The Earls meet the Princesses:A June PTR *6/13 WE LEAVE IN THE MORNING!*

[cjackearl]

Here it is: I found it over on the Disney for Families thread.

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=1997090&postcount=1

Thank you for this thread!Lots of great stuff over there.

I know there is a fun game called car travel bingo -- I bought it for my kids, I will go find it to get the info for you, it is fun. anyway, let me keep thinking.

Sounds neat. Looking forward to hearing where you got it.

Books on tape and radio theatre always keep our kids happy for hours on end - and us too. Focus on the Family has some great ones. Adventures in Odysee is always a hit, as was the Left Behind series - and I'm partial to Les Miserable and A Chirstmas Carol.(don't mind the smileys Ainsley is picking a few for you.) If you search online, there is licence plate bingo and landmark bingo to print up, and somewhere on here, someone made a Disney activity book that I always print up for long car rides. I'll go and look for links for you....as for packing...The only suggestion I have is borrow my husband. He's crazily good at fitting an elephant in a matchbox.

My oldest really likes Adventures in Odyssey. Funny, when Madeline was maybe 7 I frequently listened to the Les Miserable broadway recording in the car. She really liked it and would often ask me what was happening in the "action" during certain songs. The answer was almost, "Um, so and so is dying." Not many of the main characters make it out alive!

 

[cjackearl]

Our 90 day for ADRs opened up on March 17th. Since it was St. Patrick's Day, I hoped maybe I'd have a little luck o' the Irish in making my ADRs. At 6:50 I was in the sunroom with my park schedule, wished for restaraunt choices and order in which to ask for said restaraunt choices. I started calling at 6:55 and continued to hit off and redial until I got through. I felt like I was shouting at the recording, I was trying to answer the stupid question prompts so fast. Anyway, I got right through with no wait!I started with the ADR I feared, based on what I'd read on the Dis, would be the toughest to get: Fantasmic package at MM.
"Um, it's not coming up," she says, "let me put you on hold. I'm going to double check that F! is showing that night."
"It is," I reply.
"I just better check," she says, and puts me on hold before I can respond. I wanted to holler through the phone, "Don't you know how much research I've put into every little bit of minutae related to this trip? I can tell you ALL of the F! dates for the entire month of June, now COME BACK!!! We're wasting precious seconds."
I just said that in my mind, however, because most of my family was still sleeping, and besides, I'm not a yeller. I took the few minutes she was gone to compose myself.
"No availablity for F! dining package." Ok, I was prepared for that. Check it off and move on. Next, Sci-Fi for an early lunch.
"No availability." This one surprised me. Ok, next.
I went through my whole list, getting some of the things I wanted right when I wanted them, some things at different times or dates, and some not at all. Here's what my wanted vs. got list looks like.


Mon, June 15/ Chef Mickey 5:40 / Chef Mickey 5:40

Tues, June 16/ Sci Fi lunch, MM F! dinner/ 50s PT 12:35, HBD F!

Wed, June 17/ HDDR 5:00 cat 2/ Kona Cafe 5:35

Thurs, June 18/ CMC 6:30/ CMC 6:05

Fri, June 19/ Le Celier or Chef dinner/ Le Celier 1:50

Sat, June 20/ Raglan Road dinner/ Raglan Road 5:30

Sun, June 21/ CS/ HDDR 5:00 cat 2

Mon, June 22/ CP early breakfast/ CP 8:05
Some of these ADRS took a few phone calls to solidify and I'm not sure I'm going to keep either of my ressies on June 16. I had to walk away from the ADRs for a few days after making them because I was obsessing. I'm pretty happy with what I ended up with but I kept second guessing myself. There are so many resteraunts I want to try and that I know my family would enjoy. Oh well, that's what future trips are for, right?

Next post: Room pressies

 

[Charleston Princess]

I do the same thing with the ADRs -- I keep seeing and hearing about Chefs de France and wondering where I can squeeze it in!

Your ADRs look really good though -- I wouldn't change anything personally.

 

[Happydog]

I think these are great ADR's too! I had a similar story getting my ADRs it is funny how the calls are all different but the same
You have good choices! I have to walk away and let them 'gel' too... I added a few more, changed a few times, but I feel set with mine at this point. Did you know our trips overlap a little? I don't know if we are at the same parks on the same day...

 

[Laura.bora]

Don't change Kona! It's my favorite!!

 

[Lady Lallie]

Hey!! I'm here and I just got caught up. I hadn't realized you started a PTR.

I love audiobooks too, they keep me from getting road rage.

Your ADRs look great, I agree with stepping away from them to see how you feel about them later on. Sometimes we obsess too much, not that I would know anything about that.

 

[cjackearl]

Oops!!

 

[cjackearl]

I do the same thing with the ADRs -- I keep seeing and hearing about Chefs de France and wondering where I can squeeze it in!

Your ADRs look really good though -- I wouldn't change anything personally.

Chefs does look good, and Boma, and 1900 Park Faire, and California Grill, and...

I think these are great ADR's too! I had a similar story getting my ADRs it is funny how the calls are all different but the same
You have good choices! I have to walk away and let them 'gel' too... I added a few more, changed a few times, but I feel set with mine at this point. Did you know our trips overlap a little? I don't know if we are at the same parks on the same day...

Thanks!Walking away is a good idea. My husband started looking at me strangely when I told him I'd been on the phone with Disney dining yet again. I think one park day meshes. I'll check which one now.

Don't change Kona! It's my favorite!!

I'm keeping it.

 

[cjackearl]

Hey!! I'm here and I just got caught up. I hadn't realized you started a PTR.

Yea, LL is here!
Is it crazy that a Schoolhouse Rock song gets stuck in my mind every time I see your name?
I love audiobooks too, they keep me from getting road rage.

Any recommendations?

Your ADRs look great, I agree with stepping away from them to see how you feel about them later on. Sometimes we obsess too much, not that I would know anything about that.

Um, ok......

 

[Happydog]

OH!!!!


Lallie, Lallie, Lallie get your adverbs here... Lallie, Lallie, Lallie, got some adverbs here, come on down to Lallies we have adverbs here.. your gonna need em if you write or read or even think about it, got a lotta lallie, jolly adverbs here...

I used to teach English. I know this one by heart! BUT it is actually LOLLY's, not Lallies, but from now on, it is going to be Lady Lallie's!!!!


Oh, and Madame Earl, you put it out there, not me, so lets just be clear about that !!!!!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Hello!

First - Your family is beautiful!
Second - Beach Club!!! (I think that would be my first choice if I could pick any resort - DH & I ate at the Yacht Club in 07 and walked through the Beach Club too - both gorgeous & so close to Epcot!!)

Third - I used to drive a minivan - then when that lease was up, I turned it in and got a Ford Freestyle (what they now call the Taurus X). It was OK, but MUCH smaller than a minivan. In 2006, we used the minivan to get to the airport with 5 people (MIL came along) - no problem - double stroller included. We got the Freestyle right after our 06 trip and used it to get to the airport in 2007 with only 4 people. We had some trouble fitting all of our luggage to get to the airport even with the third row seat folded down - without a stroller. So my advice to you is to pack strategically. Do you have a roof rack or know anyone you can borrow one from? (FYI - When that lease was up recently, I went back to a minivan - bought it this time.)

Lastly - I love your Schoolhouse Rock reference!!!

Can't wait to hear more about your adventure!

 

[Lady Lallie]

Um, ok......

I don't know what you are insinuating with that eye roll. HA! Who am I kidding?! I'm the most indecisive person when it comes to my ADRS.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the Harry Potter Audiobooks. Adore them. Jim Dale narrates them and he does an amazing job, the voices he does for each character are so wonderful. So yeah...I like them.

OH!!!!


Lallie, Lallie, Lallie get your adverbs here... Lallie, Lallie, Lallie, got some adverbs here, come on down to Lallies we have adverbs here.. your gonna need em if you write or read or even think about it, got a lotta lallie, jolly adverbs here...

I used to teach English. I know this one by heart! BUT it is actually LOLLY's, not Lallies, but from now on, it is going to be Lady Lallie's!!!!


Oh, and Madame Earl, you put it out there, not me, so lets just be clear about that !!!!!

Okay, I have never heard this song from Schoolhouse Rock. I think I must.

 

[cjackearl]

OH!!!!


Lallie, Lallie, Lallie get your adverbs here... Lallie, Lallie, Lallie, got some adverbs here, come on down to Lallies we have adverbs here.. your gonna need em if you write or read or even think about it, got a lotta lallie, jolly adverbs here...

I used to teach English. I know this one by heart! BUT it is actually LOLLY's, not Lallies, but from now on, it is going to be Lady Lallie's!!!!


Oh, and Madame Earl, you put it out there, not me, so lets just be clear about that !!!!!

Well, if one MUST point fingers...

***Geek Alert*** I bought myself the Schoolhouse Rock boxed DVD set for my 30th birthday***Geek Alert Over***
If you can't get the Lallie(lolly) song out of your head, you can send me your therapist bill.

Hello!

First - Your family is beautiful!

Aw, thank you and !
Second - Beach Club!!! (I think that would be my first choice if I could pick any resort - DH & I ate at the Yacht Club in 07 and walked through the Beach Club too - both gorgeous & so close to Epcot!!)
I can hardly wait!!
Third - I used to drive a minivan - then when that lease was up, I turned it in and got a Ford Freestyle (what they now call the Taurus X). It was OK, but MUCH smaller than a minivan. In 2006, we used the minivan to get to the airport with 5 people (MIL came along) - no problem - double stroller included. We got the Freestyle right after our 06 trip and used it to get to the airport in 2007 with only 4 people. We had some trouble fitting all of our luggage to get to the airport even with the third row seat folded down - without a stroller. So my advice to you is to pack strategically. Do you have a roof rack or know anyone you can borrow one from? (FYI - When that lease was up recently, I went back to a minivan - bought it this time.)
This is my worry. The "roof rack" is really more ornamental than anything else. My FIL put some heavy duty hook and eye type things on the "roof rack" so that he could attach some light weight beach chairs to take to Sanibel, but I don't know how much weight we can safely stick up there. Since we're borrowing the car, I think it might be kinda bad to give it back with a caved in roof.
Lastly - I love your Schoolhouse Rock reference!!!
Gotta love the Rock!
Can't wait to hear more about your adventure!

Guess what I won on ebay last night?

It will be for Ian's 4th birthday. I think he'll really like it and it will be great for our Disney driving marathon. We'll hook up another player in between the back seats for the girls and Ian will have his.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Guess what I won on ebay last night?

It will be for Ian's 4th birthday. I think he'll really like it and it will be great for our Disney driving marathon. We'll hook up another player in between the back seats for the girls and Ian will have his.

Nice!!
I just broke down and pre-ordered a Nintendo DSi for the boys for the trip.

 

[Happydog]

Well, if one MUST point fingers...

***Geek Alert*** I bought myself the Schoolhouse Rock boxed DVD set for my 30th birthday***Geek Alert Over***
If you can't get the Lallie(lolly) song out of your head, you can send me your therapist bill.

Bwah ha ha ha ha

Oh yes, Geek Alert alarm ringing like crazy... we own it to, just had our profession as a scape goat for what was clearly our own interest and nostalgia!!!! Way to go children of the 70s!!!!

 

[IluvXU]

Darling kids.. you make me feel a lot less brave about taking Luke, although back then he slept a lot too! I need to compare... we have some similar meals and days---

 

[cjackearl]

Darling kids.. you make me feel a lot less brave about taking Luke, although back then he slept a lot too! I need to compare... we have some similar meals and days---

Hi! Aww...Be brave!! There's no bad age for Disney World. You'll have a great time with Luke. I'm nervous about some splitting up we may have to do because of the gap between the girls and Ian.

 

[cjackearl]

The last couple of months I've been doing some plotting. It's what I do. We were watching an episode of Jon and Kate plus 8 before Kate went off the deep end (sorry J&K +8 fans!). The family had gone to Hawaii, and when they walked into their suite there were gift bags on the table for each of the kids. My kids were oohing and aahing over the gift bags and I got the glimmerings of an idea. I said to myself, "Self, you could do that." I LOVE to put together gifts. It's a passion really, or maybe a sickness, one of the two. Anyway, my favorite thing to Christmas shop for are stockings and I get positively giddy over Easter baskets. SO much fun. I've decided that I'll put together a few things that the fam would get anyway for the trip, somehow get them into the room and call them Beach Club Welcome Kits, or DW survival kits, or something like that. This is what I've got on the list:

trading pins and lanyards-I bought a 25 pin lot online that I'll split between the three kids. We've got at least 1 black lanyard, I'll need two more. I know this isn't a lot of pins to trade, but I'm not sure how my kiddos will take to it. If they love it, they'll have souvie $$ to spend on more pins.

Disney $$$- I have some set aside for each kid

small personal fans-already have

refillable resort mugs-obviously I'll have to get these when we get to the resort. I'll have to use all of my Mission Impossible skills to sneak these.

penny press tubes filled w/quarters and pennies-As long as I'm already being all sneaky with the mugs, I may pick up the pressed penny books also.

I also want to do one for my DH, with a Disney gift card (I've already got the Disney $ I'll convert to one for him) his fan, and maybe some wine for the room. I'm not sure.

Right now I've got three shopping bags in my closet. One labeled Easter, one labeled Disney, and one labeled Car Ride. It makes me a little giddy to see them.

Anywho, that's what I've got cooking right now. Any input?

Next post: The driving plan

 

[Charleston Princess]

What a cute idea! I think the kids are absolutely going to flip out! As far as sneaking them into the room, could DH take the kids to explore the resort while you get the stuff into the room?

 

[Happydog]

OH! You were wise to tell "self" that she could do that, too! Absolutely! I am in the process of doing the same thing! I love squirreling away stuff for the Walle stuff sacks! (that is what mine are) And yes, you can get all kinds of fun stuff... another addition would be glow bracelets/necklaces... I got tubes of them at Target, I think it was in the dollar section, it was a while ago, but they had them in packages in the "birthday" section -- so you could get some and split them up for the kids? I also combed the Easter aisle for a few toys, found Playhouse disney card games for DS3 (who will be 4 about the same time yours will be) They had movie Cars stuff in the dollar section a few weeks back, not sure if they still do, but maybe a few odds and ends are still there? RE the pins, great great idea to get a "lot" of them and divide them up. I did the same for my two, and while DS3 wasn't into it at first, he saw his brother trading and got interested... I bought him a few pins, but they traded the rest... I think he will be more interested this coming trip in June...

Great ideas! Keep them coming!