Dsnygirl
07-31-2011, 07:29 PM
I'm so excited to be able to be writing this trip report... even though I got the chance to be back in my "happy place" with some girlfriends in January, my little family and I haven't been in almost 2 years, and we're going for our longest trip yet. :cloud9: So, the excitement is building & I just can't wait!! 16 days to go!
Cast of characters:
Me, Dsnygirl - 43 - hopeless Disney fanatic who would travel to the World every few months if she could....
DH, also known as CaptJackSparrow (but who is rarely on the boards) - 44 - lover of Disney (esp. Disney golf) but who is able to keep it under control until a few weeks before we leave...
DD1 - 12, turning 13 on this trip - following closely in her mother's footsteps re: all things Disney, animal lover who plans on picking the brains of any and all AK CM's she encounters, and future Intercot member...
DD2 - 10 - funny & crazy lover of all rides fast OR slow (but esp. RnRC, LOVES that ride...) and goes full-tilt from the moment her feet hit the floor in the morning. Definitely going to have to slow this child down for our trip...
Trip dates: August 18 - August 29 at Disney, with a travel day on the 17th for the girls and I, and two travel dates on the 30th/31st for the girls and I, as well. (We are driving, just the 3 of us, as airfare at the time we were booking it was over $1600 for the four of us!! Yikes!! DH is flying to conserve on vacation days...)
So -- to the trip -- the girls and I will leave at o'dark hundred the morning of Wednesday, the 17th... in real-time, that probably converts to about 7am. We're planning to go for about 12 hours, hitting our reserved hotel in SC at about 7 or 7:30pm for dinner and a bit of pool time. No major stops planned, just time to gas up and stretch our legs... maybe a few scenic stops in the mountains, if we can find some set out for pictures and views.
The next morning, we plan to be out of the hotel after bkfst (included, which is nice..) by 7:30 or 8am, and hoping to be at our home away from home (the Caribbean Beach Resort) by 2:30 or 3pm. We are taking the Central Florida GreeneWay loop around Orlando, which depending on which exit we take, dumps us off near CBR or closer to Epcot.
(Still have to figure out which exit will allow us to go under the "Walt Disney World" sign, as I promised I would FINALLY get that elusive picture you can never get from the ME buses, or in towncar! ;) Anybody know the answer to this??)
Anyway... after we've checked in and unpacked, we're headed to the pool to relax, find some dinner and wait for my DH to arrive... his plane arrives around 7pm and he's going to take ME to us... I promised to waiting, drink in hand. :marg: He is most excited to be arriving AFTER all the unpacking/putting away has happened, so he can just step immediately into "relax mode".... hopefully, he'll be able to find everything we've unpacked for him. :blush:
From this point on, there's not much of a set plan... we do have ADR's for each day, but even these are open to change as far as we're concerned. I have always been an UBER planner for our past trips, and it has served us well -- but this time, knowing we're walking into what for us will be record heat and the need to take things more slowly -- we have really backed off on any specifics.
That being said -- here are our ideas, in a nutshell. (Well, let's say a big nutshell... I am nothing if not wordy, even when I'm trying not to be...)
Our first day will start with bkfst at CP -- it has become a tradition for us, and our favorite way to say, "Ahhhhh... we're home." We will spend most of the day at MK, soaking in the magic, with a brief trip over to AKL for dinner and to spend a bit of time re-visiting what has become a favorite resort of ours. (and to find some zebra domes.... LOVE them...) Then it'll be back to MK to meet up with some friends old & new, catch the ELP (first time for the girls and I, I only caught glimpses in January... and a nostalgic "look back" for my DH who hasn't seen it since he was a boy) and Wishes before staying as late as we can handle it for EMH.
This is probably a good point to say I'm not sure which way our trip will go, as far as park touring... whether we're going to fall into the category of folks who do everything in the early morning hours and head to bed on the earlier side to accommodate that, or whether we'll be more of the "night owl" crew who stays for all the EMH and then sleeps in to catch up. Right now, I'm guessing it will be a mix of the two... I'd really like a few leisurely mornings at the resort to just have a walk around the lake and enjoy the ambience we love so much... and my DD2 shockingly announced the other day that she'd like nothing better than the chance to lay in a hammock on the beach there, reading her book. :jaw: So, we'll see how it goes -- right now, we're open for whatever works for us.
We will be meeting some new friends and catching up with some old ones... there is nothing better than spending time at Disney with people you love, who love being there as much as you do!! Looking forward in a BIG way to matching faces with names and making new friends, and even more to hugging and re-connecting with some people that hold very close & special places in our hearts. :cloud9:
We have two days set aside for the waterparks... my DH and I have been before, but the girls have not, and to say they are excited to check them out is quite the understatement. Which days we choose to go to them will be dependent on the weather, of course, and as we're getting the WPF&M passes, we're hoping to be able to just "pop over" once or twice besides those days, just to snorkel w/ the sharks again and ride a few things in the heat of the day & cool off. Since we will have our car for the first time ever, this ought to make it quite easy, esp. since both waterparks are pretty close to CBR. :thumbsup:
We are planning on also giving Disney Quest a go, seeing as it will be a part of our passes... we're "saving it" for a rainy, wash-out day, but the girls like what they've heard about it enough to say that they'd really like to check it out, even if we don't have a day like that. So -- we'll see, maybe in the evening sometime.
Another first for us will be renting SeaRaycers or water mice... we've said every trip that we'd like to do this, but never seem to have found the time... this trip, we're really aiming to do it, and I think it will be a blast!! I'd also like to give parasailing a go, but we'll see... my DH will NEVER do it, as he's afraid of heights... and my girls would love to, but again, we'll see how the timing goes. I think it would be so amazing to be up on the Seven Seas Lagoon or Bay Lake, looking down at MK and the resorts!!
Like I mentioned, my DD1 turns 13 while we are at Disney, and this for her is SO exciting. She gets to pick what we do for the entire day, including where we eat, and she has chosen the San Angel Inn for dinner, so far. She has loved the look of that restaurant from the first day we stepped inside Mexico!! We are going to surprise her with a Mickey Mouse b'day cake (good thing she's not on the boards here yet to read that!) and we have close friends who live in the area joining us, as well. :party: Other than that & seeing Illuminations, as well as getting a pearl necklace or earrings in Japan at the "pick a pearl" exhibit, she has nothing else spoken for, so we'll just go with the flow for her that day.
We are FINALLY getting to the HDDR this trip... and what a deal, as we're going during the "free dining" promotion, so it couldn't really get any better!! I'm excited to finally see it, after hearing such wonderful things... next trip, it'll be the luau at the Poly.
My DH, being the golf lover that he is, has of course fit in some tee times... he is planning on leaving us before the birds are even up on two mornings, to go out and chase that elusive white ball on Disney's Palm & Magnolia courses. He is also planning on golfing with a friend (our friends who live right in Celebration, lucky ducks...) at Oak Trail one of our wknd mornings, but we're leaving that open to when they can jointly find a tee time. He's never played with anyone he's known down there, so I think it'll be fun for him! The girls and I will be on our own those mornings, and we seem to usually end up at AK... it's my DH's least favorite park, so he doesn't mind missing the early morning safari and his biggest requirement is hitting FTBbq for lunch, so by the time he arrives we're usually ready for that and all is good.
The one last special thing that is new to us that we've reserved is a "dessert" ADR at the Cali Grill... we've never been, and are really looking forward to finally catching Wishes from there, while enjoying what sound like some awesome treats. It's been a "must do" for many trips that just always got put aside -- but not this time!!
Other than those specifics, we're planning nothing more than soaking up the magic, seeing our favorite shows and riding our favorite rides as much as possible... lots of character interaction and fireworks, and there are quite a few new treats we'd like to find and try, such as the carrot cake cookie at the Writer's Stop in DHS and some caramels in Germany. You should see my list....
We have some favorite ADR's (CP, Boma, 'Ohana for both bkfst AND dinner, Kona Cafe for bkfst) and some new ones we're looking forward to (Chefs de France, Y&Y, San Angel Inn, the Plaza, House of Blues) and as far as CS meals, it'll be a game time decision, although we do have our favorites.
Last but not least, we're just looking forward the most to getting away... to the unbelievable magic and escape that Disney affords us while we are there. Even in the heat, we will be "home", and it will be wonderful.
Cast of characters:
Me, Dsnygirl - 43 - hopeless Disney fanatic who would travel to the World every few months if she could....
DH, also known as CaptJackSparrow (but who is rarely on the boards) - 44 - lover of Disney (esp. Disney golf) but who is able to keep it under control until a few weeks before we leave...
DD1 - 12, turning 13 on this trip - following closely in her mother's footsteps re: all things Disney, animal lover who plans on picking the brains of any and all AK CM's she encounters, and future Intercot member...
DD2 - 10 - funny & crazy lover of all rides fast OR slow (but esp. RnRC, LOVES that ride...) and goes full-tilt from the moment her feet hit the floor in the morning. Definitely going to have to slow this child down for our trip...
Trip dates: August 18 - August 29 at Disney, with a travel day on the 17th for the girls and I, and two travel dates on the 30th/31st for the girls and I, as well. (We are driving, just the 3 of us, as airfare at the time we were booking it was over $1600 for the four of us!! Yikes!! DH is flying to conserve on vacation days...)
So -- to the trip -- the girls and I will leave at o'dark hundred the morning of Wednesday, the 17th... in real-time, that probably converts to about 7am. We're planning to go for about 12 hours, hitting our reserved hotel in SC at about 7 or 7:30pm for dinner and a bit of pool time. No major stops planned, just time to gas up and stretch our legs... maybe a few scenic stops in the mountains, if we can find some set out for pictures and views.
The next morning, we plan to be out of the hotel after bkfst (included, which is nice..) by 7:30 or 8am, and hoping to be at our home away from home (the Caribbean Beach Resort) by 2:30 or 3pm. We are taking the Central Florida GreeneWay loop around Orlando, which depending on which exit we take, dumps us off near CBR or closer to Epcot.
(Still have to figure out which exit will allow us to go under the "Walt Disney World" sign, as I promised I would FINALLY get that elusive picture you can never get from the ME buses, or in towncar! ;) Anybody know the answer to this??)
Anyway... after we've checked in and unpacked, we're headed to the pool to relax, find some dinner and wait for my DH to arrive... his plane arrives around 7pm and he's going to take ME to us... I promised to waiting, drink in hand. :marg: He is most excited to be arriving AFTER all the unpacking/putting away has happened, so he can just step immediately into "relax mode".... hopefully, he'll be able to find everything we've unpacked for him. :blush:
From this point on, there's not much of a set plan... we do have ADR's for each day, but even these are open to change as far as we're concerned. I have always been an UBER planner for our past trips, and it has served us well -- but this time, knowing we're walking into what for us will be record heat and the need to take things more slowly -- we have really backed off on any specifics.
That being said -- here are our ideas, in a nutshell. (Well, let's say a big nutshell... I am nothing if not wordy, even when I'm trying not to be...)
Our first day will start with bkfst at CP -- it has become a tradition for us, and our favorite way to say, "Ahhhhh... we're home." We will spend most of the day at MK, soaking in the magic, with a brief trip over to AKL for dinner and to spend a bit of time re-visiting what has become a favorite resort of ours. (and to find some zebra domes.... LOVE them...) Then it'll be back to MK to meet up with some friends old & new, catch the ELP (first time for the girls and I, I only caught glimpses in January... and a nostalgic "look back" for my DH who hasn't seen it since he was a boy) and Wishes before staying as late as we can handle it for EMH.
This is probably a good point to say I'm not sure which way our trip will go, as far as park touring... whether we're going to fall into the category of folks who do everything in the early morning hours and head to bed on the earlier side to accommodate that, or whether we'll be more of the "night owl" crew who stays for all the EMH and then sleeps in to catch up. Right now, I'm guessing it will be a mix of the two... I'd really like a few leisurely mornings at the resort to just have a walk around the lake and enjoy the ambience we love so much... and my DD2 shockingly announced the other day that she'd like nothing better than the chance to lay in a hammock on the beach there, reading her book. :jaw: So, we'll see how it goes -- right now, we're open for whatever works for us.
We will be meeting some new friends and catching up with some old ones... there is nothing better than spending time at Disney with people you love, who love being there as much as you do!! Looking forward in a BIG way to matching faces with names and making new friends, and even more to hugging and re-connecting with some people that hold very close & special places in our hearts. :cloud9:
We have two days set aside for the waterparks... my DH and I have been before, but the girls have not, and to say they are excited to check them out is quite the understatement. Which days we choose to go to them will be dependent on the weather, of course, and as we're getting the WPF&M passes, we're hoping to be able to just "pop over" once or twice besides those days, just to snorkel w/ the sharks again and ride a few things in the heat of the day & cool off. Since we will have our car for the first time ever, this ought to make it quite easy, esp. since both waterparks are pretty close to CBR. :thumbsup:
We are planning on also giving Disney Quest a go, seeing as it will be a part of our passes... we're "saving it" for a rainy, wash-out day, but the girls like what they've heard about it enough to say that they'd really like to check it out, even if we don't have a day like that. So -- we'll see, maybe in the evening sometime.
Another first for us will be renting SeaRaycers or water mice... we've said every trip that we'd like to do this, but never seem to have found the time... this trip, we're really aiming to do it, and I think it will be a blast!! I'd also like to give parasailing a go, but we'll see... my DH will NEVER do it, as he's afraid of heights... and my girls would love to, but again, we'll see how the timing goes. I think it would be so amazing to be up on the Seven Seas Lagoon or Bay Lake, looking down at MK and the resorts!!
Like I mentioned, my DD1 turns 13 while we are at Disney, and this for her is SO exciting. She gets to pick what we do for the entire day, including where we eat, and she has chosen the San Angel Inn for dinner, so far. She has loved the look of that restaurant from the first day we stepped inside Mexico!! We are going to surprise her with a Mickey Mouse b'day cake (good thing she's not on the boards here yet to read that!) and we have close friends who live in the area joining us, as well. :party: Other than that & seeing Illuminations, as well as getting a pearl necklace or earrings in Japan at the "pick a pearl" exhibit, she has nothing else spoken for, so we'll just go with the flow for her that day.
We are FINALLY getting to the HDDR this trip... and what a deal, as we're going during the "free dining" promotion, so it couldn't really get any better!! I'm excited to finally see it, after hearing such wonderful things... next trip, it'll be the luau at the Poly.
My DH, being the golf lover that he is, has of course fit in some tee times... he is planning on leaving us before the birds are even up on two mornings, to go out and chase that elusive white ball on Disney's Palm & Magnolia courses. He is also planning on golfing with a friend (our friends who live right in Celebration, lucky ducks...) at Oak Trail one of our wknd mornings, but we're leaving that open to when they can jointly find a tee time. He's never played with anyone he's known down there, so I think it'll be fun for him! The girls and I will be on our own those mornings, and we seem to usually end up at AK... it's my DH's least favorite park, so he doesn't mind missing the early morning safari and his biggest requirement is hitting FTBbq for lunch, so by the time he arrives we're usually ready for that and all is good.
The one last special thing that is new to us that we've reserved is a "dessert" ADR at the Cali Grill... we've never been, and are really looking forward to finally catching Wishes from there, while enjoying what sound like some awesome treats. It's been a "must do" for many trips that just always got put aside -- but not this time!!
Other than those specifics, we're planning nothing more than soaking up the magic, seeing our favorite shows and riding our favorite rides as much as possible... lots of character interaction and fireworks, and there are quite a few new treats we'd like to find and try, such as the carrot cake cookie at the Writer's Stop in DHS and some caramels in Germany. You should see my list....
We have some favorite ADR's (CP, Boma, 'Ohana for both bkfst AND dinner, Kona Cafe for bkfst) and some new ones we're looking forward to (Chefs de France, Y&Y, San Angel Inn, the Plaza, House of Blues) and as far as CS meals, it'll be a game time decision, although we do have our favorites.
Last but not least, we're just looking forward the most to getting away... to the unbelievable magic and escape that Disney affords us while we are there. Even in the heat, we will be "home", and it will be wonderful.