"I brushed my teeth, and I don't have cooties." An August DFTW and Disneymoon TR

I am sure the journey home was a long one, but you made it look like fun! I absolutely love that you made your own lobster rolls while in Maine- yum!

I am sad that this epic Disney Wedding/Honeymoon TR has come to an end! But I look forward to hearing what you have in store for August!
 
The view from the quaint hotel was lovely but I think I probably would have moved on after one night too. I'm looking forward to your anniversary plans and the December recap!!

Agreed—it was beautiful, though. :) Thanks!

My favorite is Best Western, I've found them pretty consistent! But maybe I'll branch out and try a Hampton Inn now!

I'm a fan. Not sure why...there's just something about them that I like. You always know what to expect. They even have the same decor (theming!) in them all. I like Best Westerns, too, though. Good pick.

Also, I just finished reading The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street and the narrator says "so sue me" all the time!

Haha love this!

YUM! So much delicious lobster meat! I like warm lobster rolls with butter and toasted bread mmmmm

Mmmmmmm....lobster.....

What, no pictures?!

She's pretty precious. Evil. Unpleasant. But precious.

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Hampton Inns are reliable, I get it. When Alex and I are looking for a quick and familiar place to stay, we tend to pick the chain we know because the last thing we want is unexpected surprises during our travels.

100%.

That view from your Maine resort...N was getting some beach time even if it was in Maine.
Your lobster roll looked quite yummy!

It was pretty lovely! N loves the sea, so he was pretty pleased with the atmosphere.

I'm so sad that this report is done, but I really cannot wait for you to return to WDW in August and write about it after you get back.:goodvibes (And of course I look forward to hearing about the 5K experience.)

Thanks so much for loyally reading along! Looking forward to sharing all those upcoming experiences with you folks. :)

So I never post on TR's but I read so many of them! I've been following along for what seems like forever but it's been fun. My daughter and I adored your wedding photos, absolutely stunning. I'm subscribed to your other reports so I'll still be here hiding :rolleyes1. Your trip was amazing and I hope your anniversary is just as magical. We may be there at the same time? We leave today for my daughter's 21'st birthday trip. 2 hours til I'm on my way to POR!

Thanks so much for reading, and for making your presence known! We may very well just miss you. Our trip starts on the 15th. I hope you're having an amazing time!
 
Ugh.... work.
A dirty four letter word.

*Barf*

My last road trip earlier this month I think I listened to 3 books.
Great way to pass the time.

Absolutely! Nathan and I have a few franchises, like Harry Potter, that we can agree on. And we both also really like autobiographical stuff. And when we don't agree on a book...that's what headphones are for. :)

:confused3 What on earth! I mean, I don't *hate* the idea of having bacon ready to eat at any given time but who thought of this? Hahaha

Right!? The package of bacon actually said right on it: "Not a health food." :rotfl:

Oh, Georgia. I guess it makes sense that our visitor center was advertising for Guardians since it was filmed here (or at least a lot of it was). But still seems odd!!

:laughing:

Genius! I love the top center, a fancy horse?

Even better: a fancy camel!

Two things of absolute beauty! Maine looks lovely.

It really was. I have family on a tiny little island in Maine called Chebeague Island, and it's one of the loveliest little places. We used to visit once in a while when I was growing up.

at first I was a little sad... but then I read on that the trip report isn't actually ending just yet so I'm back to being excited for your anniversary trip!!! :lovestruc Looking forward to the PTR post, and hearing a few details about the lost trip that went into report vortex :scared:

You can't get rid of me quite yet! :laughing: I'm anxiously anticipating sharing all the new memories. :goodvibes

I have enjoyed every moment of your report. I look forward to your anniversary trip!

Thank you so much! I'm equally looking forward to being able to share it with you all. :goodvibes
 


I have really enjoyed reading your report. I laugh when you described Old Orchard Beach - rustic is certainly one word for it. My in-laws actually live in Ocean Park, which is the town next to Old Orchard so I am very familiar that rustic vibe. And that water is cold. Looking forward to hearing about your August trip.

You know this area well, then! The seaside views are pretty lovely, but yes...rustic...touristy...chilly. :laughing: It actually reminded me a lot of a similar seaside town not too far from where I grew up in New Brunswick called St. Andrews. We used to go there a lot when I was young. It was nice to visit Old Orchard for the first time. :goodvibes But it certainly had a very different vibe than our Disney vacation!

Haha I agree 75 in Maine is not the same 75 in Orlando. Despite being born and raised in Maine I have never been to Old Orchard. I always prefered going to Bar Harbor and Acadia. I can't wait for your August because that means our trip is even closer. :) My countdown is 37 days!!! I think we will miss each other by a few days though.

We had been to Bangor and Portland many times, and we grew up not too far across the border from Houlton and Presque Isle, so we were always over for gas and ice cream when I was young, before the border regulations got stricter. But I'd never been to Old Orchard either! I'd like to do Bar Harbour though—it's next on my list. I hope you have an amazing trip! I think, unfortunately, we'll just miss you by a few days.

Yay! I hope you have fun back at Disney!

Thank you so much!

No better way to spend a long drive, in my opinion. :D

Definitely. I'm a bookworm. And Harry Potter makes EVERYTHING better.

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading all about it!

Thank you so much for reading!

I cannot get over that you LEFT Disney and then you WENT BACK to Disney. That is crazy and insane and everything a honeymoon should be. Thank you so much for letting us get married right along with you. But I'm a little dismayed you forgot to wave as you drove by....

Haha yeah...it was a little spontaneous, but it ended up being just the right decision. When better to treat yourself than your honeymoon, I guess!

Shoot, I knew I was forgetting something when we went through DC! :laughing:

I loved your report!!!
I think the bonus Epcot day was my favorite moment! You're sad because it is over and then you get to go back for just a little more fun. I love that. ❤️

Thanks so much! It really was perfect. We realized...why be sad when we didn't have to be yet?? It was a great day!

Add me to the list of loving to live vicariously through your TR!! I think your solution to post-Disney depression is amazing - just go back! Ideally within 24 hours :) Looking forward to hearing highlights from yo9ur other trips down, the more the merrier :D

Thanks so much for following along! Just go back to Disney—it's like how best to cure a hangover, except WAY BETTER! :goodvibes I can't wait to share more stories with you all, especially once this anniversary trip gets underway.
 
I always feel like it rains on the end of vacation because of my mood!

Exactly! It's like in movies when the romantic couple has a big fight and then it starts raining.

When we used to drive to Disney with my family when i was young we always stayed at Hampton Inns, they were the best hotels we had stayed at on the road trips so we always looked forward to them rather than the HoJo. :)

I'm a big fan. :)

:sad::sad::sad:
It's over! Can't believe it!! It's amazing how you had all those weeks of Disney Life, and Wedding Life, and Honyemoon Life and now it's back to regular life, and it's weird, right?
But thanks for sharing I had such blast reading about your epic Disneymoon and also for being a part of it for a split second!! :hug:

Yeah, it's a big adjustment to come back down off cloud nine! But thanks so much for reading, and for taking the time to meet us!

WOW it sounds amazing!! Another epic TR? Sign me up!!

I'm definitely looking forward to this one...

We had chad last August for lunch! It was our first time back in a couple years and while he's nice, we were a bit disappointed because we saw the other servers totally whoopin' it up with their tables. He was definitely a bit......creepy lol. Trying his best I think; I actually wondered who hired him and why they thought WCC was a good fit :confused3 Luckily when we returned this past March we had Wendy, the blonde, who was fantastic!

Ohhhhh Chad. :sad2: We actually had him again back in December, and there was definite marked improvement! He didn't really bother trying with any of the antics anymore, but at least he was pleasant and non-creepy, and he was much more attentive taking orders and checking up on us. It still didn't really seem like he fit the vibe of the restaurant, but the service was much better.

And I love this little parade and the fact that they don't just shelve the whole parade thing in the rain! Glad you got to see it especially on your last day :goodvibes

Me, too! It was great to be able to finally see it. I remember just missing it last spring that afternoon after we met you and Steve.

Awww, he knows just what you need! :lovestruc

He's pretty great that way. He's more spontaneous and "just do it!" And I'm more...sensible?...I guess. So sometimes I'm the one reining him in. And sometimes he's the perfect one to push me to do something fun when it's exactly what I need! :goodvibes

A sad loss to EPCOT for sure. :sad1: I just recently watched their FINAL performance on YouTube and teared up just a little bit. They obviously loved their jobs very much and were genuinely sad to say good bye.

Definitely. They were always so tight and engaging. You could tell they really valued performing there! I never did find out whose decision it was for them to leave when they did, but a sad loss, for sure!

And we appreciate you and all the time and care you have taken to share all of your wonderful memories with us. Thank you for a really top notch report!

:goodvibes Thanks so much!

And I for one, can't wait!!!

Me neither, me neither! :hyper:

Thanks for the great trip report and letting us following along your amazing wedding/honeymoon!!!

Thanks so much for following! It's been awesome to be able to relive the magic. :goodvibes

I am sure the journey home was a long one, but you made it look like fun! I absolutely love that you made your own lobster rolls while in Maine- yum!

I am sad that this epic Disney Wedding/Honeymoon TR has come to an end! But I look forward to hearing what you have in store for August!

It was long, but for the most part I really didn't mind it much with some good company. :goodvibes We must have managed okay since we've done several road trips like that for Nathan's work since then!

I'm so shocked that this trip is finally all reported! But I'm so looking forward to telling the stories of the next one. :goodvibes
 
Thanks for the wonderful trip report, I sure enjoyed reading along!

Your lobster roll and beach views look amazing!

Looking forward to some of your trip plans for the anniversary trip!
 


Annnnnd we're back!

Alright friends...grab a drink...get comfy...this could take a while....

An Entire August 2018 Trip PTR in One Post

I promised a PTR-type post for our upcoming August trip, and seeing as it's now only just over two weeks away....now seems like as good a time as any to get on that! I'm thinking that maybe I'll end up writing the report in this interesting kind of burnt orange colour? :confused3 It seems to fit since this trip will overlap with when the Halloween decor and parties begin....and also because this is kind of the colour I imagine when I think about walking on the surface of the sun.

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Sooo we loved August 2017 so much, that we decided to head back again for August 2018 for the most AMAZING 1st Anniversary Trip EVER!! On this trip we're also going to pick a day to celebrate my birthday, which is this coming weekend, because N and I will both be working all weekend long at a big local busker's festival. I've never done the pretend-it's-my-birthday-in-Disney thing before, but I figured that since we're basically skipping over my actual birthday, for just this once I'll indulge myself. I've never had a birthday button, and I want one so badly! Also, this trip is going to be so fabulously ginormous that it really is too awesome to only be celebrating just one thing. :jumping1:

We'll be heading down to Boston for a comic convention the weekend before our trip, then spending some time with my grandmother in Maine, and then ♪leaving on a jet plane♪ to go to the sunshine state! We're flying in to Sanford because of the cheap direct flight we could get there, and with no Magical Express, we'll be renting a car because we've grown accustomed to having one down there anyway. Between the cost of the flights and the rental, we considered driving down again instead, but we wanted as many Disney days as possible before having to return to Canada for another one of N's shows over Labour Day weekend. Another neat thing about this trip is that my good friend from school....let's call her "L"....will also be at WDW with her family for a portion of our trip! She's recently encouraged me to get more interested in pin trading, and I've been casually directing her attention to the dangerous addiction that is Dooney and Bourke, so we're hoping to spend a little fun time together down there....and I anticipate the potential for far too much money to get spent between the two of us! :scratchin

You're also about to see where our priorities on this trip lie....in eating AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE, and trying new "extra" experiences. I've got some tours, some new things, and some ticketed events planned. And I've got a near-hilarious number of ADRs booked because we just could NOT decide.

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@Raeven currently has a report about never being able to have too much steak on vacation? We intend to test this theory in earnest!!


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Considerations for surviving an August trip:

  • HYDRATION (at least a full bottle of water before even leaving the resort each morning, then continue sipping constantly through the day.)
  • Tank tops, cool, breathable clothing, and sunscreen
  • Afternoon breaks almost every day
  • Hope of wearing makeup without it melting is thrown out the window
  • Making use of DAS due to my heat-sensitive health condition for long outdoor queue lines
  • Eat indoors whenever possible
  • Dole whip
  • Cut down on waiting for busses with rental car when it makes sense, except when travelling to MK (use bus or resort monorail)
  • Dole whip
  • Walk in the shade, or through stores with A/C whenever possible
  • Dole whip.
Souvenir/Purchase Wish List:
  • New Dooney and Bourke (Orange Bird, I'm lookin' at you!)
  • A new art print for our home (Possibly Larry Dotson?)
  • N thinks he wants a new hat. Otherwise, he wants to spend his souvenir money on as much dole whip, tipsy ducks in love, and schoolbread as possible. :rotfl::rotfl:
  • Fiiiiiiinally get the almond salt scrub at Basin I've coveting for years. Like, literally, years now.
  • Halloween party pins, and mystery pin packs for the nesting dolls set, and possible the adorable world of evil villains set. Surprises are fun!

I'm also hopeful that I'll be able to cross paths with @kastoney, @suse66, @disneyAndi14, and/or @pepperandchips, even if it means being a little flexible, or popping over to say a quick hello somewhere during an afternoon break, etc. (If I'm missing you and we've talked about a potential Dismeet, please let me know! I seem to be very scattered while planning this trip! :sad2:)

Here's our current itinerary:


AUG. 15: (No parks?)
Arrive at Sanford in the afternoon. Run some errands (pick up water, sunscreen, etc.) Possibly stop at Character Warehouse on the way from the airport to look for cheap authentic Disney pins to have as traders in the parks. Then we'll check in at my grandmother's timeshare where we'll spend the first half of the trip.

Evening: Artist Point.
Originally I hadn't booked any ADRs on our arrival night, but we enjoyed it so much in May that we decided to just go back for apps and dessert this night. Now I'm glad I booked it since I've been reading the rumours about how Artist Point may or may not undergo big changes this fall.

MK has late EMH this night, but I suspect we'll hit the hay early because of what we're doing the next day...


AUG. 16: (DS, DHS?)
6:30am: Pick up at Franck's for our Animal Kingdom photo shoot!! We enjoyed our amazing MK bridal shoot so much that we decided to have anniversary photos done in our favourite park. :hyper:

Breakfast: The Wave
We've never done this breakfast before, and I've heard that they can potentially make the sweet potato pancakes gluten free. :lovestruc

I'm also getting a pedicure at the GF this day, and we're going to Disney Spring to pick up the cupcakes I've pre-ordered from Erin McKenna's in the same flavour as our wedding cake.

Dinner: Cape May Cafe

I don't know whether we'll use them or whether we'll be too exhausted, but I also have FPs for DHS this night:
7:20: TSMM
8:20: Fantasmic!
9:40: Star Tours


AUG. 17: (Anniversary Day!) (EP)
Epcot was a given here since it's where we got married, and it has two of the meals N and I each wanted to book to celebrate.

PPO Breakfast: Garden Grill (first time!)

FPs:
9:25: Test Track
10:25: I do Nemo, N does Mission Space
11:30: Figment

Dinner: Le Cellier

I'm hoping to also see the Guardians "Awesome Mix Live" show, and Illuminations, which will be very meaningful for our anniversary.


AUG. 18: (DC, DHS)
We had so much fun at Discovery Cove last August that WE'RE GOING BACK!! :eek::eek::hyper::hyper::lovestruc:lovestruc This time, even though it was amazing, we're not including the dolphin swim in order to save a little money. We did, however, replace it with another cool add-on experience that was a little less costly: sting ray feeding! I also intend to drink my weight in free Icees.

Dinner: 50s Prime Time (first time!)

If we're not wiped, we'll do a little more DHS-ing, and putter around TSL.


AUG. 19: (No parks?)
Brunch: Cali Grill

Potential resort day. (More AK time is also an option here.)

Dinner: Sanaa

May return to the Contemporary this night to see HEA from the viewing area.


AUG. 20: (TL, DHS)
6:45am: Surfing Lesson at Typhoon Lagoon! I booked this because N has always wanted to try surfing. I...haven't. But I think it could be fun, and I'll get some giggles out of watching him having fun...and watching him wipe out. :lmao:

Brunch: Boma (nom!)

FPs at DHS:
11:30/11:40: (both for N) RnRC & ToT
12:45: Indy show
1:55: Alien Swirling Saucers (A.S.S. teheh)

Some time this afternoon we'll be heading over to check in at the resort for the second half of our trip: the ever-stunning Grand Floridian.

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Normally this is a resort that would be entirely out of reach for us with its typical rack rate, but we used the same excellent Labour Day deal that allowed us to book the Poly last year for our Disneymoon.

Dinner: Yachtsman Steakhouse (first time!)

This also might be a good night to check out Jellyrolls for the first time.


AUG. 21: (USO)
We're doing Universal/IoA this day. Hopefully we'll have enough energy left to get up early for another morning so we can do early entry with our APs. Otherwise, I have no specific plans at Universal other than...

Dinner: Mythos


AUG. 22: (Sea World)
Breakfast: GF Cafe

Along with our DC tickets, we'll get unlimited entry to Sea World for 14 days, so we're finally going!! I haven't been in 14 years, and N has never been. I think he'll really enjoy it because he likes coasters, and because he was fascinated by the animal shows we saw at Ontario's Marineland this past spring. If there are any Sea World connoisseurs out there who have tips, feel free to let me know! Right now the park is slated to close at 6pm, and even if that changes (do they do that like Disney does??) I don't expect that we'll be there longer than that anyway. So I've also booked...

Dinner: Narcoossee's (first time!)
We've timed it to overlap with Happily Ever After toward the end of our dinner, and I'll politely put in a request for a window table, bat my eyelashes, and hope for the best.

This was also the only night I snagged a FP for Slinky Dog (9:30-10:30), so if we haven't been able to ride it by this point in the trip either standby or with my DAS, we might try to hightail it over there after dinner and catch the end of the FP window.


AUG. 23: (MK, AK) (aka: "TOUR DAY!")
Man, it's gonna be hard to pick a "best day ever" on this trip...

TOUR #1:
8:00: Keys to the Kingdom Tour
Okay folks, so this is where I actually need a bit of advice... N and I did the Marceline to the Magic Kingdom tour in December and LOVED it. We always hear awesome things about KTTK, and I've been excitedly wanting to do it for a long time. It's also ideal to be doing it while we have APs and can get a discount. I want to see the utilidors, and I love Disney World history. I was a bit concerned about doing a 5-hour tour in the August heat though, which is why I scheduled this further into our trip so I'll have time to adjust to the temperatures a bit first. I also just recently learned, long after booking, that as of late, the Keys tour seems to be missing the Jungle Cruise portion? And to be doing a ride/info on Haunted Mansion? At least that's how it was in a few of the recent reviews I read. We both love Haunted Mansion, but we got a very thorough overview of it (including backstage secrets!) on our Marceline tour. I know the rides on a tour are never guaranteed and they can change things up at any time. Still, now I'm wondering if we should keep this tour, or if it will overlap too much with the tour we've already taken, and if it would be better to cancel and use that money for something else. Will it be "worth it"....?? We also aren't spending much time at AK this trip, so we could spend that morning there instead. Anyone who's done these tours, or has heard more about these potential changes....any thoughts?

We'll definitely need an afternoon break after this. Then I have optional FPs booked at AK:

3:30: Nemo Show
4:30: Navi
8:05-8:30: ROL

In between these FPs...we have TOUR #2:
6:15: Savour the Savanna!

We've been hoping to do this for a while now, but last winter it didn't work out. We loved the safari truck and boma portions of our Wild Africa Trek, so we think this will be the perfect low-key, beautiful Animal Kingdom evening for us! I can't drink, but N can, so he will enjoy the beverages. And I'm interested to see what allergy-friendly small plates they might be able to come up with for me. The boma on the savanna is so serene, and I can't wait to sit there as evening rolls in and take in the views.


AUG. 24: (Resort, MK)
Brunch: 1900 PF (new! We've only ever done dinner there!)

Possibly a boat rental this afternoon, or swimming, chilling out at the resort, etc.

Then getting ready for....MICKEY'S NOT SO SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY!!

This was one of the absolute highlights of our wedding trip, so we're doing it again!! It was one of N's only requests, and I'm so incredibly on board with that! :goodvibes We have an early dinner/lunch-ish meal booked at Skipper Canteen before the party at 3:30, and then I'm hoping to get in line for Moana right after so we don't spend our whole party night waiting for her. She's a priority for me, but her line was CRAY last year, from what I've heard. Like, Jack-and-Sally-7-Dwarves-Cray. That's the only big-ticket character meet I have planned though. Otherwise, I'm hoping to possibly meet some of the Alice in Wonderland characters because of our costumes. (I'll include more info/pictures at the end of this post!) Aside from this, I want to see the fireworks, parade, and Hocus Pocus shows, ride haunted mansion, snap some exclusive photopass photos, get party-exclusive pins, and maybe even trick-or-treat once or twice. It's a tall order, but I'm hopeful that we'll get most of it done with a good touring plan. N also wants to meet Jafar, so I'll try to make sure to squeeze that in.

AUG. 25: (Resort, EP)
We have a couple's massage booked late in the morning at the GF, and then something I've wanted to try for some time now...

Afternoon Tea at Grand Floridian's Garden View Tea Room

In the afternoon, FPs at Epcot:
2:55: Spaceship Earth
3:55: Soarin'
4:55: LWTL

BTW: Who thought it was a good idea to make Character Spot a Tier 1 FP? :headache:

Dinner: La Hacienda?
I keep meaning to book La Hacienda (first time!) and finally have. I've heard good things, and N likes Mexican food. But the closer we get to the trip, the more we talk about how we'd like to go to Shula's someday. (This keeps getting reinforced the more I read @Raeven's reports!) So I'm currently watching the Disney site and Open Table to see if we can get an ADR there. If so, I might switch it. (For those who are in the know, do you think it's likely to get a ressie there at this point? Do I even need an ADR there?) Either way, we should have a nice meal this night. And it we end up at Shula's, it also might be a nice night to check out karaoke and drinks at Kimonos, something I've been meaning to try for a while now.


AUG. 26: (MK, ??, MK)
We have Early Morning Magic booked this morning!

Mid-morning FPs:
Space for N, Buzz for me
BTMRR
Splash

The afternoon is our last chance to do anything we feel like we missed. We might go back to DS for Erin McKenna's, shopping, and/or to try the Daily Poutine, or split fish and chips at Cooke's of Dublin, etc.

Early dinner: BOG (to check out the new prix fixe menu.)

Hopefully our dinner is early enough that we won't still be stuffed by the time we get to...

Evening: Happily Ever After Dessert Party!
One last chance to view some sparkly feel-good Disney magic before heading home.


AUG. 27: (Nothing. :sad::sad::sad::sad:)
We fly out early in the morning, and I try not to cry all the way home.

THE END.

So major questions left on my mind are: should we keep Keys to the Kingdom, or drop it? Which day should we pick to be "my birthday?" (Obviously the 17th is out because it's our anniversary. And probably not a day when we'll be at a non-Disney park.) And on a scale of 1-Bonkers, how insane is our ADR schedule? :rotfl:

Oh right, and as if this post weren't 4 years long already....our MNSSHP costumes!!

I was trying to come up with quasi-costumes that wouldn't be too hot for August, and that wouldn't look strange if I had pink hair (which is currently the plan.) N loves Alice in Wonderland, so I settled on the Cheshire Cat, and the Mad Hatter! For N, I made a shadowy-looking iron-on shirt, and ordered him a hat online:

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For me, it was a bit more complicated, and more expensive. Fortunately, when I went in search of a cat ear headband, I learned that cat ears are apparently trending now!?? :confused3 (Or at least they were a few months ago...) Um...huh??

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This worked out perfectly for me, though, because I had my pick of cat ears in every store. I picked simple pink plastic ones for children (cheapest!) and wrapped them in a hot-glued craft boa. I found a striped t-shirt (most expensive item, $8), and also made myself a homemade tutu with tulle and elastic crochet ribbon. I'll also be packing my favourite purple lipstick from Kat Von D, and pink and purple eye makeup from Wet 'n' Wild. (How that eyeshadow is so cheap, and yet so beautifully pigmented, I will never understand.)

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There's our August trip in a nutshell! I hope this didn't feel too much like when you don't need to watch the movie because the trailer just gave it all away...because I'll be telling you ALL about it when we get back in September! :goodvibes
 
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Okay commenting with my first few quotes before this gets outta hand and then going back to look at the details and see if I can figure out any overlap times...

I've never done the pretend-it's-my-birthday-in-Disney thing before, but I figured that since we're basically skipping over my actual birthday, for just this once I'll indulge myself. I've never had a birthday button, and I want one so badly!
Yes lady! One time a cm told me that you are officially allowed to celebrate your birthday at Disney up to 183 days before or up to 183 days after... :rotfl:

But I agree, this is a pretty legit deferral of your big day!

Between the cost of the flights and the rental, we considered driving down again instead
Yep treat yoself! Y'all are troopers at driving. I don't think I could handle that at all! We start whining around hour 3 :laughing:

I've been casually directing her attention to the dangerous addiction that is Dooney and Bourke,
Ooooh, you are a bad influence! (But also, double treat yoself)

You're also about to see where our priorities on this trip lie....in eating AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE,
YASSSS!!!

Afternoon breaks almost every day
A necessity, really. I'm trying to stay out of the parks during the heat of the day as much as humanly possible!

Eat indoors whenever possible
Fixed it :thumbsup2

Walk in the shade, or through stores with A/C whenever possible
Haha. We were with friends a week or two ago walking through a downtown area and all of the sudden I was like "WHY AREN'T WE WALKING IN THE SHADE!" I felt like a bossypants but everyone else agreed.

New Dooney and Bourke (Orange Bird, I'm lookin' at you!)
You ain't right. Now I gotta go google the shapes they have again...

Fiiiiiiinally get the almond salt scrub at Basin I've coveting for years. Like, literally, years now
WHAT

like

WHAT?!

Let's plan our dismeet at Basin. I'm only half kidding. Which one has this magic? Or both locations do? (Looking at your day on the 16th I see both fancy pants spa time and Disney Springs time! I could lurk around either place really)

6:30am: Pick up at Franck's for our Animal Kingdom photo shoot!! We enjoyed our amazing MK bridal shoot so much that we decided to have anniversary photos done in our favourite park. :hyper:

WHAT :hyper: I am so excited for you and also super jealous! Are you wearing your dress again or another outfit? Omg want want want! I cannot wait to see!
 
AUG. 17: (Anniversary Day!) (EP)
I'm guessing you don't want a romantical Dismeet this day in that case :rotfl2:

AUG. 21: (USO)
We're doing Universal/IoA this day. Hopefully we'll have enough energy left to get up early for another morning so we can do early entry with our APs. Otherwise, I have no specific plans at Universal other than...

Dinner: Mythos
That's the best thing about Universal! Flying by the seat of your pants!!!

Dinner: Narcoossee's (first time!)
We've timed it to overlap with Happily Ever After toward the end of our dinner, and I'll politely put in a request for a window table, bat my eyelashes, and hope for the best.
Don't forget the Carrie Hayward patented method of free desserts... buttons, hats, pins, shirts all proclaiming IT's MY ANNIVERSARY as much as possible :hyper:

Anyone who's done these tours,
So my tour was a while ago and it was also HOT as it was Labor Day weekend (not long after you're contemplating going) but it was manageable because they schedule breaks and are sensitive that it's hotter than blue blazes in Orlando that time of the year. Actually, our tour guide told us a joke, there are two seasons in Orlando: Summer and Sweaty Winter. Haha! The only time I would say I was too hot was at the very end when we were between Main Street and Tomorrowland standing on an area near the bypass. It was absolutely without shade and the pavement was super hot. If you told the tour guide what your restrictions are at the beginning of the tour, they could probably accommodate you or at least help stop in the shade.

Our tour was almost two years ago now but we did both Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion. From what I know of the Marcelline to MK tour (haven't done that one yet), it's a different experience. We just did a ride through basically and got to see the "servant's hall" cm area. I don't think it would be a repeat of your prior experience as it wasn't very in-depth.

I would go for it, but with one of those handheld mini fans and a lot of water.

In between these FPs...we have TOUR #2:
6:15: Savour the Savanna!
WHAT!!! I did not think I could be more jealous, and yet... I am!

(For those who are in the know, do you think it's likely to get a ressie there at this point?)
I've never needed a reservation at any of the Swan/Dolphin restaurants. Do you get free calling to US numbers? If so, I would call the number on the Shula's website and see if you can make a reservation directly.

So major questions left on my mind are: should we keep Keys to the Kingdom, or drop it? ... And on a scale of 1-Bonkers, how insane is our ADR schedule? :rotfl:
Keep it!

I would say your adr insanity rates about a 7/10, which is roughly translated as "I hope you packed your stretchy pants", rating somewhere between "I could probably stop for another snack" and "Gluttonous gastric pain" :rotfl:
 
and also because this is kind of the colour I imagine when I think about walking on the surface of the sun.

:laughing:

my birthday which is this weekend

Happy Birthday!

I've never had a birthday button, and I want one so badly!

Well, this is a must, then!

You're also about to see where our priorities on this trip lie....in eating AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE,

:lmao: Good luck!

I settled on the Cheshire Cat, and the Mad Hatter! For N,

Nice!


So stinkin' cute!
 
I LOVE your Cheshire Cat costume, so cute, good job planning!

I would do the KTTKT, we did both and it is different than the Marceline to Magic tour. I recall doing both JC and HM on the Keys tour. The keys is more about the running of the MK and not so much about Walt.

I have never celebrated my Birthday at Disney and I am going to get a button this trip for me to. My Birthday was in July so I figure it’s not to far off.

Your trip sounds great, you do have many different things planned! Your ADR’s all sound like excellent choices.

I hope we get to say Hi! I need to wish you a Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary!
:bday:.
 
I also LOVE your Cheshire cat costume! I was thinking of doing that for my race weekend running outfit (mostly because my favorite runners are the bright fuchsia colour) and am awed by what you have put together! That is amazing!!
 
I'm still making my way through your DFTW TR, but I love it so far! I know I'm so far behind, but you ROCKED that hair cut.
 
Im with you on the Moana line. The boys couldn't care less about her up until a month or so ago. Now, we watch the movie DAILY so I know she'll be a must in September.

AUG. 25: (Resort, EP)
We have a couple's massage booked late in the morning at the GF, and then something I've wanted to try for some time now...

Afternoon Tea at Grand Floridian's Garden View Tea Room

Ooh! I like these plans that you have made on MY birthday. I'll just pretend I'm there too ;)

BTW: Who thought it was a good idea to make Character Spot a Tier 1 FP? :headache:

Right there with ya, sister!!!


Oh my goodness, I love your costume!!!
 
Possibly stop at Character Warehouse on the way from the airport to look for cheap authentic Disney pins to have as traders in the parks.

Definitely check out the Character Warehouse on Vineland as a few vlogs have recently shown the Orange Bird Dooney on sale there.
 
Definitely check out the Character Warehouse on Vineland as a few vlogs have recently shown the Orange Bird Dooney on sale there.

Ooh, good tip! I had just watched a Tim Tracker video yesterday and didn't see it, but now when I look back at the video again, I can faintly the see the print in the blurry background of another shot. Hopefully it's still there in a couple of weeks and we don't miss it, but I won't hold my breath. I also ALMOST bought it when it was on 40% off on the shop Disney site yesterday, and I probably should have. But I figured if it sells out before we get there then it's just a sign it wasn't meant to be, and I'll wait for another print I love. I just love the whole experiences of buying it on a trip and choosing my pattern placement in person, etc.
 
What a wonderful trip - I've loved getting to follow along! And moooore trips! :) Happy almost anniversary!! Your August trip sounds fantastic and I am already hungry thinking about all those yummy ADRs!
 

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