When Two Holidays Collide! An Oct. 2012 PTR UPDATE 6/30 Disneyland stuff

[ash-n-brensmom]

Plans are really coming together, great deal on the car rental! It's such an expense when you are there for so long, but sooooo worth it to have your own transportation. We love having our own car even when we are staying on site.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey]

Plans are really coming together, great deal on the car rental! It's such an expense when you are there for so long, but sooooo worth it to have your own transportation. We love having our own car even when we are staying on site.

W have rented a car the last two trips and we are totally spoiled now! I'm still hoping car rentals will go down a little more but if not, that's okay. I got a mini van 1 week rental last year for $150 at the last minute so...

 

[kmedina]

That is a great rate. We paid more than that for a one day minivan rental two trips ago. That was the only day we spent off property.

 

[Alysa]

Cute report! I love the candid shots of your husband with your son. I've never once found a photographer at Disney who would do them even though I think they look so nice!

 

[MinnieLovesMickey]

Cute report! I love the candid shots of your husband with your son. I've never once found a photographer at Disney who would do them even though I think they look so nice!

glad to see you joined in!
I had never had a photographer that would do that until this past trip. We also had one taking pictures of us coming out of Snow White's Scary Adventure which looked horrible because we were busy trying to gather the diaper bag and there was another family in front that kind of blocked us. I'm guessing it's for the Magic, Memories and You show.

 

[jcena6159]

nice one

 

[Elleshoodat]

I'm in! I followed you over from my PTR. Your plans look wonderful so far -- 15 days, wow! -- but I agree with the PP who recommended NOT eating at Cici's or Golden Corral. I'm afraid your DH will be disappointed ... and that's putting it nicely.

I can't wait to follow along!

 

[MinnieLovesMickey]

I'm in! I followed you over from my PTR. Your plans look wonderful so far -- 15 days, wow! -- but I agree with the PP who recommended NOT eating at Cici's or Golden Corral. I'm afraid your DH will be disappointed ... and that's putting it nicely.

I can't wait to follow along!

glad you joined in! Luckily I was able to talk DH out of eating at either of these places. All I have to tell him is I heard it on the Dis and he will listen to me.

Anyone have ideas for good restaurants off property, but close to Disney?

 

[MinnieLovesMickey]

It's Time for Day One!
Come on everyone, we're going to take a look at day one!
............
.
.
...........................
Sorry, I had to include my tribute to the ultimate vacation over planner, Clark Griswold.

Anyways, back on track, without further delay, I give you day one.

*We will be getting up about 6:30-7:00am, get packed up and be out the door at 8:00am and ready to go check in at Art of Animation. I'm sure a room won't be ready as the resort is sold out the night before.
*I figure we can leave our luggage with the bell desk and head to the Magic Kingdom.
*From there, we will upgrade our park tickets to APs (this way, we can come back in May too).
*Then, we will get some Photopass pictures going down Mainstreet and in front of the castle.
*DH will break out his camera equipment so he can take all the pictures his little heart desires.
*While he's setting up, I go grab a fastpass for Peter Pan.
*We'll let DH continue on his photo journey until it's time to do Peter Pan.
*Depending on the time, we might do IASW or Haunted Mansion.
*At 11, we'll head over to Pecos Bill for lunch. I can't wait to have a taco salad or a pulled pork sandwich, I don't know for sure, I don't care as long as I get some cheese sauce to put on something.
*After lunch, we'll head back towards Main Street and go get our picture with Mickey.
*Keeping my fingers crossed, we'll get that magical text saying our room is ready so Peyton can take a nap before we go to MNSSHP. If not, I plan on keeping the costumes in the car so we can change in the bathroom.

Next up.....MNSSHP

 

[kmedina]

It is not impossible that a room will be ready at that time. We've had a trip where we checked out at 5am to catch an early flight and arrived at before 8am and only had a short wait for a room. Good luck. Sounds like a nice first day. I love cheese sauce and Clark Griswald too.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey]

It is not impossible that a room will be ready at that time. We've had a trip where we checked out at 5am to catch an early flight and arrived at before 8am and only had a short wait for a room. Good luck. Sounds like a nice first day. I love cheese sauce and Clark Griswald too.

I hope you're right. I checked in to WL a couple of years ago at about 9am and got the text by 11am. I'm hoping to get pixie dusted once again..
Vacation has to be one of my favorite movies of all time. I think my planning style is a cross between Clark Griswold and Danny Tanner.

 

[kmedina]

I hope you're right. I checked in to WL a couple of years ago at about 9am and got the text by 11am. I'm hoping to get pixie dusted once again..
Vacation has to be one of my favorite movies of all time. I think my planning style is a cross between Clark Griswold and Danny Tanner.

I am overly organized like Danny Tanner too. I hope you're joking about Clark Griswald. His plans always backfired.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey]

Yes, I know that I said MNSSHP was next, but something wonderful, exciting, and just downright amazing happened this morning....I got to make my ADRs!

Now, making my ADRs did not come without it's share of drama. I had to be up for work at 3:15am, this morning, I wanted to be ready by 3am so I could have plenty of time to do my ADRs. DH had to work until about 2am, so I told him to wake me up when he got home, that way, I would be all ready for work and have a whole hour to do my ADRs. Well, DH wakes me up, it's 5 minutes after 3 already (and that's pretty much how I looked). Apparently DH got off late. So, I'm now in a mad dash to get ready for work so I can make my ADRs. I managed to get ready in 15 minutes, hair was in a soaking wet bun, but I was ready.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of my eventful morning. I go to make my first ressie, Chef Mickey's, and I get the "your reservation is more than 180 days out, please enter your confirmation #". So, I enter my reservation #, last name, date of arrival..."We're sorry, we cannot find your reservation, we cannot link it to your dining, blah, blah, blah". Now I'm in a panic, I have to leave for work at 4, I can't call Disney Dining and spend the next 3 days with an agent trying to book my dining. DH looks at the date and notices that I put 10/30 as our arrival date, well it's our Orlando arrival date, not WDW arrival. Mini crisis averted, I put in 10/31 and yay, it works!

Okay, now to the ADRs. This is my first time booking under the new credit card requirement, I didn't realize how easy these reservations were going to be to get. I was able to get almost everything I wanted and for the times I wanted.

Nov. 1: 5:00pm Kona Cafe
Nov. 2: 7:35pm Rose & Crown
Nov. 3: 4:30pm 50s PTC
Nov. 4: 4:15pm Sci Fi Diner
Nov. 5: 7:45am 'Ohana
6:15pm Raglan Road
Nov. 6: 1:25pm Mama Melrose's (Fantasmic Package)
8:15pm House of Blues
Nov. 7: 9:30am Chef Mickey's
Nov. 9: 8:00pm Captain's Grill*
Nov. 10: 7:45pm Grand Floridian Cafe
Nov. 11: 6:45pm Akershus
Nov. 12: 7:00pm Shutters
Nov. 13: 12:00pm Chef's de France

*Captain's Grill was not the original choice. Looking at the schedule that WDW has out now, I'm assuming the first day of the Osbourne Lights is Nov. 9. I want to be there for the official lighting. Our original choice was to have 50s PTC after seeing the lights, the only time they had available was 5:20pm. Next, I checked Sci Fi since it's like right there, 6:20 was all they had available, everything but Brown Derby was booked, thanks, but no thanks. My next choice was to look for something in the Boardwalk/Yacht and Beach Club area. Kouzina didn't sound appetizing to either of us, Big River Grill doesn't take reservations, Flying Fish was out as we were looking for a 1TS restaurant, we looked at the menu for Captain's Grill and it sounded pretty good, so Captain's Grill it is! I was able to score us a later dinner so we didn't have to rush through seeing the lights.

Only 3 more ADRs to book, all are pretty easy, so I won't be getting up early the next few days.

I'll be back later with my MNSSHP update.

 

[kmedina]

Glad everything worked out after the initial stress. Hopefully, you get the 3 you need and enjoy Captain's Grille.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey]

I am overly organized like Danny Tanner too. I hope you're joking about Clark Griswald. His plans always backfired.

More of I get very obsessed with everything being perfect, I promise I've never taken anyone hostage, shot anyone in the butt with a bb gun, or tied Aunt Edna to the hood of the car.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey]

Glad everything worked out after the initial stress. Hopefully, you get the 3 you need and enjoy Captain's Grille.

I feel so much better having this part of the trip taken care of. Unfortunately, I have 3 more to book and I've changed my mind about 3 or 4 times today on one of the restaurants.
Thanks, we've never eaten at Captain's Grill before so I'm pretty excited to try it.

 

[kmedina]

More of I get very obsessed with everything being perfect, I promise I've never taken anyone hostage, shot anyone in the butt with a bb gun, or tied Aunt Edna to the hood of the car.

I figured you meant his organization and plans but I felt bad that everything always backfired on him. Technically, Cousin Eddie took the hostage, right?

 

[MinnieLovesMickey]

Now on to part 2 of day 1...

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!

DH and I went once before in 2008 for a last minute anniversary gift to each other. Well, it drizzled all night and I was fighting a cold. Pretty romantic stuff, huh?

Here are the plans for this time:
*Eat at Cosmic Rays before the party officially starts. (cheese sauce trip #2)
*Wait in crazy long line to meet the princesses (and princes). Baby P is such a little flirt,
I swear he knows how to say,"How you doin?" in baby talk and somehow grown women can still understand it.
*Wait in crazy long lines to trick or treat.
*Lots of photopass pictures.
*Watch Hallowishes and Boo to You parade.

Luckily, our little boy doesn't like to go to sleep before midnight, so hopefully we'll be able to stay most of the time. I guess it just depends on how the crowds are acting to how long we will stay.

Up Next..Day 2: Return to the Magic Kingdom![/COLOR]

 

[Alysa]

I swear he knows how to say,"How you doin?" in baby talk and somehow grown women can still understand it.

A little Flynn Ryder then!

Any costume ideas yet?

 

[MinnieLovesMickey]

For your last report all I see is code.

Don't know what happened. It's all better now.