Jen and Brook's Excellent Adventure

[brookelizabeth]

I love your countdown calendar.
Target is one of my favorite places! I usually go to the one in College Point.
Love the shirt you got for Henry!

Thank you!

I've heard the one in College Point is nice - but transit doesn't go there, does it?

AN HOUR!!! I live 15 minutes from my choice of 3 Targets. Sometimes I end up going to more than 1 in a day. I couldn't imagine it taking an hour!

Where is the photo of the hand cart? I am wondering if its like the one I have. We can walk to at the present, 1 grocery store and 1 pharmacy. Our Bloom grocery store went out of business. That was across the street-down a block!! I miss it. They're going to be opening a new Harris Teeter a few blocks away in a year.

Why the water shoes? How long will you be at OKW? I'll be at Saratoga with Henry and Heidi (and our friends the Gerrig's) until the 25th.

I don't know if Patty is an early riser? I am not usually. I can wake up... but I'm usually too tired to get out of bed. I am a recovering night owl. I've never made rope drop... but I did once make it into the WS entrance to EPCOT just at 11am.

I also love the Cape May CB. I actually made an ADR there for my family and our friends for during our post AEP stay. I don't have my own file with me here in Texas so I can't tell you when right now. They have bagels AND lox!!

An hour isn't bad by NYC transit standards! You get used to it though...you just plan for a day outing basically instead of a quick run.

I didn't take a picture of the hand cart...but it's basically a little dolly cart with a cloth bag on it. I used it again today. LOVE IT. It makes things so much easier.

The water shoes are for Stormalong Bay - the sand there can get rough on the feet after a while. Joe had some problems with this last trip. Plus, we will need them next year for cruising since the decks get hot. This time around he's just going to get some new Keens though, since he needs those too!

We will be at OKW until the 21st. I'll post my plans here and we'll see if they line up since we'll practically be neighbors!

I'm the same way with mornings. I can get up, but I'm a bit slow at it...and I need coffee! I've made Rope Drop a few times, but it takes serious work to get there.

I don't remember the bagels with lox from Cape May! YAY! I tried that at Chef Mickey's back in March and it was sooooo good. I didn't want to fork over the cash for one here (about $10!) just to see if I liked it. That's good stuff though, I loved it! I'll be enjoying that right along with you.

Love the purchases!

I keep picking up a few snacks here and ther for the plane ride.
I wish Skip would come down with Claire, but he gave me a big NO!

Joe wouldn't let me go solo again.

Hi! Joining in...will be back later to catch up!

An hour to get to Target? I would DIE! Ours finally opened here about 4 year ago, and before that if we went anywhere out of town I had to stop at one!

Love the Star Wars shirt!

You get used to the time - and it becomes more an outing/adventure than a just quick run. But, it STINKS when you forget something! But, thankfully there are little shops all over the place - CVS, Rite Aid, Duane Reade, along with a million little corner stores. Target is for the big runs! I do miss being able to go there in the winter, just to get out of the house and do something though!!

Me too!!!!

I'm convinced I cannot live in Queens.

I told my DH, that if it came time to move, my one stipulation is there must be a Target within 15 minutes.

I'm lucky now. There's one a half mile from my house. We often walk!!!
I Target!!! (It's that Minnesota thing!)

I love Target too - and love supporting it because it's a Minnesota business!!!

We have eaten there twice...most recently last year on Halloween weekend. I think it's good. Buffet, nothing fancy. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes (very good), mac n' cheese, a fish (salmon, I think), ribs, salad/soup bar, desserts and soft serve ice cream. Also, there's a bar at the restaurant. Again, I like it and it's very much in the theme of Ft. Wilderness. Foodwise, nothing really stands out to me, but it's all your average, good comfort food, and it's kind of a relaxed atmosphere because it's not characters or participation like WCC or Ohana. I'd eat there again. Hope that helps. If I find some pictures, I'll post them here for you.


Okay, just went and checked my pictures and I have nothing post-worthy. But I could see on some of the kids' plates some half-eaten pizza and pasta and some carved meats.

Thank you for the info!!! It sounds like something we will like...but I still haven't decided if we will book it. We might just do the Grab & Go. Or eat at the Wilderness Lodge. Decisions, decisions!

This starts at 8. It lasts about 40 minutes or so and then a movie is after. I won't be staying for the movie. I will get my rear over to MK that night and ejoy what I can.

There are some rumblings that the Tiki Room might not open on the 15th like planned. I hope it does! I REALLY want to see it!

I like your plan here after the camp fire too - I might be joining you, depends on the boys a bit!

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

After that I plan to head over to Poly by 8:30-9. Again the best way wil lprobably be by going to MK, then over to Poly. I have NEVER been there either, so I hope it's not to hard to find the beach. But thats where I plan to go. The water light parade starts at 9, and if I get there in time, great, but if not, I'll live. 10 PM is wishes, and I plan to take pictures of it from the beach. I'm not sure how great this view is, but I have heard others that seemed to like it. I'm not sure how visiable the castle is from there either. But I'll still enjoy it, I'm sure.

You can get some good shots from the beach at the Poly. I think the Grand Floridian is a little closer though, so that could be an option for you as well.

Here is a zoom on the castle.

Here you can see the fireworks over the castle.

It may get obscured by smoke, and other fireworks though.

 

[jenseib]

You can get some good shots from the beach at the Poly. I think the Grand Floridian is a little closer though, so that could be an option for you as well.

Here is a zoom on the castle.

Here you can see the fireworks over the castle.

It may get obscured by smoke, and other fireworks though.

Those are great. Are those from Poly?

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

Those are great. Are those from Poly?

Yes, this is from the beach at the Poly. It isn't hard to find. If you take the Monorail to the Poly, go downstairs, and out the back entrance. Walk through the pool area, and you will see the beach. It isn't far at all.

Here is a link to a map of the Polynesian

 

[jenseib]

Yes, this is from the beach at the Poly. It isn't hard to find. If you take the Monorail to the Poly, go downstairs, and out the back entrance. Walk through the pool area, and you will see the beach. It isn't far at all.

Here is a link to a map of the Polynesian

Thanks

 

[ClaireW]

Reading through your plans it seems like you'll both be keeping busy!
We've got used to going slow with two little ones but when we go back this year (just after you leave ) we're taking along my parents so I'm wondering if me and DH might just manage a couple of late nights or afternoons out just the two of us, whilst the girls are taken care of - and then we'll go fast!

 

[jenseib]

Reading through your plans it seems like you'll both be keeping busy!
We've got used to going slow with two little ones but when we go back this year (just after you leave ) we're taking along my parents so I'm wondering if me and DH might just manage a couple of late nights or afternoons out just the two of us, whilst the girls are taken care of - and then we'll go fast!

I do hope when Claire gets older she will want to get there at rope drop and go,go,go. But right now she requires so much sleep that if we don't let he sleep a bit longer she would be a bear. Of course this trip I am busy every morning, so I still can't go to rope Drop!

 

[Mindy5767]

I do hope when Claire gets older she will want to get there at rope drop and go,go,go. But right now she requires so much sleep that if we don't let he sleep a bit longer she would be a bear. Of course this trip I am busy every morning, so I still can't go to rope Drop!

Rope Drop? I think if I'm going to make rope drop, several things have to occur, not necessarily together.

1. DH is not with me (totally NOT a morning person)
2. I stay up all night and camp out at the entrance gate
3. I wake up as someone else

This trip.... item number 1 will be true for the AEP part of the trip.... however, Park Experience is not on the itinerary until later in the day.... so I'm not holding out hope.

 

[jenseib]

Rope Drop? I think if I'm going to make rope drop, several things have to occur, not necessarily together.

1. DH is not with me (totally NOT a morning person)
2. I stay up all night and camp out at the entrance gate
3. I wake up as someone else

This trip.... item number 1 will be true for the AEP part of the trip.... however, Park Experience is not on the itinerary until later in the day.... so I'm not holding out hope.

I tend to get very little sleep when I'm at Disney, so I could easily do rope drop. I did do it once at AK while Skip and Claire slept and then came back. Back when Paige and Michael were young, I did make rope drop at DHS and maybe AK too.

 

[ClaireW]

Coming from the UK the time difference works in our favour and we usually make rope drop more than once in our first few days because our body clocks have us awake about 3am! At which point, the two little girls and the one big girl (me!) just want to get up and go
Although when our oldest DD was just 1 we used to send DH out for breakfast and then go back to sleep - often missing the first couple of MK hours completely!

Needless to say - since having the girls we haven't made much use of evening EMH!

 

[jenseib]

Coming from the UK the time difference works in our favour and we usually make rope drop more than once in our first few days because our body clocks have us awake about 3am! At which point, the two little girls and the one big girl (me!) just want to get up and go
Although when our oldest DD was just 1 we used to send DH out for breakfast and then go back to sleep - often missing the first couple of MK hours completely!

Needless to say - since having the girls we haven't made much use of evening EMH!

Thats one reason I would like to go to DL. I know the time difference would be great for Claire. She loves to stay up late and sleep in. She basically was born with a California clock inside her body!

 

[Woth2982]

Thats one reason I would like to go to DL. I know the time difference would be great for Claire. She loves to stay up late and sleep in. She basically was born with a California clock inside her body!

Only time we have EVER made RD is when we went to Disneyland in 07! I was up at 7 am every day! However the last trip to Cali, even though I was up at 5 am, my sister, now a native Californian, sleeps to a normal CA time, and since she is my ride I am always stuck waiting.

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

Plans sound wonderful! I am so looking forward to seeing pics and hearing all about it - and I can't believe your ticker is down to 24 days already!!

I hope the Tiki Room does reopen on schedule and you guys can make it - I was really looking forward to trying to get some good pics in there in March but then it was closed.

That is one advantage of my early birds - making RD is NEVER a problem, I have much more trouble with DH.

 

[jenseib]

Only time we have EVER made RD is when we went to Disneyland in 07! I was up at 7 am every day! However the last trip to Cali, even though I was up at 5 am, my sister, now a native Californian, sleeps to a normal CA time, and since she is my ride I am always stuck waiting.

Plans sound wonderful! I am so looking forward to seeing pics and hearing all about it - and I can't believe your ticker is down to 24 days already!!

I hope the Tiki Room does reopen on schedule and you guys can make it - I was really looking forward to trying to get some good pics in there in March but then it was closed.

That is one advantage of my early birds - making RD is NEVER a problem, I have much more trouble with DH.

I haven't done really anything for this trip yet either, except order those t-shirts awhile back.

 

[jenseib]

I've been slacking here! Sorry.

Aug 18, Thursday~

Another early day with breakfast buffet in the conference room at 7:30. We will then have a seminar . At 10:45 we head over to Saratoga Springs for a site inspection. My friend recently stayed there and loved it, so I am excited to check it out. I don't think it would be a place I would chose to stay normally, but maybe I will change my mind after seeing it.

We head over to Pop for lunch then. I hope dessert is included, because it's been a few years since I have had tie dye cheesecake!

After lunch we tour Pop. This is what I call my home resort, since I have only stayed there so far. I do love it and will be glad to at least visit it this trip.
Then we are off to AS Music. I assume we'll get to look at the suites, which is something I have never seen in person either.

At 2:30 we head over to Blizzard Beach for a tour as well. I have never been to any of the Disney waterparks, so again, this will be fun to see.
At 3:30 we are on our own. I plan to go to HS this afternoon. Patty and I have an ADR for Prime Time cafe a 8:30 PM. I have never eaten a table service at HS, so that should be fun as well.
After dinner the park should be closing up, so we'll most likely head back to the Yacht Club. Mk is the latest park open that night, and it's only till 10, so we won't have enough time to get over there. I'll probably do a good tour of the Yacht Club and pools in the area that night. Or if I'm feeling really energetic, head over to DTD, but I doubt it.
Sadly our trip will be coming to a close the next day.
Again I am kicking myself for not staying 1 extra night and flying home on Sat instead. But I am thankful to be able to go anyways and am going to relish every moment there.

 

[DisneyBoundinDec]

I can't believe you only have 24 more days to go!!
BOY they sure get you up early! I guess it will be the same for me in November, but you do have a lot of time to yourself in the afternoon! Do they have a dinner scheduled for you guys??

Are you guys going to see the new Art of Animation Resort??? I can't wait to see those rooms!

 

[jenseib]

I can't believe you only have 24 more days to go!!
BOY they sure get you up early! I guess it will be the same for me in November, but you do have a lot of time to yourself in the afternoon! Do they have a dinner scheduled for you guys??

Are you guys going to see the new Art of Animation Resort??? I can't wait to see those rooms!

We get some Disney dollars for dinners. I am not sure how much though, but it said it should cover 2 dinners. I'm assuming CS type meals, not sit down dinners.

The day I just posted...Thursday...is the only afternoon we get to ourselves. And then evenings on the other days.

They keep you busy. I wish I could find a TR or better review about what they actually do. I have googled to try and find stuff, but so far it's very little info in the way of what goes on. Mostly they say how much fun they have or what they did at the end of the day. I want DETAILS. LOL!

 

[jenseib]

I can't believe you only have 24 more days to go!!
BOY they sure get you up early! I guess it will be the same for me in November, but you do have a lot of time to yourself in the afternoon! Do they have a dinner scheduled for you guys??

Are you guys going to see the new Art of Animation Resort??? I can't wait to see those rooms!

Forgot to aswer...no nothing is scheduled for AOA at all.

 

[JKSWonder]

But I am thankful to be able to go anyways and am going to relish every moment there.

You should relish every moment....I hope you have a fantastic time and I'm looking forward to reading the trip report when you get home!

 

[SoonerGirl]

I would be very excited for the SSR & Blizzard Beach tours, two places I've never seen

It's a good thing Miss Brook has been practicing getting up early lately, cause they sure do have you starting early in mornings!