Can't We Just Travel by Map? Oct 2013 PTR

[ash-n-brensmom]

Wow! A girl takes a break from the Dis for a while and look what happens! You have your dates all set, you almost have a plan in detail...DH is saving extra money...you started your Disney movie nights!! Good grief! Well, at least I am all caught up now. Can't wait to see what you come up with for Bugs Life! Worms in dirt, I think?

Hey, we almost crossed over for our week! Until last week I thought we would be there from the 3rd, but alas we will actually be in the World from Sept 26-Oct 2 and then boarding The Dream on the 3rd. So close, and yet so far....maybe next time?

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Hey why Didn't I know about this pre tr huh huh huh???? lol I found you out now and I can't wait to see you!!!! I'm super excited

Yep~ this PTR is well under way...not sure how you missed it since we chat like ALL.THE.TIME. Glad you have made it now! Girl, I am having such a hard time working out a schedule that works for us and works for my parents. See below for the unraveling saga...

Wow! A girl takes a break from the Dis for a while and look what happens! You have your dates all set, you almost have a plan in detail...DH is saving extra money...you started your Disney movie nights!! Good grief! Well, at least I am all caught up now. Can't wait to see what you come up with for Bugs Life! Worms in dirt, I think?

Hey, we almost crossed over for our week! Until last week I thought we would be there from the 3rd, but alas we will actually be in the World from Sept 26-Oct 2 and then boarding The Dream on the 3rd. So close, and yet so far....maybe next time?

Oh, this is going to be a fun Movie Night...of course I say that about all of them. Hmmmm~ you will have to check back in next week to see if worms in dirt show up...

Ah, I hate we are going to miss each other. I remember in 2011 we had figured out that we would both be at AK rope drop at the same time, but I had never done a Dismeet so I was a little leery of finding you. I am all about the Dismeets now, though! I realize that you should definitely do it, even if it's just to say hi and grab a quick picture together. Since we both will be going every October now, we will hook up at some point, I am sure!

 

[oopsiDAISY]

So remember how I had toiled and struggled and cojoled and finally came up with a starter schedule that worked for everyone? Yeah, that... my mom called literally five minutes after I posted those words and started the converstaion with the words "well, you know I got to thinking about it and..." NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Don't think about it, let ME think about it. Yeah well, she and dad only plan to do two park days with us, but alas, she already wants to change one of them...and they have 2 specific parks they want to do with us. It couldn't possibly be as simple as us saying we will be at these parks on these days, join us when you can...nope! They want to go to specific parks on days that suit them and their social calendar while down there. Never mind that I have touring plans, crowd calendars, and whatnot to get this craziness worked out! So, by the time I hung up the phone from talking to her again, I felt like I was foaming at the mouth from all the craziness!!!

This is going to be a great vacation of making memories...please remind me of that Friends, because right now I am just about ready to scream...

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

So remember how I had toiled and struggled and cojoled and finally came up with a starter schedule that worked for everyone? Yeah, that... my mom called literally five minutes after I posted those words and started the converstaion with the words "well, you know I got to thinking about it and..." NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Don't think about it, let ME think about it. Yeah well, she and dad only plan to do two park days with us, but alas, she already wants to change one of them...and they have 2 specific parks they want to do with us. It couldn't possibly be as simple as us saying we will be at these parks on these days, join us when you can...nope! They want to go to specific parks on days that suit them and their social calendar while down there. Never mind that I have touring plans, crowd calendars, and whatnot to get this craziness worked out! So, by the time I hung up the phone from talking to her again, I felt like I was foaming at the mouth from all the craziness!!!

This is going to be a great vacation of making memories...please remind me of that Friends, because right now I am just about ready to scream...

This is going to be a great vacation of making memories. There, I reminded you!

 

[DMGeurts]

So remember how I had toiled and struggled and cojoled and finally came up with a starter schedule that worked for everyone? Yeah, that... my mom called literally five minutes after I posted those words and started the converstaion with the words "well, you know I got to thinking about it and..." NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Don't think about it, let ME think about it. Yeah well, she and dad only plan to do two park days with us, but alas, she already wants to change one of them...and they have 2 specific parks they want to do with us. It couldn't possibly be as simple as us saying we will be at these parks on these days, join us when you can...nope! They want to go to specific parks on days that suit them and their social calendar while down there. Never mind that I have touring plans, crowd calendars, and whatnot to get this craziness worked out! So, by the time I hung up the phone from talking to her again, I felt like I was foaming at the mouth from all the craziness!!!

This is going to be a great vacation of making memories...please remind me of that Friends, because right now I am just about ready to scream...

Oh wow... Clearly your mom has no idea all the planning that goes into our Disney trips... All of the various websites we must consult... and how everything must fall into place perfectly...

I know it will work out just fine in the end Oopsi - and you all will have the most magnificant time.

BTW... I have been lamenting over POR in my PTR for the last few days - I could use your input over there... I know you usually stay in the AB rooms and we are looking at MB, but I would still value your input greatly when you have a few minutes.

D~

 

[disny_luvr]

I'm back, Oopsi! With the holidays and all, I've been MIA for awhile. I'm glad to hear that you've started planning your trip, or are at least attempting to. The first time we took our boys to WDW, my parents and my sister and her daughters joined us. We had a great time and really enjoyed the extra help, but traveling with extended family can get trying at times. But, you are going to have a great vacation and make great family memories.

It sounds like you guys had a great Christmas. We did too. We finally got around to taking down our Christmas decorations this weekend. Now I think our house looks boring and drab.

 

[Pluto0809]

18 hours of Disney music??? I need your playlist!!!! To be able to listen to it without all the commercials would just be HEAVEN!

BTW~ I too recorded the parade. I have watched it at home...and watched it on ABC.com here at work, too... I need Once Upon a Time to start up again, that is a great drug for the withdrawals!

Most of my music has been copied off of CD's that I own and loaded onto my work computer via Media Player. I added another one today, I got the Princess and the Frog CD!

I've never gotten into Once Upon a Time. After reading so many comments about it on the DIS, I wish I had.

So, for any of you who have followed my PTR's and TR's before, you may already know what I do when I get the Disney blues REALLY bad...

I just went and spent some $$$ on Disney stuff on Amazon. Really, I still had about $7 in credit on my account, so I just got one thing, the next Kingdom Keepers book! I got the first one for Jillian for her birthday last year. She liked it...and so did I. So I just found a used one in "very good" condition and ordered it! Now, I have to bide my time until it gets here...

Have a good weekend, Friends!!!

I'm reading the Kingdom Keepers books too! I'm in the middle of the third one. I'm enjoying them but they also annoy me once in a while when the details are off from what's really at the parks. Guess I know too much about Disney!

So remember how I had toiled and struggled and cojoled and finally came up with a starter schedule that worked for everyone? Yeah, that... my mom called literally five minutes after I posted those words and started the converstaion with the words "well, you know I got to thinking about it and..." NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Don't think about it, let ME think about it. Yeah well, she and dad only plan to do two park days with us, but alas, she already wants to change one of them...and they have 2 specific parks they want to do with us. It couldn't possibly be as simple as us saying we will be at these parks on these days, join us when you can...nope! They want to go to specific parks on days that suit them and their social calendar while down there. Never mind that I have touring plans, crowd calendars, and whatnot to get this craziness worked out! So, by the time I hung up the phone from talking to her again, I felt like I was foaming at the mouth from all the craziness!!!

This is going to be a great vacation of making memories...please remind me of that Friends, because right now I am just about ready to scream...

Take a deep breath and just keep telling yourself it will all work out in the end! I know how crazy it can be to plan for a group. My 2010 trip had 8 of us and the one my Cousin and I are planning for January 2014 may have 15! I am wondering if that trip will still happen though since my Cousin got engaged on Christmas Day.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

This is going to be a great vacation of making memories. There, I reminded you!

Thank you! I am sure I will need to hear that a LOT in the next few months!

Oh wow... Clearly your mom has no idea all the planning that goes into our Disney trips... All of the various websites we must consult... and how everything must fall into place perfectly...

I know it will work out just fine in the end Oopsi - and you all will have the most magnificant time.

BTW... I have been lamenting over POR in my PTR for the last few days - I could use your input over there... I know you usually stay in the AB rooms and we are looking at MB, but I would still value your input greatly when you have a few minutes.

D~

Thank you for realizing the hassles with me! I actually got something worked out and sent it to her and she commented "oh my, it's all color coded with astericks and everything"...YES, it is, and that coding is important information!!!

I have seen your dilemma, I just hadn't put in my two cents, because I wasn't sure how seriously you were considering it or if you needed yet another opinion... I will go over and toss my two cents into the fount of wisdom!

I'm back, Oopsi! With the holidays and all, I've been MIA for awhile. I'm glad to hear that you've started planning your trip, or are at least attempting to. The first time we took our boys to WDW, my parents and my sister and her daughters joined us. We had a great time and really enjoyed the extra help, but traveling with extended family can get trying at times. But, you are going to have a great vacation and make great family memories.

It sounds like you guys had a great Christmas. We did too. We finally got around to taking down our Christmas decorations this weekend. Now I think our house looks boring and drab.

Thank you SO MUCH for the reminder of all the extra help. I really needed that! My parents are actually going to keep the kids one night so that Brian and I can have a Food and Wine Festival date night! And she already said they will take the kids ANY TIME he and I want to go off and do things with just the two of us! Again, THANK YOU for that gentle reminder of why we invited them to join us in the first place!

Most of my music has been copied off of CD's that I own and loaded onto my work computer via Media Player. I added another one today, I got the Princess and the Frog CD!

I've never gotten into Once Upon a Time. After reading so many comments about it on the DIS, I wish I had.

I'm reading the Kingdom Keepers books too! I'm in the middle of the third one. I'm enjoying them but they also annoy me once in a while when the details are off from what's really at the parks. Guess I know too much about Disney!

Take a deep breath and just keep telling yourself it will all work out in the end! I know how crazy it can be to plan for a group. My 2010 trip had 8 of us and the one my Cousin and I are planning for January 2014 may have 15! I am wondering if that trip will still happen though since my Cousin got engaged on Christmas Day.

I didn't get into Once Upon a Time right away either. I actually watched the entire first season on Netflix and then watched the first few episodes of Season Two on abc.com to get caught up...and now I am HOOKED! You should definitely give it a try. It is a great show!

OH, planning a trip for 15?!??? You go right ahead and rock that stuff, friend! Glad it's you and not me.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Okay folks...I have have a mother-approved first draft of our touring schedule!!!! Can I get a drum roll and some fanfare please?




Saturday, 10-5 - Mom and Dad will only join us for dinner
Animal Kingdom
Lunch: Flametree or Yak & Yeti QS
Dinner: Boatwright’s or Boma

Sunday, 10-6- Mom and Dad will be visiting friends elsewhere
Epcot
Lunch: World Showcase Choice
Dinner: Kouzzina

Monday, 10-7
POR Pool Day
Lunch: Riverside Mill
Dinner: Spirit of Aloha Luau

Tuesday, 10-8- Mom and Dad will join us here
Hollywood Studios
Lunch: Cape May Café
Dinner: Backlot Express

Wednesday, 10-9- Mom and Dad will join us here
Epcot
Lunch: Teppan Edo
Dinner: F&W Festival Date Night for Connie & Brian

Thursday, 10-10
POR Pool or DTD
Lunch: Earl of Sandwich or Riverside Mill
Dinner: Extended Family Cookout in Celebration (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc)

Friday, 10-11- Mom and Dad will head home early on this day
Magic Kingdom
Lunch: Be our Guest Quick Service
Dinner: Kid's Choice (haven't discussed with them yet)

Saturday, 10-12
Hollywood Studios - half day
Lunch: ABC Commisary
Dinner: on the road headed home

So...all parks in GREEN have projected low crowds by Undercover Tourist, ORANGE parks are medium crowd levels. There it is friends....Comments? Criticisms? Suggestions?

 

[DMGeurts]

Okay folks...I have have a mother-approved first draft of our touring schedule!!!! Can I get a drum roll and some fanfare please?




Saturday, 10-5 - Mom and Dad will only join us for dinner
Animal Kingdom
Lunch: Flametree or Yak & Yeti QS
Dinner: Boatwright’s or Boma

This looks like an awesome plan.

[Sunday, 10-6- Mom and Dad will be visiting friends elsewhere
Epcot
Lunch: World Showcase Choice
Dinner: Kouzzina

Have not done Kouzzina yet - but I've heard it has rave reviews.

[Monday, 10-7
POR Pool Day
Lunch: Riverside Mill
Dinner: Spirit of Aloha Luau

We are considering doing a dinner show this time around too... We have never done one before, and since we will be there for so many days, I thought it might be fun. We are leaning towards HDDR though.

[Tuesday, 10-8- Mom and Dad will join us here
Hollywood Studios
Lunch: Cape May Café
Dinner: Backlot Express

We ate at CM - but that was dinner, not sure if lunch is different?

[Wednesday, 10-9- Mom and Dad will join us here
Epcot
Lunch: Teppan Edo
Dinner: F&W Festival Date Night for Connie & Brian

Try to keep it PG, OK? (Said in Alli's best annoyed voice)

[Thursday, 10-10
POR Pool or DTD
Lunch: Earl of Sandwich or Riverside Mill
Dinner: Extended Family Cookout in Celebration (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc)

Love how you've scheduled so many days off.

Will the cook out be local?

[Friday, 10-11- Mom and Dad will head home early on this day
Magic Kingdom
Lunch: Be our Guest Quick Service
Dinner: Kid's Choice (haven't discussed with them yet)

I vote for CP...

[Saturday, 10-12
Hollywood Studios - half day
Lunch: ABC Commisary
Dinner: on the road headed home

ACK!!!

[So...all parks in GREEN have projected low crowds by Undercover Tourist, ORANGE parks are medium crowd levels. There it is friends....Comments? Criticisms? Suggestions?

I am thinking that I need you to do our park days... It seems to me that you are getting LOTS done in a short amount of time + taking nice break days... I wish I could plan like that... But it seems that the more we go... The more there is that finds our "must do again" list... which translates into longer trips.

D~

 

[oopsiDAISY]

This looks like an awesome plan.
Have not done Kouzzina yet - but I've heard it has rave reviews.
We are considering doing a dinner show this time around too... We have never done one before, and since we will be there for so many days, I thought it might be fun. We are leaning towards HDDR though.
We ate at CM - but that was dinner, not sure if lunch is different?
Try to keep it PG, OK? (Said in Alli's best annoyed voice)
Love how you've scheduled so many days off.
Will the cook out be local?
I vote for CP...
ACK!!!
I am thinking that I need you to do our park days... It seems to me that you are getting LOTS done in a short amount of time + taking nice break days... I wish I could plan like that... But it seems that the more we go... The more there is that finds our "must do again" list... which translates into longer trips.

D~

I just remember reading Liddy's Kouzzina reviews and seeing her food pics and drooling over them. This will be our first time trying it too!

We will have an extra TS credit since we are doing the cookout one night, so that is why we are doing the Luau. We actually did it in 2011 and LOVED IT! It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip that year for all of us. We considered HDDR this time, but the Luau got a unanimous vote from the peanut gallery.

I hope lunch is the same at Cape May...we love seafood, and look forward to the buffet. I may have to consider something else, if no buffet for lunch.

Yes, the deal with extending our trip to 8 days rather than just 7 was to schedule some days off so as not to have to purchase tickets for EVERY DAY there this time, which is what we have done in the past.

The cookout will be at my cousin's house in Celebration. About 2 miles from WDW property.

We actually had CP last time, so I am afraid the kids will probably pick somewhere different this time. I am kind of wishing they will like my idea...to eat at Whispering Canyon Cafe. I have never seen the WL, and I have heard great reviews of WCC. We shall see.

We are actually doing more park days than I had anticipated for this trip. I thought we would end up only doing about 4 or 5 park days since my parents were joining us. I wanted to make sure they got to spend as much time with us as they wanted to, and I know they are not big park people. But with them having other things going on throughout the week I ended up scheduling more park days than I had originally planned on for Brian and the kids and I.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

OMGoodness!!! I just realized after posting a comment on a friend's TR that I have a small cause for celebration!!!!


Daisy has made her way halfway across that beautiful blue sky on my Ticker!!!

 

[Pluto0809]

Your October schedule looks great! I think we are going to miss each other by a few minutes. DH & I fly in on the 12th but it won't be till afternoon. We don't like boarding the dogs when we are still home so we always try to drop them the day we leave. This means I can't book our flights till around noon.

On thing I did notice that you might have to change. Cape May Cafe is not open for lunch only breakfast and dinner. Sorry to mess up your plans!

 

[Pixiedust530]

Okay folks...I have have a mother-approved first draft of our touring schedule!!!! Can I get a drum roll and some fanfare please?




Saturday, 10-5 - Mom and Dad will only join us for dinner
Animal Kingdom
Lunch: Flametree or Yak & Yeti QS
Dinner: Boatwrights or Boma

Sunday, 10-6- Mom and Dad will be visiting friends elsewhere
Epcot
Lunch: World Showcase Choice
Dinner: Kouzzina

Monday, 10-7
POR Pool Day
Lunch: Riverside Mill
Dinner: Spirit of Aloha Luau

Tuesday, 10-8- Mom and Dad will join us here
Hollywood Studios
Lunch: Cape May Café
Dinner: Backlot Express

Wednesday, 10-9- Mom and Dad will join us here
Epcot
Lunch: Teppan Edo
Dinner: F&W Festival Date Night for Connie & Brian

Thursday, 10-10
POR Pool or DTD
Lunch: Earl of Sandwich or Riverside Mill
Dinner: Extended Family Cookout in Celebration (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc)

Friday, 10-11- Mom and Dad will head home early on this day
Magic Kingdom
Lunch: Be our Guest Quick Service
Dinner: Kid's Choice (haven't discussed with them yet)

Saturday, 10-12
Hollywood Studios - half day
Lunch: ABC Commisary
Dinner: on the road headed home

So...all parks in GREEN have projected low crowds by Undercover Tourist, ORANGE parks are medium crowd levels. There it is friends....Comments? Criticisms? Suggestions?

and That's what you asked for, right?

I think your mother-approved first draft looks great! My choice for AK QS is Flame Tree BBQ...absolutely LOVE that place!

We ate at Teppan Edo on our last trip and had a really fun time. The food was yummy too. I will have to find some of the pics Wayne took while the guy was cooking our food. SO COOL!

Do you have any idea what kind of plans you and hubby have for your date night? I thought I remember you mentioning F&WF somewhere? My memory fails me sometimes...okay MOST times!

***OMG...I just went back to reread and your post CLEARLY says "F&W Festival Date Night for Connie & Brian"... I really am losing my mind!***

 

[solana131]

Your touring schedule looks good to me, other than the only one MK day thing. Its my favorite park and we go there first and often. You have some of my favorites on your ADR list (Boma). Yum!

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Your October schedule looks great! I think we are going to miss each other by a few minutes. DH & I fly in on the 12th but it won't be till afternoon. We don't like boarding the dogs when we are still home so we always try to drop them the day we leave. This means I can't book our flights till around noon.

On thing I did notice that you might have to change. Cape May Cafe is not open for lunch only breakfast and dinner. Sorry to mess up your plans!

Oh Goodness, we came so close to a possible Dismeet!!! It's a good thing we get to see each other next month!

*note to self: respond to Ariana's PM to set up Dismeet!!!

Yep, gonna have to make sure to change Cape May to a dinner ADR! Thanks for the heads up!

and That's what you asked for, right?

I think your mother-approved first draft looks great! My choice for AK QS is Flame Tree BBQ...absolutely LOVE that place!

We ate at Teppan Edo on our last trip and had a really fun time. The food was yummy too. I will have to find some of the pics Wayne took while the guy was cooking our food. SO COOL!

Do you have any idea what kind of plans you and hubby have for your date night? I thought I remember you mentioning F&WF somewhere? My memory fails me sometimes...okay MOST times!

***OMG...I just went back to reread and your post CLEARLY says "F&W Festival Date Night for Connie & Brian"... I really am losing my mind!***

We love Flametree too. But we haven't tried the Y&Y quick service counter yet, and DH still wants to try new places every time we go. The Luau is our only repeat dining experience this year.

Glad you can recommend Teppan Edo. Brian and I have been to Japanese Steakhouses before, but we have always been too cheap to take the whole family before. So, we wanted to include it this time so our kids could experience it. Plus, I thought it would be a great choice for our entire group (mom and dad will be at Epcot with us that day).

I see you solved your own mystery about the date night... I am REALLY looking forward to this. He and I love to try new and unique foods, so this will be SO MUCH FUN!!!! Plus we can both drink since neither of us will have to be the DD... The kids will actually be spending the night in my parent's condo that night too!!!

Your touring schedule looks good to me, other than the only one MK day thing. Its my favorite park and we go there first and often. You have some of my favorites on your ADR list (Boma). Yum!

I do hope we get to try Boma...we loved Sanaa and I think we will really enjoy Boma. That choice will be up to my parents, unfortunately. This will be our first day there and they are not going to AK, so we will all have to have dinner together. They live seven hours from us and it will have been a few months since we have all seen each other. We shall see what they choose.... I am going to send her menus from allears.net for them to choose when and where they want to join us for dinners on days we won't spend the whole day together.

This trip is more about them, so we may not have everything we want, but Disney will be there for us when we return to do things we miss out on this time.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

OMGoodness!!! I just realized after posting a comment on a friend's TR that I have a small cause for celebration!!!!


Daisy has made her way halfway across that beautiful blue sky on my Ticker!!!

Your schedule looks great. You managed to keep lots of recommended days in there, and the other two are still only moderate, so that deserves a pat on the back!

Now, if you can only leave it the way it is....

 

[oopsiDAISY]

So remember those Christmas pictures I was going to post last week? Last week got away from me before I realized I hadn't posted any. After today this week promises to go nuts as well. We have in-service going on at work and we have something going on every night for the remainder of the week as well. So, I think I had better just throw some pictures up here while I have the chance. I am only going to put up a few since I am sure you dont' care to see pictures of each of my kids holding each and every gift they recieved on Christmas morning...

I like this next one because it shows my very own "Santa Baby" in the background!

And then apparently Charity got ahold of the camera while we were getting breakfast ready in the kitchen...

 

[Pluto0809]

Love the Christmas photos! Thanks for sharing.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Your schedule looks great. You managed to keep lots of recommended days in there, and the other two are still only moderate, so that deserves a pat on the back!

Now, if you can only leave it the way it is....

Now, what would be the fun in leaving it as is???

Love the Christmas photos! Thanks for sharing.

Aw, thanks Ariana!!