and we're back. [Walt, Wizards, and....Woolungasaurus?]

[kaoden39]

It looks like our rain may finally be gone. There has been so much rain and snow that the ski lodges are reopening up to Lake Tahoe for Memorial day weekend.

I am glad you were able to figure out your question I had no clue.

 

[bumbershoot]

Eamon is fingerpainting before bed, Robert is coming home nearly 2 days early from his trip, I've figured out a couple things about my health that I'm going to change, and I still don't know where we would want to eat/if we need an ADR for the first day we're there (assuming the CBR stay happens).

My life in a nutshell!

Oh, and I haven't watched TV since we got back from San Diego. E has, but not me.

Oh, and I put June's money towards the car today, and we'll be done with it before DH's bonus money shows up, which is *beyond* thrilling.

That's my life in a nutshell with some leaves attached to it, LOL. (obviously a walnut or other tree nut...otherwise it makes no sense)

 

[kaoden39]

It sounds like home except I have been watching movies all day. I am bad about the tv. Congratulations on the car payment. That is huge. No sooner had I paid our other one off we were out getting me a newer better van. I can justify needing with the fact that Scotty races his bicycle all over the state.

 

[bumbershoot]

We've definitely talked about what to do vehicle-wise after we've paid off the beast. It was never our intention to get such a big car (though the trunk is AWESOME for camping!), but Chase wouldn't let us finance a used Outback or similar.

So once it's all paid off, we've had conversations about selling it then buying something else that we like more, used of course (wouldn't *mind* new, but we're trying to not finance anything else), and for the price we get for the beast.

But...as I was told would happen, the closer we get to paying it off, the better it's running! Not that it ran badly/poorly before, but it's just *even* better.

That said, I sure would feel better about going camping in an Outback, vs a Grand Marquis.

 

[kaoden39]

I have a 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan, now I bought it used with about 10,000 miles on it and the price was about half of what it would have been new. It is the deluxe model with the heated leather seats, and all that good stuff. The thing I like the most is I have the stow and go seats. There is this nice storage area in front of the middle seats. It is wonderful for camping and Disneyland.

 

[bumbershoot]

Half the price, isn't that incredible?

I keep forgetting how much we adored the Kia Rondo when we test drove it a billion years ago...alas the salesman was a jerk-extraordinaire and we simply refused to buy it for several reasons, not giving him a commission being one of them. Ooh he was rude!

The Rondos don't seem to be dropping in price as much as I would like, though...and there aren't that many for sale. I've spoken with only HAPPY Rondo owners, so maybe they just aren't giving up their cars!

We really wanted the one with the 3rd row of seats, but that was when we were sure that more bundles of joy were *just* around the corner.

 

[kaoden39]

You know I looked online for a vehicle before I bought. I found that I was able to get a much better deal that way. I am surprised at how much cheaper it was for my van and how easy it was to find one locally. It is in great condition and the mileage amazed me. With my 2001 I was happy if I got 20-22 miles a gallon on the highway, with the 2007 when we go on a freeway trip I average 25 miles to the gallon.

 

[bumbershoot]

Every MPG counts!

Scary thing about that is the Grand Marquis gets MUCH better gas mileage than the car it replaced...and the car it replaced was a little economy car, but old and busted, to quote Will Smith, LOL.


Good news; I went to an online ADR calculator, and found that I have until the 3rd for the 180 days. Whew! Breathing room.

 

[kaoden39]

I think the breathing room is a good thing. There are so many choices to be made, I think it would intimidate me a lot.

 

[bumbershoot]

Many choices are made for us, with the vegetarian thing...sure, all places have options, but some options are unattractive.

Ooh I know I'll look through allears and the dis menus today.

Anyway, our choices are pared down in that way, but yeah, still so many choices.

And what really gets to me is HOW do I know how hungry we'll be????

Eh, I think I'm just making it too hard.

Hey, how far out can you join ridemax etc? Should look that up, too.

Robert's off in his second location on this trip, and today was a travel day so he doesn't have to work...he's going to go see that movie about the "fake" superheroes (the name can't be typed here), starts with "Kick".

E is having fun playing like crazy, I have the finances worked out and can't do anything MORE with the car loan right now...and honestly I think I've done quite a bit so far!

So I might as well sit down and do that research.

Though, hmm, running out to grab a big salad (I always think of Seinfeld when I say that) sounds nummy, if expensive....big salad while researching might be nice.

 

[kaoden39]

Know how hungry you are going to be is a conundrum. This trip I have been planning for 9 of us has had me at my wits end. No 3 people want to eat at the same place. I finally told everyone to forget it, I would not be making any PS for our trip. We will have counter serve for lunch and dinner will be out of the park. It is so hard when you have so many different tastes and diets. My daughter Kody and I are the easiest ones to plan for, she wants veggie burgers and such, and I cannot agree more. So her and I are set but everybody else has the I want to eat theme park food attitude. Somehow I will survive!!

 

[bumbershoot]

That sounds like a real pain!

Now Kody knows that the veggie burgers there now are the "malibu" gardenburgers...they aren't soy, they aren't normal gardenburger type, but there are actual chunks of carrot and broccoli etc in them. I actually quite like them, but if you're expecting something like a Boca, it can be unwelcome!

Though it's a few steps up from the Black Bean burgers they were torturing me with a few years back. I will eat one willingly every blue moon. But it's a *very* specific taste, heavy on cumin and similar spices, and it's NOT what I EVER wanted while at DL.


I have my salad, yum.

 

[kaoden39]

Kody prefers the Morning Star veggie burgers that you can practically see what veggies you are eating. I was eating some we got from Costco that were wonderful until I noticed the olives and that killed it for me. She is looking forward to the vegetarian chili in the bread bowl. Kody decided on her own to go vegetarian in middle school and I have supported it. It's so much healthier, I am looking forward to trying the Malibu garden burgers.

I just had an avocado sandwich myself.

 

[bumbershoot]

Good I'm glad she knows.

Obviously there's a huge difference between a teen and a 4 year old, but it was that very Malibu burger that caused the massive meltdown last June when DS and I were on our own. He likes broccoli, he likes veggie burgers. He doesn't like broccoli obviously IN his veggie burgers!



Quite obviously (well, never say never, right?) we won't be partaking in Owners Locker yet, I mean, what if we HATE WDW and never want to go back? Hmm, guess we'd be selling DVC since I'm not sure I could get used to ONLY staying at the Grand (though again, never say never).

So anyway, wanted to put this info here to try to remember it. Written by Tara on an OL thread on the DVC forum...

And if you use the link at the top of this board and select "The DIS" in the "where did you hear about Owner's Locker?" field, you'll get $30 off the one-time fee PLUS an extra free visit for 3 years. And keep in mind that the one-time fee is just that - one time. You will only pay the annual plan fee after the first year. And the one-time fee includes your initial drop-off and pick up, so that free visit you get with the standard plan is IN ADDITION to the initial time. (And with the DIS discount, you get another free visit on top of that.)

Not bad, and when you figure it's a money-back guarantee if you aren't happy, it's really a no-lose situation.

Instead of menus, right now I'm looking at car rental info. Right now it's nowhere near what I thought it was going to be, might have to do one of the non-pre-paid rentals...

From Mousesavers:

At Orlando International Airport (MCO) all of the major rental car agencies are located right in the parking garage across from the terminals.

In addition, there are Alamo/National locations on-site at Walt Disney World, which is very convenient should you wish to keep your car for only part of the trip. (For more information about renting cars on Disney property, click here.)

There are also rental car locations at several of the hotels in the Downtown Disney area.

Also from Mousesavers:

Gas Stations

Disney has several on-property Hess stations with low gas prices. In fact, the Hess prices are usually the lowest in the Orlando area. There's no need to drive way off property to get gas.

On your way to the airport, a good place to gas up your car is the Hess station located immediately before you get on Greeneway (SR 417) from World Center Drive (SR 536). The actual street address is 7900 World Center Drive and it is just west of International Drive (note that Google Maps does not display the location correctly). The gas prices here are usually the best in the area and it's much cheaper and more convenient than buying gas close to the airport.

You'll have to drive pretty far out of your way if you wait until the airport exit, and the nearest gas station to the airport ("Landing Strip" aka "Suncoast Energy" on Semoran Boulevard, just north of the airport) is a complete rip-off. This station habitually charges nearly TWICE the normal price for gas and does not have signs to let people know the prices before they pull in. You won't realize you're paying a ridiculous price unless you look closely at the pump!

I have always used one of the Disney area Hess stations to gas up my rental car before heading back to the airport and I have never been charged for additional gas by the rental agency -- the gas gauge is always still on "F". So remember to gas up before you get on the highway back to the airport!

 

[bumbershoot]

D'oh!!!!!!

Just counted. If we start using our tickets on the 2nd, they are going to run out before the end of our trip. So we'd best not plan on parks the last couple days, eh?

So so so so so glad I realized this now....

 

[kaoden39]

You know I got to thinking about your question about Ridemax. I have never used them before but Scotty wanted to try it out so I got it. The schedules for Disneyland have been late on updating this year because of the addition of the WoC in DCA. I am not sure how quickly it updates for Disneyworld, I am told by people that it normally is much quicker than it has been for this year.

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh my goodness, how could I have forgotten? I haven't gotten any guidebooks from the library yet! I can't possibly plan without having looked at guidebooks (I do have the Passporter but that's more of a planner to me, not a guidebook).


Seems that whenever I say I'll do something (figure out dining!) I do something else. So I've spent nearly 24 hours looking at rental cars, info about renting cars in Orlando, reading reports about HP's Forbidden Journey ride, rechecking prices on packages vs other packages (soon to recheck room only plus buying tickets) at Universal, etc.

All very very good and important work.

None of it gives me ANY clue about dining, though.

 

[kaoden39]

I have a social thread that I visit frequently that is a WDW group of people and I know they would love to answer any questions you may have. They are who I will go to when I plan my WDW trip.

This is it!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Thanks. Someday I'll show up there!



Looking outside, I've just realized...we have GOT to get outside today! It's too beautiful to not get out there.



Aughhhhhhhh, how did I miss Folklife? Again? Dagnabit!

 

[kaoden39]

The weather is grand here today too.