Moms Panel Results!?

[Crazy4Disney72]

Hi everyone! Just got back from Disney World about 2 hours ago. We really lucked out....it didn't even drizzle at all on Halloween at the Not So Scary Halloween Party! It was amazing! I left home on Monday for our trip very bummed after the rejection email about making it to round three. But the trip was amazing and made all of my rejection blues go away!

I see you all have had a pretty eventful week. I did not get a chance to see what everyone has been chatting about yet. I will read them all later after I unpack. I was just wondering if anyone could recap how the phone interviews went?

Welcome back, glad you enjoyed your trip and had such great weather for MNSSHP! Glad you had WDW to put you back in a good mood! I've been very glad I've had our upcoming DL trip to chase the 'didn't make it to round 3' blues away! Although I've been to DL a couple times and I've taken each of the kids on an individual trip with me (though DD was 17 months so she doesn't remember) DH has never been and I am SO excited to introduce him to DL and to have fun together as a family, all 5 of us this time!

 

[RatBoy]

EEFoster, I really like DCA too! I think the changes planned for it sound fabulous and I'm very excited about them, but I don't think it's bad at all just as it stands right now!

Another DCA fan here! Aladdin, TOT, Electric Parade, Soarin', Grizzly River Run, HSM2, Turtle Talk, California Screamin', and half the crowd of DL -- what's not to like?!

Word to the wise: Visit DCA before they "fix" it (and make it more popular)!

-Bret

 

[dollhouse]

We need a new question of the day. It is a little quiet around here...

What was your last family trip that was NOT to Disney? Do you have any non-Disney trips planned?

Our last trip not Disney related was this past summer, we did a monster road trip to Yellowstone National Park.

We drove 55 hours and 2500 miles total! All 7 of us and our luggage stuffed in a minivan. We drove through the badlands, to Mt. Rushmore and then spent 5 days in Yellowstone. We stayed at Old Faithful Inn. It was such a fun trip! No air conditioning, no TV. The kids were a little nervous because of course, I played up the no TV or air and made it seem like we would really be roughing it. I told them I wasn't sure if they had toilets that flush or if it was just port o potties. Hee hee hee. (Of course they have regular toilets that flush for those of you that are wondering.)

I was an amazing adventure, even the DS15 said that he wanted to go back and try it out in Winter! Cool!

Next non-Disney trip is to Mexico with my in-laws to celebrate MIL's 50th birthday!

Now that is a tough question. We do travel quite frequently, however usually because of dh job and military trips.

Last vacation not to Disney:

NYC (AWESOME)..dh business trip
Williamsburg VA...dh military (lived there for one year after dh activated in reserves..been activated 2x since 9-11...first time was 2 days after 9-11).
Daytona Beach..no dh work...however spent the last few days at Disney! Have to fit that in when we are in the vicinity!

Disney is our preference but we do like the beach trips!

 

[Crazy4Disney72]

Another DCA fan here! Aladdin, TOT, Electric Parade, Soarin', Grizzly River Run, HSM2, Turtle Talk, California Screamin', and half the crowd of DL -- what's not to like?!

Word to the wise: Visit DCA before they "fix" it (and make it more popular)!

-Bret

I think Grizzly River Run is so much better than Kali River Rapids at AK! Kali is almost not worth getting wet for, in fact, I don't think I've been on it since '02, but I love GRR!

 

[Goingtoseethemouse]

The weather is wonderful right now in Disney World! This morning we woke up and it was 55! Thats a real treat for us Floridians! But it heated up to 75 real quick! Tried a few new things this trip. Took my DD to the Bibbity Boppity Boutique (pardon my spelling) and my son tried the horseback riding. It was an amazing trip. Did Dinner at our usual spots: Whispering Canyon, Cape May Cafe & Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show! Also kicked the DH's butt at mini golf! The trip was a blast! Now, I am looking forward to our trip next month. Going to the Coral Reef and to the Candle light processional two days before Christmas! WOO HOO!! Cant wait!

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So whats the news? When will they know?

 

[PartyOf5]

The weather is wonderful right now in Disney World! This morning we woke up and it was 55! Thats a real treat for us Floridians! But it heated up to 75 real quick! Tried a few new things this trip. Took my DD to the Bibbity Boppity Boutique (pardon my spelling) and my son tried the horseback riding. It was an amazing trip. Did Dinner at our usual spots: Whispering Canyon, Cape May Cafe & Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show! Also kicked the DH's butt at mini golf! The trip was a blast! Now, I am looking forward to our trip next month. Going to the Coral Reef and to the Candle light processional two days before Christmas! WOO HOO!! Cant wait!

[/URL][/IMG]


So whats the news? When will they know?

Welcome back! I'd take 55...we are lucky if that is our high this time of year!! Sounds like you had a great time. We enjoy going to Whispering Canyon as well for dinner...although they seemed to have quieted down a bit over the last couple years or so.

So what's the news? None yet...we are in waiting mode. We are pretty sure we will know our fate Wednesday afternoon. Until then we wait, and wait, and wait. I feel like we are all in a delivery room waiting for the big arrival!

Diane

 

[EEFOSTER]

We need a new question of the day. It is a little quiet around here...

What was your last family trip that was NOT to Disney? Do you have any non-Disney trips planned?

I'd like to take a stab at the question of the day ..


What is the strangest thing anyone has ever asked you about WDW? Or, what is the biggest misconception you've encountered about WDW?

We had a family from England move in across the street from us. Their sons convinced them that WDW was the place to be and they finally consented. The mom came over for trip planning advice. She looked more and more confused as I talked. It turns out the she had no idea that AK, Epcot, and MGM existed, she was only familiar with the MK. I got the biggest kick out of this. Mostly I was amused at myself -- I'm such a WDW geek, that it would never even occur to me that anyone on the planet wouldn't know all about the gigantic scope of WDW.

 

[PartyOf5]

I'd like to take a stab at the question of the day ..


What is the strangest thing anyone has ever asked you about WDW? Or, what is the biggest misconception you've encountered about WDW?

Great question!! I always hear people say they are going to Disney World when they mean Magic Kingdom.

Another one I hear frequently, while waiting to board the monorail at the Contemporary someone will ask "which monorail goes to Epcot" or "which monorail do I get on for MK?" (meaning is it possible to get on the Express monorail).

Thankfully there are people like us to help guide these folks...I actually had people shadow me from Contemporary to the Epcot monorail as I was going that way anyway...nice opportunity for a good chat!


Diane

 

[RatBoy]

I'd like to take a stab at the question of the day ..


What is the strangest thing anyone has ever asked you about WDW? Or, what is the biggest misconception you've encountered about WDW?

The first one that comes to mind is a comment from an acquaintance who had just returned from WDW. They were disappointed that the rides just "weren't as exciting as the roller coasters at Six Flags." I bit my tongue and didn't say a word. Sadly they missed the entire point of WDW.

 

[amyhughes]

I think the biggest misconception I have ever encountered is that WDW is just for kids. So many people think there is nothing else to do besides "little kiddy rides" that they have "seen on t.v." WDW is so much more than that. This post couldn't sum up what all there is to do for a group of adults.

 

[poohmomof5]

What is the strangest thing anyone has ever asked you about WDW? Or, what is the biggest misconception you've encountered about WDW?

The biggest misconception that I have personally heard would be that my friends think their kids are too old to go. Very good friends of ours have two boys, 15 and 13 and they think the kids wouldn't like it. So my sons and I have worked hard to explain to them all of the different things to do there. The cultural aspect of Epcot is what convinced them to give it a try! I can't wait for them to experience it. They are going to love it!

 

[BellaBuggy]

I missed the first question of the day (sorry!). My family is spread out all over the world, so our trips tend to be visits to family or vacations to Disney. I don't really think of trips to family as 'vacation'. We've gone to see them and done some exploring in Wilmington, NC, Washington-DC area, Chicago, and other places over the last few years. Our last non-Disney 'vacation' to a place where no family is located was in 2004 to Gatlinburg, TN. We rented a cabin and spent just a few days - 4 or 5 maybe - seeing the area, relaxing, and taking dd to Dollywood to see the VeggieTales live.Oh and we saw that big dinner show that they have tehre and in Orlando too - what is that called? The North vs. South...

 

[5/4Disney]

The strangest thing I ever heard was our uncle (who is actually our age) drove his family from Wisc. to WDW last Christmas and said his kids hated it. All they wanted to do was swim at the hotel. WHAT! My comments to him were:
1. You went at one of the busiest times. What did you expect?
2. You were not prepared.
You see they called and asked for advice before they went and I guess they let the info go in one ear and out the other. Maybe they thought we were some Disney nerds who wouldn't shut up. So I told him if you ever want to go back, call us and we will travel with you guys. I wonder what folks would say if we all were tour guides and took them on a well planned trip. How many people would enjoy their trips so much more?
Julie

 

[BellaBuggy]

The biggest misconception...I agree with what pps have said about the size, and people calling MK Disneyworld. lol

I'd say the one that bugs me the most is when people say that their kids are too young to go. NEVER too young! I've taken newborns and still had a blast. And all of us who know and love Disney know that those newborns can ride and do almost everything right along with you! Also when you take a baby, you can take pictures with a character and then do the same thing every year when you go back (or every few months ) and see how they've grown. A growth chart based on Mickey Mouse is a beautiful thing! And when you take a small child, that is when the characters are really REAL to them. You lose that piece of magic if you wait until your kids are 10. I know some people want to wait until their kids are old enough to remember it, but I don't know...my girls remember things about trips they took when they were tiny! And even if they don't remember, YOU will, and those are wonderful memories for me.

This is actually something I discussed with the interviewers and I had to restrain myself because I could talk on that subject for a long time!

A close second for me would be the idea that a Disney vacation is out of reach financially. You can camp at Ft. Wilderness in a tent for goodness' sake! It can be the most expensive trip of your life, or the most affordable - I think there is a huge range of budget-friendly options that people never seem to know about.

 

[5/4Disney]

As for the vacation question. Well, we too must visit family who lives out of state so we took the kids to Minnesota and Wisc. We LOVE the weather up there in June (you can actually go outside and it's not 100 degrees). We also took the the kids to New Braunsfals, Tx to Schlitterbahn water park and resort.

 

[poohmomof5]

The biggest misconception...I agree with what pps have said about the size, and people calling MK Disneyworld. lol

I'd say the one that bugs me the most is when people say that their kids are too young to go. NEVER too young! I've taken newborns and still had a blast. And all of us who know and love Disney know that those newborns can ride and do almost everything right along with you! Also when you take a baby, you can take pictures with a character and then do the same thing every year when you go back (or every few months ) and see how they've grown. A growth chart based on Mickey Mouse is a beautiful thing! And when you take a small child, that is when the characters are really REAL to them. You lose that piece of magic if you wait until your kids are 10. I know some people want to wait until their kids are old enough to remember it, but I don't know...my girls remember things about trips they took when they were tiny! And even if they don't remember, YOU will, and those are wonderful memories for me.

This is actually something I discussed with the interviewers and I had to restrain myself because I could talk on that subject for a long time!

A close second for me would be the idea that a Disney vacation is out of reach financially. You can camp at Ft. Wilderness in a tent for goodness' sake! It can be the most expensive trip of your life, or the most affordable - I think there is a huge range of budget-friendly options that people never seem to know about.

I agree with your comments about taking a baby or toddler. One of our favorite trips recently was when DD3 had just turned 1. It was so much fun for me and the older kids to watch her experience WDW. The pictures and memories are priceless! As long as you have the correct expectations going into it, your memories will be FANTASTIC!

 

[poohmomof5]

As for the vacation question. Well, we too must visit family who lives out of state so we took the kids to Minnesota and Wisc. We LOVE the weather up there in June (you can actually go outside and it's not 100 degrees). We also took the the kids to New Braunsfals, Tx to Schlitterbahn water park and resort.

Glad to see that you enjoy Wisconsin, our summer and fall are wonderful!

Hey, you still have "round two reject" in your signature. You should change it to "I made to it round two for the Disney Mom's panel!" You should be proud!

Okay, I really have to go, I have to give a presentation to a giant group this morning. Out of our local staff of 70 people, why am I always the one they make do it? Could it be because I like to talk?

See you later and have a great day!!!!

 

[dollhouse]

The strangest thing I ever heard was our uncle (who is actually our age) drove his family from Wisc. to WDW last Christmas and said his kids hated it. All they wanted to do was swim at the hotel. WHAT! My comments to him were:
1. You went at one of the busiest times. What did you expect?
2. You were not prepared.
You see they called and asked for advice before they went and I guess they let the info go in one ear and out the other. Maybe they thought we were some Disney nerds who wouldn't shut up. So I told him if you ever want to go back, call us and we will travel with you guys. I wonder what folks would say if we all were tour guides and took them on a well planned trip. How many people would enjoy their trips so much more?
Julie

I had a very similar experience with a family member. They went the last week of July. I tried to help them but they were going with another family and my advice didn't go too far. They had a horrible trip! The wife called me later and said she really wished they took my advice! Her poor little daughter who loves princesses only got to see Ariel! They didn't see any other Princesses! The dhs said that they will never go back. They only rode like 4 rides(didn't even do Buzz Lightyear with 3 little boys!), didn't use the FP options, no character experiences for their little kids, etc. I couldn't believe it. The only thing they used from my tips was to rent the stroller even for the older kids. They said they would have died if it wasn't for that. The dh was convinced their son (age 7) should be walking all over the park in the 100 degree weather! It was sad that they didn't get that wonderful feeling from Disney! I think it has a lot to do with a persons attitude going into the trip.

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink!"

It all broke my heart!

 

[dollhouse]

The strangest thing I ever heard was our uncle (who is actually our age) drove his family from Wisc. to WDW last Christmas and said his kids hated it. All they wanted to do was swim at the hotel. WHAT! My comments to him were:
1. You went at one of the busiest times. What did you expect?
2. You were not prepared.
You see they called and asked for advice before they went and I guess they let the info go in one ear and out the other. Maybe they thought we were some Disney nerds who wouldn't shut up. So I told him if you ever want to go back, call us and we will travel with you guys. I wonder what folks would say if we all were tour guides and took them on a well planned trip. How many people would enjoy their trips so much more?
Julie

I had a very similar experience with a family member. They went the last week of July. I tried to help them but they were going with another family and my advice didn't go too far. They had a horrible trip! The wife called me later and said she really wished they took my advice! Her poor little daughter who loves princesses only got to see Ariel! They didn't see any other Princesses! The dhs said that they will never go back. They only rode like 4 rides(didn't even do Buzz Lightyear with 3 little boys!), didn't use the FP options, no character experiences for their little kids, etc. I couldn't believe it. The only thing they used from my tips was to rent the stroller even for the older kids. They said they would have died if it wasn't for that. The dh was convinced their son (age 7) should be walking all over the park in the 100 degree weather! It was sad that they didn't get that wonderful feeling from Disney! I think it has a lot to do with a persons attitude going into the trip.

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink!"

It all broke my heart!

How are the finalists feeling this week? Sending good vibes to you all!

Leslie

 

[my3boys]

Partyof5 - I just read my private messages and sent one back to you!