A Trip of Firsts! Sept 2011 PTR *UPDATE* 8/30 The Train is WHAT?!

[Wicket's Mom]

Jen, that is what the bathroom in hotel is for! We shared a room with four boys, so you learn to improvise!

 

[Ducky4Disney]

Jen, that is what the bathroom in hotel is for! We shared a room with four boys, so you learn to improvise!

It took me a second to figure out what you were talking about!!

D4D

 

[Ducky4Disney]

Small Amtrak Update:

I was thinking about it this morning and realized that as people discover the more affordable option of 2 Roomettes they may drop the Family Bedroom like I did, thereby lowering the Family Bedroom price.

It worked!

The price of a Family Bedroom on the northbound train has dropped from $653 to $442! Now the question is, do I drop the 2 Roomettes and go back to a Family Bedroom? It's $190 more than the 2 rooms, but $211 cheaper than the original Family Bedroom reservation. It might be worth it to avoid the inconvenience of splitting into 2 rooms and it's still a savings.



D4D

 

[Ducky4Disney]

BONUS PRIZES!

Free Dining came out for my dates and rack rate + free dining is less expensive then discounted room + pay for dining; just saved another $195! I guess going back to the family bedroom on the northbound train will be just fine.



D4D

 

[MEK]

Jen - I'm so psyched you are saving money!!!!!! I so wish I could sneak in a trip during free dining before my AP expires, but I don't think its gonna happen.

I know you will have a great time. I forget, is this a surprise for the boys?

 

[Ducky4Disney]

Jen - I'm so psyched you are saving money!!!!!! I so wish I could sneak in a trip during free dining before my AP expires, but I don't think its gonna happen.

I know you will have a great time. I forget, is this a surprise for the boys?

Saving money is always a good thing! And it's never really a "savings", it just goes elsewhere! I think that money basically pays for the dogsitter (a fee I never seem to factor in to the trip).

No, not a surprise for the boys, though they don't seem to talk much about it. I don't get a constant inflow of "when are we going?" or "is it September yet?". AJ is too focused on our June beach trip at the moment.

D4D

 

[Ducky4Disney]

On our last trip (I think it was our last trip, it's been so long!) we lost our camera; only briefly, thank goodness! We left it at a SSR bus stop on our way to Epcot. With a young AJ in the stroller, me extrememly PG and suffering from pregnesia, we played the "I thought you had it" game once we arrived at Epcot and the panic set in. This was not a little point-n-shoot from Best Buy that we had lost. It was our Nikon D200 DSLR, a 2.8 80-200mm lens, speedlight, lenses, Canon camcorder... you get the idea. Thousands of dollars worth of equipment, with priceless memories stored on the card.

I mellowed out quickly about the whole situation. We were intact as a family in the happiest place on Earth - what more do we need? DH was however. "WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?!?!" We'll claim it on our homeowner insurance... "WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE TRIP?!?!" We'll get a cheap disposable or head to an electronic store and pic up a simple P&S... The simple fact was, there was nothing to be done about it at that moment. The bus drivers put out a message to look for it and it wasn't at the bus stop so it either got picked up by a bus driver and taken to cental L&F, which didn't open until morning; or it was taken to SSR L&F where it might not be cataloged until morning; worst case scenario, someone got a really nice camera for free and we learned a lesson. Whaddyagonnado?

I told DH, AJ doesn't understand why we're so upset and it's not fair to him that his vacation get ruined because of our mistake. We were in Epcot and going to our Bierharten ADR - one of Ethan's favorites - let's drown our cares in various types wurst and German beer!

Next morning, Ethan is on the phone at 9 am on the button, when Central opens. Of course, they didn't have their watches synchronized to DH's and he was now upset that no one was answering . We decided to check the L&F at SSR at the same time as Central, so he headed to the Welcom Center so he could use a phone while I inquired at the desk.

When you tell someone you are looking for a "camera bag" they think a smallish bag, just big enough to carry a camera. Not a BACKPACK sized bag, big enough to carry all the books a high school freshman would need! The nice lady came back with nothing in her hands and a look of "sorry, no bag". I sighed and started to tell her how silly it was of us to misplace a bag of that size... "the size of that girls backpack". Then it happened - Clearly, she was looking for an ordinary camera bag, not our super-duper-backpack and she said "Hold on a second".

Guess what happened next... you got it! She went back again and out she came with our bag! I told her I was so happy I could've kissed her, and DH just might when he sees it! I took it over to him and a look of relief washed over him.

Now I told you that story so I could tell you this one.

With two kids at WDW (and expensive camera equipment) I've been thinking about getting one of those locator devices that allows you to find missing things (and kids). After doing some preliminary research, it looks like there are two basic types: those that work on GPS and those that work with RFID technology.

The GPS ones are more expensive and most require a monthly fee to use them and/or access to the internet. They don't really pinpoint the item/kid but can give you the general location even in a crowd. The RFID devices are more affordable and do not have any extra fees or equipment to use them. They do a better job of pinpointing the lost item/kid but from what I understand they need good line of sight (not something you find at WDW).

Loc8tor Plus with Bonus Wrist Strap

I like this one. It comes with everything I need to track two kids and a camera bag. I'm just not sure it will work in a crowded place like WDW. I suppose I'll have to purchase one and take it for a test drive to see if it will be at all useful for us. I'll let you know if I do that, and how it goes!

Anyone have any experience with one of these?
D4D

 

[KatMark]

Amazing the things that are out on the market now. I've never even heard of these things. Good luck with it if you decide to get it.

And SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad that the camera bag was found.

 

[MEK]

Wow Jen! I am sure I heard that story before, but I had forgotten about it. So glad your camera was safe and sound. It's so awesome when things get turned in. I am sure if I ever found anything I would turn it in right away thinking how unhappy I would be if I lost something of that value.

 

[eandesmom]

Congrats on saving money!

As for the GPS locater thingy...nope, don't have a clue. I admit I'd be unlikely to pay for such a thing, especially with the spotty results it sounds like you might get. Not that putting a lojack on Eric hasn't occurred to us many a time.

You can always add your camera equipment to your homeowners insurance as a rider just bearing in mind that if you did end up making a claim, your rates would likely go up.

 

[Ducky4Disney]

Amazing the things that are out on the market now. I've never even heard of these things. Good luck with it if you decide to get it.

And SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad that the camera bag was found.

Technology is pretty cool these days. I don't think I'm a particularly paranoid parent, but my 5 year old has a tedency to wander ahead of us, and it would be nice to have something that would alarm if he were more than X feet away. One of the locator tags has a panic button on it, so if AJ looked up and didn't see us, he could just push the button and it would alert us.

Wow Jen! I am sure I heard that story before, but I had forgotten about it. So glad your camera was safe and sound. It's so awesome when things get turned in. I am sure if I ever found anything I would turn it in right away thinking how unhappy I would be if I lost something of that value.

Oh yeah, that was a fun night. I arranged my pics from that trip by day, and I have 7 pics from that day because of the camera going MIA! I would like to think that most people will hand something like that in for the same reason, but it's not always the case. Remember Palm Pilots? Those hand held devices that had all kinds of apps on them? I know, we call them "smart phones" now But back in the day, I had one and I took it to WDW with me so I could keep track of my spending... atleast that's what I told myself . I had a mirror app on it that turned the screen black and DH and I were trying on those silly character headbands when I reached for it... and it wasn't on my hip . It was of course our last day at WDW and did I have it password protected? Noooooo! Not my brightest moment.

Congrats on saving money!

As for the GPS locater thingy...nope, don't have a clue. I admit I'd be unlikely to pay for such a thing, especially with the spotty results it sounds like you might get. Not that putting a lojack on Eric hasn't occurred to us many a time.

You can always add your camera equipment to your homeowners insurance as a rider just bearing in mind that if you did end up making a claim, your rates would likely go up.

I believe the thing works, I'm just not sure if it will work under WDW conditions. It looks like there is a nice money-back guarantee from that site so I might just take it for a test drive. Still not sure what I'm going to do. Last time, I made up ID bracelets with our cell numbers on them and put them in hospital ID bands for AJ to wear. He totally Houdini'd out of them but we never lost him so it wasn't an issue, thankfully. I'm not really worried about someone stealing my kid, just that instant panic when you look up and they aren't right next to you.

I'll have to check and see if our camera stuff is on a rider or not. Claiming it on our insurance isn't the best option, but it's an option. I'm going with don't-lose-the-camera!

D4D

 

[eandesmom]

Technology is pretty cool these days. I don't think I'm a particularly paranoid parent, but my 5 year old has a tedency to wander ahead of us, and it would be nice to have something that would alarm if he were more than X feet away. One of the locator tags has a panic button on it, so if AJ looked up and didn't see us, he could just push the button and it would alert us.

I believe the thing works, I'm just not sure if it will work under WDW conditions. It looks like there is a nice money-back guarantee from that site so I might just take it for a test drive. Still not sure what I'm going to do. Last time, I made up ID bracelets with our cell numbers on them and put them in hospital ID bands for AJ to wear. He totally Houdini'd out of them but we never lost him so it wasn't an issue, thankfully. I'm not really worried about someone stealing my kid, just that instant panic when you look up and they aren't right next to you.

I'll have to check and see if our camera stuff is on a rider or not. Claiming it on our insurance isn't the best option, but it's an option. I'm going with don't-lose-the-camera!

D4D

Yeah...definitely not the best option but better than no option if the value is enough. I avoid riders as a general rule. LOL on the houdini-ing. Thankfully Eric knows my cell number by heart. That little fact has helped more than anything, he is definitely a wanderer as well. Though honestly, I just force him to hold hands more often than not.

 

[stephielela]

Congrats on the savings!

I am curious about the locater devices too, since I am traveling with just me and DS3 who likes to run around...

 

[Ducky4Disney]

Congrats on the savings!

I am curious about the locater devices too, since I am traveling with just me and DS3 who likes to run around...

I am still looking reviews on this device before I plunge ahead. I've also asked DH to help me decide but he hasn't been very forthcoming with a plan, so I might just get it and put it through its paces. The reviews I've seen thus far have said this is not good for kid-locating

I'm still looking for ways to save!

D4D

 

[Ducky4Disney]

Yeah...definitely not the best option but better than no option if the value is enough. I avoid riders as a general rule. LOL on the houdini-ing. Thankfully Eric knows my cell number by heart. That little fact has helped more than anything, he is definitely a wanderer as well. Though honestly, I just force him to hold hands more often than not.

I might be trying to overcomplicate this , I have a habit of doing that. AJ has recently learned our phone numbers, may have to rely on that a little. I have a harness for Tomzilla that I can use if he insists on walking and doesn't want to hold hands. By "doesn't want to hold hands" I mean dead-weights me and I end of dragging him around... that never looks good .

I've also been debating with which stroller to bring - the fabulous Chicco stroller that is GREAT for WDW or the slightly larger Mia Moda sit/stand stroller. AJ is a big kid and I don't really fear him getting tired and needing a stroller, but having a place for him on the stroller keeps him out of foot traffic! We could bring both....

D4D

 

[Ducky4Disney]

A lot of time has passed since I started this PTR and there's ony 100 days before my vacation! Time to recheck things and make sure nothing has changed drastically. I just went over park hours and there's no change there... I'm still stalking Amtrak's website for a possible drop in rail fare or room prices... MNSSHP dates are out and I won't have to worry about that because it starts a week after I leave (see how I'm trying to be positive about that?)... and my ADR's are made. So what's left to do? I feel like I'm going to twiddle my thumbs for the next 3 months!

Next ADR is Chef Mickey's! If I'm going to focus on kid-friendly, character-heavy, out-of-park-buffets then I can't forget Chef Mickey's. I've eaten there... once, twice, no once I think. The one time I remember eating there was in June of 2005 with my best friend Suz and her then husband. It was a remarkable evening because I got to tell her I was PG! I had just found out a week or two before we left and I wanted a special way to tell her. I wish I had found a way to get the characters involved, but I clammed up and never found a "unique" way to tell her, but sitting in WDW and telling her face to face is better than via IM!

Suz took this pic that night at CM!

This is what I remember about CM: yummy comfort food and interactive characters; great for my boys! I think they'll enjoy it a lot even though it isn't a favorite of DH. Part of the fun of the Contemporary is the fact that you can take the monorail to dinner. Too bad you can't ride up front any more; that totally bums me out. Maybe we'll park at Epcot and monorail over to dinner that night. I'll have to consider that option.

I wish I had more exciting things to talk about like neat projects for the kids in preparation or fun t-shirts for all of us to wear. But I got nothing. Lots going on in real life right now and I'm just glad I have this trip to look forward to!

D4D

PS - DH still wants to drive!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Just saw your PTR today, and wanted to say hi and that your plans look great! We definitely considered eating at Tusker House, it looks great!

That camera story would have scared me too! I've never used one of those tracking devices (I just have a little Canon PowerShot - which I do adore, but is definitely not like the camera you have!). Have you considered getting it engraved or putting a nameplate on it? I know that probably wouldn't help against theft, but if you lost it, someone would have a way to contact you.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

We've never been to Chef Mickey's, but we have our first ADR there this September! I'm so excited! Luckily, I don't have very discerning tastes, and our family loves buffets. I mean, what's not to love? You can get food immediately and you don't have to stand in line to meet characters. Two birds, one stone. I've read reviews for every restaurant, and I've yet to have a bad experience even when I expected one due to mixed reviews. Here's hoping the same applies for CMs!

 

[Ducky4Disney]

Just saw your PTR today, and wanted to say hi and that your plans look great! We definitely considered eating at Tusker House, it looks great!

That camera story would have scared me too! I've never used one of those tracking devices (I just have a little Canon PowerShot - which I do adore, but is definitely not like the camera you have!). Have you considered getting it engraved or putting a nameplate on it? I know that probably wouldn't help against theft, but if you lost it, someone would have a way to contact you.

Hi there! I started this PTR with a lot to say and a plan but I feel like it's fizzled a bit. Maybe as I get closer it will rekindle. Tusker House is a new one for us so I'm excited about that. I swear I've walked by the place a hundred times and never ate there; how does that happen?

Getting the camera engraved isn't a bad idea. It doesn't stop theft but it does make it easier to claim. I think we're just going to have to be super vigilant and treat it like one of the kids. I can see roll call before we go anywhere: "Allen? Check. Thomas? Check. Camera? Check." It's not like we'll be distracted with two kids or anything...

We've never been to Chef Mickey's, but we have our first ADR there this September! I'm so excited! Luckily, I don't have very discerning tastes, and our family loves buffets. I mean, what's not to love? You can get food immediately and you don't have to stand in line to meet characters. Two birds, one stone. I've read reviews for every restaurant, and I've yet to have a bad experience even when I expected one due to mixed reviews. Here's hoping the same applies for CMs!

I don't think you can go wrong with CM! DH is sort of a food snob nowadays and the confort food doesn't always cut it for him. You have to try the white cheddar mashed potatoes - yummy! We're mixing things up with TH and LC for new food experiences. I feel the same way about the WDW buffets: no waiting for food or characters - WIN-WIN!

The only ADR I'm unsure of is Whispering Canyon Cafe on Labor Day. I figured that was good Labor Day food considering that's a traditional day to have a BBQ cookout and WCC goes right along with that. It also follows the out-of-park and AYCE guidelines for this trip... still, I might reconsider.

D4D

 

[Wicket's Mom]

Jen glad to hear that CM is good. We are going there for the first time in Sept. I thought that it would be an exciting place for the grandaughters.

The closest the we ever got the CM was when DH & I had dinner at the old Contempory Steakhouse. A lot of funtimes could be heard during our dinner.