3 Boys and 20 Hours in a Minivan,I Must Really Love this Place!*New4/22 TR LINK

[15isto2]

I cant beleive how old your children are now!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

I cant beleive how old your children are now!

I know! Time really does fly. Have you followed my other TRs?

 

[15isto2]

I know! Time really does fly. Have you followed my other TRs?

Yes I have followed your other reports, I think Dan was arround 13/14 in the first one I followed ....Hello? I'm in the Carousel of Progress.... the title grabbed me

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Yes I have followed your other reports, I think Dan was arround 13/14 in the first one I followed ....Hello? I'm in the Carousel of Progress.... the title grabbed me

Well, welcome back! Dan was 14 on that trip. Looking back at the pictures it's easy to see how much he's grown up. I can't believe I'll be sending him off to college in the fall. Crazy!

 

[danceintherain]

LOL! My 15 year old has been working on the wifi in the minivan problem! If anyone can solve it, it will be him!

I know you can buy transmitters that pull wifi from 3G and such. I think you have to pay for use, kind of like a cell phone, but I can imagine how beneficial that would be in a car with teenagers.

My parents have 6 kids. 3 boys. 3 girls.
We pretty much always drove everywhere when we were younger. I think the first trip that we were able to all fly on was to get to the cruise we went on when I was a senior in high school.
I never realized how brave my parents were when we were growing up. Being a passenger on a road trip is so easy. Half the time we'd all just fall asleep when we got into the car.
Now that I'm faced with driving, it's not such an easy decision to make.

I noticed you're planning on signing up for snorkeling. Have you been before?

 

[mommytothreeboys]

I noticed you're planning on signing up for snorkeling. Have you been before?

I've been 3 times. Once in Jamaica off a boat. That was BAD! I get very seasick and had taken dramamine, but not soon enough before the trip. I ended up feeding the fish for 45 minutes...if you know what I mean!

The second time was in May of 2010 when my DH and I went to the Bahamas. This time it was from the beach...swim out to the reef. MUCH better!

We plan to do the same thing this time. It will be the first time for the boys, though. (Unless you count the snorkeling at Typhoon Lagoon!)

 

[danceintherain]

I've been 3 times. Once in Jamaica off a boat. That was BAD! I get very seasick and had taken dramamine, but not soon enough before the trip. I ended up feeding the fish for 45 minutes...if you know what I mean!

The second time was in May of 2010 when my DH and I went to the Bahamas. This time it was from the beach...swim out to the reef. MUCH better!

We plan to do the same thing this time. It will be the first time for the boys, though. (Unless you count the snorkeling at Typhoon Lagoon!)

I've only ever really done it off the beach. It's so much fun! I'm sure your boys will love it!

 

[Duzzygirl]

Thanks for stopping by my PTR!!

We typically road trip from the Pittsburgh, PA, area and stay in a timeshare. This is the first year we're flying and staying in Disney.

Things I'll miss ... My own vehicle, full kitchen, leaving vacation on my schedule, packing exactly what I want, PEPSi ...

Things I'm looking forward to ... Dining plan, extra magic hours, when it's time to leave it'll only take 6 hours (2+ hour flight and drive home from Harrisburg) instead of 16+ ...

So there are plenty of pros to either way of doing it.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Thanks for stopping by my PTR!!

We typically road trip from the Pittsburgh, PA, area and stay in a timeshare. This is the first year we're flying and staying in Disney.

Things I'll miss ... My own vehicle, full kitchen, leaving vacation on my schedule, packing exactly what I want, PEPSi ...

Things I'm looking forward to ... Dining plan, extra magic hours, when it's time to leave it'll only take 6 hours (2+ hour flight and drive home from Harrisburg) instead of 16+ ...

So there are plenty of pros to either way of doing it.

I lived in the Pittsburgh area for 9 years when I was growing up. My extended family still lives in Western PA.

I am really looking forward to the new things on this trip...more than I thought I would. Still a little nervous about the drive, but getting more excited about it. We are planning to go Rt 79 toward Pittsburgh rather than going through Northern Virginia. Any advice on stops, tolls, etc?

 

[indimom]

Awesome plans so far. I think the "yes, no, maybe" list sounds very helpful. I might have to work on one of our own.

That's quite a war wound your son got! It's mind-boggling how big that scar is. They can remove organs through smaller incisions than that! Yikes!! He must be quite the tough guy.
And for the record, I vote for Crocodile Wrestling incident. The girls will swoon.

Looking forward to reading more updates. Maybe I'll learn a few more trip planning tips to steal.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Awesome plans so far. I think the "yes, no, maybe" list sounds very helpful. I might have to work on one of our own.

That's quite a war wound your son got! It's mind-boggling how big that scar is. They can remove organs through smaller incisions than that! Yikes!! He must be quite the tough guy.
And for the record, I vote for Crocodile Wrestling incident. The girls will swoon.

Looking forward to reading more updates. Maybe I'll learn a few more trip planning tips to steal.

Welcome!

Oh my goodness, that scar! I was shocked by it at first. Considering I didn't even think it was broken....I figured we'd get some ibuprofen and be sent home! WRONG!

The Yes, No, Maybe list really helps me with making a touring plan. I know what things to make a priority and what can be left out. Steal away!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

I know that the opinions about Animal Kingdom are very varied on this board, but as for my family, we LOVE it! I think it is one of the most beautifully themed parks in WDW. I love all the little touches in Africa and Asia and find something new each time we visit. That being said, let’s get right into the Yes, No, Maybe part of this update!

YES:

Dinosaur—we love this ride! My boys have outgrown their fascination with dinosaurs, but we still love the thrill of this bumpy ride.

Expedition Everest—this one is a family favorite and we will try to fit it in more than once.

Festival of the Lion King—next to Beauty and the Beast, this is my favorite show at WDW. I love all the colors and music. We always sit way up high so maybe we can try to get closer seats this time.

It’s Tough to be a Bug—if we miss this one, we miss the traditional bug-eye glasses photo op!

Kali River Rapids—we’ve been on this twice. Once we got soaked, once we were disappointed. We’ll see what this year holds!

Kilimanjaro Safari—our goal is to get a good look at the lions!

Maharajah Jungle Trek and Pangani Forest Trail—we love to explore the trails. The tigers and gorillas are our favorites!

NO:

Conservation Station—we’ve never done this, but don’t feel like we’ve missed out. It seems like a time waster with having to wait for the train etc.
Primeval Whirl—did it once, that’s enough!

TriceraTop Spin—boys are too big, but if Shawna wants to take Christian on, I’m sure they will join him!

Flights of Wonder—a little backstory….I HATE BIRDS! I have a fear of them, which as irrational as it may be, is real to me! So, this show has never been on my to-do list. We went last trip because the boys wanted to see it, but I won’t do it twice! Those birds flew right over my head…terrifying and embarrassing all at the same time as I screamed like a little girl!


MAYBE:

Finding Nemo-the Musical—we did see this on our last trip and enjoyed it. But, it never seems to fit well into our touring plan, so we’ll see how the day goes.

Mickey’s Jammin Jungle Parade—we haven’t seen this since our 2007 trip, so I’d like to fit it in.


And now a little stroll down memory lane with some of my favorite AK pictures from past trips!


2007

Fun with Stitch

A rare one of Jeff and I

Boneyard fun

Drummin’

They love it when I make them pose! LOL!

2009

Lilo sneaking a kiss!

The bug-eye glasses pic!

Being Goofy!

I just love this one!

Up Next: More planning and Yes, No, Maybe—Epcot Edition!

 

[danceintherain]

I'm an Animal Kingdom lover too. I love the theming, especially the music. It really gets me in the Disney mood.

As for the birds, I had an experience once when a bird actually flew into my room. The window wasn't open. It got in through the attic "door" in my closet. It was terrifying. It didn't help that I had just watched the movie "The Birds" in school that week. I seriously thought it was going to start attacking me.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

I'm an Animal Kingdom lover too. I love the theming, especially the music. It really gets me in the Disney mood.

As for the birds, I had an experience once when a bird actually flew into my room. The window wasn't open. It got in through the attic "door" in my closet. It was terrifying. It didn't help that I had just watched the movie "The Birds" in school that week. I seriously thought it was going to start attacking me.

UGH! Birds! No thanks!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Oh now, Missy, I know that you totally meant to put Flights of Wonder on the HECK YES list. Seriously, we've been to Animal Kingdom every year since it's opened and we've never seen the show. If you have a little extra time, do try to make it over to Conservation Station. We've been lucky enough to watch them perform surgery on two different animals and it's actually pretty neat.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Oh now, Missy, I know that you totally meant to put Flights of Wonder on the HECK YES list. Seriously, we've been to Animal Kingdom every year since it's opened and we've never seen the show. If you have a little extra time, do try to make it over to Conservation Station. We've been lucky enough to watch them perform surgery on two different animals and it's actually pretty neat.

LOL Lisa! You know me so well..I must have messed up and put that on the NO WAY, I'D RATHER HAVE MY TOENAILS PULLED OUT WITH TWEEZERS list!

If time allows we will take your advice and head over to Conservation Station. Nick and Shawna may want to go anyway, so we'll see!

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Man looking at your old pictures and seeing your oldest DS's Blue Jays hat I remember when they started using that on. The next one after that people really didn't like to much and then they started doing "flashback fridays" where they wore an old uniform from the 70's and pulled out the old logo. Thankfully they have finally come to there senses and gone back to the original logo. Also another cool and random fact the Toronto Blue Jays are the only team in MLB to not have there Logo on their hat rather then the initials of the city.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Man looking at your old pictures and seeing your oldest DS's Blue Jays hat I remember when they started using that on. The next one after that people really didn't like to much and then they started doing "flashback fridays" where they wore an old uniform from the 70's and pulled out the old logo. Thankfully they have finally come to there senses and gone back to the original logo. Also another cool and random fact the Toronto Blue Jays are the only team in MLB to not have there Logo on their hat rather then the initials of the city.

My son has already informed me that we ARE going to Toronto for Carlos Delgado day in July. He has always been Dan's favorite player. Looks like I may be headed across the border this summer!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

I've been debating how to do my nails for this trip. Since the cruise comes first, I will probably get a regular pedicure and just paint my fingernails to match for the cruise. But for Disney, I want something special! So, I've been searching Pinterest and the DIS for cute ideas that I can do myself. (Considering we will be on vacation, going to the nail place is not really an option!) This is what I came up with..I tried a few things just to see what I could do. Opinions?

 

[mickeystoontown]

I love 'em all and can't really choose a favorite. I kinda think I like the polka dot one best.