A May 2010 PTR: I Got A Job....Let's Go See Mickey!*Update 4/15!!

[leamom2princesses]

The itch must be in the air Julia! I've been second guessing the Poly. We really love CBR so I'm wondering if the money for the Poly is worth it.

I just got caught up and I'm loving Sarah Kate's birthday party pics. I love pink and brown too.

How exciting on the Dollywood passes. We talk about going there every year (it's about a 4 hr drive) but we never make it. It looks like a great place to visit. Congrats on such a great deal!

 

[jordanyosh]

CBR is a wonderful resort, but I LOVE pop for some odd reason.

You'll like having a refrigerator at CBR and the privacy curtain, 2 sinks....

 

[MHTeacher]

Great deal on your Dollywood passes. We've been there a few times, and it is a fun little park---not Disney, of course, but good for a fun day. After they took away Opryland from us, we kind of lost out on a good day trip park, didn't we?

The itch must be in the air. All I can figure out is that most of us probably have the planning part done, and we don't have anything else to plan for, so we just start second-guessing ourselves. I KNOW-because I am right there with you doubting the Cont. nearly everyday! UGH! I hate doing that to myself!

 

[Charlefours]

the itch is affecting a lot of us right now!! I thought about switching resorts but DH said we are sticking to what we got. I am not sure if I should be relieved or not.

Yay for fun passes!! We have them to the zoo since they do lots of fun events all summer long and we have our membership to a private lake. Love having passes!!

 

[MeMom]

I'm super excited! Dollywood has a ton of festivals throughout the year, besides all the permanent shows and attractions. I'm especially looking forward to Smoky Mountain Christmas. I've never been to Splash Country, but I looked at their website and they have a ton of stuff that I think the kids will enjoy. Not to mention we live close enough that DH and I can take a couple of day trips by ourselves and enjoy the "big kid" attractions at both places. Now it just needs to warm up so we can go!!

On the Disney front - I'm starting to get the itch. The itch to make changes. I've been second-guessing myself about CBR. Please don't hurt me! Every time I read a TR of someone who stayed at Pop, I remember how much we loved it and wonder if I should mess with a good thing. I mean, we loved everything about Pop. The food court. . . the pools. . . the Goofy jets. . . the bus system. . . the gift shop. . . the room. . . the decor.

BUT I still love the look of CBR and think that we could really enjoy our time there. AAAAHHH!!! Decisions, decisions.

Great luck on the Dollywood tickets. We have never been in all the years we've lived here, and I really do want to take my whole family, especially during one of the special festival times. I was thinking we might do Disney at Thanksgiving and Dollywood at Christmas, actually. We'll see. Do you happen to know if there are teacher discounts of any kind?

I'm a diehard Pop fan, but I also want to try out all the resorts. I'd give Caribbean Beach a try.

 

[racefanof88]

Julia. I wanted to stop by and see how everything was going. I hope you have a good week.

 

[MHTeacher]

Hi Julia! Just checking in.

How did the consignment sale go? I've got some stuff in one right now, but won't know about it until next week.......Of course, I'll be at Disney!

Oh, BTW, you know that itch? The one so many of us around here have had? Well, I finally gave in and scratched! Yes, that's right---I changed resorts for our May trip. You'll have to find out where on my PTR.

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

Julia. I wanted to stop by and see how everything was going. I hope you have a good week.

Hi Dana! Thanks for stopping by! Things are going well here. Just busy! Hope you are having a great week as well!

Hi Julia! Just checking in.

How did the consignment sale go? I've got some stuff in one right now, but won't know about it until next week.......Of course, I'll be at Disney!

Oh, BTW, you know that itch? The one so many of us around here have had? Well, I finally gave in and scratched! Yes, that's right---I changed resorts for our May trip. You'll have to find out where on my PTR.

Hi Michelle! The sale went really well! I made about $170 at last count. It ended yesterday, so I'll find out the final tally on Thurs or Fri. Good luck with yours!

Oh no! You decided not to go with CR??? I better hop on over and see what you switched to....

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

A New Camera and A New . . . Resort?

Yesterday morning I got the kids dressed in their St. Patty's Day green and got ready to take their picture. I went to get my camera and it wasn't where it normally is. I looked through all of our diaper bags and my purse, and still couldn't find it. Then I remembered that I had used a bag that SK got for her birthday one day last week, so I checked in there - well, it was in there....with an overturned sippy cup that had previously been full of juice. I got it out and dried it off as best I could. Turned it on and took a test shot.

I thought for sure that it was dead. I sent DH a text telling him what happened, and he told me to start looking for a replacement. Well, I have a little secret. The truth is that I have been drooling over dSLR's for months and have just been waiting for a legitimate excuse to invest in one. So I seized the opportunity and ordered one of these.

It's a Canon Rebel XSi and it should be here early next week! I am so excited!! Now I just need to find a good carrying case for it. Suggestions are appreciated! (As are tips on how to use this thing!)


Now, you may be wondering about the second part of my title. Remember that sickness that I talked about a couple of weeks ago? Well, I couldn't fight it off anymore. Something just didn't feel right about CBR. Don't get me wrong, I still think that it is GORGEOUS and I definitely want to stay there, but I just feel like it's the wrong one for this particular trip. So where did I decide to switch to? Here are a few hints.

Have you figured it out yet? No? Okay, I'll give you a couple more clues.

Yep, that's right! We will be staying at

As you might have noticed, my little boy loves balls. So I know that when we arrive at AS Sports, he is just going to be beside himself with excitement! I keep imagining the look on his face when he sees the Hoops Hotel. He is going to flip! I can't wait!

Next

 

[glennbo123]

Nice camera Julia! (That's what I have )

I haven't really settled on a bag, and I've had the camera for a year. I commandeered the bag for our videocamera (and now I can't find it, but that's a different story) to take it to DisneyWorld last year, but once there I carried in a backpack with other park stuff. I may get a new backpack this year for that purpose, but haven't really decided yet.

I haven't stayed at All-Star Sports, but it looks like your son is going to love it.

 

[leamom2princesses]

Hi Julia! You will love the digital Canon Rebel. I've had mine for almost 3 years now and I couldn't be happier. I don't carry a separate bag for it when I'm at the world. I just put it in my VB backpack. I do have a camera case for it when it is stored around the house but it is for both the camera and my old video camera. I'm no help!

We stayed at All Star Sports and we enjoyed it. It's perfect for small children, especially little boys that love sports.

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

Nice camera Julia! (That's what I have )

I haven't really settled on a bag, and I've had the camera for a year. I commandeered the bag for our videocamera (and now I can't find it, but that's a different story) to take it to DisneyWorld last year, but once there I carried in a backpack with other park stuff. I may get a new backpack this year for that purpose, but haven't really decided yet.

I haven't stayed at All-Star Sports, but it looks like your son is going to love it.

See, I'm afraid to order a bag because I'm so picky, but the only ones I've seen in stores around here are the CaseLogic ones and they're so big and bulky (and masculine ). I'd really like to find one that could safely carry both my camera and my video camera.

Hi Julia! You will love the digital Canon Rebel. I've had mine for almost 3 years now and I couldn't be happier. I don't carry a separate bag for it when I'm at the world. I just put it in my VB backpack. I do have a camera case for it when it is stored around the house but it is for both the camera and my old video camera. I'm no help!

We stayed at All Star Sports and we enjoyed it. It's perfect for small children, especially little boys that love sports.

I'm glad to hear that you love your Rebel! When you carried it in the VB backpack, did you worry about it getting bumped or jostled, or - gasp! - dropped? I've been lurking over on the photog board and they've got me paranoid about what can happen if I don't carry it in a padded camera bag.

I actually stayed at Sports way back in '02 when I went with my senior class and enjoyed it quite a bit! I'm looking forward to returning!

 

[that's nice]

Hey Julia!!

I like your decision to stay at Sports! I didn't LOVE CBR... well there were somethings we liked and other things we didn't. Put some extra money back in your pocket and splurge on something you wouldn't have done!!!

Ever do Hoop Dee Do???

 

[elizablake]

It's a Canon Rebel XSi and it should be here early next week! I am so excited!! Now I just need to find a good carrying case for it. Suggestions are appreciated! (As are tips on how to use this thing!)

You are going to love your Canon Rebel! I have the same one. You can pick up a reasonably priced book on Amazon if you like to read. Or just play with it. Also, you can Google photography basics to learn about aperture, film speed, shutter speed and stuff like that. Until you feel comfortable, just put it in auto mode (the green rectangle) and it's no different than a point and shoot. I shouldn't be giving advice about a bag since I haven't found one that I like yet (it's been 2 years). In the mean time, I am using a cheap one that I picked up at Wal-mart for about $15. It looks like this:

I like that it has pockets for my lens cleaning pen and battery charger. But it is one ugly bag. I usually only bring the lens that is on the camera so I don't need a bigger bag. One of my friends has one that looks like this:

Too big for me but she likes to have several lens and a flash with her at all times.

Speaking of lens. Carefully consider which ones you want (if any). I have a Canon 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, a Canon 75-300mm f/4-5.6 zoom lens, and a Canon 85mm f/1.8 prime lens. Plus the 18-55mm that came with the camera. If you have any questions about those, I'm happy to help.

One more thing. I would highly recommend getting a UV Filter for your lens. They are cheap and will protect your lenses from scratches. Also consider getting a hood which will prevent flares.

 

[Charlefours]

for a new camera! My dream is to get a DSLR camera. I would love to sneak one in before Disney but that is not very likely. You have to be happy with the resort so good for you for changing!! I bet he will have a ball...

 

[kcandbella]

Just found your PTR and got all caught up! We will miss you by a couple of weeks. We have a lot of the same ADR places, though! It sounds like you will be happy at All Star Sports. Your little ones are adorable. Just wanted to say hi!

 

[ladybugmom]

YAY for the new camera!! I have a Canon Rebel and I LOVE mine!! I just have a regular Canon black bag--it holds 2 other lens which I like. I do carry that bag separately into the parks but it's never been a problem. I like having the option of using my other lens and the bag protects my camera nicely! You will LOVE your Rebel!!

 

[that's nice]

This is the bag I have for my Canon 50D (work camera)

Here is one for the Rebel that comes with a battery, uv filter, and bag.. it is $70.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/551736-REG/Canon_9320A010_Starter_Kit_for_Canon.html

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

Hey Julia!!

I like your decision to stay at Sports! I didn't LOVE CBR... well there were somethings we liked and other things we didn't. Put some extra money back in your pocket and splurge on something you wouldn't have done!!!

Ever do Hoop Dee Do???

We haven't done Hoop Dee; it's on the list for our honeymoon trip next year.

You are going to love your Canon Rebel! I have the same one. You can pick up a reasonably priced book on Amazon if you like to read. Or just play with it. Also, you can Google photography basics to learn about aperture, film speed, shutter speed and stuff like that. Until you feel comfortable, just put it in auto mode (the green rectangle) and it's no different than a point and shoot. I shouldn't be giving advice about a bag since I haven't found one that I like yet (it's been 2 years). In the mean time, I am using a cheap one that I picked up at Wal-mart for about $15. It looks like this:

I like that it has pockets for my lens cleaning pen and battery charger. But it is one ugly bag. I usually only bring the lens that is on the camera so I don't need a bigger bag. One of my friends has one that looks like this:

Too big for me but she likes to have several lens and a flash with her at all times.

Speaking of lens. Carefully consider which ones you want (if any). I have a Canon 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, a Canon 75-300mm f/4-5.6 zoom lens, and a Canon 85mm f/1.8 prime lens. Plus the 18-55mm that came with the camera. If you have any questions about those, I'm happy to help.

One more thing. I would highly recommend getting a UV Filter for your lens. They are cheap and will protect your lenses from scratches. Also consider getting a hood which will prevent flares.

THANK YOU!!!!! for all of that great advice! I have been reading the Photography section on The Pioneer Woman's website and she does a pretty good job of explaining the basics, but I think I'm going to get a book, too. I noticed that a lot of people on the Photography board recommend a book called "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson, so I will probably check that one out. I have heard a lot of people mention the 50mm lens - is that the one that is good for close-up shots? I will definitely be looking into a UV filter and hood.

I bet he will have a ball...

I am sure that he will!!

Just found your PTR and got all caught up! We will miss you by a couple of weeks. We have a lot of the same ADR places, though! It sounds like you will be happy at All Star Sports. Your little ones are adorable. Just wanted to say hi!

Hi and Thanks for stopping by! That stinks that we will miss each other. Great minds think alike about the ADR's!!

YAY for the new camera!! I have a Canon Rebel and I LOVE mine!! I just have a regular Canon black bag--it holds 2 other lens which I like. I do carry that bag separately into the parks but it's never been a problem. I like having the option of using my other lens and the bag protects my camera nicely! You will LOVE your Rebel!!

I'm glad to hear that you have a Rebel because I have always thought that your pictures are AWESOME! Did your camera come with the bag or did you buy it separately? I like the idea of having my other lens(es) with me in case I want to change.

 

[ladybugmom]

I'm glad to hear that you have a Rebel because I have always thought that your pictures are AWESOME! Did your camera come with the bag or did you buy it separately? I like the idea of having my other lens(es) with me in case I want to change.

Thank you, Julia! No, I had to buy my bag separately. Brent bought it for me--I think he bought it at Target!