Spending my birthday in Disney! Oct 2010 PTR - UPDATED 10/11 TR STARTED

[jenny105]

Hi everyone!

This is my second PTR. My first one was started over a year ago, for my September 2009 trip. This year, I'm going for my BIRTHDAY! And I couldn't be more excited! I've been to the world many times but never for my birthday. I've always wanted to go! Our travel dates are 10/4-10/9.

Let's meet the cast of characters, shall we?

Me - My name is Jen, born and raised in New Jersey, and I'm currently 27 but I'll be turning 28 October 5. The whole reason for this trip! This will be my 6th trip to Disney World overall. The first time I went I was about 8 years old and didn't go again until I was 22. Now I try to go every year. Making up for lost time I guess you could say! I know the ins and outs of Disney fairly well, thanks to the DIS! On top of being the birthday girl, I'm the one planning the trip and my role will be a sort of tour guide to the others in my party. Which is fine by me since I'm a travel agent!

Kim - My sister, 39. She came with me to Disney World in April of 2007 and we had an absolute blast. She's a lot of fun to be around and she loves to act..no pun intended...goofy! This will be her first time to Disney World since then and as we all know, there are a lot of new things for her to see! She is the shopper of our group so I know she'll be spending plenty of time in DTD!

Kris - My boyfriend, 29 turning 30 in June. He hasn't been to Disney World since he was 16! I guess he thought he was too cool for it then because he doesn't remember much about it. This trip is huge for us. We haven't been dating for very long and this will be our first real vacation together. I think he's a little scared about spending everyday in a park but...he'll get over it. He's still getting used to my Disney crazed ways...

Adam - My cousin, 23 turning 24 in July. HE HAS NEVER BEEN TO DISNEY WORLD! In fact, he has never been on a plane! I can't WAIT to show him everything in Disney. I saw him on Easter and he was asking me all about the rides. He's used to theme parks of the Six Flags variety. I think he's going to be blown away by Disney! How could you not be??

Alex - My work BFF, 23 turning 24 in May. He's never been to Disney World either! Well, he has one up on Adam. Alex has been to Disneyland so he somewhat knows what he's in store for. But only somewhat. Lets not forget Disneyland is a miniature compared to the monster that is Walt Disney World. He's content with letting me do all the planning and going with the flow!

Where are we staying? Saratoga Springs! We got a great travel agent rate so we went for the 2 BR Villa. I called up today and requested the Congress Park section. Within walking distance and a possible view of DTD? How could I pass it up? I've never stayed at Saratoga Springs before so I'm really looking forward. If anyone reads this who has stayed there, any feedback would be appreciated!

No major ADRs planned for this trip and we don't have a dining plan in place. That may or may not change. The only ADR I want is for Ohana on my birthday. Failing that, Teppan Edo, which I've never tried. Again, any feedback would be appreciated! I may possibly throw in a character dining meal so everyone can experience it! I went to my first character breakfast on my last trip (Tusker House) and LOVED it! Any character dining recommendations for first timers would be great.

That's all for now folks!

 

[princess_momma]

Yes! First!! I'm so here!

 

[princess_momma]

I was carried away with my need to be first...I forgot to add we need pics!! Are there pics of your new boy up on your fb? Apparently I haven't been stalking you very well! I'll have to go home and do that!!

 

[karentan]

i'll settle for second poster!!
good to see you've got a new PTR, looking forward to hearing all about it! i'd tell you about SSR and teppan edo but i've already done it (i think!)

 

[jenny105]

Yes! First!! I'm so here!

I was carried away with my need to be first...I forgot to add we need pics!! Are there pics of your new boy up on your fb? Apparently I haven't been stalking you very well! I'll have to go home and do that!!

There are pictures on fb of us, not many, just a couple. I'll put pictures up when I can. I did this from work so I couldn't really do it today but I promise I'll put some up soon!

i'll settle for second poster!!
good to see you've got a new PTR, looking forward to hearing all about it! i'd tell you about SSR and teppan edo but i've already done it (i think!)

I'm so excited about this trip. I love that 2 of the people I'm traveling with have never been there before. Gotta love first time reactions! You've told me about SSR but never Teppan edo!

 

[jenny105]

So yesterday was my day off and it was BEAUTIFUL. 85 degrees and sunny. I was so happy to be able to break out my capris and flip flops! I spent some time driving around with the windows open, singing along to the radio and I saw Hot Tub Time Machine with my friend Clarissa. I thought it was going to be the dumbest movie ever but it was pretty good! I love John Cusack! I did manage to do what I promised and upload a few pictures to photobucket so meet the cast of this WDW trip!

The first picture knocks out 3 of us Alex, me, and Kris:

My cousin Adam, he looks thrilled I know, but it was the only picture I could find! Hope he can do better than that for the Disney cameras! That's my other cousin Chris to the left.

My sister Kim with our nephews, AJ and Jake:

So there you have it! Now you have faces to go with the names! I'm off to try and get an ADR for Ohana on the night of my birthday!

 

[Charlefours]

Hey Jen! I am here!

Yay for Kris and Adam getting to experience Disney with a pro! : My DH's family are thinking of Disney along the Six Flags and Cedar Point vain--boy will they be surprised at the differences. SSR--I have read good things about it. It seems to be a resort that people either like or dislike--no in between feelings.

TH--you know we are going there!! I am really looking forward to that meal. Probably the second most meal I am looking foward with 1900 PF birthday dinner for DD being the first one.

TFS the pictures!! You and Kris make a cute couple.

 

[jenny105]

Hey Jen! I am here!

Yay for Kris and Adam getting to experience Disney with a pro! : My DH's family are thinking of Disney along the Six Flags and Cedar Point vain--boy will they be surprised at the differences. SSR--I have read good things about it. It seems to be a resort that people either like or dislike--no in between feelings.

TH--you know we are going there!! I am really looking forward to that meal. Probably the second most meal I am looking foward with 1900 PF birthday dinner for DD being the first one.

TFS the pictures!! You and Kris make a cute couple.

Hi!

I think some people think if you've seen one amusement park, you've seen them all. I've tried explaining it to Adam and he knows it will be unlike anything he's used to but talking about it doesn't do it justice! I can't wait to see his face after some of the rides!

SSR looks beautiful. The theming is kind of meh to me though. Horses are pretty and all but... It was between that or OKW and I liked that SSR is so close to DTD. Plus I was afraid I'd get hit with a stray golf ball at OKW!

I did throw in a character meal. You'll find out where when I update again.

Thanks!!

 

[jenny105]

So Wednesday was my ADR day but I didn't make them until yesterday. I know! I had the day off Wednesday and kept myself busy so I didn't have time to call or check online dining. But luckily one day didn't make a difference. I only had one ADR I really wanted and that was for Ohana on my birthday. Well, I got it! 7:10 on Tuesday, Oct 5. I'm excited! I had so much fun the last time I was there in September (with my DIS cruisemates!). We had the best table, facing MK, and were able to see Wishes! I know there is a slim chance of that happening again, especially since we're going a little bit earlier this time, but I still think it will be a blast. Especially since none of my vacation-mates have been there!

So after I made that ADR, I got to thinking. Character breakfast. Should we do one? Everyone has to experience it, right? But which one? There are so many! Since Alex sits roughly 10 feet from my desk, I turned around and asked him which character he wanted to meet the most. He said Donald Duck. I immediately thought of Tusker House but the day we plan to go to AK is the same day we're going to Ohana. Plus, I wanted to try somewhere new. So that was out. I searched the dining pages on the DIS for a bit and was like 'well, there's really one ultimate character breakfast experience and I've never done it...' So I booked a late breakfast on the day we leave. Where? CHEF MICKEY'S! I'm so excited! I've heard it's a LOT of fun and I'm hoping everyone I'm with will get into the spirit of things. They all better twirl their napkins around! I made it for 11 am. Gives us a chance to sleep in a bit, plus it's closer to lunchtime. My sister is not a big fan of eating breakfast as soon as she wakes up. And I figured the crowds would have cleared a bit since it's late morning.

If we add a dining plan, I may throw in another ADR. I don't want to go overboard with them because I don't want to spend a lot of time worrying we have to be at this place at a certain time. I want everyone to be able to see and do everything they want without having to cut it short because we have to rush over to a restaurant.

Booking my ADRs has made me 100x more excited for this trip!

 

[Dancegrl624]

Jumping over from Staci's TR. Chef Mickey's is definately the ultimate character breakfast in my opinion. 11am is a great time to go! We went around 11ish last June and we're going at 10:30am this Sept. When you eat "breakfast" that late, you don't need to worry about lunch! I can't wait to read more about your plans.

 

[Simba22]

Hey Jen! I just found your PTR and I'm hopping on board! We're going to Disney in October as well, but we are going from the 19th - 29th, staying at CSR. AND you and I are the same age! LOL I'll be 28 on Dec 9

I LOVE taking people to Disney who have never been there, or at least, never done it the right way! We took my brother's girlfriend back in 2007 and the only trip to Disney she had ever made was in the middle of the summer, and they went to MK and Epcot on the same day, 3 hours at each park and that was it! She said they hardly did anything! AND she was only 13 when they went (she was 20 when we went in 2007!) so she was both shocked and amazed at what an experience Disney can be when done "the right way!"

This year, it will be just me and my BF and my brother going back! We're counting the days! (no seriously...there are 192 days left until we leave! ) We are not doing the DDP either, but we will have LOTS of ADRs! The first couple of times we went to WDW, we didn't know what ADRs were and ended up eating chicken strips and pizza for the whole trip!

I've actually got dinner at Ohana scheduled for our last night....We've eaten there for breakfast on several occasions but never for dinner so we're looking forward to that!

Can't wait to read more!

 

[jenny105]

Jumping over from Staci's TR. Chef Mickey's is definately the ultimate character breakfast in my opinion. 11am is a great time to go! We went around 11ish last June and we're going at 10:30am this Sept. When you eat "breakfast" that late, you don't need to worry about lunch! I can't wait to read more about your plans.

Hey! I've seen you around Staci's TR...I think Kimmy's too. That's exactly what I was thinking when I chose the time. We're hoping to get a late flight back so we can make the most of our day and we can have a late lunch before we catch ME. I'm sure Chef Mickey's will keep us nice and full til then. It looks like there's a TON of food from the pictures I've seen!

Hey Jen! I just found your PTR and I'm hopping on board! We're going to Disney in October as well, but we are going from the 19th - 29th, staying at CSR. AND you and I are the same age! LOL I'll be 28 on Dec 9

I LOVE taking people to Disney who have never been there, or at least, never done it the right way! We took my brother's girlfriend back in 2007 and the only trip to Disney she had ever made was in the middle of the summer, and they went to MK and Epcot on the same day, 3 hours at each park and that was it! She said they hardly did anything! AND she was only 13 when they went (she was 20 when we went in 2007!) so she was both shocked and amazed at what an experience Disney can be when done "the right way!"

This year, it will be just me and my BF and my brother going back! We're counting the days! (no seriously...there are 192 days left until we leave! ) We are not doing the DDP either, but we will have LOTS of ADRs! The first couple of times we went to WDW, we didn't know what ADRs were and ended up eating chicken strips and pizza for the whole trip!

I've actually got dinner at Ohana scheduled for our last night....We've eaten there for breakfast on several occasions but never for dinner so we're looking forward to that!

Can't wait to read more!

Hi!

3 hours in each park?? I can't even imagine that. She probably got on 1 or 2 rides max and didn't remember a thing about it! Kris told me his parents took him when he was 16 but he didn't want to go because he was 'too cool' (typical teenager!) so he didn't have a good time. I'm looking forward to showing him Disney done my way! He's not gonna know what hit him!

I'm counting the days too! 177 for me! I did the same thing the first time I went to Disney. My then bf had told me that you didn't need ADRs, that you could just walk right into the restaurants. Clearly, he was mistaken. So pizza and chicken fingers it was!

Ohana's is so much fun! They give you SO much food for dinner so make sure you're nice and hungry when you get there!!! I made the mistake of telling the server to 'pile it on' and ended up with about 15 shrimp! And I ate each and every last one of them.

 

[karentan]

and she's not joking either, between jenny and the ton of shrimp, and gary and joe with half a cow, we got through a LOT of food that night!

 

[Simba22]

and she's not joking either, between jenny and the ton of shrimp, and gary and joe with half a cow, we got through a LOT of food that night!

I'm REALLY looking forward to eating there now!! I want to go NOW!!!!

 

[jenny105]

and she's not joking either, between jenny and the ton of shrimp, and gary and joe with half a cow, we got through a LOT of food that night!

Joe was like that the whole trip! Ordering 2 entrees every night on the cruise...and finishing them!

I'm REALLY looking forward to eating there now!! I want to go NOW!!!!

Me too! I'm sitting in my office, so hungry because we don't get lunch breaks on Saturdays!!

 

[Rora]

I'm here Jenny!!

I'm so so so excited about Ohana and Chef Mickey!! Donald is always my #1 for character breakfasts.

You and Kris make a really really cute couple (just replied to your PM where we shall discuss this more ) and I'm glad you got Saratoga Springs! Lucky you getting all those travel agent discounts!

Are you guys thinking about MNSSHP?

 

[princess_momma]

'Ohana and Chef Mickey's are perfect!! I'm SO SO glad (and uber jealous) that you got 'Ohanas! People do NOT believe me that you have to book ASAP and Stephanie thinks I'm crazy for wanting to book in advance as far out as we are!! (4 months)

Then again she also thought that there would be McDonalds and Wendy's, etc. just scattered throughout and that getting to a non-Disney restaurant would be easy!

It always shocks me how little people know about Disney and how little they think it is.

 

[jenny105]

I'm here Jenny!!

I'm so so so excited about Ohana and Chef Mickey!! Donald is always my #1 for character breakfasts.

You and Kris make a really really cute couple (just replied to your PM where we shall discuss this more ) and I'm glad you got Saratoga Springs! Lucky you getting all those travel agent discounts!

Are you guys thinking about MNSSHP?

Hi!!!! I just replied to your PM so tell you about Kris and that I had a PTR. You beat me to it!

We are thinking about MNSSHP. I think everyone will be down for whatever but I just don't know when we can fit it in. There is so much we want to do! I think they're going to have it the Thursday and Friday night we're there based on the hours at MK. I don't know how everyone will feel about being in one park all day and then MNSSHP at night. Maybe I'll just go myself!

'Ohana and Chef Mickey's are perfect!! I'm SO SO glad (and uber jealous) that you got 'Ohanas! People do NOT believe me that you have to book ASAP and Stephanie thinks I'm crazy for wanting to book in advance as far out as we are!! (4 months)

Then again she also thought that there would be McDonalds and Wendy's, etc. just scattered throughout and that getting to a non-Disney restaurant would be easy!

It always shocks me how little people know about Disney and how little they think it is.

Everyone I'm traveling with looked at me like I was nuts too. Kris was like 'what do you mean you have dining reservations already?!?' People don't know, they don't understand! I'm so glad they moved it back to 180 days because it was almost impossible to get what you wanted at the 90 day mark.

I guess she'll be going to DTD everyday if she wants to eat at McDonalds! I guess cause they figure Six Flags parks have them that Disney will to?

We could be tour guides Kimmy!

 

[stacikristine]

Hey Jenny!

I'm here! I can't wait to read along. That's so exciting that you get to go for your birthday AND that you were able to book 'Ohana for that night! I've never been to Chef Mickey's either. We had ADRs in 06, but decided to stay in the parks instead, so we switched it to Teppan Edo. I'm sure yall will love it!

 

[jenny105]

Hey Jenny!

I'm here! I can't wait to read along. That's so exciting that you get to go for your birthday AND that you were able to book 'Ohana for that night! I've never been to Chef Mickey's either. We had ADRs in 06, but decided to stay in the parks instead, so we switched it to Teppan Edo. I'm sure yall will love it!

Hi Staci! Glad you made it over!

I can't wait to be there for my birthday! I'm beyond excited. Chef Mickey's sounds like a lot of fun based on the reviews that I've read. It'll be the perfect start to our last day there.