Disney Dollars, Deals, and Delights - A PTR - Update 5/9 - We're Here! - GKTW update

[hurleysweety]

OK - So we haven't agreed on doing the DP for the last three days yet (luckily, we can add that up to 48hrs before our trip, so we have some time). If we do not DPP at all, this is our current Dining Plans.

5/7- Breakfast: Airport/Lunch: Outside Park/Dinner: The Wave
5/8- Breakfast: Room/Lunch: Sci-Fi Dine In/Dinner: Outside Park
5/9 - Breakfast: Room/Lunch: Outside Park/Dinner: GKTW
5/10 - Breakfast: Captain Cooks/Lunch: Room/Dinner: The Plaza
5/11 - Breakfast: Room/Lunch:Earl of Sandwich/Dinner: Whispering Canyon Cafe
5/12 - Breakfast: Room/Lunch: Flame Tree BBQ/Dinner: Tokyo Dining
5/13 - Breakfast: Room/Lunch: Kona Cafe/Dinner: Columbia Harbor House
5/14 - Breakfast: Room/Lunch: Outside Park/Dinner: Beaches and Cream
5/15 - Breakfast: Boardwalk Bakery/Lunch: Lotus Blossom Cafe/Dinner: Mama Melrose
5/16 - Breakfast: Room /Lunch: Staring Rolls/Dinner: Kona Island Sushi
5/17 - Breakfast: Main Street Bakery/Go Home

And if we get the DPP for the last three days:

5/14 - Breakfast: Room/Lunch: Pizzafari/Dinner: Boma
5/15 - Breakfast: Boulangerie Patisserie/Lunch: La Cantina de San Angel/Dinner: Kouzzina
5/16 - Breakfast: Snack in DHS /Lunch: Staring Rolls/Dinner: Coral Reef
5/17 - Breakfast: Main Street Bakery/Go Home

 

[blessedmom4]

Ohhh! You are so sweet. You are welcome too! I think last time I checked you guys were thinking October might be the new dates for your trip...well guess what? We're hoping to go back in October too!! We'll just have to wait and see. Sending some love, hope and pixie dust your way today for little Lisa today.

IF we can get things to calm down on the medical front...it WILL be October! That would be so amazing if we were there at the same time! Thank you for the good wishes, they mean a lot! LOVE your dining plans, how fun!

 

[hurleysweety]

IF we can get things to calm down on the medical front...it WILL be October! That would be so amazing if we were there at the same time! Thank you for the good wishes, they mean a lot! LOVE your dining plans, how fun!

Yay for October! It'll be here so quickly--before you know it you'll be posting your "send off party" pictures with your MAW granters!

 

[blessedmom4]

Yay for October! It'll be here so quickly--before you know it you'll be posting your "send off party" pictures with your MAW granters!

I am SO looking forward to saying we finally have dates! THANKS for the positive thoughts!

 

[tinytreasures]

Your plans look great

 

[blessedmom4]

 

[blessedmom4]

How are the plans coming along?

 

[hurleysweety]

I'm here, I'm here!

As some of you may know, or read, my DH runs spring training for one of the teams here in AZ (manages the operations of all the stuff that makes spring training happen). Anyway, because of that, life gets really really crazy for us this time of year. Between DH balancing two full time jobs between Jan-Mar, and me doing the game day staff--working guest relations & doing the promotions like t-shirt toss-- (so balancing two part time jobs) and our volunteer stuff, we pretty much have time to sleep and eat.

I've felt so bad not planning Disney. I feel so out of the loop! But this has happened for the past few years, so I'm used to it. Once the middle of the month is here, and we're in our "life-is-crazy-so-be-sure-to-bring-a-change-of-clothes-for-any-particular-thing-we-might-want-to-or-have-to-go-to-after-the-game" and "just-give-me-coffee-and-no-one-gets-hurt" routine, I'll be ready to make Disney planning my obsession once again.

I should also mention that my job has become a lot more stressful as we are learning a new skill to provide for clients (web design using content management systems and social media) which basically means I'm learning this brand new way to do things -- and then having to teach others. I know it the best, somehow, but still not well enough to troubleshoot any problems. It can be a nightmare since we already have clients that we are providing the service for. I'm glad we're busy and I'm glad to be learning while working, but man, was life a whole lot easier when I was just drawing pictures all day long (graphic design joke...yes, I'm kinda nerdy, true colors showing through...)

But thanks for anyone who is reading. I promise some fun stuff for April - my MOST favorite time of year. Its spring, its Easter (well, depending on date...), and its my birthday month, and for the past few years, its the last month before our trip to Disney!!!

Happy March!

 

[hurleysweety]

Another day getting ready for the ballpark and I'm getting the itch again!!! It must mean I'm ready to get this PTR the attention that it deserves!

Quick update:

1. I still need to make ADR for our changed reservations.
2. I still need to decide on doing the DDP for the last three days.
3. I want to write about my eagerness/desire and recent obession to coupon like a crazy woman.
4. I need to plan out our park days...or at least write some sort of itinerary.
5. We leave for Disney in 2 months tomorrow....
6. My boss wants to add another day at work for me each week, bringing me to 4 days a week!

 

[Corrine 1973]

Just got done reading your PTR and it is amazing!

I am just loving it. It is so great that you got such a great deal on your resort, you will have to tell me how you did it for me to use on a future trip. (maybe my daughter's trip in 2013)

I also think it is great that you and your DH are volunteering at GKTW. You are both truly wonderful for doing this. My son was accepted to recieve a wish through MaW in 2009 and Liam choose to go to WDW. We spent the most glorious week at GKTW in September of 2009. Everything about it was amazing. The villas, the partys, the grounds, and yes the ice cream. One of my favorite memories is when we were having breakfast a the Ginger bread house and Liam started Star Wars with some of the voluteers. Have fun!!!

​

 

[Becc1]

I'm here, I'm here!

As some of you may know, or read, my DH runs spring training for one of the teams here in AZ (manages the operations of all the stuff that makes spring training happen). Anyway, because of that, life gets really really crazy for us this time of year. Between DH balancing two full time jobs between Jan-Mar, and me doing the game day staff--working guest relations & doing the promotions like t-shirt toss-- (so balancing two part time jobs) and our volunteer stuff, we pretty much have time to sleep and eat.

I've felt so bad not planning Disney. I feel so out of the loop! But this has happened for the past few years, so I'm used to it. Once the middle of the month is here, and we're in our "life-is-crazy-so-be-sure-to-bring-a-change-of-clothes-for-any-particular-thing-we-might-want-to-or-have-to-go-to-after-the-game" and "just-give-me-coffee-and-no-one-gets-hurt" routine, I'll be ready to make Disney planning my obsession once again.

I should also mention that my job has become a lot more stressful as we are learning a new skill to provide for clients (web design using content management systems and social media) which basically means I'm learning this brand new way to do things -- and then having to teach others. I know it the best, somehow, but still not well enough to troubleshoot any problems. It can be a nightmare since we already have clients that we are providing the service for. I'm glad we're busy and I'm glad to be learning while working, but man, was life a whole lot easier when I was just drawing pictures all day long (graphic design joke...yes, I'm kinda nerdy, true colors showing through...)

But thanks for anyone who is reading. I promise some fun stuff for April - my MOST favorite time of year. Its spring, its Easter (well, depending on date...), and its my birthday month, and for the past few years, its the last month before our trip to Disney!!!

Happy March!

for baseball. Sounds like your DH has a great job, we are big baseball fans around here and basically from March - November we live and breathe baseball. Looking forward to hearing more about your trip!

 

[blessedmom4]

GO TO DISNEY!!!!

 

[hurleysweety]

Just got done reading your PTR and it is amazing!
I am just loving it. It is so great that you got such a great deal on your resort, you will have to tell me how you did it for me to use on a future trip. (maybe my daughter's trip in 2013)

I also think it is great that you and your DH are volunteering at GKTW. You are both truly wonderful for doing this. My son was accepted to recieve a wish through MaW in 2009 and Liam choose to go to WDW. We spent the most glorious week at GKTW in September of 2009. Everything about it was amazing. The villas, the partys, the grounds, and yes the ice cream. One of my favorite memories is when we were having breakfast a the Ginger bread house and Liam started Star Wars with some of the voluteers. Have fun!!!

​

Aww,you are soo sweet. I think I read about Liam's trip - your username and picture look familiar! I love hearing about the wonderful experiences these children have. I just have such a soft spot for it!

Thanks for joining along. It'll get more fun around here soon!

for baseball. Sounds like your DH has a great job, we are big baseball fans around here and basically from March - November we live and breathe baseball. Looking forward to hearing more about your trip!

Ohh baseball. When I met DH, my dad told him that I didn't like sports and how it would just never work. I think my dad failed to understand that when he took me to a game and sitting through nine innings(never eating at the game and always leaving early to beat traffic) instead of shopping with my girlfriends, why yes, dad...I'm not a huge sports fan. But I tell ya,the atmosphere, the food and fun, and of course seeing your team come back in the last inning to win the game - yes, Dad, I do like sports. Thank goodness its baseball and not football. Even in AZ, I would freeze my booty off!

GO TO DISNEY!!!!

Oh my goodness, you just have the cutest little graphics that always bring a smile to my face. Thank you

 

[hurleysweety]

So with all the craziness brewing this weekend (sponsor weekend for the Brewers here, so everyone is scrambling so that everything runs smoothly), we have a house guest for the past two nights (one of DH's good friends from college and co-workers here at the Brewers). And on top of that, my sister will be staying with us tonight too (because her house is farther away and she didn't want to drive home tonight only to have to come right back tomorrow...totally lame if you ask me...).

Oh, and why, may you ask, do I not like water right now?

Well at 4:30 AM DH's friend knocks on our bedroom door, "Blake, we have a water problem down here..." which, of course, scared the crap out of us, and then when he realized what he had said, were just as scared. We went downstairs to discover that our entire bottom floor, minus most of the carpet (thank goodness!) had a good half inch of water standing on it. DH found the problem under the sink very quickly. Our reverse osmosis tank had cracked!

We were all so tired and worried, throwing towels down to try and keep as much water as possible away from the carpet. But we realized we'd need another solution, so DH and his friend went to good ol' 24 hr wal-mart to get a wet/dry vac. Almost 2.5 hours later, everything was pretty much cleaned up. We feel sooo blessed that DH's friend was staying with us. Honestly, he isn't my most favorite person because he just can get annoying sometimes. But in the end, he's a good friend to us, and I couldn't have imagined how much damage another hour and half of the water leaking would have done. We're also glad we were home when it happened.

We were scrambled for time this morning, but we made it work. Our fence is lined with towels drying and we have two fans on the carpet to hopefully dry out the dampness. Nothing seems damaged so far, except for the water system! Eeek! Hoping that doesn't cost too much.

Next on our list...buying completely plastic storage. We will no longer be storing anything in cardboard boxes! We have a closet under the stairs that hold a majority of our storage that needs to be inside. While most is already in plastic, we will now be more careful of how we're storing important items!

Thanks for letting me share. I just hate that we're all stuck here all day in case something else were to happen...

 

[hurleysweety]

Ok - I'm ready for Disney!

Want to know how I know this? For the first time in a month, I actually got gitty and excited when I saw the Disney tv commercial! Lately, its just made me sad because I'm so busy, everything that can take a back seat, most definitely got buried in the trunk!

So, here I am, at work, working on my Disney trip. And thats a second sign that I'm ready for this obsessive planning. I got my touringplans.com subscription and my TGM subscription and my unofficial guide and allears.net for menus and I'm counting down the days until we go! I'm getting projects ready and coming up with ideas for my trip binder (I'm a graphic designer afterall, so my trip binder has to be suuuuuper cute). And in the midst of all of this, it has occurred to me...

WE STILL DON'T HAVE A ROOM FOR THE FIRST NIGHT!

I don't know what to do. All I've done is keep checking hotwire for the Hyatt Regency (or even the Renaissance at this point...) and nothing! I swear...I must be doing something wrong or hotwire just hates me. Not sure. Maybe it won't come up for me because we don't have kids, just two adults? We are now considering just renting the car at midnight and staying at a random hotel along i-drive. At this point, I'm almost to the point to be uncomfortable enough to just book something for peace of mind. What do you all think? Appreciate any thoughts or advice.

 

[hurleysweety]

So last year, my most favorite pictures from our photopass are the ones where we are matching. We both had on Denver Broncos tshirts, both from Old Navy. So they had the same vintage look, except mine was orange, and had a cute woman-like cut, and DH's was blue, and a basic guy/athletic fit t-shirt. We also bought WDW t-shirts for our last day there and have some wonderful nighttime pictures in front of the castle with me wearing the pink and DH wearing the gray. So good, in fact, that they made the cut for our 2010 Christmas card!

So I need your help. This year, we plan to repeat "Bronco Day" and also throw in "Brewer Day" now that I have a super cute Brewers shirt (my first Brewer shirt was a thick cotton and I hated wearing it in the parks, and the second one is just an obnoxious blue with a low cut v-neck, which required too much planning for something to wear it with, and too much "hassle" every time I got in and out of a ride vehicle ) Not sure what else we can do. I'm not keen on wearing homemade t-shirts, as I've had issues with them and being a designer, won't settle for anything but perfection with tshirt design, which means not homemade. Don't get mad cuz of my opinion! You all make wonderful shirts for your families - and the ladies that sew and what not, WOW! Too bad neither my mom nor MIL have that type of passion (or skill for my mom, sorry mom...).

So I'm probably overthinking this and making this silly idea into an issue that doesn't need to be there. But its fun for me to think about shopping for new clothes. So there's my justification.

 

[hurleysweety]

So I've been at home sick today, well, more like recovering. Yesterday I went to the ballpark feeling ill, and hoping I would feel better as the day went on. The exact opposite happened and at around 3 pm went very fast downhill. Some type of 24 hr stomach bug or something.

So I stayed home today, and spent the first half of my day doing nothing, and the next part, slowly working on my planning journal design. So here is something fun to look at today!

 

[hurleysweety]

Becoming worried about my subscribers...is anyone there??

 

[DLR29]

I'm here! I've just been super busy! I just got home from Spring Break (went to China with school!) and I'm adjusting back to routine. I hope you feel better. You're so creative and artistic with your planning journals.

 

[hurleysweety]

I'm here! I've just been super busy! I just got home from Spring Break (went to China with school!) and I'm adjusting back to routine. I hope you feel better. You're so creative and artistic with your planning journals.

Oh good, at least I'm not talking to myself! I miss spring break...I want one! Hope you had lots of fun!