I'm thankful for...MICKEY!!! My Thanksgiving '08 TR!: TR Update, Last Day!

[SwansLoveDisney]

After a 25 minute phone call with a very nice young man, I requested the section of Pop that we want to stay in, I made an ADR for Boma for dinner, and I gave him our flight numbers for Magical Express.

And DH actually sounds excited about Boma!

I asked DH yesterday "On a scale of 1 to 100, how excited are you about our trip to Disney World." His answer? "20."

After some more questioning, DH said he'll become much more excited about the trip as it approaches. And he admitted that he does actually enjoy himself at Disney World. He just wishes it didn't cost so much money. You know what I said to that? "Too bad!"

 

[JaxJags08]

That hike looks awesome! I can imagine that would have been a little scary with your MIL; I'm glad she recovered fairly quickly! I live in a really flat area of the country (FL), so no interesting hiking here. We went to Utah while I was early in my pregnancy with DD1 and did some easy hikes. I loved it! My sis also just recently did a hike in the Grand Canyon. It is something that we definitely want to start doing. For some reason, I never thought of hiking when I thought of Greece!

Changing from CP to Boma sounds like a good idea. I've never been to either, but will be making ADR's soon for a couple of upcoming trips since I've heard such great things.

 

[TarzansKat]

Yeah for the Boma ressie!

And don't worry, I'm sure your DH will have a fantastic time when he's there. Men. Sometimes they just don't get it.

But seriously, I'm sure you'll all love Boma! Truthfully, I've never read a bad thing about the food there, and I've read a lot of dining reviews.

 

[lisalonglash]

I'm sorry I haven't posted sooner - it's been INSANE here!

Welcome home!!! I'm so glad you had a good time in Greece - and your wonderful pictures are making me want to go back ... like tomorrow! LOL

I'm glad your MIL recovered quickly. I'll bet next time, she'll remember to hydrate!

Looking forward to more pics

 

[SwansLoveDisney]

That hike looks awesome! I can imagine that would have been a little scary with your MIL; I'm glad she recovered fairly quickly! I live in a really flat area of the country (FL), so no interesting hiking here. We went to Utah while I was early in my pregnancy with DD1 and did some easy hikes. I loved it! My sis also just recently did a hike in the Grand Canyon. It is something that we definitely want to start doing. For some reason, I never thought of hiking when I thought of Greece!

Changing from CP to Boma sounds like a good idea. I've never been to either, but will be making ADR's soon for a couple of upcoming trips since I've heard such great things.

Boma is so good! You should definitely try it on your upcoming trip(s)!

My DH and I love hiking. It's such a great way to get exercise without being bored to death! And we've seen so many beautiful places while hiking. We haven't hiked the Grand Canyon yet because my parents were with us when we went to the Grand Canyon, but we're hoping to do it soon. Hiking in Utah sounds awesome...we're hoping to go to Bryce and Zion next year.

Yeah for the Boma ressie!

And don't worry, I'm sure your DH will have a fantastic time when he's there. Men. Sometimes they just don't get it.

But seriously, I'm sure you'll all love Boma! Truthfully, I've never read a bad thing about the food there, and I've read a lot of dining reviews.

When it comes to WDW, my man certainly does not get it!

I dined at Boma on my last WDW trip and it was awesome. Everything I ate was delicious!

I'm sorry I haven't posted sooner - it's been INSANE here!

Welcome home!!! I'm so glad you had a good time in Greece - and your wonderful pictures are making me want to go back ... like tomorrow! LOL

I'm glad your MIL recovered quickly. I'll bet next time, she'll remember to hydrate!

Looking forward to more pics

Don't worry about not posting! Are you going to do a pre-trip?

I'll go back to greece with you tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

[lisalonglash]

When it comes to WDW, my man certainly does not get it!

I so know what you mean *sigh* As lately as last night, he's still insisting that (a) he didn't even want to go in the first place; (b) he's parking himself by the pool; and (c) grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Don't worry about not posting! Are you going to do a pre-trip?

I'll go back to greece with you tomorrow!

I don't know. I've never done a PTR/TR and there are some really wonderful ones already posted, including yours, that I don't think a report about us would measure up

OK, let's go! Santorini sound good? I wonder if that absolutely wicked Italian restaurant is still there (I swear, that place had the BEST Italian food I've ever had - and I've had a lot of Italian food LOL). Ahhhh, we can dream of going back tomorrow, right?

 

[Charleston Princess]

I asked DH yesterday "On a scale of 1 to 100, how excited are you about our trip to Disney World." His answer? "20."

After some more questioning, DH said he'll become much more excited about the trip as it approaches. And he admitted that he does actually enjoy himself at Disney World. He just wishes it didn't cost so much money. You know what I said to that? "Too bad!"

Somehow, I feel like I have had this conversation before at my house...oh, because we've had it!!! I have faith that you will change his mind yet -- I have found that repeated, forced visits to the place seem to help!

 

[JaxJags08]

Boma is so good! You should definitely try it on your upcoming trip(s)!

My DH and I love hiking. It's such a great way to get exercise without being bored to death! And we've seen so many beautiful places while hiking. We haven't hiked the Grand Canyon yet because my parents were with us when we went to the Grand Canyon, but we're hoping to do it soon. Hiking in Utah sounds awesome...we're hoping to go to Bryce and Zion next year.

I absolutely love Springdale, UT (where Zion is)! It is such a cute town and I felt SO relaxed while I was there. We stayed at Cliffrose Lodge and Gardens and had a great view from our balcony. I also hear the Desert Pearl is a great inn - actually one of TripAdvisor's best hidden gems.

Bryce is also very cool and totally different from anything I've seen. The "town" outside of it doesn't have much to it at all. We actually drove there just for the day. Oddly enough, there were alot of Eastern Europeans that lived and worked there. I'm not quite sure how they made it to that part of Utah and I didn't have the opportunity to ask. Next time I'd like to stay a couple of nights to do some real hiking, though.

 

[SwansLoveDisney]

I so know what you mean *sigh* As lately as last night, he's still insisting that (a) he didn't even want to go in the first place; (b) he's parking himself by the pool; and (c) grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr



I don't know. I've never done a PTR/TR and there are some really wonderful ones already posted, including yours, that I don't think a report about us would measure up

OK, let's go! Santorini sound good? I wonder if that absolutely wicked Italian restaurant is still there (I swear, that place had the BEST Italian food I've ever had - and I've had a lot of Italian food LOL). Ahhhh, we can dream of going back tomorrow, right?

You should absolutely to a PTR and TR. You'll already have one faithful reader!

Santorini is perfect! Tomorrow it is.

Somehow, I feel like I have had this conversation before at my house...oh, because we've had it!!! I have faith that you will change his mind yet -- I have found that repeated, forced visits to the place seem to help!

I like your idea of repeated, forced visits!

I absolutely love Springdale, UT (where Zion is)! It is such a cute town and I felt SO relaxed while I was there. We stayed at Cliffrose Lodge and Gardens and had a great view from our balcony. I also hear the Desert Pearl is a great inn - actually one of TripAdvisor's best hidden gems.

Bryce is also very cool and totally different from anything I've seen. The "town" outside of it doesn't have much to it at all. We actually drove there just for the day. Oddly enough, there were alot of Eastern Europeans that lived and worked there. I'm not quite sure how they made it to that part of Utah and I didn't have the opportunity to ask. Next time I'd like to stay a couple of nights to do some real hiking, though.

Now I'm even MORE excited to go to Bryce and Zion!

 

[SwansLoveDisney]

I have 3 things to share tonight:

1. My MIL is no longer joining us for our WDW trip. She said she'd rather use her vacation time to spend more time with us at Christmas. I'm kinda sad, but also relieved that DH and I will have the room to ourselves.

2. I got my Disney Shopping order in today. The Mickey hoodie is adorable and fits perfectly. The Tink t-shirt is pretty snug. It fits great, but we'll see what happens after a washing...

3. I was so brave today and I went to the gym to take a spinning class. I am pretty comfortable in a gym, but spinning has always intimidated me. So I've never tried a class. Well, when I arrived at the gym, the spinning class was already filled up! I guess I have to get there 15 minutes early. I was pretty disappointed, but I stayed and ran on the treadmill. I am rededicating myself to my fitness (I've been letting myself slack off completely since I ran my half marathon in May). So maybe that Tink shirt will fit nicely after all!

 

[Charleston Princess]

That's too bad about your MIL not joining you -- maybe next time!

Hurray for Disney mail -- hopefully the t-shirt doesn't shrink!

I should rededicate (or dedicate as the case may be) to my fitness.

 

[SwansLoveDisney]

That's too bad about your MIL not joining you -- maybe next time!

Hurray for Disney mail -- hopefully the t-shirt doesn't shrink!

I should rededicate (or dedicate as the case may be) to my fitness.

If that shirt shrinks, I'm in trouble!

 

[Nicole786]

Aw too bad about your MIL! But i'm sure you and DH will enjoy the alone time

 

[troobabiee7]

Hey Julie! I just got all caught up and wow, those Greece pictures are GORGEOUS! Greece is a dream destination for me so I'm loving the chance to live vicarioulsy through you. Everything looks so pretty and the food looks delicious... but all those stray dogs would make me so sad Keep the updates coming, I'm loving it!

Congrats on the half-marathon! That's such a great accomplishment Sorry that your MIL can't join you guys on the trip but like you said, at least you'll have the room to yourselves now. Have a great time at Boma, that's one of our favorite Disney restaurants

 

[Native NYer]

The photos of Greece are amazing! I have to go soon!

Sorry to hear that your MIL isn't going. It'll give you an excuse to plan another Disney trip.

I have never tried a spinning class either. But then again, I haven't tried any classes at the gym.

 

[SwansLoveDisney]

Aw too bad about your MIL! But i'm sure you and DH will enjoy the alone time

You're right...the alone time will be nice! DH hasn't been to WDW with me since 2004, so it'll be nice to enjoy the romantic aspects of WDW with him!

Hey Julie! I just got all caught up and wow, those Greece pictures are GORGEOUS! Greece is a dream destination for me so I'm loving the chance to live vicarioulsy through you. Everything looks so pretty and the food looks delicious... but all those stray dogs would make me so sad Keep the updates coming, I'm loving it!

Congrats on the half-marathon! That's such a great accomplishment Sorry that your MIL can't join you guys on the trip but like you said, at least you'll have the room to yourselves now. Have a great time at Boma, that's one of our favorite Disney restaurants

You MUST go to Greece! It was awesome!

I'm thinking of doing another half marathon in January. If it doesn't conflict with our annual ski trip, I'm going to start training in August. Hopefully, I can better my time!

The photos of Greece are amazing! I have to go soon!

Sorry to hear that your MIL isn't going. It'll give you an excuse to plan another Disney trip.

I have never tried a spinning class either. But then again, I haven't tried any classes at the gym.

Thanks!

Hey, you're right...that is a great excuse for another Disney trip.

Are you still working with a trainer at the gym?

 

[SwansLoveDisney]

Greece Day 5

We woke up this morning and packed up all our stuff. This was the day we would go to Santorini (a.k.a. heaven on earth!)

A couple of taxis took us to the ferry dock on Crete. We boarded the ferry and found our seats, which was 2 seats facing 2 other seats across a table. It was so nice to have that table there!

I loved traveling by ferry! It was so cool to see the coasts of the islands and it was so roomy!

Here's a pic from the ferry window:

Here's DH and MIL sitting on the boat

We made friends with an elderly Greek couple who were just the most adorable people! They were so sweet. They didn't speak much English, but we didn't let that stop us from talking with them. The man told me that they were going to his nephew's wedding and they were going to dance the night away. Even with a metal knee. I think he wanted to show me his scar on his knee, but we arrived at port and ran out of time!

After arriving at the port in Santorini, we found our driver and started driving to our hotel. I think it was the combination of the breathtakingly gorgeous sight of Santorini and the atmosphere on the island that suddenly made us all positively giddy!

All five of us were giggling, talking, singing, etc!

We arrived at our INCREDIBLE hotel and checked in. While checking in, we saw brochures for private boat tours and we asked the concierge about it. They were VERY expensive, but the feeling of giddiness influenced us to just book it! So we were checked in and booked for a boat tour the next day.

Then it was time to check out our rooms! Again, DH and I had our own room and MIL, SIL, and BIL shared a room.

Here's our room (after our stuff was strewn about):

The bed was upstairs in the loft

After dumping our stuff in our rooms, we all quick-changed into our swimsuits and began the hike down to the water. Our hotel was perched pretty high up on a cliff, so the hike down was a little rough, especially after hiking the gorge the previous day. But it was oh-so-worth-it!

Our hotel is right under that windmill at the top left-ish

At the bottom of our cliff

Our swimming spot

We found a good, flat spot on some rocks, ditched our stuff and jumped in!

Soon, the diving and jumping from high places ensued!
BIL jumping/diving

Me entering the water after a big jump (my BIL took this pic and snapped it too late. The jump was much more impressive than this picture makes it seem. Oh, and I can't believe I'm posting a swimsuit shot)

DH cliff diving

After a couple heavenly hours in the Aegean sea, we began the hike up to the hotel.

At the top, it was time to shower by the pool and then jump in! Here's DH in the pool

After some real showers, it was time to watch the gorgeous sunset

Then it was time for dinner. Dinner was pasta tonight and was DELICIOUS!

Back to the hotel for some poolside drinks

Then, we went to our rooms and slept hard again!

It was a truly AMAZING day in Greece and tomorrow would be a fun day of boating on the Aegean Sea!

Does it get any better than this?

 

[SwansLoveDisney]

My mom, dad, brother, and sister-in-law all purchased their airline tickets for WDW today!

I convinced my mom to apply for the Southwest credit card. So after getting credit for a past flight, opening the credit card, and opening a rapid reward account, then putting all their airline tickets on the card, my mom will have enough points on the card to fly to visit me for free next Spring!

In other news, we canceled cable today. DH and I decided that watching TV does us no good, so we did away with the cable. This is the first time I have not had cable since I was a little kid. We'll see how it goes...

 

[JaxJags08]

Great pictures! Santorini looks beautiful! All of the places you have visited look beautiful, actually.

Those pics of your BIL and DH diving look SO scary! Yours - not so much , but I trust you when you say that it was more impressive than the picture shows.

Nice to know that the people of Greece have been so nice to all of you. We had friends who went to Italy on their honeymoon and the wife had her butt pinched a couple times by some local men. DH swears that they also went to Greece and had a similar experience, but I contend it was just Italy.

The Southwest credit card seems like a good deal! Are they pretty good about blackout dates when you redeem points?

 

[Charleston Princess]

Santorini and the Aegan Sea pictures with my morning coffee! A lovely way to start my day!

I would cancel cable in a heartbeat if it wasn't part of our internet package -- oh, but then I would miss Grey's Anatomy, Lost, and Pushing Daisies in the fall -- never mind, I better keep it!