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

[mommytothreeboys]

Love the t-shirts and the snow photos (it really is beautiful when it's fresh and new).
We've actually got pretty nice weather right now and not a drop of snow left. I hope it stays this way. I need Spring!!!



That's an awesome deal of the snorkeling trip, especially since you can opt out at the last minute. Quite a find!

I'm right there with you on needing spring! I like the snow and winter weather during the holidays, but by February, I'm ready to be done!

I did a lot of research on TripAdvisor and also on a Cruise message board similar to this one before I found this snorkel trip. The excursions through the cruise line are outrageously overpriced. You are much better off to book on your own, but it does take a little research and time to find a reputable place. I'm excited about this one!

 

[Duzzygirl]

Did it miss you completely?
...

We weren't really to get much more than 1-3 inches. We didn't even get an inch of it. Don't get me wrong. I don't like the cold either. However, if it's going to be cold, I'd rather have snow with it. Makes more sense for it to be cold. lol

 

[danceintherain]

Those shirts are fun. I've had a hard time buying Disney shirts, because DH doesn't like them. Then every time I find one he can live with, I chicken out due to the price.

DS has a few Disney shirts though. It makes sense for him since he's 2.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Joining in! I will also be there in April (we arrive on the 1st). Great plans so far.

I love your little Disney jar! I might have to steal that idea. I have so much change and even though we're getting pretty close to April now any extra money would be nice!

Your snow pictures are very pretty.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

We weren't really to get much more than 1-3 inches. We didn't even get an inch of it. Don't get me wrong. I don't like the cold either. However, if it's going to be cold, I'd rather have snow with it. Makes more sense for it to be cold. lol

I totally agree..if it's going to be cold, we may as well have snow!

Those shirts are fun. I've had a hard time buying Disney shirts, because DH doesn't like them. Then every time I find one he can live with, I chicken out due to the price.

DS has a few Disney shirts though. It makes sense for him since he's 2.

Oh believe me...I paid a pretty penny for those shirts. The only reason I did it was because they were a Christmas gift. The shirts on the Disney store site are cute, but pricey!

Joining in! I will also be there in April (we arrive on the 1st). Great plans so far.

I love your little Disney jar! I might have to steal that idea. I have so much change and even though we're getting pretty close to April now any extra money would be nice!

Your snow pictures are very pretty.

Hi there and WELCOME! Our jar is filling up nicely! I've even seen the boys drop loose change in it...every little bit helps!

I see you have a PTR...I'm dropping over there to give it a read!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

This is the hardest edition of Yes, No, Maybe. Normally, the MK is a 2-day park for us. But, with only 5 days to tour, we chose Epcot for our extra day and that leaves only 1 for MK. Jeff and I did it in one day in 2010, but it was easier to do without the boys. Not sure how this is going to go, but hopefully we will be able to hit all the most important attractions and everyone will be happy.

Since this was much harder than my other lists, I do have some attractions that we just couldn’t agree on. I will put those on the Maybe list, but will give you the breakdown of the boys’ votes.

YES—We can ALL agree that these attractions will make the touring plan!

Splash Mountain—We love this and we love to get wet! No ponchos for us!

Space Mountain—The boys have not been on this since our first trip in 2007 as it was closed for refurb in 2009. Jeff and I rode it in 2010 and the boys are looking forward to it this time around!

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad—This family is full of adrenaline junkies!

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin—We are also competitive and love to try to beat each other in this attraction. I usually lose miserably!

It’s a Small World—This is a classic and is not to be missed.

Jungle Cruise—I am a sucker for the cheesy joke so this is one of my very favorites. Much to my children’s embarrassment, I giggle the whole way through!

Mickey’s PhilHarmagic—I believe this is the best 3-D show in WDW.

Monsters Inc Laugh Floor—Since we’ve only seen this once, we’d like to try it again. We enjoyed it the first time!

Pirates of the Caribbean—Yep, we love the Pirate movies so we will most definitely be hitting this one!

Swiss Family Treehouse—My husband loves this attraction and the kids finally saw the movie so I think they will appreciate it more this trip.

The Haunted Mansion—We have not seen the new queue yet, so we are excited about that!

Under the Sea, Journey of the Little Mermaid—Since this is new, we’d like to try it, but honestly, it may be relegated to the Maybe list.

Enchanted Tales With Belle—Again, the new factor puts it on the Yes list. But, it seems to be popular and I don’t think it is something we will wait in line for if that seems to be necessary.

NO

Country Bear Jamboree—As much as I’d like to give this another try, the audio was so bad the last time we tried it that all three boys voted it out of the rotation.

Tomorrowland Speedway—Too long a wait for not enough! We’ve done this more than one time and won’t be riding on this trip.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh—My boys are just too big for this attraction.

The Barnstormer—The boys have ridden this on both trips and have really outgrown it. Last time, the older boys rode with Jonah, but even Jonah needs more of a thrill!

Prince Charming’s Carousel—We can ride a carousel most anywhere.

Liberty Square Riverboat—We do like the relaxation of this ride, but with limited time it will not make the cut.


MAYBE

Astro Orbiter—I feel like this is just another ride that we can ride in a carnival or local amusement park. But, all three boys would like to do it if we can make it fit.

Dumbo—The boys are really too big, but it was 2 yes votes to 1 no vote.

Stitch—Isaiah is a big Stitch fan, so he voted yes for this ride. His brother Jonah joined him, but Dan voted NO. We don’t hate this ride like some, but we won’t bend over backwards to fit it in to the schedule.

Hall of Presidents—This is one of those attractions that we keep putting on the Maybe list and never get to seeing. Maybe this is the year!

Magic Carpets—With 2 no votes and 1 maybe vote, this is unlikely to make the touring plan.

Enchanted Tiki Room—I HATE this attraction and if it were up to me, we’d walk by without a second look. But, it got a mixed bag of votes. It’s very iffy.

Carousel of Progress—Although we like this attraction, it is a time killer, so we’ll have to see how things go.

Peter Pan’s Flight—Again, we like this, but won’t stand in the crazy line or waste the time to try to ride it if said line is there all day!

Tomorrowland Transit Authority—I’d like to ride this after dark, but can live without it if need be.

As far as the “not really an attraction” list…

We have seen the afternoon parade on each trip, so we could skip it this year. But, I LOVE the parade and would be sad. We’ll make the Main Street Electrical Parade a priority and of course, Wishes. Meet and Greets will only be done if the lines are manageable or if we stumble into them. We won’t include them in our touring plan. We also love Tom Sawyer Island, but have been there on both trips and can miss it this time around. I’m sure we will ride the railroad at least one time.

I know this seems like a daunting list. But, we are Rope Drop people and we also stay and close the park down. We don’t need a nap break in the afternoon and we don’t have any TS meals. So we do have a FULL day. I’m hoping that with a good touring plan, we can do most of what we want to do here.

Now, time to relive some of the magic of previous trips!

2007

Isaiah on the raft to Tom Sawyer Island

First Mickey ears!

Meeting Jeff’s favorite character!

Can you get it boys?

Meeting Mom’s favorite princess---he was 6 and was still willing to do this kind of thing for me!

2009

Root Beer Floats for breakfast—an MK tradition!

Me and my boys!

Dole Whip!

Love that we took more advantage of Photopass and got pictures of all of us.

Isaiah loves Stitch!

Face paint

2010---Just Jeff and I

Up Next— A Very Happy Birthday and the tale of the Matching Shirts!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Hi Missy! I skimmed over the other posts & just read your updates so I could get caught up. I love your "yes, maybe, no" list! I need to get working on that so I can get our tour cards done. Alex wants to help me make them this year so that will probably be a project for February vacation week.

I didn't see any mention of Sum of All Thrills. You guys like the thrill rides so I'm sure you'd like SOAT. It's one of Alex & Zach's favorites! It's in Innoventions East at Epcot. We find we have to go there first thing or it gets busy (no FP). I guess it also gets quieter near closing.

(A smiley from Zach, who is enjoying your pictures this morning.)

Also, I keep hearing about this Carnival cruise ship stuck out at sea... this doesn't have any effect on your trip does it? I hope not... but I'm sure you would have mentioned it if it did.

Your condo looks great!! You are getting so close! I wish our trips overlapped.

 

[wdwgirl03]

I agree with all of the attractions on your "yes" list. I can't wait to ride BTMRR again since it was closed for refurbishment last year! And the new Fantasyland stuff is going to be awesome.

If you are rope drop people (like we are!) you should definitely be able to get a lot done!

 

[lsenquiz]

We finally made time to do Hall of Presidents in our May 2011 trip and my DS(7 at the time) loved it. There was no wait to go in and I think the show lasted about 15 minutes?? We did it in the middle of the afternoon while it was hot and it made for a nice break. I do think it is something everyone should do at least once.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Hi Missy! I skimmed over the other posts & just read your updates so I could get caught up. I love your "yes, maybe, no" list! I need to get working on that so I can get our tour cards done. Alex wants to help me make them this year so that will probably be a project for February vacation week.

I didn't see any mention of Sum of All Thrills. You guys like the thrill rides so I'm sure you'd like SOAT. It's one of Alex & Zach's favorites! It's in Innoventions East at Epcot. We find we have to go there first thing or it gets busy (no FP). I guess it also gets quieter near closing.

(A smiley from Zach, who is enjoying your pictures this morning.)

Also, I keep hearing about this Carnival cruise ship stuck out at sea... this doesn't have any effect on your trip does it? I hope not... but I'm sure you would have mentioned it if it did.

Your condo looks great!! You are getting so close! I wish our trips overlapped.

I believe we did a very similar attraction to SOAT at DisneyQuest. I think it was called Virtual Space Mountain? Not sure, but we created our own roller coaster and then got in the simulator and "rode" it. Is that the same? We did like that and Innoventions is on the "maybe" list. We may have to look for that one in particular!

Thankfully the ship that is experiencing all of the trouble is the Carnival Triumph and it sails out of Galeveston, TX. We are sailing on the Ecstasy. It should not affect our trip. It is terrible though. I feel bad for all of those passengers.

Very excited about the condo! The owner has been really great. I wish our trips overlapped as well...we keep "just" missing each other!

I agree with all of the attractions on your "yes" list. I can't wait to ride BTMRR again since it was closed for refurbishment last year! And the new Fantasyland stuff is going to be awesome.

If you are rope drop people (like we are!) you should definitely be able to get a lot done!

We are kind of commando in our touring...but my boys don't know any other way! We do take rest days when we are there for longer, but this time we have limited park days so we'll have to just power through. But, like I said...it's what we know and we LOVE it!

We finally made time to do Hall of Presidents in our May 2011 trip and my DS(7 at the time) loved it. There was no wait to go in and I think the show lasted about 15 minutes?? We did it in the middle of the afternoon while it was hot and it made for a nice break. I do think it is something everyone should do at least once.

Jeff and I saw it in 2010, but I agree that the boys should see it at least once. We'll do our best to fit it in!

 

[Angies1274]

Hi Missy!

I'm all caught up!! Your plans look great! I hope you make it to One Man's Dream at DHS. We really enjoyed it. I was actually surprised how much the boys liked it.

I agree with you about Animal Kingdom! I really enjoy the park unfortunately I seem to be the only one in my family....well except Noah. After riding Dinosaur and of course EE, I think he may have changed his mind on our last trip.

We love Epcot! You have a lot of great things on your must-do list!

Beautiful pictures of the snow. Although...honestly I am more than ready for it to be gone. I'm definitely not a winter person either.

MK list looks good too! I doubt we will be visiting the Tiki Room any time soon. Luckily, no one in my family has any desire to go back.

Enjoying all your look back pictures!!

 

[Duzzygirl]

I believe we did a very similar attraction to SOAT at DisneyQuest. I think it was called Virtual Space Mountain? Not sure, but we created our own roller coaster and then got in the simulator and "rode" it.
...

I did that too years ago at DisneyQuest. It was so fun. I'd love to do it again. I can't remember what it was called though either.

I have a yes/maybe list. Though, not an actual "No" list. Figure I'll keep my husband happier the less I say, "No," just in case he actually wants to do something.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Hi Missy!

I'm all caught up!! Your plans look great! I hope you make it to One Man's Dream at DHS. We really enjoyed it. I was actually surprised how much the boys liked it.

I agree with you about Animal Kingdom! I really enjoy the park unfortunately I seem to be the only one in my family....well except Noah. After riding Dinosaur and of course EE, I think he may have changed his mind on our last trip.

We love Epcot! You have a lot of great things on your must-do list!

Beautiful pictures of the snow. Although...honestly I am more than ready for it to be gone. I'm definitely not a winter person either.

MK list looks good too! I doubt we will be visiting the Tiki Room any time soon. Luckily, no one in my family has any desire to go back.

Enjoying all your look back pictures!!

Hi Angie! Glad to see you're not frozen solid up there! I'm ready for it to be gone as well....by mid-February, I am so over winter!

I really want to make it a point to see One Man's Dream. I think the boys would enjoy it as well. They love to watch specials about Walt on TV...I think they would find it fascinating.

Ugh...that darn Tiki Room! I wish my boys didn't like it!

I did that too years ago at DisneyQuest. It was so fun. I'd love to do it again. I can't remember what it was called though either.

I have a yes/maybe list. Though, not an actual "No" list. Figure I'll keep my husband happier the less I say, "No," just in case he actually wants to do something.

Very good plan! Keep your options open!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

A Very Happy Valentine's Day to you all! I'll be back with an update soon!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

As much as I hate that the years are passing by very quickly these days, I have to say, I LOVE MY BIRTHDAY! I anticipate it for weeks, I tell everyone it’s coming! I can’t explain it really except that it is a day when it can be all about me. How often can a mom really say that? Maybe Mother’s Day, but then you have to share with your mom, mother-in-law, sisters, etc. But my birthday? That one is all mine! If I want to sit all day with my feet on the coffee table and watch TV, I can! If I want to go shopping all day, I can! Whatever I want for dinner, I get it (and I don’t have to cook it!)! So yes, I am a birthday fanatic. I own it.


That being said, we celebrated my birthday last Friday with a blizzard! My mom and my gram traveled the 2 ½ hours from Pennsylvania to spend the day with me…and braved the weather! The day started with breakfast at our favorite local diner. Then Mom, Gram, and I went shopping. Nothing major, but shopping with them is SO much better than shopping with my boys! I picked up a few cute shirts for the trip…I’ll post pics of my trip purchases in another post. Then we came home and snuggled in for the day as the snow began to fall, and continued to fall ALL DAY. The tradition in my house is that the birthday person gets to pick whatever he/she wants for dinner. I am a steak girl, so my request was steak with sautéed mushrooms (no one in my house likes mushrooms so I never get them). We also had baked sweet potatoes, roasted asparagus, and my husband’s famous homemade French Onion soup. Jeff took care of the whole dinner, from shopping to cooking! It was delicious. My Mom and Gram and the boys cleaned up and did the dishes….perfect!


As I am not a fan of birthday cake, my husband made Monkey Bread. For those of you unfamiliar, it is refrigerator biscuits cut up small and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Then they are baked in a bundt pan and covered with a syrup of brown sugar and butter. You end up with a cake shaped pile of cinnamony, gooey, sticky delicious sweet bites! Add candles and you have a birthday cake!

We don’t go all out for gifts, but I did get a few nice things. A pretty hand crocheted scarf from my Gram, a candle and a few shirts from Mom. Dan (my oldest) got me Ghirardelli dark chocolate squares with raspberry.

But my husband, well, he went a bit overboard this year. He got me a new Vera Bradley Hipster which I have been wanting for over a year but have not been able to bring myself to buy. It is perfect for the trip….and see how pretty….

He did a great job picking it out all by himself! I love it!

He also got me this….

We are a big baseball family and I am a Minnesota Twins fan. The AAA minor league team in Rochester (where we live) is the farm team for the Twins so players who play here, eventually may play in Minnesota. I get to see Twins players who get sent down to rehab injuries as well. Very cool. But, I have a very soft spot for catchers and Joe Mauer is my favorite player.

I also got this very cute Tink water globe from my Secret Pal at church…she either knows me well or pays close attention!

So, the day was great. I got to visit with my Mom and Gram which is especially nice because my Dad is going to start dialysis for his kidney disease next week and Mom will not be as free to travel in the future. I got pampered by my family and friends, and got some thoughtful gifts. See…what’s not to love about your birthday??

Next up….What’s that you say? Matching shirts??

 

[wdwgirl03]

Happy birthday! Sounds like you had a nice day. I love your gifts, especially the VB bag (I got a bag in that same pattern for our trip) and the Tink snowglobe. Are you looking forward to baseball season then? My family roots for the Brewers.

 

[indimom]

As much as I hate that the years are passing by very quickly these days, I have to say, I LOVE MY BIRTHDAY! I anticipate it for weeks, I tell everyone its coming! I cant explain it really except that it is a day when it can be all about me. How often can a mom really say that? Maybe Mothers Day, but then you have to share with your mom, mother-in-law, sisters, etc. But my birthday? That one is all mine! If I want to sit all day with my feet on the coffee table and watch TV, I can! If I want to go shopping all day, I can! Whatever I want for dinner, I get it (and I dont have to cook it!)! So yes, I am a birthday fanatic. I own it.


That being said, we celebrated my birthday last Friday with a blizzard! My mom and my gram traveled the 2 ½ hours from Pennsylvania to spend the day with me&and braved the weather! The day started with breakfast at our favorite local diner. Then Mom, Gram, and I went shopping. Nothing major, but shopping with them is SO much better than shopping with my boys! I picked up a few cute shirts for the trip&Ill post pics of my trip purchases in another post. Then we came home and snuggled in for the day as the snow began to fall, and continued to fall ALL DAY. The tradition in my house is that the birthday person gets to pick whatever he/she wants for dinner. I am a steak girl, so my request was steak with sautéed mushrooms (no one in my house likes mushrooms so I never get them). We also had baked sweet potatoes, roasted asparagus, and my husbands famous homemade French Onion soup. Jeff took care of the whole dinner, from shopping to cooking! It was delicious. My Mom and Gram and the boys cleaned up and did the dishes&.perfect!


As I am not a fan of birthday cake, my husband made Monkey Bread. For those of you unfamiliar, it is refrigerator biscuits cut up small and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Then they are baked in a bundt pan and covered with a syrup of brown sugar and butter. You end up with a cake shaped pile of cinnamony, gooey, sticky delicious sweet bites! Add candles and you have a birthday cake!

We dont go all out for gifts, but I did get a few nice things. A pretty hand crocheted scarf from my Gram, a candle and a few shirts from Mom. Dan (my oldest) got me Ghirardelli dark chocolate squares with raspberry.

But my husband, well, he went a bit overboard this year. He got me a new Vera Bradley Hipster which I have been wanting for over a year but have not been able to bring myself to buy. It is perfect for the trip&.and see how pretty&.

He did a great job picking it out all by himself! I love it!

He also got me this&.

We are a big baseball family and I am a Minnesota Twins fan. The AAA minor league team in Rochester (where we live) is the farm team for the Twins so players who play here, eventually may play in Minnesota. I get to see Twins players who get sent down to rehab injuries as well. Very cool. But, I have a very soft spot for catchers and Joe Mauer is my favorite player.

I also got this very cute Tink water globe from my Secret Pal at church&she either knows me well or pays close attention!

So, the day was great. I got to visit with my Mom and Gram which is especially nice because my Dad is going to start dialysis for his kidney disease next week and Mom will not be as free to travel in the future. I got pampered by my family and friends, and got some thoughtful gifts. See&whats not to love about your birthday??

Next up&.Whats that you say? Matching shirts??

Happy Birthday! Sounds like a lovely day. Mine is New Year's Eve so everyone is always busy. lol. That's okay, the hubby and I usually take a date night and that's always nice!

I LOVE the hipster! It's the perfect pattern for a vacation, if you ask me. And, of course, I'm sure I heard you ask.

Your plans are coming along nicely! It is very hard to make some of these parks into one-day visits. There is just so much you could do.
Oh, and I totally stole your yes, no, maybe idea and used it to help with my own planning. I like that idea soooo much better than the concrete "first, we'll run here, then we'll dash there..." crazy planning I tried to do last time.
Keep the updates coming!!! And Happy Valentines Day!

 

[Alysa]

Happy Birthday to a fellow Aquarius (mine was last Wednesday)! Love the gifts!

 

[lsenquiz]

Happy Birthday! Glad to hear you had a great one. I have never taken my Birthday seriously but am rethinking that now

 

[mickeystoontown]

Awww, you had a wonderful birthday celebration! I know what you mean about shopping being different when you're shopping with the girls and shopping with the boys. It's totally different.

Look at the hubster picking out a Vera Bradley. He did good!