Mom and Dad's Dream Trip-34 Yrs in Making-Jun08 SOUVIE PICS PG 51 NEXT TRIP!!???!!!!?

[IluvXU]

Have an awesome time at Vera. I have been a few times... lots of fun! My girlfriends are headed up today too... I bowed out! I have way to much Vera.....Maybe next year!

 

[PEANUT1]

Love your trip report!! We are leaving sunday morning at the crack of dawn and I haven't started packing yet...I did send a box to the hotel last week of essentials so I don't have to bring them all on the plane. . I think I'll start packing the clothes today.

I hope you have a magical vacation

btw..I know what you mean about overly generous parents...my wonderful mil bought us DVC last year

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my vacation ticker says
3 days, 15 hours, 12 minutes, and 15 seconds until Beach Club Villas

 

[Charleston Princess]

Have fun at Vera!!! You can't beat those annual sales!!!

 

[ampc3]

love the update Ok you really had me freaked out about the Spectro thing only on Monday (we are there at the same time) and Spectro is 2x every night that week, just doubled checked... So if you miss it you can catch it another night for sure!
Can't wait to find out what the surprise is...

 

[MegansMom]

Have an awesome time at Vera. I have been a few times... lots of fun! My girlfriends are headed up today too... I bowed out! I have way to much Vera.....Maybe next year!

OH MY GOD!! We had SO much fun!!! They didn't have as good of deals on their handbags and bigger bags, but they had a lot of fun accessories on sale for a good price. My favorite thing I picked up yesterday was this awesome travel organizer--I will take a picture and post it later, because it is right up our DIS organization alley!!! SO NEAT! It was our first time, but we will definitely be going back!

Love your trip report!! We are leaving sunday morning at the crack of dawn and I haven't started packing yet...I did send a box to the hotel last week of essentials so I don't have to bring them all on the plane. . I think I'll start packing the clothes today.

I hope you have a magical vacation

btw..I know what you mean about overly generous parents...my wonderful mil bought us DVC last year

-----------------------------------------------------
my vacation ticker says
3 days, 15 hours, 12 minutes, and 15 seconds until Beach Club Villas

OH MY GOSH!!! Congrats on leaving in a few days!! I am so excited for you! I will be thinking of you on Sunday, and hope you have a safe, wonderful, magically terrific trip!!! Your MIL is very generous--how wonderful to have DVC!!! I love staying at the villas--we have been to BWV, SSR, and now we are going to OKW! I don't know if we will ever be able to go back to a typical hotel room. I will miss my kitchen area!! I can't wait to hear the scoop on your trip!! Thanks for joining in here!!!! BTW--your family is beautiful!! I hope you all enjoy your trip!!

Have fun at Vera!!! You can't beat those annual sales!!!

I had such a great time--it was a wonderful trip to have that time with my mom and sis!! I got something though that I KNOW you would love--a VB travel organizer!! SO CUTE!!! I will post some pics of it later--stay tuned!

love the update Ok you really had me freaked out about the Spectro thing only on Monday (we are there at the same time) and Spectro is 2x every night that week, just doubled checked... So if you miss it you can catch it another night for sure!
Can't wait to find out what the surprise is...

So sorry to have freaked you out!! I didn't know that they do Spectro 2X every night--like I said, I was going off of Steve Soares' info, I know that sometimes that is not updated. Where did you see the times and info for Spectro? Is that on the Disney website? Thanks for the info!! I can't wait to find out what the surprise is either!!! It is killing me! I think he could at least tell me--his fellow neurotic planner, so that I can be fully prepared!! Do you think that will convince him to tell me? Yeah, I didn't think so either!!!

 

[MegansMom]

Happy Thursday everyone!! I hope your Wednesdays were great! Mine sure was---we had such a BLAST on our little VB trippie!!

Mom and Kris got to my house around 9am, and we headed on up I-275 to I-74 and onwards to Ft. Wayne!!! We took Mom's minivan, but I drove the whole way--so much fun!!! We all said how we wished that our little road trip yesterday was actually our road trip to Disney--we are getting too excited!! We talked all about WDW the entire way there--okay except for a few minor conversations about the VB sale--so we were on a Disney euphoria by the time we hit the Ft. Wayne area. We stopped for lunch at this little Tavern place on the outskirts of Ft. Wayne--it was really quaint and we all had a great lunch! Then we headed straight to the coliseum for the sale. We had tickets for the 3pm show opening, but we got there around 2pm so we could get a good spot in the line--and boy did we!! We were very close to the beginning--so exciting for our first VB sale! We knew we had an hour to kill, so we looked through the VB catalog and Sale Brochure they gave us when we lined up. We then began talking to a lovely lady and her daughter who were in line behind us--they had been 3 or 4 times, so they gave us LOTS of tips! They told us to split up and each take a certain colored row. So we did--I took the red, green, and blue rows, Mom took silver, yellow, and then blue, and Kristi took orange, purple, and white. It is so organized up there! It finally hit 3pm, and we got so excited!! We started moving quickly through the queue, and before we knew it, we were going through the doors to the sale! It is a vision to walk into a coliseum sized room filled with NOTHING else but VERA BRADLEY!!! Very close to the euphoria of walking through the gates and out on to Main Street for the first time on your trip! Back to the sale--things were so well organized that we were all able to casually walk up and down all the aisles and find exactly what we were looking for.....and then some!! We then had to go through the great SORT!!! We couldn't believe how much we all collected, but after an hour of sorting, we had it pretty well figured out! Well, except for one purchase--Kristi kept going back and forth about a certain bag that she wanted to buy to carry her laptop, notebooks, and other miscellaneous items she needs for her furnishings business. She had about 4 different large bags picked out, and we finally got her to decide on the VERA, but then she kept going back and forth, wanting to change her mind, but we made her stick to her guns---and hurried up to get to the check out so she couldn't change her mind ANYMORE!!! She really did end up getting the better bag in our opinions!! We were a little disappointed in the prices on the bags--not much was discounted well there--but, we found a lot of neat accessory pieces on sale for a good price! My favorite thing I found were these travel organizers--so cute, and SO useful for OCD Disney planners like us!! I will post pics of this later so you all can see them!! I picked up quite a few of them because they were so neat, so if anyone wants one, just let me know! I'll share some of our other neat finds once I get the pics taken.

Anyway, we had a great time, and can't wait until next year's sale! We stopped at Applebee's for dinner, and then I drove home. We got in around 11pm, and were just so elated to have had such a special day together!! What fun!

Well, I will have more later----Talk to you soon!! Jen

 

[DisneyDreamnDeb]

Glad you had so much fun on your VB shopping trip! Wish they did something like that here, we have to take a four hour drive to Denver for any real good shopping. so on that note I'd really like to buy one of those travel organizers you picked-up! let me know if you still have an extra!!! have a nice day! Deb.

 

[Charleston Princess]

I am definitely interested in one of those travel organizers depending on size, pattern, and price. Can't wait to see pics of them!!!

I am glad you had such a fun time -- a great way to pass time as we wait for next month!

 

[MegansMom]

Glad you had so much fun on your VB shopping trip! Wish they did something like that here, we have to take a four hour drive to Denver for any real good shopping. so on that note I'd really like to buy one of those travel organizers you picked-up! let me know if you still have an extra!!! have a nice day! Deb.

I am definitely interested in one of those travel organizers depending on size, pattern, and price. Can't wait to see pics of them!!!

I am glad you had such a fun time -- a great way to pass time as we wait for next month!

Hey Deb and Jackie!! Thanks for your sweet sentiments--we really did have a great time!!

I wanted to let you both know, as well as anyone else who is interested, that I do still have some of the travel organizers left. This post is not going to have the pics yet, charging that darn camera battery, but I will post them later this morning or afternoon. But I did want to give you the scoop on what I have. Apparently the travel organizer is either not being sold by Vera Bradley anymore or you just can't get it from the website, because none of us have ever seen them before, and neither had many people we talked to at the sale---so that makes me even happier that we actually found some because they are so HANDY!! Their dimensions are 10” x 4 ¾” x 1." On the front cover, they have a nice pocket perfect for holding a plane ticket, etc. On the back cover, they have a zippered coin pouch. The inside is full of nooks and crannies for storing our traveling essentials. The left side has an ID window and 2 more pockets for storing important documents, etc--like Disney confirmation letters! The right side has SEVERAL credit card/misc. card pockets going down the length of the organizer, and then a great pocket under them that could hold cash or other important items/papers. The organizer has a zippered closure. It really is nice. I have them in the following patterns: Piccadilly Plum, Capri Melon, Petal Pink, Citrus, Java Blue, Peacock, and Capri Blue--again, I will put pictures on here of all of them very soon--just waiting for the battery light to turn green!! They were $25, which was a pretty good mark down from their original $42 price tag! Let me know if you are interested, and pm with your mailing info. You can either mail the payment or I do have a Paypal account that I have used in the past to pay for DVC rentals, so I could give you that info as well. It was so funny when we found them because I just stood there looking at all the storage pockets, etc. and was thinking in my head "Okay, my confirmation letter will go here, my KTTW card here, etc." --it was all about Disney!

 

[Leger13]

ON TO THE ITINERARY!!!!!!!!! Just remember, all info is subject to change--this is a representation of my ideas/thoughts/plans, but I have not had any chance to confer with Mike on these arrangements--so MUCH will probably change once he has added his input. (Sidenote: I know that some of the times are not 100% accurate because I will not have the accurate times from Steve Soares' site until closer to the trip, but I made do with what is currently posted.)

Okay, so we start out the itinerary with a small dilemma. Since we are not sure EXACTLY what time we will be getting in, most things are just hypothetical scenarios. Once we get checked in, most of us were originally thinking about just hanging out around the resort--swimming and such, and possibly heading over to DTD for a little browsing. Our ADR is for Turf Club at SSR at 7pm--so we are just a boat ride away from either OKW or DTD no matter what. Now that Kristi is coming, she really wants to head over to MK that first night since it is open until 2am. Of course that is a possibility, but I don't know if it is a wise move--it would use up the ticket we planned on using for the last Saturday, and it would mean hitting MK on a Saturday EMH night--would it be crazy crowded? (I think the Gay Days crowd is also scheduled to be at MK that night, so would that mean an even bigger crowd at MK than expected?) We have already purchased our 7 day tickets, so is it possible to add on a day once there, and if so, is it ridiculously expensive to do that? I am still leaning towards swimming and shopping, but I would love the input/advice anyone could provide in regards to these plans------THANKS!!!

Okay--onward!!

Sunday June 8: Disney Hollywood Studios

Again, we are hitting the HS today for the Star Wars weekend events, but I am not sure how to fit those in my intended itinerary since I don't know what all to expect for the Star Wars added events. Please help those who have been there before!

• DHS opens at 9am--and we will definitely be there at rope drop to catch the Star Wars related pre-show I have heard so much about.
• After the rope drop, I plan on heading back to Mickey Avenue to catch "Toy Story Mania." Hopefully we will be able to avoid much of a wait!!!
• If possible, hit the Voyage of Little Mermaid at 9:20 or second show 9:38?
• Then try to hit 10:30 Playhouse Disney show--kids can get autographs while waiting for show. (If we have some time to wait, a runner--me--can run over with everyone's tickets and get FP for both ToT and RnRR--split tickets 5 FP for each ride.)
• After show, visit Great Movie Ride
• Good time to have lunch--recommend either ABC Commissary or Backlot Express
• May need to split for a bit--Boys' to 1:30 Jedi Training/Megan to Woody 'N Buzz meet 'n greet @ 1:25pm.
• Do Muppets 3D
• Do Star Tours (time permitting)
• Catch Pixar Parade at 3pm
• After this, might be a good idea for those who want to do RnRR and ToT to go back to use FP. (get Parent Swap passes too!)
• Also try to catch HSM2 Show at 4:35pm.
• Dinner at Sci Fi diner @ 5:20pm.

Now I know this schedule is probably WAY too ambitious for traveling in June, but since I haven't been there in June, I don't know what to expect. It is hard trying to make this also not knowing how to shuffle in what Mike and the kids want to do/not do, what Star Wars events will interfere, and how to hit things like ToT and RnRR that not every one wants to do. Okay, now that I think about it, I think this is TOTALLY unrealistic--I guess hashing it out in black and white helps point out the flaws. I originally thought that I would want to do a break in the middle of the day, but now I am thinking--since this is our only DHS day and Megs doesn't want to do Fantasmic--we might tour as much as possible during the day, and at least the three of us can leave early to go back and chill out and swim--is this wise though?!?! This day, is our toughest I think, because there are so many things that require a chunk of time that we want to do-----HELP!!! I feel like my OCD planning skills are failing me here--it's beginning to unravel!! Before I go on with DHS days, I think I need some advice--those who have been in June before, can you weigh in on these plans---MIKE--can you weigh in on what you want to do?!?!?

Okay, I from Cherbear's TR to give you some SWW tips. Not sure if you have done a lot of research on it but here's a link with some info on what's gonna be going on http://www.allearsnet.com/tp/mgm/m_starwars.htm

As the web site says, if you want to meet the celebs that are gonna be in the park the day you are there, as soon as you come in the gate you will need to get a fastpass for that. When we were there, as soon as we walked in there were CM's directing the mass towards 2 lines. One was to get a pass to meet the celebrities and the other was to stand in line to get souvies from the special event. i.e. disney pins, t-shirts and other collectibles that are only being sold during the weekend. Me and my DH only went to the souvies line...we didn't bother with meeting the celebs but we did walk past where they were signing autographs and at least caught a glimpse of them.

As for the rest of the day, we toured as normal. They have events going on all day for the kids and there's all sorts of star wars characters walking around which is awesome! If you're lucky you might even get to ride Star Tours with some of them, although I see that ride is not a must do on your list. Also, if you want to ride it one last time before they change it, I suggest you make it a must do. WDW will be shutting down the ride towards the end of the year to make renovations. It will still be Star Tours when they re-open it, but it will be much different, I have heard.

Anyways, I hope this helps. I think the only park you'll have higher crowd levels at is HS for SWW's. The rest of the time should be pretty tame since most of the Flrodia kids will still be in school. I've heard the crowds don't start to really pick up until the 2nd or 3rd week in June.

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

Hey followed you over from cherbear's thread. About to go back and catch up on you report!

 

[Leger13]

Okay, I have more comments to make about your HS itinerary. It looks like you have a good plan. But if you want to go and wait in the lines for souvies and to meet the celebs I would do Toy Story after that. You might have to juggle a few things around but actually what you have looks pretty good. Just don't expect to stick to it to the "t" because the crowds are so unpredictable as to where they will be at certain times of the day. If you don't want to wait in those lines in the morning for the celebs and souvies then go straight to your itinerary and I think you will avoid a lot of the mesh up of crowds since most of the people there that day will be there for the special SWW's events. It's all a matter of how many of the special events they have going on that day you and your family want to experience.

 

[MegansMom]

Okay, I from Cherbear's TR to give you some SWW tips. Not sure if you have done a lot of research on it but here's a link with some info on what's gonna be going on http://www.allearsnet.com/tp/mgm/m_starwars.htm

As the web site says, if you want to meet the celebs that are gonna be in the park the day you are there, as soon as you come in the gate you will need to get a fastpass for that. When we were there, as soon as we walked in there were CM's directing the mass towards 2 lines. One was to get a pass to meet the celebrities and the other was to stand in line to get souvies from the special event. i.e. disney pins, t-shirts and other collectibles that are only being sold during the weekend. Me and my DH only went to the souvies line...we didn't bother with meeting the celebs but we did walk past where they were signing autographs and at least caught a glimpse of them.

As for the rest of the day, we toured as normal. They have events going on all day for the kids and there's all sorts of star wars characters walking around which is awesome! If you're lucky you might even get to ride Star Tours with some of them, although I see that ride is not a must do on your list. Also, if you want to ride it one last time before they change it, I suggest you make it a must do. WDW will be shutting down the ride towards the end of the year to make renovations. It will still be Star Tours when they re-open it, but it will be much different, I have heard.

Anyways, I hope this helps. I think the only park you'll have higher crowd levels at is HS for SWW's. The rest of the time should be pretty tame since most of the Flrodia kids will still be in school. I've heard the crowds don't start to really pick up until the 2nd or 3rd week in June.

Thanks so much for hopping over here!! SOOOOOOOOOOOO glad to have you!! Thanks again for the information--priceless in my opinion! We are going to take in Star Tours, I am just not sure what time we will hit it. Like I said in the itinerary, I know that it is probably way too ambitious to take all that in, but we will give it our best shot!! I am also looking forward to seeing my brother Mike hop on and add his two cents in on the itinerary. This will be the first time he gets to take his kids, so I am hoping that they get to take in as much as possible that they want to do since the kids haven't been there before. I am going to pass on the SWW info onto him, but I am not sure what events he will want to take in. I don't know if he will want autographs from the actors or not--we will just have to wait and see what he says!!!

Feel free to add your two cents in at any time as the PTR continues on--I LOVE hearing from others who have been there at the same time, it gives me a much clearer understanding of what to expect.

Talk soon, JEN

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

Caught up completely on your PTR. Sounds like y'all are going to have such a fun time!

Your daughter is gorgeous. My aunt was bed ridden for a month, then moved to the hospital, where she spent another month bed ridden, and my little cousin was still born almost 7 weeks early. She was in ICU at only 3 lbs 8 oz. My aunt and uncle couldn't even see her until she was almost a month home. She came home two months later still in her incubator. She is not 8 years old, and you'd never guess she was a premmie. Specially after being a little ham and singing "God Bless America" when she was only 3 when she was an american flag for halloween. Silly girls!

 

[Leger13]

Thanks so much for hopping over here!! SOOOOOOOOOOOO glad to have you!! Thanks again for the information--priceless in my opinion! We are going to take in Star Tours, I am just not sure what time we will hit it. Like I said in the itinerary, I know that it is probably way too ambitious to take all that in, but we will give it our best shot!! I am also looking forward to seeing my brother Mike hop on and add his two cents in on the itinerary. This will be the first time he gets to take his kids, so I am hoping that they get to take in as much as possible that they want to do since the kids haven't been there before. I am going to pass on the SWW info onto him, but I am not sure what events he will want to take in. I don't know if he will want autographs from the actors or not--we will just have to wait and see what he says!!!

Feel free to add your two cents in at any time as the PTR continues on--I LOVE hearing from others who have been there at the same time, it gives me a much clearer understanding of what to expect.

Talk soon, JEN

Glad you don't feel bombarded by my blabbing I don't think you'll have a problem fitting in all that you want to do. Just tell your brother that if he wants to get souvies and autographs, first thing in the morning is the best time to do it as the line just grows and grows after that. The souvies is a big deal because pretty much everything is limited edition which is why they form a line for everyone to shop in the store where they have the special event goodies. That's so awesome that your brother is getting to take his kids for the first time. They are going to have SO much fun!! I think so far the two things my DH holds at the top of his favorite WDW memories is SWW and MNSSHP....he's only been to WDW 5 or 6 times.

I will have to go back and catch up on the rest of your PTR and also comment on the rest of your itinerary. Just wanted to go ahead and get the SWW info in there since you asked

 

[cherbear]

Let's see...as I'm catching up....to recap:

I when I saw the pic of "Mike and the kids"...and thought "wow, he sure looks young" then I read your caption and Whew! Thank goodness!

Can I borrow your parents in September? That's great of them to cover your room! And you picked a good resort. I've never stayed there...but I'm sure it's great!

Your dining plans look great. You got some really good ("normal") times. I guess it's not as hard to get what you want during free dining (Le Cellier's a give in---that's ALWAYS hard to get. But maybe you can give it another shot? Last year I managed to get a lunch ressie after calling and calling (and calling..and calling...)

You'll have to let me know what you think of Boma. We have an ADR this September and it's one that I'm REALLY looking forward to. I forgot about those Zebra domes I had heard so much about!

You'll be at WDW on my birthday (14th)...so don't forget to sing.
Are you going to meet up with Tim and Lesley at some point? I think your trips are overlapping by at least a few days.

Megan is very cute, and you are so blessed to have her. Thank you for telling your story! I'm back to reading!

 

[cherbear]

everyone else always seems to find the great deals on Disney clothing, and you are definitely one of them! Good luck with the weight loss...I need to work on that, myself!

I think having plenty of ponchos is a good idea, too. We usually bring 3 for each person, and just hope it doesn't rain more than 3 times.

So what dollar store did you find spray sunscreen at? I must know!

Hey Everyone!!! Sorry about the delays in the updates--still no computer!! Doing the best I can with library and Tom's work laptop! Here's to hoping it will return soon!!

I have done some more Disney shopping--I got Megan a pair of Snow White slippers on sale at disneyoutlet.com for only $4.99--thanks to Deb!!! THANK YOU!!! Today I found a cute little sundress for Megan at Kmart that is bright green with Tinkerbell on it! SO cute!! I have some more purchases that I will update you on later!!

I will have another update coming soon with additions/changes needed with Kristi coming along now and other new additions to the plans/itinerary--so stay tuned!!!

Here's to hoping everyone is having a great Tuesday, and even better week!
Thanks for coming along for the ride!! Jen

I know how it feels to be without a computer Thank goodness you have your husband's work laptop

Hi Jen!

I just came back from the disney store outlet that just opened up in our outlets and got so many cool things for my dd! I couldn't really find anything for my older two ds's but lots for the baby!

But I just wanted to pass along something we do, in case you wanted to do it with your dd and your nephews. I buy my kids new disney hats (like baseball hats) before our trip (and in fact just bought them at the disney outlet for $4.99 each) a princess one for dd, mickey mouse for ds2 and pirates of the carribean for ds9 and ds6. Then I have my kids wear them in the park and use them for character autographs. I just pack along a couple of sharpies and then there's no need to carry any autograph books. They just pull them off their heads!

Keeps their face out of the sun and cool. Plus when they don't want to wear them at night or in a restaurant they just loop through my bag stap or on the stroller. And my kids love wearing them when we come home to school. And I feel like it is a souvineer that gets used.

Just thought I'd toss out our tip.......

that is such a cute idea! Maybe I will do that for my DH. He always wears a hat anyway.

Woo Hoo... 44 days...



Just wanted to take a sec and say hi to everyone and introduce myself. I'm Jen's brother Mike. As she previously mentioned, my not-so-little-anymore foursome of Maddie, Josh, Conner, and myself will be joining her on this grand excursion, and I hope to have some time to fill in some of my thoughts as things go along.



Like Jen, I was pretty much bitten by the Disney bug very young. We were both very fortunate to have such fantastic parents that were able to indulge their children's Disney fantasies every few years. Unfortunately, my last trip was 1995, so I have yet to be able to share the same magic with my kids. Not for lack of trying, though, as I've planned at least one trip every year since that just never came to fruition (and have got the spreadsheets to prove it.. ). Did I mention that planning runs in the family?

So, it's really special for us that the year that we make it, everyone will be there (including Megan, who they love like a sister) and Kristi (but, much to Maddie's relief, not Kristi's dogs).

I look forward to sharing my thoughts and plans with everyone as the trip gets closer.

Mike

Hi Mike! good to see you here....y'all are going to have such a great time! Planning is half the fun!

 

[cherbear]

Happy Thursday everyone!! I hope your Wednesdays were great! Mine sure was---we had such a BLAST on our little VB trippie!!

Mom and Kris got to my house around 9am, and we headed on up I-275 to I-74 and onwards to Ft. Wayne!!! We took Mom's minivan, but I drove the whole way--so much fun!!! We all said how we wished that our little road trip yesterday was actually our road trip to Disney--we are getting too excited!! We talked all about WDW the entire way there--okay except for a few minor conversations about the VB sale--so we were on a Disney euphoria by the time we hit the Ft. Wayne area. We stopped for lunch at this little Tavern place on the outskirts of Ft. Wayne--it was really quaint and we all had a great lunch! Then we headed straight to the coliseum for the sale. We had tickets for the 3pm show opening, but we got there around 2pm so we could get a good spot in the line--and boy did we!! We were very close to the beginning--so exciting for our first VB sale! We knew we had an hour to kill, so we looked through the VB catalog and Sale Brochure they gave us when we lined up. We then began talking to a lovely lady and her daughter who were in line behind us--they had been 3 or 4 times, so they gave us LOTS of tips! They told us to split up and each take a certain colored row. So we did--I took the red, green, and blue rows, Mom took silver, yellow, and then blue, and Kristi took orange, purple, and white. It is so organized up there! It finally hit 3pm, and we got so excited!! We started moving quickly through the queue, and before we knew it, we were going through the doors to the sale! It is a vision to walk into a coliseum sized room filled with NOTHING else but VERA BRADLEY!!! Very close to the euphoria of walking through the gates and out on to Main Street for the first time on your trip! Back to the sale--things were so well organized that we were all able to casually walk up and down all the aisles and find exactly what we were looking for.....and then some!! We then had to go through the great SORT!!! We couldn't believe how much we all collected, but after an hour of sorting, we had it pretty well figured out! Well, except for one purchase--Kristi kept going back and forth about a certain bag that she wanted to buy to carry her laptop, notebooks, and other miscellaneous items she needs for her furnishings business. She had about 4 different large bags picked out, and we finally got her to decide on the VERA, but then she kept going back and forth, wanting to change her mind, but we made her stick to her guns---and hurried up to get to the check out so she couldn't change her mind ANYMORE!!! She really did end up getting the better bag in our opinions!! We were a little disappointed in the prices on the bags--not much was discounted well there--but, we found a lot of neat accessory pieces on sale for a good price! My favorite thing I found were these travel organizers--so cute, and SO useful for OCD Disney planners like us!! I will post pics of this later so you all can see them!! I picked up quite a few of them because they were so neat, so if anyone wants one, just let me know! I'll share some of our other neat finds once I get the pics taken.

Anyway, we had a great time, and can't wait until next year's sale! We stopped at Applebee's for dinner, and then I drove home. We got in around 11pm, and were just so elated to have had such a special day together!! What fun!

Well, I will have more later----Talk to you soon!! Jen

Hey Deb and Jackie!! Thanks for your sweet sentiments--we really did have a great time!!

I wanted to let you both know, as well as anyone else who is interested, that I do still have some of the travel organizers left. This post is not going to have the pics yet, charging that darn camera battery, but I will post them later this morning or afternoon. But I did want to give you the scoop on what I have. Apparently the travel organizer is either not being sold by Vera Bradley anymore or you just can't get it from the website, because none of us have ever seen them before, and neither had many people we talked to at the sale---so that makes me even happier that we actually found some because they are so HANDY!! Their dimensions are 10” x 4 ¾” x 1." On the front cover, they have a nice pocket perfect for holding a plane ticket, etc. On the back cover, they have a zippered coin pouch. The inside is full of nooks and crannies for storing our traveling essentials. The left side has an ID window and 2 more pockets for storing important documents, etc--like Disney confirmation letters! The right side has SEVERAL credit card/misc. card pockets going down the length of the organizer, and then a great pocket under them that could hold cash or other important items/papers. The organizer has a zippered closure. It really is nice. I have them in the following patterns: Piccadilly Plum, Capri Melon, Petal Pink, Citrus, Java Blue, Peacock, and Capri Blue--again, I will put pictures on here of all of them very soon--just waiting for the battery light to turn green!! They were $25, which was a pretty good mark down from their original $42 price tag! Let me know if you are interested, and pm with your mailing info. You can either mail the payment or I do have a Paypal account that I have used in the past to pay for DVC rentals, so I could give you that info as well. It was so funny when we found them because I just stood there looking at all the storage pockets, etc. and was thinking in my head "Okay, my confirmation letter will go here, my KTTW card here, etc." --it was all about Disney!

that sounds like lots of fun! What a strategic plan y'all had! When can you post the pics of your finds? I can't wait to see! And the cute Snow White dress, etc. for Megan!


And...I also read where your parents paid for your tickets too?! Lucky duck! They are so generous and you're lucky to have them. So, did you ever add the extra day onto your ticket? I think it will be $1 or $2 per person---that's NOTHING!

I'm caught up and along for the ride!

 

[MegansMom]

Hey followed you over from cherbear's thread. About to go back and catch up on you report!

Thanks for coming over and WELCOME!!! I'm glad you are here!

Okay, I have more comments to make about your HS itinerary. It looks like you have a good plan. But if you want to go and wait in the lines for souvies and to meet the celebs I would do Toy Story after that. You might have to juggle a few things around but actually what you have looks pretty good. Just don't expect to stick to it to the "t" because the crowds are so unpredictable as to where they will be at certain times of the day. If you don't want to wait in those lines in the morning for the celebs and souvies then go straight to your itinerary and I think you will avoid a lot of the mesh up of crowds since most of the people there that day will be there for the special SWW's events. It's all a matter of how many of the special events they have going on that day you and your family want to experience.

Sounds good--maybe we will send the boys over through the souvie line, and then head off for character greetings or TSM and catch up later. We are usually very flexible when we go, so I think we should be able to adjust well once we are there, but it is SO nice to get some advice before we go!!

Caught up completely on your PTR. Sounds like y'all are going to have such a fun time!

Your daughter is gorgeous. My aunt was bed ridden for a month, then moved to the hospital, where she spent another month bed ridden, and my little cousin was still born almost 7 weeks early. She was in ICU at only 3 lbs 8 oz. My aunt and uncle couldn't even see her until she was almost a month home. She came home two months later still in her incubator. She is not 8 years old, and you'd never guess she was a premmie. Specially after being a little ham and singing "God Bless America" when she was only 3 when she was an american flag for halloween. Silly girls!

I know we will have so much fun! We have been waiting to do this all together for so long! Thanks for sharing about your cousin--it is so nice to hear stories like hers to continue to give us hope and reassurance that she is going to be okay!

Glad you don't feel bombarded by my blabbing I don't think you'll have a problem fitting in all that you want to do. Just tell your brother that if he wants to get souvies and autographs, first thing in the morning is the best time to do it as the line just grows and grows after that. The souvies is a big deal because pretty much everything is limited edition which is why they form a line for everyone to shop in the store where they have the special event goodies. That's so awesome that your brother is getting to take his kids for the first time. They are going to have SO much fun!! I think so far the two things my DH holds at the top of his favorite WDW memories is SWW and MNSSHP....he's only been to WDW 5 or 6 times.

I will have to go back and catch up on the rest of your PTR and also comment on the rest of your itinerary. Just wanted to go ahead and get the SWW info in there since you asked

Feel free to bombard all you like!! Like I said I live for advice and input--especially from those that have "been there, done that!" I am really excited for my brother and his kids---even more than I am for myself! I think it will be magical for them! I look forward to hearing more advice from you along the way!! TIA

Let's see...as I'm catching up....to recap:

I when I saw the pic of "Mike and the kids"...and thought "wow, he sure looks young" then I read your caption and Whew! Thank goodness!

HEE HEE HEE!! I need to get a pic of Mike on here--like the really good one I took of him and his kids at the March of Dimes walk this past weekend. It is on my mom's cell phone, so if we ever figure out how to send those back to us, I will post it on here!

Can I borrow your parents in September? That's great of them to cover your room! And you picked a good resort. I've never stayed there...but I'm sure it's great!

You can borrow my parents all you would like! They are really wonderful--we are so blessed to have them! They are too generous to us that is for sure!

I'm excited to stay at OKW---we like the studios at the DVCs. We really liked BWV, SSR was pretty but too big for us. I also want to try VWL sometime soon!!! HMMMMMMMMM........already wanting to plan another WDW Vaca?!?!??!

Your dining plans look great. You got some really good ("normal") times. I guess it's not as hard to get what you want during free dining (Le Cellier's a give in---that's ALWAYS hard to get. But maybe you can give it another shot? Last year I managed to get a lunch ressie after calling and calling (and calling..and calling...)

MMMMMMMMMM......Le Cellier is so good no matter what time you go! You made my stomach happy just thinking about the soup and steak for a moment! THANK YOU!

You'll have to let me know what you think of Boma. We have an ADR this September and it's one that I'm REALLY looking forward to. I forgot about those Zebra domes I had heard so much about!

I can't wait for Boma!! I will be happy to put in plenty of pics and reviews on my upcoming---very very close---TR!!! I think we are going to love it, don't you?!?!?

You'll be at WDW on my birthday (14th)...so don't forget to sing.
Are you going to meet up with Tim and Lesley at some point? I think your trips are overlapping by at least a few days.

Okay Cheri, on the 14th, when you hear the "Happy Birthday" song streaming through the back of your mind, no that it is me singing to you from Mickey's House!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU in advance!!!
My bro's birthday is June 18th---so close!

Lesley and I haven't set up a dismeet, but I know that our "park paths" are supposed to pass a couple times, so if we see each other, it will be so nice!! She is a great gal--as are YOU!

Megan is very cute, and you are so blessed to have her. Thank you for telling your story! I'm back to reading!

Thanks for kind words about Megs! Obviously we adore her!!! I know you guys don't have any "kiddos" yet, but I hope that you have one as sweet as Megs because then you will truly be one of the luckiest Moms!!!

everyone else always seems to find the great deals on Disney clothing, and you are definitely one of them! Good luck with the weight loss...I need to work on that, myself!

I will pass on any more deals if I see them! Thanks for the well wishes on the weight loss--I'm trying hard! You are a beautiful girl already, but I will send you some luck to in case you feel you need it!! Just remember how beautiful you are no matter what your size tag says!!!

I think having plenty of ponchos is a good idea, too. We usually bring 3 for each person, and just hope it doesn't rain more than 3 times.

So what dollar store did you find spray sunscreen at? I must know!

You should have seen the face on the checkout lady when I bought all of those! It was hilarious! It was a Dollar Tree--do you have them in LA?

I know how it feels to be without a computer Thank goodness you have your husband's work laptop

I missed it so much!!!!

Hi Mike! good to see you here....y'all are going to have such a great time! Planning is half the fun!

that sounds like lots of fun! What a strategic plan y'all had! When can you post the pics of your finds? I can't wait to see! And the cute Snow White dress, etc. for Megan!

I just took a bunch of pics of the travel organizers and am getting ready to post. I will get a pic of Megan's outfit and put that on as well!

And...I also read where your parents paid for your tickets too?! Lucky duck! They are so generous and you're lucky to have them. So, did you ever add the extra day onto your ticket? I think it will be $1 or $2 per person---that's NOTHING!

I'm caught up and along for the ride!

See, I told you they were WAY TOO generous! I am a Lucky DUCK!! I haven't added the extra day, I may just wait and see if I need it. SO cheap though!

 

[MegansMom]

Okay, here is their "group shot!" Going across from left to right is:
Capri Melon, Petal Pink, Capri Blue, Java Blue, Citrus, Peacock, and Piccadilly Plum.

This is a picture of the other side of the outside--a good spot to stick plane tickets!

This is a picture of the inside. What doesn't show up well in the picture are all of the credit card slots on the right side, and the extra pockets behind the ID spot on the left side. So much room for so many things we need for DISNEY!!!

I have multiples of a couple of the patterns--Capri Melon, Citrus, Java Blue, and Peacock--so if you do want one, just let me know!! I am so glad to help out a DISfriend organize for Disney even better!! Just PM me if you have any more questions or would like me to send one to you!

Someone also asked in a pm if I had more things besides the travel organizer, and I do. I was able to pick up a bunch of accessories because they really weren't having that great of a sale on their bags. I know how we all like to accessorize, so I just grabbed a bunch of different things that I thought family/friends could use. If you are interested in seeing a full list of items with pics, just pm me! I will be more than happy to help out if I can!!! I know some of you have really cute small dogs--you should see the TOO CUTE pet carrier/porters that I picked up. ADORABLE!! The neat thing about them is that they are completely insulated, so the sales rep said you can take out the doggy cushion and use them as a cooler! TOO CUTE! Just let me know if anyone needs anything or has any more questions about the stuff!! For my self, I picked up another Hipster for my trip in Petal Pink. I KNOW I already have one, but it is just so pretty and summery looking!! YEAH! I am still thinking about taking both, and matching them up each day with what I have on---have I completely lost it?!!?!?!?


Okay, I still need to take pics of Megs Snow White stuff--I will post that later tonight when she is asleep!! Still waiting to surprise her with it on Tuesday--I can't wait!