"It all started with a whopping price error ” 10/24 The Perfect Storm of Opportunity

[tinytreasures]

love the pictures of you dd what a cool thing for her to be a part of

 

[dydo2424]

wow! that cirque stuff looks really really cool!

 

[gatormommy07]

I have caught up on your report, I am so sorry about your dad. That was just terrible, to go from such happiness to such sadness so quickly had to be rough. I am happy for you guys getting to go back. Can't wait to read more when you can write it!

P.S. I really enjoy the way you write!

 

[A&Bmama]

Cool pictures of your daughter. She looks like she is having a blast!

It does look like fun. If I wasn't scared I'd break something I would try it myself.

love the pictures of you dd what a cool thing for her to be a part of

Thanks. It is really something to see.

wow! that cirque stuff looks really really cool!

It is really cool. Evertime I look at the pictures I kick myself in the butt for not putting her in this year.

I have caught up on your report, I am so sorry about your dad. That was just terrible, to go from such happiness to such sadness so quickly had to be rough. I am happy for you guys getting to go back. Can't wait to read more when you can write it!

P.S. I really enjoy the way you write!

Thanks for reading! Watch for a long overdue update coming soon.

 

[gatormommy07]

Thanks for reading! Watch for a long overdue update coming soon.

No problem!! It gives me a much needed break from my 3 darling kids!!! Can't wait!!!

 

[A&Bmama]

A Tour of our Digs

After seeing the rainbow I knew this would be a different trip.

We unpack the car






Well, maybe I should rephrase that. DH and DS unpack the car while DD and I check in.

The lobby, so far so good.



Check in goes smoothly and soon we are given keys and directions to our 13th floor villa. Thirteenth floor… Hmmm isn’t that supposed to be unlucky…

Matters not.

I have seen the rainbow, and miracle rainbows trump unlucky floor numbers. So there! (blows raspberry)

We check in and tour our digs for the week. Come along with me.




Looking into the living room from the kitchen




Kitchen




Another shot of the kitchen




living room, I don't remember why DH is smaking his forehead!




Living room with DH enjoying a beverage




Master Bedroom




The view from the balcony




DD showing the view from the window in her room (sorry it's so dark, I'm not a good photographer)




DD's bedroom with 2 queens. She looks comically small with all that space!




DS inspecting the view from his "Bachelor Pad" king bedroom




The drawback to having the 13th floor unit is both of the 3 bedroom units that are on this floor have the balcony that has the wall instead of a railing. You couldn't see the view unless you were standing. DD couldn't see anything unless DH lifted her up. The wall is about a foot thick so she had to lean over it to see down to the pool. It gave me heartfailure every time I saw her do this even though DH was holding her.

We spend some time relaxing and settling in. Once we are sufficiently rested we head out for something to eat and to pick-up supplies for the week.

We decide some fine dining is in order.

So we head to Wendy’s. No not the real Wendy’s, that would be a long walk…

Like all fine dining establishments, Wendy’s hands you an empty cup for you to fill yourself. I fill my cup until it runeth over with diet cola. Then I see it. Sweet tea.
I love black tea, red tea, orange pekoe, white tea, earl grey, green tea, oolong. Chamomile, iced tea, Chai and Rooibos. You get the picture. I don’t discriminate based on nationality, colour or temperature. I love tea, all tea. Except for any tea that contains rosehip. I don’t like rosehip.

I must confess.

I’ve never had sweet tea.

I don’t know even know what sweet tea is.

I want to try it.

But my cup is already full.

I eat, and ponder the dilemma.

Can I sneak a second fill?

Does Wendy’s employ beverage Nazi’s?

Will the beverage Nazi’s pounce on me if I sneak a little sweet tea to taste?

Maybe refills are already free?

Sadly, I never get the answer. I couldn’t drink all my cola so I never saw the bottom of an empty cup again. I thought maybe I would try it later in the trip but alas, it wasn’t to be.

So you Southern gals (or guys) have to enlighten this Northern girl. What exactly is sweet tea? Is it sweetened iced tea? I gotta know.

After our delectable dinner we head to the nearest Publix and pick-up some food and adult libations.

I must confess a little secret.

I love grocery shopping in the US. I love seeing all the different brands and seeing how many different things there are. You would be surprised how different it all is. Even standard things like pop and chips are packaged differently. One of the things we had on our list to buy was a frozen “Delissio” pizza. Not a chance, couldn’t find it. I did find a “Digiorno” pizza that had suspiciously familiar looking packaging so I bought it. I cooked it and found out it is the exact same pizza! Why the different name?

Anyway, I’m worried my love of grocery shopping in the US says something about me, and I’m afraid it isn’t flattering.

Soon enough we are back at the pad and settling in for the night. We have a busy few days ahead of us. We have six full days in Orlando and only 4 days worth of park tickets. You would think a sane person would alternate park days and off days. You might have guessed by now, I am not always a sane woman when it comes to Disney.

See the way I figure it is we arrived on a Tuesday, if we do our park days consecutively we will be done on Saturday. By Sunday the crowds should be building since Easter is the next weekend. I don’t want to fight crowds, I didn’t come all this way, and through this much to leave with a bunch stuff still undone. I want to fly home feeling like our first Disney trip is complete. No promises hanging over my head anymore.

Tomorrow is an Epcot day. You may be thinking hey, didn’t they miss Animal Kingdom entirely? Why aren’t they starting there? Maybe you already know the answer. Touring plans told me not to and it would be madness to thumb my nose at the authorities.

The plan is make it to rope drop. Not sort of, kind of make it where we get there within the first 15 minutes after opening. I want to see the rope. I want to know it really exists. Test Track is top priority.

Up Next: Test Track or bust!

 

[ccgirl]

Wow! The place looks fabulous! Where is it again? Can't wait to see if you actually made rope drop. That's always a tough one for my familiy as my kids like to sleep in on vacation. Can't wait to hear more!

 

[A&Bmama]

Wow! The place looks fabulous! Where is it again? Can't wait to see if you actually made rope drop. That's always a tough one for my familiy as my kids like to sleep in on vacation. Can't wait to hear more!

It is call Lake Eve Resort. It is on Internation Drive next to The Fountains.

 

[chartle]

So we head to Wendy’s. No not the real Wendy’s, that would be a long walk…

Like all fine dining establishments, Wendy’s hands you an empty cup for you to fill yourself. I fill my cup until it runeth over with diet cola. Then I see it. Sweet tea.
I love black tea, red tea, orange pekoe, white tea, earl grey, green tea, oolong. Chamomile, iced tea, Chai and Rooibos. You get the picture. I don’t discriminate based on nationality, colour or temperature. I love tea, all tea. Except for any tea that contains rosehip. I don’t like rosehip.

I must confess.

I’ve never had sweet tea.

I don’t know even know what sweet tea is.

I want to try it.

But my cup is already full.

I eat, and ponder the dilemma.

Can I sneak a second fill?

Does Wendy’s employ beverage Nazi’s?

Will the beverage Nazi’s pounce on me if I sneak a little sweet tea to taste?

Maybe refills are already free?

Sadly, I never get the answer. I couldn’t drink all my cola so I never saw the bottom of an empty cup again. I thought maybe I would try it later in the trip but alas, it wasn’t to be.

So you Southern gals (or guys) have to enlighten this Northern girl. What exactly is sweet tea? Is it sweetened iced tea? I gotta know.

Southern Sweet Tea is a very sweet tea with no lemon. What it is not is tea with a bunch of sugar added to it after its cool. I make it, a north of the Mason-Dixen line(not much) guy, by adding simple syrup to the tea after its brewed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_tea

After our delectable dinner we head to the nearest Publix and pick-up some food and adult libations.

I must confess a little secret.

I love grocery shopping in the US. I love seeing all the different brands and seeing how many different things there are. You would be surprised how different it all is. Even standard things like pop and chips are packaged differently. One of the things we had on our list to buy was a frozen “Delissio” pizza. Not a chance, couldn’t find it. I did find a “Digiorno” pizza that had suspiciously familiar looking packaging so I bought it. I cooked it and found out it is the exact same pizza! Why the different name?

Yes its the same pizza and were until recently both owned by Kraft Foods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DiGiorno

Why the different name? Its either marketing or something to do with trade marks. May be some one already own the Delissio pizza trademark in Canada or vesa-versa.

It could also be that Kraft bought the already established name from someone in Canada.

In the US there are products that are named differently east and west of the Mississippi river.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyer's

 

[gatormommy07]

This is how I make sweet tea(now remember, if any of my fellow southerners find out I am telling you this I could get in a lot of trouble!!!) :

First I fill a medium sized pot with about 9 cups of water

add a family sized tea bag (I use Luzianne, but lipton works!! really any black tea)

simmer over medium heat (I go to 6 or 7) for 10-12 minutes.

while that is going I run the hot water and add about 4 cups to the pitcher I will be using, to that I add a little less than 1 cup of sugar(I know it sounds like a lot, but it is sooo good!!!)stir until dissolved

When the tea is done brewing let it sit for about 10 minutes or so then add it to the sugar water stir it and add to a glass full of ice.


just to let you know, the tea will stain a stainless steel pot, so you might not want to use that!! I do, now it is the only thing I make in that pot!!


I have to make a pitcher of tea at least once a day, so we go through a bag of sugar every week!

I hope you try it and like it!

 

[bluejasmine]

Im home with the flu today and decided to get on DIS to make myself feel better..I have really enjoyed your TR and look fwd to reading the rest. I love that it is REAL, I feel the real emotions. I lost my dad 10 yrs ago and honestly it brought that day back and I cried and cried reading your TR BUT while I have thought of my dad alot over the last 10 yrs today I remembered memories I hadnt thought of for many years and Im so grateful..

 

[chartle]

I must confess a little secret.

I love grocery shopping in the US. I love seeing all the different brands and seeing how many different things there are. You would be surprised how different it all is. Even standard things like pop and chips are packaged differently. One of the things we had on our list to buy was a frozen “Delissio” pizza. Not a chance, couldn’t find it. I did find a “Digiorno” pizza that had suspiciously familiar looking packaging so I bought it. I cooked it and found out it is the exact same pizza! Why the different name?

Anyway, I’m worried my love of grocery shopping in the US says something about me, and I’m afraid it isn’t flattering.

Wanted to add

I used to think the same thing going into Canada in the mid 70's and buying Heinz Ketchup, a Pittsburgh Product, with dual English/ French labels.

So continental just like we were in Paris.

 

[hucifer]

Check in goes smoothly and soon we are given keys and directions to our 13th floor villa. Thirteenth floor… Hmmm isn’t that supposed to be unlucky…

Depends who you are. My sister was born on Friday the 13th and considers it be a VERY lucky number.

Your place is gorgeous! Three bedrooms? You can't beat that with a stick. Was it expensive? Did you mention prices? I cannot remember.

DD couldn't see anything unless DH lifted her up. The wall is about a foot thick so she had to lean over it to see down to the pool. It gave me heartfailure every time I saw her do this even though DH was holding her.

I would have fuh-reaked out, myself. So you're not alone.

So we head to Wendy’s. No not the real Wendy’s, that would be a long walk…

Awww...it's like my own personal little shout-out.

Like all fine dining establishments, Wendy’s hands you an empty cup for you to fill yourself.

That's the mark of fine dining, alright.

I fill my cup until it runeth over with diet cola. Then I see it. Sweet tea.
I love black tea, red tea, orange pekoe, white tea, earl grey, green tea, oolong. Chamomile, iced tea, Chai and Rooibos. You get the picture. I don’t discriminate based on nationality, colour or temperature. I love tea, all tea. Except for any tea that contains rosehip. I don’t like rosehip.

I agree with all of that...except the rosehip part. I love all tea!

Will the beverage Nazi’s pounce on me if I sneak a little sweet tea to taste?

I used to work at Wendy's (insert joke here). I will say quite confidently that you would not have been approached by Drink Nazis.

Maybe refills are already free?

That would be my assumption.

So you Southern gals (or guys) have to enlighten this Northern girl. What exactly is sweet tea? Is it sweetened iced tea? I gotta know.

Like the previous posters said, it's basically just really sweet black tea. I personally prefer plain. But that's the Northern girl in me.

Tomorrow is an Epcot day. You may be thinking hey, didn’t they miss Animal Kingdom entirely? Why aren’t they starting there? Maybe you already know the answer. Touring plans told me not to and it would be madness to thumb my nose at the authorities.

I hear ya, girl. Don't mess with the Guide.

The plan is make it to rope drop. Not sort of, kind of make it where we get there within the first 15 minutes after opening. I want to see the rope. I want to know it really exists.

First thing in the morning is the BEST time to tour. The park is at its slowest time then. Hope you made it to rope drop.

 

[floydfamily4]

Welcome back! I have been waiting to hear more and now I can!!! Looking forward to the rest. Did you see the rope

 

[Dugette]

What a great place you got! Love that view!

Yummy...Wendy's!!

I hope you make it to rope drop! On our September '09 trip, we were at rope drops every day and following the Unofficial Guide touring plans. Worked great!

 

[A&Bmama]

Southern Sweet Tea is a very sweet tea with no lemon. What it is not is tea with a bunch of sugar added to it after its cool. I make it, a north of the Mason-Dixen line(not much) guy, by adding simple syrup to the tea after its brewed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_tea



Yes its the same pizza and were until recently both owned by Kraft Foods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DiGiorno

Why the different name? Its either marketing or something to do with trade marks. May be some one already own the Delissio pizza trademark in Canada or vesa-versa.

It could also be that Kraft bought the already established name from someone in Canada.

In the US there are products that are named differently east and west of the Mississippi river.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyer's

Edy's, something else I haven't tried...

This is how I make sweet tea(now remember, if any of my fellow southerners find out I am telling you this I could get in a lot of trouble!!!) :

First I fill a medium sized pot with about 9 cups of water

add a family sized tea bag (I use Luzianne, but lipton works!! really any black tea)

simmer over medium heat (I go to 6 or 7) for 10-12 minutes.

while that is going I run the hot water and add about 4 cups to the pitcher I will be using, to that I add a little less than 1 cup of sugar(I know it sounds like a lot, but it is sooo good!!!)stir until dissolved

When the tea is done brewing let it sit for about 10 minutes or so then add it to the sugar water stir it and add to a glass full of ice.


just to let you know, the tea will stain a stainless steel pot, so you might not want to use that!! I do, now it is the only thing I make in that pot!!


I have to make a pitcher of tea at least once a day, so we go through a bag of sugar every week!

I hope you try it and like it!

Thanks! Don't worry your secret is safe with me!



Look what I did this afternoon. Mama likey! Yum Yum

Im home with the flu today and decided to get on DIS to make myself feel better..I have really enjoyed your TR and look fwd to reading the rest. I love that it is REAL, I feel the real emotions. I lost my dad 10 yrs ago and honestly it brought that day back and I cried and cried reading your TR BUT while I have thought of my dad alot over the last 10 yrs today I remembered memories I hadnt thought of for many years and Im so grateful..

Thanks for sharing that with me. What a wonderful compliment, I am touched. I never thought I could write something that would inspire such emotion in another person.

I hope you are feeling better soon. Thanks for reading.

Wanted to add

I used to think the same thing going into Canada in the mid 70's and buying Heinz Ketchup, a Pittsburgh Product, with dual English/ French labels.

So continental just like we were in Paris.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who enjoys this kind of thing!

Unfortunatly I speak only english. I always thinks I could go to Paris to grocery shop and I would have no problem since I have been reading both english and french on food labels all my life.

 

[A&Bmama]

Your place is gorgeous! Three bedrooms? You can't beat that with a stick. Was it expensive? Did you mention prices? I cannot remember.

It was a package from Expedia. For the villa at Lake Eve and a full size car rental it was $1100.00 CAD. At the time the Canadian dollar was not strong so I estimate the US cost was probably about $900.00. I think the car portion was about $175 so I guess the room was a little better than $100.00 a night. It was a grand opening special so I think the rates are a little higher now.

How's that for a long winded answer to a simple question.

Awww...it's like my own personal little shout-out.

That was absolutely a personal shout-out! I though I was quite clever when I thought of that.

 

[A&Bmama]

Welcome back! I have been waiting to hear more and now I can!!! Looking forward to the rest. Did you see the rope

You'll have to wait and see if we got to rope drop. I started working on the next installment so hopefully it won't be too long before I post it.

What a great place you got! Love that view!

Yummy...Wendy's!!

I hope you make it to rope drop! On our September '09 trip, we were at rope drops every day and following the Unofficial Guide touring plans. Worked great!

It was a really nice place. I have to admit that when I walked in the villa at Lake Eve I was scratching my head wondering why anyone would ever stay on property at Disney. I do have to admit that it does lack the Disney magic, but it was a good choice for us this time.

My goal this trip was to make rope drop every day! We'll see soon enough how well that works out.

 

[gatormommy07]

Did you make my tea? it looks just like mine!!! I am glad you liked it!!

 

[A&Bmama]

Did you make my tea? it looks just like mine!!! I am glad you liked it!!

Absolutely! I made it according to your recipe. I have had 3 glasses so far. I had to cut myself off there or I would never sleep tonight. Thanks for the recipe!