"We’re not gonna make it, we’re not gonna make it!" Aug 2014 mini-PTR upd 1/8

[stacy~**]

Welcome!! We have been home a week so I guess it is time to get this thing started! I am super excited to be writing my first ever WDW TR! I did attempt one for our 10 day DL trip last summer but fell short in the “finishing” department! I’ll do my best to not let that happen again!

I am going to skip the long winded introductions (they can be found in my PTR or DL TR, both linked below) but let’s just say we love all things Disney….movies, rides, parks, food, resorts, clothes, etc…. I am sure we all have that in common! So join me as I relive the magic of our trip!


I will share a few pictures below from our trip in May (yes! We went twice this summer) so you can check us out! Our family includes myself, Stacy….my DH, Aaron, our 19 y/o, Olivia and our almost 11 y/o (and Disney adult), Lucy!







Don't we look fun?


Details:
Trip came about on a total whim thanks to Davids DVC rental last minute special and my intense post Disney depression. Text documenting the quick decision making process below:



So less than 24 hours later we were booked for a return trip just 39 days away!

Trip dates: Wednesday, August 6 to Monday, August 11
Resort: Saratoga Springs Resort Studio room w/ DVC rental points
Tickets: 5 day base (and AP for me)
Dining: A lot of CS but our TS includes: Garden Grill, Sanaa, T-Rex, and Mama Melrose.

 

[stacy~**]

Chapter links!​

August 6-Day 1
We waited 39 days for this!! The dreaded travel day post: PART 1
Checkin’ In. The dreaded travel day post: PART 2
No longer traveling...We are home! PART 3
Yes, I know we just had dinner but let’s get a snack-PART 4

August 7-Day 2
Relaxing pool morning!-PART 1
[URL="http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=52295195&postcount=36"]In Morocco cheese on a bun isn’t easy to come by: PART 2
[URL="http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=52323112&postcount=40"]Real Life Update!
[URL="http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=52323298&postcount=41"]Return to Garden Grill-PART 3
[/URL][/URL][/URL]
August 8-Day 3
My Girls Disney bucket list item checked off-PART 1
Lunch date at Animal Kingdom Lodge-PART 2
My girls...alone at Animal Kingdom!-PART 3
TR title explained in this update and our time at AK-PART 4
Dining with more Dino’s !-PART 5

August 9-Day 4
Back to the Magic Kingdom!-PART 1
Real Life Update Part 2
Columbia Harbour House closes early-PART 3
Kissing the EMH goodnight!-PART 4

August 10-Day 5
Olaf Distribution center and other Frozen fun-PART 1
Where's the lunch entertainment?-PART 2
Frozen Sing A Long and Fireworks! Going out with a bang!-PART 3

August 11-Day 6
Sneaky morning get away-PART 1

 

[SarahDisney]

Yay! Trip report!
I can't wait to read all about your trip!

 

[wiscbugs]

I was following your (now-defunct) Disneyland trip report...ready for another one!

 

[stacy~**]

Yay! Trip report!
I can't wait to read all about your trip!

Yay! My first follower!

I was following your (now-defunct) Disneyland trip report...ready for another one!

Sorry I never finished that one but happy you have found me over here! I do like to think there is some value in that report even unfinished since we did do so many things in the LA area...which can sometimes be hard to get info about.

Posting my first update tonight (or first thing in the morning!).

 

[stacy~**]

We waited 39 days for this!! The dreaded travel day post: PART 1

Our flight was scheduled to depart at 1:55PM out of Columbus, OH. While this departure is a bit late in the afternoon it was a better choice for us over the 7:00AM flight (our only other direct flight option). As you will see we are not so quick moving in the morning (rope droppers can all give me that look now) and this offered us the ability to have a somewhat relaxed morning and also 1 less night of dog boarding for our pups!

So after a busy morning of say goodbye to my pups, packing, cleaning and eating a quick lunch at home we left our house around 12, parked the car, checked the bags….really the usual routine. Both Olivia and I got held up by the TSA (her for accidently carrying her phone through and me for having my bottom area show “something” during the scan). I was then lucky enough to get a quick little feeling up by the TSA worker and was sent on my way. A bit of early vacation action I wasn’t counting on.

Originally this first travel day was just going to be a DTD/resort evening but Disney makes it so easy to add a day to your ticket that we ended up making plans to spend the evening at the Magic Kingdom so when the flight ended up not leaving until 2:35 I was pretty panicked since we had FPs for later that night.

In flight selfies:





A bit of coloring, reading and cheap airline peanut eating happened and before we knew it....or in approximately 2 hours we arrived in MCO just a bit after 5.



We made our way down to DME area….some of us might have used all forms of restaint to fight the urge to run and then jump into the arms of the first DME cast member!



Once we arrive our “line” was completely empty which is always a sign that you just missed your DME bus. To my amazement he scanned us and then sent us out to a full bus with just enough seats for us.



Yay! No waiting! Although I have to say it was weird being split up on the bus (Aaron and Lucy were able to sit together but Olivia and I had to sit apart). I’ve never been on a bus that full before. No worries, though….we were on our way!!

*One foreshadowing note: I am really a big fan of Gus the bus driver on the DME video. So during the drive I decided to tweet Gary Buchanan (not sure of his official title but a super cool, in the know Disney cast member...works closely with the MomsPanel) and ask him if Gus was really a bus driver. He thought he was streetmosphere but wasn't certain. *Foreshadowing over

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I am here!! Ready to go

At least you guys got a magical express bus. Last time we had a Mears bus. No Disney cartoons or blog videos, no introductory video. Just some laid back oldies music Not cool.

I'm a fan of the Jake and the Neverland Pirates backpack!

 

[stacy~**]

I am here!! Ready to go

At least you guys got a magical express bus. Last time we had a Mears bus. No Disney cartoons or blog videos, no introductory video. Just some laid back oldies music Not cool.

I'm a fan of the Jake and the Neverland Pirates backpack!

Glad you're here!

Yes...a waiting bus is great...but a waiting DME bus is the best! In May Aaron and Lucy got one of the Mears buses and they were really bummed about it!

Olivia has a thing for Jake! <3


Sorry I started this and then disappeared. Trying to get the photopass pictures downloaded. I still have a bit more to do but I am making progress. I have a mini-update coming tonight and am hoping to have this moving again this week.

 

[ZehnJahren]

I'm here too! I'm here! I have been in full-on moving mode but this week should be the last of it and I'll be present again!

Nice travel day - I'd have been sweating it if the plane left late when I had plans at a park that night. I'm hoping this doesn't happen to us, but we're early risers on vacation (*gives look*) and will be on the earliest flight out of our city!

How great that you got right on the bus! I LOVE it when that happens!!

 

[stacy~**]

Checkin’ In. The dreaded travel day post: PART 2

Our first bus stop was OKW and then we were on our way to SSR. Once off the DME we were really officially back!!




I had completed online check-in beforehand. I typically don’t do online check in but since we had rented points I wanted to make sure I was able to put my room requests in (Congress Park, upper floor, water view….all which were granted!!). We were able to walk right up to the desk and were checked in quickly (well the girls checked out the tv area!).




As we were finishing up I asked the CM about our Amazon Pantry package. She then noticed it on our account and said she would return with it. I warned her it would be heavy (36 water bottles!) but she still left to get it. Sure enough she returned without it. It took a call to bell services, then us going to the bell services desk, then us going to our room and calling bell services….but we were finally able to get our package. Not sure why it was such a fiasco and probably really wasn’t THAT bad but we were anxious to get to our first park so it was a bit of a slow down for us when we were ready to go!!


Our room requests were all met (as I mentioned above) and I was once again really happy with our room at SSR. Here is a peak inside (usually I take a bunch of room pictures but I only have a few):

Bed:


I will say that having only 1 bed when traveling with older kids (heck they are both Disney adults...and 1 is a real adult) isn't ideal. I love the idea of DVC but really the studios are ALOT smaller than a normal deluxe hotel room. We survived and will likely (hopefully...we are in the process of becoming DVC members!) do it again but there were moments that it was challenging!

LOVE the little kitchenette area:



Pretty standard bathroom:




Really happy with the view! Come to think of it I bet this is why I don't have a lot of inside room pictures. I was on the balcony taking a million pictures of our view! Yay!! (I earned this view after a FULL ROOFTOP view at the BC in May...I know life could be worse but it was a bummer!).







By 6:45 we were at the bus stop.



The bus took about 15 minutes to arrive and then we were on our way to Magic Kingdom!







We were all STARVING but we had a date with a talking mouse. 

 

[SarahDisney]

I'm glad to hear you got all of your room requests. The room looks nice, and that view is gorgeous.

I love Lucy's hat. It's so super cute!

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

WHOA! Now that is a view

I am extremely interested in all your resort pics and descriptions. We are doing part of our TOT 10 Miler trip at SSR on rented DVC points. We also have a studio and there are 4 of us adults I was thinking of not putting in any requests because it seems like people get frequent upgrades and getting upgraded with the 4 of us would be AMAZING.

So how long did it take you to walk to DD?

I know I said I wasn't going to request anything, but maybe I should at least request Congress park. How lovely would it be to walk to DD instead of deal with the messy roads?? Well, I'm sure you know.

I also have that tiny Donald hat! I put it on the cat. Actually, I think we've discussed this before. But its worth bringing up again

 

[stacy~**]

I'm here too! I'm here! I have been in full-on moving mode but this week should be the last of it and I'll be present again!

Nice travel day - I'd have been sweating it if the plane left late when I had plans at a park that night. I'm hoping this doesn't happen to us, but we're early risers on vacation (*gives look*) and will be on the earliest flight out of our city!

How great that you got right on the bus! I LOVE it when that happens!!

Yay! I was wondering where you were since I specifically remember you promising to read my TR! Of course I am dreadfully behind on your PTR so I will give you a break....plus you have that moving excuse.

It ended up not being a big deal but flight delays are nerve-wracking for sure! Olivia and I took the 6am flight out in May and I admit is was amazing to be there before I would normally even be awake....and have the whole day ahead of us but not something that would go as smooth with Lucy.

I'm glad to hear you got all of your room requests. The room looks nice, and that view is gorgeous.

I love Lucy's hat. It's so super cute!

Looking forward to reading more!

Thanks! Yes I was jumping up and down when I saw that view! I ended up not spending as much time out there as I normally do but on the plus side I think it is because we were busy spending more time exploring the resort.

I know...I love those little mini-earhats! I look pretty silly in it but it is beyond perfect for a sassy 10 year old. She has a Pluto one too (I wish we had bought them all, I know we got them as a pretty good 2 for $something price in DL last summer).

Hope to have a new update over the weekend. Darn photopass pictures have been sucking up my time but I have 1 more day of edits to make.

WHOA! Now that is a view

I am extremely interested in all your resort pics and descriptions. We are doing part of our TOT 10 Miler trip at SSR on rented DVC points. We also have a studio and there are 4 of us adults I was thinking of not putting in any requests because it seems like people get frequent upgrades and getting upgraded with the 4 of us would be AMAZING.

So how long did it take you to walk to DD?

I know I said I wasn't going to request anything, but maybe I should at least request Congress park. How lovely would it be to walk to DD instead of deal with the messy roads?? Well, I'm sure you know.

I also have that tiny Donald hat! I put it on the cat. Actually, I think we've discussed this before. But its worth bringing up again

I am sure you will love SSR. It's has a different feel than the "typical" Disney resorts but I really like it. Felt more like I had a condo AT DISNEY. I don't love it in a way that I would always want to stay there but its really nice in a relaxed way (make sense?).

Do upgrades happen at DVC properties? Pixie dust that it does for you....the difference between a studio and a 1BR is unbelievable. Otherwise just as a warning the studio will feel smaller....maybe not value small but not beach club big, either. Somewhere in the middle. Biggest hassle was that pull out bed. It was too difficult to put away each day so it was just kind always in the way.

Everything IS spread out so you will do some walking (I never complain about walking so its not a big deal to me....). Our walk to DTD from Congress Park was a bit longer than yours should be because of construction but I think the boat dock opened the week after we left and that should REALLY cut the walk down. We actually had to go all the way out and walk on the sidewalk along the street and then enter in where the buses drop off at . Now with the boat dock I would think it would be NO more than 5-10 minutes from Congress Park. If you plan to walk to DTD more than once I would request Congress Park. We also rode the boat once and that is a good option if you are on the other side of the resort.

If you have downtime and want to the walk to OKW is about 1.5 miles along the river and really nice. The CMs told us it was 4 miles....its' not.

Yes...now that you mention it I can totally picture that picture of your cat in the mini earhat. Love them....they are also great for American Girl dolls.

 

[ZehnJahren]

Thanks for the pictures of SSR! I would really like to stay here some day. I do hear about how big it is, but honestly all of the Disney resorts are pretty big. OKW was MASSIVE! The only resort I've stayed at that I would say is "normal sized" is CR.

That is so great all your requests were met. I'm still trying to figure out my requests for Pop.

Ugh, you had a full rooftop view at BC?? Man would I have been disappointed. Our stay at YC had a full-on tree view - you couldn't see much but this big tree - but it was greenery and NOT just the roof on a standard view so I couldn't complain.

 

[khertz]

Joining in...great start!

I'm glad you got your room requests, that's always a plus. And what a great view of DTD from your balcony! Pretty amazing way to start off.

 

[stacy~**]

Thanks for the pictures of SSR! I would really like to stay here some day. I do hear about how big it is, but honestly all of the Disney resorts are pretty big. OKW was MASSIVE! The only resort I've stayed at that I would say is "normal sized" is CR.

That is so great all your requests were met. I'm still trying to figure out my requests for Pop.

Ugh, you had a full rooftop view at BC?? Man would I have been disappointed. Our stay at YC had a full-on tree view - you couldn't see much but this big tree - but it was greenery and NOT just the roof on a standard view so I couldn't complain.

SSR was big but manageable and more walker friendly than OKW in my opinion. It is a beautiful resort and great for a more relaxed trip...or one where you plan to leave in the morning and not come back until the night. Back and forth (for naps or whatever) would get old quickly!

Thanks! I was really super happy with our room and view!

Joining in...great start!

I'm glad you got your room requests, that's always a plus. And what a great view of DTD from your balcony! Pretty amazing way to start off.

Thanks for stopping over, Kristy!

Yes, the only the only thing that could have made me more happy with that view would have been less cranes!

 

[stacy~**]

No longer traveling...We are home! PART 3

Upon our arrival to Magic Kingdom we are all starving but we have a date (or FP+, your choice of names) with talking Mickey. AND the best thing about this reservation is that Aaron and Lucy have NO idea that we are about to talk to Mickey Mouse!!! This is EVENT #1 of things we intended to do in May but didn’t get to do. Olivia and I were freaking out to see their surprised faces and to see Mickey ourselves. The FP line was beyond slow but we were here on our bonus trip so no one was complaining!!

We entered the room with a family in front of us and with one other family finishing their meet. I was a bit bummed that Aaron and Lucy figured out Mickey this way but it was still an amazing surprise! I don’t even really remember what Mickey said to us….I think it ended up being a bit awkward because we were all so excited, in shock, etc. Our pictures speak volumes on how we were feeling.

This is my "I want to squeeze you so hard but am containing myself" look:





Deep in conversation






Posed pictures





After that amazing meet we swung over to the firehouse to grab some new sorcerer cards (that we wouldn’t end up using at all) and then made our way to Tomorrowland.





Cosmic Rays had been chosen as our dinner for the night and we were all ready!!
Aaron picked Turkey Sandwich (picture post toppings bar)



Olivia and I both had the Vegetable Burger (picture pre-toppings bar)



Lucy went off menu with the melted cheese on a bun



Decent food, fun toppings bar and good entertainment from Sonny Epclipse…just what you expect from Cosmic Rays.

 

[SarahDisney]

I love your "I want to squeeze you so hard but am containing myself" look! And I love that Aaron has this huge smile on his face in all the pictures. Everyone looks so excited!

I'm looking forward to seeing what you did next!

 

[ZehnJahren]

Ha, that "I wanna squeeze ya!" looks is priceless!! I haven't met talking Mickey but that would be really cool to do!

I always get SOTMK cards myself too so I can collect them but I don't always play. I'll make my mom get them too.

And of course you can't go wrong with Cosmic Rays. I had to laugh at the "cheese on a bun" - looks like what I would have eaten as a girl!

 

[stacy~**]

I love your "I want to squeeze you so hard but am containing myself" look! And I love that Aaron has this huge smile on his face in all the pictures. Everyone looks so excited!

I'm looking forward to seeing what you did next!

Thanks, Sarah! As soon as I saw that picture it really made me happy I went ahead and purchased the MM. I don't think I would have bought that photo but it's one that truly captures the emotion of that moment. She actually took a lot of good candid shots.

LOL at Aaron. Yes, it's taken me awhile to break him but it looks like I did. He might not love to plan and talk about it all the time but he does love being there.

Should have at least one update sometime today. Maybe two!!

Ha, that "I wanna squeeze ya!" looks is priceless!! I haven't met talking Mickey but that would be really cool to do!

I always get SOTMK cards myself too so I can collect them but I don't always play. I'll make my mom get them too.

And of course you can't go wrong with Cosmic Rays. I had to laugh at the "cheese on a bun" - looks like what I would have eaten as a girl!

You definitely should meet him. I am pretty sure he meets late and you can often catch the wait times to be really short in the evening.

Yup we all got the cards. They are fun!

That wasn't the only cheese on a bun meal but it was definitely the easiest. The next day doesn't go so smoothly.