He SAID no, but I FOUND a way to GO! ~ a Dec AKL/WWoHP PTR (Updated: 11/30)

[DisneyLifer87]

I've tried to practice a little creativity these past few days. I decided to make a countdown calendar for my office (something to look at while I work):

I also made my mousekeeping envelopes:

Productive day!

 

[QueenJen]

Love the idea of a countdown chart for work.

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Lots of changes have happened in the last few days with the announcement of Neal Patrick Harris on the Candelight Processional lineup. DH is a huge NPH fan, so when we heard he would be their on December 1-2, we knew we had to snag December 1st since MVMCP was on the 2nd for us already. With that change, we had to juggle ADRs and juggle our park days around. Finally, I think I have it all figured out and am ready to finalize once our FP+ day comes along on October 1st.

It's getting closer!!!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Hello fellow DISers who have still stuck around through my disappearances! We are officially down to the 9 week mark (or, well, official as of this coming Monday) and I have decided to do a little 9-week project that incorporates Disney, discounts, and getting into shape (.. I know, if this had started with a D it would have been WAY more entertaining). The plan is to start and complete my 5k running training (an 8-week program that I always abandon around week 3 because I make every excuse and get lazy), watch at least one Disney movie a week alongside a Disney series with Once Upon a Time, and also to log my coupon use and savings on each of my weekly shopping trips at Target and Cub (though Cub is biweekly for groceries).
I'm also embracing my English teacher role and continuing a journey I started in April where I read all 100 books on the Amazon 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime list. That's not going to end in 9 weeks, but I figured I'd lump it into this frenzy and gain support to keep going on that, too.

Whew... did you get all that?

Week One will begin on Sunday, September 28th and Week 9 will end on Saturday, November 29th. Fortunately my 5K training ends just in time for Thanksgiving though whether that's FORTUNATE is open to interpretation. Here's THE PLAN:

-Week One-
Watch Season Premiere of Once Upon a Time (Sunday)
Run Week One of the 5K trainer (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday)
Target and Cub Shopping Trips (Friday)
Disney movie of the week: Pocahontas
Currently Reading: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol

-Week Two-
Once Upon a Time (Sunday)
Run Week Two (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday)
Target Shopping Trip (Wednesday)
Disney movie of the week: Brave

-Week Three-
Once Upon a Time (Sunday)
Run Week Three (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday)
Target and Cub Shopping
Disney move of the week: Hercules

-Week Four-
Once Upon a Time (Sunday)
Run Week Four (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday)
Target Shopping
Disney move of the week: The Little Mermaid

-Week Five-
Once Upon a Time (Sunday)
Run Week Five (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday)
Target and Cub Shopping
Disney move of the week: Monsters, Inc.

-Week Six-
Once Upon a Time (Sunday)
Run Week Six (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday)
Target Shopping
Disney move of the week: Peter Pan

-Week Seven-
Once Upon a Time (Sunday)
Run Week Seven (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday)
Target and Cub Shopping
Disney move of the week: Mulan

-Week Eight-
Once Upon a Time (Sunday)
Run Week Eight to finish (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday)
Target Shopping
Disney move of the week: Frozen

-Week Nine-
Once Upon a Time (Sunday)
Target and Cub (necessity only) Shopping
Disney move of the week: Beauty and the Beast

Hopefully I can get some support and encouragement here - also some accountability by reporting it out and actually feeling obligated to do it!!

 

[iheartdisney123]

How did day 2 go?

 

[DisneyLifer87]

How did day 2 go?

I did day one of running on Sunday and day two comes up tomorrow. Day one wasn't too bad aside from some burning in the calves today. I also finished up the book I was reading... migrated to a new one... and watched Once Upon a Time, which was fantastic!

Time to settle into a little Disney planning in the form of Shutterfly autograph books!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Thus far in week one I have been able to accomplish one day of running (Sunday), shopping at Cub (saved $22.00 with coupons) and I did watch Once Upon a Time which was great! Very excited for this season.

On the Disney side, I made a few shutterfly books for my nephews who are traveling in November - and decided to add one for DH and I as well. My nephews are aged 3, 5, and 6.

Shutterfly Autograph Book

Can't wait to show them when they get here!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

It's FP+ Day!!!!

It's also the day that I was called for an interview on Friday to work for the Mall of America's Disney Store for a seasonal sales position. I am a full time online teacher, but this is a good opportunity to gain some Disney spending money - assuming they don't ironically elect to not hire me due to going to Disney.

I'm excited for the opportunity to have that coveted name tag. Hopefully it goes well on Friday!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

-Week One Recap-
Week one came and went so quickly! I kind of hope the rest of them do, too! I have to admit that I did not do as much in the week as I would have loved to see, but I gave it a strong effort and am ready to tackle Week Two!

Shopping/Coupons:
I did not make it out to Target this week, so in a way I saved money but I was just unable to find deals worthy of snatching up. I did go grocery shopping at Cub Foods, however, and saved $22, but still went over budget by $13 due to needing to purchase a few unexpected items.

Our eldest cat, Simba (20) has developed a minor cyst on his neck. The vet things that it may be cancerous, but due to his age there is nothing that can be done for him. At this time it does not bother him and he could likely carry on without issue for many years - we simply don't know. Regardless, he has a habit of scratching it open, so we play medic and have to peroxide and wrap him up every few days. He's a good sport, though!

Running:
I did two of my three running days. I was unexpectedly invited Thursday night to an advanced screening of Gone Girl (which was amazing!) and was unable to run that evening. I tried to plan for Friday evening, but I was offered an interview with The Disney Store for a seasonal part-time position I hope to do alongside teaching. Today I was at a baptism... and day three just fell by the wayside. Hopefully week two is better!

Reading/Movie:
I watched Once Upon a Time and absolutely loved the season premiere. I'm very excited for tomorrow night! And I am currently watching Pocahontas as I am writing this post. My book choice has changed to currently reading The Lord of the Rings.

On the Disney side, I booked my FP+ and am working on my touring plans. I hope to share them soon!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

I am happy to announce that I have been hired at the Disney Store as a seasonal Cast Member! I am so excited for that name tag and for a chance to make some extra cash for our trip!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Week Two Recap

This week has been a bit crazy. For running, I admit that I did not do any of it. I became very busy with projects at work and then was unfortunately involved in a car accident (rear ending) that left me with whiplash and a soon to be stressful ordeal with the insurance company of the individual who hit me. However, I did save $8.50 at my Cub mini shopping trip for necessities, but did not go to Target as no deals were really attractive.

I am writing this while watching Brave a favorite of mine that I had forgotten about. On the Disney side, our ordered autograph books arrived in the mail and I delivered them to my young nephews in preparation for this trip at the beginning of November. Our autograph book is sitting awaiting our trip.

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Day Three - Animal Kingdom and DtD (12/3/14)

For our third day we will be heading to Animal Kingdom from the AM to the afternoon before taking a nap back at our resort. This evening we will be going to Downtown Disney for dinner, shopping, and Cirque du Solei - a show that DH has been dying to see since our wedding over 3 years ago.

The plan:

7am - wake up and grab breakfast on the go
7:30am - catch a bus to Animal Kingdom

The following itinerary was made using Touring Plans:
8:11am – Expedition Everest
8:30am – Pangani Forest Exploration Trail
9:05am – Kilimanjaro Safari (FP+ 9:05am – 10:05am)
9:35am – Maharajah Jungle Trek
10:02am – Discovery Island Trails
10:30am – DINOSAUR (FP+ 10:30am – 11:30am)
11:00am – Lunch at Yak and Yeti Food Café
11:45pm – Flights of Wonder Show
12:30pm – Festival of the Lion King (FP+ 12:30pm – 12:50pm)
1:45pm – Return to resort

After a brief bit of relaxing, we will head to Downtown Disney around 5:30pm

6:00pm - shopping
7:00pm - ADR at Planet Hollywood
9:00pm - Cirque Du Solei

I hope that this show is as worthy of the money as DH anticipates. I have always heard great things, but this will be our first Cirque Du Solei experience, so it's hard to know what to expect.

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Week Three
I'm watching Hercules tonight. Man I've missed this movie!

I was not able to do any running this week recovering still from whiplash. At this point I'm close to abandoning it yet again But, on the health side I am completely ok. The car is being repaired as we speak.

Tomorrow I start at the Disney store! 6 weeks to go!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

This week I did not do any shopping, but kept myself busy with training and working both jobs. It's a whirlwind of a ride! I was not able to catch my disney movie, but I will be using this week to watch both as I have a bit less training and grading.

We are at the end of Term One for school this week, so my grading levels have been higher than expected (or desired). But knowing that we are almost exactly one month away is making me very happy!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Day Four - (12/4/2014) Visiting the Dark Side

We are taking a journey over to the dark side of US/IoA to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and have dinner at Margaritaville - a place we celebrated with family after our wedding in May 2010. I am still debating whether we want to rent a car, or take Mears transportation. I know Mears is less convenient, but I believe it is much cheaper than a car rental when you factor in parking fees.

**We did decide on MEARs and I booked my shuttle ride for pickup at 7:50am

Anyway, regardless of which option we take, we are planning to arrange getting to the park around 8:30am for park opening at 9am. We will be starting our adventure on the US side and then ending on the IoA side before leaving for the CityWalk and our dinner. I haven't decided if it's worthwhile to make a reservation at Margaritaville or not. We might just get a drink and some apps before heading back to the hotel for the night. We will probably play it by ear.

The following was made using touringplans:
9:00am - Head to Diagon Alley
9:15am - Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
10:30am - Explore Diagon Alley
11:30am - Lunch at the Leaky Cauldron
12:00pm - Revenge of the Mummy
12:20pm - Transformers: The Ride 3D
12:45pm - Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem
1:30pm - The Simpsons Ride
1:45pm - Men In Black Alien Attack
2:05pm - Hogwarts Express - King's Cross Station

- The train will take us to IoA -
3:00pm - Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
3:35pm - Dragon Challenge
4:00pm - Poseidon's Fury
4:45pm - The Mystic Fountain
5:00pm - The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman
5:30pm - The Incredible Hulk

We will then head out to our potential dinner, or arrange a pick up for heading back to the hotel. I'm very excited to explore Harry Potter and ride some high end thrill rides (some by myself since DH is a baby ).

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Extremely Late Week Five Update

It's Thursday already?! Week 5 came and went and now I'm almost through week 6. Holy wow! But it has been an insanely busy few days. Let me break this down a little....

As you may know, I am an online high school teacher and I work from home a lot. Due to that reason, I decided to take a part time job with The Disney Store. Everything was going great until Sunday evening when I needed to help them set up for the Christmas decor.... until 1:30am.... and then working on end of term madness with teaching at 9am....
Regardless, I made it through, but I completely disregarded the time in regards to posting my update. I DID go shopping at saved $30 with coupons and discounts - also got a really cheap turkey for a nice turkey dinner sometime next week. As far as Disney movies go, I did not watch The Little Mermaid from week 4 like I was supposed to, nor did I get to watching Monsters, Inc. as assigned for week 5. I'm now two movies behind, but I should be able to catch up this week. The movie for week 6 (Peter Pan) will actually be replace as DH and I watched Maleficent last night. We didn't really like it

This morning I woke up very early this morning to drive my nephews and sister to the airport for their Disney vacation. I admit I'm so jealous, but my time is coming soon! Hopefully I can get this week under control and be back on track for the recap next week!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

This last week went by quick (as was noted in my late post for the previous week). I cannot believe we are three weeks away from our vacation! I have two movies to watch yet from previous weeks (Monsters, Inc. and Little Mermaid) as I begin week 7. I will be watching one tonight and potentially both.

It has started snowing here today and I'm getting a two hour late start to school! We have quite a bit of heavy snow, but fortunately I was able to get out to grab essential groceries last night before it all hit! We should be out of the clear now.

I'm still not as excited as I want to be because I've been very busy, but the closer it gets, the more excited I hope I will be. This next week (week 7) I need to call up and schedule our MEARs transportation for our Universal venture.

Off to watch a movie!

 

[MonsterWDWmom]

Hi joining in, it looks like we will be there at the same time!

All your plans sounds great I am so jealous that you are going to the darkside just this year I read all the books and watched all the movies so now I really want to see it, one day one day...

Only a couple more weeks!!

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Week Seven Recap I always feel like the white rabbit constantly late on these updates. However, I did watch a fair amount of Disney movies and have been constantly keeping up with Once Upon a Time though I admit that it is starting to slow down and get a bit weary in peaking my interest. I began brainstorming this week for logistics concerning our pending departure. I can't believe it's less than two weeks away - I feel so wildly unprepared! I had to do some adjusting to my schedule here and there due to Disney tweaking their park hours. I swear, they're just trying to ensure I lose all of my sanity before the end of this process. I have Days 1-4 finalized and posted, but I will need to get my butt in gear if I'm to ever get Days 5-8 up before we go! They're planned, but just not yet posted to the DIS. Tonight will be the night as I anxiously await online tutoring to make some extra cash. (And by the way, any teachers or those enrolled in college reading along that would like to get into online tutoring - let me know!)

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Hi joining in, it looks like we will be there at the same time!

All your plans sounds great I am so jealous that you are going to the darkside just this year I read all the books and watched all the movies so now I really want to see it, one day one day...

Only a couple more weeks!!

We went to the darkside once before, but with the new addition it was a must this time around. I can't wait for you to see it someday! If you're a movie/book fan it's just amazing!