****OFFICIAL August, 2012 (PART 2)****

[LifeIsDis]

12 days out from our trip and we make another ADR
Nikki, can you please add our ADR for 1900 Park Fare at 7pm on the 16th? Thank you

 

[taylor3297]

I do something similar with my daughter. I don't let her spend any money on souvineers for the first couple of days, I make her wait until she's been to every park. It cuts down on whining later.

For big ticket type items, they have to wait a few days and if they say they really want it after that, then I know they really want it.

In 2010 my daughter kept begging us for Duffy and several outfits. She has lot of stuffed animals with clothe( we should own stock in Build a Bear), but she kept begging us everyday. So one evening I told her that we would have to go back to Epcot and get it right then if she really wanted it. She was tired at this time and she said yes! Well, she sleeps with that Duffy every night.

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

For big ticket type items, they have to wait a few days and if they say they really want it after that, then I know they really want it.

In 2010 my daughter kept begging us for Duffy and several outfits. She has lot of stuffed animals with clothe( we should own stock in Build a Bear), but she kept begging us everyday. So one evening I told her that we would have to go back to Epcot and get it right then if she really wanted it. She was tired at this time and she said yes! Well, she sleeps with that Duffy every night.

Added it!

 

[Manders77]

Hi. I just found this thread. My family is going Aug 5-11 and staying at the ASMu Resort. It's Me DH DD4 and DS1.5. Also joining us is my mom and dad and my brother with his 2 kids Boy10 and Girl7. They are arriving on the 4th (flying from Cincinnati) but we are driving and decided on leaving Sunday.

I apologize I haven't read all 60+ pages but I will start skimming them soon. Our itinerary is as follows:


Sunday Aug 5 - just relax and settle in (arriving 7-8pm)

Monday Aug 6 (AK –AM EMH) ( HS – PM EMH)
Heading to AK
Mid Afternoon – Stay at AK or back to hotel
Evening – Hollywood Studios
7pm Dinner at 50’s Prime Time Café

Tuesday Aug 7 (Epcot – PM EMH)
Morning – Open
Afternoon – 12:30 pm Reservation at BBB -DTD for the girls.
Head over to MK for Princess pictures, etc…
Monorail to Epcot.
6:25pm Dinner at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Evening - Epcot

Wednesday Aug 8
8am Breakfast -1900 Park Fare
Monorail to MK
11am Reservation at the Pirates League for my Brother's Son.
Afternoon – Stay at MK or Hotel
6:30 pm Reservations at T-Rex Café at DTD Disney
Evening – Open

Thursday Aug 9
8am Breakfast – Hollywood & Vine (for Me, DH, DD and DS)
Hollywood Studios till the afternoon.
6:20pm Dinner Chef Mickey’s –Contemporary Resort
Evening – maybe MK?

Friday Aug 10
Morning – Open
6:30pm Dinner at Garden Grove WDW Swan

Saturday Aug 11
8am Breakfast at Ohana’s –Polynesian Resort
Heading home shortly after.

I actually copied/pasted the itinerary that I gave my brother/parents (well I deleted alot of stuff like conf# ,stuff that pertains to just us, etc... lol.

DH and I with our kids just moved away from Orlando in April and we are AP holders till mid-August. So we are going one more time before expiration. I have never done a full week trip there since 1991 but I have been there plenty of times while we lived in Orlando. I'm excited to stay on Property and having multiple ADR's etc... Going there one day here and there never felt magical to me since it was taken away and back to reality way too quickly. So this is like our first real family vacation.

 

[SuzieQ811]

One of the good things about having been to WDW 5 or 6 times, is that you have already bought most of the things they sell! Of course, there's always new gimmicks. The first time we went, 20 years ago, my kids were only 5 and 3, and we bought just about everything in sight Now, older and wiser, there's fewer things we want, thank goodness. We already have the coffee mugs, towels, stuffed animals (some of which no longer exist), etc, etc. Oh, and the pearl diving from the Pearl Factory at the Yacht Club - one year, everyone got one of those (including myself) - Yikes, that was pricey! So, I am looking forward to NOT spending a lot on souvenirs.

 

[pigletto]

One of the good things about having been to WDW 5 or 6 times, is that you have already bought most of the things they sell! Of course, there's always new gimmicks. The first time we went, 20 years ago, my kids were only 5 and 3, and we bought just about everything in sight Now, older and wiser, there's fewer things we want, thank goodness. We already have the coffee mugs, towels, stuffed animals (some of which no longer exist), etc, etc. Oh, and the pearl diving from the Pearl Factory at the Yacht Club - one year, everyone got one of those (including myself) - Yikes, that was pricey! So, I am looking forward to NOT spending a lot on souvenirs.

I totally agree. Much of the stuff is cute, but not very functional in every day life. I don't wear Disney stuff at home, I only need one coffee mug, the beach towels have been purchased (by the way.. awesome quality and a souvenir I recommend because they last forever).
Ds spends his money on Pins and Legos. The pins come back on every trip with us, and he uses the lego all the time so those are good. DD got an Alice bag on the last trip that she uses for sleepovers all the time. Dh and I don't really need anything. So our money ends up going to experiences rather than stuff.

I just mentioned upthread that we purchased that Groupon for the parasailing for dh and ds. Pictures from that will be an awesome souvenir!! Dh would much rather that than 2 shirts or a hat.


ETA) And I never ever feel deprived by not buying a ton of stuff. There are so many things to do and see, and so much fun to be had that we could easily go for a week, not buy a single extra thing and have an amazing trip. All of the extras are bonuses.. but not required for a good time!

 

[PoohsFan1]

FYI--

For anyone interested--


TODAY'S ORLANDO GROUPON:
Parasailing at the Contemporary--Sammy Duvall's

Choose Between Two Options
•$57 for a single-passenger parasailing flight (a $95 value)
•$102 for a tandem-passenger parasailing flight (a $170 value)

I'm Sooooooooooo excited for this. I was going to get this as a surprise for my boys & I was planning on spending $170!

Off to book

Thanks for the heads up....we are staying at BLT and my DD11 and DH were thinking about parasailing while there.

 

[netnurse31]

I am happy to report that my facility received a gold star from the Department of Health with 0 deficiencies found during survey. This is quit an accomplishment and we are all very proud!

Now, with survey over and behind me, we are 30 days away from arriving at POR! I can finally relax and enjoy the anticipation

I received our Photopass+ voucher in the mail today. WooooooHooooo! There is a small sticker on the outside of the CD box that says "no refunds or exchanges if seal is broken". I quickly opened it just because I could now with no threat of having to cancel!

Now to catch up on the thread. You guys have been busy!

 

[pigletto]

I am happy to report that my facility received a gold star from the Department of Health with 0 deficiencies found during survey. This is quit an accomplishment and we are all very proud!

Now, with survey over and behind me, we are 30 days away from arriving at POR! I can finally relax and enjoy the anticipation

I received our Photopass+ voucher in the mail today. WooooooHooooo! There is a small sticker on the outside of the CD box that says "no refunds or exchanges if seal is broken". I quickly opened it just because I could now with no threat of having to cancel!

Now to catch up on the thread. You guys have been busy!

Congratualtions!!! I'm so glad you can finally get excited for your trip!!!

 

[emmysmommy]

I am happy to report that my facility received a gold star from the Department of Health with 0 deficiencies found during survey. This is quit an accomplishment and we are all very proud!

Now, with survey over and behind me, we are 30 days away from arriving at POR! I can finally relax and enjoy the anticipation

I received our Photopass+ voucher in the mail today. WooooooHooooo! There is a small sticker on the outside of the CD box that says "no refunds or exchanges if seal is broken". I quickly opened it just because I could now with no threat of having to cancel!

Now to catch up on the thread. You guys have been busy!

Glad to know all went well! I work for an organization that goes through URAC every 2-3 years and our provider accreditations follow NCQA guidelines. Fun stuff!

Opening your photo CD case was indeed symbolic!

21 days and we'll be at BWV!

 

[bukosluvswdw]

I know what you mean. Where I work is about 75% female so I have learned the proper manners and ettiquete needed for survival. This is my only my 5th trip to WDW in my life and the third with my DW. This trip has taken hold of DW and I in a way none of the other trips ever did. She is in full gear with creating shirts, dinner plans, and researching everything there is to know about WDW (this site being a big part in the research). I on the other hand am trying to figure out the drive from Southern Ontario, the plans for the days (with full knowledge and acceptance that these may be thrown out the window of our resort on the morning of). DW and and I look at all this preWDW as part of the vaction and we hope that the time WDW will be half as much fun as we are having now planning and learning about it.

When is your next trip? We are driving down too from West Virginia.I like to drive down plus it is too expensive to fly and to really get a deal I would have to drive to Pitts which is about a 3 hour drive. Which way do you come to go to Disney?

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

Hi. I just found this thread. My family is going Aug 5-11 and staying at the ASMu Resort. It's Me DH DD4 and DS1.5. Also joining us is my mom and dad and my brother with his 2 kids Boy10 and Girl7. They are arriving on the 4th (flying from Cincinnati) but we are driving and decided on leaving Sunday.

I apologize I haven't read all 60+ pages but I will start skimming them soon. Our itinerary is as follows:


Sunday Aug 5 - just relax and settle in (arriving 7-8pm)

Monday Aug 6 (AK –AM EMH) ( HS – PM EMH)
Heading to AK
Mid Afternoon – Stay at AK or back to hotel
Evening – Hollywood Studios
7pm Dinner at 50’s Prime Time Café

Tuesday Aug 7 (Epcot – PM EMH)
Morning – Open
Afternoon – 12:30 pm Reservation at BBB -DTD for the girls.
Head over to MK for Princess pictures, etc…
Monorail to Epcot.
6:25pm Dinner at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Evening - Epcot

Wednesday Aug 8
8am Breakfast -1900 Park Fare
Monorail to MK
11am Reservation at the Pirates League for my Brother's Son.
Afternoon – Stay at MK or Hotel
6:30 pm Reservations at T-Rex Café at DTD Disney
Evening – Open

Thursday Aug 9
8am Breakfast – Hollywood & Vine (for Me, DH, DD and DS)
Hollywood Studios till the afternoon.
6:20pm Dinner Chef Mickey’s –Contemporary Resort
Evening – maybe MK?

Friday Aug 10
Morning – Open
6:30pm Dinner at Garden Grove WDW Swan

Saturday Aug 11
8am Breakfast at Ohana’s –Polynesian Resort
Heading home shortly after.

I actually copied/pasted the itinerary that I gave my brother/parents (well I deleted alot of stuff like conf# ,stuff that pertains to just us, etc... lol.

DH and I with our kids just moved away from Orlando in April and we are AP holders till mid-August. So we are going one more time before expiration. I have never done a full week trip there since 1991 but I have been there plenty of times while we lived in Orlando. I'm excited to stay on Property and having multiple ADR's etc... Going there one day here and there never felt magical to me since it was taken away and back to reality way too quickly. So this is like our first real family vacation.

Welcome to the group! I added your ADRs to the master list!

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

QOTD: Do you tip mousekeeping?? I know it's optional and there's been much debate over it on these boards but since we're all friendly (and I wanted to share a picture!) I thought we can all share our opinions!

I make mousekeeping envelopes - 1 for each morning of my trip. I give $3 per day. All my envelopes are already printed and stuffed!

 

[taylor3297]

QOTD: Do you tip mousekeeping?? I know it's optional and there's been much debate over it on these boards but since we're all friendly (and I wanted to share a picture!) I thought we can all share our opinions!

I make mousekeeping envelopes - 1 for each morning of my trip. I give $3 per day. All my envelopes are already printed and stuffed!

Yes, we tip mousekeeping $5 a day for the 4 of us. Usually, my 9 year old dd will decorate the envelopes with Disney stickers but she can't do it this time since it is a surprise trip. Well, on second thought I could leave the envelopes blank and she could decorate them on the airplane.

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

Yes, we tip mousekeeping $5 a day for the 4 of us. Usually, my 9 year old dd will decorate the envelopes with Disney stickers but she can't do it this time since it is a surprise trip. Well, on second thought I could leave the envelopes blank and she could decorate them on the airplane.

That's a good idea!

 

[NightAngelX]

I am happy to report that my facility received a gold star from the Department of Health with 0 deficiencies found during survey. This is quit an accomplishment and we are all very proud!

Now, with survey over and behind me, we are 30 days away from arriving at POR! I can finally relax and enjoy the anticipation

I received our Photopass+ voucher in the mail today. WooooooHooooo! There is a small sticker on the outside of the CD box that says "no refunds or exchanges if seal is broken". I quickly opened it just because I could now with no threat of having to cancel!

Now to catch up on the thread. You guys have been busy!

Congrats on the Gold Star!! That's awesome. Now to focus on WDW!!! What came in your cd box? I thought photopass+ just worked like a normal photopass with extras.

QOTD: Do you tip mousekeeping?? I know it's optional and there's been much debate over it on these boards but since we're all friendly (and I wanted to share a picture!) I thought we can all share our opinions!

I make mousekeeping envelopes - 1 for each morning of my trip. I give $3 per day. All my envelopes are already printed and stuffed!

I have no idea. I look forward to hearing what everyone says. I like the idea of putting them in envelopes for each day.

 

[Emteach]

We are planning on doing approx. $5 on the days we request mousekeeping. Prob. wont everyday but most of the days. We have made envelopes just by hand that say "Mousekeeping - Thank You, Mousekeeping - You Rock etc. and will deorate with Cars stickers (since we have about a million at our house).

 

[NightAngelX]

For all you parents out there I just saw an ad that said Free Kids Haircuts (grades K-6) in August at JC Penney. They also say for every haircut they will donate a dollar to Boys and Girls club and 4H! They encourage scheduling an appointment soon.
I don't have kids but thought this was an awesome deal.

 

[netnurse31]

Congrats on the Gold Star!! That's awesome. Now to focus on WDW!!! What came in your cd box? I thought photopass+ just worked like a normal photopass with extras.

Thanks! When they stated that we had 0 deficiencies at the exit conference all of the department heads and nurse managers who attend the conference actually screamed. We work VERY hard to prepare for the survey so it was a huge relief to know we did so well. Deficiencies vary in severity with some imposing rather large monetary fines for the facility. No one wants to be responsible for it and it could even impact your job security if the offense is serious enough. It's a great feeling knowing it was perfect and as I said its very unusual to have a perfect survey. They almost always find something even if it's something small!

A photo gallery cd came in the box as well as the Photopass+ voucher and the redemption code to order the Photopass cd when we get home. There are over 400 high resolution photos from around the World on the CD. I'm having a ball looking thru it! There are some terrific shots!

Speaking of Photopass, does anyone know where we will be likely to find a cast member taking magic shots? I'm hoping to have a few of them taken. The kids don't know what they are so it will be a neat surprise for them when we return home. I heard those taking magic shots don't usually have a tripod. Is that true?

 

[netnurse31]

QOTD: Do you tip mousekeeping?? I know it's optional and there's been much debate over it on these boards but since we're all friendly (and I wanted to share a picture!) I thought we can all share our opinions!

I make mousekeeping envelopes - 1 for each morning of my trip. I give $3 per day. All my envelopes are already printed and stuffed!

We usually tip $5 a day unless it's less than stellar performance which is very unusual. Last year we got a towel animal every day. The teddy bear from one day proudly sits in my bathroom today. She also left me extra coffee service packets every day because she noticed I drank a lot of coffee every morning. Silly things like her being tuned into something like that is what makes Disney Disney.