January 2009. . . Calling all Snowbirds ~ Part III !!!

[Mndisneygirl]

Hi all -
Crzyd - so sorry about such a rough day! It's really too bad they can't make it more worth your while.

I'm sitting enjoying the last few minutes of quiet. My DH took the girls to gymnastics tonight (I usually do) and I got to have two hours to myself! Yup, I vaccuumed, went to Target, sat and watched Brothers and Sisters that I DVRd on Sunday and am DISing!! They should be here any minute. Now It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown is on!! SO CUTE! The girls will never get in the shower now! Although I think I have the DVD of it.
Oh here they come, I'll check back later!!

 

[Pinkdiamond816]

So, I've been reading some of the books I checked out of the library for research for my Walt Disney World as a Bureaucracy paper, and most of them are books about Walt Disney.
The first one I've been reading is called Building a Company: Roy O. Disney and the building of an Entertainment Empire by Bob Thomas. I've been trying to skip a lot of the stuff about the Disney Studios portion and stuff, because I'm supposed to be writing about the bureaucracy, and I really wanted to focus on the parks.
Anyways... I read about both Walt and Roy's deaths, and it made me so sad. Both incidences just seemed so horrible, and apparently the last conversation that Roy and Walt had before Walt died was about the structure of Walt Disney World. It's just such a touching story... I think I'll probably keep the book after I finished the paper, and try to read the whole thing, though I have no idea when I'll have the time.

What a great paper idea. I wish I could wing a disney themed paper! I tried to talk my professor into a paper on Disney's Broadway project for 20th Century theatre but he said no.

For anyone who hasn't heard Roy's story of his last conversation with Walt, you really need to go read it. It is sooooo sad, I cry everytime I hear it! I think it makes you appreciate WDW even more, and the wonderful creation Walt dreamed up!

One of the Sherman Brothers has a heart wrenching story about playing feed the birds at DL during the 100th birthday celebration. If you're interested download the interview on the MouseRadio podcast. It's really a wonderful interview but when he talks about Walt, have tissues ready!

 

[Monny2AE]

And now, I've got my new p&s digital camera! Shiny new distraction.

I had such a mental image (from Nemo) of Marlin and Dory in the scene where he distracts her by saying "look something shiny!"

Sorry to hear about you "lovely" coworkers though. Did they take anything out of her purse?

Good Evening Snowbirds! DD5 did very well at her Dr's appt today! 2 needles (1 in leg;1 in arm) and DID NOT CRY A SINGLE TEAR! She is amazing! Our Docter thinks she is a "super" kid! When we gor home she said "Mommy, could I have a little bit of medecine, my arm hurts!" What a girl!

Took DD7 to her Halloween Party at Brownies tonite! She dressed as a hula girl, complete with lei, grass skirt and flip flops! Can't remember who posted about filling the food pantry but what an AWESOME idea! Need to recommend that to our group! Such a wonderful act of community service!

Well, need to go get DD5 ready for bed, she is very tired tonite and has school tomorrrow! I shall try to check in later! Hope everyone has a great evening!

Ahhh Brownies...those were the days! Glad she was a trooper at the Dr's.

So, I've been reading some of the books I checked out of the library for research for my Walt Disney World as a Bureaucracy paper, and most of them are books about Walt Disney.
The first one I've been reading is called Building a Company: Roy O. Disney and the building of an Entertainment Empire by Bob Thomas. I've been trying to skip a lot of the stuff about the Disney Studios portion and stuff, because I'm supposed to be writing about the bureaucracy, and I really wanted to focus on the parks.
Anyways... I read about both Walt and Roy's deaths, and it made me so sad. Both incidences just seemed so horrible, and apparently the last conversation that Roy and Walt had before Walt died was about the structure of Walt Disney World. It's just such a touching story... I think I'll probably keep the book after I finished the paper, and try to read the whole thing, though I have no idea when I'll have the time.

Interesting! I don't know anything about their deaths. Perhaps a little educational reading prior to my trip is in order.

I got an email from all ears and read these...

"Disney's Wonderful World of Memories closed for refurbishment September 22 through November 12, 2008; it will reopen as Design-A-Tee Shop sponsored by Hanes."

Was this the scrapbook store in DTD?

And this bit of news is really making me lean towards gettign the QSDDP...

"In updating menus this week, the AllEars® Team noticed a continued increase in many food items. For example, on the Brown Derby Lunch menu all the entrees and some appetizers and desserts went up by $1 each in the short time between August and October. In addition, the smaller $1.25 bottled water has disappeared from many if not all counter service menus, leaving just the $2.00 or 24-ounce bottle."


Night ladies- see you in the AM when we'll all be so giddy from the great codes and free dining they release!

 

[Pinkdiamond816]

I had such a mental image (from Nemo) of Marlin and Dory in the scene where he distracts her by saying "look something shiny!"

I totally have a "shiny object" complex! Don't ever take me for a walk in the diamond district! It'll take hours to get through one block!

"Disney's Wonderful World of Memories closed for refurbishment September 22 through November 12, 2008; it will reopen as Design-A-Tee Shop sponsored by Hanes."

Was this the scrapbook store in DTD?

Sadly yes. :'( I'm sure they'll find a place to suck the money out of their devoted scrapbookers!

 

[pamouselover]

Yikes.... Lots of closing for Jan. They just keep adding more.
-- Splash Mountain will be closed for rehab January 4 - 17, 2009.
-- Dream Along with Mickey will not be performed January 6 - 20, 2009.
-- Dumbo will be closed January 7, 2009.
-- Mickey's PhilharMagic will be closed January 18 - February 6, 2009.
-- Pecos Bill's be closed for rehab January 11 - February 13, 2009.
-- Heritage House January 4 - 19, 2009.

http://allears.net/tp/rehabs.htm

 

[danceintherain]

Interesting! I don't know anything about their deaths. Perhaps a little educational reading prior to my trip is in order.

I know! I also found out that Disney was not cryogenically frozen, but cremated. I was shocked. I thought for the longest time that they froze him before he died so they could bring him back to life later on. He died of cancer, and they kept everything surrounding his death really quiet, and had a small family funeral. Then, Roy died only a few months after Walt Disney World opened in the same hospital of a brain hemorrhage, during the same month of the year as his brother. Lilly and Edna, their wives, also both died in December, and with funerals a few days before Christmas, in their respective years.

I love reading about Disney... it's so much fun.

I'm also finding that Disney stuff is leaking into my other classwork. I have to come up with examples of concepts for my Social Interaction class, and 3 out of 4 are related to Disney in some way: Winnie-the-Pooh, Mulan, and Star Wars.

 

[danceintherain]

I totally have a "shiny object" complex! Don't ever take me for a walk in the diamond district! It'll take hours to get through one block!



Sadly yes. :'( I'm sure they'll find a place to suck the money out of their devoted scrapbookers!

Hmm... shiny... I sit and stare and my engagement ring all the time... My soon-to-be DH did a good job. It's EXTRA shiny!

Yikes.... Lots of closing for Jan. They just keep adding more.
-- Splash Mountain will be closed for rehab January 4 - 17, 2009.
-- Dream Along with Mickey will not be performed January 6 - 20, 2009.
-- Dumbo will be closed January 7, 2009.
-- Mickey's PhilharMagic will be closed January 18 - February 6, 2009.
-- Pecos Bill's be closed for rehab January 11 - February 13, 2009.
-- Heritage House January 4 - 19, 2009.

http://allears.net/tp/rehabs.htm

Hmm... and we don't have a Magic Kingdom day planned before the 6th, so I guess that means no Dream Along with Mickey. It's probably ok...because I have a hard time watching shows I have to stand for...I'm weird like that...

 

[staticgirl50]

I did the gift cards last year. I asked everyone to get My daughter and us Disney Dollars for Christmas. It worked out wonderfully!

 

[Pinkdiamond816]

Aw man they extended the Philharmagic refurb!!!!!
I was so hoping for an early open on that one!

 

[poyb5230]

Hello all,

Decided to jump right in here. I’m not new to the board. I just tend to do more lurking than posting usually. I have been following this thread for a while now and decided to finally post and say that we will be snowbirds as well.

We usually go in the beginning of March, but decided to give January a try. It will be nice to have a break from the cold PA weather that time of year.

We will be there from January 16-31. Just my DH and I will be staying at CBR for the first half of our trip, 16-23. This will be our first time staying somewhere other than AKL. But CBR seems like it’ll be really nice. And then my parents will be joining us for the 23-31 at our favorite, AKL.


We will be eating at:

Jan 16 – Tutto Italia dinner
Jan 17 – Ohana Dinner
Jan 18 – Hollywood & Vine dinner
Jan 20 – Trail’s End dinner
Jan 21 – Shutters dinner
Jan 22 – Hollywood Brown Derby dinner
Jan 23 – Wispering Canyon breakfast/Boma dinner
Jan 24 – Coral Reef dinner
Jan 25 – Biergarten dinner
Jan 26 – 50’s Prime Time dinner
Jan 27 – Teppan Edo dinner
Jan 28 – Le Cellier dinner
Jan 29 – Whispering Canyon dinner
Jan 31 – Boma Breakfast

 

[Mndisneygirl]

I have been researching a couple other resorts just in case a great deal comes along and we may switch from SOG. (if it's a really good deal!) I was wondering something. I'm sure it's been addressed, but I have to ask my snowbird friends.

When you do a package deal, say to get free dining offers, and you have to pay rack rate for a room, and get park tickets, does the package include tickets for each night, or each day? For example, I will be staying 4 nights. But I only will be going to the park for 3 days. Would I get tickets for 4 or 3? And for the dining plan, would that also be for 4 or three?

I suppose I could eat the morning I leave to go to the cruise, and maybe go to the park for a couple hours, but I worry that I'd feel rushed. Has anyone done a land/sea deal that could shed some insight on the morning of the cruise?
TIA

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Hello all,

Decided to jump right in here. I’m not new to the board. I just tend to do more lurking than posting usually. I have been following this thread for a while now and decided to finally post and say that we will be snowbirds as well.

We usually go in the beginning of March, but decided to give January a try. It will be nice to have a break from the cold PA weather that time of year.

We will be there from January 16-31. Just my DH and I will be staying at CBR for the first half of our trip, 16-23. This will be our first time staying somewhere other than AKL. But CBR seems like it’ll be really nice. And then my parents will be joining us for the 23-31 at our favorite, AKL.


We will be eating at:

Jan 16 – Tutto Italia dinner
Jan 17 – Ohana Dinner
Jan 18 – Hollywood & Vine dinner
Jan 20 – Trail’s End dinner
Jan 21 – Shutters dinner
Jan 22 – Hollywood Brown Derby dinner
Jan 23 – Wispering Canyon breakfast/Boma dinner
Jan 24 – Coral Reef dinner
Jan 25 – Biergarten dinner
Jan 26 – 50’s Prime Time dinner
Jan 27 – Teppan Edo dinner
Jan 28 – Le Cellier dinner
Jan 29 – Whispering Canyon dinner
Jan 31 – Boma Breakfast

Your trip looks awesome! I dream of staying that long and at CBR or AKL and eating at all those places! We will be there only from 1/28 - 2/1.

Gosh we get a lot of people from PA in this group don't we?!
Not that there's anything wrong with that... Just an observation!

 

[sarbah77]

Where is it located? I may have to try it out next time I'm over there!

The Earl of Sandwich is on State St by Liberty (smack in the middle of downtown). It's close to the Thompson Street parking structure, which is open to the public on Sundays and maybe Saturdays. (The rest of the week it belongs to those of us who get to pay $600/yr for the privledge of looking for a space!)

I'm going to be a tiger (NoTigger), with just a headband with ears, a tail, and some awesome fake eyelashes. DH is going to be a pirate inspired by Captain Jack. My MIL made this part of his costume, he's spent a lot of money on it already, though.

Ha!! Right. Not a tigger.

I had such a mental image (from Nemo) of Marlin and Dory in the scene where he distracts her by saying "look something shiny!"

Sorry to hear about you "lovely" coworkers though. Did they take anything out of her purse?

Hey, I'm easily distracted by the shiny!

My coworkers didn't take anything from her purse. They don't understand - as they have offices with doors that close and lock - what it's like to have no door to close and lock. The problem is that by leaving the cabinet with her purse unlocked and OPEN and she's right in the main entrance, she's an easy target for thieves. And it happens often enough that I'd have pitched a LOUD hissy fit if it had been me. (I have had people steal stuff off my desk at the U when I had a job like her's!).

There will probably be heck to pay tomorrow, since the "thief" of the candy is kind of... hmm... not the nicest person in the office. We think she stole it since the boss was limiting our candy consumption, since it's 5 bags for the whole department through Friday. (She's also the type who will organize lunches with her friend-coworkers outside another coworker's office and not invite the coworker who gets to overhear it... then, since no one works that far apart, they don't invite anyone else. As a result, the rest of us circulate emails for lunch plans rather than OBVIOUSLY exclude people. And we're the youngest three there!!!)

But it's still a nicer environment than my last department!

+++

My body needs to cut me a break, btw. I seem to have a stomach flu. I can't eat anything without getting painfully ill and no, it's not the Tylenol-3. How frustrating! I'm hungry, too... I just don't like the result of eating! C'mon body, gimme a break!!

 

[danceintherain]

I have been researching a couple other resorts just in case a great deal comes along and we may switch from SOG. (if it's a really good deal!) I was wondering something. I'm sure it's been addressed, but I have to ask my snowbird friends.

When you do a package deal, say to get free dining offers, and you have to pay rack rate for a room, and get park tickets, does the package include tickets for each night, or each day? For example, I will be staying 4 nights. But I only will be going to the park for 3 days. Would I get tickets for 4 or 3? And for the dining plan, would that also be for 4 or three?

I suppose I could eat the morning I leave to go to the cruise, and maybe go to the park for a couple hours, but I worry that I'd feel rushed. Has anyone done a land/sea deal that could shed some insight on the morning of the cruise?
TIA

You can get tickets for however many days you want. You just have to get at least a one-day ticket for every person in your group.

For us... if Free Dining is offered we would both get 1-day tickets, then upgrade later. This way we won't have to pay for at least the whole cost of our tickets in advance, so we can use more of our registry money.

 

[sarbah77]

I have been researching a couple other resorts just in case a great deal comes along and we may switch from SOG. (if it's a really good deal!) I was wondering something. I'm sure it's been addressed, but I have to ask my snowbird friends.

When you do a package deal, say to get free dining offers, and you have to pay rack rate for a room, and get park tickets, does the package include tickets for each night, or each day? For example, I will be staying 4 nights. But I only will be going to the park for 3 days. Would I get tickets for 4 or 3? And for the dining plan, would that also be for 4 or three?

I suppose I could eat the morning I leave to go to the cruise, and maybe go to the park for a couple hours, but I worry that I'd feel rushed. Has anyone done a land/sea deal that could shed some insight on the morning of the cruise?
TIA

You can buy tickets for however long you want - it's no longer length of stay tickets! So we're going to be there for 8 nights but we're getting 5 day tickets.

Wow. I was the third person to reply! SORRY!!!

 

[Pinkdiamond816]

I have been researching a couple other resorts just in case a great deal comes along and we may switch from SOG. (if it's a really good deal!) I was wondering something. I'm sure it's been addressed, but I have to ask my snowbird friends.

When you do a package deal, say to get free dining offers, and you have to pay rack rate for a room, and get park tickets, does the package include tickets for each night, or each day? For example, I will be staying 4 nights. But I only will be going to the park for 3 days. Would I get tickets for 4 or 3? And for the dining plan, would that also be for 4 or three?

I suppose I could eat the morning I leave to go to the cruise, and maybe go to the park for a couple hours, but I worry that I'd feel rushed. Has anyone done a land/sea deal that could shed some insight on the morning of the cruise?
TIA

You can pick how long you want your tickets for with a package, as long as you buy at least a one day base for everyone in your party. A dining plan goes by nights. So if you did the standard, you would get 4 TS, CS & S per person since you will be there for 4 nights.

 

[danceintherain]

Hello all,

Decided to jump right in here. I’m not new to the board. I just tend to do more lurking than posting usually. I have been following this thread for a while now and decided to finally post and say that we will be snowbirds as well.

We usually go in the beginning of March, but decided to give January a try. It will be nice to have a break from the cold PA weather that time of year.

We will be there from January 16-31. Just my DH and I will be staying at CBR for the first half of our trip, 16-23. This will be our first time staying somewhere other than AKL. But CBR seems like it’ll be really nice. And then my parents will be joining us for the 23-31 at our favorite, AKL.


We will be eating at:

Jan 16 – Tutto Italia dinner
Jan 17 – Ohana Dinner
Jan 18 – Hollywood & Vine dinner
Jan 20 – Trail’s End dinner
Jan 21 – Shutters dinner
Jan 22 – Hollywood Brown Derby dinner
Jan 23 – Wispering Canyon breakfast/Boma dinner
Jan 24 – Coral Reef dinner
Jan 25 – Biergarten dinner
Jan 26 – 50’s Prime Time dinner
Jan 27 – Teppan Edo dinner
Jan 28 – Le Cellier dinner
Jan 29 – Whispering Canyon dinner
Jan 31 – Boma Breakfast

Welcome!... well to posting... it's fun! Though you can lose track quickly....

 

[LindaBabe]

I'm also finding that Disney stuff is leaking into my other classwork. I have to come up with examples of concepts for my Social Interaction class, and 3 out of 4 are related to Disney in some way: Winnie-the-Pooh, Mulan, and Star Wars.

You're not the first person for whom that has happened. I think the book Vinyl Leaves by Stephen Fjellman started out as a thesis. And then there's this one www.ethics.ubc.ca/papers/invited/cypher-higgs.html about Wilderness lodge which is quite interesting.


DKLAM, my personal feeling? Leave "H" at home ;-)

CRZYRED, How about a bonus? You're going to end up doing the work anyway, i'm afraid, and if you feel taken advantage of, it could affect your work down the road. (Not just "your" but also the other coworker who has to help pick up the slack) or - how about - since the boss feels like you two could do the work - just hiring YOU as the ***'t mgr?

 

[Pinkdiamond816]

For anyone who was interested in booking a DVC room, someone on the DVC rental boards is renting SSR points for $6 per point! That means a 5 day stay can cost you $330!!!!!!!!
I bet it's gone in a little bit so if you're interested in this amazing deal I suggest you jump over there soon! I'm sure the savings are better than any deal Disney will put out!

 

[LindaBabe]

Someone told me once that certain CMs will only trade with kids, and you can ID them by the color of their lanyards. I don't know what color it is however, I'm sure we can find out on these boards somewhere!

That would be GREEN