The Quest For 15K & 18 FP+ ~ A Marathon Weekend 2016 PTR - TR Link, Page 18

[NJlauren]

I'm similar in that when I want to do something or its fun it gets done right away but when I'm blah about it I'll wait till the last minute!

I loved memory maker DH was a little skeptical because of the cost but ended up happy we got it for ride and group pics! (I think you already know that).

I love the dumbo idea I can not wait to see the final product! This is a great Disney bound and for a race too!

Post pics after you play with/decorate the magic band I love seeing what creative people can do some I am not all creative....

Your list of do dos doesn't seem to bad!!! 4 months to go!!! Yahoo

 

[stacy~**]

I've been ridiculously absent from the Dis and I hate it but my schedule has changed a lot with Lucy's earlier school start time and it seems my relaxing Disboards time has taken the biggest hit.

I am starting to get things together for our trip in January too so I was excited to see your list!!!

4 Months: A To-Do List
(sorry, no pictures in this one - I've found that on the DIS, pictures and lists don't mix very well)​

We’re officially less than 4 months out from arrival day, and while I wish I was on my way back from Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend (which would have been fairly impossible because of my busy schedule this weekend, but a girl can dream...), instead I’m just sitting around looking at my Disney To-Do list. I figured now’s as good a time as ever to share what’s on my radar for the next few months:

• DVC Sales Pitch – We (well, Beth) got something in the mail saying that if we did an over-the-phone DVC Sales Tour we could get a $25 Disney Gift Card to use on our trip. It’s like free money, so I’ll do it when I get a chance.

I did this many years ago and I don't remember too much but believe it was easy and interesting. One thing I remember is the GC took awhile to arrive so I would suggest not waiting too long to do it.

• Call Magical Express – We still haven’t called up and added our flight info (yes, I know that there’s apparently a way to do it online, but I prefer doing it by phone). Yes, we did book the flights about a month and a half ago. If I don’t have to do something ASAP, it tends to take a while to get done.

It is VERY hard to find the spot to add it online. I don't understand why they don't make it easier.

• Order Memory Maker – We’re about 99% sure we’re getting it, we just have to actually order it. I’m waiting a bit just to see what the camera situation is … there is a very small possibility that I’d get a new camera, which would change things.

I hate the cost but really it's so priceless to have the photos! Since this is a longer trip for you I think it would be a great trip to have it for!

• Add Kosher to ADRs – This requires a call to Disney Dining (I really wish there was a way to do it online). It’s not a hard procedure, but I still don’t love doing it (especially because some CMs are more clueless than others), so I wanted to delay it until we made a final decision on which ADRs to keep.

I wish the Disney phone cast members (or whatever they are called) were more universally trained. I almost always feel I know more than them when I call with any sort of issue. It can be very frustrating and sometimes awkward. I can't imagine having to call on something that is even more unique then than typical questions.

Be sure to update us once you settle on ADRs!

• Dumbo Running Skirt – As of right now, I’m dressing up/DisneyBounding as Dumbo for the 10K. Finding running skirts that are long enough for me is not so easy, so I have to figure out if I can find a skirt I like (or get one custom made for a decent price), or if I’m making one myself. I actually have the gray/pink fabric that I’m working with right now, and if I can make this skirt work, then I’ll buy yellow and red for Dumbo (the plan is to do three tiers - red, yellow, red, like Dumbo's ruffle). If not … my options are buy a gray skirt and do something else red/yellow, see if I can get something custom made, or deal with the fact that my skirt won't match my outfit.

Dumbo will be great! I saw sooo many awesome Dumbo costumes from this weekends race pictures. I'm sure you will come up with something amazing.

• Paint Yellow MagicBand – My yellow MB got super dirty last year (apparently long-sleeve black shirt + heat = dirty MB) and I have had trouble cleaning it (/I’m too lazy to try anything other than water), so I want to cover it in gold glitter nail polish. I’m only going to do one or two coats, so the yellow will still show through, but hopefully it will be sparkly and not just dirty.

Let us know how this turns out. We have never decorated our bands and would love to give it a try.

• Calculations on Stay/Play/Dine – I’m about 95% sure that Stay/Play/Dine was offered last year over Marathon Weekend. We’d have to upgrade to the regular dining plan (Pop comes with QSDP, which doesn’t pay for our planned TS meals) and we don’t really buy too much food, so I’m not sure if it will make sense for us – I want to sit down at some point in time and do the math on it, and figure out at what point we might break even or save money.

I am usually a fan of just going with room discounts but it would be smart to price it all out and make sure you are going with the best option for you guys!! Have you also looked at any RunDisney discounts?
There are lots of things that will be added to this list (like packing, grocery shopping, and deciding on/preparing our 5K costumes), but this is what I’ve got on my plate for now. Lots of fun, right?

Packing and grocery shopping will happen for me the day before. Haha!

 

[huggybuff]

I'm similar in that when I want to do something or its fun it gets done right away but when I'm blah about it I'll wait till the last minute!

This is so true for me too! Then once you finally get around to doing it, it's super easy and fast and you wondered why you put it off in the first place.

 

[rteetz]

4 Months: A To-Do List
(sorry, no pictures in this one - I've found that on the DIS, pictures and lists don't mix very well)​

We’re officially less than 4 months out from arrival day, and while I wish I was on my way back from Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend (which would have been fairly impossible because of my busy schedule this weekend, but a girl can dream...), instead I’m just sitting around looking at my Disney To-Do list. I figured now’s as good a time as ever to share what’s on my radar for the next few months:

• 
  
  
  • DVC Sales Pitch – We (well, Beth) got something in the mail saying that if we did an over-the-phone DVC Sales Tour we could get a $25 Disney Gift Card to use on our trip. It’s like free money, so I’ll do it when I get a chance.
  • Call Magical Express – We still haven’t called up and added our flight info (yes, I know that there’s apparently a way to do it online, but I prefer doing it by phone). Yes, we did book the flights about a month and a half ago. If I don’t have to do something ASAP, it tends to take a while to get done.
  • Order Memory Maker – We’re about 99% sure we’re getting it, we just have to actually order it. I’m waiting a bit just to see what the camera situation is … there is a very small possibility that I’d get a new camera, which would change things.
  • Add Kosher to ADRs – This requires a call to Disney Dining (I really wish there was a way to do it online). It’s not a hard procedure, but I still don’t love doing it (especially because some CMs are more clueless than others), so I wanted to delay it until we made a final decision on which ADRs to keep.
  • Dumbo Running Skirt – As of right now, I’m dressing up/DisneyBounding as Dumbo for the 10K. Finding running skirts that are long enough for me is not so easy, so I have to figure out if I can find a skirt I like (or get one custom made for a decent price), or if I’m making one myself. I actually have the gray/pink fabric that I’m working with right now, and if I can make this skirt work, then I’ll buy yellow and red for Dumbo (the plan is to do three tiers - red, yellow, red, like Dumbo's ruffle). If not … my options are buy a gray skirt and do something else red/yellow, see if I can get something custom made, or deal with the fact that my skirt won't match my outfit.
  • Paint Yellow MagicBand – My yellow MB got super dirty last year (apparently long-sleeve black shirt + heat = dirty MB) and I have had trouble cleaning it (/I’m too lazy to try anything other than water), so I want to cover it in gold glitter nail polish. I’m only going to do one or two coats, so the yellow will still show through, but hopefully it will be sparkly and not just dirty.
  • Calculations on Stay/Play/Dine – I’m about 95% sure that Stay/Play/Dine was offered last year over Marathon Weekend. We’d have to upgrade to the regular dining plan (Pop comes with QSDP, which doesn’t pay for our planned TS meals) and we don’t really buy too much food, so I’m not sure if it will make sense for us – I want to sit down at some point in time and do the math on it, and figure out at what point we might break even or save money.

There are lots of things that will be added to this list (like packing, grocery shopping, and deciding on/preparing our 5K costumes), but this is what I’ve got on my plate for now. Lots of fun, right?

Woohoo only 120 days until the 5k! I cannot wait for marathon weekend. I so wish I could've done Disneyland as well especially the year with the 60th anniversary.

That's cool on the DVC sales pitch.

I did ours online a few days after we booked our flights.

We ordered memory maker right away. I think it's totally worth it if you buy ahead of time for the cheaper price.

I'm still undecided as for what I will be running as. I got the new idea as running as a dwarf but I'm not sure yet.

Lots of people decorate their magic bands. I got a Donald one so I think I'm going to use that one instead of the one I get.

I'm pretty sure it was offered as well. We are watching to see what discounts will be able to be applied to that weekend.

 

[SarahDisney]

You really like to procrastinate...

Well ... yeah, I got nothing. This is me described in a sentence.
But I still have time!

Good luck finally getting things taken care of, eventually. I actually don't blame you for putting off the things you're putting off. It isn't like any of it is super fun or exciting.

Thanks. But even the non-glamorous stuff has to get done sometimes ... so it'll all get done eventually, hopefully on the sooner side.

Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaat! Dude, put me on this list! I want free money, too!

We get a crapload of DVC solicitation mail ... I just assumed this was the same as all that, but it wasn't. I don't know how we ended up getting it, but I'm happy.

I love Memory Make. I LOVE IT. And think of all the time it will save you at the parks. You won't need to stop and pick out the photos you like, because they'll ALL be yours! Plus you get the fun little Tower of Terror and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train videos!

The time saving point is good. Also, photo stops will also be a little faster if they're only using their camera and not mine.
And we do love the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train video ...
(You'd have to tranquilize me to get me on Tower of Terror)

I'm 110% with you on this. Why go through the hassle of adding to ADRs that you're not even going to keep? I would wait, too!

Exactly!

Have you checked around on Etsy? I feel almost certain I've seen skirts like this on there!

There are about a million and one adorable skirts on Etsy. Plus, there's a company that makes custom three colored sparkly running skirts.
The problem is ... they're all too short for me!
If I don't think I can do it myself, I'll contact one of the Etsy sellers and see if they can make it longer for me. But that's a decision I have to make soon because the turnaround time on custom skirts can sometimes be short.

Oooh, please post pics when finished! I'm a sucker for sparklies!

I will try to remember. It's next on my crafting list (after the pink/gray skirt I'm working on), so hopefully I'll get started on it soon.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE LOADS OF FUN! MY IDEA OF A RIP-ROARIN' PLANNING GOOD TIME!

Yes. Tons of fun.

I'm similar in that when I want to do something or its fun it gets done right away but when I'm blah about it I'll wait till the last minute!

Exactly! The fun stuff is easy, but some of this stuff I just don't want to deal with right now!

I loved memory maker DH was a little skeptical because of the cost but ended up happy we got it for ride and group pics! (I think you already know that).

The cost is definitely one of the factors that makes me hesitate. I would love to have the ride pictures (we usually get the photopass photographers to take pictures with our camera, so most of the pictures they get we also have), but I'm not sure if the cost is really worth in.

I love the dumbo idea I can not wait to see the final product! This is a great Disney bound and for a race too!

Thanks! I really hope the outfit comes together well, but we'll see ... I'm really a beginner with the sewing thing, so I don't know that I'll be able to make the skirt work, but I'll try.

Post pics after you play with/decorate the magic band I love seeing what creative people can do some I am not all creative....

I will try to remember to post pictures. Last year I painted a gray magic band with purple nail polish and it came out okay, so I think it'll be great!

Your list of do dos doesn't seem to bad!!! 4 months to go!!! Yahoo

 

[SarahDisney]

I've been ridiculously absent from the Dis and I hate it but my schedule has changed a lot with Lucy's earlier school start time and it seems my relaxing Disboards time has taken the biggest hit.

I know the feeling. I hope you can adjust to the new schedule soon!

I am starting to get things together for our trip in January too so I was excited to see your list!!!

I'm excited to hear that you're starting to get things together and I look forward to reading all about it when you get a chance to update your PTR!

I did this many years ago and I don't remember too much but believe it was easy and interesting. One thing I remember is the GC took awhile to arrive so I would suggest not waiting too long to do it.

Thanks for the info! I'll make sure to do it a few months before the trip so that the GC has time to arrive.

It is VERY hard to find the spot to add it online. I don't understand why they don't make it easier.

I can usually find it with a quick Google search, but yeah, I wish it was easier to find. I think part of why I'm hesitant to do it online is because the form is so hard to find.
I also wish you could put your flight info in your My Disney Experience account somehow, but that's not likely. I use an app that organizes this stuff for non-Disney trips (it was great for my last California trip), but it doesn't work as well as MDE for Disney stuff, so it's pretty useless for Florida.

I hate the cost but really it's so priceless to have the photos! Since this is a longer trip for you I think it would be a great trip to have it for!

Part of the reason why I'm hesitant is that we get most of those pictures on our camera anyway (we always give our camera to the PhotoPass photographers & CMs). It's definitely a hard decision for us to make, but we'll decide over the next few months.

I wish the Disney phone cast members (or whatever they are called) were more universally trained. I almost always feel I know more than them when I call with any sort of issue. It can be very frustrating and sometimes awkward. I can't imagine having to call on something that is even more unique then than typical questions.

Yeah ... sometimes I get great CMs, sometimes I get CMs who seem to have never heard of Kosher.
And half of them can't pronounce the foods. None of the kosher food they offer at Disney is that hard to pronounce.

Be sure to update us once you settle on ADRs!

I definitely will!

Dumbo will be great! I saw sooo many awesome Dumbo costumes from this weekends race pictures. I'm sure you will come up with something amazing.

Dumbo was definitely a popular costume (totally understandable...). I don't know that I'll do anything as detailed as some of what I saw from the weekend (no ears for me), but I hope it comes out great!

Let us know how this turns out. We have never decorated our bands and would love to give it a try.

I painted a gray MB with purple nail polish last year and it came out pretty good. There's a thread around here somewhere with pictures of amazing things that people do to their bands. Apparently you can do a lot with nail polish...

I am usually a fan of just going with room discounts but it would be smart to price it all out and make sure you are going with the best option for you guys!! Have you also looked at any RunDisney discounts?

We'll probably just hope for a room discount, but I want to explore all options.
I don't think there are runDisney discounts for marathon weekend. Just the "smaller" races like Wine & Dine and Tower of Terror (if they ever un-cancel it)

Packing and grocery shopping will happen for me the day before. Haha!

For us it'll probably be the Sunday before. Our Target run is pretty much a tradition.

This is so true for me too! Then once you finally get around to doing it, it's super easy and fast and you wondered why you put it off in the first place.

It's not easy and fast, I put it off because I hate it!
(Ask me again in a few months and I might not say that ... I'm sure it'll all be pretty easy)

Woohoo only 120 days until the 5k! I cannot wait for marathon weekend. I so wish I could've done Disneyland as well especially the year with the 60th anniversary.

If you could FP+ your FP+, my window would be open! (which I know makes no sense, but still, it's kinda cool ...)

That's cool on the DVC sales pitch.

Definitely. It's never happened to us before.

I did ours online a few days after we booked our flights.

That's the smart way to do it. I procrastinate (that or I'm super busy ... let's go with busy).

We ordered memory maker right away. I think it's totally worth it if you buy ahead of time for the cheaper price.

If we do get it, we'll probably order it about a month in advance. But if I decide to get a new camera, I'm not going to want to spend another $170 on pictures after having just spent a few hundred dollars for a camera.

I'm still undecided as for what I will be running as. I got the new idea as running as a dwarf but I'm not sure yet.

I think a dwarf would be great - it's not something you see too often, but it's classic Disney!
There really are a lot of great ideas out there, and I'm sure you'll come up with something awesome!

Lots of people decorate their magic bands. I got a Donald one so I think I'm going to use that one instead of the one I get.

I already painted one purple last year, and I thought about doing sparkles on a different one then but didn't. I've seen some insanely complicated designs which look amazing but give me a headache thinking about how to do it. I think what I have in mind with be pretty simple/
And I have 4 MagicBands that I will be rotating. I like it when my MB matches my outfit (which I know is a very girly thing to say).

I'm pretty sure it was offered as well. We are watching to see what discounts will be able to be applied to that weekend.

If I remember correctly, discounts came out around October last year. I'm sure people will post about it here when they come out, and hopefully I'll be able to at least get a room discount. It's always nice to save money on the room ... more money to spend on souvenirs!

 

[SarahDisney]

Movie Nights​

Hey guys, it’s me, your disappearing PTR writer! I’ve got an update for you!

Those of you who have been following along since my first ever PTR (November 2014) may remember that we had movie nights every week. We also did movie watching before our February 2015 trip, but that was a lot less structured.

We decided to do movie nights for this trip too … but not so much every week because we’re busy. We made a list of movies we want to watch, and when we have the time (usually on Saturday nights, but not always) we’ll sit down to a watch a movie.

Here’s a list of the movies we’ve watched so far (with short reviews):

Big Hero 6: I had heard a lot of hype and wanted to see what it was all about. I liked it, I didn’t love it. The story and characters were both interesting, but nothing really grabbed me. I thought I’d fall in love with Baymax the instant I saw him, and I didn’t fall in love with him at all. I think my problem may have been that my expectations going in were too high … because I have enjoyed it on subsequent viewings.

D2: The Mighty Ducks: This is by far the best of the Mighty Ducks movies. In fact, Oh My Disney had an article recently stating that D2 is the best sports movie ever. And you can’t argue with Oh My Disney.
Gunner, You lost it for me.
You lost it for yourself. (Pause) Let’s go shake their hands.
OR:
This is a distraction. This is a fire in a barrel. This is a distraction in a fire in a barrel. Any questions?

A Bug's Life: I hadn’t seen this movie in quite a few years, so even though I’m never doing It’s Tough to Be a Bug Again (I have issues being poked in the back on days when my back is already killing me), I thought we should watch it. It’s definitely very cute and I like it a lot … but now I don’t need to see it again for another few years.

The Descendants: Beth and I were both kinda hesitant to admit that we wanted to see this. We’re about 15 years older than the target demographic. But we watched it and I loved it! Yes, I know the ending was predictable and the only character who was actually developed at all was Mal, but … I really enjoyed it! Beth also liked it, but I don’t think she loved it like I did. Highly recommended for anyone who is basically an overgrown teenage girl (or an actual teenage girl).
Also, it’s possible I rewatch this all the time and put my favorite songs from the movie on my Disney Playlist.

101 Dalmatians: I’m sure I’ve seen this movie before at some point in my life, but I don’t remember. When I hear 101 Dalmatians I think Glenn Close. So I was kinda going into this with fresh eyes. And I loved it (not sure if it’s possible not to…). So I’m definitely glad we decided to watch this!

Cinderella (2015): We saw this in theaters and loved it, so we got it on DVD. It was just as wonderful the second time. My favorite part is after the ball, and I don’t love the beginning, but overall I do really love this Cinderella. I’m usually fairly distracted during movies (my cell phone loses a lot of battery while I’m watching movies), but I can’t stay distracted during this movie, I always have to put down the phone. That’s how great it is.

Lots of movies left on the list, including but not limited to Monsters, Inc. (which I just got free from Disney Movies Anywhere), Cars, Inside Out, The Three Caballeros (if I can get my hands on it), Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Cool Runnings, and a few Marvel Movies


Other Updates:

Since I haven’t posted a general update in a while, here’s what’s going on:

1. I finally called up Disney’s Magical Express and added my flight information. Like 2 hours ago. It was on today’s to-do list … it’s not my fault I didn’t finish my to-do list until after 11 PM (not that I actually finished my to-do list, I didn't have time to do any sewing, but I almost finished my to-do list at 11).
2. Rumor has it Room Only Discounts & Stay/Play/Dine are being released on Monday (they were released to Disney Visa cardholders today). Monday is a religious holiday for me, and I won’t be able to use my computer or phone. Same with Tuesday (until nightfall). I’ll call up (or check online?) Tuesday night and see if I can still get something. I think I should be able to – I booked my parents’ trip in November last year, and that was also Pop Century (but later in January).
3. I ordered a new running skirt. It may or may not be used for a race outfit, we’ll see. It’s a rainbow chevron pattern, and I may share a picture when it arrives. We also bought more bamboo running shirts because Raw Threads is having a sale. Evil Queen hoodie for Beth, Princess Half-Marathon hoodie (training & advance planning for 2018 … and it was the cheapest and I like the color) and yellow headband (for Dumbo) for me.
4. Running Update: Beth is now running 4 miles fairly regularly (aka once a week). I have not only topped 6 miles again, but I’ve topped 6.2 (aka 10K) twice. My goal for my next long run is 6.5 miles. I may have another dedicated running update soon with some more info on what’s going on … if I have time.
5. I’m injured! It doesn’t stop me from running, but I do have something called runner’s knee. No big deal, but I start physical therapy tomorrow. I’m a little bit a nervous wreck about it (long story). Which is why I should be sleeping right now, but I’m not.

So ... that's about it. Next update will either be a running update or an explanation of the Quest for 18 FP+. Or an update about any discount we may have received. Or an actual list of FP+. Depending on what and when I have time to write.

 

[rteetz]

Great list of movies! Only one I haven't seen yet is Descendents but that one is pretty new yet. I love mighty ducks. Big hero six was also very good.

1. Glad you got that taken care of
2. Yep got ours taken care of!
3. That's cool, still haven't officially decided on my running costume
4. Great job!
5. Oh no. At least you can still run hopefully it gets better with the therapy.

 

[NJlauren]

D2: The Mighty Ducks: This is by far the best of the Mighty Ducks movies. In fact, Oh My Disney had an article recently stating that D2 is the best sports movie ever. And you can’t argue with Oh My Disney.
Gunner, You lost it for me.
You lost it for yourself. (Pause) Let’s go shake their hands.
OR:
This is a distraction. This is a fire in a barrel. This is a distraction in a fire in a barrel. Any questions?

Any update with any Mighty Ducks movie mentioned is an automatic favorite of mine! LOVE LOVE The Mighty Ducks! If someone doesn't love it I'm not sure we can be friends.

The Descendants: Beth and I were both kinda hesitant to admit that we wanted to see this. We’re about 15 years older than the target demographic. But we watched it and I loved it! Yes, I know the ending was predictable and the only character who was actually developed at all was Mal, but … I really enjoyed it! Beth also liked it, but I don’t think she loved it like I did. Highly recommended for anyone who is basically an overgrown teenage girl (or an actual teenage girl).
Also, it’s possible I rewatch this all the time and put my favorite songs from the movie on my Disney Playlist.

I'm intrigued by this movie I feel like I need to watch it. Granted o originally heard about it from. 3 year old boy but whatever...

I hope your injury is ok and your feeling good! Excited to see an update on the dumbo outfit!!!

 

[huggybuff]

101 Dalmatians: I’m sure I’ve seen this movie before at some point in my life, but I don’t remember. When I hear 101 Dalmatians I think Glenn Close. So I was kinda going into this with fresh eyes. And I loved it (not sure if it’s possible not to…). So I’m definitely glad we decided to watch this!

I love this movie! I'm so glad you loved it too. I still remember seeing the moving window display at the DL Emporium when I was little. And seeing the movie on the big screen when it was re-released in 1979. (I had to look that up on IMDB, my memory isn't THAT good.) And OMG, Rod Taylor did the voice of Pongo? *swoon*

Rumor has it Room Only Discounts & Stay/Play/Dine are being released on Monday (they were released to Disney Visa cardholders today). Monday is a religious holiday for me, and I won’t be able to use my computer or phone. Same with Tuesday (until nightfall). I’ll call up (or check online?) Tuesday night and see if I can still get something. I think I should be able to – I booked my parents’ trip in November last year, and that was also Pop Century (but later in January).

Good luck!

We also bought more bamboo running shirts because Raw Threads is having a sale. Evil Queen hoodie for Beth, Princess Half-Marathon hoodie (training & advance planning for 2018 … and it was the cheapest and I like the color) and yellow headband (for Dumbo) for me.

Boo-yah! Raw Threads!

Running Update: Beth is now running 4 miles fairly regularly (aka once a week). I have not only topped 6 miles again, but I’ve topped 6.2 (aka 10K) twice. My goal for my next long run is 6.5 miles

Great job!!! This weekend I've got a 7 miler to get done. Eep. It's the first time going that far since Tink in 2014.

I’m injured! It doesn’t stop me from running, but I do have something called runner’s knee. No big deal, but I start physical therapy tomorrow

I'm sorry you're injured! I hope the therapy goes well. Try not to be scared!

 

[Elevationist]

Rumor has it Room Only Discounts & Stay/Play/Dine are being released on Monday (they were released to Disney Visa cardholders today). Monday is a religious holiday for me, and I won’t be able to use my computer or phone. Same with Tuesday (until nightfall). I’ll call up (or check online?) Tuesday night and see if I can still get something. I think I should be able to – I booked my parents’ trip in November last year, and that was also Pop Century (but later in January).

Sounds like you need a travel agent to act on your behalf on that day, girl. *nudge nudge*

Seriously, though. If you PM me the details of what you're wanting, I'm happy to try to book it for you on Monday and put it on the three-day courtesy hold, rather than you having to wait until Tuesday night and potentially missing out. If I can grab it for you, you can just call or go online and do the deposit once you're able to! Just a thought.

 

[SarahDisney]

Great list of movies! Only one I haven't seen yet is Descendents but that one is pretty new yet. I love mighty ducks. Big hero six was also very good.

The Descendants is one that I think a lot of people haven't seen, both because it's so new and because it's a Disney Channel movie and not everyone watches those. I liked it, but I don't know that it's one of those movies that everyone needs to see.
And all 3 Mighty Ducks movies are up there on my list of favorite movies. They're a big part of why I love hockey so much.

3. That's cool, still haven't officially decided on my running costume

You still have time ... although I would recommend having it done in time to do a "test run" in the costume so that you know it's comfortable.

Any update with any Mighty Ducks movie mentioned is an automatic favorite of mine! LOVE LOVE The Mighty Ducks! If someone doesn't love it I'm not sure we can be friends.

Ditto. I love Mighty Ducks and firmly believe that anyone who doesn't (if such people exist) clearly has terrible taste in movies.

I'm intrigued by this movie I feel like I need to watch it. Granted o originally heard about it from. 3 year old boy but whatever...

It's definitely geared towards the teenage girls demographic. That said, I liked it

I hope your injury is ok and your feeling good! Excited to see an update on the dumbo outfit!!!

Thanks! I'm hoping to have more updates on the race outfits over the next month or so ... I just have a lot of sewing to do and not so much time to do it.

I love this movie! I'm so glad you loved it too. I still remember seeing the moving window display at the DL Emporium when I was little. And seeing the movie on the big screen when it was re-released in 1979. (I had to look that up on IMDB, my memory isn't THAT good.) And OMG, Rod Taylor did the voice of Pongo? *swoon*

I actually did not notice who did the voices ... but that's pretty cool. And cool that you saw it in theaters ... the only thing I remember seeing in theaters is Tarzan, and that's just because I forgot my glasses and had to borrow my mom's.
Oh, and I saw the Glenn Close 101 Dalmations at a friend's birthday party. In the same theater where I saw the 6th Harry Potter movie almost 15 years later.

Boo-yah! Raw Threads!

I knew you'd appreciate that one!

Great job!!! This weekend I've got a 7 miler to get done. Eep. It's the first time going that far since Tink in 2014.

Good luck! Just try not to stress too much about it and I'm sure you'll do great!

I'm sorry you're injured! I hope the therapy goes well. Try not to be scared!

Thanks!

Sounds like you need a travel agent to act on your behalf on that day, girl. *nudge nudge*

I wonder if I know any travel agents...

Seriously, though. If you PM me the details of what you're wanting, I'm happy to try to book it for you on Monday and put it on the three-day courtesy hold, rather than you having to wait until Tuesday night and potentially missing out. If I can grab it for you, you can just call or go online and do the deposit once you're able to! Just a thought.

Thanks for the offer, but we're not entirely sure what we want, so I want to see what the options are. Most likely we'll end up just trying to get the discount applied to our existing reservation, but we also want to look and see if maybe we want to upgrade to a moderate. It'll all depend on prices, though, so we'll wait until Tuesday night and hope not to miss out on too much. I think that we'll still have decent options.
But thank you so much for the offer!

 

[afwdwfan]

Hey guys, it’s me, your disappearing PTR writer! I’ve got an update for you!

That's alright! I'm a disappearing PTR reader, so it works.

Big Hero 6: I had heard a lot of hype and wanted to see what it was all about. I liked it, I didn’t love it.

I agree. I thought it was a good movie, but it just didn't make me want to watch it over and over or anything...

D2: The Mighty Ducks:

It has been far too long since I've seen any of the Mighty Duck movies!!! I loved those when I was growing up!!!!

The Descendants:

Ok... I think your target demographic might be just a bit off. My 3 year old daughter LOVES Descendants. That has replaced Frozen as basically the only thing she ever wants to watch.

I actually looked forward to seeing it the first time. I thought the concept seemed awesome! I mean, a storyline exploring the offspring of our favorite villains and heroes? I'm in!

But I really wasn't blown away by the execution. I thought the "kids" were good characters and would actually like to see them continue the story arc somehow so you can get to know the kids a bit better and maybe introduce the children of some other villains. But I thought the villains themselves in this movie where horrible! They just seemed cheesy and completely inept. I mean, they took the Evil Queen, the lady who wanted Snow White's heart cut out and brought to her, and turned her into a bumbling idiot. I just wasn't too amused by that.

I’m injured! It doesn’t stop me from running, but I do have something called runner’s knee. No big deal, but I start physical therapy tomorrow. I’m a little bit a nervous wreck about it (long story). Which is why I should be sleeping right now, but I’m not.

Sorry to hear! I hope PT goes well and gets you back on track.

 

[NJlauren]

A day late but double digit dance!

 

[SarahDisney]

I agree. I thought it was a good movie, but it just didn't make me want to watch it over and over or anything...

Exactly. I liked it, and I've watched it since, but it's not a "must watch 1,000 times" like some other Disney movies.

It has been far too long since I've seen any of the Mighty Duck movies!!! I loved those when I was growing up!!!!

I think you need to go watch them all now. Including D3. Those are movies that should be rewatched fairly regularly.

Ok... I think your target demographic might be just a bit off. My 3 year old daughter LOVES Descendants. That has replaced Frozen as basically the only thing she ever wants to watch.

So what you're saying is that I'm not 15 years older than the target demographic, I'm 25 years older? That makes me feel so much better...

But I really wasn't blown away by the execution. I thought the "kids" were good characters and would actually like to see them continue the story arc somehow so you can get to know the kids a bit better and maybe introduce the children of some other villains. But I thought the villains themselves in this movie where horrible! They just seemed cheesy and completely inept. I mean, they took the Evil Queen, the lady who wanted Snow White's heart cut out and brought to her, and turned her into a bumbling idiot. I just wasn't too amused by that.

Agreed. They did a horrible job with the villains. Maleficent was okay, but even she wasn't great, and the rest were pretty poor imitations of what a villain should be.

Sorry to hear! I hope PT goes well and gets you back on track.

Thanks! So far it's going okay, but it's a lot of homework!

A day late but double digit dance!

Thanks! I wasn't here for my double digit dance yesterday ... I'm hoping to have a belated one next week when things calm down a bit for me. But I did turn to my sister at one point yesterday and remind her that it was double digit day.

 

[stacy~**]

I'm TRYING to get back to Dis-ing a bit more and had to check in with you first! I was wondering if the promo caused you to make a switch (or just save money where you are....POP, right?). The suspense may kill me.

Love your movie nights! I would like to do something like this too but we are still trying to catch up to real time in Once so every free TV/movie moment is spent on this. I would fail as a Netflix binger in a big way. I think we started in June and are halfway through season 3. Haha!

Can we still be friends even though I have never seen a Mighty Ducks movie?

Ahhh...the Descendants! Lucy has watched it a few times but I haven't. I need to because it is ALL the rage at the store.

I was just saying I would love to watch 101 Dalmatians again. I know me and Lucy watched it a few times when she was little but seeing as she is almost 12 that was quite a while ago. I'm glad you liked it.

I want to see Cinderella again. I really loved it the first time.

Sorry about your injury. Glad to see it isn't impacting you too much. Let us know how therapy goes. And way to go with the long runs! I told you you would be so ready for the 10k!

 

[SarahDisney]

I'm TRYING to get back to Dis-ing a bit more and had to check in with you first! I was wondering if the promo caused you to make a switch (or just save money where you are....POP, right?). The suspense may kill me.

Thanks for taking the time to check in!
We ended up staying at Pop, but saved a bit with the discount. Not much, though ... less than $100. But it's still better than not saving anything at all.

Love your movie nights! I would like to do something like this too but we are still trying to catch up to real time in Once so every free TV/movie moment is spent on this. I would fail as a Netflix binger in a big way. I think we started in June and are halfway through season 3. Haha!

Between movie nights and a few other things I've fallen really far behind on my TV watching ...
Movie nights are a lot of fun, but somehow we don't have as much time for them as we thought we would.

Can we still be friends even though I have never seen a Mighty Ducks movie?

Um ... maybe.
But I think you should see at least one of them. They're classic! Plus, they're about hockey, and I know you like hockey.

Ahhh...the Descendants! Lucy has watched it a few times but I haven't. I need to because it is ALL the rage at the store.

You should see it. I thought it was really cute. Plus, you need to know what people are talking about when they come into the store looking for all the Descendants stuff!

I was just saying I would love to watch 101 Dalmatians again. I know me and Lucy watched it a few times when she was little but seeing as she is almost 12 that was quite a while ago. I'm glad you liked it.

I really wasn't sure how I'd feel about it since I haven't seen it in so long, but it really is such a cute movie!!

I want to see Cinderella again. I really loved it the first time.

You definitely should see it again. It's just as good on subsequent viewings!

Sorry about your injury. Glad to see it isn't impacting you too much. Let us know how therapy goes. And way to go with the long runs! I told you you would be so ready for the 10k!

Thanks! I was definitely worried about the 10K, but I'm glad that you (and everyone else) had faith in me when I didn't have faith in myself.
Knee is doing a little better, but it's still not 100%. Therapy has been okay, but very time consuming!

 

[SarahDisney]

The Quest For 18 FP+: An Explanation​

(I apologize in advance for any typos or things that don't make sense ... I didn't properly proofread this)

One of the things that’s come up here once or twice (it might be in the PTR title) is the Quest for 18 FP+. But what is the Quest for 18 FP+? How did it get started? And why 18?
All these questions and more will hopefully be answered in this post.

Before we explain the quest, we need to discuss our FP+ strategy in general.
Back in the olden days, when men were real men, women were real women, small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri, and FastPasses were paper, Beth and I were not huge FP people. Sure, we’d get a strategic FP here and there, but we didn’t run around to get the FP right away at the best time and yadda yadda yadda. Once we get to the park, we’d rather do stuff (and wait on line if we have to) than run around trying to get FastPasses. I know, it sounds stupid, but it worked for us. It actually worked out pretty well for us when Disney decided that you could pick your FP in advance from home (or your phone, since our first FP+ trip was when it was all still in beta and you could only do it from the app).

On our first FP+ trip, we chose attractions we knew we’d enjoy and didn’t really want to wait on line. Our choices were (this was pre-tiers) Soarin’, Test Track, and Epcot Character Spot at Epcot; Ariel’s Grotto (my first time meeting Ariel at MK because I could never handle her line before), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (because I hate the noisy interactive elements), and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at MK; and Toy Story Midway Mania!, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (which we had never ridden before … and we would actually miss the FP+), and Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios. Epcot and DHS were chosen in advance, and MK we chose that morning at breakfast. Ultimately, it worked out pretty well for us, other than missing the RnRC FP+.

By our next trip, FP+ was out of beta, there were kiosks in the parks, and the only way to get 7DMT or Anna & Elsa was to stay up and make your FP+ selections at midnight. Despite my being up at midnight, we didn’t get 7DMT or A&E, but I was able to get 7DMT later and we got A&E as an additional (4th) FP+ through some CM pixie dust (long story, not relevant). On our MK day, we also had FP+ for Cinderella & Rapunzel and Big Thunder Mountain. We had used all of our FP+ and were headed towards our traditional nighttime ride on Pirates of the Caribbean when we passed a FP+ kiosk, so we decided to check it out, and lo and behold, there was a FP+ available for POTC starting in about 15 minutes. Since the POTC line was 20 minutes, it was basically a brilliant idea. And that was our introduction to FP+ kiosks. We also got a 4th FP+ the next day at DHS (for Great Movie Ride), so we were becoming experts on kiosk use.

Fast forward to our next (and most recent) trip, February 2015, Princess Half Marathon Weekend. It was Monday, our second day at MK, and we had gotten out of the Dumbo line because we were afraid we would miss our Anna & Elsa FP+. After meeting some Arendelle royalty then taking a trip through a mine, we decided to head for a FP+ kiosk to see if we could get a FP+ for Dumbo (to, y’know, save us from having to wait on line AGAIN). We were able to get one starting pretty soon. Once we got off Dumbo, we saw that the line for Barnstormer was longer than we would have liked. So we went and got an FP+ for that. The question then became … what could we FP+ next? And so, by the end of the day, if you could have fit it all on one screen, this is what my MDE account would have looked like:

That’s 11 FP+ and 1 ADR.

So now that you know how we do FP+ … why the quest, and why 18?
Why the quest is pretty easy. We had a lot of fun with the original FP+ frenzy. We loved running (well, walking fast) to the kiosks, we loved befriending the CM who worked there, and we loved using FP+ for random things that really don’t need it (seriously … have you ever used FP+ for Mad Tea Party? It’s hysterical). It was a fun, spontaneous day, and we really loved it. Since we loved it so much … why not try to break a record?
In order to break a record … you need to know what the existing record is. On one of our many trips to the FP+ kiosk (our favorite was the kiosk by Philharmagic), we asked a CM what the record was for most FP+ in a day. She said the most she had ever seen was 17. We didn’t get anywhere near that on our first journey, but we knew we had to come back and try again. So 18 is our goal, and we’ll keep going for those FP+ until we get #18!

So, how do we do the quest?
We start off with our first 3 FP+, the ones we make in advance. Our CRT ADR is for 8:15 AM, so I’ll probably set up our first FP+ for 9:15-10:15 or something like that, and have the next two right after, which should leave us ready for our first trip to the kiosk (for FP+ #4) around 11:30. From there, once we use a FP+, we’ll head back to the kiosk to get another one. We generally prioritize “available soon” over “need to do” – which is why this needs to be done on our second MK day (we’ll do most of the essentials on MK day 1). The only must-FP+ is POTC at night, because this will likely be our only night at MK (and we always do POTC at night, its tradition). We’ll also do some non-FP stuff in between FP+, like characters and attractions with short waits and no FP+ (and a nighttime 7DMT, which I don’t think we’ll be able to get a FP+ for at a kiosk). We’ll also try to not do the time-consuming FP+ on this day (like characters). Park is currently scheduled to close at 8PM (I think), which leaves us 8.5 hours to pick up (and use) 15 FP+.

To see if we make it … you’ll just have to wait for the TR. I know, I know, too much suspense.

 

[afwdwfan]

(I apologize in advance for any typos or things that don't make sense ... I didn't properly proofread this)

Who proofreads anyway??? Certainly not I!

She said the most she had ever seen was 17. We didn’t get anywhere near that on our first journey, but we knew we had to come back and try again. So 18 is our goal, and we’ll keep going for those FP+ until we get #18!

Wait a minute... 1 CM said 17 was the most she had seen??? I'm sure that has been beat by now. You'd better make it 20 just to be safe. I mean if you're going to break a record go all out!

Our CRT ADR is for 8:15 AM, so I’ll probably set up our first FP+ for 9:15-10:15 or something like that, and have the next two right after, which should leave us ready for our first trip to the kiosk (for FP+ #4) around 11:30.

Ok... if your goal is to destroy 17, I see something that might be able to work to your strategic advantage. Book 3 FP+ starting with park opening. Use the first one... and then I think you can get on the app and move the next one up so you can use it earlier if there is availability. You could burn through those first 3 in an hour and be on your 4th even sooner.

 

[Elevationist]

My money is riding on a minimum of 20 FP+. I have faith in you, Sarah!