2012? No Problem...but when?

[DMGeurts]

LIttle Mia is so cute! I love that picture of her!

Happy to have you home... Curious to see if Miss B decides to go on the cruise with you all or not???

D~

 

[NiniMorris]

LIttle Mia is so cute! I love that picture of her!

Happy to have you home... Curious to see if Miss B decides to go on the cruise with you all or not???

D~

Great to be home...except for the freezing part! LOL!

That is one of my all time favorite pictures of her! I thought that was from her photo shoot, but was corrected last night. That is one her Mommy took on the spur of the moment. She has her photo shoot this weekend. I can't wait to see the results!

Her Mommy's best friend is a professional photographer, and loves taking pictures of Mia. Courtnay is building her portfolio with a willing candidate! Mia now hears the clicking of a camera and will stop crying to smile!

Yesterday Miss B decided that a cruise would not be all that bad after al and has agreed to go. I was hoping that going back to school to confer with her 'friends' would change her mind. So we are all booked! Disney Dream for 4 days in October followed by Animal Kingdom Lodge for 4 days. Of course, we will probably spend my actual birthday driving home! (Unless free dining is offered and I 'have' to add a day to get it...the shame and horror of having to add a day to Disney!)


=================================
OK...

Mini trip report starting now.

The trip down was uneventful. Stopped for breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Ocala and spent about $20 less than we had planned on...every one was anxious to get to Disney and no one was really hungry!

Arrived in Disney at about the exact second I expected to! Wheelchair was waiting on us...went to online check in desk...and that is when the magic was lost! My Magic Bands would not link to the reservation. My son and daughter in law had zero problems...and were invited to join a survey that earned then a $25 gift card. I stood at the counter and waited, and waited and waited....about 30 minutes later the CM visited her manager to see what was going on. So I waited some more. Another 30 minutes and she came back...she got the issue fixed and after another 15 minutes or so, we were checked in!!! (I have used online check in since it was first available. I have NEVER had an issue! It was not the online check in...it was the Magic Bands that caused the issue) They gave us KTTW cards as well...because they said we were to keep them with us and use them as a back up..in 'emergency situations'. My son and daughter in law were NOT issued KTTW...but they did ask for them so were issued one for my DIL.

After a quick unpack (less than 15 to 20 minutes) we grabbed the Grand Princess and headed to Animal Kingdom. Her Mommy and Daddy were going to Epcot and their first scheduled date night.

We were traveling with one wheelchair and one stroller as wheelchair...and I needed to get a GAC/DAS for Mr D. I knew our first stop would be the Guest Relations window. I just did not know the exact details of what was to come!

My Magic Band did not work! It kept denying me entrance! The error message was something like "This person is a criminal trying to get in on expired tickets...hold her up as long as you can!" I was escorted to Guest Relations. After almost THREE Hours!!!! Yes, THREE hours!!! They 'fixed' my problem by issuing me a NEW Magic Band. Somehow the tickets from our trip in 2009 was showing up on my MB. They were indeed expired. They were even able to tell me exactly WHEN thy last day on the ticket was used...Sept 25, 2009! They could not understand why I was trying to use old tickets when the tickets I purchased were so much MORE expensive!

Hello...... I was not "trying" to use old tickets...I was trying to use the tickets on my package...it took them about 30 minutes before they realized I was not a criminal...that THEIR system was wrong! Once their attitude changed towards me it went smoother...but still took forever. Several managers had to get involved... Several CMs got involved. It seemed that everyone wanted to be the person that 'fixed' the problem...but all they did was make it worse!

Now, you have to remember that Mr D is not good at waiting. He was standing there with me...because I was going to get his DAS at the same time. He was screaming...having a ginormous melt down at this point...while Dad and the girls were sitting on a wall waiting...and waiting...and waiting...

After they screwed it up so bad that there was no way it would ever work...they issued me a new band. As well as a DAS...without asking me any questions. All was 'fixed' and we were ready to travel...by the way...at this point we had already missed TWO of our FP+ windows! They did give me two FP for these two attractions with an open end...they were good for the entire day...although by this time it was close to 4... there were zero crowds and FP was not needed.

They managed to ride EE twice; Dinosaur twice; the Safari twice; TriCera Tpos Spin once....had lunch (yes....we had not had lunch during this whole ordeal) at Yak N Yeti...and they rode EE in the dark a total of three more times. We also managed to keep our one FP+ for Lion King.

Other things that made this an unmagical start...I could not use my band to use the dining plan...or to charge to my room...and the one FP+ would not work! Once we got to the room...my band would not open the door to the room! So, basically all it would do was get me in the park!!!


I went to the Concierge desk once we got back to the room and they added the room info to my band so it would open my door.

Things I learned while waiting at AK for my band... Disney had originally planned on using the bands mainly for marketing. A way to keep tabs on all the information that is already stored in their computers. It would hold ALL the information they have on you in that band for a period of 2 years. They would tailor your special offers based on your spending habits and where you stay. This was shelved when they realized they had so much problems with the system. Starting with Thanksgiving, they were running tests on people that were the lead guest (the person whose name the reservation was on) on people that had multiple visits.

Somehow the information was corrupted as it was moved to my band. Instead of showing the CURRENT trip as being active, it was showing all my past trips as being active! Their first solution was to delete the 2009 trip from the band...which created a whole new issue...and a cascading complete failure of my band. (that is actually what I over heard the IT manager tell my original CM)

UNFORTUNATELY, as the week went on, we found out that the problems were just beginning on MY band!

Sunday, we went to church, and then headed over to Epcot. My band worked for me to get in! I was happy...until I tried to buy lunch...CS credits would not work. First FP+...not working...second FP+...not working...third FP+ not working... Dinner at Coral Reef...worked! Trying to purchase something at the gift shop outside the seas...not working!

Luckily we were all wearing matching shirts...so it was pretty easy for the CMs to tell we were together. Hopwever... there were people that were treated like criminals when their FP+ would not work...they had to pull up the info on their phones and hold up the line before the CM would let them on the ride.

Monday morning I went back to Concierge...they said everything was showing as linked...all my FP+ were showing...charging privileges were showing... CS credits were showing...and they printed out about 10 pages to prove it...and suggested I keep that print out with me!!!


I am not going to go into the fact that the whole marketing ploy of the MBs were supposed to be you don't need to carry anything in... I am just going to say that I was not about to carry all that paper in with me!

Besides...the CMs would NOT take that print out as proof....


Monday at DHS I was able to get in the park...my FP+ did not work; I was able to charge to the room, but still could not purchase any CS dining credits...

This ends my first installment on my mini trip report. The bottom line is that my MB did allow me to get in the parks from that moment on....not a single FP+ worked...until our last day there. I was never able to use CS dining credits, but had no problems using the TS credits and charging the tips to the room. Buying things at the gift shops was sort of hit or miss. I had to carry my credit card with me... It worked to get in the room....but not to open the gates to get in the resort!

I truly believe the only reason the FP+ worked on my last day was because I sent a really nasty email to corporate Disney...explaining the amount of time I spent dealing with FP+ issues, MB issues...I sent the email on Saturday morning...Sunday my FP+ worked. My rough estimates of how much time I wasted equaled at least 8 hours over the whole trip...with over 4 hours on the first day...we arrived at 11:30 and left the park at 7 .... you do the math!


I cannot promise the next installment will be less angry...I will not detail any more issues with the Magic Bands... but I will give a brief description of my experience with the DAS as well as my issues with the Christmas Party...HOWEVER...I want to leave this on a good note...so the very last installment will be about all the things that worked right and all the FUN we had!


Nini

 

[babynala]

I will start with the Disney stuff.

I am so bummed that you spent so much time getting your MB to work (??? or should I say not work). I can't imagine how frustrated your gang was. Poor Mr. D

I have to say that I agree with your post from yesterday. We had a similar experience in Oct. We had a great trip but it was just not as magical as past trips. We had a few issues with our MBs, getting into our room, FP+ use, etc. My mom noted that she felt the CMs were so busy with the Disney Experience nonsense and were probably tired from all the extra abuse they were getting that they weren't free to really show the love like they usually do. That being said - we never ran into a CM that wasn't happy or helpful. It just didn't seem as magical for us. Looking back I can attest that it was hotter and way more crowded then we were expecting. Those factors along with having to navigate the parks with the FP+ system probably contributed to our feelings of the trip being "less magical" then past trips.

Plus, on two different days they didn't open the gates to the parks until exactly 9 am which of course caused huge crowds trying to get into the park, super long stand by lines at the headliners and paper FPs for the best rides to be gone before 10:00 am. I think this lead to less then happy park goers and that really put a damper on our day.

SORRY, didn't mean to be a downer.

Now for the good stuff. I can't believe you already have your Oct trip and cruise already reserved. You must have a great TA. I'm so excited for you guys. A cruise and AKL!!!! I'm glad Miss B has changed her mind. Looking forward to hearing all about the planning.....

Now that Miss Mia. I was going to comment that the quality of that photo was very good but I couldn't get past how adorable that little girl is. But this comment just cracks me up: "Mia now hears the clicking of a camera and will stop crying to smile!" Love it!

 

[DMGeurts]

I did read yesterday - but I didn't have time to respond before Josh kicked me off the computer. :/

I am so bummed about your MB experience... I wish it was something that could be "opted out" of. It seems like it would be awesome if it worked - but trip wrecker worthy if it didn't. And to top it off - to be treated like a criminal by CMs because it didn't work - that isn't fair either... Especially when you were with a HUGE party that was clearly together. It makes me so sad for you. ANd I am so sad that it made your trip less magical.

I am happy to hear that you booked another trip though - and how awesome that it will be a cruise AND AKL!!! Fantastic!!!! Some day, I hope to do both - if I could just drag us away from FQ. LOL

LOL about Mia and the camera noises - Alli was the EXACT same way as a baby... So, don't be surprised if you have an aspiring photographer on your hands in a few years. She is just so precious and I loved her little outfit.

I hope the rest of your trip gets a little more magical.

D~

 

[NiniMorris]

I will start with the Disney stuff.

I am so bummed that you spent so much time getting your MB to work (??? or should I say not work). I can't imagine how frustrated your gang was. Poor Mr. D

I have to say that I agree with your post from yesterday. We had a similar experience in Oct. We had a great trip but it was just not as magical as past trips. We had a few issues with our MBs, getting into our room, FP+ use, etc. My mom noted that she felt the CMs were so busy with the Disney Experience nonsense and were probably tired from all the extra abuse they were getting that they weren't free to really show the love like they usually do. That being said - we never ran into a CM that wasn't happy or helpful. It just didn't seem as magical for us. Looking back I can attest that it was hotter and way more crowded then we were expecting. Those factors along with having to navigate the parks with the FP+ system probably contributed to our feelings of the trip being "less magical" then past trips.

Plus, on two different days they didn't open the gates to the parks until exactly 9 am which of course caused huge crowds trying to get into the park, super long stand by lines at the headliners and paper FPs for the best rides to be gone before 10:00 am. I think this lead to less then happy park goers and that really put a damper on our day.

SORRY, didn't mean to be a downer.

Now for the good stuff. I can't believe you already have your Oct trip and cruise already reserved. You must have a great TA. I'm so excited for you guys. A cruise and AKL!!!! I'm glad Miss B has changed her mind. Looking forward to hearing all about the planning.....

Now that Miss Mia. I was going to comment that the quality of that photo was very good but I couldn't get past how adorable that little girl is. But this comment just cracks me up: "Mia now hears the clicking of a camera and will stop crying to smile!" Love it!

Liz, I think you are right about the CMs being over tired dealing with the systems that don't work. While I did my best to be nice and courteous while dealing with it, I do know my temper was just barely hidden. More than once I felt like a criminal...


As for my Oct trip...I knew that if I didn't get them booked, it would e easy for husband to change his mind. Even though we would get our money back if we did change our mind, knowing that we have the money 'out there' makes it unchangeable for him! LOL!!

I confess...I did use the camera clicks to keep Miss Mia entertained yesterday! Her mommy had a doctor's appointment and Miss Mia got to visit with me...unfortunately, she will not take a bottle, and while she does give me the love, I am a poor substitute for mommy! Add to that ...her favorite person in the world (Grandpa) had to leave to pick up Mr D from school, and she was way less than happy with me. So my iPhone makes a great clicking sound.... she loved it...

We bought groceries yesterday...and I managed to stay within budget for Christmas dinner....then we grabbed a tree...also less than I intended to spend (tree was 65 and my budget was 80...) We used a local florist. Before we left for Disney we told them we would be coming by to pick up a tree when we got home. We told them our budget and they held back 4 trees for us to choose from. We needed an 8 footer that was FAT! The first one they showed us was PERFECT! So it was put in the stand before Mia arrived...but since she was so unhappy, the decorating had to wait until after church services last night...I guess I got all 12 strands of lights and about a third of the ornaments on it... I left some things for the kids to do this afternoon....now to get the house clean...


+++++++++++++++

Now for the second installment on the mini trip report...

This will still be a bit negative. I do believe a lot of it stemmed from the fact that I truly felt like a guinea pig this trip. There were too many new and newish things happening this trip. In addition to the MB and FP+ issues I had, we also had to deal with the RFID Rapid Fill mugs. Now, I am not one to actually use or even buy the mugs. If they were not included in the dining plan I would not get them. I am not a fan of Coke products, and we bring our own drinks from home (mainly Dr Pepper!)

Being on the dining plan, we got 4 mugs this trip...of them 3 worked perfectly...and one...well, let's just say it had issues! Every morning it would not work...and we had to have the cashier reset it... Miss B does not like to speak to strangers. So on Friday she was voted the one to go get drinks....and of course the orange one would not work again...She went to the cashier and the cashier told her she was trying to use a mug from last year and it was all her fault and would not even look at it. She came back to the room in tears and refused to be the drink runner ever again! Was it major? of course not...Did it upset her? Of course it did! So, Dad became the official drink runner from then on. That blasted orange cup still would not work...but he has a formidable look about him and everyone LIKES to do what he wants you to do! LOL......and more funny was the fact that MY mug (the green one) still has three weeks on it! Husband decided we would NOT be driving back to Disney to take advantage of the drink refills waiting on my mug!


Now we also had to deal with the DAS. We have used the GAC for the past 7 years. The first trip we took after the accident we did not know about it, but was told by a CM on our last day there...it made all the difference in the world! Visiting Disney was our escape from the real world. Now, to anyone meeting Mr D, you don't notice his disability at first. After a while it becomes obvious that he is different, but you don't really realize how different he is until something happens that upsets him or goes against his schedule.

He is basically a 3 year old in a large 12 year old's body. For instance, the same way your three year old wants to crawl in your lap and cuddle, Mr D thinks he should do the same. His attention span is about the same as a normal 3 year old. While he is very giving and loving...he has the understanding of taking turns like a 3 year old. The time he is willing to wait for his turn is about the same as a 3 year old...he will wait...but there is definitely a limit as to how long. After it has exceeded that limit he is subject to major melt downs. He is cognicent enough to realize that people stare at him. He has no idea why, but it bothers him. He also has terrible stamina. He can walk...but after a few minutes is feet start to swell and hurt. He has fallen arches...only much worse than most. Due to the brain injury his muscles in his feet are basically not there. He walks on his ankles. His feet turn outward and he walks on the inside ankles. So a wheel chair is necessary if there is a lot of walking to do.

On the surface, the DAS seems like it would be a perfect solution to the problem of the abuse of the GAC. You use it like a regular FP. You go up to the CM manning a particular ride and they write on it the time you are to come back based on the current wait time. The card has a picture of Mr D and they check it and you go through the normal FP line.

EXCEPT... you can not get a second DAS FP until you use the first one. So, in DHS, you have a FP+ for Toy Story and ToT. You grab a DAS FP for Toy Story after you ride it...and head to ToT for your FP+...Mr D is upset that he can't ride RnRC...since it is right there...so you trek back to Toy Story so you can use that DAS FP...and Mr D is upset that he has to ride them 'out of order' and has a melt down. He refuses to ride Toy Story...so you head to someplace that has a low line...like Star Tours...but it now has a 20 minute wait..and about 10 minutes into it, he decides too many people are looking at him and we have to leave. We find a quiet bench to wait at until he calms down...we explain that if he rides Toy Story now, we will go get him a special fast pass for RnRC... he agrees and we go back to Toy Story and we ride...but then, after treking back to RnRC, we find the wait is now 70 minutes....Mr D thought we were going to ride immediately...now another melt down.

Add to that...we no longer get a separate place to wait. We just have to wait in the regular FP line with all the other people that had pulled a paper FP or have the FP+. So this gives us more people in the same spot we are in and lots and lots of people that have the ability to touch him....not a good situation.

I understand this is a system in transition, and I understand that it in in response to the abuse the old system had...unfortunately, the current system only makes things harder for us.

So now I will briefly hit on the other contention point with this trip. Crowd control (or rather lack thereof!)

We went to the Christmas Party on Tuesday. By 11am it was sold out. We knew this was a bad sign...but since we had already bought the tickets there was nothing we could do but make the best of it.

Most of the park was dead after the party started. Practically all rides were walk on. The kids rode more rides after the party started than they did all day long! However, I wanted to see the fireworks and the parade. I knew the best way to do this was to see the second parade. My favorite spot is right in front of Tony's....You get views of the parade coming at you, going by, and from the back, as they make that turn around the square.

We did not have a good viewing of the fireworks...because the whole area from the sides of the castle to the front (and even some behind) was wall to wall people. We ended up being stuck in the traffic in Tomorrow land. While it was not an actual stopping point and we were technically in the walk way...there was no way to get away from that spot. We could kinda sorta see the high fireworks...

During the time we were standing there..unable to move...I got to hear very sailor like language from people trying to pass me. Normally I would have just moved out of their way and let them through. Unfortunately there was no way I could move...and since it was so dark, they could not see the wheel chair I was pushing in front of me. (and the fact that there were tons of people in front of me) So they all thought I had just chosen to stop there. I was hit with bags, I was punched, I was cursed at, I was called things I had never even heard before!

After the fireworks...we attempted to make our way to Town Square. We had 2 hours to make it...should not be an issue right? Wrong! Everyone in our general area had the same general idea...head towards the exit! This is when I had a man yell several obsecenities at me, punch me with his fist in my back and try to step around me...of course, when he did, he realized there was a wheelchair and a wall of people in front of me and he had no place to go...as he was standing practically on top of me..my comment was "I bet you REALLY feel like an adult now!".

When pushing a wheel chair there are only certain places you can get off the sidewalk at. These are generally marked with tape or ropes during a parade time so it will remain clear. Not tonight. Oh they were marked...people were just ignoring it and sitting there. They would not get up...because they were afraid they would loose these prime parade watching spots! We were held captive in these areas...Finally a CM realized and tried to make people move...they completely ignored him. He actually got very upset and started screaming at them....it went something like they could either move and let the handicapped get by or they could be ushered out of the park.... well, they moved, but then all the able bodied people went thorugh these areas and we still could not move...the CM then gave them all a lecture about how they could at least step off the curb...and the scooters and wheelchairs could not. If he saw one \more person use the ramp that could step off the curb he was going to make them pick up a scooter and help them off....like I said...we weren't actually moving much so he had a long time to lecture!

The CM used his radio to try and get some crowd control out there...but the response was there was no one available!

We did finally make it to the front of Tony's...and we did have a great viewing area of the parade. But it did take most of the 2 hours to get there.

Another part of the crowd control that was lacking was enforcing the no smoking rules! If someone (even a CM) said anything to anyone about smoking areas they got very belligerent! Evidently manners is something you leave at home when you go on vacation....

I know...I know... two long posts with lots of whining in them! I promise the next one will be happy! I will tell you about when the magic arrived. I will tell you my favorite memories of the trip. I will tell you some of the things the Grand Princess said. I promise it will be worth it!



Nini

 

[DMGeurts]

NOt sure if you saw my above post Nini... YOu may have been writing while I was posting. I didn't want you to think I didn't respond to yesterday's post.

Reading this update just makes me sick for you! I am so sad for all you had to endure, it is rediculous and uncalled for.

It does make me feel a bit better to know that the magic did eventually find you... I can't wait for that part. And I sure hope it makes up for a little of all the other stuff.

D~

 

[cogero]

I will be honest I have complained several times to Disney about rudeness of guests at the parks. I am from NYC and I am used to rudeness but these people would make NYers look like saints.

I personally just feel it is society in general, Manners are no more and it makes me extremely sad.

I am sorry you had a bad experience with the DAS, we liked it though J will wait and is easily distracted with other things while waiting. We were fortunate our MBs worked fine in October.

I will say I had a bad experience yesterday while Christmas shopping with the family. J was in his stroller shoes off and stimming. Some lady said oh he has the life. Now I could of taken it the wrong way but it really bothered me.

 

[NiniMorris]

I did read yesterday - but I didn't have time to respond before Josh kicked me off the computer. :/

I am so bummed about your MB experience... I wish it was something that could be "opted out" of. It seems like it would be awesome if it worked - but trip wrecker worthy if it didn't. And to top it off - to be treated like a criminal by CMs because it didn't work - that isn't fair either... Especially when you were with a HUGE party that was clearly together. It makes me so sad for you. ANd I am so sad that it made your trip less magical.

I am happy to hear that you booked another trip though - and how awesome that it will be a cruise AND AKL!!! Fantastic!!!! Some day, I hope to do both - if I could just drag us away from FQ. LOL

LOL about Mia and the camera noises - Alli was the EXACT same way as a baby... So, don't be surprised if you have an aspiring photographer on your hands in a few years. She is just so precious and I loved her little outfit.

I hope the rest of your trip gets a little more magical.

D~

Don't worry, it got much more magical later on in the trip. Now that the cruise is booked and set in stone, I am really getting excited. The fact that it doesn't happen until OCTOBER is the part that is driving me crazy! I am waiting on husbad's Disney Visa to come in before I actually book the Animal Kingdom Lodge part. We get a $200 credit after we make our first charge on it...so it is like getting the deposit for free!

NOt sure if you saw my above post Nini... YOu may have been writing while I was posting. I didn't want you to think I didn't respond to yesterday's post.

Reading this update just makes me sick for you! I am so sad for all you had to endure, it is rediculous and uncalled for.

It does make me feel a bit better to know that the magic did eventually find you... I can't wait for that part. And I sure hope it makes up for a little of all the other stuff.

D~

Oh it more than makes up for the bad part...even though I chose to only mention the gift in brief form....it was spectacular!

I will be honest I have complained several times to Disney about rudeness of guests at the parks. I am from NYC and I am used to rudeness but these people would make NYers look like saints.

I personally just feel it is society in general, Manners are no more and it makes me extremely sad.

I am sorry you had a bad experience with the DAS, we liked it though J will wait and is easily distracted with other things while waiting. We were fortunate our MBs worked fine in October.

I will say I had a bad experience yesterday while Christmas shopping with the family. J was in his stroller shoes off and stimming. Some lady said oh he has the life. Now I could of taken it the wrong way but it really bothered me.

I really wish I could make invisible disabilities go away! Whenever I see some one acting out in public, I always tell my kids not to judge, because you never know what they are dealing with...of course, once Mr D said they were dealing with a Mom who never taught them manners!

Ok, so no more whining about DAS Magic Bands, Fast Pass Plus or rude guests! Today we will talk about how much fun we had!

My most favorite thing of all was the Christmas Parade! I was bummed that I forgot to bring a charging cord so I could recharge my phone from my external battery, and that I did not bring my camera in to the party…but I managed to get ONE picture from the parade! My all time favorite Toy Soldiers marching down Main Street!
During the first parade, the kids were able to ride multiple times on both Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! By multiple I mean maybe 10 times each! I had a blast sitting and people watching! They also managed to ride Space Mountain at least twice with no wait! Our second day at Magic Kingdom we were able to ride almost everything I wanted to ride…Peter Pan, Pooh, Ariel, Haunted Mansion, Jingle Jungle Cruise (corney!)and we saw Mickey’s Philharmagic! Of course, there was ONE disappointment that day. We had waited the whole trip to see Mickey talking. We had a Fastpass+ just to see this. I had the video camera ready…I did not tell the kids about him talking I was ready for the magic…. And NOTHING! He did not talk!!! The kids did not know they were missing something….only the adults were disappointed!
On our Animal Kingdom days, we found ourselves a bit bored. I can’t ride much of anything there…and once you ride EE several times and the Safari, there isn’t much to keep the rest of the family happy. On our first day there we did managed to ride EE several times, with maybe 5 of them coming in the dark! There was zero wait, and they were not making them get off when the ride was over.
Our Safari ride that day was perfect! It was one of the last rides of the day. The sun was starting to set, and the Lions were very active! We got a scene right out of Lion King…The Lion and his lioness were standing on top of the rock and the Lion roared! The sun was at an angle that made it difficult to get a good picture, but I did see several people post similar pictures on FB that day…Spectacular! And after seeing that, we went to Festival of the Lion King. I have to say…that was the most amazing show we ever saw! To think, all these trips we have taken to Disney and we never stopped to see the show until last year! The Tumble Monkeys were AMAZING with Mr D. At first, they would just wave at him, then slowly they would start to talk to him. By the end of the show, they were coming over and playing with him! The way he was so shy with them at first I think let them know he would not take to them easily…but on our second day at Animal Kingdom we saw the show again…and they seemed to remember him and came right up and talked to him. I have no idea what they were talking about, as husband was closer to them than I was, but Mr D loved them!

Disney Hollywood Studios has become my least favorite park. There is really not much I can do at the park except hunt for good places to sit while they ride. While on both days, they were only able to ride ToT and RnR twice, We were able to ride Star Tours multiple times. There was only a line once. Of course, Mr D had to see his favorite show of all…The Lights Motors Action Stunt show (which is easily my least favorite show of all time) The Grand Princess and I got to spend some quality time watching Ariel’s show while the olders rode the headliners (she is too short to ride RnR by a quarter of an inch and was too scared to ride ToT (even though she rode it with no problems last year!)
My personal favorite thing at DHS has to be Toy Story! We are a very competitive family, and we always had a boys vs girls competition. While the boys did win once,(by less than 300 points!) the girls beat the boys every other time. I will have to say, that in singles competiton I would not do so well, I came in third each ride, while Dad and Miss B traded first place on each ride. Mr D brought up the rear each ride!
Epcot…. Is my second favorite park, even though there is not much for me to do. Soarin remains an all time favorite for me, even though it needs a refurb in the worst way! I was truly expecting to hate the new Test Track. We missed its opening by only one day last year. I had heard so many people hate it, that I expected the same opinion from me. Boy, was I wrong! While the back story was missing, the new back story was semi believable. But what made it perfect for us …well, we are a very competitive family! Each time we made a vehicle, we would save it to a different card or band. We would each save our favorite one and compete against each other! Brianna had the most fuel efficient and most ecological, I had the best design, and Mr D always had the fastest and most powerful! Dad was always stuck with only a few seconds to design one and never quite got the right one…. But the ride was fantastic! Especially at night!

Now for my favorite part of the trip! FOOD! We had some misses and some hits. Some new favorites and some that we will not be visiting again next trip.
A new for me was Mama Melrose. While the food was great, the service was poor and the atmosphere did not seem Disney to me. The food was very similar as Tony’s where the service was top notch! And seriously…an Italian restaurant without a side salad? Coral Reef was less than spectacular this time. The food was good, but the service was seriously lacking. People that arrived a good 10 minutes after us had their drinks, food and desserts way ahead of us. I really think it had to do with the fact that, being a party of 7 their tip was guaranteed, while a party of 4 they had to work for the tip. Lunch at Tony’s was a high spot of the trip! (Of course we were a party of only 5 at this one) The food was fantastic and we had a very attentive server! Our Akershus night was spectacular! So much fantastic food that no one was able to eat it all! We barely saved any room for dessert! Boma was another stand out. Each time we are there we try to at least taste a new dish. This trip I tried the hummus…. I believe it was black olive flavored. I think I found Bliss!!! Now, if I can just find that in the real world! Garden Grill was a hit with just about everyone. But over all I think I am getting tired of it. While the food and service was above average, it just did not hold the magic for me like it used to . I think the kids getting older may have something to do with it! Biergarten was a hit as always. Our server was from the same town we lived in, so we had a few conversations about how much it had changed since we were there 23 years ago. Last, but not least, was Be Our Guest! We had one of the last seatings available and were in the Rose room. My only complaint (other than the slow service) was that the amount of people that were able to walk up after the Christmas party started made the restaurant soooo crowded. When we were leaving we had a three second visit with the Beast. Even though we were two separate families, they did not want to give us separate pictures…because we sat at the same table! The Grand Princess had brought her beast animal with her for the specific purpose of getting a picture of the three of them together… the photographers had other ideas… We might as well have had a stuffed Beast to take a picture with!

Now I will say that the last night we did not go to the party, and had a 6:45 dinner reservation. We knew we would be escorted out of the park once we were finished…however, we found it a bit strange that they did not escort us all out…only my son, daughter in law and Grand Princess. They left us to fend for ourselves. And NO ONE asked to see our band for the party. We could have easily stayed for the parade! In fact a CM offered to help us find a spot for the parade (a distinct difference in the party night we went to!)

Now I want to tell you when the Magic actually came for me! I had evidently done a bit too much whining about our issues with the MB and rude guests on Face Book. When we got back to the room after Biergarten, there was a gift waiting for me. One of my Disbou friends had sent me a little something. It really made my night!


Nini

 

[NiniMorris]

I know...two posts in one day...all within the same hour!!

I just wanted to report that I spoke with a CM last night. She called about the problems I had with the Magic Bands, and I gave her an earful about all the problems we encountered during our trip. We talked for over an hour, and she took many notes.

She was surprised that I would not accept any compensation for the problems we had. I wanted her to know I was upset, but my complaints were not about getting something in return. I hoped that would make her more receptive to my concerns!

I told her the concerns I had with the fact that we were given so many different answers with each "fix" that came along, that no one seemed to know what was going on much less how to fix it.

I also gave her some ideas to make the Magic Band experience a bit better, including adding the DAS info to the MB...and making the MDE able to tell you the number of dining credits you had left.

For those of you who use the DAS, there is hope. She did tell me they were rethinking the whole DAS issue. No one seemed to think it was working, not guests, not CMs...no one!

I also told her that being used a s a guinea pig without compensation was really rubbing people the wrong way. And using a Special Needs family as a guinea pig was nothing short of wrong!

So, will it make a difference? Who knows. But at least they have my thoughts...what they do with it remains to be seen...\


Nini

 

[aboveH20]

I have a question. Whoops, not about Disney. Some people come to disboards to talk about Disney don't they.

I now know enough about embird to remember that it's bird, not brid. It took about a year to master that lesson. I'm getting much closer to buying it.

Is there more than one place to buy it? Does it matter where I buy it? Do I need to buy anything other than "it"? Anything else I need to know so I don't have a V-8 moment after squeezing some hard earned money out of my wallet?

 

[NiniMorris]

I have a question. Whoops, not about Disney. Some people come to disboards to talk about Disney don't they.

I now know enough about embird to remember that it's bird, not brid. It took about a year to master that lesson. I'm getting much closer to buying it.

Is there more than one place to buy it? Does it matter where I buy it? Do I need to buy anything other than "it"? Anything else I need to know so I don't have a V-8 moment after squeezing some hard earned money out of my wallet?

HI CHERYL!

Haven't seen you in a while, hope all is well for you!

Embird.

There are many places to purchase it. Directly from the company that makes it, as well as a wide variety of embroidery sites also have it. I bought mine from 8Claws and a Paw... back when I bought it they had a special promotion where you got your choice of 5 free fonts along with it. I am not sure if they have a special going on now...but if I were you and seriously considering it, I would look around and see if anyone had a special. You will rarely find an actual reduction in the prices, it is more about the extras that come with it.

Just getting the basic will get you started. This will allow you to add names, words, sayings, and to do some simple editing of a pre-purchased design. You can combine two or more designs into one and personalize just about anything.

If you want to get into other things like digitizing, you can add modules to the basic. So far I have added the Iconizer...it is basically just giving me pictures of the design when I pull it up so I can see what the design looks like ... without having to open it up to see.

There are also modules that let you turn a picture into a design, make things look like hand cross stitch... and while they are interesting, I know I would never use them! (and let's not forget I am CHEAP!)

Remind me after the holidays and I will try to look up some more info for you...


Nini

 

[aboveH20]

Thanks for the reply. Off to hunt for some add on specials.

I've been doing okay, it's my mother's health which has put a hitch in my giddyap. My brother and I are taking turns staying with her, two days on, two days off, since September so I'm feeling like a man without a country.

I did just go ahead and buy airfare for my February trip (I think I'm one birthday ahead of you). I'm not completely confidant it will happen, but ever so hopeful. My brother's doing some renovations to her house with hopes of moving in over Presidents' Week.

I think when I finally break down and buy Embird I'll wonder why I tortured myself for so long trying to get Stitch Era Universal to work.

 

[NiniMorris]

Thanks for the reply. Off to hunt for some add on specials.

I've been doing okay, it's my mother's health which has put a hitch in my giddyap. My brother and I are taking turns staying with her, two days on, two days off, since September so I'm feeling like a man without a country.

I did just go ahead and buy airfare for my February trip (I think I'm one birthday ahead of you). I'm not completely confidant it will happen, but ever so hopeful. My brother's doing some renovations to her house with hopes of moving in over Presidents' Week.

I think when I finally break down and buy Embird I'll wonder why I tortured myself for so long trying to get Stitch Era Universal to work.

Sorry to hear that your mother isn't improving, but hopefully things will work out...


Stitch Era is a royal pain! When I first got Embird I used it every day ...just to play with it. Now that I don't have much time to play with it, I rarely think about it...just when I need it, it is here. I can't imagine not having it...even though it only gets used once or twice a month.

Maybe after the first of the year I can go back to work and actually use it more!

(Although.... if I get a new computer I will have to upgrade my Embird... the version I have I don't think will work on the new Windows...)


Nini

 

[babynala]

I know...two posts in one day...all within the same hour!!

I just wanted to report that I spoke with a CM last night. She called about the problems I had with the Magic Bands, and I gave her an earful about all the problems we encountered during our trip. We talked for over an hour, and she took many notes.

She was surprised that I would not accept any compensation for the problems we had. I wanted her to know I was upset, but my complaints were not about getting something in return. I hoped that would make her more receptive to my concerns!

I told her the concerns I had with the fact that we were given so many different answers with each "fix" that came along, that no one seemed to know what was going on much less how to fix it.

I also gave her some ideas to make the Magic Band experience a bit better, including adding the DAS info to the MB...and making the MDE able to tell you the number of dining credits you had left.

For those of you who use the DAS, there is hope. She did tell me they were rethinking the whole DAS issue. No one seemed to think it was working, not guests, not CMs...no one!

I also told her that being used a s a guinea pig without compensation was really rubbing people the wrong way. And using a Special Needs family as a guinea pig was nothing short of wrong!

So, will it make a difference? Who knows. But at least they have my thoughts...what they do with it remains to be seen...\


Nini

This makes me hopeful. I am happy to hear that you were able to give some feedback that would be useful for families that rely on the DAS / GAC system. I am grateful that we have never had to use a GAC but I know so many people could not tour the park with out one. I don't see why they couldn't allow those who need it the option of waiting in the separate area since most rides already have this spot already and waiting in any "line" can be such a huge obstacle for some. Like I said, I have never had to use this separate area for waiting but I have seen others using it is definitely not a shorter wait.

Stitch Era is a royal pain! When I first got Embird I used it every day ...just to play with it. Now that I don't have much time to play with it, I rarely think about it...just when I need it, it is here. I can't imagine not having it...even though it only gets used once or twice a month.

Maybe after the first of the year I can go back to work and actually use it more!

Nini

Too funny, I totally agree with this statement. I am not that proficient with Embird but I get by (and why did it take me so long to figure out that it was BIRD? You would think the bird icon would give it away). I think I would be lost without even if I only use it a few times a month.

Nini - waiting patiently for your updated ticker and new PTR......Hopefully after the holidays things will settle down and we can all get back on track. I feel like I haven't been online in over a week.

 

[DMGeurts]

Just stopping by to say hi... I am horribly behind everywhere!

I am glad that your trip wasn't all horrible, and I am so happy that the magic finally found you!

I am also so happy that you were able to give your thoughts to the CM - I sure hope she took it seriously and someone listens - as you had so VERY valid points. HOpefully they figure this out sooner rather than later.

Sorry my reply is so short, just trying to do a little catch up this morning.

(Hi Cheryl!)

D~

 

[NiniMorris]

Wow! I made it a whole weekend with no computer! I knew the only way I would get everything ready for the big family Christmas on Saturday was to turn off the laptop. Then I was informed we were also doing a mini version of our open house on Sunday. Only about 20...but I had nothing ready for it, so we had it semi catered. (never again!)

Anyway, I put the laptop in the bedroom so I would not be tempted. I could not remember where I put the charging cord this morning so I just now got it back up and running!

I will not say that I was completely without a computer, because I did have my phone, but answering on my phone takes too much time!

Now we are making cookies and magic Reindeer food...because the Grand Princess will only be here for today because her mommy and daddy are both off tomorrow (in fact her daddy only has to work until lunch time) and tomorrow I get to watch Miss Mia from 4 until 10 tomorrow night. Her mommy and daddy are having a much deserved date night (a surprise dinner and movie).

Something tells me it is a REALLY good thing all my ducks are in a row for Christmas morning! Everything is wrapped and ready to unload under the tree. Husband works until 7 am Christmas morning, so the Santa run has to be done my mom again this year!

Of course....the ONLY present I haven't bought yet is the one for husband....so sometime today or tomorrow I need to get a tiny bit of shopping done...

Happy Holidays!



Nini

 

[aboveH20]

Nini, despite the hecticness, all of your Christmas preparations sound like fun. I'll be at my mother's house Christmas Eve and day and both of my sons are now living in California, so it will be a different Christmas here.

How wonderful that you so look forward to watching your grands. We never had that (grands to watch our kids) and never had extra money for babysitters so I'm always envious of people who have parents so willing to watch their kids. [Okay, I guess you can tell I'm in a bad mood.]

I looked at installing Embird but it looked a bit complicated and since I'm only home for two days I don't want to get in over or my head or spend too much time when I should be doing other things. I'll probably give it another go later.

Back atcha ~~~D~~~

 

[DMGeurts]

I know I am a bit early - but I wanted to stop by to wish one of my bestest Dis friends and the rest of her family...

D~

 

[NiniMorris]

Nini, despite the hecticness, all of your Christmas preparations sound like fun. I'll be at my mother's house Christmas Eve and day and both of my sons are now living in California, so it will be a different Christmas here.

How wonderful that you so look forward to watching your grands. We never had that (grands to watch our kids) and never had extra money for babysitters so I'm always envious of people who have parents so willing to watch their kids. [Okay, I guess you can tell I'm in a bad mood.]

I looked at installing Embird but it looked a bit complicated and since I'm only home for two days I don't want to get in over or my head or spend too much time when I should be doing other things. I'll probably give it another go later.

Back atcha ~~~D~~~

I am amazed at how many grand parents don't want to watch their grand children! When mine were little we didn't live close to either parent (being military) so we didn't have that option most of the time. However, whenever we went home my Mom made a point of watching the kids whenever she could. Sometimes even sending us off for a night in a hotel so they could spend the night!

She always said she missed so much by not being closer. Now that she is gone, I wish my younger two had a chance to spend more time with her.

I know I am a bit early - but I wanted to stop by to wish one of my bestest Dis friends and the rest of her family...

D~

Thank you D`!


________________-

A little trip news...

(yes, I KNOW I should start a new PTR...and I promise I will .....soon)


Running numbers and dates, and trying to come up with something that is workable. Since I know I only want to have 2 park days while we are at Disney, and the cruise is set in stone...I have worked out the following rough draft...

Friday, pick the kids up at school at lunch (counts as day present) and head to Cape Canaveral. Get a room some where on the beach for two nights so we can have a short beach vacation.

Sunday, board the ship and enjoy the cruise.

Thursday, Disembark and head to Disney. Enjoy an Epcot day.
Friday, a day of relaxing at the resort and pool.
Saturday, a Downtown Disney day
Sunday, after church, a Magic Kingdom day.
Monday, Happy Birthday...travel home!


While it is not perfect, it is a start. However the most exciting part is that I am considering getting the Deluxe Dining Plan. Since we 'should' get Free Dining, it will only be an additional $740 to add the deluxe on...and since we won't be going to the parks most days, it will give us more time to enjoy a wider variety of restaurants!

I know it is a splurge...but then again, the whole vacation will be a splurge! A Deluxe Family room with Veranda on the cruise (with serious thoughts to upgrade to a 1 bedroom suite); and an Animal Kingdom Savanna room for the park portion... not exactly the cheap vacation we normally do! But you only turn 60 once!

Of course, now I have to figure out something spectacular for my husband's 60th in July!


Nini

 

[cogero]

Sounds good so far.

I would definitely try out Jiko it is one of our faves.

We try to get one of the first seating and the service is impeccable.