Who are we going to get to watch the horse? A Spring Break 2014 Pre-Trip Report

[lovedonaldduck]

We are planning what may be a last minute Spring Break trip to Disney World. Or maybe to Hilton Head. Or perhaps to Sea World. At this point I’m trying to count on none of it so I won’t be disappointed if we end up at home. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that if the decision were up to me, we’d be going to Disney World.

A brief intro to our travel party –

Me – Jennifer – 30-something mom to 2 fabulous princesses. I am an accountant but I’m happiest when I am planning the next Disney trip or plotting how I will spend our future Powerball winnings on multiple DVC contracts. Donald Duck is my favorite Disney character. He has been for as long as I can remember. I love so many Disney movies, it’s hard to pick a favorite, but right now I am leaning towards Frozen. I think Magic Kingdom is honestly my favorite park. My favorite resort that we’ve stayed at is Bay Lake Tower. My dream Disney resort is the Polynesian. My favorite ride is Expedition Everest.

DH – 40-something amazing dad and husband. Seriously, my husband often picks up the slack for me, without complaint and does most things better than I do anyway (definitely not laundry though). He is super hands on with our girls and they adore him. He is going through some job changes at work and would love to find a new job. I don’t think he’d ever suggest a Disney vacation, but he goes along and enjoys our time there. His favorite Disney character is Eeyore. His favorite Disney movies are the Pirates of the Caribbean movies although he tolerates all the animated movies for his girls. Epcot is his favorite park. I think Kidani is his favorite of the places we’ve stayed, or maybe Fort Wilderness Cabins. He dreams of a Disney Cruise. DH’s favorite ride is Tower of Terror.


Me and DH a few weeks ago in Vegas!

DD – 8 – Peyton. My second grade firecracker. She is too smart, too sassy, too prissy, and too grown up for my taste. She is a nature loving girl as well as an avid reader. Physical activities are not really her thing. She is a self-proclaimed fashionista (you should see what she comes up with) and is probably officially done dressing in character shirts at Disney. Her favorite Disney character is currently Elsa. Favorite Disney movie is Teen Beach Movie (oh my). Animal Kingdom is her favorite park. Kidani is her favorite place to stay at Disney. She wants to go to Paris, New York, and Hawaii but swears she’ll never fly. Peyton’s favorite ride is Soarin’ (she has become a complete ride chicken, this may be the only ride with a height requirement that she will ride).

Peyton at her birthday lunch

DD- 2 – Charlotte. My little snuggle bug. Charlotte is sweet, loving, affectionate, and loves her big sister. I asked her this morning who her favorite princess was and her answer was “Peyton is my princess.” If we pull the trip off, this will be her 3rd extended stay at Disney. Her favorite Disney character is probably Minnie Mouse. She is really exploring our Disney movie collection right now, Peter Pan, ‘Punzel, and Up are some of her current go tos. She is a Disney Junior addict! Magic Kingdom is her favorite park – as she says “We go to Disney World, we ride Dumbo.” I’m not sure she has a favorite Disney resort yet, although she enjoyed the balcony, animals, and pool at Kidani. Her favorite ride is Dumbo, although Barnstormer may be a close second. She is a little dare-devil!


Charlotte at her Valentine’s party

Bunny – my 50-something mom, who the girls call Bunny. Mom kept both of my girls for the first 2 years of their lives, until they started daycare so they have special bonds. Peyton and Bunny are particularly close. Bun is now retired and is in love with Disney World. She’s not as interested in the planning as I am, but she loves to handle the shopping for the trips! Gift shops are one of her favorite parts of Disney World. Her favorite Disney character is Ursula. Her favorite Disney movie is Mary Poppins. Epcot is her favorite park. I think she’s liked everywhere we’ve stayed. She’d love to try Art of Animation. Her favorite ride is Barnstormer.


Bunny on her birthday trip last year (we were there St. Patrick’s Day weekend)

Papa- my 50-something dad. Papa is retired from the Navy and is working his second career as a government contractor. He loves his job, except for the time he spends away from his family (4 or 5 6-week long trips each year). He would do anything for any of his girls – me included. He and Charlotte are particularly close – his last trip was the first one where she really realized he was gone and she missed him terribly. Papa’s favorite Disney character is probably Mickey. I have no idea what his favorite movie is. His favorite park is Epcot. His favorite place we’ve stayed is either Old Key West or Fort Wilderness Cabins. He’d love to stay at Wilderness Lodge. His favorite ride is either Tower of Terror or Rockin Roller Coaster.


Papa with newborn Charlotte (apparently I need to start taking more pictures of my dad)

Cooper – our 5 year old, 150 pound horse (Great Dane). Cooper will not be making this trip with us  He’s never been to Disney World, although we went on our first Disney trip just a couple weeks after he joined our family. He is lazy, thinks he’s a lap dog, and is super protective and tolerant of his human sisters. He may be the reason this trip doesn’t happen. Prior to this trip, my mother-in-law has always cared for Cooper while we’re a Disney. She used to live in our neighborhood, but recently relocated about 30 minutes away – no big deal, but no longer close enough to drop in on Cooper 3 times a day while we are gone. DH is very particular about Cooper’s care and care givers. He’s not used to being around other dogs, and although he is a really sweet boy, we’d worry if he had puppy company while we are gone which rules out all of our family as potential Cooper-sitters. We are currently exploring our options – boarding with our vet, Best Friends Pet Care at Disney, a pet-sitting company, or a friend to pet sit. This may ultimately dictate whether we are able to swing this trip or not….hence the report title.


Cooper with 1-year old Charlotte


A blurry Peyton and Cooper


Pretty boy


Tired boy

So that is our cast of characters. Hope you will join me as I try to pull this trip off!

 

[DMGeurts]

Hi Jennifer!!! I am so happy you started your PTR!!! I"ve loved meeting you and your gorgeous family... Your girls are precious! And I loved meeting the others too! I cannot wait to see how your trip unfolds and all the fun you plan!!!

WHOOT!

D~

 

[ljcrochet]

I hope you get to go on vacation.

 

[lovedonaldduck]

Hi Jennifer!!! I am so happy you started your PTR!!! I"ve loved meeting you and your gorgeous family... Your girls are precious! And I loved meeting the others too! I cannot wait to see how your trip unfolds and all the fun you plan!!!

WHOOT!

D~

I figured I needed to start my own PTR instead of clogging up yours with all my plans and debating Seeing the new ticker scared me though! Less than 3 weeks to plan! We never plan too far in advance, since we are so close, we're always kind of last minute, but I've never planned a long trip in this short a time. I know things will come together, though.



Yesterday was a productive day for potential Disney plans. I talked to our vet and made a tentative reservation for Cooper - we have to drop him off and pick him up during their regular business hours which means if we leave on Sunday, like I was planning, he'd have to be dropped off on Saturday, which I'm not thrilled about.

I also spoke to Best Friends Pet Care at Disney. Their prices are only $10 a day more than our vet and their hours are much more flexible (7am-2am some days and 7 days a week) so we could minimize our time away from Coop. Plus we can drop in and visit him any time they are open which should give DH some peace of mind.

I also spoke to a friend who is willing to pet sit but needs to double check her availability. Having options for Cooper definitely takes a load off and gets me one step closer to convincing DH.

I also called Disney yestserday to get quotes on military rates for the places that we'll most likely stay. Pop Century is our least expensive option, with All Star Movies coming in a close second. I'd much rather stay in a moderate, mostly because DH and I sleep in a king sized bed at home so a double bed is so tiny! Caribbean Beach is $200 more than Pop Century but still has the double beds, Coronado Springs is just $20 more but after a bad experience there last year we swore we'd never stay there again. My favorite moderate, Port Orleans French Quarter is just $20 more than CSR, but over $200 more than staying in a value. Decisions, decisions. DH will probably want to go with the least expensive option, which is smart. I, however, am leaning towards POFQ since this will be our only long Disney trip this year and probably are only family vacation this year. An extra $200 now, knowing I have the rest of the year to make up the difference doesn't seem that bad. There is also the distinct possibility that my dad will offer to pay the difference to stay at POFQ since he's already offered to upgrade our tickets to Seasonal Passes (which I reluctantly refused, I love Disney but a 2.5 hour drive and a Seasonal Pass in my wallet makes for an expensive combo of day trips and quick overnights that add up to big bucks over a year).

Realistically I think we'll end up at Pop, ASMovies, or POFQ. I just need to give the other adults a chance to weigh in. DH was in a horrible mood by the time I got home last night. I was afraid if I even mentioned Disney he would shoot me down and there would be no further discussion. Hopefully he will be in a better mood tonight so I can get him on board.

I called this morning to price out Vero Beach and Hilton Head. Vero is not an option, only one night available in a 3-bedroom for more than the Pop room would cost for 5 nights. Hilton Head is only available for 3 nights, but it would be a 2-bedroom. Splitting the cost with my parents would make it a little cheaper than Pop and we wouldn't have to buy park tickets. Probably the most economical option but also the shortest and the one I least want to do. I'm going to throw it into the mix to appease DH but I hope we end up at Disney.

I could go on and on but instead I'm going to get to work and update again this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

 

[lovedonaldduck]

I hope you get to go on vacation.

Me too! I'm even being selfish and hoping it's a Disney vacation! Thanks for reading.

 

[lovedonaldduck]

It's official - we are going to Disney! DH gave me the go ahead this morning after we talked through our options and budget last night. He wants to stay at a moderate - value resort rooms are a tight fit for us. We can do a value for a night or two but since this is 5 nights we are going to spend the extra money and stay at a moderate. DH and I have pretty much settled on POFQ but I need to get my parents to sign off on that - of course my mom chooses today to sleep in - or at least not answer her texts as I'm sure she's awake but still hasn't responded to the text I sent a couple of hours ago.

Cooper with be staying at Best Friends Pet Care at Disney. For $10 a night more than our vet, we decided we'd rather have him close by. Plus he will spend less time away from us since they have more flexible hours for drop off and pick up. I think DH is really looking forward to checking in on Cooper while we are taking a break each day. It will probably make it easier on both of them, as DH is always missing his boy when we are away. And he'll have a built in excuse to take a daily break from my parents. Don't get me wrong, we know we are blessed to have the extra hands to help out with the girls and they are so blessed to have this time with their grandparents - but being with my parents 24/7 can be a bit taxing.

I am ready to hear from my mom so I can call Disney and get us booked! I'm a little worried about our Magic Bands - I don't think they'll have time to ship but I think we're still in the window where we can get our colors when we check in.

I've got to work on our itinerary today. I had wanted to do a park Sunday afternoon (arrival day) so we could have a full day off in the middle of the trip. DH said he'd rather do 4 consecutive park days and have arrival and departure day off. Since he's letting us go, I am happy to compromise on this one, but it will change the plans I had in my head a little bit.

I need to get shopping too. Small daily treats for the girls and possibly some new clothes for them as well. I need to check their inventory of Disney shirts this weekend to see what they might need. Also, need to see if Peyton will even wear Disney shirts at this point. I think DH and I are good for purchases but I'm pretty sure both girls will need new tennis shoes. I hate that kids shoes are so expensive!

I hope to have more time to post later today.

 

[lovedonaldduck]

Just talked to my mom - they are buying our military passes on base right now and I am getting ready to call Disney - POFQ here we come!

 

[DMGeurts]

So many exciting updates today!!!

YAY for FQ... I just love it there... Even though I talk about staying other places, I know in my heart that it wouldn't be Disney to me, if I couldn't stay there. So, I am excited for you and jealous at the same time. LOL

I am glad you are taking Cooper with too - it will be easier on all of you. I know we miss MM terribly when we are gone.

Yay for military tickets too... We qualify for them, but they have yet to work out for us - they are a fantastic deal though!

D~

 

[lovedonaldduck]

So many exciting updates today!!!

Yesterday was quite the day! More progress today too. With these last minute trips, you have to move fast!

YAY for FQ... I just love it there... Even though I talk about staying other places, I know in my heart that it wouldn't be Disney to me, if I couldn't stay there. So, I am excited for you and jealous at the same time. LOL

We love FQ too! It is our favorite non-deluxe resort. The only thing I don't like is that it's usually the most expensive moderate. This time it was only an extra $40, which it's definitely worth. We've enjoyed staying at lots of different places and wouldn't hesitate to stay anywhere again (except Coronado Springs) but some places suit us better than others. I'll be sure to take pictures of the resort for you.

I am glad you are taking Cooper with too - it will be easier on all of you. I know we miss MM terribly when we are gone.

I'm hoping that Best Friends Pet Care will be a great fit for Cooper and us. I think having him close by will give DH peace of mind and make it easier to book future trips if we are able to take him with us. Bonus that the closest resort to them is Riverside, so we will also be super close by for daily visits.

Yay for military tickets too... We qualify for them, but they have yet to work out for us - they are a fantastic deal though!

D~

We usually don't do military tickets and I wasn't planning them for this trip. But my parents bought them and they wanted to get them so we would have park hoppers included - they were additional on the Florida resident 4 day tickets. I wonder if we'll end up park hopping, or not?


I am currently working on our itinerary. I'm having some trouble getting it the way I want - for us MK and Epcot are the longest days with the most to do in the parks. I'd like to separate the days we do these parks from each other if we can. I also need an early day on our first day since I was able to score a 5:15 dinner reservation at Ohana. Charlotte still naps so we'll have to get a break in before heading to dinner. I need to make this a DHS or AK day so we feel like we get to get enough done at the park but both have EMH.

I will probably make a decision on the itinerary today so I can book our Fastpass+, although I may end up changing it once I have some time to think it through.

Magic Bands are customized and ours have already shipped (or at least they aren't able to be changed at this point). I customized my parents today and linked everybody's ticket to their account.

Off to look at our FP+ options!

 

[lovedonaldduck]

I have one day of FP+ selections made. With the trip only being a couple weeks away, it took some work to get the times I wanted, but I'm pretty happy with them. I think I may be changing our itinerary around though. I've always used crowd calendars to choose which park to visit on which day and they have worked well for us. With only one day per park this time, I am trying to go with a better schedule for our family, rather than following the crowd calendars.

What I ended up with was AK (we have a 5:15 dinner reservation, so we need a park we can be done with fairly early), Epcot (DH's favorite so it will help keep him happy), DHS (a shorter day for us), MK. The problem with this is that we end up being at the EMH park every day but one. Definitely not ideal, especially because, although I have no problem rounding everyone up and forcing them to make rope drop, I think getting somewhere prior to 8am is asking a lot on vacation. I think I'll be going back to the drawing board - but not until I get through a ton of work stuff today and tomorrow!

 

[disneychic2]

Hey Jennifer! I didn't realize you'd started a ptr! I'm so glad it's a go and that you're staying at my favorite resort! I love the boat to DTD and it's just so intimate there. I hope the pool referb will be done for your trip, but if it isn't there was a shuttle taking people to POR to use their pool and it was running all the time.

Your family is adorable! And that horse you call a dog! Wowser! He's a brute! But I'm sure like most large dogs he's probably a little sweetie pie. I'm glad it worked out for you to bring him along.

It's so hard to plan when your family needs certain things and the crowd levels/EMHs are getting in the way. I'm sure you'll get it all worked out. And don't worry about the MB and the FP+, I changed ours constantly and got even better times for us as we went.

Can't wait to hear more of your plans!

 

[MeMom]

It will be fun joining in on your trip while waiting for July to get here.

We're early risers anyway, so those rope drops are perfect for us. I know for those who like to sleep in, it must be a hassle to make rope drops in order to get a lot of rides in in a shorter time.

 

[DMGeurts]

We love FQ too! It is our favorite non-deluxe resort. The only thing I don't like is that it's usually the most expensive moderate. This time it was only an extra $40, which it's definitely worth. We've enjoyed staying at lots of different places and wouldn't hesitate to stay anywhere again (except Coronado Springs) but some places suit us better than others. I'll be sure to take pictures of the resort for you.

Awww... Thanks! I just love seeing it!

I'm hoping that Best Friends Pet Care will be a great fit for Cooper and us. I think having him close by will give DH peace of mind and make it easier to book future trips if we are able to take him with us. Bonus that the closest resort to them is Riverside, so we will also be super close by for daily visits.

That is awesome - I hope it makes things much easier on all of you.

We usually don't do military tickets and I wasn't planning them for this trip. But my parents bought them and they wanted to get them so we would have park hoppers included - they were additional on the Florida resident 4 day tickets. I wonder if we'll end up park hopping, or not?

Score! I wish the military tickets worked for us - but they only have 4 park days on them, and we are planning to do 5... Oh well, maybe next time.

I am currently working on our itinerary. I'm having some trouble getting it the way I want - for us MK and Epcot are the longest days with the most to do in the parks. I'd like to separate the days we do these parks from each other if we can. I also need an early day on our first day since I was able to score a 5:15 dinner reservation at Ohana. Charlotte still naps so we'll have to get a break in before heading to dinner. I need to make this a DHS or AK day so we feel like we get to get enough done at the park but both have EMH.

I will probably make a decision on the itinerary today so I can book our Fastpass+, although I may end up changing it once I have some time to think it through.

Magic Bands are customized and ours have already shipped (or at least they aren't able to be changed at this point). I customized my parents today and linked everybody's ticket to their account.

Off to look at our FP+ options!

HOpefully you were able to get everything figured out. I vote for AK as your early day - it's our favorite park (besides MK) - but we always end up leaving early.

I have one day of FP+ selections made. With the trip only being a couple weeks away, it took some work to get the times I wanted, but I'm pretty happy with them. I think I may be changing our itinerary around though. I've always used crowd calendars to choose which park to visit on which day and they have worked well for us. With only one day per park this time, I am trying to go with a better schedule for our family, rather than following the crowd calendars.

What I ended up with was AK (we have a 5:15 dinner reservation, so we need a park we can be done with fairly early), Epcot (DH's favorite so it will help keep him happy), DHS (a shorter day for us), MK. The problem with this is that we end up being at the EMH park every day but one. Definitely not ideal, especially because, although I have no problem rounding everyone up and forcing them to make rope drop, I think getting somewhere prior to 8am is asking a lot on vacation. I think I'll be going back to the drawing board - but not until I get through a ton of work stuff today and tomorrow!

I prefer going into the parks early, and despite the fact that we could do EMH - we never have because I am too cheap to spring for Park Hoppers. But I think if you can get your must dos done right away, you should be golden. Hopefully you can break and take a nap - then go back later?

D~

 

[lovedonaldduck]

Thanks everyone for chiming in! I will do personal responses ASAP but I have one more rough day of work today, so unfortunately I can't spend the time right now. I have to leave early today to take Charlotte for her ear re-check - wish us luck! I am still hoping we can avoid tubes.

We got our Magic Bands in the mail yesterday! I am completely in shock since we just booked the trip on Friday. Disney Store also put a green Tinker Bell T-shirt on sale yesterday so I am about to head over and snatch those us - then the girls will be set for St. Patrick's Day!

Other trip news is just me constantly messing with our itinerary and second guessing myself. I have logged in several times to book our FP+ but when it comes down to it, I can't commit to anything. DH has promised to let me bounce my thoughts off of him so hopefully I'll get those taken care of tonight.

Thanks for hanging in there while I am super busy at work. I will be back with real updates and replies soon!

 

[wiigirl]

Following along!

 

[ljcrochet]

I can't wait to see your FP+.
I went over christmas week, and was able to change fastpasses as our plans changed, but not sure how that would work now with everyone using FP+.

 

[lovedonaldduck]

Hey Jennifer! I didn't realize you'd started a ptr! I'm so glad it's a go and that you're staying at my favorite resort! I love the boat to DTD and it's just so intimate there. I hope the pool referb will be done for your trip, but if it isn't there was a shuttle taking people to POR to use their pool and it was running all the time.

I am trying to find out if the pool is still being refurbed. Hopefully not, as I know the girls want to get in some pool time.

Your family is adorable! And that horse you call a dog! Wowser! He's a brute! But I'm sure like most large dogs he's probably a little sweetie pie. I'm glad it worked out for you to bring him along.

Thank you! I think the family is pretty awesome. Cooper is a big baby. He can't decide if he thinks he is a lap dog or a person. He tries to get as close to us as he possibly can and he also likes to sit on the couch to watch TV. He is protective of the girls, but other than that, he is super laid back.

It's so hard to plan when your family needs certain things and the crowd levels/EMHs are getting in the way. I'm sure you'll get it all worked out. And don't worry about the MB and the FP+, I changed ours constantly and got even better times for us as we went.

I love the planning, but I get to a point where I start to second guess all my decisions and wonder if there isn't a better way to do things. I think I've settled on the itinerary, just need to work in a couple more dining reservations (easy to get into places) and make our FP+ reservations. I'm not worried about FP+ or the Magic Bands. We used them when they were in the testing phase and they worked out great for us.

Can't wait to hear more of your plans!

Coming right up!

It will be fun joining in on your trip while waiting for July to get here. .

If I were you, I would just cuddle Hadley non-stop until July! She is a doll. Are they joining you in July or is it just Jill's family? I can't wait to hear about all the fun and magic you guys are going to pack into July - you deserve a do-over after December!

We're early risers anyway, so those rope drops are perfect for us. I know for those who like to sleep in, it must be a hassle to make rope drops in order to get a lot of rides in in a shorter time.

We don't have a hard time getting up early, it's just the getting ready and getting everybody out the door We are usually good for 2 rope drop days in a row, but by day 3 they are dragging and cursing me. I will try to plan day 3 as a slower day, if at all possible.

Awww... Thanks! I just love seeing it!

We stayed at POFQ on our second ever trip - just for one or two nights and loved it. Then, on our last trip in November, DH and the girls and I stayed for a night or two and loved it again. It is definitely the place for us when we can't stay at a deluxe and we need more space than a value.

That is awesome - I hope it makes things much easier on all of you.

Score! I wish the military tickets worked for us - but they only have 4 park days on them, and we are planning to do 5... Oh well, maybe next time.

Only doing 4 days is freaking me out! We could really use a 5th day but I am going to make 4 days work. How I miss having an annual pass!

HOpefully you were able to get everything figured out. I vote for AK as your early day - it's our favorite park (besides MK) - but we always end up leaving early.

We have enough things at AK that we can easily skip and not feel like we're missing out on anything. I think that will end up being our early day - I just wish it wasn't an EMH morning - I'm not sure we can make an 8am rope drop.

I prefer going into the parks early, and despite the fact that we could do EMH - we never have because I am too cheap to spring for Park Hoppers. But I think if you can get your must dos done right away, you should be golden. Hopefully you can break and take a nap - then go back later?

D~

We have actually stopped going back to the parks most days. They are usually more crowded in the afternoons and the transportation to get back after a rest is always daunting. We will probably wrap up most days with a sit down dinner or just time at the resort. The girls are almost as impressed with the pool and playground these days as they are the parks. Plus, DH loves his down time. I think I could go from park open to close every day if left to my own devices - maybe with a short nap/swim break midday.

Following along!

Gald to have you!

I can't wait to see your FP+.
I went over christmas week, and was able to change fastpasses as our plans changed, but not sure how that would work now with everyone using FP+.

Welcome! Hopefully I will have my FP+ figured out tonight or tomorrow. When we used them during the testing phase, we made lots of changes without any problem. I am interested to see how the parks will be with everyone using FP+ this trip. I'm wondering what wait times will look like now. We'll know in 2 weeks!


I believe I have our itinerary worked out.

Monday will be AK with an early dinner at Ohana
Tuesday will be DHS with lunch at Mama Melrose
Wednesday will be MK with dinner TBD
Thursday will be Epcot with no dinner plans so we can snack at World Showcase

My concerns with this itinerary are only that we'll be visiting AK on an EMH morning and I don't know that we'll make it there for rope drop. I don't like the idea of being behind the crowds. Secondly, DH's favorite is Epcot and once he's been there he usually starts to relax and enjoy the whole vacation a little more - I hate to save that for our last day! I'd like him relaxed and happy the whole week! I could switch Epcot and AK but I don't want to short our time at Epcot to make dinner at Ohana by 5:15. I'm going to let DH make the final call on this one - potentially less Epcot time earlier in the trip, or more Epcot time on our last day. I am also stalking the Disney website trying to get Ohana any other day, nothing so far.

Dining reservations - we currently have a late lunch booked on arrival day at Raglan Road - we may be changing this to dinner later in the week depending on what time everyone wants to get on the road. Like I said above, trying to find another Ohana opening. I was also able to score a California Grill reservation but it is at 5ish and fireworks aren't until 10. No way my girls will make it until 10 to see fireworks and I can't see paying CG prices, just for the view several hours before fireworks. I'm sure I'll be cancelling this one but I couldn't resist snatching it up when I saw it! I plan on adding a lunch at Mama Melrose on our DHS day, possibly changing Raglan Road to dinner another day, and adding Maya Grill for another dinner. This leaves no character meals, and really nowhere to add one except departure day. With packing up and checking out and getting Cooper by noon, I'm not sure we'll want anywhere we have to be that morning.

I ordered the girls their St. Patrick's day shirts from Disney Store this morning, along with a few treats for the characters to surprise them with each day. I will probably be ordering a DVD, a couple of books, and CDs from Amazon to finish up the daily treats. I think I'm going to swing by Target at lunch tomorrow and see if the have any less expensive options. Their big treats for arrival day are going to be Animator's Collection dolls that my mom is going to pick up at our Disney outlet.

Plans are moving along and I've gotten through the necessary work for our crunch time. Heading out to take Charlotte for her ear re-check shortly.

 

[lovedonaldduck]

As I mentioned over on D~'s report, we had ok results at Charlotte's appointment yesterday. They are trying her on Nasonex for the next 3 weeks to see if they can completely clear the fluid and avoid tubes. We also had to take away her bottles (I know she is way too old). If I had known that they could have been contributing to her ear issues, you can be sure we would have taken them away long ago.

No updates on the trip plans yet. Things were a little hectic at the house last night - leaving work early for Charlotte's appointment lead to me needing to do some last minute work at home last night for an issue that was discovered after I had left for the day. I didn't even log onto a non-work computer last night, plus taking the bottle away from Charlotte lead to a later than normal bedtime and some not so great sleep last night.

The good news is, I should be able to get some FP+ reservations made at some point today.

 

[lovedonaldduck]

I booked FP+ for every day of our trip but now I am second guessing myself and wondering if I can't make it better. I'm hoping I can get some input from DH tonight or over the weekend at the latest so I can finalize everything.

I started playing with the custom touring plans on touringplans.com - bad idea. I'd like to just play around with that all day! I think I'm just trying to pack too much in to such a short visit. I think I'll get everyone's top 2 attractions at each park and just plan on those. That should give us more manageable days.

I went to Target on my lunch break yesterday and was able to get all of the girls surprises except for their dolls which my mom is going to pick up at our Disney outlet. I wish I would have got them when we were there over the weekend but I wasn't convinced I wanted them. Each girl is getting a book, CD, DVD, stickers, coloring/activity book, and the dolls. It was much cheaper shopping at Target than it would have been at the Disney store, plus I was able to find stuff that I'd rather give to them. We have an overabundance of stuffed animals and cups at our house

DH took the day off to get Peyton to her doctor's appointment. He also took Coooper to the vet to get whatever vaccine he needs in order to be boarded.

Charlotte had a slightly better night last night. Once I finally got her settled around 10, she slept through the night - although I did end up sleeping with her in the spare bedroom. At least we both got a decent night's sleep. We're moving in the right direction.

Today is a day of meetings at work, plus tying up some loose ends. I'm trying to get a jump on this month's work since I'll be taking a whole week off!

 

[lovedonaldduck]

I didn't accomplish anything on the trip planning front yesterday. I'll have to get the rest of the family's input this weekend or I'll just have to go with what I think is best for everyone.

Charlotte did decent without her bottle yesterday. We still ended up sleeping together in the spare bedroom, but I was able to get her down a little earlier and she slept through the night again. At least we're making progress.

DH took Peyton for her 8 year well visit yesterday. She is in the 95th percentile for weight so we will be working on some healthier eating around our house. The doctor told her she needs fruits and veggies at every meal, but she can still eat what she likes and is used to, just less of it.

I had biometric screening at work yesterday. My weight is ridiculous - I'm up 23 pounds from where I was before I got pregnant. I believe we'll be buckling down on the eating habits at home and maybe splurging just a bit on our trip. I think it's time for a change.

I'll update later if I make any progress, but if there's nothing to report, I may not make it back until Monday.