Dance moms to invade Disney World! June '14 PTR!

[jpmom97]

I am so happy that you are reading my Pre-trip report!​

My name is Jeneen and I am planning my upcoming mother/daughter vacation to Disney World! My daughter's dance company will be performing at Downtown Disney and they will be taking a few classes with Disney choreographers. I had been secretly hoping that the artistic director would want to perform there and my wish came true!​

There will be 50 dancers going so about 40 dance moms will be invading the world! How much fun is that going to be? A lot of the moms are Disney lovers (though not as much as me) We have been planning and fundraising since July but we have a long way to go. If you or your child has never participated in the Disney Performing Arts program, I will share what I know and if you have any questions I can get the answers.

PS. We are not crazy Abby Lee Dance moms...or are we?

Up next....the who, where and when!

 

[mybabesuz]

We are going too!
We have 44 Dancers going.
Staying at Pop June 24-27

Are you going at the same time?

 

[wiigirl]

Following along!

 

[hallienicole]

Joining in! I did this in high school with a musical theatre group and had a blast!! Also, I work at a ballet school and would love to take our girls to perform in Disney!! Maybe I can steal some ideas from you

 

[jpmom97]

We are going too!
We have 44 Dancers going.
Staying at Pop June 24-27

Are you going at the same time?

Thank you for reading along! Yes!!! We will be there too!!! Dancers arrive June 20! That is great!!! Are you fundraising? I can tweak your brain about that stuff! We are trying but it's not coming along as we would have liked.

 

[jpmom97]

Following along!

Thank you so much!!!

 

[jpmom97]

Joining in! I did this in high school with a musical theatre group and had a blast!! Also, I work at a ballet school and would love to take our girls to perform in Disney!! Maybe I can steal some ideas from you

I will tell you anything you need to know! Thank you so much for reading along! I will post more stuff tonight, I am going to pick up my daughter from school so we can get to dance! You can steal any ideas! I will post our fundraising ideas and what is working and what's not. Also, I already know the number she is performing!

 

[jpmom97]

Sooo..who is going on this trip? Well, as I mentioned before, this is a mother/daughter trip. Allow myself to introduce...myself LOL

My name is Jeneen. I am a 36 year old mom/bank teller/Disney family trip planner. We live in PA. This will be my 9th trip to Disney. Besides constantly obsessing over the usual, I love to scrapbook and take pictures. I don't have a lot of free time. If I am not at work, chances are I am at the dance studio. I fell in love with Disney when my parents took me when I was 5. I wasn't able to return until my honeymoon in 01. Then in 04 my parents took me and my kids to Disney World while my husband was deployed in Iraq (he's in the Army.) While we were there, I became a DVC owner!
Favorites:
Park~ Magic Kingdom
Ride~ Haunted Mansion/BTMRR
Restaurant~ Tusker House
Character~ Minnie
Princess~ Tiana
Movie~ Bedknobs and Broomsticks

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My daughter Natalie, she is 10 years old. She is a wonderful daughter, amazes me every day. She is a typical girl her age, can be mouthy, loves One Direction and dancing! She has been dancing since she was 2 years old, she loves it. She dances 5 days a week, sometimes 6! I am so proud of how talented and committed she is.
Favorite:
Park~ Epcot
Ride~ Test Track
Restaurant~ Crystal Palace
Character~ Pluto
Princess~ Rapunzel
Move~ Cinderella



Next up.....When??

 

[mybabesuz]

Thank you for reading along! Yes!!! We will be there too!!! Dancers arrive June 20! That is great!!! Are you fundraising? I can tweak your brain about that stuff! We are trying but it's not coming along as we would have liked.

Yes we are fundraising... So far we are doing:
Yankee Candle Fundraiser
Selling Bottles of Water during class time to Parents and Students.
We are doing a special production of the Nutcracker in December.
And we are having a Meet and Greet:
http://asiajordynct.eventbrite.com/

 

[LB1122]

Joining in and hoping to see cute dance group photos...what is it about little kids dance outfits? I love my daughter's costumes so much.

Looking forward to hearing more.

Fundraising...have to thought about a local restaurant getting involved and doing an eat here tonight idea? No sure this would work for you or not, but it worked here for a girl scout troop trying to raise money for camp???

Good luck

 

[hallienicole]

This is just an idea, but I know that another dance studio in my area did this really cool fundraising thing with I think it was Ford or something. Anyways, they had it set up with them so that whenever someone goes to the dealership and does a test drive that dealership donates up to a certain amount to the dance studio. They got like $5,000 doing this!!

I wish I had thought of that for us! Cool idea, huh? I don't know if it goes for all dealerships, but it's a different fundraising idea that maybe you guys could look into!

 

[jpmom97]

Yes we are fundraising... So far we are doing:
Yankee Candle Fundraiser
Selling Bottles of Water during class time to Parents and Students.
We are doing a special production of the Nutcracker in December.
And we are having a Meet and Greet:
http://asiajordynct.eventbrite.com/

I had brought up the Yankee Candle Fundraiser and I think we are doing the Spring one. So far we are selling candy bars, had a bake sale at our open house, a Halloween party, Moe's nights and a flea market. I think the fm has made about $800 so far.

That meet and greet is awesome!!

 

[jpmom97]

Joining in and hoping to see cute dance group photos...what is it about little kids dance outfits? I love my daughter's costumes so much.

Looking forward to hearing more.

Fundraising...have to thought about a local restaurant getting involved and doing an eat here tonight idea? No sure this would work for you or not, but it worked here for a girl scout troop trying to raise money for camp???

Good luck

Thank you so much for joining in! Our local Moe's is giving us a whole day that after the store earns $2000 we get 50%. We have 5 of those before the trip. We were also going to contact Texas Roadhouse.

I will post Nat's dance pictures. I love her costumes too! She has a Dream Duffel and we keep them in there. She has so many! It's funny, so many of the moms let their kids play with them for dress up or give them away. I don't let my daughter touch them LOL.

 

[jpmom97]

This is just an idea, but I know that another dance studio in my area did this really cool fundraising thing with I think it was Ford or something. Anyways, they had it set up with them so that whenever someone goes to the dealership and does a test drive that dealership donates up to a certain amount to the dance studio. They got like $5,000 doing this!!

I wish I had thought of that for us! Cool idea, huh? I don't know if it goes for all dealerships, but it's a different fundraising idea that maybe you guys could look into!

Hello!! Thanks for joining in!!

That sounds like a really fun idea! I wonder how that works? I will bring that up on Monday when we go back to dance. Maybe someone knows someone who owns a car dealership. I have found that between all the moms we all know someone who can help one way or another.

 

[jpmom97]

I'm sorry I haven't updated the last few days! Our computer has died in the house and I have to wait for my husband to bring the laptop from work and then it gets taken over by the kids and their games or my husband doing scout stuff (he is my 2 boys Scoutmaster and Den leader). I am getting ready for work but I will update tonight with the where part of our trip!

But tonight we are going on a date night with some friends. My husband and I don't go out too often because we are so busy with Dance, scouts, work and all the other things my husband volunteers for. He is a member of the American Legion and is the Sgt. in Arms I think it's called. So he does funerals some nights and goes to meetings. He is mostly hangs out w/ the old guys LOL.

Anyway, we are going to the Melting Pot, anyone ever been there? I have been there once. They had a princess lunch and I took Natalie. There was a trashy Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. The pictures are hysterical, I will post them tonight too!

Have a great day!! Keep those fundraising ideas coming! Our goal is have all the classes paid for (3 x $30) the mandatory bus for DTD ($400) and each girls 3 day park hopper ($150). For me I would get that money towards our 8 day ticket.

 

[jpmom97]

Next up...when are we going?

We are leaving PA on June 17, 2014. And we are driving. I am afraid to fly, I know, a grown woman, but I am. The auto train is too expensive so our cheapest option is to drive. I really don't mind it at all. We usually drive through the night when we go as a family but I have to stop. My plan to leave very early morning on the 17th, stop in Florence, SC and then get up very early on the 18th and drive to my dad who lives in Winter Haven, Fl.

Our chariot will be my baby, my Volkswagen Beetle.



I rescued my Beetle from an auction. This was taken the day she was delivered. She was in a front end collision but the damage was minimal. I have been fixing her up slowly since June. She is just waiting now for inspection. I have to save a bit for that. It is a more expensive inspection b/c she was in wreck, I guess they are more thorough which is good. This is my dream car and I am so happy I have her. I would never be able to afford a new one and this was the best way for me to get one. Growing up my mom had a yellow one and I always wanted one. Dream come true!

So we should arrive to my dad on the 18th. Then we will check in to our Disney home away from home resort on the 19th. All dancers have to arrive on the 20th. Classes on the 21st, performance on the 22nd and then we will be leaving the 30th.

Next up...where?

 

[MrsZ]

I'm joining in! I use to dance when I was little and I am so sorry I ever left it. I left it to be a band geek so I guess I left one art for another lol.

This sounds like so much fun and what a fun trip for you and your daughter to do together! Can't wait to hear about where you're staying!

 

[jpmom97]

I'm joining in! I use to dance when I was little and I am so sorry I ever left it. I left it to be a band geek so I guess I left one art for another lol.

This sounds like so much fun and what a fun trip for you and your daughter to do together! Can't wait to hear about where you're staying!

Thanks for joining in and stopping by! I was in band too until I was 14. I played the flute! Then I became a cheerleader and gave up band. I wish I would have stuck with it, I can't remember anything about playing.

 

[jpmom97]

The Where.....​

So...where is our home away from home resort? Well, we bought into DVC 10 years ago so it's....



It's Saratoga Springs Resort!! We have only stayed here and we really love it. We love the size, the location, the rooms!

Here is a pic I snapped when we were driving into it for the first time on our last trip:


But, being me, I am going to make things difficult. In November when it's 7 months out, I am going to call and try and get :


Beach Club! I would like to try somewhere new and since it's just the 2 of us, I am hoping we have a shot at a studio. I like the location and since the dance classes are in Epcot, it would be convenient.

If I can't get that I am going to try for:

Bay Lake Tower!
Well, why not right?

If we don't get any of these it's fine. We will be happy where we are. But it would be nice to stay somewhere different.

So what do you think my chances are changing my resort?

I promised some dance pictures so here is Natalie in her jazz costume from last year. She performed 2 numbers in this, at her company show it was What a Feeling from Flashdance and at her recital it was Americano from Glee:

Up next....preliminary itinerary.​

 

[LB1122]

Love the fun dance pics and your hotel plans sound so fun. Great idea to try something new and fun.

Thought of one other fundraiser idea...photos. If you have someone who is great with a camera have them take some photos of rehearsals and shows for cheap instead of the expensive photographer and print them out for small amounts but charge more - still under the cost of the high end photographer, but also raising money. The drama camp my daughter attends each summer makes about 500 each week doing this. $1 for a 4x6 print x 200 campers???