Countdown to the Clown! A September PTR - Updated 9/13 - TR LINK

[manntra]

Woooooo hooooooo for making it to the teens!!!!

I saw your FB post about Dragon Dictation too and so I now have that app also! I have the eticket...and I do used it when I am on the road...one of my favorites is the WDW Dining app....all the menus and I put in my ADR numbers...have Mouse Memo but have never used it , WDW park hours is handy (but I think available on eticket too)....there is a DVC planner also....some other fun ones are the glow stick , soundhound (hear a song you like and tap the app and it tells you the song) pic2shop....scans upc codes and tells you average prices for the product, key ring...takes all of those cards for the stores that you need like CVS, Sam's club etc and scans the bar code so you don't have to have the cards with you... my iPhone! I will believe it when I see it happen for Verizon....I switched last year because I got tired of waiting for it and they have said for so long now that they will be getting it It really doesn't matter to me which carrier I have...I just wanted the phone

Tracy

 

[glennbo123]

I'm a little behind in my phone technology. I'm hoping to get some kind of smartphone the next time I can upgrade (which won't be for another year and a half). With my current one I can at least get on the web, although posting from it is another story.

 

[moparop]

The Droid is NICE! We looked at that one first, but turns out AT&T will be cheaper for us and what we want/need. We are slowly turning into a Mac household, so it makes sense for us to have the iPhones instead too. I think there are more free apps for the Droid too.

I'd love an iphone, but we get amazing deals on Verizon plans through Ryan's company so we are forced to be a droid family. I remember you saying that Joe is a Mac guy so the iphone thing will work out perfectly for you! I can't wait for those live FB updates!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I have been seriously jonesing for an iphone... you're not helping. Sounds AWESOME!!

Your plans look great too. So many things on your list are also on mine. Including this chick-fil-a place. I've seen it in the airport and heard it talked about a lot but never tried it. Waffle fries are luring me in.

I'll be interested to hear what you think about the DVC Wednesday event.

I think you'll love the Visa character spot. So convenient. Remember you have to have your card with you.

How convenient you travel with your own alarm clock!

I hope H loves Soarin as much as the rest of us do! I bet he will!! Such a big boy now!

I agree, Kristen's idea of sit down lunches with little ones is super smart. I think you'll really like R&C!

19 days!!

 

[praisehisname]

The "top 3" idea sounds great, but I know I would struggle to stick to it. I have all these good intentions, and then I get there and want to do everything as soon as possible!

I'm so excited for you to try Chick-Fil-A! I usually get the sandwiches, but my daughter got me hooked on the nuggets recently. The Chick-Fil-A dipping sauce is to-die-for! It's bbq/honey mustard mix with a smokey flavor. Droooool.... When I get the sandwich, I put mayo on it, but DS like to put the CFA sauce on his.

Posting from my new phone!!!

Woo hoo! So glad you love it! When our contract is up for renewal in February, that's what I'm hoping to get!

 

[MHTeacher]

YAY for teenaged numbers!

Glad you're enjoying your new phone!

 

[trinaweena]

i just got a new phone today too! It's not an iPhone (DBF has that) but an Android 2. Only had it for a few hours and already amazed at what it can do!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Hurray for being in the teens!!! You will be there before you know it!!!

 

[jenseib]

Your phone sounds so cool. Honestly I have no clue what an app is. I am so not there with the phone technology.
We have Nextel, and the one thing I have to have as a feature is direct connect. LOL! Thats what I use the most. My friend has nextel and just got the blackberry curve. It looks cool, but not sure if I would gt any other use out of it. I have a basic plain phone. I don't even know how to text well. If someone texts me, I just reply yes or no back. My friend said for me to look at the droid, but not sure if it available for nextel.
I also don't knopw how m,uch the internet optioon on our plan would be. So to go for a fancy phone and then not use the internet would be a waste. LOL! I should start looking though. My phone is 3 years old and is showing signs of wear and the second battery I put in it is now losing it's charge.

 

[wdwgirl03]

19 days until Disney!!!!!!

Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar-tay!


​

WOO HOO!!!! So soon!

 

[wdwgirl03]

OK, more comments...the Disney Visa meet and greet is awesome! We had such a great meet on Monday. And yes, the free picture is a nice perk too.

Hope you enjoy Welcome Home Wednesdays! Can't wait to hear what you have to say about Miss DeeVee Cee.

 

[All7OfUs]

Morning Brook!! Have just enough time here on my friend's computer to post a quick hello!

 

[mickeysmyboy]

Wooo Hooo for 18 days!!!! FABULOUS!

I'm glad you like your new phone! I went to at&t to get the iphone 4 and the guy convinced me to get the new samsung captivate instead! I love it and I'm having so much fun playing with it and downloading apps from the android marketplace! I even downloaded a disney app! I was able to download a program onto my mac, I think it's called missing link, that syncs all my mac stuff to the phone! My music, my calendar, the pics I want etc! I'm so happy with it!! I still get little a little knot in my stomach from time to time that I should have held my ground gotten the iphone 4! But I'm completely in love with this phone! Yes, I'm geek and you know it


When you have a second send me a pm with your new address I have something to send you!

 

[DWGal210]

You are SO CLOSE!!!!

Have fun with your iPhone! I LOVE mine, it will change your life. I downloaded the WDW Dining one (not by Disney, I think, I'll have to check on the company that did it) and the Undercover Tourist app. I am SUPER excited to use that one because, even from here in Iowa, it tells you the wait times for the rides and even ranks the parks by what they expect to be more busy and less busy that day. VERY excited to try that in November and see if it measures up.

Have a GREAT Sunday!

 

[ClaireW]

So close!!!

And thanks for the iphone suggestions

 

[3prettyprincesses]

Brook! I found your pretrip! Yay! You lucky dog, going back in only like what, 2 weeks? Well color me jealous!

Your plans look great and I'll bet Henry will be bursting at the seams with excitement. He looks so big!

I've kept up with your NYC adventures and wow, just wow! You and Joe must be so thrilled to be living your dream. Not many people can accomplish that so great job! I told my DH that doesn't have to get me a present for Christmas, so long as we can go to NYC to see the Nutcracker, ice skate at Rockefeller Center, shop and take a carriage ride through Central Park. Sounds totally reasonable to me.

I love that you titled yourself the CVO! That is soooo me too! It's kind of like a sickness though, right? I feel like I'm always planning something in the back of my mind for our upcoming trip. DH also requested a park free day and I'm finally laid back enough to comply! It wasn't always so...our first Disney trip I literally ran my poor family into the ground and they weren't too thrilled with me.

Looking forward to reading the TR when you return. I hope you all have the best time possible!

 

[brookelizabeth]

It's Carbonite not Caronite... not sure if you made a typo or read the name wrong - but if you are searching you probably won't find Caronite.

As far as e-ticket... it's OK. I don't love it... I have really only used the DIS portion of it. It's easier to post using the app than it is to post over the internet (on the phone). But it's harder to move around the DIS & find TRs, etc. I wish they had a User CP feature where you could see all of your subscriptions. If there is something like that, I haven't found it. To locate a PTR, you have to go to the main menu, then TRs, then PTRs, then scroll through the whole list until you find the one you want. Kind of tedious.

I liked using the Mac side of my MacBook but I use QuickBooks for Windows for work & it was a huge pain in the neck to switch back and forth between the two so I just wiped out the Mac side & do it all on Windows now.

Oh I probably had a child talking to me and made a typo! I was thinking Carbonite. I gotta tell Joe about that.

Thank you for the info on e-ticket! I've read a few "It's alright" reviews, which made me hesitate in buying it. I think $6 is a bit much for an app, but I'm cheap. I am surprised they didn't build the CP in! That would be incredibly tedious...that kinda convinces me not to buy it right now. Maybe in a future update to the program they will include it.

Joe put the Windows VM in just for Quickbooks. That is what we use too. I'm actually on his Mac right now, but using Windows. So far I'm really liking it! His laptop is much newer than my old Dell, so the speed is fantastic.

Morning BE!

Congrats on the teen digits!

Can't wait to see all the photos from your latest excursion to The World!

I am VERY excited about being in the teens. Single Digit Dancing will be next. Woot!

Woooooo hooooooo for making it to the teens!!!!

I saw your FB post about Dragon Dictation too and so I now have that app also! I have the eticket...and I do used it when I am on the road...one of my favorites is the WDW Dining app....all the menus and I put in my ADR numbers...have Mouse Memo but have never used it , WDW park hours is handy (but I think available on eticket too)....there is a DVC planner also....some other fun ones are the glow stick , soundhound (hear a song you like and tap the app and it tells you the song) pic2shop....scans upc codes and tells you average prices for the product, key ring...takes all of those cards for the stores that you need like CVS, Sam's club etc and scans the bar code so you don't have to have the cards with you... my iPhone! I will believe it when I see it happen for Verizon....I switched last year because I got tired of waiting for it and they have said for so long now that they will be getting it It really doesn't matter to me which carrier I have...I just wanted the phone

Tracy

I installed Glowstick! Joe rolled his eyes at that one, but it's kinda fun I think! I haven't showed it to Henry yet, he'll love it. I also got pic2shop and key ring. I need to get my cards scanned in for key ring, that will be awesome! Have you ever used GroceryIQ? It scans UPCs and makes a grocery list for you! So if you are at home and about to run out of something, scan it! Soooo very cool and handy.

I didn't realize the talks with Verizon had been going on for so long. Joe saw an article a couple months ago in one of his Techy Geek News emails that the deal had been signed....perhaps its just another step in a sloooooooow moving process. We cared about what carrier because AT&T has issues in NYC, but we decided to just make the jump. So far it's been pretty good though - I think I've had 2 dropped calls.

I'm a little behind in my phone technology. I'm hoping to get some kind of smartphone the next time I can upgrade (which won't be for another year and a half). With my current one I can at least get on the web, although posting from it is another story.

That's how one of my previous phones was too - I could get on the web, but it wasn't pretty. It really didn't matter at ALL to me for a very long time. However, this iPhone is stinkin' handy, I'm enjoying what it can do and how it helps me organize. The phone feature is a bonus.

I'd love an iphone, but we get amazing deals on Verizon plans through Ryan's company so we are forced to be a droid family. I remember you saying that Joe is a Mac guy so the iphone thing will work out perfectly for you! I can't wait for those live FB updates!

It does work out well - we are slowly going Mac. I'm still resisting it though! I'm on a Mac right now, but running Windows!

 

[brookelizabeth]

I have been seriously jonesing for an iphone... you're not helping. Sounds AWESOME!!

Your plans look great too. So many things on your list are also on mine. Including this chick-fil-a place. I've seen it in the airport and heard it talked about a lot but never tried it. Waffle fries are luring me in.

I'll be interested to hear what you think about the DVC Wednesday event.

I think you'll love the Visa character spot. So convenient. Remember you have to have your card with you.

How convenient you travel with your own alarm clock!

I hope H loves Soarin as much as the rest of us do! I bet he will!! Such a big boy now!

I agree, Kristen's idea of sit down lunches with little ones is super smart. I think you'll really like R&C!

19 days!!

I've heard SO much about Chik-Fil-A for years. I have friends who live here in NYC and miss it a ton. It's a "must do" for them when they go back to visit their families! So I just gotta find out what all the hype is about. Food pictures WILL be done.

Thank you for the reminder on having the card with me! I usually don't bring it, I just bring the KTTW card.

Our little alarm clock is usually quite pleasant. Sometimes he rings a bit too early for my taste though....

I think Henry will enjoy Soarin' and Test Track too. I showed him a video of both on YouTube and he's excited about them. I hope he makes it to 40 inches!!!!!

R&C looks delish. I have drooled over their menu several times. I'm really curious to try Yorkshire Pudding too, it sounds yummy!

The "top 3" idea sounds great, but I know I would struggle to stick to it. I have all these good intentions, and then I get there and want to do everything as soon as possible!

I'm so excited for you to try Chick-Fil-A! I usually get the sandwiches, but my daughter got me hooked on the nuggets recently. The Chick-Fil-A dipping sauce is to-die-for! It's bbq/honey mustard mix with a smokey flavor. Droooool.... When I get the sandwich, I put mayo on it, but DS like to put the CFA sauce on his.

Woo hoo! So glad you love it! When our contract is up for renewal in February, that's what I'm hoping to get!

That's exactly what I do! I keep it in, I don't rush Joe or try to stress, but I'm always secretly hoping and wanting to get to EVERYTHING. I'm not going to do that to myself this trip! I did really good last September with it, and December was such a different trip - hopefully I can keep it up.

Oh my word. That BBQ/honey mustard smokey sauce sounds AMAZING. Like seriously crazy amazing. I think I might end up bathing in it! I love LOTS of sauce on my sandwiches (or anything really), I'm gonna be a mess! note to self: wear black shirt on the plane.

YAY for teenaged numbers!

Glad you're enjoying your new phone!

It has been really great so far! I'm enjoying the apps I have and the organization it can do.

i just got a new phone today too! It's not an iPhone (DBF has that) but an Android 2. Only had it for a few hours and already amazed at what it can do!

I've heard great things about the Android! It's pretty similar to the iPhone, right? They really are amazing little computers. Very handy!

Hurray for being in the teens!!! You will be there before you know it!!!

I know it! I was reading LL's PTR last night when she mentioned 3 weekends and I had the "Whoa!" reaction, panicked a bit on what I have left to do...then realized we only have TWO.

Your phone sounds so cool. Honestly I have no clue what an app is. I am so not there with the phone technology.
We have Nextel, and the one thing I have to have as a feature is direct connect. LOL! Thats what I use the most. My friend has nextel and just got the blackberry curve. It looks cool, but not sure if I would gt any other use out of it. I have a basic plain phone. I don't even know how to text well. If someone texts me, I just reply yes or no back. My friend said for me to look at the droid, but not sure if it available for nextel.
I also don't knopw how m,uch the internet optioon on our plan would be. So to go for a fancy phone and then not use the internet would be a waste. LOL! I should start looking though. My phone is 3 years old and is showing signs of wear and the second battery I put in it is now losing it's charge.

The iPhone is like a mini computer and an app on it is like a computer program. The phone feature of the iPhone is actually an app. It can do a TON. I can even use it to deposit checks at my bank. Seriously. It's crazy.

The texting with the iPhone is easy because it comes with a full keyboard instead of just hitting the buttons. The iPhone doesn't even look like a phone AT ALL. It's so weird!

I don't really use the internet directly with the iPhone so far, but several of the apps (the programs) use the internet - like my bank one, I can check the balance very quickly. It's almost like going on the internet except the app makes it even quicker and more "user friendly" format for the phone. I also have another program that will search restaurants in the area I am in, which is VERY handy in NYC! It uses the internet, and I can tell it to show me where to go to get there. Very cool.

WOO HOO!!!! So soon!

I KNOW! It's unreal!

 

[brookelizabeth]

OK, more comments...the Disney Visa meet and greet is awesome! We had such a great meet on Monday. And yes, the free picture is a nice perk too.

Hope you enjoy Welcome Home Wednesdays! Can't wait to hear what you have to say about Miss DeeVee Cee.

Did you have a long wait? Or did the line move pretty fast?

I LOVE DeeVee Cee's videos! Sometimes I'm SHOCKED at what they allow her to say though, it's Disney!!! Does she appear live in person? Do they allow character meet & greets if so? I so want my picture with her!!!

Morning Brook!! Have just enough time here on my friend's computer to post a quick hello!

HELLO! Your time is so limited on the computer, I feel all spechul that you used it for little 'ol me.

Wooo Hooo for 18 days!!!! FABULOUS!

I'm glad you like your new phone! I went to at&t to get the iphone 4 and the guy convinced me to get the new samsung captivate instead! I love it and I'm having so much fun playing with it and downloading apps from the android marketplace! I even downloaded a disney app! I was able to download a program onto my mac, I think it's called missing link, that syncs all my mac stuff to the phone! My music, my calendar, the pics I want etc! I'm so happy with it!! I still get little a little knot in my stomach from time to time that I should have held my ground gotten the iphone 4! But I'm completely in love with this phone! Yes, I'm geek and you know it

When you have a second send me a pm with your new address I have something to send you!

That is so surprising that the AT&T guy convincing you away from the iPhone!!!! Really, really surprising. I haven't heard about the Samsung Captivate yet - sounds like it's pretty similar though, so I'm sure you made a good buy! What Disney app did you get? I downloaded Toy Story Mania as per a suggestion here, it's AWESOME. Henry plays it on the train. And a couple other Disney ones that I have to explore yet that were free. Then the maps for the parks too.

You have something for moi? Ooooh, I'm curious...

You are SO CLOSE!!!!

Have fun with your iPhone! I LOVE mine, it will change your life. I downloaded the WDW Dining one (not by Disney, I think, I'll have to check on the company that did it) and the Undercover Tourist app. I am SUPER excited to use that one because, even from here in Iowa, it tells you the wait times for the rides and even ranks the parks by what they expect to be more busy and less busy that day. VERY excited to try that in November and see if it measures up.

Have a GREAT Sunday!

I just think it might change my life a bit! Surprising to say that, but it's stinkin' convenient and so far is really helping me stay more organized. I plan to get the Undercover Tourist app as well, I've heard awesome things about it. We'll probably get it for our next trip since it'll be Spring Break and busy. The maps app I bought has Wait Times too, not sure how accurate they are, I'm going to test that out in seventeen days!

 

[brookelizabeth]

So close!!!

And thanks for the iphone suggestions

Can you believe it?! Before we know it we'll both be there!!!

on the iPhone.

Brook! I found your pretrip! Yay! You lucky dog, going back in only like what, 2 weeks? Well color me jealous!

Your plans look great and I'll bet Henry will be bursting at the seams with excitement. He looks so big!

I've kept up with your NYC adventures and wow, just wow! You and Joe must be so thrilled to be living your dream. Not many people can accomplish that so great job! I told my DH that doesn't have to get me a present for Christmas, so long as we can go to NYC to see the Nutcracker, ice skate at Rockefeller Center, shop and take a carriage ride through Central Park. Sounds totally reasonable to me.

I love that you titled yourself the CVO! That is soooo me too! It's kind of like a sickness though, right? I feel like I'm always planning something in the back of my mind for our upcoming trip. DH also requested a park free day and I'm finally laid back enough to comply! It wasn't always so...our first Disney trip I literally ran my poor family into the ground and they weren't too thrilled with me.

Looking forward to reading the TR when you return. I hope you all have the best time possible!

YAY! Glad you found me!!!

Just over 2 weeks - YEP! I look forward to doing the two week game very, very soon. Henry asks almost every single day about Mickey's House. Whenever he's playing trucks, or airplanes or ANYTHING, they are all going to Mickey's.

You reminded me! I have gotta update the blog! I'm weeks behind on it. It's is really exciting to be here - and it's becoming less surreal and more like home as time passes too. about your Christmas gift. Completely reasonable!!! Rockefeller is BEAUTIFUL at Christmas. Soooooo pretty. I've only seen it one other time, but we'll definitely be going this year too...with the camera in hand!

It is a sickness! A good one though. I really enjoy it all - from wondering when the next trip will be to booking it and filling in all the details. And it requires much DIS research always. Relaxing, no parks days are AWESOME. They really are! Part of me always wars with it, and I just want to pack everything in, but like you said - it wears everyone out. No parks days give you more time to enjoy each other and the resort, the pool and a million other things. Someday we hope to do a two week trip with LOTS of "no parks" days.