I ONLY Have 68 days to plan....Are you kidding me?!

[KyWildcatGirl01]

Hello Everyone & Welcome to my FIRST ever PTR! ​

This trip came about as we originally planned a cruise (DH's choice) but on a non-disney cruise line. After many news stories I admit it kinda scared me away as I have never learned to swim! So, once I canceled our cruise I decided to try and talk DH into a Disney trip in the fall...well he agreed to the trip but we must go when he had already taken off from work so he didn't have to change anything!! SO, hence the title...It only gave me 68 days to figure out everything and normally I am a year in advance planner that is waiting for the 180 day mark to make out ADR's but not this trip!!!

Links:
Introductions 2/28
Where we are staying 3/1
ADR's 3/2
Shopping so far 3/5
Plans, Checklist & More 3/6
Update 3/22
​

Now to meet the crew:
Me (29) wife, mommy and teacher. I work in an after school program in our school system and I like my job!! I enjoy scrap booking (when I have time), traveling, spending time with family and DISNEY!!!! My family doesn't understand my obsession with Disney as they all think it's "overpriced". They say I would be happy to go there every month and they are CORRECT!! My favorite park is Magic Kingdom...there is something about that castle that makes me smile like a little kid again!!

DH (30) husband, daddy and very hard worker. He is a member of the national guard and works full time as well. He has his hobbies and also enjoys the x-box! His favorite park is Epcot. He likes the world showcase and likes to try food from all the different places.

DS (2) He will be 3 in July He is our world. He is full of energy and ALL boy!! He likes to watch Disney Jr. and LOVES being outside. This will be his FIRST trip and I can't wait to see how he reacts when we are there!

Pic from September 2012 at Destin, Florida

When and where is up next!!

 

[KyWildcatGirl01]

When: April 29- May 3, 2013
Where: Shades of Green Military Resort This will be our first stay there and I am very excited about it! I mean who wouldn't be look at the pictures: (These are NOT my pictures they are ones I found online...if they are yours please tell me and I will give you full rights here)

Tell me this place isn't beautiful?!
Since DH isn't as Disney crazy as I am I thought he would enjoy this resort as it isn't screaming Disney!! We have always stayed at POP Century before and I love it there.
It will be nice to have a bigger room and a fridge with DS being with us.
We will be flying out on Monday morning and arriving at Sanford airport at 11:30am. This will be a new experience as well as we saved a bunch of money and a 2 hour drive to the closest Southwest Airport by flying with Alegiant Air this trip. This airline leaves from an airport 20 minutes from our house!!! We have arranged for a town car shuttle to meet us at the airport and get us to Shades of Green and then back to the airport on departure day! I am kinda excited about this! Also, we get a FREE grocery stop so we can get snacks and drinks to take with us to the resort and since we have a fridge that is a HUGE plus!!!
I am still trying to figure out which stroller to take and if we need a carseat for the plane ride...Anyone know?!

This will also be our FIRST trip without the dining plan.
I have made our ADR's and will include them in my next post....

 

[anniebabymu]

When: April 29- May 3, 2013
Where: Shades of Green Military Resort This will be our first stay there and I am very excited about it! I mean who wouldn't be look at the pictures: (These are NOT my pictures they are ones I found online...if they are yours please tell me and I will give you full rights here)

Tell me this place isn't beautiful?!
Since DH isn't as Disney crazy as I am I thought he would enjoy this resort as it isn't screaming Disney!! We have always stayed at POP Century before and I love it there.
It will be nice to have a bigger room and a fridge with DS being with us.
We will be flying out on Monday morning and arriving at Sanford airport at 11:30am. This will be a new experience as well as we saved a bunch of money and a 2 hour drive to the closest Southwest Airport by flying with Alegiant Air this trip. This airline leaves from an airport 20 minutes from our house!!! We have arranged for a town car shuttle to meet us at the airport and get us to Shades of Green and then back to the airport on departure day! I am kinda excited about this! Also, we get a FREE grocery stop so we can get snacks and drinks to take with us to the resort and since we have a fridge that is a HUGE plus!!!
I am still trying to figure out which stroller to take and if we need a carseat for the plane ride...Anyone know?!

This will also be our FIRST trip without the dining plan.
I have made our ADR's and will include them in my next post....

So pretty!

 

[OhMari]

That is the first time I have ever seen Shades of Green Resort.

You should take swimming lessons, it is never too late. I teach adults in the summer how to swim. I have been teaching swim lessons since I have been 16 years old.

Marisa from April Photoshare.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Hi there! Glad you started a PTR!

SOG is really pretty!

I agree with the OhMari about learning to swim...it's never too late!

Looking forward to following along!

 

[danceintherain]

When: April 29- May 3, 2013
Where: Shades of Green Military Resort This will be our first stay there and I am very excited about it! I mean who wouldn't be look at the pictures: (These are NOT my pictures they are ones I found online...if they are yours please tell me and I will give you full rights here)

Tell me this place isn't beautiful?!
Since DH isn't as Disney crazy as I am I thought he would enjoy this resort as it isn't screaming Disney!! We have always stayed at POP Century before and I love it there.
I am still trying to figure out which stroller to take and if we need a carseat for the plane ride...Anyone know?!

This will also be our FIRST trip without the dining plan.
I have made our ADR's and will include them in my next post....

Wow...I may have misjudged Shades of Green a bit. It's almost a less landscaped version of AKL! I guess I should have assumed such, as we've been to the Dragon Hill Lodge in Korea, which is also a beautiful hotel.

As per the stroller and car seat situation. Will your town car be providing a car seat?
Florida car seat law is ridiculously lax - they only require kids under 3 to be in a car seat of any kind. Your kiddo is still a little under that requirement.
If your shuttle can provide a car seat, then you can go that route and avoid taking the car seat on the plane if you choose.
We're bringing our car seat with us everywhere, because I like having a way to harness DS on the plane (sometimes he can be a little difficult during take off and landing - which is the most dangerous part) we're renting a car for a few days for a trip over to Universal, and it's nice to have it in case we opt for a cab at some point. I'm one of those weirdos who still has her almost 3 year old rear facing.

DS is a July 2010 baby too!

I'm having a hard time with the stroller decision too! We have 2 and I love both of them.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Hi there! I saw your link on the April thread and thought I'd come on over. Wow, I had no idea what Shades of Green looked like either! It is very pretty!

 

[KyWildcatGirl01]

That is the first time I have ever seen Shades of Green Resort.

You should take swimming lessons, it is never too late. I teach adults in the summer how to swim. I have been teaching swim lessons since I have been 16 years old.

Marisa from April Photoshare.

I have taken lessons several times but I refuse to get my head wet so it doesn;'t work out to well. I like to be in the pool and doggy paddle but don't get my face wet or I freak out!

Hi there! Glad you started a PTR!

SOG is really pretty!

I agree with the OhMari about learning to swim...it's never too late!

Looking forward to following along!

I can't wait to get to Shades of Green! I will take more pics for my TR!

Wow...I may have misjudged Shades of Green a bit. It's almost a less landscaped version of AKL! I guess I should have assumed such, as we've been to the Dragon Hill Lodge in Korea, which is also a beautiful hotel.

As per the stroller and car seat situation. Will your town car be providing a car seat?
Florida car seat law is ridiculously lax - they only require kids under 3 to be in a car seat of any kind. Your kiddo is still a little under that requirement.
If your shuttle can provide a car seat, then you can go that route and avoid taking the car seat on the plane if you choose.
We're bringing our car seat with us everywhere, because I like having a way to harness DS on the plane (sometimes he can be a little difficult during take off and landing - which is the most dangerous part) we're renting a car for a few days for a trip over to Universal, and it's nice to have it in case we opt for a cab at some point. I'm one of those weirdos who still has her almost 3 year old rear facing.

DS is a July 2010 baby too!

I'm having a hard time with the stroller decision too! We have 2 and I love both of them.

Hi there! I saw your link on the April thread and thought I'd come on over. Wow, I had no idea what Shades of Green looked like either! It is very pretty!

What day in July is your DS? We are the 15th!! We have a umbrella stroller thats a little nicer than the standard ones that has a storage on the bottom as well I am thinking of taking. It would be less hassle!

 

[KyWildcatGirl01]

So now for some fun!!
Our ADR's for the trip. Since we booked so late then we were unable to get 2 of the places I wanted to try out this time (O'hana & BOG). O'hana had an opening at 8:55pm but I think that is too late for DS to eat dinner so we skipped it.

However, the ones we did get were:
*Monday- The Plaza for dinner the night we arrive. This will be our MK day and they have extra magic hours so they will be open until 1am! This is a NEW place for us.


Tuesday- Sci-Fi for lunch. We have been here before but we wanted our DS to experience it.

*Wednesday- Kona Cafe for dinner. DH & I went here on our honeymoon and liked it. Since Shades of Green is close to the Poly we can walk over on our non-park day for dinner. This was the day I wanted O'hana.

*Thursday- DH picked the last dinner and he chose Akershus. Later he found out it was a princess dinner. This is the only character meal I have planned as our DS is still unsure about the characters and I don't want him to be miserable the whole time we eat.

*Friday- we leave out early.
Since this is our FIRST trip without the dining plan I was trying to plan good meals at a great price for us so we could still enjoy the TS places. What are your thoughts?! I am still contemplating changing my Kona ADR.

 

[gtpoohbear]

We'll be leaving just a few days before you get there

LOVE your picture from Destin, we used to vacation there all the time when I was a kid. I haven't been in probably 10 years or so, I really want to take the kids there sometime.

I also hadn't ever seen a single picture of SoG, not at all what I expected and very pretty! Makes me wish I could try it

As for the carseat, you will probably need it for the town car, but they may provide one if you ask. We also have a 2-year old, and are not planning to take the carseat on the plane this time. When we flew at Christmas we ended up having to check it on the way back (long story - involved a car-sick episode ) and we actually found it to be MUCH easier not having to deal with it. And DS did fine sitting on the plane in the regular seat. If you do bring one, you can get a strap that attaches it to your carryon luggage, making it much easier to cart through the airport.

Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

 

[danceintherain]

I have taken lessons several times but I refuse to get my head wet so it doesn;'t work out to well. I like to be in the pool and doggy paddle but don't get my face wet or I freak out!


I can't wait to get to Shades of Green! I will take more pics for my TR!





What day in July is your DS? We are the 15th!! We have a umbrella stroller thats a little nicer than the standard ones that has a storage on the bottom as well I am thinking of taking. It would be less hassle!

G was born on the 28th.

So now for some fun!!
Our ADR's for the trip. Since we booked so late then we were unable to get 2 of the places I wanted to try out this time (O'hana & BOG). O'hana had an opening at 8:55pm but I think that is too late for DS to eat dinner so we skipped it.

However, the ones we did get were:
*Monday- The Plaza for dinner the night we arrive. This will be our MK day and they have extra magic hours so they will be open until 1am! This is a NEW place for us.


Tuesday- Sci-Fi for lunch. We have been here before but we wanted our DS to experience it.

*Wednesday- Kona Cafe for dinner. DH & I went here on our honeymoon and liked it. Since Shades of Green is close to the Poly we can walk over on our non-park day for dinner. This was the day I wanted O'hana.

*Thursday- DH picked the last dinner and he chose Akershus. Later he found out it was a princess dinner. This is the only character meal I have planned as our DS is still unsure about the characters and I don't want him to be miserable the whole time we eat.

*Friday- we leave out early.
Since this is our FIRST trip without the dining plan I was trying to plan good meals at a great price for us so we could still enjoy the TS places. What are your thoughts?! I am still contemplating changing my Kona ADR.

We really enjoyed our meal at the Plaza. Nothing spectacular about it, but it's sufficient.

I had similar troubles, but I got lucky with Ohana and got a perfectly reasonable ADR.
Since it's your break day, have you considered just going over there when it opens and trying for a walk up? Kona doesn't have a penalty for canceling, so if you get into Ohana you can cancel Kona. If not, you'll have a reason to be over there anyways.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Great ADRs. We really enjoyed Sci Fi the one time we went. The food was not out of this world, but the atmosphere is very cool. My boys still talk about the movie clips!

I have no experience with the others, but they sound good!

 

[OhMari]

Try doing a walk uo at O'hana, me and my dh went at 5 put our name in for a walk up and got seated in 20 minutes. It wasn't
The best table in the house, but we got in. and it was the Tuesday after Easter.

 

[KyWildcatGirl01]

Hello! Please allow me to interrupt this post to report that we are officially at: 54 DAYS!! (Ok I know we still have a ways BUT we are out of the 60s!!!)

Now on to this post!! I like others in my countdown thread have been spending some money on items for the trip!
This is my handy dandy box I created after we out grew the one I made before:

Inside are all these goodies:

I have our matching shirts I bought us to wear from the Disney Store online (still sad the closet Disney store is over 2 hours away from me)

I also bought DS these shirts to wear so far:

I am in the process of ordering him a "price charming" one for our Princess dinner we are doing on the night before we leave. DH & DS are both very hot natured so I plan to pack them at least 2 shirts for each day so when we come back to SOG for a nap they can change shirts before we head back for that night.
I have also bought DS some glow sticks, mickey and minnie figurines, coloring book and crayons for the plane, anti-bacterial wipes, autograph book and I made him these:

Thanks to the awesome DISigns thread and Absolut_mandy for making me these for DS's pressed pennies & money. I have always loved pressed pennies and I think he will too!
Well, that is all I have bought so far but please tell me I am NOT crazy for wanting to get our suitcases out now?! LOL
Next post will be what I still need to do and what is done on my checklist & our grocery list for the grocery stop on the way to Shades of Green!
I am going to leave you with one of the photos from our honeymoon trip in June 2009:

 

[Riles_and_Gabe]

What a great PTR! I love all your purchases. This time when I go I hope to have it more together planning outfits for my son. I look forward to reading your plans!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Love all the goodies in your Disney box! Mine is getting full as well.

I used marneb as well...she made the Epcot shirt designs I used.

I know what you mean about wanting the suitcases out.... I am counting the days until I can start packing! It won't be long for you now!

 

[danceintherain]

What kind of container is the one for the pressed pennies?
I've heard of people using M&M and mentos containers before they're pressed, but I hadn't seen one to accommodate them afterwards?

 

[KyWildcatGirl01]

What kind of container is the one for the pressed pennies?
I've heard of people using M&M and mentos containers before they're pressed, but I hadn't seen one to accommodate them afterwards?

The new mentos container is perfect for the pressed pennies.

 

[danceintherain]

The new mentos container is perfect for the pressed pennies.

Ok. I'll have to pick one up the next time I'm at the store. I'm thinking DS will really love pressing pennies. I think it may be a suitable distraction from many of the other things he may want.

"No, you can't have that monorail train, but we can go over here and press a penny."

 

[KyWildcatGirl01]

Wanted to get up to date on our plans for the days we are there!!
**Monday 4/29- MK DAY
Flight arrives at Sanford Airport 11:30am
Town car service to Shades of Green with a 20 minute grocery stop (free of charge)
Check in hotel and HOPE our room is ready (if not we will venture around the hotel and look in shops and eat lunch until)
Take a nap when room is ready
Head to Dinner at The Plaza
Stay at MK until closing which is 1am with emh!! (We are 2nd shift people and so is DS so shouldn't be a problem)
**Tuesday 4/30- Hollywood Studios Day
Sleep in (we are NOT early risers and don't plan to be on vacation either)
Eat a snack in room while getting ready
Head to lunch at Sci- fi
look around the park and do a few things
head back for a nap if needed
return to HS and do what we want/ have dinner at pizza planet
**Wednesday 5/1- AK/ Relax Day
Sleep in (of course)
Eat breakfast at the buffet in Shades of green
Head to AK for the morning....this is my least favorite park so only need a 1/2 day
Go back to shades for a nap or pool time
Then head to DTD for shopping or I may do this while DH & DS rest
Dinner at Kona Cafe at the Poly...excited to walk over from SOG
**Thursday 5/2- Epcot Day/ MK Day
Sleep in (again)
Get breakfast at SOG buffet
Head to Epcot
Eat some snacks at the Flower & Garden Fest booths
Head back to hotel for rest
Go back to Epcot
Dinner at Akershus
When done at Epcot we may hop over to MK for a couple hours
**Friday 5/3- Departure Day
Plane leaves Sanford at 8:00am
I know a short trip but I will take a short trip over no trip ANYDAY!!!
Now for the check list..I borrowed this awesome document from an awesome fellow PTR that I follow... (mommytothreeboys)

* Make ADR's (check)
* Order Disney Gift Cards from DS's future school (Scrip) to earn money towards tution
* Buy DS Disney shirts for each day (check)
* Start buying glow sticks, bubbles, etc for parks (check)
* Firm up touring plans for each park day
* Inventory clothes and shop for shorts, etc if needed
* Buy us each NEW tennis shoes and me a pair of flip flops
*Print updated calendars with park hours, parades, etc
* Make a packing list
* Pull suitcases and begin packing
* Schedule haircut & highlight for me and cut for DH
* Take inventory of travel size items and purchase as needed
* Finalize budget & make sure we have enough gift cards and cash to cover (spending money, etc)..... NO DEBIT THIS TRIP = NO CREDIT CARDS!!

As far as our grocery stop on the way to the hotel we plan to buy cokes, goldfish and other snacks DS will like for the park and juice for him as I hate to pay $3.00 every time we want a coke or a snack. I plan to take a soft sided small lunch box with us with a cold pack to the parks each day..since we will have a fridge in our room this will help out sooo much!
Anything I am forgetting!?! or advice?
Also, we went to wal-mart tonight and since our camera decided to quit on us last year we lucked into clearance and got a canon power shot (point and click) the easy kind I like for $59.00! I was excited!!