*A Christmas Trip to the World PTR*

Hey gang! I figured with less than 60 days til our long weekend to the world I thought I'd start on a PTR of sorts. (59 days actually but who's counting.... oh, that's right... ME!!!) Yes, I know, I'm not even done with my TR from May yet... But Ill finish it... soon! I promise!!!! :lookaroun

First off, same cast of characters as the last trip: Me (28) DSis - Ashley (26) and DMama (29 again) This will mark my 23rd overall trip and 3rd since last Thanksgiving. It's kinda hard getting away for a weekend here and there when you live waaaay up north in Maine like we do! :lol:

Anywho, here we are.... Cute, eh?

DSC07059.jpg

(L to R: Mama, Tigger (duh!) Me and Ashley)

That pic was taken on our most recent trip in May... It's one of only 3-4 pics we have of the three of us together (other than the Photopass pics) I think we will need to work on more pics with all three of us this time around!!

This trip was kind of - how should I put this - not last minute since we've known we were going for awhile... It was kind of an unplanned trip. When we returned in May, we thought for certain we wouldn't be returning until fall of 2012.... HA! Yeah right! Like we were gonna wait that long!!! So after some talking with Mama and Ashley, we decided to not only bump our fall 2012 trip up to spring 2012, we also decided to go back for a long weekend in November... Why November you ask? Well, mostly because that's when my sister and Mom could take off from work but also because Ashley has never been to WDW during the Christmas season... Shocking, I know! Mama and I have both been twice (once in 2001 and last year, both for Thanksgiving week)

So I went ahead booked the ADR's and waited for AP rates to come out for the resorts since we decided with a long weekend trip and another 10 day trip in the spring (we have a timeshare) and probably another long weekend next fall for MNSSHP, I did the calculations and it made more sense for us to spring for the AP's. We will be staying off-site most of the time we're there in the spring so the AP's will help cover like $100 worth of parking. (I know what you're thinking... if this is my 3rd trip since Thanksgiving, how come I just didn't buy an AP last year?!... You are so right! I should have. But the May trip and this trip weren't really planned... Hindsight.... gotta love it!!)

So the AP rates finally came out and we were going for the Poly... but unfortunately, the rates were still not low enough for us. Apparently the AP rate was not available the Saturday and Sunday we were there. RATS!! I was super bummed cause the Poly is my dream resort... Oh well... One day *sigh*.... So we ended up booking the Wilderness Lodge courtyard view. Mama loves camping and the outdoors so I figured it's right up her alley. And Ashley is pretty easy when it comes to where we stay sooooo WL it is!! This will be our first time at anything other than a Value resort so we're really excited!!! Normally we wouldn't really splurge like this as Value and Mods are good enough for us but things could change... someone could lose a job or me or Ashley could have a baby... and who knows if we will have the funds available in the future to go deluxe so we decided to go for it this time! :)

Anyone who's every stayed at WL have any suggestions for us? How is Roaring Fork? And how is the transportation situation there? Any specific rooms/floors to ask for? Were booked in a courtyard view room and we'd like to overlook the creek and pool if possible - though I know it's not guaranteed..


I should probably do some work so I will post the itinerary as soon as I can. Along with it being Ashley's first Christmastime trip, it's also going to have a lot of firsts for all of us as well.... More later!! :wave:
 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Alright so all aboard... hang on... here we go!! :)

When: Thursday Nov. 10th-Tuesday Nov. 15th 2011

Where: All Star Movies & Wilderness Lodge

Thursday 11/10 - We fly from Portland, ME on a 7:00pm flight with a layover in Dulles arriving into MCO at the fine hour of 11:59pm. We're not checking any bags, just bringing carry ons. So off to DME for the first time!! We're HOPING that at this time of night we won't have much waiting but who knows! DMe will be bringing us to the All Star Movies for the night. We toyed with the idea of just doing the WL for all 5 nights but we really couldn't fathom spending the money for a room Thursday night when we won't even get there until after 1am! So we got a preferred room at the All Star Movies for the whopping price of $98. Can't beat it! When we get to the room, we plan on crashing hard considering all 3 of us will have been up since at least 7am and worked allllll day!!

Friday 11/11- 11/11/11.. and what better way to spend it than in WDW and a with couple of "firsts". We plan on getting out of ASMo no later than 10am. We will leave our bags to be transferred to the WL, hop on a bus to Epcot where we will experience two firsts: Our first APs and first TIW card. After calculating it out and realizing we weren't going to eat enough for the DDP to be worth it, we decided TIW was for us. Besides, when we return in the spring, we will be staying off-site so DDP won't even be an option then so TIW it is! The card will pay for itself by the end of the trip so anything we save in the spring will be strictly savings! A quick walk through Epcot will bring us to our third first of the trip: Lunch at Beaches & Cream :) Ashley is a burger fan and I love ice cream soooo we figured it's the perfect place! I'm all about trying the strawberry shortcake because (like blackthidot) I am a huge strawberry fan!! Mmmm... yum!!

After B&C it's off to MK and then a short boatride where we will experience our fourth first of the trip: Our first deluxe resort! Seeing as our timeshare is off property, we don't get to stay on property all that often. So this will be our first resort above a Value. YAY!!! We don;t have anything planned until dinner so we're just going to hang around the resort, swim and just take everything in. We have dinner reservations at 'Ohana at 5:10pm - another first!! We've read many positive reviews and seeing how much HollyBelle loves it, we knew we had to give it a try. We will be passing up the Kona Cafe for this so hopefully it's worth it! After dinner we have tickets to our very first MVMCP!! I am so looking forward to this! Christmas is my favorite time of year, not just at WDW, but in general. I am excited for my sister to see all the Christmas decorations as well. And I'm super pumped to meet the characters in all their holiday attire! :) After MVMCP we'll make our way back to the WL for some rest.

Saturday 11/12 - Up bring and early for some breakfast at Roaring Fork (another first!) and then off to MGM (not sure I'll ever call it the Studios!!) The only thing on the agenda we HAVE to do is the mad dash for TSM FP and I want to take the drawing class at Magic of Disney Animation - yet another first! Oh, and get my hands on a marble cupcake at Starring Rolls! We have reservations at 2:15pm for 50's Prime Time Cafe which is one of our favorite meals on property. Always a good time! After lunch we will make our way over to MK. Dinner will be a hot dog meal from Casey's while sitting on the curb on Main St waiting for MSEP. We'll take in Wishes (of course) I'll cry (of course) and then we will enjoy EMH til 1am!

Sunday 11/13- Today we will sleep in a little and by a little I mean til maybe 8am. Quick breakfast at Roaring Fork and it's off to Epcot for the morning and part of the afternoon. Trying out something new for lunch - Les Chefs De France. I've heard mixed reviews so I'm kind of anxious... After lunch, we're going to walk through the International Gateway, hit up the Boardwalk Bakery for the first time to try a delicious looking cheesecake brownie and then head to the Studios. Fantasmic is showing tonight so we're going to go do that and anything else we missed on Saturday. Another marble cupcake might be in my future as well.....

Monday 11/14- Today we're planning on spending the whole day a Epcot. Epcot is often a park we overlook so then when we want to leisurely go through WS, we find ourselves rushing cause we haven't planned enough time. That's why on this trip we have a full day and half devoted to Epcot! Quick breakfast at RF and we're off for rope drop. We plan on venturing through all the countries with lunch at Le Cellier at 1:35pm. I also plan on scooping up a Grand Marnier Orange Slush as well as trying the strawberry shortcake at Sunshine Seasons for the first time - I can't believe I overlook my favorite dessert there before!! We'll catch Illuminations at 9 and then head back to the WL for a somewhat early night.

Tuesday 11/15- Our last day :( It begins early though with breakfast at Chef Mickey's at 8:30am so we will bring our bags down before heading over to the Contemp. After breakfast we will hit MK for some things we missed and things we want to hit again and head back to the WL around 2 to hang out by the pool and whatnot until DME. Then a 6:20pm flight out of MCO with a stop at DCA and then finally touching back down in Portland around 10:35pm.

Sooooo, it's a short trip but just long enough to see and do most everything we want. Yes, we're leaving AK out this trip. We thought about spending the last few hours the morning we leave there but we figured we'd rather stick close to the resort so MK won out on that one. Plus with breakfast at Chef Mickey's it just made more sense. There will be a trip report to follow, of course!! 59 days!! I can hardly contain myself!!!!
 

Todd L

Well-Known Member
Sounds Great...I went for Xmas in 08 and It was an amazing trip. Hope to get back again for xmas in the next few years.

Btw, I used to spend all my summers in Portland and have some really great memories of that place.

That Huge park overlooking the water at the end of congress street was a great place to spend the 4th of July.

I also recall a great sandwich place up by the park called Papa Gepetto's that made "Italian sandwiches" ...I can still taste them.

Amazing.
 
Sounds like a BLAST! In all of the million times I've been, I've never been at Christmas. Can't wait to hear how your sister likes it.

Oh, and do yourself a favor.....try at Carrot Cake Cookie in HS too!!! It's as life-changing as the cupcakes, if not more so!
 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sounds Great...I went for Xmas in 08 and It was an amazing trip. Hope to get back again for xmas in the next few years.

Btw, I used to spend all my summers in Portland and have some really great memories of that place.

That Huge park overlooking the water at the end of congress street was a great place to spend the 4th of July.

I also recall a great sandwich place up by the park called Papa Gepetto's that made "Italian sandwiches" ...I can still taste them.

Amazing.


Yes, the east end! I actually used to live on Congress St about 2 blocks back from the Eastern Prom. Lived there for 1 4th of July.... Man, what a great day that was!!! Didn't have to go anywhere for the fireworks cuz we could see them from our front porch. Nothing compared to Wishes though!! :)
 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sounds like a BLAST! In all of the million times I've been, I've never been at Christmas. Can't wait to hear how your sister likes it.

Oh, and do yourself a favor.....try at Carrot Cake Cookie in HS too!!! It's as life-changing as the cupcakes, if not more so!

Christmastime really is beautiful. I had forgotten how great it was before last year cause it had been 10 years since I'd gone during Christmas. I was only 18 then and didn't appreciate all the decorations, lights, etc. I'm really excited for my sister to see the Osbourne Lights!! :)
 

fractal

Well-Known Member
Long weekend? That's more like a short week. :ROFLOL:

I always wanted to go over Christmas. Sounds like a great plan!
 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Long weekend? That's more like a short week. :ROFLOL:

I always wanted to go over Christmas. Sounds like a great plan!

haha, I guess you're right. It is a short week. We originally we're going to fly in Friday 11/11 (arriving around 1pm) and depart 11/14 (around 6pm) but my sister and Mom get Veterans Day off (I don't but I have a bunch of vacation days left to take) so they took their time off Monday and Tuesday rather than Friday and Monday and we bumped the return to Tuesday 11/15 and decided to catch a late flight outta Portland on Thursday 11/10... Hey, we're trying to get as much bang for our buck as we can! It's not an easy trek from Portland, ME to Disney!! :lol:
 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
All I got to do is go to Disney World and I am sure you'll be there at some point!

Haha we don't go THAT much!! And actually I think our long weekend next fall will be around the same time when you will be there according to your countdown so maybe we can arrange a showdown then...
 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Just got our MVMCP tickets!! I decided to just print them at home rather than pay the $5 to have them send them to us or pick them up at Will Call. One less thing to worry about when we're there... 45 more days!!! :sohappy:
 

foreverbelle

Well-Known Member
Oh how amazing does this sound! I am so jealous that you are going around the holiday season. Seriously, its on my I want to do, even if people think its crazy list....I can't wait to hear all about it.
 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Oh how amazing does this sound! I am so jealous that you are going around the holiday season. Seriously, its on my I want to do, even if people think its crazy list....I can't wait to hear all about it.

Everyone should visit WDW at least once in their life during the holiday season. I think I'm most excited for my sister to see everything for her first time. We're going in mid-November so I don't know if every park will have all their decorations up but at least MK will!! :)
 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So we've reached the 10 day mark! Got the big manila envelope with our hotels confirmations, ADR's, ME stuff.... Suitcase is out and I'm ready to start getting stuff together tonight. We got SNOW the other night so I think I can safely pack my shorts and sundresses since I won't need them anytime soon with this weather! :mad:

Oh, and I can do the online check in today but where we're arriving so late (probably not til 1am) I don't expect it to be busy at all. So I may just wait and do check in when we arrive.

So excited!!! :D
 

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