Halloweentime with Mickey PTR ***complete!~TR link added- post #205***

[stagemomx3]

Wow you are a good wife to even think of planning a spur of the moment Niagra Falls trip.

 

[julezdisney]

Well, I COULD let him go alone on the bike w/his BFF but I wont be able to control what he does or how much he spends if I do that, now could I?

 

[stagemomx3]

Well, I COULD let him go alone on the bike w/his BFF but I wont be able to control what he does or how much he spends if I do that, now could I?

Oh I vote for that option. Then you can take a solo trip to Disney!

 

[julezdisney]

Ok... so maybe NO Niagra?! Hopefully....

DH noticed he has finals that weekend we were going to go... so we may not be going to Niagra after all. Plus, our local airport has been having "day trips" to Niagra for $150 RT. They've had two so far, with the last one being the 31st of July- they sell out w/in 24 hours, so if I can keep an eye out for another one- I'll sit him on a plane! We'll see what transpires.....

 

[stagemomx3]

Ok... so maybe NO Niagra?! Hopefully....

DH noticed he has finals that weekend we were going to go... so we may not be going to Niagra after all. Plus, our local airport has been having "day trips" to Niagra for $150 RT. They've had two so far, with the last one being the 31st of July- they sell out w/in 24 hours, so if I can keep an eye out for another one- I'll sit him on a plane! We'll see what transpires.....

That sounds like a good plan.

 

[Jules3Kids]

Hey there...just wanted to tell you that your scrapbooking pages look awesome! I am also so behind and you've inspired me to get back at it, especially since we are back from WDW! I saved everything from our trip in an attempt to force myself to scrapbook it all....hopefully soon!

So I've finally started my TR...I think I was still sad to be home and didn't even want to write about it unless I could be there, you know? But the entire family is still talking about the trip...that's a good sign we had a fantastic time!

So hopefully no Niagara Falls for you...keep my fingers crossed!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Keeping my fingers crossed that the Niagara Falls thing works out in the best, possible way and doesn't hamper any Disney plans.

Speaking the Falls, one year my mother got it into her head that she wanted to see Niagara Falls in the winter -- like January -- so we all trekked up there -- it was negative 18 degrees -- imagine how much complaining my 16 year old thin-blooded Southern self did? A lot! I have NEVER been so cold in my entire life!

 

[julezdisney]

Keeping my fingers crossed that the Niagara Falls thing works out in the best, possible way and doesn't hamper any Disney plans.

Speaking the Falls, one year my mother got it into her head that she wanted to see Niagara Falls in the winter -- like January -- so we all trekked up there -- it was negative 18 degrees -- imagine how much complaining my 16 year old thin-blooded Southern self did? A lot! I have NEVER been so cold in my entire life!

Poor young Jackie! I bet you had the super teen pout goin' on!

Hey there...just wanted to tell you that your scrapbooking pages look awesome! I am also so behind and you've inspired me to get back at it, especially since we are back from WDW! I saved everything from our trip in an attempt to force myself to scrapbook it all....hopefully soon!

So I've finally started my TR...I think I was still sad to be home and didn't even want to write about it unless I could be there, you know? But the entire family is still talking about the trip...that's a good sign we had a fantastic time!

So hopefully no Niagara Falls for you...keep my fingers crossed!

Thank you! Actually, I should put together a few more pages this weekend and post 'em. They really are fun to do.... but I've gotten to the Main St./Parade of Dreams section of our trip and I can't figure out if I want to scrapbook all or part of the parade photos. Parade photos, while cute & pretty & all that, are rather redundant, y'know? I think I'll just pick my faves and then put together a photo collage to hang in DD's room or add to the Disney wall of pics I've got planned (another project! )

That sounds like a good plan.

... I'm realllllly hoping for this one!


So... I'm kind of just blogging for the heck of it.

I called WDTC yesterday to find out what happens in a number of different cicumstances and here's the q&a (not verbatim, mind you, but off my notes):

Q: If I want to reschedule from Oct. to Jan. what happens?

A: First, these would be two seperate reservations. The first one would be cancelled, with the money paid refunded less travel ins. (ouch-why did I buy that again? Oh yea- because I'm a rookie vacation planner! ) and minus $100 for any change/cancellation 30+ days out.
Secondly, the next reservation would be made and I would be credited back 75 of the $100 cancellation fee, so really it would just be a $25 cancel fee since I'm directly making a future reservation.
Next, the CM advised me to wait till the mid-August, as they don't have 2009 rates yet anyway, and I'll still be outside my 30 day window.

Q: If I chose to drop the airfare from my pkg in order to book it on my own, is there a fee for this?

A: Because I'm so far out, no. You can drop an airfare 21+ days out without penalty.

Q: If I wanted to change hotels, would there be a fee?

A: If the pkg price goes UP, no. If it goes DOWN, yes.

Q: If I decided to cancel DLR/CA completely and go with WDW could I do it the same way in which I would reschedule?

A: No, they are completely seperate. I would be cancelling my DLR reservation, losing the $100 fee and trip insurance (again, so angry about my rookie mistake of adding that before it was paid off! ). I would call WDW reservations to do that.

Ok, so I've got some stuff to chew on while I consider if we're rescheduling or whatnot.

I really hate living in the midwest. We are nearly literally smack in the middle. We're so far away from everything except the Wisconsin Dells- which doesn't thrill me. And every other theme park, other than Six Flags, is like, 8-10 hours away. Disneyland is 24+ and WDW is 18 hrs. The Sea Worlds, the Busch Gardens- even those in Texas and Virginia- yup, all very far away-12+ hr drives. It just bites!!! I am not a big fan of Six Flags, I just don't usually feel it's a value because of those rediculous 90 minute lines, you can't hardly get anything done and you wasted the whole day! SOOOO not worth it. I only even go because my work has tickets 1/2 price and other deals like that....

I'm feeling vacation self-pity. I can't believe my in-laws live *just* 6-1/2 hrs
away and only go to DL 1x a year, if that.

I'm also feeling living location self-pity. Seriously, I've wanted to move out of Illinois since I was in high school, but either an ex was holding me back, or when I was about to truly make a move to Tampa, FL in 2001, I met my husband! If it wasn't for step-son, we'd so be in California or Florida- DH spent his preteen and teen years in Cali and also hates the weather and the location. But we'd never leave him, and DSS's mother's parents are actually relocating from down-state to be closer to her family, so now we def. have no hope of ever talking them into moving to warmer and more fun climates!

It could be worse, don't get me wrong, but we are both so sick of the loooooooooooooong winters and the lack of entertainment. Here it is, the end of July, with school beginning in 1 mos., and fall quickly following. DH and I are so in need of a break.

Alright, gotta get to work, I'm ALWAYS late!

 

[konoche]

o, it seems funny

 

[julezdisney]

o, it seems funny

huh?

 

[julezdisney]

Rambling post. Feel free to ignore.

Oh gosh darnit, my burnt-out DH, I don't think can be talked out of "getting away from it all" and taking off into the sunset on his bike. Which, I don't mind, honestly, but I need to have him commit to a budget if he's gonna take off to see those falls soon. He needs the break, it would be less expensive for just him on his bike than the four of us in our car. They did add a date to the Niagra Falls day-trip but he said NO WAY "I'm not spending that much for 1 day". Even though, IMO, he'd spend as much on gas and overnight stay. I'll see if he'll AT LEAST let me priceline a decent hotel for 1/2 the price. I've looked at a bunch of camping websites and that whole area is pretty booked, I don't see him driving up and securing a spot so easily as he thinks. Than I'll be yelling at him for spending too much at a hotel.

Ho hum....... I need to get my hubby out of town and relaxed but I don't want him going so far away on his bike! He's never rode more than 3-1/2 hrs away and I don't want him going 10 hours away for his first big bike-ride! I'm panicking! What if something happened to him? He's so far away! I love that idiot and he'll be in an unfamiliar area!



As they say on SpongeBob: Hours later.....

So, he's going to ride through Wisco & stay at my P's cabin in central WI. That's not so scary, I guess. So.... yay! A weekend to me & Rach! GNO!

 

[julezdisney]

More ramblings. Feel free to continue to ignore.

So it's 2:34am and I've been struck with a disney-fueled insomniac attack, even though I'm nearly deliriously tired.

I just found out F! and the Aladdin show at DLR will be closed while we are there. ::

I'm heartbroken. Those were my 2 must-dos.

I don't know what to do now.

I'm going to bed.

 

[stagemomx3]

More ramblings. Feel free to continue to ignore.

So it's 2:34am and I've been struck with a disney-fueled insomniac attack, even though I'm nearly deliriously tired.

I just found out F! and the Aladdin show at DLR will be closed while we are there. ::

I'm heartbroken. Those were my 2 must-dos.

I don't know what to do now.

I'm going to bed.

Both of them. That's to bad!

 

[kaoden39]

This is the list of what will be closed while we are there in September. I knew about HM and IASW, and I figured that Fantasmic would be closed so it's all okay. I will miss HM, but I don't have to miss POTC, that's my favorite.

Conostoga Wagon
Fantasmic!
French Market
Harbour Galley
Haunted Mansion
it's a small world
Sailing Ship Columbia

And in DCA

Burger Invasion Conversion
Flik's Flyers
Sun Wheel

 

[julezdisney]

This is the list of what will be closed while we are there in September. I knew about HM and IASW, and I figured that Fantasmic would be closed so it's all okay. I will miss HM, but I don't have to miss POTC, that's my favorite.

Conostoga Wagon
Fantasmic!
French Market
Harbour Galley
Haunted Mansion
it's a small world
Sailing Ship Columbia

And in DCA

Burger Invasion Conversion
Flik's Flyers
Sun Wheel

Now I feel bad for complaining, you have it bad too! HM TOO!! Ouch!


******************


So I took Rach to Six Flags yesterday. What a trooper! We were there from 11:45-ish 'til park close at 10 and she never complained or asked to be carried! We rode a ton and some twice over! She rocked!

On another note, Six Flags SUCKS! It's SOOOOO not Disney Not that I would ever think that it was anywhere similar, but I just was so sad that I wasn't at Disney. It's so dirty, and STINKY (100,000 open topped garbage cans will do that), too crowded (100,000 carnival games set up over every available inch of a park will do THAT), and barely a worker in site. There's not even photographers with the charachters so I don't have any documentation of Rachael meeting Bugz Bunny & Slyvester!! I put the camera in the car after dinner because the park would be dark and I figured there would be photographers (they're like photopass kind of) but there WEREN'T and the worker said, No, there aren't usually. Oh and that's another thing- the park was so DARK after sundown! Like as in, not enough lighting! I kept looking up thinking, "Is there a lightbulb out here, too?" and it was a while before I realized that it was just that way. And the trainride- ick. We got an eyeful of employee spaces, warehousing, old dumped ride vehicles, etc. So un-Disney.

Really makes you appreciate "What's so special about Disney?" All of the above. And I remember thinking at one point yesterday- that all of Disney is an EXPERIENCE.....

I can't wait to go there now, for sure. Whether it's in October or January or beyond. My happy place. Disneyland.

 

[kaoden39]

We live about 25 miles from Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. We go to Disneyland more frequently.

 

[piratehannelore]

Hey Julezdisney- Summer's going great! Great Trippie! I love it! I agree completely with six flags! It may be fun sometimes, but it doesn't compare to disney. After you experience disney, there's no going back. Nothing else compares. On a better note- FOUR MORE WEEKS!!! Anyways, love the trippie girly!

 

[julezdisney]

Priority Seating that is! For all you WDW-vets- Priority Seating is Disneyland's version of Advanced Dining Reservations. They are made 60 days in advance.

So I made mine today- they are already set for rehab.

Thursday, Oct. 9th- ARRIVAL DAY *no parks*
Goofy's Kitchen @ 8pm. We will be STARVING, as it will be 10 back home. Methinks I should push this back 1 hour.

Friday, Oct. 10th- First Park Day
Breakfast with Minnie & Friends at the Plaza Inn at DLR @ 10:30. I thought this was the Magic Morning and Toontown Morning Madness day. I plan on doing those TOGETHER. Well- it's not. Sat. is the day they are on the same day sooooo..... this one will be moved to Sat.

Sat., Oct. 11th- Second Park Day
Princess Breakfast at Ariel's Grotto in DCA. Seating at 9:50. I'm fine with this except for as listed above. I'm thinking of removing this one altogether, actually. Otherwise, outdoor seating is at 10. After that, it moves onto lunch or dinner. Which is more expensive. Which I'm not wild about. BUT the price already includes tax/tip, so whatev, right? I don't know. What do YOU THINK?

Sun., Oct. 12th- Third and last day in the parks.
Only a dessert PS at Blue Bayou. Made this for 8pm. We'll have had dinner already, possibly ridden 1 or 2 rides since then, and will go in for a couple of Dutchmen for the experience and the pirate's hats.

So, this was my first foray into making dining ressies. I failed somewhat miserably. LOL. We will NOT be able to make our way from Toontown's Morning Madness over to DCA by 9:50. And I could move it to lunch, but as I said, I'm so very very cheap.

I made Bkfst on Friday later for two reasons. One, to be a 'brunch' and push back dinner, and Two, because even though I want to make rope drop, I know my family may possibly be dragging their little feet. Although, theoretically, we'll still be on Illinois time, which will be past lunch. I can't make my kids wait that long.

Ok, here's what Imma gonna do. I'm going to push Minnie & Friends to park OPENING. Since Plaza Inn is at the end of Main St., that will also put us in a nice spot when we're all done w/our meal, as well.

As for Saturday. Hmm... that's seriously tough. I think we'll just do a whatever breakfast in the hotel/room and then grab something elsewhere in the park after M.M. and MTMM. THEN think about possibly a LATE lunch at Ariel's OR skipping Ariel's altogether and going by monarail to DTD and eating at Rainforest. Eb's never been there and he'd really like it, I think.

What to do... what to do....

 

[kmab00]

I know the decisions are tough but it sounds like you're making some good ones!!! Good luck deciding on what to do!

 

[stagemomx3]

Why can't you just trade the Princess Breakfast to Friday?