Trickey Trip Planning--The Fairy Godmother creates a Princess

[Piper]

June 24--
Get up insanely early--the lift-equipped shuttle is coming for me at 4:35 a.m.
Our flight leaves at 7:30 and arrives at 10:50. We are taking Mears to the Dolphin (ME doesn't go there and because of my I can't do a towncar.

Check in and rest until:
2:00--Launch to DHS
Get GAC to avoid sun (I'll be wearing my lovely cooling vest for the heat)
Get FP for TSM (if available)
3:30 BATB
4:20 HSM
5:00 Indiana Jones
TSM if able to get FP

Go back to hotel for early night--we need to be at RD at MK tomorrow!


June 25
Breakfast at hotel
8:00 catch bus for MK
Dumbo
Winnie the Pooh
Peter Pan's Flight
FP for Mickey's Philharmagic on the way to Peter
Snow White
Carrousel
PhilharMagic
If time go to Toontown to ride Barnstormer

Be at BBB at 10:30
CRT at 12:00

Get FP for Pirates on way out of park for rest

Catch bus at 4:30
FP for HM
Aladdin
Priates
HM
FP for Buzz
If near 6:40 Dream along with Mickey
Tiki
TTA
Buzz
Spectro and Wishes

June 26
Breakfast at Dolphin
8:00 Launch to DHS
FP TSM
Ride TSM
Playhouse Disney
Voyage of Little Mermaid
Backlot tour
HISTK
Great Movie Ride
Muppet Vision

Launch to Boardwalk
Lunch at Beaches and Cream

Rest

3:45 Launch to DHS
4:35 Dinner at Brown Derby
The Magic of Animation
One Man's Dream
Narnia
Check out Hollywood Blvd--window shop--ride TSM with FP
9:00 Fantasmic

June 27
Breakfast at Dolphin
FP Soarin
Soarin (if line not long)
Living Seas Pavillion--Nemo
Trutle Talk
Spaceship Earth
Imagination
Innoventions
Living with the Land
12:15 Lunch at Garden Grill
Back to Hotel to rest

4:45 Launch to Epcot
Make way around world showcase
8:00 Dinner at Rose and Crown
Illuminations


June 28
7:00 Bus
8:05 Breakfast at CRT
FP Buzz
Ride rides in Fantasyland
Be at Ariel's Grotto by 9:30
Toontown Fair
11:10 Storytime with Belle
Lunch at Columbia Harbour House
FP Pirates 12:25 Pirate Tutorial
Ride Pirates
Buzz
3:00 Share a dream Parade

Go back to hotel for swimming and an early night


June 29
7:30 bus to AK
8:15 Breakfast at Rainforest (I have $35 in Gift cards!)
Safari
ITTBAB
10:30 Lion King
11:10 Pocahontas
12:00 Flights of Wonder
1:00 Finding Nemo
1:30 Lunch

rest

Go to DTD and shop!!!!!


June 30

Lift equipped taxi to Poly

8:10 Breakfast at O'Hana

Back to Dolphin
Check out
11:30 Mears shuttle coming to take us back to airport

 

[lovesdumbo]

Enjoying your PTR!!! What a lucky little girl Giuliana is!

I took my oldest on her first trip when she was 3 1/2 and I was 6 months pregnant with my 3rd (I had to leave my 21 month old at home with Dad). It was a very magical trip!!!

I LOVE all 3 outfits you made! I have a soft spot for Pooh so I really love that skirt but your Minnie dress is simply stunning!

The only "problem" I saw with your schedule is that I don't think HM has fast pass????

Also on your first afternoon at DHS you may want to hit the animation courtyard area so you can do some character meets.

I'm sure it will be a very magical trip!!!!!!!

 

[Piper]

Thanks--I think you're right--no FP for HM! Oh well, we'll just play that part by ear!!

 

[Piper]

OK--one more thing (I'm on a roll--it's either feast or famine, huh ) Here are some of my dollar store finds along with the personalized autograph book. I also made a journal for her--can't go on a trip with your teacher and not write! Some of the stuff (like the color wonder and colorform "paper dolls") are for the plane. I got 3 sets of the colorforms, so she could share with 2 other girls waiting to board the plane. Other stuff is for nightly Tinkerbelle visits. I also got 50 light up necklaces and 60 light up bracelets so she could share those also.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Haven't had time to digest your touring plan but I wanted to express an

"AWWWWW" at the adorable minnie dress. Too cute!!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Hi Piper,
You're certainly a very special person. You make a great Fairy Godmother. I wish my son had a grandmother like you. (My mom is deceased & my MIL..... let's just say she's not the most attentive, loving grandmother ever. Isabel & Guiliana are very lucky to be sharing the magic with you. I know you guys will have a great time.

I can totally sympathize with you on your health problems. I'm very impressed that you not only go to work everyday, but also keep up with 4 & 5 yr. old kids. I turned 40 last month & don't do nearly that good. You mentioned your ankles. Right now, it's my knees that are giving me a fit. One of them has been needing surgery for awhile, & the other has recently starting swelling too. I also have back trouble. Don't you just love that wonderful arthritis. It moves in & takes over. Hopefully, you'll get the help you need to ward off as much pain as possible on your trip.

I have a question about your cooling vest. My DH spends several hours outside on most days. To make it worse, we live in FL. Lucky him! Do you think he'd be comfortable wearing the vest all day? Also, how long does it stay cool for? Thanks in advance for the info.

I'll be looking forward to your next installment.

 

[Piper]

Hi Piper,
You're certainly a very special person. You make a great Fairy Godmother. I wish my son had a grandmother like you. (My mom is deceased & my MIL..... let's just say she's not the most attentive, loving grandmother ever. Isabel & Guiliana are very lucky to be sharing the magic with you. I know you guys will have a great time.

I can totally sympathize with you on your health problems. I'm very impressed that you not only go to work everyday, but also keep up with 4 & 5 yr. old kids. I turned 40 last month & don't do nearly that good. You mentioned your ankles. Right now, it's my knees that are giving me a fit. One of them has been needing surgery for awhile, & the other has recently starting swelling too. I also have back trouble. Don't you just love that wonderful arthritis. It moves in & takes over. Hopefully, you'll get the help you need to ward off as much pain as possible on your trip.

I have a question about your cooling vest. My DH spends several hours outside on most days. To make it worse, we live in FL. Lucky him! Do you think he'd be comfortable wearing the vest all day? Also, how long does it stay cool for? Thanks in advance for the info.

I'll be looking forward to your next installment.

Thank you for reading.

I think he'd probably be fine wearing it. He would probably need to have a supply of water to rewet it when it dried out. How long it stays cool depends on the heat and humidity. He could at least get a couple of hours before it needed rewetting.

I wish arthritis were my only problem! But it certainly is a pain in the-----well, wherever it wants to land that day! The kids I teach are always great. I just explain that the doctor gave me braces so I won't fall down so much. They are very accepting. If I am on the floor and need to crawl to the closest chair for support to get up, they just crawl along with me!!

 

[SallyfromDE]

Hi Piper,

I see your posts on the DisBoutique thread. I don't know why, I just started to read your pre trip report. I don't usually have the time to do more then my normal threads.

I did Disney last year in ECV. This year I am hoping to walk all the way. But I know they have chairs if I have problems. I have RSDS, it's a nerve problem in my left foot and the nerve pain goes up my leg. I spent 7 months in a chair and on disability because I had a jones break in my right foot!! (and lucky me, that RSDS spread to the right foot - it gets in your nervous system). I'm still having issues from the broken foot. If I fell, I couldn't get up on my own. I have no muscle strength in my thighs. Hopefully I can get back into PT to have that taken care of. I was just told had early arthritis in my back. I just turned 51. I know it's from car accidents I've had. But my back is the one thing that is feeling pretty good right now!!

I found your post on the cooling vest interesting. I know people that work outside. And right now we are in a heat wave. What a great idea for them. I also work with a woman that has MS, and she was just telling us about an ice vest she can get from the MS society. What a brilliant idea!! Why is this not common knowledge? My Dad has passed, but this would have been great for him to use. He had several brain surgeries, and he just couldn't stand the heat.

Anyway, I just wanted to say HI. I love to plan our trips. I'm busy sewing for Kirsta. She loves to dress up in the parks.

 

[Piper]

Hi Piper,

I see your posts on the DisBoutique thread. I don't know why, I just started to read your pre trip report. I don't usually have the time to do more then my normal threads.

I did Disney last year in ECV. This year I am hoping to walk all the way. But I know they have chairs if I have problems. I have RSDS, it's a nerve problem in my left foot and the nerve pain goes up my leg. I spent 7 months in a chair and on disability because I had a jones break in my right foot!! (and lucky me, that RSDS spread to the right foot - it gets in your nervous system). I'm still having issues from the broken foot. If I fell, I couldn't get up on my own. I have no muscle strength in my thighs. Hopefully I can get back into PT to have that taken care of. I was just told had early arthritis in my back. I just turned 51. I know it's from car accidents I've had. But my back is the one thing that is feeling pretty good right now!!

I found your post on the cooling vest interesting. I know people that work outside. And right now we are in a heat wave. What a great idea for them. I also work with a woman that has MS, and she was just telling us about an ice vest she can get from the MS society. What a brilliant idea!! Why is this not common knowledge? My Dad has passed, but this would have been great for him to use. He had several brain surgeries, and he just couldn't stand the heat.

Anyway, I just wanted to say HI. I love to plan our trips. I'm busy sewing for Kirsta. She loves to dress up in the parks.

The cooling vest is great! The only problem I have had with it is that it fades a bit. But since I wear a thin white long sleeve shirt under it most of the time, that is not too big of a problem.

to you for the nerve pain. It isn't fun--one of my problems is Neurofibromatosis, type I. It is a genetic disorder and one of the manifestations is fibromas (tumors) on nerves. I am very lucky that mine are small and few (only about 30 right now.) Some people can have hundreds and those stories about 150 lb tumors are usually NF tumors!

I have had Lupus for many, many years (diagnosed for 40 of them), I am lucky in another respect. I am just now starting to develop the heart and lung problems many people develop much younger. This may well be my last trip to WDW (as it might for all of us. )

I am just happy to be able to do this trip and plan to scoot around WDW and have loads of fun!

 

[SallyfromDE]

I have had Lupus for many, many years (diagnosed for 40 of them), I am lucky in another respect. I am just now starting to develop the heart and lung problems many people develop much younger. This may well be my last trip to WDW (as it might for all of us. )

I am just happy to be able to do this trip and plan to scoot around WDW and have loads of fun!

Piper, where do you get a cooling vest? Is it from a medical supply?

They are testing my Mom for Lupus. She's had a mastecomy from breast cancer and she keeps losing blood platlets and they can't find them. So they are suspecting Lupus.

I've been doing Disney for 18 years, twice in a year on a few occassions. I hope to go for as long as I can. I enjoy the excitement in the kids. I love the atmosphere. I just enjoy it. I feel really relaxed when I get home, even if we are crazy busy while away.

 

[Piper]

Piper, where do you get a cooling vest? Is it from a medical supply?

They are testing my Mom for Lupus. She's had a mastecomy from breast cancer and she keeps losing blood platlets and they can't find them. So they are suspecting Lupus.

I've been doing Disney for 18 years, twice in a year on a few occassions. I hope to go for as long as I can. I enjoy the excitement in the kids. I love the atmosphere. I just enjoy it. I feel really relaxed when I get home, even if we are crazy busy while away.

Medical supply would probably have them. My PT got it for me. She talked to my rheumy and she wrote a prescription.

Good luck to your mother. Lupus is hard to diagnose. It is a good thing that she has a doctor who is trying to find the problem.

This will be my 8th trip to WDW. I even went solo last summer.

In my much, much younger days when I lived in California--I tried twice to go to Disneyland and both times I had to cancel the trip because I found out I was pregnant! My husband said no way would we schedule another trip!

 

[SallyfromDE]

In my much, much younger days when I lived in California--I tried twice to go to Disneyland and both times I had to cancel the trip because I found out I was pregnant! My husband said no way would we schedule another trip!

 

[Piper]

I haven't disappeared. I just haven't been in a Disney mood. Our beloved principal has been fighting cancer for the last year and a half and he is at the end of the battle. Pray for his family that they find peace in his passing and for the children and staff of our school that the transition next year is as smooth as possible.

He convinced the doctors to let him out of the hospital so he could hand out diplomas at our PreK graduation. He went back in that afternoon and was released for the last teacher day. Last week he went into "in home hospice." Yesterday he became unresponsive and was taken to the hospice run by the hospital.

He will be very hard to replace as he has been the best principal I ever worked with. He pushed the staff to excel and therefore the students excelled as a result.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

So sorry to hear that. It must have been very bittersweet to watch him at Graduation.

 

[Piper]

So sorry to hear that. It must have been very bittersweet to watch him at Graduation.

It was. He went all out for the kids--even ordering gowns for them. We sang Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star in English and Spanish as well asthe ABC's in both languages and then several other songs in English. After the dress rehearsal, he told me that it tickled him to see all my Vietnamese, Creole, Philipino, Nigerian, etc. children singing in Spanish better than the Bilingual Spanish class!

While we were singing our school song, he held hands with one of my students. (We sing the song every Friday on Sprit Day and hold hands. We raise our hands in the air on the last phrase. Here is a recording. You have to wait, but it does load--I checked the link. It is a really good song.
www.alief.isd.tenet.edu/Hicks/Hand%20in%20Hand.WAV

 

[Piper]

My principal passed early this morning. Unfortunately, they are having the memorial service at the school while I am on my trip. I will miss him, but I am relieved to know he doesn't have pain anymore.

 

[Piper]

Nine days left! I am going to have to go over my list and make sure I have things in order.

I am being picked up in Houston by Super Shuttle because they have a lift-equipped vehicle. I have a nagging worry that they will either forget me or not be on time. I will call them the day before to remind them.

In Orlando, I am using Mears because I am staying at the Dolphin. I requested meet and greet at the airport. Again, a nagging fear it won't be smooth. I'll remind them on the 23rd, too.

I have heard a lot of negatives about Disney transportation lately. I am really hoping it is smooth for me. I have had some problems in the past with drivers not wanting to load me, letting people board before me (this makes it difficult to park) and having to wait for 3 or 4 busses because they already had 2 wc or ecv. I don't mind waiting if the busses are full, but I resent the drivers who just don't want to deal with me. I can park on a dime because I use my own ecv and am very used to it. I can't turn my head to look behind me, so I am hoping I don't get any of the old busses they make you go on backwards! That is a little tricky for me .

Okay, I am off to go over my packing list one more time.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Oh Piper! I am sorry to hear that but it is hard to watch people you care about suffer in pain. Perhaps you can come up with your own way to honour his life while you are in WDW. Sounds to me like passing out some glow in the dark necklaces to passing by children would be the kind of pixie dust that he would appreciate.

I just took a few minutes break from report cards. I though they were due on Thursday but found out friday they had been moved up to this monday. I already had a full social calendar this weekend with father's day. I hope my administration meant 5pm monday because there is no way I'll get mine done until then. So I'd better get back at them.

I have school until June 27th.

 

[Piper]

I had already bought a lot of extra bracelets and necklaces to pass out. It is a good idea to think of Drake as we do so. He definitely helped add light to so many children's lives that it is an appropriate action!

 

[Piper]

Okay. Tthis morning, I put together the book I'm going to take with me. It is small 6x8 so it fits in my baggalini and the pages are cardstock. I made pockets for the index cards with my daily plans (on the back of each card I have a list of where the good HC bathrooms are! )

I put Pasporter's park maps behind the information for each day. That way I can just grab the card and map. The opposite page has room for info about the day for my TR. Also, each day is color-coded. Am I just a tad obsessive? Nah, just thorough!

I made the arrangements with the vet to have Mai Li spayed while I am gone. She will have the surgery on Monday while I am here and instead of just staying one night, they will board her until I return. My vet only treats cats and even runs a Kitty Day Care as well as boarding. She calls Mai Li the itty bitty kitty--she finally weighs 5.6 lbs! Yea! (Actually, that is a good thing as I am only supposed to lift 5 lbs.--so I can pick her up without feeling guilty!) She is a year old now, so probably won't get much bigger.

My friend just called and wants me to come up and see the pictures of her GD's recital. So I'll stop for now and continue soon.