Pre-Trip Report... Our Redo Fall MNSSHP trip

[angel8783]

The "planning" for this trip started approximately a few weeks before my last trip in 2007 began, before I ever knew it would become a redo trip. I found out about the free dining bounceback and I was sold!

We arrived last year on Oct 12, which was coincidentally the official (I think) but not posted last day of booking free bounce back dining for the next year. When we arrived I sat down on my bed at Port Orleans Riverside and and called the extension which I knew would let me book the trip and book for DH and myself.... little did I know how much I would need the trip!

So...

I guess you might want some background on why this trip is a redo for me...

There are TWO major reasons, the first being school, and not any old school, MBA or Masters of Business School, Grad School. In 2006, when DH and I got married, I moved strait from graduating with my undergrad degree into Grad School.

As I changed jobs and started working 40 hours a week, I was taking 6 hours (2 classes) and I was miserable. About the time we went on the trip I was in the middle of a BIG group project in Marketing and therefore, had to abandon my group members. Why take a trip in the middle of the semester? Well, lets just say that school had been constant since the age of 5, and if I wanted to experience MNSSHP in my life before we decided to have kids, I needed to throw caution to the wind and schedule vacations when I wanted to go, not when my classes allowed for them. So... I left for our trip just as my group was doing the most amount of research, and they were mad, real mad, so that was hanging over my head. I knew this was the risk I was taking, but you also have no idea what will be happening on that given week in a class 10 months out, and like I said, I had been in school since I was 5, so I decided to throw caution to the wind.

Reason #2... my mother-in-law.

Oh yeah, my mom and my mother-in-law went with us. Now, my mom loves Disney World and she is great. She is not a complainer at all...and neither is my mother-in-law usually, she was worse than a complainer, she was totally apathetic about our whole trip.

To this day I believe that the payments she gave us each month to pay for her part of the trip were paid for by her mother (DH grandmother, who tends to pick up lots of little luxuries for her, oh except she spends her money on nails and getting her hair professionally highlighted and a new sink and faucet just because she wanted them instead of getting her blind dogs cataracts fixed). Anyways, when your parents have been paying for monthly living costs and luxuries every month since 1990 when you got a divorce, then you might not really appreciate it anymore either.

I tried, I really did to get her excited. I had a little dinner get together one night to show her segments from the travel channel shows, we talked about rides, we talked it all up, her eyes glazed over, she didn't care, it was just a free vacation for her. She was most excited about the upgrade we got from All Star Music to Port Orleans Riverside.

While we were there, she followed us VERY SLOWLY around the park, didn't pick up a map, didn't care when we totally missed Dinoland in AK and complained about waking up early every morning, and she was 49, not 17! All she wanted was to dip her feet in the pool and sleep all day. When we had to leave my very first MNSSHP early because she was tired, and hot (because she wore a sweater in 90 degree weather) and wouldn't even get up off the sidewalk to watch Hallowishes, I went back to the hotel room and cried because she also didn't want to come to Epcot the next day with us after the late night at MNSSHP. She did come, and that was the best day of the trip, but when we asked her how she liked the day, she told us it was ok, but just all too much, she was on sensory overload from World Showcase, and no, she did not want to come see Wishes and SpectroMagic with us at the MK... she would just go back to the resort.

I promise, I had warned her of the walking, of the rides of the intensity of this type of vacation, but I guess when you don't pay for the trip, and you are used to trips to the family lakehouse which consists of LOTS of naps, then this type of vacation is maybe too much. Shame on me for not realizing she would react this way.

So, this time, when we leave in about 17 days from now, it will be a redo for DH and I, and he is looking forward to it as much as I am, because I can't imagine that holding you wife while she cries in the middle of her happy place because of your mother is very happy for you either.

Next time: our plans!

[LauraleeH]

I hope you guys have a great time and no more tears!!!

[Lizzie]

Looking forward to hearing more about your trip.

[yjgirl32]

I am so sorry to hear about you unfotunate trip. Just remember what Timon (from the Lion King) says Hakunah Mutata and have a great trip.

[ChipnDaleGal]

No doubt this redo trip will be eveyrthing that you had hoped your last trip would be. I hope you have a wonderful time with your husband.

[vizsla]

Have a great time and a safe trip.

[angel8783]

Our Plans:

Well, originally I booked a trip length/days identical to last year. Leave Friday morning, return Thursday night. DH is the media arts director at our church and weekends are when he is most needed, so we try to have him back in time to prepare for Sunday services. This year, since we had free dining, in about January, I had a brainstorm… What if we paid for 2 extra nights, leave on Thursday night so we still got a full day’s work in and got to really start the parks fresh on Friday instead of after a flight, then come back earlier in the day on the next Friday? Hmm… The only thing I would really have to pay for is 2 extra nights at Pop Century… this would mean 2 more days (sets of credits) of free dining and we could spend Friday (our last day) at Downtown Disney before our flight, therefore no more days added onto our tickets. I contacted my travel agent and it was a go! We got all that for an additional $200!

So we have these dates:

September 25-Oct3
Arrive: 10:30pm Thursday Sept 25 after a full day of work
Leave: 5:55pm (flight time) Friday Oct 3rd
8 nights, 7 park days, and a half day at Downtown Disney!

Cast of Characters:

Me: 25 years old! Been going to Disney in 1999 since I was 15. Didn’t know a thing about it until my Mom announced we were going. She thought it would be a once in a lifetime trip. My parent’s travel agent friend booked us a package with an offsite hotel that was “1 mile from main gate”. We all know that means a gazillion miles from MK ticket turnstiles. We didn’t know any better, didn’t even know about value resorts. My first ride was Jungle Cruise and I was not expecting the jokes, which made it the best ride! I think after Pirates of the Caribbean (my second ride) I had “gotten it”. I wanted to come back again the minute we stepped foot in the MK on our first day. Now I have had a decade of coming back, including a Disney Honeymoon and a Disney Cruise coming up in May 2009!

DH: 27 years old, he will turn 28 2 days after we return… think I should get him a birthday button? We took him in 2005 for the first time, where everything did seem to go wrong… I got a stomach bug, he lost his glasses (had sunglasses on) on the TTA and we had to go to Lenscrafters to get him some new ones … Southwest Airlines forgot to take both his and my Mom’s luggage when we stopped in Orlando and the luggage just flew on to Miami or somewhere else…goo d thing I was prepared and made him pack extra clothes in his carry on… my Mom was not so lucky, she had to buy a shirt at the Contemporary Resort the next day. But still, despite all the hiccups that trip, it was so magical bringing him for the first time. In fact, he agreed to come back the next year for our Honeymoon, and then I learned how to do Disney more relaxed.

This time, no school for me! That’s right; I won’t have that pressure since I decided to take a break, which might be permanent. Only time will tell. I figure for now, a Bachelors Degree will suffice until I get my drive back. Can’t finish a Masters degree successfully and without going crazy if you lack the drive to do what it takes. I just made this decision about a month ago, so still getting used to only worrying about going to work and nothing else really.

And of course, no mother-in-law. Her sister and brother-in-law are taking her to Hawaii in October to celebrate her 50th birthday. They have time share and expendable income, and she wanted to do something nice for her sister (my MIL), kind of like I wanted to show my mother-in-law how great Disney is… so I am expecting there to be a little trouble, although I won’t have to deal with it… namely my MIL wanting to sleep all day and sit out on the balcony instead of go explore Hawaii. And she hasn’t saved a dime to pay for her food for that trip, so I am sure her sister, or mother will pick up the bill.

This is my longest trip ever. My Mom and I went together back in 2002 for 7 nights, this one is 8, ok so one night is the night we arrive and we will only be sleeping, but still, 8 is more than 7! I planned my trip days out very carefully using Tour Guide Mike least crowded park days. Last year I used his charts for half the trip, and boy did I regret the days I didn’t follow the guidelines.

16 more days!

Up next: Free Dining for 8 nights means lots of Food!

[angel8783]

Free Dining means lots of free food!
So this is my first Disney trip with free dining. Even though we are still paying the rack rate room price, there is just something thrilling about the food being “free”. The bad news… I still have to bring $100 in cash with me for tips! We typically only tip about 15% which usually comes out to about $2-5, so to tip on average $8 on a “cheap” table service in Disney and up to $20 on more expensive meals seems outrageous to me. I mean, usually DH and I only spend about $15-25 on a meal, and now this will be our tip price! I can give less or more, but I have set aside enough for a “proper” 18% tip for all those table service meals. I have decided to go for cash tipping, because I am uncomfortable letting the server know just how they did before we even leave (unless it is spectacular). It seems like bad etiquette to me.

Anyways, I’m going to get the $100 cash out of the bank next Wednesday when I get paid and separate it up in preparation for tipping.

So, what do we have planned for our 8 TS credits?

Well, not Narcoossees this time. This is a tradition I am breaking so we can try some new things. I would rather have 2 meals than 1 for the same credits, so we are foregoing it this trip.

Old Favorites:
O’Hana
Le Cellier
Mama Melrose
Boma for breakfast

New Ones:
Yak and Yeti
Coral Reef (well I did go there in 1999)
Marrakesh
Kona (for dinner, we have been there for breakfast)
Beaches and Cream (OOP meal)

I am super excited about the new ones and very happy to return back to O’Hana and Le Cellier. Mama Melrose is my favorite restaurant in the Studios for one credit (I would go to Hollywood Brown Derby if it wasn’t 2 credits). DH loves Boma at breakfast. He likes buffets and I don’t, so I guess he will be really happy on our Cruise next May! I think he just enjoys the sheer amount of options and we stayed in AKL for our honeymoon, so he has great memories of going there.

CS tentative plans:
Wolfgang Puck Express
Pop Century Food Court
Casey’s Corner
Disney Studios Counter Service (ANY RECOMMENDATIONS?)
Moroccan Pavilion Counter Service
Food and Wine Festival Booths

DH has to eat breakfast, I do not (not much anyways)… last year we had breakfast planned most days and I only ate off of his plate or picked at mine. I am more than ready to eat lunch by 11am. One day he did not get breakfast and we had to make a special stop at Sunshine Season food court so he could get a breakfast sandwich. I learned my lesson. Every morning DH can have breakfast early at the food court with one credit and I will eat some of his, this way I get something and he won’t get too full for our early lunches. We are also eating earlier dinners so we can enjoy all the nighttime shows.

That’s our food plans!

[laurenC325]

Sounds like you deserve this trip. I hope you and your DH have a great worry free trip!

[WriteDisney]

Sounds like a great trip!

We're staying there the exact same dates! Hoping for very no hurricanes!

[angel8783]

I hope there won't be any either as we are sitting here in Houston waiting for Hurricane Ike to come through. I just keep telling myself that its a HUGE, GIANT distraction to keep me from getting to antsy until my trip.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

If I didn't know better I'd say your MIL and my aunt were the same person.....I have heard a lot of good things about Starring rolls for CS in HS.

[tinkerbell04]

It sounds like you have a great trip planned. I remember reading about your trip last year, and I know that you guys deserve a great trip!

[faline]

I hope this vacation will be everything you want it to be!

[angel8783]

Hey everyone!

Well, we came though Hurricane Ike with no home damage, but our neighborhood had a lot of down trees on houses!

Things were not very good for awhile as it was hard to get food and gasoline. I lost all the food in my fridge/freezer long ago and our house still does not have power 7 days later (at least not this morning when I left for work).

I started back work yesterday, and we do have power/internet here.

The silver lining to all of this has been the fact that I still get to go to Disney in now 6 days!

We are hitching a ride with my parents to the airport (my dad flys out every weekend for work) so I moved our flights forward 3 hours! That means I get to Disney that much sooner!

I was going to pack last Sunday.... but seeing as how last Sunday I was standing in line at our generator powered grocery store trying to get food... packing for a vacation was the last thing on my mind. Tomorrow or this Sunday I will pack, even if we have no power, daylight will be enough to see. I can go to my grandparents to do laundry as they got power back the other day.

As those of you who have gone through a Hurricane before, you know how difficult it is. We are about 80 miles from Galveston and we had I think 60mph sustained winds and 100mph gusts. This Hurricane was huge in size and 99% of our power companies customers were without power by the time it was over, which is a record for their company. FYI, my power company spans Southeast Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi I believe. I know the national media has not talked much about Ike, but it was bad to go through, real bad... even though it was a Cat 2 storm, I have read that higher up, it sustained Cat 4 wind speed because of its sheer size, which is why half the roof of Reliant Stadium (the Houston Texans Home) came off. This would also explain why shorter trees survived and larger taller trees were either snapped in half or completly uprooted! I can't even imagine how bad it was for those who stayed in Galveston or other coastal communities.

After that experience (the 1st in my lifetime that I remember) I feel that this trip will have a special meaning.

Look for my trip report when I get back!