Six months and counting…But will I be able to walk by then? My Disney hopes and Fantasy wishes PTR About This Page:

[shadowryter]

Well here I am again with another PTR which will hopefully catch your interest and keep you coming back. Some of you have followed me through a couple of my National Lampoon Vacations and recently a belt busting vacation with Deluxe Dining, Food and Wine and every dining room dessert on the Disney Dream. Yikes!

You may also know that I’ve been a bit on the accident prone side. Just about recuperated from a shoulder injury in December 2010 and now a injury to my Tibia which occurred last year. Long story short for you newcomers…I smashed my leg on a stone wall at Down Town Disney (day one of our 5 night Disney…4 night Disney Dream vacation) and spent the whole 9 days limping, with a leg swollen twice it’s size but still getting around. I wasn’t going to cancel this trip for anything even if I did have to wear flip flops with my gown.

Today we’re a little more than 6 months out. My leg is better but the healing process is soooo slow. Blunt force trauma, leaving a severely bruised bone and some nerve damage and now shin splints. Arrgghhh! I wrap my leg every morning and unwrap it at night before I go to bed. I take a prescription strength Aleve 3 times a day. It helps...sometime. Thus my title which probably drew you in. I just don’t know where I’ll be in months….fingers crossed.
　
I’d like to introduce you to my little family;

Linda…me ~ Still designing here on the boards and loving it. I’m so addicted to Disney that last October I was willing to put my fears aside and fly for the first time in 16 years. I did it and now there’s no excuse because we are no longer driving over 1,300 miles down the East Coast. Can you say Disney every year. Yeah!

Daniel…dear hubby ~Totally hooked on Disney Cruises. Hoping he will agree to celebrate our 23rd Anniversary this trip. Actually convinced him to dress up for MNSSHP and the Fantasy’s Pirate night party.

Heather…dear daughter ~ First cruise she was suffering a breakup of nearly four years with her boyfriend. She was devastated. Last cruise she was sick. Took ill a few hours before our flight but persevered though it all. (Sinus infection…nothing catchy.) This time she’s over the jerk and I decided to lock her in the house the week before we leave so she stays healthy.

Where are we going? Disney for 4 nights, staying at Port Orleans French Quarter (a first) and then sailing on the Disney Fantasy for 7 nights…our first Western Caribbean cruise.

When are we leaving? Leaving on October 9th and returning on October 20th. Actual 12 day vacation. If we drove that would climb to 18 days. Yep…three days down…three days back.

So how are my plans going?

Southwest Airlines with EBC…done
Limo from home to PVD…too soon
Limo from Resort to Port…Done
MCO to Disney...must call soon
MNSSHP...waiting for tickets to go on sale

ADR’s…April 12th. (only 2 days to go!) I don’t see any issues with getting what I want but you never know. By the way we are doing Deluxe Dining again.

So what do you think of our choices?

Oct 9th - Arrival day...Lunch…Fulton’s Crab House
Dinner…Yachtsman Steakhouse

Oct 10th - DHS day...Lunch…Mama Melrose -
Dinner…Hollywood Brown Derby

Oct 11th - MK day...Lunch…Crystal Palace…and if I planned well MNSSHP

Oct 12th - Epcot day and F&W...Lunch…Biergarten -
Dinner…Flying Fish


Yes…we are skipping Animal Kingdom this time around and dropped park hoppers also. Of course we’ll snack at a few places already chosen. Ghirardelli’s at DTD. We plan on tackling the Earthquake…wish us luck. Starring Rolls at DHS, Main Street Bakery and either Columbia Harbor House or Starlight Café for dinner during MNSSHP and of course the Food & Wine Festival…just not so much this time. I’m also planning on a couple of celebratory cakes (little cakes!) and this is just the Disney part.

Next up…Our Fantasy plans and what I’ve been doing to get ready for our first 7 night cruise…you guessed it…lots of shopping!

[emvenable77]

So sorry about your leg!
Your plans sound great! We are flying to WDW for the first time this September and I have a feeling we will never want to drive that 12 hour trip
again!
I hope one day we can do a land and sea trip! It sounds amazing!

[cubfancolleen]

So sorry to hear the leg injury is still bothering you!

[bsblady01]

I hope that you and your family have a magical time at the world

[OCEANGRLLG]

Hate that your leg is stll bothering you . But another cruise comin up!!! woohoo!!!

[Colexis Mom]

Great start and plans Linda! Pixies for your leg!

[DawnK]

Sounds like great plans!!

Hope your leg feels better.

[MayraLR]

Great start!

[abubbles77]

Great start. Sooo glad I found this at the begining and not at the end as happens more often then not to me.

[buzzspal2]

Great plans.

[Dlandmom2]

Sorry to hear the leg is still giving you trouble! I sure hope it's all better by the time your trip starts!

Food plans sound great! I love your DxDP trips!!!

[shadowryter]

Originally Posted by emvenable77

So sorry about your leg!
Your plans sound great! We are flying to WDW for the first time this September and I have a feeling we will never want to drive that 12 hour trip
again!
I hope one day we can do a land and sea trip! It sounds amazing!

I hear you. I can't believe that I'm ok with flying again. I do love the land and sea but I can see us leaving the land part behind in the future. They are getting shorter each trip at this point.

Originally Posted by cubfancolleen

So sorry to hear the leg injury is still bothering you!

Thank you.

Originally Posted by bsblady01

I hope that you and your family have a magical time at the world

Originally Posted by OCEANGRLLG

Hate that your leg is stll bothering you . But another cruise comin up!!! woohoo!!!

Yes it does make the discomfort a bit more bearable.

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

Great start and plans Linda! Pixies for your leg!

Thanks for the pixies, Marnie...I may need them yet.

Originally Posted by DawnK

Sounds like great plans!!

Hope your leg feels better.

Me too.

Originally Posted by MayraLR

Great start!

Originally Posted by abubbles77

Great start. Sooo glad I found this at the begining and not at the end as happens more often then not to me.

Great to have you.

Originally Posted by buzzspal2

Great plans.

Originally Posted by Dlandmom2

Sorry to hear the leg is still giving you trouble! I sure hope it's all better by the time your trip starts!

Food plans sound great! I love your DxDP trips!!!

I sure hope so...Yes...more food...hopefully not every dessert on the Fantasy though.

[shadowryter]

Thanks everyone for coming back...I have lot's of plans in the coming months. So let's get this PTR in gear.

Well I was up this morning before 7 am as I’m sure many others were also. It’s a little easier for us on the East coast and besides Dan works the night shift so it was nice to see him in the morning. As far as my ADR’s went, I got everything I wanted and managed to alter a couple of time slots due to hubby’s input. Four days at Disney on the Deluxe Dining Plan leaves us at four 2 credit signatures and three 1 credit not. Two meals a day except for MNNSHP which calls for breakfast, lunch and dinner with dinner being counter service where ever we decide or what’s available. So…we’re good. Though I do question Fulton’s Crab House and a 2 credit lunch or dinner. So far it seems cheaper to pay OP for lunch instead of using 2 credits??? I’ll have to look into this.

I ordered a new suitcase today and after the lost luggage fiasco last trip I ordered it in bright purple. Heather picked the color telling she saw lot’s of black and red. So purple it is. Besides that’s my signature color. Always has been. It was also Heather’s first word after mama and da. Pur…poo. Don’t tell her I’m writing this, she might disown me.

So later today I will give Disney a call and give them my flight number for the DME. I really liked doing this last year though it was a nightmare receiving my packet only days before we left. A big chink in a planners planning. Now I believe that I can’t do any port excursions, Palo or whatnot until July 15th and that can’t happen until the cruise is fully paid for which it will be. Yeah. I would really love to get a Palo brunch ressie but as in the past I’m not holding my breath. But this time if I fail online I will high tail it directly to Palo to put my name in as will many others. I read on the Fantasy navigators that there is a number you can call when onboard but from where? Do they have house phones like hotels? Can you use your cell phone? I don’t think so. So I’ll be checking on the cruise boards to further educate myself. If any of you know than I would really appreciate any info you may have.

We move on to port adventures and since this is our first Western Caribbean, I admit that I am a bit clueless in this department. Nassau was easy but so far we’ve only ventured to the Atlantis Resort, Casino and Aquarium and the Straw Market. I enjoyed both by the way. Now we have three different ports to work with. Grand Cayman, Costa Maya and Cozumel. We most definitely want to visit the Mayan ruins. Some of you might recall that as a family we are not sun worshippers. Heather and I burn at the near mention of the big glowing ball of fire in the sky. Dan on the other hand gets dark and tan. I hate him. Since my injury is still an issue I don’t want to be running around for hours. I don’t think I can.

So in no particular order these are our choices…for now.

Grand Cayman…lot’s to do here but not being beachy people we are limited. So we decided to just go and visit the port, do some shopping and Heather really wants a t-shirt from the Hard Rock if it says Grand Cayman, which we hope it will. Originally we were thinking about the Seaworld Explorer semi-sub excursion but now it’s just an easy day at GC returning to the ship when were ready.

Costa Maya…Chacchoben Mayan Ruins. Looks like a good pick. Not too long, some decent shade in the area and very picturesque.

Cozumel…We’ve been going back and forth on this one but settled so far on the Cozumel and Ruins Highlights. Some more ruins, a trip to a Tequila factory and some sightseeing at El Mirador. Either that or seeing some turtles. I’ll take the Tequila.

If anyone has any suggestions or have done these excursions please share. i'd love to hear about it.

Next…ok…So now the shopping.

[MayraLR]

Great plans!

[LouigiAnne]

's for your leg to be all better! And Your plan's sound Great