No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems: A Tremendously Tropical PTR

[SoonerGirl]

Rubber band plans - I love that! I will freely admit that I need to be more flexible with our vacation plans. I tried to be better this last trip, I think maybe I was a little bit.....baby steps

I hope the 4 night cruise works out for you! We went with the shorter cruise not knowing if we would like it or not as well and now we are certain that anything less than 7 nights is too short

 

[Mndisneygirl]

I know I've told you before Rinky - 3 nights is too short if you can do 4! I like the idea of Rubber Band plans!! I'm working toward that as well and have improved greatly over the years.

I am all about the Mark Twain idea too. Only you and your family get to decide that and everyone else can keep their opinions to themselves.

That picture of Mickey and Minnie looking at the Dream? That's my desktop background on my work PC!! I get to see it every day!

I hope your DH gets his promotion and that you still can take the trip you want! Fingers crossed!!!

 

[*dreamit*doit*]

Hi! I wandered over here from MeMom & Jill's and I'm joining in. You had me at that Mark Twain quote! I totally agree! Oh, and your daughter is just adorable! She sounds a lot like my oldest who will also be entering 2nd grade in the Fall.

 

[sjs314]

Count me in! I can not wait to read all about your plans for the cruise and trip. I want to plan a cruise one of these days. I think planning a short one is the smart way to go for the first time cruising. I totally agree with you about letting DD miss a week of school, I took my own out, there is so much to learn through seeing and doing, real life expierences I feel are as important as book learning for a child to be well rounded.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I think your plans sound great!! I think your plans to have your daughter miss school is A-OK! From your intro post she seems like a great student so she will catch right up. I also love the Mark Twain quote.

She is a very good student so I don't worry about her at all. If she was struggling, I wouldn't do it. But she is already worried about getting behind! She asked me tonight if she would have a whole stack of papers waiting for her on her desk when she got back to school! I assured her that we would get her work in advance and she could do it while we traveled there and back.

joining in

Welcome! Glad to have you coming along!

I'm a Type Not A. I'm organized when it comes to my job and tasks, but I don't stress about much. I will have a semi-plan for Disney World, most of which Jill decides, and from that we sway as we need to without any hassle.

A promotion with a nice big raise? That would = more Disney dollars for future trips.

Mark Twain was wise.

I'm working to be more laid back like you Memom, but it goes against every thing in my nature.

I certainly hope the promotion comes with a big pay raise. He will be a manager if it comes through, and I certainly wouldn't take on that hassle without some $$$ forked over! What is so frustrating is that this whole job process started back in April!!!! They move like molasses! He has made it through the first round of the interview and has two more to go. The next one is in 2 weeks. I have never in my life seen a company take so long to fill a job! Heck, I think we got our president quicker than this! I mean don't his bosses know I have a Disney trip I'm trying to plan!

I'm here!! I didn't make the first page, but I'm here!

Great start to your PTR. I'm loving it!

We are considering a cruise for 2013 and none of us have ever cruised before. I think we will start with a 3 or 4 night cruise as well to see how we like it. I can't wait to hear all about your adventures!

Shelly, please don't wait until 2013. If you do, you will never know what a Disney cruise is like. Haven't you been watching the history channel? The world is going to end on December 21, 2012! You need to go now, while you still have time!

Seriously though, why are you wanting to wait until 2013? What do you have in mind for 2012? I say go for it! I think you would like it. I know you must love tropical places like me since you are such a fan of CBR (and the Poly).

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Rubber band plans - I love that! I will freely admit that I need to be more flexible with our vacation plans. I tried to be better this last trip, I think maybe I was a little bit.....baby steps

I hope the 4 night cruise works out for you! We went with the shorter cruise not knowing if we would like it or not as well and now we are certain that anything less than 7 nights is too short

Baby steps for sure. It is hard when you have two different personality types in one marriage!

7 nights sounds good to me! I am already pricing the 7 night on the Fantasy for next October! There go those baby steps flying right out the window!

I know I've told you before Rinky - 3 nights is too short if you can do 4! I like the idea of Rubber Band plans!! I'm working toward that as well and have improved greatly over the years.

I'm going to give those rubber band plans my best shot this time. I just hope they don't pop by the end of day 1.

I am all about the Mark Twain idea too. Only you and your family get to decide that and everyone else can keep their opinions to themselves.

If she was struggling in school, I wouldn't take her out, but she is doing fine, so I think it will only benefit her.

That picture of Mickey and Minnie looking at the Dream? That's my desktop background on my work PC!! I get to see it every day!

I love that picture! I totally stole that from the internet!

I hope your DH gets his promotion and that you still can take the trip you want! Fingers crossed!!!

I'm hoping so too. We have been in limbo now for 2 months. I'm ready for this thing to get moving. I hope you get good news on your job too!

.

Hi! I wandered over here from MeMom & Jill's and I'm joining in. You had me at that Mark Twain quote! I totally agree! Oh, and your daughter is just adorable! She sounds a lot like my oldest who will also be entering 2nd grade in the Fall.

Welcome!!! I'm so glad you found me!

I love that quote too. I usually can't remember stuff like that very well, but that one has stuck with me for years.

Count me in! I can not wait to read all about your plans for the cruise and trip. I want to plan a cruise one of these days. I think planning a short one is the smart way to go for the first time cruising. I totally agree with you about letting DD miss a week of school, I took my own out, there is so much to learn through seeing and doing, real life expierences I feel are as important as book learning for a child to be well rounded.

Hello! I'm so glad you came over!

You should look into cruising. It was not as expensive I thought it would be. And when you consider that almost everything is included, it's a pretty good deal. And it seems to have something on the ship to appeal to everyone!

I totally agree about learning from real life. There just isn't a better way. My DD still talks about the Chinese acrobats and the Japanese drummers that she saw in WS. If that isn't a learning experience, I don't now what is, and it has stuck with her longer than anything she has seen in a textbook.

 

[jenseib]

I love your disclaimer. I might have to use that in the future!

And I am a rubgerband planner too. I make a lot of plans...change them, and then when we get there, things change again!

But at least I have an idea of how I want things to run and where we are going each day.

I hope you do the 4 nighter. And a tip, get Bonine over dramamine. it's supposed to be less drowsey. And bring a bag of ginger snaps. Ginger settles the stomach and eases sea sickness. And snaps are tasty! You can do ginger pills if you want, but I tried them pretrip and they gave me bad heartburn.

 

[MaryAz]

Joining in. I remember your trip report and all the great pics. Our DD's are also the same age and similarily smart and cute!! My DD is also missing a week of school plus a day for our Sep/Oct trip. Love ur quote. Looking forward to following along!!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I love your disclaimer. I might have to use that in the future!

And I am a rubgerband planner too. I make a lot of plans...change them, and then when we get there, things change again!

But at least I have an idea of how I want things to run and where we are going each day.

I hope you do the 4 nighter. And a tip, get Bonine over dramamine. it's supposed to be less drowsey. And bring a bag of ginger snaps. Ginger settles the stomach and eases sea sickness. And snaps are tasty! You can do ginger pills if you want, but I tried them pretrip and they gave me bad heartburn.

I'm really trying to let go of my inner commando! It's hard though!

Thanks for tips on the sea sickness. I'm probably going to do all of that and more! I may take some Ginger Ale too. That has always helped me too. I just hope we don't need it. I have a feeling we will though because I get car sick when I ride in the back seat or if I try to read in the car. And I have a lot of problems with my inner ears. If I were to get on the tea cups at MK, I'd be sick all day! So I'm expecting to need something and I WILL be prepared!

Joining in. I remember your trip report and all the great pics. Our DD's are also the same age and similarily smart and cute!! My DD is also missing a week of school plus a day for our Sep/Oct trip. Love ur quote. Looking forward to following along!!

Hello there! I'm so glad you found me! I remember you reading along last time. Thank you for your sweet comments!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I've added chapter links to the end of the first post for anyone who wants to use those.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Ok, I lied. I said logistics was up next, but I had a visitor friend come yesterday who changed all that for me.

I’ll be doing shopping updates throughout this PTR instead of saving them all for one post. I just get so excited when I get something new, and I want to share it right then! I’m like a kid at Christmas and I just can’t wait! I don’t do much shopping except over the holidays, so when I get to buy things for a Disney trip, it is a real treat for me!

There really is nothing more exciting than hearing that thud on the front porch that lets you know the UPS fairy has just left you a prize! Well, let’s just say that my UPS guy has been here so many times in the last month that the neighbors probably think something scandalous is going on. I assure you that it isn’t, but I can’t deny that I love to see him pull into the driveway! It’s all about the boxes for me though!

I must have been really good lately because that UPS fairy (we call him Terence because he’s the only boy fairy that we know of) has been really good to me lately! We met Terence on our last WDW trip in 2009 and he’s been visiting us, gifts in hand, ever since! DD never seems to see the UPS truck pull up, but then magically we hear that thud of the box hitting the concrete and suddenly have a prize sitting there on the porch. He always parks at the back, so by the time we get to the door, he is out of sight. Now every time DD hears anyone coming to the door she says, “It’s Terence!”

I do a lot of ordering online because I live in a small town and we don’t have much to choose from in our stores. And Terence just makes it so easy by bringing it all right to my door!

So……………………….. do you want to see what he has brought us so far? He must have known that we were going to be doing lots of water activities on this very tropical trip because he brought new bathing suits for me and DD.

For me…

Those were $90 and $40, and I got them on clearance from Sears for $20!

For DD…

Those were also on clearance from Sears for $10 each. I love the tankinis for DD because they make it easy for her to go to the bathroom (since it is two pieces) but she is still covered good.

And Terrance knows that we despise putting on a wet bathing suit , so he brought two for each of us so that we always have a dry one on our trip! Wasn’t that sweet of him!

I also got a new cover up for me.

I found this beach towel at Walmart and fell in love with it!

Notice how some of the polka dots are Mickey heads!

Ok, that’s all I’ve gotten so far, but Terence should be here either today or tomorrow with more goodies!

Up next…. Let's talk logistics… or more shopping, depending on how fast Terence can fly!

 

[sjs314]

WOW Love the bathing suits you bought for yourself and DD and what a good deal on them, I am jealous I bought a new one too at Walmart and paid $15 for each piece and $15 for the coverup. I like your coverup better than the one I bought and I LOVE that towel. I want one!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Shelly, please don't wait until 2013. If you do, you will never know what a Disney cruise is like. Haven't you been watching the history channel? The world is going to end on December 21, 2012! You need to go now, while you still have time!

Seriously though, why are you wanting to wait until 2013? What do you have in mind for 2012? I say go for it! I think you would like it. I know you must love tropical places like me since you are such a fan of CBR (and the Poly).

Well spring 2013 is our 15th anniversary. I also have a certain big number birthday that spring.

So that's why I am wanting to wait until then. Well that plus I need the time to plan and save. I know pretty much nothing about cruising and it seems that there is a ton to learn.



Great update! You know I love shopping!!

Love the new swimsuits.

 

[Happy Elf]

Joining in the fun! I would love to take a cruise in the future! Looks like so much fun!

Cute swim suits and I love the beach towel! Too cute!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

OOH - I love vicariously shopping! You got some great suits! I also love tankinis. For me and the girls! Terence sure is nice to you!

That towel is adorable - Walmart you say? Hmmm. I really don't shop there, but for Disney merchandise, I could do it. Was it online or in the store?

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

WOW Love the bathing suits you bought for yourself and DD and what a good deal on them, I am jealous I bought a new one too at Walmart and paid $15 for each piece and $15 for the coverup. I like your coverup better than the one I bought and I LOVE that towel. I want one!

I was so excited to find those suits on clearance! The cover up came from Walmart though. In fact, when I was there, it was really the only kind they had. Maybe they have different stuff in different stores???

Well spring 2013 is our 15th anniversary. I also have a certain big number birthday that spring.

So that's why I am wanting to wait until then. Well that plus I need the time to plan and save. I know pretty much nothing about cruising and it seems that there is a ton to learn.



Great update! You know I love shopping!!

Love the new swimsuits.

Oh ok. I can see why you want to wait then. And you are right... it's a lot to learn. I can recommend a few cruise reports that have helped me though when you get around to planning your trip: Mndisneygirl, Jenseib, and Soonergirl all have good ones going right now. And there are probably others that I have left out. I'll be glad to help you too when I get back and can actually say that I know what I'm talking about!

And the shopping updates are just for you!

Joining in the fun! I would love to take a cruise in the future! Looks like so much fun!

Cute swim suits and I love the beach towel! Too cute!

Welcome Happy Elf! Love your user name! I've seen you at Memom's place for a long time. Glad you decided to come over!

OOH - I love vicariously shopping! You got some great suits! I also love tankinis. For me and the girls! Terence sure is nice to you!

That towel is adorable - Walmart you say? Hmmm. I really don't shop there, but for Disney merchandise, I could do it. Was it online or in the store?

I won't buy anything but tankinis for my DD. I LOVE them! I wish I could wear them too, but I don't feel comfortable in them. I need more coverage.

Yep, Walmart! I know... it isn't my favorite place either. I much prefer Target, but I rarely find cute Disney things there. And I checked the website for you and they don't have it, so if you want it, you're gonna have to brave the store!

 

[sjs314]

I was so excited to find those suits on clearance! The cover up came from Walmart though. In fact, when I was there, it was really the only kind they had. Maybe they have different stuff in different stores???

Hmm I wonder, I just checked to see I bought mine mid-May but it is an over the head lacy type, I would much rather have one with a zippered front instead. Might have to do a Walmart run and see if they have that one now.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Hmm I wonder, I just checked to see I bought mine mid-May but it is an over the head lacy type, I would much rather have one with a zippered front instead. Might have to do a Walmart run and see if they have that one now.

That's how my old one was. I have worn that thing out though so it was time for a new one. I knew I wanted a zip front one this time b/c it is easier to get on and off. When I was there, they had the zipper style in black and in white. They were in the bathing suit section that is only there during the summer, not in the women's department. Good luck!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Oh ok. I can see why you want to wait then. And you are right... it's a lot to learn. I can recommend a few cruise reports that have helped me though when you get around to planning your trip: Mndisneygirl, Jenseib, and Soonergirl all have good ones going right now. And there are probably others that I have left out. I'll be glad to help you too when I get back and can actually say that I know what I'm talking about!

And the shopping updates are just for you!

Yes, that is why I want to wait for 2013. But I did forget about that minor detail of the world ending before then. Perhaps I should move it up!

I have been reading Sheree's TR and loving it, I'm sure I will have a ton of questions for both of you before I start planning.


Aw, thanks for the shopping updates. Can't wait for more!

 

[MeMom]

I got that towel for Bella for her birthday. I couldn't pass up a Disney item that jumped out and grabbed me on a regular shopping excursion.

Nice deals on all of your swimwear. It's all very cute. As much as I would love an early morning swim or a late night swim, I have not dared to wear a bathing suit in ages.