Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog! LINK TO TRIP REPORT!!!

[KatMark]

Yeah, sorry about that! I think I actually went more than forty-eight hours this week without logging on! Crazy. I've been busy, as we all are.

You know, its a funny thing about pictures from last year... I took some decent ones of the food... but I am not the greatest photographer. I tend to take a million pictures one day and the none the next. I have a lot of pictures of some things and none of others. Hopefully, I will be more consistent this year. I'm sure I'll take a ton more because I'll want to take so many of Max.

Also, can I ask how Photopass works? I know there are the photographers all over the place at Disneyworld and they take your picture... do you sign up in advance? They send you a CD with all your pictures on it? Is it super expensive?

Thanks!

We've never pre-ordered the Photopass CD; I believe it is a little cheaper if you preorder it. In the past, we have just done the pictures and then ordered what we want -- but the individual pictures are VERY expensive. The last two years I've been lucky to have some DIS members who have done a CD share where we all put our pictures on the same account and the original person has run a CD for everyone. In the long run, pre-ordering the CD might be cheaper. I think if you do a search you can find out the price for the CD.

 

[dizneeat]

Yeah, sorry about that! I think I actually went more than forty-eight hours this week without logging on! Crazy. I've been busy, as we all are.

You know, its a funny thing about pictures from last year... I took some decent ones of the food... but I am not the greatest photographer. I tend to take a million pictures one day and the none the next. I have a lot of pictures of some things and none of others. Hopefully, I will be more consistent this year. I'm sure I'll take a ton more because I'll want to take so many of Max.

Also, can I ask how Photopass works? I know there are the photographers all over the place at Disneyworld and they take your picture... do you sign up in advance? They send you a CD with all your pictures on it? Is it super expensive?

Thanks!

Tina, I WOULD pre-order! We always do! It is 99.90$ if you pre-order and 149.90 if you buy afterwards.
What you do is ............ you click on the pre-order link (I can PM that to you, if you want me to) and you pay for the pre-order CD. Then you go to the park and ask the first photopass photographer for a card. (Be sure to take a picture of the number on the back, you need it to retrieve your photos). Have as many photos taken as you can! If you forget your card, don't worry, get a new one and take another photo of the number.
You then go to photopass, sign in (don't know, but I think you open an account when you buy), punch in your numbers and there are your photos - you have a lot of options for borders and you can put on as many as you want to. We had around 150 photos taken and ended up with around 1500 photos in the end. All for 99.90!! It is definitely worth it, esp. since they do a lot of magic shots too. (they make you look at a certain point, or hold your hands out and then magically a character appears in the photo!)
Let me know if you need the link and just ask if you have any more questions!

 

[tinacaplan]

We've never pre-ordered the Photopass CD; I believe it is a little cheaper if you preorder it. In the past, we have just done the pictures and then ordered what we want -- but the individual pictures are VERY expensive. The last two years I've been lucky to have some DIS members who have done a CD share where we all put our pictures on the same account and the original person has run a CD for everyone. In the long run, pre-ordering the CD might be cheaper. I think if you do a search you can find out the price for the CD.

Tina, I WOULD pre-order! We always do! It is 99.90$ if you pre-order and 149.90 if you buy afterwards.
What you do is ............ you click on the pre-order link (I can PM that to you, if you want me to) and you pay for the pre-order CD. Then you go to the park and ask the first photopass photographer for a card. (Be sure to take a picture of the number on the back, you need it to retrieve your photos). Have as many photos taken as you can! If you forget your card, don't worry, get a new one and take another photo of the number.
You then go to photopass, sign in (don't know, but I think you open an account when you buy), punch in your numbers and there are your photos - you have a lot of options for borders and you can put on as many as you want to. We had around 150 photos taken and ended up with around 1500 photos in the end. All for 99.90!! It is definitely worth it, esp. since they do a lot of magic shots too. (they make you look at a certain point, or hold your hands out and then magically a character appears in the photo!)
Let me know if you need the link and just ask if you have any more questions!

Thanks to both of you for the information. I think we might just do it this trip. It is Max's first trip and who knows...it might be a few years before we get back again. I hope not...but you never know. I secretly want to convince Mark to drive us down this July, but I'm doubtful he'll go in for it. Even driving all the way from CT would save us some serious money over flying and it would be a cool trip to make. But, perhaps one that would be better left to when Max is a little older.

I think the Photopass pictures would also give us the chance to get a lot of pictures of us a family, which we don't have very many of.

 

[tinacaplan]

So, as some of you know, we are engaged in an on-going battle with our (truly) psycho next door neighbors. This wouldn't be so bad were it not for the fact that the only thing seperating our houses is their driveway. The real battle began last December when we came home Saturday afternoon to our neighbor hacking down half of one of our bushes because he claimed that it was growing into his property. Meanwhile, no one knows where that line is, not even our town. Ridiculous. Then, they started to say that parts of our roof was falling off and scratching their car. Um...o'kay. They attempted to file an insurance claim against, but got nowhere. We tried to fix the roof, only to have the neighbors deny us access to their driveway for the day the roofer would have needed.

In the meantime, we know we have to get out of the house, which we're in the process of doing.

But...this morning, I'm about to leave and go grocery shopping only to find that the neighbors have left some twigs and branches and what may or may not be pieces from our roof on our front porch. So, for whatever reason, it looks like they might be going after us again. Its been a tough couple of hours around here as I have a tough time dealing with people who lack all reason and sanity. Go figure, right?

But it should be ok...and at least I have my happy place to think about.

 

[KatMark]

So, as some of you know, we are engaged in an on-going battle with our (truly) psycho next door neighbors. This wouldn't be so bad were it not for the fact that the only thing seperating our houses is their driveway. The real battle began last December when we came home Saturday afternoon to our neighbor hacking down half of one of our bushes because he claimed that it was growing into his property. Meanwhile, no one knows where that line is, not even our town. Ridiculous. Then, they started to say that parts of our roof was falling off and scratching their car. Um...o'kay. They attempted to file an insurance claim against, but got nowhere. We tried to fix the roof, only to have the neighbors deny us access to their driveway for the day the roofer would have needed.

In the meantime, we know we have to get out of the house, which we're in the process of doing.

But...this morning, I'm about to leave and go grocery shopping only to find that the neighbors have left some twigs and branches and what may or may not be pieces from our roof on our front porch. So, for whatever reason, it looks like they might be going after us again. Its been a tough couple of hours around here as I have a tough time dealing with people who lack all reason and sanity. Go figure, right?

But it should be ok...and at least I have my happy place to think about.

All I can say is NUTSO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[annmarieda]

just had to come here quick to say I am here...kinda. I have been really busy the last couple weeks.

Yay for being in the double digits...

and phewy on your neighbors!!! You really need to move. Good thing you are working on that.

 

[tinacaplan]

All I can say is NUTSO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yup. They are really kind of crazy and sort of sociopaths and I don't throw that around lightly. I'm just trying really hard to focus on the fact that its a situation I can't control; I can only control my reaction to them.

just had to come here quick to say I am here...kinda. I have been really busy the last couple weeks.

Yay for being in the double digits...

and phewy on your neighbors!!! You really need to move. Good thing you are working on that.

Hi! I just posted on your TR! I know its tough. Sometimes life just gets in the way. I came home from our February trip all ready to do the dining report to end all dining reports. I figured we had eaten at a ton of signature places, I love to write, and eat...why not? And then life happened! That's when the proverbial you know what hit the fan with our whole fun situation here and we had flooding. We had water halfway up our basement walls at one point last March. Crazy. By the time the chaos had calmed down, I had forgotten half of what I wanted to say. Not letting that happen again... I fully plan on keeping a journal this trip.

And thanks for the We will be moving on soon enough. Hopefully by the summer. I can't wait to have real, full-sized closets again. In the words of "Beauty and the Beast," I'll feel human again!

 

[Mindy5767]

We leave in 14 hours!!

 

[tinacaplan]

We leave in 14 hours!!

WOW! Already??? Weren't you just there? Enjoy yourself nad have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

 

[Mindy5767]

WOW! Already??? Weren't you just there? Enjoy yourself nad have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Yes.... but that was in August..... 3 months ago... when it was 105 degrees with the humidity factor. I hear from friends and my cousin who are already there that it is beautiful. Chilly in the early a.m. and p.m. but up to 80 during the day. My cousin went swimming, so it was warm enough. We'll get to see our son who is going to college in Florida (the original reason for the August trip). Our kids have the whole week off for Thanksgiving which doesn't usually happen, so we thought we'd take advantage of it, and get to see Max at the same time! We're staying at SSR for 5 nights and one night at the Pop. We didn't want to spend the mega amount of points required for the Friday night stay at SSR, so we'll move to Pop in 2 rooms for 1 night. My sister and her husband and son are joining us. We'll all drive down together in 2 cars.

 

[tinacaplan]

So, the newest round of discounts came out today and I suppose I should be pretty excited. I mean, I was in no way guaranteed a discount of any kind, so I should be happy with whatever I can get, particularly since we go during President's Week! Bottom line: we saved around $500. I know, nothing to sneeze at, but...well...last year we got the 4/3 deal and I know that I got spoiled. It would have been crazy to think that was coming around again...oh well. But, I'm now that much closer to having this thing paid for!!! And that's always a good thing. Plus, I know this is going to sound weird, I LOVE calling the Disney Travel Company. Their level of customer service is just unparalelled in my experience. I've always had the nicest, most helpful CMs on those calls. So, that was an exciting, unexpected little boost to my day!

 

[pinkxray]

So, the newest round of discounts came out today and I suppose I should be pretty excited. I mean, I was in no way guaranteed a discount of any kind, so I should be happy with whatever I can get, particularly since we go during President's Week! Bottom line: we saved around $500. I know, nothing to sneeze at, but...well...last year we got the 4/3 deal and I know that I got spoiled. It would have been crazy to think that was coming around again...oh well. But, I'm now that much closer to having this thing paid for!!! And that's always a good thing. Plus, I know this is going to sound weird, I LOVE calling the Disney Travel Company. Their level of customer service is just unparalelled in my experience. I've always had the nicest, most helpful CMs on those calls. So, that was an exciting, unexpected little boost to my day!

Congrats on saving $500. I was a little surprised at the discount today. I figured they would go into May at least. Oh well.

I kind of like talking to Disney travel too. Well, except when I call the dining line and they have to give me the whole speech about canceling something with a guarantee. Yeah, I read the disboards- I know already.

I have missed a bit. I just saw you were thinking of driving down in July. My dad drove us down on three thrips from CT when we were kids. The ride down is exciting but the ride home is torture! I guess it could be fun if you spread it out a little though and stop along the way. We either stopped overnight in SC or went straight through to FL.

 

[tinacaplan]

Congrats on saving $500. I was a little surprised at the discount today. I figured they would go into May at least. Oh well.

I kind of like talking to Disney travel too. Well, except when I call the dining line and they have to give me the whole speech about canceling something with a guarantee. Yeah, I read the disboards- I know already.

I have missed a bit. I just saw you were thinking of driving down in July. My dad drove us down on three thrips from CT when we were kids. The ride down is exciting but the ride home is torture! I guess it could be fun if you spread it out a little though and stop along the way. We either stopped overnight in SC or went straight through to FL.

Thanks! I seriously doubt driving is something we'll do for quite some time. We have family in Maryland and I love exploring around the South, so it would be fun for us...at some point...in the future. I also plan to eventually go to WDW at Christmas and stay at AKL in a savanna view room and who cares what we get to see in the parks? But that's for another time!

 

[tinacaplan]

Well, all of a sudden, I have all sorts of information to update!

In addition to my discount, I also found out that my friends Tom and Karin (Dizneeat) were also able to take advantage of a discount themselves are now staying at CSR with us in February! Well, not the same room, of course...

I called my mom right away to let her know about the new discount and she called back all flustered. Every once in awhile, I am reminded in some small way that my mom, unfortunately, is getting older. She can't hear as well as she used to and there are certain new tech things she finds a little off-putting. She did get through it, though, and she also saved some money!

 

[dizneeat]

So, the newest round of discounts came out today and I suppose I should be pretty excited. I mean, I was in no way guaranteed a discount of any kind, so I should be happy with whatever I can get, particularly since we go during President's Week! Bottom line: we saved around $500. I know, nothing to sneeze at, but...well...last year we got the 4/3 deal and I know that I got spoiled. It would have been crazy to think that was coming around again...oh well. But, I'm now that much closer to having this thing paid for!!! And that's always a good thing. Plus, I know this is going to sound weird, I LOVE calling the Disney Travel Company. Their level of customer service is just unparalelled in my experience. I've always had the nicest, most helpful CMs on those calls. So, that was an exciting, unexpected little boost to my day!

so happy you were able to score a good discount!!!

I was SO surprised they came out with discounts so soon. Only at the weekend had I looked up historic discounts and last year's AP discount for that time frame had only come out in January!
So picture MY surprise when I go to my inbox and find the announcement! You should have seen me grab the phone in a split second!
Isn't 500$ close to the 4/3 deal? But then, they had tickets included as well, didn't they? No matter what ......... I guess even those 500$ are going back to Disney one way or another - too many temptations there, esp. with little Max around this time!

Hey, and like you I just LOVE calling the Disney Travel Company! They are so friendly and chatty most of the time. When I told the CM my hometown, she actually shouted out that she had visited here a long time ago! And calling them makes a vacation so much more real!
Did you request a special building or section? I haven't yet, but we are thinking about Cabanas or Ranchos, what about you?

 

[tinacaplan]

so happy you were able to score a good discount!!!

I was SO surprised they came out with discounts so soon. Only at the weekend had I looked up historic discounts and last year's AP discount for that time frame had only come out in January!
So picture MY surprise when I go to my inbox and find the announcement! You should have seen me grab the phone in a split second!
Isn't 500$ close to the 4/3 deal? But then, they had tickets included as well, didn't they? No matter what ......... I guess even those 500$ are going back to Disney one way or another - too many temptations there, esp. with little Max around this time!

Hey, and like you I just LOVE calling the Disney Travel Company! They are so friendly and chatty most of the time. When I told the CM my hometown, she actually shouted out that she had visited here a long time ago! And calling them makes a vacation so much more real!
Did you request a special building or section? I haven't yet, but we are thinking about Cabanas or Ranchos, what about you?

I am just so excited that this is all working out the way it is! that's gotta mean something! I requested Cabanas, 8B, to be exact, where Kathy stayed this year. Its near El Centro, the Dig Site, and a bus stop, all of which are pretty important to me since we'll have Max. I know that even if the weather isn't warm enough for swimming, we will be making use of that incredible playground.

I also checked some (super) extended forecasts on-line, and I read more than one that is calling for slightly above average temperatures for this winter! Given how cold it is here in the winter, it isn't going to take super high temps to get me in the pool. Even last year, we managed to use the hot tub on a few occasions and we spent some time in the actual pool. And it was pretty chilly last year, as I'm sure you remember.

 

[KatMark]

I am just so excited that this is all working out the way it is! that's gotta mean something! I requested Cabanas, 8B, to be exact, where Kathy stayed this year. Its near El Centro, the Dig Site, and a bus stop, all of which are pretty important to me since we'll have Max. I know that even if the weather isn't warm enough for swimming, we will be making use of that incredible playground.

I also checked some (super) extended forecasts on-line, and I read more than one that is calling for slightly above average temperatures for this winter! Given how cold it is here in the winter, it isn't going to take super high temps to get me in the pool. Even last year, we managed to use the hot tub on a few occasions and we spent some time in the actual pool. And it was pretty chilly last year, as I'm sure you remember.

Great that you saved so much money, Tina. That is just super!

Actually, we were in Cabanas 8A, not 8B...but both locations are great.

 

[tinacaplan]

Great that you saved so much money, Tina. That is just super!

Actually, we were in Cabanas 8A, not 8B...but both locations are great.

Thanks, Kathy!


Is that the one I want, then? I want whichever one was closer to the Dig Site!

 

[KatMark]

Thanks, Kathy!


Is that the one I want, then? I want whichever one was closer to the Dig Site!

Then you want 8A.

 

[tinacaplan]

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!​

I have a few minutes before I have to start getting ready to trek on over to my mom's for our big family feast. So thankful that I'm not doing it at my house this year. We end up with around eleven people, and I just don't know if I could have handled any extra stress this year. So, all I had to do was make mashed potatoes.

I just looked at my last posted intinerary and there are a few things that have changed, so I would like to make a jazzier, more up to date version and post that this weekend. We'll see if I get to it.

I did something truly crazy this morning. I was playing with the computer for a second and thinking about our trip down to NYC this weekend. We're heading down with Max to take him to the new Disney Store (ok, who am I kidding...we're taking me to the Disney store! ) and to check out the Toys R Us, which I've heard is rather monumental. Plus, even though Times Square is all kinds of tourist-y and ridiculous, its still pretty exciting, too.

Anyway, I thought...hey...let me check out Priceline and see if I can find a cheap hotel room, figuring that since I was looking in Manhattan I had about as much chance as well...a snowball in Florida? Bad joke. Lo and behold, we were able to book a room for a hundred bucks. Are you kidding? I did the whole name your own price thing and selected the neighborhoods and the star rating (three and a half and up) and we were able to get a room! WOW.

Given our current situation, we LOVE getting out of the house and going away so I figured this might just be perfect. I really love going away, even if its only an overnight, and a quick one at that. It always gives me a nice sense of perspective and makes me feel genuinely happy to be back home again.

So I will have to post a mini PTR when I get home!

Hope that everyone who's still reading has a wonderful holiday and a relaxing long weekend.