I've started my 2011 Trip Report!

Head on over to my regular haunt at EasyWDW to read it. 

Pandas At The Poly - September 28 to October 4, 2011

ZOMG It's Totally A Disney Day!

So, last night, I finished my College of Disney Knowledge training.  That's right ... I am now officially ready and able to book ANY Disney-related travel for you!  Just drop me an E-mail (hilary at mouseketrips dot com) and we'll get your vacation started. 

AND THEN, this morning?  My friend Kristen over at Cooking With Mickey managed to get her hands on the menu for my two most anticipated Food and Wine Festival booths ... Hawaii and Caribbean.  To say that I SQUEE'd when I read that post is an understatement.  Seriously - Dragon Berry Colada?  Tuna Poke?  Lotus Root Chips?  The foodie in me is rejoicing!  And even better - The Panda will be with me to shepherd the kiddies around and to ensure that I ride the Tron-O-Rail back to the right resort.  ***hiccup***

And then ... it gets better.  Disney has now released the rooms and suites at Disney's Art of Animation Resort for booking, starting October 4, 2012.  AND, you can start booking the new Royal Suites at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort during January, 2012. 

Seriously.  I might explode from all the mousey fabulousness that abounds today.

I'm the (wo)man with the plan.

So, here we are.  Nearly February.  My NCAA Football season is over (blah Auburn blah ... it'll be vacated in 5 years anyhow).  I'm filling the void with basketball until draft time.  I'm a football girl, but just can't get into the NFL.  Bunch of whiny crybabies. 

Anyhow, I'm occupying my time with working on a few new ventures, MBA work, and the usual ESPN rotation (save for tennis - that sucks).

Oh.  And planning our next Disney trip.

I think that we're going to go back the same week as last year (September 28 - October 4).  This is Wednesday - Tuesday, and for good reason.  Airfare.  Look at what Southwest charges, and when.  The cheapest days to fly with them are Tuesday and Wednesday every week.  If I stalk the sales, I can likely hit airfare for $59 each way, per person.  Plus, leveraging the "off days" for Magical Express is perfect.

Another reason to choose that week - we can catch the Food and Wine Festival soft opening on September 30th.  The booths are all open, and are serving the same food ... but with 100% less crowds.  And of course, who can forget MNSSHP?  It's quite possibly the perfect week.

Of course, I plan to go "home" to the Polynesian.  My husband has always dreamt of staying at the Contemporary though ... I need to talk it over with him and see where he wants to stay.  Both are similarly priced (we'd do Theme Park View Tower at the Contemporary versus Garden View at the Polynesian), but the reality is that I just love the Polynesian.  Maybe a little aggressive negotiation is in the works?

Next time I write, I need to talk through a few things ... my thoughts on the water parks, Halloween costumes, and my stepdaughter's pending diagnosis.

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday

Dear Fellow DisNerds:

Well, hello there. It sure has been a while.  Sorry I haven't written much lately, but life has kinda happened.  Between finishing my first MBA course with a 98.3%, Christmakwanzakkuh, New Year's, and a whole lot of other things ... life's been busy.  But I realized one thing - I miss writing about my favorite place on the planet.

I'm getting ready to book my trip for 2011.  Of course, we'll be staying at the Polynesian again in late September/early October.  We get the best of both worlds, spanning months ... the annual Free Dining discount (allegedly, it hasn't been released yet), and the kickoff of the Food And Wine Festival.

And boy, do I like the Food And Wine Festival.