"Reach for the sky!" We're finally getting there in JAN 2012!!!TR LINK PG 69!

[-Hope-]

Gee, you are helpful! Tell me what to do!!!! (you should cherish that, how often do you hear me utter those words???)

Ummm....

 

[dismagiclover]

I've never actually stayed offsite so I'm not much help either. Though I have to say that extra space is worth a lot. The space we had in our 2 bedroom villa this past trip was awesome! Especially with teenagers that would be nice offsite! However, it is offsite

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Ok, I talked to Rey for about an hour, we went over the pros & cons and then we went over the itineraries for onsite and offsite (YES, OF COURSE I HAVE ONE FOR EACH!!!) and we decided on...

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maybe I should make you REALLY want it first...

 

[Victoriasmom98]

maybe I should make you REALLY want it first...

There is a word for people like you.............

I'm just kidding!!!! I'll go clean the animal cages and come back and maybe, just maybe you will have posted your decision.....

 

[-Hope-]

Wth!?!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I'm evil!

Ok, enough suspense. We decided that for our family, on this trip, we would be staying here...

OFFSITE! After talking at length about what it was we wanted from the vacation, we decided that the space would override being onsite. After all, we've done offsite before and enjoyed it, I am just going to have to have TONS of extra money for food so that I'm not stressing over it.

Rey said that he really does want to experience staying onsite, but that we could do that next Feb. (2012) when I run the Princess 1/2 and we stay at...BOARDWALK! WOOT!

So, I also realized that there was no need to come on Thursday if we weren't having to arrive on the 29th for FD, so we will be pushing the trip off one more day so I can arrive the day before my 5K. So we will be going Sept. 30th-Oct. 7th!!

Hope, now it's YOUR TURN to decide!

 

[-Hope-]

Hope, now it's YOUR TURN to decide!

Now I'm all torn! I thought for sure that you'd stay at POR and this would be a non-issue for me. I guess I'm going to have to make my own pros and cons list.

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Wow!!! I too thought she's stick with POR......hmmmm......this is a surprise! But if this is what is best for your family, then that's what you should do.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I know, shocker, right?!?

But the more I think of it, the more I know it's right for us with the size of our family. I think I was drawn in by the thought of free dining, but when I can still eat at the TS places we really wanted to, AND eat well at the house, AND relax by the pool and have privacy, I realize that I was really only staying onsite this time for the food.

I'm still very excited about staying onsite with Rey, when we are alone, but 2 people in a deluxe is a totally different scenario than 5 people in a mod! And, we really did like staying offsite last year, so I know that played a part.

Hope, you'll have to make a list of money you might save eating at the house a few times. I know that we're going to bbq and/or have pizza on Tuesday and maybe Wednesday nights after our parks close early-ish, so that's saving us money. Even if you don't stay at the house with us, you'll have to come over one of those nights and swim! No pressure...

no, seriously, I only want you to do what you think will work best for you guys! I'm good either way!

Oh, but since I changed our dates, I had to change our park plans too! WOOT! Yep, I'm a planning freak!

Hey Hope, are we still doing a Disney Day on Monday afternoon?

Ann, when you figure out your plans, let me know where you think you'll be Friday night or Saturday mid-day. We'll be at DTD on Friday evening, I thought we could have our DISmeet then! If not, after my race on Saturday we might be able to meet?!?!?

 

[-Hope-]

Well, I haven't done the math yet but Kya definately is all for the house share and Jace doesn't seem to care either way. I like the idea of more space and cooking a few meals as well so I'm definately leaning in that direction.

Yes, we're still on for Monday as long as it works for you! I'm going shopping tomorrow so I'll email you about the menu. I'll talk to you more about the house while the girls are "watching the movie".

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Ah...now that offsite is decided, I'm feeling really relieved about it! In my quest to have fun places to eat and save money, I realized that I had a free $50 certificate from restaurants.com from some order I made at drugstore.com. Anyway, I was looking through the list of Orlando restaurants that I could use it at and came across...

House of Blues at DTD! First off, I was happy to find one of the DTD restaurants on the list and secondly, WHY didn't I think of HOB before? Dallas, my 15 (almost 16) year old son plays the guitar and plays some blues stuff too. He will LOVE this place! So, for the price of a CS meal, we'll have a nice TS dinner with the coupon I have! WOOT!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Ok, so I have my rough draft itinerary all finished up, I'm sure there will be some changes, but here's what I have now, with our offsite change!

Of course, it's just not a proper post for me unless there are photos, so I've added a photo of something that I (or we) are looking forward to on that day!

WDW ITINERARY
Sept. 30th -Oct. 7Th, 2011

Friday, Sept. 30th
arrival day
Grocery store
EXPO to pick up race packet! Really looking forward to the Expo.

DTD-Ann DISmeet?
RFC dinner
back to house/bed early


Saturday, Oct. 1
breakfast at house
Karen runs a 5K at MK!
Back to the house to rest, swim, etc.
lunch at house
MK
early dinner at Boma
Savannah & I went to Boma on our first trip in 2008 and loved it. I'm really looking forward to the guys getting to eat there and enjoying my "after race feast"

MK evening for MSEP/Wishes


Sunday, Oct. 2 AK-RD
breakfast at house
Animal Kindgom Rope Drop
Tusker House lunch
back to the house, swim/eat dinner
MNSSHP! LOVE me some MNSSHP!!! Can't wait to go again!

Monday, Oct. 3 EPCOT-no RD
sleep in, no rope drop for Epcot this day
breakfast at house
Kim Possible missions (girls) Can't wait to see Savannah have fun with this (ahem...and allow me to enjoy World Showcase without complaint! LOL)

lunch/dinner around the world
Sunshine Seasons for Savannah & I
Food & Wine festival for the guys (meat eaters!)



Tuesday, Oct. 4 MK-RD
Crystal Palace breakfast before park opens. Rey said he just MUST do CP again. I think he must have a crush on Piglet.

Dumbo dash!
CHH lunch
leave late afternoon (it will be a party night)
Quiet night/dinner at house BBQ or frz Pizza


Wednesday, Oct. 5 DHS
breakfast at house
Rope Drop DHS
I'm going to have to muster up some courage here! I'm not sure I can do it, but I really want to!

Sunset Blvd. Lunch
back to the house late afternoon to swim/relax
dinner at DTD House of Blues


Thursday, Oct. 6 EPCOT-RD
breakfast in room
Rope Drop Future World
lunch Biergarten
really looking forward to just seeing MORE of Epcot!

back to house for rest/swim/have dinner
EMH Epcot/Illuminations


Friday, Oct. 7th
departure day
sleep in
breakfast at house
DTD
Earl of sandwich for the road
and last but NEVER least, SHOPPING, of course! Savannah had such a good time trying to get spit on last time.

 

[-Hope-]

These plans look great, and ummm... familiar.

One thing you might want to keep in mind is that Disney added some MNSSHP to Saturdays last year. I don't think it was every Saturday but I know that we arrived on a Saturday and there was a party that night.

 

[dismagiclover]

Your plans look great! I'm mostly jealous of Boma! That place is so yummy! I think you made the best choice with off site! You'll all enjoy the trip much more!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Your plans look great! I'm mostly jealous of Boma! That place is so yummy! I think you made the best choice with off site! You'll all enjoy the trip much more!

Thanks! I'm feeling really good about it too. We LOVED Boma, it was the first TS meal we ever ate at on our first trip (just Savannah & I went with friends) and I LOVED it! She was just 7 years old and still remembers it, I asked her the other day and she said..."that was the place with the yummy desserts and I filled up my plate with!" Look, I even found a pic! Heehee...she has a zebra dome!

One thing you might want to keep in mind is that Disney added some MNSSHP to Saturdays last year. I don't think it was every Saturday but I know that we arrived on a Saturday and there was a party that night.

Yep, we'll just have to wing it and miss it if they are having a party. Did you see the Sept. hours out and it looks like they are only closing on Tuesday's and Friday's in Sept. It will be interesting to see what they do the first week of October! Hopefully they won't have a party Saturday AND Sunday and I'll know tomorrow if they are having a party on Sunday b/c tomorrow is the beginning of registration for the Halloween 5K and it will say what day our MNSSHP is for!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Oh and to clarify, the hours aren't out on WDW site yet, they always come out here first: Operating Calendar Sept

 

[Victoriasmom98]

I'm anxious for the September hours to come out as well!!! I really want to find out when MNSSHP is coming out as I want to get it in during the first part of the trip and not wait for the later part of the week when we are really tired. I would really like it for the first Saturday or Sunday. I can rework my plans for that to happen, but I'm thinking I probably won't be that lucky and it will be for that Thursday.....we'll see.....c'mon hours, hurry up!!!

Are you doing tshirts for this year's trip?

 

[-Hope-]

I when you post pics of Savannah from your first trip. She's so grown up now compared to then even though it doesn't seem like that long ago. Adorable!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I'm anxious for the September hours to come out as well!!! I really want to find out when MNSSHP is coming out as I want to get it in during the first part of the trip and not wait for the later part of the week when we are really tired. I would really like it for the first Saturday or Sunday. I can rework my plans for that to happen, but I'm thinking I probably won't be that lucky and it will be for that Thursday.....we'll see.....c'mon hours, hurry up!!!

Are you doing tshirts for this year's trip?

Ann, they aren't "officially out", but see my link in the first post at the top of the page and you will have your hours!!!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Ann, did you just ask ME if I'm doing T-shirts??? Now, now, I thought you KNEW me pretty well, I'm disappointed in you.

Of COURSE! Not only will I make shirts, I have a folder FULL of tshirt transfer art I'll have to pick a select few from...or we'll end up with 100 shirts! I have all the tie dyes from our first trip AND from last year b/c I made them and then we didn't go...plus, I'm SURE that I will insist we tie dye again this summer! Those are my fav's. They are more comfy than the iron-ons b/c they don't heat up so much in the spot where the iron-on is (they don't breathe at all) and people seem to like them more. And...you must know by now that I'm an attention hog, and that does not change in WDW!

WOOT, rambled on Hope's PTR and now mine. I'm on a "SUN-high" right now, spent the day on the back deck, it was over 60 today and I watched the snow melt and soaked up all that Vitamin D. It was SO wonderful! I feel like I just woke up from a long winters sleep.