Disney w/ my girlfriend and my parents for 7 days. Woop woop! April/May '09

[TeaForTulips]

When we eat "breakfast" somewhere, we always go with the latest seating they have and think of it as lunch.

As to EMH - on our first trip we stayed at Shades of Green and were able to utilize EMH. Personally, I found going to MK the morning they had it was great. We got so much done in that first hour. We never did an evening one.

Thank you! That is very helpful ... I've decided we are going to give the AM and PM extra hours a try... this may change, but for now Im hoping theyll be great for us!

Yes we are doing the dining plans beings I have 4 children I must make sure we get to do some character meals and such. We will be staying at POP, it will be a test beings my husband can't go so I decided to bring my mom instead and don't get me wrong I love her to death SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!! Any ways I think I will start my own PTR soon I will have 3 days off soon and will have some free time.

4 kids to Disney- how fun! I completely understanding the dining plan on ur trip. I think we will def try the dining plan another time. My sister and her husband are def foodies and I hope to go with them next year. I think we'll do the DDP then. Let me know if you start your PTR. I will sub.

 

[TeaForTulips]

so further research must be done ... with all the military discounts that are out (both parents were in the Navy, but my dad retired after 27 years) we have to see what will work out cheaper for us ... we already have a really good deal with the buy 4 get 3 free deal ... but if we can get 40% off rooms plus the ticket deals... it may work out better.. the ticket deals are for 5 days though and we are going 7, plus adding park hoppers... my mom has taken the job to investigate this and see what would be better. i really think what we have might still be the best bargain... but you can never be too sure! i will keep you posted when we get the results!

back to work i go...

 

[carissanboys]

We're doing the military deal. We're staying at POR for 7 nights and getting the 5 day tickets (base - no hopper or anything added). We never get the hoppers - but it only costs $25 to add that on to the military ones if you want it.

You can also add the dining plan if you want with the rooms even though you're not buying tickets at that time.

I would think the military deal would be cheaper for you if you were willing to do 5 days. I have read on the ticket thread that if you add the water parks to your tickets, then you get 5 days of parks and 5 days of water parks and that one doesn't count against the other. Don't hold me to that, but that is what I read yesterday.

 

[TeaForTulips]

Ok so not too much to update right now ... I called about the military discount pricing... if we were going for 5 days it would be a savings, but because we are going for 7 it would actually cost more to do the seperate military discounts. I don't want to cut our trip short, so Im more than willing to pay the cost. Oh well ... Im still happy! Yay Disney!

Sadly, other than that brief info the only other update I have is a small purchase.

Isn't this such a cute Disney-ish shirt? Old Navy sale $10 ... I thought it was friendly.

also just because it was on sale i got this one.

it wasnt until just now I realized they were the same color... oh well. colors are limited with clearance..

On a different note... I am now also planning a vacation to Florida in September. Not to WDW, but to Santa Rosa Island. Me and Jen vacation there a lot. I spent a lot of my childhood in Pensacola, so it feels like home to me... except we didnt live in a beach front condo.
If you like the beach this is def a must do for you. Its beautiful!

Anyway, sorry for the short and unusual update. Hope everyone is enjoying their Wednesday!

 

[TxRabbit]

Hey Tarah,

You posted on my PTR. I thought I'd come over here and say Hi! Also, I wanted to add my $0.02 about EMH.

We loved am EMH in MK. It was the only one that we made it too! So it is the only one I can comment on. We got a TON done in that EMH. We walked onto Buzz Lightyear, which was a HIGH priority for DS then 6. And we ran around and rode it another 3 or 4 or 5 times.

We had a 11:20 AM ADR for Crystal Palace that day. It was a lunch ADR, one of the first of the day. And I tell you what, we were SO ready for it. We got there right before 11 to check in. We had such a full morning. I would do am EMH again in a heartbeat.

I'm going to try to set up similar plans for our trip. Unfortunately, there are still NO PARK HOURS.

We also did pm EMH in MK. That was good. A lot of the younger kiddos had gone home to bed. So it was a good time.

We also did pm EMH in Epcot. That was crowded. Really really crowded. There weren't any FPs so you had to do the Stand by. I don't know if they just ran out, or if that is just a rule during the EMH? Anyone?

Anyway, the Soarin' standby was still about 90 minutes. We just didn't want to waste the rest of our evening in line. We were so blessed that as we stood there in indecision, a CM approached us and started talking to us. "Were we going to ride Soarin'?" We explained that we really wanted to but we weren't sure if DS could handle the wait and if that was how we wanted to spend the evening. He explained that he could help us out and took us in through the exit where several other families were also waiting and we got right onto Soarin'

Then we walked onto Mission Space. Test Track would have been a walkon, but the ride broke down. We were already through the briefing room and in the line area between that and the cars. The lines were full and we all waited and waited and waited. We had gotten into the line right before the park was supposed to close. The ride was operational again. We were pumped to ride because we hadn't before. And we left Epcot around 1 a.m. And yes, the buses were still running.

 

[TeaForTulips]

Hey Tarah,

You posted on my PTR. I thought I'd come over here and say Hi! Also, I wanted to add my $0.02 about EMH.

We loved am EMH in MK. It was the only one that we made it too! So it is the only one I can comment on. We got a TON done in that EMH. We walked onto Buzz Lightyear, which was a HIGH priority for DS then 6. And we ran around and rode it another 3 or 4 or 5 times.

We had a 11:20 AM ADR for Crystal Palace that day. It was a lunch ADR, one of the first of the day. And I tell you what, we were SO ready for it. We got there right before 11 to check in. We had such a full morning. I would do am EMH again in a heartbeat.

I'm going to try to set up similar plans for our trip. Unfortunately, there are still NO PARK HOURS.

We also did pm EMH in MK. That was good. A lot of the younger kiddos had gone home to bed. So it was a good time.

We also did pm EMH in Epcot. That was crowded. Really really crowded. There weren't any FPs so you had to do the Stand by. I don't know if they just ran out, or if that is just a rule during the EMH? Anyone?

Anyway, the Soarin' standby was still about 90 minutes. We just didn't want to waste the rest of our evening in line. We were so blessed that as we stood there in indecision, a CM approached us and started talking to us. "Were we going to ride Soarin'?" We explained that we really wanted to but we weren't sure if DS could handle the wait and if that was how we wanted to spend the evening. He explained that he could help us out and took us in through the exit where several other families were also waiting and we got right onto Soarin'

Then we walked onto Mission Space. Test Track would have been a walkon, but the ride broke down. We were already through the briefing room and in the line area between that and the cars. The lines were full and we all waited and waited and waited. We had gotten into the line right before the park was supposed to close. The ride was operational again. We were pumped to ride because we hadn't before. And we left Epcot around 1 a.m. And yes, the buses were still running.

Hello! Thanks so much for posting!

I REALLY appreciate your input! That makes me feel a lot better about the EMH. Choosing the parks with EMH was a really easy schedule, but if I was going to avoid them it would be difficult due to different parades and shows only on certain nights. We decided to go to all the EMH hours we could. After reading your post Im really happy about it.

I was hoping the PM EMH wouldnt be too bad because families with young children might be leaving still... but even if it doesnt work out I think its a lot easier to call it a night then worry about changing parks first thing in the morning. Does that make sense?

I know Ive already vented about the schedule, so I wont do that again. But I hope your schedule comes out fast for you! Im waiting on two silly days...

 

[TeaForTulips]

not so much of an update ... BUT!

it is a venting moment to say its about time they updated the official park hours! i had completely lost my patience... i must say i really dont like the new calendar. i preferred the old one.

on another trip upside, i did put a big dent in paying for vacation. yay for tax refund! i am now saving for souvies and food... disney package, rental car, and gas is paid for! (referring to my portion of those of course) yay!

so today i will be updating my spreadsheet with our tentative schedule... FINALLY!

 

[TxRabbit]

it is a venting moment to say its about time they updated the official park hours! i had completely lost my patience... i must say i really dont like the new calendar. i preferred the old one.

Me too! I DO NOT like the new calendar. It is so hard to find. The last one was so easy. I feel like the new one is buried layers deep on the site. It is such a pain to get to it. And I liked the drop down menu on the other one that let you easily switch between the parks to see the different hours. If you look at the Canadian WDW website, they still have the old style calendar.

I'm ready for my park hours too!! I have planning to do!!

 

[Trista_Daisy]

So glad you have most of the trip paid for! Have you decided on any ADR's yet?

 

[TeaForTulips]

So glad you have most of the trip paid for! Have you decided on any ADR's yet?

No, it seems as though we are going to be brave and wing it... I can't get enough input from anyone else. I don't want to have to plan our schedule around dining... if we got the dining plan, I think that would be different. As of right now though we are gonna be free to eat when and where we want!

 

[HeatherBelle614]

Hello!! Just subbied!

I love your ON princess shirt; great find!!

And, you're going to love staying on property; all of their resorts are wonderful and you'll feel surrounded by WDW 24/7!!

I have to beg you to tell me where you got the football icons?? Are they from the DISign board? Would you mind pointing me in that direction?? I'm planning a surprise guy's night at the ESPN Zone for my DF and DH one night, and I'd love to make shirts with their fav team on them! (I'm surprising DM with a mom and daughter princess dinner in Norway that night, too! I have our shirts, but I've been looking for something like those football Mickey heads!!)

 

[TeaForTulips]

Hello!! Just subbied!

I love your ON princess shirt; great find!!

And, you're going to love staying on property; all of their resorts are wonderful and you'll feel surrounded by WDW 24/7!!

I have to beg you to tell me where you got the football icons?? Are they from the DISign board? Would you mind pointing me in that direction?? I'm planning a surprise guy's night at the ESPN Zone for my DF and DH one night, and I'd love to make shirts with their fav team on them! (I'm surprising DM with a mom and daughter princess dinner in Norway that night, too! I have our shirts, but I've been looking for something like those football Mickey heads!!)

Hello!

I just popped up your PTR from another post of yours and I saw your replied on mine! Yay!

I did find the football on the DISigns board! I kept finding soo much stuff I made myself stop looking. I can't point my finger on which thread I found it on over there, but I will browse around today and will let you know if I find it! I'm bout to run to the store and will look around for them when I get back. Ill have to catch up on your report too!

Thanks for subbing!

 

[HeatherBelle614]

Hello!

I just popped up your PTR from another post of yours and I saw your replied on mine! Yay!

I did find the football on the DISigns board! I kept finding soo much stuff I made myself stop looking. I can't point my finger on which thread I found it on over there, but I will browse around today and will let you know if I find it! I'm bout to run to the store and will look around for them when I get back. Ill have to catch up on your report too!

Thanks for subbing!

Thank you so much!! I'm literally trying not to and at my desk!! You've beyond made my week; I'm so excited to do these shirts!

DH is from Pittsburgh, so of course, he's elated after the Super Bowl!! He keeps asking me if I can make him a WDW/Steelers mixed shirt, so this is going to be a perfect surprise!! I don't think he realizes I'm planning on doing a few little things to surprise him, too.

 

[HeatherBelle614]

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

 

[TeaForTulips]

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Thank you! I almost forgot it was V Day because we were so focused on Mardi Gras this past weekend! I hope you had a great Valentine's Day!

 

[TeaForTulips]

Warning! Off Topic!

so i don't know about anyone who reads this, but it is Mardi Gras season here!

I haven't had too much to update about my Disney planning and fun, so I thot I would share our Mardi Gras weekend.

last friday night i spent 2 1/2 hours of my time making these:

that is 200 jello shots in 3 different flavors... there was going to be a lot of people...


a horrible picture of me and my sister (Trista Daisy) who will prolly kill me for posting this.. hehe.. oh well.. its a bad pic but we're all family on the DIS yeah?

its not Mardi Gras w/out some homemade gumbo! Yum!

also there is the fire pit.. Pierce is toasting a marshmellow for smores... there is also a grill and a huge tent and a private portable bathroom (not pictured).

here is Hallise loving her some Mardi Gras beads...

so Trista won't be too upset... here is some redemption. Trista and her DD Hallise... I love my lil squishie.

Pierce was excited/nervous for the parade... his mohawk gets him lots of goodies! im not jealous! hehe.

Continued Next Post....

 

[TeaForTulips]

Meanwhile ...

Pierce played football ...

Bubbles ...

and he got a Batman ... well Bobo (my dad) got him a Batman. Hes my dads favorite.

He also loved my Jeni.

Hallise got some Jeni love too... she got tired.

Pierce ended up getting a great sword!

We all had loads of fun and got lots of beads and Mardi Gras things.

Heres Marmee and Bobo... aka my parents and fellow Disney Trippers...

So while that was not Disney related... I hope someone enjoyed it. I know at least Trista will. I take lots of pics of my chillins... I cant help it. Hope anyone who lives in a Mardi Gras town has lots of fun! There is another parade next weekend here, but this one will be jello shot free so i wont have to spend almost three hours in the kitchen....

Have a happy Monday!

 

[HeatherBelle614]

Can I have some gumbo? K? Thanks!

 

[TeaForTulips]

Can I have some gumbo? K? Thanks!

Oh, yes! There is always gumbo! Plenty for everyone!

 

[TxRabbit]

All those jello shots! Wow, college memories flooding over me!

My roommate and I drove over to New Orleans from San Antonio (where we went to school) to party at Mardi Gras one year. So much fun. Absolute craziness though. Kinda scary to think back on it now.

Looks like you guys had a lot of fun! Thanks for sharing!