DL Band Trip
We are under 30 days!!!!!!!!!!!!! And finally found out which day the band will be performing. They will be marching, somewhere, at sometime on
EASTER
Yep.
Sigh.

for under thirty days! I think performing on Easter kinda is both neat and...well, not so neat.
Sunday (Easter). Park Day. Check out of studio and into 1B. Breakfast either at Steakhouse 55 or Ralph Brennans. REALLY hoping for Ralph Brennans but it will depend on the performance time. Dinner most likely counter service in park but will wait to figure that out until we know performance time (supposed to know by 4/1). Original plan had been to have an Easter dinner in the villa, but now that its going to be a park day and given that we do want Easter breakfast somewhere because 1) it's Easter and 2) we will be without a full kitchen until that night we figure that we will not want to also take time during the day to go to the grocery store. I don'[t see church happening this day either which is a bit of a bummer but it is what it is. However there appears to be a fun Egg Hunt so we will look into that.
Easter day definitely looks like it will be a memorable one! An egg hunt? IN disney?
Monday. Given the performance schedule, Monday will probably not be a park day. At least it won't for my folks, they plan to visit with friends at least in the afternoon. Mom and I "may" look at a spa visit in the morning but nothing is booked yet. I am not sure what I want to do with my day. It will partially depend on where my folks are headed to meet their friends. Once they firm up their plans, I will firm up mine. Or let Eric plan the day
Spa time just you and your mom sounds nice.
Tuesday will be a park day, we will be getting Evan after lunch.
Wednesday will be a park day with a very special DISmeet after lunch! Lunch will be at the Blue Bayou.

for park days and dismeets!!!
Thursday will most likely be a park day as well as our flight doesnt leave until 8. We do have breakfast booked at Storytellers.
I will be interested in how you like your breakfast there. I think that was one of the places I think sounded good for breakfast. (since they have a mimosa there, right?

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I did go ahead and order the photopass pre-buy. Yes, I am that crazy despite the drama from the NYE trip. DL is still on the old site and right now its just mom and I so should be pretty simple (HA!).
Despite multiple not so great pp/mm experiences, I tend to always go back to getting one too...
I've also done a little shopping. Sigh. BOTH boys have outgrown almost everything since Christmas.
Boys are so hard that that age... the GROW and GROW and GROW!
Girls Flower and Garden Trip
We have made a few changes here. First we found out that there will be special fireworks at DHS during Star Wars weekends. We moved our Cali Grill reservation so that we can be at DHS on the night they are offered during our trip.
How cool! I sometimes think that Fantasmic is just too much of a commitment and wish that there was a firework display at DHS.
We also booked a very special experience.
DVC is pushing "membership magic". Which, I have to admit as time goes on, is getting some fun perks. This one was for spa bookings. DVC normally gets you a 15% discount. But on Tuesdays from 5-8 it can also get you
- A glass of wine
- A $25 service upgrade/enhancement
- A free product sample.
They had Mary Ellen and I at glass of wine! We changed our Beaches and Cream dinner, to a lunch and booked ourselves for some pampering!
Right now we have several DISmeets scheduled, firming up some of the details but it is going to be a very DIS filled trip I think!
That is so neat! I have not really paid attention to the membership magic stuff. I probably really should.
½ Marathon DL Trip
I had the chance to meet with Ann for coffee on Friday. It was a GORGEOUS (though a bit windy) day here and we were able to sit outside at Starbucks and enjoy the sun and just chat about the race, training, life, kids, upcoming trips, race costumes, all kinds of stuff! So much fun. The time just flew
No major changes here so far. We have decided on transportation (town car) and the general need for a few dining reservations (probably for dinner both Friday and Saturday and then a post race breakfast, the rest will be counter service). ADR's for Cali though won't be until the end of June. We do still need a flight there but have plenty of time and are watching fares.
I kinda feel like we don't really need to do a lot of planning. It is such a short trip... and we both seem to be pretty laid back. That being said... I dod still watch for that flight there. (kinda have to get there in order for the weekend to start.

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My training has been going relatively well though my various injuries have slowed it down just a little. I have been being much more aggressive with PT and massage and am definitely seeing improvement. Jeff and I did run 9.1 miles yesterday which, while closer to the 15K than I'd have liked, given that I took a full 6 days off from running before that, I think will be ok. I will only have a short run either tomorrow or weds before the actual race. It was SO gorgeous here, it was just incredible. It went really really well so I am pretty excited for Saturday which is definitely a training run for the ½. The week off and focus on rehab and strength made a pretty huge difference. Of course it's nice today and then the rain is supposed to hit and last through the weekend. Which is a CRAZY weekend on so many levels, the race being just one aspect of it. Boo for rain! Tempted to get a new jacket but I don't want to break it in at the race so will just pray it's dry and suck it up if it isn't. Other than that we are registered for a 12K in April and an 8K in May and Ill just continue training. I did learn where my threshold was for replacing my shoes. Sadly it was earlier than Id hoped and well, some of those injuries were definitely due to waiting too long to swap. Lesson learned!
I am super impressed with your training. I am fully prepared to be waving you on in August. Honestly, it will be nice to have someone waiting for me at the finish line.
Fall F&W and Southern Caribbean Cruise Trip
We hit our ADR day for the pre-cruise stay over the weekend. Right now I think this is what we are looking at. Basically it was anything Jeff wanted and requested, I really had no strong feelings about anything. LOL! His feelings were somewhat surprising and somewhat not.
Thursday arrival after red eye: Will just try to do a walk in for a breakfast, if not maybe head straight over to see if Kiosks have soft openings as rumored to be the case. Probably our dinner plan as well. Right now the Mediterranean Market at the Dolphin (or Swan, I forget which one) is my leading candidate for breakfast if we get there in time.
I am really trying to figure out a breakfast for after the ToT race. I would like it to be in the BW area... I had not even considered the Swan or Dolphin.
Friday. Most likely run and then hit the bakery, F&W kiosks for lunch and then Raglan Road for dinner (and avoid the local crush for F&W as the first official night). I booked the RR ADR
but via Open Table. This way, no CC hold and easier to cancel and not stress about changing my mind morning of and missing that 24 hour window. We may well decide to just eat at the kiosks all night.
I can see booking through open table being a much better idea. I am not totally against the CC hold...because I do think people were abusing the system. (booking multiple multiple ADRs for one time) However, sometimes you do need to cancel last minute....
Saturday after cruise. Right now planning on Sanaa for dinner (staying at AKV). Question is whether to make an ADR or not. While I think our chances of being able to walk in are decent, it is a Saturday night. It is also during food and wine though! Problem is, if we change our mind, as we will be on the cruise we wont be able to easily cancel (or know if we will have internet connection
really dont plan to pay for it although I guess you never know). Thoughts?
I think I probably would not make an ADR. Just in case...
Sunday after cruise. Raglan Road for brunch. We may be fooded out after the cruise but we loved it so much this past trip (spoiler!) that Jeff really wanted to go again. And to go for dinner too. Both of which were fine with me! I plan to book this on Open Table once it gets to 180 days. Dinner at F&W.
It has been so long since I have been to RR. So hard though to pick a great table service and do food and wine AND not get fooded out. Throw in that cruise too and I can see why you might have a hard time planning.
Monday after Cruise. Boma for Breakfast and F&W for late lunch before heading to the airport. Same question here...do we we really need an ADR?
Last fall, my ADR was lost and we still were able to get in no problem.
I've had 2 of our September flights drop a little in price so have a small credit at Jet Blue and Alaska respectively. I almost got another credit on the April trip but we have 5 tickets on that flight and only 3 were available at the lower price so it cant be reduced unless it can match all 5. Oh well!
At least you got some small credit for the septmember flights!!
Up next, New Years Eve!!!!!!!!!! Let's get the party started.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
So we went!
To the hot tub!
And spent a lovely 30 minutes soaking and chatting with a super nice couple that were also owners. A perfect end to a perfect day and we slept like rocks afterwards. One odd note, I did realize after getting back up to the room and changing for bed, that my legs were BRIGHT red. It went away and didn't itch or anything but wow, really does make you wonder what chemicals they are using in those tubs![/quote]
Very cool that you got to stay in the hot tub after closing and have a nice conversation... but ugh on the red legs.
Arriving at AK a few of us were up for a picture by the tree
LOVE the pp pictures!!!
Where to first?
Well now THATs a silly question! We had 4 teenage boys!
OMG! your EE pictures had me laughing!
I am pretty sure Big Eric was equally as wet (theyd conned their Uncle into joining them) but somehow he got out of the photo.
I have not been on Kali in so long. I hate being wet ... and either the weather is humid and you don't dry or cold and you are well.. just cold and wet.
The T shirt thing took so long...Jeff bought the boys a snack.
The picture of them is just great... they all just look like that snack is the best thing in the world.
But not without a final Kodak moment!
Such great pictures of the entire clan!!!
A couple of exciting updates to my upcoming trips
DL Band Trip.
I purchased Eric's park ticket yesterday. Seems like a silly thing and one I could do there. However I'd been hoping to buy it at my local grocery store (Safeway) as gift card purchases are 4x the gas points. They've only been socking the kids tickets but yesterday I happened to see the adult 3 day hopper. Score! Between the Disney Visa rewards points, and the gas savings, it's about 5% off of the ticket price. 5% is 5%! Or 2 drinks at Trader Sams, or 4 Mickey Bars depending on how you look at it.
I didn't know they qualified for the gas points... that is so cool!!!
Girls Flower and Garden Trip.
Yesterday there was a big announcement of 2 new character meals that were to be offered during Star Wars weekends, actually starting on the 4th which is before the official weekends start (but implies that "may the 4th be with you" will have an event. I showed my inner geek by booking a breakfast. Mary Ellen had the brilliant idea to turn it into a DISmeet! Check it out.
Very cool that there will be other new things to enjoy on your trip!
I also got...MICKEY MAIL yesterday!
So I am a little jealous! I was told I will not be getting one since my ap is in "renewed" status.
Who am I kidding...I just wanted that little blue AP slider!
I don't blame you! I want one too.

Did you have to order it, btw? Or did they just ship it to you? DH has his AP active so I am wondering....