This is the TR that Never Ends-Adventures of 2 DINKS with APs! Anniversary PTR-AOA, BWV, V&A, O-My!

[Lady Marie]

Helloooooo Everyone!

This is my first attempt at a Trip Report.... I have been lurking but am trying to get into the full swing of being a poster--so bear with me. I am having the Disney Blues and am hoping to get my fix by reliving my most recent adventures.... and if all goes well, it may never end if I can keep getting DH to let us renew!

So without further ado......

Cast of Characters:

Steve - My husband, tolerates Disney, occasionally "gets it," enjoys EPCOT mostly due to food and drinks!

Patricia (me!) - Lover of all things Disney, always trying to make our trips magical to help Steve "get it," enjoys Magic Kingdom and singing along to all the music!


This is us at MNSSHP 2013. Oh, and we LOVE Up! One of the Disney movies I can put on repeat and Steve doesn't tire of!

A Little About Us: We live about 3 hours south of Disney World. I had been a few times over the years, but never felt like ever had enough! Steve, on the other hand, grew up here in FL, went every year, and "grew up" and lost interest in going back. I grew up in Georgia and am not as jaded. We have since come to learn that Steve had not even scraped to tip of the Disney iceberg, and we both had a lot to learn about all the fun and magic Disney has to offer to adults as well as children!

Our story begins Labor Day weekend 2013. Last year was the first year that everything thing had mellowed out in grown up world for me-- I had a steady job, no big purchases on the horizon, and felt that it was time to go see Mickey. After BEGGING Steve (fiance at the time) to let us go to Disney for the long weekend, somehow (and I completely attribute this to Disney Magic) we walked away Annual Passholders. I think I got away with this mainly because 1) I paid for both of them and 2) We were planning on getting married 2015 and a year of monthly weekend Disney trips was going to be our distraction until we took our huge honeymoon.

Cut to May 2014 -- We get married year ahead of time and do the huge Europe honeymoon AND I got a year of Disney! Oh, and we renewed this year! Now that is some real pixie dust right there!

At any rate, I decided to share our stories since I know a lot of childless couples love going to Disney too, and I wanted to share some of the things we do that keep the magic alive as well as hear from all of you on things you do on adults only trips. I plan on updating this every time we get back so if my luck holds out on being a passholder, this may end up being the trip report that never ends!

I feel like I starting this story in the middle but here goes:

This was probably our 14th trip since becoming Passholders. Last year we did both MNSSHP and MVMCP, but this year we decided to only budget one and picked MNSSHP since we love dressing up. We went twice in October- once for the party and then again to meet up with friends for F&W. Soooo since we went twice in Oct, DH said I get one trip to see Holiday stuff, either November or December, but not both. *pout* Ok....

I picked Nov 20-22 since I was able to get great FP+ less than 30 days out. Yes, that did include TWO different days for 7DMT (one morning and one night), and I was ecstatic! We had only ridden it twice before, and both times were crack of dawn rope drops. I was not looking to do that again. Plus, I heard a lot of people say it was more fun at night, so I was dying to try an evening ride!


And so we begin---

Throwback Portions:

#TBT Oct 2014 (Coral Reef Review)

November Trip 2014:

Day 1 (Friday- 11/21/14): Magic Kingdom- Frozen Holiday Wish
Day 2 (Saturday- 11/22/14): Senses Spa and Exploring
Day 2 (continued): Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
Day 3 (Sunday- 11/23/14): Home again, Home again....

January Trip 2015:

Day 1 (Saturday- 1/10/15): Magic To Do! Magic Kingdom and Senses (Again!?!) Yep!
Day 1 (continued): ScubaSteve meets ScubaMickey & Busted By Security (Epcot)
Day 2 (Sunday- 1/11/2015): A Very Merry Unbirthday to Steve! MK and Kona Cafe

Valentine's Day 2015

Pre-Trip Report: 12 Sleeps Until We Are Back (and Staying On-Site!!!)
Day 1 (Friday - 2/13/15) - New Queue! Playing in line for Peter Pan
Day 1 (continued) - Tea for Two at the Grand Floridian
Day 2 (Saturday - 2/14/2015) - Valentine's Day in Epcot and Magic Kingdom
Day 3 (Sunday - 2/15/2015) - In which We Learn We Cannot Party Like the Germans
Day 4 (Monday - 2/16/2015) - Naan, Glorious Naan at Sanaa!

Our First Wedding Anniversary - May 2015

Pre-Trip Report: 1 Sleep Left!!!! AOA, BWV, V&A, O-My!

 

[Lady Marie]

We were able to leave work early around 2pm. Not as early as I would have liked, but whatever-- I was going to Disney! Friday was a party night at MK and I knew that our time was going to be limited, but I wanted to get there in time to see the Frozen Holiday Wish to light the castle and take a ride on 7DMT.

We were going through the Main Gate at about 5:15pm and I knew we still had to park, take a monorail, and find a spot before 6:15pm. We had time, but I am a little psycho when it comes to being on time and was trying to figure out the best plan of attack. We were entering the MK at 5:45pm when I turned to Steve and asked if he wanted to go use our FP for 7DMT before or after the Frozen show. He looked at me like I was crazy and said that we only had 15 minutes so there was no way we could go before. It was then I remembered that I had played the sneaky wife game of tell DH something starts 15 min before it actually does to make sure we actually get there on time. Ooops! (But seriously, I know I am not the only one, right?!) I figured with 30 minutes until the show we had time to go on the ride really quick and get back to the castle. As we got closer and closer to the hub, I realized how moronic this idea was being that this is FROZEN we are talking about here. It was PACKED! Change of plans, lets go get a spot now!

Being just the two of us, we were about to fill in some space near the front and off to the side. I was feeling pretty good about our spot, until the lights dimmed and the wall of toddlers on shoulders appeared. Steve wouldn't put me on his shoulders though.... Elsa's dance to stir up the snow was a little drawn out, but I was so happy to see Olaf included (side note: DH and I have an albino crawfish that we named Olaf hehe!). I especially loved that they included a bit where he says, "Yeah, who?, Yeah, who?" a few times referring to my favorite part of the movie where he says, "Yeah, why?" about a million times. I am happy to see that I am not the only one who finds that part absolutely hysterical! I'll be honest, I did cry a little when the castle lit up and the "snow" started falling. So magical! Even Steve was happy we saw the show and that is high praise indeed!

The show lasted about 10 minutes leaving us 5 minutes to beeline over to 7DMT to get in within our 5:30-6:30 window. Well, as you can imagine in the crowds, there was no beelining to speak of, just a hurried waddle through the crowds. We made it only 2 minutes late! Previously, DH had not been impressed with this ride. He had the usual complaints (too short, what's the fuss, etc.). We don't know if it was because this time we rode at night, or the fact that we were in the last row, or a combination of the two, but this time he LOVED it. Go figure... I am just thrilled he actually loved something Disney And yes, I have to agree-- it is better at night!

After that, we decided to see if we could hit a few more things before being swept for the party. With just 15 minutes left, we were able to get on Thunder Mountain and had a few minutes to spare as we meandered out of the park. We were both feeling pretty good until we exited to park to find the seas of people heading out. Usually, we just hop on the resort monorail, but it was crazy too!

So we decided to be adventurous and get in the line for the shortest thing and see how the night would play out. At that moment, the shortest line was for a boat heading to the Grand Floridian, so that's where we were off to. In line we used the app to make a reservation at Grand Floridian Cafe for dinner and were all in all pleased with how the evening was turning out.

We were seated towards the back of the restaurant and had a nice dinner. I had the shrimp and grits which was much better than the burger Steve had. I would definitely recommend that dish! We were just finishing up our hot tea and coffee to end the night when suddenly the sky lit up behind us--- the Christmas fireworks from the park! I had no idea that we had timed it perfectly and been seated in just the right place by the window. It was completely serendipity and a perfect way to start off our weekend!

 

[Lady Marie]

Saturday morning, Steve had to deliver something for work to a customer in the nearby area. He would be gone for about 2 hours, so I decided to go have a manicure at Senses at Grand Floridian to pass the time. (For the record, I called the night before and they were able to accommodate me. Not sure if that's typical but just letting you know it can be done!)

Anyway, I was greeted by the receptionist who took my payment. FYI - Gratuity is automatically added and passholders get 15% off! A few minutes later, another lady came to lead me to the locker room. After putting my stuff away, I went out to the lounge area. I was excited to have hot tea with my manicure but the brewer wouldn't dispense :-( I wonder if it was because I was one of the first appointments of the morning and it wasn't set up or what but I was a little disappointed. That would have been perfect for the type of morning it was! I settled for the cucumber water instead as I waited. In about 10 minutes, the nail tech came to get me. We went to the manicure room, and she brought a warm neck wrap which was wonderful! I was all snuggled in and ready to be pampered now! The manicure was nothing to write home about. Color application was just ok, and she could have clipped the cuticles better, etc. But all that being said, it was a nice treat to myself. They give you the buffer, nail file, and a small bottle of your chosen color to take home which was nice. After the service, she tool me back to the lounge area and set me up on the heated lounge chairs in the whirlpool area which was an awesome place to just relax and dry. I dipped my feet in the whirlpool for a while, then grabbed some more water then called it day.

By that time, Steve had made his way back to GF and was waiting for me. We wandered around looking at the gingerbread house, chatting with cast members, and soaking up the atmosphere (something we rarely do being that we are almost always in the parks!). It was overcast and drizzly but we decided to head over to the Magic Kingdom and get a little magic in before heading to lunch/nap. Well, once we got off the boat at the Magic Kingdom, we said "no way! too crowded!" and decided to play the same game as the night before, and hop on the shortest line to something to go explore.

*It has taken me going once a month for almost a year and a half to feel comfortable enough to just abandon MK at the gate-- Full disclosure: I did look longingly at the castle as we took off on a boat headed toward Fort Wilderness Lodge.*

Now tangent here-- as much as we go to WDW there is no way we could afford to stay on-site all the time. We stayed once for NYE 2013 (in order to use Disney transportation for late night imbibing at Epcot and because Magic Bands were being tested at resorts only and my tech lovin' hubby just had to get himself one of those things!!! Ok-- I really wanted one too ). At any rate, all of that is to say that for all I feel like I know about the parks, I know NOTHING of the resorts! (I really tried to make that a Game of Thrones reference but couldn't and abandoned it but... GOT fans, you know what I am getting at!).

We got to the Lodge and WOW! The tree wasn't up yet but I was still in love with all the theme and detail--- just wow! I've got to go back one year where the tree is up though. We thought about getting lunch here, but ultimately decided to just get something on the way back to the hotel. We could pay less for food we knew we liked elsewhere (not that we don't enjoy Disney Dining-- WE DO! We just weren't feeling the options there).

Here we are on the boat back to MK from Fort Wilderness Lodge. You can see how dreary a day it was shaping up to be.

After lunch and a nap, we headed back to Hollywood Studios for what would be our first time seeing the Osbourne Spectacle of Dancing Lights! We got there a little before dusk, so we sat outside the Hollywood Brown Derby and a had a gin and tonic. The gin gave me just enough courage to get on RnRC. I love the ride, but without fail, always get a little nervous before going on it!

Funny Side Story: You know in the intro video where Aerosmith looks out into the crowd doing some wacky peace sign with his hand up on his forehead? Well, this was the first time Steve and I noticed that and it cracked us up! We were doing it to each other all through the rest of the line and just giggling away. When we were in the ride waiting for the launch he was doing it as a joke to me, and some lady in the queue on the other side of the fencing yelled out to him asking if he was ok. I guess he looked like he was trying not to faint! He said he was ok, and thanked her, but we laughed about that the rest of the night!

Stay tuned for the rest of the evening!

 

[QueenJen]

Looking forward to reading more. I am 1/2 of a childless couple and enjoy reading about other couples experiences (tr's with kids are fun too, I just can't relate as well).

Congrats on getting married a year early and getting a trip to Europe and a year of Disney to boot.

 

[Lady Marie]

Looking forward to reading more. I am 1/2 of a childless couple and enjoy reading about other couples experiences (tr's with kids are fun too, I just can't relate as well).

Congrats on getting married a year early and getting a trip to Europe and a year of Disney to boot.

Thank you! I feel ya on the TRs with kids. I enjoy reading and getting ideas for when our time comes to have kids, but until then, I LOVE reading blogs/TRs from couples who go. It's a different dynamic for sure!

 

[Lady Marie]

After the ride, it was time to go see the lights. I had heard from other people about them but didn't have any idea what it would be like. Unlike just about everything else I plan, this time I refrained from looking up any pictures or videos online. I wanted to be surprised!

We rounded the corner onto the Streets of America and --- WOW! Sensory overload.




I didn't know where to look first or to even begin to look at everything without running into/stepping on all the people in front of me. For the weekend before Thanksgiving it was a little more packed than I anticipated (but surely no where near the level of December crowds I bet!). We squeezed through the masses and grabbed some roasted pecans and coffee for the stroll. I told Steve we were on the lookout for a Halloween cat hoping to wow him not only with my knowledge of Disney, but my prowess for finding hidden cats (a skill only a crazy cat lady such as myself would be proud of). But I'll be derned if he didn't take oh about 4 minutes before he says, "Found it!" Rude... In my defense, he is taller....

We then stood under the big dancing canopy probably for about an hour- no lie. I kept waiting for a song I didn't care for to be my sign to leave, but it was Christmas music-- I love them all!

Finally, when I could tell Steve was about to get bored and I started getting a little stir crazy, we decided to see if we could make it to the Magic Kingdom for Wishes.

Wishes was at 10pm that night, so we made it just in time. We found a spot near the hub, and I was pleasantly surprised that some of the Holiday elements were included!

Not bad for an iPhone!

After my tears were dry (I can't help it-- every time! Steve thinks I'm nuts!), we called it a night. Tomorrow was our last but big day at Magic Kingdom!

 

[Lady Marie]

I woke up bright and early on Sunday ready for rope drop and "Jingle Cruise!" But I was so surprised that Steve wasn't getting up (he is the early riser of this duo). Turns out, he had been sick during the night, and was still not feeling good.

He said he would be fine but after an hour of seeing him try to get packed and getting sick every 15 min I knew that going to the parks was NOT an option!

So.... with all the flare of any anti-climax, we packed up, checked out, stopped at Walgreens to get some meds, and started our ride home.

Brat confession-- I was sad and cried a little on the way home. It's not a trip to Disney for me if there isn't extended time in the Magic Kingdom. The hour we had the first day just didn't cut it. But what are you gonna do?

The way I see it, my number was up. We had been on multiple flawless trips so something like this was bound to happen. So it was what is was.

I think what I was most sad about was that financially, another weekend trip didn't seem possible until February. Christmas is always costly, BOTH of our birthdays are in January, and so that can add up! For someone who had been going every month, and only got what felt like 1/2 a day of real park time, waiting 3 months was going to be hard.

I know that sounds silly--- I hope I don't sound like a full on brat. But hopefully all you Disney lovers will get what I mean. We never go for a week so my single days are important!

As it turns out, we would go again before February-- coming up: How I traded getting Birthday and Valentine's gifts/dinners for a weekend at Disney!

 

[Lady Marie]

So Steve got a "Selfie Stick" for Christmas which has led to a massive increase in photos taken. So hopefully there will be more pictures to go along with these stories. Please, feel free to pass judgement on us being the owners of a "Selfie Stick"-- I am still judging myself

Alright, back to Disney-- My birthday is mid January and Steve's is end of January so it's always a scramble between the holidays to get birthday ready and stay on a budget (that is always inevitably in the toilet by January because Christmas takes its toll!). So rather than get a gift (I've got a hankering for a pair of nice white gold hoop earrings), I told Steve that I would take the "Hoop Budget" and plan a weekend getaway at Disney. He said sure, but that didn't give me much money to work with. So rather than go for two nights, I saved money by having us drive up at the crack of dawn Saturday (read: Steve the Early Bird drives up at the crack of dawn while I the Night Owl sleeps).

The night before I was just like a child on Christmas Eve. It had been too long since our last visit which was cut short and I was READY TO GO! I maybe slept 4 hours....

That was not such a bad thing after all though being that I fell asleep about 30 minutes into the drive and woke up as we were rolling into Disney! Those are the longest 3 hours when I am awake and full of anticipation! We arrived around 9:15am and WHOA!!! The traffic due to the race was crazy! But Disney is so efficient at traffic control, we were parked and on our way rather quickly and I think we were skipping through the gates around 10am. I thought for sure we had missed the early rope drop quiet, but due to the race it was a LOVELY morning to be in the parks! We rode Peter Pan, It's a Small World, Thunder Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, the Teacups, and The Little Mermaid ride all within about an hour and a half. I had to be heading towards the Grand Floridian for my birthday treat at 12pm, so it was a quick morning in the park.

On our way out, we grabbed some popcorn and watched Dreams Come True for a few minutes. I must confess-- as we sat there staring at the castle, I quickly entered the Flip Side contest they are doing this year. I hope some magic of being at Disney wore off-- I would absolutely die if we won a night in the Cinderella Suite! *sigh*

And as I am writing this, I realize Steve had all the glorious selfie stick pics on his phone and I don't remember anything incredible from them, so I failed on the picture front with this installment. But I promise I have some very unique things from that evening to share.

I went to Senses at the Grand Floridian again for a massage this time (all day at a desk 5 days a week can wreak havoc on your back, and I was in desperate need!). After my rather debatable manicure, I went in with no expectations other that have some me time. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. My massage was great! I spent time in the steam room and whirlpool as well which was a lovely treat after such a relaxing massage. For what Senses lacked in manicures it made up for in massage. I was impressed!

After all that relaxation, DH picked me up and had procured me a birthday button while I was away. I thought that was very cute. And even thought it was 3 days early, I pinned it on and felt like a true Birthday Princess!

Up next-- Getting in Trouble with Disney Security!

 

[Lady Marie]

After that very busy morning, we checked into our off site hotel and had a quick cat nap. I knew it was going to be a late night at Jellyrolls!

We stopped by Epcot first though to use some Fastpasses I had reserved. The nap cost us a little time (we were pooped from the early wake up call-- plus Steve needed to be well rested for Jellyrolls) and we stopped by Rose and Crown for us to get a gin and tonic and some fish and chips. So we missed our first window for Spaceship Earth-- bummer.

We rode Nemo and then for the first time in probably a year, really took our time exploring the aquariums. (Sidenote: Steve is now suddenly into fish-- We have a tank in our office with Disney named fish (that I named of course) that include Olaf (albino crawfish), Shir Kahn and Tigger (tiger barbs), and Naveen and Tiana (green tiger barbs). I have a Betta named Zazu ). So now that we are fish fools, it made sense for us to really explore the tank.

Well, we watching some of the scuba divers when I notice THE MICKEY MOUSE WAS SCUBA DIVING! I about fell out! I know this is probably old news to some of you but I was truly delighted!

(apologies for the following iPhone photos--- but my excited (and nervous as applies to later) hands weren't quite steady enough for good picture!)



(Back story as to why this was such a big deal-- Steve is a certified diver and loves it! His family calls him Scuba Steve because of this-- even some of our friends call us The Scubas due to his scuba past-- now I am not am not a certified diver but have been and will eventually get certified and all that jazz so that we can dive when we go abroad and one day dive in the tank at Epcot!)

I almost yanked Steve's arm out of the socket dragging him away from the other side of the tank to show him THE SCUBA MICKEY MOUSE! Now for my childlike embarrassing/pixie dusted moment of the evening-- I was dragging Steve, scrambling for my phone, grinning like a mule eatin' briars, starstruck, pointing, trying not to trample any kids, and attempting to stay out of the way of all the 5 and 6 year olds that were rightfully up front waving at Mickey. Mickey clearly saw all of this apparently because over the kids' heads, he pointed at me directly and waved. I guess he saw that I was probably 50 times more excited than the kids.

I was too dumbstruck to have captured that on camera but I did get a few good pictures of it!

Man, I was stoked. So was Steve. We came out of The Seas pavilion laughing and talking about it and just having a ball all the way around. We were heading towards The Land and it was kinda deserted. Most people were over in the world showcase getting ready for Illuminations. I saw a security officer heading opposite of us and I flashed him a brief smile (I am always super smiley to people at Disney -- unlike at home where I am very shy-- but Disney brings that out in me which scored us being chosen to be in the Backlot Tour show thingy once-- my 15 minutes of fame!). LOL!

Anyway, we kept on minding our business, but the security guard started walking towards us. OH NO! I started thinking.... Now I am a pretty anxious person in general. I HATE getting in trouble-- I follow letters to the T. Steve plays a little fast and loose with rules sometimes which stresses me out. But suffice it to say, I am very aware of NOT doing any thing wrong. So anyway the Security Guard approaches and looks at me and says, "Can I ask you a few questions?"

At this point my heart is pounding out of my chest and my mind is racing. "Were we being too rowdy? Was I laughing too loud again? Oh, god, I had a drink! Am I stumbling? Is there some rule that once you have a drink in the World Showcase are you not allowed to come back into Future World? I feel like I would have read that somewhere... Maybe we just look suspicious hanging in this dark area that's deserted because we aren't at Illuminations..." etc, etc.

"Sure!" I said in my best chipper and I'm cool and not doing anything wrong kinda way.

"You having a good time tonight?" he asks.

"Oh, yes!" I say. What I'm thinking is "Yep, definitely the gin-- too much fun; I'm not even drunk though!-- I just had ONE! Yeesh!"

"That's good," he says. "Are you Minnie Mouse this evening?"

I must have looked clueless because I don't think I was processing what was happening since I was too busy chasing my thoughts around in my head. He pointed at my ears.

"For tonight!" I chirped thinking, yes this is clearly a test to see how inebriated I am, if I am prancing around thinking I am Minnie Mouse then I am clearly a menace to Disney society, but by saying only for tonight then maybe I can retain some visage of sanity.

"Well I hate to do this to you-- oh, and it's your birthday," he added noticing my birthday button and simultaneously shaking his head solemnly while reaching into his pocket to pull out a pad. "But I'm going to have to give you a citation..." He was scribbling onto the pad.

I am absolutely frozen in fear at this point thinking "Oh my gosh-- I am totally getting in trouble at Disney World! This is the stuff that happens to Steve-- not me! I didn't even do anything!"

He continued, "... for impersonating a Disney character!" He then cracked a smile and handed me a piece of paper. We all busted out laughing. I must have been his favorite mark of the night because he had me hook, line, and sinker!



My moment of infamy!

I recovered on our way to Soarin' and we went on to have a blast that night at Jellyrolls (something I highly recommend to childless (or childless for the night) couples who love music and a good time)! It is by far my favorite entertainment at Disney. Those guys who play are just amazing. One night (a few months ago) I was up front, it was early, and they asked me what song I wanted to hear. I asked for "Let's Go Fly a Kite." They attempted but were unsure of it and told me they'd play it later. Well after their set ended, they went offstage and came back for their next set saying they learned it over the break and were ready to play it for me now. I was over the moon. They truly are awesome!

So that concludes that evening's misadventures-- Up next: How NOT to try to surprise your husband with a Disney Cake....

 

[Lady Marie]

My images don't seem to have made it over... I am going to wait a few days and see if they come back... Hopefully they do!

Now--- on with the show. I figure with our next trip less than 2 weeks away I better wrap this up so I can get on with what is sure to be an AWESOME Valentine's Day report!

So Sunday of our overnight Birthday trip!

We got a late start Sunday morning due to the late night adventures at Jellyrolls. I had FP+ reserved for Buzz, Thunder Mtn, and Winnie the Pooh. We were particularly psyched for Pooh considering the night before we put on the movie before bed and laughed way too hard (compliments of our evening cocktails) at Tigger. Our favorite quotes of the day were "Heffalumps and woozels." "You mean elephants and weasels?" "Yeah, that's what I said!" and "I re-cog-a-nize you!"

Clearly we are easily amused.....

The morning was uneventful, but loads of fun I, however, was excited to surprise Steve with a little of his own pixie dust by having a cake brought to us at lunch at Kona Cafe. I wanted to order a mini cake, but every time I called private dining and bakery people I kept getting the run around ("We don't do that" -- I'm thinking Cake Chatter thread says so but ok, call someone else, they are gone, call the bakery again, they say just tell the hostess when you get there you want a standard pre-made cake... etc). So finally I decided to save my cuteness for our anniversary and order a plain ole "podium" pre-made cake when we got there.

What a disaster.....

We took the monorail to the Polynesian and climbed the stairs to Kona Cafe. When I checked in, I suggested Steve go to the restroom while I waited for the table (and talked to the hostess to order the cake to be a surprise). Well, they had no idea what I was talking about... So they got someone else who did know what I was talking about and said they would take care of it. Ok great! I was feeling pretty good at that point about it.

Steve was still gone and the hostess came back to the table and asked some more questions and he walked up just in time to see the end of the conversation but not hear it.... I should've given up then when he started asking questions, but I stuck to the surprise fantasy by saying there was a question about the reservation since we checked in 15 minutes early.

I had the pork taco and Steve had the tuna sandwich. Both were very good!!! (And I was too caught up with thinking about the cake to take pictures....)

But--- while we were eating, the waitress came up to me and handed me a piece of paper with the cake order written on it pointing and trying her best to discreetly ask if we wanted chocolate or vanilla (I totally forgot to specify) and while she was doing that the hostess is trying to wave her down behind Steve to prevent her from further blowing it... She gets a A+ gold star in my book! The waitress on the other hand was pretty clueless haha! Oh well!

THEN After that I excused myself to the restroom and one of the ladies that walks around with those primitive ipad thingies in the restaurants followed me out to get confirmation on the cake... *smh*

Moral of the story--- don't try to surprise any body at Kona Cafe! They were all so sweet and helpful though! I swear at one point I had about 5 people making sure there was a cake, it was correct, name spelled right, etc. They were awesome on that. Complete Disney customer service. Steve is pretty smart and figured it out but played along for me.

In hindsight, I should've written down my request and handed it to the hostess with all the details (and flavor preference!) then maybe there wouldn't have been such confusion. Next time, though, I am ordering a custom cake come hell or high water!

Here are the pictures I have (hopefully they post correctly with the new boards)!

After lunch and cake, we were stuffed! We considered going to Hollywood Studios for a while, but ultimately decided to call it a day and head home (it was about 4pm by then). As short as the trip was, it seemed much longer. We did everything we wanted to do and had a complete blast. The pixie dust of seeing Scuba Mickey and our run in with Disney Law was still fresh and we were content with our trip.

Now it was time to start planning our Disney Valentine's Adventure!

 

[Lady Marie]

Only 12 sleeps until I am back at Disney--- and it feels like an eternity! This is my first time staying on-site for more than one night, and I am THRILLED!!!

Backstory-- As you know, we always stay cheaply off-site to afford our trips all the time. But PIXIE DUST in the house!!!! Steve and I work for his family business, and this year one of their suppliers' big trade show is at none other than CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT!!! (note: I am still super jealous of those that get conferences at GF or CR.... but in our industry, this is like winning the lottery! )

We will be staying Business Club Level for 3 whole nights! And we will be there for 4 whole days which is a whole 2 whole days than we normally have!!! Bahaha! Ok, I'm done with that whole lotta nonsense!

Here is the breakdown of our plan!

We have the following ADRs:
- Garden View Tea Room (around 5pm so there should be some live music by that time )
- Le Cellier (DH's favorite steak restaurant at Disney so far for Valentines Day-- I know, I know-- hold the tomatoes, we are trying Yachtsman next trip!)
- Beaches and Cream
- Sanaa

We are also going to get a Tables in Wonderland card this time too since we will be doing all these ADRs plus Yachtsman, Flying Fish, and others for our anniversary in May.

Now--- Garden View is subject to change.... We have his parents coming up that day and may want to get dinner together (I have already tried to get them to tell me what they want to eat so I can make ressies but I don't think they get that we can't just walk up to the "good" restaurants at Disney on Presidents/Valentine's Day weekend!).

Anyway, I won't be heart broken if we don't do the tea-- I have read mixed reviews on here, but I thought it would be cute and/or romantic. Plus I have a love affair with Grand Floridian and just love being there. (Which is further exacerbated by the fact that we have our first anniversary dinner reserved at Victoria and Albert's in May...swoon!!!)....

Now for Le Cellier, we have a late reservation (around 8:20pm) and in my fantasy world we will be able to make it to MK for Valentine's Day fireworks at 10pm.... I don't think it will happen (We are driving our own car, I plan on going early and hoping for an early seating (not likely on Valentine's day I know) and we do have a FP+ for it though so we can run in late and have a spot.... hopefully....). Or maybe we can catch it from the Ferry boat dock at the TTC. At any rate, I do have a FP+ for 7DMT at like 11pm so we will definitely make it for that, so that is the good news. I wish the parks did something special for Valentine's Day.... Oh, well. It will still be special just to be there and be on-site!

Beaches and Cream has intrigued us for a while since Steve is a burger and shake kind of guy. I have my sights set on a good dessert!

I can't wait for the bread service at Sanaa. I am a carb lovin', naan obsessed fluffy kind of girl who is going to die and go to heaven with that stuff!

Over the four days, I think we will manage to hit all 4 parks. I for sure have FP+ scheduled for MK, HS, and AK. We will be in Epcot for Valentine's dinner. So if all goes according to plan..... But I am not going to be too commando. I want to enjoy staying at a Disney Resort!!!

We have work obligations for Saturday and Sunday mornings of that weekend, but plan on squeezing in as much park time, eating, and Disney resort relaxing for the other time that we have-- oh and balance time with the in-laws! It's going to be fun!!!

 

[QueenJen]

Sounds like you have a good time planned! A little jealous right now....missing our passes.

Bummer about the cake "issue". Was it at least good? You make Jellyrolls sound fun. It was not on my radar at all, but I am intrigued after reading about your fun. What other info can you share (like what time does it start to get really busy)?

 

[Lady Marie]

Sounds like you have a good time planned! A little jealous right now....missing our passes.

Bummer about the cake "issue". Was it at least good? You make Jellyrolls sound fun. It was not on my radar at all, but I am intrigued after reading about your fun. What other info can you share (like what time does it start to get really busy)?

For a standard cake that just hangs out in the back waiting for someone to order it (LOL), yes, it was good. When it was served it was a little cold and hard, but once it sat in our car for the ride home, it was gooey and much better.

As for Jellyrolls... I'd say it starts to really get going around 9pm. We got there around 9:15 this past trip and snagged some of the very few open stools left behind the crowds. The "pit" near the pianos was already full. If you want to get a seat near the pianos (which is more fun in my opinion as the pianist engage with the audience they can see haha!), I would say get there somewhere between 7:30 and 8:30.

Other things I did not know that is not written on the Disney site:
- You are more likely to get your song played quickly (and without a $20 bill attached to the napkin) the earlier you are there since there is not so much competition among the patrons!
- They have yummy fresh popped popcorn there. If you aren't sitting in the "pit," you just go help yourself. It's really good and serves its purpose in encouraging me to buy more drinks!
- If you do sit in the "pit," there are waitresses that come take your drink orders for you and bring you the popcorn. Don't buy a drink first then go sit in the pit. We did not know of the etiquette when we went the first time (and it was almost empty so there was no one to mimic!) and got a snarky comment for that!

If you just love music, you will have a great time. They play a huge variety (country, oldies, classic rock, they even get together and do pop/rap with someone beat boxing into the mic and slamming the lid of the piano to be the bass!). It's sooooo fun......

And now, I am thinking of a way to try to squeeze that into my trip for Valentines!

 

[Lady Marie]

Figured out the pictures! Woo hoo!!!

 

[Jules~Marie]

Awesome TR!!! DH and I are also childless, and go to Disney as much as possible (though it's gone down a bit the past year with other vacations taking over). We live in the Tampa area, so hardly ever get to stay for "extended" times (longer than 1 night). BUT, we have 3 nights booked for Presidents weekend (Valentines Day & my birthday!!) I am so super excited. We are going to Flying Fish for Valentine's dinner, and then heading to JellyRolls, it's our favorite "adult" stop in Disney!!!

 

[Lady Marie]

Awesome TR!!! DH and I are also childless, and go to Disney as much as possible (though it's gone down a bit the past year with other vacations taking over). We live in the Tampa area, so hardly ever get to stay for "extended" times (longer than 1 night). BUT, we have 3 nights booked for Presidents weekend (Valentines Day & my birthday!!) I am so super excited. We are going to Flying Fish for Valentine's dinner, and then heading to JellyRolls, it's our favorite "adult" stop in Disney!!!

YAY for your upcoming trip too!!!! You gotta let me know if Flying Fish lives up to the hype.... DH and I are super excited to eat there in May.

Happy Early Birthday!!!

 

[Jules~Marie]

YAY for your upcoming trip too!!!! You gotta let me know if Flying Fish lives up to the hype.... DH and I are super excited to eat there in May.

Happy Early Birthday!!!

Thank you!

Flying Fish is outstanding! We went there last May, and all of the food was just incredible. I have high hopes for this next trip.

 

[DisneyNole12]

Though Im normally a lurker had to let you know I was following! I love reading adult only TRs. I live an hour away and get over to Disney about three times a month and stay normally once a month for one night so I love reading about non park and adult only activities. Though I am still single, Ive finally recruited a pretty good number of my friends to get passes so I need more than just fun at parks to keep them wanting more!!!

Cant wait to read about your Valentines day trip! I finally had a two night planned that weekend as well but work is sending me out to LA. (aka Im kinda hoping to end up at DL on my day off... maybe no one will notice )

 

[Lady Marie]

Though Im normally a lurker had to let you know I was following! I love reading adult only TRs. I live an hour away and get over to Disney about three times a month and stay normally once a month for one night so I love reading about non park and adult only activities. Though I am still single, Ive finally recruited a pretty good number of my friends to get passes so I need more than just fun at parks to keep them wanting more!!!

Cant wait to read about your Valentines day trip! I finally had a two night planned that weekend as well but work is sending me out to LA. (aka Im kinda hoping to end up at DL on my day off... maybe no one will notice )

That would be awesome!!! Good luck on sneaking away to DL-- I'm jealous! That is on our list...just don't know where/when to squeeze that in!

 

[QueenJen]

Thank you for all the bonus information Patricia. I am really excited now. Hubby and I do not go out and listen to music (other than a concert) at home, but we had the best time hanging out in a little bar/restaurant in Key West a few years ago. This sounds like it will be so much fun. We discovered we are not everyday rope drop ppl, so we can hang out late if we want. I would like to think I am not cheap...but Yikes at $20 for a request. Maybe I am showing my age of...."back in my day" lol.....and I am only 42.

Yay, I was able to go back and check out the pics. That is so cool that scuba Mickey is in the tank and interacting with guests. That citation is so cute. That is the first time I have ever heard about one.

Btw, I would trade presents for vacation anytime!