The Phillies won the world series & I'm taking my nieces to WDW! *update 9/2*

[Gisela]

Thanks for reading!

That us soooo sweet about your son. (did you name him for any Phillies players? ) I hope you are both doing well now!

I still cry even thinking of the last pitch- all my family were Phillies fans, and it makes me remember my grandfather and dad who are no longer with us. My grandfather had season tickets and I spent countless nights going to games with him when I was growing up. We buried him with his Richie Ashburn uniform shirt that we'd bought him for one of his birthdays.

His name is Erik Joseph, and while he's not name specifically after any players there is Eric Bruntlett and Joe Blanton! Actually, in the hospital I delivered there were twins born the same morning as Erik and they named them Chase and Cole.

I'm STILL bummed I didn't get to go to the parade, but I was still in the hospital (rough c-section recovery!), so I will have to make it when we win THIS year!

 

[BelleBway]

His name is Erik Joseph, and while he's not name specifically after any players there is Eric Bruntlett and Joe Blanton! Actually, in the hospital I delivered there were twins born the same morning as Erik and they named them Chase and Cole.

I'm STILL bummed I didn't get to go to the parade, but I was still in the hospital (rough c-section recovery!), so I will have to make it when we win THIS year!

Aww, that's adorable to name twins Chase and Cole- I mean, they are cute names in their own right too.

Yes, here is to this yr's parade!!!! Tonight's game was freaking awesome!

On a totally different topic, one of my bosses told me today that his sister just decided to take her family to WDW. Next month. I think the first thing out of my mouth was something like "I hope she doesn't plan on eating at any restaurants" She hasn't been to WDW in like 20 yrs and has obviously not done any research. I have to remind myself that most of the world is not as hard core as DISers....

 

[ZeroToHero]

I am using a 40% off room only PIN so I had to book over the phone, and have no such vouchers. I'll be getting the photopass CD if there are enough good pix.

I'll be taking tons of pix with my new-ish DSLR camera, though.

(I am hoping our CRT photo comes out well so I can buy a nice Disney frame for the biggest photo and then give it to J&M's mom for her birthday which happens to be the day we come home... although I told her that I'll be giving her the best birthday present ever-- her kids! )

Alright, that should work.



As for packing, Lou just told me he packed his underwear and socks - that must mean he's getting excited, if he's starting to pack already!!!!

As for my clothes, I have all my Disney-themed shirts picked out, and a bunch of plaid shorts I bought just for this trip - I have 5 pairs, all the same style, just different colors. They were 10$ each, so I snapped them up, as I needed light shorts. I just hope they go with my shirts... haha. I didn't think about that.

 

[BelleBway]

As for packing, Lou just told me he packed his underwear and socks - that must mean he's getting excited, if he's starting to pack already!!!!

Those are the 2 things I haven't packed yet- need to do a wash.

Announcement: this morning, I met my goal of running 3 miles by Disney during my morning treadmill run/walk.

I am currently preparing my guidebooks to be printed. I am happy with how they look (I've made some tweaks since I last showed them to anyone) and hopefully WDW won't change any more park hrs.

 

[BelleBway]

Update on uncle J's planned surprise...

I asked the girls' mother if she'd heard any more. And she said that he wanted to send balloons or flowers, and she suggested balloons.

We're staying at AKL.

For those who may not be familiar with the policy: "Guests are asked to leave any balloons they purchase with Bell Services to be stored in the Luggage Room. Balloons pose a health risk to the animals if they were to get into the savanna."

Yeah, this is why you should talk to the person who is planning the trip... (wish we had a banging head smilie on this board )

Well it's not my problem so whatever happens... happens...

 

[ZeroToHero]

Maybe whoever he calls to order them will inform him of that policy?

....Probably not. Jeez....

Well hey. Balloons they'll never see aren't as awesome as a trip with you!

 

[BelleBway]

Well hey. Balloons they'll never see aren't as awesome as a trip with you!

I don't want this to be a competition....

Their mom clarified that he won't be able to make her birthday party this yr. But, still, if it was me, I'd send something on the day of her party. (especially since she will be in post-vaca letdown as well as back to school) I can't see ever sending a surprise to either of the girls if they were spending special time with other people. *shrug*

Now, if for some reason they had to be away from home on their birthdays for a not-so-happy reason, I'd totally send something! (not that I can think of such a situation since all the immediate family is local)

I also feel like I should mention that Uncle J is generally totally awesome, so I hope I haven't given him a real bad name here.

Anyway...
Boss basically told me I rock and I should wind down and start living in vacation mode! Wheeeeee

Can't wait to pick up the printed guidebooks at Staples on my way home...

 

[ZeroToHero]

Almost there!

Just wanted to let you know that your surprise is done. It's in 4 bags, because I had to make everything fit in my day pack.... but I wanted them separated so you knew what was what.

I hope you like it...

 

[BelleBway]

I hope you like it...

Aww, I'm sure I will LOVE it!

Last day of work for a week and a half! (taking off 2 extra days when I get back cause I can... and cause I think I will want 2 days of quiet )

I really dodged a bullet last night... for some background, I stayed at a hotel at the end of May because they were offering a promotion for a $50 Amazon gift card. (the idea was my mom would pay for the hotel wherever we stayed; so I'd essentially get a gift card for free that I could use for camera stuff for WDW)

Never got my gift card... complained... hotel decided to make it up to me by sending me 2 $25 VISA gift cards... after some issues with them sending it to the wrong address and other not-so-fun things, I finally got the cards on Aug 4 and figured I'd use them at WDW- maybe apply them to my hotel room.

But then I changed my mind and figured I'd try to use them when I picked up the guidebooks at Staples. Only they were declined. Odd.

After I got home and checked online and called, I discovered that the gift cards had $0 value because the gift card company had been applying a $4.95 maintenance fee since March! Whaaaaaa? The hotel's idea of recovering from a customer problem was by sending me old worthless pieces of plastic! I, uh, sent the hotel company a rather strongly worded email about that...

I am just very thankful I tried to use them last night- because I'm just imagining the nieces seeing me getting a card declined... or having to deal with that stress while at WDW...

Also thankful I am going to WDW, and not somewhere else... because if I had reservations next week for that hotel chain? I'd be making some last minute changes...

 

[ZeroToHero]

Whattt? That's awful. It definitely is a good thing that you tried to use them last night then..... 4.95$ per month is insane! It's not like they really have anything to "maintain". And I can't believe that's been accruing since March if you only just got the cards!

I wish today was my last day - I don't want to go to work on Monday. Actually, I'd rather go to work on Monday than go today - I'm so tired right now, but I have to get going... sigh. Have a nice day, and just remember - only 2 more days!

 

[BelleBway]

Whattt? That's awful. It definitely is a good thing that you tried to use them last night then..... 4.95$ per month is insane! It's not like they really have anything to "maintain". And I can't believe that's been accruing since March if you only just got the cards!

I wish today was my last day - I don't want to go to work on Monday. Actually, I'd rather go to work on Monday than go today - I'm so tired right now, but I have to get going... sigh. Have a nice day, and just remember - only 2 more days!

Those gift card maintenance fees are quite a racket; I already didn't really like VISA/Amex giftcards and now I loathe the very idea of them. (store specific gift cards are usually cool, or at least easier for me to use)

Apparently the fees accrue from when the card is purchased; doesn't matter that I only activated it 2 weeks ago. (or, more precisely, went through the charade of activating it and entering my address in case I wanted to use them online) There really should be a law against that. But since there isn't, the hotel should have known better than to send me gift cards that must have been lying around for a year!

I'm dead tired too... hoping the day goes by quickly...

Wearing a Disney T-shirt to work, though!

 

[BelleBway]

24 hours to flight time and all is well.

Just checked in for our SWA flight and printed or boarding passes... got A16,17,18. I ROCK!!!!!!

(apparently you can't get A1-15 unless you are business or something) I was a little hesitant about flying SWA because of the whole unassigned seat thing- which would not be cool if we couldn't sit together.

My mom is going to check us in for the way home... I'm sorta not as concerned, though, because by then I may want them in opposite ends of the plane from me.

 

[Smile4Me]

24 hours to flight time and all is well.

Just checked in for our SWA flight and printed or boarding passes... got A16,17,18. I ROCK!!!!!!

(apparently you can't get A1-15 unless you are business or something) I was a little hesitant about flying SWA because of the whole unassigned seat thing- which would not be cool if we couldn't sit together.

My mom is going to check us in for the way home... I'm sorta not as concerned, though, because by then I may want them in opposite ends of the plane from me.

They try to never split parties with children up...even if when you check in you couldn't get seats together, all you would need to do is explain that you were traveling with kids, and the flight attendants would actually ask others to move for you...I've done it for people and I've seen others do it...in fact I've never seen anyone turn down a request to move when children are involved.
In fact since there is just one of you and two kids, you could take advantage of the pre-boarding for anyone who needs extra time to get down to the plane.

We've had something similar happen with gift cards as gifts before,..,my boyfriend got a Blockbuster gc from his boss for Chirstmas, and it was empty!


I have a baby shower out of town tomorrow for my boyfriend's sister, so Belle and Zero have safe and fun trips, if I dont catch you on the DISboards before your trips! Its been great planning with both of you!!

 

[ZeroToHero]

I have a baby shower out of town tomorrow for my boyfriend's sister, so Belle and Zero have safe and fun trips, if I dont catch you on the DISboards before your trips! Its been great planning with both of you!!

Same to you! I hope you have a wonderful trip, and.... wait. Looking at your ticker... you're leaving the 25th? And staying at OKW.... are you flying in? What time does your flight get in? Are we going to be on ME together?


That would be awesome!


And Faith, I've been chanting my little mantra: "Tammy left today, Faith leaves tomorrow, Colleen leaves Monday, and then we leave!!!!!"

Sooo excited! Is your magic wand all charged? I'm going to want pictures with you guys for my scrapbook, by the way! If that is okay, of course. Maybe the Photopass guy/gal will take some of us all together.

If you don't check the DIS before you leave, I'll see you at 8:00 on the 25th!!!!!! And since it's assigned seating, we won't be in line until about 7:45, so even though we're oblivious, hopefully we'll be able to find each other in the hour we have before Wishes.

Do M and J know we're going to meet at the Dessert Party? If not, you can keep it that way (or not, up to you), but if they do, tell them I'm very excited to meet them! (this is a creepy face, but it's the only big smile one...)

 

[BelleBway]

Sooo excited! Is your magic wand all charged? I'm going to want pictures with you guys for my scrapbook, by the way! If that is okay, of course. Maybe the Photopass guy/gal will take some of us all together.

If you don't check the DIS before you leave, I'll see you at 8:00 on the 25th!!!!!! And since it's assigned seating, we won't be in line until about 7:45, so even though we're oblivious, hopefully we'll be able to find each other in the hour we have before Wishes.

Do M and J know we're going to meet at the Dessert Party? If not, you can keep it that way (or not, up to you), but if they do, tell them I'm very excited to meet them! (this is a creepy face, but it's the only big smile one...)

Not much time... but 1st I wanted to remind everyone that you can follow us on twitter... www.twitter.com/BelleBway

Girls don't know any specific plans- will be telling them at the airport when I give them their guidebooks! Will definitely mention you guys when I get to Tuesday.

And yes- pix together is a must!!!!!

See you real soon!

Smile4Me- have a great trip and wish we could have made more concrete plans for AK... text me! (or private msg me here, as I should be checking email on my laptop although I probably won't have time to check the boards)

 

[ZeroToHero]

I can't believe I just signed up for Twitter. I've been trying not to... but I gave in.

So now I'm following one twitter thing. Man, I feel like part of the mainstream now.

I don't like it...

 

[Smile4Me]

Same to you! I hope you have a wonderful trip, and.... wait. Looking at your ticker... you're leaving the 25th? And staying at OKW.... are you flying in? What time does your flight get in? Are we going to be on ME together?


That would be awesome!

Yes we're flying, we get to Orlando International at 11! What time do you get there? Where are you staying?!! That would be fun to have someone to talk to sorta in the lines while we're waiting!

BTW,,,reading your stuff on twitter Belle is the first time I've ever even gotten on a twitter webpage...but sorta makes me want to tweet too now!

 

[ZeroToHero]

I am getting in at 10:15, if we're on time.. and we're staying at SSR! So maybe we will be on the same bus.. I don't know how often they send them out.

 

[BelleBway]

In case anyone's wondering... I'm back and it was AMAZING! Sometimes I still find myself tearing up... just in sheer awe of the fact that it really happened.

No, it wasn't perfect. M had a lot of cranky days, and I felt like both girls were way more content to stay in the hotel room watching Disney channel or to go swimming than I would be. (How the heck do I have more heat tolerance and park stamina than kids?!? LOL) But I got through the week with flying colors, maintaining my positive Disney attitude without getting rattled; the girls' parents gave me the ultimate compliment when they said I would have made a good mother.

And I think the girls had a wonderful time, too. J got teary eyed about going home (ok, that also had something to do with school starting...), said that AKL felt like home, and expressed the desire to go back in a couple years. M said she wanted to remember this trip forever. At one point, one of the girls said she'd had no idea that Disney World would be this fun.

I will be writing up a trip report for my website; not sure enough people here are reading- PM me for a link if you are interested. I still am not really able to organize my thoughts. Right now I am still going through my photos- I've uploaded 400+ photos to my site... and I still have 2 more days to go through! And of course I also want to scrapbook.

 

[ZeroToHero]

You know I'd love to read it! I already saw the picture you posted of our mini-meet - I'm working on uploading and editing my 1300 photos... I will send you the one of us when I get to it... even though it's the first day, it's at least 100 photos in!