Why break tradition?!?! October 2011 PTR update 10/22 We are home!!!

[Villainess]

Keeping my fingers crossed that your cousin and her kids will be able to join you!

I'm hoping to be down about 40 - 50lbs by our Nov. trip. Good luck - maybe we can keep each other motivated?

 

[Leleluvsdis]

Keeping my fingers crossed that your cousin and her kids will be able to join you!

I'm hoping to be down about 40 - 50lbs by our Nov. trip. Good luck - maybe we can keep each other motivated?

I really really hope!!!

I love the idea of being motivators. What are you doing to lose?

 

[Leleluvsdis]

So I need a little help in deciding what DH and I will be for MNSSHP. These are what I'm thinking about

a saloon girl and cowboy from HDDR
Red Riding Hood, and the tree chopper
captain jack and elizabeth swan
a cowgirl and cowboy
hippies

I think all sound good, but I really don't want to be just another costume KWIM

What do you all think you be good, especially those who have been before. we have never been so don't know what would be best for riding rides and the FL heat.

 

[teekathepony]

I'm in!
My parents did the Keys to the Kingdom tour last year and they really loved it. Especially my dad who regales all who will listen (and most who won't) about the inner workings of WDW.

 

[Leleluvsdis]

I'm in!
My parents did the Keys to the Kingdom tour last year and they really loved it. Especially my dad who regales all who will listen (and most who won't) about the inner workings of WDW.

Dad has always said he wanted to do it, and I know my DH would love it. They are both always trying to figure out how stuff works. Dad's biggest concern is he wouldn't be able to keep up with the rest of the group. Dad is very active, but get drained really fast in the heat, especially when walking alot or at a decent pace. What was the walking like?

I have picutre uploaded right now, but I wanted to post the new love DH and I have found for the summer. We had boat and sold it to get a newer/bigger one. We actually had financing, and everything for the boat,but we went 3 times to pick it up, and everytime there was something wrong with the motor. The 4th time we went to try it out, it was still skipping a little, not as bad, but we were waiting to see what the warrenty said about fixing it, b/c it was still under warrenty, and while we were waiting, we found out that our extremely lowball offer had been excepted. (We had in the mean time sold out house, and found a forecloser that we loved but had only been on the market a week and was way out of our pricerange so we offered what we could afford (25K less the asking) and they accepted So therefore we gave up hope on the boat, and figured it was meant to be (We found out later, the warrenty wouldn't fix it b/c it was from bad gas shew... glad we didn't get it on a hope) Anywhoo... we have missed the lake TERRIBLY!!! so we tried something new and fell in love...

Canoeing!!!

It is so relaxing, and we have a ton of friends that do it also which make it so much more fun, and it is super cheap. The only cost, is the initial of buying the canoe. DH and I are also looking into getting seperate kayaks also.

Pictures to come.

 

[teekathepony]

Dad has always said he wanted to do it, and I know my DH would love it. They are both always trying to figure out how stuff works. Dad's biggest concern is he wouldn't be able to keep up with the rest of the group. Dad is very active, but get drained really fast in the heat, especially when walking alot or at a decent pace. What was the walking like?

My dad has a very bad back, he often uses a cane. He had no trouble with the tour, I believe they went slowly and stopped often.

Congrats on the new house! I've always wanted to try canoeing.

 

[Leleluvsdis]

My dad has a very bad back, he often uses a cane. He had no trouble with the tour, I believe they went slowly and stopped often.

Congrats on the new house! I've always wanted to try canoeing.

Thanks!! That is definetly good to know. Maybe, he can be persuaded, especially if DH goes with him!!

Canoeing is sooo much fun, and very relaxing. I'm getting ready to post some picures now.

 

[Leleluvsdis]

Here are some pictures from our recent canoeing travels
Getting ready to leave with the trucks all loaded

Just floating down the river

Cooking lunch

We get out and swim

More floating

My favorite part

 

[mrssmith06]

I need some help from you disers...

I am going to make a confession... We are less than 4 months away, and I am not jumping for joy about it I have not the slightest clue what has happened to me. I have fallen into a rut. I think I just really want a vacation no matter where it is, but I don't even feel like planning anything more than when we are going and how we are getting there lol

Can I get some help from my dis friends please?!?! I need to get moving and planning underway. At this point, where should I start. The only thing we have done is made our resie at OKW. I havn't stayed on disney more than over night, maybe I'm feeling overwhelmed What should I do next? A room request? Dining? Schedule?

Have you made any dining reservations?!?! A lot of the good places are probably already booked up!!! If you plan to do any table service meals, you should have those reserved ASAP. Are you on the dining plan???


Canoeing looks fun!! I would love to try it some day!

 

[Leleluvsdis]

Have you made any dining reservations?!?! A lot of the good places are probably already booked up!!! If you plan to do any table service meals, you should have those reserved ASAP. Are you on the dining plan???


Canoeing looks fun!! I would love to try it some day!

We aren't on the dinning plan. We are staying DVC so we will eat some in the condo, and we aren't big 3 meals a day eatters anyway. We normally eat and decent breakfast, and then a big dinner early, and sorta munch inbetween. I'm having a hard time justifying if the dining plan would be worth it or not, and there will be atleast 1 day that we don't eat in disney at all. What do you think?

I just made a ressie for WCC our arrival night. My parents are not big planners, well really they aren't planners at all, so it is really hard getting answers out of them as to what they want to do I think I'm going to make a ressie for crystal palace b/c that's mom's favorite and we skipped it last time, and she has requested coral reef. So here goes nothing!!

 

[Parla]

Love the pics. What a great past time. You can use the canoe as a table!

 

[Leleluvsdis]

Love the pics. What a great past time. You can use the canoe as a table!

Thanks! Yeah, the table worked out great!!

 

[Leleluvsdis]

For those of you who do the dining plan or have done the dining plan... do you see it as a savings? or more of a headache?

 

[Parla]

It all depends on how much you usually eat. Some people don't like all the sitting (however there is the QS option). I personally added up all that I would have spent and compared it. We love all the sit down meal breaks and actually did a trip with DDP and then a trip without which totally sold us on DDP. Then you have people on a tight budget that are good at crunching numbers and find since they don't order appetizers or desserts and will eat a lot in their room it just isn't worth it to them. Does this all make sense? Basically...

Big eaters + Dining Plan = Good

Light eaters + Dining Plan = Not so much

 

[mrssmith06]

For those of you who do the dining plan or have done the dining plan... do you see it as a savings? or more of a headache?

We didn't use the DDP on our recent trip but we plan to use it on our next one. I went through the menu's for all of the places I plan to eat at and added everything up and it comes out that we would save about $200+ by using the DDP! So I'm hoping that's right because it would make it worth it for sure. Guess I won't really know until after the trip though. I'm really hoping it's not too much of a headache to use, everyone seems to think it's pretty easy from what I've read.

 

[teekathepony]

For those of you who do the dining plan or have done the dining plan... do you see it as a savings? or more of a headache?

For us, we've hit the free dining plan every time. I didn't think we were going to for our upcoming trip, so we sat down and figured it out.

I found myself looking at the prices on the menu and deciding "Well, I could just get a salad... and we'll skip dessert... " when considering paying oop. When on the dining plan, I never look at prices and I always try dessert -- this is a vacation after all! So in that sense, the dining plan is so much easier on the head.

Besides that, unless we really skimped on our meals and didn't order what we really wanted, the dining plan came out cheaper.

 

[Leleluvsdis]

It all depends on how much you usually eat. Some people don't like all the sitting (however there is the QS option). I personally added up all that I would have spent and compared it. We love all the sit down meal breaks and actually did a trip with DDP and then a trip without which totally sold us on DDP. Then you have people on a tight budget that are good at crunching numbers and find since they don't order appetizers or desserts and will eat a lot in their room it just isn't worth it to them. Does this all make sense? Basically...

Big eaters + Dining Plan = Good

Light eaters + Dining Plan = Not so much

I'm thinking that what I'm going to do. We always consider prices on what we are getting to eat, especially at the end of the trip, and alot of times we split counter service, or don't get drinks b/c we brought water, and then we end up so hungry and tired b/c we haven't eatten a whole lot of consistancy throughout the day.

We didn't use the DDP on our recent trip but we plan to use it on our next one. I went through the menu's for all of the places I plan to eat at and added everything up and it comes out that we would save about $200+ by using the DDP! So I'm hoping that's right because it would make it worth it for sure. Guess I won't really know until after the trip though. I'm really hoping it's not too much of a headache to use, everyone seems to think it's pretty easy from what I've read.

I think that's what I'm going to do. Either I figured it up for our last trip, or I saw where someone figured it up for a trip, and only added in what they would order OOP meaning no appitizer or dessert, and the savings were huge. This way too, we could do a signature dining, (I really want to do spirit of aloha) and not feel guilty for spending the extra.

For us, we've hit the free dining plan every time. I didn't think we were going to for our upcoming trip, so we sat down and figured it out.

I found myself looking at the prices on the menu and deciding "Well, I could just get a salad... and we'll skip dessert... " when considering paying oop. When on the dining plan, I never look at prices and I always try dessert -- this is a vacation after all! So in that sense, the dining plan is so much easier on the head.

Besides that, unless we really skimped on our meals and didn't order what we really wanted, the dining plan came out cheaper.

I wish we were eligible for free dining. They were offering it when we started planning, but b/c we are staying DVC we aren't eligible I do the same thing. Get the cheapest thing, or split with someone else, and it would be so nice not to look at prices. We have been on a couple cruises, and it is so nice to say I think I will have lobster tail and filet, with sushi and desert lol


Does anyone know how many credits the fantasmic dinner package takes up, and is it worth it? When we went 2 years ago, we saw an area roped off on the far side. Is that the area you have to sit in?

 

[mrssmith06]

Does anyone know how many credits the fantasmic dinner package takes up, and is it worth it? When we went 2 years ago, we saw an area roped off on the far side. Is that the area you have to sit in?

We plan to do the package on our next trip and it's only 1 credit at Hollywood & Vine and Mama Melrose but I think the Brown Derby is 2 credits.
Here is a thread with maps showing the separate entrance and seating for the package: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2418482&highlight=fantasmic+seating

 

[Leleluvsdis]

We plan to do the package on our next trip and it's only 1 credit at Hollywood & Vine and Mama Melrose but I think the Brown Derby is 2 credits.
Here is a thread with maps showing the separate entrance and seating for the package: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2418482&highlight=fantasmic+seating

Thanks!

 

[Leleluvsdis]

So now I can say something since, I have told work. I am excited beyond words that

I GOT A NEW JOB!!!!!
​

I am sooooooo excited!!!! I have been going to school full-time and working full-time in order to get a new job faster, but now that I got a new job, I can slow down some. I have been looking for a new job for almost 2 years, and I FINALLY got one!!! I will be working at a local university. Liberty University as an acedimc advisor. I am so nervous also, but so much more excited at the same time!!! We are still going to be able to take our trip, they will just start taking my vacation days as I accure them. Now i have to buy a new wardrobe b/c I have worked at the hospital for 6 years, so my wardrobe consist of 2 pair of jeans, and pair of dress pants, and tons of scrubs lol

Ok so I think I'm done now.

On the planning front, I'm still contemplating the dining plan, and trying to convience my cousins to come with us. I found on the main dis site that disney visa holders can get free dining for the time we are going, so I will definetly have to tell her about it. Please pixie dust work!!! Anywhoo... I have made several ADR's tell me what you think

Crystal Palace Saturday 8:15am- Mom's favorite resturant in all of disney (this is actually our AK day, but I figure we should be over there by 10, so no big deal)
Whispering Canyon Cafe Friday 6:25pm- This is our original arrival day as we were going to leave Thursday night, but b/c of my new job, I don't know if we will since I won't get off until 9, although DH likes driving at night, so we may leave when I get off letting DH drive just to see how far we will get, then drive the rest of the way Friday. Whichever way, I had planned on being there by 3, but I'm thinking now, we will check in, and head over to DTD for dinner, Can we say EOS saaahhhhwwwweeeettttttt!!!!!!! But with not getting there until Friday late, we may have to change Crystal Palace since we get our tickets at SOG, we won't be able to get them Friday night.

I'm starting to work on a new schedule, and plan now, so I will update you, when I get it all laid out.

Happy Wednesday!!!​