The Year of Disney - A 2018 PTR. Updated 10/12x4!

Day 5, Saturday, January 6, 2018

Before I start Day 5, I thought I would share a few pictures from this weekend. It started snowing Friday morning and it didn't stop until Saturday morning. We ended up with a total of 9 1/2 inches at our house. This is unheard of in Georgia! I think the last time they got this much snow was back in 1993 when they had a blizzard come through. They didn't cancel schools or my work on Friday (one of the advantages of working for Government, they actually cancel work when the weather gets bad) but they did send us home at noon. That was NOT a fun ride as the roads were pretty bad by then. Luckily it warmed up Saturday and Sunday and even though there's still a lot of snow on the ground today, the roads were fine coming to work this morning. So here's some pictures of our snow weekend in GA!



In this next one, Jim had already shoveled the deck but he left a small section on the railing so we could measure how much we got.



The snow was super heavy and you can see all of the branches down in our back yard in this next one. We were lucky and had no damage other than one spot where the fence was bent. One of my coworkers wasn't so lucky. A tree fell on her car (empty thank goodness) and totaled it.



Jim managed to get our snowblower, left over from our days living up north, working and did our driveway and our neighbors.



Sierra and Remy hated the snow but Buddy and Ellie had a blast playing in it. Ellie never stops moving so this was the best picture I could get of them out in it.



And one last thing, not related to the snow or Day 5 of our trip. Our Magic Bands came! Just 22 days to go till we leave for Disney!



Alrighty then, moving on to Day 5.

I want to be up and out the door by 6:30 am at the latest on this morning. We will be braving 8 am morning EMH/Saturday crowds at AK. Luckily Jim is an early bird and is usually up by 5 am even on the weekends. He will have no trouble being ready, I will be the one struggling. My outfit for the day will be Lion King.




We might be early enough that I can try again to get a similar shot to this one that isn’t so blurry.



Hopefully it won’t be quite as cold as it was when we were there in January 2016.



We will be joining the mad dash to ride Flights of Passage as soon as the park opens. We do have a FP for later in the afternoon but I really want to try to get in two rides so the closer to the front of the crowd we can get the better. I am slightly nervous about how I will react to FOP with my motion sickness issues. I will probably try the first time without my sea bands but I will definitely bring them with me to the park in case I need them for the 2nd ride.

After FOP we will get in line for Na’vi River Journey so we can experience that ride also.

I budgeted the entire morning to experience Pandora so we will check out the store and the rest of the area after the two rides. I really want to try a Mo’ara Margarita but I might save that for later in the afternoon. I’m not sure I can handle alcohol that early in the morning.

If by some miracle, we finish up Pandora earlier than expected, we might try to catch the 10 am Festival of the Lion King.




Once way or the other, we will need to make our way to Africa for our 11:30 am Tusker House ROL package.



This will be Jim’s first time at Tusker House, he really didn’t have a choice here because I wanted to get the ROL package and Tiffin’s is way, way too adventurous for either of us. I do think he will like it as there’s a good variety of foods and of course, Donald.

If we didn’t catch FOLK before lunch, we will definitely do so afterwards. Jim and I are quick eaters so we should have ample time before our first FP+ at 2:15 pm. I want to stay in this area so I may drag him to see my Meerkats.




Or we may even take the train back to the Conservation Station. I’m sure I can con Jim into going out there if I tell him he can meet Rafiki.

Our three FPs for the afternoon are the Safari from 2:15 – 3:15 pm




FOP from 3:25 – 4:25 pm (no pictures here yet),

And Expedition Everest from 4:25 – 5:25 pm.




In between the FPs, I hope to fill the time with Character greets, definitely Timon and possibly Pocahontas as Jim hasn’t meet either one. Of course it will depend on lines.

I would also love to get a ride in on Dinosaur and might try for a 4th FP if lines are long.




I’m also going to drag Jim down the Maharajah Jungle Trek in search of the baby tigers. They are supposed to go on display sometime after the first of the year.



Sometime in there we might get hungry again and our favorite of course is Flame Tree.



I would love to try Satu’li Canteen but I’m afraid the menu is too weird for either of us.

Right now our ROL package is for the 6:30 pm show but there is a second one at 7:45 pm that night. I want to spend some night time hours in Pandora so I may ask if we could switch to the 7:45 pm show. I think that would be better than trying to fight the crowds after the 6:30 show to make it back to Pandora. I’m not even sure if it’s possible to switch shows but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

As of right now, the park is closing at 8 pm. Considering this is Jim’s less favorite park and I’m making him spend 12 hours there, I’m sure he will be dragging me out of the park after ROL.

Up Next: Day 6, Sunday, January 7, 2018
 
Wow so much snow! It looks pretty but I know that it is just such a pain to have! Good thing you guys have a snowblower!

FoP is so awesome, I think it's a good idea to try and ride it twice. Hopefully your motion sickness doesn't give you a problem.

Your plans sound great! I will say, if for some reason you aren't able to attend the 2nd RoL show, you shouldn't have too much trouble heading to Pandora after the 1st show. This is what we did on our recent trip and it worked out well for us. There is some heavy bottleneck getting passed DinoLand and to the Tree of Life, but once you get there it's pretty easy to make it over to Pandora!
 
We got snow in Wisconsin as well but we are used to it here.

FoP is just awesome. It is really smooth too.

Plans look great. Tusker House is always good. We are doing Tiffins. I am not adventurous by any means. I got the beef when I was there and it was amazing.
 
Thanks! I'm hoping it's not too cold on race morning so that I don't have to mess up the costume by having to wear stuff underneath.

I'm a little worried about the waiting around before the race. I'm sure I'll be freezing, but I can't layer up too much because the moment I start running I am so super hot that I would be miserable! I actually got one of those aluminum foil looking blankets after running the Polar Dash in January, which I never used, so I'm bringing it along to hopefully keep me warm if need be while we're waiting to start!

In between the FPs, I hope to fill the time with Character greets, definitely Timon and possibly Pocahontas as Jim hasn’t meet either one. Of course it will depend on lines.

I have never been able to meet either of those!! I'm hoping to get them this trip, along with Flik, who we saw last year but it was SO crowded we couldn't even get across the path to TRY to meet him!
 


9.5 inches??? YIKES!!! :eek: I live in Iowa and that's a LOT of snow for here... But in Georgia, goodness!!!! That's unheard of!!!

I get motion sickness on Star Tours and take Bonine to prevent it... I didn't take Bonine for FOP and I wish I did!!! I spent half of the ride with my eyes shut... The only thing that saved me is the fan blowing on my face to make it feel like I'm flying... That fan saved me from having a code V!!! :sick:
 
I have never thought about taking something when going on these rides. I just avoid them. I might have to try it the next time. I even have an issue on Soarin but I am ok if I am in the front row and can see above the screen.
 
We ended up with a total of 9 1/2 inches at our house.
:scared1: I'm in NY and all we've had so far is a dusting!

Our Magic Bands came! Just 22 days to go till we leave for Disney!
YAY!!!!!!

I am slightly nervous about how I will react to FOP with my motion sickness issues.
I didn't have any issues on FoP, although I had my trusty Scopolamine. I'm not sure I'm going to "waste" more patches for my upcoming trip though - they're so expensive and this trip will be FAR more tame with my niece and nephew :laughing:

IMG_4326_zpsc4884f61.jpg
This is SUCH a great picture!!! :goodvibes
 


Waivers are out! Corral placements are next!

Thank you Ryan! I have no clue what I'm doing and didn't know about the waivers so I'm really glad you are helping me along.

I got all excited when I read this! But, then I went looking for waivers and couldn't figure out where to even find them!? Can you help, Ryan! :)

Jackie, I found the link on the Marathon 2018 thread. Here it is! https://www.trackshackresults.com/disneysports/waivers/wavr18wdw/verify.php

I got a bib in the 70,000s which leads me to believe I'll be in the way back. LOL.
 
You're the smartest!! I was actually trying to navigate the runDisney website.....and going in circles LOL!!

Now I have them printed...and I have something new to be nervous about. My waiver says Jackie, but my ID says Jacqueline.....do you think that will be an issue. Gulp.
 
You're the smartest!! I was actually trying to navigate the runDisney website.....and going in circles LOL!!

Now I have them printed...and I have something new to be nervous about. My waiver says Jackie, but my ID says Jacqueline.....do you think that will be an issue. Gulp.
That shouldn't be an issue but it really depends on the volunteer you encounter. Some are very hard-nosed stick to the rules people. Most should okay it though.
 
Ok, I usually chime in on your TRs but I didn't know you had this PTR going. I'm glad it popped up when I clicked "new posts", b/c I knew we were overlapping a bit in a couple weeks!

Looks like you'll be at Epcot and we'll be at AK on the one main overlap day - we leave on 1/3 :sad:

I liked reading about your running journey! I started running about three years ago and did some 5ks with the ultimate goal of running the Princess half...but then we bought our house and it conflicted with being able to make it to the race. Without that goal in front of me I let life get in the way too much and I haven't put on my running shoes in over a year. I always say I"m going to get back at it but what little free time I have is spent doing as little as humanly possible b/c I'm always so exhausted. I need to be better about setting boundaries with all of my school responsibilities and make myself take the time to get back out there.

Looking forward to hearing about your other trips as they come along...my next trip is my last on my AP and I'll need to live vicariously, lol!!
 
Wow so much snow! It looks pretty but I know that it is just such a pain to have! Good thing you guys have a snowblower!

FoP is so awesome, I think it's a good idea to try and ride it twice. Hopefully your motion sickness doesn't give you a problem.

Your plans sound great! I will say, if for some reason you aren't able to attend the 2nd RoL show, you shouldn't have too much trouble heading to Pandora after the 1st show. This is what we did on our recent trip and it worked out well for us. There is some heavy bottleneck getting passed DinoLand and to the Tree of Life, but once you get there it's pretty easy to make it over to Pandora!

I was a lot of snow! There's even still some patches here and there today and it's been in the 50s most of the week.

I've read a lot of mixed reviews about motion sickness which has me worried. It really is an individual thing, rides that don't bother me affect other people and ones that do bother me, others can ride with no problem. I guess I will find out when I get there!

I definitely plan on heading back to Pandora after ROL if we can't switch shows. I'm sure we will be fine handling the crowds but if I can switch then may not have to.


We got snow in Wisconsin as well but we are used to it here.

FoP is just awesome. It is really smooth too.

Plans look great. Tusker House is always good. We are doing Tiffins. I am not adventurous by any means. I got the beef when I was there and it was amazing.

And I grew up in PA where snow was a normal thing but it's really different down here. We lived in Erie PA for a few years and I'm guessing that small town has more snowplows than Atlanta and the entire surrounding area. Plus no one who grew up down here knows how to drive in it which makes things even crazier!

I do hope I'm fine on FOP but I have read where some people have been affected. We shall see in just a few short weeks!

I do wish I wasn't so picky and could try Tiffin's. I would probably eat the beef but none of the sides.


I'm a little worried about the waiting around before the race. I'm sure I'll be freezing, but I can't layer up too much because the moment I start running I am so super hot that I would be miserable! I actually got one of those aluminum foil looking blankets after running the Polar Dash in January, which I never used, so I'm bringing it along to hopefully keep me warm if need be while we're waiting to start!

I have never been able to meet either of those!! I'm hoping to get them this trip, along with Flik, who we saw last year but it was SO crowded we couldn't even get across the path to TRY to meet him!

I have a "throw away" hoodie packed. It's one that I found in the back of my closet that I haven't worn in probably 5 years. The zipper sticks on it so I don't mind leaving it behind at the start of the race especially since Disney donates them to charity. I was worried about my legs but then I found a pair of old school 80s windbreaker style pants that I used to wear when I played soccer. They are very "MC Hammer" style if you know what I mean. I had no idea I even still had them but I was cleaning out drawers during the snow days and found them. I also do have one of those aluminum foil blankets from Walmart but I don't know if I will bring it or not. I'm just crossing my fingers that it will be warm enough to not have to worry but not too warm to make it uncomfortable running.

We did get Flik last time, he was fun and tried to steal my Lion King bag. I've actually met Timon and Pocahontas myself but Jim hasn't and you know how he is with characters!


9.5 inches??? YIKES!!! :eek: I live in Iowa and that's a LOT of snow for here... But in Georgia, goodness!!!! That's unheard of!!!

I get motion sickness on Star Tours and take Bonine to prevent it... I didn't take Bonine for FOP and I wish I did!!! I spent half of the ride with my eyes shut... The only thing that saved me is the fan blowing on my face to make it feel like I'm flying... That fan saved me from having a code V!!! :sick:

It was pretty crazy with the snow for a few days! I'm used to it being from PA but most natives down here don't know what to do!

I do take Bonine every day when I'm in Disney. I find it works well for most rides one time but it does have it's limits. EE or TOT twice in a row is not a good idea.


I have never thought about taking something when going on these rides. I just avoid them. I might have to try it the next time. I even have an issue on Soarin but I am ok if I am in the front row and can see above the screen.

I use Bonine but there are different products out there. Bonine works to a degree but I can't ride a lot of rides that make me sick back to back.

:scared1: I'm in NY and all we've had so far is a dusting!
YAY!!!!!!
I didn't have any issues on FoP, although I had my trusty Scopolamine. I'm not sure I'm going to "waste" more patches for my upcoming trip though - they're so expensive and this trip will be FAR more tame with my niece and nephew :laughing:
This is SUCH a great picture!!! :goodvibes

That snow was crazy! It's almost completely gone and with this week being in the 60s, the last remnants should very quickly.

I use Bonine which seems to work well for me to an extent. I haven't thought about getting a prescription. I'm guessing my February trip with all my cousin's kids will be pretty tame too! Unless they drag me on the Tea Cups.
:sick:

Everyone has a number in the 70000s for the 5K. Dopey's like myself have numbers in the 20000s.

Ah, OK. I'm still pretty sure I will be in F based on the time I put in. I ran a full 5K on the treadmill this weekend and I averaged 14:33 a mile which is pretty good for me.

You're the smartest!! I was actually trying to navigate the runDisney website.....and going in circles LOL!!

Now I have them printed...and I have something new to be nervous about. My waiver says Jackie, but my ID says Jacqueline.....do you think that will be an issue. Gulp.

Nah, I just read a lot. The Marathon 2018 thread has been awesome on here although I have a hard time keeping up, it's a super active thread.

I read that the mama and cubs were out today. So, I am hoping you do get to see them.

I saw a video posted on Facebook! I can't wait to hopefully get to see them in a few weeks.

Ok, I usually chime in on your TRs but I didn't know you had this PTR going. I'm glad it popped up when I clicked "new posts", b/c I knew we were overlapping a bit in a couple weeks!

Looks like you'll be at Epcot and we'll be at AK on the one main overlap day - we leave on 1/3 :sad:

I liked reading about your running journey! I started running about three years ago and did some 5ks with the ultimate goal of running the Princess half...but then we bought our house and it conflicted with being able to make it to the race. Without that goal in front of me I let life get in the way too much and I haven't put on my running shoes in over a year. I always say I"m going to get back at it but what little free time I have is spent doing as little as humanly possible b/c I'm always so exhausted. I need to be better about setting boundaries with all of my school responsibilities and make myself take the time to get back out there.

Looking forward to hearing about your other trips as they come along...my next trip is my last on my AP and I'll need to live vicariously, lol!!


Bummer! Too bad we won't be somewhere we can meet up. What resort are you staying at?

I'm not sure if I will ever be able to handle more than a 5K. I want to do more but my body just doesn't cooperate. :rotfl:I bet if you did get back into running, you would feel less exhausted. Running always helps me to feel more awake.
 
Day 6, Sunday, January 7, 2018

OK, folks, this is the last update for the January trip, 15 days to go! I am hoping to get an update or two done for the February trip since it's so close to the January one but it's going to be very tough. Between the holidays and two big work projects I have to get done before vacation, I'm not sure when I will have time. If I don't get back here, I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

On Sunday, we will be heading to my favorite park, Magic Kingdom!



I know I have better pictures of the castle than that one but Photobucket is being a pain. Speaking of which, I really need to figure out one of the new photo sites so I can use if for my future TRs. I was lazy and stuck with Photobucket for this PTR since all my photos are already uploaded.

I will be sporting my Big Al bag again with a different County Bears shirt.





I will have to keep a close eye on Jim during the day. He tends to get grumpy at MK because of the crowds. Hopefully it will be a cool day because heat usually just adds to his agitation. Plus I’m making him do something on this day that I know he’s going to hate. I’m not sure that I made the best decision putting his two favorite parks (HS & Epcot) at the beginning of the trip and his two least favorite (AK & MK) at the end.

We will start our morning either in Tomorrowland or Fantasyland. I am debating about heading up to ride Peter Pan first but it’s honestly not a must do for me. It will probably depend on Jim’s mood and also how my legs and feet are feeling at that point. It will also depend on what time this guy’s first set is. Gaston is a must do for Jim.




Our first FP of the day is for Space Mountain from 9:50 – 10:50 am but I want to use it towards the end so it coordinates with our second FP.



Maybe we will catch Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor beforehand.



Or maybe the TTA.



As you can tell, I’m kind of leaving this day up in the air a bit so I can gauge Jim’s mood all day and react accordingly.

Our second FP+ is for Buzz Lightyear from 10:50 – 11:50 am. I’m debating about sharing some of my secrets for getting a good score with Jim but we shall see. I was going to on our last trip but then he taunted me when he beat me on TSM so I didn’t share. We are somewhat competitive, OK a lot competitive!




After we finish with Buzz, we will probably have to make our way towards Fantasyland for our 11:45 am lunch ADR at BOG. I’ve already preordered for us and I got my usual Turkey Sandwich and fries.



And Jim ordered the Roast Beef sandwich with green beans that he always gets.



There are two cupcakes in this next picture but I was the only one that ordered one for this trip. I think Jim is kind of relieved he doesn’t have to have dessert with every meal but the chocolate one is a must do for me.



If we haven’t met Gaston yet, I will be sure to track him down after lunch.

Our third FP is for 7DMT from 1:15 – 2:15 pm. I plan on looking for additional FPs as soon as we scan our bands in the 7DMT line.




The rest of the afternoon will be spent on shows like the Country Bears and Carousel of Progress.





And also on rides that we can get additional FPs for like Little Mermaid and Dumbo.





I’ve already warned Jim that his favorite show of all will probably not be open. What show is that you say? Why, Hall of Presidents of course, isn’t that everyone’s favorite? I did read some rumors that it might open before the end of the year but I figured it would be better to prepare him now in case it doesn’t. Better for him to be pleasantly surprised rather than bitterly disappointed.

The Muppet Show in Liberty square just might help to make up for the loss of HOP since Jim likes the Muppets. I have yet to stop for this show so hopefully we can fit it in.

I don’t know at this point what we will do for dinner if anything. I know I will want something but Jim might just want a snack.

Now we get to the part that Jim is going to hate. This will be my first time seeing HEA. As many of you know, Wishes was near and dear to my heart. I mean, come on, I made a last minute trip in March just to see it one last time. I didn’t want my first viewing of HEA to be squished in among the crowds so I decided to book the dessert party with the Garden Plaza view for this night.


I can’t wait for the Oreo bon bons and chocolate cupcakes and I’m excited to try the new chocolate macaroons.



Jim on the other hand is going to be miserable. He is not a fan of desserts and he really despises firework shows. So I’m sure I will be hearing a lot of complaints from him. But it will be worth it to have this view of the show without being crowded.



HEA is at 8 pm which is also the closing time of MK as of right now. I’m really hoping Disney will extend the hours and we might get a few more things in. But it might be better if they don’t as we have a very early morning the next day.

I know I will drag my feet as much as possible on the way out, maybe do some shopping and definitely grab some fudge to take home from the Confectionary.

When we get back to the room it will be time to pack our bags and grab a few hours of sleep. Our flight is at 10:30 am the next morning and with the DME new policy of 4 hours before your flight, they will be picking us up at 6:30 am. This means I won’t even be able to get one last plate of Mickey waffles.

And that is the end of the January trip, time to move on to the plans for the February one!

Up Next, Day 1, February 2nd, 2018
 
2 more weeks, so close! Your final day sounds nice. Hopefully Jim doesn't grumble about it too much ;)

Have a wonderful Christmas if you don't make it back on here! :)
 
Hi Ariana! :wave2: Just joining in! Sounds like a great first trip! I will be there a few days after you leave so I'll be interested in hearing how everything went when you get back! Our countdown is 26 days!

Good luck on your first Disney 5k! I've been thinking about getting back into training so that I could do one too. I've run on 5K at home years ago and it was a good experience, so I should do it again.

Can't wait to hear about your February trip with mom too! So fun!
 

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