Memories of Little Green Men and Sardines (6/8-17, 2010) **FINAL UPDATE 2-25-2011**

[photographymom517]

hi hope! Glad that I could be of some help! You will have an awesome vacation no matter when you go and that is what counts!!! Sometimes all the planning makes us forget what the trip to Disney is really all about... Spending time with our family and making memories that will last a life time!!!

Thanks! Actually, I just found out some very, very, very interesting news!!! We aren't sure yet, we have to find out tons more work-related details...but we might be going in a few weeks! (beginning or mid-June) I'm actually kinda stressed over it (of course...) but I did get online & reserve ADRS...Play N Dine for my son & Coral Reef for myself! Unfortuantely, my husband can't get his meal choice (Mexico at EPCOT) since its under refurb right now, but we can still get quick-service at Mexico & he will have to choose another meal. The other really neat part is that I will get my Disney Dooney for my 6th Anniversary instead of having to wait for my birthday in October/Christmas in December!!! And also get to dine at Coral Reef on our anniv!!! So, I guess its turning out better than I thought...

...but I don't have my son's autograph book done yet, our tshirt designs printed/ironed on, all of our vacation items purchased, our suitcases packed, or our trip dates changed, etc. I did get on Disney chat & speak to a very nice CM. He gave me a few phone numbers that I needed & also answered a bunch of my questions. Our trip will actually be about $500 cheaper also! Definitely a plus!

BUT...I must stress this point...I am in NO way getting my heart set on this trip. In a way, its the answer to all of my "trip issues" because I don't have a choice...to plan or not-to-plan! I would have to book what I can & forget what I can't get. Either way, its fine with me, but I am not getting my heart set on going & then find out we can't. All I'm doing right now is planning "just in case" we end up going. I should find out by the end of the week! Will keep you updated!

All that stress last night for (maybe) nothing! LOL Oh, well...I got alot of great advice from alot of great friends out of it!

Do you know how far in advance you have to pre-purchase the Photopass CD? I definitely wanted to do that & I got the code emailed to me, but haven't ordered it yet. Does it expire? I might just pre-purchase it this week & then even if we don't go until November, I can still use it then...maybe? I'm not sure?

 

[Charlefours]

I will definitely be on the lookout for all the Dooney fans while I am down there. We are going to be at GF and DTD so I know I will be hunting for them there. Any other ideas where they are sold at WDW? I agree about seeing the Vera's in person though. I found a print I really like (saw it in person--someone was carrying it but don't ask me what style the bag was) but I would need to see the bags in person, hold it, try it out, etc before I would want to buy it. Same for the Dooneys. I wonder if they are going to keep up with the old designs too.

Questions--the responses from me (and if the info has been duplicated):

1)We ate at Fulton's and thought it was pretty good. :
2)I want too say you can find them at WOD.
3) All of them! I would want to visit WL and GF at the holiday times if I had to limit it.
4) From what I read about resort to resort traveling, you almost always have to go to a park to transfer to another resort or take a taxi/drive.
5)Never flown with a stroller but from what I gather, you check it at boarding and they put it underneath and load it for you when you arrive at your destination.
7) Honestly, and I will be shot for saying I am sure, MVMCP gets mixed reviews from those I know who attended it. Some say it was great (the hot chocolate is amazing evidently though I am not sure if it is the same outside of the party) but most say it is not worth money. These opinions are not my own, rather what I have been told from several people: adults only or family with three children, ages range from 2 to 10 years old at the time.
8)We were told NOT to miss this show by multiple people. One coworker (and he is PICKY) said it is his favorite, which for me, tells me a lot.
10) Does your dog sitter have a pet? You could get them something pet related if so. I also got my cat-sitter, who is a tea fan, tea from GB last time.

You will be going to Disney--at least you know that!! As far as ADRs, you might have to get a bit adventurous, but that is ok! You can try the sleeper restaurants (Olivia's, GF Cafe, Plaza, etc) and may luck into some last minute cancellations at other restaurants. You NEVER know. You can call every morning to the dining hotline and see what is available. It is possible to get the most popular ADRs, you might just not know which day until that day! Think of it as an adventure!!

Which books did you order?

 

[photographymom517]

I will definitely be on the lookout for all the Dooney fans while I am down there. We are going to be at GF and DTD so I know I will be hunting for them there. Any other ideas where they are sold at WDW? I agree about seeing the Vera's in person though. I found a print I really like (saw it in person--someone was carrying it but don't ask me what style the bag was) but I would need to see the bags in person, hold it, try it out, etc before I would want to buy it. Same for the Dooneys. I wonder if they are going to keep up with the old designs too.

You will be going to Disney--at least you know that!! As far as ADRs, you might have to get a bit adventurous, but that is ok! You can try the sleeper restaurants (Olivia's, GF Cafe, Plaza, etc) and may luck into some last minute cancellations at other restaurants. You NEVER know. You can call every morning to the dining hotline and see what is available. It is possible to get the most popular ADRs, you might just not know which day until that day! Think of it as an adventure!!

Which books did you order?

Hi thanks for all the info!

I found this on the Dooney & Bourke page on DIS. These are the stores where Dooneys were found as of January 2010. Hope that helps you! I'm sure more have been added by now, but at least this can give you somewhat of an idea.

Locations
Uptown Jewelers @ MK
World of Disney @ DTD
TrenD @ DTD
Sunset Couture @ DHS
Summer Lace @ GF
Fittings & Fairings @ Yacht Club

I'm really not stressed out anymore about ADR's. I got on the Disney site last night & made some for July & August and was able to get almost everything I wanted. I just had to be a little more flexible with which day we go to which park...not a huge deal! lol We also might be going in a few weeks from now instead of for Christmas...so I logged on & got a few ADRs for that week & was able to get the 2 most important ones. Coral Reef for me and Play N Dine for my son! I'm also going to try to get T-Rex but I have a feeling that will be close to impossible! You are right though...I will be calling the Dining number every morning just in case something opens up!

The books I ordered were:
* The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World 2010
* How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life
* Quotable Walt Disney
* Designing Disney
* Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets

 

[photographymom517]

I just wrote a loooong post & then accidentally hit "backspace" to delete something I wrote...and the stupid computer lost my entire post!!! So, here's the shorter version of the story!

We have NEW TRIP DATES....

June 9th through June 18th

I also was able to make the following ADR's:
June 10th -- 10:00am -- Play N Dine @ HS
June 11th -- 1:15pm -- Coral Reef @ EPCOT
June 13th -- 5:00pm -- Fulton's Crab House
June 16th -- 8:20am -- Crystal Palace

I am definitely keeping the first two and would love to keep Crystal Palace as well, but we're trying to save $$$ on the trip. When I called today to change our reservations from November, I added the QSDP since we usually eat at alot of those restaurants. Then we will just pay OOP for the TS meals. I would love to see MK that early in the morning when no one else is on Main Street! What an experience! But that same day, we have the parade at 3pm, Electric Parade at 9pm, and Fireworks at 10pm. I'd love to be able to see all of those, but I know we won't stay all day if we're up that early. Our son will probably need a nap around 1pm or so. If we miss the regular parade, I don't think its that big of a deal because we can see the summer parade. I was thrilled to see that they brought back the Electrical Parade! I saw it many, many, many years ago! I'm sure its much better now! We have 5 days of tickets with our GAD ticket, but I think we'll go to EPCOT 2 days instead of MK. I'm not planning that and will wait to decide until our trip. I know, this doesn't sound like me at all!

I still have tons to do. The only 3 things I've done so far were 1) pre-order photopass CD, 2) change reservations with Disney, and 3) make ADR's. I still have to make a packing list, a grocery order for Garden Grocer, order my son's "surprise" cake (was going to have it delivered to Chef Mickey's @ GF, now I'm not sure), call & schedule our private photo session at GF, finish my son's tshirts/tanks, pack our suitcases, buy anything we need for our trip, figure out if we're driving or flying, and sooo much more I can't even think straight right now! LOL

I did print out my DISigns for my son's tshirts. I gave up on doing mine too, I'll do them if I have time, but if not, no big deal. I'm doing a Toy Story, Cars, Play N Dine, Nemo, Mickey, airplane, Animal Kingdom Mickey, & Phineas and Ferb tshirt for him. I also want to do a TRex shirt for when we go to DTD. He looooves dinosaurs & I was so sad that I couldn't get a ressie at TRex for him (he loved watching the little video on Disney's website!) but I still plan on taking him to Build a Dino. I actually printed his designs but still have to cut them out & iron them on the shirts. I hope I don't mess any of them up because I don't have time to buy new shirts & redo everything. If I have time to do mine, I'll probably do an Eeyore, Goofy, Mickey/Minnie, Chip & Dale, and maybe a "we're doing to Disney" shirt. I only have 3 transfers left so I have to make sure I have enough for my son's before I even think about doing my own. My little guy always comes first!

My husband is also throwing around the idea of driving...which doesn't exactly thrill me. It would be around 17-20 hours in the car...with him driving probably more like 20-22 hours. We would also stop & stay overnight on the way there & back which means probably $200-300 plus 2 extra trip days. We also would end up stopping to eat which is more money spent there as well (although we eat at the airport on the way there & back so it would be about the same). Most likely, we'd stay at Hampton Inn so we'd get a free continental breakfast buffet (and coffee!!!) which would be nice. I could also take more things for my son to do in the car. I'm sort of limited with space on the plane & can't take some of his "favorites" since they make noise & would drive the other passengers crazy! If we drive, we could stop when he needed to run around for a little bit or eat which we can't do on the plane. I'm just not sure we'd save money with gas being $3 a gallon, probably more down South, and the extra money for the hotel. I don't know. The cheapest airfare I can find right now is through Southwest and its $718 for all 3 of us (with free bags). I'm not sure what we'll decide. I think I'll find driving directions & see the distance there & back and calculate the amount of time & gas we'd use. Then I'll look up hotels online & see how much that would cost for the night. I love my GPS in my car because if we need to pull over, I can just hit the little "hotel" button and it will show me whats close-by...what did we all do before GPS were invented?!?

Anyway, I have tons of stuff to do tonight & since I had to type this twice, I have less time! lol I'm off to make my grocery list, get the final info for the photo session, and make a packing list. After all of that, I plan to work on the tshirts until I fall asleep. Will post an update soon!

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

Thanks! Actually, I just found out some very, very, very interesting news!!! We aren't sure yet, we have to find out tons more work-related details...but we might be going in a few weeks! (beginning or mid-June) I'm actually kinda stressed over it (of course...) but I did get online & reserve ADRS...Play N Dine for my son & Coral Reef for myself! Unfortuantely, my husband can't get his meal choice (Mexico at EPCOT) since its under refurb right now, but we can still get quick-service at Mexico & he will have to choose another meal. The other really neat part is that I will get my Disney Dooney for my 6th Anniversary instead of having to wait for my birthday in October/Christmas in December!!! And also get to dine at Coral Reef on our anniv!!! So, I guess its turning out better than I thought...

...but I don't have my son's autograph book done yet, our tshirt designs printed/ironed on, all of our vacation items purchased, our suitcases packed, or our trip dates changed, etc. I did get on Disney chat & speak to a very nice CM. He gave me a few phone numbers that I needed & also answered a bunch of my questions. Our trip will actually be about $500 cheaper also! Definitely a plus!

BUT...I must stress this point...I am in NO way getting my heart set on this trip. In a way, its the answer to all of my "trip issues" because I don't have a choice...to plan or not-to-plan! I would have to book what I can & forget what I can't get. Either way, its fine with me, but I am not getting my heart set on going & then find out we can't. All I'm doing right now is planning "just in case" we end up going. I should find out by the end of the week! Will keep you updated!

All that stress last night for (maybe) nothing! LOL Oh, well...I got alot of great advice from alot of great friends out of it!

Do you know how far in advance you have to pre-purchase the Photopass CD? I definitely wanted to do that & I got the code emailed to me, but haven't ordered it yet. Does it expire? I might just pre-purchase it this week & then even if we don't go until November, I can still use it then...maybe? I'm not sure?

Oh Hope, that is so Awesome!!!

I'm not sure about the photopass CD as I have never ordered it before... I would just call and as. In my eyes pre-ordering is ordering before you leave so really you should be able to do it up till you check-in

 

[photographymom517]

I just wanted to write a quick update! I worked on my son's tshirts today & got most of them made already! I just have 2 more designs I want to print out & transfer onto the tshirts. One is Mickey Mouse & one is for the Play N Dine character meal. I will try to get pics of the shirts I made & post them later this week! I'm really happy with the way they turned out. My only concern is that I bought mostly tshirts, thinking we'd be wearing hoodies over them in November/December...but now I'm thinking he will probably wear sleeveless tanks the entire trip. I looked up Orlando's weather today & its in the high 70's, low/mid 80's which is about what we have here. I think it should be ok though & I plan to take more than 1 outfit for him to each park. I actually usually take 3 outfits because he usually gets 1 completely soaked with water from fountains or jumping in puddles or whatever...and 1 gets food all over it...so then we still have another change of clothes! Its funny because when I was pregnant with him, I always thought I'd be completely crazy about stains & messes...but he makes a million messes everyday & I never say a word! Just take off the clothes, throw them in the wash, and get clean ones for him to change into! No biggie!

I'm very, very, very excited...it seems so surreal!!! I can't believe we will be leaving in:

15 DAYS!!!!!

I know, I know, you all probably think I've completely lost my mind! Two days ago I was completely freaking out because we were constantly fighting about our Christmas trip...and now we're leaving in a little over 2 weeks. Its really crazy how things turn out!

I'm not sure when we'll go on another trip to Disney, so I really want to enjoy every moment of this one! I also want to make it special for our son because I think he'll understand more this year than he did last year. He was putting Mickey Mouse stickers all over himself last night! I also have him obsessed with watching videos of the parades & fireworks on YouTube!!! He was also very excited this afternoon when I was working on his shirts! He kept saying "ooooh" after I ironed on each design!

I explained why we're going yesterday when I typed an update, but my computer lost it & I never reposted the entire story...so here it is! How did we come to the conclusion to go now? Well, the only reason we're going now is because my husband was indefinitely laid off from his job. I know, it sounds crazy...why go now when we have less $$$? Well, we already discussed it & decided we were going. My husband has been through ALOT with work in the past few years & he definitely deserves the break! We've both been very stressed with work & family situations. Basically, if another job assignment comes up in late summer/early fall, we won't be able to go on vacation because we'll need him to take the work. We can go now because we know he's off for at least a couple months. So, I am THRILLED to be going to Disney & thrilled we're going early...but I also feel bad for my husband because I know he'll be stressing about work the entire time. I want us to both relax & enjoy it...and honestly, regardless of whats going on back home, once we get there & start enjoying our resort & the parks, I think he will relax & be happy that we went now. I thought he'd be worried about $$$ the whole time, but I told him today that I got ressies at Fulton's Crab House at DTD and asked if he wanted me to cancel it & he said "no." I'm still going to try to change it to T-Rex for our son & honestly I feel slightly guilty keeping Fulton's (I am looking at a menu right now & it is pricey & I admit its for me...yum! I love seafood!) I also got the QSDP with our package so we have 2 QS meals to use each day. I don't have to worry at all that we'll waste any of them since our son doesn't get a dining plan, we can use any extras for him. I honestly doubt we'll have extras to begin with though. My DH and DS eat 3 meals a day, so my son can have my extras. Usually in the heat, I will drink alot but not eat as much (unless its ice cream or dessert...lol). I'm fine with a granola bar or fruit for breakfast so I'll use my snack credits for fruit for myself & my son.

Speaking of food...that reminds me that I need to work on my Garden Grocer order! I luckily plan waaay in advance & already created an account for myself with "favorites" saved of what I want to order. So, I just need to go to their website, enter in my phone number & resort address & our arrival date. I also need to look for airfare...thank goodness, a stressful trip to the hardware store today (20 minutes away) talked my husband into flying instead of driving! I actually think our son will do better flying that what my husband thinks. He will have to adjust to being in the seat for that long (he's only been on 1 trip in the car that was around 2 hours long & we stopped twice). I know that will be hard for him...but with his binky, DVD player, snacks, favorite stuffed animal, and of course mommy right beside him, I know he'll be fine!

I didn't realize how excited I was until I started typing this!!!!

I pre-ordered my photopass CD last night & started writing a packing list. I'm actually debating the Private Photo Session now. While I do want family photos, I'm thinking that we'll probably have tons of photos together with the PhotoPass CD...plus once we get home, I can add borders & clipart to those pics to create even more. I do have a 20% off coupon though for the photo session. I think I just need to pick a date & time & go with it. I'm just stressing myself out too much. I would like to do it on a Saturday but I'm afraid they'll be booked...I would like to do it earlier in the trip in case we get sunburnt after a few days...I would like to do it earlier in the day because my son will be in a better mood & we will have just showered/gotten ready for the day...I would like to do it later in the day because the sun will be down (but our son gets kinda crabby around 1:30-3:30 if he doesn't nap...and if he's sleeping, we can't leave). I am not waking him up if he's sleeping when we're supposed to be at the photo session. That would just be a disaster! I think I'm just going with my gut. I'll call & try to get the first appointment for the day & just hope we can make it there on time.

OK...so you can see from the above info. how annoying I am & what my thought process was...

After typing that & re-reading it, I decided to just call & book, so thats exactly what I did!

Our photo session is scheduled for: June 12th at 10:00am at the Grand Floridian

I spoke to a very friendly, professional CM who gave me lots of details regarding the session. I actually had it all written down somewhere from when I originally found the info on Stitch's Kingdom but I lost the paper. He even told me the best way to transfer & how long it would take. Its about what I thought...about 45 minutes-1 hour...transfer via bus to MK then via Monorail to GF. I figure we'll have to be ready to leave CBR around 8:30am so I'm not completely stressed out! LOL You have to understand, I haven't been on the monorail since 1987 when I was stuck on it for 2 hours in a thunderstorm! It was terrifying! Anyway, that Friday we will be at EPCOT & after the fireworks at 9pm, we can leave & get enough rest for the next morning. Saturday we can get up early & be ready for breakfast by 7:30am, run back to the room to change, and then wait for a bus. I might not even need to go back to the room (depending on where we are...all the preferred rooms were booked solid!). I might just throw a change of clothes in my bag for our son. We can let him make a mess at breakfast & then change him into his "good clothes" for the pictures! We're wearing blue polo shirts and brown shorts/capris. I'm worried about the shoe situation though. I don't have any brown flip flops (going to ebay to order them asap!) and my husband's shoes are limited. My son has more shoes than I do, but of course none to match...although I'm considering just having him in barefeet. Look at me...still stressing...lol...but seriously, I'm really excited now!!! Its booked & thats what matters to me!!!

Well, I need to visit the "cake thread" on DIS to see the type of cake I want for our son. I think I'm ordering one of those little "2 tier wedding cakes" and maybe ask to cover it in blue fondant. I really want chocolate inside but we like white cake so I think it would taste better with the raspberry filling. I think it only costs around $21 which is expensive if you consider I just ordered his 1/4 sheet birthday cake last week for $16 with special decorating on it. But at Disney, $21 for a cake is just worth it!!!

So I guess I'm off to ebay, Garden Grocer, and the cake thread! I'll try to post some photos of my son's tshirts later or by the end of the week. And hopefully I'll get caught up on all my trip report reading before our trip!

 

[ForTheLoveOfDCL]

Hope----I am happy for you!! Although I was hoping that U were going when I was!! Owell maybe we will meet someday at the Pitt zoo! or u can come to CP...LOL Hey how much was the pre-order...$99 or did u have a code to get it cheaper?

 

[Charlefours]

Thanks for the Dooney information. I should really search out that thread one of these days. New books to look at--what do you think of them? I have the UG to WDW, Families edition. I am still toying with getting the full fledge version. The others sound interesting. The only other one I have looked at is the Hidden Mickey one.

for trip dates!! I'm sorry your DH lost his job but I am happy you will be able to go still. Not too bad on the ADR front considering you are less than one month away!! I would keep checking T-Rex, you might be able to get an "off peak" time there or even a walk up. How exciting!!

I am resigning myself to knowing we will most likely miss the afternoon parades since we are planning on taking afternoon breaks. I have never seen the Electrical Parade. Do you like it more than Spectro?

Wow, that is a lot of shirts! I bet he will look super cute though.

We are driving down. I know it is a lot of time in the car but it is definitely more expensive for us to fly. I know on average how many miles I get from a tank of gas so I used it to calculate how many times we would need to fill up both ways.

I'm ordering a cake for DD too but they are not cheap but it is worth it for us.

 

[photographymom517]

Hope----I am happy for you!! Although I was hoping that U were going when I was!! Owell maybe we will meet someday at the Pitt zoo! or u can come to CP...LOL Hey how much was the pre-order...$99 or did u have a code to get it cheaper?

Hi Michelle! I know what you mean...I was looking forward to meeting up with a bunch of people from my trip report! At least you & I may be able to meet up at some point...we are actually thinking about going to the Cleveland Zoo at some point over the summer. We've never been there before! We also may go to Wagon Trails...I think its in Vienna, OH...somewhere near Youngstown I think.

When I pre-ordered the PhotoPass CD, it was $99.95. I wish I had a code to get it cheaper, but I didn't! I've heard from other people that sometimes members of DVC or annual pass holders get an additional discount, but since I'm in neither of those categories, I know nothing about them! lol I did have a 20% off of the Private Photo Session...that code was mailed to me after I originally booked our vacation.

 

[photographymom517]

Thanks for the Dooney information. I should really search out that thread one of these days. New books to look at--what do you think of them? I have the UG to WDW, Families edition. I am still toying with getting the full fledge version. The others sound interesting. The only other one I have looked at is the Hidden Mickey one.

for trip dates!! I'm sorry your DH lost his job but I am happy you will be able to go still. Not too bad on the ADR front considering you are less than one month away!! I would keep checking T-Rex, you might be able to get an "off peak" time there or even a walk up. How exciting!!

I am resigning myself to knowing we will most likely miss the afternoon parades since we are planning on taking afternoon breaks. I have never seen the Electrical Parade. Do you like it more than Spectro?

Wow, that is a lot of shirts! I bet he will look super cute though.

We are driving down. I know it is a lot of time in the car but it is definitely more expensive for us to fly. I know on average how many miles I get from a tank of gas so I used it to calculate how many times we would need to fill up both ways.

I'm ordering a cake for DD too but they are not cheap but it is worth it for us.

I am getting sooo impatient now to get my books from Amazon! I checked the tracking number AGAIN this morning & they won't be here until at least this Saturday. I'm anxious to get them now that we're leaving in only 15 days! I was hoping to have all summer to read them to get tips for our trip, but I guess I'll have to read super fast & bring one of them along on my trip! If my son sleeps on the plane, it will be nice to read about Disney on our way!

I am getting used to it with my husband's job...at first, it was hard to adjust to, but as stressful as it is, its getting a little easier to accept. He used to work for a contractor on a steady basis, but now he goes from contractor to contractor, so we never know how long a job will last or when the next will start (he works out of a union hall so we have no control over when/where he will work). Its really confusing & I'm actually the only person in either of our families who understands how it works (took me years to understand!), so I won't bore you with the little details! LOL

I will keep checking T-Rex, especially because I decided to cancel Fulton's. I'd really like to get T-Rex for my son, but if not, I will make sure to get it next trip!

I have never seen Spectro in person! So I cannot say whether I like it better than the Electric parade. I can't remember way back in 1987 but I'm sure the electric parade is much different now. I will make sure to take lots of pics for you to see & do a trip report when I return!!!

I ended up with 5 shirts for now, possibly 2 more. Originally I wanted to do one for each day & one with a plane that says "We're going to Disney World" on it, so I would have had 11 total, but now I will probably have 5 or 7. I will hopefully post pics tomorrow of the ones I completed. I wanted to this evening but we ended up going to the grocery store.

I agree with you about driving...if its beneficial to your family & cheaper, then I say go for it! I would consider driving if my son was a little older. Right now, at 2 years old, its hard to get him to stay in his carseat for an hour...let alone 10 hours at a time.

I definitely think the cakes are worth the money!!! They are so beautiful & having it at Disney is just a special experience! Unfortunately, I was just on the cake thread & am not sure if I can get one or not. I'm going to call tomorrow & see if I can pick one up at the GF bakery while we're there for our photo session. We aren't eating at any of the resorts that have bakeries or staying at any of them, so I don't think I can have one delivered to one of our meals like I had originally planned. (Before, we had breakfast scheduled for Chef Mickey's so I was planning to have it delivered there.) If we ever go for a special occassion or holiday, I will definitely get a larger one, but for this trip I just wanted one of the small cakes like they make for the weddings. They are all white & simple but beautiful & only cost $21 according to the cake thread on DIS. (When we were going for the holidays, I was going to ask if they could make it with poinsettas or some type of red/green flower.) The larger cakes they do are absolutely beautiful & look delicious! I love the "mad hatter" designs! You will have to post pics of your DD's cake after your trip! I'd love to see it!

 

[stephielela]

Wow! Congrats on the new date! That's one way to make the wait go by faster I'm so excited for you!

When you were talking about ordering shoes on ebay, it reminded me of Zappos. Have you ever tried them? We just ordered some stuff from them, and I kid you not, it arrived LESS that 24 hours later! We've been joking that Zappos must secretly be located in our neighbors basement. Plus the 1 business day shipping was free! Just a thought, since I know you are in a hurry! I can't wait to see pics of your DS's shirts! I got my DS a Disney shirt at Target yesterday for $6.99 that had some pretty old school characters on it. They had a Toy Story one I wanted for him too, but they didn't have the size I needed, and I looked at 2 Target's! I also got him a pair of PJ's on sale at the Disney store for $8.50. I've been having a lot of fun planning outfits for our (fall) trip, but it's not for another 4 months, I'm so jealous of your 2 week timeline! At least we are taking a short trip to Dallas this weekend for a wedding, so I still got to pack suitcases etc It's one of my favorite things to do.

I am really excited to read about your FastForwarded vacation! And take plenty of pics of CBR for me! Did you request an area? We requested Aruba or Jamaica... I'm thinking they are close enough to Custom House that we can just walk over to catch park buses...

 

[lledman]

Congrats on your new dates.

Sorry to hear about hubby’s job situation but I'm sure it will work itself out in the end.

 

[photographymom517]

Wow! Congrats on the new date! That's one way to make the wait go by faster I'm so excited for you!

When you were talking about ordering shoes on ebay, it reminded me of Zappos. Have you ever tried them? We just ordered some stuff from them, and I kid you not, it arrived LESS that 24 hours later! We've been joking that Zappos must secretly be located in our neighbors basement. Plus the 1 business day shipping was free! Just a thought, since I know you are in a hurry! I can't wait to see pics of your DS's shirts! I got my DS a Disney shirt at Target yesterday for $6.99 that had some pretty old school characters on it. They had a Toy Story one I wanted for him too, but they didn't have the size I needed, and I looked at 2 Target's! I also got him a pair of PJ's on sale at the Disney store for $8.50. I've been having a lot of fun planning outfits for our (fall) trip, but it's not for another 4 months, I'm so jealous of your 2 week timeline! At least we are taking a short trip to Dallas this weekend for a wedding, so I still got to pack suitcases etc It's one of my favorite things to do.

I am really excited to read about your FastForwarded vacation! And take plenty of pics of CBR for me! Did you request an area? We requested Aruba or Jamaica... I'm thinking they are close enough to Custom House that we can just walk over to catch park buses...

Thanks, I'm exciting too!!! My husband and I were talking about the trip this morning already & I have about 10 Internet Explorer windows open right now...planning, planning, planning! LOL

Right now, I'm trying to get 4x6 cards made so I can make 2 books...one is my "planning book" and one is my son's autograph book. I almost just bought him one off of ebay but I think it will be more fun to make, even if I do have a million other things to do!

I will DEFINITELY take TONS and TONS of photos of CBR for you to see! Last year, I don't feel like we spent enough time walking around & exploring our resort, so this year, I scheduled 2 whole days just for the resort! I know I'll have tons of photos of the pool because my son loves the water! We also would like to rent a boat one day (I think its like $45-60 for 30 minutes depending on which boat you get). So if we do that, I'll even take some photos from the water-view for you!

Last trip, we were only gone for 5 days (2 were spent at the airport) and I came home with over 1,500 photos...maybe closer to 2,500. So I purchased 4 memory cards (4GB) for this trip! I'd rather have too many that not enough! So, you can imagine how many photos I'm planning to take. I also preordered the PhotoPass CD & booked our Photo Session, so I'll have plenty of photos to share once I get home! You are all making me even more excited just talking about it!

Funny you mention those tshirts at Target...I saw them last week when I was there! Unfortunately I was in a huge hurry & they didn't have my son's size in the one I wanted. Normally I would have asked for them to check in the back, but I just didn't have time that day. I also saw Mickey "old style" tshirts for kids up at Old Navy. It was our Outlet store, but I'm sure they have them in the regular ones as well. They also had Toy Story, Cars, and a few other designs! They were nice, but I think they were $10 or $12 and I figured I didn't need to spend the extra money since I was making my son so many shirts already. I also saw complete sets (tshirt or tank with shorts) at Kmart on sale. I can't remember when it was, but the past 3 times I've been there, all the kids Disney pjs and outfits were at least 30% off and the one time, they were all on sale for $8 or 9.

Unfortunately, I didn't request an area. I really wanted a "preferred room" so we would be closer to OPR for my son. I know I'll be taking a million trips to the food court to get refills on my mug (especially since I'm completely addicted to coffee!) and I thought it would be easier to be closer for our son. However, my husband and I both love walking, so it shouldn't be a problem. They tried to put me in a pirate room, which I didn't want, so I asked for a King bed room. I think I read somewhere the King beds are located in the village furthest from OPR. Do you happen to know? I'm going to try to look it up once I print out my book pages. I'm really hoping we are in Aruba or Jamaica. You are right, they are close enough to OPR to walk over to the buses! I also think it would be neat to be close to the bridge! I think alot of people on DIS suggest requesting buildings 45 or 51, but I don't remember exactly. I'll look it up, I know its in my notes somewhere!

Have fun on your trip to Dallas!!!

Congrats on your new dates.

Sorry to hear about hubby’s job situation but I'm sure it will work itself out in the end.

Thank you! I appreciate that, honestly I think I'm getting used to it a little more. He was working steady for the same contractor for about 4 years, but has been with different contractors ever since that. Normally its not a huge deal, but with me not working, it can be stressful at times. Its just the way his business works, so we have to adapt to the changes. I think we're getting better with that, slowly but surely! LOL

 

[Charlefours]

I would love to read about your trip so I really hope you do a TR. Right now it says Spectro on the WDW calendar but I am waiting to see if they extend the parade through the end of the year. Not sure how I feel about it. I loved Spectro and would love to see it again plus I know DD will enjoy it. Since I haven't seen the other, it is a big question mark.

I can understand with DS being younger not wanting to drive. We did a big trip when DD was 26 months out to CO (driving). She did well but she has always done well in the car. I will definitely post about DD's cake. I am planning on doing a TR too at the moment, so I will fess up about the drive and post about her cake.:

 

[exwdwcm]

congrats on the new dates! and so soon- i am jealous! sorry to hear about your hubby's job, but i really believe sometimes things happen for a reason and hopefully something even better will come along for him soon.

your plans sound great so far! as for getting from resort to resort, you can always ask the front desk too if you have questions, they were also very helpful when i asked about stuff like that.

i have the medium sketch dooney (and the tassel one and the clutch), i like the medium best, it is actually a little bit big for me- i usually carry something a bit smaller. the tassel one is small and really difficult to use. it is not very flexible and is 'hard' leather, so it is hard to get stuff in and out of it too. i rarely use the tassel one at all. we happened to find them at WOD on our trip last december. my cousin saw someone bringing two in and cuaght them- we got the medium one online a few months ago before they sold out. surely you can find one somewhere !

 

[photographymom517]

Can anyone give me advice on airfare??? I would prefer Southwest or Airtran. It seems like the majority of flights through United or American all have connecting flights & we'd prefer non-stop. I actually compared an American connecting flight there & back with a nonstop Airtran there & back...it was the exact same price almost! So we aren't saving by flying on a connecting flight.

The prices were $718 Monday when I checked...today it was raised to $1165 and the one flight is already booked & says no seats are available.

When it gets closer to the trip, will airfare drop or go higher? I'd like to book something tomorrow if its just going to keep going up.

If anyone knows about airfare, please let me know!

 

[ForTheLoveOfDCL]

Hope---u flying outta Pitt??? I mean how far r u from there? I drive up to 2 hrs for cheap air. OK so anyhow I went on Southwest and Leaving on June 5,7, 8,or 9th is ($94-100) returning on either 14, 15, or 16th is same...so that's 200 r/t & non-stop! I would adjust my days a bit to get cheaper air. Ok so there ya go, other then that I went on orbitz and with 1 stop the cheapest I say was $240 r/t Good luck!

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

Can anyone give me advice on airfare??? I would prefer Southwest or Airtran. It seems like the majority of flights through United or American all have connecting flights & we'd prefer non-stop. I actually compared an American connecting flight there & back with a nonstop Airtran there & back...it was the exact same price almost! So we aren't saving by flying on a connecting flight.

The prices were $718 Monday when I checked...today it was raised to $1165 and the one flight is already booked & says no seats are available.

When it gets closer to the trip, will airfare drop or go higher? I'd like to book something tomorrow if its just going to keep going up.

If anyone knows about airfare, please let me know!

Oh Hope!!! I am SOOOOSO Happy for you!!! And a little jealous that you are leaving in 2 weeks!!!

Some advice on airfare... Keep checking... Wednesday is the worse day of the week to try and book airfare as most airlines tend to spike it mid week. Friday morning I am told in the best day to book.

Good luck and I can not wait to hear all about the trip!!!!

 

[ForTheLoveOfDCL]

and I was told Tues was best day to book so I guess it's a hit or miss. I mean yesterday was weds and I though 94 each way was ok. Better then what Hope is finding... I am flying for 98 r/t each person so I thinking anything over 150 is high....

Ok so I know this isn't a cruise thread but I have to tell you that I am sooo excited, I made a proto type for my FE(fish extender) for my cruise next yr. If you don't know what an FE is , it's a gift u make for each state room on ur cruise DIS board.....anyhow I just had to share my fun, HOPE you really have to convince that hubby of urs to do a cruise in a few yrs. OK well off to work. TTFN Michelle

 

[photographymom517]

Found this article on DIS Unplugged today when I logged on. I'm excited for Summer Nightastic! but disappointed that Wishes & Spectro are "on vacation." I thought we would still get to see Wishes because fireworks are listed on the schedule for 10pm...but I guess its just a fireworks show thats part of Summer Nightastic. I guess I can't say which is better since I've never seen ANY of the three! LOL But, I promise to take lots & lots of pictures of the Summer Nightastic & share the photos on my Trip Report when I return. Then, those of you who have seen Wishes & Spectro can tell me what you think! I'll try to take video as well if we get a close enough view of the fireworks & parade!

Posted on Wednesday, 26th May 2010 by Kathy Werling

I was invited to a sneak peek of Walt Disney World’s Summer Nightastic! today. The special events will be held at Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Epcot June 6 to August 14, 2010. Wishes and Spectromagic will be on vacation during this time.

The Main Street Electrical Parade returns to the Magic Kingdom. It was here at WDW from 1999-2001. It then spent the next 9 years at Disney’s California Adventure.

If you like the facts behind the parade consider this, There are 575,000 lights in 6 different colors- Amber, Blue, Chartreuse, Green, Pink, Red, and Clear. More than 11,000 lights are used on the costumes. There are more than 27 tons of batteries which power the lights, audio, and drive units. They could provide enough power to light 32 homes. There is over 3500 feet of green LED string used to create the leaf fields on the new Tinker Bell float. It took 26 trucks to move the parade floats across the country.

So you might be asking what is new for the parade this time around? The Tinker Bell float, the Pinocchio unit, there are Pixie dust trails throughout the parade. They have also updated the music throughout the parade. It has the familiar favorites with a few new songs. The music had us humming in the warehouse as we walked around.

Familiar favorites will return like the “Honor America” finale display, featuring the American flag and giant American eagle. Alice in Wonderland, Mickey Mouse and Goofy will participate in the parade.

The Magic Kingdom will also have the Summer Nightastic Fireworks Spectacular. Show Director Chris Oyen said “With this show, we’re making the skies come alive, we’re not just going to immerse you, were going to surprise you too.” The music is a score of classic Disney tunes and theme music from “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.”

The Fairy Godmother from “Cinderella: and other familiar fairies will appear in the fireworks show. They have expanded the perimeter fireworks 25 percent so no matter where you are in the parks you’ll be surrounded by fireworks.

Captain Hook and his band of buccaneers will be there to seize the park’s Cinderella Castle. There will be a skull and crossbones display and other effects so you will believe the castle is under siege.

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios you will be surprised by the enhancements to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. I can’t wait to experience the Rock ‘n Glow Dance Party. This event will take place every Tuesday and Thursday through Sunday. They will have a DJ and a rock bank beginning three hours before park closing on Hollywood Boulevard. Be on the lookout for popular Disney characters to make an appearance.

Epcot will have the Sounds like Summer concerts. These are popular rock band tributes starting June 12 at the American Gardens Theatre in World Showcase. I didn’t realize that these tribute bands have to perform for the “real” group and then be approved. They have a great lineup of bands this year.

All these events are included in regular theme park admission. I can’t wait to experience all the new events at Walt Disney World this summer.

Will I see you in the parks this summer? Tell us what you think.