Guess What? We're Going to Valdosta!! A May 2012 PTR! 06/06-TR Link Posted!

[UGAFan0829]

Teen Dance!!!!

Thank you! It's so nice to have others who understand and get the excitement!!

I did make ADR's for Ohana!! Just couldn't resist after seeing those pics!
Plus, I think it's the least expensive of the character dining options! (which goes right along with my "saving money" theme!)

Can't believe you're in the teens already on your countdown!

Yay!! That's awesome. I'm glad my pictures were what encourged you to go.

I think you are right about it being the cheapest one--we'll have one table service to pay OOP for, and we were planning on it being that one since it's the cheapest of all the places we'll be eating at.

I can't believe it either!!! It's crazy!!!

Yay for the teens! I know you are too excited for Mark & Jaden!

Mark & Jaden had great catches! My husband would be jealous! He loves to fish, but I can't stand it! I just like to ride around in the boat & sight see.

I can't wait to see pics of your LL Bean bag. You know, you are just going to make me want to order one!

You are so right about that!! I cannot wait to surprise them!!

Mike loves to fish as well...he's in a club that fishes a tournament once a month and then fishes whenever he can on top of that. I don't mind it that much as long as I'm catching something. But if not, I get bored pretty easily!

Hey, that's what the DIS is for...to help us all spend more money when we see the awesome things that others have purchased!! I can't wait to get it either...I just hope it's as big as the reviews say and will hold everything we need!!

 

[amazingact21]

You're in the teens!!!!


Watching your trip get closer and closer is so exciting, and it's great that you were able to pass the pre-Disney time by fishing with Mark and Jaden. They look like they had a blast!

And Mark might want to go on a Disney cruise, but once he understands all that he's getting to experience at Disney World, I'm sure he'll be extremely happy. After all, you have planned an unbelievable trip for the two of them...


A toiletry bag that ACTUALLY holds everything! Hmmm....I think I'll have to see your post about it to really believe that. Having just packed yesterday, I understand your need to get a bag that can hold all your toiletries. This new luggage set I bought came with this bag that I thought for sure would do the trick...but alas, my flat iron, medicines, makeup bag are tucked away somewhere else.

 

[UGAFan0829]

You're in the teens!!!!


Watching your trip get closer and closer is so exciting, and it's great that you were able to pass the pre-Disney time by fishing with Mark and Jaden. They look like they had a blast!

And Mark might want to go on a Disney cruise, but once he understands all that he's getting to experience at Disney World, I'm sure he'll be extremely happy. After all, you have planned an unbelievable trip for the two of them...


A toiletry bag that ACTUALLY holds everything! Hmmm....I think I'll have to see your post about it to really believe that. Having just packed yesterday, I understand your need to get a bag that can hold all your toiletries. This new luggage set I bought came with this bag that I thought for sure would do the trick...but alas, my flat iron, medicines, makeup bag are tucked away somewhere else.

I know...it's so unbelievable!!!

Thanks for the sweet words...I just hope that this vacation is everything that I'm imagining it to be. I hope it means as much to them as it does to us to be able to take them!

Yeah, I know...I'm a little skeptical, too. But we'll see...all the reviews I read swear by it! I will make sure and post pics as soon as I get it!

How exciting that you've packed! I so can't wait to read all about your trip!!!

 

[UGAFan0829]

I think I may have mentioned that Mike and I are training for the Tower of Terror 10-miler in September. And thought it's only going to be a long weekend trip, there's still planning to be done! I was here on the DIS the other day when I came across a thread about MNSSHP. Immediately a light went off when I realized that the party dates coincided with our trip dates! I ran the idea by Mike, and being the wonderful, Disney loving husband that he is, agreed that it was a great idea---just one of the many reasons that I love him so!

We looked at our plans for the weekend and saw that there were 2 dates being offered during our trip--the 28th, which is also the day we arrrive and the day before the race. The other was the 30th, which was the last full day of the trip, and the day after the race. We decided that since we had absolutely nothing planned for that day, that the 30th would be the perfect day for Mike and I to attend our very 1st Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!

With our date being chosen, the next order of business was to choose costumes...
My first choice was Ariel and Eric. But sadly, after a little searching, I realized that they costume people didn't agree with our decision as adult Eric costumes were practically non-existant as far as I could tell. And on top of that, the only adult Ariel costumes were the Mermaid version, and that I wasn't crazy about wearing in public...

So that led us to our second choice—Woody and Jessie!! After I got Mike’s approval, I once again started an internet hunt. And these were the first ones that I found:

These are cute and would do, but I’m not crazy about the fact that it’s all one piece—sort of like a jumpsuit. That led me to keep searching, which eventually brought me to these:

I gotta say, I like these MUCH better—they’re more like what I was going for. Though they aren’t the actual costume, they’re actually “costume kits”. Jessie’s includes the hat, bow, belt and sleeve cuffs, while Woody’s includes the hat, vest, badge and scarf. I wish they included the chaps as well, but I think we’ll be okay with out them. We already have the jeans and boots, so the only other thing we’d be left to buy is the shirts, so that isn’t too bad! As of right now, all the sites I’ve found that carry these are out of stock…so, if they come back in before our trip, this is what we’ll be wearing! I guess we should come up with a back up plan just in case!

Of course now that we’ve decided to do the party I’ve thought of a million questions! Has anyone else ever been and have any tips/advice they’d like to share? I’ve read that it’s best to eat before the party so that you don’t waste precious time eating while there, and I think that’s a good idea. Originally, we had an 5:00-something ADR at Boma for dinner that night, but then I read that CM’s sometimes allow party-goers into the park as early as 4:00. If that’s the case, I want to be prepared, so we moved our Boma reservation to another day so that we still get to eat there and make it to the party early! Any thoughts on this?

 

[Mickey's Goofy Gal]

The day for ya'll to leave is fast approaching! I am so excited! We have an ADR for 50's Prime Time for our July trip so be sure and fill me in when you return home! I have loved your trip report so far! I know this is going to be a wonderful trip for ya'll!

 

[Pinkocto]

How wonderfully fun you'll be able to sneak in the Halloween Party while you're there. I've never been so sadly have no advice, but it looks so fun! Love the costume choices, I hope they come back in stock soon.

 

[onescgirl]

Congrats on going to the MNSSHP!
Those are great costumes, I like the 2nd ones much better too!

 

[mousetravel]

Those costumes are cute, but I agree with you on liking the 2nd set better.

 

[moemt]

How did you happen to decide to take the kids?

I am taking my neice 13 and nephew 9 in August. See my PTR that is buried back a bunch of pages. I see them regular but I have never been anywhere with them without their parents. I suprised them with the trip as a Christmas gift but the big surprise and look was not what I had hoped for.

I am interested in seeing the trip report to see how it went for you. At least you have a 1-1 adult child ratio. My 1-2 ratio may make it tough.

 

[amazingact21]

That's so exciting!!! How great that MNSSHP dates coincide with the TOT 10K. You are going to have so much fun at the party, and I agree, the second costume is much better!


Hmm, tips for the party....Eat before you go, because you don't wanna waste precious party time. You can get into the park at 4 o'clock, and I would definitely suggest doing that, because if you wanna do character meet and greets, you can hit up some rides before 7 o'clock.


Obviously, if you want do the character meets, get in line wayyyyy early, because the waits are insane.


The second parade of the night is going to be much less crowded than the first showing, but be sure and get there early, because the Headless Horseman rides out about 10-15 minutes before the actual parade begins.

That's all I have for right now...

 

[UGAFan0829]

The day for ya'll to leave is fast approaching! I am so excited! We have an ADR for 50's Prime Time for our July trip so be sure and fill me in when you return home! I have loved your trip report so far! I know this is going to be a wonderful trip for ya'll!

It is indeed, Kim...and I'm beyond excited!!
Mike made a special request that we eat at 50's PT...We loved it when we ate there in 2007, so I hope it's still as good as we remember!

How wonderfully fun you'll be able to sneak in the Halloween Party while you're there. I've never been so sadly have no advice, but it looks so fun! Love the costume choices, I hope they come back in stock soon.

Thank you! I'm really excited about attending the party!!! I'm thinking the costumes will prolly show up closer to Halloween!

Those costumes are cute, but I agree with you on liking the 2nd set better.

Thank you. I'm glad everyone has liked them better as well!

How did you happen to decide to take the kids?

I am taking my neice 13 and nephew 9 in August. See my PTR that is buried back a bunch of pages. I see them regular but I have never been anywhere with them without their parents. I suprised them with the trip as a Christmas gift but the big surprise and look was not what I had hoped for.

I am interested in seeing the trip report to see how it went for you. At least you have a 1-1 adult child ratio. My 1-2 ratio may make it tough.

Well, Mike and I had been telling my sister from day one that we wanted to one take Mark and Jaden to WDW, but I wanted to wait until they got to be at the age where they would really enjoy it and remember it. And this year just happened to be the year that we decided to do it.

Mark and Jaden have been coming to our house since they were about 3 months old. We were the first to keep both of them overnight, and because my sister (their mom) is an EMT, she works 24 hour shifts, so we keep them a good bit on the weekends. We've never been out of town with them by theirselves, but have been out of town with the whole family.

I can imagine that a 1-2 ratio would definitely be tough. I'll definitely go check out your PTR...thanks for letting me know!

That's so exciting!!! How great that MNSSHP dates coincide with the TOT 10K. You are going to have so much fun at the party, and I agree, the second costume is much better!


Hmm, tips for the party....Eat before you go, because you don't wanna waste precious party time. You can get into the park at 4 o'clock, and I would definitely suggest doing that, because if you wanna do character meet and greets, you can hit up some rides before 7 o'clock.


Obviously, if you want do the character meets, get in line wayyyyy early, because the waits are insane.


The second parade of the night is going to be much less crowded than the first showing, but be sure and get there early, because the Headless Horseman rides out about 10-15 minutes before the actual parade begins.

That's all I have for right now...

Thanks, Alicia!! Originally, we had dinner at Boma scheduled for 5-something on the day of the party, but after reading that we could get in as early as 4, I changed it to another day so that we could take advantage of all the time we could get.

Thanks so much for all the tips...that is definitely what I was looking for. If you can think of anything else, please let me know!!

 

[UGAFan0829]

My goodness, I am in total shock that we are down to only 5 days! Unlike all the other trips we've waited for, it seems like the time has really flown by! I honestly can't believe we'll be leaving for Disney THIS WEEKEND!! It seems like even before we actually booked the trip and started making concrete plans that we had been dreaming of this trip for a really long time. As you probably know, I have always gotten so emotional at the thought of being able to take Mark and Jaden on their first trip to Disney, so to say that I am overwhelmed with a ton of different emotions right now is an understatement! I'm scared, excited, nervous, and anxious at all once!!! I'm not quite sure how to feel. Most of all, I'm worried about them having a good time...I just don't want them to have different expectations about what Disney really is and then end up disappointed! I hope we haven't talked it up too much! My friends and family keep reassuring me that they'll have a great time, but it really isn't making me feel any better!! Most of all, I'm really ready for the reveal--I can't believe we've held it in this long...I'm definitely ready to let it out. I think once I've seen their reaction to where we're really going I'll be able to know how I should really feel! If they're excited, then of course I'll be excited, and if not, then I have a lot of work to do to get them excited!! I'm just hoping for the best, yet trying to prepare for the not so best!

Since we're so close, Mike and I thought it was probablt a good time to start getting things together over the weekend, which is what we did. I was able to get most everything in one central location and I was able to get all their new clothes washed, folded and ready for the suitcase. I'm thinking of trying to pack with Ziploc bags this time around to see how it works for us. I've never done it before, but have seen it mentioned several times. I'm planning to put each day's outfit in one bag and then label it with the day it's to be worn and who it belongs to. I'm thinking it'll make the mornings a little easier for us since we'll have two extra people to worry about.

And speaking of packing, my L.L. Bean bag arrived and while I haven't packed it just yet, it is decent size. I'm not sure just yet whether it will actually hold everything along with my hair dryer, but we'll see...it is large and I do love all the little compartments and such...

I'll try to remember to take pics of it once it's filled completely up so that you can see just how much it will or won't hold.

So, that's it for now...I'll try and post some pics once we get more stuff packed, but I can't promise anything! But I will try and check back in at least once more before we take off!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and all the Moms had a great Mother's Day! Have a great week!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Ooops...dupicate post!

 

[Pinkocto]

5 day dance!!!

Very exciting!!!

 

[amazingact21]

You leave this weekend!!! You leave THIS weekend!!!

That's so exciting! And I completely understand what you mean about being worried. You put so much into planning and making the trip perfect for others, that when the time actually arrives, you're worried something might not go according to plan. If it helps, I was the same way. In fact, I kept asking my mom the first few days if she was having fun, and it got to the point where she demanded I stop worrying.

I'm sure Mark and Jaden are going to have a great time. And even if there are a few snags or they are a little less excited than you thought, I'm sure by the end, they are going to be begging to stay. Sometimes it takes coming back to reality and looking back on all the fun you had to discover how magical WDW is. No matter how it turns out, though, just be sure to enjoy the parks yourself and relish the fact that you're back with loved ones. Whether it's hot or rainy, in less than a week you'll be back in the world, enjoying all the music, the food, even the Disney smells.


That L.L. Bean bag does look pretty big, can't wait to hear how it fares with everything packed inside.

 

[UGAFan0829]

5 day dance!!!

Very exciting!!!

Thank you!!!!

You leave this weekend!!! You leave THIS weekend!!!

That's so exciting! And I completely understand what you mean about being worried. You put so much into planning and making the trip perfect for others, that when the time actually arrives, you're worried something might not go according to plan. If it helps, I was the same way. In fact, I kept asking my mom the first few days if she was having fun, and it got to the point where she demanded I stop worrying.

I'm sure Mark and Jaden are going to have a great time. And even if there are a few snags or they are a little less excited than you thought, I'm sure by the end, they are going to be begging to stay. Sometimes it takes coming back to reality and looking back on all the fun you had to discover how magical WDW is. No matter how it turns out, though, just be sure to enjoy the parks yourself and relish the fact that you're back with loved ones. Whether it's hot or rainy, in less than a week you'll be back in the world, enjoying all the music, the food, even the Disney smells.


That L.L. Bean bag does look pretty big, can't wait to hear how it fares with everything packed inside.

Thanks, Alicia...That is very good advice. You actually had me tearing up a little there. Sounds like we are alike in a lot of ways! I keep telling myself that even if their reactions aren't what I hope for that I can't get upset...I just gotta keep reminding myself of that!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Well, sadly we've returned from a wonderful, busy, fun-filled, yet tiring trip to the place where dreams come true! We really had a blast. It was everything I'd hoped for and more. Yes, there were a couple ugly moments along the way, but those we more than overshadowed by all the smiles and laughs we had along the way. I'm ready to plan another trip for the 4 of us!

We didn't make it home until 1 a.m. on Sunday morning, so we've been a little tired to say the least. We've been unpacking, washing and folding clothes along with sorting everything out for the past two days. I'm working on getting all my pics organized and uploaded along with getting all our PhotoPass+ pics edited as well. It may be a couple of days before I'm able to get started, but in the mean time, I wanted to leave you with the video of the surprise reveal....It wasn't exactly the reaction that I hoped for, but I was prepared for that, so all was good. I think you'll see how shocked Mark was at the end:

And here are a couple pics as well:

I'll be back to post the link to the TR as soon as I get it started!

 

[Pinkocto]

I can't wait to hear all about the trip! Very cute video, I think they were confused for a while until they were told they were going to Disney.

 

[mousetravel]

Cute video! And the confused looks!

Can't wait to hear all about it.

 

[amazingact21]

Oh my goodness, I can't believe it took me 3 days to realize you posted this video! Glad you had a blast at WDW, Missy, and I can't wait to hear all about it.

The video was priceless, thanks for taping the kids' reactions and posting it! I loved it when Jaden realized she'd be getting to wear her Cinderella dress, she looked so happy!