Nine Nights: Filling 2019 with Disney Adventures around the World *New TR Link 7/31

Sounds like a great adult-only trip!

As for my summer trip to London- of course now DH's work wants to send him in late May- when I am still working. :( Hoping for another chance later in summer- but it will probably be in August- when I have to go back to work. ;(
 
Our Walt Disney World party has to begin with me saying goodbye to the kids and a 6 hour drive to property. The drive sounds like it’ll be the harder of the two but knowing me, getting out the door is going to be the biggest challenge. I want this couple’s getaway almost as much as Alex, and I know I’ll have an amazing time once I’m there…it’s just getting past that initial parting that’s going to prove a challenge.
It is a big challenge! The first time we were away from our boys as a couple was our ten year wedding anniversary!!!Even though my parents had driven up to look after them, it was hard to leave.

My goal for the next few days is to try and accomplish all of Alex’s favorites. I know he really needs this time for just us two, and I want to make it as special as possible. So everything I have planned is geared towards my husband and his interests.

(With the exception of Animal Kingdom Lodge. That is all me. Alex would have been happy in a value, and if he had to stay in a deluxe it would’ve been the Contemporary.)
Your plans sound lovely and I bet you will have a wonderful time!
 
Oh I think your kid free plans sound wonderful!
Totally agree that the moment of parting will be the hardest bit of the journey but once you’ve done that I reckon you’ll savour your new found freedom! Can’t speak from experience exactly as my youngest is 12 and I have had exactly 1 night away from him!:scared1:

Leaving the kids is easier said than done! I think if Alex didn't want a trip alone as much as he did, I'd probably be happy not leaving them until 12. :laughing:


I absolutely love the creme brûlée in Le Cellier :thumbsup2 The steaks are gorgeous too but that pretzel bread and the creme brûlée all ensure my meal starts and ends on a tasty note!

I have to make sure I don't fill up on that pretzel bread; it looks delicious!



Your plans sound great! I predict once you leave the kids and get down the road a bit, the excitement will really set in. If it was me, I would eat somewhat lightly so I had room for some wonderful Disney snacks! Dole whip, carrot cake cookie, something from Karamel Kuche.....I also like school bread but I know some do not.

Very good point. Snacking around the World Showcase is one of my favorite activities. Karamel Kuche has so many options, and I like school bread, too!



I'm not sure if just one entree alone would be filling enough, maybe pair that with an app? DH and I ordered two entrees and an app and would have preferred just one entree and the app. Unless you have plans to go super crazy on desserts! haha

You're probably right. I just went to look at their menu, and their deviled eggs sound really good. But I don't know if they're 12 dollars good...:eek:
I'm wondering if we should just order an extra side dish of the mac and cheese. I think that might be enough to fill us.



The Edison is definitely a fun bar to check out! Just keep in mind the entertainment only runs I think Thursday - Saturday now but its still cool just to pop in and see how the restaurant looks!

I'll have to check the times of the entertainment; we will be there on a Saturday so that kind of makes me want to go there even more.


I'll keep my fingers crossed for you for a FOP FP! I feel like that would be nice to experience together!

Alex really wants to be able to experience this ride for the first time together, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. This will be at our 60+1 day window, which makes me a little nervous. I'm afraid I'll only be able to snag an afternoon time, and with dinner at Epcot at 5:45 that might cause some trouble!
 
Sounds like a great adult-only trip!

As for my summer trip to London- of course now DH's work wants to send him in late May- when I am still working. :( Hoping for another chance later in summer- but it will probably be in August- when I have to go back to work. ;(

Oh no!!! That makes me sad for you; I know you would have had a blast if you could have gone.
Although...I did see you booked a Greek Isles cruise yesterday. Wow! That's fantastic!!



It is a big challenge! The first time we were away from our boys as a couple was our ten year wedding anniversary!!!Even though my parents had driven up to look after them, it was hard to leave.

Your plans sound lovely and I bet you will have a wonderful time!

Before we decided to do this trip, I thought a ten year anniversary celebration was going to be when I finally got to sneak away. We still want to do that (plan to go to DL in CA and Aulani) so hopefully this will be a good test run for a longer trip.
 


Our Walt Disney World party has to begin with me saying goodbye to the kids and a 6 hour drive to property.

Neither of which sounds actually terrible!

I’ve been away 28 hours.


:scared1:

Sad, I know.

Gurl! You need this trip!

[This is from our 2013 trip. Six years and two kids can really age a couple.]

Nah, you look amazing!


With those parameters in mind, I knew our arrival day destination had to be Disney Springs.


Of course!! It's a must!

I booked us a late dinner at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’:
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Mmmm! That looks good!

Everyone swears by the fried chicken, and even though I am a crazy person and hate that dish, I’ll probably split an order with Alex because he likes the food.

I certain that's what I'd order too!

Ideally, Alex and I will be able to stop by here for a quick drink:
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Because.... another must!

I really hope I can snag Fastpasses for Flight of Passage, but I think regardless of whether or not I do, we will still end up in Pandora.

You will be hitting all the must-dos!

Eh...that’s not my mindset, so I have a feeling that if I can’t get passes then I’ll have us up and out of the room well before rope drop to get in line.

If you wanna ride it, and you don't have a FiP, you'd better be there around 7:15.

it’ll be our first signature dining experience!

WOOT!! Enjoy that milestone.

All right, how does my kid free plans sound? Anyone have any suggestions on must do’s that I missed? Food items I should try at Le Cellier? Drink I should order at The Edison? I'm all ears!

It all sounds so fantastic! I love it! You guys will sure be moving fast if you want to hit all you have planned... may the bus gods be with you.
 
How did I miss that you started this?? I'm so here now!

Woo what a year this will be! I love that you and Alex are getting some solo Disney time (and a stay at AKL!!) in before the family trip! Your plans sound great!
 
Gurl! You need this trip!

I never intended to go this long without a kid-free trip, but luck was not on my side the last few years. Glad to remedy that this summer, though!


Of course!! It's a must!

I just read your Jock Lindsay Hangar Bar update and am now wondering if I can squeeze an app and drink in here, too!


If you wanna ride it, and you don't have a FiP, you'd better be there around 7:15.

*sigh* Knowing me, I'll probably be up that early anyways. I'd like to say I'll use my vacation time to sleep in, but almost six years of Landon waking up at 5 a.m. has gotten me pretty conditioned to early mornings. I'll probably be ready to catch a bus by 6:30. :sad2:



How did I miss that you started this?? I'm so here now!

Woo what a year this will be! I love that you and Alex are getting some solo Disney time (and a stay at AKL!!) in before the family trip! Your plans sound great!


This is going to be a pretty big trip, and I'm really excited for it. We're knee-deep in move madness right now, so those two Disney days without the kids is starting to sound better and better!
 


Your plans look great! 9 nights is definitely not too much. That's what we did with our girls and we all still wanted more.

Your adult trip looks like a ton of fun. Actually being able to ride coasters with someone is way better than having to swap.
 
Your plans look great! 9 nights is definitely not too much. That's what we did with our girls and we all still wanted more.

Your adult trip looks like a ton of fun. Actually being able to ride coasters with someone is way better than having to swap.


Thanks for the reassurance. I'm sure once we are in the parks and surrounded by everything, I'll stop worrying about staying so long.

It's been so long since Alex and I have ridden a coaster together, that I have forgotten what it's like! We feel a little guilty, because we tend to talk more about those two days than the ones with the kids. We're just so excited for them!
 
(For all my Brooklyn Nine Nine fans, this is where the title of my report stems from. Every time Alex and I talk about our trip, we say it like the show’s chant.)

HAHA We are new-ish fans of the show, so I totally can hear that in my head now!

The Kids Free trip sounds great! I was so nervous the first time I ever left the kids (I still get nervous actually) but it's SO NICE to just be a couple in Disney or wherever you are visiting! And we are huge fans of AKL so that is a great choice of resort of course.

Looking forward to the rest of your planning. You have a big undertaking with all of these trips coming up!!
 
I just read your Jock Lindsay Hangar Bar update and am now wondering if I can squeeze an app and drink in here, too!

DO IT!!!!!

:laughing:

*sigh* Knowing me, I'll probably be up that early anyways. I'd like to say I'll use my vacation time to sleep in, but almost six years of Landon waking up at 5 a.m. has gotten me pretty conditioned to early mornings. I'll probably be ready to catch a bus by 6:30. :sad2:
It'll be totes worth it!
 
HAHA We are new-ish fans of the show, so I totally can hear that in my head now!

The Kids Free trip sounds great! I was so nervous the first time I ever left the kids (I still get nervous actually) but it's SO NICE to just be a couple in Disney or wherever you are visiting! And we are huge fans of AKL so that is a great choice of resort of course.

Looking forward to the rest of your planning. You have a big undertaking with all of these trips coming up!!


We had tentatively debated going on the Viking cruise around Italy with the DIS Unplugged crew, but then Alex's sister was getting married around that time so we had to pass. That was one of our many, many kid-free plans that have gotten scrapped. So man, we hope this one sticks! I think I'm most nervous about the Minnesota portion of the trip, simply because I'll be several states away.



DO IT!!!!!

:laughing:


It'll be totes worth it!

That's what I'm hoping.
 
I worried when I made a pre-trip report that I would struggle to keep a consistent updating schedule. Alas, that fear seems to have proven true. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of move related work. Foolish me thought moving from Germany to England would be smoother than moving from the U.S. to Germany. In a few instances it has been, but issues have arisen that are new to us and it’s made Alex and me have to step back and pause.

Dealing with the regular stress of moving plus new speedbumps have made it kind of hard to concentrate on Disney, but I’m going to work through the headache and give myself an escape this morning. It’s Sunday so nothing can be accomplished, Alex is holed up in his office completing an Accounting exam, it’s raining again for the twentieth day in a row (I wish I were kidding:crazy2:) and the kids are pretending they are hunting Captain Hook in the living room. (Our poor dog’s bed has been commandeered for a makeshift Jolly Roger. Did you know his first ship was actually called the Sea Devil and the Jolly Roger was a ship he captured later? We’re proficient in Peter Pan knowledge in this house…::yes::)

So now is the perfect time to bring my thoughts to June and share some more plans. Let’s dive in!



Day 1:

Can I call this Day 1??? I know Alex and I will have gotten two days beforehand, but those are like – bonus days – they aren’t the main event. I think I’m going to refer to them as Pre-Days.

So this is definitely Day 1.


Alex and I will be flying back from Minnesota; I wanted to arrive in Orlando as early as possible, but it’s looking like the earliest we can get is early afternoon. Not ideal, but it’s out of my control. Meanwhile, my mom will be driving down with the kids. She’ll probably get to Disney around three or four o’clock, where we will all check in to Shades of Green and get settled.

Depending on how we’re feeling, Alex and I will either stop at a store on the way from the airport or we’ll go later in the evening to pick up some groceries and provisions.

Yes, yes, I know I can have everything I want delivered or can stop by the exchange store in the resort to pick up essentials.

But you’ll have to cut me some slack.

I miss this place:

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(Google pic)

Any and every chance I have to stop by this behemoth of a store and stroll the expansive aisles I am going to take. It’s one of those American indulgences I can’t shake living over here, and if I’m feeling especially extravagant maybe I’ll stop and grab an iced latte from the adjoining Starbucks.

02.JPG


Please don’t laugh at me; I know how silly this all sounds. I don’t know why things like air conditioned buildings, large trucks, and ten varieties of trail mix has formed a soft, nostalgic place in my heart but it has and I’m ready to foster that love.


Just look at how happy Evie and I were the first time we came back to the states and went into a big store:

03.JPG

*But dear goodness, Alicia, please remember to add the tax into the price before purchasing anything. Has anyone come from Europe and forgotten this? I was genuinely confused when I traveled back to the states and bought a pre-paid phone card and it came out about seven dollars more than I was expecting. I have to remember these things!*



To continue with the trend of celebrating all things ‘Murica, Alex and I will probably grab easy dinners for everyone at Firehouse Subs.:love:

04.jpg



Back at Shades, I’m going to cross my fingers and hope that my mom has enough energy left in her to go activate her tickets at a Guest Services location. Alex can stay at the resort with the kids while we go accomplish that necessary task. (We’re going to activate their tickets when we do our passes earlier in the week.)

If my mom’s up to it, we’ll walk to the Polynesian and catch a monorail to either the TTC or the MK (which one we go to depends on what time it is). Then, we can head back to the Polynesian.

Hopefully, we will be able to stop for a snack for a few minutes:

05.JPG

Then stroll back to Shades for an early bedtime.



Honestly, the idea for leaving with my mom to activate her ticket and taking a few moments alone with her just occurred to me as I was writing this update. It was like a lightbulb clicking.

YOU COULD SNEAK A FEW MOTHER/DAUGHTER MINUTES TOGETHER RIGHT HERE.


And now the more I think about it, the more I’m excited I am. The only issue I see is my kids not wanting to leave my side after five days away. They might revolt when I tell them I’m running out for a little while.

If that’s the case, so be it... It won’t be the end of the world, but I really do hope this original plan works out.

I gotta get to writing more of the pre-trip updates. Plans I didn’t even know I wanted to do are forming in the process!:rotfl:


OVERALL GOALS:

- Check in to Shades
- Pick up groceries
- Activate my mom’s ticket





Up Next…Day 2 Plans


 
Day 1 sounds good! Hope you get that mother/daughter time. I like the relaxed start to your big trip - nice to have time to settle in before the park time begins!
 
I lived in Italy for nine months, and I totally know what you mean about missing Target. I kept thinking, really, you miss Target? But there's something about having easy access to so many items, inexpensive but not "cheap." I now live in NYC and miss having an entire row of good 5 euro bottles of wine in every supermarket that I got used to in Rome. It's the little things.... (Don't get me started on the lack of AC. And heat that only comes on during the day -- shuts off at 10pm and doesn't come back on until 10am....)
 
the kids are pretending they are hunting Captain Hook in the living room.

Funny, I got to chill out and update today because my kids are taking all of their Disney figures and making a parade throughout the house.

and if I’m feeling especially extravagant maybe I’ll stop and grab an iced latte from the adjoining Starbucks.

Is it even a trip to Target if you don't buy overpriced coffee while you browse?

YOU COULD SNEAK A FEW MOTHER/DAUGHTER MINUTES TOGETHER RIGHT HERE.

Do it! You'll be with your kids for 9 days straight, they can deal with you going out for an evening. Especially if you explain that you just have to go wait in line without actually going into the park.
 
ten varieties of trail mix
Ok I have to admit that I didn’t know there were so many variations of trail mix but now I feel the need to visit a Target store just so I can sample them all!
Now if only I didn’t need a 9 hour flight first!:rotfl:

Has anyone come from Europe and forgotten this?
Me! Every flipping trip!

YOU COULD SNEAK A FEW MOTHER/DAUGHTER MINUTES TOGETHER RIGHT HERE.
This sounds just perfect. I really hope you manage it:goodvibes
 
Day 1 sounds good! I think I've said it before when you've mentioned it, but I do not blame you one bit for missing Target!

I hope you're able to get that mother/daughter time in, that would be really nice!
 
I totally get your love of American grocery stores. As a Canadian, I think they are amazing too! So many things we don't get here!
 

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