Vegan mom takes on Disney..... Dec, 2011 PTR

Good points..... I forgot about the DME. That might just tip it over in the direction of buses. I'll see what dh says.

I'm So excited to be staying onsite! :cool1: This has always been a dream that I have had but never thought it would happen. What a great Christmas gift to me!
That is a wonderful Christmas present. I always decorate my room window for Christmas, it gives me something extra to plan.
I want to make sure this time around that we have more time to relax. I don't want to never see CBR and I most certainly want to relax on the beach.
Good thinking. I think when you pay a mod price it's important to really take it all in, I always stay value because I only need a bed and a place to shower.
The nice thing about this being our second time is that I don't feel this need to 'every single thing we can possibly do in a day' at every park. Last time it was a once in a lifetime type things. Financially we were not doing well at the time and I thought that there was no way we would ever have the kind of money it would take to go to WDW again. So it was sooo important to me to spend as much time as I could in the parks. The kids were troopers through the whole thing.
That's how it was on my first trip, I thought it would be a one time thing so I went gungho at the parks, I crashed bad by the 3rd day, it wasn't pretty and I missed alot of things at DHS.

Only at AK did we run into any problems. During the parade I guess I didn't realize how hot it was because my ds almost passed out from heat. We dumped a huge bucket of water on him and made him drink water and juice and then he was ok. Thank goodness we went back early that day, he needed his rest.
For some reason AK really holds in the heat, I think it's all the foilage maybe?:confused3 it wasn't too bad in DEcember, but April was sweltering.

So, back to the point....

I want time to relax this time. My dh wants a holiday, as he says, " I don't want to need a holiday from my vacation!" :confused3: Huh? You'd think he was not a disney fan with talk like that! :rotfl2: He likes WDW, just in smaller doses than me!

Until I learned how to pace myself at Disney World I always needed a vacation to relax once I got home from Disney.:lmao: I have found that timing is everything, I am able to get it everything done that I want to and not feel rushed, I even go back to the resort mid day sometimes for a little refresher nap. I think you going into this vacation with a relaxed plan is perfect.
Have to share the funny from my dd this morning:

DD: Mom, I had a weird dream last night.

Me: oh yeah?

DD: Yup, I dreamed I was in WDW

ME: (thinking to myself ) Crap, did she hear me talking? Find my books?

Me: really? How strange is that?! (trying to keep my cool :scared1:)

DD: I dreamed I was there for my sweet 16 and I went to the castle and I had a friend with me. Wouldn't it be COOL to have my birthday at WDW?

Soooo, now I guess I just may have to plan yet another trip for 2 years down the road.... Shoot! (insert sarcasm here!) :rotfl2:
Somehow I don't think DH would come..... again!

Super cute. I wish my DD liked Disney, she's been twice and she said that's enough for a lifetime.

Yup I guess you do need to plan another trip for 2 years down the road, don't let this opportunity to fullfill another trip for you..eeer...I mean to fullfill your DD's 16th Birthday wish pass by.;)
 
Soooo, now I guess I just may have to plan yet another trip for 2 years down the road.... Shoot! (insert sarcasm here!) :rotfl2:
Somehow I don't think DH would come..... again!

:rotfl: Darn.. plan another trip and a birthday one no less??!! Seriously though, We have celebrated 3 birthdays. First one for my dd who turned 5..was AMAZING. Super magical. Next one for my ds who turned 17, not so magical. I think he is a bit large and intimidating...so no one followed him around with a violin (which happened to dd). The last trip we celebrated my moms 71st and it was again pretty magical. So... for a sweet 16?? I think she would be in heaven. And... if your dh wouldn't go... make it a girls only trip. That is what two of the ones I just told you about were. Hmm :rolleyes1 maybe the common factor in the "good" birthday experiences is the fact that no boys were allowed. ;)
 
This is completely not about WDW.....

it is 5 am at the moment and I have been up for an hour. :eek: Why? Well, my ds has a hard time sleeping, well let me be more exact, he has a hard time staying asleep! He falls asleep at the drop of a hat, doesn't matter where we are or what we are doing, if he is tired he will sleep. He has fallen asleep at the symphony, at museums, and even at rock concerts. He has done this since he was a little boy.

BUT, it seems he will wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to go back to sleep. Oh, and when I say he falls asleep whenever, it is not early in the evening. Last night he fell asleep just before he went into the shower but it was 9:30 at night, which is his usually bedtime. So, he wakes up in the middle of the night and can't sleep. Usually he will try other things first, watch tv, go on his computer, though I keep telling him these things will NOT help him fall asleep, they are waking him up! But he continues to do this. Then after that doesn't work, he wakes me up.:sad2:

So tonight he wakes me up and all the lights are on in the house!! No idea why, it's 4 am! I put him in bed, turn out the lights but now I have to stay up until he is sleeping. He tells me he can't sleep unless I stay around and since the last thing I want is to get woken up AGAIN, I wait..... and wait.... and wait.

This happens usually once or twice a week. And it always seems to happen on nights where I go to bed late or did not sleep well the night before, just enough that I'm exhausted the next day! Tomorrow, or should I say later this morning :sad2: I have to be all active and bubbly. Oh yay (where's the sarcastic emotion?) I teach Sunday School to 2-4 year olds and they are 'performing' 4 songs at church tomorrow to the large congregation. That means I'm on stage, singing, directing and doing all the actions which have lots of jumping and stuff like that. I know it will be fine but being extra tired is NOT going to help my energy levels. Then we are suppose to be off to a birthday party for my two nephews tomorrow so there really isn't anytime to relax. Guess I better prepare now for extra coffee.

Aaaahhh bed, how I miss you! :upsidedow
 
Well, the joy of doing a PTR for another 8 months is that I can talk about more things than Disney.... is there more to life than Disney?!!:)

So I just got home from spending the last 2 days in ER. Why? Well, your guess is as good as mine! Really though, they figure allergic reaction but because they still don't know why I react and to what I react to they have a hard time telling me what to stay away from. Sheesh! I got really sick Monday afternoon and by the evening/late night I was unable to keep anything down and was getting really dehydrated. I was getting the shakes and then apperently I passed out. DH (bless him!) does not panic anymore when that happens. Don't know if that is a good thing or not because it means we have dealt with this a few times before. I came to a few minutes later and he brought me to ER. They pumped me full of all the lovely drugs to get me breathing properly again and started getting fluids in me. It took a bit.... longer than I wanted but I was ok about 12 hours later. They kept me for another day after that to watch and do more testing. Yay! (insert sacarsm!) It would only be a Yay! for real if they could actually find out what is wrong!

On the up side... and yes there is an upside! ;) It gave me plenty of time to think about WDW and our trip. It was good to have something positive to focus on. :) After much pondering in bed I realized that staying in Moderate was making me kind of anxious, and I was feeling guilty. So I had my dh look up pics of both and once he saw Pop he said it didn't look that bad to him, in fact it looked more like Disney and the kids would probably enjoy it! So now without any guilt I am booking Pop for our trip. :) I feel a lot less stressed about that decision so I guess I can say that is the right one.

So now I am thinking ADR's we are doing the DDP for the first time and I'm looking forward to not worrying about carrying cash for food with me. :)

I'm trying to decide if we should do a character meal. Don't know if my kids are too 'cool' :cool2: for something like this anymore. We have never done a character meal but I can't ask my kids about it before I have to make the ADR. My dd is at that age where she gets embarassed if she thinks people are watching her and she walks a fine line between being a little girl and being a full fledged teenager! My ds won't care either way, he is more into rides than characters. Advice? If we do a character meal, which one? The only other thing I was thinking about character meal was that the one princess my dd wanted to meet last time but didn't was Aurora. Maybe she could meet her at a character meal? Though I truly have no idea if she even wants to anymore, or if she does want to, would she admit it?! :confused3
 

I'm trying to decide if we should do a character meal. Don't know if my kids are too 'cool' :cool2: for something like this anymore. We have never done a character meal but I can't ask my kids about it before I have to make the ADR. My dd is at that age where she gets embarassed if she thinks people are watching her and she walks a fine line between being a little girl and being a full fledged teenager! My ds won't care either way, he is more into rides than characters. Advice? If we do a character meal, which one? The only other thing I was thinking about character meal was that the one princess my dd wanted to meet last time but didn't was Aurora. Maybe she could meet her at a character meal? Though I truly have no idea if she even wants to anymore, or if she does want to, would she admit it?! :confused3

Do the character meal! At least just one. We love them! Even DH!! :thumbsup2 I'm sure many will give you some tips on the 'good ones' to try so just ask and take a poll and pick one. I think our trip this Dec, we have a couple of them planned. My favs are Ohana breakfast, 1900 Park Fare and Crystal Palace is fun, too. There are so many to choose from and a great way to see many of them at one time. :goodvibes

Your plans are looking great! Sorry about your ER trip!! So glad you are staying onsite! :yay: Still have a little bit more to read but I really want to hear all about CBR - we've never stayed there but I consider it each time we've planned to go! If I take a trip with girlfriends or a mother/daughter trip, I would like to stay there or POR.
 
I am so sorry you were ill. :hug: That is not at all fun. Actually... what you describe sounds horrifying!

As for Pop... :yay::yay::yay: It is very Disney and really, I didn't find the room any different than the room at POR. (except for one sink instead of two) The resort is so compact too, even though it has so many rooms. (you wouldn't guess there are that many)

:yay: for the dinning plan. Do know though... you do still need some cash. Tips are not included. :sad2: Even though I have to pay for tips... I still think it is way worth it!!

Character meals... I would say first decide what is more important... the kind of food, meal or the character. From there narrow it down. We have at at CP, Akershus, Libery Tavern and Tusker. I think to see the princesses and the type of food, Akershus is a good choice. But...my boys were not all that impressed. Even when they had their picture taken with Belle (which, each time we have gone those pics were included as part of the meal...not sure if they still are) Tusker was great too! And.. who doesn't like Pooh and friends??? Sorry... I see I am not going to be of much help. :goodvibes
 
yes, staying in ER is not fun. Though I am very thankful that the staff is wonderful and because this is not the first time they know exactly what to do for me so it does not take long to start getting relief. They are just as frustrated as me not knowing what is going on. It has gotten better though in the past while. I am not in ER as often as I was. Taking care of my diet seems to be the biggest thing. I keep track of exactly what I eat to see what will trigger a reaction. They still think it is chemical in food that is causing the problem but it is really hard to narrow that down. You can't test for chemicals very easily. They are doing another round of blood analysis so who know, maybe something will show up this time.

:dance3: I'm so excited to be staying at Pop! I can't wait!!

We are not telling the kids for a couple months yet, probably not till middle of August as I don't want them to be looking forward to WDW so much that they miss out on the fun stuff of summer. :) I'm starting to plan for how to tell them though.... Here are my thoughts so far.

They love treasure hunts and my dd is a big mystery fan so I'm thinking of sending them on a quest! :cool1: I don't have any concrete ideas yet but the gist of it is to have mystery clues that they have to answer and follow to their next clue, including digging in the garden, climbing the tree and other fun stuff. :woohoo: Then at the end I will have the clue send each to their own room where I am planning on decorating their doors with sillohautes of Disney characters and a big bow across the door... hmmm maybe wrap the door? :) Then when they get in their room there will be a big gift box sitting on their bed to unwrap with something about 'we're going to Disney' in it. In the box will be stuffed characters, disposable camera, autograph book, planning book (kids love to plan.... wonder where they get that! :rotfl2: ) and some Disney clothes.

Ooooo I love planning the 'how should we tell them' surprise! :banana:

Though I'm not ready for work to start up again next week. I am ready for the kids to go back to school. NOT because I don't like spending time with them, I do, we have tons of fun together but I CAN'T book WDW till they are at school!! Can't let them hear me on the phone :scared1::laughing:
 
Yeah a vegan thread!! This will be my second trip to Disney as a vegan! Last year was wonderful!

Your going to love POP too. We have stayed there for quite a few years now and we aboslutely love it. It just feels like home to us and the kids (19 & 13 now) still love it. They prefer the ones that feel more like Disney with the characters. The rooms were just refurbished last year too. We like to get rooms back along the lake, as it's quiet and peaceful back there.
 
Yeah a vegan thread!! This will be my second trip to Disney as a vegan! Last year was wonderful!

Your going to love POP too. We have stayed there for quite a few years now and we aboslutely love it. It just feels like home to us and the kids (19 & 13 now) still love it. They prefer the ones that feel more like Disney with the characters. The rooms were just refurbished last year too. We like to get rooms back along the lake, as it's quiet and peaceful back there.

This is our second time and I'm so excited. Got any tips? :goodvibes It is hard to find vegan's to compare note too. :)

I was told that there is a vegan bakery at DTD now so that will be one of my favorite spots I'm sure. :rotfl:

What did you do for food last time? I'm still working on figuring all that out...

So glad you stopped in to say hi! :wave2:
 
I had a vegan thread last summer, but after the first part of our trip (the universal, sea world part) I stopped posting because our days were so long at Disney - but there is lots of information in my trip report.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2511232&highlight=vegan

Last years trip was 14 nights at Pop
Saturday - Wed - we did Sea World, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventures
Wed-Saturday (of the following week 9 nights) - we did Disney with the Quick service dining plan. This was our first year doing QSDP. The previous year we had free dining so we had a mixture and prior to that we really didn't eat much quick service. For some reason we just really enjoyed some of the quick service places the year before and thought we would try it. We are doing QS this year to keep the cost down and because it worked out so well last year.

Vegan snacks I enjoyed (most were on the dining plan)
popcorn, soft pretzels, Divies caramel popcorn, divies chocolate chip cookies, Kaki Gori (Epcot japan), Big bar of vegan chocolates in Germany, tofuti ice cream, root beer float w/ tofuti ice cream, candied nuts, organge slushie in MK, pina colada slushi in DHS, candied apple (MK - I think this is the only park that accepted this on dining plan for snack), Mango frozen slushi at AKL that was to DIE for (at the Andapur tea company and not on dining plan), there was also a festival going on at AKL and I got to use a snack credit to sample a few things that were vegan.

This year I can't wait to go to Baby Cakes and eat some of my snack credits. There were also nutter butter, wheat thins and maybe oreos - not sure 100% on the oreos at POP's food court.

Wednesday July 21st - Boma for dinner (lots of vegan stuff here - so yummy). I also at at Jiko earlier in the week (see my review in post above- so good and they have an actual vegan menu)

Start of QSDP for 9 nights (18 CS credits, 18 Snack credits)

Thursday July 22nd - AK Lunch at Pizzafari (yes I had a vegan lunch at Pizzafari and it was good), -had a vegan pizza they made -it was really good. AKL - Dinner at The Mara (had the falafal pita with no sauce and had to verify the side dish was vegan. I believe it was last year).

Friday July 23 - DHS - Lunch at Studio catering Company, Dinner at Backlot Express (had the veggie sandwich. The side dish is no longer vegan so I had an apple at one and the fries at the backlot express. Backlot express had a dedicated fryer. You have to get them to change the bread out. This sandwich was really good - oh and keep the cheese off the bread).

Saturday July 24 - MK - Lunch at El Pirata y el Perico and Dinner at Tomorrowland Noodle Terrace. Got them to do a nachos with black beans and lots of salsa, etc. This was really good. Tomorrowland noodle terrace blew me away. The tofu dish is not vegan because they have something in the stock that isnt' vegan. I got him to stir fry me a rice/tofu dish that was out of the world, huge and filling - so good. I want this often this year.

Sunday July 25 - MK - Lunch at Columbia Harbour House (Part of Key's to the Kingdom Tour) and dinner at Columbia Harbour House (It was so good for lunch, Taryn and I decided to go back for dinner) - Had the lighthouse sandwich without the slaw - this sandwich is so good.

Monday July 26- DHS - Lunch at Backlot Express - Dinner at DTD at Earl of Sandwich
The same veggie sandwich as above - The veggie sandwich without the cheese and change dressing to vinagrette is out of this world and vegan -yummy!

Tuesday July 27- Epcot - Lunch at Sunshine Seasons, Dinner at Tangierine Cafe - Sunshine seasons - they made me a tofu noodle platter with brocolli. Tangeriene cafe- the baklava is not vegan, I did the veggie platter subbing out what he said was not vegan. They gave me a gluten free bread because the bread was not vegan.

Wednesday July 28- MK - Lunch at El Pirata y el Perico (family at at Starlight Cafe), Dinner at Columbia Harbour House (I did the nachos again at El Pirata y el Perico again and the lighthouse sandwich no slaw at Columbia Harbour house).

Thursday - July 29 - Epcot - Lunch at Sunshine Seasons, Dinner at DTD Earl of Sandwich (we ate snacks all afternoon so we weren't hungry. Bill dropped Taryn and I off at DTD and we ate there again ) - I foget what I got at Sunshine seasons this time. I remember it being good. The same veggie sandwich at Earl of Sandwich (this was one of my favorites and we ate here many times)

Friday - July 30 - Breakfast at POP -Ryan and I had breakfast at Pop to use two of our CS credits that were left over after me and Taryn did the Tour at MK. AK - Lunch at Pizzafari - Dinner - DTD Earl of Sandwich - Breakfast at POP was incredible. They made me vegan glutan free mickey shaped waffles. They were the best waffles I've ever had! Earl of Sandwich - veggie sandwich again
 
Oh My Goodness Melanie!! What a lot of great info you have thrown my way!! :cool1::cool1::cool1:

Last time I was in WDW was 2008. Don't know if there was not as many options or if I was to shy to speak up but the only time I really asked for special meals was at TS meals. I was able to adapt CS without any fuss and only had fruit for snacks.

We did not stay onsite last time so dining onsite was not an option but I did end up eating at our condo for breakfast and a number of dinners. I am Really, Really Really! looking forward to getting special meals and not having to worry about cooking. Other than bringing my fav protein bars and my own water I hope to be ok!

I have been checking out a number of vegan post and your TR. How awesome it is to read of others success stories in finding good food and good people to work with!!

I think it is on page one of my ptr. My fav TS meal was at Liberty Tree. Chef there was wonderful and there is a pic of my meal. Soooo good and sooo filling.

I was thinking of going to Boma but now I will have to seriously think about Jiko. Vegan menu sounds heavenly!! :love:

I was really concerned about the food court for breakfast at Pop. I think I will do like you did and talk to the chef... who knows what kind of good stuff I could eat!! Yum!! :woohoo:

It is so nice to see the WDW is embracing providing food for those with special dietary needs, it makes it that much more appealing to go and spend alllll my time there! :rotfl:
 
yes, staying in ER is not fun. Though I am very thankful that the staff is wonderful and because this is not the first time they know exactly what to do for me so it does not take long to start getting relief. They are just as frustrated as me not knowing what is going on. It has gotten better though in the past while. I am not in ER as often as I was. Taking care of my diet seems to be the biggest thing. I keep track of exactly what I eat to see what will trigger a reaction. They still think it is chemical in food that is causing the problem but it is really hard to narrow that down. You can't test for chemicals very easily. They are doing another round of blood analysis so who know, maybe something will show up this time.

:dance3: I'm so excited to be staying at Pop! I can't wait!!

We are not telling the kids for a couple months yet, probably not till middle of August as I don't want them to be looking forward to WDW so much that they miss out on the fun stuff of summer. :) I'm starting to plan for how to tell them though.... Here are my thoughts so far.

They love treasure hunts and my dd is a big mystery fan so I'm thinking of sending them on a quest! :cool1: I don't have any concrete ideas yet but the gist of it is to have mystery clues that they have to answer and follow to their next clue, including digging in the garden, climbing the tree and other fun stuff. :woohoo: Then at the end I will have the clue send each to their own room where I am planning on decorating their doors with sillohautes of Disney characters and a big bow across the door... hmmm maybe wrap the door? :) Then when they get in their room there will be a big gift box sitting on their bed to unwrap with something about 'we're going to Disney' in it. In the box will be stuffed characters, disposable camera, autograph book, planning book (kids love to plan.... wonder where they get that! :rotfl2: ) and some Disney clothes.

Ooooo I love planning the 'how should we tell them' surprise! :banana:

Though I'm not ready for work to start up again next week. I am ready for the kids to go back to school. NOT because I don't like spending time with them, I do, we have tons of fun together but I CAN'T book WDW till they are at school!! Can't let them hear me on the phone :scared1::laughing:

Very creative ways to surprise your kids! I love it. I love the box full of stuff. My kids know already.. but I like the idea of having a box to open prior to the trip. I usually do some little gifts leading up to the trip. I think I like the idea of the box. :thumbsup2
 
yes, staying in ER is not fun. Though I am very thankful that the staff is wonderful and because this is not the first time they know exactly what to do for me so it does not take long to start getting relief. They are just as frustrated as me not knowing what is going on. It has gotten better though in the past while. I am not in ER as often as I was. Taking care of my diet seems to be the biggest thing. I keep track of exactly what I eat to see what will trigger a reaction. They still think it is chemical in food that is causing the problem but it is really hard to narrow that down. You can't test for chemicals very easily. They are doing another round of blood analysis so who know, maybe something will show up this time.

:dance3: I'm so excited to be staying at Pop! I can't wait!!

We are not telling the kids for a couple months yet, probably not till middle of August as I don't want them to be looking forward to WDW so much that they miss out on the fun stuff of summer. :) I'm starting to plan for how to tell them though.... Here are my thoughts so far.

They love treasure hunts and my dd is a big mystery fan so I'm thinking of sending them on a quest! :cool1: I don't have any concrete ideas yet but the gist of it is to have mystery clues that they have to answer and follow to their next clue, including digging in the garden, climbing the tree and other fun stuff. :woohoo: Then at the end I will have the clue send each to their own room where I am planning on decorating their doors with sillohautes of Disney characters and a big bow across the door... hmmm maybe wrap the door? :) Then when they get in their room there will be a big gift box sitting on their bed to unwrap with something about 'we're going to Disney' in it. In the box will be stuffed characters, disposable camera, autograph book, planning book (kids love to plan.... wonder where they get that! :rotfl2: ) and some Disney clothes.

Ooooo I love planning the 'how should we tell them' surprise! :banana:

Though I'm not ready for work to start up again next week. I am ready for the kids to go back to school. NOT because I don't like spending time with them, I do, we have tons of fun together but I CAN'T book WDW till they are at school!! Can't let them hear me on the phone :scared1::laughing:

Awesome on staying at Pop! You are going to have such a great trip! And I can't wait for all of us to take our vacations, come back, and gush about them on here! Was so happy to log on and see the ticker down a little bit more! :yay:

Love the idea of the treasure hunt! I'm in this same predicament. DH and I have not told our kids and we aren't going to tell them until it's time to physically get on the plane - or at least at the airport! We are indecisive how to do it but so far, what I'm thinking, is one of my friends who has a Santa suit and another friend who has a Minnie Mouse costume have agreed to dress up and meet us at the airport to 'give them the trip.' But I'm loving your treasure hunt / box idea!! :thumbsup2 And I wonder if my kids would enjoy something like that more? Or are they going to be so excited that they don't care? I like the idea of packing for them and letting them be surprised to find what's in their carry-ons, etc... I dunno... we still have how many months to figure it out?? :rolleyes:
 
Awesome on staying at Pop! You are going to have such a great trip! And I can't wait for all of us to take our vacations, come back, and gush about them on here! Was so happy to log on and see the ticker down a little bit more! :yay:

Love the idea of the treasure hunt! I'm in this same predicament. DH and I have not told our kids and we aren't going to tell them until it's time to physically get on the plane - or at least at the airport! We are indecisive how to do it but so far, what I'm thinking, is one of my friends who has a Santa suit and another friend who has a Minnie Mouse costume have agreed to dress up and meet us at the airport to 'give them the trip.' But I'm loving your treasure hunt / box idea!! :thumbsup2 And I wonder if my kids would enjoy something like that more? Or are they going to be so excited that they don't care? I like the idea of packing for them and letting them be surprised to find what's in their carry-ons, etc... I dunno... we still have how many months to figure it out?? :rolleyes:

Thanks, I'm very excited to be staying onsite and I have had lots of people tell me how great Pop is. My mom stayed there last year when she went with a friend. She helps out doing respite with 3 special needs adults and she said pop was great for them and that they found it pretty quiet.

I don't know how you can wait so long to tell your kids. I have considered not telling them till we leave but I KNOW I can't wait that long! ;) Plus they love planning to so I have to let them in on the secret at some point. :woohoo:

Last time we went this is what I did....

One month before we left I made up a countdown calendar.
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Every day they would pull off one Disney character and underneath it would give them something they had to do in preparation for the trip. Things like, pack (of course!) decide what ride they wanted to do first, which character they wanted to meet most, estimate how many Km they thought they would walk each day. Track the weather in Florida and make a graft comparing Florida to our weather etc etc. It was a lot of fun!

On the first day I gave them a gift. It was a planning book all about disney....
http://www.guidetothemagic.com/animalkingdom/animalkingdom.htm This one.
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:) That was how I told them. I let them open it, it took a few seconds for them to figure out what we were doing :) Then I put up the countdown calendar.


Every week, to mark off the 1 week less till we go I gave them another gift. Mostly just small stuff. One week it was a chocolate lollipop that I found in the shape of Mickey heads, one week was a new shirt.
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They day we left I had a gift ready for them of stuff to do on the plane and on the layover in Minneapolis.
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Once we were at the condo, the first morning I gave them a gift of a belt pack full of stuff they would need at WDW.
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Soooo much fun doing all that, but I have NO idea how I will top it this time! :rotfl2:
 
Hi, just subbing in! I didn't get to read anything but the 1st post because I have to get my son soon, but I love how you guys all have that musical connection together! I think that someone told me that (for your daughter- the singer) they have a little group in DHS that performs throughout the day- you have to check the times guide to see the times though! So now that she's a teenager (because I think that's the age of the performers- not sure though) she might like that! I found that out from a tips board so maybe someone else can share some light on it with you if they know more about it or if you already know it! I will come back and read later!
 
Hi, just subbing in! I didn't get to read anything but the 1st post because I have to get my son soon, but I love how you guys all have that musical connection together! I think that someone told me that (for your daughter- the singer) they have a little group in DHS that performs throughout the day- you have to check the times guide to see the times though! So now that she's a teenager (because I think that's the age of the performers- not sure though) she might like that! I found that out from a tips board so maybe someone else can share some light on it with you if they know more about it or if you already know it! I will come back and read later!

HI! thanks for joining the fun. Can't say I'm the funniest writer (check out Bo and Ty's for FUNNY!!) but I love sharing my obsession. :) I think it is great there are so many going in DEC. Can't wait to go and can't wait to come back and share all our TR. :woohoo:

Yes, I have heard of singing and performing opportunities for dd. She is still very shy though so I don't know if she will do it. So far I can't get her to sing for anyone but me, though she loves sharing her music with me, which is great! I'm hoping to convince her to perform one of her own pieces at my end of the year recital for all my music students. :goodvibes
 
Just trying out my new signature....

Added a countdown to my next exam. It is a bit scary seeing just how quickly it is approaching. :rolleyes1

I will be so very glad when this course is done. Thank goodness I only take one course at a time. This has been a very hard course for me. It is very mathamatical and though I am musical, math and I don't always get along! :rotfl: My teacher actually told me yesterday at my lesson that if I don't start thinking faster I will fail my exam! :scared1: I know she was jesting slightly but at the same time I know it is a real possibility if I can't get this stuff faster than I do right now.

Trying to do a class and still practice every day plus prep work and teach and somehow still spend time with my family is wearing me down. Maybe I should add another tracker.... 10 weeks left of teaching!! :laughing:
 
You have some cute looking kids! I finally got back and went through everything and let me tell you I am sitting here next to DH and he says "now what are you talking about? Disney again?" I said "yeah I met people going at the same time as me and don't roll their eyes when I tell them my plans for a trip 8 months away!" he just rolled his eyes and said "I guess that means I don't have to help you pick out the places to eat or answer anymore foolish questions like that?" me- "nope you can sit back, relax as your presents... your trip"! Just had to let you know the conversation that went on while reading your report!
Ha ha, I think that my husband's going to go Disney crazy too from staying at Disney AND being there! It might be too much for him- oh well he'll live! Yeah we are not going to be able to go again for a while! So we are trying to consume all we can this time! I love that you involve your kids in the budgeting and planning and everything- that is so great! I am trying to give my child an allowance every week that is based on his performance, discipline and his cleanliness (which is not so good)!
Congrats on your kids- I am really sorry about not being able to have more. My family has a bad medical history and my sister won't stop trying so I worry for her! I'm sorry about your medical problems. I hope your neck feels better now!
Because of my son's medical history I too make a lot of things from scratch- a website I have found great is weelicious.com! I would love to eat at your house- sounds yummy!
As far as the water goes, we are ordering bobbles- it's a water bottle with a built in filtering system! Not sure if that will help- or in the camping section they sell these tablets that don't add a taste to the water and clean it!
Oh I'm happy for you that you get to stay on site now! Me too! I am staying at All star movies!
I love the plans! I am so much farther behind than anyone else on PTR's!
And I hope that you are feeling better!
I love your writing and I love the stuff that you gave them last year! I am getting Damien some stuff for the characters to leave in his room every night (little things and coupons for things that are already on the dining plan-an ice cream and such)! I love your idea of a treasure hunt to tell them too! that's nice!
 
You have some cute looking kids!
Thank you! I'm pretty fond of them :cutie:

I finally got back and went through everything and let me tell you I am sitting here next to DH and he says "now what are you talking about? Disney again?" I said "yeah I met people going at the same time as me and don't roll their eyes when I tell them my plans for a trip 8 months away!" he just rolled his eyes and said "I guess that means I don't have to help you pick out the places to eat or answer anymore foolish questions like that?" me- "nope you can sit back, relax as your presents... your trip"! Just had to let you know the conversation that went on while reading your report!

Gotta LOVE those conversations. Being able to post on this board keeps my marriage a lot happier :laughing: My dh is very good at listening to all my stuff and appreciates all I do in prep for this type of trip but at the same time he feels we (meaning ME!) need balance. Ha! Ha! I say :rotfl2: There is no such thing as balance. I'm already freaking out because I don't feel like I have a good grasp on everything yet and panicked because I'm afraid I will miss the date to book the MVMCP. :laughing:

Ha ha, I think that my husband's going to go Disney crazy too from staying at Disney AND being there! It might be too much for him- oh well he'll live! Yeah we are not going to be able to go again for a while! So we are trying to consume all we can this time!
That was my rational too to my hubby. Eventually I wore him down and now, though I don't think HE will admit it, he is happy to be staying on site. :)

I love that you involve your kids in the budgeting and planning and everything- that is so great! I am trying to give my child an allowance every week that is based on his performance, discipline and his cleanliness (which is not so good)!
Though my kids are in school we used to Homeschool them so sometimes it still comes out in me! :rotfl: They are good sports though and they actually really enjoy doing those type of extra things. I'm still trying to figure out how to involve them this time.

Congrats on your kids- I am really sorry about not being able to have more. My family has a bad medical history and my sister won't stop trying so I worry for her! I'm sorry about your medical problems. I hope your neck feels better now!
Thank you :hug: It was tough at first and admittedly I occasionally have thoughts of sadness regarding children, sometimes it feels like I'm missing someone in the family but I have learned to love every moment of every day and count my blessings!Medical problems is hard on a family. I hope your sister will be ok too. :)

Because of my son's medical history I too make a lot of things from scratch- a website I have found great is weelicious.com! I would love to eat at your house- sounds yummy!
I love to cook but I have to say it takes a lot of time. I really enjoy the summer when I am not working and can really focus on making good food. :) Come on down anytime :) I'll cook for you and your son!

As far as the water goes, we are ordering bobbles- it's a water bottle with a built in filtering system! Not sure if that will help- or in the camping section they sell these tablets that don't add a taste to the water and clean it!
I've thought of trying the filtration system thing. I have not had a lot of luck with it yet but, who knows, maybe it would help.

Oh I'm happy for you that you get to stay on site now! Me too! I am staying at All star movies!
:yay:Me too! can't wait to be completely immersed in WDW!!:yay:

I love the plans! I am so much farther behind than anyone else on PTR's!
Well, aren't we lucky, we still have a bit of time to plan :rotfl2:

And I hope that you are feeling better!
Feeling pretty good this week. I started a total body detox which is starting to help, though my Dr. noticed an allergic reaction going on in and on my ears. :eek:

I love your writing and I love the stuff that you gave them last year! I am getting Damien some stuff for the characters to leave in his room every night (little things and coupons for things that are already on the dining plan-an ice cream and such)! I love your idea of a treasure hunt to tell them too! that's nice!
Thank you! I think I have just as much fun planning how to tell them as actually going! :banana:
 
Have you been to the MVMCP before? I wasn't sure if it would be worth it for us, but I am not sure of that now! But then again I don't think that they do it the week that we are there.... I will have to see.
I hope that you feel better with your ears now:hug:! My sister is fine, she's more of a hypochondriac (spelling?)- but not when it comes to her kids! We have muscular dystrophy (my younger sister passed away from complications it brought on at age 18). Lucky enough my son and I don't have it in our blood stream (another reason why I think I am adopted:rolleyes:), but my niece does and my older sister does! So I am pretty sure that any other kids she has will have it, I am just a carrier so I could have kids that have it too that's why we have just one!
Yeah I am lucky I stay at home during the day (not that we can afford it, it just didn't pay when we had to pay daycare and now I can't find a job with his hours), so I get to make the stuff through out the week! When I get new recipes I try them out at our soccer games on Sundays with my son and all of the kids! We have been made fun of a few times though- we are the coaches and there is one parent that has her kids calling me "coach crocker" after betty crocker!
But yes, this will be fun to plan for the rest of the year! And :rotfl2:all of us can keep the peace at home while sharing our ideas and such with our online disney friends here:lmao:!
 














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