Now Approaching... Sleepingbooty's Sept. PTR (We're BAAACK! 9/26)

[Sleepingbooty]

Nope, don't know. But this website says it first appeared in 1546. link

Oh, okay -that makes a little more sense. "You can't use something up and still have it to enjoy."

You and me both! I've been "working" on mine for the last two days Looking forward to your update.

It's coming, its coming!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Chapter 26. I Need Your Help!

Well, you guys know I've been a bit busy - I mentioned I've been subbing a lot, and of course I can't Dis at school. So naturally I've gotten a bit behind on my PTR. I've also had a couple orders on Etsy for my spaniel bowls. Plus, and this is a good thing - hey, a great thing- I've been busy with my new business! I have 2 clients already and handful of pretty good prospects. This is so fun! Naturally, my own trip planning is falling by the wayside as I plan trips for other people - but that's okay. In all honesty, our trips pretty much plan themselves as much as we've been.

So, here's what I need your help with: I need your funny/embarrassing/silly travel stories. I know you've got 'em. I've read them on your own TR's! I designed an e-newsletter to send out to my family, friends, and anyone who is interested. I thought I would keep it short and simple, but I wanted to include a funny travel story in each edition. I figured if it's funny, people might actually look forward to reading it, right? So I used a story from our trip in 2007, the last time my parents went with us to WDW. Its not stark raving hilarious, but it was the best I could come up with. That's why I need you guys. I promise I'll change your names to protect the innocent! And if you captured the moment in pictures - even better. Yes, I'll blur your faces out!

Okay, to give you inspiration (mostly you'll be inspired because you'll think, "I can do better than this!") here is the story and photo I used in the first newsletter:

New baggage rules imposed by the airlines have forced us to pack most of our toiletries in our checked luggage rather than carry them on. This can lead to some unpleasant surprises upon unpacking, as Dee S. found out the hard way:

“When we checked into our rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside in 2007, we dropped our carry-ons in the room and headed straight for Magic Kingdom. After a few hours of touring and a great dinner at 'Ohana, we headed back to the room, stuffed and exhausted. I just wanted to brush my teeth and hit the sheets. By this time, Disney’s Magical Express had delivered our luggage to our room. I was in for quite a treat when I opened our toiletry bag. For a minute I just stared at it, dumbstruck—I wasn’t even sure what it was I was seeing. It looked like some kind of strange dessert. The kind I always avoid at potluck dinners. The can of shaving cream had exploded under pressure, coating everything in the bag! By the time I’d spent the next 30 minutes cleaning off all of the various bottles, tubes, and jars; I didn’t need the shaving cream anymore, I’d sworn off shaving for good!”

I guess that’s one solution! But if you don’t want to give up shaving (or moussing your hair, etc) there’s a pretty easy fix. If you are bringing anything pressurized in your checked bag - slip it into a Ziploc first so that if it does explode, at least you’ll contain the damage. Better yet, purchase your shaving cream at the hotel!

Okay, was that totally lame? I hope not, because I already sent it out. A comedy writer, I'm not. So help me out friends, and post your funny travel stories!

Click here for Ch.27 Really? 1's, 2's, and 3's?

 

[Charlefours]

for the clients and prospects!! I have to see if I can think of something and put it together coherently.

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Thanks Stephanie, I'm sure you can put something more coherently than me, anyway!

 

[All7OfUs]

Why do you say you're not a good writer, Rebecca?? I think it sounded great and gave a good tip and solution! Keep up the excellent work!

Sometime in the future I might be contacting you about how you got set up, etc.... Just a glimmer of an idea right now.

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Thanks, Liesa. Now, I know you've got lots of great travel stories - share one, please! Pretty please?

 

[glennbo123]

Rebecca, you can use my "an alarming thing happened at Sonic" story if you want. It didn't happen at Disney, but on the way, at least. I'm not sure how you'd weave it into your newsletter, but you're welcome to the story, protecting the idiot, I mean the innocent, of course.

 

[All7OfUs]

I'm with Glennbo; all I have are idiot stories, like walking into the mens' bathroom at Hoop, trying to sleep 11 people in a 6 man tent at the Fort, and my personal favorite, my parents getting lost driving from the Fort to Wilderness Lodge.

I'll try to think of some others.

 

[jenbear123]

Here's one for you:

One night, my mom, sister and I decided to go to DTD after a long full day at the parks. My mom was exhausted but my sister and I convinced her to come out with us. We didn't think to check the hours of the stores but we thought we still had ample time as it was only 9:30pm. So we hop on a bus and get to DTD. We start off in the $10 or less store, looking around for something worthwhile to spend our hard earned money on. We noticed that the CMs started closing doors. We thought maybe it was because it was getting drafty and they wanted to keep it warm inside. How wrong we were. They were CLOSING! We had dragged our poor mom over to DTD for 20 minutes of shopping. The poor woman. To make the trip worthwhile, we took some pictures the best we could in the nighttime air. Before we left, my mom had to use the restroom. By this point, she can barely walk straight, she's so tired. As she goes to wash her hands, she puts her bag of stuff that she bought on the counter.... right on top of the garbage shoot! This washroom had weird garbages so that you could only put stuff in through the little lid in the top of the counter. The bag fell straight down into the garbage, with the lid closing behind it. I swear my mom stood there dumbfounded for a full 10 seconds. My sister and I were just rolling in laughter as we watched our poor exhausted mom try to fish out her bag from the garbage. After an epic struggle, she got the bag out. My sister and I thought it best we take our mom back to the resort before she caused anymore damage!

Sorry no pictures for this story... but it was one of those "you had to be there" moments.

 

[All7OfUs]

I think you should also use Flossbolna's and nodnol's story of getting up in the middle of the night and even taking showers to get ready because they forgot to re-set their watches to US time.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Hey SB!

Last time I only had a chance to pop in briefly. I am now fully caught up and have to give you kudos on your photos. Love the new camera. I hear you on the lens dilema. I've aslo pondered going used DSLR because I've tested my Nikon lens on a D40 and know that it works. I haven't ever tried it on a more advanced model and would hate to have to replace it. Either way, a DLSR is one purchase I definitely intend to make before our next trip. Whenever that may be.

Hope things are going well with your TA training.

Catch you later.

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Rebecca, you can use my "an alarming thing happened at Sonic" story if you want. It didn't happen at Disney, but on the way, at least. I'm not sure how you'd weave it into your newsletter, but you're welcome to the story, protecting the idiot, I mean the innocent, of course.

Thanks Glenn, I'll go back and reread that one!

I'm with Glennbo; all I have are idiot stories, like walking into the mens' bathroom at Hoop, trying to sleep 11 people in a 6 man tent at the Fort, and my personal favorite, my parents getting lost driving from the Fort to Wilderness Lodge.

I'll try to think of some others.

Hey those sound good - can you flesh it out for me? You talked about that early on in your PTR, right? I doubt I could find it now, without help

Here's one for you:

One night, my mom, sister and I decided to go to DTD after a long full day at the parks. My mom was exhausted but my sister and I convinced her to come out with us. We didn't think to check the hours of the stores but we thought we still had ample time as it was only 9:30pm. So we hop on a bus and get to DTD. We start off in the $10 or less store, looking around for something worthwhile to spend our hard earned money on. We noticed that the CMs started closing doors. We thought maybe it was because it was getting drafty and they wanted to keep it warm inside. How wrong we were. They were CLOSING! We had dragged our poor mom over to DTD for 20 minutes of shopping. The poor woman. To make the trip worthwhile, we took some pictures the best we could in the nighttime air. Before we left, my mom had to use the restroom. By this point, she can barely walk straight, she's so tired. As she goes to wash her hands, she puts her bag of stuff that she bought on the counter.... right on top of the garbage shoot! This washroom had weird garbages so that you could only put stuff in through the little lid in the top of the counter. The bag fell straight down into the garbage, with the lid closing behind it. I swear my mom stood there dumbfounded for a full 10 seconds. My sister and I were just rolling in laughter as we watched our poor exhausted mom try to fish out her bag from the garbage. After an epic struggle, she got the bag out. My sister and I thought it best we take our mom back to the resort before she caused anymore damage!

Sorry no pictures for this story... but it was one of those "you had to be there" moments.

Jen, that's a good one - thanks!

I think you should also use Flossbolna's and nodnol's story of getting up in the middle of the night and even taking showers to get ready because they forgot to re-set their watches to US time.

Oh that sounds funny! Did she write about that on her TR? I'll have to get over there and check it out.

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Hey SB!

Last time I only had a chance to pop in briefly. I am now fully caught up and have to give you kudos on your photos. Love the new camera. I hear you on the lens dilema. I've aslo pondered going used DSLR because I've tested my Nikon lens on a D40 and know that it works. I haven't ever tried it on a more advanced model and would hate to have to replace it. Either way, a DLSR is one purchase I definitely intend to make before our next trip. Whenever that may be.

Hope things are going well with your TA training.

Catch you later.

I think you'd like the D40. I read on this photo website that I've found really helpful, that the sensor on the older D40 is better than on the newer D3000 I bought. Of course, I didn't read that until AFTER I bought the newer model.

Hey now, you are not getting away without sharing a funny travel story! I know you've got tons of them, because I've read them on your TR! Just cut and paste, brother! Help a girl out!

 

[All7OfUs]

Hey those sound good - can you flesh it out for me? You talked about that early on in your PTR, right? I doubt I could find it now, without help

Oh that sounds funny! Did she write about that on her TR? I'll have to get over there and check it out.

Ok, I'll go back and try to find those links. I know the Fort ones were from my first TR, which I'm not even sure I can find now. but I"ll try. I took the link out of my siggie since it's so ancient.

Yeah, Magdelena's alarm clock fiasco was in her TR. I can't remember if you're following that one or not: it's called soemthing like 2 Sisters/ Africa soemthing or rather....

Anyway, I found the post and linked it for you. It's pretty funny!

LINK TO STORY

 

[ladybugmom]

That story is hilarious, Rebecca!! Thanks for sharing!! I'm checking to be sure what I've packed is in ziplock bags!!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Ok, I'll go back and try to find those links. I know the Fort ones were from my first TR, which I'm not even sure I can find now. but I"ll try. I took the link out of my siggie since it's so ancient.

Yeah, Magdelena's alarm clock fiasco was in her TR. I can't remember if you're following that one or not: it's called soemthing like 2 Sisters/ Africa soemthing or rather....

Anyway, I found the post and linked it for you. It's pretty funny!

LINK TO STORY

Thanks Liesa, I'll check it out

That story is hilarious, Rebecca!! Thanks for sharing!! I'm checking to be sure what I've packed is in ziplock bags!!

Oh Becky, you are the Queen of Ziploc bags! I can't imagine you'd ever make a mistake like that!

 

[MiNniEDrEameR]

hi Rebecca, this is Kimi signing in... just finished catching up and can't wait for more!!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Hi Kimi! Welcome to my PTR!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Chapter 27. Really? 1's, 2's, & 3's?

I bit the bullet and renewed my subscription to touringplans.com a couple weeks ago. I hadn't done it earlier because before my earlier subscription had expired I had checked out the crowd calendar for our travel dates in September and of course, marked them in my spreadsheet. Yes, I know they can change. But it's September - its not going to be bad no matter what, right? So I didn't worry too much that I wouldn't see the changes. At that point they were pretty much 4's and 6's.

Fast forward to the present, and now that I'm in the travel business - with clients - I knew I needed to be able to advise them on itinerary matters. So I renewed. I'd used it for my client that is going in July (yikes, you don't want to see those numbers!), but I hadn't yet scrolled down to September, because I just wasn't that worried about it.

So this weekend, I booked 3 new packages - all for the same week in September that we will be there. Since we are already well past the 180 day mark, I knew we needed to get right down to business on ADRs. I pulled out my trusty spreadsheet and set about updating it so that I could use it for my clients.

Would you believe that the entire week we will be there has been downgraded to crowd levels of 1's (YES - 1's!!!), 2's, and 3's????!!!! Have you ever heard of such low levels?? What kind of information could they have been privy to that would induce them to predict such low levels?

I could see if they'd been waiting around to see if free dining was release, and if it hadn't been, perhaps they'd think crowds would be lower without a good promo. But, we DID get free dining. I'm wondering, do you think they have someone on the inside at Disney that is privy to sales figures? Maybe, even with free dining, bookings are way down?

I guess I shouldn't dwell on it too much, and just appreciate the good fortune, right? Okay, here's a little happy dance to start off the week right:

​

Click here for Ch.28 A Spooky Twist

 

[All7OfUs]

maroo called me the other night with the exact same news, and we were totally doing a major happy dance!!! This is such amazingly awesome news.