We Survived Freshman Year...So We're Going to Disney! - A May 2018 PTR *New TR Link 6/3*

[missangelalexis]

Your purchases are all so cute!! I especially love the HEA shirt!

Glad you got all your FPs!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

First of all I'm OB-SESSED with everything you've bought for this trip so far! The decals, that HEA shirt, that gorgeous hat... they're so beautiful!

All of your FP+ look amazing! I'm so happy and excited for you!

And that excel sheet is still perfect. This trip is going to be awesome!

Ahhh thank you so much! I have an unhealthy Etsy addiction We are so so excited for this trip!

Your purchases are all so cute!! I especially love the HEA shirt!

Glad you got all your FPs!

Thank you so much!!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

RL Update 3.21.18

Hi there! I hope everyone is having a very magical Wednesday! I just thought I would pop in with a short RL update since I don’t have any news on the trip side of things.

Last week was my spring break, and I was so so happy to be going home for 10 days. On my first day home, I went out shopping to get what I hope is the last of the things I need for this trip. I knew I wouldn’t really have another chance to spend a day running those errands after spring break, so I wanted to make sure I did it then.

I’m also really glad that I did it at the beginning of the break because I ended up being sick for most of the week. Nothing super serious, but it definitely took me out for several days.

Thankfully, though, I was pretty much all better by the time Saturday rolled around. And on Saturday Mom and I went to see….THE LION KING!


IMG_0420 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr


IMG_0421 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr


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fullsizeoutput_144f by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr


fullsizeoutput_144d by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

Holy. Moly. Batman. This show…there are just no words. No words, only tears that began at the first note of “The Circle of Life.” The immense talent that these performers have is absolutely unbelievable. I just…honestly, I’m still in shock. It was one of the most amazing experiences, and I’m so glad that I got to share it with my mom. It was the absolute perfect way to end my spring break.

That’s really all I have. I’m back at school, and this week has honestly been pretty overwhelming. I have a presentation coming up, and once it’s over, things will get better. We are officially 47 DAYS from DISNEY DAY, which means that our MBs will ship really soon!

I’m not sure when my next update will be, but until then, smiles and pixie dust to you all!​

 

[Newsies]

Sorry to hear you weren't feeling well during your Spring Break, but so I'm glad you were able to get some more things for your trip and that you saw the Lion King!!! The current Touring Cast is really great, I'm so happy you were able to experience the show!!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Omg how amazing you got to see The Lion King, I'm jelly. I'm glad to hear it was as incredible as everyone says it is. Sorry to hear you were out of commission for most of break, but hey, that's what spring breaks are for: chilling out and recuperating.

 

[missangelalexis]

That stinks that you were sick over spring break but at least you managed to do your errands AND see the Lion King!! Glad you enjoyed it!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Sorry to hear you weren't feeling well during your Spring Break, but so I'm glad you were able to get some more things for your trip and that you saw the Lion King!!! The current Touring Cast is really great, I'm so happy you were able to experience the show!!

Omg how amazing you got to see The Lion King, I'm jelly. I'm glad to hear it was as incredible as everyone says it is. Sorry to hear you were out of commission for most of break, but hey, that's what spring breaks are for: chilling out and recuperating.

That stinks that you were sick over spring break but at least you managed to do your errands AND see the Lion King!! Glad you enjoyed it!

Being sick over the break was definitely not what I would have wished for, but I was very glad to be at home rather than at school. And the show was absolutely stunning!!!

 

[Ears to Disney]

Following along! Love your pre-trip haul! The Lion King is so good! Love it!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Following along! Love your pre-trip haul! The Lion King is so good! Love it!

Happy to have you!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Is It Really a Disney Trip If Nothing Changes?

Hello, humans, and Happy Easter! I apologize for my absence over the last couple of weeks, but things have been a little crazy. Most notably, our Disney plans went a little crazy. Don’t worry—we’re still going to Disney—but it has definitely been an interesting week!

Let me back up. (And I apologize in advance for the text-heavy nature of this update.) On Wednesday, I received a phone call from Kelsey’s mom. Long story short, Kelsey’s boss had sent out an email with black-out days that he would not be granting requests for time off. Of course, one of those days is the day before we were supposed to leave for Disney.



Originally, our plan had been to drive back from Kelsey’s house to my house on that Sunday. But since Kelsey can’t ask off on Sunday, we may not be able to drive back until Monday, which means that our 9:05am flight on Monday isn’t going to work. Kelsey was about to leave for work when she got the message, so Andrea told her she would call and talk to me.

After talking to Andrea for a bit, we decided that our first step should be to see if we could shift our hotel reservation one day. So I called Disney. Unfortunately, the Little Mermaid rooms at AoA did not have any availability for Friday night.

Go figure.

At that point, I started looking at other resorts to see what was available for Friday night. The answer? Not much.

Fast forward 24 hours. I checked Disney’s website again and saw that CBR and POR had some preferred rooms available for that night. Later that afternoon, when I actually went to book a room, only POR had availability. I booked it super quickly just to make sure we had something.

So. That’s a lot. Probably way more than you wanted to know, but…

Anyways. At this point, we were still thinking that our whole trip was shifted one day (Tues-Sat instead of Mon-Fri). But then my mom pointed out that there was a late afternoon flight on Monday that we could make even if we didn’t leave Kelsey’s house until that morning. Because our moms are awesome (and they feel bad for us because of the chaos), they have agreed to help us cover the cost of the additional night at the hotel.

SO.

Our trip dates are now May 7-12! We’ll arrive on Monday night, go to the parks Tuesday through Saturday, and fly home Saturday night. We’ll stay at AoA Monday through Friday, and then transfer over to POR for our last night on Friday.

With that all figured out, Kelsey was extremely relieved. I was relieved but also a little bit stressed as I tried to figure out how to rearrange our park days, especially since I had already booked FPs. My biggest hang-up was EMH, but I eventually had to get over it and go with the configuration that made the most sense for us. That being said, this is what our spreadsheet plan looks like now. (Heaven help us if things change again, LOL).

Screen Shot 2018-04-01 at 8.36.41 PM by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

Whew. That’s basically been the last week. If you feel overwhelmed by this post, I UNDERSTAND. It’s been a whirlwind, and I am very happy to have everything figured out (again). Thank y’all for bearing with me as I tried to explain the madness.

Have a magical week, everyone! Please enjoy this picture from 2012.



fullsizeoutput_1252 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr​

 

[missangelalexis]

Omg how overwhelming! I'm glad you were able to sort it all out!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Wow, that's so crazy. What a blessing moms our to step in and make sure you don't lose your heads. Also, you got a night at POR, that's such a positive, two resorts on a short trip.

 

[Ears to Disney]

SO much going on! So glad you were able to get it all sorted and that your trip is sill happening!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Omg how overwhelming! I'm glad you were able to sort it all out!

It was definitely a couple days of complete insanity, but I'm actually really pleased with how well everything turned out, despite the craziness!

Wow, that's so crazy. What a blessing moms our to step in and make sure you don't lose your heads. Also, you got a night at POR, that's such a positive, two resorts on a short trip.

YES. Seriously so thankful for them in this scenario. And I am really excited to get to show Kelsey POR. I haven't been there since 2013, but I loved it and can't wait to go back!

SO much going on! So glad you were able to get it all sorted and that your trip is sill happening!

It's been quite a lot, but we are so excited and can't wait to just BE there!!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Hello! I just found your ptr! How exciting! I can't believe you are almost done with your first year of college! And how fantastic that you guys are getting to go by yourselves! You will have a great time!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Hello! I just found your ptr! How exciting! I can't believe you are almost done with your first year of college! And how fantastic that you guys are getting to go by yourselves! You will have a great time!

Thanks for joining in!! I can't believe it either--we are so excited to get to celebrate in our favorite place!!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Mickey Mail and a Whole Lot of Chaos!

Hello, DIS friends! We are officially 16 DAYS away from Disney Day, and I couldn’t be more excited! I’ll be honest, though: it’s kind of hard for me to believe that this trip is really happening. I don’t think it’s really going to sink in until we get there, and yet I’m also really excited right now. I know that doesn’t really make sense, but that’s kind of where I’m at.

Anyways…

Last weekend while I was at home, I received some exciting Mickey Mail!!


IMG_0504 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr


IMG_0506 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

Since we currently have 2 separate hotel reservations, we received 2 sets of MBs. But that’s okay—now we just have more colors! I got pink and green, and Kelsey got yellow and pink. I haven’t put our decals on yet, but that will be happening soon!

Secondly, I finally got my last shirt for this trip!


IMG_0508 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

I absolutely LOVE how this turned out! I had seen a similar design on Etsy, and the mom of one of my old classmates was able to make it for me really inexpensively. The tshirt is Comfort Colors, too, which I really like. This is definitely an arrival day shirt in my opinion, and I’m so excited to wear it!

So now I have an update in the hotel-saga for this trip. While I was at home last weekend, I decided to go ahead and call Disney and see if they would let me add a night to our existing AoA reservation. I thought that maybe this would give me a different result than searching for a room for a single night.

I called, told the CM what I wanted to do, and she started clicking.

CM: “It doesn’t look like there is any availability in the Little Mermaid rooms for that night…oh, wait. I take that back.”

Me: *crosses fingers and toes*

CM: “Actually, there is some availability. The rate for that night is x dollars, which will bring your total to y dollars.”

Me: “That’s great!”

CM: “Would you like a confirmation email?”

Me: “Yes please!”

CM: “Hmmmm, it won’t let me confirm the reservation.”

*Puts me on hold to check with Guest Services*

“So, it actually was a computer error. It was showing availability, but there actually is not anything available for that night.”



Hands down one of the most frustrating Disney experiences ever. Of course, I know that it was not the CM’s fault at all, but it was definitely upsetting to think we were going to be able to get the room and then be told no.

Fast forward a few days. I had just woken up when I get a text from my mom:


fullsizeoutput_1558 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

I quickly logged on to MDE and was able to change our room at POR to a room at CBR, which is almost $60 less! Since CBR was one of the resorts that Kelsey and I had considered originally, we're both totally fine with this.

So, now, we’re spending the first four nights at AoA and are spending the last night at CBR.


Bless.


That’s where we’re at right now. Disney has slightly extended park hours for the week we’ll be there, which is definitely a double-edged sword. I’m excited to have a little bit more time in the parks, though.

I’ll be placing our very minimal grocery order soon. Right now, I’m getting ready for the chaos that is finals week. I have to completely pack up my dorm in the next week, as well, which is quite the task. I only have a week and a half left until I’m done with my freshman year, which is completely insane! A week and a half, and I’ll be at home scrambling to pack for this trip!

That’s really all the chaos that I have to share for now. Have a magical Saturday!!

From our first trip together in 2004:

Untitled by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr
​

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

What’s in My Park Bag?

So I’ve seen other DISers do updates kind of like this, and I thought it would be fun to give a try. So, here we go!

*Side note* While I was taking the pictures for this update, I was sitting in my bedroom floor with the all the stuff spread out around me. My dog took this as me packing to leave, and she didn’t like it.


IMG_0529 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

First things first: the bag.


IMG_0512 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr


IMG_0532 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

This is one of the bags from Jansport’s Disney collection. I got it for Christmas this past year, and I am so excited to get to use it in the parks. The bag is actually quite deep and holds a lot more than it looks like it will.

The first thing will spend some time in the bag, just because I’m paranoid about losing them on rides…my ears!


IMG_0526 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

Next is my water bottle.


IMG_0528 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

This is a HydroFlask bottle, and I am obsessed. This one is actually my mom’s, and I have one of my own that’s twice the size of hers (which can be really heavy when it’s full of water). I carried mine around on the graduation trip, but I may bring my mom’s this time just because it is a little bit smaller.

Then of course we have ponchos.


IMG_0521 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

I also got this emergency blanket thing.


IMG_0519 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

I’ve read a lot of things about using something like this to sit on if the ground is wet during a parade or fireworks or something. I thought it was a good idea, and this was really cheap, too.

I also got a little first aid kit for us.


IMG_0520 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

Of course, the goal is to NOT need this!

As someone who struggles with allergies, I always pack a small thing of tissues.


IMG_0522 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

Thankfully, I usually don’t have too much of a problem in Florida. I think there’s just more salt in the air there than there is at home or something.

Since Kelsey and I are just packing in carry-ons, I got us various kinds of wipes to cut down on the liquid products we have to put in our 311 bags.


IMG_0524 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr


IMG_0530 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

I also got us these carabiner clips.


IMG_0523 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

We’re planning to get the resort mugs (even though we’re not on the DDP), and I had seen this idea on Pinterest or something. If we take the mugs with us in the mornings, we can clip them to our backpacks with these clips once we’re done with them.

I got us some drink mixes, too, because Florida water can be pretty gross.


IMG_0531 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

I also managed to find this beauty at Walmart.


IMG_0525 by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr

Last summer, we wished we had bought one of the mister fans by the end of our trip. So when I saw these at Walmart for $8, I snatched it up. Now, it may be complete crap, but I would rather try the cheap option before buying one from Disney for $20. And it’s got princesses on it!!


That’s pretty much it for my park bag. I’ll obviously have my sunglasses and wallet as well. Hopefully this update wasn’t boring for y’all—I love posts and videos like this, so I thought I would try it. I’m not sure how much more I’ll have to update before we leave, but I’m sure I’ll be back at least once or twice before then. Hope you all have a magical weekend!

2004:

Untitled by the2ndstar2theright, on Flickr​

 

[Newsies]

Oh wow I've missed a LOT.

YAY FOR A LONGER TRIP!!!

DOUBLE YAY for MAGICBANDS!

And a GIANT, MASSIVE TRIPLE YAY FOR COMFORT COLORS!!! LMAO GIRL I LOVE CC. I'm a campaign captain for South by Sea, which is a company that designs and distributes t-shirts and UGH I LIVE in Comfort Colors. I get so excited when I see that I'm going to be selling them! I own like 20 CC tees now, I have a serious problem but none of them are DISNEY and yours looks fabulous!!!!!!!!

It's awesome that you'll be at CBR for a night!

YAY I love "what's in my park bag" posts! You have a very practical bag, mine always has a bunch of stuff I never need.

YOU'RE SO CLOSE TO YOUR TRIP WOOP WOOP! Good luck with finals!!!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Yeah! It is always so exciting to get the magic bands in the mail!

This seems so fitting for your trip!

I love that your mom was checking for you! So cute. And that your mom's name has a heart next to it!

That’s where we’re at right now. Disney has slightly extended park hours for the week we’ll be there, which is definitely a double-edged sword. I’m excited to have a little bit more time in the parks, though.

Def a double edge sword! Means they expect lots of people!

So cute! Love the hand on the hips! Sassy!