If you can't put your money in the stock market, might as well give it all to Disney

[999ghostslover]

Abby is so adorable I love her curls I looked for pictures of Brady but I bet he is cute too. Abby has a sense of adventure I would love to see how she handles her situation watching videos is a good idea she will know what is in store for her.

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Here are some pics of Brady. He has never been to Disney so there were no pics yet.

She does really well with the pirates stuff that she has seen and we watched the haunted mansion and she did well.
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ITA not wanting to bring the big princess getups. We went in June and it was hotter than....well, hot. All my poor princesses got to wear to CRT were tiaras! And even those didn't last long on their hot little heads. I think a sundress will be perfect.

Due to the heat, I'd probably lean more toward a boat than a bike rental. I dislike sweating, so high heat+exercise= for me. The surrey bikes do look fun though.

That is probably a good idea. Poor little melty princesses!

Hi Erin (we share the name). I had to laugh at this. I got the same thing when I finally figured out I was expecting #2 while still nursing #1. Couldn't figure out why I felt so sick all the time for those first couple of months. He was 6 months and I had been told after his c section that I had to wait at least 6 months. Whew - made it. My mom laughed and said "you DO realize you can still get pregnant while nursing don't you?" Well, yeah, I knew, just didn't think it would happen to ME. All for the best though...I was older getting started so I still managed to squeak them in under 40.

Ok, as far as bibbidi bobbidi goes, you're scaring me. We're booked in June and are taking them for the princess and cool dude treatment. I wasn't thinking about the rain storms. I did book them for later in the afternoon so we can still get our swim in and before we head to 1900 Park Fare for dinner. I guess I'll have to bring umbrellas instead of ponchos that day.

Later in the day is probably better. I just know my little heart will melt when she sees the other girls with their hairdos. Oh well. Next trip!

Ha, you're funny, but I have the same problem of being on the disboards and not getting anything done. Sometimes I have to say to myself " Just get the dishes done and then you'll have plenty of time to sit here" I know it's nuts, but it's fun. I've been at it since we booked the trip in January!!

Got the laundry done so now I am back but I hear Brady crying so off I go...

Count me in as a reader. I always say that pre-trip and trip reports are what get me through to my next Disney vacation!

Yes, this will be a good Disney patch to fill in the down time.

Thank you all for joining! I appreciate all of your suggestions and tips. Happy planning.

 

[lizet313]

AWW I was right he is cute there is just something about his eyes that hypnotize you I am pretty sure Abby will be ok just tell her to hold on to the hand rail so she wont fly off to high.

 

[CherylA]

Love your Pre-TR title! Congrats on the pregnancy. Looking forward to see what else you have in store!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Hi!!! I saw that you had started a PTR and had to head right over! Abby and Brady are too cute! Congrats on the upcoming third! I have a feeling you are going to fall in love with Wilderness Lodge -- everybody who has ever stayed there just raves about it!

 

[999ghostslover]

Love your Pre-TR title! Congrats on the pregnancy. Looking forward to see what else you have in store!

Thank you! We got a huge tax refund this year because we bought a house and had a baby. The money went into that and 2 rooms for 4 nights in a westin in SC when my sister gets married. Poof! Money is gone. We're happy though.

Hi!!! I saw that you had started a PTR and had to head right over! Abby and Brady are too cute! Congrats on the upcoming third! I have a feeling you are going to fall in love with Wilderness Lodge -- everybody who has ever stayed there just raves about it!

Thank you. It is fun sharing all of this stuff and learning tricks from others. I'm now so excited to pick a pearl! I went to Disney in 1999 with my then boyfriend and he drove us up to see WL. We didn't even get out and I said "Wow". It just looks so cool. And I have stayed in castles in Ireland and the 4 seasons in london. Shoot, give me a well themed Disney hotel any day! Next will have to be AKL for us. We ate at Boma and got to walk around a lot. It is so cool.

 

[999ghostslover]

I ordered a new camera the other day from Costco and it came last night. I am so excited. We had a really good camera but it was huge.

See?
I got the coolpix S550. It is so tiny and light. Now, I might actually bring the camera places. Yeah!
So here is some of my Disney stash for this trip. First, Minnie Jane crocs for Abby. I can't stand crocs but she loves them. And you can't beat the price right now.

Next, pins. I already bought Wilderness Lodge pins for each kid.

and some mickey bug block for Brady.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Yeay for a lighter camera!

Cute idea to get WL pins for the girls!

 

[999ghostslover]

Yeay for a lighter camera!

Cute idea to get WL pins for the girls!

Thanks. I started a lanyard for Abby when she was 4 months old. She gets a pin for the year, a pin for the hotel and she gets to pick a pin for her favorite attraction. When she gets a little older she can do trading pins but I want her to keep these forever. We are starting Brady this year since it is his first trip. Here are their lanyards.

 

[mickeystoontown]

My daughter started collecting pins when she was 11. She is now 22 and has over 400 pins! Many of them, we bought from a fantastic seller on ebay.

Our son is now 11 and we started buying him pins when he was around 4 or so. All year long, we would measure him to see if he was tall enough to ride an attraction that had a height requirement. Once he reached the height and rode the ride, he got a pin from that attraction. It was a neat way to remember those milestones.

 

[999ghostslover]

Does anyone know when the tickets/package stuff will arrive approximately? We paid in full quite a long time ago. Hopefully we will have them in hand soon.

I got another great package today. My new Disney checks. They have scenes from Alice in Wonderland, Bambi, Peter Pan etc. Very cute. I went away a few weeks ago with the kids and my husband had 4 things he was told to do in our absence. He did only one of those things. Ordering new checks was on the list and when he failed to do it, I punished him by ordering Disney Checks. He would have ordered Red Socks checks or plain checks. Yuck and boring. I almost ordered Tinkerbell or princess checks but I am just not that mean.
His only credit card in his wallet in Cinderella's castle so the checks fit right in. No pictures for obvious reasons but they are really cute.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Does anyone know when the tickets/package stuff will arrive approximately? We paid in full quite a long time ago. Hopefully we will have them in hand soon.

I got another great package today. My new Disney checks. They have scenes from Alice in Wonderland, Bambi, Peter Pan etc. Very cute. I went away a few weeks ago with the kids and my husband had 4 things he was told to do in our absence. He did only one of those things. Ordering new checks was on the list and when he failed to do it, I punished him by ordering Disney Checks. He would have ordered Red Socks checks or plain checks. Yuck and boring. I almost ordered Tinkerbell or princess checks but I am just not that mean.
His only credit card in his wallet in Cinderella's castle so the checks fit right in. No pictures for obvious reasons but they are really cute.

The packages aren't sent out when you pay in full. They are sent approximately 3 to 4 weeks before your arrival.

 

[Charleston Princess]

They usually send out all the travel documents about 30 days out, so you should be getting them soon.

Checks sound adorable!

 

[cjackearl]

Yea for cute checks and cute pins! What a great keepsake for your kiddos.

 

[999ghostslover]

The packages aren't sent out when you pay in full. They are sent approximately 3 to 4 weeks before your arrival.

THank you!

They usually send out all the travel documents about 30 days out, so you should be getting them soon.

Checks sound adorable!

Thank you! They are.

Yea for cute checks and cute pins! What a great keepsake for your kiddos.

Pins and pressed pennies are great little things. I can't stand it when "crap" accumulates all over the place. I am the biggest anti-packrat in the whole world.

 

[overthemoon4mickey]

Okay I'm in! I'm only on page 2 but had to reply...I'll read the rest after I post.

I love your writing style...Fun and easy to follow.

Your Family is super cute! Congrats on #3

As for you ADR's...Your Ressies look great! I LOVE Tusker house! So good! And Chef Mickey's is a great place for birthdays!

As for BBB... We took DD when she was 7 and she loved it....We had 8:15am ressies and have some wonderful photos of her in full Cinderella costume and DS(18mo then and wearing a Peter Pan costume) running up the castle ramp without another soul in sight. As for the experience at BBB it was EEEHHH... Just okay! DD loved it but I could have done the same thing with hairspray, glitter, and tiny crown (there are some in every gift shop). Also they used about 375 bobby pins and half a tube of gel in dd's hair and 3 hours after we left she begged me to take it down as she was getting a headache. I loved that we did it, but in hindsight I wish I taken her to the barber shop. I'm not telling you not to do it, as I think you will look back fondly on the memories....just be prepared that she may want her hair down shortly after.

And the camera...We have the exact same one! It is amazing. My DD has a 8.0 kodak mini pocket sized camera and it's pics are not half as good as the ones I get from the 5.0 medium sized camera. You are going to be so happy with it!

I also went to Disney World Pregnant and the key is WATER and good tennis shoes with an extra pair of gel inserts!


Have fun!

I'm off to finish reading...

 

[ladybugmom]

Hi my BAMA friend!! I thought I'd hop on over here and check out your PTR!! Your kids are ADORABLE!! My Ally is 4 as well--she will turn 5 September 19th. When is Abby's birthday?

 

[999ghostslover]

As for BBB... We took DD when she was 7 and she loved it....We had 8:15am ressies and have some wonderful photos of her in full Cinderella costume and DS(18mo then and wearing a Peter Pan costume) running up the castle ramp without another soul in sight. As for the experience at BBB it was EEEHHH... Just okay! DD loved it but I could have done the same thing with hairspray, glitter, and tiny crown (there are some in every gift shop). Also they used about 375 bobby pins and half a tube of gel in dd's hair and 3 hours after we left she begged me to take it down as she was getting a headache. I loved that we did it, but in hindsight I wish I taken her to the barber shop. I'm not telling you not to do it, as I think you will look back fondly on the memories....just be prepared that she may want her hair down shortly after.

I also went to Disney World Pregnant and the key is WATER and good tennis shoes with an extra pair of gel inserts!

Thank you! That is good to know. I may just do the glitter spray a couple of days. She loves to play "stylish" and we do nails and glitter once a week when Brady goes down for a nap. Maybe I'll bring a couple of those things and we can do them at the hotel. I forgot we bought a fairy costume (can't remember which fairy, the pink one) for a B-day party this winter. I'm going to bring that since it is lighter than her long princess dresses. So maybe we'll do up the fairy look one day. The barber shop is another great idea. We are hoping to take Brady there for his first haircut on his birthday if the lines aren't crazy. Water and good tennis shoes. Check. We are debating about bringing a case of water--we are driving and bringing those brita filter water bottles. Part of me doesn't want to have to go looking for water fountains to fill up all day and keep after them. And part of me wants to be good to the earth and not have to lug lots of bottles all day. What do you think?

Hi my BAMA friend!! I thought I'd hop on over here and check out your PTR!! Your kids are ADORABLE!! My Ally is 4 as well--she will turn 5 September 19th. When is Abby's birthday?

Thank you! Abby is September 15th. How funny! Ally is off to kindergarten next year, right? Abby is not going to kindergarten next year. AL is RIDICULOUSLY strict about the cutoff being September 1. She is reading and can do basic math and stuff and she is second tallest in her class. It is so unfair. I was due with her September 5 and I wish now that I had been induced early. I wanted to go natural and ended up being induced 9 days late! Her 4 year old teacher is furious and has helped me look into possibilities but even some of the preschools that offer kindergarten have warned us that when she goes on to public or private school she will have to repeat kindergarten. So, she is going to do half day pre-k at the church school she attends now. And what makes me sad is that all of her friends are moving on and it is hard to explain to her why she has to stay at preschool. Okay, rant over.

 

[999ghostslover]

Does this even count as Day 1?
We are driving to Disney from Alabama. Not bad, right? Next state over, right? Well, we live on the TN border so it is a pretty bad drive. Not as bad as Michigan (Hi, CJackEarl) but not fun either. Because just like flying all over the south when you drive anywhere starting in Alabama, you have to go through Atlanta, Ga (Hi, CharlestonPrincess). I'm not sure why that is. I think that The Varsity has an in with the Highway patrol and FAA. And I hate driving in Atlanta. I lived there for 3 years while my husband got his PhD at Ga Tech. We lived in Midtown overlooking Piedmont park and it was beautiful and so much fun but the driving is awful and I grew up in NJ. I know awful. All major highways that run through Atlanta (and there are 3) are 16 lanes wide and are always at a standstill when I drive through. They just know I'm coming.
So our goal is to sleep in our clothes (maybe) and get on the road by 4:30ish. Yikes! That should put us in Atlanta (with the time change) between 8:30 and 9. Hopefully, most of the crazies will be at work by then. We will stop for breakfast at Truett's Grill which is a sit down diner/Chick-Fil-A in Morrow, GA just south of Atl. It is just where we stop when we go. It is fun.
Our next stop will be Valdosta, Ga for lunch. There is a Burger king that is like in a hotel that has a playland. Not too gross. We'll stop there. After that, we have no idea. We usually go to Titusville/Cape Canaveral on the Atlantic coast before going to Disney. We do this to visit Tom's grandmother. But as it is, Tom's grandmother should be in Massachusetts for most of the summer. "Boo" that she won't get to see her grand kids this trip but "yeah!" more time for Disney. I am hoping we will be pulling up to the Lodge at 5:30. We have no plans though. If we do get there then, we can check in, walk around, sit on the beach with some Roaring Forks and relax. If we get there later we can grab some Mickey D's on the way and crash into our beds upon arrival.
I have no idea what will really happen. Our 4 year old likes to chug water on long trips so she needs to potty a lot. I am pregnant and need to potty AND walk to prevent blood clots. Brady needs diaper changes frequently because I do not want to start the trip off with a raging diaper rash. And he still nurses a few times a day. Not a lot, thank God. But at least 2-3 times during this trip. So, it is going to be a long one. Anyone want t tag along? We got room in the van, man.

 

[lizet313]

WOHOO count me in LOL except my drive will be longer I am in Houston. Although I will be a good babysitter.

 

[Charleston Princess]

about the Varsity!!! Atlanta traffic is heinous! No one really ever believes me until they have to drive through it. Not only are the freeways 16 lanes wide, but everyone drives at about 85 miles per hour. The Atlanta Autobahn -- there's nothing else like it. The only advice I know to give you is to get all the way over into the HOV lane and stay there until it goes back to a normal lane on the southside of Atlanta.

When it gets closer to the trip, remind me, and I will tell you how to take the Western Parkway off the turnpike down in Florida. It is super easy and you will avoid all the traffic on I-4.