Escaping Snowy New England for Freezing Florida Feb 2015 Final Hours 11/17 p. 23

[SarahDisney]

I hope things work out okay with your dad! It's definitely hard for people to lose their independence (we went through this with 2 of ym grandparents over the past few years), but I hope you guys can figure out what's best for him and he can adjust okay!

 

[pas130]

YIKES!!! It has been forever since I have posted here, and on all of my subscriptions.

As my Beach & Yacht Club friends know, I have been spending a significant amount of time in past week or so dealing with a family situation- my dad (82) has unexpectedly decided to stop driving due to some dizzy spells he is having. I am trying to get him settled in a home-bound situation and ultimately find a different living arrangement for him. He really shouldn't be living alone for much longer. Would appreciate positive energy and prayers as he/we deal with these lifestyle changes.

Any time that I am not teaching at the farm or volunteering at the middle or high school has been spent running errands or helping my dad around the house-he lives about 30 minutes away from me. Today we signed him up for Meals on Wheels.

On the bright side- on Mothers Day I get to make FP selections for the 160 or so people going on the class trip. The big question is do I set the alarm for 2 am when I can start making the reservations or just wait until 4:30 when I normally wake up???

:

4:30am YIKES, although I will be up at that time to get ready for work this Sunday FP are a much better reason! 2am YIKES!! Good luck, that's alotta FP.. and I am continuing to keep you and your Dad in my thoughts

Location, Location, Location! That is what we love the most about the BC, Hard Rock and the Grand Californian Hotel. All of the other wonderful things- the pools, the wonderful CMs and TMs and the décor are just bonus.

Thank you so very much for your kind words! I'm glad you are enjoying the trip report and the wonderful BC thread- it is a fun place to hang out. I just wish I had more time to get to all of these threads.

Another for ya!! I know that is what DH loved the most about HRH, and why he is so headstrong that BC is perfect for us this summer. I get so overwhelmed reading reviews I think that I always question my choices....always LOL The friendliness of the BC thread is a direct reflection of its hostess, same with other FAQ IMO. But seeing familiar faces and all the positivity makes the resort all the more appealing. I wish I had more time on the DIS, I am currently taking a much needed homework break (before I throw my book out the window )

 

[mickeystoontown]

First off, I am sorry to hear about your dad and his dizzy spells. Praying that those go away and things start to settle down soon.

Now, as far as the report goes, I was soooo far behind. Guess what? I've now seen every single one of the Harry Potter movies so I know what the heck you are talking about (unlike in previous reports). Now that I've seen them all, I can really appreciate all of the details in the Harry Potter section of the park. Thanks so much for posting the details as I loved seeing and hearing about them. So cool!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Hang in there Dee!

 

[sharona]

Hey! Finally catching up after my vacation. Great posts and pics! I hope things work out for your dad - 30 miles away is far enough to be a real challenge if you're the only one doing his errands and checking in on him. My mom lives with us and it is both easier to have her so close and incredibly stressful to have her so close!!! I am the oldest and only girl so it would be all on me any way and it's nice for DD to get so much time with her. They're very close.

… I don’t always ride Dragon Challenge, but when I do, I am scared out of my mind!

This exactly!!! I am good for one scary coaster per trip. One and done. Last trip it was Dragon blue side. This most recent trip I tackled ...........

The HULK!!!

I was a bit light headed afterwards and needed a popcorn and soda break to recover .

 

[afwdwfan]

I'm sorry to hear about your dad. Hoping for the best in dealing with his situation and the adjustments needed.

 

[hill6]

Compromise on the time for the fast passes. Get up at 4. I don't think many folks will still be up at 2 am. I got lucky the last two fast pass selection days were mid week and I had Mike do them when he was at work. Otherwise I would have gotten up to do it.

Will you be trying for the Miners Train?

 

[Monykalyn]

Caught up now! Everytime I think I am done planning for SWW Disney decides to do something else so then I have to stalk that thread lol!
We are staying one night at RPR-had enough Orbucks (through Orbitz) plus I booked when the discount code was good for one night there that I splurged on CL for that night. I figured if I had to get them up that early to get there to check in I'd better feed them. The pics of the HP areas are getting me sooo excited for that part of our trip!!! Going to re-read the books soon so the story/details are fresh in my head (well-as fresh as this brain can get them).

Hoping things with your dad are going OK. And have fun with the fastpasses

 

[natebenma]

Sorry to take so long to get back with replies. A crazy week, with another one in the hopper!

But things with my dad have been going well, after some drama with my dad and brother on Sunday/Monday. Once that was resolved things have gone much better. Still spending whatever free time I have with my dad, running errands and cleaning house. Today I took my dad for out while Mark and the boys visited with my in-laws who live on a pond in the same city. They fished and kayaked, Mark did some jobs around their house and then we went to lunch with my dad for Mothers Day and Ben's birthday.

I get to book Fast Passes tomorrow morning. I think the time I get up will depend on when I get to bed tonight. I did some phantom bookings of FP for the day before our trip and there was still decent availability on attractions I wanted, at least for a small group. We'll see what it looks like when I am trying to book 7 groups of about 75 people in MK and 6 groups of 75 people in EP for Tues June 8.

Thank you for all the good thoughts.

I will probably treat myself on Mothers Day logging some DIS time, and who knows, maybe even bang out a trip report chapter!

I hope things work out okay with your dad! It's definitely hard for people to lose their independence (we went through this with 2 of ym grandparents over the past few years), but I hope you guys can figure out what's best for him and he can adjust okay!

Thank you!!!

My dad was pretty anxious about having enough food in the house (he is diabetic) and about another issue, but once all that was taken care of, he has been calmer and in good spirits.

:

Another for ya!! I know that is what DH loved the most about HRH, and why he is so headstrong that BC is perfect for us this summer. I get so overwhelmed reading reviews I think that I always question my choices....always LOL The friendliness of the BC thread is a direct reflection of its hostess, same with other FAQ IMO. But seeing familiar faces and all the positivity makes the resort all the more appealing. I wish I had more time on the DIS, I am currently taking a much needed homework break (before I throw my book out the window )

Thanks so much for the hug!!!

Yes, the location of these resorts is really my favorite thing about them.

I'm always glad to see you posting over on the BC FAQ! I appreciate the kind words.

I hear you about more DIS time! I hope your studying and homework is going well.

Hang in there Dee!

Thank you! I know you understand the challenges we are facing all too well. Back at you!

First off, I am sorry to hear about your dad and his dizzy spells. Praying that those go away and things start to settle down soon.

Now, as far as the report goes, I was soooo far behind. Guess what? I've now seen every single one of the Harry Potter movies so I know what the heck you are talking about (unlike in previous reports). Now that I've seen them all, I can really appreciate all of the details in the Harry Potter section of the park. Thanks so much for posting the details as I loved seeing and hearing about them. So cool!

Thank you, Lisa!

Oh, wow! You binged! What did you think about the story?

Next up- Star Wars...

Hey! Finally catching up after my vacation. Great posts and pics! I hope things work out for your dad - 30 miles away is far enough to be a real challenge if you're the only one doing his errands and checking in on him. My mom lives with us and it is both easier to have her so close and incredibly stressful to have her so close!!! I am the oldest and only girl so it would be all on me any way and it's nice for DD to get so much time with her. They're very close.

This exactly!!! I am good for one scary coaster per trip. One and done. Last trip it was Dragon blue side. This most recent trip I tackled ...........

The HULK!!!

I was a bit light headed afterwards and needed a popcorn and soda break to recover .

I thought about you when you were away. I had a few friends from home at Universal (and Disney) while you were there. They said crowds were not too bad. Good for you for conquering The Hulk!



I haven't been over to see if you have started writing about your trip but when I get a chance I will catch up.



Yup- oldest of 2 kids, only daughter... My dad is an amazing guy and my brother and I are very lucky to have him in our lives. When he is not driving us crazy

I'm sorry to hear about your dad. Hoping for the best in dealing with his situation and the adjustments needed.

Thank you!

Compromise on the time for the fast passes. Get up at 4. I don't think many folks will still be up at 2 am. I got lucky the last two fast pass selection days were mid week and I had Mike do them when he was at work. Otherwise I would have gotten up to do it.

Will you be trying for the Miners Train?

Still haven't decided. I'll probably set the alarm for 4 but end up waking up in the middle of the night (early morning)

No, I don't think the Mine Train will be important for the kids. And that was one of the attractions that was already "sold out" for the day before our trip when I checked. Anna and Elsa, too.

I want to get the 3 mountains for our MK day.

Hope you are having a blast!

Caught up now! Everytime I think I am done planning for SWW Disney decides to do something else so then I have to stalk that thread lol!
We are staying one night at RPR-had enough Orbucks (through Orbitz) plus I booked when the discount code was good for one night there that I splurged on CL for that night. I figured if I had to get them up that early to get there to check in I'd better feed them. The pics of the HP areas are getting me sooo excited for that part of our trip!!! Going to re-read the books soon so the story/details are fresh in my head (well-as fresh as this brain can get them).

Hoping things with your dad are going OK. And have fun with the fastpasses

I love all of the SWW events- they sound like so much fun.

That will be an exciting trip.

Nothing wrong with re-reading Harry Potter!

Thanks for the thoughts about my dad. And the fastpasses.

 

[hill6]

Three mountains are an awesome choice.

 

[pas130]

Thanks so much for the hug!!!

Yes, the location of these resorts is really my favorite thing about them.

I'm always glad to see you posting over on the BC FAQ! I appreciate the kind words.

I hear you about more DIS time! I hope your studying and homework is going well.

Happy Mother's Day & Happy FP day The BC thread has become a second home (if not 1st) on the DIS. I have to write a paper today YAY lol, but I wasn't some DIS time to say hi! to all my fellow Mommies! Last night after a long, busy shift my DH handed me a beer and my DS14 put on YouTube videos about the World Showcase countries. He wanted to know if he was allowed to go to WS by himself and go explore.....hmmmmm maybe since it's a walk from the BC, we shall see

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Happy fastpass day Dee. Hope you get them all

 

[pas130]

Happy fastpass day Dee. Hope you get them all

Yes Yes Yes

 

[natebenma]

Two out of 3 Fast Pass Days are done! Although we are onsite guests, we don't have our reservation numbers linked to our accounts, so we have to wait until 30 days out to book each day. I booked for Day 1 (Tuesday) yesterday morning and then spent most of the day reviewing to make sure everything was ok. Found a couple of errors in linked tickets and one group I forgot to book but all is good now! Today went ok, but the WDW website was super wonky this morning, kept freezing up.

But I was able to get the 3 Mountains for everyone for the afternoons we are in MK and for EPCOT, Test Track, Mission Space and Spaceship Earth.

Tomorrow we book for our free day, so I need to figure out what to do for everyone. I know our groups plan- we are going to AK first thing in the morning and then hopping to HS with FP for RnR, ToT and Star Tours hopefully.

:

Unfortunately, I didn't end up having time to treat myself to some DIS yesterday, but I did drag my family out for a walk in the woods, a beautiful local state park.

Three mountains are an awesome choice.

Hope you had a great Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day & Happy FP day The BC thread has become a second home (if not 1st) on the DIS. I have to write a paper today YAY lol, but I wasn't some DIS time to say hi! to all my fellow Mommies! Last night after a long, busy shift my DH handed me a beer and my DS14 put on YouTube videos about the World Showcase countries. He wanted to know if he was allowed to go to WS by himself and go explore.....hmmmmm maybe since it's a walk from the BC, we shall see

Hope you had a great Mother's Day!

So glad you are a part of our FAQ family!

Did your paper go ok. UGH, on Mother's Day!

I would be inclined to let my two boys (age 14 and 16) explore WS on their own, either together or individually.

Happy fastpass day Dee. Hope you get them all

Hope you had a great Mother's Day!

So far so good. Two days down, One to go.

Yes Yes Yes

Thanks!

 

[pas130]

Hope you had a great Mother's Day!

So glad you are a part of our FAQ family!

Did your paper go ok. UGH, on Mother's Day!

I would be inclined to let my two boys (age 14 and 16) explore WS on their own, either together or individually.

I finished my paper on Monday! Yay! It wasn't a busy work day so that was good. HOORAY for 2 FP days down Dee

So sweet of you to say, the BC/YC family is jampacked with awesome peeps I'm glad you give the thumbs up to DS14 hitting WS, I get so nervous, but in reality he's a responsible kid and we do let him venture off to do rides solo. It is only fair he gets some time to enjoy the parks and WS, it's not easy to do with the younger ones. Maybe I can force him into some Mother/Son time BAHAHAH

 

[KatMark]

I'm back; I'm glad things are going better with your dad.

 

[natebenma]

So this has been the longest time that I have been away from the trip report boards on the DIS (even when I have been on vacation) and it will still take me awhile to catchup everywhere! I hope I can do it before going away in a little more than two weeks!

I have had a really busy month. The prep for the Disney trip took a lot more time than I thought. About 3 hours on Mother's Day booking fast passes, then a lot of the day checking to make sure everyone was on the list (I discovered a couple of people who weren't or with incorrect ticket numbers). It went a lot quicker the next two days I booked. Then I had to put all the info in a chart for the groups, along with sheets with park hours, show times, other attraction tips and Memory Maker info. We had a chaperone meeting Tuesday night and we have an all parent meeting on Wednesday. This is going to be a fantastic trip!!!

Things are going well with my dad. I'm still spending time there when I can, but he is feeling well and is in a good frame of mind. There's a lot of work that needs to be done at his house and he has been plugging away on some things when I am not there. Ultimately, my hope is to move him to an apartment closer to me, or even here with us if he will come.

Also a busy time for work and end of the school year activities.

**********************************************************************************

Some travel developments have taken place since I last wrote.

We have our family trip to Yellowstone in early August.

Then, another FAQ DISmeet is brewing in late August. Four of us will be sharing a room at the Beach Club: HockeymomR (Rebecca), Nannette, NinjaMom. We are still trying to figure out her real name. Like a true superhero, she is not revealing her mortal identity to anyone. Man, does Starbucks butcher her name when they write it on her double espresso latte cup.

So once again, I will be "solo" at WDW, but since we have AP to Universal, my family has decided to fly down with me, going a few days earlier than I had planned, and we will be staying and playing at the Hard Rock as a last blast before school starts. The guys will be going home on Saturday night as I travel over to the Beach Club until Tuesday morning.

I finished my paper on Monday! Yay! It wasn't a busy work day so that was good. HOORAY for 2 FP days down Dee

So sweet of you to say, the BC/YC family is jampacked with awesome peeps I'm glad you give the thumbs up to DS14 hitting WS, I get so nervous, but in reality he's a responsible kid and we do let him venture off to do rides solo. It is only fair he gets some time to enjoy the parks and WS, it's not easy to do with the younger ones. Maybe I can force him into some Mother/Son time BAHAHAH

I know you are involved in a couple of very friendly supportive threads! They can be hard to find, so kudos for your part in keeping things nice.

I look forward to hearing all about your wonderful trip and how it goes if you son enjoys some time on his own. My boys are totally comfortable getting around Disney (and now Universal) on their own.

I'm back; I'm glad things are going better with your dad.

back Kathy! You were missed but it was great keeping up with your fantastic trip on Facebook.

We have had a better couple of weeks with my dad.

 

[pas130]

I know you are involved in a couple of very friendly supportive threads! They can be hard to find, so kudos for your part in keeping things nice.

I look forward to hearing all about your wonderful trip and how it goes if you son enjoys some time on his own. My boys are totally comfortable getting around Disney (and now Universal) on their own.

So excited for your August trip (even though we are just missing you and your crew at Hard Rock ) Everytime I debate on a trip to somewhere, even like Washington DC..theme parks trump it. We really only get a chance to do one big trip a year, having APs to WDW and US now I am trying sceme...ahem plan a few. DS14 is doing well with chores to earn some Disney spending $$ and I have enjoyed planning with him. As for my DIS friends, they have become real friends and I am thankful for that. I am thankful for my new BC/YC friends too. Happy to hear things are going well with your dad, you're blessed to have each other!!!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Dee your summer plans sound fab. Hope you get your dad sorted out closer to home so life will be easier all round. Can't wait to hear all about your various travels and keeping my fingers crossed that there are no fire alarm calls at your August dis meet trip!!!

 

[natebenma]

So excited for your August trip (even though we are just missing you and your crew at Hard Rock ) Everytime I debate on a trip to somewhere, even like Washington DC..theme parks trump it. We really only get a chance to do one big trip a year, having APs to WDW and US now I am trying sceme...ahem plan a few. DS14 is doing well with chores to earn some Disney spending $$ and I have enjoyed planning with him. As for my DIS friends, they have become real friends and I am thankful for that. I am thankful for my new BC/YC friends too. Happy to hear things are going well with your dad, you're blessed to have each other!!!

Those annual passes are the devil's tool.

In a good way!

Thanks so much for your kind words.

Dee your summer plans sound fab. Hope you get your dad sorted out closer to home so life will be easier all round. Can't wait to hear all about your various travels and keeping my fingers crossed that there are no fire alarm calls at your August dis meet trip!!!

We are looking forward to it. Although if I don't get a move-on with my two current trip reports, I could end up with the Class Trip, Yellowstone and our August getaway at the same time.

We just realized that our Yellowstone trip and Universal/DISmeet vacations are just two weeks apart!