Pre-Trip The DeVille made me do it

Okay so here we go... first time trying to do one of these but I made it official today so I thought I would do this so my friends won't be the only ones bombarded by my Disney trip OCD.

The who: just me, Bret, 42 high school math teacher. Lover of Cruella. This will only be my second trip to the world and it like the first time will be a solo trip so that I can have fun.

The when: October 3-11. We have a balanced schedule at school so we have a 2 week fall break so I decided to take 9 days.

The where: Pop century. I stayed there on the first trip and it was fine. I picked value because my major splurge is the deluxe dining plan. More on that in a moment...

The why: This trip is the culmination of my first year at my current job. It took time for me to get the job of my dreams, teaching students that others have given up on, but I finally got it...so reward!
The fact that I can take this trip in October is a bonus! Food and wine fest! The chew tapings at Epcot! The rare chance to meet the goddess that is Cruella at MNSSHP! It seemed prefect. And it also gives me a chance to try some of the places I couldn't eat at last time... I love trying new dining.

Today I pulled the trigger a few days early. I was waiting until I got my summer school pay check to pay for everything, but when I did my morning check on pricing the Disney site said they could no longer get me the flight I wanted. Indy has a delta hub and their flight times to Orlando are great!
The flight down I wanted lands in Orlando at 8:30am giving me a nearly full first day. And the flight back doesn't leave until 7:30pm so basically a half day on the final. Today Disney started saying no more morning flights, which I really didn't believe... So off to the delta sight I go and get my preferred flight times. So today I bought just the flight...later this week I get the room, the tickets, the dining, and probably the memory maker ( for a solo traveler, having the Disney photographers taking care of so much picture taking saves time and having to ask strangers to take my picture).

Starting the planning now...

 

[LisaBelle]

Glad the flights you wanted were available! Will look forward to reading more about your plans.

 

[Zipadeelady]

Hello fellow Hoosier!! I would love to do a solo trip, i'm a little envious. Can't wait to hear about your dining choices.

 

[Crew DeVille]

Hello fellow Hoosier!! I would love to do a solo trip, i'm a little envious. Can't wait to hear about your dining choices.

Hoosier hellos back at you! I often take trips with friends but Disney is special. I like the solo thing because I get to do what I want when I want. I never have to worry that someone else is tired or doesn't want to ride something or (more important for me) that they won't want to take the time for meal and just grab something and run. It is my vacation and I get to have fun how I want to have fun! I am already plotting the dining plans...a set of favorites from the first trip (chef de France, jiko) some brand new spots ( skipper canteen, be our guest if I can get it) and characters galore(Tusker house, askerhaus, crystal palace, chef Mickey). It is going to be a blast!

 

[Crew DeVille]

Glad the flights you wanted were available! Will look forward to reading more about your plans.

I was glad I could get them too! My guess is that Disney only gets so many seats on the flight and they sold out so I went straight to the source. I should still be good on my dme since delta is part of the program anyway. The planning is underway...one thing I have to watch outside of the Disney sites is the ticket sight for ABCs the chew which will be at Epcot three days during my trip.

 

[jrogue]

A solo trip! Sounds like it will be a lot of fun. Super jealous and excited to read along!

 

[Crew DeVille]

A solo trip! Sounds like it will be a lot of fun. Super jealous and excited to read along!

Thanks glad to have you tag along for the wacky that will certainly ensue. I read your sister trip report and was so impressed with your photos...I know mine won't be half as good. Tomorrow or Saturday is the big day when I get to pay for everything and start setting up my meal plan so look out for that.

 

[jrogue]

Thanks glad to have you tag along for the wacky that will certainly ensue. I read your sister trip report and was so impressed with your photos...I know mine won't be half as good. Tomorrow or Saturday is the big day when I get to pay for everything and start setting up my meal plan so look out for that.

Thank you!! And I am sure your pictures will be great. I'll keep an eye out for the meal plan!

 

[Crew DeVille]

Since I am all about jumping the gun I started setting dining reservations today. I know that I am 90 days late in doing this so I am not going to get everything I want first try...

Monday October 3:arrival day. During the first trip I found that I will totally need a nap when I normally have dinner so only set up lunch... Liberty tree tavern. This was also my first meal during the first trip so kind of a traditional start.

Tuesday: an Epcot day. Lunch at biergarten dinner at chefs de France. I missed biergarten last time but loved my chefs de france so one new and one return.

Wednesday: a split at HS and then MK. Lunch at 50s prime time dinner at the jungle cruise skippers canteen. Really wanted a Sci-fi but it is booked solid the whole trip right now so I have to haunt the reservations until I get in. I am giving 50s a reprieve, it was my least favorite meal the last time.

Thursday: early Epcot and then animal kingdom. Lunch at restaurant Marrakech dinner at tiffens both new to me.

Friday: a weird day that is not planned yet. Breakfast at Kona cafe. Lunch at reglan road. Dinner at artist pointe. Never been to Kona need to try Tonga toast. Never been to reglan but it looks like the corporate cousin of a favorite in Bloomington, IN called the Irish lion. Tried to do artist pointe my first night of the first trip but was SOOO tired that I only had an app before I had to leave. This time I am waiting to give it the time it deserves.

Saturday AK and probably HS later. Only have lunch set so far Yak and yeti. Must get mango pie!

Sunday MK then Epcot. Late breakfast at crystal palace lunch garden grill dinner via Napoli. Crystal palace was the one character breakfast I could get right now...still going to try for askerhaus, Tusker house and chef Mickey as I haunt the reservation system. Never had garden grill before. Returning to via Napoli just for the rice ball app.

Monday an AK day. But both meals are at AK lodge... Lunch at Sanaa dinner at jiko. Probably my favorite non character meal on the first trip was jiko. The tomato and watermelon salad was a highlight as was the vegetable curry they made for me. Had to go back.

Tuesday final day MK. I have a late flight out so I have time for lunch at be our guest.

So I have three breakfast I am searching for and sci fi... But everything else I got what I wanted maybe not exactly when I wanted time wise but my constant haunt of the res system can hopefully fix that!

 

[Crew DeVille]

Haunting the reservation system does pay off... Scored a Saturday morning Cindy's Royal Table. It wasn't even on my radar but it popped up as I did my scan for breakfast reservations! I will be having that magical trip into the castle again! And I really did just set reservations starting today so this is kick !

 

[joshsprincess921]

Not interested in Mama Melrose at HS? You might enjoy it instead since you didn't care for 50s. Unless you can pick up Sci.

 

[Crew DeVille]

Not interested in Mama Melrose at HS? You might enjoy it instead since you didn't care for 50s. Unless you can pick up Sci.

I looked at mama. The menu doesn't excite me honestly. Heck half the reason Napoli made the cut again was the rice ball appetizer. Truthfully I almost never go to Italian restaurant they are too hit or miss (usually miss) for me.

 

[Crew DeVille]

It is early Saturday afternoon and the trip is now fully official! Paid for my 8 nights at pop century! Paid for my deluxe dining and memory maker. Paid for MNSSHP. It's is all paid and I am ready to get going.

I linked everything to MDE and ordered my magic band. I had to think I like the cool side of the color palate so it was green blue and purple that it all came down to. I went with purple because the green was too bright and the blue just didn't feel right. I know, I know... I am talking about picking a magic band color, how geektacular is that?
I am excited about choosing the wrist band color.

The lovely girl who helped me set everything up was so nice. She asked about celebrations and I told her about my last year (a tale I would rather not go into right now) and that this is also a late birthday treat so we put the bday mark on everything.

I plan on celebrating. Now that the exhausting part of waiting for my summer school pay is done I can relax for a week before I start fall class planning. Tomorrow I plan on visiting the Indianapolis zoo and imagining it is AK...

 

[Crew DeVille]

This morning was a good time to play with the dining reservations. I found a late breakfast on my last day at Tusker house. Couldn't pass it up so I pushed back my meal at be our guest and moved my jiko from Monday night to Saturday night to fit it in. Right now I am officially only looking for one more meal and hopefully a change over to sci fi. This makes me happy!

 

[Crew DeVille]

So for anyone reading along right now I am OCDing about the ADRs. This morning, I got an email from the touringplans.com reservation finder application. ( If you are looking for those last few ADRs you wanted and don't want to spend every moment in the reservation system, this FREE program checks for the location time and dates you want for any two restaurants several times a day then will alert you when it finds what you want). Akershus breakfast found and after a few clicks set! You do have to be fast and go online to grab the spots you want when the system says they found it.

So updated meals so far:
Arrival day: lunch at Liberty tree
Day two: lunch at biergarten and then dinner at chefs de France
Day three: lunch at 50s prime time ( think I will keep this as I looked back I may have had a headache that day on the first trip so this place may have gotten short shift due to head pain). Dinner at skippers' canteen
Day four: breakfast at akershus (loved it the first trip. Because I was alone Belle kept peeking out of her photo spot and waving at me because we book flirted during our picture.) lunch restaurant Marrakech dinner tiffins
Day five: breakfast a Kona lunch at raglan road dinner at artist point
Day six: breakfast at cinderella's royal table (as with this on the first trip I lucked into an open spot and could not say no.) lunch at yak and yeti dinner at jiko ( moved this one)
Day seven: breakfast at crystal palace lunch at garden grill dinner at via Napoli
Day eight: lunch at Sanaa
Leave day: breakfast at Tusker house lunch at be our guest. ( I have a late flight out so I should have time for a quick service before I leave)

It is always an adventure arranging this stuff. Still hoping to snag chef Mickey breakfast and a sci fi dinner.

 

[Crew DeVille]

I just did a dance of joy! It was a big shiny happy dance! I saw on allears.net that they were bringing back club villian at Hollywood studios for Halloween. A spot on guarantee for me to meet CRUELLA! Booked it 10 minutes ago. I am dizzy with Disney joy. I will cry I swear to god cry when I meet her. This is now officially my dream vacation.

 

[FlaggNL]

I'm in for the following! Enjoy making plans and enjoy the pre feelings!!

 

[Crew DeVille]

I have not forgotten you all I am just very busy. Classes started today and last week was constant professional training. No new dining updates, no The Chew ticket releases and my 60 day mark hits Thursday. I suppose the only thing of Disney interest is that delta double charged me. It wasn't that they charged me twice as much, but they charged me for two sets of round trip tickets. I was very confused but I read online that this seems to be a regular problem for them. I got it taken care of but I had to wait until today because their customer care center isn't open weekends.

 

[Crew DeVille]

Yesterday was yesterday and today is today...second day of the school year and I am already loving my kids. I mostly have freshmen this year and they are willing to play and be involved. This afternoon I got an unfamiliar buzz on the phone. I was confused until I figured out it was a text, not something I normally get, lol. The touringplans.com reservation finder had found one of the two things I had it search for! I had not set my final night dinner and decided if I could get it I wanted to try Minnie's Halloween dine at Hollywood and Vine. Yes another character meal, I like having the fun of interaction even though I am on a solo trip. At this point I have it searching for one last official meal, a breakfast at chef mickey's and a spot at Sci Fi dine-in that could replace my 50's prime time.

For those keeping track that would use all my meals. Plus the breakfast at Cindy's which you prepay for so I am not using dining credit for, come on it is prepaid! And the club villian dinner which is also totally paid for.

Two days until my 60 day window opens.

 

[Crew DeVille]

Yeah 60 day mark! My insomnia made it easy to take care of the online check in, but fast passes were going to be a bit more of a challenge. 7am start time only gave me 15 minutes before kids showed up in my classroom. Knowing that I tried to have a plan for what I wanted on which days. Most stuff worked out fine but frozen ever after was going to be a challenge no matter what. The best I could get was a late afternoon on my unplanned day. Here is hoping that my power walking means I get a shot at it earlier on the morning of my akershus breakfast. Just got done grading protest for this semester so I am worn out...I will post the list tomorrow.