Celebrating 12 Years with 11 Days of Magic - UPDATED 5/2 COMPLETE About This Page:

[DVCjulie09]

I love it when vacations expand at both ends! I look forward to reading along as the excitement mounts.

[Linnynad]

Oh YES!!!!! I was wondering when you would start this........I'm glad you have and I am soooo happy that you have all these extra days now too. This is going to be exciting.
I can't wait to hear what dining choices the girls have come up with this time around.

[disneydani]

Originally Posted by mcc0313

Celebrating 12 Years with 11 Days of Magic

Ok....still no name so I asked the PTR requestor for some ideas, I mean she is going to play a big part in this trip (and I have already stipulated that I am fully expecting her to chime in to the PTR / TR as well).

I'm late, I'm late...for a very important date! Lordy, I haven't written a TR in ages....maybe this will snap me back into it!

"Ms. My Creative Mind is Not Working" came up with the perfect title...

Way, Way, Way too much credit....as a general rule, my left brain is the only working part! Must have been sleep deprived delirium that came up with that title!

Super glad ya started cause it means I am that much closer to seeing you and your gorgeous girls!!! Let the countdown begin.

danielle

[mcc0313]

Originally Posted by disneyfreeeak

Great start! I hope you all have as magical of a trip as your last one .

Thanks, I am keeping my fingers crossed. We have been lucky, even when mishaps happen we try to find the best of the situation and when we look back even those not so perfect moments turn into good memories.

Originally Posted by tammyd_rn

So glad you made your donation so we can enjoy your PTR.
What would any PTR be without changes...is it even possible?
Looking forward to reading the plans

I doubt it, I think making all these changes is really just something to keep me busy until Disney Time

Originally Posted by Nimros

Yay!!! SO glad you started.

Can't wait to hear about all your changes....I mean plans!

You always do enjoy my changes...hope I can keep you happy this time around.

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

Great start Meg! Can't wait to hear about all the plans!

Originally Posted by bsblady01

great start more please

Originally Posted by lazanya

Great start!

Originally Posted by chezp

Great start!

Originally Posted by lexiemom

Great start!

Thanks

Originally Posted by Principessa_di_Fata

Fabulous start! As far as changes - well, you're speaking my language there! I look forward to hearing about the evolution of your plans - as well as the execution of them once you return! 11 days sounds blissful to me!

This is our longest trip yet, I laugh as all my trips always end up longer than planned...my motto is if it looks like I am saving when I do the Disney Math then it is meant to be....I am right aren't I

Originally Posted by lauriep

Wonderful start and a great reason to celebrate!

Thanks Laurie, she is worth it most of the time

Originally Posted by Grammy Grumpy

Awesome start! Congrats on saving $$ and for having such a great friend to help with DVC points.

Originally Posted by chezp

Congrats on the savings and the extra time!

Originally Posted by Annabel

Great start What an awesome friend you have

I could not complain when I realized I could save money by adding an extra day. He is a great friend, I always tell him it is his fault I got hooked on the DVC, offering me points and telling me I had to try it...like feeding candy to a baby

Originally Posted by DVCjulie09

I love it when vacations expand at both ends! I look forward to reading along as the excitement mounts.

No complaints on the expanding vacation, and much better than an expanding waistline, even though that usually happens by the time we finish up that last wonderful meal. Time to hit the gym beforehand...this way I will have some legroom

Originally Posted by Linnynad

Oh YES!!!!! I was wondering when you would start this........I'm glad you have and I am soooo happy that you have all these extra days now too. This is going to be exciting.
I can't wait to hear what dining choices the girls have come up with this time around.

I am pretty excited about the extra days, definitely going to have some R&R time. The girls have picked out a nice selection of oldies but goodies and some new places too...not that they have not gone through tons of changes.

Originally Posted by disneydani

I'm late, I'm late...for a very important date! Lordy, I haven't written a TR in ages....maybe this will snap me back into it!

Way, Way, Way too much credit....as a general rule, my left brain is the only working part! Must have been sleep deprived delirium that came up with that title!

Super glad ya started cause it means I am that much closer to seeing you and your gorgeous girls!!! Let the countdown begin.

danielle

I hope this does snap you back into TR mode, I have sure missed them

Now you might not think the right brain is working but it is...just look at my super duper PTR /TR title, there is creativity there....trust me

Yes let the countdown begin, I feel like it has been ages since we got together, not fair we are so looking forward to seeing you and Izzy

[MayraLR]

Great start! Congrats on the savings!

[Dlandmom2]

Darn, I missed the beginning of your PTR...but at least I wasn't too far behind! Cool that you're getting an 11 day trip out of this! Yippee! I wish I could celebrate as many days as my next birthday....

[OhToodles!]

So will this become a yearly tradition? TO celebrate Angel's birthday at Disney? I plan to go back in 8 years for my 40th - which is just 5 days after Angel's birthday.

[mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince]

Can't wait to read all about it. How did I miss that you bought DVC?!?!? So happy for you but also !!!! I still haven't been able to talk DH into it.

[lfredsbo]

Yeah for 11 days!!!!!! Yahoo! That is our fav time to visit...... Annv is 8/2! And if all goes well we will actually be spending the day in NYC this year for our anniversary

[mcc0313]

Originally Posted by MayraLR

Great start! Congrats on the savings!

Thanks, savings always puts a smile on my face.

Originally Posted by Dlandmom2

Darn, I missed the beginning of your PTR...but at least I wasn't too far behind! Cool that you're getting an 11 day trip out of this! Yippee! I wish I could celebrate as many days as my next birthday....

I know...that is what I told Angel, I am lucky if the girls let me sleep a few extra hours on mine

Originally Posted by OhToodles!

So will this become a yearly tradition? TO celebrate Angel's birthday at Disney? I plan to go back in 8 years for my 40th - which is just 5 days after Angel's birthday.

Think this will be the new tradition, at least while it works out in the girls schedule and while I would love to see you in 8 years for your birthday I am hoping our paths cross before that Kelly

Originally Posted by mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince

Can't wait to read all about it. How did I miss that you bought DVC?!?!? So happy for you but also !!!! I still haven't been able to talk DH into it.

I had been thinking (or wanting) for awhile, finally I said...I have a few dollars think we should take the plunge. When I really added up what we spent each year it just really made it worth it. I say you need to keep working on DH, the villas would be so worth it for you guys with the kids.

Originally Posted by lfredsbo

Yeah for 11 days!!!!!! Yahoo! That is our fav time to visit...... Annv is 8/2! And if all goes well we will actually be spending the day in NYC this year for our anniversary

NYC should definitely be fun for your anniversary...we will be sending your anniversary wishes on the 2nd.

[mcc0313]

So I think the next question to answer would be: Where are we staying?

The fact is I did not have much choice this trip, while I love doing the split stays and getting to enjoy more than one resort the girls asked if we could forgo the changes this trip, they were so sad last year when we had to leave AKL as they both fell in love with it. We had a great time on the BW but on the way home their one request was could we do AKL for the whole trip next year. So who was I to say no to their request, plus I love AKL so I figured it would be easy in terms of booking. AKL is our home resort so it was just waiting a few weeks until our 11 month window opened up and we would be done.

But then it was kind of iffy as if we would be going the week before Angel's birthday or the week after. I knew getting a studio at a later date would be pretty easy but the girls were interested in doing the Sunrise Safari this trip so I knew we would need Club Level for a few days.

Then we thought we might do a cruise instead and stay a few days after the cruise at WDW...yes plans kept changing. There was a cruise that left the weekend before her birthday, coming back to Orlando on the 1st so I decided to book a club level room from August 1st checking out the 3rd (this of course was before Angel explained why flying home on her birthday was unacceptable ).

A few weeks later we decided to hold off on the cruise this year and after checking the calendar we decided on the week before her birthday. So I called member services and was able to book a savannah view studio for July 26th through August 1st when we would then check into our club level room for the last two days.

So I figured we were all done...well then came the "we cannot fly home on my birthday mom" so I called member services back praying we could add one more club level night onto the end of our trip. The prayers did not work because there were none available so I jumped on the waiting list figuring either it would open up or we would just grab a standard room for the last night (not that I wanted to change rooms again).

So we stayed on the waiting list for quite a few months...nothing opened. Finally a few weeks ago when we decided to add on the extra night and come in on the 25th I sat down with the girls. I expalined that I was still on the waiting list but we should think about other options for that night. I told them we could just change to a standard room for the night at AKL or that we could try another resort for a night.

Now we normally spend our last full day and evening at the MK and our last day at Epcot so I enticed them with maybe the BCV as we could spend the morning trying out SAB and then enjoy a lunch at Epcot as our DME would not pick us up until around 5. They were ok with that as we would not need to unpack or anything as we would just need to carry the clothes for the next day in the carry on so I checked the BCV, no studios. Then I checked the BW but the girls were a bit iffy, they love the area but we have stayed the past two years at the BW so they wanted a change.

Then an idea came to me...the one resort that Jasmine cannot stand is the Contemporary. She says it just feels to business like and sterile and that she would never want to stay there, but for one night maybe I could persuade her. I mean it would only be one night and it would give me a chance to check out Bay Lake Tower so I checked online and there was nothing. Ok...there goes that idea but I made a note to keep checking.

Finally after a few weeks of checking daily (and the AKL Club Level wait list still not going through) a standard studio at BLT opened up . I booked it and then came home from work and spoke to Jasmine. I told her that we could switch enjoy Epcot on our last full day, head to the MK in the evening for our last night, take a leisurely walk back to BLT and then enjoy the MK on our last day....she remained quiet for a moment, I tried to figure out what she was thinking but then she totally surprised me and said "let's go for it, I mean it is only for one night".

So there you have it...the girls got their wish and will remain at the AKL for the whole trip (plus an extra night on the 25th), and mommy will get to try out BLT on our last extra night. Figure it was a win-win all around and Angel, well Angel is happy that she will be waking up in her favorite resort on her birthday and going to sleep in a new resort for her birthday night. She is a happy camper.

I still kept the wait list for a few more weeks but finally gave it up yesterday as I am actually looking forward to trying out BLT so I rather let someone else get the club level if one opens up.

So the final plans....

AKL Savannah View Studio - July 25th - August 1st
AKL Club Level Studio - August 1st - August 3rd
BLT Standard View Studio - August 3rd - August 4th

Up Next: So is this going to be a PH trip or a non-PH trip and did I renew my AP?

[chezp]

Glad it all worked out in the end. Too bad about the final night not coming through for Club Level for you.

[nursemom]

We will be there at the same time and my son's birthday will be celebrated on August 3rd during the trip too!

[lauriep]

Great plans! Can't wait to hear how you all like the Sunrise Safari. That's on my "someday" list.

[Colexis Mom]

Great plans Meg!