FINALLY Chillaxin' with the Mouse! August 2010 PTR! UPDATE 5/16

[Jupiter&Wolfe]

Hey there everybody! I just booked my 2nd trip to WDW. Ya know what that means...

Come one, come all to the magic and whimsy that is my August 2010 Walt Disney World PTR!

I've always enjoyed reading the Trip Reports here...it takes me back to the magic for a moment in time, and I get to live vicariously through you guys and your awesome families, experiencing your adventures as if I was there. I'm so excited about this trip I don't know how I'll wait 3 1/2 months, so I guess it will help to get a PTR started!

First, to introduce the cast (though this is somewhat subject to change):

Caroline(THAT'S ME!), Age 19. HUGE Disney fanatic all my life, mostly into the animated films and cartoons. My first trip to the World was April of 2007, and I've been hooked and trying to get back ever since! I managed to get to Disneyland this past September, which I liked JUST as much as WDW.

Here I am in Mickey's House at Disneyland!

I'm going to brag for a minute. Recognize this guy? His name is Bill Farmer, and he's the voice actor for Goofy! I met him at the D23 Expo. Nice guy!


My father, Tom. Age 53. Not necessarily a Disney fan, but like any good father, he respects and encourages my love for it. He claims one of his biggest regrets is not taking me to Disney World as a child. He's a big old softy. He LOVES to have fun and goof around, he plays the best pranks ever. So he's definitely excited to act like a kid for 7 straight days! He's been to WDW twice before, both in the early 90's. He liked looking at the different resorts and going boating off of the Grand Floridian.

I guess this isn't the best picture of him, but it captures his personality perfectly!


My mother, Victoria. Age 53. Not a diehard Disney fan, but she's an artist and so appreciates the artistry that the filmmakers put into the films and the imagineers put into the parks. She's been to Walt Disney World once before, and she liked World Showcase in Epcot the most. She's been to Disneyland once. I rarely ever see her, so getting together with her in Disney should be fun!

And another picture of my parents when they were together:

Joining us for the first 3 days of the trip, at the same hotel and everything, is Uncle Bob and Cousin Conor. Uncle Bob is my dad's younger brother. Conor and I are just about 2 years apart, but we're still very close and love having fun with each other!

Conor likes Disney alright, but he's more excited about the boats at the Contemporary and riding all the rides!
Bob is excited about drinking by the pool and Epcot!


So basically, we're spending 7 days and 7 nights at the Contemporary Resort in Walt Disney World. (We were originally booked for CBR but decided to upgrade with the summer 40% deal as of May 10th!) We plan on staying on property 24/7 and taking advantage of all the amenities Disney has to offer!

That should be enough to get ya started. Next post I'll tell you a little more about myself and the family, tell you the in depth plan of the trip, and hopefully have more updates on the vacation planning!


Table O' Contents

Welcome! Meet the Cast!
The Family Dynamics and The Plan
Aaaah The Sweet Smell of Disney Deposits!
The Itinerary 1.0
Stay Tuned!

 

[YukiPhnx]

Sweet, I'm first! You can count me in!

I'm SO JEALOUS that you went to the inaugural D23 Expo. I really wanted to go but didn't have enough money

 

[Jupiter&Wolfe]

Thanks for joining in, Yuki! Yeah, it was touch and go on whether or not I was going to the Expo for awhile... I am SO glad I went. It was the greatest trip of my life. You can always aim to go to the 2011 expo!

Hopefully I can get more followers soon! Working on the next update right now.

 

[Jupiter&Wolfe]

So now you know the bare basics of who we are and what we're doing. If you're interested, let me go into a little more detail....


Who Are We, Really?

My name is Caroline. I'm 19 years old and I graduated from High School a little over a year ago. I decided not to go to college immediately. Part of it was because I just didn't have the dough. But the bigger part of it is that I'm just not ready yet. I have no idea what I want to do and didn't really like school, so I decided to take a little time off and get my head in the right place. My teachers, school counselor and parents all agreed it was the right choice for me. I was an okay student, but hated the school environment, and as my psychology teacher said, "I couldn't flourish." Anyway, I moved out of my father's house and rented out a little house with some friends the next town over. Right now I'm a florist by day and a waitress by night. I LOVE working, so I work as much as possible. When I'm not working, I'm out with friends. In October, I plan on going to Africa for 6 months to do service work. (More details on that later) I really like where my life is at right now, and am currently on the fence about what my next move will be once I get back from Africa. My big dream is to work for Disney, I'm just not sure exactly what it is I want to do for Disney!

Tom and Victoria, aka Mom and Dad, split when I was 15. My mother moved back to her hometown in Virginia, and my father and I stayed up in Massachusetts. We live just outside the Boston area(and I have Boston Pride, yo). My sister, Liz, kind of goes back and forth between Mom and Dad, but primarily stays with my Mom. Here's my sister with Daddio:

Liz now goes to school in North Carolina. Because of the family split, I see my Mother 1 - 2 times a year. The last time I saw her was when she and her sister came with me to the September D23 Expo. So it's a pretty big deal that we'll see her on this trip. My dad owns his own swimming pool business and my mother is a massage therapist. The sad thing about my sister, who I also see rarely, is that originally she was going to go with us. We were originally going to go in June. Liz wanted to accompany us and partake in some Gay Day good times. Unfortunately, we had to move it to August when Liz has to be back at school. BUT, she's a huge fanatic of the Lion King, and Simba specifically, so I'm going to have to find her a really great souvenir.


So that's the family in a nutshell.

What Are We Doing, Exactly?

Well, here's the basic plan of attack.

On the 14th DDad, DSis and I are driving to Long Island, NY to attend my cousin's wedding (Liz will have spent the summer with us). We'll party all night, and on the 15th we'll drive from NY to Baltimore. We'll meet my mother at the Baltimore airport, but she WON'T be getting on the plane with us. Instead, we'll hand Liz off to her, and DDad and I will hop on a plane to Orlando around 8pm. In the meantime, DSis and DMom will head to North Carolina to drop my sister off at college.

Dad and I will spend the full 7 days at WDW. DMom will meet us for a couple of days during the vacation, but the exact days haven't been determined yet. After they leave, it's just DDad and I again.

On the 22nd, we'll spend one more fun day at Disney and then catch a flight around 7:30pm back into Baltimore. We'll meet up with some of DMom's family while we're there, and on the 23rd DDad and I will drive back to Massachusetts.

Complicated enough for ya? Well, that's just how my family roles.

Here's what's set in stone:

- On August 15th, our flight takes off from Baltimore Airport at 8:10pm and is due to arrive at 10:21pm.

- We have 7 day Park Hopper Magic Your Way tickets with Water Park Fun & More.

- We're staying at the Contemporary Resort and I booked a Tower Bay Lake View.

- On August 22nd, our flight takes off from Orlando at 7:28pm and is due to get back to Baltimore around 9:30.

~ The Total for me and Dad comes to $3,011.08. We're splitting the cost, so it seems fairly affordable to me!

AH just talking about it gives me butterflies. I can't WAAAIT.

That's all for now, folks! But stay tuned as I begin to make Deposits and start budgeting our dining adventures!

 

[YukiPhnx]

WOW! It sure does seems complicated! I could barely keep up with that itinerary!!

Sounds like great fun though. I'm definitely planning to make the 2011 Expo. *cross fingers* I really hope I can make it.

I'm sad Anime Expo isn't held there anymore though

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

Hey Caroline! Wow, what a family! Sounds complicated but sounds like it really works. Good for you for making the smart decision not to go to college. I think a lot of people go just because they feel like they have to and they are not ready. Having two jobs and out of your dad's house shows very mature, responsible and hardworking and you'll go to college if and when you are ready!

As far as summer in WDW (you mentioned on my PTR you were a little stressed about it) I think you'll be fine. You'll probably do better when it's just you and dad because it's WAY easier to have 2 opinions than 4! Try to get as much done with him, then everything else you do once mom and granny joins you will be bonus!

Looking forward to hearing more!

 

[dizneeat]

Sounds like a fun trip - I wanna come along too!

 

[Jupiter&Wolfe]

WOW! It sure does seems complicated! I could barely keep up with that itinerary!!

Sounds like great fun though. I'm definitely planning to make the 2011 Expo. *cross fingers* I really hope I can make it.

I'm sad Anime Expo isn't held there anymore though

There's a method to our madness.

Trust me, if you go broke just getting to the expo...it's WORTH IT.

Hey Caroline! Wow, what a family! Sounds complicated but sounds like it really works. Good for you for making the smart decision not to go to college. I think a lot of people go just because they feel like they have to and they are not ready. Having two jobs and out of your dad's house shows very mature, responsible and hardworking and you'll go to college if and when you are ready!

As far as summer in WDW (you mentioned on my PTR you were a little stressed about it) I think you'll be fine. You'll probably do better when it's just you and dad because it's WAY easier to have 2 opinions than 4! Try to get as much done with him, then everything else you do once mom and granny joins you will be bonus!

Looking forward to hearing more!

Thank you! Yeah, I felt like it would be a waste of money if I went to a school I wasn't even passionate about.
DDad and I are early risers, so we've already agreed that we'll be up and ready for park opening to beat the crowds! We'll get to do a lot, I think.

Sounds like a fun trip - I wanna come along too!

Well hop on in and join the ride! It will get more hip and happenin' around here, I promise!

 

[Jupiter&Wolfe]

Well folks, there's some good news and some not so good news.

I'll start with the not so good news.

Granny has looked over her finances and has decided it's not the best idea for her to visit us in Disney.
She's been having problems with her back and has been having to see a chiropractor and physical therapist. This is a blow to her financially in two ways, one being the cost of the doctor and two being that she's had to cut back her work hours to make the visits. We were pretty bummed, but I can't make her go to Disney if she doesn't feel right about going.

It's a bit of a downer, but we got some pretty great news that helped pick me back up.

My Uncle Bob and Cousin Conor will be accompanying us for the first 3 days! They've booked a 3 day package at CBR with us. There's almost a 2 year gap between me and Conor, him being 17 going on 18. But that hasn't prevented us from being extremely close. I'm closer to him than my other cousins. He's wise beyond his years and VERY fun to be around...we're a partying family in general.

Here they are!

This will add to the fun because at some points DDad can go off with his brother to get some drinks and relax while Conor and I can go cause some mischief on our own.

Conor(to the left in the picture if you couldn't tell ) likes some aspects of Disney but is much more excited about the rides and the boats at CBR! So I'll be doing all the really fun rides with him.

Uncle Bob finds fun wherever he goes. He's a pretty chill guy, as long as there's a bar nearby for him to let loose, he thinks it's a party!

So the cast has changed a bit. What else is on the agenda? Well, with people anticipating Free Dining coming out on Monday, I'm going to try and snag some ressies tomorrow. I don't want to get stuck with slim pickings, especially since I'm already a little late making reservations! So when I get home from work tonight, I'll be planning some Dining! If anyone has any suggestions for good places, let me know! We're big on really good theming and character dining, and we aren't too picky on what types of food. I already have some definites in my head, but feel free to suggest!

 

[dawnbu40]

I came over from our ptr...sounds like a fun time! I'm sorry grandma can't go!

As far as dining.... Caitlin (who is your age) calls Teppen Edo at Epcot her favorite. The meal is fun and good. I am a fan of Ohana and my husband loves the Rose and Crown. For character meals, our favorites are the Tusker House and Crystal Palace breakfasts. Have fun making adrs!

 

[dizneeat]

So sorry to hear your grandmother can't make it!

But at least you get to spend time with your favourite cousin!
As far as dining goes ..... we don't do many character meals, but we loved Crystal Palace and Ohana! Chef Mickey's is nice for the characters, but we did NOT like the food!
As for our favourite restaurants, we LOVE California Grill, can't beat the view from up there and the food is outstanding too!
Check out my dining reviews, we do PLENTY of eating!

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

[Jupiter&Wolfe]

I came over from our ptr...sounds like a fun time! I'm sorry grandma can't go!

As far as dining.... Caitlin (who is your age) calls Teppen Edo at Epcot her favorite. The meal is fun and good. I am a fan of Ohana and my husband loves the Rose and Crown. For character meals, our favorites are the Tusker House and Crystal Palace breakfasts. Have fun making adrs!

Thanks for stopping by, Dawn! And thanks for the suggestions. It's funny, I've been on the Dis for awhile and have been researching WDW like crazy for even longer...and somehow Teppen Edo has dodged my radar! I'll definitely have to look into it!

So sorry to hear your grandmother can't make it!

But at least you get to spend time with your favourite cousin!
As far as dining goes ..... we don't do many character meals, but we loved Crystal Palace and Ohana! Chef Mickey's is nice for the characters, but we did NOT like the food!
As for our favourite restaurants, we LOVE California Grill, can't beat the view from up there and the food is outstanding too!
Check out my dining reviews, we do PLENTY of eating!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Wow, both you and Dawn suggested Ohana and Crystal Palace! I'll have to look into those and see which work into the plans best! I'll definitely try one of them!

I've heard some bad things about the food at Chef Mickey's...but I feel like I should try it once? I don't like to judge things unless I've tried it...I'm torn on that! Any idea if maybe Dinner is better than Breakfast or vice versa?

 

[dizneeat]

Wow, both you and Dawn suggested Ohana and Crystal Palace! I'll have to look into those and see which work into the plans best! I'll definitely try one of them!

I've heard some bad things about the food at Chef Mickey's...but I feel like I should try it once? I don't like to judge things unless I've tried it...I'm torn on that! Any idea if maybe Dinner is better than Breakfast or vice versa?

We loved both breakfasts, the one at Ohana and the one at Crystal Palace. The food was very good, buffet at Crystal Palace and family style at Ohana.

At Chef Mickey's the breakfast was quite okay, but dinner was really rushed and the food left a lot to be desired, if you know what I mean. Just our opinion, but I have read more bad than good reviews about the food there. As far as character interaction goes - real fun at Chef Mickey's.

Deciding where to eat is quite a challenge! We have 12 nights of basic DDP and 9 nights of DxDDP to cover and it took A LOT of planning to cover ALL credits. And yes, I am one of those people who got it for free and still I won't leave any credits behind.

 

[dramaqueenemj22]

Hey, I'm subbing. Your trip sounds fun so far!

 

[YukiPhnx]

Wow, Conor's really cute!

I'll be eligible for the QSDP when free dining comes out. Still need to do a price check before I commit to changing my ressie into a package and buying TWO EXTRA TICKETS. Sucks cause I already bought my tickets...

 

[Jupiter&Wolfe]

We loved both breakfasts, the one at Ohana and the one at Crystal Palace. The food was very good, buffet at Crystal Palace and family style at Ohana.

At Chef Mickey's the breakfast was quite okay, but dinner was really rushed and the food left a lot to be desired, if you know what I mean. Just our opinion, but I have read more bad than good reviews about the food there. As far as character interaction goes - real fun at Chef Mickey's.

Deciding where to eat is quite a challenge! We have 12 nights of basic DDP and 9 nights of DxDDP to cover and it took A LOT of planning to cover ALL credits. And yes, I am one of those people who got it for free and still I won't leave any credits behind.

Thanks for the help! Just booked Crystal Palace, and I'm looking forward to trying it out.

And thanks for the info on Chef Mickey's. We're really into character interaction at Disney, so I think I should try it out just this once and see how things go. Jeez...all my dining ressies so far are Character Dining!

Hey, I'm subbing. Your trip sounds fun so far!

WELCOME! Thanks for joinin' in! Stay tuned!

Wow, Conor's really cute!

I'll be eligible for the QSDP when free dining comes out. Still need to do a price check before I commit to changing my ressie into a package and buying TWO EXTRA TICKETS. Sucks cause I already bought my tickets...

Hahaha, I'll let him know you said that!

Working on another update now, guys!

 

[Jupiter&Wolfe]

Oh, sigh. As I frantically try to make ADRs and plan the days of my vacation, my mind can't help but wander to the wonderful past trips that lead me to this very point in my life.

Oh yes, folks. You're about to hear the very brief history of my Disney travels. Don't worry, I'll just give you a quick TR of each, nothing too major.

I've been on a mere 2 Disney vacations. The first was in 2007 to Walt Disney World when I was 16 years old. I had always dreamed of going to Walt Disney World, being the Disney fan I am, but my parents never had the time and felt they could spend money on other things. Different strokes for different folks, and I certainly don't think they ever expected me to remain a Disney Addict the rest of my life. But at 16 my dear friend Blaise approached me and informed me that she and her mother would be going to Walt Disney World for 4 days, and I was invited to come along!

I swear, the gates of heaven had opened up! It was so unexpected and I was COMPLETELY psyched. We booked in November and were to spend 4 whole days at Walt Disney World Resort. Of course, all 3 of us were Disney newbies. How were we to know that April Break was an EXTREMELY crowded time of year?

However, on this note, I must say. I don't think crowds bother me as much as they bother some. I never noticed the crowds and the people never got to me on this trip. I think I actually went in thinking the wait times for rides would be LONGER and was pleasantly surprised! I didn't feel squished or crowded at all. Maybe I'm just crazy. Maybe I hadn't been brainwashed by the Dis yet...?

Anyway, from November up until the day before we left, Blaise and I planned obsessively. Of course, we still made some classic mistakes and missed a lot of things, but I think that for two 16 year olds pulling a trip together it seemed to go pretty well. Due to money, we originally planned to stay offsite at some cheap Holiday Inn or something....but the day we left, Blaise's mom surprised us and told us we were actually staying at the Pop Century Resort!

Before you see some of these pictures, be warned. This was the HEIGHT of my awkward teenage years and I was not a pretty sight! Disclaimer over. Just...ya know, don't think I'm still that dorky. I'm only SORT OF dorky now!

Sorry the image quality is bad. These were disposable cameras we were using plus my scanner sucks. But here we are with the giant Lady at Pop Century!

The trip ended being as magical as it could have possibly been, even before I knew all that I know now. We were up at 8, ate breakfast at the food court, and at the parks by 9:30 every day and never stopped for rests during the day. Our first day was spent at Magic Kingdom, and I remember having heard about Fast Pass but not fully understanding it. While we stood next to the Partners Statue and watched the Dream Along with Mickey show, a kind lady with three children(a Diser perhaps?) explained Fast Pass to me and told me the best way to tour the park, and what attractions I COULD NOT MISS. She was great. And I never had a problem with Fast Pass again.

That night, Blaise's mother ended up watching the fireworks, but Blaise and I opted to meet Mickey instead because his line was dead. We spent a good 15 - 20 minutes with Mickey Mouse while we heard fireworks going off overhead. Everyone was really relaxed since no other park guests were around and Mick got to goof off with us a LOT. The photopass lady and the other handler made it really memorable as well. Because of that interaction, I still have never seen Wishes, but it is to this day the best character interaction I've ever had.

We ate at Tony's that day, I fell in love with it and plan on eating there again this August.

Lady and the Tramp is one of my all-time favorite Disney Movies. To me, that film defines Disney and what it is to me. And whenever I think back longingly to the Magic Kingdom, for whatever reason the image that sits in my mind is that of Blaise and I walking into Tony's for the first time. I absolutely LOVED it there. It was one of the greatest Dinners I ever had!

An embarrassing photopass picture of me dancing with Goofy at MK. The pictures of me with Mickey are WAY too awful to show you!

Cont'd Next Post

 

[YukiPhnx]

Great, now I REALLY want to see those Mickey pictures!

 

[Jupiter&Wolfe]

The next day we spent all day at Animal Kingdom, which we both loved, and we ended up riding Expedition Everest 4 times, with only the last time having a really long wait (about 35 minutes). We had a bad interaction with Minnie Mouse, but otherwise had a perfect day. We ended up eating at Rainforest Cafe and afterward went back to Pop and explored the resort.

Meeting Launchpad McQuack at AK!

Day 3 was MGM studios (now Hollywood Studios). Again, we had a blast. Rode everything with the only long wait being for Rock N Roller Coaster. WITH fast passes it was about 25 minutes. This was before there was a TSM to thin out the crowds. The High School Musical show that played in front of the hat every hour on the hour bugged the crap out of us, but we managed. I ADORED the Animation Academy and Blaise and I spent a good hour in there messing around with all that they had to offer. She and I drew Stitch that day. We had lunch at 50's Prime Time and had a blast, and that night I saw Fantasmic! for the first time. It was, and is to this very day, my all time favorite Disney show. That is the next thing I think of after Tony's Restaurant when I think of Walt Disney World. We got front row seats and waited for 2 hours, but it flew by for us because we were on such a Disney High!!

Here we are posing with a gift basket in our hotel room. A friend of Blaise's mother was in the area so stopped by to visit us at the resort after MGM and had that delivered to us! He's the one taking the picture. It was filled with yummy candy and cookies!


On our last day, we spent the morning at Epcot, the afternoon at DTD and then went back to Epcot for Illuminations. World Showcase became another favorite for me at Disney. I had absolutely NO idea about the attractions at Epcot and therefore missed a lot of the good stuff. Newbie mistake. We DID do Soarin' (front row seats too!), The Three Caballeros Grand Fiesta(which I loved because I love the Three Caballeros and honestly wasn't expecting anything at Disney involving them), and Maelstrom. We loved the viking ride not because it was a good ride, but because it was so BAD. We called it the Vikings in their Laughin' Place because it seemed like a cheap Splash Mountain rip-off. But we thought it was hilarious so it was still a highlight of my trip.

Downtown Disney was awesome as well. All our money was gone by the end of that! We bought some sketches at The Art of Disney, some little things here and there At WOD, and I discovered ANOTHER favorite and forever must-do....GOOFY'S CANDY CO. ! I LOOOOVED it in there. I got a slushy and a rice krispy treat. I cannot WAIT to go back there in August!

That night we watched Illuminations from the America Pavilion. Loved that show! But I was very sad that night because early the next morning we were leaving Disney and heading back home. To snow.

Can't find any from Epcot or DTD so here's one of us meeting Brer Fox at MK!

Upon returning home, I became OBSESSED with the Disney Parks and wanted - no - NEEDED to return. This is the trip that started it all. I found this site and lurked for a long time before joining, but boy did I read this forum like a holy bible. For years I tried to get back to WDW but to no avail. I came pretty close this past September - I ended up at Disneyland Resort instead, for the D23 inaugural Expo. I ended up being equally as excited - and equally as impressed - with Disneyland.

Cont'd next, my September 2009 Disneyland Resort trip!

 

[YukiPhnx]

Yay, D23!