The sky's awake, so I'm awake! But I'm dreaming of Disney! March 2015 PTR

[CaseFace5]

Howdy everyone! Welcome to my March 2015 PTR! This trip is one I have been trying to plan for a few years now and it's finally all coming together.

This will be my third attempt at a PTR but I am bound and determined to get this thing finished! The links to my other two are in my signature if you'd like to see.

This is me, Casey, with my favorite character, Tigger!


This picture was taken on a weekend trip in 2010. The 2010 weekend trip was the last time this fellow was in Disney:

This one was taken in the parking lot at ASMo while waiting to get in.

This is my BF Sken. He went to Disney when he was about 10 years old, and then just the short trip in 2010. He doesn't remember the trip from when he was 10 and our trip in 2010 was very quick and we were with a three year old so this trip is going to be geared towards adult things!

Here are a few more pics from that quick trip!





I know this last one is really dark, but I love this picture. One of my goals this trip is to get this picture in the daylight!


We are also doing a few days at US/IOA while we are there. This was really what got Sken to go, so we have to do it. He's dying to go on the Transformers ride!

So I hope you will join me on this PTR!

 

[CaseFace5]

This post reserved for Links!

When and Where.. and About the Cast!

Where are we staying? And a real life update!

Rough plans are coming together!

210 days out! Need suggestions!

ADRs Made!

I just might have added an ADR...

March discounts released.. what does this mean for us?

A little of this.. a little of that.. Life/Disney update!

Life Update- Halloween Edition

Competition update!

Getting crafty!

What day is it?! Also, check out my family pictures!

This and That.. Quick update!

Longest update to date.. Christmas edition!

Update including but not limited to: FP+, Rough Daily plans, and Mickey Mail!

Less than 45 days away means?! Another life update!

A weekend away and under 30 Days left to go!

Frozen on Ice review and Life Update- Buried in Snow edition!

HUGE Disney update.. Two weeks out!​

​

 

[KatMark]

Casey, I'm here. I am so happy you are doing a trip with your BF and I can't wait to hear all of the details.

 

[CaseFace5]

The Plans for now
The 2015 packages don't come out until tomorrow so I have been NOT so patiently waiting to get this trip booked! You better believe that I will be booking first thing in the morning tomorrow!

We are going to be flying down to Orlando on Friday March 13th and coming home Sunday March 22nd. I think we are going to be staying at Port Orleans- French Quarter. I will also price out POR and CBR, but I think we will ultimately going with POFQ.

The plan right now is to do 3 days at Universal. I honestly think Sken will be okay with only doing two days. I did Universal on the last real trip that I went on and we only did two quarter days and were able to ride everything and the big stuff twice. So all this will come into play with the TA tomorrow morning. I am going to be booking through AAA.

More about the Cast!

Here is a fun photo from my trip in 2012

(I was with a group of cheerleaders again and this was my best attempt at a heel stretch! )

These are from my trip in 2011 with my cheer team




My dad came to visit when we were there in 2011


I have gone to Disney every year for the past few years. I did a weekend in October 2010, A few days with my cheer team in December 2011, a week in March 2012, a week in March 2013, and a weekend in April of 2014.

My favorite park is: Magic Kingdom
My Favorite Characters are: Tigger and Buzz
My Favorite food item is: Mickey waffles
What I am most looking forward to: The Mine Train! It was supposed to be haivng a soft opening in April when I went and it did not.

So all these years I have been going I have been begging Sken to come along. Every time he has said no. So I have been going with my cousin Dawn (DILLIGAF on these here Disboards), her daughter Myra and son Kaden. This is them from their trip in 2011 since I only have this one to share


We just found out two days ago that Myra has a competition at WWOS the weekend we are going to be there! So Dawn, Myra, and Kaden will be there with us for the first few days of the trip!

I must have done enough begging after all these year because Sken finally agreed to go!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of us:








His favorite park: Epcot
His favorite Character: Not sure..I'll have to ask him
His favorite food item: Beer
What he's most looking forward to: Downtown Disney, Drinking around the World, and Universal.


We are high school sweethearts, and we just bought a house together in May of this year. We also have a puppy! Her name is Tessie and she is an 11 month old black lab. She is the adorableness found in my signature from when she was three months old. Here is the picture a little bigger and her at ten months:


So that's us!

 

[KatMark]

Congrats on buying the house together.

I'm so glad that BF has finally agreed to go. We have never stayed at any of the moderates you mentioned (when we used to do moderate if was always the Coronado), but of the three you've listed, POR-Riverside would be our choice.

What age group is your cheer group? We were in Pop Warner for one year and then went back to Bill Geroge football.

Your puppy is adorable.

 

[CaseFace5]

Casey, I'm here. I am so happy you are doing a trip with your BF and I can't wait to hear all of the details.

Congrats on buying the house together.

I'm so glad that BF has finally agreed to go. We have never stayed at any of the moderates you mentioned (when we used to do moderate if was always the Coronado), but of the three you've listed, POR-Riverside would be our choice.

What age group is your cheer group? We were in Pop Warner for one year and then went back to Bill Geroge football.

Your puppy is adorable.

Hi There Kat Thanks for coming over and subscribing. I am so glad he agreed too! And last night laying in bed he said "I'm really looking forward to Disney, I think it will be a lot of fun." I didn't think I would EVER hear those words from his mouth!

The girls range from 9-13. It is a Pop Warner league. They are so much fun and our practices start up again next week so I'm looking forward to that too!

Thanks! I think shes VERY adorable but I am bias!

So glad you're following along!

 

[cogero]

Congrats on your house. Your puppy is adorable.

Going to join in.

 

[jewels1916]

Hi! I'm joining in!! Sounds like you have some fun semi-plans so far, I can't wait til 2015 pricing comes out so I can start making some plans too! I'm staying at POR for the first time in a few weeks!

Courtney

 

[CaseFace5]

Congrats on your house. Your puppy is adorable.

Going to join in.

Hi there. Welcome!

Hi! I'm joining in!! Sounds like you have some fun semi-plans so far, I can't wait til 2015 pricing comes out so I can start making some plans too! I'm staying at POR for the first time in a few weeks!

Courtney

Thanks for following along!





So I have been searching the internet since 6am looking at the 2015 prices. I had really wanted to stay at POFQ but I also looked at Pop and if I stay at Pop I would be able to save $500. So do I pay the extra to get the benefits of a moderate or save big bucks and stay at Pop where I have never stayed before? Off to do some more research and make the decision! Still have the goal to book by the end of the day today!

 

[KatMark]

So I have been searching the internet since 6am looking at the 2015 prices. I had really wanted to stay at POFQ but I also looked at Pop and if I stay at Pop I would be able to save $500. So do I pay the extra to get the benefits of a moderate or save big bucks and stay at Pop where I have never stayed before? Off to do some more research and make the decision! Still have the goal to book by the end of the day today

How much does the savings mean to you? I have to admit that I am not a fan of the values...we've stayed twice. We just find them too noisy, too busy and too crowded. I think perhaps since you got the BF to agree to go and he is excited about it, I'd go with POFQ.

 

[CaseFace5]

So I booked last night and I am happy to report that we are staying at...



















Port Orleans French Quarter!

We will be checking in on Friday march 13th and checking out on Sunday March 22nd!

I know that I could have saved a big amount.. but I figured that this is most likely the last time we will be going before children and I wanted us to have a relaxed vacation so we are going to take the extra luxuries of a moderate! Also, BF is going to want to spend a lot of time at DTD so we can take teh ferry boat over and I really like that idea.

Can these next 225 days just fly by already??









Real Life Update

We had equipment hand out for Cheer and Football last night! The girls are all really excited for this upcoming year and I am really looking forward to it too! Practice starts next week and I can't wait to get this going and ready to compete to do to Disney again! If that were to happen, I would be BROKE but happy to be going back around Christmas! But we have to work on it one thing at a time!

That's it for today!

 

[dilligaf212]

I'm here Still unsure where we will be staying. Possibly renting a house with some of the cheer girls.

 

[CaseFace5]

I'm here Still unsure where we will be staying. Possibly renting a house with some of the cheer girls.

It's about time!



Sorry I have been away a few days, the cheer season is officially started The team looks great already!


So since we are still 219 days away from Disney all we really have are rough plans.

Here is what we know so far:

Dilligaf212, Myra, and Kaden will be flying down March 12th.

Sken and I will be flying down March 13th. Checking in to POFQ. We are going to get an early flight, so that afternoon will be a park day. I almost always start my trips at Magic Kingdom so more than likely we will be there!

Another thing we know for sure is Myra is there for a competition so Dawn, Myra and Kaden will be attending that Saturday and Sunday. Sken has also said he doesn't want to go to anything cheerleading related. (He gets dragged along a lot)




Now for the rough plans:

My Parents are thinking about joining the trip for a few days. My mom works in finance for a medical profession and they are implementing new software in March so she is trying to see exactly when so they can decide if/when they are joining.

If they do join, there is a possibility that Dawn's parents will come down as well. Sken's mom is thinking of joining us too. So we might have a huge cast coming down, all to be determined in the next few months.

We also have friends who are thinking of joining us, Brad and Heather. They are huge Disney fans, and are actually taking a trip this coming October. They are talking about joining but we won't know until it gets closer.


And last but not least..


Sken has made it known during dinner with Brad and Heather the other night, that during this trip he wants to choose one thing that we do. We were talking about what we each like to do and different things that are our "must dos" and more or less telling him what to do. So he basically said that he wants to choose one thing all by himself that we do. He is going to do some research and decide.

Can't wait to see what he is going to pick!

 

[KatMark]

Back from our long weekend in Vegas and catching up.

Glad to hear that you stuck with a moderate and that you picked POFQ. We have never stayed there, but our best friends have and they love it.

I'm happy to hear that Cheer is going well so far.

And love that Sken wants to pick something for all of you do on his own. Can't wait to hear what it is.

 

[CaseFace5]

Back from our long weekend in Vegas and catching up.

Glad to hear that you stuck with a moderate and that you picked POFQ. We have never stayed there, but our best friends have and they love it.

I'm happy to hear that Cheer is going well so far.

And love that Sken wants to pick something for all of you do on his own. Can't wait to hear what it is.

Hi Kat! Glad you enjoyed your Vegas vacation. We've been twice and I know Sken is dying to go back. I told him there was NO WAY we were going a third time without going to Disney first.

WE'RE 210 DAYS AWAY FROM GOING BACK TO DISNEY WORLD!


And since we are 210 days away from our trip that also means....

30 DAYS TIL WE BOOK OUR ADR'S!!!

So my trusty followers.. what are your must do ADR's?

I know that I would like to do Tusker house one morning because their breakfast is amazing and I love going right from there to the Safari.

I also want to get a ressie at either Crystal Palace or Royal Table before park opening because I love having the non obstructed pictures with the castle.

And lastly I know I want to try Be Our Guest. In reading the reviews I know I want to try it for lunch because the lunch menu appeals more to me than dinner.

So what are your must do ADR's? We have the Dining Plan for the entire duration of the trip.

Thanks!


​

 

[dilligaf212]

You have to try Le Cellier. I think Sken will like that place. Not sure if it would be 2 or 1 credits though.
BTW I heard Myra's teams usually don't practice so that means I will have Thursday and Friday free to do what we want .
Still haven't decided where we are going to stay. Decisions decisions .

 

[KatMark]

Hi Kat! Glad you enjoyed your Vegas vacation. We've been twice and I know Sken is dying to go back. I told him there was NO WAY we were going a third time without going to Disney first.

Thanks; we really had a good time; but I'm not in a hurry to go back.

WE'RE 210 DAYS AWAY FROM GOING BACK TO DISNEY WORLD!


And since we are 210 days away from our trip that also means....

30 DAYS TIL WE BOOK OUR ADR'S!!!

Awesome!

So my trusty followers.. what are your must do ADR's?

I know that I would like to do Tusker house one morning because their breakfast is amazing and I love going right from there to the Safari.

I also want to get a ressie at either Crystal Palace or Royal Table before park opening because I love having the non obstructed pictures with the castle.

And lastly I know I want to try Be Our Guest. In reading the reviews I know I want to try it for lunch because the lunch menu appeals more to me than dinner.

So what are your must do ADR's? We have the Dining Plan for the entire duration of the trip.

Thanks!


​

Crystal Palace is a must for us and you plan on that one. We are hoping to get BOG for lunch this trip; we've done dinner three times and enjoyed it, but want to try lunch.

As for others:

Magic Kingdom -- Plaza is usually our last meal of the trip...it's become a tradition. We like it after all the heavy meals we eat the rest of the trip.

Epcot -- Rose & Crown has become a favorite for dinner and Chefs de France for lunch

Hollywood Studios -- not much there; we either eat at a resort or we will go to Sci Fi...but stick with burgers and onion rings (oh, and Mark loves the reuben sandwich)

Animal Kingdom -- Yak & Yeti is a favorite

For others not in the park, I highly recommend Kona at the Polynesian for breakfast or dinner; Boma at the Animal Kingdom for breakfast and Olivia's at Old Key West for lunch or dinner

 

[CaseFace5]

You have to try Le Cellier. I think Sken will like that place. Not sure if it would be 2 or 1 credits though.
BTW I heard Myra's teams usually don't practice so that means I will have Thursday and Friday free to do what we want .
Still haven't decided where we are going to stay. Decisions decisions .

I will look into it but I swear I heard it was closing.. that will be my homework this weekend.

That's awesome! We'll probably hang out Friday then. I know Sken is looking forward to some rides with Kaden.

And you should just bite the bullet and stay on site! But that's just my opinion! But you need to decide soon so I can link you guys to My Disney Experience!

Crystal Palace is a must for us and you plan on that one. We are hoping to get BOG for lunch this trip; we've done dinner three times and enjoyed it, but want to try lunch.

As for others:

Magic Kingdom -- Plaza is usually our last meal of the trip...it's become a tradition. We like it after all the heavy meals we eat the rest of the trip.

Epcot -- Rose & Crown has become a favorite for dinner and Chefs de France for lunch

Hollywood Studios -- not much there; we either eat at a resort or we will go to Sci Fi...but stick with burgers and onion rings (oh, and Mark loves the reuben sandwich)

Animal Kingdom -- Yak & Yeti is a favorite

For others not in the park, I highly recommend Kona at the Polynesian for breakfast or dinner; Boma at the Animal Kingdom for breakfast and Olivia's at Old Key West for lunch or dinner

Thanks Kat! I will look into all of those. I do know that Sken would most likely go for Yak & Yeti but I don't know if they have anything I will like. I happen to be a very picky eater. I eat like a 5 year old! But I will certianly check them all out tonight! Thank you!

 

[dilligaf212]

LeCellier closing was an April Fools joke. They said it was going to become an Outback Steak House

 

[CaseFace5]

Hi Everyone!

So sorry this PTR is falling behind. Work is so much crazier than I thought it would be during back to school and cheer is in full swing so I've been pretty busy.

I can say though that I am 178 days out!!

Which means.... I BOOKED OUR ADR'S!

So here is where we are at!
March 13th: Arrive in the morning. Dinner at Planet Hollywood with Dawn and the kids.
March 14th:
March 15th: Before park opening breakfast at Crystal Palace
March 16th:
March 17th:
March 18th: Breakfast Tusker House, Lunch Yak & Yeti
March 19th: Spirit of Aloha Dinner show at the Poly
March 20th:
March 21st:
March 22nd: Departure day


I have room for a few more I just don't know what to do yet. I still have to fit in 2-3 days at Universal. I am thinking about trying to do the dessert party on our last night, the 21st, or maybe a Fantasmic package.

What are your thoughts?!