There’s No Turning Back Now! 7/23 - Link to my new PTR!

[-Hope-]

It looks like a fabulous get away! That place is really beautiful.

137 steps!! I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to do that in wedding shoes!

Foamhenge is cool! I've been to the actual Stonehenge and it looks pretty good.

I can't wait to hear about Phineas and Ferb! As soon as I saw you'd posted this I checked to see when it would be in our area. I ultimately decided to pass because we have tons of vacation plans, day trips and weekend getaways in the works and I have to stick to my budget! This is soooo tempting though because we love P&F!

Can't wait to read about your last night.

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Hi, all! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

What a nice mini trip report! I am loving everything about it!! Your little cabin was sooo cute and “homey”, although I’m still thinking about poor Old Man having to sleep on the couch! Next time you make sure there’s another bed for him, ok? We don’t want him to be uncomfortable.

Thanks, Ann! The cabin was wonderful. I'll have pictures of the outside in my next post.

Would you believe I have never been to a Waffle House? There aren’t any up this way. I hear they are open 24 hours a day though, popular spot after drinking and the bars close. OMG!!! Speaking of food, we FINALLY have a Cracker Barrel up in Maine! It’s in South Portland which is an hour away, but we have one!!! I’ve only to been to one once and that was down in Florida on my first honeymoon (yes, with the sperm donor!) I just think they are so cute!

As far as Waffle House goes, I don't think you're missing much You know, I've never been to Cracker Barrel! We have a few in the area, so maybe we'll check it out.

I wish you would have taken a picture of the gift shop so we could see it. Now, is it a gift shop just for the Natural Bridge or are there other attractions in that same area?

Me too! I'm not going to be self conscious next time because I hate regretting not getting a picture of something! That place was TREMENDOUS but I think it only sold souvenirs for Natural Bridge.

The daredevil in me really wants to cross the path where the water has overflown……I hate being told not to do something. Like “no trespassing” signs are like a magnet to me! Hee hee! Does the trail go on much longer than that point?

I really wish we had climbed over that chain! My Old Man is a play-by-the-rules kind of guy (ex-military) and he turned around as soon as he saw that sign! I had to ask him to wait a sec so I could get the pictures, but I was so tempted just to hop over that barrier! We could've made it across that little bit of water! The trail went on for about 3/4 of a mile after that and it ended at a waterfall, so I really felt like we missed out.

I think Foamhenge is a riot!!! How cool is that to have a replica made of foam??? Wouldn’t the rain and snow ruin it, though? Obviously not if it’s still standing.

If I ever go back there, I'll have to walk up that hill and get some closer pictures of Foamhenge to see how they did it. It's been standing for a few years, I think, so it must have some sort of sealant on it or something. I'm really curious about that.

And then there is my favorite picture of you and the Old Man sitting on the bench…..can we hear an “awwwweeeeeeee”…….

I love that picture

So, when are you going to enlighten Old Man on the wonders of Disney???

You and I were wondering the same thing! I was thinking about how cool it would be if he and I took a trip with our kids. They are close in age and I think it would be fun. Then I started thinking that it would be REALLY cool if he and I took an adults only trip to Disney World! I'm thinking maybe early 2013 for my birthday, so let's hope it works out between us! He and I went out on Friday and I overheard him talking to one of his friends about how I planned out our whole weekend getaway "in the woods" and how he really liked it, so I can just imagine how I could plan something really special if we went to Disney!

It looks like a fabulous get away! That place is really beautiful.

Thanks, Hope. The Lexington area and Natural Bridge were gorgeous! I really want to go back one day.

137 steps!! I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to do that in wedding shoes!

Yeah, I don't think so

Foamhenge is cool! I've been to the actual Stonehenge and it looks pretty good.

Foamhenge was really cool. I'd love to see the real Stonehenge one day! If I ever get to go to England, that will be a must do.

I can't wait to hear about Phineas and Ferb! As soon as I saw you'd posted this I checked to see when it would be in our area. I ultimately decided to pass because we have tons of vacation plans, day trips and weekend getaways in the works and I have to stick to my budget! This is soooo tempting though because we love P&F!

Can't wait to read about your last night.

I cannot wait to go to Phineas and Ferb! That cartoon is one of the few cartoons I actually enjoy watching with my kids I love how P & F always find creative ways to spend their time rather than just wasting time in front of the TV all day Oh, and I love all of the songs! There are some days I can't get "A Backyard Beach" out of my head!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Happy New Year!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Years Eve and is ready for a great 2012! This is the year my kids and I are finally going to make it down to Disney World with my sisters! Now that the holidays are over, I finally have some time to devote to planning the Summer Sibling Trip! I even made a ticker! I have made a few plans so far – I mean WE! We have been making plans…yeah…we…OK, just me. I’ll admit it but my sisters said they trusted me with making the decisions about the ADRs and park days etc. I’ll have an update detailing the ADRs we made after I am done. We didn’t put down a deposit on our room(s) yet, so I have had to make the ADRs one day at a time. So far, I have gotten everything that I wanted and I think that my sisters and my kids will be happy!

After ADRs are done, I have to see if I can convince my sisters to wear a t-shirt or two with DISigns on them We’ll see… I was thinking of doing some on tank tops so that they can put them over another tank top and only have to wear them for a few pictures I have to have a few cutesy pics I can use to embarrass them on Facebook!

Speaking of tank tops, I have to do a little research on dealing with the heat while touring! The kids and I have always been to Disney during fairly mild weather, but I remember what it was like when I was a kid visiting Orlando in the summer. It was surface-of-the-sun hot! When it wasn’t blazing hot, it was pouring down rain! I don’t know if I am prepared for this! But I will be! You guys know me! This just gives me an excuse to plan brand new things such as a modified packing list and an honest to goodness touring plan to beat the crowds! Lots to do…

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Whoohooo! It seems much sooner when I see your ticker!!!!!! Our first trip was in early Sept. of 2008 and it was SWELTERING. I remember being wet as soon as we walked out the door (but admit, that's nearly all I remember, I think I have blocked out the bad memories!) I think if you are prepared for it and don't care if you are soaked with sweat, roll with it, and drink lots of water, you'll be good!

 

[-Hope-]

Happy New Year! Hurray for having time to plan (and DIS)!!

Somewhere in my old PTR is a link or a list (can't remember which) of all of the rides/attractions that have air conditioning. I tried to plan my touring around getting into a place with air conditioning on a regular basis so we could stay cool. All of the CS places will give you FREE ice water if you ask. We brought those individual kool-aid packets to add to them in case the water didn't taste good but we never had a problem. They also have those spritzer bottles. My daughter bought one on our trip and it was GREAT! You can take it to any vendor in the parks and they will fill it with COLD water.

Can't wait to see what ADRs you choose!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Whoohooo! It seems much sooner when I see your ticker!!!!!!

The ticker makes it feel more real to me

Our first trip was in early Sept. of 2008 and it was SWELTERING. I remember being wet as soon as we walked out the door (but admit, that's nearly all I remember, I think I have blocked out the bad memories!) I think if you are prepared for it and don't care if you are soaked with sweat, roll with it, and drink lots of water, you'll be good!

I think you’re right that if I prepare myself mentally, I’ll be able to cope with being drenched all day

Happy New Year! Hurray for having time to plan (and DIS)!!



Somewhere in my old PTR is a link or a list (can't remember which) of all of the rides/attractions that have air conditioning. I tried to plan my touring around getting into a place with air conditioning on a regular basis so we could stay cool.

That is a great idea to break up the touring with air conditioned attractions. I’ll have to look for that list!

All of the CS places will give you FREE ice water if you ask. We brought those individual kool-aid packets to add to them in case the water didn't taste good but we never had a problem. They also have those spritzer bottles. My daughter bought one on our trip and it was GREAT! You can take it to any vendor in the parks and they will fill it with COLD water.

Gotta love free! I’ll have to get some of those Kool-Aid packs because I know my aren’t going to only drink straight water!

Can't wait to see what ADRs you choose!

I can’t wait until I can share some actual trip planning with you guys!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

When we got back to the cottage, I started taking pictures right away because I didn’t want to get comfortable inside and miss my opportunity LOL! This was our cozy little cottage



I loved that there were rocking chairs on the porch as well as a café table set. Too bad it was too cold to use either of them





To the side of the cottage was the firewood. I was glad it was cold enough to use this!



I loved this walkway because it reminded me of a little bridge in the back of my grandparents’ house that crossed over a creek in their backyard



The cute red front door of our secluded getaway had a sweet little Christmas tree on one side and a welcome sign on the other







The back door was red as well and it led to a deck that had these nice chairs as well as a grill









Once again, I wished it was warm enough for us to use all of the amenities. This was the view of the woods from the back



I would love it if my Old Man and I came back in the fall when the leaves were turning. We’d be able to enjoy the gorgeous views while we grilled or went back to Natural Bridge or if we finally made it to a vineyard! I could also imagine the town covered in red, orange, yellow and brown leaves. I’m not complaining though. The area surrounding the cottage was absolutely beautiful and I wouldn’t change a thing about this trip!

After taking my pictures, I went back inside and saw my Old Man laying on the couch. He was channel surfing to find a funny movie for us to watch. I laid down next to him and put my head on his chest. I could feel his heart beating like a metronome and the rhythm of it almost made me fall asleep! Luckily, he found a movie and I was able to stay awake because we were laughing and talking all afternoon. Well, maybe not all afternoon! Haha! By the evening, we were both feeling lazy so we opted out of going out to dinner. When he came back, he built a fire and we ate in front of it while watching TV. It was a wonderfully relaxing evening.

After dinner we started to fill the Jacuzzi



It looked really nice but it smelled really bad! The cottage was on a well water system and that much water in one place smelled a little pungent! We weren’t bothered by the smell of the water when we used it for anything else – I mean, we noticed the odor but it wasn’t overwhelming. Plenty of people in my family have had well water houses but the water never smelled that strong. I tried to ignore it and I suggested that we use the bath salts that the cottage provided, but my Old Man couldn’t get over it! LOL! Really, I’m not sure the herbal bath salts would have covered up that strange scent. It was worth a try, though! You can’t win them all, so we didn’t get to use the Jacuzzi. I was really looking forward to that but my Old Man made it up to me

On Sunday morning, I didn’t want to get out of bed because I didn’t want our trip to end. My Old Man said that next time we will have to book our place for an extra day so that we could stay and watch the games together. He and I are both Redskins fans (it has been hard being a fan this year, but Hail to the Redskins!) but we haven’t watched a game together yet. We mostly texted each other during and after the games, but it would be fun to actually watch with him. Hopefully, we’ll still be together next football season and we can do it then. He better not mess up! Haha! Just kidding! Sort of…

We packed and tidied up a little in preparation to leave. We carefully packed away our only souvenirs – two mugs that the cottage provided for us to use and take home!



I thought that was another nice touch! When we were done packing, my Old Man reminded me that we still needed to sign the guestbook. Back on our first night there, we read a few entries in the guestbook. The one from a couple who visited the cottage the weekend before us said that they “enjoyed” the Jacuzzi and “enjoyed” the king sized bed. My Old Man joked that “enjoyed” had a double meaning, so all weekend we said that we would write in the guestbook that we “enjoyed” the sofa and “enjoyed” the kitchen counter! Haha! Not that we “enjoyed” any of those places… Anyway, I thought it was really sweet that my Old Man wanted me to sign the guestbook because he knew how much I enjoyed writing. Of course, he could have also just not felt like signing it himself! LOL! Seriously, though, he has been really supportive of my writing ever since he found out it was one of my passions. So I wrote a paragraph in the guestbook, complimenting the cottage – and the comment I made about enjoying it was sincere, not a double entendre! Haha!

 

[-Hope-]

Awww, that sounds great! :

I'm glad you guys had a good time... even if you didn't get to "enjoy" the jacuzzi.

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Awwwwwwweeeeeeee......what a very nice update!!! . You sound wonderfully happy and it's about time!!! Now if we could only start planning the super sibling trip (with the long lost white sister, of course!!!!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Awww, that sounds great! :

I'm glad you guys had a good time... even if you didn't get to "enjoy" the jacuzzi.

Thanks, Hope! We did have a fantastic time!

Awwwwwwweeeeeeee......what a very nice update!!! . You sound wonderfully happy and it's about time!!! Now if we could only start planning the super sibling trip (with the long lost white sister, of course!!!!

yes, there will be an actual PTR update shortly - as you ever so gently reminded me to do on FB And yes, it is about time I'm happy! I'm so very happy

It's a love fest!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Who is ready for some trip planning?!? I am! I had a crazy Friday the 13th and I need some Disney in my life! I'm not superstitious (unless you count how I still kinda feel like writing a PTR jinxes a trip ) but last night had me feeling that I needed to throw some salt over my shoulder or something! Long story short: My day started off slow and I thought I was going to have an easy day. Suddenly, my day descended into a comedy of errors too complex to even get into on here. Then I had to go to DC after work and I took the Metro. Somehow, my keys fell out of my pocket ON THE METRO! I was essentially stranded because the Metro doesn't run anywhere near where I live and I didn't know how I was going to get home. Later today, I'm going to call their lost and found to see if someone turned in my keys. If not, I'll have to call the dealership to order another one since I don't have a copy! Make that two keys because I don't ever want to be in that predicament again! In any case, I was mere seconds away from a full blown panic attack when my Old Man sensed something was wrong and texted me to call him when I could. I called and he immediately could tell I was upset even though I was trying my best to hold it together So he came out to the Metro station to pick me up and drop me off at home. What a relief! He actually did say that he knew that he needed to talk to me for some reason. See? We have a connection on a higher level It's weird when stuff like that happens. Anyway, he did his best to "talk me off the ledge" and I felt a little better by the time he dropped me off at home. I was de-stressed enough to realize that all I had to do was find or replace my keys and problem solved! It could've been a lot worse. I could've lost my badge for work or my cell phone - Heaven forbid losing my cell phone! Wow! I always claim to make a long story short and I never do! So let's talk ADRs!

Wait! One more long story short! This time, I'll try not to prove myself to be a liar and actually keep it short!

There is a possibility that my brother Kyle (formally known as Louie) may be coming on this trip!




Cheers! It seemed like it took FOREVER for him to turn 21! He's 15 years younger than me, so we've only been able to (legally) drink together for a few years! Speaking of which, Kyle also has his birthday in February, so my Old Man is throwing us a joint birthday party at a local bar Anyway, back to Kyle, I'm glad that he might be coming on the trip. That's the good news, but the bad news is why he might be coming. He broke up with his fiancée right before Christmas He seemed to be dealing with it OK but I could tell that he was sad about it. I think that it was hard for him to decide that it was time to end it. He only told me and our sisters about the break up, so it was rough for him during Christmas when everyone else in the family was asking where his fiancée was. He just made up an excuse because he didn't want to dampen the holiday spirit by talking about it. I'm not sure exactly what's going on now though, because I saw him talking to his ex back and forth on Facebook (I felt like a creeper! ) so maybe he's thinking about taking her back? In any case, he isn't going on vacation with her this year as they used to do and he doesn't have to save for a wedding, so he said he might go to Disney with us! On a completely selfish level, I am so happy that he might be coming! I'm just sad for him because of how this came about. I just want him to be happy - with her or without her. I don't want Kyle to be broken hearted, but I also don't want him to be stuck in a loveless marriage. I know all too well what that's like! Typical me, making a joke out of something serious! Also, very typically, this was not a long story short situation

My whole point of this was that since Kyle could be joining us, I made the ADRs for six people instead of five. I figured that it would be easier to remove a person from the ADR if he didn't come than to add a person to the ADR if he did come This is also one of the main reasons we haven't reserved our rooms yet. We've decided not to do a suite because it's cheaper for us to get two rooms at a Value. It's about $100 cheaper for each of them and about $400 cheaper for me since I have three people! What surprised me was that it wasn't any cheaper to add Kyle to their room! The per person cost was only a few dollars cheaper! I'm giving Kyle about a month to decide but I'm hoping we'll book our rooms by mid-February. It's driving me nuts not being able to book it yet! At least it didn't affect making ADRs. I did it day by day and (just like last time) I often forgot to do it until the middle of the day! I got everything I wanted so I hope that means crowd levels will be manageable! So far it looks like 6 and 7 crowd levels (out of 10) per touringplans.com. So here are the ADRs (finally, right??? )

Saturday, June 23rd is our arrival day. That night, we will have dinner at 1900 Park Fare! I'm really looking forward to Prince Charming and the Step Sisters! I think my sisters will love the princesses!

Sunday, June 24 will be our MK and EP day. We're going to have dinner at Garden Grill! Mickey! Goofy! Pluto! Chip & Dale! Not to mention the food! My goodness, the food!

Monday, June 25th will be our AK (and maybe also HS) day. Where to have breakfast? Tusker House, of course!

Tuesday, June 26th will be our HS day and we'll have lunch at Sci Fi. I really think the kids will get a kick out of eating there.

Wednesday, June 27th will be our EP day and we have a before-park-opening ADR at Akershus! This will be a first for all of us!

Thursday, June 28th is our MK day and we have a before-park-opening ADR at Crystal Palace! Winnie the Pooh and friends! Pictures in front of the castle! I can't wait! This might be the day I'll make everyone wear matching t-shirts

Friday, June 29th is... Well, I'm not quite sure what park we'll visit that day, which was why I made a breakfast ADR at a resort restaurant. One of my favs: 'Ohana! Lilo and Stitch and piles upon piles of breakfast food and pineapple bread!

I didn't make an ADR for Saturday the 30th because we haven't decided if we're going to leave that day or if we'll leave on Sunday. I'm pushing for Sunday because I don't know when we'll squeeze in a water park day (something Marissa, Ashley and Kyle really want to do) and I don't want to go to a water park on our last park day. If we leave on Sunday, we can go to a water park after 'Ohana on Friday and go to one of the main parks again on Saturday. We could also go to a water park on Tuesday before we go to HS but we'll see. I have to take some more time to look up park hours and Extra Magic hours. I avoided morning EMH because the only morning person in our group is True! That's also why we only have two before-park-opening ADRs. We'll talk about it later because my sisters are coming over this afternoon to go see Beauty and the Beast 3D with me and the kids! I just love that my sisters love everything Disney too! The trip is getting closer every day and I'm so excited

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Whooohoooo! Look at all those character meals!! LOVE your choices! I can't wait to hear more!

 

[-Hope-]

LOVE! 1900 PF is such a hoot- even stick-in-the-mud DH liked it.

I'm glad your brother might get to come with you- it's tough to see little brothers hurting so hopefully thinking about the trip will help distract him a little. My brother is 12 years younger than me and I can't help but feel a little protective when some girl has broken his heart.

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Yes folks.....we have an update!! Go Erin, Go Erin, Go Erin!! While I'm really excited that Kyle may come on the trip, I'm also sorry how it all happened. I have to give him credit to know when something isn't working out. By the way, he's a cutie! I think it's a good thing that you made the ADR's for 6! I love all your ADR's --- we have a lot of the same ones! OMG on the whole key fiasco! I would have been freaking out, too! I love how he somehow knew to call you....yes, I agree you two are somehow connected. Weird, but cool. You didn't mention which value you guys are planning on.......so, which one?? I was mentioning on Karen's ptr that I really want to stay at POP in 2013, if we go. I just think it looks so neat! I'm just worried about how crowded it might be compared to the moderates we are now used to. Oh well. We'll see.

 

[micandminforever]

Your ADR sound wonderful and full of Disney magic. I am sure your sisters are going to love it. I know you are excited about your brother going and I am sure Coy will enjoy another male going along.

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Whooohoooo! Look at all those character meals!! LOVE your choices! I can't wait to hear more!

Thanks! I got all of those character meals because that was Ashley's one request. I think we'll enjoy them. I just wish there was another character meal in HS besides Hollywood & Vine. I haven't heard many good things about that place. Plus, the characters are more for little kids. Coy actually wants to go to 50's Prime Time Cafe now. Strangely enough, Coy has an assignment for his Computer Science class to plan a trip with a budget including all meals, all activities and transportation! You know he chose WDW! He's been all over the boards and different websites. It's all I can do to keep from helping him with his project! but he's doing a fantastic job. I wonder if he'll mind if I post it when he's done? In any case, he chose most of the same restaurants I did but after researching all of the restaurants in the parks, he wants to go to 50's Prime Time Cafe too. I'll have to see if I can make that happen

LOVE! 1900 PF is such a hoot- even stick-in-the-mud DH liked it.

I'm glad your brother might get to come with you- it's tough to see little brothers hurting so hopefully thinking about the trip will help distract him a little. My brother is 12 years younger than me and I can't help but feel a little protective when some girl has broken his heart.

I truly cannot wait to go to 1900 Park Fare! The step-sisters are definitely among my favorite characters in Disney! Hopefully this trip will really take Kyle's mind off of everything. I'm very protective of both of my little brothers, but especially him since he's so much younger than I am. I just can't stand to see him hurt. Luckily, he's been keeping himself busy with school (he has to maintain a high GPA for his scholarship) and work. Not to mention going out with his friends! I'm looking forward to our birthdays so that we can buy each other a few drinks!

Yes folks.....we have an update!! Go Erin, Go Erin, Go Erin!! While I'm really excited that Kyle may come on the trip, I'm also sorry how it all happened. I have to give him credit to know when something isn't working out. By the way, he's a cutie! I think it's a good thing that you made the ADR's for 6! I love all your ADR's --- we have a lot of the same ones! OMG on the whole key fiasco! I would have been freaking out, too! I love how he somehow knew to call you....yes, I agree you two are somehow connected. Weird, but cool. You didn't mention which value you guys are planning on.......so, which one?? I was mentioning on Karen's ptr that I really want to stay at POP in 2013, if we go. I just think it looks so neat! I'm just worried about how crowded it might be compared to the moderates we are now used to. Oh well. We'll see.

Yes, I finally updated! And it's only taken two and a half weeks for me to update again! Or at least I hope to update today... Anyway, isn't Kyle handsome? He's such a sweetheart too. I'm very glad he was mature enough to recognize that it wasn't working out. He's a good kid and he deserves to be happy. Speaking of being a good kid, no one turned in my keys so my wonderful brother drove me to the dealership to get two new ones made. I almost made three so I could give him one, but I trust myself a little bit more than that As far as the hotel goes, we haven't officially decided but it is between Pop and ASMu. I'd prefer Pop but we'll see what the consensus is on that. I have to let my sibs make some decisions!

Your ADR sound wonderful and full of Disney magic. I am sure your sisters are going to love it. I know you are excited about your brother going and I am sure Coy will enjoy another male going along.

Thanks! I'm really happy with the ADRs! I'm especially glad that half of them are for restaurants that the kids and I have never been to before - so we'll have some new experiences on this trip too! I want to make sure my sibs will have the full Disney experience I hope to have them over a few times to discuss planning and have a theme party or two Ashley came over to see Beauty and the Beast 3D but Marissa got sick and couldn't come We didn't talk much about the trip since she wasn't there but every other time the three of us talk or text, our trip always comes up in conversation! I think that they are full fledged Disney converts now! Since Coy is doing that Disney report for school, I think he's converted too! Now we just have to get Kyle into my planning cult... Um.. I mean"group". Planning group! Seriously, though, Coy is very happy to have Kyle coming along. Kyle is more like a big brother than an uncle to my kids and Coy will definitely be glad to have another male on this trip!


So, guys, two weeks is too long to go without updating this PTR! I'm taking my inspiration from Karen (who is enjoying sunny Florida right now with her family) and doing a 30 Day Disney Photography Challenge! I was supposed to start today but my kids were on the computer all night! I'm not going to let that stop me, though! I'm going to pull one of our Disney pictures off of Facebook and post while I'm at work. I have to start today because the 30th day is February 29th and I think It'll be cool to end on leap day. Shortly after that, we'll be close to the 100 day mark until our trip! Planning and crafting and packing should be in full swing then! Fun times!

Oh, and I'm such a sneak! In the time I was writing this reply up, I went on the Disney website and made a dinner ADR for Monday, June 25th at 50's Prime Time Cafe! It's an evening EMH that night and Fantasmic! is that night too, which makes the crowd levels 7.5 out of 10, but oh well. We'll have to deal with the crowds at some point! Coy is going to be so happy that we're going to have dinner there! He better eat all his veggies that night!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

30 Day Disney Photography Challenge - Day 1

A picture of you at Disney with 10 reasons you are a Disney lover:




First off, a disclaimer - True took this picture and instructed me to pose like this! but it is a prime example of the first item on the 10 reasons why I love Disney. So, in no particular order:

#1 I can be silly and act like a kid when I'm in Disney World. We'll, let's get real. I always act like a kid, but it's more socially acceptable in Disney World What's great is that I always see a lot of adults acting silly right along with me!

#2 A Disney World vacation is a getaway that the kids and I can both enjoy. It's a time for us to connect and discover new things about each other because we're out of the routine we're normally in at home.

#3 Since the vacation is paid for up front, I don't have to worry about money at all on a Disney World vacation. As a single mom who is very budget conscious, that means a lot. There is something very freeing about going on vacation with only gas money and souvenir money.

#4 It's also very liberating to know what's for dinner six months in advance! Making ADRs up front eliminates the need to hear that whining question, "What's for dinner?" and believe me, when I don't know what's for dinner, I'm the one doing most of the whining!

#5 Speaking of ADRs - THE FOOD!!! My Goodness, the food! For the most part, I think the food in Disney World is wonderful. Sure, I've had a sub-par meal here and there but I know that when I do, another good meal or snack is right around the corner!

#6 Although there is a lot of prep work for a Disney vacation, the plans aren't set in stone and we can change the itinerary on a whim. I like the balance between having an agenda and being spontaneous!

#7 I love taking pictures of my kids in Disney World. I've been able to capture some truly magical moments and some of the best expressions on their faces. I also love that there is a Photo Pass option so that I can be in some of the pictures with my kids too!

#8 The Cast Members are also part of how a Disney vacation can be very special. In all of my many visits to WDW since I was a kid, I've only come across ONE rude CM and that was back when I was 12 or 13. I know there are bad CMs and CMs who are having a bad day but my family and I have been fortunate enough not to come across them frequently. If anything, they have gone out of their way to make our stay even more wonderful!

#9 The weather! It was beautiful the two times I took the kids to Disney. Granted, it was in the fall both times and the weather was much warmer than it was at home. I'm not sure how I'm going to enjoy the weather this trip considering that it will be the end of June! We'll see. I've got to get my sibs on the fall trip bandwagon for our next trip!

#10 The rides and attractions! I'm sure you're thinking, "Well, duh!" Sometimes it is necessary to state the obvious, OK?

 

[Victoriasmom98]

[COLOR="Blue]Love the start to you challenge Erin!!! Keep those updates coming!!![/COLOR]

 

[-Hope-]

Those are fantastic reasons! I wholeheartedly agree. And the picture is GREAT- good job True!