Jaime's Flower Power Trip! NEW 7/05 CH. 62: The "Really" End **COMPLETED**

[tiggerbell]

Oh come on it might be fun. You could capture all the "precious" looks you get from the strangers checking out your attire.

Actually, my sister Rhonda also got the shoes (gotta love the budget board - I got those shoes for $13.99 TOTAL!!! through Dick's Sporting Goods online with a 20% off coupon code and free shipping and a $10 off Google code!) and the purse in ORANGE!!!

She won't carry the purse in the parks, but she has sworn to wear the Mickey shoes with every outfit! I, personally, must match my Crocs to the day's outfit! Luckily, I have a lot of RED!

 

[bunnysmum]

Hi Tiggerbell! You are too funny! I love LOVE the picture of your already packed and ready to go items. And I totally love the Mickey suitcase. Saw it online, thinking of buying it...very tempting! Love the Crocs, too. I used the same discount codes and DID finally break down and buy a pair of Crocs, but they aren't the Dis ones, they are the Mary Jane style. Don't know if I'll like them or not....? If not, I can always send them back, but shoot, for $13.99, if they fit, I'll wear 'em!

I figured that I can always get some of those little Dis pop-in jibbitz things off of eBay to Disnify the Crocs with. Maybe a whole foot-full of 'em!

Hey, are you excited about your upcoming trip at all?

 

[princessjv]

Okay, despite the fact that I am sitting here...in a BLIZZARD, mind you....I hear that there are 4, let me count them...1...2...3...4 TRIPS?!? Wait a minute...I gotta go in my hole and ...well I don't know...
Can you hear the whine, and no that is not wine...
NO FAIR, NO FAIR!

A few more since the next time I check in there will probably be more trips...

It goes something like...

Well my bf, lala really wants to take a trip when their is a lunar eclipse.

And then there is my other bf TiggerandTink, and she really wants to go during the superbowl.

Which brings me to my othr bf, nebo who thinks we need to see Epcot during a full moon.

Not to mention my other bf princessjv, who really wants to go anytime there is a blizzard.

And then we get to my BFF...

So you see, I really should just move there...NOW!

 

[tiggerbell]

March 5, 2007 – 54 days to go: Holy moly, it’s almost here!!! OK, maybe not – but the older I get, the faster the days go by (only 39 more weeks until Christmas bonuses at work!)

Couple interesting things the last few days… most Disney related first: After about the 5th time reading that Alfredo’s is closing in August, I realize I’ll never eat there again. I’ve gone there twice – once in 9/2005 with the ladies (the Great (Grate? ) Cheese incident of 2005, as I like to call it) and once with my daughters in 5/2004 (my pre-trip-reporting days. Not like this pre-trip report. But pre-trip-reporting. Let it go, Jaime…)

So I call Rhonda, and we figure out where it could possibly fit in the schedule. I call and we get the time we want. Excellent. Diego – I’m coming back to you……. Get the cheese ready…..

Next was I got to meet a fellow Dis’ser – TyRy – for lunch Saturday. Turned into a 3-½ hour lunch! We had a blast! But before lunch, I had a nebo, I mean, accident! Yup, another one. (Last one was a messed up pinkie from catching Brooke who was falling headfirst off a bench, so I caught her with just my pinkie.)

This time, I was alone in the apartment – Meggie slept at my sister’s Friday night. So Saturday morning, I go to take a shower. I forgot the new razor blades on the dining room table, so I slipped on my slippers and hustled out of the bathroom. No one was home. I was free as a bird. Naked Morning!!! Until I slipped. I have no idea how, or on what – I have never slipped in that spot before – but my feet came out from underneath me. Luckily, the corner edge of the wall caught me – in the right temple.

Yup. I’m now naked on the floor (well, except for the slippers) saying out loud, “I’m ok. I’m ok. I’m ok.” Trying desperately to believe that. A few minutes later I felt alright enough to get up. I manage a shower. I have a bump and the beginnings of a bruise. A headache and a little sick to my stomach on top of that. But I’m not missing my lunch with TyRy!

I get ready and rest a lot, then I have to get some cash before lunch. I go to MY BANK and proceed to put my credit card – not the debit card for that bank – into the ATM and end up paying a penalty to get a twenty! Then I get lost from the bank to the restaurant (a whopping 6 blocks apart!)

At least I arrive with a great story! It’s now time to order and I can’t make the words “club sandwich” get from my brain to my lips… Heck, for all I know, there is no TyRy and I spent 3½ hours talking to myself in the mirror behind the booth in the restaurant!

 

[tiggerbell]

bunnysmom -

Let me know how the Mary Jane Crocs are - I have the Beach, Cayman, Athens, Georgies (boots), and Prima Ballerina (I find these uncomfortable). I want the Cleo. And the wedge heeled ones, can't think of their name...

 

[TyRy]

Yeah - I made it into a Tiggerbell report!

There really is a TyRy and we really did spend the whole afternoon talking. She was a total trooper even with a head injury!!

I must add - love the pictures from the 80's - wow what a flashback. Sadly my first ones at WDW aren't until the mid 90's

And FOUR trips - super jealous - although I'm desperately trying to talk DH into a trip next January

 

[tiggerbell]

TyRy -

I'm working on tonight's update now (well, not RIGHT NOW, but next... after I type THIS) and it's pretty good - although YOU already know most of it from today's conversation!

And I think we should ALL go down in January for my birthday! All of nebo's harem! Sounds like a plan to me!

 

[tiggerbell]

March 9, 2007 – 50 days to go: Wow! What a roller coaster the past 24 hours have been! Thanks to the stupid bump on my head, I had such a whopper of a headache all day Thursday. It had been kind of aching the whole week (bumped it Saturday), but Thursday was really bad. Made it through a foot doctor’s appointment (foot’s healing nicely – really worried about walking on it so much in the parks though!), work (spent most of the morning on the couch in the boss’s office), came home and lumped on the couch after re-heating leftovers.

Made the mistake of calling my mother (to complain about the hair on the women of General Hospital, of all things! ), and compounded that with the mistake of telling her my head was killing me. I am 39 years old. My mother MADE ME CALL THE DOCTOR!!! Just to check. See what she says. You never know.

Great. Called the doctor, now I have to go to the ER! I don’t get to finish watching GH. I don’t get to watch American Idol or Survivor. I don’t get to pass go or collect $200!

I’m gathering up my stuff (book, etc.) and tell Meg I’m never talking to Mom again and I’m leaving to have my head examined. Her response?

“I get naked night?!?”

Thank you. Your concern overwhelms me. When do you move out?

The phone rings before I leave. Rhonda will take me to the ER. Good, I don’t want to drive – it makes me dizzy. She says she’ll pick me up in 10 minutes.

5 minutes later, the phone rings again. It’s Linda Norton from The Mouse for Less Travel. Disney has just released a new code and she wants to know how married we are to the code we currently have (Free park hopping and water parks).

Not so much the water parks, but we do plan to hop. And don’t mess with Rhonda’s POFQ!!! OK. She’ll check and let me know what the options are.

Rhonda shows up, I won’t bore you with the 4 hours of ER details. It all boiled down to this:

1. It was a concussion.
2. I am very good at diagnosing myself.
3. CT scans don’t hurt.
4. I do too have a brain!
5. I do not have a brain bleed.
6. That particular Code Red at MacNeal Hospital was an unsupervised 3 year old pulling a fire alarm.

I got home just before midnight and went straight to bed.

When I got up this morning, there was an e-mail from Linda. Nothing for the code at POFQ, but if we wanted to change to Riverside or Caribbean Beach, it would cut $123 off each room. Nope, not worth it.

I get to work and decide I want to know what the code was. I hit Mousesavers.com and it’s 15% off value and moderates and 25% off deluxes.

I need to price the deluxes, because that’s what I do.

Hi, my name is Jaime. I’m a Disney trip-planning-aholic.

Now I’m on disneyworld.com. The only deluxe that comes up (unless I wanted to double our price and stay concierge!) is the Animal Kingdom Lodge… and that’s only $76 more per person!!! Holy Moly!!!

To be thorough, I price values, moderates, and the AKL and e-mail the results to Rhonda. We then get on the phone to discuss what I’m telling her.

And Rhonda – the same “Don’t mess with my POFQ reservation or I’ll rip your heart out!” Rhonda – tells me she wants to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge!

Well, ME TOO!!! I e-mail the information to Sandy and Ruth to get their opinions. Badda-bing, badda-bang! We’re staying at a deluxe!

 

[tiggerbell]

I’ve never even SEEN the AKL and now I get to stay there! Plus, we’re still staying at POFQ in September, so it’s not like we gave anything up!

A little while later, Rhonda sends out an e-mail to all of us saying that she was reading the menus. It said that if you place your breakfast order before 3am, they can bring up your breakfast after 6am, and wouldn’t it be fun to order room service for breakfast one day?

This is the same woman who wouldn’t buy us extra “E” tickets when we were kids because they were too expensive. THEY WERE 90 CENTS!!!!!!!!! Now she wants to order ROOM SERVICE!!!

I know you told me to let that go, Rhonda, but I’m just not there yet.

We’re getting together Sunday for lunch, the 4 of us. Decisions will be made – like what to do about the breakfast at Boatwright’s we had planned and will now be nowhere near at 8 o’clock in the morning… and where does Boma’s fit in… and we’re going to get the shirts for me to make our matching shirts for one of our Magic Kingdom days!

 

[duncanssweetie]

First, I just want to say that the more and more I read about your self inflicted pain, I know we had to be seperated at birth. I gave myself a concussion with the fold down attic ladder not too long ago. I was sick to my stomach for days afterward and had a major throbbing headache for about two weeks. The goose egg bump on my head was black, purple and green. It broke the skin but didn't require stitches, thank goodness, because they would have had to shave a bald spot the size of Texas, LOL.

Second, I don't want to read anymore..... I'm jealous. Four trips in one year. That's all I'm going to say.

Oh no wait, AND you get to stay at AKL. For one of your FOUR trips.




No actually, I'm really happy for you. I am getting to go twice this year, and some people never even get to go once, ever. So I will continue to read, mainly because it's a good report, I want to see what you do to yourself next, and because I want to see what you think of AKL. So keep it coming, I can't wait to read more.

Be careful, Grace, I mean Jaimie

 

[tiggerbell]

First, I just want to say that the more and more I read about your self inflicted pain, I know we had to be seperated at birth. I gave myself a concussion with the fold down attic ladder not too long ago. I was sick to my stomach for days afterward and had a major throbbing headache for about two weeks. The goose egg bump on my head was black, purple and green. It broke the skin but didn't require stitches, thank goodness, because they would have had to shave a bald spot the size of Texas, LOL.

Second, I don't want to read anymore..... I'm jealous. Four trips in one year. That's all I'm going to say.

Oh no wait, AND you get to stay at AKL. For one of your FOUR trips.




No actually, I'm really happy for you. I am getting to go twice this year, and some people never even get to go once, ever. So I will continue to read, mainly because it's a good report, I want to see what you do to yourself next, and because I want to see what you think of AKL. So keep it coming, I can't wait to read more.

Be careful, Grace, I mean Jaimie

I've had one other concussion in my life - during a skiing lesson (the only skiing lesson I've ever taken, mind you) I lost control on the teeny tiny slope, bowled over the ski instructor, and konked myself in the head with my ski pole.

Being me, it's a wonder I'm still alive.

Yours sounds a lot worse than mine tho'.

And, a slight correction - it's 4 trips in 2 years... don't make more people hate me! December probably won't happen - I wanna go in January. I'll be turning 40! So, for that matter, will TyRy's husband - same day, too! And Rhonda and I will go again next year some time also - but not when it's cold.

 

[duncanssweetie]

I've had one other concussion in my life - during a skiing lesson (the only skiing lesson I've ever taken, mind you) I lost control on the teeny tiny slope, bowled over the ski instructor, and konked myself in the head with my ski pole.

Being me, it's a wonder I'm still alive.


And, a slight correction - it's 4 trips in 2 years... don't make more people hate me! December probably won't happen - I wanna go in January. I'll be turning 40! So, for that matter, will TyRy's husband - same day, too! And Rhonda and I will go again next year some time also - but not when it's cold.

same here, I should have been gone a long time ago, between wrecks and my lack of grace, LOL

Sorry, I mis read

We are planning a December 2008 trip, IF our move to our next duty station goes smoothly. We have been told we may be going to Europe though. Disneyland Paris would be awesome, too.

 

[TyRy]

December probably won't happen - I wanna go in January. I'll be turning 40! So, for that matter, will TyRy's husband - same day, too! And Rhonda and I will go again next year some time also - but not when it's cold.

And I now have TIVO'd the commercial where the mom turns into a kid at WDW..trying to point out how maybe he'll turn into a kid if we are there for his birthday instead of turning 40!! I guess if that doesn't work I can play the I wanna go for my 39th in December!!! Hey - the Christmas decorations would be up

 

[princessjv]

You earned the $76 room upgrade! Your poor head...and, um... pocket book...when the bill comes... OUCHIE!!!

As always...I read in envy...

But I am happy for ya, kiddo!

I wanna get me some code action...better go look at mousesavers...

 

[tiggerbell]

MARCH 14, 2007 - 45 DAYS TO GO!: Well, the trip is now paid for. That’s good news (not for my savings account!)

I went to Brookfield Zoo today at lunch. Went and saw all the Savannah exhibits, preparing for the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Had to explain to a goose that it wasn’t getting any nachos. Actually told the goose, “Do I look like someone who shares food?”

I have been trying to research the AKLodge. I’m really disappointed with the lack of information available online. It seems like anything you ever wanted to know about Pop Century is yours for the asking, but this has been harder to research. Stupid little things – like a picture of the safe, or a picture of the walls that separate the balconies, or even very many trip reports where people stayed there…

Anyone have any information you can point me to?

 

[tiggerbell]

I don't usually post the plans until after the trip (you know, Plans vs. Reality), but I like reading the plans of people who will be there when I'm there, so I can see if we'll be in the same place at the same time kinda thing.

Like nebo and smidgy - the day I was leaving in September was the day they were arriving! We were both at Pop Century. I looked around while waiting for the Magical Express bus for them. They also reported they looked for me. And even thought we didn't see each other, it was cool to know I was being looked for (even if it was in the bathroom).

So, let me know if any of your plans overlap with my plans!

SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2007

PLANS: Fly down, Magical Express, check in at Animal Kingdom Lodge, head to Animal Kingdom, get Sandy on Expedition Everest, Finding Nemo the Musical, back to Lodge for dinner and exploring, early night

BREAKFAST: At the airport
LUNCH: Tusker House or AKL Food Court, depending on the time (CS1,2,3,4)
DINNER: Boma - 8:00pm (TS1,2,3,4)



SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2007

PLANS: EPCOT and MGM Studios. Order breakfast the night before, take boat from EPCOT to MGM (I’ve never done that)

BREAKFAST: Room Service - 7:30am (OOP)
LUNCH: Counter Service in EPCOT (suggestions: Germany / UK) (CS5,6,7,8)
DINNER: Share 2 meals at Sci-Fi Dine In Theater – 7:30pm (TS5,6)



MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2007

PLANS: Meet Stitch for breakfast, then EPCOT all day!

BREAKFAST: O’Hana’s – 8am (2 OOP & TS7,8)
LUNCH: just the snacks, ma’am, just the snacks.
DINNER: Alfredo’s (TS9,10,11,12)



TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2007

PLANS: Back to the Poly really early, then Magic Kingdom all day.

BREAKFAST: Kona Café – 8am (OOP)
LUNCH: just keep snackin’, just keep snackin’
DINNER: Liberty Tree Tavern – 6:30pm (TS13,14,15,16)



WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2007

PLANS: Animal Kingdom in the AM, bus to Beach Club, then over to MGM.

BREAKFAST: Counter Service– either food court or Tusker House (CS9,10,11,12)
LUNCH: Beaches ‘n Cream (OOP)
DINNER: Counter Service– either Backlot Express or Pizza Planet (CS13,14,15,16)




THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2007

PLANS: Day Off – not known for “relaxing” days off though! Today includes mini golf (they open at 10, so we can sleep in today!), Downtown Disney, surrey bike (at the Wilderness Lodge? Seems like their terrain might be F-L-A-T), and Hoop Dee Doo… told you…

BREAKFAST: Snack credit in food court
LUNCH: Cap’n Jack’s (OOP)
DINNER: Hoop Dee Doo – 7:15pm (TS17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24)



FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2007

PLANS: Keys to the Kingdom Tour at 9:30am – includes lunch. Over to EPCOT for the evening Extra Magic Hours.

BREAKFAST: Food Court (CS17,18,19,20)
LUNCH: Columbia Harbour House (included in tour)
DINNER: LeCellier – 7:30pm (TS25,26,27,28)



SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2007

PLANS: Last day. Give luggage to bell services, head over to the Magic Kingdom (opens at 9). Back to AKL for Magical Express.

BREAKFAST: Main Street Bakery (CS21,22,23,24)
LUNCH: Casey’s (CS25,26,27,28)
DINNER: Airport

 

[RHONDALEE]

That looks exactly like my itinerary

Hey wait - that's because we worked on it together

ANIMAL KINGDOM here we come

 

[smidgy]

going to turn 40? oh, poor baby. those of us who just turned the corner on 50 are not very sympathetic! (esp. since my new AARP card does nothing nebo's AAA card doesn't do!)
AKL: a wonderful resort! nebo is in charge of picture central, I'll ask him to post some. ok, this was the resort where we "fell in love all over again" so I might be biased. but the resort feels very classy. the lobby is similar to the wilderness lodge, yet dif. a total african feel. take time to walk out in the savannahs. I understand Boma is a great dining experience, although at the time we were not on the dining plan, and it was pricey, so we didn't try it. we actually considered driving over this next trip, since we read many good things about it. we were lucky enough to get a free upgrade to a semi-savannah view. ask at check in, doesn't hurt. in the AM, nebo was ever so happy to have the newspaper at the door, and have his coffee on the balcony, looking at the giraffes and gnus and what have you. very peaceful, and we were feeling VERY RICH!
on another note: "enviouser"

 

[tiggerbell]

OK - I actually have some work to do today - but I wanted to get this up while it was still fresh!

So this was my dream last night:

The 4 of us were finally in Disney! We had spent the first day at the park and were now back at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for the first evening. It was still kind of early; we were trying to figure out what to do next.

Rhonda wanted someone to walk on the treadmills with her – I don’t know why being in the park all day wasn’t enough walking! So I said I would. We all go down to a fitness center/arcade/food court. There are 2 treadmills on one end and a few wrought-iron tables. Sandy and Ruth sit at one of the tables, Rhonda gets on a treadmill, and I get on a treadmill.

I’m walking along, trying to adjust the incline and speed, and someone says, “What do we do tonight?”

Sandy confers with Ruth for a few minutes and says, “We came all this way – we want to go play in the parks!”

Rhonda gets off her treadmill and comes to stand next to me. I turn to her, thinking about which park we could go to, and ask her opinion. She says, “We’re supposed to have dinner at Boma and explore the resort tonight…”

Oh, yeah. I forgot. So I announce that’s what we’re doing!

Meanwhile, I’m the only one on a treadmill!!! I look down, and there’s a meter – like in a cab – running up a tab while I walk. But, there’s also a stack of Disney dollars popping out of the front of the treadmill as I walk. The meter says I owe $15.72, but Rhonda counts the Disney dollars and there’s $30.00. I just made money walking on a Disney treadmill?!?!?!

Somehow, we end up in the lobby. I want to see about taking the art tour, so we go ask at a counter that’s in the middle of the lobby and made of bamboo.

They only have one time left for the tour and that’s at 6:05. None of us know for sure, but we think that may be the time for dinner at Boma, so we turn it down and just start wandering the lobby on our own. After a few minutes, we realize our dinner is at 8:00 and head back to take the 6:05 tour.

That’s when I woke up. It was a really strange dream. My first thought was why we weren’t following the itinerary. I really hope this is not a sign of things to come!

 

[duncanssweetie]

Jaimie your PLANS sound great !!! Hope they become a reality

Your dream......well, sounds like you have been having the same kind of weird Disney dreams that I have. You'll have to check out my pretrippie for the one I had last night.