SOOZE 10 year Anniversary Getaway.. All DONE!

all right you are going to the parks by yourself..

that is the one thing i hate about DTD that is why we always go when they open in the morning, it is too crazy at night like you said, it is hard to even think straight

good thing you signed up for the sunshine rewards, that way you can have a nice gift card for your next trip....watch for the special cashouts, you can do 100 dollar gift cards for only 96 credits.:banana: Im saving up for the 250 or 500 dollar one, those are like 30 credits less than the amount:cool1:
 
all right you are going to the parks by yourself..

that is the one thing i hate about DTD that is why we always go when they open in the morning, it is too crazy at night like you said, it is hard to even think straight

good thing you signed up for the sunshine rewards, that way you can have a nice gift card for your next trip....watch for the special cashouts, you can do 100 dollar gift cards for only 96 credits.:banana: Im saving up for the 250 or 500 dollar one, those are like 30 credits less than the amount:cool1:

Hey Dan,

I know the owner of Sunshine Rewards. Her daughter is in my daughter's first grade class and we work on the PTO together. Great lady! We went to her New Year's Eve party this year!
 
Hey Dan,

I know the owner of Sunshine Rewards. Her daughter is in my daughter's first grade class and we work on the PTO together. Great lady! We went to her New Year's Eve party this year!

All right that is very cool, can you ask her to come over to the threads to see me talking about it, and get me some more credits.
:banana:

JK,

no im not i want more gift cards.:goodvibes
 
I am so intrigued by the Mickey head done in tartan. I will have to look for that.

Great update!:thumbsup2
 


I hope you feel better!:goodvibes How many days until spring break?;)
I love Downtown Disney but like you, I can't think when it is busy. I like a little space when I am shopping. I went in the morning on my last trip and it was so nice. Not that many people at all. Take care!:)

No more night visits to WoD for me! Learned my lesson, for sure!! Spring break is the first week of April... still pretty far away, but definitely in sight!

I hear you on DTD on a Friday night.

Amen!

Nice of hubby to give you a lift!;) Thank goodness you were alone in DTD could you imagine trying to navigate a stroller or 2 children through that mob!:scared1: Hmmm best way to Epcot? I'm guessing a bus to the first Epcot resort that comes along and a walk through the International Gateway!:confused3 :goodvibes

Good guess.. I do go to a resort first, but not by bus..

Wow, sounds like DTD was a madhouse that night. I was lucky that it was pretty dead the afternoon I visited. WoD is confusing enough as it is, add tons of people into the mix and I don't think I would have been able to deal with it.

I think they should give out maps to the store at each entrance... it's as big as a park!!

More More More!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!popcorn:: popcorn:: popcorn:: popcorn:: Can't wait to hear all about Epcot EMH!!!!!
Lesley

Hope to update on Saturday... been in bed ALL week with nasty nasty!! (Ended up with strep and missed three days of school!)

So happy to hear you liked POR. My favorite moderate.:love: I am partial to the AB section. I really do not like being at DTD when it is so crowded, good call to go to EPCOT. Can't wait to hear more. Found one of the LGMH key chains at DHS/MGM last Wednesday, near Sounds Dangerous, I was thrilled.

POR is our new fav moderate too!! We still haven't done CS, though, so we'll officially crown a resort when we've tried them all!:rotfl:

great pics and update. those pics were fantastic. I hate when DTD is crowded. Good call going to Epcot, hope it was better crowd wise.

Well, it started out better crowd wise... you'll have to see what happened to me when I got there!!... teaser...;)

::yes:: Really, the only reason I even step foot into that place is because I can get an AP discount. And there are still many times I'll opt to buyt things in the parks - sans discount - just to avoid WOD. :scared:


:rotfl2: How quickly our plans can change thanks to crowd intervention!

It really was a mad house. Next time, I'm shopping in the morning! And I'm glad that DH and I are both flexible with things. We do anything to avoid crowds (except vacation in Disney World!!):lmao:
 
all right you are going to the parks by yourself..

That is the one thing i hate about DTD that is why we always go when they open in the morning, it is too crazy at night like you said, it is hard to even think straight

good thing you signed up for the sunshine rewards, that way you can have a nice gift card for your next trip....watch for the special cashouts, you can do 100 dollar gift cards for only 96 credits.:banana: Im saving up for the 250 or 500 dollar one, those are like 30 credits less than the amount:cool1:

Yeah, I need to get going on that Sunshine Rewards thing.. haven't been there in a while. I think I only have like 6 credits.. I stink at it!

I am so intrigued by the Mickey head done in tartan. I will have to look for that.

Great update!:thumbsup2

Unfortunately, I can't even tell you what room it was in, I couldn't even focus on that because it was so crowded! I do remember that the Mickey/Minnie bobble heads were close to it!
 
So I have to tell everyone our little secret surprise we are planning for Tyson! Unfortunately, I can't add a ticker to my signature because Tyson likes to lurk over my shoulder when I'm Dising... but..

We are going to surprise him with a Disney getaway for his eighth birthday!!!!!:cool1:

Here's how it lined up:

Matt's drum corps, Carolina Crown, will be performing in Orlando on July 12. Tyson's birthday is the 14th.

I had already planned on taking a road trip this summer down to Atlanta to visit my sister who lives there.

So... I'll take my road trip down there. Shae will stay with my sister while Ty and I continue down to Orlando. When he questions it, I will tell him we are going to see Daddy's drum corps. Then he can be all sorts of surprised when we pull into Old Key West!!!

It's going to be a Mommy, Daddy, TyTy trip.. just like the good ol days. It'll be so awesome for Tyson.. and I get to plan another trip! YAHOO!!!

Just wanted to share!
 


So I have to tell everyone our little secret surprise we are planning for Tyson! Unfortunately, I can't add a ticker to my signature because Tyson likes to lurk over my shoulder when I'm Dising... but..

We are going to surprise him with a Disney getaway for his eighth birthday!!!!!:cool1:

Here's how it lined up:

Matt's drum corps, Carolina Crown, will be performing in Orlando on July 12. Tyson's birthday is the 14th.

I had already planned on taking a road trip this summer down to Atlanta to visit my sister who lives there.

So... I'll take my road trip down there. Shae will stay with my sister while Ty and I continue down to Orlando. When he questions it, I will tell him we are going to see Daddy's drum corps. Then he can be all sorts of surprised when we pull into Old Key West!!!

It's going to be a Mommy, Daddy, TyTy trip.. just like the good ol days. It'll be so awesome for Tyson.. and I get to plan another trip! YAHOO!!!

Just wanted to share!


That's awesome! Can I come too? October is just too long away!
 
I would be so excited if I was going back in July. How exciting for Tyson, what a great birthday gift. Can't wait to hear about the plans. Make sure you do a character meal with him, I wonder which one is best for a boy?
 
You lucky duck! It will be a wonderful treat to get to spend some time alone with your son...sometimes with little ones it is so hard to find that extra time for our older children...what a fabulous treat!:Can't wait to read the TR...that is after we finish the current TR :rolleyes1: ...hope you are feeling better soon, can't stand the suspense popcorn:: ....
 
WoD sounded horrific, it's bad enough when we go during the day!!!! I really hoped you got your crispy treat another day.

Wow a surprise trip your DS is so lucky :goodvibes
 
That's awesome! Can I come too? October is just too long away!

Sure you can come. But we're only staying in a studio.. so if you don't mind sharing a bed with an excited 8-year-old who loves to jam his feet into your back while you sleep...

What a great surprise!

Yes! Ty will be so happy!!


:thumbsup2
That is so awesome:thumbsup2 I hope you're feeling better Sooze!:goodvibes

Thanks.. can't shake the cough, but definitely on the mend.. now if I can just get Shae back up to par, and make sure Ty doesn't get it...

I would be so excited if I was going back in July. How exciting for Tyson, what a great birthday gift. Can't wait to hear about the plans. Make sure you do a character meal with him, I wonder which one is best for a boy?

He loves O'Hana and Chef Mickey... he's a classic character lover, so we'll probably go back to CM...

You lucky duck! It will be a wonderful treat to get to spend some time alone with your son...sometimes with little ones it is so hard to find that extra time for our older children...what a fabulous treat!:Can't wait to read the TR...that is after we finish the current TR :rolleyes1: ...hope you are feeling better soon, can't stand the suspense popcorn:: ....

I think that's what we're most excited about.. just being with him and giving him our undivided attention (which is so hard to do with a red-headed two-year-old in the house!!)

WoD sounded horrific, it's bad enough when we go during the day!!!! I really hoped you got your crispy treat another day.

Wow a surprise trip your DS is so lucky :goodvibes

Do I get the treat or not?... hmmmmmm?.....
 
Hey congrats on another trip:thumbsup2 That means we get another report!

We are going to Tampa in 10 days and DS doesn't know! I don't think we'll make it to the mouse but we'll still have fun.
He's turning 7 two days after we get home. I hope he's surprised.
 
Hey congrats on another trip:thumbsup2 That means we get another report!

We are going to Tampa in 10 days and DS doesn't know! I don't think we'll make it to the mouse but we'll still have fun.
He's turning 7 two days after we get home. I hope he's surprised.

Sounds like a nice, warm, winter getaway! I'm sure your DS will love it!! Happy birthday to him!
 
After fighting the crowds at DTD and not really wanting to anymore, I decided to break my vow and head to Epcot sans husband. How to do it, how to get there... hmmmm......... bus to a resort, bus/walk/boat to Epcot, got it! But I sure wish they had bus service to the parks from DTD.. oh well.:confused3

I arrived at the bus coral by the Marketplace... yep... jam :crowded: packed. I didn't even feel like investigating. I made an immediate Uturn and decided to take my first cruise down the Sassagoula via Water Taxi! Didn't have to wait too long, then boarded the vessel. Sorry no pics, but it was really dark.

Did I say dark? Yeah.. REALLY DARK! Once you pass the amazing views of DTD from the boats, and ohh and ahh at the beauty of Saratoga Springs.. it gets SUPER DARK! And since I had never cruised the Sassagoula, I had no idea where we were going, it was kinda scary! But I had faith in our captain and he got me to POR safely. In fact, when we stopped at POFQ, he noticed me writing in my little Disney journal and started harrassing me about it. He accused me of taking notes about him to turn in to the authorities. It was funny! I had a good time joking with him and not having to worry about embarassing DH.

I walked right over to the bus stop to see an Epcot bus just waiting for me:woohoo: I also stepped on right behind a large group of young, inebriated, college-aged kids. Yes, I said kids. They made me feel so OLD! And I enjoyed watching them...made me glad I don't have to relive the days of dressing to try to impress/seduce someone or listening to guys talk like complete idiots in order to try to out-do one another. A couple of cuss words even flew out... on a Disney bus, really, though... :sad2: They really were quite annoying!!

POR is humongous! I got a taste of it on this bus ride out. We stopped three or four more times before we were finally on our way.

I got to Epcot.. it was empty!! I've NEVER walked right up to bag check before.. SWEET! Seriously, the whole 'outer rim' of the main entrance was desolate. I was so pumped!

I had to go get my AP, so a made a bee-line to Guest services and had to wait behind a few people who obviously were not as welll-moused as ME! Then I get my AP... darnit..it has the 7 Dwarves on it. I hate that! I want my AP to have Mickey on it, is that so much to ask?! While contemplating how spoiled I would look if I asked for a better AP, I hear a THRONG of people... I look up, and a monorail has just arrived. That thing must've been bursting at the seams.. there are SO many people walking down the sea of ramps.

I start to move it towards the entrance. Guess what? Now they've moved the bag check to the entrance gates.. so I have to go through it AGAIN:headache: Yeah, I know.. me and about 437 other people who just left MK to come to EMH hours with me...

Fie upon me!! Why did I NOT get my AP ahead of time?! WHY WHY WHY!!?? I would've been on Test Track for the third time if I didn't get stuck in this cow-herding experiment. They only had FOUR turnstiles open, too. BOO!!

Enough griping, I'm in.
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Disney08AnniversaryTrip033.jpg


And I head to SE first thing. Not a single person in line. I ask the CMs for a car to myself.. which was kinda funny because there was NO one else around for miles! I dig the new SE. A couple of noticeable updates, and it just seems more tied together all around. The technology piece at the end it hillarious!! Make sure you smile nice for the camera at the beginning when they ask you to!

Next stop was Mission:Space ORANGE of course!! I had to wait longer than I thought but loved being able to talk to people. I met a kind dad and his DD from Amarillo, TX. They had never ridden so I gave them some of my best MS tips (like NEVER, EVER look to the side during lift off!!). I absolutely loved the ride as always! That sensation at lift off is like nothing else you can ever experience!!

On to Test Track Single Rider Line (I love that invention!). Only had to wait ten minutes. They shuffled us through the pre-show, too.. didn't have to sit through the video. Although, I do love it when the guy tells the lady to "pick one" for an extra test... and she pushes a button.. and you see the car do a head on crash... that's good humor!! I was able to give a few more tips to some first-time-test-track-riders.. I feel so knowledgable about all things Disney:teacher: . LOVED the ride. Just LOVE the speed part (really, that's the only part I do love, but it is so worth all the other silliness).

Walked through Mouse Gear on my way to look at Soarin'. That place was as bad as WoD and it was 10:30 at night. Amazing!

Okay.. here we go...
Disney08AnniversaryTrip030.jpg

SOARIN' IS ALWAYS PACKED. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS!!! WHY?!?! I don't care... I am riding this ride. I missed out on our last trip and I'm NOT WAITING ANYMORE... except I ended up waiting 45 minutes..boo! At least I had a chance to catch up on my TR notebook;)

Gripe alert:
What have they done with the Soarin' queue!?!?! It STINKS!!! DH said that the last time he and Tyson went through the FP line, he heard the crowd playing some kind of interactive activity while they were waiting in line. Well, whatever that was, was NOT there for me. All they had were scrolling art displays with really dreamy, put-you-to-sleep music playing. ME NO LIKEY!! It made the wait seem even longer! BRING BACK THE TRIVIA, PLEASE!!!!
Disney08AnniversaryTrip029.jpg


Almost there....
Disney08AnniversaryTrip031.jpg

Except now you have to wait another twenty minutes.... <<evil laugh>>

and you have to sit on the bottom row..

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

That's IT. I will NEVER ride this ride again without asking for the top center, EVER!! The ride is just not good when you are on the bottom or middle row.

HEAR ME PEOPLE!!! When you ride Soarin' ask to wait for the TOP CENTER!! You wait long enough, what's another 5 minutes!?


Okay.. I got my fix of my Epcot favs... I am SO ready for bed!!
I took a bus back to POR.. stumbled to my room.. and PASSED OUT shortly after midnight!! Sorry if it sounded a little gripe-y.. but it WAS late....:rolleyes: What a LONG day!!

and what an EARLY wake up call!!:scared1: ... Stay tuned for my solo morning at DHS EMH!!
 
Congrats on the trip this summer. Sounds like a fun one! Loved all that you got done at EPCOT in a short time! I always love the boatride to DTD from POR, but alone and never doing it before it is indeed dark! Can't wait for more.
 
Thanks for the update, what an awesome Saturday night surprise. So funny, Tim was surfing the Dis and he very excitedly said "Lesley, there's an update from Sooze!!!" :rotfl:
We took that same boat and you are right it IS DARK!!!! Was there a reason you didn't get off at POFQ and take the bus from there? Just curious, didn't know if you stopped by your room or something.
That stinks about the AP and the Soarin' cue and seat. I agree, top is by far the best, riding without others feet dangling ROCKS. You got a lot in. You are braver than us with MS, we will go green this year after doing it before the orange/green and feeling sick . So the SE updates are good? Tim doesn't like that ride but if it's updated well I should be able to convince him to give it another try, the kids and I enjoy it.
Can't wait for another update, hope all is well with you.
HOW EXCITING for your surprise trip for Ty!!!!!:cool1:
Lesley
 

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