Lard Wrestling and Sleep Deprivation – A Dec. 08 TR

[TPCShauna]

heyy just joining in now but loving your PTR! I started one for my trip which isn't until April and realized I started way too early..so its going on a hiatus just like yours did lol I'm going with my DBF and hes the same way as your DH, excited to go and will have a great time when we get there but the planning is mostly on me. oh well and your puppy is just adorable too. can't wait to read more!!

Welcome!

I started mine really early because I wanted to get everything down but then I got to the point where I needed a break from planning. It just makes it that much more exciting when you pick it up again!

Thanks for the compliment on Gracie. We think she's pretty darn cute, also!

 

[DisneyCrzy]

Shauna-

Just got done reading your PTR! I too struggled with the same things you did! Love the PTR!

Can't wait until we go!! WDW here we come!

 

[TPCShauna]

Shauna-

Just got done reading your PTR! I too struggled with the same things you did! Love the PTR!

Can't wait until we go!! WDW here we come!

Welcome! I've been enjoying your PTR as well. I can't wait until we are at the World!!!

 

[TPCShauna]

I've been doing some shopping for the trip. I need to update all of the meds and toiletries in our overnight kit since we haven't used them since Fall 2006 and they've all expired by now. I've been picking up sample sizes of various items and updating our medicine kit. It's so Murphy's Law that I will need the one med that I don't bring with me so I am trying to cover all my bases.

I've also been shopping for some clothes. It's so hard to tell what the weather will be like during our trip. Last year, it was in the 70s and people were wearing shorts. Year before that, it was in the 50s and pants weather. I'm planning for capris and short sleeves with some hoodies and sweaters to wear over as needed. That should work for either extreme since I'm not much of a shorts person.

DH and I are trying really hard to keep to one checked bag each since our airline charges for the second checked bag. I'm thinking we will probably end up with three bags and have to pay for one of them but that's not too bad. I want to be sure I have room to pack our souvenirs!

The only other item we are really looking to buy is a new camera. We bought our current one right before our last WDW trip and we really love it. It still works fine but doesn't have image stabilization so we are looking for one that does. I think we've settled on this one:

It's 3 generations more advanced than our current camera, yet costs 2/3 less. So goes the law of electronics pricing and functionality. We've already played with a demo at Target and it's almost exactly the same as our current camera. Walmart has the best price we've found on it but we are planning to wait until we get a bit closer to Thanksgiving to see if we can get an even better price.

 

[smarsha4455]

Hello! Just found your pretrip report. Loving it! We are going in Sept of 2009 and I have already started my lists etc. I think I am going to drive my DH nuts! Your Puppy is so cute!

 

[kirrrby]

Subbing!


Also, i adore the fact that it seems like Gracie has a better bed than I do!

 

[natsiswdw]

Oh my gosh I love reading your board because I am totally the same way!!!! People that just don't get it think I am crazy!!! I have to tell myself everyday to try and not talk about Disney. That is why I read the boards so much it. It is like my fix for the day

 

[TPCShauna]

Hello! Just found your pretrip report. Loving it! We are going in Sept of 2009 and I have already started my lists etc. I think I am going to drive my DH nuts! Your Puppy is so cute!

Welcome to a fellow West Coaster! I have found the boards to be an excellent outlet for Disney talk so that DH doesn't bear the brunt. Thanks for the compliment!

Subbing!


Also, i adore the fact that it seems like Gracie has a better bed than I do!

Welcome!

She has TWO uber-comfy beds. The chenille has to air-dry and the first time we washed her bed, we gave her a folded towel to sleep on in her den instead and she refused to use it! Now we have to have two of her beds so that she always has one while the other one is being washed and dried.

Spoiled what?

Oh my gosh I love reading your board because I am totally the same way!!!! People that just don't get it think I am crazy!!! I have to tell myself everyday to try and not talk about Disney. That is why I read the boards so much it. It is like my fix for the day

Welcome! You're not crazy! You're planning a trip to WDW! I totally use the boards as an outlet. This PTR has been great and DH has noticed a definite decrease in the amount of Disney talk since I've started it. You should try it as it totally works!

 

[TPCShauna]

Ever feel like you've planned and planned and planned and just don't have anything else to do? That's where I am right now. I feel like I've made all the major plans and I'm doing the nit picky stuff now. I can't pack because I don't leave for months and I can't really make my specific packing list because I have no idea what the weather will be like. My general packing list is done, I've finished the budget, I'm happy with my ADRs and all of my itineraries are printed and in my Passporter. I've arranged flights, booked the rental car and my scooter, ordered maps from AAA so that we can get too and from Tallahassee, and booked our airport hotel for the last night of our trip. I've arranged for the puppy to stay with her breeder, set up a pet sitter for the kitties and gave the vet authorization for the sitter to approve care in case of an emergency.

I still have a few more things to do but they all have to happen closer to our trip.

- Book photo session - 30 days before date of session
- Send pics and message for Coral Reef menu and diver sign - 30 days before arrival
- Order cake for Narcoosee's dinner - 2 weeks before arrival
- Place mail and paper vacation stops - 2 weeks before we leave

I do still need to find or make a journal but I'm still looking for the right thing to use. I also need to do our specific day to day park touring plans but I try not to do that until we are closer to the trip (although I may start sooner since I have nothing else to do.)

I feel like I'm missing something but I can't figure out what it is. Do y'all see any glaring holes?

 

[xoktenox]

Ever feel like you've planned and planned and planned and just don't have anything else to do? That's where I am right now. I feel like I've made all the major plans and I'm doing the nit picky stuff now. I can't pack because I don't leave for months and I can't really make my specific packing list because I have no idea what the weather will be like.

I feel the same way, except my trip isn't for over 6 months I wish there was more that I could do! I even tried to start my own PTR but there's just not much to write right now.

 

[bellasmommy0]

I'm with you.... I need something else to write about!! Come on December!!

 

[xoktenox]

Thank you for the advice about Coral Reef, I'm looking into it as we speak. How do you get the personalized menus and the diver? I've heard about it and seen it but I dont really know much about how to actually book it. And how much??

 

[TPCShauna]

Thank you for the advice about Coral Reef, I'm looking into it as we speak. How do you get the personalized menus and the diver? I've heard about it and seen it but I dont really know much about how to actually book it. And how much??

It's FREE! I know, right? Something at Disney that's free? Yeah right. Seriously, it's free. You set it up with the manager at the Coral Reef. She's asked that the info not be posted anymore but I can PM you the info if you decide to do it. You basically email her pics and the verbiage for the sign and she takes care of the rest!

Keep me posted!

 

[xoktenox]

It's FREE! I know, right? Something at Disney that's free? Yeah right. Seriously, it's free. You set it up with the manager at the Coral Reef. She's asked that the info not be posted anymore but I can PM you the info if you decide to do it. You basically email her pics and the verbiage for the sign and she takes care of the rest!

Keep me posted!

omg wow i really didn't think anything was free there haha I'd really appreciate it if you would PM me the info if you get a chance. DBF and I sat down last night and I showed him the menus of the restaurants I had in mind. We decided on Coral Reef as one of them! Of course I didn't tell him about the menu or the diver but I was secretly hoping he would choose CR And I didn't say thank you for the compliment you left on my feeble attempt at a PTR, so thank you

 

[TPCShauna]

You're quite welcome. Glad y'all like CR. It's one of our faves. I'll PM that info over as soon as I dig it out again. I have it in my Passporter which is at home (somewhere). I've had to get creative in putting things away so Gracie doesn't chew on them.

 

[TPCShauna]

So, I guess you could say that I've figured out one way to while away the time before our next trip - doing the TR from our last one.

No, I didn't do this after the trip. You see, I'm a scrapbooker (like y'all couldn't tell from my siggie) and I was super gung-ho to get my trip scrapped when we got home so I figured I would focus on that rather than taking the time to do a TR.

Fast forward three years. I've finished a couple of albums but the WDW trip was not one of them. I did a few pages but got discouraged over how slow I scrap and slightly overwhelmed since I was still new to it. Over the past three years, I've done a few layouts but the trip is NO WHERE NEAR being done.

Since the last WDW trip, DH and I've also gone to DL which is my favorite park. Again, I was super-excited to scrap it when we got home and I'm almost done with the trip. I've been wanting to put that one aside to work on Gracie's album but DH made a special request that I work on finishing the DL trip AND that I do a TR from the last WDW trip. He's concerned that the memories from the three will get mixed up.

He so rarely makes requests about my scrapping that I feel like it is only fair for me to do this. So, I am now going to attempt to work on a TR from a trip that happened three years ago.

I'm sure this will be a piece of cake!

 

[trixiequilts]

Wow, that's ambitious! I can't remember things 3 days after they happen, let alone 3 years! Good luck!

 

[TPCShauna]

Wow, that's ambitious! I can't remember things 3 days after they happen, let alone 3 years! Good luck!

I don't have to do it from memory, thank goodness. I have all the notes I jotted down throughout our trip since I wanted to have them for my scrapbooking. I also have a photographic memory which is more hinder than help in some cases but should help with this. It's actually kind of fun to go back and relive the trip. It's also making me more excited for the upcoming trip as well!

 

[TPCShauna]

Well, after reading consistently bad reviews of food and service at Chefs de France, I've just cancelled our ressie there and booked Raglan Road. I wanted to try them out and I think this will work out much better as I think DH will find Irish food more palatable than French. Also, being an Irish girl, I look for chances to eat native tasty things.

So, at this point, I have every ressie I want. I'm still trying for an earlier time at Cali Grill but I at least have an ADR so I'm not complaining.

Only 67 more days!!!!

 

[trixiequilts]

I've really been reconsidering Chef's also. And where might I want to go instead, you ask? None other than Raglan Road! How funny! Everything at Chef's looks rather wet. Too much sauce!