The ABC's of Trip Planning, Pt 1- K is for Keeping Things Kooky- Drinks V-Z; pg. 197 + New Link

[Flossbolna]

ETA: Walked out to the mailbox to find my latest pay stub. I can officially say that it was enough to cover 3rd Term of tuition, and school is now funded 100%!!!

From here on out it's gravy for the trip! Resort deposit here we come!

This calls for some dancing bananas!!!!



You have worked hard this summer to get to this point!!

 

[englishrose47]

This calls for some dancing bananas!!!!



You have worked hard this summer to get to this point!!

Ditto what she said !!!!!

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[Steppesister]

Agreed. I actually don't like it when I'm reading a TR and I'm like "Cool!" and the next poster is "I remember when you posted about that on Facebook!"
Where's the surprise in that?
I don't like opening my Birthday present before my birthday either.

No suprise at all. So, as tempting as it may be, I resolve right now to keep FB posts to a minimun during my trip. I am rememeber now, that during my last PTR, I did a series on my "rules of the trip". I called them my trip tenets. I should think about what needs to be for THIS trip and make and post some new resolutions.

Ha, you're lucky, you still get birthday presents.

Well...



Thought so.

Mhmmm. Mary Ann.

Oh, I'm sure someone did. There's always construction going on somewhere and occasionally a backhoe will clip a cable. Haven't you ever seen a picture or news item where a city crew broke a sewer line? Or a gas line? Same thing.

Yes, but THE cable the cut off ALL of the Southest... ? I'm skeptical.

Good. She was always the hotter one, anyway.

I'll take impersonating the hotter one any day. More accurate that way.

Yup. For the celery.

Uh huh. The celery. I'll make you a deal. You can have all of my celery.

Nope. Just my bad back. Hurt it a few days after getting back (no pun intended) from the World.
Hurts like a @#^%*!

You tried riding SM didn't you?

You know me too well.


kinda creepy

Naw, I'm actually pretty real on here.

I have a few relatives who are seldom coherent.

Don't we all?

Off to read the latest update. Gotta run (euphemism... more like limp/stagger/shuffle) so comments later.

The posts are permanent. As long as they don't shut down the thread, it'll all be here when you can hobble back. :snork:

 

[Steppesister]

This calls for some dancing bananas!!!!



You have worked hard this summer to get to this point!!

Yes it does. Here's a few more:

Ditto what she said !!!!!

And some more:

Well I made it through B-D today. You have a lovely family - I love your daughter's wedding veil, so beautiful. I hope one day to be a nerdtastic person too. I also have a secret never to be mentioned account, but it seems to always loan money to the non secret accounts these days. But that's OK - still have some months to replenish the account before I hope to book my next trip. And unless DH begs to come along and promise that he won't cramp my Disney vibe, it will likely be a solo trip!

You are making progress. LOL! Hope it keeps you entertained just a little.

Thank you! A lot of hard work and planning went into her wedding and took over a year to plan. It was SOOOOO much fun!

Hahaha... nerdtastic is the name of the game around here. My account for a long time has gone to paying off school debt and a new espresso maker. Both served to keep me sane this year. You should make it a cardinal sin to touch it!! Remember, it's going to a higher purpose.

I live for solo trips. Honestly, they are awesome for not having ANYONE cramp the Disney vibe. For that is NOT to be trifled with. Already I am having to guard this trip and plan it wisely so it's not a Whinefest for Haters.

 

[pkondz]

Time for another spell-binding episode of Let's See Nashville....

I love that show!

Day 2, if you'll recall, included a dip into Hell-like humidity where we saw dark and fascinating caves, animals from another continent, and the coolest cars on the planet.

I do! I do recall!

I didn't share with you was that to top off an already overly-packed day, we attended a lecture by Dr. Zahi Hawass, leading Egyptologist/Archeologist. It was riveting to see the modern work happening all over the Valley of the Kings and the constant discoveries of intact tombs still being found despite the regional upheaval in the area.

Interesting. Where did that happen?

And we diemed.

I'm less into dieming and more into dining.

The Tacqueria del Sol is unbe-freaka-lievably good eats.

Looked (and sounded) good!

It's actually an astounding and immense monolith built as an exact replication of the original in Greece.

Very interesting. At first glance, I assumed it would be scaled down in size.

I guess they thought leaving what little bit of wealth Greece has left was a noble gesture.

Nope. All gone.

Apparently, Nashville has long been known at the "Athens of the South".

Ah. Now it makes sense.

Holy crap! Those doors are immense!

I'm not sure I'd want to be naked in front of a kicking horse. Just sayin'. Cuz that guy's about to relegated to harem duty.

Meh. He's pretty tiny. Pretty small target. He'll be fine.
(His girl on the other hand... I foresee disappointment.)

She stands at 42' tall

Holy sh.... shoot!

If you're at all familiar with the books and movie The Lightening Thief,

Nope.

I found the list in the middle paragraph gut-splitting hilarious.

I actually like the broken crockery part.

The Resort Choice. Duh-duh-duuuuummmmm....

Oh boy! I'm on the edge of my seat!
(And not just because it hurts too much to sit back.)

(See what I did there?)

You resorted to peeing all over the resorts.

To be very blunt and honest, their kids are pretty spoiled, bossy, and pouty. Just generally not very nice to be around. We need easy-going folks with us who can be flexible and are not whineypants, melt-down types who can't be happy with the food served, the places visited, the lines, the color of their band, the texture of the sidewalk, etc....

Ugh. Nope.
Just. Nope.

Small groups can move unbelievably fast through crowds and if the crowds don't move out of the way, there's enough of us to just run them over.

one who would rather swim a river of snot than take a shower

ew.

Thanks for the visual... not.

Given all of that, I'm going with AoA.

I knew it! As soon as you said "A" my first thought was AOA.

I *think* I can make my ressie even now by calling WDW. I'll pay a deposit, but that will be adjusted when 2016 prices come out. For those in the know, correct?

Sorry, no idea. But knowing Disney, I'm sure if you lock in a price now, they'll increase it if the price goes up.

!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE !!!!!!!!!!!

More????

And more towel animals. Especially more towel animals.

Slow down there girlie. I've read that Disney is putting the kybosh on towel animals as it's taking too much time with mousekeeping.
I could be wrong, maybe it was just a rumour, but I can tell you we didn't get a single one this last trip.
Could be just a coincidence though.

Want me some of that. I mean, not a poop drink, in case you got confused.

Ah. Thanks for the clarification.

Behind Door #2, and for the 2nd part of our stay, I've chosen to splurge it up (a LOT) and stay in a standard room at AKL.

What? No way! That's great!!

I'm generally not a big fan of changing things up once I've made up my mind, but you never know.

I'm the same way.
I research, figure out what I want then stick with it.

It's been YEARS since I've gotten to enjoy watching this sassy red-head defy her father and get married at 16.

I got to see her a few times this year.
Might have taken a picture or two of her...

She needs a spanking.

I volunteer!

Yes, she married a prince. Big deal. She burned bridges with family. Bad move.

Well, he was kind of a bossy dad...

ETA: Walked out to the mailbox to find my latest pay stub. I can officially say that it was enough to cover 3rd Term of tuition, and school is now funded 100%!!!

Woot! Congrats!

Ha, you're lucky, you still get birthday presents.

Well.... no.
I meant when I did get them.

Yes, but THE cable the cut off ALL of the Southest... ? I'm skeptical.

Oh, alright. Have it your way.

Uh huh. The celery. I'll make you a deal. You can have all of my celery.

Ever watch Hell's Kitchen?
Gordon Ramsay is always saying "The winner will become my head chef with a celery of a quarter of a million dollars."

You tried riding SM didn't you?

I will neither confirm nor deny my participation on SM.
But I can say that my back troubles had nothing to do with the Disney trip.

The posts are permanent. As long as they don't shut down the thread, it'll all be here when you can hobble back. :snork:

You "snorked"!

 

[afwdwfan]

It's been YEARS since I've gotten to enjoy watching this sassy red-head defy her father and get married at 16. She needs a spanking. Yes, she married a prince. Big deal. She burned bridges with family. Bad move.

Yes, she was a big misguided and didn't think things through. But her father did come around and support her at the end. So the family bond stayed strong.

Anyway, we also needed a way to pass the time while we await NariLoo's orthodontic appointment where she is actually getting her braces ON!! WOOT! This is the first kid we've been able to afford to put in braces and it's a rather big deal. Zach has an appt next month for a consult, 2 of our kids didn't need them, and Bek got married before we could pony up for them.

And there goes the Disney fund...

DW works for an orthodontist. I told her she can't leave there until after our kids are past the braces phase.

ETA: Walked out to the mailbox to find my latest pay stub. I can officially say that it was enough to cover 3rd Term of tuition, and school is now funded 100%!!!

That's great news!! Congratulations!

 

[MarieLightning]

Alright, I'm all caught up! I'd say that was pretty lengthy, but truth is, work was dead quiet last night so this very long start of a PTR was a life saver!

You've had quite an eventful last year! Definitely sending pixie dust your way for the next one ahead, ought to be pretty intense as well! But clearly you can pull through a lot, so I'm not too worried.

I'll definitely direct my wife to this PTR though. She's currently doing some catching up Science and Math courses so she can apply to the Nursing program next fall. Granted, it probably won't be exactly the same course of action as your studies, as she's not yet gonna be studying to be a RN, but still!

Definitely hat off to you on all of that though. I've considered nursing for probably all of ten minutes before reminding myself that I'm not a fan of open wounds or needles, so I probably wouldn't be much help in a hospital. (Although, when my wife was going through chemo and needed daily shots of blood thinner, I sucked it up and did the poking, but you do what you gotta do, and I think I'm good for a few years now).

So jealous about your resorts! We're definitely in the clan of crazies who want to try them all out, but our budgets thus far has restricted us to the All-Stars, and a couple of times treating ourselves to POFQ. Both AoA and AKL look like such nice resorts, so I'm sure you'll have a blast! We've never visited either though in November we're planning on stopping by AKL for a QS meal after our AK day, just to snoop around a little.

Totally stealing your idea for the receipts pocket! We always end up with bunched up receipts in the bottom of our bag, but this time we have to be a bit more careful with our food budget, so that'll definitely be a good trick to try and keep everything in order so we can calculate it in the evening!

Can't wait to read more

 

[Elevationist]

I *think* I can make my ressie even now by calling WDW.

I don't see why not. I booked my ressie for October 2016 back in July!

Given all of that, I'm going with AoA.

Yay! I love this! This was my pick for my upcoming December trip!

I've chosen to splurge it up (a LOT) and stay in a standard room at AKL.

Yay! I love this even more! I stayed here in 2006, and it was INCREDIBLE.

We may even have enough left over to eat. If not, at least there will be fresh game, and even scraps we can fight the buzzards for. It's all good.

That's the right attitude.

 

[Steppesister]

Love each one of your comments and replies, but well, had an 11 hour day at work and am out for drinks with the Mister. And yes, I have to be up at 4:30 again.

So replies will have to wait until tomorrow. enjoy your weekend, All!!!

 

[pkondz]

enjoy your weekend, All!!!

You too!

 

[GoofyFan1515]

a tour of the Bowling Green Assembly Plant- the only place in the world Corvettes are put together. And they are dang proud. For only $7 we got a couple of tickets for the 2:00 tour

That sounds like a great tour.......need to put that one on the list............

The first 4 parking rows, in their entirety, are reserved for Corvettes or "American-Made Cars Only". In that order. Everyone else can hike, and they don't apologize.

I like it!

As you walk under the ped tunnel into the Visitor's Entrance Doors, you are reminded by way of ginormous signs that cameras of ANY kind are NOT allowed

After they duly warned us one more time about cell phones being put away at ALL times (yes, they would kick you out of the tour if they saw you pull it out) we were off

So you're saying they might have not wanted anyone using a camera??

The last steps of the assembly plant are the vehicle testing stations. OH. MY. GOODNESS!!! :allcapscuzit'ssocool: IT IS FREAKING JUST LIKE THE TEST TRACK!!

That sounds pretty cool, as does this whole tour.

Yes, I threatened that nice guy with a knuckle sandwich if he didn't take we 2 sweet and innocent looking ladies the mile over to the Museum; he cheerfully complied and we found ourselves stepping into "The Nursery" as it's affectionately called.

Stood on a ladder did ya????

I'd like to say we'll be at Rope Drop at Animal Kingdom for the early EMH, but you know what they say about the best laid plans.... We'll do our best, but having been out and in party mode until pretty late the night before, it'll be a tough go.

Suck it up, buttercup!!! You been waiting to do this HOW long???

The rest of the morning I can easily see us just slowing WAY down to walk the trails, many of which none of my kids have ever seen. Can I just say I'm beyond excited to show them this park??

The trails are always fun.......and a great way to spend some park time!

HOWEVER, given that @glennbo123 has brought the Market Place to my attention, who knows, we may want to stay at the park for lunch before our hop to.....

Never seen anything on the menu at Sanaa that excited me, or a review that helped that opinion. I know different people have different tastes, but I would personally go with the new Marketplace area. It was pretty good, even dodging the raindrops.............

The goddess herself. She stands at 42' tall with her minion, Nike, at formidible 6'. And yes, that's gold leafing. Which amounts to a lifetime of Disney trips. In deluxe resorts with Water Parks and more tickets. Such a waste of money. I"m sure I could have put it to much better use- on Dole Whips. And Corvettes.

Talk about your high maintenance women.................

Given all of that, I'm going with AoA.

You chose Art of Animation??? Who knew............... Short little walk around the place, it looks like a fun and nice place to stay!

 

[Flossbolna]

Hopefully, we'll knock off the headliners in Future World without using FP+'s so we can save those for later in the day during Phase II of Day 1. Those would be Soarin' (which will probably be a whole different film by the time we get there), Mission Space, Test Track, and SE, in that order. I do think we'll be able to crank out Figment, The Land and Turtle Talk as well in our 2 hour window before heading over to WS. If not, no biggie. We'll be back. Several times.

I think your math is wrong. If Epcot is a EMH Morning park that day, you will have 3 hours in Future World before WS opens at 11am. However, are you sure you want to do EMH morning on the day after your arrival day when the time difference is still working towards your disadvantage regarding mornings. Especially if the evening will be at the one event you are looking forward to so much? I would be to afraid to jeopardize the evening by going strong all morning already.

With regard to making use of mornings, keep in mind that with FP+ they are now giving out FP for the first hour of the day. I have not enough experience on what effect that has on early morning wait times, but in theory it could have the effect to make morning waits longer because they will need to put the FP+ people on the ride as well. So, you might see longer waits earlier compared to what it was in the past.

Timeline on Soarin Over the World is still kind of unclear. Currently they are building the third theater. The rumors are that once that is up and running the other two theaters will go down one after the other for changing over to digital projection and maintenance (well overdue as they more or less cannot close this attraction for a refurbishment, it is the one attraction that makes people go to Epcot). Once that is completed the change over to Soarin over the World should be really easy. I think the current estimate is "late 2016" - whatever that means. And I am not sure if that is for the new film or just for building the third theater.

Be aware that Spaceship Earth now regularly has lines thanks to FP+.

I can't do much research whatsoever at this point. Until it gets closer, I have NO idea what fare will be offered or even where I'd go to find out.

You do know the Disney Food Blog? http://www.disneyfoodblog.com They have a whole section about the F&W Festival where they have all the current and past booth menus. They usually post them as soon as they become available. They are great for getting an overview and usually post pictures of the tastings as well. Also, menus do not change that much from year to year, so you could certainly look at this years coverage and most likely prices we be similar next year and you will find many of the menu items there as well.

*At least I hope that the new little frolic with Elsa is up and running... I haven't seen a date yet, but then again, she can be a bit cold and elusive.

Late Spring 2016 is the current estimate for it to open.

My best estimates have us leaving around 2:00 (that gives us 3 hours in WS) for a more Magical Kingdom. The only obvious choice is by monorail, because that's "more Disney" than a bus.

And once again I am concerned for your comfort! I usually would totally agree with you that on your first day you want to take the monorail to the MK. BUT it is a really really long hike from the back of WS all the way to the monorail. Just hopping over to the BC (you could even take a boat...) and then on a bus to the MK would save you a lot of walking in the potentially baking hot afternoon sun. And you want to be able to enjoy the upcoming party to the fullest!

If that's the case, I'll definitely save all 3 for the MK and likely use them for it's a small world, tiki and Dumbo.

For a moment you got me there!!!

I think the best game plan would be using them for Space, BTMRR, and the obvious 7DMT. The continuous loaders, like my favorite of all, HM, can be done late at night with almost no wait, at least from past trips' experience.

Generally thumbs up for your choice! However, be prepared that this continuous loaders can get quite longish slow moving lines now thanks to the addition of FP+ on them.

The other big factor on how this evening plays out for FP+s is that I wanted to knock off my long-awaited, once hosed over by Disney, Mickey's pretty tame, not really very scary Halloween Party.

Since you are going to get FP+ on a party day, you will only be able to get them for time slots up until 7pm. No FP+ during the party (which is great as it makes lines move so much quicker!).

However, the HM is the top priority, followed closely by the Boo to You Parade. The Cadaver Dans are pretty far up there as well. I chose this first park day to pound this out because I know we'll be as fresh as possible, not having stayed up too late the night before, and that West Coast time will still be working to our advantage at this point.

Generally a good idea to do the party early in the trip and Tuesday is certainly the best day to pick for it! I am sure you know that the second parade will be much easier for viewing than the first one?

So.... for those of you who've done the MNSSHP, what kind of plan did you have? Were you happy with it? What would you have done differently? Must-sees? Skips? We aren't big candy eaters, but I kinda do want to see maybe some of the rarer characters they bring out. Best place to watch the parade? Hallowishes?

We were at the 10/16 party in 2011 and it was quite busy, but not totally crazy crowded. So, I think you might be early enough in the season and on a weekday, so should have better luck with crowds than us!

Hallowishes would be a must see for me! I loved it! We had no trouble finding a good spot in the hub, which I considered a great location. Try to be a bit further back from castle as that gives you a better chance to see the fireworks going around the park perimeter.

There are some candy trails that were fun to walk through - no obligation to take any of the candy, but it is a fun experience and a lot of the CMs were having fun talking to the guests getting the candy, especially later at night.

We lined up for the second parade about 45 minutes early and had a great front row spot in Frontierland.

I don't remember any crazy waits for HM during the party, something like 20 minutes maybe...

Overall, most waits for attractions were really manageable, but they were not walk ons. The same was true for the Christmas party last year. There we were able to do the 7DMT late in the evening with a 15 minute wait even.

The one thing I would try to do differently would be to try to be less caught up in the general hectic. I found the park to be very filled with people running from A to B to C. Everyone appeared to be in such a hurry. And it was dark and crowded. This really was not very pleasant and I let myself kind of get caught up in it and started to feel like I needed to rush around as well. One of my best memories of the party is indeed that time that we spent with Marv and Jon waiting for the parade to start as we could just watch the craziness around us without being part of it. Don't try to do everything. You can't do that!

Also, do you think they will do a flag-lowering ceremony on a party day?

Why not? The flag has to come down one way or another. The party does not start until 7pm. Until then it is very much a normal operating day. Btw, usually the mornings of the party days are great days to go to the MK. As the park closes so early, a lot of people go to the MK on the other days when the park is open late (and those days then become insanely crowded).

 

[KathyM2]

Lastly, at least as far as the animals/Australian bit of Kentucky Down Under was concerned, we headed to the Lorikeets' aviary.

This looked like a lot of fun!!! It made me laugh seeing the kids and birds because when we did that with my DS he was absolutely terrified!! I loved your pics of all the aussie animals. I am somewhat caught up around here but I have to admit I didn't read everything in detail...congrats on paying off school though...that is huge!

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[englishrose47]

With regard to making use of mornings, keep in mind that with FP+ they are now giving out FP for the first hour of the day. I have not enough experience on what effect that has on early morning wait times, but in theory it could have the effect to make morning waits longer because they will need to put the FP+ people on the ride as well. So, you might see longer waits earlier compared to what it was in the past.

That is news to me !!! Does it mean you get an extra one or is that from your 3 ??

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

Yay for paying school 100%!!!!

 

[Steppesister]

I love that show!

Good thing too. Otherwise, this PTR wouldn't be very worth reading.

Interesting. Where did that happen?

It was sponsored through the Warren County Library, but held at the City Conference Center. Apparently, they host quite a few high end/spendy/ big name gigs for the city of Bowling Green.

I'm less into dieming and more into dining.

I wonder if one can diem AND dine at the same time?!

Very interesting. At first glance, I assumed it would be scaled down in size.

Nope. She's a large woman with a lot of wealth. I suppose that would make her a pretty fine catch to some.

Holy crap! Those doors are immense!

Those are in case she ever wants to go for a stroll....

Meh. He's pretty tiny. Pretty small target. He'll be fine.
(His girl on the other hand... I foresee disappointment.)

Ruh roh!!!!

I actually like the broken crockery part.

I guess that's the first version of "No glass containers by the pool".

Oh boy! I'm on the edge of my seat!
(And not just because it hurts too much to sit back.)

I should have added a virtual drum roll and a finale from 1812 Overature.

You resorted to peeing all over the resorts.

I can diem, carpe AND pee at the resorts.

Thanks for the visual... not.

Caught your attention, though.

I knew it! As soon as you said "A" my first thought was AOA.

Well, I'm certainly glad you didn't go with All Star Sports.

Sorry, no idea. But knowing Disney, I'm sure if you lock in a price now, they'll increase it if the price goes up.

I am finding out a lot of information from my TA... I'll keep you updated.

More????

Always.

Slow down there girlie. I've read that Disney is putting the kybosh on towel animals as it's taking too much time with mousekeeping.
I could be wrong, maybe it was just a rumour, but I can tell you we didn't get a single one this last trip.
Could be just a coincidence though.

Well. That just sucks bricks.

Ah. Thanks for the clarification.

I know some people need more than others.

What? No way! That's great!!

Thanks!

I'm the same way.
I research, figure out what I want then stick with it.

I got to see her a few times this year.
Might have taken a picture or two of her...

OH, I have no doubt of that.

Well, he was kind of a bossy dad...

Yeah, it was a bad mix of overbearing dad, and snotty brat child.

Well.... no.
I meant when I did get them.

I"m to the point of just getting my own in the form of Disney gift cards. It's a win-win for everyone involved.

Oh, alright. Have it your way.

Ok, I like Burger King's Whopper Junior- grill the onions please.

Ever watch Hell's Kitchen?
Gordon Ramsay is always saying "The winner will become my head chef with a celery of a quarter of a million dollars."

We don't have TV, so no. Never got into cooking shows.

I will neither confirm nor deny my participation on SM.
But I can say that my back troubles had nothing to do with the Disney trip.

Hahaha, now you have me intriged.

You "snorked"!

As long as it's not a snort laugh. Those are embarassing.

 

[Steppesister]

Yes, she was a big misguided and didn't think things through. But her father did come around and support her at the end. So the family bond stayed strong.

Except there was the small detail of her not being able to breathe underwater so she could have hangouts with the fam anymore. She's gonna miss all the underwater O'hana.

And there goes the Disney fund...

Nope, we used her college fund.

DW works for an orthodontist. I told her she can't leave there until after our kids are past the braces phase.

That's great news!! Congratulations!

 

[Steppesister]

Alright, I'm all caught up! I'd say that was pretty lengthy, but truth is, work was dead quiet last night so this very long start of a PTR was a life saver!

Glad to help you out! I know what dead night shifts are like, and any entertainment is great... WAY better than a Code being called!

You've had quite an eventful last year! Definitely sending pixie dust your way for the next one ahead, ought to be pretty intense as well! But clearly you can pull through a lot, so I'm not too worried.

Thanks so much for your encouragment! It's been a lot of hard work and it's only half over. I LOVE school so much, and love studying, but it definitely has taken a big toll on my family. It will sure be nice to have it behind me, part time work ahead of me, and yearly trips to Disney on the horizon.

I'll definitely direct my wife to this PTR though. She's currently doing some catching up Science and Math courses so she can apply to the Nursing program next fall. Granted, it probably won't be exactly the same course of action as your studies, as she's not yet gonna be studying to be a RN, but still!

Oh, please do!! The more the merrier! ANd I love to share my (so far) 4 year long journey of getting through school. In fact, if she'd ever like to PM me, I'd love to chat with her. Nursing School is tough, very tough, but very worth it in every respect.

Definitely hat off to you on all of that though. I've considered nursing for probably all of ten minutes before reminding myself that I'm not a fan of open wounds or needles, so I probably wouldn't be much help in a hospital. (Although, when my wife was going through chemo and needed daily shots of blood thinner, I sucked it up and did the poking, but you do what you gotta do, and I think I'm good for a few years now).

Wounds and needles are the WAY easy part! And I used to think poo was going to be the one thing that would give me a major run for my money... but it's actually turning out to be coughed up gunk. I really have a hard time with that. But honestly, when you're "in the moment" you really can and do put that stuff aside and get in the zone of taking care of business. You giving your wife shots during chemo is the perfect example. See? You can DO it!!

So jealous about your resorts! We're definitely in the clan of crazies who want to try them all out, but our budgets thus far has restricted us to the All-Stars, and a couple of times treating ourselves to POFQ. Both AoA and AKL look like such nice resorts, so I'm sure you'll have a blast! We've never visited either though in November we're planning on stopping by AKL for a QS meal after our AK day, just to snoop around a little.

I haven't even stepped foot into most of them yet, but will do so as my trips become more frequent. I think for this trip it's going to be the right choice combo. You'll LOVE the lobby of AKL- it's massive and impressive, yet incredibly beautiful too. And awesomely authentic. I LOVE that part!

Totally stealing your idea for the receipts pocket! We always end up with bunched up receipts in the bottom of our bag, but this time we have to be a bit more careful with our food budget, so that'll definitely be a good trick to try and keep everything in order so we can calculate it in the evening!

Glad you can use it!! I think it'll make keeping things organized so much easier for you!

Can't wait to read more

I'll be here!