Twice As Nice & Double the Fun: an offsite October PTR where “2” is the magic number

[Mom2SamandJames]

Gina,

We had a great time in Orlando. My boys talked me into feeding the alligators at Adventure Hour at Gatorland. That was quite an experience, but they LOVED it. The crowds weren't that bad anywhere except Disney Springs and the Orlando Premium Outlet Malls. Our condo wasn't too terribly far from Capone's so we ended up heading there for dinner. We booked the VIP tickets, and it was every bit as enjoyable as our first visit. We even hit pay dirt finding some inexpensive clothes my boys could wear to be in costume. I ended up finding a very ugly solid color dress that I hot glued the fringe trim to so it would look like a flapper dress, but it ended up being cute. One of the ladies at the front desk of our condo gave me a fun feather boa and the boys each a fedora. I guess we were "styling". You are going to have a great time! Oh yeah! We bought Krispy Kreme doughnuts while the Hot Now sign was on too. I thought of you and Steve when we were enjoying the melt in your mouth delicious-ness. I love reading your trip reports. Can't wait to read some more!

And don't keep trying for Hoop De Doo ressies. That was one of our favorite meals. The food and entertainment was great.

Dawn

 

[JenLanDisney]

I wasn't too excited about the CAD$ news either, Gina.
It's not as shocking to me as it was last winter/early Spring because I expect it a little bit more now I guess, but it stinks.
I'm even more thankful now that our upcoming trip was the AirTransat package in Canadian funds . However, I still have ALL of our food and spending money to convert, and had wanted to do some outlet shopping. We will be ditching the shopping I think.

I wish we had a full kitchen to offset the meal costs more. We do have the family suite at Cabana Bay and that will be fine for breakfasts and there is the microwave and mini fridge that will be good for snacks and maybe some lunches. That way we can go out for dinner every day. With four of us it adds up quick, so I will make a more frugal plan than I had planned originally. We will splurge at the new Toothsome Chocolate Emporium if it is open by then, but otherwise stick to offsite dinners I think. I plan to make a budget with DH this morning and then make it work. I'm grateful to be able to go again this year after having been at Disney in May, so I need to remember this is all a bonus and not fret about the things being cut.

Thank goodness the party tickets are already purchased for MNSSHP and we already bought the Express Passes for dh and dd's HHN. Just have to buy those actual party tickets there. The kids have their own spending money as we told them to save because this was a bonus trip. So I plan to offer them a very attractive exchange rate at the bank of mom. The current deal is if I gave birth to you, CAD/USD is at par.

Maybe you've already thought of this, but I use Groupon to save some money on offsite meals.
I search Groupon for nearby restaurants, then use Trip Advisor to look for reviews that are at least 4 circles or higher.
Then, when Groupon has 20% off local deals, I go through Ebates to get an additional % back.
so recently I was able to get:
a discounted voucher at 20% off with another 6% in my Ebates refund and 1.5% using my charge card

Hope this helps!

 

[pigletto]

Maybe you've already thought of this, but I use Groupon to save some money on offsite meals.
I search Groupon for nearby restaurants, then use Trip Advisor to look for reviews that are at least 4 circles or higher.
Then, when Groupon has 20% off local deals, I go through Ebates to get an additional % back.
so recently I was able to get:
a discounted voucher at 20% off with another 6% in my Ebates refund and 1.5% using my charge card

Hope this helps!

Thank you, that does help! While I am familiar with Groupon, I hadn't checked recently. I will keep an eye out.

 

[Lynne G]

Sending good wishes you find the right costume parts for both of you.

I'm counting down in the 50's now. Can't believe October is less than 2 months away.

Been watching the Olympics. Some exciting, some not so exciting.

Not even counting down for the Christmas trip yet. Still watching and waiting, like you, for some holiday things to be announced. Since the kids don't want to do the Santa meal at SW, maybe they'll go for a Christmas Shamu dinner. We had also done the Santa meal at BGT, and all thought the food was much better at the SW one. Gotta do some things at least once. Still on my radar is the Eye and museums. Black Friday deals will also be of interest, hoping some will be discounts for what we want to do.

 

[vrajewski10513]

Have you looked at any thrift stores for a vest for Steve? Sometimes you can get lucky in those places!

Surprisingly, the typical flapper dress is a sheath style, which actually does really well in "hiding" things you want hidden lol add some fringe and its perfecto! And you really should give yourself more credit, you will look great in whatever you find.

I have t been reading all the conversation between your posts so I must have missed where you mentioned your accommodations for December! Are you guys going to be camping or staying in an RV at the fort?? The golf cart is a great idea, fort wilderness is huge so it'll definitely be nice to just drive around and relax.

We have a reservation for dessert only at Beaches and Cream in October! I'm so excited! Their sundaes look soooo yummy!

 

[pigletto]

I am having one of my HURRY UP AND GET HERE days .
Some days I am excited for our trip and others not really thinking about it, and then there are days like today where I read some more about MNSSHP and I can barely stand the wait!
81 days to go!! And though I was just saying yesterday that we need to cut corners, I can barely keep myself from buying Aquatica tickets. I think because it's so hot today and I went out for a walk and was dreaming of a swim and a cabana. I don't know if I should or shouldn't . The cost is one factor but the other is that we only have 6.5 park days. We doubt we will hit a park on that first half day, and one day will be a very late start because of the HHN and MNSSHP the night before. So potentially that only leaves us with 5 full days. I think Aquatica might fit nicely in there mid week though. Or save the money and just hang at the pool one day? Decisions ..Decisions. My kids do love Aquatica but sometimes I feel like maybe we could benefit from just taking full advantage of the things we've already paid for. The trip planners dilemma

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Gina,

We had a great time in Orlando. My boys talked me into feeding the alligators at Adventure Hour at Gatorland. That was quite an experience, but they LOVED it. The crowds weren't that bad anywhere except Disney Springs and the Orlando Premium Outlet Malls. Our condo wasn't too terribly far from Capone's so we ended up heading there for dinner. We booked the VIP tickets, and it was every bit as enjoyable as our first visit. We even hit pay dirt finding some inexpensive clothes my boys could wear to be in costume. I ended up finding a very ugly solid color dress that I hot glued the fringe trim to so it would look like a flapper dress, but it ended up being cute. One of the ladies at the front desk of our condo gave me a fun feather boa and the boys each a fedora. I guess we were "styling". You are going to have a great time! Oh yeah! We bought Krispy Kreme doughnuts while the Hot Now sign was on too. I thought of you and Steve when we were enjoying the melt in your mouth delicious-ness. I love reading your trip reports. Can't wait to read some more!

And don't keep trying for Hoop De Doo ressies. That was one of our favorite meals. The food and entertainment was great.

Dawn

I am so happy to hear you had such an enjoyable trip! And the feedback on Capones is fantastic: thank you so much for reporting back on your experience. I am growing more and more excited for that dining event as October crawls closer. How sweet of the front desk staff at your condo to provide you with the perfect accessories, too .

Glad to hear you enjoyed some hot donuts from Krispy Kreme while you were there....Steve, in particular, is anxiously counting the days until I can turn back on my app!!

Maybe you've already thought of this, but I use Groupon to save some money on offsite meals.
I search Groupon for nearby restaurants, then use Trip Advisor to look for reviews that are at least 4 circles or higher.
Then, when Groupon has 20% off local deals, I go through Ebates to get an additional % back.
so recently I was able to get:
a discounted voucher at 20% off with another 6% in my Ebates refund and 1.5% using my charge card

Hope this helps!

Travelzoo is another great resource for discounted dining vouchers. No ebates, unfortunately, but some fantastic deals nonetheless .

Thank you, that does help! While I am familiar with Groupon, I hadn't checked recently. I will keep an eye out.

Did you snag the Hash House A Go Go deal from Travelzoo? I am thinking you did, but maybe I'm mistaken . It would be so convenient for you guys when its so close to Universal.

Sending good wishes you find the right costume parts for both of you.

I'm counting down in the 50's now. Can't believe October is less than 2 months away.

Been watching the Olympics. Some exciting, some not so exciting.

Not even counting down for the Christmas trip yet. Still watching and waiting, like you, for some holiday things to be announced. Since the kids don't want to do the Santa meal at SW, maybe they'll go for a Christmas Shamu dinner. We had also done the Santa meal at BGT, and all thought the food was much better at the SW one. Gotta do some things at least once. Still on my radar is the Eye and museums. Black Friday deals will also be of interest, hoping some will be discounts for what we want to do.

I am still anxiously awaiting the remainder of the SeaWorld in-park packages for the holiday season: particularly those that come with reserved seating for the shows. Passholders get 30% off those packages during in the month of October, so they should be released by late September, I would think, if not before.

We actually had some positive progress on the costume hunt today! Claire (our costume store lady) says she is able to convert the front panels into something gangster-appropriate for us....and better yet, she also works at Fabricland (part time, outside of her regular store hours) so she can get us a super deal on the material we will need. We have an appointment with her later this afternoon, so I have high hopes that we might be on the road to success (finally!).

Have you looked at any thrift stores for a vest for Steve? Sometimes you can get lucky in those places!

Surprisingly, the typical flapper dress is a sheath style, which actually does really well in "hiding" things you want hidden lol add some fringe and its perfecto! And you really should give yourself more credit, you will look great in whatever you find.

I have t been reading all the conversation between your posts so I must have missed where you mentioned your accommodations for December! Are you guys going to be camping or staying in an RV at the fort?? The golf cart is a great idea, fort wilderness is huge so it'll definitely be nice to just drive around and relax.

We have a reservation for dessert only at Beaches and Cream in October! I'm so excited! Their sundaes look soooo yummy!

I am probably more self-conscious than I need to be, but alas....I just can't help but notice all my less-than-perfect features when looking in the mirror. Sometimes growing up as the "fat kid" leaves a life-long impression. Some of the flapper dresses I have seen so far are SUPER short so I'll be definitely looking for something fringe-y to make it less of a task to sit like a lady on the rides .

We won't be staying at FW for our December trip (though that would have been nice).....we actually secured a 2 bedroom, 2 bath villa at Marriott's Grande Vista for a crazy low price (under $350 for the week with tax). We do, however, plan to spend an afternoon and evening at the Fort to eat (Trail's End is currently booked, however we will replace it with HDDR if/when reservations become available), see the horses in the stables, take in Chip & Dale's Campfire Sing-Along, and then tour the resort with our golf cart rental. I have been told the Christmas decorations in the campground are not to be missed . We also hope to catch the Electrical Water Pageant if we can time everything right.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I am having one of my HURRY UP AND GET HERE days .
Some days I am excited for our trip and others not really thinking about it, and then there are days like today where I read some more about MNSSHP and I can barely stand the wait!
81 days to go!! And though I was just saying yesterday that we need to cut corners, I can barely keep myself from buying Aquatica tickets. I think because it's so hot today and I went out for a walk and was dreaming of a swim and a cabana. I don't know if I should or shouldn't . The cost is one factor but the other is that we only have 6.5 park days. We doubt we will hit a park on that first half day, and one day will be a very late start because of the HHN and MNSSHP the night before. So potentially that only leaves us with 5 full days. I think Aquatica might fit nicely in there mid week though. Or save the money and just hang at the pool one day? Decisions ..Decisions. My kids do love Aquatica but sometimes I feel like maybe we could benefit from just taking full advantage of the things we've already paid for. The trip planners dilemma

I hear you on wishing the time away . Summer is too fleeting here in the north as it is, but yet: I'm yearning for fall (and most specifically, our trips!). The anticipation is painful at times.

As for your Aquatica dilemma, I'd say go with the extra park day and don't look back. Carpe Diem, right? You know you will love it there, the cabana rentals are super affordable, and you've got the whole family in tow to make some pretty spectacular memories. I will bet dollars to donuts that you won't regret the financial cost once the trip is over.

I'm a firm believer in seizing the moment, though. Life is short, so make the most of it.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I finally found a photo of one of the flapper dresses I have been looking at. Claire currently has this one in stock at her store, in my size (or, shall I say, what I *think* is my size......can't say I've ever tried on a flapper dress before):

I love the colour, and the fringe on the bottom will hopefully help disguise my thick upper legs .

Our local Party City has this one in stock:

....and this one:

....but I'm honestly not fond of either. I find the beige one too bland and the red on a little too....noticeable.

Did I mention that I'm rather picky when it comes to clothes? LOL, its a wonder I ever found a pirate costume to fit my impossible criteria.

 

[vrajewski10513]

Did you check out spirit?? Online they have this black flapper dress
https://www.spirithalloween.com/pro...yword=flapper&thumbnailIndex=8&Search=Find+It
It's a little more inconspicuous than the red, and you can always jazz it up with some red or gold accessories! They also have a bunch of other choices as well.

 

[vrajewski10513]

This one is really nice too and the top is a little more "modest"
https://www.spirithalloween.com/pro...word=flapper&thumbnailIndex=19&Search=Find+It

 

[ArwenMarie]

I love your Fort Wilderness night plans. You are really making the most of it.
I think you're adding in just the right amount of Disney
Fingers crossed on the HDDR!

 

[afan]

This one is really nice too and the top is a little more "modest"
https://www.spirithalloween.com/pro...word=flapper&thumbnailIndex=19&Search=Find+It

That one is cute!

I thought the beige one was a pochahontas dress at first until I saw the sequins

I'm sure you'll find something that will work. And you can always have her add more fringe

 

[JenLanDisney]

That one is cute!

I thought the beige one was a pochahontas dress at first until I saw the sequins

I'm sure you'll find something that will work. And you can always have her add more fringe

I agree that the black one is very cute. The diagonal fringe will be flattering.

 

[ElenaJane]

Oolala! I really love the red fringe one, but red is my favorite color. Now I need to throw a Roaring 20s party as an excuse to buy it for myself! You would look so cute in any of those.

 

[pigletto]

I like the beige one. While not my favourite colour I think it would be nice with your dark hair, and I think the cut is the most flattering.

ETA) and yes I got the Travelzoo deal for Hash House A Go Go too! I am really looking forward to that one!
We also grabbed two restaurant.com certificates for the O'Charley's on Turkey Lake Road when they were in stock. That will be another first.

And thanks for the thoughts on Aquatica! I agree, it should be a no brainer. My hesitation is just the budget since there are so many trips coming up. I'll sit with the idea a bit longer before I pull the trigger.

 

[dsmom]

This one is really nice too and the top is a little more "modest"
https://www.spirithalloween.com/pro...word=flapper&thumbnailIndex=19&Search=Find+It

I think you would look great in this one. I love the red one you picked out too.

 

[chicagoshannon]

Have you thought about just using fabric dye to dye the vest for Steve? I don't know how you'd get the pin stripes in it but at least it would be a plain color. Have you tried JCPenny or Sears? I'm not sure if they ship to Canada or have stores there but they might have a vest.

Good luck choosing your dress.

 

[Ruthie5671]

Were you asking for opinions on the dresses? I've got one anyway - I really like the red. But instead of the feather hat the model is wearing, I like all the golden bedazzledness/accessories of the burgundy dress. I do think the beige one would wash you out. Beige just isn't a great color for most people. And you're dressing up in costume, the whole point is to stand out and be noticed. Break out of that comfort zone!!!

 

[afan]

Not sure if this is common knowledge or not. Local news this morning talked about the nexus program and how it's also good for global entry and tsa precheck.

I know a lot of you drive to the U.S. for your flights and thought you might already have nexus. From looking at the website it seems the nexus card and benefits are the same whether you are a U.S. or Canadian citizen.

I'm going to apply tonight and once I get preliminary approval make my appt. I'll have to go to Blaine at the border to get an appt before Jan which is the soonest the Seattle office has. But that just means a trip across the border for Boston pizza and Timmy's.

Oh and it's only 50 bucks for 5 years vs 100 for global entry or 85 for tsa precheck. There are offices in non border states as well so it's the cheapest option for anyone thinking about either program. You do interview with both U.S. and Canadian customs and have to be approved by both sides.

If any of you have done it, how's the process?