Cafeen, DxDDP, CSR, and... A Sept 2010 PTR

[Cafeen]

Sooo.....How's it going?

Well, some of you may have read my last TR. If you did, thank you. If you didn't...

Now, those of you who did may remember me PTRing on there about a trip in Feb (4-11 as a matter of fact). And then, I randomly disappeared before Christmas. No TR, dropping of the feb ADR list, etc etc. There's reasons (and excuses!) for all of that, I promise.

Before I get too deep into this, I'll introduce you to myself. My name is Cafeen. It's not my real name, but you can probably figure out what it is (hint: look down ). I'm 31 and I work for a software development company in Mobile, Alabama. Officially, I am a Quality Assurance Analyst, but I also have the "Automation Specialist" and "Associate Developer" titles that I gave myself! I may not be as outwardly a Disneyphile as others are, but none of us ever judge on outward appearances do we?

Speaking of appearances...

I'm on the right, obviously

As far as personal stuff... well, there isn't much. I'm single and I don't particularly do much outside of work, PC gaming, and randomly starting website projects in my free time that I rarely finish (doh). I've been to Disney 10 (I think!) times. 9 of those 10 times were from 1980 through 1992ish. The 10th time was just last year after a 17 year hiatus (which, if your math skills are solid, tells you that it was my first time since I became this weird thing called an "adult").

So, that's me.

Now, possibly what you came here for, other than my crappy writing skills, my "plans".

Who: Well, me. And just me. This is a solo trip. My mom may make an appearance for a couple days, we haven't hammered that out yet, but mostly will just be me and my camera.
What: Um, my Disney trip.
Where: Disney of course. More specifically CSR (again). Well, this is a hope, as I have yet to book the actual package.
When: The plan is 23 Sept - 1 Oct. I've already made my ADRs, so I'm kinda locked into these dates .
Why: Because I want to... more detail in post #2 (unless someone ninjas a post between this one and that one... in that case, it'll be more detail in my 2nd post!)
How: That's why we're all here!



Note: My sig doesn't have room, and it's more fitting here. Deal with it

Table of Contents
The Why (Warning: Wall of Text) - The reasons behind this planned trip. As the title says, it's a pretty big wall of text. You have been warned.
The ADRs... some semblance of a plan
My mom hops on board and Day 1 plans
Trip is booked! And Day 2 plans
Day 3 Plans... slight alterations to ADRs
Day 4 Plans - Epcot
Day 5 - Magic Kingdom (And some edits from the past week)
Day 6 - Hollywood Studios (bleh)

Other Posts of Note:
Cafeen's Disney Dining Plan Cost Analysis Spreadsheet - Shameless Self Promotion!

Background Posts
Daddy for a week, Emily's Special Trip to "Ally's Room" - My Sept 2009 TR. There's a considerable amount of background there.
Allow myself to introduce... myself... - This is my intro post, exciting, I know.

 

[Cafeen]

So yes, I'm posting this immediately after posting the introduction. I could have included this in there, but I didn't. It deserves it's own post!

Now, before I go into detail on the reasoning behind this trip, we're going to take a quick step back...
(insert standard flashback effects...)

So, it's early Dec 2009 now, and I have a trip on the books for Feb 4-11. It's getting close to my 45 days out and I don't have the money yet to pay for said trip . You see, I was supposed to get overtime pay for work, but we ended up not needing to pull the hours, so my dreams went *poof*. It doesn't help that I spent extra money on Beth and Emily's Christmas stuff... that I was supposed to get back (more on that later).

At any rate, the end of December comes and goes, and my plans get canceled. I also drop off the face of the DISBoards at this time... no real reason for the initial drop, other than not really wanting to read about how my trip didn't go off.

So, that's that. Let's head back to the present...
(insert sub-standard flash-forward effects)

Well, now comes to the big why part. Since my last trip was canceled, I had planned on visiting before I came back in Feb 2011 (which is what Beth and I planned when we were there in Sept). I figured, another fall trip would work out great, since we always get OT in the summer, and I should be able to save whether or not, I get any. So, in late March, I started planning.

Still, I'm avoiding the actual "Why".

Well, let's just say that 2010 has NOT been a very good year to Cafeen. Early January comes, and I pick up a project at work to develop a new internal web site to assist us getting hotfixes* through beta testing and out the door. This is a great chance for me to step-up and show my stuff! However, the excitement of this is tempered by the loss of my grandmother in New Hampshire on the same day I picked up this project .

Memare (what I called her) had been sick with multiple cancers for awhile, I found out about that shortly after I returned from Disney last time. I had been meaning to head back up there and see her at the beginning of the year, but unfortunately, that didn't happen. I also felt a lot of guilt as I had no way to get up there for the funeral (and even more guilt as I had not gone to my Pepare's funeral 5 years ago when he passed).

Unfortunately, there wasn't much else I could do, so I dove into work. Between the first week of Jan and the last week of Feb, I worked 6 days a week, almost every week. The ones where I didn't work 6, I worked 7. One week I even pulled 101 hours (just don't check the books on that, my boss split the OT into two weeks ). At least this gave me a distraction...

At the time, I was also talking to Beth (see previous TR) almost every night. I had planned to head up there for Emily's birthday (late Feb), but she was going through a lot and didn't really want me up there. Heh. Anyway, I call her on Valentine's day, just to say Happy Valentine's day, and hit Voice Mail straight off. Thinking nothing of it, I leave a message and go on my way.

I keep calling for a couple days, leaving messages on the instant voice mail, and start to get worried. A few days later, it goes to the "The number you called is either temporarily disconnected, or has blocked you" message.

So, I start to get worried, but not too bad yet. Over the next few weeks, I call every day, hoping to get through. I get nothing.

Now, in the beginning of March, I start to get sick. I get severe bronchitis every few years, and this year it was bad. I was out of work for 4 days, and nearly completely lost my voice for 2 weeks. My first day back from being sick (on a Friday, Mar 12), my mom calls me up during the day. Well, my other grandmother (this one in FL) has just passed.

So, out of a need to talk to Beth, I text her friend Tammy to get the lowdown (where the heck was she?). Well, for those who previously read my other TR... she went back to "The Jerk" (who had called DCYF on her before Christmas mind you, and who she had a Temporary Restraining Order on....) I managed to call his mom's number (because he had called me from that number before Christmas at about 3am, three times...) and she ended up calling me back. Let's just say that "angry" is an understatement. So, after much telling her that there's no way I can trust her anymore, and letting her know that our friendship was never going to be the same, and calling her out on me supporting her throughout the years while never asking for anything in return... yeah, it was done. (And, it was very hard to do with a minimal amount of voice... /shakefist at losing it!) Now, I can't blame her for making a decision for her daughter (again, see previous TR), but I can for not telling me and not thinking enough of me to let me know what was going on. This wasn't the first time either, but it will be the last.

So, after all that, I did manage to get to Grammy's funeral, so that was good. Since I live in Alabama and the rest of the grandchildren are up in New England, I felt it was important for me to show up and at least represent us.

And, my readers (if you exist!), that's where we leave off today.

Now, not everything was bad and horrible in 2010 so far. I finally got off my butt and signed up for health insurance... (something I was eligible for 5 years ago) and I built myself a nice new computer. AND the job is going really well so far, despite the massive hours I've put in. I've been impressing my boss with my programming skills and am working on carving out my own little niche in our group. So that's good. My programming skills are also getting considerably better, which is a very good thing.

*Hotfixes are what we call various bug fixes that we apply to our software between releases. We do a crap ton of these (which isn't something I agree with), so a tracking system more advanced than the old Excel sheet they've been using for years was really needed.

To Recap:
Bad Things: Lost both grandmothers , Broke off super-close friendship with someone I cared deeply about, Lost contact with a certain little girl who still has my heart, Had to cancel a birthday Disney trip, worked myself to sickness, Was sick for a week and voiceless for 2

Good Things: Impressed boss, built computer....

I still have two things left to do though. The first is the dentist . I haven't been in some 18 years and it shows . This is one of three things that I promised myself I'd do before this trip. The next step will get working on getting my driver's license again. I had let my NJ one expire when I moved to NH (I think I covered that in my DISBoards intro post...) and never got it again. If I can complete those two goals, this trip will for sure be happening (the third was Health Insurance, but I took care of that one already).

So, there's the "Why"

Next up will be the basic rundown of my plans, but they're on an Excel spreadsheet at work, so that will come tomorrow!

And here's a couple random images from last year's trip...

Yup, I took that. Ain't I great?

A nice view of the CSR, can't wait to see that view again!

 

[Cafeen]

Yup, I'm at work. It's lunch time though, so I can post (disboards, just disregard the reading I've done all morning...) or something.

At any rate, as promised, I have my ADRs here at work. So, away we go to Excel!

Thu - 23 Sept
Lunch: Most likely a CS place, as I plan to arrive in the mid-late morning.
Dinner: San Angel Inn @ 6:30pm

Fri - 24 Sept
Lunch: Liberty Tree Tavern @ 12:15pm
Dinner: Artist Point @ 7:00pm

Sat - 25 Sept
Breakfast: Tusker House @ 8:30am
Dinner: Boma @ 5:35pm

Sun - 26 Sept
Lunch: Le Cellier @ 11:30am
Dinner: Tutto Italia @ 6:05pm
(This looks like a filling day, the plan is for something lighter at Tutto)

Mon - 27 Sept
Lunch: Tony's Town Square @ 11:30am
Dinner: Citrico's @ 7:00pm

Tue - 28 Sept
Lunch: Sci-Fi Dine-In @ 11:40am
Dinner: The Yachtsman @ 6:40pm

Wed - 29 Sept
Lunch: No ADRs, probably just do CS
Dinner: Jiko @ 5:35pm

Thu - 30 Sept
Lunch: Rose & Crown @ 1:00pm
Dinner: Restaurant Marrakesh @ 6:30pm

Fri - 01 Oct
Lunch: The Plaza @ 11:50am

Now, you may notice that I didn't schedule breakfasts, well, despite it being "the most important meal of the day", I rarely (if ever) eat it. I do plan to use my 3 remaining credits to find some light breakfasts and snack credits for the others. Since I plan on staying at CSR, Maya Grill may have a couple visits from me as well (and it's typically dead in there, I got a walk up last year, at about 6pm for dinner, during Free Dining ).

Much of these places were on my list for the canceled Feb trip, most notably Artist Point and The Yachtsman.

Now, I'm not particularly concerned with milking the most I can out of the plan. It's more of a method to lock in the money for the food before I spend it on other stuff. It is about 70$ a night, so I know that I'll at least be somewhat close to breaking even. (I may want to take another look though...hmm). At any rate, I'm sure you can guess my plans per day from the above, but I'll go over them in some detail later!

 

[airforcemomof2]

Don't you hate it when people read your post, but don't say "hi"? So, hello there! I'm planning a family vacation for 5 the end of Aug/beginning of Sept and was reading the DIS boards instead of working and came across your post. Sounds like you have had a rough year! Good luck in your planning!

 

[Cafeen]

Don't you hate it when people read your post, but don't say "hi"? So, hello there! I'm planning a family vacation for 5 the end of Aug/beginning of Sept and was reading the DIS boards instead of working and came across your post. Sounds like you have had a rough year! Good luck in your planning!

To be honest, it doesn't bother me... since I spend a lot of time lurking too .

But, without further ado, welcome! And thanks.

And.. trust me, I know all about reading the DIS instead of working.

---------
Well, that's odd. My domain name that I've had isn't being recognized, hence the pictures have disappeared (or changed into red X's if you're using MSIE)... The webspace behind it still exists, and the domain is still registered in my account (until 11 Jun 2010 when I have to renew). Wierd (my other domain doesn't work either, but my 3rd one does... internet strangeness)

 

[mickeystoontown]

Just wanted to say I'm here. Now I'm going back to read the details.

 

[rndmr2]

Glad to se you back on the Boards! I'm sorry about all the craziness you've been through the past few months, sounds like you'll really need that solo trip in Sept to get away from it all. Looks like you have some good ressies planned. We are eating at a couple of those when we go in a couple weeks, can't wait!

 

[mickeystoontown]

First off, I am very sorry to hear that you lost two grandmothers. I know that it was hard on you. My sympathies to you and your family.

Second, I can't believe that Beth didn't even have the courtesy to contact you. What's up with her blocking your calls? Having worked in the legal field for as long as I have, I have seen quite a few cases like Beth's. They always want to give the Jerk (definitely not referring to you) another chance but it rarely, if ever, works out in the long run. I know that it hurt you more to lose Emily than it did Beth.

Yeah for setting goals! And I think your goals are more than attainable for you. You'll have them all met in no time at all.

You've got some great restaurants listed in your line up. Some I've eaten at and some I want to eat at.

 

[disneyyprincess]

Well hello!!!! Yay for my first post ever on the DIS!! Just wanted to let you know that your trip sounds absolutely amazing, and you most definitely deserve it! So far you've got the food covered and believe me you will be eating like a kinggg all week with those ADR's!

Can't wait to keep reading!

 

[aprilisis]

I'm really sorry for the loss of your grandmothers. That is just awful. I'm also sorry about the way things happened with Beth.
I hope you have a wonderful trip and that your year just keeps getting better & better. Your plans sound great so far. I wish our trips overlapped, but I miss you by only 3 days!!!
I'm subscribing!

 

[Cafeen]

Glad to se you back on the Boards! I'm sorry about all the craziness you've been through the past few months, sounds like you'll really need that solo trip in Sept to get away from it all. Looks like you have some good ressies planned. We are eating at a couple of those when we go in a couple weeks, can't wait!

Thanks for reading . It's been a rough start for sure, maybe the rest of the year will make up for it?

First off, I am very sorry to hear that you lost two grandmothers. I know that it was hard on you. My sympathies to you and your family.

Second, I can't believe that Beth didn't even have the courtesy to contact you. What's up with her blocking your calls? Having worked in the legal field for as long as I have, I have seen quite a few cases like Beth's. They always want to give the Jerk (definitely not referring to you) another chance but it rarely, if ever, works out in the long run. I know that it hurt you more to lose Emily than it did Beth.

Yeah for setting goals! And I think your goals are more than attainable for you. You'll have them all met in no time at all.

You've got some great restaurants listed in your line up. Some I've eaten at and some I want to eat at.

Thanks again.

As for Beth, yup. She didn't block my calls, it's just the same message when someone's number is temporarily disconnected. She still could have contacted me though, so it's no excuse. But, what's done is done and I've moved on.

The goals are pretty important. I'm not the most...ambitious of people out there. I figure if I can get these done, then it's a step toward being semi-normal

Well hello!!!! Yay for my first post ever on the DIS!! Just wanted to let you know that your trip sounds absolutely amazing, and you most definitely deserve it! So far you've got the food covered and believe me you will be eating like a kinggg all week with those ADR's!

Can't wait to keep reading!

Well, first off, Welcome to the DIS . (This is my very first "This is my first post" post too!)

I'm really looking forward to the trip, especially the ADRs. There was a lot that I missed out on last Sept (TSM, Soarin', TT, EE, BTMRR, SpaceMtn, Boma, etc), so this will be a very nice way to get to do those things.

I am REALLY looking forward to the places I didn't even try for though, Artist Point, Yachtsman... pretty much all of the Signatures.

More stuff coming up .

 

[Cafeen]

Well, I got off the phone with my mom last night, and she happened to ask me about my plans, so I told her.

She's going to try and come on the weekend and spend some time there too. It should be quite nice as the last time she went was with my bother, sister-in-law, and nephew a few years ago and they only spent a day there. This should be nice for her to get out and see a lot of the changes over the past few years, and eat some good meals to boot.

So, this will be a "partially" solo trip now .

As far as the plans, like I said, you can probably guess by my ADRs what my overall plans will be, but since this is about 5 months away and I have nothing better to do until then...

Day 1 - Arrival and Epcot
I've researched flights from Mobile, AL to Orlando, and there's a pretty standard 10:30am arrival, so that's the one I plan to be on. Getting to MCO at 10:30 puts me into the resort by noonish. Plenty of time to enjoy part of the day.

So, with that said, I am to head to Epcot (which was always my favorite park, except the first couple times I went...when it wasn't open yet ). Most of this day will just be spent meandering with my camera (/dreams of a DSLR by then...). I figure that I'll hit up one of the CS places in the WS for lunch (maybe the new Mexico CS if it's open by then, although..maybe not) and putter around until Dinner.

I have ADRs at San Angel Inn for this night (as you see above) and am really excited about them. I know, I know, reviews are all over the place for that restaurant, but pfft, I don't care. I remember eating there one of the last few times we went there as a family, and it was always my favorite WS pavilion. (Note: I'm also planning to stay at the CSR... there is a trend ).

After dinner, more meandering and riding whatever I feel like (isn't freedom grand).

I do plan to explore Mexico, Norway, and China at least pretty deeply. We missed out on getting into the nooks and crannies of these places in Sept (this is going to be a theme for this trip, I just know it), so I'm sure it'll be interesting.

And now, there is ice cream and cookies in the breakroom, so I must bid you all adieu for now.

(Don't you all just love when Email pop up comes up stating goodies, I know I do!)

 

[Cafeen]

I'm really sorry for the loss of your grandmothers. That is just awful. I'm also sorry about the way things happened with Beth.
I hope you have a wonderful trip and that your year just keeps getting better & better. Your plans sound great so far. I wish our trips overlapped, but I miss you by only 3 days!!!
I'm subscribing!

You snuck in there, sneaky little devil you.

Anyway, thank you for your concern with everything, it's truly appreciated. They both had been sick for awhile, so (as bad as this sounds to say) they are really better off at peace.

I'm really getting more and more excited by the day with the plans... I have to contain myself though, I still have about 5 1/2 months to go.

-----
In other news, looks like the OT will be a sure bet this summer, as I'm already feeling the crunch and it's only April. I've added it up and by the end of July (11 weeks), I have roughly 20-24 weeks worth of work to get done (I won't bore you with the details, yet). It's going to be hectic, but it will pay off with Disney money! Now, just to get through the next few months...

Thanks again to everyone for stopping by my little thread Hope I can continue to entertain.

 

[Cafeen]

Since today was payday, I finally was able to put that 200$ down! Wee!

So yup, it's now officially booked for the dates and place I mentioned above (23 Sept - 1 Oct @ CSR)

Day 2 (Fri 24 Sept) - Magic Kingdom
So, for day two I am planning Magic Kingdom. It's open from 9-7 (at least, that's what it said when I made my spreadsheet ), so I'm assuming it's MNSSHP night which should lower crowds a bit.

The plan is to arrive at rope drop (and without two late risers around, this won't be too difficult!) and putt around until lunch time. Knowing me, I'll probably hit up Adventure- and Frontierlands first, as they hold a bit more interest to me personally. Not a fan of walking around wet, so I'll probably put off Splash Mtn for now, but Jungle Cruise, PoTC, BTMRR will all be sure bets.

I have lunch ADRs at Liberty Tree Tavern. I had really been wanting to go here in Feb, but even before those plans fell through, this was the location that picked up the slack from a closed Crystal Palace. As such, they gave the "thanksgiving"-style meal for both lunch and dinner . Not what I was going there for (I'm a pretty picky eater, and turkey is not one of the things I enjoy). With the return to the normal lunch menus I can get something else.

After lunch, I'll most likely head over to Tomorrowland and see about Space Mtn. I've never done it (I was a bit of a wimp when I was younger), so it should be good. Either FP or just hang out in line, we'll see when we get there.

By about 5-5:30 I'll start heading out of the park and make my way to the WL. I have ADRs at Artist Point for 7pm. I'm really looking forward to here. I do like red meat, so the venison, buffalo, etc are all looking good. (Not a fan of fish either, so the salmon is out ).

Now, I'm not exactly sure when my mom is planning on coming down. If it's this day, we'll more than likely meet for dinner and head back to the resort. It's also PM EMH @ Epcot (at least, as of the aforementioned scheduling copy), so that's also an option.

That's about it for today

 

[Cafeen]

I made a slight ADR change today. Looking at my 26 Sept (Sunday), I was still annoyed at how close Le Cellier and Tutto were together. I checked online for an earlier Le Cellier and was lucky enough to nab an 11:30am for "2" (All my ADRs are for 2, since the system doesn't like the number one). This spreads it out a bit better. As an added bonus, with it being one of the first lunch times, I won't get stuck in the backlog from the 12-1 rush.

Still not sold on Tutto either, a couple things there I'll eat, but if Naples 45 (the new place being put up in Italy right now) is going to be open, and I get on the ADR quickly, then I'll swap it out.

On to the plans

So, day 2 left me visiting MK and then having dinner at Artist Point. Most likely my mom will either be with me this day, or arriving later that evening (it all depends on her work schedule and if/when she'll get the time off).

Day 3 will bring an Animal Kingdom "do-over".

If you remember my TR from last year, we did not have the best time at Animal Kingdom. It was very hot and we had not yet gotten into the groove of park touring. (I also played an epic game of phone tag!) Hopefully, this year will be better. I do plan on getting there at rope drop and heading toward the safari (since EE has a single riders line, that will be my most probable course of action). I have to remember to research my camera a bit more to find that elusive "sports mode" .

After the safari, I'll head through the trails and take pictures, making my way back over to EE. Basically just meandering and going on whatever I feel like!

I have ADRs at Yak & Yeti for noon, so I'll want to be sure that I'm in the area.

After lunch, I'll make an attempt to check out the shows. I'm not too huge on the shows and parades, but hey, gotta do what we gotta do right? The rest of the time there will be spent just doing whatever.

In the evening, I have ADRs for Boma at 6:45pm (I thought my ressies were for a lot earlier...like 5:30ish..). And now, after some wheeling and dealing... they are for 5:35 . (The wheeling and dealing consisted of me going to the online reservations and selecting the stuff I needed to select )

So as I was saying. In the evening, I have ADRs for Boma at 5:35pm. I figure I'll hop the AKL bus around 4:30-4:45 and have a little time to check out the resort before dinner. I'm sure we'll (I have changed midstream to including my mother, since I'm pretty sure she'll be around this day ) also spend some after-dinner time checking it out as well.

Magic Kingdom is open until 11 that night, so that will be an option after dinner as well. (Figuring dinner should be done by about 6:30).

Now, here comes a question. Not sure if anyone knows (if not, I can check Cheshire Figment's ticket sticky), but my mom is a FL resident. I know you have to show FL ID to pick up FL resident tickets, but would I be able to buy them for her to pick up? Not going around the system, more of a surprise for her when she doesn't have to worry about them. If anyone knows, let me know, otherwise I'll just not be lazy and look it up .

 

[aprilisis]

Your plans sound great so far- Artist Point and Boma are on my agenda in October, too!! I ate at Tutto in January & I thought it was very good. I had the Canneloni & it was cooked perfectly.
I'm not sure about the FL resident tickets.

 

[Cafeen]

Your plans sound great so far- Artist Point and Boma are on my agenda in October, too!! I ate at Tutto in January & I thought it was very good. I had the Canneloni & it was cooked perfectly.
I'm not sure about the FL resident tickets.

Yay, April turned my envelope red! Hehe

I am super excited for Artist Point. I've heard so much good stuff about that place. Not sure if my mom is going to go there with me or not, I haven't talked about which days she's coming down yet. If she does, I figure I'll either pay for her full meal and just happen to only eat half of my included app and dessert, or somehow split it up otherwise (since I estimate that I'll be paying about 20$ for myself , no sense letting her spend 40-50 just on an entree at a place she'd probably not pay OOP for).

Boma is another one that I'm really excited for. As you may remember (or you may not, either way, I'm going to tell you now ) I had missed out on this place last trip, and it was one of two that I was really looking forward to myself. There's also a good chance that it'll be both of us that day, so that will be another nice dinner. Lastly, it's the only buffet that I booked for the whole trip.

As far as Tutto, I'm interested in it, but it's not as exciting to me as every other place. Hopefully the new restaurant will be opened by then and I'll be able to snag an ADR for that day. If not, with a heavier Le Cellier lunch, I'll most likely just have something lighter (the Penne "Caprese" sounds very good).

Also, on a subject that I know you'll enjoy . I've started looking into picking up a new camera. I'm a Canon fan, ever since the SLR I bought back in 1999. Most likely going for a low end Canon DSLR, but of course, this is all dependent on if I get done what I need to get done, and if I have the spare money. I'm crossing my fingers though, as it was on Amazon for about 550$ including a 18-55mm lens. And, if I get all the stuff done, I'll likely at least spend my weekends traipsing around Alabama taking photos and seeing the sights (I've lived here for a year now, will be nice to get out of my little corner of Mobile).

 

[aprilisis]

Artist Point is SO good. I hate mushrooms and I LOVED the Portobello Soup!
Keep us posted on the Canon. I'm dying for the Rebel T1i...though, they just released the T2i. I can't keep up!

 

[Cafeen]

Day 4 Plans - Epcot
By this time of the trip, I'll have already scoped out some of WS in Epcot, had a day at MK and a day at AK. I guess it's time to head back to Epcot.

The plan is an early one. If things go right, my mom will still be down here, so we'll aim at hitting Epcot RD and heading straight for Soarin. Again, I missed this when we were down there last year (I think we went on 4 rides in Epcot total...) We may also FP it if we see it necessary. I'll continue my touring on this side of the place with Living with the Land (this little boat ride was a favorite of mine when growing up, I was sad last year when it was down for Refurb). After The Land, I'll most likely head to The Living Seas and check out there for a bit. Then, crossing over catching SSE and hitting up both MS and TT (and grabbing FPs for one or the other if either we didn't grab Soarin ones, or our window is open.)

Figuring about an hour in The Land and The Living Seas, 20-30 mins for SSE and then an hour combined MS and TT, I should be coming right up on my lunch ADR (hopefully, some of those times are way high, as that puts it around 11:30 right there, and that's the ADR time, will have to check post-SSE once in the park). So, I'll head on over to Canada for lunch at this point. I do have the 11:30 ADRs now for Le Cellier, which should be good. Although, I did notice that the DIS (wdwinfo.com) no longer lists the chocolate moose as a dessert... Hopefully they still have it and just missed it or something when entering in the information

After Lunch, depending on FP status and what I feel like doing, I'll either continue touring WS or head back to Soarin/TT/MS to pick up another FP and use the one I picked up earlier as well as ride any where the lines aren't too bad. If I go this way, I'll also hit up Journey into Imagination. Granted, I don't really like the new version, but I'll give it another shot.

I'll hang around doing whatever until about 5:30, when I'll have to head to Italy to check in for Dinner. I have 6:05 ADRs for Tutto as of now. I am hoping that the upcoming Pizza Restuarant will have been opened by then and that I'm able to snag an ADR here though. Tutto looks decent, but for an unadventurous eater such as myself, there really isn't that much to be had.

After dinner, it's more WS exploration and Illuminations to finish out the night.

On a side note, on a whim I just snagged an 8:30am @ Tuskerr House for Sat 9/25. I'll probably end up canceling Yak & Yeti for this day (not a big fan of the menu). I figure this would be fun for mom as well. Especially since most of our dining is a bit more serious and higher scale (when she's there we'll also be doing Artist Point, Citrico's, Boma, LTT lunch and Tony's).

 

[Cafeen]

Artist Point is SO good. I hate mushrooms and I LOVED the Portobello Soup!
Keep us posted on the Canon. I'm dying for the Rebel T1i...though, they just released the T2i. I can't keep up!

I am a fellow mushroom hater, so it may be worth a shot. Though I'm pretty sold on the bambi sticks (aka Venison Pot Stickers ). I have liked the venison I've had a couple of times. Maybe I can convince my mom to try that soup, and I "trade" some for some of my app .

Which leads me to another question that I'll have to figure out... they say no sharing is allowed between dining plan people and non-dining plan people. I wonder if they'd allow for us to share if we both ordered entree's though. As in, I give her some of my entree, and I take some of hers. Granted, I'm sure they couldn't control it even if we did... but I'm just wondering what the policy on that is. I'll have to pose that to the dining plan board and see what they have to say.

As far as the camera, a lot will depend on the other stuff I need to get done as well as what work throws at us. We are looking at about 2 full months of 8-7 shifts with most Saturdays covered in there, and I have more work on top of all that to get done (my boss has thrown 1 small testing project and another development project my way as well). I am looking at either the XS (10.1 MP) for 462$ or the XSi for 575$. Both come with 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 lenses, so I'd also want to look into getting a good solid low f-stop 50mm (they have a 1.8 for around 100$, or a 1.4 for 365$....) and a standard 55-200mm or so lens as well. Then a lightweight tripod... some extra batteries and SD Cards... a case.. some filters (UV & Polarizing at the very least)... This could turn real expensive quick

My brother has a relatively old Canon as well, but for the life of me, I don't know which one. I think he still uses some of his old 35mm SLR lenses with it though.

I think I'll plan it out as the trip is the reward for the dentist, and the camera for the license if I have the money. I'm liking this goal/reward setting thing I have going on. Maybe I am finally growing up! (nah)