Getting in Shape for Disney...Update 6/19, pg. 5

[mylittlebuttercup]

Hello everyone and welcome to my first pre-trip report! As this is my first time writing one of these, please bear with me if it's not very good or interesting.

Who: Me and my loving fiance

This picture of us is from our Disney trip last August--our first trip together, his first trip ever. I had been lots of times when I was younger, but this was my first time since college.

When: August 2010

Where: ...as in where will we be staying? This one has a little bit of a back story. We stayed at All Star Music last year and really enjoyed it, but this year we wanted to stay somewhere a little nicer since we decided to put off the cruise we were planning on doing this summer until our honeymoon next summer. At first, we booked the Wilderness Lodge, since it is one of the cheapest deluxe resorts. We were hoping to add free dining to this reservation when it came out in April, but as you all know it didn't come out that early. Therefore, we decided to try some of the "tricks" we read about to try to get a pin code so that we were guaranteed some sort of discount. We signed up for the DVD, updated our Disney.com accounts, created and saved itineraries, but still heard nothing...until one day my fiance decided to check his junk mail folder and there it was: a 40% pin code for deluxe resorts!!! Now as there are only two of us, this is actually a better deal than free dining. Then, I got the bright idea into my head that since we were saving so much money, we should upgrade to the Polynesian since we might not get another chance to stay there for a while. So as of right now, we have a garden view room at the Poly booked for 6 nights, 7 days with deluxe dining. (I'll explain why we chose deluxe in another post, as well as what reservations we have, if any of you guys are interested.)

Why: ...not why are we going to Disney, because if you are on the DIS, you obviously are in the know!!! Actually, I wanted to talk a little bit about why I decided to do a pre-trip report. Ever since I had Lyme's in college I have had issues with my weight. I lost a lot of weight (about 80 pounds) a few years ago but through laziness and a dash of apathy gained a lot of it back. I really need to not only lose weight but just generally get into shape for a few reasons:

1) I will be walking all around Disney for a week...need I say more? Last year I got really bad blisters, which never happened to me when I went to Disney when I was younger (and thinner.) I have all the DIS tips in mind to help prevent these this time--like BodyGlide--but the bottom line is, the less weight that I am carrying around, the less it will hurt my feet in the first place.

2) I am going on a short trip to Vegas at the end of this month with a friend of mine...this will involve some walking too, so the more walking I get in before then, the better I will feel.

AND LAST BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY

3) I am getting married next summer!!! And we all know those pictures will be around FOREVER!

So how does this relate to the trip report? I want to use the report not only to share and get feedback on my Disney plans but also to help me keep motivated with my weight loss and exercise before the trip. I am hoping that some of you guys will follow along and help keep me on track. I will keep the "getting in shape" posts brief and try to keep most of my posts devoted to our Disney planning.

So who's in? Please, please, please don't leave me hanging!

Getting in Shape: Week 1

Mmm...Deluxe Dining (otherwise entitled, "You want to lose weight, but you're doing deluxe dining...what!?")

Earning Spending Money for Disney and Getting in Shape Update (6/6)

What to Wear: Part 1

Opinions on Park Bags?

Must-dos and Want-to-dos

Time for an Update

Vegas Trip

Shopping, Gambling, Wedding Stuff, and More...w/ pics

 

[disneydreamer1970]

I'm in!! I'm in!! Congrats on the first weeks weight loss. I just started to try and lose some just about 2 weeks ago and a I'm down 6 and 1/2 pounds!! It sure feels good doesn't it?

I can't wait to hear more and way to go on the 40% pin...and staying at the Poly! That is great!!

Trish

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

I started my food and exercise journal on Tuesday, June 1 and have lost four pounds since then. I have been doing pretty well with food intake and portion control, but not as well with exercise. I went to the gym on Wednesday, went for a walk this morning, and did an EA active workout on the Wii tonight. I need to get my behind in gear more with the exercise if I expect to be Disney-ready!

<--all the jumping jacks I should be doing!

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

I'm in!! I'm in!! Congrats on the first weeks weight loss. I just started to try and lose some just about 2 weeks ago and a I'm down 6 and 1/2 pounds!! It sure feels good doesn't it?

I can't wait to hear more and way to go on the 40% pin...and staying at the Poly! That is great!!

Trish

Yay, my first reader! I'm going to have to head over and check out your PTR too. I see you're going in December. I'm so jealous! I REALLY want to go during the holidays but cringe at the thought of the crowds over Christmas break. I'm a teacher, so my only other option would be to take a personal day on a Friday and go for a three-day weekend. One day...:

 

[OhMari]

2 years ago, we had the 40% off room code for any resort, and we did a split stay with the BC and POR. We did the math and we actually came out better than taking the Free Dining. We found out though that WDW has really increased their prices with food and we actually went off site a few times and got pizza. Almost every resturant that you can think of, is just north down the road from DtD. It only took 5 minutes. This only works too, if you have a vehicle.

Good luck with the dieting. I have the exercising down, I just need to get the food straightened out. Have you checked out the wedding board and the WISH board threads on the DIS?

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

2 years ago, we had the 40% off room code for any resort, and we did a split stay with the BC and POR. We did the math and we actually came out better than taking the Free Dining. We found out though that WDW has really increased their prices with food and we actually went off site a few times and got pizza. Almost every resturant that you can think of, is just north down the road from DtD. It only took 5 minutes. This only works too, if you have a vehicle.

Good luck with the dieting. I have the exercising down, I just need to get the food straightened out. Have you checked out the wedding board and the WISH board threads on the DIS?

Thanks for the dining suggestions! We actually have the DxDP, so we won't be going off-site this time, but I will keep them in mind for the future. Even with the DxDP, the 40% deal was better for us than free dining with the upgrade to deluxe dining. I haven't actually checked out the wedding boards yet, probably because I'm afraid of being jealous of all the girls lucky enough to be actually getting married in Disney. I will have to check out the WISH boards, though; I have seen the wish thingies in people's signatures, but I didn't know there was a board for it too.

 

[MouseEarsJenny]

Good luck with your weight loss! DH and I lost 163lbs. between us for our upcoming Disney trip, so I can join your cheering section while I try to lose my last 20.

Poly with deluxe dining sounds wonderful - should be a great trip. As a fellow teacher, I also sympathize with your scheduling issue - I'd love to go to Disney for Halloween, myself. Someday!

 

[Lady Lallie]

I'm joining in!! I saw you post on my PTR so I came on over.

Let me tell you, I know ALL about blisters in Disney. When I went in May 2009, my blisters were so bad. It was really awful. But I'm happy to report that when I went back in January I didn't have one single blister. I account this to losing some weight and also using lots of blister prevention!

How exciting that you are getting married next summer.

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

Good luck with your weight loss! DH and I lost 163lbs. between us for our upcoming Disney trip, so I can join your cheering section while I try to lose my last 20.

Poly with deluxe dining sounds wonderful - should be a great trip. As a fellow teacher, I also sympathize with your scheduling issue - I'd love to go to Disney for Halloween, myself. Someday!

MouseEarsJenny! Wow, you guys lost so much--congrats! I hope that my fiance and I can do that for our wedding next year.

 

[HeatherBelle614]

Hi! I'm in!

I'm wanting to get back in to shape, so I'd love to help you stay on track!!

BTW, Poly? I'm drooling!!! Lucky lady!

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

Well, since I seem to have a few readers now, I guess I will update with some details about our trip. I'll start with one of the biggest parts of any Disney planner's trip: our ADRs.

Last year, we booked a trip with regular free dining. Then, when we realized we could get into the parks before opening to eat breakfast, we decided to book just one breakfast ADR and pay out-of-pocket for it. Well, "just one" breakfast ADR turned into three breakfast ADRs very quickly, plus we were planning on doing CRT, which would either have to be out-of-pocket or two dining credits. So in the end, it made the most financial sense to upgrade our dining plan to deluxe. Then we figured, why waste perfectly good dining credits on counter service meals, so we added a couple of sit-down lunches too!

Fast-forwarding to this year, there was no question in our minds that we wanted to do deluxe dining again. Yes, it's a lot of food, but we didn't always eat it all, and we were OK with that. (And while I'm being very good with my calories before Disney, I'll be getting so much exercise there that I can splurge a little!) We liked the freedom of being able to schedule a couple of two-credit meals and not having to worry if we would have enough credits to cover them. We loved being able to try appetizers if we wanted them and not have to pay out-of-pocket. And as far as most people's biggest complaint--that deluxe dining takes up too much valuable park time--we did not find that to be true at all. We always schedule our breakfasts for before park opening, and we like to escape into the air-conditioning at lunch time and dinner time for a much needed break. Perhaps it would be cheaper to do our meals OOP rather than buying a plan, but we like the convenience of pre-paying.

So without further ado, here's our ADRs:

Tuesday: Arrival and DHS
Breakfast: No ADR, airport food
Lunch: 50s Prime Time
Dinner: Hollywood Brown Derby

Wednesday: Epcot
Breakfast: Akershus
Lunch: Teppan Edo
Dinner: Tutto Italia

Thursday: Animal Kingdom/Epcot
Breakfast: Tusker House
Lunch: Yak and Yeti
Dinner: Chefs de France

Friday: Magic Kingdom
Breakfast: Crystal Palace
Lunch: No ADR--counter service of some sort
Dinner: Ohana (This one is at a very late time, 9 or so, because we switched it from LTT when we moved our reservation to the Poly, and 9 was all they had left! Going to keep looking for earlier...gotta love online ADRs.)

Saturday: Free choice/Epcot
Breakfast: Kona Cafe
Lunch: Probably snacks around the World Showcase in Epcot
Dinner: Le Cellier

Sunday: Free Choice/Magic Kingdom
Breakfast: Grand Floridian Cafe
Lunch: No ADR--counter service of some sort, or possibly Beaches and Cream if we go to Epcot in the morning
Dinner: Cinderella's Royal Table

Monday: Free choice/Departure
Breakfast: No ADR--maybe Main Street Bakery--we did that last time and it was good
Lunch: Kona Cafe
Dinner: Depends on what time ME picks us up, either counter service or something at airport

You might have noticed, we put most of our ADRs in our first few days as we visit each park for the first time. We want Sat.-Mon. mornings/afternoons to be open so that we are not quite as structured with our schedule as we were last year (when we only went Mon.-Fri.). This way, we can eat at a resort in the morning, then go to whatever park we choose in the morning/afternoon (we have park hoppers), and end up at our dinner ADR park in the evening.

Most of our ADRs are new to us, except for our park breakfasts, 50s PTC, and CRT. I was at the old Italian restaurant way back in the day, but I have never been since it's become Tutto Italia, and my fiance has never been period. We'll being using credits for the ADRs and paying OOP for any counter service for which we don't have credits.

So questions? Comments? Reviews of the places we're going to eat? I'd love to hear!

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

I'm joining in!! I saw you post on my PTR so I came on over.

Let me tell you, I know ALL about blisters in Disney. When I went in May 2009, my blisters were so bad. It was really awful. But I'm happy to report that when I went back in January I didn't have one single blister. I account this to losing some weight and also using lots of blister prevention!

How exciting that you are getting married next summer.

I actually read about some of your blister ordeals in your past trip reports, but I was so late in discovering them, that I felt weird jumping in with comments! This time I caught one of your reports earlier on. I'm going to have to follow your blister tips this time.

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

Hi! I'm in!

I'm wanting to get back in to shape, so I'd love to help you stay on track!!

BTW, Poly? I'm drooling!!! Lucky lady!

Thanks for the support!!! I see you guys are staying at AKV and SSR. I am also jealous! Animal Kingdom Lodge and Villas look so great--I can't wait to stay there on a future trip! Heading over now to catch up on all of your PTR

 

[MouseEarsJenny]

You got a lot of great ADRs! I would keep Ohana at 9 and ask for a table next to the window, where you can see the MK fireworks.

 

[Belle2007]

I'm joining in!

So exciting to begin planning for a new Dis trip!! Your ADRs look great. DH and I love Cinderella's Castle and Teppan Edo. When we went to Teppan Edo last August we were caught in a monsoon. Ok. Maybe it was a storm, but it felt like a monsoon to me! The workers there were so sweet handing out towels and drinks to those coming in. The food was awesome!! But I wasn't crazy about the green tea dessert....

Peggy

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

You got a lot of great ADRs! I would keep Ohana at 9 and ask for a table next to the window, where you can see the MK fireworks.

Thanks! I was thinking about that, but I think our ADR is actually like 9:20 or 9:30...so maybe watch Wishes from the Poly beach and then hit Ohana? We shall see!

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

I'm joining in!

So exciting to begin planning for a new Dis trip!! Your ADRs look great. DH and I love Cinderella's Castle and Teppan Edo. When we went to Teppan Edo last August we were caught in a monsoon. Ok. Maybe it was a storm, but it felt like a monsoon to me! The workers there were so sweet handing out towels and drinks to those coming in. The food was awesome!! But I wasn't crazy about the green tea dessert....

Peggy

Thanks! We ate at CRT last year, and that was one of the ADRs my fiance said we must do again because he LOVED their lamb dish! We have never been to Teppan Edo, but we really like the Hibachi grill near us so we figured this would be a good choice! I remember the rain last August...EVERY night! At least it cooled things off, though, right?

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

Ok, so for today's update I have a couple of topics in mind, but I am not sure which I should talk about first. Here's my ideas

1) Choosing a park bag
2) Disney clothes
3) How I am earning my spending money for Disney
4) My lists of must dos and want to dos

Let me know what you guys think should be first!

Thanks to everyone who is following along!!!

 

[Nermel9]

Hi, I'm joining in! I'm going to be doing the same thing you are, trying to lose weight for Disney! I had horrible blisters on my 2008 trip, then my last 2 trips I didn't get them for some reason, but I switched shoes all the time, I think that helps! I just hate how big I look in pictures and not being able to wear a nice bathing suit at the pool, so it's time for me to get in shape too!

Your ADR's look great, and congrats getting to stay at the Poly, I'd love to stay there someday!

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

Hi, I'm joining in! I'm going to be doing the same thing you are, trying to lose weight for Disney! I had horrible blisters on my 2008 trip, then my last 2 trips I didn't get them for some reason, but I switched shoes all the time, I think that helps! I just hate how big I look in pictures and not being able to wear a nice bathing suit at the pool, so it's time for me to get in shape too!

Your ADR's look great, and congrats getting to stay at the Poly, I'd love to stay there someday!

I feel your pain about the bathing suit. I got one I like for a reasonable price last weekend, but of course I don't love the way I look in it because of the extra pounds! It was much more painless than past shopping--I kind of accepted I wasn't going to love the way I looked, and that was OK as long as I didn't look ridiculous. (Plus it helped I got a really good deal!) I am going to post pics of the bathing suit I got in a future post, though of course not of me wearing it You guys will NEVER see that I am going to head over to your trip report now and get my Disney fix...only two and a half more months for me!