Ssshhhh This Time It's A Secret! Dec 2015 pre-trip report

[vleeth]

Our last day will be the only park day that we don't hop. We will spend the whole day at Epcot.

For lunch will we being trying Sunshine Seasons and I'm not sure where we will eat supper. Assuming we already had UK fish and chips...

yeah...

I still don't know. The cs food in world showcase doesn't really impress me. We may end up eating at all different places.

As for snacks...

I will have skoolbread at least once.

This is a picture of me with my first one back in 2009.



If you haven't had this, I recommend it!

I will probably try the chocolate covered pineapple this trip. I hear it's pretty good. And I will have the grey stuff at BOG.

Oddly enough, I am also looking forward to taking a picture of my Christmas cup. Here is my Halloween one from 2013.



Hope is a big fan of popcorn and will probably get Disney popcorn more than once. Here is a picture of her enjoying one of the boxes she got two years ago.



She plans to get a pickle this trip. She also plans to get a bug sundae, but she doesn't know we are going in December so that may change.

The hot caramel holiday drink is on the list for Hope and I to share ("whenever we go for your birthday".) Boy will she be surprised when she finds out we are going this year.

Dave plans to get beer. I'm sure he'll get snacks too, but he only talks about the beer. He does swagbucks to save up 'beer money.' He's at $75 already, so I'm more than sure he will be buying snacks and beer.

 

[vleeth]

We watched Up for this weekends movie night. I couldn't think of any food tie-in. And no pics. I didn't really do a very good job.

Up and Toy Story 3 are the only Disney animated movies that make me cry. I just have trouble keeping it together when their baby dies.

But now that Up characters have a fun thing for kids to do at Animal Kingdom, we had to watch it.

I'll try to do a better job next week.

 

[Chicago Mo]

your doing a great job!!! and i adore the picture of you and your school bread!

SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!!

 

[vleeth]

Thanks Mo!

I had Hope do a special art project.



I will use these to pack. All of the things we need to bring to the park each day will be in a ziplock bag with one of these sheets. I am so ready to pack!

 

[Chicago Mo]

what a great idea!!!
Im stealing it.

 

[vleeth]

what a great idea!!!
Im stealing it.

Thanks!

Steal away! You have way more to pack and keep straight than I do. I mainly do it because it makes me feel like I'm packing already.

What I really need to be doing is walking to build my (and Hope's) endurance. My current excuse is the 80-90 degree temps and the 80-90% humidity we have these days. So maybe this weekend. But don't hold me to it!

 

[vleeth]

What follows is a quote from way back on page 6.

I've been doing quite a lot of thinking and planning for the day we leave and the day we arrive in Orlando.
I've also decided that I can't wait to leave in the morning. My current plan is to have Hope sleep at my moms the night before we leave. I will have Enterprise pick me up, pack the rental car, hide it on the side of the house and nap during the day (I may need to take some melatonin.) Then in the afternoon I will pick Hope up in my car. Once Dave gets home from work and we have supper, the hunt will be on. I'm not sure how long it will take her to find all the clues. Dave will then nap for a couple of hours while Hope and I watch one last Disney movie before the trip. By 9:00 we should be on the road.

My plan fell apart completely yesterday. On both ends.

First Hope decided to join 4H this year. Last night was our first meeting. She wants to do shooting sports and poultry club. Poultry Club meets once a month and the December meeting is the evening before we leave. The night she is supposed to sleep at my moms.

Then Dave tells me his work schedule is changing and he will be off the day I was supposed to be packing up the car.

So now what?

I was thinking that instead of leaving at 9:00 pm. I could surprise her that morning. Then get the rental and pack up and leave late morning. But then she has to be okay sitting in the car (awake) with the scoliosis brace. So I really can't decide that until after she gets the brace and we see how that goes. Plus we would then need to add a day to our condo rental or get a hotel for one night. I know she would love it if we spent a night in a hotel with an indoor pool. Decisions, decisions.

 

[Chicago Mo]

What I really need to be doing is walking to build my (and Hope's) endurance. My current excuse is the 80-90 degree temps and the 80-90% humidity we have these days. So maybe this weekend. But don't hold me to it!

I need to do the same.. I haven't been walking long distances in a while!

Poultry Club

What the hell is this?

I know she would love it if we spent a night in a hotel with an indoor pool. Decisions, decisions.

This is my vote!!!!

 

[vleeth]

I need to do the same.. I haven't been walking long distances in a while!



What the hell is this?



This is my vote!!!!

As excited as I am for this trip, I can't see to get myself to start walking. I know I need to but...

Poultry Club is raising and showing chickens at 4H Livestock shows.

Dave's suggestion was that he take Hope out and distract her for a few hours while I do everything I had planned. I haven't mentioned my plan yet.

 

[Chicago Mo]

I figure with all my running around i do that should make it up right?!?!

Poultry Club is raising and showing chickens at 4H Livestock shows.

AHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Dave's suggestion was that he take Hope out and distract her for a few hours while I do everything I had planned. I haven't mentioned my plan yet.

This is smart!

 

[vleeth]

This is smart!

Really? Cause I liked my idea about leaving earlier better!

But I do think I'll wait until we get her brace to see how things go. She is having her fitting on Monday>

 

[vleeth]

This weekend we watched The Descendants. This was a movie night hit with Hope. We had love potion chocolate chip cookies and strawberries.



I think we'll do Tangled next weekend.

I've been busy trying to figure out which FP+ I want and what times I want them. It's slow going. I'll try to post what I have done sometime later this week.

Happy Weekend!

 

[Chicago Mo]

Really? Cause I liked my idea about leaving earlier better!

But I do think I'll wait until we get her brace to see how things go. She is having her fitting on Monday>

I do.. Only because it give you time.. you will need it TRUST ME! i've been there. Your going to need some time just for you to get ready as well without sneeking eyes.. LOL...

Today is the day for the brace? I hope it all goes well!!! PIXI DUST FOR YOU!

I'll try to post what I have done sometime later this week.

PLEASE DO!

 

[vleeth]

I do.. Only because it give you time.. you will need it TRUST ME! i've been there. Your going to need some time just for you to get ready as well without sneeking eyes.. LOL...

Today is the day for the brace? I hope it all goes well!!! PIXI DUST FOR YOU!


PLEASE DO!

Yesterday was just the fitting. We should have the brace in 3 weeks.

 

[vleeth]

This weekend I worked on my FP+ choices. I had most of them figured out and totally ready for my day to book (in a couple weeks.)

Then I happened to find out about The Dibb (I think that's what it's called.)

For those of you that have not heard of this, it is a calendar that shows available FP+ for the hard to get stuff.

Anna & Elsa are all ready book for the next 66 days. Our last Magic Kingdom day will be day 64 for us (or 60+4.) Also, it looks like I will run into the same issue with 7 Dwarfs Mine Train (which is currently out 63 days.)

My plans as of this morning were to get 7D, Big Thunder and Enchanted Tales with Belle on our first day. Now it looks like I won't get 7D and I need to redo that day.

Day 3 I wanted to get FP for 7D, BTMR and Haunted Mansion. We will only be there for the party, so I'm not liking the odds that we will get 7D that day either.

Then my cousin wanted A&E on day 4 (after dinner) or day 5 during the day. She may just have to stand in line.

Why oh why is this so complicated!?!

Oh well, back to the drawing board! Too bad I don't drink coffee!

 

[Chicago Mo]

Yesterday was just the fitting. We should have the brace in 3 weeks.

The fitting went well? good i hope she gets it and starts to feel better!

Then I happened to find out about The Dibb

What is this?

Why oh why is this so complicated!?!

I cannot agree with you MORE! I mean trying to plan a trip is near to impossible anymore.
I am SO glad they are looking into the dining buddy things. i do believe this is mucking up the system too..

BUT WHY at midnight? Then the system just crashes!!! PITA

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I have never heard of The Dibb, is it a website???

 

[vleeth]

The fitting went well? good i hope she gets it and starts to feel better!



What is this?




I cannot agree with you MORE! I mean trying to plan a trip is near to impossible anymore.
I am SO glad they are looking into the dining buddy things. i do believe this is mucking up the system too..

BUT WHY at midnight? Then the system just crashes!!! PITA

The fitting went well, thanks for asking!

I'm trying to keep myself from freaking out over FP. It's a battle. I'm trying to have my choices and backups ready well in advance of my 60 day mark and it's not going well.

I have never heard of The Dibb, is it a website???

Guys, allow me to introduce you to your newest, best tool in the struggle that is FP+. Meet The Dibb

http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=835236

 

[vleeth]

Last night was supposed to be our Tangled movie night. After much discussion we totally changed it.

Yesterday was our monthly home school group field trip and this month we were heading to New Orleans. We decided it would be more fitting to make tonight's movie night...

The Princess and The Frog

We started our Princess and The Frog movie day by walking along the river.



Hope got a toy boat



Here we are in Jackson Square with St. Louis Cathedral behind us.

As you can see, she has passed me and then some.



It really fits in perfect since our group was touring the Cathedral and that is where Tiana and Naveen get married.



This statue is a representation of the virtue hope.



continued in next post.

 

[vleeth]

Once our tour was over we walked over to Cafe Du Monde



We ordered our bengiets and chatted with some of the other families. Before long this was sitting in front of me.



If you haven't had these you need to get yourself to NOLA fast. I hear the ones at Port Orleans food court are pretty authentic as well.



Once we were done with our snack we decided to walk around the French Market. We had an hour until we had to meet the group for the tour of the Cabildo.





We didn't buy anything.



This child loves bubbles. (I guess most kids do.)



One of these days we will rent one of these.



Then we headed back through Jackson Square and to the Cabildo (which is connected to St. Louis on the left.)

continued in next post.