Our Magical WDW Adventure ~ Take 2 ~ May 2009

[Ariel2008]

Our Magical WDW Adventure ~ Take 2
That's Right... Were Going Back



Where The Magic Begins..
... And To Think It All Started With A Dream... And Then A Wish

At the end of last April I finally got to go back to the most magical place on earth, and it was another holiday of a lifetime filled with magical moments and even more magical memories. We had waited 17 months to go back, which
may not seem long, but to me it was the most depressing 17 months ever. We had tried to fill the huge void that not going back to WDW had left with a couple of trips to Disneyland Paris. And although we had the most amazing time it just wasn’t the same, and we missed WDW and Orlando even more with each trip and each passing day. So in August 2007 as we lay on the beach in France after our most recent trip to DLP we began to talk about returning to WDW and how amazing it would be, the more we talked about it, the more certain we became that going back was the right decision. So we got back and booked for the end of April 2008 and spent the next 8 long months planning, planning and planning some more. The holiday was amazing, everything we hoped it would be and so much more, but of course it came to an end again, and all far too soon. Post Disney depression set in, and every time I turned the TV on there was yet another advert for Disney World or Orlando and everywhere I looked in our house was yet another reminder of my favorite place on earth, and the place I knew I wouldn’t be back to for a while :(


After this years trip to Disney World we knew we wouldn’t be able to go back until at least 2010, but how on earth could we survive with no WDW adventure to plan and look forward to, and what holiday could possibly fill the huge void not going to Disney had left in both of us...

... Well that is when we decided to fill the huge void with 6 holidays, yes 6 different holidays to look forward to. The first was to the Smoky Mountains and Atlanta for my Mum’s 50th, it was amazing holiday, quite different to Disney but brilliant all the same. And it was so good just to be back in America again. Then we went to Disneyland Paris for Halloween, an amazing trip filled with more Disney magic. We all had an amazing time and again, but it made me want to go back to WDW even more, especially when it was time to come home again. We were sad to be back but we still had 4 more holidays to look forward too, Las Vegas in January, Mexico in May, New York in July and a Euro-trip in August.... that was until DBF and I were having a nice lazy evening together and a little discussion began...

ME: You know Mexico is going to be quite expensive
DBF: Hum, how much
ME: About £....
DBF: How much :scared1:
ME: You know we could go to Disney for that price
DBF: Really. Ok lets do that
ME: Ummmmmm, what did you just say?
DBF: Lets go to Disney instead
ME: But which would you prefer to do
DBF: Disney... of course

Now those two little words, “Of Course” meant a whole lot, in fact they pretty much meant the same as “Lets book it”. You see after our last trip we thought we wouldn’t be able to go back for a few years, and both agreed it would be great to try somewhere else as we both love traveling and have wanted to go to Mexico forever. So for DBF to be the one that initiates going back to Disney was a shock, but a very great shock :hug2:
So after talking about it pretty much all night, where we wanted to stay, what we wanted to do, where we wanted to eat, where we would spend our first day, last day etc, etc... we got up after little sleep and what did I do, get on the internet and start getting prices and ideas of course. And from then on, our minds were made up, we were going back to the most Magical place on earth :sunny4:

[Ariel2008]

Where The Magic Begins ...
... There Was The Dream and The Wish and Us



The Cast

Me, Ariel, 23
A major lover of all things Disney / Florida / America. A typical girly-girl who loves the usual girly related things – shopping, clothes, jewelery, anything pink, sparkly and pretty.

My favorite movie of all time is The Little Mermaid and my favorite Disney character is Ariel.
I have been watching and loving Disney movies since I was born thanks to my wonderful Mum, sparking what some may call a ‘mild’ (term used very loosely) Disney obsession. What started as watching the odd Disney movie and having the odd Disney teddy slowly grew into um, we’ll call it a Disney inspired lifestyle, complete with a whole Disney room and regular trips to the Disney Store (and no trip would be without a souvenir would it). And since my first visit to Disneyland Paris (then Euro Disney) aged 9, I have become not only a Disney obsessive, but a Disney theme park obsessive. Now life would not be complete without an annual trip to Disney, and all the fun that goes into planning and waiting for the trip to come.

Here's me:
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/DSC00254-Copy.jpg

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Disney Boyfriend, Robin Hood, Nick, 24
Loves Disney of course, Robin Hood being his favorite film. Can sometimes be heard singing the Mickey Mouse March when he thinks no-one is listening.

Loves typical boy things – cars, Top Gear, anything gadgetty, computer games and most sport – both playing and watching, especially Cricket, Rugby and golf. Luckily went to a posh school so got to play a lot of sport at school which took him to some amazing places including Australia, South Africa and Barcelona.

Nick had watched Disney movies from a small child but until we met that was as far as his Disney knowledge and fascination went. Now he is a fully fledged member of the Mickey Mouse club of Disney movies, shows, trips, the whole schebang. And he is even catching the ‘Planning’ bug.

Here's Nick:
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202006/DSC00941-1.jpg

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Our Little Fairytale...

Nick and I met on our first day at university, at the bus stop of all places, and have been together ever since. We have now been together for 5 years (we just celebrated our 5 year dating anniversary in DLP) and during that time have done some amazing things together. We have so much in common, we love the same things, share a lot of the same passions and have the same dreams and aspirations in life. From the moment we met we were completely comfortable with each other and have great fun planning our future.

Despite having a lot in common we have quite opposite personalities, I am a bit of a worrier, very particular and organized (Nick swears I have OCD but I find nothing wrong with color-coding my wardrobe and having specific places for my DVD’s) as opposed to Nick who is so laid-back and takes everything as it comes…if it ever does. We therefore balance each other out perfectly which means we live, work and play together without killing each other in the process. It is also great because it means I get to make most of the decisions…like where we go on holiday!!

One of our main passions is traveling and we’ve visited some amazing places together including Thailand and Cuba. We loving reading about the countries, planning the trips and experiencing the culture, the countryside and especially the food and drink. Although at the moment we are on a bit of a stalemate as we have the WDW bug badly.
We also love going to the theater and have seen some brilliant shows including 4 different Cirque du Soliel’s, The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Chicago and our particular favorite, We Will Rock You.

Here is a few pictures of us:
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/IMG_0068.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/DSC00258.jpg

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http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/franceandhome054.jpg



Coming Up... A Couple More Cast Members

[Ariel2008]

Our Extended Family


The third and final member of our group to be joining us on this holiday. He has a real sense of adventure, loves traveling the world and has come with us on all our trips...and of course will be joining us on this one.

Here he is, the one and only Piggles:

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202006/bah44.jpg
Relaxing in the Bahama's

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/IMG_0022.jpg
Playing Poker in France

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Eating at Annettes Diner, Disneyland Paris

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202006/DSC02814.jpg
His favorite place...Ohana

He cant wait to ride Sheikra again, finally get his picture on Splash Mountain and drink yet more cocktails in Ohana. Keep an eye out for him, he could pop up at any time or any place....

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Oh and I just wanted to introduce you to my 2 little babys, this is our little Disney kitties Scamp and Tigger;

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/babies.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/hungry.jpg

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This is Scamp, Daddy's boy, and the cuddley baby
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/scamp.jpg

And this is my baby, the most loving Cat ever
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/tigger.jpg


Coming Up... Our Disney Fairytale

[Ariel2008]

Where The Magic Began...
... It Really Did Start With A Dream, And Then A Wish



Now that you have met the cast its time to relive with you our Disney history in classic fairytale style (for those who have read my other pre-trippies this bit is pretty much the same as before)...

"Once upon a time there was a beautiful Queen who had 2 little princesses. The Queen liked to treat the 2 little Princesses by showing them magical Disney films and buying them small Disney gifts, starting a little Disney obsession in the smallest princess. Therefore when the magical Euro Disney first opened in 1992 the 2 Princesses begged the wonderful Queen and the boring old King to take them to this magical land of fairies, pirates and wondrous creatures. The Queen and King promised that in 1993 there wish would be granted ~ much to the Princesses delight.

But like in every good fairytale disaster struck and the boring old King left the beautiful Queen and the 2 Princesses, and their dream of visiting the wonderful and magical Euro Disney was left in pieces.

However, True to fairytale tradition a handsome and wonderful Knight came riding in on his beautiful black stallion to save the day. In 1994 The beautiful Queen and wonderful Knight took the 2 Princesses and the Knights young son to the magical World of Dreams, the most magical and wondrous surprise the young children had ever encountered.

Fortunately this was just the beginning of the magical adventures the young Princesses and young Knight would enjoy to this magical place, full of dreams and wishes.

And, of course, They all lived Happily Ever After"

So like the story tells in 1994 my wonderful Mum and step-dad took my older sister, myself and my younger step-brother to Euro Disney as a surprise. They told us some story about going to visit my Step-dad’s brother who worked on a ferry as a chef, except when we got on the ferry began to move. My Mum told us to all bet where we thought were going and the person who came closest would win a pound (talk about big money). Not knowing many places abroad, or perhaps it was my Disney-intuition, I said Paris.
The journey down to Paris took a while but as soon as we close and started seeing the signs for Euro Disney I twigged and nudged my sister, we were both so excited. When we eventually arrived and drove under the large wooden Davy Crockett Ranch sign, surrounded by trees and empty fields we were most disappointed. What we didn’t know was The Davy Crockett Ranch was a Disney resort. When we finally arrived at the park we were all so excited and couldn’t believe we were finally there, the place we had dreamed about going since it was first announced. My Mum and Step-dad had done such a good job keeping this a secret and were so excited to see our reaction, which of course was sheer amazement. We all instantly fell in love with the place and were so sad when it was time to leave.

Heres a few pictures:
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/04-02-2008133045.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/04-02-2008134411.jpg
I'm the little one in the middle


Luckily we got to visit a few times over the next few years, one of the most memorable trips was for my 16th birthday in 2001. This was my little sisters first trip to Disney (although I had made sure she had been brought up on Disney films) and it was just as amazing to see her reaction to everything as it was to actually be there.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/04-02-2008133320-2.jpg
1995

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/04-02-2008133438-3.jpg
2001 - My baby sisters 1st trip to Disney

In 1998 I was lucky enough to have my first visit to WDW. My Dad (yes, the boring King) decided to take my older sister and I along with his girlfriend and her 8 year old daughter to Florida to visit his sister who had just moved to Fort Lauderdale (her husbands in the Navy). We went for 2 weeks, spending 1 in Fort Lauderdale at my aunties house and the other on I-drive. Within a week we managed to visit Magic Kingdom, Epcot (on the 4th of July), Animal Kingdom (which had recently opened), Universal Studio’s, Seaworld, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon all in 7 days. I instantly fell in love with Disney World, Orlando and America in general, and I still have magical memories of that first sight of Cinderella’s castle as we floated across Seven Sea’s Lagoon, the beautiful grandeur of the Grand Floridian, imagining all the rich people inside, so lucky to stay there, and the Crystal Palace, sitting outside and seeing all those lucky children inside meeting some of my favorite characters. Unfortunately my Dad wasn’t the organized type which meant we were rarely at a park before 11am and due to lack of funds and lack of liking good-food all our meals were either in the form of a large Ponderosa breakfast to keep us going till tea, then KFC, McDonalds or fries. Although the holiday was magical and was the kind of holiday I thought only rich people could only ever afford, I really missed my Mum and baby sister and wished they were there to enjoy it too, as I knew they would absolutely love it just like I was.

Fast-forward to 2004 and Mum and my Step-dad mention the possibility of going to Colorado skiing in January 2005. After picking up a load of brochures and pricing up options I decide to price up Walt Disney World, never dreaming we would actually be able to go there. However thanks to some great prices from First Choice which included staying onsite and a bit of sweet talking my parents (who didn’t actually take much convincing) we booked up to go for 2 weeks in January 2005, staying at the All Star Movies (my Mum, Step-dad, little sister and I). The trip was amazing, and it was even more amazing to be sharing it all with my parents and little sister. The first glance at the Cinderella castle as we floated across the Seven Sea’s Lagoon was as magical as the first time, and instead of sitting outside the Crystal Palace watching all the lucky people inside, I was actually one of those lucky people (and I WILL stay in the Grand Floridian one day soon). We hadn’t done much planning (apart from reading the Brit Guide from front to back many times) and had booked no ADR’s. Fortunately for us this was fine for this time of year. The holiday was everything we had dreamed it to be and so much more and we had so many magical moments and memories. Unfortunately though it had to end, and all too soon.

Here are some pictures
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As soon as we got back we started planning on our next trip to WDW. However this time Nick was coming for his first ever trip to Disney (and America) and it was going to be a really BIG one. Due to various school / university / work commitments we had to go in the summer holidays but this did mean that it would coincide with my 21st birthday, both my little sister and Step-dad’s birthdays and would be just after Nick and my graduation, hence BIG celebrations. Therefore we decided to go for a whole month, spending 2 weeks in Port Orleans Riverside, 1 week in Animal Kingdom Lodge and the final week in Miami. This time we planned, planned, planned, and planned some more, made lots of ADR’s, lots of plans and were much more prepared. Again we had the best holiday ever and added many more magical memories to the collection. Unfortunately this time when we got back we knew we wouldn’t be going back for some time.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202006/68.jpg




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After getting back and us all falling into Disney depression, yet again, we filled the void with a trip to DLP for New Years Eve 2006. We hadn’t been for 5 years, and this was Nick’s first trip, but we spent 5 days there enjoying the Christmas atmosphere, the special christmas decorations, parades and fireworks, the outdoor ice-skating at the hotel New York and wonderful Tinkerbell dinner show, and we loved it every bit as much as we did the first time. A few months later Nick took me for a short 3 day visit for my birthday, and again we had a great time. However the more time we spent there, the more it made us want to go back to WDW, and so when we got back we booked for 2008.

New Years Eve 2006/2007:

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/DLP/DSC03879.jpg

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The ice rink at the hotel New York
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http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/DLP/DSC03610.jpg

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My Birthday 2007:

The Newport Bay hotel
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/DLP/DSC00014.jpg

The Disney Village
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/DLP/IMG_0016-1.jpg

The Disney Park decorated for its 15th Anniversary, with a special parade
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/DLP/IMG_0024-1.jpg


At the end of April 2008 Nick and I took our 2nd trip to WDW together. This was to be my 4th trip but was special, yet again, as it was Nick and my first trip just the 2 of us. We decided to go for 23 nights, just enough time to fit everything in (only just though). We spent a week in a villa, 2 nights at Royal Pacific Resort and 2 weeks at Coronado Springs. We did loads of amazing things, new things and old things, we ate in amazing restaurants and had so much fun together. We planned the trip from beginning to end, we booked a million ADR’s 180 days out, I planned lots of surprises and special treats for Nick and I even managed to get an Illumination’s Cruise. It truly was a trip of A Million Dream’s.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC03665.jpg

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So that brings us to now, having just got back from DLP for a Halloween/5 year dating anniversary trip, we of course were getting post Disney blues. And the only way to solve this problem was to of course to book another magical trip to WDW, what else?!
So now we are here, and at the start of this amazing new adventure that we are planning, I hope you all join me, I’m sure its going to be fun.


Coming Up... Our Plans Revealed

[wickesy]

I love the photo of the two kittens cuddled up together. :hug2:Great to hear you are able to go back so soon. :thumbs_up:

[Ariel2008]

I love the photo of the two kittens cuddled up together. :hug2:Great to hear you are able to go back so soon. :thumbs_up:

Thanks, I am soooooo excited :p015:. The kitties often cuddle up together, they are so cute :hug2:

[caz1712]

WOW! Your going back! OMG your sooo lucky!

Can't wait to read all about it I have loved reading your trippies!

xxx

[Ariel2008]

Where The Magic Will Be...
... Our WDW Plans


So now you know the back story, the Who, the Why and the How (or the How It All Began anyway), so now I will enlighten you all with the When and the Where, as that is one of the most important parts after all :p015:. I must admit, I am very excited about this years plans. I mean I am always excited when we go to Disney, but this year more than ever....


The When:
April 26th - May 18th
22 wonderful nights in Orlando


The Where:
Ok this is the best part...

First off we will be getting there by one of these

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/plane.jpg

I did like BA when we flew to Atlanta, in fact I found there flights to be very good. There customer service was very good, the planes were nice, as was the food and amenities. However, we like the extra's that Virgin offer. The opportunity to book seats in advance (although I know 8 times out of 10 you don't get those seats), the night before check-in, the Downtown Disney check-in and the clublounge. So we decided on Virgin as it just makes things a little easier, which is always good.

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And of course we will be hiring one of these.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/Disney-Cars-McQueen.jpg

Now last time we went we got a Ford Mustang. Nick loves cars, and really, really wanted a Mustang, so we spent out the extra money and hired one. Nick absolutely loved driving the Mustang, and although we ended up with a regular one, instead of the convertible, he was one happy boy.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC00910.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC00911.jpg

This time however he said he doesn't mind just getting a regular car, so we can save the extra money (which is quite a bit) for something else. I know he would love to have a Mustang though, but most companies can't guarantee them even if you pay a small fortune. So we will probably just book a regular car and then if they have any Mustangs when we get there we may upgrade :)

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And when we get there we will be staying...

13 nights at Port Orleans French Quarter

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We decided on a Moderate hotel as we love the beauty of the grounds and the more adult theming (although we are both big kids really).
We both automatically thought of Port Orlean's French Quarter as we stayed here for a few nights last time we went with my family. It was actually by accident when Virgin messed up and canceled our booking at Port Orlean's Riverside. Luckily Disney saved the day and found us a room in POFQ for 3 nights before they could move us over to POR, much to our disgust. But it was a blessing as we ended up loving it there.
We really liked how the resort was pretty small, it made it easy to walk to the pool, food court and lobby and we also thought it was really pretty and quite romantic. The theming and grounds were beautiful.
We did like Coronado Springs, but weren't blow away by it. It was so big which meant a lot of walking to the pool and food court, and it was always so busy with conventioners, loud, rowdy conventioners. Saying this I did find the grounds to be really beautiful and were glad we did stay there.
After a while we did think about Caribbean Beach, which funnily was our first choice last time, however this time didn't spring to mind. It does look like a lovely resort and we would like to try somewhere different and definitely plan to stay there one day. However, this time they only had King Bed rooms left which were £500 more, which we both thought was absolutely ridiculous, especially since we would actually prefer 2 doubles anyway (somewhere for all our new things). So CBR was out.
So our choice was pretty easy :love:

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Next up we will be staying...

2 nights Royal Pacific, Water View

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http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC02061.jpg

Now this isn't booked yet, as we are still waiting for the dollar rate to improve (fingers crossed). However, as soon as it does we will get this booked.
We stayed in the Royal Pacific last time for 2 nights and loved it. One of the main reasons was for the Express Passes, although it wasn't busy when we were there it was still so good to be able to just walk onto all the rides. It meant we had enough time to go on our favorite rides twice, and also get back to the hotel for pool/margarita time. We also loved the resort itself, it was beautiful and the atmosphere was so laid back and tropical. We love tropical themed resorts and RPR is a great one. And the view we had from our Water View room was brilliant, it looked right over the pool and IOA.
However, we are not completely decided on RPR, as much as we love it we are also considering Hard Rock Hotel. We have heard lots of good things about this hotel and love trying new places. On the other hand we wouldn't get the fab view over IOA and we couldn't just walk down to Tchoup Chop for tea (which we fully intend on doing). So we are not 100% sure either way.

---------------


So for the final part of our stay, and saving the best till last...

7 nights Polynesian Resort

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/polynesian.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/Poly.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC02721.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC02896.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC02893.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC02891.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC02892.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC02843.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC02774.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC02759.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC02729.jpg

OMG I cannot tell you how excited we both are about this, we both love this resort soooooo much. We are only having a garden view room, but we don't care, as long as we are staying there.
We stayed in the Polynesian for a night on our last visit and it was everything we dream't it to be and more. We love the resort, the beauty of it, the tropical grounds and atmosphere. We cannot wait to be able to simply jump on the monorail to get to MK, and Epcot and the Grand Floridian and Contemporary. To be able to just walk to Ohana, and Kona Cafe, and enjoy lots of yummy cocktails in the Tambu Lounge. To be able to walk along the beach, and look across to the beautiful castle. And most of all... to be able to watch Wishes without having to be in MK get crushed and squashed. We can simply go down to the beach, or the pool, and watch them from there, I cannot wait :sunny4:
---------------

But wait there is more... And this is something we are really, really, really excited about....








... We are doing the DINING PLAN

Yep thats right, for 13 nights at POFQ and then 7 nights at the Polynesian... Wahoo, thats lots of lovely Disney food for us, and hopefully some great pictures and reports for you guys :goodvibes

California Grill
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC04314.jpg

Yachtsman Steakhouse
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC04049.jpg

Whispering Canyon
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC03800.jpg


So there you have it, our holiday plans as they stand. Like I said, I am very excited about them. And now that the main logistics are sorted, it is time to start with the real planning... Let the fun begin :207:

[Ariel2008]

Come guys, what do you think of my plans?

[wickesy]

It all sounds great with some lovely hotels to stay at. It's a shame we are going to miss you by a couple of weeks - we come home on 8th April.

[Ariel2008]

It all sounds great with some lovely hotels to stay at. It's a shame we are going to miss you by a couple of weeks - we come home on 8th April.

Thanks, I'm so excited about all the hotels. I love them all :p015:

Thats such a shame we will miss you, I hope you guys have a great time too. I think we will just miss you in the Smokey's too, when do you go again?

[wickesy]

Thats such a shame we will miss you, I hope you guys have a great time too. I think we will just miss you in the Smokey's too, when do you go again?

We arrive in the Smokies on 26th July and leave on 4th August. So, are you planning a trip back there as well?

[Jodie]

It all looks wicked great Sammi!

[Ariel2008]

We arrive in the Smokies on 26th July and leave on 4th August. So, are you planning a trip back there as well?

You arrive there on my birthday, how exciting. It will be easy for me to remember when you get there.

Yes we are going back, but it will be the end of August again. We found this time great as we missed all the crowds which was especially helpful due to our limited time. It means I will be able to see what you got up to before we go :p015:


It all looks wicked great Sammi!

Thanks Jodie. I haven't seen you around much lately, I missed chatting to you :hug2:

[Disneybumble]

What do i think of your plans. AWESOME. I am delighted for you. I can't wait to read every pre-trip installment.:yes:

[Ariel2008]

What do i think of your plans. AWESOME. I am delighted for you. I can't wait to read every pre-trip installment.:yes:

Thanks very much, next one up in a minute :p015:

[Ariel2008]

The One Where The Magic Really Begins...
...Way Before We Even Get To WDW


To Make A Holiday Practically Perfect You Need To Have A Perfect Plan
Beware The Planning Bug (it can get even the most laid back person)


So since we decided to go back, and I have obviously been extremely excited as you can imagine, something Nick has been putting up with rather well. I think he has been putting up with it rather well, as he is nearly, not totally, but nearly, as excited :smiley4::sigs-cartoon-005::smiley3::sigs-tv-003:


I am so lucky to have found someone that shares my passion for Disney and Disney holidays, it makes life so much easier and means that I know we will be spending many, many holidays at Disney, which of course is brilliant :cloud9:

Despite the fact Nick had never been to Disney before we met, the first time we went he was readily on board and very excited to go. And then when we got there he loved every minute of it. He didn't care that he was a 22 year old male who loved sports and cars and computer games and beer, he loved Disney too, probably even more so. However, he didn't get the whole planning thing. As he hadn't been before, and due to being majorly laid back, he didn't quite understand ADR's and daily plans and booking everything months in advance. That was until we got there, in the height of summer, and managed to do everything we wanted with relative ease. Then we booked for last year and he no longer thought I was bonkers with my excessive plans and million ADR's, he actually thanked me for it as he knew that the holiday would be that much better and run that much smoother having everything already in place. Which of course it did.
That brings us to now, and of course as soon as we decided on our accommodation plans I started to plan our daily plans and think about ADR's. And this time Nick actually helped. I mean he didn't sit there and research the busy day guides and extra magic hours and endless planning guides, but he did look through menu's and help decide ADR's, gave me actual real opinions on my plans, and actually suggested watching the Disney and Universal DVD's :hug2:

So in the 2 1/2 years since I took him on his first trip I have turned him from a Disney Theme Park Virgin to someone who has been 5 times and is now slightly obsessed. And from a complete non-planner, to someone who is actually showing a real interest in the whole planning. And its great, I love him being more on board (as long as he still knows his place :p015:). Don't you just love the effect Disney can have on people :love:

[wickesy]

Ah, it's great that Nick has caught the 'planning bug' from you.

[Ariel2008]

Ah, it's great that Nick has caught the 'planning bug' from you.

I know, I would have never have thought it possible :rolleyes008:

Its a shame, were going to just miss each other twice next year, and in the same places too.

[wickesy]

Its a shame, were going to just miss each other twice next year, and in the same places too.

Yeah, maybe next time - which will be for mine and WDW's 40th birthday :eek3:

[Ariel2008]

Yeah, maybe next time - which will be for mine and WDW's 40th birthday :eek3:

Oh what a great place to spend your 40th. Is that when you are planning on doing a cruise, I saw that in your ticker and wondered about it.

[Ariel2008]

The One Where The Magic Really Begins...
...Way Before We Even Get To WDW


To Make A Holiday Practically Perfect You Need To Have A Perfect Plan
A Little Bit Of Magic On The Side

Well since we have been planning on going back, and I have been a very busy girl planning everything to make this another wonderful holiday for us both, Nick has been doing his part and been wonderful in showering me with little Disney surprises and gifts :hug2:

A few little surprises
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/DSC07222.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/DSC08617.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/DSC08616.jpg


And a few gifts from a trip to the Disney Store
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/DSC07209.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/DSC07218.jpg
The Tigger hot water bottle he brought me when we were out shopping elsewhere

Of course I love Disney presents at any time, but during the booking and planning process it makes it even more exciting. And even more determined to make this another amazing holiday with even more magical moments :hug1:

[wickesy]

Oh what a great place to spend your 40th. Is that when you are planning on doing a cruise, I saw that in your ticker and wondered about it.

The cruise is the year before. I've always wanted to do a Disney cruise but been put off because they are so short, so when I saw that they were doing longer cruises from Dover in 2010 I got interested and when I found out that one of them would mean me spending my birthday at sea on the Disney Magic the deal was sealed. We are doing the 12 night Northern European capitals cruise and I managed to get us an outside cabin with balcony and an onboard credit of $600.

I haven't really worked out what we are doing in 2011 yet but I definitely want to be at WDW for October 1st so, depending on how our DVC points work out, we will either do a week including 23rd June (my 40th) and a week including October 1st or just two weeks in September/October.

Anyway I mustn't hijack your report. :oops: The presents are great - I put that Sleeping Beauty DVD on my Christmas wish-list earlier this afternoon. :thumbs_up:

[Ariel2008]

The cruise is the year before. I've always wanted to do a Disney cruise but been put off because they are so short, so when I saw that they were doing longer cruises from Dover in 2010 I got interested and when I found out that one of them would mean me spending my birthday at sea on the Disney Magic the deal was sealed. We are doing the 12 night Northern European capitals cruise and I managed to get us an outside cabin with balcony and an onboard credit of $600.

I haven't really worked out what we are doing in 2011 yet but I definitely want to be at WDW for October 1st so, depending on how our DVC points work out, we will either do a week including 23rd June (my 40th) and a week including October 1st or just two weeks in September/October.

Anyway I mustn't hijack your report. :oops: The presents are great - I put that Sleeping Beauty DVD on my Christmas wish-list earlier this afternoon. :thumbs_up:

OMG so jealous of the Disney Cruise. I actually considered doing it next year with our WDW trip, but we would have only been able to do one of the 3 or 4 night ones to be able to have 2 weeks in Disney too. Nick really isn't convinced of the idea, and I wasn't 100% so I left it... for now anyway. I definitely want to do one soon, preferably the 7 night one that goes to Mexico.
The one your doing sounds great, and having an outside cabin is definitely the way to go. When I heard the Magic was coming over I couldn't believe it, but its quite far off so we can't really book anything. I really, really want to do the cruise that goes from Barcelona back to Florida though, I think that would be amazing.

You should definitely go to WDW over your 40th, it would be unforgettable.

[Ariel2008]

The One Where The Magic Really Begins...
...Way Before We Even Get To WDW



To Make A Holiday Practically Perfect You Need To Have A Perfect Plan
In Pursuit of the 'Perfect Plan'

So our exciting plans have been revealed, and for those who cant remember here they are:

Dates: April 26th - May 18th

Flying: Virgin Atlantic

Accommodation:


13 nights Port Orleans French Quarter
2 nights Royal Pacific Resort
7 nights Polynesian Resort



But believe me, this plan was not our original idea, or even our second or third idea. In fact our final plan was probably idea number 38. Ok that may be a bit of exaggeration, but there were quite a few plans before we finally, and very happily, settled on this one. So I thought I would enlighten you all with our journey in pursuit of the 'Perfect Plan'.

---------------

Original plan:



12 nights POFQ
1 night Dolphin Resort
2 nights RPR
7 nights Polynesian - Castle View




Now we both absolutely loved this plan to pieces,I cannot tell you how much, it was a dream plan and we were so excited about it :smiley4:
We choose POFQ and RPR for reasons I have stated before. We initially thought if we went back we would spend one night in Tampa at the Hard Rock Hotel there. This way we wouldn't have to get up quite so early to get to Busch Garden's, we could experience a bit more of Florida and spend a day at the water park there. Well we quickly decided against this idea for various reasons, but had a 1 night gap in our plan. Of course we could have just added another night at POFQ but we wanted to try somewhere new. We first thought of the Gaylord Palms as whenever we pass it I really want to have a look inside, but then thought about the Dolphin. The main reason was we planned to eat in Shula's Steakhouse which is there, and staying there would make it easier, but we also loved the look of the pool and have heard good reports of the spa there, so this was going to become our relaxation day. The main part we were looking forward to though was the 7 nights at the Polynesian, with that amazing Magic Kingdom View. We talked about how amazing it was going to be to stay there, to have all the great restaurants right there, Magic Kingdom at our fingertips, to be able to walk along the beach at night, to swim in that wonderful pool and to be in amongst the beautiful tropical atmosphere for 7 whole nights. And most of all to be able to just sit on our balcony and watch Wishes, and watch all the beautiful boats sail across the glistening waters of Seven Sea's Lagoon with the gorgeous castle right in our view.

12 nights POFQ
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/POFQ5.jpg

1 night Dolphin Resort
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/dolphin.jpg

2 night RPR
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/rpr1.jpg

7 nights Polynesian
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/polynesian.jpg

And this would be our amazing view
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/DSC02736.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/DSC02735.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/DSC02867.jpg

We had this as our plan for quite a while, we both loved it so there was no reason to change it. But when I thought about it properly it started to bug me a little. And what bugged me was the fact that 13 nights in POFQ was going to cost over £1000 less than just 7 at the Polynesian. Well I mentioned it to Nick, who up to this point had not thought about it, but as soon as I put that thought in his head the plan began to crumble. Yes we could afford it, but did we want to really spend £3000 on accommodation for 1 week? Well yes we did, after all we are talking about the Polynesian, but putting on our stupid sensible heads, and thinking about how that £1000 could be better spent, we let our heads, not our hearts rule against this plan, which led us, very unhappily, to plan number 2...

[wickesy]

The dreaded sensible head, I had to put that on when Bay Lake Towers was officially announced as DVC at the Contemporary Resort. That MK view is very seductive isn't it. :(

[Ariel2008]

The dreaded sensible head, I had to put that on when Bay Lake Towers was officially announced as DVC at the Contemporary Resort. That MK view is very seductive isn't it. :(

Oh Bay Lake Towers look so nice, but then all DVC so which ever you choose would be amazing. I'm so jealous, I'm desperate to buy into DVC, maybe soon ;)

[Ariel2008]

The One Where The Magic Really Begins...
...Way Before We Even Get To WDW



To Make A Holiday Practically Perfect You Need To Have A Perfect Plan
In Pursuit of the 'Perfect Plan' ... Pt.2


So that brings us to Plan 2

Plan 2:

* 12 nights POFQ
* 1 night Dolphin Resort
* 2 nights RPR
* 7 nights at either Yacht or Beach Club, The Boardwalk or Animal Kingdom Lodge


So we left off with Nick and I deciding that maybe our initial plan wasn't the most sensible, and begrudgingly decided to think of new ideas. We believed the first part of the plan was still what we wanted, so we planned to keep that, we just needed to rethink the final part. First of all we considered staying in the Polynesian, without the amazing Castle View. Now, I admit I can be pretty stubborn, and this really came into play here with me saying that I wasn't going to stay in the Polynesian if I didn't get my stupid castle view. I know, I know, you may be thinking how can anyone really moan about staying in the Polynesian, but I think I was just feeling extra sorry for myself that the plan we thought we were going to do for quite some time, the plan we were both so happy with, was not going to happen. And it was my stupid fault for even thinking about the money thing. Well lesson learned for next time, 'When planning a Disney holiday in future do not even consider money, it can only lead to bad things'.
So after I got over myself we decided we would just pick another deluxe resort, and in the process save ourselves £800-£1000 (in head calculates that would get a Coach bag and something pretty from Tiffany's :p). There were a few different Deluxe resorts we liked for various reasons:

The Yacht Club or Beach Club:
We stayed in the Yacht Club last time for a night and loved the resort and the pool. We love the area with the Boardwalk, having all the restaurants right there, and also being able to just walk to Epcot and MGM.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/beachclub.jpg

---------------

The Boardwalk:
I really wanted to try a new resort, as I plan to stay in them all, and I love the look and feel of the Boardwalk. Like the Y&B Club I love the thought of having all those great restaurants right there, and being able to walk to Epcot and MGM. I have also seen lots of reports and pictures of the Boardwalk and really want to stay there soon.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/bw.jpg

---------------

Animal Kingdom Lodge:
We stayed here a few years ago and we loved this resort. It is just so beautiful and so unique. And the thought of being able to sit on the balcony eating breakfast whilst watching all the animals graze below, and sitting round the firepit drinking hot chocolate (yes I know its hardly cold there but its what it makes me think of), made me really want to stay there again.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/akl.jpg

---------------

We hadn't completely decided which resort we were going to choose, just one of the 4. And then we did it again, we thought about the money :(. You would think we would have learn't our lesson after what happened last time we did it, but no, the sensible head was on again. I looked at how much it would be if we stayed at a Moderate instead of a Deluxe and figured that if we went for a Moderate we could pay the holiday outright meaning we could spend the next few months concentrating on park passes, tours and the all important food and spending money. So we discussed it, and actually pretty easily decided against this plan. But what were we going to do now... Well that brings us to Plan 3...

[wickesy]

So after I got over myself we decided we would just pick another deluxe resort, and in the process save ourselves £800-£1000 (in head calculates that would get a Coach bag and something pretty from Tiffany's :p)

Gotta love that female logic. :laugh2:

[Ariel2008]

Gotta love that female logic. :laugh2:

I know, its great :p

[Ariel2008]

The One Where The Magic Really Begins...
...Way Before We Even Get To WDW



To Make A Holiday Practically Perfect You Need To Have A Perfect Plan
In Pursuit of the 'Perfect Plan' ... Pt.3

So that brings us to Plan 3

Plan 3:

* 7 nights CBR
* 2 nights RPR
* 2 nights Polynesian Resort - Castle View
* 11 nights POFQ


So we left off with Nick and I deciding that maybe our second plan wasn't the most sensible, again, and begrudgingly decided to think of new ideas, again :(. But this time we kind of had a rethink of the whole thing, not just the last 7 days. First off I told Nick, under no uncertain circumstances, that if we were dropping down to a Moderate, then we would have to spend a few nights in the Polynesian, with my beloved Castle View. Nick agreed, and we decided that we would drop the night at the Dolphin and have 2 nights at the Polynesian. We decided this as we absolutely loved our night there last time, but it just wasn't enough. Since we can't check in till 3pm and then have to leave again at 11am, it doesn't give us much opportunity to take full advantage of the resort and its amazing location, so 2 nights it was. So now we had to find somewhere for the other 7 nights.

Well we had decided on a Moderate so that gave us a choice of 4 resorts. The easiest decision would have been to just do 18 nights at POFQ meaning less moving. However this didn't work for us for 2 reasons. Firstly we wanted to try a new resort, they all look so amazing and we want to visit them all so staying here the whole time wouldn't help us achieve this. Secondly last time we went we stayed in a villa for the first week, RPR for 2 nights and then CSR for 2 weeks, which was all great but it meant that Seaworld and Busch Gardens was all done in the first week and then the Universal parks and then Disney, by which time we couldn't wait to get there. I didn't find this ideal, I was just itching to get to Disney, it was so close but we didn't have passes, and then we did Seaworld and it was all over with, and I missed that. I much prefer to have a more mixed plan where I don't have to wait forever to get to Disney, or have done Seaworld in the first few days. So that is why we decided 2 resorts.
So we decided on staying in 2 resorts, both moderate, the first was to be POFQ but where for the 2nd? This choice was kind of easy as we have previously stayed at both POR and CSR. We loved both but found both to be very big and expansive, involving a lot of walking and a lot of people. Plus when we stayed at POR in 2006 our other choice at the time was CBR. Then when we stayed at CSR this year our first thought again was CBR, this was actually our plan until the last minute. So we decided CBR it would be. I was still slightly worried about CBR though, being such a big resort I knew that if we got a room far out then we would have a lot of walking, and that is was also likely to be pretty busy. So for this reason we decided to put CBR first so if we didn't enjoy it as much as POFQ it wouldn't put a downer on the end of our holiday. And since we seem to accumulate a lot of stuff during a holiday (maybe a little bit of an understatement), it seemed sensible to put the longest stay last.

So Plan 3

7 nights Caribbean Beach Resort
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/CBR.jpg

2 night RPR
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/rpr1.jpg

2 nights Polynesian
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/polynesian.jpg

With this would be our amazing view
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/DSC02736.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/DSC02735.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/DSC02867.jpg


11 nights POFQ
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/POFQ5.jpg


---------------

Now we had another pretty good plan in place. It wasn't quite as good as Plan 1 or Plan 2, but we were pretty happy with it. But then I did another silly thing. Of course it wasn't as silly as bringing up the whole 'saving money if we don't get the amazing castle view' thing, but it was still pretty silly. We had a good plan in place, and yet I continued to research into the resorts, and it was this research that culminated in Plan 4...

[Jodie]

Plan 4...........?

[mInNiE]

Just wanted to comment here to say I have been reading your thread since last week but hadn't commented so far! I'm so so so excited for you to be going back because now we have your planning to keep us occupied over the next few months woo hoo!!! It's great that Nick is getting involved too! Now to echo Jodie - Plan 4?? :p

[mrsc]

ok...il echo that too...................plan 4!!!!!!!!!!

loved reading all this, its great to read about the whole planning sessions as they make it all the more special......

looking forward to reading a whole lot more!!

[Ariel2008]

Plan 4...........?

Sorry I had to get some sleep last night ;)


Just wanted to comment here to say I have been reading your thread since last week but hadn't commented so far! I'm so so so excited for you to be going back because now we have your planning to keep us occupied over the next few months woo hoo!!! It's great that Nick is getting involved too! Now to echo Jodie - Plan 4?? :p

I'm so glad you commented, I felt like I was maybe writing this for myself so its nice to know that a few people are reading :hug2:

Well there is a whole lot of planning, but most of it has already been done. I'm going to have to think of some more to keep me going for the next 5 months else I will just burst with excitement :p


ok...il echo that too...................plan 4!!!!!!!!!!

loved reading all this, its great to read about the whole planning sessions as they make it all the more special......

looking forward to reading a whole lot more!!

He he, plan 4 will be up soon.

Thanks for joining me, I'm very glad :hug2:

[Ariel2008]

The One Where The Magic Really Begins...
...Way Before We Even Get To WDW



To Make A Holiday Practically Perfect You Need To Have A Perfect Plan
In Pursuit of the 'Perfect Plan' ... Pt.4

So that brings us to Plan 4

Plan 4:

* 7 nights POFQ
* 2 nights RPR
* 2 nights Polynesian Resort - Castle View
* 11 nights CBR


So we left off with Nick and I having a plan that we were pretty happy with but, for some reason, I decided to keep looking into things. Partly because whenever we stay in a new resort I like to look into it, and partly because I think I wasn't 100% sure we were making the right decision. And I wanted us to be 100% sure before we booked anything. So I started looking into the Caribbean Beach Resort, looking at lots of information, photos and reviews on it. And the more I read about it, the more I like the sound of it. I loved the sound of the tropical atmosphere that echoed throughout the resort. I loved the pastel coloured buildings reminiscent of different Caribbean islands. I loved its proximity to Epcot and the fact you could see the globe from the resort. I loved the look of the Caribbean pool and all the decor. I loved the beaches with hammocks that we could swing on overlooking the sparkling water at the end of a long day. It all looked so tropical and so enticing.
So I spoke to Nick, told him all about the resort and mentioned maybe swapping the 2 resorts around so we would do the first 7 nights at POFQ and then have 11 nights for CBR, more time to spend around the resort. He thought that this would be a good idea too, and so Plan 4 was born.

Now this was only a small change, but this small change made a big difference to me and suddenly I was so much more excited about our plans.

So we will be spending 11 tropical nights here:

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/CBR-1.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/CBR5.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/CBR4.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/CBR2.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/CBR3.jpg

---------------

Now we had another pretty good plan in place. A plan we were both very happy with. A plan that made me excited every time I thought about it. But then it happened...Again. I heard about a little deal Disney were doing and couldn't help but look. And then this was the beginning of Plan 5...

[Jodie]

Seriously? Plan 5......?

[Ariel2008]

Seriously? Plan 5......?

Oh we are impatient today :laugh:

[Ariel2008]

The One Where The Magic Really Begins...
...Way Before We Even Get To WDW



To Make A Holiday Practically Perfect You Need To Have A Perfect Plan
In Pursuit of the 'Perfect Plan' ... Pt.5

So that brings us to Plan 5

Plan 5:

So we left off with me daring to take a look at a little deal that Disney were doing, a deal that would yet again change our plans. But this time for good.

So I hesitantly had a little look on Disney's site to see a little more about this deal I was hearing so much about. The deal being offered was pay for 4 nights and get 3 for free. The deal sounded really good. I checked and the dates coincided with our stay, excellent, and so I looked a little further but then found it said it was for either Value or Vacation Club Resorts. I priced up a vacation club resort but even with the saving it would cost more than our plan, so it was a no go :(

A few days later I had read about people who had done the deal saying what a great saving it was and how they were able to upgrade their resort with the saving. And so I checked again, for the resorts we had already planned. The deal worked but again the price we got wasn't great. We wouldn't be able to do it for the 11 night stay as the deal was only for up to 10 nights. And for the 7 nights it would only really make much difference if the exchange rate goes right back up again, something we weren't really willing to chance. So we decided to leave it as we had planned, still happy with our choices.

But then I decided to try again, just once more before we went ahead and booked Plan 4, which we were practically about to do. I decided just for the hell of it to price up the Polynesian. Of course the price I got back was pretty steep, I had put the Castle View on of course :rolleyes008: . So I decided to try it without the Castle View :confused: . And then it happened... a really great price popped up. I was so excited, I showed Nick straight away blabbering on about how it seemed to be really good. I then priced it up with the other 11 nights, cut out the 2 nights at the Polynesian which would save us nearly £700 and added an extra 2 at a moderate, calculated it at the various exchange rates that we might get, and even at a really low exchange rate found that it would basically be the same as Plan 4 ~ squealing sounds of sheer excitement and anticipation could be heard at this point~ Again I showed Nick, In a rather high pitched, squeaky, excited tone and his reply... Lets do it!


HALAYULA....

:smiley4::sigs-tv-003::smiley3::sigs-cartoon-005::bounce009::smiley5: ~ this was me at this point

I could not believe it, I was so excited. And what was even more exciting was that Nick said "Come on lets book it now". So after I had finished dancing round the room and jumping up and down shouting "Were staying at the Poly, were staying at the Poly" :champers3:

we both composed ourselves for 5 short minutes and booked ~ 7 nights at the Polynesian, complete with 8 day Magic Your Way Passes and the Disney Dining Plan. As I write this I still cannot quite believe its true, that we will actually be spending 7 whole nights at the most beautiful resort. That we will be able to just walk a few steps from our room to Ohana and Kona, to those gorgeous cocktails, to jump on the monorail for MK and Epcot, and to see wishes :p

Ok so we have booked the elusive Polynesian Resort, and guess what, I am so happy I don't even care about my beloved Castle View. Look at that I can be happy about staying in the Polynesian without the view. So after some screaming, and some dancing, and some more screaming and some more dancing we got back on the computer to work out where we were going to stay for the other 13 nights. Now we hoped we would be able to still stay at CBR and just switch the dates. We had booked the Poly for the last 7 days of our holiday so we had this to look forward to, so our dates had now changed. Unfortunately for the new dates CBR would be more expensive than POFQ. And were not talking by a few pounds here either, we are talking about £500, a very big difference. A difference that would be 2/3rds of the way to get us that Castle View (ok I wasn't completely over it). The only difference between POFQ and CBR is that at CBR we would have a King bedded room. £500 for a flipping King bed, No thank you Disney, you can keep your king bed. So the choice was pretty much made for us, back to POFQ it was. And with that, POFQ was booked too, along with a 14 night Ultimate pass and the Disney Dining Plan. And here we have it:

13 nights at Port Orleans French Quarter ~ enjoying the New Orleans charm
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/POFQ3.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/POFQ5.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/POFQ.jpg

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2 nights Royal Pacific ~ soaking up the tropical atmosphere
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/rpr1.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/rpr2.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/rpr3.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/rpr4.jpg

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7 nights Polynesian Resort ~ enjoying everything this amazing tropical resort has to offer
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/polynesian.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202009%20pre%20trip/Poly.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/sammiekwidzinski/WDW%202008/DSC02721.jpg

---------------

So there we have it, now you see some of what we went through, and some of the journey we took to get together our 'Perfect Plan'. Of course there were a few more ideas and diversions along the way. With me planning a holiday is never as easy as only 5 changing plans, which is why I initially said this was probably plan number 38. Nick would probably say it was more likely to be plan number 138 but most of those plans were abruptly put to an end as soon as the words came out of my mouth. See he does occasionally put his foot down :laugh:

As you can guess getting to this point took quite a lot of planning. However this is nothing compared to what there is to come. After all choosing the accommodation is supposed to be the easy part. Now I have a plan to plan... a daily plan that will be so good, and so fun, and so magical that it will be the best holiday EVER

So you can see I have no small task ahead of me, good job I love to plan. So bring it on, let the planning commence :banana1:

[wickesy]

Own up Sammi, calculating all these figures - you're a secret maths genius aren't you? ;)

[Ariel2008]

Own up Sammi, calculating all these figures - you're a secret maths genius aren't you? ;)

I wish :rolleyes008:

[mInNiE]

Great update :) now that you've sorted the accomodation, what are you going to be looking into next? :D

[Disneybumble]

Just caught up Sammi. Looks great but i need to read more so how about plan 6..................only joking Nick.

[Ariel2008]

Great update :) now that you've sorted the accomodation, what are you going to be looking into next? :D

Well Ive got a plan to plan ;)


Just caught up Sammi. Looks great but i need to read more so how about plan 6..................only joking Nick.

I suppose I could add on an extra week and then I would have that to plan :laugh:

[Ariel2008]

The One Where The Magic Really Begins...
...Way Before We Even Get To WDW



To Make A Holiday Practically Perfect You Need To Have A Perfect Plan
In Pursuit of the 'Perfect Plan' ~ A Little Help From Friends Can Go A Long Way


So now we have the 'Perfect Plan' for our accommodation. It might have taken a while, and a fair few attempts, but then again no-one said perfection was easy did they. But theres no rest for the obsessive planner, we now have the small matter of an itinerary to create ~ a Daily Plan, and of course, its got to be perfect. But in order for it to be as perfect as possible I want some help from my readers.

I am going to have a 'Subject of the Day' and for each one I want to hear your ideas, views and opinions on that subject to help me create the most amazing and magical plan ever. Come on, don't be shy



-----------------------




SUBJECT OF THE DAY ~ ONE:

The first subject is probably the most important, one that will have a major impact on our holiday and help determine if it will in fact be, the most Magical holiday ever. So what could this subject be I wonder...


:smiley4::sigs-cartoon-005::sigs-tv-010:
:sigs-tv-003::smiley3:
:bounce009:
.... FOOD
:bounce009:
:smiley3::sigs-tv-003:
:sigs-tv-010::sigs-cartoon-005::smiley4:



Of course, its FOOD. After all its one of our favorite parts of the holiday and this time we are more excited about the subject as we are on the dining plan... for 20 whole days. Thats 20 whole days of Disney food. So here is what I would like to know from you all:



What are you favorite Disney restaurants are and why?

What Disney restaurants really stand out for you for their -


Food
Service
Location
Atmosphere



What 1 Disney restaurant would you not miss out on?

What Disney restaurant does the best steak?

What are your favorite non-Disney restaurants and why?

[Ariel2008]

Come on guys, any ideas?

[Disneybumble]

Beaches and Cream , just the best burgers anywhere. And milkshakes

[wickesy]

We really liked Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge in April. Food was great (although portions were a bit small), service was really good and as it was fairly quiet I think it would make a nice 'romantic meal' restaurant for the two of you. Bear in mind though that it will cost you two table service credits.

Off-site Sweet Tomatoes on I Drive/Kirkman Road has become a must do for us. You can fill up on the salad buffet alone but there is also the pasta and soups to enjoy.

[Ariel2008]

Beaches and Cream , just the best burgers anywhere. And milkshakes

Oh, Beaches and Cream, don't tempt me. We went last year and had the Kitchen Sink, just the 2 of us. It was sooooo embarrassing and soooo filling, I only managed about 3 spoonfuls. DBF on the other hand nearly polished it off. It was good though, especially the peanut sauce :p015:


We really liked Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge in April. Food was great (although portions were a bit small), service was really good and as it was fairly quiet I think it would make a nice 'romantic meal' restaurant for the two of you. Bear in mind though that it will cost you two table service credits.

Off-site Sweet Tomatoes on I Drive/Kirkman Road has become a must do for us. You can fill up on the salad buffet alone but there is also the pasta and soups to enjoy.

Good to hear someone say Artist Point as this was one of the ones we really wanted to try. I haven't heard many reports though so its nice to hear that people like it. And TBH smaller portions may be good. On the DDP we will get starter, main and dessert and normally a main fills me. And I don't want to waste yummy food :p.

Funny you say Sweet Tomatoes, it was on our 'to try' list a few years ago. We got to the restaurant, after much grumbling from the men in the party, and unanimously turned right back around again. For some reason it just didn't appeal. Maybe one day though :p015:

[Ariel2008]

Any more ideas?

Come on guys I need your help :hug2:

[mInNiE]

I would say the Cheesecake Factory (yum) but I know you've already been there! Not too sure onsite!

[mrsc]

well there are loads i wish i could have tried...one that friends ecomended to us was coral reef at epcot...if my kids werent so fussy eaters i would have tried this, maybe you could try it for me!!!

we did eat at whispering canyon and although we had a load of fun in there it was far to loud!!!!
food was lovely though.

and i would also like to meet alice and the mad hatter so the character dining with them would be suggested from me too.

and as mad as it might sound i would like to try hooters!!!!!

also had a fab meal at tony romas......i would strongly recomend this one!!!!

ok, there is my offering, hope you may like some of therm!!

[Ariel2008]

I would say the Cheesecake Factory (yum) but I know you've already been there! Not too sure onsite!

Yes we love the Cheesecake Factory. Nick wants to eat there every night.


well there are loads i wish i could have tried...one that friends ecomended to us was coral reef at epcot...if my kids werent so fussy eaters i would have tried this, maybe you could try it for me!!!

we did eat at whispering canyon and although we had a load of fun in there it was far to loud!!!!
food was lovely though.

and i would also like to meet alice and the mad hatter so the character dining with them would be suggested from me too.

and as mad as it might sound i would like to try hooters!!!!!

also had a fab meal at tony romas......i would strongly recomend this one!!!!

ok, there is my offering, hope you may like some of therm!!

We tried Coral Reef last time so I tell you about that now. The food was really good, I had a chicken dish and it was very tasty. TBH I was a bit worried about the food as I am quite fussy but enjoyed this dish very much so. The restaurant is lovely and very unique, but the service was not good at all. And we also had problems as they wouldn't accept my driving license as a form of ID even though they accepted it everywhere else. If your interested in trying it for the setting maybe try Sharks Underwater Grill at SW. The setting is somewhat similar but the food and service is much better. They also do steak and chicken for fussy eaters :smile:

If you liked Whispering Canyon but found it too noisy maybe try and get the last lunchtime reservation next time, if you want to go back of course. This is when we went and there was only about 7 tables of people.

For Alice and Mad Hatter are at 1900 Park Fayre which we have been to twice for breakfast. Both the food and character interaction are superb here and I would highly recommend it.

Your not mad for wanting to try Hooters, we were the same last time. The food is nothing particularly special (although we never tried the famous wings) but the atmosphere is great. You must try it next time :tongue:

We have never been to Tony Roma's before and Nick loves ribs so this will definitely be one we consider for off site. Do they do good cocktails? :wink:

Thanks very much for all your ideas, they were great. What was your favorite on-site restaurant this time?

[Ariel2008]

The One Where The Magic Really Begins...
...Way Before We Even Get To WDW



To Make A Holiday Practically Perfect You Need To Have A Perfect Plan
In Pursuit of the 'Perfect Plan' ~ A Little Help From Friends Can Go A Long Way, Pt. 2



SUBJECT OF THE DAY ~ TWO:


Following on from the all important subject of food, and along the same lines, another subject very close to my heart :hearts:




:mickeybounce::donaldbounce::goofy:
:dalebounce::cheshire:
:poohbounce:

.... SNACKS AND COCKTAILS

:poohbounce:
:cheshire::dalebounce:
:goofy::donaldbounce::mickeybounce:


Yes I know thats 2 things but since there are only so many ideas for both I thought it would be better to put them together.
Now since we are on the DDP we will be getting 1 snack a day, thats 20 snacks each in total. Now I have to admit this is something I don't know too much about. After all we love to enjoy lots of table service meals which doesn't leave too much room for all the yummy snacks that Disney has to offer. But this time we are definitely going to indulge ourselves, after all they are included. I know some of you may have already mentioned some snacks but I would love to hear about them again.
And of course I had to include cocktails at some point, after all you know how I love my cocktails. Obviously I have tried a few, but when it comes to cocktails I quite often tend to be a creature of habit and order the same thing. However this time I am determined to be more adventurous and try some new things.
So here is what I would like to know from you all:



What are your favorite snacks and where are they from?

Is there any snacks that you would avoid?


What are the best snacks available on the DDP?

What cocktails would you recommend? Where are they from and what do they have in them?

What other drinks would you recommend?

[wickesy]

I think this one counts as a snack on the DDP - Dole Whip!! You can get them from Aloha Isle opposite Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse in Adventureland and they are fab.

I know from your DLP report that you like Baileys so try a Mudslide Martini, which is a mixture of Vodka, Baileys and Creme de Cacao.

[Ariel2008]

I think this one counts as a snack on the DDP - Dole Whip!! You can get them from Aloha Isle opposite Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse in Adventureland and they are fab.

I know from your DLP report that you like Baileys so try a Mudslide Martini, which is a mixture of Vodka, Baileys and Creme de Cacao.

I have actually tried a Dole Whips, it one of the only snacks we have had. I heard so many great reports about them we all tried them a few years ago. It was yummy :smile:

That cocktail sounds so, so good. Where do they do them?

[wickesy]

That cocktail sounds so, so good. Where do they do them?

It's on the cocktail list that is in all the resort bars. I'm sure there's a couple of other Baileys based ones on there as well, in fact I've tried quite a few from that list and they've all been nice.

[Ariel2008]

It's on the cocktail list that is in all the resort bars. I'm sure there's a couple of other Baileys based ones on there as well, in fact I've tried quite a few from that list and they've all been nice.

Thanks, I definitely plan on trying a few of these :tongue:

[Ilovesnowwhitej]

Hey hun
I have just read your plans so far a woman after my own heart; starting with what you what, what you really really want (is that a song) :happybounce: then sensible head having a say, looking for a cheaper option which would mean more money for bags etc (think what your saving) to finally working/finding out how to get what you wanted all along for the correct amount of money you wanted to spend. Congratulations!

What a lot of work and planning :wiggle: and its only the beginning I am so excited for you and Nick what a fabulous time you both are going to have. And how lucky are we that you decided to share your plans I so enjoyed reading your last trippie and the pictures were brilliant. So what’s next? I am afraid I have never stayed on site so cannot recommend food or cocktails but i see you are talking to David he knows a lot about cocktails lol (read his last trippie). :happydance:

Can i ask a question, what is Magic Your Way Passes?

This has nothing to do with thetread but have you seen the new smilies???? They are brilliant.

xx

[mInNiE]

Hiya :wave: just bumping this thread to find out if there are any new plans/ideas yet?:biggrin: