Leaving the hubbies and kids behind - A May 2010 PTR, TR has begun!

[kschafer]

Have a good time Katie! Win or lose it should be fun, Don and I have gone to NCAA tournament games before and it's a blast!

Did you hear about the autistic kid that is perfect in his bracket through the first 2 rounds? I heard the odds are better to win the lottery twice! He has UNI winning the next round so I'm going with his predictions!

Oh, I'm totally going to! They look like they'll be a lot of fun to make.

Have a good time at the game this weekend -- I don't follow basketball but that sounds like it will be a blast

We are having a bit of ticket drama right now so I am anxious to hear back from the website people to find out what will happen. We are getting really excited!

Win or lose, it should be a great trip.
Everybody needs to have some special fun things along the way to help keep going through the mundane things in life.

Life has been fairly mundane so this is a nice break!

Oooh! That sounds like fun miss Katie!

As for the shirts...my creative brain could come up with a design but my non-scientific brain may have trouble executing it!

I always have a picture in my mind but can't seem to get my hands to execute that vision

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Hopefully a trip down memory lane update will come later today!

 

[kschafer]

I was hoping to have an update yesterday but things seem to have been a little crazier around here this week.

We are headed to St Louis after dropping the boys off at school this morning. We get to meet my brother and his family for a late lunch then will head to the games. We will be coming back home after and probably arrive sometime around the time the sun comes up. Even if we stop to take a rest along the way, we HAVE to be home by 9 so we can take the boys to the Easter egg hunt in town.

I'm psyched! I'm ready! We have awesome seats (crazy long story...row 22 behind one of the baskets, a GREAT deal) so look for me in the crowd, I'll be the one wearing PURPLE

GO CATS!! ​

I'll try to update tomorrow

 

[Charleston Princess]

Have a great time, Katie!!!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Have fun Katie! I'll be cheering for you!

 

[MHTeacher]

Have a fun trip, Katie!

BTW, I had seen that same link about the bleach pen shirts---I'm going to try making some for my May trip!

 

[MEK]

Hey Katie - Have fun at the game today!

 

[manntra]

Have fun Katie!!!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Have fun Katie...and how funny!! The Australian Rules Footy team I support is Geelong. They are also known as the Cats!! Go CATS!!

 

[kschafer]

Have a great time, Katie!!!

Have fun Katie! I'll be cheering for you!

Have a fun trip, Katie!

BTW, I had seen that same link about the bleach pen shirts---I'm going to try making some for my May trip!

Hey Katie - Have fun at the game today!

Have fun Katie!!!

Have fun Katie...and how funny!! The Australian Rules Footy team I support is Geelong. They are also known as the Cats!! Go CATS!!

Thanks everyone! The trip to St Louis was easy and the games were very good. UNI lost unfortunately, they were just having an off night with their shooting and shots they would normally hit were just not falling. Still, we had a lot of fun and I'm glad we went.

We left St Louis about 11:30 pm and arrived home at 5 am. I'm starting to think that somehow in the last 15 years, Greg and I have gotten older because this is the kind of thing we would have done easily before we had kids...not sure what happened there About 1 hour outside of town, I started looking longingly at hotels we passed thinking to myself "they have beds in there" just sad!

We slept a couple hours, picked the boys up at their friends house about 9:30, took them to the local egg hunt then came home and crashed some more. It's been a VERY lazy day around our house.

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3 small trip updates, 1 not so fun and 2 exciting ones

1. I got an e-mail this week from AirTran informing me of yet another change to our flights. Our return flight was originally supposed to leave at 8:30 and get us home at 10:30. Then they added a layover in Milwaukee so we wouldn't get home until noon or so. This e-mail informed me that we wouldn't leave until 2:30 (that wouldn't be SO bad ) but would have 2 layovers and not get us home until 10 pm. The point of our original flight choice was to allow us to spent the afternoon with our families before Monday arrived.

I called and they offered me the options of a direct flight on Saturday (cutting our trip short, no thank you), a one stop on Monday (tempting but that would mean another night at our cost and not get to see our kids until after school on Monday), a refund (I did look into options on other airlines but nothing was available that didn't involve layovers and higher cost) or a flight option that will get us home around 11:30 in the morning. We really didn't feel like any other option was reasonable so we took this one. Unfortunately, it also involves 2 layovers and we will be leaving MCO at 6:20 am to accomplish this (I do NOT even want to think about what time we will have to meet ME!)

Needless to say, we aren't thrilled with air tran but I guess the silver lining is that they haven't messed with our arrival to Orlando!

2. Disney announced the return of the Wishes dessert party this weekend and they started to take ressies this week. I was able to book the party for our last night, May 8. I'm very excited! (I will not be eating dancing bananas, I will be focusing on the chocolate!)

3. yesterday I talked with my parents on Skype and they surprised me with some news. They have been volunteering for a couple years with an organization in Florida. Well, the organization signed up to participate in the GAD promotion and they gave vouchers to their regular volunteers so my parents have a couple 1 day passes. They will be joining us on a day of our trip I think it will probably be our MK day on the 3rd. They might decide to come on the 4th but that will cause us to change our hopping plans this day and just stay in Epcot instead of going to AK for the afternoon. They will be leavng to return to Iowa at the end of the week but still, it will be fun to spend a day with them in the park.

I PROMISE another flashback update tomorrow...oh yeah and...

5 weeks till Disney!!!

 

[MHTeacher]

Sorry your team lost. I have to admit, I've not watched the first game this year. Kevin's team had a bad season and didn't get invited to the tourney, so he really hasn't had it on as much.

How much fun to get to spend the day with your parents while you're at Disney!


YAY! 5 weeks to go!

 

[MeMom]

2. Disney announced the return of the Wishes dessert party this weekend and they started to take ressies this week. I was able to book the party for our last night, May 8. I'm very excited! (I will not be eating dancing bananas, I will be focusing on the chocolate!)
I PROMISE another flashback update tomorrow...oh yeah and...

What hours will you be at that party? That might be where we meet you, either before you go in or after it's over. We can work that out later. Since we have the little ones, I'm guessing it would more likely be before you go in.

 

[Megablocks]

The Wishes dessert party sounds like so much fun! I wish they had been doing that when we were there.

Sorry your flights are being messed with, especially after you planned it so well. I can't believe you are just FIVE weeks away!

 

[sunny_stace]

I wonder if I can sneak a dessert party in! That is so great that you got one booked! too bad your team lost the game but I'm glad you guys had fun. Sorry all of your flight info keeps getting changed, I hope this wont dampen your excitement! Not long now!

 

[SoonerGirl]

I saw the end of your game last night after we got home from baseball, I was thinking about you!

That's too bad about your flight times being messed with and having to get up soooooooo early on your last day, but really I think that is better than getting home too late and not being able to see your kids on Mother's day.

That's very exiciting that you'll get to spend a day with your parents!

Oh, and I'm totally doing the 5 week dance with you!!

 

[jenniferkeala808]

aww so sorry about your flight change...but you're right, at least it doesn't mess with your ARRIVAL day!!

Yay for Wishes Dessert Party!! I was thinking about making an ADR and I even called but...I decided not to. We are already doing so many great things that we can save that for the next time we go!! Another reason to go back!! wooho! You will need to show us pictures!!

Yay for your parents joining you folks! that's exciting!!

And 5 weeks?!?!?! I'll do a little dance for that!!!!

Can you believe it?! The time has gone by so fast!! woohoo!!

 

[Cory's Gal]

Everything is coming together so nice Katie! When we have flown Air Tran in the past, the messed up with our flight plans too, not as crazy as yours though!! I am glad you were able to get a solution, bummer you may be catching ME so early though!!

The Princess iron on has got to be the cutest one I have seen!! I also like the bleach pen idea!! Thanks for posting those!! I don't get over to the DISign board much!!

5 weeks dance for you!!!! (Sadly for me 5 weeks means my trip will be over)

 

[jenniferkeala808]

5 weeks dance for you!!!! (Sadly for me 5 weeks means my trip will be over)

WE DON'T WANNA THINK ABOUT THAT RIGHT?! I'm soo looking forward to our trip but I don't want it to be over !!

 

[kschafer]

Sorry your team lost. I have to admit, I've not watched the first game this year. Kevin's team had a bad season and didn't get invited to the tourney, so he really hasn't had it on as much.

How much fun to get to spend the day with your parents while you're at Disney!

YAY! 5 weeks to go!

Greg and I are both big basketball fans so we usually get into the playoffs and keep track of how teams are doing. This year has just been particularly sweet watching the Panthers accomplish something that has never been done!

I think it will be fun to spend a day with them. I'm anxious to hear which day they decide to joing us. I didn't mention the F&G festival to Mom, that may sway her decision.

What hours will you be at that party? That might be where we meet you, either before you go in or after it's over. We can work that out later. Since we have the little ones, I'm guessing it would more likely be before you go in.

Wishes is at 10 that night so the party starts at 9. We would love to meet up with you in MK sometime this day. We will probably arrive sometime mid-afternoon so anytime that evening is good!

The Wishes dessert party sounds like so much fun! I wish they had been doing that when we were there.

Sorry your flights are being messed with, especially after you planned it so well. I can't believe you are just FIVE weeks away!

Maybe next time, it sure is popular! I've decided to forget the flight issues and refocus on the fact I am going to Disney!

I wonder if I can sneak a dessert party in! That is so great that you got one booked! too bad your team lost the game but I'm glad you guys had fun. Sorry all of your flight info keeps getting changed, I hope this wont dampen your excitement! Not long now!

oooh, I hope you get a dessert party squeezed in!

 

[kschafer]

I saw the end of your game last night after we got home from baseball, I was thinking about you!

That's too bad about your flight times being messed with and having to get up soooooooo early on your last day, but really I think that is better than getting home too late and not being able to see your kids on Mother's day.

That's very exiciting that you'll get to spend a day with your parents!

Oh, and I'm totally doing the 5 week dance with you!!

Yes, despite the early morning departure, this was the best option to allow us to spend Mother's Day with our kids. We joked that we had better pack our souvenirs in our carry-on because I'm not going to bet on our checked luggage surviving a double layover and the kids won't let us in the house without gifts

aww so sorry about your flight change...but you're right, at least it doesn't mess with your ARRIVAL day!!

Yay for Wishes Dessert Party!! I was thinking about making an ADR and I even called but...I decided not to. We are already doing so many great things that we can save that for the next time we go!! Another reason to go back!! wooho! You will need to show us pictures!!

Yay for your parents joining you folks! that's exciting!!

And 5 weeks?!?!?! I'll do a little dance for that!!!!

Can you believe it?! The time has gone by so fast!! woohoo!!

I would seriously be pissed off if this was our arrival flight! I'm not sure how we will eat all the food we have planned but I just know I would never do most of these things with the entire family because of the cost. It's funny how $26 doen't sound too bad when it is just me and not x4!

Everything is coming together so nice Katie! When we have flown Air Tran in the past, the messed up with our flight plans too, not as crazy as yours though!! I am glad you were able to get a solution, bummer you may be catching ME so early though!!

The Princess iron on has got to be the cutest one I have seen!! I also like the bleach pen idea!! Thanks for posting those!! I don't get over to the DISign board much!!

5 weeks dance for you!!!! (Sadly for me 5 weeks means my trip will be over)

I vented about this over on the transportation board and it sounds like this is quite common with AirTran. it's too bad because they came into the Des Moines market to compete with the direct flights offered by Allegiant but I don't think Allegiant has that reputation, they don't have enough flights to shuffle people around.

glad you like the shirts. I'm going to have to get going on making them!

WE DON'T WANNA THINK ABOUT THAT RIGHT?! I'm soo looking forward to our trip but I don't want it to be over !!

I'm with Keala, focus on how much sooner you will be there!

 

[kschafer]

So last I left you, we had wrapped up our time at the house with my parents, brothers and their families. Our little family had plans to stay an additional 4 nights at Old Key West. On our final morning was spent packing everything up from the house as everyone went their separate ways. We left about 10 or so and checked into the resort then headed to…

We didn’t really have any big goals for this day. TSMM had a 2 ½ hour standby wait and FP’s were gone for the day so we scratched that off our list so we headed over toward

We grabbed FP’s for ToT and RnR figuring Greg and I could do them solo and take turns with the boys. We stopped for lunch then headed to the back of the park where the boys played for awhile

And we took in some of the sights

And saw these guys out for a stroll

We then decided to visit Playhouse Disney again (25 minutes of air conditioned bliss!)

Then I took off with my set of FP’s while Greg and the boys wandered some of the gift shops

Even with the FP’s, mid-June crowds means return times are still fairly long and by the time I caught back up with the boys, the parade was going and we had 3:30 dinner ADR’s at Mama Melroses so Greg never got to use the other passes. If I remember correctly, Daniel slept through this dinner.

After dinner we hoped to catch the last Indiana Jones show but we just missed it and they wouldn’t let us in the theater after it started so we kind of wandered around looking for something to kill some time that didn’t involve lines or heat when we stumbled upon One Man’s Dream. What a fantastic exhibit!! This was not on my must do list but we truly loved it!

Then we decided to check out the Animator’s studio

It was very busy but we stood in line to meet this guy

About this time we needed to head back to the front of the park toward the special entrance for Fantasmic and we stopped for a PP

Then waited for the show to begin. The boys had never seen the wave before and got a huge kick out of it!

After the show, we headed back to our room because we had a long day tomorrow