Suzy & Perla and their secret to skipping lines, 2 trips down 2 to go, March is soon

You are so cute. and yes I agree with you Disney can be a verb, I mean if you can do the Dew ( we all remember that commercial right?) you can do the Disney.

The toe nails are super cute, I experiment with Mickey heads all the time, I have my favorite swirly mickey head that I like to draw on all of the lane accountability tags at work, (my coworkers love this) I also dabble in the nail art area.

I am getting so excited for my tirp this December, you have me wanting to make lists and applique things.

Oh and no, you are not my guinea pig, I mean I'm not going to make you sleep in a tent at Disney, but if you by chance end up doing so, I want to hear all about it and see some pictures.

A while ago between my 2007 and 2009 trip Kent and I had talked about camping there, and I found a sight here on this dis that had all kinds of ppictures, you would be amazed at how done up some of the camp sights were, I am talking mini fridges and fans, plastic tote dressers. It was awesome.
 
My hubby loves him some Goodwill shopping!! He has found many a great deal! Wow, one week to go!! very exciting!!
 
You are so cute. and yes I agree with you Disney can be a verb, I mean if you can do the Dew ( we all remember that commercial right?) you can do the Disney.

The toe nails are super cute, I experiment with Mickey heads all the time, I have my favorite swirly mickey head that I like to draw on all of the lane accountability tags at work, (my coworkers love this) I also dabble in the nail art area.


A while ago between my 2007 and 2009 trip Kent and I had talked about camping there, and I found a sight here on this dis that had all kinds of ppictures, you would be amazed at how done up some of the camp sights were, I am talking mini fridges and fans, plastic tote dressers. It was awesome.

Thanks :hug: Can I see your toes & swirls? I like any inspiration I can get! I'm not very good at any of the stuff, but at least it makes me happy!

And yes, I've checked out those tent camping pics! :goodvibes I can only dream at being as cool as them! Suzy & I both have giant tents for our families and she's gonna buy a screen house. And we have a plug in cooler that's like a fridge so we might be able to come close. It'll depend on our table situation. And we for sure would take a waffle iron, her plug in super awesome griddle, and a crockpot. I really think it sounds awesome and relaxing. But we'll see. It's hard to talk men into working on vacation when you can get a hotel right next to Disney off Priceline for $29.00 and the camp site is like $80.00. And let's face it, even camping at Disney is more work than staying in a hotel. I can pretend it isn't, but it is. It just appeals to me because then my kids aren't on top of my head in a tiny hotel room. And eating out of a crockpot, though not exciting, is actually more relaxing for me than sitting at a TS with a 3-4 year old. And certainly cheaper!

My hubby loves him some Goodwill shopping!! He has found many a great deal! Wow, one week to go!! very exciting!!

Another smart Goodwill shopper! I didn't mention my non-Disney finds this week. I found winter boots for me for $2.00! And other exciting stuff I won't bore you with. But we had two bags for $15.00. Washed it and we're good to go. :thumbsup2

I also found an almost brand new Coach bag at a yard sale for $5.00. :eek: Suzy receives kudos for this too as we were yard sale-ing together and there was this yard sale in a barn and I was all, "No, it's too far out," and she was all, "Do you have some place you need to be?" So we head out there & she's checking out baby gear for a friend and I see it! It wasn't priced and so I asked the lady how much & she said $5.00 and I said "SOLD!!!!" Suzy said it totally should have been hers since we wouldn't even have gone there without her determination, yet it seems my wallet & phone fit in it sooo nicely. :cloud9: Sigh. I love yard sales & Goodwill & 90% off sales. I like my multiple vacations per year and still living within my means (mostly.) :lovestruc
 
So Donald had the great idea to watch all of our Disney videos from 2007 on. We make all our Disney video/photos into movies. This past year we even made a music video.

Anyway, we're currently watching 2007, our first year doing free dining. I thought I'd just post you all some highlights of each trip as I watch the movie.

2007:

We went to the Pirate Princess party. I LOVED this party. Best fireworks I've ever seen set to Pirates of Caribbean soundtrack. We dressed up. Donald & I as pirates. The big girls as princesses. And my mom made Boo a parrot costume so when she was in her baby carrier on Donald she would look like the pirate's parrot:



We also went to Magical Beginnings EMH at Fantasyland. TONS of characters out playing games. Mulan & Ariel got to play duck,duck, goose with the fab five & Mulan got to make Mickey the goose. Wonderful memory this morning.



This was also our first time at the water parks. I loved Typhoon Lagoon. But the girls fell in love with Blizzard Beach. AND we did the Barber Shop in MK:


Now, we've moved onto our 2008 video. We stayed offsite in a rental house in Windsor Hills. So much space! And a super cool princess room:
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We had a great time in 2007 at our character meals but Suzy & Milo hadn't done it. This year they got introduced and love it:
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Donald & I did Cirque:
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We got to do Disneyquest:
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And Toy Story Mania was BRAND new. We had no idea the rope drop would be that crazy! :eek:

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And, of course, a highlight of mine is ALWAYS naptime! I get to sit on a bench and people watch!
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And I took a picture of the best drink in the world:
Grand Marnier slushie!
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Buzz & Mulan BOTH got picked to fight Darth Vader!
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Oh happy crowd!
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And now we are watching out 2010 video. We made this per person, instead of chronologically. So each adult & child made their own 2 minute video & we bumped them one against the other. Suzy made Jack-Jack's and I made Boo's since they are not capable of make a video yet.

So in my next post I'll do a highlight of each of our future 2010-2011 (& 2009) Disney clan. (picture count or I'd just do it in this one.
 


We got three rooms at All Star Music. One of my favorite resort photos:


And the cast in the order of their age:

Jack-Jack high-fiving his hero:
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Boo striking a pose at AK:
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McQueen at DTD:
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Ariel at Rafiki's Planet. She LOVES cats in all sizes. Even cut outs!
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Mulan choosing an oyster:
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Buzz doing what he does best: video arcade!
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Charming getting drenched:
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Donald ready to party the MK!
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Perla, enjoying Playhouse Disney with Boo:
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Suzy, whirling the primeval way:
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Milo, happy to have been rocketed into space with his boys:
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And my mom (and dad who isn't coming on this trip), who was just at Disney one day but will be there in a week for 4 days!!!
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That's us having fun at Disney.

Now I'm off to pull out suitcases and have a family discussion (read: fight) about what songs (we'll need three! :cool1:) to make music videos to this year.

We bought an HD video camera last year and you can really see the quality difference watching them all back to back! Yippee for Photopass & Hd video! I better learn to use the HD camera since I'll be there for four days without Donald. And no Photopass for this shorter trip. In March we will, though.
 
I'm on board! I love hearing about other people's Years of Disney! You're going so soon! :yay:
 
:love: hand me downs! Alligator Bayou is where we'll be too. What fun to rent a surrey bike! I wonder if that would appeal to my mom? Maybe I'll show her a picture. Although knowing me, I'd be driving into the actual alligator bayou. :lmao:

We had a great time on the surrey bike! It was so much fun! DH steered, so my steering wheel was just for show, but I sure used it a lot -- I thought he was going to drive us off the path or run people over several times! :lmao: (People do have the right of way, but the guy we were renting it from told us if you ring the bell, they'll get out of the way. :) He was so right!)

We got a 2 person bike, as we were told they're 150 lbs. lighter than the 4 person ones. We've stayed at POR 3 times now, and I've walked the surrey bike path many times, and I had no idea there were so many inclines until I was pedaling up them! :lmao: There's only one that's a tiny bit steep, though. We put DS5 in the basket where he could ring the bell (did he ever enjoy that!) and DS8, who's very thin, fit on the seat between us. You can easily do 2 laps of the place in the 30 minutes. I hadn't been on a bike in 10, 12 years, and it wasn't hard.

You're almost there! Have a great trip!
 


I'm on board! I love hearing about other people's Years of Disney! You're going so soon! :yay:

Welcome! I can't wait! And I'm taking my iphone (of course) and have uploaded the Photobucket ap so I'm hoping for some live photos for you all. Just a little appetizer ;)

We had a great time on the surrey bike! It was so much fun! DH steered, so my steering wheel was just for show, but I sure used it a lot -- I thought he was going to drive us off the path or run people over several times! :lmao: (People do have the right of way, but the guy we were renting it from told us if you ring the bell, they'll get out of the way. :) He was so right!)

We got a 2 person bike, as we were told they're 150 lbs. lighter than the 4 person ones. We've stayed at POR 3 times now, and I've walked the surrey bike path many times, and I had no idea there were so many inclines until I was pedaling up them! :lmao: There's only one that's a tiny bit steep, though. We put DS5 in the basket where he could ring the bell (did he ever enjoy that!) and DS8, who's a skinny thing, fit on the seat between us. You can easily do 2 laps of the place in the 30 minutes. I hadn't been on a bike in 10, 12 years, and it wasn't hard.

You're almost there! Have a great trip!

I think I'm putting this on my short list of new things to do. But I think I'll wait till Donald is with me so he can do all the work :thumbsup2

I can see our kids getting a big hoot out of this and they all bike quite regularly.
 
Guess what? I'm possible, could be, probably will, plan a FOURTH TRIP!!!!!!!!!!!!

My niece came up to me today & asked me to run the Princess half marathon and I'm really, really considering it. I just posted on the WISH board lots of questions. It's the end of February & we'd go super cheap, just the two of us.

Ahhh!!!!!

Here's how my conversation went with Donald:

"So, K. asked me to run the Princess Half Marathon in February 2011. I'm considering it. I'd do it cheap and only be gone 4 days. What do you think?"

"A HALF MARATHON? You mean 13 miles?"

"Yup."

"I think you're nuts."

"Why?"

"I just think you are crazy."

"Because I'd be going to Disney 4 times in 1 year or because I'd like to run 13 miles?

Donald paused for a REALLY long time. "Uhmmm..... is that a trick question? I stand at my original statement. You're crazy."

Yup, count me in. I'm nuts.

In my defense: I'm PMSing AND I just worked like 36 of the last 48 hours. :upsidedow:dance3::dance3::dance3::upsidedow

I think I'm doing pretty well. :lmao:

In answer to his accusation, I grabbed my headphones, put on my running shoes and went and ran 3 miles. TAKE that! :cheer2: (Hope I can walk tomorrow.):rotfl:
 
Yup, you read that right. I'm annoyed, but not really. I have a cold. Every hour that passes today it is getting worse. It'll be full blown by Saturday. Just two days before I leave for WDW. And it'll turn into a sinus infection which will ruin my entire fall and I'll be sick till early December. It's VERY annoying to know this about the next 3 months of your life. That they will be ruined.

So I'm VERY annoyed.

Except not really. Because for many a fall this is EXACTLY what always happens to me. And so it's just par for the course for me. So I'm so used to it I'm having trouble being upset. I wonder what Disney would be like not sick? No, don't tell me. It's better this way.

But on with my day. I took this morning off because I've been pushing it with the work and with me getting a cold I figured I out to take it a bit easy. But now I don't have the leisure to do that. Too much to get done. I have to take the girls to the dentist here soon & have some work errands to run as well as getting food for the family for the next week.

TIP ALERT!

But I wanted to give you all another money saving tip. I bought (got this tip right here on the family Disboards!!!) I make my own uncrustable! They are outrageous at the store, but so very handy for those busy school mornings.

I bought this on ebay:
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It's a Pampered chef cutter thingie. It was $10.00 with shipping several years ago.

I buy p.b. by the cartload when it's $1.00 at Kroger and use coupons or buy cheap jelly to get it for $2.00 a jar. Then I get the $1.00 a loaf bread. You can make 20 uncrustables from 1/4 jar of jelly, 2 loaves of bread, and 1 jar p.b.

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When you count the cost of the ziploc baggies it costs $.20 per sandwich.

You have to make them the day you buy the bread. They are infinitely better when made with very soft bread. Mmmm...

And you put a thin layer of p.b. on both pieces of bread so it sitcks to each other better. Don't go all the way to the edges, that's a waste.
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And then cut them:
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See how awesome they are? Boo doesn't really like pb & j but with the soft white bread & made into a pocket she'll eat it right up.

So with mini water bottles, uncrustables in the freezer, individual cups of applesauce, and whatever treat they pick: they can EASILY pack their own lunches in seconds each morning. Woohoo!!!!

So that's my tip. Save money by making 2 weeks worth of lunches all at once for only $4.00.

Off to the dentist!
 
Ah, if only my boys liked pb & j! I can't get over how much those prepackaged lunch type things cost and how unhealthy they are! We make homemade Lunchables here. A cheese stick, some crackers, and and a couple of slices of deli ham and they're happy.

As to the half marathon -- yes, you're nuts! :rotfl2: I don't even run down the driveway! Good luck!

I hope you'll feel better sooner than you think!
 
Easy flight, great magical express experience (though luggage isn't here). I love por!!! Love! Totally better than values. More later. :)
 
Whoo hoo! Glad you made it and are having a good time! :cool1::cool1::cool1: Say hi to POR for me -- wish I was there!
 
Whoo hoo! Glad you made it and are having a good time! :cool1::cool1::cool1: Say hi to POR for me -- wish I was there!

It is lovely! Wish you were here too, tho I wouldn't know it more than likely. But for your sake. :littleangel:

Yay!! You are there!! Hope you do not get to :sick: and can enjoy your trip!

I'm feeling good! Today I was at 90%!!! I'm keeping up with my get healthy regime mostly so I hope I keep getting better!
 
I tried photobucket ap but it is too smart for me so no pics. Bummer. We are having a great time. Did mk yesterday and epcot today. It's so empty here! I have ap's in hand now. I almost chickened out today because it is such a commitment but donald, Milo, and Suzy talked sense into
me and I upgraded. It was stressful to spend the money but I'm content with the choice after a good dinner, nice swim, and a super great day overall! Can't wait to tell you all about it!
 
Glad you're having a good time and feeling decent. We were there last year this same week and had very low crowds...glad that it seems to be that way for you! And I don't think you'll regret the APs! :cool1:
 
Glad you're having a good time and feeling decent. We were there last year this same week and had very low crowds...glad that it seems to be that way for you! And I don't think you'll regret the APs! :cool1:

Yeah I feel happy about the aps now although it's a great responsibility to be carrying around so much money with the hd camera, regular camera, and $1000.00 worth of tickets!

I'm on the bus to ak right now! It's our lion king/zoo day!
 
Hi all! Just a quick note to say we are back from our best Disney World trip EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not quite ready to start my TR but as soon as I get everything put together here I will start! I cannot wait to tell you how super awesome it was in every gory detail. ;)
 
So my trip began as all good trips, and bad trips for that matter, without being able to sleep. There is just something about getting ready to go on a trip that makes me not be able to sleep.

I slept 6 hours, which is good for me before a trip, but I woke up at 4 am and that was that. I tried to watch t.v. but it's summer and I'm already caught up on all the good stuff from the summer so my Tivo was empty. And it's 4 am. Even on demand was sorry. I ended up watching the TO show. He may be rich but my life is way better. :)

So at 9 am my Donald and big girls left to visit Donald's family as it was Labor day so they all had it off. I was packing and Boo says,
"Mommy, where are we going?"
"Disney World?"
"Really?"
I think she had lost all hope. We had been talking it up & watching our old videos and looking at old scrapbooks for so long she didn't think it would happen. Her next question, though, made me really laugh:
"Are we flying to Disney World in a balloon?"

So I had just a few things to get at Wal-Mart and I needed to get my stroller out of the van and I'd be all ready. So Boo and I were ready to go so we went to hop in the van. Oh no! It's gone! Donald had taken it! This never occurred to me because he always takes his truck but he figured if I was being picked up he's just travel in comfort. Bummer is, the stroller was in there! I called Donald in a panic. We decided to leave it at my s-i-l house on her porch which is right next to the airport. Whew. Emergency over.

Then I went to Wal-Mart and got just a few last minute things.

When we got home I told Boo that Grandma would pick us up. She was SO excited that she sat outside the house on a little bench we have waiting for Grandma. Wearing her backpack, of course:
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In no time at all Mom & I were headed back to her house (she only lives a mile from me) to get Suzy and Jack. I talked to my dad for a bit while Suzy unloaded her van and locked it all up. Jack insisted on unloading his airplane backpack much to the annoyance of Mom and Suzy.

Mom was busy making Jack lunch as he hadn't eaten at home. Truth be told, he didn't eat this either.

I, naturally, let him as it was cute and I wanted to video tape him.

Here they are on my parent's floor telling me all about flying to Disney World:
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Once we were all loaded up in Mom's Highlander we went to the bank, grabbed drinks, picked the stroller up from my s-i-l's porch and went to the airport! We parked in the first long term parking lot we came to & got a killer parking spot. I took a photo with my phone as is my custom before I was reminded that I would not be with them when they got back. So then Mom took a pic with her phone.

I had a TON of stuff as I had packed my big girl's too. So for just Boo and I, I had 2 giant suitcases, a bag, a backpack, a purse, and Boo's backpack. And a stroller. And Boo. I was a little nervous that I wouldn't be able to handle it all by myself but I did great!

My "helpers"
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We saw a plane fly over while we were waiting for the shuttle and I asked them where it was going, assuming, naturally, that they would say "Disney World."

Boo said, "New York!" while Jack immediately said, "California!" Guess we haven't trained them right. :lmao:

We hopped the shuttle and were quickly on our way.

Here we are in the airplane. Boo is very excited as we take off. Jack is just annoyed as he had dropped his Woody & we all refused to get it (since we were actually taking off!) Thank goodness kindly people handed it one to another up to him. Thank you good people!

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They insisted on sitting next to each other which was great for Suzy & me. 2 hours kid free!
Whose glad we brought Grandma?
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It's a direct flight so we landed & went directly to the Magical Express which left almost immediately after we got on! Woohoo!

Start the movie!
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Our resort came up so quick I didn't have my camera ready:
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Grabbing our stuff:
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And just like that we were in line for the online check in. We had paid more for a water view and I had called a few days earlier the POR front desk itself and asked for building 14. I have never had a request granted so I didn't really expect anything. But indeed we got Building 14 directly in line of sight of the main building. Score! :thumbsup2

While Suzy was getting that information, I was in charge of Boo & Jack. I, of course, was video taping them and video footage is only interesting if you let kids be themsleves, which almost always means let them be bad. I let them destroy this couch & taped the whole thing: :rolleyes1
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Gorgeous lobby:
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What's that? Couch destruction?
Trust me, this was only the beginning:
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And then it was off to our room!

But you'll have to wait. Sorry :)

I meant to do more tonight but a major tornado tore through my town a few hours ago so I spent quite a little bit of tonight texting my friends & listening to news. A local high school got hit hard and schools are cancelled (not my kid's) and many are injured, some dead. So I have a valid excuse! I swear. We are all fine with electricity & no damage at all. But tomorrow ought to be nuts at work so I'm off to bed.
 

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