Shake and Bake! TR link up FINALLY!!!!

[kathleen27]

The backpacks are adorable!

Great Disney shirts.
That's nice to hear that you liked seeing guests in Disney clothes.

 

[tybrilinja]

HI, I love you pre trip report! I can't wait to hear all about you actual trip. You writing style is wonderful and very entertaining.

I too, love those backpacks, I'm going to have to make a trip to our closest Disney Store soon.

Keep up the good work, can't wait for next installment of ptr.

 

[irky416]

I love your Disney backpacks!!

Great shirts, also!

 

[Spartangirl]

LOVE all the things you picked up! The shirts are great and the backpacks are adorable!

 

[AZMickeyfans]

I love the stuff you picked up, especially the backpacks! So cute.

Good luck with the storm, I hope it blows over fast!!

Thanks, it was a strange morning storm. Things are good now. Morgan got so excited when she saw them which surprised me!

I LOVE the backpacks!

I cant wait to take a picture from behind when they are walking down Main Street! I just have this fantasy picture in my head!!!

The backpacks are adorable!

Great Disney shirts.
That's nice to hear that you liked seeing guests in Disney clothes.

I loved seeing people get in the Disney spirit. It made me so happy. Honestly, I noticed every Disney shirt even if it was old and worn out I noticed it.

HI, I love you pre trip report! I can't wait to hear all about you actual trip. You writing style is wonderful and very entertaining.

I too, love those backpacks, I'm going to have to make a trip to our closest Disney Store soon.

Keep up the good work, can't wait for next installment of ptr.

They are so cute aren't they? I really was surprised Morgan liked them but she just got so excited like a 3 year old. Its nice to see her still act like a little girl even when the pre-teen years are peeking through!

I love your Disney backpacks!!

Great shirts, also!

I just had to eat up $5.00 shirts! I can't resist a sale. Any sale!

LOVE all the things you picked up! The shirts are great and the backpacks are adorable!

I'm going to take inventory sometime next week and then look for more stuff or order offline to fill in holes. I know I'll have to do some laundry there but I dont want to have to do it too often!

 

[AZMickeyfans]

"Crabcakes and Football, that's what Maryland does" - Flip, Wedding Crashers

Now, I'm not from Maryland, nor do I particularily enjoy a crabcake. Cake, yes. Crab, yes but crabcakes, no. What I do know is that anytime in our house that something is exciting or goes really right we yell that out!

What I also know is that it has the word football in it. Football is what my son was supposed to have tonight but the storm this morning flooded the practice field and it was canceled. Football is what he wants to play with me now in the street. Football being canceled is what lead me to my mailbox tonight instead of tomorrow or two weeks from now when it was so jammed packed I couldnt even pull the mail out. Football is what brought on to discover that my
WDW DOCUMENTS ARRIVED TODAY!!!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

 

[hlrababy]

"Crabcakes and Football, that's what Maryland does" - Flip, Wedding Crashers

awwww, heck yeah!!!!!!! That is one of my fav quotes!!!!!

 

[Spartangirl]

Yay for getting your docs! Just over a month!

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

Just caught up! Didn't realise I had missed so much!
LOVE the backpacks and t shirts! The Disney Store is so pricey here in the UK especially clothes - so I'll definately be buying on holiday! Love a bargain!
The backpacks are great - such a good idea! I may just use that for my two! It always seems to be me who carries everything about!
to the travel documents coming!!!! You feel as if it's really happening then!!
Keep posting
Di x

 

[AZMickeyfans]

awwww, heck yeah!!!!!!! That is one of my fav quotes!!!!!

Its used so much around here. The kids asked where Maryland was and if we could go there one day. I'll have to visit just so I can pay respect!!!

Yay for getting your docs! Just over a month!

I can't wait til the ticker says just under a month.

Just caught up! Didn't realise I had missed so much!
LOVE the backpacks and t shirts! The Disney Store is so pricey here in the UK especially clothes - so I'll definately be buying on holiday! Love a bargain!
The backpacks are great - such a good idea! I may just use that for my two! It always seems to be me who carries everything about!
to the travel documents coming!!!! You feel as if it's really happening then!!
Keep posting
Di x

I was so excited about them wanting to carry the backpacks. In reality I have a feeling I will end up carrying not only my baggalini but the backpacks as well. Hopefully Morgan can hold her end of the bargain but I'm taking bets on Jake handing his off within the first hour.

 

[AZMickeyfans]

So we have had some crazy storms here in the past couple days. Power outages, trees down at my moms, damage at my friends house so I've been busy getting things back to normal and I hear it coming in again tonight.

I'm anxious to post my plans but I'm too exhausted to start tonight or else I'd post something wild like we were going to Hong Kong Disney instead. I should not post while sleepy.

tomorrow it is though.

BTW, I just found out that Blizzard Beach is closed while we are there. A while ago I printed the hours and had planned that into our schedule. I'm so sad. Glad I checked the updated refurbishment schedule.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

BTW, I just found out that Blizzard Beach is closed while we are there. A while ago I printed the hours and had planned that into our schedule. I'm so sad. Glad I checked the updated refurbishment schedule.

That's too bad, you should go to Typhoon Lagoon instead, that is our favourite water park.

 

[AZMickeyfans]

That's too bad, you should go to Typhoon Lagoon instead, that is our favourite water park.

We had them both scheduled so if the kids really like TL we'll do that twice!! I really think they will enjoy TL better anyway so I'm not too upset. Morgan just wanted to try out that preteen area and walk across iceburgs in BB.

 

[Alysa]

Sorry about Blizzard Beach. My sister wants to try TL too - maybe we'll see you there!

 

[Baloo]

Found you via Mrs.the Kings TR...really enjoy reading about you Pre trip and all the other stuff in your life too!

Really cool how you and DH met.Like all the pictures from then and when the kids were little.

What a cool birthday party your daughter had and what a sweet girl she is for thinking of Sally. Those costumes were great!


All the goodies you've gotten are great...I wish our Disney Store was still open..I loved when they had $5 t-shirts.

And lastly...your yard is goregous!!!


Looking forward to reading more!

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Sorry about Blizzard Beach. My sister wants to try TL too - maybe we'll see you there!

Ooohh that would be fun. Look for the large pasty flourescent white girl. That would be me. (note to self.....start sunless tanner)

Found you via Mrs.the Kings TR...really enjoy reading about you Pre trip and all the other stuff in your life too!

Really cool how you and DH met.Like all the pictures from then and when the kids were little.

What a cool birthday party your daughter had and what a sweet girl she is for thinking of Sally. Those costumes were great!


All the goodies you've gotten are great...I wish our Disney Store was still open..I loved when they had $5 t-shirts.

And lastly...your yard is goregous!!!


Looking forward to reading more!

Thanks for coming over.

Lets give a shout out to Mrs. The King and her awesome TR. For those of you who have not seen the funniest thing in the world visit here please Mrs. The King's TR Its truely a gem. Make sure you go to the bathroom before reading.

I'm sorry they closed the Disney Store in your area. thats a bummer. I was excited to find the shirts because I have a feeling in a few months to a year everything will change and $5.00 shirts will be hard to find there. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing unless you are looking for cheap t-shirts for your Disney trip of course!

thanks for the compliments on the yard and on Morgan. Its times like the Birthday party where you realize you must be doing something right.

 

[AZMickeyfans]

"If you ain't first, you're last" - Ricky Bobby, Reese Bobby

Folks get used to that one, you'll hear it again and again I'm sure since there will be a lot of firsts on this trip!

I decided to post some old school WDW photos mingled in with my plans to make things more interesting. They really have nothing to do with our current vacation but they are fun to look at!

Lets get this baby started


Arrival Day

I have said before that we arrive just prior to 4pm and have ME booked. I am hoping we are not rushed to get changed and get to dinner by 8pm that night at Chef Mickey's. I want that to be the kids first experience at WDW since we are not going into the parks that night. shhhh its a surprise.

I'm planning on making Morgan a Minnie Dot dress for dinner that night. I have the fabric. I just need a cute dress pattern so that is on the to do list this weekend. I'm deciding on making a shirt for Jake or finding a cool Mickey one to wear. Probably buy that one.

Let me put in a disclaimer that should run for the entire length of this PTR. I just learned to sew. I've checked the Disboutique awesome thread and I was inspired. Its fun. I'm intimidated a little though. I have big plans but they dont always work out the way I want to so in my head I might think I want a cute minnie dress but she might end up in t-shirt and shorts. Chances right now are 50/50.

(speaking of outfits check out this beauty. Ok so I just put the hat on for pictures but I had so many of these 1 piece ensembles in the early 90's. Give a shout out if you had some too! Pic taken at the WL)

So, get off the ME bus, get checked in at POP. Hopefully get a top floor room (I need to call and request that today). Go to the room to freshen up and change because our clothes for the dinner will be in my carryon.

Head to the gift shop to get autograph books and pens and catch the bus to the TTC. Wait I mean the MK. Does the bus even go to the TTC? If we wanted to take the Ferry to the Magic Kingdom we cant on an MK day if we take the bus right?

Mickey at the Coral Reef

I want the kids to ride the monorail to the Contemporary that night so we might jump on from the MK instead of walking. They would think that is cool to stop inside the hotel.

Have Dinner with Mickey!!! Head back to POP to get to sleep early for a big day ahead of us. Hopefully luggage has arrived!
I remember Planet Hollywood Opening.

Day 1

Here, Day 1, where its supposed to be all perfect and happy is where my brain gets jumbled already. I have the vacation broken up into 2 parts. Part 1 is pre-MNSSHP. I have Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon to get the 4 big parks in. Part 2 is post-MNSSHP where we do things we missed, hit the water parks, recreation and take it slower and easier. this is all in theory of course.

I dont know why I'm so nuts about this plan but its wiggled itself in my brain and now it cant get out. This should be easy. 2 things keep messing it up. Touringplans.com and CRT. You'll understand soon.

Of course we want to try to go with the least amount of crowds. I know October isnt too crowded so I'm not sure I should even be concerning myself with their crowd prediction levels. Its been 8 years since I've seen a WDW October. DL in Oct is insane lately. Crazy busy.

So According to Touring PLans.com we should go to AK. There is part of me that really wanted to take them to the MK for the first day however they have been to DL so many times I think they might actually enjoy other parks first.

After much debate and WDW changing their schedules this weekend I believe we have decided to go to AK.

So AK for the majority of the day and when it closes at 5pm we will head to MK to watch Spectromagic and Wishes at 8pm and 9pm. I think the first day should end with Wishes and since they had just put it back on the schedule and extended the park hours til 9pm (not sure if that is accurate or not) we will be there that night!

Now I need to work on getting Jake to eat better to he can grow so we can all go on Expedition Everest. He is just a hair under 44 inches. I think he will be ok with tennis shoes on.

Speaking of eating good. Anyone remember the all dessert buffet at Ohana? A girl should be this happy every now and then.

Day 2

Saturday looks like a good day to be at the MK on all accounts. We will have seen Wishes and Spectro the night before hopefully so we can get there at rope drop to hit the rides. Touringplans.com lists MK day crowd level at 3 so I'm all good with that.

check out Jeff in front of the castle.

Its a MNSSHP night so if it starts getting crazy after 7pm we will head to EPCOT and do Illumitations and explore some. my kids are really excited to see EPCOT where I worked. I just hope they are not too disappointed! I love it as an adult but did not enjoy it as a child. I believe its gotten better.

One of the shops where I worked at

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Ricky Bobby: Wait, Dad. Don't you remember the time you told me "If you ain't first, you're last"?
Reese Bobby: Huh? What are you talking about, Son?
Ricky Bobby: That day at school.
Reese Bobby: Oh hell, Son, I was high that day. That doesn't make any sense at all, you can be second, third, fourth... hell you can even be fifth.
Ricky Bobby: What? I've lived my whole life by that!



Day 3

Sunday I have an ADR at Sci-Fi for lunch. I dont want that so I need to cxl it and figure out where to put it back in the schedule.

Sunday is EPCOT til we drop. I'd really like to take the majority of the day to explore Future World. Jake cannot wait to do Test Track. Jeff and Morgan love Soarin' at DCA so that is a must. I know we can spend hours inside The Seas with Nemo and Friends looking in the tanks and the Manatees themselves fascinate me. My kids have never seen one and I hope they fall in love with them just as I do each time.

With Jeff's love of all things agriculture, he grew up on a farm and his parents, brother and all extended family still farm, I want to sign him up for the Behind the Seeds tour. He said he wasnt interested last time I asked him but I know reading reviews here that he will love it he just wasn't thinking straight. I know you dont have to call ahead for that but I think I will so I make sure I fit that in.

Mission Space. sigh. I've never done this. I'm nervous. Is the orange team the tame side? I dont like spinning as I get older and I would hate to scare the heck out of my kids so I would like to do the tamer version and if Jeff and Morgan want to try the wild side they can. Usually I am a try everything once kind of gal but in this case I'm a little worried. I get that ill feeling when I experience G-forces.

Remember those fair rides where you walk up stairs into a rotating tube of death?

You enter the chamber with your family members and other sick strangers looking on at you with horror and twisted delight as you stand with your arms and legs spread out against the side of the wall. The tube starts to rotate and its all fun and games. You can hear the people above laughing at your hair that starts to go up around your head and stick to the wall. Its the moment you know its coming.

Your cheeks start to feel strange and wiggle back and forth. you laugh because somewhere deep inside of you you've been told all your life this kind of ride is supposed to be fun. Then the floor drops. For a second it is fun. You are suspended, you forget drool is coming out the side of your mouth and you cannot turn your head to the right or the left, its plastered to the wall. then it doesn't stop. It never ends. Your stomach doesnt like it. It protests but there is no way you are going to throw up because by the time it gets out it will come back and hit you in the face and stick to you just like the drool does. The floor finally starts to come up. The ride slows. You get your hearing back slowly. Everyone is yelling that you all look terrible. You can't walk out of there but there are 25 strangers looking from above so you muster up dignity to try to walk. Your hair is a mess, you wipe away the drool, you want to kill whoever convinced you to go on this ride.

This is how I picture Mission Space.

(Speaking of hair, I'm not a fan of the Swan and Dolphin, they are pretty but not Disney enough for me but one day after a recent perm my friend said my hair was a large as the Dolphin fountain so we drove over to get a specific picture. Here it is)

Lets move on from that ride talk to talk of food.

We dont have any ADR's for EPCOT that day. I keep looking at menu's deciding if Jake will eat anything at all. What I've decided on is to just eat our way around EPCOT. No set meals. Eat when we are hungry. this will be nice when we get to the WS part of the day!

I love the queue back to the Oh Canada show

We might top the night off with Illumiations if the kids want to see it again and a margarita in Mexico! That is my favorite viewing spot! You have to get there early to get a table which usually means more Margaritas, chips and salsa. Tough I know.

Day 4

Monday should be the DHS day. Cinderella threw a wrench into that one. I tried to get Cindy's breakfast Fri, Sat and Sun but got it for Monday morning. I was of course hoping for the 8am. Never got it for any other day either. So, we have CRT on this day. No rope drop at DHS. By this point we would have been at MK on Fri evening, all day Sat and so I dont want to spend much time here today. So we will head to the MK to eat breakfast.

Why am I not more excited about this? Morgan is and I know this might be the last year she is so giddy about the princesses. she has already outgrown so many things. Maybe I'm a little sad too. Or maybe I want to be at DHS all day instead of Cinderellas.

Ok I need to get out of the Cinderella Funk.

So Cinderellas in the morning and then we will head to DHS.

I'm not certain we want to do Sci-Fi on this day. Since we dont have many TS meals we are spreading them out. Our family could really make a day of eating popcorn and churros in the parks! We wont have the whole day here like origionally planned.

Fantasmic! is on at 7:30 and I'm hoping to get to that as well. We are nuts about Fantasmic! at DL and I hope that the kids like this one. I prefer DL's version. I know Jake will miss the Peter Pan sequence but its a new experience and I'm sure we will have a blast. Either show you prefer its still great!

This picture was taken on CM preview day for ToT. the guy in front of us kept saying how sand bags exploded the day before. I asked the Imagineer if that was true and he replied "Yes, why do you think we test you guys first" Then he gave me the evil ToT laugh My stomach was rolling, I think I called my mom, I think I tried to use the chicken exit which they block during CM tests (this might be an exaggeration )Once you are in you cannot get out. To say the least I was SCARED WITLESS. And i didnt mean Witless.

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Yeah I also learned how to make a Table of contents in my first post!!!