03-21-2009, 11:48 AM
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#16 | |
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03-21-2009, 12:04 PM
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#17 | |
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03-21-2009, 12:51 PM
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#18 |
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DIS Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 3,786
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Backing up a bit--Booking our trip!!
Ok--I feel the need to back up a bit--I think it's my OCD coming out and having to have an order to this PTR. So back up to November 2008!! (I found my blog post from November 21, 2008--gotta love blogs!!) I'm just going to copy/paste it here--I talk about my travel agent and I'm not sure if I'm allowed to share that info on this board so I will call her Mrs. K.
Friday, November 21, 2008 We're Going to Disney World! I booked our trip to Walt Disney World this week! We are going with the girls May 16-23, 2009 to celebrate our 10th Anniversary! We are all VERY excited! I've only been to WDW twice--when I was 3 and for a choir competition when I was a freshman in high school. Brent has been twice as well--but it has been awhile. This will be Ally and Claire's very 1st Disney trip. I wasn't sure how to go about booking our trip so my friend Terri gave me the name of her Disney travel agent. (Mrs. K) Anyone who is ever thinking they might go to WDW someday needs to write her name and number down! She is absolutely PHENOMENAL (and FREE because she works for Disney)!! She was so helpful and FULL of knowledge. I had already done quite a bit of research (me being the planner that I am) and I was a little concerned about getting reservations for the prime characters meals--especially Cinderella's Royal Table (dining in Cinderella's castle with the princesses). In the "Unoffical Guide to WDW" I read that you must call 180 days out at 7:00 a.m. EST (so that's 6 a.m. our time) and if you're lucky you'll get a reservation. The book had THREE pages with tips/tricks on how to land the reservation--synchronizing your watch with when you call and hoping for the best. Needless to say, I was a little stressed out after reading this. Well Mrs. K was able to get us reservations within minutes of getting off of the phone with me. She will also be reserving the other character meals of our choice as soon as she is able. We were able to take advantage of a great deal: Buy 4 days/nights at WDW and get 3 days/nights for FREE!! We chose the Polynesian Resort because it has great access to all of the parks AND I've always wanted to visit Hawaii. Ally is super excited about the pool! My travel agent already sent us a HUGE packet full of great info that I can't wait to look through! I just can't say enough good things about Mrs. K. She is going to help me plan our trip day-by-day using her insider knowledge of what parks to avoid on which days, how to acquire the best seats for a fireworks show, etc. So for the next several months I'm going to be in planning mode (so exciting for someone with a Type A personality like me). We will be counting down the days until May 16th!! Here is a pic of the packet she sent!!  And what was inside!!  Thanks for letting me backtrack a bit!! ADRs coming up!! I promise!!
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03-21-2009, 01:18 PM
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#19 |
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DIS Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 3,786
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ADRs!!!!
So my travel agent had told me that it would be around Dec. 20th when she would get to book the rest of my ADRs. But as you know Disney kept pushing back the date and then they made ADRs 90 days out. So it wasn't until February that she was able to book. So here was my blog entry that day--showing ADRs and which parks we'll do each day (since we don't have Park Hoppers). Oh--and we do have the Basic Dining Plan!!
Sunday, February 15, 2009 Disney Dinner Reservations--Booked!! It is 90 days before our trip to Disney World which means today is the day we book our dining reservations for our character meals! And since we have such a fabulous travel agent, I didn't have to do a thing!! She was up bright and early this morning booking our reservations for us!! Here is what we have!! I'm getting sooooo excited about our trip!!! 5/17: Hollywood Studios Play N' Dine at Hollywood & Vine Playhouse Disney Character lunch 12:00pm 5/18: Magic Kingdom Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Castle Location Crown Package 8:00am *Since this is before the park opens, you will need your confirmation number for addmittance to the park. It's a great photo op, Main St. and the castle with nobody else in your photos! Breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table 10:05am 5/19: Animal Kingdom Dinner at 'Ohana Polynesian Resort 5:05pm 5/20: Epcot Princess Storybook Breakfast Norway Pavilion in The World Showcase 8:00am *Since this is before park opening, you will need your confirmation number to enter the park. There is a ticket turnstile marked "Princess Breakfast" off to the left of the entrance  5/21: Magic Kingdom Breakfast at Chef Mickey's Contemporary Resort 7:45am *You can take the monorail over, then the Contemporary is a short walk from the Magic Kingdom. I didn't want you guys to miss the really neat Opening Ceremony at 9am 5/22: Magic Kingdom Dinner with Pooh and Friends Crystal Palace 6:30pm We don't have any ADRs booked for the day we arrive (Sat, May 16th) or the day we depart (Sat, May 23rd). However, one of those days we get to go to a park--any suggestions? Which day and which park? May 16th we will arrive at MCO at 11:38 a.m. and will depart on May 23rd at 4:50 p.m. (I booked the earliest flight coming and the latest flight going in order to maximize our time at WDW!!)
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03-21-2009, 01:37 PM
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#20 |
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Knoxville, TN
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Your ADR's look great! I love the planning but I agree it is stressful
 at times. I don't think we have any of the same park days. On the 21st though we are going to MK to watch Spectromagic and Wishes. The morning well be in AK. Are you flying in the from Memphis? I would go to a park on arrival day probably since you'll have more time then on departure day. Also I like having a character meal (breakfast or Lunch) on our departure day. You could always go 1900 Park Fare at Grand Floridian for breakfast( Mary Poppins, Alice, Pooh, Tigger, Mad Hatter) or have a nice breakfast with the characters at 'Ohana. You wouldn't have to have and early morning reservation if your not going to a park. It depends what will work better for your family. If you add another park to your Itinerary maybe Epcot or HS since you only have 1 day at each of those. But Ally might be looking forward to MK.
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Nichole
   Last edited by kaysmommie; 03-21-2009 at 01:44 PM. |
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03-21-2009, 01:49 PM
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#21 |
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Great ADR's we have many of the same!! We are doing Crystal Palace Mon, CRT Wed for bkfst and Chef M's fri for dinner. Looks like the only day that overlaps is MK on Mon. We do have hoppers so we plan to move around a lot. I am jealous of your 8a times, earliest I could get was 905a.
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03-21-2009, 01:55 PM
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#22 | |
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03-21-2009, 01:58 PM
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#23 | |
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03-22-2009, 09:02 PM
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#24 |
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Hello, coming to join in on your fun. Your girls are adorable. Maybe we'll run inot eachother somewhere with our overlaping dates
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Pam
Emily(13) Lizzie(11)  Samantha(8)  Our very magical, very first trip to Disney World!! http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2182745 Come check out my Pre Trip Report, May 09 http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2066680 |
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03-22-2009, 10:01 PM
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#25 |
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CNC Photography of Myrtle Beach, SC
Join Date: Apr 2008
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I'll join...saw you on Jensi's page.
Beautiful family! 
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03-22-2009, 10:09 PM
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#26 | |
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DIS Veteran
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03-22-2009, 10:13 PM
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#27 | |
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 Glad you're joining in!!
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03-22-2009, 10:29 PM
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#28 |
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Obsessed with Disney
Join Date: May 2007
Location: VA
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Becky, you have some great ADRs! The only one I can't comment on is Hollywood & Vine - we have had dinner there once and it was like 7 years ago!
 If it were me, I would probably get settled in on that first day, unpack, check out the Poly, just enjoy the resort, the pool, maybe a ride on the monorail and a resort dinner (Kona is delicious)! Then call it an early night. I wouldn't want to overdo on your arrival day by going to a park. Energy levels are high that first day and we can tend to forget that the trip is a marathon, not a sprint! Plus, the Poly is so beautiful - it's such a great place to just "be". Plus you could finish the day with Wishes on the beach or from your room if you have a view! The last day you coud let the girls pick which park they want to go back to - you will have been to all of them, and will have a better idea of what you may have missed. If you go early, you would still have 3 or 4 hours to hit your faves before going home. JMO! Your girls are great ages for Disney! I don't know why some people think little ones like the age of your youngest wouldn't get much out of Disney! That's crazy-talk!!  It's a wonderful place for ones that age!  Can't wait to hear more about your plans!  Sara
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(me): (DH)  (DS11) (DD9) (DD7) Current TRs: A Smile in my Heart - A Magical February 2010 Trip! Melting in May with Mom! Old TRs: May 2009 at the Poly - Just the two of us! Surprise Trip in October-Complete w/chapter links!  |
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03-22-2009, 10:41 PM
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#29 | |
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If we have a 4:50 p.m. flight--what time would we have to catch the ME back to the airport? Glad you are joining in on my PTR!!
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03-22-2009, 10:58 PM
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#30 |
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CNC Photography of Myrtle Beach, SC
Join Date: Apr 2008
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I just read back over some of your stuff....let them know at the Poly you're celebrating your anniversary. We were wearing our buttons at check in and the lady at the front desk gave us real floral leis AND they upgraded us from a standard room to a Magic Kingdom view 3rd floor w/ balcony!!!! I was like WHOA! This is awesome. We had so much fun. I did a TR on that one...it was in Sept of '09 if ya wanna check it out. Speaking of...I need to get back to uploading the pictures from my March trip.
* My DD LOVES AG too!
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