Just Engaged: An August 2010 Trip Report!

As the title suggests, this was an especially exciting trip for us and I can’t wait to share all of the fun details. Seeing as how I am lucky enough to write one of these every few months or so, I’m going to forego the normal introductions. Instead, why don’t I share five non-Disney things you might not already know about the two of us? Let’s see... non-Disney stuff?! This might be hard!

1 – We love live music! Seriously, aside from Disney, this is what we spend money on. Some of our favorite artists we’ve seen live include David Gray, Ben Folds, Brandi Carlile, Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, KT Tunstall, She & Him, Jack Johnson, A Fine Frenzy, Counting Crows, Nickel Creek, and Jimmy Buffett to name a few.

2 – We name inanimate objects and refer to them as such... this is especially true for electronics, and oddly enough they really do take on personalities. No,seriously! For example, our laptops are Petunia (mine) and Frances (his); our Garmin’s are Neville and Navi; and my camera is more affectionately known as Ginger. Weird? Maybe just a little bit. :ROFLOL:

3 – As much as I hate to admit it, we are complete and utter TV junkies. We LOVE our TV. And if I had to pick the one show we are jointly most excited to see this fall season it would have to be Dexter. Bring on the creepy.

4 – We are totally one of those couples who met at a bar. It just so happened that we both worked there while in college. Ahhh... everyone loves a good cliché, right?! :lookaroun

5 – We have a standing tradition of buying one another a book to celebrate each holiday. And when I say holiday, I mean every holiday you can think of from St. Patrick’s Day to Christmas. Usually the only time we stray outside the lines is on birthdays. We’ve built quite an impressive collection so far ranging from popular fiction to non-fiction, children’s books to biographies and we throw in some Disney “coffee table” books and “Art of’s” for good measure every now and then. Amazon is our friend! As are the myriad of used book stores we come across in the different places we visit. We already have enough to fill our own library when we buy a house!

Of course, no introduction is complete without the requisite photo, but for the heck of it, let’s go “old school.” Here we are with the elusive Rescue Rangers in 2004:

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We started planning this trip sometime after the Princess Half Marathon and eventually booked when the AP rates came out earlier in the summer. To be more precise, while I was in the midst of a quick weekend trip with my mom, Brett called and made the resort reservations, solidifying our stay at Caribbean Beach from August 13-August 17. And then, as per usual, we decided we would drive down after work on Thursday, so we booked a hotel through priceline for the night of the 12th.

Just the other day I realized that we haven’t repeated a resort since I began writing trip reports... so here’s a look back:
The Contemporary – September 2008
Old Key West – December 2008
Port Orleans Riverside – January 2009
Wilderness Lodge/Animal Kingdom Lodge – July 2009
The Beach Club – December 2009
Pop Century – March 2010
Coronado Springs – June 2010

We were both incredibly excited for this trip because we felt like it was our first truly “us” trip in a long while that spanned a decent amount of time and didn’t include some kind of endurance event to focus on. :eek: Okay, so I’m not gonna lie... I went into this trip “hoping” there’d be a little something special, but not really expecting it. There was one small detail that tipped me off ahead of time. I ALWAYS maintain the reservations and type up a minimal list of our dining plans/confirmation #s and before I could do it for this trip, Brett told me he typed it up at work one day when he had some free time. Hmmmm... interesting. I started wondering if he’d made some changes to the dining. And then I started thinking, why would he have any reason to mess with our dining?! I tried to dismiss this thought though, mostly because I didn’t want to be disappointed if it turned out he wasn’t planning on proposing. Thankfully, he did! So let’s get to it…
 

DisGal

Member
I first would like to say Congratulations! I've enjoyed all of your trip reports and wish you and Brett much happiness!

Sunset Pointe is such a great spot - so beautiful. I was married there last Nov and it was simply amazing - you are going to love it!
 

DiPSU224

Member
Ummmm, hello, POG scallops!!! Seriously, they sear the scallops in my beloved POG juice. Heaven, I tell you.

Oh the POG juice! I wish I could find it where I live so I could make the Island Sunset from the Tambu Lounge. I dream about it.

Your ring is gorgeous! A solitaire is the way to go! Classic, simple and clean. I love my princess cut engagement ring for that very reason.

Can't wait for more!
 

ohhector

Member
Thanks, ohhector! The book giving really is fun, and rather inexpensive. Plus, it still has the element of surprise.

You are so right about getting there early. I noticed you have a turnstile picture in your trip report. I took one of those this trip, as we were the first ones there. :lol:

Speaking of your report, you have a great eye for composition... I'm a big fan of your detail shots, especially.

Oh yes, and the meatball sliders WERE delicious!

Why thank you! =]
 

mouselvrmom

Well-Known Member
Thanks, Jenn. The only problem is Brett managed to top my Animal Kingdom Lodge surprise from last summer... I guess I'll have to go back to the drawing boards and see what I can come up with. :D

Don't you just hate it when people leave trip reports hanging?! Especially people with four kids and not much else to do with their time... it's as if they think they're busy or something. :lookaroun

I guess Brett must be one of those people that just have to outdo everyone else.. :lol: I try to leave Sam always wanting more, I never try to do too much. :lookaroun:D

And yes, those people totally bother me! Although I have heard that it can be pretty tough to get four kids ready for school. :eek: But come on people, that's no excuse! :lol:
 

HollyBelle

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I first would like to say Congratulations! I've enjoyed all of your trip reports and wish you and Brett much happiness!

Sunset Pointe is such a great spot - so beautiful. I was married there last Nov and it was simply amazing - you are going to love it!

You're a Sunset Pointe Bride!?! :sohappy: Uh-oh, DisGal, you maybe shouldn't have told me that... now I'm probably going to start stalking you for all kinds of Sunset Pointe/DFTW information! I need details!

Oh the POG juice! I wish I could find it where I live so I could make the Island Sunset from the Tambu Lounge. I dream about it.

Your ring is gorgeous! A solitaire is the way to go! Classic, simple and clean. I love my princess cut engagement ring for that very reason.

Can't wait for more!

What's this Island Sunset you speak of?! I haven't tried it, but oh I'm so going to have to now. Is it mixed with rum? And thanks for the compliments on my ring, I'm kinda sorta in love with it.

I guess Brett must be one of those people that just have to outdo everyone else.. :lol: I try to leave Sam always wanting more, I never try to do too much. :lookaroun:D

And yes, those people totally bother me! Although I have heard that it can be pretty tough to get four kids ready for school. :eek: But come on people, that's no excuse! :lol:

I like surprises, when I'm the one doing the surprising. I'm not usually a fan of it when it's the other way around, but that's a nice approach you've got going with Sam... it seems to be working. :lol:
 

mouselvrmom

Well-Known Member
I like surprises, when I'm the one doing the surprising. I'm not usually a fan of it when it's the other way around, but that's a nice approach you've got going with Sam... it seems to be working. :lol:

Sam and I never surpise each other. I hate surprises! But we do like to scare each other. It's weird, but we'll think up elaborate ways to terrify the other person.

I'm the queen of scaring. I once almost gave Sam a heart attack and sent him falling down the stairs. :lol: But he did give me a good one the other night. He hid in the dark when I thought he had gone upstairs for bed. I was coming around to go upstairs and something came out at me. I thought it was the cat,but it was too tall for the cat. You should have heard me scream! :lol: I think I almost woke the kids up! But it was pretty funny! I have to admit that he got me good. But you know what they say about payback. He should live in fear for awhile! :D
 

DisGal

Member
I'd be glad to help! It was so much fun planning a disney wedding, especially at the Poly, my all time favorite hotel. Ask me anything you want and let me know if you would like me to post a few pics. By the way my name is Alissa :wave:
 

Disneyfalcon

Well-Known Member
Congratulations, Holly and Brett!! I was so excited to hear you got engaged!!

I love that you knew it was going to happen as soon as you knew you were staying at the Poly, and I love even more that he was still able to surprise you.:sohappy:
 
Yay HollyBelle!! I was so excited for you when I read the TR title lol. Welcome to the engaged at Disney club! :wave:

It looks like you guys had an awesome time on your trip. ( I always love your TRs)

Congrats :)
 

DiPSU224

Member
What's this Island Sunset you speak of?! I haven't tried it, but oh I'm so going to have to now. Is it mixed with rum? And thanks for the compliments on my ring, I'm kinda sorta in love with it.
:

An island sunset is a delicious frozen adult concoction from the Tambu Lounge. I believe the recipe is in the long recipe thread. I haven't been able to make it at home because I can't find the POG juice. It does have rum in it. On our honeymoon we stayed at the Poly for half the trip and I had 2 a day. Sooo yummy!!
 

HollyBelle

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sam and I never surpise each other. I hate surprises! But we do like to scare each other. It's weird, but we'll think up elaborate ways to terrify the other person.

I'm the queen of scaring. I once almost gave Sam a heart attack and sent him falling down the stairs. :lol: But he did give me a good one the other night. He hid in the dark when I thought he had gone upstairs for bed. I was coming around to go upstairs and something came out at me. I thought it was the cat,but it was too tall for the cat. You should have heard me scream! :lol: I think I almost woke the kids up! But it was pretty funny! I have to admit that he got me good. But you know what they say about payback. He should live in fear for awhile! :D

Sam's lucky you didn't have a large heavy object in your hands to clobber him with when he jumped outta the darkness. You two are crazy. :ROFLOL:

I'd be glad to help! It was so much fun planning a disney wedding, especially at the Poly, my all time favorite hotel. Ask me anything you want and let me know if you would like me to post a few pics. By the way my name is Alissa :wave:

Thanks, Alissa! I'd definitely like to see some pictures. I'm thinking about starting some type of planning thread over on the "weddings" subforum, maybe I'll do that sooner rather than later. I've been lurking around on another board and it seems like most folks don't use Sunset Pointe because of the very limited maximum guest count (and the October-March requirement).

Congratulations, Holly and Brett!! I was so excited to hear you got engaged!!

I love that you knew it was going to happen as soon as you knew you were staying at the Poly, and I love even more that he was still able to surprise you.:sohappy:

Thanks, Tammy! We're quite excited about it! And I was totally glad he still managed to surprise me.

Yay HollyBelle!! I was so excited for you when I read the TR title lol. Welcome to the engaged at Disney club! :wave:

It looks like you guys had an awesome time on your trip. ( I always love your TRs)

Congrats :)

I'm loving this "engaged at Disney club!" And I'm super happy to be a part of it. Thanks for the well wishes!!

An island sunset is a delicious frozen adult concoction from the Tambu Lounge. I believe the recipe is in the long recipe thread. I haven't been able to make it at home because I can't find the POG juice. It does have rum in it. On our honeymoon we stayed at the Poly for half the trip and I had 2 a day. Sooo yummy!!

That is so totally the perfect way to spend your honeymoon... at the Poly with multiple adult beverages a day. Bliss! The Island Sunset is now on my must try list now, thanks for mentioning it.
 

HollyBelle

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Saturday, August 14: AK/Epcot

The plan of attack for Saturday was a morning at the Animal Kingdom. It was an EMH morning so we scheduled our Tusker House breakfast for 9:00. This way we could spend an hour riding rides before the park got packed out. Our whole schedule for the day felt off because we had such a late breakfast, relatively speaking. When we’re at Disney we tend to have breakfast around 7:30 every morning.

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So anyway, we were at the turnstiles by 7:45 am trying to decide if it would be better to hit up Kilimanjaro or Everest first. We decided to go with the safari for a couple of reasons, a) I’d much rather stand in the EE queue than the KS one, and b) Everest has a single rider line... ‘nough said.

Mornings are definitely my favorite time of day at Disney, and I LOVE being at the parks so early that you have to be “walked” to the attractions:

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This safari was one of the best ever, and while there wasn’t a single giraffe or elephant on the savannah, the animals that were out put on a show for us. First we came across the black rhino... who began charging towards us when he saw the vehicle.

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The peaceful, yet empty, savannah:

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HollyBelle

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
And for the first time ever, in all my trips on the safari, we saw the cheetahs doing something other than lying against the fence in the way back!

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Too bad the one lounging wasn’t facing our direction.

As we came upon the big finale, we could kind of see the male lion, and then as we made our way around, we had a really clear view of the lioness sitting regally upon the rock. She was so serene. There was a family behind us with a little girl, approximately 4 years old, and the dad was telling her all about how the lioness did all the work in the family and was even the hunter. He then told her it should never be that way... too cute.

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While admiring the lioness, an ostrich came out of nowhere and set up camp in front of our truck. Eventually he started slowly walking, right in the middle of the path, as if he was giving us a personal tour of the savannah.:lol: I wished so badly that we had been in the front of the vehicle because it would’ve made for a great photo op. Eventually he moved off to the wayside and gave us a loud “goodbye” as we moved along.

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And with that we sped on past the poacher’s camp and cut our two week journey short!

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HollyBelle

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Our plan was to hit up the Everest single rider line before going to breakfast, but unfortunately it was down. So, we grabbed our fastpasses and instead took our time going the long way around back to Africa. There wasn’t really time to take in an attraction before breakfast, so we just took pictures and browsed through the shops as we went.

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Back in Harambe, Brett got in the long Tusker House check-in line while I wandered about the area taking pictures.

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We quickly met Donald before being ushered inside to our table. Actually, I’m glad we met him outside because I think that picture turned out fairly well, whereas, all the ones inside were in such a dark room that I was hardly happy with any of them. I really need to purchase a flash (and more importantly, learn how to use it!) before our December trip.

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HollyBelle

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I love the Tusker House theming, especially in the buffet area! The “ceiling” is just beautiful

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Unfortunately, the one item I raved about from our last trip to Tusker House (circa 2007) wasn’t on the buffet. Does anyone else remember the little orange pastry muffins? They also served them at Breakfastosaurus before shutting it down. I loved those little things. Oh well… the food was still rather tasty; although, it’s not like it was the main event or anything. Everyone knows DAISY is the reason for Tusker House’s existence. :sohappy:And she definitely didn’t disappoint. When she came by our table she quickly noticed the button and was beside herself with excitement. She even came back a second time after visiting some other tables to give me another congratulatory hug.

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Of course, true to character, Daisy just had to check out the bling:

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