Trip Report JenniferS is live - 9/3 - 9/16

Technically this is a pre-trip report, but we’ll be going live in less than a week!

This will be my third live September trip report.
2016:
https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/jennifers-is-live-9-7-16-9-17-16.918342/#post-7389286

2017:
https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/jennifers-was-live-9-6-17-9-16-17.931263/#post-7871205

It’s going to be a lot of same old/same old, as the cast, location, and ADR’s are pretty much the same. What can I say - we like what we like. And what we like is each other, Walt Disney World, Coronado Springs, and Free Disney Dining.

First, the who.
Me, JenniferS - Uber planning, pixie dust snorting Disney-aholic, 51 year old kid at heart (despite what the mirror says).

This is Hubby. He likes the Tar Heels, the Blue Jays, food, beer, and me. Not necessarily in that order.
The words most often heard coming out of his mouth are “Whatever you want, Baby.”

This is us. We are adorable together. We’re each other’s ride or die.

Last year, we were celebrating my 50th birthday (as much as women celebrate these “milestones”).

This year, we are celebrating Mike’s 50th (both of us born in August, so it’s close enough to count) AND our 25th wedding anniversary earlier this year.

We have children, but we don’t bring them to Disney very often anymore. If they decide to get married and start giving us grand-babies, I will re-visit this decision. But for now, they stay home. We are on Jen and Mike time.

After two live trip reports, I’m not sure how wordy this report will be, but it will be heavy on pics, most especially of food! As Mike says - I’m only here for the food.

To be continued ....

 

[JenniferS]

Who can forget that bad boy ...

I know right?! He almost makes it work.

 

[JenniferS]

Must pick up USD tomorrow. I can’t wait for a more favourable exchange rate.

Plus, I’m hoping there’s still a couple of hundred stashed under my mattress. If memory serves, the envelope is on my side, 2/3 of the way down, about 1/3 of the way in.

 

[JenniferS]

After doing the airport shuffle of shame twice last year, we decided to buy new luggage.

The old fabric Swiss Gear large bag weighed 21 lbs empty. The new lightweight hard side bag only weighs 12!

And unless some big storm pops out of nowhere in the next hour or two, we won’t be needing to pack this:

 

[NYwdwfan]

Our IRL friend Dianne is arriving on 9/5, so we’ll hook up with her and her sister a few times.

@Eric1955 is joining us for at least three meals.

I know my old friend from Chit Chat @Gabe1 has overlapping dates again this year ... hoping she spots us and comes over and says hi.

We may spot @DisneyShe at the resort.

I’m not sure who else has overlapping dates, but we’re always up for a quick hello.

Mike is usually pretty easy to spot. He tends to wear a lot of TarHeels, Blue Jays, The Hip, or Canada shirts ... when he’s not wearing this beauty:
View attachment 307498View attachment 307499View attachment 307500

He’s also like 8 feet tall.

 

[JenniferS]

He’s also like 8 feet tall.

5’ 20”

 

[DisneyGigi]

Our IRL friend Dianne is arriving on 9/5, so we’ll hook up with her and her sister a few times.

@Eric1955 is joining us for at least three meals.

I know my old friend from Chit Chat @Gabe1 has overlapping dates again this year ... hoping she spots us and comes over and says hi.

We may spot @DisneyShe at the resort.

I’m not sure who else has overlapping dates, but we’re always up for a quick hello.

Mike is usually pretty easy to spot. He tends to wear a lot of TarHeels, Blue Jays, The Hip, or Canada shirts ... when he’s not wearing this beauty:
View attachment 307498View attachment 307499View attachment 307500

Definitely say hello if you see us, and I will keep an eye out for you guys. We love to walk the resort at night, so if you are out and about then, we will most likely be out there somewhere.

 

[JenniferS]

Definitely say hello if you see us, and I will keep an eye out for you guys. We love to walk the resort at night, so if you are out and about then, we will most likely be out there somewhere.

We’ll be in Casitas 1, 2, or 3, so we’ll be using that pool a lot. We like to grab coffee and walk around too. We’ll see how my hip is though. We may just be in the pool.

 

[krause]

Ahh I’m here!! All caught up and can’t wait! I your trip reports so much. Both my sisters @AKemily and @KaelyLovesDisney have overlapping dates with you and they better be watching out for a large man in a *very fancy* shirt and tie. I will not get a second trip this year (or probably even 2019) due to this:

Must pick up USD tomorrow. I can’t wait for a more favourable exchange rate.

Plus, I’m hoping there’s still a couple of hundred stashed under my mattress. If memory serves, the envelope is on my side, 2/3 of the way down, about 1/3 of the way in.

Soooo painful

 

[JenniferS]

Oh carp. I was so busy tying up all the loose ends and making sure the office will survive without me for five weeks, that I forgot to make my Mousekeeping envelopes.

(And no, I’m not bragging about how great I am. It is literally a one man show at work, and I’m the one man.)

Looks like upward slanting handwritten envelopes again this year.

 

[Rista1313]

Oh carp. I was so busy tying up all the loose ends and making sure the office will survive without me for five weeks, that I forgot to make my Mousekeeping envelopes.

(And no, I’m not bragging about how great I am. It is literally a one man show at work, and I’m the one man.)

Looks like upward slanting handwritten envelopes again this year.
View attachment 307558

How much do you give the mousekeeping each day... (if I can ask that) I did $2 a day... because I read $1 per person per day, but maybe it wasn't enough.

 

[JenniferS]

How much do you give the mousekeeping each day... (if I can ask that) I did $2 a day... because I read $1 per person per day, but maybe it wasn't enough.

We do $3. I believe the protocol is $1 per person, plus $1. We are very tidy people though.

On check out day, I leave $5, (plus all left over American change that isn’t quarters).

Not to fan the flames, but I don’t get giving $20+ to the person who brought us our food and refilled our beverages, but only $3 for the person who has to actually handle the sheets we slept on and vacuum up after us.

That’s a discussion for another forum, I guess.

 

[NYwdwfan]

We do $3. I believe the protocol is $1 per person, plus $1. We are very tidy people though.

On check out day, I leave $5, (plus all left over American change that isn’t quarters).

Not to fan the flames, but I don’t get giving $20+ to the person who brought us our food and refilled our beverages, but only $3 for the person who has to actually handle the sheets we slept on and vacuum up after us.

That’s a discussion for another forum, I guess.

presenting > cleaning imo

 

[krisri18]

All caught up, and just in time since you're flying down in a couple of days! Fingers crossed that there's no rogue hurricane to put a damper on your trip this year! Enjoy!

 

[JenniferS]

Due to ongoing NAFTA uncertainty, the CAD dropped another 55/100 of a cent again today.

$800 USD cost me $1,067.28 CAD ... and that was a supposed “preferred customer” rate.

Man, I hope there are MANY hundreds of dollars under my mattress!

 

[worldfanatic]

I'll be watching with delight.
It's fun to follow along on a 12-night vacation when you've got your own 12-night vacation to take just a week or so later.
I thought I was a specific planner...WOW...you really get into the details.
I Love it!!
Have a Blast!!

 

[Megbutnotmegan]

Your plans look amazing!! My mom and I ate a couple of times at BoG this summer and the servers let us know that we could ask for additional pasteries. So don’t feel bad about trying to score 2 plates. They are so good. Especially the blueberry muffin

 

[JenniferS]

Despite truly believing that I could write a better book (I couldn’t), Mike gets me a couple of WDW guidebooks for Christmas every year.

The Birnbaum's comes with a bunch of coupons. The Basin coupon alone covers the entire $20 purchase.

When I’m done, I’ll just leave the leftover coupons in the Resort laundry room, and hopefully someone else can use a couple of them.

 

[JenniferS]

Your plans look amazing!! My mom and I ate a couple of times at BoG this summer and the servers let us know that we could ask for additional pasteries. So don’t feel bad about trying to score 2 plates. They are so good. Especially the blueberry muffin

Assuming it’s cherry, that danish speaks to me.
Raspberry? Not so much.

 

[JenniferS]

Not today! Or for the next five weeks.
I am officially on holidays.

 

[NYwdwfan]

Despite truly believing that I could write a better book (I couldn’t), Mike gets me a couple of WDW guidebooks for Christmas every year.

The Birnbaum's comes with a bunch of coupons. The Basin coupon alone covers the entire $20 purchase.
View attachment 308108
When I’m done, I’ll just leave the leftover coupons in the Resort laundry room, and hopefully someone else can use a couple of them.

We got a card with our magicbands that was good for 10% off at Basin - I know yours don’t get shipped but ask when you check in or at the Basin counter they may be able to give you an additional discount (or not but inquiring never hurts!)