There are no sharks at WDW, so let's go!!!

[lmillercrew]

I should explain my title a little bit and that might entrigue some of you to read this PTR. My DH was bitten by a shark in July 2007 while we were on vacation in Hawaii. He is fine now, after 5 surgeries and many rehab appointments. So, since it's pretty safe to assume that he WON'T get bit while at Disney, it's time for another trip!!
This is my first PTR and I'm quite nervous and hope that some one, anyone, will want to read it. I'll try to be somewhat amusing and I won't profess to be the best speller in the world, but I'm a good time!
Let me introduce the famdamly in order of greatness...
DH, 38 yr old attorney and unaware of the extreme joy I get from reading about my "fantasy world". He is my Superman. He fought off a shark and won!!

Me, Lisa, 37 year old, kinda stay at home mom. I went to work for JC Penny for the holidays so that I could cash in on the discount! I'm SO not a domestic godess, but am addicted to the DIS.

DD17, Katie, lover of boys, shopping and her hair. Not a big fan of school, but what 17 year old is?? She hates to have her picture taken, but I try to sneak some in. She's so photogenic and cute!

DS15, Travis, super sport, 6'4 freshman plays football, basketball, baseball and runs track. He wears a size 15 shoe and keeps me laughing a lot!!

Not sure why his photo is on its side. I've changed it on my computer and shows up normally in photobucket. Damn thing!!!
And finally DD9, Abby, "spoiled brat" (according to Katie and Travis) cheerleader and lover of Disney too.

Well, that's the fam. Now onto the fun part. The craziness of making the reservation, picking dates and a place to stay!
It took me FOREVER to decide which resort to stay at. With us being a family of 5 and me being the tight a** that I am, there weren't many options for us. I really wish that Disney would have more options for larger families that were affordable. But, who am I?
We've stayed at POR, POFQ and ASSP. So, I tossed around staying at BC, CR WL, Family Suites, POR, or two rooms at a value resort. Of course I would love to stay at GF since it is my dream resort, but I'd rather stay there when I didn't have fighting kids and 5 of us in a room. SO, after many discussions and conversations with DH, I decided on POR. We liked it there and I could comfortably afford it.
Continued next post

 

[hlrababy]

Awwww cool!!! I am so excited that your making a PTR!!!! Whooooo hooooo!!!!
You know I will be here with you girl!!!

 

[hlrababy]

OH MY GOSH!! You have to tell me the shark story!! That is my fear whenever I get in the ocean!!!!! So, I only get up to my ankle!!

 

[lmillercrew]

So, the dates are as follows June 16-25 at POR. I changed my dates just a couple of times, which is pretty good I think. We were originally going to go for only 6 nights because DH and I were going to try the Hawaii thing again. Well, with airfare being like it is , and we really weren't feeling Hawaii so much (can you really blame us) I decided not to go to Hawaii and just spend a couple more days at my favorite place on earth.
I called CRO to change our original dates and spoke with someone who changed everything and told me all was well.
Then as I read on the DIS about getting a deal with AAA, I went and spend the dough and joined the AAA cult. I called CRO back with my handy dandy AAA number and got the discount rate. The CM on the phone noticed that I had two ressies under my name. K, second guy didn't take care of business, so we fixed it.
Now we are onto a fourth phone call because I read and someone told me that I should call back and ask about more of a AAA discount because I was only given $4 per night. Whatever!!! So, I called back and the CM discovered that one of the previous CM listed DD 17 as an adult and so we were being charged an additional adult rate per night. Umm... hello dodo!! I told them how old she was when I called the FIRST time. But, I'm not angry at the current CM. It's not her fault one of her coworkers doesn't listen
ANYWAY, now the problem with Katie is fixed and the new stay for 7 pay for 4comes out and I want that deal. I call and am on hold for 1/2 hour waiting to hear from somebody. It's o.k., I like to kareoke to the musak on the phone. Finally the nicest girl comes on and she is very apologetic about my wait. I tell her what I want and if it's possible, and she says sure. SO, she tries to fix it. And fix it. And fix it. She has to put me on hold, then she comes back on and apologizes again and tries to work it out for me. She can't figure it out so she goes to get a supervisor. Then, finally she says she has to get an IT guy to look at it. What?? What had happened was supposedly I had too many people listed on my reservation. We had to cancel my existing reservation and book another one. That phone call took almost an hour!!! I've never had so many problems with booking a trip as I did this time. Crazy!!! Let me say that this young lady was very nice to me, we laughed at all the shinanigans going on with my reservations.
So, on June 16 we will be checking into POR and sitting in this spot, waiting to take on the WORLD!!!

 

[lmillercrew]

OH MY GOSH!! You have to tell me the shark story!! That is my fear whenever I get in the ocean!!!!! So, I only get up to my ankle!!

OH my gosh!!! I'm so excited you're here! I feel like you are one of the popluar DIS people, so I'm honored that you're going to read my PTR. Well, at least try anyway. I have so many questions about how to post and answer questions. I'll get to that tomorrow, but tonight I'll answer your question.
DH and I went to Hawaii last summer with my parents and my DGrm. We left the kids with DSIL and were very excited to spend almost two weeks in paradise. On the third day we were there, DH went out snorkeling by himself, while I went with the rest of the crew to swim down the beach. We were on a military installation and a couple of MP's came riding down the beach on 4 wheelers telling everyone to get out of the water because of a shark sighting. (I've been to that beach many times between 1984-1987 because my DF was stationed over there. NEVER a shark) So, we get out and I tell my dad that we better go find Harvey because he's out in the water and won't hear the yelling. Then, the ambulance drives by and I just start crying. I didn't know ANYTHING, just had a feeling. So, we get down to where he had gone out and there was a crowd gathered round and looking down on the beach. I start to go over to the crowd when an MP stops me and said that I need to stay back. I tell him that my husband was out snorkeling and that I need to make sure he's o.k. "what's your husbands name?" "Harvey Miller", "Mam, your husband was bitten by a shark." OH MY GOSH!!! "he's o.k. and cracking jokes, but it's pretty bad."
SO, by the time I got to him he was all bandaged up and getting put on the stretcher. He was taken by ambulance to the other side of the island, while I followed behind in the MP's vehicle. I had my swimsuit on, my DH t-shirt and someone else's flip flops.
Well, DH had seen some fish scatter and thought that he had spooked them. NOPE!! It was an 8-10 ft Tiger Shark. It grabbed Harvey by the left calf and pushed him up out of the water enough so that Harv could punch him a couple of times and then the shark let go and swam away. Harvey started screaming and a man on shore heard him and swam out and pulled Harv into safety. That man saved my DH life.
It was the vacation from HELL to say the least. He spent the next 5 days in the hospital and I had to push him in a wheelchair all around Waikiki and give him shots in his stomach so he wouldn't get a blood clot, and fill prescriptions, and take him to the doctor before we left the island.
You can read all about him if you just google his name. Harvey Miller shark. He was on the Early Show and we were on Good Morning America. It was all so surreal and we still can't believe it EVER happened. I'm very blessed to still have him here.

 

[pmama]

First of all I am speechless. What a story. I'm so glad your husband survived.

With that said, I am looking forward to your TR.

Your great sense of humor is obvious and I know your TR will be great fun to read. Thanks for giving me the heads up.

 

[hlrababy]

OH my gosh!!! I'm so excited you're here! I feel like you are one of the popluar DIS people, so I'm honored that you're going to read my PTR. Well, at least try anyway. I have so many questions about how to post and answer questions. I'll get to that tomorrow, but tonight I'll answer your question.
DH and I went to Hawaii last summer with my parents and my DGrm. We left the kids with DSIL and were very excited to spend almost two weeks in paradise. On the third day we were there, DH went out snorkeling by himself, while I went with the rest of the crew to swim down the beach. We were on a military installation and a couple of MP's came riding down the beach on 4 wheelers telling everyone to get out of the water because of a shark sighting. (I've been to that beach many times between 1984-1987 because my DF was stationed over there. NEVER a shark) So, we get out and I tell my dad that we better go find Harvey because he's out in the water and won't hear the yelling. Then, the ambulance drives by and I just start crying. I didn't know ANYTHING, just had a feeling. So, we get down to where he had gone out and there was a crowd gathered round and looking down on the beach. I start to go over to the crowd when an MP stops me and said that I need to stay back. I tell him that my husband was out snorkeling and that I need to make sure he's o.k. "what's your husbands name?" "Harvey Miller", "Mam, your husband was bitten by a shark." OH MY GOSH!!! "he's o.k. and cracking jokes, but it's pretty bad."
SO, by the time I got to him he was all bandaged up and getting put on the stretcher. He was taken by ambulance to the other side of the island, while I followed behind in the MP's vehicle. I had my swimsuit on, my DH t-shirt and someone else's flip flops.
Well, DH had seen some fish scatter and thought that he had spooked them. NOPE!! It was an 8-10 ft Tiger Shark. It grabbed Harvey by the left calf and pushed him up out of the water enough so that Harv could punch him a couple of times and then the shark let go and swam away. Harvey started screaming and a man on shore heard him and swam out and pulled Harv into safety. That man saved my DH life.
It was the vacation from HELL to say the least. He spent the next 5 days in the hospital and I had to push him in a wheelchair all around Waikiki and give him shots in his stomach so he wouldn't get a blood clot, and fill prescriptions, and take him to the doctor before we left the island.
You can read all about him if you just google his name. Harvey Miller shark. He was on the Early Show and we were on Good Morning America. It was all so surreal and we still can't believe it EVER happened. I'm very blessed to still have him here.

Aww, you are too sweet!!!!! I am really glad to be here with you! Its too bad we aren't going at the same time!

OH MY GOSH!!!!! I have chill bumps up and down my arms and legs!!!!! Your poor husband!!! Oh my gosh, and I could not imagine how you were feeling!!!!!! Thank God he is okay now!!!!!

 

[lmillercrew]

Thanks you guys for your thoughts about my DH. So, since our "vacation" to Hawaii was so great, we decided to go on a mini vaca to my happy place. (that's what I call it) You know, when you repeat it in your head over and over? That was me for MONTHS. Anyway, our anniversary was in Nov, so we decided to go to WDW in Oct and attend MNSSHP 2007. We had a really good time. We went without our children and it was a totally different experience. Here are some photos of our good time.

How appropriate. (I'm sure that's not proper spelling, but you know)

Chip was pretending that he was riding a Harley because DH was wearing a Harley shirt! It was very cute.

So, now to my plans for the upcoming trip. I don't really have a whole lot planned yet. I know that I want to eat breakfast at CP so that I can be in the MK before rope drop. I've seen the opening show and gone in with the masses, but I've never done an early morning breakfast. I'm too cheap to plan too many TS meals, but we really enjoyed the CP lunch in 2006.
I would also like to try one of the Poly TS meals. Which ones would you recommend?
I'm definately taking the famdamly to the BC to eat at Beaches n' Cream. I KNOW DS could do some serious damage to the kitchen sink. He eats like there's no tomorrow.
So, I'm thinking maybe one or two more TS meals. Oh where oh where to park my fat hynie and feed my face??? Any suggestions?

 

[lmillercrew]

I also don't want to go commando, because when we do this is usually what happens when we do.

As you see from this picture, there is much love between brother and sister. NOT!!!
And, just so we can see the problem I'm going to have in fitting my mammoth of a son in a bed, let's just see how much he's grown in the last two years. He turning 13 in 2006

He just turned 15 this year

So, I'm thinking he won't fit on the trundle bed, he will get the bed, DD9 will get the trundle, and DD17 will get an air mattress. She won't like that, but oh well. It's not about her. Who knew

 

[lmillercrew]

For anybody that's out there, let me just say AARRGGG!!!! (I'm sure that's not how you spell a yell, but I gave it a try) I just spent $700 big ones fixing my furnace. So, the fixer guy comes to clean the furnace and find out what the heck that damn rattling is, that's been there since we bought the house in 2002, and discovered that we needed a new fan. So he says, "you can replace the part for $600 or get a new furnace for $3000". Umm... that's a toughy. Part please!!!
Merry Christmas kids! You get the wonderful gift of heat this year

 

[pmama]

Oh, bummer. Those surprise repairs always seems to come up at the wrong time. Glad you didn't have to replace the whole furnace though.

Wow, your son really has grown in the last couple years.

And I got to thinking, this is just a technicality but WDW DOES have sharks at TL. Only they are not the '8 foot rip into your leg sharks'.

 

[hlrababy]

Oh my gosh!!! Your son is soooo tall!!

I hate when unwanted repairs come up! It can put me in the worse mood!!!

 

[winkers]

Oh my goodness, I can't believe your dh was attacked by a shark!!! That validates my fear of swimming in anything that isn't man made and I can see the bottom!!

 

[lmillercrew]

Oh, bummer. Those surprise repairs always seems to come up at the wrong time. Glad you didn't have to replace the whole furnace though.

Wow, your son really has grown in the last couple years.

And I got to thinking, this is just a technicality but WDW DOES have sharks at TL. Only they are not the '8 foot rip into your leg sharks'.

I know, I thought of that after I wrote the title. I still couldn't swim with those sharks even before DH got attacked. Speaking of attacks, he had the nerve to watch Jaws II the other night. I just don't get it. He came home from Hawaii and sat and watched Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. It really upsets me and I'm glad that he can do that, but UGH!
I am glad that we "had" the money to replace the part. It could've been worse.
I hope you had a great Turkey Day and that you were able to spend time with your family.

 

[lmillercrew]

Oh my gosh!!! Your son is soooo tall!!

I hate when unwanted repairs come up! It can put me in the worse mood!!!

Ya, I was in a pretty crappy mood yesterday. I had to go back into work at 7:30 to put up all of the Black Friday signs because we open at 4 a.m. Just a question, Do stores really NEED to open at 4 o'clock in the morning???? Aren't the sales still the same at 7?? Just seems ridiculous to me.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Did you go to your side of the family or to Chad's? We just stayed home and had some friends from church. It was very nice.

 

[lmillercrew]

Oh my goodness, I can't believe your dh was attacked by a shark!!! That validates my fear of swimming in anything that isn't man made and I can see the bottom!!

I never minded swimming in the ocean before. My dad was stationed over there for three years so we went to the beach all the time. My biggest fear on that particular beach were Portugese man-o-war. There hadn't been a shark attack on that beach in 50 years.
I hate swimming in lakes and ponds because there is no way for the icky water to get out. I completely get you!!

 

[lmillercrew]

Woohoo!!! I'm on page two. I never thought I'd get here, but I did thanks to you guys.
So, who can tell me how to respond to multiple posts so I don't have to do each one separate?
Anyone doing Black Friday?? DH and I are talking about it.

 

[lmillercrew]

I can't believe I forgot my little rant for the day. Here goes, sorry if any of my readers are men, I love my man.
In my next life, I want to come back as a man and have a wife. That way, I can just sit and play football and video games on Thanksgiving day. I know a lot of you know what I'm talking about We all need a wife!!!

 

[winkers]

I can't believe I forgot my little rant for the day. Here goes, sorry if any of my readers are men, I love my man.
In my next life, I want to come back as a man and have a wife. That way, I can just sit and play football and video games on Thanksgiving day. I know a lot of you know what I'm talking about We all need a wife!!!

I feel the same way!!

 

[pmama]

Woohoo!!! I'm on page two. I never thought I'd get here, but I did thanks to you guys.
So, who can tell me how to respond to multiple posts so I don't have to do each one separate?
Anyone doing Black Friday?? DH and I are talking about it.

right next to the QUOTE button on the bottom right of each post is a "+ sign. press that on each post you want then push reply on very bottom. All the selected posts will pop up under one reply post.