MagicBands + Margaritas + Muggles + Minions = TRP. New TR link is up! 10/31

[annmarieda]

Glad you had a good Easter and got all of your goals done! Hopefully drama stays to a minimum and you continue to have a great trip!!!

 

[natebenma]

That was quite a NYE!!!

I would have enjoyed the experience of walking backstage. Like once.

Sorry about the line drama you had at Test Track.

Dinner sounds like a lot of fun- we haven't been to Biergarten, but it sounds just right for a big group. Glad the wait was not the full hour.

Too funny about waiting in line for hats readily available elsewhere!

1) You had never been on Maelstrom?
2) You watched the movie?
3) And enjoyed it???



The troll pictures are hilarious! I have seen many versions and poses with the troll, but this is the first time I have seen a GQ-esque style pictures.

Illuminations+ sounds awesome!!!

.

 

[natebenma]

Hope everything is going well out in California for all!

I was sorry to read about your drama and about your father in law's extreme vertigo- sending positive energy that he is improving with treatment and therapy.

So glad to hear you were able to work out the details of coverage for your trip, though.

The only other drama is Evan about how and what to pack for the band trip. Who knew it could be so complicated. His luggage was due to school this morning. They don't leave till Saturday am but the luggage goes tonight, on the truck with instruments and uniforms. The "what goes in your luggage versus what CAN go into your carryon backpack" and the whole required liquids in baggies, size of liquid, what constitutes a liquid in the eyes of TSA...

Seriously dude, just do what they say. You can't argue. How he does not get that is beyond me, it's hardly his first flight or trip!

Oh.my.word!!!!

This cracked me up. We had similar packing issues with the 8th grade class trip. The luggage had to be delivered to the school in advance and they were allowed just one small carryon.

Now Nate is no stranger to travel. I would have thought he knew the rules of what is allowed in carry-ons from past trips and if not, from all of the reminders given to the students before the trip.

He had a full size deodorant in his string bag.

And it went through security without any issues.

I didn't learn this until we were in Florida.

Sheesh!

 

[afwdwfan]

You can't tell that well by scale but just imagine...

190 roller bags/duffles (a few of which I swear kids were packing like they were moving out of state, HUGE suitcases)

100+ band instruments including sousaphones, drum kits, etc

50+ Orchestra instrusments including huge cello's and bases

Flags

Bagpipes

Oh and the 190 uniforms all stored inside garment boxes...there must have been 20 of those huge boxes. You can kind of see a row in the back of the truck. They'd do a row of those, fill with luggage and instruments, a row of those...and on and on to get stuff secure. Violin and Viola cases had to be placed a certain way. And it doesn't include flutes, clarinets, oboes and piccolo's. Those kids were told to carry theirs on.

I have never seen so much STUFF in my life!

I am SOOOO glad I will not be at that hotel when they are unloading.

Wow! That's a lot of stuff. I'm glad you get to miss out on the unloading portion.

I hope the performance went well Sunday and you're having a good time!

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

I won't admit to which ones I'm admitting to. Okay, I think I've only seen the original cast. Was that two or three?

The original cast did American Pie, American Pie 2, American Wedding and American Reunion.

 

[eandesmom]

Have a safe flight! ......... and Happy Easter!

Thanks Karin! I hope yours was wonderful too

Yay! You'll be there in no time!

And sadly, am now back. BOO!

So loving your thread...My DH and I have 4 kiddos between us ranging in age from 5 to 8. My stepmom actually adopted me I have been running 1/2 marathons and in the midst of planning our 1st WDW trip I decided to train for a full marathon. I have been to Disneyland hundreds of times growing up in Cali but I have been told WDW will take me breath away. Can't wait to finish reading or catching up!

! So happy to have you here

I have to admit, at this point I have less than zero to run a marathon but I suppose you never know!

It's so funny, we obviously live a ton closer to Cali, my DH grew up going to DL but we've really not been much at all. It was odd to be doing kind of a reverse comparison. Each has their pro's and con's I think.

Have a great trip!

Thanks!!!!!!!!! We did!

Coming out of lurkdom to say great TR Cynthia and hope you have safe travels.

Hi Bill! Thanks for delurking, always loving having you around.

Also coming out of lurkdom to say it must have been a man packing all that equipment and luggage to make it fit if my household is any example. Let the flaming begin ladies!

I think it depends on the guy. In my house, I'd win, hands down.

However in this instance...you are right. It was a man. I met Mr Logistics at the end of the trip and we had a nice packing chat. It was insane! They did have about 50 less suitcases at the end as that many kids stayed longer with family.

Going back into lurkdom now as I dodge rapid refill mugs, suitcases and a broken memory card coming my way!

Hmmm....is someone tossing them at you or are you packing, or unpacking?

BOO on the broken memory card.

 

[eandesmom]

Hope everything has gone well.

It did!

Mostly

"One time at band camp...." Sorry, couldn't resist. Hopefully I'm not the only one who will admit to seeing that movie.

Is it wrong to admit? Why????

Glad you had a nice time! I can't wait to read about it!

We did, I need to figure out what I'm going to do. I generally suck at more than one TR at once and the May trip is quite soon so...am likely to just do a delayed TR once I wrap this one up? There really is too much I think to embed it inside this one and then I find that confusing...the 2 in one thing (For me, not anyone else that does it mind you) Which means I best get busy as we still have a lot left on the NYE trip!

for being able to go back to bed!

Glad you are having a good time, but not glad about more drama.

BOO for drama for sure.

The extra sleep was good

Which of them are you admitting too. I'll say I've seen all the ones with the original cast ond only Band camp with the spinoff ones.

I have to look, I think I've seen more than one but...my brain is a colander

I won't admit to which ones I'm admitting to. Okay, I think I've only seen the original cast. Was that two or three?

 

[eandesmom]

Glad you had a good Easter and got all of your goals done! Hopefully drama stays to a minimum and you continue to have a great trip!!!

I'd put it mostly in the annoying category, not true drama and the drama we did have was manageable after a bit. Unfortunate though.

Easter was lovely

That was quite a NYE!!!

It was!!!!!!!!

I would have enjoyed the experience of walking backstage. Like once.

Yeah. Twice was even ok. The 3rd time? Not so much.

Sorry about the line drama you had at Test Track.

BLEH

Dinner sounds like a lot of fun- we haven't been to Biergarten, but it sounds just right for a big group. Glad the wait was not the full hour.

Me too!

Too funny about waiting in line for hats readily available elsewhere!

I am not sure funny is the word we used

1) You had never been on Maelstrom?
2) You watched the movie?
3) And enjoyed it???

I never claimed to be normal

The troll pictures are hilarious! I have seen many versions and poses with the troll, but this is the first time I have seen a GQ-esque style pictures.

Yeah, just wait till you see his Cali pics

Illuminations+ sounds awesome!!!

.

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope everything is going well out in California for all!

I was sorry to read about your drama and about your father in law's extreme vertigo- sending positive energy that he is improving with treatment and therapy.

Thanks! I am hoping there has been improvement by the time Jeff gets out there.

So glad to hear you were able to work out the details of coverage for your trip, though.

Me too, I had a scary few moments. I was pretty sure it would be ok but until you KNOW...you don't know.

This cracked me up. We had similar packing issues with the 8th grade class trip. The luggage had to be delivered to the school in advance and they were allowed just one small carryon.

Now Nate is no stranger to travel. I would have thought he knew the rules of what is allowed in carry-ons from past trips and if not, from all of the reminders given to the students before the trip.

He had a full size deodorant in his string bag.

And it went through security without any issues.

I didn't learn this until we were in Florida.

Sheesh!

Well if it isn't a liquid one, it's ok. The solid stuff doesn't count. Roll on though...would just depend on the actual oz. Not the size.

Wow! That's a lot of stuff. I'm glad you get to miss out on the unloading portion.

Me too!

I hope the performance went well Sunday and you're having a good time!

We did! Home now. BOO!

The original cast did American Pie, American Pie 2, American Wedding and American Reunion.

Ok, I saw the original and 2.

 

[rentayenta]

You're back! Can't wait to hear all about it.

Your trip with MEK is so close too.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Welcome back!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

I just went back and caught up on your NYE. What a crowd! I have to give you credit for braving it, but you can't have the experience if you're not there, right? Sounds like you had a great time, in spite of the down moments. I'm glad you got your HATS! IKWYM about the blonde dancer - classic. Sorry about the boat incident. Yeah, pretty soon you'll be doing 3 TRs at once!

 

[dizneeat]

Welcome back, Cynthia!
Time sure did fly by.

 

[heaven2dc]

I just found your TR and am on page 20 so a little late lol Fun time so far and I think you're still on your first day of your trip. I have a question tho....is Jingle Cruise a name used for the Jungle Cruise during the holidays? I'm just curious

Loved that the teenagers chose It's a Small World - when my youngest 3 sons went with me in 2010 they barely went on anything at MK. Just hit BTMR, Splash Mountain and Space Mountain and quick look at the castle. Oh ..and we did Monsters Inc Laugh Factory.

 

[eandesmom]

We had a great trip! A very different trip in many ways but great nonetheless. I have to figure out what I am going to do regarding a TR. There is really too much, both in content and pictures, to just stick it in the middle of this one but I kind of suck at more than one TR at a time. So I am leaning towards finishing this one first and then doing the DL one.

Which means I'd better get busy huh!

Especially since 2 weeks from Today, I will be in Florida

I do have to admit one thing.

Ok maybe a couple of things.

I LOVE my family.

I love going on vacation with them.

We had a GREAT trip.

But.

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited for an adult only (non relative) relaxing trip where I am only responsible for me it's not even funny.

We did have some drama (though not with each other as the above comment might imply) and I am looking forward to a trip without that. At least I certainly don't expect any of it.

I am also REALLY REALLY looking forward to a trip sleeping in a real bed. I loved the VGC. However, the sofabeds there are NOT the same ones used in the WDW villas. I love my parents but....I don't think I'll ever give up the master bedroom again. If Eric has this same trip in 4 years (as is the tentative plan)....I am going to have to figure out a different room scenario assuming we can even get VGC.

Seriously though, it was absolutely magical to watch our kids march down main street, bizarre and cool to see school families and friends all over the parks and share some experiences together, amazing to see the sun rise over the beach on easter, and truly wonderful to have a couple of fabulous DISmeets. We had some great food. Some not so great. Some great weather, a little bit of pool time, a lot of park time despite the serious crowds. I am hoping that my May trip is a bit less crowded, that part was not so great.

I did find myself doing a LOT of comparison, some good and some bad and I will share it all, once I get the report started. There are a lot of differences, perhaps more than I expected. Knowing I'd be back in August helped as there was less internal pressure to "do" things and I am more excited than ever for that trip. Although I suspect the crowds will be quite similar.

Is it wrong that I actually missed FP+???????

So I am off to do a run, the first one since Easter (walking in the parks counts, right?) in vastly different weather but hope to get a NYE update up today and make a dent before I head back to sunny happy places.

 

[eandesmom]

You're back! Can't wait to hear all about it.

Your trip with MEK is so close too.

2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a good thing

I need a vacation from my vacation!

Or just really....some me time.

It was a great trip.

Welcome back!

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!! We had a great time

I just went back and caught up on your NYE. What a crowd! I have to give you credit for braving it, but you can't have the experience if you're not there, right? Sounds like you had a great time, in spite of the down moments. I'm glad you got your HATS! IKWYM about the blonde dancer - classic. Sorry about the boat incident. Yeah, pretty soon you'll be doing 3 TRs at once!

NYE was magical. I think it truly helped that we were all mentally prepared for it. Or most of us were and as a result, and thanks to FP+ and our ADR it was doable. That and being able to walk home!

I can't manage 3 at once. I am fairly sure MEK will do our trip and I'll just chime in and on the DL one I may wait to start until this one is done. We will see but it's going to take a bit to get photos organized anyway, photopass ordered, etc so that's what I'm kind of hoping. They may overlap but I'd prefer they didn't.

Welcome back, Cynthia!
Time sure did fly by.

Thanks Karin! I hope to get caught up everywhere this week.

I just found your TR and am on page 20 so a little late lol Fun time so far and I think you're still on your first day of your trip. I have a question tho....is Jingle Cruise a name used for the Jungle Cruise during the holidays? I'm just curious

Yes, it's just a cute little rename/retheme for the holidays. This was the first year of it. Which reminds me. I NEED to get one of the posters for it, I hope they do it again this year.

Loved that the teenagers chose It's a Small World - when my youngest 3 sons went with me in 2010 they barely went on anything at MK. Just hit BTMR, Splash Mountain and Space Mountain and quick look at the castle. Oh ..and we did Monsters Inc Laugh Factory.

They cracked me up with the it's a small world. I actually love that about my kids, they do want to try everything once. We hit most of FL this past week which really surprised me but they were totally up for it.

Then again it could have had something to do with the fact that Grandpa was the one asking to do them...not mom.

 

[GoofyFan1515]

Welcome back! I can't wait to hear all about your trip and those differences you mentioned.

for only two weeks until you are back at DW! I know you are going to have a great time with Mary Ellen and all of the DISmeets you have planned! I hope you have really good weather to enjoy, and not all the rain you seemed to have during your NYE trip.

 

[Linda67]

Cool, it's like we are getting a little bonus trip report

 

[eandesmom]

I am going to do my best to get caught up on everyone's threads this week but thought I'd get an update up, first! While I'd have loved to get it up earlier...it was a bit nutty upon the return home. We got home a little after midnight on Thursday and I had an 8am breakfast meeting about an hour away (in rush hour traffic, 30 min otherwise), a new trainee to work with, 3 deadlines for different submissions at the office and had to take (and pick up) Jeff from a doctor's appointment as it was one he wouldn't be allowed to drive after. Then yesterday, in a very circle of life kind of way, I had a funeral..and a baby shower to attend. I was able to have a nice date night with Jeff after all that, much needed for both of us, while the E's had various plans that didn't involve them sleeping at home. Today I managed my first run since Easter and while it wasn't horrid, I did feel my knee again which bummed me out. It will be interesting to see what the week brings.

Enough of all that though, it's a NEW YEAR! at least on my TR it is.


When I left you, we'd had a lovely, late and long New Years Eve. We did have plans for the day but blessedly, they weren't terribly early.

Nor were they far away. Today we were off to see Hollywood, again. See it that is, after everyone slept in and had breakfast in the villa. If memory serves, Melissa and the boys took off first, around 11 I think. I think I may have had work to do, a few emails to send. And Jeff....well Jeff had a problem.

He hadn't packed his rain jacket. (this one I was not blamed for )

It was raining.

So he went shopping.

While I called engineering, as well, our dryer still wasn't drying. With a soggy day, that was less than ideal.

While Jeff was shopping and I was sitting, Mel and the boys hit Star Tours and honestly…I've no idea what else. Mom and Dad hit Tower of Terror. Jeff (SHOCKER) did not find a jacket he liked at the 2 Boardwalk shops. We decided to look at DHS versus hitting up the YC or BC shops. The two options he could find were "ok" and if he had to, he would, but they were pricey for something deemed just ok.

Finally, a little before 1pm, we made it over



Yep, soggy





Now I don't remember how it all played out but somehow Eric got to go on Tower, twice. None of the other boys wanted to ride it so he went with my folks, and then us. And yes, it WOULD be nice if he’d wear a different sweatshirt. Really Brenda and Allison (who both saw him in it I think) I do wash it!!!!









We had arranged that at a certain time, all the girls (myself, Mel, Mom and Kerri) would meet at the bus and the boys would all...fend for themselves. Do whatever it is boys do and hopefully, feed the younger ones.

Of course I stopped for a photo on the way to the bus (and in a moment of no rain).













With that...

It was Tea Time!

Where, we pretended to be ladylike





Except for me, who has a thing for the gentleman's offering...which was cheese, pate and port. Except they let me swap the port for bubbly!





They made Melissa's with special gluten free bread (deemed just ok)



Melissa's gluten dessert free option



Kerri's dessert choice



And mom's



I did NOT do well at the pictures. We were all rather soggy, dragging just a little from NYE (or being pregnant, or from shingles flaring up) and feeling unphotogenic. Despite that, we did love the tea. We all had different teas and enjoyed all the treats and just being together away from the madness of the crowds and yes...the kids and big boys too.

Continued in next post

 

[eandesmom]

Continued from previous

While seated, I realized that I had a problem.

I had no lipgloss.

Somehow, on NYE it had fallen out of my bag. Both tubes. I cannot function without lipgloss. I'd been managing with chapstick but it’s not the same. Not remotely. And I'd promised Jeff to check out the rain jacket options as we suspected the selection would be a bit different at the Grand Flo.

And they were. I found 2 that might do.









3 tubes of Disney gloss later (it was a buy one, get one deal...I gave one to Melissa) and a black quick silver jacket (that was SO much nicer than the one he forgot that he would have brought and so much easier for travel and running than his truly waterproof gortex...he used it for our 15K) we were on our way back to Hollywood!

Except...we had a dinner reservation that well, felt like it was pushing it. Both in terms of time…and food.

A Dancing Spectacle"]A Dancing Spectacle[/URL]

 

[PrincessInOz]

Great pictures at HS. Love the magic one of you and Tink. But my favourite is the one of you on the side, looking straight down the barrel of the camera and straight at me with your palm up. That's a great shot!

A wet day, a girlie afternoon and no lip gloss???

Poor Jeff. First no drink container large enough.....now no jacket not "just okay" enough. Glad to see that he did get a Quick Silver one in the end. And that you got your lip gloss (looks nice!!).

Hope the dryer got fixed.


Oh....and I totally get Eric and his one sweatshirt. My DS is about the same age and absolutely the same with his favourite clothes. He seems to wear the same t-shirt and the same sweatshirt all the time. The sweatshirt is way too small this year and he's STILL reluctant to part with it.