TheNeverEndingPTR! Sept2010...no, November...WAIT! January?Ugh. maybe September 2011!

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Monsters Inc. Movie Day!

Well, kind of a movie day. We didn't actually WATCH the movie! All the kids had seen it and the girls just wanted to play after we did our activity.

After we went walking, we came back to my house and made door & eye cookies! I thought I had sugar and I didn't, so when I got to the store and saw that sugar was the same price as just buying the cookie dough premade, I jumped on it! Call me lazy if you please! It's the truth!

After rolling out the dough and cutting out rectangles for the doors and circles for the eyes, we baked them up pretty quickly. The girls decorated theirs while Jace had fun (hopefully!) playing a little Rock Band with Dallas.

The girls printed out a picture of Boo's door and it had flowers on it, so they were determined to put flowers on theirs. Very cute and simple thing to do that didn't cost a fortune (which is important right now!)

Here are a couple pics of them decorating...
I printed out a little activity book as well, but it was HARD to find Monsters Inc stuff? Next week will be easier b/c I think I already have some stuff saved on my computer. What's next weeks movie, you ask? Well, you have to look through my pictures before I'll tell you! I'm not above bribery!

Next week we are watching Haunted Mansion! I think our mistake this week was picking something they had all seen. NONE of us have seen HM and I'm looking forward to it. I found some really cool paper models that we may try to make and one of them is an actual boardgame! HM is one of my favorite rides, so I'm looking forward to next weeks movie!!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Another great movie night, looks like fun!!! And Haunted Mansion, well, we just love it!!! I was thinking that might be our next movie night as well. My 10 yr old is OBSESSED with the HM!!!! I'm buying the movie for her Easter basket, I know that!

You guys are so creative!!!!!

 

[PixieDustPrincess05]

We're staying at ASMU in a family suite since there are 6 of us! I stayed at Pop when my dd and I went with a friend and we loved it! I had to convince her that All Star Music would be just as fun, she may even like it more as she LOVES music!

What are your dates? I'm worried the rest of my family was spoiled by the end of October weather and is going to die in the heat at the end of September this year, but I've warned them!

Hey Karen!!!

I just booked last week and our dates are 9/20-9/25 at POP. All Star Music is a great place as well, very big and bright, and the Broadway secition looks very cute in pictures I have seen- I have stayed in the Cowboy boots and the Calypso buildings there. I don't think it will be too hot at the end of Sept- and if it is, at least the crowds won't be as bad.

I read your last TR and loved it!!!! Maybe you, Pam, and Ann can get together for a DIS meet if you are there at the same time!!!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

You'll be leaving on the day we arrive Janine! September rocks, we liked it when we went our first trip, but it was the beginning of September and it was HOT!!!!!! I'm preparing everyone for the heat!

 

[PixieDustPrincess05]

You'll be leaving on the day we arrive Janine! September rocks, we liked it when we went our first trip, but it was the beginning of September and it was HOT!!!!!! I'm preparing everyone for the heat!

Darn it, we'll just miss you guys because I believe we are taking a late flight out that evening (I think 9:40pm). Oh well, I am still having a blast reading your PTR and am in it for the long haul !!!!!!

I don't think anything compares to June's heat- that is awful, so I am anticipating it being much cooler for the end of September!!!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Oh boy!!! The heat sure does sound good right about now. I'm preparing myself now to go out into the damn cold! Although I think it's going to be up near around 28 today, so that's better than yesterday!

I'll be prepared in September with misting fans and a lot of pool and water park time!!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Oh boy!!! The heat sure does sound good right about now. I'm preparing myself now to go out into the damn cold! Although I think it's going to be up near around 28 today, so that's better than yesterday!

I'll be prepared in September with misting fans and a lot of pool and water park time!!

The heat DOES sound great right now! I would rather be sweating in the sun than freezing in the snow like I am today.

Have fun dress shopping Pam! Can't wait to see what you pick!!!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Hmmmm, lots of reviewing things and a big blip that might change things. Rey was talking to Eli yesterday (my step-daughter) and she said she wasn't really sure if she wanted to go to WDW with us.

She's 14 and has a lot going on, she was saying that she didn't want to miss her mom's bday (this is the day we leave) but her mom was fine with it. We could change our dates, but something tells me she would either feel forced into a corner b/c she wouldn't have an excuse if we did that. I don't want to make her go if she doesn't want to, but feel like we have limited years that the kids are going to be going places with us, Dylan will be able to DRIVE this year! It blows my mind.

Anyway, I'm heading in the wrong direction...if she doesn't go, this changes a few things. First off, we don't need the suite, although I love that they are in a preferred location and that Rey & I would have a private room. Is this worth 200$?

Then there is the issue of more ADRs. I could upgrade to ddp but no matter how I work the numbers/itinerary, it doesn't seem to fit or please me. ddp is too many TS meals and not enough QSD. QSD has no TS meals and we want some. Of course, this leads me right back to paying OOP for some TS meals, but it just seems like a LOT of money to save 200$ for a single meal! It's crazy. Throw in tips and mugs and I'm all over the place.

We have movie day today, HAUNTED MANSION!!!! Hope & I will walk first though and I'll pick her brain for ideas on what to do. If they would just offer ddp for values, I would be ok, but I'm almost certain they won't and even with just 5 of us, we can't fit at any of the mods except POR and there isn't much about that resort that seems to interest me. I LOVE the theming of the values. Argh! Yup, that's me with my aggravated pirate voice.

If you have any words of wisdom, bring it on! I need all the help I can, it all seems to just unravel in my brain.


Back later with pictures of HM Movie Day!!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Oooo, Haunted Mansion movie day!! My girls will LOVE that. I can't wait to see what you guys do! It will give me some more ideas! I know for HM night for us we're going to eat in the dark with candles flickering on the table.

As for your dilemma? I don't know! I know to save ourselves money we decided not to upgrade to DDP. We'll stay where we are. Which is nice too because I won't have to worry about having 300-400 dollars worth of tips on me. For a family of 6 to eat, even though free, the tip is still going to be a big one.
That is a bummer too, that your stepdaughter doesn't want to come. I'm afraid that Anthony may say that this year. I don't know what we would do if that happened. He hasn't said anything yet, and i know he'll enjoy another Disney trip ,but he will be 14 as well in August, so who knows?

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Yesterday was Haunted Mansion Movie Day!

Hope & Kya came, Jace (Hope's son) stayed home today. We walked at the rec center and then went back to my house and decided to watch the movie first thing! I didn't want the girls to get caught up playing and then I wouldn't get to see the movie!

I printed out an activity book, this one I had to make most of the stuff. I made a word find, printed a couple coloring pages I found for HM and then I found some fun facts about HM and printed those out as well. For later I printed some activities on cardstock and masks of the hitchhiking ghosts!

Hope made our snack! Mmmmm, this thing smelled GOOD, too bad I don't eat pudding & cookies with worms in it! I can imagine myself doing so though! Probably b/c I HAVE eaten stuff like this before, but I'm trying to be good so I refrained.

The girls got their activity books and we all sat down to watch the movie. Savannah was determined to munch on worms while watching, but she was having a tough time of it, those worms were hard to chew! My camera was being strange, blowing all the light out and making it way too bright in the pictures. I have no idea what I was doing wrong, I checked everything. It's a learning process!

We liked the movie! It was funny and had lots of little tidbits of the ride thrown in that I would have never noticed had I not ridden HM. It made it feel even MORE like a Disney Day. They need more movies that are based around WDW so I can watch them! Kya was a little scared by a couple of the parts in the movie that were really creepy, I hope she didn't have nightmares last night. My daughter, however, will do anything to be the oddball, so she loved the creepy stuff and probably would have liked more.

After the movie they started on making the paper models that I printed out. Oh wait, did I say THEY??? These models were not necessarily for children, so Hope and I had to do a lot of them. Savannah was FINE with this b/c she was scarfing down the mud snack that hope brought! I think she would have eaten it all if I had let her. What's bettter than chewy candy worms? Chewy candy worms covered in pudding and cookies.

Kya diligently went to work cutting out some of her models and making them!

I think the bookmark was my favorite (and easiest!). It had a front and back, pics from the portrait room in HM and you could slide out the pic to reveal the spooky bottom part, just like in the stretching room.

Here's some of the other models. Master Gracey's tomb and Madam Leota's tomb, and a little box that was also easier (the things I got from the disney site were much more child friendly than the tombs which were from doombuggy.com, I think.

The masks were cute, but hard to cut out without an exacto knife. I should have put these on cardstock as well, but ran out of white cardstock.

I think everyone had fun! No clue what we are up to next week, I'll leave it up to Hope. We were supposed to be going to our Homeschooling Conference, but we canceled b/c of finances, so we'll have to think of something extra special next week.

 

[-Hope-]

I LOVE the pic of Savannah and Kya on the couch! Savannah being silly and Kya laughing- that is a great capture of the moment!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Your Haunted Mansion day sounded wonderful!!! I don't like chewy gummy worms myself.....but I could have eaten the dirt with no problem!!! Where do you print out the activity books from???

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

the DIS is acting up for me today! I can see you responded to me in my email, but can't get to the actual page in my PTR???

Anywho! I got the printables in 2 different sites. One was a Disney family site and those were the easier printables:
http://family.go.com/holidays/pkg-disney-halloween-printables/

Then there is another site with models (this is where I got the tombstones) and they are VERY intricate! They have the actual mansion that you can make, it looks amazing, but I don't have the patience for it and they say they are not for kids. The girls did ok with them, but needed a little help.
http://www.haunteddimensions.raykeim.com/index301.html

 

[PixieDustPrincess05]

Wow that day looked great!!!!!!!! You and Hope come up with the coolest ideas!!!! I am going to have to try them models!!!!! I have never seen The Haunted Mansion- and am very excited to watch it now!!!!!

LOVE the dirt and worms!!!!!!!

 

[donaldsgal]

I read your TR from October and really enjoyed it! I tried leaving a post on the thread, but there are no reply buttons anywhere....? Weird. I've never had that happen before unless the thread is closed, but there's no padlock on the thread. Very strange. Anyway, I wanted to post that I read it all in two nights, and I'm hopeful I'll be able to follow this one, too! I haven't read far to know if your trip is still on, but I'd guess it is since you're still going strong with the posts here!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I read your TR from October and really enjoyed it! I tried leaving a post on the thread, but there are no reply buttons anywhere....? Weird. I've never had that happen before unless the thread is closed, but there's no padlock on the thread. Very strange. Anyway, I wanted to post that I read it all in two nights, and I'm hopeful I'll be able to follow this one, too! I haven't read far to know if your trip is still on, but I'd guess it is since you're still going strong with the posts here!

Yay! Another reader! Yes, I didn't realize either, but apparently when they put the trip reports in the finished area, they LOCK them???? I wouldn't have asked to have it put there so soon, I missed out on chatting with others about it. Now I know why people drag them out for months!

I hope join in and like my PTR for this trip, it's not nearly as fun as an actual trip, but it keeps me going and looking forward to our trip this fall!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I just need to ramble. Anyone else just have to do that sometimes? Maybe it's just me.

So, with the possibility that Eli may not come, it threw me into more planning and rearranging. Surprised?

We are pretty set on the Family Suite regardless. I think Rey & I need our space. We already have issues having any space to ourselves and limited time b/c he's always gone. On vacation you should be able to sleep in a queen bed in a separate room, right? I also don't have to worry about preferred buildings then as the suites are already in the preferred buildings. The fridge will be nice for my soy milk and the coffee will be invaluable. So, spending $200 extra on the suite isn't THAT big of a deal.

BUT, I'm driving myself mad with ADR's and the QSDP! For anyone who hasn't kept up here, I was sent a pin for free dining, but it's for QSD instead of DDP. I'm pretty sure this is what value's will be offered. Anyway, after looking over the CS places, I found some GREAT options and was pretty excited that we won't be tied down all the time by ADRs. BUT, there are a few places we just HAVE to go. Well, the list keeps getting longer and the OOP cost is making me feel like it's not free dining after all.

We must go to Biergarten, it's really the only place Rey wants to go. Park Fare is the one character meal we really want and Tusker House lunch is a must for me at AK. Not only is it hard to find food for a vegan or vegetarian at AK, but I just LOVE the food there. I couldn't believe it, but really, I remember commenting on how all the ANIMALS seemed to have lots of fruits and veggies, but none of the CS places offer anything I can really eat.

THEN I have the MK issue. I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to avoid rope drop on our MK day. BUT, even though we will have the GAD fastpasses, we will need to do Dumbo first. I don't like rope drop much b/c it SEEMS like there are a million people, even though they thin out pretty quickly. I just don't like the rush at RD and if we were to have an early ADR like we did last year, we could be in the park and miss the rush of people down mainstreet. Is this worth a 100$ meal? I'm not sure. The characters aren't a big deal, I like Pooh, but I can take him or leave him. The food was good, but what I really liked was an empty mainstreet for our pics, not feeling rushed, and missing that hoard of people at RD.

I guess if I save up the money and put it on a gift/disney card for our OOP meals, it won't seem like a big deal once we are there, but looking at the numbers, it just seems annoying to me to spend almost $600 OOP on 4 meals when we are supposed to be getting FREE dining!

The driving issue is still up in the air, if Eli doesn't come, Rey may push for us ALL to drive, which I REALLY don't want to do. The drive was pretty long and we spent just as much money on 4 days driving (2 there, 2 back) on gas, food, and 2 hotel rooms. Rey sounds more and more worried about the buses though, so he may be more willing to drive himself and Dylan down when he realizes that having the car there will give us more freedom at times.

Ok, I'm done rambling. Didn't figure a single thing out and I think I'm just repeating myself over and over, but eventually I'll work it all out in my head!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

It's ok, Karen. Please feel free to ramble on and on.......I think we all understand and if nothing else, we can be here to listen. it really will all work out --- you know it will!!! Just keep swimming!!!! My little monkey wrench now is that Peter might not be able to get the time off to go to Disney. So our honeymoon might just be me and Victoria!!! He works in the heating industry and September is the start of the busy season! Ugh! He thinks if he sends a nice letter off to the owner, it all may work out.....All I can say right now is WHATEVER!!!!!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

It's ok, Karen. Please feel free to ramble on and on.......I think we all understand and if nothing else, we can be here to listen. it really will all work out --- you know it will!!! Just keep swimming!!!! My little monkey wrench now is that Peter might not be able to get the time off to go to Disney. So our honeymoon might just be me and Victoria!!! He works in the heating industry and September is the start of the busy season! Ugh! He thinks if he sends a nice letter off to the owner, it all may work out.....All I can say right now is WHATEVER!!!!!

Sounds like an interesting honeymoon! I hope he can get off, I know that I have sent stuff out to my clients already for the September dates to let them know I won't be available, but I have to keep sending postcards and reminders b/c they will call and try to book petsitting even though I gave them MONTHS notice! It annoys me that I can't even take 1 week a year off without having an issue.

Oy, I'm just in a complainy mood this morning, don't mind me!

 

[PixieDustPrincess05]

Darn!!! I was just going to go on a "mission" to get you to come over to POP with the rest of us- but I can TOTALLY understand where you are coming from with you and Rey needing your privacy. I would probably do the same.

As far as your dining dilemma- it would probably actually be cheaper for you to upgrade to the regular ddp. You would get more TS meals out of this then paying OOP for the original 3 that you plan to do. The only thing is, you still have to factor in tips, the extra snack, and the mugs. Darn- you got me on that one . Ok, so I was doing a little math. You figure you would be paying about 137.95 (4 adults, 1 child) for the QSDP x 7 nights = 965.65, that is what you would be paying if you didn't have free dining. So you figure, even if you do have to pay the 600.00 OOP, you are still saving $$$$$$ by being on the QSDP. Hope this helps!!!