Double the Anniversaries, Double the Fun! Jan 2013 PTR | TR HAS STARTED! 2/13

[onelilspark]

That is so funny about word getting around you work place! I think it will around here, too. I did find out my CEO is going to Disneyland in July I think with his family, so after I introduced myself to the company we were chatting about it.

I can't imagine having competition though, haha. I like being the Disney guru around here! At my old job, I actually had one girl ask me for some tips on planning, and I told her I would love to plan her trip for her! Or well, at least help with it, now that I have my own to plan.

When I met her, we chatted about Disney (obviously) and I had to laugh inside...I had to suppress my crazy because I knew more.

 

[nic100308]

I'm up north in Mill Creek, it's about 320-30 from Seattle. I've been looking for a job in Seattle, the commute isn't bad and there are a lot of companies in the city.

I really love it here!! Different from NY but in a good way. DF has been here for awhile, but he grew up in NY too. The only down side is that we're so far from Disney!

 

[danimaroo]

I'm up north in Mill Creek, it's about 320-30 from Seattle. I've been looking for a job in Seattle, the commute isn't bad and there are a lot of companies in the city.

I really love it here!! Different from NY but in a good way. DF has been here for awhile, but he grew up in NY too. The only down side is that we're so far from Disney!

Oh awesome! I don't think I've ever been up to Mill Creek, but I have been in the area! The commute to Seattle isn't bad at all; for us we take the Sounder commuter train into downtown pretty much daily. What kind of work are you looking for?

It's funny, I grew up in Boston but have never been to NY! I think I will be traveling there for my job at some point, though, so that will be fun. I love the Pacific Northwest but I'd agree with you 100%... We're too far from Disney World! At least we have Disneyland nearby.

 

[danimaroo]

Oh man, you guys. This weekend was CRAZY! I apologize for not updating but no joke, I think I had like an hour to myself this weekend because otherwise we were out doing stuff!

So, a few exciting announcements, both Disney and non-Disney related..

1. WE BOUGHT A NEW CAR! It's a 2012 Ford Flex, and we named our new baby "Hulk"... Because, yeah, it's a big car!

And of course, Hulk needed a fun antenna topper, so we took care of tht right away:

Soooo yeah, Matt and I have been talking about getting a new car for awhile, mainly because we needed something with way more room. Between our dogs and future kids, we knew we wanted something with 7 seats. Even without kids, we needed something large enough to haul us, plus the doggies, and any cargo we have. Camping with our Pontiac Vibe was a bit difficult, because fitting the cooler in the back couldn't really happen.

SO! We shopped around a bit and randomly came across the Ford Flex. It's HUGE! Huge enough that we are actually planning to go car camping in June. I'm very excited about it. We also got a pretty good deal on it, since it's technically used, but has only 9k miles on it. And it came in under our budget, so hooray! We're very excited.

But it was also a little sad to say goodbye to my Pontiac Grand Am that we traded in, I won't lie!

Okay, announcement number 2 is I can say we are OFFICIALLY booked for our Disney World trip as of this morning. Matt called in and got us 2 studios at OKW! Member Services told Matt we could call back on June 18th to switch our rooms to Beach Club Villas, and we could book dining reservations starting July 24th... which I am going to be SUPER on top of, especially with our first night's ADR choice (which we'll get into down the line! )

Aaaand number 3, we saw The Avengers this weekend and we LOVED it. No seriously, it's so good! I can't wait to see it again! In fact, my team at work is going to see it on Friday as a fun team outing, so I'm pretty excited that I'll get to see it again in theaters. The Hulk was my favorite... and that may have had something to do with us naming our new SUV.

That's about it from me now! OH! I went to two Disney Stores this weekend and picked up some awesome stuff for my desk at work... So I'll leave you with these new friends I've added to my work crew!

Rizzo!!

Beaker, Donald Duck, and my FIRST Vinylmation ever, Orchestra Mickey!

Also, can I just state how funny I find it that Disney Stores have WAY more Muppet stuff than the stores in Disney World?! It's ridiculous! But hey, I got Rizzo and Beaker for probably a lot less money than I'd have spent in Disney World, so I guess I can't complain.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

AHHH! I love Rizzo!! I just wrote in my TR yesterday, I think, about our family's obsession with Muppets, and I LOVE HIM!

That is a hulk of a car! Very nice!
And congrats on booking. I booked something extra secretive this weekend. I'm trying to finish my TR so that I can start that PTR!

 

[onelilspark]

Also, can I just state how funny I find it that Disney Stores have WAY more Muppet stuff than the stores in Disney World?! It's ridiculous! But hey, I got Rizzo and Beaker for probably a lot less money than I'd have spent in Disney World, so I guess I can't complain.

Did they have any Sam the Eagle stuff? He's my favorite and I can never find him!

 

[nic100308]

We saw the Avengers this weekend too! DF is a HUGE comic book fan, so it was a must.

YAY FOR NEW CAR!!!
There's nothing like driving a new car. I sold my Saturn before I left NY (I kind of hated that car, we had personal issues) and I got a Mazda 3 when I got out here and I love it. New cars are just more fun to drive.

Glad everything is booked for you. I didn't even think of booking at BLT (our home resort) and then switching it. I'll just be calling in June to make reservations at BWV.

Can't wait to hear about your dining choices, I just figured all mine out over the weekend. WHOO!! Deluxe Dining here we come. We'll be rolling of of the world.

 

[marDgreen88]

Congrats on the new car!!! I actually meant to say something about it on twitter but I forgot...

So glad that you booked! Just makes it so much more real. DANG THOUGH. Why did I think January was so much sooner than it is?? Your ADR date is only a few days before my trip!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Yay for the new Flex, Dani! I've always thought those things were so cool looking! I LOVE it!!! And you surely can't beat the fact that it has lots of room AND came in under budget!!! That's so awesome!!

When I first heard about the Avengers movie, I thought it would be something like Tron, so I had no desire to see it. But, now that I've read all these great reviews, I think it might be something I'd like to see!!

I'm loving all the new Disney additions to your desk...so very awesome!

 

[amyrella]

Oh yay congrats on the new car! I think we will be looking at purchasing a new one by the end of the year. And a Ford Flex is on my list to look at. Let me know how much you love it!! We need something good for the snow, winters can be crazy in NY...

Neat purchases, my bf loves the muppets!

 

[DanniDeer]

1- I definitely just finished reading all of your TR posts, and we were there at the same time! We went for my birthday and then on a whim the next day (Jan 26 & 27), and were in MK the same time you guys were. Don't worry, I'm not creepin' in the background of any of your pictures. I checked.


2- don't be scared of vinylmation "blind" trading!! I was super hesitant at first when we got a second Lando from the SW series, but most of the time the cast members will ask if there's something specific you're looking for, and let you see that one. If not, they'll ask you to pick a few numbers, and show you which ones were behind those numbers. If you don't like anything, it's the same as pin trading; you're not obligated to give yours up!


3- I am super excited to read your PTR because I loved your TR! and we have the same name! +1n for me :] you make me want to do a PTR/TR, even though I live in Florida and we're not going for a "vacation" until next march. haha.

 

[smile4stamps]

Yeah for booking your rooms!!

People at work know me as the Disney Fanatic as well. However they never ask for help planning and then say when they get back they should have asked! I always offer but half the time they don't share they are going till they have come back.

I hope you are able to get your #1 DVC. We will be staying at VWL in October and are excited about it! (well I am, I haven't told my hubby where we are staying!)

 

[Joyciemc]

Congrats on the new giant car!!

Having the trip officially booked is so awesome! And two studios- that sounds glorious! We're all bundling up in one on our trip.. cozy! Haha.

 

[danimaroo]

Hey guys, I know I owe some responses, but I figured I'd update and let you know I'm still here. Work has gotten crazy again; one of the other people on my team is leaving and so basically myself and one other girl are having to take on all of that person's accounts until we get another person hired/trained. Basically, it's going to be a pretty crazy 2 months! But we'll survive... and at least I work on an awesome and super supportive team!

Add that PLUS the fact that I've come down with a cold , and yeah, I've been a bit tied up.

I have a few updates on the trip front. Officially 8 months from today, we will be hanging out in Magic Kingdom, maybe grabbing a late lunch, or perhaps walking around Fantasyland.

In ONE month, we can call Member Services and try to get our resort switched to Beach Club Villas! Keeping my fingers crossed it'll work out!

Outside of that, things have been kind of quiet on the trip front. There IS a possibility of my in-laws/SIL and niece showing up towards the end of the trip...

We're hoping they decide to go a week later, though, just because otherwise I feel like it'll make the end of our trip a bit overwhelming with that many people. Plus, we're there with our friends, so yeah. We'll see how things end up.

Oh, I've started a Vinylmation collection. Holy COW this stuff is addicting! I never thought I'd get into it, but now that I have, it's super fun. I love trading and meeting new people and collecting Vinyls of my favorite characters, attractions, etc... I'll have to post some photos here in the next week or two and show off what I have. I can thank Rachel (okw19) for getting me into this expensive hobby, hahaha.

Promise I'll get to responses soon! I think I'm going to head home from work here early due to this cold I have... Hopefully if I get some sleep I'll feel better.

 

[dara00]

hey Dani, where do you trade your vinyls, at the disney store? is there a time people get together to trade? I have 4 total, 2 of which I'm not thrilled with!

 

[407-W-DISNEY]

hi Dani,
Sorry you are sick...hope you are resting and feel better over the weekend.

One month till you can try to switch to the BCV! I hope you can on your first try!

It will be a busy end of your trip if your in-laws, SIL and niece show-up! YIKES

Dont think I said 'congrats' on the new car!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

I'm a bit far behind - catching up now!!!

Yay for being booked!! And yay for your new car!! How exciting!!

I love all of your Muppets accessories. I agree, they are sorely under-represented in the parks!!

Hope you are feeling better soon!!

 

[archdandy]

Just catching up! Woohoo a new car! And it's such an exciting time for you guys with planning for children in the next couple of years. I hope you guys are able to get your Beach Club rooms!

 

[nic100308]

HEY!! I was wondering where you'd been. Busy is good! I miss work!! The job search has been a little more challenging than I anticipated, oh well...more time to Disney plan and read PTR!

I only have 3 Vynalmations, but I love them. Jack, Sally and Zero. Funny enough DF suggested we use them as our cake topper, he's not so into the traditional bride and groom topper. I thought it was a great idea, but I told him we have to put Zero on another layer to represent Chloe.

We'll be calling next month to reserve BWV, I'm hoping that we can get a standard room. If not we'll have to purchase a few points from the one time use bank. Do you know about that? It's new and actually a great idea. It lets you purchase up to an additional 24 points for a reasonable price. Perfect for situations like what we're in where we may be a few points short.

 

[DreamEagle]

Dani, I just spent my two days off re-living your trip to WDW. And can I just say, THAT'S HOW YOU DO A TRIP REPORT!

I am sleepy now, because unlike you and the mister, I did not take naps throughout your vacation, I just kept right on reading, only stopping to grab something to munch on. But really, what an amazing time, the Beach club looked like such a treat and you both seemed to have had such luck with transportation (jealous).

I learned about some food goodies along the way, some new things to try and experience when I'm there this Sept. You and DH's humor was the highlight of the TR and I loved all of the faces you two made.

So of course I am thrilled to hear about this next trip you'll be taking with friends next January. Can't wait for even more details... BRING IT!