(a Pre Trip Report fueled by cake dreams and prayers that we won't have to deal with any land-falling hurricanes during our drive along I-10)
About a week after we got home from our WDW in December, I starting getting ideas of going back for DD4's 5th birthday. It was only supposed to be a little thing...and I mean little. i.e. driving up in the morning for a day at MK, a bday meal, a night at a resort, and a drive back to my parents' house in south Florida the following morning. Besides...we had a big ski trip planned as well as several other small things...so anything moderately major to WDW was out of the question.
Fast forward to mid February...kids are at grandma's and I'm in New Orleans with DH living it up while he's in business meetings all day. I sat there at the hotel bar, frozen mudslide to my right – bloody mary to my left...and my computer in the middle.
We were around the 180 day mark for the dates I was looking at for our little blip of a trip, when I started to scheme- mainly b/c I had some grand ideas that couldn't be realized in such a little trip. DH had no clue, but I booked dining that day. I'd end up canceling it all and rebooking things after the trip got tweaked, but for now- this was my happy magical little secret.
By March, our ski trip didn't sound like it was going to happen. Various friends warned me that the local schools are very strict when reinforcing the state's attendance laws- so we were suddenly very limited with our travel dates, airfare was going nuts because of Libya (still is nuts), and none of the top ski schools wanted to work with a child who had recently turned 3 – so DH and I decided that skiing would have to wait. This was also the time that I informed DH about some room only discounts at WDW that would be expiring soon. He wasn't in love with the idea, but agreed that a smaller trip might be fun for DD4's birthday. I pretty much sprinted off with my phone at this time to book room reservations. I had to change the dates of our trip, which also meant I had to rebook all that dining (which I rebooked a third time after I revamped our park visiting schedule), but I was soooooo happy to be booking a trip. :sohappy:
So, now that I've given you an abridged version of our life story from December until present day, I might as well introduce us all...
This is DD4 (Kendall)...i.e. the one turning 5 on this trip. Kendall is our drama child- in the good, bad and scary ways. Most times it's just melting down over silly little things or coming up with crazy stories- like why we need to get her a silver Porsche 911 Turbo...but, she was recently diagnosed with a severe allergies to peanuts and tree nuts and that's our current major drama.
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This is DD2 (Sammie)...she is our easy going super sweet child...except during our last trip to WDW when she decided to act like she was 2. At least she is now fully potty trained, so I won't have to lug around diapers all day.
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***While my avatar is a pic with the girls, these bluebonnet pics are the best most recent pics of both girls.
This is me (Sandy) and DH (I think he wants to stay DH). We both work in the financial industry...and aside from vacation planning, I have a cake hobby (more on that later), and want to get back into singing after the kids get a bit older.
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***Really sad that the best pic of us involves us wearing helmets in the middle of the jungle!!! - even worse, the crowns I added to it at 2am one night when I was dealing with some insomnia!
So, now to the details of our trip. Just for the record, some of our dining has changed since I posted some threads on the dining forum- tweaked the schedule to make the most of our time.
Day 1- Aug 12th – leave the Houston area and drive to eastern side of Mobile Bay in Mobile, AL.
-trying to plan activities along the way...maybe a nature walk at the Texas Welcome Center to look for gators and a stop at the Tiger Truck Stop just outside of Baton Rouge to see the tiger.
Day 2- Aug 13th – drive from Mobile, AL to Orlando, FL.
-Once again- we'll have a few fun stops on the way. A person on Tripadvisor recommended a human maze in the Pensacola, FL area and we'll probably show the kids some things in Gainesville, FL since I lived there for several years. We're spending the night in a cheap, yet surprisingly highly rated, motel on Irlo Bronson that's just a couple of miles from the WDW Maingate.
Day 3- Aug 14th - wake up super early, check out of the motel, and check into the Contemporary!!! :sohappy: It's not my dream of staying in the tower (i.e. we're in the Garden Wing), but it's tops in convenience when you have a 30lb stroller and a little over 60lbs of kids to push around. To me, no other resort says Disney more than the CR, so this is such a happiness factor for me.
I hadn't mentioned it yet, but the WDW aspect of this trip is a surprise for our girls. The plan is to have DH drive while I man the video camera- hoping I get that great “OMG we're at Disney” reaction.
So basically- I'm hoping for tons of happy screams and squeals. And if it's a decent reaction and video- I'll be sure to get it on YouTube so I can include it in the actual trip report.
I'm sure our room won't be ready at that hour, but we'll get as much settled as we can and head over to the MK so we can make the most of day 1.
Originally, I'd planned on lunch at Crystal Palace and dinner at California Grill during Wishes, but that just eats too much of the day. I canceled Crystal Palace, but then DD4 told me she wanted to see the fireworks in front of the castle and see the parade with all the lights. She was KILLIN' ME!!! This was going to be our only time in the MK, and I was also starting to think DD4 may be on to something. Then DD2 had a night where she wouldn't let go of one of her Pooh bears...so, needless to say, I decided to redo our ENTIRE schedule. I canceled the Cali Grill ADR and booked Crystal Palace. I was able to get a 5:55pm slot, which should give us ample time for naps and enough time to find a place for MSEP and Wishes. DD2 is going to be soooo happy.
MK is open until 2am for EMH- not sure how long will last, but we'll try to make the most of it...especially since DD4 is finally 40” tall!!! (yes, we have short kids).
Day 4- Aug 15th- get up early and make it to DHS before opening
-We are going to play this day by ear....DHS is open until 11pm, but nap time and dinner are also concerns.
We have a 9:35pm ADR at 'Ohana, which will hopefully make up for us missing 'Ohana last trip (stupid monorail issues). This was originally going to be our Epcot day with dinner at Le Cellier, but with all the reports of dinner quality not being worth the $ and the other schedule changes I needed to make- doing DHS this day seemed to make the most sense.
Even though DHS is open late, I think if we can get enough in before say 5 or 6pm, we'll probably head back for a late rest before our late dinner ressie. DD4 begged for Belle in her yellow dress for her bday and we missed Beauty & the Beast last visit, so this is part 1 of me fulfilling that wish.
Day 5- Aug 16th- BIRTHDAY DAY!!!!!!!!
We start out with a 7:05am ADR at Chef Mickey's. It just seemed like the PERFECT way to start off DD4's 5th birthday. And hopefully, there will also be Skyping with grandma and grandpa as well as a cake (see farther down for cake details). I've also picked DD4's bday outfit and have it hiding in the closet. She's just asked that if we get her special shoes- we leave them in a gift bag in front of her bday outfit (no- she's not demanding or anything).The princess tiara mouse ears we got to go with it are the only really Disney part to it, but it's mainly her fave color (which she likes to call “dark pink” and involves a pouffy pettiskirt and cupcake with a candle top with pouffs and bows- So, she'll be happy).
I also bought DD2 her first pair of ears- Minnie ones (princess dresses trip 1- ears trip 2). I'm also debating about letting DD4 pick out her own pair of new special shoes as an “unbirthday” gift.
After breakfast, we head over to Epcot – and hoping to do MUCH more than we did last time.
We have a 12:45pm lunch ADR at Le Cellier...since this seems like the better deal for the $. I still don't love having a lunch, but DH has asked that I keep this...since this was supposed to be his meal.
After lunch and maybe one more attraction/ride it's back to the hotel for nap/rest time.
We return to Epcot for a 6:40pm ADR at Akershus. Here's where I really make good on that Belle in her yellow dress wish.
After dinner, we'll try and find a place somewhere in the WS for Illuminations...after that, it's evening EMH, so we'll try and get in a few rides before we're ready to drop!
Day 6 – Aug 17th- Rest Day (mainly) – today is intended to be a more lazy day
We have a 10:15a ADR at Kona...basically so that everyone has a day to sleep in
I currently have a 1pm appointment for both me and “at that point DD5” at BBB in DTD. Basically mommy/daughter princessification. I know Kendall really wants to do this again and I think it would be a blast (so, basically I don't agree with the WDWMagic member who posted on my old thread that any adult who does BBB should be slapped...not right!). I still may cancel it b/c I think I really just want a super lazy day at the pool and that just doesn't work well with glittery princess hair. We'll see.
After nap time and maybe wandering the resorts a bit, it's time to get cleaned up for dinner at Cali Grill. Right now we have a 7:30pm ADR. It's not the ideal time in my mind, but maybe Wishes will be starting up as we're paying, so we can just go outside, watch it, and head back to the room to get some sleep. This is my belated bday meal. DD4 and I are exactly 1 week apart with our bdays (a couple of CRAZY Leos!!!).
Day 7 - Aug 18th- Check out with a silver lining.
We have a 7:50am ADR at 'Ohana. I booked something like this last trip, hoping for one last hoorah with Mickey, but it was just too much of a time issue with DME and all of the packing, but this time we're driving and while we are hoping for a morning start back on the road, an early meal with Mickey and DH's fave – STITCH -seems like it might work this time.
I'll be sad to check out and leave WDW, but the real silver lining is our overnight stop on the way back. Since a trip to Vegas for us this year is super iffy and DH has been itching to go somewhere (since had a bad experience at the blackjack table at Harrah's in New Orleans and we're kind of tired of Lake Charles, LA), so for Father's Day- we gave him the gift of gambling. So, the plan is to spend the night in Biloxi, MS. The choice was between the Beau Rivage and the Hard Rock. While the Hard Rock looks nice and modern and I've heard the beds and showers are divine, the Beau is supposedly better for gaming + it reminds me soooo much of the Bellagio in Vegas. So- the Beau it is.
Day 8- Aug 19th- the day when the sadness really sets in.
I told DH I'd drive this final leg and let him sleep (i.e. so he can play blackjack until the sun comes up if he so chooses). If I can make it back early enough- maybe we can even get the dog.
And while we'll be all sad that the trip is over. Kendall will be starting Kindergarten on Monday- so we'll have plenty to occupy our time to help us focus on the next big thing!
*IT'S A LOT OF DINING- yeah- I know, we have a ton of ADRs, but considering we did 10 TS meals last trip - which was 6nts/7days- what we've booked this time is on par with that. I think TS meals also help the kids calm down a bit after getting all excited while out in the parks.
So, let me just address my hurricane fear. I've lived in a number of places, but having lived in NJ, FL and TX (only about 40 mi from Galveston)...I have a bit of a fear of these kinds of storms. It doesn't help that some of my dad's degrees are in meteorology- i.e. weather obsession. I'm not overly concerned with a storm crossing FL while we're at WDW. I mean- it wouldn't be pleasant, but it's not like having a Cat5 'cane bearing down on the gulf coast...and considering the pummeling the gulf portion of I-10 has taken in a variety of storms...it's a valid concern. So, we're just praying we make it to WDW and back without any issues.
And finally- cake. As you may have seen on some of my posts...cakes are one of my big hobbies. My cake gallery is still pretty small, but some of my cakes have been Disney themed in case you want to take a look... http://www.flickr.com/photos/houcusechickie/sets/72157624710575326/ I'm making DD4 a cake for her class before we leave on this trip. This year's cake...the Barbie Dreamvette...with Barbie and Toy Story Aliens. I don't plan on taking the remnants of this cake with us to WDW and Kendall MUST have a nice cake on her actual birthday, so I'm going to have to swallow all of my phone anxiety and call the Contemporary to start working with them to get a quote on my WDW cake idea. All cakes start with a sketch...and here are mine. The second one is a rough sketch I made while doodling during a client call. The first one is the final sketch (done while my computer took forever to boot up at work)...although still not sure if I want the roses on the base lined up with the framed edible character images (like they are on the final sketch) or if I want them in between the images (like they are on the rough sketch). OPINIONS ANYONE???
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I'm nervous to call about the cake, but even more nervous to give them my sketches. Having seen enough non-wedding cakes produced at WDW, I know they can do a white chocolate Belle and edible images, but I'm bracing myself for the price tag. I'm fully expecting around $250. It's really not a bad price when you consider all that goes into an ornate cake, but it's a lot of $ for a cake for 4 people. Still- I'll probably go for it!
What's really nuts, I've sketched this cake twice, but I have yet to sketch the Dreamvette!!! It might be good if I start sketching the cake I'm actually making!!!
So, that's pretty much it. I'll probably update this if I have any major progress with the cake or significant changes to dining or plans in general...or if I left out some silly minute detail that makes me nuts that I forgot to include it!
Thanks for reading!
About a week after we got home from our WDW in December, I starting getting ideas of going back for DD4's 5th birthday. It was only supposed to be a little thing...and I mean little. i.e. driving up in the morning for a day at MK, a bday meal, a night at a resort, and a drive back to my parents' house in south Florida the following morning. Besides...we had a big ski trip planned as well as several other small things...so anything moderately major to WDW was out of the question.
Fast forward to mid February...kids are at grandma's and I'm in New Orleans with DH living it up while he's in business meetings all day. I sat there at the hotel bar, frozen mudslide to my right – bloody mary to my left...and my computer in the middle.
We were around the 180 day mark for the dates I was looking at for our little blip of a trip, when I started to scheme- mainly b/c I had some grand ideas that couldn't be realized in such a little trip. DH had no clue, but I booked dining that day. I'd end up canceling it all and rebooking things after the trip got tweaked, but for now- this was my happy magical little secret. By March, our ski trip didn't sound like it was going to happen. Various friends warned me that the local schools are very strict when reinforcing the state's attendance laws- so we were suddenly very limited with our travel dates, airfare was going nuts because of Libya (still is nuts), and none of the top ski schools wanted to work with a child who had recently turned 3 – so DH and I decided that skiing would have to wait. This was also the time that I informed DH about some room only discounts at WDW that would be expiring soon. He wasn't in love with the idea, but agreed that a smaller trip might be fun for DD4's birthday. I pretty much sprinted off with my phone at this time to book room reservations. I had to change the dates of our trip, which also meant I had to rebook all that dining (which I rebooked a third time after I revamped our park visiting schedule), but I was soooooo happy to be booking a trip. :sohappy:
So, now that I've given you an abridged version of our life story from December until present day, I might as well introduce us all...
This is DD4 (Kendall)...i.e. the one turning 5 on this trip. Kendall is our drama child- in the good, bad and scary ways. Most times it's just melting down over silly little things or coming up with crazy stories- like why we need to get her a silver Porsche 911 Turbo...but, she was recently diagnosed with a severe allergies to peanuts and tree nuts and that's our current major drama.
This is DD2 (Sammie)...she is our easy going super sweet child...except during our last trip to WDW when she decided to act like she was 2. At least she is now fully potty trained, so I won't have to lug around diapers all day.
***While my avatar is a pic with the girls, these bluebonnet pics are the best most recent pics of both girls.
This is me (Sandy) and DH (I think he wants to stay DH). We both work in the financial industry...and aside from vacation planning, I have a cake hobby (more on that later), and want to get back into singing after the kids get a bit older.
***Really sad that the best pic of us involves us wearing helmets in the middle of the jungle!!! - even worse, the crowns I added to it at 2am one night when I was dealing with some insomnia!
So, now to the details of our trip. Just for the record, some of our dining has changed since I posted some threads on the dining forum- tweaked the schedule to make the most of our time.
Day 1- Aug 12th – leave the Houston area and drive to eastern side of Mobile Bay in Mobile, AL.
-trying to plan activities along the way...maybe a nature walk at the Texas Welcome Center to look for gators and a stop at the Tiger Truck Stop just outside of Baton Rouge to see the tiger.
Day 2- Aug 13th – drive from Mobile, AL to Orlando, FL.
-Once again- we'll have a few fun stops on the way. A person on Tripadvisor recommended a human maze in the Pensacola, FL area and we'll probably show the kids some things in Gainesville, FL since I lived there for several years. We're spending the night in a cheap, yet surprisingly highly rated, motel on Irlo Bronson that's just a couple of miles from the WDW Maingate.
Day 3- Aug 14th - wake up super early, check out of the motel, and check into the Contemporary!!! :sohappy: It's not my dream of staying in the tower (i.e. we're in the Garden Wing), but it's tops in convenience when you have a 30lb stroller and a little over 60lbs of kids to push around. To me, no other resort says Disney more than the CR, so this is such a happiness factor for me.
I hadn't mentioned it yet, but the WDW aspect of this trip is a surprise for our girls. The plan is to have DH drive while I man the video camera- hoping I get that great “OMG we're at Disney” reaction.
So basically- I'm hoping for tons of happy screams and squeals. And if it's a decent reaction and video- I'll be sure to get it on YouTube so I can include it in the actual trip report. I'm sure our room won't be ready at that hour, but we'll get as much settled as we can and head over to the MK so we can make the most of day 1.
Originally, I'd planned on lunch at Crystal Palace and dinner at California Grill during Wishes, but that just eats too much of the day. I canceled Crystal Palace, but then DD4 told me she wanted to see the fireworks in front of the castle and see the parade with all the lights. She was KILLIN' ME!!! This was going to be our only time in the MK, and I was also starting to think DD4 may be on to something. Then DD2 had a night where she wouldn't let go of one of her Pooh bears...so, needless to say, I decided to redo our ENTIRE schedule. I canceled the Cali Grill ADR and booked Crystal Palace. I was able to get a 5:55pm slot, which should give us ample time for naps and enough time to find a place for MSEP and Wishes. DD2 is going to be soooo happy.
MK is open until 2am for EMH- not sure how long will last, but we'll try to make the most of it...especially since DD4 is finally 40” tall!!! (yes, we have short kids).
Day 4- Aug 15th- get up early and make it to DHS before opening
-We are going to play this day by ear....DHS is open until 11pm, but nap time and dinner are also concerns.
We have a 9:35pm ADR at 'Ohana, which will hopefully make up for us missing 'Ohana last trip (stupid monorail issues). This was originally going to be our Epcot day with dinner at Le Cellier, but with all the reports of dinner quality not being worth the $ and the other schedule changes I needed to make- doing DHS this day seemed to make the most sense.
Even though DHS is open late, I think if we can get enough in before say 5 or 6pm, we'll probably head back for a late rest before our late dinner ressie. DD4 begged for Belle in her yellow dress for her bday and we missed Beauty & the Beast last visit, so this is part 1 of me fulfilling that wish.
Day 5- Aug 16th- BIRTHDAY DAY!!!!!!!!
We start out with a 7:05am ADR at Chef Mickey's. It just seemed like the PERFECT way to start off DD4's 5th birthday. And hopefully, there will also be Skyping with grandma and grandpa as well as a cake (see farther down for cake details). I've also picked DD4's bday outfit and have it hiding in the closet. She's just asked that if we get her special shoes- we leave them in a gift bag in front of her bday outfit (no- she's not demanding or anything).The princess tiara mouse ears we got to go with it are the only really Disney part to it, but it's mainly her fave color (which she likes to call “dark pink” and involves a pouffy pettiskirt and cupcake with a candle top with pouffs and bows- So, she'll be happy).
I also bought DD2 her first pair of ears- Minnie ones (princess dresses trip 1- ears trip 2). I'm also debating about letting DD4 pick out her own pair of new special shoes as an “unbirthday” gift.
After breakfast, we head over to Epcot – and hoping to do MUCH more than we did last time.
We have a 12:45pm lunch ADR at Le Cellier...since this seems like the better deal for the $. I still don't love having a lunch, but DH has asked that I keep this...since this was supposed to be his meal.
After lunch and maybe one more attraction/ride it's back to the hotel for nap/rest time.
We return to Epcot for a 6:40pm ADR at Akershus. Here's where I really make good on that Belle in her yellow dress wish.
After dinner, we'll try and find a place somewhere in the WS for Illuminations...after that, it's evening EMH, so we'll try and get in a few rides before we're ready to drop!
Day 6 – Aug 17th- Rest Day (mainly) – today is intended to be a more lazy day
We have a 10:15a ADR at Kona...basically so that everyone has a day to sleep in
I currently have a 1pm appointment for both me and “at that point DD5” at BBB in DTD. Basically mommy/daughter princessification. I know Kendall really wants to do this again and I think it would be a blast (so, basically I don't agree with the WDWMagic member who posted on my old thread that any adult who does BBB should be slapped...not right!). I still may cancel it b/c I think I really just want a super lazy day at the pool and that just doesn't work well with glittery princess hair. We'll see.
After nap time and maybe wandering the resorts a bit, it's time to get cleaned up for dinner at Cali Grill. Right now we have a 7:30pm ADR. It's not the ideal time in my mind, but maybe Wishes will be starting up as we're paying, so we can just go outside, watch it, and head back to the room to get some sleep. This is my belated bday meal. DD4 and I are exactly 1 week apart with our bdays (a couple of CRAZY Leos!!!).
Day 7 - Aug 18th- Check out with a silver lining.
We have a 7:50am ADR at 'Ohana. I booked something like this last trip, hoping for one last hoorah with Mickey, but it was just too much of a time issue with DME and all of the packing, but this time we're driving and while we are hoping for a morning start back on the road, an early meal with Mickey and DH's fave – STITCH -seems like it might work this time.
I'll be sad to check out and leave WDW, but the real silver lining is our overnight stop on the way back. Since a trip to Vegas for us this year is super iffy and DH has been itching to go somewhere (since had a bad experience at the blackjack table at Harrah's in New Orleans and we're kind of tired of Lake Charles, LA), so for Father's Day- we gave him the gift of gambling. So, the plan is to spend the night in Biloxi, MS. The choice was between the Beau Rivage and the Hard Rock. While the Hard Rock looks nice and modern and I've heard the beds and showers are divine, the Beau is supposedly better for gaming + it reminds me soooo much of the Bellagio in Vegas. So- the Beau it is.
Day 8- Aug 19th- the day when the sadness really sets in.
I told DH I'd drive this final leg and let him sleep (i.e. so he can play blackjack until the sun comes up if he so chooses). If I can make it back early enough- maybe we can even get the dog.
And while we'll be all sad that the trip is over. Kendall will be starting Kindergarten on Monday- so we'll have plenty to occupy our time to help us focus on the next big thing!
*IT'S A LOT OF DINING- yeah- I know, we have a ton of ADRs, but considering we did 10 TS meals last trip - which was 6nts/7days- what we've booked this time is on par with that. I think TS meals also help the kids calm down a bit after getting all excited while out in the parks.
So, let me just address my hurricane fear. I've lived in a number of places, but having lived in NJ, FL and TX (only about 40 mi from Galveston)...I have a bit of a fear of these kinds of storms. It doesn't help that some of my dad's degrees are in meteorology- i.e. weather obsession. I'm not overly concerned with a storm crossing FL while we're at WDW. I mean- it wouldn't be pleasant, but it's not like having a Cat5 'cane bearing down on the gulf coast...and considering the pummeling the gulf portion of I-10 has taken in a variety of storms...it's a valid concern. So, we're just praying we make it to WDW and back without any issues.
And finally- cake. As you may have seen on some of my posts...cakes are one of my big hobbies. My cake gallery is still pretty small, but some of my cakes have been Disney themed in case you want to take a look... http://www.flickr.com/photos/houcusechickie/sets/72157624710575326/ I'm making DD4 a cake for her class before we leave on this trip. This year's cake...the Barbie Dreamvette...with Barbie and Toy Story Aliens. I don't plan on taking the remnants of this cake with us to WDW and Kendall MUST have a nice cake on her actual birthday, so I'm going to have to swallow all of my phone anxiety and call the Contemporary to start working with them to get a quote on my WDW cake idea. All cakes start with a sketch...and here are mine. The second one is a rough sketch I made while doodling during a client call. The first one is the final sketch (done while my computer took forever to boot up at work)...although still not sure if I want the roses on the base lined up with the framed edible character images (like they are on the final sketch) or if I want them in between the images (like they are on the rough sketch). OPINIONS ANYONE???
I'm nervous to call about the cake, but even more nervous to give them my sketches. Having seen enough non-wedding cakes produced at WDW, I know they can do a white chocolate Belle and edible images, but I'm bracing myself for the price tag. I'm fully expecting around $250. It's really not a bad price when you consider all that goes into an ornate cake, but it's a lot of $ for a cake for 4 people. Still- I'll probably go for it!
What's really nuts, I've sketched this cake twice, but I have yet to sketch the Dreamvette!!! It might be good if I start sketching the cake I'm actually making!!!
So, that's pretty much it. I'll probably update this if I have any major progress with the cake or significant changes to dining or plans in general...or if I left out some silly minute detail that makes me nuts that I forgot to include it!
Thanks for reading!
Oh well, hope they're enjoying the vacay. 
