I'm letting the cat out of the bag...

So remember the news I told y'all about on Monday that I was going to share within the next few weeks, well here it is...

I didn't want to announce it on my blog until it was officially booked with a deposit, but what the heck, we're going back to Disney this Fall y'all!

We originally had planned to go back next Fall, which would have been two years from our last trip. Yeah it sucks to wait but like I've said before a trip to see the mouse isn't cheap. Although we haven't put the deposit on the trip yet, Tarl and I discussed last night and both agree'd that we will be going back this year. Ahh! We are so excited and cannot wait to plan this trip. 

We're planning on staying two extra nights with an added park day this trip. Checking in on a Friday night and checking out the following Saturday, whereas this last trip we checked in on Saturday and checked out on Friday. We agree'd on the way home on our last trip that we could have easily stayed longer and when it came time to go again we would ensure that we did just that, so that's what we're going to do. I cannot wait to officially book, but now that we both settled on the dates we're going!

I've had a few family members ask me, since telling them in the last week that we are going back this year, how we financially do it because they want to do it and truth is, spare change, work bonus', tax money and getting other debt paid off. Tarl paid off a credit card just last month, he is on schedule to pay another one off in March, that's extra money right there. Include tax money in that and extra money from work bonuses or tucking $20 here and $10 there, it adds up, and quick!

Those payments he was making to the credit card companies now goes towards our Disney trip - holla!

I'm still fine tuning our trip details and if you're completely bored by my Disney posts, you won't hurt my feelings a bit if you quit reading this post, but I love to document what I have planned and look back after the trip is through to see how much was changed throughout the months of planning, thus far, here is what I have. 

Friday Night

Check In: Disney's Port Orleans - Riverside
Dinner @ Chef Mickey's (character) / Disney's Contemporary Resort

Each time we go to Disney we try a new resort. Our first was Caribbean Beach and we didn't like it, our second trip was Coronado Springs and we loved it. This year we're doing Port Orleans Riverside. 

It has a beautiful New Orleans feel to the resort with colonial southern manors as the resort rooms and a gorgeous landscape surrounding it.

images via

Check in day is a non park day for us. Cadence will still go to school this day and we still work half a day on this day. As soon as she gets out we head to Orlando. We check in the resort, walk around and take in the sites and then head to dinner at Chef Mickey's at Disney's Contemporary Resort. This is a great restaurant to get your vacation started. The atmosphere is wonderful and you get to meet Mickey and friends. Cadence adored this restaurant. It was one of her favorites!

Saturday - First Magic Kingdom Day

Quick Service Lunch @ Pecos Bills

Dinner @ Be Our Guest

Be Our Guest is located in Belle's Castle. Which is in Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland. It was amazing when we ate their for lunch on our last trip but when you eat their for dinner not only does the food change, but you also get to meet the Beast, who is someone we truly wanted to meet on our last trip but never had the opportunity to. Eating in Belle's Castle was one of Cadence's most favorite meals. She loved walking inside, as it was just like being in the movie, "The Beauty and the Beast".

Sunday - Epcot

Quick Service Lunch

Dinner @ Garden Grill (character)

We have never ate at Garden Grill but it's a restaurant in Epcot that slowly spins while you eat which gives you a 360 degree view of their "Living with the Land" attraction. Think gardens, boat rides, flowers, plus it's character dining with Chip and Dale and friends, plus the food is served family style which means lots of food served on huge platters directly on your table.

Monday - Open Day

Quick Service Lunch

Dinner @ California Grille (fireworks dinner) / Disney's Contemporary Resort

We use these days to do whatever our little hearts desire. Whether it be trekking around in Animal Kingdom, going to Downtown Disney to do a little shopping, water parks, or any of the other parks. We leave these days open to do whatever we like. We only had one open day on our last trip, and this trip we're getting two. On our last trip we spent the first half of our day at Epcot and the second part of our open day at Magic Kingdom finishing it off with fireworks and the castle show.

California Grill is another new restaurant we're trying. This one is on top of Disney's Contemporary Resort and everyone always boasts about how delicious it is. We're going to eat dinner during Magic Kingdom's Fireworks show so we get dinner with a view.

Tuesday - Animal Kingdom

Quick Service Lunch

Dinner @ Whispering Canyon Cafe / Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Whispering Canyon Cafe is another newbie we're adding to our agenda. It's not a character dining experience but a fun one. Friends of ours went to Disney the same time that we did last year. They ate here their first night and loved it. Ask for ketchup, the wait staff will bring every bottle in the restaurant. They 'pick on you', if you will, and I hear it's a blast!

Wednesday - Hollywood Studios

Supercalifragilistic Breakfast (character) @ 1900 Park Fare / Disney's Grand Floridian
Quick Service Lunch @ Pizza Planet (Toy Story)
Quick Service Dinner

The breakfast at 1900 Park Fare is another new venture for us. We ate at Cinderella's Happily Ever After dinner on our last trip where we met her, the prince, her step mother and two step sisters. This time we're skipping out on the dinner and going for breakfast to meet Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter and more. That evening we're going to stay at Hollywood Studios to catch their Fantasmic Show which I hear is wonderful. We never got the chance to do that last time. (see what I mean, you can't do everything in one trip) Of course, we will eat at Pizza Planet again - the ambiance was incredible!

Thursday - Open Day

Quick Service Lunch

Dinner @ Ohana's / Disney's Polynesian Resort

Friday - Magic Kingdom 

Quick Service Lunch

Dinner @ Cinderella's Royal Table (character) / Cinderella's Castle

This will be our last day in Disney but a super special one. We will make reservations at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for Cadence to have a princess makeover before eating dinner with all the princesses in Cinderella's Castle. After dinner she will be all dressed up to enjoy Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Last year we had a blast at the Halloween Party and will surely be going again this year. 

I am so happy that we are going again. It truly is such a blessing to be able to go on two wonderful vacations this year. New York which has been on my bucket list for years, and now Disney again, which is just a dream vacation for any family.

So tell me, do you and your family have any fun vacations planned? I'd love to hear all about them!