And it all started at 357 (days)

[eeyore04]

Hi!

My name is Amy and to my brand new, not expected, PTR

So, my last TR kind of fell apart, you know... the thing called LIFE kind of got in the way.

I think my issue was that I was worried so much about being eloquent and elaborate that I didn't have the time to spend writing such awesome posts. I'm gonna try to do this SIMPLY. The posts might not be as awesome as they could be, but maybe this will help me stay around more often, which may be a good thing in the end.


For those of you who know me, you probably realize that I wasn't going back to my happy place (at least in person) until at the earliest 2015. I was there in 2009 and 2012, and had no hope of getting back for a few more years, until something happend. As if by magic....

Hop on board, come along for the ride, and Let me fill you in, shall I?

Let's just say my new lucky number is 17.

November 17, 2012 I had a first date with my now Boyfriend, John.

November 17, 2013 I won a 50/50 draw worth over $4500

November 17, 2014 I will be IN WALT DISNEY WORLD with said boyfriend and using said money.

So This is the beginning of what I HOPE to be a full PTR followed by HOPEFULLY a FULL TR!


Stay tuned for some chapters!

 

[eeyore04]

Chapter list

Chapter 1: Intros and Back story
CHapter 2: Tentative dates and other updates
Chapter 3: Good news and bad news...

 

[teekathepony]

Well you know I'm in!
(And I like your title. Did you know 357 was Teeka's show number?)

 

[eeyore04]

Well you know I'm in!
(And I like your title. Did you know 357 was Teeka's show number?)

Now that you say it, I kind of remember it!

 

[cheekypoppins]

Yay amy woohooo i'm here girl!

 

[eeyore04]

Yay amy woohooo i'm here girl!

Welcome, Welcome! Thanks for joining in the fun!

 

[eeyore04]

Chapter 1: Intros and backstory

Well I know I don't really have a following but I do want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas as it's Christmas Eve. My family is at Church and I'm home enjoying some peace and quiet. John is coming over for the night and I'm gonna take it easy for a bit. I figured what a better way then to give you some intros.


Myself, Amy. I'm 28 years old and I work in Financial Services full time, and at Michaels part time. I'm also a volunteer leader with Girl Guides of Canada for the past 5 years with 3 of my best friends.4



I have been to Disney World twice. Once in 2009 with my ex and again in September of 2012 with my mom and brother, David. It was their first trip.

My boyfriend, John. He's 37 and works in Retail as a merchandiser. Basically he does a lot of the grunt work at a big box hardware store. He's an amazing man and every day I feel like a Disney Princess We met on November 17th of 2012, so only a couple months after my last trip with Mom and David (and Wendy and Johnny). At the time that John and I met, he also worked at Michaels, only on the Replenishment team (early morning shift, stock) and we only ever ran across each other a couple times in the store, we actually officially met online, but once we realized we knew who each other were it was easy to get comfortable with meeting each other on a first date.


John has never been to Disney, I don't think he's been out of Nova Scotia. He certainly has never been on an airplane and is a little nervous (understandably) But this will all change in November of 2014.


From the very beginning of our relationship, John knew that I am really obsessed with Disney. Afterall, I was only back a couple months and still high off my trip. He and I have discussed taking a vacation there but probably not for a few years. In fact, probably no earlier than 2015. Unfortunately vacations require money. How fair is that? Hahaha. Anyway, I was happy knowing he's open to going. In fact every time we hit any thrift stores we always look for Disney collectibles. In fact, he looks when he's not with me! We've found some Disney collector pins and some collector plates at our local Value Village in excellent shape. In fact two of the pins we found were pro pins. Bambi ones, really pretty.

So why are we going so early. Well. I was at Michaels working a birthday party on Sunday, November 17th (exactly one year from when John and I had our first date). When I was done of the party and starting to clean up I radio'd the head cashier for the day to tell her I was going to take my break before I finished cleaning up. She told me to call home.

My heart sank.

You see, those of you who may have read Wendy's PTR know that she has a cousin who is very sick, with liver cancer. In fact he's OUR cousin. So when I found out I had to call home my heart immediately sank. No one EVER calls me at the store.

So I went to my locker and grabbed my cell phone. I had a text from mom. It stated

“Please call home. ”

Ok so nothing was wrong, I can breathe. What was right??

So I called home.

“Amy did you buy any minor hockey tickets this week?”

(as in local Minor Hockey even splits)

“I always do, Sherri's little guy is in hockey I get them at work” (a co-worker, of course)

“You won the draw!”

WHAT?!?!?!?!

Yup. $4668.00

So I hastily hung up with her after I got the details of who called me, and called him back. Sure enough, it was my name. I was going to pick the cheque up after work.

What was the first thing that ran through my head???

Oh yeah, DISNEY BABY!

Guess what? Wendy and Johnny were IN DISNEY. So I texted her that I was going hahahaha. That'll mess with her.

Oh yeah, gotta call John.

“Hey baby!”

“You need to get your passport”

“Ah what?”

“You need to get your passport... is it that complicated?”

“Why?”

“Cause we're going to Disney World!!!”

“Not for a couple years...”

“I just won the minor hockey draw, $4600, we're going next year!”

“WHAT?! Seriously?”


I originally said May, to see Star Wars Weekends... but Christmas was on my mind. I want to see the parks decorated for Christmas. I was there in September twice, saw Halloween twice. Not a huge fan of Halloween, OBSESSED with Christmas!. After a week or so it was settled, November so we can see Christmas decorations. We also decided that since we met on November 17 of 2012, won the money on November 17 of 2013 we should be there on November 17, 2014. So tentatively we will be there the 10th to the 21st. Nothing booked, flights should be ok on those days, so that's what we are going with.

So we're down to about 320 days... this countdown is gonna be torture HAHAHA. In a fun kind of way.


I'm gonna come back at a later time (probably not tonight) to update this particular post with pictures. Until then....



MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!!

 

[Marsheliz]

Oh wow!! Can't believe your luck!!! ))
It would kill me to wait that long but get- its basically a free trip.. Who's counting? )

 

[teekathepony]

That's so awesome. Now to win the Glace Bay draw...

 

[cheekypoppins]

YAYYY omg amy i am so excited for you ,you will love it there with the christmas decorations it's so pretty n if u can believe it it's even more magical.Congrats!!! I can't wait to follow along and hope you finish LOL

 

[stasijane]

How exciting for you, Congratulations!!!! I cant wait to hear your plans. I will also be going in Nov of next year, but my trip will be a week or two before yours.

 

[stasijane]

And dont feel bad about not finishing the trip report. I have done this at least twice. Its always so exciting to start one then you get so busy with everything else its easy to forget about.

 

[wiigirl]

How exciting for you, Congratulations!

 

[sue_88]

Wow! Congrats on winning all that money! And now you have a trip to look forward and plan. Pixie Dust is falling on you!

 

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

What an awesome start.

 

[eeyore04]

Oh wow!! Can't believe your luck!!! ))
It would kill me to wait that long but get- its basically a free trip.. Who's counting? )

John and I are counting, and boy will it be hard! My last trip we started counting at 184 days, this time it is so high! LOL

That's so awesome. Now to win the Glace Bay draw...

OMG That would be awesome.

YAYYY omg amy i am so excited for you ,you will love it there with the christmas decorations it's so pretty n if u can believe it it's even more magical.Congrats!!! I can't wait to follow along and hope you finish LOL

ME TOO!!! I just need to see Christmas. Not want. NEED

How exciting for you, Congratulations!!!! I cant wait to hear your plans. I will also be going in Nov of next year, but my trip will be a week or two before yours.

Thanks so much!! YAY for November trips!

And dont feel bad about not finishing the trip report. I have done this at least twice. Its always so exciting to start one then you get so busy with everything else its easy to forget about.

Yes, it's hard. Between two jobs and my volunteering, and boyfriend, and sleep... which usually comes last, It just happened

How exciting for you, Congratulations!

Thanks a bunch! I was super excited. Disney was definitely the first and only option for my winnings hehehehe

Wow! Congrats on winning all that money! And now you have a trip to look forward and plan. Pixie Dust is falling on you!

That's for sure. Love the pixie dust! Not that I didn't have tentative plans in my head from the day I got back from my LAST trip hahahah

What an awesome start.

That's for sure! I'm so excited. Time goes so slow though....

 

[eeyore04]

Hello everyone and happy Friday!!! Friday usually doesn't mean a whole lot to me because I work two jobs and therefore a weekend is really just a change from job 1 to job 2. This weekend is no different.

However, tonight we are having family games night with the cousins.... Wendy (teekathepony) being one of them, along with her husband Johnny, my boyfriend John, my brother and at least 1 other couisn, possibly 2. We're doing it pot luck style, and it's gonna be a blast. It has been WAYYYYYY too long since we had our last games night.

I don't have too much to talk about, but a few little things.

-I sent my passport renewal out last week. My current passport will expire in July.

-John's passport photos got done (yesterday) and we're gonna get the forms filled out over the weekend and send it next week.

-We've pretty much narrowed down the days. John's job doesn't give vacation time (just 4% of his pay which gets added on every week), and so the longer we go, the more paid time he misses . At my job (my main one) I get 3 weeks paid vacation; and at my second job my 4% accumulates and I can take time off with pay. Though it won't be a lot, I get vacation hours accumulated and can take it at pretty much any time.

So since John doesn't want to miss too much time (he's putting money away to cover his expenses while we're away including child support and helping his ex with babysitting because he has the kids 5 out of 7 days of the week.

This means that my dream of November 9-22 is out; but we will be going the 13-22. Still, not bad. That gives us 8 full days at the parks, and probably a half day at Downtown Disney. I'm really cool with that.

We may go in this coming week to book it, and I'm keeping an eye on flights every couple days. Too early to book flights though... They should go down in late spring-early summer.

The only other big thing that we did do was sit down and look at the menus on Allears.net. This is our 'short list' in no particular order. (forgive me if I forget something, I'm doing this at work teehee)

Be Our Guest (must do)
50s Prime Time (must do)
Chef Mickey's
Tony's Town Square
Coral Reef
Hoop Dee Doo
Rainforest Cafe (B) (pay out of pocket if we go)
Tusker House (any)
Via Napoli (pay out of pocket, share a pizza if we go)
Mama Melrose
Garden Grill
Boma (B)
Planet Hollywood
Cape May (B)
The Plaza

Since we will be ther 9 nights we get 9 TS credits, we won't be going to all of these.. It will really depend on how we plan our days. I'm kind of weird. I don't want to have too many breakfasts, or too many at one park. I try to have at least one meal in each park. Maybe I'm not the only one who does that?

In any case, the planning has started, slowly, but it's started. John is getting more and more excited which is exciting to me. Thanks for joining me and stay tuned for more updates in my adventure!

 

[deedee2177]

following along! My DH and I met online as well. We went to Disney for our Honeymoon in 2011. It took a little work on my part to convince him to go there since he had only been to MK once...30 years ago!!!!

Well, once he went he totally caught the bug and we took his step-daughter (6 at the time) and our son (10 months at the time) in November 2012. Our next trip is planned for April of this year, and this time we are taking my Mom and my MIL with us. DH has made it clear he wants to go at least every other year...fine with me!!! woohoo!!

We are actually thinking about a 2015 trip...just the 2 of us. Kinda a Honeymoon re-do. Even though he fell in love with Disney he also cracked his tooth and was in a lot of pain. My DH also has never flown, but he is actually TERRIFIED to fly so we drive (10 hour drive). However, I'm trying to convince him to fly if we go on our own since it will be a short trip...don't want to leave the kids for too long!

Thanks for sharing your PTR with us!

 

[eeyore04]

Well, I have some good news and I also have some horrible news....

So everything was going great, Monday evening we went in to see our travel agent to book our trip... She was scheduled until 9 but had to leave early because she needed to be home by 9 cause she was on the emergency line that night. She asked us to write everything down for her and she'd price it when she got home.

I did, and she did.

Tuesday morning I told her to go ahead and book it, she had my gift card number so she was doing the deposit with that! YAY! It's official, we're going to Disney!

Then the bad news came.....

John's shifts got cut. Drastically. Like from 3 shifts a week to 1. Even though I won the money for the trip; John still has to save up. Passport. Spending money. Bills while we're away. Child support. Babysitting money. Time off without pay. It just can't happen on one shift a week.

My heart sank.

Maybe a miracle will happen and he will get something full time soon. He's constantly job searching. If that happens then we won't have to cancel... but I'm not betting on that.

Then there's this. Do we keep the reservation and wait until closer to the cut off date to see if we can still go? Do we cancel altogether?

UGH

I haven't cancelled it but it looks like we won't be going until 2015. I mean, it's not off the table 100%.... just for this year.

So, 'tis the end of my PTR for a year anyway...

Thanks for joining me on this short trip


Pray for some pixie dust

 

[eeyore04]

following along! My DH and I met online as well. We went to Disney for our Honeymoon in 2011. It took a little work on my part to convince him to go there since he had only been to MK once...30 years ago!!!!

Well, once he went he totally caught the bug and we took his step-daughter (6 at the time) and our son (10 months at the time) in November 2012. Our next trip is planned for April of this year, and this time we are taking my Mom and my MIL with us. DH has made it clear he wants to go at least every other year...fine with me!!! woohoo!!

We are actually thinking about a 2015 trip...just the 2 of us. Kinda a Honeymoon re-do. Even though he fell in love with Disney he also cracked his tooth and was in a lot of pain. My DH also has never flown, but he is actually TERRIFIED to fly so we drive (10 hour drive). However, I'm trying to convince him to fly if we go on our own since it will be a short trip...don't want to leave the kids for too long!

Thanks for sharing your PTR with us!

Looks like we have quite a bit in common. I just wish that I had better news about the trip... ugh. When it rains it pours.