Welcome Home, Itinerary #5

[tinytreasures]

congrats on the baby

 

[kayla87]

What does this mean for our trip...not too much, except Tom now has someone to sit out some of the rides with him.

Just to clarify, he's not pregnant, just motion sick So now we will be spouse swapping for those rides!

..or is it ?

Oh, just kidding.

 

[kayla87]

Nervousness....CHECK!

Queasiness....CHECK!

I think I just found where Jacinda predicted her baby news!

 

[kayla87]

I like to think that when I ask for something to be done, that it actually gets done. We've received three ME envelopes in the past two days of mail, all of them incorrect. I could understand the first two, as it could have been a coincidence that they were sent out before I called and fixed it. But then, we got OKW tags with no flights scheduled. I just called MS and found out that when I asked for our incoming flight to be changed to the 2nd (instead of 4th), she ignored the date and saw that the flight numbers were in there correctly so she left it alone. And then by some mysterious twist only schedule one of Corey and Jacinda's flights instead of both! I hate only knowing what the person on the phone is telling me, and not being able to see what they've done.

The semester is nearing an end for me, which means I can do more Disney soon. I've got a huge paper to write today, then I'm basically home free because my other three end of semester assignments will be easy. Yay for freedom!

 

[kayla87]

Time to celebrate! My massive term paper is behind me! I was actually able to wrap Christmas presents and watch tv last night. It was amazing.

That also means I had time to work on Disney today. All of my documents were really outdated; I didn't realize how much had changed!

After looking at some bus stop information, I've decided to request buildings 27-29 for our OKW days. Now I'm just waiting for Jacinda to approve before I call MS and put it on the reservation! Hopefully I get a competent cast member.

I have also done some research about doing Disney pregnant. Most of the tips sound like they're for really pregnant people. However, every site I look at has different recommendations for what not to ride. Shouldn't it all be the same - shouldn't they list the rides DISNEY has warnings for?

I made sure to note all the rides I found that J shouldn't ride, even the ones she will - like Safari. That way, we remember to tease her beforehand eek: yes we're just those kinds of people).

Oh, and for some reason J didn't list Tower of Terror earlier. I know her baby will just be a kidney bean, but we'll make her sit that one out (multiple times...). Ugh, I wish I didn't have the habit of CRTL + S when I type, I keep annoying myself.

 

[jaleaton]

Time to celebrate! My massive term paper is behind me! I was actually able to wrap Christmas presents and watch tv last night. It was amazing.


Oh, and for some reason J didn't list Tower of Terror earlier. I know her baby will just be a kidney bean, but we'll make her sit that one out (multiple times...). Ugh, I wish I didn't have the habit of CRTL + S when I type, I keep annoying myself.

Yay for being done with school! I have 11 more days with these little "darlings" until I get to party like it's 1999.


Oh darn. I'm so terribly disappointed that I don't get to ride Tower of Terror. Can't you just hear that sarcasm dripping from my voice. I will take any excuse in the book to get out of this ride. This is the one Disney ride that I absolutely CAN'T stand!!! I get scared just thinking about going on it. I mean my heart feels like it's going to either stop dead or beat out of my chest just walking through the queue. It's so funny because I ride it every time I'm there, but hate it the whole time. I'm apologizing to families that ride with us for the words I know will soon be flying from my mouth, and they think I'm just pretending or being funny. Joke's on them...

Corey has determined that I need to have a list of rides and descriptions to take into my doctor's appointment with me just for reassurance. I told him I didn't think that was what the doctor is really expecting, but oh well. Everyone's being overprotective, but I'm not even thinking of considering anything with a restriction...except for maybe Kilimanjaro Safari or Splash Mountain (which will prob. unfortunately be a no too).

 

[kayla87]

I'm so terribly disappointed that I don't get to ride Tower of Terror.

...except for maybe Kilimanjaro Safari or Splash Mountain (which will prob. unfortunately be a no too).

Well, hopefully you can find something fun to do, or Corey takes pity on you, because we'll be riding TOT as many times as our poor bodies can stand. I feel lightheaded just thinking about it.

Tom's professional opinion is that you are allowed to ride Splash Mountain, so that settles it. Otherwise, your Saturday morning will suck when we get up early just to ride Splash without you...hehe.

I got super excited earlier because I remembered that right about now is the mark for canceling DVC without penalties, so I called MS earlier wishing someone had canceled a 2 BR at VWL for Jan 2 and 3. But no...no availability. I should try again because I'm pretty sure it was the same lady who screwed up our ME last week. Maybe she put in the wrong dates. Hopefully she didn't cancel our OKW. Or put us on a waitlist that will come through in no time to change ME. Oh, to be paranoid...

 

[kayla87]

Tom is a Disney Travel Agent, and he is able to order the 2009 Planning Videos, so he got one for us in his last literature order. We watched it tonight, and it seemed vaguely familiar. I fell asleep trying to get through the stuff about WDW. I woke up just enough to select the next segment after one ended.

I just put the '08 video in and watched about 2 minutes of it before I decided that the '09 video is a near identical copy of '08. They have added some balloons to the graphics, and a section about the "What will you Celebrate?" theme, but that appears to be the only differences. Kind of disappointing. I think I'll go watch '06's video, since it's actually engaging and entertaining!

 

[kayla87]

It's a good thing Jacinda stalks the Restaurant Boards, because otherwise I wouldn't have realized that some World Showcase restaurants aren't on the Dining Plan yet! Teppan Edo is the only ADR we have to worry about, so we are thinking about whether we should get an ADR for a restaurant we know is on the plan, or just eat a counter service that night if it isn't by the time we go. I don't know how often restaurants add after the new year, or if we can be guaranteed that they will add by the end of this month. Oh...this planning uncertainty sucks.

I've cleaned up our second bedroom in preparation for Corey and Jacinda's stay before the trip. Before, I practically had to climb over desks to get to the bed, but somehow all I needed to do was move a spare matress to another wall, get rid of some cardboard recycling, and move the desk, and now it's pretty nice in there (except for the garage sale corner ). Goodwill will probably be getting a piece of exercise equipment for Christmas...and they can trash it if their stash of stationary bikes is already overflowing...

 

[kayla87]

Ugh, I could just cancel this trip right now and not care. Corey and Jacinda's flights changed, so I had to call and change Magical Express AGAIN. Not their fault of course, but I'm so sick of doing it. Tom is being difficult about the Magical Express vouchers, not believing the information that the CM at Member Services told me after calling Magical Express to ask this specific question. Of course, I can understand this sentiment with how our information has been mishandled before, but I put a little faith in someone after I explain the awfulness I've already endured.

Now, our future includes calling Member Services after we get home from work to ENSURE that our flight numbers and voucher confirmation numbers match what appears to be on our record. I'm letting Tom do it. Surely this much doesn't go wrong for other people...and we're not going to be stuck at the airport with no permission to ride ME like Tom thinks...

In other news...the Backlot Tour will be down while we are there, and I'm rather happy about it because...well...it was just kind of an eh experience. Now if only they'd put down Indiana Jones while we're there...I'd endure this ME fiasco if I knew I wouldn't have to watch Indiana Jones again.

 

[kayla87]

I've been proved too trustworthy. CMs at DVC Member Services are NOT qualified to make Magical Express reservations and I believe DVC members should have the right to dealing with competent, informed people. No matter how helpful they appear to be, deep down they apparently know nothing about making Magical Express reservations. I don't even know how much time has been wasted fixing previous mistakes and oversights. The good thing for me though, is that I've passed the Magical Express hat on to Tom.

As a funny side note, which I need today...we brought home a bunch of cookies from a party on Saturday. On Monday, Tom calls me at school and says "Where is the plate of cookies with the saran wrap?" There was saran wrap stuck to our appliance garage, but no cookies or paper plate in sight. Ever since then, Abby has had an interest in the ziploc bag of cookies I've been taking to work She doesn't get people food, so it's definitely a taste she's acquired by her own means!

 

[ArmyWife3-4]

Phew...alright all caught up! Congrats on the baby!!! That is wonderful news! I hope all goes smoothly and you're not checking out ever WDW bathroom on property!

I can't wait to see photos from the trip!!!

 

[kayla87]

I'll let Jacinda respond to the baby news Glad to see someone is actually reading this insanity

As if enough Disney news hasn't happened today, Tom just confirmed the suspicions I had earlier today. Apparently the Christmas parade is only running in December. This will probably change our Saturday the 3rd plans because we made specific plans to be there so Jacinda could see the parade.

Which brings me to my next idea - moving our Plaza food to Saturday instead of Friday. That way, if their flight is late, it takes a while to get their APs, or anything like that, we should still have plenty of time to see a decorated Magic Kingdom.

If we don't change to eating Plaza on Saturday, this parade change will just mean we have more freedom to be wherever, and we could go to DHS earlier than planned...and ride the Backlot Tour

 

[jaleaton]

Phew...alright all caught up! Congrats on the baby!!! That is wonderful news! I hope all goes smoothly and you're not checking out ever WDW bathroom on property!

I can't wait to see photos from the trip!!!

congrats on the baby

Thank you for the warm wishes. Corey and I are very excited. We have our first doctor's appointment on Tuesday (which has felt like waiting a small lifetime, but that's the very earliest he could get me in). I'm pretty sure that I'll still see every WDW bathroom, but not necessarily because of the baby. Kayla has kind of hinted at it before, so we might as well just get it all out of the way...

We've all got bathroom issues...I'm pretty sure this is a huge factor in getting a 2 BR (meaning we will have a total of 3 bathrooms).

You could set a clock to Corey's routine schedule. Tom and I both have irritable bowels. Kayla seems the most normal out of all of us. Tom doesn't like using public toilets, but I have no problem with this whatsoever. I used to have really bad issues until I had my gallbladder removed, so now it's not quite as bad as what it used to be.

I've been terrible about posting on here, and keeping up with our planning. The culprit...the Twilight Series books. Guilty as charged!

With Winter Break just around the corner, I promise I will make more appearances on here.

 

[kayla87]

Oh, golly...dear pre-trip report,

How do people plan trips where a bagillion things don't change? Do they not plan stuff to begin with to realize that things change?

Well, as I've thought before and been proven wrong, I think things are finally getting settled in regards to our plans.

We decided to move our Plaza meal to Saturday for lunch.
We are going to Epcot on Saturday, and stopping by the Beach Club on our way to DHS for Fantasmic and EMH - hopefully the gingerbread carousel is still up.
We're going to check out Animal Kingdom Lodge inbetween AK and DTD.
We're still waiting on dining plan news from Teppan Edo. If it's not on the plan by the time we go we are just going to eat a counter service for dinner and use those table service credits for the Whispering Canyon meal.
We all finally are settled on not doing Chef Mickeys.

Tom has been absolutely obsessed with figuring out what we will be spending while we are down there. We have a whole smattering of gift cards - from buying DVC, birthdays, Sunshine Rewards, Disney Visa rewards - which should cover most of our food expenses.

Jacinda sees her baby doctor today, so hopefully she will have an answer on Splash Mountain.

What could entertain four adults for an hour, and fit it in a small backpack? No, it's not a riddle...just trying to think of something to take for while we wait for Fantasmic...?

 

[jaleaton]

So Kayla was rummaging through some old pictures and came across the following:

I'm not sure that I should even post that picture in fear of copyright infringement. No wait, we're ok because Corey was just a "Toy Cowboy" and Tom was just a "Spaceman" as the company called them. Fast forward a year, and Corey finds himself dressed as Woody again for the 2008 MNSSHP, with myself dressed as Jessie.

Woody and Jessie were such a blast. We felt bad for the little kids waiting in line to see them because when the characters saw us, they literally got out of their line to come yuck it up with us. We were standing by their lines during the Boo to You Parade, and since Woody had no one in line with him he came over to dance and watch the parade with us.

About a couple of weeks after we returned home from our trip, we were contacted by Photopass...they wanted to use our MNSSHP pictures for future marketing, so we gladly accepted. (Go Mom, for the awesome craftsmanship on our homemade costumes.) As a thank you for signing over our rights, we received 2 free photopass codes for use at any time. With that being said, we will have a free photopass cd for our trips in January 09 and October 09.

 

[kayla87]

Now that basically all of the planning is done, all we have to worry about is packing and the weather. Today we endured a wind chill of -22, so I am especially looking forward to Disney. The doggie door flying open was enough to practically freeze us out of the downstairs.

Right now, it's in the 60s at WDW. If the weather holds steady, we should be looking at 70s while we're there! On Christmas Eve the extended forecast will start covering our trip, so I will be diligently glued to multiple forecasts.

Hope everyone out there in Disland enjoys a good holiday in the coming week

 

[jaleaton]

Happy 21st Birthday to you (Kayla)!
Happy 21st Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, dear Kayla!
Grand Mariner Slushies, we're (minus me) coming for you!
And many other fruity drinks too!

 

[kayla87]

Thanks J

Only a few more days until we leave! The weather looks like it will be great - highs in the 70s all week. Packing starts tomorrow for me. Yay!

 

[kgle]

I am hooked! Its always really cool to find other Hoosiers on here! And you guys give me hope that one day purchasing an AP or DVC will work out and its not a dumb idea!

Congrats on the pregnancy and fear not- at 2 months you should be fine with the peeing bit!

Only a few days left until you go! Have a blast!