Somebody's Gonna Pee in a Cup, West Coast - Link to new TR 1/21

[Gracefulskinny]

And we've actually changed our resort after free dining came out. I love AoA and I'm kind of disappointed to not go back... but we'll be staying in a PoR Royal Room for DD with free dining at pretty much the same cost that it would be to stay at AoA rack rate and pay for our own food.

Oh DD will just LOVE that! Hope she gives you the same reaction that Little MIss gave me!

How's the farm doing? You haven't posted a farm update in a while, and I feel like it's past harvest time.

Ditto!

And since that is the case, I'm going to be super lazy and just add a PTR to the end of this very TR.

I've been considering the same thing for my march trip.

The room cost really is about the same as some of the other hotels I've ben looking at anyway.

You know, this is what DH and I kinda found out when we were pricing things for march. Initally other places may appear cheaper but once you add in all those resort and parking fees its pretty much the same price. unless you REALLY cheap out on your hotel and then you aren't in nice parts of town.

So since DW doesn't do the thrill rides so well and since the kids can't do, well, anything at Universal

This sounds like me and our dynamic so much. Motion Sickness and I are long acquaintances. There really isn't much to do at Universal if you have issues with Motion Simulators.

I'll definitely plan to do a TR once we return!

 

[jandlinz]

Sounds like so much fun! Last minute trips are the best. It's so nice you can focus on your DD and do things she enjoys. Is you DS upset to miss out? I know I would be...

 

[SarahDisney]

Here's how it happened... I have a conference to attend in Orlando. The conference actually starts the Saturday of Marathon weekend and is going to be at the convention center near Universal Studios. I knew I was going, and I thought I might try to sneak some solo time at resorts or maybe even a park during some down time.

So ... is this the same conference you went to in San Diego last year? Because as nice as San Diego is, I'd say Orlando is a better choice of location ... closer to the nearest Disney park.

On Friday, I plan to finish my drive to the Orlando area. I can't check into my hotel for the conference yet so I'm going to stay somewhere else. I'm considering a cheap I-Drive area hotel or possibly a value resort at WDW.

Always go with WDW!!! Even the value hotels at WDW are way more awesome than anything on I-Drive (not that I've ever stayed on I-Drive, but I'm guessing).

Ok, I'll explain. DDCC4 is Dis Dads Club Convention 4. What happened is a few years ago a challenge was laid down from one Disdad to another. There was a lot of name calling among other things, but they ended up challenging each other to a race. And not just any race. A Half Marathon. At Walt Disney World.

You Dis Dads are interesting people.
"You're a jerk"
"Let's run a race!"
"Hey, let's all go watch them run that race ... and get them drunk the night before so that they have trouble running."
(I'm assuming that's exactly the conversation that led to this event)
(Also, I do not in any way condone drinking the night before running a half marathon. That's probably a really bad idea. Especially when said half marathon starts at 5:30 AM. Perhaps the Dis Dads who are running should wait until Saturday to do their drinking)

Then again, it is hard to get a bus from the Boardwalk to another resort... I'll have to check park hours and decide for sure what I want to do.

I think Epcot & MK both close at 9, but HS may be open until 10 with EMH. So if you're done drinking by 10:30ish, you should be able to hop a bus from DHS back to your hotel.
Then again ... who finishes drinking by 10:30?

Well, I spent a day there. She spent about an hour there. And then had to go back to our cabin after 2 consecutive rides on coasters did her in.

Ouch. That sounds rough.

My plan is to see the new Harry Potter area in US and ride Gringotts. Full disclosure... I'm not a big HP fan. I've got nothing against it. I know Universal has done an awesome job with the theming there. But I don't know the story behind everything, so it doesn't all mean a whole lot to me. I'll enjoy checking out all the theming and the details they put into everything, but aside from riding the new Gringotts ride, I can't see myself spending a lot of time there. After I ride, I'll take the train to IOA. I'll likely skip Forbidden Journey since I've done it before and I'm kind of OK skipping it.

My advice is to try to catch a few minutes of a Harry Potter movie just so that you have some background. For the stuff at US, the later movies are better ... I think the Gringotts part is at the end of movie #7 (Deathly Hallows Part 1), but it may be the beginning of #8 (Deathly Hallows Part 2). You won't learn everything, but it may make you appreciate the details a littlemore.
I happen to love Forbidden Journey, but I'm also a big Potter fan. I understand why you might want to skip it, but I think it may be worth it if the line is short (yeah right).

On Sunday I'll wake up and head to the airport. DD and DW fly in on a flight that will arrive at 8:30

Cranky toddler, early morning flight, and one parent ... that's gotta be fun. I'm sure your DW will be thrilled.

we've kicked around the idea of them going to Sea World while I'm in meetings. It seems like it would be something that DD might enjoy and would actually be able to do a few things there.

Yes! Send them to Sea World! It's awesome! (Not that I've been to that particular Sea World, but I went in San Diego and loved it ... its probably the same thing, minus the Shamu Show, which when I saw it had trainers in the water).

We'll ride what we can before a late breakfast at Akershus

We'll get some more princess time during our dinner ADR at CRT.

Princess Meal Mania!! Awesome! This really is a princess-centric trip ... just make sure you get a FP+ for Anna and Elsa and know where all of the characters meet in MK & Epcot so that you can visit any princesses you missed at meals. You wouldn't want to miss a princess just because she doesn't make an appearance at a meal...

Sounds like you're planning a great princess trip - I'm sure DD will love it!!

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

Sounds like a nice little get away!

 

[afwdwfan]

That's os exciting that you were able to plan a small trip along with your conference. Ah I see what you're saying! Well I've seen pictures of the POR Royal Rooms and they look so pretty! Yeah if you can get the room along with FD, then that seems like a good choice! Even if you don't do a PTR, are you still planning on doing a TR?

Well, I guess I will do a TR. Especially since I'm doing Dismeets. And I posted a PTR/trip outline on here so I'll try to share information and changes with everyone.

After reading this ... I'm going to need to see a TR with lots of pictures of that room.
As much as I love AoA, I think this is a good choice. I have a feeling that your DD will LOVE the Royal Room.

Well, you know how I can be with pictures sometimes... I hope we get enough good ones to satisfy demand.

How's the farm doing? You haven't posted a farm update in a while, and I feel like it's past harvest time.

Ditto!

Oh boy... well, it has been a busy couple of months. We're actually done with harvest. It was an earlier finish than normal... we'd typically still be working well into November.

But we had great weather and got after it. I actually would have liked to have had a rain day here or there to make us stop and rest. We finished harvest about 3 weeks ago and since then we've been doing some tillage and other field work that has needed to be done for a couple of years but we just haven't had the weather or soil conditions favorable for doing it. I've been busting my you know what every day when I get home from work. I've taken some videos this fall, but I keep forgetting to post anything. I actually need to go back and review them before I post them though, because I know for a fact that I was recording one video while I was in the combine when an alarm started going off and I'm not sure how many 4 letter words got picked up before the recording stopped.

Ah, the lazy man's PTR. Always the best way to handle it. Welcome to the Dark Side!

I've never been far from the dark side.

I'm sorry to hear that.

There are worse things, I guess. I mean, I'm going to Disney World, so...

I never figured you for a Victoria & Albert's kind of guy.

I wonder how good their burgers are?

There is where you would find me.

Ugh. That sucks. Sorry to hear that.

It was pretty brutal. I felt bad because we were trying to do the RD thing and hit the busier attractions first thing. So I took her on a steel inverted coaster, and then followed it up with another steel inverted coaster...

I'd feel worse about it and take more blame for it if it wasn't for the fact that before we got on each of them I asked multiple times "Are you sure you want to do this?"

I was there, but watching the movies with my HP-maniac daughter helped. She's still way more excited about it than I am, but I think I'd be able to appreciate it now. I'm sure if I were kid when HP came out it would have been like Star Wars was to me.

Yeah, makes sense.

Excellent! Should be a great time. Tell everyone I said hi! I thought about going once I saw that we had the budget for a weekend trip, but a getaway alone with my wife and being able to see the Christmas stuff for the first time won out.

Yeah, I think your plans look pretty awesome. I can't blame you a bit for choosing to go when you are. I'll be sure to tell them hi for you.

Full disclosure, I'm really not a fan of shrimp.

But if there's a contest to eat the most shrimp or build a wall from shrimp carcasses... game on!

This committee is either full of overachievers or needs to be disbanded.

Well, it isn't all that bad. It has gotten me out of work a few days over the past year. And because of this committee, my hotel and all expenses are being covered for 4 nights.

Otherwise, I'd have a smaller budget to spend and the rest would be out of pocket... and I'd likely say "screw it, I'm not going."

I love it when a plan comes together.

Sounds like a fun trip minus the whole convention part.

Jill in CO

It should be ok. It isn't a work convention, it is for a farm organization that I'm involved with. It tends to be an interesting convention and aside from Tuesday, we do have some flexibility to skip certain things if we feel the urge to do so.

 

[LuvEeyore]

Hi Andy!! I am back after a hiatus from the DIS...work and traveling. Now time to catch up again. I hope you enjoy your DIS dads meet and your trip with just your daughter. I must say, I wouldn't like being your son and left home!!

 

[afwdwfan]

Oh DD will just LOVE that! Hope she gives you the same reaction that Little MIss gave me!

I hope so!

You are a big part of the reason I wanted to try one of these rooms.

I've been considering the same thing for my march trip.

Yeah... it's just easier. There's already a thread started here that I've been posting on anyway, so...

I guess if it was like a year off and I was going to do a lot of detailed planning a full PTR would make sense. But in this case, there just isn't much to say about it.

You know, this is what DH and I kinda found out when we were pricing things for march. Initally other places may appear cheaper but once you add in all those resort and parking fees its pretty much the same price. unless you REALLY cheap out on your hotel and then you aren't in nice parts of town.

In this case it isn't too big of a deal for other costs. I'd just be staying one night and I'd be going to the Boardwalk. Which finding a way to get there and park there could be a problem in and of itself. Ideally, I'd really like to just stay at BW or Beach Club, but there's no way in heck I'm paying that much for one night in a room for myself.

This sounds like me and our dynamic so much. Motion Sickness and I are long acquaintances. There really isn't much to do at Universal if you have issues with Motion Simulators.

True. I can't handle simulators very well. I've got to pace myself and be careful not to over do it with them. But rollercoasters... just strap me in and come and get me in a few hours. I'll be fine.

Sounds like so much fun! Last minute trips are the best. It's so nice you can focus on your DD and do things she enjoys. Is you DS upset to miss out? I know I would be...

It should be a nice trip for her.

I'm not sure DS realizes the scope of what is happening. It isn't like we are trying to keep it a secret, but we just don't talk about it much. I think he'll be fine because he's going to get to stay with his grandparents... both sets for a few nights over the course of the week. We're going to be taking him to Disney on Ice the week after we get home and I think we might plan a weekend trip sometime for just him.

But he's had a chance to go to Disney World and be the focus of everything before his sister was born, so this is her chance.

So ... is this the same conference you went to in San Diego last year? Because as nice as San Diego is, I'd say Orlando is a better choice of location ... closer to the nearest Disney park.

Yes it is!

Always go with WDW!!! Even the value hotels at WDW are way more awesome than anything on I-Drive (not that I've ever stayed on I-Drive, but I'm guessing).

I've stayed there before. They're fine. But for the same money, I'd rather be in the Disney bubble. I'm sure I could find something cheaper, but I used to travel (like well over 100 nights per year) and spend a lot of time in hotels. I'm kind of a hotel snob now. I don't necessarily like the deluxe 5 star over-priced places, but I tend to avoid the bottom rung chains, if you know what I mean.

You Dis Dads are interesting people.
"You're a jerk"
"Let's run a race!"
"Hey, let's all go watch them run that race ... and get them drunk the night before so that they have trouble running."
(I'm assuming that's exactly the conversation that led to this event)
(Also, I do not in any way condone drinking the night before running a half marathon. That's probably a really bad idea. Especially when said half marathon starts at 5:30 AM. Perhaps the Dis Dads who are running should wait until Saturday to do their drinking)

How long have you been spying on our threads????

The runners do plan to wait until Saturday. That's why the Ohana dinner and group drinking is scheduled for Saturday night. The Friday night crawl is for the non-runners. Although I'm working on trying to get one of the runners to join us and just pull an all nighter before the race.

I think Epcot & MK both close at 9, but HS may be open until 10 with EMH. So if you're done drinking by 10:30ish, you should be able to hop a bus from DHS back to your hotel.
Then again ... who finishes drinking by 10:30?

Yeah... that's the problem.

Ouch. That sounds rough.

She was pretty miserable.

My advice is to try to catch a few minutes of a Harry Potter movie just so that you have some background. For the stuff at US, the later movies are better ... I think the Gringotts part is at the end of movie #7 (Deathly Hallows Part 1), but it may be the beginning of #8 (Deathly Hallows Part 2). You won't learn everything, but it may make you appreciate the details a littlemore.
I happen to love Forbidden Journey, but I'm also a big Potter fan. I understand why you might want to skip it, but I think it may be worth it if the line is short (yeah right).

I've seen the first movie. It was OK, but it just didn't necessarily make me rush off to see the rest of them.

Cranky toddler, early morning flight, and one parent ... that's gotta be fun. I'm sure your DW will be thrilled.

Hey, she's going to be headed to Florida. She can deal with it!

Besides, they won't have any luggage to take with them. She just has to get on a plane and sit there for a little less than 2 hours.

Yes! Send them to Sea World! It's awesome! (Not that I've been to that particular Sea World, but I went in San Diego and loved it ... its probably the same thing, minus the Shamu Show, which when I saw it had trainers in the water).

I think this would be a fun day for them. We'll see what they decide they want to do.

Princess Meal Mania!! Awesome! This really is a princess-centric trip ... just make sure you get a FP+ for Anna and Elsa and know where all of the characters meet in MK & Epcot so that you can visit any princesses you missed at meals. You wouldn't want to miss a princess just because she doesn't make an appearance at a meal...

Sounds like you're planning a great princess trip - I'm sure DD will love it!!

Oh, I'm sure we'll see A&E. Considering we have both dresses now.

But no, we will not be changing dresses between princesses.

Sounds like a nice little get away!

It definitely should be nice. I'm looking forward to it!

 

[afwdwfan]

Hi Andy!! I am back after a hiatus from the DIS...work and traveling. Now time to catch up again. I hope you enjoy your DIS dads meet and your trip with just your daughter. I must say, I wouldn't like being your son and left home!!

Oh yeah, just throw the guilt on!

 

[LuvEeyore]

Sounds like you have your son covered. Give him another couple of years and he will be ready for a father and son universal trip!!I have been thinking of starting a trip report/pretrippie And the Next trip is...? And make it a continual report.

 

[Leshaface]

I'll leave work on Thursday 1/7

We'll just be missing each other. I haven't announced anything official yet because I want to get the OK from my Doctor on Thursday, but we planned a trip specifically for the last showing of Osborne Lights (well, this was before I knew it may be going over to Epcot).

When other members of the Dis Dads Club saw all this trash talking, they decided they wanted to get involved. Some wanted to call out another Dis Dad and challenge them to train and run in the race. Others just wanted to go to WDW, drink beer and either cheer or hurl insults at the dads who were running the race. Needless to say, this has started somewhat of a tradition and the Dis Dads tend to show up around WDW property in force for Marathon Weekend.

Not fair I want to hurt peoples feelings too!

So since DW doesn't do the thrill rides so well and since the kids can't do, well, anything at Universal I'm going to go by myself on Saturday morning. My plan is to see the new Harry Potter area in US and ride Gringotts. Full disclosure... I'm not a big HP fan. I've got nothing against it. I know Universal has done an awesome job with the theming there. But I don't know the story behind everything, so it doesn't all mean a whole lot to me. I'll enjoy checking out all the theming and the details they put into everything, but aside from riding the new Gringotts ride, I can't see myself spending a lot of time there. After I ride, I'll take the train to IOA. I'll likely skip Forbidden Journey since I've done it before and I'm kind of OK skipping it.

I'm pretty sure you have plenty of time to read all 7 HP books

Yeah... short day and ambitious plans. But the last time we were at US, we left by 3 pm and it was with 2 kids and a larger group and a fairly long lunch. So I think I can pull it off.

You can definitely pull this off solo. Wow, no strollers to push, no asking who needs to use the restroom...just you and whatever the heck you want to do

At the DDCC, it has become a tradition to have a huge Saturday evening dinner somewhere. 2 years ago they visited WCC and last year they ate at Ohana. Well, this year they've decided to go back to Ohana. Once I had my travel plans ironed out and knew I'd be in the area Saturday night, I reached out to one of the dads planning the event. I managed to snag one of the last spots left in the ADRs, so I'll be enjoying dinner at Ohana at 5pm with a group of about 40 or 50 Disdads and their families. I'm really looking forward to this evening!!!

That is going to be good times! And props to the person who's in charge of it all. I couldn't do it!

How about a Royal room at POR? When the 2016 discount and free dining packages came out, it was within just a few dollars difference to stay at AoA paying rack rate and paying for our meals or staying at POR in a Royal room with free dining. So we decided we'll stay somewhere we've never stayed before and we'll be in a room that DS would never want to stay in. And since he won't be there, it will be ok.

This is a major win, IMO. Upgrade to Mod AND free food??

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Sorry I sent this post in before I read your mini PTR update .... IGNORE!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

There we go that's better - sorry about that!

I'm super excited to finally have a chance to hopefully get a couple of Dis meets in with some of the Disdads!

That is amazing! Dismeets always look like so much fun!

On Saturday, I'll wake up and drive to Universal Studios. Yep, I'm going off property. I'll admit it. I love Universal.

Yeah why not! You want to make the most of your trip, so why not do something a little different! US looks awesome, I have only been there once, about 10 years ago, so I really would like to go back one day and see it. Yes, I have also heard the roller coasters are a lot of fun there.

At the DDCC, it has become a tradition to have a huge Saturday evening dinner somewhere. 2 years ago they visited WCC and last year they ate at Ohana. Well, this year they've decided to go back to Ohana. Once I had my travel plans ironed out and knew I'd be in the area Saturday night, I reached out to one of the dads planning the event. I managed to snag one of the last spots left in the ADRs, so I'll be enjoying dinner at Ohana at 5pm with a group of about 40 or 50 Disdads and their families. I'm really looking forward to this evening!!!

This sounds awesome. Have you eaten at Ohana before? Again something else I really want to try.

Aside from dinner, I hope to make a visit to Trader Sam's as well.

I hear this place has gotten great reviews! If you go I look forward to seeing what you think of it.

The conference ends on Monday, but I'm on a committee that will meet all day Tuesday. DW and DD will have a day to themselves, so we've kicked around the idea of them going to Sea World while I'm in meetings. It seems like it would be something that DD might enjoy and would actually be able to do a few things there. We'll stay in our room at the conference hotel Tuesday night, since they're paying my hotel bill for Sat - Tues nights.

Wow! Seaworld as a possibility as well?! This trip just keeps getting more and more exciting! Seaworld is a lot of fun - it just stinks they are in such financial trouble right now...

On Wednesday morning, we'll wake up bright an early. I'm planning to do online check-in so that we can skip POR and drive straight to MK for rope drop. We'll spend a day in the park where we have a lunch ADR at BoG. We'll likely take a break at some point to settle into our room. But we do plan to dedicate this whole day to MK.

This sounds like the best day yet! A whole day at MK = heaven! Also, I love BOG for lunch - sooo good! And also good idea about the online check it - that will get you much more park time!

On Thursday, we plan to go to EPCOT. With Soarin closed it changes our plans, but we won't have FP+. We'll ride what we can before a late breakfast at Akershus... another first for me! I know DD will love seeing the princesses, so it should be a fun meal

I know! I couldn't believe when I read how long Soarin will be closed for. And I LOVE Akershus - perfect for princesses, and princes of all ages! I went there for dinner two summers ago and the food was great! I really want to go back there.

We'll head to DHS where we'll FP+ TSMM and a couple of other shows/attractions. I'm not sure what yet, but we do want to ride TSMM and I'm going to probably be sick if I can't manage to find a way to ride RnRC while I'm there. EPCOT closes later than DHS, so we will probably return to EPCOT that evening to wander WS and see Illuminations. Or we may just skip WS this time around and finish our day at DHS.

Maybe single rider to RnRC would work well for you in this situation? Because of course TSMM is a must! That's one of the best FP+s to get...
Ohh yeah you have two good choices for nighttime entertainment - Illuminations or Fantasmic! Decisions, Decisions

Friday will be our last park day and we're planning a second full day at MK. We'll get some more princess time during our dinner ADR at CRT.

Awesome!!!! You have 3 awesome ADRs! And I see your theme about this being a princes filled trip! It sounds amazing!

How about a Royal room at POR? When the 2016 discount and free dining packages came out, it was within just a few dollars difference to stay at AoA paying rack rate and paying for our meals or staying at POR in a Royal room with free dining. So we decided we'll stay somewhere we've never stayed before and we'll be in a room that DS would never want to stay in. And since he won't be there, it will be ok.

Again, I mentioned this the other day, but I love this idea. Those Royal Rooms are so pretty! The details just look so great!

Turns out my quick PTR turned into a long post, but these are our plans. I'll try to update once we do FP+ and I'll definitely plan to do a TR once we return!

Awesome! I will be looking forward to reading along!

 

[glennbo123]

I saw your old TR floating to the top of the reading list and wondered what the activity was all about...great to read that you'll be able to get a trip in, combined with some convention work. Your plans look really good -- I'm sure you'll be able to do everything you want to at Universal since you'll be flying solo. Fun times!

 

[Gracefulskinny]

I actually need to go back and review them before I post them though, because I know for a fact that I was recording one video while I was in the combine when an alarm started going off and I'm not sure how many 4 letter words got picked up before the recording stopped.

 

[pkondz]

I may have heard about some of these plans.
Maybe I'm psychic.
Psychotic.

Whatever.

 

[Steppesister]

Catching up, and well.... was wondering when the news would come out. Limping along trying to keep up around here; I'm not doing very well. Maybe after I get a little more of my fill of Disney, I'll venture out to "the other side".

 

[natebenma]

I loved catching up on the plans for your upcoming conference/family princess getaway. It sounds like a fantastic lineup of solo time, hanging with the guys and spending some time at Disney with your wife and daughter.

Beer crawl sounds like fun- I'm sure the details will work out. My group of gals used Uber a lot in August for our trip. If you plan it right, you can recommend friends and ride for free. That's what we did. That may work for getting from your crawl to your hotel.

I'm excited to hear all about your trip to the Universal parks. So I know you are a Jurassic Park fan, not much of a Harry Potterhead, but where are you on the fan-scale for the movie Jaws (or even the former ride). There are a lot of tributes to the Jaws ride in Diagon Alley. Worth looking up on the interwebs if it interests you.

As I mentioned to you on your trip report, I think you will be fine using single rider for the things you want to do and you won't need to purchase the Express Pass. Traveling solo will definitely help you get through things quickly. The biggest potential problem you could face is rides not operating at inconvenient times.

WOW! A group of 40-50 at Ohana?!? Awesome! And kudos to whoever was able to score that reservation.

I think Sea World is an awesome idea for your wife and daughter on your conference day.

:

 

[afwdwfan]

Sounds like you have your son covered. Give him another couple of years and he will be ready for a father and son universal trip!!I have been thinking of starting a trip report/pretrippie And the Next trip is...? And make it a continual report.

It makes sense to do that. Just kind of easier to keep it in one place, but I'm not sure how the mods feel about it.

I'll definitely start a brand new TR for this one when I get back though.

We'll just be missing each other. I haven't announced anything official yet because I want to get the OK from my Doctor on Thursday, but we planned a trip specifically for the last showing of Osborne Lights (well, this was before I knew it may be going over to Epcot).

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!!

They're moving the lights to EPCOT??? How have I missed hearing about this??? I guess I've been too busy lately and what little Dis time I've had has been in the TR forum.

Oh... and as for that other part, I hope you get clearance to go! Sounds like a fun trip, and I'd definitely love to get to see the Osborne Lights in their current form one more time. Too bad we aren't overlapping. You guys seem like a lot of fun and I'd love to have a drink with you and your DH. Well, I guess he and I could have had a drink and you could have water.

Not fair I want to hurt peoples feelings too!

It's too bad the quote fairy went away when they re-formatted the DIS, because this is good material.

I'm pretty sure you have plenty of time to read all 7 HP books

Ok, ok... I enjoy reading. I might just have to download at least one of them and check it all out.

You can definitely pull this off solo. Wow, no strollers to push, no asking who needs to use the restroom...just you and whatever the heck you want to do

That's what I'm counting on.

That is going to be good times! And props to the person who's in charge of it all. I couldn't do it!

Well, it is kind of a group effort. But yeah, being on year 4 it is the same core group of guys that goes every year so they've got it down to a science. They actually made multiple ADR's for Ohana and just got them at the same time so there are 4 or 5 different dads responsible for each of the different ADRs.

This is a major win, IMO. Upgrade to Mod AND free food??

Yeah... free...

Sorry I sent this post in before I read your mini PTR update .... IGNORE!

Ignore you? Got it!

That is amazing! Dismeets always look like so much fun!

I've never had many opportunities. DW isn't into the whole concept, so I won't meet anyone unless it works out that I can slip away for a bit. I almost got to meet @KatMark a few years ago, but the morning we both had free, it didn't work out. I almost met up with some dads in DL last year until some idiot tried to bounce his phone off the concrete and couldn't make contact with them.

Yeah why not! You want to make the most of your trip, so why not do something a little different! US looks awesome, I have only been there once, about 10 years ago, so I really would like to go back one day and see it. Yes, I have also heard the roller coasters are a lot of fun there.

I really, really like US. We went a few times when I was little and we were on family Disney Trips. I also went twice on trips to Orlando that didn't include Disney.

Don't tell anybody.

I graduated from Purdue and I went to Orlando in 2004 to watch them play in the Capital One Bowl. This was back when Purdue had a football team. Anyway, there was some kind of a package we could get through the athletic ticket office for some discount 1 Day/ 1 park tickets to US or IoA on New Year's Eve. This was my first experience with IoA and Hulk... and I loved it!

The following spring, which was actually a year after I graduated, a friend from college asked if I wanted to go to Florida for spring break with his little brother. Since, you know, we had finally graduated and were making money and could afford to go. We stayed on I-Drive for a week with US passes. We had a blast. We also drank several gallons of Pat O'Brien's hurricanes in City Walk over the course of that week. None of the other guys wanted to go to Disney, so we never got tickets, but we did make 2 visits to the Boardwalk, 1 visit to DTD and Wide World of Sports for a Braves game.

Anyway, I really like Universal. It is a lot of fun, but it is so different from Disney in a lot of ways. In my early to mid 20's the thrill rides and people walking around in the parks and City Walk selling jello shots made me like US a little bit more. But now that I've mellowed and matured, give me the mouse!

This sounds awesome. Have you eaten at Ohana before? Again something else I really want to try.

Never been there. I don't typically like the flavors that they serve there, and neither does my wife. This is the main reason we haven't pulled the trigger and tried it. But I'm going in with an open mind and I really do look forward to trying everything there and enjoying the atmosphere and company.

I hear this place has gotten great reviews! If you go I look forward to seeing what you think of it.

I really hope I can fit it in. I'll be disappointed if I can't.

Wow! Seaworld as a possibility as well?! This trip just keeps getting more and more exciting! Seaworld is a lot of fun - it just stinks they are in such financial trouble right now...

Well, I wouldn't be going. Which kind of stinks. I'm not too upset by that, but I'd really love to ride Manta!

This sounds like the best day yet! A whole day at MK = heaven! Also, I love BOG for lunch - sooo good! And also good idea about the online check it - that will get you much more park time!

I love BOG for lunch. It really is probably the best deal in CS anywhere in the parks.

I know! I couldn't believe when I read how long Soarin will be closed for. And I LOVE Akershus - perfect for princesses, and princes of all ages! I went there for dinner two summers ago and the food was great! I really want to go back there.

I look forward to checking it out. The free dining really helps make the princess meals possible. We're using all 3 credits for 2 princess meals, but those are some expensive meals!

Maybe single rider to RnRC would work well for you in this situation? Because of course TSMM is a must! That's one of the best FP+s to get...
Ohh yeah you have two good choices for nighttime entertainment - Illuminations or Fantasmic! Decisions, Decisions

I'm definitely counting on Single Rider helping me out. I'm really hoping that DD and DW will want to maybe see Beauty & the Beast or something so I can slip off and ride it.

Awesome!!!! You have 3 awesome ADRs! And I see your theme about this being a princes filled trip! It sounds amazing!

I'm happy with our ADR's. We didn't book them at 180 days and we were pretty lucky to get what we wanted and at the times we wanted.

Again, I mentioned this the other day, but I love this idea. Those Royal Rooms are so pretty! The details just look so great!

Awesome! I will be looking forward to reading along!

Thanks!

I saw your old TR floating to the top of the reading list and wondered what the activity was all about...great to read that you'll be able to get a trip in, combined with some convention work. Your plans look really good -- I'm sure you'll be able to do everything you want to at Universal since you'll be flying solo. Fun times!

Well, I had questions about my ticker, so I figured I'd explain here rather than start a new thread. But it should be a nice trip and I look forward to it!

I may have heard about some of these plans.
Maybe I'm psychic.
Psychotic.

Whatever.

A little bit of both, I'd say. I didn't really want to start a new PTR on the Dis so... well, an outline of my plans.

Catching up, and well.... was wondering when the news would come out. Limping along trying to keep up around here; I'm not doing very well. Maybe after I get a little more of my fill of Disney, I'll venture out to "the other side".

I enjoy some Universal time when I can. But Disney is doing a great job of becoming a destination where you really don't need to leave and you need to take a full week to really enjoy it. It does make it hard to dedicate a day or 2 to venture off site.

I loved catching up on the plans for your upcoming conference/family princess getaway. It sounds like a fantastic lineup of solo time, hanging with the guys and spending some time at Disney with your wife and daughter.

I'm really lucky to get to do so much on this trip!

Beer crawl sounds like fun- I'm sure the details will work out. My group of gals used Uber a lot in August for our trip. If you plan it right, you can recommend friends and ride for free. That's what we did. That may work for getting from your crawl to your hotel.

I've considered this possibility. I'd rather not use a cab or Uber if I don't have to... but it is certainly a possibility.

I'm still kicking the idea of where to stay around. I keep looking at your Beach Club, but I just can't justify that cost for one night for just me.

I do have some hotel points at my disposal though, so I'm going to look into DTD area hotels and some other possibilities, just to see what works.

I didn't take into consideration the fact that there will be a Half Marathon in progress on Saturday morning when I'm heading to Universal. So I'm not sure staying on-site at Disney might necessarily be in my best interest if I'm trying to make RD.

I'm excited to hear all about your trip to the Universal parks. So I know you are a Jurassic Park fan, not much of a Harry Potterhead, but where are you on the fan-scale for the movie Jaws (or even the former ride). There are a lot of tributes to the Jaws ride in Diagon Alley. Worth looking up on the interwebs if it interests you.

I like Jaws. Not a huge fan, but I'll definitely have to check it out. Honestly, I love Transformers and I've been looking forward to seeing it since I heard it was going in! Transformers, Potter and most of Springfield were all under construction the last time I was there. IoA is usually where I want to spend most of my time, but it will be US this time around, I believe. I'm kind of bummed about Hulk though.

As I mentioned to you on your trip report, I think you will be fine using single rider for the things you want to do and you won't need to purchase the Express Pass. Traveling solo will definitely help you get through things quickly. The biggest potential problem you could face is rides not operating at inconvenient times.

Apparently, I should just call off the whole thing if the temps are below 50-ish?

WOW! A group of 40-50 at Ohana?!? Awesome! And kudos to whoever was able to score that reservation.

Well, they've got it down to a science by now. There's a core group of guys that tend to go every year, so a few of them just get ADR's for 10 people for the same time. We might not all be sitting together, per se, but we'll all be there together and able to see one another and socialize.

I think Sea World is an awesome idea for your wife and daughter on your conference day.

It seems to be the leading choice for the moment, but we'll see.

 

[FantasiaMagic]

I've never had many opportunities. DW isn't into the whole concept, so I won't meet anyone unless it works out that I can slip away for a bit. I almost got to meet @KatMark a few years ago, but the morning we both had free, it didn't work out. I almost met up with some dads in DL last year until some idiot tried to bounce his phone off the concrete and couldn't make contact with them.

Gotcha I see what you're saying. Well I hope it works out for you that you will be able to have at least one DIS meet.

I really, really like US. We went a few times when I was little and we were on family Disney Trips. I also went twice on trips to Orlando that didn't include Disney.

Don't tell anybody.

Don't worry I won't Your secret is safe with me!

I graduated from Purdue and I went to Orlando in 2004 to watch them play in the Capital One Bowl. This was back when Purdue had a football team. Anyway, there was some kind of a package we could get through the athletic ticket office for some discount 1 Day/ 1 park tickets to US or IoA on New Year's Eve. This was my first experience with IoA and Hulk... and I loved it!

The following spring, which was actually a year after I graduated, a friend from college asked if I wanted to go to Florida for spring break with his little brother. Since, you know, we had finally graduated and were making money and could afford to go. We stayed on I-Drive for a week with US passes. We had a blast. We also drank several gallons of Pat O'Brien's hurricanes in City Walk over the course of that week. None of the other guys wanted to go to Disney, so we never got tickets, but we did make 2 visits to the Boardwalk, 1 visit to DTD and Wide World of Sports for a Braves game.

Anyway, I really like Universal. It is a lot of fun, but it is so different from Disney in a lot of ways. In my early to mid 20's the thrill rides and people walking around in the parks and City Walk selling jello shots made me like US a little bit more. But now that I've mellowed and matured, give me the mouse!

Wow, that's really cool you had those experiences to go to US/IOA. And that's good you got a little taste of Disney during that Spring Break! But yeah, they are so different. And I'm glad you eventually found your inner mouse 100%

Never been there. I don't typically like the flavors that they serve there, and neither does my wife. This is the main reason we haven't pulled the trigger and tried it. But I'm going in with an open mind and I really do look forward to trying everything there and enjoying the atmosphere and company.

It's always good to try something new, I look forward to hearing your reviews on the place. It seems Ohana has very mixed reviews here on the DIS....

Well, I wouldn't be going. Which kind of stinks. I'm not too upset by that, but I'd really love to ride Manta!

My dad and brother rode that once, they said it was a great ride.

I love BOG for lunch. It really is probably the best deal in CS anywhere in the parks.

I agree! The place is just amazing. The food, the decor - everything!

I look forward to checking it out. The free dining really helps make the princess meals possible. We're using all 3 credits for 2 princess meals, but those are some expensive meals!

I look forward to checking it out. The free dining really helps make the princess meals possible. We're using all 3 credits for 2 princess meals, but those are some expensive meals!

They really are - but if princesses are a must - I think they are very worth it! It also saves a lot of time from meeting the princesses in the parks.

I'm definitely counting on Single Rider helping me out. I'm really hoping that DD and DW will want to maybe see Beauty & the Beast or something so I can slip off and ride it.

Love that show. Its almost so good - you may want to skip RnRc for it!

I'm happy with our ADR's. We didn't book them at 180 days and we were pretty lucky to get what we wanted and at the times we wanted.

Thats great. I'm guessing the time your going helps as well...

 

[franandaj]

I read your and and have been meaning to comment in detail, but I just keep running out of time, so I might as well just jump in and comment. That's great that you can turn a sponsored event into something fun for you and your family yet again. It sounds like you have a good balance of solo, family, and time with the guys, in addition to your committee related duties.

I know you said that you don't like Chinese food and O'hana has some Asian influences. I happen to love O'hana but then I haven't met many Asian cuisines that I don't like. However the Bananas Foster Bread Pudding they serve for dessert is one of the most out of this world yummy desserts that I have ever had!