I'll Call Steve: A Wilderprincess PTR! (Aug 2015) *COMPLETED*

[Newsies]

MAGICBANDS!!!
24 days out
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They're here. They're here. THEY'RE HERE.

I can literally hear The Incredible's theme song when I unbox magicbands
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This is the second consecutive year in a row receiving Walt Disney World tickets/magicbands in one summer. The second consecutive year. I went 13 years of my life Disney-less, went once in 2010, and now we're here. I honestly could not be more grateful than I am right now. These past two years have treated me extremely well and I haven't taken a moment of it all for granted. I literally can not believe this is real.

Enough sappiness! Nobody wants to hear that nonsense. Here we are!!!

They're beautiful!!!!
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In case you can't figure out whose is whose...

The blue one, Susie, is my mother's. Her nickname is Susie.
The red one, Smokey, is my father's. He loves chief Smokey Miller, if you recall.
The yellow one, Belle, is Grace's. She loves Belle!
And the pink one, Rapunzel, is mine!!!

That one was a bit of a toss up for me, really. I was either going to stick with my Little Mermaid theme and name it Ursula, but then eventually decided to stick with a princess theme and go with my second favorite princess!

We got other "Mickey mail" this week, too. Our travel agent sent us our luggage tags and a little booklet of savings and such. There's a voucher for for admission to DisneyQuest, which I think I'll take up on my Animal Kingdom day. I'll head out of AK when I'm finished, go back to the hotel for a little bit, then get on a bus to DTD and play at DisneyQuest until I get hungry and decide to get dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express and go shopping.

I have to go eat dinner and finish packing for camp. We're getting so close, guys! I'm so excited!!!

 

[xlsm]

They made it!!



Those 4 colors look so pretty together in the box!!

 

[Newsies]

They made it!!



Those 4 colors look so pretty together in the box!!

Indeed they did!!!

And I love magicband colors. They're so vibrant and beautiful!!!

 

[Newsies]

BRB, Off to Hogwarts.
23 days out
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Hey everyone! WOW is it hard to update from an iPhone. But as the title has suggested, I AM EN ROUTE TO HOGWARTS CAMP! We left earlier than I expected us to. WAY earlier. So I'm updating you from my phone.

Be dears and water the plants for me, will you?

Away I go and I'll see you in a little over a week!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Yay for getting MagicBands! to choice of Pink and Punzie. Have fun at Hogwarts camp! Literally wish they had that around where I live when I was younger. :/

 

[cbeeindisney]

Following along, love your PTR! Will be in WDW the same time as you for our honeymoon! Love your plans- you will have a great time

 

[Newsies]

Yay for getting MagicBands! to choice of Pink and Punzie. Have fun at Hogwarts camp! Literally wish they had that around where I live when I was younger. :/

YAY!!!!

Hogwarts camp was SUPER fun. It was so challenging yet so rewarding... saying goodbye to my campers today was quite the tearjerker!!!

Following along, love your PTR! Will be in WDW the same time as you for our honeymoon! Love your plans- you will have a great time

WELCOME!!!

Thank you! Have a fantastic time yourself!

 

[Newsies]

I'M BACK!
14 days out
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YES, INDEED! I'm back on the DIS after 8 full days away from you all. I've missed you all very much.

*insert the beautiful twinkley-sounding harry potter soundtrack music*
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Being a counselor for the first time was weird at first, but now I can't even remember what it was like to be a camper. Getting to make magic at this academy meant tons of hard work, tons of challenges, and tons of fun! It was a rewarding experience for sure.

And so, like, basically: I received many many many many many Princess Ariel things while I was at camp.

Hold tight for explanations
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The drawing of Ariel that says "Cha-Cha" was a bed badge, which was pinned to the felt wall behind my bed so campers and counselors could identify which bed was mine (Cha-Cha is my camp name!). The keychain and tote bag were gifts from my secret buddy and literally made me squeal when I saw them on my bed. The rubber duck was all me! Rubber duckies are a big part of my camp- we call them "sanitys" (because at the end of the week, we lose our sanity on more than one occasion. It's an inside joke from the first session of camp in 2009), and all of the counselors are given a blank sanity to decorate however they wish. I decorated mine as Ariel. And finally, the card and Lip Smackers were sent to camp by my parents.

As you can see they share my sense of humor.

"Happy camp!"
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Not pictured is an Ariel shirt I bought that came in the mail today that may or may not be used as a Disneybound on my first day at the Magic Kingdom...

I got my first reminder of what long car rides down south are really like thanks to Trefoil as well. I tend to romanticize them too much. There are some good food chains down south and I sleep well in cars. Today I actually had a dream while I slept in the car, which is a first for me. I don't mind being in the car for 8 hours, but it does get tiring at some point...

So now that camp is over and I'm home, this thread is back to being 100% Disney, 100% of the time. And so is my life! I hope you enjoyed this brief update to let you know I've returned. I'm off to watch Frozen. Yay for being in my own bed in my own, air-conditioned room with my own laptop!!!

 

[LanaBear-ox]

Ah I can't believe I've only just found your PTR! I can't believe you are going in under 2 weeks now! Seriously cannot wait for your TR, have a magical time

 

[Newsies]

Ah I can't believe I've only just found your PTR! I can't believe you are going in under 2 weeks now! Seriously cannot wait for your TR, have a magical time

Welcome aboard!!!

Time sure does fly! Thanks for following along and thanks for the well wishes for a magical vacation! I hope you'll enjoy my TR as well!

 

[Newsies]

Final Day/Travel Home Plans
12 days out
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And now, the final installment of my day-to-day plans! I've got some work to do today, so let me just knock this out really quick.

7:05 AM ADR at Whispering Canyon Cafe
a fun way to begin a sad day

Probably 9:00-ish AM
check out

Drive until we reach North Carolina
Check in to a hotel for the night

Wake up the next day

Arrive home the next day at around 7:00 at night
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I'm actually super pumped for the Whispering Canyon Cafe breakfast, especially since it's my last meal at WDW for what I'm assuming will be quite some time.

The drive home is always so long compared to the drive there! Even though there are around 4 things on this list, it's going to take such a long time to get home.

We like to stop at this one tiny little strip of hotels/restaurants in the middle of North Carolina with a Golden Corral and a Holiday Inn we like. Last year I spent the whole night on my iPad planning my next Disney World on the night I was supposed to be sleeping.

So that's it! We're finished with the planning aspect of this trip! All that's left is the execution of the plan...

Wahoo!

 

[ForeverDance]

Hi Again. I've been away for a while as my family has been going through some stuff. BUT, we have survived our ordeals and I am back around again. I am sooo excited for you. The trip is so close now. I know you are going to have an amazing time.

 

[Newsies]

Hi Again. I've been away for a while as my family has been going through some stuff. BUT, we have survived our ordeals and I am back around again. I am sooo excited for you. The trip is so close now. I know you are going to have an amazing time.

Hey!

I hope all is well with your family. Sending positive thoughts and pixie dust your way!

I am so excited!!! We're so close!!! Thank you for the wishes for an amazing time- I certainly hope it'll be amazing!!!

 

[xlsm]

We are home from the Lodge (just got back last night!), and in time for me to see how your last few days before vacation go!!

(and your camp looks so much fun...and the "sanity" thing CRACKED ME UP. I can see how dealing with everything can cause you to lose it, LOL)

We also had Whispering Canyon breakfast yesterday for our "last meal". It was really good! I wholeheartedly and 100% recommend the banana bread french toast (it was almost a religious experience) and the pulled pork eggs benedict, which sounds weird and is NOT something I would ever choose to order on my own, but I tried my DH's and can honestly say I'd have eaten the entire thing and licked the plate had I ordered it myself!!

I've only ever had dinner there in the past, but I think breakfast there is something we'd even go out of the way for now.

You're so close now!!!

 

[MarieLightning]

I'd like to say I'm late to joining the party, but considering the fact that you'll be at Disney World in less than 10 days, that's probably stating the obvious.

In other news - YOU'LL BE AT DISNEY WORLD IN LESS THAN 10 DAYS

Now that that's out of the way.

I definitely loved catching up on all your plans! I'm definitely tempted to make a similarly ambitions plan for each of our park days, but it might be a tad trickier with 10 people tagging along. I'll probably still end up doing it cause I have to plan everything.

Can I just say how much I love your meet all the princesses in one day goal? Ambitious, but stellar!

Also, major jealousy case here on your Mary Poppins pin. I don't think I've ever even seen a Mary Poppins pin before! I also really really want the Ellie badge pin. I've been wanting it since our first trip, and for some reason I never get it. I really should before they pull it forever and I am left to cry all the tears.

Gaaah I'm so there with you about the Magic of Animation building. Why would they do such a thing? Not only to close that building in the first place, but now on top of it all? Like, Studios isn't a big enough mess as it is, let's close one of the things that keeps people out of the park with the worst crowd absorbing capacities.

And Hiro and Baymax! I can't believe they'll be gone. I wanted to give that big marshmallow such a big hug

I wish they would send MagicBands to Canada. At the same time, the majority of guests for our upcoming trip are from the States and I'm not having them sent because I'm an obsessive worrier and I have no trust that everyone would remember to bring them. I'm worried enough about the lanyards and trading pins we got them.

I'll always regret never having really gotten to experience the camp experience. Amber went to camp for many years as a teenager, it always struck me as so much fun when she'd go over what they did. And Hogwarts themed is so much win!

 

[Newsies]

We are home from the Lodge (just got back last night!), and in time for me to see how your last few days before vacation go!!

(and your camp looks so much fun...and the "sanity" thing CRACKED ME UP. I can see how dealing with everything can cause you to lose it, LOL)

We also had Whispering Canyon breakfast yesterday for our "last meal". It was really good! I wholeheartedly and 100% recommend the banana bread french toast (it was almost a religious experience) and the pulled pork eggs benedict, which sounds weird and is NOT something I would ever choose to order on my own, but I tried my DH's and can honestly say I'd have eaten the entire thing and licked the plate had I ordered it myself!!

I've only ever had dinner there in the past, but I think breakfast there is something we'd even go out of the way for now.

You're so close now!!!

YAY!!! I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR ALL ABOUT YOUR TRIP!!! Can I expect a TR soon?

Our "sanity" tradition is one of our finest, IMO. We're a ton of fun and I miss all of my campers so much.

Oh, TRUST ME, I've seen photos of the beautiful banana bread french toast and honestly, I might be sold on it already depending on what mood I'm in that morning...

WCC looks amazing!

I'M SO CLOSE!!!!

I'd like to say I'm late to joining the party, but considering the fact that you'll be at Disney World in less than 10 days, that's probably stating the obvious.

In other news - YOU'LL BE AT DISNEY WORLD IN LESS THAN 10 DAYS

Now that that's out of the way.

I definitely loved catching up on all your plans! I'm definitely tempted to make a similarly ambitions plan for each of our park days, but it might be a tad trickier with 10 people tagging along. I'll probably still end up doing it cause I have to plan everything.

Can I just say how much I love your meet all the princesses in one day goal? Ambitious, but stellar!

Also, major jealousy case here on your Mary Poppins pin. I don't think I've ever even seen a Mary Poppins pin before! I also really really want the Ellie badge pin. I've been wanting it since our first trip, and for some reason I never get it. I really should before they pull it forever and I am left to cry all the tears.

Gaaah I'm so there with you about the Magic of Animation building. Why would they do such a thing? Not only to close that building in the first place, but now on top of it all? Like, Studios isn't a big enough mess as it is, let's close one of the things that keeps people out of the park with the worst crowd absorbing capacities.

And Hiro and Baymax! I can't believe they'll be gone. I wanted to give that big marshmallow such a big hug

I wish they would send MagicBands to Canada. At the same time, the majority of guests for our upcoming trip are from the States and I'm not having them sent because I'm an obsessive worrier and I have no trust that everyone would remember to bring them. I'm worried enough about the lanyards and trading pins we got them.

I'll always regret never having really gotten to experience the camp experience. Amber went to camp for many years as a teenager, it always struck me as so much fun when she'd go over what they did. And Hogwarts themed is so much win!

No worries, my friend! It's always good to arrive to a party fashionably late once in a while

LESS THAN 10 DAYS?!?! Why didn't anyone tell me sooner... I would have started packing! LOL! I'm super excited!

10 people? Jeez! I'm going to be solo for most of the day and I find most of my plans might me too ambitious already. Good luck with your party of 11!

I found Mary in the gift shop underneath the hat in DHS (rip). I'm not sure why I picked her up since I didn't meet her my last trip, but she's super pretty! In regards to the Ellie badge, it's my favorite. I think I'm going to leave it home since I love it so much and I'd be devastated if anything happened to it. I even wear it on my clothes during some special occasions. It's so cool and special!

RIGHT? Why close MoA now? Why not at least wait until all of the Frozen Summer Fun dust settles? Why pull the most popular M&G DHS has seen in years? Why? WHY????

I'm so sad that Hiro and Baymax are no longer a thing whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy????

I get so obsessively worried about MagicBands it's not even funny. I'm so worried my mom is going to forget to pack them. Same with my pins and Parkbound buttons. I'm definitely going to forget one of the two and then cry about it in the car.

It is definitely never too late to experience the camp experience. Honestly, I loved being a counselor more than I loved being a camper. If you can pull a week out of your summer to volunteer at a girl scout camp at some point in your life, I highly recommend it. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Anyway... welcome to my PTR!

 

[Newsies]

The Single Digit Dance Playlist!
9 days out
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YEE-HAW!!! IT'S TIME TO DO THE SINGLE DIGIT DANCE!!!

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Speaking of dancing, this year's playlist for the car ride is officially complete!

Every time we go down to Disney, I make a playlist for the car ride down. Last year, it had 14 songs and was like less than an hour long. Very sad. This year, it is GRANDER!

I can't really post all of the songs in the list, but here's what you need to know about it:

• The playlist is called "WDW 2015" and is 2 hours and 32 minutes long. If we start it right as we arrive in Florida on Saturday morning, it should be ending about half an hour before we arrive at the gates of WDW if traffic is good.
• The playlist includes at least one song from almost every major animated motion picture Disney has ever released.
• The playlist also includes several songs from a handful of Pixar movies.
• There are at least two songs from every princess movie included in the playlist.
• Beauty and the Beast plays a large part of the playlist- there are 5 Beauty and the Beast songs on the playlist. The movie with the next highest count of songs on the playlist is a tie between Aladdin and The Little Mermaid, which both have 3 songs from their respective soundtracks on the playlist.
• There is ONLY one Frozen song on the playlist!!!
• Out of all of the pixar movies, only 3 songs from the movies are found on the playlist.

And the pièce de résistance:

• The Triple Dent Gum jingle has been scattered intermittently throughout the playlist 5 times.

We're going to have a very exciting and fun drive down!!!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

YAY for single digits!

OMG, that sounds like the greatest playlist EVER. So happy to hear there is only one Frozen song and Triple Dent Gum dominates! I need to do something like this next time I go to Disney, but OMG I'm really curious as to what the whole playlist is. Screenshots... maybe?

 

[Newsies]

YAY for single digits!

OMG, that sounds like the greatest playlist EVER. So happy to hear there is only one Frozen song and Triple Dent Gum dominates! I need to do something like this next time I go to Disney, but OMG I'm really curious as to what the whole playlist is. Screenshots... maybe?

YAY!!!!

Screenshots are a GREAT idea! You know... if I ever figure out how to screenshot and save things on my laptop Sorry. It runs on Windows 8. I'm still working out the bugs and kinks. I promise I'll try to get screenshots if I can.

 

[Newsies]

The Packing Party
8 days out
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Well, it's Friday. Which means 7 days from now, I'll be driving along the I-95 with my family, en route to my laughing place. YEE-HAW!

It also means that I did all of my packing today. Which is a bit of a struggle for me. I have a problem with packing things. I'll let my photos do the talking...

Okay, time to start packing. Time to turn my phone off, and I'll put some music on to get in the Disney packing mood. This photo is dedicated to Timmy.

Alright! Yeah! The suitcase is on my bed! We're ready to go!

Is this stuff seriously left over from college orientation??? Seriously???

Ugh, whatever. It's out of there now. Time to start packing PJs!!!

... I haven't tried this PJs on yet. I should probably do that before packing them away.

Yup! They fit! I can pack them away now!

...

Alright. All of my PJs are packed away. Now it's time for the day clothes.

... I mean. I need to try THIS on now. Since I never actually tried this one on, either.

Looking good! While we're at it... I should probably try on ALL of my shirts before I pack them up...

...

There! We're all packed! That wasn't so bad!

After I untwist that stray pajama top up there...
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I hope you enjoyed my packing monologue! We're getting very close!

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