Will this year FINALLY get some pixie dust? Turkey Day Trip 2011

UsMcWifeForever

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Aug 11, 2009
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This is my first try at writing a PTR, until now I have pretty much been a "lurker" on the boards. So bear with me, and PLEASE feel free to leave me any tips/info you might have. I have read many PTR & TR, so I sorta have a feel for how this should go. Lets get started.
This is a last min trip. and our FIRST trip ever during the holidays. How it all began: Lets start at the begining....of the year that is. My DH is in the Marine Corps (12yrs). Jan. 19, 2011 he left, :car: from St Louis, to go to "The Basic School" (TBS) for 4 months. This school is for those who are being promoted to Warrant Officers. About a week after he was gone I got a call from my Dad, in Ohio, telling me my mother (who was battling breast cancer) was not doing well at all.:sick: I was on the next plane home with 3 kids under the age of 6 ALONE.:eek: My mother passed away shortly after I got home and of course my DH could not leave TBS.:littleangel: They would not grant him leave because of the HUGE ice storm that was sweeping the mid west. After the funeral I decided I was going to move home to Ohio to help my Dad tie up all the loose ends of my mothers death, since we would be moving to North Carolina in a few months when DH was done with TBS. I Moved home and stayed with DH's brother, his wife and their boys. This was a bad idea because, as much as I love his brother and family, we had Marjory different views on raising kids and the way kids should be talked to. SO it made for a very LONG "few" months. Before I Knew it , it was time to move with DH to our new home in NC. I was looking forward to a fresh start and to have my own bed back. I called the military office that deals with moves and getting your house hold stuff....they told me that It would be July 28th before we could get our stuff...I looked at the calendar and cried :sad: bc it was only June 10th. 2 months of sleeping on air beds and sitting on camping chairs. Will I survive?????? Fast forward a little to a few days ago, DH and I had a conversation that went something like this
ME: (out of the blue and joking bc he isn't a Disney freak like me)....The kids and i are going to go away for a few days I need a vacation.
DH: I need one too, but I can't get out of work, Where are y'all going to go?
ME: Disney?!?!?
DH: When?
ME: Next week??
DH: OK.
ME: (shocked he agreed when I was joking) REALLY!!!!
DH: Sure! you deserve a vacation after all that has happened this year. Just keep it Cheap!!!!
ME: (as i open my lap top) I am gonna start planning!
I did Little planning and ran some numbers and had a TA friend of mine run some numbers too and went back and talked with DH about what I had found. He said "I was thinking, why don't we go over Thanksgiving so we ALL can go together." I was a little bummed i wasn't leaving in a few days, but was happy the NON DISNEY person in my life had come to:earsgirl: my side, no :darth: the dark side no :tinker: the magic side, no :earsboy: the Disney side. So a quick chat with my TA friend and she gave us the prices for our trip with "plus dinning" and without. UP NEXT THE CAST AND SOME ROUGH DETAILS OF THE TRIP
 
This is the part where I introduce everyone!!! I wanted to add Pics but haven't figured that out yet...when I do I will add them!!!

THE CAST:
ME (UsMcWifeForever aka Carla). I am a 31 yr old stay at home mommy to 3 wonderful, happy and hyper kids. I am the Disney nut in our house. I am always planning a mock trip or "running the numbers" as i like to call it, Just In case a trip will work into our bank account. I have been to WDW 5 times and DL 1

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J (DH) He is not a Disney nut like me, but he says he enjoys going bc the kids and I LOVE it some much. J has been to WDW 5 times and DL 1

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THE KIDS,
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:rolleyes1they have no idea that we are going on this trip. They just think Mommy is "looking at Disney stuff again" hahahahaha:happytv: :surfweb:

Ella (the princess) DD 6, she is a huge princess fan and enjoys making disney themed tutus to wear all the time no matter where we are going. she has been to WDW 2 times and DL 1

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Vinnie DS 5, he is a disney fan but not as crazy about it as DD and I. He loves the idea of thrill rides, This trip he will be tall enough for some of the roller coaster. He has been to WDW 2 times and DL 1

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Nicky DS#2 he will be 4yrs old at the time of the trip. (yes u can look back at their ages they will be 4--5--& 6 yrs old on our trip :scared1:) Nicky is a HUGE Buzzlightyear fan and Toy Story. He was told Before he was potty trained if he started using the potty we would take him to see Buzz. Thank God it work :woohoo: He has been to WDW 2

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We have the WHO now for the WHERE and WHEN.


Our travel dates are Nov. 23 - Nov 28 Our 1st trip during the holiday season. I am looking foward to seeing some of the Xmas Decor!!!! We will be staying at POR for the 1st time and Using the DDP for the 1st time also.

Are ADRs will look something like this

Arrival day late dinner at Boatwright House @ POR
Thanksgiving day (1st day at parks) Early dinner at Beirgarten in Epcot

Friday (2nd Day @ the parks) Breakfast at O'Hana @ the Poly

Sat (3rd day @ parks) Lunch @ SciFi @ DHS (the kids really wanna try this
place and we didn't the last 2 trips)

Sun (last day @ the parks) TBD
 
Sounds like fun! I am in. Your family is beautiful!!!! I loved the matching shirts!!
 

Our "Must Do" list for MK has changed a lot since our last trip in March or 2010. The kids have grown like weeds and are now over 40inches tall. This opened up a lot of rides they wanted to do on the last trip but were just too short :laughing: Now I am a roller coaster nut and love anything that goes 0-60 in 2 seconds, turns me on my head, or drops me 10 stories in a few seconds :scared1: ...That being said J is not a roller coaster person at all!!!! So I have spent our last 2 trips riding alone while he took the kids to get a snack or rest while mommy waited in line. Now that the kids are tall enough and show interest in riding a thrill ride (BTMR to be exact) I am on :cloud9:, I can only hope that they will not chicken out:scared:...I refuse to be the parent to drags their small child on to a ride kicking and screaming! So I hope they take after Mommy and not Daddy :rotfl:
So here is our "Must Do" list for MK:wizard:

BTMR
POC
Peter Pan
Flying Carpets (the kids love this one)
Winnie the pooh
Splash Mt (my all time fav!!! hope the kids wanna do it):love:
HOP
COP
Buzz Lightyear
Stitch's great escape
TTA
Tomorrow land speedway
haunted mansion
teacups
IASW
Fireworks
Parades
UP NEXT OUR MUST DO's FOR EPCOT
 
I'm on board for this special first PTR popcorn::

we went over Thanksgiving break last yr Nov 2010 and really loved our time there...feel free to take a look at my TR from that below in my siggie...I wrote it in themed chunks so you should be able to use the contents table to find what you are looking for :thumbsup2

I'm like you in that I LOVE the thrills where as my DH doesn't as all...my oldest DD is becoming more daring in her thrills and I hope to get her on ToT and EE when we go back as a family in Jan next yr :thumbsup2


you kids are adorable too...looking forward to more

PS our first ever trip w/ kids and on site we stayed at POR too :goodvibes

J~
 
I'm on board for this special first PTR popcorn::

we went over Thanksgiving break last yr Nov 2010 and really loved our time there...feel free to take a look at my TR from that below in my siggie...I wrote it in themed chunks so you should be able to use the contents table to find what you are looking for :thumbsup2

I'm like you in that I LOVE the thrills where as my DH doesn't as all...my oldest DD is becoming more daring in her thrills and I hope to get her on ToT and EE when we go back as a family in Jan next yr :thumbsup2


you kids are adorable too...looking forward to more

PS our first ever trip w/ kids and on site we stayed at POR too :goodvibes

J~

:welcome: Thanks I will check out ur TR...I am a TR junkie, I read them all the time. I can use alot of tips for going during the holidays, I have never been during thanksgiving or Xmas
 
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Our "Must Do" list for Epcot is not as long as MK, we spend most of our trip in MK. There are somethings the kids and J and I want to do.


Of course Biergarten restaurant because we have ADR's here for Thanksgiving Day!!!:cool1:

Kim Possible world showcase adventure: we have never done this before so if anyone knows anything about it let me know PLEASE!!

Meet Duffy the Disney Bear: Another 1st for us

ImageWorks

Imagination Pavilion

Innoventions

All the Kidcot Stops

Living with the land

Test Track: the kids will be tall enough this trip, J and I have done it before but we know the kids will love it

Maybe Soarin: DD and J have a huge fear of heights so IDK if we will do it or not. I would love to be we will see how the day is going and how the lines :crowded: are. I will probably pick up fast passes for all of us, if we don't use them I will give them to someone maybe it will add a little pixie dust pixiedust: to their trip

The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Fireworks

We Normally only make it a 1/2 a day here but will stay as long as the kids want to. If they get bored we will head back to the hotel or to another park, OR if they are having more fun than they have in the past we will stay as long as they want

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Must Do List for AK
AK is another park that my kids just don't like to spend a lot of time at, They love the Zoo but AK is not a zoo, just not AK. We do have some WANTS at AK. I put them under a must do list but if the kids just wanna skip AK all together that might happen too

DINOSAUR
Festival of the Lion King
Finding Nemo Musical
Its tough to be a bug
Kali River Rapids weather permitting
Kilimanjaro safaris
Jungle Parade
Triceratop spin
Wildlife Express train
UP NEXT...MUST DO'S FOR DHS AND SOME OTHER FUN PLANNING PROBLEMS SOLVED
 
Kim Possible world showcase adventure: we have never done this before so if anyone knows anything about it let me know PLEASE!!

We have done this a few times w/ our kids and hasn't quite worked out for us...but that is not to say don't do it...it is very cleverly done and actually fun...you need to check in at a station to get your Mission w/ a time, then later in the day check in elsewhere to get your Kimunicator (phone)...you don't have to be RIGHT on time to pick up your phone but close to it...they will direct you to the country the Mission is to take place at and the phone gives you clues like in a scavenger hunt to find until you save the world...there is a drop box for the phone and you are done.

You only get one phone so you'll want to decide in adavnmace which child get it first and so-on...


Maybe Soarin: DD and J have a huge fear of heights so IDK if we will do it or not. I would love to be we will see how the day is going and how the lines :crowded: are. I will probably pick up fast passes for all of us, if we don't use them I will give them to someone maybe it will add a little pixie dust pixiedust: to their trip

I highly recommend getting the FP's for this for jic instead of waiting cause the LINES will be HUGE! you'll want to get them first thing and like you said if you don't go someone else can use it.

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Must Do List for AK
AK is another park that my kids just don't like to spend a lot of time at, They love the Zoo but AK is not a zoo, just not AK. We do have some WANTS at AK. I put them under a must do list but if the kids just wanna skip AK all together that might happen too

DINOSAUR
Festival of the Lion King
Finding Nemo Musical
Its tough to be a bug
Kali River Rapids weather permitting
Kilimanjaro safaris
Jungle Parade
Triceratop spin
Wildlife Express train
UP NEXT...MUST DO'S FOR DHS AND SOME OTHER FUN PLANNING PROBLEMS SOLVED

I like your AK list too :thumbsup2 sometimes it's tricky to see both shows on a single day so you may want to pick which one you like the best and try and see early show to beat crowds plus FP KS to help w/ lines :thumbsup2
 
I like your AK list too :thumbsup2 sometimes it's tricky to see both shows on a single day so you may want to pick which one you like the best and try and see early show to beat crowds plus FP KS to help w/ lines :thumbsup2

Thanks for all the tips We have done Nemo b4 so maybe we will hit up lion king 1st!!! and for the KS i will probably send DH at RD there with the kids while i get a fast pass for dinosaur (if it has FP) and take some pics...I am a pic freak lol
 





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