Trip Report One enormous BirthdayversaryPalooza! aka 2 Broke Guys & a dog & Irma COMPLETED

We've been using the "2 Broke Guys" moniker for so long now, we've outlasted the TV show "2 Broke Girls" on which it was based. (Canceled!)

The idea was a year+ of saving Disney Chase Visa points to see if we could go to Victoria & Albert's for our 10 year wedding anniversary completely on their dime - and keeping a running total including additions and withdrawals (for little WDW trips along the way) much like they did at the end of every episode of that TV show - like this:

$1,678.91

And that figure is actually what we have left to spend on our trip - about double what we would need for our V&A dinner! Not to mention: points paid for our 2 AP's, some of our lodging for this trip, and many mini-trips along the way. All that meandering, planning, brainstorming and trip reporting is on this thread:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...table-of-contents.909657/page-43#post-7874545

But that can take awhile. I'll give a little background in another post. Shout out to @dizfan917 for accidentally naming this thread in a post on that one, and to @Tuvalu for inspiring the "mother thread" with links to other thread(s) format.

Also to all those who have been following all this time! As those folks know, I go back and forth between posting with my phone and my laptop, and I'm more comfortable on the laptop. I'm using the phone now, whilst not asleep in Orlando, and anxious to get this first post out of the way before I do something to accidentally make it go poof! I will tag the others in a separate post.

Can't believe we're finally here!!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I loved the citrus thistle and hope its still on the menu when we return in 2018

It was very good!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I have to second your recommendation, having done the Food & Wine Pairing in Italy twice (back when it was Alfredo's). Fantastic experience.

Anyone, everyone--if you're attending F&W, these special events are well worth it.

...and I have to say, the booths are becoming a little less worth it.

Maybe we're just "graduating" again, like when we started going to table service dinners vs. quick service LOL.

But rather than spend $69 on another "drink pass" for 8 drinks, I'd book another one of these events and skip the booths unless there was something really calling me.

 

[Tiggerish]

...and I have to say, the booths are becoming a little less worth it.

Maybe we're just "graduating" again, like when we started going to table service dinners vs. quick service LOL.

But rather than spend $69 on another "drink pass" for 8 drinks, I'd book another one of these events and skip the booths unless there was something really calling me.

Absolutely. The booths stopped being worth it to us 3 years ago. The lamb chop at Australia has always been among the most expensive items at the F&WF, and I remember it being $3.50. Like many long-time dishes, the price crept up, which is understandable, until a few years ago when the portion size started to go down as well. That's not cool.

The wine seminars stopped having value for us around 5 years ago, but we'd still go to the culinary demos because you'd get a sample of wine paired with the dish you just learned how to cook. Again, the price increased somewhat each year, but we still considered we were getting our money's worth with the DVC discount. I heard that this year they took away the wine pairing from the culinary demos, so there goes that.

 

[ScarletBegonias]

That photo album! HOW SWEET!!! Seriously choked up over here!!!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

That photo album! HOW SWEET!!! Seriously choked up over here!!!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I just liked this bathroom door on Main Street lol.

There will be no pics inside our bathrooms, @Tuvalu , and trust me, you don't want to see them, anyway. There are no flowers!

We thought about doing a few more rides after the tour, but it was already after 2:30 and we still had to go see Kylie before our relatively early dinner at V&A!

When we got back to the room:

Awww!!!

 

[bee]

I love the entire wedding story, especially...

We did this in NJ where I grew up. While planning it, civil unions became legal there, so we decided to partake of that also. Our license was #0001 and they had to cross out "wife" on the paperwork because there was no new paperwork yet.

Then we drove the Rev to Grandma's house because she was physically unable to come to the wedding, and that wouldn't do. Everyone knows she's my favorite person in the world. We really got married there with her and Grandpa, and then went through the motions again for everyone else at the hall.

Billy and I ran into each other at our ten year high school reunion, at which point we both started with, "I have to tell you something…"

Ha! Both gay and at one point had a fight over a girl named Tracy. Poor Tracy. (Not invited!) LOL.

 

[sheriffwoody]

I had the same reaction as you when I saw that picture of the towel swans with the note... "awwww!" That's so sweet!

Also, don't think I commented before but your photo album gift was a home run! Very sweet of you

Cannot wait to hear about V&A's!!!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I love the entire wedding story, especially...

I had the same reaction as you when I saw that picture of the towel swans with the note... "awwww!" That's so sweet!

Also, don't think I commented before but your photo album gift was a home run! Very sweet of you

Cannot wait to hear about V&A's!!!

Thank you, both! @bee, that was the very short version. We were on such a tight budget, gambling a bit that our wedding gifts would cover the cost. We wanted it to be nice, but not extravagant. I was bartending at the time, and started selling the remnants of my old eBay inventory to help cover the costs (I had supported myself for about 6 years prior selling music primarily on eBay until my original back injury in 2005. Tending bar was one of the only jobs I could do because you could stand up the whole time, and that was the only position that didn't hurt!)

We had so much help - the Berkely Plaza in NJ was one of the first to announce as a gay-friendly venue. Coincidentally, my brother had just gotten married to his [first] wife there about a year prior. They were completely on board and very helpful with the planning, etc. No issue of who is baking a cake or other nonsense.

The florist was just a block or two from the venue, and we could tell when we met him that he was "family." We couldn't afford to have him come and set up the room, but I knew I wanted blue orchids. He suggested what filler to add, and took the time to teach us how to set up our own centerpieces - how cool is that?! We went to Michael's crafts (with a coupon and my mother) and bought the vases. We ordered the flowers from him. The night before, we put together the centerpieces. The next morning, we found the florist had come to the venue anyway, as a favor, and fussed with the centerpieces a bit, set up our head table, and left a few extras and the corsages. (Real "pixie dust!" LOL.)

We couldn't afford 4 or 5 hours of a photographer. We hired a woman (also "family") who was eager to get a gay couple's wedding into her portfolio. I think we paid her for an hour and a half, but she stayed much longer. She sent us all the proofs, and that's what we kept for our official wedding pictures (from the ceremony through the cake.) That's why we relied so much on the disposable cameras on the tables (pre-everybody-has-a-camera-phone days) for pictures of the reception. That's why the photo album I just did was so important.

I guess we really live up to the "2 broke guys" moniker LOL. But we're very content, own a home, etc.

@sheriffwoody thank you! Brian was feeling a little bad about not being able to do much by way of gifts this year. I told him the truth: all the surprises were as much for me as him.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

With the swans, this card:

I loved that they were so thoughtful across the board.

There was very little break time, as seemed to be the case for most of our stay at the GF.

Did I ever mention the tie quandary here? I had a whole Facebook post about it and at least a hundred people voted on what tie I should wear to dinner at V&A.

I found two ties on eBay and didn't know which one to get.

So I got them both!

Overwhelmingly, my friends voted for the umbrella tie.

When I tried them on with my suit at home before the trip, I think the musical one looked a little better (to my surprise.)

But if you haven't figured by now, everything I do tends to have a reason behind it. So this happened:

That's us at the entrance to Victoria & Albert's (!!!!)

You will notice it more on Brian's suit, but it was raining a little on our way - you have to walk outdoors a bit to get from Sugarloaf to the main building LOL.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Here is a close up of Brian's tie:

Finding Nemo was the first Disney movie we watched together within our first few weeks of dating. He liked it and suggested I would, so that was the first time I saw it. He gets a kick out of Nemo and especially Dory.

For him, I was trying to find a less flashy tie, slightly more conservative, maybe something he could wear to work – basically subtle, but still Disney, and still something I knew he would connect with, not just a random Disney tie.

When I found this one, I knew it was perfect, and then I knew which Tigger tie I had to wear - because the two ties match! Tigger and Nemo are orange, Dory and the umbrellas are blue!

That kind of puzzle stuff makes me happy when it works out.

Brian just liked the tie LOL.

 

[joshsprincess921]

With the swans, this card:

View attachment 231330 View attachment 231331

I loved that they were so thoughtful across the board.

There was very little break time, as seemed to be the case for most of our stay at the GF.

Did I ever mention the tie quandary here? I had a whole Facebook post about it and at least a hundred people voted on what tie I should wear to dinner at V&A.

I found two ties on eBay and didn't know which one to get.

View attachment 231337

So I got them both!

Overwhelmingly, my friends voted for the umbrella tie.

When I tried them on with my suit at home before the trip, I think the musical one looked a little better (to my surprise.)

But if you haven't figured by now, everything I do tends to have a reason behind it. So this happened:

View attachment 231339

That's us at the entrance to Victoria & Albert's (!!!!)

You will notice it more on Brian's suit, but it was raining a little on our way - you have to walk outdoors a bit to get from Sugarloaf to the main building LOL.

Great photo of the two of you! I love the ties!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Great photo of the two of you! I love the ties!

Thanks! I think we need to order a new Disney frame for that one LOL.

 

[SSH]

That's us at the entrance to Victoria & Albert's (!!!!)

You both look fantastic. What a great pic. It is NOT easy looking that cool in the sweltering heat of an Orlando September.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

You both look fantastic. What a great pic. It is NOT easy looking that cool in the sweltering heat of an Orlando September.

Thank you, @SSH !

 

[dizfan917]

I'm on the edge of my chair waiting to hear about V&A's!!

 

[riverside]

Michael is just a very silly guy.View attachment 231034

It's an Italian wedding (at least partly) so...the Tarantella!

View attachment 231035 View attachment 231036 View attachment 231037 View attachment 231038

Love the photo album!! What a sweet idea!! Congratulations to you both!!

 

[gdisneyfans]

Then we drove the Rev to Grandma's house because she was physically unable to come to the wedding, and that wouldn't do. Everyone knows she's my favorite person in the world. We really got married there with her and Grandpa, and then went through the motions again for everyone else at the hall.

This is so sweet!!!

I'm on the edge of my chair waiting to hear about V&A's!!

Me too - can't wait to read all about it!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

So anxious to hear about V&A's! I feel like we've been waiting what a year or so for this meal!?

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I'm on the edge of my chair waiting to hear about V&A's!!

Love the photo album!! What a sweet idea!! Congratulations to you both!!

Thank you!

This is so sweet!!!


Me too - can't wait to read all about it!

So anxious to hear about V&A's! I feel like we've been waiting what a year or so for this meal!?

So, we're almost ready, then?