Pre-Trip Not our typical Disney trip (and a bonus very typical Disney trip!)

Hi friends! For those who don't know the cast of my TRs, here we are:

M (my wife)
28
Writer/academic administrator

B (me)
28
Opera singer/voice teacher

We've been together for ten years and married for 2.5 years. We both grew up in Florida and went to WDW frequently as kids and teenagers. Then we discovered park-going as adults and realized...it's even more fun! We now live in NJ just outside of NYC and although we can't go to Disney as often as we'd like we still visit the Mouse when we visit M's family in Florida (and sometimes without visiting them...shhhh!).

Now about the title: we've been talking about doing a different kind of Disney trip for awhile now, and recently we finally picked some dates and started diving into trip planning. What makes this trip so different? We're going back to where it all began. We're going to Disney...LAND!!!

Now of course it would be silly for two East Coast girls to fly all the way to California without seeing more of what the state has to offer. So we're starting in northern CA and working our way down, and Disneyland will be at the end of the trip.

Dates: August 4-14, 2017
Flights: Southwest (we're quite loyal by this point!)
Lodging: various throughout the state

I'll post our plans a few days at a time in the following posts. Any tips for WDW veterans/first-time DLR visitors are more than welcome! We've been doing our research but the whole concept of not pre-planning very much is a little daunting. If this were a WDW trip we'd have all our ADRs planned by now, haha! We're very much looking forward to the different vibe of DLR.

Stay tuned for more!

 

[MinnieM123]

The covers sang an outreach concert this morning for school children. They loved it, except that I saw a kid in he back cower and cover his ears when I sang a high note!

Hey, I recall watching something on TV as a kid, and it showed a singer who sang a very high note, and it shattered glass. So my question is this: was that a trick they did for TV and it was not actually real? Or is there some truth to a high note that could break glass? I hope you don't think I'm an idiot for asking!

 

[bee]

Hey, I recall watching something on TV as a kid, and it showed a singer who sang a very high note, and it shattered glass. So my question is this: was that a trick they did for TV and it was not actually real? Or is there some truth to a high note that could break glass? I hope you don't think I'm an idiot for asking!

That's a great question and one I (and lots of other singers) get asked frequently! Under very precise circumstances, yes, a singer CAN shatter glass! It depends on the structure of the glass, the pitch sung, and the volume of the note sung. Here is an article that explains it scientifically better than I ever could:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-opera-singer-can-shatter-glass/

 

[bee]

M sent me this photo from home today!!! We are so close!!!

 

[MinnieM123]

View attachment 216921
M sent me this photo from home today!!! We are so close!!!

IMO, the swag from Disneyland is more appealing, than the swag they send you from WDW.

 

[bee]

IMO, the swag from Disneyland is more appealing, than the swag they send you from WDW.

This Disneyland stuff looks great!! I've never actually received swag from WDW (except MagicBands) because we never book packages. The luggage tags are so exciting!

 

[12in12]

Those luggage tags are super cute. I am jealous you just got them in the mail. Not living in the US means I never get Disney stuff sent home, not even magic bands.

 

[bee]

It's opening night! We had our cover run yesterday afternoon (all the covers/understudies performed the full show in partial costume) and it went really well! Of course little things happened here and there but I know if I had to step in last minute I'd be ready.

4 days to HOME
8 days to CALIFORNIA
14 days to DISNEYLAND
35 days to WALT DISNEY WORLD

 

[12in12]

Great that the cover run went well! You have a lot of fun countdowns going on, I can't wait to read about your trip once you are back from CA. Hopefully you will have time to finish it before you head to Florida.

 

[bee]

Great that the cover run went well! You have a lot of fun countdowns going on, I can't wait to read about your trip once you are back from CA. Hopefully you will have time to finish it before you head to Florida.

Thanks! I hope so too! My regular teaching job and my church job don't start again until the week of September 10 so I *should* have down time between California and Florida. What a crazy (good!) summer this has been/continues to be. Last year at this time I had no idea I would get to spend time in Texas, upstate New York, California, AND Florida over the summer.

By the way, today I transferred our Disney Visa rewards to our redemption card. Not to be a @Tony the Tigger copycat (copytigger?? ) but our new total is... $304.58! Add to that $320 of gift cards ($300 from Target at 5% off and $20 for "free" for using the Disney Vacation Account) and we should have most or all of our meals/drinks/snacks/incidentals at DLR covered. There may even be some left for WDW in August/September.

 

[amjt660]

It's opening night! We had our cover run yesterday afternoon (all the covers/understudies performed the full show in partial costume) and it went really well! Of course little things happened here and there but I know if I had to step in last minute I'd be ready.

4 days to HOME
8 days to CALIFORNIA
14 days to DISNEYLAND
35 days to WALT DISNEY WORLD

Somewhere within all that excitement and fun just remember to breathe.

Have a great time at DLR in particular but don't use up all the magic - leave some for my arrival on Aug 26!!

Max

 

[DisneyGigi]

Thanks! I hope so too! My regular teaching job and my church job don't start again until the week of September 10 so I *should* have down time between California and Florida. What a crazy (good!) summer this has been/continues to be. Last year at this time I had no idea I would get to spend time in Texas, upstate New York, California, AND Florida over the summer.

By the way, today I transferred our Disney Visa rewards to our redemption card. Not to be a @Tony the Tigger copycat (copytigger?? ) but our new total is... $304.58! Add to that $320 of gift cards ($300 from Target at 5% off and $20 for "free" for using the Disney Vacation Account) and we should have most or all of our meals/drinks/snacks/incidentals at DLR covered. There may even be some left for WDW in August/September.

If possible, I think I may be as excited to see your California/Disneyland photos report as I am for our WDW trip. I had such a short 4 days in California and only one day at Disneyland. I loved California, everything about it. Probably a once in a lifetime experience for me, so looking very forward to reading all about your adventures there. Who gets to go to Disneyland and Walt Disney World that close together? Lucky dogs!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

How long will you be at WDW? We are now arriving 9/4 and leaving 9/9.

Also we may sneak up for my bday 8/31! (working on it!)

 

[bee]

How long will you be at WDW? We are now arriving 9/4 and leaving 9/9.

Also we may sneak up for my bday 8/31! (working on it!)

Dern, we are leaving the morning of 9/4! If you do sneak up early please let me know!! We're there 8/31-9/4. Happy almost birthday!

Tonight (last night by this point!) was opening night and a bunch of us went out after. An older (75+) German gentleman patron came with the singers, bought me two beers, and then told me about the bladder infection he got while traveling in Europe! #operapeople But I may have gotten some gigs out of it? Who knows!

 

[deanna88]

All right, I have some down time this evening so here are some WDW details!

WHO: M and me
WHAT: Our triumphant return to WDW Passholder-ship after a 15-month absence from the parks!
WHEN: August 31-September 4
WHERE: Caribbean Beach (1 night) AND the Dolphin (3 nights)
WHY: Because we want to! (More on why this specific time later..)
HOW: Southwest, DME, Lyft, etc.

Why summer? Why a holiday weekend? Why the opening of Food and Wine? Why so soon after you get back from DisneyLAND? I present the evolution of this trip:

The original plan was to celebrate Epcot's 35th birthday (October 1, 2017) with a quick trip over that weekend (Friday-Monday). We've been planning that trip since at least February-that's when I made a reservation at Pop, anyhow.

But you all know how vacations tend to get longer and/or upgraded. When the Caribbean Beach construction announcement-and, more importantly, the $75/night gift card announcement-was made, we looked into changing resorts. We've never stayed at CBR but we've stayed at CSR and POFQ, and I have stayed at POR, so this would have completed our/my moderate resort education. The nightly rate minus $75 was just north of our original rate at Pop. We've heard/read plenty of CBR hate on these boards and elsewhere, but we figured it was such a short stay that if we hated it we would only be hating it for three nights.

We booked direct flights the day Southwest released our dates. We paid for the flight to Florida entirely with points (yay!) and the flight back half with points and half with dollars (also yay!). ADR time came around and we reserved a few things but kept the schedule mostly open so we could enjoy the Food and Wine booths. The plan was to buy our APs later this month so we could make FPs on July 31 at the 60 day mark.

It was a perfect plan.

(To be continued...)

I'll be there that weekend as well, looking forward to food and wine!

 

[Songbird76]

A few updates!

SO, my pre-Cali summer plans have changed. I was offered a professional cover contract in upstate New York for a DREAM ROLE of mine that hopefully will become one of my signature roles. In the opera world most singers have or at least hope to have 5-10 signature roles in their repertoire that they can perform over and over in different productions/with different companies so it's helpful to start learning them young. The rehearsal/performance period overlaps with the the training program in Texas. So obviously I picked the one that pays me instead of me paying them, and I will get home a week later than previously planned. That leaves only four days to pack and prepare for California! It makes me nervous but I know we will manage.

Southwest recently sent me more drink coupons!! Our next planned flight is to CA so we'll definitely enjoy a beverage or two on our way!

Last week I sold two Hamilton tickets that I bought a while ago (kind of sad, but-don't hate me Hamilfans-I have tickets for November so I'm still going to see it in New York) to help pay for the training program. Obviously I don't need that money for the program anymore, and that amount combined with my refunded deposit is enough to pay for our WDW APs!!! It's like we don't even have to save up for them!!! So I've been busy dreaming of future trips in my mind and probably driving M nuts telling her every time I have an idea for a trip.

For most classical singers Holy Week is crazy busy. Mine hasn't been too bad so far but this weekend will be busy. Today I sang for a brief Good Friday service, tomorrow night is Easter Vigil, and then of course Sunday morning is the BIG DAY. I'm already looking forward to a BIG NAP Sunday after church. Happy Easter to all those who celebrate!

Can I ask what the dream role is? I'm sorry if someone already asked...I'm woefully behind.

 

[Songbird76]

ONE MONTH DANCE!!!

We've been fine-tuning our California plans since we leave IN ONE MONTH!! We've booked our Muir Woods/Sausalito tour and decided to upgrade to include the Golden Gate cruise, because who knows when we'll get the chance to see San Francisco again?

We're looking at the Sights and Bites Hollywood tour through Tourific Escapes. We're also planning some time at Santa Monica Beach. We know all the tourist stuff will be crowded in August but we're prepared to take things slow and not kill ourselves trying to see everything.

I also booked the World of Color Dessert Party for our DCA day. I've been going back and forth on this one but I think that having seating for what may be our one and only time seeing WOC will be worth the price. Reviews indicate that it's a lot of food as well so I've moved Wine Country Trattoria to lunch and WOC will serve as dinner, dessert, drinks, and entertainment for the night.

I also have great tooth news! I had my follow-up with the endodontist and he said my tooth is healing even more quickly than he expected! I also don't have to go back to the regular dentist for the restoration because the endo was able to use my old crown.

Quick poll for those will read my TR: will you want to read about our non-Disney days?

PS Happy Fourth to my fellow Americans. We're making Portobello burgers with goat cheese on pretzel buns!

Yes! I want to hear about everything! Living vicariously!

 

[Songbird76]

@Tuvalu is my hero and of course I aspire to be just like her.

Who doesn't???

I'll at least watch Cars 3 on Netflix if not in the cinema. I will certainly report on the entire California trip. And thank you!! Thursday morning ( ) singing at 10am ( ) is an outreach show for a local summer school. Saturday evening is a gala for our patrons. I'll be singing on both. Our cover performance is next Wednesday ( ) and the full show opens Thursday!

Wow that's early to get the voice warmed up for the high notes. Break a leg!

 

[Songbird76]

That's a great question and one I (and lots of other singers) get asked frequently! Under very precise circumstances, yes, a singer CAN shatter glass! It depends on the structure of the glass, the pitch sung, and the volume of the note sung. Here is an article that explains it scientifically better than I ever could:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-opera-singer-can-shatter-glass/

They did an episode of mythbusters about it, too.

 

[Songbird76]

It's opening night! We had our cover run yesterday afternoon (all the covers/understudies performed the full show in partial costume) and it went really well! Of course little things happened here and there but I know if I had to step in last minute I'd be ready.

4 days to HOME
8 days to CALIFORNIA
14 days to DISNEYLAND
35 days to WALT DISNEY WORLD

There's always something. I was singing Iolanthe (Gilbert and Sullivan) and I was supposed to be emerging from a swamp and they couldn't get the swamp water (curtain) to drop. And then in the process of pulling it down, one of the stage hands knocked me upside the head and knocked my fairy ear wonky and I had to just rip it off and throw it aside and go look for it after I got off stage. I don't THINK anyone noticed, but it was no biggie and it's something I'll remember and be able to laugh at. Of course, it was a community theater type production, not a professional gig, so probably not as nerve-wracking.

 

[bee]

Can I ask what the dream role is? I'm sorry if someone already asked...I'm woefully behind.

The role is Donna Anna in Don Giovanni.