A Halloween Adventure in Autism (11/12) New Thread Begun on TR Board!

[KathyRN137]

Throwing around a few more dining options...


Thanks for all your input; everyone seems to love Boma! :lovestruc We, too, have only had breakfast there, so I'd like to try the dinner buffet. It just seems as though there are more options for the kids at a buffet.

Plus, I'm really not all that into curry... But if you are, it looks like Sanaa will be the place to get your fix!

Tricia actually wanted to talk about the trip last night! (She'll do anything to put off bedtime!) Ha! like she thinks I don't know her motives! ;)

I tossed out the idea of trying T-Rex at PI, but she recoiled in horror, so I guess that's out. It may be a little too loud for Billy, so it's just as well.

DNiece, Catie, definitely wants to do Breakfast with Pooh at the CP, and that's fine with me!! pooh: I love the characters, the food is good, and it's so much fun walking down a near-empty Main Street, USA before the park opens!

http://allears.net/menu/menu_cpb.htm


Catie is also trying to persuade us to try the Biergarten in Epcot's Germany. Naturally, she and her family go there every trip because of my DBIL's German roots.

http://allears.net/menu/men_ger.htm


This would be quite a dining adventure for our family, but I'm willing to try it (especially since I see that there's good ole mac 'n cheese if the kids balk!) I like to try at least one new restaurant each trip. DNiece is a very adventurous eater... and a true carnivore!

The giant turkey legs in FrontierLand are definitely on her "snack" list! :rotfl:

Billy insists on Play & Dine at Hollywood & Vine (DS). We've done this twice, no, three times (!) before and it's definitely his favorite because of the singing and dancing with characters.

http://allears.net/menu/menu_hvl.htm


We've left out the Animal Kingdom! We've never eaten at Tusker House. If we could manage a second early morning, I'd love to do Donald's Safari Breakfast Buffet before park opening! :thumbsup2

http://allears.net/menu/menu_tusb.htm


So, it seems as though we've got quite a few potential ADRs to plan! I'm hungry now... oh wait, I haven't eaten any breakfast yet. No wonder I want to talk about food!!


Kathy

[mom2mek]

Those sound like great choices Kathy! :goodvibes Out of the ones you listed, I have only ever done Boma (for dinner) and the Crystal Palace (for breakfast and lunch), but the rest sound great too! Biergarten would be the only one I would waiver on, but then again....I'm usually pleasantly surprised at the restaurants I wouldn't normally pick and sometimes they turn into favorites (as Boma did)!

I loved those Play and Dine pics with Billy from your 2007 trip - that was one happy camper there! :banana::banana:

Tusker House is on my list for breakfast as well - I would love to see an empty AK!!! :cloud9:

Sara

[All7OfUs]

All of your choices sounds so tasty good! Mmmm! Several would be on my "next trip choices" list, including CP, Biergarten and Bomas- although, now that I"ve read the menu at Sanaa, I'm leaning more towards that. We LOVE curry and anything Indian (the spicier, the better!)

Glad to see that Catie will get to choose one too! It will really help her feel like she's included in the planning and like it's her trip, too.

[maroo]

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy!! We are skipping Sanna, too!

I love Boma!!! :) Breakfast there makes my mouth water. :) What I would not give for some of those grits right now.

I will be trying the Dinner at Jiko this time around (Sept Trip)...have you guys ever eaten there?

[jcc0621]

Hey Kathy,

Boma - We are trying it for the first time in August. I can't wait after hearing all the great reviews here.:yay:

Tusker House - just warning..it's great to get in the park before opeing. If you do it request one of the outside rooms and not the main dining room. The main dining room is really loud. Only becasue it is such a big place, all you really here is the din of the ocnversations.

Biergarten - We LOVED this one last year. Even Jimmy found something to eat. Little sausages (he called them hotdogs, we didn't corrent him:rolleyes1) I really think Billy would like becasue of the band and if he likses to dance he can do the chicken dance:thumbsup2

CP - I love to do this one prior to park opening:cloud9:

[Halloweenqueen]

We love the Beirgarten. We have gone there on every trip. William isn't a big fan of the food. He usually makes himself a big salad. That's about it. The other food has too much flavor and texture for him. The rest of my family loves it. Max enjoys these little dishes of pudding/custard. He always tries to beat his record from last time. He had 9 last time! lol He told the waiter and the waiter told him the restaurant record was 24! I'm the spoil sport because I say 10 max. :rotfl:

William loves the atmosphere there and we always get up and do the chicken dance together. The band is loud, but they only play a 15 minute set every hour. Ask the CM when they play and schedule the band set at the end of your meal. One time they changed the time on us and we were seated during the performance. So loud our server couldn't even take our drink orders. It made William want to bolt. Luckily, we had been there before and he knew it wasn't going to last too long.



I'm so anxious to make these ADRs! My parents are coming down for a couple of days at the beginning of our vacation. My youngest sister is coming at the end. Large groups are a pain when making ADRS. Plus I have free dining to worry about. I'll be up at 4am ADR opening day. :headache:

[Dreamer & Wisher]

We love Biergarten!!

They have Knock wurst which are very similar to hot dogs. Slightly smaller than a hot dog. Ethan loves them. They also have Bratwurst which is very good. The salad bar is very good and they have little pretzel rolls. Very similar to the pretzel bread at Le Cellier.

The spaetzel are really yummy they are like little tiny dumplings or noodles.

We love the music and the kids get to dance while Mom and Dad finish eating.:thumbsup2:thumbsup2 They have a nice selection of German Beer and wine.

We want to try Crystal Palace for breakfast we have only gone there for lunch.

Tusker House is very good we did that on our last trip. We also did Boma for Dinner the same day.:rotfl:

[DisMomAmy]

I'll let you know how we like Tusker House when we get back.

jcc0621 - thanks for the tip to request an outer room - noise could be a problem for us too!

[mousescrapper]

Well...help me pass the time! Post more on your report!! :rotfl:


OK, OK, I get the idea.....;)



Throwing around a few more dining options...


DNiece, Catie, definitely wants to do Breakfast with Pooh at the CP, and that's fine with me!! pooh: I love the characters, the food is good, and it's so much fun walking down a near-empty Main Street, USA before the park opens!

This was great, for us in 08. Pre-opening breakfasts are really nice, no too crowded, fresh food, empty park to take it all in....could I go on?


The giant turkey legs in FrontierLand are definitely on her "snack" list! :rotfl:


Picture op!

Billy insists on Play & Dine at Hollywood & Vine (DS). We've done this twice, no, three times (!) before and it's definitely his favorite because of the singing and dancing with characters.

that is fun, we enjoyed and despite other reviews we thought the food was yummy! and a nice mid morning break

We've left out the Animal Kingdom! We've never eaten at Tusker House. If we could manage a second early morning, I'd love to do Donald's Safari Breakfast Buffet before park opening! :thumbsup2

be curious about this too....Michael really likes Donald and since 010 will all be about the girls a special treat for him would be nice and never been to AK before opening. You are nice and close too so it won't be a long bus ride.





Is QS choices next? popcorn::popcorn::

or is too soon....DH thinks it too soon for me to talk about dinning choices for 11-010....is it?:rolleyes1

Scrappie

[KathyRN137]

kaysmommie and maroo: We've never tried Jiko, but it does sound yummy!

Dinner Menu: http://allears.net/menu/menu_jiko.htm

Vegetarian Menu: http://allears.net/menu/menu_jikoveg.htm

Kids Menu: http://allears.net/menu/menu_jikokids.htm

Hmmm. Even the kids menu looks good! This may be a another possibility! :rolleyes:

jcc0621: Another thank-you here for the advice about the outer room table at Tusker House! Unless it's music, Billy does have problems with loud noise. It could make or break the meal.

When Donald's was at Restaurantasaurus, we had to request a table in one of the side rooms for the same reason.

Halloweenqueen and Dreamer&Wisher: Thanks for the Biergarten reviews! I do think the kids (esp Billy) will love the entertainment; I will need to try to time it just right! :thumbsup2

All7ofUs: We haven't had our official "big planning meeting" yet, but I did get to ask Catie a few questions about what she would like when we saw her over Easter.

Back in December '05, DSis and her family were at WDW for a few days overlapping our trip and we got to tour with them for a couple of half-days. Catie's all about Rides, Rides, Rides... fortunately Tricia is becoming braver as she gets older, so there won't be any rides they can't do together.

Tricia is very excited because her cousin has not ridden Expedition Everest yet, because she knows that Catie will love it! I'll bet the three kids would be happy just riding that one thing all day long! :laughing:

mousescrapper: That's right... we will be right around the corner from AK, so an early breakfast there should be easier to manage. The only problem I forsee is that Catie is an admitted night owl and may have a hard time getting up early. I will have to police bedtime so the girls don't get over-tired.

DisMomAmy: Hooray! I'd forgotten that you are eating at Tusker House... very, very soon!! :woohoo:

mom2mek: I think that's the reason we never tried Biergarten before...the food just seemed a bit too exotic for the kids. But, I think we should try it at least once.

Charleston Princess: I think Sanaa wil be great for those who love Indian food, I'll most likely try to stop in just to look at it anyway. ;)

carissanboys: I loved Boma's breakfast, too! The only thing I didn't like was the famous "Frunch" juice... I was a bit disappointed in it; it was very, very sweet! But the food! I could have eaten three breakfasts that day if only I had the room!


Kathy

[carissanboys]

T-Rex is VERY loud.

We did Donald's Breakfast at Tusker so my review and pictures will be coming up at some point. :thumbsup2

[KathyRN137]

T-Rex is VERY loud.

We did Donald's Breakfast at Tusker so my review and pictures will be coming up at some point. :thumbsup2

Can't wait!! :goodvibes


Kathy

[brookelizabeth]

Hi there!
I followed to your report from someone else's....perhaps CP? I think that might be it! :rotfl2:

Just wanted to jump in and say I'm really enjoying your PTR so far, you have made me cry and laugh! Your plans, so far, sound really great! We are staying at AKV in December, I can't wait to see the new resort, I've been watching the DVC boards for pics (esp of the pool since no one can seem to get back that far on the property!), May 1 is getting so close and we will finally have REAL pics!! :yay:

Your Broadway trip is just around the corner-that will be a blast! I used to live in NYC and went to shows a LOT. I have an old friend in Mary Poppins, so if/when I ever make it out there again, I have to go see her in it...oh darn! ;)

[Hedy]

I liked Donald's Safari breakfast. There's a parade (which Billy was ok with at CP, I think?). However, I;'ve heard people complain the room is loud-it didn't seem any louder than other WDW meals to me, but just an FYI.

[carissanboys]

I liked Donald's Safari breakfast. There's a parade (which Billy was ok with at CP, I think?). However, I;'ve heard people complain the room is loud-it didn't seem any louder than other WDW meals to me, but just an FYI.

We have done character meals at Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey, 'Ohana, and Tusker House and I will say that Tusker was definitely the most chaotic - IMO. My little guy did okay and he has issues with new and loud places. But, it's definitely worth mentioning.

[Tnkrbelle565]

AAAAAAH Boma!!! I love Boma. It makes me so happy. We actually found out last trip that Tusker House at lunch serves some of the same things as Boma so that made me EXTRA happy!!! CP we enjoy as well. We were not as thrilled with the character breakfast at AK and I'm not sure why but I remember that we decided not to repeat it. In general, character breakfasts are fun but they are way too overpriced and not a good use of your DDP credits IMO. We do CMs and CRT and that's about it now. We love the breakfast at 1900 PF as well.

[KathyRN137]

Hi there!
Just wanted to jump in and say I'm really enjoying your PTR so far, you have made me cry and laugh! Your plans, so far, sound really great! We are staying at AKV in December, I can't wait to see the new resort, I've been watching the DVC boards for pics (esp of the pool since no one can seem to get back that far on the property!), May 1 is getting so close and we will finally have REAL pics!! :yay:


:welcome: to the party!!

As you may have guessed, I'm super-excited about VAKL! Have you been following BuckeyeFan's live TR?? (DVCMousellaneous Board) I'm hoping she was able to sneak over to Kidani and score some pix for us!!

I'll bet AKL and VAKL will look gorgeous in December, all decorated for the holidays!


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Hedy and carissanboys: Thank you, both, for your .02 on the decibel level at Tusker House! Sometimes a certain noise level that does not seem to bother the rest of the family will bother Billy because of his sensory issues related to the autism.

Do you know how the volume on the TV jumps suddenly at commercial break? Billy startles every time and yells, "Turn it down!" because it bothers him so much. :headache:

Hedy, you're right, Billy does enjoy the character parade at CP, so if they do one at Donald's, he will want to participate! Carissa, I think that, if we decide to do this, I'll ask for a less noisy table away from the main dining area. (I do this automatically now at all the table service places.) I'm glad your DS liked it and I'm looking forward to your review!


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

AAAAAAH Boma!!! I love Boma. It makes me so happy.... In general, character breakfasts are fun but they are way too overpriced and not a good use of your DDP credits IMO.


Another Boma fan!! :goodvibes

I agree about the breakfasts being expensive ... typically we eat breakfast in the room each day. But, we're not going to use the DDP this year, so I'm not so much concerned about "wasting" the TS credits like I did when we used the plan.

Perhaps we'll try Tusker House for lunch or dinner; I'm not sure. Then again, we still haven't tried Yak & Yeti, either! I do have just a little bit more time to decide! ;) Right now, I'm just tossing ideas around.


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Just 16 more days!!

I'm getting closer and closer to my first Disney on Broadway experience! :hourglass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RdrQy0j39E


Kathy

[IluvXU]

Decisions decisions... since I am having a hard time staying committed to my ADRs.... I am excited about what you decide.

[KathyRN137]

Decisions decisions... since I am having a hard time staying committed to my ADRs.... I am excited about what you decide.

Stick to your guns, er, forks, girl!! :laughing: You know you're happy with what you've got! You still just can't believe you got them!

Kathy

[brookelizabeth]

:welcome: to the party!!

As you may have guessed, I'm super-excited about VAKL! Have you been following BuckeyeFan's live TR?? (DVCMousellaneous Board) I'm hoping she was able to sneak over to Kidani and score some pix for us!!

I'll bet AKL and VAKL will look gorgeous in December, all decorated for the holidays!


Kathy

I have not seen BuckeyeFan's live TR! I'm heading that way right now...I would love some new Kidani pics! :yay: Thanks for the info!

I'm REALLY excited about seeing both the Jambo House and Kidani decorated for Christmas...so so pretty.

[KathyRN137]

I have not seen BuckeyeFan's live TR! I'm heading that way right now...I would love some new Kidani pics!



Well, unfortunately, Buckeye Fan was unable to get any pix of the new pool/waterplay area at Kidani Village... security was just too tight!

I suppose we simply have to hope that there will be some DISers staying there next month who will post trip reports! :confused3 Ahh, the anticipation!!


****************************************


Yesterday was not such a great day... in fact, it was pretty yucky all around! I caught Billy's cold :sick: and was feeling pretty rotten all day. (When he gets sick, he gets even more cuddly and snuggly, so when he gets a cold, Mommy gets the cold!) :rolleyes:

To top that off, I had no computer for the entire day!!

Billy must've stepped on the little wireless mouse do-hickey that you plug into the hard drive tower... not his fault really, it is very close to the floor... and bent it, so the mouse would not work. :badpc: I was in no shape to go out and get a replacement, so I had to wait for Ed to get home from an all-day class and he took care of it last night.

By the time it got fixed, Billy was anxious to play his games, so I just let him have the computer. By then, I was just too tired to DIS anyway, so I just sat with my feet up, clutching the box of tissues to my chest, and watched TV.

Anyway, the mouse has been replaced, I'm feeling a bit better, and I hope to catch up on some reports today. So, if you're currently writing a TR or PTR, would you kindly post today?? I could really use it!!


*****************************************

:woohoo: Just two more weeks until Little Mermaid!! :woohoo:


Kathy

[Charleston Princess]

By the time I go in June, Kidani will be open -- I plan to head over there and do some exploring! :thumbsup2

Hope you feel better soon and hurray for two weeks until Little Mermaid -- how exciting!

[brookelizabeth]

Oh...I hope you feel better soon!!

I most likely will not get an update posted today, but stranger things have happened. :goodvibes Regardless, I hope your day is full of rest and DISing!

[jcc0621]

jcc0621: Another thank-you here for the advice about the outer room table at Tusker House! Unless it's music, Billy does have problems with loud noise. It could make or break the meal.

::yes:: Jimmy too!

[KathyRN137]

Ooooh... this is so cool!! Found this link to "Disney Theme Park TV Shows for the Week" and wanted to share!! :happytv:

I'm always missing these kinds of shows... probably because I don't watch enough TV to see the commercials for them! You can sign up for e-mail alerts, too!! :thumbsup2

http://www.bartlett-sloan.net/tv/agenda.php3?modeagenda=soon

Enjoy!

Kathy

[mousescrapper]

thanks for sharing the link....going to WDW w/ 8 kids now that would be something to see. My MIL gets the biggest kick out of that show

hope you are feeling better!

[IluvXU]

Bookmarked! Thanks Kathy!

[KathyRN137]

By the time I go in June, Kidani will be open -- I plan to head over there and do some exploring! :thumbsup2


Yay! :yay: It's right around the corner, isn't it??

Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Oh...I hope you feel better soon!!

I most likely will not get an update posted today, but stranger things have happened. :goodvibes Regardless, I hope your day is full of rest and DISing!

Thanks...its just a cold, but I'll use any excuse to while away the afternoon on the boards!! ;)

Kathy

[KathyRN137]

thanks for sharing the link....going to WDW w/ 8 kids now that would be something to see. My MIL gets the biggest kick out of that show

hope you are feeling better!

Thanks for the get-well-wish... I'm excited about the link!

Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Bookmarked! Thanks Kathy!

Isn't that so cool?!

I'm hoping to catch some good programs that I would have missed otherwise! :thumbsup2

Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Okay... I just PMd OhMari to move my very old PTR from the April '08 trip over to the TR board! :rolleyes1

I'm still looking for the notes, but hopefully this will be the kick in the pants I need to get rolling on the report!! Keep your eyes peeled!

Kathy

[carissanboys]

Okay... I just PMd OhMari to move my very old PTR from the April '08 trip over to the TR board! :rolleyes1

I'm still looking for the notes, but hopefully this will be the kick in the pants I need to get rolling on the report!! Keep your eyes peeled!

Kathy

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[nu2wdisneyw]

Ooooh... this is so cool!! Found this link to "Disney Theme Park TV Shows for the Week" and wanted to share!! :happytv:

I'm always missing these kinds of shows... probably because I don't watch enough TV to see the commercials for them! You can sign up for e-mail alerts, too!! :thumbsup2

http://www.bartlett-sloan.net/tv/agenda.php3?modeagenda=soon

Enjoy!

Kathy

Thanks for the site...I have set the DVR to record John and Kate plus 8...can't wait to see it! !

[KathyRN137]

::yes:: Jimmy too!

Hey, Janet, where's your PTR....hmmm??

Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Thanks for the site...I have set the DVR to record John and Kate plus 8...can't wait to see it! !

Great! Enjoy!!

(Although, I have to admit... I'll be skipping that one.) :eek:

I know. I know.

For some reason, Kate just annoys the heck out of me and I just can't watch more than five minutes of that show without getting irritated.

I'm hoping for some Samantha Brown specials soon....

Kathy

[mousescrapper]

I'm hoping for some Samantha Brown specials soon....



oooohhhh I love Samantha Brown too.

[Dreamer & Wisher]

I have seen the Jon & Kate Plus 8 show and I have to warn you it really lacks a lot of Pixie Dust!;)

If you think she is irritating when she is in her own home then you won't believe "Traveling Kate":scared1:

[KathyRN137]

I have seen the Jon & Kate Plus 8 show and I have to warn you it really lacks a lot of Pixie Dust!;)

If you think she is irritating when she is in her own home then you won't believe "Traveling Kate":scared1:


Thanks for the warning... I kind of suspected that.

Must... Have... Pixie Dust!!!

Kathy

[KathyRN137]

:thanks: to OhMari for dredging up my old, unfinished TR for my April Adventure in Autism (2008). It is now on the current TR board if you are interested!

Kathy

[moparop]

Dunno if you saw this yet. I was perusing TRs this afternoon and noticed that TinkerbellLuvr7. She is a CM and did a previw of Kidani Village. It looks AMAZING!!

[irish dancer]

Dunno if you saw this yet. I was perusing TRs this afternoon and noticed that TinkerbellLuvr7. She is a CM and did a previw of Kidani Village. It looks AMAZING!!

Thanks SOOOOO much for the heads up. I LOVED seeing the pictures especially of the pool area. We're staying there in June and I can't wait, it looks GREAT!

[mrsksomeday]

Kathy, look here:

CM Preview of Kidani Village!! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=31456332&postcount=32)

ROOMS (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=31456496&postcount=33)

POOL (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=31456675&postcount=34)





This is the what moparop was talking about!!!


**************************************

[KathyRN137]

OOOH! OOOH! (There's Arnold, again!)

Thanks Mop and MrsK.... I'm heading over there right now!!! :banana::banana:


Kathy

[mrsksomeday]

I added links for the room and the pool too!! I am so excited for you!

[KathyRN137]

:thanks:

All I can say is "WOW-EEE!!!" :woohoo::yay::thumbsup2


Kathy

[All7OfUs]

Wow! Those photos are amazing- you all are going to have a wonderful time soaking in the atmosphere and enjoying the fabulous looking pools! I looked at the menu for Sanaa, and I'm convinced I'm going to try it next year! I adore Indian food, so now I get to have Indian food AND see this spectacular looking resort! Double bonus!

[mousescrapper]

Hi Kathy,

not sure if you've seen this yet, but I thought of you.


There are a bunch of pic's of the new balloon airlift ride at DTD if you scroll thru a couple pages you'll see pic's from up in the actuall balloon too.

Enjoy!

http://www.mousesteps.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=283&Itemid=65

Scrappie

[brookelizabeth]

More Kidani:
http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2009/04/animal_kingdom_lodge_kidani_vi.html

There is a "Part 2" at the bottom of the article, and a Part 3 coming soon! :yay:

[moparop]

:thanks:

All I can say is "WOW-EEE!!!" :woohoo::yay::thumbsup2


Kathy

I was giddy for you after seeing those pics!!

[KathyRN137]

Just stopping in to say, "Hi!"

I've read all the comments and clicked on all the links... been a little busy trying to write the April '08 TR and keep up with life in general.

Busy day tomorrow as I mentioned on the other report... double First Communions tomorrow for a niece and a nephew, so I won't be able to make my replies until tomorrow night!

Talk to you then, and thanks for reading!! :goodvibes


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

I'm so lucky to have such thoughtful friends! Thanks to brookelizabeth, moparop, mousescrapper, and mrsksomeday for the links about Kidani Village and Characters in Flight!! I really, really enjoyed them!

And, apparently, so did Irish Dancer and All7OfUs!! :goodvibes

I am still amazed at how gorgeous the resort is! :cloud9: And, I've learned that the entire resort is now called Animal Kingdom Lodge, so I will have to dispense with the use of "VAKL." The villas part is officially called Kidani Village and the "original" AKL is officially called Jambo House. (Although, technically, there are DVC villas located in Jambo House as well.) :confused3

Never mind. We must use the correct DISNEY-SPEAK ;) so from now on I will be referring to our resort as Kidani Village (or perhaps just Kidani, for short.)


******************************************


So, not much to report. Kind of busy finishing the April saga now. (See link in my siggie, below.)

Next big thing will be procuring the MNSSHP tickets on May 1st, which is just around the corner. And of course, one week from tomorrow is Little Mermaid on Broadway!! :yay: Naturally, I will try to do a mini-trippie and squeeze it in here.

It really wouldn't be too :offtopic: now, would it???


Kathy

[Charleston Princess]

Kidani is an amazing!!! I don't think I ever expected it to be so breathtaking, but I should have remembered it was Disney doing this!

I need to head over to your April report...

Little Mermaid is not off-topic -- you must report back on it!

[mousescrapper]

I agree I can't wait to hear about LM on Broadway!!!!!

[BrandyC1974]

I have been reading along with your trip reports. I would love to do disney and go to MNSSHP. Mabye in 2011 my family will go. I will be reading along with your april trip (and try to post every now and again).

[brookelizabeth]

LM is not off topic in my world! It's Disney, it's part of the days up to your trip...makes sense to me! I can't wait to hear about it!

[carissanboys]

Going to go subscribe to your TR. :thumbsup2

[KathyRN137]

Here's Part 3 of that Jack Spence blog about Kidani Village...Pool and Play Area Pictures!!

OMGoodness.... it just looks fabulous!! :cloud9:


http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/


Kathy

[Charleston Princess]

Doesn't it though??? I can't tell you how many times I have ventured over to allears just to gaze at the photos! :laughing:

[KathyRN137]

Today I received a postcard from the DNA (Dermatological Nurses' Association), of which I am a member. They hold two conferences a year. I already knew the summer conference will be held in Boston, but there was a small notation to "save the date" for the annual convention, which will be held next March.


Guess where?? :rolleyes1


Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!


The Contemporary Resort in Orlando, Florida!!


*Ed already said that we could go!! :woohoo: Mom & Dad Only Weekend at the World .... here we come!! :dance3:


Kathy

[mom2mek]

Holy smokes! That's fabulous Kathy! You know what's weird? My Dad is a dermatologist in New Jersey! Weird.

Ed must be over-the-top thrilled!!! Expenses paid for some of it, I hope! CooL! I'm so happy for you guys!! :cool1:

Sara

[KathyRN137]

Holy smokes! That's fabulous Kathy! You know what's weird? My Dad is a dermatologist in New Jersey! Weird.

Ed must be over-the-top thrilled!!! Expenses paid for some of it, I hope! CooL! I'm so happy for you guys!! :cool1:

Sara

:rotfl2: Unfortunately, :lmao: I don't believe any expenses :rotfl: will be paid for!! :laughing:

I love my boss, but he's... well... thrifty.

But, I am hoping that conventioneers will get a break on room rates at the Contemporary. (You know how Ed has been lusting after it!!) If not, we may just stay at one of the mods... our DVC points will be all used up by our November trip.

:scratchin If I thought we might get a good Annual Passholder rate, I might consider getting APs for the two of us on the upcoming trip...


Kathy

[moparop]

Today I received a postcard from the DNA (Dermatological Nurses' Association), of which I am a member. They hold two conferences a year. I already knew the summer conference will be held in Boston, but there was a small notation to "save the date" for the annual convention, which will be held next March.


Guess where?? :rolleyes1


Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!


The Contemporary Resort in Orlando, Florida!!


*Ed already said that we could go!! :woohoo: Mom & Dad Only Weekend at the World .... here we come!! :dance3:


Kathy

Yee-haw!! Getting out of Jersey and down to disney in March should be awesome!! And the passholder idea? Disney math at it's finest my friend!

[mom2mek]

:rotfl2: Unfortunately, :lmao: I don't believe any expenses :rotfl: will be paid for!! :laughing:

I love my boss, but he's... well... thrifty.

But, I am hoping that conventioneers will get a break on room rates at the Contemporary. (You know how Ed has been lusting after it!!) If not, we may just stay at one of the mods... our DVC points will be all used up by our November trip.

:scratchin If I thought we might get a good Annual Passholder rate, I might consider getting APs for the two of us on the upcoming trip...


Kathy

Gotta love Disney fuzzy math! That AP is saving me a ton of money this year! :lmao:

Sara

[maroo]

Woo Hoo!!!

I love my AP!!

But there is one other thing you might consider...since the conference is there...you could possibly get conference rates!!! :) Which would be quite nice! :thumbsup2

[mrsksomeday]

Woo Hoo Kathy, that is wonderful!! I would think they would have some type of group/conference rate for you.

I love my AP too :love:. The 40% off code I got to use for the Poly was an AP code :thumbsup2.

[blue_river]

Today I received a postcard from the DNA (Dermatological Nurses' Association), of which I am a member. They hold two conferences a year. I already knew the summer conference will be held in Boston, but there was a small notation to "save the date" for the annual convention, which will be held next March.


Guess where?? :rolleyes1


Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!


The Contemporary Resort in Orlando, Florida!!


*Ed already said that we could go!! :woohoo: Mom & Dad Only Weekend at the World .... here we come!! :dance3:


Kathy

Yahooty for you guys!!!! That's awesome :woohoo:

[carissanboys]

That's awesome Kathy!! What a fun trip that will be. :goodvibes

[All7OfUs]

That's so great! I'm just so excited for you and know that it will be a special weekend for just the two of you!

[SwansLoveDisney]

I need to start researching which Physical Therapy conferences are in Orlando!

That's wonderful, Kathy! I am very excited for you!

[irish dancer]

Oooohhh! You lucky duck! How exciting.

DHs company used to have their sales convention at the YC/BC but families couldn't attend and they weren't allowed to schedule vaca before or after those dates to extend their trip either. They stopped doing it at YC/BC for the past couple of years and aren't having one this year at all thanks to the economy.

[mousescrapper]

Kathy that is AWESOME!!!!!


how fun for you guys....hope you get in some fun Disney and alone times...maybe a dinner overlokking MK at the California Grill...


TABLE FOR TWO PLEASE!!!!!:hug:

You'll have to take me some pictures :tiptoe:;)

[KathyRN137]

Thanks, everybody!! :goodvibes

Of course, this is still all very tentative... it's 11 months away... but of course, I jumped at the chance when Ed said, "Yes!" He may have had a temporary lapse in judgement just seeing the words, Contemporary Resort!!

Naturally, we'll have to crunch some numbers first and see if it really is "do-able." But, for now, I'll bask in the glow of knowing there's serious potential for a Mom & Dad weekend in the future!! :lovestruc :lovestruc


****************************************


I've been watching the extended weather forecast for Sunday (Little Mermaid). At first, it said "scattered thundershowers", but those seemed to have moved to Saturday. Now Sunday's forecast is reading "partly cloudy, 66 degrees," so I am relieved. Temps have been in the 80's and 90's here this past week!


We've decided to get car service into the city... it should take us no more than an hour, depending on traffic... and that's been arranged. (Ed hates driving/parking in the city.) He also feels it will be better for Aunt Rae since we don't really know how far she might have to walk from the car if we had to park it. Even though it's not supposed to rain, I think we'll just keep the plan as is. Aunt Rae is very excited and the kids are beginning to get excited, too!


I'm so glad that we decided to do this... it will be such a treat!!


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Boy-oh-Boy! Look what I found... lots of video of Kidani Village to share with you!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af2_mDIn3AI&feature=channel


Tomorrow we hit the 6-month mark... I'll be able to say, "In less than half a year, I'll be at Disney!! :goodvibes


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Boy-oh-boy... I am so not happy!! :sad2:


I just read on a few PTR titles that some folks were able to purchase their MNSSHP tickets today (one day early.) Okay, great! No time like the present!


So, I just got off the phone with the Disney reservationist and she told me that there are no tickets available in the system for November 1st!! :eek:


She said that some of their sources had listed a party for 11/1, but there were other sources that did not. She very kindly e-mailed her supervisor and we had a pleasant chat while we waited for her response. Unfortunately, the supervisor's answer was "I'll have to check and get back to you." :confused: The reservationist advised me to call back tomorrow.


Oh man, I am so bummed. It doesn't sound like there will be a 11/1 party after all... or perhaps Disney is simply waiting to see how many tickets sell and plan on adding the extra night only if necessary. (I understand that, due to budget cuts, there will be fewer parties scheduled this year, both for Halloween and for Christmas.) But, do I want to take the chance and have 10/31 sell out while I'm waiting to see if they will add 11/1?? :worried: I don't think so!


Oh well, if we do have to go to the party on Halloween night, I'll just have to plan our itinerary very carefully around it so we don't get too tired out. Oh, Boo.



Kathy

[mom2mek]

:sad::mad::sad1::headache:

Here's hoping it was just a snafu and it is all resolved! Ugh.

Sara

[Dreamer & Wisher]

People are buying their tickets already???

I guess I better get on the ball. I have that on tomorrow's to do list!

I hope you can get Nov. 1. It would be hard to go to the party after a day of traveling.:wizard:

[mousescrapper]

that is not fun news...hope tomorrow there is an orange lining....

[maroo]

Oh NO!! That totally stinks!!!

I hope they will let you know SOON so you can buy your tickets!

[Charleston Princess]

Oh, that stinks. I hope tomorrow the November 1st party date magically appears!

[SwansLoveDisney]

Oh, I'm sorry about MNSSHP, Kathy.

Surely they'll add it on at some point!

[Hedy]

boy-oh-boy... I am so not happy!! :sad2:


i just read on a few ptr titles that some folks were able to purchase their mnsshp tickets today (one day early.) okay, great! No time like the present!


So, i just got off the phone with the disney reservationist and she told me that there are no tickets available in the system for november 1st!! :eek:


she said that some of their sources had listed a party for 11/1, but there were other sources that did not. She very kindly e-mailed her supervisor and we had a pleasant chat while we waited for her response. Unfortunately, the supervisor's answer was "i'll have to check and get back to you." :confused: the reservationist advised me to call back tomorrow.


oh man, i am so bummed. It doesn't sound like there will be a 11/1 party after all... Or perhaps disney is simply waiting to see how many tickets sell and plan on adding the extra night only if necessary. (i understand that, due to budget cuts, there will be fewer parties scheduled this year, both for halloween and for christmas.) but, do i want to take the chance and have 10/31 sell out while i'm waiting to see if they will add 11/1?? :worried: I don't think so!


Oh well, if we do have to go to the party on halloween night, i'll just have to plan our itinerary very carefully around it so we don't get too tired out. oh, boo.



kathy

:( :( :(

[carissanboys]

Fingers crossed it gets added!

[KathyRN137]

Well, as soon as the kids were off to school this morning, I hopped on the phone to Disney.

Unfortunately, my fears were confirmed... the 11/1 MNSSHP date has been cancelled and there is no way of knowing any time soon whether it would be added. In the meantime, the only other party date during our visit is scheduled for Saturday, 10/31, HALLOWEEN NIGHT!!!

Being fearful that this night would sell out fast, I went ahead and bit the bullet and purchased five tickets for Halloween Night. Of course, it's THE premium night, so not only was there was no discount for DVC, the tickets were $5 a head more!!! :( Ah, heavy sigh!

Tricia and Catie will be thrilled... they thought it was a bit anti-climactic to do the party after the holiday. But I had really warmed up to the idea of going to the party on what would certainly have been a much less crowded night. I suppose Disney didn't feel it was worth it financially.

Oh, well, at least I'm relieved that the tickets are ordered. Now, I'll simply have to plan around it.

I'll just have to make sure that we all get plenty of rest the week before we leave. Forget the night before.... between cousin Catie sleeping over and it being Disney Eve, ain't nobody gonna get any sleep in our house that night!! :laughing: Plane tickets have not been purchased yet, so perhaps if I choose a later flight that will help. Not having to get up at the crack of dawn on the same day as the party would certainly be more sensible. We can't get into our room until 3 or 4 anyway and we wouldn't be trying to run out to a park or anything knowing we'll be up late that night at the party.

We'll just have to get to the party early, claim spots way in advance for HalloWishes, and do the usual "second parade" tactic to avoid the :crowded:

Ah well, we'll be at Disney....it's all good!! :cloud9:


http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb165/DCLuke/Orlando2006023.jpg



Kathy

[moparop]

Aww man!! What a bummer about no 11/1 party. And while the kids will love that, it's hard not to think like a mom on that one.

At least everyone will truly remember Halloween night 2009!

[mom2mek]

What a bummer! :headache:

Well, you will have a BLAST going on Halloween night, I'm sure! What fun!

Sara

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Sorry you couldn't get the tickets for Nov. 1. It sounds like you have a good idea as to how to best manage your time.

I love that picture of the Ghost Mickey!!

So is there a MNSSHP thread to help plan crowd avoiding strategies??

I know for us this will be one of our best Halloweens!! Half of the houses in our neighborhood don't hand out candy at all for Trick or Treat. So we will be having a lot of fun!

[MRYPPNS]

Kathy is there any way you can fly out Friday night and maybe even stay at Pop for that one night?

[blue_river]

Sorry you were unable to get tickets for the 1st :guilty:

Halloween night should be a hoot though!! :woohoo:

[KathyRN137]

Kathy is there any way you can fly out Friday night and maybe even stay at Pop for that one night?


Hmmm. Not a bad idea. Ed's already jonesing to leave Friday night instead...


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Fingers crossed it gets added!

You should've crossed your toes, too!!! :lmao:

Thanks Hedy, Swans, mousescrapper, moparop, All7OfUs, mom2mek, maroo, irishdancer, brookelizabeth, BrandyC1974, Charleston Princess, Dreamer&Wisher, and blue river for the support!

It's so good to have friends who love Disney!! I can talk to you about my plans as much as I want and I know you won't get bored!!


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Big, BIG updates to our trip!!!


Well, finding out about our Halloween Party night being changed to Saturday has really set off a chain of trip-planning events!!

Ed was definitely in with MRYPPNS suggestion of getting a less expensive room for Friday night and coming in a day early. He does not want to do the MNSSHP on the same day we travel. So....

I get an extra night at Disney!!! :cool1::woohoo::yay::cheer2:


Thanks, Heidi!! :hug:


We booked Friday night at All Star Music in one of the family suites. (It was actually cheaper than two regular rooms... and we still get two bathrooms!!!) So, our official dates are now 10/30 - 11/7. :thumbsup2


Figured I might as well book the air fare, so we've got an 8:30pm flight out of JFK Friday night and a return flight on the following Saturday at the same time. Didn't do too bad on the air fare, either, considering we travel from the North East and the prices always seem higher. But get this...


The flights out of JFK (New York) were $178+ and the flights out of EWR (New Jersey) were $403+ :eek:

Gee, they're not doing a bit of price-gauging because it's Jersey Week, do ya think??? :rolleyes1 So, we travel a bit further to NY... it's definitely worth it!


Guess I've got to change my ticker!!!


Kathy

[MRYPPNS]

I like this plan much better.....(you'd think I was going too or something! :lmao:)

This way you can sleep in Saturday morning or at the very least have a relaxing slow moving morning, then get yourself over to the AKL and play in the pool for a couple hours/watch animals before you have to get ready for the party. Ed should like that right?

I think you will have to get your luggage yourself when you arrive at MCO Friday night because your flight will arrive after 10pm. But then you'll have it with you so you don't have to worry about it catching up with you.

Updated to write: I just remembered that you usually take a towncar service to the hotel so my luggage advice is a mute point.

[KathyRN137]

Wow, you're good! :thumbsup2

Yes, we usually take the car service b/c after a three hour flight, I'm concerned that the multiple stops and crowded nature of the DME shuttle will precipitate a melt-down. If not for Billy, then for me!!

ASMu is so close to AKL, there shouldn't be any problems getting our luggage transferred on Saturday. Ed says we can swim at the pool at ASMu, but I'm dying to get over to Kidani and swim in that pool...

My suggestion to Ed was that we sleep in, put our bathing suits on under our clothes, grab a bite at the food court and check out. Then we hop a bus to nearby AK, and from there to AKL. We can pre-check in and then relax at the pool for a few hours while our room is made ready and our luggage catches up with us.

We'll get settled in our room, shower, change into our costumes and head over to the MK around 4pm. A quick CS dinner there and then it's party time!!! :banana:

Sound like a good plan???


Kathy

[Dreamer & Wisher]

:thumbsup2 Hooray!! How exciting to leave one day earlier!!:thumbsup2:yay::yay: Great plans! Now you have airline tickets too!!

I don't blame you for wanting to get over to the Kidani pool. We are looking forward to the Pirate themed pool at Caribbean Beach!

[mom2mek]

My suggestion to Ed was that we sleep in, put our bathing suits on under our clothes, grab a bite at the food court and check out. Then we hop a bus to nearby AK, and from there to AKL. We can pre-check in and then relax at the pool for a few hours while our room is made ready and our luggage catches up with us.

We'll get settled in our room, shower, change into our costumes and head over to the MK around 4pm. A quick CS dinner there and then it's party time!!! :banana:

Sound like a good plan???


Kathy

Fabulous! Two Thumbs Up! :thumbsup2:thumbsup2

Sara

[mrsksomeday]

Great plans!!! I always love the "one more day in Disney" idea :thumbsup2.

[KathyRN137]

I've never stayed at any of the Value Resorts... I'm so curious to see the Family Suite. I understand that the suites are in the Calypso and Jazz Inn buildings, which are closest to Melody Hall. This will be very convenient as we will probably be getting into our room past midnight!! :faint:

Some pix from AllEars:



Looking into living room from doorway:
http://allears.net/acc/asmu08suite1.jpg

Two Pull-outs, the Double for Tricia and Catie; the single for Billy:
http://allears.net/acc/asmu08suite6.jpg

Bathroom #1 Off the Living Room:
http://allears.net/acc/asmu08suite10.jpg

Master bedroom:
http://allears.net/acc/asmu08suite34.jpg

Second Bathroom off the kitchenette:
http://allears.net/acc/asmu08suite19.jpg



I think this set-up will do nicely for our first night!


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

mrsksomeday & mom2mek: Thanks for sharing in the "one more night" dance of joy!! :dance3:

Wow!

Hotel booked. Airfare booked. Party booked.

Who'd of thought I'd get so much done today???


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Here is a DIS-Review!

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/resorts/asm-suite-review.html


Kathy

[jcc0621]

I was going to say leave a day earlier, but I see all the other enablers beat me too it:rolleyes1:rotfl2:

[Hedy]

Woohoo! Sounds great-are the flights non-stop.

[maroo]

Awesome!!!! :) I am so excited for you!! :) :thumbsup2

[moparop]

:cool1: :cool1: :cool1:

What Zip-a-dee-doo-dah good news!!

An extra night! A little more magic and a day earlier for making ADRs! I have a good friend who stayed in one of the suites last year and loved it! I'm with you on the pool thing. If I had the opportunity to swim at Kidani, by gum -- I am heading there!

[KathyRN137]

jcc0621: You're all alike, you enablers!! :lmao:

Hedy: Yes, the flights are non-stop. I am not too crazy about connecting flights; I'm always afraid our luggage will get lost! ;)

maroo: Thanks! :goodvibes Can't beat more Disney, right?

moparop: Oh, that's right! I completely forgot that this lets me make ADRs a day earlier!! :cool1:

****************************************

Part Four of the Jack Spence blog on Kidani Village:

http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2009/05/kidani_village_part_4.html

Kathy

[IluvXU]

An extra day at the World... and your husband was leading the way... awesome! Great price on your airline tickets too! I love the plan to just get the suits on for a day at AKL... the pool area looks devine!

[SwansLoveDisney]

Yay for another day in Disney World!!! :yay:

[tinkermamaof2]

Kathy...I love your plans..an extra day in Disney is always a good day. I am so jealous...wish I was you. Any tips on how to get my husband to buy into DVC? I absolutely LOVE AKL!!! You are going to have an amazing time! My girls would love Halloween at Disney! Perhaps I can talk my husband into a Fall Holiday!!!:goodvibes

Patti

[KathyRN137]

Tinkermamaof2: Hi! Perhaps he'll go for Free Dining in early Fall! There are MNSSHPs in September, too! The airfares are dropping...

SwansLoveDisney: I was shocked when Ed instructed me to book that Friday night! I didn't have to do any arm twisting or eyelash batting at all!

IluvXU: Perhaps it was the shock of the lower air fares that did it! Well, in truth, for Ed its less about extra time in Disney and more about not wanting to travel and stay up late for the party on the same day!

But, who cares?? I'll take it!!


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

And here is yet another link to more Kidani photos... I just can't seem to get enough!!! :lmao:


http://www.mousesteps.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=286&Itemid=65


Kathy

[kimmylaj]

those picture links are wonderful. thanks for sharing and woohoo for one more night at disney:cool1:

[mousescrapper]

MRYPPNS! to the resue....don't you just love her!:goodvibes


[CENTER]
[SIZE="3"]I get an extra night at Disney!!! :cool1::woohoo::yay::cheer2:


We booked Friday night at All Star Music in one of the family suites. (It was actually cheaper than two regular rooms... and we still get two bathrooms!!!) So, our official dates are now 10/30 - 11/7. :thumbsup2



Figured I might as well book the air fare, so we've got an 8:30pm flight out of JFK Friday night and a return flight on the following Saturday at the same time.

Kathy this is so great...it is all working out after all and what fun to have all thses major things checked off the LIST!!!

(if you didn't have a list yet, I'd write them down and then cross it off;))


Wow, you're good! :thumbsup2


My suggestion to Ed was that we sleep in, put our bathing suits on under our clothes, grab a bite at the food court and check out. Then we hop a bus to nearby AK, and from there to AKL. We can pre-check in and then relax at the pool for a few hours while our room is made ready and our luggage catches up with us.

We'll get settled in our room, shower, change into our costumes and head over to the MK around 4pm. A quick CS dinner there and then it's party time!!! :banana:

Sound like a good plan???


Kathy


Sounds good to me....:thumbsup2

[KathyRN137]

kimmilaj: You're welcome, I'm so glad that no one's getting bored with all my many links! :rotfl:

mousescrapper: I told you on my other report that I was planning to do some ticker-tinkering, and I did. I loved my rotating ticker from MickeyPath but the website had frequent downtime, resulting in a little red x showing where my ticker should be, and it was bugging me! Then, when I spent a decent chunk of time updating it yesterday, the new ticker wouldn't tick! This morning it still read "3 more days until LM on Broadway when we're going tomorrow!! :confused3

So, the one I have isn't as flashy, but I think it will be more reliable. Thanks to mrsksomeday at that website for all her great designs! :thumbsup2


Which reminds me.... it's not much to celebrate, but I feel like a little six-months happy dance!!!

:banana::woohoo::yay::dogdance:

I am so looking forward to Little Mermaid tomorrow! I promise to tell you all about it!

Kathy

[IluvXU]

Enjoy the show! I would love to see the Little Mermaid, I hope it tours someday!

[Dreamer & Wisher]

I can't wait to hear about the Little Mermaid! Have a great time!

Is this the day you are telling Aunt Rae about your trip?

[moparop]

I can't wait to hear all about Little Mermaid! I hope it's a magical sort of day!

[All7OfUs]

Wow! So much can happen in a few days of being away from the boards! Looks like things are really coming together for you AND a bonus day! What fun. Hmmm... the possibilities are endless! I am super anxious to hear YOUR take on the values, as well.

[brookelizabeth]

Guess where?? :rolleyes1


Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!


The Contemporary Resort in Orlando, Florida!!


*Ed already said that we could go!! :woohoo: Mom & Dad Only Weekend at the World .... here we come!! :dance3:


That is so exciting! I hope it all works out. :goodvibes


I get an extra night at Disney!!! :cool1::woohoo::yay::cheer2:

YAY!!!!!!!!!!! :yay::yay::yay: The family suites look great!

[KathyRN137]

I Finally Bit the Bullet!! :eek:


Well, The Little Mermaid was truly amazing!! pixiedust:

The music... the voices... the costumes... I will have to think up as many adjectives as I can to describe them because "amazing" is not enough!

Anyway, I will post a more detailed "Mini-Report" as soon as I get the pix uploaded on the computer. It poured rain, so I'm hoping the outside ones came out all right!!

But, the big news as far as the PTR is concerned is that I finally worked up the courage to tell Aunt Rae that we were inviting DNiece, Catie, to WDW instead of her. :worried: We were at dinner after the show and naturally, the conversation was peppered with Disney.... I believe I was telling them about the Remy audio-animatronic in Chefs de France... I took a deep breath (and a sip of wine) then leaned across the table to AR and told her, straight out, "We've invited Tricia's cousin, Catie, to come with us this year!"

I waited for a response, but she just sort of nodded and said, "That's nice," so I wondered if she realized exactly what I was saying. Now, I've learned from experience that one must be very specific and very clear when talking with Aunt Rae because she tends to jump to conclusions instead of opening her mouth and clarifying.

A few minutes later, both Ed and Tricia excused themselves from the table and I said, "So, Aunt Rae, how do you feel about us inviting Catie on this trip instead of you?" It was blunt, but necessary. I didn't want any misunderstandings. She chewed a bit and then asked,

"Is that the cousin who's the same age as Tricia?" I told her it was. "Oh, that will be so nice for them to have each other," she replied. Then she added, "You know, Kathy, I really can't get around like I used to anymore."

It was such a relief to hear her say this! I had been so worried that she would be hurt. She seemed to take the news quite well.

I remarked on this later to Ed and he said, "Well, that's how she acted in public, after she gets home and thinks about it awhile, she'll probably be upset." Thanks, Hon. :rolleyes:

So, this morning I gave her a call to see how she was doing... ostensibly because it had been a long day, and with the rain and all, if her arthritis was acting up. :rolleyes1 Well, she was fine... she just gushed about how wonderful the show had been... thank you for inviting me.... what a treat to have the car service and not have to walk.... how delicious the food was at dinner.... etc, etc. She sounded positively high!! And she didn't mention the trip at all...

So, I'm thinking that it's as some of you had said back at the start of this PTR.... perhaps the last trip made her realize that she just wasn't able to tolerate it anymore. I feel for her, but ahhhh, I am just so relieved that's over and that it all went well!! :goodvibes

More on the LM show coming soon....


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Here is a link to the 4th and final part of that Jack Spence blog, featuring Kidani Village, that I've enjoyed so much...

This one includes a dining review of Sanaa...

http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2009/05/kidani_village_final_blog.html


Kathy

[irish dancer]

I can't wait to hear all about Little Mermaid, I so wish we could see one of the shows but we're saving for our June trip.....

I'm glad that Aunt Rae took the news well and am glad for you that the discussion is out of the way.

[maroo]

Yeah!!!!!!


I am so, so glad you got THAT out of the way and that she seems to have taken it so well! :) That is great news. :thumbsup2

Can't wait to hear about The Little Mermaid. :)

[KathyRN137]

Hi maroo! Hi irish dancer!! :wave:

Yes, I'm feeling so relieved...marshmallow that I am!! I'd hate to hurt anyone's feelings.

BTW... I missed my rotating ticker.... the folks at MickeyPath said that they did some tweaking, so hopefully my ticker will tick correctly this time!!

The next goal is so far away... no ADRs until August! Blech!

Kathy

[jcc0621]

So glad AR was so understanding. :thumbsup2

Glad you liked LM too. I saw it in October!

[Tnkrbelle565]

OOOH I'm so glad that the convo with Auntie went well. Thank goodness she came to the realization on her own that she can't get around well.

Glad to hear that you liked LM as well. Can't wait to see your pics.

[carissanboys]

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the show and I can't wait for the mini-TR! :goodvibes

And I'm so relieved for you that you told Aunt Rae and that she's okay with the news. :hug:

[kaysmommie]

Looking forward to pics from Little Mermaid. I would love to go see it. Glad you were able to tell AR and she was fine with it :).

[blue_river]

Oh Kathy...that must have been hard to do but sounds like AR is truly okay with it :hug:

Glad you enjoyed the LM show! :thumbsup2

[Charleston Princess]

Oh, I am so glad you enjoyed The Little Mermaid yesterday -- looking forward to the pics.

I know it must be a huge weight off your shoulders to have finally told Aunt Rae -- I am so glad that she took it as well as she did! :hug:

So, after reading the Sanaa review, are you persuaded to try it? I almost -- almost -- called and made an ADR today after reading it. I am really intrigued by the theming.

[preschoolmom]

I'm glad you were able to tell AR, and that she seemed to take it well.

:hug:

[mom2mek]

Oh what a relief! I'm glad she took the news with an accepting attitude! I think you are right and that she realized the last time that the pace of Disney is just beyond what she's comfortable with at this point.

Can't wait for the mini Little Mermaid trip report! :cool1:

Sara

[KathyRN137]

Part One of Little Mermaid report will be up tomorrow around lunchtime.

The Mermaid may be little, but the report sure isn't!! :rotfl:

(Replies tomorrow, as well.)


Kathy

[All7OfUs]

Phew!! Now that that's over, you must be very relieved and can plan and dream without the AR factor hanging over you. Not that she isn't a wonderful person and that you enjoy being with her, but that taking her on this trip might have been a bit harder this time.

Looking forward to your "big" LM report! :thumbsup2

Hey, just started a PTR as well; come join maroo and I for report full of surprises!

[mousescrapper]

Glad LM was so womderful...sorry about the rain!

And very nice to hear that you told AR abou the trip later this yr I'm glad she seemed to take it so well and that for now she doesn't seemed bummed...a huge sigh a relief I'm sure you are feeling.

You'll have to bring her home something special from the trip.

Can't wait to hear about LM and more trip planning adventures!

Scrappie

[kimmylaj]

I am so glad to hear aunt rae took the news so well, you must feel so relieved that she was not upset. it seems a little unfair that you had to break the news instead of ed but at least its done now. enjoy the rest of your planning:)

[KathyRN137]

Oooh, I am sooo behind on these!! :rolleyes1

IluvXU: Oh, your kids would absolutely adore the show... not scary at all! :thumbsup2

Dreamer & Wisher: You guessed it!! :laughing:

moparop: It was magical! :wizard:

brookelizabeth: I can't believe how blessed I am! Thanks for posting! I'm looking forward to the next chapter of your report... ::yes::

All7OfUs: Wow! :yay: your 2010 trip sounds like so much fun!!

jcc0621: Did you? Oh wasn't it wonderful?! :goodvibes

tnkrbelle 565: I was so relieved! And AR had such a great time at the show...it made me feel a lot better. :flower:

Continued next post...

Kathy

[jcc0621]

[SIZE="3"]
jcc0621: Did you? Oh wasn't it wonderful?! :goodvibes
[B]


It was good...but Beauty and the Beast was much better IMHO. I found the roller blades distracting:confused3

[KathyRN137]

kaysmommie: Couldn't take pix of the performance, but I've got some NYC photos to share! http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/smiley-photographer.gif

carissanboys: Mini-TR coming right up!! ;)

blue river: It was hard, but it had to be done. Thanks for the support! :hug:

Charleston Princess: :scratchin You know, we may just do that! The kids menu has pizza and cheeseburgers, so there'll be something for B & T.

preschoolmom: Thanks, I'm glad that's over with! :rolleyes: Now I don't have to worry about someone spilling the beans suddenly...

mom2mek: It must be hard for her, but its obviously for the best. Thanks for listenting! :goodvibes

kimmilaj: Ed was there when I originally brought up the subject... of course, I noticed he did run off to the men's room very quickly. :lmao:

mousescrapper: AR already mentioned that she's planning what souvies she wants!! :rotfl: I think she knows she's made the right decision.

Thanks for reading!

And now, the Little Mermaid TR....

Kathy

[IluvXU]

Glad that you told Aunt Rae! I know that must have been hard, but she probably knows she could not handle WDW at your family's pace or any pace anymore. But she got to see Little Mermaid, something she could enjoy! Can't wait for the report!

[KathyRN137]

The Little Mermaid: Our Broadway TR, Act I


Sunday, May 3, 2009


As you know, I’d purchased these tickets several weeks ago when Disney was celebrating 15 years on Broadway with a Buy One, Get One For $15 special promotion. Since I had not had the pleasure of seeing a Broadway show since the late seventies, (Egad!) I was very excited to be sharing the experience with my family, the Cast that you all know quite well:


Ed (DH)
Tricia (DD13)
Billy (DS11)
Ed’s Aunt Rae (AR)


To justify the expense, I presented the idea to said family as a Mother’s Day present they would be giving to yours truly. :flower3: Normally I do not receive such grandiose presents for Mother’s Day, but, since it was well past Christmas and way too early for my birthday, it seemed to be the most likely way to rationalize my spur-of-the-moment purchase.



I chose a 3pm Sunday matinee because I imagined that the traffic would be notably lighter than for an evening performance on the weekend, and because 8pm on a weeknight just wouldn’t do for the kids. According to Arthur, our driver for the occasion, I had made a very good choice.



Ed had just driven off with Tricia to pick up Aunt Rae when Arthur arrived at our house 20 minutes early. The weather forecast for Sunday had been concerning me all week and as predicted by the Weather Channel, it had been raining steadily all day. The good thing was that it seemed to be a steady, gentle Spring rain and the temperature remained around sixty degrees.



I sent Ed a quick TM...yes, I've learned how to do that... to let him know our ride was here early and I ushered a raincoat-clad Billy into the van. He was excited and ready for fun!



Soon the rest of the family drove up and they joined us inside the van. Aunt Rae had bought the kids the CD of the original Broadway cast and Billy just about snatched it out of her hand! You recall how he has a “thing” for DVDs. Well, recently he has extended his avid interest to music CDs and had been choosing to check them out of the library instead. :music: Needless to say, this was the perfect gift for him!



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2054.jpg



Aunt Rae asked the driver to put the CD in so we could listen to the music on the way into the city and he readily obliged. Ed sat up front with the driver... he enjoys making small talk with the limo drivers and usually rides shotgun on our trips to the airport... Billy and I sat behind them and Tricia and AR behind us. I tried to snap some pix of them, but Aunt Rae kept leaning over to get herself out of the shot, and Tricia kept ducking under the back of the seat!


Eventually, after erasing about seven blurred pictures, I managed to get one of her smirking at me:



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2055.jpg



No matter. I turned my attention to Billy, who was thoroughly examining the insert to the CD package and reading the lyrics to all the songs. I wouldn’t be surprised if I heard him singing them over the next few days... he has an exceptional memory for song lyrics. (And naturally, he already knows many of the songs from the Disney movie.)



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2052.jpg



The ride was pleasant, if not a bit bumpy in parts, and I tried to snap a few pix with my point-and-shoot, but between the rain on the windshield and the bouncing of the van, I didn’t do so well. :rolleyes: But, in the interest of good reporting, and for the entertainment of you kind readers who are not familiar with the NY/NJ metropolitan area, I will post them.



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2061.jpg



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2066.jpg



The traffic, which had been flowing so smoothly on the JERSEY side, suddenly came to a slow grinding crawl as we approached the Lincoln Tunnel. (Only one tube was open.) Ed and the driver had an animated discussion about traffic patterns, homeland security, NY vs NJ drivers, etc., but I was just content to hold my Billy’s hand, listen to the music, and anticipate our arrival at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater:



Opened in 1910, the theatre was originally named The Globe, after Shakespeare's theatre in England. The theatre had a retractable roof to enable the theatre to stay cool and open during the summer. For nearly two decades, the theatre housed a variety of plays and musicals until 1932 when it was turned into a movie house.

In 1958, the theatre was gutted and rebuilt in its present configuration as a legitimate theatre. It was renamed in honor of America's foremost husband/wife acting couple, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, who starred in its first production, The Visit. Theatregoers can enjoy a selection of photographs from their private collection on display throughout the lobby areas.

The Lunt-Fontanne has 1,505 seats and is one of The Nederlander Organization's nine Broadway theatres.




http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2057.jpg



Finally, we enter the tunnel:



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2070.jpg


http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2071.jpg





Slowly, slowly, slowly we made our way into midtown Manhattan. Arthur turned to Ed at one point and said that he would normally go by way of Times Square so the kids could see it, but that he thought an alternate route would be better.



“Well, I don’t know,” I spoke up from behind them. “We’re awfully early. Can’t we…?” But by then Ed had already given him the go-ahead and we made a right turn instead of a left and took the longer, less crowded (?), less interesting way to the theater. Darn.




http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2074.jpg



Soon there were theater marquees everywhere we looked and I realized that we were getting close!


We are here! :dance3:


http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2075.jpg





How wonderful it was to be dropped off directly at the covered theater entrance and not have to worry about parking or walking in the rain! I felt like a VIP! :snooty: We climbed down from the van (Arthur and Ed had Aunt Rae by both her arms to help her down... it was a very high step down to the street, even for me!) We hopscotched across a few puddles and were soon joining the line of theater-goers waiting to be admitted inside. While on line, Ed bought two programs from one of the vendors walking the line. One he gave to Aunt Rae and the other he gave to me.



Wow! Was the photography inside gorgeous! Remember the pictures I posted earlier that I had found on Photobucket?? They were just a few from this lovely keepsake program (perhaps the only ones that could be scanned properly.)



We had some time, so I tried to get a picture, albeit an oblong view, of Broadway at the end of the block, but they didn’t turn out so well. Plus, I was blocking the pedestrian traffic passing alongside the line of guests if I stood there too long trying to get a good shot, so I only attempted a couple before I re-joined the line.



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2077.jpg



Here’s Billy, waiting patiently. (Tricia was being a party-pooper and wouldn’t let me photograph her.) I didn't care if I looked like a tourist or not...



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2079.jpg



He’s actually in front of one of the theater side doors and we had to step aside several times to let employees pass through the line to enter. Too close to curtain time for them to be actors and none were carrying instruments, so they must have worked at the theater in other capacities.



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2078.jpg



Suddenly, we could hear a recording of the overture coming from speakers near the door. (Probably from the same CD we had been listening to in the car!) At that moment, the doors opened and theater employees began letting us in, calling out, “Seating will begin at 2:30! Seating will begin at 2:30!” We crowded into the tiny lobby and Ed scoped out a bench near a mirrored wall and ordered Aunt Rae to take a seat while one was still available. Meanwhile, we divested ourselves of our raincoats and took a look around.




http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2081.jpg



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2086.jpg



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2085.jpg




Aunt Rae got antsy and wanted to look at the merchandise they were hawking, so Tricia held her seat while she walked a few steps over to peruse the wares. Again, I tried to take a nice picture of her, but she refused. I begged her to let me take just one picture, but she said she didn’t want it “splashed all over the DIS.” I insisted, firmly. This is the “smile” I got:



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2088.jpg



Oh, she was really in full teenager mode today! I’m posting that picture just to get some payback!! :lmao: Ed leaned down and whispered something in her ear that I couldn’t catch above the din of the crowd. Whatever he said must’ve worked because she did a little better the next time:



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2089.jpg



Aunt Rae returned with an empty Little Mermaid shopping bag. She hadn’t seen anything worth purchasing, but she asked for a bag so she could carry her rain bonnet and umbrella both of which, because we had been dropped right at the door, had barely been used. There was a little girl standing nearby who was dressed in full Ariel costume and Aunt Rae gushed over how cute she was. Personally, I thought her ensemble would have been more appropriate for a Disney theme park, not a Broadway theater, but she was little and she was cute, so why not? It's all good...



We still had a few minutes before they would begin seating, so I suggested to Ed that he take Billy to the restroom. As soon as he heard me say it, Billy piped up, “YES!” See? My mother’s intuition was correct! Of course Tricia, she of the iron bladder, declined and even Aunt Rae opted to wait it out. The boys were back quickly (naturally, it’s the men’s room, not the ladies’) and we had time for even a few more pix before they announced that seating would begin:



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2083.jpg




We were in the orchestra, so we were ushered downstairs. (They scanned our tickets at this point.) Aunt Rae picked her way gingerly down the carpeted stairway, holding onto the handrail on one side and to Ed on the other as if for dear life. Billy and I walked ahead of her... and I had to keep my attention on him because he was so busy looking around that he wasn’t really watching where he was going.



We reached the landing and I gave our tickets to the usher. We found our seats in row N, left side of the theater, on the aisle. Here’s a tip... the best sightlines for theater seats aren’t always front and center. We had an absolutely fantastic view! We settled in and before I could even take my camera from my wrist, we heard one of the ushers chastise a woman who was taking pictures of her children down in front of the pit.


Tricia sang out, gleefully, “Hear that mom, no pictures!”


I stuck my tongue out at her and quickly snapped an “illegal” picture of the glowing stage curtain! (Too bad it came out completely blurred!)


Oh well. The little stars and moons slowly changed color, very reminiscent of the “Kiss Goodnight” at the Magic Kingdom. ! was surprised that the theater felt so small... not in a bad way... I suppose “intimate” would be a better word. As people continued to file in, we noticed that there were many empty seats along both far sides of the orchestra section… even with the great discount, it appeared that they would be far from a full house for the performance.



The lights dimmed and the usual announcements were made. Aunt Rae was sitting the furthest in. (Ed likes to sit on the aisle with Billy next to him just in case he needs to make a quick exit; usually for the restroom.) Well, she was tickled pink that the rest of the row remained empty and that there was no one sitting in the seat in front of her! (Remember, she is so short!) “This is wonderful,” she warbled. “I can see everything!” In fact, the seats were pitched so well that I think everyone had a great line of sight.



Then, the show began and it was pure magic. Sets, costumes, singing, dancing, everything! The mer-people and various other sea creatures used “heelys” to glide about the stage, making it seem as though they were swimming. Do you know how colorful and fabulous the costumes are in FOTLK at Animal Kingdom?? Well, these were even better! So vibrant and sparkly… there was always so much to look at on stage… real top-drawer Disney!



My favorite number in the first act was “Under the Sea,” although “Part of Your World” was very enjoyable, too. Sierra Boggess was the perfect Ariel... in looks and in voice. She just seemed so fresh-faced and genuine; totally believable as a mermaid in love!

Faith Prince was a deliciously evil (but not scary) Ursula.


Rogelio Douglas Jr. practically stole the show as the crab, Sebastian. He was a real audience favorite and a joy to watch in the "Under the Sea" number.

There was an understudy playing Prince Eric, but he sang very well and the two actors had incredible chemistry on stage...


Well, what can I say, except that they were all fabulous?? Act I closed with Ursula singing “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” accompanied by her eely henchmen, Flotsam and Jetsam, whose “electric” costumes were lit up with little green lights. Very cool effect!!


I think I prefer the stage version of Ursula to the screen version and wow! That costume! I don’t want to give anything away, but her death scene was much less frightening than it was in the movie. So, if you’re thinking of bringing young children to see the show, never fear. The only time Billy jumped in his seat a little was during a sudden crack of thunder during the early storm scene.


And with that, I will leave you for my own intermission…


Kathy


Pix of the cast, next post...

Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Some Pix from the program....



Cover:

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/littlemermaid003.jpg



Ariel:

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/littlemermaid002.jpg



Ursula:

(Faith Prince was not in the original cast, so an 8x10 glossy was given as an insert to the program.)

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/littlemermaid.jpg



Prince Eric:

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/littlemermaid004.jpg



Sebastian:

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/littlemermaid001.jpg



Kathy

[eyeheartgoofy]

Wow! It looks wonderful, Kathy! I can't wait to read about the rest of the show :).

[KathyRN137]

Thanks, eyeheartgoofy! I'll try to post Act II tonight! I'm still humming the tunes from the show throughout the day!

Kathy

[Hedy]

Wow, Billy and Tricia are growing up.

[mom2mek]

Sounds like a wonderful show! :goodvibes I would love to get up there and see it someday! The program pics are beautiful!

I love that pic of Ed and Billy in the lobby - too cute! And Tricia with all of her "teenage" faces - cracks me up! :lmao:

Sara

[Goofster57]

Hey Kathy,

I made it....... 44 pages!!!!!:faint: I'll never get caught up


Guess I don't need to sleep..:rotfl:

[KathyRN137]

Hedy: Yeah, a year changes everything, doesn't it? :goodvibes

mom2mek: :laughing: See comment, above!!

Goofster57: Hooray! I'm glad you made it! :yay:


Kathy

[DisMomAmy]

Wow!! So many updates since I've checked in...

First, sorry about the 11/1 MNSSHP date - but it sounds like it worked out well... The family suites sound very interesting & you get another Disney day!! Plus MNSSHP will be great on Halloween. :thumbsup2

I'm glad Aunt Rae took the news well. :goodvibes I'm sure you're glad to have that monkey off your back.

The Little Mermaid looks like it was amazing! Can't wait to hear more about it. popcorn::

[KathyRN137]

Wow!! So many updates since I've checked in...



Hey Amy!! :wave2: Welcome back!!

[brookelizabeth]

I just got caught up and read about you telling Aunt Rae...I'm so glad to hear she took it well! WHEW!!

Loving the review of Little Mermaid, including all the pics of my old home! :lovestruc

[KathyRN137]

Act II


The curtain lowered on Ariel kicking her way to the surface after surrendering her voice to the devious Ursula, who really brought down the house with a knockout performance of “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” One fifteen-minute intermission was announced and I decided to brave the line at the ladies’ room… mostly because I wanted to stretch my legs and see some more of our elegant surroundings.


You may recall reading in the little blurb about the theater that it was named after Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, “universally regarded as the greatest acting team in the history of the English speaking theater.” They were married for 55 years and “were inseperable both on and off the stage,” although it was widely rumored that theirs was a marriage of convenience. The walls of the lounge area were covered with framed photographs from their personal collection and I enjoyed a brief view of them as I waited.




http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2095.jpg



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2094.jpg



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2096.jpg



When I returned to my seat, I managed to catch Tricia and Aunt Rae waiting for Act II…



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2097.jpg


Uggh! She's growing up so fast... I can't stand it!!


Act II was just as mesmerizing as Act I... my favorite musical number was “Kiss the Girl.” The water effects and the sea-life costumes reminded me of the Finding Nemo Production at Animal Kingdom (sans puppets.) Of course, the finale was the happiest of endings...



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/littlemermaid005.jpg



The cast received a standing ovation from the audience, and it was well-deserved. The entire show was a pure delight! ::yes:: pixiedust:


I sent a TM to Arthur, the driver, to inform him we were exiting the theater and to our amazement, he had pulled up right in front of the theater doors... in the rain...despite a gazillion yellow cabs and bicycle rickshaws. We all got in and of course, the talk was all about how fantastic the show had been. :chat:


We did need to jockey around the rickshaws… I don’t think I would be brave enough to take a ride in one of those things in midtown traffic! Arthur drove around toward Times Square so the kids could see it.


Sorry about the quality of these pictures; we were bouncing along the city streets and I was snapping away in the back seat through a rain-spattered windshield!


Random Pix:

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2098.jpg



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2099.jpg



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2100.jpg




Billy spotted the Radio City sign from a block away and said he wanted to see the Christmas Spectacular!! (We came here 2 yrs ago.)



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2102.jpg



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2104.jpg





As we approached Times Square, I was all lined up for a good shot at the famous video screen when suddenly, Ed turned to say something to Arthur and I got a great shot of his profile instead! :headache: I squawked at him and he pulled back, but it was too late and we were driving too fast. All I got were these:



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2110.jpg



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2111.jpg


Aarrrghh!!


More random Pix:


http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2112.jpg




http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2115.jpg



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2117.jpg



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2119.jpg



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2121.jpg



Good-bye, NYC!! :wave:


After our driver dropped us off, we hopped into our van and went to dinner at this fabulous Italian restaurant here in town. (That’s when I had the “sorry, you’re not going this year” conversation with Aunt Rae.) The food was incredible, but Ed coughed just a little when the check came. This was no Olive Garden! :lmao: But, it was a special afternoon and it was fitting that we capped it off with a special meal.


Which reminds me…. I can make my Disney ADRs in only 2 months and 28 days!! :woohoo:

I'm even more excited now for our trip!!


Kathy

[All7OfUs]

OH, how fun! Everything looks and sounds like it was done on such a grand scale! I imagine it WAS like Nemo, but of a much higher caliber. And what a nice way to top off the evening at a fancy Italian place. Glad Ed didn't completely freak, but only sorta gulped. ;)

Getting closer to making those ADR's- the excitement is building!

[Hedy]

Sounds like a great show (although I'm slightly surprised there was no World of Disney visit).

[moparop]

That sounds like an awesome show Kathy! I cannot get over how grown up Tricia is looking. She really is a beautiful young lady! Billy is such a handsome dude too.

I am glad you had the talk with Aunt Rae and that it went pretty well. I hope there are no upcoming breakdowns about not going this year from her!

[carissanboys]

What a treat to get a mini-TR of a Broadway show! One day I will get to see one. :goodvibes

Sounds like hiring a car and driver made the day even more relaxing and special for you guys. :thumbsup2

Billy looked so handsome and Tricia beautiful! :goodvibes

So glad you had a fabulous time and thanks so much for sharing it with us! :hug:

[Goofster57]

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2097.jpg

Uggh! She's growing up so fast... I can't stand it!!


Tell me about Kathy...where does the time go, seems like I just brought this one home from the hospital

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t317/Goofy4you/Wedding/JessDress-3.jpg



Glad you got me to come over here and enjoy your report, what a wonderfully experience.

[SwansLoveDisney]

What a FUN time you had!

[KathyRN137]

DisMomAmy: I'm so excited your TR has started! :woohoo: I'll be by later!

brookelizabeth: That's right! Your old stomping ground! :goodvibes

All7OfUs: I'm just biding my time until my window opens! :hourglass And the dinner was pricey, but so delish! Plus... no dishes to wash!!

Hedy: :laughing: No, no WOD for us. Ed hates the city so every time we go it's like we're the Navy Seals: we infiltrate the area, complete our mission, and get the heck out of there as fast as possible! Notice he didn't even want to get dinner there!

moparop: Thanks, thats sweet of you to say! :flower3: I just feed them and they grow! I think AR made her peace with the WDW situation a while back...

carissanboys: The car was Ed's idea, but when I saw all the rain I knew it had been worth it. ::yes:: He would have been like a bear if he had to do battle with the traffic and parking!!

Goofster57: Aww, thanks Keith. But, Please!! Don't get me thinking about her wedding day, or I'll start bawling like a baby!! :sad: I told you on your thread already, but your daughter looked lovely on her special day!! :bride:

SwansLoveDisney: Hi Julie! Yes, it was tons of fun! I'm hoping it won't be another 25 years before I see another one! :rotfl:

:surfweb: Thanks for reading, everybody!


Kathy

[askelton]

What a wonderful Mother's Day Kathy! :goodvibes DH and I saw Lion King, he didn't care for it, so I don't think we'll be going to any other Disney productions.

[KathyRN137]

What a wonderful Mother's Day Kathy! :goodvibes DH and I saw Lion King, he didn't care for it, so I don't think we'll be going to any other Disney productions.


Oh, that's too bad! Wonder why it didn't appeal to him? :confused3

I almost chose Lion King, but then I remembered that parts of the movie were "dark", so I thought LM would be a better choice.... although.... as we were driving home, Billy saw the ad for LK in the Playbill and said, "Next we go to Lion King!!" :rotfl:

You know how he is about groups and collections of things... I guess Disney shows can form a "collection" too!


Kathy

[Tnkrbelle565]

WOW!!! You did a way better job on your LM trip report than i did!!!! Love all the program pictures!!! We never buy programs but i enjoy seeing them. Thanks :thumbsup2

[KathyRN137]

WOW!!! You did a way better job on your LM trip report than i did!!!! Love all the program pictures!!!

Don't be silly! You guys did a whole lot more on your trip!
I was really, really trying to get a good shot of one of the hot dog carts for Aisling, but I couldn't get one! :laughing:

Sorry!

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Little%20Mermaid/DSCN2072.jpg


Kathy

[mom2mek]

Loved the LM Mini-TR, Kathy! Sounds like a lovely day, even with the rain! I love that you got a driver - sounds much more enjoyable that way!

Little Mermaid is definitely on my list of shows to see, hopefully sooner rather than later. :goodvibes

Sara

[KathyRN137]

Loved the LM Mini-TR, Kathy! Sounds like a lovely day, even with the rain!



Thanks... it was the perfect Mother's Day gift!

Well, except maybe... for another Disney trip! :rotfl:


Kathy

[ladylyons]

Enjoyed your tr to see TLM. Glad you all enjoyed it!!

[Charleston Princess]

Thanks for the great mini-trip report on The Little Mermaid! What fun!

Tricia and Billy have grown up so much, Kathy! They are adorable!

I bet Faith Prince was spectacular as Ursula -- we saw her almost twenty years ago in a revival of Guys and Dolls -- she was a scream!

[carrie6466]

I'm just going to jump in here and say :

a) I love your trip reports and have read them all (I'm shy lol)

b) I am dying to see the Little Mermaid and I'm glad to hear how well you enjoyed it, becuase it's pushing me that much closer to move myself to get tickets.

[KathyRN137]

ladylyons: Thanks! But... shouldn't you start packing? Wow! Your dream trip is coming up soon! :woohoo:

Charleston Princess: I thought she was amazing as Ursula... she made you laugh and shiver at the same time! :thumbsup2

carrie6466: Hi Carrie! :wave2: I'm so glad you came out of Lurkdom to post... please don't be shy... I'd love to hear more from you! :goodvibes I highly recommend the show... you wouldn't be disappointed! Now I'm so sorry I missed Beauty and the Beast!

Hey! All three of you are going to Disney within the month! I am so envious!!

Kathy

[AmandaSparks730]

Kathy, love your Little Mermaid pics! I'd love to see it when mom and I go to NYC next week, but she said "NO MORE SHOWS!" (darnit. I'm a musical-a-holic.) I have the OBC recording, and it's lovely. The show looks so good! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[KathyRN137]

I'd love to see it when mom and I go to NYC next week, but she said "NO MORE SHOWS!" (darnit. I'm a musical-a-holic.)

:laughing: Expensive habit, huh?

Hope you have much better weather than we did!! :sunny:


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Well, its not much... but it's trip related!

If you recall, the whole family has baseball shirts with matching blue sleeves and a picture of our fav character on the front. I love bringing these shirts to WDW because they're the perfect layering shirt. We put them on over our short-sleeved tee's in the morning when it's cool and if we need to peel off one layer as it warms up, they're not too bulky to stuff into our bags and carry around with us the rest of the day.


Well, since DNiece will be coming with us, I ordered her the same shirt from Zazzle with her favorite character, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty).

Click here to see the design on Catie's shirt:
http://www.zazzle.com/products/product/popups/view_enlarged.asp?product_id=228803111195568126&width=500&height=543&side=front

It's the same "style" as Tricia's Tink shirt! :tink:

Click here to see the design on Tricia's shirt:
http://www.zazzle.com/products/product/popups/view_enlarged.asp?product_id=164927953823150909&width=429&height=543&side=front


Woo-hoo! :lmao: (Told you it was just a teeny-weenie little update!)

I've also been enjoying many of the threads posted on the DVC: Mousellaneous board by DISers who've just returned from staying at Kidani Village! So far, lots of great things to say about it and lots of cool pix! :thumbsup2

Thanks for reading!

Kathy

[Charleston Princess]

Cute graphics for the shirts!

[KathyRN137]

Charleston Princess: Jackie, I was laughing when you posted about breaking out the Mickey Soap from Basin to celebrate...

...yesterday morning I stepped into the shower and noticed that Ed had two little shampoo and conditioner bottles from WDW in there! They made me smile!

He said he was cleaning out his travel kit and that he had so many, he decided to start using them! :rotfl:


Kathy

[Charleston Princess]

Sounds like somebody decided to add a little Disney magic to his day...:rolleyes1:rotfl:

[ladylyons]

ladylyons: Thanks! But... shouldn't you start packing? Wow! Your dream trip is coming up soon! :woohoo:
[B]

I'm such a procrastinator that I always seem to wait until the last minute to get anything done. But I guess you could say that I've kind of started packing because I have a bunch of clothes in a basket that need to move to suitcases. :rotfl: Now I guess I need to really start nagging the husband to get the suitcases out of the attic so I can move those clothes. But at least the one good thing is all of my :laundy: is done.

Yeah this is our dream trip because it's my first time back to the World in 16 years :scared1: and it's my DH, DD, DS and my parent's first trip ever. We also didn't think we would be going for another couple of years but are able to take advantge of the 4/3 deal and airfare was in our favor for once!! I guess I better get off this computer an go start packing once I get suitcases ......... or maybe not!! :rotfl2:

[KathyRN137]

But I guess you could say that I've kind of started packing because I have a bunch of clothes in a basket that need to move to suitcases.



Hey, I've got a bunch of clothes in a basket and I'm not going anywhere! :rolleyes1


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Sounds like somebody decided to add a little Disney magic to his day...:rolleyes1:rotfl:


*cough* Actually, he left them in there after he was done with his shower!

We weren't actually in there together. :blush:

That day.

Now, don't go getting me into trouble, you!


Kathy

[Charleston Princess]

*cough* Actually, he left them in there after he was done with his shower!

We weren't actually in there together. :blush:

That day.

Now, don't go getting me into trouble, you!


Kathy

Oh, I wasn't even thinking about it along those lines! :eek: :laughing:

[AmandaSparks730]

:laughing: Expensive habit, huh?

Hope you have much better weather than we did!! :sunny:


Kathy
A bit :blush:. My latest one was Spring Awakening (4/26/09) and my next might be The Color Purple, if my US History teacher can get us a decent group rate (we did an extensive Color Purple study this year). If not, then Avenue Q in October 2009!

Thanks, I hope we have nice weather, too. It hasn't stopped raining here since my friend died last week :sad1:

[KathyRN137]

It hasn't stopped raining here since my friend died last week :sad1:

I'm sorry. :hug:


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Oh, I wasn't even thinking about it along those lines! :eek: :laughing:

:laughing: It was the rolly eyes :rolleyes1 that made me think that was your drift!!! Anyway, I agree... there is definitely something very cheery about Mickey soap!!



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30/swarlock/Disney%20Mini%20Vacation/40660402.jpg



Kathy

[mousescrapper]

thanks Kathy for the wonderful report of Little Mermaid...

it sounded all so wonderful! What a wonderful day in the city for you guys. Your writing is just so equisete (msp?) so full of great detail and emotion of the show and your time there. It felt like I was watching the show w/ you!

THANK YOU!:goodvibes


Please remind me how old is Tricia again? I get confused w/ the old TR's...:confused:

Aldine (and Michael) just turned 10 last Thursday...I guess those somewhat fun and scary mother of a pre-to a teen girl are just around the corner for me...;)


Love the graphics for the girls' shirts...still "cute" Disney girl, but it a special grown-up way.

glad to hear you are enjoying the Kidani chatter and you are getting more excited for your trip home....

Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Scrappie (J-):hug:

[KathyRN137]

Please remind me how old is Tricia again? I get confused w/ the old TR's...:confused:

Aldine (and Michael) just turned 10 last Thursday...I guess those somewhat fun and scary mother of a pre-to a teen girl are just around the corner for me...;)


Hi Scrappie! :yay: Hope the fact that you're DISing means that you're feeling better!!

Tricia just turned 13... athough she's been "acting" like a teenager all year.

Get ready... you go from being the center of their world to someone who doesn't know anything! And is so annoying!

Well... that's the impression you get from the constant :rolleyes2

And then, just out of the blue.... they come over to you while you're DISing and just give you a hug for no reason! :hug: (Like she did just now!) :cloud9:

Ah well!! Happy Mother's Day to you, too!! :flower3:

Kathy

[mousescrapper]

Hi Scrappie! :yay: Hope the fact that you're DISing means that you're feeling better!!


sorta...I actually spent the day in the hosipital for asthma complications...today I'm holled up in my room w/ Matt's laptop...I finished reading 09 UG book and took notes now I figure I'll get caught up Dising and get my TR up to speed....in between breathing treatments. Matt is taking the kids out on errands...all 4! gotta love him! he's been hauling both sides for a week now:love:


Tricia just turned 13... athough she's been "acting" like a teenager all year.



that is what I thought...she is beautiful Kathy!

[Hedy]

A bit :blush:. My latest one was Spring Awakening (4/26/09) and my next might be The Color Purple, if my US History teacher can get us a decent group rate (we did an extensive Color Purple study this year). If not, then Avenue Q in October 2009!

Thanks, I hope we have nice weather, too. It hasn't stopped raining here since my friend died last week :sad1:
:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:
DisMomAmy: I'm so excited your TR has started! :woohoo: I'll be by later!

brookelizabeth: That's right! Your old stomping ground! :goodvibes

All7OfUs: I'm just biding my time until my window opens! :hourglass And the dinner was pricey, but so delish! Plus... no dishes to wash!!

Hedy: :laughing: No, no WOD for us. Ed hates the city so every time we go it's like we're the Navy Seals: we infiltrate the area, complete our mission, and get the heck out of there as fast as possible! Notice he didn't even want to get dinner there!

moparop: Thanks, thats sweet of you to say! :flower3: I just feed them and they grow! I think AR made her peace with the WDW situation a while back...

carissanboys: The car was Ed's idea, but when I saw all the rain I knew it had been worth it. ::yes:: He would have been like a bear if he had to do battle with the traffic and parking!!

Goofster57: Aww, thanks Keith. But, Please!! Don't get me thinking about her wedding day, or I'll start bawling like a baby!! :sad: I told you on your thread already, but your daughter looked lovely on her special day!! :bride:

SwansLoveDisney: Hi Julie! Yes, it was tons of fun! I'm hoping it won't be another 25 years before I see another one! :rotfl:

:surfweb: Thanks for reading, everybody!


Kathy

He and my dad both....my dad HATED driving in NYC, which Mom (Queens native) found hysterical as he grew up driving in illogical Boston streets.
I like the girls' (oops, teens':rolleyes: shirts).

[KathyRN137]

that is what I thought...she is beautiful Kathy!


Thank you so much! I'm very proud of her. :goodvibes

Kathy

[KathyRN137]

I like the girls' (oops, teens':rolleyes: shirts).

Thanks... I really felt that Catie would feel left out if we all had matching shirts and she didn't. I'm toying with the idea of ordering long-sleeved matching Halloween shirts, too, but we're going to be swimming in the morning and wearing our costumes in the afternoon/evening on Halloween, so I really can't justify the expense. ($29 x 5 = :eek:)

Because..... (Next post....)

[KathyRN137]

MNSSHP Tickets Have Arrived!!! :hmghost:

Yes, I went to the mailbox today and found an envelope postmarked "Lake Buena Vista, FL" so I knew it was sumpin' gud!!!!!



http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Disney%20Halloween%2009/DSCN2127.jpg



Tricia read the back of the receipt letter and was shocked. "WOW!", she said. "Expensive Party!!"

Uh-Huh, you're telling me!


Grand total for (5) adult tickets on Oct. 31st, tax, shipping and handling included, came to a whopping $324!! :faint:


Ugh! And I haven't even begun to calculate the cost of the costumes!! :rolleyes:


Yeah, I'm thinking we really don't need those matching Halloween shirts after all!!!
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:


Kathy

Funny thing is... now I'm reading rumors that the 11/1 party date I originally wanted has now been added!!! Gahhh!

[Hedy]

I'm jealous! I need to order MNSSHP tix/transfer rewards dollars to card/start pretrip. (all of which must wait until the new laptop comes next week).

[maroo]

Aw!! You gotta have matching shirts! :goodvibes

I am so glad you have those tickets in your hands now! :thumbsup2

Over $300 IS a lot of money! :scared1:

[KathyRN137]

I am so glad you have those tickets in your hands now! :thumbsup2

Over $300 IS a lot of money! :scared1:


Well....

1) All the kids are "adults" according to Disney! :laughing:

2) Halloween is THE PREMIER night, so its the most expensive!

3) We pay full price... NO discounts available for DVC members or AP holders on 10/31!


I'm not complaining (much) that they decided (several days after tickets went on sale) to add that party on 11/1.... it did get me an extra night at Disney, after all.

But, I am a little bummed that now we're locked into the MOST expensive, MOST crowded party of the season and our tickets are non-transferable. :rolleyes:

Oh well, I'm looking on the bright side. If we happen to get rained out on 10/31, its not the last party anymore, so we could get rainchecks for the next night if needed. :thumbsup2


Kathy

[MinnieNurse]

Hey Kathy-followed you over from my pretrip report. I am trying to get all caught up now. I cannot wait to hear about the MNSSHP. I have always wanted to do that but with DH school I was afraid. He hardly ever misses school for illness. Do they give you a hard time if you take them out of school?

Loved reading all the info you posted on vacation club, that is something we have considered.

[preschoolmom]

Cool!

We haven't bought our tickets yet...

Our whole trip is sort of... Up in the air... Sort of. I mean, we're going, we've budgeted, we're planning costumes...

BUT... DH is finishing up grad school in a few weeks, and... We really don't know where we'll be in six months (literally!)...

So, I'm not purchasing anything non-refundable right now.

Good thing there are three parties during our visit - so certainly we'll be able to get tickets for one of them even if we have to wait a bit...

Anyway, sorry, I should start my own trip report if I want to ramble all about me like this ;) http://www.wdwinfo.com/images/smilies/flower3.gif

I'm so excited for all of you!

[irish dancer]

Don't you just LOVE finding WDW in your mail?! :goodvibes

One thing to keep in mind about costumes/tshirts, etc is that it will most likely be warm, even very warm. We went last year around Columbus Day and it was HOT HOT all week. DS8 ended up dressing up as something totally different than he was for Halloween because I knew he'd melt in his Spiderman costume so he was a "tourist" (hawaiian shirt, shorts, dark socks, sandals, camera around neck).

Also, if you really want to do the 11/1 party it wouldn't hurt to give Disney a call. If they indeed added the party they might change out the tix for you. I know they say they are non-refundable/non-changeable but I've read in the past when parties were added/changed that people were able to swap them.

We were just listening to our Halloween Party CD just the other day, you're going to have so much fun!

[Tnkrbelle565]

You are way ahead of me....I probably should get moving ordering our tickets. No discount on the 25th for AP holders either :sad2: Little sad to see that the tickets aren't very exciting this year (they were cuter last year- had fun sayings). They look the the APs this year (the Goofy is the same as my AP!)

[KathyRN137]

preschoolmom: Congrats in advance to your DH! :teacher: It must feel so good for him to be almost done!! You're in good shape if you've got 3 party dates to choose from!

minnienurse: :welcome: to the PTR!!

Billy's special school doesn't give us a hard time about the days he misses, probably because he seems to do very well when he returns from our vacations....his language and social skills seem to really benefit from the experience.

Tricia is in 7th grade and is an A-student; so far we haven't had any problems with her missing a few days because her attendance is excellent. We may have to change our time of travel as she gets older, though. Missing even half a week is tough in high school. But, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it! :laughing:


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Also, if you really want to do the 11/1 party it wouldn't hurt to give Disney a call. If they indeed added the party they might change out the tix for you. I know they say they are non-refundable/non-changeable but I've read in the past when parties were added/changed that people were able to swap them.



Really?? When I purchased the tix I specifically asked the reservationist if I could exchange them if another party was added and she said "NO." That was the main reason I decided to get the 10/31 tix before they sold out!

It's so confusing when there is conflicting information all over the place and even the Disney people don't always know the correct answers! :laughing:


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Little sad to see that the tickets aren't very exciting this year (they were cuter last year- had fun sayings). They look the the APs this year (the Goofy is the same as my AP!)

Probably just another cost-cutting measure!

Kathy

[mousescrapper]

Oh well, I'm looking on the bright side. If we happen to get rained out on 10/31, its not the last party anymore, so we could get rainchecks for the next night if needed. :thumbsup2


Kathy

;) :thumbsup2

always thinking w/ those lime green Dis glasses on huh?

[moparop]

Yikes!! I hope that party is as awesome as it looks in the photos because it sure isn't cheap! Having the tickets in your hand... PRICELESS!

[Charleston Princess]

Oh, I like the tickets!!! You are going to have so much fun!!! :banana:

[AmandaSparks730]

I'm sorry. :hug:


Kathy
Thanks :hug:

And :yay: for the MSSHP tix!

[KathyRN137]

;) :thumbsup2

always thinking w/ those lime green Dis glasses on huh?


Oh Yeah!! ::yes::

Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Oh, I like the tickets!!! You are going to have so much fun!!! :banana:


Thanks... the girls are excited for Halloween night... they still don't "get" why I wanted the day after!! Billy wouldn't care what night he went!! :lmao:


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Yikes!! I hope that party is as awesome as it looks in the photos because it sure isn't cheap! Having the tickets in your hand... PRICELESS!

LOL... well, one of the tickets is for my DNiece and I'm giving it to her as her BDay present along with the shirt that matches ours... so I'm thinking that I'll be happy come August when I don't have to go shopping for her!!

Tricia already "called" the Minnie Mouse ticket! :rotfl:

Ed said he'd take whichever one is left.

I'm not even showing them to Billy, because with his facination with collections... I know he's want them all!

[Charleston Princess]

Happy Mother's Day, Kathy!

[KathyRN137]

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l119/quietgrouch/Holiday%20-%20Spring/mothersdaySupermom.jpg


Kathy

[joy13]

Kathy - I am just starting your PTR - I am new to reading these things and was looking for people going around the same time as me. I am only on page 3, but I am already hooked. It sounds like you have a wonderful family!

[KathyRN137]

Kathy - I am just starting your PTR - I am new to reading these things and was looking for people going around the same time as me. I am only on page 3, but I am already hooked. It sounds like you have a wonderful family!


Thank you and :welcome: to the wonderful world of the Trip Report boards!!

It's easy to get "hooked" around here!! :lmao: I'm subscribed to about a dozen of these reports!!


Kathy

[moparop]

Happy Mother's Day Kathy! I hope you had a great day Mother's Day Part 2!

[KathyRN137]

Well, here I sit at the computer again, enjoying my favorite hobby!! :lmao:
What a great way to cap off a lovely Mother's Day!

Of course, I received my big present last week when we took a trip into the city to see The Little Mermaid, but today was fun, too. After a week of steady rain, the sun finally came out and we had a gorgeous day! :sunny:

After Mass we went out to breakfast at a nearby Pancake House and I had a yummy blueberry waffle! Since it wasn't Disney, I would've felt silly taking a pic, so I'm afraid you'll just have to take my word for it... it was delish!

The children gave me some lovely flowers... tulips and irises from a florist (thanks, Daddy) and some little wildflowers that Tricia found growing in the back yard that smelled heavenly! Billy made a ceramic sculpture in school and, fortunately, I could tell exactly what it was... a dish of ice cream! :laughing:

"Look, Mom!" Tricia laughed. "A Hidden Mickey!!"

*


*


*


*


*


*


*

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/DSCN2132.jpg




Kathy

[maroo]

What a perfect hidden Mickey!!! :)

I really enjoyed your report on The Little Mermaid! :goodvibes

[moparop]

The children gave me some lovely flowers... tulips and irises from a florist (thanks, Daddy) and some little wildflowers that Tricia found growing in the back yard that smelled heavenly! Billy made a ceramic sculpture in school and, fortunately, I could tell exactly what it was... a dish of ice cream! :laughing:

"Look, Mom!" Tricia laughed. "A Hidden Mickey!!"

*


*


*


*

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/DSCN2132.jpg




Kathy

:lmao: I think handmade Mother's Day gifts are the best!

[KathyRN137]

Hi moparop!! Hi Charleston Princess!! Same to you, my friends! :flower3:

Kathy

[Charleston Princess]

What a nice Mother's Day, and Billy's ice cream sculpture is great! Kudos to Tricia for spotting the Hidden Mickey -- she has been trained well!

[KathyRN137]

What a perfect hidden Mickey!!! :)

I really enjoyed your report on The Little Mermaid! :goodvibes


Wow! There's a lot of us on tonight! :lmao:
Thanks, maroo!!

Kathy

[maroo]

Wow! There's a lot of us on tonight! :lmao:
Thanks, maroo!!

Kathy

I have been here all weekend. :lmao:

Except for about 30 minutes ago when the lights all went out. :rolleyes: Tornado Warning + no power = no fun! :scared1: (I hate those sirens! :eek:) But, it is back on...at my house at least! :goodvibes No damage here! So I am back on the DIS! ;)

[MinnieNurse]

The Little Mermaid, that sounds like fun. I am still catching up. Just to page 20 so I am sure I will get to the review soon.

Billy did a great job on the ice cream sculpture. Those are always the gifts I love most. I was looking back at some of the things my DS has given me over the years. I wouldn't take a million dollars for them.

Happy Mother's Day Kathy!!

[KathyRN137]

Tornado Warning + no power = no fun! :scared1: (I hate those sirens!)


Tornados!?!? :scared1:

Stay safe, please!!

Kathy

[KathyRN137]

I was looking back at some of the things my DS has given me over the years. I wouldn't take a million dollars for them.



I agree! :goodvibes

I received another little present from him as I was tucking him into bed...

"What would you like to dream about tonight, Billy?"

"Walt Disney World!!!" was his answer! "Halloween at Walt Disney World!" Then he counted down on his fingers....

"First May, then June, July, August, September, OCTOBER!!" :cloud9:



Kathy

[All7OfUs]

Happy Belated Mother's Day, Kathy! Don't you love the gifts we get from our kids that AREN'T on a holiday?? Hugs, "Thanks for dinner Mom, it tasted great!", and "let me do the dishes, you look tired." You're right, most moms would never trade a single moment!

Glad you had a nice day!

Liesa

[carissanboys]

Sounds like a lovely mother's day Kathy. :goodvibes

By the way, it's not Broadway, but Sully and I are going to see Alice in Wonderland peformed at a local theater this coming weekend. I'm so excited!

[mom2mek]

Awww...I love Billy's homemade ice cream sculpture!!! It's fabulous! :goodvibes

Hope you had a lovely Mother's Day Kathy! :flower3:

Sara

[KathyRN137]

All7OfUs: Thanks, Liesa, you are so right! :thumbsup2 It really is the little things that mean the most.

carissanboys: Alice in Wonderland sounds like fun! :goodvibes Do a mini TR!

mom2mek: Thanks Sara! I guess its no secret how much I like ice cream! :lmao:

Kathy

[miabellarose]

I'm loving your PTR and so glad you enjoyed LM. I enjoyed your pictures of NYC! By the way, what is “Kiss Goodnight” at the Magic Kingdom? Did I miss something?

[KathyRN137]

I'm loving your PTR and so glad you enjoyed LM. I enjoyed your pictures of NYC! By the way, what is “Kiss Goodnight” at the Magic Kingdom? Did I miss something?


Hello and thanks! Welcome to the report!

At the end of the night, when the park is closing, the Castle is lit up in a slowly-changing progression of different colors. It's called the "Kiss Goodnight!" pixiedust:

Kathy

[SwansLoveDisney]

Awww...I love Billy's hidden mickey dish of ice cream!

Happy belated mother's day!

[KathyRN137]

Awww...I love Billy's hidden mickey dish of ice cream!

Happy belated mother's day!

Thank you, Julie!!

I hope that you'll be posting another chapter soon....


Kathy

[SwansLoveDisney]

I hope that you'll be posting another chapter soon....


Kathy

Done! Check it out!

[MinnieNurse]

Hello and thanks! Welcome to the report!

At the end of the night, when the park is closing, the Castle is lit up in a slowly-changing progression of different colors. It's called the "Kiss Goodnight!" pixiedust:

Kathy

Aaawww-I never heard that. I like it. :cloud9::lovestruc

[mousescrapper]

Nice ice cream :goodvibes and love the Halloween countdown!

sweet dreams, I agree

[KathyRN137]

"Magical Ideas for the ____ Party!"


Today when I went to the mailbox, I was surprised by a little Mickey Mail! http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w284/KathyRN137/Smilies/happymail.gif


We normally receive the usual DVC stuff after making a ressie, but since we added that first night at All Star Music, we must've been put on a list to receive mailings from Disney Destinations as well.


"Special trip planning information we've put together just for the ___ Party!" the brochure says. Heh Heh Heh. Oh, if they only knew!! ;)


It's interesting that the brochure they designed for our family is geared toward teenagers... the thrill rides, the water parks, Disney Quest, and Sammy Duvall's Watersports. I know the kids are 11, 13, and 13, but I'm still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the concept of having teenagers!! :eek:

Examples:

All-Star Music Resort:
"...Teenagers can head off for their own adventures exploring the Resort while you relax and enjoy a delicious drink from Singing Spirits. And it's right next to the huge, guitar-shaped Calypso Pool where everyone can meet up, cool off, and share exciting stories from the day." :rotfl2:

Um, not quite yet. I'm still not sure how much freedom I want to give the two girls and Billy sure as heck isn't going off anywhere without us!!

Special Resort Benefits:
"...Conquer more thrill rides with teens with our enhanced Extra Magic Hours benefit."

There's that teen reference again!

"We've picked these "don't miss" attractions just for you:"

Disney's Hollywood Studios: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Disney's Animal Kingdom: Kali River Rapids (No EE??)
Epcot: Mission: SPACE
Magic Kingdom: Pirates of the Caribbean

Funny... the last brochure we received picked out attractions "just for us" such as Mickey's PhilharMagic and Voyage of the Little Mermaid!! They suggested taking our little princess to the Bibbity-Bobbity Boutique for a princess make-over!


Sigh.

Heavy Sigh.

I'm the mother of a teenager!!!


Kathy

[Hedy]

I have never been so aghast as a DISpost in my life as when I was discussing what I'd heard the Easter Bunny was getting the boys, and I referred to Mordie as "the teenager" :scared1::scared1::scared1:

[preschoolmom]

Oh Kathy! :hug:

The years go too fast, don't they?

I'm trying to get my kids back twice this year (October and June), before the girls won't wear princess dresses!

Still, big kids are fun, too! I couldn't dream of doing a late EMH (we're lucky to make it back to a park after dinner!).

I'm excited to not have to bring as many extra outfits into the park each day as last trip! :rotfl:

[KathyRN137]

I have never been so aghast as a DISpost in my life as when I was discussing what I'd heard the Easter Bunny was getting the boys, and I referred to Mordie as "the teenager" :scared1::scared1::scared1:


It's quite a shock to the system, isn't it?!

Kathy

[KathyRN137]

Oh Kathy! :hug:

The years go too fast, don't they?

I'm trying to get my kids back twice this year (October and June), before the girls won't wear princess dresses!

Still, big kids are fun, too! I couldn't dream of doing a late EMH (we're lucky to make it back to a park after dinner!).

I'm excited to not have to bring as many extra outfits into the park each day as last trip! :rotfl:


Enjoy them... I completely missed the princess years at WDW... our first visit wasn't until Tricia was seven. :sad1: But, at least she enjoyed the characters, getting autographs and the like, so I didn't miss everything!

And I am so glad I never had to do diapers in Disney!! :thumbsup2


Kathy

[melk]

[SIZE="3"]

I'm the mother of a teenager!!!


Kathy

I hear you, just two short months ago I joined the same club. I had to laugh about you trying to take pictures of Tricia at Little Mermaid. On our recent WDW trip it was like pulling teeth to get my oldest to pose with the rest of us for a picture. Ugh!

Anyway, a friend sent me this and I thought you might appreciate it as well:


Congratulations! You are now the proud new owner of a teenaged daughter. Please read this manual carefully, as it describes the maintenance of your new daughter, and answers important questions about your warranty (which does NOT include the right to return the product to the factory for a full refund).

IF YOU FEEL YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR TEENAGER IN ERROR: To determine whether you were supposed to receive a teenaged girl, please examine your new daughter carefully. Does she (a) look very similar to your original daughter, only with more makeup and less clothing? (b) refuse to acknowledge your existence on the planet Earth (except when requesting money)? (c) sleep in a burrow of dirty laundry? If any of these are true, you have received the correct item. Nice try, though.

BREAK-IN PERIOD: When you first receive your teenaged daughter, you will initially experience a high level of discomfort. Gradually, this discomfort will subside, and you will merely feel traumatized. This is the "Break-In Period," during which you are becoming accustomed to certain behaviors that will cause you concern, anxiety, and stress. Once you have adapted to these behaviors, your teenager will start acting even worse.

ACTIVATION: To activate your teenaged daughter, simply place her in the vicinity of a telephone. No further programming is required.

SHUTDOWN: Several hours after activation, you may desire to shut down you teenaged daughter. There is no way to do this.

CLEANING YOUR TEENAGED DAUGHTER: Having a teenaged daughter means learning the difference between the words "clean" and "neat." Teenaged daughters are very clean, because they take frequent showers that last more than an hour. They will scrub themselves with expensive, fragrant soaps which you must purchase for them because like I'm sure I'm going to use like the same kind of soap my mom and dad use. When they have completely drained the hot-water tank, they will step out and wrap themselves in every towel in the bathroom, which they will subsequently strew throughout the house. If you ask them to pick up the towels, you are confusing "clean" with "neat." Teenagers are very busy and do not have time to be neat. They expect others to pick up after them. These others are called "parents."

FEEDING YOUR TEENAGED DAUGHTER: Your teenaged daughter requires regular meals, which must be purchased for her at restaurants because she detests everything you eat because it is like so disgusting. She does not want you to accompany her to these restaurants, because some people might see you and like I'm sure I want my friends to see me eating dinner with my parents. Either order take-out food or just give her the money, preferably both. If you order pizza, never answer the doorbell because the delivery boy might see you and ohmigod he is so hot. Yes, your daughter's idea of an attractive man is the pizza boy.

CLOTHING YOUR TEENAGED DAUGHTER: Retailers make millions of dollars a year selling stylish and frankly sensible clothing which will look adorable on your daughter. If you enjoy shopping, you will love the vast selections which are available to you. Unfortunately, your teenaged daughter wants to dress like a lap dancer. You may be able to coerce her into putting on a cute outfit before leaving the house, but by the time she walks in the schoolhouse door, she will be wearing something entirely different.

OTHER MAINTENANCE: Teenaged daughters require one of two levels of maintenance: "High," and "Ultra High." Your daughter is "Ultra High." This means that whatever you do won't be enough and whatever you try won't work.

WARRANTY: This product is not without defect because she has your genes, for heaven's sake. If you think this is not fair, talk to your parents, who think it is hilarious. Your teenaged daughter will remain a teenager for as long as it takes for her to become a woman, which in her opinion has already happened and as far as you are concerned, never really will. If you are dissatisfied with your teenaged daughter, well, what did you expect? In any event, your warranty does not give you your little girl back under any circumstances, except that deep down she's actually still there--you just have to look for her.

copyright 2004 W. Bruce Cameron
Please do not remove the copyright from this essay.

[MinnieNurse]

:scared1: Is there a way to stop them from becoming teenagers??:rotfl:

[KathyRN137]

And so, like, why did I decide it would be fun to bring not one but TWO of them on our next trip??? ;) :rotfl:

(Thanks, melk. I'm definitely sending that to my DSis, mother of DNiece who is also 13!)

Kathy

[melk]

And so, like, why did I decide it would be fun to bring not one but TWO of them on our next trip??? ;) :rotfl:


Kathy

I don't know, I think you may have to plead insanity on that one!!:lmao:

DH often laments the fact that in five years we will have THREE teenage girls (18, 16, 13)...although he claims he will be living out in the garage by that time!;)

[KathyRN137]

I don't know, I think you may have to plead insanity on that one!!:lmao:

DH often laments the fact that in five years we will have THREE teenage girls (18, 16, 13)...although he claims he will be living out in the garage by that time!;)


My parents had SIX girls in TEN years!! :eek:

Everyone always used to say, "Your poor dad!" but it was really "my poor mom!" :rotfl2:


Kathy

[melk]

My parents had SIX girls in TEN years!! :eek:

Everyone always used to say, "Your poor dad!" but it was really "my poor mom!" :rotfl2:


Kathy

Oh my word, your parents sure have us beat!!!

Was the bathroom ever free in your house??????

[KathyRN137]

Never!

And we tied up the phone line constantly!!

(These were the days before cell phones!)

It drove my poor father :crazy:


Kathy

[mousescrapper]

so glad[/I] I never had to do diapers in Disney!! :thumbsup2


Kathy

now where is the fun it that....:rotfl:

but I do admit I am looking forward to next yr and having no diapers....;)



Yesterday evening DH & I took Aldine to a Cubs game w/ tickets he had won at work. She had alot of fun and it was nice to spend this special outing w/ just our girl :hug:

Even though she technically isn't our "oldest" but having 2 younger sisters and an autistic twin brother, she does assume the roll by choice and need often.

I'm realizing more than ever how much I need to cherish the moments my children want their Mama and not refuse to play becuase I'm busy and talk when they want to talk.

But at the same time I see she is growing up just as quick...and I look forward to the new bonds we will create in the midst of mother-daughter agnst. I love my MOM and I hope after the teenage years, Aldine will love me too :goodvibes

but speaking of :rolleyes1 moments...she needs to use the restroom at the game. I say I'll take you at the end of this half inning...but I know where it is, she says. I know you do but were at a ballpark, you can't go by yourself.

But I'm 10! :rolleyes:

[KathyRN137]

but I do admit I am looking forward to next yr and having no diapers....;)




party:


Kathy

[All7OfUs]

And so, like, why did I decide it would be fun to bring not one but TWO of them on our next trip??? ;) :rotfl:



Kathy

Hopefully it works out that they will keep each other entertained in that sort of teeage girl way, and it will be more fun for everyone. Have you made any progress on how much time you're going to let them be on their own?? What did you and Ed decide on that one??

[maroo]

This thread is completely cracking me up!

:happytv:

popcorn::