I can't wait any longer! ~UPDATE 5/25 I'm back!

[pkondz]

AHHHHHH I just... I mean... I just, oh forget it, I have no words!!!!!!!!!!!

If only you could get excited about it!

 

[Tracy161]

If only you could get excited about it!

I know! The shame!

 

[afwdwfan]

Hi Tracy! I know I've seen you around other TR's and I'm popping over from @SimplyGoofy 's PTR after I saw mention of the upcoming Dismeet. Anyway, I'm way behind and your trip is next week, so I'm not even going to try catch up here, but I wanted to say I hope you have a great trip. I'm always envious of people who get solo trips. I've never gone on one, but I always love having even just a few hours or an afternoon of solo time in the parks! I look forward to reading your TR when you get back.

 

[Mrs T 2009]

5 days!!!!!
Are you ready?
Just a bit?

 

[Nermel9]

Aww, I'm so sad I missed your single digit dance!!!

Well, your ticker says 5 days, so 5 day dance!



I have no idea how I would do the 24 hour day. I think I'd probably get there right at the beginning, go as long as I could, probably until mid-day, take a really long nap, and then go back around 9 or 10 and try to stay all night. There's just no way I could do all 24 hours, I LOVE the Magic Kingdom, but no way!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I fell behind a couple of days but yay yay yay your trip is almost here!!

I would LOVE to do a 24 event! I think I would feel compelled to start and finish the day at MK though I venture to guess my loving family would leave me flying solo for that type of fanaticism. No way I could convince them to go all-in for the day. But I don't think I'd mind

I love your idea of staying up and sleeping on the plane instead of wasting your last magical night on bedtime!! Great plan! I can't wait to read more

 

[Tracy161]

Hi Tracy! I know I've seen you around other TR's and I'm popping over from @SimplyGoofy 's PTR after I saw mention of the upcoming Dismeet. Anyway, I'm way behind and your trip is next week, so I'm not even going to try catch up here, but I wanted to say I hope you have a great trip. I'm always envious of people who get solo trips. I've never gone on one, but I always love having even just a few hours or an afternoon of solo time in the parks! I look forward to reading your TR when you get back.

Hi Andy!!! Yes, you're a very familiar "face" to me as well! Thanks so much for stopping by! Solo trips are amazing, but having any "alone time" in the parks is great as well - sometimes it's just so nice to not have to compromise, do whatever it is that strikes your fancy at the moment. I'll definitely be doing a TR upon return!

5 days!!!!!
Are you ready?
Just a bit?

AHHHHHHHHHHHH I'm SO ready!!! I still have lots to do but if I could, I'd board that plane right now!

Aww, I'm so sad I missed your single digit dance!!!

Well, your ticker says 5 days, so 5 day dance!



I have no idea how I would do the 24 hour day. I think I'd probably get there right at the beginning, go as long as I could, probably until mid-day, take a really long nap, and then go back around 9 or 10 and try to stay all night. There's just no way I could do all 24 hours, I LOVE the Magic Kingdom, but no way!

Thanks, Jen! 5 day dances are more fun than single digits anyway... because it's closer! I hope that you and Brandon had a great trip! I'm hoping I can read all about it soon! (you are doing a TR, right?! right!?)

I think that's going to be my revised plan to tackle the 24 hour party - starting and ending at MK just feels right!

I fell behind a couple of days but yay yay yay your trip is almost here!!

I would LOVE to do a 24 event! I think I would feel compelled to start and finish the day at MK though I venture to guess my loving family would leave me flying solo for that type of fanaticism. No way I could convince them to go all-in for the day. But I don't think I'd mind

I love your idea of staying up and sleeping on the plane instead of wasting your last magical night on bedtime!! Great plan! I can't wait to read more

It's so close it's hard to believe, actually!!! As I just told Jen, I really think that starting and ending at the MK is the way to go... so I may in fact change my morning plans and do just that! I'm glad you approve of my plan to just stay up that last night - seems silly at that point to waste my precious last Disney hours on a silly thing like sleep

 

[cinderkelly]

5 days to go!!! Are you too excited to sleep??

 

[Tracy161]

5 days to go!!! Are you too excited to sleep??

YES!!!!!!!!! I'm way too excited to sleep It started last week and I thought to myself "oh, no! Already?!" But it doesn't help that the last thing I do before trying to sleep is youtubing park videos.

 

[pkondz]

YES!!!!!!!!! I'm way too excited to sleep It started last week and I thought to myself "oh, no! Already?!" But it doesn't help that the last thing I do before trying to sleep is youtubing park videos.

Trouble sleeping before a Disney holiday?
This is what to do.
Put away those electronics, Disney pamphlets, spread sheets and assorted bric-a-brac.
Take a nice warm bath and afterwards pour yourself a nice glass of milk.

It won't help. Hello! You're going to freaking DISNEY WORLD!!!!!

But at least you'll be clean.
And milk's supposed to be good for you.
So there's that.

 

[Tracy161]

Park Bags:
help needed, please!

Hello there, friends!

I'm in need of some help. Would you kindly weigh in and let me know what your go-to park bag is? I always struggle with this one. I'd love to pull an @DisneyKid4Life and go without one completely
(and thus skipping freely past the bag check lines...) but... no can do.
I'm just a tad high-maintenance when I think about all the things that I may possibly need once in the parks (chap stick, trip journal, pen(s), god forbid I not have a poncho , etc.) However, I hate to be excessive all the same.

So... I'm wondering what tips you may have for park bags. I go through the same rigmarole each and every trip.

Typically I pack both of these guys and, weather forecast dependent, I go with the smaller of the options when I think I can get away with it.


Mini Vera


Deceivingly large pink bag

The major problem with the second (pink) option is that, while I can fit a LOT of stuff in there, the main area is totally open without any organization options. I'm nothing if not super organized so this can be a bit annoying to me. But I'm also a person that - yes, even in Florida in May - can get cold very easily. So this allows me to keep a long-sleeve shirt on hand.

So... please let me know what your favorite park bag is!

​

 

[Tracy161]

Trouble sleeping before a Disney holiday?
This is what to do.
Put away those electronics, Disney pamphlets, spread sheets and assorted bric-a-brac.
Take a nice warm bath and afterwards pour yourself a nice glass of milk.

It won't help. Hello! You're going to freaking DISNEY WORLD!!!!!

But at least you'll be clean.
And milk's supposed to be good for you.
So there's that.

No!!! Not the bric-a-brac! You can take away anything but please, God!, leave me my bric-a-brac!

It's useless, really, isn't it?! I guess I'll just rest assured that upon my return - and the impending post-Disney trip depression - I'll be doing plenty of sleeping to make up for it.

 

[pkondz]

Would you kindly weigh in and let me know what your go-to park bag is?

I think I'm out of this one...

No!!! Not the bric-a-brac! You can take away anything but please, God!, leave me my bric-a-brac!

Hmmmm.... well..... Okay.
But just one bric and one brac young lady! Then it's straight off to bed! (for another wonderful night of staring at the ceiling...)

It's useless, really, isn't it?! I guess I'll just rest assured that upon my return - and the impending post-Disney trip depression - I'll be doing plenty of sleeping to make up for it.

 

[STLMickeyMom]

I'm no help on the bag front. We've always used the super huge diaper bag (which stayed surprisingly organized) and just last trip scaled down to a backpack that DH and I took turns carrying. I dream of the day the girls can wear small backpacks, DH will carry everything important in his wallet and I will skip through the park bag free!!!

 

[NJlauren]

I try to use a small cross body bag. I recently got a Vera one and it worked perfect this trip.

I always need stuff but hate carrying to much around, I like the cross body type because it's less of a pain for me then a shoulder bag.

So I vote option 1!

 

[Tracy161]

I think I'm out of this one...

I figured that might be the case.

Hmmmm.... well..... Okay.
But just one bric and one brac young lady! Then it's straight off to bed! (for another wonderful night of staring at the ceiling...)

Okay, FINE! But I'm not gonna like it. Hmmmph.

I'm no help on the bag front. We've always used the super huge diaper bag (which stayed surprisingly organized) and just last trip scaled down to a backpack that DH and I took turns carrying. I dream of the day the girls can wear small backpacks, DH will carry everything important in his wallet and I will skip through the park bag free!!!

Yes, I suppose that even my "deceivingly large pink bag" is a step above a "super huge diaper bag", huh? Glad that you're progressing to an easier park bag yourself, though!

I try to use a small cross body bag. I recently got a Vera one and it worked perfect this trip.

I always need stuff but hate carrying to much around, I like the cross body type because it's less of a pain for me then a shoulder bag.

So I vote option 1!

I do love the cross body option, it feels like you're not lugging anything around! I think I'll opt for this one as often as possible. I'm just a tad paranoid by nature: but what if I need x?! And what if I need y?! Ya know, the usual

 

[wellesleyprincess]

So at Universal I stuck with the fanny pack because of the annoying no bag policy on so many rides, but my normal park bag is a Kavu crossbody sling backpack, it's probably as much room as your pink bag but with the organizational features.

 

[Volunteer]

Most of the time I've gone bag less, but lately I've been bringing a backpack since I never have to store it unless I go to Universal. Usually put a few snacks, bottled waters, diet cokes, phone charger, battery park - the essentials basically.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

My go-to park bag is this one:

This is the best picture I have of it - I usually try to keep it OUT of the pictures! It's a black bag with a front zippered pocket full of slots and compartments, and then a main compartment with a snap top closure and a decent amount of interior room. I usually clip my video camera onto the strap with a carabineer. I usually wear it across my body, but as you can see, I can also wear it on one side.

I LOVE that bag and have used it for my last three trips. When I get home from my work travel on Thursday night I'll let you know the brand (but that might be too late). Overall, as my favorite feature of my bag is that I can wear it cross-body, I'd vote for your first bag.

In good news, it sounds like you shouldn't need a long-sleeved shirt this trip - my co-worker from Orlando says that it's been ridiculously hot there! I believe today it was 95 degrees!

 

[Nuwanda9]

Coming out of lurkdom... I used a Vera Bradley Hipster as a park bag. I, too, would love to have NO bag but that is not gonna happen!! Wearing the bag cross body leaves me hands free which is what I love about it.

I am from Syracuse! I recognized your pictures and figured you lived not too far away. Been to your place of business many times!

Enjoy your trip!!