April 2010 ABD Backstage Magic : California Here We Come!!!

[MerriePoppins]

Bring on the SUNSHINE !!!!!

This is going to be an amazing trip

 

[Dodie]

<-----------is hoping that Pete's current "OMG!!!!!" thread here on the Podcast Board is referencing the big "surprise" for our trip that Kevin's been working on and that papers have been signed so we can find out what's going on soon.

A girl can dream.

 

[slapwhitey]

<-----------is hoping that Pete's current "OMG!!!!!" thread here on the Podcast Board is referencing the big "surprise" for our trip that Kevin's been working on and that papers have been signed so we can find out what's going on soon.

A girl can dream.

I'm with you Dodie!!

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

Bill is off in sunny Seattle this week on business. So, it's just me and the kids holding down the fort. I had to go pick-up DS9 early from school today because he is sick. There's a stomach bug going around school. Now, I need to make sure I keep the other kids healthy.

We had an amazing time at WDW last week. Very low crowds. It did rain a few days. But, we still got out and had fun. A rainy day at WDW, is better than a day at home IMO! I discovered we are NOT a poncho-wearing family. We bought some a few trips back and used them once. Those things are so uncomfortable. I felt like I was being choked and they retain so much of your body's heat. So, we put on jackets to brave the rain. I just threw them in the dryer when we got back into the room. Another reason I love DVC. The in-room washer and dryer is the best!

We ventured out into the rain on Monday for a wet day at MK. Never have I seen NO WAIT for Space Mountain. I think the wait time listed 20 minutes. But, it was walk-on. We rode it a few times. Same on Tuesday. We went to DHS and walked-on RNR and ToT. The only wait was the usual TSM. Even that only posted a 30 minutes stand-by line. Luckily, Bill got us FPs and we bypassed that line. We've never been to WDW in January/February before. So, I wasn't sure what to expect crowd-wise and weather-wise. We did encounter a few Brazilian tour groups. I was almost trampled by a heard exiting the stretching room at the Haunted Mansion. Besides that, they were well-mannered. I think we left just in time. I over-heard some CMs in DTD complaining about the cheerleading competition girls. We've been at WDW during Pop Warner and had no problems with the boys and girls. However, I guess the cheerleading competion girls are a handful and loud.

We ended up driving home a different way on Saturday to avoid traveling near New Orleans. We listened to some Podcasts in the car and my ears perked up when Corey and Julie were talking about the Disney Exhibit in New Orleans. I was a little bummed me made a detour. Because, I was going to try and talk Bill into making a "quick" trip into NO to see the Exhibit and beignets at Cafe du Monde. We found a new family-favorite traveling hotel called Country Inn and Suites. They have a room big enough for our family (one-bedroom suite with two queen beds and a separate room with a sofa-sleeper). It was reasonably priced at $119 with our AAA discount.

It is always nice to come home and sink into your own bed. Hotel beds just aren't the same. We slept like babies Saturday night.

I am currently working on getting a sitter for our kids during our ABD Trip. My Mom isn't able to watch the kids afterall. We are going to try Nannies4Hire. We live near a couple of Universities. So, I am hoping to find someone young enough to keep up with the kids and eager for some extra money. Wish us luck!

Jennifer

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

Febuary 1, 2010 - Burbank, Ca. Walt Disney Television today announced that they have given the greenlight to a new reality show and while the title has not yet been announced, the show will loosely follow the concept of the highly popular MTV series The Jersey Shore, (that is except for drinking). Disney tapped real live Jersey Shore native Pete "The Situation" Werner of the Orlando production company "DU" to serve as executive producer for the show. "Disney came to us for a proposal, I could think of only one idea to pitch" said Werner. "It will be west coast version of the MTV show, only with a family theme" Werner continued. "They (MTV) placed their cast in a house on the shore and they have them working at T-Shirt shop on the boardwalk, we're going to put our group in a hotel at Disneyland, and we'll have them working at the various concessions and rides at the California attraction". Werner concluded by saying, “I was born on the Jersey Shore, I know the Jersey Shore, the Jersey Shore is a friend of mine, and MTV, you’re not the Jersey Shore”.

Sources close to the project, while not giving out specific details, indicated that the cast will be involved in all aspects of "making the magic happen", from working behind the scenes in the many support roles to actually performing in the public "on stage" activities such as parades and working in gift stores. Several of the cast will even be asked to perform the Tinker Bell Drop from atop the 94 foot tall Sleeping Beauty Castle. Las Vegas based “Flying By Foy” has been retained to work with the cast, none of whom have ever been involved in these types of stunts.

According to Werner, "The hook that will grab the viewers is that none of the cast has any idea what they’re getting into. They think they're coming for a Disney Adventure Vacation. Heck, they even paid their own way to get here; the folks at Disney really loved that part". "We'll get to see their reaction on the first night when they see what they'll be asked to do, and as the week goes on, see the friendships and bonds grow as can only happen when you’re in the trenches serving snow cones on a hot California day."

It’s reported that the cast will first hear of the real nature of their "adventure" during a first night dinner event. Numbering forty, they will be coming from all parts of the country. The shooting schedule for the show, which received an 8 episode order, is set to be completed over a 5 day period.

Famed TV director Kevin "You can never get to" Klose was tapped to get the most out of the naive cast. "When I first heard from Pete that this was a go, all I could say was Oh My God, just the thought of getting eight one-hour shows taped in the time we've been given by Disney, it would be impossible”, said Klose. “At first I was not even going to do it, but Pete promised that catering would be serving Dole Whips and I was in.” By the time taping beings in mid-April, Klose, who is noted for his direction of football games for ESPN should be well rested and ready for what promises to be a round the clock marathon guiding six camera crews.

Co-executive producer Walter "DJ” Echols has been quoted as saying "At this point, the only thing we've told the cast is that they better be in shape, they’re in for a real surprise when they get here”. ”And to quote Nietzsche, That which does not kill us makes us stronger”. “I hope that our cast will feel that way when this is over.” Neither Werner or Klose commented on Echols statement.

The show is set to run sometime in the summer 2010.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin, see what happens when young minds are left to think about surprises?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

That is priceless!

Any news on when we get to have a chat room to discuss the BIG surprise??????

Jennifer

 

[Circusgirl]

Bill is off in sunny Seattle this week on business. So, it's just me and the kids holding down the fort. I had to go pick-up DS9 early from school today because he is sick. There's a stomach bug going around school. Now, I need to make sure I keep the other kids healthy.

We had an amazing time at WDW last week. Very low crowds. It did rain a few days. But, we still got out and had fun. A rainy day at WDW, is better than a day at home IMO! I discovered we are NOT a poncho-wearing family. We bought some a few trips back and used them once. Those things are so uncomfortable. I felt like I was being choked and they retain so much of your body's heat. So, we put on jackets to brave the rain. I just threw them in the dryer when we got back into the room. Another reason I love DVC. The in-room washer and dryer is the best!

We ventured out into the rain on Monday for a wet day at MK. Never have I seen NO WAIT for Space Mountain. I think the wait time listed 20 minutes. But, it was walk-on. We rode it a few times. Same on Tuesday. We went to DHS and walked-on RNR and ToT. The only wait was the usual TSM. Even that only posted a 30 minutes stand-by line. Luckily, Bill got us FPs and we bypassed that line. We've never been to WDW in January/February before. So, I wasn't sure what to expect crowd-wise and weather-wise. We did encounter a few Brazilian tour groups. I was almost trampled by a heard exiting the stretching room at the Haunted Mansion. Besides that, they were well-mannered. I think we left just in time. I over-heard some CMs in DTD complaining about the cheerleading competition girls. We've been at WDW during Pop Warner and had no problems with the boys and girls. However, I guess the cheerleading competion girls are a handful and loud.

We ended up driving home a different way on Saturday to avoid traveling near New Orleans. We listened to some Podcasts in the car and my ears perked up when Corey and Julie were talking about the Disney Exhibit in New Orleans. I was a little bummed me made a detour. Because, I was going to try and talk Bill into making a "quick" trip into NO to see the Exhibit and beignets at Cafe du Monde. We found a new family-favorite traveling hotel called Country Inn and Suites. They have a room big enough for our family (one-bedroom suite with two queen beds and a separate room with a sofa-sleeper). It was reasonably priced at $119 with our AAA discount.

It is always nice to come home and sink into your own bed. Hotel beds just aren't the same. We slept like babies Saturday night.

I am currently working on getting a sitter for our kids during our ABD Trip. My Mom isn't able to watch the kids afterall. We are going to try Nannies4Hire. We live near a couple of Universities. So, I am hoping to find someone young enough to keep up with the kids and eager for some extra money. Wish us luck!

Jennifer

Good luck!

Glad you had such a good time (finally!) The uncrowded times are .

 

[Circusgirl]

In just over 8 weeks we'll be crossing this threshhold:

and checking in here:

We'll also be seeing this:

and this:

Even without knowing if there is a fabulous head exploding surprise or not, I am a tiny bit excited!

 

[corky441]

Hi Jen - Hi Bill

So glad you had a great time at WDW - even in the rain. I agree about those ponchos too, I always feel like I'm getting ready to be put out to the curb for garbage day.
Rainy days do have their advantage sometimes - especially when it comes to wait-times

Hope you find a suitable sitter for the kids for our ABD adventure. I can't believe it is just around the corner now - seems like it was so far off and now it's actually list making time

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

Heather, (BTW - We almost named our daughter Heather. It is such a pretty name. However, DS9 was into Clifford the Big Red Dog back then and Emily Elizabeth just barely beat out Heather. I didn't realize her name was so popular until I read the 2002 baby names. Is it too late to rename her Heather???? )

Thanks for the pictures. They have got me MORE excited. We briskly walked through the lobby of the GC on our way to breakfast at the Storytellers Cafe one morning. Three kids, hungry, there was no stopping them that morning. So, we didn't take the time to look at the lobby area that much. It looks beautiful and very inviting.

Jennifer

 

[corky441]

Heather - the pics are great.

I am so excited for this trip to begin, Can't wait to see it all in person.

I've been waiting 50 years for this trip

 

[aspen37]

Jen, I'm glad you guys had a nice trip. I hope you find someone to watch the kids soon.

Heather, those pictures were great! I'm starting to get excited about this trip. I haven't been to LA for a year and a half and can't wait!

 

[Circusgirl]

Planning for this trip is so completely different than for other trips. I don't have as much as usual to obsess over, and am actually enjoying having the majority of the scheduling and arrangements managed for me. After buying my plane tickets I'm down to scheduling meals for the two days I'm staying after the Adventure, and trying to find a great deal for a hotel for the very last night. I was hoping for the Paradise Pier at an AP rate, but the rates on all the DLR hotels are quite high right now. I've got the GC for one extra night, and have a reservation at the Fairfield Anaheim in case nothing better turns up for the last night. In the I love a good deal department I got a $25.00 credit back from Alaska on my inbound flight when the price dropped $4.00 after I had already purchased my ticket. (They only give credits in increments of $25.00, so that was a total win.) I hadn't yet purchased my return ticket, so I waited until the credit arrived and then used it for the return. Sweet.

But I can't not obsess, so I've been looking at my pictures from last year. Here are more enticements of things to come:



After going off to Neverland:

we might take in the scenery:

and then head to New Oreleans Square for some gustatory delights:

More sweet dreams tomorrow!

 

[corky441]

Don't know what's making me drool more -

the pic of the Matterhorn or the food

 

[Dodie]

Two hours on the phone with Delta today and poor Kevin's going to get ANOTHER flight schedule change e-mail from me.

• We originally booked on Northwest.
• Delta has since absorbed Northwest.
• Northwest had already changed the flights a couple of times. (Hence, multiple emails to Kevin.)
• Then they became Delta flights.
• At first Delta didn't change much about the flights, just made them Delta instead of NWA with the same flight numbers.
• However, sometime in the past two days they had totally up-ended my entire itinerary without even letting me know. I just happened to check and boom - everything was different. Direct flights were connecting flights. The connection on the return trip wasn't even possible. Amazing.

I know there's a huge mess out east and lots of people are rescheduling flights today, but I wanted to get it taken care of asap, so I held. And held. And held. Finally got a nice Sky Miles representative who worked through it all with me, only to find that he wasn't authorized to actually make the change in the system because it was due to a schedule change. He had to transfer me to someone who could do it manually. More holding. Finally, I think it's all worked out.

One major change is that we're now getting to LA very early on Monday morning instead of very late that night, so we'll have more time for exploring. However, I know it's doubtful that the hotel will have a room ready for us at 9:30/10:00 a.m.

Thanks for reading my vent. Back to celebrating the impending trip!

 

[corky441]

Dodie -

Can't believe you didn't get so much as an e-mail from them with their scheduing changes they made to your itinerary -

It's a good thing you're checking your flights on your own - I can't imagine getting to the airport the day of my trip and finding out my flights were gone.

We're flying JetBlue and while I don't have the schedule change issues, I check my itineraries often because if the fares go down, they give me a credit to use on another flight. That was how we could afford to fly down for DISapalooza - the flights were practically free

Enjoy your time time sight seeing - as long as the hotel holds your bags for you, gtrab a map & a cab and go exploring

 

[macman752]

Heather, thanks for the picture of the Pomme Frites and Monte Cristo. Cafe Oleans was the first place we dined on our first trip to Disneyland in September.
After 7 hours of flying and about 12 hours since my last real meal I dined on the exact things in your picture.

Can't wait to try them again!

 

[DisneyKevin]

Two hours on the phone with Delta today and poor Kevin's going to get ANOTHER flight schedule change e-mail from me.

• We originally booked on Northwest.
• Delta has since absorbed Northwest.
• Northwest had already changed the flights a couple of times. (Hence, multiple emails to Kevin.)
• Then they became Delta flights.
• At first Delta didn't change much about the flights, just made them Delta instead of NWA with the same flight numbers.
• However, sometime in the past two days they had totally up-ended my entire itinerary without even letting me know. I just happened to check and boom - everything was different. Direct flights were connecting flights. The connection on the return trip wasn't even possible. Amazing.

I know there's a huge mess out east and lots of people are rescheduling flights today, but I wanted to get it taken care of asap, so I held. And held. And held. Finally got a nice Sky Miles representative who worked through it all with me, only to find that he wasn't authorized to actually make the change in the system because it was due to a schedule change. He had to transfer me to someone who could do it manually. More holding. Finally, I think it's all worked out.

One major change is that we're now getting to LA very early on Monday morning instead of very late that night, so we'll have more time for exploring. However, I know it's doubtful that the hotel will have a room ready for us at 9:30/10:00 a.m.

Thanks for reading my vent. Back to celebrating the impending trip!

I've got your back Dodie.

I sent an email.

 

[Dodie]

I've got your back Dodie.

I sent an email.

 

[Circusgirl]

Dodie -

Sorry about the madness with Delta! I have heard similar tales from other travelers about multiple itinerary changes that are never for the better. Glad it's all settled and that you have more time to play.



I'm looking forward to space:

and falling:

but not spinning.

 

[Circusgirl]

Heather, (BTW - We almost named our daughter Heather. It is such a pretty name. However, DS9 was into Clifford the Big Red Dog back then and Emily Elizabeth just barely beat out Heather. I didn't realize her name was so popular until I read the 2002 baby names. Is it too late to rename her Heather???? )

Thanks for the pictures. They have got me MORE excited. We briskly walked through the lobby of the GC on our way to breakfast at the Storytellers Cafe one morning. Three kids, hungry, there was no stopping them that morning. So, we didn't take the time to look at the lobby area that much. It looks beautiful and very inviting.

Jennifer

The fireplace in the lobby is a fabulous cave of comfort. You're going to love it! Be sure to take some quiet time to enjoy the lobby. I have some pictures of the rooms coming up later!

Heather - the pics are great.

I am so excited for this trip to begin, Can't wait to see it all in person.

I've been waiting 50 years for this trip

Don't know what's making me drool more -

the pic of the Matterhorn or the food

Glad you are enjoying the pics!

Heather, thanks for the picture of the Pomme Frites and Monte Cristo. Cafe Oleans was the first place we dined on our first trip to Disneyland in September.
After 7 hours of flying and about 12 hours since my last real meal I dined on the exact things in your picture.

Can't wait to try them again!

I am attached to the Monte Cristo because I remember eating them in the Blue Bayou in the early days. It's great to be able to indulge without all the brouhaha of getting into the BB.