IT'S ALMOST HERE!
I'm officially checked in with Northwest. I'm almost done getting my finances in order. I'm almost totally packed. Best yet, i'll be out of work in four hours!
Michigan is currently cold and rainy. And i'm not exaggerating either. It's freakin' frigid. I got my flu shot taken care of on my lunch. I'm hoping it's $24.00 well spent. Right now i've got a runny nose and a sore throat. Translation: Fall is here. That's the thing about Michigan. Summer comes quickly and ends even quicker. Fall starts but only lasts about 2 weeks then we're in winter mode. It's sucks since I really enjoy nice autumn weather. Thank goodness i'm going down to the upper 80's very shortly.
On the agenda for tomorrow is arriving in Orlando at about noon. Then we hop on the Magical Express bus to go to our resort. Hopefully we'll be able to put our crap down in our room. If not, we'll have them hold our bags and then we'll head out to Animal Kingdom. We've got a 4:00 p.m. reservation for Tusker House. I haven't ever been there before so i'm really excited because i've heard such good things about it from other non-meat eaters. :)
Animal Kingdom closes at 5:00 p.m. so we'll probably go back to the room after that to unpack and freshen up. Most likely we'll head to either MK or Epcot for a nighttime show. I love first days! :) So exciting!
Also, i've decided not to purchase an annual pass just yet. There are some personal reasons behind my decision and I know i'm doing the right thing by just holding off until i'm sure i'll be able to get full use out of it. In replacement of the AP, i've decided to purchase my mom and I tickets to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party! I surprised her on Saturday and we went to Target to get some cute Halloween t-shirts since we didn't have time to put full costumes together. It should be SO much fun! I heard it's well worth the price for the ticket and I have no doubt that Disney will pull through and show us an amazing time.
This coming Friday I will be auditioning for American Idol Experience. I've chosen to sing "Leave The Pieces" by The Wreckers as much first audition song. After that i'm thinking of doing either "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer or "This Is Me" by Demi Levato. I'll admit... i've never seen Camp Rock... and I have no intention of ever seeing it. My husband actually suggested I try and sing "This Is Me" for him to see if I sounded good. Unfortunately, that's the song I sound the absolute best on. I sang all my choices for my family and they chose that one too... a bit reluctantly I might add. Sure, i'm kinda selling out but whatever. It's a cute song, i'll get the crowd into it, and it kinda suits me best so... we'll see what the producers want me to do if I make it that far.
Just a reminder.. i'll be tweeting and abusing TwitPic the whole time on vaca. You can follow me at http://www.twitter.com/stacey87
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
A Walk in Walt's Footsteps
For a while now i've been thinking about how badly I want to experience Disneyland for myself. I know some hardcore Walt Disney World lovers that have no aspiration to ever see Disneyland since they believe it can't get better than Walt Disney World. Now, I don't know that for myself so I can't say but I can tell you that i'd at least like to see the original --- Walt's baby.
I'm quite fascinated by Walt's old plans for Disneyland and how the idea even came about. He wanted a place that the entire family could have fun together. Really this was a new concept for people since it seemed that before Disneyland, adults had their fun and kids weren't involved in that. Walt took his two daughters to this little local park and sat on a bench watching them play. It dawned on him that it would be really great if the whole family could have a place to play. Not just the kids! Walt was definitely a kid at heart so I think Disneyland was just as much for him as it was for the public.
Even though Disneyland is older and smaller than Walt Disney World, it has some of the classic attractions that haven't been revamped into something twisted and weird (Tiki Room: Under New Management). Disneyland has the better Space Mountain! I've also heard on numerous occasions that Fantasmic! is better at DL as well. Disneyland has an Indiana Jones attraction whereas WDW only has the show. Ever since I saw the movie "That Thing You Do" when I was a kid i've had a strong desire to ride the Matterhorn. Also, Toontown is apparently way cooler than Towntown Fair in WDW. No surprise there.
The NUMBER ONE reason that I want to go to Disneyland is to see Walt's baby. You should know i'm a huge fan of Walt himself. I've read lots of books and have seen lots of movies on the man behind the mouse. His life just blows my mind. I admire him so much for so many reasons. Disneyland has a tour called "A Walk in Walt's Footsteps." I cannot wait to take this 2 1/2 hour tour myself. They talk about Walt's personal involvement in the park's design and development. He really put his seal of approval on everything and wouldn't let something go public until it was perfect in his eyes.
I'm hoping next year i'll get to make it to Disneyland. It'll probably end up being more expensive than my usual Walt Disney World trip but I'm sure it'll totally be worth it.
I'm quite fascinated by Walt's old plans for Disneyland and how the idea even came about. He wanted a place that the entire family could have fun together. Really this was a new concept for people since it seemed that before Disneyland, adults had their fun and kids weren't involved in that. Walt took his two daughters to this little local park and sat on a bench watching them play. It dawned on him that it would be really great if the whole family could have a place to play. Not just the kids! Walt was definitely a kid at heart so I think Disneyland was just as much for him as it was for the public.
Even though Disneyland is older and smaller than Walt Disney World, it has some of the classic attractions that haven't been revamped into something twisted and weird (Tiki Room: Under New Management). Disneyland has the better Space Mountain! I've also heard on numerous occasions that Fantasmic! is better at DL as well. Disneyland has an Indiana Jones attraction whereas WDW only has the show. Ever since I saw the movie "That Thing You Do" when I was a kid i've had a strong desire to ride the Matterhorn. Also, Toontown is apparently way cooler than Towntown Fair in WDW. No surprise there.
The NUMBER ONE reason that I want to go to Disneyland is to see Walt's baby. You should know i'm a huge fan of Walt himself. I've read lots of books and have seen lots of movies on the man behind the mouse. His life just blows my mind. I admire him so much for so many reasons. Disneyland has a tour called "A Walk in Walt's Footsteps." I cannot wait to take this 2 1/2 hour tour myself. They talk about Walt's personal involvement in the park's design and development. He really put his seal of approval on everything and wouldn't let something go public until it was perfect in his eyes.
I'm hoping next year i'll get to make it to Disneyland. It'll probably end up being more expensive than my usual Walt Disney World trip but I'm sure it'll totally be worth it.
Upcoming WDW Discounts
It appears as though Disney is going to be throwing out the amazingly awesome Buy-4-Get-7 deal. They did this a little while back and everyone was going gaga over it simply because it's a pretty nice deal. It's especially nice for families that normally only go for 4 days simply because they can't afford any more days. Truthfully, you can't tour the parks in 4 days... but, hey, that's just my opinion.
Value resorts will get a slightly different deal... buy-5-get-7. Makes sense... values are significantly less expensive and Disney would be losing some money and overbooking big time if the value resorts had the buy-4-get-7. Economically, you get the better deal if you book a moderate or deluxe resort with this particular deal.
I'm sure that you'll be paying rack rate for the room but in the end you should come out ahead. If you're an AP holder you'll probably have to do the math to figure out if a possible AP discount could be more to your advantage overall.
Last year when Disney put this discount out they also included a gift card for certain dates. It was January through March (I do believe...) got $200.00. Not per person but per room booking. Good deal if you ask me! If you're going in January *cough*Graham and Jill*cough* then this deal is AMAZINGGG.
Now on a personal note, i'm thinking of skipping a WDW trip in 2010. One of my very best friends from high school was an exchange student from Poland. She's finishing her final year in college in Buxton. I'm thinking about doing a 2 week vacation in Europe. Going to Manchester, London, then Poland. I haven't seen her in years and we still keep in touch. If I came across an amazing deal or someone could pay for me to go to WDW then I could do both. But, until then, i'm just not sure. I'll have to price out the European trip and we'll see.
Value resorts will get a slightly different deal... buy-5-get-7. Makes sense... values are significantly less expensive and Disney would be losing some money and overbooking big time if the value resorts had the buy-4-get-7. Economically, you get the better deal if you book a moderate or deluxe resort with this particular deal.
I'm sure that you'll be paying rack rate for the room but in the end you should come out ahead. If you're an AP holder you'll probably have to do the math to figure out if a possible AP discount could be more to your advantage overall.
Last year when Disney put this discount out they also included a gift card for certain dates. It was January through March (I do believe...) got $200.00. Not per person but per room booking. Good deal if you ask me! If you're going in January *cough*Graham and Jill*cough* then this deal is AMAZINGGG.
Now on a personal note, i'm thinking of skipping a WDW trip in 2010. One of my very best friends from high school was an exchange student from Poland. She's finishing her final year in college in Buxton. I'm thinking about doing a 2 week vacation in Europe. Going to Manchester, London, then Poland. I haven't seen her in years and we still keep in touch. If I came across an amazing deal or someone could pay for me to go to WDW then I could do both. But, until then, i'm just not sure. I'll have to price out the European trip and we'll see.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Entertainment in WDW
On my last trip to WDW I was pretty focused on allowing my mom to experience her favorite attractions along with anything new that she hadn't seen. We didn't spend a lot of time looking for characters or stopping to watch street performers.
Mom expressed interest in meeting more characters this time and I happily agreed with her. I'd love to find some of the characters that I haven't ever met before. Sadly, WDW entertainment has cut down on how many characters you see out and about. You also won't see some of the less "popular' characters around doing meet and greets anymore.
While reading my 2010 Unofficial Guide I found a really cool website that tells you where to go at what time to find character greetings as well as street performances. This guy updates the website every week and puts lots of information on it and is really well organized. Now, he can't specifically tell you what character will be where at what time but he informs you of your best shot of seeing them. Here's the link --- http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/
If you have a specific character that you or a family member wants to meet you should check with Guest Relations at the front of any of the four main parks and they can try and track down where you're beloved character will be that day. I haven't done this myself but i've heard of people doing it.
I have a strong desire to meet Hercules characters. STRONG desire! Unfortunately for me, Hercules and Meg don't come out anymore and the only time you'll even be able to SEE them now is during Fantasmic. The villain I most want to me is, ironically enough, from Hercules. That'd be my buddy from the underworld... Hades. He's a comedic genius!
When mom and I will be at WDW this year they have the Food and Wine Festival going on. They have a concert series called "Eat to the Beat." For the days that we will be there we've got three performers we could go see.
Richard Marx September 28-29
Starship Starring Mickey Thomas September 30-October 3
En Vogue October 4-6
Mom really wants to see Starship and I would LOVE to see En Vogue. I grew up listening to En Vogue and thinking they were so cool. Oh! And hey! Kelly Clarkson performed with them back in the day! Woooo! Free Your Mind!
Mom expressed interest in meeting more characters this time and I happily agreed with her. I'd love to find some of the characters that I haven't ever met before. Sadly, WDW entertainment has cut down on how many characters you see out and about. You also won't see some of the less "popular' characters around doing meet and greets anymore.
While reading my 2010 Unofficial Guide I found a really cool website that tells you where to go at what time to find character greetings as well as street performances. This guy updates the website every week and puts lots of information on it and is really well organized. Now, he can't specifically tell you what character will be where at what time but he informs you of your best shot of seeing them. Here's the link --- http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/
If you have a specific character that you or a family member wants to meet you should check with Guest Relations at the front of any of the four main parks and they can try and track down where you're beloved character will be that day. I haven't done this myself but i've heard of people doing it.
I have a strong desire to meet Hercules characters. STRONG desire! Unfortunately for me, Hercules and Meg don't come out anymore and the only time you'll even be able to SEE them now is during Fantasmic. The villain I most want to me is, ironically enough, from Hercules. That'd be my buddy from the underworld... Hades. He's a comedic genius!
When mom and I will be at WDW this year they have the Food and Wine Festival going on. They have a concert series called "Eat to the Beat." For the days that we will be there we've got three performers we could go see.
Richard Marx September 28-29
Starship Starring Mickey Thomas September 30-October 3
En Vogue October 4-6
Mom really wants to see Starship and I would LOVE to see En Vogue. I grew up listening to En Vogue and thinking they were so cool. Oh! And hey! Kelly Clarkson performed with them back in the day! Woooo! Free Your Mind!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
One Week To Go!
IT'S OFFICIAL Y'ALL!
ONE WEEK TO GO!
I can't believe i'm one week away from being in the happiest place on earth! :) Leaving Michigan for a week simply sounds amazing. I'm excited to have one full week of summer weather since Michigan basically had a warmer version of fall in replacement of a traditional summer. Kinda ridiculous if you ask me!
I brought my WDW planning binder to work with me today because I need to get all of my documents organized and put together. Sadly, Disneyworld.com is still not fully running properly so I can't even pull up my reservation on there and attach my dining reservations. I must have written TWO of my confirmation numbers down wrong so I'm just going to have to not have a confirmations number on my itinerary for those days. Ugh. I hate not feeling like I have all of the information. Gotta learn to lose control I suppose and throw caution to the wind.
Every WDW trip I seem to have an overall "theme" or a "goal" that I want to achieve. This time I sort of feel like I want to literally have as much fun as possible. Stay as busy and consumed in the Disney magic as possible. I want to be able to drain my brain before I hop on that plane and leave all my worries in Michigan. Now, traditionally I suggest to friends that they don't try and run from their problems but in this case... a little vacation is exactly what I need. Maybe to find some clarity and new found appreciation for life. I just want to do exactly what I want when I want and not have to live on this silly schedule that I do in my everyday life.
Is it terribly weird of me to say that i'm really stoked to eat good food? And I don't just mean "good food." I mean "Gooooood fooooood." There is a subtle yet very important difference. I mean, i'm going to be filled up with tofu, salmon, and cheesecake. It's going to be pure heaven. I really feel like talking about food... I think I need a double blog day just so I can talk about what i'm thinking of ordering at each restaurant. Yeah, folks! I've already thought about that! How could I not?!
That's it for now guys! Feel free to ask me questions or leave me comments!
ONE WEEK!
ONE WEEK TO GO!
I can't believe i'm one week away from being in the happiest place on earth! :) Leaving Michigan for a week simply sounds amazing. I'm excited to have one full week of summer weather since Michigan basically had a warmer version of fall in replacement of a traditional summer. Kinda ridiculous if you ask me!
I brought my WDW planning binder to work with me today because I need to get all of my documents organized and put together. Sadly, Disneyworld.com is still not fully running properly so I can't even pull up my reservation on there and attach my dining reservations. I must have written TWO of my confirmation numbers down wrong so I'm just going to have to not have a confirmations number on my itinerary for those days. Ugh. I hate not feeling like I have all of the information. Gotta learn to lose control I suppose and throw caution to the wind.
Every WDW trip I seem to have an overall "theme" or a "goal" that I want to achieve. This time I sort of feel like I want to literally have as much fun as possible. Stay as busy and consumed in the Disney magic as possible. I want to be able to drain my brain before I hop on that plane and leave all my worries in Michigan. Now, traditionally I suggest to friends that they don't try and run from their problems but in this case... a little vacation is exactly what I need. Maybe to find some clarity and new found appreciation for life. I just want to do exactly what I want when I want and not have to live on this silly schedule that I do in my everyday life.
Is it terribly weird of me to say that i'm really stoked to eat good food? And I don't just mean "good food." I mean "Gooooood fooooood." There is a subtle yet very important difference. I mean, i'm going to be filled up with tofu, salmon, and cheesecake. It's going to be pure heaven. I really feel like talking about food... I think I need a double blog day just so I can talk about what i'm thinking of ordering at each restaurant. Yeah, folks! I've already thought about that! How could I not?!
That's it for now guys! Feel free to ask me questions or leave me comments!
ONE WEEK!
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