It will be my last trip for a loong time

[Pakey]

I love the idea of Simba having journaling space in his autograph book. I always journal on our European trips and it's so much fun to read it back later on; it's amazing how many of the little things are so quickly forgotten.

I hear you on the weight gain. I see my oncologist on Monday and I am already dreading the lecture I'm going to get (if I'm gaining weight he knows I'm not sticking with the strict low-fat diet I'm supposed to be following). I blame it totally on the evil Girl Scout cookies.

Thirty days to go. It's going by so fast, you guys will be at the airport before you know it.

 

[magicaldisney11]

Girl Scout cookies are outlawed at my house. I can go through a box of peanut butter patties in about 2 minutes flat. The thin mints don't even get a chance of making from the front door to the cupboard, it's a sad state of affairs I tell you.

As for the weight gain, I had thyroid problems (it stopped working) about 19 years ago when I was preganant with Donald and then 16 years later it started up again on it's own (go figure.) It seems that it decided to conk out on me again but it was a gradual thing and so was the weight gain, now it is really showing so I'm back on the medicine and a lot of things have been found since then that will help keep it working besides medicine and none of them are fun things for me. Cut back on caffine and the sugar I put in the much needed coffee, dairy products need to be cut back on too. What is this world coming to? I just hope it takes a shorter period of time for the pounds to come off than it did for it to go on,lol. You know like in 29 days!!!


It's hard for me to keep my mind on anything but the trip to the world but work is very busy (have to make sure all work is done so others can do thiers while I'm on vaca) baseball is starting here in the cold and soon to be very rainy Western NY and I have to make sure my home is all set for my nephew to stay here with the dogs while I'm away. It will all be worth it though.

I am thinking about my morning coffee looking out over the water while watching the ducks at POFQ. There is a mist every morning over the water and it is magical. In fact, the big dragon slide at the pool looks so cool with the mist hanging out around it in the morning. Like a fairy tale.

I am anticipating the walks at night around the Boardwalk and all the people milling around and the jugglars, magicians, surray riders, it's all part of the show

For me it's not all about the parks (which as you know i am in love with) but the WHOLE thing, all the details, all the sights and smells and of course the food is a part of it too. Where else in the world can you get dole whip, a mickey ice cream bar, and even the popcorn tastes better there,lol.


After looking on about 100 sites on line, hitting every area store, I just can't find a bag that I like for the parks. Not having the stroller this year has changed our way of doing things. It's not like we bring a lot of stuff into the park either but we tend to buy things that need to be carried,lol. I have decided that I will just get the bag I really want when I am down there, the Disney backpack. I wanted one so bad last time but had another Disney bag from 2003 that was still in great shape so I didn't get it, this year, I'm doing it! The boys can help carry it then too

 

[Pakey]

Although I do love some of the rides, the magic at Disney is not the rides for me either. There are just so many things to love there. I do enjoy walking the Boardwalk; it's part of the charm of staying at the Beach Club.

Mostly I carry no bag into the park. It's so nice to not have to go through bag check. The only times I carry a bag is if I expect rain; I then take my backpack to carry the Mickey ponchos.

You are lucky to have a relative to come in and take care of your dogs. I also have a pet sitter but my male dog will not allow anyone but myself or sometimes my husband to touch him. I always worry so much when I'm gone about him because the pet sitter would have to trap him in order to pick him up if anything was wrong with him. She can't even bribe him with food; I've never seen a dog so afraid of people.

Sorry about your thyroid issues. My weight gain is just overeating and lack of exercise. I'm supposed to stay on a very low fat diet (I'm a cancer survivor) but everything I love to eat is high in fat. I'm good for awhile but then I fall off the wagon again. I'm always more motivated to lose weight when I have a vacation on the horizon but I have nothing in the works right now. Wow, that sounds like an excellent reason to book a vacation.

 

[magicaldisney11]

My trip book is almost done. It has pages with the maps of each park (just in case,lol) a sheet for each day we're there with our plans on it for each meal and the confirmation numbers for the ADR's, there are all the park times with extra magic hours on a chart, journal pages and some pages with little pockets on them for receipts, fast pass's, etc. After I have it printed this week at work I can take pictures of it to show you.

 

[Pakey]

23 days to go; that's just over 3 weeks left.

Do you make a journal/planning book like this for every vacation or is this your first time? I usually just take a folder but I'd love to see pics of what you did. Maybe I will get inspired for my next trip there.

 

[magicaldisney11]

Yes 23 days to go!!!! I am in panic mode!!!

I have something written on my calendar everyday until we leave to make sure everything gets done,lol. I want all my laundy finished (this includes all the winter clothes done and packed away) and my house completly cleaned before we leave cuz of the nephew coming over. I want to be totally packed by this week and then I can stop having the bad dreams that I wake up to leave for the airport and there is nothing in my suitcases,lol.

We went from snow showers this week to 78 today. It will be harder to get anything done if the nice weather keeps up,lol.

I haven't finished my journal/travel book yet. I keep making little changes all the time but I will print it out this week and take pictures. I have printed it out a few times but then threw it away. I can post pictures of Simba's book today though after baseball practice and Minnie has a softball game this afternoon. She plays for our University here (she is ranked nation wide.)

Well my swim shorts came in and I am waiting for my top to come in. I also ordered new capri's and shorts and once they are in then I am all set for me and Simba. Goofy and Donald informed me they need at least 2 or 3 new pair of shorts so I will be out shopping next weekend (payday) for them. I also picked up another "water spritzer" for $3 at walmart, it's small and hooks to a belt loop or purse strap. I need to buy batteries to bring with us for it. I have a mini icepack to put in our mini fridge at the resort for a just in case. It has Buzz Light Year on it

All the crew at work has been counting down with me and they are almost as excited as I am for me to go on vacation. Most of them have either never gone to WDW or it has been so long since they went that they didn't know everything there is to do there. Whe I describe the flowers and the smells and the food they are amazed that it's not about the rides for all of us. I try and explain but if your not a WDW person it is hard to understand.
My boss (who is all work and very little play) took her daughter (9 years old at the time) last year for one day to Magic Kingdom and said they probably wouldn't do it again. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!! ONE DAY!!! She saw my book from last year with the water parks, AK, DHS, Etc and said she she didn't know that WDW even had all of that. She thought it was only MK. I was

Yesterday one of the supervisors needed some help on a project and as she was talking to me my mind took over .....I was walking down one of the walkways in Animal Kingdom drinking a lemonade and Divine popped out of tree area and the parade was going by....luckily my work side of my brain absorbed what the supervisor was saying and I clicked away at my computer and fixed her problem and was able to get back to daydreaming. I have a feeling that this is the way it's going to be for the next 23 days!!

 

[Pakey]

I'm also so surprised at people who do not know anything about Walt Disney World. Out here, Disneyland is so close and everyone assumes that Disneyland is like WDW. They don't "get" why we'd fly across the US to go to the World. I've got tons of DVC points and have even offered, for free, my DVC points to a couple of the women on my staff. Nobody ever takes me up on my offer as they see no reason to go to WDW.

Oh well, if everyone loved it as much as we do, it would always be wall to wall people there and we wouldn't want that.

The last week before you go is always the worst. Time slows down and it seems to take forever to get there. Of course, you are going to be extremely busy if you are going to get all of that housework done before you go.

 

[magicaldisney11]

Just a quick HELLO!! At work and I am so busy right now trying to get everything finished before I leave in 17 DAYS!!!

I finished my booklet for Disney finally and will post it this weekend. It turned out pretty good. I deleted items I knew was just there to keep me busy over the last few months and wont need once in the parks,lol.
Hope all of you are doing well!

 

[magicaldisney11]

Here is a whole bunch of "stuff" for our trip

The lanyards, pens, tatoo's, ice pack, autograph book, journal book, pins for trading, fastpass holders.

 

[imhzgrlnotu]

Just finished reading your PTR, hope you have fun on your trip! I really like the idea of making an autograph book/journal, I was wondering what I could do to make it a little more exciting for DD12, shes a bit too old for the princesses lol but she likes to write so I think this will be good for her.

I was thinking of buying some pins on ebay that the kids can trade but I'll have to look it up a bit more, they're mostly just into princesses and Lilo & Stitch so I don't want to spend the money on something they won't really like KWIM?

Can't wait to read the rest of your PTR, and after your trip, your TR!

 

[magicaldisney11]

Hi imhzgrlnotu!! Welcome

My three sons that are going with me are 19, 16 1/2 and 10 and they love to pin trade and they told me they wouldn't want to. They loved it most when they went to our resort gift shop and they have pin boards in them. They get to see hundreds of pins and pick out the ones they want and get rid of the ones they don't. The ones from ebay were only a little over a $1 each and were assorted pins. We got all the characters (Mickey, Minnie, Dale, Chip, Donald, etc in pirates gear, tink, snow white, mickey, etc) they are not pins they will keep (well except for a couple) but use them to get pins they do want

I told Mickey about mine and Simba's journal's this morning (he is now in Beloxi. Mississippi for his first leg of training for the Air Force) and he loved the idea. He especially liked the idea of keeping them and looking at them years later to relive the memories in thier own words.

 

[Pakey]

I collect pins but for most of them I come home, cut the backs off of them and then use them in scrapbooks or photo albums. I do have 3 lanyards full of my "special" pins that I wouldn't do that to though.

I spent 7 years in Biloxi/Gulfport Mississippi and my son was born on the Air Force base there. (I was in the Air Force many moons ago). I loved Biloxi/Gulfport. I've went back to visit there a couple of times and it's certainly changed over the years.

I really like Simba's journal. I will have to think about making me one for my next trip there. We weren't going to go at all again this year (we were there in Jan) but we're now considering going in December. I have so many DVC points that if I bank them all, I know we won't use them next year either.

How many days is it now?

 

[magicaldisney11]

Pakey...I will be so excited for you if you decide to go in December!!! I would really love to surprise my youngest two and spend some time down there with all the deco's up but I doubt we can swing it. I do have a lottery ticket sitting in my car that I haven't checked to see if I have won the $220 million though. If I did then I guess we can do WDW for the week near Christmas,lol.

ONLY 16 MORE DAYS... or as Simba says...Mom, that's 2 weeks and 2 days which sounds shorter than 16 days.....whatever...lol.

The thing is between now and then baseball games start this week, I am running a banquet for 200 for our wrestling club, Mother's Day, graduation ceremonies at work, my house is only 1/2 done with stuff to do, my nephew is no longer sleeping here while we are gone and taking care of the dogs (still working on this problem) and Donald comes home from school for the summer (that is a whole event in itself,lol) Do you think panic mode as started already? Yes I do think it has!!!!

One good thing...my ex decided to take the boys over night tonight and keep them until tomorrow night (he does this once a year or so) and that means I have lots of time to get lots of things done .....like be here on the site

 

[magicaldisney11]

It looks like my countdown banner is no longer working

Not sure why...I went to the website...www.**************...and it isn't there anymore

I replaced my WDWnametag with the slder below.

 

[magicaldisney11]

Pakey wrote..." I spent 7 years in Biloxi/Gulfport Mississippi and my son was born on the Air Force base there. (I was in the Air Force many moons ago). I loved Biloxi/Gulfport. I've went back to visit there a couple of times and it's certainly changed over the years."

Pakey, I totally did not absorb this last night when I read it. First, I obviously can't spell Biloxi,lol. Second, wow!
Mickey told me that everything on the base is just about brand new because Katrina wiped out most of the base. He will be leaving there in June to go to Sheppard AFB in Texas for three months then he will be done with training.

Today I will clean up Donald's room (it's been a catch all while he was in college) since he will be home in 6 days &
also will get more laundry (hate it hate it hate it) done.

By the way...I did not win the $220 million lottery but someone did, not me though, it's not fair ya know, I would have settled for one didn't need 220, okay done whining.

 

[magicaldisney11]

well no kids and I was supposed to be cleaning, etc and went out twice instead. I did get some stuff done, don't think I'm completly lazy,lol.

I went to get dog food and found the ear drops for Simba, he hates it when the water won't get out of his ears after swimming, cost $2.50, I also got eye drops for my older two who have hayfever and pollen allergies, cost $2.47.
Walmart had sneakers on clearance for $10 and they happned to be the ones that Simba had tried on the other day so I nabbed them Ran over to Target and got the rash guard for Simba for swimming for $10.

My biggest purchase was an air bed for $27 (comes with a plug in/rechargeable pump) and this compared to $140 for a rollaway bed. Now we all know once we take something out of the box and use it chances are it's not going to go back into the box and thought about that a lot but even if I had to leave it behind the saving of $110 would be totally worth it.

I will be going over the packing list again today to make sure I'm not forgetting anything

 

[Pakey]

That's an amazing deal on the air mattress and it's probably going to be a heck of a lot more comfortable than a rollaway bed. No matter what size you are, that bar always seems to be in the wrong place on them.

I have terrible allergies too; I feel for the boys who suffer. It's really bad here right now. It's the one negative thing I have to say about WDW; my allergies bother me there too. It's the only thing that keeps the place from being 100% perfect.

Your ex takes the boys once a year? No comment.

Have you found a pet sitter yet? If I didn't have to worry about the dogs, I'd be out of town almost every weekend, to the coast or something. It's really tough to leave them since they don't enjoy it.

So it's two weeks and one day now. Yup, sounds much better.

 

[Jitzy]

I've just read up on your pre-trip report. Four boys! Yikes! I have two and that's enough ~ although I wouldn't trade them for the world. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I am enjoying your plans and am very excited for you.

 

[magicaldisney11]

Jitzy...welcome!!! Thanks for tagging along!!


My ex.....such a long story....but the ending is...it's a long story. He does take the boys (it took 5 years after we were divorced for him to do this) twice a week for a few hours each day, he doesn't want over night visits.

Wellllllll back to Disney - magic Disney. After work got the boys from school and ran to the store and grabbed Goofy 5 new pair of shorts, new sneakers and 4 new tops. He was thrilled and came home and packed them all into his suitcase.

3 down and one to go....Donald comes home Saturday from college and we will go shopping on Monday for him. He only needs 2 new pair of shorts, thank goodness!!!!

I went over my schedule for the next 2 weeks and oh my gosh!!!!! All events are after work (except on the weekends) and dinner ....
Tuesday - baseball game for Simba
Wednesday - Board meeting for our wrestling club
Thursday - clean the basement after watching my neice's first baseball game ever.
Friday - banquet for wrestling
Saturday - Goofy has karate and then Opening Day parade and games for baseball then grocery shopping
Sunday - Mother's Day!!! after I get to watch my morning shows HGTV!! we go to my mother in laws and then to my brothers for a family cookout (I have to make the potatoes .)

Monday - doctor's at 2:00 go home get 2 of the puppies bring them to work for the 2 girls to get them (one forever the other is being taken to the vets for her shots - then she is brining her back to me - the puppy is a surprise for their daughter so she can't keep her until next Friday.) Then puppy #3 goes to her owners.

Tuesday - My daughter in law (still feels strange to say it) has surgery on her knee that she blew out at her last softball game and then Baseball again for Simba.
Wednesday - finish whatever needs to be done with the packing (if anything)
Thursday - baseball (aggggaaaaiiiinnnn)
Friday - ?
Saturday - Goofy has karate and then I work most of the day for graduation (and Simba has a game that Donald is going to bring him to)
Sunday - GET READY TO LEAVE!!!!!!


Thanks for letting me write all that out, it made me feel better. Pakey can you fly here tomorrow and get my house cleaned and all the laundry done please?

Dog sitting is taken care of....I have 2 dog sitters coming at different times of the day and back up for that. One of them is my ex brother in law and he is going through a divorce and staying with my in laws so he jumped at the chance to come over here (peace and quiet) and hang out with the dogs.

 

[Pakey]

Wow, you definitely need a vacation after seeing that schedule of yours. Are the boys going to miss sporting events while on vacation?

I'm glad you have the pet sitting under control. I can see why ex-bil wants to come over there; the dogs will be peaceful company for him. If I had to stay with my parents, I'd be moving into your house for the entire time you were gone.

I called today to see about December and all of the resorts I want to stay at are full already. I've waitlisted for AKL but don't expect I'll get it. I'll be calling next month to book for May so if I don't get December, I'm not going to cry (well maybe just a little).

And no, I'm not going to come clean your house. I don't even clean my own. Although I do like to leave it clean when I go on vacation because there's nothing worse than coming home to a messy house. I just don't see where you are going to fit it all into that schedule of yours.