Vienen mis amigos a la Coronado Springs --- A September 2014 Pre-Trip Report

[OregonMomToWDW]

Yay on the property finally selling!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

It’s Mickey Mail Day!! (ok, technically yesterday, but I didn’t get to update yesterday)



Yep, we are officially 35 days out!!! Can I get a whoo hoo??!! Whoo Hoo!!! Would you guys believe I don’t even have the suitcases out yet? I have yellow ME tags to attach and yet there’s nothing out to attach them to. What is wrong with me??!! (Don’t answer that!!!) I haven’t done my tip envelopes yet either. Of course it does help when you actually have MONEY to put in the envelopes, doesn’t it? Yeah, working on that one guys!

I’ve been busy with t-shirt making. I must say Peter’s tie-dye is the best one I’ve ever done! I’m so proud of it that I couldn’t wait until it was dry --- I took a picture of it hanging on the clothes line for you all to see….you can finally tell that blob in the middle is an actual Mickey head. FINALLY!!!



This one was an idea I got from Terri’s pre-trip report but I made the mistake of using WAX PAPER instead of freezer paper! It wasn’t as easy as she made it sound, but I was using the wrong type of paper! Grrrr….. I still think it came out pretty good. This t-shirt is for Peter also. I used white sparkle fabric paint with a foam brush to do it.



I like this one, too, but it probably would have been better if the paper would have ironed-on to the shirt! I still like it.

I’ve been busy hatching out new baby chicks for the 4-H Club, too. As of today all that are going to hatch did hatch. Unfortunately 3 eggs never made it. They may not have been fertile. It’s always a game of chance to get fertile eggs, even with all those darned roosters I have! So, I think in all there are 8 of them. We’ve never had cute little yellow chicks (they’re mostly black) so I’m really curious to know which rooster is the daddy. Yeah, that’s something that we’ll never find out. Now they will be going to their new home on Monday. I’m going to be so sad as I’m already attached to the little buggers! I’ve named one Nugget. I couldn’t help myself. I’ve been told they will be harder to give away if I name them, but Nugget is completely yellow and he’s my favorite! Oh, did you want to see a picture of Nugget? I’m sure you do. Here’s little Nugget…..



Yes, all my chicks are small as they are bantams (smaller version) of a regular chicken. And if my gut instinct is correct Nugget is part Partridge Cochin Bantam and part Old English game which is a small breed --- smaller than a bantam. I really do think rooster Rocky is the daddy.

As far as we know everything is still a go on closing on the Starks property on August 15th. No news is good news, right? That’s how I’m looking at it! I will be devastated if it falls through. Please send positive thoughts everyone!

Now, back to our daily plans. Wednesday, September 15th finds us at MY favorite park ---- anyone remember? HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS!!!



Oh yes, I have loved this park ever since the 80’s when it was then MGM!!! I think it’s because I’ve always wanted to be a performer and this park just oozes with that sort of feel. I love to participate in the shows (I try to get picked as often as I can!), interact with the characters and just immerse myself in the atmosphere! Our fast passes line up this way:

10am Rock n Rollercoaster


11:15am Tower of Terror

2:05pm Star Tours


We’ve allowed a bit of time for lunch which we usually eat at ABC Commissary. We’ve eaten there every single time and I actually love it there. There really isn’t a lot of quick service placed in HS, is there? I’ll have to do some research on it to see if I can come up with something different. Here’s a list I’ve come up with:

ABC Commissary - Lunch/Dinner
Backlot Express - Lunch/Dinner
Toy Story Pizza Planet - Lunch/Dinner
Catalina Eddie's - Lunch/Dinner
Fairfax Fare - Lunch/Dinner


We’ve done Fairfax Fare before as well as Studio Catering Co. I have printed out some menus to see if Victoria would eat there. She’s pretty picky! If that child would just eat pizza, we could eat at Pizza Planet, but, she doesn’t. What kid doesn’t eat pizza??? So, I’m thinking Toy Story Pizza Planet is out. Grrrrrr. We’ll just have to wing it.

Dinner will be The Sci-Fi diner. All 3 of us love it here!!! I could only get an early dinner (4:20pm) as this is one of the days I switched around so I didn’t make an ADR right at 180 days. It’s ok. I like to eat early anyways.



We’ll spend the evening doing a little shopping or whatever. Maybe catching Fantasmic, but not sure. I know Victoria will want to see the finale of American Idol Experience and of course I’ll want to see little hottie man Greg!!!

That’s all for our Monday!!!!

 

[Denovagirl]

I think the hitch hiking ghost shirt looks great!! Good job, even with wax paper! Lol!!

HS day looks awesome! I really disliked Pizza Planet so I think you're better off, we plan to do starring rolls! Their sandwiches look awesome and it will be a nice change of pace from such big, heavy meals, plus they have all the AMAZING cupcakes there!! Our runner up was Min & Bills with the stuffed cones!! Mmmmm....

I agree, such an awesome park to get immersed in! I can't wait!

35 days??!!!???!? Whooohooooo!!!!!

 

[SarahDisney]

Yep, we are officially 35 days out!!! Can I get a whoo hoo??!!

WOOHOO!!! I'm so excited for you!! And I love the t-shirts you made for Peter, they both look great!

Nugget is super cute (and I'm not an animal person, so if I'm saying that, it must be true).

Your Wednesday plans look great! I want to try Sci-Fi Diner - I actually didn't know it existed until recently (we've always done Counter Service and kind of ignored the table service restaurants), but it's not in the cards for me for this trip. I hope you guys enjoy.

 

[MonsterWDWmom]

Yay for Mickey mail!! I also have no even begun to think of packing In 2 weeks we are heading to the White Mountains so that vacation is what is on my mind and preparing for it. I am sure the closer it get to Disney the more stressed I will be about what to pack and how little time I gave myself!

Sending you good vibes that the house closes without issue

 

[Iamthequeen]

Finally made it here! I read through your ptr and your tr on your March trip. Aren't teenage girls wonderful???? I had 2 and sometimes they still act like teenagers even though one is 35 and the other is 27

These are my girls - at their brother's wedding:



I see you have a nice little lap dog - Cutie really is a cutie!

I also have 2 sons - Steven - in the Orioles gear and Andrew in the Pirates gear. Odd I know, but there is a good reason that we have a Pirates fan in the family - he works for the organization in their front office.


Believe me, that the boys were much easier to raise than the girls.

I love your tie dye shirts - I tried them last year and they did not turn out well...

Your hitchhiking ghosts turned out well! Even if you did use wax paper....

Also, I love the shirts you made! I think it was a good choice to use black fabric on the back of the AK shirt and I absolutely love the princess shirt!

My dh, Charlie and I were in Disney in March, but I'm pretty sure it was earlier than your trip and it looks like we have some overlap in September!

 

[RooRach0906]

Yay!!!!! To Mickey Mail. I haven't started packing either.

Nugget is adorable!

I have a picky eater too, she will eat pizza but no macaroni and cheese.

Love both shirts! I want to attempt to make a tye dye Mickey shirt one day.

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Your tie dye for Peter looks amazing! You did a great job! The hitchhiking ghost shirt is super cool, too!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Mickeymail!!!!!!! The shirts look great! I have a big bin full of ours that we have made over the years. We never wear them outside of WDW and I HATED making them, but they were so fun in the parks!

Ok, I'll admit, even a chickenhater like me can admit that nugget is adorable. Why do they have to get big? Can't they stay cute little chicks forever?

 

[mickeystoontown]

I am the world's worst about not paying attention to tickers/signatures. I didn't even see that you had started this until I saw your post on my report this morning. Going back to read.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Shhhhh, I read every bit of the pre-trip report after posting. Don't tell the bossman, okay?

There's a whole lot that I wanted to comment on and I know that I'm going to miss something but here goes:

Well, I was going to say for the Little Mix concert but then read later on that they had cancelled. It's good that they refunded your money.

Good for you joining the Y. It sounds like the aquatics exercise class is fun.

I can't wait to hear what you think about the CSR business class rooms and your experiences with the lounge.

Yay for getting all of the Fastpasses and ADRs that you wanted. They may not have been at the exact times that you wanted but at least you got them. I actually liked the new FP program because it cut down on the amount of criss-crossing that we had to do in the past.

I love all of the shirts that you are making! Great job!

Woo-hoo for the offer on the house and property! Did the sale go through? I skipped the chit-chat and may have missed it.

 

[OregonMomToWDW]

Love the shirts. Good job on them, even with the wax paper.

When we were at Toy Story Pizza Planet, I had a salad and it was very good. But, if she doesn't eat Pizza or salads, then something else would be better. We liked Pizza Planet and we are planning to go back.

HS is the only park that I have 2 full days planned at. The rest are either 1 day or 1.5 days. We figured we didn't need as much time in MK, because of our Disneyland trip.

Oh, yay on Mickey Mail. We got ours. I haven't put on suitcases because we still have to unpack.

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Congrats on the house selling- it will be a relief just knowing you don't have to worry about it anymore even if it was for less than expected!

Sorry about the puppy. We have problems finding care for our dogs too because our newest one is a little stink. Our reliable pet sitter won't sit for us anymore because the dog kept escaping and wrecking havoc on our house and she felt guilty..... we finally bribed our neighbor's granddaughter to do it with a good fee....... and she told us she loved our newest little dog & wants to do it again! So it all worked out! SCORE!!!

Your shirts (both the AK & Princess one) look great!

And have fun in Boston!

I’m trying to stay positive, Nicole, and the property is still under contract, but it’s still not a sure thing until those papers are signed. We were told to expect a closing on August 15th and haven’t heard anything more about it. Grrrrr. Poor Cutie dog!! She really is a good girl! Peter’s office assistant has volunteered to take her while we are gone. I don’t know her (Krista) that well, but she has two other dogs so she already is familiar with dog care. I’m just worried about Cutie getting fleas there as Krista admittedly said her dogs sometimes gets them in the summer. I’ll just make sure Cutie has a dose of flea stuff the day before we leave. I’m glad you guys found a good pet sitter. I still think Karen should fly to Maine to care for Cutie!

WOOT! Glad the house sold!

I love the colors in your shirt. I can't sew, like AT.ALL. Ok, I can, but then it gets all jacked up and tangled and jaggedy. I might as well not sew b/c I'm so terrible at it!

Sorry about Cuite, you should call around to the vets and see if you can find her a petsitter! The vets in my area ll know me, it's where I get most of my referrals.

Uh yes, I have tried to wrangle chickens in the dark and it was awful. I'll tell you a secret, but you have to promise not to end our friendship over it. Ready? I hate chickens.

I'm sorry! It's just I have a few clients with them and they are SO HARD to deal with! They never go in the coop until it's too dark and I'm tripping over stuff and stepping in all of their poop...and it stinks and they peck at me sometimes. I don't EAT them, so that has to count for something, right?

YOU HATE CHICKENS???? KAREN!!! They are so cute! Although even I must admit there are two roosters of ours that I could break their little necks!!! They hate me! They are always chasing me and pecking at my legs. It’s really not funny and it’s just those 2. I don’t know what I ever did to them to make them hate me. Peter says it’s because they want to mate with me……um NO!

Hi! Popping in! Your plans look great! How awesome for your DD to get to see that band she loves while at Disney!! I am excited to see my fave band at the F&W festival this year too, so I totally get her excitement!

Cant wait to read more!

Hi Terri and welcome to the madness!!! You must have missed the part where Little Mix has cancelled their North American tour. Victoria was very disappointed, but yesterday we just bought her VIP tickets to 5 Seconds of Summer for next August (2015) so, she’s kinda, sorta over it. I bet when that day of the Little Mix concert was supposed to be she will probably be upset, but we’ll be in her favorite park ---- EPCOT, so that should soften the blow!

I lived in the Boston area for a few years and did the Duck Tour . . . it was really nice. Sometimes they let you drive the boat, which is kinda fun (they never let you drive it on land, though . . . at least not that I've seen).

I'm glad to hear the house sold - it's nice to have one less thing to worry about.

And I LOVE the Princess dress! So adorable! I'm sure you'll get lots of compliments on it at Disney.

Yeah, there’s been a change of plans with the Boston trip. We are now heading down early and stopping at the Channel store (Victoria’s idea --- she wants a lipstick. It’s all about brand names with this teen and I don’t know where she gets it because I’m a Goodwill shopper myself and sell Avon!) and then heading to the hotel. Victoria and Allison will then be heading down to Patriot’s Place for shopping before the concert and plan on going into the stadium around 4pm. Peter and I will be enjoying the hotel’s amenities (pool, hot tub) until about 6pm and then going to Patriot’s Place for dinner and shopping. I emailed PP and asked about parking and it’s free in their selected sections as long as you keep the receipts to prove you were shopping/eating there and not parked there for the concert. I guess concert parking is $40!!! Ouch! So, we’ll do some shopping and pick up a few things. We picked a store for Victoria and Allison to meet us at when the concert is over with. I think it’s a pretty solid plan. This plan does not allow for any Duck Tours, though. It’s ok. If I’m spending that kind of money on a hotel room, I’m going to get my money’s worth! LOL! Thank you for complimenting my princess shirt. I can’t wait to wear it!

Joining In!

Congrats on paying off the trip!

Yay! to getting offer on the house, will be praying all goes accordingly.

Your shirts look great.

Plans are coming along nicely, bummer about the concert being cancelled tho.

Have fun in Boston!

Thank you for the compliments on my outfits!! I’m pretty pleased!

Glad the house sold! Even if it isn't the price you wanted you'll feel great getting it off your hands!

Have fun in Boston, I've always wanted to go.

Hi Sam!!! I’m sure we’ll have a great time in Boston. I love to stay at hotels so it’s just going to be another adventure. Still nervous about the house sale, but I’m keeping good thoughts in my head!! By the way, we are HUGE Doctor Who fans, so I love your little icon!

Oh, wow, I am sorry you had such a bad experience at Pop! That’s kinda gross that you could see the indents on the bed from people who were there before you! I would not like that! Back to this trip, Garden Grill at 4:20 is a good time of day to go! It doesn’t feel as rushed when you eat that early, and then you have the rest of the night for touring. At least, that was how it worked out for us You have great Fast Passes! I like your plans for your AK day, because it could be very romantic for you and Peter to have some time for yourselves at the park. If you are still looking for counter service suggestions, I really like Flame Tree BBQ. I had the ribs and the kids both had the rib/chicken platter. The birds there were sort of a nuisance since they were used to people feeding them. My kids were feeding them pieces of chicken! I thought that was kinda cannibalistic! I made the kids stop feeding them, but the birds kept coming up to us! This was a few years ago, though. Maybe it’s not still like that. I love your shirts! They are so cute! For someone who doesn’t think they are a seamstress, I think you did a really good job! You don’t like baked beans either? My kids like them, but I can’t stand them! I hope your dinner at WCC is good!

I’m glad Peter was able to sell his property. That must be a relief not to have to think about that anymore. I can’t believe that Cutie was kicked out of doggy day care for something that happened so long ago! I’m sorry about that! She looks like such a sweetie! I can’t picture her ever being aggressive! How are the chicks? Did they hatch yet? I always get so jealous when you talk about your chickens! One day I’ll have some… One Direction?!? I’m not telling True. She would be so jealous of that! She’s getting to be that age where she wants to go to concerts. That’s nice that you and Peter can hang out at the hotel when Victoria is at the concert, though!

Hi Erin! Yeah I’m never going to Pop again. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I just didn’t like it and I’m really NOT a snob!! Maybe I’ll try one of the All Stars. I’d love to stay at AoA, but the Little Mermaid rooms are NEVER on the Free Dining promo and it’s quite a walk from the main building. We wouldn’t pay for suite --- we don’t need all that room. Maybe, though…..Yes, I am planning on a nice romantic afternoon with my husband in AK. I’m glad Victoria is old enough to go roaming by herself. I can’t wait just to walk the trails with him! Love! I think we want to have a CS meal where we can sit inside to escape the heat. I’ll have to read about Flame Tree to see if we can. I think so, but we’ve never been so I can’t remember. Yes, Erin, chickens can be cannibals. As gross as that sounds, it’s possible. Once they get a taste of an egg (if one happens to drop and open) they’ll eat those, too. The chickens are wonderful!! We ended up with 4 possible barred ones and 4 yellow chicks that we have no idea what their adult feathers will look like. Right now they are so cute and fuzzy and peeping up a storm! It’s going to be so hard to let them go this coming Monday. I’m going to be sad! I posted a picture of Nugget. But, they aren’t mine to keep, and I knew this going in to the situation, so I need to be prepared. I know they’ll take all 8…..maybe I can hide Nugget!!! I didn’t tell them how many actually hatched! LOL!! Yes, not only is she going to One Direction this weekend, but we also just bought tickets for her to go to 5 Seconds of Summer for NEXT year! Ugh! Again, it will be in MA. Another $350 down the drain (of course we had to purchase 2 tickets and they must be VIP seating…..that child needs a job!!!)

Yay on the property finally selling!

Thanks Shannon!!!!

I think the hitch hiking ghost shirt looks great!! Good job, even with wax paper! Lol!!

HS day looks awesome! I really disliked Pizza Planet so I think you're better off, we plan to do starring rolls! Their sandwiches look awesome and it will be a nice change of pace from such big, heavy meals, plus they have all the AMAZING cupcakes there!! Our runner up was Min & Bills with the stuffed cones!! Mmmmm....

I agree, such an awesome park to get immersed in! I can't wait!

35 days??!!!???!? Whooohooooo!!!!!

Hi Terri…..yep, I will never live the wax paper mistake down, will I?? As for Starring Rolls, Victoria doesn’t like sandwiches…..I tell ya, she is extremely fussy! Ugh! So Starring Rolls is out. I’ve printed out some menus that I’m going to have her look at to decide. Today is 34 days!!!! OMG!! And I finally took out the suitcases last night and attached the ME tags. Realistically, I was just afraid I was going to lose them, so I figured I better attach them right away!! There will really be some packing when we get back from Boston. After all, I need all those toiletries to go to Boston, so they can’t yet be packed for Disney yet. Same goes for the bathing suits. I actually need those for Aquafit classes so that’s going to be a last minute pack!

WOOHOO!!! I'm so excited for you!! And I love the t-shirts you made for Peter, they both look great!

Nugget is super cute (and I'm not an animal person, so if I'm saying that, it must be true).

Your Wednesday plans look great! I want to try Sci-Fi Diner - I actually didn't know it existed until recently (we've always done Counter Service and kind of ignored the table service restaurants), but it's not in the cards for me for this trip. I hope you guys enjoy.

Thank you for loving the t-shirts. I’m pretty pleased and thank you for the compliment on Nugget. He is such a sweet little chick! I just wish the picture didn’t come out so fuzzy, but those buggers don’t stay still for pictures! We love Sci-Fi. Victoria has only been to a real drive in once so she’s fascinated by the set up. Yes, Victoria, there really were speakers you had to put into the windows, and yes there really was a concession stand! We’ve always had wonderful service there, too.

Yay for Mickey mail!! I also have no even begun to think of packing In 2 weeks we are heading to the White Mountains so that vacation is what is on my mind and preparing for it. I am sure the closer it get to Disney the more stressed I will be about what to pack and how little time I gave myself!

Sending you good vibes that the house closes without issue

Hi Megan!! Oh, I love the White Mountains! Fortunately that’s close enough that we go a couple of times per year. I miss when Victoria was younger and we would hit Santa’s Village and Storyland. I just love those places! Yep, it sure is hard to pack for Disney when there’s another mini-trip to go on first, but we’ll both manage, won’t we?! We usually stay in North Conway and just drive to the National Park. I’ve never made it up Mt. Washington, though. I’m a chicken! Oh, I’ll ride any thrill ride you give me, but I will not drive up that road! Scares the poop right outta me!! LOL! Thanks for the good thoughts! I can’t wait until those papers are signed!

Finally made it here! I read through your ptr and your tr on your March trip. Aren't teenage girls wonderful???? I had 2 and sometimes they still act like teenagers even though one is 35 and the other is 27 Believe me, that the boys were much easier to raise than the girls.

I love your tie dye shirts - I tried them last year and they did not turn out well...

Your hitchhiking ghosts turned out well! Even if you did use wax paper....

Also, I love the shirts you made! I think it was a good choice to use black fabric on the back of the AK shirt and I absolutely love the princess shirt!

My dh, Charlie and I were in Disney in March, but I'm pretty sure it was earlier than your trip and it looks like we have some overlap in September!

Welcome aboard Terry!!! I absolutely love those dresses on your girls. OMG! I love the empire waists. So pretty and they look like they came right out of a fairy tale! Oh, and your boys are good looking, too! Even if Andrew is a Pirates fan! LOL! Yep, everyone tells me it’s easier to raise teenage sons rather than daughters. I don’t know --- I’ve never had the option. But Victoria is my everything so we will get through her teen years. Then when she’s off to college I’ll miss those teens years….maybe? probably not, huh? Thank you for the compliments on my shirts. (Hi, I’m Ann and I USED WAX PAPER!!!) Hey if you see me, definitely say HI!!! I’ll have on my LGMH so that Dis’ers will know I’m one of them!

Yay!!!!! To Mickey Mail. I haven't started packing either.

Nugget is adorable!

I have a picky eater too, she will eat pizza but no macaroni and cheese.

Love both shirts! I want to attempt to make a tye dye Mickey shirt one day.

The Mickey Tie-dyes are pretty simple, it’s just a matter of praying the Mickey head is outlined well. I always was the shirt prior to dyeing and I think it helps to dye it when it’s wet. You should see my first attempts. They are not pretty. It just looks like a big blob of color in the middle!!! Thank you for the compliments!!!

Your tie dye for Peter looks amazing! You did a great job! The hitchhiking ghost shirt is super cool, too!

Thank you buddy!!!!

Mickeymail!!!!!!! The shirts look great! I have a big bin full of ours that we have made over the years. We never wear them outside of WDW and I HATED making them, but they were so fun in the parks!

Ok, I'll admit, even a chickenhater like me can admit that nugget is adorable. Why do they have to get big? Can't they stay cute little chicks forever?

Thanks for the compliment Karen! I do like making the tie dyes, at least this time! So, a whole bin of them, huh? I know….make pillows out of them!!! Yeah! That would be so cool!!! Yes, I’m still trying to get over that whole thing of one of my friends HATING chickens. I may have to go into therapy over this. LOL! You’re not so bad…….my niece Emily won’t even get out of her car at my house until the chickens are penned up. Too funny!!!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Shhhhh, I read every bit of the pre-trip report after posting. Don't tell the bossman, okay?
There's a whole lot that I wanted to comment on and I know that I'm going to miss something but here goes: Well, I was going to say for the Little Mix concert but then read later on that they had cancelled. It's good that they refunded your money.

Good for you joining the Y. It sounds like the aquatics exercise class is fun.

I can't wait to hear what you think about the CSR business class rooms and your experiences with the lounge.

Yay for getting all of the Fastpasses and ADRs that you wanted. They may not have been at the exact times that you wanted but at least you got them. I actually liked the new FP program because it cut down on the amount of criss-crossing that we had to do in the past.

I love all of the shirts that you are making! Great job!

Woo-hoo for the offer on the house and property! Did the sale go through? I skipped the chit-chat and may have missed it.

Hi Lisa!!! Welcome!!! Thank you for joining in!!! No, you didn’t miss the sale of the property. In fact, we got an email today from the realtor, so I’m a bit discouraged. It said that the buyer wasn’t approved from the first lender, but the realtor gave him a list of other lenders that may help. Grrrrr! So, it’s still up in the air right now. I just had a feeling that something was not going to go as planned. But it’s still under contract for the time being, so let’s just hope the guy can get some money from somewhere!! Thank you for the compliments on the shirts. I have fun making them!

Yes, I also like the FP+ for the same reason you do --- no crisscrossing! Hopefully it will be traditionally slow as far as crowds go, but I like having them in place. I just don’t want to be stressed on vacation! I was very lucky to get 7DMT and Anna & Elsa Meet from what I’ve read. There’s some really heated threads about adults without kids getting A&E fp. Granted, I do have a child, but she’s 16. As I see it, we have just as much right to see them as anyone else.

I would never tell bossman about being on the boards! Where do you think I do my best writing anyways?

 

[Denovagirl]

Yup, I totally missed that the band she likes isnt coming anymore! Oh well, more time in EPCOT then!!

I can't believe you're so close! Squeeee!!!

I am the same as you, I can't do my packing too early becuase I need the stuff! I serisouly own like 3 shorts and I will need to wear them up until I pack them! LoL!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

DAY 29!!!! 29 MORE DAYS TO GO!!!

I just can’t believe it! The summer has flown right by! Isn’t that always the way, though? I know, I know, it’s not over yet and there is still plenty of time to enjoy it. I’ve only been in my pool twice this summer and I feel so guilty for not using it more, after all Peter is still maintaining it with cleaning and chemicals. Yep, definitely this weekend I MUST USE THE POOL!!!!





I received that magical email today which informed me that our Magic Bands have shipped! Yay!!! I purchased some cover bands to go on them --- for me and Peter it’s the bride and groom set and Victoria wanted Dalmations. Then, they just had to add Doctor Who styles, so both Victoria and I got those, too. Now we’ll have to switch them out mid-week. Oh, the problems I have to encounter, huh?




LOL!! I’m not sure if you’ve all read that the Frozen Summer Special is continuing into September. I really don’t know how I feel about that. Wouldn’t that mean my beloved Hollywood Studios would be more crowded than usual? But I then read that the activities will only be on the weekends, so the Frozen fireworks, dessert party and sing along won’t be happening during the week. At least that’s MY understanding. Can anyone verify this for me? It won’t affect me anyways as our HS days are during the week. Yeah, I don’t have to make the decision on whether or not to purchase the premium package. No temptation to spend more money!

I received yet another email from the real estate agent when I asked how things were going: “I left a message for him(buyer) this morning. I'm guessing it’s not going to be good news, but we will see…” Doesn’t that sound promising, huh? NOT!!! I knew it was too good to be true. Oh, I’m not giving up hope, yet, it’s just the way things are right now. I can see tightening up on the budget happening from now on, especially with heating season coming soon. Grrrrr. Maybe it’s for the best and maybe the next offer that comes along will be for more than a mere $25,500, right? Gotta think positive!

I just made up a couple LGMH. I’ll have to pick up some self-laminating sheets and laminate them. I also have to pick up some printer ink to do the tip envelopes with. It just figures that I run out NOW when money is tight! I have another dilemma to think about -----should I book the bounceback offer for next September? I’ve already read that it’s Free Dining again. Now based on our history, a trip next year should be a no-brainer. We’ve gone every year since we’ve been married and I don’t see me wanting to stop now. BUT, Victoria will be a senior next year! Should she miss a full week right at the beginning of the year? What if she is working by then? Would she be able to get the time off? We will even be able to afford it next year? Oh, I know I could make it happen if we stayed at a value for a shorter period of time. It’s making me realize I’ll be losing my travel buddy soon (ok fine, another 2 years). I know she won’t be able to take time off during college. Who’s going to ride the thrill rides with me? Peter doesn’t ride anything more thrilling than Pirates of the Carribean. I’m sad just thinking about that! So, what do you guys think? I’m on the side of booking it to guarantee Free Dining and then cancel if it doesn’t work out. Opinions please!!!

We had a wonderful weekend in Boston and I will be sharing some pictures in another post. The location of Victoria & Allison’s seats was amazing and the pictures they got were awesome! I can tell you one thing, though…..I HATE BOSTON TRAFFIC!! Having 4 or 5 lanes with people merging in and out with no signal drove me absolutely CRAZY!! Here in Maine you stay to the right unless you are passing someone. You do NOT pass on the right. Well apparently that’s not the case in MA! They had a great time and we’ve already purchased tickets for 5 Seconds of Summer (One Direction’s opening act) for next August.

They will be playing on August 28, 2015 at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA! It’s a smaller venue, so it should be easier to navigate around.

Sad news…..the baby chicks we hatched didn’t make it. We came home Sunday afternoon and they had all passed. We are not sure why. It’s hard to know with baby chicks……

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I'm so sorry about the baby chicks!

You should TOTALLY book BB! It's easy to cancel if you need to but if you don't book and they could either not come out with FD or you have to wait and scurry around with everyone else booking. Who needs that stress?? Disney is so good about refunding deposits if you need to cancel...I should know.

Get in that pool woman! I would DIE for a pool and you have used yours twice??? Enjoy it!

 

[OregonMomToWDW]

Hi. From what I have read, the Frozen activities continue daily through September. Fireworks are, however, only Friday - Sunday.

 

[SarahDisney]

LOL!! I’m not sure if you’ve all read that the Frozen Summer Special is continuing into September. I really don’t know how I feel about that. Wouldn’t that mean my beloved Hollywood Studios would be more crowded than usual? But I then read that the activities will only be on the weekends, so the Frozen fireworks, dessert party and sing along won’t be happening during the week. At least that’s MY understanding. Can anyone verify this for me? It won’t affect me anyways as our HS days are during the week. Yeah, I don’t have to make the decision on whether or not to purchase the premium package. No temptation to spend more money!

From what I've seen, it seems like just the fireworks won't be happening during the week, but everything else (including the sing along) will be every day. I'm not entirely sure. I don't think they're offering the premium package for weekdays, so you're safe from that decision.

Yay on the 29 days! So exciting!

When you book the bounceback, do you have to pay in full or just the deposit? Since the deposit isn't too much, it might be worth it if you can scrape the money together. Pay a little now to save money later - it makes sense. If you have to cancel, at least you're only out the deposit.
And if you don't mind larger crowds, you can take Victoria during her breaks when she's in college! I went during break twice - winter break my senior year and spring break when I was in grad school. It can get crowded when a lot of schools have break at the same time (which happened to me when I went for spring break), but maybe you'll get lucky and her school will have break at a different time than most other schools, which means smaller crowds.

If you're looking for other recommendations ... I recommend you get off the computer and go use the pool!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

I'm sorry about the baby chicks, Ann I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything works out with the property sale.

How exciting that your trip is so close! I would definitely do the bounce back. Take it from the Queen of Cancelled Trips, the Disney cancellation policy is your friend! Hopefully, Victoria can still do the trip next year though. I like your MagicBand covers! So, I saw on Karen's TR that you are planning on doing something different with your pressed pennies this year! Spill! I'm planning on a big project with them, too, but it's going to require about 200 pennies! I think I'll have to collect them over the next TWO trips!