*~Trading Snow & Slush For Pixie Dust~* Jan PTR - 1/17 - Photo Challenge Complete!

[Cin]

Oh wow. I love the shot from EE! That looks so realistic. You're even above the treetops as it would be in real life. I'll never get to see that view though, EE is out for this rumbly tummy.

 

[OziJo]

You will be leaving just as we are getting back. I'll try and check in and see how it's all going. If I don't get a chance may I be the first to wish you Bon Voyage!

 

[Colleen27]

LOVE taking pictures on EE!!!

LOVE your detail shots! I, too, love taking pictures of the details. I took 3000 pictures last trip and I STILL feel like I missed certain details. It's exactly why I love WDW and why I'm taking a solo/girls trip with the plans to take my time and notice all those tiny little things, in 2013!

I would love a solo trip just for the photo ops. The family tends to get a bit impatient when I'm doing something like taking close-ups of a trash can. If you didn't recognize it, that third pic is actually of a trash can in Fantasyland.

Oh wow. I love the shot from EE! That looks so realistic. You're even above the treetops as it would be in real life. I'll never get to see that view though, EE is out for this rumbly tummy.

Thanks. It really is a great ride, but probably the most extreme Disney offers. Pocahontas thought I was crazy to take my camera, but my strap is long enough to wear it under one arm, purse style, so it isn't like it could go anywhere.

You will be leaving just as we are getting back. I'll try and check in and see how it's all going. If I don't get a chance may I be the first to wish you Bon Voyage!

Have a great trip, and be sure to let me know when you start your trip report!

 

[Colleen27]

Day 22 - A picture from your favorite Disney movie.

Stained glass from Beauty & the Beast. I really hope this window finds a home in the Beast's castle because I miss seeing it in France.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Colleen, you have been posting the best pics! Love them! I'm looking forward to reading a TR from your week so we can compare!!

 

[Colleen27]

Colleen, you have been posting the best pics! Love them! I'm looking forward to reading a TR from your week so we can compare!!

I'll have a ton, I'm sure. The more adults we have the more chance of me wandering off for some alone time with my camera, and with my mom, brother & DH along this time I'm sure I'll have at least a bit of time on my own.

I can't wait to see how your reveal goes! I can't believe you've kept the secret all this time.

 

[Colleen27]

Day 23 - A picture of the character you dislike most.

Lotso. I just can't get over the idea of a fuzzy pink strawberry scented villain, and while Boo liked him at Studios before she saw Toy Story 3 she told me after she saw the movie with her little cousin that she didn't want to hug Lotso any more.

 

[Colleen27]

Day 24 - A picture of your favorite Disney-related possession or souvenir.

My park bag. I got it on my very first trip to Disney World, in the year of the cake-castle, and it has survived 3 years of college, use as a diaper bag for 2 kids, and traveling all over the east coast with me. And remarkably, it is still in good shape save for a few unfortunate stains from a leaky fountain pen and replacing the drawstring twice when it wore through.

Notice what is missing from the logo? My backpack is older than Animal Kingdom!

 

[Colleen27]

Good news everybody! (Futurama anyone? )

DH & I were out shopping yesterday and he picked up the Android phone I've been debating about for way to long! So I'm armed with the Undercover Tourist app, a side-loaded copy of Mobile Magic, and of course Lines from TouringPlans.com, but more importantly I'll be able to post (brief, because I hate typing on a touchscreen keyboard) live updates! Don't expect great things; I haven't figured out uploading pics yet, but I'll start my TR the day we leave and I'll check in from time to time whenever the thought crosses my mind.

Day 25 - A picture of your favorite childhood Disney memory.

This one was tough for me because I never went to Disney World as a child, and really I wasn't that into Disney at all until I became a parent and got to share it with my own kids. But there is one thing that sticks out in my mind from my 18th birthday/high school graduation trip... This is another photo I had to borrow, for the same reasons I had to use a borrowed pic of River Country.

The Cinderella Castle cake... Who could forget it?

I'll admit, one of the reasons the cakestle is a favorite memory is because it is the reason that I got to really experience the awe and beauty that is the castle in its unadorned form for the very first time with my kids. Sure, I'd been to WDW once before but I'd never really seen the castle!

 

[Marshay]

Trying to get all caught up ...fyi, I started my PTR finally, too! See link in my siggie.

Day 21 - The best place to take a picture at Disney.

There are a lot of them, but this one has to be my personal favorite - the top of Expedition Everest!

Oh, I love looking around on this ride. I never think to bring my camera on it though. Next time I will! You got a great shot!

My DH has a great shot of the yeti inside ripping up the track!

Day 23 - A picture of the character you dislike most.

Lotso. I just can't get over the idea of a fuzzy pink strawberry scented villain, and while Boo liked him at Studios before she saw Toy Story 3 she told me after she saw the movie with her little cousin that she didn't want to hug Lotso any more.

Awww, that kind of both funny and sad that your girls don't like him anymore. I wish Pixar would have given him some redeeming qualities...

Good news everybody! (Futurama anyone? )

DH & I were out shopping yesterday and he picked up the Android phone I've been debating about for way to long! So I'm armed with the Undercover Tourist app, a side-loaded copy of Mobile Magic, and of course Lines from TouringPlans.com, but more importantly I'll be able to post (brief, because I hate typing on a touchscreen keyboard) live updates! Don't expect great things; I haven't figured out uploading pics yet, but I'll start my TR the day we leave and I'll check in from time to time whenever the thought crosses my mind.

Day 25 - A picture of your favorite childhood Disney memory.

This one was tough for me because I never went to Disney World as a child, and really I wasn't that into Disney at all until I became a parent and got to share it with my own kids. But there is one thing that sticks out in my mind from my 18th birthday/high school graduation trip... This is another photo I had to borrow, for the same reasons I had to use a borrowed pic of River Country.

The Cinderella Castle cake... Who could forget it?

I'll admit, one of the reasons the cakestle is a favorite memory is because it is the reason that I got to really experience the awe and beauty that is the castle in its unadorned form for the very first time with my kids. Sure, I'd been to WDW once before but I'd never really seen the castle!

Yeah for the Android and apps!!

I know I'm one of the VERY few people who actually really loved this castle!! Now, I wouldn't want it permanently but for a year -- I thought this was so creative!!

 

[Colleen27]

I know I'm one of the VERY few people who actually really loved this castle!! Now, I wouldn't want it permanently but for a year -- I thought this was so creative!!

It certainly was. I don't think it was as horrible as people make it out to be. It was really a very cute idea for a short-term thing, but I'm not sure it needed to last as long as it did.

 

[Colleen27]

Day 26 - A picture of the way you keep Disney alive when you're not at the parks.

I had to think on this one a bit because it isn't something we do consciously. Aside from constantly being in a state of planning the next trip I really don't try to keep the Disney spirit in our lives, it just sort of happens. And tonight when I was picking up the living room after putting the kids to bed I was able to capture it exactly.

This is the mess the kids left on the floor in front of the fireplace tonight - the girls' little Princess table that is just the right height for playing while sitting on the floor, a Minnie Mouse cup from Boo's 2nd birthday party, a kookie Mickey pen from our '09 trip and the autograph book from our last trip (dug out for Boo to play with so she'd stop unpacking the new one ), her Minnie's Bowtique dress up figure and a bunch of scattered pieces, someone's first haircut ears, Mickey slippers, and about half of Pooh's Duplo house. I don't need to do anything to keep Disney alive between trips. My kids take care of that all on their own!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Hi Colleen! I fell way behind with the holidays but I'm all caught up in time for your trip. I wasn't sure what I was going to find when I got over here... but I'm glad you have firm dates & they are getting very close!!

I'll try to stay caught up now! I think I can do it since you are under 2 weeks!

BTW - We just booked three nights at your favorite... Beach Club!! We're doing three nights at BC before moving offsite for a week. I can't wait!! We're planning lots of resort time during those three days.

Your plans look great & I'll cross my fingers for warm weather for you.

 

[Colleen27]

Day 27 - A picture of the person you most love sharing Disney with.

I love sharing Disney trips with the whole family, of course, but Boo especially is my precious Disney buddy. We had a rough time trying for a third child and had just found out I was pregnant with her right before our '08 trip, and sometimes it still feels like yesterday that I was watching Wishes with DH and the big kids and wishing so hard for an uneventful, healthy pregnancy. And somehow after a year of unexplained miscarriages that pregnancy was just as inexplicably perfect, and Boo has been my own little bit of Disney magic ever since.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

 

[Colleen27]

Hi Colleen! I fell way behind with the holidays but I'm all caught up in time for your trip. I wasn't sure what I was going to find when I got over here... but I'm glad you have firm dates & they are getting very close!!

I'll try to stay caught up now! I think I can do it since you are under 2 weeks!

BTW - We just booked three nights at your favorite... Beach Club!! We're doing three nights at BC before moving offsite for a week. I can't wait!! We're planning lots of resort time during those three days.

Your plans look great & I'll cross my fingers for warm weather for you.

I'm glad you popped in, because somehow I missed the link to your TR on your PTR!

It is getting so close now and I swear the last few weeks of the wait are the longest! I'm about 90% packed and the 24th cannot come fast enough. We're supposed to get our first snow of the winter tonight too, so I'm good and ready to head south.

 

[Colleen27]

So am I the only one who reads Disney blogs and makes shopping lists? I'm not really much of a shopper but when I see something cute from a Disney shop I add a note to my touring plan to pick it up!

I was reading over at EasyWDW about the new Tower of Terror merchandise and I decided Ken just has to have one of these:

He's developing quite the collection of Disney coffee mugs, between the refillable mugs from our package and souvenir mugs we've picked up. Last trip it was one from the Seas with the 'Mine, Mine, Mine' seagulls from Nemo on it.

Also in catching up at EasyWDW, I am SUPER excited about the new no-rope opening at Studios! It looks so much less stressful and since the kids are determined to take turns riding TSM with Uncle B I'm glad to see that it'll be easier than I expected to get those two go-rounds in.

Ken and I had a funny conversation today. I'm the Disney nut and planner in the family, and while I know he enjoys our travels he's just not as into it all as I am... Or so I thought. Now I'm kind of wondering. Why? Because while I'm folding laundry and packing today he asked a question about our next trip, nothing major just a little "Have you thought about...?" in passing about the BBB makeover that we decided Boo is too young for this time and the possibility of booking it and the tea party (Perfectly Princess Tea at the GF) that Pocahontas loved so much when she was 4. That is really not like him, especially since that next trip is penciled in for the week after Thanksgiving 2013... almost two years away! But it is cool to see that glimmer of excitement for it and realize that I'm not the only one thinking ahead to future trips and some of the experiences we'd like to add to them.

 

[Marshay]

Day 27 - A picture of the person you most love sharing Disney with.

I love sharing Disney trips with the whole family, of course, but Boo especially is my precious Disney buddy. We had a rough time trying for a third child and had just found out I was pregnant with her right before our '08 trip, and sometimes it still feels like yesterday that I was watching Wishes with DH and the big kids and wishing so hard for an uneventful, healthy pregnancy. And somehow after a year of unexplained miscarriages that pregnancy was just as inexplicably perfect, and Boo has been my own little bit of Disney magic ever since.

Your story and Boo's wonderfully beautiful, innocent photo is

Also in catching up at EasyWDW, I am SUPER excited about the new no-rope opening at Studios! It looks so much less stressful and since the kids are determined to take turns riding TSM with Uncle B I'm glad to see that it'll be easier than I expected to get those two go-rounds in.

Ken and I had a funny conversation today. I'm the Disney nut and planner in the family, and while I know he enjoys our travels he's just not as into it all as I am... Or so I thought. Now I'm kind of wondering. Why? Because while I'm folding laundry and packing today he asked a question about our next trip, nothing major just a little "Have you thought about...?" in passing about the BBB makeover that we decided Boo is too young for this time and the possibility of booking it and the tea party (Perfectly Princess Tea at the GF) that Pocahontas loved so much when she was 4. That is really not like him, especially since that next trip is penciled in for the week after Thanksgiving 2013... almost two years away! But it is cool to see that glimmer of excitement for it and realize that I'm not the only one thinking ahead to future trips and some of the experiences we'd like to add to them.

Yes, loving the new entry time for DHS...now I had planned to go on EMH morning so wondering if they open even earlier for that. Had you read anything on that?

Your story of Ken is neat! Love how Disney works its magic in our whole families' lives!

 

[Colleen27]

Your story and Boo's wonderfully beautiful, innocent photo is

That's one of my favorite photos from her first trip. She was sitting in her stroller in the Hub, watching the castle show and she was just completely engrossed in seeing Mickey & Minnie dancing.

Yes, loving the new entry time for DHS...now I had planned to go on EMH morning so wondering if they open even earlier for that. Had you read anything on that?

I haven't seen anything about morning EMH yet, but according to the posting on the internal CM web site that someone posted on the Theme Parks board this is just a testing phase through 1/20 so I guess we wait and see how they're going to be doing things by the time we get there.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Hey, Colleen!! Your trip is sooooo close now!!! We were at DHS for one of those early openers. A CM told us it's something they are trying to alleviate the crush to TSMM. I said to DH, it's only gonna work as long as the disboards don't know about it....then we will all just get there even earlier!