Wishes, Dream a Dream: April 2016 Pre Trip Report 2/14 Update Rose Gold Minnie Ears from Instagram

[KatherineDisney]

Let me just say, I am completely shocked that I have the opportunity to write this pre-trip report. This is a trip that I never in a million years would have thought was happening. Let’s start at the very beginning.

A very good place to start.

I digress.


That’s me! My name is Katherine. I am a long time Dis lurker, kind of. When I was an early teenager I definitely posted on the teen board a ton and had lots of internet friends. But that was a simpler time before smart phones and social media apps, so while I haven’t left the DIS at all…..I stopped posting for some twelve years. You can find me more prominently on instagram as @katherineandrosie and at my blog www.chaosandwrinkles.com

So who is joining me on this trip? Well it’s not any of my disney loving family members or disney nerd friends that’s for sure. Somehow I have convinced my darling boyfriend, who has only been to disney once, to join me.

There he is! I don’t know disers, I have no idea why he wants to come to the happiest place on earth, but I am so not complaining. M’s only introduction to Disney World has been on one of my family’s GIANT family reunion trips. I think the last trip had over twenty people on it. We all stayed in the same DVC villas and it was glorious. But as you can imagine that is an intense trip. M and I vacation to relax.

We live in downtown Boston and life is hectic. When we go away we really do make a point to unwind. The argument against Disney from him is that it’s not relaxing. He loved the food last time and was impressed with the quality of customer service at Disney, but it wasn’t “relaxing” and that is something I really can’t argue with. The only reason I find Disney relaxing is because it is so familiar to me. The memories of past trips really help it feel like "home" and that is a feeling I can't replicate anywhere else. It is a different kind of vacation for me and I am sure someday down the line he will feel the same way as well.

So why now? Well I took up running this year and just ran the half marathon at Marathon Weekend.



I knew I could do it, but I think M was impressed with my time and has decided that he wants to run as well. I mean he wants to run competitively, he is actually a MUCH better runner and athlete than I am The guys is fast. So I looked online and BAM there were spots left for the Dark Side half in April. I looked up hotels and they were reasonable, I looked up flights and they were reasonable (this wouldn’t last) and within hours we had our registrations all set up.

Disney half marathon #2 is the inaugural Star Wars Half at WDW. You can say I am more than a little bit excited!!

So let’s start the planning!

Hotel Choices! ​

I knew I wanted something comfortable. I’ve stayed in everything from POP to GF and anything in between. I am not loyal to one resort or even staying on property, I just like to make sure whatever hotel we choose is the right fit. Our options this time were narrowed down to “kind of on property” hotels. While I LOVE disney theming at deluxe resorts, I craved something a little more hotelish (I just made up a word) this time. Does that even make sense?

So I looked at….

• Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin
• Four Seasons Orlando
• Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista

Any of those options would have made me happy. Here are my pros and cons…

April 15th - 18th 2016

1. Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin

image source: disney swan and dolphin_06_canal view_364x282.jpg

Pros:
~Balcony
~King bed
~Refurb room
~Crescent lake view
~Walking distance to EPCOT, Boardwalk, Y&B Club
~Starwood Member
~ 24 hour gym at Dolphin
~Good sushi at Dolphin
~Disney bus transport to parks and race

Cons
~No airport transportation included
~Balcony will probably be small
~If we rent a car we will pay per night

Cost: $303.00 per night pre fees and taxes (which most certainly do exist at this hotel)

2. Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista

image source: http://www.downtowndisneyhotels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/hilton-downtown-disney-pool.jpg

Pros
~Close to Disney Springs and possible walkability good
~Cost effective for amount of space
~Breakfast included with HH
~One bedroom suite available
~24 hour gym

Cons
~DVD not On Demand Movies
~No Balcony
~ Some claims of bed bugs (I know it’s a tropical climate, things happen, but ew)
~No Airport transportation included
~Fee for parking rental car
~ Possible but not guaranteed race day transportation

Cost: One bedroom suite $395.00 a night before fees and taxes

3. Four Seasons Orlando


Pros
~Beautiful new hotel
~Adult only pool
~Comfortable transportation to theme parks
~Bathrooms new and beautiful
~Largest balcony option
~Park view room will have fireworks (ish) view
~Great up to date gym facility

Cons
~ Valet parking only
~ No airport transportation included
~ Race day transportation up in the air (most likely town car or uber)
~ Walkability not great, isolated at Four Seasons

Cost: Park view room $639.00 a night pre fees and taxes

And this choice was kind of hard. We decided if the trip was longer the Four Seasons would be the winner hands down. It has that relaxing feel we both like and while I can get my Disney fix, Disney is not necessarily forced upon you. I have visited this property a couple of times now and I can’t wait to plan the right trip and stay here. But that trip will need to be more than three nights and that is not this trip.

The Hilton just didn’t “wow” us. We would be close to Disney Springs and that is a huge plus for us, but other than that the reviews were all over the place. The DVD thing is annoying and outdated. I will need to walk through it to see if it is at all relaxing. I guess I have a hard time committing to a Disney World area hotel I haven’t personally been to when I know there are other options that would satisfy our needs this trip.

So what won? The Swan and Dolphin! Well actually, the Swan. We chose a king bed, balcony, crescent lake view room and we are so excited. The new refurbishment really convinced us. We know we like the food over at Kimonos and I love Trattoria al Forno in Boardwalk. I can walk to Epcot or MGM when I want to see the parks and I think there is enough for both us to do. I hope the pools are quiet enough to relax by, but if not I don’t think that is a deal breaker. This is Disney after all. And race transportation, boy oh boy is that important. We can get on a bus to the Expo and a bus to the race! That will really help as this race starts early at 5:00 am.

I suppose next we need to figure out dining options, airport transportation, wether to not to rent a car and what in the world we do for park tickets. But for now I am just happy it is booked. I think next update I will tell you about our flights….wah wah wahhhh.

 

[KatherineDisney]

1. Tentative Plans and Dining Post 3
2. Favorite Memories Post 4
3. New Clothing for Vacation Post 8
4. Rose Gold Minnie Ears Post 11

 

[KatherineDisney]

Tentative Plans​

Friday April 15th
Fly to MCO
Transportation to SWAN TBD
Check in at Swan
Bus to EXPO BEFORE 7:00 PM
Dinner ADR
Saturday April 16th
Breakfast ADR
Pool/Relax possibly manicure
Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom
Dinner TBD
Sunday April 17th
Race: arrive at EPCOT by bus. Busses leave no later than 4:00 am or 3:00 am? not sure on this one
CELEBRATE
Lunch TBD
Disney Springs
Dinner: Morimoto
Monday April 18th
Fly home

TO DO: Purchase one day park hoppers, make fast pass reservations, make dining reservations, make airport travel reservations

Swan Gym Hours: 6:00 am to 9:00 PM
Dolphin Gym Hours: 24 hrs
PICABU restaurant: 24 hrs
Spa Hours: 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

ADR Dining Options​

• Friday: Trattoria al Forno - I went here last trip before the race and I loved the food. I had calamari, caprese and the carbonara. It was enough food to split between two people. They had a pretty impressive wine selection, so I think dining here on the first night makes sense. Last time I didn't have any wine because I was waiting until after the race. I also think dining close to the hotel this night makes the most sense, since we will be flying in and then immediately heading over to the Expo to pick up our race gear.
• Saturday: Captain's Grille? - My thought is we do Breakfast somewhere close to the hotel today. I am thinking we will most likely end up at the Magic Kingdom as our park, although I am hesitant about this. Saturday is the first day of east coast April School Vacation.....yikes. I am sure we won't be the only ones at MK. My original plan was to do breakfast at a MK resort (Wave or GF Cafe) but I don't want to lock us into the MK. I would be just as happy walking over to the studios or Animal Kingdom, as I haven't been to either park in years. I like the look of the buffet here (we LOVE breakfast buffets probably more than normal people) and it's nice and close to the Swan.
• Sunday: Morimoto - Sunday we will be waking up very very very early for the race. I don't think we will hit a park Sunday. I loved the new Disney Springs that last time I went. My Dad and I explored it at night and it just seemed like so much fun. We sat outside at Splitsville and listened to some live music. I immediately thought I need to come back here again. M and I love sushi, so I really want to try Morimoto. Last time I was there it had just recently opened. I don't love being some of the first to dine at a restaurant, so we did sushi at Kona Cafe instead. This time, yep I WILL be dining here.

TBD MEALS​

• Saturday Dinner: If we get park hoppers, I am thinking Saturday we can pop into EPCOT for dinner. I have been wanting to try the tapas place in Morocco for some time now. Sunshine Seasons is one of my favorite stops for lunch. They always seem to have more quality veggie choices and that really appeals to me. I also like France's quick service. Although, I don't know if I will want heavy food the evening before the race.
• Sunday Lunch: I will be hungry after the race. I was thinking it might be fun to have a snack at Beaches and Cream. We can come back, take a nap and then go get ice-cream or milkshakes. Two reservations in one day is a little intense, but so is running thirteen miles. I think this plan should work out just fine!

 

[KatherineDisney]

Favorite Memories

​

Making memories, making memories
Taking pictures is making memories
Catching little pieces of times
Making them yours, making them mine.
Great vacations and celebrations
Can fade away in a year.
But when we're making memories,
Happy days are always here.

Does anyone remember that song from the old Disney sing-along VHS tapes? My sister and I used to watch and watch and watch those tapes. This one and the "Rumbly in my Tumbly" were some off my favorites.

​

I thought it might be fun to share with you all some photos from past trips. I actually made a mistake in my first update. Matt HAS been to Disney more than once....except once was in Disneyland Paris! We went to Paris in 2013 and of course I convinced him to take a day trip to Euro Disney...I mean Disneyland Paris. When I was a child my family lived in Germany, so what was Euro Disney was our regular park. I have very fond memories from the MK there. Casey Junior was my favorite ride EVER as a kid. It was super fun to go back as an adult, although everything seemed very different.


Even though it was SUPER cold in June (like 40 degrees cold) the parks were still quite busy that day!


I LOVED this hotel as a kid. The characters used to just kind of hang out in the lobby. I think a few times we just came to this hotel and the downtown disney area they have here. We didn't even need to do the parks as a kid to have fun.

Funny story, I took M on the Thunder Mountain here and he was not impressed. He's not a super roller coaster fan, not like me anyway. OOPS! Also, we got WET on this ride. Between this and Tower of Terror....I just remember him being like "are there like different kinds of rides?" hahaha, in my defense I didn't know his ride preferences. So where did we end up after the thrills failed?


Small World! We did this, Haunted Mansion, Pirates and I think the CineMagique show. It was a fun day and our first Disney experience together. I can't believe I forgot about it!

I kind of fell into a rabbit hole (just like Alice) while looking through old photos. Here are some Orlando memories!


These are from right before a CP breakfast, so the park was pretty empty.


Obligatory Buzz photo. I am so bad at this ride! I'm not bad at Toy Story Mania....but man this one and I do not click. Hence my unamused face.


Marie is one of the only characters I care to meet. I am fine with face characters, like princesses, but something about these plush ones freak me out. Actually, I am not sure the last time I actively sought out a character....this may have been it. I had a complete panic attack at the Disney Visa meet and greet because of Pluto. He just wouldn't quit touching and bugging me....I get it that's the character...but it was uncomfortable. I ended up asking the photographer to tell him to stop. My friends still wanted to stay for photos and I wanted them to, but I really needed space in that moment and Pluto was not understanding that. My Nana was the same way! She always was weary of the plush ones. I think I like the parades because I can keep my distance. Or character meals are a good option for me because I can pop up and hit the buffet while everyone is meeting the characters.


I love this photo! I have replaced that MU hat twice because my dog keeps getting to it and eating it. Next trip I will be looking for yet another replacement.



Ahhh I have hit my picture limit. Well that makes sense I am still planning away over here! Next I need to figure out airport transportation and finalize those dining options. I am getting more and more excited. ALSO, I will be heading to Disneyland with my family in May. My sister and I will be running the Tink Half and I am soon excited. M may be in the area for business that week and I think my Dad will be coming as well. What started off as a girl's trip is quickly spiraling, but that's good! My Mom, sister, niece, brother in law and myself all have Spring birthdays so we will have to do something extra special there.

Until next time!

 

[ariane37]

I enjoyed your photos of DLP One day I hope to get there......
While we were staying at BWV this past Nov. we went to both the Swan and Dolphin for the first time to see their holiday decorations. Both hotels look really nice and DH commented that maybe we'd try one eventually as we enjoy the BW area.

Also just an FYI: I know the week you're going is a spring break week for many, and there are a # of schools in the NE that have April breaks. However I'm in NY and tons of districts around me have break in March, and my SIL in NH has break the last week in April as do most districts around her, so it may not be as crowded as you think Don't hold me to that though lol!

 

[KatherineDisney]

I enjoyed your photos of DLP One day I hope to get there......
While we were staying at BWV this past Nov. we went to both the Swan and Dolphin for the first time to see their holiday decorations. Both hotels look really nice and DH commented that maybe we'd try one eventually as we enjoy the BW area.

Also just an FYI: I know the week you're going is a spring break week for many, and there are a # of schools in the NE that have April breaks. However I'm in NY and tons of districts around me have break in March, and my SIL in NH has break the last week in April as do most districts around her, so it may not be as crowded as you think Don't hold me to that though lol!

It's just hard to beat the price at the Swan and Dolphin. I love that area as well and am so excited we will get to stay there. Last time we went to dinner at Kimonos (We had been staying over at WL) and the BW area just seemed so relaxing when we were walking around

And that is great to hear about Spring Break! I know February was a beast when I was running Princess weekend. It was so busy, I am really hopeful April won't be all that bad.

 

[KatherineDisney]

I was just wondering if anyone had had a pre-arrival gift delivered to the Swan and Dolphin? My Father sent my Mum and I a gift in 2014 to Saratoga Springs and it was so special to walk in and see that there. I am hoping to set up some wine and flowers for M and I when we arrive. When I click the swan on the "Disney Floral and Gift" website it is not giving me an option to select a date. Hmmmm, I will call this week if need be but are there better options than just going through Disney's service?

 

[KatherineDisney]

I picked up some cute clothes for the trip! I chose Nightmare Before Christmas shirts for the parks. I liked the coordination, without matching.


This is mine! The fit is actually perfect. The V-Neck is super cute and it isn't too loose or too tight.


This one I got for Matt. I figured it was simple enough, yet still had a little flair!

Both of these were from my local Disney store, but they have them online as well.


This one I got from Macys. I think it will be perfect to wear on the plane down with some leggings. Comfy and cute! I also picked up some Disney socks from Macys because why not


I am super super excited, we are just about two months away now. As far as running I am a little behind this week, but no worries. It was -8 degrees here today, with windchill around -40, and it HURT to be outside. The gym televisions are broken currently and for some reason the heat is permanently on. I don't know about you, but working out in a muggy hot gym with no entertainment is not my definition of fun. I did a few local classes, but I plan to get back to the treadmill this week. Actually Tuesday might be warm, raining still, but I might be able to manage a run outside. Woohoo!!!

 

[ariane37]

I picked up some cute clothes for the trip!

Very cute! Two months away, exciting
DH bought me a really cool Maleficent tank top from Hot Topic for Valentine's Day Do you have one of those by you? I usually find lots of cool stuff there!

 

[KatherineDisney]

Very cute! Two months away, exciting
DH bought me a really cool Maleficent tank top from Hot Topic for Valentine's Day Do you have one of those by you? I usually find lots of cool stuff there!

I love it! I went in the only Hot Topic I know of that's near me and the selection was lacking. They had almost no Disney items. My best guess is that they have to restock the disney stuff soon. The next time I am in the area I'll check it out again.

 

[KatherineDisney]

I wanted some new cute ears for Disney and I am soon excited to have found the perfect Rose Gold pair. I love the monochrome touch and I think they will be extra cute in the Spring. I can't wait for them to arrive! I will certainly post pictures once they are here. These ones are regular gold, I just thought the photo showed the ears more fully. They are so extra adorable! Check her out on instagram!

 

[ariane37]

I love it! I went in the only Hot Topic I know of that's near me and the selection was lacking. They had almost no Disney items. My best guess is that they have to restock the disney stuff soon. The next time I am in the area I'll check it out again.

Hi! You should look at their stuff online too, they always have a much bigger selection than they have in the store

Love the ears! I had wanted to order some for our trip last Nov. but never did; I ended up just buying some leopard print ones in AK. We just decided we're going back for Thanksgiving again so I think once I'm done with the two TR's I have going lol, I'll look around for some cool ears to order!