bellebookworm9
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 25, 2009
Helllllloooo! I returned from this trip almost three weeks ago now so I figured I should finally start writing this TR before I forget all of the details!
I’m betting I have some readers hopping over from my previous TRs for DLR in May and maybe even from DCL in February, but hopefully there are some new readers, too, so I’ll introduce myself, of course.
I’m Gretchen, on the right. 27 years old, audiologist in the Pacific Northwest, travel agent specializing in Disney on the side, cat mom of three. As you can see from my trip list in my signature, I have a number of WDW trips under my belt plus four months as WDW College Program cast member and an additional three months as a seasonal (read: full time hours with no benefits) cast member immediately following the CP.
My mom, Debbie, is on the left. She is my frequent Disney travel companion but does not have quite as many trips on her list as I do. She’s 61 (I know, she doesn’t look it - may I inherit her good genes) and works in a group home in our hometown of Buffalo, NY.
I actually meant to start writing this sooner but 7 business days before I left, my office had physician #6 start seeing patients, and since I’ve returned, I’ve been averaging over 40 hours a week there, plus my TA stuff, plus my weekend volunteer with a low-cost Cat Spay/neuter Program, and I’ve just been lacking motivation!
We started planning this trip earlier this year when the initial rumors started that IllumIantions might be coming to a close. It’s our favorite show, and I knew we needed to see it one last time. I only have 8 days off this year and I have my first ABD trip planned next spring, so for a vacation of any decent length, it would have to be over a long weekend, and my office doesn’t have Columbus Day off. That essentially left us with Labor Day.
OK, it would be hot, but we can work with that. Plus we would get the benefits of Food & Wine Festival and MNSSHP! I changed our resort no less than four times (it might actually have been more).
Started off at Pop, switched to Coronado with Free Dining, finally became eligible for travel agent rates and switched to Port Orleans Riverside Royal Room with no dining, and then started panicking about the cost of this trip and ended up at Art of Animation in a Little Mermaid Room. I’ve stayed there twice before in the family suites, once with Mom, and it’s really one of my favorite resorts.
I bought myself a ticket for Disney After Hours on arrival night (Mom’s flight was getting in too late) and both of us tickets for the MNSSHP on Labor Day. Four day hoppers for both of us. No dining plan because we planned to do a lot of snacking through Epcot and it didn’t make financial sense. ECV booked for mom, rental car booked because we don’t like fighting the buses with the ECV (and I’m just a generally impatient person).
It had been 3.75 years since Mom’s last real trip to WDW and 3.5 years since mine (we aren’t counting the one night we spent before our Disney Cruise this past February/the few hours at Disney Springs post-cruise).
Speaking of Disney Springs, it was not to be included on this trip.
Our itinerary was as follows:
Day 0: Gretchen’s flight departs Vancouver to Toronto overnight after work.
Day 1: Gretchen arrives by 12pm from Toronto; ticket for Disney After Hours that night. Mom’s flight arrives around 7pm and she’ll relax at the resort.
Day 2: Late start to Epcot all day.
Day 3: Rope drop Epcot for most of the day. Happily Ever After Dessert Party at MK in the evening and then rides at MK if desired.
Day 4: Rope drop Animal Kingdom (open 8am-10pm!)
Day 5: Rope drop DHS in the morning (mostly for Toy Story Land); MNSSHP in the evening.
Day 6: Doesn’t even really count since we had to be in the car to the airport by 9am. Or at least I did - my flight was departing at 11:40am. Mom’s wasn’t until 1 something and I gave her the option of sleeping in a little and taking Magical Express but she decided she’d rather drive back with me and just hang out at the airport.
We had a lot of fun (and a few mishaps) and experienced many new things so I hope you’ll join in on the adventures!
I’m betting I have some readers hopping over from my previous TRs for DLR in May and maybe even from DCL in February, but hopefully there are some new readers, too, so I’ll introduce myself, of course.
I’m Gretchen, on the right. 27 years old, audiologist in the Pacific Northwest, travel agent specializing in Disney on the side, cat mom of three. As you can see from my trip list in my signature, I have a number of WDW trips under my belt plus four months as WDW College Program cast member and an additional three months as a seasonal (read: full time hours with no benefits) cast member immediately following the CP.
My mom, Debbie, is on the left. She is my frequent Disney travel companion but does not have quite as many trips on her list as I do. She’s 61 (I know, she doesn’t look it - may I inherit her good genes) and works in a group home in our hometown of Buffalo, NY.
I actually meant to start writing this sooner but 7 business days before I left, my office had physician #6 start seeing patients, and since I’ve returned, I’ve been averaging over 40 hours a week there, plus my TA stuff, plus my weekend volunteer with a low-cost Cat Spay/neuter Program, and I’ve just been lacking motivation!
We started planning this trip earlier this year when the initial rumors started that IllumIantions might be coming to a close. It’s our favorite show, and I knew we needed to see it one last time. I only have 8 days off this year and I have my first ABD trip planned next spring, so for a vacation of any decent length, it would have to be over a long weekend, and my office doesn’t have Columbus Day off. That essentially left us with Labor Day.
OK, it would be hot, but we can work with that. Plus we would get the benefits of Food & Wine Festival and MNSSHP! I changed our resort no less than four times (it might actually have been more).
Started off at Pop, switched to Coronado with Free Dining, finally became eligible for travel agent rates and switched to Port Orleans Riverside Royal Room with no dining, and then started panicking about the cost of this trip and ended up at Art of Animation in a Little Mermaid Room. I’ve stayed there twice before in the family suites, once with Mom, and it’s really one of my favorite resorts.
I bought myself a ticket for Disney After Hours on arrival night (Mom’s flight was getting in too late) and both of us tickets for the MNSSHP on Labor Day. Four day hoppers for both of us. No dining plan because we planned to do a lot of snacking through Epcot and it didn’t make financial sense. ECV booked for mom, rental car booked because we don’t like fighting the buses with the ECV (and I’m just a generally impatient person).
It had been 3.75 years since Mom’s last real trip to WDW and 3.5 years since mine (we aren’t counting the one night we spent before our Disney Cruise this past February/the few hours at Disney Springs post-cruise).
Speaking of Disney Springs, it was not to be included on this trip.
Our itinerary was as follows:
Day 0: Gretchen’s flight departs Vancouver to Toronto overnight after work.
Day 1: Gretchen arrives by 12pm from Toronto; ticket for Disney After Hours that night. Mom’s flight arrives around 7pm and she’ll relax at the resort.
Day 2: Late start to Epcot all day.
Day 3: Rope drop Epcot for most of the day. Happily Ever After Dessert Party at MK in the evening and then rides at MK if desired.
Day 4: Rope drop Animal Kingdom (open 8am-10pm!)
Day 5: Rope drop DHS in the morning (mostly for Toy Story Land); MNSSHP in the evening.
Day 6: Doesn’t even really count since we had to be in the car to the airport by 9am. Or at least I did - my flight was departing at 11:40am. Mom’s wasn’t until 1 something and I gave her the option of sleeping in a little and taking Magical Express but she decided she’d rather drive back with me and just hang out at the airport.
We had a lot of fun (and a few mishaps) and experienced many new things so I hope you’ll join in on the adventures!