A Disney-addicted mom: 2nd annual August trip and Marathon Weekend *Update 10/7*

[DrMomof3]

I bought pins from ebay and they traded them last summer. We ended up buying a couple in the park too. I know I've read about counterfeit pins, but I don't know anything about them. They don't seem different than the parks ones... Disney did have a lanyard and starter set promo in the winter for four or five pins and the lanyard for $16.95.
Disney is an exhausting vacation, and our expectations for the kids are really high. "You're in Disney!!!" I just made more ADR's but I find it so difficult to decide now where to eat, when I am not even sure which park we will want to hit. Since my girls are 9, we are on limited time with the dining plan. It saves us a ton of money because one meal at a buffet is the cost of the plan for the day. I figure once the girls are 10, we will probably make less ADR's.
I have to go back and look at your plans. I think H&V shouldn't be a problem. I tried to get a character buffet for my friend three days before her trip and H&V was the only choice and it offered many times.

We aren't doing the dining plan. We've found the TIW card offers more flexibility since we have APs. We have dinner ADRs every night - Chef Mickey, Kona, Teppan Edo, Jiko (date night), CRT, Le Cellier (for the 1st time!), and Garden Grill. I think in that order although I'm doing it from memory. We tend to stay at the parks through lunch and then maybe hit one more attraction before heading back for swim/rest. We then change into slightly nicer clothes (polo shirts with khaki shorts fornboys and sundresses for girls) and head to an early dinner. This way I don't have to worry bout planning park days around dining at 180 days out.
We often eat sit-down lunches, too, with the TIW card my kids can share meals (except buffets of course) so we save a little there. breakfast is usually in the room.
I'll check eBay for pin trading stuff. I've heard other good reports from eBay.
Thank you for your help!

Amanda

 

[natebenma]

Amanda-

Breathe!!!

I think you will be perfectly fine without lunch ADRs. If you can't get in there are plenty of great CS in most of the parks. Although I think you said Tom enjoys his AC. In MK, CHH is nice, especially the upstairs seating. EP has Sunshine Seasons, lots of choices. In AK, I guess I would recommend Tamu Tamu. The seating is outside, but it is in a pretty, shaded courtyard. And you should be able to get into the Play n Dine. If you walkup and they tell you there is no room, try calling the Dining Line to get a reservation. Or vice versa.

Pins- we have ordered pins from ebay twice. I believe there is a list of "acceptable sellers" on the Pin-Trading board. The seller we used for pins last summer was MousePinsOnline. No problems with the transaction.

 

[beebeeryan]

I'm gonna borrow the Pin Trading info you get, I think the kids would be into that now. Might just get them a couple and see how it goes.

If you slow down like you say, I think you will find it relaxing and a real vacation. We planned enough last year, but part of the plan was taking it easy every afternoon and we did have a waterpark day. Honestly, everyone was saying we would need a vacation when we got back, that Disney was not a vacation for adults with kids, but we didn't find that. We all had a fantastic time and relaxed. We took swim breaks every afternoon, did not have ADR's every night, but almost and just kinda planned the first two attractions at each park and then followed the kid's lead on what they wanted. Luckily late August is not crowded so lines were not much of an issue so it worked nicely and explains why I was always soaking wet. Anytime we dried off the kids insisted we go back to Splash Mountain and get soaked again. My DH also does not handle 24/7 kids time too well, but luckily Disney brought out the best in all of us and we had no meltdowns, not even Daddy!

 

[-Hope-]

We got our pins and lanyards on eBay. I just made sure to buy from a reputable seller that stated the pins were authentic, 100% tradeable, and had the Mickey Head rubber backings. You might want to think of something other than a lanyard (a small backpack perhaps or a hat) because my kids eventually got tired of wearing the lanyards and said they rubbed their neck. They get heavy since they have the pins on them and just aren't all that comfortable for kids.

I think you should definitely plan to be as laid back as you need to be. You go to WDW often enough that you don't need to try to do it all in every trip. If you miss something it will still be there when you decide to go back. I made the mistake of thinking we needed to see it all on our trip since we probably wouldn't be going back anytime soon and was in tears on the second night- once I decided to just go with the flow we ALL had a much better time.

 

[DrMomof3]

Amanda-

Breathe!!!

I think you will be perfectly fine without lunch ADRs. If you can't get in there are plenty of great CS in most of the parks. Although I think you said Tom enjoys his AC. In MK, CHH is nice, especially the upstairs seating. EP has Sunshine Seasons, lots of choices. In AK, I guess I would recommend Tamu Tamu. The seating is outside, but it is in a pretty, shaded courtyard. And you should be able to get into the Play n Dine. If you walkup and they tell you there is no room, try calling the Dining Line to get a reservation. Or vice versa.

Pins- we have ordered pins from ebay twice. I believe there is a list of "acceptable sellers" on the Pin-Trading board. The seller we used for pins last summer was MousePinsOnline. No problems with the transaction.

Thanks for the pin info!!! Tom has always rolled his eyes at pin trading so I'm debating whether he'll find it annoying or he'll enjoy that the kids like it.
We've often done day-of lunch ADRs. Tom really likes Rainforest Cafe at AK (I know, the one restaurant that everyone else seems to hate - go figure! ). We've only done Play n Dine and Brown Derby at DHS but I'm sure we can find something to eat. I don't mind CS but I find it hard for us to manage 3 kids and 2-3 trays of food and scrambling to find a table that will fit all of us. Sometimes it's easier to have someone serve you. I have realized that even thinking about lunch ADRs requires me to plan my days and I just don't want to do that right now. I have a vague sense of where we might go on various days but I'm going to leave it a bit more open.

I'm gonna borrow the Pin Trading info you get, I think the kids would be into that now. Might just get them a couple and see how it goes.

If you slow down like you say, I think you will find it relaxing and a real vacation. We planned enough last year, but part of the plan was taking it easy every afternoon and we did have a waterpark day. Honestly, everyone was saying we would need a vacation when we got back, that Disney was not a vacation for adults with kids, but we didn't find that. We all had a fantastic time and relaxed. We took swim breaks every afternoon, did not have ADR's every night, but almost and just kinda planned the first two attractions at each park and then followed the kid's lead on what they wanted. Luckily late August is not crowded so lines were not much of an issue so it worked nicely and explains why I was always soaking wet. Anytime we dried off the kids insisted we go back to Splash Mountain and get soaked again. My DH also does not handle 24/7 kids time too well, but luckily Disney brought out the best in all of us and we had no meltdowns, not even Daddy!

We've always done afternoon breaks. I mean we may have had the odd day where we kept going a big longer but usually we return back to the room after lunch. I like the idea of letting the kids pick and choose, even if it's not the most efficient touring plans.

We got our pins and lanyards on eBay. I just made sure to buy from a reputable seller that stated the pins were authentic, 100% tradeable, and had the Mickey Head rubber backings. You might want to think of something other than a lanyard (a small backpack perhaps or a hat) because my kids eventually got tired of wearing the lanyards and said they rubbed their neck. They get heavy since they have the pins on them and just aren't all that comfortable for kids.

I think you should definitely plan to be as laid back as you need to be. You go to WDW often enough that you don't need to try to do it all in every trip. If you miss something it will still be there when you decide to go back. I made the mistake of thinking we needed to see it all on our trip since we probably wouldn't be going back anytime soon and was in tears on the second night- once I decided to just go with the flow we ALL had a much better time.

Thanks Hope. I remember your "melt down" from your trip and I think it's easy to get ourselves into that state! I've been trying to get a sense of what's truly important to each child. Obviously Zachary is too young to really remember those kinds of details but I think we can assume IASW, Dumbo, Disney Junior as important. I want to make sure each child feels that s/he has input into what we definitely do and then we can leave the rest to whimsy!

Amanda

 

[starann]

PHEW....all caught up!!! Thank goodness for a baby that will nap!!!! (well at least during the day, he doesn't sleep at night!).

I say skip making ADRs for lunch...it allows for a 'go with the flow' kinda day AND may open you up to trying someplace new!

We have never dones the pin trading....my kids know nothing about it, so I've never told them more (figure it will save me tons of money!).

I've caught up with several TR and PTR I had subbed to and now I ahve the itch.....BAD. DH says no trips until this house has a roof on it (yet this years tax return went to buying him a new truck...grrrrr). BUT I figure that we HAVE to go back next year (2012) as the followign Dec Cody will turn 10 and will be an 'adult' and Casey will be creeping up to 3, which means we have to pay for him too. So the wheels are turning and I've spent most of the day on the DIS and WDW.com pricing out trips, trying to figure out how much of a bonus each month I need to make and hide away to plan a surprise trip..... you gals are gonna get me into trouble!!!!

 

[DrMomof3]

PHEW....all caught up!!! Thank goodness for a baby that will nap!!!! (well at least during the day, he doesn't sleep at night!).

I say skip making ADRs for lunch...it allows for a 'go with the flow' kinda day AND may open you up to trying someplace new!

We have never dones the pin trading....my kids know nothing about it, so I've never told them more (figure it will save me tons of money!).

I've caught up with several TR and PTR I had subbed to and now I ahve the itch.....BAD. DH says no trips until this house has a roof on it (yet this years tax return went to buying him a new truck...grrrrr). BUT I figure that we HAVE to go back next year (2012) as the followign Dec Cody will turn 10 and will be an 'adult' and Casey will be creeping up to 3, which means we have to pay for him too. So the wheels are turning and I've spent most of the day on the DIS and WDW.com pricing out trips, trying to figure out how much of a bonus each month I need to make and hide away to plan a surprise trip..... you gals are gonna get me into trouble!!!!

Welcome back! And congrats on the new baby!!!!

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

I need a trip to Disney RIGHT NOW!!!!
I haven't been keeping up very well because I'm getting killed at work. One of the guys who worked part-time left at the end of April and my work load has increased exponentially. Just in time for summer. I honestly don't know how long I can keep up this work pace as I'm exhausted. I almost never get sick and I've just gotten over a cold/sinus infection and now it's starting again.
The kids and I went to a street carnival this weekend and came home with 3 hard-won goldfish. I did warn the kids that the fish have a short life-expectancy!
I'm really looking forward to our trip. My schedule is so crazy right now that I really need a break. I only wish it were sooner!!!
I guess I will come up with a tentative day by day plan but leave this open.
We watched Cars this weekend. Love that movie! Can't wait for Cars 2!

Amanda

 

[klacey1]

Girl, I'm sooooo with you in needing vacation (although I'm sure you're feeling it even worse than me, being that you certainly have a much more stressful job and three children!). I just started a new job and spent the first week in misery due to allergies. I felt stuffy again this morning and thought CRAP to myself. I do NOT want to go through that again this season!
I started a PTR for our trip if you want to check it out!

 

[DrMomof3]

Girl, I'm sooooo with you in needing vacation (although I'm sure you're feeling it even worse than me, being that you certainly have a much more stressful job and three children!). I just started a new job and spent the first week in misery due to allergies. I felt stuffy again this morning and thought CRAP to myself. I do NOT want to go through that again this season!
I started a PTR for our trip if you want to check it out!

The allergies right now are killer!!!!

I just spent a small fortune buying APs for our trip in August. The prices are going up tomorrow so I save $68 by buying them today. I hadn't really budgeted that money this month (the prices usually increase in August) but Tom has some unexpected $$$ coming in the next week or two so it'll be fine. I bought a new AP for Zachary and then for Tom and me. I can't renew the other APs until August so they'll be at the higher price. Then again, renewals are still cheaper than new APs.

Amanda

 

[Kat in GA]

Joining in - and all caught up!

I'll be there at the same time - August 26 - Sept 4 - for a moms trip.

We are also leaving in 2 weeks and then staying for two weeks. I am really hoping that will be a relaxing trip - off site, no ADRs - but heat and crowds (oh my!). We'll see how it all goes!

Looking forward to hearing more about your plans!

 

[Dsnygrl1205]

Hey Amanda! Sorry I have been absent from your PTR but I'm all caught up now! I love the idea of not making ADRs before a trip. We did a lot of impromptu sit down meals on March and it worked out great! I had my laptop with me and made a few reservations two hours beforehand!

As far as choosing between BB and TL I Like BB for the better slides but I love TL's atmosphere so for me it would be TL. With young ones thought BB is probably better. That wave pool at TL is intense.

Hope you and the family are doing well!

 

[DrMomof3]

Joining in - and all caught up!

I'll be there at the same time - August 26 - Sept 4 - for a moms trip.

We are also leaving in 2 weeks and then staying for two weeks. I am really hoping that will be a relaxing trip - off site, no ADRs - but heat and crowds (oh my!). We'll see how it all goes!

Looking forward to hearing more about your plans!

Welcome! That's cool that our trips almost completely overlap!

Hey Amanda! Sorry I have been absent from your PTR but I'm all caught up now! I love the idea of not making ADRs before a trip. We did a lot of impromptu sit down meals on March and it worked out great! I had my laptop with me and made a few reservations two hours beforehand!

As far as choosing between BB and TL I Like BB for the better slides but I love TL's atmosphere so for me it would be TL. With young ones thought BB is probably better. That wave pool at TL is intense.

Hope you and the family are doing well!

Welcome back! I haven't been great about posting either. We'll probably figure things out a little more when the trip is closer. That's when Tom starts taking interest.

Thanks for the advice on the waterparks. Still not 100% about going...

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

I know I've been MIA. Work is crazy right now. Not exactly what I want as summer is starting.
I haven't done much trip planning lately. I feel like things are status quo for now. We did buy our APs and I'll get a TIW card when we're there. I need to figure out how to get my TIW card before our 1st dinner at Chef Mickey.
I also need to start thinking about our October cruise as well as Marathon Weekend in January. I'm pricing rooms for January. No discounts yet but we have time. Tom is leaning towards trying the Grand Floridian. I personally think Poly is a better location for the races because you can walk to the Epcot monorail in the early morning. Kids really want to run the kids' races this time. Not sure when I need to sign them up...

Amanda

 

[-Hope-]

GF is beautiful but a bit formal for my tastes- and I do think the Poly is a better location. But I'm sure you guys will work it out.

 

[Kat in GA]

I know I've been MIA. Work is crazy right now. Not exactly what I want as summer is starting.
I haven't done much trip planning lately. I feel like things are status quo for now. We did buy our APs and I'll get a TIW card when we're there. I need to figure out how to get my TIW card before our 1st dinner at Chef Mickey.
I also need to start thinking about our October cruise as well as Marathon Weekend in January. I'm pricing rooms for January. No discounts yet but we have time. Tom is leaning towards trying the Grand Floridian. I personally think Poly is a better location for the races because you can walk to the Epcot monorail in the early morning. Kids really want to run the kids' races this time. Not sure when I need to sign them up...

Amanda

Do you find that there is a "season" to your work - or is it busy just because ya'll are short handed??

I keep debating the TIW card. It seems a lot to spend for such a small discount. But...it does include alcohol...such a dilemma!!

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

I saw that you got APs; did you get them before the price increase? I hope you get a little time soon to relax!

 

[DrMomof3]

GF is beautiful but a bit formal for my tastes- and I do think the Poly is a better location. But I'm sure you guys will work it out.

I agree!

Do you find that there is a "season" to your work - or is it busy just because ya'll are short handed??

I keep debating the TIW card. It seems a lot to spend for such a small discount. But...it does include alcohol...such a dilemma!!

There is some seasonality. Summer and school breaks are even more insane than usual because we try to do "big" surgery when kids are out of school. But the sudden increase in busy-ness is due to being short-handed. One of the part-timers left (this was not unexpected but I was hoping we'd have a new full-time person in place before he left). We are actively recruiting so I hope we get someone new soon!

I love our TIW card. The one time we had free dining, we didn't really like it. We greatly prefer sit-down meals to counter-service and usually brings snacks instead of buying them. With the TIW card the kids can share meals if I don't think they'll eat a lot and we can order appetizers/salads instead of dessert. Tom and I also like to drink (now we sound like lushes but we're very responsible with our drinking, I swear! ) so that helps, too. We are New Yorkers so we're used to eating in nicer restaurants and that carries over to our vacation style.

I saw that you got APs; did you get them before the price increase? I hope you get a little time soon to relax!

We bought the APs before the price increase. I had NOT budgeted APs into my June budget but couldn't resist the savings. Nathaniel and Jessica's have APs that expire right as our trip is starting so we couldn't renew yet (Zachary was only 2 last year so didn't need a park ticket). After spending $$$ that we didn't really have I got lucky because Tom received an unexpected check the following week.

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

Let me try to do a bit of a trip/life update. Things are CRAZY right now. I've been working about 55 hours per week recently. This is definitely NOT what I signed up for and I sincerely hope my holiday bonus reflects the fact that I'm getting killed at work!!!
In happier news Jessica graduated pre-K on Friday. I bought her a cute shirt off Etsy that had Mickey Mouse ears with a graduation hat. It had her name on the graduation cap (in pink, of course) and the on the Mickey head it said, "Kindergarten here I come." There was some drama with the post office but we finally gave it to her yesterday. Each child led a song at graduation (in pairs or trios) and Jessica's song was "Zippity Doo Dah" which seemed very appropriate. Everyone knows that we're Disney regulars and Jessica LOVES Splash Mountain. She was definitely made for the stage!!! I took Friday off and after graduation Jessica and I went to Build a Bear (she had a gift card from her birthday and I paid the extra). It was really fun. We also bought Tom an iPad for Father's Day. In addition we stopped by Gymboree and found a cute outfit for less than $10. A good day overall! Graduation dinner was at our local Hibachi place. The kids were super excited and the Chef lived up to expectations. I think they appreciate a good audience and my older two were great!
Thursday night was the graduation dinner for my residents. It's always held at the New York Botanical Garden. It's a beautiful setting with excellent food. The residents always make a video which makes fun of the full-time faculty. They did a hilarious job of mocking me for my Disney-addiction and routine Facebook updates. I was honestly crying from laughing so hard!!! Tom has a Mickey Mouse tie and I made him wear it to the dinner (I suspected the theme of my mocking) so that was great. It was a fun night out!
Wednesday night we scored 4 free Yankee tickets. Poor Zachary was left home with the nanny (we had her take him out to California Pizza Kitchen before we left so he wouldn't feel bad). I don't know that the kids watched the game at all but we had a blast! The guys sitting around us were great (sometimes the Yankee game can be a tough crowd so we were very, very lucky). This was Jessica's first Yankee game. She was dressed in head to toe pink Yankee gear and was a huge hit with everyone. She and I bought Zachary a Mickey Mouse wearing a Yankee uniform. Too cute! she really wanted a Minnie Mouse Yankee hat but we had already spent a small fortune on food/snacks/drinks so we declined.
Friday morning was also Nathaniel's end of the year school concert. I was at Jessica's graduation so I missed it. He's usually pretty shy but did well. He didn't look at the audience but said his lines. He showed Popsie (my step-dad) his computer artwork which is amazing! He's really a talented artist! I love that his computer-generated artwork is every bit as good as his hand-drawn stuff. His 7 year old dream is to be an architect (combining building with artwork) but I harbor hopes of animation or Imagineer.
Saturday was Nathaniel's first violin recital. He was SO nervous but rose to the occasion. We were SO proud of him!!! He was freaking out before his turn but stood up and played like a champion. I'm so proud of him (and the other kids - we're very blessed!). Jessica had her interview for the music school in the fall and was accepted to start piano lessons. Next year I imagine we'll have 2 recitals!
After a few weeks of poor effort on my part, I'm back on track with my running. I also told Tom that his half marathon training is starting in 2 weeks - ready or not! I'm determined to see him finish this time around. He's pretty set on staying Club Level at the Grand Floridian. It's only a 4 night trip and I've heard great things so that's fine. It's a bit ironic because he's usually the one telling me to spend less $$$. I haven't made our reservation yet but I'll do that soon.

Amanda

 

[starann]

Let me try to do a bit of a trip/life update. Things are CRAZY right now. I've been working about 55 hours per week recently. This is definitely NOT what I signed up for and I sincerely hope my holiday bonus reflects the fact that I'm getting killed at work!!!
In happier news Jessica graduated pre-K on Friday. I bought her a cute shirt off Etsy that had Mickey Mouse ears with a graduation hat. It had her name on the graduation cap (in pink, of course) and the on the Mickey head it said, "Kindergarten here I come." There was some drama with the post office but we finally gave it to her yesterday. Each child led a song at graduation (in pairs or trios) and Jessica's song was "Zippity Doo Dah" which seemed very appropriate. Everyone knows that we're Disney regulars and Jessica LOVES Splash Mountain. She was definitely made for the stage!!! I took Friday off and after graduation Jessica and I went to Build a Bear (she had a gift card from her birthday and I paid the extra). It was really fun. We also bought Tom an iPad for Father's Day. In addition we stopped by Gymboree and found a cute outfit for less than $10. A good day overall! Graduation dinner was at our local Hibachi place. The kids were super excited and the Chef lived up to expectations. I think they appreciate a good audience and my older two were great!
Thursday night was the graduation dinner for my residents. It's always held at the New York Botanical Garden. It's a beautiful setting with excellent food. The residents always make a video which makes fun of the full-time faculty. They did a hilarious job of mocking me for my Disney-addiction and routine Facebook updates. I was honestly crying from laughing so hard!!! Tom has a Mickey Mouse tie and I made him wear it to the dinner (I suspected the theme of my mocking) so that was great. It was a fun night out!
Wednesday night we scored 4 free Yankee tickets. Poor Zachary was left home with the nanny (we had her take him out to California Pizza Kitchen before we left so he wouldn't feel bad). I don't know that the kids watched the game at all but we had a blast! The guys sitting around us were great (sometimes the Yankee game can be a tough crowd so we were very, very lucky). This was Jessica's first Yankee game. She was dressed in head to toe pink Yankee gear and was a huge hit with everyone. She and I bought Zachary a Mickey Mouse wearing a Yankee uniform. Too cute! she really wanted a Minnie Mouse Yankee hat but we had already spent a small fortune on food/snacks/drinks so we declined.
Friday morning was also Nathaniel's end of the year school concert. I was at Jessica's graduation so I missed it. He's usually pretty shy but did well. He didn't look at the audience but said his lines. He showed Popsie (my step-dad) his computer artwork which is amazing! He's really a talented artist! I love that his computer-generated artwork is every bit as good as his hand-drawn stuff. His 7 year old dream is to be an architect (combining building with artwork) but I harbor hopes of animation or Imagineer.
Saturday was Nathaniel's first violin recital. He was SO nervous but rose to the occasion. We were SO proud of him!!! He was freaking out before his turn but stood up and played like a champion. I'm so proud of him (and the other kids - we're very blessed!). Jessica had her interview for the music school in the fall and was accepted to start piano lessons. Next year I imagine we'll have 2 recitals!
After a few weeks of poor effort on my part, I'm back on track with my running. I also told Tom that his half marathon training is starting in 2 weeks - ready or not! I'm determined to see him finish this time around. He's pretty set on staying Club Level at the Grand Floridian. It's only a 4 night trip and I've heard great things so that's fine. It's a bit ironic because he's usually the one telling me to spend less $$$. I haven't made our reservation yet but I'll do that soon.

Amanda

WOW, losts of great things going on in your neck of the woods! Too funny about the residents. Your post reminded me that starting July 1st, all the 'fun' begins with the newbies....grrrrr, just in time for me to return from maternity leave!

So excited for all your trips....I'm still working on DH to plan one for next year. I think if I can bonus at work (which will be harder, as with the Medicare reimbursement cut backs, the number of patients we HAVE to see a day is increasing, yet our pay is not, so more work, the same money!) I can stash that money away and plan our trip. I'll have a better idea once my boss figues out our bonuses next month.

My mom kept saying she wants to take al lthe grandkids and stay at GF... I told her only if she takes me!