’t visit a park on that day. That turned out to be a fortuitous happenstance.
Over the last year, my brother had been “thinking” about going on a vacation. He considered going to Disney. He considered going to an island. He considered doing a combination of both. He did not make a decision.
A few days after we returned to normal life – work, eat, sleep, repeat – I receive an e-mail from my brother. He had Melissa at Magical Journeys put a courtesy hold on a room an Animal Kingdom Lodge for early December. That was followed by an e-mail saying he had gotten decent airfare which decided it for him and they were going to Disney. He had Melissa book his room. Were we sure we wouldn’t like to go along?
Let’s see? No trip planned to Disney in the foreseeable future? A visit with our two year old nephew? Can we pull this off? Should we pull this off? I check airfares – not terrific but not horrible either. An e-mail to Melissa proves we can book free dining at the same resort for the same time frame – did I tell you Magical Journeys can work magic?! Do we have enough time off? Tickets? We have a one day ticket left over for our last trip. We’ll have a one day ticket if we book a new package with free dining. Plus we purchased a 10 day non-expiring ticket several years ago. I believe we have three days left on that ticket – at the very least, we have two days left so we have 4 or 5 days worth of tickets. Let’s do it! Besides, who can resist a trip to Disney World with a two year old?
Okay. We book a five night stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge Savannah view – free dining- and request a king-bed room . Based on our time off availability, we will arrive a day later than my brother’s family and will leave a day earlier. Once booked, there are a flurry of e-mails back and forth with my brother asking specific information about a variety of Disney related topics. This is their trip so they pick where they want to dine and when. Based on their dining options as well what I know about the parade filming, I suggest an itinerary which they like and accept.
We also offer to stay with our nephew one evening so mom and dad can have an adult’s night out. That offer is quickly accepted and they book an evening out the day after we arrive!
So things in the pre-planning stages look like this. My brother and his family arrive on Thursday afternoon, December 3rd. They book Boma for this evening and my brother talks about visiting a park as well. I suggest this might be unrealistic given their arrival time and their reservation time.
We are scheduled to arrive late on Friday evening, the 4th. That day, my brother’s family have scheduled dinner at Mama Melrose’s. I ‘ve suggested they spend the day at Animal Kingdom, take an afternoon rest and then head to the Osborne Lights before dinner.
Saturday is for Disney Studios. My DB and DSIL have planned dinner at Narcoosee’s. I think we might check out the animals on the Savannah; the story teller at the fire fit or some other activity with Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Sunday is for Epcot. My DSIL has gotten a Chef Mickey’s reservation for 10:55 a.m. with was the earliest she could get. That really cuts into the day. Additionally, she has booked Coral Reef for 6:15 p.m.
Monday is a return to Animal Kingdom. I was able to reserve Chef Mickey’s for this day at 9:40 a.m. which is better than 10:55 a.m. but, since they’ve also booked a character breakfast for the next morning, they are not crazy about having two breakfasts in a row – particularly since my DB is not a breakfast person. That evening, they have booked California Grill.
Tuesday, they have scheduled Crystal Palace at 9:10 a.m. Therefore, this will be a Magic Kingdom day. I would have liked to plan a Magic Kingdom day earlier in the trip but, given the parade taping as well as the dining schedule, it seemed to fit best here. My DB and family have reservations this evening at T-Rex while Gene and I plan to head to Mickey’s Christmas party this evening.
Wednesday is the end of our trip and we fly home at the end of this day but it is scheduled as another Magic Kingdom day – you can’t have too many Magic Kingdom days with a two year old. We’ll need to leave mid-afternoon for our flight and my brother’s family is scheduled to head to Le Cellier for dinner.
On Thursday, my brother’s family is scheduled to head home. The plan for the day is left to whatever they feel they still need to take in.
My brother stated more that once that this trip is not go at all about what they do or not do but all about their son and what he will enjoy.
For the three months since we made these plans, I tried for a better Chef Mickey’s reservation. Two days before we left, I was able to secure a Sunday morning reservation for 8:25 a.m.! I was thrilled!
Stay tuned and I’ll tell you how it all turned out!