I Got Work to Pay for My Disney Vacation! w/PICS - COMPLETE 11/21 - Last Hoorah at WL

[NorweJenNY]

Ok... so the title grabbed you at least, right?

My trip will be covered... I'm talking meals, resort, gas for the van... sweet! I just have to pay for my tickets... which actually isn't bad either. And we leave this Friday, July 10th! Coming up really soon...

The real reason I'm going is because of a conference at Regal Sun. It's the first national conference I'm attending for the association I'm affiliated with at work. So, yeah, a lot of the time I'll be in workshops and stuff, but it will all be tied together with a nice family vacation. Instead of leaving my workshops each day to an empty hotel room, I'll be partying with The Mouse! Woohoo!

So here's a guide to my report so far...
Page 1 - post 1 - That's what you're reading now.
Page 1 - post 6 - Resort Plans
Page 1 - post 11 - The Story behind Obtaining the Dining Plan
Page 1 - post 13 - This Fru-gal's Ticket Deal!
Page 2 - posts 16 & 17 - Packing Progress
Page 2 - post 18 - Food Plans (Be prepared for Some Visual Aids!)
Page 2 - post 19 - The Stroller Saga
Page 2 - post 24 - Finally Packed? (last post before leaving)
Page 2 - post 27 - On the Road... YAY!
Page 2 - post 28 - Finally in Disney! Checking In... and Checking In Again...
Page 3 - post 32 - Big Guy's Big Day in MK
Page 3 - post 35 - Big Guy's Birthday Dinner
Page 3 - posts 41 & 42 - An Early Morning at Epcot
Page 3 - post 43 - Disney Bus Meets Ice Age & Thawing Out with Fireworks
Page 4 - post 46 - The Dreadful Phone Call
Page 4 - post 47 - We Like the French! Part 1
Page 4 - post 50 - UK/Canada Intermission
Page 4 - post 51 - We Like the French! Part 2
Page 4 - post 52 - Superfluous Fastpasses?!
Page 4 - post 53 - An Early Start at Animal Kingdom
Page 4 - posts 54-56 - Do Not Feed the Live Animals
Page 5 - posts 62-63 - Animal Kingdom Shows!
Page 5 - posts 64-65 - My Fam, Our Plan, & My Cam (MK/Poly afternoon/evening)
Page 5 - post 71 - Toy Story Mania or Bust
Page 6 - post 76 - More from Disney's Hollywood Studios - Land of Not Much for Preschoolers - Part 1
Page 6 - post 77 - More from DHS - Land of Not Much for Preschoolers - Part 2
Page 6 - post 78 - An Evening Around the Port Orleans Resorts
Page 6 - post 79 - O Canada!
Page 6 - post 80 - Yeeeeehaaaaa Bob at River Roost Lounge!
Page 6 - post 81 - Our First Time at Wilderness Lodge!
Page 6 - posts 82 & 83 - Our Last Day at Magic Kingdom!
Page 6 - post 84 - Last Hoorah at Wilderness Lodge!



I'm coming down a day early with my family for my son's birthday, and to spend some extra time in the parks as a whole family.

So I'm bringing along hubby, and my two sons, whom I will basically refer to as Big Guy and Little Guy.

Let me introduce you to my family...

Me: I'm in my upper 20s and love Disney... I'm addicted to planning trips! I love these boards... they've given me so many good ideas! Also note that generally I am a very frugal person, and this trip is going to bring a lot of firsts to this "fru-gal"... more on that later. I love all the traditional characters, and Eeyore... and I've gotten pretty fond of Nemo & friends too. My favorite ride is Soarin'!

Hubby: Also in his upper 20s (a little higher up than me )and loves Disney... he actually grew up in FL, so he can't quite count all the trips he's taken because there were so many. He did just admit to me the other day though, that I still know more about Disney World then he does because of my research and planning addictions. A piece of him would rather be in Las Vegas (perish the thought!) but when it comes to traveling as a whole family, Disney is his destination of choice. (Smart man! I did marry him for a reason ) He likes a lot of traditional characters, with somewhat of a particular liking for Tigger, though some mornings he prefers to be more like Grumpy. (Not a morning person... usually.) He also likes (and often acts like) Goofy. His favorite attraction is Mickey's Philharmagic. It kinda brings out the kid in him. Oh, and I also must mention he LOVES Dole Whips & Funnel Cakes. Those are about on the same importance level as doing Mickey's Philharmagic in his viewpoint.

And then there are Big Guy (right) & Little Guy (left) ...with Pluto in the middle

Big Guy: So he's not really that big... just a little bigger than his brother. Big Guy is turning 6 our first day in Disney World! So we get to celebrate it there, and he's excited about that! Big Guy likes some thrills and is a very fun-loving kid. He's pretty good about going with the flow, and isn't generally afraid to try new things. He reminds me a bit of Tigger, and actually sleeps with a Tigger in bed at night. He's also a big fan of Lightning McQueen & Buzz Lightyear... which I suppose is typical for his age. And as for the main characters, he likes Goofy & Pluto. His favorite rides are BTMRR, Splash Mt, & TT.

Little Guy: He's a sweet and friendly 4 1/2 year old. If you see my signature, he's the little emoticon that's waving. Every now and then he just waves to random strangers, just to be friendly. He also has a big smile, big brown eyes, and long eye lashes that he's gotten comments on since he was a baby. (He's still my baby!) He loves goofing around and having fun, but he also has a slightly timid side. Right now he's in the midst of a stage where he fears water, particularly in his eyes. We'll see how that affects our touring. He also should be just at that critical 40" mark, meaning he really wants to ride TT and BTMRR. (Note I didn't mention Splash Mt... the water in the eyes thing...) Little Guy's favorite character's are Lightning McQueen & Buzz Lightyear (sound familiar?), and he also loves Nemo & friends, Remy (though he refers to him as if his name is "Ratatouille"), and Wall-E. Besides those rides he hasn't been tall enough to ride yet until this year, he says he's looking forward to "The Buzzlightyear Ride," "The Nemo Ride," and "Small World" (...oh joy! )

There's our little intro... anyone interested in joining in vacationing vicariously through us? If so, stay tuned to more details!

 

[MinnieNurse]

I would be willing to work for a trip. Whatever it takes to get to Disney.

Cant wait to hear more.

 

[NorweJenNY]

I would be willing to work for a trip.

I knew somebody was going to interpret my title that way!

Glad you got a good laugh...

Whatever it takes to get to Disney.

Cant wait to hear more.

You will be sharing that popcorn around, right? Typing makes me hungry...

 

[MinnieNurse]

Sure, I got plenty of it.

No really, I tried to get my old boss to send me to a nursing conference there a few years ago just so I could go to Disney. So seriously I wouldnt mind going to conferences during the day and Disney in the evening.

 

[NorweJenNY]

Sure, I got plenty of it.

No really, I tried to get my old boss to send me to a nursing conference there a few years ago just so I could go to Disney. So seriously I wouldnt mind going to conferences during the day and Disney in the evening.

You're too kind... this is for you!

 

[NorweJenNY]

So this is how the resort plans turned out...

I started out with the miserable idea of actually staying at Regal Sun for the full week... actually more than that... 9-10 nights.

Then, as luck would have it, the Buy 4, Get 3 Promo came out!

Staying at a moderate resort on property was going to be cheaper than the group rate we got at Regal Sun... so I thought I'd do the responsible thing and save work the extra money by switching to a moderate Disney resort.

If you're unfamiliar with the location of Regal Sun, it's on Disney property, just across the street from Downtown Disney... so looky there... I had convenient Disney transportation to my conference right there! (Not to mention I'll have our van if we need it for extra early mornings.)

I initially wanted to try Coronado Springs because it just looked so nice, but that was not available for our week. So I booked Port Orleans-Riverside, and I'm so glad I did! I'm actually getting more excited about that than I was about Coronado Springs.

Time for a little background... I considered it a splurge to stay at a moderate (CBR) for our honeymoon back in Dec 2001-Jan 2002. My family is used to crashing at a place for $50 or less per night... that's actually how we did a few of our other Disney trips - off property.

Then we tried POP for a trip with family (as my SIL got an insane pin code for less than $50 per night!), and we really liked staying on property once again... and we got a couple opportunities to stay with family at OKW in a 2BR... sweet! (...that we didn't have to pay for - even sweeter!)

So at this point, we were stuck on staying on property. We even ended up renting DVC points to stay at in a SSR studio last June and we loved it! (I also loved the money saving factor... the time we had available for vacationing had high rates at value resorts, even with AAA rates. By booking SSR, we actually spent a mere $10 more per night than the value resort would have been, but we had our kitchenette, meaning more savings on food that we could actually keep and heat in our room.) So you see how frugally-minded I normally am...

Looking at the possibility of Regal Sun was mediocre at best, as we were happy to be "on property" but it wasn't really Disney... so once we booked 9 nights at POR, we were psyched!

This is also a super opportunity as work was ready to pay for Regal Sun, but now we were getting a more favored resort for less! And again... I didn't even have to pay for it - work is covering it!

We are paying for the first night off-property, and we got a nice deal for a night at Villas at Regal Palms in a 3BR... with access to a zero entry pool & a lazy river... thought that would be nice for the evening we arrive.

Then first thing on Saturday, July 11th, we will check-in out POR for 9 nights...

...not quite... something else happened...

Disney came out with their summer rates...

9 nights on B4G3 meant we were paying for 2 nights at full rack rate... a fru-gal like me couldn't leave that alone... what if we changed the last two nights to a separate ressie with a summer rate?

Well, the last 2 nights didn't have a summer rate available at POR... what was a girl to do?

I realized how much those last two nights at full rack rate were, and inquired with a CM on the phone about the availability of rooms on the summer rate at the least expensive deluxe resorts... the guy gave me a quote on AKL, which was decent, but not good enough... then he gave the same quote for WL. Then I realized we'd be upgrading our tickets to APs, so I asked about AP rates at WL. He put me on hold. When he got back, he gave me a quote on a woods view room at Wilderness Lodge that was actually (for those particular nights) going to save me more money than staying at POR! Can you believe it? I was saving more money & getting upgraded to a deluxe resort!

So hubby's job kinda got in the way... and we were going to have to cut the trip short. But I was realizing at the same time that the last night of our trip was technically our responsibility to pay for because the conference would be over then.

I turned it into a good thing, deciding we didn't need to pay for another night out of our own pockets (we would be on property for 8 nights total - longer than any previous trip), and we're staying at Wilderness Lodge for one night. Still cheaper than original plans, but better than we could've expected!

So to sum up the finalized resort plans...

• 1 night : Villas at Regal Palms 3BR condo
• 7 nights : Port Orleans Resort - Riverside (Req. Alligator Bayou, 1st floor)
• 1 night : Wilderness Lodge - woods view

But what about food?

Stay tuned...

 

[Dizzymrslizzy]

LOL I love you!

POR is amazing. I stayed there once, and loved loved loved it. Next time DH/DS and I go that's my first choice. You should be glad you arent' staying at CS, because the busses don't come as often, at least from my experience. The busses at POP were much more frequent. I can't say enough good things about POR, although my last trip was in 97 before it was Riverside and FC.

I can't wait for ASMo though! And all of our wonderful ADRs on DDP 8:0).

 

[NorweJenNY]

LOL I love you!

POR is amazing. I stayed there once, and loved loved loved it. Next time DH/DS and I go that's my first choice. You should be glad you arent' staying at CS, because the busses don't come as often, at least from my experience. The busses at POP were much more frequent. I can't say enough good things about POR, although my last trip was in 97 before it was Riverside and FC.

I can't wait for ASMo though! And all of our wonderful ADRs on DDP 8:0).

...and my DSIL decided to join in on the fun! Hi!

Liz here will be helping with some form of trip report for our free dining trip in the fall. Because I said so.

Oh, and btw, I'm unaware of any French Cuarter...

I know, now you'll be picking on me and all my typos, won't you?

 

[Dizzymrslizzy]

LOL. Sure! I'll take the pictures and let you write the reports....Oh wait you are the photographer D-SIL. And yeah I'm not that versed in my Disney Abbreviations yet.

Have fun next week! Oh....and I'm rethinking Akershus. I know Mom would really enjoy it, and I saw a review that made me really want their meatball things.

Sorry for hijacking your thread. 8)

 

[Dizzymrslizzy]

Stupid post double posted.

 

[NorweJenNY]

So here's the schedule... carefully planned out around my conference schedule, but still flexible enough to take breaks as needed...

Can you tell I'm a DisPlanaholic? (I love color coded schedules!)

What's that in there? Dining reservations for practically every day? Ahh, yes!
We have the Disney Dining Plan for the first time ever!

How did a fru-gal pull this off?

Well, we previously budgeted about $50-60 per day for food for our family of four... yeah, we rarely dined at TS restaurants...

But here's what happened... work was going to pay for meals for my conference... that would have cost an average of $45/day for the conference meal plan... and that wasn't including dinners except for a banquet one night (which would have cost $45 apiece - for kids too - to bring my family too)...

Outrageous, don't you think?

Well, I did work a favor again!

I got the Disney Dining Plan to save work money! It would cost work about $40/day for 7 days for me to have the DDP, and that left us paying $60/day (within our budget) for hubby and our two boys to have the DDP too! Score! (Sure, tips will be OOP, but without needing to pay for gas or lodging, I figured we could swing that... )

So we have DDP for our 7-night POR stay, and we get to use our last TS credit at Whispering Canyon the night we stay at the Wilderness Lodge because those credits are good until midnight that night!

The one meal we will be paying a little OOP for is Planet Hollywood, because we're planning to use our $15 voucher that night.

But we have great ADRs, if you look at the schedule... we have Les Chefs (to meet "Ratatouille" aka Remy), 'Ohana, Le Cellier, Chef Mickey's, etc. And most of these will be brand new experiences for us! The one and only restaurant on our list that we ate at before is Planet Hollywood, so that's a lotta new stuff!

So how did this fru-gal do getting tickets?

Stay tuned...

 

[NorweJenNY]

LOL. Sure! I'll take the pictures and let you write the reports....Oh wait you are the photographer D-SIL. And yeah I'm not that versed in my Disney Abbreviations yet.

Have fun next week! Oh....and I'm rethinking Akershus. I know Mom would really enjoy it, and I saw a review that made me really want their meatball things.

Sorry for hijacking your thread. 8)

We will have a lot of re-planning for our fall trip then, won't we? What are you willing to give up?

(Pardon our planning 2009 Trip #2 in the midst of this 2009 Trip #1 report.)

 

[NorweJenNY]

Ahh, yes... The Tickets!

Again, timing was on our side... that B4G3 promo is doing wonders, especially when you add the non-expiring option to your tickets! Once we use our NE tickets, we will upgrade them to APs.

We use them first because we are paying for three days less than the value of the current gate price of the tickets that will be in our hands. (I couldn't think of a better way of saying that... sorry if it is confusing...) Bottom line, it's gonna save us close to $300 on our ticket upgrade!

Wait... there's more!

We're going in July... so we have a handy dandy 10% off AP pass, which means we will be saving even more money on our APs!

This is one happy fru-gal!

(Yes, we can combine these particular offers... I did my research! )

And the countdown continues... less than 4 days until we leave!

The intention is to leave our house in Charlotte, NC, no later than 6am on Friday morning.

Will we be packed in time???

 

[mermaid&cinderella]

Woohoo! Great PTR and I can't wait to hear more! I am also a Disneyplanaholic......LOL

 

[NorweJenNY]

Woohoo! Great PTR and I can't wait to hear more! I am also a Disneyplanaholic......LOL

Glad to see you're coming along for the ride!

 

[NorweJenNY]

So I actually got half the family packed a week early!

Sounds great, doesn't it?

Yep, Big Guy & Little Guy are set! I also finally realized that I managed to get an entire week's worth of Disney outfits for both my boys to wear!

How's that possible? A fru-gal spends all that money on Disney clothes? Can you say "No Way Jose!" (Gosh, that sounds yummy right now!)

Anyhoo, I think the most I paid for any of those items of clothing is $4.99... and many of those items were half that and even less! I shop Walmart, second-hand stores, and our conveniently located Disney outlet store... I don't understand how anyone can spend full price at the parks with so many options available for mere fractions of the price!

I thought we'd all be set for my boys, until it happened...

Tummy problems... literally the day after I zipped up the boys' full duffle... my poor Little Guy... he had issues in 2 pairs of underpants within half an hour... (I knew I still held on to pullups for a reason!)

So it was a close one, as we have limited items of clothing for the boys to wear this week while everything else is packed. (Big Guy has a complete outfit in each gallon size bag packed, and Little Guy has a complete outfit in each quart size bag packed... LG's were a tight squeeze in those little baggies!) But I will just need to keep that washer and dryer going, and I won't even be concerned too much with sorting everything! Lights with darks and colors, no problem! (I hate running the washer for smaller loads... seems like a waste of water and energy...)

Oh, but rest assured that I scrubbed Little Guy's unmentionables by hand (I know... ewwwww... gross!) Then I put them in the washer with some other stuff...

I think his tummy seems to have settled down since. Now we just need to hope he didn't have a bug that the rest of us will get just in time for our trip!

On a lighter note, I think I planned our route down, with meal stops!

Friday's Itinerary (7/10)

6am - Leave Charlotte
8:30-ish - pit stop
11:00 - Denny's brunch near Savannah, GA (I have a postcard for a free birthday boy kids meal! ...and our family loves this place!)
12:15 - Back on the road
2:00-ish - pit stop (time depending on if boys are napping yet... *fingers crossed*)
5:00pm - Friendly's in Orlando area (Hoping to find a good deal by joining their email club, or getting another birthday deal... our family loves this place too, but we don't have one close to home!)
6:00pm - back on road
6:30pm - Villas at Regal Palms... relax, swim, lazy river... ahhhh!

Then off to bed at some point, preferably early, because first thing Saturday morning, we're headed to check in at Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside!

 

[NorweJenNY]

Progress... somewhat...

Hubby is packed! I don't think he could fit a single Q-tip in that suitcase with how packed he is! And he has the BIG suitcase!

Me? Not packed... little suitcase empty! And every year I have the same issue... where did all my socks go? I wear socks every day in Disney (with sneakers - not sandals, just in case the style police are reading this). I only wear socks a couple days a week normally, but somehow they wandered off unnoticed by me since only two pair end up in the wash each week... Somehow, I can hardly come up with a full half dozen pairs... every year I do the same thing because of this issue: I buy one more package of socks. This is the only math I can not figure out! I bought a pack of ten pairs of socks one year, and six each other year... after one year of adding socks to the few pair I can actually find, I should have more than six pairs, shouldn't I?

It's a conspiracy! I think Hanes actually controls the population of gremlins that feed on random socks in washers & dryers... always leaving most people with a bunch of socks with no mates. But in my case, they know I am not one to rush out to buy more socks when I am missing mates for mine because my logic tells me to wait and the sock mate will turn up. No, I am much more likely to buy more socks when I need more complete pairs for my Disney trips each year.

So every now and then, the Hanes Corporation sends out a little gremlin to my house with a special assignment: take a PAIR of socks, not just one! And those little gremlins have a field day with their double-size reward! And the CEO of the Hanes Corporation sits back and thinks Ms. I-Don't-Need-More-Socks is on her way to the store once again!

Well, not THIS year... Mr. I.M. Hanes can just put his sock in his mouth! I ain't falling for it... I ain't buying another package of socks this year!

My secret is my ALL! Really, the stain lifter - that's ALL! Detergent! I will wash my little less than half a dozen pairs of socks by hand with my little bottle of detergent!

(Ok, little bottle of detergent is actually a Disney resort shampoo bottle which has been used up... so the hope is someone doesn't mistake the bold blue detergent for a hair cleansing product... )

So... as soon as I have finally packed my own clothes, we'll be just about there. Toiletries and a cooler full of snacks/drinks will be about the only remnants, which can't be packed until the last minute anyway!

Oh, I did actually pack a little of my stuff... I packed a family overnight bag for our first night at Regal Palms, just so we don't have to open hubby's suitcase and try to close it again the next day! So I guess I can say we actually are over 75% packed!

I promised pictures, so here's one from last year: (Pictures always get me extra excited before our next trip! )

I leave you with a quote from Little Guy tonight:
"Three more days, then two more days, then one more days, then zero more days!!!"

 

[NorweJenNY]

Time to Clean Out the Fridge... and Dream of What's To Come...

We've been eating lots of leftovers lately (especially after hubby cooked WAY too many cheeseburgers for the 4th of July ). We've used up much of the eggs, milk, and dairy... still have plenty of Jell-O after Grandmom made too much for her boys, and Big Guy decided he didn't like it anymore...

Needless to say, we're craving BETTER...

This something I LOVE! Ribs & string beans at Cosmic Ray's!

I am always looking for protein... in some form or another...

This was from Trail's End at Ft. Wilderness... we like buffets, and when paying OOP, you can't beat this place price-wise for on property eats! We're not going here this time, but I am certain I will getting yummy protein from other buffets and other types of restaurants this trip.

I'm sure hubby has other things in mind, though...

The TRUE Dole Whip fans know that THIS is the place to get it! The Poly has SELF-SERVE pineapple (& vanilla) Dole Whips. (Hubby likes pineapple DW, despite the fact that he despises all fruit. ) This is hubby at the Poly getting his precious little taste of heaven:

Little Guy is opposite of Daddy in one main way...

He loves fruit! See that watermelon? He's sooner gonna eat that rather than a Mickey waffle, pizza, mac 'n cheese, and other kid favorites! He also loves strawberries and pears and oranges and basically every fruit we put in front of him!

Big Guy? He does have a bit of a sweet tooth... and likes cold sweets particularly...

Not good in Animal Kingdom when it's in the upper 90's though... just not enough napkins around! What a mess!

Since we'll finally be on the DDP next week, I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot more of these yummy pics once I return!

In case you didn't catch all the ADRs on our spreadsheet, here are our plans:

Sat 7-11 dinner - Chef Mickey's (Big Guy's Birthday)
Sun 7-12 dinner - Planet Hollywood
Mon 7-13 dinner - Chefs de France
Tues 7-14 breakfast - Tusker House (before park opening)
Wed 7-15 dinner - 'Ohana
Thurs 7-16 lunch - Sci Fi
Fri 7-17 dinner - Le Cellier
Sat 7-18 dinner - Whispering Canyon (this is the night we stay at Wilderness Lodge)

And my list of CS locations include: Cosmic Ray, Pecos Bill, FlameTree BBQ, & Sunshine Seasons. We'll have more than that, but those are my must-do's.

I am getting even more excited about about it while I write all this!

Sure beats reheated burgers and Jell-O!

 

[NorweJenNY]

The Stroller Saga

Last week, my dmil emails me at work, and the last thing she writes is “What are you doing about a stroller for Disney?”

What does she mean? We have a double stroller that we’ve always used for Disney. She knows that! Her other son, my dbil gave it to us shortly after Little Guy was born. So I simply reply, “We’re using our double stroller.” (My reasoning regarding strollers in Disney? As long as the kid fits in it, he sits in it!)

Soon after, I get a message back, “You’re not talking about the stroller I donated to Good Will, are you? We claimed it as a donation on your taxes this past year.” (She does our taxes, so she would know.)

Dumbfounded, I simply reply, “Huh?”

Apparently dmil’s story is that hubby had the stroller in our van after our last trip to Disney. He was picking something up at her house and took the stroller out, placing it in her garage since he needed the space in the van at the time. She says that he then told her to donate the stroller to Good Will.

Hubby’s story is that he simply doesn’t recall telling her to donate it. He knows we use it for Disney trips, and if we actually were going to get rid of it, he would have thought of immediate profit, like selling it to a second-hand store, at a garage sale, or on Craig’s List. He believes dmil must have imagined him telling her to do that, and eager to get it out of her garage, she must have convinced herself that donating it was what she had been told to do.

My side of the story? “Huh?”

I decide that I have two options: play the blame game or cut to the chase to find another stroller.

I chose the latter. After all, we only had a week and blaming people would simply get me more frustrated, and waste time with lack of productivity.

I start Googling stroller rentals in WDW… $31 or something like that for Disney’s doubles per day… I’d sooner buy a new one! So I look at other rental places… if we rented from one of the Orlando companies this trip, as well as for our fall trip, we still might as well buy a new one! I finally resort to placing a desperate plea on FreeCycle.

Meanwhile, hubby sensed my frustration and took matters into his own hands. He managed to find a coworker who had a double stroller she was willing to lend us for our trip! He called to tell me about it, immediately setting my mind at ease.

Then, last night, as hubby is out getting the oil change in the van (last minute – ‘nother story), he sees he has several frantic messages from his mother. Apparently, out of the goodness of her heart (or guilty conscience – you decide), she had been spending the afternoon calling every last store in Charlotte that carries baby equipment, inquiring about double strollers in stock and the prices… all far over $100, and the second hand stores, if they had any, were upwards of $70-80. Then, she hit the jackpot.

She walked into a consignment store where there was a double stroller marked $7.99! It had to be an error on the tag, but she paid for it and walked out with it – no questions asked! (I believe this is the same place where she got the Wall-E DVD for $.99 – yes, less than I paid to see it in the dollar theater!) This place just has a history of not realizing the true value of items!

Anyway, dmil was mostly frantically calling hubby because she had the stroller out at her car and couldn’t figure out how to close it up! He met up with her, and figured out how it works. (It does work, and it’s not terribly difficult either… at least not for him. I haven’t tried it yet.) And he was able to take it with him right away. We took the padding/liner off last night and washed it thoroughly, and I must say, it looked just as clean and hardly used as before we washed it.

And the stroller saga is officially over!

 

[scoot241]

You just reminded me that we still need to finalize what we're doing for a stroller. I'm pretty sure we're going to bring one, but which one (or buying another one) is another story.