What's the Big Deal With Staying On Property Anyway? *Goodbyes* 12/17 p.114 [Archive] - Page 7 - The DIS Discussion Forums

carissanboys

08-26-2009, 02:34 PM

Sea World!!! WOW!!! The Sting Rays??!! YOU CAN FEED THEM??!! I had no idea!! The one photo you have it is a little blurry, sure, but see his eye!! :eek:

We were thinking of Sea World four our trip NEXT summer.

Pins and Stitch TOOOOOOOOOO cute. :)

I hope you get a chance to check out Sea World. You can also feed sharks! ;)

Carissa, I know I've been neglecting everything Disney related too - sorry :sad2:

Aww, love the Stitch picture - so adorable! :goodvibes

Hey Lisa :goodvibes

Hi Carissa! I'm finally caught up on your trip report, and it's almost over. It's been a great read, though!

Denise

Thanks Denise! There are still quite a few installments to go. Have to finish our Sea World day and we went back to MK before we headed out on our last day.

Seaworld looks like alot of fun!

I wonder why the gate nazi had to bug you about an id card.....I guess he didn't have anything better to do!

Just ignorance. :sad2:

:wave2: just sayin hi!

Hi! I know - I didn't get an update posted this weekend or get around to any TRs and PTRs. If I don't get an installment up sooner, I'll have one up by this weekend for sure. :thumbsup2

Hi Carissa! All caught up again!

Love the T-Rex review. My boys are kind of outgrowing Dinosaurs, but I bet they'd still enjoy it.

Oh...and great job getting the Kali pics! AWESOME! :thumbsup2

I'm glad homeschooling is going well for you. The flexibility must be great!

We went to Sea World on our honeymoon in 1992....we had a great time. Sorry it rained, but I'm looking forward to hearing about the rest of the day! :surfweb:

Hey Missy! I need to get over and caught up on your TR too. :rolleyes1

carissanboys

08-29-2009, 08:43 AM

OhMari

08-29-2009, 08:47 AM

mousescrapper

08-29-2009, 12:42 PM

Help! I was just getting ready to do an installment and photobucket keeps saying I have reached my storage limit. I already knew this and opened another account a while back, but now it won't even let me view my pictures! There's just a pink box that pops up saying, "You have reached your storage limit." It wants me to upgrade to pro. Any suggestions??

I agree w/ the laster poster and send out an email....

but I am going thru the same thing or pretty close too it. It says I am at 62% full and advises me to upgrade too.

so I know I have several pictures that I uploaded that I didn't use or may have posted to misc threads...so I'm going thru my two PTR/TR threads (besides my scrappbook and Micheal's guidebook threads) to determine if I have anything in the photobucket account that was never actually posted here or I don't need anymore....make sense? may give me just alittle more space.

not sure if that could help you?

good luck

DisneyJo

08-29-2009, 12:52 PM

Good job you all had your rain macs with you, looks like you needed them and the photo of your DH is so funny :rotfl:

scottny

08-31-2009, 09:06 PM

great updates and pics.

I enjoyed T-Rex when I ate there.

Sea World sounds like fun except for the guy at the gate.

I paid for 2 photobucket pro accounts. I would email to and ask.

I will catch up when I return from Paris.

Happydog

08-31-2009, 09:10 PM

Oh nuts! I wish I could help, but I dont know enough to help... sorry!

jmskinner

09-02-2009, 12:59 AM

Carissa, any luck with Photobucket?

carissanboys

09-02-2009, 07:51 AM

My only suggestion, would be to e-mail them at this point.
Tell them you want to edit a few pictures out of your account,
and you can't get into your account.
I use shutterfly and I have e-mailed them with a few questions, and they have pretty good customer service. I'm sure Photobucket does too.
M.

I can't even find a way to contact them for technical support. :sad2:

I agree w/ the laster poster and send out an email....

but I am going thru the same thing or pretty close too it. It says I am at 62% full and advises me to upgrade too.

so I know I have several pictures that I uploaded that I didn't use or may have posted to misc threads...so I'm going thru my two PTR/TR threads (besides my scrappbook and Micheal's guidebook threads) to determine if I have anything in the photobucket account that was never actually posted here or I don't need anymore....make sense? may give me just alittle more space.

not sure if that could help you?

good luck

I can't even see any pictures in my account to delete some. I have no access to my account at all.

Good job you all had your rain macs with you, looks like you needed them and the photo of your DH is so funny :rotfl:

Thanks Jo :goodvibes

great updates and pics.

I enjoyed T-Rex when I ate there.

Sea World sounds like fun except for the guy at the gate.

I paid for 2 photobucket pro accounts. I would email to and ask.

I will catch up when I return from Paris.

Thanks Scott - have a fabulous trip!

Oh nuts! I wish I could help, but I dont know enough to help... sorry!

It's very frustrating...

Carissa, any luck with Photobucket?

Nope. I'm afraid I'm going to have to pay to upgrade. I don't have my Disney pictures saved anywhere else and I plan to order prints at some point. Ugh.

jmskinner

09-02-2009, 08:04 AM

OhMari

09-02-2009, 08:16 AM

My goodness - it sure feels like I have been neglecting my TR and Disboards in general these past few months. I thought I should take a minute to give you an update on how things are going around here.

We are gearing up for a short visit home from Chuck over Labor Day weekend. It has been two months since he left for Florida and while the meet up in Georgia was wonderful, it'll be nice to have him home for a few days. :love:

The boys and I continue with school work. We've only completed four weeks since we've been taking time off for trips and visits. But, that's why I decided to homeschool year round - to have that flexibility. :thumbsup2 We'll be taking a trip up to Maine in October to visit with family and friends and shortly after our return, Chuck should be finished with school. :goodvibes

The boys, Connor especially, have really been missing Stitch. So, the other day we went to the Disney Store and I used my rewards card to buy our own Stitch. He's a bit bigger than our previous visitor, but just as cute.

http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww34/willtravelbyfoot/Picture645.jpg

I hope everyone has been enjoying their summer! I'd love to hear what exciting adventures you had these past couple of months. :goodvibes

4 weeks of school for summer, that is pretty good, because our local school did 4 weeks of summer school too. Glad your family can get together for Labor Day weekend. Enjoy your time together.

Our family vacations were always in early June, as soon as school let out.
But now that my kids are all grown up, it is hard to schedule vacations together.
I sure did a lot of :laundy::laundy: this summer.
And, I am so "donkey butt" about hanging it outside,
I actually pulled my back and had to go get meds to calm it down.
I told all my kids, that they could not bring laundry home this winter.
They had to do it at their apartments-
2 are in college
2 are working full time jobs.

I went to a few of Matt's moto-cross races,
and me and the girls just returned home from a
last minute Royal Caribbean Cruise.

We are suppose to be going to walk the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day morning. Our trailer is in for repair in Evanstan IN. We are suppose to pick it up Saturday morning, then drive up the state of Michigan and spend a day on the island, and do the walk in the morning. My dh just told me, he took the generator out of the trailer, so if it is cold, we would have to find a camp ground, so we can hook-up, vs running the generator. I have a feeling my plans are going to get cancelled, and he can go get the trailer himself.

Enjoy your weekend.
M.

mommytothreeboys

09-02-2009, 08:51 AM

Hi Carissa! Just wanted to stop in and say have a great weekend with Chuck! :goodvibes

jmskinner

09-02-2009, 09:47 AM

Carissa I wanted to say have a great weekend also. I just realized Chuck didn't really have time to adjust to the new home so I am sure he will enjoy being home also. Had a cute story related to that. The bathroom in our house here in Florida is almost the same as the one in Texas except the closet is where our water closet was in Texas. So both of us kept walking into the closet when needing to go. We both finally adjusted and then poor Jonas left for 3 months. When he came home, he walked into the closet again, came out to tell me he did it again, and then walked right back into the closet. Finally got him trained now.

GSD4ME

09-02-2009, 07:07 PM

Found your trip report a few days ago - good stuff! :thumbsup2 Haven't gotten through all of it yet, but I'm really enjoying it. We're planning a trip for next October and want to stay at POR, so I'm glad to see all the pics from there. By the way . . . I'm a military spouse, too. Actually, my husband retired from the Army in 2007 and that's when we took our last trip to Disney - 15 adults and 2 kids - to celebrate his retirement. Hope things are going well for you!

carissanboys

09-02-2009, 09:51 PM

Carissa, I just went into their "contact us", then to "frequently asked questions", then clicked on "Most Asked" and when you chose a question, there is a blue "contact us" button under the question and answer that sets you up to email them. Before paying, I would look into other pay sites though just to make sure it is the one you want. Hopefully you aren't stuck with them since it seems like they are holding your pics prisoner at the moment.

You're a lifesaver Melissa!! :hug: I just sent them a message and hopefully I'll get an answer. I'd really like to finish this TR!

We are suppose to be going to walk the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day morning. Our trailer is in for repair in Evanstan IN. We are suppose to pick it up Saturday morning, then drive up the state of Michigan and spend a day on the island, and do the walk in the morning. My dh just told me, he took the generator out of the trailer, so if it is cold, we would have to find a camp ground, so we can hook-up, vs running the generator. I have a feeling my plans are going to get cancelled, and he can go get the trailer himself.

Enjoy your weekend.
M.

One of the things on my list of things to do before I die is go to Mackinac Island! I hope you have a fabulous time. :)

Hi Carissa! Just wanted to stop in and say have a great weekend with Chuck! :goodvibes

Thanks Missy! Just one more full day to get through and then he'll be home. :goodvibes

Carissa I wanted to say have a great weekend also. I just realized Chuck didn't really have time to adjust to the new home so I am sure he will enjoy being home also. Had a cute story related to that. The bathroom in our house here in Florida is almost the same as the one in Texas except the closet is where our water closet was in Texas. So both of us kept walking into the closet when needing to go. We both finally adjusted and then poor Jonas left for 3 months. When he came home, he walked into the closet again, came out to tell me he did it again, and then walked right back into the closet. Finally got him trained now.

:rotfl: That's too funny. And you're right. He was only here for maybe 2 weeks before he had to leave for Florida. I'm sure his barracks feels more like home than this place does!

Found your trip report a few days ago - good stuff! :thumbsup2 Haven't gotten through all of it yet, but I'm really enjoying it. We're planning a trip for next October and want to stay at POR, so I'm glad to see all the pics from there. By the way . . . I'm a military spouse, too. Actually, my husband retired from the Army in 2007 and that's when we took our last trip to Disney - 15 adults and 2 kids - to celebrate his retirement. Hope things are going well for you!

:welcome: What an awesome way to celebrate retirement! :thumbsup2 Thanks for reading. :)

Chuck arrives Friday morning and heads back to Florida Monday afternoon. As you can imagine, I don't plan to be on the computer that entire time. ;) Hopefully, I'll hear back from photobucket and get this issue resolved so that I can post an update (or three!) next week. Thanks for sticking with me!

MeMom

09-02-2009, 10:24 PM

Have an awesome weekend!

jordanyosh

09-03-2009, 01:22 AM

Have a great time!

lazydoxy66

09-07-2009, 02:21 AM

I hope you had a great weekend.

I also hope you got the issue resolved with photobucket!

DisMomAmy

09-07-2009, 08:18 AM

Hi Carissa - I'm finally all caught up over here!! I've been having trouble staying caught up this summer too...

Sea World looks just like it did when I was there in 2002.

I love the hunchback picture of Chuck in his poncho. :lmao: I have some pictures of myself from my rainy trip with my mom in 2008 that look just like that. :rolleyes1

Have a great weekend with Chuck! :goodvibes

GSD4ME

09-07-2009, 10:50 AM

We loved Sea World - sorry they gate person was such a jerk about the ID card . . . :sad2:

We also loved Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island. Of course, sometimes the animals wouldn't cooperate and they "actors" had to ad lib - it was great! My favorite thing about Sea World is being able to talk to the trainers. They are so knowledgeable and willing to talk to you.

Glad to hear things are going well with the home schooling and that Chuck is getting to visit this weekend. Have fun and be safe!

wvdislover

09-07-2009, 11:14 AM

Hey Carissa! Sorry I've been MIA for so long, but life has been just CRAZY here for the past few weeks! Sounds like homeschooling is going well for you, though. We started our homeschooling here about 1 1/2 weeks ago. It's going pretty well, but we'll be taking a break here next week, since we leave for WDW next Tuesday! I've posted a link to my PTR in my siggie! Hopefully, I can come back later and finish reading your TR! Hope all is well with you, Chuck, and the boys!

irene_dsc

09-10-2009, 09:41 AM

Oops - haven't had a chance to check in for a while. Sorry to hear about photobucket - I ended up switching to Flickr very recently because I've never been able to get their new uploader to work, and they finally got rid of the option to use the old one. But, I'm sure I don't have anywhere near as many photos in my account as you do! (Plus, they all are still on a computer besides in my photobucket account.) I hope you hear back from them - that is so annoying that they just locked you out! I hate the idea that you would have to pay just to access it to delete stuff!

I hope you had a great weekend with Chuck at home!

Btw, did I mention that ds started Taekwondo a few weeks ago? He is really loving it, and the instructor is great. Also, I signed up to be a Daisy co-leader for dd - along with 4 other moms! We have our parent orientation meeting next week...

KathyRN137

09-12-2009, 11:11 AM

Hey, I thought I had gone back to read the Sea World post, but I guess I didn't! :confused3 Anyway, I'm all caught up now and hoping you won't slip back to page three before the next post!!

Have a great weekend...

Kathy

Sandy321

09-12-2009, 11:35 AM

Have a great weekend -

and we LOVE :love: Macinac Island - they have an area tucked back away from the main drag that reminds me of the DVC resorts - Stonecliff Resorts I think... but for a family - love Mission Point Resort (it used to be a college!!) Lots of fun things to do with that resort!!

:love: Stitch!!

carissanboys

09-19-2009, 04:40 PM

Have an awesome weekend!

Thanks! We did have a wonderful time. The visit was all too short though. Only another 6 weeks or so and his class will be done.

Have a great time!

Thanks J!

I hope you had a great weekend.

I also hope you got the issue resolved with photobucket!

I'll talk about photobucket in a minute. :sad2:

Hi Carissa - I'm finally all caught up over here!! I've been having trouble staying caught up this summer too...

Sea World looks just like it did when I was there in 2002.

I love the hunchback picture of Chuck in his poncho. :lmao: I have some pictures of myself from my rainy trip with my mom in 2008 that look just like that. :rolleyes1

Have a great weekend with Chuck! :goodvibes

Hey Amy! Summer over isn't helping me any with staying caught up since we homeschool. Things just seem to be even busier now.

We loved Sea World - sorry they gate person was such a jerk about the ID card . . . :sad2:

We also loved Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island. Of course, sometimes the animals wouldn't cooperate and they "actors" had to ad lib - it was great! My favorite thing about Sea World is being able to talk to the trainers. They are so knowledgeable and willing to talk to you.

Glad to hear things are going well with the home schooling and that Chuck is getting to visit this weekend. Have fun and be safe!

I loved the ad libbing in the show - definitely made it even better. :)

Hey Carissa! Sorry I've been MIA for so long, but life has been just CRAZY here for the past few weeks! Sounds like homeschooling is going well for you, though. We started our homeschooling here about 1 1/2 weeks ago. It's going pretty well, but we'll be taking a break here next week, since we leave for WDW next Tuesday! I've posted a link to my PTR in my siggie! Hopefully, I can come back later and finish reading your TR! Hope all is well with you, Chuck, and the boys!

You may be back by now! Hope you had (or are having) a fabulous time!

Oops - haven't had a chance to check in for a while. Sorry to hear about photobucket - I ended up switching to Flickr very recently because I've never been able to get their new uploader to work, and they finally got rid of the option to use the old one. But, I'm sure I don't have anywhere near as many photos in my account as you do! (Plus, they all are still on a computer besides in my photobucket account.) I hope you hear back from them - that is so annoying that they just locked you out! I hate the idea that you would have to pay just to access it to delete stuff!

I hope you had a great weekend with Chuck at home!

Btw, did I mention that ds started Taekwondo a few weeks ago? He is really loving it, and the instructor is great. Also, I signed up to be a Daisy co-leader for dd - along with 4 other moms! We have our parent orientation meeting next week...

At least there's a bunch of you doing it together. Makes it bit easier. Good luck with all of the activities.

Hey, I thought I had gone back to read the Sea World post, but I guess I didn't! :confused3 Anyway, I'm all caught up now and hoping you won't slip back to page three before the next post!!

Have a great weekend...

Kathy

Hey Kathy :) Sorry for the delay.

Have a great weekend -

and we LOVE :love: Macinac Island - they have an area tucked back away from the main drag that reminds me of the DVC resorts - Stonecliff Resorts I think... but for a family - love Mission Point Resort (it used to be a college!!) Lots of fun things to do with that resort!!

:love: Stitch!!

That's cool! I'll have to keep that in mind when we finally get around to taking a trip there.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
I apologize for not responding to the replies. I kept checking, but it wasn't showing anything new on my subscription page. :confused3

Things here are just as busy as before. And the whole photobucket thing just has me annoyed. I've emailed back and forth but I don't think they have a clue about anything. They tell me I should be able to edit my photos still, but my pictures don't even show up. I need to take a screen shot and email it to them (for all the good it'll do), but I keep forgetting. I really want to finish this TR and get my pictures! I'll try to work on that this week.

Native NYer

09-19-2009, 06:36 PM

I hope the Photobucket thing gets resolved soon :)

Lifelong_Dreamer

09-19-2009, 10:17 PM

Car - If you have a second e-mail address you could just open a second photobucket account.

carissanboys

09-19-2009, 11:02 PM

I hope the Photobucket thing gets resolved soon :)

Thanks Jennifer - me too!

Car - If you have a second e-mail address you could just open a second photobucket account.

I already have a second account. The problem is my trip pictures are only saved in the old account - nowhere else. I planned to get prints made from there.

eandesmom

09-19-2009, 11:46 PM

-------------------------------------------------------------------
I apologize for not responding to the replies. I kept checking, but it wasn't showing anything new on my subscription page. :confused3

Things here are just as busy as before. And the whole photobucket thing just has me annoyed. I've emailed back and forth but I don't think they have a clue about anything. They tell me I should be able to edit my photos still, but my pictures don't even show up. I need to take a screen shot and email it to them (for all the good it'll do), but I keep forgetting. I really want to finish this TR and get my pictures! I'll try to work on that this week.

Ugh, I have that problem often with my subscriptions and I get SO behind!

What a nightmare on photobucket, you aren't the only one on the board having problems. YUCK! I hope you get it resolved.

carissanboys

09-21-2009, 08:13 PM

Ugh, I have that problem often with my subscriptions and I get SO behind!

What a nightmare on photobucket, you aren't the only one on the board having problems. YUCK! I hope you get it resolved.

Thanks - update now. :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good news! I figured out it wasn't photobucket's fault afterall. Just issues with my firewall. So, things are all good here now. :thumbsup2

I will try and get an update posted tomorrow and then try and get caught up on everyone's TRs and PTRs by this weekend. Please forgive me! :flower3:

jordanyosh

09-22-2009, 01:11 AM

:thumbsup2popcorn::

MeMom

09-22-2009, 05:50 AM

Thanks - update now. :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good news! I figured out it wasn't photobucket's fault afterall. Just issues with my firewall. So, things are all good here now. :thumbsup2

I will try and get an update posted tomorrow and then try and get caught up on everyone's TRs and PTRs by this weekend. Please forgive me! :flower3:

Glad to hear your time with the whole family was great! :)

Also glad you got the picture issues straightened out. You may never catch up with other reports, but we look forward to hearing from you and seeing what all the latest news is for you and the guys. Hope the homeschooling is going well. I know you guys are having fun with it!

mommytothreeboys

09-22-2009, 07:03 AM

Good morning Carissa! I'm glad your photobucket/computer issues have been resolved. How frustrating!

So good to hear you had a good weekend with Chuck and the boys. I miss seeing you around and hope things are going well for you! Check in when you can! :goodvibes

jmskinner

09-22-2009, 11:11 AM

Carissa, so glad you figured out the Photobucket issue. Look forward to your next update.

eandesmom

09-22-2009, 12:21 PM

popcorn::

carissanboys

09-22-2009, 01:58 PM

Let’s get this show on the road, shall we??

After the Clyde and Seamore show, the rain stopped and we could put away our rain ponchos for good.

We headed over to visit our friends the penguins. They’re so darn cute.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4866.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4868.jpg

And then I asked my crazy crew to walk like penguins for me. Did they do it??

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4869.jpg

We thought these sea dragons were the coolest thing!

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4883.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4884.jpg

Skeery sharks

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4886.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4887.jpg

And then what did we do? Why we decided to risk our limbs by feeding the skeery sharks!

Stinky shark food:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4889.jpg

my brave husband:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4891.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4890.jpg

Love the look on Owen’s face:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4893.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4892.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4895.jpg

After surviving the sharks, we came upon an old friend from Australia – the kookaburra! I’m always amazed by how big they are in person.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4871.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4873.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4875.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4876.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4878.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4880.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4881.jpg

One of the exhibits on the top of my list was Wild Arctic. You can take a simulation ride to the exhibit, but the line is long. We decided to just walk in. We really didn’t enjoy it much because there were just too many people around. It was hard to see anything.

The only interesting shot I got was this one:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_4899.jpg

Up Next – Love for Shamu (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33721995&postcount=1552)

jordanyosh

09-22-2009, 02:07 PM

An update!!!!!:thumbsup2 I should talk. I've been neglecting my PTR....

The pix with the penguins:thumbsup2

Sharks and handling small fish bait..NO Thank you...nasty.

Avoid crowds....good going.

SHAMU!!!! can't wait.

Remember my TR lasted 15 months so don't worry about taking your time..;)

carissanboys

09-22-2009, 02:27 PM

Glad to hear your time with the whole family was great! :)

Also glad you got the picture issues straightened out. You may never catch up with other reports, but we look forward to hearing from you and seeing what all the latest news is for you and the guys. Hope the homeschooling is going well. I know you guys are having fun with it!

Thanks MeMom. :goodvibes Yes, school is going well and we've been having lots of fun with different activities. Getting ready to take a fieldtrip to the Air and Space Museum once we finish our unit on the solar system.

Good morning Carissa! I'm glad your photobucket/computer issues have been resolved. How frustrating!

So good to hear you had a good weekend with Chuck and the boys. I miss seeing you around and hope things are going well for you! Check in when you can! :goodvibes

Hey Missy! I've missed being around this board too. I'll be over to get caught up very soon. :hug:

Carissa, so glad you figured out the Photobucket issue. Look forward to your next update.

I feel like a dummy!

popcorn::

Just posted an update. :thumbsup2

An update!!!!!:thumbsup2 I should talk. I've been neglecting my PTR....

The pix with the penguins:thumbsup2

Sharks and handling small fish bait..NO Thank you...nasty.

Avoid crowds....good going.

SHAMU!!!! can't wait.

Remember my TR lasted 15 months so don't worry about taking your time..;)

I have to head over and see what your post about almost walking out was about! And I can't believe my TR has been going for 6 months!!! Big difference from my last one. :rolleyes1

eandesmom

09-22-2009, 03:20 PM

Love the feeding the shark/holding the stinky shark bait face! that's priceless

YEAH an update!

mommytothreeboys

09-22-2009, 03:48 PM

YAY!! So glad to see you back with an update!

I agree with Owen.....GROSS!!!

Your boys are adorable as always...there's always one ham in every group isn't there?!

jordanyosh

09-22-2009, 04:12 PM

6 months into a TR....no worries...life happens and really, you're parenting alone right now...so we understand.

Lifelong_Dreamer

09-22-2009, 07:36 PM

Hurray! So glad you got the photobucket issues all worked out. :goodvibes

Emma's Dad

09-22-2009, 09:15 PM

Great update, Carissa! Glad to know I'm not the only one note finished with a TR :rotfl:

dismagiclover

09-23-2009, 07:49 AM

praisehisname

09-23-2009, 10:42 AM

Sea World looks like a lot of fun! We'll have to try and squeeze it in one of these times.

Denise

Charleston Princess

09-23-2009, 11:25 AM

Your boys are such good sports walking like penguins!!! :lmao:

Whew, what a relief that everyone escaped with all their limbs after feeding those skeery sharks! :laughing:

DisneyJo

09-23-2009, 03:00 PM

Beautiful photos, it looks like you all had a great time :goodvibes

GSD4ME

09-24-2009, 01:13 PM

Glad you had fun at SeaWorld . . . don't tell Disney, but we almost love going to SeaWorld more than Disney!! :scared1: Shocking, I know - but I'm a really big animal lover. When we went in 2007, we did a behind the scenes tour and got to touch a penguin. It was really neat - and they feel like feathers, which is NOT what I was expecting. I thought they'd feel more rubbery, I guess.

Love the look on Owen's face, too! :lmao:

carissanboys

09-24-2009, 07:06 PM

Love the feeding the shark/holding the stinky shark bait face! that's priceless

YEAH an update!

I know - it's shocking! ;)

YAY!! So glad to see you back with an update!

I agree with Owen.....GROSS!!!

Your boys are adorable as always...there's always one ham in every group isn't there?!

I don't know - I think there's 3 in my group. :rotfl:

6 months into a TR....no worries...life happens and really, you're parenting alone right now...so we understand.

Thanks J - things have been a bit overwhelming lately.

Hurray! So glad you got the photobucket issues all worked out. :goodvibes

Me too! And glad I didn't have to break down and pay for a pro account!

Great update, Carissa! Glad to know I'm not the only one note finished with a TR :rotfl:

Definitely not alone! I have to get over to yours and get caught up. Maybe I won't be far behind? ;-)

Great update! Love all the Sea World pictures. We really want to get over there one of these trips! We just always have trouble swallowing the money for admission when an extra day at DW is $3. (Disney marketing geniuses):rolleyes1 Your pictures inspire me to shell out the big bucks though;)

I don't know if I'd paid full price for Sea World. We love animals, but we've been to a lot of great zoos and aquariums over the years. I'd rather spend my money on Disney. :thumbsup2

Sea World looks like a lot of fun! We'll have to try and squeeze it in one of these times.

Denise

It was fun. Had a very different feel from WDW.

Your boys are such good sports walking like penguins!!! :lmao:

Whew, what a relief that everyone escaped with all their limbs after feeding those skeery sharks! :laughing:

I know, eh?! :rotfl:

Beautiful photos, it looks like you all had a great time :goodvibes

Thanks Jo - have a great trip! :)

Glad you had fun at SeaWorld . . . don't tell Disney, but we almost love going to SeaWorld more than Disney!! :scared1: Shocking, I know - but I'm a really big animal lover. When we went in 2007, we did a behind the scenes tour and got to touch a penguin. It was really neat - and they feel like feathers, which is NOT what I was expecting. I thought they'd feel more rubbery, I guess.

Love the look on Owen's face, too! :lmao:

That would be very cool - to touch a penguin. I would have loved to go to Discovery Cove and been in the water with the dolphins. Just too much money for us. Maybe someday.

carissanboys

09-26-2009, 09:01 AM

Finishing up with Wild Arctic, we backtracked to the Happy Harbor. That’s where all of the kid’s rides are located. Unfortunately, since it had rained, the huge climbing structure was closed. The boys were really bummed about that.

Sully decided he wanted to do the roller coaster. Let’s just say it was much tamer than Goofy’s Barnstormer and he wasn’t very impressed.

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Owen wanted to go on the Flying Fiddler.

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All three boys wanted to do the Swishy Fishies ride. If you’re wondering why they didn’t all go in the same cup, that’s because Sully loves to spin. And Owen is prone to motion sickness.

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Around this time I spotted Shamu out for pictures. Owen was the only one who wanted to go see him, so off we went.

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We said goodbye to Shamu. Then came my favorite part of the day.

We found the dolphin nursery.

We had so much fun watching the young dolphins swim around. We made our way to the back where it was pretty empty of people and had some great encounters with this one dolphin. He/she kept swimming very close to us and would just stare. It was so cool and I got a bit carried away with the pictures.

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We reluctantly said goodbye to our new friend and decided to get some ice cream before getting in line for the big show – Believe!

We sat outside the shop to eat our treats and were approached by an employee asking if we’d take a short survey of our visit. I said, “Sure!” and proceeded to tell him about our experience at the gate and the i.d. fiasco. He shook his head and said, “We tell them all of the time, but they just don’t get it.” So, with that off of my chest, we headed to the Believe! stadium about an hour early to ensure some good seats.

The boys hanging out before they let us in:

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Chuck didn’t want to sit in the splash zone, so we got the closest seats we could without getting wet. Before the show officially started, they paid tribute to the men and women in the armed forces and asked them all to stand. Then they also asked that the families of these men and women stand up. I got a bit teary eyed looking across the stadium at all of the military families.

I took a TON of pictures from this show, but I will spare you and only show my favorites.

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We really enjoyed the show, although I watched most of it from behind the camera. When the show was over, we decided to head out. We were all pretty tired.

Overall, I'd say we enjoyed our time at Sea World. I can't say we were blown away, but it was practically free for us and a nice way to spend an off Disney day.

We got back to our room at POR and took a short rest before heading to the food court for dinner. I decided to be a bit different that evening and had the beef, potato, corn, and corn bread. It was okay. Chuck had the make-your-own-pasta again, but went with the marina this time and said it wasn’t as good as the pesto or alfredo.

After dinner, Chuck took the boys to use their 30 minute arcade card while I did a load of laundry. Sadly, it was time to pack up as we’d be heading home the next day. But, we still had a character breakfast and another park to visit first!

The boys watched Cars for a bit and were asleep by 8:15.

Up Next – Breakfast with Stitch (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33768103&postcount=1567)

Lifelong_Dreamer

09-26-2009, 09:21 AM

Best update yet! I just love dolphins and killer whales. They are both so beautiful!

Charleston Princess

09-26-2009, 09:51 AM

What a darling picture of Owen and Shamu!

Your pictures from the dolphin nursery and the Shamu show are fantastic!!! What a great ending to your Sea World day!

MRYPPNS

09-26-2009, 09:55 AM

I love Sea World but I was less than impressed with Believe. I found it very corny with the whole necklace thing and the trainers.

So cool that you got a meet n greet with Shamu! I've never seen him.

carissanboys

09-26-2009, 10:01 AM

Best update yet! I just love dolphins and killer whales. They are both so beautiful!

Yes they are. I could have watched the dolphins all day.

What a darling picture of Owen and Shamu!

Your pictures from the dolphin nursery and the Shamu show are fantastic!!! What a great ending to your Sea World day!

Thanks Jackie :)

I love Sea World but I was less than impressed with Believe. I found it very corny with the whole necklace thing and the trainers.

So cool that you got a meet n greet with Shamu! I've never seen him.

I definitely agree about the show. The story is super cheesy, but I loved seeing the whales. I would have preferred more stunts and less story line.

mousescrapper

09-26-2009, 10:09 AM

:banana: YAY about figuring out what was wrong w/ accessing your pictures!!!! and so happy to see new updates! I can't believe I finished my TR before yours :confused3 but sad that your trip is coming to an end too :sad1:

Sea World looked like it was a worth well visit and practically free to boot...that is always a plus. I love all the pictures...the skerry sharks, icky fish food, Owen w/ Shamu- too cute and the shots from Believe look really awesome.

I have not been to SW since I was probably one of your boys ages...I'm not sure if we'd plan an off-site trip to do it, w/ the great Chicago Aquarium and Zoo's so close to home, and not sure I can justify the time away from Disney ;) so I'm glad to live vicariously thru your memories!

PS live the Mickey swril shirt Owen was wearing :thumbsup2 did any of you get zazzed for wearing "mickey stuff" at a competion park? over the summer at a trip to Great America up here, some store employee razzed me for wearing "the mouse" in their park :headache:

looking forward to hearing about the end!

Scrappie J-

MagicShell

09-28-2009, 05:42 PM

Sea World looks like fun, I would like to visit one day. I would probably go to Sea World San Antonio since my brother lives near San Antonio and I wouldn't have to use Disney time to see it.

carissanboys

09-28-2009, 05:42 PM

:banana: YAY about figuring out what was wrong w/ accessing your pictures!!!! and so happy to see new updates! I can't believe I finished my TR before yours :confused3 but sad that your trip is coming to an end too :sad1:

Hey Julie! :goodvibes I would never have guessed that it would take me this long to finish my TR. And thanks for commenting on my blog. :)

PS live the Mickey swril shirt Owen was wearing :thumbsup2 did any of you get zazzed for wearing "mickey stuff" at a competion park? over the summer at a trip to Great America up here, some store employee razzed me for wearing "the mouse" in their park :headache:

Thanks - I made those shirts for our first trip (or was it the 2nd?). And no, I don't remember anyone saying anything about wearing Mickey stuff. ;)

carissanboys

09-28-2009, 05:50 PM

Sea World looks like fun, I would like to visit one day. I would probably go to Sea World San Antonio since my brother lives near San Antonio and I wouldn't have to use Disney time to see it.

That sounds like a good plan. We saw Sea World in Australia back in 2005. I think I liked the layout of that park more, but it didn't have the huge show like Believe (although they did have a very nice dolphin show).

Native NYer

09-28-2009, 05:53 PM

Love the photos from Seaworld.

Gotta love a relaxing evening and early night in.

MeMom

09-28-2009, 07:14 PM

Great update! Love all the Sea World pictures. We really want to get over there one of these trips! We just always have trouble swallowing the money for admission when an extra day at DW is $3. (Disney marketing geniuses):rolleyes1 Your pictures inspire me to shell out the big bucks though;)

That's us, too. It's hard to think about paying more money when it's all been paid for at Disney World. We've been before, but it has been almost twenty years, I'd say. We are planning to do it again in the next few years, though, when the girls are a bit older.

Your pictures are great. I liked the one of the guys walking like penguins. :)

eandesmom

09-28-2009, 09:17 PM

Great update and I love the Dolphin Nursery!

I'd love to go to SeaWorld one of these days though am probably more likely to hit the one in San Diego.

Very fun pictures.

cjackearl

09-28-2009, 09:35 PM

Beautiful pictures at Sea World, Carissa. I love the one of the boys in the spinny ride. And the pictures of the orcas and dolphins are amazing. I forget how huge killer whales are. WOW!

Sea horses and sea dragons are my favorite sea creatures. I just :love: them. They're so peaceful looking.

Great update!

mommytothreeboys

09-29-2009, 07:44 AM

HI Carissa! :wave:

Great Sea World updates. We haven't been since 1992 but we loved it then. The Shamu show is GREAT! :thumbsup2

The pics of the boys on the spinny ride are cute! And Owen's face on that Flying Fiddler....priceless! :goodvibes

How sad that your trip report is coming to an end. :sad1: Looking forward to hearing about your character breakfast and last day at the parks! popcorn::

carissanboys

09-29-2009, 06:21 PM

Love the photos from Seaworld.

Gotta love a relaxing evening and early night in.

Most of our nights were like that since we're early birds. :thumbsup2

That's us, too. It's hard to think about paying more money when it's all been paid for at Disney World. We've been before, but it has been almost twenty years, I'd say. We are planning to do it again in the next few years, though, when the girls are a bit older.

Your pictures are great. I liked the one of the guys walking like penguins. :)

Thanks! They humor me once in a while. ;)

Great update and I love the Dolphin Nursery!

I'd love to go to SeaWorld one of these days though am probably more likely to hit the one in San Diego.

Very fun pictures.

I'd like to visit the one in San Diego too. Chuck's been there. The dolphin nursery was the best!

Beautiful pictures at Sea World, Carissa. I love the one of the boys in the spinny ride. And the pictures of the orcas and dolphins are amazing. I forget how huge killer whales are. WOW!

Sea horses and sea dragons are my favorite sea creatures. I just :love: them. They're so peaceful looking.

Great update!

I had never seen sea dragons before (not that I remembered anyway). They're so cool looking!

HI Carissa! :wave:

Great Sea World updates. We haven't been since 1992 but we loved it then. The Shamu show is GREAT! :thumbsup2

The pics of the boys on the spinny ride are cute! And Owen's face on that Flying Fiddler....priceless! :goodvibes

How sad that your trip report is coming to an end. :sad1: Looking forward to hearing about your character breakfast and last day at the parks! popcorn::

Thanks Missy - but it'll feel nice to have it completed. There was a while there when I wasn't sure it would ever get finished!

carissanboys

09-29-2009, 06:36 PM

~ April 4th, 2009 ~

We were up the next day by 6:15. After getting ready, we finished packing and were out the door by 7:45 and at ‘Ohana by 8:05. First thing they did was take our picture and I’m sure you’ve all realized by now that I’m a sucker for the group shots.

(sorry it's so small - I'll try and scan the original again)

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/mealohana.jpg

After the picture they had a surprise for me – another birthday card and this one was even personalized.

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I don’t remember what time our ADR was (I think it might have been 8:30), but we were seated immediately even though we were quite early. Stitch came over right after we sat down. Once again he tried to take off with our Stitch.

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Lilo getting’ down with the maracas!

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And the delicious food. I don’t think you could get a better assortment of food. And all brought to your table! No buffet – woohoo!

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Lilo stopped by to visit

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The after picture:

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This was our favorite character meal to date. Very relaxing, fun, and tasty! It was over in 30 minutes.

A few pictures on our way out

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And then it was time to hop on the monorail. Which park would we be visiting before heading out? Any guesses? Have I already given it away somewhere in the TR? I guess even if I have, it’s taken me so long to get here that you’ve probably forgotten. :rotfl:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3159.jpg

Up Next - Where We Learn About Stitch's Girlfriend (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33859203&postcount=1584)

lisalonglash

09-29-2009, 07:30 PM

praisehisname

09-29-2009, 08:07 PM

We also ended our trip with breakfast at Ohana. You are so right about it being the best character meal! :thumbsup2 And the food is sooooo good!

Denise

Charleston Princess

09-29-2009, 09:06 PM

Breakfast at Ohana's is such a great way to start the day!!! :goodvibes If you are taking the monorail to your last park, that kind of narrows the choices to about two, doesn't it? :laughing:

carissanboys

09-29-2009, 09:41 PM

I love Lilo & Stitch!! Your breaky looks wonderful :goodvibes The card they gave you is darling! How cute is the Mickey head dotting the I in your name?! :banana: Great pictures!

I wish Mickey liked anything they serve, but Mr. Picky Pants would likely starve there, so I crossed it off our list for the foreseeable future :sad2:

Hmmm.... my guess for the next destination will be Epcot or Magic Kingdom (since you're waiting for the monorail) :lmao: Who is Stitch's girlfriend anyway? Experiment number 672? :laughing:

You shall find out who his girlfriend is! I had no idea.

We also ended our trip with breakfast at Ohana. You are so right about it being the best character meal! :thumbsup2 And the food is sooooo good!

Denise

It was wonderful. :goodvibes

Breakfast at Ohana's is such a great way to start the day!!! :goodvibes If you are taking the monorail to your last park, that kind of narrows the choices to about two, doesn't it? :laughing:

Hey - maybe I was just trying to fool y'all! :rolleyes1

winkers

09-29-2009, 09:49 PM

It's nice to see you in the pictures!

Breakfast looked really yummy!

jordanyosh

09-30-2009, 01:33 AM

that food is making me hungry and I JUST had a plate of spaghetti.

Thanks for the review of this Character Meal.

Hope all is well with you.

cjackearl

09-30-2009, 07:18 AM

Great family shot (minus DH) at Ohana. The food looks good and I love the idea of not having to time your dashes to the buffet in order to see characters.:thumbsup2

Hmmm....MK?

littlezar

09-30-2009, 09:10 AM

Great pics ~ looked like a fun meal! Food looked yummy too! Love the pic with you, the boys & Lilo with the little stitch in the corner ~ so cute! Also love the ones where the boys are messing around with each other!

eandesmom

09-30-2009, 10:43 AM

what a great looking breakfast and happy happy crew! It's making me hungry :)

Great pictures.

Stitch has a girlfriend?

dismagiclover

09-30-2009, 11:58 AM

Ohana's breakfast looks great! I love the character meals where they bring the food to the table. So much less stressful with kids:thumbsup2 My guess is the Magic Kingdom. I can't wait to learn about Stitch's girlfriendpopcorn::

MagicShell

09-30-2009, 04:05 PM

I love your pictures from breakfast. That food really does look yummy. I would like to try that some day. Next trip we plan to eat breakfast with Alice because my daughter really wants to see her. We never saw her on our last trip. I hope the food there is as good as your food looks.

Native NYer

09-30-2009, 05:14 PM

The food looks so yummy! I didn't like Ohana's dinner, but now I've gotta try the character breakfast.

MeMom

09-30-2009, 07:11 PM

The food looks so yummy! I didn't like Ohana's dinner, but now I've gotta try the character breakfast.

What did you (or anyone else can chime in) not like about the dinner? We've done breakfast, and it was good, but because our men are meat eaters, we thought about trying to do a dinner next summer. The meat part is good, but the accompaniments worry me a little. Is it just pretty much noodles and bread while you wait for the meat? I'd love to hear opinions. I'd be fine with booking another breakfast, but I thought we should try the dinner, too, eventually.

Great pictures, Carissa, as always. Love seeing all your boys having fun together. :)

carissanboys

09-30-2009, 08:12 PM

It's nice to see you in the pictures!

Breakfast looked really yummy!

Thanks Cherie :)

that food is making me hungry and I JUST had a plate of spaghetti.

Thanks for the review of this Character Meal.

Hope all is well with you.

Mmmmm - spaghetti. Now you're making me hungry. ;)

Great family shot (minus DH) at Ohana. The food looks good and I love the idea of not having to time your dashes to the buffet in order to see characters.:thumbsup2

Hmmm....MK?

That is always tricky, isn't it? The trying to time getting your food at the buffet with the characters.

Great pics ~ looked like a fun meal! Food looked yummy too! Love the pic with you, the boys & Lilo with the little stitch in the corner ~ so cute! Also love the ones where the boys are messing around with each other!

I'd totally forgotten about Stitch in that picture! I think maybe Chuck was holding it up?

what a great looking breakfast and happy happy crew! It's making me hungry :)

Great pictures.

Stitch has a girlfriend?

Who knew, eh? :confused3

Ohana's breakfast looks great! I love the character meals where they bring the food to the table. So much less stressful with kids:thumbsup2 My guess is the Magic Kingdom. I can't wait to learn about Stitch's girlfriendpopcorn::

Definitely less stressful. :thumbsup2

I love your pictures from breakfast. That food really does look yummy. I would like to try that some day. Next trip we plan to eat breakfast with Alice because my daughter really wants to see her. We never saw her on our last trip. I hope the food there is as good as your food looks.

Alice would be cool. My boys aren't too excited about meeting the "girls" unfortunately. :sad2:

The food looks so yummy! I didn't like Ohana's dinner, but now I've gotta try the character breakfast.

We loved the dinner! But, you should definitely try the breakfast.

What did you (or anyone else can chime in) not like about the dinner? We've done breakfast, and it was good, but because our men are meat eaters, we thought about trying to do a dinner next summer. The meat part is good, but the accompaniments worry me a little. Is it just pretty much noodles and bread while you wait for the meat? I'd love to hear opinions. I'd be fine with booking another breakfast, but I thought we should try the dinner, too, eventually.

Great pictures, Carissa, as always. Love seeing all your boys having fun together. :)

We loved the dinner at 'Ohana, but I know some of the stuff has changed since we ate there. The food all came out so fast that we weren't really waiting for the meat. You guys should try it - so much fun! :goodvibes

DisneyJo

10-03-2009, 04:13 PM

Love your dolphin photos, so cute and we felt the same way about SeaWorld. We enjoyed our visit but aren't in a huge rush to go back!

Brekkie looks lovely and ummm I'm guessing you're off to the MK :rotfl:

carissanboys

10-06-2009, 10:16 PM

carissanboys

10-07-2009, 09:10 AM

Not to keep you in suspense any longer about where we were headed next…. :rotfl:

We hopped on the monorail and headed to the Magic Kingdom! We always have to end our trip there.

There were a few things that I wanted to see first – things that we’d never taken the time to check out.

1) Car Barn

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3165.jpg

2) Barber Shop

Chuck considered getting a haircut, but I think the line was a bit too long for us.

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3) Shopping

We went into the Emporium so Chuck could get a souvenir. He chose a really nice coffee mug with Walt and Mickey. We also found a Stitch magnet. But, first we needed to check out some other merchandise and take silly pictures.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3170.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3171.jpg

I thought these were really cool.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3172.jpg

As we were checking out, the CM waiting on us noticed our Stitch and asked if we knew about Stitch’s girlfriend Angel. Apparently, she was in the third Lilo and Stitch movie. She said there used to be Angel merchandise, but not anymore. When I got back home, I had to look her up!

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/StitchAngelwithwinterscraft.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/angelandstitchhugging1.jpg

With our purchases in hand, we headed outside for the obligatory shot in front of the castle.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3175.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3177.jpg

Connor requested that we ride the Tomorrowland Speedway. I don’t think we’d gone on this one since our first trip, so we decided to go ahead. The line wasn’t too long since it was early in the day. Sully rode alone for the first time, Owen with me, and Connor with Chuck.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3178.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3179.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3180.jpg

Since we were close by, we headed to Toontown afterwards. The boys all wanted to ride Goofy’s Barnstormer, but Connor chickened out at the last minute so he and I exited and waited for the rest of the gang.

We did some exploring of Minnie and Mickey’s houses. I took the time to notice some things I never had before.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3181.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3183.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3184.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3185.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3186.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3187.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3188.jpg

We made our way out of Toontown and hit one of our most favorite attractions – a must do every trip. Mickey’s Philharmagic! Just as good every time.

We had time for one more attraction before heading out. What would it be??

Up Next – Our Last Moments at the World

winkers

10-07-2009, 02:08 PM

I didn't know stitch had a girlfriend either!
How cute:lovestruc

I haven't made it to the houses in toontown yet, because they're always packed when we're there....It's on my to do list.

eandesmom

10-07-2009, 03:27 PM

I love the book pictures and the mickey cactus from toontown!

I'm going to make sure we go there in August, even if they think they are too old for it!

We love the MSB, cute barber shop pics.

I had no idea there was an car barn, where is that?

Angel huh? Who knew! She's cute.

lisalonglash

10-07-2009, 03:50 PM

We hopped on the monorail and headed to the Magic Kingdom! We always have to end our trip there.

Yay, you went to MK! :goodvibes

There were a few things that I wanted to see first – things that we’d never taken the time to check out.

1) Car Barn

Where is this? :confused3

2) Barber Shop

Chuck considered getting a haircut, but I think the line was a bit too long for us.

I'm sorry Chuck wasn't able to get a haircut there! It took us forever to find the barbershop and, when we did, there was a long line too :sad2: We checked on our way out of the MK, but the barbershop was closed (it closes pretty early) :headache:

3) Shopping

We went into the Emporium so Chuck could get a souvenir. He chose a really nice coffee mug with Walt and Mickey. We also found a Stitch magnet. But, first we needed to check out some other merchandise and take silly pictures.

Emporium shopping = good! :thumbsup2 Great pictures, Carissa!!!

As we were checking out, the CM waiting on us noticed our Stitch and asked if we knew about Stitch’s girlfriend Angel. Apparently, she was in the third Lilo and Stitch movie. She said there used to be Angel merchandise, but not anymore. When I got back home, I had to look her up!

Well, who knew?! Angel is cute!

With our purchases in hand, we headed outside for the obligatory shot in front of the castle.

Lovely pictures :woohoo:

Connor requested that we ride the Tomorrowland Speedway. I don’t think we’d gone on this one since our first trip, so we decided to go ahead. The line wasn’t too long since it was early in the day. Sully rode alone for the first time, Owen with me, and Connor with Chuck.

That's a great ride! Tigger and Mickey love it too! Isn't it adorable how serious your boys look while they're "driving"?! pirate:

Since we were close by, we headed to Toontown afterwards. The boys all wanted to ride Goofy’s Barnstormer, but Connor chickened out at the last minute so he and I exited and waited for the rest of the gang.

That Goofy is a bad pilot, hey? Through his barn, even! :laughing:

We did some exploring of Minnie and Mickey’s houses. I took the time to notice some things I never had before.

We did those for the first time this trip too. Those houses are so sweet - all the little touches really show the care Disney puts into each attraction. Love your pictures, those book titles are funny!

We made our way out of Toontown and hit one of our most favorite attractions – a must do every trip. Mickey’s Philharmagic! Just as good every time.

Look out for the spitting camel! :rotfl:

We had time for one more attraction before heading out. What would it be??

Hmmm .... Buzz?

Up Next – Our Last Moments at the World

:sad1:

praisehisname

10-07-2009, 04:00 PM

I'm sad that your trip is ending. :sad1:

Denise

DisneyJo

10-07-2009, 04:47 PM

Angel is so sweet, who would have thought that Stitch had a girlfriend??? :rotfl:

And I'm with the others, where is the car barn?

MagicShell

10-07-2009, 04:51 PM

I love the MK. I am glad you chose MK as your last park. It sounds like you had a great time.

carissanboys

10-07-2009, 05:37 PM

I didn't know stitch had a girlfriend either!
How cute:lovestruc

I haven't made it to the houses in toontown yet, because they're always packed when we're there....It's on my to do list.

Really? I don't think I've ever seen one busy. Maybe it's because we're almost always there not too long after it opens. :confused3

I love the book pictures and the mickey cactus from toontown!

I'm going to make sure we go there in August, even if they think they are too old for it!

We love the MSB, cute barber shop pics.

I had no idea there was an car barn, where is that?

Angel huh? Who knew! She's cute.

It was the first time I ever went into Mickey's tool shed and I loved all of the book titles! Such neat touches.

The car barn is to the left of the barber shop.

Where is this? :confused3

Answer is right above. ;)

Thanks for all of your wonderful comments, Lisa! :goodvibes

I'm sad that your trip is ending. :sad1:

Denise

Me too. It's been really nice going through the pictures and remembering - especially since it's taken me so long to finish and now it's been a while since we were there! I so want to go back.

Angel is so sweet, who would have thought that Stitch had a girlfriend??? :rotfl:

And I'm with the others, where is the car barn?

If you're facing the barber shop, it's to the left. :thumbsup2

I love the MK. I am glad you chose MK as your last park. It sounds like you had a great time.

I love the last few moments at MK. We just take our time and relax. Nothing that we *have* to do.

carissanboys

10-07-2009, 05:39 PM

I found the following:

Main Street Vehicles

The Horse Drawn Trolley and Main Street Fire Engine or other vintage vehicles are sometimes available for rides from one end of the street to the other. Look for displays about horses and early transportation in the Car Barn.

It is located to the left of the barber shop on Main Street.

KathyRN137

10-07-2009, 08:40 PM

As we were checking out, the CM waiting on us noticed our Stitch and asked if we knew about Stitch’s girlfriend Angel. Apparently, she was in the third Lilo and Stitch movie. She said there used to be Angel merchandise, but not anymore. When I got back home, I had to look her up!

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/StitchAngelwithwinterscraft.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/angelandstitchhugging1.jpg

I never knew this!

Kathy

carissanboys

10-07-2009, 08:55 PM

I never knew this!

Kathy

I have a feeling not too many people ever saw the 3rd Lilo and Stitch movie! :rotfl:

jordanyosh

10-07-2009, 09:06 PM

I have a feeling not too many people ever saw the 3rd Lilo and Stitch movie! :rotfl:

there was a 2nd one?

carissanboys

10-07-2009, 10:20 PM

there was a 2nd one?

:rotfl:

Yup. And we even own that one. :thumbsup2

jordanyosh

10-07-2009, 10:21 PM

:rotfl:

Yup. And we even own that one. :thumbsup2

I guess I am gonna lose my Disney fanatic membership...;)

carissanboys

10-10-2009, 03:48 PM

I guess I am gonna lose my Disney fanatic membership...;)

Nah - I think you get a free pass on this one. ;)

carissanboys

10-10-2009, 03:51 PM

After finishing up in Fantasyland, we headed over to Tom Sawyer’s Island. Sully and I had never been over there and it was something we really wanted to check out on this trip. The boys could have stayed for hours! Here are a few pictures of our time exploring:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3189.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3190.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3191.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3192.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3193.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3194.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3195.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3196.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3197.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3198.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3199.jpg

Sadly, it was time for us to leave the park. We hopped on the train for a final ride around the park, got off on Main Street and headed to the bakery. We had some snack credits to use up. We bought 3 chocolate chip muffins, 1 chocolate crossaint, 1 blueberry muffin, and 2 apple turnovers. They made great snacks on the drive home!

We headed to the monorail. Poor Stitch was holding back tears.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3200.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3201.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3202.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3203.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3204.jpg

Before we got on the road to begin our drive to Georgia, where do you think we went for lunch?? It was some place we had never been before.

Up Next – Fill Yo' Trunque with Pedro’s Junque! (We made our way back over to the Polynesian and meandered around until we found Captain Cook’s. I was really excited to finally get the chance to try the infamous dole whip! After inquiring to the CM working the register how the whole process worked, I managed to get everyone’s meals ordered. My notes only say that Chuck and http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=33930985&posted=1#post33930985)

dismagiclover

10-10-2009, 05:06 PM

:sad1::sad1::sad1: Leaving the MK for the last time each trip is always a sad moment! I hope lunch is somewhere goodpopcorn::

Native NYer

10-10-2009, 05:50 PM

The last day is so sad :sad2:

Hmmm lunch.... Not sure. Was it at one of the monorail resorts?

KathyRN137

10-10-2009, 06:36 PM

We headed to the monorail. Poor Stitch was holding back tears.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3200.jpg

Wow, Car! He really does look as if he's about to cry! :sad1:

TSI was such a great way to end your park time.

What's for lunch, Mom?

Kathy

mommytothreeboys

10-10-2009, 06:43 PM

We really loved our 'Ohana breakfast too. The food was delicious and we thought the characters were great. We're big Stitch fans in this house!

Oh...and I knew Stitch had a girlfriend! Only because Isaiah spent most of his souvenir shopping time on our trip on a mission to find a plush Angel for his Stitch. NO LUCK! :sad2: Stitch is still lonely.

Woo-Hoo for MK! What a great way to spend the last day. I'm so glad you made it over to Tom Sawyer Island. My boys could stay there for hours as well! What a great place to explore and just be a kid!

MMMM....the Main Street Bakery! Good choice for on-the-road snacks! :goodvibes

MeMom

10-10-2009, 06:44 PM

Tom Sawyer Island is the perfect place for three active boys to run off some steam and do some major exploring.

I'm glad you are going somewhere new for lunch. Hopefully that added some fun to the inevitable departure.

Stitch is so cute in his lei. I know he had a great time!

Charleston Princess

10-10-2009, 10:31 PM

I can almost see Stitch's tears!!! I shed a few every time we leave Disney as well.

Oh, where did you head for lunch? popcorn::

praisehisname

10-12-2009, 07:24 AM

I can't think where you went for lunch. The last day is so sad...

Denise

carissanboys

10-12-2009, 07:36 AM

:sad1::sad1::sad1: Leaving the MK for the last time each trip is always a sad moment! I hope lunch is somewhere goodpopcorn::

It was - at least we thought so!

The last day is so sad :sad2:

Hmmm lunch.... Not sure. Was it at one of the monorail resorts?

Yes. :goodvibes

Wow, Car! He really does look as if he's about to cry! :sad1:

TSI was such a great way to end your park time.

What's for lunch, Mom?

Kathy

I love spending a couple of hours at MK before we hit the road. It makes us arrive later at our hotel that night, but who cares??

We really loved our 'Ohana breakfast too. The food was delicious and we thought the characters were great. We're big Stitch fans in this house!

Oh...and I knew Stitch had a girlfriend! Only because Isaiah spent most of his souvenir shopping time on our trip on a mission to find a plush Angel for his Stitch. NO LUCK! :sad2: Stitch is still lonely.

Woo-Hoo for MK! What a great way to spend the last day. I'm so glad you made it over to Tom Sawyer Island. My boys could stay there for hours as well! What a great place to explore and just be a kid!

MMMM....the Main Street Bakery! Good choice for on-the-road snacks! :goodvibes

Did I already mention that the CM said there used to be lots of Angel merchandise in the parks, but not anymore? You win a prize for already knowing about the girlfriend! ;)

Tom Sawyer Island is the perfect place for three active boys to run off some steam and do some major exploring.

I'm glad you are going somewhere new for lunch. Hopefully that added some fun to the inevitable departure.

Stitch is so cute in his lei. I know he had a great time!

Tom Sawyer was definitely a great choice. The park was starting to get busy too, so TSI is a wonderful oasis from all of that.

I can almost see Stitch's tears!!! I shed a few every time we leave Disney as well.

Oh, where did you head for lunch? popcorn::

The final installment is written. I'll be posting it sometime this week.

I can't think where you went for lunch. The last day is so sad...

Denise

Yes, it is. Thanks for the leaves falling smilie - I love it!

littlezar

10-12-2009, 08:11 AM

Fun pics from Tom Sawyer's Island! Stitch does look sad in that pic! I have to admit that I can recite most of the original Lilo & Stitch movie, but we own 4 of them but I've only seen parts of the other 3. My youngest 2 have both been on Lilo & Stitch kicks where that's all they wanted to watch. There was Lilo & Stitch, Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch has a Glitch, Leroy & Stitch and Stitch: The Movie. Not sure what order they came out in, that's the order they're sitting on the shelf, LOL.

carissanboys

10-12-2009, 08:45 AM

DisneyJo

10-12-2009, 03:50 PM

winkers

10-12-2009, 06:37 PM

I hate leaving MK for the last time each trip.

jordanyosh

10-12-2009, 07:55 PM

Last day..so sad.....

Those last pix at the monorail station had me sighing....it's like...see you later...don't know when I'll be back again....

Blueyed Girl

10-12-2009, 08:59 PM

So sad it's all coming to an end. Sorry I haven't posted much this time around. I've tried to read and keep up as much as I can. It looks like you guys had a really great trip. Can't wait to see whats for lunch.

Happydog

10-12-2009, 09:54 PM

Hi, Carissa! I finally was able to get caught up on these last days of your trip! Last days are sad, but it seems you ended it right! Looking forward to your lunch plans..... ;)

carissanboys

10-13-2009, 07:52 AM

My girls really want to explore Tom Sawyers Island next trip, it's always been too hot to do it in August, looks like your boys had fun and what a good way to burn some energy before your drive home :thumbsup2

I think it might be a good place to go when it's hot - lots of shade!

I hate leaving MK for the last time each trip.

Especially when you don't know when you'll be back. :(

Last day..so sad.....

Those last pix at the monorail station had me sighing....it's like...see you later...don't know when I'll be back again....

Exactly.

So sad it's all coming to an end. Sorry I haven't posted much this time around. I've tried to read and keep up as much as I can. It looks like you guys had a really great trip. Can't wait to see whats for lunch.

Hey Cherie! I completely understand, trust me. Glad to see you stop by. :)

Hi, Carissa! I finally was able to get caught up on these last days of your trip! Last days are sad, but it seems you ended it right! Looking forward to your lunch plans..... ;)

I think I'm more sad now than I was when we left. I'll talk about that in my final thoughts.

carissanboys

10-13-2009, 08:01 AM

We made our way back over to the Polynesian and meandered around until we found Captain Cook’s. I was really excited to finally get the chance to try the infamous dole whip! After inquiring of the CM working the register how the whole process worked, I managed to get everyone’s meals ordered. My notes only say that Chuck and I had the flatbread pizza (which was very good) and the dole whip. Not sure what the boys had.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3205.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3206.jpg

Chuck got the dole whip and let’s just say he went a big crazy with the portion size. I didn’t come close to finishing mine. But, that might be because I wasn’t all that impressed with it. Maybe I’d like the dole float more. I got a bit tired of the taste after a few bites. But, at least I can now say I’ve tried it!

Had to take a few pictures on the way out…

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3207.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3208.jpg

We headed to the van and officially left Walt Disney World around 1:30 p.m.

My notes for the drive home say, “2 headed donkey" and "van turned into a pickup truck.” I know I thought they were amusing at the time, but I don’t remember if it was a real donkey???

We also saw a really bad car accident on 95 south. Traffic was backed up forever. People were out of their cars and walking around. It was one of those moments where you’re so sad for the people in the accident and so glad you’re not the one stuck in the traffic.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3210.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3211.jpg

This water just looked so unbelievably calm. Beautiful.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3212.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3213.jpg

We ate dinner at a Wendy’s and made it to our hotel by 7:30. We took a quick swim in the indoor pool and then we all went to bed. Or tried to anyway. Our neighbors were VERY loud. And I’m a light sleeper. Even with our fan that Chuck went out to get from the van, I could still hear them (and by this time it was after 11). We also realized that we’d left behind my pillow in POR. Argh!! I know I probably could have called and checked about having it mailed back to me, but I didn’t bother.

I finally managed to get to sleep. Woke up bright and early the next day, ate our complimentary breakfast, and hit the road by 7:30.

We knew we were getting closer to home when we started seeing signs for South of the Border! I know this one isn’t very funny, but I kept trying to get a picture of a sign and was excited when I finally accomplished my task.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3215.jpg

My favorite sign on the way home said, “Fill Yo' Trunque with Pedro’s Junque!” Really?

I have no more notes of our trip, but I know two events occurred that stuck in my mind. The first was a rock that hit our windshield and caused a crack.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/Disney%2009/IMG_3217.jpg

A few weeks after returning home, we called our insurance company and were able to have someone come out and try to “repair” the crack for free. They fill it with resin in the hopes that it won’t crack any further. Well, let’s just say the crack has since grown.

The other big event was Owen began not feeling well. I think he was complaining his throat hurt. I thought maybe he was just getting a cold. We stopped for dinner at some fast food place and he ate a little bit. Got back in the van and there was lots of stopping and starting through northern Virginia. Finally, Owen began coughing and I knew instantly what it meant. Yup – car sick time. I grabbed a plastic bag I had with me and handed it back to him, but he didn’t open up the bag before he erupted. Chuck pulled over but it was an area with a guard rail and not really enough room. Very scary to be stopped there. I won’t go into details, but it was a mess to clean up. Thank goodness we weren’t too far from home!!

We made it home safely by early evening. Another successful trip completed.

Up Next – A Life Update (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33944351&postcount=1633)

mommytothreeboys

10-13-2009, 08:08 AM

I had the Dole Whip float and really enjoyed it...I agree that I may not have liked just the soft serve as much. The pineapple juice really made it for me.

Oh..Poor Owen! I know that car sick feeling and it's NOT AT ALL FUN. Or for you either having to clean it up...UGH. Not a great way to end the trip, huh?

Looking forward to your recap and final thoughts...so what IS the big deal about staying on property? Are we going to get an answer?? :confused3 :goodvibes

carissanboys

10-13-2009, 08:12 AM

I had the Dole Whip float and really enjoyed it...I agree that I may not have liked just the soft serve as much. The pineapple juice really made it for me.

I love pineapple juice. I think I would prefer pineapple juice over vanilla soft serve more.

Oh..Poor Owen! I know that car sick feeling and it's NOT AT ALL FUN. Or for you either having to clean it up...UGH. Not a great way to end the trip, huh?

He's our puker so I wasn't surprised. :rotfl:

Looking forward to your recap and final thoughts...so what IS the big deal about staying on property? Are we going to get an answer?? :confused3 :goodvibes

The answer shall be revealed! ;)

Lifelong_Dreamer

10-13-2009, 08:14 AM

I love Capt Cooks flatbread, yum yum!

Car sick! That is too bad, it really sucks when that happens.

dismagiclover

10-13-2009, 08:32 AM

Not impressed with the Dole Whip:scared1: That is some kind of DIS boards blasphemy;) Personally, I really like it but can definitely see how a few bites would be enough if you didn't totally dig the flavor. It is very distinct. The float actually makes the whole thing sweeter so who knows if you'd like that.
Sorry about the carsick thing. I definitely know how that goes. My youngest gets car sick regularly and that DC area traffic brings it on like nothing else.
Looking forward to the final thoughtspopcorn::

carissanboys

10-13-2009, 08:41 AM

I love Capt Cooks flatbread, yum yum!

Car sick! That is too bad, it really sucks when that happens.

It was very tasty!

Not impressed with the Dole Whip:scared1: That is some kind of DIS boards blasphemy;) Personally, I really like it but can definitely see how a few bites would be enough if you didn't totally dig the flavor. It is very distinct. The float actually makes the whole thing sweeter so who knows if you'd like that.
Sorry about the carsick thing. I definitely know how that goes. My youngest gets car sick regularly and that DC area traffic brings it on like nothing else.
Looking forward to the final thoughtspopcorn::

I know - should I mention that I've never tried school bread and I know I wouldn't like it because I hate coconut? :rotfl: Being sweeter wouldn't be a problem. I'm just not a fan of fruity icecream.

liznboys

10-13-2009, 11:05 AM

carissanboys

10-13-2009, 11:38 AM

Heeey..I'm all caught up. And sad that it's almost over.

I am not a Dole Whip fan. I've tried the whip and the float. I'm not a fan of fruity ice cream either!

I'm looking forward to your final thoughts. :)

Hey! :hug: Glad to see you stop by - I know how busy you are. And glad to see some support of my non-fan status of the dole whip! ;) Give me chocolate icecream anytime! :thumbsup2

liznboys

10-13-2009, 11:57 AM

Hey! :hug: Glad to see you stop by - I know how busy you are. And glad to see some support of my non-fan status of the dole whip! ;) Give me chocolate icecream anytime! :thumbsup2

I'm actually not a big fan of chocolate ice cream either! LOL! My favorite is vanilla soft serve with rainbow sprinkles. I love milk chocolate Dove bars, and coffee ice cream too.

Oh, and recently we bought Mayfield Snow Cream and that's pretty good and interesting. Neat texture. It is snow-like!

here's a picture of the snow cream, isn't the package cute? That's what made me want to try it. lol
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/lizgrace76/MayfieldSnowCream.jpg

carissanboys

10-13-2009, 12:12 PM

I'm actually not a big fan of chocolate ice cream either! LOL! My favorite is vanilla soft serve with rainbow sprinkles. I love milk chocolate Dove bars, and coffee ice cream too.

Oh, and recently we bought Mayfield Snow Cream and that's pretty good and interesting. Neat texture. It is snow-like!

here's a picture of the snow cream, isn't the package cute? That's what made me want to try it. lol
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/lizgrace76/MayfieldSnowCream.jpg

When I get soft serve, I always get half 'n half. I like vanilla soft serve, but I find it gets boring if that's all I have. Vanilla icecream is a different story. And coffee is my favorite! :)

What makes the snow cream different? I mean, are there different ingredients than icecream or just made differently to produce a different texture?

liznboys

10-13-2009, 12:26 PM

Ths first ingredient on the Snow Cream is water, and then milk etc. So it has a more icy texture then regular ice cream.

eandesmom

10-13-2009, 05:01 PM

Ooh poor Owen! That is just no fun.

I have to admit, I've no desire to try the Dole whip or float. I like pineapple....but preferably plain, or in a cocktail!

:lmao:

That flatbread pizza looks a lot like the one at Roarin' Forks that DH had and he loved it.

winkers

10-13-2009, 06:16 PM

throw up in the car is never a good thing and always hard to clean.
A few years ago evan tossed his cookies while he was sitting in the back of the van. It all went into the cupholder and storage area.
I couldn't figure out how to get it all cleaned so I went to the carwash and used the vacuum to suck it all out.

I feel sorry for the poor person who had to later empty the vacumm.:eek:

Native NYer

10-13-2009, 10:13 PM

Poor Owen!

The trip home is always so sad :sad2:

Can't wait to read your final thoughts.

jordanyosh

10-13-2009, 10:40 PM

Sorry about the Yak Attack.

winkers

10-14-2009, 12:16 AM

Sorry about the Yak Attack.

:lmao:

carissanboys

10-14-2009, 08:27 AM

Ths first ingredient on the Snow Cream is water, and then milk etc. So it has a more icy texture then regular ice cream.

Gotcha. We'll have to check it out.

Ooh poor Owen! That is just no fun.

I have to admit, I've no desire to try the Dole whip or float. I like pineapple....but preferably plain, or in a cocktail!

:lmao:

That flatbread pizza looks a lot like the one at Roarin' Forks that DH had and he loved it.

Nothing like fresh pineapple! I've tried the lapu lapu (is that what it's called) but it was way too strong for me. I don't like to taste alcohol in my fruity drinks. :rolleyes1

throw up in the car is never a good thing and always hard to clean.
A few years ago evan tossed his cookies while he was sitting in the back of the van. It all went into the cupholder and storage area.
I couldn't figure out how to get it all cleaned so I went to the carwash and used the vacuum to suck it all out.

I feel sorry for the poor person who had to later empty the vacumm.:eek:

:rotfl: Most of the "yak" was on Owen, the plastic bag, and his backpack. There was a small amount that got on the floor of the van, but Chuck used baking soda to clean it and there was never any smell. Thank goodness!

Poor Owen!

The trip home is always so sad :sad2:

Can't wait to read your final thoughts.

It may take me a while to get them up. I'll actually have to be able to think for that one! ;)

Sorry about the Yak Attack.

:lmao:

carissanboys

10-14-2009, 08:44 AM

Before I get to the final thoughts of this trip, I thought I'd take a moment to update you on what's been happening in our lives.

The boys and I have been trying to stay busy and enjoy the gorgeous weather we've been having. We've been letterboxing/hiking and we took a trip to the zoo recently.

http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww34/willtravelbyfoot/Picture834.jpg

http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww34/willtravelbyfoot/zoo031.jpg

We've been studying the solar system for the past two months and I'm hoping to take the boys to the Air and Space Museum in the near future. And I recently found out that Colonial Williamsburg is offering free passes to military families for Veteran's Day. Chuck will be home just in time to go with us!

Chuck has 3 weeks left of school and then he'll finally be returning home. It looks like he'll probably have to head out to the ship for a week or two before it returns to port for the holidays. Then he'll be leaving for a long six month deployment at the beginning of January. This has been a bit difficult to accept as I was hoping to have him home a bit longer than that before he had to ship out again for such a long period of time. But, it's something we knew could be a possibility. We're glad we'll get to have him home for Thanksgiving and Christmas and he'll get two weeks of leave during that time.

We currently have a small trip planned right after Thanksgiving to go "cabin camping" in North Carolina. We wanted to do tent camping, but felt it would be too chilly. So, we found this great campsite that has very basic camping cabins so it'll still feel like camping - we'll just have a shelter and a small heater inside! :thumbsup2 We're all looking forward to it.

That pretty much brings you up to speed on what's been going on in our lives. :goodvibes

Up Next - Final Thoughts - Part 1 (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34174034&postcount=1665)

Happydog

10-14-2009, 08:59 AM

carissanboys

10-14-2009, 09:20 AM

I am sure it is tough being solo with your husband being away -- my DH is a navy kid, father often on ships, and they moved about a bit. But he has great respect for him mom, who really was the one there with his grandma so much of the time when his day couldn't be. I think your cabin camping sounds like so much fun! We are headed to Shennandoah this weekend to do the same thing. The fall weather is really beautiful around here... of course it is only going to be in the 50s today.. what happened to fall!!! ;)

It's times like this that I wish we lived close to my family. :(

The Shennandoah Valley is so beautiful! I was checking the foliage report and it isn't peak yet, but once it heads that way I think the boys and I will take a nice, long drive.

Our forecast for the week is rainy and highs in the 50's. :scared1: Guess it's time to put away the shorts and get out the colder weather clothes.

eandesmom

10-14-2009, 09:34 AM

mommytothreeboys

10-14-2009, 09:37 AM

Hi Carissa :wave: Thanks for the family update! The boys look great! LOVE the haircuts..they all look so grown-up!

Sorry to hear about Chuck's deployment. I'm so glad you will have the holidays together. I know it's tough doing the single mom thing. My very good friend's husband is in the Air Force and went to Iraq for his second tour at the beginning of September. She does well and puts on a good face, but I can tell how stressful it is and how much she misses him. And it's tough on her 7 year old daughter as well. I know I can't really be there to help you out, but know that I am here for you for any encouragement you need!

I loved visiting Colonial Williamsburg when I was a little girl! I love all that history stuff. Your boys will have a great time...let us know how that goes!

liznboys

10-14-2009, 10:08 AM

That's great about the free passes to Williamsburg. I want to hear all about your visit there!

carissanboys

10-14-2009, 10:14 AM

Oh I'm so sorry it is such a short break, that must be very hard. How has the homeschooling been going?

Have fun cabin camping, that would be lovely at that time of year and Colonial Williamsburg should be wonderful!

Homeschooling is going well. :)

Hi Carissa :wave: Thanks for the family update! The boys look great! LOVE the haircuts..they all look so grown-up!

Sorry to hear about Chuck's deployment. I'm so glad you will have the holidays together. I know it's tough doing the single mom thing. My very good friend's husband is in the Air Force and went to Iraq for his second tour at the beginning of September. She does well and puts on a good face, but I can tell how stressful it is and how much she misses him. And it's tough on her 7 year old daughter as well. I know I can't really be there to help you out, but know that I am here for you for any encouragement you need!

I loved visiting Colonial Williamsburg when I was a little girl! I love all that history stuff. Your boys will have a great time...let us know how that goes!

Thanks Missy :hug: When I found out the news, I had a pity party that lasted about a day. Then I moved on. I just take it one day at a time and try to stay positive. Things could be so much worse and our lives are very blessed. :goodvibes

That's great about the free passes to Williamsburg. I want to hear all about your visit there!

It's such a great deal. I've been to CW a handful of times in my life, but I've never actually gotten the passes to go inside any of the buildings so this will be a first for all of us! So many businesses out there are so good to the military. We are very lucky. :grouphug:

littlezar

10-14-2009, 11:11 AM

winkers

10-14-2009, 11:31 AM

I can't imagine how hard it must be to have you dh away for so long.:hug:

Free tickets for Williamsburg is cool! It's one of the places I want to take my kids. So, I'll be expecting a mini tr about it.:thumbsup2

MagicShell

10-14-2009, 05:24 PM

I am sorry to hear that your trip ended with Owen getting sick. That could not have been fun for any of you.

I'm glad your family will be together for the holidays, but I am sorry you won't be together very long. I truly admired all of you who make such big sacrifices for the rest of us. You are appreciated by me and so many others. Thank you.

DisMomAmy

10-14-2009, 05:49 PM

Hi Carissa!! Sorry I've been MIA over here... I have been reading along (thanks for the links) but it seems like every time I am ready to post something interrupts me. :headache:

Sorry Owen got sick on the ride home! I hope it didn't last too long.
Also sorry to here Chuck will be shipped out for so long! :hug: I'm glad he'll be home for the holidays! :goodvibes

I remember reading about you guys going letterboxing a while ago, then recently there was a tv program on our local news channel about geocaching. We decided to try it out! I bought a GPS app for my iphone for $10 and it guides us around where we need to go. Zach really enjoys it. We'll have to check out letterboxing sometime too. From what I can tell it's a similar concept without the GPS to help. :confused3 Thanks for the inspiration! :thumbsup2

Can't wait to hear your final thoughts and to get the answer to the burning question... What's the big deal with staying on property anyway? ;)

carissanboys

10-15-2009, 08:29 AM

Love the South of the Border signs! They always make me laugh!

Sorry about the puking in the car - my youngest did it right after we passed an exit and the next exit was 10 miles away.

Feeling your pain about the deployment. :hug:

:hug:

I can't imagine how hard it must be to have you dh away for so long.:hug:

Free tickets for Williamsburg is cool! It's one of the places I want to take my kids. So, I'll be expecting a mini tr about it.:thumbsup2

I don't think this TR will still be going when we make our trip to Colonial Wiliamsburg, but there will definitely be pictures on Facebook. :)

I am sorry to hear that your trip ended with Owen getting sick. That could not have been fun for any of you.

I'm glad your family will be together for the holidays, but I am sorry you won't be together very long. I truly admired all of you who make such big sacrifices for the rest of us. You are appreciated by me and so many others. Thank you.

Thank you :goodvibes There are families out there who make far greater sacrifices than we do. We've had it pretty easy for most of Chuck's military service so it's only fair that we do our part.

Hi Carissa!! Sorry I've been MIA over here... I have been reading along (thanks for the links) but it seems like every time I am ready to post something interrupts me. :headache:

Sorry Owen got sick on the ride home! I hope it didn't last too long.
Also sorry to here Chuck will be shipped out for so long! :hug: I'm glad he'll be home for the holidays! :goodvibes

I remember reading about you guys going letterboxing a while ago, then recently there was a tv program on our local news channel about geocaching. We decided to try it out! I bought a GPS app for my iphone for $10 and it guides us around where we need to go. Zach really enjoys it. We'll have to check out letterboxing sometime too. From what I can tell it's a similar concept without the GPS to help. :confused3 Thanks for the inspiration! :thumbsup2

Can't wait to hear your final thoughts and to get the answer to the burning question... What's the big deal with staying on property anyway? ;)

Hey Amy! :) Owen was fine after the yak attack. ;)

Very cool about geocaching! We've done it twice. The first time we found the cache, the second time we didn't. We were using our car GPS and it just isn't accurate enough to find most caches. Letterboxing is similar except most of the time you are just using clues to find the boxes. And there is stamping involved. We prefer letterboxing, but both are awesome activities for families. :)

praisehisname

10-16-2009, 09:39 AM

So sorry about your trip being over, and the car sickness on the way home. You'll definitely have to do a mini TR on your Williamsburg trip. DH and I honeymooned there. We love it!

Denise

jmskinner

10-17-2009, 08:35 PM

Carissa, just caught up. I haven't been reading TR's lately.:confused3 Love all the Seaworld pics! Yes, I was that far behind. Your pics made me want to go dig out the disk that has our pics from the San Antonio Seaworld.

Sorry you didn't care for the dole whip, but you will have to try the float sometime. Oh, and I saw that about the Snow Cream, I'll have to try that, have you yet? I also love coffee ice cream. When I was young my Grandma would make homemade ice cream and I would put some coffee in it.

Looks like the boys had a great time at TSI. And I have never really noticed the car barn, even though we go to the barber shop often.

Oh, and no fun getting sick in the car. Jacob got sick on the airplane home on our first trip. The attendant gave us coffee to spread around on the floor to hide the smell. It worked!

mousescrapper

10-17-2009, 08:47 PM

just checking and in and saying HI :wave2:

glad all is well and Chuck will be home soon even though a short time, but how wonderful to have him home for the holidays....hope you tell us all about the camping on your BLOG...I was actually talking to some friends about your blog and reciepes this morning...:goodvibes

looking forward to your final thoughs and love the question Amy asked ;)

J-

carissanboys

10-18-2009, 09:46 AM

So sorry about your trip being over, and the car sickness on the way home. You'll definitely have to do a mini TR on your Williamsburg trip. DH and I honeymooned there. We love it!

Denise

I guess I could try and drag this thing out until we go to CW. I could break the final thoughts down into a couple of installments. ;)

Carissa, just caught up. I haven't been reading TR's lately.:confused3 Love all the Seaworld pics! Yes, I was that far behind. Your pics made me want to go dig out the disk that has our pics from the San Antonio Seaworld.

Sorry you didn't care for the dole whip, but you will have to try the float sometime. Oh, and I saw that about the Snow Cream, I'll have to try that, have you yet? I also love coffee ice cream. When I was young my Grandma would make homemade ice cream and I would put some coffee in it.

Looks like the boys had a great time at TSI. And I have never really noticed the car barn, even though we go to the barber shop often.

Oh, and no fun getting sick in the car. Jacob got sick on the airplane home on our first trip. The attendant gave us coffee to spread around on the floor to hide the smell. It worked!

And I love the smell of coffee! :)

I understand about not reading TRs. I go through phases like that and it's so hard to get caught up. Glad to see you stop by. :)

just checking and in and saying HI :wave2:

glad all is well and Chuck will be home soon even though a short time, but how wonderful to have him home for the holidays....hope you tell us all about the camping on your BLOG...I was actually talking to some friends about your blog and reciepes this morning...:goodvibes

looking forward to your final thoughs and love the question Amy asked ;)

J-

Hey Julie! :)

We actually just decided not to do the camping trip, unfortunately. We've made the decision to get a new pet - a Russian Tortoise. Between the cost of getting him (we'll be buying a juvenile from a breeder) and then not able to leave him alone for very long, we've decided to cancel the trip. But, we will go another time!

Thanks for promoting my blog! :)

Oh - and I will definitely get to answering that question. ;)

lazydoxy66

10-25-2009, 10:21 PM

Sandy321

10-25-2009, 10:26 PM

I'm actually not a big fan of chocolate ice cream either! LOL! My favorite is vanilla soft serve with rainbow sprinkles. I love milk chocolate Dove bars, and coffee ice cream too.

Oh, and recently we bought Mayfield Snow Cream and that's pretty good and interesting. Neat texture. It is snow-like!

here's a picture of the snow cream, isn't the package cute? That's what made me want to try it. lol
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/lizgrace76/MayfieldSnowCream.jpg

WAIT....

you can BUY snow cream? :faint:

that is just so wrong!!

(sorry for the hijack Carissa - but we made snow cream growing up - the first snow - you just made snow cream with real snow!!)

Those boys are just gorgeous - and how great to get away in a cabin in the fall!!

KathyRN137

10-26-2009, 12:41 AM

Thanks for keeping us updated!

I know it will be hard on all of you when Chuck leaves in January; at least having him for the holidays takes a bit of the sting out of it. :hug:

Kathy

MeMom

10-26-2009, 05:22 AM

Colonial Williamsburg should be fun!

Enjoy your holidays with Chuck. I hate that he has to leave again so soon. It's hard on us just reading about it, so I know it is hard on you doing it. I raised three kids entirely alone, so I do know what you are going through. I was lucky to have some close friends to help along the way when I got in a bind - like if one kid needed to be in one place and another need to be somewhere else for school or church activities.

I wish you lived close to some DIS friends. We could be fill-in 'family' when you needed us to!

I am cold-natured, so getting a cabin sounded so much better to me than just a tent. Camping in warmer months sounds even better! :laughing:

carissanboys

10-26-2009, 07:51 AM

Hello Carissa!

I just got caught up. Wow did I miss a lot.

You got some great shots of Shamu. The kids and there expressions are a hoot.

Your breakfast at Ohana's looked and sounded so good. I'm glad to hear you rate it among your favs. I'll have to put that one on the list.

The last day at MK was awesome and sad. You hate to say goodbye.

I'm sorry about Owen's getting sick on the way home. Thank goodness you were on the last leg of your return.

Enjoy the holidays with your DH. I hope that the 6 months will pass quickly next year!

You go ahead and take your time finishing this up. I do want to hear your final thoughts.

Glad to hear you say that cause I do seem to be taking my time, don't I? :rolleyes1

WAIT....

you can BUY snow cream? :faint:

that is just so wrong!!

(sorry for the hijack Carissa - but we made snow cream growing up - the first snow - you just made snow cream with real snow!!)

Those boys are just gorgeous - and how great to get away in a cabin in the fall!!

Thanks (and hijack away)! We've decided not to do the camping trip due to acquiring a new family member (pictures to follow).

Thanks for keeping us updated!

I know it will be hard on all of you when Chuck leaves in January; at least having him for the holidays takes a bit of the sting out of it. :hug:

Kathy

Yes, it does. :hug:

Colonial Williamsburg should be fun!

Enjoy your holidays with Chuck. I hate that he has to leave again so soon. It's hard on us just reading about it, so I know it is hard on you doing it. I raised three kids entirely alone, so I do know what you are going through. I was lucky to have some close friends to help along the way when I got in a bind - like if one kid needed to be in one place and another need to be somewhere else for school or church activities.

I wish you lived close to some DIS friends. We could be fill-in 'family' when you needed us to!

I am cold-natured, so getting a cabin sounded so much better to me than just a tent. Camping in warmer months sounds even better! :laughing:

Thanks MeMom. :hug: I'm just the opposite - I prefer to camp in the cooler months because I hate the heat! :rotfl:

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I mentioned that we canceled our camping trip because we adopted a new family member. Meet Darwin the Russian Tortoise...

http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww34/willtravelbyfoot/zoo075.jpg

http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww34/willtravelbyfoot/zoo091.jpg

And a short video of Darwin eating...

http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww34/willtravelbyfoot/th_zoo080.jpg (http://s703.photobucket.com/albums/ww34/willtravelbyfoot/?action=view&current=zoo080.flv)

Only 11 days until Chuck comes home! :banana: :banana: :banana:

liznboys

10-26-2009, 04:04 PM

Wow that's neat you got a tortoise! Looks like he enjoys his salad! So what kind of pen is he in, did you build it? How much cleaning does he require?

carissanboys

10-26-2009, 06:28 PM

Wow that's neat you got a tortoise! Looks like he enjoys his salad! So what kind of pen is he in, did you build it? How much cleaning does he require?

He's currently in a bookshelf, but when Chuck gets back he'll be building a large box to fit inside the boys' old train table so he'll have more room.

He really doesn't require much cleaning. You scoop out his pee and poop (he only pees once a day pretty much and he's only pooped once in his enclosure - could be once a day). You're supposed to change the substrate (the "stuff" in the enclosure) once a month. I soak him every other day for 10 minutes (a lot of the time they will go to the bathroom at that time). He eats once a day. Pretty simple!

GSD4ME

10-26-2009, 09:00 PM

So, Carissa . . . how old and how big is Darwin? How big will he get? Looks like he loves his salad, too . . . what else does he eat? (Can you tell I'm an animal lover? LOL!)

pamouselover

10-26-2009, 09:05 PM

Hi!!!!!!
Sorry for the sickness. Not fun... Me no fan of south of the border.
How is it your TR never get closed down? Mine was closed before I even had a chance to post the rest of the pictures! :lmao:
I need a disney fix so popped in here. No time to dis anymore.

carissanboys

10-26-2009, 10:25 PM

So, Carissa . . . how old and how big is Darwin? How big will he get? Looks like he loves his salad, too . . . what else does he eat? (Can you tell I'm an animal lover? LOL!)

:goodvibes I can only guess at his age right now. We'll be taking him to the vet soon and maybe they'll have a better idea. My guess is about 10 years old. He's about 5 inches and could get up to 6 - 8 since he's a male (females get a bit bigger). He can eat green leafy stuff, some flowers and weeds. He's mainly fed a diet of grocery food at this point since I don't have a yard of stuff that I can feed him and know it's safe from pesticides. He gets collards, romaine, spring mix, endive, kale, occassional carrot - that's about what I've been able to find for him so far. Russian's are herbivores.

Hi!!!!!!
Sorry for the sickness. Not fun... Me no fan of south of the border.
How is it your TR never get closed down? Mine was closed before I even had a chance to post the rest of the pictures! :lmao:
I need a disney fix so popped in here. No time to dis anymore.

Hey Melody :)

I don't know. Marisa is good to me. She knows I'll PM her when this thing is finally finished. ;)

I'm watching the Eagles beat the Skins right now.

Phibbles

10-29-2009, 01:04 PM

carissanboys

10-30-2009, 09:15 AM

Did you purchase or catch Darwin?

He is very cute. As a kid, we used to catch turtles all the time and keep them outside as pets They always managed to sneak away eventually though. :confused3

I would love to have a turtle pet again, but I think it may be illegal in NJ.

Hey Kevin :)

Seeing as he's a Russian Tortoise, he wouldn't have been found in the wild here. ;) We purchased him at a pet store, where he was probably wild caught and sold to them.

DisMomAmy

10-31-2009, 09:33 AM

Hi Carissa! I'm glad Chuck will be home soon. I hope you all enjoy the time you have with him before he has to leave again. :sad2:

Thanks for sharing pictures of Darwin. :thumbsup2

mommytothreeboys

10-31-2009, 09:40 AM

Hi Carissa!

Darwin is awesome! Isaiah would freak out if I showed him...he's been begging for a turtle. I'll show him later...not ready to deal with all that right now!

Enjoy your time with Chuck. We miss you...check in when you can! :goodvibes

jordanyosh

11-01-2009, 09:57 PM

Hi Carissa!:)

carissanboys

11-02-2009, 08:32 AM

Hi Carissa! I'm glad Chuck will be home soon. I hope you all enjoy the time you have with him before he has to leave again. :sad2:

Thanks for sharing pictures of Darwin. :thumbsup2

Thanks Amy! :)

Hi Carissa!

Darwin is awesome! Isaiah would freak out if I showed him...he's been begging for a turtle. I'll show him later...not ready to deal with all that right now!

Enjoy your time with Chuck. We miss you...check in when you can! :goodvibes

:rotfl: Did you show him yet? I miss you all, too. Besides being busy, I'm also in that Disney lull - when you don't have any trips planned for the future (well, we're tentatively thinking about a trip in 2013 when Chuck retires) so coming here isn't top on my list. It can just be too depressing sometimes, you know? :sad1:

Hi Carissa!:)

Hey J! :)

carissanboys

11-02-2009, 08:41 AM

I apologize for taking so long to continue with this (although I am purposely trying to drag it out so I can include a mini TR on Colonial Williamsburg :rolleyes1 ).

Chuck is coming home on Friday and we're all starting to get really excited! Seems like forever since we've had a normal family routine. We're planning on going to Colonial Williamsburg next Monday so look for a mini TR on that.

On with the show...

Let's now answer the question on everyone's mind - What's the big deal about staying on property anyway? :confused3

I can say without a doubt that we enjoyed our first on property trip. :thumbsup2 There was something magical about the resort and to be immersed in that magic 24/7 was wonderful. :wizard: We absolutely adored being able to hop on the water taxi and head to Downtown Disney with such ease. We all fell in love with Port Orleans Riverside and think it was a fabulous first choice. :love:

So, yeah - I get what the big deal is. But, is it such a big deal to us that we will never stay off property again? Afraid not. If you recall, the only reason we stayed on property this time was because of the great deal we received. In other circumstanaces, I'm not sure we could justify the cost when we would be very happy staying at a place like Windsor Hills. With that said, we do hope to stay at Fort Wilderness one day. Can anyone smell another camping PTR in my future?? :rolleyes1

Up Next - Mini TR - Colonial Williamsburg (http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34318815&postcount=1687)

Charleston Princess

11-02-2009, 09:07 AM

winkers

11-02-2009, 11:01 AM

How long will Chuck be home for?

I'm excited to see what you think about williamsburg! It's one of the places I'm considering for vacation next summer.

mousescrapper

11-02-2009, 11:10 AM

Let's now answer the question on everyone's mind - What's the big deal about staying on property anyway? :confused3

I can say without a doubt that we enjoyed our first on property trip. :thumbsup2 There was something magical about the resort and to be immersed in that magic 24/7 was wonderful. :wizard: We absolutely adored being able to hop on the water taxi and head to Downtown Disney with such ease. We all fell in love with Port Orleans Riverside and think it was a fabulous first choice. :love:

So, yeah - I get what the big deal is. But, is it such a big deal to us that we will never stay off property again? Afraid not. If you recall, the only reason we stayed on property this time was because of the great deal we received. In other circumstanaces, I'm not sure we could justify the cost when we would be very happy staying at a place like Windsor Hills. With that said, we do hope to stay at Fort Wilderness one day. Can anyone smell another camping PTR in my future?? :rolleyes1

Carissa....

it finally coming to an end...seems like forever ago we were there huh? I do hope another WDW trip will be in your future and a camping one at FWC sounds just so right for you guys...fit your budget but still get the perks of staying on property :thumbsup2

I'll be w/ you whenever you start the planning...

looking forward to reading your mini Williamsburg TR too popcorn::

J~

Phibbles

11-02-2009, 11:40 AM

Hi Carrissa...

FW is the best. You have to do it.
I keep thinking I am going to make my next trip a FW outing too.

Have you see the waterslide upgrade at the FW pool? They did a great job!

DisMomAmy

11-02-2009, 11:53 AM

Hi Carissa - I think you summed it up perfectly!! We feel the same way about staying onsite. It was magical! But we too only did it because of a great deal. I'm dreaming of Fort Wilderness cabins some day. ;)

eandesmom

11-02-2009, 12:20 PM

It is a big deal but I also get the cost differences, even with a great promo, it's still more expensive to stay on property.

I really hope you get to do FW as a camping trip, we loved the cabins and it would be fun to camp there as well.

jordanyosh

11-02-2009, 01:14 PM

carissanboys

11-02-2009, 01:15 PM

I do agree that being immersed in the magic 24/7 is one of the best things about staying on-site!

I would love to read about a Fort Wilderness camping trip -- I think you should start planning that soon. ::yes::

Hurray for Chuck coming home on Friday! I bet your boys get more and more hyper as the week progresses! :goodvibes

I don't know - a trip 3 1/2 - 4 years away might be pushing it in the PTR department. :rotfl:

How long will Chuck be home for?

I'm excited to see what you think about williamsburg! It's one of the places I'm considering for vacation next summer.

He has to check in on the ship on Veteran's Day (so we'll get the weekend and mon and tues with him home). We're not sure when after that he'll be leaving, but it probably won't be too long. But, he should only be gone a week or two. He'll be back home by Thanksgiving and then the ship will be heading out for a 6 month deployment beginning of January. So, he won't be home for long, but we'll make the most of it. :goodvibes

Carissa....

it finally coming to an end...seems like forever ago we were there huh? I do hope another WDW trip will be in your future and a camping one at FWC sounds just so right for you guys...fit your budget but still get the perks of staying on property :thumbsup2

I'll be w/ you whenever you start the planning...

looking forward to reading your mini Williamsburg TR too popcorn::

J~

Thanks Julie! :hug:

Hi Carrissa...

FW is the best. You have to do it.
I keep thinking I am going to make my next trip a FW outing too.

Have you see the waterslide upgrade at the FW pool? They did a great job!

I haven't looked at pictures - I should do that before I forget. :thumbsup2 The nice thing with homeschooling is we can pick whatever time of the year we want and not have to worry about the boys missing school. I would only want to camp when it's comfortable outside.

Hi Carissa - I think you summed it up perfectly!! We feel the same way about staying onsite. It was magical! But we too only did it because of a great deal. I'm dreaming of Fort Wilderness cabins some day. ;)

I'd love the cabins, too. They're just so pricey!

It is a big deal but I also get the cost differences, even with a great promo, it's still more expensive to stay on property.

I really hope you get to do FW as a camping trip, we loved the cabins and it would be fun to camp there as well.

I just love the idea of being at Fort Wilderness. I fell in love with it when we went for HDD.

carissanboys

11-02-2009, 01:16 PM

Thanks for your final thoughts!

I would never say never to staying offsite, but since I'm travelling cross country, Id probably save up and go less frequently so I could stay onsite.

Chuck coming home:thumbsup2

There is also the perk of having the dining plan, which we enjoyed. Couldn't do that if we stayed off property. But, we loved staying at Windsor Hills, too. I'd be happy with either option so it's a case of whichever happens to work out for each trip.

jordanyosh

11-02-2009, 01:18 PM

There is also the perk of having the dining plan, which we enjoyed. Couldn't do that if we stayed off property. But, we loved staying at Windsor Hills, too. I'd be happy with either option so it's a case of whichever happens to work out for each trip.

I was also able to get the 5/2 deal at Pop which saved me a few hundred dollars which was nice.

winkers

11-02-2009, 01:24 PM

I don't know how you do it!
the longest I've gone without dh around is a week and it was pure hell!
part of that might have been that I still had 3 kids too young for school and one of them was a newborn.....

I'm so greatful there are people like you and Chuck....

carissanboys

11-02-2009, 02:11 PM

I was also able to get the 5/2 deal at Pop which saved me a few hundred dollars which was nice.

Nice. :thumbsup2

I don't know how you do it!
the longest I've gone without dh around is a week and it was pure hell!
part of that might have been that I still had 3 kids too young for school and one of them was a newborn.....

I'm so greatful there are people like you and Chuck....

The boys are old enough for school, but since I homeschool, we never get a break from one another. :scared1: It can be tough at times, but I think we've settled into a groove. We've been lucky the rest of the time Chuck has been in the navy. He never had to be deployed to a war zone so I'm thankful for that. I think it's those spouses (and servicemen/women) who deserve the credit!

It's just something that we have to get through right now and I'm all about just trying to stay positive. I had about one day of a pity party when I found out he'd be leaving on a 6 month deployment not long after he got back from being away at school for 5 months. But, I'm over it. :)

liznboys

11-02-2009, 09:03 PM

Lifelong_Dreamer

11-02-2009, 09:10 PM

Glad you felt the on-property Magic! With three kids I don't blame you though for considering the off-property options. Disney is definitely not the best or most affordable when it comes to families larger than 4!

lazydoxy66

11-06-2009, 03:35 AM

Carissa,

Great job! I enjoyed hangin' with your family on this! Thank you so much for including all of us in your adventures! You are great people. I think your final thoughts were real. There is definitely a trade-off either way you do it. As long as you and the family are happy, that's all that matters. It's good that we live in a country that lets us have these kinds of choices. :goodvibes

Welcome Home, Chuck!

I'll be watching for that Williamsburg report. Have an awesome time!

Charleston Princess

11-06-2009, 05:23 AM

Hope you and the boys are having a blast with Chuck! :goodvibes

MeMom

11-06-2009, 06:41 AM

We've been lucky the rest of the time Chuck has been in the navy. He never had to be deployed to a war zone so I'm thankful for that. I think it's those spouses (and servicemen/women) who deserve the credit!

I think that's enough to make you very, very thankful. ::yes::

I know you guys will have a great time together all through the holidays! :)

mommytothreeboys

11-06-2009, 08:52 PM

Hi Carissa! So sad this is coming to an end...remember when we were all planning together? **sigh**

I hope you and the boys are enjoying your time with Chuck. :banana::banana:

Looking forward to hearing about Williamsburg. It looks like Dan will be coming to Virginia Beach in April for his Band/Chorus trip and taking a trip there as well.

OhMari

11-07-2009, 09:59 PM

Hey,
I finally got back to your report, and all your pictures are gone.
Did you exceed your limit with photobucket?
I read your tr faster, but it stinks, not seeing pics.
Hope you are having a good weekend,
and I told my dh we are pulling our camper down, I want to stay at Fort Wilderness.

jmskinner

11-08-2009, 05:45 AM

I'm sure you and the boys are enjoying having Chuck home. I'm sure he is happy to be home too.

Can't wait to read you mini TR on Colonial Williamsburg. We never made it over there, but I sure wanted to.

carissanboys

11-13-2009, 09:37 AM

I hope you get to try out Fort Wilderness! We really enjoyed our cabin night there and would stay there again (in a cabin. lol) And as far as onsite and offsite, of course we prefer onsite, but the offsite deals are REALLY good. And sometimes the deals win out! It's nice to have options and be happy with all of them. We've realized that the magic of the trip overall is still there even when you are offsite! :cool1:

So true! :goodvibes

Glad you felt the on-property Magic! With three kids I don't blame you though for considering the off-property options. Disney is definitely not the best or most affordable when it comes to families larger than 4!

Yup. If there were only four of us, it might be doable to stay in a value resort. But having the extra person makes things trickier.

Carissa,

Great job! I enjoyed hangin' with your family on this! Thank you so much for including all of us in your adventures! You are great people. I think your final thoughts were real. There is definitely a trade-off either way you do it. As long as you and the family are happy, that's all that matters. It's good that we live in a country that lets us have these kinds of choices. :goodvibes

Welcome Home, Chuck!

I'll be watching for that Williamsburg report. Have an awesome time!

Thanks! I hope to get the Williamsburg pictures up today or tomorrow.

Hope you and the boys are having a blast with Chuck! :goodvibes

Thanks Jackie :) It's been wonderful having him home. :love:

I think that's enough to make you very, very thankful. ::yes::

I know you guys will have a great time together all through the holidays! :)

Thanks MeMom!

Hi Carissa! So sad this is coming to an end...remember when we were all planning together? **sigh**

I hope you and the boys are enjoying your time with Chuck. :banana::banana:

Looking forward to hearing about Williamsburg. It looks like Dan will be coming to Virginia Beach in April for his Band/Chorus trip and taking a trip there as well.

Cool! It's an awesome place. :)

Hey,
I finally got back to your report, and all your pictures are gone.
Did you exceed your limit with photobucket?
I read your tr faster, but it stinks, not seeing pics.
Hope you are having a good weekend,
and I told my dh we are pulling our camper down, I want to stay at Fort Wilderness.

Sorry Marisa. I am so over photobucket!! I'm actually considering breaking down and just getting the pro account so I can stop having issues.

I'm sure you and the boys are enjoying having Chuck home. I'm sure he is happy to be home too.

Can't wait to read you mini TR on Colonial Williamsburg. We never made it over there, but I sure wanted to.

Hey Melissa :) Mini TR coming soon. :)

carissanboys

11-13-2009, 11:09 AM

We had beautiful weather on Monday for our trip to Colonial Williamsburg. They were generous enough to offer all military and their dependents free passes for Veteran's Day. I'm not one to pass up free stuff, so off we went.

The drive there was gorgeous. It was a lovely fall day and the leaves are finally beginning to change. So pretty.

After getting our passes and seeing the movie they show at the visitor center called "The Patriot" we took the shuttle bus to the Governor's Palace. Normally it costs extra to get a tour of the palace, but I guess it was included in our passes.

The governors who stayed in this palace were all british royalty, thus the reason for the amazing features inside.

Taken along the way:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/001-2.jpg

Some of the landscaping:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/002-2.jpg

The entrance:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/003-1.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/004-1.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/005-1.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/006-2.jpg

The ballroom:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/007.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/008.jpg

The intricate woodwork throughout was just gorgeous. I had never seen anything like it.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/009.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/010-1.jpg

We headed outside to check out the maze.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/011.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/012.jpg

The grounds were so peaceful. You could spend a good long while just exploring the palace and the grounds around it.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/013.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/014.jpg

We then headed over to the playhouse to catch a show.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/015.jpg

Before the show started, a woman was sitting on the stage and talking about theater and performances back in colonial times. She was also answering questions. Well, Owen raised his hand and asked how many people were at the meetings held in the town hall. I think she might have been looking for questions geared more towards the performing arts, but she answered it well. Then Connor raised his hand. I tried to get him to tell me what he was going to ask first, but he wouldn't. She called on him and he said, "What is a Patriot?" Again, she tried her best to answer the question. Leave it to my boys to ask the complicated questions.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/016.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/017.jpg

After the show, we began to just walk around and check things out.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/018.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/019.jpg

They were getting ready to perform at Revolution City.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/020.jpg

We got a snack at the Raleigh Tavern Bakery, but had to leave quickly because of an incident with bees. I am very fearful of stinging insects, but my boys are even worse.

We decided to head out at this point. The boys were getting tired. Our passes were good for two days and we considered going back the next day, but ended up just staying home. We hope to take advantage of this wonderful gift next Veteran's Day and see even more.

I did take a few pictures and a video on the drive home to show the tunnel and water in our area.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/021.jpg

A navy ship in the distance:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/022.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/023.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/024.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/th_026.jpg (http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/?action=view&current=026.flv)

Up Next - Final Thoughts Part 2

praisehisname

11-13-2009, 05:24 PM

You had a beautiful day for your trip to Williamsburg! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

DisMomAmy

11-13-2009, 05:55 PM

Sounds like a fun day! I've always wantd to visit Colonial Williamsburg... I'll get there someday.

Glad you are enjoying family time with Chuck!

mommytothreeboys

11-13-2009, 07:05 PM

I remember visiting Colonial Williamsburg when I was a little girl. All I wanted was a hand-made broom...that much I recall vividly!

Looks like a beautiful family day!

jordanyosh

11-13-2009, 07:41 PM

How far of a drive is it?

Just so cool to live that close to so much american history.

MeMom

11-14-2009, 05:57 AM

It's so nice that you had that fun family time. I have said for years I want to go to Williamsburg, but who know if I ever will. I only seem to find my way south when I have time off.
We planned a trip to Busch Gardens Williamsburg once,
but we ended up
going to
Disney World. :laughing:

I would have loved seeing that house. Those green chairs are interesting.

That's a cool picture of the horses and carriage. If you took that lady out of the back, it would look like the real thing. :) Did you guys ride?

Charleston Princess

11-14-2009, 07:23 AM

What a fun time at Williamsburg! I would love to take the kids sometime, and your pictures are so cool! I love that the boys weren't afraid to ask questions.

I remember the Norfolk tunnel. Not a big fan of it! :sad2:

dismagiclover

11-14-2009, 07:59 AM

Thanks for all the info Carissa. We're actually going to Williamsburg for Thanksgiving so this was very timely for us:goodvibes Looking forward to your final final thoughts.

carissanboys

11-14-2009, 09:40 AM

You had a beautiful day for your trip to Williamsburg! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

We did have gorgeous weather! Completely different than what we've been having for the past 4-5 days!

Sounds like a fun day! I've always wantd to visit Colonial Williamsburg... I'll get there someday.

Glad you are enjoying family time with Chuck!

Thanks Amy :)

I remember visiting Colonial Williamsburg when I was a little girl. All I wanted was a hand-made broom...that much I recall vividly!

Looks like a beautiful family day!

It was! :goodvibes

How far of a drive is it?

Just so cool to live that close to so much american history.

It's only about an hour from us. And I agree. We have lots to see and do during the time we live here. :thumbsup2

It's so nice that you had that fun family time. I have said for years I want to go to Williamsburg, but who know if I ever will. I only seem to find my way south when I have time off.
We planned a trip to Busch Gardens Williamsburg once,
but we ended up
going to
Disney World. :laughing:

I would have loved seeing that house. Those green chairs are interesting.

That's a cool picture of the horses and carriage. If you took that lady out of the back, it would look like the real thing. :) Did you guys ride?

We'll be going to Busch Gardens next year if they offer free entry for military again. Can't do this year since we already used our free entrance to Sea World.

No, we didn't do the carriage ride.

What a fun time at Williamsburg! I would love to take the kids sometime, and your pictures are so cool! I love that the boys weren't afraid to ask questions.

I remember the Norfolk tunnel. Not a big fan of it! :sad2:

I don't mind the tunnel. I used to live in Chesapeake years ago and had to drive through the tunnels to Hampton every day for work. Kind of got used to it.

Thanks for all the info Carissa. We're actually going to Williamsburg for Thanksgiving so this was very timely for us:goodvibes Looking forward to your final final thoughts.

Cool! You guys will love it. Hope you have beautiful weather. :)

liznboys

11-14-2009, 04:37 PM

It looks like you had a great Williamsburg visit! You had a beautiful day. Thanks for the pretty pictures and report, they make me want to go there even more. :)

Blueyed Girl

11-14-2009, 05:01 PM

Glad you had a great trip and wonderful family time with Chuck!!! Your pictures are great. You are right, that woodwork is just gorgeous!

VandyFan10

11-14-2009, 10:00 PM

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee163/carissanboys/024.jpg

That's me in front of you :rotfl:!!

Glad you guys had a great time....I would like to go back to Williamsburg sometime. I got to go in the 6th grade for our class trip. But my parents have been back several times since then. They actually just spent 2 weeks up there earlier in the year. They love it!!

DisneyJo

11-15-2009, 03:55 PM

Looks like a very interesting place to visit and even better that it was free :thumbsup2

carissanboys

11-16-2009, 09:51 AM

It looks like you had a great Williamsburg visit! You had a beautiful day. Thanks for the pretty pictures and report, they make me want to go there even more. :)

I hope you get to go! :) And, of course, then you'd have to visit with us. :goodvibes

Glad you had a great trip and wonderful family time with Chuck!!! Your pictures are great. You are right, that woodwork is just gorgeous!

Thanks Cherie! :)

That's me in front of you :rotfl:!!

Seriously???

Looks like a very interesting place to visit and even better that it was free :thumbsup2

Definitely! It would have cost us well over $100 for passes. :thumbsup2

jmskinner

11-17-2009, 09:44 AM

carissanboys

12-17-2009, 07:45 AM

Great mini TR. I really wish we could have seen Colonial Williamsburg when we were closer. Maybe next time we end up in that area.

I'm sure lots of people asks questions not related to the performing arts.

Can't believe this TR is coming to an end.

Hey Melissa! Sorry it took me so long to reply. I do hope you get a chance to visit Colonail Williamsburg at some point. :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry for being MIA! Chuck returned home on November 6th and we've been spending time together as a family and just enjoying his presence. My parents came to visit for a week at the beginning of December and that was lovely since we hadn't seen them in over a year.

They ended up not flying Chuck out to the ship so he's been home with us since he finished school. We have him here for a little while before he begins his deployment.

I had planned on one more installment of final thoughts about the trip, but I know it'll take me forever to get to it. So, I figure I will just end this thing now. I don't like to leave things unfinished!

I thank each and every one of you who read along, posted comments, and gave support over the past months. You will never know how much it was appreciated. You all are the best! :love: Our family wishes yours the happiest of holidays. May peace, joy, and love abound - now and throughout the new year. :goodvibes

Native NYer

12-17-2009, 07:56 AM

Happy Holidays!! And a wonderful New Year to you and your family :goodvibes

Charleston Princess

12-17-2009, 08:00 AM

Have a wonderful holiday season with all of your boys, Carissa! Thanks for sharing a fabulous trip with us! :goodvibes

MeMom

12-17-2009, 08:10 AM

Our family wishes yours the happiest of holidays. May peace, joy, and love abound - now and throughout the new year. :goodvibes

The same to you and yours!
I am all about the peace, joy, and love, for sure!

Keep us posted on things. You are welcome to come over to our report and chime in and show off pictures of your three great boys any time. I am so glad you were all able to spend time together.

The people who sit a couple of rows up from me in church have a son, their only child, who will be going to Iraq for a second time in a couple of months. He'll be leaving his wife and a young son and daughter, and I know it will be hard on them. Last time he went, they were pretty small, and the girl was just an infant, so it wasn't as hard on them. I think this time it's going to be a lot tougher.

We'll be keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. :)

carissanboys

12-17-2009, 08:41 AM

Happy Holidays!! And a wonderful New Year to you and your family :goodvibes

Thanks Jennifer! :)

Have a wonderful holiday season with all of your boys, Carissa! Thanks for sharing a fabulous trip with us! :goodvibes

Thanks Jackie :goodvibes

The same to you and yours!
I am all about the peace, joy, and love, for sure!

Keep us posted on things. You are welcome to come over to our report and chime in and show off pictures of your three great boys any time. I am so glad you were all able to spend time together.

The people who sit a couple of rows up from me in church have a son, their only child, who will be going to Iraq for a second time in a couple of months. He'll be leaving his wife and a young son and daughter, and I know it will be hard on them. Last time he went, they were pretty small, and the girl was just an infant, so it wasn't as hard on them. I think this time it's going to be a lot tougher.

We'll be keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. :)

Thanks MeMom - we appreciate them! This is the first time Chuck will actually be in harm's way and while I think he'll be pretty safe on board a carrier, there is still that small amount of worry. My main concern is keeping his morale and spirits up so we will be sending regular care packages.