Disney...by Land and Sea...Morris Style!

[NiniMorris]

And a final one of everyone n MY family together!

 

[KatMark]

Beautiful wedding pictures; thank you for sharing.

 

[NiniMorris]

Long time since I have posted. Things have been a little hectic around here, but I am ready to get back into the planning mode. We are at a little over 120 days. I usually wait until we are at 90 days to start a countdown chain, but I think I need the extra push, so I am thinking of starting one at 120.

The honeymooners are home and back to work today. Lots of pictures have been posted on FB, so I promise not to post any more! LOL...

I hope everyone had a great Father's Day! We redid my husband's office for him. Actually his office was more of a storage/dumping ground before. There are lots of large closets in there and we store the Christmas decorations and all our luggage in there. Seems the kids have been in charge of putting all that stuff away for a while....and the closet were almost empty... and all the JUNK was int he office! Since that door is kept closed I never really noticed. It is now probably the cleanest room in the house!

(Of course, in all honesty, part of that is because I am still holding fast to my resolve to NOT be a maid while the kids are out of school. I am not touching the rooms that they are in charge of cleaning...I am not sure how much longer I can hold out on the kitchen though...gross!)

Hope everyone has a great Disney day!


Nini

 

[NiniMorris]

Yesterday I managed to get the basic outlines of our daily trip planned. Everything seems to be falling into place pretty easily, so of course that makes me wonder what I am forgetting! LOL!

I even have the times I want my FP+ selections for and a secondary choice in csr they aren't available.

Of the planning, the only thing that isn't fitting into the plan is arrival day at the resort. Our last 2 trips I have not been able to complete the online check in. In February, that meant our room wasn't ready when we arrived...and of course, husband would not go to the park unti everything was unpacked. This trip, we are heading to Epcot first, and since it will be our only Epcot day, we need to arrive as early as we can.

I worked out three different scenarios, and none of them allow time to unpack! Since we are planning on staying at the park until after Illuminations! I think this might be problematic...LOL!!

I have a yucky day of driving about 100 miles to go to court...and then, providing I don't get into trouble, driving back. Today is Mr D's therapy day as well, meaning Dad will have to take him.

Should be fun...


Nini


PS...once I get the plans a bit more refined and pretty, I will post.

 

[NiniMorris]

I thought I would post a PSA.

For those people who are using a TA...heed their advice...PLEASE! We generally know what we are talking about!

For instance, if it is your first trip, and your TA sends you multiple messages about making sure you get your dining reservations done, and if you choose to ignore her....DON'T come back to her crying because your daughter is not going to eat with the Beast for dinner!

And, on the same note, if you ignore the multiple emails to make your FP+ selections, don't complain when you can'f score a meeting with the Frozen girls...


Just saying...


Nini

 

[KatMark]

I thought I would post a PSA.

For those people who are using a TA...heed their advice...PLEASE! We generally know what we are talking about!

For instance, if it is your first trip, and your TA sends you multiple messages about making sure you get your dining reservations done, and if you choose to ignore her....DON'T come back to her crying because your daughter is not going to eat with the Beast for dinner!

And, on the same note, if you ignore the multiple emails to make your FP+ selections, don't complain when you can'f score a meeting with the Frozen girls...


Just saying...


Nini

Amen! I heard so many people complaining when we were there two weeks ago because they couldn't do this or do that. And I felt like saying: Did you research or ask your TA?

I'm glad to hear plans are coming along.

 

[NiniMorris]

We had a birthday girl yesterday. We are actually celebrating today, so we didn't do much of anything... spent the day in the pool (mid 90's out), came in by noon (smog warning out and my asthma we did not want to chance it!) Made hamburgers in side, then the Birthday Girl decided she wanted a cake...at 8 pm...

So, instead she made some chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies!They were a bit rich....but otherwise hit the spot! LOL!

So we have been doing a bot more talking about our plans...and Miss B does not want to go to the Water Parks. So it looks like on the day Dad and Mr D go to the Water Park, Miss B and I will head to Downtown Disney. This is a place that neither of the guys like to spend a lot of time...so I think this might work perfect. Since we will be at POR we should be able to take the boat over (no worrying about finding a parking space in the ever dwindling parking lots!) and spend as much time window shopping as we want.

We have also narrowed down our Fast Pass + selections.

And..... husband has told me to go ahead and order some new luggage! You have to know...the luggage I currently have is the luggage we bought when we went to Germany. In 1984! Thirty Years!!! While there is nothing wrong with the luggage, I really want some more!

I am waiting until Monday to order it, because it is going on sale at the PX. I will be saving about 50% off what I have found it any where local, so I am happy. While it is nothing special, just red soft side luggage, I have some plans on Disney-ing it up a bit.

I am already planning our cruise next year. I am thinking an Alaskan cruise. Although I am thinking it will be only me and Husband..

Tonight, I would appreciate some prayers. I am taking a gaggle of teen girls to see Maleficent.



Nini

 

[NiniMorris]

Had to share a quick Miss Mia story.

She was playing with the phone and her mommy asked if she wanted to call Memaw...she started clapping and yelling "Memaw, Memaw"...so they dialed the number to let me talk with her.

The conversation only consisted of 'Hi" and lots of waving. She did kiss the phone.

Mommy kept trying to get her to say Memaw....instead she looked at mommy kind of strange and said "Dada Phone"

YOu are not fooling that kid...she knows that is a phone and not Memaw!



Nini

 

[NiniMorris]

I am starting to get really impatient for this Disney trip! I am ready to go now! October will never get here the way it is going.

One bit of change, on our break day we had planned on going to a water park. Miss B does not want to go at all! But she does want to spend the day at DTD shopping...so she and I will hop on the boat at POR and head over to DTD and shop! She is saving her money just for that part of the trip.

Finally, something she is looking forward to!! Of course, I think the reason she is looking forward to it has something to do with her friends thinking it is cool that she is going to be having fun on a cruise and trip to Disney during their fall break.

We have been seriously toying around with the idea of an Alaska cruise next year. I checked to see what was available for next year....nothing except inside staterooms! May not be going on a Disney Alaskan cruise....



Nini

 

[DMGeurts]

I have so much to catch up on here Nini... Sorry I fell way behind.

I've been following along a little bit on FB, so thankfully I am a little up to date.

Loved the Mia story... She is so precious.

Lol about !miss b wanting to go shopping... My girls are the opposite and love the water parks!

I like the idea of an Alaskan cruise... Will it be a family trip? I assume!e it is.

I will try to catch up some more when I am not on my tablet.

D~

 

[NiniMorris]

I have so much to catch up on here Nini... Sorry I fell way behind.

I've been following along a little bit on FB, so thankfully I am a little up to date.

Loved the Mia story... She is so precious.

Lol about !miss b wanting to go shopping... My girls are the opposite and love the water parks!

I like the idea of an Alaskan cruise... Will it be a family trip? I assume!e it is.

I will try to catch up some more when I am not on my tablet.

D~

Thanks!

I seem to remember 'something' about you being slightly busy...hmm..


Miss Mia is getting cuter by the day! I wish I knew how to post a video on here...because they just sent me a video of her first steps! They are taking their annual trip to Savannah. Daddy has a convention he goes to (actually he is in charge of the majority of it) so they go along with him each year. They had considered letting her stay with me this year, because she had been sleeping like a new born...waking up every 2 hours. But she seems to have figured out the whole sleep through the thing night, so she got to go with them.

They are planning on another video...one where she is talking on the phone to me...because she keeps trying to figure out where I am. She knows she is talking on a phone, but she hears Memaw's voice. So she keeps trying to turn the phone over and find me.

She does keep kissing the phone...and last night she tried to hit the phone (sort of like the way you ht a katsup bottle to get it out) trying to get 'me' out...and kept yelling "Out! Out" Then putting her ey next to the phone trying to find me!

She is a hoot!

The Alaskan cruise 'might' be a family cruise. But it probably won't be a Disney cruise. Everyone keeps talking about the price of the Alaskan Cruise...but I am finding it to be about the same as the Caribbean cruises... Of course, then we would have to add in airfare and at least one night hotel. But over all much less than I thought it would be.

I have managed to get myself a bit tighter financially than I prefer...so I have to wait until the first of August to book it. Which will make even less availability. It didn't help that I thought I was out of ink...so I purchased a big bundle of printer ink...like 150 dollars worth...only to discover that I had ALREADY purchased that bundle and have enough ink to last me 6 months!

Yes, I now have a sticky note next to my printer and one on my desk reminding me I don't need to purchase any more ink!!


Now I will post something very serious. I guess everyone has heard the reports of the anthrax scare at the CDC. This lab is in Atlanta. A couple from church work there. I had planned on talking to them at church yesterday... wanting to know if there was anything we could do other than pray. Neither of them were there.

While I try not to be an alarmist, I am worried about them. I know the department they both work in, and while Susan was out of the country during the scare, I know John was at work. (if the time frame the news is giving is accurate. It is not like them to not be at church (especially the week before they are leaving on a big family cruise) O I would appreciate some extra prayers for both them and the families of those that have been effected by this scare. And ginormous prayers that it is nothing more than a scare!

Nini

 

[DMGeurts]

First - beautiful wedding pictures... Sorry I missed them on my tablet last night. I love seeing you and your family!

Yes, I have been a little busy... Still trying to catch up - in my sewing room and on the Dis. Sigh.

Hahaha... I would love to see the phone video - she is just adorable in pictures, I am sure on video she is absolutely precious!

I Hope you are able to book the cruise while there is still good availability.

Sending prayers for your friends, I sure hope everything is OK and it just turns out to be a scare.

D~

 

[NiniMorris]

First - beautiful wedding pictures... Sorry I missed them on my tablet last night. I love seeing you and your family!

Yes, I have been a little busy... Still trying to catch up - in my sewing room and on the Dis. Sigh.

Hahaha... I would love to see the phone video - she is just adorable in pictures, I am sure on video she is absolutely precious!

I Hope you are able to book the cruise while there is still good availability.

Sending prayers for your friends, I sure hope everything is OK and it just turns out to be a scare.

D~

Thanks!

Miss Mia is a hoot.... She is really starting to develop her own personality.

Someone passed gas....her comment was "Poo Poo"...then she went to get the wipes and said "Chain Die Ba"...the person that passed gas thought it was hilarious...his wife did not!


On the Disney front...


I knew something was up when Disney took forever to release the hours for Magic Kingdom for both November and December. Even October was a bit delayed, but not like December was. There was a lot of speculation from TAs at that point that EMH might be changing. Disney had hinted to it for several months. I don't think anyone expected it to be retroactive to months they had already released...but they did!

I plan my parks based on...well basically based on being at a different park than everyone else will be. It usually means avoiding EMH like the plague... However, if we go during party times, we try to hit one MK day with EMH at night for our evening park. Getting to the park around 6 or 7 and having a late dinner means that by the time dinner is over (and we get to watch the fireworks) most of the crowds are thinning out. My kids love to ride in the dark, so that still gives us a couple of hours of prime riding time before the end of EMH.

Now that EMH are not on the night we are going...it makes it almost not worth it to go. By the time the fireworks are over (unless they change the timing on that as well...) the park will be closed and no more riding. We will drive over to MK, park, ride the crowded monorail or ferry, go in and eat, watch the fireworks and then fight the crowds to leave. NOT FUN!

I also have several clients that will be effected by this change.

Also, CRT is going under an extensive refurb soon. January through March. While it is no longer the most sought after restaurant on property, it will still put a crimp in a few people's trips. I do agree that it needs a refurb, and that early in the year (when crowds are really low) is a good time to have it go down. I just hope that once it is done that it still has the charm and character it always has had.

So, hope everyone has a great day!

Nini

 

[NiniMorris]

I know a lot of people can not understand why the change in EMH has me so upset.

Well, BESIDE the part that Disney wants me to schedule everything 180 days in advance (and then changes the rules 60 days later)...for us it is all about having a special needs child.

Let me explain our touring strategy. We travel during slow times. Usually at either Christmas or Halloween. Those party nights usually make Magic Kingdom very sparsely visited. I mean, whop wants to visit a park when it closes so early?

But...if you want to see the fireworks, you have to visit on a non party night. Historically, EMH nights are very busy. Until the normal closing time...then the crowds start falling off. Even though resort guests see the EMH as a 'right' (rather than a privilege) they don't really plan on the best way to make use of this 'right'. Their kids are tired, and cranky and they decide to head back early. Especially when, at Magic Kingdom, it can take up to an hour to get back to your resort!

So, let's say that Magic Kingdom closes at 10, and the EMH increases that to 12. Fireworks will be over by 10:15...and you will see the mass exodus start. By 11, the park is pretty empty. Waits are very short, my son's enjoyment goes UP!

Now, as a rule, we do avoid all EMH for all parks...with the exception of what I mentioned above. we will start out the day at Disney Hollywood Studios, hit all our favorite rides and attractions, and then sometime after lunch we will head back to the resort to swim, nap, and refresh.

Then, around 6 we head to Magic Kingdom. We will be in the park by 7, having time for one or two rides before we have dinner at Be Our Guest. After dinner, we like to hang around the area...and wait for Wishes to start. This is (normally) a very uncrowded area to watch the show. Having both castles on either side of you gives the fireworks a different 'feel'. Our original plan was to then hit all the rides that my kids love to ride in the dark...now, we will be heading out of the park instead.

I know it is only 2 hours. But in those two hours (if you have a good plan) you can hit most (if not all) of those must dos in the park.

I am not going to get into the whole DAS vs GAC debate. I will just say that for our family the DAS is less than helpful. For the accommodations we need, it is less that ideal. Having those extra hours is the only way we can do Magic Kingdom on a short trip.

This was not meant to be a soapbox type of post, but it does seem to be leading in that direction...so I will close on a different note...


Since I last spoke about not being able to do a Disney Cruise to Alaska, the Disney site has started behaving and there are now more choices showing up! (Imagine that...the Disney site was wrong) So we are back looking at the possibilities.

I am thinking we will wait to book when we are on board...see what type of OBC we are able to get...


Nini

 

[NiniMorris]

On the Disney front...

I had been happy to know that my Disney trips were paid for with the money in the savings account. I glanced at the balance a few times but never really realized the balance was going down inch by inch...because in my mind it was all there and I didn't have to be concerned.

So, I decided it was time to pay off my trips...uh oh...I am about $3000 short! In my mind, I was only seeing the price of one leg of the trip at a time...and there was more than enough for each of the legs...but ... when you put the legs together ...not so much!

Of course, if I had realized this, I could have charged the whole park portion on my Disney Visa when I changed it to take advantage of the PIN for Free Dining... instead I only put the deposit on it.

I have managed to come up with a plan to salvage the trip... actually husband came up with the idea...but I will end up doing something I have never done in my entire life...part of the vacation will end up being charged! While it will probably only end up being a tiny portion (probably less than $500) It still feel so very wrong!


Here is hoping every one has a great weekend..for me, grocery shopping is top on the list for today. For the rest of the weekend I am hoping the rain stays away so I can get some pool time in...It has been since Saturday !


Nini

 

[NiniMorris]

I evidently love to panic!

Yesterday I was doing a short check to find all my assorted gift cards and add them into what I needed for the trip. I keep forgetting about the $200 Disney gift card we have for opening our Disney Visa...

...and I found only the ones with small amounts... mind you I have probably 15 different gift cards with varying amounts on them.

When we decided to go to DIsney in February, it was a short notice type of trip...less than a few weeks...like maybe 2! I grabbed all the Gift Cards and added them up...and could not find the one for $200! I found it a day or so before we left...I had hidden it in a desk drawer.

We ended up not using it for the trip, so I added it to the app on my phone that tracks the gift cards... and put all of them away in my Disney folder...which is actually a plastic expanding file with divisions for just about everything...

I went into panic mode. Of course, I first checked the app on my phone to make sure I hadn't used it for something and forgotten about it, but it was still showing a balance of $200....so I proceeded to tear up the house looking for it.

I moved every piece of furniture. I rearranged the whole room, moving my office from a corner to the entry area...and moved my lateral file cabinet from the dining room into the living room. (I actually like my living room this way...of course I need to move my pictures on the wall because nothing is centered for the new arrangement! (and I am a bit crazy about that!)

Every single file was gone through and paper was purged. I even set up a completely different file system...one I had been wanting to do for a long time, but with the file cabinet in a different room it wasn't going to happen. Things went into piles and were filed away whenever I got around to it (I am a master of the pile system! I can put my hands on almost anything with a moments notice...but no one else has a clue!

All knick knacks were dusted and new homes were found for some of them. I guess you could say my living room got a 'summer' cleaning. (when my husband got up (remember he is working nights) his first question to me was what did I lose!)

Could not find the missing card.

So we did what any family would do ... we had a Disney movie night and watched Haunted Mansion (which I admit had never really wanted to see, but was pretty good) After the movie, I sat down at the desk to work on our Disney file a bit more and discovered something...one of the envelopes with a gift card seemed to be a bit thicker...because it had TWO cards in it! YUP...that was the missing card!

The gift cards are now all residing safely in their proper home. There is a list with each card and the amount on it, and there is a sticky note on the card that likes to run away, complete with instructions as to what to do with it if it every runs away again. More importantly, everyone in the house knows where the card is...so if it ever comes up missing again they can help me locate it!

So, as I sit here with a clean desk and a clean living room (knowing that neither of them will last for long) I am a happy camper!

Disney planning can now resume again!


Nini

 

[DMGeurts]

So relieved for you that you found the GC - annnnnd you got a clean house out of the deal. LOL

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend... I will be calling you one day this week... We have some fun stuff to talk about.

D~

 

[NiniMorris]

So relieved for you that you found the GC - annnnnd you got a clean house out of the deal. LOL

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend... I will be calling you one day this week... We have some fun stuff to talk about.

D~

Believe me! I am beyond ecstatic that I found it! While I wouldn't go so far as to say the whole house got clean...at least I got a part of it clean! LOL!

YES! Fun stuff to talk about! I am getting so excited!


This morning was a strange morning. Instead of jumping on the computer this morning when I first got up, I only accessed my phone to check messages while having my coffee and then decided t watch (FINALLY) the last episode of Once Upon a Time.

First, you have to know I get very impatient when I watch things that are written poorly. If I can tell you all the plot twists and turns before I should be able to tell what is happening, I will usually turn it off. I also get antsy when the chase scenes are happening, I usually pace the floor...I don't really enjoy seeing the chase, but I do like the scenes leading up to the chase and the aftermath of the chase. I also hate it when there is a scene that has a character doing something stupid or dumb...you know those scenes where you want to scream at the screen?

So, watching a show on dvr with me is a problem! I have a tendency to fast forward through the stuff my kids call exciting and good, because I think they are boring!

Mr D woke up at almost the end and was watching with me...right at the end, when Regina is telling Emma that there are always consequences for your actions and that she hoped she did not bring anything else back with her...the scene cuts to the time portal...and ends!

I screamed...I yelled...I cried!

And then I do like any normal person would do and post on FB! LOL

Mr D, being the level headed one this morning (scarey!) said ...why don't you just pull it up on you tube! Who knew!

So I finally managed to see the ending...and I am so hooked to see next season.

The nerdy side of me wants to remark about how seamlessly they managed to make it almost un noticeable that Snow was very pregnant during the filming. Almost...

I also like the way that Snow got pregnant in her whole body and not just her belly! She looks cute with her chubby pregnant cheeks!

Anyway,

I have been on a diet for the past week. I will not say that it is perfect, or that I have been perfect on it... but it IS working...so I will stick with it for a while.

This morning, the kids are being blessed with me actually cooking for a change (fro breakfast anyway!) I made bacon and eggs. no toast. We will see if they notice anything different about the meal...other than the no toast part! LOL...



Now to get back to the business of planning my Disney trip!



Nini

 

[NiniMorris]

I got to play with Miss Mia for a while today! We had a blast! I was bored and her mommy needed to run some errands so me and the kids tagged along.

She is so cute walking! She has the biggest grin, like she is hot stuff. She kept telling me "I big, I walk"

She is saying her name now, but she refers to herself as 'sweet baby' because that is what her daddy calls her.

She turned 14 months yesterday, and there is such a huge change from while we were at the beach a few weeks ago! It is amazing how much more mature she has become.

So, you know the game you play with babies...where is your eyes, where is your mouth, where is your nose...well she puts her finger IN her nose when she gets to nose...and thinks it is hilarious. So when I said where is your nose, she started giggling so hard she couldn't breathe. She then would stop...look at me and say "Again!" So I would say where is your nose ...and she would bust out laughing!

It is so cute to see her having such a good sense of humor, reminds me so much of her momma at that age!

OK, I know absolutely nothing about Disney...so here is a bit of Disney news...my son told me today, that he got ANOTHER PIN code for free dining! Not one but two more...one in EACH email address he has...and my daughter in law just told me SHE got one as well! So, if anyone is looking for free dining this fall, don't give up! There is still hope!!!


Nini

 

[NiniMorris]

Just a quick note to say Happy Fourth of July!​

Nini