My first PTR and my DS4's first trip to the World.

[Diamondintheruff]

Since you were talking packing here's a couple of things I like to take just incase or just for fun.

-pop up hamper for dirty clothes
-rain ponchos from dollar store
-clothes pins to hang wet bathingsuits on clothes line in bathroom
-hanging rack for bathroom door to put all my toiletries in it.
-plastic cup to store my toothbrushes in so they don't lie on the sink
-disney window clings for the hotel window

I cracked up over your multiple GPS and map comments.

 

[PrincessBrideJo]

Since you were talking packing here's a couple of things I like to take just incase or just for fun.

-pop up hamper for dirty clothes
-rain ponchos from dollar store
-clothes pins to hang wet bathingsuits on clothes line in bathroom
-hanging rack for bathroom door to put all my toiletries in it.
-plastic cup to store my toothbrushes in so they don't lie on the sink
-disney window clings for the hotel window

I cracked up over your multiple GPS and map comments.

I am a bit OCD when it comes to my dirty clothes in hotel rooms. What I do is I unpack the first night I get there. I "move in" to the hotel. I hate "living out of a suit case" feeling. I make it home (I even say things like "I'm ready to go home" which means I want to go to the hotel. Home is where you lay your head is really my philosophy). So anyways with the dirty clothes is every morning while hubby showers (I must get up first, he is NOT a morning person) I pack our dirty clothes. So that way the last night there, there isn't much to do to pack up and leave! Although I am thinking a dirty clothes hamper might not be bad this time since we are staying so long and I think I will end up doing some laundry while there!!!

I must go get our rain ponchos...putting that on the list now!

Forgot they had a clothes line, great idea! I usually bring plastic hangers to hang stuff up too! Since we drive we can spare room for that kind of thing!

Oh and I definitely want to bring a cup for the toothbrushes! I always put them on plastic baggies, cup is a great idea!


I am reading your trip report from your 08 trip. I am enjoying it so much, just FYI!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Thanks, I'm glad you are enjoying my TR. If you haven't already you'll be stumbling on how I feel about laundry. I love doing it at Disney. It's my chance to get away from the family. But since the family isn't coming I guess I won't be doing laundry this trip.

 

[PrincessBrideJo]

Thanks, I'm glad you are enjoying my TR. If you haven't already you'll be stumbling on how I feel about laundry. I love doing it at Disney. It's my chance to get away from the family. But since the family isn't coming I guess I won't be doing laundry this trip.

Well your family is a lot bigger than mine. Well technically you only have one more child than I do, BUT we aren't taking any grandparents and we are living the one behind. So I really think there will be a lot of breaks for each of us. We are already planning on some nights and/or afternoons one of us taking DS back to the hotel and the other getting to play at Disney by themselves. And I plan on doing a lot of shopping while DS sleeps in the stroller. I know lots of people will say he won't sleep, but that boy falls asleep anywhere so I know he will.

I crack up on your laundry breaks. Oh I think that would be heaven too if I had the stressful trips you have had (minus the alcohol, i hate the taste of any of it! but maybe with some chocolate and a diet cherry coke since we are staying at ASmovies).

 

[PrincessBrideJo]

Ok so not seriously but life has just been too painful the past few weeks.

I think I posted that I got a tetanus shot that happened to have pertussis in it. Of course after I got the shot my mom told me I reacted badly to pertussis and they never finished my course of pertussis when I was little. So I was in bed for days from that. Then I had a tooth filled and haven't been the same since. It has hurt so bad and been on constant pain meds. I am getting a root canal on it tomorrow, thank goodness! Never thought I would look forward to a root canal. And then yesterday I went to the oral surgeon to have a "tongue skin tag" removed so I have a stitch in my tongue and can't eat anything more than pudding and applesauce.

Not to mention a busy life with two boys, cleaning up after said 2 boys and hubby after each sicknesses, and all the time spent at doctors, dentists, and surgeons! I also have to get my house spotless before I leave in case they want to show it while we are gone (we are trying to sell).

so needless to say right now I am a feeling way overwhelmed and way behind schedule. But tomorrow night I think I am taking me and my DS19month (DH and DS4 go to church on Wednesday nights but it is too late of a night for other DS so i stay home with him) and buy all the stuff I need besides food for the trip.

OH and since I am just whining in the post I will also mention that we leave not this Saturday but NEXT saturday and DH (and MIL - she is going to Orlando - who is my only baby sitter during the days) will be gone starting this Sunday till the Friday before we leave. So yeah, no help for me.

Ok I am going to go lay down now...again...ugh! Hope I am feeling 1005 by the time we leave!

 

[PrincessBrideJo]

So I was just planning on borrowing my best friend's Volo for Disney. I thought it would work perfect for us. But there have been multiple times in the past few months that I wish I had a better stroller. I either have the clunky one you get with the baby car seats, the sit'n'stand or the umbrella stroller that you have to bend over to push and hurts your back. So anyways i have been drooling over the baby planet ones FOREVER. My best friend just found it for $99 and I was so excited that I bought it. I got the lemur frog one and I just hope it come in time for Disney. I will also cry if it gets stolen in Disney. But I am so excited!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Oh my goodness! That is alot you are dealing with right now. Girlfriend you need some help. It isn't great to start a Disney vacation so overtired you can't even push the new stroller (great decision by the way!).

This is the time to call in favors with friends and family. Loan those boys out to others. Do not make meals from scratch. Heck I'm a tree hugger sometimes but perhaps you'd like to buy some paper plates and cups. Buy some plastic tubs that fit under the beds, throw everything in them, dust with diaper wipes and voila you are show ready. You need to cut back and conserve your energy. Take time for yourself. You are worth it.

Wish I was closer. I'd come over and do some laundry for you.

Take care of yourself.

 

[colinsdad]

So I was just planning on borrowing my best friend's Volo for Disney. I thought it would work perfect for us. But there have been multiple times in the past few months that I wish I had a better stroller. I either have the clunky one you get with the baby car seats, the sit'n'stand or the umbrella stroller that you have to bend over to push and hurts your back. So anyways i have been drooling over the baby planet ones FOREVER. My best friend just found it for $99 and I was so excited that I bought it. I got the lemur frog one and I just hope it come in time for Disney. I will also cry if it gets stolen in Disney. But I am so excited!

Great news on the stroller. It is soooooo much help having a good one at WDW. I'm going to google it so I can get a look. Sounds like a great deal.

After looking it up, Wow! Nice stroller and super excellent price you got! It even looks like it has a Dole Whip holder on the side.

So many people bring strollers I think they're pretty safe at Disney. One thing I don't like though is if you don't park it exactly like they want you to, a CM will move it. The first time I brought a stroller to Disney, a few times my heart skipped a beat thinking it was gone but it was just moved.

Just something you should be aware of because they do it all the time, especially if you drop it off at a ride like Kiliminjaro Safaris (where they sometimes even take it and park it for you). You end up having to search for it when you get out.

I hope it arrives in time for your trip, and home you're feeling better too!

 

[PrincessBrideJo]

Oh my goodness! That is alot you are dealing with right now. Girlfriend you need some help. It isn't great to start a Disney vacation so overtired you can't even push the new stroller (great decision by the way!).

This is the time to call in favors with friends and family. Loan those boys out to others. Do not make meals from scratch. Heck I'm a tree hugger sometimes but perhaps you'd like to buy some paper plates and cups. Buy some plastic tubs that fit under the beds, throw everything in them, dust with diaper wipes and voila you are show ready. You need to cut back and conserve your energy. Take time for yourself. You are worth it.

Wish I was closer. I'd come over and do some laundry for you.

Take care of yourself.

You are the sweetest thing ever! Come do my laundry for me, now that would be awesome. So after your e-mail I decided to do the things we mom's hate the most.....ask for help. I e-mailed my sister-in-law who is a wonderful, but busy person. I told her everything I had to do along with Chris being gone and if she could come watch the boys, take the boys away, or even come help me clean after they go to bed even just one night that I would be eternally grateful. She said she would love to help but couldn't give me exact times as I said she is really busy. Then she said her co-worker/secretary type person would also love to help. Yippie! And my mom offered many moons ago to help if her back wasn't flaring up. She is coming over on Friday to see my babies so I will be whispering that in her ear then! All of these people work, but if I could get 2 of them one night - 1 to watch the boys and one to help me clean that would BE AWESOME. And even if I get 1 person for 3 nights....I can do a lot in 3 nights!!! So thanks for bumping my butt to ask for help!

And then tonight I also asked my hubby to take our youngest son to church with him. This makes him leave early as he has to get him to bed, but he said sure. I got ALL my errands run. I took back clothes to 3 stores (technically 4, but one wouldn't take it back), and got all the little things for my trip - soaps, bandaids, sunscreen, antibacterial hand soap and spray (gota be careful with the swine flu!), etc. Oh and I ran to my soon-to-be-new house (we are storing stuff there) and found my summer clothes and ran to my mother-in-law's house (where we are also storing stuff) and found our hats (my husband must wear a hat or risk a serious burn on his head!) and my Figment bag. so whit whoo on getting things done!

So now all I need to BUY is food for the ride down there and I plan on doing that the morning we leave (like I am gonna sleep anyways!)

And just in case you were all wondering my root canal went wonderfully. I can now chew (mostly, don't forget I do still have that stitch from my tongue skin tag) on both sides of my mouth! Just in time for disney! whoo hoo! My dentist even decided to do a temporary filling instead of a temporary crown because they said that will last a lot longer and won't fall out while we are in Disney World. He has been very understanding of our impending trip!

 

[APB513]

Hi Joanna -

Just joining your PTR. Glad to hear that all went well with the root canal and glad to hear that you will have some help.

Looking forward to meeting you and your family at the Spectromagic Meet!

 

[DisneyTiger]

I'm in too. We're going on 5/25! Glad you are feeling better Can't wait to hear more about your trip. I'm going to have to check out the snacks thread. Do you know where it is?

 

[PrincessBrideJo]

Hi Joanna -

Just joining your PTR. Glad to hear that all went well with the root canal and glad to hear that you will have some help.

Looking forward to meeting you and your family at the Spectromagic Meet!

Thanks for joining Angela. Sorry I don't have more to plan and talk about. I feel like a dis failure, haha! It is just SO HARD to plan when I have no idea what DS will like and what he won't like. This trip is about him and I am really trying to make it.

 

[PrincessBrideJo]

I LEAVE IN 7 DAYS!!!!!!! Whit whoo. 7 days from now I will be on the road. Gonna have to get me some dramamin (sp?), gota put that on the list! I get altitude sickness REAL easy. Like when we drive from IL to TX, I get altitude sick, have you see that park of the country? THERE IS LIKE NOTHING THERE. So I know from IL to FL it is gonna be scary. My MIL said that the dramamin will help my altitude sickness even though it is for motion sickness. I figured I might as well try it!

I really had hoped my hubby would have our old Disney pictures on a computer I could access (it is in his closet currently ) so I could show you some of our old trips. He leaves for business tomorrow so that prolly won't happen. Maybe I will beg him to do that tonight....we shall see....

 

[PrincessBrideJo]

I'm in too. We're going on 5/25! Glad you are feeling better Can't wait to hear more about your trip. I'm going to have to check out the snacks thread. Do you know where it is?

Here is the thread, LOVED IT! It is last year snacks so some might not be on there this year!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1850418

I am reading your PTR right now! Your family is ADORABLE!

 

[PrincessBrideJo]

Ok so my wonderful hubby searched our spare computers (I know that is NOT normal! ) and found our last vacation pictures. So to start off let me tell you that my husband and I are HORRIBLE picture people. We always forget to take pictures. It is one of the things I hate about myself. Looking back at these pictures I didn't even take 1 picture at MK,what is up with that? I promise,this trip will be better since we are taking our son. I will prolly have to leave mid day just to dump the camera memory! I also am not going to be as detailed as this was 3 years ago and I have no idea. It is going to be a definite summary!

Ok so we arrived in Disney on 8/13/06. There are no pictures of this day. This was our travel day. Getting the extra ticket to Disney was not that much more so we bought it anyways. We had free dinning and LOVED it. We went with a family that we are friends with though we left our DS4 who was 18 months at the time at home. So anyways we went into Epcot that day and ate at Italy. WE LOVE this place. It was the only fancy place that we ate on our honeymoon so it is a bit special to us. Then we just walked around the world for awhile and went back to our hotel. We stayed at all star Music.

Hubby and I were also not rope drop people (though we will be this time) so we got up when we got up and went to the parks. The next day we went to MGM and it was still called MGM then, haha. I know we ate at SciFi. Oh and I guess we did eat there on our honey moon as well, but it didn't feel as fancy as Italy did. So here are some pictures (I actually took a few!) of our time at MGM....

I have a biology degree so I LOVED this picture (it is from muppets)

WE also ate at Mama Melrose. Wasn't impressed but it got us the seats for Fantasmic.

It was the first week of free dinning and the lines were horrendous and it was HOT, very HOT. When we got there we went to Beauty and the Beast (one of my favs) and then to the RNRC. We didn't do this last time on our honeymoon so wanted to do it. First ride, all excited. Get on and i get whiplash. Not even kidding. I was in so much pain that day. We had gotten fast passes to TOT on our way and I told hubby there was NO WAY I was riding TOT today with how much pain I was in. So we had to miss it this trip. I did suck it up for Star Tours (hubby's fav) and rode that. I actually do think we missed the movie ride, because I don't remember even seeing it! But we did Indy, was disappointed that it was the SAME EXACT show as it was when I little. Will they ever change it? We did light, motor, action and loved that. It was newish that year and we really did enjoy it even in the heat.

So I just want to apologize for my poor trip report this time. I promise if you come back for this trip we are taking in 7 DAYS it will be better.....WAY better....WAY detailed with food pictures and kid pictures and everything!

Next day - Animal Kingdom!

 

[jana616]

I've been enjoying your PTR. Hope you have a wonderful trip! Do you mind telling me where you found the stroller for $99? I love that one, but haven't seen it that cheap!

Thanks!

 

[PrincessBrideJo]

I've been enjoying your PTR. Hope you have a wonderful trip! Do you mind telling me where you found the stroller for $99? I love that one, but haven't seen it that cheap!

Thanks!

greenbabybargains.com

They sold out and are not selling it anymore. They have specials like every day on different baby products. This was the second time in the past month they have had those strollers so if you watch it, they might come back!

 

[jana616]

greenbabybargains.com

They sold out and are not selling it anymore. They have specials like every day on different baby products. This was the second time in the past month they have had those strollers so if you watch it, they might come back!

Thanks so much! I signed up to receive alerts from them, so hopefully I'll catch it if they get them again! Have a great trip!

 

[PrincessBrideJo]

So on this day we headed over to Animal Kingdom. It is so true that it is the hotest park. ugh!

We left our hotel around 9 and it was already steamy....here is proof...

The Little Mermaid is my FAV movie and this little beauty of a statue was right by our pool. So I wanted my picture with her. I ran up and sat down and told hubby to take a picture. Well he pulled the camera out and this is what he got. And the camera wouldn't de-steam either. All the condensation on the lens...ugh so we had to try again another morning!

Off to Animal Kingdom we went to sweat. Lion King was new-ish and I really wanted to see it so we went there first. I loved it. DH LOVED it, it was his fav thing I am pretty sure. He is such a funny man sometimes...haha. Here are some picture from the show....

I swear we have more pictures of this show than we do of ourselves. Hubby was just so entertained by it

So after that we went to the safari. It was pretty much a bust. We went in the morning because I read it was too hot in the afternoon for the animals. well it was too hot that morning for the animals too. Although our vehicle did have a stand off with an antelope or something. It was pretty amusing. No picture of course. We wondered up to Rafiki's place because #1 - IT WAS HOT (they have air, but the train ride was the hotest thing of all to get there, you can see hubby's shirt with sweat from the backpack, poor guy I made him carry it the entire time....remember the whiplash incident? Well I played that one up. Shhhh...don't tell hubby...) and #2 - I am really interested in Veterinary work (I wanted to be one but decided to become a mom instead) so I wanted to see the place. I really did enjoy it and learned a lot. I know most people say this is boring and that is prolly true, but I enjoy that kind of stuff! Guess I am boring I decided on our honeymoon that we would have an animal that every time we went there we would take our picture by it. Well these are the two animals we picked then and so here we are by them...

Excuse how I look....remember the HEAT! (I just wanted to lay my entire body and face against this wall. It felt SO GOOD in there away from the heat!)

And here is a random of me by a Tiger....once again...IT WAS HOT.

So after that we did Everest which we waited for FOREVER, it was crazy. Then went to Dinosaur. There was like NO WAIT for dinosaur which was so odd because it was sooooo busy while we were there. So we rode it like 3 times in a row just cuz we could. haha. We ate at Flame Tree BBQ for lunch in between all of this (not sure when) and loved it. We are going there again for sure.

I believe since Animal Kingdom closed early that this was our downtown disney night. We ate at Rainforest (one of hubby and my's fav restaurants) and shopped. Like I said it was 3 years ago and everything is a little fuzzy. I think this was the night that my best friend, Nicki, came and shopped with us after her kids went to bed (her hubby stayed with them at the hotel). That was a lot of fun. She and I LOVE to shop!

So that was our animal kingdom day in a nutshell. I think I have decided to go and buy a journal to take with us to Disney each time we go. Then I can write down what happens everyday so I can remember it forever and ever!

Next up will be my pictureless day at Magic Kingdom and our day at Epcot.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Yay for you for asking for help! I know it's hard to do sometimes.

I'll have to look for my pictures with ariel at the pool too. I know I have some somewhere. I think they are of my daughter.

I also have "spare" computers. Dh used to be in IT and we had to have different computers for different things. Of course each one has something that needs "fixing".

I'm glad your packing and planning is coming along nicely. It seems you're back on track.