EWP group?

[IASW Rider]

Hi Everyone!

Congratulations, Grand Poohbah, Slightly Goofy! (What sort of trivia do you play? General topics? Or specific ones?)

Happy Anniversary, Helenabear and Luis! (Frank has the same sort of toy for his cats as you got for Gwen!)

Welcome back, Jstmee! (Can't wait to hear more about your trip!)

Great to hear from you, Angelina! (Loved your recollections of WDW - I do the same thing - think about our trip in June to cheer myself up or give myself a lift!)

Sorry that this can't be longer, but Frank and the movers are on their way over RIGHT NOW!! Just wanted to check in and say "hi" and say that I will be in touch when things settle down!

Have a great weekend, Everyone!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

It is so wonderful to come in here and see you all gathered. It does this old heart of mine good. Angelina, what a descriptive and adjective filled narrative. Yes, I would love it if we could all get together someday. Jstmee just returned and I am leaving in 3 weeks and you will be there right after I come home. Almost, but our timing was just a bit off. If it were not for the memories of the scary trip home we had last year we would be there when you are. We love going down just after Thanksgiving. My DH is a Christmas lover. I decorate every room of the house and each room has a different themed Christmas tree. Yes, one is Disney. You are so right about being in a 'perfect' world while at Disney. I forget everyting except our nightly calls to our boys. They love hearing what we have been up to each day and offer so many good suggestions of things for us to do. Most of the suggestions center around what they want us to bring them back. LOL A piece of advice from an older veteran of the toy wars. Make it easy for the kids to clean up and make their beds and they are more apt to do it. I have storage boxes with general categories of toys in them so it is easy for them to throw their toys in there. Rule of the house is you must put one toy or category of toys away before you get another one out or the next time you visit you do not get to play with the toys. Has only happened a couple of times in all these (10) years. I also used to buy comforters for the beds cause they were so much easier for the kids to throw on the bed for a neat look without a lot of fuss. Lazy people usually come up with great ideas. (grin)

Rider, the trivia questions can be on any subject under the moon. Once a month we have topical trivia where questions are grouped according to categories. Also once a month we have Khaos trivia where you 'win' by giving smart aleck and sometimes a bit ornery answers. It is a great place. Everyone gets along well and no bad behavior is tolerated. I tanked last night. I will blame it all on my DGS who was here and wanted to be held. Sort of slows down your typing you know. However, I do know what is important so I gave up on the game and held him close. Got to take your opportunities when you can. Someday he will be 6 feet tall and won't be so easy to hold. Congratulations on getting the rest of your stuff in your new home. It is the big stuff this time? Bet you missed it all. We moved our big stuff first when we moved here and then made millions of trips back and forth for the rest of the stuff. Was many years ago and I still remember how hard it was and we had much less 'stuff' then. Inertia is keeping us here now along with the fear of having to move all this 'stuff'. It is a dreary day and I can't do any painting so I patched some holes and did some sanding in preparation for dry weather. Cleaned out another flowerbed and am doing small chores around the house. I think I will gove over to the Polynesian this evening. Can you believe I have never been to the luau. Naturally you know where I will be later in the evening. I will be thinking of you all. I have EWP pins on my shopping list in Nov.

Slightly Goofy

 

[jstmee]

SG, The connections coupons never got here in time. A lot of confusion between the connections and myself. Part of the blame is on myself however. The coupons would have come in handy. To connections credit, the woman manager I spoke with told me to save all my receipts and she would credit the amount of the bill vs. the coupon.----We didn't do that. Seemed like too much trouble at the time. Thinking about it now I should go through everything and send them off to her. We ate some pretty pricey lunches at Le Cellier, and evening snack at Beaches and Cream and lunch Sci-Fi Cafe. Dinner at Teppanyaki(sp?) All lot of breakfasts at All Sports.... The coupons would be well worth it for those places.

We stayed in building 7, rooms 7150 and 7148, they were just fine for our needs. Plenty of drawers for all. It was pretty far from the buses, but it was close to the quiet pool and close to the laundry at the quiet pool.. lol 4 kids = a lot of laundry. It would have been nicer to be closer to the buses. We had a rental car also so when we used the car it was very convenient because we were parked by the parking lot. We had a nice walkway outside our room with shrubery and trees. Keep the questions coming. I'll answer more ?'s later. My little one wants me to tuck him in.

Angelina, what a nice description of your WDW visit.

glad to visit with you all again, rider and bashful and helenabear.

It was slow down their, no lines for rides...........

 

[helenabear]

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! Things here are pretty good. We had a lot of fun yesterday with the cats. They were very playful and we had fun with them and our laser pointer They are so cute and I love being able to cuddle such a warm fuzzy body.

Angelina, you have such a wonderful decription of WDW. It was basically exactly how I felt.

Well Luis was almost in trouble this weekend. He made me think he basically didn't care about the anniversary and didn't even try to find a card. Well I was disappointed in him that he couldn't even go out and get me a simple card. So then he pulls out a box from my favorite jeweler and he got me a pair of diamond earrings. I have five holes in each ear and in three I have had CZs/crystals in them. About a year ago I bought myself my first set but never got any further. Well he got the next set and got the perfect size and the right metal (white gold). I was so proud of him for getting such a thoughtful gift. He found out that my last set were .04 carats each and this set were .06 carats each. So just when I was going to strangle him he turned out to be an angel

I found my Halloween costume this year. Every year I dress up for the kids and I love this costume. It is a maiden costume like something Juliet would have worn in Romeo & Juliet. It is really cute and I am glad I found it. It wasn't even too expensive.

Well I have to get some laundry done but it was nice chatting with you all!

 

[IASW Rider]

Hi Everyone!

Sorry that I've been away for a few days. Frank and I have the house set up - pretty much, anyway! I came back to work today, for the first time in a week - Frank is still off, so I'm hoping that all of the huge boxes which were still littering various rooms will have miraculously "disappeared" by the time I get home (hee hee!)! Frank's move went well - we've somehow managed to fit his furniture in with mine, and make room for all of his clothes and other stuff. And the cats seem to be tolerating one another surprisingly well, too! Frank's cats hid for the first day and a half that they were at my house. Then, they slowly started walking around....but every time they ran into one of my cats, they would hiss! (my cats were very puzzled and indifferent - they just sort of looked at Frank's cats and walked away!) More recently, they have gotten close enough to touch noses with my cats. One of them still hisses (and hit one of my cats!), but the other one seems pretty calm. I'm sure that they will settle in at their own paces. Anyway, I'm glad that the move is over - I feel much less anxious, now (now, I can save all my anxiety for work and for my father's upcoming hernia operation!)!

I'm glad to hear that you had a happy anniversary, Helenabear! You knew that Luis wouldn't forget! I'm sure that the earrings are beautiful! Glad to hear that the kitties enjoyed themselves, too!

You must be counting down the days till your trip, now, Slightly Goofy! It's so exciting! Are you making a "game plan", in terms of what you're going to do on each day, or are you going to play it by ear?

More questions, Jstmee? OK - you don't have to ask me twice! How was the weather, down there? (I'm sure that it was much more pleasant than when I go, during the summer!) Did you get to see any of the new 100 YOM parades? IllumiNations? Fantasmic? The biggest question of all: DID YOU RIDE IASW??? (hee hee!) )

I can't wait to go back to WDW - just 235 more days to go (that's 5650 hours!)!

Hope that you're all having a nice day!

 

[helenabear]

Good evening everyone! I hope all is well with you! Right now my baby Cleo is sitting on my lap and I am enjoying my relaxation time. Gwen is here too and she is poking around the jacuzzi (crazy kitten... loves the water).

Well all is well and I think I may paint the bathroom this weekend. Friday during lunch I am going to go and pick out paint for the bathroom and hopefully I can get it all done while Luis is at work. I still don't know what color I will choose but I will decide that soon! I will need a small roller or two for this job as there isn't a lot of space to cover.

Rider I am glad to hear that your move went well. The cats sound like they will be fine. To this day Cleo still hisses at Gwen but I know they love each other and really enjoy each others company. They are rather cute to watch together sometimes.

Well my cat just impaired my typing ability so I will have to end now. I will just say one thing to SG, do you need another person to tag along with you on your trip... I am so envious of those who can take trips now Jstmee thanks for your description of the All Stars. If I get deperate I will try to convice Luis to take me and we'll stay there for a few days (make it a short inexpensive trip). Have a great evening everyone!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Whew! (collapsing on the deck setee and calling for a tall cold drink). This the first moment I have had all day to check the computer. After being gone all day I walked in the back door just as my oldest grandson walked in the front door ready for his lessons. Emergency call from DD sent me to pick up youngest grandson and feed both kids and watch over them until she could get here to pick them up. They just left. Calgon take me away!!

Helena, I wish it were possible for you to join me on our next trip. These things are just so much more fun with friends along. Don't think Luis would like it if you went without him though. LOL You might want to consider one of those new rollers that you see on tv. They have them in the stores here and I have a raincheck for one. They are supposed to make trimming a breeze. Please do not feel that staying at an All Stars is a bad thing. We stay at all kinds of places on vacations and unless we are planning on spending a lot of time in the room we do not stay in expensive places. Sometimes we do check into suites with jacuzzis and such but on those days we stay in the room and vegetate. The rooms are a bit small but for two young people in love it will not be a hard thing. Try it, you will like it AND you will be able to afford to stay longer and do other things as well. BTW Congratulations on the wonderful anniversary present. My DH once got me some pierced earrings after we had been married for quite a few years. I don't have pierced ears. (downcast smile)

What an adventure, Rider, starting life together in the same space. It is hard enough when you are 18 or so but for two mature grownups to have to shift their preferences to include one another is an awesome challenge. We have been married almost 29 years and we are still working on it. It sounds as if your 'children' are settling in pretty well. I think your cats are cool ones. (grin) I have file cards for each park and off site things that I put down information on but the particular days I go to each park can change according to what happens while we are there. I am concerned that the lines to get into the parks will be so long that park hopping would be difficult. I can walk, altho slowly, but cannot stand in one place for long.

Thank you for the info Jstmee. I am happy that you had fairly convenient accomodations. I think with 4 kids I would almost prefer to drive to the parks rather than fight the bus lines. How did your kids like the trip? Did you go back for an afternoon break? You had two rooms, great! Togetherness can be vastly overated all the time. LOL How much time before your trip did you order your Connections coupons? I wonder cause my time is getting short (21 days). I ordered a new pair of shoes and they are awful so I will be loping around in my nicely broken in but not as great looking shoes. Maybe if I wear a big old grin people will not notice my shoes? I have my green ribbons. Hope I meet someone from the DIS. I love meeting new people. Were the lines to get into the park very difficult and time consuming? Do they have lines for people with little to check? Do you have any tips or anything that I can use to get the most out of our trip? BTW that little one of your needs a lot of tucking. Please enjoy it while you can. Mine won't let me tuck them in. Their spouses won't share. (grin) My youngest turns 30 this week. I am older than dirt. (sob)

Have a little something to share with you if I can get it posted. Hope it works, Slightly Goofy

 

[helenabear]

Hi everyone! I hope all is well around the world with you! Well I am finally nice and busy again at work. For a few days we were kind of slow around here so I am happy to get another part of the big project we are working on. It was on hold for a small time as the next phase was being re-evaluated for a small time. Now I am back in business and ready to be busy again

SG, it sounds like you had a very busy day. I hope the emergency was not something to worry about. I also hope you had your time to go and take that nice long relaxing bath you surely deserve. I also wouldn’t worry about your shoes. I take the same shoes every time I go. I swear by Tevas. I have owned four pairs of them since 1992 or 1993 (can’t remember which) and out of the four pairs I own I still have three. It took until 1998 for me to finally throw away the first pair I owned. I wore them all the time and walked them all over Ohio State campus and my school. The other three I own I love. I have a nice old dark pair, one with moons and stars on them and my newest pair I bought since they were so similar to my original pair (they are a nice teal color). To me those are comfortable and I don’t care if they look good or not. They feel wonderful and I would probably die in WDW without them. When my family went in ’95 along with my high schools marching band (us grads could go along for the trip if we wanted to so most of us did) I had brought a pair of tennis shoes (the Keds style but more comfortable and cheaper) that I had to wear with my uniform and my Tevas. Well my feet were dying by the end of the day having to wear my comfortable tennis shoes (or at least I thought they were comfy) but my feet were loving it when I wore the Tevas. I guess it might have something to do with the fact that my feet could breathe more and didn’t trap all that moisture so that my feet would ache by the end of the day. So to make a long story short, I go with comfort over looks! I would love to go with you and I doubt Luis would mind if I would go without him… but I guess I would mind more than him as I love sharing Disney with him. He is so sweet, he looks in my eyes and promises me that someday we will go. He knows how happy the trip would make me so that is why he loves going!

Oh the dilemma of my life. Do we go more often and stay in the All Stars or do we go less often and stay at the moderates or go even less often and stay at the Polynesian. I think the All Stars are a great addition to the price range of the resorts. Right now we cannot even afford them so my dream right now is that we could scrimp and save enough for even just a few nights at the All Stars, but that isn’t going to happen Our problem is that on our last trip we did spend a lot of time at the Resort. The lines were so short on all the rides that we had plenty of time to relax back at the room & the Resort in general. We didn’t do it quite as much with my family in ’99 but that was because of the time it took to take a bus ride back to the room and it was summer time so the lines were longer. It wasn’t that bad at all seriously, but the time it takes to get the bus back vs. the time it takes to take the monorail back to the room was much more noticeable and longer. Oh how I wish I hadn’t stayed at the Polynesian again. I wouldn’t have remembered how lovely and convenient it really was. I do not get deterred by the size of the rooms (although we would need the two beds for us as Luis has a hard time staying on his side of the bed with a Queen bed or with kids we would have to sleep with the child and not each other… and I don’t mind that either) but really it is more of the convenience level. Luis and I love the MK & EPCOT and the monorail just makes life so easy. I really am awful about this because usually I am not such a snob that I would feel this way. I like quality most of the time but all of the resorts on Disney property are quality and wonderful. That and quality to me isn't the same as quality for others. For instance a quality meal at Disny to me is the Crystal Palace lunch. GREAT food and you walk away full if you choose, but others would say Victorias & Alberts would be quality. So I guess you could say I like quality but not extravagence. A weird thing I really missed when we stayed at Coronado Springs was the inability to take the boat back to the TTC and watch the MK lit up at night… how silly isn’t it. Well I will just resolve myself to not going for another four or so years. Hopefully I can plan a really nice trip with Luis for our 5th wedding anniversary and we may be able to renew our vows or something special. I had always kind of wanted to get married at WDW but, it could never have been a Catholic wedding and since we are those crazy Catholics who have to get married in the church, we couldn’t do that there. So it would be neat to renew vows at Sunset Pointe at the Polynesian (we loved the view from there more than any other place). Of course I just thought that if I stayed at the value resorts I could stay longer so that I wouldn’t mind the difference in time taking buses back and forth… ACK!!! How do you decide Then again I am rambling and I shouldn’t worry anyway since we won’t be able to go back for a while no matter what! I think it is wonderful that Disney does offer so many different types of lodging that almost anyone could afford. Everything is done with Disney style and magic that you can’t go wrong and I guess that is why it gets to be so hard to choose sometimes.

Well I should go now. I really have to decide on paint for the bathroom while I am here at work today. The bedroom is easy to decide on and I know that I am going to leave the kitchen alone for a while at least, but I think I am going to do it this weekend so I had better decide now. I think I am going to stick with a boring beige or light yellow but there is this part of me that really wants to do it in a very nice purple/magenta! How to decide. I feel like such an indecisive person today

I hope you all have a great day!!!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Hi there Helena

I wonder if Tevas come in giant sizes? I go barefooted every chance I get and as a consequence my feet are not only big but very wide. Hard to find shoes that fit and are comfortable for me. I will check out their site later. Thanks for the reminder.

No way I thought you were a snob but I am getting the feeling that I am better off not trying any of the nicer resorts as I would find it hard to go back to the value ones. I used to love Port Orleans until they did away with most of what I loved about it but we have never stayed at any of the luxury resorts at Disney unless you count way back when we used to stay at what was called the Club Villas (now the Institute). We needed the room because of our teenagers and I enjoyed them.

Thank you so much for being worried about the 'emergency'. Our daugher is in charge of a medical billing office and often has last minute things come up and she calls me and I pick up her youngest from the daycare (have to pick up by 5:30). It is only a problem in the winter time as I have to be careful not to fall and ice and snow is not good for me. I enjoy spending time with my boys. Dalton was sitting on my lap doing his 'schoolwork' on the computer. He is like me and zones out completely when he gets on line. He has his own programs on the desktop and is very good about getting logged on and such. He is careful to ask if he can 'print' and even tho I am a very fussy person I trust him alone with the computer. I am getting a new one for Christmas and giving the boys this one. The oldest grandson is not too much for working on the computer. He has eye problems and I think he has trouble seeing the screen. I am going to upgrade to a bigger monitor next time and see if that helps. We had a reading break through last night. He requested to read for 40 minutes instead of his required 20 minutes and then when the book still had a few pages left he set the timer for 5 more minutes so he could finish the story! Yeah!!!

You have given me another good idea. I think I will wander over to the Crystal Palace for lunch. I have never eaten there but with your reccomendation as a guide I will give it a try. Any thoughts on what I should eat?

It is a dreary day back home so I think I will spend some time in here enjoying the sunshine and the laughter wafting over from the MK.

Slightly Goofy

 

[helenabear]

Hi there SG!

Our computer systems are being very slow today so I go and copy what all is said, put in my Word document and then type away while the system is slowly retrieving what I need. Not a bad way to spend the quiet time

Tevas are wonderful. I’d recommend going to a store and trying them on. The older styles seem to be a bit wider and some are better than others. I seem to find mine at most stores that sell mostly tennis shoes & hiking boots (outdoor/athletic stores) and you could probably find a really good deal now since they are considered “summer shoes”. But if you are anything like me, they work nicely in the fall as well with a good pair of wool socks! The web site has good information but not always be the best colors, selection & price so I really recommend going to a store. The thing I like the most about them is that there really isn’t much break in time for them. The three I own now are the Terradactyl (my dark blue ones), Pretty Rugged (Moon & stars) & Inversion (teal… most like the original pair I had). The colors change often (you may not be able to find the colors I have now in the same style) but they do come in a good range of sizes (I think from 5-11) and the other really good thing is that if you have big feet, you can find a style. For men, they go up to 14 at least and for women if you run out of room in the women’s you can find the exact same style & color for the most part on the men’s style AND they are the SAME price. Luis bought his first pair last year at the same time I bought mine. So we have matching shoes now

I know I am not a snob but I surely can’t help but feel that way about the Polynesian. I will tell you now DO NOT STAY AT A DELUXE RESORT!!! It is just soooo hard to go back… really it is. In ’99 we were planning our last family trip and since my sister and I were poor and in college (well I was in college), my dad said he would foot the bill for tickets & hotel I suggested the All Stars. I thought we might try it since it had never been there before but my dad wanted the moderate resorts so my sister and I fought and we decided on Coronado Springs. It was a great choice! So if you ever want to try a new moderate I highly recommend this one. I did say before I had stayed at the Polynesian but I was very young and I don’t remember how good it was. We also only had MK & EPCOT at that time so it was nicer to have that resort to stay at. We also stayed at the Villas but then again we had eight or nine people so we needed the space then. Those are nice places but they aren’t quite the same as a Deluxe resort room. So now we have the dilemma of where to stay… like I said it doesn’t really matter right now but as I dream I like to dream about where I will really stay.

I am glad it was only that kind of an emergency. I completely understand what that is like as my cousin is in charge of payroll for a hospital and sometimes she has emergencies she needs to take care of all the time. Recently it has been for reservists who were called up. One Saturday night she was there until almost 10pm!!! I do not envy her job! It sounds like you had a great evening with your boys there. I think that is exactly why my dad looks forward to becoming a grandfather Just be careful in the winter, we wouldn’t want to hear of you laid up because you hurt yourself on the ice!

The Crystal Palace is a great place for lunch. I think that is the best deal of all the food in the parks! It is a really cute buffet but I think I will have to recommend the chicken. It is always very moist and flavorful! The potatoes are great as well. They have a wonderful selection and I love seeing the Hundred Acres Wood Gang! The food really does remind me of something my grandmother would cook for us (she is the perfect example of a farm wife) and she always has a lot of yummy food! It is your classic “American” style food (there is even pizza for the ‘kids’) but I will say the chicken is the best!

I will have to join you there for lunch. It is rather dreary here today as well so I could enjoy the warmth and sunshine of the MK!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

What a great job, Helenabear. Time out for fun in the middle of the day. I am sure that there are plenty of times when you have to work twice as hard though. It is almost impossible for me to find a place where I can try on shoes. I wear a 10WW and would love a 10WWW if I could find it. I am going to return the shoes that I do not like but it will cost me almost $5 to do so as I have to pay shipping both ways. Keeps from ordering a lot of things I might otherwise try. I hear that tiny women have trouble finding clothes also and while I am not proud of the fact it gives me a small amount of satisfaction. (grin)

I now know why I have never eaten at the Crystal Palace. That is the same food I cook every single day of my life. I like to order things that I would not make at home. To give you an idea our favorite restaurants at DW are Norway, Mexico, Trail's End, Brown Derby and I bet Bomba's will be our new favorite.

My daughter and family stayed at CSR and we did not like it. We don't like the big resorts too much. We had a lot of trouble getting in and out with the security gates also. One of the bus drivers on our last trip pointed at CSR and made the comment that "There are lots of great places to eat here but this is not one of them". You are younger and better able to get around and that would make a big difference. We stayed at CB one time and could not find our room amongst all the similar buildings. I have friends who love the place though. Go figure. Different strokes for different folks.

You say that you have to type in all that is said? What exactly is it that you do? I like to imagine people in their environments.

See you at the Palace at noon!

Slightly Goofy

 

[helenabear]

We just got the word today, no more mandatory OT. Now I know I will be putting OT in here and there but I won't have to give up my lunches unless I want to. So I took some of my lunch break and went over to Sears to look at paint chips again. I thought I knew which color I was going to use and then a co-worker of mine brought in the 6 month pictures of her baby she recently got done (okay he was really 7 months at the time but close enough) and I saw the color of the background on one of them. It is a beige and it has the right amount of golden and brownish pink in the tone of it. I saw it and I said "This is what I want for my bathroom!!!" My description won't help at all but it is a very nice color!

Well let's see, how to describe what I do. Well I work for a long distance company and what I do is look at the design of circuits for phone lines and data lines in our sytem (the equipment type and all) and then I take that route (ie goes from Tampa Fl to Jersey City, NJ) and see how I can make it better. So if my circuit route goes from Tampa to Jersey City it may actually go from Tampa to Atlanta to Philiadelphia then to Jersey City because when they installed the line they had no direct way to go from Tampa to Jersey City and now we do so I make the changes in our databases and we have "paper trails" in other sytems showing what step I am in during this process. I tell men at the sites that this circuit goes through what to do and they do it. So the end result is we have a better route for a circuit. I hope that made sense. So the short of it is that I sit at a computer all day long and work in our databases mostley. The funny thing is when I was in college people asked me what I wanted to do with my life, and I said I wanted a job that I could sit in front of a computer all day and work in it. So I was lucky and got to do what I wanted

I think the reason why I like the Crystal Palace so much besides Pooh and friends... Okay... that is the only reason why I like it sorry... um I like it because it is good food that I can cook but they make it better. Like going to a steak house. I can make a steak but they always seem to make it better! I think I like it for the constant quality of the food (well prepared that is) and the atmosphere. But you are right SG, if you are looking for new and exciting, this is not a place to go. But if you just want a good deal on food and good taste (but it could be what you find at home) this is a great place to go.

I also stayed at CBR and I was not impressed at all with it looking back on it now. I was excited because at the time, it was the only "reasonably" priced resort onsite. Even though it doesn't have as many rooms, we got really lost there. I never did find the main pool. The best part though was I was impressed with the Disney bus system. Before the system really was bad and this was a breath of fresh air for me. I thought CSR was much much nicer and the theming I thought was much better. I know we got lucky with our location. We were in Casitas 4 and it was maybe a 7 minute walk to the lobby as well as the main pool. We were right by bus stop #3 (the first to get on) and we were right next to the pool. The resort felt much smaller than CBR and the view of the lake was beautiful. I think on the whole we got very lucky with our location. I think the food there is an either love it or hate it. I loved it and so did my family. We were always making stops to the food court to get food. One thing I found out accidentally is that if you eat sit down and then leave with something to go (I always did this with the flan) they didn't charge you for the tip. I didn't notice that at all until later. For a food court I thought it was good as it had a good variety of food, nice quantities and good price. I was in love with the flan as it was similar to what my MIL and I make. You know I have heard many people complain about security at some of the resorts (all over) and it seems to be very touch an go with how good/bad it is. We personally didn't have a problem, but I know others did. I have heard the monorail resorts are strict with security as well. That makes us feel good but at the same time I heard it can be a pain. We never made it to PO and I am not sure if I want to go now based on the changes. I wasn't fond of DxL at all (the theming that is) so that was never on my list of places to visit, but we were considering PO for our honeymoon.

Good luck SG trying to find your shoes! I can relate with clothing. I am short but I am not a "petite" build (as I am not a size 6 or 8) so things are made for tiny ladies. The worst thing about trying to buy petite clothing is that they "proportion it to your height" which means they take off inches here and there at the waist, hips & thighs. So I can't fit into petite clothing well at all since I have a butte and I am proud of it!!! Regular length clothing doesn't fit either as the waists are too long and the legs are way too long. Oh well, that is my hardship of life. You know my sister has very wide feet too and she has a tendency to buy mens shoes as they are made for wider feet. She has several pairs of sandals made for men that fit her great. The sizing I believe is off by 1 1/2 to 2 sizes. I am a 7 to 7 1/2 and i can fit into some size 5 up to a size 6 (I sometimes buy mens boots). So you should be able to find a decent selection of mens sandals if you look and some look identical! Well I should get back to work. I hope you enjoyed lunch SG!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Ah, yes. Now I understand your obsession with the 'perfect' bathroom paint color. You are very detail oriented. In your job that must come in handy. So you are the reason I can pick up my phone and instantly connect with my friends and family. Thank you very much.

Glad to hear that your manatory overtime is gone, at least temporarily. The person who took my reservation at Disney the other day was telling me that she was getting more mandatory overtime also. Must be all those cancellations and new bookings. The money is good but not much use if you have no time to enjoy it. I never wanted a big expensive house cause I figured we would have to work too much to able to enjoy it. Got the big part but not expensive. Best of both worlds?

I have always felt very secure with Disney security so I guess the gates and such at some of the resorts bother me more than they should. I always wondered about people parking at the resorts and then hopping on the Disney transportation for free. I guess they had to do some of this stuff to avoid that happening.

We have always been an one income family so it has always been my job to stretch it as far as I could so I tend to be on the cheap side. If I could afford to stay at the expensive places without feeling guilty I probably would try them. It would be fun to stay at all the different resorts. I am lucky in that it is not something that is real important to me tho.

Would you believe as big as I am I wear a petite sized pant? Took me until I was in my 40's to figure that out. My legs are shorter. I laugh when I order petite. I have tried buying men's shoes but at my size if I wear men't shoes I would look a bit too butch to suit my tastes. Not that there is anything wrong with that but it is not who I am. LOL

It was a delicious lunch Helenabear and was a bit better than I prepare at home (sometimes). Not always in the mood to go that extra step that you need to have the food be special. Of course, good company always seasons everything to perfection. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon and I hope you get home to Luis soon so you can have an even better evening.

Slightly Goofy

 

[IASW Rider]

Greetings!

I have returned, once again!

I am also a fan of the Crystal Palace - I love the buffet and the atmosphere there, as well! And needless to say, I love seeing Pooh and friends, too! When I was a child and used to go to the Crystal Palace with my mother, there used to be a palm tree growing right through the roof of the building (I think it was removed to make way for the floral Hundred Acre Wood figures that are in the entrance area, now). Well, because we loved seeing it, my mother bought a miniature palm tree at a florist on Main Street in the MK (which no longer exists) and brought it home with us. We had it in the living room, and it grew so tall that it touched the ceiling! Unfortunately, it didn't last very long....but my mother refused to throw it away, since it was from WDW.....so now my parents have a miniature palm tree TRUNK in a pot in their living room!

I also love Restaurant Akershus in Norway, SG - Frank and I tried it for the first time when we were there in June, and the food was amazing (especially if you like different kinds of fish, which we do. And the salads and cheeses were great, too!)! We had a really nice waiter, who told us all about Norway, too. He even drew a map of Norway for us, on a napkin! I think that my favorite WDW restaurants are the ones at the Poly, for sentimental reasons - and because the food at both are great - the Kona Cafe and 'Ohana - as well as the Prime Time Cafe at DMGM Studios, because the food is great and it's so much fun! I really enjoyed the California Grille, as well, and the Brown Derby is very nice, too. When we go back next year, we're thinking of trying some other restaurants which we've never eaten at, like Restaurant Marakesh in Morocco and Citrico's at the Grand Floridian.

I wish that I was able to get away from work at this time of year - there are tons of great deals on WDW vacations, now! Unfortunately, this is our fiscal year end, and "real" year end follows immediately, so there is no way that I could get away. The only time that we can really go on vacation is after tax season - I wish that we could go somewhere warm when it's cold out, but as long as we are working in finanicial services, I doubt that that will happen. Anyway, we're hoping to make our honeymoon reservations, soon - hopefully it will be safe to fly, then!

It's really interesting to hear about your experiences at different resorts, SG and Helenabear! I wish that I was more familiar with the newer resorts - maybe we will have to wander over and have dinner at some of them, next time! I'm also curious to see what the AK Lodge looks like, and what the Pop Century will look like when completed!

WOW - 21 days, SG! That is so exciting! I would be beside myself with excitement if I had 3 weeks to go! Already, I think about WDW every day......when the time for a trip is getting closer and closer, that's about all that I think about!

I'm sure that your bathroom will come out great, Helenabear! Once you have completed it, maybe you could give me some painting advice. I've never actually painted a room by myself before, and many of my walls desperately need to be painted - maybe I will get brave and try! Since Frank has moved in, I have actually gotten brave and cooked for him, several times! That is a big accomplishment for me, 'cause I was always afraid to cook for anyone except myself (afraid that anything I made wouldn't come out right). Unless Frank is just being polite, I think that I've been doing a pretty good job......I even offered to my father, last night, that I would make Thanksgiving dinner for him and my mother (maybe that's a little TOO ambitious......!!)!

I agree with Helenabear, SG - definitely comfort over style at WDW - that goes for all clothes, including shoes! 2 years ago, I bought a whole new wardrobe for our trip, at the Disney Store. Although the stuff I bought was cute, some of it was really impractical for walking around the parks in 90+ degree heat all day, and I wound up with rashes and discomfort. This past year, I just got a whole bunch of just-above-the-knee denim shorts and cotton tank tops, and that's what I wore every day and was much more comfortable and "better off" than the year before! I wear my trusty sneakers for park walking!

Well, aside from the boxes piled up to the ceiling in the garage, Frank is now all unpacked and his furniture is all arranged, now. His cats are settling in - they can now walk past my cats without hissing (every time they hiss at eachother, I would tell them "no hissing - only kissing!" - I think that they are listening to me - now they touch noses with my cats ("kissing") without hissing at them! My only worry is that one of Frank's cats has taken to using my couch as a scratching post. I remember when my cats used to do that, when they were kittens, before they were de-clawed. We sprayed some stuff which is supposed to keep the cats away, on the couch - hopefully it will work - I really don't want to have to replace the couch. But, I'm happy that she is scratching on the couch......instead of on my cats! I'm just glad that they all seem to be getting along pretty well and that there has not been any physical conflict (that I'm aware of, anyway!). In the mean time, I'm getting used to living with someone, again. Fortunately, Frank and I know eachother so well and are so comfortable with one another that it has been pretty "easy" and "natural", so far. We're both sensitive to each other's schedules and needs, which is good. There is a lot more laundry and many more dishes for me to do, now, but I'll get used to that too. I'm sure that we'll settle into a weekday routine, over the next few weeks.

We actually had a pretty frightening experience, 2 nights ago. We were sitting and watching TV, and all of a sudden, there was a huge explosion outside, and the entire house was immediately plunged into darkness. No warning - no flickering or dimming lights - just a big explosion and the power just shut down. The first thing I thought is that we had been bombed - I was totally petrified. Of course, it turned out that it was just the generator for our townhouse complex - I guess it had broken down.....LOUDLY! All of our neighbors came outside and were talking with one another and offering eachother candles and flashlights, which was nice. We were without power until 4:15 the following morning - at least it came back in time for us to get ready for work! But that loud "bang" and the power just turning off were pretty scary! It's sad that we've become conditioned to immediately think the worst when something unpredictable like that happens.

Anyway, on a lighter note, why don't we all go and check out the new Walt Disney exhibit at the Studios and play some Disney trivia, this afternoon?

Hope that all is well with all of you! Have a nice day!

 

[jstmee]

How difficult it is to recuperate from a beautiful vacation. I still have suitcases and "stuff" all over the place. Depression has sunk in and I want another vacation. The rates at various resorts at Downtown Disney are $25-35 per night. Heee, heee, I can dream can't I....I know so soon after our vacation too.

Okay, here goes, all of the parks and waterparks check your backpacks, fanny backs, purses, etc. before entering the park. If you have NOTHING on you, you may go directly to the turnstile and enter the park. If you are carrying something they have a few tables with security checking the items. The longest line we had to wait in was about 5 people ahead of us. The days we carried only a "fanny" pack were the easiest for us they checked it put for ease in walking around that is. I was the one carrying things....I decided I wouldn't carry a fanny pack this year, but we paid for some room nights with an American Express card (actually a Cobalt Blue card that we pre funded and it works just like AMEX-heard about it through this site) and they gave us the White Glove Treatment pack and I wore that pack around my waist, it was big enough for my waist, i'm a rather large gal. I wore the waist part beneath my shirt and the pack on my front side. It had a zipper so I was assured I wasn't going to lose anything on rides. Some days we carried one backpack with our cam corder and cameras and ponchos in it. That worked out fine also.

SG my suggestion, take as little clothes as possible and only take the clothes that you usually wear that are comfortable for you. I ended up wearing my favorite jean shorts, that were longer and washed them a lot and also another pair of jean shorts. In the evenings I wore other outfits, but I packed WAY tooo much.

I read a post about a girl that got rashes between her thighs and I was sooo fearful of this. Thankfully not a problem for me. My DH on the other had did get some rashes but he didn't tell me about them. My DS told me about potential rashes between his thighs and I brought some Triple Antibiotic Lotion, generic and before bed each night they applied some to their rashes and good as new the next morning.

The weather was unbelievably great. It did not rain once the entire 12 days we were there. It rained once while we were eating lunch, alas, after we ate we went outside and no rain. Also, I forgot we were at Typhoon Lagoon and it rained, but we were wet. I highly recommend the Snorkeling at the reef, the kids loved it. Yes, there were even shark in the reef area.

TEVA TEVA TEVA, I only heard about them on these sites and saw some at a store for an incredibly high price and didn't bother. WELL, I went in Marden's "a discount" salvage store and the sales ladies were putting up rows and rows of Teva's. Wide and as large as size 12. I take an 11WW so I got a pair. It is called ROMA Style #6339 and on the heel it says "shoe pad". It's like walking on air. They are suede material a light tan. I have NEVER worn anything more comfortable. My feet sustained WDW with a feeling of air cushions for the trip. On day 2 I did get a blister on my pinky toe, but switched to a good pair of Asic Sneakers for that day and I was all set and went back to my Teva's. I don't want to wear anything else now. I bought them for $27.00....

I bought moleskin because of what I heard on this site. Didn't work for us, it just rolled up. I had a blister and by accident packed a "Corn" bandaid. I thought it was a real one. It was a free sample I put it on the blister it stayed put and was the best thing ever. Stuck good and was padded. It was bandaid brand.

Connections, I ordered the coupons 3 1/2 weeks out, but they thought I had cancelled my membership and they also cancelled my order and when I called to confirm things they said they were sent out ( the coupons). When I called the day before my trip they looked further and said they cancelled the entire order. Thus, the confusion.

AKLodge is the most awesome place to see. We went to eat at Bomba's----ahhhhh, SG you will love it. The scent of all the exotic food when you enter the Lodge is fantastic. The restaurant is open aired in the lower level, so the scent of the food rises to main lobby. The colors and beauty of the lobby are fabulous. My kids spent at least one hour in their gift shop before and after dinner. All the foods were fabulous.......Desserts, have to try them all. The kids especially liked the ones that were on a triangle wafer and had a raspberry, blueberry, other fruit and sparkled with sugar. I like the chocolate ones, all of them.... They had seafood gumbo, different rices, plain stuff for the kiddos. Different kinds of fish, meat, chicken, sauces and breads, all different ethnic kinds from different parts of Africa. Yum, Yum.........

100 Year Celebration parades. We saw the new one at Animal Kingdom. Ahhhh so nice. Colors were brilliant and they had the tall figures dancing and singing and drummers in huge elephants and zebra floats. Saw the Car Parade at MGM Studios, it was nice also, I didn't really ooh and ahhh over this one though. We went on a specialty cruise for the Illuminations cruise. I met someone from this DIS site ahead of time and we split the cost. Very nice family, I reserved the cruise and they met us there. Our boat took off from YC and there was a Private party going on for National Black MBA Association, It was soooooo fun seeing their party they had Minnie and Mickey Hip Hopping and they had Donald Duck Juggling. I got videos of all of this. This was really a special treat. The specialty cruise was fabulous also. for $120 ( $12 per person this pontoon boat fit a max. of 12 people)you ride a pontoon boat, it was very nice, padded seats etc. and you go around the water see boardwalk all lit up go past dolphin and swan, park under the bridge and watch the Illuminations cruise. Best part, boat takes you back to YC----leisurely walk off, no congestion and we went to Beaches and Cream with the other family to top off the evening, with you guessed it sundaes....!!!!!

Of course, we saw Fantasmic, my DD has her headband with a sorcerers hat to prove it. We sat in the front row..........I don't recommend this, if the wind is blowing you get wet. The kids didn't mind a bit. I was wondering why the guy next to me had ponchos for all his family and there was no threat of rain in the sky. It is better to sit a little bit back.. Although I still think I'd sit in front if I were to do it again.

Rider, I am sooooo embarressed after all this time, I cannot figure out what IASW means. I know you are a rider but sometimes, the abbreviations I can't make out. Example it took me the longest time to figure out that ToT was Tower of Terror. My absolute Favorite was Rockin Rollercoaster. If I could I would ride that all day long. We only rode it once. We rode ToT twice, no line no wait... We went on Splash mountain three time, without getting off the ride. Test Track 3 times, Space Mountain, once we weren't impressed by this. Everyone liked the ?Men in Black? one that you shoot at aliens and get points---oops I think that was at Islands of Adventure. At MK they had the Buzz Lightyear one, that was liked by all. The Haunted Mansion was fun. My DD didn't like this one. Honey I shrunk the audience, fun, DD scared.......It's a Bugs light 3D, DD scared......Safari--the best went on it 4 times, no wait. A Rino was sooo close to our vehicle it rubbed the side of it right next to me, I could have touched it.

SG, Building #10 is the closest for the transportation. Just make sure you ask them to place you closest to the transportation end. Because this building is long. I'm sure you've seen by the maps. They are very accomodating. We also bought the cups for $8.99 and could refill soda, coffee, juice or hot cocoa any time we wanted to for the entire stay. Well worth it. And now we are using the cups for our coffees in the car.

I don't think I mentioned that I made ressies for the Contemporary for our last night but cancelled cause the kids were happy with All Sports. My dream however would be, Poly, with the Grand Plan,,,, heeee heeee we can dream can't we. Take Care all......For all you southerners out there, our leaves are changing and it is the most beautiful sight outside.

 

[IASW Rider]

Thanks so much for your great trip report, Jstmee! So happy that I happened to sign on and see it now, 'cause as soon as Frank is out of the shower, we are off to the travel agent to make our honeymoon reservations! Yipee!

I loved hearing your descriptions of the parades and of all the rides that you and your family enjoyed! And it sounds like we definitely have to try Bomba's - that sounds wonderful!

Wish that I could write more, but we are going to head out, soon! Can't wait to hear more about your trip! And please post some pictures, if you have a chance!

Oh - and IASW = It's a Small World (I know, I know - perhaps not as exciting as Rock 'N' Rollercoaster, but it's my favorite! )

Have a great weekend, Everyone!

P.S. - The thigh rash person was probably me, Jstmee - I had that problem so badly at WDW, 2 years ago, that I had to go to First Aid at DMGM Studios. I'm so happy that I got smart and got those longer denim shorts for our trip, this past June!

 

[jstmee]

Just had to RUN to the Computer

I was singing "It's a Small World" while I was cleaning the bathing, and lo and behold, I figured it out IASW, yes, we went on that ride also, and it is my favorite also, the kids didn't want to go on it because the older ones are 13 after all, lol, but once on it, they loved it.

Have fun at the travel agent, it's sooo fun to plan.

Also, we got to go into WWTBAM--?Millionaire twice, I came in third once and my boys got in the top ten

 

[helenabear]

Hi everyone! I am just checking in really quick before bed. I wanted to let you know jstmee that I loved your trip report! When we went last Oct it didn't rain once the whole week we were there! Not once during the night even. It surely has made me swear off the summer months!

Rider, enjoy planning your trip with the travel agent!

Well I am going to go now because as soon as I started to type this Luis called me over to help him with something So more later!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Well, I was in the middle of a lengthy missive to you all a few hours ago and then my company came and I was diverted. My DS just got off my computer and managed to do away with all my pithy comments and wise observations so you will have to settle for the tired ramblings of a weary woman.


Jstmee, you are a font of useful information. Do you happen to know if they have a quicker line to enter if you have a small purse or fanny pack as opposed to those who have large things to check? I cannot stand in one spot for long. I was crippled as a child and still have problems with my legs. I can walk around although slowly but standing still is a killer. I have two huge rolling suitcases that I pack enough clothes for 2 weeks for each of us in. I use the two shirts for every pair of pants system. I also pack a small bag with enough stuff for the 2 days down and the two days back so we do not have to unload the entire car each night. I h ate the idea of doing laundry on vacation. If I were a swimmer it would be different. I could toss the stuff in and swim until it was done. My DH does not like to swim in a crowded pool and I am required, by law, to file an environmental impact statement before I put on a swim suit. LOL I did buy a shorts set for this trip. It will be the first shorts I have had on in over 30 some years. I don't like displaying my flab but I thought I might enjoy dipping my feet and sore legs in a pool if it was not too busy. Having gone that far I went all the way and the set is fire engine red!! I have a sneaky suspiciion that the outfit will linger in a hidden corner of the suitcase. (grin) Tevas sound great but until I find a great sale like yours I will just make do with a new set of insoles in my favorite walking shoes. I learned a long time ago that it was not worth ruining an expensive vacation by being uncomfortable. I went to the site and checked on Connections but did not feel it was worth the money as I cannot eat all that much. My DH orders a whole meal, appetizer and dessert and I eat his salad and maybe a bite of his dessert. Bomba's is on our list for our November trip. We have our name on the list for an Illuminations cruise but have not had any luck. I should check and see if we can get our own reservations. I would not be good at getting others to share the cost though. Rain is not a problem. Except for my hearing aid I am wash and wear. It sounds as if you guys has so much fun. I don't blame you for having post vacation let down. I am always glad to go AND glad to get home but it is much easier to pack than to unpack IMHO.

Poor Rider. I know about thigh rub. I had it so badly one time that I was actually bleeding. You must have been miserable. I am glad that is all behind you. Awaiting with baited breath your report on your honeymoon plans. Well, maybe not ALL of them but the ones that you can share with your bestest friends. (grin)

Helena, ever notice that when you want to talk men are busy but when you get on the phone or the computer they are right there needing attention? I pronounce you now ready for motherhood. It is not so very much different from raising a husband. This comes from a woman who is celebrating her 29th anniversary today AND is married to a much older man. I can only imagine how it must be with one about your own age. LOL

I am getting pretty tired and loopier than usual so I will sign off and go find a quiet corner where I can enjoy the bright lights of the Kingdom while sipping on an iced tea.

Slightly Goofy

 

[IASW Rider]

Happy Anniversary to you and your husband, SG! Hope that you had a wonderful day!

And I'm glad to hear that you are an IASW fan, too, Jstmee!

Hope that you had a nice weekend, Helenabear!

Well, we made our reservations on Saturday - yea! We'll be going on the exact same dates as we did, this year - June 3 -9. And we specifically requested the exact same room at the Poly which we had, this year. Coincidentally, when we came home from the travel agent and checked the mail, our WDW 100 Years of Magic Vacation Planning Video had arrived! We watched it last night and it was great! Now I'm even more excited about going and seeing the new parades!

Yes, that thigh rub is no fun (such a pleasant topic to discuss - hee hee!). I was also bleeding - that's why I had to go to First Aid at the Studios. They gave me antibiotic ointment and an ace bandage to put around it....but they wouldn't help me put it on, so Frank had to do it for me! I thought that it was pretty rude that the "nurse" wouldn't help me, but my friend who works at WDW told me that the First Aid station people are only allowed to help guests with certain things, because there have been too many frivolous law suits, etc. Anyway, the ace bandage helped a bit, but I was still miserable. I carried baby powder around with me in the parks, and put it on, occasionally (it kept getting all over the ground!). Anyway, the best way to prevent that, I've found, is the RIGHT SHORTS!

I'm sure that your new outfit will look great, SG!

Congratulations on your great success at WWTBAM, Jstmee! I'm really hoping to play it when we go, next year! When we were there, a few months ago, we went to visit my aforementioned friend, who at that time was one of the tech people on WWTBAM (lighting, video, etc.). We spent some time around the soundstage, but never actually got to go in and play the game / see the show. So, we definitely have to do that, this year!

I can't wait to get back to WDW and look out over the Seven Seas Lagoon and imagine where our Suite would be!

Hope that you're all having a nice day!