All You Need is Love: an offsite, non-Disney PTR (counting down to May 2018)

[pattyw]

Which park or resort does he work at?

He's at EPCOT- works The Living Seas, Turtle Talk, and also Illuminations.

 

[Callie]

Your trip is getting so close!

 

[dennise]

Hi Gina. I've been off Disboards for about 3 years (!) but got drawn in to one of your PTRs the moment I'm back. :-D What a rollercoaster you've had the past few months. So glad the new house worked out--looks like it was meant to be. Looking forward to hearing how the move went. Your kitties are very beautiful, and I'm sure the move made them happy with an abundance of boxes and crinkly paper!

The...um, mobility...of your PTR makes me laugh, but also highlights my own quest for a place that's as friendly and well-informed as this place, but, you know, has more coverage. We are booked to fly into MCO in late July, but Orlando is just a way-point for us this time. Direct flight from Halifax, so worth it! Usually the only places you can get to direct from here are Toronto or Montreal. I am having a heck of a time finding conversations about Busch Gardens/Tampa area. We really enjoyed Seaworld as well, so we're hoping we'll enjoy its sister park as well. We're also doing a few nights on the Space Coast this time, I'll be able to find some day-trip info here but probably not much more. There's a UK board called The Dibb that's pretty good, and the Brits do love ALL of Florida. (And you can always follow their lead to a good deal!)

Anyway, looking forward to keeping up with the rest of your planning, and your "beyond Disney" TR.

Hello Coastgirl, I am also from NS. We are leaving Friday morning, direct flights from YHZ to MCO. We did Busch Gardens two days last year. Not as busy as Disney, we enjoyed it very much.

 

[KsGiGi]

When does your little grandson turn 3?

He turns 3 in September. Growing up way too fast! His mom, our daughter, has gone back to college plus working, so our time is limited.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Wahoo! Congrats on booking your next trip! 3 weeks in December sounds nothing short of glorious . So now, we all need DETAILS! Where will you be staying? Which parks will you visit?
!!

Well thanks for asking but my details are very sparse. Flights booked 7th to 28th December. Car booked with Alamo. First week staying at CSR with 21 day tickets and then 2 weeks in a Townhome at Windsor Hills. No great plans for any parks at the minute, i'll plan when we book a few ADR's and our FP. We are quite laid back now as we have been going since 1989 and have plenty of days to dip in and out

We will have QSDP the first week (a first), and eat offsite with a few Disney restaurants thrown in after.

Places we might visit are Winter Park, Mount Dora, Bok Tower gardens, Leu gardens, we'll see how things go. Will definitely go to Celebration and possibly a beach one day depending on the weather.

At the minute our DD can't ge time off from her job as she needs it when she goes to university later this year, but we are hoping she still might be able to join us for a week. Fingers crossed.

You will have been twice when we go so I'll follow your reports, especially dining, with pleasure.

 

[Ruthie5671]

she is Disney-obsessed and routinely plays one of the Disney Park playlists at the office

This made me smile because I regularly have Disney parks music playing on a You Tube loop in my office. And any time one of my workers comes in and hears it, I get mega eye roll. I mean it could be worse, I could be singing along to 80's rock music.

Glad to see you back - you've been missed!!!

 

[pattyw]

I could be singing along to 80's rock music.

Love my Sirius XM 80's station!

 

[RocketCityMama]

A big to you as well, my friend! Glad to have you reading along once again!

How exciting for you all to have such a big, LONG trip on the oh-so-near horizon!! You all must be SO excited! I hope you managed to get all the FP's you were hoping for . With two weeks at your disposal, it should be fairly easy to incorporate all your must-do's. What all are you celebrating on your grand adventure? You have a graduation in the family this year, correct?

I hope your knee is getting better every day. My mom had a hip replacement last Thursday, so I can totally appreciate how long of a recovery that can be. You'll definitely test out the effectiveness of the new parts when you traverse the Disney parks on your 14 day extravaganza!!

We are beyond excited, currently have 52 days til we leave! The girls ask constantly lol especially K! We are doing good on all the fp selections so far, most at the times we want too, so can't really complain. Oh yes, celebrations galore LOL We do have J's high school graduation coming up in May, this trip is her graduation gift, it is K's first trip to the world and dh and I's 18th anniversary trip! Poor H, she's been but does not remember, so it'll be like her first trip too. She was only 4 when we went and now 13, she can only remember bits and pieces and even then it's fuzzy. She is all like I am wearing a first visit pin LOL

Oh righty the knee is getting better day by day, some days are better than others but overall I can't complain. I just hope I'll be ready for all the walking for our trip. EEK! I hope your mom is doing well? Hips and knees are such tricky little buggers I don't know if she is the internet type, but the BoneSmart forum has been a life saver for me. They have knee and hip replacement forums, good reading for before and after.

Look forward to more updates!

 

[Joanna71985]

One of these days, we absolutely HAVE to make time to visit BG on one of our trips. I think we'd both love it, as it seems like the perfect blend: animals for me, coasters for Steve.

Makes me want to switch things up and add it on to this coming vacation ..... it's almost tempting, as tickets would only cost us $25 each with the DC ultimate package upgrade .

I really think you would enjoy BG! I don't go as much as I would like, but I love the animals there (and the one pet show is really cute)

 

[starrzone]

, starrzone! Glad to have you joining in once again! My apologies for being tardy in answering your post.

If you have any questions as you dig into the planning for your trip, don't hesitate to toss them out. My readers are just as knowledgeable as I am, and are such a wonderful resource!!

One thing I *definitely* want to do in Orlando is visit Sea World (Aquatica is out because hubby can't (not dislikes, or won't, but can't) swim!). I was at my parents' place the other day and came across these gems; they are from November of either 1990 or 1991 (my 1st and 2nd trips ever ) when I was 8 or 9. I haven't been to Sea World in 20 years and think hubby would really like it.

 

[JenLanDisney]

Gina, you have inspired me to do a Seaworld-only trip this year! We're going to have one glorious day at Discovery Cove. It sounds wonderful, and your previous trip reports have sold me on the experience. The other days will be at Aquatica (also a first for us) and Seaworld. I will be following along when you post this year's trip report to gather some new tips.

 

[bobbie68]

Hi Gina and everyone following. It was nice to see an update on your moving. Glad everything is falling into place. The cats look very content on the bed. I am not sure how mine will do after a very long drive from CT to FL when we go. My DH is going to take a small bus or box truck and convert it to have big cages put in so we can move them. We have been rescuing on and off for years and have more than several to move. I hope mine do as well.

What a nice pic of you and your son. You look so happy with your son in the pic. It was so nice he could be there for you guys. I know it must be so hard having him so far away.

Oh I hear you about the snow. We just had snow yesterday and it was very depressing. We are a warm, sunny weather family.

Congrats on your countdown and your trip almost here. It is so exciting I leave in 77 days and work on our plans every day. This will be different for me as we are driving down and stopping at other places. We will also visit family in Southern Florida for a few days. I have never been gone 2 weeks for a vacation so just a little worried about the cats. We have a very good cat sitter who comes in twice a day to take care of them.

I can't wait to go back to Discovery Cove and their parks next year!

We are headed to our local Six Flags park in the cold this weekend for opening day. It will be a bit uncomfortable but I can't wait anymore to get back.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

 

[chiamarie]

@chiamarie ... tagging you here, so you're able to find me again .

Bahhahahah! You know me all too well! I can't believe how quickly your trip is coming up! I should message you more details on the facebook....

 

[vrajewski10513]

I’m so excited to hear about your day at Discovery Cove! We’re going for the first time and booked a cabana for the day. I’m already super excited from what I’ve seen in your past reports, and i can’t wait to hit up Sea World for the first time as well!!

 

[pattyw]

One thing I *definitely* want to do in Orlando is visit Sea World (Aquatica is out because hubby can't (not dislikes, or won't, but can't) swim!). I was at my parents' place the other day and came across these gems; they are from November of either 1990 or 1991 (my 1st and 2nd trips ever ) when I was 8 or 9. I haven't been to Sea World in 20 years and think hubby would really like it.



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I LOVE those pictures! Sea World is a great place! I remember when they used to have a Sea World park in Ohio. We used to take our boys there every year before they closed. I know it was hard to have the park in a cold climate and not open year round- but I miss having it so close to home! Not that forcing us to warm Orlando is bad though!

 

[MommyinHonduras]

So excited May is almost here. Hope your curtains arrived and you can run the house without an audience. I just got the inspiration of your cat names together. Love it. We are looking forward to Incredibles 2 in June as this is a family favorite. We also arrive in time to have a meet and greet with Edna.

I decided to make a PTR of my own if anyone cares to follow along https://www.disboards.com/threads/taking-mema-to-disney-ptr-may-19-29th.3675455/

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

He's at EPCOT- works The Living Seas, Turtle Talk, and also Illuminations.

What an AWESOME opportunity for him!!

Your trip is getting so close!

It sure is!! I am finally starting to shift into planning mode......it's hard to believe its less than 4 weeks until we leave .

Hello Coastgirl, I am also from NS. We are leaving Friday morning, direct flights from YHZ to MCO. We did Busch Gardens two days last year. Not as busy as Disney, we enjoyed it very much.

Are you guys on the East Coast still getting winter-like weather? It's still mighty frosty here in SE Michigan, and I know Jake is freezing his buns off in eastern Ontario .

He turns 3 in September. Growing up way too fast! His mom, our daughter, has gone back to college plus working, so our time is limited.

So, would you be thinking then of a late summer trip while he's still technically 2 and his momma is enjoying a break from her studies?

Well thanks for asking but my details are very sparse. Flights booked 7th to 28th December. Car booked with Alamo. First week staying at CSR with 21 day tickets and then 2 weeks in a Townhome at Windsor Hills. No great plans for any parks at the minute, i'll plan when we book a few ADR's and our FP. We are quite laid back now as we have been going since 1989 and have plenty of days to dip in and out

We will have QSDP the first week (a first), and eat offsite with a few Disney restaurants thrown in after.

Places we might visit are Winter Park, Mount Dora, Bok Tower gardens, Leu gardens, we'll see how things go. Will definitely go to Celebration and possibly a beach one day depending on the weather.

At the minute our DD can't ge time off from her job as she needs it when she goes to university later this year, but we are hoping she still might be able to join us for a week. Fingers crossed.

You will have been twice when we go so I'll follow your reports, especially dining, with pleasure.

I will cross my fingers right along with you and say a little prayer that your DD can come along. Especially at Christmastime, its nice to have the whole family together.

Leu Gardens and Bok Tower Gardens are both on my Florida wish list. Have you been to either before, or will this be a first for both? I bet they will be lovely with fresh poinsettias for the holiday season.

Any plans to do ICE! at Gaylord Palms or a MVMCP? I do hope you'll be visiting SeaWorld.....as you know, their Christmas events are second to none!!

This made me smile because I regularly have Disney parks music playing on a You Tube loop in my office. And any time one of my workers comes in and hears it, I get mega eye roll. I mean it could be worse, I could be singing along to 80's rock music.

Glad to see you back - you've been missed!!!

Aw, thank you Ruthie!! I have been SO busy getting this house organized that my PTR'ing has been dismal . I had intended to post more this weekend but time just got away from me (again).

I think you and I would be good office partners . I can belt out the 80's hits with the best of 'em . I sing horribly off-tune and have been known to improvise when my memory fails me on the words, but what I lack in technical merit I more than make up for with enthusiasm .

Love my Sirius XM 80's station!

I think Steve's Sirius XM subscription is as vital to his survival as food and water . He loves his 80's station, too!

We are beyond excited, currently have 52 days til we leave! The girls ask constantly lol especially K! We are doing good on all the fp selections so far, most at the times we want too, so can't really complain. Oh yes, celebrations galore LOL We do have J's high school graduation coming up in May, this trip is her graduation gift, it is K's first trip to the world and dh and I's 18th anniversary trip! Poor H, she's been but does not remember, so it'll be like her first trip too. She was only 4 when we went and now 13, she can only remember bits and pieces ane d even then it's fuzzy. She is all like I am wearing a first visit pin LOL

Oh righty the knee is getting better day by day, some days are better than others but overall I can't complain. I just hope I'll be ready for all the walking for our trip. EEK! I hope your mom is doing well? Hips and knees are such tricky little buggers I don't know if she is the internet type, but the BoneSmart forum has been a life saver for me. They have knee and hip replacement forums, good reading for before and after.

Look forward to more updates!

I wish my mom was internet savvy, but she steadfastly refuses to learn to use a computer (or a cell phone, or how to drive a car). 5-10 year ago, I think she would have loved it......but now that she has developed Alzheimer's Disease, its definitely not something she'll ever take advantage of. She's a stubborn old girl, though, and seems to be doing well with her exercises and therapy. She's eager to get walking outside if the weather ever improves.

I am glad to hear that you are back on your feet again and making such good improvement! All the walking in the Disney parks will be a definite test.....just be sure you go easy on yourself. Rent a scooter and give your body a break if it becomes too much, especially in the heat and humidity.

I really think you would enjoy BG! I don't go as much as I would like, but I love the animals there (and the one pet show is really cute)

We may have to put that park on our October itinerary. I think they have a special Halloween event that would also be fun to try .

One thing I *definitely* want to do in Orlando is visit Sea World (Aquatica is out because hubby can't (not dislikes, or won't, but can't) swim!). I was at my parents' place the other day and came across these gems; they are from November of either 1990 or 1991 (my 1st and 2nd trips ever ) when I was 8 or 9. I haven't been to Sea World in 20 years and think hubby would really like it.

View attachment 314514 View attachment 314515

Great photos!! What a cool "blast from the past"!

How much do you recall from your childhood trips? Is most of it fuzzy, or is some of it still surprisingly clear in your memory?

Gina, you have inspired me to do a Seaworld-only trip this year! We're going to have one glorious day at Discovery Cove. It sounds wonderful, and your previous trip reports have sold me on the experience. The other days will be at Aquatica (also a first for us) and Seaworld. I will be following along when you post this year's trip report to gather some new tips.

How awesome!!! I am SO excited for you! What are your travel dates?

Are you doing the dolphin swim at Discovery Cove?

Aquatica is still Steve's favorite waterpark, and that's saying something when we've tried them all in Orlando. Cabanas can be very reasonable (depending on the season), and often a very good value considering they come with rental towels, a large locker (right inside your cabana), 12 bottles of water, and a 20% savings on park merchandise (including photos). You might want to check the rates and see what they are.....it's a very worthwhile splurge.

Hi Gina and everyone following. It was nice to see an update on your moving. Glad everything is falling into place. The cats look very content on the bed. I am not sure how mine will do after a very long drive from CT to FL when we go. My DH is going to take a small bus or box truck and convert it to have big cages put in so we can move them. We have been rescuing on and off for years and have more than several to move. I hope mine do as well.

What a nice pic of you and your son. You look so happy with your son in the pic. It was so nice he could be there for you guys. I know it must be so hard having him so far away.

Oh I hear you about the snow. We just had snow yesterday and it was very depressing. We are a warm, sunny weather family.

Congrats on your countdown and your trip almost here. It is so exciting I leave in 77 days and work on our plans every day. This will be different for me as we are driving down and stopping at other places. We will also visit family in Southern Florida for a few days. I have never been gone 2 weeks for a vacation so just a little worried about the cats. We have a very good cat sitter who comes in twice a day to take care of them.

I can't wait to go back to Discovery Cove and their parks next year!

We are headed to our local Six Flags park in the cold this weekend for opening day. It will be a bit uncomfortable but I can't wait anymore to get back.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

We bought one of these when we moved our cats from Ontario to Michigan, and it was the BEST purchase we could have made:

https://www.chewy.com/elitefield-2-...4PGWvbMNZ5i1vYwlQmbAFhfjUL0tir7BoCJXoQAvD_BwE

Large enough for them to move around, have a litter box inside (and their food and water dishes), and some space to spare. It fit perfectly inside the back of Steve's Dodge Journey. When it comes time to relocate your fur babies, it might be an idea worth exploring. We used it again when we moved last month......not only to relocate them from the townhouse to our new home, but also as a safe place to hang out while the movers were bringing the furniture in from the truck.

I hope you had a fantastic time at Six Flags!! It was freaking cold here today (24 degrees as I ate breakfast this morning ) so hopefully it was a tad warmer for your adventures.

Your trip is getting super close, too!! Just over two months......that will fly by, especially as the weather improves. Spring and summer always seem to pass so quickly.

Bahhahahah! You know me all too well! I can't believe how quickly your trip is coming up! I should message you more details on the facebook....

Definitely message me when you get a chance!! Steve is anxiously anticipating our Kobes meal . And we are both excited to see you! You are always such good company .

I’m so excited to hear about your day at Discovery Cove! We’re going for the first time and booked a cabana for the day. I’m already super excited from what I’ve seen in your past reports, and i can’t wait to hit up Sea World for the first time as well!!

That is so AWESOME!!! You and Jeremy are going to LOVE DC! And a cabana is such a fun splurge.....if you're gonna go, go big .

I hope you enjoy SeaWorld as much as we do.....its such a great park! Please tell me you're going to visit Aquatica, too. If you're water park lovers, its definitely a don't miss!

I LOVE those pictures! Sea World is a great place! I remember when they used to have a Sea World park in Ohio. We used to take our boys there every year before they closed. I know it was hard to have the park in a cold climate and not open year round- but I miss having it so close to home! Not that forcing us to warm Orlando is bad though!

There used to be a SeaWorld in Ohio?? I had no idea! Which city?

So excited May is almost here. Hope your curtains arrived and you can run the house without an audience. I just got the inspiration of your cat names together. Love it. We are looking forward to Incredibles 2 in June as this is a family favorite. We also arrive in time to have a meet and greet with Edna.

I decided to make a PTR of my own if anyone cares to follow along https://www.disboards.com/threads/taking-mema-to-disney-ptr-may-19-29th.3675455/

Ha ha, I'm impressed you figured out the significance of their names......most people completely miss the reference. I can't tell you how many times I had to explain it after someone comments "those are strange names for cats, how did you come up with them?" .

All of our curtains have come in, and we bought all the rods today on a marathon shopping expedition. Our blinds have been shipped and are supposed to be here by Tuesday . Hopefully we will have everything up and finished inside by next weekend......we have 14 windows (with two of them being REALLY big and needing multiple blinds per window) so Steve will probably do a room or two each night after work. I can't wait to have privacy again!!

Thanks for sharing the link to your PTR....I will definitely pop over and check it out!

 

[pattyw]

There used to be a SeaWorld in Ohio?? I had no idea! Which city?

Yes- I think Aurora, OH- near Cleveland. Not sure exactly when it closed- maybe 15 years ago. We took the kids there for quite a few years when they were small.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hey all, finally checking in for a brief update . Believe it or not, I've finally started refocusing on the trip and have made a little progress in the planning over the course of the weekend.

Our car rental has been on a slow, steady decline since late last week, dropping anywhere from $6-$20 each day. While I had been holding a full size rental through Alamo for months at a price of $250 for our 8 days, I now have an intermediate SUV (still through Alamo) for $205.51. I am absolutely THRILLED with that savings. I would do a little dance if it can nudge down below the $200 mark, but if it doesn't, I'll still travel happy with that rate (especially when it includes a free extra driver as its reserved through Costco Travel). You can bet your boots I won't be letting a day slip by without checking now that the drops have been so frequent.

I also purchased us a groupon for Lost Caverns Mini Golf, which is on I-Drive toward Universal. Thanks to a 20% discount code this weekend, I was able to get a voucher for two 18-hole courses for 2 people plus a bag of gator food for $16, with 6% cash back through ebates. Considering the regular price for one round for one person is $12, this was a superb deal. We haven't yet golfed this particular course on any of our trips (which is saying something, because we've tried A LOT of them!!) so it will be fun to have a new mini golf experience.

On the dining front, I was able to secure a buy one dinner, get one free coupon from Hash House a Go Go.....and its valid for one full year, so if we don't use it on this trip we can always utilize it on our fall vacation . Anyone else who wants to take advantage of that offer should sign up for their email club via their Facebook page: I literally had the voucher in my inbox within 30 seconds of hitting the "submit" button. I had looked to see if the Travelzoo voucher was still an option (it wasn't) but this was a good second best. We've had some amazing meals at Hash House on previous vacations so we definitely will enjoy a return visit if we can squeeze it in.

Tonight before I hit the sack, I'll be ordering water shoes for both of us (if its really hot, water shoes make Aquatica much more enjoyable.....and they save our feet at Discovery Cove, especially on the uneven bottom of the Wind Away River) which will cross one more thing off my to-do list. I'm hoping that a size 13-14 will fit Steve's big flippers: if not, we'll be in a bit of a pickle as finding a 15 seems nearly impossible .

The house is coming along, and we now have coffee and end tables in our living room, and most things on the walls. The final big task .... blinds and curtains ... should be finished by the weekend if all goes well and Fedex gets them here on schedule. Next week, we will try to set up an appointment to meet the new Pet Nanny (our new house is outside of the service area of our old nanny) and get the cats' care in place.

26 days to departure . Under 4 weeks to go!

 

[Monykalyn]

On the dining front, I was able to secure a buy one dinner, get one free coupon from Hash House a Go Go.....and its valid for one full year, so if we don't use it on this trip we can always utilize it on our fall vacation . Anyone else who wants to take advantage of that offer should sign up for their email club via their Facebook page: I literally had the voucher in my inbox within 30 seconds of hitting the "submit" button. I had looked to see if the Travelzoo voucher was still an option (it wasn't) but this was a good second best. We've had some amazing meals at Hash House on previous vacations so we definitely will enjoy a return visit if we can squeeze it in.

That is a great deal! I don't think my DH is wanting to go back, but since it is a coupon I may sign up for it anyway.
Did snag a groupon for the Character in Flight balloon ride, since we have 2 weeks to use it while there.

Agh blinds/curtains in a new house-been there a few times! Still only have curtains on both upper and lower level living rooms (after 9 years lol).

Yay! for declining rental rates!