Here's another July,2011 visitor. 
Bangzoom I actually started the 2011 thread last year and had a blast planning along with everyone.
We just booked for next year from 6/21 - 7/5 at AKL.
I saw all the discussion on the TIW card and I think we are doing that this trip. The price of the DDP will be going up by $15 per adult. Since we are getting another AP it will be perfect timing to use.
It was over a year ago, and I know that had we gone that route, I would STILL be eating Minnie's Bake Shop Cookies! 
she could not tell me what had happen with all the screaming 
and jumping 
up and down.
received the same invitation to study in Australia. We are all going to the same meeting on September 10th at UTA.
Hi there, and welcome to the July 2012 Thread!
You are going to love the TiW card! I know what you mean about the price of the DDP...insane! And the deluxe plan...more insane! I guess though, for the regular DDP, they finally added the refillable mug, so that's why the price went up so much??
We did enjoy having the TiW card last year and not having to worry about dining or snack credits. DDP was too few TS credits for our ADRs, deluxe was way too many, plus way too many snacks...10 nights multiplied by 4 people would be a total of 80 snacks on the deluxe plan!
Anyway, it's great to have another fellow summer vacationer here with us! And might I add........your 10-month mark is coming up in a couple of days!
On our trip that just passed we had 52 snack credits
But we ate alot of icecream so they went fast.
Hello Everyone - Just an FYI about the Australia Study Program Midori received. Midori started school on Wedesnday and came home so excited
2 of her 6th grade classmates
Wish us luck
Bangzoom I actually started the 2011 thread last year and had a blast planning along with everyone.
We just booked for next year from 6/21 - 7/5 at AKL.
I saw all the discussion on the TIW card and I think we are doing that this trip. The price of the DDP will be going up by $15 per adult. Since we are getting another AP it will be perfect timing to use.
Bangzoom I actually started the 2011 thread last year and had a blast planning along with everyone.
We just booked for next year from 6/21 - 7/5 at AKL.
I saw all the discussion on the TIW card and I think we are doing that this trip. The price of the DDP will be going up by $15 per adult. Since we are getting another AP it will be perfect timing to use.
Hi there, and welcome to the July 2012 Thread!
You are going to love the TiW card! I know what you mean about the price of the DDP...insane! And the deluxe plan...more insane! I guess though, for the regular DDP, they finally added the refillable mug, so that's why the price went up so much??
We did enjoy having the TiW card last year and not having to worry about dining or snack credits. DDP was too few TS credits for our ADRs, deluxe was way too many, plus way too many snacks...10 nights multiplied by 4 people would be a total of 80 snacks on the deluxe plan!
Anyway, it's great to have another fellow summer vacationer here with us! And might I add........your 10-month mark is coming up in a couple of days!
Hello Everyone - Just an FYI about the Australia Study Program Midori received. Midori started school on Wedesnday and came home so excited
2 of her 6th grade classmates
Wish us luck
Hello Everyone - Just an FYI about the Australia Study Program Midori received. Midori started school on Wedesnday and came home so excited
2 of her 6th grade classmates
Wish us luck
Best of luck to you...and please, keep us posted! The added benefit of the AP being $100 off for DVC members, and only one person per party needing to be a TiW Cardholder, was a no-brainer for me. Now we prefer TS meals over CS meals, and we saw last summer how we are really ready to relax and be served in an air-conditioned restaurant rather than wait in line, carry everything to the table, find a table and finally eat. TS lunches seemed to take the same amount of time as CS lunches, for us...and not much cost difference, especially when you factor in that discount! How did you like Busch Gardens in Tampa when you went there? I have only been to the one in Williamsburg, when I was a kid, and I loved it there (and I don't do thrill rides!). Also, none of us have ever been to Tampa so we figured it would be nice to check it out.
YAY for us summer people!
. 
. But once you have the major details planned like hotels and stuff, it's all so much fun!We were at BG on a Saturday. We drove down from NYC on Friday, checked into our hotel, went to BG on Saturday, and then drove up to Orlando and went to the parks on Sunday.
We're thinking of also going to SeaWorld this year. I really want to ride Manta. I just don't want to take a day away from Disney! So maybe we'll go to SeaWorld and then later that evening go over to MK or something. We will be in Orlando for 12 days, so we have plenty of time. I just hate going outside the World. I know we're not going to to Universal or IOA. We did the HP thing last summer and don't need to go again. However, I am considering driving down to Tampa early one morning, going to BG, and driving back to Orlando later that evening. I really want to see their new Cheetah exhibit and coaster. And I know that my mom wants to drive down to Clearwater beach one day. So we're going to have to find a balance between having plenty of time at Disney and doing stuff outside of Disney that we haven't done in a long time. Either way I'm sure it will be great! I've already decided where we're going to eat, and now I'm just not-so-patiently waiting for the 6 month mark. We found out that Disney is going to upgrade our passes from this year to APs even though we passed the 2 week upgrading deadline, so I'm hoping my dad will let us get the TIW card! Then maybe we can eat at more TS restaurants
And your trip just sounds absolutely amazing! I've never met anyone before who drives and does something else besides Disney either on the way there or the way back. We always do that. This year it was Key West, last was DC, and the year before was NYC. Next year will be the first trip in a long time we're only in Orlando. I just love hearing that someone vacations like us and we're not totally weird! I hope you have a totally amazing time in Williamsburg! I love it there! And you'll have to report back on how Legoland is. I totally didn't know there was going to be one in Florida until you said that!
Anyway, as of today, I have 10 months to go until my trip, and you have 11 months until you arrive at Disney! How cool that they are exactly a month apart! Actually, that doesn't really sound that cool, but to me it is! I love how my ticker says 10 months instead of like 10 months and 2 days or something! You should have seen me at our 11 month mark for DVC. I made my dad call the owners of the points right when the DVC offices opened so we could make sure we got what we wanted. I was a bundle of nerves leading up to that point. I have no idea why. Planning stresses me out
We stayed that night at a hotel right off of I95 so we had easy access in the morning. Then we drove to Boca Raton and stayed there for 4 nights. We visited my uncle (my grandfather's brother) and some friends. We took the boys to Butterfly World and a children's museum that I went to with my parents and grandparents when I was a kid. Then we went to WDW for 5 nights. We then headed back to Lumberton, NC overnight, and then we drove to the DC area to visit my old college friends (I went to University of Maryland and some of my friends are from MD and still live down there). We stayed for the weekend, then drove home. It was a great trip!
Yay, I will see you over at my trip report!
Hmm...how many nights did you say you wanted to spend at WDW? Maybe you could make it a 4th of July trip? That way, you would be able to take a nice long trip if you want, and use your AP before it expires. A spring break trip sounds wonderful too! It is so much closer than July, and then you would get to go back about 3 months later!
Keep us all posted...especially about the spring break trip, so we can live vicariously through your trip!
Wow, are we related?!
Seriously, I totally agree with everything you said! This will be our third time driving down to Disney. In July 2008, we drove down to Boca Raton first, about 3 hours south of Disney. We stayed in Lumberton, NC the first night, then we drove just a few hours more to go to Savannah, GA. We spent the day on River Street, which was beautiful, and we ate at a great local restaurant...I had to try shrimp & grits for the first time when I was actually down south! And of course, I had to have some authentic pecan pie!
Last summer, we did a very similar trip, except we stayed 3 nights in Boca Raton, where my parents, sister and nieces joined us. They had taken the auto train on Amtrak from Virginia but we drove. We stayed overnight in Lumberton, NC an then in Palm Coast, FL. My mom hadn't seen her uncle since 2000 when he moved to Florida. You see, my grandparents (mom's parents) were killed in a terrible car accident in Tamarac (the town my uncle lives in) almost 25 years ago, and it is VERY hard for my mom to be down there. It's even hard for me, so I can't even imagine how it makes her feel. I didn't even want to go back last summer, but since she was coming I felt that I should, and I certainly don't regret it. After that, we spent 10 nights at WDW (my parents and sister stayed 4 nights). That was our first trip home as DVC members, and our first stay at BWV. It was amazing...DH and I said to each other that buying the DVC membership was the best thing. We said that the best part about it is, that even though we have to leave after 10 nights, we know we get to go back every 2 years and stay at BWV! We feel very lucky for that! When we left WDW, we drove to Lumberton, NC and stayed overnight, then we went again for the weekend to visit my college friends in the DC area. One of my friends had just graduated (change in career), and his graduation party was the night we arrived in DC! So that was great timing!
So, this year's trip is going to be different. No visits to DC this time...we said we could just drive down there for an overnight or a weekend one time in the Spring, or the summer, separately from the Disney trip. It's only about 4 hours from here, so overnight is just fine if we leave in the morning.
The last time I was in Williamsburg was in 1988 when I was 11 years old! And that was also the only time I went to BG...never been to Tampa, and always wanted to go. So this time, since we're not going to southern FL, I asked DH what he thought of going to Tampa, and he was all for it.
So, yes, I agree with you...I am waiting IMpatiently for the 6-month mark too! I am already looking at all the menus online obsessively, and trying to figure out where to eat...especially tossing different ideas around for Epcot! We are definitely going to San Angel for lunch and Biergarten for dinner one day. And we are definitely returning to Chefs de France, but not sure yet if it will be for lunch or dinner. So, I am tossing around Via Napoli for lunch and Chefs de France for dinner...and also Chefs de France for lunch and Rose & Crown for dinner. Never been to Via Napoli or Rose & Crown. Thought about Garden Grill, but we will already be going to Chef Mickey's, and my kids are not into Chip & Dale. And the food looks just fine, but with all the great countries in Epcot I would rather eat at one of those.
I have also been obsessing over where to eat when we first arrive. I've tossed around late breakfast at Boma (since we will be taking only a short drive from Tampa to get there), late breakfast at Kona, lunch at Sanaa, lunch somewhere at DTD, or lunch at a different resort restaurant. We will probably go with one of the lunch options, since we are staying at Embassy Suites in Tampa which includes free hot breakfast...and breakfast at Embassy Suites is very good and filling...no sense going for the same thing twice. But I definitely want to go to both Kona and Boma for breakfast on this trip...I can't pass them up this time!
OK, enough rambling for me now...I'm probably giving you a headache with all I am typing!
But I'm sure it was liberating in a sense to go back. 
I'm also considering Citricos. I've heard some great things about that. And also Ohana. I started a thread over in the restaurants section asking where we should go to eat to celebrate my graduation and the winner by far was Ohana. You're definitely not giving me a headache! I'm just glad I've met someone on here I can relate to!
And I'm very sorry about your grandparents.
Dang you guys go to a lot of places! I've wanted to go to Boca Raton for a while now. Did you like it?
And all of your dining ideas sound great! I don't eat at a lot of TS restaurants, but I want to change that. We eat at maybe 1 or 2 each trip and usually it's the same ones over and over (Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace, Le Cellier, Boma). So this time I want to branch out and definitely eat in some of the countries! I also want to try Via Napoli. I have been to the Rose and Crown (it was a very long time ago), but I remember all of us really liking it. They used to do an afternoon tea that was amazing, but they stopped. My mom took me when I was 3 and it's one of my fondest Disney memories.
I'm definitely thinking of lunch at Sanaa. Maybe the one with the animal specialist from AK? We love Boma so I thought we might like to try that. I've only ever been to Boma for dinner, but I've heard their breakfast is amazing! And I've also wanted to try Biergarten. My dad is from Germany, so I'd like him to eat there and maybe it'll bring out the German in him
I'm also trying to figure out what tours and experiences I want to do at Disney and other parks. This July we did the Keys to the Kingdom Tour and we loved it, so I know I want to do more. I know for sure I want to do the beluga whale thing at SeaWorld. My friend is pushing the Discovery Cove dolphin encounter, but I've already swam with dolphins twice and I'd like to do something different. I'm toying with the idea of the Wild Africa Trek (is that what it's called?) at AK, but it's just so expensive. And I'd also like to dive in the Seas tank, since I'll probably get certified before we go to Hawaii in March. And of course I'd love to have lunch with the animal specialist at Sanaa. We did Dining With an Imagineer a few years ago and it was a truly amazing experience, so I'd like to do something like it. There's just so many options, but so little money!
But...the food at Biergarten is equallyas authentic as it was at my grandfather's favorite restaurant. And I know he would love it and approve of it...so your dad would probably love it too! The atmosphere is amazing too...you feel like you are outside, but you are in comfortable air-conditioning! And the entertainment is also very nice, we enjoy it very much there. It's our favorite WDW restaurant!You are definitely right about going back to the site of my grandparents' accident...it did feel somewhat liberating just to be there. It was a terrible accident (not there is such a thing as a good one)...they were coming home from a friend's house on a Friday night, and they were turning into the development where they lived (they had a gorgeous 4-bedroom house). As my grandfather made the turn, the car went right into a canal. The road was pitch black, no street lights whatsoever, and absolutely no guard rails around the canal. Someone inside a house right outside there witnessed the car go in and called 911, and told them that they needed the divers, as a car went into the water. They sent fire engines, police cars, you name it...but no divers. It took them about half an hour to send over the divers. My grandfather died that night, and my grandmother was on life support for 4 days but she was declared braindead. It was her wish NOT to ever be on life support, but according to FL state law (at least back then), a person had to have 3 flat EEGs in a row in order to be declared braindead and pull the plug. So my mom had to wait a few days. I was 9 years old at the time and my mom was 36. Everyone thought that my grandfather had suffered a heart attack and then lost control of the car...but the autopsy revealed that he hadn't had a heart attack. It is still a mystery as to the cause of this accident. We do know that there was a woman standing in the street barefoot when the cops came. They tried to talk to her, but she said she was going home to get some shoes first. They let her go, she promised to return right away, but they never saw her again. I have always believed that she was either on drugs, or something like that, and that my grandfather was attempting not to hit her with his car. But we will never truly know.
Shortly after the accident, they put up guard rails and made sure that road was well lit. I saw the guard rails when Iwent to the site in 2008...a car could still, very easily, get into that canal if they lose control while turning either into or out of the development.
OK, sorry to burden you with all that...but now I'll continue with other things...
As far as Boca Raton, it is beautiful! I know a lot of people who love going on vacation down there. We were mainly visiting relatives, but it is a very pretty area. However, I can't help but notice every single canal when I am down there, and the fact that 99% of them have no guard rails around them. The average person wouldn't notice this, but I do...every time.
OK...happier things now!
I definitely recommend Biergarten! My grandfather's mother was from Germany, and he was very picky about his German food. There was only one German restaurant where he would eat, here in NY...they closed a few years ago.
Sanaa is also excellent. We also liked Boma when we went there for dinner in 2008, but DH and I had terrible heartburn that night (from all the spices, overeating, and all the desserts with alohol in them!), so we didn't go back in 2010. We're considering returning for dinner again next year to give it another try, but I definitely want to fit a breakfast in over there!
In Epcot, we also enjoyed the food at Chefs de France (went for lunch) and San Angel Inn (also went for lunch). The princess lunch in Norway also had great food, but the boys specified "no princesses" on next summer's trip, so we're not planning to go back there. I'm glad we tried it last year since it was so good. They also included a photo with Belle!
In the resorts, we particularly enjoyed Kona Cafe and Kouzzina. We like different types of cuisines, so it was nice to have all of this variety last year. Now, we prefer TS meals, even for lunch at the parks. It's a nice break, without having to wait in line to get your food and search for a table.
At DHS, 50s Prime Time and Sci-Fi were both very good, and had unique atmospheres.
So far, these are the restaurants I want to go to (but this could change 1,000 times before the 180-day window!):
Breakfasts: 1900 park Fare, Crystal Palace, Boma, Kona Cafe
Lunches or dinners: Kona Cafe, Kouzzina, Grand Floridian Cafe, Boma or Sanaa (or both), Biergarten, San Angel Inn, Chefs de France, Rose & Crown, Chef Mickey's, 50s Prime Time, Sci-Fi, Plaza or LTT (lunch only)
. And I will definitely try to get him to take us to Sanaa, also.
But they did give us awesome light-up ice cubes that we still have!
