Going Back! The 2nd Time's Gotta Be Even Better Than The 1st, right? - A Sept PTR

[trickiwoo]

I've been planning this trip for awhile now, but I didn't want to start a PTR until I'd booked my trip!

Well, I booked it this morning! I'm going to Disney World!!!!! :woohoo:


Details:

POFQ
September 5-10
FREE DINING!!!!


Table Of Contents:

Introductions (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36510869)
How Our Trip Came To Be (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36521785)
I'm Back! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36855684)
Booking Our Trip! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36855996)
ADRs! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36868137)
Cameras! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36881264)
Lenses! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36881288)
Camera Bags! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36881486)
First Mickey Mail! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36915957)
Wishes Dessert Party (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36944196)
Vacation Time Approved! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37016194)
Dining Plans (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37032157)
Updates (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37087728)
Flying! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37097480)
Updates... With Hamster Photos! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37244679)
My Apartment (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37244977)
Thinking About Packing And Luggage (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37322301)
Let's Talk Snacks! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37335969)
Changing Plans... Again! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37362853)
Purses! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37392148)
I've Got My Camera Bag (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37483873)
DME Troubles! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37578118)
Scrapbook (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37647650)
One Month!!!!!!! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37688276)
List Of Firsts! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37722229)
Food, Drinks, Snacks & Desserts (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37747121)
Childhood Disney Photos (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37760972)
Hot Diggity Dog! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37889279)
New Shoes! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37927520)
Last Minute Disney Panic!!!!! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=38057127)

[trickiwoo]

Who's Going:

Me

http://inlinethumb61.webshots.com/44604/2269927080105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Otherwise known as Lindsay! I'm 24 years old and I live in NC. I work as a dog walker and pet sitter, and I also do a bit of freelance photography on the side. Animals and photography are my life! I'm very passionate about both! (If you want to know more about my photography, I'm on deviantART (http://yuripanda.deviantart.com) and Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindsayrdean/)) When I'm not working or taking pictures, I'm usually volunteering with various animal rescue organizations and shelters! I'm a Disney fantatic! I grew up in Southern California and went to Disneyland all the time! I took my first trip to WDW last September, and now I'm totally hooked!


The Boyfriend

http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/44237/2922361910105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Otherwise known aas Chris! He's 25 years old and also lives in NC. He works as a software developer and makes video games in his spare time. He lived in Florida for awhile growing up and visited WDW often.


http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/45694/2008304290105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

We went to WDW together last September and had an absolute blast! We had such a good time... we're going back again this September!

We've been dating for 4 years. We actually went to the same high school and were in the same graduating class, but never once met the whole time we were there! We met in college and immediately hit it off and have been together ever since! And now we're taking the next step and moving in together the end of this month!



Who's Staying At Home:

http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/15753/2674965100105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Our dog Rosie! She's a 3 year old mix breed. We adopted her in 2008 from a local rescue. She is the funniest little dog and fills our life with entertainment!


http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/4789/ziggygwycgsjtv.jpg

My hamster Ziggy Stardust. He's a 2 month old Russian Campbell's Dwarf. I adopted him a few weeks ago from a local small animal rescue. He is super sweet and friendly!


The Boyfriend's mom is nice enough to sit for our furbabies when we go to WDW! We'll miss them horribly, but we know they're in good hands!

Coming soon... pre pre-trip planning!

[trickiwoo]

I have to leave for work soon, so lets hope I can make this quick!

So how the planning started...

Well, we went to WDW last September. It was my very first time at WDW, so we wanted to cram as much into the trip as we could. It was a lot of fun... but pretty exhausting. We talked about how our next trip would be more relaxing... maybe upgrade to a fancier resort and spend more time at the resort and less time in the parks. I didn't think The Boyfriend was at all interested in going again in 2010... so I thought we'd probably go back in a couple years.

Then in March I got a free QSDP pin in my e-mail for summer dates. I have no desire at all to visit WDW in the summer, but I was excited to get a pin! I told The Boyfriend about it and he was like, "What's free dining?" So I explained it all to him and he said, "Well, if they offer free dining again in the fall, I'd like to do that!"

I immediately jumped into planning mode! I joined the mass of DISers eagerly awaiting FD announcements! I kept The Boyfriend up to date on all current rumors regarding FD. The Boyfriend thought I was crazy... but he did get a little swept up in WDW planning. And after awhile it came to the point where if FD wasn't offered, we still probably would have gone. But our official plan was to wait for fall offers to be announced. If FD was offered, book! If something else was offered, we'd discuss it and see if it was worth taking advantage of.

The wait for FD seemed to last forever!!! After awhile we started looking into going to Universal Studios instead. I've never been to US. The Boyfriend used to go all the time as a kid and loved it. And we both like Harry Potter, so we were excited about that new attraction. But then it all came down to transportation. We looked at the prices of renting a car and had to factor in the cost of parking. Plus, when we're on vacation we like to drink a lot!

http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/19608/2297184170105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

And if we were driving, we couldn't drink! (Well, one of us couldn't! But what fun is that to be the only one drinking???) So we started looking at the costs of taxis and shuttles. And really it was all just a big hassle! A hassle we wouldn't have to worry about at WDW...

So it was decided! WDW it was! Now we just had to wait for FD...

[trickiwoo]

Don't worry! I'm still here! And I'm still going to WDW!!!

Sorry I've been gone for so long! I got really sick. Then I got better, but didn't have a lot of free time because I was busy catching up on everything I didn't do while I was sick. Then once I got all caught up, I got sick AGAIN! Then right after I started feeling better, I moved!

And now a month later, I'm back!

I'm still settling into my new apartment. All the furniture is moved and arranged. Now I'm just unpacking boxes!

We signed the lease on Sunday the 23rd and the first night we slept here was Thursday the 27th. So we've actually been staying here for almost a week now!

Rosie actually adjusted to the move a lot better than we thought she would! She seems to really like the place. It's much bigger than where she was living before, so I think she really likes having all the extra room to run around in! Plus this apartment has more windows than her previous apartment, and she loves that! She doesn't really like the stairs though! But I'm sure with time she'll get used to them!

Haha, I don't even think Ziggy knows he moved. But he's doing fine in the new apartment as well!

As for other pets... I plan on getting a pet betta fish sometime in the near future. And I plan on fostering some small animals starting in a couple weeks! And I'm thinking about getting a second dog after I get back from WDW!

If anyone is curious, here is the floorplan to my new apartment:

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/9771/4b8c0d2bea014144.jpg

Bedroom 2 is where we sleep since it has a bathroom attached. And Bedroom 1 we are using as an office!

After everything is unpacked and all the boxes have been cleared out, I'll take some pictures and post them for you all to see!

And now, back to more PTR stuff...

[trickiwoo]

While we were waiting for FD, we had to make our plans! What days did we want to stay? How long did we want to stay for? Which resort to stay at? So many decisions! And The Boyfriend was so not helpful! I'd ask his opinion and he'd just say, "Whatever you want..."

On our last trip we arrived on a Sunday, did one park each day from Monday-Thursday then flew home Friday. That seemed to work very well and we avoided the parks on the weekend when they're busier. And we avoided staying in the hotel on the weekend when the prices went up. So we decided to do that again.

Last year we went the second week of September. There were hardly any crowds at all! It was fantastic! But while we were there a cast member told me that the week before we arrived it was significantly less crowded. So for this trip we decided to try the very first week in September!

So our plans were to arrive on Sunday the 5th, spend that first day at DTD. Then do a park Monday, a park Tuesday, a park Wednesday and a park Thursday. And then fly home on Friday the 10th!

As for where to stay... well, last year I REALLY wanted to stay at Pop. But when I went to make our reservations Pop was all booked up, so we ended up staying at ASMu. We really enjoyed it, but while we were there we discussed wanting to try a moderate on our next trip.

So I researched all the mods, and POFQ interested me the most. The Boyfriend said that would work fine with him.

We also looked at the prices for staying at a value and saw that we could save a lot. Plus I still really wanted to check out Pop! So we went back and forth and back and forth between Pop and POFQ! Ultimately, we decided to go with POFQ. :thumbsup2


Now that we had our plans all figured out, we just had to keep on waiting for Free Dining...

During the wait for FD, I was very active here on the DIS! I checked the FD rumor boards every morning from my cell phone before I even got out of bed!

Finally, FD was announced for visa holders! Since I don't have a Disney visa, I had to wait for the General Public, but I didn't care! Free Dining was coming!!!

The morning of May 3rd I set my alarm for 6 am! I had the WDW reservations phone number programmed in my cell phone and I was ready to go! Luckily I decided to check the DIS before calling! Someone had posted that Free Dining was available with online booking! I HATE talking on the phone and prefer to do things online when I can! Plus, it would save cell phone minutes! So I rushed to the nearest computer and booked my trip! It was so fast and easy! It took just a couple minutes and I got everything I wanted!

After I booked, I got on the DIS and saw people were on the phone waiting on hold for extremely long periods of time! I'm so glad I booked online!

We're going to Disney with Free Dining!!!!!!!!!!

Coming up soon... making plans and ADRs!

[trickiwoo]

So before making my ADRs, I had to figure out what days I wanted to go to what parks!

HS was the first park I decided on. Last year we didn't get to see Fantasmic and I really wanted to see it! Fantasmic was only showing the Thursday we'd be there, so that was easy. HS on Thursday.

http://inlinethumb55.webshots.com/20470/2245002690105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

As for the other parks... well, last year we did each park on days that EMHs were for that park. And we learned that we don't really take advantage of EMHs. We're not morning people, so it's difficult for us to get to the parks in time for morning EMHs. And by the time evening/night EMHs roll around, we've already done everything we wanted to do in the parks at least once and are ready to go home. So this year we decided to avoid EMHs completely and NOT visit any park on a day that it has EMHs. Maybe the crowds will be less because the majority of people will be going to parks with EMHs? I guess we'll see!

So it ended up working out that Monday we'd go to Epcot

http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/44873/2777897300105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


Tuesday we'd go to Animal Kingdom

http://inlinethumb04.webshots.com/43971/2820553590105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


And Wednesday we'd do Magic Kingdom

http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/46157/2958738310105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


(And as I already mentioned, Thursday would be Hollywood Studios)

After our days were set, I made ADRs for:

Monday: Coral Reef for lunch
Tuesday: Yak and Yeti for lunch, Kona Cafe for dinner
Wednesday: The Wave for dinner
Thursday: Sci-Fi for lunch

Everything is new for us except Sci-Fi! We ate there last year and LOVED it! We couldn't go to WDW without going back!

http://inlinethumb29.webshots.com/43676/2756946570105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb60.webshots.com/43899/2906494550105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

So yup, I had no trouble getting the ADRs I wanted! This is our first time doing the dining plan, and I'm very excited about it!

Last year when we went it was my first time at WDW so we tried to cram in as much as we could. Since it's been less than a year since we've been there, we don't really feel we need to do EVERYTHING in the parks. So our plan is to spend less time in the parks and mainly do things we missed last year and our absolute favorite things. And then spend more time eating, drinking, hanging out at our resort, and going to DTD. So yeah, it's going to be a pretty different vacation than last time we went. And I'm hoping I'll enjoy it even more!!!

[chunkymonkey]

Hi There! You guys make a cute couple! Your BF makes video games on the side? How cool is that! Me and DH like to play videogames LOL.

Great PTR! Nice ADR choices. We're going around the same time, Sept 3-8th for free dining too! We were close to staying at PQFQ but chose Contemporary just for the convenience. I would like to stay at PQFQ one day though!

Congrats on the moving in! I would love a 2 bedroom apt, but we live in NYC, in the heart of manhattan where the cost of real estate is extortion. :headache:

Looking forward to more! :yay:

[chunkymonkey]

Just wanted to mention your photography is lovely! :lovestruc
What camera do you use? I am a freelance photographer too, mostly portraits and weddings. I have not brought a DSLR to Disney though because it's usually too heavy, but I may do so this year.

[PirateKate]

Hello, I have been enjoying your PTR. POFQ is one of my favorite resorts, and not just for the beignets. I hope you guys like it too. I think the plan of avoiding Extra Magic Hour parks is a good one. We try to do that too, but sometimes, we are unable to avoid the lure of the evening Magic Hours. Of course, now that we have kids, those days are mostly gone.

[aprilisis]

Hey!!! I just found your PTR. :yay: I'm going to go back & read. popcorn::

[Cafeen]

Poking my head in to say I'm reading along :). Looks like you got a good set of plans going.

[trickiwoo]

Hi There! You guys make a cute couple! Your BF makes video games on the side? How cool is that! Me and DH like to play videogames LOL.

Aww! Thank you! Hehe, we like to play video games too! That's actually how we spent our first date! :) Yeah, after he graduated from college he and a friend of his started a company where they made video games full time. But he wasn't making enough money doing that so he had to get a "real" job. But making video games is what he loves doing and what he's passionate about. And hopefully one day it's what he'll be able to do full time! His friend still has the company and is still making games though. He makes games for the iPhone which is pretty cool!


Great PTR! Nice ADR choices. We're going around the same time, Sept 3-8th for free dining too! We were close to staying at PQFQ but chose Contemporary just for the convenience. I would like to stay at PQFQ one day though!

Oh, I absolutely adore the Contemporary! I would love to stay there! Maybe next year! Last year we did a value, this year we're doing a moderate, so it would only make sense that next year we'd do a deluxe! ;)


Congrats on the moving in! I would love a 2 bedroom apt, but we live in NYC, in the heart of manhattan where the cost of real estate is extortion. :headache:

Looking forward to more! :yay:

A friend of ours just moved to Manhattan! She asked us what she was paying for rent and when we told her, she was like, "Okay, more than double that and that's what I pay for a studio apartment."

[trickiwoo]

Just wanted to mention your photography is lovely! :lovestruc
What camera do you use? I am a freelance photographer too, mostly portraits and weddings. I have not brought a DSLR to Disney though because it's usually too heavy, but I may do so this year.


Awww! Thank you so much! I actually own like 20 cameras! But most of those are Lomos. (http://www.lomography.com (http://www.lomography.com/) if you have no idea what I'm talking about!) The camera I use the most though is a Nikon D300. I also have never brought a DSLR to Disney and I was actually planning on making a PTR update about just that!

[trickiwoo]

Hello, I have been enjoying your PTR. POFQ is one of my favorite resorts, and not just for the beignets. I hope you guys like it too. I think the plan of avoiding Extra Magic Hour parks is a good one. We try to do that too, but sometimes, we are unable to avoid the lure of the evening Magic Hours. Of course, now that we have kids, those days are mostly gone.

Thank you! Oh, I cannot wait to try a beignet! Maybe sometime in the future we'd want to spend our evenings enjoying EMHs... but for now we enjoy spending our evenings at DTD!

[trickiwoo]

I hope everyone is doing well! Anyone have any exciting plans this weekend? I'm dog sitting for one of my favorite clients this weekend, so I'm looking forward to that!

Last week I was pet sitting for two different families that were BOTH in Disney World! When I found out they were going to WDW, I really wanted to ask them if they were staying on-site and if so, what resort and if they'd made any ADRs and what parks they were visiting, but I didn't want to seem like a crazy person so I refrained. :rolleyes1


So as I mentioned in my intro, I'm a photographer. Last time I went to WDW I didn't want to bring my DSLR. It was my very first time going, and I wanted to spend my time going on rides and doing things and not taking pictures. Plus, I wanted to travel as light as possible. So I just brought along a little point and shoot that I kept in my pocket. And it worked out great. There were a few times I wished I'd had my DSLR, but for the most part I was fine just using a P&S.

And then I came home and looked at everyone's WDW photos online and decided that next time I go, I'm bringing a DSLR!

I own three DSLRs.

I have a Nikon D70

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/9241/nikon20d70.jpg

It was the first DSLR I ever bought. For awhile it was my main camera, now I use it as a back-up camera.


I have a Nikon D300

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/6818/nikond300.jpg

It's my main camera. I use it more than any other camera I own. It's everything I could ever want or need in a camera and I don't see myself upgrading to anything else anytime soon!


And then I have a Nikon D50

http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/5065/nikond50main.jpg

This camera I've converted to shoot infrared. (http://www.lifepixel.com/affiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=282)


Originally I planned on bring my D70 to WDW... that way if something happened to it, I wouldn't be as devastated as I would be if something happened to my D300. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to have my D300 with me at WDW. It's faster, it shoots better in low light, and it works better with my Lensbaby. So I'm about 99% sure that I'll be bringing my D300.

I also originally did NOT plan on bringing my IR D50. But then I was online looking at photos of POFQ, and all I could think about was the gorgeous IR photos I could take! So now I'm thinking of bringing my D50 just to shoot around the resort. I don't plan on bringing it into the parks. One DSLR is going to be enough to lug around... two is too much!

[trickiwoo]

Once I decided what cameras to bring... I needed to chose what lenses to bring! I wanted to bring as few as possible!

Well, the #1 reason I wanted to bring a DSLR to WDW is because I wanted to bring my Lensbaby! A Lensbaby is a special effect lens that makes part of your photo in focus, and blurs everything else. I wrote an article (http://quazen.com/arts/photography/special-effect-photography-with-a-lensbaby/) about Lensbabies if you're interested in learning more!

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/1748/lensbaby3gspecs.jpg

I actually own two Lensbabies! I have the Lensbaby 3G

http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/4269/lensbaby3g2.jpg


And the Lensbaby Composer

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/4186/lensbabycomposer.jpg

I wasn't sure which one I was going to bring... and then the marketing director at Lensbabies sent me a free fisheye optic as a thank you for running an online Lensbabies club. The fisheye optic only works with the Composer. So I think I might bring the Composer since it would be pretty cool to have a fisheye lens at WDW!

So my plan was to ONLY bring my Lensbaby to WDW. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I'd want to have a telephoto lens at Animal Kingdom. So I decided to also bring along my Sigma 28-300

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/6356/sigma283002.jpg

I'll probably ONLY use it at AK and use just my Lensbaby everywhere else. That way I'm not constantly switching lenses! Oh, and I'll probably also use the 28-300 with my infrared camera.

[trickiwoo]

Before I go to WDW, I need to get a new camera bag!

Currently the camera bags I own are...

The Tamrac Adventure 7

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/9033/5547closedlrg.jpg


And the even larger and heavier Tamrac Adventure 9

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/3622/5549openlg.jpg

The Adventure 9 is sooooo heavy! I really only use it when I need to go somewhere and bring my camera AND my laptop. Since I'm not bringing my laptop to WDW, the Adventure 9 is staying at home!

The Adventure 7 is the camera bag I use the most. It has plenty of space and carries everything I need... but it's big and bulky and heavy and no fun to wear when it's hot.

So I'm looking to get something smaller. I'm looking at something like this:

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/8461/20070616bag3.jpg

It's the Tamrac Velocity series. (Haha! If we've learned one thing about me today it's that as far as brands go I like Nikons, Lensbabies and Tamracs!) I'm thinking either the Velocity 6x or 7x. I'm not sure if the 6x would be too small for my camera... Sometime before September I'm going to go to the camera store at look at them in person.

Ugh, this means I have to go through the bag check area at the entrance to all the parks! I really enjoyed skipping that last year! Oh well, it will be worth it to have a DSLR with me!


Oh, I also own multiple Lomo cameras... I have a Holga, a couple Dianas, and some other various Lomos. (What are Lomos and Lomography? Check out their website (http://lomography.com/about)) I'd like to at least bring one of them along. I guess I'll have to see what (if anything) I can fit in my Velocity bag.

But I'd like to bring my Holga

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/3379/188120.jpg


Or one of my Dianas... perhaps the one that glows in the dark?

http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/6691/lomoglow.jpg


Okay... enough camera talk for now. I gotta go clean and pack before leaving for work!

[chunkymonkey]

Awww! Thank you so much! I actually own like 20 cameras! But most of those are Lomos. (http://www.lomography.com (http://www.lomography.com/) if you have no idea what I'm talking about!) The camera I use the most though is a Nikon D300. I also have never brought a DSLR to Disney and I was actually planning on making a PTR update about just that!

20 Cameras!! Nuts! I have 2 dslrs, both canons, and I have 2 Holga's - one 35mm and the other 120. I have 2 point and shoots but one is retired. I am thinking about taking the plunge into Panasonic Lumix GF1 - the micro 4/3s camera that is a cross between dslr and p & s. Too bad the body and the lens costs as much as a dslr, but it's nice and small!

[aprilisis]

ok- so far your plans look great! I am SO jealous of your DSLR Cameras. I'm trying to save up for the Canon rebel xt1i. Thank you SO much for posting the used camera sites! I still wish I was there at the same time you're there. Are you SURE you don't want to wait a month???!!?? Hahaha I just wish we could be there at the same time! Someday!

[trickiwoo]

20 Cameras!! Nuts! I have 2 dslrs, both canons, and I have 2 Holga's - one 35mm and the other 120. I have 2 point and shoots but one is retired. I am thinking about taking the plunge into Panasonic Lumix GF1 - the micro 4/3s camera that is a cross between dslr and p & s. Too bad the body and the lens costs as much as a dslr, but it's nice and small!


Neat! Besides my DLSRs and Lomos I have a Canon Rebel 35mm SLR. And I have a bunch of point and shoot 35mm cameras that friends and family have just given me when they bought digital cameras. And then I have a bunch of point and shoot digital cameras... but the one I use the most is a Sony T70. Eventually I'd like to get an underwater P&S and one of those Sony P&Ss that have the Panorama Sweep mode.

[chunkymonkey]

Neat! Besides my DLSRs and Lomos I have a Canon Rebel 35mm SLR. And I have a bunch of point and shoot 35mm cameras that friends and family have just given me when they bought digital cameras. And then I have a bunch of point and shoot digital cameras... but the one I use the most is a Sony T70. Eventually I'd like to get an underwater P&S and one of those Sony P&Ss that have the Panorama Sweep mode.

I also have a film SLR, a Nikon 6006 back when I did darkroom photography in high school. I have to fish that out, I think my parents have it somewhere in their house. I have been itching to experiment with film just for fun.
I have an underwater p&s, I have the Panasonic Lumix TS1. It's pretty darn cool. I took it snorkeling in Hawaii and got amazing pictures of fish and giant sea turtles. It also takes HD video too which is why I got that model. The panoramic camera from sony looks pretty cool too. I will have to check that out!

Love all your gear! I have never tried a lens baby but I have seen it's results. Does the lensbaby act as a tilt-shift lens in a way?
Myself, I have a huge Lowepro backpack which serves as storage for most of my gear, a Crumpler 7 million-dollar messenger style which was my first bag but got small really quickly. I also have a shootsac for when I shoot, and I just invested in a Kelly Moore bag, which provides more support than the shootsac, and also looks uber-chic. :)

I have been perusing etsy.com and love all the handmade camera straps and bags in cute prints and colors. If I do decide to bring the dslr to Disney, I would definitely need to get a very comfortable and compact bag and strap.
:woohoo:

[trickiwoo]

ok- so far your plans look great! I am SO jealous of your DSLR Cameras. I'm trying to save up for the Canon rebel xt1i. Thank you SO much for posting the used camera sites! I still wish I was there at the same time you're there. Are you SURE you don't want to wait a month???!!?? Hahaha I just wish we could be there at the same time! Someday!

Good luck saving up for your camera! Buying used is definitely a great way to save money! Photographers are always upgrading to more megapixels, so there's always plenty of used DSLRs for sale in excellent condition! You can also try looking for used DSLRs on Craigslist or at your local camera store.

Haha, maybe next year our trips will coincide! :)

[trickiwoo]

I also have a film SLR, a Nikon 6006 back when I did darkroom photography in high school. I have to fish that out, I think my parents have it somewhere in their house. I have been itching to experiment with film just for fun.
I have an underwater p&s, I have the Panasonic Lumix TS1. It's pretty darn cool. I took it snorkeling in Hawaii and got amazing pictures of fish and giant sea turtles. It also takes HD video too which is why I got that model. The panoramic camera from sony looks pretty cool too. I will have to check that out!

Love all your gear! I have never tried a lens baby but I have seen it's results. Does the lensbaby act as a tilt-shift lens in a way?
Myself, I have a huge Lowepro backpack which serves as storage for most of my gear, a Crumpler 7 million-dollar messenger style which was my first bag but got small really quickly. I also have a shootsac for when I shoot, and I just invested in a Kelly Moore bag, which provides more support than the shootsac, and also looks uber-chic. :)

I have been perusing etsy.com and love all the handmade camera straps and bags in cute prints and colors. If I do decide to bring the dslr to Disney, I would definitely need to get a very comfortable and compact bag and strap.
:woohoo:


Yes, a Lensbaby does work as a kind of tilt-shift lens! I love my Lensbaby because it's so versatile! It can be a pinhole lens, a fisheye lens, and a macro lens with different accessories!

Oh wow! I've never thought to look for camera accessories on Etsy! I love Etsy! It's where I buy all my jewelry! I actually make homemade candles that I give away as gifts, and for years I keep telling myself that I should start selling them on Etsy! Maybe one day I actually will!

[trickiwoo]

I recently got my very first piece of Mickey Mail for this trip!

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/1117/mickeymail1.jpg

I love the monorail envelope! Super cute! Anyway, it's a little booklet with information about POFQ, the dining plan, and general WDW stuff. Of course with all the time I spend online looking at WDW websites it's nothing I don't already know! But still, it's fun to get Mickey Mail!

The little booklet did have some dining suggestions for us... Yachtsman Steakhouse and California Grill. Both Signature Dining. I didn't want to do any Signature Dining on this trip because it's my first time doing free dining and I wanted to eat at as many TS restaurants as possible! Last year we were paying OOP so we mostly did QS... so this year I really wanted to do as much TS as possible. But Signature Dining is something I would really like to try on my next trip!

The booklet also had some attraction suggestions for us:

The American Idol Experience- Neither of us are American Idol fans... In fact, neither of us have ever even watched an episode! So we're not really interested in this attraction.

Expedition Everest- So last year I completely chickened out and wouldn't even ride this. I regret that. So this year I'm going to do it!! I'm so nervous and scared, but I'm going to do it!!

Soarin'- Or as I like to call it, Soarin' with Brock Samson! (I'm such a nerd.) My absolute favorite ride! And probably the very first thing we'll go on! But yes, it's a must do! And it's more fun if you ride it barefoot!

Pirates Of The Caribbean- I like the Disneyland version better. We may ride it, we may not. It's not on our A-list, but if we have time it's worth riding.


I just checked airline prices. Still the same. Hopefully we'll buy our tickets soon! The Boyfriend is waiting until he gets his vacation time approved.

That reminds me, I need to put in my vacation time. My job is so flexible that it's not a problem at all and I know I'll get the time off. I just need to make sure I tell them I can't work those days!

[chunkymonkey]

Yes, a Lensbaby does work as a kind of tilt-shift lens! I love my Lensbaby because it's so versatile! It can be a pinhole lens, a fisheye lens, and a macro lens with different accessories!

Oh wow! I've never thought to look for camera accessories on Etsy! I love Etsy! It's where I buy all my jewelry! I actually make homemade candles that I give away as gifts, and for years I keep telling myself that I should start selling them on Etsy! Maybe one day I actually will!

Oooh, I have to check out a lensbaby then. Maybe I can rent one to see if I like it!

Do a search on "camera strap" or "camera bag" and there are tons and tons of cute options! I dont' know which one to pick! I want one that is cute and versatile enough to wear with different colors and outfits as it is a bit hassle to change straps all the time. LOL

You should def sell your wares on Etsy! It's such a great resource. My sister sells handmade greeting cards on Etsy too.


I recently got my very first piece of Mickey Mail for this trip!

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/1117/mickeymail1.jpg

I love the monorail envelope! Super cute! Anyway, it's a little booklet with information about POFQ, the dining plan, and general WDW stuff. Of course with all the time I spend online looking at WDW websites it's nothing I don't already know! But still, it's fun to get Mickey Mail!

The little booklet did have some dining suggestions for us... Yachtsman Steakhouse and California Grill. Both Signature Dining. I didn't want to do any Signature Dining on this trip because it's my first time doing free dining and I wanted to eat at as many TS restaurants as possible! Last year we were paying OOP so we mostly did QS... so this year I really wanted to do as much TS as possible. But Signature Dining is something I would really like to try on my next trip!

The booklet also had some attraction suggestions for us:

The American Idol Experience- Neither of us are American Idol fans... In fact, neither of us have ever even watched an episode! So we're not really interested in this attraction.

Expedition Everest- So last year I completely chickened out and wouldn't even ride this. I regret that. So this year I'm going to do it!! I'm so nervous and scared, but I'm going to do it!!

Soarin'- Or as I like to call it, Soarin' with Brock Samson! (I'm such a nerd.) My absolute favorite ride! And probably the very first thing we'll go on! But yes, it's a must do! And it's more fun if you ride it barefoot!

Pirates Of The Caribbean- I like the Disneyland version better. We may ride it, we may not. It's not on our A-list, but if we have time it's worth riding.


I just checked airline prices. Still the same. Hopefully we'll buy our tickets soon! The Boyfriend is waiting until he gets his vacation time approved.

That reminds me, I need to put in my vacation time. My job is so flexible that it's not a problem at all and I know I'll get the time off. I just need to make sure I tell them I can't work those days!


Oooh Disney mail! Sounds fun! The only disney mail I got were the customized maps that I signed up for. How soon after you booked did you get the mail?

I have done Signature dining before, but not on the dining plan. We did Brown Derby, CRT and Coral Reef. They were all really good but I am not sure I would use up 2 TS for them!

American Idol - never watch this show either, but I woudlnt' mind sitting in on this if I was looking for something new.

Expedition Everest - went on this only once in 2007. It was pretty scary. DH loves it though. Last year, the standby was too long, and there were no more FP!

Soarin - LOVE THIS RIDE!!! I always ride barefoot!!

Pirates - yes the DL one is better. And I've always wanted to eat at that restaurant that you seein the beginning of the ride. Too bad WDW doesnt' have the same restaurant as I've always wanted to eat in a restaurant within a ride. LOL

[trickiwoo]

Oooh, I have to check out a lensbaby then. Maybe I can rent one to see if I like it!

That's a good idea! If possible you may want to rent (or at least try out in a store) each of the different models (Composer, Muse, and Control Freak) to see which one you like using the best. With the Muse and Control Freak you push and pull on the lens to focus... which is a little odd and awkward at first and takes some getting used to. (The difference between the two is that the Control Freak will lock in place while the Muse you have to physically hold with your hand to keep it in place.) With the Composer there's a focus ring that you turn just like with any regular lens... so it feels a lot more natural.



Oooh Disney mail! Sounds fun! The only disney mail I got were the customized maps that I signed up for. How soon after you booked did you get the mail?

I believe it arrived about a week after I booked my trip.



Pirates - yes the DL one is better. And I've always wanted to eat at that restaurant that you seein the beginning of the ride. Too bad WDW doesnt' have the same restaurant as I've always wanted to eat in a restaurant within a ride. LOL

I love the Blue Bayou! My favorite place to eat in Disneyland!

[trickiwoo]

So last year after I got back from my trip I read about the Wishes Dessert Party and it sounded fantastic!!! I have such a sweet tooth and so it was right up my alley! But... The Boyfriend has no sweet tooth at all whatsoever! He refuses to even eat cake or cookies or cupcakes! He does like cheesecake. And he'll eat ice cream occasionally. So there are some sweet things he'll eat... but for the most part he's not a really big sweets guy. So I figured the Wishes Dessert Party would be something we'd never do. Since it's kind of pricey for someone that doesn't want to eat a lot of desserts!

Well, the other night we were talking about WDW and I mentioned the Wishes Dessert Party and explained to him what it was. And much to my surprise he said he'd be interested in doing that!

So now it's something we're considering!

I guess currently they're only booking the WDP up until August 14th-ish. So I don't even know if they'll offer it in September. So we'll have to wait and see!

The night we're at MK we have a dinner ADR at The Wave for 7:35pm. There's no we'd be able to make the dessert party with that! Well, the earliest they serve dinner at The Wave is 5. So I went ahead and made an ADR for 5 that night. And as soon as we decide if we're doing the WDP or not, we'll drop one of the ADRs.


So I still don't know if it's something we should do this trip or not. Like I said, The Boyfriend is not big on sweets... so I don't know if he'd really enjoy it. Plus, with free dining we'll be getting dessert with every meal (well, except for breakfast... which I'm planning on having beignets for breakfast anyway and that's basically a dessert!) so we might be a bit dessert-ed out as it is.

But that fireworks view would be really nice! And I could get some great pictures!

So hmmm....

Why must MK be dry??? If they served booze at the WDP it would be a no-brainer! We'd be there in a heartbeat!

Has anyone ever done the WDP? Thoughts? Anyone planning to do it on their next trip?

[chunkymonkey]

So now it's something we're considering!

I guess currently they're only booking the WDP up until August 14th-ish. So I don't even know if they'll offer it in September. So we'll have to wait and see!

YUM, I totally want to do WDP too! Except that I have to see whether or not it will be extended into Sept too! From what I have read, they extended it last year, so most likely if it's popular, they will extend it this year too. I like sweets, but DH likes it a bit less than I do, but I think we'll be willing to do this mostly for the experience. It would be cool to take pictures of fireworks! The last time I tried, was 4th of July last year, and I had a tripod which I took up to our roof deck. I shot using the bulb setting so I could control the exposure. Some pics actually turned out pretty good! Obviously I won't have my tripod at Disney but maybe I could balance the camera on the railing or something.

Cross our fingers and hope WDP is extended!! :banana:

[trickiwoo]

YUM, I totally want to do WDP too! Except that I have to see whether or not it will be extended into Sept too! From what I have read, they extended it last year, so most likely if it's popular, they will extend it this year too. I like sweets, but DH likes it a bit less than I do, but I think we'll be willing to do this mostly for the experience. It would be cool to take pictures of fireworks! The last time I tried, was 4th of July last year, and I had a tripod which I took up to our roof deck. I shot using the bulb setting so I could control the exposure. Some pics actually turned out pretty good! Obviously I won't have my tripod at Disney but maybe I could balance the camera on the railing or something.

Cross our fingers and hope WDP is extended!! :banana:


You could get a Gorrilapod (http://joby.com/gorillapod)! I have the SLR-Zoom model and it works great with my camera. But it's a super small, lightweight, portable tripod that you can use just about anywhere! Sounds like it would be ideal for something like this!


I really hope it's extended!!! I want my desserts! :)

[chunkymonkey]

You could get a Gorrilapod (http://joby.com/gorillapod)! I have the SLR-Zoom model and it works great with my camera. But it's a super small, lightweight, portable tripod that you can use just about anywhere! Sounds like it would be ideal for something like this!


I really hope it's extended!!! I want my desserts! :)

The gorrilapod is awesome! I have one for my p&s and i brought it to Disney last year and it was fantastic. I didn't have to ask anyone to take a picture of us. I was thinking of getting one of my dslr too. but that one is pretty big! I'll have to decide if it's worth lugging around with me to the parks. Right now I am on the fence of whether to bring the dslr with me. Maybe if can get DH to carry it when I am tired. LOL. :rotfl:

[trickiwoo]

Just a quick update before I need to leave for work... but The Boyfriend and I both put in our vacation requests at work this week and they've both been approved!

:yay:

So I've been having nightmares lately about my trip! Two nights ago I dreamt that I was at WDW, but I hadn't packed anything I needed like my camera, sunglasses, sunscreen, etc. And then last night I dreamt I was at WDW and things kept going wrong like I'd miss my ADRs and my favorite rides would break down and close!

[chunkymonkey]

Just a quick update before I need to leave for work... but The Boyfriend and I both put in our vacation requests at work this week and they've both been approved!

:yay:

So I've been having nightmares lately about my trip! Two nights ago I dreamt that I was at WDW, but I hadn't packed anything I needed like my camera, sunglasses, sunscreen, etc. And then last night I dreamt I was at WDW and things kept going wrong like I'd miss my ADRs and my favorite rides would break down and close!

YAY for the vacation days approved!! Woohoo!

BOO for the nightmares! I'd be freaked out of that happened to me. I'd make someone pinch me until I woke up. Miss an ADR!??! No way!!! LOL:rotfl:

[trickiwoo]

Ok... so here's where I'm thinking about eating for every meal!

Sunday- We arrive at MCO mid-day, so I'm figuring by the time we get to WDW and check into our hotel it will about dinner time. So we'll hop on the boat and head to DTD to use a QS credit!

Dinner- Either Wolfgang Puck Express or Earl of Sandwich... whichever we're in the mood for I guess!


Monday- Epcot Day!

Breakfast- POFQ Food Court (OOP)
Lunch- Coral Reef
Dinner- Tangierine Cafe


Tuesday- Animal Kingdom Day!

Breakfast- POFQ Food Court (OOP)
Lunch- Yak and Yeti
Dinner- Kona Cafe


Wednesday- Magic Kingdom Day!

Okay... this is what I originally planned:

Breakfast- POFQ Food Court (OOP)
Lunch- Cosmic Ray's
Dinner- The Wave

BUT... if they extend the Wishes Dessert Party to when we're there I'm thinking we'll do Lunch at The Wave then Dinner at Cosmic Ray's.


Thursday- Hollywood Studios Day!

Breakfast- POFQ Food Court (OOP)
Lunch- Sci-Fi
Dinner- Studio Catering Company


Friday- Our flight home is in the evening, I'm figuring the ME will come for us around 3pm

Breakfast- POFQ Food Court (OOP)
Lunch- Back to DTD! And either Wolfgang Puck Express or Earl of Sandwich... whichever one we did not eat at on Sunday!


So here are some pictures of meals I got on my last trip that I'm planning on getting again!

Mickey Waffles:

http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/42488/2875927760105608304S500x500Q85.jpg



Seared Marinated Tofu at Sci-Fi:

http://inlinethumb43.webshots.com/43882/2970668890105608304S500x500Q85.jpg



Falafel Wrap at Tangierine Cafe:

http://inlinethumb08.webshots.com/41543/2148139230105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


Now I just need to figure out where I want to use my snack credits!!! Suggestions??

[trickiwoo]

Non-Disney Stuff

First of all, I am currently fostering two Syrian hamsters for a local small animal rescue! They are both males and are about 4 weeks old! Their names are Nacho and Queso! I plan on taking pictures of them tonight, so I'll post them ASAP!

I'm not sure if I already mentioned this or not, but I got a Betta fish! His name is Walter Fishop!

Also, I'm throwing an Apartment Warming Party this weekend! I'm so excited about it! It's going to be a post-dinner party, so I'll be serving hor d'oeuvres and snack foods. I'm also making alcoholic punch and non-alcoholic punch! And I bought different scented candles for all the rooms! And I have little colorful lanterns to hang on the porch! Haha, I'm really excited! I'll be taking lots of pictures!

In other exciting news, I found a bird's nest full of eggs on my porch! And sometimes I can see the mama bird out there sitting on her nest! I'm not sure what kind of bird she is, but maybe I can get a good picture of her so I can identify her! But yes, I'm really excited about little baby birdies soon!

So E3 was last week! I am SO excited about the Nintendo 3DS. Even more so about the new Animal Crossing game coming out for it!!!!! Oh, I can't wait! Until then I guess I'll just keep my City Folk town going...



Disney Stuff Unrelated To My Trip

So I've never been on a cruise in my life. But I love boats and I love the ocean, so it's always something I've wanted to do. And while planning my trip I realized I know so much about WDW, but hardly anything at all about the DCL. So I requested one of those Disney Cruise planning DVD thingies. It came last week, so I watched it over the weekend.

Oh no. Now I've gone from being vaguely interested in a Disney Cruise, to I WANT TO GO ON ONE SO BAD!!!!

Problem is, all my favorite people to travel with (The Boyfriend and my parents) are very anti-cruise and don't want to go on one at all!!! And I don't like to travel alone!

So now I'm trying to figure out who to go on a Disney cruise with... I might ask either The Boyfriend's mom or my best friend (he lives in CT and I haven't seen him in nearly 4 years)... At least find out if they'd even be interested.




WDW Trip Stuff

Hopefully we will be buying our plane tickets this week!!! I asked The Boyfriend when he wanted to buy them and he said, "Whenever." Then I asked if he wanted to buy them tonight and he said, "We'll see." :/ Hopefully it will be soon! I want to get them before the prices go up!!!

I have to pay off my trip 1 month from tomorrow. My plan is to pay it all off the first week of July... right after I get my paycheck!

[chunkymonkey]

Non-Disney Stuff

First of all, I am currently fostering two Syrian hamsters for a local small animal rescue! They are both males and are about 4 weeks old! Their names are Nacho and Queso! I plan on taking pictures of them tonight, so I'll post them ASAP!

I'm not sure if I already mentioned this or not, but I got a Betta fish! His name is Walter Fishop!

Awww those are the cutest names ever for a hamster. What exactly is a Betta fish? Walter Fishop is a cute name for a fish too!

Also, I'm throwing an Apartment Warming Party this weekend! I'm so excited about it! It's going to be a post-dinner party, so I'll be serving hor d'oeuvres and snack foods. I'm also making alcoholic punch and non-alcoholic punch! And I bought different scented candles for all the rooms! And I have little colorful lanterns to hang on the porch! Haha, I'm really excited! I'll be taking lots of pictures!

In other exciting news, I found a bird's nest full of eggs on my porch! And sometimes I can see the mama bird out there sitting on her nest! I'm not sure what kind of bird she is, but maybe I can get a good picture of her so I can identify her! But yes, I'm really excited about little baby birdies soon!

Oooh love the sound of the lanterns and candles! Can't wait to see the pictures of your party! And who doesn't love punch!!?!? I love making punch for parties. I use frozen berries and they float around and act like "ice" without diluting the punch. Oh and I love making sangria too!

How cute that you have a birds nest complete with mama bird! That must be so interesting to watch when the eggs hatch!

So E3 was last week! I am SO excited about the Nintendo 3DS. Even more so about the new Animal Crossing game coming out for it!!!!! Oh, I can't wait! Until then I guess I'll just keep my City Folk town going...

I love E3!! I love reading about it. I still have to catch up on my E3 news. I have a Nintendo DSi - I dont' use it much but I do like the Animal Crossing game! I have every other gaming machine though, PS3, xBox, Wii, as well as the older stuff: PS2, Dreamcast, Super Nintendos...etc. My favorite games have been the Final Fantasy series.

I have never been to E3 but I have been to NY Comic-con every year for the past 3 years. Not as big as the San Diego one, but it's a lot of fun!!


Disney Stuff Unrelated To My Trip

So I've never been on a cruise in my life. But I love boats and I love the ocean, so it's always something I've wanted to do. And while planning my trip I realized I know so much about WDW, but hardly anything at all about the DCL. So I requested one of those Disney Cruise planning DVD thingies. It came last week, so I watched it over the weekend.

Oh no. Now I've gone from being vaguely interested in a Disney Cruise, to I WANT TO GO ON ONE SO BAD!!!!

Problem is, all my favorite people to travel with (The Boyfriend and my parents) are very anti-cruise and don't want to go on one at all!!! And I don't like to travel alone!

So now I'm trying to figure out who to go on a Disney cruise with... I might ask either The Boyfriend's mom or my best friend (he lives in CT and I haven't seen him in nearly 4 years)... At least find out if they'd even be interested.

Oooh I'd love to go on a Disney cruise! It's super expensive though. Much more so than cruises on regular lines. They look so awesome though and I'm sure they are well worth it after you experience it once.




WDW Trip Stuff

Hopefully we will be buying our plane tickets this week!!! I asked The Boyfriend when he wanted to buy them and he said, "Whenever." Then I asked if he wanted to buy them tonight and he said, "We'll see." :/ Hopefully it will be soon! I want to get them before the prices go up!!!

I have to pay off my trip 1 month from tomorrow. My plan is to pay it all off the first week of July... right after I get my paycheck!

Yay!! My trip is due Jul 20th. So I will be paying that off then too. I love that by the time our trip rolls around we will have paid for it and since most of the dining is free, it's like an all-inclusive vacation. Somewhat. LOL.

Good luck on getting the plane tickets!

[chunkymonkey]

Ooh food, my favorite topic. Here are my notes in blue:

Ok... so here's where I'm thinking about eating for every meal!

Sunday- We arrive at MCO mid-day, so I'm figuring by the time we get to WDW and check into our hotel it will about dinner time. So we'll hop on the boat and head to DTD to use a QS credit!

Dinner- Either Wolfgang Puck Express or Earl of Sandwich... whichever we're in the mood for I guess! Either sounds great!


Monday- Epcot Day!

Breakfast- POFQ Food Court (OOP)
Lunch- Coral Reef
Dinner- Tangierine Cafe
great choices!

Tuesday- Animal Kingdom Day!

Breakfast- POFQ Food Court (OOP)
Lunch- Yak and Yeti I wanna try this too!
Dinner- Kona Cafe


Wednesday- Magic Kingdom Day!

Okay... this is what I originally planned:

Breakfast- POFQ Food Court (OOP)
Lunch- Cosmic Ray's
Dinner- The Wave

BUT... if they extend the Wishes Dessert Party to when we're there I'm thinking we'll do Lunch at The Wave then Dinner at Cosmic Ray's.
I am hoping they extend the wishes dessert party too!

Thursday- Hollywood Studios Day!

Breakfast- POFQ Food Court (OOP)
Lunch- Sci-Fi
Dinner- Studio Catering Company


Friday- Our flight home is in the evening, I'm figuring the ME will come for us around 3pm

Breakfast- POFQ Food Court (OOP)
Lunch- Back to DTD! And either Wolfgang Puck Express or Earl of Sandwich... whichever one we did not eat at on Sunday!


So here are some pictures of meals I got on my last trip that I'm planning on getting again!

Mickey Waffles: love these!!

http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/42488/2875927760105608304S500x500Q85.jpg



Seared Marinated Tofu at Sci-Fi: wow this looks really good! What kind of sauce is on it? Is that a curry-based sauce? It sounds delish.

http://inlinethumb43.webshots.com/43882/2970668890105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


Falafel Wrap at Tangierine Cafe: yum. I love falafel. BTW, are you vegetarian? Seems like all the choices you put are veggie meals! LOL

http://inlinethumb08.webshots.com/41543/2148139230105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


Now I just need to figure out where I want to use my snack credits!!! Suggestions??

I vote for the cream-cheese stuffed pretzel that you can get at the lunching pad in tomorrowland! I still have to make a list of snacks to try. I want to try them all!

[trickiwoo]

Woo Hoo! We bought our plane tickets last night!!!! We're going to Disney! :woohoo:

There's no backing out now!!!

We're flying Southwest. I'm so excited! It's looking like flying is going to be a much more pleasurable experience this year than last year for many reasons:

1. Last year I wanted to get to WDW as early as I could, so I booked a 7 am flight that arrived in Orlando around noon. This worked out great for me... not so much for The Boyfriend. He doesn't do early mornings. So by the time we checked into our hotel, he was completely exhausted and just collapsed in the bed and slept until 5. So while he napped, I walked around the resort and hung out in the gift shop! So we didn't get to really check out WDW until that evening anyway.

So this year I decided no early flights! Our flight there leaves at 1:00 pm and is scheduled to arrive in Orlando around 3 pm.


2. Last year we flew Delta and they didn't have any direct flights to Orlando. (Or if they did they were crazy expensive.) So both the flight there and the flight back we had to change planes in Atlanta. Which made our overall travel time take several hours. And we almost missed our plane coming home!

This year I learned that Southwest has direct flights to Orlando! And it costs the same as what we paid to fly last year! Our travel time will be significantly shorter! And we don't have to deal with the hassle of switching planes!


3. Delta charged extra for checked luggage last year, so we didn't bother and traveled with only carry-ons. Which meant we had to measure our liquids and put them in zip-loc bags.

Southwest lets you check two bags for free, so this year we're checking bags! We don't have to worry about liquids! And we can bring more stuff and/or buy more (and bigger!) souvenirs while at WDW!

Here's some travel pictures from last year:

http://inlinethumb45.webshots.com/44972/2469693410105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

I love those moving sidewalks!!


http://inlinethumb08.webshots.com/41159/2149062780105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Look how tired he is! I told you he doesn't do mornings!


http://inlinethumb23.webshots.com/43798/2161269590105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Sunrise!


http://inlinethumb47.webshots.com/44014/2637530320105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

The Boyfriend watching Venture Bros on the plane!


http://inlinethumb15.webshots.com/3726/2043665290105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Going to Orlando!


http://inlinethumb23.webshots.com/45014/2128879050105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Riding the tram thingie at the Orlando airport!


Ooh! Now that I know my flight info, I need to book Magical Express!

http://inlinethumb51.webshots.com/45938/2397163270105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

And I'm off to go do that now....

[trickiwoo]

Awww those are the cutest names ever for a hamster. What exactly is a Betta fish? Walter Fishop is a cute name for a fish too!

Thank you! Here's the Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_fighting_fish) for Betta fish.

Do you watch Fringe? There's a character on there named Walter Bishop, which is where Walter Fishop came from!



Oooh love the sound of the lanterns and candles! Can't wait to see the pictures of your party! And who doesn't love punch!!?!? I love making punch for parties. I use frozen berries and they float around and act like "ice" without diluting the punch. Oh and I love making sangria too!

How cute that you have a birds nest complete with mama bird! That must be so interesting to watch when the eggs hatch!

Oh, that's a great idea about the frozen berries!!! I've never made sangria... but I do enjoy drinking it!

Haha, I'm too scared to go out on my porch because I don't want to bother the mama bird!!!



I love E3!! I love reading about it. I still have to catch up on my E3 news. I have a Nintendo DSi - I dont' use it much but I do like the Animal Crossing game! I have every other gaming machine though, PS3, xBox, Wii, as well as the older stuff: PS2, Dreamcast, Super Nintendos...etc. My favorite games have been the Final Fantasy series.

I have never been to E3 but I have been to NY Comic-con every year for the past 3 years. Not as big as the San Diego one, but it's a lot of fun!!

Hehe, I have an original DS, a DS Lite and a DSi! And now I'm going to get the 3DS when it comes out. We have a PS3, an XBox 360 and two Wiis (His & Her Wiis!) but I play my DSes more than anything. I also have a PSP that I play occasionally. (We have older game systems too, but they're not hooked up. They're put away in closets somewhere...)

I've never been to E3 either. I had a lot of friends that would go back when it was open to the general public. Now it's invite only, but The Boyfriend's best friend went this year! He's a game developer so he got an invite. We actually saw him in the background of some E3 videos we watched online!

I used to go to San Diego Comic Con every year! I haven't been since 2008 though. Haven't been to the NY one, but I might check it out one year!




Yay!! My trip is due Jul 20th. So I will be paying that off then too. I love that by the time our trip rolls around we will have paid for it and since most of the dining is free, it's like an all-inclusive vacation. Somewhat. LOL.

I know!!! Last year I booked hotel and theme park tickets separate and didn't do a package. So while I was at WDW I had to make sure I had enough money left in my bank account at the end of the trip to pay for my hotel room! That won't be an issue this year! So looking forward to that!

[trickiwoo]

I am hoping they extend the wishes dessert party too!

I read here on the DIS that someone called earlier this week and the CM they spoke with said they're probably going to extend it this week. Last year they extended it on 6/25 to run through 10/4!



wow this looks really good! What kind of sauce is on it? Is that a curry-based sauce? It sounds delish.

The menu said it's a mango glaze!




yum. I love falafel. BTW, are you vegetarian? Seems like all the choices you put are veggie meals! LOL

Haha, I'm not actually! I just really like a lot of vegetarian food! I eat a lot of tofu. But I do eat meat.




I vote for the cream-cheese stuffed pretzel that you can get at the lunching pad in tomorrowland! I still have to make a list of snacks to try. I want to try them all!

Ooh! That sounds good! There's a Jalapeno cheese stuffed pretzel in Animal Kingdom that sounds really good too!

[aprilisis]

Yay! :yay: You are flying Southwest. I loved flying with Southwest in January. You can't beat the price & the direct flights are great. I paid the $10 per flight for Early Bird check-in & I got the exact seat that I wanted for both flights. I was very happy with them.
The jalapeno cheese stuffed pretzel sounds awesome! Where in AK can I find it?!?!?

[charming23]

Hi there!!! I remember reading your PTR and TR last time you went.

Congrats on a second trip and I can't wait to hear more.

[trickiwoo]

Yay! :yay: You are flying Southwest. I loved flying with Southwest in January. You can't beat the price & the direct flights are great. I paid the $10 per flight for Early Bird check-in & I got the exact seat that I wanted for both flights. I was very happy with them.
The jalapeno cheese stuffed pretzel sounds awesome! Where in AK can I find it?!?!?

It will be my first time flying Southwest... but I've heard nothing but positive things about the airline! So I'm looking forward to it! The Boyfriend flew Southwest at Christmas when he went to Chicago. He thought the whole no assigned seats thing was so weird!

You can get the Jalapeno Cheese Pretzel at the Harambe Fruit Market (http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=260)

[trickiwoo]

Hi there!!! I remember reading your PTR and TR last time you went.

Congrats on a second trip and I can't wait to hear more.


Welcome aboard! It's good to see you again!

[chunkymonkey]

I read here on the DIS that someone called earlier this week and the CM they spoke with said they're probably going to extend it this week. Last year they extended it on 6/25 to run through 10/4!

The menu said it's a mango glaze!


Haha, I'm not actually! I just really like a lot of vegetarian food! I eat a lot of tofu. But I do eat meat.


Ooh! That sounds good! There's a Jalapeno cheese stuffed pretzel in Animal Kingdom that sounds really good too!

Hooray! If wishes is exending!! I wonder when they will announce it!

Thst's funny that you think some vegie foods look good. I doo too! I like eating healthy once in a blue moon, and when I do I eat a lot of veggies and fruit

Yum that pretzel does sound good. Hopefully we'll get some too.:rotfl:

[trickiwoo]

Wow! It's been awhile since I've made a post! I've just been spending less time here on the DIS because I've been playing a LOT of Animal Crossing in my free time!

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/5387/greenballoon.jpg

I'm currently house sitting/dog sitting and will be doing so for the next two weeks! Luckily the dog I'm sitting for is really great! Personality-wise he reminds me a lot of my dog!


I saw Toy Story 3 last weekend! I absolutely loved it! Fantastic movie! I cried so much!

So as promised long ago... here are some photos of my foster hamsters:

Nacho:

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/8664/nc541167115651x.jpg

And Queso:

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/1244/nc541167116041x.jpg

Great news! They've got applications in on them!!! I'm meeting with one of the potential adopters on Monday! So hopefully they'll be placed in wonderful, loving homes very soon! I'm so happy! :thumbsup2

My apartment warming party went very well!!! I'm so pleased! There was a pretty good turnout! Everyone had a great time! I got tons of compliments on the food and drinks and everything! And I got lots of compliments on how classy the evening was! So yay!

I've got lots of photos of my apartment, but I'll make a separate entry and post those!


So one of my friends from high school (who actually lived next door to my boyfriend at his old apartment! small world!) has been planning an October WDW trip for awhile now. And occasionally we talk on Facebook about how our Disney planning is going. And she mentioned having to change her trip dates, but for some reason I still assumed she was going in October... just a different week. But then she mentioned that Star Tours was still going to be open when she was there, which meant she'd have to be going much earlier. So I asked her when she was going... She's going September 4-10th! (I'm going the 5-10th!) Crazy!!! I asked her what days she's doing what parks... and the only day we'll be at the same park is Tuesday the 7th we'll both be at Animal Kingdom! So maybe we'll run into each other there! And there's always the chance we'll run into her at DTD or something!

I do think it's funny when I talk to other Disney people about our plans and I tell them what days I'm doing what parks and what days I'm eating at what restaurants... because The Boyfriend has no idea! He's not really into planning at all! He just likes to show up and have me tell him what he's doing every day! Fine by me! That's what we did for our last trip, and he had a great time! He said I did a really good job planning and he liked the restaurants I chose for us to eat at! So I'm hoping he'll feel the same way about this trip!

I got my paycheck today!!!! Which means as soon as the holiday weekend is over I'll deposit the money into my account and pay off my Disney trip in full!!!!!!! I can't wait!!!

Have a happy 4th of July everyone!!! And if you're not American, have a happy 4th of July anyway... just it's not a holiday for you... just a regular Sunday! But have a happy Sunday! ;)

I will not be celebrating or seeing fireworks or anything like that since I'm dog sitting. But that's okay. I do get paid extra for sitting on a holiday! Which means more money to spend at WDW! :woohoo:

Coming right up... Pictures of my apartment!!!

[trickiwoo]

So The Boyfriend and I moved into a new apartment a little over a month ago. And I recently finally got around to taking pictures of the place!!!

Living Room:

http://inlinethumb03.webshots.com/43586/2502535230105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/1460/2795290640105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb31.webshots.com/44446/2284350850105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

That's Queso's cage!

http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/47165/2349382590105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

I love that big window!!!

Next to the living room is the door to the porch:

http://inlinethumb31.webshots.com/44126/2484161080105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

And that's Nacho's cage!


The Porch:

http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/33042/2900938550105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


The Dining Room area and doors to the Laundry Room:

http://inlinethumb39.webshots.com/47014/2264599290105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

(I'd post a picture of the laundry room, but we don't have a Washer/Dryer yet so right now it's the "moving boxes storage area"... not very attractive!)


The Kitchen:

http://inlinethumb01.webshots.com/45632/2313232050105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb58.webshots.com/45817/2545718230105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb61.webshots.com/25596/2983272220105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

My favorite part of the kitchen just might be my Lost figures on top of the cabinets:

http://inlinethumb21.webshots.com/44180/2233810610105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

(I have Kate and The Hatch too... they just didn't fit in the frame!)


The Guest Bathroom:

http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/47358/2881646910105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


The Office:

http://inlinethumb45.webshots.com/36972/2875959920105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb28.webshots.com/44379/2123883830105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

There's Walter Fishop and Ziggy Stardust!

http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/32116/2195800580105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

And there's The Boyfriend at his desk... with Rosie right by his side!


The Bedroom:

http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/44429/2897426750105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

(That's Rosie's crate next to the bed... and that big plastic container on top of the crate is filled with her toys! She's so spoiled!)


And finally... The Master Bathroom:

http://inlinethumb07.webshots.com/33862/2513768330105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


So that's where I live! Just not for the next two weeks since I'm dog/house sitting!

Decorating is coming along! I've hung up a couple of photographs I've taken... like this one next to the kitchen:

http://inlinethumb20.webshots.com/47571/2308524360105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

I've also hung up some of my photos in the bedroom and living room. But there's still a lot of bare wall space! I have some posters I want to hang in the office, I just haven't gotten around to doing it yet! I'm planning on buying some stuff for the apartment when I'm at WDW! I can't wait!

[aprilisis]

Wow! Nice apartment- it is huge! Nacho & Queso are adorable!!!
I know what you mean about the bf just showing up & having fun. Mine has no interest in planning, either. :rolleyes:

[chunkymonkey]

Wow! It's been awhile since I've made a post! I've just been spending less time here on the DIS because I've been playing a LOT of Animal Crossing in my free time!

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/5387/greenballoon.jpg

I'm currently house sitting/dog sitting and will be doing so for the next two weeks! Luckily the dog I'm sitting for is really great! Personality-wise he reminds me a lot of my dog!


I saw Toy Story 3 last weekend! I absolutely loved it! Fantastic movie! I cried so much!

So as promised long ago... here are some photos of my foster hamsters:

Nacho:

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/8664/nc541167115651x.jpg

And Queso:

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/1244/nc541167116041x.jpg

Great news! They've got applications in on them!!! I'm meeting with one of the potential adopters on Monday! So hopefully they'll be placed in wonderful, loving homes very soon! I'm so happy! :thumbsup2

My apartment warming party went very well!!! I'm so pleased! There was a pretty good turnout! Everyone had a great time! I got tons of compliments on the food and drinks and everything! And I got lots of compliments on how classy the evening was! So yay!

I've got lots of photos of my apartment, but I'll make a separate entry and post those!


So one of my friends from high school (who actually lived next door to my boyfriend at his old apartment! small world!) has been planning an October WDW trip for awhile now. And occasionally we talk on Facebook about how our Disney planning is going. And she mentioned having to change her trip dates, but for some reason I still assumed she was going in October... just a different week. But then she mentioned that Star Tours was still going to be open when she was there, which meant she'd have to be going much earlier. So I asked her when she was going... She's going September 4-10th! (I'm going the 5-10th!) Crazy!!! I asked her what days she's doing what parks... and the only day we'll be at the same park is Tuesday the 7th we'll both be at Animal Kingdom! So maybe we'll run into each other there! And there's always the chance we'll run into her at DTD or something!

I do think it's funny when I talk to other Disney people about our plans and I tell them what days I'm doing what parks and what days I'm eating at what restaurants... because The Boyfriend has no idea! He's not really into planning at all! He just likes to show up and have me tell him what he's doing every day! Fine by me! That's what we did for our last trip, and he had a great time! He said I did a really good job planning and he liked the restaurants I chose for us to eat at! So I'm hoping he'll feel the same way about this trip!

I got my paycheck today!!!! Which means as soon as the holiday weekend is over I'll deposit the money into my account and pay off my Disney trip in full!!!!!!! I can't wait!!!

Have a happy 4th of July everyone!!! And if you're not American, have a happy 4th of July anyway... just it's not a holiday for you... just a regular Sunday! But have a happy Sunday! ;)

I will not be celebrating or seeing fireworks or anything like that since I'm dog sitting. But that's okay. I do get paid extra for sitting on a holiday! Which means more money to spend at WDW! :woohoo:

Coming right up... Pictures of my apartment!!!

That's great your housewarming party went so well! Do you have pictures of the party?

Great apartment btw, it looks really warm yet spacious at the same time. By warm I mean inviting, not like it looks hot or anything. LOL. Although in this heatwave we're having right now, everything I look at makes me hotter.

Nacho and Queso are adorable! I hope they go to some wonderful homes.

LOL It's so funny how my DH is totally not into the planning. He lets me do everything. He pretty much tells me to pack for him, and he just shows up at the airport with his suitcase ready to roll. Some people have it so easy. It's a good thing that we completely enjoy the planning part of it!

[trickiwoo]

That's great your housewarming party went so well! Do you have pictures of the party?

Haha, I don't actually! I was too busy playing hostess all night to get my camera and take some pictures! But I was planning on recreating some of the drinks and decorations and such and taking pictures!

Great apartment btw, it looks really warm yet spacious at the same time. By warm I mean inviting, not like it looks hot or anything. LOL. Although in this heatwave we're having right now, everything I look at makes me hotter.

Hahaha! :lmao: Actually, the office is really hot (what with all the electronics in there!) but the rest of the place is cold!!!! You'll be sitting there on the computer sweating, then you step out into the living room and you need a blanket!

It's insanely hot outside!!! It's been in the upper 90's all week! Ugh!

[trickiwoo]

So first of all, I paid off my trip!!!!!!! :woohoo:

So now all I have to worry about paying for are breakfasts, tips, drinks, souvenirs, and any additional snacks I want to buy while I'm there! So awesome! And if the Wishes Dessert Party is extended to while we're there, I'll have to book and pay for that. But that's it!

There's a few things I need to buy before my trip. #1 on my list is new shoes! I bought new shoes in April thinking they'd last till September, but I've completely worn through the soles and they have big holes in them!!!

I have really good, sturdy winter shoes that last and hold up really well. But I really wear through my summer shoes! Hopefully when I get back from WDW it won't be long before the weather is cool enough to where I can start wearing my winter shoes!

I had originally planned on buying a new camera bag, but then my mom told me that she had a small camera backpack I could borrow! I tried it out, and it'll work perfect! So there's $50 I don't have to spend before my trip... and instead can save to spend ON my trip! :thumbsup2

I don't have the bag with me, so I don't know if this is the exact same model or not, but the bag looks something like this:

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/3830/b00004x0zq01lzzzzzzz.jpg

It holds more lenses than the bags I was thinking at buying. So now I need to decide if I want to bring more lenses or not! More lenses does mean more weight! But it also means more variety in my pictures!

More room in the bag also means I can definitely bring more accessories like filters and Optics for my Lensbaby! And that stuff is so light it's not going to add noticeable extra weight to my bag!

Ooh! I just realized that the roomier bag also means I can definitely bring along some Lomos! Now I just need to decide which ones to bring... Decisions, decisions!


Last year I started packing for my trip on August 1st. I'm thinking I might do the same this year.

I'm not sure what I'm doing for luggage. Last year I brought this:

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/8143/luggage.jpg

That was the biggest bag I had that was still under the carry on dimensions!


This year I'm thinking of bringing a small duffel bag as my carry on, and also carrying on my camera bag as my personal item. I'm not sure what to do about my checked baggage. I have a suitcase... but it's really really big. (and heavy!) It's way more room than I need. (and a pain to carry!) Maybe I'll borrow one of my parents' suitcases. They have a lot in various sizes... I'm sure I could find something that is just right for what I need!


On a happy note, Queso was adopted on Monday!!! His new mom e-mailed me last night to tell me he's doing great in his new home! Yay! I'm so happy!

[trickiwoo]

Ignore This! I Made A Mistake!!!

[trickiwoo]

So totally unrelated to WDW, but totally on the subject of food The Boyfriend and I went out for sushi tonight! And The Boyfriend ordered the cutest sushi! It was shaped like hearts!

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/6505/heartsushi.jpg

How adorable is that??? (Sorry for the poor photo quality, I took the picture with my cell phone.) He said it was tasty. Unfortunately I couldn't try any because I'm allergic to tuna! But the sushi I ordered was tasty too... even if it wasn't heart shaped!


So one of the things I'm most looking forward to with the DDP is.... snack credits!

Problem is... I only get 5! And I want a lot more than 5 snacks! So I've been trying to figure out what snacks I want to try, and of those what I want to pay OOP for and what I want to use my snack credits on! Oh decisions decisions!

So on Sunday when we first arrive in WDW, the first thing we are doing is heading to DTD. Well, one snack that is at the top of my list is one of those make your own treats at Goofy's Candy Co. Now I've heard different things about what is and what is not included at the DDP here. I've heard that none of the make-your-own snacks are included, I've heard that some are and some aren't. So I don't know! We'll see when we get there! So I may be able to use a snack credit for what I want, but I'm thinking I'm probably going to have to pay OOP.

Then Monday, we're going to Epcot! Oh man, I could probably spend all my snack credits at the World Showcase!! But the snacks that are at the top of my list are a Napoleon from France, a Creme Horn from Norway and Kaki Gori from Japan!

Tuesday is Animal Kingdom day, and I'd really like to try one of those Jalapeno Cheese Pretzels! And I'd also like to try one of those Paw Print Brownies from the Kusafari Bakery.

Wednesday we are going to Magic Kingdom! I really want a Cappuccino Float! Yum! And a Cream Cheese Pretzel! Now last year I tried a Dole Whip Float for the first time.

http://inlinethumb42.webshots.com/42601/2395836240105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

And honestly, I wasn't all that crazy about it. But I think I might like the Dole Whip swirled with vanilla soft serve. So that's high on my list! Also, I hear that Main Street Bakery has Key Lime Cheesecake, which sounds delicious!!! But if we end up doing the Dessert Party that night, I may not want to get cheesecake during the day!

Thursday is the day we're doing Hollywood Studios. And there aren't any snacks I'm looking to try at HS! I'll probably be full by then anyway!

I love Coke Floats so I may get one in one of the parks if I'm in the mood! Smoothies are also good! And other yummy frozen drinks!

I'm also a big fan of these:

http://inlinethumb47.webshots.com/1326/2274731110105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

So I'll probably get one at some point during my trip!

Also, these are always tasty:

http://inlinethumb38.webshots.com/44389/2139930880105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

And what's Disney without a churro?

http://inlinethumb52.webshots.com/42675/2441818650105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


So yes, I am super excited about snack credits!!!!! Are there any must try snacks at WDW that you highly recommend?

[aprilisis]

Your itinerary sounds great! The only snacks I get in Disney are Dole Whips & Veggie egg rolls. The veggie egg rolls are at a cart on the path from Africa to Asia in AK. I LOVE them!!!

[trickiwoo]

Your itinerary sounds great! The only snacks I get in Disney are Dole Whips & Veggie egg rolls. The veggie egg rolls are at a cart on the path from Africa to Asia in AK. I LOVE them!!!

Do you know what veggies are in the egg rolls? I would love to try them, but I'm allergic to carrots and a handful of other vegetables...

[aprilisis]

Do you know what veggies are in the egg rolls? I would love to try them, but I'm allergic to carrots and a handful of other vegetables...

Dang! I'm pretty sure there are carrots in them.

[chunkymonkey]

So first of all, I paid off my trip!!!!!!! :woohoo:

So now all I have to worry about paying for are breakfasts, tips, drinks, souvenirs, and any additional snacks I want to buy while I'm there! So awesome! And if the Wishes Dessert Party is extended to while we're there, I'll have to book and pay for that. But that's it!

There's a few things I need to buy before my trip. #1 on my list is new shoes! I bought new shoes in April thinking they'd last till September, but I've completely worn through the soles and they have big holes in them!!!

I have really good, sturdy winter shoes that last and hold up really well. But I really wear through my summer shoes! Hopefully when I get back from WDW it won't be long before the weather is cool enough to where I can start wearing my winter shoes!

I had originally planned on buying a new camera bag, but then my mom told me that she had a small camera backpack I could borrow! I tried it out, and it'll work perfect! So there's $50 I don't have to spend before my trip... and instead can save to spend ON my trip! :thumbsup2

I don't have the bag with me, so I don't know if this is the exact same model or not, but the bag looks something like this:

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/3830/b00004x0zq01lzzzzzzz.jpg

It holds more lenses than the bags I was thinking at buying. So now I need to decide if I want to bring more lenses or not! More lenses does mean more weight! But it also means more variety in my pictures!

More room in the bag also means I can definitely bring more accessories like filters and Optics for my Lensbaby! And that stuff is so light it's not going to add noticeable extra weight to my bag!

Ooh! I just realized that the roomier bag also means I can definitely bring along some Lomos! Now I just need to decide which ones to bring... Decisions, decisions!


Last year I started packing for my trip on August 1st. I'm thinking I might do the same this year.

I'm not sure what I'm doing for luggage. Last year I brought this:

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/8143/luggage.jpg

That was the biggest bag I had that was still under the carry on dimensions!


This year I'm thinking of bringing a small duffel bag as my carry on, and also carrying on my camera bag as my personal item. I'm not sure what to do about my checked baggage. I have a suitcase... but it's really really big. (and heavy!) It's way more room than I need. (and a pain to carry!) Maybe I'll borrow one of my parents' suitcases. They have a lot in various sizes... I'm sure I could find something that is just right for what I need!


On a happy note, Queso was adopted on Monday!!! His new mom e-mailed me last night to tell me he's doing great in his new home! Yay! I'm so happy!

YAY, on completely paying for the trip! I have about a week before our balance is due. Then our trip is set in stone!! Woohoo!

Have you been shoe shopping yet? I highly recommend the Skechers Shape ups. They are actually comfy and have good support. I actually do find they somewhat tone my legs but I'll have to REALLY walk in them to know for sure.

That's great you got a camera bag from your mom! Now you get to bring a lot of stuff, but yes it can get really heavy. Maybe you can get DBF to carry it for you :3dglasses

I brought my Lomo 35mm last year because I was worried I would run out of film (I didn't) and I would have trouble finding 120 film at WDW. (I didn't check if they carried it but they might, probably at a premium)

Yay on Queso! That's cute that the owner told you how he was doing. Seems like he went to a wonderful home. :cloud9:

So totally unrelated to WDW, but totally on the subject of food The Boyfriend and I went out for sushi tonight! And The Boyfriend ordered the cutest sushi! It was shaped like hearts!

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/6505/heartsushi.jpg

How adorable is that??? (Sorry for the poor photo quality, I took the picture with my cell phone.) He said it was tasty. Unfortunately I couldn't try any because I'm allergic to tuna! But the sushi I ordered was tasty too... even if it wasn't heart shaped!


So one of the things I'm most looking forward to with the DDP is.... snack credits!

Problem is... I only get 5! And I want a lot more than 5 snacks! So I've been trying to figure out what snacks I want to try, and of those what I want to pay OOP for and what I want to use my snack credits on! Oh decisions decisions!

So on Sunday when we first arrive in WDW, the first thing we are doing is heading to DTD. Well, one snack that is at the top of my list is one of those make your own treats at Goofy's Candy Co. Now I've heard different things about what is and what is not included at the DDP here. I've heard that none of the make-your-own snacks are included, I've heard that some are and some aren't. So I don't know! We'll see when we get there! So I may be able to use a snack credit for what I want, but I'm thinking I'm probably going to have to pay OOP.

Then Monday, we're going to Epcot! Oh man, I could probably spend all my snack credits at the World Showcase!! But the snacks that are at the top of my list are a Napoleon from France, a Creme Horn from Norway and Kaki Gori from Japan!

Tuesday is Animal Kingdom day, and I'd really like to try one of those Jalapeno Cheese Pretzels! And I'd also like to try one of those Paw Print Brownies from the Kusafari Bakery.

Wednesday we are going to Magic Kingdom! I really want a Cappuccino Float! Yum! And a Cream Cheese Pretzel! Now last year I tried a Dole Whip Float for the first time.

http://inlinethumb42.webshots.com/42601/2395836240105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

And honestly, I wasn't all that crazy about it. But I think I might like the Dole Whip swirled with vanilla soft serve. So that's high on my list! Also, I hear that Main Street Bakery has Key Lime Cheesecake, which sounds delicious!!! But if we end up doing the Dessert Party that night, I may not want to get cheesecake during the day!

Thursday is the day we're doing Hollywood Studios. And there aren't any snacks I'm looking to try at HS! I'll probably be full by then anyway!

I love Coke Floats so I may get one in one of the parks if I'm in the mood! Smoothies are also good! And other yummy frozen drinks!

I'm also a big fan of these:

http://inlinethumb47.webshots.com/1326/2274731110105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

So I'll probably get one at some point during my trip!

Also, these are always tasty:

http://inlinethumb38.webshots.com/44389/2139930880105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

And what's Disney without a churro?

http://inlinethumb52.webshots.com/42675/2441818650105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


So yes, I am super excited about snack credits!!!!! Are there any must try snacks at WDW that you highly recommend?

YUM! First of all, I would be all over that heart shaped tuna sushi!! I love tuna and I love hearts! LOL :lovestruc

I know...5 snack credits do not seem like much at all. It's quite sad when you think about it. I feel like there is a pretty large disparity between the regular dining plan and the deluxe. I feel one is barely enough, and the other one may be overkill. Not like I'm complaining, I'm happy to be on either one, and ecstatic that the regular one is free! But 5 measly snack credits...sigh. I feel like I can use them up in 2 days. LOL. I may have to "borrow" some of DH's. :rotfl:

Most looking forward to: Dole Whip, CC-stuffed pretzel, pretty much anything from France, almost anything from Norway (maybe another school bread!), smoothies, and maybe one of those veggie egg rolls! I've had the snow cone from Kaki Gori before, and although it's good it's not my fave. I think I may have to get a funnel cake from America too...:laughing:

I strangely have an aversion to brownies (bad experience before that I have never forgotten) so I never eat them. :sick: I do like chocolate cake though! :cutie:

[trickiwoo]

YAY, on completely paying for the trip! I have about a week before our balance is due. Then our trip is set in stone!! Woohoo!

Yeah, our balance is due a week from Thursday, but I wanted to pay for it as soon as I could! Just so I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore and could focus on planning fun things to do on my trip!


Have you been shoe shopping yet? I highly recommend the Skechers Shape ups. They are actually comfy and have good support. I actually do find they somewhat tone my legs but I'll have to REALLY walk in them to know for sure.

I haven't been yet! I was planning on starting shoe shopping as soon as I get my first paycheck in August!


That's great you got a camera bag from your mom! Now you get to bring a lot of stuff, but yes it can get really heavy. Maybe you can get DBF to carry it for you :3dglasses

Hahaha... he might be carrying it on the walk back to our hotel room at night!


I brought my Lomo 35mm last year because I was worried I would run out of film (I didn't) and I would have trouble finding 120 film at WDW. (I didn't check if they carried it but they might, probably at a premium)

I have no idea if they sell 120 film at WDW... I just assumed they didn't!


LOL. I may have to "borrow" some of DH's. :rotfl:

Haha, The Boyfriend often gets snacks for us to share... so maybe he'll do the same with his snack credits!

[trickiwoo]

So last night I was online looking at WDW menus and I realized I wanted to totally rearrange my plans for Magic Kingdom Day. Which my MK plans have changed a lot since I started planning!

Originally my plan was to wake up that morning whenever we feel like getting up. Grab breakfast at the resort food court. Then head to MK. Do some rides then have lunch at Cosmic Ray's. Then go do more rides and attractions and stuff. Then hop on the monorail and go to the Contemporary for dinner at
The Wave. After dinner, we'd probably head to the Outer Rim lounge since it's our favorite resort lounge!

http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/19608/2297184170105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

We'd have some drinks, then either head back to the resort and maybe hang out a the pool... or head to DTD and enjoy the nightlife.... whatever we were in the mood to do. I was planning on skipping Wishes all together.

Then I changed up my plans slightly when I was looking at food porn here on the DIS! That Tonga Toast looked too good to miss! So I went ahead and made an ADR at Kona for breakfast. So the plan was to wake up early, have breakfast at Kona (that we'd pay OOP for since we don't have any more dining credits to use) then go to MK.

I didn't tell The Boyfriend about this breakfast because I was thinking of maybe surprising him with it that morning. But then I started thinking about how he doesn't do so well with early mornings. And then one day he mentioned to me that he doesn't like going out to breakfast. So I canceled that ADR for Kona and went back to the original plan. I decided I'll have to try Tonga Toast some other day...

Then The Boyfriend mentioned that he'd be willing to do the Wishes Dessert Party (which I assumed was out of the question since he doesn't like sweet foods and isn't big on desserts) So the new plan was to get up, eat at the resort, go to MK for a bit, get on the monorail and go to the Contemporary for lunch at The Wave. Then head back to MK and spend the day there, have dinner at Cosmic Ray's. Then go to the WDP. After Wishes we'd probably head to the Contemporary for a drink at the Outer Rim lounge.

The main problem with this plan is that currently the WDP is only scheduled until August 14th! And we have no idea if they'll extend it or not! So I kept my ADR for dinner at The Wave and added an ADR for lunch at The Wave. Then I'd cancel whichever ADR we weren't going to use once I knew if we were doing the WDP or not.

After comparing the lunch and dinner menus at The Wave, I decided that I'd rather do lunch there. So I started thinking that we might do that regardless of whether we go to WDP or not.

And then I started re-thinking the WDP. We're already going to be eating so many desserts on the trip with the DDP. Plus I know I'll be using my snack credits for dessert-y items! I'm worried the WDP might be too much. Plus, The Boyfriend doesn't even like desserts! So it would be pretty wasted on him. Plus, I really hate leaving the parks at closing! The lines for the buses and monorail are pretty crazy...then once you get on the bus/monorail its standing room only. Not much fun after a long day at the park! I'd much rather slip out of the park before Wishes starts to avoid those crowds! The only thing that was really making it a tough decision was the fact that I'd have that great view of Wishes for photos...

Well, The Boyfriend doesn't even like Magic Kingdom like at all! And there's really only a few things at MK that are on my Must-Do List- Space Mountain, Philharmagic, the Jungle Cruise and I wanted to ride the train around the park once! As for what else we'd do at MK, my idea was whatever we could walk on or get FPs for! So I started thinking that we'd be spending a lot of time at MK with our current plans and there wasn't a lot we really wanted to do there. (And honestly I think The Boyfriend would rather skip MK entirely!)

So now I'm thinking we get up in the morning and eat at the resort, go to MK for a bit, have lunch at The Wave, head back to MK to do whatever else we wanted to do till dinner then get on the monorail and head to the Poly. Have dinner at Captain Cook's (that way I could get the Dole Whip swirled with vanilla softserve as my dessert! Plus the Adult Grilled Cheese sandwich looks SO GOOD!) then really check out the Poly. Get some photos of the beautiful waterfall! Check out the shops. If we're still hungry get some sushi at the sushi bar. Grab a Lapu Lapu at the Tambu Lounge.

http://inlinethumb38.webshots.com/869/2523069360105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Then go watch Wishes from the beach! It's not quite the same view as the WDP, but I think I could get some really great pictures! And that way I'd be avoiding the crowds leaving the park at the end of the night!

So yeah, that's what I'm leaning towards doing now. I'll run it by The Boyfriend this weekend and see what he thinks. If he's onboard then I'll cancel that dinner ADR at The Wave and decide not to bother booking the WDP if it is extended.

The WDP is something I'd really like to do... I just don't think it's right for this trip. Hopefully it will be something WDW will continue to do for a very long time and it will be something I'll do on some future trip.

[chunkymonkey]

Originally my plan was to wake up that morning whenever we feel like getting up. Grab breakfast at the resort food court. Then head to MK. Do some rides then have lunch at Cosmic Ray's. Then go do more rides and attractions and stuff. Then hop on the monorail and go to the Contemporary for dinner at
The Wave. After dinner, we'd probably head to the Outer Rim lounge since it's our favorite resort lounge!

http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/19608/2297184170105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

We'd have some drinks, then either head back to the resort and maybe hang out a the pool... or head to DTD and enjoy the nightlife.... whatever we were in the mood to do. I was planning on skipping Wishes all together.


Cute picture!


Then I changed up my plans slightly when I was looking at food porn here on the DIS! That Tonga Toast looked too good to miss! So I went ahead and made an ADR at Kona for breakfast. So the plan was to wake up early, have breakfast at Kona (that we'd pay OOP for since we don't have any more dining credits to use) then go to MK.

I didn't tell The Boyfriend about this breakfast because I was thinking of maybe surprising him with it that morning. But then I started thinking about how he doesn't do so well with early mornings. And then one day he mentioned to me that he doesn't like going out to breakfast. So I canceled that ADR for Kona and went back to the original plan. I decided I'll have to try Tonga Toast some other day...

Then The Boyfriend mentioned that he'd be willing to do the Wishes Dessert Party (which I assumed was out of the question since he doesn't like sweet foods and isn't big on desserts) So the new plan was to get up, eat at the resort, go to MK for a bit, get on the monorail and go to the Contemporary for lunch at The Wave. Then head back to MK and spend the day there, have dinner at Cosmic Ray's. Then go to the WDP. After Wishes we'd probably head to the Contemporary for a drink at the Outer Rim lounge.

The main problem with this plan is that currently the WDP is only scheduled until August 14th! And we have no idea if they'll extend it or not! So I kept my ADR for dinner at The Wave and added an ADR for lunch at The Wave. Then I'd cancel whichever ADR we weren't going to use once I knew if we were doing the WDP or not.

After comparing the lunch and dinner menus at The Wave, I decided that I'd rather do lunch there. So I started thinking that we might do that regardless of whether we go to WDP or not.

And then I started re-thinking the WDP. We're already going to be eating so many desserts on the trip with the DDP. Plus I know I'll be using my snack credits for dessert-y items! I'm worried the WDP might be too much. Plus, The Boyfriend doesn't even like desserts! So it would be pretty wasted on him. Plus, I really hate leaving the parks at closing! The lines for the buses and monorail are pretty crazy...then once you get on the bus/monorail its standing room only. Not much fun after a long day at the park! I'd much rather slip out of the park before Wishes starts to avoid those crowds! The only thing that was really making it a tough decision was the fact that I'd have that great view of Wishes for photos...

I hear ya about the WDP being dessert overkill. I do love desserts but I can't have too much of them, especially when every TS meal includes dessert for each of us! Most often me and DH share a dessert at most, because I we can never finish our own. So I think the WDP may be a little too much sweets for this trip as well, although I would love to do it someday. They should have an option where you can choose either an appetizer or dessert as part of the DP, but I am sure desserts are a lot more cost-effective for them. I am actually looking forward to having dessert with every TS meal, and me and DH can have different desserts and try new things!



Well, The Boyfriend doesn't even like Magic Kingdom like at all! And there's really only a few things at MK that are on my Must-Do List- Space Mountain, Philharmagic, the Jungle Cruise and I wanted to ride the train around the park once! As for what else we'd do at MK, my idea was whatever we could walk on or get FPs for! So I started thinking that we'd be spending a lot of time at MK with our current plans and there wasn't a lot we really wanted to do there. (And honestly I think The Boyfriend would rather skip MK entirely!)

So now I'm thinking we get up in the morning and eat at the resort, go to MK for a bit, have lunch at The Wave, head back to MK to do whatever else we wanted to do till dinner then get on the monorail and head to the Poly. Have dinner at Captain Cook's (that way I could get the Dole Whip swirled with vanilla softserve as my dessert! Plus the Adult Grilled Cheese sandwich looks SO GOOD!) then really check out the Poly. Get some photos of the beautiful waterfall! Check out the shops. If we're still hungry get some sushi at the sushi bar. Grab a Lapu Lapu at the Tambu Lounge.

http://inlinethumb38.webshots.com/869/2523069360105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Then go watch Wishes from the beach! It's not quite the same view as the WDP, but I think I could get some really great pictures! And that way I'd be avoiding the crowds leaving the park at the end of the night!

So yeah, that's what I'm leaning towards doing now. I'll run it by The Boyfriend this weekend and see what he thinks. If he's onboard then I'll cancel that dinner ADR at The Wave and decide not to bother booking the WDP if it is extended.

The WDP is something I'd really like to do... I just don't think it's right for this trip. Hopefully it will be something WDW will continue to do for a very long time and it will be something I'll do on some future trip.

Sounds like a good plan! And the Lapu Lapu sounds and looks good!!! Does it taste like pineapple too?

[trickiwoo]

They should have an option where you can choose either an appetizer or dessert as part of the DP, but I am sure desserts are a lot more cost-effective for them.

I agree! The Boyfriend doesn't do dessert, but he loves appetizers! So having a choice between the two would be ideal.



Sounds like a good plan! And the Lapu Lapu sounds and looks good!!! Does it taste like pineapple too?

I don't remember how pineapple-y it tasted to be honest. It was really good though! Pretty pricey though! I hear you can get it cheaper if you order it in a regular cup instead of the pineapple... but that takes all the fun out of it!

[trickiwoo]

I need a new purse.

This is the purse I'm currently using

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/2143/dsc06982qh.jpg

I've had it for years and it's been great but... it's starting to fall apart.

The fabric around the buckles is wearing...

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/3950/dsc06983b.jpg


The corners are coming undone...

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/4725/dsc06984rc.jpg


The top of the bag is fraying...

http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/8753/dsc06986tb.jpg


And there's this horrible stain on the pocket...

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/1958/dsc06985.jpg


So I decided I was going to get a cute new purse while I'm at Disney World! I can't wait!

So I saw this bag here on the DIS and I absolutely fell in love!!!!

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5358/disneydooneybourke.jpg

It's so cute and it's so me and I love, love, love, love, LOVE it! :lovestruc The only thing is... it's a LOT more money than I feel comfortable spending on a purse!

But it's so cute!!!!! And I've been getting so much work lately that I can definitely afford to splurge a bit!

One of my favorite things about the pattern of the bag is the little Mickey Ice Cream bars! Adorable! Reminds me of the antenna topper I have on my car:

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/7749/topperf.jpg

I don't know!!! I guess we'll wait and see when I get there. Also, I hear the bags have been selling out like crazy. So there is a chance they won't even have any while I'm there.

I did see this bag in the Disney Store online

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/8741/vinylmationbag.jpg

Also very cute and VERY affordable!

So I dunno. I'll definitely spend a lot of time shopping while I'm there. I may find something I really love and that is a good price. Or I may end up splurging on the Dooney & Bourke bag I am head over heels for!

No matter what I end up with, I know I'll have lots of fun shopping and looking at bags! ;)


In other news, Nacho was adopted this week! Yay!

Which means I get to spend this weekend cleaning and sanitizing hamster cages! Haha! But he did go to a wonderful family with kids that were just so great with him! I'm so happy!

Tomorrow is my last night staying here at the house I'm sitting at! I'm going to miss this dog... but I so cannot wait to sleep in my own bed again!


So I recently got another sitting job the week before I'll be at WDW! The family actually gets home the day I leave! Which means I'll wake up that Sunday morning pack, go home and finish packing for WDW, then head to the airport!

[oboedm]

Signing on to your PTR! I love the pictures of your Apartment-- so much light. I especially loved the LOST figurines. Hubby and I have wanted them for a few years, but I don't have a place for them. We just got some new DVD shelves, though-- your post has inspired me!

Can't wait to read more! We are going in Sept and staying at POFQ. =)

[trickiwoo]

Signing on to your PTR! I love the pictures of your Apartment-- so much light. I especially loved the LOST figurines. Hubby and I have wanted them for a few years, but I don't have a place for them. We just got some new DVD shelves, though-- your post has inspired me!

Can't wait to read more! We are going in Sept and staying at POFQ. =)

Welcome aboard!!!

I only have the first series of Lost figures. They came out with a 2nd series that has Sawyer, Jin, Sun and Mr. Eko. I'll have to get those at some point to complete my collection!

Haha, have fun Lost-ing up your new DVD shelves! ;)

I'll be sure to check out your PTR!

[aprilisis]

I LOVE both purses!!! I couldn't decide which one to get! The last purse I bought was in NYC in Chinatown....in a basement. :rolleyes:
:yay: Yay for Nacho getting adopted!!!!

[klacey1]

Hi, joining in!! Everything sounds great so far-- your doggy is adorable! Also, I think your Poly plan sounds great. We LOVE MK, but if neither you nor your BF are crazy about it, hanging out at the Poly makes much more sense! I think you will like the regular Dole Whip more than the float. I don't think it's as sickeningly sweet. It's refreshing and yummy!

[chunkymonkey]

I need a new purse.

This is the purse I'm currently using

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/2143/dsc06982qh.jpg

I've had it for years and it's been great but... it's starting to fall apart.

The fabric around the buckles is wearing...

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/3950/dsc06983b.jpg


The corners are coming undone...

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/4725/dsc06984rc.jpg


The top of the bag is fraying...

http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/8753/dsc06986tb.jpg


And there's this horrible stain on the pocket...

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/1958/dsc06985.jpg


So I decided I was going to get a cute new purse while I'm at Disney World! I can't wait!

So I saw this bag here on the DIS and I absolutely fell in love!!!!

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5358/disneydooneybourke.jpg

It's so cute and it's so me and I love, love, love, love, LOVE it! :lovestruc The only thing is... it's a LOT more money than I feel comfortable spending on a purse!

But it's so cute!!!!! And I've been getting so much work lately that I can definitely afford to splurge a bit!

One of my favorite things about the pattern of the bag is the little Mickey Ice Cream bars! Adorable! Reminds me of the antenna topper I have on my car:

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/7749/topperf.jpg

I don't know!!! I guess we'll wait and see when I get there. Also, I hear the bags have been selling out like crazy. So there is a chance they won't even have any while I'm there.

I did see this bag in the Disney Store online

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/8741/vinylmationbag.jpg

Also very cute and VERY affordable!

So I dunno. I'll definitely spend a lot of time shopping while I'm there. I may find something I really love and that is a good price. Or I may end up splurging on the Dooney & Bourke bag I am head over heels for!

No matter what I end up with, I know I'll have lots of fun shopping and looking at bags! ;)


In other news, Nacho was adopted this week! Yay!

Which means I get to spend this weekend cleaning and sanitizing hamster cages! Haha! But he did go to a wonderful family with kids that were just so great with him! I'm so happy!

Tomorrow is my last night staying here at the house I'm sitting at! I'm going to miss this dog... but I so cannot wait to sleep in my own bed again!


So I recently got another sitting job the week before I'll be at WDW! The family actually gets home the day I leave! Which means I'll wake up that Sunday morning pack, go home and finish packing for WDW, then head to the airport!

Both purses look really cute! I think you'll be very happy either way. The Dooney one will probably be a collector's item at some point so it may be worth it to splurge? :cutie: But then again you may find something you like at the WDW and want to splurge there. :cloud9:

Yay on Nacho getting adopted! That's wonderful news that he's going to a loving family!

So they have extended the Wishes dessert party until the end of the year! I am still deciding if I want to do it...it IS a lot of sweets for one day, LOL. And I honestly have not had a bad view of Wishes, so we'll see. I may try and fit it in one night!

[trickiwoo]

Hi, joining in!! Everything sounds great so far-- your doggy is adorable! Also, I think your Poly plan sounds great. We LOVE MK, but if neither you nor your BF are crazy about it, hanging out at the Poly makes much more sense! I think you will like the regular Dole Whip more than the float. I don't think it's as sickeningly sweet. It's refreshing and yummy!

Welcome aboard!!!

I could spend a lot of time at MK... but we did just go last year so everything is still fresh in my head. So I wouldn't mind just doing everything I didn't get to do last year and then all of my absolute favorites.

Here's hoping plain Dole Whip is less of a disappointing experience than the Dole Whip Float was!

[trickiwoo]

So this is the camera bag I am taking to WDW:

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/6023/dsc07087s.jpg


Compared to the camera bag I usually use... it's a lot smaller (and lighter!):

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/5140/dsc07089j.jpg


So I loaded it up and found it has room for my D300, 28-300mm lens, Lensbaby Composer, Lensbaby Fisheye Optic, Holga, some filters, an extra battery, and extra memory cards:

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2329/dsc07092f.jpg

So that's what I'm bringing!

I'll also be bringing my Point and Shoot camera, but I'll be carrying it in my pocket:

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/7301/sonycybershott70front1.jpg


I've been wearing my camera bag all packed up around the apartment. It seems like it will be light enough. I am slightly disappointed this means I have to go through the bag check every day! Last year I didn't bring a bag at all, and it was so nice to just be able to walk into the parks with no waiting! Haha, it's not that bad though. And it will be worth it to have the pictures I'll take with my camera!

Oh, I'm so excited!

So the Wishes Dessert Party was finally extended! And The Boyfriend and I talked it over and decided not to do it. We are looking forward to seeing Wishes from the Poly that night!

So we have it arranged with The Boyfriend's mom, sister and brother to each take turns staying over here at our place to take care of Rosie while we're at Disney! I'll give Ziggy enough food and water to last the week and he should be good. (Plus The Boyfriend's brother loves hamsters, so I know he won't mind checking in on him.) And I'll get Walter a vacation feeder. And if I happen to have any foster pets at the time, I'll arrange to have them stay with other volunteers for the week.

Speaking of which... I've got new foster pets! I'm fostering a pair of female rats. Their names are Daisy and Minnie. I didn't name them. They came with those names. Whenever I tell people the names they go, "Oh god, you gave them Disney names..." I really didn't! They came with the names!

I'll post pictures of them soon! (After I take some!) They're sweet little girls! Very entertaining! I love how smart and social rats are!


So while we're on the subject of pets, aprilisis recently posted a puppy photo in her PTR and it was sooo cute I said I'd post a puppy photo in my PTR!

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/8566/32219514594846408767008.jpg

That's Sadie! She belongs to The Boyfriend's mom! She's a German Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix. She loves to chew on Rosie's ears. She's also grown a bit since I took that picture!

[oboedm]

Welcome aboard!!!

Here's hoping plain Dole Whip is less of a disappointing experience than the Dole Whip Float was!

I was also a little disappointed at the Dole Whip Float when we went for the 1st time last year. I tried just a plain Dole Whip at DLR and it was MUCH BETTER. I don't see what the juice really adds to the experience. :confused3

So this is the camera bag I am taking to WDW:

I'll also be bringing my Point and Shoot camera, but I'll be carrying it in my pocket:

So the Wishes Dessert Party was finally extended! And The Boyfriend and I talked it over and decided not to do it.

All we have is a PandS. I woudn't know what to do with more than that! Is the Holga the one that takes nice vintag-ey pictures? I think I remember reading about that on Chubbymonkey's thread...

I am still debating the WDP. I want to do it, but not for the food. I hate fighting crowds... but do I hate fighting them that much? No. I doubt we will do it, but maybe someday! ;)

[trickiwoo]

I was also a little disappointed at the Dole Whip Float when we went for the 1st time last year. I tried just a plain Dole Whip at DLR and it was MUCH BETTER. I don't see what the juice really adds to the experience. :confused3

Haha! I hope I feel the same! I love coke floats and root beer floats and such... so I decided to try the Dole Whip float. I'd never had plain pineapple juice before... (I've only had it mixed with other juices) so when I had it with the float, I realized I wasn't a big fan of plain pineapple juice! So I'm thinking the Dole Whip by itself will be better!



Is the Holga the one that takes nice vintag-ey pictures? I think I remember reading about that on Chubbymonkey's thread...

That's the one!!! It's a plastic camera that uses film so you get real soft, vignetted photos!



I am still debating the WDP. I want to do it, but not for the food. I hate fighting crowds... but do I hate fighting them that much? No. I doubt we will do it, but maybe someday! ;)

Here's hoping they continue to do the WDP every year so that we can both do it one day! Oh, I hate fighting crowds too!

[klacey1]

I so admire people who can take beautiful Disney pictures! I love my Sony Cybershot and DO NOT have patience for fancy cameras!! I can't wait to see the shots you take with yours, though! That bag looks like it'll be a lot lighter than your old one.
That puppy is just precious!

[trickiwoo]

I so admire people who can take beautiful Disney pictures! I love my Sony Cybershot and DO NOT have patience for fancy cameras!! I can't wait to see the shots you take with yours, though! That bag looks like it'll be a lot lighter than your old one.
That puppy is just precious!


I love my Sony Cybershot too! I will definitely be using mine a lot on this trip! I do hope the bag is significantly lighter!

Thank you! She is definitely cute! But boy is she full of energy!

[trickiwoo]

So I made my DME Reservation online as soon as I got my flight info... which was over a month ago. Then over the weekend I got an e-mail from Disney saying, "Please be advised we would not be able to process your Disney Magical
Express due to this web site is for our Wholesale Partners." Great, thanks for letting me know that now! So I had to call Disney to get the DME added to our reservation. Well, I've been so busy this week and I only had a few minutes here and there between jobs. So I called during my first break and was on hold for a very long time. I had to end the call and I was late for work! So I called on my next break and luckily I wasn't on hold very long! The lady I talked to was very nice, but she had a very heavy accent and I had trouble understanding a lot of what she said. But the good news is I got the DME added to my reservation!

Now I just hope we get our luggage tags before we go!

[oboedm]

So I made my DME Reservation online as soon as I got my flight info... which was over a month ago. Then over the weekend I got an e-mail from Disney saying, "Please be advised we would not be able to process your Disney Magical
Express due to this web site is for our Wholesale Partners." Great, thanks for letting me know that now! So I had to call Disney to get the DME added to our reservation. Well, I've been so busy this week and I only had a few minutes here and there between jobs. So I called during my first break and was on hold for a very long time. I had to end the call and I was late for work! So I called on my next break and luckily I wasn't on hold very long! The lady I talked to was very nice, but she had a very heavy accent and I had trouble understanding a lot of what she said. But the good news is I got the DME added to my reservation!

Now I just hope we get our luggage tags before we go!

Eek! I am worried about our ME reservations as well. I added it on after the fact (last year we booked our flight through Disney), and I have confirmed with them, but I will be happy when we actually get everything in the mail! I also hope that SIL's mail gets to her in MT even though everything was billed to us...

I hope you get your mail soon!!:goodvibes

[trickiwoo]

Eek! I am worried about our ME reservations as well. I added it on after the fact (last year we booked our flight through Disney), and I have confirmed with them, but I will be happy when we actually get everything in the mail! I also hope that SIL's mail gets to her in MT even though everything was billed to us...

I hope you get your mail soon!!:goodvibes

Have you gotten your mail yet?? I haven't and I'm anxious!!!!!

[trickiwoo]

Don't worry, I'm still here! And I'm still going to WDW! I've just been crazy busy with work lately! Which is good because it means I'll have lots of money to spend when I go to WDW! :woohoo:

So I'm super excited because not only am I going to WDW in September... but then I'm also going to Martha's Vineyard in October! I'm going with my parents and it will mostly be a shopping/taking pictures trip... with plenty of eating yummy seafood of course! I'm so excited! I haven't been to Martha's Vineyard since 2005!

So yay! Two vacations this fall!!!


I don't really have anything new to post about my WDW trip, so here are some pictures of the scrapbook I made for my last trip:

http://inlinethumb64.webshots.com/33407/2311033530105608304S600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb38.webshots.com/34725/2668102810105608304S600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/47332/2166798710105608304S600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/44212/2388260000105608304S600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb31.webshots.com/46814/2093916130105608304S600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb42.webshots.com/46825/2853563310105608304S600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb03.webshots.com/46274/2210614560105608304S600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb15.webshots.com/29070/2141902560105608304S600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb21.webshots.com/15572/2298951080105608304S600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb30.webshots.com/44061/2115152270105608304S600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb27.webshots.com/46362/2837522460105608304S600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb50.webshots.com/45105/2888050670105608304S600x600Q85.jpg

[aprilisis]

Nice scrapbook!!! That is awesome about Martha's Vineyard, too. I am embarrassed to say I live in MA, but have never been there. :rolleyes: I have heard nothing but good things about it, though! I am looking forward to photos! Wow...you are in WDW next month!!! You must be getting excited.

[trickiwoo]

Nice scrapbook!!! That is awesome about Martha's Vineyard, too. I am embarrassed to say I live in MA, but have never been there. :rolleyes: I have heard nothing but good things about it, though! I am looking forward to photos! Wow...you are in WDW next month!!! You must be getting excited.

Oh, I love Martha's Vineyard! My great-grandparents lived there so my dad would go visit them every summer during his childhood. Then when he married my mom, he started taking her there regularly and she fell in love with the place too! Then when they had kids, they'd take us there! So we have this great family history there which is pretty cool! And the place really hasn't changed much at all since when my dad used to go as a kid!

Since you live nearby, I'd definitely recommend at least taking a weekend trip there sometime! And you can't leave the island without riding The Flying Horses... which is the oldest carousel in the US and one of the few carousels left with a brass ring game! It's my personal favorite thing to do on the island! :)


I am excited!!!!!!! But it looks like I'm the only one! I asked The Boyfriend yesterday if he was excited about WDW and he said, "No" !!!! He said it's still too early for him to get excited! He said he probably won't start to get excited until the week before we go. Oh well. At least I have DISers here to share my excitement with!

[trickiwoo]

So I've been having a pretty good week! First of all, I got Mickey Mail!!!!! My DME packet came in the mail this week!!! And my MYW vouchers and luggage tags came too! Plus, I had my first sale on Etsy!!!! I sold an 8x10 inch print of this photograph that I took:

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/4567/il430xn154848364.jpg

So that was super exciting! If you want to check out what else I have in my Etsy shop you can at trickiwoo.etsy.com (http://trickiwoo.etsy.com) I currently only have photographs and candles up for sale... but I'm planning on getting some jewelery up this month!


So I'm starting to think I'm completely insane for bringing my DSLR to WDW! A couple days ago I took my camera on a 30 minute walk and my back is still sore! I can't believe I'm going to be carrying it around all day long for almost a whole week! I am going to be so sore and achy! But it will totally be worth it! (I hope!)

So when I took my camera on a walk the other day, I brought along my Lensbaby Composer lens with the Fisheye Optic. Here's one of the photos I took:

http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/9267/fisheye.jpg

I cannot wait to bring that lens to WDW!



So... in one month from today I will be on a plane to Orlando!!!!

http://inlinethumb23.webshots.com/43798/2161269590105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


Then I'll get on the DME and head to POFQ!!!!

http://inlinethumb51.webshots.com/45938/2397163270105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


After I check into my hotel, I'll hop on a boat and head to DTD!!!!

http://inlinethumb31.webshots.com/32478/2603766810105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


I can't believe I'm down to the 1 month mark! It doesn't feel like I'm going that soon!!!


So in other exciting news, I'm going to a DISmeet this weekend! I'm looking forward to meeting other local DISers!

Also, I have potential adopters coming over this weekend to see the rats and hopefully take them home!

[oboedm]

:banana:I finally got my mail as well! It came on Monday. I so excited!

Congrats on your first Etsy sale! I hopeyou have many more!

Less than one month-- I can't believe it! :banana:

[oboedm]

Have you gotten your mail yet?? I haven't and I'm anxious!!!!!

So I've been having a pretty good week! First of all, I got Mickey Mail!!!!! My DME packet came in the mail this week!!! And my MYW vouchers and luggage tags came too! Plus, I had my first sale on Etsy!!!! I sold an 8x10 inch print of this photograph that I took!

I finally got my mail on monday- Glad to see you got yours as well...

Congrats on the first Etsy sale. So exciting!

Less than a month away!!!:banana:

[aprilisis]

I'm definitely going to have to check out Martha's Vineyard after that desription.
I'm glad you got your Mickey mail! Dismeets are so fun. Have a great time!
Congrats on your Etsy sale!!! I hope you have a ton of them. Can you sell photos of Disney World there or would that be considered copyright infringement? I always wondered about that.
Great photo with the fisheye, too! :thumbsup2

[trickiwoo]

Can you sell photos of Disney World there or would that be considered copyright infringement? I always wondered about that.
Great photo with the fisheye, too! :thumbsup2

I don't know if technically allowed on Etsy, but there are a lot of photos for sale that were taken at WDW. You can check them out here (http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=disney+world&search_type=category&ref=auto&category=art.photography) if you're curious.

[trickiwoo]

So sadly I wasn't able to make the DISmeet today. The people I'm currently sitting for called me to tell me they'd be coming home later than expected so I had to take their dog out the same time as the meet. Oh well. They plan on having more local DISmeets in the future, so hopefully I'll be able to make the next one!

So I fell down the stairs the other night! There was a really bad storm, but I still had to go take the dog out that I'm taking care of. And the stairs to my apartment are wooden and apparently they get really slippery in the rain (as I found out the hard way.) I hit my back on the stairs in three places... my lower back, mid back and the back of my shoulder. Very painful! I'm okay though. The day after the fall I was pretty sore. But today I feel fine! I have some super nasty bruises though! And it does hurt if anything touches the bruises. But just standing/sitting/walking/etc. I don't feel any pain!


So even though this is my 2nd trip to WDW, there's still a lot of 1sts that I'm really looking forward to including:

First time...
Staying at a moderate resort
Being on the dining plan
Having a DSLR at WDW
Having a smartphone at WDW
Riding Space Mountain (I've never even been on the Disneyland version!)
Checking baggage and having it delivered to our room
Seeing Fantasmic!
Seeing most of the World Showcase (last trip we only saw Japan, Mexico, and Morocco.... though I did stop by France for a Grey Goose slush!)
Riding Expedition Everest
Checking out the West Side of DTD

I'm so excited! One thing I'm excited about having my DSLR there is I can try taking some on-ride photos! And it will be great being able to get on the internet using my smartphone! Maybe then we won't be so completely disconnected from the world! Last year while we were in WDW, Patrick Swayze died and we didn't find out until a few days later! We were at the Mizner's Lounge at the GF and they were showing a bunch of clips from Patrick Swayze movies on the tv and we were like, "Did Patrick Swayze die??" Then that night I called my mom and asked her and she was like, "Oh yeah... he died earlier this week." It was really weird not knowing what was going on in the world!


So one month from yesterday I'll be at Epcot!

http://inlinethumb39.webshots.com/25062/2150920560105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


And one month from today I'll be at Animal Kingdom!

http://inlinethumb30.webshots.com/15069/2868404340105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

[trickiwoo]

Food I got last WDW trip that I cannot wait to get again:

http://inlinethumb43.webshots.com/43882/2970668890105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Seared marinated tofu from Sci-Fi


http://inlinethumb08.webshots.com/41543/2148139230105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Falafel from Tangierine Cafe


http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/42488/2875927760105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Mickey Waffles from the resort food court



Drinks I got last time that I am definitely getting this trip:

http://inlinethumb58.webshots.com/46073/2955617160105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Cotton-tini from T-Rex


http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/43389/2531698820105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Welsh Dragon from Rose & Crown pub


http://inlinethumb34.webshots.com/17249/2881171180105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Yak Attack from Yak & Yeti


http://inlinethumb09.webshots.com/6472/2403621660105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Magical Star Cocktail from the standard drink menu


And the drink The Boyfriend had last trip that he can't wait to have again:

http://inlinethumb21.webshots.com/43220/2931568350105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

Limon Jalapeno margarita from La Cava del Tequila (I also cannot wait to get margaritas from La Cava, but I think I might try something different this year... not sure yet!)


The snack credit I'm most excited about trying is the Cappuccino Float!


And I am SO looking forward to desserts! Last year I only had 1 dessert the whole trip! It was from Raglan Road and it was:

http://inlinethumb13.webshots.com/46220/2953433170105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

I don't really remember what it was! I think it may have been the Raspberry Riot, but it doesn't really look like the other pictures I've seen of it... But nothing else on the menu sounds even close to what it was!


This year I get to have 10 desserts! Oh my!

The desserts I'm thinking of getting are:

A brownie sandwich at Earl Of Sandwich
The Chocolate Wave at Coral Reef
Baklava at Tangierine Cafe
Fried Wontons at Yak and Yeti
Kona Kone at Kona Cafe
Creamy Indulgence at The Wave
Dole Whip at Captain Cook's
Hot Fudge Sundae at Sci-Fi
Marble Cheesecake at Studio Catering Co
Creme Brulee at Wolfgang Puck Express



One month from yesterday I'll be at Magic Kingdom

http://inlinethumb50.webshots.com/36593/2787531720105608304S500x500Q85.jpg



And one month from today I'll be at Hollywood Studios

http://inlinethumb55.webshots.com/20470/2245002690105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

[aprilisis]

I'm glad you're ok after falling down the stairs!!!
I really can't wait to have the Limon Jalapeno margarita from La Cava del Tequila again, either!!! I may have to try that tofu dish & I LOVE the falafel!
Great photos as always!! :goodvibes

[klacey1]

Glad you're okay after your fall-- not fun! All of those drinks look sooo yummy!
You won't be disappointed with the Dole Whip or Chocolate Wave-- both are delicious!

[trickiwoo]

So I found this adorable photo of The Boyfriend as a kid with his siblings at WDW!

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/6982/lilchrisdisneysm.jpg

He's the tallest one on the far right. And from right to left his siblings are his sister Laura (now 23), his brother Mark (now 20), his brother Kevin (now 22), and his sister Amy (now 18).


And here's a photo of me as a kid at Disneyland

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd29/lindsayrdean/TR/Disney.jpg

I'm of course the one in the pigtails! And that's my brother Justin (now 22).


Pretty cute, huh?

[trickiwoo]

Don't worry! I'm still alive! I've just been working A LOT! Which is great because it means more money for Disney! But when I'm not working, I'm absolutely exhausted from working! So sadly I haven't had a lot of time for the DIS! I haven't even had much time to think about my trip! I can't believe it's only a couple weeks away!

So because I'm working so much, I won't be on much between now and when I leave for my trip! I'll try to find some time to catch up on everyone's PTRs!

Luckily I'll have a LOT more free time once I get back from WDW! So I'll get to work on my TR right away! And hopefully read everyone else's TR too!


So as I'm sure you all know, Free Dining has already been announced for September 2011!!!! The Boyfriend and I are already talking about going next year! No definite plans have been made. After going by ourselves two years in a row, we'd really like to go with other people. So we'll be asking friends and family to see if we can get anyone to go with us!


So I've been in the mood for a hot dog for awhile now. And so I really want to get a hot dog at WDW. And I've been trying to figure out where I should get a hot dog... since we're not really eating at any QS restaurants that have hot dogs on the menu.

Well, yesterday I was reading the Disney Food Blog when I came across this entry (http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2010/08/03/lunching-pad-offers-new-gourmet-hot-dog-menu/)

The Lunching Pad in the Magic Kingdom updated their menu and they now have gourmet hot dogs! They have a Philly Cheese Steak, a Reuben and a Taco hot dog! I have no idea which one I should try! I love Philly Cheese Steaks, Reubens and Tacos!!!

But yes, I am definitely going there and I'm definitely getting a hot dog! (I'll be paying OOP for it)

[klacey1]

Can't wait for the TR when you get back. Haha, I know what you mean about getting in the mood for certain foods. Anything tastes better at WDW, too! I'd go with the taco hotdog. It sounds really yummy!

[chunkymonkey]

So I've been having a pretty good week! First of all, I got Mickey Mail!!!!! My DME packet came in the mail this week!!! And my MYW vouchers and luggage tags came too! Plus, I had my first sale on Etsy!!!! I sold an 8x10 inch print of this photograph that I took:

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/4567/il430xn154848364.jpg

So that was super exciting! If you want to check out what else I have in my Etsy shop you can at trickiwoo.etsy.com (http://trickiwoo.etsy.com) I currently only have photographs and candles up for sale... but I'm planning on getting some jewelery up this month!


I can't believe I'm down to the 1 month mark! It doesn't feel like I'm going

Congrats on the print sale! I was thinking about doing that too...selling some framed prints on Etsy. That is a beautiful picture! Is it of the moon or a planet? LOVE all your pics. They have such life to them.

Hooray for the 2nd vacation to Martha's Vineyard. I admit, I went to school in the North East and have not made it to MV either. One day, I will! It sounds like a lot of fun, and I love seafood too.

Can't believe our trips are soooo close now!

I too think I am gonna be nuts for taking my dslr to WDW. That's why I'm bringing my lighter dslr. Although do you know if POFQ has an in-room safe? There may be times that I may not want to bring the dslr out at night, especially since I'm not bringing any external flash with me, and the on camera flash is kinda useless...:lmao:

Your food pics are making me drool!!!

Sorry you had to miss your DISmeet but I am sure there will be more to come!

The pics of you and your DBF as kids are sooo cute!! Love them! I love old film pics!!

[trickiwoo]

Congrats on the print sale! I was thinking about doing that too...selling some framed prints on Etsy. That is a beautiful picture! Is it of the moon or a planet? LOVE all your pics. They have such life to them.

Thank you so much! It's the moon! I'd definitely recommend selling on Etsy! It's been great so far!



Although do you know if POFQ has an in-room safe?

It does, but I don't think it's big enough for a DSLR! The in-room safes in the resorts are all very small! I have heard that you can leave valuables at the front desk and they'll keep it in a safe for you.

[trickiwoo]

I bought new shoes today!!!!

These are the ones I got:

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/2679/10671angle23x.jpg


They're very comfy! I'm hoping they'll work out great at WDW! I'm worried about my feet being too sore or getting too hot.


I can't believe my trip is only 2 weeks away!!!!!!

[charming23]

:cool1::cool1::cool1: yay for being two weeks away.

[chunkymonkey]

I bought new shoes today!!!!

These are the ones I got:

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/2679/10671angle23x.jpg


They're very comfy! I'm hoping they'll work out great at WDW! I'm worried about my feet being too sore or getting too hot.


I can't believe my trip is only 2 weeks away!!!!!!

Yay for 2 weeks away!! It's less than 2 weeks for me now, I can't believe it! I also can't believe summer is coming to an end. Where did August go??

Cute shoes...they look comfy, are they Crocs?

[trickiwoo]

Cute shoes...they look comfy, are they Crocs?

Yup! They're Crocs!

[trickiwoo]

Oh my goodness! My trip is just days away! How did this happen???!!!

So first of all, I had a bit of trouble with the new shoes!!! The soles are super comfortable and I can walk/stand for long periods of time and not have sore feet! Plus, they're light and airy so my feet don't get too hot in them! So on that end, they're awesome for Disney! However, they were rubbing against the side of my feet and leaving painful blisters!

At first my plan was just to ignore it and hope that my feet would get used to the shoes before Disney. Well, after a couple days I was in agonizing pain and doing nothing was not going to cut it!

So first I tried putting bandaids on my feet. That didn't help at all! It was still painful to wear my shoes. Plus, after walking for 15 minutes, the bandaids slipped right off my feet!

So I got some moleskin pads! HUGE difference! With the moleskins on, my shoes went from super painful to super comfortable! But... the moleskins wouldn't stay on my feet! They'd also slip and slide right off while I was walking dogs at work!

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/2406/011017148005.jpg

So I got some waterproof first aid tape and taped the moleskins to my feet really, really, really good! This worked! The tape held the moleskins on my feet securely and I could walk comfortably all day. When I'd remove the tape at the end of the day, I had bad rashes on my feet from where the tape was. But even so that was still more comfortable than having blisters!

So my plan was to tape up my feet with the moleskins until my blisters fully healed... which took a couple days. After that, I started using BodyGlide on my feet every day. And so far, so good! I put it on in the morning, and my feet are fine all day! No pain, no blisters! My feet are now ready for Disney World!

Well... sort of.

The other day at work I stepped on a mound of fire ants without realizing it. Ouch! I have fire ant stings on my foot (and on the hand I used to brush the ants off my foot and leg!) It's really annoying and really itchy! I really hope they're no longer itching by the time I go to Disney. But right now Benadryl and Cortisone are my friends!


I did the online check-in recently, so I am good to go! This is my first time doing online check-in so I'm super excited! I didn't make any room requests. We're leaving it all up to pixie dust to see what building/room we get! :wizard: (We did that last year and ended up in the Country Fair section of ASMu... which we weren't thrilled about at first, but we managed just fine!)

http://inlinethumb22.webshots.com/469/2964036120105608304S500x500Q85.jpg


I feel like there's hardly any time before my trip and there's still so much to do!!!!! Earlier this week I realized while I know what days I'm eating at what restaurants, I have no idea what times my ADRs are! So I went ahead and put the times (and confirmation numbers) in my cell phone. I still don't know what times my ADRs are, but now I know where to look to find out!

I'm currently frantically packing and charging electronics and making sure I have everything! I freaked out last night because I was missing one of my camera memory cards! I tore my apartment apart looking for it! But a trip to my parents' house today reminded me that I'd loaded up that memory card with pictures for my mom and had lent it to her so she could put the pictures on her computer! So now I have the card back and all is well!

Luckily I was super duper prepared for my Disney trip a year ago! I made lots of lists and notes! And I saved them! They are coming in SO handy this year!

While looking over my notes from my last trip, I noticed that I'd written down that we got in line for the DME at 12:15pm. Then at 1:15pm we were in line to check into our hotel! For some reason I thought it was a lot longer than that!

I'm going to have limited internet the next couple of days, so this is most likely my last post!

I'll be Live Tweeting from Disney World! So if you want to follow what I'm up to next week, go follow me @trickiwoo (http://twitter.com/trickiwoo)

And of course, I'll be working on my TR when I get back! Right now in my head I'm thinking I will be so excited that I will jump on the computer and start my TR the second I walk in the front door on the return of my trip. Realistically I'm probably going to be exhausted and it may take a few days before I start on my TR! But I'll be sure to post a link here once I start one!

OMG! I'm going to Disney World!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


http://inlinethumb40.webshots.com/45863/2890561960105608304S500x500Q85.jpg

[aprilisis]

I hope you're having a great trip!!! :goodvibes

[chunkymonkey]

I hope you had a great time! Thanks to you I got 2 glowtini drinks and loved them. Still didn't get the lapu lapu though. Can't wait to see your pics!!!!

[trickiwoo]

I had a great trip! I made it back home safely!

I am currently in the process of getting all the photos off my cameras and onto my computer! After I've done that, I'll start working on my TR! I'll be sure to post a link here as soon as I've started it!

[aprilisis]

WELOME HOME!! I can't wait to read your TR & see all of your photos! :woohoo:

[trickiwoo]

I just started my TR! Check it out here (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2561325)