Team Renfroe - Pre-Trip Report for May 15-22, 2009 **Final Chapter**

[englishrose47]

What is the link to your pre-trip report?

Go to the PTR board and lok for it Alan you are dealing with a computor illiterate here !! Now knowing Pop I am much more savvy! Hot of the press Pop has New mattresses on all the beds just recently !! Hope you can follow my link!!

I forgot it is titled Rosie's Not so Rivetiing Report!!

 

[Michelle_and_Aaron]

Go to the PTR board and lok for it Alan you are dealing with a computor illiterate here !! Now knowing Pop I am much more savvy! Hot of the press Pop has New mattresses on all the beds just recently !! Hope you can follow my link!!

I forgot it is titled Rosie's Not so Rivetiing Report!!

Here ya go EnglishRose I will post it here for everyone to see. You have quite a following already! I am jealous.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1943403

 

[Michelle_and_Aaron]

And here is my ptr, I did not think to put it in the earlier post.... hope you don't mind the shameless self promotion Alan. If you do let me know in a pm and I will remove the link. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1935371

 

[alan_renfroe]

Hi Alan,

Yes you can use disney reward dollars to pay down your package. I used both Disney Gift Cards and my Disney Visa Rewards dollars before we went on our trip two weeks ago to pay off the package.

BTW, we really liked ASMu for the price. I think though that going forward I will choose deluxe again and if we're priced out of that at least a moderate. Overall it was a great trip and ASMu had really fun pool activities.

Hi Bibbidi! Thanks for the info. I intend to use the Disney Visa regularly and pay it off each month, instead of using my debit card and getting very little for doing so. I think we are about 90% sure we are going to try the Pop. DS and DD love the pictures they've seen on the DISboards and think it's cool.

Hi Alan,

Just a tip to keep an eye out for. For the past two years Disney added hopper and more benefits for the price of a non-hopper park ticket. It was introduced in Feb I think. I am keeping my fingers crossed for next year. Also, can you post a link to the May thread you have subbed to? I would love to check it out.
We are booked for 5/16-5/23--All Star Music suite. We are a family of 5. You have me really thinking about the California Grill one night. Refresh my memory, were you there for the fireworks?

Really enjoying your pre trip counting dows with you

I've heard something about that, but I don't know how to get it. Last year, we booked our May trip in February without the hopper, but we did have the water parks & more and the deluxe dining. We were hoping that we could get an upgrade to the hopper, but it didn't happen. I think we are going to make our reservations this year on the phone rather than online. That way we can ask the CM if there are any discounts/incentives/etc.

SO cool that you are going same time as us! Maybe we can meet and say hello in one of the parks one day. The May thread can be found at this link:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1801807

Oh, we absolutely LOVED the California Grill. First of all, the food was just incredible. If you are a sushi eater, it is a MUST. If not, they still have a wonderful menu. DW still claims that the oak-fired beef she had was one of the best steaks ever. The banana butterscoth buzz dessert was something I will never forget. Second of all, the atmosphere at California Grill is pure Disney magic. Atop the Contemporary, you can see a great deal of Disney property, including MK, Poly, Grand Floridian, Spaceship Earth at Epcot, Hollywood Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios, etc. DEFINITELY stay for the fireworks! What a great view! They pipe in the sound for the Wishes show....the only bad thing was the sound wasn't very loud and I had trouble hearing it because the people next to us kept talking loudly.

Go to the PTR board and lok for it Alan you are dealing with a computor illiterate here !! Now knowing Pop I am much more savvy! Hot of the press Pop has New mattresses on all the beds just recently !! Hope you can follow my link!!

I forgot it is titled Rosie's Not so Rivetiing Report!!

Hi englishrose! I'll find ya. Love the name of the PTR!

Here ya go EnglishRose I will post it here for everyone to see. You have quite a following already! I am jealous.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1943403

Cool! Thanks for posting, Michelle.

And here is my ptr, I did not think to put it in the earlier post.... hope you don't mind the shameless self promotion Alan. If you do let me know in a pm and I will remove the link. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1935371

Absolutely, Michelle....promote away! I am enjoying your PTR and I think others will too.

 

[alan_renfroe]

Well, as the summer comes to an end I realize that a lot has happened! As you know, we purchased a new vehicle in June, went to a Jimmy Buffett concert, and had a beach trip in July. I thought I would update everyone on August and September.

First of all, the kids are back in school. Here they are on the first day: DS now in the 6th grade and DD in the 3rd.

A few weeks ago, DS got his braces taken off!

Before:

After:

What is SOOO sad is that I was checking out the before and after pictures of him only a year ago when he first got braces. Check out how much he has grown up in ONE YEAR!!

Before:

After:

Gosh how he has matured! Scary!

 

[Lady Lallie]

Hi Alan!

DH and I just got back from our trip a few days ago. We were able to snag a last minute ADR for Tony's in MK and I thought of you and your son. It was really yummy and I am glad that we checked it out, we have discussed going back there on our next trip!

 

[Bibbidi]

Wow Alan,

Your son really has grown up--it almost looks like more than a year. The shorter hair made him look a lot younger.

 

[Michelle_and_Aaron]

Aww little Audrey and Rusty looked adorable on the first day of school! And you are so right about your ds. The before and after braces pics.... wow only one year? He grew up A LOT! I can not wait to read more about the Renfroes trip plans!

 

[Dcanoli]

Wow! I didn't realize our kids were the same age.

My DS is 11 and went into 6th grade this year, and my other DS is 8, and he went into 3rd grade this year.

Neat!

 

[englishrose47]

Hi Alan ! My DGD still has her braces and I'm not sure when they come off! They are in 7th grade now and in Jr High OOPs sorry now they call it Preporatory School!!
This year I got a free parks upgrade but like a dummy I had booked the hopper so only got the waterparks etc added . This time I booked the basic and will wait for a code which I got on the Dis .These people are awesome about sharing tips ! My TA said I can upgrade anytime so will do so before May if no code.
As for Pop I love it , there is an arcade inside and they have a ping pong table .Balls cost 50c so after Kyle using sooooo many last year next time he goes I'm bringing them. They also had hairwrapping (expensive but the girls loved it.What I really like is the pools are right by the rooms so you don't have to walk far. I like the 60's the best but 50 70's are fine !!

 

[Figment's Friend]

Your DS really has matured in just a year! WOW, that must be scary for a parent!! Enjoyed the pictures to, Alan!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Hi Alan!

DH and I just got back from our trip a few days ago. We were able to snag a last minute ADR for Tony's in MK and I thought of you and your son. It was really yummy and I am glad that we checked it out, we have discussed going back there on our next trip!

How cool! DS wants he and I to go back to Tony's also....so how can I resist? I am considering getting a later ADR for Tony's on the day we arrive and enjoying EMH at MK...just the two of us!

Wow Alan,

Your son really has grown up--it almost looks like more than a year. The shorter hair made him look a lot younger.

Scary, isn't it? You're right...it's the hair. This fall, he asked could he grow his hair out. He told us that "all the cool kids have longer hair and the nerds have short hair." I remember being in 6th grade and wanting to have longer hair....so we let him grow it out. It certainly makes him look older though. When we were are WDW, there were young teen girls checking him out!

Aww little Audrey and Rusty looked adorable on the first day of school! And you are so right about your ds. The before and after braces pics.... wow only one year? He grew up A LOT! I can not wait to read more about the Renfroes trip plans!

Little Rusty and Audrey indeed!! Thanks very much for the compliments. More Renfroe plans on the way.

Wow! I didn't realize our kids were the same age.

My DS is 11 and went into 6th grade this year, and my other DS is 8, and he went into 3rd grade this year.

Neat!

Hey DCanoli! Hope all is well with you. I didn't realize our children were the same grades either. Go figure!!

Hi Alan ! My DGD still has her braces and I'm not sure when they come off! They are in 7th grade now and in Jr High OOPs sorry now they call it Preporatory School!!
This year I got a free parks upgrade but like a dummy I had booked the hopper so only got the waterparks etc added . This time I booked the basic and will wait for a code which I got on the Dis .These people are awesome about sharing tips ! My TA said I can upgrade anytime so will do so before May if no code.
As for Pop I love it , there is an arcade inside and they have a ping pong table .Balls cost 50c so after Kyle using sooooo many last year next time he goes I'm bringing them. They also had hairwrapping (expensive but the girls loved it.What I really like is the pools are right by the rooms so you don't have to walk far. I like the 60's the best but 50 70's are fine !!

Hi Rosie! I am enjoying your PTR...congratulations on figuring out how to post pictures!

I am definitely going to wait to see if we can get a code to add the Park Hopper. It is my understanding that you can ALWAYS add it. Thanks to the DIS, I know a lot more about planning this year than last year.

I am really excited about the Pop, because my kids have seen pictures and love it! I do think there will be this feeling of missing our original "home" at WDW, Coronado Springs. We just absolutely loved it. I'm sure we will love the Pop also!

Your DS really has matured in just a year! WOW, that must be scary for a parent!! Enjoyed the pictures to, Alan!

Hey Figment's Friend! Hope all is well with you.

He REALLY has grown, hasn't he? I've always heard parents of older children tell me to enjoy this time, because it goes by SO quickly. It is definitely TRUE. That is one of the reasons these Disney trips are so precious. Those are lifetime memories we will share together.

 

[Camster0307]

WOW Alan - your DS has certainly grown! And his teeth look great!

But I have to tell you, what struck me when I saw their back to school pix was how much more mature your DD's face looked also. I thought she looked alot older too!

Why do our kids have to get older?

 

[alan_renfroe]

WOW Alan - your DS has certainly grown! And his teeth look great!

But I have to tell you, what struck me when I saw their back to school pix was how much more mature your DD's face looked also. I thought she looked alot older too!

Why do our kids have to get older?

That just goes to show you.....they literally grow up right before your very eyes! You don't even notice until you start looking back at pictures. But you are right, she has grown since our Disney trip in May.

I truly believe with all my heart that is why these family vacations are SOO important right now. Soon, they will want to do their own thing and Team Renfroe will not be the same.

 

[kaysmommie]

Love the back to school pics. Wow your DS has really changed in a year. His teeth look great. My DD will need braces in a few more years. Anyway I bet you like Pop since your not going back to CSR. The rooms are small but ours was nice and clean. It has such a fun atmosphere. Thanks for the advice on Tuttio & 50's PT. We are going to try Tuttio since we went to 50's PT in March.

 

[alan_renfroe]

On Thursday, August 28, 2008, DW, DD and I went to Atlanta for an overnight trip. I had to go over for a work-related event, so I thought the rest of the family might like to come along as well! (DS decided not to go, since he had two tests the next day. He spent the night with a friend in his class and they studied together.)

We went to the Georgia Tech vs. JSU football game that evening. We stayed at the Renaissance in Midtown, overlooking the world famous Varsity restaurant.

Here was the view from our balcony:

The next day, I took the day off from work and DW, DD and I went to see the World of Coca-Cola in downtown Atlanta.

More pictures from the World of Coca-Cola in the next post.

 

[alan_renfroe]

We had a great time at the World of Coca-Cola! It is really a neat thing to do as a family, especially if you like pop culture stuff like I do.

DD got her picture made with the Coca-Cola Polar Bear!

Of course, they have a sample room, much like Cool Club at Epcot...only with about 60 different varieties!

You get to see the entire process of how Coke is made and bottled. There is a constant flow of Coke bottles moving overhead, and when you leave you get to take one home as a souvenir. It is really cool!

I couldn't help but to think about Cool Club at Disney! As we learned (the hard way) at Cool Club about Beverly, we enjoyed watching other people try it! They really should have a hidden camera videoing unknowing suspects trying Beverly for the first time!

Anyway, we had a great time and I thought I would share the experience.

 

[Dcanoli]

My gosh man!

Now, you're embarrasing me! I live here, and I've never been to the World of Coke!!!!

 

[Camster0307]

Beautiful shots of Atlanta at night, Alan!

And I chuckled when I saw the Beverly. We're meeting up with family during our trip in Nov. and they have never been to Club Cool. I'm definitely going to highly recommend they try a sip!

 

[englishrose47]

Loved the pix Alan! The sample drinks def. remind of Clunb Cool in Epcot!!I really want to get my DSIL with Beverley he is sooo deserving !!