Guilt and the Guilty Pleasure – A Single Mom’s April 2011 PTR for a Surprise Birthday

[Tink-erin-belle]

OK, so I know it is Christmas Eve and I realize that I should be taking advantage of the fact that my kids are with their dad so I can finish wrapping their presents, BUT… I just realized that I have my very own early Christmas present! Today marks 99 days until our trip! We are officially in DOUBLE DIGITS!!!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Happy Double Digits and Merry Christmas!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Merry Christmas to you too, Jackie, and have a Happy New Year!

 

[PennyLane1084]

Hi Tink! I'm catching up on your PTR but I just wanted to mention that we'll both be in the World at the same time. I'll be there from April 3 - 9. Back to reading now

 

[PennyLane1084]

Now the full reply:

First of all, Your kids are super cute!! Love their sense of humor and their "i'm so cool" poses.

Congrats on getting the discount and upgrading to POFQ!!!!

All your Disney movie night look like so much fun. I love that you coordinated everything. How cool. What a great mom!!

As far as rides and whatnot:
Enchanted Tiki Room - Might get flammed for this but don't waste your time, trust me. That's 20 minutes of my childhood I'll never get back.

Swiss Family Treehouse - HAHA my mom used to say the same thing. I also have never been in it.

If you're going to get candy from around the "world" try Pocky in Japan. It's a skinny cookie type of stick dipped in choclate. It's one of my favorite candies ever!! Also try some Cajeta (ca-heta) in Mexico, it's Mexican Caramel.

I have a list similar to yours on my PTR with all the rides I have/haven't done.

All your ADR's look really good too. The funny thing is you're doing almost all the same ADRs as myself except for different meals. For instance, We're doing O'hana for breakfast and Chef Mickeys for dinner. lol. Also it's funny that you went with Akerhaus because I was going to suggest that. I've heard it's a great place to interact with the princesses. I'm sure Minnie will love it.

The Pirates league is also really seems cool. I'm a 26 year old female and I wish I could join in on the fun. Chip will have a blast for sure!!

Also I Minnie's face on EE was priceless. Pure Terror. But it is really funny. She may be scarred for life but a little therapy in her adult years will fix her right up.

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

OK, Kristin, I was laughing through your entire post!

First of all, Your kids are super cute!! Love their sense of humor and their "i'm so cool" poses.

Congrats on getting the discount and upgrading to POFQ!!!!

All your Disney movie night look like so much fun. I love that you coordinated everything. How cool. What a great mom!!

Thanks so much for the compliments! They really are great kids – even when they are getting on my nerves We have a lot of fun together.

As far as rides and whatnot:
Enchanted Tiki Room - Might get flammed for this but don't waste your time, trust me. That's 20 minutes of my childhood I'll never get back.

Swiss Family Treehouse - HAHA my mom used to say the same thing. I also have never been in it.

Glad it wasn’t just my mom!

If you're going to get candy from around the "world" try Pocky in Japan. It's a skinny cookie type of stick dipped in choclate. It's one of my favorite candies ever!! Also try some Cajeta (ca-heta) in Mexico, it's Mexican Caramel.

Yum! Thanks for the tips!

All your ADR's look really good too. The funny thing is you're doing almost all the same ADRs as myself except for different meals. For instance, We're doing O'hana for breakfast and Chef Mickeys for dinner. lol. Also it's funny that you went with Akerhaus because I was going to suggest that. I've heard it's a great place to interact with the princesses. I'm sure Minnie will love it.

Yeah, I hopped over to your PTR and saw some of your plans. I’ll comment more on there, but I will say this again: DISers have great taste! Also, I had no idea there was even such a thing as Build-a-Dino until I read your PTR, much less one in T-Rex! Chip acts like he has grown out of Build-a-Bear but somehow still ends up “building a bear” every time we’re at the mall I think he and Minnie will really enjoy Build-a-Dino! So thank you for including that little gem in your PTR! Even though that means I’ll be spending more money but that’s not your fault!

The Pirates league is also really seems cool. I'm a 26 year old female and I wish I could join in on the fun. Chip will have a blast for sure!!

Do it! I’ll be 38 when the trip rolls around, but I’m dying to do the Empress Package! Since Pirate’s League is something special for Chip’s birthday, I won’t… but I’m strongly considering having all three of us do it on our next trip! (I also wonder if they’ll let me in BBB…? )

Also I Minnie's face on EE was priceless. Pure Terror. But it is really funny. She may be scarred for life but a little therapy in her adult years will fix her right up.

You had me cracking up on that one! Her “Terror Face” is awesome! I’m so glad that she was willing to go on the ride again and again after that. But if she starts having nightmares about a yeti one day, I’ll know why!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Happy New Year!!!

I got this survey from Kristin (PennyLane1084) after she posted it on her PTR. It is so funny because these types of surveys run rampant around my office after New Years for some reason. They start off as surveys about what you did in the previous year and what you plan on doing in the New Year. Then as the weeks go on, the surveys tend to get a bit more, well, shall we say inappropriate? Those are the ones where you stop writing down your answers and only put “your fine”. If you have taken a “What’s your fine?” survey, you know what I mean. In any case, surveys are fun! So I filled this one out and I hope to hear that others have filled it out too because I’d love to read them!



1. What is your name?


Erin


2. When was the first time you went to Disney World?


Easter, 1986 – I think


3. When was the last time you went to Disney World?


November 2009


4. When is the next time you will be in Disney World?


April 2, 2011!!!


GETTING THERE


5. How do you usually get to Disney World?


Road Trip!


6. What do you do to pass the time while getting there?


Well, since I’m the driver, I keep my eyes on the road and drink plenty of caffeine! The kids and I usually also play I Spy and 20 questions. When they are playing their DSi games or listening to their iPods, I get to listen to music I like instead of Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato…Oh, who am I kidding? “Kiss & Tell” is in my CD player in my car right now and Minnie wasn’t the one who put it in there!


7. Do you have any particularly memorable or interesting experiences you can recall happening on your journey to Disney World?


When I was 14 or 15, my mom was driving which was unusual because my dad usually drove. We were on a long stretch of highway in NC, I think. I was listening to music on my Sony Walkman (wow, I aged myself by admitting that) and I felt the car hit a huge bump as if my mom went over a speed bump too fast. Well, that speed bump was a deer and my mom freaked out! The deer obviously didn’t make it, but everyone in the car was OK. The only damage on the car was that the driver’s side mirror was hanging off. Maybe there was also a scratch or two on the side, but not much. My dad fixed the mirror enough so that we could keep going and my mom swore off driving for the rest of the trip!

Thankfully, nothing that bad has ever happened on any of the road trips I have taken with the kids. Where’s some wood? I need to knock on it!


LODGING


8. What is your favorite place you have stayed at and why? It does not have to be on property.


Coronado Springs is my favorite place so far while staying in WDW with the kids because that was where we stayed on our first trip. As a kid, my favorite place we stayed was at Grand Floridian. I remember thinking about how it was the best of Southern charm and beauty. I also really liked the body lotion they had there and I was happy that mousekeeping gave us a new one each day because I was able to keep a few for myself and use them after the trip. I have a thing for high quality body lotion!


9. What is your least favorite place you have stayed at and why? (It doesn't necessarily have to be a bad place; it's just that maybe out of all your list of favorites, this would be your least favorite).


When I was a teen, The Cabins at Fort Wilderness was my least favorite because when we walked in, I remember thinking to myself “Eww!” I was a bit too prissy to “rough it” and I felt like the cabin was just a little too close to sleeping outdoors. Actually, it turned out to be OK, and I ended up enjoying myself. But it also holds a bad memory for me because my youngest brother, Louie, accidentally touched the iron when my mom was ironing and had a pretty bad burn. Our parents had to take him to an emergency room to get it treated. He ended up being fine, no scars or anything, and Louie doesn’t even remember it!


MAGIC KINGDOM


10. What is your favorite attraction in the MK?


Space Mountain is my favorite, with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad running a very close second.


11. What is your least favorite attraction in the MK?


It used to be Hall of Presidents and Liberty Belle Riverboat when I was a kid, but now I really appreciate HoP so I guess LBR by default? I haven’t ridden it as an adult, so IDK, but I think I will enjoy it now. Ask me after my trip in April


12. Tell me a random memory you have involving the MK.


I remember doing Baby Swap at BTMRR with my parents. My mom and I took the youngest two babies (Dewey and Louie) after we rode while my dad took the other two kids on the ride. My mom got those strawberry popsicles for all of us for the first time, but I thought they would be plain because they were just made from strawberries. Well, I took a bite and I was hooked! I got a big hunk of strawberry and it was over! LOVE THOSE POPSICLES!!!


13. What is your favorite place to eat in the MK?


Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table


EPCOT


14. What is your favorite attraction in Epcot?


Spaceship Earth


15. What is your least favorite attraction in Epcot?


As a kid, it was American Adventure. As an adult, again, I have grown to enjoy it.


16. Tell me a random memory you have involving Epcot.


I remember being fascinated by the jumping fountains where the water looks like it is chasing the spout of water that jumped before it. Does that sound confusing? Because it makes perfect sense in my mind Anyway, I used to love that area and I was so excited to see it was still there when I took my kids to EPCOT


17. What is your favorite place to eat in Epcot?


Garden Grill because it has it all! Great food, great atmosphere (who doesn’t love a revolving restaurant?!? ) and great characters!


18. What is your favorite country in the World Showcase?


As a kid, it was Morocco, but I haven’t been there yet as an adult. So now, I’ll say my favorite country is Norway. Maelstrom and School Bread! One heck of a combination!


HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS


19. What is your favorite attraction in HS?


Tower of Terror with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster as a very close second.


20. What is your least favorite attraction in HS?


Sounds Dangerous. Ugh!


21. Tell me a random memory you have involving HS.


On our 2008 trip, Minnie and Chip and I all got overtired. Minnie decided that she was upset about something (I can’t even remember what it was about) and she decided to sit herself down right in the middle of Pixar Place! She thought her little tantrum would embarrass me, but I just let her sit there in the middle of the “street” and I sat down on the steps. She started pouting because she was getting mad I was ignoring her. Chip sat down next to me and asked if I was going to go get her. People were starting to stare at the kid in the middle of the street after all! It was a battle of wills and after about 5 minutes, she came to sit next to me on the steps. We all just needed a minute to cool off and that helped. We had a group hug and we ended up leaving the park so that we could relax for a while and hit the park refreshed later on.


22. What is your favorite place to eat in HS?


ABC Commissary because it is the only place we have eaten


22a. What is your least favorite place to eat in HS?


ABC Commissary because the food isn’t anything to write home about


23. Do you watch the Citizens of Hollywood?


Yeah, we have caught them a few times and on our last trip, they interacted with the kids. It was great!














ANIMAL KINGDOM


24. What is your favorite attraction in the AK?


Expedition Everest – no question about it!


25. What is your least favorite attraction in the AK?


It is a tie between Primeval Whirl (because the ride was so jerky that the kids and I all left with sore hips from slamming into each other!) and the Affection Section in Rafiki’s Planet Watch (because the goats were just running wild in there, so I felt like I was walking in a minefield because I was trying to avoid stepping in all of the poop!)


26. Tell me a random memory you have involving the AK.


Sorry, I can’t think of a memory right now. I’m trying to stop thinking about all of the poop!


27. What is your favorite place to eat in the AK?


Flame Tree BBQ!


OTHER DISNEY PLACES


28. Which water parks have you been to and which one was your favorite?


I haven’t been to any water parks. Like ever. In my life! So I would really like to take the kids to the Disney water parks on an upcoming trip. We don’t have time to squeeze it in during the April trip, though.


29. What was your favorite part about that water park?


N/A


30. Have you been to Disney Quest?


No, but that is something else I’d like to squeeze in the April trip. I just don’t know if we can, so I think it will be on an upcoming trip that we do that.


31. What was your favorite thing about Disney Quest?


N/A


32. Have you been to the Wide World of Sports?


No, and I looked up the info and I’m really not interested in going. Maybe one day, just to say we did it, but I’m not planning on it anytime soon.


33. What was your favorite thing about the Wide World of Sports?


N/A


EXTINCT DISNEY


34. What are some of your favorite attractions that are no longer around?


20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was the main one. I felt like something was missing when I took the kids to MK and I realized that attraction was no longer there.


35. Have you ever been to Discovery Island when it was still running?


No, I don’t think so. That was part of AK, right? The first time I was in AK was in 2008 with my kids.


36. Have you ever been to River Country when it was still running?


I don’t even know what that is!
OK, I looked it up. Water Park. Nope, never been.


37. What was your favorite part about the now shut down Pleasure Island?


I was always too young to go, but I remember going to the movies there with my parents and sibs one time.


38. What is your favorite extinct show/parade?


We weren’t big on the parades and shows when I was a kid. You-know-who thought they were “stupid”


RANDOMS


39. What is one thing you MUST do every time you go to Disney?


Hmm…IDK… I never felt there were any must do’s when I was a kid. My kids and I haven’t built up traditions yet either, since we have only been twice as a family. The only thing I can think of is how I would like to make a tradition out of having breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table on our last park day.


40. What is one thing you MUST eat every time you go to Disney?


Mickey Head Ice Cream Bars, of course!!! (I will be shocked if this isn’t everyone’s answer)


41. What is something you haven't done yet that you look forward to doing?


See “Trying New Things” parts 1 - 7


42. What is something you have done and have no interest in doing again?


See the answer to Question 20


43. Who is your favorite Disney female?


Tinkerbell, of course!

44. Who is your favorite Disney male?


Woody. He is the most human of all of the Disney characters I can think of – and he is a toy! I like that he has faults, has a bit of an ego, a bit of a vengeful side, but always comes through in the end by doing the right thing and being a great leader. Woody is the man!


45. Who is your favorite Disney villain?


Gothel from Tangled. Hands down! She is such a mean, nasty, sarcastic b!#@$ LOVE HER!!! Plus, her hair looks just like mine (minus the grey, because I use Preference hair color, Honey ) I am toying with the idea of being her for Halloween and having Minnie go as Rapunzel.


46. Your earliest Disney Park Memory:


Riding Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and loving it!


47. What other Disney Parks have you been to outside of Disney World?


I haven’t been to any others, but I would love to take the kids to each one, starting with Disneyland.


48. Have you ever had to explain your love for Disney to someone who just didn't "get" it?


Yes, constantly. People at work wondered why I was taking the kids to Disney again when I had just taken them the year before. This year, I haven’t told anyone about my upcoming trip yet because I have decided that it isn’t up to me to convince them that Disney is one of the best vacation destinations out there. Besides, Disney World gets crowded enough. We don’t need more people knowing how awesome Disney is!


49. Blasphemous I know, but where is your favorite place to travel outside of Disney?


Jamaica. I have only been once. It was before I had kids/was married and I went on a solo trip. It was a long weekend and I went with a tour group (and I was so nervous about going by myself that I almost didn’t go)! But I desperately needed a vacation and I was so glad I didn’t chicken out of going at the last minute. That was the only other vacation I have been on where I felt completely carefree and I came back feeling rejuvenated. I really want to go back one day. I’ve vacationed in lots of other places, but Jamaica and Disney World are the only places where I have been where I came back feeling refreshed.


50. Which Disney character reminds you of you?


Tinkerbell! Hence the name

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

90 Days!!!

Wait! 90 days?!?

90 days? As in 3 months? I only have 3 months until this vacation?

I only have 3 months until this vacation!!!

Oh no! I only have 3 months until this vacation!!! I have SO MUCH to do!!! OMG! OMG! OMG! I feel so unprepared! I know I have been planning this trip for months, but sheesh! It is right around the corner! That is a good thing, but that is a BAD THING! I clearly am feeling conflicted – and I clearly am in need of a nice vacay! So anyway, you know I made a list! I made this to do list a few days ago after it really hit me that I was in the double digits before our trip. Here it is:

To Do:

Finish paying off trip ~ OR ~ get APs and TiW (I still haven’t made a decision on this. Come on, bonus!)

Get prepaid cards for TS and CS meals and snacks (if we do TiW), character pictures, souvenirs and activities (I use prepaid cards on vacation – like Amex and Visa gift cards – because I feel funny about using my real credit cards on vacation and I don’t like to carry a lot of cash)

Get cash for mousekeeping tips and waitstaff tips (unless we do TiW)

Collect quarters and pennies for pressed pennies

Clean pennies (I hate grimy pennies! )

Pre-order Photopass CD and Photobook (I am actually on the fence about the Photobook, because I know I can do it cheaper somewhere else, but I made one in 2008 and I treasure it. I never got around to making one for 2009 because I kept telling myself I was going to make one at another site. So we’ll see…)

Order birthday cakes (I can’t wait to do this! The kids will be so excited!)

Shop for snacks and water at BJ’s (have I mentioned my love of buying in bulk?)

Design: t-shirts, pressed penny tubes, autograph books, EPCOT passports and travel journals

Make: t-shirts, pressed penny tubes, autograph books, EPCOT passports and travel journals (I’m a little worried I’m overdoing it here )

Decorate Minnie’s shoes for BBB (this is a last minute thing. The girl is growing like she is on hormones or something! )

Order Minnie’s dress for BBB (see above – but, I am worried about this being TOO last minute because I don’t want the dress she wants to be unavailable. Oh, and I asked her “theoretically” what princess she would want to be if she could dress up as any of them. I’m slick, right? Her answer was Tiana, but she recently declared that her favorite princess is now Ariel! So I’m thinking of a Tiana dress and a Little Mermaid themed birthday cake. Besides, she had a Princess and the Frog sheet cake for her birthday last year. Again, we’ll see…)

Figure out what Chip is going to wear for PL (Seriously. What the heck is he going to wear? I’m planning a t-shirt for his birthday, but I’m trying to get a read on him about if he would want to dress up for PL. He might be “too old” to dress up. I’ll have to pull up the PL section on allears.net and find a way to get him to look over my shoulder while I’m looking at it so that I can have a reason to ask him )

Order H2O products (I fell in LOVE with their stuff when we stayed at CSR in 2008. I was disappointed they didn’t have the same things when we stayed at CBR in 2009. I’m guessing it was just cutbacks in general that caused Disney to only supply the shampoo/conditioner combo in the room. What about the wonderful lotion? So I am bringing my own this year! )

Make goodie bags for the road trip (gotta keep the kids occupied!)

Make LGMHs (just in case of a planned or impromptu DISmeet! )

Print clear labels (I haven’t experienced the drama of a lost camera/cell phone/etc and I don’t want to! So I’ll put labels on certain items with our last name and resort just in case something gets lost. Ugh! I need some wood to knock on again!)

List addresses/email addresses (for postcards and virtual postcards)

Have mail stopped

Confirm: vacation package/hotel reservation, rental car, ADRs, BBB, PL and birthday cakes (with the exception of the birthday cakes – only because they haven’t been ordered yet – I have had to resist the urge to call to confirm things about once a week! Say it with me now: “Control freak!” )

Wrap birthday presents

Pack luggage, overnight bag and car

Figure out how to surprise the kids with this trip! (I might have to dedicate a whole post to this one so I can bounce some ideas off of you guys! And you lurkers…yeah you, I know you’re there. It’s cool Please feel free to comment on this one [or anything else for that matter] because I feel like I’m gonna need some help!)

I think my To Do List is complete, but these things tend to have minds of their own and continue to grow up until the last moments before the trip! Is there anything I have forgotten? I have my Shopping List and my Packing List separate from the To Do List, so I’ll share those soon too. Is there a job called “Professional List maker”? Because I would rock at that job!

I’m gonna continue this in the next post, because I am getting long winded again

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

So it dawned on me that 90 days means that I have very few weekends to get stuff done. I counted, and there are only 6 weekends where the kids will be with their dad before the trip. I will have to do the crafty type stuff when they are with him because making WDW t-shirts will raise a huge red flag with them! On the weekends the kids are with me, I have to be sneaky! Guess where we went the other day? Under the guise of picking out paint colors for Chip and Minnie’s rooms, we went to Home Depot! Well, Minnie and I did. Chip was busy – I bet you can guess what he was doing – playing video games! So Home Depot + paint= yup, you know it! LGMH!



Yes, I really did swipe 10, even though I probably will only need 2. Just to make it look legit in Minnie’s eyes, I asked her to pick out some colors too. This was what she got for Chip’s room:



They look much darker in this picture, but they are various shades of blue. Chip approved when he saw them, by the way, and he said he wants to use two of those colors in his room. These also look much darker in the picture:



Minnie chose Behr paint. What about Disney paint? Get with the program, Minnie! Actually, she has good instincts because Behr is the brand I used in our last house and I really liked that paint. Anywho, the paint looks like shades of 1980’s rose, but it is actually a rich fuchsia, a bright pink and a baby blue. Yes, she wants ALL THREE colors in her room. I’m still trying to figure out a way to do that in a way that won’t look totally tacky! Sorry about the inaccurate colors, though. I took the pics with my camera phone, and although it is 8 megapixels (great for a phone) the colors aren’t always quite right if the lighting is off. I messed up the shutter on my digital camera, so I’m hoping to buy a nice SLR soon – see, look? You just got a sneak peek into my shopping list! Moving on…

So, before I lose your attention, some more pics. I’m not ready to show a finished product yet, but here’s a preview:







Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I’m bling-ing them out! Don’t tell me you didn’t see it coming! You know I’m a diva!

I did some other supply shopping for the crafts I have lined up. I got the Mentos tubes for the completed pressed pennies and pressed quarters while shopping for movie candy with the kids. I will admit that I am the woman that brings in her own candy to the theater! The concession stand is too high! $4 for something I can buy at the drug store for $1 and sneak in the theater?!? Yeah, that’s how we roll! I’m saving for a Disney vacation, after all! Plus, we saw two movies in the past couple of days and we’re seeing a third today. That would have added up! Do you see how I am trying to justify this? It is obviously something I feel guilty about Anywho, let me get off of this tangent and show you the Mentos containers:



All of us picked red (yes, I’m making one for myself too) and I told the kids I needed the containers back after they were empty. I got some strange looks from them, but they agreed I wanted to get the mini M&M tubes too, but they only had 2 colors to choose from. So, what did I do? I went to BJ’s and got a big ol’ box of bulk mini M&Ms so that there were lots of colors to choose from. Yeah, that was the only reason I got that big box. Not because I wanted to have a stash of M&Ms in my desk at work, or anything So these are the colors I have to choose from:



I’m not sure what design I’m doing for the penny/quarter holders, so I will decide what colors to use based on the design. In case you were wondering, yes, those containers are already empty. The kids and I crushed some mini M&Ms over the past few days! I had to hide the rest in the trunk of my car!

So… since we got all of the pressed coin supplies, I wanted to experiment with cleaning pennies! I had a few gross looking ones in my wallet, so we started with those!



We also gathered up vinegar and salt, per directions I found online.


Oh, and I used a leftover Christmas cup because I wasn’t sure how these things would react together and I didn’t want to use a regular bowl. Here’s Minnie, begging to be in the pic:



So we poured 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a 1/4 cup of vinegar and stirred it up. Then we dropped the pennies in. It was working! It was so cool that I got a little over-excited and I think I may have pulled the pennies too soon because they weren’t perfectly clean. But they were much better than how they started! Look!:





See? Almost like new! I am such a nerd. It was fun and the kids had (almost) as much fun as I did! So I am going to gather all of the pennies I can (don’t pennies just wind up in the most random places?) and clean them up. I probably won’t have to get pennies from the bank if I just keep collecting them over the next 3 months. I’ll probably have to get quarters from the bank, though, because I tend to put those in the vending machine at work! I’ve only managed to save 5 quarters so far

Chip’s pictures have been missing from this PTR for a while, and I can’t have that! Here are some pictures of him doing some “Myth Buster” experiments:









So handsome! Also, it brings up two points. #1 is that he gets his nerdy-ness from me and #2 takes me back to my very first post on this PTR. Remember how I said he only does educational stuff when he feels like it? Well, these experiments were from a Christmas gift I gave him. I knew he would love doing this stuff because he is only a geek on his terms. Not for school! So he did these experiments out of the blue last night and really enjoyed them. He also got his little sister involved and it was so cute watching him show Minnie how to conduct these experiments!

So, that is it for now! I have had a few days off from work and I have been able to spend a lot of time with the kids. It has been great! Especially since work has been so hectic for the past month or so. The kids and I have been having a lot of fun and we really needed this time together. Well, I know I needed it. I’m ready to start a new week tomorrow, so I am going to soak up the last little bit of fun I can have with the kids today. As I said, we’re going to see another movie today and I have another little adventure in store for them too. This has been like a mini vacay for me and it is just making me even more excited about the Disney vacation!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Yeay for 90 days until Disney!!!

Your to-do list looks a little daunting, but I am sure you will get it all finished!

I love that you are blinging out your Mickey heads! LOL! Rhinestones are one of my best friends!

The science experiments look like fun! I will have to remember that trick for making new shiny pennies!

 

[micandminforever]

Being a retired math/science middle school teacher I love all the science pictures. You had the right idea for your son's gift. Sometimes all it takes to get a kid interested is to show that science can be fun.

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Yeay for 90 days until Disney!!!

Your to-do list looks a little daunting, but I am sure you will get it all finished!

I’m so excited! Yes, I freaked myself out with that list, but I got over it I actually feel a little better now that it is all written out. It’s a lot, but I can do it! Thanks for the vote of confidence

I love that you are blinging out your Mickey heads! LOL! Rhinestones are one of my best friends!

Aren’t rhinestones the best?

The science experiments look like fun! I will have to remember that trick for making new shiny pennies!

Cleaning the pennies was really neat. It was like magic to Minnie! Chip basically said “I’ve seen that before” and went about his business. but then it did inspire him to open up that Myth Busters kit later and do his own experiments

Being a retired math/science middle school teacher I love all the science pictures. You had the right idea for your son's gift. Sometimes all it takes to get a kid interested is to show that science can be fun.

and thank you! Yes, it was great seeing Chip take an interest in the experiments. He even said, “Mom, that was a really great gift. Thank you! Really. Thank you!” So I guess he really enjoyed it! I will definitely get him another Myth Busters kit and hopefully that will encourage him continue experimenting and researching on his own. It was great to see the curiosity and the interest in his eyes again :

 

[inkedupmomma]

i lalallalallalalalaLOVE your disney movie nights! I subbed to that thread ages ago, and never looked back! I think I mos defintley will now! We have both kids every other weekend and i think this would be loads of fun leading up to Disney!

So glad you switched to POFQ!! It looks SOO nice there!
for 90 day mark!!

and i gotta say, in addition to stealing the movie nights, I am gonna totally start cleaning all my pennies

Your holidays sounded great! did everyone get what they want?

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Hi Erin!!!

I really should clean my pennies, too.......Yours came out so nicely! I took your lovely survey, so here goes...

1. What is your name?


Ann


2. When was the first time you went to Disney World?


I was 15 years old…..1983 (shhh….I’m not that old!!!)


3. When was the last time you went to Disney World?


September 2010 --- my Disneymoon


4. When is the next time you will be in Disney World?

September 2011


GETTING THERE


5. How do you usually get to Disney World?


Fly


6. What do you do to pass the time while getting there?


look out the window, read….listen to ipod


7. Do you have any particularly memorable or interesting experiences you can recall happening on your journey to Disney World?


during Victoria & my 2009 Christmas trip, I cried during Wishes


LODGING


8. What is your favorite place you have stayed at and why? It does not have to be on property.


Actually, it was off property during Victoria and my 2009 trip. I think it was a Howard Johnson…..I would have to look. We just really had a great trip and everyone at the hotel was awesome!

9. What is your least favorite place you have stayed at and why? (It doesn't necessarily have to be a bad place; it's just that maybe out of all your list of favorites, this would be your least favorite).


It was the Lake Buena Vista resort on Hotel Blvd by DTD. We were with my mom, brother and niece….I just didn’t like it.

MAGIC KINGDOM


10. What is your favorite attraction in the MK?


The Haunted Mansion


11. What is your least favorite attraction in the MK?


the Barnstormer……yuck!


12. Tell me a random memory you have involving the MK.


Again, it’s crying during Wishes

13. What is your favorite place to eat in the MK?


I loved Tony’s

EPCOT


14. What is your favorite attraction in Epcot?


Test Track


15. What is your least favorite attraction in Epcot?


none. Love them all

16. Tell me a random memory you have involving Epcot.


Victoria being mad at Peter for actually liking the Beverly at Club Cool


17. What is your favorite place to eat in Epcot?


Seasons food court at the Land

18. What is your favorite country in the World Showcase?


Mexico

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS


19. What is your favorite attraction in HS?


Tower of Terror with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster as a very close second. ---- I have to agree with Erin


20. What is your least favorite attraction in HS?


none….I love this park!!!

21. Tell me a random memory you have involving HS.


I think it was the first time I saw the Beauty and the Beast show….just magical


22. What is your favorite place to eat in HS?


???? I really don’t have one….

22a. What is your least favorite place to eat in HS?


???? again, don’t have one

23. Do you watch the Citizens of Hollywood?

Yes! Love them!!


ANIMAL KINGDOM


24. What is your favorite attraction in the AK?


Expedition Everest – no question about it!


25. What is your least favorite attraction in the AK?

I really haven’t given this park a fair chance yet.

26. Tell me a random memory you have involving the AK.


??


27. What is your favorite place to eat in the AK?


Rainforest Cafe

OTHER DISNEY PLACES


28. Which water parks have you been to and which one was your favorite?


I haven’t been to any water parks.

29. What was your favorite part about that water park?


N/A


30. Have you been to Disney Quest?


No


31. What was your favorite thing about Disney Quest?


N/A


32. Have you been to the Wide World of Sports?


No.

33. What was your favorite thing about the Wide World of Sports?


N/A


EXTINCT DISNEY


34. What are some of your favorite attractions that are no longer around?


???

35. Have you ever been to Discovery Island when it was still running?


No

36. Have you ever been to River Country when it was still running?


No

37. What was your favorite part about the now shut down Pleasure Island?


Never went

38. What is your favorite extinct show/parade?


???


RANDOMS


39. What is one thing you MUST do every time you go to Disney?


Downtown Disney shopping

40. What is one thing you MUST eat every time you go to Disney?


Mickey waffles

41. What is something you haven't done yet that you look forward to doing?


???

42. What is something you have done and have no interest in doing again?


???

43. Who is your favorite Disney female?


Ariel & Belle

44. Who is your favorite Disney male?


MICKEY!!!!

45. Who is your favorite Disney villain?


I don’t like villains!!!

46. Your earliest Disney Park Memory:


???


47. What other Disney Parks have you been to outside of Disney World?


none

48. Have you ever had to explain your love for Disney to someone who just didn't "get" it?


Yes, constantly.

49. Blasphemous I know, but where is your favorite place to travel outside of Disney?


Old Orchard Beach, Maine. That’s where I was married


50. Which Disney character reminds you of you?


Ariel

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

i lalallalallalalalaLOVE your disney movie nights! I subbed to that thread ages ago, and never looked back! I think I mos defintley will now! We have both kids every other weekend and i think this would be loads of fun leading up to Disney!

Thanks, Jenn! Yeah, they really keep the Disney magic alive while waiting for the trip

So glad you switched to POFQ!! It looks SOO nice there!
for 90 day mark!!

I’m really happy I was able to get this resort

and i gotta say, in addition to stealing the movie nights, I am gonna totally start cleaning all my pennies

Your holidays sounded great! did everyone get what they want?

Christmas was really great! The kids got everything they wanted – because they are spoiled rotten We also had a good time on NYE at home, switching between ABC, NBC and Disney Channel to watch the entertainers and to watch the ball drop

16. Tell me a random memory you have involving Epcot.


Victoria being mad at Peter for actually liking the Beverly at Club Cool

That is too funny that she was mad – but I guess when you are expecting as a reaction, it could be disappointing I can’t believe anyone would like that nasty stuff! But to each his own! I have to admit that I have to try it every time I see it because I just want to remember how gross it is. Is that weird?

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Hi there! I came across your TR today and read the entire thing. I had a single mom while growing up and realize what sacrifices you make, each day. How special for you to be able to take your children to WDW. I love your PTR and will be following along for sure.

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Hi, Kelli! Thank you so much for the compliments I'm glad to have you join in on this adventure!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

I thought I’d share with you guys some of the things we did over Winter Break. First of all, Dinner and a Disney Movie never happened for The Santa Clause trilogy. Yes, we watched all of the movies at some point before Christmas. Yes, we also had breakfast for dinner one night – but that was mostly because I was too busy to go to the grocery store Eggs, sausage and fried potatoes will do in a pinch! I halfway pulled off a theme dinner for Disney’s Prep and Landing.



Yes, that picture IS just a picture that I took of my TV because I am just THAT CLASSY! Anyway, I love that cartoon. I guess you call it a cartoon. What do you call something that is cartoon length but done in CGI? I’m gonna call it a cartoon until somebody tells me different The theme I had in mind was “Office Christmas Party”. I made a vegetable dip and we had that, along with celery and carrots, for our appetizer.








I also made peel and eat shrimp, but it was at that moment that Chip decided he no longer liked shrimp! What??? Oh well, more for me and Minnie! I made him something else but I don’t remember what. Really, I think he was put off by the idea of having to peel his own shrimp. I’m going to make a chicken and shrimp gumbo or jambalaya for our The Princess and the Frog night and see if he still turns his nose up at the shrimp. And, no, I still haven’t done The Princess and the Frog even after getting all hyped up to do it after changing my resort to POFQ! It was just insanely busy before the holidays. I might as well wait for Mardi Gras to do it now!

Anyway, our dessert and our activity was making cookies for Santa! We made a gingerbread cookie recipe that used butterscotch pudding mix rather than molasses. It sounded weird and I was nervous about how they would turn out, but they were great! They tasted like Pepperidge Farm Gingerman cookies to me! Next time, I might even decorate them with turbinado sugar like they do and they’ll taste even more like Pepperidge Farm Here is the recipe if anyone is interested. We made them in the shape of trees and decorated them with green royal icing. This is our first batch:



Not too bad for our first try! And this time, powdered sugar wasn’t EVERYWHERE, it was only ALMOST EVERYWHERE Sadly, the cookies were so yummy, they never made it to good old Saint Nick’s plate. We even made some sugar cookies for the kids to take to their dad’s house, but those cookies never made it there either!

If you haven’t seen Prep and Landing, I would highly recommend it for next year. Heck, I’d recommend it for any time. Disney once again produced something that is highly relatable to kids as well as adults. I know I’ve felt like Wayne before! Chip has even taken to exclaiming, “That’s so tinsel!”

Speaking of movies, over the break, I took the kids to see Tangled one night. Surprisingly, Chip wanted to see it as much as Minnie did. Disney did a great job marketing it to boys so that it didn’t seem like just another princess movie for girls. Well, by the time we got there, Tangled was sold out! I knew I was moments away from Minnie throwing a crying fit and possibly from Chip sulking. I scanned the other movies available and quickly asked if they wanted to see Harry Potter or Yogi Bear. I wishfully chanted in my head “Harry Potter! Harry Potter!” The chance of us seeing Harry Potter was slim to none, though, because Minnie has been afraid of all but the first two movies ever since she saw the third one. If you’ve seen Prisoner of Azkaban, you’ll probably remember the shrunken head that is hanging in the bus. His face was pretty creepy to begin with (he was a shrunken head, after all) but when he said “It’s going to be a bumpy ride!” Minnie lost it! She refuses to watch that movie and hasn’t watched any of the ones after that.

So, I wrote ALL OF THAT just to say that they both picked Yogi Bear. I’ve heard that Deathly Hallows part one was pretty intense and scary (which wasn’t a surprise since the book was the same way) so it was probably for the best that the kids chose Yogi Bear. Now, I’m not sure if the kids even were familiar with Yogi Bear but they became very excited about seeing the movie. I, on the other hand, was very familiar with Yogi bear since there were limited cartoon choices in the 70’s I never cared for Yogi and I didn’t like that his side kick was named Boo-Boo because my parents used to call poop “boo boo”! So, imagine as a child having to hear Yogi say one of his tag lines, “Hey, Boo-Boo!” It made me cringe and laugh at the same time! No wonder I enjoyed toilet humor so much as a little girl! OK! That’s enough of that! I sure hope no one was eating a meal as they read that! I get carried away when I think of the different ways my parents scarred me for life!

I’m sorry, that was two tangents in a row! Let me reel it in and say that I found myself sitting in the movie theater, enjoying the coming attractions and passing out the candy I smuggled in for the kids. Then the movie started and I thought, “Oh, here we go.” There were two other people in the theater - I didn’t take that as a good sign. Since the other people were way at the bottom of the theater and we were way at the top, I knew I could pull out my cell phone (without disturbing them with the light) and check the running time for the movie. Only 80 minutes? Sweet! Those 80 minutes went by in a flash and it was actually a pretty good movie. The kids really liked it, so that was what was really important. I personally thought we could have waited to see it when it came out on cable but it had some funny moments. If you haven’t seen it yet and want to see it in the theaters, I’d recommend not going to the 3D version. It had very few good 3D effects and quite a few average 3D effects. I’d say not to waste your money on a movie that is 3D just for the sake of being 3D

Which brings me to Tangled. In my opinion, Tangled was also in 3D just for 3D’s sake. There were a few 3D effects that were really great and a few that were just so-so. I wouldn’t think that it would have taken away from the movie if it wasn’t in 3D. That being said – I LOVED TANGLED!!! LOVED LOVED LOVED it for so many reasons. I won’t give anything away, but I have to say that this was the first time I actually liked a villain’s character in a Disney movie! I mean, villains are villains, after all! We’re supposed to hate them! Gothel, Rapunzel’s “mother”/captor was a villain I loved to hate. Her character had such depth, but I won’t go on because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it. I also loved Rapunzel and Flynn’s characters for the same reason – their characters were multi-faceted. It is great to be able to go to a “kids” movie and be able to truly enjoy the story and the humor. And I cried a little too

I planned on taking Chip and Minnie to see Tron too, but we ended up doing something else that day that ended up being so much fun Hopefully, I’ll be able to take them within the next week or so. Tron is a movie that I think will be worth seeing in 3D, so I’ll give you my opinion on that after we see it. You’re on pins and needles, aren’t you??? But seriously, does anyone else out there think that all of these 3D movies coming out are just a gimmick at this point? Anyway, in blog standards – I’ve written an epic novel at this point, so I will write about other things we did during Winter Break in another post. TTFN!!!

 

[Charleston Princess]

We just love Prep and Landing at our house! I wish they would release it on DVD! Those cookies look delicious!

My two wanted to see Yogi Bear as well, but I persuaded them it was a wait and rent it kind of movie. I was never a Yogi Bear fan either. We did, however, see Harry Potter. It was pretty intense, but my two are older, and we enjoyed it.

I can't wait to see Tangled!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Hiya Erin. It sounds as though you and the kids have really been enjoying the winter season so far. I must admit I have been either sick, my back hurting, or just plain lazy so that we haven't done too much. We did see the new Narnia which we liked.; You must be so excited to be leaving so soon!!! It's coming right up!!!