Surprise! It’s a Do Over! Military Style August 8-18th (Update 1/31 Pg7 H-wood Day3)

[MAGICFOR2]

Drea - I missed your updates - I've been doing a church day camp last week. Sorry I missed your send off - Hope you're having a great time

 

[DisneyFairy19]

YOU'RE IN DISNEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[anetnmike]

 

[anewmac]

WERE BACK!!! ​

Just a quick note cuz I have to go back to work tmrw.. boys go to school but E is off till Friday

Everyone said they had a great time, we all got to do what we wanted to do... and then some LOL

We had a lot of UPS a few downs and even some pixie dust

Ill try to get something up this weekend... we unfortunatly dont get our photopass pics back till sometime in Sept since we did a share so ill leave it at that.. Now off to sleep in my own big bed

NEXT UP: Change of Plans Boys!

 

[nenner1]

You know I just have to say I loved following your adventures through your updates on FB. Makes me sad I am too cheap to get the internet package on my phone so I can do the same on my cruise (LOL maybe I will have changed my mind by then...keep trying to convince Ron I will confine myself to using it in the American ports..USVI and Puerto Rico) But ya following you I almost felt like I was there! (almost!)

ZOMG...how you guys did not melt I'll never know. I was out at the football games for about 6 hours Saturday and thought I might die. I totally thought of you and wondered how the heck you were walking around a PARK in that heat!

Looking forward to hearing everything in more detail and pics!

 

[anetnmike]

glad your are back! can't wait to hear how everything went!

 

[podsnel]

I can't wait to hear about the surprise!!!!!!!

 

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

Hey girl!

I'm jumpin' on-board...can't wait for more!

 

[anewmac]

Change of Plans Boys!!​

Being the person that I am, after going to bed the night before I of course was way to excited to sleep. BUT I actually got in bed at a half way decent time, for me at least.

5am came fast, ya it was supposed to be 430am but that snooze button got away from me even though it was VACATION day, momma still needed her beauty sleep!

Once I was pretty much ready, E got up and did the same (which really peavs me that it only takes him abou 1/4 of the time to get ready then me and Im not a high maintenance gal.. certain occations yes, just to get on a plane.. NO)

We then packed the last minute odds and ends and got it into the car. Next was the fun part waking the boys. P is usually pretty easy to wake up. J on the other hand is like waking the dead. After a bit they were up with jeans on, but where were their shirts.... OH YA in my room... . Sittings on my bed were their shirts from last yr that said "WERE GOING TO WDW".

This is how it went down....(click to play)



YUP...here I thought I would have a youtube moment, where the boys went wild.. NOPE just thats great lets put the shirts on Im cold and lets go. . Didnt they know that I had planned how their reactions were to go also LOL.

Finally my mom came over and they did go up to her and say they were going to WDW, and she sad NO your going to Texas. J shouted NO mom just tricked us. P said I knew it, but then said I have him going about Texas so he believe me.. Ha HA score 1 for MOM!

Once we were all packed we set off for the hr drive to San Diego Airport. My mom was amazed that there was no traffic and we had to remind her ya most sane people are sleeping in on a Saturday at 6am LOL.

NEXT UP: Our Non-Stop Flight... with 3 stops

 

[anetnmike]

OK, I was all ready with a kleenex in my hand to shed tears of joy at your boy's reaction- to their tears of joy, to the hugging and kissing of their wonderful mom for going thru months and months of planning and obsessing to get every last detail just right...
yeah, my kids would've probably been like "ok mom, great. can we get McDonald's on the way to the airport?"
I know your boys are excited. I can't wait to see their faces when they get there!

 

[nenner1]

LMAO...that video is hilarious!

"Sweet."

"Ok by me"



I'm loving your mad video editing skillz. Cracked up at the Star Wars intro!
And they are still asking for a cruise. You know what that means!

'Kay I'm ready for more!

 

[anetnmike]

you know , I too, noticed they were asking for the cruise...

 

[podsnel]

OMG...your video is so hilarious!! I have to say, their reaction wasn't THAT bad- my kids would have probably been the same! They look happy, and no one cried or punched anybody, so THAT'S a plus!

 

[anetnmike]

"nobody cried or punched anybody" you have boys don't you?
that is SO my house too! ya know, I love my boys but they really are the oddest creatures sometimes...

 

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

...I just watched your video...and I gotta say...I feel your pain, mama!

I've got two boys in my house too (well, the kid and his daddy at least!) and those are the same reactions I get around here.

Unless, of course football or March Madness is on t.v. and then it's all hootin' and hollerin' 'til the walls fall down!

 

[anewmac]

Our Non-Stop Flight... with 3 stops​

Once we got in the car we decided to stop at the local bagel shop for some morning chow and coffee, chocolate milk for the boys. E wanted a burrito so we made another stop for him. We finally get on the road and it was a breeze, made it to the San Diego airport within 40min which would be normally over an hour during light traffic.

We got out on the curb and get our bags out, 3 suitcases to check, boys had their DSI cases, I had my bag and E had a bag of snacks and lil things to keep the boys occupied incase their games died or they were bored with them (HA ya right bored with a video game). We said our goodbyes to mom and told her we would call her when we landed.

Once we checked our bags it was smooth sailing, as I had already checked us in online and printed our boarding passes. We went through security which my kids have become pro’s at and flew through. We had time to stop for a potty break and cruise the gift shop.

Waiting for flight to be called to line up.

Then they announced our Southwest NON-STOP flight, which we came to find out it was actually a 2 STOP flight. (See they call it non-stop as you are not changing planes or having a layover, your basically stopping at the gate and letting some off and some on. HMMM then they shouldn’t call it NON STOP… we are literally stopping. E said if there going to classify it this way as a non stop they should really just open the door and make those jump out as we are rolling on the tarmac and the others jump on. LOL)

But it wasn’t TOO BAD. 1st leg was 3hours, E and P sat in front of J and I and both the boys had the window. Our 1st stop was in Houston.

Astro Dome only E would point this out to me.

Upon them letting people off we moved up a few seats and switched. E and I now had the window boys in the middle. They reloaded and off we went again for the 2nd stop of the NONSTOP flight lol.

We always get a seat over the wing some how.

After an hour we were in New Orleans. The boys were excited they had never been there.. And still haven’t LOL They saw the airport, from inside the plane as close as they will get for now.

Seriously.. did they have a problem of planes just tailgating, and double parking there.

We again unloaded and reloaded and by now my kids could be flight attendants, as they knew the whole safety skit. They have also included a new part, using the chum bucket (aka the airsick bag. I wish I would have had the camera on they cracked us and the people next to us up!)

Another 2hours and we would be in Orlando. WOOHOO! Overall with such a long flight and all the delays in pit stops, the boys, E and I all did well no fights no yelling no tears! Great start to the day! Also having video games and ipods helped.

Coloring when his game died and no where to plug it in

I was able to finish my whole book “The Choice” by Nicholas Sparks (totally teared up reading it too I love his books) Also last time we had to do homework on the flight since we pulled them out of school so this time it was nice not having to stress out and do that and just enjoy our flight, as much as you can wedged together like sardines.

With touching down in Orlando 5mins early at 730pm we thought we better get something to eat.

I love that there is a pretty hotel in the mist of Airport CHAOS

The boys were hungry and peanuts and pretzels just didn’t fill them up. We weren’t too sure how long it would take to get to our resort since we were taking ME (Magical Express). So I didn’t want the POP counter service to be closed once we got there and hear whining.

We got some McD’s and chowed down. Then off to find ME’s. The ladies restroom said B Terminal… but my reservation said A.. it must be B since its advertised like that in the airport RIGHT.. WRONG it’s A. After walking all the way to B we see a ME CM (Cast Member) and she says oh no its in A… so we walk to A and the boys are all gripping at me saying oh ya you planned and know so much huh. So I stopped and said do you know our confirmation #. Do you know the resort we are staying out, what about where were eating etc.? They shut up then and remembered who was holding the all the cards! LOL

Once we get to Terminal A, we see the ME’s check in and they just direct us to the podium and the man there checks us in.

He asked if we were taking ME’s back on our return of which I say yes. Then he says where is your additional tickets for it. … UM I never got anything more then the ones TO the resort. He thought that was odd, I told him we were switching resorts and he thought well maybe that’s why. OK (ha YA SURE that’s why… remember this, it will come to HAUNT US).

We hop on the bus which we thought at 1st would be the Disney Cruise bus or next to it the Disney ME bus.. no we got stuck on a MEARS bus. Ok I know transportation is Transportation but really how about an authentic Disney bus.. Authentic to me that says DISNEY somewhere on it LOL. Oh well no biggie we jump on where its us and 3 other families. Within 5minutes E and I wanted to beat the 2 lil boys in front of us, actually not them THEIR PARENTS. The boys kept yelling, and jumping around, now I know your excited and maybe you were lucky and truly had a REAL NON STOP flight. But really is there any need to yell at each other when you’re sitting next to each other and jump in the seats and for your parents to NOT discipline you when they are in the seats next to you. Uncalled for. My boys THANK YOU were even looking at them like they were from Mars (granted those boys were younger… I’m guessing 8 and 5, to my 11 and 7yr old) Ok slight frustration call it jetlag call it tired, call it what you want that was my 1 flip out.

We sat and waited for our bus for about 45mins. Once we were finally full we took off I was a lil upset that no welcome to Disney video played all we heard were the 2 lil knuckle heads in front of us yapping the whole time. Until we passed by this,

Where Silence became GOLDEN!

Our 1st stop luckily was the POP. Even better was those boys stayed on the bus as this wasnt their stop WOOHOO! Perfect. We hop off and since we put the tags on our bag ME took care of everything. We went inside and I was able to do online check in and we got in line, which was only 1 person ahead of us and checked in.

They had everything ready for us. When we found out where we were staying though I cringed. It was in the 80’s. Which I was hoping for another area as last yr we were in the 90’s. We just wanted a change of view. I was hoping for the 50’s, plus it was on the bottom floor and I hate the bottom for ANY hotel, let alone one that I have read lil visitors crawl into. SO we asked to be moved to the up a level and if there was anything over in the section near the bowling pin pool. Thought the boys would like that. So she calls and says how about in the 60’s 2nd floor? REALLY??? PERFECT!!! Well take it. We couldn’t have planned this better. I had initially booked as a preferred that would have put us there for more money then later decided nahhh we don’t need that Ill just hope for the best. Well talk about pixie dust. We had a great section. Just walk from the main building by the hippy dippy pool and bar (WHAT?) then go past the Balou Statue up a flight of stairs on the 2nd deck and 4doors down and were in. GREAT area!

Past, Present, and Pixie Dusted!

Once we were all set at guest services. We went over to the luggage area to see if our stuff had come in.. nope. Up to a 3hr wait from the time we check in.. lovely it was now close to 9pm. Looks like we might be sleeping in our jammies. Good thing we were still on Cali time. We then asked if they could find my name for a fridge swap we were in. He found it in no time. (if you remember I luckily got in another swap after the 1st went bad, but then the gal made it seem like all was well.. ya that fridge was no where to be seen, cuz I asked them to check for another in my name NADA. Really YA don’t say I would have never thought it WASN’T on by the way she was emailing me. Oh well just down $12 cuz of it. But still had a fridge) Luggage service guy grabbed a cart and put the fridge on it and told the boys to jump on for a free ride.

They yelled out AWESOME like the Suite Life, then preceded to yell out Im Zack, Im Cody.

We stretch out for a bit then decide to hit WALMART yes just what anyone wants to do on their vacation. LOL. We grab a taxi and head out to Wally World. An hour later and 12 bags worth of bagels, cream cheese, milk, cookies, chips, dip, soda, punch, and beer later. We grab another taxi and head back to the POP.

Once back we fill up the fridge, and E calls luggage and its there yea! So they bring it on up and we start the unpack situation.

Just like home lol

Looks just like this at home too. Just bigger.

Oh we had a toaster too, which came in handy for warming up bagels

Boys helped and we all by now were getting tired it had been a long day. Into our jimmies we all got. Before heading into bed, I let the boys decorate our window, and the door.

Some of you may recognize these from the cruise, ya I recycle.

Since my printer was on the fritz I made tiny daily window décor. Or as E would say “GOOD ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK!”

I also put out the spreadsheet of our schedule, and the “do not forget list”. E looked at it and just rolled his eyes. Then I let them know the plan of the day for tmrw. P called for a wake up call of 8am and we fell asleep to something Disney, probably Suite Life.

Todays Budget Blown:
Bagels $20
Burrito $7 (it was a big burrito)
McD's $22
Tips $6 (frige guy, luggage guy)
Walmart $60
Taxi's $40
Total $195


NEXT UP: Hurray For Hollywood, & 1st time on a Roller Coaster

 

[anetnmike]

Excellent update Drea! A non stop really shoud be non stop. I can't believe they did that to you! I agree with E except whoever thought that up should be pushed out! Call it what it is- a layover!
Can't wait to hear more!

 

[nenner1]

Then they announced our Southwest NON-STOP flight, which we came to find out it was actually a 2 STOP flight. (See they call it non-stop as you are not changing planes or having a layover, your basically stopping at the gate and letting some off and some on. HMMM then they shouldn’t call it NON STOP… we are literally stopping. E said if there going to classify it this way as a non stop they should really just open the door and make those jump out as we are rolling on the tarmac and the others jump on. LOL)

LMAO!

Astro Dome only E would point this out to me.

Oh so is he from TX? (That would explain the Cowboys hat....)
(hee hee don't show him that!)

After an hour we were in New Orleans. The boys were excited they had never been there.. And still haven’t LOL They saw the airport, from inside the plane as close as they will get for now.

LMAO That's what I say when people ask me if I have been to NYC...just in & out of La Guardia. I got to see the big apple Welcome to NY sign. The WTC , Empire & Statue of Liberty...is there any more to see???

He asked if we were taking ME’s back on our return of which I say yes. Then he says where is your additional tickets for it. … UM I never got anything more then the ones TO the resort. He thought that was odd, I told him we were switching resorts and he thought well maybe that’s why. OK (ha YA SURE that’s why… remember this, it will come to HAUNT US).

oh NoES!

Past, Present, and Pixie Dusted!

Thanks for that, we are staying at Pop next month for the first time so if I don't like where we end up I'll just ask them like you did!
I "requested" a preffered room at CSR even though we didn't pay for preffered (when I faxed in my request) and what do you know we did got one (water view too!) for the standard price. Standard FR price. Sweet. So I will try it again! ;P

(if you remember I luckily got in another swap after the 1st went bad, but then the gal made it seem like all was well.. ya that fridge was no where to be seen, cuz I asked them to check for another in my name NADA. Really YA don’t say I would have never thought it WASN’T on by the way she was emailing me. Oh well just down $12 cuz of it. But still had a fridge) Luggage service guy grabbed a cart and put the fridge on it and told the boys to jump on for a free ride.

That stinks. At least you had enough room in your one fridge for about 1/4 of you r beer!

Some of you may recognize these from the cruise, ya I recycle.

Ooh yeah good idea since I probably won't have time to make many for next month (need to get my booty in gear).

Or as E would say “GOOD ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK!”

LMAO when I did payroll I had a dot matrix printer. In 2002.

I also put out the spreadsheet of our schedule, and the “do not forget list”. E looked at it and just rolled his eyes.

Love it. Ron said to me are you really doing a spreadsheet and a touring plan for a weekend trip? Seriously???? Men!

Great job so far, tell me if there is anything else I should know about Pop (we are used to the creepy crawlies, we actually had an encounter on the 2nd floor of CSR BTW))...LOL

 

[swankybeth]

Great start, loved reading all about your planning. Can't wait to hear about your first day in the parks.

 

[MrsSpratt]

Can't wait for more!