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

[Colleen27]

I've started working on a to-do list for our trip and rapidly came to the conclusion that I actually need to have several. I'm sure I'll be adding to these as I think more about it and as I stumble across more ideas that I have to try. I'm not even thinking about the last-minute stuff like packing; this is all the crafting and planning I want to get done well in advance.

To sew:

• Minnie dot twirl dress for Pocahontas
• Figment outfit for Pocahontas
• Fab Five capris & top for Pocahontas
• Princess capris & tee for Pocahontas
• Purse/totebag for Pocahontas for autographs √ - pics
• Mickey Mouse PJs for the girls √
• Swim cover-up for Boo √
• Stroller basket

To design:

• Autograph book for Boo √
• LGMH tag √
• Star Tours checklist for Stitch √
• Snack sticky card (again, might go digital) √ I converted my Word doc from the last trip to .pdf format and loaded it to the iPod, but I don't think we really need it anymore
• Stroller patch
• Birthday cake idea for Stitch √ - have a good idea in mind for a cake in his football team colors
• EPCOT passport for Pocahontas (unless we get her a travel guide that has one included) √

To buy:

• Travel book for Pocahontas, have to hit B&N brick-and-mortar to decide which one - either Birbaum's for Kids or Guide to the Magic for Kids most likely √ - decided on Birnbaums this time
• Updated edition of the Hidden Mickey guide for Stitch √ - downloaded to Pocahontas iPod Touch for us all to enjoy.
• EL wire kit for stroller (yes, I'm going to make it glow in the dark... after all, it gets dark early in Jan ) √
• Air mattress for Stitch √

To Do:

• Find someone to watch our furbaby √
• Make one last attempt to find DH's point-and-shoot camera in our attic & office

I have most of Boo's outfits done thanks to the DISboutique Project Runway challenges over the summer, so the sewing is mostly just making the coordinating big kid versions for Pocahontas. There are only two outfits - one for each Studios day - that I'm starting from scratch on and I've got solid ideas in mind for both.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

I've started working on a to-do list for our trip and rapidly came to the conclusion that I actually need to have several. I'm sure I'll be adding to these as I think more about it and as I stumble across more ideas that I have to try. I'm not even thinking about the last-minute stuff like packing; this is all the crafting and planning I want to get done well in advance.

To sew:

• Phineas and Ferb outfits - Perry shirt for Stitch, Candace dress for Pocahontas, Isabella dress for Boo
• Pluto poodle skirts for both girls
• Minnie dot twirl dress for Pocahontas
• Figment outfit for Pocahontas
• Fab Five capris & top for Pocahontas
• Princess capris & tee for Pocahontas
• Purse/totebag for Pocahontas for autographs
• DSi cases for Pocahontas & Stitch
• Swim cover-up for Boo

To design:

• Autograph book for Boo
• LGMH tag
• Star Tours checklist for Stitch
• Plan cards & maps (maybe - I might go digital with these since I think I'm getting an iPad for Christmas)
• Snack sticky card (again, might go digital)
• Stroller patch
• Birthday cake idea for Stitch
• EPCOT passport for Pocahontas (unless we get her a travel guide that has one included)

To buy:

• Travel book for Pocahontas, have to hit B&N brick-and-mortar to decide which one - either Birbaum's for Kids or Guide to the Magic for Kids most likely
• Updated edition of the Hidden Mickey guide for Stitch
• EL wire kit for stroller (yes, I'm going to make it glow in the dark... after all, it gets dark early in Jan )

To Do:

• Find someone to watch our furbaby
• Make one last attempt to find DH's point-and-shoot camera in our attic & office

I have most of Boo's outfits done thanks to the DISboutique Project Runway challenges over the summer, so the sewing is mostly just making the coordinating big kid versions for Pocahontas. There are only two outfits - one for each Studios day - that I'm starting from scratch on and I've got solid ideas in mind for both.

WOW

 

[Colleen27]

WOW

It actually feels like less than usual because of the summer challenges that prompted me to get all the design/planning and Boo's outfits done so early. There's no fabric shopping or design choices left except for the Phineas & Ferb outfits and that's where I tend to get stuck... when there's room to be overwhelmed by all the options! You wouldn't believe how many fabrics I have around here that I bought to do something with, some day... It sometimes gets hard to choose! I have a wonderful Tink fabric and a pattern I bought just to do something with it that has now gotten bumped twice because I had more ideas than trip days.

We talked to a neighbor who said he's happy to watch Clifford (our lab mix). She's old and doesn't do well being boarded any more so it is a relief to know we have someone who will take care of her here at home.

I'll have Pocahontas poodle skirt done this week because she's got a Girl Scout sock hop on Thursday. I'm going out for the satin tomorrow.

I have a simple Star Tours checklist made up for Stitch. I'm going to print it pocket-sized to make it easy for him to carry.

So, I'm making a little progress. Only 70 days left to go!

 

[Cin]

Oh Wow, you are so talented with a sewing machine. I love the Figment outfit for Boo. Your pictures of WDW end up looking like postcards. I am really enjoying your trip report. You'll be at the same resort as Mom and I at the same time I think? Jan 21-29th?? We check in to POP the 21 and hop over to POFQ the 22 to the 30th. Maybe we will see you there. I am trying to figure out a cute LGMH pattern for my nails...so if you see someone with lime green polished nails that's me, say Hi. Unless I do Tigger nails then you might not know if it is me but still say Hi. (Just in case).

 

[Colleen27]

The stuff I deal with...

Yesterday was spent at my inlaws' house, so the kids could help their Papa make pierogis. This is an all-day affair because he makes hundreds at a time... I think the final tally for yesterday was over 300 and he is doing more today. It was a lot of fun but apparently I missed some of the more interesting conversation.

When we got home, DH sat down next to me on the couch. Immediately I knew something was up. We have two sofas in our living room; I have my spot on the one closest to the table lamp because I like to read in the evenings and he has his on the other to get the best vantage of the TV. So if he sits down on "my" sofa I know he wants to talk with a capital T.

It seems MIL is looking for a long term rental for Feb & Mar, to spend the non-holiday part of the winter with her sister who lives in in Port Charlotte. And she's invited us to come down for Feb break to stay with her for the long weekend if she ends up renting one of the 3 or 4 bedroom homes she's looking at...

To be fair, she doesn't know we have a Disney trip planned for January; we don't see eye to eye on certain financial priorities (she doesn't get why we prioritize travel over remodeling the house; she feels the world will always be waiting, we feel that way about our ugly bathroom ). She's not one of those judgmental, overbearing, controlling MILs at all but it is just easier not to bring up pending travels until right before we're leaving, so she has no idea that she's inviting us to come down to FL 3 weeks after we're scheduled to get back.

Of course, the girls heard DH & MIL talking about this and LOVE the idea of spending a few days in FL with their Nana, especially Pocahontas who has a thing for manatees and loved MIL's pics from some park/sanctuary they went to on her last visit down there.

So what does my husband suggest? You guessed it - "Hey honey, would you mind putting together some numbers to see if we can do both in one trip?"

Are you seeing where these dates lead? Presidents' Day weekend, though we'd be spending the weekend itself at the beach with our Disney time the week prior. You know, the dates I was tempted to try to work out to be there for Dumbo's grand reopening... If we planned on being at WDW until Sat of the holiday weekend we'd have one rope-drop morning at the MK just for Dumbo and anything else that might open in Storybook Circus before leaving to drive down to Port Charlotte, which is only about 2.5 hours from WDW.

So I'm throwing together a quick plan and budget to see how the pricing works out and what's available for free dining that week. I think there's a strong possibility that flying down twice would cost us less than moving our trip to peak season pricing (and I'm hoping to be able to make that case because I REALLY don't want to make any more date changes!!!) but I told DH I'd figure it out both ways.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Good luck..you guys have already been through the ringer with this trip...I really hope you can figure this out with as little headache as possible!

 

[Colleen27]

Good luck..you guys have already been through the ringer with this trip...I really hope you can figure this out with as little headache as possible!

Me too. I should hear back from MIL this week about it, because she and the sister she's sharing the rental with want to have things finalized by the weekend, and once we know if she has room for us we'll start making decisions. I did put together numbers and a rough itinerary that would have us at Disney for 7 nights instead of 8, checking out on the day Dumbo is scheduled to reopen so we can fit in a few park hours that morning before picking up our rental and driving down to the coast for the last 3 nights of the trip. Resort availability is ridiculously slim, though, so we'd be back to looking at a value (specifically Boo's favorite place on Earth - Pop Century). But right now it all just sounds like a big old headache that I don't want to deal with, probably because I'm having myself an itty-bity pity-party with my tea this morning over all our changes.

This is what got me a little , and if you haven't seen the video you really need to - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JztmYqOKuCU. It is a test of the new talking Mickey, who was out on what would have been our MK day had we stuck with our Nov dates. Boo would have been so excited to talk to Mickey about Toodles! I hope they have him out again, either in testing or as a regular attraction, whenever we do end up going but right now I'm pouting about missing the perfect opportunity to see him in the current test run.

ETA: Okay, that total downer of a post is SO not me.

Going in Feb would be a very unique trip with some great upsides, even if I haven't figured them all out yet!

We would check out of Disney on 2/18 and head straight to the Magic Kingdom, where we'd be able to ride Dumbo and see anything else that might be open in Storybook Circus. Boo is fearless so if Barnstormer has reopened it would be even better! So there's one big "pro" - getting to see at least part of the new Fantasyland. Last year the park hours changed to an 8am opening this day and that would be perfect - just an hour in the park for the new attractions and then leave Disney to the crowds while we head for the beach.

We'd rent a car for the drive down to Port Charlotte and take the whole day for the 2.5 hour drive.

Depending on the schedule and what time we leave Disney we might stop in Lakeland, home of Detroit Tigers spring training, which is something my DH has always wanted to do. We'll be there too early in the season for a game, but if this year's spring training schedule follows previous years' we could at least catch a practice, maybe get an autograph or two, and check out Tiger Town/Joker Marchant Stadium. I'd like to see the town first hand too, since DH & I have talked since we first got married about retiring to Lakeland someday. It has everything - Tigers baseball, less than an hour from WDW!

I'd also like to stop in Tampa to see the manatees at the power plant. For Pocahontas in particular this would be a dream come true because she's been asking for a long time when we will take a couple days to see the "real" Florida and loves manatees.

Once we get to Port Charlotte we'll let MIL and her sisters give us the tour. The only thing on my must-do list is some beach time, because none of us have ever seen the Gulf and because DH is always saying we need more sitting around doing nothing on vacation. I assume MIL & DH will fit in a round of golf at some point, and Charlotte Harbor & Punta Gorda look like fairly interesting places to explore.

So it isn't as though there's nothing to appreciate in the possibility of a few non-Disney nights in Florida, especially since there's very little cost to it. We always say we're going to take some time to see the rest of FL one of these days, but without fail something gets in the way - we don't have the time to drive down or don't have enough time to do off-site without seriously cutting back on time at Disney - and this is a cheap way to change that while giving the kids the fun of a trip that includes both their grandmothers, my mom at WDW and Nana at the beach.

 

[lledman]

Things have a way of working out for the best - just hang in there.

BTW, I know I'm in the minority but I find the talking Mickey strange - I guess just for soo long the characters haven't talked that it's weird to me.

 

[Colleen27]

Things have a way of working out for the best - just hang in there.

BTW, I know I'm in the minority but I find the talking Mickey strange - I guess just for soo long the characters haven't talked that it's weird to me.

On some level I know things will work out. They always do... Boo's first, wonderful, amazing trip in Dec '09 put the changes and speed-bumps in this PTR to shame. We were in the middle of buying a house and it was an ordeal - closing delays, financial headaches, unexpected repairs, even a car accident while we were in the process of moving all our stuff. But you know what? The trip we'd originally planned, which would have happened in May '09, would not have been nearly as fun as the trip we ended up having. Those delays made the difference between having a barely-walking, shy-for-everyone-but-me baby and a running, jumping, chatting toddler, and the difference between flowers that she likely wouldn't have cared much about instead of the Christmas lights she loved.

Sometimes the process gets frustrating but the end result is always worth it.

I thought the talking Mickey was strange in the initial videos too. He seemed out of sync with the guests he was interacting with and to me the overall effect was sort of disillusioning. But the home videos of the current test look like the tech has improved immensely and have me really looking forward to seeing him someday. If it doesn't happen in Jan (or Feb), it isn't that big a deal... We have plenty of trips ahead of us before Boo outgrows her belief in the magic.

 

[Coconuts]

I give you so much credit for a few things:

I could never have enough time in the day or talent to plan and make such wonderful crafts/clothes for your trip. Just looking at your to-do list makes my head spin!

If I had to replan my entire trip not only once, but possibly twice, I would be out of my mind. I have enough trouble planning 1 trip and don't think I could do it 2 more times.

Good luck and even if your trip gets moved again to February, it sounds like that will be a great trip too. I always believe things happen for a reason.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Okay, that total downer of a post is SO not me.

Hey, you're human! And you have been through a lot with this trip in the making! Sometimes you just need to vent and then you feel better. I'll be checking in to see how your plans are shaping up once you hear from the DMIL.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Haven't seen any updates in the last few days...hope everything is working out all right? I'm thinking you might benefit from a little !

 

[Colleen27]

I give you so much credit for a few things:

I could never have enough time in the day or talent to plan and make such wonderful crafts/clothes for your trip. Just looking at your to-do list makes my head spin!

If I had to replan my entire trip not only once, but possibly twice, I would be out of my mind. I have enough trouble planning 1 trip and don't think I could do it 2 more times.

Good luck and even if your trip gets moved again to February, it sounds like that will be a great trip too. I always believe things happen for a reason.

Not having a job helps. I'm building up inventory for the one Christmas craft show I'm going to do this year and I'm DH's all purpose office girl, but the only externally-imposed demands on my time are from the kids' activities and those are in a lull with fall sports over and winter swim not starting until January. So I have plenty of time for crafting and travel planning!

Okay, that total downer of a post is SO not me.

Hey, you're human! And you have been through a lot with this trip in the making! Sometimes you just need to vent and then you feel better. I'll be checking in to see how your plans are shaping up once you hear from the DMIL.

Haven't seen any updates in the last few days...hope everything is working out all right? I'm thinking you might benefit from a little !

Everything is good here, just busy with not much action on the Disney front. The girls spent a couple days cooking with their Papa for the pre-Thanksgiving preparations, the kids got to miss a half-day of school last week to visit with relatives from California that we seldom see, and I've officially started the Christmas shopping & crafting.

The house MIL was most interested in fell through, so that's all still up in the air. I'm working on the premise that January is most likely and planning for that, while keeping an open mind about the possibility of that changing and waiting a couple more weeks before booking anything non-refundable.

In other news the high school football team made it to the state final, so Black Friday is going to be a lot of fun! I'll be up before dawn to go shopping then spending the evening at Ford Field for the football game followed by a welcome home (and hopefully victory) party at our favorite little bar that won't wrap up until 2ish. Hopefully I'll fit in a nap in between!

 

[Colleen27]

Just popping in after a very busy long weekend with a belated Happy Thanksgiving, a very quick update and another little detour.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Ours was lovely and uneventful. My mother and brother came over for brunch on Thanksgiving, then headed out shopping while DH & I took the kids to the inlaws' for dinner.

On the trip front, it looks like our January dates will hold! MIL and her Michigan sister are now looking at renting a 2 bedroom condo in her Florida sister's complex, so there won't be room for guests. She's thinking next year she'll start looking earlier to get a bigger place but right now they can't find a larger rental that is in their price range and still available - everything they've found that would work is already booked or MUCH more expensive.

Black Friday shopping was rather less thrilling than in years past, but the rest of the day was fabulous. I bought all the big stuff online on Thursday... Stitch is getting an Xbox and Pocahontas is getting an iPod Touch.

Pocahontas joined me for the first time but we basically just hit the craft stores, Penneys for the Mickey snowglobe, and a makeup shop for orange hair paint and nail polish. Then we went home for a nap because the state final football game was Friday night and we knew we'd be out late.

No trip to Detroit would be complete without pictures, but I was limited this time by Ford Field's restrictions - no camera bag, so I was traveling light with just the 75-300mm zoom lens that just barely skated in under their lens-length limit. Still, there were a couple I couldn't resist taking.

This one speaks for itself, I'm sure.

This one, on the other hand, has a bit more story.

It is painted on the side of an empty building facing Grand Circus Park, which is a circular road with a park in the center near the Tigers & Lions stadiums. But what makes it significant - and what I didn't know when I took the picture - is that the painting of the mural is the backdrop for Kid Rock's video for the song Care. Now y'all know how big a fan I am, and this video and the mini-tour of the same name is the sort of thing that sets him apart IMO. His Care club tour is expected to raise in the neighborhood of $375,000 for charities in the cities where he is playing, and it was just announced that he'll be performing at CNN's Heroes event this year.

You can see it here if you're interested: http://www.cmt.com/videos/kid-rock/713731/care.jhtml

The video is beautiful and touching, but there's something about seeing that mural there behind the chain-link and across a vacant bit of land with the litter it has collected, the People Mover track in the foreground, Grand Circus Park where the homeless are allowed to panhandle but Occupy Detroit protesters were evicted... It just isn't something that can be captured on film.

It didn't take long for me to get frustrated with my lack of an appropriate lens, though, so we headed off to Hockeytown for dinner at Stitch's request. Somehow I've been here more times than I can count but never with him until Friday. It was so strange seeing so many familiar faces down there, but half the restaurant was Mariners fans!

The game was great. Our boys lost but they gave it a good fight and showed nothing but class in their defeat, and it was so cool to see how the town came out to support them. I joke about it a lot because I'm a city girl and still have moments of culture shock even after living in Small Town USA for almost a decade, but this community really is something I'm thankful for.

This sign on the edge of town about summed it up.

But this one really tells the story... The sea of orange & black in the stands, nearly end zone to end zone filling the entire lower bowl of a pro football stadium. You'd never guess we're a town of only 4000 people!

Our star running back, who happened to be Stitch's coach this year, gave me plenty of action to take pics of as usual. He was just voted Michigan player of the year for our division by the AP and is committed to a D1 college for fall. Stitch is looking forward to watching him on TV next season.

Pocahontas was sporting her team colors... Hair bow, streaks, tutu, and all!

And of course Stitch was in his jersey. Truth be told even though I was a swimmer myself in high school I never really "got" team sport culture, but he is very proud to be a part of this football program and I am starting to understand it better with each passing year. Next year he'll be on the 8th grade team, which means taking his turn on the sidelines as a water/ball boy for the high school program, and from there it is on to a high school team that hasn't missed the playoffs since I was in high school.

After the game we headed home, swapped Boo for Pocahontas at my inlaws on the way since Pocahontas was leaving Saturday morning with MIL to go visit her cousins for the weekend. The team got back to town just before midnight - and the whole town knew it because they got a police escort to the after-party - and I left DH home with Boo to go downtown for the celebration. We didn't stay long because it was just too crowded and we were just too tired, but it was a fun event even though the boys didn't win.

And somehow, after all that I still got myself up to hit Joann's for their Saturday doorbusters and got the little purse I wanted to make Pocahontas finished. She's been using my wallet-on-a-string style purse but once she gets her iPod that will be too small, so I made her this for Christmas. Its just a basic cross-body bag but in team colors & logo. I love that our school colors are orange & black - Halloween clearance comes just in time for football playoffs and Christmas crafting!

I'll probably make her a matching wallet too, since next year she'll have a school ID that she has to carry, but I didn't have the zipper so I just made the purse for now. I'm going to be sneaky and wrap the purse with her iPod inside because I know she'll be looking for the iPod Touch sized package under the tree. I have to fit in the surprises where I can this year because with each of the kids only really wanting one thing there's really not a lot of doubt in their minds about what they'll find under the tree.

I do have a couple of minor trip-related changes to report too. I got Le Cellier for all 7 of us on the 25th, so I cancelled La Hacienda for that night and the two separate Le Cellier ADRs (for 4 & 3) that I had for the 27th. I haven't decided yet if I want to book La Hacienda for that evening or if I'll switch it to Marrakesh because the kids want to try it, but reservations for both are easy enough to come by that I haven't felt any hurry to make the decision.

Also, after all the talk about manatees and such Pocahontas has decided she'd rather do the Ocean Discoveries class in the Seas pavilion rather than the AK class, so our AK morning touring will be greatly simplified. The Seas class falls on a free day so she and I will just spend a few hours at Epcot that morning while the others sleep in.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Wow! Great update. Looks like you guys had a very eventful weekend between TG, shopping and football! Love how you guys get so into it. Glad things have finally settled for your dates. That's gotta be a relief. Well done on your LeCellier ADR, we love that restaurant and it's always one of the first we book.

 

[Marshay]

Joining in! Let me first say that I'm just tired reading your PTR!

Seriously, you have incredible patience and organization to replan your trip and even hold open the possibility of a 2nd replan.

I'm glad you are able to go in January and have your plans firmed up. Everything looks great. Your family is adorable!! I love your sewing outfits and it's so neat to see all the pics from prior trips that you have taken.

Have you heard about the problems they have been having at the Seas? Many of the dives have been canceled so I would definitely inquire about the Oceans class -- would hate for Pocahontas to be all set on the Seas only to have it canceled and not be able to do another one if they are full. I know she is not diving but it may affect that class, too.

I have a 2yo and a 6yo and we're going the same time but staying at OKW -- I'll have my LGMH, too!

 

[Colleen27]

Wow! Great update. Looks like you guys had a very eventful weekend between TG, shopping and football! Love how you guys get so into it. Glad things have finally settled for your dates. That's gotta be a relief. Well done on your LeCellier ADR, we love that restaurant and it's always one of the first we book.

It was a fun weekend and very apropos for Thanksgiving because we all had our moments of reflecting on how happy we are that chance and timing led us to this town.

I'm hoping the third time will be the charm with Le Cellier. We've scored an ADR there twice before but both times checked in to find they were running very behind and opted not to wait. I'm hoping that between the change to signature status and the new CC guarantee policy we won't have that problem this time.

Joining in! Let me first say that I'm just tired reading your PTR!

Seriously, you have incredible patience and organization to replan your trip and even hold open the possibility of a 2nd replan.

I'm glad you are able to go in January and have your plans firmed up. Everything looks great. Your family is adorable!! I love your sewing outfits and it's so neat to see all the pics from prior trips that you have taken.

Have you heard about the problems they have been having at the Seas? Many of the dives have been canceled so I would definitely inquire about the Oceans class -- would hate for Pocahontas to be all set on the Seas only to have it canceled and not be able to do another one if they are full. I know she is not diving but it may affect that class, too.

I have a 2yo and a 6yo and we're going the same time but staying at OKW -- I'll have my LGMH, too!

I'm actually a terribly impatient person IRL; I'm pretty laid back as a rule but hate waiting and uncertainty. But the planning and replanning helps to pass the time, and I think in a way I'd be more impatient with a trip we booked 6 months out and stuck to the original plans.

I have heard about the issues with the Seas pavilion and I asked on the YES thread to see if any classes have been cancelled but haven't gotten any response yet. I know that the class was cancelled once back in Oct, the same week they were cancelling Coral Reef reservations too, but I haven't seen any newer reports of cancellations. And they're still booking the class, unlike the tours which are already cancelled and off the schedule for January, so I think at this point maybe it is only the programs that actually go into the water that are being affected. If not, no big deal... When they cancelled the Seas class before they scheduled extra sessions of the Animal Kingdom class to replace it and I know Pocahontas would enjoy that one too.

 

[Cin]

What a cute little purse! You're very talented.

 

[Colleen27]

Cin, thank you. This was my first attempt at a purse and it was surprisingly easy... Good thing too because I'm making one in a slightly different size and style for Pocahontas to use instead of an autograph book on this trip!

Now, an idea that is shamelessly stolen from countless other PTRs, blogs, and Facebook pages, I've decided that with a mere 49 days to go and most of the planning pretty well done, I'm going to embark on the 30 Day Disney Photo Challenge. The idea in a nutshell is a different picture and memory for each day of the challenge, and it originated at a Disney fan site found here.

Challenge Index:
Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6
Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9 - Day 10 - Day 11 - Day 12
Day 13 - Day 14 - Day 15 - Day 16 - Day 17 - Day 18
Day 19 - Day 20 - Day 21 - Day 22 - Day 23 - Day 24
Day 25 - Day 26 - Day 27 - Day 28 - Day 29 - Day 30​

Day 1 - A picture of you at Disney with 10 reasons you're a Disney lover.

This was actually a tough one for me, not because of the 10 reasons but because I'm always holding the camera and had a hard time finding a picture that I was actually in! This one was taken by our tour guide when I took Stitch on the Magic Behind Our Steam Trains tour for his 10th birthday.

Ten reasons I love Disney... Well, that should be easy enough.

1) A truly care free vacation that I can enjoy just as much as the kids do.
2) The look on Boo's face when she sees Mickey. It doesn't seem to matter if it is the 1st time or the 10th, he always amazes her.
3) Leaving the sibling squabbles at home. Stitch and Pocahontas get along pretty well at home, but at Disney they never bicker at all.
4) Giving Stitch a chance to play without worrying about coolness. As he's getting more into the teen social stuff, time playing with the girls without any thought to his peers or image is priceless.
5) The little things. No one does the details like Disney, and I love taking in the hidden Mickeys and surprising decorative touches.
6) The food. I know people complain about it on the boards but we very much enjoy Disney dining, especially being able to have a nice meal in a place like California rill or Jiko without feeling out of place for having the children with us.
7) Wishes. I tear up every time.
8) The escapism of it all. There is nothing else in the world quite like arriving at the Orlando airport and heading for the Magical Express counter, knowing that you're leaving the real world behind for a week.
9) Swimming late at night. Even during the winter this is one of my favorite parts of Disney, being in the pool when the resort is quiet, just enjoying the warm (relatively speaking) Florida weather.
10) The feeling of stepping out onto Main Street with the Castle in front of me, with its invitation to relax and just be in the moment with my family, a world away from the stress and schedules of home.

Oh, and while I'm thinking of it, I may as well mention another change I'm thinking about making... Boo is still obsessed with Pop Century, and since my brother is in and out of work my mom is paying for his trip and would probably appreciate saving some money. So I'm thinking about giving in to Boo's wish to go back to Pop Century to see "her" Lady. We'd be giving up the pool slide but odds are we won't get much use out of it anyway, and the new preferred pool view category at Pop would assure of close proximity to the pool there, unlike at POR where we might have quite a hike to Old Man Island. I'm not sure I'm thrilled with the idea of doubles instead of queens, but that isn't a bad trade-off for the other advantages of POP. And there's plenty of availability there with the free dining code, both preferred and preferred pool view categories.

My mom & I are going to lunch tomorrow so we'll probably make the decision then. I want it settled one way or another before Dec 7, which is our 45 day mark, so we don't have to take change fees into account.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Yay! I'm glad to see someone else is doing a photo challenge too! I'm really enjoying it and can't wait to see yours as well! Hey, our paths could briefly pass as we are arriving at POP on the 28th!