3rd Time's the Charm!? A 2014 PTR *NEW 11/21!*

[MEK]

Really great prices on the flights! NICE!

I love that giraffe shirt. How cute is THAT?

Yay for trip being only 4 months away!

 

[amazingact21]

I'm so sorry to hear about E's reflux. That has to be draining for you, emotionally and physically. I hope it's something that can be figured out quickly.


Such a cute top! Oh my goodness, she's going to look so cute in that in AK.



I get where you're coming from about the vacation and the money. And while, yes, it might be more "mature" to put that money elsewhere, you have to consider your emotional well being and how much better you'll feel after a family vacation. Sometimes the best medicine is simply getting away from reality for a bit. You'll never regret going to Disney World, and you'd rather have a bit of student loans to work through than be stuck at home, tired and restless. At least, that's how I look at family vacations.

 

[afwdwfan]

I'm glad your brothers are getting better. Hopefully the specialist can get the baby's reflux issues straightened out.

Everything looks great. Especially the price on those flights. I'd say it will be here before you know it, but it is a Disney trip. The next 4 1/2 months or so are going to creep by slower than you ever imagined possible.

 

[Disney9.9.10]

I'm so sorry to hear about E's reflux and hope you can get into the specialist soon. Poor baby. I'm also sorry your brothers ended up needing surgery, but glad they seem to be on the mend. I will keep them in my thoughts.

You got a great deal on your airfare. Nice that the diapers and stroller will be transported for you saving you the additional hassle.

That giraffe shirt is adorable. And how sweet of your TA to pick up a Cinderella dress for your princess.

Thank you Kathy! I hope that everyone is on the mend, it's been stressful! We all need this vacation lol Airfare was a great real, and one more thing done for our trip!

I am so glad they are on the mend

But oh, I am so sorry about the refulx. Eric had reflux and it's no fun. I was very very lucky in that he really wasn't in pain and heaven knows he put on weight but oh did he throw up a LOT and eat constantly. It meant for very little sleep and shorter than hoped for breastfeeding as the all night buffet didn't work so well for me. I really hope they can get hers managed, it can be so hard. She will grow out of it but that doesn't help now I know. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. We tried so many things!

And now for trip stuff!

Great deals on the flights and I love the little top! How nice you don't have to haul all that stuff. Sometimes a vacation may not be the most financially responsible thing to do but it is the best possible mental health and relationship thing to do. At the end of the day you will have those memories and they are so priceless. Paying off a school loan just doesn't help one get through tough times as much as the moments you'll create on a trip like this. Not that it wouldn't feel great but...you know what I mean. We certainly have things that maybe we should spend our money on instead of travel but I'd rather go without some of those things...than miss the time with my family.

Reflux is very common, and most kids outgrow it, so that is what we keep hoping for. It is awful to see your little one in pain. I'm glad that Eric grew out of his, but sorry that you guys had to go through all of that. I agree with you about the trip. There is always something that you could be putting your money towards, but sometimes you just need a vacation for your mental well being.

A little over four months! I'm sure the time will fly by!!

Sorry to her about the baby reflux. So hard when your child is going through that and theres only so much you can do about it. But she will get better and soon will be in Disney World!

Nice job on the flights! So nice that you have them now and their done. And you know cheap!!

Aww I love the giraffes!! So cute!!!

It really is coming up fast! Thanks for your kind words, I keep hoping that she grows out of this soon. Cheap flights are the best aren't they?

 

[Disney9.9.10]

Really great prices on the flights! NICE!

I love that giraffe shirt. How cute is THAT?

Yay for trip being only 4 months away!

Thanks Mary Ellen! It is time to start getting excited about this trip, 4 months go by quickly!

I'm so sorry to hear about E's reflux. That has to be draining for you, emotionally and physically. I hope it's something that can be figured out quickly.

Such a cute top! Oh my goodness, she's going to look so cute in that in AK.

I get where you're coming from about the vacation and the money. And while, yes, it might be more "mature" to put that money elsewhere, you have to consider your emotional well being and how much better you'll feel after a family vacation. Sometimes the best medicine is simply getting away from reality for a bit. You'll never regret going to Disney World, and you'd rather have a bit of student loans to work through than be stuck at home, tired and restless. At least, that's how I look at family vacations.

Thank you. It really is draining and so hard to stay happy and productive for the family, but I'm working on it. It is dangerous having a little girl - there are so many adorable things! I have threatened to take away my mom and grandmas purses lol And I agree with you about trips being good for our mental health, we need this time together!

I'm glad your brothers are getting better. Hopefully the specialist can get the baby's reflux issues straightened out.

Everything looks great. Especially the price on those flights. I'd say it will be here before you know it, but it is a Disney trip. The next 4 1/2 months or so are going to creep by slower than you ever imagined possible.

Thank you. I really hope that we will get some help from the specialist, if we ever get an appointment! And I hope you are wrong about time creeping by haha Although with kids, I like that saying that the days are long but the years are short. Need to enjoy this time because it goes by too quickly!

 

[Dream426]

Trying to catch up on everyone's trip reports. You got a great price for airlines. I am jealous. I wish we got the for out price.

 

[dreamerchic33]

Hey Krysten !!

Oh my gosh!!! So much has happened for you and im all caught up!!! Your baby girl is beautiful!!! Congratuations!! I was in tears reading all your updates!! So happy for you and your hubby!!! Congrats!!! xo Christina

 

[Disney9.9.10]

Trying to catch up on everyone's trip reports. You got a great price for airlines. I am jealous. I wish we got the for out price.

I am trying to do the same! Life really has a way of minimizing DIS time lol We did get an amazing deal, I'm glad that we booked when we did.

Hey Krysten !!

Oh my gosh!!! So much has happened for you and im all caught up!!! Your baby girl is beautiful!!! Congratuations!! I was in tears reading all your updates!! So happy for you and your hubby!!! Congrats!!! xo Christina

Thank you so much Christina!! Your kind words mean a lot to me. I was actually thinking about you last time I was on and wondering if I had missed any updates to your reports. I hope that all is well with you!

 

[Disney9.9.10]

Hello again!!

Terrible PTR writer here...

I have finished school, but still don't seem to have a lot of time at my disposal

I do still have a lot going on. Baby girl has had a ton of appointments lately, and her reflux is still bad so that has kept us busy. And the last time I tried to come on the boards the site was acting up so I didn't get anything accomplished.

I will try my best to get caught up on reports because I really do enjoy reading them!

We have our flights booked, our ADRs made, and we are just over 3 months away from our trip! I am so excited to take E. We have gone into the Disney store (the closest one is an hour away, it's ridiculous) and she really loved it because it was so bright and colourful. I am hoping that she will love WDW too. As long as she feels good, she is such a happy baby. So we think that with her temperament so far (and places we have taken her) she will probably do well with spending the morning at a park (and having a nap in her stroller), then going back to the resort in the afternoon for a nap, and then going back out for a little bit later in the afternoon. That is the plan for now, but time will tell whether that will work for her or not. I am just excited to be at WDW, and since we have a Savannah view room at AKL, it will still be great if we are "stuck" at the resort.

I don't have any pictures right now, but E has her own little suitcase and some more new outfits for the trip. Grandma bought her a Winnie the Pooh outfit for our breakfast at Crystal Palace, and a Minnie Mouse "tea for two" outfit that I plan on putting on her for our meal at GFC. She also has an adorable little track suit that will be perfect for wearing on the plane.

Here is a photo of her "loot" from the Disney store.

She has a couple of the IASW dolls now. I am going to make her room a small world theme when we change it from a nursery. She also got a couple of dishes, now that she is eating food, and a pair of pjs that are too big for her now since she doesn't have many in that size. She also got a mouseketeer shirt and Ariel onesie that I got with the purpose of taking to Florida, but they aren't as big on her as I thought they would be. We are going back to the Disney store tomorrow since we will be in town, so I'm hoping that I can exchange for a bigger size.

So I think that's about it for updates on us right now. I hope that you are all doing well and I will do my best to get caught up on your reports soon!

 

[KatMark]

Good to see you, Krysten.

Love all the "loot" E got at the Disney store.

Your plans sound great as far as park, nap, park.

 

[MidnightParade]

Yay, nice to see an update!

Good to see everything is booked now just the waiting! And then the FP+ and the more waiting! lol

The loot looks awesome! Love the Ariel onesie, hopefully they have a bigger size! I love the hula IaSW doll! Very cute! (I kinda want one now!)

 

[dreamerchic33]

I am trying to do the same! Life really has a way of minimizing DIS time lol We did get an amazing deal, I'm glad that we booked when we did.



Thank you so much Christina!! Your kind words mean a lot to me. I was actually thinking about you last time I was on and wondering if I had missed any updates to your reports. I hope that all is well with you!

the clothes are adorable!!!
I finished the old report and started a new one! I wanted to relive our trip so badly!! hehe have a great night! xo

 

[afwdwfan]

Nice haul from the Disney Store!

The IASW room theme seems like a fun idea. Just don't get too carried away and put the music on a loop in there or anything.

 

[teekathepony]

OMG look at all that adorable stuff from the Disney Store! I especially love the Ariel outfit. Love the IASW room idea.
Keeping my fingers crossed for you that you get her reflux issues all figured out and she's a happy baby for your trip!

 

[Disney9.9.10]

Good to see you, Krysten.

Love all the "loot" E got at the Disney store.

Your plans sound great as far as park, nap, park.

Good to see you too! I just made it over to your newest PTR! E got some great stuff, lucky girl has so many people in her life who want to spoil her.

Yay, nice to see an update!

Good to see everything is booked now just the waiting! And then the FP+ and the more waiting! lol

The loot looks awesome! Love the Ariel onesie, hopefully they have a bigger size! I love the hula IaSW doll! Very cute! (I kinda want one now!)

Lol yes there is a lot of waiting, but at the same time, the deadline to pay seems to come up awfully fast! I did manage to exchange for a bigger size, yay!!

the clothes are adorable!!!
I finished the old report and started a new one! I wanted to relive our trip so badly!! hehe have a great night! xo

They are cute, aren't they? I will have to head over to check out your new report! I hate the post-trip blues, especially if you don't have anything else planned for a while.

 

[Disney9.9.10]

Nice haul from the Disney Store!

The IASW room theme seems like a fun idea. Just don't get too carried away and put the music on a loop in there or anything.

Oh you are too funny! I definitely won't get that carried away Lots of bright colours, and some dolls and stuffed animals ought to do it lol

OMG look at all that adorable stuff from the Disney Store! I especially love the Ariel outfit. Love the IASW room idea.
Keeping my fingers crossed for you that you get her reflux issues all figured out and she's a happy baby for your trip!

Baby shopping at the Disney store is so awesome but so difficult because you just want to buy it all lol Thank you for keeping your fingers crossed, the specialist thinks that it should be gone by around the time we leave, so I'm hoping it will at least be much better at that point.

 

[Disney9.9.10]

UGH!!! I went to take in the forms to get E's passport today. The guy at the entrance to the place was so rude to me, so the experience didn't start off well. Then they tell me that I need some special long form birth certificate for E because she's never had a passport before - I have never heard of this in my life. And then they reject her photos because she looks too "white". Ummm okay? I am beyond annoyed. The government does whatever they can to get more money out of us with these stupid certificates, and they have so many rules about these passport photos. It is so hard to get a picture of a teeny baby, and if they are going to be so ridiculous about it, they need to take the pictures right there so that they are done to their standards so that people aren't wasting time with it. And to top it off, the workers at these offices around here are always so rude, I hate when I have to go into any government building because I know I'm going to have to deal with rudeness. I'm not saying it is like this everywhere, but these people here are terrible. And we have the highest unemployment rate in the country, so they should probably be happy to have decent jobs when so many people have no jobs.

Wow, sorry about the rant! I needed to get that out.

On to happier things.

Here is our schedule as it is right now.

Tuesday, November 11
- We are leaving after DH finishes work to go to a hotel near the airport

Wednesday, November 12
- Flight leaves at 6:00am and arrives in MCO at 8:50am
- Take DME to AKL and get settled in
- Probably let DD take a little nap
- Head over to DTD to look around
- Most likely eat at Earl of Sandwich (New CS meal for both of us!)

Thursday, November 13
- EPCOT day! (I feel weird about not going to MK first)
- Breakfast at Akershus at 10:40am - This was the only time we could get, I'm not crazy about it

Friday, November 14
- Breakfast at Boma at 9:00am (New for both of us!)
- We plan on spending the morning at the resort, exploring it, watching animals, and testing out the pool and kids splash pad
- Then we will be heading to MVMCP! I'm so excited for DD to see this

Saturday, November 15
- I think we will spend this day at Animal Kingdom
- Dinner at Mickey's Backyard Barbecue at 5:30pm (another new one for us!) This is a meal the whole family will be at.

Sunday, November 16
- The entire family (15 of us right now) has reservations for Crystal Palace for 8:00am. I am so excited to finally be getting an early ADR.
- The rest of the day will be spent at MK

Monday, November 17
- Breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe at 8:30am
- Then I think we will head over to DHS

Tuesday, November 18
- Another MK day
- Dinner reservations with the whole family for my grandparents' anniversary at Liberty Tree Tavern at 5:30pm

Wednesday, November 19
- Fly home
- Our flight leaves at 2:10pm and arrives home at 4:45pm

So that is what we are planning now. We have 3 visits to MK and only 1 everywhere else right now, but we are going to get hoppers so we could decide to go to other parks after our afternoon rest. I hope to have an update with pictures soon! I hope to have an update with some photos soon because those are much more exciting!

And I've started my to-do list (that I am sure will grow as we get closer

To-Do
- Get DDs passport photo re-taken and send in forms
- Make a full packing list
- Make a list of photopass locations we plan on stopping at
- Work with my camera to get familiar some settings I will need for AKL and fireworks (Any suggestions TeekathePony?? lol)
- Figure out what all DD has for clothes that will fit her while we are there
- Currency exchange for tips and souvenirs
- Finalize FP+ plans

 

[eandesmom]

I have finished school, but still don't seem to have a lot of time at my disposal

I do still have a lot going on. Baby girl has had a ton of appointments lately, and her reflux is still bad so that has kept us busy. And the last time I tried to come on the boards the site was acting up so I didn't get anything accomplished.

I am so sorry to hear that! Eric had horrible reflux. In the big picture we were lucky as he wasn't in pain, ever, he just threw up. A lot. ALL the time. Everywhere. But he was fat and happy and it did pass.

Here is a photo of her "loot" from the Disney store.

She has a couple of the IASW dolls now. I am going to make her room a small world theme when we change it from a nursery. She also got a couple of dishes, now that she is eating food, and a pair of pjs that are too big for her now since she doesn't have many in that size. She also got a mouseketeer shirt and Ariel onesie that I got with the purpose of taking to Florida, but they aren't as big on her as I thought they would be. We are going back to the Disney store tomorrow since we will be in town, so I'm hoping that I can exchange for a bigger size.

So I think that's about it for updates on us right now. I hope that you are all doing well and I will do my best to get caught up on your reports soon!

VERY nice loot!

UGH!!! I went to take in the forms to get E's passport today. The guy at the entrance to the place was so rude to me, so the experience didn't start off well. Then they tell me that I need some special long form birth certificate for E because she's never had a passport before - I have never heard of this in my life. And then they reject her photos because she looks too "white".

Your plans look really good, some great bit family meal locations in there but UGH what a pain on the passport. Here it is kind of a long turnaround, especially for the first ones. Getting the E's one was a total PITA.

Good luck on the photo, do you have places that specialize in taking them? Here most of the copy shops can do it, so can the post office I think.

 

[Disney9.9.10]

I am so sorry to hear that! Eric had horrible reflux. In the big picture we were lucky as he wasn't in pain, ever, he just threw up. A lot. ALL the time. Everywhere. But he was fat and happy and it did pass.



VERY nice loot!



Your plans look really good, some great bit family meal locations in there but UGH what a pain on the passport. Here it is kind of a long turnaround, especially for the first ones. Getting the E's one was a total PITA.

Good luck on the photo, do you have places that specialize in taking them? Here most of the copy shops can do it, so can the post office I think.

Hi Cynthia!! I read a few more pages of your report but haven't commented yet, I will finish it up!

I love that we have some family time, but some time for just the three of us. I feel like I am keeping everyone happy that way.

This passport business is ridiculous. I went to my drug mart post office to have the pictures done the first time, and they are great in there, so I know they won't give me a hard time when I go back, it is just an annoyance that I have to take the time to go back and try to figure it out. E did so well with sitting and looking last time but who knows if we will get that lucky again, she is only 6 months old after all lol

 

[afwdwfan]

Geeze... the passport thing sounds like a huge PITA. Sorry.

The good news though is that the trip is coming up fast and the plans look great! I see several baby friendly meals in that list!