5 months is sooooo long away. PTR to kill some time.

[magicmia]

Hi everyone.

I'm going to try my first PTR so bare with me.

Intro's- Pics as soon as I figure that out will come
Me- 32, Full time working mom and lover of all things crafty! I am the discipline in our family and sometimes that stinks. But going to try to be very laid back on vacation. I am planning this trip and honestly feel like I'm trying to live up to the expectations of 2 kids!

DH- 32, Great husband and father, he is the fun one.He is excited about going to WDW, but not about hearing about it during the planning process. He thinks we can just show up and have fun and while we COULD, I can't do that

DD- 4, Will be turning 5 right before we go! She is very shy and starting a new school soon, so I'm very excited to show her WDW. She asks if today we are going to "the castle". And she is most excited about meeting.... Evil stepsisters at 1900 Park Fare!

I've been reading TONS of threads to try to learn some tricks and tips from all you DIS vets and all around nice people. So hopefully you'll be able to review my plans and tell me where to sharpen up!

This trip will be my family's first with our DD4. I've been to WDW many times and DH has been once. We did all 4 parks in ONE day on his trip, it was a whirl wind and he remembers NOTHING So this time we are not doing the commando park hopping that some of you are so good at. this will be the first week long trip we've taken without extra family along.

Dates: Sept 26th - Oct. 1
Resort: Pop (requested 60's or 50's area, ground floor across from pool)
Celebrating: 7 yr anniversary and our DD's 5th birthday!
Driving from Indiana

Goals for this trip:

To not be stressed out
To do MNSSHP
To see as many characters as possible
Try to not gain 20 lbs on this trip
Do pick a pearl for my DD and myself

Brief Plan, I have details but don't want to bore ya.
Monday- Epcot/Akershus 6:45 dinner
Tues- Downtown Disney (EOS or WPE?)/ MNSSHP LTT 5:35 dinner
Wed- HS/ 50's PT 5:20 dinner
Thurs- EP Biergarten 5:40 dinner
Fri- MK/ CP breakfast 8:10 OOP and Ohana dinner 8:00
Saturday - AK 1900 Pare Fare 6:10 pm

I am a little concerned about doing Ohana's that late, but thinking I should just be grateful I got a ressie at all? It was SUPER hard to narrow down all the choices out there!


And can I just say I am SUPER excited we are going!!!!!

 

[hollybearsmom]

no answers to your questions, just subbing in to follow your pt

 

[mrssmith06]

I probably wouldn't buy park hoppers just for 1 or 2 night events. On the Friday you will be at Ohana at 8, you could go down to the Poly's beach and see the wishes fireworks from there that night. I'm not sure of the times for that when you go though, I know during our time the Wishes fireworks will be at 10pm.

 

[magicmia]

So Last week... took my car in (the one we will be driving 950 miles to WDW), and the guys had it 10 minutes before calling DH to say transmission needed complete rebuild - $1900! I started to freak. So DH decided to take it someplace else for 2nd look. 2nd shop had it for 2 days this week, drove it around with the computer hooked up etc. NOTHING, FOUND NOTHING. Charged us $37 to look at it (Bargain in my book for how long they had it and their complete honesty).

So now we've talked about flying or renting a car. With gas prices continuelly climbing not sure what we are going to do. Here is the catch though. I trying to be a good planner as usual, booked our hotel rooms for the way down to save even more. Prepaid, no cancelling to get money back. So have to weigh out all our options and start pricing flights etc to make a decision.

In the meantime, I've been getting little Disney things here and there to "surprise" our DD4. I got a plush Sleeping Beauty at Walgreens for $3.50! I got the carriage necklace off ebay for DD's pick a pearl. Told DH I just want him to pick me out a ring setting for mine as our anniversay present. Be better if they thought of this stuff themselves, but hey, that is why I am the planner right?

I also have been hard at work making us t-shirts for MNSSHP and our last day. DH is being a good sport about the shirts! Will post pics soon!

 

[magicmia]

thanks mrssmith06. I thought about the fireworks at poly for our last night. I think that may be a MNSSHP night though, so wasn't sure what time those fireworks will be. But I'm sure we'll be in NO HURRY to leave The hours for the parks seem to be shorter during our time too, so that was another reason I was considering hoppers. But with DD being 5 when we go, not sure I want to hop. Might just relax and enjoy what we can.

 

[hollybearsmom]

definately want to see your shirts, i love creative stuff

 

[Bethislucy]

Sounds like a great plan. MNSSHP is a lot of fun we took my nephew when he was 4 and let him kind of direct where we went he had a blast and we did as well.

 

[magicmia]

So the past few days have been a bit scary. TONS of rain and was getting back up to the 2008 flood levels we went thru. Back then, we got about 6-8 inches throughout our house. Just enough to be a pain and have to replace tons of stuff. So we've been watching the river levels and talking to the emergency county commissioner and finally got a break yesterday and the river went DOWN!!!! Supposed to get more storms/rain today thru Wednesday, but they still expect things to stay stable. THANK YOU, God is good!

Then we got some more good news! Got an unexpected bonus this month so decided to add another day to our trip! Now this has me in "re-plan" mode. But I don't mind!!!!! It also means I had enough to get my DH a (new to him) used truck and trailer. This will help our family A ton since the one he currently has is a stick and I can not drive it. Plus its not in the best shape, so going to have my dad drive it in this week to surprise him for his BDay!

DD got Tangled from the Easter bunny so we are brushing up on the new princesses in preparation for our trip. I think we messed up telling her so far in advance, becuase she acts like she doesn't believe we are going to "the castle"

Got a few things in preparation for our trip. Just bought DD some new crocs and got 3D Mickey and Minnie heads for them. Now DH says he wants a pair and some of the characters for his I can just picture him wearing them!

 

[jewels1916]

Hi! I'm subbing! for an extra day!
As for your ?s, I don't think I would spring for parkhoppers just to see additional nighttime events. Like mrssmith06 said, there are places that you can sit and watch the MK fireworks without being in the park. And if you are going to see the Hallowishes, that's going to be a great fireworks show, so if you have to miss the ..... (Not So Hallo?) Wishes, it would probably be ok.

And my Target has some little inexpensive Disney stuff in the Dollar Spot, if you were looking for a few more little items - it's mostly little notepads and pens and stickers, but all could be potential entertainment for your DD while you travel. I don't know if all Targets have the same, but just thought I'd throw that out there for you!

Can't wait to read about all the plans you are making for your trip! It will make the time before mine go by faster! I don't even have park hours yet!

 

[magicmia]

Thank you! I haven't been in our Target for awhile so I'll have to check it out.

 

[magicmia]

I'm back! We've been having issues with our pc and work has been hectic so any extra time has been devoted to Reading DIS not posting my PTR. Have several pics to post this week, but here is an update.

We are 3 weeks and 3 days to go! DD5 says she she is mad at us because we keep saying we are going but its taking FOREVER. I have to agree! So a month or so ago I had tried to change to PORFQ, but they were sold out. So I had our TA look into any other moderate available, but since our promo code time was up, it was ALOT more to change. So hopefully I won't regret Pop, but DH keeps saying he hopes I'll surprise him with an upgrade Not going to happen.

Here are the finalized plans (still do not have our packet yet!)

Monday- Check in day @ Pop
Bus to Epcot
Afternoon break, swim, get room
Back to Epcot for Akershus Ressie
Innovations if DD can stay awake
Tuesday- Drive to MK, take Monorail to Poly for Captain's Bfast
mono or boat back to MK
afternoon swim/nap- get ready for MNSSHP
Bus back to MK for Liberty ressie/MNSSHP
Drive back to Pop
Wednesday- Bus to HS (Rope Drop)
Mad dash for TSM etc
afternoon break if needed
50's Primetime ressie
Vote on staying for Fantasmic (only one show that night)
Thursday- Bus to Epcot
Afternoon swim/nap
Return to Epcot for Biergarten ressie
Innovations if we did not see on D1
Friday- Bus to MK early for CP ressie
after breakfast, get in line for Rapunzel M & G
Let DD decided on what to do today, check out parade
Afternoon break if needed
Late Ressie at Ohana, watch Hallo-wishes from beach
Saturday- Bus to AK
Leave around 4 and get ready for dinner
1900 Park Fare dinner ressie
Swim/pack/cry
Sunday- leave the magical land behind!!!!

This week I got a few more things at Walgreens to surprise DD with. Halloween stuff is out and walgreens has light up Mickey Halloween glasses to drink out of (2.99). Also got her some Mickey Pumpkin shaped bubbles (99 cents) on a necklace and a couple Halloween Disney activity books (2/$1). I also got her Cinderella pillowcase dress done and her Minnie dress done. I had planned on us each having 2 outfits per day due to humidity/heat. She has this covered EASY DH on the other hand does not. So looks like I'll be doing laundry by the pool one afternoon.

In preparation of the our countdown (which for DD starts tomorrow) I have made a calendar for the fridge for her to mark off days. But I wanted to keep Disney alive for DH and DD until then too. So I got some great ideas for movie nights here on DIS and started those last week.

I had gotten the DVD Bambi for DD for Easter, she refused to watch it saying she heard it was sad. So it has sat unopened for months. It was the first movie I ever saw in a theater, so I love it. So last Friday I picked it for our movie night, ran to Walmart and bought cupcakes and put flowers on them for the skunk, had salad for Thumper, and (please do not judge, we are a hunting family) deer burgers. My friend here at work said that was just wrong Anyways, we had dinner, and then colored some Bambi pages and made cards with them. Then DD and I watched the movie, with the promise I'd FF it when the sad part came. I goofed and didn't remember WHEN that was, so she saw some of it, but doesn't seem to be too tramautized DH had to go on a fire run so he missed all the fun (he doesn't seem too upset about this either). . I forgot to take pictures of this movie night, but will try to remember this week.

This weeks movie night was her choice, Monster's Inc. Again, from some great dis'ers ideas I came up with...
Boo's baby meatloaves
Mike's Mashed Potatoes
Sully's Punch
And Decorate our own door cookies

Then we are going to draw our own monsters using a dice/body part game and then Open the Microphone up to jokes for the family.

I'll have more time tomorrow night to add some pics. I have halloween party shirts for DH and myself, matching shirts (I know I know, some hate this, but I swear I'd only do it at the magical land) for all of us for one day, DD's Cinderella dress, DD's Minnie dress and pics of her "surprises".

I'm ready to GO!!!