Jingle Bells, Panic smells; a Joanna & Panic Christmas PTR -Finally an Update! 11/29

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Hmmmmm….. it’s been a while since we’ve been to Disney you say ? You would be right! 1995 brought us back to where it all began (both Walt's dream and my trip history) – Disneyland.

Before I start with the pictures and descriptions, I just want put in a disclaimer here. For the next 10 years or so, either Panic or I or both of us will be in the throws of puberty. So I apologize in advance for the sneers and grease oozing from the next few pictures.

You’ve been warned!

So over Easter break in ’95 we headed west to California. We started with Disneyland. Don’t we all look thrilled?

We rode the classics

What can I say it was the 90’s?

We were there over Easter, and we went to church in the morning , and relaxed during the day.

Then we went down to San Diego, and visited Sea World

All-in-all a great trip!

 

[MaryAz]

Joining in! We are also going to be at AKV Kidani, Dec 16-26. Our first CHristmas trip. I love the title of ur Sep TR. We just got back from our Sep trip. Just thought I would say hi!

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Joining in! We are also going to be at AKV Kidani, Dec 16-26. Our first CHristmas trip. I love the title of ur Sep TR. We just got back from our Sep trip. Just thought I would say hi!

Hi there and Welcome!

Wow - how cool that we'll be there at the same time! And so funny you had a September trip too! I'll have to go check out your TR and PTR now

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

I'm curled up on my couch wrapped in blankets and still cold, but refusing to turn on the heat in the house before Oct. 15 on the principal of the matter. It dawned on me - it's beginning to feel a lot like winter.

Which makes it a little less awkward for me to start thinking about Christmas decorations for our room.

Every year, I'm in charge of the decorations. Usually this means a trip to Target's dollar bins and the cheesiest looking cheep-o decorations.

But usually, we're in a tiny cruise stateroom, and we're not in the room very much. This year we have the luxury of space, and we'll be in the room a lot more, so maybe I should upgrade a little.

I got an email from Target that this tree is only $25

It's 6' though, so that might be a bit of an overkill.

Disney Florist has a couple options

This one is so cute!

But these all run in the over $150 range. Which might be a little rich for my blood since we're all adults.

Any ideas?

I was just thinking a tree and some gel thingys for the windows.


I also finally bought new luggage this week. This isn't exactly it, but it's the closest I could find.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Those trees are adorable, but $150?! YIKES!!! I like the idea of window decals/gels. I also seem to remember seeing some cute little trees somewhere down there that were like $25 but they were pretty tiny. But atleast it's something. Or maybe some of those cheap felt stockings?

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Those trees are adorable, but $150?! YIKES!!! I like the idea of window decals/gels. I also seem to remember seeing some cute little trees somewhere down there that were like $25 but they were pretty tiny. But atleast it's something. Or maybe some of those cheap felt stockings?

Yeah, I thought they were a little to rich for my blood! But they're cute. And the tink one comes with Swarovski orniments! But the dollar bin is more my speed. I think I might check out Big Lots. They have 3 ft trees for pretty cheap usually.

Stockings are a good idea too!

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

The winter wasn't long enough in 1997, so we bundled up and headed North that summer to our fair 49th state.

This trip included my grandpa, aunt and uncle and 3 cousins.

(no, I don't have an explanation for the weird old-lady perm…mine or my moms….)

And you'll notice since I was in quite an awkward phase, I would hide from the camera, so most of these pictures will be of Panic.

We took a cruise through the Inside Passage. It still ranks as one of my all time favorite vacations.

We got to go into Glacier Bay National Park and watch the glaciers calve. And there was a pod of whales that accompanied out ship for hours.

It was amazing. Our cabin was right next to the Bridge, and every morning we'd talk to the Captain over coffee. So he invited us to visit the Bridge.

We explored the towns and made new (furry) friends

And we went white water rafting down the Mendenhall Glacier. So cool!

One of the great things about this cruise, was it was the perfect balance of Nature and Comfort (said the girl who's idea of communing with nature is driving down a rustic road with the windows down) We got to explore the beauty of nature, and go back and sleep in a comfy bed and eat good food.

The best of both worlds (cue Hannah Montana)

One of the infamous moments of this trip was the train ride through White Pass. Everyone told us how great this trip was and not to miss it. It was about $80 a person (and there were 10 of us) but they said it was worth it. So we all piled in the train and it was comfy and the views were nice. The rocking of the train on the tracks, and the fact that on the way down, it's on the same track that you went up, meant that all 10 of us ended up falling asleep. So it was basically an $800 nap!

We’re going back to Alaska in 2011, and I can't wait!

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Oh my goodness! I just made the biggest most hair-brained mistake EVER! If you know me - this might not be a huge surprise... but hopefully it'll be good for a laugh.

I blame this on the fact that I shouldn't have been booking my flights at work in the first place, and I really shouldn't have been booking them while on a phone conference...

Anyway, as I was on the phone conference I checked my email and I had one from Southwest about some sale. I thought I would take a look because I hadn't booked our October flights yet, because they have been SO expensive (like $300 per person each way expensive). We were getting ready to suck it up and book tonight, and were going with AirTran for their schedule.

Well, I clicked the email, entered my information and lo and behold, there were fares for $77 each way. This was way too good to be true. I quickly booked the flights, without double checking them. You know - plus I was still "working" on the phone conference.

I called DH to tell him the good news, and headed home. I got home, snuggled on the couch and opened the email I got from Southwest confirming the flights. I reviewed the information...

Um... wait... this says Departing Orlando, arriving in Milwaukee... Whaaaaaaaa???

That's right, you read it correctly. I booked my flights in the REVERSE ORDER. How does one do that? Or more importantly, how does one FIX it once one has done it??

I'm now in full panic mode, I've run all around the house, and accomplished nothing - well except fully break the coffee table that was on it's way out, then burst into tears because the table was broken and I screwed up the flights. Fortunately DH was not home, so my humiliation was secret until I decided to share it on the internets...

So anyway, I call Southwest, finally get a person and my craptastic phone cuts out. So I call on the land line... and as soon as I get someone, the battery on my land line dies and I get cut off. I'm laughing to keep from crying or killing someone, or taking out any more innocent coffee tables.

So I finally get everything taken care of, and end up paying $100 more than I expected for times I'm so not happy with.


But hey - at least we have plane tickets right

But since our plane tickets were WAY more than they should have been (we're talking a hair under $1000 for the two of us) we had to rethink the whole "Garden Suite" thing.

It would have been cool - but with the plane tickets costing so much we just can't swing it. Despite our 6 trips this year - the budget is NOT unlimited.

So instead, we re-arranged and borrowed and we got a 1 bedroom at the BWV on points. And we'll pay Oop in January instead.

So that's the plan.

Plus... Our friends Matt and Rachel are joining us

Which will be AWESOME. They're staying at an AS resort - not sure which one. They're going down for Universal Horror nights on Thursday and Friday and joining us Saturday and Sunday.

That's on top of Panic and her DBF

and possibly our friend Tall Paul

This will be crazy fun!

We're mainly going for the F&W Festival, but there are morning EMH at DHS on Saturday, and now we get there pretty early on Friday, so we'll get our Park on a little.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Oh no, that stinks about reversing the flights! Atleast you got it sorted out.

Sounds like a fun time with your friends going too.

 

[meeko_33785]

Sorry to hear about all the airline drama. At least everything sounds like it's straightened out now.

 

[norybell]

Alaska sounds amazing! I'm not sure I could stomach the cold, though...give me Hawaii any day!

That really sucks about the airline mix-up! At least you got a good PTR anecdote out of it...that must provide some comfort, right?

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Oh no, that stinks about reversing the flights! Atleast you got it sorted out.

Sounds like a fun time with your friends going too.

That was such a stupid hassle. I have to take a day of vacation from work that I wasn't planning on taking, but everything is worked out, and really, how can I complain about 5 extra hours in Disney

I'm so excited to have a group going this time, it will be fun!

Sorry to hear about all the airline drama. At least everything sounds like it's straightened out now.

Everything is okay now - except we're getting there earlier and leaving earlier than I wanted to - but it all evens out right?

Alaska sounds amazing! I'm not sure I could stomach the cold, though...give me Hawaii any day!

That really sucks about the airline mix-up! At least you got a good PTR anecdote out of it...that must provide some comfort, right?

Yeah, it was like July and we had earmuffs on. I'm kind of worried how cold May will be. But hey - we're used to it We went to hawaii a few years ago. It was fun, but I'd take Alaska over Hawaii in a heart beat (well except for the weather - can they swap? )

OMG are you in my head. That's exactly what I said to my DH

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

to MNSSHP or not. That is the question

Since our flight is getting in a lot earlier than we planned - we're talking about maybe going to MNSSHP on Friday night. Mainly to be able to go to a park until 12.

Has anyone been? Is it worth it? Thoughts?

 

[norybell]

OMG are you in my head. That's exactly what I said to my DH

No, I'm not in your head. It's just that the Balto-little-sister incident was really formative, so now we naturally think alike.

MNSSHP is great! If you've never been, you should definitely go! I was there last mid-October, and it was seriously awesome. I don't know if I lucked out or what, crowd-wise, but it was the best for the rides...I rode both Splash and BTMRR multiple times without even getting out of the log/train in between (this was during the first parade)! Plus I walked through about 95% of the Pirates queue while it was totally empty. Which was both cool and wonderfully creepy. I didn't do much trick-or-treating, because it didn't seem worth it to me to wait in line for cheap candy I could just buy. But the parade was amazing (and I don't usually like parades), as was Hallowishes. And it was fun to see all the little kids in their costumes.

This next trip, I'm actually going twice.

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

No, I'm not in your head. It's just that the Balto-little-sister incident was really formative, so now we naturally think alike.

MNSSHP is great! If you've never been, you should definitely go! I was there last mid-October, and it was seriously awesome. I don't know if I lucked out or what, crowd-wise, but it was the best for the rides...I rode both Splash and BTMRR multiple times without even getting out of the log/train in between (this was during the first parade)! Plus I walked through about 95% of the Pirates queue while it was totally empty. Which was both cool and wonderfully creepy. I didn't do much trick-or-treating, because it didn't seem worth it to me to wait in line for cheap candy I could just buy. But the parade was amazing (and I don't usually like parades), as was Hallowishes. And it was fun to see all the little kids in their costumes.

This next trip, I'm actually going twice.

Yes, it must be the Balto connection!

No we've never been. I'm going with all "mild to moderate" disney fans, so they're not too into it, but I think it would be fun. We'll be there on a "premium" date, so I'm not sure about the crowds. But my interest is definately peaked. Hopefully I can talk everyone into it!

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

January 1998 brought us back to Disney World! Yes, we made it there with 10 days to spare on the Happy 25th promotion, so we got to see the ugly, I mean lovely, pink castle.

This time, we stayed at the Boardwalk Villas,

My grandpa came along too

My grandpa and my dad spent most of the time golfing, while Queenie, Panic and I explored the parks.

Now you may be noticing that we're pretty bundled up for FL - even in January. Well, back at home we were having record lows - wind chills in the -30s! And the tempatures weren't quite that cold in Disney, but there was frost on the flowers and the were worried about the orange crops.

It was CHILLY. We were so cold in fact, that my grandpa bought us these styling fuzzy hats!

They had ear flaps, and were so warm! It was perfect. We both still have them, and I intended on sticking a veil on mine and wearing it while we were down there for the wedding, but I got too busy.

The other thing you might notice in that picture is my Figment backpack. This was about the time that plush backpacks were all the rage, and I LOVED my figment one. I carried him with me every day of my sophomore and junior year in high School. I still have him - though he now resides on my shelf.

It's funny, I have such vivid memories of the attractions on our first Disney trip, but all I remember from this trip was how cold it was and the pink castle and how cold it was (did I mention it was cold?)


I do remeber eating at the Rainforest Café multiple times. I remember it being so exotic and awesome, I couldn't wait to go back. Now, it's like a "last resort" kind of place in my book. Funny how tastes change!

 

[Princess_K]

Woo hoo! I found my way over here. Now for my random ramblings….

So no trips in 2011? I’ll be so sad not to have your TRs to follow. But I would say you certainly got the very most out of those APs as you could!

How exciting that you’ll actually be IN Disney on Christmas day. I think that would be so much fun! And Victoria and Albert’s for Christmas Eve? It doesn’t get much better than that.

You will have such a great time taking in all of the Christmas activities. I must admit, I am a little bit jealous. I went in December 2008, and I absolutely loved it. I’m a big Christmas person anyway, but going to Disney in December just really put me into the mood. It became my very favorite time to visit. The Osbourne lights are amazing, and I really enjoyed the Candlelight Processional. Oh, and I loved MVMCP

I’m so glad you could get your flight stuff figured out. Booking them in reverse order is sooo something I would do. That’s a bummer that you can’t stay in the Garden Suite though. Those look amazing. But there is always the next trip!

My vote is go to MNSSHP. I would love to go...It looks like such fun!

I just love all your flashbacks! How blessed you have been to have traveled so much…What fun trips! That’s really cool that you’re headed back to Alaska next year. It is one of my grandparents favorites to travel to…that and Maine. Besides Disney, Maine is one of my faves

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Woo hoo! I found my way over here. Now for my random ramblings….

So no trips in 2011? I’ll be so sad not to have your TRs to follow. But I would say you certainly got the very most out of those APs as you could!

Yay you made it over!

Well, the plan was no trips in '11. But we're going in January for our Anniversary and there's now an extreme possibility that we might be going with my friend and her son next October... but definitely not on the pace that we were this year! We were really lucky this year to

How exciting that you’ll actually be IN Disney on Christmas day. I think that would be so much fun! And Victoria and Albert’s for Christmas Eve? It doesn’t get much better than that.

You will have such a great time taking in all of the Christmas activities. I must admit, I am a little bit jealous. I went in December 2008, and I absolutely loved it. I’m a big Christmas person anyway, but going to Disney in December just really put me into the mood. It became my very favorite time to visit. The Osbourne lights are amazing, and I really enjoyed the Candlelight Processional. Oh, and I loved MVMCP

I'm so excited. I've wanted to be in Disney on Christmas day like since I learned that it was open on Christmas. I am so excited.

We're so blessed to be eating at V&A on Christmas eve. You're right, doesn't get much better than that.

I LOVE Christmas time too, so I'm so excited to soak in the Disney Christmas of it all! I can't wait for the Osborne lights. I'm so sad we're going to miss MVMCP. Oh well, just another reason to go back right?

I’m so glad you could get your flight stuff figured out. Booking them in reverse order is sooo something I would do. That’s a bummer that you can’t stay in the Garden Suite though. Those look amazing. But there is always the next trip!

My vote is go to MNSSHP. I would love to go...It looks like such fun!

Yeah, I felt like such a dork! I was like um I swear I've traveled (successfully) before. I promise! It ended up being a costly error.

We're seriously considering MNSSHP. I hope we do go, it sounds fun!

I just love all your flashbacks! How blessed you have been to have traveled so much…What fun trips! That’s really cool that you’re headed back to Alaska next year. It is one of my grandparents favorites to travel to…that and Maine. Besides Disney, Maine is one of my faves

Thanks. I know how lucky I've been to travel as much and as often as I have. DH had never been anywhere out of state before he met me! I hope I can continue to travel as much and to such a variety of places in my adult life. I haven't been to Maine, but It's totally on my list. It looks so pretty, plus I LOVE seafood!

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Sorry everyone. The pictures should be back up next week.

 

[OhioDisneyLover]

I just sat down and got all caught up.

I love your flashback trips. DC is one of my fav places to visit. I have to travel there for work (nope, not a spy...) but I never seem to get to visit everything that I want to see. My DH's great grandfather has a painting at the Smithsonian so that was first on our list when we went to DC. My fav monument has to be the Lincoln Memorial. I just love it.

I've always wanted to go to Alaska. It's on my bucket list. A must do before I croak.

Your Disney flashbacks are so cute. I loved space Mickey. Dude had some awesome duds, didn't he?

I've always wanted to dine at V&A but there is no way to convince DH to take a tux/suit on vacation. He's not havin' it.


Can't wait to read more........