Sarilas' O-fficial Pre-Trip Report (a.k.a. Vacation, Take TWO!) - Jan. 30-Feb. 8, '09

[Native NYer]

Yay!!! Now you can plan some more

 

[Sarilas]

I think today I'm going to create something with our week's worth of park hours on it... just something for my trip binder for a quick reference.

Here we go!

 

[Sarilas]

So my plans to DIS were interrupted a bit when my husband and youngest child ended up flying to Puerto Rico (where he's from) for the funeral of one of his dearest friends. This friend was living in Ohio (for more than a decade) and was tragically killed by a stray bullet in his own home. They buried him in their hometown, and my husband went and served as pall bearer. Tragic truly is the operative word.

But everyone is now home and I'm back to working on a sort-of-itinerary-thing and made some changes to our ADR's... all that hopefully coming up today!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Glad everyone is home safe and sound!

Looking forward to reading about your itinerary and ADR changes!

 

[TarzansKat]

Lara, I hope you're all doing okay.

My thoughts are truly with your husband right now, what an emotional experience that must have been for him.

I hope that maybe the planning will help you guys to have some fun thing to talk about.

 

[Lady Lallie]

I can't wait to hear more about the plans.

to your family and DH.

 

[willwriteforears]

As with everyone else, I'm glad your husband and daughter are back safely, and continued for DH as he continues to grieve over the loss of his friend.

I second TK in hoping that planning the trip will give you both something fun to think/talk about.

 

[Sarilas]

Glad everyone is home safe and sound!

Looking forward to reading about your itinerary and ADR changes!

Lara, I hope you're all doing okay.

My thoughts are truly with your husband right now, what an emotional experience that must have been for him.

I hope that maybe the planning will help you guys to have some fun thing to talk about.

I can't wait to hear more about the plans.

to your family and DH.

As with everyone else, I'm glad your husband and daughter are back safely, and continued for DH as he continues to grieve over the loss of his friend.

I second TK in hoping that planning the trip will give you both something fun to think/talk about.

Thank you all. He's doing quite well - I on the other hand bawled like a baby watching the video tape that my sister in law took of my husband carrying the casket through the cemetery. It's unlike what I'm used to here in the states; more like what you'd find in New Orleans. All white metal and stone and above ground. The paths were so narrow that some of the pall bearers had to climb over sections of mausoleums, etc. in their path. (Jose, DH, tells me that normally a caretaker does the carrying, but the guys refused to let anyone carry their friend other than themselves.) It was heart breaking.

But moving on. (I'm such a cry baby, seriously.)

I've got a couple of pictures of things I've been working on to show you. I haven't even had time to show them to DH, but at this stage of the game he's pretty willing to go with the flow!

 

[Sarilas]

So with the release of January's hours and my husband gone all weekend, I tried to kept myself occupied making a mini-itinerary and making some ADR changes!

First to the ADR changes... Here's a pic of what's new!

I made an ADR for Raglan Road on the night we get to town; we figure some shopping and walking around Downtown Disney is a good way to stretch the legs after a long car ride AND to get into the Disney spirit!

I canceled The Plaza on Sunday night; the latest ADR they had was at 4:40 and that's just TOO early for dinner for us on our first night in the parks. (Nobody wants to leave MK to eat that day either.) I'll leave it open for now but if anyone has suggestions I'd love to hear them!

We changed the time for California Grill on Wednesday night; again, it was a bit early for us. The reservationist mentioned the fireworks and looked up the times for me and suggested if we were going to push the dinner back that we do so with the idea of (hopefully) having a window side view for our first trip! (Only the older kids are coming to that dinner and they will never forget it.)

I moved The Plaza to Friday evening, because even though it's an early res. we're planning on staying out late for evening EMH at MK (probably just DH and me later in the evening so the kids can get some sleep) and everyone will just want pizza or CS late in the evening anyway!

I'll upload the pic of the mini-itinerary in a minute... man do I have issues with time commitment!

 

[Native NYer]

Everything looks great!!!

 

[TarzansKat]

:::sigh:::

I can't wait to see all that food porn.

double :::sigh::::

 

[Charleston Princess]

Okay, the fact that your DH and his friends insisted on being pallbearers made me weepy, too!

Raglan Road is on my "almost definite" list for the next trip so I am looking forward to your food porn and review!!!

 

[willwriteforears]

Add me to the list of those eagerly awaiting food porn!

 

[Sarilas]

Oh, the food porn! I'm actually looking at buying a new camera JUST because I want to be able to take ridiculously good photos of the food. Yeah and pictures of the kids too (whatever).

I'm thinking Santa is going to bring me a schnazzy new camera to test out at Disney World!

 

[Lady Lallie]

I second the food porn. I can't wait to see it all. I am still deciding if I am going to attempt to take pics of my own food. I might be too self conscious.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Oh, the food porn! I'm actually looking at buying a new camera JUST because I want to be able to take ridiculously good photos of the food. Yeah and pictures of the kids too (whatever).

I'm thinking Santa is going to bring me a schnazzy new camera to test out at Disney World!

I'm asking Santa for a new digital camera, also -- I already have it picked out and everything!

 

[trixiequilts]

Hi Lara! Thought I'd pop in and say that although I was happy for you making your ADRs, I just didn't understand the amount of joy and relief you felt until I did mine (through the 25th only of course, and Chef Mickey's on the 27th)! So much stress gone! Since then, I've had time to work on my binder (thanks again MRYPPNS) and have made 3 spreadsheets so far. One of them is based on your plan, although I'm not nearly as creative. And I'm stilll coveting your bulletin board. Thanks for keeping me on track!

 

[GeminiAngel]

I'm only on page 3. Great so far.

 

[Sarilas]

Hi Lara! Thought I'd pop in and say that although I was happy for you making your ADRs, I just didn't understand the amount of joy and relief you felt until I did mine (through the 25th only of course, and Chef Mickey's on the 27th)! So much stress gone! Since then, I've had time to work on my binder (thanks again MRYPPNS) and have made 3 spreadsheets so far. One of them is based on your plan, although I'm not nearly as creative. And I'm stilll coveting your bulletin board. Thanks for keeping me on track!

Awe, I'm glad you're having fun planning too! And I'm not sure I'm very creative, but I AM a very visual person... I like to see what I'm working on.

I'm only on page 3. Great so far.

Welcome aboard and hang on... it's a bumpy ride!

 

[Sarilas]

So I need to start by apologizing for my absence from my own PTR- I don't want to get into it here as this place is meant for fun and entertainment but it's been a tough couple of weeks. Hopefully all is settled down now though and we can move onward and upward and into the positive new future!

So, before life got in the way I'd intended to post this for you all to see the first incarnation of our trip itinerary! I'm sure it'll change, in fact I know it will as I'm already contemplating an ADR change! (Shocked? I thought not.)

More to come!