we're DRIVING? With 2 KIDS UNDER 2?! WDW or INSANITY here we COME (INSANITY)

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

I also would like to take the time to put in a VENT!!
LOOK OUT!!!

no it's not that bad!

BUT the ABSOLUTE WORST AWFUL GROSS meal we had was at La Cantina in Mexico!! we had eaten there last in 2004 and it was FABULOUS!!! but this past time we were sooo upset about the wasted dining credit!! it was just plain disgusting! we both got the Combo plate and could barely eat it.

****This could be that i am Mexican and i KNOW authentic cooking, BUT as i said before we LOVED it in 2004****

The kids meal is a waste of money for a Quesadilla and Nacho chips!


oh well we learned our lesson and used Snack credits to eat around the WORLD!! god thing for F&W festival!!! you ill get our review of these yummies too!!!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

I am going to start with September 27th, we are heading out late late
on the 27th, so we MUST get the car packed up! YIKES! this
in itself is an epic vacation!! we had to load and re-load and do it
all over again about 6 times! by WE i mean DH with me watching
So indeed i had packed too much, so back to the drawing board! all
suitcases go back inside to get inspected by DUM DUDDA DUM DUM DUMMM..
DH!! oh no i'm in for it now!! He who insists without me or
the kids could go to WDW with just a duffle bag (a small one at that).
The guy is just odd!! i mean a DUFFLE BAG??? where would he put
the much needed souvies??

Of course he asks why i need 9 pairs of shoes (6 dressy) and 5 dresses,
one evening gown (kidding about this one!) and well he just wants to
know why i need 99% of what i packed! GASP!

Do you ever notice, that when you pack, you end up packing for all
types of occasions ans you INSIST you need everythingyou have! you
even group everything into outfits with shoes that MUST go with the
outfit!! THEN when you get to your destination you ALWAYS end up
wearing the same 2 things & one of the many shoes you bring?!?
it's sooo true! and DH reminds me EVERY yr and yet i still don't
believe him!! Come on we can't let a MAN know he's right!! he'd hold
it over our heads FOREVER! anyways, this year is going to be different!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

The repacking done (i just shoved everything he said i did not need into the diaper bag or the kids bags--i mean they don't need THAT many diapers!!!). And the car STUFFED STUFFED STUFFED to the gills!

We put on the finishing touches to the back windows of the Honda!!

2 signs:

WDW or BUST
&
FOLLOW US TO WALT DISNEY WORLD



All i need to say is THANK GOODNESS the kids DO NOT DO NOT need any leg room, b/c the floor of the backseat was STUFFED!

Did i mention i also packed 8 different purses of which i used ZERO on the trip??? but they did look super cute all lined up on the top of the closet rack begging me to use them!!

Oh and i only used 2 pairs of shoes


so....


shhhh.....


don't tell....



keep it a secret......



DH was RIGHT!

will this stop me from doing it again in January??? UH-UH!!!!

 

[monymony3471]

When ever we have to pack the car, whether if it's to WDW or just to the cottage, it's not pretty. He sees me coming with all of our bags and I see the head start shaking and that's when I get heated.

He packs for himself, and I pack for me and three kids. I just don't think they understand the whole picture. If I let him pack we'd spend a ton of money going to the sundries shop to purchase the things we needed.

Remind him how many times he asked you if you had something. Like clippers, or wipes, or etc.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

sooo true!! he packs like 2 pairs of underwear and insists he will do laundry...


but......


who is it doing laundry at 3 in the morning??????





ME!!!


i must admit i made GREAT friends though!!

 

[monymony3471]

So I was right, you did get it done......(window pictures, ahem)

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

i have a dinosaur of a computer and 400 pics to download, so i am getting them done as fast as possible


--------------------------------

SIDE NOTE:

did you know the fruity drinks at the POP are 10$$$$$


i about keeled over!!

 

[PrincessV]

OMG, you're cracking me up and you haven't even left the driveway!
This is gonna be good

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

ohhh no the driveway was a loooong vacation let me tell you!!!

The DMMs were due to set out at 11pm on the 27th!!!!!


Well earlier in the day DMM and her 2 DKids were off on last minute pick ups and such when my van DIED! just sputtered and DIED!!!! now don't get me wrong ordinarly i would have been cheering b/c DH said when the van died i get my NEW VAN!!! but we were leaving for the WORLD that day and towing and everything would be CRAZY!!! oh AND i was in the MIDDLE OF THE ROAD! sooo i'm freakin out and on and on...finally someone stops and helps me get it started and back home it's the STARTER! i have no idea what all that means...sooo i'm just confused!

DH says he can fix it sooo no new van for me it's fixed, but it takes him AWHILE and then with test drives and a shower we are still home!!!
sooooo our trip is delayed!!! i mean DELAYED!!! we don't end up leaving until the 28th around 5am!!! i'm mad, but glad i don't have that hanging over my head on vacay!!

------------

3am comes around and it's time to get GOING!! showers for DH and I and then just pick the kids up and pop them in their seats right???


NOPE!! DH misplaced the keys to the HONDA!!!!


AUGHHH!!!!! at this point we are just laughing!! i mean everything always goes wrong with us!!! We look and look and YUP the keys are in the car!!! oh and everything in locked up!!! ahhh and did i mention that my keys have been lost forever????

sooo mad dash through the house for my keys and NOTHING........

soooo get this..........

the trunk is still open, BUT TOTALLY PACKED with JUNK! DH has to UNPACK and i'm totally helping, but i am laughing soo hard he just tells me to sit down, i'm just in the way!!!

THEN i have to squeeze into the backseat to getinto the front seat to get the keys!! all while laughing of course!!

We are NOW ready to go!!! we get into the car and .......


AUGHHHHH i left my hair dryer plugged in!!!

okay got that set and as i put the hair dryer away in the linen closet ( i NEVER do this) i find my keys in my box of lotions!?!?!? (you know those hiding spots you know you will NEVER forget!??) this just makes me laugh harder!!!

all right WDW OR BUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




that's what we thougth at least!!

 

[dreamergirl78]

Oh yeah! Good TR so far Michelle!

 

[Msslaydbug]

Great TR Michelle !

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Hi DMM!! Just read you TR from the beginning. Great start!! Can't wait for the rest and... Hello?!? You may need that evening gown one night at WDW...you never know when a princess may need you to fill in and you always have to have shoes that match your poncho, winter coat, bathing suit, underwear, track suit, pj's, etc. Men just don't understand these things . Missed having you around here and I'm crossing my fingers for you to go on your "minnie" trip in January!!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

seeeeee i knew i needed that evening gown!!!! oh well there is always January!!!!!

Thanks for the compliments everyone!!!!!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

DINING PLAN

Alright we had a LOVE HATE relationship with the dining plan!! we loved having it and it was great for the most part, BUT too many TS for a family with 2 kids that loves to just go go go!! i didn't like having to have my days planned out!! i made all my ADRs at 180 days out and GUESS WHAT?!?!

WE changed EVERY SINGLE ONE!!!! and on the day of go figure!! we had NO PROBLEMS at all getting into Character meals the morning of each one! it's that Disney Magic i tell ya!!!

We used the snack credits to eat at F&W festival!!

We used all our table service except for one that we made into a CS credit and BOY LET ME TELL you it was next to near impossible to do it was just ridiculous!!

We also did NOT think it was a lot of food, why?? because we went to alll character buffets pretty much and you can regulate what you eat!! so we didn't waste any food and still ate GREAT!! so we do feel good about that!

All in all, we most likely WILL get the dining plan again b/c it's just soooo easy to have all your meals paid for in advance!! :

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Driving

Other than the rough start and NOT NOT NOT wanting to leave in the end, the kids were fabulous in the car! So we would CONSIDER driving again! mainly b/c i was just a pain! it was too long and soooo boring!! except for those BARE IT ALL signs! WOW those are everywhere!! and does anyone else feel like they will NEVER EVER EVER get out of GEORGIA?!?!?!? WOW that's a looooooooooong state!!

And let me tell ya! having an ATLAS is NOT NOT NOT a good thing! i kept staring at it and getting mad that we only moved a teeny tiny bit! by the end of the trip DH wanted to strangle me!! (at leat i think he did!! he says i was just amusing!!).

It cost us less than 100$ each way in gas and since the car is pretty brand spankin' new we didn't have any problems at all!! so that was a GOOD thing!!

----------


Although does ANYONE out there have the DH that once the gas light goes on SWEARS he can make it to the moon and back and DOES NOT have to stop for gas yet???? that's my DH and i could've SWORN he was going to end up walking to the nearest gas station can in hand!!

(oh and in order to do that he would have had to empty the trunk to find the gas can)

---------------

So would we drive again? YES, but once the kids are a wee bit older so that i will have someone to entertain me!!! those lazys slept the whole way!! and when they were not sleeping they were watching DORA on tv!!! AUGHHH!!!!

if i have to look for the wizards Magic Wand again!?!?!

orrrrrr i think i know all the words to Set your name free!!! DH and i were singing it at the top of our lungs!!!

 

[MyGoofy26]

Driving
and does anyone else feel like they will NEVER EVER EVER get out of GEORGIA?!?!?!?

YES! I've always wanted to just skip right over Georgia. The last time I made the trip, last spring on a last minute (meaning 2 weeks to plan) trip for the Florida Music Festival, I had been going on and on about how I was dreading Georgia. We paid attention and realized that it was actually one of our shorter states. It so doesn't feel like it! On our route there is nothing - no cities to pass, no attractions. Just trees and signs for a couple/few hours. At least change the scenery up a little - how can there be no cities along a major highway?! You hit Savannah not long after you cross the border then nothing for the rest of the state!

No offense to Georgians. . . but I'm SO glad someone else has the same perception!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

If there was any way to bypass Georgia i'm all over that!! i must say though that Atlanta in the evening is breathtaking!!!

------------------------------

Park Hopping

WHAT A WASTE!!

listen up!!

Last year wtih one little gal we hopped like CRAZY!!! but with 2 in tow we totally wasted our money here!! $$$

We ended up staying in each park the ENTIRE day!! we would go back to the room for naps and then decided HEY let's go back!!! and for some wierd reason this was an ALL ABOUT MK trip!! we have never spent soo much time there before and we STILL did not get to see POTC!!!

So next trip there will be NO hopping!!

 

[Tinkerbell_Girl]

Your report is hilarious!!! I can't wait to read more!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

GREAT IDEAS TO USE!!

Alright i must say that i had 2 life savers on this trip!!!

The Disney Gift Card!!! it was awesome!!! when they FIRST came out we put a measely $5 on it and then we started a little savings fund for the gift card! we stopped using our bank card and used ONLY cash! we put ALL our change and SINGLES int he jar (an old formula can which eventually got full and we had to switch to an old WDW popcorn plastic tub!!) and at the end of the month or whenever we wanted to we would go to the bank and cash all that change in, THEN immidiately to TDS to put it on the gift card!!!

They DO NOT take this card at the Front Desks yet, but you CAN use it at the resort gift shops, F&W festival booths and DTD!! so it was GREAT NOT carrying around a wad of Disney Dollars and not charging everything back to the room and then having a heart attack when you see the total!! orrrr when they call your room 2 days into your trip and tell you you've reached the max amount and they need to charge your card!!

SECONDLY for the drive, the Mcdonald's ARCH CARD was AwESOME!!! we didn't need any cash at all except for tolls (2.50 from Chicago area). We put all our gas on the bank card. ANYTIME we wanted a snack of some sort or lunch we would stop there!

--------

Isn't it amazing that you can actually find something other than your 'regular' Mcdonald's order when you eat there time after time!! I LOVE the fruit and walnut salad!! and yummy to the fruit and yogurt parfait!!! and did you know you can trade your fries for the apples???? delish and sooo fun!!!!

-----------

WIERD ALERT:

We popped into Mcdonald's OFTEN and whenever we popped into one in a small town of sorts i felt like we walked into CHEERS (you know where everybody knows your name)??? Because when we would walk in EVERYONE would stop and stare!!! i thought we had puke from Gabriel on our shirts or SOMETHING!! i kept looking us all over!! and nothing!! then the next person would walk in and they would all be like heyyy Jimmy how's the cattle doin' or soemthing equally odd!!! we felt like ALIENS!!! this could just be us of course! it happened about 3 times the entire round trip!!

 

[Tinkerbell_Girl]

WIERD ALERT:

We popped into Mcdonald's OFTEN and whenever we popped into one in a small town of sorts i felt like we walked into CHEERS (you know where everybody knows your name)??? Because when we would walk in EVERYONE would stop and stare!!! i thought we had puke from Gabriel on our shirts or SOMETHING!! i kept looking us all over!! and nothing!! then the next person would walk in and they would all be like heyyy Jimmy how's the cattle doin' or soemthing equally odd!!! we felt like ALIENS!!! this could just be us of course! it happened about 3 times the entire round trip!!