Tasty Planning Time with ZeBrook! A 2 for 1 PTR - 12/24 - All our bags are packed

[Vexorg]

Joe looks so excited about his farm set -- boys and their toys!

Yeah, wait until you see what the toys start to look like when Henry (and whatever brothers might join him along the way) grows up...

 

[Kara]

i'm so glad I found your PTR!! I loved reading about your last trip and looking forward to another! do you like smugmug better than photobucket?

 

[princess&her4princes]

Brook,
Your description at the waterpark was hysterical!!! I remember going to Typhoon Lagoon as a teenager and doing the "tube of death" and my entire bathing suit being up my behind! And people call this fun?!! No thank you....lol!! And I had to laugh when you said that the lifeguards were expecting a 6 year old girl coming off the slide when you came down....that would be me too!!!

Love Joe's gifts...too funny!!!! Can't wait for more.....

 

[Lady Lallie]

Phew. I am caught up! It's hard work getting caught up on subscriptions.

Tube of Death! That is how I feel about water slides, they really freak me out. I get all breathless on them and then the plunge into water...bah. Not fun.

The room looks awesome! I love the light fixture too!

 

[k_reile]

though of you last night...have you seen the yoplait light commercials...i swear that woman looks just like you!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Love the update of the Dells. The Kalahari looks great!

 

[OhMari]

I was going to quote you, but I can't find the text when I tried.
I caught the last page, and then I backtracked, and backtracked and backtracked to the beginning.
I was wondering why it took 5 hours to get to the Dells and then I remember, duh, it take us an hour to get to the Dells and 5 more to get to MN.
I can't wait to find out what the 2nd hotel was,
I wish I would of read this sooner, so I could of warned ya~~
but "maybe" you lucked out.

You should come back in the summer, when the outdoor water parks open at the resorts, "twice the fun".

 

[SoonerGirl]

Tube of Death

I actually love water slides, well all of them except the really tall ones that drop you straight down, I tried one of those once and that was one time too many!

 

[brookelizabeth]

I saw no lameness!

The room is fab! It sounds like you had a terrific time at the water park.
That pizza is exactly what my DH would go for.

The room truly was beautiful! We were really pleased with it. The pizza was unique and tasty. The kids got a kick out of eating spaghetti on the pizza too.

Ah, a fellow pillow snob. I don't care much for fluffy hotel pillows myself, since it seems like I need to use at least 2 or 3 of the things to feel like they're actually doing anything. These days if I can possibly get away with it I'll just smuggle in my own pillows. I sleep a lot better that way.

As for waterslides, It's been years since I've been on one, but our family used to go to a campground called Cherry Hill in Kaysville Utah for our vacations which included waterslides on site, and later grew to include a downhill river run, lazy river and "pirate's cove" place on site, as well as mini golf, batting cages, video arcades (that's where I ended up spending most of my time) and other attractions. I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of the big steep drop type slides, but the other ones I could ride all day. They really aren't as scary as they look.

These hotel pillows were not the type to cave in-but they just stayed round when you laid on them. So, it was almost like you were sitting up! Well, not quite sitting up-but you get my drift. That is a great idea about bringing our own pillow too-esp when you are driving.

That campground sounds like a blast!!

I'm just like you. Not big on the waterparks in general. I'm not into slides at all. Once years ago I did one really big one and swore I would fly out the sides the whole way doen, and then when I got down I opened my eyes to find my DD Paige, who was probalby about 5 or 6 at the time. She went down before me and had strict instructions to stand at the end and wait for me. She wasn't in site and I sttod up with my suit falling off and fixed it as I tried to rush and find her and trip over the side and scraped both knees so badly. I had major blood dripping down both legs and Paige was still not in site. She had taekn off and went to another part of the park to the kids area. Why she did this, I'll neer know, but we were frantically looking for her for quite some time and I was cryuing from losing her and from the pain too I think. Once we found her I realized how bad my knees were nad had to go to the first aid. And hten I was embarrassed too. LOL! So I pretty much only do Lazy River type stuff or something in a raft anymore. LOL!

Oh my! What an awful experience. I can see why you stick to the Lazy River! I am a big fan of the Lazy River. The one at the Kalahari had a bit of "adventure" to it as well-it flowed through the wave pool. I have no idea how they made all the tubes still go through the wave pool when the waves were on, but it worked! There were a few water sprays and things too, it was so creative.

When Henry is older you will have to try Typhoon Lagoon -- I am not a big water park person, but it is so neat and beautifully themed (like everything at Disney)!

Tube of Death --

Joe looks so excited about his farm set -- boys and their toys!

Joe will LOVE Typhoon Lagoon. And my Aunt, who has been to Disney a few times, cannot believe we haven't ever been there. It was her ultimate favorite thing at Disney. So-we'll definetly have to go at some point. I'll enjoy the theming and take pictures while the boys hit the slides.

I can' wait to hear about H and is Hot Date

She is a cutie!

I love those, too - and they would be great for AKL!!

I am happy that I could help you with your decision! Before you go out and buy the 2009 Unofficial Guide, you might want to wait for the 2010 edition. I think the new edition generally comes out in August. That way you have the most up to date book for your vacation.

I love water slides, but I can understand your problem with them. I don't like the very fast ones where you move up the sides a lot either. I actually thought that the slides at the Disney waterparks were rather tame. And you are right, Typhoon Lagoon has the Crush'n Gusher which is a roller coaster slide. It is a lot of fun!! But make sure your raft has enough air in it. We once used a flat one and that was not good, because we actually touched the slide with our bottoms. Very uncomfortable!!!

The pizza you had sounds intriguing! pasta on pizza...

The zebra print chairs would be PERFECT for AKL. The theming overall was beautiful, and many of the pieces could easily swap between the resorts.

Too late on the Unoffcial Guide! We went to a bookstore over the weekend and I snatched it up! But, that's OK because then I can start reading/planning now. Thank you again for that awesome tip-I've already registered on TouringPlans.com and starting plugging stuff in.

I am VERY glad to hear Disney slides are tame! Someday I know we'll go, so with that in mind I won't have to be as nervous. That is AWFUL about your raft! OUCH!

The spaghetti on the pizza was very tasty. I would even consider trying to make it from home. If I ever started cooking!

Sounds like a really fun time... you were braver than I would've been!!

Love the toy farm gift, too!

Kathy

Henry has pulled out the farm toys almost every single day. "Cow" "Cow" "Trak, trak". It's so fun!

Yeah, wait until you see what the toys start to look like when Henry (and whatever brothers might join him along the way) grows up...

No joke! If he has taste like Joe we are all going to have to get a couple jobs to support their "hobbies". (Thankfully for Joe, I'm a bit of a techy geek as well-so he often gets what he wants!)

 

[brookelizabeth]

i'm so glad I found your PTR!! I loved reading about your last trip and looking forward to another! do you like smugmug better than photobucket?

Welcome!!!! So glad you made it over here, thank you for reading. I am loving' SmugMug. At first I was "eh" about it, but then I configured my layout a bit different. I have over 600 thumbnails that load on one page-and it loads quickly. Then I click into the picture I want, simply copy and then paste right here onto the DIS. Slick and fast. Page loads are super quick! I also found a 50% off code via Google for it!

Brook,
Your description at the waterpark was hysterical!!! I remember going to Typhoon Lagoon as a teenager and doing the "tube of death" and my entire bathing suit being up my behind! And people call this fun?!! No thank you....lol!! And I had to laugh when you said that the lifeguards were expecting a 6 year old girl coming off the slide when you came down....that would be me too!!!

Love Joe's gifts...too funny!!!! Can't wait for more.....

Thankfully my Tube of Death didn't cause those issues!

Phew. I am caught up! It's hard work getting caught up on subscriptions.

Tube of Death! That is how I feel about water slides, they really freak me out. I get all breathless on them and then the plunge into water...bah. Not fun.

The room looks awesome! I love the light fixture too!

Going to Disney makes it hard to keep caught up on those subscriptions, doesn't it? SO WORTH IT THOUGH! For some reason, my RSS subscriptions to your Twitter just gave me a few new ones-two from when you were about to leave saying you were so ready to go home. I hope that doesn't mean some rough stuff happened at the end!

though of you last night...have you seen the yoplait light commercials...i swear that woman looks just like you!

I have seen some recent Yopliat Light commercials, but I didn't really notice...now I'll be watching for them! We are watching HGTV, so the chances are high...

Love the update of the Dells. The Kalahari looks great!

It really was a beautiful resort!

I was going to quote you, but I can't find the text when I tried.
I caught the last page, and then I backtracked, and backtracked and backtracked to the beginning.
I was wondering why it took 5 hours to get to the Dells and then I remember, duh, it take us an hour to get to the Dells and 5 more to get to MN.
I can't wait to find out what the 2nd hotel was,
I wish I would of read this sooner, so I could of warned ya~~
but "maybe" you lucked out.

You should come back in the summer, when the outdoor water parks open at the resorts, "twice the fun".

Our 2nd hotel was a good one (I had researched that one), but our 3rd was a bit...um...skeevy? Is that word? More on that later!

The Kalahari outdoor park opened our second day, we were all amazed! But, we all felt it was still a bit chilly for it. During the summer would be really nice to enjoy it all, plus it would thin out some of the people!

Tube of Death

I actually love water slides, well all of them except the really tall ones that drop you straight down, I tried one of those once and that was one time too many!

Ya, NO WAY would I do those speed slides. When I was a teenager I did them alllll and loved them alllll. I don't know when it all changed, but I can barely do a kiddy slide now!

 

[Vexorg]

No joke! If he has taste like Joe we are all going to have to get a couple jobs to support their "hobbies". (Thankfully for Joe, I'm a bit of a techy geek as well-so he often gets what he wants!)

These days, just trying to keep up with my brothers' hobbies can be a challenge. A couple of years ago it was golf (I'm still lamenting the loss of precious closet space resulting from that one,) and now it's nitro-powered RC racecars (the ones that do 45+ miles per hour and seem to require costly repairs anytime you crash 'em into something.) Unfortunately, they don't seem to follow my hobbies too well (otherwise they'd all have basements full of decrepit old arcade games... I wonder why they don't?)

Then there's talk of trying to put together an el cheapo racecar to take out to the Saturday Night redneck races... I'm probably the least mechanically inclined of the guys in my family, but I think that would still be fun.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Tracy has often commented on the trips to Wisconsin Dells she took while growing up in the Twin Cities. We hope to head that way for at least ONE night the next time we up duing the summer. Sounds like you all had a ton of fun. Loved the Farm set. I was thrilled when Bug went through her 6 month Cars phase. (Finally the girls had something that I could play with.) But alas, it ran its course and she's now going through a baby doll stage. The girls are also going through a "Beauty Shop" stage and take great joy in "Fixing" my hair while we watch TV. The joy of having all girls.... I tell Tracy that we AT LEAST have to get a male dog when the Pipster is let out into that great backyard in the sky.

 

[mickeysmyboy]

Hi Brook!! I'm jumping over!


I'm sooo jealous that your going 12/26 - new years!! Your going to be in WDW on my birthday! I sooooo want to go to WDW for my birthday, 12/28. but am a little scared to! I'll be waiting to kind out how it is!

Your trip the Dells sounds great! I saw a show on the travel channel, which I'm addicted to, about all the waterparks in the Dells!

Anyway, can't wait to read more!!!

 

[shebaxric]

I go on vacation and I got sooo far behind! The Dells looks like a great place for families, maybe I'll get to visit there one day! Your updates have not been lame or boring, you silly silly woman! Your trip reports have been some of my favorites, and I never want you to stop writing!!!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

That is a really nice room you got Brook! I don't like the out of control feelings of waterslides either. I really want to love them but I about pee my pants I am so darn afraid I will fly over the edge and plummet to my death. Seriously. That pizza looks delish!

 

[CJsMom]

Trip looks great so far and you had me rofl about going on the waterslides! You guys got a really nice room. Love the Target pics - Henry is so darn cute!!

 

[brookelizabeth]

These days, just trying to keep up with my brothers' hobbies can be a challenge. A couple of years ago it was golf (I'm still lamenting the loss of precious closet space resulting from that one,) and now it's nitro-powered RC racecars (the ones that do 45+ miles per hour and seem to require costly repairs anytime you crash 'em into something.) Unfortunately, they don't seem to follow my hobbies too well (otherwise they'd all have basements full of decrepit old arcade games... I wonder why they don't?)

Then there's talk of trying to put together an el cheapo racecar to take out to the Saturday Night redneck races... I'm probably the least mechanically inclined of the guys in my family, but I think that would still be fun.

I used to golf. In high school. 2 friends and I joined the golf team and we were like the rebellious golfers-shouting on the course, making divits on purpose...we were naughty! I'm sure my clubs are still somewhere. Or maybe my Mom sold them. You could Craigslist yours! Closet space is more important than golf.

The Saturday Night Redneck Races do sound like fun. We aren't into cars or the like here (except Henry!), but computers, sound equipment, home theater systems and anything else with a $800+ pricetag!

Tracy has often commented on the trips to Wisconsin Dells she took while growing up in the Twin Cities. We hope to head that way for at least ONE night the next time we up duing the summer. Sounds like you all had a ton of fun. Loved the Farm set. I was thrilled when Bug went through her 6 month Cars phase. (Finally the girls had something that I could play with.) But alas, it ran its course and she's now going through a baby doll stage. The girls are also going through a "Beauty Shop" stage and take great joy in "Fixing" my hair while we watch TV. The joy of having all girls.... I tell Tracy that we AT LEAST have to get a male dog when the Pipster is let out into that great backyard in the sky.

I hope you are able to stop for a night as well! It's a neat/quirky place.

I think we all need pics of your hair all done up.

I wish you the best with getting the male dog. I think you will NEED it during their teen years...

Hi Brook!! I'm jumping over!


I'm sooo jealous that your going 12/26 - new years!! Your going to be in WDW on my birthday! I sooooo want to go to WDW for my birthday, 12/28. but am a little scared to! I'll be waiting to kind out how it is!

Your trip the Dells sounds great! I saw a show on the travel channel, which I'm addicted to, about all the waterparks in the Dells!

Anyway, can't wait to read more!!!

I'm so NERVOUS about going during our week! I keep trying to look up as much information about it as I can. I can completely understand why you are scared!

I see a "next date coming soon" in your siggy. Perhaps you might get there for your b-day after all????

I go on vacation and I got sooo far behind! The Dells looks like a great place for families, maybe I'll get to visit there one day! Your updates have not been lame or boring, you silly silly woman! Your trip reports have been some of my favorites, and I never want you to stop writing!!!

Vacation does that, doesn't it??? Interfers with our DIS time!

The Dells really are a neat place-it's very family geared, and so many things to appeal to different tastes.

Thank you for the sweet words about my TRs! That first Dells post was so short, so few pictures-so I felt bad about it being so short and lame! Thankfully my computer/internet stopped acting so goofy the next day.

That is a really nice room you got Brook! I don't like the out of control feelings of waterslides either. I really want to love them but I about pee my pants I am so darn afraid I will fly over the edge and plummet to my death. Seriously. That pizza looks delish!

EXACTLY my thoughts on the waterslides!!!!!!!! I want to love them, I really do, but ugh. My stomach turns and I have to do everything my power to push myself off to actually go down.

The pizza was very yummy!

Trip looks great so far and you had me rofl about going on the waterslides! You guys got a really nice room. Love the Target pics - Henry is so darn cute!!

I'm such a chicken on the slides! They seriously freak me out. But give me a big 'ol roller coaster anyday!

Thank you for the compliment on Henry's pics. I don't think Joe ever did get around to scanning them in...hmmm....

 

[brookelizabeth]

My birthday is on Saturday. I'm turning 30. Yestereday I found a big 'ol gray hair!

Joe just revealed to me that he has been planning something. I don't know all the details yet, but this is what I do know:

* We are going to Minneapolis for an overnight stay.
* We are going to see a Broadway show (A Bronx Tale) at the State Theatre.
* We are going SHOPPING. DSW is involved. (and I have coupons-saving bucks is almost as thrilling as the shoes themselves to me!! )


I'm so excited! It's so unlike him to actually plan something-and to this magnitude!!!!!!!!! He even arranged for Henry to stay with MIL!





I plan to get a Dells update and a PTR update done today!

 

[princess&her4princes]

My birthday is on Saturday. I'm turning 30. Yestereday I found a big 'ol gray hair!

Joe just revealed to me that he has been planning something. I don't know all the details yet, but this is what I do know:

* We are going to Minneapolis for an overnight stay.
* We are going to see a Broadway show (A Bronx Tale) at the State Theatre.
* We are going SHOPPING. DSW is involved. (and I have coupons-saving bucks is almost as thrilling as the shoes themselves to me!! )


I'm so excited! It's so unlike him to actually plan something-and to this magnitude!!!!!!!!! He even arranged for Henry to stay with MIL!





I plan to get a Dells update and a PTR update done today!

Happy (early!) Birthday Brook...you're going to LOVE your 30's they are GREAT years!!!!

And how WONDERFUL that Joe planned something so nice for your special day!! Does this mean we get a mini TR too?!! Have a wonderful time!!!!

 

[Lady Lallie]

That sounds like a wonderful Birthday weekend!! Yayaya!