Gearing Up For a Birthmasiversary With the Mouse! - A Dec 09 PTR

:eek: I'm impressed. I hope you don't mind but I might adopt this style spreadsheet of yours. :rolleyes1 It would be much easier to have everything on ONE page rather than a day per page. I've been doing mine in Pages (Mac equivalent to Word - yes, I'm a loyal Mac user) and, even though it is pretty, it's annoying having to constantly flip through pages. I'll definitely want to have this sort of layout for my 10 day trip next year. Not sure if that will fit all on one 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. Guess I'll find out soon enough! Great work :thumbsup2 Stop fiddling with those ADRs :laughing:
Doh! Mac. And here I was about to offer to email you the Excel file so that you just just tweak it to your itinerary. Aw well! Of course I don't mind you adopting the style, I am certain I'm not to first to come up with it! :rotfl:

I dunno what the Mac equiv of Excel is, but you could certainly get 10 days on a single sheet of paper. There's seven on my itinerary. Would just take more narrow columns and likely a slightly smaller font. :goodvibes

And I'm tryyyyyyyying to stop messing with our ADRs, I am! I swear! :rolleyes1

...I think I need an intervention. :lmao:
 
Is there still room on the bus? :rolleyes:

Hi Billie! I just read through your whole PTR so far! Fun, fun, fun! :banana:

I agree--the more organized/planned your trip is, the more good times you can squeeze in. (And you have to do as many fun things as possible with DBF since you don't get to see him all the time.)

I wanted to tell you that my best friend that I grew up with is also named Billie. Her real name is Wilhelmina (a big name for a little girl), she was named after her aunt. So her nickname was always Billie. Very near and dear to my heart.:love:

And you know what else? I am taking my first ever solo trip to WDW the same exact dates as you and your DBF!!:woohoo: Dec 1 - 7 can't come soon enough! I'm booked at ASMu but have been thinking on and off (driving myself crazy) of upgrading to CSR. It looks like such a beautiful resort. So, I don't know...I guess I'll keep thinking...

Keep up the posting! This is enjoyable reading. Thanks.:flower3:

Kim
 
Awww Thanks for the offer Billie. No worries. I'll just look back and forth between yours and the one I'll be creating. Hopefully I won't need to make the font too small. Wouldn't want to need to use a magnifying glass to read it! :magnify:
 
I been out of sorts but I'm caught up now. I love your spread sheet, It looks like we will be in Epcot on the 4th together we have ressies at Coral reef for 7:10 that night and I have to say Epcot is my favorite park as well. I aslo agree about flipflop cute as a button hurt like crazy can't handle them between toes have to wear slide sandals. I even prefer shoes with no back I am a comfort girl and if it hurts I ain't wearin it no matter how cute it is.
 

Great spreadsheet! It's so funny how when putting everyone's ideas together, we can come up with some many variations to organizing and keeping track of all of our info!!!! Good job! You will be busy in the next 8 weeks playing around with your times, schedules, etc., I bet! We all change the plans a million times! I think that is in part because when you make ADR's, the times look one way in your mind and then when you work them into your itinerary on paper they look totally different! I know mine do and I am thinking about changing some around again!! Ahhhhhhhhh!
 
Great spreadsheet! It's so funny how when putting everyone's ideas together, we can come up with some many variations to organizing and keeping track of all of our info!!!! Good job! You will be busy in the next 8 weeks playing around with your times, schedules, etc., I bet! We all change the plans a million times! I think that is in part because when you make ADR's, the times look one way in your mind and then when you work them into your itinerary on paper they look totally different! I know mine do and I am thinking about changing some around again!! Ahhhhhhhhh!

It our compulsion to make everything just perfect we have to tweek everything at least once or we aren't happy. I've rewritten mine 3 times you know more time in Epcot less time here , do I really need to rest then? I could be eating here and then I don't need to hop. Ok I think I have it. Maybe???? I think thats half the fun of planning.:thumbsup2
 
Thinking of starting a PTR.

Oh, oh! You definitely should. Join the fun and excitement of everything that comes with planning your trip to Disney. Not to mention you'll have something to look back to after your trip :thumbsup2 You'll have a guaranteed subscriber here :wave2:
 
Is there still room on the bus? :rolleyes:

Hi Billie! I just read through your whole PTR so far! Fun, fun, fun! :banana:

I agree--the more organized/planned your trip is, the more good times you can squeeze in. (And you have to do as many fun things as possible with DBF since you don't get to see him all the time.)

I wanted to tell you that my best friend that I grew up with is also named Billie. Her real name is Wilhelmina (a big name for a little girl), she was named after her aunt. So her nickname was always Billie. Very near and dear to my heart.:love:

And you know what else? I am taking my first ever solo trip to WDW the same exact dates as you and your DBF!!:woohoo: Dec 1 - 7 can't come soon enough! I'm booked at ASMu but have been thinking on and off (driving myself crazy) of upgrading to CSR. It looks like such a beautiful resort. So, I don't know...I guess I'll keep thinking...

Keep up the posting! This is enjoyable reading. Thanks.:flower3:

Kim
Awww, aren't you a sweetheart! :hug: Of course, there's always room on this bus, honey!
Disney_Bus.gif
:banana::banana::banana:

I was actually named after my cousin! Well, second cousin. My mom's cousin. Something like that. :laughing:

STORY TIME!

I guess there is or once was a wives tale about how if a pregnant lady mixes her pee with bleach, whatever color it turns will tell you the gender of your baby. Well, my cousin Billie Jo, who is my mom's age, swore by this test, and convinced my mom to try it when she was pregnant with me. Well, whatever color it turned I guess was supposed to indicate that my mother was pregnant with a boy. Mama argued with her, because she said she just had this "feeling" that she was carrying a girl. So they went back and forth, back and forth. Finally, my mother told her "Fine. I tell ya what. When this baby is born, and if it's girl, I'm going to name her Billie Jo, so that you can never forget how wrong you are." And that, as they say, is that. :rotfl:That's right, I got my name from a stinkin' bet.

Anyhow... Not to be the bring of bad news, but at this point, you're probably going to have a hard time upgrading to CSR because of Pop Warner. I looked last week, was going to try and add a night on at the end of our trip as a surprise for DBF. The ONLY resorts showing available after Dec 4th were Animal Kingdom Lodge, Saratoga Springs, and Ft. Wilderness Cabins. :scared1:

Awww Thanks for the offer Billie. No worries. I'll just look back and forth between yours and the one I'll be creating. Hopefully I won't need to make the font too small. Wouldn't want to need to use a magnifying glass to read it! :magnify:
LOL. Well, mine is done in an 11pt. I dunno about you, but depending on the font, I can usually see fine anything down to an 8pt. Be sure to show us whatever you come up with!

I been out of sorts but I'm caught up now. I love your spread sheet, It looks like we will be in Epcot on the 4th together we have ressies at Coral reef for 7:10 that night and I have to say Epcot is my favorite park as well. I aslo agree about flipflop cute as a button hurt like crazy can't handle them between toes have to wear slide sandals. I even prefer shoes with no back I am a comfort girl and if it hurts I ain't wearin it no matter how cute it is.
I have yet to try Coral reef, but I think I'm going to include it as a "Must Do" for next year! This year I'm determined to get more World Showcase restaurants, since the only two I've ever doe are Biergarten and Rose & Crown.

Great spreadsheet! It's so funny how when putting everyone's ideas together, we can come up with some many variations to organizing and keeping track of all of our info!!!! Good job! You will be busy in the next 8 weeks playing around with your times, schedules, etc., I bet! We all change the plans a million times! I think that is in part because when you make ADR's, the times look one way in your mind and then when you work them into your itinerary on paper they look totally different! I know mine do and I am thinking about changing some around again!! Ahhhhhhhhh!
So very true! :lmao: I know in my case, I had to pick my original ADR choices before park hours came out. Then when they did, I didn't have much time to re-think things. As the last 4 weeks have gone by, and I've done alot more organizing and planning, as well as getting ideas from the DIS... I ended up re-doing every single day of our trip! :laughing:

It our compulsion to make everything just perfect we have to tweek everything at least once or we aren't happy. I've rewritten mine 3 times you know more time in Epcot less time here , do I really need to rest then? I could be eating here and then I don't need to hop. Ok I think I have it. Maybe???? I think thats half the fun of planning.:thumbsup2
I dunno if ya'll noticed, but that's the one thing I didn't schedule us for... daily breaks/rests. :lmao: And still intending on being at rope drop every morning, and closing down a park every evening. Except for the one day in the middle of our trip, I did decide to give us a half-day to laze around the resort. I think DBF would have killed me otherwise. :rolleyes:

I'm here, too. Just booked my trip for February! Thinking of starting a PTR.
Welcome! :hug: You should definitely do a PTR! They're so much fun to follow and chat with people in, it really does help the time go by faster! :goodvibes I would definitely subscribe!

My major problem is that I'm having too much planning overlap between my Oct and Dec trips! :rotfl:
Oh, geeeeez. :rotfl2: Poor you! :cutie: :hug:
 
I just shared an unfortunate experience I had at WDW on another thread, the subject of which was backpacks. I just thought I'd repost it here as a warning/reminder! :goodvibes

May biggest caution about backpacks is do not let it out of your sight. If you are wearing it on your back in lines, watching parades, etc... be sure that somebody you know is standing behind you.

In 2000, I was watching SpectroMagic (or perhaps that was when the Main Street Electrical Parade was visiting WDW... I don't remember) for the first time. Standing there in awe, totally rapt, and in the most magical, safest place on Earth. After the parade, I took my backpack off to get something out of it... and found the front pocket unzipped and my wallet gone. All my cash, credit cards, IDs, everything... Gone.

Consider it a cautionary tale. Even in WDW, where we tend to fall into this magical little bubble where we forget the dangers of the real world, crimes still happen. Keep an eye on your bags at ALL TIMES.

Additionally: I have never traveled with children, but I still have always carried a bag of some sort. I am ultra-sensitive to the sun, and I take meds through-out the day. My hair tangles easily, so I bring a small brush to sort it out a couple times a day. I like having all my planning/travel notes available. Extra snacks like energy bars come in handy for us. Things that we buy in the parks have a place to be carried around. I don't have to worry about my cell phone, camera, or wallet coming out of my pockets or off my belt. My sunglasses have a secure pocket to be stored in so I don't lose them on rides. So on and so forth.

The fact is that there are pros and cons to anything, including bringing a backpack or any other bag into a theme park with you. And what works for one family won't work for another. Are you going to be away from your resort all day long, or do you plan on taking breaks in the middle of the day? Will your kids be okay with just what can fit into pockets, or are there certain supplies that you feel would be necessary to everybody enjoy their day? You know your crew best, do whatever you feel is in all of your best interest. :)

And for the record, I myself will not carry a backpack anymore. Since my unfortunate experience, I have only used messenger bags, so that I always had a close eye on my belongings. This year, I want something smaller so I am opting for a Vera Bradley hipster bag. ;)
 
Good morning, Billie. Thanks for the info on CSR. Too bad I can't upgrade, but now at least I can stop thinking about it. I really have wanted to try out the All-Stars, so this will work out. Maybe CSR for the next trip!

What a story about how you were named! Thanks for sharing. :flower3:

Kim
 
So I'm talking to DBF yesterday, and he goes:

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. Last night I had a dream about Disney World. We were at some sorta buffet, and everytime I looked out the windows, I saw the Magic Kingdom castle." :rotfl: :love:

I love that all my planning babble is surfacing in his dreams at night. :lmao::rotfl2::rolleyes1

Personally, I have dreams about Disney World all the time. Sometimes they are pleasant, sometimes they are just totally non-Disney situations with Disney World as the background.

And often nightmares, in which I'm try to get there, or I'm almost there, then something happens and prevents me from making it. Last week I had a nightmare about checking in at CSR and nobody spoke my language, had any record of my reservation, and the lights kept going out. In my dream, I never made it out of the hotel lobby. :eek:

Another time, in a nightmare from a few years ago... I was driving, and in the dream just to get onto the Disney property, there were toll booths you had to go through. The big "Walt Disney World" archway was above them. And like, my car kept breaking down once the booths were in sight. Then my tires got stuck in tar. Then finally, my car totally disintegrated around me and I was sitting on the pavement in the middle of a rusted frame and metal dust. Just sitting there crying and seeing Disney World just out of my reach.

It's a common theme in my dreams. :scared1:
 
Thanks for the heads up about the backpacks! Who would ever think at WDW???? Too bad!

LOL You are REALLY obsessed! It is coming into all of your dreams, nightmares, and daily thoughts!! I think the buffet DBF was dreaming about was the Crystal Palace!!!!!
 
OMG!! Girl, you are HOOKED! :lmao: You've been bitten by the disney bug and it's stalking you :laughing:
 
Thanks for the heads up about the backpacks! Who would ever think at WDW???? Too bad!
Yeah, I was pretty shocked. I'm soooo cautious and even a bit paranoid about it now, I guess.

LOL You are REALLY obsessed! It is coming into all of your dreams, nightmares, and daily thoughts!! I think the buffet DBF was dreaming about was the Crystal Palace!!!!!
It's an addiction. :lmao: And don't mention Crystal Palace, that's the ADR I just removed from our plans to cut down on the number of buffet dinner we are doing and be able to go to Chefs de France instead! You're gonna make me start second-guessing myself again and trying to work it back into the plan so DBF isn't disappointed! :rotfl:

OMG!! Girl, you are HOOKED! :lmao: You've been bitten by the disney bug and it's stalking you :laughing:
Seriously! :laughing: My trip is 54 days away, and I'm already too excited to sleep half the time. I'll go to bed and just end up laying there thinking about Disney World plans, lol. I think maybe I need to cut myself off from the DIS an hour before bed! :lmao:
 
Seriously! :laughing: My trip is 54 days away, and I'm already too excited to sleep half the time. I'll go to bed and just end up laying there thinking about Disney World plans, lol. I think maybe I need to cut myself off from the DIS an hour before bed! :lmao:

:laughing: you're crazy :lmao: I know what you mean though, I can't switch off either - last night i even took a planning sheet into the bathroom with me :rotfl2: I always say that I do my best thinking whilst i'm on the loo - its the most quiet room in the house :lmao:
 
:laughing: you're crazy :lmao: I know what you mean though, I can't switch off either - last night i even took a planning sheet into the bathroom with me :rotfl2: I always say that I do my best thinking whilst i'm on the loo - its the most quiet room in the house :lmao:
Too funny! I actually have a friend, Erika, who used to tell people that my best ideas always start with me saying "So today I was on the crapper, and I started thinkin' about...." :laughing:
 
Great spreadsheet! They do make Excel for Mac, because I have it on my Mac, but I think we paid for a Microsoft Office package. I've never made such a fancy spreadsheet though!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on backpacks. I'm sorry you got ripped off. I had my wallet stolen *out from under my nose* in a restaurant this past spring that I used to go to frequently. By the time I realized it wasn't in my purse and called the bank, the thief had already put my name on a fake out-of-state driver's license and used this to get a cash advance, then charged over $800 in a drug store. In both cases, they had the person on video camera but never did catch anybody. I wasn't liable for the expenses, but it still stunk to have to replace everything. It would stink even more while being on vacation.

That's one reason I ordered a cross-body bag for my Disney trip, which I've blathered about in my pre-trip report here: The Return of the Wizard and the Cheerful Dwarf

I carry too much crap to use one of those Vera Bradley bags, and need something more durable than quilted cotton because I'm rough on stuff, and this is what I came up with! Baggallini Around Town Bag I'm sensitive to sun too (get dark blotches on my forehead and have to spend months using expensive creams to get rid of them), so I've got to have a bag big enough to stash my floppy hat when indoors or the sun goes down.
 











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