Screw In the Light Bulb-All New x 13 4/25!!

[lvcourtneyy]

What great Halloween costumes! I love that Maddie and her dad match their costumes.

Oh goodness. We got stuck in a terrible rain storm by BTMRR too! Yours sounds like it was worse than ours though.

Oh no. The snack credits rear their heads again. Wow. I can't believe you were waiting that long for them to resolve the issue. I hope it was all fixed after that.

I'm glad Maddie got her lei! I wasn't offered one either but then a lady gave me one while I was in the bathroom which made me significantly happier.

Deodorant is always your friend. Ew.

 

[Queenofallthings]

JACKEE HARRY....thank you...it drove me crazy who that woman reminded me of!!!!

Love the bargaining for the dress....is it wrong to tell you I still bargain with Shanleigh sometimes when I'm buying her something....whole different story when she's using her own money

I can't wait to see the dress!

 

[Cinderella909]

Shannon! I was in Party City yesterday and thought you and Maddie... they had some Disney princess Pumpkin carving sets! Where one carves out the pumpkin for each princess. Too cute. My dgd liked them, but I was afraid she'll be outgrown by the time next Halloween comes around.

Too cute! Karen

 

[shan23877]

Hey guys!

I was all set to post a couple of updates and share a fun real life update, but....


Instead our new friends from Roto-Rooter are here installing 2 new sump pumps!

I promise I'll be back next week with a while slew of updating.

 

[Cinderella909]

Hey guys!

I was all set to post a couple of updates and share a fun real life update, but....


Instead our new friends from Roto-Rooter are here installing 2 new sump pumps!

I promise I'll be back next week with a while slew of updating.

I'd say that is a real life update in and of itself! Doesn't sound like fun! I'm sure we'll all be here when you get back!

In the meantime.... Karen

 

[pkondz]

Hey guys!

I was all set to post a couple of updates and share a fun real life update, but....


Instead our new friends from Roto-Rooter are here installing 2 new sump pumps!

I promise I'll be back next week with a while slew of updating.

Two sump pumps??? Is one a back-up?

 

[afwdwfan]

Hey guys!

I was all set to post a couple of updates and share a fun real life update, but....


Instead our new friends from Roto-Rooter are here installing 2 new sump pumps!

I promise I'll be back next week with a while slew of updating.

Well, I'm disappointed to miss out on my Friday morning ritual of reading your updates for the second week in a row, but it sounds like you have more important matters to tend to.

 

[TruLovesKiss]

Hey guys!

I was all set to post a couple of updates and share a fun real life update, but....


Instead our new friends from Roto-Rooter are here installing 2 new sump pumps!

I promise I'll be back next week with a while slew of updating.

Oh yuck!.... having Roto-Rooter there sounds pretty crappy.

Looking forward to next week!

 

[kimbo0569]

Great TR so far! The Royal Rooms are beautiful, we also loved the POR(having stayed twice before - in the Alligator Bayou section though). Maddie is such a cutie!

We just came back a couple weeks ago, where it was more crowded than I thought it would be for October. You seemed to have more luck in the summer time.

Can't wait to read more!

 

[Clarf]

Oh, sorry about the Roto Rooter. That stinks.

Can't wait to hear your new updates!

 

[shan23877]

Love the update! I am glad your Etsy business is booming!

Your 'Ohana pics made me hungry and miss the poly!

Cant wait for more

Thank you!

The Poly is my dream resort. I love it there!

I don't think anybody could possibly be upset when real life gets in the way of the DIS. Being that busy can only be a good thing (albeit tiring I'm sure). I'd be more sad if you weren't busy for Halloween.

Thanks for understanding. I sure didn't intend for another 2 week absence.

Hmm, definitely a WDW pet peeve of mine is when people or groups hover around the FP entrance waiting for the their time to come and basically blocking the entrance. So frustrating.

It's obnoxious isn't it? I hate it!

Yeah, so I am now stealing the phrase "poncho up" just for the record.

Aww it's a shame Maddie failed to pack Bryan's poncho, but demoting her seems a little harsh.

I have to say, no matter how often I've seen it, Florida storms always amaze me. The volume of rain in such a short period of time is one thing, but the fact that they hit so quickly from nowhere and intensify so quickly is quite amazing.

Haha! Steal away!

Well, she really shouldn't have forgotten that poncho...

It was insane! I hope we never see anything like it again!

Holy, an hour and a half to get that situation not really fixed. Clearly the proper method is to have a 6 year old thank you note presentation to unlock the magic. I sincerely hope this is the last of your issues.

It really wasn't the best afternoon we've ever had. I tried so hard to be patient since the CM was clearly doing her best, but darn it I was tired of waiting!

Aww, so glad Maddie got her lei, and it looks like it matched her dress really well (said I in the manliest way possible).

OMG congratulations of maxing out on Buzz!!! I've come close but never done it, so to do it when initially using a different gun, well,

She was so happy to get that lei! (manliness understood)

Thanks! It's happened twice, but I have no idea how!

The costumes look great!

Thanks!

Uh oh... a backstory about your Florida weather expertise. This can't be good...


The crowd blocking the FP entrance, waiting for their window is always annoying. But at least you were able to make your way through the masses before their window opened and they ended up in line in front of you!

Very good point. Thank goodness we got there ahead of them

Nah... it feels fantastic in late Nov/early Dec.

You're cruel


[QUOTEIf you're already soaked, there's no point in staying under cover anyway.

And I'm sure Bryan was loving the A/C...


I hope the driver killed the A/C.

Yeah... I'm kind of with Bryan. I think I'd prefer getting a little wet as opposed to sweating it out under a poncho. I just don't like the part about the ever-present AC freezing you to the core until you dry off.

I'm glad we headed out when we did. To be honest I kept the poncho on the whole time so I have no idea if the A/C was on in the bus or not? Bry didn't complain so I'm guessing no

I think she's in the wrong line of work.

I'd have to agree

Wow... if only you could predict the weather as well as you can blindly shoot a laser.


That might just be the best Buzz Lightyear ride photo I've ever seen!!!!

I'm amazing at shooting blindly!

Thanks! I was so happy to have PP+ when I saw that gem

 

[shan23877]

Interesting that they didn't have a PP photographer at 'Ohana. We ate breakfast there in April this year and the picture was included in PP+.


Edit: I went hunting for information about why we had the picture and your family didn't, and it's because the picture packages for 'Ohana and Tusker House are available for breakfast only.

Maybe I was mis-remembering a PP at 'Ohana dinner. There was one there for breakfast, but I could have sworn there was one at dinner the last time.

Loved your Ohana update. This was my must get ADR and I"m really looking forward to the food and the lapu lapu.
We'll be visiting WDW this Christmas, and it's our family's first trip.
Can't wait for your BBB update. My 4 yr old DD is really looking forward to this treat. I have a feeling we'll be purchasing the Cinderella dress as well.

The Cinderella dress was really pretty (you'll see it very soon). I hope we get to BBB before your trip, but if you have any questions let me know!

So we ended up changing our May dated to the 10th - 24th. I'll have to admit that it was my fault. We had reservations at the BWV and when we were there a few weeks ago we went over to take a look at them. I was less than impressed and being the Disney snob I am we changed over the WLV.

And honestly, all I can think about from all those updates is your Buzz score

Too bad you had to change, but WLV sounds great! We'll be spending some time at WL on our next trip, but not staying there.

Thanks!

I'm so glad that I'm not the only one accused of cheating on Buzz. I rode solo last trip with my DH and DS in another car and maxed out the score, and even with photo proof, I still can't convince him.

Every couple months or so I send him a text with the picture saying "Remember the time I did this???" and all I get back are "LIES!"


Great updates, and glad you're back from your sewing adventure. So many fun things you can do with girls, so of course I have 2 boys

It's nice to know we're not the only competetive ones!

Maybe you'll get to do Pirate's Leage! I'll never get to do that...

I know, I know, it's coming, I swear! My Photopass CD is ordered and I'm hoping that it arrives soon. Maybe I'll just start without it

Haha, You sound like me... I was still working on hubby's Halloween costume up until yesterday afternoon! It didn't help that he only decided the week before that he would be Maleficent to go along with our Sleeping Beauty theme. grrr!

No PP pics for our 'Ohana dinner either. Looks like they only do them for breakfast now.
"Jackee" was the entertainer for us too and I can still hear that annoying voice, lol!! I am a pretty calm & patient person and it usually takes a lot to bother me, but boy there was something about her that was really getting on my nerves!

My score on Buzz was AWFUL!!! So I'm going to keep telling myself that I was in the car with that defective gun. Although it's probably just that I have awful aim.

Aww, Mrs. Potts! What a great part to be picked for. She's one of my favorites!

Just saw the link and subbed to the TR! I'm going to check it out as soon as I post the updates!

I'm sure you got a defective gun just like I did. It's the only logical explanation.

Oh Jackee. She's a doozy isn't she?

I don't think I'll ever remember everything I wanted to comment on.

Love Maddie and Bryan's costumes.

I'm glad you will never give The Plaza grief again.

That rain you encountered...we had that two days of our trip in those amounts (plus rain every day of our trip).

We did Ohana this trip too (first time and the last time...the food was awful and the service worse); they didn't have a photographer when we went either, and we didnt' get our lei's until we left the restaurant).

Glad you were able to go back to MK and get a couple of more attractions in; love the dance party photos! And isn't that Castle show out of this world? I love it more than the previous one.

The rain was crazy this year wasn't it? Disappointing for sure.

The castle show is amazing, I loved it! The dance party was so much fun too!

Okay, I just LOL'd at least 3 times at my desk while reading your updates. First the poncho debacle and the demoting, second at "Stitch just came out and she screamed like it was Mick Jagger," and third the no deodorant guy. Out loud. All of them


I can see why you haven't updated in a while! Busy is a good thing! And I love your family's costumes. We did Peter Pan here and while I don't sew, I'm pretty handy with a glue gun and made/altered DH a pretty awesome Captain Hook outfit. Did you dress up too? Or just Luke and Leia?

Also, where was that dance party? Is that something that happens every night? We'd love that!

Sorry! Hope I didn't get you in trouble!

Thanks! Just Mads and Bry dressed. Honestly I didn't have time to make anything for myself.

It was in Tomorrowland, right by Space Mountain. I think it happens nightly, but I'm not certain.

Maddie looks so adorable in all her princess dresses! Our youngest (who is a maddie also )was tiana for Halloween and I have little mermaid and aurora stashed away for Christmas. now she's trying to talk me into getting her a Cinderella dress we saw at the Disney outlet. Never can have too many princess dresses, right? although I think I'd like to have more dress up clothes then stuffed animals. I feel like the stuffed toys are taking over our house--is it possible they multiply overnight?

What is up with the rain?!? We bought ponchos once and used them one day. After that we decided a little sprinkle was no big thing. We would have been soaked too since we've never packed a poncho since.

I loved all demoting that was happening! Sounds like our family, only I always end up back in charge because I'm crazy and know my DH just isn't doing it "right".

Great updates!!

Thanks! The stuffed animals must multiply. There always seem to be more than there were previously.

We get demoted from jobs all the time around here. Bryan is very proud that he's been banned from painting walls.

This makes me want to cry!

OMG - do you remember when we had Jackee at 'Ohana???? Oh no - wait - that was pre-TR-writing for me. I think I've mentioned it before though.
She (plus our less-than-stellar server) really soured me on dinner there - haven't been back since! I'm glad y'all had some good food and good times!

And you deserved the awesome dance party, rides, and fireworks after that awful afternoon!

I think it was pre TRing days, but now I see why you've never been back. She was really off-putting.

You've got to get to the fireworks one of these days. It was a fun night!

Yaaaayy!! I knew when I saw you replying a bunch last night that an update or so would be coming our way!

Love the halloween costumes!! I also adore that maddie's doing the princess "hold your skirt out" pose with a not so poofy skirt! CUTE!

Great updates, boourns on the rain though, I find Florida to be like that, it's either half an hour and done or it's literally a HURRICANE. Glad you didn't wash away!

Yay for Ohana! I did enjoy it when we were there, the situation wasn't great, so it didn't quite live up to expectations, but I would definitely go again, glad Maddie got her lei's and got to join in on the festivities!

MK TIME IS ALWAYS THE BEST!! I love the tomorrowland dance party! I got a very special dance with Dale there in Feb! The comment about Stitch being like Mic Jagger is hilarious!! Mom was really excited about Stitch in that dance party too! Baha.

Yay for finding the Cindy dress, ahaha, the accessories make it so much more adorable! Can't wait to read more!!

She's always a princess Katt, you know that!

I love that your mom was just as excited about Stitch as Maddie! She seems like so much fun to tour with!

Phew! The whole dining credits thing sounds exhausting! It's frustrating when stuff like that happens. Hopefully there were no further issues!

'Ohana looks delicious as usual! When my family went in July '12 we didn't take a picture or get leis when we checked in, so who knows? Maybe it just depends on the night.

Love the Halloween costumes and I'm so glad your business has been going so well!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Thanks Marissa! I swear I've been reading along with your TR, I've just fallen so far behind on commenting. I'm sorry!

No need for an apology my friend. I've definitely gone through periods myself before where I felt like I was away from the DIS forever.

However, I do have to say congrats on your Etsy shop being a success over Halloween! That's great my friend. I might hit you up for our 2015 Princess Half if you're willing to make us some running tutu's.

Bryan and Maddie make a great Luke and Leia.

I just switched to Verizon too. We were on AT&T before, and service pretty much everywhere was a crapshoot.

I consider myself to be a weather expert in WDW as well. And every time my expert weather skills have failed, we have been poncho-less, with them sitting back in the room collecting dust. I am not going to confirm or deny my responsibility in the packing of our stuff.

Wow, strange stuff with the snack credits! And I can't say that I would have been too happy having to wait so long to have it resolved.

Ohana we have an ADR for Ohana in January for dinner and I'm looking forward to it. I don't actually recall having dinner there ever, so it will be new for us.

Oh, no Beast picking again, that's a shame. Something to aspire to I think.

Thanks Danielle! I'd be honored to make your princess 1/2 tutus! I can't wait!

I'm sure you can blame the park bag packing on Popadon if you want to...

I hope you have a great time at 'Ohana! Keep an eye out for my friend Jackee!

We may or may not be attempting to be chosen for the role of Beast again...

Love the costumes!

Thanks!

Uh oh. Is Bryan about to Hulk out? You wouldn't like him when he's angry.



I would have gone with "the dog ate the poncho."

Have you met him? It's like you've met him.

That's it! I could have blamed Lucy.



]


[QUTOE]

Are you going to Hulk out now?[/QUOTE]

Didn't want to risk it. What if I couldn't get back in the room to change after my shirt ripped?

Ugh. Doesn't sound like much fun at all. Still, I admire the dedication of the CM spending that much time on the problem.

She was a trooper.

Maybe she's not a mom. If she was, she'd know that no group of children will ever follow instructions.

O'hana looks really good. Never tried it, but someday that will change!

She can't be a mom. No way.

You'll have to try it some day! We like it!

Jumping in! I read your PTR and caught up with you TR all at once---straight though! LOL!

Thanks for joining in! Glad to have you, and thanks for reading them both!

Love the dresses. My daughter is the same age as Maddie and she would go crazy for all those dresses!!!!!

I do have a question....
Do you go to a certain site to decide on what parks you are going to on what days? As I read your TR, I find that you do a lot in a day for a very busy time of year.

We don't travel light these days, lots of dresses!

I don't really follow any of the touring plans. We always do MK first and last, and usually once in the middle. Since we do so many pre-opening breakfasts I like to avoid parks with morning EMH so that we don't loose our 'head start' in the parks, but that's about it.

We really just try to get as much done early in the day as possible. The rope-drop strategy really does work!

 

[shan23877]

I'm soooo far behind on... well... everything.
So I'll keep my comments short.


Well, shorter then usual...

I'm ashamed at how far behind I've gotten in commenting on your TR Ponz. I've been reading along, but haven't commented. I'm sorry!

In business, it's good to be busy.
So, good for you!

Great costumes!

Thanks Ponz!

I swear, putting those there has got to be the reason Disney is able to spend millions on projects.

I think you're on to something..

Hah! I can relate.
When the DDs were about Maddie's age, I think I rode it 7 times in a row.

Ruby got the free pass and sat it/them out.


I don't know what she did either, but I bet it was more relaxing and less mind numbing then what I was doing!

The ride isn't that bad I guess, but the queue is terrible! It has to be the most boring queue area in all of WDW!

But you and Maddie were dry, so it's all good, right?


Right?

Is this thing on?



So....


Were you relieved?

Well, he'd probably say that's all that mattered-that we were dry-but, yeah let's just say I'll never be in charge of his poncho again.

Well, isn't that nice.
Now you have friends for life!

An hour...

and a half........


Shouldn't they be paying for your room or something at this point?

Well you'd think so wouldn't you? I'm pretty sure they comped the snacks we had to pay cash for...

"How to get a man to get ready as quickly as possible."

Step 1. Tell the man to take all the time he needs.
Step 2. Then tell him you'll wait for him in a gift shop.
Step 3. For extra speed, remind him that you have the credit card, so he needn't rush.

So that's why he got ready so quickly!

Okay, not the server's fault.
But then it's management's, isn't it?

With all the ADRs they have these days, it couldn't have been a surprise at how busy they'd be.
So staffing is the issue, IMO.

I couldn't agree more. These ADR are made 6 months in advance for crying out loud! It's July! They couldn't have been surprised by the amount of people didng there.




Of course, if Mick Jagger really did come out on stage,
she'd be like, "Who's the old guy?"




Awww.... everyone's tuckered out.

Thanks for the chapters Shanaleesh. [/QUOTE]

Exactly! She would have been grossed out by poor ole Mick.

Thanks for the fun comments Ponzerpan

I subscribed a while back but didn't have time to catch up. But, I did during my lunch hour. There's simply too much to comment on so I'll stick with just talking about the last update. How fun that Maddie got to get her groove on with the characters at the dance party! Oh and yay for not having to wait on a bus forever and a day.

Thanks for taking the time to catch up Lisa!

We had a great time at the dance party, it's something we'll seek out in the future. And we were so happy to have a short wait for that bus.

Rain plus humidity inside ponchos equal a sauna indeed. Like Bryan, I usually avoid the poncho. When Crap suggested we purchase them (before the scheduled rain started), I scoffed. Then, it poured big time on our HS day. Reluctantly, we got them just as the massive downpour slowed. So, I sit there soaking wet inside my plastic sauna. We were miserable, since it was so humid, but I made us stick it out. The crowds really died down, so I am guessing a lot of others called it a day.

We've never had O'Hana for dinner, but the food sounds similar to the luau (which we were seated behind the stupid pole despite category 1 seating and waking up at 3am on my 180+ day to book. At least, we were the first party behind the pole, do I was able to see about 80% of the stage. My kids do not really participate like Maddie does, but I was able to get them up a couple of times this trip. Xander played Maurice in Enchanted Tales with Belle. He did the parade at Crystal Palace. Connor got up and tried to learn the luau.

You are so patient. I would have gone back to my room and asked the front desk to call me once the issue was fixed. Sitting in the lobby for more than an hour would be an accomplishment.

We always take cabs at WDW. Last week, we took a cab four times. I wish it would have been five. We took a bus to Epcot on our arrival to transfer to Beach Club for dinner at Beaches and Cream. Upon arrival, we could not find a transfer. It turns out, there is no way to get from Epcot to Beach Club from the front of the park. We arrived at our WL bus stop at 7:51pm and waited a while for an Epcot bus. We could either waste a park ticket past 8:30pm to enter the park and exit toward the world showcase or we could take a bus to HS. There were no taxis in sight or I would have taken one. The HS bus waited until 9pm before she would even drive off. She said she was on a schedule. Upon arrival at HS, we waited forever for a boat. Beach Club was the second stop once the bus finally got there. We arrived at the restaurant at 9:43. It was almost two hours after we left our hotel. Thank goodness Beaches and Cream does not take reservations. After dinner, we took a cab back to our hotel.

Ugh! how frustrating about the Luau. I really didn't have a great time there either. 'Ohanas food is similar.

The cabs were great the few times we took them, I'm so glad we did.

So glad the boys participated! Did they have fun?

No apologies needed. We have had a monsoon rain too, I was just about to wake up DGD from a nap, when her dad called up and said don't bother the sky looks like it's going to storm. Don't think I've ever seen rain so hard as that day! But, as soon as it was letting up we ran over to MK and enjoyed a great evening in a rather empty park.

We love O'hana for dinner. Ususally, we are there for the fireworks (first time was just a fluke as we weren't expecting it). The second time we walked out to the beach and enjoyed the fireworks. We've never had photo pass taken at dinner. I'm thinking it's only for breakfast and the Luau.

I see Maddie enjoyed the coconut race. My dgd loves the lies too. And, has always come out with four or five. Last time, she was a little upset to see her daddy got a few too!

Love the Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker! Fabulous!

And, for the record.... Paul gets more screams than Mick The was a really cute bit on SNL recently, where there was the host Paul somebody, who talked about how excited he was when he walked into the studios as all these girls were outside screaming Paul, Paul... and how everyone was so excited to see him.... and then PAUL walks out! Too funny (probably more funny than I just told!


Ready for more, more, more! Karen

You're right, Paul would definitely elicit more screams!

The coconut races were a huge hit. She loves it there! I'd love to see Wishes from the Poly beach, it's always on the list-I've heard such great things.

Oh those rains. Unfortunately they didn't scare off the tour groups...

I just caught up on your past couple of updates. Magic Kingdom is the night time place to be, I'll tell ya. Walk ons to Buzz, much shorter waits for ETWB, and that dance party is awesome! We happened to just sort of run into it one night too and I think we danced for at least a half hour, if not longer. We saw the characters out another night dancing and went over, Adison was eager to join them again, but it was much heavier music and the dance area was full of teenagers who had created a mosh pit! Needless to say, we passed on that.

I was surprised at how much we did in the MK that day! I really love it there at night.

I'm sure we'd have passed on the mosh pit too. It was such a fun little surprise.

What great Halloween costumes! I love that Maddie and her dad match their costumes.

Oh goodness. We got stuck in a terrible rain storm by BTMRR too! Yours sounds like it was worse than ours though.

Oh no. The snack credits rear their heads again. Wow. I can't believe you were waiting that long for them to resolve the issue. I hope it was all fixed after that.

I'm glad Maddie got her lei! I wasn't offered one either but then a lady gave me one while I was in the bathroom which made me significantly happier.

Deodorant is always your friend. Ew.

Thanks Courtney!

The credit fiasco was annoying to say the least. The poor CM did her best though.

You know, I'd be okay with 'Ohana charging $.25 more and being assured a 'free' lei. It just goes with the place!

JACKEE HARRY....thank you...it drove me crazy who that woman reminded me of!!!!

Love the bargaining for the dress....is it wrong to tell you I still bargain with Shanleigh sometimes when I'm buying her something....whole different story when she's using her own money

I can't wait to see the dress!

She's a dead ringer isn't she?

So my bargaining days are far from over huh?

The dress is coming right up!

Shannon! I was in Party City yesterday and thought you and Maddie... they had some Disney princess Pumpkin carving sets! Where one carves out the pumpkin for each princess. Too cute. My dgd liked them, but I was afraid she'll be outgrown by the time next Halloween comes around.

Too cute! Karen

Thanks Karen! We have some! I always make copies of my stencils so that we have them every year. I have issues...

I'd say that is a real life update in and of itself! Doesn't sound like fun! I'm sure we'll all be here when you get back!

In the meantime.... Karen

It wasn't fun, but I'm glad it's taken care of.

Two sump pumps??? Is one a back-up?

I don't know a ton about it, but apparently we have 2 septic fields or something? I think one is supposed to be mainly back up, but neither was working.

Well, I'm disappointed to miss out on my Friday morning ritual of reading your updates for the second week in a row, but it sounds like you have more important matters to tend to.

Sorry! If it helps, I though of you while typing the next set of updates, I suspect you'll know why...

Oh yuck!.... having Roto-Rooter there sounds pretty crappy.

Looking forward to next week!

it was no fun, but in hindsight I'm glad it's taken care of

Great TR so far! The Royal Rooms are beautiful, we also loved the POR(having stayed twice before - in the Alligator Bayou section though). Maddie is such a cutie!

We just came back a couple weeks ago, where it was more crowded than I thought it would be for October. You seemed to have more luck in the summer time.

Can't wait to read more!

Thanks for joining in! We had some great luck, and some not so great luck but we've learned to work around the crowds. Doesn't hurt that we're always looking for characters.

Isn't POR pretty?

Oh, sorry about the Roto Rooter. That stinks.

Can't wait to hear your new updates!

Thanks. Coming right up!

 

[shan23877]

Hey guys! As I alluded to last week, I have a real life update for you that I’m very excited about!


When we moved into our house Bryan mentioned that the 5th bedroom in the basement would be perfect for my craft/sewing room. I disagreed. The bedroom is scary. The previous owners must have disliked the child that they forced to bunk in there. It features scuffed white walls, a drop ceiling with missing pieces, weird cut-outs, 2 dim lights, and a concrete floor with badly peeling paint.

​

Needless to say, I wasn’t using it for much but storage.


I’ve always done my sewing at the dining room table, but as the Esty business has grown so has my mess. On a good day it looked something like this (after I’d tidied up).

​

I realized that it was time to make the move to the scary bedroom. It wasn’t going to be easy though. I didn’t want to do this halfway. I had to do it in a way that I’d actually want to use the room.


First Bryan and a family member installed new lighting, new electric boxes, fixed the ceiling, and ran cable to the room.


Post lights and paint Maddie had to try out the new chair

​

I painted the walls, put down vinyl peel and stick tiles on the floor, covered my brown tables in vinyl fabric, made curtains and a bed for Cooper, tried my hand at home-made art, and most importantly went shopping!

A few trips to Target, Joann Fabric, and a shipment or two from Overstock later I was in business!

Last Thursday evening I was in the almost-complete sewing room organizing all of my accumulated crap when I felt water on my socks.

Long story short, the guys at Roto-Rooter determined that neither of our sump pumps was actually operational, and that the pipe that runs from our sump pumps to the yard was completely ineffective. After a heart stopping credit card charge we were back in business. And, not a moment too soon as much of Illinois was wracked with horrible storms and tornadoes 3 days later. Our area was spared the worst of it, but we did get tons of rain and would have undoubtedly been underwater.

Without further ado, here’s the brand new space!

My work table it the weird cut out on the right with custom white board (only $30!) and custom cork board ($10!)





Cutting table with custom Tim Gunn poster ($20 including frame!), Cooper's bed, a stool, and comfy chair for visitors





Fabric Storage





Entertainment unit with home-made art, pattern storage, and of course the TV!



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Thanks for letting me share!

 

[shan23877]

The One With Hollywood & Vine
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We were up around 6 am on Day 2 of the trip (yup, day 2. I promise to do better). After Bryan and I put on the matching shirts that Maddie insisted we all have she decided on a Cinderella dress for the day.

Of course she did.


We got to the gates of DHS around 7:30 and were the 4 or 5th family in line.


Pics while we waited

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They let those of us with breakfast reservations in at 7:55, and we made our way to Hollywood & Vine.

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If you aren’t familiar with this meal, H&V hosts breakfast and lunch with a few popular characters from Disney Jr. Honestly, Maddie really hasn’t watched Disney Jr. in over a year, but she had so much fun at this meal on our last trip she insisted on doing it again.

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They let us in right at 8:00 am. We were seated right next to the area that some super perky CMs use to lead the little ones in music and dancing with the characters. Our server came by right away. He was super friendly and personable. We liked him as soon as we met him.

Since a few families had been seated ahead of us we had time to grab a plate of food before the characters started visiting.

I filled my plate with some eggs, Mickey waffles, and breakfast potatoes while Maddie opted for eggs, waffles, and watermelon. Bryan had been looking forward to getting a breakfast burrito ever since we last dined her so he grabbed some of those along with some tater tots. The eggs were good, the waffles fresh and delicious, and Bryan again raved about the breakfast burritos he’d made. Not one thing to complain about.

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Soon enough it was time for fun. The music started, and June grabbed Maddie to dance with her. Maddie had a ball spinning with June and was all smiles.

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Once she sat back down, Oso and Jake stopped by for a visit taking time to fawn all over princess Maddie and to wish me a happy birthday.

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Manny and June insisted on more dancing when the stopped by, and Manny spent a lot of time bowing to the visiting royalty. Manny also revealed that it's his job to keep all the rides at DHS running properly. This pleased Maddie.

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Our server also seemed pleased to have a princess stop by the restaurant and spent tons of time chatting with Maddie about anything and everything as we ate.

He also brought me this!

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Having done all that we were still paying our check by 8:35!

Hollywood & Vine
Food - 7 –nothing wrong with it, just nothing super special

Service – 10 – he was great. Very attentive, very nice, we loved him!

Would we return? Well, we would if we had a younger child. Maddie has completely aged out of the Disney Jr. characters and unless they bring in Sophia and Doc McStuffins, we’ll likely move on to another character breakfast. However, if you have kids who like these characters, give it a go! We’ve had a great time there 2 years in a row.

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[shan23877]

The One Where We Visit Friends- And Saturn
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We left H&V at 8:35 and immediately noticed that theyd already opened the gates of the park. For us that meant only one thing! Get ourselves to TSMM!


Wed managed to ride 3 times in one morning on our last trip, and Maddie was hoping to repeat that. I was less optimistic, but figured we could try.


I saw this sight as we entered Pixar Place and figured our chances of riding 3 times were slim, but we could certainly manage 2.

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We grabbed FP and joined a standby line that was already at 30 minutes-at 8:40 am. Bryan was the big winner of our little group yet again.


Since we had some time before our FP were good, we decided to wander back to the hat to see if any characters were out and about.


Maddie was super excited to see her old friend Stitch, so we got in the very short line to meet him.

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Since the lines were non-existent we ducked beneath the hat and jumped in line to see Chip and Dale after that. Chip and Dale were full of mischief as usual, and we had lots of fun

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Last trip wed never managed to see Buzz and Woody together since the lines were always unbearable, so we decided to amble back to Pixar Place to see some old friends. A CM whod chatted with us as we bounced from line to line warned us that the Fab 5s lines would continue to grow and theyd only be out for a few hours while Buzz and Woody would be there all day. Being old pros at character hunting we ignored his warning and pressed on.

We managed to meet the Toy Story guys in less than 20 minutes, and had lots of fun playing with the cutouts in line.

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Of course we had to head back to the hat after that where we realized that we should have listened to that well-meaning CM as the lines had grown considerably. We got in line for what looked like the most groovy Goofy ever, but didnt get the chance to meet him. He was replaced by Pluto though, and hes always a family favorite.

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Back under the hat we went to visit with Donald and Daisy in their Old Hollywood glam getups

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And then back across to meet a fabulous Minnie.

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Having visited with 9 character friends in just over an hour (13 if you count breakfast!), we were ready to do some attractions. Since the MDE app showed a 20 minute wait for Star Tours we headed there next.

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The ride was a walk on and we were donning our glasses and blasting off in no time. My notes say that we saw Chewbacca and went to Saturn. Bryan contends that we did not actually visit Saturn and that the planet we did go to was devoid of rings, but since Im the one writing this TR, we went to Saturn.


We enjoyed our ride despite our planetary disagreement and spent quite a bit of time in the gift shop before going back to Pixar Place yet again. Our FP were good, and despite having them we waited quite a while to get back on the ride. Bryan was victorious yet again.

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Since we could now get another set of FP, we headed toward Sunset.






Up Next: Princess Maddie finally gets her favorite snack

 

[foodrocksluver]

Your Tim Gunn poster is fabulous!

I love Maddie's high fashion pictures in her 3D glasses.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Wow... just WOW!!!! That room is absolutely darling. It seems a lot of my comments here have to be prefaced with "said in the manliest way possible", but I just love the colour and the accents. Bravo!!!

Uh oh, I see tour groups. The first picture didn't look too bad, but the TSMM queue looks filled with them. Yikes.

I so love Chip and Dale. They seem to be everywhere, so it's awesome that they have so many outfits to make it different. Plus, they always provide some of the best character interactions in my experience.

Oh man, I want to meet that Goofy!!! How dapper.

 

[afwdwfan]

Sorry! If it helps, I though of you while typing the next set of updates, I suspect you'll know why...

I don't know... I see 2 possibilities. Either the part about meeting 13 characters or the fact that you said you went to Saturn on Star Tours. I mean, come on. Really????

The previous owners must have disliked the child that they forced to bunk in there. It features scuffed white walls, a drop ceiling with missing pieces, weird cut-outs, 2 dim lights, and a concrete floor with badly peeling paint.

At least they took the cage with them when they left.

I’ve always done my sewing at the dining room table, but as the Esty business has grown so has my mess. On a good day it looked something like this (after I’d tidied up).

Looks like money.

Last Thursday evening I was in the almost-complete sewing room organizing all of my accumulated crap when I felt water on my socks.

Thanks for letting me share!

Looks like a great sewing room for you. You did a great job transforming it from a dungeon to a useful room!

After Bryan and I put on the matching shirts that Maddie insisted we all have she decided on a Cinderella dress for the day.

Of course she did.

She is the princess, after all.

Having done all that we were still paying our check by 8:35!

Hollywood & Vine
Food - 7 –nothing wrong with it, just nothing super special

Service – 10 – he was great. Very attentive, very nice, we loved him!

I'm glad you had a good experience there. I'm absolutely not a fan of that place, but never been for breakfast. It is hard to screw breakfast food up though.

Maddie has completely aged out of the Disney Jr. characters and unless they bring in Sophia and Doc McStuffins, we’ll likely move on to another character breakfast. However, if you have kids who like these characters, give it a go! We’ve had a great time there 2 years in a row.

I'd be almost tempted to try it, but they really need to update the characters. Jake is the only one my kids know, and they love him. Are Manny, June and Oso ever even on TV anymore? I'm not sure our kids would even know who the heck they are and they watch Disney Jr all the time. I think Sophia and Doc would make a nice addition. I don't think we could pass on it if they were there.

I saw this sight as we entered Pixar Place and figured our chances of riding 3 times were slim, but we could certainly manage 2.

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Of course we had to head back to the hat after that where we realized that we should have listened to that well-meaning CM as the lines had grown considerably.

So, your character line predictions are about as reliable as your weather forecasting?

Having visited with 9 character friends in just over an hour (13 if you count breakfast!)

Wow.

It looks like Maddiella was having a great time with all the characters, and that's the important part.

we were ready to do some attractions. Since the MDE app showed a 20 minute wait for Star Tours we headed there next.

The ride was a walk on and we were donning our glasses and blasting off in no time. My notes say that we saw Chewbacca and went to Saturn. Bryan contends that we did not actually visit Saturn and that the planet we did go to was devoid of rings, but since Im the one writing this TR, we went to Saturn.

I wasn't there, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Bryan is right.

Since we could now get another set of FP, we headed toward Sunset.

Time for some Aerosmith???

 

[katt789]

Yay for updates and an exciting real life one!

Oh my gosh I’m so glad you guys weren’t hit badly with the storms!! The room looks great!! Holy the improvement there is amazing!!

Ahahha, oh Maddie, she knows where it’s at! Princesses all the time, but hey, if you’re going to Hollywood and vine, you’re going to see her favorite man, and she’s gotta look good, right? Lol. I do love the new dress too!

I really do wish DHS had another character meal! I completely understand that they cant do toy story characters as the spacing would be an issue, but I want to do a character meal in that park, and I certainly don’t want Disney jr! Lol

Oh my gosh those pictures are priceless! She certainly looks like she’s having a blast!! Sofia on the other hand is a thing I love and watch, still haven’t managed to meet her, but I love that movie/show!!

Okay, Maddie’s little “giggle and cover her mouth” thing is like, the cutest thing I’ve seen all week, she’s adorable! Awesome character hunting! That is PRO!

This looks like a pretty awesome start to a day, I’m super excited to read more!!