Been There, Done That, and Yes, We’re Going Back! New 5/8- I'm back!

Two happy girls.
DSC03064.jpg

One girls happy and the other.... well, I am not quite sure what her mood ring wold say.
DSC03065.jpg

Admission to Hershey Park was included with our room price. They have a deal where you get a 2 and a half our "preview" the night before you would like to use your park ticket.
It was about 5:15 and we had until 7:30 before we would be allowed in the park, so we went to go find dinner.
Hershey Park has a creative way of measuring people
DSC03067.jpg

They have different candies and each candy is a different height. In front of each attraction is says which "candies" can ride.
Emily was a jolly rancher (the tallest) and Amy way a twizzler.
Just outside of the park they had a TS restaurant that looked good.
DSC03069.jpg

I don't remember what everyone had, but I had the salmon. It was the best I had in a while. I'm pretty sure Emily wasn't a big fan of her meal so I shared mine with her.
After dinner we washed up, paid, and then went to go wait in line for the 7:30 "preview."
A lot of other people were waiting, too.
DSC03072.jpg

The line was LONG! Think Test Track to Nemo (like how I relate it to Disney, hugh?). Once 7:30 struck the line moved very fast.

DSC03077.jpg

First ride? The monorail.
DSC03084.jpg

It was kind of like the train at MK. It takes you places and gives you info about the attractions as you along.

DSC03096.jpg

We decided that the bumper cars would be our next ride.
DSC03173.jpg

Somebody went flying into me and I hurt my neck!! It hurt for the rest of the night. That was the last time I step foot on those bumper cars. The girls enjoyed it.
After that we found a cute little mini Splash Mountain. It's made for little kids (Can't ride if you don't have a kid Amy's size or smaller!) While waiting there was a recording that kept playing over and over and over again! It had a high pitched voice and it spoke so slow. (I probably would of had enough time to look up each word up ina dictionary! Oh well!)
I LOVED this! We rode 2 more times with out getting off since there was no line.
I don't remember too well what else we did that night. I know we did a big Splash Mountain, a TS speedway, and a Buzz.
DSC03098.jpg


DSC03099.jpg


DSC03111.jpg

We left about 45 minutes before closing to beat the crowds. We took the bus back to the lodge, had some chocolate cake (in hershey), took showers, and then went to bed. It was a fun day!
 
We live about an hour and a half from Hershey. Really don't go as often as we would like but life does get in the way. There are 2 times of year we ALWAYS go...one is Easter weekend and the other is Halloween. They are special times at Hershey Park. Last Halloween at Hershey is the place DH and I decided we would do Disney!! We won't be making Halloween this year since it is only a month before Disney...but I will be ok giving it up this year in favor of seeing the mouse! :cool1:
 
Oh Barbara, aren't you the funny one! :lmao:
I thought I would go and BUY some new towels and take them to the group house where my mom lives and make them with her and the other ladies...
:idea:Plus we'll need sunglasses or adhesive google eyes....
That is a great idea! They will love it, I am sure.
Ugh oh, I sure hope Shocker doesn't come after me for enabling you.:lmao:
Hi Barbara,

I'm in :thumbsup2 you have some great one-liners in here...Tink talking to the Pez and of course Elephants wear necklaces around their legs :rotfl2:

love your mini trip book...very cute indeed!

can't wait to hear the rest of your plans and see if we have any parks days or anything else that match up...My oldest DD Bekah also 11 loves doing crafty things w/ me too :goodvibes

J~
Welcome! I'm so glad to have you here.
Thanks. Dumbo's mind is in Disney 24/7 so I guess he thinks if elephants can fly then they must be allowed to wear necklaces, too.:lmao:
I'm posting the November plans on Thursday since that is my 4 month mark.
What grade is Bekah going into? Amy is turning 12 next month and going into 7th gr.
 
Hershey looks like a fun little place to visit!! Glad you got some down time there!!

Ahhhh.... the smell must have been completely WONDERFUL! Reminds me to go out and get some dark for tonight!! :cloud9:
 

I'm joining in!

My MIL just got back from Hershey with a church group. We may have to take the girls there sometime. I know they would both be in heaven with all that chocolate! OK...so would I! :laughing: :laughing:

Your planning notebook is cute! I like the way you spruced it up. I've got a notebook just like that that I carry around in my bag all the time.

Looking forward to hearing more about your plans. Maybe we'll run in to each other!
 
Well, I thought I'd subscribed to this PTR, but obviously not............. Oh well, I'm here now!

Love your cute little planning notebook!

Your trip to Hershey looks like so much fun. Do they give out samples, by any chance?
 
Welcome! I'm so glad to have you here.
Thanks. Dumbo's mind is in Disney 24/7 so I guess he thinks if elephants can fly then they must be allowed to wear necklaces, too.:lmao:
I'm posting the November plans on Thursday since that is my 4 month mark.
What grade is Bekah going into? Amy is turning 12 next month and going into 7th gr.

thank you...

Hershey looks like a yummy trip....did you feel like you were in Willy Wonka ;)

that looks like a fun place to stop at...I know my DH and Kids would like that.

Can't wait to see your plans :thumbsup2

and Bekah just turned 11 in May w/ her twin brother (Nathan) they will be starting Middle School next month w/ 6th grade...any tips :goodvibes
 
We live about an hour and a half from Hershey. Really don't go as often as we would like but life does get in the way. There are 2 times of year we ALWAYS go...one is Easter weekend and the other is Halloween. They are special times at Hershey Park. Last Halloween at Hershey is the place DH and I decided we would do Disney!! We won't be making Halloween this year since it is only a month before Disney...but I will be ok giving it up this year in favor of seeing the mouse! :cool1:
I saw advertisements for Easter and Halloween while we were there. It looked fun!
You will LOVE Disney at Christmas.
Hershey looks like a fun little place to visit!! Glad you got some down time there!!

Ahhhh.... the smell must have been completely WONDERFUL! Reminds me to go out and get some dark for tonight!! :cloud9:
We had a ton of fun there. It was very cool to walk in and smell chocolate. You can't go to Hershey on a diet.
Glad you enjoyed your time in Hershey! It seems funny to see someone do a mini-TR about it because we live so close and used to go a lot! :rotfl2:
You should go back sometime.



Whaaatt??? :lmao:
I'll giver her one more year.:laughing:


I don't see it?
The second picture? Use your imagination. The bathroom is involved.
I'm joining in!

My MIL just got back from Hershey with a church group. We may have to take the girls there sometime. I know they would both be in heaven with all that chocolate! OK...so would I! :laughing: :laughing:

Your planning notebook is cute! I like the way you spruced it up. I've got a notebook just like that that I carry around in my bag all the time.

Looking forward to hearing more about your plans. Maybe we'll run in to each other!
:welcome:
You should go! We had so much fun there.
Thanks. It's really coming in handy.
I'd like to plan a meet with a few DISERS that will be there for Thanksgiving. We'll look at everyone's plans and see where and when we meet up. I don't want anyone to have to change their plans to meet up with me.
Well, I thought I'd subscribed to this PTR, but obviously not............. Oh well, I'm here now!

Love your cute little planning notebook!

Your trip to Hershey looks like so much fun. Do they give out samples, by any chance?
:welcome: Michelle!
Thank you.
We got a piece of chocolate after the CW ride, big chocolate bars when we checked in, and a ton of kisses when we paid at TS restaurants. The kisses melted all over my mom's new coach bag and she was NOT happy. Luckily, she is a stain remover goddess and it came off.
thank you...

Hershey looks like a yummy trip....did you feel like you were in Willy Wonka ;)

that looks like a fun place to stop at...I know my DH and Kids would like that.

Can't wait to see your plans :thumbsup2

and Bekah just turned 11 in May w/ her twin brother (Nathan) they will be starting Middle School next month w/ 6th grade...any tips :goodvibes
My mom noticed that there were more really over weight people then anywhere she's ever been.
Hopefully we can meet up. I'd like to have a meet with me, you JillyB, and Leamom2princesses. I don't want anyone to change their plans if we can meet up for a few minutes, Great, if not we're not worth anyone changing their trip for.
I haven't been in a couple years, but they used to give out a snack size Hershey bar at the end of the Chocolate World ride. :goodvibes
We got that after the ride, too. I though it was really sweet that they hired a boy with down syndrome to pass out the chocolate.
 
We hit the road with Walt Disney World as our destination. That’s right, baby! 4 months marks the time until we’re back at WDW!!!
In honor of 4 months here is what I have so far as far as itinerary goes.
For this trip we’ll be calling AKL home! I’m SO, SO excited to stay here. We visited here last trip and we were just blown away with Kidani so I just know we’re going to love Jumbo House.
We’ll be at our favorite place November 22nd-27th! It’s almost the same dates as last year. Last year we went the 21st-26th and we liked that time a lot.
DSC01703.jpg


DSC01700.jpg


DSC01702.jpg


DSC01708.jpg


DSC01707.jpg

On November 22nd I’ll bounce out of bead and head to work. At around 11 AM, I’ll leave and pick up the girls. (2 different schools this year in 2 different directions! UGHHH!) We’ll go home and have a quick lunch, load up the car, and hit the road. We live in S. Florida, which is only about 3 hours from the world. We should get there around a little bit after 4, probably closer to 5, depending on if we stop. We’ll unpack, have dinner at the Mara, and head to DTD.
DSC02094.jpg


DSC02095.jpg


DSC02074.jpg


DSC02104.jpg

November 23rd- I’ll wake up and go to the balcony to admire the safari view and have breakfast. I’ll wake the rest of the gang up and we’ll attack DHS. We missed a LOT there last time so we’ll be there opening to closing. We have a 5:30 ADR at 50s Prime Time Café but there is a 7 PM F! so I might try to get a fantasmic dining package. Maybe after dinner we’ll go to MK to get a head start there.
Hopefully, we’ll have better weather then this:
DSC01715.jpg


DSC01718.jpg

November 24th- We’ll wake up and attack Epcot this day. I LOVE our Epcot days; we always have so much fun here!! We’ll go back around 3:30 and do some activities at AKL. Amy is going to LOVE all of the crafts there so I think maybe just her and me will leave and DH and Emily will stay at Epcot the two of them. Emily still remembers her day at Epcot with her and just DH back in July 2005 and says it was the best day of her life! I know she will enjoy one on one time with him. I have no idea about dinner yet. I might try for the Mexican TS with Illuminations seating but the girls don’t really like Mexican food. We’ll see.
DSC01774.jpg


DSC01796.jpg


DSC01796.jpg


DSC01813.jpg



I love the WS!
DSC01209.jpg


DSC01210.jpg

November 25th- Thanksgiving! We’ll wake up early and head to MK for AM EMH! I think around 12ish we’ll go back to AKL for activities and come back for the parade. We’ll be having Thanksgiving dinner at Kona! I’ve heard great things about it and I’m so excited to try it. After dinner we’ll go back to MK to finish the night.
DSC01907.jpg


DSC01912.jpg

One of my favorite rides in WDW! It’s such a classic. I can’t go to Disney and not ride it.
DSC01923.jpg


DSC01967.jpg

November 26th- I’ll wake up wondering where our trip went. Today will be our last full day. (Insert crying smilie) We’ll pixie dust the Animal Kingdom today. On our last trip it was pouring while we were here and we stayed for less then three hours. Around 4:30 we’ll go back to AKL, and nap and pack, we’ll have dinner, and then head to Epcot for EMH until 12:30! We LOVE EMH at Epcot. It will be a nice way to wrap things up. We might go to MK real quick before Epcot because it will be hard to see the 6:45 castle lighting with dinner ADRs on our MK nights.
DSC01618.jpg


DSC01616.jpg


DSC01629.jpg


DSC01645.jpg

November 27th- Sadly, I have to leave my safari view and dream resort behind and head back home. We’ll do something fun in the morning, though. Maybe a character breakfast and some resort touring?

This is my biggest problem, I think. Should we do a dining plan or no? If so, regular or CS? I only have two ADRs now b/c of the insane holiday pricing. If we get the regular DP then I’ll add Boma, Garden Grill, and Chef Mickey’s or CP.
I’ll post detailed plans for each day as I get closer and closer.

I won’t be able to DIS much this weekend. Tomorrow is my birthday and we’ll be doing a lot of family things this weekend.
 
This is my biggest problem, I think. Should we do a dining plan or no? If so, regular or CS? I only have two ADRs now b/c of the insane holiday pricing. If we get the regular DP then I’ll add Boma, Garden Grill, and Chef Mickey’s or CP.
I’ll post detailed plans for each day as I get closer and closer.

I won’t be able to DIS much this weekend. Tomorrow is my birthday and we’ll be doing a lot of family things this weekend.

It is unmagical that they jack the prices up, but they know they'll get it. No holiday trip for us this year, so I will be happy to see the pictures of others. :santa:

Happy Birthday tomorrow! Finishing out camp tomorrow, so I doubt I'll be here to tell you. Enjoy your birthday weekend. :goodvibes
 
Lovely plan, Barbara! Kidani looks so wonderful- I can't wait to see it when we go to Sanaa!

Hope it works out doing 2 schools in 2 different directions! :eek:
 
I LOVED AKL! I was really hoping my mom would want to stay there this trip, but she's all about the Poly. Part of me is excited to be staying on the monorail, but I've bad reviews about it being worn, dark and busy. I LOVED AKL's themes and the rooms and how relaxing it was. You'll love Jambo. We looked around Kidani and I liked Jambo better :)

Happy Birthday!
 
It is unmagical that they jack the prices up, but they know they'll get it. No holiday trip for us this year, so I will be happy to see the pictures of others. :santa:

Happy Birthday tomorrow! Finishing out camp tomorrow, so I doubt I'll be here to tell you. Enjoy your birthday weekend. :goodvibes
It really is not cool that they do that. On our last night we went to go see if we could walk up at Crystal Palace. They could of sat us in under 30 minutes but it would be almost 200$ with tax and everything. Insane! We ate at PVH instead and had a wonderful meal and then we had a lot of time to enjoy the rides. Our trips are mostly CS with just a few sit downs and I like that. We go to Disney to enjoy the parks and resorts, not to eat.
Thank you. It was a great day.:goodvibes
Lovely plan, Barbara! Kidani looks so wonderful- I can't wait to see it when we go to Sanaa!

Hope it works out doing 2 schools in 2 different directions! :eek:
Thanks, Liesa. Kidani is gorgeous!
My house will be a circus every morning once school starts. Emily starts at 7:40 and it's like pulling teeth to get her out of bed and then she takes FOREVER to get ready. I'll take her to school, come home and get ready and wake Amy up and she gets ready. She is easy. Up by the alarm's first ring and is dressed, having breakfast 20 minutes later. I'll have a car pool with her this year so I won't take her in the morning. The neighbor does, and then I pick her kids up. Having the kids at school on time and me at work at time will be an accomplishment everyday. DH is working by 7:30 weekdays so he won't be able to help.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! :cheer2:

Your preliminary plans sound really good so far!
Thank you!
I LOVED AKL! I was really hoping my mom would want to stay there this trip, but she's all about the Poly. Part of me is excited to be staying on the monorail, but I've bad reviews about it being worn, dark and busy. I LOVED AKL's themes and the rooms and how relaxing it was. You'll love Jambo. We looked around Kidani and I liked Jambo better :)

Happy Birthday!
The POLY is nice! Dh personally refuses to pay for it until it gets a refurb. He goes on a lot of business trips and stays at nice resorts so he is hard to please. The Poly is great!! It could use a refurb, but I guess Disney figures since so many people pay to stay there why should they pay to do it when it is popular. You'll like it, I am sure.
We'll be renting points for a studio at Jumbo House with a safari view. I'm SO excited.
Thank you!
******
Thanks for the birthday wishes it was a great day! Mitch had to work in the morning so the girls and I went to Barnes and Noble and the mall. At the mall we went to the Disney store where I found a ton of great things in the clearance section plus I had a 20% off coupon.:thumbsup2 We came home and DH and I went out for dinner just the two of us (We're taking the girls to Rainforest tomorrow!) We went to the beach but the weather was horrible and it was really windy from Bonnie! Luckily, she just missed us! Haha, sucker.:woohoo:
We found a place to eat where I read great reviews on and they had a guy outside playing music. Word got out that it was my birthday. We had a delicious dinner and then waited forever for the check. Dh asked the waitress for it and she told us it was already taken care of. :scared1: She said a costumer who comes often paid. I was shocked and wondered why he didn't say anything. So nice of him!
The day flew by and next thing I knew I was blowing out candles at 11:30!!
Tomorrow morning is our Mickey and Friends brunch!
 
That is so awesome about the customer who paid for your meal! I really wish I could afford to do stuff like that; it would be so fun to bless others that way! :goodvibes
 
That is so awesome about the customer who paid for your meal! I really wish I could afford to do stuff like that; it would be so fun to bless others that way! :goodvibes
I couldn't believe that some stranger would do that. It was definitely a highlight of the day.
 














Save Up to 30% on Rooms at Walt Disney World!

Save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels when you stay 5 consecutive nights or longer in late summer and early fall. Plus, enjoy other savings for shorter stays.This offer is valid for stays most nights from August 1 to October 11, 2025.
CLICK HERE













DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest

Back
Top