Commencing Operation Christmas Miracle Trip 2010: PTR

[jenseib]

Hmmmm....."relaxing" on vacation. What a novel concept! I think I like it!



My BFF and another friend were both at Disney the same week. BFF and her family relaxed, took their time, spent a day at the resort (or more) and had a wonderful trip. My other friend went commando, came back completely exhausted and didn't have nearly as good of a time on their vacation. I believe there might be a lesson to be learned here! That's when I decided we really needed to change our plans.




I am just not willing to spend the extra time and $$ to do park hopping. I might during a summer trip when it's even more crowded, but for me, it just doesn't seem worth it.




What's the latest on whether or not you're going to get to go? And when do you have to make a final decision, Jen? Are there waterslides at AKL? I haven't researched the pools much.

No word yet. I think it's mid to late Oct when I have to know for sure. Lately though, I'm living with Grumpy, so it isn't looking so good, but moods change in a day here.
Yes there is at least one waterslide. Nothing super fantastic, but still good enough to make Claire happy.

 

[PoppyGirl]

Speaking of Things I've Never Done.....

I've been making a mental list of things I've never done at Disney, attractions or little things that I think would be neat (do I sound totally 70's there??)

For instance:
I've never ridden in any of the Main Street Vehicles. I think I'd like to do this one:

Never seen the Hall of Presidents:

And I've never seen these shows at Epcot:

What? There's a ride in Mexico???

Despite my love of the Muppets, we've never managed to see this either:

My kids have never been to The Enchanted Tiki Room. (I know! They are missing a cultural experience!! What kind of mother am I? ) DH tries to get us in there every time....and there's always something better to do.

I think we'll try to fit in something each day that we've never done before. That sounds like a fun goal for the trip! Of course, I'll have to convince the others.....

 

[jenseib]

WE have NOT done many of the same things. I've never done the mainstreet transportation or hall of presidents either. Not the shows in Epcot. I have done muppets, but it is getting old now, but I think t hey redid it or something recently.

I keep meaning to ask you. Are you getting your package tickets early, or did you buy tickets with your room reservation too?

 

[PoppyGirl]

WE have NOT dona many of the same things. I've never done the mainstreet transportation or hall of presidents either. Not the shows in Epcot. I have done muppets, but it is getting old now, but I think t hey redid it or something recently.

I keep meaning to ask you. Are you getting your package tickets early, or did you buy tickets with your room reservation too?

Well....a little of both! I have tickets that I had purchased last year for DH & DD because DS and I had non-expiring tickets left over from our June trip. BUT, we are saving those (the non-expiring ones) for another trip. So we got 2-day passes with our package for December and DS and I will be upgrading ours to 7-day passes while DH & DD use the 7-day passes we already have. We will then have 2 2-day passes left over to use "next time" (another of my diabolical plans to get us to Disney again in the future )

Totally confused now? I had to have a lot of help figuring out the best way to use what we had!

 

[disneybarbie]

Wow you have some great things to try for the first time this trip!

I love all those shows in Epcot.. definitely recommend

and Hall of Presidents.. since the refurb last year (when they added Obama animatronic) I think it's really well done & so interesting.


It's funny how there can be attractions we've never done.. last trip I rode the Tomorrowland Speedway, Barnstormer and the Carousel for the first time there's just so much to do at WDW!

oh and Muppets 3D is amazing - it's a must-do for me, my family quote from it all the time


Emma x

 

[Lady Lallie]

My two very favorite shows on your list are American Adventure and Hall of Presidents. I love them. They are great.

 

[PoppyGirl]

Wow you have some great things to try for the first time this trip!

I love all those shows in Epcot.. definitely recommend

and Hall of Presidents.. since the refurb last year (when they added Obama animatronic) I think it's really well done & so interesting.


It's funny how there can be attractions we've never done.. last trip I rode the Tomorrowland Speedway, Barnstormer and the Carousel for the first time there's just so much to do at WDW!

oh and Muppets 3D is amazing - it's a must-do for me, my family quote from it all the time


Emma x

My two very favorite shows on your list are American Adventure and Hall of Presidents. I love them. They are great.

That's great! I'm hoping I can convince the kids that these would be good! Hmmmm....maybe I could get their teachers on board with the Epcot shows!

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

We will be spending more time in Epcot seeing the worlds this time around. Last trip we saw a few of the worlds, and then went to MK, and never got back to Epcot.

 

[PoppyGirl]

75 DAYS......22 HOURS......11 MINUTES UNTIL THE MOUSE!!!!

I'm doing the 75 day dance today!!

 

[jenseib]

75 DAYS......22 HOURS......11 MINUTES UNTIL THE MOUSE!!!!

I'm doing the 75 day dance today!!

Soo that means I have 30 days to convince Skip! LOL!

 

[Lady Lallie]

Woo Hoo!! 75 days!!

 

[2kids2luv]

Great shopping finds! The moose is my favorite.

I really like your changes to day one. You should definately relax after your morning of travel and enjoy the benefits of CL. It seems like their will definately be enough to do at AKL even if you can't swim.

We're in the same situation with leaving for WDW. We live 2 hrs from the airport and our plane leaves at 7:30. DBIL will drive us any time but last time we left at 4:30 am and the kids stayed up the entire day . Thankfully they were too excited to have a melt down.

 

[disneyfan55]

WE have NOT done many of the same things. I've never done the mainstreet transportation or hall of presidents either. Not the shows in Epcot. I have done muppets, but it is getting old now, but I think t hey redid it or something recently.

I keep meaning to ask you. Are you getting your package tickets early, or did you buy tickets with your room reservation too?

The good thing about all that you have not done is that they are really NO line places to visit! You can get Fast Passes for the more popular rides/attractions and visit the not yet visited attractions while waiting!

Have you decided on the tickets yet? Sorry, I didn't read all your posts!

 

[Mich123]

Great idea to tackle one "never been done" a day! The ride in Mexico is an easy on, easy off ride with no lines, even when it's really crowded. I think that's because you pretty much have to go through the Mexico market area to get there. If you have a meal at San Angel Inn, you can easily stop in for the ride. Along those lines, have you done the ride in Norway? We went for the first time in 2009, and the kids really enjoyed it, which is funny to me because I couldn't convince anyone to go on it in 2007. We actually rode it a few times and rarely had a wait.

We also loved the Muppet Vision 3d, very fun and again, not a long wait (even during high season).

I loved the Hall of Presidents as a child--unfortunately it has been under construction both times we've been to WDW.

AND one of my favorite memories is seeing BOTH of my parents asleep during the show at the American Adventure when we went with them in 2009. We probably will not be doing that show again. Ever. And, that memory (or maybe it's just the same memory, since it happened right after we woke my parents up and left the show) is followed closely by watching my family get covered by powdered sugar on a windy day outside of the American Experience while eating the delicious funnel cake. So things to do, or not to do, at Epcot!

 

[PoppyGirl]

Soo that means I have 30 days to convince Skip! LOL!

You'd better get busy, girl! Here's some pixie dust for you!!!

Woo Hoo!! 75 days!!

Thanks for dancin' with me!

Great shopping finds! The moose is my favorite.

I really like your changes to day one. You should definately relax after your morning of travel and enjoy the benefits of CL. It seems like their will definately be enough to do at AKL even if you can't swim.

We're in the same situation with leaving for WDW. We live 2 hrs from the airport and our plane leaves at 7:30. DBIL will drive us any time but last time we left at 4:30 am and the kids stayed up the entire day . Thankfully they were too excited to have a melt down.

Yeah, that first day is usually pretty good even if they are tired because everyone is so excited just to BE there!

The good thing about all that you have not done is that they are really NO line places to visit! You can get Fast Passes for the more popular rides/attractions and visit the not yet visited attractions while waiting!

Have you decided on the tickets yet? Sorry, I didn't read all your posts!

That's true! So hopefully we should be able to get some of them in. Yes, we did decide on the tickets. We'll use the passes I had previously purchased for DH & DD and will upgrade our 2day passes that we got with our package to 7-day passes when we get there. (woot! Another Disney trip in the future! )

Great idea to tackle one "never been done" a day! The ride in Mexico is an easy on, easy off ride with no lines, even when it's really crowded. I think that's because you pretty much have to go through the Mexico market area to get there. If you have a meal at San Angel Inn, you can easily stop in for the ride. Along those lines, have you done the ride in Norway? We went for the first time in 2009, and the kids really enjoyed it, which is funny to me because I couldn't convince anyone to go on it in 2007. We actually rode it a few times and rarely had a wait.

We also loved the Muppet Vision 3d, very fun and again, not a long wait (even during high season).

I loved the Hall of Presidents as a child--unfortunately it has been under construction both times we've been to WDW.

AND one of my favorite memories is seeing BOTH of my parents asleep during the show at the American Adventure when we went with them in 2009. We probably will not be doing that show again. Ever. And, that memory (or maybe it's just the same memory, since it happened right after we woke my parents up and left the show) is followed closely by watching my family get covered by powdered sugar on a windy day outside of the American Experience while eating the delicious funnel cake. So things to do, or not to do, at Epcot!

Great memories! Thanks for sharing! I'm actually really looking forward to Muppet Vision. I love the two old guys in the balcony.

 

[Tinkermom76]

I haven't done any of those things except for Muppets 3D

 

[PoppyGirl]

In addition to my "stinkbug adventures" (which you may or may not be following on the December thread here and here ), we had a litter of farm kittens a while back. One of them got hurt. We aren't sure if she was attacked by another animal or got her foot caught in something but in any case....she either needed to be put down today or have her leg amputated. It just so happens that my step-son, who just graduated from vet school is doing an externship at our vet's office and asked if he could perform the surgery (with no cost to us) as part of his training. So our poor little kitty is getting her leg amputated today. I haven't heard how she's doing since the surgery, but she was perky this morning before she went in.

It's just one adventure after another around here!

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

In addition to my "stinkbug adventures" (which you may or may not be following on the December thread), we had a litter of farm kittens a while back. One of them got hurt. We aren't sure if she was attacked by another animal or got her foot caught in something but in any case....she either needed to be put down today or have her leg amputated. It just so happens that my step-son, who just graduated from vet school is doing an externship at our vet's office and asked if he could perform the surgery (with no cost to us) as part of his training. So our poor little kitty is getting her leg amputated today. I haven't heard how she's doing since the surgery, but she was perky this morning before she went in.

It's just one adventure after another around here!

You couldn't just flush the kitty down the toilet like you do with the stink bugs?
I'm kidding!

 

[PoppyGirl]

You couldn't just flush the kitty down the toilet like you do with the stink bugs?
I'm kidding!

I have no words..... (which is rarely the case with me! )

DSS, who now calls himself "Dr. Dan" just called me from the clinic to give me an update that kitty is doing well and came through surgery just fine. She had already been up and had something to eat and apparently would like to come home tonight. So I need to fix her up a little recovery room.

OH, and on the stinkbug front....only ONE in the bedroom when I came home from running the kids around to activities tonight. YAY! DH is a redneck genius with that duct tape!

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

I have no words..... (which is rarely the case with me! )

I said I was kidding. You can't flush a kitten down the toilet.

It's too big and would clog the toilet.