9 Years Later! An October PTR! Update 4.29!

[MandyyA]

Hello there! And to this fabulous PTR.

I've been lurking on the DIS boards for about six or seven months and now that I officially have a trip coming up, I thought I would share my excitement with someone!

Because at least you guys get me.

Right?

Anyways! I'm Amanda. Your extraordinary PTR author.

I'll be going to the world from October 20th through the 25th.

So that's a four days in the parks and a one day visit to the dark side (I haven't seen the WWoHP yet and I'm a 21 year old nerd. Makes sense).

We're planning on doing MNSSHP on the 20th so that way we won't have to get an extra ticket for that day since, we can get into the parks around 4 and our flight doesn't arrive till 11.

The wonderful person joining me is my mother. She's also the one who is graciously paying for the trip so, you know, all props go to my mother. All of them.

I'm just the control freak who likes to plan everything.

We'll be staying in standard view room at the Caribbean Beach Resort.

I'm super excited to see it. I haven't been to CBR since before the refurbishment. Actually, I haven't been to Disney since 2007.

It's been awhile. Lots of changes, lots to see, lots to do.

The reason my mom and I are going is for a few reasons: one, we haven't really taken a vacation as a family since the trip, two, I have been desperately wanting to go back to Disney World since maybe June of 2015, three, I just turned 21 a few weeks ago and my mom and I's original plan was to go to Las Vegas to celebrate but, unfortunately, I'm in Germany living my dream of studying abroad for year. Oh darn. And the last reason, I'm graduating from college in April of 2017.

Because nothing says spending 40 grand on a piece of paper quite like spending all of the little money you have on a trip to Disney.

I finally got my mom to book our trip yesterday (just in time for our 180 day mark) and I'm now even more excited! It's official! Woo! I'm going to Disney!

To be honest, I think she actually booked the trip to shut me up. I honestly haven't shut up about the trip since she gave the green light that we could potentially go a few months ago. And for me, potentially means obsessively plan and talk about it until your mother gives in.

It's the only way to get things done in my house. Annoy your parents enough and they'll give in. Or yell at you. It depends on their mood.

I do have our ADRs planned for the trip though.

I'm hoping for:
'Ohana
'50s Prime Time
Crystal Palace for a prepark opening
Be Our Guest
Biergarten (because I'll be home from Germany for a few months at that point and will probably be desperate for some German culture).

ADR day is this Friday and I'm not going to lie. I'm a bit nervous. I'm going to be taking a trip to the Black Forest with the International Students at my university. And we'll be taking a bus at the time the site goes live. And I won't be able to get a lot of signal. And in no way am I calling because 20 cents a minute to be on hold for forever would mean that my mom may actually kill me when she sees the phone bill.

May is probably not the correct word. Will is the correct word.

My mom will kill me if I'm on the phone with Disney to make reservations.

Thankfully as the main reason we are going at this time is because of F&W Festival if I don't get the reservations, then we're getting food at Epcot.

I really just want that prepark opening breakfast.

I'm a sorority girl. A picture in front of the castle throwing what I know is compulsory. I have no option. I just want that photo with no else around me. Is that too much to ask?

So, throw a little pixie dust my way for getting those ADRs! I'm going to need it!​

 

[MandyyA]

So I'm back from my trip to the Black Forest. It was wonderful. We actually ended up going to France for a day, which I had no idea until I was told that I had to have my passport.

Anyways, back to Disney related items.

I had thought that my ADR time was for that Friday but, apparently it was on Saturday since Disney's countdown is one day behind my other countdown.

So there I was, on the bus to the Black Forest and wondering why I couldn't go and make my reservations.

It wasn't until I logged into the full site on my phone and saw the countdown when I realized. Whoops?

The next day, I was in France and had completely forgotten that I needed to be on my phone at noon to make the reservations. It wasn't until I had sat down at a restaurant for lunch that I had realized what I needed to do. Thankfully it was only 12:05 and not too much time had passed.

So here I was in a restaurant, frantically making reservations on the app.

I was actually able to get most of the reservations I wanted! Yay!

My reservations are as follows:

Thursday:
2 PM - Portobello

Saturday:
6:05 PM - 50s Prime Time

Monday:
8:15 AM - Crystal Palace
12:30 - Be Our Guest

Today, as I was making the spreadsheet for our time in Disney, I realized that I had wanted a reservation in Biergarten so I'm able to add that to the list as well.

Friday:
6:05 - Biergarten

I'm hoping that I'll be able to get an Eat to the Beat package with Biergarten so my mom and I can go see whoever is playing that night. That's why I didn't make the reservation on Saturday but, I think just having one there as a place holder until I can switch it over will be nice.

I'm hoping that I can switch my Thursday reservation over to either Raglan Road or 'Ohana. Neither one of those had times for the day I wanted. Hopefully something becomes available for mid-afternoon. My mom and I want to get over to the Magic Kingdom around 4 or 4:30 to start our MNSSHP experience for the evening.

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[VailRaven]

Good luck with the trip planning! Those ADR's look great.

 

[MandyyA]

Good luck with the trip planning! Those ADR's look great.

Thanks so much! I really lucked out with the ADRs.

 

[MandyyA]

I have an update!​

The other day I received a PIN code in my email. I wasn't able to really find anything within our original dates so I just sort of forgot about it.

Today though, I was bored and decided to play around with different dates and see what came up.

And I was able to find a room at the Boardwalk within my mom's price range!



We are now going from 10/27 through 11/1 and staying standard at the Boardwalk!

I can't believe this is happening!

It works out perfectly too, ADRs open up tomorrow for the new weekend and flights look to be about the same price.

And we are staying deluxe!

Which is exactly what I wanted to stay!

I'm even more excited now!

...which I'm not entirely sure that was possible but apparently it is.

BWI looks absolutely gorgeous and the boardwalk area itself looks amazing as well.

And my mom and I can just casually walk to Epcot which means lots of F&W opportunities as well.

My ADR plans are still the same just a bit moved around with planning around MNSSHP happening on Halloween (we don't really want to go on Halloween because of the crowds and the added cost).

I'll let you know how that goes tomorrow after my ADR date opens up.

​

 

[MandyyA]

ADR Day Part 2:

So now I can update what my new ADRs are, since I spontaneously moved our trip back a week yesterday to stay at the Boardwalk.

(I still can't get over the fact that we are staying at the Boardwalk. It will be so awesome.)

So this morning/afternoon at 12, I was on the Disney website ready to make my reservations when, all of a sudden, the site decides to not work.



So I went on my phone to make the reservations.

And of course that doesn't work either.

Grr.

After about 15 minutes I was finally able to get into the site and make my reservations. Thank goodness.

Here's what I have:

Thursday:
2:15 - Raglan Road

Saturday:
8:20 - Crystal Palace
12:35 - Be Our Guest
5:25 - 'Ohana

Monday:
1:05 - 50's Prime Time

I was able to get a Raglan Road reservation this time, which was the original plan instead of Portobello. So I'm really happy that was able to happen.

I'm just not entirely sure we will be able to make that reservation. Right now we are looking at getting into MCO around 11:30, so it's going to be a tight race to check in and then catch the bus to Disney Springs.

I'm crossing my fingers.

I also added a cheeky little reservation to 'Ohana. I want to stay at the Poly so badly and after hearing all the wonderful reports about 'Ohana on here I decided that I should try it.

I just haven't told my mom. She knows about the others.

It'll be okay.

It's casual.

My mom and I also discussed today how we wanted the trip plans to go. Which was a little rough. My mom is taking the we can do whatever you want to do approach.

Which is great.

Except she's paying for the trip.

So I need to know her opinions on things.

Like if she wants to spend the extra 15 dollars on going to MNSSHP on Halloween or do it that Sunday before, or the date we have now which is Thursday.

She can be so unhelpful sometimes.

We also need to decide which party we are going to since you know, tickets are going on sale soon, and if we are going on Halloween, I'd prefer getting the tickets in May.

As of now, I'm just keeping things the way they are and going on Thursday, where the party will be less crowded.

We shall see though.

I'm just really excited to be staying at the Boardwalk.

I still can't get over it.

I've been reading over the Boardwalk thread all day today, and it's just making me more excited.

WHY MUST OCTOBER BE SO FAR AWAY?!

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