I need a Disney Fix BAD: Pre-Trip Disney Planning as Therapy (now with photos!)

[quiltymom]

NOTE: In case you're looking for the photos (http://disboards.com/showthread.php?p=20504321#post20504321), they start on post 19.

There is one thing that is an absolute with me – I adore Disneyland! :love: Yes, the World is fantastic (I’ve only been twice), but there’s something about DL that just makes my heart go a-flitter. Makes me want to jump up and down and scream for joy. :jumping1: Makes me want to play hooky from life.

Yes, I know that this is board is all about trips to DISNEY WORLD, but I’ll get to that part in a bit. Honest! Just bear with a bit me while I give some history that will help this all make sense. I promise that it will lead up to our pre-trip shenanigans. I just need to get this other stuff out of the way so you understand what’s to come. Sooooo…..

(WARNING - if you haven't already noticed - I love similies...)

Part I - HISTORY
I had a big wake-up to reality yesterday. I found out that some DISser’s don’t like Disneyland! GASP! :eek: That it is not even worth the bother to think about, let alone spend vacation days and hard earned dollars at. HERESY! :sad2: That it was a disappointment, a waste of money. That they would have to lower their expectations to go there. :sad: This is how I felt about that: :mad:

How could this be? I thought that all of us DISsers were part of one big happy Disney-loving family! :grouphug: It’s DISNEY, people! How could you not like the place where all the magic began? You know – It’s a Small World, After All… :flower3: :hug: How could they say that about Disneyland? :confused:

But then I remembered not everyone likes It’s a Small World. I had to remind myself that the DIS is full of opinions and that that is its strength. If it weren’t for everyone’s opinions the DISboards wouldn’t exist, and then just think of all the people out there who would be lost in cyberspace somewhere. God created us to be unique individuals, not clones. (Now, wouldn’t that be boring!:bored: ) I'll talk more about this later, but first...

Back to Disneyland. I grew up in So. Cal. My introduction to Mickey Mouse ::MickeyMo came as a gift from my Uncle. He was attending a conference at the Anaheim Convention Center, and as a marketing ploy Disney gave a mouse ears hat to everyone in attendance, hoping they would walk across the street for a visit. Since he was staying at our house he knew he couldn’t walk in with only one set of ears for three little girls. So, some of his fellow conventioneers kindly gave him their ears so he would be able to gain entrance into our home. I still have those ears. They’re quite loved but they’re all mine. I even wrote my name on the back of one of the ears so my sisters couldn’t steal them, since being the youngest that was known to happen.

My first trip to DL was not much later – when I was 4 back in 1964 – they days when the characters could roam freely without being mugged, strangled, sued :tigger: , or otherwise hassled. I was an official card carrying member of the Mickey Mouse Club and was proud of it! It would gain me entrance to the filming of the TV show if they happened to be at DL that day, but it never happened when we visited. Sigh. My family would visit about once every two years, since that was all we could afford to go. Way back when I was in junior high school and a Youth ticket was $12.00, when my sisters and I would strategically plan for months how we were going to use our E tickets. I miss those days.

I knew that I had become an adult when I had my own car :car: (and job!) and that I could go to Disneyland any time I wanted!!!!!! The feeling I had when I drove down to Anaheim that first parent-free trip was sheer heaven on earth, :cloud9: completely indescribable! Then there was the summer I went THREE TIMES!, playing tour guide to out-of-town friends, all who paid my way and everything (bonus!), just so they could “do the park right.” :teeth:

When I eventually moved to the Midwest (on purpose – even though I promised I would never live where it snowed so much) I lamented the fact that DL was so far away. I could only go to DL whenever I visited family, which would mean whenever I could afford the air fare. That was tough. Especially on those early Spring days when the weather would just “feel” like a Disneyland day. It would be cloudless, in the low 70’s :sunny: and, well, perfect. I still have those days. Oh – to just jump in a car and be there within an hour… :teleport:

Fast forward a bunch of years and I’m living on the East Coast – single, in grad school and close to penniless. I know that Disney World is not that terribly far away – much closer than Disneyland – and definitely out of my budget. Then one day, DH (who was then DBF) called to say that he had found a conference he could go to in Tampa, and if I would pay for my own airfare, he’d take me to Disneyworld for the weekend after the conference. Needless to say, I knew then that this was the man for me. :cool1: I would be the biggest idiot in the world to let this one get away. ;)

So, we went. One day at the MK and the other at Epcot. (DS was relatively new and AK was in the Imagineering process somewhere.) It was like trying to drink water from a fire hose. Too much to see and not enough time. The hardest part was going to the MK: after knowing DL like the back of my hand, I had the most serious case of déjà vu all day along. Everything looked familiar but it just wasn’t the same. Kinda freaky, but I wasn’t complaining. I had my Disney fix, and I knew that I wanted to go back again.

Which I did – about 9 years later…


(To be continued soon. Next installment - Disney Therapy!)

[Willow25]

Great start to your report. I can totally relate to your past with DL as I grew up in Oregon and that is where my family spent our vacations. DL will always hold a special place for me. That being said I can understand why people who grew up with DW do not appreciate DL the way we do. It is difficult to compare.

[quiltymom]

I’ve had a hard time writing this next installment due to the fact that life has reared its ugly head and I didn’t want to turn whoever may read this pre-trip report into my very personal therapist. But now that I’ve had time to think and mull everything over I can get on with it all without that happening. (Aren't you thrilled?) ;)

It is amazing how life can be great and bad at the same time. We all have our own personal burdens to bear, and that’s why we need therapy. And prayer – lots of it! And Chocolate – lots of that, too! And Disney, all to get us through to the next day. I’ll explain.

I have a wonderful son who has a hidden disability – Asperger’s Syndrome (an Autism Spectrum Disorder) and ADHD. You look at him and you can’t see anything wrong. He is so high functioning that people look at me like I’ve grown my own set of Mickey Ears when I tell them he is disabled, especially after I’ve been “informed” of what “my son” has done lately. His school is not the problem (he’s mainstreamed). It is an absolutely fantastic place where everyone has been so wonderful to him that I’m dreading the day when he’ll have to move on to middle school. But we’ve run into a big-time mess elsewhere, at a place where this kind of a thing shouldn’t happen, but unfortunately has.

Let’s just say that Pandora’s Box has been opened and every little gremlin inside is running amuck opening it's own box, with DS & I standing right in ground zero whether we want to be or not. And it’s mostly because DS doesn’t know how to read social signals and the fact that I didn’t stand up for him three years ago at the beginning of this mess (because I didn’t want things to get “worse”) to nip this thing in the bud. Now le poo-poo has hit the fan and it isn’t a pretty sight. It's not too comforting to know that things are only going to get worse before they get better. But thankfully there is someone who understand's Asperger's who has chosen to be the immediary with it all. God sure does move in mysterious ways.

So what do I do when life gets this messy? When I am home and alone and after I have a good cry, I grab a piece of chocolate, eat it while I’m praying to God for strength and wisdom for what to do next (I’m into multi-tasking!), then I sit down to the DIS to escape.

Yes, Disney is my non-spiritual therapy. Disney AND chocolate. Disneyland is my favorite Disney. I have my favorite chocolates, of course. My West Coast chocolate is See’s Candy (chocolate raspberry truffle, anyone?). My East Coast chocolate is Lake Champlain Chocolates from Vermont. Their dark chocolate peppermint crunch bar is enough to make me want to do nothing else but eat it – ALL DAY LONG! But I digress…

Back to Disney. It’s like those “Disney Days” I have when the weather is just so and I know that if I went somewhere Disney, life would be perfect. I need Disney therapy something fierce right now. So when life gets rough, what a better thing to do to escape than plan a trip to Disney World? Not much!

For an analogy, my father is a model railroader. He would think for hours on end just mulling over how to work one small part of the layout he was building. I used to think, “Why don’t you just put the thing together so you can play with the trains.” But for him it was the process that was ¾ of the enjoyment. Dreaming of what it could be, and then doing it. The two were part of the whole.

And now, after being to Walt Disney World twice (two days in 1996 and 6 days in 2005) I understand this is no Disneyland. You can’t do it all in one day unless you’re moving at warp speed, but then what fun would that be? And I know that I’ve only just scratched the tip of the WDW iceberg so to speak, so I need to spend lots of time researching all there is to know so I’ll know what we can do the next trip right. It’s not like saying, “Lets go to Disneyland today!” and jump in your car, drive there, have fun, then leave at the end of the day. For WDW, planning is the key. Lots and lots and lots of planning. And therein lies the therapy. :goodvibes Time to Dream! And I am so excited about it that I don’t want to think about anything else!

And I promise the planning begins next time!!!! So, stay tuned for "What I've planned so far" next time. I promise! :surfweb:

[an_evans]

Can't wait to hear all you hash it all out!

[quiltymom]

Can't wait to hear all you hash it all out!

I'll keep you posted. The only good thing going right now is that DS is clueless as to what's happening - which is a blessing! And I hope that it stays that way. :)

[quiltymom]

DH & I decided in January that we will return to WDW. :woohoo: We know the month (October) but not the dates, because of a not-yet-scheduled computer nerd conference that my handsome computer nerd/strategy-gamer DH needs to attend. I almost screamed out, “Can’t you call them and ask when it might be? We have a trip to WDW to plan, after all!!!” Almost.

That means roughly 7+ months until we can go to WDW and I need a Disney fix something bad. I need to laugh with and watch the joy on my children’s faces as they fly on Dumbo :dumbo: , scream with them while we ride BTMMRR, or gaze in amazement at :tink:Tinkerbell as she flies overhead (I hope she does that in Wishes!). To eat meals that I don’t have to prepare :mickeybar popcorn:: and walk out of the room each morning and have it clean when we come back in the evening! :banana: And no one does it better than Disney. Wow. :thumbsup2

Here’s what I want to do: Fly down, staying for 9 days at POFQ, doing the dining plan with water parks & more tickets, and MNSSHP (details are below). DH’s plan is to drive (2+days plus staying in a hotel overnight each way – with two kids! :eek: Yikes!), 8 days and see if we can do without the DDP. My plan is more fun. But in order to do my plan means I need to spend more time on my business so I can help pay for the trip so I can do what I want. It’s only fair.

It’s very hard to run a business when trying to plan a WDW vacation. There’s the DIS to surf, :surfweb: guide books to read, itineraries to plan, daydreams to dream. :cloud9: Who wants to deal with reality? Don’t we “do Disney” to escape from life – you know, Disney Therapy? ::MickeyMo

I’m an Independent Consultant with a direct-selling company that specializes in memory celebration, and I want to spend some serious time growing my business. The goal is to add at least 8 people to my team by the end of June so I can finally say I run a business, rather than having a very fun hobby. So, now I must plan to spend more efficient quality time on it to earn money for our trip, the ultimate goal being WALT DISNEY WORLD! Think big! Think big!

Maybe I should approach complete strangers and ask, “Do you want to own your own company and become a part of a multi-million dollar organization that’s dedicated to helping people celebrate their memories? Aw, c’mon, don’t say no. Don’t you understand? I need to go to DISNEY WORLD!!!!” I wonder just how long it would be before they took me away to a very nice place with white padded walls and start me on some sort of non-Disney therapy. :crazy: Not a good idea.

Here’s the basic itinerary so far (MY plan):
Day 1: Fly down and arrive at POFQ by noon. Check out the resort, go swimming. Or, dive right in and head for the MK to let the kids run wild on Tom Sawyer’s Island. Dinner at Chef Mickeys, then back to the MK for Wishes.
Day 2: AK by rope drop; dinner at Boma; go back to POFQ to play, then early to bed (no nap breaks for this family!).
Day 3: Epcot by rope drop (RD); PSB for lunch; Illuminations dinner seating at Rose & Crown; head back to POFQ for beddy-bye time.
Day 4: MK by RD (seeing a pattern here?); Lunch & dinner @ CS places; Return to resort after lunch to dress for MNSSHP, then DD & me to BBB for hair-do’s; meet up with DH & DS and get to MK for MNSSHP. Get lots of candy and be late to bed because we’ll all be on a huge sugar high.
Day 5: DS by RD; lunch at 50’s Prime Time; I’m going to ride TT (the scardy cat that I am!); bring CS dinner to eat while waiting for Fantasmic; back to POFQ to collapse into beds.
Day 6: Typhoon Lagoon, DTD shopping, Disney Quest, dinner at the T-Rex café if it’s done by then & splurge for a sitter for kids & do Pleasure Island.
Day 7: Back to MK at RD; do whatever we want! Celebrate my much delayed birthday dinner at California Grill, then to POFQ for bed.
Day 8: Back to Epcot. Spend time eating around the world at F & W festival. Have dinner at le Cellier or Chefs of France if we still have room in our tummies!
Day 9: Do whatever we please before catching the flight back home.

And all this without having booked our room yet! Are you proud of me?

Next up - Part IV: the arrival of Pal Mickey!

I think I’ll go eat some chocolate to celebrate.

[quiltymom]

::MickeyMo Pal Mickey arrived at our house the other week during the middle of a winter storm that crippled Northern Virginia. After having lived in Wisconsin it was not a big deal to me, but our schools gave our kids a 6½ day weekend, which included President’s Day. We could go to the mall, go see a movie if we wanted to, and the mail and delivery trucks could get through, but the kids couldn’t go to school. Go figure.

Back to Pal Mickey. He was the one toy that I really wanted our last trip, but I couldn’t justify spending the money on him at that time. Who knew what other things I would want to purchase while we were there? I thought that it would be a great diversion for the kids while we waited in lines, and because we could play with him after we got back home. :goodvibes

Our trip is now official, and this time we will be prepared. Because thanks to the Wonderful World of DIS, I was able to purchase a brand-new year-old model Pal Mickey at a deep discount for our October fun (see http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1350085). And I am so excited!!!

When DH asked what was in the box that I didn’t want the kids to see, I just told him that it was just something else that would make him roll his eyes. When I later told him what it was, he actually thought it was a cool idea. (He totally surprised me on that one!) So the next day, with the kids ensconced in the basement watching Playhouse Disney :happytv: instead of going to school :teacher:, I opened the box and pressed Mickey’s hand to hear him talk. Wow! Is he loud, but loveable! DH was concerned (being the lovable nerd that he is) that he wouldn’t have all the latest info when we got to WDW since he was last year’s model, but was impressed that Mickey would automatically download the new info when we walked through the first park gate. Then he had the audacity to ask me if I was going to sell him on ebay after we returned from our trip to get some money back! GASP! Of course I told him no.

And at that he rolled his eyes. :rolleyes2

Next time: Kindred Spirits

[NMAmy]

Sell Pal Mickey??? :scared1: He must be mad!

Psst...you're not the only DIS'er who loves Disneyland. Some things at WDW are just...well, wrong. Like the entrance to IASW. And the beginning of POTC. And where the heck is the Alice in Wonderland ride?

Can't wait to read more!

[quiltymom]

Sell Pal Mickey??? :scared1: He must be mad!

Psst...you're not the only DIS'er who loves Disneyland. Some things at WDW are just...well, wrong. Like the entrance to IASW. And the beginning of POTC. And where the heck is the Alice in Wonderland ride?

Can't wait to read more!

Maybe they should turn the moat at Cinderella's Castle into StoryBook Land Canals? Wouldn't that be fun!

And thanks for reading -- sometimes I wonder if anyone does and it makes me wonder if I'm writing to no-one at all! :rotfl:

Curiouser and curiouser...

[mdsouth]

Hi!

I just found your pre-trip report. I am enjoying it. I am interested in hearing how your DS handles WDW.

[quiltymom]

Hi!

I just found your pre-trip report. I am enjoying it. I am interested in hearing how your DS handles WDW.

Thanks! We did make a 6-day trip to the World about 2 years ago (which I will talk more about in later installments) and DS did fine. The only thing he had a severe problem with was loud noises. So we brought along earplugs on a string that we got at Home Depot that he (and DD) could use when they thought things were getting too loud. We also just skipped all the evening entertainment diplays such as fireworks and Fantasmic. That also helped us be in bed by 9:30 pm every night since we were getting up for every morning EMH! We were there during Spring Break so that meant rising at 5:30 am!!! Yikes!

Overall, going to WDW with a Aspergers/ADHD child is an experience! The boy was like the energizer bunny - he just kept going and going and going... All we heard from him was "I want to go on more rides!" He NEVER complained, even when we got him up so early every day! (Well, he did complain when he thought we didn't go on enough rides and we had to leave to go back home...) And he wanted to know how everything worked, too. So after we tell them we're going on this trip, I'll give him some guidebooks written for kids to read. Then he'll spout trivia at us all day long while we're there. Well, he and Pal Mickey! What a pair they will be.

This trip we're going to do all the evening light display stuff. I brought them to Disneyland this past summer and they did allright for the first time at the fireworks - which included lots of close-by fireworks, bright flashes and huge flames - using their earplugs and covering their ears with their hands. So, I believe that we are good to go this time! I'm excited, because I haven't seen all of Fantasmic before. I just saw a few minutes of it when it first opened at Disneyland years ago, but stopped watching it to distract my nephew so my DSis & BiL could watch the show. Now when we go we just eat our dinner while waiting for the fireworks to happen, then hit a few more rides afterwards before heading home.

I'll be sure to report on how he does on this trip after we return. I just don't want to have to wait until October to go! :crazy2: :sad:

[quiltymom]

Preface: I have had a subscription to the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC since 1994. Although we’ve been going to the Shakespeare Theatre for these many years, I must admit that I still don’t get Shakespeare sometimes. :sad2: It’s the language. I spend most of the intermission asking DH just what happened, who was who, who said what, or just trying to stay awake. And I have fallen asleep during certain performances – most recently at their "Richard III" production. Snore. Those tragic histories can be a total bore.

So, after the fun weekend that DH & I just had, I have decided to add some non-Disney stuff :eek: in my pre-trip report. I mean, why not share all of the fun stuff with you. It is pre-trip. Who knows, you may be interested in it, too.

This road-trip :drive: brought me & DH to Staunton (pronounced Stanton), Virginia, which is in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley (http://www.staunton.va.us) for Shakespeare. DH’s parents had visited the Blackfriar’s Playhouse at the Shenandoah Shakespeare’s American Shakespeare Center (http://www.americanshakespearecenter.com) and decided that we needed to go, giving us the weekend (complete with babysitting! :woohoo:) for his birthday present. :yay:

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2465.jpg

If you are a fan of Shakespeare, a trip to the Center is a must-do. ::yes:: In a nutshell, the building is the only re-creation of Shakespeare’s original indoor playhouse, and they strive to give the audience a sense of what it was like to see a play back in Elizabethan times – complete with gallant stools on the stage and a house where the stage actors and audience share the same lighting, so the actors can interact with the audience.

Here's the view from the balcony above the stage:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2456.jpg

The two plays we saw, “The Brats of Clarence” by Paul Menzner (but was really written by the 9th Earl of Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother – read this for more info: http://www.americanshakespearecenter.com/blackfriars/essay.php?id=72), and Hamlet (First Quarto). These plays were part of their Actors’ Renaissance Season, which means that there is no director or stage design, and that they are self-costumed, keeping in line with what the actors would have had to do back in the day. This company also performs five shows in three months with every actor in each play.

We were fully impressed by this company! They were astonishing actors, easily changing from comedy one show to tragedy in the next. :jester: Their range of acting was incredible. It was fun to see in one day the cast in two plays. I actually followed the Hamlet story for the first time ever. Amazing. And I didn’t even once begin to fall asleep. Even more amazing.

Staunton is a small town, full of history. We stayed at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel, a recently refurbished Historic Inn of America (http://stonewalljacksonhotel.com/).

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2445.jpg

Check out this lobby!

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2491.jpg


It is the birthplace of President Woodrow Wilson (http://woodrowwilson.org/ ) and houses his museum, birth house & presidential library;

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2468.jpg

is home of the Statler Brothers, Mary Baldwin College and the Frontier Culture Museum (an outdoor living history museum). The historical district is full of antique stores, boutiques and restaurants, as well as a couple of movie theatres, one of which had the old-time booth that the ticket seller sits in next to the sidewalk! And there was also a Classic and Antique Automobile dealer, as well. The cars were stunning!

So, if you’re looking for a nice relaxing vacation (inbetween Disney trips, of course!;) ), or love Shakespeare, give Staunton a try. And I’ll have more Disney stuff next time. :thumbsup2

[quiltymom]

A few weeks ago when I was at church, I approached a friend who I hadn’t seen in a while to chat a bit. :chat: We talked a bit of small talk and got onto the subject of school, mostly about the nice l-o-n-g weekend my kids had had over President’s Day (her kids go to a neighboring district and they missed only one day of regular school, not three like us!). Somewhere in the conversation I mentioned that we were in year-round school and the first thing out of her mouth was, “So then, you can go do Disney World when everyone else is in school, can’t you! That’s great!” :cool:

I knew I liked her – and now I know why! She had no idea what a certifiable Disney Nut I am. :teeth:

She then told me about how much fun her family has going there over 4-day weekends during the “off season” when her kids are out for parent-teacher conferences, and what a blast it is, giving me tips and hints for our next trip. It’s so nice to know that someone at church “gets” Disney!

The usual response I get from people when I tell them we’re planning a trip to WDW is, “Why?” Now, I know that they mean “why would you ever want to go there,” but the answer I give them is that we’re going before DS turns 10, becomes an “adult” and thus have to pay adult prices for him. Then they understand, but the understanding is because of saving money, not about going to WDW. I wonder if they’ve ever been to WDW? Maybe it’s time for me to educate them a bit. :scratchin Make it the destination of our next church retreat or something. Now, there’s an idea… :idea:

It just goes to show you that there are Disney people anywhere. :tink:


UPDATE: The situation with DS & the bullies is going better. My friend talked with all the parents and explained DS's Asperger's situation and why DS does what he does, etc. The parents must’ve had chats with their kids and it seems to be working. He hasn’t been bullied in weeks; ony now they are leaving him completely alone – they don’t go near him. DS has yet to learn that in order to make friends you must talk with them instead of at them. We’ve got a long way to go, but at least that stress has been eliminated for the time being.

Now to work on the “being a friend” skills… It’s going to be a long road to travel, but it will be well worth it in the end.

[quiltymom]

I had originally planned on writing more installments of this pre-trip report than I have. Yeah, the best laid plans and all that kind of stuff just go out the window when there's other things to do. Like go on vacation. Oh well.

So, I’m back. :wave2: Let’s see how it goes this time around, especially with our WDW trip just over two months away!

You’ve got the hint that I adore Disneyland. ::yes:: That said, I’m not mad at those who have a bias against DL (which will continue to baffle me to the end of time :confused3) nor am I trying to outwardly convince them otherwise, just covertly ;). But all I gotta say is that you’re really missing out on a special treat if you pass Disneyland by.

I must admit that I am drawn like a moth to a flame by the DIS threads which hold comments on DL vs. WDW. I usually don’t comment on them but sometimes I just can’t help myself. :rolleyes1

So, one evening I responded to one such message :surfweb: (you can read the whole thing here if you'd like, post 24. (http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1439597&page=2)) It had been a tiring day and I was feeling kinda punchy, just letting my thoughts get the best of me. I clicked on the submit reply button and shut down the computer. When I logged on the next morning, something looked strange. It took me a bit to realize that I had been tagged! I was pleasantly surprised :woohoo: and very shocked :eek:. And it all came from this part of the message:

I know that there are people over on the WDW boards who think that you have to lower your "expectations" to go to Disneyland. I still don't get this train of thought. They're both Disney, so why fight? They're both different, so enjoy the differences and immerse yourself into the nuances of the Disney that you are at. Recognize the differences; experience it with open arms.

In the hopes that you don't think I'm bragging: I’ve been tagged and it still makes me smile whenever I see it. Best of all, it was a tag that had to do with my love of all things Disney. So, thanks, Tag Fairy, for the perpetual smile! :thanks:

Now, for those WDW veterans who want to take the Disneyland plunge, here’s a plug for the HydroGuy Tips Compilation (http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1520483) thread. It contains all the info you’ll ever need about planning a DL trip, as well as a thread on DL for WDW Vets. It’s good stuff!

Next up – who knows!

[Luckymomoftwo]

I'm hooked on your pre-trip report...can't wait to hear the trip report after the vacation!! :) I also really like your use of all of the smiles!! :thumbsup2

My hubby and I have lived in NW Indiana our whole lives and we go to WDW about once every year and we were recently planning a quick weekend trip to DL, but it's just so much cheaper for us to go to WDW. I'm kind of mad at myself for not pushing a trip to DL :headache: , especially now after reading your posts about how wonderful DL is! So, hopefully next year we'll go to DL :confused3

[quiltymom]

Dear Luckymomoftwo:

:worship: Wow - a groupie! :worship: Seriously, Thank You for your kind words. You really start to wonder if people actually read these things! You put your heart and soul into the posts :rotfl: and then sit and wonder if anyone likes you. And then, voila! :yay:

You'll get to DL one day. There's so much to do in the LA area to augment Disney Resort, too. I'll be posting about some of the places we visited this summer so you can "see" them, as well.

Just to whet your DL appetite, be sure to visit the Disneyland Photo of the Day (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=982329) thread, if you haven't discovered it already. There's lots of eye candy there.

Enjoy! See you around the boards!

[quiltymom]

I thought that I better write something about our upcoming trip in-between all this gushing about Disneyland. And what a better place to begin than with something that is near and dear to my heart: FOOD!:love:

One of the great joys for me about being on vacation is that I DO NOT HAVE TO COOK! :woohoo: Naturally, I convinced DH that we should do the dining plan and after talking over the plan details, he agreed. :thumbsup2 Then REAL the fun began – planning just where in the heck we will eat.

Phase 1: WHERE to eat.
Since we don’t get to Disney World very often (this will be our second trip, and who knows when the next one will be), we wanted to make sure not to do the same place twice if at all possible. So, I started out by making our “been there” list. (In case you are curious, you can read about the TS restaurants we ate at last time in this mini-report. (http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=782151)) The only place we chose to repeat was Akershus in Norway, and for two reasons. 1) It’s an easy way for DD to get her princess fix in without having to wait in horribly long lines for autographs, and 2) we wanted to try the lunch menu, even though we thought they had a fantastic breakfast.

Why is this important? Because I don't want to waste good WDW time trying to make a decision.

The first thing we wanted to change over last time was breakfast. We are not big breakfast eaters. :sad2: And we felt we were missing a lot of stuff that can be done at park opening by eating all those huge breakfasts. So, this trip breakfast will be a bowl of cereal in our room before heading out for the day, and we can use snack credits to make up the difference No more early-morning-rushing-about-just-to-see-characters-and-eat-too-much days for us. :yay:

We don’t go back to the resort for breaks since we feel it is a waste of time, so we’re planning a few lunches for the 3 Rs: to Rest, Relax & Refuel.

So, here is how it all worked out, with our lovely DreamsUnlimited TA securing all of the ADRs for us:
Saturday – Arrival Day!!! :mickeyjum Lunch at Riverside Mill, Dinner at Chef Mickey’s.
Sunday – Lunch at Flame Tree (can’t try Tusker House – boo hoo!:sad1:), Dinner at Boma.
Monday – princess: Princess Storybook Lunch at Akershus, Dinner at le Cellier.
Tuesday – Lunch somewhere, Dinner at Kona Café before MNSSHP:hmghost:.
Wednesday – Lunch at 50’s Prime Time Café, Dinner will be wherever we happen to be close to and eat it while waiting for Fantasmic to begin. No CS places really stand out.:confused3
Thursday – Lunch at Leaning Palms:stitch2:, Dinner at Chefs de France.
Friday – Lunch & Dinner at Cosmic Rays & Columbia Harbor House (whichever we’re closest to at the time).
Saturday – The day we leave … sniff… - Who knows? We have no plans yet. We’re going to leave that day as an “Anything Can Happen Day.” :tink:

Phase 2: WHAT to eat.
I am one of those people who will take forever to choose a menu item. DH, on the other hand, will choose within 2 minutes of receiving the menu. Disgusting. So, I have been pouring over the menus on WDWInfo and AllEarsNet to start the decision process. And let me tell you, it has NOT been easy! I have chosen only two entrees for the table service meals. Two. How many months have I been looking at the menus? Since FEBRUARY 2007!!!!! ARGHHHH!!!! I told you it takes me a long time.

Here’s what I’ve decided upon: :fish: The Trout at Akershus and the Salmon at Chefs de France. That’s it.

Here’s what I’m still debating over, and you can help me choose, if you want! (I am serious, you know.)
• Chef Mickey’s – A buffet! I’ll just try a little of everything, but if there’s a standout, let me know.
• Boma – Another buffet! Same as above.
• Le Cellier – Starter: Mussels, shrimp or Cheese soup. Entrée: Mushroom Fillet or 7 oz. Fillet. Chocolate for dessert.
• Kona – Crab cakes for starter. Entrée: Macadamia Mahi Mahi or Beef Teriyaki. Chocolate for dessert.
• Prime Time: Starter: Shrimp cocktail, onion rings or fried cheese. Entrée: Pot Roast, Meat Loaf or Chicken Pot Pie. Chocolate something for dessert.

Now, counter service is different. THAT I know!
• Cosmic Ray’s: ½ chicken & ribs combo for DH & I to share.
• Columbia Harbor House: Tuna sandwich
• Leaning Palms: Chili cheese dog with fries.
• Mixed green salad with bbq chicken.

As far as snacks? I don’t know yet. That’ll be another installment…

[quiltymom]

The first thing I did when we decided to take this trip is to get the Disney Visa and to start storing up points. Got 50 free points (http://www.firstusa.com/cgi-bin/webcgi/webserve.cgi?partner_dir_name=disney_50ddrd_altmed ia&page=cont&mkid=6SWH11) just by using the card the first time, too. That was easy. So, …

BEFORE I made the dining plans I decided that I needed help with this trip. See, I hate the telephone :headache:. Please don’t make me make a phone call. It’s worse than Chinese Water Torture or going on a no-chocolate diet. It comes from all the years I worked as a secretary and having to make all the calls no one else wanted to make. Yes, it was my job to do the dirty work. Bleack… :crazy2:

So, before I went nuts making phone calls, I contacted the wonderful DIS sponsor Dreams Unlimited Travel, and got me a wonderful TA named Tracy. Whew! She’s been a life saver. She’s already secured our ADRs, has changed our room reservation (more on that later), as well as answering the numerous silly questions that I have – all by email! :surfweb: Ain’t modern technology wonderful? :dance3:

Where to Stay. :scratchin
Now we need to decide which resort to book our stay. The kid’s would’ve loved to have stayed at the Wilderness Lodge again (they loved the bunk beds and the water slide at the pool), but we wanted to try somewhere else, and something less expensive. So, it was time to look at the Mods. We’ve been to the Caribbean, so CBR was not high on the list. Coronado Springs wasn’t high, either, due to the fact I grew up in the Los Angeles area where that type of architecture is prevalent. So, we decided to stay at Port Orleans French Quarter because I’ve always wanted to go to New Orleans. BINGO!

YET… at times good plans must change. :guilty: You see, we just recently saved BIG bucks by changing to Port Orleans Riverside with the discount code we received by being Disney Visa cardholders. We’re talking $520.00 big savings. So, Good-Bye, POFQ. :wave2: It was nice never knowing ya. :sad1:

So we’re doing the next best thing and have requested to stay in Parterre Place, the Mansion that is closest to POFQ. :thumbsup2 That way we can wander between the two sister resorts with ease. I’m satisfied. Here’s to keeping our finger’s crossed!

[quiltymom]

I’m getting good with my Roman numerals here. :happytv:

Back to our Summer Vacation. Every year just after school’s out for the summer we head to California for a few weeks to visit family. And just about every year we go to Disneyland. Except for this year since we’re saving our $$ to go to Disney World. Major bummer. Not a bad trade off in the long run, but I really missed going there.

Since the kids are getting older we try to do different things than the usual list we accomplish every trip. Of course, there are the “must-do’s”:

Dodger Stadium,
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3147.jpg

the beach,
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3324.jpg

feeding the ducks at the park,
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2931.jpg

spending the 4th of July first at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library ...
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3283.jpg

... then at my BiL’s mom’s house for swimming and a cookout (got that?),
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/2005_0713Image0082.jpg

going to Griffith Park in LA,
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2982.jpg

fishing with Grandpa at Troutdale
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3012.jpg

and finally, celebrating the kid’s birthdays with Grandma & Grandpa. And some new stuff, too. But no Disney?

Well, you’ll see…


Griffith Park, Los Angeles and hidden Disney treasures!

If you ever get out to Los Angeles, you must plan a day (or two!) at Griffith Park (http://www.lacity.org/rap/dos/parks/griffithPK/index.htm). What’s there? For starters, there’s the Greek Theater, the LA Zoo,

the Autry Center for Western Heritage,
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/GeneAutrystatue.jpg

pony rides,
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2976.jpg

train rides,
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2962.jpg

the LA Live Steamers,
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/Herecomesthetrain.jpg

Walt’s Barn:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/Carolwoodbarn1.jpg

Travel Town Train Museum,
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/TravelTown.jpg

a merry-go-round,
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2990.jpg

the Griffith Park Observatory,
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3082.jpg

a huge accessible playground, horse and hiking trails, a golf course, and picnic areas galore.


The park was plagued by a terrible fire this Spring and the signs of the fire were everywhere. Thankfully, nothing but brush burned, thanks to the Los Angeles Fire Department. You can see some of the fire damage on the hills in the back.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2981.jpg

Now, on to the good stuff.

Disney Treasure #1 :mickeyjum

There are two hidden Disney gems here at Griffith Park. The first is the Merry-go-Round.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3005.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2985.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3002.jpg

I love this thing, and it goes really fast, too. What I love most about it is the music, which is played on this organ:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2997.jpg

There’s nothing like visiting here at Christmastime and hearing Christmas carols being played as you ride the horses – and it’s 90 degrees outside! AAahhhh! That’s a true California Christmas.

But as for Walt Disney, this sign says it all:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2998-1.jpg

Next to the sign is a photo of Walt at the merry-go-round:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF29951.jpg

This bench on the merry-go-round was restored by the Disney family in memory of Walt. We’ve never sat in it since we must always be on a horse, of course!
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3001.jpg

And don't forget to get an ice cream treat after you take your ride!


Next up: Walt’s Barn and trains.

[quiltymom]

More Disney Fun!

So, you’ve been to Disneyland – or you’re planning a trip to Southern California – and you keep thinking that there’s not much Disney to do outside of the Disneyland Resort. This part is next of the reports on other Disney things to do in California. And the best part, this one is TOTALLY FREE!!! Yes, Virginia, there is one thing Disney in this world that does not cost you a single penny to enjoy. So, grab your Mickey ears :earboy2: and get ready to learn about something great: Walt’s Trains and Barn.

So, by now you know that my family loves Griffith Park and Disneyland. And trains. My father, the model railroad nut, has tuned everyone in our family into the joys of the railroad. It’s a great thing. So, while riding the train at Travel Town one day a few years ago, we saw another set of railroad tracks on the other side of the fence. Naturally we had to investigate.

It ended up being the home of the second hidden Disney gems in Griffith Park, the Los Angeles Live Steamers (http://www.lals.org/) …

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/LALiveSteamerssign.jpg

and Walt's Barn (http://carolwood.org/WaltsBarn/)

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/Carolwoodbarn2.jpg

The sad part was that we couldn’t actually ride on the steamers right away because it was closed. It wasn’t until a while later when we went to a Model Railroading Expo that I found out why, and just exactly what the steamers are.

There was a booth at the Expo about Disney and trains, so of course I had to venture over for a look. It was then that I had the privilege meet Michael and Sharon Broggie, the founders of the Carolwood Foundation (http://carolwood.org/). (Please read the links for more information on this.) Michael is the son of Roger Broggie (http://legends.disney.go.com/legends/detail?key=Roger+Broggie), one of Walt’s original Imagineers. During our conversation, I asked Michael where the trains were that Walt had in his back yard. He said that Walt donated them to the City of Los Angeles and had been renamed the LA Live Steamers, with the stipulation that the rides would always be free. He mentioned the reason they were currently closed was that there had been an accident during one ride – it seems that all of the passengers on one train leaned too far over during a turn and took the train right off of its track. Oops!

He then invited us to visit the Steamers on the 3rd Sunday of any month, when the Barn that housed the operations for his trains is open to the public.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/Carolwoodtrainreplica.jpg

It now houses all sorts of Disney train memorabilia,

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/Travischecksoutthetraindisplay.jpg

as well as part of the collection of Ward Kimball (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Kimball).

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/Disneytrainmemorabilia.jpg


So, make this a stop on your next Southern California Tour. Bring a picnic lunch, take in a train ride…

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/Carolwoodentrance.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/Steamerslandscape.jpg

… and then mosey on over to the Barn.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/CarolwoodTrainsign-1.jpg

You’ll be glad that you did, especially if you're a train buff!


P.S. I found some fun articles about Walt, Ward and trains:
http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/exhibits/articles/triptochicago/
http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/exhibits/articles/railroadfair/
http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/collection/insidestory/inside_1946b.html

Next up: Getting Pal Mickey ready for WDW.

[kindakrazy2]

I'm in! :thumbsup2

[quiltymom]

This is where my husband thinks that I’m a bit looney, :crazy: but I don’t mind. Crazy is as crazy does, huh? :crazy2:

ANYWAY … Way back in Part IV of this awesome :rolleyes1 (ahem!) pre-trip report I proudly announced that I purchased a Pal Mickey for our upcoming trip. :yay: Then I discovered this nifty thread on the DIS: Pal Mickey (& Friends) Adventures & Fashions (http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1101802) :teeth: Cool, huh? And I was hooked. Just another thing that I “needed” to get involved in before our trip. ::yes::

I spent time reading the thread and took lots of notes. :coffee: Why, you may ask? Well, it's simple. Didn’t you know that Pal Mickey needs a wardrobe for WDW, too? We can’t have a member of the family not prepared for the fun. I mean, the rest of us are getting new duds, so why not him, too. :cool2:

So, here are the fashions that I have either made or purchased for Mick. There will be more soon (if I can find the time!), but I wanted to share them with you. It’s not like I have anything else to do… :laughing:

Here’s his Chef Mickey’s outfit:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Pal%20Mickey/DSCF3759.jpg

Some cuddly jammies:

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Pal%20Mickey/DSCF3761.jpg

Must be cool for the 50’s Prime Time diner! :cool2:

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Pal%20Mickey/DSCF3768.jpg

DH is a Nat’s fan…

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Pal%20Mickey/DSCF3776.jpg

…but We all know that the Dodgers rule! GO DODGERS!!!!! (no bias here, huh?)

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Pal%20Mickey/DSCF3782.jpg

All ready to hit the World Showcase at Epcot with his passport:

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Pal%20Mickey/DSCF3784.jpg

It's a quick change to taking off his passport and lime-green DIS visor and putting on his sunglasses and pin lanyard for some pin trading.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Pal%20Mickey/DSCF3785.jpg

For our visit to Kona Café:

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Pal%20Mickey/DSCF3787.jpg

The cargo shorts have nifty pockets on them - and all of the pants have a hole for his tail to go through, too!

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Pal%20Mickey/DSCF3788.jpg

He’s all ready for souvenir shopping with his new backpack.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Pal%20Mickey/DSCF3789.jpg

I'll also be purchasing every Pal Mickey outfit that I can find at WDW when we get there, too. Yay, Mickey!

Until next time, which will be all about the fact that ...

(drum roll, please......)

NEXT: I'm actually doing some other important stuff to be prepared for the trip! :cool1:

[quiltymom]

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

Yeah, I got a little carried away there. But my Magical Express luggage tags arrived in the mail yesterday! It was that "I think that this trip is really going to happen" moment.

:mickeyjum AAAaahhhhh... Disney - Watch out cause here we come! :mickeyjum

[TheDISneyFamily]

Hi! I just looked through all of your fabulous pictures! :thumbsup2 I have to send my DH the link so he can see the train pics. He's a big train nut! :goodvibes Someday we'll have to make the trek to CA to see Walt's trains. The closest we've gotten is the Behind the Steam Trains Tour last year in WDW! LOL! :rotfl: I'm glad you started up your TR again. Congrats on getting your ME docs! :banana: WooHoo! :banana: It's a GREAT feeling, isn't it?!

Can't wait to read more!
-Michelle

[quiltymom]

I gotta get this trip report up to date.

Yeah, I have been doing stuff to get ready, blah blah blah... but it's not as exciting as actually thinking about the trip. Oh well - I guess I must be responsible somewhere along the line. So, here goes nuthin' ...

After reading about all the Crocs hype, I decided to check them out. Unfortunately (or not, depending upon which camp you're in), they don’t have a size that fits me. They are either too large or just too small. And the thought about trying to MAKE them fit me is just not right. So, I picked up a pair of LL Bean Coast Walkers (or whatever they’re called!) since they were cheaper, they fit, and they had a nice muted purple. I like any shoe that I can slip on and off fast.

Then is the DIS-inspired dilemma about what bag to use. Last time we brought our stroller and were able to stash our kid’s Disney Store backpacks in the underneath storage compartment. They worked well; they were almost weatherproof and we had each kid’s stuff in their own bag. So, if DH went off with DS, he had his autograph book, rain gear, ear plugs, meds, … you get the picture. But this time we’re just bringing the umbrella stroller to give the kids a quick break here and there and DH will play packhorse with a regulation backpack. So, what bag SHOULD I use? tee hee

After reading too many threads on this subject, I realized that we will bring a regular, standard Coleman backpack that has always worked for our Disneyland trips that DH carries (we always get a locker there for the jackets, extra snacks, etc.). And for me of the finicky and weak back, well, I had to find something that I could both carry in my hand and on my back, backpack-style that was small and light. I decided upon the JanSport Top-Load Daypack (ooh – sounds impressive!). Hot Pink, of course. But we’ll just use a regular backpack to store the kids stuff. I’ll let DH carry that around since he doesn’t mind being a packhorse.

It was now the time to give these goodies a trial run to see how they would hold up at during a day of near-commando style WDW touring by a Disney fanatic. And what a better place to try them out than to visit Washington, DC during Cherry Blossom time!

If you think WDW is busy during Spring Break, try visiting DC during cherry blossoms. We’re talking crowds, lots of hot & humid air, walking around until you think your feet are gonna die. Sound familiar? Oh - and nowhere to park. It still amazes me just how many people think they can drive into town and get an up-front parking spot. Hummm.... Don't try it. You can't even find space in the parking garages.

So using public transportation, I packed the kids, one umbrella stroller, two National Park Service passports, one point and shoot digital camera, one mini soft-sided cooler with drinks and snacks & little old me wearing my purple imitation Crocs and my Hot Pink Purse (sounds better than daypack!) in the all-too-cool forest green Odyssey minivan, parked at the Metro Station and we hit the road.

For all of you who have always wanted to see the cherry blossoms, here are a couple of shots for your enjoyment. Walking through them is like walking in a soft cloud. It’s magnificient.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2516.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2512.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2505-1.jpg

The Washington Monument
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2500.jpg

Looking across the Tidal Basin to the Jefferson Memorial

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF2510.jpg


The imo-Crocs did well, although I did wimp out and wear footie socks since I didn’t want to chance getting blisters (I’m such a mom!), although I now know I would’ve been fine without them. I liked the fact that the can get wet & generally bashed around and they still look fine. The Hot Pink Purse was great, too. I liked the fact that I could zip my mini-wallet in the inner zipped compartment and my POS camera & extra batteries in the outside zip pouch. The elastic tie was great for slipping things in and out of the bag a snap. And it wasn’t too heavy to carry on my back for a bit, although it did spend most of the time on the stroller with the cooler.

Thus ends our Cherry Blossom experiment.

But I’ve done more! I got a wonderful travel agent through Dreams Unlimited to help me with the arrangements (she got all of our ADRs for us! :banana:). I made the matching Mickey head spiral tie-dye tees for the family to wear (more on this in another post) and tested some iron-on transfers with designs from the Creative DISigns wizards. Oh yeah, and I’ve printed out more Mousekeeping tip envelopes than I’ll ever need. AND we have our airplane tickets. I bought those puppies in the Spring before the gas prices went up! Woo-Hoo! :woohoo:

And what do I still have to do before we leave? Finish making me & DH’s Halloween costumes (more on that later) & other Halloween stuff, make more tees, work on the daily itineraries, figure out what we’ll wear each day and pack them in zip-loc bags with the day written on top (thanks to the tips board for that fantastic idea!), print out thank-you cards to hand out to helpful CMs, make a scavenger hunt for the kids to do at Epcot so I can shop, and whatever else I can think of doing between now and then. Oh yeah, and make up tons of LGMHs to hang on our bags, stroller, kids, and anything else I can think of.

Next: Getting all hippy-dippy with tye-dye. :hippie:

[Hedy]

I love my coastal Clogs. :)
I love Mickey's wardrobe. It also makes me regret thinking PM was annoying the last time I tried him in the Emporium.

[kindakrazy2]

Those photos are beautiful! Great job!

[sjlupin]

Hey quiltymom! :wave:

I saw the link to your pre-trippie over in the tie dye thread and have really enjoyed reading it!

So you're a phone-a-phobe too??? I thought I was the only one! :lmao: Also, I am the proud owner of a Honda Odyssey too! I swore I'd never drive a minivan :rotfl2: and now I couldn't be without it!!! LOVE my Odyssey!

[quiltymom]

Hi! I just looked through all of your fabulous pictures! :thumbsup2 I have to send my DH the link so he can see the train pics. He's a big train nut! :goodvibes Someday we'll have to make the trek to CA to see Walt's trains. The closest we've gotten is the Behind the Steam Trains Tour last year in WDW! LOL! :rotfl: I'm glad you started up your TR again. Congrats on getting your ME docs! :banana: WooHoo! :banana: It's a GREAT feeling, isn't it?!

Can't wait to read more!
-Michelle

Oh man - I would LOVE to go on that tour!!! But we'll have to wait a few years until DD7 is old enough.

When you do get to CA, the trip to see Walt's train is definitely worth it - you just have to make sure to be there the 3rd Sunday of the month to see the barn. The kids just loved looking at everthing in it, and the Carolwood Railroad members just love to answer questions or just talk about Walt and his trains. It's a good time for all. Plus, then Travel Town is just next door, and you can easliy spend a whole day there climbing onto all the old locomotives and train cars.

I love my coastal Clogs. :)
I love Mickey's wardrobe. It also makes me regret thinking PM was annoying the last time I tried him in the Emporium.

Thanks - it's been fun to make the clothes. And the good part about PM is that you can always turn him off when you want to! :thumbsup2

Those photos are beautiful! Great job!

Thanks to you, too! And one of these days I'll get around to reading your pre-trip report. I have a feeling that's all I'm going to do AFTER we return from our trip. :goodvibes

Hey quiltymom! :wave:

I saw the link to your pre-trippie over in the tie dye thread and have really enjoyed reading it!

So you're a phone-a-phobe too??? I thought I was the only one! :lmao: Also, I am the proud owner of a Honda Odyssey too! I swore I'd never drive a minivan :rotfl2: and now I couldn't be without it!!! LOVE my Odyssey!

Hey, back! :wave2: The REALLY bad part is that I'm a Creative Memories consultant -- ever try running a business when you hate the telephone??!! :rolleyes1 Oh well... Do you think that there is a support group out there for us? :rotfl2:

[quiltymom]

P.S. I added some photos to our Staunton visit (post #12), just in case you’re interested.

The DIS is a great place, yet I’ve found it to be bounteous source of information that has only added onto my pre-trip “to do” list. Has anyone else found that to be true, as well?

First, I had to make Pal Mickey’s clothes. Next, I had to get the proper bag and shoes. (I’m such a gullible one!). Okay, not really, but kinda. Then I had to make matching Mickey Head Tie-Dye t-shirts. Why? Because I stumbled upon the Tie Dye Instructions for Spiral Mickey Shirt (http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1210609) thread. That's why.

“WHY did you have to make them,” you may ask? Because I'm a visual person. I want to be able to spot my family at a glance, and if they are wearing what I’m wearing, I won’t have to think about what they’re wearing so I can find them quickly in a crowd (did you follow that logic???). It's a completely mindless idea from a woman suffering from severe mommy-brain. And it acually works! :cutie:

:cool2: And because they’re totally cool. :cool1: Couldn't you imagine wearing one of them, too?

Here’s how they turned out. I was going to do some touching up with the bleach pen around the Mickey head on all of them, but then I thought better about it. I decided it just wasn’t worth it, especially if I got too happy with the bleach pen. But I did have fun adding some extra bling to DD’s and my shirts, just for fun.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/MickeyTees2.jpg

Back

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/MickeyTees3.jpg

Here's a close-up of the rhinestones on the Mickey head:

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/DSCF3798.jpg

The boy's shirts:

Front

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/MickeyTees.jpg

Back

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/MickeyTees1.jpg

You can read more about the joys of making these things by clicking on the thread link at the top of the message. Or, even better, if you want to try making your own. It’s really not that hard to do – just messy!

Here’s another thread on how to make non-spiral Mickey head tie dye shirts. (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=928135) Those are just as cool.


And who knows what I’ll find to do next… and we’re getting closer to Disney every day! Yikes! I shouldn't be adding to the list, should I? :confused:

Next: How not to loose it when you get an automated phone call from the airline saying they’ve switched your return flight to an earlier time! :scared1: HOW DARE THEY!!!!

[quiltymom]

What a day. First, I get BOOed! W-o-w. How exciting. :woohoo:

Even more exciting, I received our Walt Disney Travel Company packet in today's mail. :yay:

And just now the UPS man just dropped off a DisneyStore box of tees that I ordered for the trip. :santa:

AND ... drum roll, please ... it's officially one month from today (30 days, to be exact) that WE'RE LEAVING FOR DISNEY WORLD! :smickey:

:cool1: :banana: :dance3: :yay: :cheer2: :rockband: :worship: :hyper: :love1: :hyper2: :jumping1: party:

I'm just a little excited here.

By the way, I never told you that my DS is starting to learn to play the violin :charac2: . Seriously! I played, as well as my dad & my great grandfather. He made the decision all by himself, without knowing we had played. Pretty cool, huh?

Anyway, more stuff later...

[Hedy]

Pictures! Pictures!

[Robert TG]

Gosh, I'm a little excited too. LOL, and I'm not even going. :)

Thanks for your Pretrip Planning, hope you fill all your memory cards with photos! :cool2:

[quiltymom]

You know, there is nothing more frightening than receiving an automated phone call from your airlines saying that your return flight from Orlando has been moved up 3-1/2 HOURS! :faint: I panicked. :scared: You can’t just take away three hours of Mickey away from me like that. :worried: So, I found my confirmation number (it’s amazing that I could actually find it – I must be doing something right for once!) and called the airline to see what happened.

I must admit that I was VERY nice, even though I felt like this: :furious: I let the agent know that the change was completely unacceptable. She said the airplane had been taken out of service and instead of placing the passengers on a flight nearest to the original time, the computer automatically placed us on the EARLIER flight. I told her that we were going to WDW and that I couldn’t have my last 3 hours with Mickey taken away like that. She gave me a courtesy laugh (my bet is that she's never been to Disney World! :sad2:), placed us on a later flight :teeth:, and was most likely thrilled to death that I didn’t come on like gangbusters and ripped her to shreds over it. But then that’s not my way. My motto is that it's easier to catch a fly with honey than vinegar.

So, temporary panic adverted. Yes! :upsidedow

Back to business. What exactly are we doing once we get there?, besides doing the Happy Dance, that is. :banana: (But we won’t be dressed like bananas.)

Since I know that you’re just dying to know, here’s an abbreviated updated itinerary.

Day One: Arrive at POR. MK. Dinner at Chef Mickey’s. ::MickeyMo
Day Two: AK. :simba: Dinner at Boma. DTD.
Day Three: Epcot. Princess Storybook Lunch. princess: Dinner at Le Cellier.
Day Four: Sleep in (we’ll see if that actually happens!). Get ready for MNSSHP day. MK BBB appointment for me & DD, Dinner at Kona, then PARTAY with the ghosts & ghouls! :hmghost: :maleficen
Day Five: Drag ourselves out of bed early for a day at Disney MGM Studios. :smickey: Lunch at 50’s Prime Time Café.
Day Six: Typhoon Lagoon. :beach: Dinner at Chefs de France.
Day Seven: :tink: MK for LOEMH during the day & DTD in the evening.
Day Eight: Check out of resort and do whatever we want before heading back home in the afternoon (Sob!) It’s an “Anything Can Happen Day.” Maybe we’ll eat our way across Epcot’s Food & Wine festival! Or get back to the MK one last time. Who knows…


Next: Getting ready for MNSSHP.

[quiltymom]

DH got it into his head a couple of years ago that he wanted me to make him a poet’s shirt for his birthday so he could use it for Halloween costumes. What costume are you thinking about, I dared ask him. The ubiquitous Captain Jack Sparrow, of course. pirate: So, guess what I got to make? More that a shirt, that’s for sure.

Which, of course, meant that if I wanted to match him, then I’d have to somehow transform myself into the young and beautiful Elizabeth Swann (dress, corset, hoops & all). YIKES! Can you feel the stress level rising???? :worried:

Well, two years later I have completed most of his costume, save for bits & pieces here and there. Yet I have just started my costume which will take much more time. If I want to be authentic here, we’re talking a camisole, shift, corset, underskirt, dress. R-i-g-h-t. And with what time will I be able to make this monstrosity? Over the past year I have purchased almost all the necessary fabrics and notions via the :worship: internet – they have been extremely hard to find. I've cut just about everything out except for the hoops since I gotta make a pattern for that first. I've also been working on the embroidery for the bodice, which has been taking forever. Hopefully I'll have that done by the time I sew the dress together.

Then I'll need to sew everything together without ending up pulling an all-nighter the evening before our trip just to finish the darn thing, just like I did when I made the kid’s baptism gowns. I was the mom who was up in front of church yawning because of lack of sleep due to sewing all night. Do I really want to do this to myself? Again and on purpose? Yeah … I guess. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

But somehow I don't think I'll be able to become as young as she is... :laughing:

I found just about all the information I needed to design the dress from this fantastic website: Will of a Sparrow. (http://willofasparrow.com/files/escstm.html#) The blogger meticulously photographed, sketched and wrote a narrative on how the dress was designed. Even if you're not into costumes or clothing construction, this is a fantastic study to see.

Now, the kids will be a cinch. DD will be the Princess du jour – Pocahontas – and DS will be Peter Pan, both costumes purchased at the Disney store. Bonus! :thumbsup2 DD & I will be getting pampered at the MK BBB the afternoon of MNSSHP, so we’ll be all dolled up to show off our costumes that evening. DD & DS are on their own!

And I promise to take lots of photos and post them here as I go along. So, sorry that there's no photos this time around. I would have added some here, but do you really want to see my sewing room in its current state of mess? I don't think so. Besides, I've got three huge bags of apples sitting in my kitchen that need to be made into applesauce, caramel spice apple butter & apple pie filling before the weekend is over. I think that pictures can wait.

In the meantime, time's a ticking away. :hourglass Only 21 more days!

Thanks for reading... :hug:

Next: Back to Disneyland

[TheDISneyFamily]

Good luck with the costumes!!!! I know what you are going through! I've made several costumes from scratch over the years, and I know the time, energy, and expense that goes into them! I've been meaning to ask you about your screen name, and tell you that I'm a quilter, too. Here is a link to my DA site where you can see some of my quilts & costumes... Michelle's Gallery (http://photobydesign.deviantart.com/gallery/)

I hope you will post pictures of your finished costumes! I'd love to see them! :goodvibes

Take care,
Michelle

[Hedy]

Good luck!

[quiltymom]

I'm soooo far behind on this thing! Time's a flying by - only 13 days until we leave. So, on with the show...

Disneyland Therapy

Two summers ago my DSis & I brought our mom to Disneyland. We twisted her arm, forced her into the car and off we went. You will not find meaner daughters anywhere. ;) If you want to read more about our trip, you can check out the trip reports:

Day 1: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=863023
Day 2: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=866792

And here we are!

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/2005_0713Image0164.jpg
That's me on the right. :wave2:

What a day of therapy it was! We laughed so much. And it was so wonderful to see mom act like a kid again. Disneyland is one of her favorite places on earth (besides Dodger Stadium – and that’s a w-h-o-l-e ‘nother story!) and it had been years since her last visit.

We didn’t tell my kids we were going since they would’ve never forgiven me. DD had even drawn a picture of herself crying during that visit to California. Why, I asked? “Because we are in California, and everyone knows that Ariel lives in California and Florida and I’m not going to see her so I’m sad.” :sad1:

Did I ever feel like a low-down, rotten, no good mommy … at least for a little while. :rolleyes1

This trip was just shortly after my family had been to WDW and it felt good to be back at DL. I must admit that I did have fun telling DSis & DMom about the differences between MK & DL, and all about WDW. I was happy/thrilled/excited/______ (fill in the blank!) to be there and I felt extremely privileged about having the chance to go to both DL and WDW in the same year, just months apart (March & July). But Disneyland is still #1 to me. (Duh!)

The knowledge that we can go to DL every summer takes away the sense of loss about not being able to go to WDW whenever we want a lot easier to take (this coming trip may be our last for quite a while). We can still get our Disney fix, and it’s a little easier on the budget since we'll be in California, anyway. Maybe our next DL trip will include our first-ever visit to California Adventure. We’ll see.

Next: Tricking and Treating in style

[quiltymom]

You just knew that I’d find something else that I had to make, huh? Didn’t you?

I made trick-or-treat bags for the kids when we go to MNSSHP. Why I needed to do this when they give them out there, who knows. Maybe because my house is a mess and I needed another distraction to keep me from cleaning it. Or because I needed to make my house a bigger mess than it already is. Or maybe just because I wanted to make a project in one day, start to finish. Now, there’s a concept!

I’ve been having fun on the Creative DISigns board, seeing what nifty-swifty things they creative designers have whipped up. And, while on the MNSSHP Designs thread (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1394589)some sweet soul posted that there were black and orange canvas bags at Michael’s for ONLY A DOLLAR, that I decided I needed something else to do. It’s not like I don’t have a costume to make, or anything like that. Or clean the house. (It’ll only get messy again, anyway.);)

Needing an excuse to get out of the house, I zipped down the road to Michaels and picked up a couple of bags for the kids. They only had one orange bag left, so I bought two black ones. You can’t see the dirt on them that way since I know they’ll end up on the ground. But then my kids’ don’t mess up the house or get dirty. :rolleyes: Not at all. Nope. Perfect angels, they. :angel:

And if you believe that, I've got some swamp land in Virginia to sell you. :laughing:

Then I got some trick-or-treat ribbon at AC Moore and sewed it around the top, downloaded some images and ironed them on, and sewed some Velcro to the inside between the handles so our candy loot won't fall out once it gets inside.

And here’s the finished product! Yay!

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3803.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3802.jpg

I did make two more - one each for me & DH - so when I get around to taking photos of them, I'll post them here.

Next: How can I keep all of this planning stuff straight? :confused3

[quiltymom]

Packing

I really hate to pack, so much that once I almost missed a business flight because I didn’t want to pack – again. That was w-a-y before 9/11, which meant that I could literally breeze through security, run down the terminal and still make my flight. Not anymore.

In order to ensure that I would not be staying up until the wee hours of the morning packing the night before our trip, I decided that I would make a master packing list. I started from the one you can get on MouseForLess (http://mouseforless.com/downloads/trip/UltimatePackingList.shtml)and have been adapting it ever since our 2004 trip, adding and subtracting items as necessary and regrouping everything into categories that were easier for my poor brain. It has become a master list for all our traveling, not just Disney. That way I just cross off those things I don’t need then get down to business packing.

The list now has 9 categories: Clothing items, Sporting Goods, Adult Cosmetic Bag, First Aid, Kid’s Cosmetic Bag, Miscellaneous Items, Food, Laundry & Cleaning Items, Entertainment & Electronic Items, and Documents, Financials & Stationery items. Yeah, it’s a lot, but it works.

Next, I have been scouring the Tips board for packing ideas, and I have come up with some great ones, like having your outfits all prepared in large zip lock bags for each day, then you just put the dirty clothes back into the bags and place them back into your suitcase for the return home. It’ll take the dread out of having to pack to go home. It sounds, well, uptight, but I’ve done trail runs on smaller outings and it has worked like a dream.


My new “Brain"

I’m a very right-brained creative person, which in translation means that I can make a clean room completely messy within minutes. It’s an amazing talent. I knew that I needed to make a binder to keep the paper stuff in one place instead of having to think about what pile that item is in now, then trying to find it. If you’d look at my desk now you’d ever believe that I used to work as a very efficient administrative assistant! Those skills do come in handy every once in a while.

I very conveniently live within walking distance of a mini-mall that has just about anything you’d need in it, including an AC Moore (craft supplies) & Staples. It seems like I’m there almost every other day getting something, especially impulse buying.

I purchased myself a 1-inch thin plastic DIS lime green binder, two sets of 8 plastic divider tabs and so far one set of 5 plastic pockets to hold stuff. Here’s how I set it up:

Travel
Resort
Magic Kingdom
Animal Kingdom
Epcot
Disney-MGM Studios
Typhoon Lagoon
Downtown Disney
Packing Lists
Daily Schedules
MNSSHP
Dining (ADRs & menus from AllEars)
Shopping
Miscellaneous

And two extra tabs for last minute stuff.

I’ve put the binder pockets in the sections that need it, like transportation to hold tickets, miscellaneous for tip envelopes and CM thank-you cards, etc. Since they are clear it’s easy to see the tabs through them. I’ll put everything that I have collected from the DIS & other sites into each section, like touring plans, tips, etc. And the day before we go I’ll print everything off of the computer and place it in its spot.

I also purchased a plastic tab folder (the kind you put reports in) for our days at the parks. I’ll just take out the pages for the day, place them in the folder, then put it in the backpack.

Now, we’ll just have to see if all this organization really works!


Next: More Disney in So-Cal

[quiltymom]

You just knew that there was more coming, didn’t ya? And there's more photos, too!

Disney is all over LA. You never know just where you’re going to see it next. You can start with the billboards – they were advertising the new Nemo submarine ride. I didn’t get a pic of them because I was usually driving the car when I saw one. (I thought that it was better to pay attention to driving than chance it.) And Disney just shows up where you least expect it, too.

DH had been to California only a few times before we met, and now he joins the me and the kids on our trips out there whenever he can. This time I wanted him to see the Chinese Theater, especially since we would be seeing the replica at Disney-MGM Studios. And he needed to learn a bit more California history, right? ::yes::

For those of you who have never been to Hollywood, especially Hollywood Boulevard where there’s tourists as far as the eye can see, you’re in for a treat. The side shows are incredible. Not only did we see Capt’n Jack Sparrow standing around pirate:, but also a "cute" little 6+ foot tall transvestite number in a skimpy patent leather vampire suit. :scared1: Hummm. Thankfully the kids were too busy looking at other things to notice… :confused:

So, we arrive at the Chinese Theater and park in a "$5.00 for 15 minutes" lot on the corner. We almost passed by the theater because the adjacent area has become soooo built up in the past few years. The theater now sits back in a courtyard, surrounded by the expansion of itself into a multi-plex/mini mall that goes out to the street. :sad2:

Here’s the original:

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3233.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3235.jpg

I'll get a photo of the Great Movie Ride when I'm at MGM Disney Studios to compare the two.

I also had to find Mickey’s Star, which is right in front: ::MickeyMo

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3231.jpg

And here is Clarence “Ducky” Nash’s square: :donald:

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3237.jpg

We didn’t stay long – or see much – because our 15 minutes was soon over, and DH didn’t want to pay another $5.00. As we were driving away, look what I saw:

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3242.jpg

It’s just across the street. I’ll have to take the kids there the next time were out. Disney and Ice Cream – what could be better?

We went to Dodger Stadium a few nights later. There’s nothing like eating Dodger Dogs. Unless you’re vegetarians, that is.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3129.jpg

Oh, how I wish that I could have one now! Here’s DH buying our dinner. Yup – he’s wearing his Mater t-shirt. Guess who bought it for him?
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3130.jpg

I didn’t get a photo of a Dodger Dog because I was too busy enjoying it to remember to take a photo!!

The one big beef that I have about going to Dodger Stadium these days is that they, too, have sold out to the almighty advertising dollar. They were one of the last hold-outs, but not any longer. Yet it did mean that we were subjected to see how Disneyland spent some of it’s advertising dollars:

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3149.jpg

They were advertising the opening of the new Nemo submarine ride here, as well:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3148.jpg

And here’s a pic of downtown Los Angeles from the stadium:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3145.jpg

This post is getting rather large, so I’ll stop for now.

Next up: More of the same! I bet you can't wait!

[Kaler131]

This is a wonderful pre-trip report! Can't wait to read your trip report when you get back. Hope you have a great time!

P.S. My DS10 and DS4 also have Asperger’s....so I know the joys and trials that you go through everyday!:thumbsup2

[quiltymom]

We stopped by the Chinese theater on the way to the Hollywood Bowl, after we had spent the day at the L.A. Farmer's Market
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3186.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3180.jpg

and the La Brea Tar Pits ...
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3193.jpg

... & Page Museum http://www.tarpits.org/.
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3207.jpg

Here's the pit 91 excavation site:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3221.jpg

and a blob of tar ooze coming out of the ground:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3220.jpg

Cool, huh? :cool2:

Back to the Hollywood Bowl. Here's one of the statues at the entrance:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3243.jpg

We splurged on a concert there for two reasons: 1) it was so dry in California due to lack of rain that all personal fireworks were banned throughout the state, and most municipalities were cancelling them due to fire risk; and 2) It was a 4th of July concert with fireworks, starring Riders in the Sky, the band from Toy Story. Actually, it was a tribute to John Wayne and Gene Autry, celebrating their 100th birthdays, starring the LA Philharmonic and featuring Riders in the Sky, but who cares about the details? I was going to see Riders in the Sky!!! Yippee!

The Hollywood sign from our seats in the nosebleed section:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3245.jpg

And the stage before the concert:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3246.jpg

Here they are performing. (If you look real close through the fuzzy shot and use a good dose of your imagination, you’ll see them there in their cowboy glory!):

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3260.jpg

These guys are prolific musicians! They’ve been together 30 years and have produced 30 albums. Whew! Their first and second Grammy awards came from two Toy Story CDs, so you better believe that they sang lots of Woody and the Gang songs. They even bought Woody onto the stage. He’s the little, teeny tiny speck in front of the Riders. I know that you can see him.

One funny thing about the program. They had a montage of film clips of both John Wayne and Gene Autry as part of the program. John Wayne’s clips also included some non-western movies, such as some WWII flicks. The funny part was the clip as he was flying over somewhere in Europe, but it actually was over the hills of Simi Valley, the town where I grew up. I know, kind of an inside joke, but still I know… ;)

After the show, there were the fireworks.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/DSCF3262.jpg

But the real fun came after the show and trying to get out of the parking lot. See, they have stacked parking there, so you are at the mercy of those people who are parked in front of you. We only had about 5 cars ahead of us, but wouldn't you know, about 45 minutes AFTER we had returned to our car, the people finally showed up. We couldn't move because the car two behind us was still without a driver, so we were sandwiched until someone came along. So, if you ever go to the Hollywood Bowl and are in the front of the parking queue, please show up and move your car! :goodvibes

But it was a great time. I'm glad we went!

Next up: 4 DAYS TO GO! AAAAAaaaahhhhh!!!!!! :scared1:

[quiltymom]

Two more days, and my "to do" list keeps on growing. How can a list grow when I've been planning and gathering and preparing since February?

At least I have the costumes completed. This is a big burden to have lifted from my shoulders. If I have the chance I'll post photos before we leave on Saturday, but if not I'll do that after we return.

I've so much to do that I even skipped out on my Bible Disciple class at church this morning. If I would've attended it I would've just sat there making even more lists of things that I need to do, rather than actually getting something out of it. So, I'm playing hooky and doing the final drafts of our daily touring plans.

My house gets cleaned today, so I'll start doing laundry and packing after they leave. I do a great job of messing things up once they're in order. :goodvibes But, overall I'm feeling good. Yet I know that I'll definitely forget something important.

If I do, oh well. We'll be at DISNEY WORLD!!!! :woohoo: :mickeyjum :woohoo:

[Robert TG]

Just DON'T FORGET YOUR CAMERA, it's the only way that I get to go along. So have a wonderful trip and take lots of photos of everything. Often the small things get overlooked.

And remember, what is important is to have a good time with your family.
:grouphug:

[quiltymom]

Thank you! The camera is the one thing that will not be left! My DH bought me a new one for my birthday (did I already say this?), along with two 4gb cards! :woohoo: Now, for the batteries to last. :3dglasses

But first, I gotta finish the laundry! At least baseball is on to keep me company.

[quiltymom]

;) I have to tell you my father's favorite joke:

Roses are red
Violets are blue.
I am schizo
and so am I.

(Did I happen to mention that he is a psychologist?)

That's me to a "T" when it comes to packing. :hyper: :crazy: :hyper:

This is the countdown calendar that DD7 made for the trip. She even made one for her classroom!

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/P1000297.jpg


Here it is, less than 24 hours before we leave, and I'm playing on the DIS. Have I packed? NO. [insert whine here] I hate packing.

So, instead of dragging myself upstairs to get something done, I've decided to show you the photos of my now completed costume. And I did have my house cleaned yesterday, so that's why the room is so tidy! Here they are, being modled by Mrs. Wellington, my vintage dress form:

Front:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/P1000298.jpg

Close-up of embroidery work:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/P1000300.jpg

Back:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/P1000301.jpg

Close-up of bodice back:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q1/QuiltyMom/Cal%2007%20TR/P1000302.jpg


:hyper2: I guess that I should be a responsible person and go pack. I've got to bring DS to tae kwon do in a couple of hours, so I better get a move on!

I may or may not post anything else before we leave, but if I don't, I'll see you on the other side!

[scottny]

Just read through your pre tr and cannot wait to hear the tr.

[quiltymom]

We had a fantastic trip (except for the run-in we had with a snarky Dreams cast member), and I'll be starting my trip report soon.

But I have started the dining report, and you can catch it here (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=21439045#post21439045).

Thanks for reading my pre-trip report, and I hope you'll join me over on my other reports!

[Becky521]

I have seen your pictures on the POTD thread and I have to tell you - the first time I saw one of your posts I thought your screen name was guiltymom :lmao:

Your pre-trip stuff was cracking me up - you sound an awful lot like me. Except the crafty part - that's not me. Love your Halloween costume, it's gorgeous.

I don't know a lot about Asperger's but I do understand about people not understanding if someone doesn't have a "physical" disability. My son was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome when he was 7. People had a difficult time understanding when my angelic ;) (like yours, my kids never messed up the house, etc.) little boy would look at them and then say "you look like a pig. You look like a cow. The cows and pigs are dancing" :rolleyes1 Oh well...

I'm glad you had a good trip. I am looking forward to reading more. I have already seen your parade pictures of the dancers. I think some day we may have to venture down for Halloween.

[quiltymom]

Hello again!

I'm finally getting my priorities together and have started my trip report. I know, it's about time ... You can catch it here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=21794942#post21794942

Becky - thanks for the notes. I'll PM you later. And you're not the only one that's thought my name was guiltymom. It just keeps everyone guessing. "I wonder what's she's guilty of?" :scratchin

See you on the Trip Report boards! :wave:

[Backstage_Gal]

quilt mom, just found your report tonight, and loving it. You have a geat talent for story telling. However, it is past midnight on Thanksgiving day, and it will have to wait till later this weekend.

Any, I am subbing :thumbsup2

[DisneyLaura]

I have a wonderful son who has a hidden disability – Asperger’s Syndrome (an Autism Spectrum Disorder) and ADHD. /QUOTE]

I have a nephew who is on the spectrum too. He is also high functioning. He's 7 1/2.

[QUOTE=quiltymom;16974314]UPDATE: The situation with DS & the bullies is going better. My friend talked with all the parents and explained DS's Asperger's situation and why DS does what he does, etc. The parents must’ve had chats with their kids and it seems to be working. He hasn’t been bullied in weeks; ony now they are leaving him completely alone – they don’t go near him. DS has yet to learn that in order to make friends you must talk with them instead of at them. We’ve got a long way to go, but at least that stress has been eliminated for the time being. Now to work on the “being a friend” skills… It’s going to be a long road to travel, but it will be well worth it in the end.

That makes my stomach turn to think someone would bully someone with a disability. Glad to hear things are better. Loving your TR.

[quiltymom]

I have a nephew who is on the spectrum too. He is also high functioning. He's 7 1/2.

That makes my stomach turn to think someone would bully someone with a disability. Glad to hear things are better. Loving your TR.

Asperger's is one of those tricky things to deal with, as you know with your nephew. We have made a conscious decision not to let too many people know about it, other than those adults who need to know, because of the stigma still attached to most disabilities. Since he is so high functioning, it's been a hard road.

We don't want other kids to know about the Asperger's, mostly since we know just how mean they can be when they find out stuff like that. I can only imagine how much worse the situation would be if these kids knew about it. It would've been easier to deal with if I only had stepped in to intervene earlier than I did. I didn't want to make things worse by saying something, only in retrospect I did so by not speaking up sooner. One of life's little lessons.

It's been hard getting adults to understand about it, too, since he doesn't have any obvious quirks that other more severe Aspie kids have. The major problem is that he is extremely bright, but with very low social skills.

So, we deal with it the best we can. He's a great kid. And we pray for added patience every day! :angel:

[MNRMommy]

I am loving the pre trippie so far but wanted to jot a quick note that I loved the non-disney shakespeare trip. When I was little I tried to build a replica of his theater out of popsicle sticks. DH is sitting here on the couch behind me wondering why I just blurted out that we need to go to Staunton Virginia. The history types of vacations are my second fave next to Disney. DH get's embarassed on them however because I tend to get teary eyed on historic tours thinking of the fore fathers and all.

Also, I hear your pain on the Disneyland thing. I have spent the last few months researching Disneyland. I have read many a guidebook, purused the internet and made my case to the DH. His response was why would we go there when Disneyworld is so much better? Gee honey maybe because we have been to Disneyworld nearly 15 times and it would be great to see where it started, PLUS it isn't like it is an exact duplicate.

Oh well. I will get back to reading now.

[MNRMommy]

P.S. I added some photos to our Staunton visit (post #12), just in case you’re interested.

The DIS is a great place, yet I’ve found it to be bounteous source of information that has only added onto my pre-trip “to do” list. Has anyone else found that to be true, as well?

First, I had to make Pal Mickey’s clothes. Next, I had to get the proper bag and shoes. (I’m such a gullible one!). Okay, not really, but kinda. Then I had to make matching Mickey Head Tie-Dye t-shirts. Why? Because I stumbled upon the Tie Dye Instructions for Spiral Mickey Shirt (http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1210609) thread. That's why.

“WHY did you have to make them,” you may ask? Because I'm a visual person. I want to be able to spot my family at a glance, and if they are wearing what I’m wearing, I won’t have to think about what they’re wearing so I can find them quickly in a crowd (did you follow that logic???). It's a completely mindless idea from a woman suffering from severe mommy-brain. And it acually works! :cutie:

:cool2: And because they’re totally cool. :cool1: Couldn't you imagine wearing one of them, too?

Here’s how they turned out. I was going to do some touching up with the bleach pen around the Mickey head on all of them, but then I thought better about it. I decided it just wasn’t worth it, especially if I got too happy with the bleach pen. But I did have fun adding some extra bling to DD’s and my shirts, just for fun.


Guiltymom - lo and behold I kept reading and saw that you linked my Spiral Mickey thread to your pre-trippie. I am honored :hug: :blush: - now back again to my reading.