Resorts, Relatives & Restaurants - and a 3 day cruise!

[Mndisneygirl]

Jumping on board and loving it!

Thanks!! I'll have to check out your TR - you were there while we were cruising. Did you go to DISa palooza?

 

[BlueBayou]

I am really enjoying your trip report. Your DD8 sounds very much like my DD9 and I also have a very strong (ie Brut) DD6 - who can also be totally girly girl.

I am looking forward to hearing how you handle so many family members. I have visions of taking my mom and my inlaws to WDW - but then I begin to think about what the reality would be.

 

[Firestarter]

Wow Sheree, I got behind there. Caught up (for now). I'm enjoying the TR so far. Even with the last monolith post.

So much to comment on...

First post:
Unbelievable deal on that cruise! I don't blame you for wanting to escape the mid northern winter (It's -40 with the wind tonight as I write this). It's not so much the cold for me, it's the long dark.

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Second post:
Very nice car. I'm all for Volkswagen for reliable German engineering, heated seats, and the fact a friend deflected a yearling moose with one!

You are a BRAVE Brave woman taking that much extended family on a vacation. I don't know how you do it, but I'm curious in a 'watching someone else bungee jump' sort of way. opcorn:

Seriously, majorly jealous on your stay at Bay Lake Towers. The contemporary is my dream resort. Please please please include pictures!

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Third Post:

How do you land two awesome deals in the same trip?! That Animal Kingdom Lodge must have been great. Probably at least 0.5 on the Wilderness Lodge scale!

I appreciate not wanting to spend the day at Animal Kingdom if you're not into Expedition Everest or the shows.

Sounds like you have the organizer's dream trip. 12 people from 3 generations, on 'short' notice.

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Background info:

You're a busy family! I'm impressed that you're an attorney. I didn't have the fortitude to keep my studies that far. I'm also impressed you've done WDW 5 times. Having been there only once I can see the draw (understatement), I wouldn't mind cresting that number too.

Kim did fail to mention our girls, similar to you, are very geeky. As in they watched Top Gear and Mythbusters all day today.

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4th/5th posts:

How do you keep consensus on the hopes and wishes for a Disney trip for 12? Carrots? Sticks? Blackmail?

I did on it being crazy to the family sticking together around the parks. Close emotionally but not proximity. I'm so with you on that.

at the 'attractive servers' comment. I have no other response than

'Redneck' is relative. As in, to some of my fellow Canadians anyone who is American and votes Republican, or owns a pistol, or likes NASCAR is considered a Redneck. Whereas on Top Gear they believe our whole continent is populated by Rednecks and Inuit.

Keep up the writing, and I'll keep up the reading.

 

[Dancegrl624]

I'm here Sheree!!!!! Wow, I got mentioned in your first post. I'm quite honored. I really wish I lived closer to all of my DIS friends. Maddie is right inbetween your 2 girls and they love all the same things! It's too bad we only met up briefly in Jan. I'm sure our girls would have loved to hang out.

I can't wait to read more!!!

 

[praisehisname]

Thanks!! I'll have to check out your TR - you were there while we were cruising. Did you go to DISa palooza?

I guess you'll just have to read to find out!

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

Phew!!! All caught up now! Can't believe my hubby got to it before I did!

WOW!!! Sheree, you are an amazing woman! Planning for 12 people!

We have Canadian Rednecks up here too! People who drive nasty old beat up broken down pick up trucks with beautiful brand new snowmobiles on the back and a big ole dog hangin' out the window!

Love all the pre trip stuff, can'twait to hear how the actual trip went!!! Particularly the drive down and arrival at AKL!!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

I am really enjoying your trip report. Your DD8 sounds very much like my DD9 and I also have a very strong (ie Brut) DD6 - who can also be totally girly girl.*I am looking forward to hearing how you handle so many family members. I have visions of taking my mom and my inlaws to WDW - but then I begin to think about what the reality would be.

Thanks for joining in.* The reality was* --- interesting.* I've taken my parents too back when my kids were really little - much better then.* Now, I'd never do it.

Wow Sheree, I got behind there.* Caught up (for now).* I'm enjoying the TR so far.* Even with the last monolith post.* So much to comment on...* First post:* Unbelievable deal on that cruise!* I don't blame you for wanting to escape the mid northern winter (It's -40 with the wind tonight as I write this).* It's not so much the cold for me, it's the long dark.* -----------------------------------------------Second post:Very nice car.* I'm all for Volkswagen for reliable German engineering, heated seats, and the fact a friend deflected a yearling moose with one!* You are a BRAVE Brave woman taking that much extended family on a vacation.* ** I don't know how you do it, but I'm curious in a 'watching someone else bungee jump' sort of way. opcorn:Seriously, majorly jealous on your stay at Bay Lake Towers.* The contemporary is my dream resort.* Please please please include pictures!* *-----------------------------------------------Third Post:How do you land two awesome deals in the same trip?!* That Animal Kingdom Lodge must have been great.* Probably at least 0.5 on the Wilderness Lodge scale!* I appreciate not wanting to spend the day at Animal Kingdom if you're not into Expedition Everest or the shows.* Sounds like you have the organizer's dream trip.* 12 people from 3 generations, on 'short' notice.* -----------------------------------------------Background info:You're a busy family!* I'm impressed that you're an attorney.* I didn't have the fortitude to keep my studies that far.* I'm also impressed you've done WDW 5 times.* Having been there only once I can see the draw (understatement), I wouldn't mind cresting that number too.Kim did fail to mention our girls, similar to you, are very geeky.* As in they watched Top Gear and Mythbusters all day today.* *-----------------------------------------------4th/5th posts:How do you keep consensus on the hopes and wishes for a Disney trip for 12?* Carrots?* Sticks?* Blackmail?I did on it being crazy to the family sticking together around the parks.* Close emotionally but not proximity. * I'm so with you on that. at the 'attractive servers' comment.* I have no other response than 'Redneck' is relative.* As in, to some of my fellow Canadians anyone who is American and votes Republican, or owns a pistol, or likes NASCAR is considered a Redneck.* Whereas on Top Gear they believe our whole continent is populated by Rednecks and Inuit.Keep up the writing, and I'll keep up the reading.*

Thanks Ken - I'm all about the deals now. God help me if I can't score a discount! I may not be able to go. My in-laws seem to relish in their redneck-ness. I call my DH a redneck quite often as well. He seems to fit your description except for the NASCAR. Sometimes I can't believe I survived law school. I wouldn't recommend it and I often second guess my career path. But it's interesting. I did not really consider the other 11 people's hopes and wishes all that much for this trip. I just lucked out that they did not oppose mine!

I'm here Sheree!!!!! Wow, I got mentioned in your first post. I'm quite honored. I really wish I lived closer to all of my DIS friends. Maddie is right inbetween your 2 girls and they love all the same things! It's too bad we only met up briefly in Jan. I'm sure our girls would have loved to hang out.I can't wait to read more!!!

YAY!! Meghan is here too! You were the first DISer I ever met in person! That deserves a place of honor! I should have thrown in some pictures!

I guess you'll just have to read to find out!* *

Oh you tease!!!
Of course I'll keep reading!

Phew!!! All caught up now! Can't believe my hubby got to it before I did! WOW!!! Sheree, you are an amazing woman! * Planning for 12 people! * We have Canadian Rednecks up here too! People who drive nasty old beat up broken down pick up trucks with beautiful brand new snowmobiles on the back and a big ole dog hangin' out the window! Love all the pre trip stuff, can'twait to hear how the actual trip went!!!* Particularly the drive down and arrival at AKL!!!

Thanks so much Kim!! I would not recommend doing this unless you have way more patience than I do! I got frustrated easily.
My DH thinks I should get on with this TR. He says, all this, and we haven't even left home yet??? Don't they want to hear what we did when we got there?? I told him I have to make it last so I can relive the fun longer. Or I'll go into my post-Disney trip (and winter) depression. He just doesn't understand.

Hang tight - I hope to do another update tomorrow. Hopefully the typing/posts/editing will all cooperate and it won't be one long run-on with a bunch of ******s.
Good night everybody!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Just ordered my photopass CD. Hopefully I'll get to share some great pictures with you!!

I don't have much tomorrow at work, so I plan on getting the next update out tomorrow. Maybe we'll even get on the road!! HA!

Thanks for sticking with me.

 

[ladybugmom]

Hee hee!! You're cracking me up with the ADR issues!!! Can't wait to read more!!

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

YAY!! Meghan is here too! You were the first DISer I ever met in person! That deserves a place of honor! I should have thrown in some pictures!

MEGHAN WAS THE FIRST DISSER THAT I EVER MET TOO!!!

Thanks so much Kim!! I would not recommend doing this unless you have way more patience than I do! I got frustrated easily.
My DH thinks I should get on with this TR. He says, all this, and we haven't even left home yet??? Don't they want to hear what we did when we got there?? I told him I have to make it last so I can relive the fun longer. Or I'll go into my post-Disney trip (and winter) depression. He just doesn't understand.

Just ordered my photopass CD. Hopefully I'll get to share some great pictures with you!!

I don't have much tomorrow at work, so I plan on getting the next update out tomorrow. Maybe we'll even get on the road!! HA!

Thanks for sticking with me.

Of course I will stick with you! You were one of my BEST readers during my last TR! That kind of faithfulness deserves to be repaid in kind!

Can't wait to see pictures!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

I've decided to use green today since this is a Christmastime vacation. And we're almost ready to leave! (finally, you say!)

So before we could actually leave on this trip, I had a million things to do. I rounded up someone to cover for me at work, wrote letters to school to let them know we were going (I really didn't care if it was excused or not, but it was), bake Christmas cookies, do Christmas shopping and pack.
One other little thing - we decided early on to participate in our cruise's fish extender exchange. For those who don't know, if you are cruising on Disney, there is a fish outside your door. There's a little mail slot in there. Many people go to the DIS and find their cruise "meet" and some nice person takes the initiative and signs everyone up, keeps track of the cabin numbers and all the people. Then we hang a "fish extender" on the fish and exchange fun gifts during the cruise. Let me tell you - this was the coolest thing. Details later. So the last thing I had to do was make a fish extender and get/make gifts to exchange. There were 16 cabins participating. I decided since it was close to Christmas to get a stocking to hang and give MN Christmas ornaments and a few other goodies. I also made bookmarks that said I "heart" (an actual heart I punched out) Mickey (I used a Mickey punch). I'll try to find a picture, but I know I don't have one on photobucket, so I'll have to wait until I get home.

So off I went to Target (again) and got a stocking. We decorated that and off we went to the Mall of America to the Minnesota store and found ornaments. We cleaned them out!! The lady gave me a quizzical look, I just said, "they're gifts." DH and I both had Veteran's Day off (yay for working for government) and the kids had school, so we shopped without them and got some Christmas shopping done. They have an American Girl store at MOA - oh yes they do. At least I saved on shipping.
Once I got the bulk of the shopping done, I spent the next couple weekends decorating and baking. By Thanksgiving weekend it was all done. Now I could get out the suitcases!!
Sorry I don't have any fun, clever pictures for this update. But it is kind of boring. I'm not sure I even took any pictures of our luggage.
After Thanksgiving, we only had a few days until we were leaving!!! Lots of and many trips to Target for all those things I keep forgetting I'll "need". Thankfully we live a quarter mile from Target! I think they know me by name there.
I got out my packing list and started checking off as much as I could. Every day the girls would ask, how many more days until we leave?? And every morning DH would get up and say X days until we leave!!! I'm not sure who was more excited! (probably me!)
The dog sure knew something was up. We didn't get our usual sit together on the couch time most evenings because I was too busy with packing. Poor Cody!

The one nice thing was I didn't have to clean house before we left!! I know - you are all shocked! How could she leave without having a clean house?? Well, I have a little elf that comes in every other week to help me clean and she was due to come the day we left. So I did my normal tidying (translation: pick up all the junk so she can see the counters and floor) before we left. She was going to come after we left so I could come home to a nice clean house!!!

So, the week after Thanksgiving, DH cleaned out the car, and on Wednesday December 2 started hauling stuff down to the front of the house (ie the living room). We were leaving in one more day!!!
Sadly, we both had to work and the kids had school on Thursday. The plan was to rush home (well me, since I'm last to get home) and quick change clothes and pee, and hit the road. Did it go as planned???...

 

[manntra]

we're on the road!
I was wondering about the * I was thinking wow she uses a lot of them! Looks like they mysteriously left in your last update!
The fish extender is an awesome idea....I cruised in 07 but nobody in our dismeet thread had ever mentioned it We did have a meet the first day and I do keep in touch with one member Had a lot of fun decorating our door too

Tracy

 

[Mndisneygirl]

we're on the road!
I was wondering about the * I was thinking wow she uses a lot of them! Looks like they mysteriously left in your last update!
The fish extender is an awesome idea....I cruised in 07 but nobody in our dismeet thread had ever mentioned it We did have a meet the first day and I do keep in touch with one member Had a lot of fun decorating our door too

Tracy

Yeah, that dang * thing was annoying. I felt so bad, I was telling DH - "I can't post an update like that, I look stupid, no one will want to read it!"
I just changed a setting on the bottom of the reply window and it seems to be better. I'm not counting on it though! I still have to put some more pictures on photobucket and I'm hoping I took some of our door. Some people did amazing stuff with decorations! Lots of fun!

 

[JoBird]

Popping over from Shelly's TR--- love it so far!!!

So excited to read all that you saw and did.

IDK how you got all of those people together --- it's stressful to me with my family of 5.

Can't wait for more...

Jo

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

IDK how you got all of those people together --- it's stressful to me with my family of 5.

Can't wait for more...

Jo

I was thinking the same thing, and I only have 4 of us to worry about!!

 

[manntra]

about the *
Yes a lot of people were very creative with their doors on the cruise! Ours looked pretty good if I do say so myself It was pretty much covered and I overheard these little boys that were staying a few cabins down asking why they didn't have anything on their door (I wouldn't have known except for the Dis) so one day when I saw them leave I transferred a bunch of my Mickey Heads and other pictures to their door.

Tracy

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

The plan was to rush home (well me, since I'm last to get home) and quick change clothes and pee, and hit the road. Did it go as planned???...

So, I am just dying to know.........were you able to pee and change at the same time!!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

So, I am just dying to know.........were you able to pee and change at the same time!!!

I am a woman of many talents.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Oops - User error!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

about the *
Yes a lot of people were very creative with their doors on the cruise! Ours looked pretty good if I do say so myself It was pretty much covered and I overheard these little boys that were staying a few cabins down asking why they didn't have anything on their door (I wouldn't have known except for the Dis) so one day when I saw them leave I transferred a bunch of my Mickey Heads and other pictures to their door.

Tracy

Yes, I figured if I didn't fix the * problem I'd lose a few (or all) of my readers because it would make people nuts!

That's nice about the cruise door decorations - we DISers are very sweet aren't we? It's all about sharing the magic!