The Smiths are Heading Back...For 10 Days of Disney Magic! (Updated 8/16)

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

Cute crocs! Can I just say that I can't wait to see all of your little fashionista's outfits for this trip?!

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Cute crocs! Can I just say that I can't wait to see all of your little fashionista's outfits for this trip?!

There is a lot. 10 day trip, 2 outfits per day. Yup, 20 outfits. Which means that Aisling alone will need two suitcases to make sure she doesn't go over the weight limit!

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

OK. Panic has officially set in. If anyone cares to send a good vibe...I'll take it. Randy works for GE and their contract negotiations start tonight. Randy is a union steward so he gets some of the info firsthand and things are not looking good right now. They are talking the big "S" Needless to say, if they strike, it doesn't look good for our trip. Contract isn't up til June 19th. My final payment is due July 5th. If they are on strike, I won't be paying it.

Since we have so much money already tied up in the trip, will will just postpone if we can (which will mean a resort switch since we won't be getting into BCVs on such short notice). So what is a crazy DISer to do when she is in panic mode about potentially having to switch her trip? She looks up available resorts for October (Let me tell you, rack rate for a 10 day trip at a Deluxe or Villa is extremely scary) AKL/V still has openings and since that is our fav...we'll prob end up there (if we can get some kind of deal because at rack rate- we'll be at POP ) I didn't book a room because I didn't want to tie up another $200. But I did make ADRs for the 7th-16th of October! The only places we couldn't get into were Le Cellier and 'Ohana so not too bad. Although those were Randy's only must-dos so we are REALLY keeping our fingers crossed around here that they come to some resolution.

 

[jenb1023]

fingers and toes crossed for you!!!

I grew up in a union household and my DH is a union electrician (non-striking thank goodness) so I can totally empathize with how stressful contract time can be!

I will hope and pray that cool heads prevail and a middle ground can be found!

 

[21hearts]

I hope they come to an agreement soon & that a strike can be avoided.

 

[Jennifer48]

You know what is cool about having DIS friends who live in your town? They can come with you to concerts!!!!!! Jen (Jennifer48) will be screaming like a pre-teen with me and my sister at the NKOTBSB concert. So happy to be able to hang out with her

And I can't WAAAITT!!!

OK. Panic has officially set in. If anyone cares to send a good vibe...I'll take it. Randy works for GE and their contract negotiations start tonight. Randy is a union steward so he gets some of the info firsthand and things are not looking good right now. They are talking the big "S" Needless to say, if they strike, it doesn't look good for our trip. Contract isn't up til June 19th. My final payment is due July 5th. If they are on strike, I won't be paying it.

Since we have so much money already tied up in the trip, will will just postpone if we can (which will mean a resort switch since we won't be getting into BCVs on such short notice). So what is a crazy DISer to do when she is in panic mode about potentially having to switch her trip? She looks up available resorts for October (Let me tell you, rack rate for a 10 day trip at a Deluxe or Villa is extremely scary) AKL/V still has openings and since that is our fav...we'll prob end up there (if we can get some kind of deal because at rack rate- we'll be at POP ) I didn't book a room because I didn't want to tie up another $200. But I did make ADRs for the 7th-16th of October! The only places we couldn't get into were Le Cellier and 'Ohana so not too bad. Although those were Randy's only must-dos so we are REALLY keeping our fingers crossed around here that they come to some resolution.

Fingers crossed and lots of heading your way!!

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

fingers and toes crossed for you!!!

I grew up in a union household and my DH is a union electrician (non-striking thank goodness) so I can totally empathize with how stressful contract time can be!

I will hope and pray that cool heads prevail and a middle ground can be found!

We are a double union household here...thankfully I can't strike either. We just work w/o a contract which in some ways can be much worse BUT the upside is that even if I don't get anything new...I at least get paid My contract is up in December....which means I'll probably be spending 2012 w/o any contract

I hope they come to an agreement soon & that a strike can be avoided.

Thank you I feel like a brat to be complaining about a vacation when so many people have lost their jobs and can't afford their daily living but if you can't vent on DIS, where can you vent???

And I can't WAAAITT!!!

Fingers crossed and lots of heading your way!!

Thanks Jen!!! We are going to have a blast!!!

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

I'm definitely sending lots of vibes your way and hoping for some pixie dust! I would be so stressed out, but I think it is so smart of you to plan ahead! At least you will be well prepared for either circumstance. Of course I hope that there is no strike and you can carry on with your original plans. Please keep us posted!

 

[jenb1023]

Just popping in to say hi! How was the concert?

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Just popping in to say hi! How was the concert?

It was so fun!!!!! Jen, my sister, and I had a blast. And I might have eaten my weight in Italian food beforehand

Tomorrow is the Glee concert. So excited to surprise Ash again!!!

Sorry that I'm neglecting this PTR again. We should know the fate of Randy's contract within the next 2 weeks. I feel like I'm holding my breath until then and don't want to get toooooo excited about a trip that may not happen

 

[jenb1023]

Glad the concert was a blast!!! Hope tonight's is too! I figured you were sitting tight until you knew something more. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you!

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

I'm back!!!! At 12:15 this morning, we got the news we have been waiting for. A tentative agreement was reached Which means......

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So so so excited. We still have to pass a vote of the 15,000 members BUT I have to figure at least 7501 of them have brains Seriously it's a really GOOD offer, way more than they were expecting.

So that being said, there was insane talk of tours and AP upgrades today. And that was just from Randy (the "I pretend to hate Disney but secretly love it" guy)

Let the final planning begin! We only have 59 days!

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

OMG! My ticker is gone!!! The ticker I've had for a YEAR (my last trip was 13 months ago) . I don't know if I can make another one and see Tink go all the way back to the beginning

 

[jessica52877]

Woo hoo! Wonder where your ticket disappeared too.

 

[21hearts]

Yay that your trip is on & boo about your ticker.

 

[jenb1023]

I said this on FB but. . . .WOO-HOO!!!!! So glad it looks like the strike will be averted and your trip is on! Let the crazy planning begin!

PS If you want a fun cheap tour, we did Behind the Seeds in January and we all liked it - including Jordan.

 

[Lady Lallie]

I've been awful keeping up with TRs lately but I am so super happy that your Disney trip is still going to be able to happen. Let the super duper planning begin!!

 

[Jennifer48]

WOOHOO!!!

I want to hear about the AP & upgrade discussions!! Go big or go home!

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Woo hoo! Wonder where your ticket disappeared too.

Yay that your trip is on & boo about your ticker.

I said this on FB but. . . .WOO-HOO!!!!! So glad it looks like the strike will be averted and your trip is on! Let the crazy planning begin!

PS If you want a fun cheap tour, we did Behind the Seeds in January and we all liked it - including Jordan.

I've been awful keeping up with TRs lately but I am so super happy that your Disney trip is still going to be able to happen. Let the super duper planning begin!!

WOOHOO!!!

I want to hear about the AP & upgrade discussions!! Go big or go home!

I want to cry. I did a whole long response to you all and it disappeared. Ugghhhh!!!!!!

Anyway, thank you for all the well-wishes. We passed another major hurdle yesterday as the big shots on the negotiating committee voted to accept the contract 9-1. The "little guys" on the committee vote today and then all members vote on Friday. Randy keeps assuring me that these votes are mainly formalities and the contract is pretty much a done deal at this point.

Now if you watch the national news or live near a GE plant, you might have heard that the contract includes a hefty bonus...payable in JULY! Perfect timing for our vacation! So hence the discussions about how to spend (translation: blow) said bonus.

First option is APs. This would make sense if we could figure out what we are doing in 2012. Randy's Uncle (the one he lived with when his dad died) is renting a house in Orlando again next winter (you may recall that Aisling went with my MIL this past February). This time he's planning a 2 month rental. So it's an option for us to go down. Hopefully sometime before Aug we will figure out if we want to go. It woud mean a major change in our touring style (because I'm not going back and forth off site. When we leave for the day, we are done)

Randy's next idea was to break a Disney rule and do the Wild Africa Trek. You need to be 8 (according to the WDW website...although some sites are reporting 9) Ash will be just shy of 8. BUT I'm thinking when I call, these folks have her bday in the system. They know she's not 8. So don't think that is going to work. Also not completely loving the idea of an animal tour that you can't bring your camera on I get why you can't take pics of behind the scenes stuff but animals????

Stacy has yet to give me her review of Behind the Seeds but given that we do our own garden, I don't know how thrilling this would be for Ash.

Family Magic is an option but it seems like something a newbie might like but for "seasoned" WDW travelers likes us...not so much.

So maybe Disney might not get our bonus money at all! Then again, the idea of a Disney Cruise from Santa was also thrown out there

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Oh and I know I owe pics of various things we've been up to and I've fallen totally behind of other folks TRs. Hoping to catch up tonight. My mom is taking Aisling out to celebrate her report card