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

[Sleepingbooty]

Ribs!? You've hit my soft spot now! MMMmmmm! With Carolina sauce.

Yes, you must go with the WCC theme. It'll be perfect for your presentation. Hip-hip-hooray that you got it all figured out. Now you just have to hope they are convinced!

So, what concrete things have you done to look for work yet? Anything?
or are things in the planning stages still?

Well, I'm completed all the paperwork to get my license in Missouri (including requesting transcripts for all 7 colleges I attended) and had my fingerprints done. Now I'm waiting to hear if they will grant me a license or not. And I spend A LOT of time at my daughters' school, so that if an art teacher opening does come up, they might think of me. One of the art teachers said she plans to retire in the next year or two, and she said she'd recommend me for the job (I sub for her and the other art teacher occasionally). So, its sort of a waiting game on that front. But... do I really want to do that? I'm leaning towards it. But I'm also keeping my eyes peeled and my ears open for anything interesting that might come my way.

 

[Sleepingbooty]

A whispering canyon cafe themed dinner sounds like a lot of fun. Glad you figured out how everything works and can give your powerpoint this weekend. I know you asked if I ever stayed at CBR. I have not, but just looking through the pictures threads of it, it looks so beautiful. Not sure if we're going to end up staying there though, might end up at Pop! We are a family of 6 and need two rooms, so CBR will cost us 1300 more than Pop. We are getting married in July as well, so I need to think a little more frugally. That's hard for me to do!


I love the picture of you at the airport!

Oh yeah - definitely save the money and stay at Pop. We stayed there last May. You'll have a blast there, and $1300 is a big difference!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Nice update.

Love the airport picture.

Did everybody have bad posture in middle school - or was it just me?

 

[eandesmom]

I had bad posture in middle school.

Then again I prefer to think of it as deliberate slouch. I think we thought it made us look cooler....

re: ribs on the grill. About 15 minutes to get sauce and edges a little crispy ought to do it

I'm visiting Garden Grove in April....does that count for anything?

 

[Sleepingbooty]

I had bad posture in middle school.

Then again I prefer to think of it as deliberate slouch. I think we thought it made us look cooler....

re: ribs on the grill. About 15 minutes to get sauce and edges a little crispy ought to do it

I'm visiting Garden Grove in April....does that count for anything?

That's right, you are! What hotel are you staying at again?

I think I slouched because I thought I was too tall. I'm 5'7" now - so its not like I'm TALL, but at the time, all the boys were shorter than me. I always wished I was 5'4" or under (still do sorta, silly I know)

 

[All7OfUs]

hey Rebecca! I was thinking about you this weekend, and wondering how your "presentation" went over. Did you convince them of WL??

Also, I was fomenting ideas with my DH about working when I get back. I was wondering which direction I should go, and was just sorta in a quandry!

Anyway, it reminded me of you a little. Hope you're well!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

hey Rebecca! I was thinking about you this weekend, and wondering how your "presentation" went over. Did you convince them of WL??

Also, I was fomenting ideas with my DH about working when I get back. I was wondering which direction I should go, and was just sorta in a quandry!

Anyway, it reminded me of you a little. Hope you're well!

Hi Liesa! Thank you! Hope you and the fam are well, too! So are ideas fomenting, or fermenting?

Are you thinking of working outside the home when you come back? That might be a challenge with the homeschooling, no?

I was just getting ready to post my update, which is all about how the presentation went - so you'll find out shortly!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Chapter 7: And the award for best picture goes to…Sleepingbooty, for her groundbreaking Disney Resort PowerPoint presentation!

Thank you, thank you, thank you all so much. I’d like to thank my daughter Jenna for her excellent voice-over work, and to countless, nameless Photobucket users whose photos I borrowed. I couldn’t have done it without you! I also want to thank the guy at Best Buy, who helped me pick the perfect cable to connect my computer to my TV, and Amit Argarwal, whose tech blog inspired and motivated – wait! Stop! Don’t start the music – I’m not done yet!

Ah yes, as you have undoubtedly surmised, last night I was finally able to show everyone the resort PowerPoint that Jenna and I created. And yes, it was a big hit. Well, except for when my brother Ben said, “Is that it? With all the buildup, I expected video tours at the very least.” And THAT’S why I’ve decided he is no longer invited on this trip! So there, Ben. No, actually I really DO want him and Melissa to go – but I guess they’ve decided that it isn’t in their poor college student budget. And Melissa has applied for a job in Alaska – so they may be very far away by next fall.

Oh, since the producers so rudely cut me off to go to commercial, I didn’t get a chance to give a shout out to eandesmom, for her contribution: Thank you Cynthia, your rib recipe was a smash hit! First time I’ve ever made ribs and they turned out very well. To recap – I’d decided to do a theme dinner before we’d watch the PowerPoint and talk about which resort we were going to choose. I decided to try to recreate the Whispering Canyon Café skillet – since my number 1 resort choice is Wilderness Lodge. The actual skillet is comprised of bbq ribs, roasted chicken, pulled pork, brisket, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and cowboy beans. With salad on the side, and corn bread. I used Cynthia’s rib recipe, my mom brought chicken, and I skipped the pork and brisket. I did make everything else, though, and it turned out to be a great meal. My only regret was that I didn’t have a cast iron skillet to serve it in. My mom also made a cherry crisp for dessert which was excellent, and although not on the WCC menu, seemed to fit the overall theme.

After dinner, and after whatever football game they were watching was over, we put on the PowerPoint. I didn’t really do anything to fancy with it, it was just a slide show set to Disney music. We had a section on POFQ, POR, CBR, and WL. Each section had 10 or 15 photo slides of the resort, and then a page noting pros and cons. At the very end, I had a budget spreadsheet showing the cost for several different options. I assumed free dining (or a similar promo) and priced out staying at WL, or any of the moderates, with and without hoppers, driving or flying.

We had a lot of fun debating the pros and cons of each resort, and examining the different budgets, but ultimately we didn’t come to a decision. My Dad seemed to think the cheapest option was the best (this is not surprising), my Mom was leaning toward staying at WL and flying but not getting hoppers, Scott liked the idea of CBR because we’ve never stayed there. He also liked the option of WL, but driving to save money.

So no final decision yet – but I still consider it a success, because by the end of the discussion my parents said that they would be happy with any of the resorts, and would let it be up to us and what we could afford to do. I think my dad really liked the looks of WL, so bearing the extra cost of it, when he was perfectly happy last time with POR, doesn’t seem as pointless to him as it did before. Here are a few of the pics that I used in the slide show:

Click here for the next update: Yikes, Help!

 

[eandesmom]

That's right, you are! What hotel are you staying at again?

I think I slouched because I thought I was too tall. I'm 5'7" now - so its not like I'm TALL, but at the time, all the boys were shorter than me. I always wished I was 5'4" or under (still do sorta, silly I know)

oh how funny on the slouch! I always dated tall guys so it was a non issue....until now! Not that Jeff is short but I'm about a half an inch shorter than you, he's 5'10" and when I have heels on...I feel like a giant!

We are staying at the Crowne Plaza in GG.

I am SO glad the ribs turned out!

Wonderful job on the resort presentation.

Out of curiosity, did you price out the 2bedroom Villas at WL? Since you have 4 adults and would need 2 rooms anyway it might come out about the same plus you'd get the kitchen which is great to supplement the regular dining plan with. There is also a deluxe room at WL (CL level I think but very reasonable...) that sleeps 6, though every time I've tried to actually price it out as an actual ressie, it wasn't available. You can see the rates for it on the website though but it looks like a good deal.

How long would your drive be?

 

[Sleepingbooty]

oh how funny on the slouch! I always dated tall guys so it was a non issue....until now! Not that Jeff is short but I'm about a half an inch shorter than you, he's 5'10" and when I have heels on...I feel like a giant!

I know exactly what you mean - Scott is MAYBE 5'9". Yeah, I don't wear heels much

We are staying at the Crowne Plaza in GG.

I am SO glad the ribs turned out!

Wonderful job on the resort presentation.

Out of curiosity, did you price out the 2bedroom Villas at WL? Since you have 4 adults and would need 2 rooms anyway it might come out about the same plus you'd get the kitchen which is great to supplement the regular dining plan with. There is also a deluxe room at WL (CL level I think but very reasonable...) that sleeps 6, though every time I've tried to actually price it out as an actual ressie, it wasn't available. You can see the rates for it on the website though but it looks like a good deal.

How long would your drive be?

I did price out doing a 2bdrm villa - using rented points at $10/pt. The only thing is, we'd have to then pay for the dining plan and wouldn't be able to get it free (if they offer that), so when I added the price of that in, it would be about $150 more, total. Is there a cheaper way to do it than renting points? I thought I remember reading in someone's TR or PTR, and I can't remember who now, that they were able to stay at AKL villas for cheaper than Pop Century - how is that humanly possible?

I didn't know that there was a deluxe room that sleeps 6 - I'll look into that. I'm guessing just one bathroom though -right?

Our drive is about 16 hours. We've done it once before and I thought it was actually kind of fun (at least on the way down). We left on a friday after work, drove til 1am, stopped at a hotel in Georgia, then drove the rest of the way on Saturday. We got in about 5. I'd definitely do it again, but I know Scott doesn't want to.

 

[eandesmom]

I know exactly what you mean - Scott is MAYBE 5'9". Yeah, I don't wear heels much



I did price out doing a 2bdrm villa - using rented points at $10/pt. The only thing is, we'd have to then pay for the dining plan and wouldn't be able to get it free (if they offer that), so when I added the price of that in, it would be about $150 more, total. Is there a cheaper way to do it than renting points? I thought I remember reading in someone's TR or PTR, and I can't remember who now, that they were able to stay at AKL villas for cheaper than Pop Century - how is that humanly possible?

I didn't know that there was a deluxe room that sleeps 6 - I'll look into that. I'm guessing just one bathroom though -right?

Our drive is about 16 hours. We've done it once before and I thought it was actually kind of fun (at least on the way down). We left on a friday after work, drove til 1am, stopped at a hotel in Georgia, then drove the rest of the way on Saturday. We got in about 5. I'd definitely do it again, but I know Scott doesn't want to.

Not cheaper than renting points but is the 2B assuming free dining still more than the total of your two rooms, also assuming FD?

16 hours is doable especially with a group and significant savings. It always comes down to how much the flight prices are.

This is the room I was talking about. Rack rate for value is $540, if you are in standard rooms then you are $480 for the 2 rooms so it'd be more. Of course it would include breakfast! So probably not the best deal, though if memory serves it's cheaper than the 2b villa. It is a one bathroom....

* Club level with concierge service deluxe room is located on the first six floors of the Resort and offers a view of Bay Lake, woodlands or interior courtyard areas of Disney's Wilderness Lodge.
* 2 queen-size beds and one queen-size sleeper sofa
* Table and chairs
* Private balcony or patio
* Ceiling fan
* Vanity area with 2 sinks and bath
* Sitting area, separated from bedroom by French doors
* 2 televisions
* Alarm clock
* Coffeemaker
* DVD player
* Hairdryer
* High-speed Internet access (for an additional fee)
* Iron, ironing board
* Pack 'n Play playard
* Refrigerator
* In-room wall safe
* Voice mail
* Wheelchair-accessible rooms available
* All rooms are non-smoking rooms
* Access to Old Faithful Club, located on seventh floor of the Resort
* Old Faithful Club benefits:
o Advanced Walt Disney World Resort Itinerary Planning service
o Personalized Front Desk and Concierge service from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
o Evening turndown service with chocolates
o Secure key access to the Club Level floors and Lounge, which serves refreshments daily:
+ Continental breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
+ Midday snack from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
+ Evening wine and cheese from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
+ Evening cordials and desserts from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
o Complimentary Health Club access
o Weekday newspaper delivery of USA Today
o Complimentary fax assistance
o Opportunity to book and experience Wildlife Discovery Excursion at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park

 

[jordanyosh]

while the moderate prices look good, Option1 looks the most attractive.

Great job on the meal!!!!!!!

 

[klacey1]

Hi, Rebecca! I followed you over here from another PTR and am loving your writing style!
Glad the PP presentation went over so well-- really seems like your family can be convinced to do WL! I told DBF that for our 2011 trip, we have to stay at either the WL or the Poly. Both are just so beautiful.
Good luck, also, in finding a job! Have you thought about working in an art museum? I'm not sure the hours would be akin to what you want, or if there are any nice museums near you, but a good friend of mine works at the Met and really loves it! With your background in art, I'm sure you'd be more than qualified!

 

[disneylovin24]

Can't wait for more!!!

I'd just go with WL and drive down to save money. You only go on vacation once a year and I think you should really spend the money to stay at the resort you will love the most I'd also suggest driving not just to save money A drive to disney is always a fun experience!

 

[Charlefours]

Hello! ! I have just finished reading your PTR and loving it!! I hope you get to stay at WL--that's my dream resort. With everyone going on our trip in September, it is not possible to stay there. We are driving--I am looking forward to it!!

LOVE the theme night you did. I want to start doing a similar thing starting in March. Looking forward to reading more!!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Wow, sounds like you did a great job!!! And the comparisons you had set up are awesome!!! Glad to hear that even though you didn't make a decision, it went well!

 

[ladybugmom]

Impressive Rebecca!!! VERY impressive!! I'm so glad that everything went well and that it was successful for you! I can't WAIT to hear what you end up deciding! Oh--and that food looks AMAZING!!! YUM!!!

 

[All7OfUs]

Hi Liesa! Thank you! Hope you and the fam are well, too! So are ideas fomenting, or fermenting?

Are you thinking of working outside the home when you come back? That might be a challenge with the homeschooling, no?

I was just getting ready to post my update, which is all about how the presentation went - so you'll find out shortly!

Depends on if you've eaten raw shrimp or not.

I'm thinking that my 2 youngest may go to school for a spell when we get back, and I"d only do this part time anyway. It's all really up in the air right now.

 

[All7OfUs]

I tried ribs about a month ago, but they turned out really bad. I boiled them first to get the grease out, then baked them, but blech! They were still very fatty and yucky. Your WCC post made my mouth water!! So glad yours turned out.

It will be fun to watch as the family churns the choices around and comes up with one. I vote for the WL, no PHs, flying option. As if it was up to me.

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Not cheaper than renting points but is the 2B assuming free dining still more than the total of your two rooms, also assuming FD?

16 hours is doable especially with a group and significant savings. It always comes down to how much the flight prices are.

This is the room I was talking about. Rack rate for value is $540, if you are in standard rooms then you are $480 for the 2 rooms so it'd be more. Of course it would include breakfast! So probably not the best deal, though if memory serves it's cheaper than the 2b villa. It is a one bathroom....

* Club level with concierge service deluxe room is located on the first six floors of the Resort and offers a view of Bay Lake, woodlands or interior courtyard areas of Disney's Wilderness Lodge.
* 2 queen-size beds and one queen-size sleeper sofa
* Table and chairs
* Private balcony or patio
* Ceiling fan
* Vanity area with 2 sinks and bath
* Sitting area, separated from bedroom by French doors
* 2 televisions
* Alarm clock
* Coffeemaker
* DVD player
* Hairdryer
* High-speed Internet access (for an additional fee)
* Iron, ironing board
* Pack 'n Play playard
* Refrigerator
* In-room wall safe
* Voice mail
* Wheelchair-accessible rooms available
* All rooms are non-smoking rooms
* Access to Old Faithful Club, located on seventh floor of the Resort
* Old Faithful Club benefits:
o Advanced Walt Disney World Resort Itinerary Planning service
o Personalized Front Desk and Concierge service from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
o Evening turndown service with chocolates
o Secure key access to the Club Level floors and Lounge, which serves refreshments daily:
+ Continental breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
+ Midday snack from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
+ Evening wine and cheese from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
+ Evening cordials and desserts from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
o Complimentary Health Club access
o Weekday newspaper delivery of USA Today
o Complimentary fax assistance
o Opportunity to book and experience Wildlife Discovery Excursion at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park

Well that's a lot to think about! I guess I need to go back into the WDW website and price out some additional options. Concierge would be really nice - if you paired that with the dining plan, you really wouldn't need to bring or purchase ANY additional food.