Disneydoc is off to Saratoga Springs!

Hmm - might try that. Perhaps on a non ADR day - even lunch. I bet one person could walk up to a few more spots too - I really just never try that.

Decided to give myself a break (no not like that) and book some meals this time! A few favs, and some new ones!

Raglan Road (dancers! Music! Salmon!) - NEW
Mama Melrose -NEW
Tonys Town Square - NEW (that caprese tomato thing scrappy had!)
The Plaza (strawberry chicken salad!)
Teppan Edo
Grand Floridian Cafe - NEW

4 new places! And I have FPs to ride the Mine Train at least twice already.

Will do MK fireworks July 3 and probably HS fireworks July 4 like I did in 2012. Crowded, yes, but fun.

Stay tuned....

And let's not forget the Epcot Sounds Like Summer concerts - I get the Boston tribute band this time. Funny, though, I will see the REAL Boston here in Atlanta two weeks before my trip - working that show!

Ok Mandy - I am not missing you this time! I have several MK days built in this trip! Just give me your daily assignments via PM or the board when I get there and I will find you!

So for the first time since joining DVC, I have invited a friend to join me in my villa! I am kinda picky about who I will travel with - day trips are one thing, but 7 days, and Disney is another. This friend and I have a lot in common and do stuff together. She is active and health conscious, a retired teacher (but I am not retired yet), and likes tours, learning stuff, shows and music, etc. We met by working music events together, only to learn that two of her grand kids were in my school! Small world.

So I will drive down on Sunday the 29th of June, she will fly into Orlando on July 2 and take DME to Saratoga Springs, we will hang out and do parks, fireworks, concerts, rides, and ADRs, and she will ride home with me. I am excited! I will need to do some work now to get her linked and on my ressie so we can get the FP, ADR, DME, etc going. I will need to change a lot of what I planned solo, but I am excited to show her around the World. She has not been in a long time. Excited!

Julie, you would like her - we teachers can all talk for hours and be instant friends. You know how we are! Maybe we will get to meet, or at least I can see you guys before she joins me if not.

I would love to have some Disney friends to travel with - so stay tuned for how this works out! I think we will have so much fun. I get to make some ADRs for 2!

Great reminder Mark! I am excited to see it all through her eyes. She will only be coming with me for 3 days, and only 2 of them will be park days. (Had to shorten it by one day). She gets to call the shots on those days! I love it all.

I love Hotel California too! Saw them last year. I get the Boston tribute band my whole trip this time. I am actually seeing the REAL Boston this Sat night with 38 Special - working that show. Living the dream!

Gail and I will be going to Epcot on July 5th and will probably hit the first Boston show before dinner at Teppan Edo. We may do AK that AM, or maybe the 5th.

We are doing the MK on the crazy July 4 - dinner at The Wave around 5:45 before the evening games begin. Fireworks!

I am very bummed to miss Bon Jovi! I cannot get back down there in July - my new county has me going back to work on - wait for it - JULY 22!!!!!!!!! Just wrong!

And events to work during the other weeks.

We would love to have you sardine in with us for the 4th!

so Gail came over today and we set her up with a MDE account. She purchased her ticket - an annual pass! (I promise I did not make her do that!) She realized that if she had an AP, she could spend all of July 3rd in the afternoon and evening with me in the park and eat somewhere fun, all day on the 4th, all day on the 5th, and we could even spend the morning and early afternoon in the park on Sunday before driving back to Atlanta. (which is what I always do solo).

And she will be coming back along with me some other times for part of the trip, and going with her kids and their families. She is really excited about it!

SOOOO we made some ADRs based on this new information. We read menus together, and looked to see what is still available at kinda short notice. We now have:

July 3 - go to HS (she has not been since it was MGM) as soon as she gets to SS via the DME. (how about all those acronyms?)
Dinner 8 PM (later than we wanted, but it was available) at 50s PRIME TIME!!! Hoping for fun experience - she was cracking up with my description of what they do. I have not been there in over 15 years either.

July 4 - either AK (she has never been) or Epcot in the AM, early dinner 5:20 at THE WAVE - yummy, and new to me too. Then fireworks, and whatever we can get into. Again, earlier than we wanted, but there are NO ADRS to be found in and around MK on the 4th!

July 5 - She chose Coral Reef for dinner. That sounds fun. (she does not share the love for Teppan that I do..so I will go a day before she arrives. Epcot will be our evening park, not sure what we may do in the AM.

July 6 - leaving day. We will go wherever we feel like before heading home.

We are excited! I will be able to bring down some food items in the car for our breakfast, as she is flying. Her only concern is the comfort level of the pull out beds in the SS studios. Anyone tried those?

Still having issues with making joint FPs. We have linked her ticket info to her MDE account, and she accepted my invitation to share info via friends and family. But my account does not find her ticket info, and her account does not find mine. So we were not able to make concurrent FPs today. Will call in the AM.

We are already talking about having more time to make some fun ADRS farther out if she comes along for part of my Nov. trip. I am going to get to try new things with her - a win for us both!

I think about you guys and your Tom and Del trips a lot!

Well bam - Disney magic! This AM the friend invite is all linked to My Disney Experience - no call necessary. We now have Fastpasses together for all days. We are gonna have to be cool about the 4th, as there are fewer top tier choices, but we do not care. There are lots of things to do, and we will wait in some lines too. Gail is so impressed with the changes since she has visited.

MM, I did hit Coral Reef last year and had an appetizer. It is neat inside. It does get mixed reviews, but Gail like the pics of the restaurant and the menu. I will let you know!

We have looked at lots of menus, and since she bought an AP, we will most likely try lots of things. Excited to have someone else going along some - we can order different things and taste! We have pretty similar preferences.

Is it time to go yet?

Me too Kristen! My friend is blown away that she can scan her Magicband at the airport, ride to SS and go right to our room and use it to open the door (I checked in a few days prior), and go to any park and use it to walk in (after going to guest svcs to redeem her AP). Pretty darn cool.