~~ They're leaving the nest, sew it's time for a trip - or two - or three...~~ D~'s bag ~9/22 ~~

[solana131]

PUPPIES!!! Oh they are so cute

I know nothing of SoG (other than it is near the Poly), so forgive me if this is obvious....but, if you don't stay there, can you still use their US shuttle? Or do you have to stay there for that?

 

[Texan]

I am here - Page 4 - but here! Goodness your PTR and TR's grow fast. This is going to such a fun ride! The excitement is building - Allison has already started planning! And you may get to squeeze November in - I have faith you will make it all happen.

Hope you get on the road to recovery soon - take care of yourself!

Hugs and prayers, Carol

 

[DMGeurts]

I love reading your TR's and PTR's! I can't wait to read more about these trips!

Thank you! I am so glad that you enjoy reading them!

awww, puppies......so stinking cute!!! can't wait to see who comes home with you!

sorry you're not feeling well. hope you're better soon!

sounds like Allison has lots of things to think about on the planning front.

I know!!! She is sending me pictures every day - and they are so adorable! We will go out there Easter weekend (since we will be out there anyways) and we'll get to meet all of the puppies at that time... That's when we will get to choose.

Thanks... I wish I could say I was feeling better this morning.

Yes, she does... She has a few options. It's looking more and more like we will be doing SoG this time around though.

The puppies are so cute. I wish I could have one but I work weird hours so it wouldn't be fair to the dog. It'd be home alone too much.
I'm feeling much better. Thanks for asking. i hope you can finally start to feel better.
I've stayed at POP several times and liked it. It's the nicest of the values. Alli will have fun planning her trip. I made the mistake of letting mu daughter plan a trip and since then she's planned every one.
I have to work late again today. We're planning on starting the movie reset if it's quiet. It's a rainny day so with our luck it'll be busy.
Tomorrow my daughter and I are planning on driving down to the outlets south of us. It's a start shot from the end of my street but it takes about 30 minutes to get there.
Enough your weekend.
Liz

I totally understand... It's so compassionate of you to think that way - many people don't. I am here all. the. time. so I don't have a problem with having another dog. I told Josh the other night - it was either a puppy or a baby - he could choose.

I am glad you are feeling better - me, not so much. I am so over being sick. At least it's just a chest cold and not vomiting - I don't do well with that kind of sick.

Hehehe... So, you're saying that I might regret letting Alli plan this trip?

Have fun at the outlets today! I hope you find some great deals!

Thanks - I hope you enjoy your weekend too!

No way...
there is so much draw dropping information here today!!
First PUPPY!!! I'm so excited for you!!!
Puppy should be 8 weeks at the earliest to be away from mom. Plus first set of shots before going to new home. I cannot wait for puppy updates!!! Names?!?!

Second US?!?!? Really!!! This is exciting stuff!!! Cannot wait to see what other fun things she is going to plan for you!
good for her!!!!

I know - I know!!! I squeel with delight every time she sends me another picture... and I am stalking her FB page like crazy. LOL It's gonna be a long 8-10 weeks... Yes, it will have it's first round of shots and deworming done when we get it. Names... Well - I am pretty much dead set on Cooper... We rarely call MM by "Max" - we always call him other strange nick-names... I could do sooooo much with Cooper. LOL We are all beyond excited for this puppy... I am praying for a cuddler - MM was never much of a cuddler... He was a biter and a bully. LOL

It's going to be a 3 hour car ride home when we finally do get it... I am a bit nervous about that. The kids are definitely coming with me to pick him up, so they can help me every time we have to stop to let him out to potty.

Yah - this US budget is really eating into our trip budget... It just KILLS me that it's $319 for ONE day... And I am a bit nervous that it will be a waste, because you know I get sick from big coasters... Sigh.

I love Harry Potter. It was one of my obsessions for years. I always have a HP book on my nightstand to read before falling asleep. I can see why Allison would like to go there. I've debated that, too.

I saw La Numba at Cirque du Solei last March. It is a fun diversion. Our seats were too close to the stage, which made it hard to take in the whole show at once. I think the middle of the theater would have been better.

We've stayed at SoG back in the old days when it was the Disney Golf resort - or whatever it was called. One nice thing about it was that you can walk to the Polynesian from there. It made it convenient to get to the resort for food or the monorail for parks.

I love Harry Potter too... I am very excited to do this. BUt I am glad she is planning it with me, and now she realizes how expensive it is for her to do these extra things. I know Disney/US plans it this way... Which is annoying.

Thanks for the info about Cirque... I was looking at tickets the other day... I wasn't going to do the really expensive seats... I was thinking like the $100 seats? That's kind of middle-of-the-road, and if what you said is a concern, those seats might be the best ones to get anyways? I'd love to hear what you think about this Sue. It would help me immensely.

We have also stayed at SoG... Back in 2008... We honestly loved it... It was a great resort. It was a LOT of walking - but I think Allison and I are in good enough shape and I really think it wouldn't be that bad. For instance... Coming back from MK - if we stayed at FQ, we'd have to walk to the very end of the bus stops... Then once we got back to FQ - we'd have to walk all the way to our room. If we stayed at SoG, we could walk right to the monorail... take the monorail to the Poly... Then walk right to SoG... Which the walk to SoG isn't that much further than the walk to the bus/room if we were to stay at FQ. And to be honest - on our last trip... All that walking wasn't much of a problem for me at all. I dunno... As much as I love staying at a Disney resort - we really did enjoy SoG and that trip in general - it's a beautful resort... So, we'll see.

Oh my...those puppies are adorable. I so want a puppy, but not knowing where we are moving and if they'll allow dogs, we are holding off. Lucky MM getting a little brother.

I hope you get your sewing done and you are feeling 100% soon.

Have you thought of looking into renting a studio at DVC? It can often be cheaper than a moderate and if you get an AP, you could get a TIW card which would allow you to save 20% on your meals or you could still add the dining plan.

I know!!! We are jumping out of our seats with excitement... I dunno how we are going to last the next 8-10 weeks? LOL It's very smart of you to hold off - especially with all of the changes going on in your lives in the coming future... I hope that where ever you end up - you are able to have a puppy.

Thanks Kathy... I didn't even go upstairs yesterday. Shame on me. I need to find the time today. Josh invited Matt and a few other hockey players for dinner tonight - so I need to clean today too... The house is a pit from me being sick.

I have thought of it... I just always get so nervous to pull the trigger on that one - I know that once we book it our trip is non-refundable, and it just scares me a bit. I might do it one day, but I am not sure I am ready to do it this time? What you said makes a lot of sense - and you are right - it might end up to be cheaper. Do you rent through David's when you rent? However - I will look into it, because I know it's something she really wants to do, and it would be a nice surprise for her... Although - she hates surprises... LOL

awww those puppies are so cute do you have a name for him yet??

Thanks! I know - it's so hard to look at them and not love them instantly! I do have a name for him... I am pretty much set on calling him Cooper. I am a "human name dog person" and I really don't like dog names... I think Cooper is cute, plus we could shorten it or make lots of nick-names with it... And it doesn't sound anything like Max, so it shouldn't be too confusing to them? I hope? LOL

PUPPIES!!! Oh they are so cute

I know nothing of SoG (other than it is near the Poly), so forgive me if this is obvious....but, if you don't stay there, can you still use their US shuttle? Or do you have to stay there for that?

I KNOW!!!! <---- Yes, I did yell that... Well, more like squeeled it. It's going to be a long 8-10 weeks waiting for him to get big enough to come home, for sure!

No worries... SoG is a little hard to wrap a person's mind around, because it's not a Disney resort - but it's a MK property and we would get some perks of being a Disney guest... Like we get EMH, but no ME or DDP... So... To use their awesome shuttle for US/IOA we have to be a SoG guest staying at the resort... Which is a huge thing - IMO... A shuttle that brings us to US/IOA for $10 r/t can't be beat... Plus their US/IOA tickets are cheaper there than anywhere else. Soooo... It's looking more and more like this trip is going to be a SoG trip. Which is fine - we truly did enjoy our stay there last time. Unless Disney comes out with some sort of awesome deal at this time of year...

I am here - Page 4 - but here! Goodness your PTR and TR's grow fast. This is going to such a fun ride! The excitement is building - Allison has already started planning! And you may get to squeeze November in - I have faith you will make it all happen.

Hope you get on the road to recovery soon - take care of yourself!

Hugs and prayers, Carol

Hi Carol... Yay!!! Super glad to have you here and following along! I am really looking forward to planning all of these trips with Suzi/MO and the girls. November is still a little sketchy... I should know more in the coming weeks as other things fall into place. I am really hoping for a green light on this one... I might even be able to talk Josh into it by telling him that Suzi/Mo and I aren't meeting for our birthdays next year (which is something that he really thinks I need to do every year - he thinks it's good for me, and it is).

Thanks Carol... Sadly - I didn't wake up feeling any better this morning. Sigh. I feel like my body is turning to jello as I type. :/

Thanks Carol - same to you!!!

*********************************************************************************************

Nope, I didn't do anything yesterday...

Except stalk my friend for puppy pictures... See...

Seriously - how could anyone resist that sweet sleeping puppy face? Eeeeep! And even better that I can follow along as they grow, because we didn't get to do that with MM.

And then one of MM cuddling with V yesterday...

I took Allison to work and did a little bit of grocery shopping... Then I came home and took a 2 hour nap in my recliner... It was nice. Josh made chicken on the grill for dinner, and it was delicious!

Gus picked Alli up from work last night, then they came here to hang out for a while.

Today... Well, I must get upstairs this morning and get those zipper pulls done. They won't take me very long.

Then I have a house to clean.

I"ll have to take Alli to work later...

Josh is making a 5lb bacon wrapped meatloaf on the smoker... Mmmm - which means leftovers for me for lunch all week! I cannot wait! Hopefully the hockey players don't eat all of it.

That's about all for today...

*********************************************************************************************

I wanted to sneak in a little bit more trip planning stuff for Alli's trip.

We talked about it a little bit yesterday, and I explained to her that she needs to decide how many sit-down meals she wants vs. counter service... I budgeted for one sit-down meal every day... but if she only really wants to eat at 4 sit-down places - well, that could potentially mean an extra day at Disney... So, she is giving that some thought.

Also, often times, SoG offers some good deals on rooms if you book far enough in advance... So, I will be stalking their special offers for the next few months, because if we can get a better deal on our room, that would also mean a potentially longer trip.

And since we are seriously considering (and maybe a little excitedly so) a SoG trip... I thought I would share a few resort pictures from our 2008 trip... It really is a cool/beautiful resort.

Here's a photo from the front of the resort as you are driving up to it:

And a view from our room... The balconies are huge here...

These are the stairs near the front lobby leading down to the breakfast buffet area... (photo from imgkid.com)

The path from the Poly to SoG... It's not a short path, by any means... but it's a nice walk.

And then the marina...

Sadly, I did not take any room pictures... but I will see if I can find some on the internet... They are nothing spectacular, but they are large (relatively speaking... they are bigger than the Poly rooms)...

Photo credit for the photos below go to Shadesofgreen.org, Trip advisor, and google earth.

Both of the pools at this resort have received a complete restoration over the last 2 years... Both of the pools are now open - but I couldn't find any photos of the completed pools... This is the former "Mickey head" pool under construction...

And then... a map of the resort and a Google sattelite map of SoG and the Poly - so you can all kind of get the relation to where it's located/size of the resort/how long of a walk it is from the Poly to SoG...

The more I look into this trip for Allison, the more excited I become... We really did enjoy our stay here, and despite some minor inconveninces - I think we could make this a nice, relaxing, and enjoyable trip if we choose to stay at SoG.

*******************************************************************************************

Anyways... I hope you all have an enjoyable Sunday!

D~

 

[WDW2012]

OMG those puppy pics!!! Keep 'em coming. How exciting. I hope you are feeling better soon. My hubby stayed at SOG way back when it was the golf resort We did Universal in August when we went and I don't do big coasters and it was not a waste (at least for me). We are all pretty big HP fans so we loved, loved, loved it for that. My only problem with a lot of the universal rides was the 3D/screen rides. Ever since I had kids I seem to not do too well with rides like that so after a while I sat out some rides. I think if/when we go again I'd pop a Dramamine and be ok but it was tiring after the first few.

 

[princessbelle2015]

Love the puppy photos. I could look at them all day. I hope you get a cuddler puppy. My lab puppy could not stand to be held and now that he's grown he wants to sit on my lap. Hope you feel better soon
It looks like SoG is very nice.

 

[lovegrumpy]

We have stayed Shades of Green once. Loved the size of the room. We had a car so we drove to the parks. We walk to the Poly and rode the boat when we did MK. We have talked about staying there again but the military special for the hotels always wins.

 

[nowellsl]

I finally realized I wasn't getting any notifications.... So I had some catching up to do! I hope you're feeling better, lots of strep going around here!

Cooper is so cute, Max will love him!

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

Yes, I will be paying for the trip myself. Which means I'm pretty much working 6 days a week!

You guys will love Universal! I got to visit WWoHP a couple years ago and it was amazing-I'm so excited to go back someday and see the expansion. I'm sure it'll be much cooler experiencing it all together instead of seeing it piece by piece. Shades of Green looks like a nice resort, though personally I could never give up staying in a Disney resort. It was hard enough to downgrade to POP for my graduation trip, instead of being able to stay at my beloved POR

Either way, going to Disney is an amazing opportunity no matter how you experience it, so you can't really go wrong with either option!

 

[DMGeurts]

OMG those puppy pics!!! Keep 'em coming. How exciting. I hope you are feeling better soon. My hubby stayed at SOG way back when it was the golf resort We did Universal in August when we went and I don't do big coasters and it was not a waste (at least for me). We are all pretty big HP fans so we loved, loved, loved it for that. My only problem with a lot of the universal rides was the 3D/screen rides. Ever since I had kids I seem to not do too well with rides like that so after a while I sat out some rides. I think if/when we go again I'd pop a Dramamine and be ok but it was tiring after the first few.

I know... We are so excited - we can barely contain ourselves!

Thank you... I've been feeling pretty good during the day... but in the evenings/during the night/mornings - I am feeling awful and I cannot seem to control this dry cough.

That's good to know about US... I am a little worried that I won't like the rest of the park - but to be honest, the only part I am interested in is the HP area. I'll be sure to bring dramamine with me - good idea - I don't normally need it in Disney, but I may in US.

Love the puppy photos. I could look at them all day. I hope you get a cuddler puppy. My lab puppy could not stand to be held and now that he's grown he wants to sit on my lap. Hope you feel better soon
It looks like SoG is very nice.

I know - me too! They are so cute! Yes, we definitely need a cuddler puppy... MM was NOT at all, and it was so disappointing. MM is the same now... Didn't want to be cuddled much when he was a puppy, but now he thinks he's a lap dog. LOL An 80lb lap dog.

We have stayed Shades of Green once. Loved the size of the room. We had a car so we drove to the parks. We walk to the Poly and rode the boat when we did MK. We have talked about staying there again but the military special for the hotels always wins.

Yes, Allison and I have talked at length about it, and we are both very excited about staying at SoG... We truly enjoyed the resort the last time we stayed there... So, unless Disney comes out with some sort of really awesome discount... We will end up at SoG. And you are right - with the Disney military discount, we still might end up with a Disney resort, just because I think that we will end up using the military tickets this time around, since they might just work out perfectly for us.

I finally realized I wasn't getting any notifications.... So I had some catching up to do! I hope you're feeling better, lots of strep going around here!

Cooper is so cute, Max will love him!

Hi Stephanie! No worries... I know that everyone's notifications have been messed up. I hope you are doing well... I don't think I have strip - just a chest cold, but it's super annoying. Today marks a week with it and I am so over it.

Thanks! We are so excited to be adding on to our family! It's time! And I sometimes feel like we didn't enjoy MM as a puppy as much as we should have - for many reasons... Josh picked him out totally - so the girls and I didn't have a choice... And we had just lost our Ruf and we were still mourning him - so it was really hard to enjoy a puppy when we still missed Ruf. I think that this time it will be really different, since we will be following this puppy from birth and we will get to meet him before we bring him home. It should be a lot of fun!

Yes, I will be paying for the trip myself. Which means I'm pretty much working 6 days a week!

You guys will love Universal! I got to visit WWoHP a couple years ago and it was amazing-I'm so excited to go back someday and see the expansion. I'm sure it'll be much cooler experiencing it all together instead of seeing it piece by piece. Shades of Green looks like a nice resort, though personally I could never give up staying in a Disney resort. It was hard enough to downgrade to POP for my graduation trip, instead of being able to stay at my beloved POR

Either way, going to Disney is an amazing opportunity no matter how you experience it, so you can't really go wrong with either option!

That is so great! I am really proud of you for that! It takes a lot of determination and focus to pay for a trip as an adult - at your age it's even more impressive! Great job!

I am very excited to see the HP area - I know Allison is too, and it's something she refuses to budge on. I am a little nervous about the shuttle from SoG - as I don't know what time it will arrive/leave US... Hopefully we will get there early enough that we won't have to stand in too many lines for too long.

I know - it's really hard to move from a Disney resort to SoG... But there are still a few Disney perks that we get - like EMH and we are right across the street from the Poly - so it is very much like staying on a monorail resort... Which is actually very nice. The only difference (really) between staying at SoG and a Disney resort, is that there isn't much Mickey theming in the rooms - the rooms are pretty basic. I just know that we are really looking forward to it... And even though, we also don't get ME... I've budgeted for a limo to pick us up from MCO and bring us to SoG - plus a limo to bring us back when the trip is over... So, it should be an enjoyable ride, and a memorable one.

We are definitely excited about this trip! It's going to be a lot of fun... Different than any trip we have done in recent years - but still fun.

***************************************************************************************************

Well, I did get my zipper pulls done yesterday... I was pretty proud of myself for that. Sometimes it's really hard for me to persuede myself to work on the weekends. But I knew I wouldn't be working today - so I had to get it done.

I spent some of the morning researching more of Alli's trip... She's chosen her few sit-down meals that she wants. So that's good. They are ones that I love too, so it should be fun.

Then I took Alli to work - did a little bit of grocery shopping for dinner last night - since we were having the hocky players over.

When I got home, I cleaned a little bit, and helped Josh with prep work.

Dinner/meatloaf was amazing! I love Josh's meatloaf - I am pretty sure I could live off of it.

I have one puppy photo to share with all of you... I don't know who all of the puppies are, but I know the one on her back is a female... And the pillow they are laying on is a standard size pillow - so they are still so tiny!

And since I've been following these puppies, it's prompted me to go back and look at puppy pictures of MM... Eventhough he was soooo naughty - he was soooo cute!

Yah - so we are in total puppy mode. LOL

Today... I am not going to my Dad's - I am feeling OK - and I could do the trip - but this cough is still hanging on, and I don't want to give this to him - it's been hard enough for me to get over it, I can only imagine that it would be harder for him. I am really hoping to be feeling well enough by Wednesday to go.

So, since the girls are on spring break - we are headed to the outlet mall this morning... V needs some leggings and Allison needs some shorts. We are hoping to be home by noon, so I can work for a little while yet today. Sadly - I didn't think ahead last year, and I didn't schedule myself off this week - so I still have a full schedule to contend with... Which means, I'll probably be working over the weekend, by the time I get done with today, working at Target tomorrow and a trip to my Dad's on Wednesday... Yikes!

Anyways - I hope you all had a nice weekend. Prayers and pixie dust go out to all of you!

D~

 

[Chicago Mo]

Morning!
The puppies are just so dang adorable! I do believe Golden puppies are the worst puppies on the planet. BUT when they are older they are the best dogs on the planet!!!

Glad your having a great time with Allison and planning. Looks like a great time!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Yes, Allison and I have talked at length about it, and we are both very excited about staying at SoG... We truly enjoyed the resort the last time we stayed there... So, unless Disney comes out with some sort of really awesome discount... We will end up at SoG. And you are right - with the Disney military discount, we still might end up with a Disney resort, just because I think that we will end up using the military tickets this time around, since they might just work out perfectly for us.

If you went to Disney in Nov and bought an annual pass for yourself then you would only need to buy a discounted military ticket for Allison. But, would you be able to get a second discounted military ticket that you could save for your trip with Victoria in October? If you could do that then you would be free to pick any resort for her trip, and save some money, too.

Which is actually very nice. The only difference (really) between staying at SoG and a Disney resort, is that there isn't much Mickey theming in the rooms - the rooms are pretty basic.

You will find that there isn't a lot of Disney theming in the Disney deluxe resorts either. they are refurbishing the BC resort rooms now and they've removed almost every single Disney theme there is. SoG looks every bit like a deluxe resort to me, but without Disney transportation.

Your old MagicBands will still work for your park tickets and fastpasses.

 

[ljcrochet]

Have fun outlet shopping today. Hope your cold is feeling better as well.

 

[MPWife153]

The puppies are the cutest!! My husband sent me a text Friday night about all the cute puppies he saw while at our farmer's market picking up pizza for diner. We have a holistic animal store I guess you could call it & the woman that owns it is so sweet. All the puppies stay with her during the week. As much as I want another dog I told him NO WAY lol.

We always look into staying at SOG but never end up staying there. I think one of the reasons is we always do the dinning plan. My husband likes that it's prepaid (I also set up envelopes for tips so that is set aside before we even leave) & he isn't stressing about money while we are there. I also think you guys can pick up discounted US tickets through SOG, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Hope you kick the ickys and start feeling better. Our weather has been warm then really cold then back to warm again so I too have been fighting something. Blech.

 

[Pluto0809]

Those puppies are so darn cute! Almost makes me want another one. Of course I'm dealing with the other end of things with my Eddie being 13 now and getting quite senile. He's started peeing in the house now so we are on constant watch for him just like with a puppy! Yesterday he managed to get into some bird seed. No idea how much he ate but he was definitely feeling a little too full last night. I'm really wondering what my kitchen will look like when I get home tonight. That's where he stays during the day now since it's easier to clean up than the carpeted rooms.

So excited for you guys to check out Universal and the Harry Potter stuff. I just posted another big update on my TR with the rest of the Diagon Alley. Feel free to ask any questions.

 

[OregonMomToWDW]

The puppies are so cute!

SoG always sounded nice. The limo ride to and from MCO sounds like a great plan. Is it only the Fastpasses you can't book as early?

Universal was expensive. We did that our first trip (we did 2 days there). The kids loved it, but we were definitely spoiled by fastpasses at Disney. We weren't fond of standing in the lines. We got there early for our Islands of Adventure day, the shuttle either got us there an hour early or an hour after opening, so we chose the hour early. They let us in with the early entry for the people that stay there. We even explained that we weren't staying there and they still let us in that day. It was wonderful to have that extra hour. The 2nd day, we didn't get in early, but we were chosen to open Universal that day. They kids thought that was a blast. We loved Finnegan's (Irish pub) at Universal. We ended up liking it better than Raglan Road. Mainly, because we were super hot and it was empty and air conditioned! I do have to say, I got much more motion sick on some of these rides. Take some motion sickness pills.

Hope you have a great day!

 

[Clio]

SOG looks really nice in those pictures. I wondered what it looked like since you can't see it from the monorail.
We enjoyed US. Harry Potter was our favorite part but wee did go on other rides. It wan't as crowded as Disney is so we did quite a bit. We ate a Margaritaville. Our waitress wa obsessed with Jimmy Buffett's plane that is on display near there. She really wanted us to go over and look at the bullet holes in the side.
Those puppy pictures are so cute. MM is so little in the pictures.
We went to the outlets yesterday. There's quite a bit of snow in the parking lots. I bought new shoes and socks. It was nice to walk around outside. The only I don't like about these outlets is the fact that there is no Vera store. Afterwards we went to Target . On the way home we stopped for subs from a local place.
Have fun today.
Liz

 

[STLMickeyMom]

Oh those puppies! I can't stand how cute they are and then they seem even cuter when you realize how tiny they are on the pillow!

 

[KatMark]

Those puppies just keep getting cuter and cuter by the day. Probably a wise move not to go to see your Dad until Wednesday...give yourself a couple of extra days.

We have never seen SOG from driving or up close and personal. It looks like a nice place.

As for your question about the cancellation on DVC, you are right...once you do it, there's no refunds. No, I don't use David's. I had a friend from the DIS (he's no longer on here) that I used in the past and now I use the girl I work with (we are hoping to buy our own next year or the year after).

 

[kaoden39]

Hi! I'm jumping in with both feet! We're planning our first Disney Cruise and WDW trip for December so I'm hoping to get ideas from you.

 

[Iamthequeen]

Most of the rides at US are simulated rides - not all, but some of them (Simpsons, especially) are really rough.