March 2012: Spring Break, Here we come! Threadjackers take over the world!

[Lidian]

You can always text me too if you want and I can send you pics of the World while I am still there.

I'll be so depressed for leaving, not sure I can handle WDW pics. But if you're lonely, you are welcome to text me! I just don't want to intrude on anyone who's trying to enjoy Disney magic.

 

[Corrine 1973]

I'll be so depressed for leaving, not sure I can handle WDW pics. But if you're lonely, you are welcome to text me! I just don't want to intrude on anyone who's trying to enjoy Disney magic.

Since I will be alone it might help get me through the lines and I will have some one to talk to during those lonely ADR's.

 

[lovethattink]

So on our arrival night, we have a Chef Mickey's ADR.

Congrats on the Chef Mickey resies!! I hope you enjoy it there. It always looks busy when we are on the monorail driving through. I've never eaten there. Dh doesn't care for character meals.

Last time, Tink kept me occupied with text messages. So I may harrass her on the drive home.

Once home, it will be a month or two before I'll have the motivation to unpack. (Please tell me I'm not alone. )

LOL. Maybe you'll make all your driving trips without dh getting lost this time.

Unpacking is the worse!!

 

[Lidian]

Since I will be alone it might help get me through the lines and I will have some one to talk to during those lonely ADR's.

Text away if you get lonely! You know I'll be up for it!

Congrats on the Chef Mickey resies!! I hope you enjoy it there. It always looks busy when we are on the monorail driving through. I've never eaten there. Dh doesn't care for character meals.

LOL. Maybe you'll make all your driving trips without dh getting lost this time.

Unpacking is the worse!!

Thanks Tink! I was super excited to snag it! When I got the ADR in 2009, the CM on the phone didn't give me a choice. I was looking for something for our last day (no park) and the CM was trying to find some good options. Then she said, "I don't believe it. Okay, I'm doing this. There's an ADR open for Chef Mickey's, I'm booking it for you. You'll thank me later." I let her book it after she told me what it was and how hard it was to find them. (It was a cancellation that opened while we were on the phone.) I enjoyed the characters, and have some great pics! But don't remember anything about the food.

I think DH wants to beat his record. Maybe Siri can give him better directions this year. (Even though I read exactly what it said on the map.)

 

[cogero]

Text away if you get lonely! You know I'll be up for it!



Thanks Tink! I was super excited to snag it! When I got the ADR in 2009, the CM on the phone didn't give me a choice. I was looking for something for our last day (no park) and the CM was trying to find some good options. Then she said, "I don't believe it. Okay, I'm doing this. There's an ADR open for Chef Mickey's, I'm booking it for you. You'll thank me later." I let her book it after she told me what it was and how hard it was to find them. (It was a cancellation that opened while we were on the phone.) I enjoyed the characters, and have some great pics! But don't remember anything about the food.

I think DH wants to beat his record. Maybe Siri can give him better directions this year. (Even though I read exactly what it said on the map.)

congrats on the ressie. The food is typical buffet type food.

 

[Lidian]

congrats on the ressie. The food is typical buffet type food.

Thanks! We've decided to surprise the kids with it (pending they don't specifically ask). I can handle typical buffet food, so long as they have chocolate.

 

[Corrine 1973]

So I just looked at your ticker and noticed that you only have 4 weeks until your trip.

So I brought you a Dance Party.






And you know I could nver forget the band...
​

 

[Lidian]

So I just looked at your ticker and noticed that you only have 4 weeks until your trip.

So I brought you a Dance Party.






And you know I could nver forget the band...
​

Awww, thanks Corrine! I didn't even notice! You're so sweet!!

 

[Lidian]

So here's a screenprint of some of my spreadsheet. Okay, so it's a huge workbook with 10 sheets in it. Here's one of them. I've hidden ADR# rows and expense rows. I also hid a couple of rows that currently have no data (it's for if we book fun activities that require ADRs -- TPL, Storytime Experience, etc.). If it's hard to view, let me know and I'll type out the data. I'm trying to get a good estimate on costs. This way, I can get a feeling for how much OOP we'll be spending. I have several (hidden) rows that are tracking expenses -- OOP, DDP that's paid for, tips, and miscellaneous (souveniours, tickets, picture packages, etc). I do want to see how close I can get on my predictions.

Let me know what you think, and if my estimates seem accurate. FYI: DD will be 10 on our trip, so prices include 3 adults and 1 child.

 

[Lidian]

Originally posted on October 28:

My Disney To-Do List ​

• New timing belt for car (Postponed until March)
• Repair motors in all windows (Postponed until March)
• Pay balance (Done)
• Renew TouringPlans subscription (Done)
• Pack
• Create daily touring plans
• Decorate matching shirts
• Trip supply purchases
• Create autograph books for kids
• Determine Counter Service options and Snacks (Done)
• Buy a new camera
• Buy a park bag (Done)

As you can see, I'm actually stalling on doing my Excel homework. What a better way to stall than to make tons of PTR updates, right?

We're going to take dad's SUV down. It's roomier, more space for luggage, and I won't have to stress over mid-terms and getting car repairs done. While we're at WDW with dad's SUV, he'll take my car and have his buddy make the repairs.

I picked up a couple of items to pack at Target the other day. I need to make a shopping list so I can get everything I need. I also need to check shorts on the kids. Well, I need to check shorts on DD and myself. DS will have plenty of shorts options. He's not really grown much over the past year. (Watch him hit a huge growth spurt this month. )

I renewed my TP subscription today. I got a nice discount for having the book, so it was even cheaper than I planned! (Well, not much, but a few dollars saved is money I can give to Uncle Walt, right?)

I've not started any packing. I'll wait until later in the month before I pull out suitcases. I do most of my packing a few days before the trip anyway. That way I don't forget what I have and haven't packed. I'll create a packing list in a week or two so I'll have it ready.

I need to get stuff to make some matching shirts. I definitely want to do the tye-dye shirts. DH has agreed to wear one tye-dye shirt, but he gets to pick the colors. I'm game for that. I figured I'd make the boys matching colors and the girls matching colors. So we won't be 100% matching, but we'll all have shirts to wear together! I'd love to do some applique ones, but I just can't get appliques down. I may do some iron-on shirts though. I just need to go through the kids' closets and see what they do and don't have. Yep, I dress my kids for the parks. They were very specific clothes based on a park or ADR.

I've been back and forth on creating autograph books and buying them. I may just buy them. Since we have so many character meals this trip, I really want them to have them. I'm not sure if I'll buy something at Target to use as an autograph book, or if we'll just buy actual ones at the WDW store at DTD on our arrival day. Whatever I decide, I just have to get three of. Yep, I want an autograph book this year! I'd love to do one for my sisters with kids, but I'd feel weird having two kids and 5 autograph books. Even if I forced DH to "hold" one, that still makes 5 books for 4 people. And I'm sure it would be obvious that the 4th book wasn't even his, and that I actually had 3 books. Oh, well. It was a thought. I'm not very creative when it comes to souvs for my neices and nephews (granted, I've only had to buy for the neices since the nephews weren't born on previous trips). Suggestions for souvs for a 4 & 2 yr old neices and 7 month old nephews? I know they're all too young to appreciate an autograph book, but really, they're all too young to appreciate much from WDW since they don't even know about it. They all have Mickey or Minnie plushes (from previous trips and Christmas). I worry about clothes, because they outgrow clothes so fast at their ages. I know an autograph book would be nice to put up for a future keepsake -- especially since I plan on taking them all when the boys get a little older. So what souvs do you buy for toddlers at the parks?

After I finish my homework this weekend, I'm going to start scouting for a new camera. I found one I liked at Target, but it's no longer there. But I hadn't really shopped around, either. So I need to decide what brands and models I'd be happy with and then shop around and watch for sales. I may ask your opinions (reviews) once I get a list.

Hmmm... I guess I've stalled enough on learning everything there is to know about IF statements. I should probably go practice them and then finish up my Income Taxation homework. I feel pretty good about my Accounting test Thursday and my Statistics test yesterday. Oh, I should finish my Stats project and post it as well! It's due Monday, so I have all day today and tomorrow. I've been holding out since I'm looking for good outliers. I love outliers. They make everything go from nice to chaotic. Like me!

 

[lovethattink]

So here's a screenprint of some of my spreadsheet. Okay, so it's a huge workbook with 10 sheets in it. Here's one of them. I've hidden ADR# rows and expense rows. I also hid a couple of rows that currently have no data (it's for if we book fun activities that require ADRs -- TPL, Storytime Experience, etc.). If it's hard to view, let me know and I'll type out the data. I'm trying to get a good estimate on costs. This way, I can get a feeling for how much OOP we'll be spending. I have several (hidden) rows that are tracking expenses -- OOP, DDP that's paid for, tips, and miscellaneous (souveniours, tickets, picture packages, etc). I do want to see how close I can get on my predictions.

Let me know what you think, and if my estimates seem accurate. FYI: DD will be 10 on our trip, so prices include 3 adults and 1 child.

I must say your spreadsheet skills have improved since last trip. Must be those classes!

 

[Lidian]

I must say your spreadsheet skills have improved since last trip. Must be those classes!

Care to tell my professor that?

Wait until I do one next year. I'll have mad skills then! IF statements nested into IF statements.... They'll be nuts!

 

[Corrine 1973]

Hmmm, if you want more practice you can do my spread sheets for me, I suck at them.

 

[Lidian]

Hmmm, if you want more practice you can do my spread sheets for me, I suck at them.

If you want a spreadsheet, just PM me details and I can either help you set it up, or get you a template. I'm not great with them, but I can try to get you something useable.

 

[sl_underwood]

Since I will be alone it might help get me through the lines and I will have some one to talk to during those lonely ADR's.

you could take me with you, lol haha! I am willing to skip a few days of radiation... and you wouldnt be lonely...


Lidian, love the spreadsheet! Looks awesome!

 

[DMGeurts]

Love the spreadsheet Liddy... You are the queen of spreadsheets!

Actually, I know you don't like doing clothes for kids, but hear me out for a minute. Personally (don't get mad, you asked for opinions), I would not do an autograph book - they are way more fun to get yourself, then there's a "story" to go with each character that signed.

When I went last time, I ordered a couple sizes bigger T-shirts on clearance at Disney Online for all of my daycare kids - they were all white and had something Disney on the front. I took 2 shirts into each park on each day and wrapped them around a small clipboard when it was time for the characters to sign. Sometimes I was able to get the character to sign both shirts and sometimes not. When we got home, I gave each of the kids their shirt and they loved it. Because I bought it big, most of them wore them as PJs - which was fine with me. Each shirt was different, it just depended on which characters we saw that day, and the kids loved them. So, that's my vote. You wouldn't even have to do a shirt - you could do a fabric item of any sort... Oh, and I used a Sharpie - but if Nini or Marianne were here, they would tell you to use an actual fabric marker - and if I were to do it again - I would use a fabric marker too.

I love that you are planning to do tye dye shirts... I really wanted to do them this time around - but I don't think I will get the chance.

Can't wait to see what you decide on for a new camera.

D~

 

[NiniMorris]

Love the spreadsheet Liddy... You are the queen of spreadsheets!

Actually, I know you don't like doing clothes for kids, but hear me out for a minute. Personally (don't get mad, you asked for opinions), I would not do an autograph book - they are way more fun to get yourself, then there's a "story" to go with each character that signed.

When I went last time, I ordered a couple sizes bigger T-shirts on clearance at Disney Online for all of my daycare kids - they were all white and had something Disney on the front. I took 2 shirts into each park on each day and wrapped them around a small clipboard when it was time for the characters to sign. Sometimes I was able to get the character to sign both shirts and sometimes not. When we got home, I gave each of the kids their shirt and they loved it. Because I bought it big, most of them wore them as PJs - which was fine with me. Each shirt was different, it just depended on which characters we saw that day, and the kids loved them. So, that's my vote. You wouldn't even have to do a shirt - you could do a fabric item of any sort... Oh, and I used a Sharpie - but if Nini or Marianne were here, they would tell you to use an actual fabric marker - and if I were to do it again - I would use a fabric marker too.

I love that you are planning to do tye dye shirts... I really wanted to do them this time around - but I don't think I will get the chance.

Can't wait to see what you decide on for a new camera.

D~

Yup...fabric markers are the way to go!


Nini

 

[Corrine 1973]

If you want a spreadsheet, just PM me details and I can either help you set it up, or get you a template. I'm not great with them, but I can try to get you something useable.

I will PM the info to you tomarrow. Tonight the bath tub is calling my name.

you could take me with you, lol haha! I am willing to skip a few days of radiation... and you wouldnt be lonely...

Lidian, love the spreadsheet! Looks awesome!

I would love to take you with me Lora, as long as you don't mind sharing a King Sized bed with me.

Love the spreadsheet Liddy... You are the queen of spreadsheets!

Actually, I know you don't like doing clothes for kids, but hear me out for a minute. Personally (don't get mad, you asked for opinions), I would not do an autograph book - they are way more fun to get yourself, then there's a "story" to go with each character that signed.

When I went last time, I ordered a couple sizes bigger T-shirts on clearance at Disney Online for all of my daycare kids - they were all white and had something Disney on the front. I took 2 shirts into each park on each day and wrapped them around a small clipboard when it was time for the characters to sign. Sometimes I was able to get the character to sign both shirts and sometimes not. When we got home, I gave each of the kids their shirt and they loved it. Because I bought it big, most of them wore them as PJs - which was fine with me. Each shirt was different, it just depended on which characters we saw that day, and the kids loved them. So, that's my vote. You wouldn't even have to do a shirt - you could do a fabric item of any sort... Oh, and I used a Sharpie - but if Nini or Marianne were here, they would tell you to use an actual fabric marker - and if I were to do it again - I would use a fabric marker too.

I love that you are planning to do tye dye shirts... I really wanted to do them this time around - but I don't think I will get the chance.

Can't wait to see what you decide on for a new camera.

D~

I am loving this idea.

 

[Lidian]

you could take me with you, lol haha! I am willing to skip a few days of radiation... and you wouldnt be lonely...

Lidian, love the spreadsheet! Looks awesome!

We'd all take you along in a heartbeat! (But I want you to get better, too. )

Love the spreadsheet Liddy... You are the queen of spreadsheets!

Actually, I know you don't like doing clothes for kids, but hear me out for a minute. Personally (don't get mad, you asked for opinions), I would not do an autograph book - they are way more fun to get yourself, then there's a "story" to go with each character that signed.

When I went last time, I ordered a couple sizes bigger T-shirts on clearance at Disney Online for all of my daycare kids - they were all white and had something Disney on the front. I took 2 shirts into each park on each day and wrapped them around a small clipboard when it was time for the characters to sign. Sometimes I was able to get the character to sign both shirts and sometimes not. When we got home, I gave each of the kids their shirt and they loved it. Because I bought it big, most of them wore them as PJs - which was fine with me. Each shirt was different, it just depended on which characters we saw that day, and the kids loved them. So, that's my vote. You wouldn't even have to do a shirt - you could do a fabric item of any sort... Oh, and I used a Sharpie - but if Nini or Marianne were here, they would tell you to use an actual fabric marker - and if I were to do it again - I would use a fabric marker too.

I love that you are planning to do tye dye shirts... I really wanted to do them this time around - but I don't think I will get the chance.

Can't wait to see what you decide on for a new camera.

D~

I was just thinking of a book as a keepsake. Of course, when I take them in a few years, they can do their own and such. I'm not opposed to buying a Disney shirt and seeing if characters will sign it, but then I run into the same issue of having too many items.

Maybe I'll get something for some of the "repeat" characters to sign and buy them all a cup. Then they'd have something signed by some of the more common characters to stick back, and a cup to use now (or later).

If I do a shirt, I'll buy a fabric marker.

Why don't you swing by one day and we'll make tye-dye shirts together.

I have a list of about 20 cameras now. That's pretty good considering it was about 60. Now I just need to figure out which ones are good deals and which ones aren't. And that's where I'm lost.

Yup...fabric markers are the way to go!

Nini

Will do Nini!

I will PM the info to you tomarrow. Tonight the bath tub is calling my name.

I would love to take you with me Lora, as long as you don't mind sharing a King Sized bed with me.

I am loving this idea.

Enjoy your bath!

 

[DMGeurts]

We'd all take you along in a heartbeat! (But I want you to get better, too. )



I was just thinking of a book as a keepsake. Of course, when I take them in a few years, they can do their own and such. I'm not opposed to buying a Disney shirt and seeing if characters will sign it, but then I run into the same issue of having too many items.

Maybe I'll get something for some of the "repeat" characters to sign and buy them all a cup. Then they'd have something signed by some of the more common characters to stick back, and a cup to use now (or later).

If I do a shirt, I'll buy a fabric marker.

Why don't you swing by one day and we'll make tye-dye shirts together.

I have a list of about 20 cameras now. That's pretty good considering it was about 60. Now I just need to figure out which ones are good deals and which ones aren't. And that's where I'm lost.



Will do Nini!



Enjoy your bath!

I think the cup is a great idea.

Have you read the reviews for the Cameras on Amazon? I would take anything off the list that's 3.5 stars and below. That should narrow it down... maybe even do 4 stars and below?

D~