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

[Tink-erin-belle]

Why “Guilty Pleasure”? I think – no, I KNOW – I love Disney World more than my kids do. Don’t get me wrong, they love it too, but they are in a phase where they take Disney World for granted. They don’t really realize what a truly awesome place it is!



They assume that every amusement park is just like a Disney Park. They don’t realize that the Disney experience is so much more than the parks. They got a little more of an understanding this past Spring when I took them to Hershey Park for their birthdays this year. Hershey is a really cool place with a wonderful theme and great shopping and some sweet coasters – and we had a great time – but it left my kids saying “Is this it?” Oh, gosh, I’ve spoiled them! But the reality is, when I am spending my vacation dollars and my hard-earned vacation time from work, I’m spending them in a place that gives me and my family the full experience. I will certainly take them back to Hershey sometime this year or next (“Springtime in the Park” was great and I really want to do “Hershey Park in the Dark” and the “Christmas Candylane”) but nothing beats Christmastime in Disney World



I am really looking forward to going to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party one day and going to the Flower & Garden Festival! When I was a kid, my family and I would go to Disney once or twice a year, so I was really happy that I could start that tradition with my kids in 2008. We stayed at Coronado Springs for a week in early November. Then in 2009 we stayed at Caribbean Beach for a week in late November.

Now might be a good time to introduce the cast of characters! First is my baby girl – don’t tell her I called her a baby because she’ll get mad!



Let’s call her *Minnie* because she is a mini-me!



She is 7 but she thinks she is 17. I know people always say stuff like that, but this girl really thinks it!



She is a little DIVA with a huge personality – and she knows for a fact that she is cute – but she also is a very kind, generous and loving person, so that makes her little diva attitude tolerable And she knows she can’t play the diva role with Mama because she knows she can’t get away with it since we are so much alike. I love that she is that kind of person because I can tell that she is going to grow up to be a woman that isn’t going to take any nonsense from anyone! I wish I grew up that way myself, but I learned my lessons and became that way later in life.

Next is my baby boy – again, please don’t tell I called him a baby either!



Let’s call him *Chip* because he is a chip off the old block – that old block being me, of course!



He is more like the way I was as a kid. He’s smart, creative, sensitive – but he is also a total slacker! It’s OK, he knows I think this about him because I was the same way as a kid. He is 11 but he has already written multiple short stories in his free time, made his sister a Power Point presentation birthday card this year (he’s actually the one who taught me how to use Power Point!) and he wants to be a game designer when he grows up.



If only he would APPLY HIMSELF! He will do all sorts of creative things in his free time, but ask him to do a school project? Oh no! But we are working on that because this year he will be in the sixth grade and things are only going to get harder from here if he doesn’t apply himself to his school work. I am a walking, talking example of that!

Then there is me, 37, and I am *Tink* and I chose that name for myself because of how Tinkerbell’s character was in her past 2 movies. She’s a good person at heart with good intentions, but I think that sometimes she doesn’t know what is good for her until it is almost too late!



But, like Tink, I learned to “play to my strengths” if you will, and I have been able to accomplish more in the past 5 years than I have in my whole career! Yay me! Also, like Tink, I can be a little hot-headed at times and have to count to 10 (20?...30?...) to calm down and make the right choice. But also, I am the person in the family who spreads the pixie dust and I try to make everyone happy! And nothing makes me happier than to see my kids smile and hear them laugh.

So, on to the “guilt” part. I’m a single mom, so guilt is pretty much a staple in my life. I shouldn’t write that – that sounds WAY more depressing than it is! I know I’m a good mom. I know I do everything for and because of my kids. I just always feel like I should be doing more. Plus, it feels great to show up their dad – my ex-husband – every once in a while! I should have put that sentence in “Guilty Pleasure”! Back to the dreaded guilt. Since I was able to take the kids to WDW for the past 2 years, I was really looking forward to taking them again this year. I’ll reference these trips more another time, but both times we were able to go to MVMCP,





...so I was excited to take the kids to MNSSHP this year. I planned a 2 week vacation. We were staying at Port Orleans French Quarter. We were going to MNSSHP on November 1, I scored some awesome ADRs for CRT (one breakfast and one dinner!)





...as well as 12 other ADRs at some of the most coveted restaurants. Because of our dates, I even got tickets to MVMCP! This trip was shaping up to be nothing less than spectacular! Then…(queue the music) dum, dum, dum…I got a promotion! Yay me! But since I was no longer in a sales role at my company, I wasn’t getting commission anymore, so I was taking a pay cut (this opportunity is SO WORTH IT). But I thought to myself, “It’s cool! I have been planning for and saving for this trip for months!” But then…dum, dum, dum… my ex-husband lost his job – so that meant no more child support. I had to face the reality that it wouldn’t be a good idea to jeopardize my budget to go on this spectacular vacation. It sux to be a grown-up sometimes!

I called Disney Reservations with tears in my eyes. Who am I kidding? I was crying my eyes out over this! I had to regain my composure before I called – and I almost lost it again as the CM answered my call. I requested to cancel my package and she asked me if I wanted to reschedule. I had to breathe to keep from getting choked up, and the tears were welling again, because I had to tell her I couldn’t reschedule right then. And then, to add insult to injury, I had to ask to be transferred to Disney Dining so I could cancel the ADRs too. The ADRs that I got by waking up at the crack of dawn 180 days out from our arrival date, poised at my laptop at 6am as my kids slept with no idea of the lengths I would go to for them to make this trip fantastic. OK, it wasn’t that big of a deal to be ready at the computer at 6 since I am already awake at that time of morning anyway – but it sounded dramatic, didn’t it?

So, being that my most recent hero is Tinkerbell, I decided that I needed to get over myself and figure out a way to fix this. The kids were so gracious about the unfortunate news of our trip being cancelled this year, by the way. I mean, these are some great kids. They really took it in stride and handled it a lot better and with a lot more maturity than I did! They are really down to earth and don’t ask for much – a game or a toy here and there – they mostly just want to spend time with me. They also don’t really spend a lot of time with their dad – and considering the amount of free time he has on his hands now since he isn’t even LOOKING for another job…but, I digress… So anyway, the need to fix things, coupled with the single-parent guilt helped me to come up with a great idea for our next trip!

Wait for it…Wait for it!

OK, I can’t wait any longer! I’m taking them to Disney World for their birthdays in April! (You probably already figured that out by reading the title of this PTR, didn’t you?) This has been something they have been begging for – ever since they saw a kid with a Birthday Button on our trip in 2008. But I never really looked into it because I prefer Orlando in the Fall. As a kid, we usually took our yearly trips during Spring Break – March or April I think – so I wasn’t really looking into an April trip for me and my kids when I planned because I didn’t want to deal with the crowds or the heat(maybe I’m the one who is spoiled?). But, since Chip’s and Minnie’s birthdays are within 5 days of each other, and in 2011 those days happen to be a Sunday and a Friday, AND since Easter is in LATE April in 2011, I figured “I’m gonna go for it!” I know it is still peak season and that I will have to deal with crowds and heat, but it is their birthdays! We have been there twice as a family already, so we won’t be too preoccupied with touring (wishful thinking) and we can just enjoy the Disney experience! I’m sure there will be lots and lots of Birthday Pixie Dust for the kids and I can’t wait to see their reaction when I tell them where they are spending their birthdays! Now, I only have to keep the secret until April…



INDEX
Options, Options, Options
Who knew there could be a Plan C and a Plan D?
Budget-ese Part One
Budget-ese Part Two
Detour
Trying New Things - Part One
Trying New Things - Part Two: Magic Kingdom
Trying New Things - Part Three: EPCOT
The Park Hours Were Released!!!
We're Booked!!!
Booking Details
Trying New Things – Part Four: Hollywood Studios
The ADRs I Want
The ADRs I Got
In 180 Days: it will be Saturday, April 2nd and...
In 180 Days: it will be Sunday, April 3rd and...
In 180 Days: it will be Monday, April 4th and...
In 180 Days: it will be Tuesday, April 5th and...
In 180 Days: it will be Wednesday, April 6th and...
In 180 Days: it will be Thursday, April 7th and...
In 180 Days: it will be Friday, April 8th and...
In 180 Days: it will be Saturday, April 9th and...
In 180 Days: it will be Sunday, April 10th and…/Trying New Things – Part Five
Trying New Things – Part Six: Animal Kingdom
Trying New Things – Part Seven: Downtown Disney
Major Update!!!
Quick Little Update
Early Christmas Present
Survey
90 Days!!!
Getting Things Done on the To Do List: LGMHs and Pressed Penny Preparations!
Winter Break: Part One
Winter Break: Part Two – Now with less rambling and more pictures!
Winter Break: Part Three – Now with even more pictures!
Mail Bag! The Soothing Scent of Disney
Packing List: Overnight Bag
Packing List: Car Stuff
Main Packing List: Clothes & Accessories, Toiletries and Other Items
Packing List: Day Bag
Checked Something Else Off of My Shopping List!
Another Major Update!!!
Real Life Stuff and a Little Disney Sprinkled In
Mail Bag! 4 for 1!!!
Yet ANOTHER Major Update!!!
How do I Surprise the Kids?
In 30 days We Will Be in WDW!!!

Dinner and a Disney Movie – Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Dinner and a Disney Movie – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Dinner and a Disney Movie – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Dinner and a Disney Movie – Mickey’s Christmas Carol

 

[adsrtw]

Your kids are absolutely adorable! Congrats on your promotion!

Guilt - I hear you completely. I used to feel guilty when I spent money for almost every reason. Letting that guilt go was the best feeling. I can't say it's completely gone, but I don't feel bad when I get a pedi once in a while.

I'm looking forward to following along!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Thank you, Amiee! And yes, I’m still trying to get over the guilt of doing things for myself, but I keep telling myself “You deserve it, Erin!” Sometimes that works Hopefully I will be updating this PTR later today. I’m reading yours too. You will have such a great time! Your DxDP PTR is making me hungry!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Today was a very distracted day at work for me because I was going over my plans for the trip. I planned on updating my PTR this past weekend, but I was undecided on a few important things, but mostly I was hung up on the decision of whether or not I should drive down with the kids or if we should fly. Ugh! So many pros and cons with both! But, I’m a list maker, so that just gave me another project. Speaking of which, I got these cute Tinkerbell notebooks from Wal Mart when I was back to school shopping for the kids.




Aren’t they cute? I can take these notebooks to work with me and jot ideas down, work on the trip budget and the itinerary. I mean, um, I only work on my trip during breaks and lunches. Not when I should be working or anything. Yeah. Really. Anyway, moving on… The drive/fly decision was coming down to a few factors. Budget was the biggest factor, of course. My car has a few miles on it, to say the least, so I don’t want to drive it to Disney. Also, even though Disney transportation is reportedly awesome, I have a strong aversion to riding buses. It comes from when I was first separated and I didn’t have a car (because my mechanic ex-husband refused to fix it) and I had to walk a mile (that was mostly uphill) to a bus stop with a 1 year old in a stroller and a 5 year old, and I had to make that bus or wait another 30-60 minutes for the next one and…Sorry. Flashback. Anywho…the point is I like to come and go as I please, so waiting for a bus is not my idea of fun. Renting a car is my only option. Unless a truckload of pixie dust gets dumped on me and I can get a brand new car! That is wishful thinking! But I am working on it. Anyway, again, moving on…

I rented a car for our trip in 2008




and drove down to Savannah to give us all a break from the road. We checked into a Hampton Inn, had a good night’s sleep, had a continental breakfast the next morning…




and then we were back on the road. We checked into Coronado Springs




unpacked, freshened up and went to dinner at Cape May Café. Here is a picture of Beach Club Resort.




I wish I took pictures of the food there, but that was before I was into food photography. Plus we were HUNGRY! After dinner, the kids were raring to go! So we walked around the grounds of the resort for a while so that the kids could burn off some energy.










In 2009, I also rented a car, but I drove straight through! I don’t know where I got the energy! I guess I was just excited to get to Disney! Since we were a day early, we checked into the Radisson in Celebration. Side note: I was really irritated by the persistence of the Time Share representative at the desk. I told him that I wasn’t interested but he kept on asking. It was 9pm and I just wanted to check in, so I just gave him my home phone number and said it was my cell. I never answer my home phone anyway, it’s really just for emergencies, so I figured they could harass my home voicemail all they wanted! I know it’s their job, I actually used to be an appointment setter for Time Share opportunities too, so I understand the pressure they are under. But enough is enough! I said I wasn’t interested two or three times – and when I finally gave him a number it was a number to a phone that I don’t even use! That being said… What was my point again?... Oh yeah… The hotel was beautiful! And I got a really great rate. I would definitely stay there again if I was in Orlando but not going to Disney World. But when would that happen? So, again, back to that evening… We saw that the hotel was setting up a huge movie screen in the lobby and they were about to play a children’s movie there for the guests. My kids had grand plans of taking their showers, putting on PJs and going back to the lobby to watch the movie. It didn’t happen.






They were exhausted! But we did all wake up nice and refreshed for our breakfast with Lilo at Polynesian!




Then we checked into Caribbean Beach Resort




After unpacking, we headed to the Magic Kingdom for MVMCP!




So, if I drive, I’ll save a large chunk of money by not having to get plane tickets. But a major con in my pro/con list is that we will lose 3 days to travelling – 1.5 coming down and 1.5 going home. Ugh! So I made two plans. I know what you’re thinking: Finally! Some actual trip planning in the PTR!

Plan A:
Sat, 4/2 – Arrival Day/’Ohana Dinner
Sun, 4/3 – Minnie’s Birthday! Birthday dinner at CRT
Mon, 4/4 – breakfast @ Chef Mickey’s and dinner @ Le Cellier
Tues, 4/5 – breakfast @ Tusker House and dinner @ Garden Grill
Weds, 4/6 – breakfast (before park opening) @ Crystal Palace
Thurs, 4/7 – breakfast @ ‘Ohana and dinner @ Coral Reef
Fri, 4/8 – Chip’s Birthday! Birthday dinner @ Brown Derby
Sat, 4/9 – breakfast @ CRT
Sun, 4/10 – departure day

Plan B:
Fri, 4/1 – begin drive down to Savannah
Sat, 4/2 – Arrival Day/Downtown Disney
Sun, 4/3 – Minnie’s Birthday! Birthday dinner at CRT
Mon, 4/4 – breakfast @ Chef Mickey’s and dinner @ Le Cellier
Tues, 4/5 – breakfast @ Tusker House and dinner @ Garden Grill
Weds, 4/6 – breakfast (before park opening) @ Crystal Palace
Thurs, 4/7 – breakfast @ ‘Ohana and dinner @ Coral Reef
Fri, 4/8 – Chip’s Birthday! Birthday dinner @ Brown Derby
Sat, 4/9 – departure day

The advantages of Plan A are obvious: more time in Disney, dinner on Saturday night, CRT breakfast on our last full day (which is something I want to make a tradition) and a more relaxed trip because I won’t have to worry about a long drive at the beginning and end of our trip. The only disadvantage is that I have to pay for transportation twice – plane tickets and a rental car. Plan B is just the opposite – the only real advantage is the budget factor. So that is where I am in the planning stages now. Just thinking out loud. Typing out loud? Stream of consciousness posting? I know what I want to do. Fly. It’s just a matter of fitting it into my budget. If I can’t, there’s always Plan B!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

On a whim, I sent a text to my brother and sisters yesterday and asked them if they would be up for a week-long trip to Disney for their niece and nephew’s birthdays. Can you believe they all said yes?!? I am so happy!

Let me introduce you to this cast of characters




They are a little bit younger than me, all in their 20’s (a “little bit” younger? Haha!) but the three of them are close in age. Our mom had my first sister and then, 13 months later, had my youngest sister and then, only 19 months after having her, our mom had my youngest brother. Talk about triplets the hard way! We also have a brother who is three years younger than me but he isn’t pictured above and I doubt he’ll be able to make this trip. But as far as these three, I’m going to call them Huey, Dewey and Louie (because I haven’t asked them permission to publicize their real names). I know, I know. Huey, Dewey and Louie are boys. I thought about calling them April, May and Louie but #1 that doesn’t sound right #2 only the most die-hard Disney fans know that Daisy’s niece’s names are April, May and June (I had to look it up myself to remember) and #3 I’ll call them what I want! JK! But see how that control freak in me can so easily rear her ugly head? Moving on…

So Huey, Dewey and Louie jumped on board with more enthusiasm than I expected! But I forgot they hadn’t gone to Disney since they were maybe 10, 9 and 7. Louie went to Orlando with his girlfriend two years ago, but they stayed offsite and only went to Blizzard Beach. So Louie recommended that we stay at one of the condos where he stayed last year. Stay offsite? The horror!!! The shame!!! I’m a Disney resort kinda gal, but I looked at the website that my brother sent me and it was actually really nice! And cheap! Up until I looked at the website, I thought we could stay in the family suite at All Star Music, but the 3 bedroom condos offsite were HALF of the price of the family suite. On top of that, I would only have to pay half of that for me and the kids, and Huey, Dewey and Louie would split the other half! This plan was really speaking my language – and the language I am speaking right now is “Budget-ese” We would also be able to split the cost of the rental car. Even though we’d have to get a mini van or SUV now to fit all six of us, I’ll be paying a lot less than if I rented a mid-sized car by myself. With the money I’d save, I could easily afford the plane tickets now. On the other hand, with 4 adults, we could very easily drive down on April 1st and still be fairly relaxed by the time we pulled into Orlando on April 2nd

So, this is Plan C (flying with Huey, Dewey and Louie):
Sat, 4/2 – Arrival Day/’Ohana Dinner
Sun, 4/3 – Minnie’s Birthday! Birthday dinner at CRT
Mon, 4/4 – breakfast @ Chef Mickey’s and dinner @ Le Cellier
Tues, 4/5 – breakfast @ Tusker House and dinner @ Garden Grill
Weds, 4/6 – breakfast (before park opening) @ Crystal Palace
Thurs, 4/7 – breakfast @ ‘Ohana and dinner @ Coral Reef
Fri, 4/8 – Chip’s Birthday! Birthday dinner @ Brown Derby
Sat, 4/9 – breakfast @ CRT
Sun, 4/10 – departure day

And this is Plan D (driving with Huey, Dewey and Louie):
Fri, 4/1 – Begin drive to Orlando
Sat, 4/2 – Arrival Day/’Ohana Dinner
Sun, 4/3 – Minnie’s Birthday! Birthday dinner at CRT
Mon, 4/4 – breakfast @ Chef Mickey’s and dinner @ Le Cellier
Tues, 4/5 – breakfast @ Tusker House and dinner @ Garden Grill
Weds, 4/6 – breakfast (before park opening) @ Crystal Palace
Thurs, 4/7 – breakfast @ ‘Ohana and dinner @ Coral Reef
Fri, 4/8 – Chip’s Birthday! Birthday dinner @ Brown Derby
Sat, 4/9 – departure day

Plan D isn’t that bad of a compromise because the only thing we would be missing out on is breakfast at CRT. Well that and that we would have to leave the day after Chip’s birthday. I don’t really want to do that. But all in all, like I said, it isn’t that bad of a compromise. More than likely, Huey, Dewey and Louie are going to want to fly. I know that Louie wants to fly for sure. And so do I Hopefully we can make it happen.

Now, of course, there is a Plan C(2) and a Plan E! I have to have a contingency plan! There is a possibility that Huey, Dewey and Louie won’t want to do all of those character meals and the more expensive meals. So Plan C(2) is where they can join me, Chip and Minnie at their birthday dinners and they can pick and choose what other table service meals, if any, they want to have with us. This gives me an excuse to make another list! Who am I kidding? I don’t need an EXCUSE to make a list! So I will print out the menus from the restaurants, give them an idea of how much each meal will cost, as well as how much they might want to budget for counter service meals. So as long as they tell me before our 180 day mark! Plan E is more involved because it would involve taking two days to tour Universal Studios. Again, the horror! But I actually was planning on taking the kids to Universal on our November trip, so I wouldn’t mind going in April. The only thing is that I have no idea how we would fit that in because I have planned the potential ADRs so awesome-ly (that isn’t a word, is it?) Maybe on the days we have breakfast at the resorts instead of in the parks? I don’t know. It’s not like these ADRs are even set yet, though, so I can’t make plan E until the park hours are released. Huey, Dewey and Louie could go to Universal without me and the kids, but…we would be so jealous! I really want to go to the Wizarding World! We are Harry Potter freaks!!! OK, I am actually the Harry Potter nerd. The kids aren’t nearly as into it as I am – but I am sure they will be once they read the books. Anyway it comes down to budget, so I need to run some numbers on that.

So, for now, I am going to keep going on Plan A just in case something happens with my brother and sisters going. I am about 90% sure that they will be joining us, but I am just not comfortable without a plan (I can hear you saying, “Duh! No kidding, Captain Obvious” ). I forgot to mention that the accommodations for Plan A would be Pop Century, so I’m going to go ahead and book that if Huey, Dewey, Louie and I haven’t made concrete plans by the 180 day mark. Worse case scenario, I’ll reschedule the resort stay for another time when the kids and I can go. Actually, that will be the BEST case scenario because I think it will be truly great to have Huey, Dewey and Louie come on this trip!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Hi, Tink! I had to come over and check out your PTR! I will be back to read more later, but your kids are adorable and you take some fabulous pictures!!! I am with you -- I think I love Disney more than the rest of my family!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Thank you! It's easy to take good pictures when you have such great subjects! I'm sure you know that because your kids are too cute! And my daughter loves to pose just like your daughter does LOL

 

[-Hope-]

Hi Tink! Your kids are ADORABLE. My ds11 and yours sound a lot alike. He is also a gamer who loves creative writing and anything concerning technology. He not only dreams of being a game maker when he grows up he's downloaded a program that is teaching him to design right now. I don't have to worry about the school work issues since we are homeschoolers and I've managed to incorporate his interests into his school work. Lucky us, I know.

I'm so glad you were able to get a trip together after the disappointment of canceling. One of my very good RL friends introduced me to the DIS and we were supposed to be going together next month but she had to cancel and it was so hard for her. But she knows she'll get back to Disney someday and now you get to make your kids birthday wishes come true so it all works in the long run.

I'm not all caught up with your posts just yet but so far I'm loving it.

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Thank you, Hope! Would you happen to know the name of the program your son downloaded? I know nothing about that kind of stuff, but I want to encourage my son's interests. You are very fortunate to be able to home school. My aunt home schooled my cousins and they are two of the brightest and most well rounded teens I know. I know it takes a lot of effort - I wish I had the patience for it LOL - but I do try to sneak in some educational activities when I can. That's why I can't wait for movie night this weekend...they'll never know they're actually learning! LOL

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Let’s talk turkey. Let’s talk money, Honey! Or as I like to say now, I’m speaking Budget-ese. Side note: I heard a tip one day on how to stop your kids from whining. They said that when the kids whine, say, “I’m sorry. I don’t understand you. I don’t speak whine-ese.” So one day when Minnie was whining, I said that. Minnie and Chip busted out laughing! That little comment worked and it stopped the whining dead in its tracks! It helped that the kids have a great sense of humor. We all have a sarcastic, sometimes dark, over the top silly sense of humor.



So anyway, back to the bucks. First, there’s the accommodations. Staying off property is going to take some getting used to – but it will save me so much money! Plus, there will be a full sized fridge there. I have absolutely no intention of cooking on my vacation but it will come in handy to store a case or two of bottled water and some snacks. So we’ll probably stop at BJ’s Wholesale, Wal Mart or Target on our arrival day to get our supplies. Probably BJ’s since there will be six of us. Gotta love buying in bulk! So that brings us to food. Since we won’t be staying on property (you see how I can’t get over that yet? ) there will be no DDP. In 2008 and 2009 we were on DDP and it was amazing to be able to have all of those meals paid for up front – especially since we got free dining in 2009! What a treat! I feel like it is going to be physically painful to pay out of pocket for all of those meals that I have planned. And counter service OOP? And snacks? I’m pretty sure that we come out ahead (or at least break even) by using the DDP – but that isn’t the point. I like knowing that I have that part of my trip taken care of already. CRT is the only meal I’ve paid for OOP and even that is paid at the time of reservation! Setting money aside for the food budget isn’t the same thing as simply handing over my KTTW and only having to worry about tips and character pictures, I do have a plan for this, though!

I’m seriously considering an Annual Pass Besides the fact that I can add DDP to this trip, I’m fairly certain that the kids and I will be going back to Disney in the Fall/Winter of 2011 for a vacation and to go to MVMCP. But again, it all comes down to what? Budget! This is why I feel comfortable scheduling our Plan A accommodations at Pop. I’ll have a room booked just in case my sibs can’t make the April trip, but since it still looks like they really are coming, I’ll be able to reschedule our stay at Pop for November. Then in November, I won’t have to purchase tickets, I might get an AP room discount, we can have DDP…but all of that belongs on a separate PTR that I will hopefully be writing in six months! So before I get carried away (too late?) the point I was trying to make was that I could TOTALLY swing a November trip if I get the AP

Back to the budget. Where was I? Accommodations, housekeeping tips, park tickets, meals, wait staff tips…oh yeah…character pictures. Those are about $30 or $40 a pop, right? And I have four character meals planned where they take pictures before the meal. Ugh! Why am I such a sucker for those? I think that there was only one pack of pictures that I didn’t get last year because the picture didn’t turn out well. I also love that they can be put on Photopass so I can email them and post them on Facebook. Oh yeah! Photopass! That is a must because that is the easiest way for me to get family pictures of the three of us.



I also love the ones with the extra Disney magic!







This year, I would also like to go to Zoom Air on our arrival day. It’s a place that has zip lining and I know Chip and Minnie would LOVE it. They have never done it before, but I have. Long story short: I chaperoned Chip’s fifth grade field trip to a zip line place here in VA. They mostly hosted corporate team building events and, in my opinion, our guide had no business working with kids. The other chaperones and I were encouraging the less adventurous kids to do the zip line. Chip was waiting behind for me. Just about all of the kids had gone except for about ten. They were waiting to see a few more people do it before they tried. Chip was in line right after me, so I went. It was AWESOME!!! Flying through the air! Through the trees! It was truly fantastic! Then I waited. And I waited. Chip didn’t come down the zip line and neither did any of the other kids. They all came marching down the hill, lead by our guide. I asked Chip what happened and he refused to tell me in front of her, but he did shoot the guide a dirty look. I found out on the bus ride home that she was getting frustrated with the kids and intimidated them so much that they were too scared to go on the zip line! I felt horrible! I was kicking myself for not going later so that I could try to get some more of the kids to go. Especially Chip! He actually WANTED to go! He was so disappointed and I was so disappointed for him Did I say “long story short” earlier? I lied. My bad Clearly, I’m still heated about this – and it happened MONTHS ago! So anyway, I started to research other places in VA where I could take him zip lining, but none of them allowed Minnie to do it too. She was tall enough but not old enough. I don’t know what made me look in the Orlando area but one day I was online and I found Zoom Air!

Before I lose everyone’s attention (or have I already? ) I’ll stop and save the rest for Part Two!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

So we last left off at budgeting for activities during the vacation. So another thing I want to do outside of the parks is go to DTD, so we need souvenir money. A budget trick I learned about souvenirs was to take pictures of the kids with the souvenirs rather than buying them.















That worked wonders last year! The kids weren’t begging me for a million things – they were asking me to just take pictures of them with the souvenirs! They ended up spending their money on souvenirs that they really wanted and I didn’t end up with a house full of junk that they would just forget about playing with after a few months. Well, I actually already have a house full of junk that they don’t play with but we’re chipping away at that and giving the “gently used” clothes and toys to Goodwill.

Back to DTD. The kids and I also want to do Characters in Flight. We didn’t get to do it last year because of the weather. I also want to take Minnie to BBB for her birthday, but I want to do the one in the castle, not the one in DTD. I’m going to get her dress ahead of time. I’m also going to get some cheap, comfortable, canvas shoes that I can make all sparkly and princess-like. Can we say, “craft project!” ?!? I’d love to design them right now but her feet will probably grow another two sizes by April. They already grew one size since June! Now can we say, “Growth Spurt” ?!? So buying/making things ahead of time will mean that I won’t have to buy the dress and shoes at BBB at a huge mark-up. Then, after her makeover, we will have her birthday dinner at CRT! For Chip’s birthday, I’m going to take him to Pirate’s League! Then we will have his birthday dinner at Brown Derby. I’m paying for that dinner OOP because using two table service credits for it doesn’t make financial sense to me

So these are the major things I have to put in the budget for this trip:

Plane Tickets
Parking @ Airport
Rental Car
Gas & Tolls (& Parking if I don’t get AP)
Accommodations
Housekeeping Tips
Park Tickets/AP
Table Service Meals (OOP) & DDP
Wait Staff Tips
Character Pictures
Zoom Air
Souvenirs
Characters in Flight
BBB
Disney Princess Dress & Canvas Shoes
Pirate’s League

Is there anything else major that I’m missing? I know there are some incidental things, but those things are going to be on my shopping and packing lists. Boy, will those be some whoppers!

 

[Charleston Princess]

It helped that the kids have a great sense of humor. We all have a sarcastic, sometimes dark, over the top silly sense of humor.

Sounds just like our family!

I have absolutely no intention of cooking on my vacation but it will come in handy to store a case or two of bottled water and some snacks.

Bringing a case of bottled water and breakfast stuff like Poptarts and granola bars really made such a difference for us on this trip!

Since we won’t be staying on property (you see how I can’t get over that yet? ) there will be no DDP.

I would have a hard time tearing myself away from staying on property, too. We didn't do the dining plan on this trip, and even though we saved money by not doing it, it was so hard for me. I like everything paid for up front, too. If you get the annual pass, you can get the Tables in Wonderland card which has dining discounts.

I love this picture of the three of you!!!

Poor Chip not getting to do the zip line -- that guide obviously didn't know the first thing about working with children!

A budget trick I learned about souvenirs was to take pictures of the kids with the souvenirs rather than buying them.

What a great idea! I need to remember that for the future!

Well, I actually already have a house full of junk that they don’t play with but we’re chipping away at that and giving the “gently used” clothes and toys to Goodwill.

That was my summer project this year -- we made six trips to Goodwill to unload stuff on them.

I’m also going to get some cheap, comfortable, canvas shoes that I can make all sparkly and princess-like. Can we say, “craft project!” ?!?

Oh, this sounds like fun! I am all about craft projects!

Is there anything else major that I’m missing? I know there are some incidental things, but those things are going to be on my shopping and packing lists. Boy, will those be some whoppers!

Looks like you have the major things covered!!!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

I would have a hard time tearing myself away from staying on property, too. We didn't do the dining plan on this trip, and even though we saved money by not doing it, it was so hard for me. I like everything paid for up front, too. If you get the annual pass, you can get the Tables in Wonderland card which has dining discounts.



I love this picture of the three of you!!!

Thanks! I'll have to look into Tables in Wonderland. And I love that picture too! The kids are smiling so hard!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

My plans hit a bump in the road. Not my vacation plans, thank goodness! My car broke down the other day so I didn’t get to go through with my plans of having our first Disney Movie Day. I’m still waiting to get my car fixed, so the kids and I have been stuck in the house for a few days (with the exception of me getting rides to and from work). Dang foreign cars with their expensive parts that have to be special ordered! Actually, I shouldn’t complain. This car has been fairly reliable and I haven’t had to put a lot of repair money into it. It should be fixed tomorrow, so I will be back on the road

Anyway, I was really looking forward to Disney Movie Day. We were going to watch Mulan, do some crafts I saw on this thread and I was going to have the kids help me make Chinese food. Asian cooking is something I’ve been experimenting with a lot lately. It’s WAY cheaper than ordering Chinese or Japanese delivery – and it tastes better IMO! Tooting my own horn. I know Moving on… The kids go back to school on the day after Labor Day, so I was thinking we could watch Finding Nemo on movie day to get them in the mood. “First day of school! First day of school!”

I ordered Finding Nemo from Amazon yesterday. We had a copy, but it got pretty scratched up with the years of wear and tear my kids put it through. I’m so glad the kids are old enough now to take better care of their DVDs. I’ve been slowly replacing the DVDs they’ve destroyed because I like watching the movies too! So much for teaching them a lesson by not replacing the things they break! But, like I said, they take care of their things now – so I must be doing something right. I also ordered Alice in Wonderland – the Disney cartoon one from 1951. We belong to the Disney Movie Club (see how deep this Disney obsession goes?) and we got the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland a month or so ago. I was trying to wait to watch that one until after we watched the original because I knew the new one was a continuation of the first one. I can barely remember watching the first one and the kids have never seen it. I know. Bad mommy! So anyway, Minnie asked again that we watch Alice. And again. And again. You know the drill: “Can we please watch this? Please? Please? PLEASE?” I reached my “please” threshold, so I gave in. It was such a great movie! To me, it really gave a sense of Girl Power! Most importantly, the kids loved it. And Johnny Depp? He is so talented that I get lost in his characters and almost forget that GORGEOUS man is under all of that make up. Mmm, Johnny! I could write a book about how much I adore that man!

Whew! Let me get back on track. Before I went on a tangent about Mr. Depp I was talking about Disney Movie Days, right? OK. So Alice 1951, Alice 2010, Mulan and Nemo are coming up. Since we couldn’t do a full-fledged movie day this weekend, Minnie and I watched the two Tinkerbell movies again. We’ll probably do a Tink marathon when the third one comes out. She and I also played on the Disney Fairies website. Then I lurked on the DISign board. Now THAT was a mistake! I have all sorts of ideas for t-shirts I want to make for this trip. What a fantastic resource! I’m also toying with the idea of making a passport for Epcot. We never seem to really get a chance to look around all of the countries, so this will make it a priority. It is funny because I didn’t think my kids would like World Showcase since there are not many rides, but they love exploring there almost as much as I do!







I’m also thinking about making a couple of autograph books because on our 2008 trip, the kids really got into getting autographs.







They even pretended to ask for autographs from inanimate objects!





In 2009 they didn’t get any autographs because I didn’t feel like doing it. I didn’t want to buy another set of books and another set of pens and have to lug them around all day and pull them out to get the autographs and put them away after and… you get the picture. But really, that minor inconvenience wasn’t that big of a deal and I didn’t realize that it wasn’t a big deal until I started regretting not having the books. The characters spend a little bit more time with the kids when they have something to sign and sometimes that makes for a unique interaction with the characters.



Plus, I like the big fat pens they sell in the parks! I still have one that I use at work. Really! I’ll prove it!



If anyone at work saw me pull out my phone to take a picture of a pen, they have probably come to the conclusion that I am insane! But that is my favorite pen because if I’m having a rough day at work I can just switch to that pen and relive a few Disney memories I’ve had with the kids. Every once in a while, a smart-guy will make a crack like, “Is that pen big enough?” Actually, it was hard to write with at first. I got the hang of it though! I’m going to have to get some regular sized pens in April. I’m putting that on my souvenir list! It isn’t an actual list, just a running list in my head of things I’d like to get. Maybe I should write a souvenir list! Ooh, another list! No… I shouldn’t. Yes! I should! How else will I remember to get those pens? And those candies in Japan? And the Mr. Potato Head in DTD? And… OK, I’ll stop. Be on the lookout for a souvenir post one day!

 

[inkedupmomma]

subbed

any word on the bothers and sisters joining? i hope they can! it would be so nice for you to have someone to share that all with!! I love my alone time with my kids, but sometimes its nice to look over to someone and say hey did you see that, and actually get a response lol

your kids are adorable btw! are they excited for back to school?

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

subbed

any word on the bothers and sisters joining? i hope they can! it would be so nice for you to have someone to share that all with!! I love my alone time with my kids, but sometimes its nice to look over to someone and say hey did you see that, and actually get a response lol

your kids are adorable btw! are they excited for back to school?

So far so good with my sibs coming They will let me know for sure within two weeks so that we can make more solid plans and put down some deposits. I am really excited about them coming so I can share all of this birthday joy with them! And yeah, the kids are actually excited to go back to school - even Chip! So we'll just have to see if that excitement lasts through the school year

 

[Victoriasmom98]

I just had to come over to your PTR!!! You sound sooo cool and just as Disney crazy as the rest of us!!! I'll join in with everyone else and say your kids are so cute! I know all about having a DIVA.....mine's 12 going on 25 really fast!!! Keep writing!!!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Aww, thanks, Ann! Hopefully I'll be posting tonight since I finally have something to update Thanks for reading along!

I also took a peek at your PTR - when I'm at work I sneak on the boards sometimes too LOL - I can't wait to get home so I can read more

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

We’re getting closer and closer to that 180 mark! That is when I feel I can put my planning into full swing. I’m getting excited! I’ve been wanting to plan more, but I was unsure of my sisters and brother’s ability to come on the trip. Unfortunately, none of them can make it. They all work full time and go to college full time. It didn’t even occur to me that they would have to miss several classes to go on this trip. My brother, Louie, was the first to realize that his Spring Break didn’t coincide with this trip. Then Huey and Dewey looked up their Spring Breaks and saw it wouldn’t work for them either. I may pull my kids out of school all willy nilly (LOL) but I don’t expect my sibs to pull themselves out. It’s OK, though. We still want to take a family trip one day. And who knows? Maybe a few more people could come along and I could plan a Grand Gathering! Now THAT sounds like fun! The GG not the planning Who am I trying to fool? Planning that would be so awesome! So, it’s just going to be just me and my kids on this trip and we are going to have a fantastic time!

Speaking of planning, I went to the salon during lunch yesterday to get my eyebrows done. A few women there were getting manies and pedies and two women were passing the time chatting. I heard the word “characters” and my ears perked up. Then I thought to myself that I just had Disney on the brain and tried to ignore their conversation – you know, like a normal, polite person. Then I realized that they were, in fact, talking about WDW! So I decided to start passing my time by eavesdropping The woman getting the pedi started complaining about not getting to meet all of the characters her kids wanted to meet and about spending too much money on a vacation. The woman getting the mani was much more positive about her experience – talking about her meals and how she got to meet her favorite princess, Aurora. I was dying to jump in the conversation, especially when the woman getting the pedi said that her $5000 vacation wasn’t worth the money. I decided to mind my business instead of jumping in and asking her what time of year it was and where she stayed and what kind of tickets she had and what her touring plan was or if she had one at all! Just then, the woman who does my eyebrows summoned me back to the waxing room (sounds daunting, doesn’t it? Waxing Room ). I came out of the room feeling like a new woman – as I always do when I have even the most minor of beauty treatments (especially yesterday because my brows were a mess before getting waxed into shape! ) The woman getting the mani must have continued to work on the woman getting the pedi because I heard her admit, with a smile in her voice, “Well, I DID enjoy Liberty Tree Tavern”.

I was glad she was starting to recall some good memories from her trip. Then I thought to myself about how we have never gone to that restaurant. In fact, I was on the boards the other day when Chip looked over my shoulder. First he said, “Stalking someone else’s trip to Disney World, I see.” We both cracked up laughing! What a smart aleck! Then his eyes lit up and he said, “I want to eat THERE!” He saw that I was looking at food photography from T-Rex and he was practically drooling. T-Rex is another place where we haven’t eaten. So now, I’m thinking that our ADRs might need some tweaking. Our potential dinner ADRs are good because we’ve never had dinner at any of those restaurants except for Garden Grill.



Garden Grill is a must do because we LOVE it there. At the same time, I’d be willing to not go there so that we could go to T-Rex. We went to Chef Mickey’s breakfast in 2008 and the kids really liked it.


(Why are the kids always trying to look so cool?)

We overslept in 2009 and didn’t make our ADR time, so Chip and Minnie said they really want to do that again next time we’re in WDW. We did Tusker House for breakfast in 2008



And in 2009



In 2009 we had a wonderful server! He was the kind of CM that really made everyone feel special. He even said, “Mom needs to have a picture with Mickey too, and took this picture of me and Mickey:



I jotted his name down in my cell so I could remember it for the next time we had breakfast at Tusker House, but I must have accidentally deleted it. I’m terrible with names but I’d remember his face if I saw him again there. On the flip side, our server at Crystal Palace was memorable because he was not at all personable. At first, I thought maybe it was because he’d had a long day, but then I remembered – we had ADRs before park opening, so it couldn’t have been that long a day yet! I took it in stride because the kids liked it there in 2008



and in 2009



because of the characters. I could take it or leave it, but nothing beats getting in the Magic Kingdom before the park opens!











Breakfast at ‘Ohana is great too. We love the Polynesian, we love Lilo and Stitch and Minnie has loved the leis ever since we first went there in 2008



She also tried her hand at food photography in 2009



Those were eggs – just a wee bit too close Haha!

On to things we haven’t done. Dinner at ‘Ohana – not only have I heard rave reviews about this place, but I think it would be so cool to see Wishes from that vantage point. We’ve done CRT for breakfast, but not for dinner. I went there a few times as a kid and I used to dream about the prime rib I had there once! Also, I think this is the perfect place for Minnie to be treated like a princess for her birthday Le Cellier – the kids and I are all about steak! Need I say more? I was also considering Yachtsman, but I don’t mind putting that one off for a future trip. Coral Reef – another place I went to as a kid. I don’t remember the food but I do remember the ambience. I’m sure the menu has changed quite a bit anyway, and it looks like there are several dishes there that the kids and I would enjoy. Brown Derby – Chip’s favorite ride in WDW is Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. So much so that he has actually been known to HUG his sister in line! Really! Look!



So we will be in HS for his birthday. I knew he wouldn’t like Mama Melrose’s because the only Italian food he eats is manicotti. For a kid who used to love spaghetti, it is really funny that he won’t touch the stuff now. Actually, I’m the same with bananas. My mom said I used to love bananas. I, of course, have no recollection of that. For as long as I could remember, I have despised the taste, texture and smell of bananas! In fact, I’m not so fond of this guy >>> Seriously! Let me get back on track before I recall the story of how Louie tricked me into taking a bite of a banana nut muffin! 50’s Prime Time Café was also off the table because although Chip is both a good sport and a good vegetable eater, I didn’t think he’d appreciate being told to clean his plate on his birthday Also, Minnie is having a fancy birthday dinner, so I know Chip will want one too. So I think Brown Derby is the right choice for him.

Gosh, maybe I don’t have as much wiggle room as I thought with my ADRs! I guess what I will do is put some restaurants on a backup plan just in case I can’t get the dates and times I prefer for our meals. We tend eat a very late breakfast (with the exception of Crystal Palace) so that it is more like brunch and we eat a very early dinner so that we miss most of the heavy dinner crowds. So we’ll see what happens, I guess. But this has made me think about other things we haven’t experienced in WDW such as different counter service restaurants and rides. So I think I will start to make some loose plans to include certain things. And I’ll bring you all along for the ride as I do if you want!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Sorry to hear your brother and sisters won't be able to make it, but I know the three of you will have fun!

I am curious, too, about the woman's $5000 Disney trip! If I spent that much money, I know I would have a great time!

Too funny about Chip's comment about "stalking a trip report." He and Connor are so much alike! I could totally see Connor saying something like that!

I think T-Rex would be a fun place to eat. I think the kids would get a kick out of that.

Love all the character pics! We enjoyed Tusker House, Chef Mickey's, and Crystal Palace -- plus it's one of the few times my two want to pose with the characters.