The ABC's of Trip Planning, Pt 1- K is for Keeping Things Kooky- Drinks V-Z; pg. 197 + New Link

[TarzansKat]

Eek! This is why I do not belong in a medical profession. I'm glad everything is okay now.

 

[Steppesister]

H is for Hey, We're ALL Going To Disney!


Well, I was saving this chapter for G, and it will become very clear why in a few paragraphs (if anyone can get close to my hoped for Chapter name 2 points), so instead I had to pull a clever H title out of thin air. Because G had to be used for the excitement of Gashed and Gory Thumbs.

I alluded to some BIG news regarding this trip a couple of weeks ago, and finally have enough time to sit for a spell and write about it. My brain is on hyper-overload, and writing and thinking about the trip will give me some much needed relief from trying to understand how your body maintains fluid balance. I dunno, I always thought it was pretty basic- coffee in the morning; wine in the evening.

Onto the business at hand...

There I was minding my own business, planning a trip that was pretty straight forward. 4 people most likely. Maybe, but unlikely, up to 9. I'd be paying in full for 4 of us, and partially for 5 more if the others deciced to go.

Then I called my mom.

We like to chat it up several times a week, as most moms and daughters do, especially on Christmas Day. We gave the requisite Holiday Greetings. The “what'd so and so get you?”, “We miss you”'s were exchanged, and then I started telling her that I was planning a big Graduation Celebration Trip. Before the words had even finished coming out of my mouth, my mom blurts out to the gathered kinfolk, “HEY EVERYONE, LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ALL GOING TO DISNEYWORLD IN OCTOBER OF 2016!!!”

Bam, a party of 4 suddenly became at least a party of 6, and possibly of 10. The others at the Kentucky Christmas Dinner Shindig were my parents:





and my sister and her sweet little family:



Great picture, eh? Yep, that's right one does not exist in my house. Sad as that is. I can try to find the flashdrive with ALL the wedding pictures, where there may be a decent one. But as it stands I do not have one of Laura, Cody, and their girls (8 and 6?) in my house.



Now, onto my thoughts:

I adore my parents! They are the cat's meow, fun to travel with, extremely generous- to a fault even, and love Disney (for the most part) too.

My sister and her family were AP holders at DLR for years while they lived in California, so obviously they love the Disney experience as well, so no qualms there, EXCEPT...

a larger crowd completely changes the dynamics of a trip in general. It completely changes the planning of said trip, and the touring mechanics on top of that. One person says, “Let's get a Dole Whip” while someone else is screaming, “I gotta go!!!”. Seriously, your ride time is easily cut in half when a party reaches critical mass. Tempers flare when some want to go one way and others want to go another. No can seem to decide anything while trying to defer to the group and frankly, general chaos and trip entropy starts to take over as the overarching vibe.

I guess if they are serious, I'm glad to know now. It may make a GIGANTIC difference in where we look at staying, what ADR's I will shoot for, how we tour, what special add-on's would even be appropriate, the whole shebang!! Their girls are quite possibly the pickiest eaters I know, and my parents would probably want to stay Mod or Deluxe. (Well, I mean wouldn't anyone?) The last time they all went, a couple years ago, they stayed at the Wilderness Lodge. Must be nice.

So there ya have it- the big news I know you've all been waiting with baited breath for.

Until next time....

 

[-Hope-]

This so sounds like my mom! I adore my parents and we travel with them frequently but we have, ummm, strongly disagreed about her inviting herself along on *every* vacation we try to take. She's better now since our... Discussion... And they make great travel companions. :rolleyeys1

I hear ya about changing the dynamic, the consensus stalemate, etc. but you do have lots of time to figure it out and if you're like me it might actually be a fun challenge. My suggestion is to plan some time together, some with more like minded riders going off in smaller groups. So, if some are early risers they can hit RD together while others sleep in then everyone meet for lunch. Or head into parks together, hit the things everyone agrees on then break into smaller groups- thrill seekers go do some coasters while others do character meets or shop/explore. In my experience making sure you have time for both group activities and for ppl to do what interest them without feeling like they're dragging everyone along is the key to success (and sanity) for big family trips.

 

[TarzansKat]

Oh my! Well, I have gone with at least nine people before so if you need any help with touring plans (good luck making everyone happy), stress relief (I suggest you pin point cocktail locations on your personal guide map), and / or a general sounding board (do you have my number on speed dial), just know that I am ready!

In all seriousness, even though there are the inevitable clashing of opinions and sometimes meltdowns (usually mine) with larger trips, they can be so much fun and unbelievably rewarding. How exciting!

 

[Flossbolna]

I think it is really lovely if the rest of your family wants to come along - I guess they want to share the Disney excitement with you!!

But I also totally understand how this changes what your trip would be like in a big way! And, I am really sorry to break the news to you: But with the whole new My Disney Experience website and the issues of FP+ you might be in for a bit of a planning nightmare! The good news is that you still have plenty of time until then to educate yourself in all of that. Hey, and it might be a welcome subject to study to give you a break from your other studies! At least you won't have to sit an exam on it!! There is a great thread on the theme parks board that explains the ins and outs of FP+ from the technical side. But you will see that it is not easy from the reality side either. To be honest I found totally helpless in what attractions to chose and for what time frames 60 days before our trip... Now I realize that I worried far too much, but it was difficult not to worry when I planned them. Your advantage will be a moderately crowded season and hopefully a nice long trip.

And my guess for what the world would have been if it had been G: Gosh, we're ALL Going to Disney!

 

[Steppesister]

Yikes! Ouch. Just looking at that photo makes me woozy. Glad he's ok and you guys can laugh about it.

Eek! This is why I do not belong in a medical profession. I'm glad everything is okay now.

We're pretty easy going in general. Better to laugh about it than to freak and worry. Took the bandaging off today to clean it, and yes, it does look like the upper layer is on its way to a slow death. But I do think the underside will grow back fine. Maybe not fully, which may mean a slightly mis-shapen thumb.

 

[Steppesister]

This so sounds like my mom! I adore my parents and we travel with them frequently but we have, ummm, strongly disagreed about her inviting herself along on *every* vacation we try to take. She's better now since our... Discussion... And they make great travel companions. :rolleyeys1

I hear ya about changing the dynamic, the consensus stalemate, etc. but you do have lots of time to figure it out and if you're like me it might actually be a fun challenge. My suggestion is to plan some time together, some with more like minded riders going off in smaller groups. So, if some are early risers they can hit RD together while others sleep in then everyone meet for lunch. Or head into parks together, hit the things everyone agrees on then break into smaller groups- thrill seekers go do some coasters while others do character meets or shop/explore. In my experience making sure you have time for both group activities and for ppl to do what interest them without feeling like they're dragging everyone along is the key to success (and sanity) for big family trips.

Those were exactly my thoughts exactly! Some activities for all of us (mainly meals), a few things for just guys, and a few things for just gals, and lastly a few things for adults only. I think the best way to handle it is to make it clear from the get-go, that EVERY partcipant has the right to do their own thing, UNLESS there is an ADR that is non-refundable.

Oh my! Well, I have gone with at least nine people before so if you need any help with touring plans (good luck making everyone happy), stress relief (I suggest you pin point cocktail locations on your personal guide map), and / or a general sounding board (do you have my number on speed dial), just know that I am ready!

In all seriousness, even though there are the inevitable clashing of opinions and sometimes meltdowns (usually mine) with larger trips, they can be so much fun and unbelievably rewarding. How exciting!

Speaking of your number, I actually would love to have it. There are definitely times I have a quick question about this or that that I don't have time to log on to research. I think my Dear Readers are going to have to fill in the gaps for me while I'm busy with school This Summer I can totally spend embarassing amounts of hours here on the DIS, but until then, I NEED YOU ALL!!!

If you remember from my last trip, I actually, in a anal sort of fashion pre-determined my drinks from day to day. And actually stuck to it 100%. Because I AM just that nerdy. I wasn't disappointed once.

I am excited for this whole affair- meltdowns and all.

 

[Steppesister]

I think it is really lovely if the rest of your family wants to come along - I guess they want to share the Disney excitement with you!!

But I also totally understand how this changes what your trip would be like in a big way! And, I am really sorry to break the news to you: But with the whole new My Disney Experience website and the issues of FP+ you might be in for a bit of a planning nightmare! The good news is that you still have plenty of time until then to educate yourself in all of that. Hey, and it might be a welcome subject to study to give you a break from your other studies! At least you won't have to sit an exam on it!! There is a great thread on the theme parks board that explains the ins and outs of FP+ from the technical side. But you will see that it is not easy from the reality side either. To be honest I found totally helpless in what attractions to chose and for what time frames 60 days before our trip... Now I realize that I worried far too much, but it was difficult not to worry when I planned them. Your advantage will be a moderately crowded season and hopefully a nice long trip.

And my guess for what the world would have been if it had been G: Gosh, we're ALL Going to Disney!

I am flattered and actually very blessed that my family feels like they are welcome and that we all get along enough to spend a week together. It's great to be not just family, but friends too.

OK, back to a prior response you'd give about the Kim Possible at EPCOT: I was sad to hear that is no longer an option. I wish now I'd done it in 2010. Ah well... Clearly, I have some research to do about what will have changed in 6 years. That is FAR too long to be away!

Which makes me want to reference you to the reply that I just gave Kathryn up there^^. I won't have time to do much "camping" on reading up on news. So, I may at least during the terms, rely on comments from you all to fill in the gaps until I can really spend quality (and more) time here. Besides the FP system, what else has changed?? Aside from the obvious new FLand?

New restaurants? Must trys? Experiences? Attractions? Which ones are gone? I heard the Backstage Tour is gone...

 

[Flossbolna]

I am flattered and actually very blessed that my family feels like they are welcome and that we all get along enough to spend a week together. It's great to be not just family, but friends too.

OK, back to a prior response you'd give about the Kim Possible at EPCOT: I was sad to hear that is no longer an option. I wish now I'd done it in 2010. Ah well... Clearly, I have some research to do about what will have changed in 6 years. That is FAR too long to be away!

Which makes me want to reference you to the reply that I just gave Kathryn up there^^. I won't have time to do much "camping" on reading up on news. So, I may at least during the terms, rely on comments from you all to fill in the gaps until I can really spend quality (and more) time here. Besides the FP system, what else has changed?? Aside from the obvious new FLand?

New restaurants? Must trys? Experiences? Attractions? Which ones are gone? I heard the Backstage Tour is gone...

Don't worry, we will get you up to speed!! But that's exactly why I commented on FP+ and the large group. No need to worry about it now, they are still tweaking the system and in 2016 things might be totally different...

Other news??? Hmm, I think that Be Our Guest Restaurant might be the hottest ADR to get, but I have no desire to go there again. But I am in the minority with that.

Do you know about the Tangled bathrooms? Also, there are new bathrooms at Pirates that are great and at the American Adventure (those are even better!!).

Maelstrom has closed and will be turned into a Frozen ride (should be open by October 2016)

Camp Minnie and Mickey has closed, the Lion Kong Show has moved to a new location in Africa (behind Tusker House, looks great). Africa will also get another extension with more food options. Where Camp Minnie and Mickey was they are building Avatarland. Not sure on the time frame, but it might be open by the time of your trip. There will also be new nighttime entertainment (rumored to be similar to World of Colour at DCA) on the lake in front of Everest at AK. I think there will also be a new nighttime parade.

Downtown Disney is getting totally reworked (currently it is a mess with building sites all over the place) and will be called Disney Springs. Plenty new restaurants and shops to come there (not necessarily Disney owned though).

MK has a new parade with a fire spitting dragon. Very cool!

The hub at MK is being totally reworked.

There are new interactive queues at Haunted Mansion at Big Thunder. But you only get to see them if you wait in the standby line, not if you use FP+.

Many more attractions have gotten FP now.

I guess those are the biggest things I can think of at the moment... Hope this helps! And don't hesitate to ask away!

 

[Steppesister]

Don't worry, we will get you up to speed!! But that's exactly why I commented on FP+ and the large group. No need to worry about it now, they are still tweaking the system and in 2016 things might be totally different...

I know I can always count on this crowd for helpful insights and a bit (ok, a lot) of fun along the way. I am not too terribly stessed out yet about the nitty gritty (do you know that term?) of the trip. I"m still on big picture and focused more on financing it. That right there is going to be a HUGE stretch.

Now, for some more deleloping news on that front:

So, after this year, I will actually BE a licensed nurse called an LPN (licensed practical nurse) and can take the National Boards (exam) to begin to work. Here in the States you go on for another year to get the next step up called an RN (Registered Nurse) which is what my program is. Some choose to stop after the first year and work at the LPN level. That is not my plan; I will try for my 2nd year for the RN. HOWEVER....

The paperwork turnaround is quite quick from what I'm told, and I can take the NCLEX (the Nursing Boards) about a week after classes end in June. If I pass (I am not worried at all about not passing) I am going to see if I can find temporary job to pay for the rest of the whole next year's tuition. That way everything else extra can go into the Vacation Fund. I plan to do a whole post about this as my plans come together in the coming months.

Other news??? Hmm, I think that Be Our Guest Restaurant might be the hottest ADR to get, but I have no desire to go there again. But I am in the minority with that.

I actually have no desire to eat here at all. I've heard that you can go in around lunch time just to see the place and I'll plan on that. We tend not to do character meals in general, and it seems over-priced for the quality I'm reading about.

Do you know about the Tangled bathrooms? Also, there are new bathrooms at Pirates that are great and at the American Adventure (those are even better!!).

Now, you've come to one of my favorite subjects: bathrooms. The older I get, the more time I spend in there. What's up with THAT?!

Anyway, NO, I hadn't heard of these bathrooms of fame. I'll put them into my touring plans!!

Maelstrom has closed and will be turned into a Frozen ride (should be open by October 2016)

I'd had heard that. And yes, like most I have an opinion... I'll leave it at that. Although, I'll reserve my harshest criticisms for after I ride it.

Camp Minnie and Mickey has closed, the Lion Kong Show has moved to a new location in Africa (behind Tusker House, looks great). Africa will also get another extension with more food options. Where Camp Minnie and Mickey was they are building Avatarland. Not sure on the time frame, but it might be open by the time of your trip. There will also be new nighttime entertainment (rumored to be similar to World of Colour at DCA) on the lake in front of Everest at AK. I think there will also be a new nighttime parade.

Expansions are always good! Changes can go either way, so again, I'll reserve judgement. Nighttime entertainment is again hit or miss. I don't care for Illuminations, but adore World of Colour. So we'll see....

Downtown Disney is getting totally reworked (currently it is a mess with building sites all over the place) and will be called Disney Springs. Plenty new restaurants and shops to come there (not necessarily Disney owned though).

YAY!! Finally, something being done about the travesty of closing the Adventurers Club. Maybe they'll put me back in favor of spending time there. It had really lost a lot of appeal for me the last couple of times.

MK has a new parade with a fire spitting dragon. Very cool!

Ok, now that I've got to see!! Is the MSEP still there?? I would be heartbroken if that disappears before I see it one last time.

The hub at MK is being totally reworked.

Hopefully that'll afford better traffic control!

There are new interactive queues at Haunted Mansion at Big Thunder. But you only get to see them if you wait in the standby line, not if you use FP+.

Wahoooooty!!! Can't wait for that!

Many more attractions have gotten FP now.

I guess that's a good thing, but if you can only get 3 at a time... I'm not sure....??

I guess those are the biggest things I can think of at the moment... Hope this helps! And don't hesitate to ask away!

Oh, you KNOW I will girlfriend!!!

 

[TarzansKat]

Maybe not fully, which may mean a slightly mis-shapen thumb.

Adds character! Very pirate-y.

Speaking of your number, I actually would love to have it. There are definitely times I have a quick question about this or that that I don't have time to log on to research. I think my Dear Readers are going to have to fill in the gaps for me while I'm busy with school This Summer I can totally spend embarassing amounts of hours here on the DIS, but until then, I NEED YOU ALL!!!

Absolutely! I'll PM you on FB.

If you remember from my last trip, I actually, in a anal sort of fashion pre-determined my drinks from day to day. And actually stuck to it 100%. Because I AM just that nerdy. I wasn't disappointed once.

I am excited for this whole affair- meltdowns and all.

I do remember! Will you also be picking a trip scent?

 

[Steppesister]

Adds character! Very pirate-y.



Absolutely! I'll PM you on FB.



I do remember! Will you also be picking a trip scent?

Well, now that's certainly an awesome spin on the while affair!! I likey!!

Will PM you tomorrow. Gotta get some good study time in tonight!

Why yes; yes I will. But so many factors go into making those sorts of very important decisions. Depends on where we stay, what's on sale, etc....

 

[KatMark]

Oh dear...you will have so many decisions to make. I don't think I could do that big of a group. It was hard enough for Mark's 60th surprise birthday trip to plan for six of us. But we found it best that we do our meals together and split up at certain points if need be. Andy and Des hung with us for a good chunk, but also went and did their own thing which made the trip better for all of us.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Mmmm Caught up I am. A great and thorough planner you are. More family coming say you? Dance of victory you must do!

FP+ for our split group was bad. I don't want to depress you so I'll reserve further comment on it.

Hopefully they will fix it before it is time for you to use it.

Anxious to see how all the family works things out. I hope everyone gets to come!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

My brain is on hyper-overload, and writing and thinking about the trip will give me some much needed relief from trying to understand how your body maintains fluid balance. I dunno, I always thought it was pretty basic- coffee in the morning; wine in the evening.

Makes sense to me! That plus "what goes in must come out".

Before the words had even finished coming out of my mouth, my mom blurts out to the gathered kinfolk, “HEY EVERYONE, LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ALL GOING TO DISNEYWORLD IN OCTOBER OF 2016!!!”

Um...Well, then.

I adore my parents! They are the cat's meow, fun to travel with, extremely generous- to a fault even, and love Disney (for the most part) too.

Well, that's a relief.

a larger crowd completely changes the dynamics of a trip in general. It completely changes the planning of said trip, and the touring mechanics on top of that. One person says, “Let's get a Dole Whip” while someone else is screaming, “I gotta go!!!”. Seriously, your ride time is easily cut in half when a party reaches critical mass. Tempers flare when some want to go one way and others want to go another. No can seem to decide anything while trying to defer to the group and frankly, general chaos and trip entropy starts to take over as the overarching vibe.

Truth. It really does change things.

Well, like you said, it's best to know now so you can plan. And I'm sure you can still have a great time. We went once with both my parents and another family, and it worked out great. My parents were able to watch the younger kids so we could go on the big rides. But we also did some things by ourselves. We agreed to one big principle up front. We would plan to be in the same park every day, and try and do one or two "big" rides together in the morning. After that, we did what we wanted (aside from a couple of meals together) and if we happened to be in the same place at the same time, great. If not, nobody was allowed to complain.

 

[pooh'smate]

Your tale about your son's finger reminds me of when my brother and I were playing on an excercise bike when I was 4 and he was 2. We were at an older couple's house and they had an excercise bike and no toys. My brother and I were taking turns riding on it and it was his turn and I didn't want him to ride so I started pedaling just as fast as my legs would go. He decided he would stop me by reaching out and grabing the chain. Well there was blood everywhere (they had a white carpet) and that is prettty much all I remember. The chain had cut through my brother's thumb and the only thing left keeping his thumb together was one nerve. My dad put my brother's hand in a bowl of ice and they left for the emergency room with his sirens going. My dad was a Froest Ranger and his truck had sirens on it for when he had to respond to fires and other events. The first hospital er said they couldn't do anything to help and they sent him to a bigger hospital about an hour away. At that hospital they said they would try to save his thumb but they weren't sure they could. They stuck a metal rod down each side of his fingernail going all the way to the base of his thumb and they stiched it back together and then waited. Well his thumb healed and the only effects he has are no feeling in the top half of his thumb and he gets really bad hangnails on that hand. He burned his thumb really bad once when we were teenagers and he didn't even realize it until I told him his thumb was on fire so he really doesn't have any feeling in it. He always tells everybody I was so jealous of him being left handed that I cut his left thumb off so he couldn't use it anymore.

 

[Steppesister]

Oh dear...you will have so many decisions to make. I don't think I could do that big of a group. It was hard enough for Mark's 60th surprise birthday trip to plan for six of us. But we found it best that we do our meals together and split up at certain points if need be. Andy and Des hung with us for a good chunk, but also went and did their own thing which made the trip better for all of us.

Yes, indeed. A LOT of decisions for sure! More complicated but double the fun too. I hope. Yes, divide and conquer is the way to go here, I think.

Mmmm Caught up I am. A great and thorough planner you are. More family coming say you? Dance of victory you must do!

FP+ for our split group was bad. I don't want to depress you so I'll reserve further comment on it.

Hopefully they will fix it before it is time for you to use it.

Anxious to see how all the family works things out. I hope everyone gets to come!

You mean like this:



Ok, but I do await your commenting because I basically know NOTHING about how it works at present. I think it's too early to really worry about it right now, but having a working knowledge might help me mull over the various options and strategies. And yes, I agree. If there's fixing to be done, I hope it's sooner than later!

Me too, as long as they are ALL flexible and don't get offended if we don't want to leave the parks for a meal or stuff that's off property. That takes valuable time away from the whole point of going THERE, as opposed to say downtown Portland.

 

[Steppesister]

Makes sense to me! That plus "what goes in must come out".

Truth. It really does change things.

Well, like you said, it's best to know now so you can plan. And I'm sure you can still have a great time. We went once with both my parents and another family, and it worked out great. My parents were able to watch the younger kids so we could go on the big rides. But we also did some things by ourselves. We agreed to one big principle up front. We would plan to be in the same park every day, and try and do one or two "big" rides together in the morning. After that, we did what we wanted (aside from a couple of meals together) and if we happened to be in the same place at the same time, great. If not, nobody was allowed to complain.

See, there ya go, right there. Fluid balance in 6 words.

We really don't have any younger ones to really watch unless we want to go to a place like The Ditch, but that's a not-very-often kind of thing. So, unless they're willing to go all dawn to close, they'll have to find other entertainment. And yes, that's the key- everyone needs to agree that there is a Master Plan (ummm... it's my party, and I'll make it) and if they want to veer off of it, they can feel totally free to do that and NO ONE is allowed to be offended or like you say, complain!

None of us are really big eaters at all, so all buffets are out pretty much, but we do like GOOD, quality food. So the whole restaurant thing is going to kinda be a big deal. But that's getting WAY ahead of myself!!

 

[Steppesister]

Your tale about your son's finger reminds me of when my brother and I were playing on an excercise bike when I was 4 and he was 2. We were at an older couple's house and they had an excercise bike and no toys. My brother and I were taking turns riding on it and it was his turn and I didn't want him to ride so I started pedaling just as fast as my legs would go. He decided he would stop me by reaching out and grabing the chain. Well there was blood everywhere (they had a white carpet) and that is prettty much all I remember. The chain had cut through my brother's thumb and the only thing left keeping his thumb together was one nerve. My dad put my brother's hand in a bowl of ice and they left for the emergency room with his sirens going. My dad was a Froest Ranger and his truck had sirens on it for when he had to respond to fires and other events. The first hospital er said they couldn't do anything to help and they sent him to a bigger hospital about an hour away. At that hospital they said they would try to save his thumb but they weren't sure they could. They stuck a metal rod down each side of his fingernail going all the way to the base of his thumb and they stiched it back together and then waited. Well his thumb healed and the only effects he has are no feeling in the top half of his thumb and he gets really bad hangnails on that hand. He burned his thumb really bad once when we were teenagers and he didn't even realize it until I told him his thumb was on fire so he really doesn't have any feeling in it. He always tells everybody I was so jealous of him being left handed that I cut his left thumb off so he couldn't use it anymore.

Oh boy!! That's quite a story!! Oddly, my other son had his thumb competely de-gloved when he was 2 getting it slammed in, and then pulled out, of a door jam. He lost the tip including the nail mostly- definitely stubby since they had to ronjour the bone some. What is it with boys and their digits?!

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Me too, as long as they are ALL flexible and don't get offended if we don't want to leave the parks for a meal or stuff that's off property. That takes valuable time away from the whole point of going THERE, as opposed to say downtown Portland.

In which case you must look them in eyes and say in your sternest British accent "Let us have no meandering." Then turn and walk away.

Preferably in the direction of a refreshment cart.

A pressed penny machine would be good.

A bathroom would be even better. Especially if you pass out some Flush Rating score cards and insist everyone critique the facilities. And yell LOUDLY that they forgot their urinal cake right before they walk in.