A Pocketful of Pixie Dust, the PTR: The Game Plan (post #3)

[as dreamers do]

September 17-23, 2009
Port Orleans Riverside
6-day PH + FD​

Pre-Trip Episodes
Part I: The Game Plan

 

[as dreamers do]

The Lowdown

So my sister and I are going to WDW! Well, duh. But we're staying at Port Orleans Riverside, which is particularly exciting... for us. We've only ever stayed at one other moderate resort, and that was Coronado Springs in '99. (Ten years ago, whoa!) And since I'm footing the bill for this whole shebang (best graduation present ever in my opinion) and we are going during value season with Free Dining, I decided to indulge us! All things considered, it's no Polynesian, but it's a happy medium between the pricey digs of a Deluxe and tent camping at Fort Wilderness during hurricane season (which I seriously considered).

It's kind of ridiculous how many changes this trip has gone through since I started planning in April. Back then, I planned a solo trip for mid-August, and, like my solo trip last year, booked a campsite at Fort Wilderness for 7 nights.

Then along came Free Dining, and I figured I would splurge on POR with the $$ I'd save paying for the dining plan, since I was originally going to pay for it anyway. After that, I asked my sister if she wanted to join me. Unfortunately, the August dates I'd booked were blacked out for her at work. So with a little reshuffling, the two of us were booked at POR for 4-nights in mid-September. We bought our flight tickets and everything was set.

That was, until we realized that we couldn't realistically do all the things we wanted to do in 4 days. (Cue: hassle with NWA.) Thankfully, everything has settled down for now, and we're incurably excited about our trip!!! 63 days, y'all!

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The Crew

Katie (DSis, pictured left)
A.K.A.: Kay, Kates
Favorite Disney Movie: The Little Mermaid
Favorite Disney Park: Hollywood Studios
WDW Trips to Date: 6
Celebrating: College graduation, belated birthday (9/3)

Jenny (me, pictured right)
A.K.A.: Jay, as dreamers do (DIS!)
Favorite Disney Movie: Pocahontas
Favorite Disney Park: Animal Kingdom
WDW Trips to Date: 6
Celebrating: Belated birthday (9/10)

 

[as dreamers do]

Let it be known that I fall into the category of an overplanner. But I take solace in that I know I'm in good company here. I have an Excel spreadsheet with our activities for each day of our trip meticulously scheduled. I have Word documents for each park and the things we want to do there. In fact, here's an example of our Hollywood Studios plan of action (will open as PDF) so you can see how truly crazy I am.

See?

I need therapy.

But for the sake of this trip report, I'm going to share all the inner workings of mine and DSis's vacation extravaganza. Which really aren't that exciting, but it does gives me a little thrill to share them - it makes them seem more real than just dreaming about them in my head.

Day 1 - 9/17
9:30a - Hightail it to the airport after Jay's class ends
12:05p - Flight departs DTW
2:38p - Flight arrives MCO
~4:00p - Magical Express drop-off, check-in at POR

Day 2 - 9/18
9:00a - HS park opening
(afternoon break)
3:20p - Mama Melrose's ADR
6:30p - Queue up for Fantasmic
8:00p - Fantasmic
~9:00p - Jelly Rolls DIS Meet

Day 3 - 9/19
9:00a - MK park opening
(afternoon break)
5:45p - Plaza ADR
8:00p - SpectroMagic
9:00p - Wishes

Day 4 - 9/20
8:00a - AK park opening (EMH)
(afternoon break)
5:00p - AK park closing
6:30p - Trail's End ADR
(MK EMH?)

Day 5 - 9/21
9:00a - EP park opening
(afternoon break)
5:25p - Tutto Italia ADR
9:00p - Illuminations

Day 6 - 9/22
9:15a - Boma ADR
(DTD shopping, doing missed attractions)
7:00p - MNSSHP

Day 7 - 9/23
(whatever we feel like doing!)
~12:30p - Magical Express pick-up
3:45p - Flight departs MCO
6:25p - Flight arrives DTW


So that's pretty much it. Actually, that's entirely it. And we have a lot of firsts on this trip: first time staying at POR, first time doing MNSSHP, first time on the dining plan, first times eating at Boma and the Plaza. Talk about overstimulation! And all in just a little over a month...

 

[as dreamers do]

17 days, y'all!!!

I think fall got confused. Here we are still thinking we have the better part of a month to soak up the last of the summer weather and -- what's this? -- we're in the 70's? Whaaat? Fall is crashing the party! (For the sake of mental imagery, I picture fall as a nerdy pre-adolescent boy with Drew Carrey glasses and suspenders hanging out solo over by the bean dip because he showed up 3 hours before the party was supposed to start.) Truthfully, I don't really have anything against fall (nerds are cute!), I just wish it would have held off a little bit longer.

And speaking of fall, Katie and I are going to be in serious celebration mode for the entire month of September: the 3rd is Katie's birthday; exactly one week later (9/10) is my birthday; exactly one week from THAT (9/17) we're leaving for our trip; then exactly one week from when we get back (9/30) is our parents' anniversary. It's maddening! I see a lot of cake in my future (also, a lot of trips to the gym).

We really need to start packing, too. I already know we need to buy baby wipes (for freshening up when we get hot & sweaty & homely-looking while pounding out the parks) and rain ponchos (because paying $10 in a pinch for a glorified trash bag makes us all cry like little babies). We need to get our Disney-bound butts in gear!