Three Things...Gratitude Thread

[SpaceMan5]

Getting those hard to obtain Disney ADRs working it nonstop up at the crack of chicken - stalking for a cancel - etc - doing whatever to obtain what you want !!!

Love the fun twist you put on this topic

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I’ve used back in the day three phones at the same time to get a Cinderella breakfast and yes it worked!! I have used those dining services that used to be free to find me a resv and yes they worked / and I’ve used stalking nonstop - very grateful I have a job where I can do such things!!! Seldom miss getting a ADR I want - am having some issues this year with a certain ADR that is proving to be impossible for me to get - but still grateful I can keep trying all day long !!!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

WDWEPCOT, I ended up taking a year off from college. I finished my degree too. Extra hug to you and everyone along with sweet dreams.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Today's Topic (Mon, 10/7) - 3 buildings you're grateful for

 

[slo]

Happy Monday Everyone

#1 - My Church - My favorite place to go every week and sometimes more than once a week.

#2 - My Childhood House - I had a wonderful childhood and I’m so blessed to have spent it in my childhood home - I lived there from birth until my wedding day, so 23 years.

#3 - My Current House - I loved this house the minute I walked in the door 20 years ago. This house holds so many memories, an incredible amount of memories. As much as I love my house, I don’t see us living here for the rest of our lives. I’d be fine downsizing one day and moving south where I never have to see another snowflake.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Animal Kingdom Lodge - absolutely beautiful I just love this hotel !! Lots of memories here - kids getting lost for one !! Those rooms all look alike !!

Cinderella Castle - I know it’s not the one that you seen every Sunday night on TV but close enough ! The magic and joy I felt the first time I walked down Main st USA and the castle priceless !!!

My house - just like SLO I fell in love the minute I walked in my house and I’m still in love !! I fought like a dog to keep it in the divorce through multiple lawyers telling me I would HAVE to sell it ( nope ) I’m proud to say it is MY house !!! I gave up very little to get the house and I got almost everything inside the house too !! Worth the battle I love my house and my neighbors are so nice !!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

God willimg one day sooner than later I will be able to check out new churches in person.

Dad and I are beyond blessed to have the home we do.

Ralphs is where we get most of our groceries. Grateful our closest Ralphs is very close by.

Libraries and for fun Disneyland

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Well, I'm behind. I was out of town and things were chaos. Also not feeling well and trying to still manage.

Saturday- doing for others...
1. Giving DD15s friend's family last minute advice for WDW- They've never been and while I wish they'd come to me sooner, it sounds like some of my last minute info was helpful. Now just praying that things with their flight tomorrow goes OK and they get home safely before Milton.
2. Taking team headshots and action photos- I'm no pro but I help when I can. DD missed practice the day coach asked for headshots this year (out of state with DH for a college camp), but I still went because it was a job that needed to be done and I can do better than a phone. I waited an extra 40 minutes for a girl running late (they live close to 4 hours away). Pics came out nice!
3. Choir Executive Board- I don't have a lot of time or energy for a lot of the school group leadership roles assumed by many of the SAHMs, but DD18 really wanted me to be in one of the leadership roles for her senior year. I negotiated my role with the director because everything I do outside of work requires clearance from my company's compliance department. I wasn't as active as some of the other leaders, but I did my part and then some...and it was all helpful to the kids.

Sunday- persistence/perseverance
1. Driving- While I'll admit that I'm getting a bit road weary these days, I get a driving goal in mind to make something happen and I make it happen...even if it's insane. On Friday, DD15 and I left home at 3:30...made it to Denton, TX shortly after 8pm (DD15 had a college camp with her team the next morning)...checked into our hotel... drove an additional 2+ hours to Norman, OK to pick up DD18...then drove the 2 hours back to Denton. I was so drained, but I had a goal. I'll be doing this again in a few weeks when I bring DD18 home to vote due to absentee ballot issues.
2. ADRs- Maybe I embraced it because it felt like a game, but I love to stalk the WDW and DLR sites for dining. Yes, I would log in before dawn on my official day to start booking dining, but things (plans to preferences) often change between booking and travel. For my kids' first trip, I suddenly decided a month out that I wanted pre-park opening at Tusker House. I stalked for 3 weeks and finally got something. A month after the 180 mark, I decided I wanted to shift from Crystal Palace dinner to an 8am breakfast. It took nearly 4 months of hunting, but I managed to get an 8:10am...which was still pretty respectable. I also play the see what opens last minute game too. The most epic was when BOG first started taking reservations and it was only by phone. From about 6am to 7:45am, I dialed every Disney number imaginable until I finally got through and got an ADR for night 2 of the soft opening. I had multiple phones going at once, so you can only imagine how many call attempts I logged in 105 minutes.
3. Problem cakes- I have had my share of problem cakes. This is part of why I could never stomach really going into business for this. Still, after everyone goes to sleep, I seem to have the ability to channel some inner strength and turn a potential cake wreck into something great.

Monday- Buildings
1. Home- Current and past. It's not perfect, but it's ours. When you see so many dealing with epic disasters and those getting ready to face down another, you truly find gratitude in the roof over your head.
2. The Old Faithful Inn- It's usually some level of controlled chaos since this portion of the park is like the Magic Kingdom at Disney... i.e. it's rare that it's not a must do for visitors. Still, the Inn is old and is a survivor. There are pictures from the incredible 1988 fire that burned a significant chunk of the park that show OFI with a forest in flames in the background. I can't quite explain what it is about OFI, but it's a blend of it being this incredible marvel out in the middle of the wilderness, a sense of peace that it feels like this manmade structure seems to belong with all of the nature around it, and it's just cool. Any fans of WDWs Wilderness Lodge should also be grateful for OFI because it was very clearly one of the biggest inspirations for WL.
3. Storm Shelter- While she didn't want to hear me lecturing, DD18 got an earful of me talking about her dorm's storm shelter (as well as others on campus). I'm really not ready for storm season in Tornado Alley, but thankful that there are structures in place to help keep the people as safe as possible.

 

[Tink-osophy]

BUILDINGS

Home

The Contemporary Resort. I stayed there my first WDW trip. ...The huge atrium with the mosaic and the monorail running through it! I still remember that experience of it. And, still, love it.

Childhood homes.

 

[Tink-osophy]

Cinderella Castle - I know it’s not the one that you seen every Sunday night on TV but close enough ! The magic and joy I felt the first time I walked down Main st USA and the castle priceless !!!

This opens up a whole world of buildings I appreciate!!

The buildings that form Main Street USA.
The building that houses the Carousel of Progress ...and Space Mountain
The Trading Post at FW
Spaceship Earth
The Poly, the POR Mansions, the GF etc. etc. etc.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Another vote for home - I'm grateful to have a safe, comfortable place to live!

Libraries! - Not only do I love them for the books, but they're often just really cool buildings too.

And a blast from the past - malls! I don't shop in them that often now, but I have lots of fond memories from my youth, and when DS was a baby, I used to take him to the mall in his stroller when it was too rainy to walk outside.

 

[Tink-osophy]

Another vote for home - I'm grateful to have a safe, comfortable place to live!

Libraries! - Not only do I love them for the books, but they're often just really cool buildings too.

And a blast from the past - malls! I don't shop in them that often now, but I have lots of fond memories from my youth, and when DS was a baby, I used to take him to the mall in his stroller when it was too rainy to walk outside.

Libraries and malls... yes, yes, yes!

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Malls good one !!!

 

[leebee]

The Eiffel Tower. I love Paris, and I love the views from the top of the Tower.

Animal Kingdom Lodge- My favorite of all Disney resorts. We don't stay there often (pretty much priced out) but we go there at least once every trip to Disney, even if we aren't eating at Boma or Jiko. I find it peaceful and fulfilling to just sit in the lobby.

My sister's home. They lost about half of their home to Katrina, and it took years to rebuild. However, now it's lovely, they were able to put in all the accessibility modifications that she needs (that they couldn't have afforded without some of the insurance), and it's really lovely. I'd build and decorate her house for me, if I could. I am just thankful that she has a strong, secure, accessible home for her and her husband as they move towards the "Golden Years." I know she's safe.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Hug and feel better dear Tigger! Malls are a great answer

 

[bluecastle]

Growing up in NY, I have so many choices. (Won’t even include WDW this time, although I love the castle so very much!)

Empire State Building: the art deco interior is fantastic and the building itself is iconic. But like many New Yorkers, I didn’t go to the top until I came back to visit as a “tourist”!

The main branch of the NYC Library with the lions in front. Still have my NYC library card. And I loved those lions, especially around Christmas when they had wreaths around their manes.

The Museum of Natural History: so many memories and just a beautiful building.

Honorable mention to al the buildings at the 1964-65 NY World’s Fair, which certainly contributed to my eventual love of WDW!

 

[bluecastle]

I’ve used back in the day three phones at the same time to get a Cinderella breakfast and yes it worked!! I have used those dining services that used to be free to find me a resv and yes they worked / and I’ve used stalking nonstop - very grateful I have a job where I can do such things!!! Seldom miss getting a ADR I want - am having some issues this year with a certain ADR that is proving to be impossible for me to get - but still grateful I can keep trying all day long !!!

I felt very lucky this year. Got everything I wanted, including Cinderella’s breakfast (haven’t been there since DD was young and figured now it’s my DGD’s turn). But my only problem was with Yak n Yeti. Could only get a late lunch and not a dinner time, even though the park will be open later that night. I heard that Y&Y doesn’t release many res’s to WDW and that becoming a Landry’s loyalty member is the way to go, but not sure I want to do that for one dinner.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Today's Topic (Tues, 10/8) - 3 new or newly rediscovered songs, movies, books, places, etc.


@flyingdumbo127 for today's topic

 

[slo]

Good Morning!

#1 - Star Wars Movies & Series - This year I watched everything Star Wars in timeline order, except the animated series). I had already seen Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi many years ago, but I never saw anything else. I’m really glad I took the time to watch everything. I can’t say that I would watch it again for myself, but I would, if my husband said that he would like to watch everything. I do know that I want a picture with the Mandalorian this year if he is out when we go to Walt Disney World.

#2 - Marvel Movies - this is my current movie undertaking. I’m watching all the Marvel movies in timeline order on Disney+. A few I had already seen, but was confused watching them, because I had not seen the other movies, and they do all tie in together. I’ve been really enjoying these movies and I would watch them again. There’s a couple of the newer movies that I’m not enjoying as much as others, but I’m glad I’m watching them.

#3 - The Lord of the Rings - this is going to be my next movie undertaking. These movies have been around a long time now, and I have never seen them, so they will be new to me. I’m thinking I will like them since I love Harry Potter and Chronicles and Narnia. I have to see where I need to stream them at - I should do that today. Hopefully I don’t have to subscribe to any new streaming services in order to watch him.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Happy Tuesday, friends

Books, I recently enjoyed re-reading Mia Ross' Oaks Crossing Love Inspired series.

A new song I discovered through a new of the same name, The Reason for the Season by Michael Schroder.

Dad and I God willing next May will rediscover together Disneyland