Dave Ramseying to Disney!Some final thoughts 8/18

[moparop]

I have wanted to do Harmony Barbershop since I was little. I hope we get to. It won't be a first haircut but they boys would still like it.

They have the best barbers there! My kids HATED haircuts before we went there - the barbers were so gentle and accommodating that it really helped them loosen up. And, it's the same price you pay at any kids' place and now they take reservations, what more could you ask for!

Interesting sidenote: while we were waiting to do first haircuts I got to talking to the man sitting next to me (yes, I tend to talk to the person next to me wherever I am...) He drives specifically to Disney whenever he needs a hair cut and has Michel at Harmony do it. He was relatively local, like within 30 miles and just loved the way Michel cut his hair.

 

[999ghostslover]

oh good. We will have to check it out. We wanted Brady to get his first haircut there when we went for his fist birthday BUT my sister's wedding was the week before and he desperately needed a cut. He had a red afro.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

I have wanted to do Harmony Barbershop since I was little. I hope we get to. It won't be a first haircut but they boys would still like it.

They will love it! Juju has already made a request for another haircut there next time. Her sister's hair is so curly that I don't know if she'll be ready for a cut by then, and I guess we'll wait and see about the baby! They are so good about entertaining the kids and distracting them from what's happening (stickers, light-up spinning toys, etc.).

 

[999ghostslover]

A trip back in time...
I am so sad that I have no pictures of me at Disney as a child, teen and 21 year old. I have no idea where any would be. I would love to go back over some of those pictures. So I am going to start with what I have.

In 2005 my husband went to a convention for NASA stuff (I'm sure it was called something really long and was referred to with a billion letters). As a new stay-at-home mom with a 4-month-old baby girl I decided to tag along. We were excited because we were going to stay on property for the first time. It was our first "family" vacation. And the room was free, he had some meals at the convention but still had a pretty nice per diem so we could both eat for just about free. We drove and his company paid the mileage which was nice. We also tied in a one night stay in Titusville to see Tom's grandparents (Grandpa Percy was still with us then).
So for just about free we were going to Disney. As broke new parents this was great. Tom, of course was in the convention all day so I decided not to hit the parks by myself. It just didn't seem right to go without him and it was January and I was scared to commit to going with a 4 month old by myself. Plus, I was really excited to be able to go off an explore other resorts and DTD on my own. I had always wanted to do that.

We thought we were staying at the Contemporary but as we checked in to the convention we realized that we had been bumped to POFQ. I was po'd. I didn't know much about any real Disney resorts, having only stayed off prop at this point but I did know that this was NOT the hotel with the monorail going right through it and it was not the same category.
But it did not take 10 seconds of being at POFQ to realize how much more charming it was. I loved it. And lets face the biggest reason to stay at the CR would be the ability to use the monorail to get to 2 parks. If you aren't even going to the parks then it is kinda silly to stay there. IMHO.
So there we were for 4.5 fun days. The first day we went to House of Blues and walked all around DTD. Tom's first time there. The next night we ate at Boatright's and we were the only people in the restaurant. At one point one of the CMs took Abby and over to the hostess stand and they all played with her while we ate. It was so nice. We listened to some music in the lounge at Riverside and took a private boatride back to POFQ. The place was empty all week. We also went over to the boardwalk one night after CS meal at POFQ. This was my DH's first time in the boardwalk area. He loved it. We got some coffee and just walked around. It was great. During the day Abby and I pool hopped. We spent one day at POFQ pool, one at POR and one at BC. That's right--there was a time you could pool hop to stormalong bay. It was great.

I'm so glad that I got to go on that trip. It made me fall in love with staying on property. I really got to soak in so much non-park stuff. It was incredible. I don't have a ton of pics but here is what I have.
Gonna stay here one day

My sweet girl after a dip at Stormalong Bay

yes, posing her got a little old

no joke--this was the first time she rolled over. I hated that Tom missed it but at least I got a shot of it!

 

[jillyb]

What a wonderful first "family" trip! I just the pics...too precious!

 

[moparop]

That looks like such a fun family trip! I love that you experienced Disney but didn't do parks. It totally shows just how much there is to do there!

 

[999ghostslover]

What a wonderful first "family" trip! I just the pics...too precious!

Thank you. It was really neat being there. And right after that picture they cleared the BC beach to set up a big private party for the Herbie Fully Loaded Movie people (I think they were premiering it at MK or DHS). I kept trying to peek and see if Lindsey Lohan was there but I'm petty sure she was not.

That looks like such a fun family trip! I love that you experienced Disney but didn't do parks. It totally shows just how much there is to do there!

Exactly, it made me fall in love with the whole area. I just people watched and chatted with CMs in the gift shops. Everyone was so nice.

 

[999ghostslover]

As you know my hot geeky DH Tom is a rocket scientist. Way before Sheldon Cooper made that cool, I might add. Well, he works for a NASA contractor that pays him a salary and every once in awhile if NASA has a little extra money on a project he is working on they will allow him to work OT and his company allows him to pocket his share of that rate. He has been with this company for 7.5 years and this has occurred one time so far. About 7 years ago.
But then it just happened again.
He has the opportunity to work about 70 hours per week for the next two weeks (not much more than he already works I might add, they will just be paying him for the OT for once).
This will pay for Disney. Can you believe it?
I know that the best way to do it would be to apply this to our next debt, my car and go from there. But we have decided to knock out Disney and get back to being gazelle about out debts. Knowing that the trip is paid and the vacation account has enough money to get us there and back, to pay for tips and a few souvies will be such a relief. Suddenly my Paradise Falls Jar can get cashed out and put toward the debt.

And I will be honest visions of the Boardwalk or Poly floated through my head. Yes, I ran a quick quote to see how much more it would be if we...or maybe we could just...
But then I listened to my Dave podcast and I refocused. There will always be something I can spend my money on. We need to get on track, out of debt and on our way to Financial Peace. I have a plan to call Dave Ramsey from the deck of the Dream or Fantasy to do my debt-free scream one day. That becomes our next motivation.

 

[moparop]

Hooray for Money Angels!! And that it covers the entire trip?? Spectacular! And just think how much more dilligent you will be about paying down the debt now that you know you can and still get to see Mickey. I love it!! And who knows, maybe something else will come through and the visions of Poly won't be just a dream?

 

[999ghostslover]

I should add that we already have about $500 down on the trip. Plus a $100 Visa Disney dollars card. So this OT will pay for the balance we owe the mouse and there may be enough for the other money we need for the trip. That we'll have to see after taxes and all of that.

 

[BrooklynnsMommy]

That is great news. My husband is an engineer so he works lots of extra hours a week, but doesn't get paid overtime. So nice when it all works out so nicely. This summer the day before we left for Disney my husband got called into his manager's office where she gave hime a bonus check from a contract tehy had jsut finished. It couldn't have been any better timing. We used that money for our food and souvenirs instead of what we had already put aside and when we returned I was able to pay one of our credit cards completely off!

 

[999ghostslover]

Just listened to this week's podcast and I gotta say I was not pleased with how they answered one question...
So I sent them a voice email. Maybe it will make the show. Here it is...
Hi y’all
This is Erin Percy 999ghostslover on the boards. Just want to say I’m a big fan of the show. Never miss it. As a mom of three young children I love hearing your weekly grown-up and sophisticated take on all this Disney especially when you use more than one syllable words. And Especially on days when I am just trying to get dried bits of spaghettio out of my hair so that I look nice for PTA or gymnastics or what-have-you. So I’m sad that the first time I am calling y’all is to complain. Insert sad emoticon.
So let’s talk breastfeeding…a subject that equals my Disney passion. I want to ask that y’all TRY to reframe the way that you see breastfeeding. Breastmilk needs to be seen along the lines of food and drink and not bodily fluid. It is not the same as excrement, blood, mucus and urine. So if you see a mom breastfeeding don’t think of it as the same as Pete urinating on the sidewalk but rather someone walking around with a dole whip or frozen coke. I won’t get into the details of how breastmilk and more specifically on-demand breastfeeding is vastly superior to non-human milk substitutes and is recommended by every health organization on the planet
As an advocate of breastfeeding I try to see myself as an ambassador of healthy parenting. I’m going to breastfeed when and where I need to. I want a young 20 something who is not yet a parent to see me enjoying my family vacation and discreetly nursing my child. The woman on the monorail with the midiff obviously doesn’t care about that. All I can say is trash is trash whether it is a group of college students cursing while standing in queue for an attraction, a foreign tourist talking on a cell phone during a show or a family flashing their camera inside Splash Mountain. But you don’t feel the need to tell these cautionary tales so please don’t get hung up on your one bad breastfeeding experience. It almost never happens that way. Women nurse all over all four parks and you just don’t see it. We’re that good. Remember, we want women to breastfeed. We have the second worst infant mortality rate in the civilized world. It saves babies and will save us billions in healthcare costs. So even if you never have children (and I think you should…any kid would be lucky to have you and Walter as Disney dads) your reactions and attitudes shape the future.
And to the moms to be…people will butt into your parenting no matter what. You should cover up or feed you baby in the bathroom. You shouldn’t have your baby out in this heat. It is too cold in this restaurant you need a blanket. Babies shouldn’t be in a stroller they should be in a sling, your squishing you baby in that carrier put him in his stroller. It really never ends. If strangers commented on any other facet of your life the way they feel they have the right to with parenting well, none of us would ever leave the house.
Julie and Theresa. Thank you for answering the questions of my fellow breastfeeding mom. I thought you gave excellent on-point advice. Disney really has a lot of great places to nurse babies and cae for young children. And many of the CS restaurants are great about you coming in, getting out of the heat and nursing in a corner even if you aren’t eating.
And I do want to say that moms who bottle or formula feed are great moms too. I had to partially formula feed my middle child due to some health problems that he and I had and I know the looks bottle-feeding moms get from the holier-than-though breastfeeding moms. My advice is to check your attitudes at the gate. Come to Disney and have a great time. Thanks podcast. I hope we can still be friends.

 

[999ghostslover]

That is great news. My husband is an engineer so he works lots of extra hours a week, but doesn't get paid overtime. So nice when it all works out so nicely. This summer the day before we left for Disney my husband got called into his manager's office where she gave hime a bonus check from a contract tehy had jsut finished. It couldn't have been any better timing. We used that money for our food and souvenirs instead of what we had already put aside and when we returned I was able to pay one of our credit cards completely off!

Nice! Bonus Disney dollars. Yeah, if they paid Tom fo all of the unpaid OT has has worked well, we would own the Poly. Well, maybe not you know. Is your DH on post or Research Park? Tom is both. And at UAH a lot too. He teaches one class a semester there.

 

[moparop]

That was a great letter Erin! As a proud BFing mom who has nursed around the world (and out in the "open" at that), people do need to check their attitudes at the gate.

I have not listened to the 9/18 show yet. I usually save the podcasts for school days, so that gives me something intriquing to look forward to on Monday.

 

[reelmom]

I have not gone though FPU but listen to Dave Ramsey almost everyday on the radio. I am going to the beginning to read and get caught up.

 

[999ghostslover]

That was a great letter Erin! As a proud BFing mom who has nursed around the world (and out in the "open" at that), people do need to check their attitudes at the gate.

I have not listened to the 9/18 show yet. I usually save the podcasts for school days, so that gives me something intriquing to look forward to on Monday.

Yes, it was quite a podcast. Someone just wanted to know if there were places to nurse around the park and Pete goes on this whole tear about pulling out the twins and it being natural like taking a pee is natural. It was really inappropriate. But you'll hear it. When I hear someone get up on a soapbox like that I shake my head and think it puts up 10 years back on the crusade to get more moms to nurse. I know I'll never convince him otherwise but I hate for a young listener to get those ideas in his or her head.

I have not gone though FPU but listen to Dave Ramsey almost everyday on the radio. I am going to the beginning to read and get caught up.

Yeah another Dave fan! He is great to listen to in the car because right when I think Starbucks is calling my name I listen to Dave and re-prioritize my spending.

 

[Debbie]

That was a well written letter, Erin. Thanks for writing that. With my 'baby' being 16½, it's been a while, but I remember breastfeeding 'round the world with her oldest brother 26 years ago, and her 16 years ago....I don't think we took the other 3 as infants.... Of course it can be done discreetly-and NEVER in the bathroom. I know that I used the nursing stations when it was convenient, and a park bench or table if we were dining, if it wasn't. You would have thought that things would be different a quarter of a century late. sigh

 

[BrooklynnsMommy]

Just listened to this week's podcast and I gotta say I was not pleased with how they answered one question...
So I sent them a voice email. Maybe it will make the show. Here it is...
Hi y’all
This is Erin Percy 999ghostslover on the boards. Just want to say I’m a big fan of the show. Never miss it. As a mom of three young children I love hearing your weekly grown-up and sophisticated take on all this Disney especially when you use more than one syllable words. And Especially on days when I am just trying to get dried bits of spaghettio out of my hair so that I look nice for PTA or gymnastics or what-have-you. So I’m sad that the first time I am calling y’all is to complain. Insert sad emoticon.
So let’s talk breastfeeding…a subject that equals my Disney passion. I want to ask that y’all TRY to reframe the way that you see breastfeeding. Breastmilk needs to be seen along the lines of food and drink and not bodily fluid. It is not the same as excrement, blood, mucus and urine. So if you see a mom breastfeeding don’t think of it as the same as Pete urinating on the sidewalk but rather someone walking around with a dole whip or frozen coke. I won’t get into the details of how breastmilk and more specifically on-demand breastfeeding is vastly superior to non-human milk substitutes and is recommended by every health organization on the planet
As an advocate of breastfeeding I try to see myself as an ambassador of healthy parenting. I’m going to breastfeed when and where I need to. I want a young 20 something who is not yet a parent to see me enjoying my family vacation and discreetly nursing my child. The woman on the monorail with the midiff obviously doesn’t care about that. All I can say is trash is trash whether it is a group of college students cursing while standing in queue for an attraction, a foreign tourist talking on a cell phone during a show or a family flashing their camera inside Splash Mountain. But you don’t feel the need to tell these cautionary tales so please don’t get hung up on your one bad breastfeeding experience. It almost never happens that way. Women nurse all over all four parks and you just don’t see it. We’re that good. Remember, we want women to breastfeed. We have the second worst infant mortality rate in the civilized world. It saves babies and will save us billions in healthcare costs. So even if you never have children (and I think you should…any kid would be lucky to have you and Walter as Disney dads) your reactions and attitudes shape the future.
And to the moms to be…people will butt into your parenting no matter what. You should cover up or feed you baby in the bathroom. You shouldn’t have your baby out in this heat. It is too cold in this restaurant you need a blanket. Babies shouldn’t be in a stroller they should be in a sling, your squishing you baby in that carrier put him in his stroller. It really never ends. If strangers commented on any other facet of your life the way they feel they have the right to with parenting well, none of us would ever leave the house.
Julie and Theresa. Thank you for answering the questions of my fellow breastfeeding mom. I thought you gave excellent on-point advice. Disney really has a lot of great places to nurse babies and cae for young children. And many of the CS restaurants are great about you coming in, getting out of the heat and nursing in a corner even if you aren’t eating.
And I do want to say that moms who bottle or formula feed are great moms too. I had to partially formula feed my middle child due to some health problems that he and I had and I know the looks bottle-feeding moms get from the holier-than-though breastfeeding moms. My advice is to check your attitudes at the gate. Come to Disney and have a great time. Thanks podcast. I hope we can still be friends.

I did not hear the podcast, but I feel your letter was well written. I was nursing Bellarie on 3 different trips. I always tried to be discreet as possible, but that did not mean going in the bathroom and trying to feed my child in an incredibly unsanitary place. I nursed her wherever I was when she needed to eat. I used a burp cloth to cover up and continued to enjoy my vacation. It really bugs me that so many people have no problem with the half dressed individuals walking around but me feeding my child as discreetly as possible offends someone.

Nice! Bonus Disney dollars. Yeah, if they paid Tom fo all of the unpaid OT has has worked well, we would own the Poly. Well, maybe not you know. Is your DH on post or Research Park? Tom is both. And at UAH a lot too. He teaches one class a semester there.

He is on base some and in Research Park, as well as, out at the Jetplex.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

You are a gal after my own heart! So well-written, and it really did need to be said. From one proud BFing mom to another, thanks for saying what we're all thinking!

And congratulations on that awesome overtime!! THat is GREAT news!!

 

[999ghostslover]

That was a well written letter, Erin. Thanks for writing that. With my 'baby' being 16½, it's been a while, but I remember breastfeeding 'round the world with her oldest brother 26 years ago, and her 16 years ago....I don't think we took the other 3 as infants.... Of course it can be done discreetly-and NEVER in the bathroom. I know that I used the nursing stations when it was convenient, and a park bench or table if we were dining, if it wasn't. You would have thought that things would be different a quarter of a century late. sigh

Thank you so much for your compliment!
Yes, it makes me sad. Luckily the laws and research have caught up to the times but now we have to win the hearts and minds of the people. And good for you for BFing then.

I did not hear the podcast, but I feel your letter was well written. I was nursing Bellarie on 3 different trips. I always tried to be discreet as possible, but that did not mean going in the bathroom and trying to feed my child in an incredibly unsanitary place. I nursed her wherever I was when she needed to eat. I used a burp cloth to cover up and continued to enjoy my vacation. It really bugs me that so many people have no problem with the half dressed individuals walking around but me feeding my child as discreetly as possible offends someone.

Yes, oh I wish I had put that in about the half-dressed people. Seriously, who cares about a nursing mom when I can see all of that teenager's thong hanging out?

You are a gal after my own heart! So well-written, and it really did need to be said. From one proud BFing mom to another, thanks for saying what we're all thinking!

And congratulations on that awesome overtime!! THat is GREAT news!!

Yes, nursing moms and more importantly their infants have rights. Grown men can at least look away.
Thank you! We are excited. He will be at work from 7am to 5 pm tomorrow so no break for mommy tomorrow. But it will be worth it when the check clears.