Never say Neverland: Easter '18, May/June '18, July '18, Sept '18, Nov '18 TRs (8/22 UPDATE!)

[Jenny Sanders]

we haven't done Tony's in a long time and I thought it had improved and might be worth a visit again.

So, we had Tony's a year ago. I was absolutely dreading it, but it turned out to be so good, that I reserved it again in September...

 

[kittylady1972]

So, we had Tony's a year ago. I was absolutely dreading it, but it turned out to be so good, that I reserved it again in September...

Yes we had it a long time ago..and it was so NOT good..but then I started reading that it had improved. I'd love to try it again despite the fact that there are other great Italian places in the WDW bubble. With no park tickets, this one seems viable for the night of the party if we attend...or we could try Disney Springs.

 

[kittylady1972]

Bummer on the MM tickets but yay for more flexibility. I have never been to a MNSSHP. My dd went to one at DL and had a blast! DH and I wmight be at DL this fall but it looks like we will arrive Nov 3rd, so still no party for us.

Sad about you missing the party. I'm sure the DL one is also fabulous. We've done the MK one a few times, mostly as adults only, but we tried to go with the kids a few years ago. It worked out okay, but we really really wanted to see the parade (which is awesome) and we chose to wait for the second one that night...and the skies opened up that evening and they cancelled the second parade. We were so disappointed. So this would be a chance for the kids to finally see it. Two of them saw it back in 2003...when they were 3 and not-quite-one year olds!

 

[Mopedmom1]

I have a bit of flexibility in our schedule and originally had our DL portion of our vacation before our cruise but thought better of it. We are visiting my parents in September and would have <3 weeks before we hit the road again. That doesn't give us enough turnaround time for work. Also, despite living on the west coast, the last time we were in DL was 1993! I'm hoping crowds will be less after the parties are over. So maybe we won't wait another 23 years before returning and we can catch a party then!

Bummer about the rain. Next time you better do the first parade!

 

[kittylady1972]

So wouldn't you know this would happen: finally late last night I decide on dates for our August trip and the flights. Since I have SWA credit enough to cover most of each of our 1-way tickets to Florida, last night I booked those flights. I emailed my FIL to let him know he's been booked. I still have to book for my oldest son, who doesn't have credits at all so I'll use points for his flight. However some of the points are mine and some are in DH's account. So I'll get to those next.

I come to work and get a text from my husband who has just learned about a REQUIRED class he has to take for work that happens to be taking place Mon-Fri the SAME week we planned to be in Florida.

Are you KIDDING me?

I've just done some research into moving up the dates by a week, and we'd still be able to catch a Halloween party of we do that, but he has told me to stand by until he gets more information. It will mean a little more money but it's not horrible to change the travel dates if we need to do that. I just don't know when he will have a decision for me.

Great.

This trip as planned right now gives us 5 nights but we fly in late the first night so that day is a wash really. We will still have Sunday-Wednesday all day and our Thursday return flight is planned for around 7pm so that gives us most of that day also. I figured Wed/Thur would be US and IOA days for us which would work out fine.

I'm really looking forward to this short trip, even if we only get ONE day at MK that's enough for me. We'll still enjoy some other days relaxing around the resort and hanging out.

 

[KathyM2]

I hope it all works out...way to go "work" for throwing a wrench in everything!

 

[Mopedmom1]

Ugh. Work is such a four letter word.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Yay for a day in MK!

 

[kittylady1972]

I hope it all works out...way to go "work" for throwing a wrench in everything!

Ugh. Work is such a four letter word.

AND CRISIS is over...turns out the class is already full so he has no hope of getting into it for that first session anyway. HURRAY! Even though I was already researching the backup plan, we won't need it now. The trip will go on as scheduled!

Yay for a day in MK!

Yes...I'm totally going to break my "No Disney Parks in 2019" rule but that's okay...it's just ONE park and just ONE day. And who wouldn't want to celebrate Halloween in AUGUST? I just hope we get to do what we couldn't do last time and see the parade...that's our #1 goal. Of course we'll do some rides as well, but with no FPs that might be tough, as I hear even the party lines as of late are not as short as they once were but we will manage I'm sure.

 

[kittylady1972]

So a quick update from here but our flights south have been BOOKED...though I reserve the right to change them. I hate that we are flying down late on a Saturday...but I'd much rather leave on Friday (even though the flight I would take would put us in after midnight). We are returning on a Thursday evening, but those flights haven't been booked yet.

I'm leaning towards purchasing our MNSSHP tickets because if we book the room we should be able to book a FEW FPs for between 4pm and 7pm the day of the party, or at least that's what I've read. I'm feeling confident we will be able to enter the parks around 2pm that day, which will be nice. If we just spend the morning and early afternoon relaxing, we can maybe make it until midnight, giving us 10 hours at the park.

I'm also looking into picking up one or two shifts at Give Kids the World while we are there, just coordinating with my daughter to see if we can work them together.

I have a feeling this summer may fly by pretty quickly...even though it just officially started today. Next week I have a couple of afternoons off work for some fun events...a baseball game and a picnic for work. July I have events already planned for 3 weekends here at home, 3 of them big family events, so no travel for us in July but that's okay. Then in September I need to book another flight to Florida, but on the gulf coast for my cousin's wedding on the beach...which should be nice.

In between all of that, lots of tennis to be played since I'm on 5 different teams and generally have matches 3-5 times a week at minimum. If only I could get my eating under control and my weight back down again.

Happy FRIDAY everyone!

 

[Mopedmom1]

Five different teams! Wow, that's crazy!

Such a shame the class is full already. NOT!

When we last went to the Christmas party in 2017, IIRC, they were really cracking down on the party ticket holders and not allowing them in very early. Perhaps they have relaxed a little on that. We had an AP at the time and it didn't affect us so the details are a little fuzzy.

Isn't it crazy how time flies in general? I can't believe it is almost July. We have no vacation plans until September and October (a nice perk of being empty-nesters) but I am sure that will be upon us quite quickly.

Enjoy the weekend!

 

[kittylady1972]

Five different teams! Wow, that's crazy!

Such a shame the class is full already. NOT!

When we last went to the Christmas party in 2017, IIRC, they were really cracking down on the party ticket holders and not allowing them in very early. Perhaps they have relaxed a little on that. We had an AP at the time and it didn't affect us so the details are a little fuzzy.

Isn't it crazy how time flies in general? I can't believe it is almost July. We have no vacation plans until September and October (a nice perk of being empty-nesters) but I am sure that will be upon us quite quickly.

Enjoy the weekend!

Yes I may have a slight tennis addiction but I love it. Now the most each team plays in a given week might be twice for the most part. Each team has a different schedule somewhat. Each team is a different level and/or gender (I play on 2 different mixed doubles teams and 3 women's teams of different levels).

Regarding the party, generally ticket holders are allowed in at 4pm for the 7pm party. They have (in the past) allowed DVC Members to enter parties at 2pm instead. I'm hoping they allow that again, but even if not we'll be okay with 4pm to midnight.

Definitely crazy how fast time is flying already. I'm definitely looking forward to this very short work schedule this week and escaping to see my brother and family (and my two youngest nephews) over the weekend!

 

[kittylady1972]

As I already aluded to, there was the possibility of a change...and it has happened. I moved us to a late Friday night flight, with a connection, that puts us in Orlando after midnight. Since we don't have any real plans right now for Saturday, we can just get up at a leisurely pace, have a meal, and head to our Disney Resort...which at this point is Saratoga Springs in a 2BR unit that has been booked. funny thing is that Friday night flight was $3 cheaper per ticket, leaving each of us now with a $3 SWA credit. I have no idea how we'll use that.

I also need to book a hotel for that arrival night, most likely just something near the airport so we land, get our rental, and then just head there to sleep. We will have spent about 7+ hours in travel time, but still better than the drive south I guess, which is closer to 14 hours.

Beyond that, I may have to seriously consider purchasing the MNSSHP tickets as well, even though I doubt they will sell out. It would just give us the chance to book some FPs before the party based on what I'm reading, which might be nice.

Other than that, we are looking into a few DVC events that we may try to book while there. We still have plenty of time and a lot of wide open schedule for the week. Plus my FIL and DH are now going to try to volunteer at GKTW as well, so I need to get them setup for an orientation session and get the paperwork they need to complete. Then we'll try to schedule some shifts where we can all be there at the same time.

I know the week will go by quickly, but I'm still looking forward to it of course!

 

[kittylady1972]

AUGUST 2019 - NEVER SAY NEVER (AGAIN!) TRIP

So yes here we are, me denying any kind of Disney park at all in 2019, and about to possibly eat my words. I have made a few visits to Disney property this year, but it's been to Disney Springs to eat and shop and then we had a stay at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort for Easter...while we visited Universal parks and Disney Springs and just enjoyed some resort time. This will be a return to SSR right now, but for 5 nights this time and we'll use it as a hopping point again for Universal, and Disney Springs and probably some Give Kids the World volunteering. And yes, we just MIGHT purchase tickets to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party in August...and attend that for ONE day/night, thus breaking my NO Disney Parks in 2019 rule.

Schedule for now:
FRIDAY: Flight to Orlando, leaves around 6pm and puts us in after midnight. We have a connection...because that was the cheapest flight available. Total cost for our 5 tickets was $200 round trip using our points and SWA credit. That's not bad. We'll get a hotel for the night near the airport most likely, someplace with a free breakfast!

SATURDAY: Get up, have breakfast, drive to Saratoga Springs Resort. If room is ready, check in there but if not just hang out in the area. DH and FIL might have a volunteer orientation at GKTW and DD and I might schedule a shift to coincide with that. Nothing else planned.

SUNDAY: Nothing planned...time to think about some ADRs.

MONDAY: See Sunday.

TUESDAY: Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party at night, but with any luck we will be able to enter as early as 2pm (but if not by 4pm for sure). We may have dinner in the MK park.

WEDNESDAY: Spend the day at Universal Studios.

THURSDAY: Another day at Universal Studios and then leave around 4pm to catch a 6:40pm flight back home.

Stay tuned as I fill in some details, which might be: Seeing Blue Man Group, a few Disney ADRs, DVC Mixology Class.

 

[ariane37]

Just catching up quick so let me just say
Yay!
Ooh see BMG! I've seen the show twice including in Orlando and it's fantastic
And finally make sure you don't miss Boo To You again-no excuse for that lol!!

 

[kittylady1972]

Just catching up quick so let me just say
Yay!
Ooh see BMG! I've seen the show twice including in Orlando and it's fantastic
And finally make sure you don't miss Boo To You again-no excuse for that lol!!

OMG @ariane37 your profile photo of Jenny CRACKED ME UP! I know where it came from, so the story behind it just makes it even funnier!

Yeah we keep meaning to see the Blue Men but it never quite makes it up there on the priority list.

Definitely Boo To You is high on the priority list of course. I can still sing that song in my head over and over...LOVE IT! Frank and I have done the Halloween Party a few times without the kids, so it certainly will be nice if they can see it this time. My son really wants to see the headless horseman so let's hope he's riding that night too!

Here was our last trip to MNSSHP in fall of 2014. This was a great trip with my FIL and my MIL who is no longer with us. We always had such great trips.








This one is not from the party, but same trip:


And this one:


Such great memories. I sure hope my FIL is still able to enjoy this trip as much as possible without his wife by his side, but I know she will be with us in spirit.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

And finally make sure you don't miss Boo To You again-no excuse for that lol!!

Yes, see this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kittylady1972]

Countdown to my next Florida trip: 6 WEEKS!!

WHAT???

I'm sure I'm not the only one saying what happened to June? How is it July already? SLOW DOWN SUMMER!

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) we have a very, very busy July ahead of us which I'm sure will only make things go by more quickly. Even this last week has gone by quickly. Last weekend we spent Fri night - Monday afternoon at my brother's house in North Carolina, which meant about a 8+ hour drive down Friday night and a 7+ hour drive back Monday night. It also meant I spent at least 4-6 hours at two different emergency/after hours care facilities when DH threw his back out just bending over Saturday morning (getting old sucks) and then even had to call 911 on Sunday morning to get him off the floor in my brother's house and to the hospital. Good times. We at least made the best of hanging with my brother and family for the time we were there though. I do wish we could see them more often.

Since we've returned home, I've had work all day Tuesday, tennis Tuesday night, half day of work Wednesday, went to see Aladdin (which is SO SO SO AWESOME...see it if you haven't), went to a party yesterday at a former neighbor's house, and back at work today for a few hours but I'll leave before lunchtime, head home, and we'll head out to see the new Spidey movie and spend the evening celebrating my 'baby' boy turning 15 today!

Tomorrow...another party at a friend's house. Sunday...tennis. Then next week will be some tennis, and work, and then next weekend...a big family event on Saturday as we are having a memorial service for my uncle who died back in March. Though he's lived in CA most of his life, he was born and raised in MD and asked to have his ashes spread in MD, so the family who was mostly unable to attend his funeral in California will gather in MD next weekend to celebrate his life. The following day is a birthday party for an aunt of mine. Then work/tennis again, then another big family party on July 20th. I swear we do not have a free weekend as of yet in July so I know it's going to just go by way too fast.

In DISNEY news...nothing much has changed other than I am really struggling to get my Disney Resort (DVC) reservation linked to my MDE account and despite two emails it looks like I'm going to have to call. I've never had an issue at all in the past linking them so I'm not sure why it's happening now. It looks like we'll be staying in our 2BR at Saratoga Springs unless I really get motivated to spend the exra points to stay in a treehouse but that hasn't happened quite yet. Maybe since I have to call MS anyway I'll ask about it.

Oh and it looks like I didn't mention the other thing we do have booked and confirmed...we are doing the DVC Speak Easy Craft Cocktails event during our time there in August...me, DH and FIL. Really looking forward to that. Beyond that, we are still working on the other stuff but if I can get this resort thing fixed up then I might also go ahead and book our MNSSHP tickets just so we can book a few FPs for the hours before the party. So for the current schedule:

FRIDAY: Depart the DC area around 6pm, land in Orlando after midnight (we do have a connecting flight because it was the cheapest on points). Still deciding on our first night hotel...near the airport or near Disney...not sure yet.

SATURDAY: Get up, have breakfast, drive to Saratoga Springs Resort. If room is ready, check in there but if not just hang out in the area. Nothing else planned for the day, diner at TOLEDO at Coronado Springs.

SUNDAY: Nothing planned for the day...dinner at Flying Fish.

MONDAY: Nothing planned for the day, adults doing the 1pm Speak Easy Craft Cocktails event at Wilderness Lodge.

TUESDAY: Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party at night, but with any luck we will be able to enter as early as 2pm (but if not by 4pm for sure). We have a 5:30pm dinner at WCC (family request) so we may have to leave to park to go do that. This may change...not sure I'll want to leave the park on my ONLY day doing a Disney park.

WEDNESDAY: Spend the day at Universal Studios.

THURSDAY: Another day at Universal Studios and then leave around 4pm to catch a 6:40pm flight back home.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

diner at TOLEDO at Coronado Springs.

OOOOH! I can't wait to hear what you think of this restaurant...

 

[Mopedmom1]

It IS crazy how fast the time goes! We have no vacation plans until September and I am already starting to panic. And it's just to visit my parents! LOL Your upcoming schedule sounds....exhausting.

Staying in a Treehouse would be amazing. I don't remember if you have before? And the Craft Cocktail Event would definitely be something I would look forward to!