October 2015 PTR: a “Halloweenie” and her Fearless Companion conquer their first HHN!

It's NYPD Pizza, Orlando. While I am not sure what is different with NY style pizza, I do like most pizza, and with the 20 percent off, plus the groupon normal discount, the $20 in food should get me a small special pizza, small salad and maybe either soda or hmm, a cannoli. While I most likely will stay around Universal, I thought it might be a good place to pick up dinner at. Google shows not that far, and I don't mind driving, as long as it's around 1/2 hour or less. I too get the emails, but most of the time, I delete without even looking. Soon, I'll be looking for our December vacation too. I like to save. I'm also looking forward to the chocolate tour. Just the smell of chocolate is inviting.:teeth:
 
pigletto said:
Gina I hope you know my only comments on the frequency of your trips are of the "You go girl!" variety! If it was in the budget for us this year I'd be going twice, and we were just there in December and March last year.
In fact, one of my neighbours just booked her second trip to Cuba this year and was telling me that she was worried what people would say. I could not be more truthful when I say I could care less what people do with their hard earned money, and that if this is what their or your or my family enjoys.. then so be it!! As long as I am taking care of my business it's nobody elses.
So go on a fourth trip I say!:rotfl:

As for our ADR's.. I got an Ohana (and there were a ton of good dinner time reservations for our week). It's my guys favourite and we didn't go on our last two trips. I booked a lunch ADR for Be Our Guest. I wasn't paying those breakfast prices and there were no dinner reservations. We've done both dinner and lunch before and we loved lunch and just liked dinner. I think lunch sits within my cost to value threshold best.
We booked Boma. We love AKL and all of it's restaurants, and we haven't been to Boma in awhile. I also booked the new Italian place on the Boardwalk , Trattoria al Forno. I'm looking forward to giving it a try. On our DHS day we are going back to 50's Prime Time for the first time since 2010. We really liked it back then. And finally, I am leaving one space open for the new restaurant in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom. Rumours say it may be open when we are there in January and I would love to give it a try.
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Oh, my friend....I know your comments were nothing but positive.....and that is just one of the (many) reasons I think you ROCK! :hug: It's also one of the reasons I love the Disboards community ::yes:: . People here "get" it where some of my personal acquaintances do not. To be fair, though, while many people still think we're a little loonie with our Orlando obsession, a good portion of them have seen enough of our family fun photos to at least appreciate where we're coming from. It may not be for them, but they're slowly understanding why its for us.

lol, a fourth trip is most definitely out :rotfl2: . We will have our second 2016 week at the Vistana still to book, but we're not entirely sure when we want to use it. If this autumn trip goes over marvelously (and we love the weather, HHN and MNSSHP), then we'd probably consider returning again next fall. Or maybe early December to take in some of the Christmas events before the crowds hit. Its hard to say just yet....but I'm pretty sure we'll only have the two trips next year unless we win the Lotto 649 jackpot between now and then :teeth: .

You got some awesome ADR's for January!!! Ohana dinner has always been one of the places we wanted to try. You are inspiring me....perhaps I will check that out as a possibility for April. I know Steve would enjoy all the meat!
 
Lynne G said:
It's NYPD Pizza, Orlando. While I am not sure what is different with NY style pizza, I do like most pizza, and with the 20 percent off, plus the groupon normal discount, the $20 in food should get me a small special pizza, small salad and maybe either soda or hmm, a cannoli. While I most likely will stay around Universal, I thought it might be a good place to pick up dinner at. Google shows not that far, and I don't mind driving, as long as it's around 1/2 hour or less. I too get the emails, but most of the time, I delete without even looking. Soon, I'll be looking for our December vacation too. I like to save. I'm also looking forward to the chocolate tour. Just the smell of chocolate is inviting.:teeth:
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Definitely go for the cannoli. I've never had one but they look delish!! (and what can I say? I am a sucker for desserts.....hence the chocolate tour :rotfl:)

Blue Man Group has been offered on Groupon for most dates in September, and even was showing up within the last few weeks for late August dates. I am curious to know if tickets to that show will also be offered at the same discount for October :scratchin . I could be convinced to add that to one of our (few) free evenings. I've always wanted to see that show! (hey, that might be a good idea for our Dismeet night.....)
 


Ooh, never had a cannoli? Well, it better be good, as I worked in a Italian neighborhood for over 12 years, and there was a bakery that is so well known in the city to have the best ones. That bakery was across the street and even though I have not worked there in more than that years, I still go back to that bakery if I want a cannoli. It is why I still call spaghetti sauce red gravy.

For some reason, I am not too keen on the Blue Man show. I did see it discounted at times too, but I gave it a pass each time. I think I can keep myself busy even if I do not go when I am so close. And, we are getting closer, 44 for you and 45 for me! Wahoo!
 
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:
I saw this article today, and thought it was so "me"!! Thought I would share:

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3043858/...uld-spend-your-money-on-experiences-not-thing

44 days to go :goodvibes .
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So true-and we buy little "things" on our trips but they bring the memories back. And really-kids talk about "remember that time we did (insert experience)".
And our kids are now old enough that they understand that if we buy this we may not be able to do that and they would all rather do something-and that something doesn't have to be expensive (day floating down the river is very cheap and fun:)

Your trip is getting very real and close now Gina!
 
Monykalyn said:
So true-and we buy little "things" on our trips but they bring the memories back. And really-kids talk about "remember that time we did (insert experience)".
And our kids are now old enough that they understand that if we buy this we may not be able to do that and they would all rather do something-and that something doesn't have to be expensive (day floating down the river is very cheap and fun:)

Your trip is getting very real and close now Gina!
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It *is* getting close!! (yesterday was our 6-week mark :woohoo:). Happy and sad about that at the same time. It means summer is very quickly slipping away....we're already marveling at how much shorter the days are. Sadly, I'm no fan of autumn or winter.....I make a terrible Canadian :rotfl: .

About the only thing left on our planning to-do's is to watch that car rental in the hopes we can whittle it down a bit. Rates are almost double than the reservation I'm currently holding, so I'm not too confident I'll get it much lower. Otherwise, it's pretty quiet (or at least until September 13th and 16th, when I can make our FP+ selections for the pre-party hours assuming there's anything left to get). I have started a list or two.....I love lists, they help me organize my thoughts which brings me a certain calm.....and am making plans to get some loose ends (eye doctor appointments, furnace cleanings, etc.) all done before we go.

I am currently enjoying the beginning of an extended weekend.....I'm off today, tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday (as are the guys....our first time off together all summer!!). Assuming Mother Nature co-operates, we're hoping for a couple of days at the beach early in the week before Jake resumes his classes after Labour Day. Steve and I haven't been to the beach all summer :scared1: so its high time we get to it. Hot and sunny weather won't be sticking around much longer.
 


Hi Gina and all!

Looks like a great week you have planned there!

We just got back yesterday from our week in the stifling heat and humidity of Central Florida! ;) It was a good trip! But the weather was dreadful. It seemed to rain earlier during the day than I remember. One day we got stuck under the Peter Pan awning for about 45 minutes.

We did a split stay between Portofino at Universal and the Villas at Wilderness Lodge at Disney. I had never stayed at Wilderness Lodge before. We LOVED it. And now of course it will be under construction for the next 2+ years with the new DVC cabins they are building. Figures!

I see you dropped the Plaza...I was thinking of you...We had a lunch there this week and it took a half hour just to get in! I made a mental note to tell you but I see you already dropped it. The food and ice cream was good but I was disappointed with the wait, and it wasn't even a high-crowd day.
 
ArwenMarie said:
Hi Gina and all!

Looks like a great week you have planned there!

We just got back yesterday from our week in the stifling heat and humidity of Central Florida! ;) It was a good trip! But the weather was dreadful. It seemed to rain earlier during the day than I remember. One day we got stuck under the Peter Pan awning for about 45 minutes.

We did a split stay between Portofino at Universal and the Villas at Wilderness Lodge at Disney. I had never stayed at Wilderness Lodge before. We LOVED it. And now of course it will be under construction for the next 2+ years with the new DVC cabins they are building. Figures!

I see you dropped the Plaza...I was thinking of you...We had a lunch there this week and it took a half hour just to get in! I made a mental note to tell you but I see you already dropped it. The food and ice cream was good but I was disappointed with the wait, and it wasn't even a high-crowd day.
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Hey my friend, welcome back! :goodvibes We missed your contributions over the last week!

I am sorry to hear that Mother Nature was less than kind for your vacation......its so frustrating that you can organize and plan until the cows come home, but the weather is always a variable you have no control over at all (and that can make such a difference, both positive or negative). Pete was talking about the weather on one of the more recent podcasts, saying it had been a bit of an unusual summer: more rain, less heat/humidity. He said its been the most moderate summer he can remember in 17 years, and very wet. I am just happy you arrived home safe and sound in advance of Erika's arrival early this week. My heart goes out to anyone who is vacationing in central Florida right now.....what a bummer to have such a nasty storm on the way.

The theming at Wilderness Lodge appeals to me HUGE. It looks to be very Great Wolf Lodge-ish (and I love that "cabin" vibe). I hear its stunning during the holiday season. I am almost tempted to book a meal at Trails End just to check it out over Christmas week.

We didn't drop the Plaza entirely, just cancelled the later reservation (the original one was 6:25 pm) and booked for earlier in the night (4:35 pm came available, so we just switched up times). I am sorry to hear that you had such a long wait to be seated...that is so frustrating!! :headache: I hope they have extra staff on hand on party nights to keep things movin' along before the special events kick off.

Did you have the Mickey Pants sundae when you dined at the Plaza? If you did, we want photos :teeth: .

I hope you're planning on doing a trip report once you get all settled back in and the laundry caught up. If you do, be sure you post a link to your thread here so we can all follow along :) .
 
Nice PTR Gina! I'm almost inspired to start one myself...naw, maybe i'll settle for actually finishing "a" TR.

lol re 'weenie' designation. arrgh just missing lynne & you.

Plaza is good for steak hoagie & reuben. I wouldn't recommend blowing the time to eat in MK but since u have 2 party nights, would go for it. We've been able to book FP+ tix using party tix. It's been so humid the last few years we've left the full pirate gear at home but it's such fun to dress up like a kid and go for it, if the spirit moves you - enjoy! PS Try 'steaming' the costumes in bathroom by hanging via hot shower running.

The Fountains section of Sheraton Vistana looks nice. We always have landed @ Cascades & never ventured past the main pool & pizza joint Hilton's Hampton Inn on Sea Harbor Dr will be available mid Oct, saw great rates & the SW queue perk. trying to get GD & DIL to switch from the Nick:crazy:to do SW but sponge bob is currently winning that battle.
 
gina, the first adr that i made was for the plaza.
i always get the tomatoe basil soup and reuben sandwich.
well the last 3 visits that is what i ordered.

have had other items there and they were good but my heart is with the soup/sandwich..

i always make my adr for soon after opening.
snagged a 11:05 seating for this year.

30 days now and i'll be in orlando...
 
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:
Hey my friend, welcome back! :goodvibes We missed your contributions over the last week!

I am sorry to hear that Mother Nature was less than kind for your vacation......its so frustrating that you can organize and plan until the cows come home, but the weather is always a variable you have no control over at all (and that can make such a difference, both positive or negative). Pete was talking about the weather on one of the more recent podcasts, saying it had been a bit of an unusual summer: more rain, less heat/humidity. He said its been the most moderate summer he can remember in 17 years, and very wet. I am just happy you arrived home safe and sound in advance of Erika's arrival early this week. My heart goes out to anyone who is vacationing in central Florida right now.....what a bummer to have such a nasty storm on the way.

The theming at Wilderness Lodge appeals to me HUGE. It looks to be very Great Wolf Lodge-ish (and I love that "cabin" vibe). I hear its stunning during the holiday season. I am almost tempted to book a meal at Trails End just to check it out over Christmas week.

We didn't drop the Plaza entirely, just cancelled the later reservation (the original one was 6:25 pm) and booked for earlier in the night (4:35 pm came available, so we just switched up times). I am sorry to hear that you had such a long wait to be seated...that is so frustrating!! :headache: I hope they have extra staff on hand on party nights to keep things movin' along before the special events kick off.

Did you have the Mickey Pants sundae when you dined at the Plaza? If you did, we want photos :teeth: .

I hope you're planning on doing a trip report once you get all settled back in and the laundry caught up. If you do, be sure you post a link to your thread here so we can all follow along :) .
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It's still a great week, despite the weather. Crowds were low, Friday was the lowest day I've ever seen at the MK ever. And the prices were nice, got to stay at places that we would never pay for during the higher-priced weeks. :thumbsup2 But yeah, pack your patience with the weather for sure!

That's so funny, I wasn't looking forward to the theming at WL because it looks like Great Wolf Lodge and a lot of the stuff up in the Adirondacks etc. I kind of like stuff to look Florida/beachy when I am down there. But then it was very appealing once we were there.

I'm sure you'll be fine at the Plaza. I would just get there a bit early to check in. I didn't have the Mickey Pants sundae and I didn't see any in the restaurant....I wonder if that is only available from the window? Darn, the kids would have liked that! (ok, me too lol) Next time!
 
keishashadow said:
Nice PTR Gina! I'm almost inspired to start one myself...naw, maybe i'll settle for actually finishing "a" TR.

lol re 'weenie' designation. arrgh just missing lynne & you.

Plaza is good for steak hoagie & reuben. I wouldn't recommend blowing the time to eat in MK but since u have 2 party nights, would go for it. We've been able to book FP+ tix using party tix. It's been so humid the last few years we've left the full pirate gear at home but it's such fun to dress up like a kid and go for it, if the spirit moves you - enjoy! PS Try 'steaming' the costumes in bathroom by hanging via hot shower running.

The Fountains section of Sheraton Vistana looks nice. We always have landed @ Cascades & never ventured past the main pool & pizza joint Hilton's Hampton Inn on Sea Harbor Dr will be available mid Oct, saw great rates & the SW queue perk. trying to get GD & DIL to switch from the Nick:crazy:to do SW but sponge bob is currently winning that battle.
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Hi keisha! Glad to have you join us over here :) .

Too bad that our dates don't align.....no chance you could wiggle a few extra days into your vacation? ;)

Ugh, the humidity is always a concern so I'm hoping and praying that the temps are bearable on our party nights. Our costumes are pretty light just in case, though. That was actually the first criteria of everything we have purchased....."will that be cool enough to wear in Florida in October?". Perhaps we should have gone as Adam and Eve ... now those would have been "cool" costumes :rotfl2: ..... pass the fig leaves, please! :laughing:

Cascades is a nice area too....very convenient to the Marketplace and the mini golf. We stayed in Spas the first time we were there. Spend one vacation in Lakes, too. Fountains is still "home" though......I especially love the steel drummer that sometimes plays at the Tacky Tiki Bar.

lol, the Nick hotel has its merits too, Grandma ..... you can't get "slimed" at the SeaWorld hotel :rotfl:. I want to see pics when that happens!!
 
macraven said:
gina, the first adr that i made was for the plaza.
i always get the tomatoe basil soup and reuben sandwich.
well the last 3 visits that is what i ordered.

have had other items there and they were good but my heart is with the soup/sandwich..

i always make my adr for soon after opening.
snagged a 11:05 seating for this year.

30 days now and i'll be in orlando...
Click to expand...

Only 30 days to go? I'm jealous ;) . 39 for moi. I'm hot on your heals as far as the countdown goes, though :thumbsup2 .

Glad to hear that you enjoy the Plaza as well. Its nice to get that kind of positive feedback, especially when paying Disney prices :rolleyes2 . Our Universal AP's, and the 20% discount that they get us on our dining, has made the Disney meal costs a little harder to stomach (pardon the pun!).
 
ArwenMarie said:
It's still a great week, despite the weather. Crowds were low, Friday was the lowest day I've ever seen at the MK ever. And the prices were nice, got to stay at places that we would never pay for during the higher-priced weeks. :thumbsup2 But yeah, pack your patience with the weather for sure!

That's so funny, I wasn't looking forward to the theming at WL because it looks like Great Wolf Lodge and a lot of the stuff up in the Adirondacks etc. I kind of like stuff to look Florida/beachy when I am down there. But then it was very appealing once we were there.

I'm sure you'll be fine at the Plaza. I would just get there a bit early to check in. I didn't have the Mickey Pants sundae and I didn't see any in the restaurant....I wonder if that is only available from the window? Darn, the kids would have liked that! (ok, me too lol) Next time!
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I am so glad to hear that crowds were so good for you!! :thumbsup2 Makes all the heat and humidity worth every drop of sweat.

I have to concur....I like the "Florida" feel in my Orlando accommodations too. I think that WL would be the only exception to that that I would consider.....especially if its a couples trip. There's something rather romantic about a log cabin vibe. Did your kiddos enjoy it as much as you did? How was the pool area?

You'll have to put the Mickey Pants sundae firmly on the top of your to-do list for the next trip :) . Speaking of which......have you decided when that will be?
 
Funny my DS wanted to stay at the YC because of the pool. We split the stay, and also stayed at the WL, which neither kid wanted to stay at. Well, at the end of the trip, both kids rather stay at WL and not at YC. Or spend most of the time at WL and a few days at YC. WL is more our style too.

It's September, so that means, we'll be traveling next month! Wahoo!

And, I think you will like the Plaza. I'll have to see if I have a picture of the Mickey pants empty. My kids would be giving me the stink eye if I ever tried to take a picture of our food. :rotfl:
 
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina said:
I am so glad to hear that crowds were so good for you!! :thumbsup2 Makes all the heat and humidity worth every drop of sweat.

I have to concur....I like the "Florida" feel in my Orlando accommodations too. I think that WL would be the only exception to that that I would consider.....especially if its a couples trip. There's something rather romantic about a log cabin vibe. Did your kiddos enjoy it as much as you did? How was the pool area?

You'll have to put the Mickey Pants sundae firmly on the top of your to-do list for the next trip :) . Speaking of which......have you decided when that will be?
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Kids loved it! The pool area was really nice. Crowded with kids but that's to be expected. They also had a quiet pool near the DVC villas and that was nice and empty and very private, surrounded by trees, which is unusual for a hotel.

Haven't decided on a next trip. We usually go in February during Presidents Week, which my kids used to get off from school. But they are switching schools this year and we don't have that break now, just a long weekend :( I don't know what we are going to do, I really enjoy that break from the peak of the winter here! Helps to keep me sane. We could take them out a few days I guess but my son has a hard time catching up with the volume of work now that he is in middle school. He has actually requested no more days off for vacations, poor kid.

I'm also tempted to go during Christmas break to see the Osborne Lights one more time because I have a feeling they are not long for this world and they are my favorite Orlando attraction.

Anyway, we'll see! Have to wait for the final bills to come in from this trip before we decide anything LOL!
 
Lynne G said:
Funny my DS wanted to stay at the YC because of the pool. We split the stay, and also stayed at the WL, which neither kid wanted to stay at. Well, at the end of the trip, both kids rather stay at WL and not at YC. Or spend most of the time at WL and a few days at YC. WL is more our style too.
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We didn't like BC/YC that much either other than the location. Stormalong Bay was a bit of a letdown. It was very crowded and for some reason hard for my husband and I to navigate with the kids. I liked WL much better!
 
Hi Gina! We stayed at WL several years ago and loved it! The theming is awesome, and it's fun just to walk around the lobby. The pool was good for us, as was the pool bar! The room was great too. It had bunk beds for the kids, which they loved, and we actually had a view of the MK fireworks from our balcony! As far as restaurants, we really liked Whispering Canyon. A lot of people don't like the antics, but we thought it was fun, and the food I had (some kind of seriously carnivorous platter) was tasty and a decent value.

We also did one trip staying at the Poly. I think that was my favorite. There is something cool about being on the monorail, plus I loved the theming there too. (It was back when the lobby was also themed.) We did the character breakfast at Ohana, watched fireworks and the electric light parade on the beach, swam in the volcano pool, etc. It was really nice. I know it has changed since then, and I think they are still doing construction, so it may not be quite as special now.

We did one trip in a FW cabin. We liked it, but FW is a whole other experience. We had other family camping there, so we spent a lot of time at the campground, including the pool, the Hoop-Dee-Doo Review (awesome), and the Chip n Dale bonfire and movie. The cabins are really just somewhat themed single-wide mobile homes, and again I would only recommend FW if you plan to spend a lot of time there. It is a little inconvenient moving around (we actually rented a golf cart).

I still can't believe we're talking about Disney on a Gina thread!
 
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Enjoying your PTR Gina...like keisha said it's too bad we will all miss each other by a few days...maybe next time we can do big homie meet-up.

Hope you have a blast at the beach :beach:
 
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