Been there. Done that. Going back!

About a week before leaving for our last Disney trip, I was having lunch at Truett’s Grill with Tim, my mom, and sister when we saw an SUV with a bumper sticker that had that saying written on it. It also had decals of the hitch-hiking Haunted Mansion ghosts on the side window, a Disney license plate frame, and if memory serves me correctly, a Disney antennae topper. It was probably a comical sight seeing the four of us circle this SUV, gawking at all of the Disney memorabilia it had to offer. I’m also pretty sure that if the owner had seen us hovering around their vehicle that way, they would have hit their alarm button, in fear that they were about to be hijacked. Either way, we all agreed that the quirky bumper sticker was definitely our family motto.

We’ve been there….several times. We’ve done that. And yes. We are going back!

Tim just called and he has officially booked our trip for our 4th Wedding Anniversary next September! We will be leaving on Friday, September 9th and coming back on Saturday, September 17th. Whooo hoo! Can’t wait! Of course we will be going again before then…Tim and I are already planning on returning to Walt Disney World this December to attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, a first time for both of us…but that is going to be a shorter trip. A little “jolly holiday”, if you will. 😉

Want some juicy details??

Well, next September we will be staying at Disney’s All-Star Music resort. We love the All-Stars. In the past we have stayed at a few of the Deluxe Resorts, including The Polynesian, The Wilderness Lodge, and Disney Vacation Club’s new Bay Lake Towers! We loved those resorts, but for the price you really can’t beat the accommodations of the Value Resorts…especially when you are going to be taking your then 15 month old son with you. They are bright, colorful, clean, and fun! As far as the kiddos go, with the fun decor, game room, gift shop, and swimming pools complete with Cast-led poolside games and movies, you really can’t get any better. We have stayed at all three All-Star Resorts previously (Movies, Music, and Sports) and have also stayed at Pop Century. All-Star Music just seems to be our personal favorite.

Included in our Disney Vacation Package we are getting eight days of park tickets that can be used at any of the four Disney Parks; Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Don’t freak out! We don’t exactly plan on spending eight days straight in the parks. We don’t like to go, go, go the whole time we are there, but we do like having the option of getting into a park everyday, even if it is just to watch the fireworks or a parade, or for breakfast/lunch/dinner reservations. When we plan long Disney vacations such as this, we have our whole itinerary for the week mapped out months in advance so that when we get there, there is no debate about what we want to do. We waste no time discussing and hashing out details like what to do or where to eat while we are there. We get that out of the way early to maximize our amount of fun!

Which brings me to the last detail of our trip, we decided to upgrade our free Dining Plan. In past years,  the free Disney Dining Plan was included in our trip when we booked a 5 night stay or longer at any Disney Resort. The Dining Plan usually included one quick service meal, one table service meal, and one snack a day. This year however, Disney changed it to where you get a certain level of the Dining Plan free based on where you stay. For instance, if you stay at the Value Resorts you only get the Quick Service Plan, where you get two quick service meals and two snacks a day. Well, we are spoiled. We love getting those table service meals, many of which include character dinner and breakfast buffets where you get all you can eat food, and Disney characters come right up to your table! Perfect picture opportunities and it cuts down on the amount of time you have wait in lines at the parks to meet characters…a good tip for those of you with young kids! So since Disney roped us in the first few years we are just going to pay the little extra to upgrade our Dining Plan. I am so sure it is going to be worth it!

Well, that’s all for now, folks. I am going to try to post a blog soon about our trip we just took a few weeks ago. I can’t wait to share some stories and pictures about all the memories we made taking our son, Jack, for the first time! So in the words of our friend Tigger, T.T.F.N.! Ta-ta for now!!