2 for 1: You're halfway done! January '19 PTR *mini Update 1/22*

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

2 for 1: You’re halfway done! January ’19 PTR! ​

Hello, and Welcome to another Pre trip report!!!​

​

I finally finished up my TR from our 2017 Disney trip (better late than never), so it’s time to start another!

Initially when we went in ’17, it was to be our last big hurrah for at least three years. DH was accepted in to a rigorous 3 year MFA program, so it was a celebration for his acceptance in to the program. We knew we probably wouldn’t have the time or resources for another big trip until his graduation in 2020...

The only problem? That darn Disney bug!!!

Follow along as we plan, modify, fiddle with, deliberate over, modify some more, and get ready for our January Walt Disney World AND Disney Cruise Line trip!

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

Table of Contents
Who, What, Where...
Update 8/14 Why a cruise?
Update 8/14 The justification process of park days
Update 8/15 ADRs and Such
Update 8/16 Countdowns. Waiting.
Update 8/20 Cruise planning (excursions)
Update 8/27 A post of little importance
Update 9/21 So... Close...
Update 9/23 Double Digits Day (And Cruise Plans!)
Update 10/29 We're staying where?!
Update 11/2 Fast Pass Day!​

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

Who, What Where...
The Five W’s​

WHO:
It’ll be just the two of again... one of my favorite ways to travel! Who are those two?

​

I’m Ali. I’ll be writing the TR! I am a 33 year old Singer/Dancer/Actor based out of Southwest Virginia. I’ve been working at the same theatre for about 6.5 years, which is a rarity in the field! I am definitely the planner of the family.

The second half of our dynamic duo is my DH, Donnie. Donnie is currently in his second year of a 3 year MFA program in Arts Leadership. He is working his tail off and I am uber proud of him!

WHAT:
A Disney vacay, land and sea, style!

WHERE:
We will be spending 4 nights (3 full park days) at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jambo House in a Savanna Studio BAY LAKE TOWER in a standard studio. This will be followed by a 7 night Disney Cruise on the Disney Fantasy.

WHEN:
WDW January 1- January 5.
DCL January 5- January 12.

WHY:
There are a few things that spurred this vacation. As the title implies, it is a 2 for 1 PTR: WDW and DCL! Since Donnie will be halfway through his MFA program, that is where the second half came from (plus it rhymed, and who doesn’t like a catchy title!

We originally had a DCL vacation planned for January 2016. It was to be a 5 night cruise out of Miami on the Disney Magic. Unfortunately, we had to cancel it very last minute, as my mom passed away from metastatic carcinoid cancer.

We deserve a redo! SO, we are doing a 7 night Western Caribbean Star Wars Day at Sea Cruise. The timing works out perfectly for both of our schedules: Donnie is on Winter break and will still have a week before starting classes and I can take some time off work as well, since they are starting our season with Nunsense: A-Men (which I clearly cannot be in).

The Disney park days before the trip... well.. I figured that if we were already driving nearly 10 hours to FL, we may as well tack on some park time!


SO, now that we’ve covered the basics... it’s on with the show!

 

[Newsies]

I'm here!!! So happy to hear you're returning to WDW!!

It looks like you guys have an AMAZING trip planned out! A few days at WDW followed by a DCL excursion is one of my dream vacations! And I hear that the Fantasy is such a nice ship... I absolutely cannot wait to follow your planning!

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

So happy to hear you're returning to WDW!!

We are so excited!

A few days at WDW followed by a DCL excursion is one of my dream vacations!

I'm on I can't believe it's actually happening!

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

Vacation Countdown: 141 days!


Official DCL app Cruise Countdown!!!

 

[sheri18]

Joining in..so sorry about the loss of your mother...you are so young to lose a parent...you both definitely deserve this trip...we are also going in January. Trying to plan for 11 of us ..not easy...
We have done Disney then cruise our selves..best way to go...

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

Joining in

Welcome! Thanks for joining in!

so sorry about the loss of your mother...

Thank you. It's been 2.5 years; sometimes it seems like forever ago, sometimes like just yesterday.

we are also going in January. Trying to plan for 11 of us ..not easy...

Planning for 11! Shoo... I only ever have to plan for the two of us, lol.

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

Update 8/14
Why a Cruise?​

So, despite the fact I began this PTR in August, the planning actually takes us much further back...

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Let's go ALL the way back, back to January! January is when this PTR actually begins.

I was visiting my family in Ohio in January and stayed with my cousin and her husband. They told me that they had just booked a DCL cruise for February on a great VGT rate. It was a 7 night Eastern with SWDAS. I immediately became insanely jealous!

​

Since Donnie and I were supposed to go on a cruise 2 years prior, I got it in my head that we MUST go on a DCL cruise as a redo! The practical side of my said NO. Donnie is still in school. Budget. We said not till 2020.

My heart, however, my heart was telling me YES. DO IT. GO FOR IT.

As all Disney fanatics know, best laid intentions never go the way we think they will, especially when it comes to NOT going on vacation!

​

The same night as my cousin was telling me all about their upcoming cruise, I started looking at the DCL website. I knew January '19 would be the best option for us. Donnie would be between semesters on Winter Break. I could get off work in January, too. There was one 7 night option that work: January 5-12 on the Disney Fantasy. Disney was still offering the 10% booking, so I went ahead and booked it! I'm really glad I booked in January, because the prices have only gone up up up since then.

One problem: hadn't told DH yet!
(Don't worry, once I got home, we talked about it and decided it was a definite GO. He will be halfway through his program, and we both will be ready for a vacation by then. Financially, we decided to rent some of our DVC points, which covered the cost of the cruise!)

Initially I had booked us in to a cat 10A, deck 7 Aft.

As is tradition with Disney planning, I kept checking to see what else was available. I started reading more reviews about the Fantasy, and that a lot of people do not care for Aft because of vibration issue. I did some DCL math and realized it wouldn't be very much at all (like, $50 for the week) to upgrade to an Oceanview room!

After much deliberation, I decided on cat 9B, deck 2 mid: room 2010!

image: disneycruise.com​

I *think* this is the room we will keep, but that doesn't stop me from checking all the time.

Lots and lots of plans to come!!!

 

[cinderaimee]

Following along! A cruise sounds like a nice relaxing break from school!

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

Following along! A cruise sounds like a nice relaxing break from school!

Thanks for following along!!! We are super excited about Disney + Relaxing being in the same sentence!

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

Update 8/14
The justification process of park days!

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Initially, the plan was simply to do the 7 night cruise. A week long vacation is plenty!

We were going to drive down January 4, stay one night near the port, and then set sail on Saturday January 5. I had been looking at hotels near the port, but it was hard to justify spending money on a hotel when we still had some DVC points and could stay on property for "free."

Okay, we'll stay ONE night on property, then head over to the port in the A.M. I booked us 1 night in a standard studio at Saratoga Springs.

Well, if we're going to be staying ONE night, maybe we should go down TWO nights early. Yes, two nights would be just right. This way, if there is any weather problems, we'll have a little more cushion for our arrival. We definitely don't want to chance missing the ship! I changed our ressie, and I added on a night at SSR, so now it would be 2 nights in a standard studio. We could sleep in, walk over to Disney Springs Friday, maybe catch a movie, eat dinner somewhere, and just have a relaxing day.

A few weeks passed. The feelings sunk in. Boy, it sure will be strange to be so close to WDW and NOT visit any of the parks. A one day ticket is so pricey, and how do you choose just which park to go to?! A one day hopper ticket? Nah, too busy and still so much for only one day. 2 day hoppers. Perhaps, since at least this way we could visit each park one time. What about 3 day hoppers?

The earliest I can go is January 1. We always have a New Year's Eve performance, so I will have to work until about 1 a.m. NYE. Would it be feasible to catch a few hours of sleep and then hit the road for Disney on New Years Day?

The answer: YES! (Or at least, we're going to make it work, since that's the plan now!)

​

Back to the DVC site. We have 60 points left. Enough to increase the stay to FOUR nights! It was still before the 7 month booking window, so I made sure to get us 4 nights at SSR, since our first night is January 1, and I'm sure it'll be quite busy.

This stayed the plan for awhile. I set the alarm for June 1: the 7th month booking window! I was ready to log in bright and early. It's not that I don't like SSR (It's our home resort), we just wanted to try for somewhere else. Together, we have stayed at the Boardwalk Villas 3 times, and Beach Club Villas once. We LOVE the Epcot resorts, but I knew it was highly unlikely we would be able to snag one. I thought our chances of Animal Kingdom would be the best bet, either Kidani Village or Jambo House, though I was leaning toward Jambo.

Kidani for the win! I was able to book us 4 nights in a Savanna Studio!!!

The plan was pretty set at this point... until yesterday. We DVCer's (and Disney planners in general) just can't leave well enough alone! I had been checking the DVC site daily to see if anything else had magically opened up at Jambo (or BLT, BCV, BWV... a girl can dream!), when I noticed Jambo had a ton of availability for our dates! I quickly snagged a Savanna Studio at Jambo House! I felt like I hit the jackpot.

​

Now, I have some slight concerns over this. Over on the DVC boards, it appears that this was some kind of glitch. Jambo rooms suddenly appeared for all room types and people booked them, and then ALL the Jambo rooms for the next 11 months were pulled out of inventory.

​

I have a confirmation number and confirmation email. It is linked and on MDE. The points were deducted from my account.

I haven't been contacted by DVC and all my accounts still show this reservation as being good to go, but it's still stressing me out. I'm sure we have a room, and I HOPE it's going to be for where I have booked. Only time will tell, I suppose.

This got very wordy, but such is the tale of how a week long cruise turned into an 11 night land and sea vacation!

 

[Newsies]

As all Disney fanatics know, best laid intentions never go the way we think they will, especially when it comes to NOT going on vacation!

^^ SO true!

Ooh, that looks like a lovely stateroom! I'm glad you were able to upgrade for such a low price, that's crazy

I love the justification of your park days. THRIVE before your cruise!

YAY FOR ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE!

Oh yikes... I haven't been paying attention to the DVC boards recently, so I had no idea about the Jambo jumble. I really hope you're in the clear. Often times when there's a technical glitch like this, at least something will look amiss in your vacation plans. With points taken out, a confirmation number in your account, and everything hooked up to MDE, it sounds like everything went through pretty smoothly. You deserve this awesome trip and I know it will all work out in the end!

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

I'm glad you were able to upgrade for such a low price, that's crazy

It really was a no brainer! I keep toying with the idea of upgrading to a Veranda, but the difference is quite a bit more than $50, LoL.

YAY FOR ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE!

Donnie has never been there, so I’m super excited for him to experience AKL, specially Jambo House and the gorgeous lobby.

I had no idea about the Jambo jumble.

Jambo Jumble! What a perfect description. I really think it’ll be ok, but I keep checking MDE and the DVC site just to be sure it’s all still there. I mean, it says I’m all set!!!

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

Update 8/15
ADRs and Such!​

Planning truly is one of my favorite parts about taking a vacation, and planning for a Disney trip makes the time not drag by quite so slowly! When the planning began for this adventure, there really wasn't much to do. Once you book a DCL cruise, there's not a lot else for you to do until you can check in. I mean, you can research the ports/port adventures, read menus, etc., but there isn't anything to book until much closer to sailing. I'm really glad we added the park days prior to the cruise, since you can book dining at 180 days! (At least it gives me something to play with!)

Therein lies another small (#firstworld) problem: Where and how much to eat before getting on a ship where there is food available 24/7 included in your cruise fare!

ADR Planning

I suppose before one can actually tackle ADR planning, you have to roughly map out where you will be on any given day. Disney makes this extremely difficult, since you can book ADRs 180 days out, but the calendars are not updated that far in advance. Currently, MK is only open 9 a.m.- 8 p.m. for the length of our stay. I find it highly unlikely that MK will only be open until 8 p.m. New Year’s Day and the days following, but alas, that’s what we’re working with for now. I know it's going to be busy, that's a given, so we're going to get our FP's, enjoy a couple meals, and enjoy the atmosphere (while refreshing MDE like crazy to see how much we can actually fit in).

Here are the proposed pre-cruise plans thus far!

TUES Jan 1 (Arrival/Disney Springs)
​

Drive to AKL from Virginia. The drive takes about 10 hours. We'll try to get an early start, I'm thinking 6 a.m., and I'll assume that traffic won't be terrible since most people sleep in and don't venture to far off on New Year's Day. Barring any major delays, we should arrive to the resort around 4/4:30. Our room should be ready by then, so we'll unload our Disney bags from the car (leaving our cruise bags in the vehicle) and take a look at the resort and our room for moment. Then, we'll head over to Disney Springs! We love the "new" Disney Springs, so it's sort of a must do, despite this being a quick visit.

6:30 ADR T-Rex We have a $50 Landry's GC, so we'll use it for dinner the first night! We aren't really app/dinner/dessert folks, so the GC should cover 2 entrees and maybe a soda (and our OOP will basically just be the tip).

I can't imagine it'll be a late night, so we'll peruse a few stores and head back to AKL to crash!

WED Jan 2 (MK/Epcot)

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The First of our 3 park days! We will be splitting each day between two parks. This day starts early at Magic Kingdom!

8:00 ADR Be Out Guest We have never done a PPO B'fast, but I was able to get an early one, and we really want to maximize our time in MK. I'm hoping this way we can get on 7DMT first thing and save our FP's for other attractions. I know the B'fast is really overpriced, but time is money this trip, so we're just going to do it.

I'm hoping to get FP's for: Space Mountain, BTMRR, and ? (Splash if it's open, or perhaps Peter Pan).

We'll stay in MK until about 1:00, and then we'll hop a bus over to the Beach Club. We love the Beach Club, so this is a 3 part stop:
1. Smell the lobby!
2. Food
3. International Gateway into Epcot

3:30 ADR Beaches and Cream I was able to get a ressie for B&C, although it's a bit later than what I wanted. Hopefully we can arrive early, and we don't mind sitting at the counter if it means getting in before our time. Perhaps this time we'll share a meal and leave room for a No Way Jose!

After B&C, we'll head in to Epcot! We'll see what we can get for same day FP's, and hopefully ride at least one headliner. The plan is to get in line for a ride right before Illuminations starts, since I can't watch the show without sobbing (It was my mom's favorite nighttime show, and just hearing the music makes me a mess).

THURS Jan 3 (DHS/MK)

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This day begins at Hollywood Studios! The plan is to arrive early and hit up Toy Story Land, with FP's for SDD, RNRC, and ToT. We'd like to have lunch at Woody's Lunch Box (Donnie has requested it, and so it shall be! I'm the main planner, so whenever he has input, I take it!)

We'll either head back to AKL for a short break or straight to MK, depending on how we're feeling and how crazy the crowds are.

The evening will be spent at MK!

4:00 ADR The Plaza Not sure if I'll keep this ADR or not; my reasoning for making it at all is that I don't know how nuts the parks will be, and I'm not sure if I want to worry about lines/tables at a QS.
I also have booked:
7:00 HEA Dessert Party (After party) Again, it's already prepaid, but I may cancel depending on the park hours. It'll be one or the other, but not both. I'd like to have a good spot for HEA, however, so we'll see.

FRI Jan 4 (AK, DHS)

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Friday (again) starts early, as we'll head over to AK for rope drop. The plan is to get there and head straight to Pandora for FoP. Hopefully we can get FP's for FoP (we'd love to ride it twice), the Safari, and Everest. We'll have an early lunch at Satu'li Canteen.

The evening will take us back to DHS. We again have multiple ADRs booked, so we'll wait until the trip gets closer to figure out which we want to keep. We've done both before, it's just a matter of determining if we'll need the F! package or not.

3:00 ADR Mama Melrose Fantasmic! Dining Package
OR
4:45 ADR 50's Prime Time Cafe

SAT Jan 5 (Cruise day)

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We'll get up not quite as early today and repack/reorganize our suitcases. Breakfast will be at the Mara. The plan is to hit the road around 8:30/9:00 to head over to Port Canaveral. Hopefully I can snag an early Port Arrival Time and then we set sail on the Fantasy!

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

Update 8/16
Countdowns. Waiting.
​

141 days until we set sail on the Fantasy!
137 days until we leave for WDW!
76 days until we can make our FP+ selections!
36 days until cruise check in!

Can't wait until those first 2 countdowns are in the double digits!

Just over her waiting...​

141 days seems far away, however, 36 days until online check in for the cruise is barely over a month! I will split up the actual TR between this board and the DCL TR board, but for the purposes of planning, it'll be easier for me to have it all in one place. Hope that's okay!

Over the course of the next month, we need to sit down and figure out what kinds (if any) of excursions we'd like to do on the cruise. I've done research, and I've narrowed down some of the DCL excursions I think we'd like, and also the possibility of doing something on our own on a few of the islands, but Donnie and I haven't actually discussed it together yet. He starts his 2nd year of classes on Monday, so hopefully we can do this before he gets too crazy busy!

Our cruise itinerary:

• Day 1: Sail Away
• Day 2: At Sea
• Day 3: Cozumel, Mexico
• Day 4: George Town, Grand Cayman
• Day 5: Falmouth, Jamaica
• Day 6: At Sea (Star Wars Day at Sea)
• Day 7: Castaway Cay

Donnie has never been out of the country (and I haven't been to Grand Cayman or Jamaica), so we'll definitely be getting off the ship in each port. Just not quite sure what we'll be doing yet.

I know at some point this will definitely be happening!
​

Something else I on my To-Do list:

We've decided on 3 day park hoppers, but I still haven't purchased them yet. It's hard to bite the bullet on that one: they are so darn expensive! I was holding out, hoping there might be some sort of DVC discount, but alas, I fear there will not be. I looked in to the Gold AP that DVC members can purchase, but there are block-out dates early January, so that obviously won't work. I don't think we'll be taking another WDW trip over the next 12 months anyway.​

I believe Boardwalk Ticketing has the least expensive tickets, but I'm an Undercover Tourist gal and have used them a LOT over the years so I'm trying to determine where to get our tickets. It feels so strange to have a hotel booked and ADRs planned but have no ticket attached yet! I hate seeing the message on MDE: You have not yet linked any tickets or passes to your account. I still have 75 days to figure this out. Still getting antsy though!

​

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

Update 8/20
Cruise planning (excursions)
​

It's been a couple days since I've updated, so surely it's nearly time to leave for this trip!

133 days until WDW
137 days until we set sail​

Nope. Still a loooong way off!

We (well, technically I) are Gold Castaway Club level, so we DO get to do online check in for our cruise in 32 days, however, which is just about a month away!

Donnie and I sat down this past weekend and perused the DCL excursions for our ports of call and have narrowed it down to a 1st and 2nd favorite, so progress is being made.

We would like to do a DCL sponsored excursion in both Cozumel and Jamaica. I know there are probably better/cheaper options in Cozumel, but we just prefer the peace of mind of using a DCL Port Adventure in these two ports.

January 7, 2019 Mon (Cozumel, Mexico)
1st choice: CZ80 Cozumel Ruins, Chocolate, and Beach Break ($60 pp)
Discover the mystery of the San Gervasio Mayan Ruins, sample Mexican Chocolate and soak up the sun at Playa Mia.
This tour lasts about 5.5 hours and visits three different places in Cozumel. Since Donnie has never been, we thought this might be a good way to experience a little bit more than just the beach while we are there. I also don't think the price per person is completely absurd, either!

​

2nd choice: CZ73 Cozumel Highlights, Ruins, and Discover Mexico Cultural park adults only ($76 pp)
Immerse yourself in the history of Cozumel at the ruins of San Gervasio, where centuries old structures still stand!
This tour lasts about 5 hours. It has two of the same stops as our 1st choice (San Gervaiso, Mexican Chocolate), but the third part is Discover Mexico historical park. I believe lunch is included in this tour, as well.

We are leaning towards the first option because it includes a 90 minute stop at Playa Mia (I think for us, 90 minutes will be plenty of time to splash in the water and enjoy the beach). It is also less expensive, although I'm sure the money we "save" will just be used for lunch food/drink at Playa Mia, so the cost will come out about the same.

January 8, 2019 Tue (Georgetown, Grand Cayman)
I feel confident that we can explore Grand Cayman on our own. I know that Stingray City is SUPER popular, but that doesn't appeal to either of us at all. DCL doesn't really offer any interesting port adventures here that struck our fancy. We aren't completely sure what we'll do yet, but the general plan involves taking a taxi somewhere, most probably just to the Royal Palms Resort and spending a few hours on the beach. Chair/umbrella rental is super reasonable and the beach and amenities look lovely here.

​

On Our Own: taxi royal palms resort ($40+ taxi ride)

January 9, 2019 Wed (Falmouth, Jamaica)
1st choice: FA25 Adventure Falls and River Tubing ($92 pp)
Take a carefree float down a river, falling in love with the natural beauty seen along the way. For more splash-filled fun, visit Adventure Falls!
This tour lasts between 5-6 hours. We aren't keen on doing Dunn's River Falls, so there aren't really a ton of options that fall in our budget. Although the tour is a bit pricey, we do really want to do something in Jamaica and figure this way we can see some natural beauty of Jamaica, and Adventure Falls (from the pictures, at least), looks fun. There are pools and a water slide. We aren't very adventurous!

​

2nd choice: FA73 Green Grotto Caves Express ($55 pp)
Step back in time and explore a hidden subterranean labyrinth, home to a crystal-clear lake nestled deep within an almost-forgotten natural cavern.
This tour lasts about 3 hours. It is our second choice-- again, our adventure level is minimal and this seems pretty tame.

We are definitely sold on our 1st choice, but wanted to pick a backup just in case.

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

Update 8/27
A post of little importance


​

130 days until we set sail on the Fantasy! I can't help it, I just adore these DCL app countdowns! Only 25 days until we can do online check in for our cruise. As discussed in the previous update, I think we know which excursions we'd like to do.

Other things to be booked at 105 days prior to cruise:

• Palo Brunch or Palo Dinner
• Princess Gathering M&G
• Frozen M&G
• Character Breakfast
• Spa

Since this is Donnie's first cruise, I don't want to miss any of the main dinging rooms, so Palo dinner is out. I'm on the fence about whether or not we should do a Palo brunch or not. I would really like to go to brunch, but I'm not sure if it would be wasted on Donnie. Again, since this will be his first cruise, he doesn't really have any expectations for the cruise. He also has been really good this summer about starting to run and eat healthier, so I'm not sure if stuffing himself silly at brunch is on his "to-do" list (I am ALL about eating all the things!). I suppose if I am able, I will book us brunch during check in just in case! I haven't cruised since '08 and I miss brunch!

Enjoying a white chocolate slipper in Palo in '08! What a terrible photo...
​

We don't often spend a lot of time in the parks meeting characters, especially princesses, so I would like to get tickets for the princess gathering and Frozen character Meet & Greets. While I'm at it, I'll get tickets for the character breakfast, too, because why not!? We aren't really Spa people, so this is a non-issue. Am I missing any other things to pre-book?

Did I mention only 25 days until I can do online check in?!

Let's see... OH, yes, THIS little beauty arrived over the weekend!

​

Since I rebooked us at Jambo House a couple weeks ago, we received this "Mickey Mail." I'm glad to see our correct res # and Jambo House on the booklet!

I know there isn't really anything special or important about the booklet, but it sure makes it feel more "real" when it arrives!

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

Update 9/21
So... Close...

​

Today is a day I’ve been waiting for, well, for 260 days! We booked our cruise a year in advance, so I’ve been waiting for the 105 day mark for what seems like forever. I’m a Gold Castaway Club member, so tonight at midnight I can do online check in, book excursions, book tastings, Palo, some character meets, etc! So... close...

​

So I suppose this update isn’t terribly exciting, but my next update will be! I think I’m going to have to set an alarm to be sure I’m up at midnight for the check in process. Hopefully the next post will be chock full of good news!

Since I don't have anything new to report on the TR, here are some random real life ramblings.

Last Sunday I went up north to Ohio to visit family. My cousin is expecting and is due in about 3 weeks. We grew up practically as sisters, and since I couldn’t make it to her baby shower, I wanted to see her one more time before the baby arrived. She is so adorable and to say I’m excited is an understatement!

They recently finished their basement and included a guest room. They have the BEST bedding for it!!! Ugh, so perfect!

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I asked where they got it, and they told me BoxLunch. I've ordered things online from BoxLunch.com in the past, but didn’t realize they had actual brick and mortar stores. SO, I had to make a pit stop to the store before heading back home Tuesday. SHOO! I could have spent all the dollars in there!!! The IP/ Pop Culture selection they have is crazy; it's like they have a little bit of LITERALLY ALL THE THINGS I LOVE! Disney, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, old cartoons, Star Wars, clothes, notebooks, jewelry, knick knacks... O.M.G. I did spend more time than I ought to have looking at everything, and found some really great items, mostly for DH’s birthday next month.

Spooky Mickey shirt!!!


Nerdy birthday amazingness!!!​

BoxLunch, though. Just take all my money now.

I also went to Macys (we don’t really have any near where we live), and they were practically giving things away. I tried on a bunch of dresses, but only one really jumped out and said “Buy ME!” So, of course, I did. I love a good sale... This Vince Camuto dress I ended up buying had a $128 tag price, but I got it for $19.96. Woohoo! Under $20 for a gorgeous dress?! Also, I’m short, so the dress floor length on me, haha.

It will be perfect to take on the cruise! (See, there WAS a point!)
​

Less than 12 hours until booking!!!

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

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Coffee in hand! Computer opened to "booking activities" screen! Sherlock on Netflix in the background!

20 minutes until booking opens up!!!