Pre-Trip The I'm totally skipping my commencement ceremony and going to Disney instead PTR/Semi-live TR

Hello! I'm so excited to be back on the boards and planning my next trip. I literally went through a depression period after our trip last May (trip report here) and couldn't come back to the boards because it was just too sad. I knew another trip would be in my future, I just didn't know when.
When it came time to apply for graduation for my bachelors degree my husband ever so kindly suggested that perhaps a better way of celebrating would be to do it in Disney with our family instead of at a hot, boring ceremony with a bunch of strangers. I love this man!
So on to the planning:

Who: Em (that's me), My DH Luke, and our two sons (now 8 and 4)
When: May 12-19th
Where: Trying to decide between Kidani Village savannah studio and PORS RG room. We have a great offer on the table for KV, but DH is all about PORS. I have a feeling he's going to win out and that makes me sad, but there's always next year, hopefully.

We got a bit of a late start with booking so we missed our 180 day mark, but I was still able to score some ADRs that we wanted. Suggestions and comments are welcome :)

Tentative plans:
5/12
Arrive at KV or PORS 8 pm (Flying this time hooray!)

5/13
Animal Kingdom
Y&Y 12:30 pm
Sanaa 5:00 pm

5/14
Magic Kingdom
We have no ADRs for this day. Suggestions on good QS would be appreciated

5/15
DHS
Sci-Fi 11:35 am
MM Fantasmic Package 5pm (This is our first time booking this package and restaurant and we have never seen the show so any input on this would be appreciated)

5/16
Epcot
Beaches and Cream 12:30 pm
No Dinner ADR really hoping Spice Road Table will be open and accepting ressies

5/17
Magic Kingdom
BOG 4:05 pm (Scored this two days ago, cannot believe it!)

5/18
Free day
Thinking about making it a 6 day ticket so we have the option to visit a park for part of the day and spend the rest of the day at the resort relaxing

5/19
Fly out in the morning
 

Betsyboo

Well-Known Member
There are a ton of open BOG dinner times for 5/15! I just checked and made my own reservation! Thought you should check! ;)

Thank you soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are open times the whole week we are there! I just snagged one for 5pm on Friday which is the night I should be walking for commencement. It's perfect!!!

That's team work! So glad it worked out for you @Ember
 

Ember

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
52 days out and I am getting really excited!!! (I may or may not have broken out a suitcase and placed swim stuff and sunscreen in it :joyfull:). Added a few more ADRs to the trip including lunch at Brown Derby, dinner at Sci-fi (went there last time and hubs insisted upon going again :rolleyes:), and dinner at Kona Cafe. We ate lunch there last time and the service was terrible, but the food was so good we decided to give it a go for dinner. We also added another day at DHS because DME isn't getting us until 630pm on our departure day so now we can reserve FP+ for TSMM the first day there and RnRC on our last day :happy:
 
I know I'm chiming in a little late, but since this is a site of opinions I wanted to give you mine. I think you should go to your commencement, after all you worked really hard for your degree and you deserve the recognition and closure of that chapter in your life. Better yet, leave the next day! Maybe the timing won't work out for your mother in law! Who am I though! Either way, Congratulations!
 

Ember

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I know I'm chiming in a little late, but since this is a site of opinions I wanted to give you mine. I think you should go to your commencement, after all you worked really hard for your degree and you deserve the recognition and closure of that chapter in your life. Better yet, leave the next day! Maybe the timing won't work out for your mother in law! Who am I though! Either way, Congratulations!
Thanks! Everything's booked and paid off so there's no going back now!
 

alissafalco

Well-Known Member
Don't worry about it! Enjoy your trip. I left my commencement early and didn't walk. It was soooo hot, we were dying in the sun and the heavy robes, and had had enough. Besides the fact it wasn't the real diploma they handed you if you walked and they just read the names off and people walked up in no certain order. So I didn't really care about walking across a stage to get a fake piece of paper. I graduated, and got the REAL diploma mailed to me.
 

Ember

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Don't worry about it! Enjoy your trip. I left my commencement early and didn't walk. It was soooo hot, we were dying in the sun and the heavy robes, and had had enough. Besides the fact it wasn't the real diploma they handed you if you walked and they just read the names off and people walked up in no certain order. So I didn't really care about walking across a stage to get a fake piece of paper. I graduated, and got the REAL diploma mailed to me.
That's pretty much how I feel too. Plus the graduation ceremony at my university is one ceremony where you have to sit through them calling everyone's name in front of the historic building and then all the different degrees move to separate locations and then they call your name again and give you your "diploma". It's about four hours long in the hot sun. No thank you. But when I graduate with my PhD it will be in the convention center and I am definitely going to walk for that...and immediately hop on a plane to Disney after it's done :)
 

Ember

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Found this in my camera bag today :)
image.jpg
 

Ember

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Was having a seriously crappy day today and then I went and checked the mail and our luggage tags, MDE tags, and vouchers are here!!!! It turned my frown right upside down :D
 

Ember

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Just ten days to go!!! Starting to get that excited butterfly feeling in my belly!!! I am really sad and disappointed that the mine train will not be open during our trip, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that we'll be able to catch a soft opening. If we don't then it's not going to ruin our trip, but it would be a nice graduation present :) Starting to pack our stuff today. Some people may think 10 days is to early to start packing, but I am so neurotic about forgetting stuff that I am usually packed by two weeks out :joyfull:
 

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