~Snowbird Chat 2~

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Have a great trip Kim!!

 

[danceintherain]

Kids are so funny! I hope you're having fun on your trip, Kim!

So...my parents informed me last weekend that they're dating again. The weird part is that they're dating each other. As if my life didn't already have too much drama in it.

Next week I'm headed to Cancun for a week for my Mom's 50th birthday. The scope of the trip has changed quite a bit though. Originally, it was supposed to be a girl's trip with me, one of my sisters, our Mom, and my brother's girlfriend. Well...my brother has decided to propose to his girlfriend, and apparently since she's taking the week off to go with us, she's not going to be able to take off any more time until the end of the year. He wants to take her somewhere to propose to her, and my Mom being the person she is decided that he should just meet us during our trip and surprise her. So now my brother is coming for most of the trip. I'm a bit annoyed, because I was hoping I could use the trip to bond with my future sister-in-law (they've been together on and off since around the time Logan and I got married but I haven't spent very much time with her) and a few other reasons. Oh well...I suppose I'll survive.

Maybe we'll be planning 2 weddings next year!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

KIM...check in girl!!!! LOL!!
I talked to her the day they left...we were actually in the airport at Dallas waiting on our flight when she headed out...they hadn't had anyone get sick or throw up she said so she was happy!!
I haven't talked to her since they got there though, so hopefully she's having a faaaaaabulous time and is too busy to get on here!
Our little getaway was great,...we went about 5-6 hours north to Dallas and had a great time...the weather was perfect and the humidity was Zilch,.so that's always heaven in my book.
Becca...hopefully this will all work out for your parents.,.. I know that has to be so awkward....I hope you get to spend at least a little Quality Time with the future SIL.
My little corner of the world is getting quite warm and more and more humid as the summer rolls in....we have done pretty well so far, but I know it has to settle in sooner or later! We must be looking to some sort of weather change in the next day or so because this morning DS14 and I both have had headaches that are usually weather related gotta love that...
how is everyone enjoying their summer so far? I know some of the kids up north are still in school, but they should be out soon, right?
I booked ADRs for my church friend while we were in Dallas...of course, the only one she couldn't get into was BOG...so I have to keep trying that for her,..but then she received a PIN code that evening and it shaved $750 bucks off her total!! She was so excited! They haven't been in many years... Her story is relevant to so many people I know...her husband had been married and had a daughter from his previous marriage,...divorce and such can really wreck havoc on your credit and this + child support all these years have had them really being budget conscious....well, they are no longer paying child support after this past month and the daughter is out of high school now. They have really been working hard to get out of debt and be wiser with their finances, so the upcoming Disney trip is a big deal for them. I forget sometimes what a sacrifice it is for people to even make it for a week with the Value resorts...so when they received that discount I was so excited for them.
The thing I really love (& always will) about Disney vaca's, is that whether I have friends booking a Deluxe, DDP, bells & whistles trip, or an All-Star, base tickets kind of trip,...both ends of the spectrum still have what matters most: a great family experience and they are at the same park,enjoying the same thrills and fun, no matter which resort is "home" for those days!!
Okay,..that was long, but it's fresh on my mind so I wanted to share! And I have a long summer ahead of me so I thought that would give us something to yak about!

 

[Dancegrl624]

Kim sent me a text the other day before they headed out for dinner. It was raining, but the kids had smiles on their faces!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Kim sent me a text the other day before they headed out for dinner. It was raining, but the kids had smiles on their faces!

Disney rain is a better kind of rain....

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Disney rain is a better kind of rain....

we are all so brainwashed! Like they say, a rainy day at Disney is better than a sunny day at home? Or something like that?

I just bumped into a friend at Target tonight. Her son and Paige had gone to Preschool together. Haven't seen her much but are FB friends too. She said she was going to email me because they are planning to go to WDW soon and knew I knew everything there is to know! Of course, I agreed to help her, but don't know much about this new system. I don't know if they will have the whole My Magic+ rolled out with the pick out your own FP times in advance and all that. You TA folks will have to help me!

I updated my TR again - come on over!

 

[Dancegrl624]

we are all so brainwashed! Like they say, a rainy day at Disney is better than a sunny day at home? Or something like that?

I just bumped into a friend at Target tonight. Her son and Paige had gone to Preschool together. Haven't seen her much but are FB friends too. She said she was going to email me because they are planning to go to WDW soon and knew I knew everything there is to know! Of course, I agreed to help her, but don't know much about this new system. I don't know if they will have the whole My Magic+ rolled out with the pick out your own FP times in advance and all that. You TA folks will have to help me!

I updated my TR again - come on over!

They are testing the magic bands again with guests staying at 2 deluxe resorts (don't remember them right now). I don't see them going "live" until much later this year. I keep reading all the latest news that comes out about them, so let me know if you need anything!

 

[danceintherain]

KIM...check in girl!!!! LOL!!
I talked to her the day they left...we were actually in the airport at Dallas waiting on our flight when she headed out...they hadn't had anyone get sick or throw up she said so she was happy!!
I haven't talked to her since they got there though, so hopefully she's having a faaaaaabulous time and is too busy to get on here!
Our little getaway was great,...we went about 5-6 hours north to Dallas and had a great time...the weather was perfect and the humidity was Zilch,.so that's always heaven in my book.
Becca...hopefully this will all work out for your parents.,.. I know that has to be so awkward....I hope you get to spend at least a little Quality Time with the future SIL.
My little corner of the world is getting quite warm and more and more humid as the summer rolls in....we have done pretty well so far, but I know it has to settle in sooner or later! We must be looking to some sort of weather change in the next day or so because this morning DS14 and I both have had headaches that are usually weather related gotta love that...
how is everyone enjoying their summer so far? I know some of the kids up north are still in school, but they should be out soon, right?
I booked ADRs for my church friend while we were in Dallas...of course, the only one she couldn't get into was BOG...so I have to keep trying that for her,..but then she received a PIN code that evening and it shaved $750 bucks off her total!! She was so excited! They haven't been in many years... Her story is relevant to so many people I know...her husband had been married and had a daughter from his previous marriage,...divorce and such can really wreck havoc on your credit and this + child support all these years have had them really being budget conscious....well, they are no longer paying child support after this past month and the daughter is out of high school now. They have really been working hard to get out of debt and be wiser with their finances, so the upcoming Disney trip is a big deal for them. I forget sometimes what a sacrifice it is for people to even make it for a week with the Value resorts...so when they received that discount I was so excited for them.
The thing I really love (& always will) about Disney vaca's, is that whether I have friends booking a Deluxe, DDP, bells & whistles trip, or an All-Star, base tickets kind of trip,...both ends of the spectrum still have what matters most: a great family experience and they are at the same park,enjoying the same thrills and fun, no matter which resort is "home" for those days!!
Okay,..that was long, but it's fresh on my mind so I wanted to share! And I have a long summer ahead of me so I thought that would give us something to yak about!

I just hope my parents can figure things out. My Mom's head at least seems to be in the right place. My Dad doesn't talk as much, so I have no idea what he's thinking.

That's great that your friends got a better deal! I hope they have a great time on their trip.

we are all so brainwashed! Like they say, a rainy day at Disney is better than a sunny day at home? Or something like that?

I just bumped into a friend at Target tonight. Her son and Paige had gone to Preschool together. Haven't seen her much but are FB friends too. She said she was going to email me because they are planning to go to WDW soon and knew I knew everything there is to know! Of course, I agreed to help her, but don't know much about this new system. I don't know if they will have the whole My Magic+ rolled out with the pick out your own FP times in advance and all that. You TA folks will have to help me!

I updated my TR again - come on over!

Disney doesn't seem to be in a rush about the Magic+ stuff. Depending on when they're going, the most they may have to deal with is the RFID turnstiles.

I'd give her the best advice you have for her at this point, but make her aware of the possible changes as something she'll want to keep an eye open for. Maybe she'll get an email about testing or something?

I got really caught up in the FP+ stuff before my trip, then there was nothing for it in the parks.

 

[Monny2AE]

We are back and we had a fantastic trip! I'll update more soon- promise!!! I came home to 7 daycare kiddos this week so I haven't had much downtime to go through pictures or anything yet! I'm not liking being back to reality but these Disney trips don't pay for themselves.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

we are all so brainwashed! Like they say, a rainy day at Disney is better than a sunny day at home? Or something like that?

I just bumped into a friend at Target tonight. Her son and Paige had gone to Preschool together. Haven't seen her much but are FB friends too. She said she was going to email me because they are planning to go to WDW soon and knew I knew everything there is to know! Of course, I agreed to help her, but don't know much about this new system. I don't know if they will have the whole My Magic+ rolled out with the pick out your own FP times in advance and all that. You TA folks will have to help me!

I updated my TR again - come on over!

When is her trip? Like Meghan said, it's still in the test phase. Not sure exactly when it is going to roll out to the public and become a permanent thing. I don't think there is a set date yet.

We are back and we had a fantastic trip! I'll update more soon- promise!!! I came home to 7 daycare kiddos this week so I haven't had much downtime to go through pictures or anything yet! I'm not liking being back to reality but these Disney trips don't pay for themselves.

Welcome back Kim!! Glad to hear your trip was so great!

Sorry you had to go right back to work, but yes you are right - these WDW trips don't pay for themselves!

 

[Monny2AE]

We are planning our next trip! I haven't even finished sorting the pictures from this trip yet but my parents and my sister said they want to go with us when we go back again. Certainly no definite plans yet but even talking about a next trip makes me happy. It most likely won't be until fall/winter 2015 so my parents have enough time to save up for it. The last time we traveled together was when we all "met" back in 2009. My parents and sister are going to be amazed at how much Disney has changed since 2009!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

We are planning our next trip! I haven't even finished sorting the pictures from this trip yet but my parents and my sister said they want to go with us when we go back again. Certainly no definite plans yet but even talking about a next trip makes me happy. It most likely won't be until fall/winter 2015 so my parents have enough time to save up for it. The last time we traveled together was when we all "met" back in 2009. My parents and sister are going to be amazed at how much Disney has changed since 2009!

yay!!!! That is going to be so fun!!! I am excited for your family!! And that is a good amount of time to start budgeting so you don't break the bank!!

How is everyone's summer? We are good!! I get my little nephew this weekend for a week...DD goes to church camp the week after and then mid-Aug my boys start back to High School. Our homeschool work for DD and ds14s part time stuff will begin the Monday after her church camp...Mornings are school and the evenings will be pool time!! That will count toward my boys' PE credit that they need!! woooohoooo!!
We will probably be putting our house on the market this weekend/beginning of next week. I redid some landscaping in the front on Saturday,..and I have to say I think it really added to the curb appeal!

Our summer is heating up..heat index has already been 106 a couple of days
What are you doing with your kids for summer? Anyone have big plans or news?!!!

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

Kim, I hope you had a good trip!

Everything is going well here! I leave on Sunday for Florida (YAY!). We're spending 1 day at Disney (*GASP*) and having a generally good time in Orlando .

At the moment, we're setting records here for one of the hottest summers we've had so far. It's like we skipped spring and went straight into summer.

Tomorrow is my last day at my current job. There have been a few tears shed, as I'll really miss the two little ones I'm taking care of, as they'll be off to school in a few months. However, where one door closes, another one opens and I'm starting my new job in September with two new little boys!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

We are planning our next trip! I haven't even finished sorting the pictures from this trip yet but my parents and my sister said they want to go with us when we go back again. Certainly no definite plans yet but even talking about a next trip makes me happy. It most likely won't be until fall/winter 2015 so my parents have enough time to save up for it. The last time we traveled together was when we all "met" back in 2009. My parents and sister are going to be amazed at how much Disney has changed since 2009!

Sounds awesome!!

yay!!!! That is going to be so fun!!! I am excited for your family!! And that is a good amount of time to start budgeting so you don't break the bank!!

How is everyone's summer? We are good!! I get my little nephew this weekend for a week...DD goes to church camp the week after and then mid-Aug my boys start back to High School. Our homeschool work for DD and ds14s part time stuff will begin the Monday after her church camp...Mornings are school and the evenings will be pool time!! That will count toward my boys' PE credit that they need!! woooohoooo!!
We will probably be putting our house on the market this weekend/beginning of next week. I redid some landscaping in the front on Saturday,..and I have to say I think it really added to the curb appeal!

Our summer is heating up..heat index has already been 106 a couple of days
What are you doing with your kids for summer? Anyone have big plans or news?!!!

Summer is going well!! Been in the upper 80's all week. Loving it!!

We put in a patio underneath our second story deck/balcony this past weekend. So just working on some landscaping around that.

The boys (and I) are enjoying their time off of school! We are heading to Charlotte to visit family over the 4th of July. Should be fun! And when we get back it will be like 6 weeks until Disney!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Kim - that's great that your family wants to join you!

Shawna - you're moving? Are you staying in the same area? If not, Minnesota's a really nice place to live!

We're in our transition time now - just starting back up to summer dance - that will have one or both the girls at dance 4 nights a week - M-Th. We don't have too many plans until our big August trip. Trying to watch our spending! Although it seems there's always something we NEED to spend on - shoes, food, all that stuff!

disneyshakeygirl - it's always hard to leave a job, isn't it? I'm sure your new job will be wonderful too! Do you have the summer off in between?

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

this move is in the same area...to one of our other subdivisions...maybe the next move will be to a cooler climate!!!!

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

Kim - that's great that your family wants to join you!

Shawna - you're moving? Are you staying in the same area? If not, Minnesota's a really nice place to live!

We're in our transition time now - just starting back up to summer dance - that will have one or both the girls at dance 4 nights a week - M-Th. We don't have too many plans until our big August trip. Trying to watch our spending! Although it seems there's always something we NEED to spend on - shoes, food, all that stuff!

disneyshakeygirl - it's always hard to leave a job, isn't it? I'm sure your new job will be wonderful too! Do you have the summer off in between?

I do have the summer off, thankfully. Thank you, I'm sure it'll be wonderful too

 

[Dancegrl624]

We are planning our next trip! I haven't even finished sorting the pictures from this trip yet but my parents and my sister said they want to go with us when we go back again. Certainly no definite plans yet but even talking about a next trip makes me happy. It most likely won't be until fall/winter 2015 so my parents have enough time to save up for it. The last time we traveled together was when we all "met" back in 2009. My parents and sister are going to be amazed at how much Disney has changed since 2009!

Yay!!!! Even though it's far off, it's still the next trip. My mom really wants to do a big family trip, but it would have to be in July or early August (she works for a school district). I really have no desire to go at that time, but I would love to go with my sisters and parents. However, my mom can try to take over at times (hmm...wonder where I got that trait from) and the last time we went with them, Tony almost lost it. Anyways......

Happy for you Kim!

How is everyone's summer? We are good!! I get my little nephew this weekend for a week...DD goes to church camp the week after and then mid-Aug my boys start back to High School. Our homeschool work for DD and ds14s part time stuff will begin the Monday after her church camp...Mornings are school and the evenings will be pool time!! That will count toward my boys' PE credit that they need!! woooohoooo!!
We will probably be putting our house on the market this weekend/beginning of next week. I redid some landscaping in the front on Saturday,..and I have to say I think it really added to the curb appeal!

Our summer is heating up..heat index has already been 106 a couple of days
What are you doing with your kids for summer? Anyone have big plans or news?!!!

Summer has been good so far. Madison's last day was the 18th of June and then this past week, she went to a day camp each day. It was for the gifted and talented kids and she had a blast (she went last year too). Tomorrow, she is going to Syracuse to spend a few days with my aunt. She is so excited! Then, the following week we jump back into craziness.

The week of July 8th is Vacation Bible School (I'm one of the leaders in the Games department again this year) and Irish dance summer classes begin (she'll go on Monday evenings and Wednesday afternoons. She's missing the first week of band (that will be on Tuesday and Thursday mornings). All of this goes until the first week in August. AHH!!!

If you've been reading my TR you've seen that I was invited to Disney's EarMarked conference in September!!! This is a huge honor and I'm so excited. Each EarMarked agency gets a certain number of delegates that get to attend and mine received 4 spots. It's going to be such a great experience.

I'm also working on a possible January trip with my parents for Marathon weekend. I'm signed up to run the inaugural 10K and we're trying to work on the finances right now. Of course, Southwest extended their schedule on Monday and the flights were $94 each way. Well, checked yesterday and the return flight jumped $20. This is a big deal when you're on a tight budget like us. Fingers crossed that I'll still be able to go!

Everything is going well here! I leave on Sunday for Florida (YAY!). We're spending 1 day at Disney (*GASP*) and having a generally good time in Orlando .

Have a great time!

We're in our transition time now - just starting back up to summer dance - that will have one or both the girls at dance 4 nights a week - M-Th. We don't have too many plans until our big August trip. Trying to watch our spending! Although it seems there's always something we NEED to spend on - shoes, food, all that stuff!

I hear you with the crazy summer dance lessons! Madison also started private lessons with one of our Champion dancers. She is heading to Nationals (in Anaheim next week), so we have some time off right now. She has helped Madison so much and we love her.

 

[snykymom]

If you've been reading my TR you've seen that I was invited to Disney's EarMarked conference in September!!! This is a huge honor and I'm so excited. Each EarMarked agency gets a certain number of delegates that get to attend and mine received 4 spots. It's going to be such a great experience.

Congratulations! What an honor.

I'm actually thinking of becoming a TA (not necessarily Disney), as a part time career, and perhaps to take me through retirement. (Yes, I'm old enough to begin thinking about retirement!) I'm trying to figure out where to start, though. If you have any hints . . .

 

[Dancegrl624]

Congratulations! What an honor.

I'm actually thinking of becoming a TA (not necessarily Disney), as a part time career, and perhaps to take me through retirement. (Yes, I'm old enough to begin thinking about retirement!) I'm trying to figure out where to start, though. If you have any hints . . .

Thanks! I can't wait!!!

I did a lot of research online and searched for Authorized Disney Vacation Planners. There are a ton of agencies out there with lots of different requirements. My agency is small (30 agents) but some agencies have hundreds. I love my agency because we really are a team.