Wishin' & Hopin', Planning & Dreamin': Oct 2013 PTR - 10/20 UPDATE: Link to TR!!

[DMGeurts]

We are pretty set on BLT, but would also do BCV or BWV renting DVC points. IF...and ONLY IF...there is no availability for our dates at one of those 3, we will do a Mod...probably Coronado Springs or Caribbean Beach.

Yes...a Disney proposal would be spectacular. I'm trying not to get my hopes up so I won't be let down if it doesn't happen, but I'm REALLY hoping the silly boy gets all my hints and gets with the program.



I'm a sucker for sappy stuff too...and not just my own! I love reading about other's proposals, weddings, honeymoons, etc. I will keep you all posted...don't worry about that!



DREAMY... oh yeah....I would be in heaven!

What is it with you ladies? Where is Mo? She's been MIA!

I totally understand about paying for dining with GCs... I do the exact same thing to tally everything up... I go through each menu and "order" what I think we'd order, add in drinks, tax + tip... For us - it's very nearly a wash - so it makes perfect sense to do DDP. I thought about doing QSDP, for the savings, then paying for our must do TS meals OOP - but we have too many TS meals that are must dos for us - LOL - so it makes more sense to do DDP.

Mo is still on FB, since her trip is a little in the air - she's been scarce on The Dis...

That was TOTALLY my first thought!

See.... I knew it. Most people won't come right out and say it - I find it's just easier to assume.

D~

 

[Pixiedust530]

I should have left well enough alone...

I have spent the last several days doing some heavy planning, crowd calendars, planning parks, meals, etc. I was getting ready to post our tentative details...but now EVERYTHING is changing.

Remember back in one of my first posts I mentioned that our dates were dependent on the school calendar and Fall Break?!? Well, tonight the calendar committee met to iron out the calendar for next year. I have a friend on the committee so I have the inside scoop! Fall break will no longer be a Thursday, Friday and Monday and it also won't even fall in/around the dates I had planned! However, they have decided to go to a full 5 day (Mon-Fri) Fall Break. I am SUPER excited that I won't have to burn any personal days, but it does mean that our dates are changing. I'm not sure how I feel about the change, but it is what it is.

Our new dates are Sunday, October 6 thru Friday October 11! Of course these are still tentative until the School Board approves the calendar which won't be until mid February. Don't they know I have planning to do?!?

Back to the drawing board I guess! Hopefully I'll be back soon with some tentative plans. Maybe I will share my other tentative plans just for fun... Who knows?

 

[DMGeurts]

ACK!!! What a bummer that your dates are changing - however - it's awesome that you won't have to burn any time to go.

Can't wait to hear about your new plans...

D~

 

[Pixiedust530]

I don't know how I lost my subscription to this thread...please forgive me. I'm thinking that a wedding proposal will be forthcoming while at your happy place.

By the way, love CSR....have stayed 10 times, and only reason we don't any more is we rent points.

You are forgiven. I'm trying not to dwell on the whole wedding proposal thing, but I really do just LOVE this man and want to spend my life with him. He has said the same...MANY times...so what the heck is the holdup?

It's nice to hear good things about CSR. It's one of those resorts that I don't hear much about...good or bad. If we do decide to go that route I will definitely be picking your brain!

I totally understand about paying for dining with GCs... I do the exact same thing to tally everything up... I go through each menu and "order" what I think we'd order, add in drinks, tax + tip... For us - it's very nearly a wash - so it makes perfect sense to do DDP. I thought about doing QSDP, for the savings, then paying for our must do TS meals OOP - but we have too many TS meals that are must dos for us - LOL - so it makes more sense to do DDP.

Mo is still on FB, since her trip is a little in the air - she's been scarce on The Dis...



See.... I knew it. Most people won't come right out and say it - I find it's just easier to assume.

D~

We did the DDP on our last trip and we loved it. Since this trip will be shorter, we have decided that we don't want to spend as much time at TS meals, so I think we are only going to do 3. The rest will be QS. The problem I am having is that there are SO MANY TS restaurants we want to try!

ACK!!! What a bummer that your dates are changing - however - it's awesome that you won't have to burn any time to go.

Can't wait to hear about your new plans...

D~

I am excited about not burning any time. I think I'm okay with the new dates...it does mean we will be in the World a week earlier than originally planned. Of course, now I need a new ticker...which means it will start all the way at the beginning...

 

[KatMark]

Seriously, what the heck school board? Can't you see a trip needs to be planned. Get your butt in gear!!!!

 

[Pixiedust530]

Seriously, what the heck school board? Can't you see a trip needs to be planned. Get your butt in gear!!!!

In the big scheme of things we are a relatively small school district...maybe not so much in the number of students we serve, but as far as schools and community. Each year a committee is formed of teachers, clerical staff, parents and a Board of Education representative. these folks design the calendar for the following year. They are given all the state requirements and the non-negotiables and then they send out a survey to staff, parents, etc. for input on what they like, don't like, etc.

Apparently about 4 years ago (before I was employed in the district) they had a week long Fall Break. For some reason that was shortened to a Thursday, Friday and Monday. This didn't exactly go over very well and so now they are going back.

I'm okay with the full week break...especially because it means I won't have to burn any of my personal days, it just sucks for trip planning. UGH!

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Your new dates coincide with ours!!!! That is great that you won't have to use any vacation time! This is going to be a great trip for you guys!

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

I should have left well enough alone...

I have spent the last several days doing some heavy planning, crowd calendars, planning parks, meals, etc. I was getting ready to post our tentative details...but now EVERYTHING is changing.

Remember back in one of my first posts I mentioned that our dates were dependent on the school calendar and Fall Break?!? Well, tonight the calendar committee met to iron out the calendar for next year. I have a friend on the committee so I have the inside scoop! Fall break will no longer be a Thursday, Friday and Monday and it also won't even fall in/around the dates I had planned! However, they have decided to go to a full 5 day (Mon-Fri) Fall Break. I am SUPER excited that I won't have to burn any personal days, but it does mean that our dates are changing. I'm not sure how I feel about the change, but it is what it is.

Our new dates are Sunday, October 6 thru Friday October 11! Of course these are still tentative until the School Board approves the calendar which won't be until mid February. Don't they know I have planning to do?!?

Back to the drawing board I guess! Hopefully I'll be back soon with some tentative plans. Maybe I will share my other tentative plans just for fun... Who knows?

I hope they approve that new schedule...that would make your planning easier....I just hope they do it soon!

 

[Pixiedust530]

Your new dates coincide with ours!!!! That is great that you won't have to use any vacation time! This is going to be a great trip for you guys!

Once I get to planning our park days we will have to see if we have any park overlap. Maybe we can squeeze in a DisMeet!

I agree....it will be a MAGICAL trip!

I hope they approve that new schedule...that would make your planning easier....I just hope they do it soon!

From what I understand, as long as the calendar committee has met all state regulations and local criteria (which they have) then the School Board approval is just a formality. I am still slightly paranoid so I won't make any ressies until AFTER it is official. The School Board will meet to approve the calendar on Mon. Feb 25.

 

[Pixiedust530]

Just a quick little update tonight. I am of course still waiting to book our trip until after the school calendar is approved, however it looks like we might be adding a day to our trip.

I filed my taxes yesterday and am getting back significantly more than I expected. I even double and triple checked thinking perhaps I had entered something wrong! Lucky for me, everything was correct and we are good to go! So...we have decided to probably add an extra day. SO EXCITED for more time in my favorite place!

Since I am not taking my little guy on this trip I want to do something special with him this summer. We thought about the beach, but I actually don't think I am up for a huge week-long trip this summer. So...I am pretty sure that we are going to take a mini trip (2 or 3 nights) to St. Louis! It's only about a 4 to 4.5 hour drive and I have heard they have lots of neat things to do and many of them are free.

Has anyone out there been to St. Louis or live in/around there? I would love some input on things to do or things to avoid. Recommendations for places to eat are welcome as well. Keep in mind that we will be taking a 6YO...so I need family friendly ideas!

Thanks for everyone that has stuck with me. If you've been lurking, please chime in. I promise I don't bite! I hope to post some more trip plans very soon. I need to start working on our park days!

 

[Chicago Mo]

I find it so hilarious that D~ and Suzi and I just sort of chase each other around on the Disboards! And where is Mo? She is supposed to be in on this too!

Looking For me????

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Subbed and heading back to read and find out what you've been up to!!

 

[c4alymom]

[*]I am crazy obsessive about my planning…hence beginning a PTR more than a year out from the trip. You could call me a borderline nut job ….okay, maybe that border is a little blurred and I “may” have already crossed it, but you get the general idea.
[*]I have this thing for using 3 dots… like this… when writing. I don’t know why… but I guess you better get used to it!
[*]I suffer from 2 disorders: P.D.D.D. (Post Disney Depression Disorder – a condition characterized by high levels of anxiety when forced to return home from a Disney vacation. The only known cure is to begin planning another trip.) and D.S.A. (Disney Sleep Apnea – a sleep disorder characterized by high levels of excitement thinking about your upcoming trip. There is no known cure.)
[*]I tend to ramble…A LOT! I get off topic and sometimes like to take the scenic route… better fasten your seatbelts and keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle folks, it might be a bumpy ride!
[*]I am a hopeless romantic and there might be a bit of nostalgia, dreaming, and gushy mushy stuff thrown into this PTR. Don’t get the wrong idea…

I jumped over from my PTR and at the first post I am hooked, THIS COULD BE ME!!!! I think I suffer from the same diseases, maybe we should start a support group. I know there is no curee for PDDD and DSA, so we should just accept it and support on another, right?!

Following along and ready to plan together!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

All caught up!!! Yay for couples trips! Rey and I went in November for three nights and loved it! My TR is in my siggie!

I grew up in St. Louis! My mom and sister still live there, I live an hour away in the country. The zoo is fantastic and free! (Parking costs if you want to park in a lot and not on the street). Right near there is Forest Park, which has lots of fun events in the warm months, also the Art Museum is free. The Science Center is also right there, it is free as well except for parking, we loved going there when the kids were younger!

Farther west into STL county, a few miles, is The Magic House. Your son will love it! There is also an outdoor sculpture park near there called Laumier Sculpture Park. Look some of these places up, they barely scratch the surface!

 

[Pixiedust530]

Subbed and heading back to read and find out what you've been up to!!

Glad to have you along.

I jumped over from my PTR and at the first post I am hooked, THIS COULD BE ME!!!! I think I suffer from the same diseases, maybe we should start a support group. I know there is no curee for PDDD and DSA, so we should just accept it and support on another, right?!

Following along and ready to plan together!

aboard. It looks like you have found just the right PTR... I have stumbled on a few other PTR's over the years where I read that first post and thought "Hey, that's ME!".

We will definitely have to support one another on those disorders. I think my honey is tired of hearing about Disney!

All caught up!!! Yay for couples trips! Rey and I went in November for three nights and loved it! My TR is in my siggie!

I grew up in St. Louis! My mom and sister still live there, I live an hour away in the country. The zoo is fantastic and free! (Parking costs if you want to park in a lot and not on the street). Right near there is Forest Park, which has lots of fun events in the warm months, also the Art Museum is free. The Science Center is also right there, it is free as well except for parking, we loved going there when the kids were younger!

Farther west into STL county, a few miles, is The Magic House. Your son will love it! There is also an outdoor sculpture park near there called Laumier Sculpture Park. Look some of these places up, they barely scratch the surface!

I saw that you and Rey took a couples trip. I haven't had the opportunity to read your TR yet, but I will definitely go do that. I am guessing that it will be a VERY different trip than my previous ones. I am usually pretty Commando in my touring, but I think we are going to try and wing things a bit.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your St. Louis suggestions. I have had several people tell me that it's one of the best (and least expensive) vacations you can take because of all the free things to do. I found a website (Explore St. Louis [dot] com) that has soooooo many cool things to do. I don't even know where to start. If you have any recommendations for good places to eat I am open to suggestions. Wayne and I are foodies after all...and Caden is willing to try new things too.

Glad you are here...I might need some STL help!

 

[MelMel11]

Count me in!! Can't wait to hear the plans for park days!!

 

[Pixiedust530]

Count me in!! Can't wait to hear the plans for park days!!

Hello! Welcome aboard. I hope to have plans for park days up some. I'm a little nervous to start on them in case my dates change again.

Feel free to chime in at anytime. The more chatter and feedback the better.

 

[Pixiedust530]

After spending time this morning reading Karen's (Twoboysnmygirl) couples TR I thought I would share a little about Wayne and I's love of photography and our hopes for capturing some stellar shots on our trip. BTW...if you want to see some AMAZING shots of Disney (specifically AKL Savannah and EPCOT) go check out Karen's TR. It's a fun read too!

One of the things that Wayne and I both love is taking pictures. On our last Disney trip after weeding out the really bad shots we were left with almost 2,000 photos! Now, that included pics that Wayne took with his DSLR and quick snapshots I took (mostly of my kiddo) as we strolled through the parks.

I do not own a big fancy DSLR, but Wayne does. We have decided that on our Oct. trip we will devote some time to properly photographing all those things we didn't have time to shoot with a 4YO in tow.

I started a thread a while back on the Photography board [Go Here] asking for folks to post their unusual, unique shots of Disney (cool angles, compositions, etc. I am looking for some unique ways to capture the feel of WDW. Check it out...there's some GREAT stuff in the thread.

I though I would share some pics that we took on our Oct. 2011 trip. Everyone likes picture heavy posts, right?

This one make me LOL at Wayne's sick sense of humor at shooting an upskirt photo.

These were at DHS, waiting for RD and Minnie posed for the camera.

I like the composition of this one, but the colors are really dull, skies are gray, and we cut off the reflection on the water. Definitely want to redo this one!

I love the way the trees frame the castle here. This one is all Wayne...I think I was in the bathroom with a 4YO. Meanwhile, Wayne was shooting, go figure.

I love this shot of the Castle taken from the Train Station. I do have a confession to make...I used Photoshop to get rid of the flagpole. It make for such an awesome pic without it. Shhhh...don't tell!

This is one of my absolute favorite shots of the trip. I love Goofy and his "pose" and the fact that the Castle is in the background. This was during the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Parade/Party and it's one of those shots we could probably never recreate...it totally captured THAT MOMENT!!

Thanks for reading. I have just uploaded a ton of pics to Photobucket, so I hope to be sharing more as I go throughout my PTR!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Awww, you are so sweet!

Great shots! I always edit out the flagpole and a crane last time too!

You are going to have so much more camera time since it's just the two of you! I cannot wait to see all your shots! I suspect this trip with Savannah I will have less...but less for me probably means 1500 shots instead of 3500!

 

[KatMark]

Sorry I didn't see this (I was sick last week and slowly catching up).

Love the photos (love Minnie posing!). It's so much easier to so pictures without a little one in tow.