It's our "Last" Trip to WDW, so we're going DELUXE! *We're Back After 11 Days in WDW*

[cdotla]

We're getting smacked with a Rehab Bullet.... Toy Story Mania. I'm especially sad since we bought the Wii game as an Easter present.

Amanda

Really??? Oh goodness...TSM would definitely not be a good one to have on the list. I haven't even heard of this rehab...is this for your April trip or the January one? I assume April? Hopefully when you go back in January the whole family can catch it.

 

[DrMomof3]

Really??? Oh goodness...TSM would definitely not be a good one to have on the list. I haven't even heard of this rehab...is this for your April trip or the January one? I assume April? Hopefully when you go back in January the whole family can catch it.

The "big" trip - August. (I know. We have so many trips being planned that it's hard to keep track! ) In April we aren't even planning to go to DHS! TSM will be on our hit parade for January. At least we're frequent visitors...

Amanda

 

[cdotla]

The "big" trip - August. (I know. We have so many trips being planned that it's hard to keep track! ) In April we aren't even planning to go to DHS! TSM will be on our hit parade for January. At least we're frequent visitors...

Holy smokes...you are right. I completely forgot about August!

Wow...not one, not two, but three upcoming trip??!! You go girl!

 

[MJAJmom]

Hey there Trish!!! I am so, so late in finding you!!! Sounds like you've got so much great stuff planned already. Love all your resort choices and cant wait to hear your writeups of all 3. We loved the DXDP for our June trip. It was great to experiment with different apptz and desserts that I probably wouldn't normally try. You'll love it -- just remember to start using those snack credits immediately!! I loved Coral Reef, got the lobster soup and lobster roll combo, very yummy.

I thought those birthday cakes were amazing, the monkey and teacup cakes, plus all those adorable cookies, WOW! I'd die if I had to plan my kid's birthday party and a WDW trip at the same time. Talk about mega planning overload. Drink LOTS and LOTS of coffee!!!

I use the Baggalinni messenger bag, it will be making a 3rd trip for me. We finally got our trip together. We're staying a CBR pirate room again from 4/23 to 5/2. Just me and the 2 little boys again. We'll be doing the regular dining plan, we're trying out 2 days at Universal for the first time (shhh, can I say that here??) Are we overlapping on our dates?? Did you buy a new bag yet??

I just adore those paris dresses. No pink for us in this house of all boys. I'll just have to stare at your adorable daughter and wish I had one just like her.

OMG, I can't believe 3 other people are joining you at the last minute. Good grief, I can only imagine your stress level knowing what a super planner you are (we have so much in common, he-he). Lots of deep breaths and I'm sure you've already got it reswizzled. I'm caught up on your 13 pages now!!

 

[kcandbella]

You scared me for a minute! Especially when I scrolled through and saw TSM...I would be heartbroken. I would be really upset about RNRC, too. I have never ridden either of those and really, really want to!

 

[kaysmommie]

Hi Trish,
Sorry the movie party is not going to work out. But I know your kind of excited about hosting the Parisian Party . I love the Gymboree outfits you posted, so cute. Kaylee has the poodle one but has worn it only twice. She is done with Gymboree which stinks because they have the best clothes. She only wants Justice clothes now. Happy there are not too many rehabs while your in Disney. I can't imagine having RnRC or TSM down during my trip. As for bags for the park. I have A Baggalini messenger that holds a ton of stuff and also a Vera Bradley Hipster that I love even more.

 

[cdotla]

Hey there Trish!!! I am so, so late in finding you!!! Sounds like you've got so much great stuff planned already.

We finally got our trip together. We're staying a CBR pirate room again from 4/23 to 5/2. Just me and the 2 little boys again. We'll be doing the regular dining plan, we're trying out 2 days at Universal for the first time (shhh, can I say that here??) Are we overlapping on our dates?? Did you buy a new bag yet??

Yay! So glad you found me!!!

What a coincidence...we will be there at the same time this year! I will touch base with you before we leave...I have a feeling based on our touring strategies we may already been planning to attend some of the same parks on the same days. It would be good to know in advance so I can look out for you!

I haven't bought my park bag yet, but I am pretty sure I am going with my first choice - the MEC one.

BTW - can you believe how close we are getting??!!!

You scared me for a minute! Especially when I scrolled through and saw TSM...I would be heartbroken. I would be really upset about RNRC, too. I have never ridden either of those and really, really want to!

Yes, thank goodness neither TSM or RNRC are going to be down. Phew!

Hi Trish,
Sorry the movie party is not going to work out. But I know your kind of excited about hosting the Parisian Party .

Happy there are not too many rehabs while your in Disney. I can't imagine having RnRC or TSM down during my trip.

Yes, you are right Nichole. In some ways I think it is better that I am hosting the party afterall....I would have really missed planning it. And sleep is overrated anyway!

Yes, so happy our rehab list is so light this trip! I would have been so disappointed if any of the major headliners were down.

 

[dismagiclover]

Glad to hear you dodged the bullet for Rock n Roller Coaster. I'm glad you're not bothered by missing the Muppets. I don't think that would bother me either. We haven't seen that since our first trip in 2006.

 

[cdotla]

Quest for the Perfect Park Shoe

I'll admit it. I have suffered many times over poor footwear choices. Especially in WDW.

Even shoes that I specifically selected for comfort end up being not so comfortable at the end of the day in Disney.

After a couple years of nursing painful blisters and dealing with sore feet, I finally decided that fashionable footwear in Disney is just not worth the pain. So began my quest for the Perfect Park Shoe.

While I was never much of a fan, I kept hearing rave reviews about Crocs in the Parks. So I finally tried them. They didn't work for me at all. I got one of the biggest blisters in my life after wearing them. So my search for the Perfect Park Shoe continued.

I am not a fan of wearing sneakers anywhere other than the gym or to run. I find them too bulky and athletic for my taste. But I finally found these Josef Seibel's for about $115, which were a perfect cross between sporty and feminine:

When I bought them I was told they were a leading European comfort brand so I thought my quest for the Perfect Park Shoe had ended. While they were comfortable, after about 2 days in WDW, my feet were hurting once again. Lesson learned: price alone does not necessarily guarantee a perfect shoe.

Next trip, I purchased these Privos for about $80:

These were a lot more comfortable than the Josef Seibels. They are cushy soft, and come with a massaging, thick footpad. Almost like getting a mini-massage with each footstep.

I will definitely be packing my Privos for this trip. However, I find when I am in Disney I like to have a spare pair of shoes so I can rotate pairs each day. I really find this is the trick for getting through the trip blister-free!

Today when I got home from work, sitting on my doorstep was a package from Lands' End. Here is the spare pair of Park Shoes I bought for this trip:

I tried them on right away, and they are fantastic!!! Like my Privos they have an incredibly thick, massaging footpad. And the fabric is so comfortable! I think they are even more comfortable than my Privos!

Here's the best part: I got the Deal of the Century on these shoes.

Go on and take a guess at what I paid.

Go on!
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Can you believe $11.99??!!!

Plus, I had a code for free shipping!

They are still selling them on the Lands' End website and I am seriously considering buying another pair for me, plus a couple pairs for Mother's Day gifts. They are *that* comfortable!

So if you have gotten over the idea of wearing fashionable footwear in Disney, and are looking for a great, comfortable pair of Park shoes, grab these babies while you can!

 

[cdotla]

Glad to hear you dodged the bullet for Rock n Roller Coaster. I'm glad you're not bothered by missing the Muppets. I don't think that would bother me either. We haven't seen that since our first trip in 2006.

Actually, I *was* hoping to introduce the kids to the Muppets this trip. They recently watched their 1st ever Muppets movie. But, given a choice for rehabs, I will take Muppets over TSM or RNRC any day!

 

[eandesmom]

Yikes, I need to read up on rehabs. I am expecting to get smacked with Toontown but so glad you dodged a major one!

Those outfits are SOOOOO cute!

 

[cdotla]

Yikes, I need to read up on rehabs. I am expecting to get smacked with Toontown but so glad you dodged a major one!

Those outfits are SOOOOO cute!

Yes, it is always a fear of mine that something major is going to go down on my trip. Knock on wood, so far so good!

 

[eandesmom]

11.99? WOW! I am a huge Privo fan, I bought "floats" for our trip last year and just adore them, nary a hot spot even. I am worried it's too much shoe for august (it's a mary jane style) and am worried about hot feet but haven't seen a privo sandal I love enough. I did get a pair of earth shoe sandals that I really like and will test drive them in DCA to see if they will work for August but am still hoping for a Privo Sandal as a backup.

 

[DrMomof3]

I bought a somewhat similar pair from Lands End last year and they are awesome for the park. Quick-drying, super comfy, etc. You sure got a steal!!!

Amanda

 

[swwake]

Hooray for comfy shoes! I am a flip-flop girl, so I just bring a couple of pair of well-worn flops to WDW. They can get wet too!

 

[MJAJmom]

Love the shoe discussion. It really makes a huge difference!!! I just stick with comfortable tennis shoes, not fashionable, but very comfortable. I'll have to check out the Land's End Privos, they look pretty. I did take some advice from this forum last summer and bought some Teva Mush flip flops, they are wonderfully comfortable and I wore them all summer long. I just love the good stuff that gets shared here!!! Glad to know that you got a HUGE bargain on the shoes.

 

[TokyoDina]

I have to admit I'm not over fashionable shoes. I bring flip flops with me cause I've learned they dry quickly and they are great once they are worn in.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Love the shoes...I haven't started to stress about shoes...YET! OMG, yup. Officially started now...

 

[carissanboys]

Love a great deal!

I stick to a good pair of sneakers when I tour the parks. The first time I went to WDW, I wore crocs and ended up with plantar fasciitis.

 

[dismagiclover]

I'm going to have to head over to the Land's End site and check these out! I've been worrying about park shoes myself for the last little while.

ETA: So I just visited the Land's End site and came away with 3 pairs of shoes ordered LOL I hope you don't mind I copied you exactly. Then I added on a pair of water shoes and some Wedge Beach shoes. All for $33! Can't beat that. Thanks for the idea.