So, We Did It Again...

I first opened this blog thinking I'd write a lot more posts, and have written a few about soccer, music and my love of Disney World.  We've been thinking for awhile about what to do for our next vacation and it's only been 2 years since we've been to Disney World.  I'm always dropping hints that I want to go, and am following multiple blogs, tweeters, and discussion boards about Disney.


In a very casual texting discussion about it my wife, Patty, said it would be fun to go with her brother and his family when their kids are 5 and 2.  Guess what?  THEY'RE GOING TO BE 5 AND 2 THIS FALL!!!  We convinced them and Patty's dad to go with us on a trip during the kids' Fall Break.  I'm a little more than stoked.  Part of why we're going at this time is that it's during Fall Break, but also that it's during a free dining promotion.  

We kept the trip a secret from the kids for about a week until my sister-in-law's birthday party.  We ALL showed up wearing either Mickey or WDW shirts and our kids were puzzled and wondered what was going on.  Even Uncle Danny who wouldn't be caught dead in a Mickey shirt got in on the act - so they knew something was up.  I think they were more surprised and trying to process the news than immediately elated, although they are definitely excited - especially because they're going with their younger cousins Jack and James.


We decided after our last trip in October of 2010 that we REALLY want to make sure we get the dining plan whenever we go to WDW.  While it's VERY expensive if you have to pay for it the plan is a GREAT deal if it's free/included (nothing is free, after all).  Disney is only running the free dining promo for about a month and it ends on 9/29, which is the day we want to arrive.  Here's a good tip for booking with Disney - if you check in DURING a promotion and it ends during your stay, you still get the promo for the entire time.  So, we're checking in on the LAST day of the promo and we'll get to use it for our whole stay, meaning restaurants will be LESS crowded than they will be during the "meat" of the promotional period.  THAT is how you take advantage of a promo, my friends.


Only about a week elapsed before the crazy idea to do this trip and getting it booked, but it ended up being stressful for me because when I looked online it looked like moderate resorts were sold out of rooms that qualified for free dining.  I had priced out both moderates and values (which we've NEVER stayed at) and the difference was only about $200 for our length of stay, making the moderate TOTALLY worth it.  Once I got everyone in our potential group to buy in I called Disney and spoke to a WONDERFUL CM named Delta who held rooms for ALL of us and made arrangements for us.  In our discussion she told me that I should be a Disney vacation planner - and I might just agree!!  While planning the trip can be stressful I REALLY enjoy it.  I'm the self proclaimed Disney addict in our family and put it on myself, but I really do love planning a Disney trip and the pressure is part of the fun to me.

So here's the deal - we're staying at Port Orleans French Quarter, where Patty and I honeymooned in 1998.  I didn't realize how much smaller it is than the other resorts.  It's been folded into what used to be Dixie Landings, and is now called Port Orleans Riverside, but the French Quarter section is still very small for a Disney resort, which makes it more personable.  We loved it in 1998 and have read LOTS of good reviews from people who've stayed there recently.  


We'll have a Park Hopper pass, but are bypassing the water parks this time.  Park Hopper is key for us, especially since our travel companions have young children who will need mid-day breaks...and also for more convenience when planning meals.


I can start making ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations  for the uninitiated) on April 2nd and am planning on large group meals at Chef Mickey's for a dinner, Ohana at the Polynesian for a breakfast, and Crystal Palace for a dinner.  I'll also try to get a lunch for my wife and myself at Le Cellier.  I've wanted to go there for years so this might be a chance for Patty and me to have an EPCOT date.  Other than that I'm not sure about the rest of our meals, but I'm sure I'll get more of a plan together this week.


Other than that I'm going to try not to "over-plan" the trip.  I guess I'm failing there as I already am looking at crowd calendars and am amending my Excel spreadsheet from our trip in 2010 with details for this trip.  I know I'll end up over planning, but with Disney it's much better to have a plan, or at least know things to avoid, to make the trip more enjoyable for all of us.


I think Patty, her dad Mike, and sister-in-law Karen will do the inaugural Tower of Terror Ten Mile race on 9/29.  The run starts at 10pm and afterward they can hang out at the Studios til the wee hours of morning.  We'll also get to enjoy EPCOT's Food & Wine Festival, which is probably one of the things I look forward to more than others.  I LOVE trying foods and beers from around the world, and I LOVE being at EPCOT, so put 'em together and I'm a happy dude.  


All in all, I'm just happy to be going to The World again and can't wait to be immersed in the culture.  Now I have something new to write about in this blog!!