Thrice Upon a Christmas: A December 2015 PTR

[snuggly duckling]

Welcome to my pre-trip report for our 3rd Christmas spent at Disney World!​

We’ve learned a ton last two years on how to survive the busiest and (most wonderful) time of the year at WDW and are incorporating that knowledge for an added twist this year: my sister, brother-in-law, and 3 year-old niece will be joining us for their first ever WDW trip!

And because I’m crazy, this will also serve as the PTR for the other 3 trips we already have scheduled. And maybe also serve as a trip report for previous trips, since I never seem to get around to those. And probably a whole lot of other stuff too. Because why not.

My PTR from Christmas 2014 can be found here: 104 Days ‘til Christmas Vacation. I started one for our first Christmas trip in 2013 but got busy / distracted and well, yeah. Sorry.

Just like last year, the title of each of my PTR chapters will be a Disney movie quote. See if you can guess the film!

​

 

[snuggly duckling]

"But she won’t discover that it’s him ‘til chapter three."​

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Sorry, Blondie. I don't do backstory, however I am becoming very interested in yours.
Chapter 2: Of all the sewers on campus, this one has always been my favorite.
Chapter 3: Ain’t got time for messing around, and it’s not my style.
Chapter 4: The past is in the past!
Chapter 5: The Green-Eyed Man has a plan, and soon, he will execute it.
Chapter 6: This isn't flying. This is falling with style.
Chapter 7: But August-- I'm going to take August.
Chapter 8: I'm kind of on a schedule here. I got plans for August.
Chapter 9: Okay, I lied. It's not soundproof.
Chapter 10: You wine them, dine them and spray them with weed killer?
Chapter 11: Rio de, uh... January, Brassa.
Chapter 12: But, um, where will we live?
Chapter 13: Yes, he attempts to relive the past.
Chapter 14: But still I'm here. How did this happen?

 

[snuggly duckling]

The Table of Contents' title is from...

Beauty and the Beast!​

BELLE:
Little town, it's a quiet village
Every day like the one before
Little town full of little people
Waking up to say...

TOWNSFOLK:
Bonjour!
Bonjour!
Bonjour!
Bonjour!
Bonjour!

BELLE:
There goes the baker with his tray, like always
The same old bread and rolls to sell
Every morning just the same
Since the morning that we came
To this poor provincial town

BAKER:
Good morning, Belle

BELLE:
Good morning monsieur

BAKER:
Where are you off to?

BELLE:
The bookshop, I just finished the most wonderful story
About a beanstalk, and an ogre, and a---

BAKER:
That's nice. MARIE the baguettes, hurry up

TOWNSFOLK:
Look, there she goes
The girl is strange, no question
Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?

MAN:
Never part of any crowd

WOMAN:
Cause her head's up on some cloud

TOWNSFOLK:
No denying she's a funny girl, that Belle

MAN 1:
Bonjour

WOMAN 1:
Good day!

MAN 1:
How is your family?

WOMAN 2:
Bonjour

MAN 2:
Good day

WOMAN 2:
How is your wife?

WOMAN 3:
I need....six eggs

MAN 3:
That's too expensive!

BELLE:
There must be more than this provincial life!

BOOKSELLER:
Ah, Belle

BELLE:
Good morning. I've come to return the book I borrowed

BOOKSELLER:
*chuckles* Finished already?

BELLE:
Oh I couldn't put it down. Have ya got anythin' new?

BOOKSELLER:
(chuckle) Not since yesterday.

BELLE:
That's alright. I'll borrowww, this one

BOOKSELLER:
That one? But you've read it twice!

BELLE:
Well it's my favorite: far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise!

BOOKSELLER:
If you like it all that much, it's yours!

BELLE:
But sir?!?

BOOKSELLER:
I insist!

BELLE:
Well thank you, thank you very much!

TOWNSFOLK:
Look, there she goes, that girl is so peculiar
I wonder if she's feeling well

GIRLS:
With a dreamy, far-off look

MEN:
And her nose stuck in a book

TOWNSFOLK:
What a puzzle to the rest of us is Belle

BELLE:
Ohhhhhh....isn't this amazing?
It's my favorite part because....you'll see
Here's where she meets Prince Charming
But she won't discover that it's him
Till chapter three!

WOMAN:
Now it's no wonder that her name means "beauty"
Her looks have got no parallel

SHOPKEEPER:
But behind that fair facade
I'm afraid she's rather odd
Very different from the rest of us

TOWNSFOLK:
She's nothing like the rest of us
Yes, different from the rest of us is Belle

LEFOU:
Wow you didn't miss a shot Gaston! You're the greatest hunter in the whole world!

GASTON:
I know

LEFOU:
No beast alive stands a chance against you, haha...and no girl for that matter

GASTON:
It's true Lefou, and I've got my sight set on that one

LEFOU:
The inventor's daughter!?

GASTON:
She's the one, the lucky girl I'm going to marry

LEFOU:
But she's—

GASTON:
The most beautiful girl in town

LEFOU:
I know but—

GASTON:
That makes her the best! and don't I deserve the best?

LEFOU:
Well of course, I mean ya do, but I (mumbling)

GASTON (singing):
Right from the moment when I met her, saw her
I said she's gorgeous and I fell
Here in town it's only she
Who's as beautiful as me
So I'm making plans to woo and marry Belle

SILLY GIRLS:
Look there he goes! isn't he dreamy?
Monsieur Gaston! Oh, he's so cute!
Be still my heart! I'm hardly breathing!
He's such a tall, dark, strong, and handsome brute!

MAN 1:
Bonjour

GASTON:
Pardon!

MAN 2:
Good day

MAN 3:
Mais oui!

MATRON:
You call this bacon?

WOMAN 1:
What lovely grapes!

MAN 4:
Some cheese...

WOMAN 2:
...Ten yards!

MAN 4:
...One pound..

GASTON:
`Scuse me!

CHEESE SELLER:
I'll get the knife

GASTON:
Please let me through!!

WOMAN 1:
This bread...

MAN 5:
Those fish.....

WOMAN 1:
...It's stale

MAN 5:
...They smell!

BAKER:
Madame's mistaken!

BELLE:
There must be more than this provincial life!

GASTON:
Just watch....I'm going to make Belle my wife!

TOWNSFOLK:
Look there she goes....a girl who's strange but special
A most peculiar mademoiselle
It's a pity and a sin
She doesn't quite fit in
Cause she really is a funny girl
A beauty but a funny girl
She really is a funny girl.....that Belle!!

 

[snuggly duckling]

Chapter 1:
“Sorry, Blondie. I don't do backstory, however I am becoming very interested in yours”​

The cast of characters includes me, DH, DS7, and DD5. We live just outside Philadelphia. I work in the marketing department at a bank and DH is a pediatric hematologist. DS7 is in 2nd grade and DD5 is in kindergarten. We weren’t always Disney people…

DH went to WDW with his family once in 1986.

Though often promised by my parents growing up, I didn’t go to WDW for the first time until my junior year in college.

We went again on our honeymoon. But really didn’t think about it after that.

Then, some good friends convinced us to do a joint family trip with them in 2012.

And it started. We had so much fun, we did it again in 2013.

Then after a painful extended family Christmas experience in 2012, our little family decided to go again for Christmas in 2013.

And then we upgraded those tickets to Annual Passes.

With APs in hand, we rocked WDW hard in 2014. DH and I went on a grown-ups only trip for my birthday in January. DH and DD5 went on a daddy/daughter trip in April. In August, DH randomly had a job interview in Tampa and drove to the parks just to play for a few hours beforehand. My mommy/buddy trip with DS7 later in August turned into a family plus friends trip once the Villains Unleashed party was announced. And of course, we did Christmas again.

2015 has been more of the same. I did the Glass Slipper Challenge during Princess Half-Marathon weekend in February. We got a crazy deal on flights and did Spring Break for a week right before Easter. We’re doing another week in August with another crazy flight deal and AP rate on the resort room. DH and I are both running the Jingle Jungle 5K and the Wine & Dine Half-Marathon in November. DH has a conference in Orlando in early December. And of course, we’re doing Christmas again.

And we’re already bleeding in to January 2016, as DH and I are running the 5K, 10K, and half-marathon during Marathon weekend.

So pretty much we’ve become “those people” – the ones who are always going to WDW.

AND extra special for this year, my youngest sister, her husband, and their 3 year-old daughter are joining us. They live near Norfolk, VA. DSis is an office manager and BIL is in the Navy. DNiece3 is a ball of spunk. BIL will have just gotten home from deployment. AND THEY’VE NEVER BEEN TO WDW BEFORE!!!

It’s going to be so much fun!

 

[snuggly duckling]

Chapter 1's title is from...

Tangled!​

RAPUNZEL:
So... Flynn. Where are you from?

FLYNN RIDER:
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Sorry, Blondie. I don't do backstory, however I am becoming very interested in yours. I know I'm not supposed to ask about the hair...

RAPUNZEL:
Nope.

FLYNN RIDER:
or the mother...

RAPUNZEL:
Uh-uh.

FLYNN RIDER:
...frankly, I'm too scared to ask about the frog.

RAPUNZEL:
Chameleon.

FLYNN RIDER:
Nuance!

 

[snuggly duckling]

Chapter 2:
"Of all the sewers on campus, this one has always been my favorite."​

Here are some of our Disney favorites!

Me:
Favorite Disney movies: The Fox and the Hound, Alice in Wonderland, Finding Nemo, Tangled, Frozen
Favorite Disney characters: Cheshire Cat, Stitch, Flynn Rider
Favorite WDW attractions: It’s a Small World, Mad Tea Party, Carousel of Progress, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, the American Adventure, Kilimanjaro Safaris, the Celebrate the Magic projection show
Favorite WDW restaurant: Ohana, Sanaa, Be Our Guest, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater

DH:
Favorite Disney movies: Dumbo, WALL-E, Up, Tangled, Emperor’s New Groove
Favorite Disney characters: the Dodo from Alice in Wonderland, Jiminy Cricket, Megara
Favorite WDW attractions: Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Maelstrom (RIP), Living with the Land, Wishes, Big Thunder Mountain
Favorite WDW restaurant: Ohana, Sanaa, Hoop Dee Doo

DS7:
Favorite Disney movies: Cars, Planes, Monsters Inc, Monsters University, Big Hero 6, everything Star Wars
Favorite Disney characters: Buzz Lightyear, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Baymax, Perry
Favorite WDW attractions: Test Track, Tomorrowland Speedway, Carousel of Progress, Peoplemover, 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, Barnstormer
Favorite WDW restaurant: Hoop Dee Doo, Garden Grill, Rainforest Cafe

DD5:
Favorite Disney movies: Alice in Wonderland, The Little Mermaid, Nightmare Before Christmas, Enchanted, Frozen
Favorite Disney characters: Ariel, Elsa, Jack Skellington & Sally
Favorite WDW attractions: It’s a Small World, Soarin’, Living with the Land
Favorite WDW restaurant: Cinderella's Royal Table, Be Our Guest, Akershus, 1900 Park Fare (are you noticing a theme?)

DSis:
Favorite Disney movies: The Parent Trap, Mary Poppins, The Lion King, A Bug’s Life, Bolt, Ratatouille, Nightmare Before Christmas, The Rescuers, Peter Pan, Snow White
Favorite Disney characters: Mary Poppins, Bolt, Jack and Sally
Favorite WDW attractions: We’ll find out!
Favorite WDW restaurant: We’ll find out!

BIL:

Favorite Disney movies: pending (he's currently deployed, so my sister needs to ask him!)
Favorite Disney characters: pending
Favorite WDW attractions: We’ll find out!
Favorite WDW restaurant: We’ll find out!

DN3:
Favorite Disney movies: Lady and the Tramp, 101 Dalmatians, Frozen, Aristocats, Tangled, Alice in Wonderland, The Little Mermaid, Brave, Up, The Fox and the Hound, Finding Nemo, A Goofy Movie, Dumbo, Robin Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Oliver & Company, The Incredibles, and about 100 more that my sister listed (I got tired of typing LOL.)
Favorite Disney characters: Lady, Tramp, Pongo, Perdita, Anna, Elsa
Favorite WDW attractions: We’ll find out!
Favorite WDW restaurant: We’ll find out!

 

[snuggly duckling]

Chapter 2’s quote is from…

Monsters University!​

MIKE:
It's the first event of the Scare Games. "A child's room is where you scare, but avoid the toxicity lurking there."

SULLEY:
Wait a minute. Where do they want us to meet?

ART:
Of all the sewers on campus, this one has always been my favorite.

TERRY:
Art? You've been here before?

ART:
I have a life outside the house, you know.

 

[snuggly duckling]

Chapter 3:
“Ain’t got time for messing around, and it’s not my style”​

Our touring style has evolved over the years.

A few years ago, the kids were rock stars. They could do rope drop to park close easily. DD would nap in the stroller as needed, and DS has ADHD so he would keep just keep going and going, Energizer Bunny style.

But these days, that doesn’t work so well. DD5 is a crazy sleeper. She requires AT LEAST 12 hours of sleep each night. Ideally she’d get 14. I love her, but this is seriously obnoxious and impedes daily life. DS7 is still go, go, go, but he only has two speeds: ON and OFF. You never know when he’s going to crash, but once he shuts off, you’re stuck hauling 50 pounds of dead weight back to the resort.

DH is flexible, but I can’t handle QS meals. I need to sit down and eat in an organized fashion. QS just stresses me out and makes me grumpy. We’ve tried 3 TS meals a day, which was too many for us. We tried 1 TS meal a day, which was too few (and confused the heck out of DS7.) So we’ve settled on 2 TS meals a day as our standard plan.

So here’s how we roll…

We rope-drop every day and eat a light breakfast while we wait (like granola bars and yogurt.) Then, we book an ADR in the park of the day for late breakfast or early lunch (around 10:30 or 11:30 am.) We leave the middle of the day wide open, so we can go back to the resort to rest, or just keep playing in the park, generally on less popular attractions. We’ll do a dinner ADR around 6:00 pm and then we rock out in the parks as long as we (more so the kids) can tolerate it. Sometimes, one of us takes the kids back and the other one can stay and play solo.

It will be interesting adding 3 more people to our group. It should be ok – more adults just means more ways to divide and conquer!

 

[snuggly duckling]

Chapter 3’s quote is from…

The Princess and the Frog!​

TIANA: (speaking)
Mama! I don't have time for dancing!

TIANA: (singing)
That's just gonna have to wait a while
Ain't got time for messing around
And it's not my style

This old town can slow you down
People taking the easy way
But I know exactly where I'm going
Getting closer and closer every day

And I'm almost there, I'm almost there
People down here think I'm crazy, but I don't care
Trials and tribulations, I've had my share
There ain't nothing gonna stop me now cause I'm almost there

I remember Daddy told me: “Fairytales can come true
You gotta make 'em happen, it all depends on you"
So I work real hard each and every day
Now things for sure are going my way

Just doing what I do
Look out boys, I'm coming through

And I'm almost there, I'm almost there
People gonna come here from everywhere
And I'm almost there,
I'm almost there
There's been trials and tribulations
You know I've had my share

But I've climbed the mountain, I've crossed the river
And I'm almost there, I'm almost there,
I'm almost there!

 

[squeegee]

Following along - this will be our first Trip with our DD who will be 4.5 at the time. Our previous trip was before she was born, and adults-only. I figure Christmas time is perfect for her first trip, and am anxious to read about your experiences.

 

[snuggly duckling]

Following along - this will be our first Trip with our DD who will be 4.5 at the time. Our previous trip was before she was born, and adults-only. I figure Christmas time is perfect for her first trip, and am anxious to read about your experiences.

Welcome!!! I will read through your PTR tomorrow. Your DD is adorable!

We are doing 10 nights as well. Christmas can be totally manageable even though it's crazy crowded, but I'm always glad to have 11 days to do everything since it does get hard to get a lot done

 

[snuggly duckling]

Chapter 4:
The past is in the past!​

Inspired by squeegee's PTR, I decided to share my spreadsheets from our past trips. It was really fun to go back to our first trip in 2012 when we had no idea what we were doing, and to see how our planning and the spreadsheet itself has changed over the years!

Here's our first-ever trip spreadsheet, from January 2012. We had no idea what we were doing. I didn't even discover the DIS until just before we left, so all the planning was done blind. We stayed at POFQ for 5 nights.

And here is January 2013, where we learned some tips and tricks and discovered the DIS. This time we tried POR, in a Royal Room on the Stay, Play, and Dine deal, for 6 nights.

Then we get to Christmas 2013, our first Christmas trip!! This trip we added easyWDW's recommendations to our spreadsheet, and had a glorious trip using both legacy FP and FP+. It was a beautiful thing. We stayed 10 nights at CSR, with free dining, upgraded to DxDDP.

On the last day of that trip, we upgraded our 10-day park hoppers to APs, so things start to get crazy. DH and I went down in January 2014 for my birthday, just as legacy FP was retired for good. It was good while it lasted! We stayed at POFQ for 4 nights on a bounceback deal booked at Christmas.

Then we hatched a plan to divide and conquer and do special trips with each of the kids. DH took DD first, in April 2014. They stayed at Pop for 3 nights on a bounceback booked in January.

And DS and I were going in August 2014. But then after the Villains Unleashed party was announced, DH, DD, and our friends from the January 2-12 and 2013 all joined us for a few days of the trip. We all stayed at Pop on a bounceback booked in April.

We capped off 2014 with our second Christmas at WDW. We did 10 nights again, this time at CBR, with free dining upgraded to DxDDP.

My best friend convinced me to run the Glass Slipper Challenge with her, so we did a girls weekend at Pop in February for that.

I scored an amazing deal on flights (just over $500 total, round trip for all 4 of us) for Spring Break, so of course we HAD to go again, this time staying at POFQ on a bounceback we booked at Christmas.

I've currently got 4 more of these things going for August 2015, Wine & Dine, Christmas, and Marathon weekend. Crazy!!!

 

[snuggly duckling]

D'oh. My screenshots sure are fuzzy. Maybe I will try again on my work computer tomorrow, where I have better screenshot software. Anyway, you get the idea.

 

[squeegee]

Chapter 4:
The past is in the past!​

Inspired by squeegee's PTR, I decided to share my spreadsheets from our past trips. It was really fun to go back to our first trip in 2012 when we had no idea what we were doing, and to see how our planning and the spreadsheet itself has changed over the years!

Here's our first-ever trip spreadsheet, from January 2012. We had no idea what we were doing. I didn't even discover the DIS until just before we left, so all the planning was done blind. We stayed at POFQ for 5 nights.

And here is January 2013, where we learned some tips and tricks and discovered the DIS. This time we tried POR, in a Royal Room on the Stay, Play, and Dine deal, for 6 nights.

Then we get to Christmas 2013, our first Christmas trip!! This trip we added easyWDW's recommendations to our spreadsheet, and had a glorious trip using both legacy FP and FP+. It was a beautiful thing. We stayed 10 nights at CSR, with free dining, upgraded to DxDDP.

On the last day of that trip, we upgraded our 10-day park hoppers to APs, so things start to get crazy. DH and I went down in January 2014 for my birthday, just as legacy FP was retired for good. It was good while it lasted! We stayed at POFQ for 4 nights on a bounceback deal booked at Christmas.

Then we hatched a plan to divide and conquer and do special trips with each of the kids. DH took DD first, in April 2014. They stayed at Pop for 3 nights on a bounceback booked in January.

And DS and I were going in August 2014. But then after the Villains Unleashed party was announced, DH, DD, and our friends from the January 2-12 and 2013 all joined us for a few days of the trip. We all stayed at Pop on a bounceback booked in April.

We capped off 2014 with our second Christmas at WDW. We did 10 nights again, this time at CBR, with free dining upgraded to DxDDP.

My best friend convinced me to run the Glass Slipper Challenge with her, so we did a girls weekend at Pop in February for that.

I scored an amazing deal on flights (just over $500 total, round trip for all 4 of us) for Spring Break, so of course we HAD to go again, this time staying at POFQ on a bounceback we booked at Christmas.

I've currently got 4 more of these things going for August 2015, Wine & Dine, Christmas, and Marathon weekend. Crazy!!!

I love, love that you've got confirmation numbers right on the sheet. I'm gonna have to steal that idea from you, as soon as I get my ADR'S made. LOL.

 

[snuggly duckling]

I love, love that you've got confirmation numbers right on the sheet. I'm gonna have to steal that idea from you, as soon as I get my ADR'S made. LOL.

Steal away!

My spreadsheets pre-date the My Disney Experience app. To make sure we had easy access to our plan each trip, I convert the final spreadsheet into a PDF and then save it in iBooks on my phone. I also have a printed copy, just in case of inevitable technology failure!

I'm not going to lie... Sometimes I just gaze at my spreadsheets, taking in all their glory

 

[snuggly duckling]

Chapter 4’s quote is from…

Frozen!
(like there’s anyone alive who didn’t know that!)​

The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation,
And it looks like I'm the queen.

The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried!

Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know!

Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door!

I don't care
What they're going to say
Let the storm rage on,
The cold never bothered me anyway!

It's funny how some distance
Makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me
Can't get to me at all!

It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me I'm free!

Let it go, let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You'll never see me cry!

Here I stand
And here I'll stay
Let the storm rage on!

My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I'm never going back,
The past is in the past!

Let it go, let it go
When I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone!

Here I stand
In the light of day
Let the storm rage on,
The cold never bothered me anyway!

 

[snuggly duckling]

Chapter 5:
The Green-Eyed Man has a plan, and soon, he will execute it.​

Ok, now that we've got all that backstory out of the way, it's time to talk plans!

As we did in 2013 and 2014, we are doing 10 nights, starting the Thursday before the last MVMCP. We've become such Disney people that even 11 days doesn't seem like enough, but at some point we need to balance vacation days, school days missed, and of course, finances. As it stands, the kids will be missing 5 days of school. Thankfully they are young and do well in school, so the days lost don't impact them too greatly.

Because BIL will literally just be coming home from deployment before this trip, DSis and her family will be joining us 2 days later.

So that's detail #1, dates: Thursday, 12/17 through Sunday, 12/27 for us, and Saturday, 12/19 through Sunday, 12/27 for DSis's family.

Originally, before DSis decided to join us, we planned to stay at POFQ (our favorite!) on a 30% off bounceback we booked last Christmas trip. We have APs so we don't need tickets. But with the added people, we've had to change our plans. In order to get DSis some sort of discount and stay at the same resort as them, we had to be open to changing things up.

When the rumors about free dining started bubbling, we had to decide what resort to go for. Value resorts work for us for short trips, or trips with only a couple of people. But I cannot handle them with all 4 of us, or at a busy time. And deluxes would be way out of budget for a 10 night stay for us and DSis. With POR and POFQ excluded, we had to choose between CSR and CBR.

We stayed at CSR in a standard room at Christmas 2013 and didn't really enjoy it. We were really close to a bus stop but tooooooo far away from Diet Coke for our refillable mugs. So we tried a preferred room at CBR at Christmas last year, and we ended up disliking that even more. We were super close to Diet Coke, but CBR just had too many bus stops. It seemed like the internal loop always added 15 minutes to each bus ride and the buses were always packed, even at 6:00 am.

After discussing with DSis, we decided to go for preferred rooms at CSR this time. Hopefully this will work out better for us.

We were both able to book free dining on the day it was released. DSis was able to book online in a matter of minutes. I spent 7+ hours on the phone that day, but was able to modify the previous bounceback stay to cover our Wine & Dine stay and booked a new free dining trip for Christmas.

So that's detail #2: Preferred rooms at CSR

Even though we don't need tickets, we will just use them to renew our APs before we leave, since they expire on 12/28.

Right now, we're holding steady with the regular DDP, but will consider upgrading to DxDDP. Once we've mapped out our ADRs, we will figure out if it makes more sense to upgrade or just pay OOP for additional table service meals. We do have Tables in Wonderland, so that would help (except on black outs.)

Detail #3: DDP + TIW (or DxDDP depending on how it looks financially)

I've started mapping out tentative daily plans but until we get better insight from Disney about park hours and EMH for Christmas week, it's somewhat hard to do. I also have to figure out how to map ADRs so that DSis and family don't miss anything critical in the first couple of days before they arrive.

I do love a good challenge!

 

[sprousehouse]

Sounds amazing! We are taking our first WDW trip in early December so I will be watching for your tips.

 

[snuggly duckling]

Sounds amazing! We are taking our first WDW trip in early December so I will be watching for your tips.

Hello and welcome! December is a magical time for a first visit! Everything is so beautiful. You will love it!

 

[snuggly duckling]

Chapter 5's quote is from...

Bolt!​

NEW CAT:
So, the dog thinks this is all real?

VETERAN CAT:
Oh, yeah, you're new. Guy, never leaves the set. It's unbelievable. Whenever I get the chance, this is the perfect way to unwind.

[Veteran Cat hops onto the bumper of the trailer, then climbs onto its roof; New Cat does the same]

VETERAN CAT:
I like to start with an evil laugh. [he laughs]

BOLT:
[gets up and looks up at the cats] Hello, hairballs.

VETERAN CAT:
You may have won today, Bolt, but in the end, we will get your little Penny.

BOLT:
Not likely, cat, for you've chosen to follow the path of evil. Ultimately I'll destroy you, along with your fiendish puppet-master!

NEW CAT:
[in awe] Wow!

VETERAN CAT:
I know, right? Okay, watch this. [in a louder evil voice] She's a goner, dog. The green-eyed man has a plan, and soon, he will execute it!

NEW CAT:
[laughs] Yeah, and then, he will execute... her! [chuckles]

VETERAN CAT:
[turns to New Cat] Nice.

BOLT:
I would super-bark you both back into the hole you crawled out of, but I need you alive, because I've got a little message for you to take back to your green-eyed man. You tell him his old friend Bolt said that-

VETERAN CAT:
Is it long?

BOLT:
[bewildered] I-Is what long?

VETERAN CAT:
The message? Is it-is it long message? Because I have a horrible memory.

BOLT:
Yeah, I'll make it brief, alright? You tell him I said I'm gonna-

VETERAN CAT:
You know what? Why don't we do this; [to New Cat] You remember the first half of the message, and then I'll remember the second, and then we can pass it on to the green-eyed man together.

BOLT:
Oh, I don't care how the message is translated, alright?! Just do it, okay?! You tell the green-eyed man that I will not sleep, I will not rest, until my Penny is safe from his evil clutches. You tell the green-eyed man that—

VETERAN CAT:
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Way too many words. I was like "What?" and then I was like "Huh?" and then, uh, I got a little bored. Something about clutches? Anyway, I'll do my best. Ciao! [jumps off the trailer]

NEW CAT:
By the way, huge fan, love it, love you, gotta go. Thank you.