Through Fresh Eyes...One Week Left 5/1

[ValarDisneyus]

I am very much NOT a math person unless its Disney Math!!! playing with numbers to make a vacation work is some of the best math of all!

Can't wait to see the dresses you make!

I'm working on my master's degree right now to be a math teacher, so Math and I are old friends.

It's STILL more fun when it's for a Disney vacation.

As far as the dresses go, I hope I sew the right size! Squeaks was in a size 5 for a little over a year, but at the beginning of the summer she edged into a size 6. I figured we'd be in the 6 for a long time, but two weeks ago she was SO HUNGRY all the time, and poof: two days ago I realize her leggings aren't pulling up normally and her shirts are acting too short, so I try her in a size 7 and...yep. It's that time. Maybe she'll be in a 7 for a while? Either way, I'll be a smidge generous with the seam allowances.

 

[ValarDisneyus]

If you want to follow along on my PTR as well you can find a link in my signature. We'll be staying at POR (Riverside)

As for suggestions on starting your binder: This might be a good place to start.

That Binder site is AMAZING; I love it! Thank you for sharing that! <3

 

[Gracefulskinny]

That Binder site is AMAZING; I love it! Thank you for sharing that! <3

Glad it helped!

 

[ValarDisneyus]

My husband and I are both what the Navy called "Nukes," we worked in Nuclear Power, and it was considered one of our most positive attributes in that line of work that we overthink EVERYTHING. This is no different, however, in pretty much any other aspect of our lives. This means discussions about what's for dinner can often stretch on for an hour and a half. Sometimes it's not so awesome.

Me, now, while planning for Disney, well...you can imagine I have gone into some great detail on some thoughts so far and others, well others that I probably need to consider are far from my mind because it is our first time! Today, I discuss the topic of SHOES as though I was a connosieur (though I'm actually not much of one, I just want cute and function. If I never wear a pair of heels again, it will be too soon.)

Now then, I am stubborn. My husband insists that he does not need new shoes for this vacation, which makes me feel a bit like a grumpy, flouncy Tink.

He insists his shoes (which, mind you, are 3 years old) are perfectly fine, thankyouverymuch.

We've spent at least an hour both getting worked up about this. Not "fighting," but disagreeing and debating our sides calmly. Personally, I feel he should bring at least one extra pair of new (but broken-in) walking shoes, preferably water resistant ones so he isn't miserable on days when we do Splash Mountain or...what is it in the AK? You can tell we're new but have been to DisneyLAND....I think it's Kalani River? Or Rapids? Either way-water. Lots of water, and no thanks on a miserable hubby.

So, what do you think? Should I sneak a pair of Keen Sandals for him into the bag without him breaking them in? Buy him a pair and cut off the tags and give them to him as a mandatory gift at Christmas? (Plenty of time to break them in during March and April before our trip). Let it go, Elsa style?

And, as for me, I totally want to bring four pairs of shoes right now, and I can't decide. (So much for not being a connosieur about it, I suppose.) I want a super nice pair of Propet walking shoes in plain white, a comfortable pair of black canvas sneakers (I prefer low profile sneakers, but I'm concerned about whether the support will be enough), a pair of keen sandals for me, and a pair of walking shoes and/or sandals that will be functional for comfort but passable with a dress. (I plan on wearing dresses most every day. I'd explain why, but that'd be a whole other blog post. Suffice it to say I'm strongly opposed to chafing, so there will be compression shorts, and I'm also opposed to being too hot, so sundresses over them win the day.)

I'd love to hear what everyone thinks we should do about shoes. I feel like everyone needs 2 pairs, but in the interest of packing well, I don't want to bring more than that along for the ride. What do YOU think?

**I realized I went fully through this without mentioning Squeaks' footwear plan. In case you're copying down the notes I took, I've already decided hers without issue: she's taking a pair of water-resistant, toe-protecting purple and blue (purple is her favorite) Keen sandals and either a pair of low profile Keen sneakers or Go Plae sneaker/Mary Jane combos. She already has and loves the sandals, I allowed time for a re-try if my first attempt at a good shoe struck out. Carry on!

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Congrats you are offically a few steps ahead of most newbies in the planning process. Its common for even vets to under estimate the power of a proper shoe at Disney and the longer you have to break them in and test them out the better.

My husband sounds like yours really. He has his go to pair of shoes and doesn't bother with anything else. That said I always enforce a 2 pair of shoes each policy for all trips. Especially disney! We ususally stick to one sneaker and one sandle/flip flop per person.

I found on my last trip that having both on hand and switching off helped to avoid blisters.

As for forcing the issue with your husband I would hold off on giving him a new never been worn pair while on the trip. That can be risky. The christmas present idea does have some merit though.

If you haven't heard of them you may want to look into Rainbows. You would be surprised at the level of support that they give. However, they are awful tight to start out with so would need some breaking in.

 

[SarahDisney]

Definitely don't buy new shoes that he hasn't broken in, but try to convince him to get new shoes at least a month before the trip and break them in. His 3 year old shoes might work, but I think it makes sense to have backup plan in case his feet start to hurt.

It probably won't be easy to convince him to get new shoes if he thinks the ones he has are okay, but it really is best to have more than one pair of shoes in case the first pair aren't comfortable.

 

[Laura Bell]

POFQ is my favorite affordable resort. We have stayed there many times. The pool is wonderful--great slide.

 

[aba06001]

I've walked the world frequently enough to say that your husband should definitely think of a second pair.

I decided to make a surprise trip to the World with some friends and only packed one, Florida humidity and wet shoes made for a miserable first day...my only savior was driving to my parent's winter house in Tampa (1 hour away-ish) to retrieve a back up pair.

Other considerations would be for your little one, last year I occasionally carried my niece (then 4) around the parks it will really wear you down, PS I'm a college strength and conditioning coach so I'm used to extra weight. Planning on short breaks or a back up plan for resting legs out of the sun could be a life saver.

 

[STLMickeyMom]

my DH is exactly the same. he never brings extra shoes to Disney. I don't know how he does it, but it doesn't seem to bother him. of course, we don't do the water rides so much because we don't love walking around with soaking wet clothes. anyway, I've decided he's a grown man and this is one of those pick your battles kind of moments. not worth the discussion because i'm not going to change his mind and the consequence is he'll have achy feet. I agree with sneaking some in for him just in case, but i'd give up the "fight" and save your energy for something else

 

[scrappymel]

just came across your ptr. we stayed at pofq on our very first wdw trip too. you will love it! you are obviously on the right track with planning!

I agree with pp - don't take new shoes for your dh, but I think the Christmas gift thing is a good idea! it is really necessary to take at least 2 pairs of shoes. the best wdw tip I ever received: never wear the same shoes 2 days in a row. of course, I ignored it on our first trip and paid for it. so, now I always wear a comfy pair of sandals or flops on the plane and take 2 pairs of closed shoes. works out just right for me. dh takes keens and tennis shoes and rotates.

can't wait to see your costumes! here's ours for the Halloween party at DL next month. just need to finish up some accessories... it definitely has a mermaid tail.

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[ChgoMusicGirl]

Joining in! I've enjoyed reading it so far. Can't wait to see the dresses...I'm extremely jealous of your sewing skills. I have a basic sewing machine...that's still in the box. Someday I'll take a class and learn how to use it!

 

[ValarDisneyus]

Definitely don't buy new shoes that he hasn't broken in, but try to convince him to get new shoes at least a month before the trip and break them in. His 3 year old shoes might work, but I think it makes sense to have backup plan in case his feet start to hurt.

It probably won't be easy to convince him to get new shoes if he thinks the ones he has are okay, but it really is best to have more than one pair of shoes in case the first pair aren't comfortable.

After reading everyone's comments on our "spat" I went back to him and said I'd make him a deal: he can bring his three year old shoes and not hear a word from me on the condition that he also brings one pair of new-but-broken-in, machine washable, waterproof sandals, and that if his sneakers do prove to be inadequate, I am not subjected to any (ANY!) complaining about it. He agreed.

POFQ is my favorite affordable resort. We have stayed there many times. The pool is wonderful--great slide.

Yeah? I was a little nervous it wouldn't be as fun for our daughter as, say, AoA, but it's actually less expensive for us than AoA because the AoA room size we need doesn't qualify for military discount. I really wanted to stay somewhere in Port Orleans (don't ask me why; I'm not sure myself) so I'm pretty happy that we were able to book FQ. Hooray, beignets!

I've walked the world frequently enough to say that your husband should definitely think of a second pair.

I decided to make a surprise trip to the World with some friends and only packed one, Florida humidity and wet shoes made for a miserable first day...my only savior was driving to my parent's winter house in Tampa (1 hour away-ish) to retrieve a back up pair.

Other considerations would be for your little one, last year I occasionally carried my niece (then 4) around the parks it will really wear you down, PS I'm a college strength and conditioning coach so I'm used to extra weight. Planning on short breaks or a back up plan for resting legs out of the sun could be a life saver.

Thanks for the tip! We've booked a stroller reservation so that Squeaks can ride when she's not feeling up to all the walking. Part of having a BIG GIRL for her age is that she's definitely only four, but she's as tall and weighs as much as an average six year old....stroller FTW!

 

[ValarDisneyus]

my DH is exactly the same. he never brings extra shoes to Disney. I don't know how he does it, but it doesn't seem to bother him. of course, we don't do the water rides so much because we don't love walking around with soaking wet clothes. anyway, I've decided he's a grown man and this is one of those pick your battles kind of moments. not worth the discussion because i'm not going to change his mind and the consequence is he'll have achy feet. I agree with sneaking some in for him just in case, but i'd give up the "fight" and save your energy for something else

LOL! Sometimes the ones we love just don't understand where we're coming from. Oddly enough, I suppose most times that's true the feeling is exactly mutual, isn't it? Ahh well, we found a decent compromise on this. He is not replacing his sneakers but he WILL concede to bring a broken in new pair of water proof sandals. I count it as a win! He'll have two pairs, and he agreed not to complain to me if the sneakers do prove to be inadequate. GracefulSkinny also brought up Rainbows; he has a pair of those flip flops he's had for over a decade and loves, and since it's time to replace those ANYWAY...the timing might just be a bit serendipitous. MERRY CHRISTMAS, IT'S GONNA SNOW HERE IN VIRGINIA, I BOUGHT YOU SANDALS AND FLIP FLOPS. I LOVE YOU, SWEETIE! And if he doesn't pack both pairs, I'll sneak them in. The flip flops won't take up much packing real estate, and he'll have two pairs if I was right about the sneakers. I may not be, but better safe than sorry.

just came across your ptr. we stayed at pofq on our very first wdw trip too. you will love it! you are obviously on the right track with planning!

I agree with pp - don't take new shoes for your dh, but I think the Christmas gift thing is a good idea! it is really necessary to take at least 2 pairs of shoes. the best wdw tip I ever received: never wear the same shoes 2 days in a row. of course, I ignored it on our first trip and paid for it. so, now I always wear a comfy pair of sandals or flops on the plane and take 2 pairs of closed shoes. works out just right for me. dh takes keens and tennis shoes and rotates.

can't wait to see your costumes! here's ours for the Halloween party at DL next month. just need to finish up some accessories... it definitely has a mermaid tail.

Oh I love that! I had a different idea for the mermaid tail still, but I LOVE this one, too! Very sparkly, I think it will be perfect for the fun party. I'll have to look in and see if you share a Trip Report about it! Thanks for showing me! <3

Joining in! I've enjoyed reading it so far. Can't wait to see the dresses...I'm extremely jealous of your sewing skills. I have a basic sewing machine...that's still in the box. Someday I'll take a class and learn how to use it!

Oh! Don't be jealous, learn! It's so fun and you can always make exactly what you want for school pictures or what your kids (or yourself!) wants for Halloween or Comic Con! I know a lot of sewing machine shops offer lessons, or Craftsy does online. Pattern Review can also help point you to some patterns that are really good for beginners, and you can always PM me a question if you have it! Don't have cold feet; jump right on in!

 

[Gracefulskinny]

After reading everyone's comments on our "spat" I went back to him and said I'd make him a deal: he can bring his three year old shoes and not hear a word from me on the condition that he also brings one pair of new-but-broken-in, machine washable, waterproof sandals, and that if his sneakers do prove to be inadequate, I am not subjected to any (ANY!) complaining about it. He agreed.

Sounds like the perfect compromise!

 

[ValarDisneyus]

Two nights ago, I called the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique reservation line to see when I needed to call to book an appointment. The fake hair is not actually my favorite, but it's on my daughter's "Must-Do's." What are you gonna do, right? While I'm on the phone with SUPAHR RESERVATION MAN (no, really, I think this fella needs a cape. If I remembered his name, I'd write guest services and say so. Rupert, maybe, or Randolph?) pointed out that Star Wars Weekends *might* start during our visit. He couldn't confirm anything, but the murmerings were that it might be opening a bit earlier this year. Also, he told me that "May The Fourth Be With You" really is a thing there...so of COURSE I went to www.heruniverse.com and found out the Darth Vader A-Line dress I want for me is out of stock, but then I found it on Think Geek! VICTORY! And Squeaks told me she wants a new costume, too. She wants to be Hera.

...Wait now; it's not that Hera...

Hera Syndulla, the green Twi'lek pilot leader in the new Star Wars Rebels cartoon. My kid rules. My ability to make Twilek Lekku, though...this will be interesting.

It has also occurred to me that if I go about it properly, I could POSSIBLY make a Belle inspired dress, a Tink inspired dress, and then put one over the other and add a flower pin and MAYBE have a Tiana inspired dress? Maybe?

Possibly too ambitious, though. We'll see.

 

[SarahDisney]

After reading everyone's comments on our "spat" I went back to him and said I'd make him a deal: he can bring his three year old shoes and not hear a word from me on the condition that he also brings one pair of new-but-broken-in, machine washable, waterproof sandals, and that if his sneakers do prove to be inadequate, I am not subjected to any (ANY!) complaining about it. He agreed.

Sounds like a great solution.

And yay for getting the Darth Vader dress! I think they're trying to put more Star Wars in the parks, so I wouldn't be surprised if Star Wars Weekends start earlier. I really hope there's one going on while you're there!

The Twilek Lekku looks tough to make, but I'm sure if you google it someone has done it before and you may be able to get some tips.

I like the idea of using a Belle dress and a Tink dress to make a Tiana dress ... could be complicated, but I think it could work. I agree that it might be a bit ambitious, but I think that if you have the time and the materials, it's worth trying.

 

[HeatherLassell]

Subbing. I remember the excitement of my very first PTR!

I'm also interested to see how the pickle dress turns out!

 

[STLMickeyMom]

I can't wait to see what all you come up with for dresses! Star Wars weekend always looks like so much fun.

I'm glad you and DH came up with a solution to the great Disney shoe debate!

 

[Gracefulskinny]

While I'm on the phone with SUPAHR RESERVATION MAN (no, really, I think this fella needs a cape. If I remembered his name, I'd write guest services and say so. Rupert, maybe, or Randolph?) pointed out that Star Wars Weekends *might* start during our visit.

Good to know! Heads up about Star Wars Weekends though, if you haven't looked into them yet I recommend doing so. I have never been myself but from what I have heard Star Wars Weekends are SUPER BUSY and not really for the faint of heart. I believe I remember seeing a good report on it on easywdw.com at some point. It doesn't seem like the type of event to go into without knowing the crowd levels you will deal with.

It has also occurred to me that if I go about it properly, I could POSSIBLY make a Belle inspired dress, a Tink inspired dress, and then put one over the other and add a flower pin and MAYBE have a Tiana inspired dress? Maybe?

Possibly too ambitious, though. We'll see.

Oh you've got me intrigued! If you pull off something like this I want to see it. I would just be worried about the yellow of Belle's dress being too yellow and the shade of Tink's dress the wrong shade of green. Tiana's dress seems a bit softer in colors to me.

 

[CaseFace5]

I'm in! Following you over from my PTR! Can't wait to read some more!