Ringing in the New Year Disney style

[SnackyStacky]

What great deals on transportation! I would've had a fit at that price increase, too. I don't let people walk all over me, either. (I can thank mom for how stubborn I am in that department.)

I'm actually usually not like this. It is what it is. I was fully prepared to simply cancel with National and look elsewhere. I just wanted to let them know about it.

I'm in! Your plans look good, I'm completely jealous about the Contemporary. That is my absolute favorite resort, I tried to get BLT for our trip but couldn't get 7 straight nights at the 7 month DVC window.

We are traveling during the same period (January 1st through 8th). I was tempted to do my own PTR but haven't ever completed a trip report, so I didn't want to start one. But I needed a Disney fix - so I went looking for New Year's pre-trippies, and here I am

I'm anxiously awaiting park hours so we can also firm up our dining reservations. By the way, if you end up nixing Le Cellier for Tokyo Dining, our normally picky kiddos love Tokyo dining.

Are you up for unsolicited advice? I'd consider Neverland over Cub's Den, in case you don't mind a little detour. Our older son has been to both, and while he enjoyed both, Neverland is so much roomier and he had SO much more fun there. Plus you and your wife could get extra no-kid time on the boat

Welcome aboard! We were thinking of purchasing into DVC JUST as wife lost her job. They had us convinced to buy into BLT because of the lower maintenance fees - and for the very problem you're facing. Easier to book into another resort if your home is BLT. Not so easy other way around!

HeatherBelle and I are keeping on one another to finish the dang reports. You can join our little trip report recovery group!

I'm very fortunate with my kid. Sometimes, she gets in a snit and just won't eat. Which is fine with me. But when she does eat, she'll generally try stuff. I figure kids won't let themselves starve. You don't want to eat now? Fine. But you won't eat until the next meal!

SnackyStacky, I hope all turns out well!

Thank you! Still hoping.

Oh, my goodness about the car situation. I would have been like you---No sir, you will not raise my rate five times over. I booked it at this rate, and that's what you will honor! The nerve! Thank goodness, it worked out.

Hopefully your wife's job situation will work out!

Thanks! Definitely hoping things work out.

Sending lots of pixie dust your way!

What are the positions that your wife is hoping for exactly?

DH has been looking for a teaching job for 2 years; I know how frustrating job hunting can be! I'm just hoping things are improved by the time I finish law school, too. There was a huge article out about this year's law school graduates not finding work. Ugh.

Wife is up for director and coordinator of the Office of Disability Services at Buffalo State College.

My one piece of advice for you is find a job EARLY on, and look for a job with a firm that has a track record of hiring interns/law students. My wife got jobs her second year with Mental Hygiene Legal Services, then with the NYS DA. In either case, they don't hire law students after graduation, so she was out of luck. Almost all that she graduated with who had jobs with firms who hired - had jobs after graduation. That's how she ended up in higher education.

Hope everything works out for you guys!



Same here, it is beyond frustrating! It's not that there are no openings it's just there's SO many people looking for the same positions. I interviewed for a position in the district where I subbed this year and they told me they had over 1000 applications for 7 jobs.

The job market is just scary. I feel very fortunate that *I* find myself in a relatively secure position - and I have two jobs. So if anything ever happens, I'll have a fall back plan.

Oh my gracious! I sure hope that your wife will get one of the permanent jobs she is interviewing for. Prayers are going out for you guys!

Thank you!

Just wanted to also give a quick job update. She got a call from the Dean on Friday. Said that the Vice President was in a meeting, but he (the Dean) would call wife back after the meeting whether he (the Dean) was able to get anything out of the VP or not.

Wife got a call. No news. The VP said it was Friday and he didn't want to look at it. He'd look at it Monday.

It's 1:55pm, and I'm NOT holding out too much hope that anything will happen today either.

It's going to be a nail biter. Wednesday is her last official day.

 

[javaj]

Oooh waiting is terrible. Hope you get news soon.

If you are able to stick around, I may join your trip report recovery group - I've made ADRs for the first 4 day of our trip using that new 190 day policy and I'm dying to share my plans

 

[SnackyStacky]

Oooh waiting is terrible. Hope you get news soon.

If you are able to stick around, I may join your trip report recovery group - I've made ADRs for the first 4 day of our trip using that new 190 day policy and I'm dying to share my plans

Oh go on and share! Even if you can't finish, it sure feels good to start!

ETA: Even if I have to call off my trip, HeatherBelle will help keep you on the straight and narrow.

 

[javaj]

Oh go on and share! Even if you can't finish, it sure feels good to start!

ETA: Even if I have to call off my trip, HeatherBelle will help keep you on the straight and narrow.

No news today?

I am seriously considering starting a pre-trippie -- or I'll just use yours as a forum for my indecision so I don't feel bad when I don't follow through I'll have to find HeatherBelle, maybe she'll inspire me to start my own.

I'm floundering between Hoop Dee Doo or not. We've never been to a Disney dinner show and I think we'd enjoy Hoop Dee Doo....but I'm sure we'll hate the food because we didn't like the food at Trail's End. So to Hoop Dee Doo or not to Hoop Dee Doo...I booked it today just in case.

 

[SnackyStacky]

Greetings, fearless followers! We'll make this short, sweet and to the point.

Sometimes, real life throws you a fairy tale.

Wife got the call, and accepted the offer for Director of the Office of Disability Services at Buffalo State College.

Tomorrow, salary negotiations.

The Snackys will FINALLY sleep through the night. Thank you ALL for the kind words!!!!!

 

[SnackyStacky]

No news today?

I am seriously considering starting a pre-trippie -- or I'll just use yours as a forum for my indecision so I don't feel bad when I don't follow through I'll have to find HeatherBelle, maybe she'll inspire me to start my own.

I'm floundering between Hoop Dee Doo or not. We've never been to a Disney dinner show and I think we'd enjoy Hoop Dee Doo....but I'm sure we'll hate the food because we didn't like the food at Trail's End. So to Hoop Dee Doo or not to Hoop Dee Doo...I booked it today just in case.

HeatherBelle can be found right here. Hi HeatherBelle! A muffin spoke to her.

I would really recommend starting a pre-trip report. I have the E-Ticket app, so I'm planning on DISing a bit while traveling. I also plan on posting updates on Twitter and Facebook. Hopefully this will all inspire me to follow through and finish the report. I should change the title to: "FINISH THE DANG REPORT!"

My wife wants to do Hoop Dee Doo - but I just can't get into it. But I think the girl would probably really love it. So I may just have to suck it up and go. Not this trip, anyway!

 

[javaj]

Greetings, fearless followers! We'll make this short, sweet and to the point.

Sometimes, real life throws you a fairy tale.

Wife got the call, and accepted the offer for Director of the Office of Disability Services at Buffalo State College.

Tomorrow, salary negotiations.

The Snackys will FINALLY sleep through the night. Thank you ALL for the kind words!!!!!

That's wonderful news!!!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Greetings, fearless followers! We'll make this short, sweet and to the point.

Sometimes, real life throws you a fairy tale.

Wife got the call, and accepted the offer for Director of the Office of Disability Services at Buffalo State College.

Tomorrow, salary negotiations.

The Snackys will FINALLY sleep through the night. Thank you ALL for the kind words!!!!!

What great news! I am sure that's a great load off your shoulders.

 

[HeatherBelle614]

Haha; a muffin DID speak to me. Although, DH ate it afterwards.

My firm is asking if I'm going to come back to clerk during school; I'm not too interested in this area of law, but if things don't improve, it's a job! I have a year left here (after being here 2 years this August), so hopefully they'll still feel that way when I leave for school!

SUCH good news about the job offer!!! You had some great pixie dust thrown your way!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Glad the trip is still on!

 

[SnackyStacky]

Haha; a muffin DID speak to me. Although, DH ate it afterwards.

My firm is asking if I'm going to come back to clerk during school; I'm not too interested in this area of law, but if things don't improve, it's a job! I have a year left here (after being here 2 years this August), so hopefully they'll still feel that way when I leave for school!

SUCH good news about the job offer!!! You had some great pixie dust thrown your way!

My sentiments exactly. A job is a job is a job.

It's funny - when we bought our house, we were talking to our attorney at the courthouse while we were waiting to sign all the closing stuff. He noticed wife had her JD, LLM and was admitted to the NYS bar. He said he had just been looking to hire an attorney. Wife told him she had seen the job listing in the paper. He asked why she hadn't applied. Wife told him she really didn't know anything about real estate law. He said: "That's what training is for!". Whether or not he would have actually hired her - I have no idea, but you have to start somewhere. So go for it. A HUGE part of law - as I imagine with any job - is who you know. Working for this firm, you never know who you'll meet and where you'll go.

We indeed had a lot of pixie dust thrown our way and we're VERY grateful for it!

Glad the trip is still on!

Thank you!!!! Me too!!!

 

[SnackyStacky]

So, all the dining is booked and I'm so excited I could just pee. Some new experiences this year! As an FYI - I'm typing this sipping back on Orange G2 Gatorade (the reduced cal stuff) COMPLETELY iced over from my hydro flask. I mention this for two reasons:

1.) In Buffalo, we're ABOUT on par with Orlando. It's 86 degrees with 55% humidity. In Orlando, it's 88 degrees with 58% humidity. Only my house doesn't have an HVAC unit like a Disney resort room. So we've got the oppressive heat and humidity without the rides, food treats, and central air creating meat-locker-like environments indoors. Woo.

2.) Hydroflask ROCKS! It's a special double-insulated thermos. It keeps cold beverages cold or hot beverages hot for up to 12 hours. The only reason the ice melted is because the drink was initially poured over it. It also is not sweating at ALL. I usually don't like keeping a beverage near the computer because of all the perspiration run off from the cup. It can damage the desk, or drip onto the keyboard, etc. NOT a problem with the hydroflask. I learned about it from the DIS Unplugged and was planning on using it for Disney, but it's great around the house too! And if you ARE interested in one - I should link you to Amazon. The product website is ALWAYS sold out. So check them out on Amazon. So this is kind of two updates in one. Dining, and a purchase for Disney!

To try and give you a good idea of the size, I snapped a couple of pictures using an early 2009 refillable mug as a point of comparison.

The orange flask on the left is the 24 oz. The red one on the right is the 18 oz.

They're both the same size around. The 18oz looks a little squattier because it's shorter - but they have exactly the same circumference. I used only the 18oz so you could see how big around in relation to the mug.

So with that, on with the dining plans!

December 30

• 5:30 pm: Restaurant Marrakesh - no Candlelight Processional package yet associated with this one. C'mon, Disney! When are you going to release those already?!

December 31

• 8:30 am: Tusker House
• 5:40 pm: Chef Mickey's

January 1

• 3:30pm: Fantasmic Dinner Package at Hollywood & Vine. Okay - I must confess. I'm NOT a big fan of Fantasmic. I think it's somewhat overrated. But the fact that after NINE years - I'm finally getting the stinking dining package! Tried for YEARS! Never got it. We think the girl will enjoy the show, but we like that we don't have to do the regular line. Even though we still probably have to show up an hour early, even with the voucher.

January 2

• 8:35 am: 1900 Park Fare

January 3

• 5:30 pm: Le Cellier. ANOTHER one that I've been trying for. FINALLY. Years and years of trying, actually! Although - I'm not holding my breath. I'm thinking at any moment I'm going to get a call telling us that we're not going to be able to eat here because it's going down for refurbishment. And I must say - if I get that call? It'll be okay. I've been following a thread on the dining board about this place and its rumored closing. There's also a lot of discussion about the popularity of the place and that a lot of its allure is actually securing a reservation. That's a BIG part of it for me. I thought I remembered reading that when guests with a reservation at a restaurant that closed for refurbishment were displaced, they got reserved seating for Illuminations for their troubles. That would be just fine with me. (And if we are displaced, and we don't get anything - that's okay too! )

January 4

• 8:30am: Cinderella's Royal Table - wife called me at work one day that the girl REALLY wanted a princess meal. Nevermind that I asked her about a MILLION times which characters she wanted to eat with. She told me Alice, Mickey and Donald. I asked her she was SURE that was it - she didn't want princesses. Nope she didn't. But it's okay. Really! This is just fine by me. I LOVE the French Toast at this place!
• 5:15 pm: Garden Grill

January 5

• 5:00 pm: Boma

January 6

• 5:30 pm: The girl goes to the Cub's Den. Thanks for the advice about the Neverland Club, javaj. Just easier to drop her off at the same place we're eating. She'll get to Neverland someday!
• 6:00 pm: Artist Point

So what's changed? January 3rd and 4th swapped out. Not for any good reason - it was just an error when booking dining. But both are Epcot locations, so no biggie.

Chef Mickey's was also dropped on the 7th. Our flight is leaving at noon instead of 4, so we'll probably leave for the airport at about 9:30. Leaving that early, probably just easiest to get a counter service breakfast.

And oh heavens - once again, just WRITING about the last day is just HORRIBLE!

Stay cool, all my heat-wave affected readers!

 

[HeatherBelle614]

Welcome to the heat wave! It's been miserable in Texas, but actually not as bad as normal. We had some rain come in with a "cold front" that put our "feels like" around 102* - we're normally well over 110* by now! Yay, "cold front."

The ADRs look great! I hated waiting to get information about the CP package last year!

 

[SnackyStacky]

Welcome to the heat wave! It's been miserable in Texas, but actually not as bad as normal. We had some rain come in with a "cold front" that put our "feels like" around 102* - we're normally well over 110* by now! Yay, "cold front."

The ADRs look great! I hated waiting to get information about the CP package last year!

We in northeast don't do much above 90. Nay nay. We shrivel up into little pools of mess. Fortunately, the rain that came through on Friday brought a wave of cool. Just above 80 - and it's BEAUTIFUL. 110 I could handle were there AC in our house. I don't mind sitting out in the heat for a while and then coming in and getting cool. But just sitting in it? Nay.

And I can be patient for the packages. I want to do it - but I also want Marrakesh. That's USUALLY what people pick when all the others are sold out and they can't get what they want. So I'm not too concerned about it. Just want it to be all finished up!

 

[HeatherBelle614]

We're at 102* today, with a heat index of 110*. Wohooooo.

Yeah, I think you will definitely get your ADR choice! It's a great feeling to have everything set in stone, though!

 

[SnackyStacky]

This post will exemplify why I'm a dorky, nerdy, geeky geek.

A couple of nights ago, I made another Walt Disney World purchase. And it arrived today.

We've already discussed my issues with Disney transportation, and my need to rent a car. Well, part of driving yourself - especially on Florida roads - is dealing with tolls. In the best of circumstances, they're a pain in the butt. That's assuming you're prepared, have a cup of change - you know the drill.

But when you're in a rental car, part of the planning is bringing a change purse filled with coins and taking time out of your drive to pay the stinking tolls.

If you've never driven to your Disney resort, having relied on Magical Express to get you there - let me give you a quick run down on how tolls are paid on 417 in Florida. I've NEVER seen tolls set up like this before, but frankly, I think it's brilliant. Instead of spanning the entire 4 - 6 lane highway with toll booths, there's smallish exits. Kind of like a rest stop, or like those stations where trucks can be weighed. You pull off the main road, slow down, pay your toll, and pick right back up where you left off. However, if you've prepaid your tolls - you can bypass the toll exit at highway speeds, and you don't have to slow down at all. I've used Magical Express once, and they took 417. So I would assume that many do. Much easier than I-4. And if you've never noticed a toll booth, I would assume it's because all the Magical Express busses are equipped to prepay the tolls. The busses never had to pull over - they could just keep right on moving.

Do you see where my geeky self is going with this?

That's right. I bought a SunPass!

My tolls are now prepaid. No more wasting precious time to pull over and pay the tolls. No more packing a heavy change purse full of quarters and digging it out before leaving the airport. WOO HOO!

I'm positively giddy. And please don't make fun. I prefaced with a disclaimer that I'm a geek. It's even in the title of this post.

Besides - makes me feel a bit like a Floridian. And I know that the sad factor just increased 10 fold. But let's just go with it, 'kay?

 

[HeatherBelle614]

I'm literally laughing out loud! Too funny!!

I've never even thought about buying a toll tag for another state!

 

[SnackyStacky]

I'm literally laughing out loud! Too funny!!

I've never even thought about buying a toll tag for another state!

Yeah. Come to me for all geek needs.

 

[Mrs Grumpy]

Hey, it is my TA (which I will be bugging you just as soon as the 2011 packages are released hopefully this weekend)!. I am subscribing and will be following your pre-trip report! Can't wait to read more. Oh, and your daughter is so cute!

Shannon

 

[SnackyStacky]

Hey, it is my TA (which I will be bugging you just as soon as the 2011 packages are released hopefully this weekend)!. I am subscribing and will be following your pre-trip report! Can't wait to read more. Oh, and your daughter is so cute!

Shannon

Hey Shannon! Welcome aboard!

It's not bugging at all. That's what I'm here for.