Adventure #9: Firsts, a Dream, an Anniversary, & Three Destinations...

...I need another drink! :hammer:

I know I've neglected a whoooole lotta TRs out there for a long time. There's a reason for that. I vowed to myself to stop reading and start writing. I also vowed not to even begin posting until the report was completely written and assembled so posting would literally be cut & paste. This puppy was quite the monster to tackle but I did it! Enjoy.



Greetings to my dedicated readers, friends, family, and noobs alike! Boy, do I have a story to tell you so let’s get this thing rolling...

First, the basics:

Who? The usual suspects, of course. That would be me (The SweetPee), the old man (Tracey), the 15 year old all-knowing son (Chandler), and the 13 year old not-so-baby-of-the-family son (Brian). Later in the trip you’ll see a character from my very first trip report return for more fun. Yep, you guessed it! My big brother, the uncle extraordinare, Jerry!

What? Duh. Vacation. Anywhere but home fits the bill. Thankfully, we had 3 awesome destinations to hit. And celebrating. Can’t forget that we celebrated our 18th anniversary in style!

When? September 9 - 24, 2011.

Where? September 9: on the road & Hampton Inn, Clermont
September 10 - 15: Wilderness Lodge
September 15 - 18: Disney Cruise Line’s Dream
September 18 - 24: Yacht Club

If this is your first time reading a SweetPee report, feel free to peruse my previous reports down there in my signature. There’s better intros with pics there.

Like most folks, it’s amazing how much life you can live in less than a year. When I last left y’all at the end of our 8th adventure in November 2010 I wasn’t 100% sure where or when we’d be back. I wasn’t even sure WDW would be our destination of choice. I managed to find us some new Disney experiences to try...one of which has taken over our souls! You won’t believe it! We sure don’t!

Life has a way of keeping the adventure alive. Towards the end of January this year Tracey got sent on a project in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Don’t know where that is? Yeah, there’s a reason for that. LOL! It’s about halfway in between Dallas, Texas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The good part was all the moolah all that overtime brings + paid expenses. The bad part was ice, snow, and working 7 days a week for months on end. We got to see a different part of the country, experience real snow & ice (which completely blows), see the Oklahoma City National Memorial, meet new people, and learn new things. After Tracey finished up in Oklahoma he came back to an assignment on a project that was plagued with deadline challenges. Again, great to have all that income from the overtime but bad because he never had any days off. Literally. The only days I think Tracey had off this year were when the snow & ice were dangerous enough for the project to shut down, Easter, and a couple sick days. That’s it. Not even July 4th or Labor Day. And so, that’s how we funded our adventure and were able to shoot for the stars. Tracey worked so hard for so long. If he said “upgrade us to club level” or “add another day to the front of the trip” I didn’t argue. He earned it.

 

[Kristia]

Thanks for all your pictures of the Dream! We are going on our first cruise on the Magic in April and are really looking forward to it. I never thought too much about cruising before, but I started hearing the rave reviews and seeing all the awesome pictures, I couldn't resist! I wish we were going on the Dream but I also wanted to go to Key West and only the Magic goes there right now.

Also love the No Way Jose! We shared one on this past trip and it was AWESOME! I never thought of adding extra fudge and peanut butter sauce. :slurp: Definitely next time!

I am sure there were some other things I wanted to comment on, but ..... should of taken notes! :lol:

 

[TakeMeThere81]

Awesome TR!!

I loved Chandler's reaction while at the drumming station. You guys were all, "Oh he KNOWS what to do...". He's so modest. He's a great dummer!!

Parking at the resorts...so DH and I were talking budget and all and he brought up parking...parking at parks for 6-7 days adds up. I'm sure we'll be breaking rules to get out of paying too. Sorry, everything else is so frickin' expensive, a few corners will be cut. :shrug:

Crane~ Yes, that think SUCKS! Period.

I love the morning light in your MK pictures, they really turned out pretty!

O.M.G. The Crystal Palace has gotten expensive! Thanks for the heads up! Granted you guys paid for 5 adults right?? We're 3/2 so it shouldn't be too bad...but to be honest I have plans to book some places that are more of a substitution but just as good. I.E. Kona instead of Ohana's, Roaring Fork(no ADR necessary) instead of Whispering Canyon(gotta try the famous waffles Holly raves about!). But yeah, we're trying to do dining smartly because the prices have jacked through the roof

Your new friend Rocky sounded awesome!

Yum, I didn't know The Earl served breakfast sandwiches! *note taken*

Your cute Riley Belle would be a nice welcome home

Lastly, I LOVE your personalized ornaments, they did a beautiful job!!

My dear, I'm sad that your TR is over, but you've got some great trips lined up! I really, really, really hope I can make the cruise!!!

 

[diddy_mouse]

Such a great trip report Kelly!

Two things from your "final thoughts" section....completely adore your adventure journal!!! And ZOMG regarding that stash of H2o+ products! I'm impressed you got away with that much. :lol: I first discovered those when we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge back in '07 and ended up visiting their website after we got home and bought a whole gift set for myself.

I see where you're coming from when you talk about future trips. It's okay to hit the pause button on the Disney Parks magic for a little while. However, Disney Cruise magic is whole other kettle of fish...And hey, if you ever make it to DC you'll be in my neck of the woods :wave:

All in all, loved following along with your wonderful report!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Your cake price at least got my friend super excited. Even your original quote range made her giddy. The cake I designed for her centers around a store bought topper piece-so while the max budget is $150, we're hoping to keep it under $100. I really don't know what to think of Pat's response to me. I feel like I may have been a bit too aggressive b/c of the negative stories I've heard. I've just been crazy cake lady with my own cakes of late (working on the portfolio b/c the law changed and looking to start a side business)- so I think I may have steam rolled Pat a bit. :lookaroun I gave her the basics, but told her my plan was very detailed so she gave me her fax number and email address. She knows that I ordered a custom cake through Chef Brian, so I'm hoping we don't get into a "well, we can't do that" battle.

OH! BTW! Tracey started a new job with Mustang Engineering over in Houston/Katy the week after Thanksgiving! After the holidays we'll be looking to renting out our Port Arthur house and shift over to your neck of the woods (Houston). Not sure exactly where we'll get. We gotta get the full-lay of the traffic situation during rush hour to determine that. Driving from out at the energy corridor to his parent's condo in Webster has been taking Tracey like an hour and a half. Not a happy camper. :lol:

I pulled up their website and with the exception of the Deer Park office, it looks like everything in the Houston area is in or near Park 10. There are a lot of nice neighborhoods over there. Cinco Ranch is usually the one you hear the most about, but there are some other new ones. I had a friend move here for a couple of years for BP and I think they moved to either Cinco or Firethorn. We have an old family friend who works for Conoco Phillips - also near that area- and she commutes in from the part of Katy out near Katy Mills Mall. We used to live in a house not too far from Memorial City mall (Westheimer and Gessner area...i.e. fairly straight shot up Gessner to I-10 or a quick jump to the Belt to I-10.). I know a lot of people who work in Katy go for that area b/c I-10W in the am is better than heading east. Either way, it's all better than coming into Katy from Webster. His commute right now is nearly as bad as ours. It takes me around an hour to get into work and DH usually 75-85min. You can also look at Houston Transtar's live traffic map online to see what rush hour looks like from the different parts of town. Let me know if there's any info you need. Good luck with everything!

 

[Kristia]

So you see, unless there’s new and exciting stuff to do I’m just not real eager to go back to WDW. Nah. Not when there’s Disney stuff I haven’t done yet. There’s discoveries out there. There’s new-to-us Disney ground to be covered. I want the excitement of the fresh (to us). I want to see “Walt’s” park and learn all about it. I want to see other places and experience more all with the promise of Disney infusion and wimsy. And, yes, I’d totally rather go on another Disney cruise than go back to WDW. Three days wasn’t enough to even begin to scratch that surface! LOL!

I totally understand this. I really look forward to my Disney vacations when they are booked. I can't wait for them to get here and when we go, we always have a great time. The past few times though it seems like something is lacking and I can't put my finger on it. When we first got married in 1995 we went for our honeymoon and then we didn't get back till 2002. Lately, now that our careers are more established, we find ourselves able to go more often. I think that the trips that were were so few and far between were more fun since "absence makes the heart grow fonder" and since it had been so long everything seemed fresher. Does that make sense? We are looking forward to capturing some of that freshness on a Disney cruise in April. We plan on running the Disney marathon in 2013 and hopefully the Disneyland half in Sept 2013 for our coast to coast medal. It will be my first trip to Disneyland since 1993. Hardly saw anything that trip since I was with my parents and it was the week in between Christmas and New Years. Crowds were crazy and my parents didn't want to wait in any lines! I hope I make it there because I really want to see some things that I haven't seen before.

Anyway, great trip report! You have a beautiful family! Loved all your pictures too! Good luck on recapturing some of the Disney magic in your new adventures!:wave:

 

[HollyBelle]

Kelly!!! I've been waiting for this one.

So, let's see, all I've managed to get through so far is the first leg of your trip, which was fabulous! Some comments before I keep on reading:


- Your room at the Wilderness Lodge really appears to be, you know, in the Wilderness. I've never liked first floor rooms (something about not feeling safe, it being darker, I don't know), but your room may have me singing a different tune.

- I'm so happy you enjoyed the portrait session! Not just the quality of pictures afterwards, but the actual act of taking the pictures - that's the fun part! The pictures turned out great - I think my favorites are the solo shots of the guys... they look so grown up! I'm curious to know which ones you end up picking for canvas.

- Ham and cheese at Le Chefs?! :slurp: Yes, please! I love that sammich!

- Big fan of all the Leave a Legacy photos of the boys growing up. Brett and I did a Leave a Legacy on our very first trip, so I have a soft spot for those.

- All of your "it's so early and peaceful at 7:30 am" pictures crack me up! We're always up at that time and it's my favorite time of day, but seeing it through your eyes has me wondering if I've been taking it for granted recently.

- Three cheers for your strategy at the Animal Kingdom! The conversation before the gates opened was like deja-vu... we always do that.

- Your Expedition Everest pictures are great, especially the on-ride shots!!

- Brett and I went through the same pack vs. leave in the trunk thought process when we were boarding the cruise, too. It takes me back! Oh, how I can't wait to read all about leg 2!!! Especially knowing that you've been completely wooed by the sea.

- Just an aside, like Tammy, we have the Mickey bowls for breakfast cereal and we put them in the dishwasher all the time. I don't know how well the big graphics on the plates would hold up, because all of our dinnerware is solid white. Can you tell we're foodies?! We don't want anything to distract from the deliciousness we put on the plate. :lol:

Time to dive back in for more!! Hooray! Thanks, Kelly.

 

[fractal]

Holey Moley! I'm off the boards for a few days and everybody starts throwing up awesome trip reports.

Great report so far, trying to catch up. Love the professional shots!

 

[johndoh]

Loved your TR!

Thank you for sharing your awesome trip. I thoroughtly enjoyed reading your trip (when I should be working...) and loved how you included all the good and the not so good things about your trip. Especially the part about the Fire and Ice pedicure. Literally, I'm sure your toe was feeling like it was on fire! :lol:
Can't wait to finish reading the rest of your trip.

 

[Southern_Tink]

Whew! All caught up! So many things to comment on, but two things stand out to me most right now:
1) Disney cup cakes- I lovingly refer to them as "Cardboard Cupcakes". The taste, texture, ugh....cardboard is the best way to describe them! I agree that they look so delicious in those bakery windows. I try one every year from Main Street, hoping that the year before I just got one from a bad batch, but they are always the same, one big fat cupcake full of disappointment. And then the icing is just a pretty glob of pure sugar. It reminds me of the consistency of lard or Crisco. However, I was introduced to Starring Roles (or is it Rolls? I don't know, my brain doesn't function well this early in the morning!) a few years ago on these boards and WOW! they know how to make a cupcake! After hearing your reviews I'm not even going to give Main Street a chance on our next trip, I'm heading to Hollywood Studios to find the perfect cupcake!
2) MNSSHP Costumes- AMAZING IDEA! How creative!!!! As you can tell I absolutely loved them, I like the simplicity of them but the point is made clear. They were absolutely hilarious-good job!

 

[meeskamickey]

I LOVED your trip report, Kelly!! It was such an honest look at your trip. Love that you posted the good and the bad. First I have a couple of non-disney comments...

We are a homeschooling family also and get a variety of comments when people hear that we homeschool. It works for our family and we wouldn't have it any other way. I loved reading that you guys homeschool too!!!

I also have to comment that my hubby and I have been married 15 big ones and we married young also (I was 20 and he was 22). I think everyone thought we were pregnant too because we got engaged after 3 months...but sometimes it's just meant to be, right!!! Congratulations on 18 years!!!

Ok, now on to my Disney comments...

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED your portrait session! I never even knew something like that existed! The pictures were beautiful. So much prettier than a photo session in a studio somewhere.

Speaking of pictures, I loved the way you did some comparisons of your older pictures with a new ones. It's neat to see how things have or have not changed in a particular location. It's crazy to see how children change in a few short years!!!

Your comments about the little kids were funny and true! My kids are still little (7, 5 & 2) but I think we are pretty mindful of their behavior when we are out. It drives me nuts see kids acting like brats and mom and dad turning a blind eye or thinking the annoying behavior is "cute".

Congrats on the 5K! Love the pics!

Speaking of the cruise, you helped me on my diet while reading your report!
I was eating some yummy chips when I came upon your pedicure story...turned my stomach (even typing this makes me cringe for you). So, I promptly put the chips away. If I lose anything this week...it will be in part because of you...so thanks, I owe you one!

Loved your costumes! I thought they were awesome!

Lastly, I loved your anniversary ornament. It's beautiful!!!

Now I'm gonna move on to your other TR's!!

 

[HollyBelle]

Just finished leg #2!!

My beloved Disney Dream. I'm so happy that she treated you well. All of your wonder and amazement that you expressed over the act of cruising in general took me back to my very first cruise. It really is a whole different type of vacation. And the flush of the toilets... that's when you know you're on a ship! :lol: I've been on five different lines, and some things are pretty consistent across the board, and some things are heads and shoulders better on Disney. One thing I will say though, is that DCL is tied for the worst Muster Drill set up I've experienced, especially the way they squish you all in there.

I loved all the comments about the ship's movement - it always seems to be the worst when you're at the front of the ship, and they always seem to place the big theaters as far FWD as possible. It's great fun when you're watching a juggler during a big storm.

The ribbon for you FE gifts looks quite familiar - I bought the same stuff (but with a blue background) for a new camera strap! BTW... you really rocked those gifts!

So yeah, I was totally caught up in your and Brian's race. I'm so proud of that kid of yours - good for him for pushing through. How cool that ya'll got bibs for the race. So official! And I agree with Tracey, the official "we just kicked a 5K's a$$" photo was a must buy.

Your spa experience made me shudder... and, uhh, laugh. :lookaroun I know it wasn't the least bit fun for you, but you put just the right spin on the retelling to really set up the scene and paint the picture.

I'm glad to hear that, even through all the ups and downs, you found cruising to your liking! Now it's time to take Chandler back to Castaway. My heart melted a little bit when I read that he wasn't allowed to debark.


GIRLS CRUISE! Woo - thanks for getting us all set up! We totally need the super gorgeous center table at the Royal Palace for the girls cruise! I remember walking by the same table and drooling over it. Tammy, make it happen! Mkay? Mkay!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

GIRLS CRUISE! Woo - thanks for getting us all set up! We totally need the super gorgeous center table at the Royal Palace for the girls cruise! I remember walking by the same table and drooling over it. Tammy, make it happen! Mkay? Mkay!

No pressure!!:lol: I'm on it!

 

[Aurora79]

Hello....I loved this trip report! I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions, once where you talked about the little kid shoving his finger up his nose. Hah! Great imagery. The Dream looks amazing and your pictures were great. I appreciate your frankness in your story telling and you seem like a really cool down-to-earth person. -A

 

[Kerby626]

Love the report. I really wanna cruise and I am hoping we can swing it when S gets back from deployment.

 

[HollyBelle]

Leg 3!

First, I love how much you loved Stormalong Bay! This third leg of your trip seemed so relaxing because of the time spent there. I also love that Castaway Goofy spent some time at the pool with you!!

And the Yacht Club rooms really are fabulous! What a great view you had! We were upgraded from CBR to YC for one night a couple years ago and I was surprised by how much I fell in love with the room decor and design.

I'm impressed that Disney was able to use the receipt to piece together the information and put a hold on Brian's gift card. I always keep receipts for mine - good to know it may actually come in handy one day.

Like everyone else, I loved your "save it for a special occasion" dress! It fit you like a dream - and such a great color on you. But I think I may have loved the story even more. :lol:

Hooray for meeting the Newfie's!! Your will-they-or-won't-they-like-us story was pretty entertaining, too.

Okay, so the golden ticket! Back in September 2008 (my very first trip report), Brett and I stayed at the Contemporary because I was participating in a conference there. Great room rates and everything! When we checked in they gave us gold key cards - would you believe that we didn't know why they were a different color? And no one told us?! Why wouldn't the check-in CMs alert us to the fact that we had concierge access? Not a word was mentioned. And it wasn't until we returned home and started thinking about it, that it hit us. At first we just thought they were phasing in a new key card (they used to change them a lot more often back then). Suffice to say, we had CL access at the Contemporary and didn't even take advantage of it.

The Yachtsman Steakhouse - we're not big fans either. We ate there on our December 2009 trip and I was having trouble trying to figure out what all the fuss was about. Our steaks were okay, but nothing fabulous. And I wished the dishes would've been better composed. Instead, it was like, pick your steak and pick your side. I'm a fan of chefs who marry the side with the entree in a way that enhances the overall dish - but I digress.

Overall, I loved your trip report. It was worth the wait! Thanks for sharing all the fabulousness and the not so fabulousness - and for taking a picture of "our" waterfall. :animwink:

 

[gwhb75]

Hey. If you don't mind me asking, how much did the photo shoot cost, where did you book it, etc?

Hey, we were neighbours for a few days on your trip (we were at the Beach Club). Loved being near Epcot.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

The 1 hour session was $350 and having all the edited/retouched images on a cd suitable to be printed in sizes up to 8x12 was an additional $50. Here's a link to the website with all the information you'll need including the phone number to call to make the reservation. :wave:

Oh yes! We loooooved the location at the Yacht Club! That's our new WDW-home! :sohappy:

 

[gwhb75]

The 1 hour session was $350 and having all the edited/retouched images on a cd suitable to be printed in sizes up to 8x12 was an additional $50. Here's a link to the website with all the information you'll need including the phone number to call to make the reservation. :wave:

Oh yes! We loooooved the location at the Yacht Club! That's our new WDW-home! :sohappy:

Thanks. The photo session looks good. Might give it a shot next year.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I don't know what the heck made me remember but I totally forgot to come back after all the comments and be nice & speak! Duh! I guess I got slammed pre-holidays. Got home from the trip to visit my folks and had to kick it into high-gear for another big family trip to Tennessee for Christmas! :hammer: My apologies for the delay!

I totally loved your trip report.
First off, Turtle Sauce Piquante anyone?
Love how y'all have evolved. When its just DH and I, we take things alot slower than when the kiddos are with us.
The cruise, wow. All the details are amazing. I can't wait til Sept 2013. Its gonna be a blast and I can scope the place out for my family's trip.

The YC looked amazing. I so want to get in that pool. (One day)...
The guy you met there from Marrero, thats where I am from. So cool. I was looking but while he looks familiar, I am horrible with names.

I forgot to comment on your portrait session. How awesome was that! I totally loved how they have funny shots and sweet shots. Not a bad price either. Awesome. One day for that too.

Tracey LOVES sauce piquante! That's exactly how his buddies used to cook up turtle! I believe he's had nutria in a sauce piquante that he really liked.

Yes! The girls cruise is gonna rock! Maybe we'll get a group together to split some rooms for a night or two pre-cruise at the YC so we can all put in some hours by the pool then hit World Showcase for dinner & drinks....

Yeah, I swear we seem to find folks from southeast Louisiana all over...and I love 'em!

And thanks for the kind words about the portraits. I was so happy with the whole thing.

Holy Shiz...I should have taken notes.

First off - a thank you. For a complete and AWESOME TR...and for giving me something to do at the office. I seriously penciled it into my schedule "ok paperwork, sign billing stuff, reading some of Kelly's TR, type up notes, meeting, Kelly's TR...." What can I say? I love a good Sutton Family vacation!

You really have me wanting to hit up the Dream before our Girls Cruise in '13. There just seems SO much to take in! Perhaps I need an introduction course (3 day cruise) to prep for the Girls cruise. Then again I 'll have some fantastic guides on board w/me that can show me the ropes! The Dream is absolutely gorgeous and can't WAIT to see it in person.

That hot little number you wore on your anniversary dinner? Pack that baby up - she's goin cruisin in 2013! Seriously, LOVE that dress.

I'm sort of happy to see you disappointed in YS. I have been wanting to try it because people say its so good but I love Le Cellier and I can only eat so much steak on vacation before I feel like I'm full of lead. So now I don't feel bad for skipping it...for now at least.

Your boys are so grown up! Loved seeing the old time pics. Also loved the pics of Jerry and Tracey being super silly w/the slushies. So much fun.

I should have taken more notes. But the basics of it - love you and your fam. Love your vacation stories. LOVE THE DREAM. Love meeting up with other WDWmagicers (and future roomies!). Love that Chandler spent $40 on Dr Pepper jellybeans (totally something I would do - not w/jelly beans but I could see myself buying $40 worth of candy to take home). OMG I forgot how much I LOVED the portrait session. Question - can you not take pics in Future World...like is WS the only Epcot portion available or did you request WS pics? The ones of the boys leaning up against the walls solo - look like senior pictures. So handsome!

Eeek I loved it all!!

Thanks, Jess! I totally know I owe you an email. The holidays totally whipped me...but I survived! Craziness!

Don't worry about the cruise. You're right, you'll be with a great bunch of girls to show ya the ropes. I'm pretty good at figuring out how to orient people so they get something quickly...unlike my old man who just looks at me like "Are you stupid????"

Yeah, you can do the portraits in Future World if you want. The enhanced session can be done virtually anywhere on property. I chose WS because I knew it'd be closed to the public until 11 so we'd get plenty of people-free shots. Now that I think about it, tho...wouldn't portraits in Typhoon Lagoon be cool?! HHmmmmm....

Chandler and the jellybeans. I guess I can't say much. When I was a kid we sold our little souls to get the tart-n-tinies in the little plastic boxes from the gift shops. LOL!

Thank you so much Kelli for all the great advise for our first Disney Cruise! We are SO excited! I been studying the deck plans to try to get a feel for the ship! Yes I know I'm a freak! Our stateroom is on deck 9 aft from what I can see! I think I am going to call the doctor to get a prescription for something for both Devon and I just to be on the safe side. I am good with motion... Only thing that bothers me are simulator type rides like Star Wars. Devon on the other hand can take the simulators but sometimes gets car sick during long drives. So better safe then sorry! I will grab the Bonine too and hope I won't need either!

Ok so the international gateway enterance what time does it open and close or does it vary by season and park hours?

Y'all will love the cruise. It's just so amazing. Can't wait for you to get back & gush about it. Yeah, I'd have the meds on-hand just in case. Also, take stuff with you for upset stomach, etc. just in case. If you eat something that doesn't agree with you try not to go to the ship's doctor because if they think you have the stomach funk they'll quarantine you in a heartbeat. I tried to bring a little of everything as far as meds to cover all my bases...juuuust in case.

The International Gateway opens & closes at the same time the park does every day. In fact, you know how a few minutes early they let people in the turnstiles then up to a rope point where they hold people until the actual opening time? They do the same thing back at the International Gateway. I've heard on occasion guests that came in from back there made it to the Soarin' FP kiosks before the regular entrance herd but I think they make the arrivals in that area pretty close to the same time.

Thanks for all your pictures of the Dream! We are going on our first cruise on the Magic in April and are really looking forward to it. I never thought too much about cruising before, but I started hearing the rave reviews and seeing all the awesome pictures, I couldn't resist! I wish we were going on the Dream but I also wanted to go to Key West and only the Magic goes there right now.

Also love the No Way Jose! We shared one on this past trip and it was AWESOME! I never thought of adding extra fudge and peanut butter sauce. Definitely next time!

I am sure there were some other things I wanted to comment on, but ..... should of taken notes!

Awwww...thanks for reading! Yeah, it's my understanding the big ships don't dock in Key West because the docks aren't big enough to accomodate them. Crazy, huh? Someday we hope to get to Key West, too. I went there when I was 4 and only remember little bits & pieces of it.

The No Way Jose is my favorite ever! Love it! It's one of the things on my long list of things I hope to find waiting for me in heaven....mmmmmm....

Awesome TR!!

I loved Chandler's reaction while at the drumming station. You guys were all, "Oh he KNOWS what to do...". He's so modest. He's a great dummer!!

Parking at the resorts...so DH and I were talking budget and all and he brought up parking...parking at parks for 6-7 days adds up. I'm sure we'll be breaking rules to get out of paying too. Sorry, everything else is so frickin' expensive, a few corners will be cut.

Crane~ Yes, that think SUCKS! Period.

I love the morning light in your MK pictures, they really turned out pretty!

O.M.G. The Crystal Palace has gotten expensive! Thanks for the heads up! Granted you guys paid for 5 adults right?? We're 3/2 so it shouldn't be too bad...but to be honest I have plans to book some places that are more of a substitution but just as good. I.E. Kona instead of Ohana's, Roaring Fork(no ADR necessary) instead of Whispering Canyon(gotta try the famous waffles Holly raves about!). But yeah, we're trying to do dining smartly because the prices have jacked through the roof

Your new friend Rocky sounded awesome!

Yum, I didn't know The Earl served breakfast sandwiches! *note taken*

Your cute Riley Belle would be a nice welcome home

Lastly, I LOVE your personalized ornaments, they did a beautiful job!!

My dear, I'm sad that your TR is over, but you've got some great trips lined up! I really, really, really hope I can make the cruise!!!

Hey Melly-girl!

Yes, my poor Chandler can be a ham at times but totally doesn't give himself enough credit for his musical ability. On a pre-Christmas Best Buy visit he found the Rock Band II display while Tracey & I shopped. When I went to find him he was playing drums on expert on a harder song...totally owning the song...with probably 30 people gathered around. He finished out the song at like 98% and the audience started applauding and cheering. He turned 6 shades of red! I was so proud!

The parking. Yeah, we would've paid for valet every day of the trip anyway. It kills me how far the self-park is from some of the deluxe resorts! It was a nice little perk to get the valet charges taken off with the TiW. Then on the nights we'd go to dinner & valet the car it just seemed stupid to get the car, move it, park, then go to a park. Ugh! And parking at WDW is expensive so, yeah, it would add up fast! The cheapest I remember it being when I was a kid is like $5, I think.

Kudos to you for smart-dining. The prices are insane! Your CP shouldn't be as bad as ours because we had 5 adults. Tracey gets irritated when I gripe about the money. He says it's Disney, it's expensive, if you're gonna go you just gotta accept that the mouse is gonna bend ya over..... Love the perspective, huh? LOL!

Rocky is the shiz-nit! I hope to see her again before the girls cruise and totally invite her. Or we're gonna hafta spend a couple nights at the Yacht or Beach Club prior to the cruise so we can go hang out with the ever-awesome Rocky!

The Earl serves the most killer breakfast sammiches! You gotta try one!

Riley says thank you for thinking she's cute and she sends sweet puppy-snuggles to you, too!

Future trips. That could be happening sooner than later. **wink*wink**

Such a great trip report Kelly!

Two things from your "final thoughts" section....completely adore your adventure journal!!! And ZOMG regarding that stash of H2o+ products! I'm impressed you got away with that much. I first discovered those when we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge back in '07 and ended up visiting their website after we got home and bought a whole gift set for myself.

I see where you're coming from when you talk about future trips. It's okay to hit the pause button on the Disney Parks magic for a little while. However, Disney Cruise magic is whole other kettle of fish...And hey, if you ever make it to DC you'll be in my neck of the woods

All in all, loved following along with your wonderful report!

We didn't have to hijack a cart at all to score that H2O stash! Every time we'd see the mousekeepers one of the guys would ask for some extras. I had a box in the closet so we'd pick up all the toiletries continually and toss 'em in the box. It was a heavy box at the end of the trip! I've also ordered stuff from the website...including the men's shaving cream stuff. Tracey adores the smell. I'm leaning more towards the H2O Spa stuff now. That body butter smell makes me think of the cruise! LOL!

Future trips....one of these days I'll learn to stop being so absolute. One should never say never. I'm cookin' on a little sumpin-sumpin here pretty quick. The night owls of our family are about to be unleashed on the mouse!

If/when we hit DC, I'll give ya a holler. I soooo wanna see the July 4th fireworks on the National Mall again.

I pulled up their website and with the exception of the Deer Park office, it looks like everything in the Houston area is in or near Park 10. There are a lot of nice neighborhoods over there. Cinco Ranch is usually the one you hear the most about, but there are some other new ones. I had a friend move here for a couple of years for BP and I think they moved to either Cinco or Firethorn. We have an old family friend who works for Conoco Phillips - also near that area- and she commutes in from the part of Katy out near Katy Mills Mall. We used to live in a house not too far from Memorial City mall (Westheimer and Gessner area...i.e. fairly straight shot up Gessner to I-10 or a quick jump to the Belt to I-10.). I know a lot of people who work in Katy go for that area b/c I-10W in the am is better than heading east. Either way, it's all better than coming into Katy from Webster. His commute right now is nearly as bad as ours. It takes me around an hour to get into work and DH usually 75-85min. You can also look at Houston Transtar's live traffic map online to see what rush hour looks like from the different parts of town. Let me know if there's any info you need. Good luck with everything!

Tracey keeps sending me house listings in Cinco Ranch. My only concern is being on that 99 belt with all the construction. He already rages in traffic. If it took him an hour to go that short a distance I believe he'd stroke out behind the wheel. LOL! Maybe I'll have to start driving him to/from work the way I used to take the boys to/from school. Chandler will have his license this year...I can make him do it! LOL! I'll let ya know if I think of any other questions. Thanks for the help! :wave:

I totally understand this. I really look forward to my Disney vacations when they are booked. I can't wait for them to get here and when we go, we always have a great time. The past few times though it seems like something is lacking and I can't put my finger on it. When we first got married in 1995 we went for our honeymoon and then we didn't get back till 2002. Lately, now that our careers are more established, we find ourselves able to go more often. I think that the trips that were were so few and far between were more fun since "absence makes the heart grow fonder" and since it had been so long everything seemed fresher. Does that make sense? We are looking forward to capturing some of that freshness on a Disney cruise in April. We plan on running the Disney marathon in 2013 and hopefully the Disneyland half in Sept 2013 for our coast to coast medal. It will be my first trip to Disneyland since 1993. Hardly saw anything that trip since I was with my parents and it was the week in between Christmas and New Years. Crowds were crazy and my parents didn't want to wait in any lines! I hope I make it there because I really want to see some things that I haven't seen before.

Anyway, great trip report! You have a beautiful family! Loved all your pictures too! Good luck on recapturing some of the Disney magic in your new adventures!

Thanks for not thinking I'm a nut. The boys give me this sad look and say, "Mom, you lost the magic." I don't wanna lose the magic! But like you said, it seems something is missing somehow. Maybe it's like you said. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. We went to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for Christmas and we had a blast. Still, it wasn't Disney. Us Disney freaks are just a saaaad lot, huh? LOL! Not to worry, tho. I'm determined to find that pixie dust again!

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Kelly!!! I've been waiting for this one.

So, let's see, all I've managed to get through so far is the first leg of your trip, which was fabulous! Some comments before I keep on reading:


- Your room at the Wilderness Lodge really appears to be, you know, in the Wilderness. I've never liked first floor rooms (something about not feeling safe, it being darker, I don't know), but your room may have me singing a different tune.

- I'm so happy you enjoyed the portrait session! Not just the quality of pictures afterwards, but the actual act of taking the pictures - that's the fun part! The pictures turned out great - I think my favorites are the solo shots of the guys... they look so grown up! I'm curious to know which ones you end up picking for canvas.

- Ham and cheese at Le Chefs?! Yes, please! I love that sammich!

- Big fan of all the Leave a Legacy photos of the boys growing up. Brett and I did a Leave a Legacy on our very first trip, so I have a soft spot for those.

- All of your "it's so early and peaceful at 7:30 am" pictures crack me up! We're always up at that time and it's my favorite time of day, but seeing it through your eyes has me wondering if I've been taking it for granted recently.

- Three cheers for your strategy at the Animal Kingdom! The conversation before the gates opened was like deja-vu... we always do that.

- Your Expedition Everest pictures are great, especially the on-ride shots!!

- Brett and I went through the same pack vs. leave in the trunk thought process when we were boarding the cruise, too. It takes me back! Oh, how I can't wait to read all about leg 2!!! Especially knowing that you've been completely wooed by the sea.

- Just an aside, like Tammy, we have the Mickey bowls for breakfast cereal and we put them in the dishwasher all the time. I don't know how well the big graphics on the plates would hold up, because all of our dinnerware is solid white. Can you tell we're foodies?! We don't want anything to distract from the deliciousness we put on the plate.

Time to dive back in for more!! Hooray! Thanks, Kelly.

Yes on the WL room location! I had done some "research" on room locations prior to the trip to see if there was anything I wanted to request. I had seen the pond area in pics and thought that must be a serene location. I love first floor rooms because there's like no backtracking when you walk to an elevator, go up, then back to your room. It's a straight shot. I never thought to feel unsafe. I run around checking locks before I go to sleep no matter where I am so I'm ducky from there. That room location seriously rocked. I loved it.

Les Chefs ham & cheese. Yes! Amazing stuff!

I know there's quite a few who have a love-to-hate thing for the LaL walls. I can identify (considering I remember the vast awesomeness of the area before the walls) but then I love them because my babies are there. So is my cousin & his wife from their honeymoon, 2 of my aunts, another cousin & her boys, and a tile for my Grampa: "Kilroy was here forever." I hoped to show from the pics that you don't have to love the walls or their placement to appreciate that they are special to someone. In the end, that's not a bad thing.

Yeah, I look at your up-early photos and they're like part of my driving force for getting moving in the morning when I'm there. I seriously am NOT a morning person. It's just not in me to do mornings. I love the peaceful beauty of that time of day so it's this total love/hate struggle for me. Ugh! Another frustration for a night owl. LOL!

The dishes! Well, I'm glad to know 2 of you use the bowls without issue. Still, I'm not so sure I want to commit to those colors. I'd spend all that money on the Mickey parts dishes but not be satisfied. Ugh! Target just had some really cute melamine Disney dishes for fairly cheap. Didn't buy them because they didn't have a bread/salad plate. Dernnit. Just bowls, plates, and cups. **sigh**

Holey Moley! I'm off the boards for a few days and everybody starts throwing up awesome trip reports.

Great report so far, trying to catch up. Love the professional shots!

Thank you! Hope you had the chance to enjoy the rest.

Thank you for sharing your awesome trip. I thoroughtly enjoyed reading your trip (when I should be working...) and loved how you included all the good and the not so good things about your trip. Especially the part about the Fire and Ice pedicure. Literally, I'm sure your toe was feeling like it was on fire! :lol:
Can't wait to finish reading the rest of your trip.

Thank you for reading. Jerry & Tracey actually said I was too gloomy and/or forthcoming with my negative thoughts. They said I sounded like one of the annoying nit-pickers. I didn't really mean to come off that way. I was trying to be honest, I guess. It's what I thought in the moment. It is what it is.

And YES about my toe! I never did quite get what the "fire" or "ice" was. There was a hot towel wrap. Guess that along with the hacked-up toe was the fire. Then there was a cooling lotion stuff on my legs. Guess that was the ice. I could totally do without anyone rubbing my shins at all. I hate that with a passion.

Hope you enjoyed the rest of the trip!

Whew! All caught up! So many things to comment on, but two things stand out to me most right now:
1) Disney cup cakes- I lovingly refer to them as "Cardboard Cupcakes". The taste, texture, ugh....cardboard is the best way to describe them! I agree that they look so delicious in those bakery windows. I try one every year from Main Street, hoping that the year before I just got one from a bad batch, but they are always the same, one big fat cupcake full of disappointment. And then the icing is just a pretty glob of pure sugar. It reminds me of the consistency of lard or Crisco. However, I was introduced to Starring Roles (or is it Rolls? I don't know, my brain doesn't function well this early in the morning!) a few years ago on these boards and WOW! they know how to make a cupcake! After hearing your reviews I'm not even going to give Main Street a chance on our next trip, I'm heading to Hollywood Studios to find the perfect cupcake!
2) MNSSHP Costumes- AMAZING IDEA! How creative!!!! As you can tell I absolutely loved them, I like the simplicity of them but the point is made clear. They were absolutely hilarious-good job!

Yes! Don't waste your time with Main Street cupcakes. I want to go in there and tell those ladies they ain't foolin' me nooooo more! LOL! I'm going to Starring Roles (Rolls???? I dunno! LOL!) for my cupcake breakfast!

Thanks for the compliments on the MNSSHP costumes. Call me crazy, I'm a fan of tshirt costumes. Tux tshirts, Ghostbusters, you name it. Love 'em. They're fun and easy. They say, "Yes, I'm fun and playing along" but in a cool understated way. I'm a nerd. I know. LOL!

I LOVED your trip report, Kelly!! It was such an honest look at your trip. Love that you posted the good and the bad. First I have a couple of non-disney comments...

We are a homeschooling family also and get a variety of comments when people hear that we homeschool. It works for our family and we wouldn't have it any other way. I loved reading that you guys homeschool too!!!

I also have to comment that my hubby and I have been married 15 big ones and we married young also (I was 20 and he was 22). I think everyone thought we were pregnant too because we got engaged after 3 months...but sometimes it's just meant to be, right!!! Congratulations on 18 years!!!

Ok, now on to my Disney comments...

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED your portrait session! I never even knew something like that existed! The pictures were beautiful. So much prettier than a photo session in a studio somewhere.

Speaking of pictures, I loved the way you did some comparisons of your older pictures with a new ones. It's neat to see how things have or have not changed in a particular location. It's crazy to see how children change in a few short years!!!

Your comments about the little kids were funny and true! My kids are still little (7, 5 & 2) but I think we are pretty mindful of their behavior when we are out. It drives me nuts see kids acting like brats and mom and dad turning a blind eye or thinking the annoying behavior is "cute".

Congrats on the 5K! Love the pics!

Speaking of the cruise, you helped me on my diet while reading your report!
I was eating some yummy chips when I came upon your pedicure story...turned my stomach (even typing this makes me cringe for you). So, I promptly put the chips away. If I lose anything this week...it will be in part because of you...so thanks, I owe you one!

Loved your costumes! I thought they were awesome!

Lastly, I loved your anniversary ornament. It's beautiful!!!

Now I'm gonna move on to your other TR's!!

Thank you for appreciating my honesty in the report. I've been concerned I was too honest and have chased people away. LOL!

Let's hear it for the homeschoolin' families! WootWoot! It rocks! One of my favorite things is how I can incorporate learning into everyday life. I know when I was in school/college my favorite teachers/professors were the ones who explained things or used examples that showed me that what I'm learning wasn't useless and I understood things better if I could visualize a practical application. So that's how I approach stuff with the boys. Last year when Brian was doing stuff with percentages we went to JoAnn's for me to buy fabric and he did percentages figuring sale prices for me all over the store. And at restaurants! He has to tell me the amount to tip! It's the little things in the everyday that add up and make the difference for us. We love it. Wish I'd had the courage to take the plunge sooner!

Well congrats to you, too, on the succesful marriage! Getting married young...well...like you said: sometimes you just know. My grandparents did. So did Tracey's parents, his older sister, and his next younger brother. Nothing wrong with it. And like his brother, Kacey, was saying just a few days ago: we'll be young enough to get out and have a good time once the kids are all gone...and when our grandkids are coming along!

I loved the portraits, too. Loved them! Thank you!

The thing with the little kids. I hoped not to ruffle any feathers with all that. Not the intent in the slightest. It just amazes me how some people let their kids go like they don't even exist. You know the ones. It's insane to me. We were always such sticklers for the little things. Any stray from proper behavior in the public and we were all over it without fail. I just couldn't take it then...and apparently not now either. LOL! We do like kids! I swear! There's been more times than I can count where we were in lines or on the monorail or something and an outgoing child would make an instant best friend with one of the boys or Tracey or even me (although kids seem to like me the least).

Well, glad to have helped on the diet. Wanna help me??? Since we got home I've packed on another 10-12 lbs. Eeek! Gotta get to work on that. If I tried running now I'd be a goner. Oh yeah, and on the subject of the running, Brian's knees are still giving him a lot of problems on and off. I have an appointment with an orthopedic on Friday for him. We'll have to see what's up with that.

Just finished leg #2!!

My beloved Disney Dream. I'm so happy that she treated you well. All of your wonder and amazement that you expressed over the act of cruising in general took me back to my very first cruise. It really is a whole different type of vacation. And the flush of the toilets... that's when you know you're on a ship! :lol: I've been on five different lines, and some things are pretty consistent across the board, and some things are heads and shoulders better on Disney. One thing I will say though, is that DCL is tied for the worst Muster Drill set up I've experienced, especially the way they squish you all in there.

I loved all the comments about the ship's movement - it always seems to be the worst when you're at the front of the ship, and they always seem to place the big theaters as far FWD as possible. It's great fun when you're watching a juggler during a big storm.

The ribbon for you FE gifts looks quite familiar - I bought the same stuff (but with a blue background) for a new camera strap! BTW... you really rocked those gifts!

So yeah, I was totally caught up in your and Brian's race. I'm so proud of that kid of yours - good for him for pushing through. How cool that ya'll got bibs for the race. So official! And I agree with Tracey, the official "we just kicked a 5K's a$$" photo was a must buy.

Your spa experience made me shudder... and, uhh, laugh. :lookaroun I know it wasn't the least bit fun for you, but you put just the right spin on the retelling to really set up the scene and paint the picture.

I'm glad to hear that, even through all the ups and downs, you found cruising to your liking! Now it's time to take Chandler back to Castaway. My heart melted a little bit when I read that he wasn't allowed to debark.


GIRLS CRUISE! Woo - thanks for getting us all set up! We totally need the super gorgeous center table at the Royal Palace for the girls cruise! I remember walking by the same table and drooling over it. Tammy, make it happen! Mkay? Mkay!

Cruising is soooo way different which is part of what draws me to it. It's something new to learn & study. It's exciting. And relaxing. So awesome!

I think Tracey & I are weird. We like the ship movement on the water a lot. When considering the booking we stopped and questioned ourselves because that was like the peak of hurricane season. We live on eggshells for hurricane season every year. It was a total "What are we thinking?!" moment. But then knowing that ships will not stay in port when a storm is coming was all we needed to be okay with it. Why??? Because we figured worst-case we'd be on the ship steaming around in high seas. We had visions of bracing ourselves on our verandah...the ship pitching wildly...wind, rain, & sea spray stinging our faces...and there we would be hanging on for dear life screaming like banshees on God's best thrill ride! We. Are. Insane. Visions of Deadliest Catch seas was all we need to say, "Heck yeah! I'm IN!!!" And if, God forbid, a hurricane come here while we're away...well...we'd have to evacuate anyway. That's what insurance is for. Been there. Done that. Not askeert.

The 5k. I can't say enough how proud I was of my boy. As I said above, Brian is still having problems with his knees. I'm hoping to get to the bottom of that soon. He goes thru spurts with the pain and/or aching. Poor guy. We've got to get to training for September 2012's CC5k!

The spa. You'll not see me in there again! Tracey & I were talking about it just this past weekend. I told him we'd get a massage before leaving home to prep us for the next journey. No more wasting time or money in Senses! I'm glad the retelling put some humor in the whole thing. I'm still so amazed by the whole thing that I can't do anything but laugh. Really. Completely insane!

Yes, Chandler is looking forward to CC next time, too. I think we'll let him plan some of our activities next time around. Okay, well maybe he'll be planning stuff for him & Tracey to do. I'll be busy trying to avoid the dirt! ROFL!

Thanks for reading, Holly! I can't wait for the girls cruise, too! :sohappy: