There was a dearth of Mickey Bars -a March 2015 PTR- update 4/1 - link to TR!

[ksl5f123]

Sounds like some good plans.

Thanks! They hit everyone's highlights, which is good, but they miss several things too.

Hollywood Studios plans sound good. I've also found that it's hard to fit in the shows with FP+ times and ADRs. Hopefully you'll get to do a few things before you have to leave.

Yeah! I am still working and re-working. I just don't know what we could fit in the afternoon.

You have a busy morning at HS. Sounds fun!

It would be a very busy morning!

 

[ksl5f123]

OK, so last night after I posted the DHS touring plan, I just couldn't feel settled about it. I don't like the timing and I feel like we are going to miss a lot. I am trying to balance a good day at DHS with some time at AKL to enjoy the animals and do some of the programs there. So, last night DH and I hashed out two more possible plans.

Option 1:
8:55 AM ADR at Boma
11:30 AM – head to DHS
12:30 PM Frozen Sing-Along/ Star Tours with FP
1:15pm Toy Story Mania with fp
1:35pm 50's Prime Time
3:00pm Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Playground
4:00pm Disney Junior show
4:30pm Animation Academy
5:15pm Indiana Jones Stunt Show for those interested – Characterpalooza for every else
6:00pm Animation Academy
leave or line up for 8:30 PM Fantasmic!

The advantages of this plan over the original are:
- We get to sleep in. After two pre-park opening breakfasts the previous two days, and staying at Epcot for at least 12 hours the day before, we might be tired and not want to try for rope drop.
- The shows fit a lot better in the afternoon
- I could go to Characterpalooza!!
- Morning time and possible late evening time at AKL to view animals and participate in the programs.

The disadvantages are:
- only one ride on TSMM. I will not wait in an hour line, so rope drop, FP or forget it!
- DH prefers the dinner food at Boma because it has a more African feel (I tolerate the dinner food at Boma for the sake of my family and would much rather have breakfast - although, that does mean no zebra domes... unless I get them from Mara)

Option 2:
10 am – head to DHS
10:30 am TSM with FP
11:00 am enter for 11:15 Indy show use FP
11:45am Animation Academy
12:30pm lunch at 50's Prime Time
2:30pm Frozen Sing-along (2:45 show) and Star Tours with FP
3:15pm HISTK playground
3:45 pm Animation Academy
4:10 pm Lights, Motors, Action or leave
7:20 PM – supper at Boma

advantages:
- still gives us the sleep in option
- morning and evening animal time
- DH gets his supper at Boma

disadvantages:
- still no 2nd ride on TSMM
- no Charactarapalooza
- no Disney Junior for D
- if we sleep in, it isn't much animal time in the morning.

So, what do you think? Initial plan, option 1, or option 2?

 

[SarahDisney]

I'm a huge TSM fan, but unfortunately I think it is hard to fit it in more than once (unless you're willing to wait on the super long line, and I totally understand why you're not).

I think that too many early mornings in a row can really take a lot out of you (we had that on our last trip - we got up early pretty much every morning and were dead on the last day) - so unless you're sure you can make it to rope drop and still have the energy to keep going the whole day, sleeping in might be a better bet.

Of the new plans, I like option 1 - I think it covers almost everything (except that coveted rope drop TSM).

For me, personally, I would go with sleeping in and probably option 1 of the new plans. But I think that's a matter of what works for you - if you think you can get up for rope drop, you can stick with the initial plan, but if not, pick whichever of the two new plans you think covers the most important things for you.

DHS is definitely one of the hardest days to schedule, so I totally understand why this is so difficult!

 

[ksl5f123]

I will have a longer update to post tomorrow (I hope), but I just needed to say this in a place where people will understand - The Travel Agent calendar for March now has 8 AM openings for MK on the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th weeks of March. We go the 4th week! Why would they do that?!? Don't they know I am sitting on a pre-park opening ADR at CP and I need to know if I should keep it or not? Besides, if we have another hour in the morning, I need to rearrange the touring plan. Ugh! Hurry up and decide please Disney!

 

[ksl5f123]

I think that too many early mornings in a row can really take a lot out of you (we had that on our last trip - we got up early pretty much every morning and were dead on the last day) - so unless you're sure you can make it to rope drop and still have the energy to keep going the whole day, sleeping in might be a better bet.

Of the new plans, I like option 1 - I think it covers almost everything (except that coveted rope drop TSM).

For me, personally, I would go with sleeping in and probably option 1 of the new plans. But I think that's a matter of what works for you - if you think you can get up for rope drop, you can stick with the initial plan, but if not, pick whichever of the two new plans you think covers the most important things for you.

DHS is definitely one of the hardest days to schedule, so I totally understand why this is so difficult!

We did RD for each of our DL days this past summer. Somehow, DL didn't wear me out the same way WDW does. I am thinking that the 3 days in a row are going to be too much.

I really want option 1, but DH really wants to stay with the dinner at Boma. We just need to find our compromise.

 

[ksl5f123]

I haven't updated about our movie parties in a while. So, let me get back to that! Our 60 day party was The Little Mermaid. That movie brings back lots of memories for me. We played the music to it when I was in marching band in high school and I remember watching it with friends MANY times my freshman year of college.

The main course was Ariel's hair with dinglehoppers.



DH also picked up some California rolls from Kroger. It was a busy week, so I didn't get around to making dessert and the vegetable was green beans from a can (that C declared to be Flotsam and Jetsam).

Our 50 day party was The Lion King. I wanted to do a really yummy African peanut soup, but again time got away from me. So, we had Simba two ways (garlic bread and pasta, hummus and carrots) and bugs, slimy yet satisfying (grape tomatoes and basil on more garlic bread). For dessert, I bought the kids a pack of Zebra cakes. They loved them - DH and I skipped that one.


You can see that J's VERY large Simba joined us at the table.

 

[KatMark]

I'm here and following along. Love the introductions of your beautiful family.

And I'm enjoying the highlights of your DL trip.

The kids costumes are adorable.

 

[ksl5f123]

I'm here and following along. Love the introductions of your beautiful family.

And I'm enjoying the highlights of your DL trip.

The kids costumes are adorable.

Thanks for stopping by! We had a lot of fun at DL this summer. It was such a different experience. I am just happy my girls still let me sew for them.

 

[ksl5f123]

Well, it has been a week since I made it on to update. We have had so much going on! Let's start with the Disney stuff. We are now 31 days from departure! Our magic bands have all be customized. Because of our split stay, we each get 3 bands. Everyone has a blue one, C and I have yellow and pink and DH, J, T, and D have red and green.

I finished J's Elsa dress a couple of weeks ago, but I keep forgetting to post the pictures. Here is the front:


and here is the back


She has a white cotton shirt with little ruffled sleeves that she will wear under it for modesty.

I have also been working on their Art of Animation shirts. Hopefully you can tell that each Mickey head contains characters from each of the four movies represented at AoA. I have considered adding some lines coming down from each to make them look like balloons and writing "art of Animation" at the bottom, but I am thinking that maybe I should just let well enough alone. Opinions?


In other news, Girl Scout cookies arrived today! We live in what I would call a small city (about 50,000 people), but today we unloaded 70,000 boxes of cookies off of the truck.

Luckily, only 5,345 boxes of those came home with me.

The kids were also off of school today for ice. We got just under an inch of ice Sunday night. They were already off Monday for Presidents Day, but got to stay home today too. We don't own sleds since it only snows about once a winter, but the kids made due with some cardboard they found in the garage.


I am hoping they get to go back tomorrow.

 

[KatMark]

The Elsa dress looks great and I love that the kids used cardboard boxes as sleds.

And I want to come to your house for movie night.

 

[SarahDisney]

Elsa dress looks great! And I like the Art of Animartion shirts as they are, I don't think you need to add anything to them.

I hope some of those 5,345 boxes that you brought home are ones the girls sold! If not ... that's a lot of cookies for one family to eat ...

I love the cardboard sleds - very inventive!

30 days ... trip is so close. Yay!

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Sorry I've missed a few updates. Not sure how that happened

Love the movie nights!

The Elsa dress is great and so are the shirts.

We have been dealing with ice and snow as well. Not quite as much as you but enough to put a damper on our plans for the week.

 

[jchurch0409]

Found your PTR a few days ago! Love reading through all your plans! We got an ice/snow storm this week as well, our first this year. The kids were out of school Monday and Tuesday for the holiday and now had yesterday, today, and tomorrow off as well. We are going stir crazy!

I am excited to see more of your sewing projects!! I am busy making things for our first trip in May. I always love to see other's creations in PTRs.

 

[ursalita]

I like the new boards but I've seem to lost track of the threads I was following. Sorry about that.

I love your movie night themeing, especially the lion pasta!

I love the AoA shirts just as they are.

Girl Scout Cookies!! I can't wait to start seeing the sales, I can't resist them.

 

[ksl5f123]

The Elsa dress looks great and I love that the kids used cardboard boxes as sleds.

And I want to come to your house for movie night.

Thank you! My kids are pretty creative. Today they built a "snow fort" using the sand buckets from our last beach trip. You are always welcome to movie night. We have a good time!

Elsa dress looks great! And I like the Art of Animartion shirts as they are, I don't think you need to add anything to them.

I hope some of those 5,345 boxes that you brought home are ones the girls sold! If not ... that's a lot of cookies for one family to eat ...

I love the cardboard sleds - very inventive!

30 days ... trip is so close. Yay!

Thanks! I have decided to leave the shirts alone. The cookies were not just my girls, but for both of my troops. I am down to just over 400 boxes in the house!

Sorry I've missed a few updates. Not sure how that happened

Love the movie nights!

The Elsa dress is great and so are the shirts.

We have been dealing with ice and snow as well. Not quite as much as you but enough to put a damper on our plans for the week.

That's OK. I have been having computer issues so I am on-again-off-again with the DIS. After the ice last week, we now have snow. It is only about 2 inches, but school was cancelled again today and tomorrow. Tomorrow we get to have our very first Cyber-day! Wish me luck with that one!!

 

[ksl5f123]

Found your PTR a few days ago! Love reading through all your plans! We got an ice/snow storm this week as well, our first this year. The kids were out of school Monday and Tuesday for the holiday and now had yesterday, today, and tomorrow off as well. We are going stir crazy!

I am excited to see more of your sewing projects!! I am busy making things for our first trip in May. I always love to see other's creations in PTRs.

So glad to have you here! I hear you about stir crazy. I really need to get out tomorrow. I hope the weather clears enough for us to do a few errands.

I love seeing other people's sewing projects too. I have been so inspired by the DISboutique thread on the Family board. Hopefully, I will get our AK shirts going tomorrow.

I like the new boards but I've seem to lost track of the threads I was following. Sorry about that.

I love your movie night themeing, especially the lion pasta!

I love the AoA shirts just as they are.

Girl Scout Cookies!! I can't wait to start seeing the sales, I can't resist them.

No problem. It took me a little while to figure out the new boards too. The lion pasta was my favorite - very simple and yummy!

I'm still resisting eating the cookies. My advice to all Girl Scout parents - buy your cookies LAST! Why? There are various incentive levels for the girls. If you buy early, it is very likely that your daughter will come up 5 boxes short of the next incentive and you will still have to buy 5 more boxes. This problem can often be avoided by waiting to buy.

 

[ksl5f123]

It has been a busy couple of days here! Our first cookie booth sales were this weekend. C's troop sold for 3 hours on Saturday and 3 hours on Sunday. J's troop sold for 3 hours on Sunday and after all of the Masses at our church. Both days, the high was 40 degrees. I brought extra hats and gloves for the girls as well as some of those little hand-warmers that you shake. One very nice man went to Starbucks and bought all of my Brownies hot chocolate (and he bought 2 boxes of cookies)! The girls were really appreciative.

Just as we finished our sales on Sunday, the snow started. It has snowed off and on for about 24 hours now. So, despite the fact that we only got about 2 inches, the kids were out of school.

Back to Disney stuff! Our Magic Bands have now moved to the "customizing" stage and will hopefully ship any day now. We also watched The Heffalump movie for our 40 day party. I forgot to post this one!

The "tablecloth" is D's blanket. The sandwiches are peanut butter and honey and were cut to look like Pooh and Tigger with some cookie cutters I have. Then we have Rabbit's garden (carrot sticks in hummus) and our dessert which is Rice Krispie treats made with Honey Nut Cheerios instead of Rice Krispies. We also had some mozzarella sticks (not pictured) which I think the kids decided were Eeyore's house.

We are behind having our 30 day party because of cookie sales. We are down to just 3 movies on our list - Up, Planes, and something Mickey Mouse (probably The Three Musketeers). I just need to get inspired about one of those but it is tough since I haven't seen Up or Planes before.

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Tomorrow we get to have our very first Cyber-day! Wish me luck with that one!!

I'm sure you can do it. From mom's who've dealt with it I've heard that it can be rather easy and makes things nice ( at least for the parents at home!)

The Pooh movie night looks great. I've gotten behind on a few of those myself.

 

[KatMark]

I LOVE the UP movie...such a sweet movie.

I love the Tigger and Pooh meals...so much fun.

Where do you live that they cancelled school over two inches of snow?

 

[Jackiemarie21]

I promise I have been following along, just on my phone and I hate commenting from it.

Your plans look good! I can't beleive how close you are getting to your trip...how exciting!

Love the Elsa dress, turned out very cute!

Your cookie talk have me seriously hoping my Tagalongs get here soon! The other night I had a "nightmare" my cousins DD accidentally marked me down for three boxes of thin mints and not my beloved Tagalongs. It was a serious crisis! Gotta love those pregnancy dreams!

Your Pooh night looks fun!