Mike & Missy Plus Six! A 9/11/11 Dream Pre-TR! Update 09/19-TR now started!!

[UGAFan0829]

I'm sorry to hear your photo shoot didn't go well! I hope she was able to get some decent ones in the short period of time!

I hope so, too!! I actually just received an e-mail from her today that she should be getting them put up on her website. Hopefully some are good enough that I can share with y'all!

 

[tmtee]

Love your PTR! For a few reasons- 1) We are going to be on the same cruise as you!! YEAH-and did the doc dance myself this week! 2) Have family in ATL and love seeing references to The Varisty and Chateau Elan! 3) Went to Destin for the first time this year and LOVED The Back Porch there.

Thanks for updating!

 

[iloverags2]

Ugh...I'm sorry about the photo shoot. Hopefully within that 10 minutes or so there are a few good shots.

How fun you were able to meet up with Kristi! And how fun your cruise docs arrived!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Hey Missy joining in!

It sounds like you are going to have a great trip with your family!

I can't wait to hear all about the Dream!

That is terrible about what happened to Nique. I can't believe the cops didn't search for her!

 

[mousetravel]

I'm glad that y'all made it home safely!! Chateau Elan is a beautiful place--I'm sorry that I didn't even think about telling you to stop there!

That's OK, we see it all the time as we pass by there, but never really thought about driving up there and "touring" it. I'll post some pics on FB and in my TR soon! Finally upgraded my PB account, so now I can get caught up on the TR!

I hope so, too!! I actually just received an e-mail from her today that she should be getting them put up on her website. Hopefully some are good enough that I can share with y'all!

Hope the pics turned out good! Can't wait to see them!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Love your PTR! For a few reasons- 1) We are going to be on the same cruise as you!! YEAH-and did the doc dance myself this week! 2) Have family in ATL and love seeing references to The Varisty and Chateau Elan! 3) Went to Destin for the first time this year and LOVED The Back Porch there.

Thanks for updating!

How awesome!! I love it when I find people that I have things in common with!! The Back Porch was awesome! I'm glad to know the one in Destin is good, too. Which I would hope that it would be since that was the original one!

Ugh...I'm sorry about the photo shoot. Hopefully within that 10 minutes or so there are a few good shots.

How fun you were able to meet up with Kristi! And how fun your cruise docs arrived!

Thank you! I looked at them over the weekend, and there were a few that did turn out good.

I was so excited to have finally been able to meet up with Kristi and Marisa! They are a lot of fun! We're hoping to try and get together again soon!

Hey Missy joining in!

It sounds like you are going to have a great trip with your family!

I can't wait to hear all about the Dream!

That is terrible about what happened to Nique. I can't believe the cops didn't search for her!

Hi, Lessa! I'm so glad you found me!

I'm excited to share our trip with everyone!!

Yes, what happened to Nique was absolutely terrible. So, so sad. The police's reason for not searching for her was that "they had no reason to suspect foul play". I guess the 911 call that she had made 3 weeks prior to her murder wasn't reason enough, huh?!

That's OK, we see it all the time as we pass by there, but never really thought about driving up there and "touring" it. I'll post some pics on FB and in my TR soon! Finally upgraded my PB account, so now I can get caught up on the TR!




Hope the pics turned out good! Can't wait to see them!

I can't wait to see your pics! And I'm glad that you finally got everything working with PhotoBucket!

I hope to order the CD with all of our pictures on it, but I won't be able to share them with y'all until I get it. Hopefully, it won't take too long!

 

[UGAFan0829]

When I last left off, we had made it back to the room and were able to get into some dry clothes!

I think our beach pics getting messed up along with getting caught in the rain and the nasty weather put everyone into a bit of a gloomy mood. Not to mention, the fact that it was our last night didn't help a bit!

We sat around for a few minutes debating on where we wanted to eat for our last dinner. We finally decided to try Margaritaville. Mike and I had been there before and didn't really enjoy it. But, Cody & Ashley had never been, so we were willing to give it another shot.

By the time we arrived at the restaurant, it was almost 9:00, so we were hopeful that most of the dinner crowd was gone. We were wrong--when we went to check in at Margaritaville, we were told that the wait was an hour and a half! Ummm, no thanks! None of us were in a very good mood, so we certainly weren't willing to wait that long. So instead, we rounded the corner and decided to see how long the wait was for the Back Porch. And guess what--it was only about 15 minutes. So, even though we'd just eaten here the night before, we decided it was so good that we'd have it again! Plus Cody & Ashley had never been, so we wanted them to see why we liked it so much.

Unfortunately, since we were all in such crabby moods, and the fact that I didn't want to carry my camera in the rain, I didn't get a single picture for the rest of the night!

We were seated inside and our waitress was a tad slow, but it was okay. I don't remember what Cody & Ashley had as they ended up getting into an argument which made things a little awkward. But, Mike had the crab legs, which were pretty good while I went with the fried shrimp that was excellent!

We had planned to play putt-putt after dinner, but because of everyone's mood and the weather still being a pain-in-the-behind, we decided to go ahead and call it a night.

Thankfully, by the time we made it back to the room Cody & Ashley were on speaking terms again, so that made things a little better. Mike and I decided to go ahead and pack up what we could so that we wouldn't have so much to do in the morning since we had to be out of the room by 10.

With everything packed up except for what we needed for the next day, we settled into bed pretty early--I think it was before 10. I'd set the alarm for 7 to make sure we were up in plenty of time the next morning.

It ended up being a pretty stormy night that kept Mike and I awake a good bit. The thunder and lightning was pretty fierce. In fact, there were a couple of big thunder booms that set of a car alarm in the parking lot. It seemed that about the time we were finally able to go the sleep, the alarm started going off.

We were up and showered with everything packed before 9. Cody & Ashley were ready to go shortly thereafter. And we all had everything packed in the cars and were checked out at about 9:45.

Even though everyone was still tired and sad, we decided to make one last stop at one of the shops across from the resort. Cody & Ashley picked up a few things and I got a couple things for my niece and nephew. After we were done with our last purchases of the trip, we made our way back across the bridge into Panama City. We all wanted to stop at Bob Evans for breakfast since we don't have any of those here at home. They always have really good breakfast, and it didn't disappoint this time either!

So with full bellies, we said goodbye to Panama City and headed North to GA!

It was a fun trip and I'm really glad that we had the chance to go, and especially to have been able to spend time with Cody & Ashley. But, I was also glad to be headed home...no matter where you go, there's no place like home!


So, since I'm finished with my beach report, it's back to thinking about the cruise! We are getting really close, and I'm super excited! We leave exactly one month from Wednesday, so the days are really flying by! Thankfully, Dustin #1's Passport arrived while we were in Florida, so that's one less thing I have to worry about!

 

[mousetravel]

I'm getting excited for your cruise, too!

Can't wait to see if ya'll ride the Aquaduck. Not trying to scare you (again), but did you see the post where this Dis'er didn't actually get stuck, but had a mishap where her float got turned backwards, & she ended up having to ride it backwards all the way down!??

Well, hopefully you won't have any "mis-adventures" on your cruise, but if you do, you MUST tell!!!!!

 

[UGAFan0829]

I'm getting excited for your cruise, too!

Can't wait to see if ya'll ride the Aquaduck. Not trying to scare you (again), but did you see the post where this Dis'er didn't actually get stuck, but had a mishap where her float got turned backwards, & she ended up having to ride it backwards all the way down!??

Well, hopefully you won't have any "mis-adventures" on your cruise, but if you do, you MUST tell!!!!!

Are you kidding me?? Well, I don't guess going down backwards would be as bad as getting stuck!! I'm sure I'll end up riding it anyway...I know I'll be disappointed if I don't!

I'm hoping that there won't be any mishaps, but I will definitely let you know if there are. Mike and I are still laughing about the flying food. Everytime I think about her telling me that, I just crack up. She was so funny the way she told it!

 

[Jennifer48]

Aww what a crappy last night! I'm sorry the rain put a damper on things, but, YOU ARE GOING ON DCL IN ONE MONTH!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Aww what a crappy last night! I'm sorry the rain put a damper on things, but, YOU ARE GOING ON DCL IN ONE MONTH!

Amen to that, Jennifer!! I can't believe how fast the days are ticking by! I think one of things I'm most excited about is our pre-cruise stay at AKL. Just thinking about being on WDW property gets me so excited, even if it is for just one night!

It's okay though...not every day of every trip is going to be perfect! We still had a great time overall!

 

[mousetravel]

Are you kidding me?? Well, I don't guess going down backwards would be as bad as getting stuck!! I'm sure I'll end up riding it anyway...I know I'll be disappointed if I don't!

I'm hoping that there won't be any mishaps, but I will definitely let you know if there are. Mike and I are still laughing about the flying food. Everytime I think about her telling me that, I just crack up. She was so funny the way she told it!

The bad thing about the flying food incident was that it happened on the first day we arrived on the ship! What a way to start out! I guess that set the tone for our mis-adventures and what we would be in for!!

Am I a bad parent for asking her if she caught it on the camcorder, before I asked if she was OK??!!!

(just kidding: I knew she was OK, cause she came to me cracking up laughing!)

 

[UGAFan0829]

The bad thing about the flying food incident was that it happened on the first day we arrived on the ship! What a way to start out! I guess that set the tone for our mis-adventures and what we would be in for!!

Am I a bad parent for asking her if she caught it on the camcorder, before I asked if she was OK??!!!

(just kidding: I knew she was OK, cause she came to me cracking up laughing!)

I'm cracking up right now!

 

[mousetravel]

I'm cracking up right now!

I know, she LOVES talking about our adventures, especially the crazy times!
She's usually quiet & shy, but sometimes, she'll come right out of her shell! Especially when she likes to embarass me.

She really got me good one day right before our trip. We were in Wal Mart shopping along, next thing I know she is SITTING in the buggy! So I just push the buggy around and told her that I hope one of her friends from school sees her! So of course, she had to increase the embarassment level, and started acting like a 2 year old throwing a tantrum saying "Mommy, I want this!"................

And yes, I took a pic on my phone for future blackmail!

Yep, that's some Wal Mart shoppers for you!




Only ONE more month till your cruise!!!!!!

 

[Pinkocto]

Hi Missy, I just read your 2010 TR, loved it, and jumped over to your PTR. You guys are going to LOVE AKL! I just took my mother there this past January and we loved it so much it convinced us (really me) to become DVC members! Let me ask you, regarding DVC, on your last TR you said it was crazy to book a cruise with points, I'm quite confused, I'm new to DVC, but I thought I got a huge deal booking our cruise with points, saved over $2400. Can you explain why you think it's not a good idea? I'm just fishing for DVC wisdom, want to make the most of it

I can't wait to hear what you guys think of Atlantis Aquaventure! The second the booking window opens I'm snagging ressies! I price checked the whole booking the hotel to get the free tickets, but it doesn't work with just two people. More than two I know you save a bundle!

That is so awesome you got to meet Kristi and Marissa! I've read all her TR's and she is just awesome! I know I don't have very many posts, I lurked for so long before 'coming out of the closet' everyone on DIS is so wonderful You feel like you know people you've never met!

That is so terrible about your friend you hear about those things happening on TV but never think you'll be involved, I just can't imagine.

 

[UGAFan0829]

Hi Missy, I just read your 2010 TR, loved it, and jumped over to your PTR. You guys are going to LOVE AKL! I just took my mother there this past January and we loved it so much it convinced us (really me) to become DVC members! Let me ask you, regarding DVC, on your last TR you said it was crazy to book a cruise with points, I'm quite confused, I'm new to DVC, but I thought I got a huge deal booking our cruise with points, saved over $2400. Can you explain why you think it's not a good idea? I'm just fishing for DVC wisdom, want to make the most of it

I can't wait to hear what you guys think of Atlantis Aquaventure! The second the booking window opens I'm snagging ressies! I price checked the whole booking the hotel to get the free tickets, but it doesn't work with just two people. More than two I know you save a bundle!

That is so awesome you got to meet Kristi and Marissa! I've read all her TR's and she is just awesome! I know I don't have very many posts, I lurked for so long before 'coming out of the closet' everyone on DIS is so wonderful You feel like you know people you've never met!

That is so terrible about your friend you hear about those things happening on TV but never think you'll be involved, I just can't imagine.

Hi there, and welcome!! I'm so glad that you liked my other report, and I hope you'll like this one as well!

CONGRATS on becoming a DVC member! That is VERY exciting! As far as booking a cruise on points, I personally don't think it's crazy if you enjoy cruising just as much as going to WDW. I've heard a lot of people say that using your points toward a cruise isn't a good use of them because the point values are so much higher for a cruise. Honestly, I think it's all in what you prefer.

I plan to take lots of pictures of our adventure at Atlantis! I'm really excited about it, but also a little nervous since this will be our first time doing a non-Disney sponsored excursion. I have found another DIS'er on our cruise meet thread who has booked a room at the Comfort Suites for her family as well, and we've talked about taking a taxi over together. I think it would be more comforting to have a familiar face go along with us, and hopefully she feels the same.

I agree about getting to know people that you've never met! It was so weird when I finally did meet Kristi and Marisa in person because she and I had been chatting for a while and I have been reading her reports for a while now, so I really did feel like I know her. She and Marisa are so much fun, and it would be so awesome to vacation with them. I think I'm gonna have to talk her into booking a trip at the same time so we can have some fun together!

Thanks for your kind words!!

 

[Pinkocto]

Thanks so much for your input on points I have been totally and utterly obsessed ever since joining DVC. I plan on buying more points next year so we can go on more vacations! I just can't get over the savings! It breaks my heart to pay out of pocket knowing how much I could save, but I did book another cruise because everyone on here says they get the cruise blues when getting off the ship, so I felt it was a sacrifice I had to make I do agree about cruises using up so many points, for five days on the boat we could be staying two weeks at WDW. Alas, the Mother requested a cruise so I had to acquiesce I was able to convice her of four days post cruise at AKL so all is not lost

Absolutely already love this report! Also love how Mike loves Disney almost as much as you do! There are so many DH resisters on here that it is refreshing to know there are some that aren't You guys are so cute together!

Very cool if you could share a taxi, but I've read a lot of people have not problem taking a taxi, just in case it doesn't work out. Atlantis looks so cool! Can't wait to try out all those slides!

That would be very fun if you and Kristi could coordinate a trip! I know she's reading too, so maybe the Disney bug will strike again!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Thanks so much for your input on points I have been totally and utterly obsessed ever since joining DVC. I plan on buying more points next year so we can go on more vacations! I just can't get over the savings! It breaks my heart to pay out of pocket knowing how much I could save, but I did book another cruise because everyone on here says they get the cruise blues when getting off the ship, so I felt it was a sacrifice I had to make I do agree about cruises using up so many points, for five days on the boat we could be staying two weeks at WDW. Alas, the Mother requested a cruise so I had to acquiesce I was able to convice her of four days post cruise at AKL so all is not lost

Absolutely already love this report! Also love how Mike loves Disney almost as much as you do! There are so many DH resisters on here that it is refreshing to know there are some that aren't You guys are so cute together!

Very cool if you could share a taxi, but I've read a lot of people have not problem taking a taxi, just in case it doesn't work out. Atlantis looks so cool! Can't wait to try out all those slides!

That would be very fun if you and Kristi could coordinate a trip! I know she's reading too, so maybe the Disney bug will strike again!

I totally understand your obession!

Yes, I am very lucky to have such a Disney loving husband!

 

[mousetravel]

I agree about getting to know people that you've never met! It was so weird when I finally did meet Kristi and Marisa in person because she and I had been chatting for a while and I have been reading her reports for a while now, so I really did feel like I know her. She and Marisa are so much fun, and it would be so awesome to vacation with them. I think I'm gonna have to talk her into booking a trip at the same time so we can have some fun together!

I agree, I think we should book a trip at the same time and it would be so fun to meet up at Disney!!
(Sent you a message on FB)

That would be very fun if you and Kristi could coordinate a trip! I know she's reading too, so maybe the Disney bug will strike again!

The Disney bug doesn't ever leave me!
Hoping to go again soon!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Since we're planning on spending our Nassau day at Atlantis, I've been doing a lot of research to make sure that we're prepared for our time there. One thing I did notice when looking at the Atlantis website is that they highly recommend water shoes as the walkways around the slides can become very hot! Mike and I actually experienced this back in 2007 when we visited Blizzard Beach! We went barefoot and ended up regretting it by the end of the day! So, I decided that it would probably be wise to finally invest in some water shoes! Mike wasn't too picky about what he wanted, so we were able to find some for him at Wal-Mart:

I don't think he cares what they look like as long as they keep his feet protected from the hot ground!
I would have gotten some from Wal-Mart as well, but they didn't have any in my size that would match my bathing suit, so I guess you can say I was a little picky in my choice. Thankfully, I found a nice pair at Academy Sports:

I kinda like the fact that they look more like tennis shoes and they match my swim suit, so that's a good thing! Plus they are light weight, so hopefully they will wear good as well.
The good thing about having these is that we can definitely use them again if we ever make it back to a Disney water park, or any other water park for that matter! Now I just have to convince Dustin #1 that he really needs some himself...I think he's worried that he won't look "cool" with them. But frankly, I don't care what I look like...I won't be the one hopping around with hot feet!

I can't believe we are only 20-something days away from the cruise! Just like always, time is really getting away from me, so I have to get on the ball soon! I'm planning to go pick up some travel size bottles soon so that I can start packing! Aaaaccckkk...I'm starting to freak, just a little!