8 Park Days, 9 Nights and the 10 Year Old Princess Turns 11!

[princesshannahsmom]

Well, I haven't tried my hand at a pre-trip report (or a trip report for that matter). Actually, not true, I “tried my hand”, but it didn't quite work out, so I thought I would give it another go!

I will start with all of the oh so important details!

WHO:

Myself , just call me mom!, 35 (ugh), full time paralegal, full time mom, full time wife and part time Disney vacation planner (for family of course!). I do almost EVERYTHING. . . FULL time!

DH , you can call him Grumpy or Groucho, whatever suits ya!, 38, retired law enforcement officer (my dreams came true that day!) manager for an auto parts dealer, and dreamer of the Disney vacations planned by yours truly!

DD , 10, going on 30, student (in the gifted program at her elementary school), LOVES babies and toddlers, wants to be an archaeologist when she grows up (seriously?), LOVES all things Disney, spends a ridiculous amount of time with her grandparents and great-grandparents(no complaints here by the way), and has recently become "addicted" to the classic Mario Brothers game! She will turn 11 on this trip (seriously, they grow up WAY too fast!)

WHAT:

A trip to Walt Disney World of course! 9 nights, Deluxe Dining Plan, and we are upgrading the 9 day passes to AP's when we get there!

WHERE:

Pop Century (not our favorite, but this a longer trip than normal)

WHEN: December 3rd - December 12th (3rd and 12th are travel days only)

WHY: Well, why not? We (me and DD) haven't been to Disney since May 2009 and DH hasn't been since April 2008. We all NEED this time away. And, what better place to celebrate the princesses 11th birthday.

A little history about us and Disney. I started going to Walt Disney World in 1986. I had leukemia, was being treated at Shands and my grandparents thought, WHY NOT? It was close enough to Shands and my great aunt and great uncle couldn't sing enough praises about WDW. My love affair with the Mouse started that warm day in April 1986. From that day forward, we traveled to WDW twice a year, once in May for my birthday and once in November for my grandmas birthday, until the year I graduated high school (1993). We RARELY missed a trip. We stayed offsite the first few trips, and then the grandparents bought a motorhome, so it was Fort Wilderness ALL THE WAY! Then life happened. I started college, got a job and joined the "real world"!


I met DH in 1997, we were married in 1998. For a wedding present, my wonderful in-laws purchased a WDW 5 day package at Wilderness Lodge. Fast forward to TWO months before we got married. DH SUNK THE BOAT (for the SECOND time)! That is not a eupemism! He seriously sunk the darn thing! BACKED it into the boat slip. The outboard got caught under the dock, high tide struck and the rest is HISTORY. In his infinite wisdom, he asked FIL to CANCEL the honeymoon and use the funds to pay to have the boat lifted and repaired! I was SORELY disappointed!

Fast forward four years. DH decided to move closer to his family (Clearwater). We moved and before we both started work full time, we took a day trip with DD to the Magic Kingdom. DH's FIRST time EVER at WDW! THAT is the day his love affair with the Mouse began. We bought AP's that day. And I seriously CANNOT count the number of trips we took, albeit mostly long weekend trips, but trips nonetheless!

Fast Forward another five years. DH wanted "down" time, to get out of the "hustle and bustle", leave the “rat race”. He wanted to live in a "small" town. You know the kind, everybody knows your name (and come to find out EVERYTHING else about ya too!). So we packed up and moved to North Dakota! GOODBYE Disney trips! Didn't last long though, February 2007 to September 2007 to be exact! Moved back to the Florida panhandle, and bought AP's in February 2008. DH had to medically retire in October of that year and the Disney trips just weren't working with his new career, so DD and I took our last trip in May 2009.

There ya have it! Our little Disney history.

So, really we want this trip, we NEED this trip and what better time of year to go!

Up next. Details. Details. Details. Where to eat! What parks to visit when? Go to MVMCP? See the CP? Osborne Family Lights? Who knows? We have 8 WHOLE PARK DAYS!

 

[princesshannahsmom]

Well, no readers yet, but that is quite okay, I will forge ahead!

So, really the dates for this trip were easy to establish, we definitely wanted to be there for DD’s birthday, and the last trip we took, the leaving on a Friday afternoon and returning on Sunday morning worked really well. Two full travel days and 8 FULL days for the parks. So, December 3rd through December 12th it was.

Where to stay was a whole different story. Normally, when we took short 3, 4 or 5 night trips, we stayed at AKL (DH’s favorite), but truly on a trip this long, it just wasn’t in the cards, so we decided the next best thing was Pop, which is DD’s 2nd favorite (2nd only to the Contemporary).

Now, DH is frugal, to put it mildly. The trip DD and I took in May was the first trip where we used a Dining Plan. We loved it, it worked out perfect, we didn’t pay for a single bite of food or sip of drink out of our pocket, it was AMAZING! Now, we were on the regular Dining Plan at the time, we share (A LOT) at counter service, and don’t each breakfast (much) so that is why that worked so perfectly for us. But, with DH along, sharing wasn’t going to be as much of an option and we really wanted some Character breakfasts and some good table service dinners, the Deluxe was certainly the way to go. So, on June 1st, when I decided to book the trip, I emailed the Travel Agent, told her the dates, told her we wanted Pop with a preferred room and Deluxe Dining with 9 day base tickets (thoughts of upgrading to AP’s were already rolling through my head!), she quoted it and I said BOOK IT! Well, DH nearly fainted at the price (which I thought was rather reasonable, considering EVERYTHING will be taken care of)! I consoled him, explained the virtues of EVERY SINGLE bite of food and sip of drink being covered, only paying out of pocket for souvenirs (which we don’t buy much of) dining tips and Mousekeeping tips, he softened (if only an inch)! So, the trip was official!

Dining reservations haunted me a little, I must admit. I need to book 8 WHOLE days of breakfasts and dinners and my day to book was QUICKLY approaching. DD and I used the ENTIRE weekend perusing the menus we found online, looking at what characters will appear at what restaurants, looking at what DH WILL or WON’T eat, we were exhausted Sunday night! I tried to share what we had learned with DH and asked his opinion, “I don’t care, just find food that I will eat” was his response. Oh yeah, and the famous, “why on earth do I need to decide NOW, what I want to eat in December?” I didn’t have the energy to explain, I just told him I would take care of it and he would be pleased. June 7th rolled around and I was ready to go! I hopped online first thing that morning and started pounding away. I got nearly everything I wanted, so was quite pleased with my hard work! So, without further ado, here is where we are dining!

SATURDAY 12/4/10 - Epcot ALL DAY!
Breakfast - Akershus Princess Storybook Breakfast
Lunch - San Angel Inn
Dinner - Teppan Edo
(Used an extra TS credit this day)

SUNDAY 12/5/10 - AK ALL DAY
Breakfast - Boma
Dinner - Yak & Yeti

MONDAY 12/6/10 - MK ALL DAY
Breakfast - Crystal Palace
Dinner - Liberty Tree Tavern

TUESDAY 12/7/10 - DHS ALL DAY
Breakfast - Hollywood & Vine
Dinner - 50's Prime Time Cafe

WEDNESDAY 12/8/10 - FREE DAY
Breakfast - ‘Ohana
Dinner - Whispering Canyon

THURSDAY 12/9/10 - FREE MORNING EPCOT EVENING
Breakfast - Cape May Cafe’
Dinner - Coral Reef

FRIDAY 12/10/10 - FREE DAY
Breakfast - Chef Mickey’s
Dinner - 1900 Park Fare

SATURDAY 12/11/10 - FREE DAY
Breakfast - Kona Cafe’
Dinner - Hoop Dee Do Revue

So, there ya have it! Dining for 8 days. We have a few counter service places that are a constant for us that we will hit during our stay, and there will be few lunches had at Pop, but other than that, we are set!

Again, those 9 day base tickets will be upgraded to AP’s when we get there, so park hopping and the like won’t be an issue.

Next up, MVMCP, to do, or not to do?!

 

[KATODAYO]

We are going about the same time as you - 12/2 to 12/8 and my ds will also be celebrating his 11th bday. Your dinning sounds great. We didn't book our trip until about a month ago so I'm not getting anyting I want!

 

[evan.orwin]

I'm in! I just started my first one too, go check it out, no one is reading mine either haha. They will come around...

We will just miss you, we get there the 28th and leave the 4th!

 

[DisneyCP08]

Im in too! Your dining sounds great and it made me crave a disney meal. We are also going for christmas but we do not get there until the 23rd.

 

[princesshannahsmom]

We are going about the same time as you - 12/2 to 12/8 and my ds will also be celebrating his 11th bday. Your dinning sounds great. We didn't book our trip until about a month ago so I'm not getting anyting I want!

That is so funny, same dates and and prince and princess the same age!

Thanks for joining me!

 

[princesshannahsmom]

I'm in! I just started my first one too, go check it out, no one is reading mine either haha. They will come around...

We will just miss you, we get there the 28th and leave the 4th!

I will be sure to check your report out and thanks for joining me!

 

[princesshannahsmom]

Im in too! Your dining sounds great and it made me crave a disney meal. We are also going for christmas but we do not get there until the 23rd.

I know looking at people's dining plans ALWAYS makes me crave a Disney meal! I love Disney at Christmas!

Thanks for joining me!

 

[princesshannahsmom]

Sorry to those who might be following, I took a little break to enjoy some time with DH. We don't get a lot of time together due to our work schedules, so when there is an opportunity, we take advantage. DD took a little mini vacation with her great-grandparents to go camping (in an RV of course!), so it was just myself and DH for a while! It was nice!

On with the show!

Well, you know what parks we are visiting, you know where we are eating, so, what about special occasions or extras as it were?

Well, we are doing the CP, which, to me, is a DO NOT miss during Christmas time at Disney! We are attending on the night of December 9th and I read that the narrator is Jodi Benson, who is the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid movie. She has a "Disneyesque" speaking voice, so it should be enjoyable. Very Christmassy, nonetheless, and if it happens to be a little chilly, well, that just adds to the atomosphere!

Of course we plan on seeing the Osborne lights at DHS and there are a couple of nights that might make than plan prove successful! We are leaning towards December 7th since that is our planned DHS day, but we could always sneak over there another night that we have marked as a "free" day!

MVMCP was a tough one for us, DD and I talked back and forth, we both REALLY want to experience it, if only once, but the extra cost was holding us back (not that DD makes financial decisions, but you know what I mean!). We researched reports on the DIS, we looked at all that is offered with the party and ultimately decided (for now) that is just isn't worth it for us. Of course, if anyone wants to give me some "golden nugget" of information that might steer me towards attending, please feel free to do so!

We do plan on visiting the Deluxe resorts to see all of the Christmas decorations, you can't miss that! I want to make the complete monorail run on one night. We will see Wilderness Lodge the night we are having dinner at Whispering Canyon, and we have breakfast at Boma for AKL. We also have breakfast at Cape May for Beach Club and Yacht Club, but I really want to try and see them at night some time too. Who knows, we have a couple of "free" days worked in, so I am sure we can make the time. We will have our vehicle, so that will make it a bit easier I suppose.

Other than that, we have DD's birthday. Of course, we will celebrate EVERY day we are at Disney, but we have to do something extra special on the actual day. We are having dinner at 50's Prime Time that night (DD's FAVORITE??!!) so I am not sure how we can make that dinner more special for her! She typically has a pretty big birthday party at home with family and friends, but, we are foregoing that tradition this year for a trip to Disney. So, I really want to make her actual birthday something special. I haven't really researched what to do at this point, so any recommendations on something "extra", that won't cost me an arm and a leg, are welcome!

Well, that is about it for "extras". Next up, those few "special" souveniers and probably wiping out the Christmas shopping for our family and friends!

 

[princesshannahsmom]

So, still no readers, but this is just as much (if not more) for me as it is for the Dis, so I will continue.

We aren't big souvenier folks, under normal circumstances. DD always likes SOMETHING to bring home from a vacation, but she certainly doesn't go overboard, so the purchases for ourselves will be minimal. We have decided that we are going to do Pick a Pearl in the Japan pavilion, definately, so, I just need to purchase the carriage on Ebay (I will probably just do that tonight). Thats one souvenier down, something different, something timeless! I don't do MUCH scrapbooking, but I figure a 2010 Disney World scrapbook in order, since this is a bit of a momentous occasion. I am an avid reader, so I will see if I can find a sort of history book of sorts of WDW or just a Walt Disney biography. Basin is a MUST when we travel to WDW, so there will be a few purchases made there (both for myself and DD). DH is a true man, and doesn't buy much for himself, but quite a few years ago, we went to DtD and he went into the magic shop down by Cirque and you could purchase magic tricks and he still has his, so I thought maybe one of those for him if they are still open. Other than that, there isn't much more for ourselves.

Now, since this trip is so close to Christmas and we have a few nieces and nephews, we figured this would be the perfect opportunity to buy some fun and different Christmas gifts for each of them. I have a 4 year old nephew who travels to WDW at least once a year, so I am sure he will have some things picked out over his next trip (October) and I will have plenty to choose from. He loves Toy Story, so something cool along those lines will be fun for him! I also have a little niece who is 4 months old, so will be 8 months old around Christmas, I KNOW there is some princess item that will be PERFECT for her (any suggestions are welcome!). We also have a 12 year old nephew, an 8 year old niece and 13 and 16 year old nieces. Something small will be perfect for them, probably some little something from Basin for the girls and some sports or Star Wars related item for the nephew.

Now, for the adults in my family, they are going to be blessed with photographs of my little family! I am purchasing the Photopass CD and I plan on seeking out EACH AND EVERY Photopass person possible! I figure we will have at least a few GREAT family photos, so I can fiddle with them adding borders and such and purchase a few inexpensive frames at DtD and BAM! shopping for the adults in the family is done!

So, there you have it, the extent of our shopping, all of which (except the pearl) can be completed at our Downtown Disney day!

Up next: Are the creative juices flowing?

 

[DisneyCP08]

I'm following. We are also not to big with souvenirs, but we are suckers for christmas stuff, especially Disney Christmas stuff. So, im not sure how thats going to work. I am also planning on getting some 2010 scrapbook stuff, since I love to scrapbook.

 

[princesshannahsmom]

Thanks for following along DisneyCP08! I was beginning to get a little lonely! Yeah, I am kind of a sucker for Christmas stuff as well, hopefully we can escape without any this year (though, now that you have reminded me, an ornament or two might be in order!).

 

[princesshannahsmom]

here's the thing. I am NOT creative, seriously, not a creative BONE in my body! I want to be, I want to make cute, crafty things, I just can't! It is ridiculous actually. My paternal grandad sews (magnificently, I might add), my maternal grandma used to knit and crochet, my paternal great-grandma knitted, sewed, crocheted and quilted. Me NOTHING, ZIP, NADA! Seriously, could I not get ANY of that creativity and talent??!! See the thing is, DD IS creative, she is artistic (loves to draw Magna (sp?)), but her uncreative mother doesn't even know where to start and what to buy, so she is stuck with a sketch book, some fancy pencils, colored pencils, markers and crayons!!!

So, being that I am a SERIOUS lurker on these boards, I have seen some truly AMAZING ideas. The shirts, the mousekeeping envelopes, the dining tip envelopes, the autograph books, HOLY COW, you name it, someone on here makes it! So, with that said, it REALLY makes me want to do some creative stuff with DD in the months leading up to the trip.

I NEED an excel spreadsheet "shell". Something not to drastic, semi-simple. I mean I use excel quite a bit at work, but I seriously know the basics and most of our spreadsheets are forms, so, I don't really have to do much except fill in the blanks!

I also want some sort of fun countdown calendar. I like the one with the paint sample Mickey heads from Home Depot, but seriously, I am WAAAAAY to much of a chicken to go and grab as many as I would need to make the calendar!!!! So, I need some ideas (remember DD is 10 going on 30 so it can't be too "babyish"). What kind of countdown calendar can a terribly non-crafty, non-creative person make. I know someone out there can help me out! PM me with a design, something!!!

I also definately want to make Mousekeeping envelopes and dining tip envelopes. I think those are magnificent and what a wonderful "extra" to thank those amazing CM's! Again, though, Ms. ubernoncreative needs your help creative Diser's!!! I seriously don't even know how to start, even if I get a design of the Disigns board. Again, anyone who wishes to help a poor unimaginative soul is welcome to PM me with HOW on earth to make these things! I know DD would catch on to the concept REALLY quick, so again, I grovel at the feet of you creative folks for help!!

And last, but certainly not least, I want a few semi-matching shirts for us (remember, family pics at Disney are Christmas gifts this year!). So, again, I can find designs that I like on the Disigns board, but then what??? I know I either post or send a PM to the Disigner, but what do I do after that? How do I GET the disign, and is it iron on or what? I am really not stupid, I swear, but I forewarned you, I am simply UNcreative!!! So, once again, you amazingly creative folks, H E L P!!!!

I warned you in the VERY FIRST paragraph how uncreative I am, so if anyone would like to take sympathy on me, I would be extremely greatful. I have nothing to offer in return, but maybe if you have little ones, I could send a postcard from Mickey when we go!!!

Up next: Must do's at each park!

 

[princesshannahsmom]

So, after all of that hard work telling you all about my FABULOUS trip to WDW on DD's 11th birthday, IT WON'T be happening.

Don't get discouraged, I'm not! We are still going, we just had to change the dates a bit, so we won't be there ON DD's birthday, but it is still a birthday celebration. Anyhow, needless to say, EVERYTHING has changed!

See, DH has an EVIL, EVIL boss (at least I think so)! When he reminded him about his vacation time, requested MONTHS ago and placed on THREE different calendars, boss said, "WHAT, you can't go then, we have a conference to go to on that Wednesday, Thursday and Friday" DH told me and I nearly BLEW A GASKET (which, since he manages an auto parts store, he could have replaced for me!!!).

So, this past week has been a flurry of activity in order to square things away and change things around a bit. Therefore, without further ado, here are the NEW trip plans!

We check in on Saturday, December 11th and check out on Saturday, December 18th. We upgraded resorts and we are NOW staying at CBR and we have downgraded to the Regular Dining plan (since it was FREE!) We still plan on upgrading to Annual Passes and I was actually able to get some pretty decent ADR’s!

Next post I will fill you in on the new ADR’s and probably the new park plans as well!

Until then, I am STILL looking for some creative folks to help me out!!