Finally getting to see the lights! Nov '11 Anniversary/Holiday/F&W PTR-New 11/4 p50

[DisMomAmy]

Either surprise idea sounds great...but the thought of balloons popping out just makes me smile! How fun! I can't wait to see how this plays out for your boys.

Hopefully we'll have an extra suitcase that won't already be full for the trip! I guess we could do it with a regular box. I'm really excited to pull it off this time! I guess I need to add balloons to my to do list!

I love your touring plan cards Amy. They are really cute! I think a scavenger hunt for the boys would be a lot of fun!

Thanks!! Even though I put everything in my phone, I still love having that piece of paper with our plans on it. I think the boys would have fun working together on a hunt!

Depending upon how late you stay, there is plenty of time for rides during MVMCP and the lines get shorter as the night wears on.

I plan to sleep in the morning of the party so Billy and I can stay late and watch the second parade.

Would you like to plan pre-party dinner together?


Kathy

You're right Kathy! I'm hoping we can make it pretty late this time. When we went to MNSSHP we only made it until right after HalloWishes. The boys were 4 & almost 7. I remember carrying the boys out of there!

We don't have to be anywhere until 9am (photo session) the day of the party so hopefully the slow-ish start will give us the energy to stay up late. Plus, it's early in the trip so we won't be dragging yet!

Dinner sounds fun! I replied to you on fb.

 

[sleeperclan]

We are renting points from a DVC owner to stay at BWV so no free dining for us. We will buy a Tables in Wonderland card that we can use on this trip & our next trip in April (staying off-site at Sheraton Vistana Villages) for 20% off our TS dining.

Congrats on the free dining!!

You will love staying at a DVC! BUT, unless you are a DVC member, you are not able or allowed to buy the TIW card--that is a perk for DVC owners ONLY--you would have to show your DVC membership card to buy it.

 

[DisMomAmy]

You will love staying at a DVC! BUT, unless you are a DVC member, you are not able or allowed to buy the TIW card--that is a perk for DVC owners ONLY--you would have to show your DVC membership card to buy it.

Actually it's not a perk for DVC members, it's a perk for AP holders. I've been an AP holder in the past & have purchased the TiW without any trouble.

According to wdwinfo:

Tables in Wonderland (TIW), formerly the Disney Dining Experience, offers Florida Residents and Annual Passholders 20% off of all food and beverage purchases at the participating Disney restaurants. It is a membership program with annual fees.

The price is $75.00 for an Annual Passholder, $50.00 for a second card. For a Florida Resident who is not an Annual/Seasonal Passholder, the cost is $100.00. It is $50.00 for lost/replacement cards.

The TIW Card can be purchased at any Disney Guest Services location. Annual Passholders and/or Florida Residents need to provide proof of eligibility. Note that TIW membership requires that you be age 21 or older.

 

[sleeperclan]

Actually it's not a perk for DVC members, it's a perk for AP holders. I've been an AP holder in the past & have purchased the TiW without any trouble.

According to wdwinfo:

Tables in Wonderland (TIW), formerly the Disney Dining Experience, offers Florida Residents and Annual Passholders 20% off of all food and beverage purchases at the participating Disney restaurants. It is a membership program with annual fees.

The price is $75.00 for an Annual Passholder, $50.00 for a second card. For a Florida Resident who is not an Annual/Seasonal Passholder, the cost is $100.00. It is $50.00 for lost/replacement cards.

The TIW Card can be purchased at any Disney Guest Services location. Annual Passholders and/or Florida Residents need to provide proof of eligibility. Note that TIW membership requires that you be age 21 or older.

Sorry, I knew that--haven't had my coffee yet! I didn't know your were an AP holder...I just didn't want to see you disappointed

 

[DisMomAmy]

Sorry, I knew that--haven't had my coffee yet! I didn't know your were an AP holder...I just didn't want to see you disappointed

No problem!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Day five... our last park day... Why is it so sad to talk about the last day when you haven't even gotten packed to go yet!

Our plans for today are to head to Epcot early (even though it's supposed to be super busy!)

Then after a break, we'll spend our last evening at Hollywood Studios. Plans for tonight are very loose... I know we'll eat some CS dinner & see the Osborne Lights, but aside from that we'll just have to wait & see.

On the morning of our departure day, we have a breakfast ADR at Captain's Grille at 8am. I expect our ME bus will come around 9:30. I'm not sure if we'll keep the ADR... It would be nice to have a TS breakfast before leaving but it will depend a lot on how much packing there is left to do that morning. We might prefer to just relax in the villa until it's time to go.

I also put together a card with Boardwalk dining information.

Up next: Back to school next week!!! And checking my progress on my July/August to-do list!

 

[mousescrapper]

Tha last Day plans look good Amy...and i hear you about the blues like the card you made that lists all the resort/area dinning options...very handy when we had a morning DME pick-up even a bit later than yours (and yes I have 2+ kids)... we just had enough time to eat in the villla, pack-up and get down to check-in our bags and print our boarding passes

 

[MeMom]

Day five... our last park day... Why is it so sad to talk about the last day when you haven't even gotten packed to go yet!

On the morning of our departure day, we have a breakfast ADR at Captain's Grille at 8am. I expect our ME bus will come around 9:30. I'm not sure if we'll keep the ADR... It would be nice to have a TS breakfast before leaving but it will depend a lot on how much packing there is left to do that morning. We might prefer to just relax in the villa until it's time to go.

Just wanted to peek in and say hello. School has taken up so much time these last few weeks, and I am not getting a lot of DIS time.

I dread the last day, too, before we even get there.

That departure morning is always an 'at the moment' call for us, too. We usually try to get packed up the night before and in the way early morning so that we can make one last sweep through Magic Kingdom. Some trips, though, we just don't have it in us, so we might just spend a little time in DTD and then let the girls have a lot of swim time before we have to get on the plane or in the car for a long time.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Day 5 looks great...so jealous every time you mention the Osborne Lights. I would love to see those someday. **sigh**

 

[KathyRN137]

I can safely say that all my plans are "loose!"

I just don't go as crazy with the planning as I used to!

Good luck with back-to-school... at least you now have one more day to prepare!

Kathy

 

[mindyd]

Hello,

I came across your pre trip and everything looks great I would love to go for the Christmas Lights but we are doing Halloween this year to do the Not So Scary Party.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Tha last Day plans look good Amy...and i hear you about the blues like the card you made that lists all the resort/area dinning options...very handy when we had a morning DME pick-up even a bit later than yours (and yes I have 2+ kids)... we just had enough time to eat in the villla, pack-up and get down to check-in our bags and print our boarding passes

It'll be tight if we want to go to breakfast but I'm not too optimistic we'll make it... we'll see!

Just wanted to peek in and say hello. School has taken up so much time these last few weeks, and I am not getting a lot of DIS time.

I dread the last day, too, before we even get there.

That departure morning is always an 'at the moment' call for us, too. We usually try to get packed up the night before and in the way early morning so that we can make one last sweep through Magic Kingdom. Some trips, though, we just don't have it in us, so we might just spend a little time in DTD and then let the girls have a lot of swim time before we have to get on the plane or in the car for a long time.

Hi MeMom!! Seems like a lot of people have less DIS time right now. So much going on - especially for all the teachers on the boards!

We definitely won't have time for any parks but hopefully we can make it to breakfast. We flew home on a later flight in March so we could have some MK time & I'm not sure we'll do that again. Our flight got delayed & we got home pretty late. Maybe if we go home on a Saturday but no late flights on Sundays for us anymore!

Day 5 looks great...so jealous every time you mention the Osborne Lights. I would love to see those someday. **sigh**

You'll get there someday!! It was always on my "someday" list & this year the stars aligned & it's going to happen!

I can safely say that all my plans are "loose!"

I just don't go as crazy with the planning as I used to!

Good luck with back-to-school... at least you now have one more day to prepare!

Kathy

With a solo trip and a mother/son trip, there aren't as many people to please! Loose plans sound great to me!

Back-to-school...

Hello,

I came across your pre trip and everything looks great I would love to go for the Christmas Lights but we are doing Halloween this year to do the Not So Scary Party.

MNSSHP is a lot of fun!! I hope you enjoy it!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Well we were in the path of Hurricane Irene but fortunately we made out very well. After a lot of preparation (bringing in everything from the yard, prepping the generator, filling up gas tanks, checking battery inventory, buying groceries & water) we didn't have any serious damage. There was a good sized branch down in the road in front of our house & the vinyl "roof" on our play structure ripped off but the trees in our yard all made it through. We actually didn't even lose power! Lots of people in our area did & the first day of school was canceled today. Hopefully the power company will get the majority of people up & running so we can have school tomorrow.

There are some areas of NH that are having flooding issues but luckily our basement has stayed dry.

We did lose phone/cable/internet last night & it's still not back on. Tim is working from home today & has a mobile hot spot so I'm stealing some of his internet.

I have a few storm pictures that I can post but I don't want to be uploading things on DHs hotpsot... I guess he has a plan with limited usage so I've been told no uploading/downloading.

Up next: And update on my to-do list, then I'm not sure... Anything special you guys want to hear about??

 

[jeremysdisneymom]

So glad to hear that you are doing okay and came throught the storm fine. Sure hope they get the power on soon for everyone in your area. I work for the power company and we got a request late Friday to send help up north as they knew it would be bad.

Your last day plans look great. We are ending our holiday vacation at the candlelight processional. Love that you posted the places to eat at the Boardwalk. We are there 2 nights in November and it saved me some research!

 

[mousescrapper]

Well we were in the path of Hurricane Irene but fortunately we made out very well.

Up next: And update on my to-do list, then I'm not sure... Anything special you guys want to hear about??

so glad it went through w/out any issues...maybe helped you were at the end of it...stinks about the no school and lack of internet and such...be almost beteer w/ no power at all, huh?

so up next...hmmm

you have told all your food plans, touring cards, plan for surprise, clothes for picture...I guess you won't have a countdown...what about packing lists, souvie thoughts? are you going to share anymore from the boys surprise booklet? what are the plans for the time outside of WDW?

 

[KathyRN137]

Yeah... what she said!

(So glad you are okay!)


Kathy

 

[skier_pete]

Good to hear you made it through OK - we were down in SC and were lucky it missed us. (Coming home was fine - Buffalo isn't exactly a hurricane hot spot...we're more likely to get residual from the gulf storms.)

 

[mommytothreeboys]

So glad that you managed to escape the worst of Irene.

 

[DisMomAmy]

So glad to hear that you are doing okay and came throught the storm fine. Sure hope they get the power on soon for everyone in your area. I work for the power company and we got a request late Friday to send help up north as they knew it would be bad.

Your last day plans look great. We are ending our holiday vacation at the candlelight processional. Love that you posted the places to eat at the Boardwalk. We are there 2 nights in November and it saved me some research!

Glad to help you out with the Boardwalk QS choices. It's great that you'll be there later in November because you'll get to see all the decorations. I don't think any of the resorts are going to be decorated in early November when we're there.

so glad it went through w/out any issues...maybe helped you were at the end of it...stinks about the no school and lack of internet and such...be almost beteer w/ no power at all, huh?

so up next...hmmm

you have told all your food plans, touring cards, plan for surprise, clothes for picture...I guess you won't have a countdown...what about packing lists, souvie thoughts? are you going to share anymore from the boys surprise booklet? what are the plans for the time outside of WDW?

Luckily school was on today so all is well with the world again! But my good friend in the next town over still doesn't have power!

Thanks for the PTR suggestions.

Yeah... what she said!

(So glad you are okay!)


Kathy

Thanks Kathy!

Good to hear you made it through OK - we were down in SC and were lucky it missed us. (Coming home was fine - Buffalo isn't exactly a hurricane hot spot...we're more likely to get residual from the gulf storms.)

Did you get any flooding in Buffalo? Vermont got hammered! We were lucky the storm went west or that would have been us!

So glad that you managed to escape the worst of Irene.

Thanks Missy!!

 

[DisMomAmy]

After a false start yesterday, we finally had the first day of school today!

But first I want to share a few pictures from our trip to the lake last Friday before the storm.

It's become an annual tradition to head to the lake with my mom & my brother's kids, Rebecca & Michael. This year Rebecca's boyfriend came along.

Here are the boys with their cousins:

Then on Saturday we went to another minor league baseball game. We had tickets to Sunday's game but the game got moved to a double header on Friday due to Irene. We could exchange our tickets for either Friday or Saturday's games but we had to just show up at the game & hope there were seats... not ideal with our boys! So I bought more tickets & we went to Saturday's game instead. We'll exchage the original tickets for either playoff tickets or a game in April/May next year. I'll just drive up to Manchester ahead of time & make the exchange at the box office. It makes for a good excuse to stop at the Disney store in Manchester...

Anyways... during the game Zach wanted to take a walk & a few minutes later a lady comes up and asks Zach if he could do her a favor & go up to the announcers booth & announce the players! It was sooo cool!! Then he got to go to the booth next door & talk live on the air with the radio announcer.

Then once we made it through Irene, the boys started school today. Alex is starting his last year of elementary school in 5th grade & Zach is now in 2nd grade.

Alex wouldn't dress up but Zach still enjoys "getting handsome." And no they can't wear hats at school but they are allowed to wear them at recess so they had them on this morning.

Continued...