The End is... NOWHERE in sight! - Sept/Oct 2016 PTR *Update 9/14*

[pkondz]

Heeeeeeey everyone!!

Heeeeeeeeeey Tori!

Long time no see.. talk.. read... whatever

Whatever works.

I've been a terrible DIS'er lately.

Bad, Tori! Bad girl! <hits her on the nose with a rolled up newspaper... which is interesting because I wouldn't do that to my pups.>

I haven't been able to keep up with any of the TR's I'm following. I haven't been able to keep up with my own PTR for the most part.

Been there. Done that. Will do it again.

No worries.

The downfall of being able to work from home is that I clock an additional 10+ hours a week unpaid just trying to keep afloat at my day job. Then add about 15-18 hours at my second job and I'm pooped

Holy crap.

To top it off, my husband just picked up a second job so for the last few weeks I've pretty much only been able to see him in passing. It's been difficult to even find time to sit and eat a meal together.

Know that dance quite well.

We booked out MNSSHP tickets!!

Woot!

Why not cut that day short by an hour or so and head over to the halloween party, which would in turn free up an ENTIRE NIGHT in our Disney schedule?!

Makes total sense. Good idea!

If someone doesn't sell me these tickets today, I've decided that I'm going to cancel the entire vacation we have booked with you guys."

Good move. At some point, enough is enough.
I sometimes resort to something like this: "I drove an hour to get here, it's going to take me an hour to go back, add in another hour prep time and dealing with you. I charge $25/hour for my time. Did you want to pay me now or just give me a credit on my account?"

Granted, I never would have cancelled our vacation. I don't even have the authority to do so as I'm not the AAA member on the reservation.

So what. Sure got the point across!

I'm not one that normally causes a stink

I wouldn't call it that. You had a very reasonable request.
And since they wound up doing it anyway, obviously they were just sticking to rules for rules sake.

plus scored a reservation at Boma before our night at Animal Kingdom.

Nice,

I won't bore you with another spreadsheet.. until I book FP+ that is

I hope everyone has a great rest of your week!

You too!

 

[vrajewski10513]

If you have no interest in planning your vacation outfits then stop reading....

NOW....



So I went shopping with my DSis today and picked up a couple pairs of shorts to round it my vacation attire! So here you have it...

11 days, 11 outfits.
If only it were that easy
I'm sure I'll end up with double that number by the time our trip actually gets here!

Now just to figure out my shoes ​

 

[vrajewski10513]

Tori! Bad girl! <hits her on the nose with a rolled up newspaper... which is interesting because I wouldn't do that to my pups.

Ouch!!

Holy crap

You're tellin' me...

move. At some point, enough is enough.
I sometimes resort to something like this: "I drove an hour to get here, it's going to take me an hour to go back, add in another hour prep time and dealing with you. I charge $25/hour for my time. Did you want to pay me now or just give m

Great idea! My time is valuable and people should be paying me for it!

wouldn't call it that. You had a very reasonable request.
And since they wound up doing it anyway, obviously they were just sticking to rules for rules sake.

Exactly. They knew all along they could do it, they probably just didn't feel like it

 

[Disneylove1228]

I agree with you about the outfits!!! I have mine kind of laid out in my mind, one for each day but I mean... what if I don't FEEEEL like wearing that .... that one day?? or what if I need to change because it rained or my 1 year old blew chunks on me?! I mean... we need options!! Those are cute BTW!! Love the Belle one the most!!

 

[pkondz]

If you have no interest in planning your vacation outfits then stop reading....

Bye!

(Okay... even though I'm a guy, I'll take a peak at what you've got.
Hmmmm.... actually, maybe because I'm a guy, I want to know what you're wearing!)

11 days, 11 outfits.

Good Lord.

If only it were that easy
I'm sure I'll end up with double that number by the time our trip actually gets here!

Now just to figure out my shoes

OMG! Shoes too!!??

Ouch!!

Let that be a lesson!

Great idea! My time is valuable and people should be paying me for it!

Yer darned tootin!

 

[afwdwfan]

If you have no interest in planning your vacation outfits then stop reading....

NOW....

My planning involves throwing all my shorts, a few Disney t-shirts and Under Armour shirts into a bag. Done.

But since there aren't many words, might as well keep "reading" anyway.

11 days, 11 outfits.

That's a lot, but it never hurts to pack a few extras. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want to have to do laundry on vacation anyway. Doesn't hurt to have 1 or 2 backups in case of that sudden rain storm or something causing you to want an unexpected change of clothes.

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Thank goodness you were able to get the MNSSHP tickets that day. I would have been very angry as well if that had happened to me. I think its great you are also doing the party on one of your US days!

Also, I LOVE all of your outfits! I recognize so many of those shirts from Hot Topic. I know we have talked about it before, but that store is just so amazing...and deadly at the same time

 

[vrajewski10513]

(Okay... even though I'm a guy, I'll take a peak at what you've got.
Hmmmm.... actually, maybe because I'm a guy, I want to know what you're wearing!)

Haha my entire vacation wardrobe is different variations of shorts and tank tops. I'm a very low maintenance kinda girl when it comes to clothes

OMG! Shoes too!!??

No, actually I was planning on going barefoot. I heard those Disney bathrooms are the cleanest around

My planning involves throwing all my shorts, a few Disney t-shirts and Under Armour shirts into a bag. Done.

Sounds like my husband. I usually end up packing some extras for him because I like to be overly prepared.

That's a lot, but it never hurts to pack a few extras. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want to have to do laundry on vacation anyway. Doesn't hurt to have 1 or 2 backups in case of that sudden rain storm or something causing you to want an unexpected change of clothes.

I'll probably end up with enough clothes for about 2 weeks once all is said and done. I'll pack a bunch of extra basic plain (non-disney) shirts and a few extra pairs of shorts for just what you said. Its inevitable to get caught in atleast a storm or two at Disney in the fall!

Thank goodness you were able to get the MNSSHP tickets that day. I would have been very angry as well if that had happened to me. I think its great you are also doing the party on one of your US days!

It takes alot for me to actually show my aggravation, so I think they could tell that if they didn't do something I was really gonna lose it

Also, I LOVE all of your outfits! I recognize so many of those shirts from Hot Topic. I know we have talked about it before, but that store is just so amazing...and deadly at the same time

Thanks! I knew you would recognize them I'm eyeing up a few more, but I wont get them unless they have a good sale in the next few months. I DID however grab these tanks for my sister and I from Etsy! I'm thinking I'll have to try and get some A&E fastpasses for a nice photo op when we wear them!

Etsy is starting to be my new guilty pleasure. I need to pull back the reins before I have more clothes than I'll be able to wear on our vacation!
I also ordered this cute little outfit for my nephew!

 

[pkondz]

Haha my entire vacation wardrobe is different variations of shorts and tank tops. I'm a very low maintenance kinda girl when it comes to clothes

Best kind.

No, actually I was planning on going barefoot. I heard those Disney bathrooms are the cleanest around

Oh good! Now I know where to go to eat if it's raining out!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

These are super cute!!! And yes! You should definitley try to get a A&E FP! I probably won't meet them when I go in July, but I am interested in seeing how their new home will look in Norway.

Etsy is starting to be my new guilty pleasure. I need to pull back the reins before I have more clothes than I'll be able to wear on our vacation!

Lol, I have thought about going on Easy to look for cute Disney clothes/things, but I am very afraid... all the items always look so cute....

I also ordered this cute little outfit for my nephew!

I love this as well! he is going to look so cute!

 

[vrajewski10513]

Good morning!!!!


I hope everyone had a lovely holiday! Independence day for my US friends, and Canada Day for my Canadian buddies!


FP+ day is quickly approaching! I did my double digit dance a couple weeks ago, but you probably didn’t see it because I’ve been working 60+ hours a week for the last few weeks lol


Anyway, here we are today:

We’re having a little get-together with my Sister, FiL, his wife, BiL and SiL to work out fast passes together. I have our schedule of what parks were doing and when, so we really just need to figure out when and where to use our FP+. Jeremy and I are going to help everyone out with choosing what they want to do because aside from BiL & SiL its new territory for everyone else. Heck, even the last time my BiL & SiL went was prior to magic bands and FP+, so really Jeremy and I are the only ones with experience. So that should be interesting. Especially because I have a feeling that our FP+ selections will be a bit different from my BiL & SiL due to the fact that they have a toddler to consider when choosing theirs. Also, my FiL and his wife are so-so about the coasters so IDK if they will want to do any of those…. We shall see how it works out!


So, since we went through a travel agent, the tickets we got are considered “convention tickets” and include one free day at the water park! Which is great because we originally were planning on getting the WP&M ticket with Park hopper but decided the additional cost wasn’t worth it for us. So now we have a free day at a water park, and we chose to spend it at Blizzard Beach! Why did we choose which park to go to now, you ask? Well friends, we decided that if we were gonna do it, we would do it right.. so we booked a Polar Patio! The total cost is $292 for the time of year we are going, so split that between 8 people it really is quite affordable. Add to that that we get an attendant for food/drink orders, a free cooler bottled water, refillable mugs for the day, a locker right on the patio, and just knowing that we don’t have to worry about anyone taking our stuff or staking out chairs for the day made the decision a no brainer! In case you’re not familiar here is what a Polar Patio looks like:

Since we have a cozy spot to relax we may take the day a little slower and spend more time there than originally planned. We have nothing booked this day until our Ohana reservation.


Also got some more good news about the F&WF! They have their Eat to the Beat concert series and so far during our vacation we will be able to see Wilson Phillips and Plain White T’s! If I had to look at the current line up and pick which groups I wanted to see if would be these two, so I’m really pumped for that!! There is a small gap still TBD during our stay, so fingers crossed for Boyz II Men!! They are confirmed performers, just no confirmed dates yet.


The only bad thing about planning a vacation in the fall is that at this point in time I start wishing my summer away. We don’t get much of it in Buffalo so I really try to enjoy the weather while its nice. But, as most of you know, a 10 night Disney/Universal vacation trumps my need for an enjoyable summer lol


I feel like were finally in the home stretch of this LONG anticipated vacation. I started this PTR with 536 days to go and now were down to 82!! We have everything paid off, and now were just waiting to do FP+… After that its just a waiting game!


Have a great weekend everyone!​

 

[vrajewski10513]

Oh good! Now I know where to go to eat if it's raining out!

These are super cute!!! And yes! You should definitley try to get a A&E FP! I probably won't meet them when I go in July, but I am interested in seeing how their new home will look in Norway.

Me too, but Frozen Ever After is a priority and I feel like they will both be considered Tier one attractions.. So we will see what I can work out!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Love the Polar Patio rental......a WONDERFUL splurge for your water park day . We have booked a cabana for both our Aquatica days, and IMHO its the best money we could spend (of course, its a tiny bit easier to justify when we paid just $44.10 for each of our rentals: at that price, we simply could not pass it up). Spending all day long in the heat, sun and water is super taxing: you will love having a private space to relax and recharge.

Remind me again.....are you guys doing a MNSSHP?

 

[vrajewski10513]

Remind me again.....are you guys doing a MNSSHP?

Yes! We're actually doing it on 9/30 while we're still at Cabana Bay lol I figure Universal closes early for HHN so instead of hanging around City Walk or the Hotel we can use the time to go to MNSSHP and free up some time while we're actually at Disney!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Yes! We're actually doing it on 9/30 while we're still at Cabana Bay lol I figure Universal closes early for HHN so instead of hanging around City Walk or the Hotel we can use the time to go to MNSSHP and free up some time while we're actually at Disney!

Awesome!! Are you dressing up? Have you got your costumes yet?

 

[vrajewski10513]

Awesome!! Are you dressing up? Have you got your costumes yet?

We are! Me, Jeremy, my sister and her BF are going as the ninja turtles. We haven't gotten any costumes yet. I think we're just gonna get the Ninja turtle shell t-shirts and get the masks and such in our coordinating color. We can't bring the fake weapons unfortunately lol

 

[pkondz]

FP+ day is quickly approaching! I did my double digit dance a couple weeks ago, but you probably didn’t see it because I’ve been working 60+ hours a week for the last few weeks lol

First off. Woot! on the double digits.
Second.... 60+ hours/week??? And I thought I was crazy!

We’re having a little get-together with my Sister, FiL, his wife, BiL and SiL to work out fast passes together.

Oh, that should be fun.


(Said with tongue planted firmly in cheek.)

So, since we went through a travel agent, the tickets we got are considered “convention tickets” and include one free day at the water park! Which is great because we originally were planning on getting the WP&M ticket with Park hopper but decided the additional cost wasn’t worth it for us.

Nice perk!

So now we have a free day at a water park, and we chose to spend it at Blizzard Beach!

Why did you choose which park to go now?

Why did we choose which park to go to now, you ask?

I did! It's like you knew I was going to ask that!!!

Well friends, we decided that if we were gonna do it, we would do it right.. so we booked a Polar Patio! The total cost is $292 for the time of year we are going, so split that between 8 people it really is quite affordable. Add to that that we get an attendant for food/drink orders, a free cooler bottled water, refillable mugs for the day, a locker right on the patio, and just knowing that we don’t have to worry about anyone taking our stuff or staking out chairs for the day made the decision a no brainer!

Niiiice! I had no idea that even existed.

Since we have a cozy spot to relax we may take the day a little slower and spend more time there than originally planned.

Also got some more good news about the F&WF! They have their Eat to the Beat concert series and so far during our vacation we will be able to see Wilson Phillips and Plain White T’s! If I had to look at the current line up and pick which groups I wanted to see if would be these two, so I’m really pumped for that!!

That's great! I haven't looked yet to see who's playing if/when we're there.

I started this PTR with 536 days to go

But so close now!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Anyway, here we are today:

YAY!!!!!

We’re having a little get-together with my Sister, FiL, his wife, BiL and SiL to work out fast passes together.

Fun! I hope it all goes smoothly!

So, since we went through a travel agent, the tickets we got are considered “convention tickets” and include one free day at the water park!

Awesome! When it works into my vacation, I love going to the water parks!

Well friends, we decided that if we were gonna do it, we would do it right.. so we booked a Polar Patio! The total cost is $292 for the time of year we are going, so split that between 8 people it really is quite affordable. Add to that that we get an attendant for food/drink orders, a free cooler bottled water, refillable mugs for the day, a locker right on the patio, and just knowing that we don’t have to worry about anyone taking our stuff or staking out chairs for the day made the decision a no brainer! In case you’re not familiar here is what a Polar Patio looks like:

This looks so nice! And definitely a reasonable price for your group!

 

[afwdwfan]

I'm glad to see things are coming together nicely. Good luck with FP+ and I'd tell you to take it a little easier at work, but sometimes that Disney budget requires 60+ hour work weeks.

 

[vrajewski10513]

Second.... 60+ hours/week??? And I thought I was crazy!

Well it is split between two jobs, so it doesn't seem quite as tedious as 60+ hours at one job... BUT that also means that I'm not getting paid overtime for my 20+ unfortunately.

Oh, that should be fun.


(Said with tongue planted firmly in cheek.)

Lol it really eneded up not so bad. Nobody killed eachother lol

Niiiice! I had no idea that even existed.

I didnt either until a couple weeks ago! We've never had time to go to the waterparks so its very unfamiliar territory for us!

That's great! I haven't looked yet to see who's playing if/when we're there

They just posted the full line up yesterday! Go check it out!

But so close now!

I can practically taste the Dole whip now!

Fun! I hope it all goes smoothly!

More smoothly than I had expected. Me, DH, SiL and BiL are the only ones that have been before really so it was basically us telling everyone else which rides needed FP+ and which ones didn't, then everyone saying "Well you would know better than we would, so whatever you say!" lol I thought having my 2 year old nephew would make it difficult for BiL and SiL, but since hes so young they more or less just chose to schedule FP+ for whatever we were doing and just use rider swap for my nephew. If we can figure out how to best utilize the rider swap we may even get to sneak in a couple extra rides through the FP+ line!

Awesome! When it works into my vacation, I love going to the water parks!

I'm excited! We usually only go for 7 nights, and 2-3 of those are universal so we really have never had time for the waterparks at Disney before so it should be a cool new experience!

This looks so nice! And definitely a reasonable price for your group!

3
Definitely. We figure the trip to the waterpark was a nice "free" perk, so the money spent on the Cabana was kind of an offset to that.

I'm glad to see things are coming together nicely. Good luck with FP+ and I'd tell you to take it a little easier at work, but sometimes that Disney budget requires 60+ hour work weeks.

The sad part is that the Disney Budget doesnt need the additional funds anymore lol I was ready to tell my 2nd job that I wanted to cut down to one day a week when we had a bunch of people quit, and one of our full time managers get hurt. So since I had the experience from being a seasonal manager I was asked to step in as a (part-time) Asst. Manager until she could return. And since I'm too nice to leave them hanging, I said yes... even though I really didn't want to lol