Less than 1 week, I think I might pee myself!.......a PTR

[addictedtothemouse]

Yay for being booked!
I don't check on extra magic hour days. I just book what I feel like on certain days. First day is always MK and we do Spirit of Aloha on the Wednesday that we're there otherwise it's what I feel like at the time.
I hope you get a pin, my first pin went to my spam folder in my e-mail so don't forget to check that.

 

[starann]

I will check my SPAM, but usually NOTHING goes in there....so my email box is my spam box as well!!!!

I just say you are staying at Poly......one of these years we will stay at one of the monorail resorts....most likely by then my boys will be too big to care about the monorail !!!!

 

[addictedtothemouse]

I don't think they ever get too big to care about the monorail. This trip is for DD graduation for HS, we let her choose the resort, I'm just glad she didn't choose the Grand Floridian!

 

[starann]

I have been planning and plodding our ADRs, looking at crowd sheets, park hours and so on, only to have DH throw a wrench into my plans when he announced last night (the night before my 180day mark) that he wanted to do 1 park per day! WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Since when? Since he doesn;t want to have to waste time traveling back and forth between parks. Ok, so I start to change everything, then he tells me, well, we will be going back to the resort for naps for the kids (and him).............so what is the difference if we do 2 parks in 1 day? UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I went ahead and made ADRs, for the times I think are best (again, he says now, it doesn't matter, although I'm almost willing to bet that come time for our trip, he will be asking my why the ADRs are at the time they are at!).


Sat the 25th, WCC at 6:30
Sun the 26th, 9 Dragons at 7
Mon the 27th, CP for 8 people (as my nana, Papa, mom and stepfather will join us) at 5:55
Tues the 28, Coral Reef at 7pm
Wed the 29th, LTT for lunch at 1:30
Thurs the 30th, b'fast at CM at 8:10am
Fri the 1st, Kona at 7:55 for dinner
Sat the 2nd, CMC at 6:30
Sun the 3rd, CM or dinner at 6:30
and a just in case for Mon, Ohana at 8:20 (may have to cancel depending on our flights)



SO Excited!

Must go now, DH is yelling at the kids!

 

[starann]

Added T-Rex onto our trip for the waterpark day. I think we are going to CM for bfast, then to one of the water parks (hubbys request...I could take it or leave it). Since they close at 5, and I know we won;t be there all day, I scheduled dinner for 5 or 6 at TRex as we will be going to DTD that night!

I have heard mixed reviews on this place, but I think the boys will like it.


I owe a HUGE life update, maybe this weekend I will get a free moment. Lots has gone on!

 

[starann]

The past few months have gone so quickly.

The End of Feb was Shane's 5th Birthday. I don't know where the last 5 years have gone, my baby is now a big boy (complete with big boy attitude and tantrums).

The early part of March was my 30th B-day!!!!!!!!!!!! I managed to go to dinner twice in 1 week with different groups of friends. DH planned a 'surprise' night away which only got canceled when Granddaddy passed away I drove to NC with my mom and stepdad while DH took care of the kids at home. It was a long week but I was happy I went. My uncle who lives down there is also not doing well, he has had lung cancer with brain mets for several years now and has recently suffered several small strokes. Of course the trip wasn't without family drama, but what funeral isn't!

DH finally got to take me away for my b-day to a B&B. It was very nice, but there wasn't much sleeping involved....now get your head out of the gutter, the bed was VERY not comfortable!

Then we had a bowling party for Shane's b-day with the kids in his pre-K class. We all had so much fun, in fact I think we might go back with friends of ours as it was a really nice time!

The Easter Bunny left us this...........

His name is Dr. Henry Indiana Jones Jr....or Indy for short!


I have now booked EVERYTHING I wanted for our trip.....I even booked O'hana for dinner at 8:55pm on a Wishes night......hopefully DH will approve the food (although I'm sure he will).

I have been trolling my email and his looking for a PIN code. I think I might actaully go crazy until we get one. Orginally, when we were thinking of going back I told DH we could do it for $1,500 give or take. However, that must have been a really good deal cause this trip is costing us double that! And we are staying at a value! We are fine with a value, have stayed in a value on our previous trips, but I would LOVE a Free Dining option OR a 40% off a deluxe although the % off I would have to have the numbers ran to see if it is worth it.

DH looked into flights, but got advice to wait until about 3 to 4 months before the trip to book, which may leave us driving (which is A OK with me!).

Today the boys and I are off to Target and then to see How to Train Your Dragon!!!! A treat for some recent good behavior (after a long period of behavior issues).

This trip can't get here fast enough, although the faster it gets here, the faster it will all be over and DH has already warned "This is it for a long time, I mean it" Then again he said that after our last trip!!!!!

 

[addictedtothemouse]

The time does go fast! My oldest is graduating next month and my youngest is a teenager.
Indie is so cute. DD #3 just got a puppy, she wanted a rabbit, but DH said no. Then he called back and said save a life adopt, a puppy. While the puppy is cute we could have had a $20 rabbit with a $40 cage. The puppy has almost cost us $800. Next time we'll get the rabbit.
I'm sorry you lost your granddaddy.
If DH fusses about when the ADRs are tell him next time he can make the ressies.
I can't believe we'll miss each other by a week. It would have been fun to meet up.

 

[starann]

The time does go fast! My oldest is graduating next month and my youngest is a teenager.
Indie is so cute. DD #3 just got a puppy, she wanted a rabbit, but DH said no. Then he called back and said save a life adopt, a puppy. While the puppy is cute we could have had a $20 rabbit with a $40 cage. The puppy has almost cost us $800. Next time we'll get the rabbit.
I'm sorry you lost your granddaddy.
If DH fusses about when the ADRs are tell him next time he can make the ressies.
I can't believe we'll miss each other by a week. It would have been fun to meet up.

What kind of puppy did you get? Name? We now have 2 dogs, 2 boys, 2 cats and 1 turtle, DH said we needed one more turtle to round everyhting out, but I told him no.....that when we have another baby we will not get another of everythign else too!!!!

That does stink that we will miss each other by a week......who knows, maybe another trip!

 

[addictedtothemouse]

What kind of puppy did you get? Name? We now have 2 dogs, 2 boys, 2 cats and 1 turtle, DH said we needed one more turtle to round everyhting out, but I told him no.....that when we have another baby we will not get another of everythign else too!!!!

That does stink that we will miss each other by a week......who knows, maybe another trip!

We think she's part jack russel terrier and chihuahua.
We have three girls, four if you count my neice who is living with us while she goes to school. 5 dogs, lots of outside cats, a goldfish, and 2 "baby dinosaurs" which is some kind of salamander. And we're waiting on DD15's puppy to be born. Which will bring our dogs to 6. I hope they all take their respective pets as they move out.

 

[starann]

I hope they all take their respective pets as they move out.

I hope so, but I doubt it!!! WE have the turtle, he "Squirt" is 5, and turtles can live up to 30 years!!!! I have pretty much resolved to the fact that I will have a turtle long after my kids are gone and married!

 

[addictedtothemouse]

I hope so, but I doubt it!!! WE have the turtle, he "Squirt" is 5, and turtles can live up to 30 years!!!! I have pretty much resolved to the fact that I will have a turtle long after my kids are gone and married!

Maybe one will have a boy or girl that wants a turtle. Then you can pass it on!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Well, seeing how long it took for me to read your pre-trip, now your trip isn't that far away!

We love Crystal Palace. We go at least once every trip. Sometimes 2 or 3 times. We skipped Coral Reef last year, but we are going back this year. And we love sushi, so we're going to Tokyo Dining and Wolfgang Puck's Cafe.

I don't know if I wish we lived close enough to drive. I am not a big "driver". Being on the plane for 2.5 hours is more than enough travel time, so unless we lived in north FL I don't think the driving thing would work for me.

 

[starann]

So everythign is just about in place for our trip.....hotel is booked, ADRs made. We still haven't booked airfare...waiting on prices and our tax return to get here for that, but you know I am really hoping to drive, so we will see.

I have loaded multiple Apps onto my new i-phone cool1 including Mouse Memo, which I now have saved all my ADR info in (as well as the calendar). I have pretty much picked out what park/what day.

So now what? I look at the food porn and my mouth starts watering. I see food at places I might want to try.....so do I keep tweaking my ADRs or leave them alone? Oh the decisions!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been picking up some stuff here and there on my shopping trips (shhhh, don't tell my husband). I scored some glow necklaces at Target's Dollar Spot! In the Dollar Tree I got the boys 2 swords each...they have a giant glo stick in them. Last trip I found some and we brought them down, we used them at Epcot one night, even gave one away to a little boy next to us. His dad was amazed that 1.we shared and 2.I only paid a dollar for them! Sure beats a Spinner for $15!

The boys will need a shopping trip soon for clothes, as all but about 5 pairs of pants between them have HUGE holes in the knees. I really wonder if their teachers make them walk around on their knees all day long at school?

I too will need clothes. My husband pointed out to me a pair of my work pants have a hole in the pocket....I told him I need to buy more clothes, but I want to wait until I lose weight. I look at pictures of me on past trips and think...ewwwwwww. So starting Monday (we are going to Olive Garden for dinner tonight, so I don't want to start today!) I am going to keep track of what I am eating.

I wish I could start walking, as the weather in PA has been great lately, but I slipped a few weeks ago at work and sprained my knee....yes, most normal people sprain their ankle or wrist....not me, I sprain my knee! I am doing Physical Therapy 3 times a week but I may start to do my Wii again. This way I can pick out the activity. No only if I could add a few hours into the day to get this done!


So do I start tweaking these ADRs? Or leave them be and see if we are hungry enough to eat another TS when we are there and try to get in somewhere?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Star, if you have days with no ADRs where you think you might want them, make them NOW and cancel them later. It almost never works to try to walk up.

 

[addictedtothemouse]

I'd make any ADRs that I might want and cancel the ones I don't want later or if you decide you're not hungry enough for a TS.

 

[starann]

My DH that is. I'm really ready to rip out my hair when it comes to him and out trip!

We went to Olive Garden tonight for dinner . DH and I were talking about our trip and where we are eating and he tells me how he really wanted to do Mickey's BYBBQ. WHAT? When did you tell me this? We did it on our 1st trip in 06, and it was a nice enough time, the food was ok, but for 2 TS I'd rather try HDDR. What kills me is all along he has NEVER said this! Germany, yes.....Italy, yes........ Chef Mickey for b'fast (and dinner), yes.....MBYBBQ, NO!

UGH! This man and changing his damn mind! Of the places we are eating, he has picked a lot of them

Boys picked WCC (and I picked for them as a surprise T-rex)
I picked Coral Reef, Kona, O'hana
He picked 9 Dragons, CM for b'fast and dinner, LTT (which he told me he didn't think we were going to because I said I didn't want dinner there again, so I booked it for lunch)

My mom and Nana picked CP for dinner as we needed something in MK or close that everyone would like (and my Nana is a picky eater) and this way we won't have to leave the park.

How many meals does he think we are eating? I love (insert a whole lotta sarcasm with that 'love') how every time I talk to him about our dining plans he tells me something new. Lesson learned, don't talk to him about the trip!


Of course we started talking about flying and prices. It will cost us about $900 to fly the 4 of us from Philly, plus luggage fees, so bump that to over $1000!!!!!!!!!!! That's a big chunk of change. He then said, "Well, we'll just drive then" Which is what I would prefer, but he has already told the boys we might fly. So of course they are all excited about it.

When we were talking dining places I mentioned how we could try MBYBBQ when we go back. He had already warned me "This is it, for awhile, I mean it" so I knew I was pressing my luck! He told me in 2 years we would be vacationing on the roof (as in our house needs a new roof, so we will be using an extra funds for that), so I said, "ok, so when we go back in 3 years" He told me 4....which might be do-able.......unless I can hit the lottery before then! At least he wants to go back!


I belong to SR and have about $65 there, hoping to bump it up to $100 before our trip for spending $$$. I also have about 4000 Mypoints and it's 6700 (I think) for a $50 Landry's GC....so I just got $75 in books from B&N for about 750 MP!!!!!!! We have a $25 Landrys card a DISer sent me, so with that and the $50 there is dinner at Trex! The boys also have $25 GC to Build a Bear from their b-days, so I'll bring them so they can each build a dino! Now if only I could start getting Lego GC I'd be the best mom in the world!!!

After Easter I found a Mickey piggy bank...it's about a foot and a half tall and 6in round with Mickey ears at the top. I told the kids and DH this would be a Mickey bank, so all change and loose bills have been going in there. DH took the old hot water heater (ours broke about 2 weeks ago and we got a new one for $400 and DH's friend put it in for FREE) and air compressor to the scrap yard. He got $20! Granted $20 is no where near the $400 we paid, but it's a lot more than if we would have had the garbage men come and take it. He was going to use to toward dinner and I told him we had money for dinner, to put it in the bank!

Speaking of GC. Tonight we were at Olive Garden, waiting for our food when an older couple from the table in back of us came over and said "We just wanted top let you know how wonderful your children are behaving. Here please have this. You are doing a great job as parents. We only wish our grandchildren were half as well behaved as your boys" They gave us a $25 Olive Garden GC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not only did they save us a bunch of money, it was so nice to have others notice when our children are good! I have done similar things in the past...gave an extra coupon to someone behind me in line or an extra toy to a child, but this was $25!!!!!!!!

So for as crazy as DH made me, tonight was pretty decent!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Star, I have a chart of our trip. It is in blocks for each day and shows day, date, estimated crowd level, which park we'll be in, park hours, where we are eating for all 3 meals w/ADR times, parade/firework times, and any other info that is specific for that day (Star Wars weekend stuff, housekeeping for the villa, Town Car pick up time, special events like DIS meets, etc.). I keep the chart in my planning notebook, and DH is welcome to review the chart at any time. If there are additions/deletions/adjustments he wants, he needs to say so.

 

[addictedtothemouse]

I don't have to worry about it. DH doesn't get Disney and the girls are only allowed a certain number of meals to choose so if they change their minds they have to decide which other ADR to give up.

 

[starann]

YAY! Our tax return came in today!!!!!! Looks like I'll be calling Disney to pay our trip off!!!!!

DH said he was going to look at flight tonight....ugh, looks like we will be flying. So since we don't have enough luggage, I just ordered some!!!

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/lug...248/Prodigy+Hudson+5pc+Floral+Luggage+Set.jsp

DH asked why would I order luggage when we have a suitcase....silly, silly man, he thinks 1 suitcase will be enough for us!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I got a click to save from SW.....do they charge luggage fees? Other than that it is Air Tran and I know they do. The only thing about SW is that the click deal is for one-way tickets for the day we leave, but not the day we come home, so we may be flying 2 different carriers....anyone ever do this? Does it mess with ME?

We haven't flown as a family ever and actually I have never had to book airfare my self (when I went to LV last year, my mom booked the flights). What other kinds of hidden fees should I expect?


I got the boys WALL E towels yesterday at TDS for $10. I just ordered DH an OtterBox for his phone from ebay and the luggage from Kohls.com (free shipping on both) and for points for MyPoints. I have about 1200 more points til a $50 Landrys GC, so I have some more shopping to do!!!

I also have started to do more with SR. I have about $64 in there and want to get up to $100 for a WDW GC for our trip. So that means more surveys for me...did 1 last night and 1 today....getting there!

Now I am off to the Vera bradley website to see what they have on sale...I need (well, want) a new purse!!!!

 

[addictedtothemouse]

I have no clue about flying fees. I haven't flown since July 2001. Not that I wouldn't but I find it cheaper to drive with all of us.