50 and fabulous - A November, 2021 trip report - new link at the end!

[akayek31]

Hi! I am Angela from facebook that asked what the name of your PTR was. I love Pop. I have stayed there so many times. I am trying All Stars Music this time for 4 nights then off to Universal. I have never been to a Christmas party either and still dropped that money on a ticket even though it was expensive. I will be at the party on November 14. Maybe I will see y'all at Epcot since I have park hoppers. I love the Food and Wine. Last year when I went in November, the merchandise was 70% off and so was the 2021 merchandise. Loving your report so far!

 

[Ruthie5671]

Hi friends and happy Labor Day! And to those who will be celebrating tonight - happy Rosh Hashanah! Dip those apples in honey and may we all have a sweet new year! When we had last left off, Tony and I had finally figured out what we were going to do each day and we had purchased our tickets for the after hours holiday party! I linked the tickets to our My Disney Experience account and we are all good to go.

And then we got paper tickets in the mail - I love getting mail from Disney. I'm not sure why we now have paper tickets but we do and they are safely tucked away with the few other things sitting on the dresser waiting to make its way into the suitcase. I'm still not allowed to start packing.

So in the category of other things I've done regarding the trip would be booking our hotel in Valdosta. We are staying at the Holiday Inn Express Valdosta West off of I-75. It is about nine hours of driving time from our house to Valdosta and when you factor in breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Knoxville, potty breaks, stretch breaks and fuel for the van it takes us about 11-12 hours to get there. I know some of you might be thinking - why drive when you can fly?

Well, I'm so glad you asked. I'm scared to death to fly. Now I have flown before so it's not a fear of the unknown. I think it is more of a control issue. We might say we are going to leave at a certain time, but if we don't, it's no big deal. If I'm late for the plane, they will not wait on me. The seats are small. There are so many people crammed in a small space. The bathrooms are tiny and where does everything go when you flush? And then there is the pilot. I don't now this individual. What if he or she didn't have their coffee that morning and had a horrible fight with their spouse? And they're not concentrating enough to get me safely to my destination. Yes, I realize that most of these things are silly and unrealistic. But our van doesn't require TSA screening or weight limits on luggage. The Sirius XM station is always set to "80's on 8" and it is just all around easier. So we drive. And how am I supposed to irritate Tony for all of those hours if we're not trapped together in the van??

I do think that my hopes of any fall discounts are slim to none. I figure with all the 50th anniversary hoopla they don't feel the need to offer any discounts. I need to pay our balance due by the end of the month. I just don't want to take the money out of our savings account!

The only real things left to do on the "to-do list" is to order the ECV's, get our shirts made for the holiday party, get twinkle lights to decorate the ECV's and of course - pack. It amazes me how time just slowly creeps by awaiting vacation and then the trip will zip by when it does finally get here.

And since this was another entry that was non-stop words and no pictures, I thought I'd throw in a few pictures from trips gone by.



This is from the best day ever when we rented the cabana at the Contemporary.



Me and Grumpy at dinner at the Wilderness Lodge.



Illuminations - I miss this show.

And I'm desperately going to miss Happily Ever After. But I cannot wait to see what comes next! Until next time friends!

#50andfabulous

 

[Ruthie5671]

Following! I really believe in resort/rest days. We did one on our last family trip in May 2019 (stayed at POP Century) and it was our BEST day just swimming, relaxing, dining and exploring all the monorail resorts.

I love rest days. These trips are so "go go go" that a day is needed to take a break and do some other things. And there is always so much to do. I want to see the monorail resorts all decorated for the holidays.

Hi! I am Angela from facebook that asked what the name of your PTR was. I love Pop. I have stayed there so many times. I am trying All Stars Music this time for 4 nights then off to Universal. I have never been to a Christmas party either and still dropped that money on a ticket even though it was expensive. I will be at the party on November 14. Maybe I will see y'all at Epcot since I have park hoppers. I love the Food and Wine. Last year when I went in November, the merchandise was 70% off and so was the 2021 merchandise. Loving your report so far!

Hi Angela and welcome to the madness! I'm glad you found your way over here. I cannot wait to stay at Pop Century since we've never been there. All Star Music is fun and makes my inner band geek just jump up and down with delight. I am so excited for Food and Wine and the holiday party! Please say hi if you do see us. We are pretty hard to miss!

 

[EvilVillainess]

Now in full disclosure, I am not a Star Wars fan.

Fellow Social Worker, Disney Ultra fan, I thought we were officially twinsies until I saw this.... just kidding. I am so excited you get to return. We had thought about going the weekend of the 19th also but not sure we will make it then. We definitely will be going in February. Looking forward to more info.

 

[Ruthie5671]

Hi friends! I wanted to put up a quick update since I actually had something fun to report!

Welcome to dining reservations!

We usually do the dining plan but since that wasn't an option for us this year my radar for making reservations wasn't up and paying attention for the 60 day mark. And then over the weekend I glanced at the countdown app and realized that I can make dining plans and got happy to be able to do something trip related. Because Tony still won't let me start packing. And our dining was going to look a little bit different this trip because we are doing Food and Wine the two days in EPCOT, so a dining reservation will be unnecessary. And I wanted to continue our theme of "firsts" this trip and booked only places we have never been before.

On our arrival night after we have shopped til we drop at Disney Springs, we will dine at Paddlefish. Located at The Landing - we will "feast on fresh seafood and savory steaks aboard a modern steamboat moored on the shores of Lake Buena Vista". Yes please!



For our rest day/holiday party day, I didn't want to be wasting time in Magic Kingdom eating dinner while we should be enjoying the party. I thought it would be nice to have a lunch at one of the monorail restaurants since we want to see the resorts all decorated for the holidays. So I got us a reservation at Steakhouse 71 at the Contemporary - "a gathering at a stylish but casual steakhouse". It's not even open yet!!! But it is where The Wave used to be and we've never been there, so I'm so excited to try this out.

And our final reservation is at Hollywood Studios. Even though character dining has changed, I'm still so excited to experience Hollywood and Vine - "celebrate Minnie and friends at seasonal dining parties".



I don't think Mickey could be any cuter.

We're currently at 54 days until departure! I really need to pay the balance of the trip. But I just enjoy seeing all the money in my savings account. And I need to order the ECV's. Yep, still things to do. And I ordered new luggage! I'll show pictures when it comes in! Until next time friends!

#50andfabulous

 

[Bama Mom]

EEK! So glad I stumbled across another Ruthie PTR! BTW, I'm Sandy, the one on Facebook that asked if you were Ruthie from the Dis when you asked a question in the plus size disney group. Can't wait to hear all about your trip and what other firsts y'all may experience.

I was gonna make a few comments but can't remember what they all were now that I'm posting LOL I blame that on years of having to remember everything for my hubby and all three kiddos when they were younger. Now that the kids are all grown (two of which are married now) it's their responsibility now, and the fact I turned 49 last week.

 

[Bama Mom]

Oh I remember one thing I was gonna comment on. I usually just pay the deposit when I make reservations too. I am hoping there will be a discount for our upcoming february trip or at the very least a Disney visa discount for during that time.

 

[sheri18]

Hi. Joining in..love your TR.
we aren’t big star war fans..but love Star Wars land...
we were there in July for a wedding at Paddlefish. It was awesome..
as I am sitting here I was watching a live Facebook post of the last happily ever after show..
we are going again in two weeks..my DS and DIL are going for work and wanted me to babysit the grands, I said sure if we can go to Florida with you...not sure they love the idea... but yay...short trip. 5 days. But I’ll take it...

 

[rdkeim]

Your trip is getting close! All your plans sound fabulous. Even though it won't be like days of old, I think the holiday party will fun. I'm not happy about all the changes Disney is making. What are your thoughts on Genie +? I'm anxious to hear how it goes and if people think it's worth the cost. I was hoping they'd bring back Fast Pass

 

[kayrosek]

Joining in even if its a little late in the game. We will be in Disney in Nov. as well. I'm excited to follow along with your planning. I haven't been on the Dis forever. Our last trip was 2016.

 

[Ruthie5671]

Wow - I've really ignored this trip report. It's been close to a month since my last post and probably because the last month of my life has been the most stressful and anxiety ridden time of my life. I am going to tell you a non-Disney related story.

A little over a year ago I had a chest x-ray during the course of being sick. The x-ray showed a small nodule on my right lung. It was small (14 mm) so the pulmonologist recommended a PET scan. The PET scan indicated that no intervention was needed at the time and to have a CT scan in another year as a monitoring measure. Now a year later I had my follow-up scan and the nodule grew from 14 mm to 17 mm. Even though that was only a super small increase, it was still a growth. And my pulmonologist referred me onto the University of KY Markey Cancer Center. At that point, I was officially in freak out mode. This was it - I had lung cancer - I was sick - there would be surgery and chemo and that was going to be how my life would end.

Yes, I went down that rabbit hole. I read and re-read online information about what may or may not even happen. And this was before the first consultation. I was driving poor Tony crazy and absolutely refusing to pay the balance of the trip or do one more thing in preparation. My appointment with the oncologist was scheduled and the doctor couldn't have been a nicer person. He explained that I had very few risk factors for lung cancer - never smoked and my YOUNG AGE were totally in my favor. He felt that there was only a 40% chance of this actually being cancer so he wanted to do a needle biopsy for confirmation.

Another rabbit hole. The internet was not my friend.

This past Monday, Tony and I got up at the dark hour of the morning (not like I was sleeping much anyway) and headed to UKMC for the biopsy. I was scared and grouchy and not even close to the delicate flower that I like to believe that I can be. It was an odd experience since I wasn't completely sedated, but had the "twilight medication" so that I could answer questions and be responsive to "hold my breath" requests. I could hear what was going on, but it was like I was watching a show on TV. After it was over they said that I would meet with the oncologist next Monday but there was a likelihood that I could view the results on line once they're ready. And this morning I found out that the results were negative. No cancer detected. No malignancy. I can't even put into words the relief I feel. I had convinced myself that this was the end of my life and that was not the plan for me. I have things to do. Places to go. A life to live.

So now it's time to get things done. Pay off the trip. Order the scooters. Watch You Tube videos of the new fireworks display. Only 32 days left until we leave. And I have a lot of life to live.

#50andfabulous

 

[Ruthie5671]

EEK! So glad I stumbled across another Ruthie PTR! BTW, I'm Sandy, the one on Facebook that asked if you were Ruthie from the Dis when you asked a question in the plus size disney group. Can't wait to hear all about your trip and what other firsts y'all may experience.

I was gonna make a few comments but can't remember what they all were now that I'm posting LOL I blame that on years of having to remember everything for my hubby and all three kiddos when they were younger. Now that the kids are all grown (two of which are married now) it's their responsibility now, and the fact I turned 49 last week.

Hi Sandy!!! Thanks so much for reading along with me. A pre-trip report has some lulls in reporting. I'll have much more to type once the trip is over!

Oh I remember one thing I was gonna comment on. I usually just pay the deposit when I make reservations too. I am hoping there will be a discount for our upcoming february trip or at the very least a Disney visa discount for during that time.

Sadly no discount came our way.

Hi. Joining in..love your TR.
we aren’t big star war fans..but love Star Wars land...
we were there in July for a wedding at Paddlefish. It was awesome..
as I am sitting here I was watching a live Facebook post of the last happily ever after show..
we are going again in two weeks..my DS and DIL are going for work and wanted me to babysit the grands, I said sure if we can go to Florida with you...not sure they love the idea... but yay...short trip. 5 days. But I’ll take it...

Any trip is a great trip. I've never done one at the last minute! I watched the last HEA also. Cried a little but I like the new fireworks show too.

Your trip is getting close! All your plans sound fabulous. Even though it won't be like days of old, I think the holiday party will fun. I'm not happy about all the changes Disney is making. What are your thoughts on Genie +? I'm anxious to hear how it goes and if people think it's worth the cost. I was hoping they'd bring back Fast Pass

I am not a fan of the Genie + option. While I don't like waiting in endless lines for rides and attractions, I've already paid to be there so I'm not paying extra. I will just plan my day as best I can and wait in the lines. There are usually people to chat with in line.

Joining in even if its a little late in the game. We will be in Disney in Nov. as well. I'm excited to follow along with your planning. I haven't been on the Dis forever. Our last trip was 2016.

Thanks for following along. When will you be there in November?

 

[Bama Mom]

Wow, so sorry you had that scare. Years ago I had a tumor removed from a salivary gland. I had read horror stories about possible face paralysis so I too went down that rabbit hole. Mine was benign as well. Then a year later another lump was found close to where the first one was. I was referred to a specialist because going in a second time made things even more likely a nerve could be damaged. While at the specialist, they found a third lump so they did a biopsy on them both to see what our next step should be. I was numbed in the are but awake and was actually facing the screen (they had to do the biopsy while doing an ultrasound on the spot so they knew they were in the right spots) so I could literally see the image of the needle going in and collecting the fluid. It was scary but cool to see at the same time. The lumps were at my jaw line and right below my ear lobe (that's why the third one couldn't be felt). Thankfully they both came back benign so they were removed. Now I am having issues with my lungs too. I had a bad upper respiratory back in July and I am still coughing. I went to the doctor last month and they found scar tissue in my lungs that will most likely cause me to have a chronic cough from now on. I go again tomorrow to have it checked again to make sure that's what it actually is. Bad timing for a chronic cough...everyone will think I am sick...UGH!

 

[Disneylvr]

So happy there is no cancer!!! I went through a similar scare (ovarian tumor) 6 years ago. I didn’t know until I woke up after my complete hysterectomy that it wasn’t cancerous. I know the relief you are feeling.

Due to unfortunate events, I had to change my October solo trip to a November one. Our dates overlap a bit so you might see me around POP Century on my own Gold Mobility scooter!

 

[rdkeim]

Sorry to read about your health scare! I can totally understand the relief you feel! Now you can relax and get back to Disney planning. You're only about 30 days out - exciting! I'll be anxious to see how you did without Genie +. Come on Disney aren't you getting enough of our hard earned money

 

[princessbelle2015]

So happy for no cancer!!Now you can truly enjoy your trip!

 

[kayrosek]

We will there from the 5th-11th. I really need to remember how to add my new trip report to my signature.

 

[Jerzetta]

Sending you great vibes and enjoying your trip report except the health scare. Sorry you went thru that.

 

[Ruthie5671]

Remember me?!?!?!? I am so sorry that I neglected this pre-trip report and abandoned everyone. But good news - we went on our trip and I've started an actual trip report. Here's the link: 50 and fabulous - A November, 2021 trip report | The DIS Disney Discussion Forums - DISboards.com.

Hope to see everyone over there!