My Lack-Luster Frozen-Hiney Cabbage-Full January Report-of-Sorts

I've put off the report for quite some time for lotsa reasons/excuses. I know I'll never top the epic I wrote last January so I won't even try. I've started and restarted writing this a bunch of times but for various reasons it won't come out how I want so I give up. Here's the pics with commentary. You'll get the jist.

Here's the pre-trip details for those who missed it or are interested. Just click here.

Jerry, gotta send a special shout-out to you. Thanks for talking with me the other day and doing your big-brother thing. I love you. This is for you.

 

[HollyBelle]

I paid thru the teeth before Christmas to get the Ellie badges that looked like the one in the movie for each of my guys. Tracey, Chandler, & Brian each got an Ellie badge in their stocking on Christmas. They all understood (of course) & I got the biggest hugs-n-kisses!

I LOVE that you got them all Ellie badges.. that's great. I adore that movie. But of course, it turns me into waterworks every time I watch it.

I've always been nervous about cruising because I'm not a beachy girl (sticky water + sand = lotsa ick & half a dozen showers a day) and I'm not a lay around on vacation person. I want to do stuff when we're away from home, not lay around doing nothing. I can do that at home! LOL! In all honesty, I think the type of cruise for me would be like a Mediterranean or Baltic cruise...where the cruising is more the transportation & hotel with the destination being not the beach. However, the Disney Dream can totally get me to take a Caribbean cruise. That ship looks awesome! Castaway Cay, I fear, would be totally lost on me. I haven't swam at the beach in about 15 years. I have a ton of family in Pensacola, Florida. Some of the most beautiful beaches on the planet are available to me whenever with almost zero cost involved but I just don't do it. If I go out there I prefer to go in the winter & walk along the water's edge shell-hunting. I'm not swimming in that no matter how pretty the water is because it'll make me all sticky & the sand will be everywhere. Weird, huh? I know you're an island girl at heart. I saw your signature over at the cruise forum. It got me singing....From under my lone palm I can look out on the daaaaayyy...Where no bird flies by my window...no ship is tied to my tree...Love is a wave building to a crescendo...Ride if you wiiilll...Ride it with meeeeeee.... I know JB. I've been to 2 concerts in my life. Both were his. I was too hammered to remember or appreciate the 1st one but the 2nd was incredible...2nd row on the floor, center, free of charge, and not a drop of alcohol to make me forget.

I understand what you mean about wanting to "do something" while on vacation. I sometimes have trouble with it myself. I think the perfect cruise are the ones that stop in a different port each day.

Your Buffet experiences sound familiar to my own. :lol: I never realized how annoying and chaotic the lawn can be at one of those concerts until I was one of the few somewhat sober people out there on it! From here on out we've decided it'll be worth it to pay for some seats.

Glad to hear the 1/2 was better for ya. You did not run with a cold! No way! I totally can't do that. If I get a cold it's always buckets of gunk running out of my nose. I'd either have to shove corks up my nostrils or be coated in snot. LOL! The biggest question, tho, is do you think y'all will do another of the running events? I'm still hoping to do one before I die. LOL!

Yep... buckets of snot sound about right! I think the fact that it was a cold morning (40 degrees or so) helped keep my head clear. As for doing another one, yeah, I'd like to. Not unless it's at Disney, though!! That's the big draw for me.

 

[WDWFigment]

Jeez it looks cold. Hopefully Chandler had a good time with the new camera. For fireworks, a tripod is an absolute must (as is a remote...which you can get for like $5 or less). Those shots are a good start, though! I see you got him one of the nice 'retro' straps too, that's cool!

Hope you don't mind, but I took the crane out of one of the shots for you. If you have others, let me know. It literally took 10 seconds:

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Jeez it looks cold. Hopefully Chandler had a good time with the new camera. For fireworks, a tripod is an absolute must (as is a remote...which you can get for like $5 or less). Those shots are a good start, though! I see you got him one of the nice 'retro' straps too, that's cool!

Hope you don't mind, but I took the crane out of one of the shots for you. If you have others, let me know. It literally took 10 seconds:

Okay. First of all, you taking the crane out of my picture is probably the single-most sweetest thing anyone has ever or could ever do for me. You brought tears to my eyes. The crane was such a heartbreaker for me. You just have no idea how much it means that someone can help with this. I have Photoshop but have very limited skills with it. I'll go thru my pics to see if there are others that I'd like to have it removed from. I avoided taking a lot of pics with the castle because of it so there aren't many. Thank you a gazillion times over. You're too kind.

Oh yeah! Chandler loves that camera strap! I noticed your various straps then considered the current neoprene offering in the parks. That was a no-brainer. I combed eBay until I found the one I wanted. It was cool when he got it because I had to explain the elastic loops sewn on the back side of it. Ain't it sad? Here's a generation who will never know what it's like to load/unload film cartridges, protect those precious little canisters, etc. I caught him once on the trip taking a picture, looking at it, deleting it, then taking it again. He did it several times. I leaned over to him & quietly said, "Imagine if you took that picture, hoped it worked out, but didn't now how it would look until after you sent that film out to be developed." His eyes got big & he replied, "That would blow!" :lol:

Chandler totally loves his camera! He took so many pics & had so much fun. Yeah, a tripod & remote will be bought before he goes again. We had to help him with composition some because his pics would be of a person but like the neck up with a whole lotta ceiling or something above. We showed him to find his subject then let the other stuff compliment or "hang out" with it. You could see an improvement as the trip went on. Towards the end of the journey there were times he wasn't in the mood to carry the gear. Eh, he's still a kid so it's understandable for him to want to be free to play. He cracks me up how he is with the camera, tho. He can't just put the camera around his neck & throw an extra battery in my bag. Nooooo. If the camera leaves the room it's packed in his Canon backpack with every piece of gear, accessory, etc. he owns. He's so particular! LOL!

I can't thank you enough for your help with the camera deal. He's absolutely loved the thing since the moment he got it Christmas morning. Not only has he captured a lot of memories over the holidays & the vacation, he had the chance to capture a lot of special, once-in-a-lifetime moments for our dearest friends in the days leading up to their daughter's wedding recently. The camera has meant a lot to all of us. So thanks!

 

[WDWFigment]

Okay. First of all, you taking the crane out of my picture is probably the single-most sweetest thing anyone has ever or could ever do for me. You brought tears to my eyes. The crane was such a heartbreaker for me. You just have no idea how much it means that someone can help with this. I have Photoshop but have very limited skills with it. I'll go thru my pics to see if there are others that I'd like to have it removed from. I avoided taking a lot of pics with the castle because of it so there aren't many. Thank you a gazillion times over. You're too kind.

Oh yeah! Chandler loves that camera strap! I noticed your various straps then considered the current neoprene offering in the parks. That was a no-brainer. I combed eBay until I found the one I wanted. It was cool when he got it because I had to explain the elastic loops sewn on the back side of it. Ain't it sad? Here's a generation who will never know what it's like to load/unload film cartridges, protect those precious little canisters, etc. I caught him once on the trip taking a picture, looking at it, deleting it, then taking it again. He did it several times. I leaned over to him & quietly said, "Imagine if you took that picture, hoped it worked out, but didn't now how it would look until after you sent that film out to be developed." His eyes got big & he replied, "That would blow!" :lol:

Chandler totally loves his camera! He took so many pics & had so much fun. Yeah, a tripod & remote will be bought before he goes again. We had to help him with composition some because his pics would be of a person but like the neck up with a whole lotta ceiling or something above. We showed him to find his subject then let the other stuff compliment or "hang out" with it. You could see an improvement as the trip went on. Towards the end of the journey there were times he wasn't in the mood to carry the gear. Eh, he's still a kid so it's understandable for him to want to be free to play. He cracks me up how he is with the camera, tho. He can't just put the camera around his neck & throw an extra battery in my bag. Nooooo. If the camera leaves the room it's packed in his Canon backpack with every piece of gear, accessory, etc. he owns. He's so particular! LOL!

I can't thank you enough for your help with the camera deal. He's absolutely loved the thing since the moment he got it Christmas morning. Not only has he captured a lot of memories over the holidays & the vacation, he had the chance to capture a lot of special, once-in-a-lifetime moments for our dearest friends in the days leading up to their daughter's wedding recently. The camera has meant a lot to all of us. So thanks!

Glad I could help. It really was no big deal at all (the technique I used it really simple against mostly solid surfaces), so definitely let me know if there are others.

Good that you saw an improvement in his photography over the trip. Practice is a huge key, and depending on one's interests, this can be tough (for instance, I am not interested in much photography-related outside of WDW; I picked up my camera for the first time since Christmas this week). I've also found another big thing is looking at the images of others, seeing their settings, and seeing what you like about them compositionally. I like to do this on Flickr (a lot of Disney-oriented groups), but you can also do it with National Geographic, Sports Illustrated--anything that has pictures, really.

I agree with taking everything with you when you go out for a day shooting. Never know what you might leave behind and then need!

 

[NewfieFan]

Awww Sweet, I loved your TR! You stuck with me on mine... so I figured I would return the love and read yours. It was great, though.

I know how you feel about the cold! We didn't have it quite as cold but the first week of March they had the lowest temps they've had in 30 years or something! It was freezing... and this is coming from a thick blooded Newfoundlander. I much prefer my Disney hot! And I know what you mean about the layers and having to take them off when you go inside. (I know it's cold outside but does Disney have to have the heaters on bust inside!?!) Everytime we went inside we just about melted and everytime we went outside we froze! I found myself running from attraction to attraction as well... it just wasn't fun outside! But it did warm up at the end of our trip. (I need to write my next TR now!)

Sorry about the incident too! So sad! I remember reading the thread when it went down!

Anyways, your TR was quite entertaining! Lovely family you have there!

 

[mouselvrmom]

I can't believe that I somehow missed this last March! Anyway I read it now. :lol:

It was fabulous! I loved all your details and fun pictures! Even though you didn't have as much fun as on previous trips, I still loved reading it!

I was actually so into it that I felt cold. My girls went out into the garage for something and my son asked if they went outside. I was like- why would they go outside in the cold? Until I realized it was actually July out and probably hot. :hammer::lol:

Thanks for the immersion into Disney Magic!

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I can't believe that I somehow missed this last March! Anyway I read it now. :lol:

It was fabulous! I loved all your details and fun pictures! Even though you didn't have as much fun as on previous trips, I still loved reading it!

I was actually so into it that I felt cold. My girls went out into the garage for something and my son asked if they went outside. I was like- why would they go outside in the cold? Until I realized it was actually July out and probably hot. :hammer::lol:

Thanks for the immersion into Disney Magic!

Wow! I must have really captured the cold if you felt it in July. :lol: <---I laugh because we're in the upper 90's outside at the moment.

I know people are probably sick to death of hearing me whine & complain about the miserable cold we had the misfortune of experiencing. I'm sure there's probably a group of people pooling their resources to have an intervention and force me to seek therapy to get over it already. I'll be honest, I don't want to go to WDW in January anymore. I guess that could change but for right now I can't fathom being there after December 31st or before February 1st ever again.

The trip as a whole didn't feel as epic as it did in the past but I don't think it's entirely about the cold. Normally when we go on trips we're already planning the next one before we ever leave. This trip was different in that we went into it knowing that within a few months of our return the hubby's project would be ending. The job market has been brutal right along with the economy. We didn't know when/if we'd be going back so it almost felt like we were losing our best friend as we went thru each day. The overall sadness really dampened the whole thing. In that way, we sorta killed the vibe for ourselves.

Lessons learned. Gotta have faith. We had a heckuva spring with the hubby out of work for 2 months (first time in 17 years - :lookaroun) and the smack-down of a lifetime with the middle school. All things happen for a reason...when one door closes another opens...we're where we're supposed to be. Looks like we didn't have to wait too long for that next adventure, either. Counting down to YC...new beginnings...and lounging at da' Bay. :sohappy:

Glad you enjoyed the report. Stay tuned for the next installment in the series.

 

[mouselvrmom]

Wow! I must have really captured the cold if you felt it in July. :lol: <---I laugh because we're in the upper 90's outside at the moment.

I know people are probably sick to death of hearing me whine & complain about the miserable cold we had the misfortune of experiencing. I'm sure there's probably a group of people pooling their resources to have an intervention and force me to seek therapy to get over it already. I'll be honest, I don't want to go to WDW in January anymore. I guess that could change but for right now I can't fathom being there after December 31st or before February 1st ever again.

The trip as a whole didn't feel as epic as it did in the past but I don't think it's entirely about the cold. Normally when we go on trips we're already planning the next one before we ever leave. This trip was different in that we went into it knowing that within a few months of our return the hubby's project would be ending. The job market has been brutal right along with the economy. We didn't know when/if we'd be going back so it almost felt like we were losing our best friend as we went thru each day. The overall sadness really dampened the whole thing. In that way, we sorta killed the vibe for ourselves.

Lessons learned. Gotta have faith. We had a heckuva spring with the hubby out of work for 2 months (first time in 17 years - :lookaroun) and the smack-down of a lifetime with the middle school. All things happen for a reason...when one door closes another opens...we're where we're supposed to be. Looks like we didn't have to wait too long for that next adventure, either. Counting down to YC...new beginnings...and lounging at da' Bay. :sohappy:

Glad you enjoyed the report. Stay tuned for the next installment in the series.

We always used to go in January/ February. Now we've switched to August for school and work reasons. I'm guessing in a month I'm going to be wishing for that blast of arctic air... :lol:

I'm glad things worked out with you for work and everything! I'll be lookins forward to your next installment! :sohappy:

 

[obrienIII]

Hey little sis, headed down @ midnight. Wish you all were joining us, but no, you'd complain about the heat LOL:ROFLOL:. I love you, and I look forward to the YC also! I'll call you after Chef's tomorrow night.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Hey little sis, headed down @ midnight. Wish you all were joining us, but no, you'd complain about the heat LOL:ROFLOL:. I love you, and I look forward to the YC also! I'll call you after Chef's tomorrow night.

Yeah yeah yeah. Rub it in. That's 2 trips for you since I was there last. Ya bum! Y'all have fun. Definitely call when you get done with Les Chefs so I can hear what your thoughts are. I'll be looking for your trip report so you better get Mom to carry a notebook & pen for you. I'd tell you to have her take notes for you but I know how she is. She wouldn't take notes. She'd write a novel for each day. Hhmmm....guess we know where I get it, huh? :hammer: <---it's Mom's fault!!!!

Love y'all! Be safe, have fun, and kiss the girls for me! :kiss:

 

[Kerby626]

Yeah yeah yeah. Rub it in. That's 2 trips for you since I was there last. Ya bum! Y'all have fun. Definitely call when you get done with Les Chefs so I can hear what your thoughts are. I'll be looking for your trip report so you better get Mom to carry a notebook & pen for you. I'd tell you to have her take notes for you but I know how she is. She wouldn't take notes. She'd write a novel for each day. Hhmmm....guess we know where I get it, huh? :hammer: <---it's Mom's fault!!!!

Love y'all! Be safe, have fun, and kiss the girls for me! :kiss:

You both just stink... love ya

 

[sweetpee_1993]

You both just stink... love ya

Wish we could stink you up with us in September! Miss y'all! In all honesty, it is just a little hard to feel sorry for someone who lives as close to a Disney park as y'all do, tho. I'm mostly just jealous! Smooch the dynamic duo for us! :kiss:

 

[disney4life2008]

I was there the same time as you - the pictures do not give the frigid temps justice IT WAS FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so cold in the morning that I wish I had my winter coat (and I am from Chicago). It was freezing every day of my trip - it was TERRIBLE! At night was FREEZING! It was COLD!!

However, Disney did a great job keeping everyone warm and in good spirits! However, I do not think I will go back in January

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I was there the same time as you - the pictures do not give the frigid temps justice IT WAS FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so cold in the morning that I wish I had my winter coat (and I am from Chicago). It was freezing every day of my trip - it was TERRIBLE! At night was FREEZING! It was COLD!!

However, Disney did a great job keeping everyone warm and in good spirits! However, I do not think I will go back in January

Maybe I'm not entirely crazy for thinking this way! I've heard so many people who were there for the bitter cold say that. It was just horrible. Nothing gives justice to what it was to be there for that! You're right! :animwink:

 

[disney4life2008]

Maybe I'm not entirely crazy for thinking this way! I've heard so many people who were there for the bitter cold say that. It was just horrible. Nothing gives justice to what it was to be there for that! You're right! :animwink:

I had went in also in Jan 09 and it was cold but not that bad. This year, it was really bad. I had just come off of a cruise from the caribbean in FLL - when we arrived back to Florida it was 20 DEGREES!!!! Everyone had on flip flops and shorts - they did not tell us it was frigid! When I arrived in Orlando, it was 35 degrees! My trip was so bad, I stayed in the room most of the time because it was too cold to go out and enjoy the attractions and entertainment. Just my luck though, the day before I left it got as high as 70 and the following week it was 70/80. Ah well.

Like I said, I doubt, I will be going back in January but you just cant beat the crowds (non existant). So I just may..

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I had went in also in Jan 09 and it was cold but not that bad. This year, it was really bad. I had just come off of a cruise from the caribbean in FLL - when we arrived back to Florida it was 20 DEGREES!!!! Everyone had on flip flops and shorts - they did not tell us it was frigid! When I arrived in Orlando, it was 35 degrees! My trip was so bad, I stayed in the room most of the time because it was too cold to go out and enjoy the attractions and entertainment. Just my luck though, the day before I left it got as high as 70 and the following week it was 70/80. Ah well.

Like I said, I doubt, I will be going back in January but you just cant beat the crowds (non existant). So I just may..

Oh wow! You weren't prepared for the cold! That would be worse than our experience by far. In the days leading up to our departure I was reading where people were returning and talking about the cold so I did a last minute run to the sporting goods store for long under layers, gloves, knit caps, etc. The first day before our luggage made it to us it was pretty brutal on the DH & his folks even after going to DTD & spending a small fortune on warm layers.

I know! Logic says that chances are this won't happen again and the crowds are light so it's still a good time to go. But the part of the brain that still holds onto the frigid memories argues...a LOT! :lol:

 

[disney4life2008]

Oh wow! You weren't prepared for the cold! That would be worse than our experience by far. In the days leading up to our departure I was reading where people were returning and talking about the cold so I did a last minute run to the sporting goods store for long under layers, gloves, knit caps, etc. The first day before our luggage made it to us it was pretty brutal on the DH & his folks even after going to DTD & spending a small fortune on warm layers.

I know! Logic says that chances are this won't happen again and the crowds are light so it's still a good time to go. But the part of the brain that still holds onto the frigid memories argues...a LOT! gear

Actually, I had just came off from a 7 day cruise so I had to pack clothes for warm and cold weather. So I was prepared with cold gear but what had still was not enough.

I am elated to be going back in 3 weeks thouh!!

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Actually, I had just came off from a 7 day cruise so I had to pack clothes for warm and cold weather. So I was prepared with cold gear but what had still was not enough.

I am elated to be going back in 3 weeks thouh!!

Yeah! We're going in September. Extreme cold to extreme hot. I guess we'll see which is worse. :lol: YOu're gonna write a report, right???

 

[disney4life2008]

Yeah! We're going in September. Extreme cold to extreme hot. I guess we'll see which is worse. :lol: YOu're gonna write a report, right???

Im sure I will :ROFLOL:

 

[invictor23]

Awesome trip report, thanks for sharing the pictures are awesome and it looks like you had an amazing time!