Frozen.... in the NorthEast - August 2014

[DisMom1981]

Yay for a Disney shopping trip! Cool! Sounds like you were able to get some great things!

Also, I agree - celebrations are a must - take advantage of them if you can, that's what they are there for.

Which meal are you doing at Ohana? We have not eaten at San Angel Inn, so I don't know that much about it... I am sure that tequila will be a great thing though.

D~

Yes, I am going to call later to fix an ADR that gave me some trouble and I will be sure to add our celebrations- might even add Tom and Auntie who have July birthdays!

We are doing Ohana dinner.

 

[DisMom1981]

Done! Phew! After some initial 'un-pixie dust' on the laptop and phone, the laptop MDE finally pulled through. I was on the computer from about 6am-close to 7am to make all the ADRs because there was another issue along the way that I will describe below.

Here is our itinerary!

Wednesday, August 13- leave home about 1am and drive, drive, drive to NC

Thursday, August 14 - leave by 6 am and drive, drive, drive. Check in at POP hopefully by dinner time (I'm going to push to leave earlier than 6am, but we are staying with relatives, so......makes it a little tougher). Meet up with Auntie, Grammy, and Pop Pop who will have the luxury of flying in.

Friday, August 15
MK day
5:05 'Ohana

Saturday, August 16
HS day - AM EMH
12:15 Sci-Fi lunch- we probably won't go back at night unless offered a reprieve from the kids. Last year, morning/early afternoon was more than enough time at HS for the little ones- and that was without EMH.

Sunday, August 17
MK day - PM EMH (again, only to be enjoyed if reprieve from kids offered)
BOG- at 6am on ADR day I could not get one reservation for all 7 of us. Luckily, I was able to book Tom, TJ, Aly, Auntie, and myself at 5:05 and my parents at 5:00- will call Disney later and see if they can mesh the reservation? If not, no big deal.

Monday, August 18
AK day - AM EMH
I'm excited for AK. It was our last day last year and we were tired of being hot and tired, so we missed a lot. The AM extra hour will give us more time to explore if we are not at MK too late the night before!

6:15 Hoop dee Doo Musical Revue

Tuesday, August 19
Epcot night
9:35 AM Chef Mickey's breakfast (my parents are opting out of this one)

5:00 San Angel Inn

Wednesday, August 20
Epcot day
5:15 Garden Grill (cannot wait for Chip and Dale)

Thursday, August 21
MK AM EMH

Will do the morning/early afternoon here. Then it will be time to take it easy at the resort and have an early dinner before we leave by 4am the latest to head back north

 

[DMGeurts]

All of your ADRs sound wonderful! BUmmer about not being able to get BoG all in one sitting - but sometimes they can work magic at the podium too... So all is not lost yet.

We love Garden Grill with Chip n' Dale - it's really a fun meal... I am missing out on having it this time.

Otherwise, your plans and meals sound fantastic! Great choices Ann!

D~

 

[huggiebear23]

Love the PTR. The kids are super cute. I am going in August too. Have you e driven to Fl before? Do you like iy?I really want to do it but I am meeting my Dh in Orlando so we are taking the Auto Train.

 

[DisMom1981]

Love the PTR. The kids are super cute. I am going in August too. Have you e driven to Fl before? Do you like iy?I really want to do it but I am meeting my Dh in Orlando so we are taking the Auto Train.

Thanks! We drove last August and loved having our car. We stopped in Savannah, GA last year. The kids were great in the car. We did have some ahem moments- I forgot to pack bathing suits for myself and had to seek out a mall in Savannah after driving all day, kids were CRAZY when we got to Savannah- tub drain broken and Aly got sick in the tub and then we got locked out of the room- seriously needs it's own post, I got a speeding ticket (so so bad but not used to driving for long periods of time/distance and learned lesson- use cruise control!). So- an adventure but can laugh about most of it now and we are doing it again so we are either that crazy or it just wasn't so bad as it seems

Driving home was not as fun- but we just don't want to spend the money to fly and then also rely on Disney transportation. I had looked into auto train last year but the prices seemed similar to flying?!

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[DisMom1981]

All of your ADRs sound wonderful! BUmmer about not being able to get BoG all in one sitting - but sometimes they can work magic at the podium too... So all is not lost yet. We love Garden Grill with Chip n' Dale - it's really a fun meal... I am missing out on having it this time. Otherwise, your plans and meals sound fantastic! Great choices Ann! D~

Thanks! I am so excited! The kids LOVE watching the old Chip and Dale cartoons and they like Rescue Rangers too .

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[DisMom1981]

I am having a great time on my never ending vacation. Thursday and Friday school was canceled due to snow and today and tomorrow are our President's weekend holidays.

Yesterday I took the kids to auntie's house in NJ and we drive to the Crayola Experience in Easton, PA. First, doesn't Disney just spoil you so much that any other place with attractions just seems kind of......lame?! Anyway, I thought it from driving past that way as a kid that it was in the actual factory right off the interstate, but either I was wrong or they changed this over the years. Crayola Experience is not located far off if the Intersate, but it is in the middle of a downtown area with- no parking! There was a garage across the street but it was for permit parking only- not sure if this is always the case or was just due to the snow situation. So we parked in some random lot for $4 a good block away and then literally trekked through slush covered roads and snow banks (the sidewalk was under construction) to the Crayola building. The space was light and bright and the kids loved it. Because it is in a "city" community it is a large building in the tall sense- 4 floors, so lots of climbing or elevator waiting. And I swear for a twenty degree weather day it was HOT in there- maybe to get you to buy $3 water bottles! The cost was about $16 a person and Auntie was kind enough to pay for TJ, so I just had to pay for Aly and myself. You are given about 5 tokens which allow you to make your own crayon labels and markers with very basic touch screen and hard to follow/see open window machine to watch the action. We saw an awesome demonstration if what happens in the real factory- highlight of the experience. TJ loved the two story indoor play/climbing structure and slide that was kind of a McDonalds play place on steroids and a huge water table/canals that you could float boats through. We also has pictures taken that made you into an illustration on a coloring page and played in a space with toys that felt like a dr office waiting room. The fourth floor had crayon melting crafts but the lines were HUGE and after just about 2 hours in the crowded space and climbing stairs with little Aly- we were done. I'm glad we got to see it- it was the first successful learning demonstration TJ has ever sat through and it makes me hopeful that on this WDW trip he might actually watch some of the shows over sitting with the iPod touch and missing it all.

This weekend I started playing with touring plans mostly to familiarize myself more with quick service options, and the layouts and attractions at AK and HS.

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[DisMom1981]

The apocalypse could be coming- I just went to the gym for the first time in a year and started couch to 5k over again. Day 1 felt like the end. Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I don't know how I missed your PTR before, but here I am now, along for the ride . You have a beautiful family!

 

[DisMom1981]

I don't know how I missed your PTR before, but here I am now, along for the ride . You have a beautiful family!

Thanks! I need to get back to this report, but I've been obsessing over the August weight loss group!

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[Pikester]

Just noticed the link in your siggie.

 

[alicat8]

My husband isn't a Disney guy either (hoping he'll convert now that we're taking our daughter...wishful thinking!) I don't remember if our trips overlap, but maybe we could send them off together to do non-Disney things, haha! Mine wants to play golf....seriously?!? You can totally do that here...

 

[DisMom1981]

Just noticed the link in your siggie.

Hi! I've been so busy stepping (and eating this week....) that I've neglected the Disboards!

My husband isn't a Disney guy either (hoping he'll convert now that we're taking our daughter...wishful thinking!) I don't remember if our trips overlap, but maybe we could send them off together to do non-Disney things, haha! Mine wants to play golf....seriously?!? You can totally do that here...

Golf......blehhhhhhh. Yes my DH is the same......not with golf, but he will want to do something non Disney like suggest going to Universal- which there is nothing wrong with but when he knows I've spent MONTHS going over every last detail Of our trip it's like he is throwing that out there to specifically annoy me:

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[DisMom1981]

I am back! School is out and we are no longer FROZEN in the North East! I am currently overdosing on summer activities with my kids - fitting in as much Stay at Home Mom time as I can. We've been taking walks by the beach, hitting up all the local playgrounds, riding bikes, playing at the elementary school playground where TJ will start KINDERGARTEN in the fall, playing in our kiddie pool, visiting relatives, oh, and of course we have been DISNEY DREAMING- did I mention I've only been done with school for 6 days?!?

Funny to note that I spent HOURS using touring plans to make customized plans months ago.......I did not refer to them at all when making my FP+ reservations, so I guess I have to either develop new ones or throw them out the window?!

We will depart home on Wednesday, August 13. Last year we left at about 1:30am and we made it past all of the major cities without hitting rush hour traffic. I'm hoping for a repeat.

Arrive at POP as early as possible on Thursday, August 14. Meet up with Grammy, Pop Pop, and Auntie K as they will have the luxury of flying in and enjoy the pool! Hopefully we will get in early enough to swim and grab dinner at our favorite off site place- Sea Dog Brewery- the prices are awesome, the beer is delicious, family friendly, great food- and literally, right outside the gates that enter onto the road where the Downtown Disney hotels are located. Highly recommend- we ate there several times last year.

Friday, August 15 - Magic Kingdom! 5:05 ADR at O'Hana- first time eating here.
FP+
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train9:25 - 10:25 am (Second guessing as this is precious rope drop time, but I figure there will be a line here from first thing in the am to closing anyway and kids won't want to do this so they can walk on and off of Dumbo while adults rotate turns using their FP+)

Enchanted Tales with Belle 11:10 - 12:10 pm

Space Mountain®6:45 - 7:45 pm

Saturday, August 16 - Hollywood Studios
Lunch at Sci-Fi- ate here as a little girl- TJ will LOVE sitting in a car to eat.

FP+ My hope here is to get to TSMM at Rope Drop and then get a second ride during our FP+ time. If we can't make it to ToT FP time we will have to reschedule it from in the park. This is a half day park for me with the kids. I'm hoping to get on RnR mid-day when hopefully my parents will take the kids back to the resort and DH, Auntie K and I can go wait out the stand-by time. Other than that, I'd like to see the Muppets as they were closed last year and possible Disney Junior since the kids like that although we live watching all of those shows and I don't think the puppets are so exciting to make this a must do.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™9:00 - 10:00 am

Toy Story Midway Mania!10:40 - 11:40 am

Star Tours® - The Adventures Continue11:40 - 12:40 pm

Sunday, August 17- Back to Magic Kingdom!
*This was supposed to be an evening EMH day and Disney wrongfully took this away after all ADR and FP+ reservations were made. I am so disappointed and wrote a letter of complaint and basically got a "Don't worry, it will all be ok" nothing response.
I am disappointed because we have a BOG dinner reservation and at this point I will never get another BOG reservation for all of us if I decided to switch days around. Also, I was hoping to stay in the park with DH or return to the park after the kids go to bed since my parents will be with us and in a connecting room can go to bed with them. Then we could have an actual Disney date night. Now, that is out the window I spend half my life or more thinking Disney and telling everyone how great it is, but to this I have to say SHAME, SHAME, SHAAAAAAME.

Anyway, FP+ are as follows
Hoping to hit Pirates and/or Jungle at RD

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad®9:35 - 10:35 am
Splash Mountain®10:50 - 11:50 am
Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid 6:30 - 7:30 pm

Monday - August 18 - Animal Kingdom
Dinner at Hoop De Doo

*This was supposed to be AM EMH and Disney took it away. So, so, so disappointed. This is another half day park for my family, hence planning Hoop dee Doo dinner this night. I counted on AM EMH buying us an extra hour in the AM. In order to change this I would have to find another Hoop de Doo reservation on whatever day is now the AM EMH day for AK and then move everything around on whatever day that was. A domino effect I do not have the stamina or sanity for.
I was hoping to Rope Drop the carnival type area of AK before the safaris
I guess now we will just RD it to the safaris and try to do stand-by there and change our first FP+ reservation to something else?

Kilimanjaro Safaris®9:25 - 10:25 am
Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain®10:25 - 11:25 am
Kali River Rapids®12:20 - 1:20 pm

Three more days to go! I will post them tomorrow or the next day!

 

[Pikester]

I'm right there with you on being annoyed about the EMH for the 17th being taken away. That was the only MK MH that we had available for us and now it's down the tubes. The closing time is 11p which isn't bad but it totally stinks when you've made plans around the original schedule.

 

[DMGeurts]

All of your plans look great!

I am also so irritated for all of my friends who were affected by all the EMH changes. Sigh. I hope you are able to get everything ironed out.

D~

 

[DisMom1981]

I'm right there with you on being annoyed about the EMH for the 17th being taken away. That was the only MK MH that we had available for us and now it's down the tubes. The closing time is 11p which isn't bad but it totally stinks when you've made plans around the original schedule.

All of your plans look great! I am also so irritated for all of my friends who were affected by all the EMH changes. Sigh. I hope you are able to get everything ironed out. D~

Thanks ladies! Bottom line is I know it will be an awesome trip and with the heat and little kids who knows how much of the EMH time wed really use anyway even with my parents help.

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[mom2clr]

So glad you're back to posting! Although I had to move back my trip to Aug '15, I still want to follow along.

I started a new full-time job a month ago and I could realistically go this August, but decided the responsible thing to do is push it back.

I had been working part-time for about 18months and never got my full-time hours as promised and 2 months later got let go. I had been home Feb-May and it was by far the best thing that happened. I starting interviewing immediately but I had a criteria I wasn't backing down from. In the end, this job found me (on Careerbuilder ). I work 10minutes from home. The company environment and co-workers are amazing. And by far the added bonus is I'm making $1k more a year than I was in my last full time position over 5 years ago, certainly not was I was expecting.

So, although I have to push back my trip, I can save and make it a little extra special for me and the girls.

Looking forward to catching up!

 

[DisMom1981]

So glad you're back to posting! Although I had to move back my trip to Aug '15, I still want to follow along.

I started a new full-time job a month ago and I could realistically go this August, but decided the responsible thing to do is push it back.

I had been working part-time for about 18months and never got my full-time hours as promised and 2 months later got let go. I had been home Feb-May and it was by far the best thing that happened. I starting interviewing immediately but I had a criteria I wasn't backing down from. In the end, this job found me (on Careerbuilder ). I work 10minutes from home. The company environment and co-workers are amazing. And by far the added bonus is I'm making $1k more a year than I was in my last full time position over 5 years ago, certainly not was I was expecting.

So, although I have to push back my trip, I can save and make it a little extra special for me and the girls.

Looking forward to catching up!

So sorry for your hard times, but it looks like it all happened for a reason! And a year pretty much goes by in a second anyway, right!?

 

[DisMom1981]

Yesterday was another busy day. The kids had spent the night at my MIL's house so that I could go tutor first thing in the morning. Always exciting to have a few extra bucks on hand! Then I came home and filled up the kiddie pool so that it would have time to warm up before I got home with TJ and Aly. All week long I had been saying how I can't believe the difference in behavior for TJ and the overall ease of taking care of both of them compared to last summer. Well, yesterday, was a day of regression in a major way. There is a level of hyperactivity, impulsivity and outright defiance that comes out and it literally sucks the life out. I'm sure sleeping in a different environment (or not sleeping much is more likely) didn't help matters. So, we came home and I gave my best dose of keep them busy to help regulate- we spent a good hour in the back yard with water squirters and the pool. Then we had way. too. much. downtime. before Aly's three year well visit at 4:15. She measured 37 inches and I'm hoping that by the end of August, with shoes, she will make it to at least 38 inches so she can experience some big kid rides.

The kids were so tired last night they literally crashed at dinner time and pretty much slept through to this morning. TJ is still in testy behavior mode today so for our keep it busy we brought bikes down to the beach first thing and also played at the playground. Next it was time for TJ's tae kwon do (another attempt to teach discipline) and now the boys are mowing the lawn and the girls are watching Snow Buddies.......again......

Later, we will attempt to go to a carnival in town (Oh help us)

Now let's re-center and get back to my happy place

Tuesday, August 19 AM Chef Mickey and hang at the pool
PM Epcot and San Angel Inn

This day was tricky to plan for. My parents will be skipping CM, so they will probably go to EP in the am, too. I hate the tiers and I also hate that I can't just swap times easily. All changes need to be done one at a time. There has to be a better way, Disney! I don't really know why I planned fast passes this way. Maybe I will try to get a Malestrom one for later. I also would like to see some princesses in the WS, but they are out such limited hours (like literally for an hour a day?) I don't get that or how you can really plan it.

Also, TJ will want to TT and won't understand that I booked it the next day in the AM so we can ride twice- stand by at rope drop and then with fp- and if Aly isn't tall enough we can also squeeze a rider swap in maybe?

The Seas with Nemo & Friends®9:15 - 10:15 am - I need to change this, but I don't really know what for?!
Journey Into Imagination With Figment10:20 - 11:20 am
Soarin'®4:15 - 5:15 pm

Wednesday, August 20 Epcot - Garden Grill dinner

Test Track® Presented by Chevrolet®9:15 - 10:15 am
The Seas with Nemo & Friends®10:45 - 11:45 am
Meet Disney Pals at the Epcot Character Spot12:00 - 1:00 pm

Thursday, August 21 Magic Kingdom last day

Meet Anna and Elsa at Princess Fairytale Hall9:20 - 10:20 am (YAY)
Tomorrowland Speedway10:25 - 11:25 am
Peter Pan's Flight®11:35 - 12:35 pm

I'm second guessing some of these plans and I look over them again. I'm regretting not referring to my customized touring plans as I selected the fp+ times, but it was not an easy process to select fp+, IMO.