A Few of My Favorite Things, A Race & Scrapbook Pages, Too! FINAL THOUGHTS

[momabaarjo]

Just a quick check in to let everyone know that I have not disappeared. We had a very nice (and snowy) 5 day weekend at the cabin where I got a lot of scrapbooking done...ToT album is almost complete...did a lot of reading, sleeping, and eating too! I hope everyone's time was also blessed.

I hope to get a good TR update done tonight...but the next 3 weeks are CRAZY (yep, I have been accused of being CRAZY) busy with school programs, sporting events, and other activities...

Just to hold you over here is a scrapbook page...

​

 

[lovethattink]

Love all the scrapbook pages. Here's wishing you the best as you go through your busy 3 weeks. Glad you got to the cabin. It's nice to stop and smell the roses at Disney. There is really is so much attention to detail that can be missed when hurrying along.

 

[momabaarjo]

#17 New Test Track: A Design Challenge Success
Wednesday AM (October 2)​

(Photobucket is being such a pain with resizing and uploading that I have decided just to share scrapbook pages and write about the Favorite thing rather then share pictures too.)​

After making a run to the Customs House we made a trip over to Port Royale to pick up our mugs (needing get a little morning wake up) before heading back to the room to dump the knee the knee scooter (Cammy had decided that it would be more of a pain then a help) and then to the bus stop. All of this and we still managed to make to Epcot prior to opening.

​

I had somewhat a touring plan in mind for the morning, so we could hit the major attractions and have plenty of time for F&W. Our first stop was to head over to Soarin and pick up FP for later on, LOL that was the plan anyway. We picked up our FP and then decided to ride since there was not wait yet. Love it when you get to walk on. Cammy was excited to ride, since when she was at DL last year the ride was down for maintance the day she was there and she was not disappointed. While I don’t love Soarin, I do like it a lot…especially the smells and the sense of freedom it gives you. Sadly, we had to be seated in the same row as family of 4 that were really rude and loud. Plus they needed a personal lesson in body space as the son in the group (probably around 20) decided that he needed to be a bird and kept throwing his hand out to the sides and hitting the both of us with his arm span. I hate when people ruin the ride for you, but hey we have FP for later. Next we walked across through Innovations to Test Track. I was curious to see and experience the new refurbishments made to the ride and I knew that Cammy being a car nut kind of girl was going to love it. Our wait time was less than 10 minutes before we were ushered into the design room where Cammy took over and designed our car. The entire time, I kept thinking how my boys were going to love this part!


After designing the doors opened and we were ushered towards the ride line. Here is the part that I HATED…another mess just like at Haunted Mansion. They put everyone into one room, then open the doors to the ride line and it is chaos of people pushing and shoving to get in line first. We hung back some to let others go ahead just to avoid the situation and ended up with some lady getting mad at us for holding up the line (guess she wanted us to push and shove). Ugh, can’t win. The line actually moved relatively fast to be loaded into the cars. Then it was off for a little test of our designing skills, Cammy did a great job because we were first for most of the design tests from all the designs in our cars and when we exited we found her design being spotlighted on the leader board. Afterwards we made our way into the showroom, where we looked at a few of the cars for fun and I commented how I could not wait to bring my car loving boys back to TT.


It was then time to use the FP for Soarin and we had just enough time to get it done and pick up a FP for TT before a very special breakfast I arranged just for her.

 

[momabaarjo]

Love all the scrapbook pages. Here's wishing you the best as you go through your busy 3 weeks. Glad you got to the cabin. It's nice to stop and smell the roses at Disney. There is really is so much attention to detail that can be missed when hurrying along.

Thanks Michelle! I am so ready to be done with these crazy weeks before Christmas. This week is going to be the worst of it...something (actually 2-3 things) each night. Divide and conquer is what we have to do...thank goodness Ab is driving and can get herself to where she needs to be! It was a nice little trip to the cabin, but way too much snow this year!

I wish I could totally learn to stop and smell the roses at WDW...some day!

 

[momabaarjo]

Tammie, I have fallen behind (I KNOW you aren't surprised).

LOVE all of the new scrapbook pages, I wish I had that talent!

​

Fallen behind...I can't even keep up with yours...rest assured that I pop in and read! I hope in catch up during Christmas.

Not a lot of talent...it is so easy really to create pages!

Hope your Thanksgiving was blessed!

 

[momabaarjo]

How About a Little Life Update....

If you noticed I have 2 tickers at the bottom of the page...one is for a future trip to WDW (which I will start a PTR on after this TR is finished) BUT the other one is for a family trip this summer. I had planned that we would head to the west coast this summer and check out CARSland at DL but life likes to throw curve balls.

My 2 oldest (Ab and Boo) are part of a Boy Scout/Ranger/Girl Scout dance group called the Kwahadi Dancers and every year at the end of summer they go on tour after summer show schedule is over and dance for church groups/boy scout/girl scout troops all over the world. This summer the tour is going to Europe and we have decided as a family to make it a once in a lifetime trip for all of us. The tour starts in Rome, then on to Venice, Florence, Genva, Paris, Normandy, London and throughout England. The tour itself is 3 weeks, but we are going as a family a week earlier and take in all of Rome and a few other places in Italy before the group arrives...

​

when they arrive we are going to meet up with them and when the tour gets to London Jeff, Goo and I will head home leaving Ab and Boo the last week of dancing throughout England for another week.

Right before Thanksgiving we had to book our airline tickets since the group was booking and we had to make sure Ab and Boo made the same flight home as the show group...I was hoping that we could wait until midSpring and I could stalk the airlines...and build up a few more airline miles. But that was not possible...which really is a blessing that I don't have to stress over trying to find the best deal. We really did get a pretty good price, so I am not to disappointed. YIKES...the cost of the tickets was almost double what I spent on a 2 week Christmas trip to Orlando.

With dates nailed down, I could focus on finding a place to stay in Rome for the week before the tour. After a lot of research I discovered that it would be cheaper for us to rent an apartment in Rome for the week...and I found and apartment right where I wanted to be for a reasonable price, plus it just screams Rome to me, exactly what I think of when I think of Rome. I signed the contract yesterday and put our deposit down on the apartment.

​

This is our apartment windows and the street the apartment is located on (very back left hand side). Once I make up my mind, I don't find the need to constantly second guess...Now that flights and a place to stay are finalized I get to focus on MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT PLANNING...WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO & EAT.

 

[swwake]

Wow Tammie! That is VERY exciting. What a trip!

 

[lovethattink]

That's so great! It will be a trip of a lifetime! Congrats on flights booked and apt contract signed!

 

[momabaarjo]

Here is the scrapbook page for Test Track!

​

 

[momabaarjo]

Wow Tammie! That is VERY exciting. What a trip!

That's so great! It will be a trip of a lifetime! Congrats on flights booked and apt contract signed!

It is going to be quite the trip...I have something to OVERPLAN! I am feeling a little bit overwhelmed with the tour plans right now. Trying to figure out if we need to hire a few tour guides or just pay for a couple of tours.

People say it is so English friendly...but I am worried about communication! Doing my best to learn a few phrases in Italian!

I am really excited about going back to London...I have not been there since I was in my teens. I love British history...Jeff and Goo are going to be in for a couple of packed days (while Ab and Boo continue on tour) before our flight leaves!

 

[momabaarjo]

#16 Tusker House: Waiting to get our day Started All Morning Long
Friday AM (October 4)​

Friday morning, after partying the night before with Mickey, we found us sleeping in just a little bit or at least Cammy (remember I am a morning person, not so much a night owl). While Cammy slept, I slipped out and enjoyed the morning with a little run around Barefoot Bay.

​

We managed to get out of the door around 8:30, plenty of time to get to AK around opening, right?! Wrong, little did we know something was happening at AK that would mess up the morning touring plan. We waited, and waited, and waited for an AK bus…and finally almost 45 minutes later the AK bus arrived. So we did not make opening, no big deal according to Touring Plans it was a low crowd day, no worries. Wrong…something was wrong at AK. Instead of pulling into the bus area we found ourselves in a long line entering through the main parking lot…in line with taxis, other buses, and cars, plus when we approached closer to the entrance of AK we had to wait for people to cross the road.

​

Total chaos, finally we were taken about midparking lot and unloaded. WHAT?! Even the bus driver did not know what was going on and looking over at the normal Disney Transportation Loading/Unloading Area, something was up…because there were security cars and a lot of people combing the area. YIKES. All said and done we left arrived at CBR bus stop at 8:30 and entered AK at 10:15…almost 2 hours later. I had already adjusted the plans in my mind for the morning as we entered the gate; a little unmagically I must say. I was feeling like Grumpy’s grumpier cousin but then the magic happened…

​

there in the Oasis was DIVINE! I had so wanted to see her on my last trip, but never found her. She was just as beautiful and graceful as I had imagined what a great way to recapture some of the magic after our unmagical start! We lingered watching her for a few moments, before having just enough time to pick up a fastpass before breakfast reservations. Fastpasses in hand, it was a quick walk back to Tusker House, a new experience for both of us. Everyone needs to eat with Mickey and the gang at least once, right!? I was really looking forward to the meal and having a little adventure in eating. Right on time, we were taken to take our pictures with Donald, explained the set up of the buffet and then seated. After all the waits this morning, it was nice to have things running back on schedule…but just as I think that, we found ourselves waiting lots more before the meal was through. We sat and waited for our server to arrive for a good 10 minutes and just as we had decided to head to the buffet she arrives…then food seems not being replenished in a timely manner…long lines at buffet stations…as I am looking over the selections I get to listen is as a chef is going over selections with a parent whose child has allergies. I am so glad I did, because I then had an inside to all of the “African” dishes on the buffet! Finally, with a full plate in hand we sit down to enjoy our meal and the atmosphere around us. My plate had lots of interesting items…

​

Beef Bobtie Quiche, Yam Casserole, Mealie Pap (Porridge), Spiced Corned Beef Hash. I have to say that my favorite of everything I tried was the Mealie Pap (even had 2 bowls of it) and the rest of the ethnic dishes were a disappointment to me and I picked at them leaving a pretty full plate before returning to the buffet for a few not so ethnic selections…the cheese blitzes are amazing!

As for the atmosphere, I loved watching character breakfasts and the interactions of the characters with the guests…so much magic…a great way to get rid of the grumpiness and anticipate your time with the characters. Well, it was fun until just as we finished our meal and the characters were just about to get to our table…well the dang parade started and after that character break. I knew that Cammy really wanted to have her picture taken with her favorite, Goofy…so we sat and waited and waited and waited…thank goodness for Jambo juice! Our server apologized over and over, while we were waiting…finally it was our time to enjoy a little of the magic…

​

Let’s recap…left room at 8:30 am it is now close to noon and in 4 hours all we have done is to arrive at AK, get a fastpass and eat breakfast. UGH, good thing that I have matured into a Disney Queen and no longer feel the need to be OCD when it comes to planning a Disney trip! There was one way to chase away this grumpiness...time for a little safari and a trek through the forests of Africa.

 

[momabaarjo]

​

 

[swwake]

I think I'd like to try Tusker House for breakfast someday. Sounds like the menu is much like Boma's breakfast, which is fantastic.

 

[lovethattink]

Love the update. Bummer you had to wait so long for Goofy. We really enjoyed TH breakfast. Although dh was like you and did not enjoy the ethnic dishes. He pigged out on the Krispie Kreme donuts. Another fine looking scrap book page!

 

[momabaarjo]

Here is the page for Philharmagic...the TR was found HERE

​

 

[momabaarjo]

#14 Villain Party (Post Race Party)​

I know that everyone is hanging on for the Race Report...I am sorry that it is taking me so long to get there. I am hoping to have this TR wrapped up in the next month or so...dying to get a new PTR started. Let's just say that running 10 miles (Plus) did not stop me from having a good time at the Villain Party and the time went by way too fast!

​

I have been feeling really blue this week...2 years ago at this time I was busting with last minute trip preparations for our surprise Christmas Trip. I have several friends in WDW and seeing all their pictures is making me VERY HOMESICK.

I did get out and run today...35 degrees and wind (along with left over snow and ice) is not my most favorite way to run...but I got out there and it felt really good! I have been looking at a couple 1/2 marathons this spring, I so want to sign up for one...but I know that I am no where near ready or will be ready to do a 1/2 in the next couple of months.

 

[blessedmom4]

Tammie, SO excited for your future trips!!



From our family to yours!




I know I am far behind on your report; however, you are always in my prayers.​

 

[momabaarjo]

Tammie, SO excited for your future trips!!



From our family to yours!




I know I am far behind on your report; however, you are always in my prayers.​

Thank you...Lets not even talk about how far behind I am on your PTR! I need a day or a few days to catch up. It has been so crazy busy around here since Thanksgiving. I am so ready to slow down! Hope your Christmas was wonderful and magical!

 

[momabaarjo]

13. WWOHP: Morning Date with Harry
(Thursday Morning)​

WWOHP was not in my original trip plans, which had me a little sad…but with Cammy along she begged me to try to fit in our plans. Honestly, it did not take much begging to get me to agree to a little Butter Beer and some Hogwarts. I love the “dark” side of Orlando, for the thrill rides and most of all for a chance to be with Harry. So after breakfast at Kona, we met our driver who was taking us to IOA outside of the POLY. I love when drivers are early. It felt strange to me as we were let out near the parking garage at City Walk to be entering Universal this way…my last couple trips found me walking from the Royal Pacific Resort.

​

In no time we had walked through City Walk and over the bridge to IOA...

​

where we were still just about 10 minutes before park opening.

​

I grabbed a map while we waited in line to show Cammy the layout and where we were headed. I really was not too worried about the crowds, Harry is best to do right at opening or right at closing…and I have been to Hogwarts enough to know how everything works. Right on time the gates swung open and we found ourselves moving with the crowd towards Seuss Landing, but here is where we left the crowd and took a little shortcut behind Seuss Landing. Cammy, with both a shocked and confused face wanted to know what we were doing and I told her give me a couple of minutes and you will see…as we approached the Lost Continent Bridge I told Cammy to look back into Seuss Landing. She grinned…we were now in front of the crowd and remained the way was we passed through the Lost Continent. As we rounded the corner, there in front of us was every fan of Harry Potter’s Dream come true…Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts Express. Dragging Cammy through Hogsmeade was a little challenging, but I promised her that she would get to see everything in a few minutes, but first we had to get to Hogwarts. As we passed by the last shop there in front of us is my second favorite view in Orlando (first has to be Cinderella’s Castle at Christmas)…

​

HOGWARTS and even better no stand by line time posted. I quickly ushered us into the AWFUL ride locker room where we stowed our belongings and then we made our way first under Hogwarts and then into the castle. Cammy was full of screams of delights as we made our way through the various castle rooms before arriving to the Forbidden Journey and whisked away on our brooms to fly with Harry!

​

It was “AGAIN, AGAIN” from Cammy when we arrived back to the Great Hall…and of course I agreed since this is my favorite ride of all. This time, I took Cammy up the single rider line entrance, since the stand by line had already grown to almost 30 minutes and we walked right on. Afterwards we spent a little time shopping in Filches before making our way to Flight of the Hippogriff. Then it was the next moment I was waiting for…okay salivating for…getting my 2nd favorite drink (stay tuned for my favorite). With Butter Beers in hand I took to my favorite spot to enjoy our drinks and sit in awe of Hogwarts…a little place that few people know of that offers a little peace from all the people to sit back at relax...

​

When we were finished with our butter beers it was time to do some serious shopping in Hogsmeade, or at least some serious window shopping. While in Honeydukes, I picked up a couple of chocolate wands and some peppered imps…for my muggle children back at home. We then stowed our purchases into the next set of lockers and headed for the Dueling Dragons…and of course we had to try out both sides since there basically was not a line! It was pretty funny with Cammy’s boot…she had to take the boot off during the ride and leave with the attendant who gave her a flip flop to sit upon as she rode (in case the ride was stuck, which happened the week after we returned). We ended up having to do that on several rides during the day! After spending much of the morning with Harry we decided to check out the rest of IOA (with of course another round of butter beer in our hands) which included getting completely soaked on Jurassic Park where we ended up completely soaked and full of giggles...

​

a quick walk through of Toon Lagoon (no need to get anymore wet), an Adventure with Spiderman, a tiny drop with Dr. Dread (very disappointing but we did get to watch a mother drag her daughter who was about 8 onto the ride…I had to smile and feel sorry for the mother and the daughter at the same time…of course we ended riding with them and I am happy to report that the dd lived through the experience), some heart pumping loops with the Hulk...

​

and an elementary teachers picture book come to colorful life in Seuss Landing...

​

and 1 more round of butter beer before walking back out IOA gates and towards our waiting car…because we had an evening date with the OTHER man in Orlando for the evening!

 

[momabaarjo]

And here is the scrapbook page for #13 WWoHP...

​