~~~~~ Sew, sew, sew – off we go with Grand-baby in tow! ~~~~~ (September 2024)

[Minniemoo15]

I’ve always enjoyed your trip reports. Congratulations on the growing family !

 

[rdkeim]

Definitely following! So glad you're doing a PTR for your grand baby's first Disney vacation!

 

[DMGeurts]

Following along! I look forward to reading all of your plans! Congratulations on becoming grandparents soon.

Welcome and thank you!!

Long time reader....so excited to see you back! Will be following along.

Yay! So happy to have you here & reading along!

I haven't logged into the DIS for years as well. It will be nice to follow you again.

Agreed! So happy we are friends on fb though - but I do miss having the more personal connection to my Dis friends here!

Secretly enjoyed you all in the past, welcome back.

Welcome!!! It’s great having you here again!

I’m here and crying happy tears for you & V! I can’t wait for you to take this trip. It is going to be magical and the memories will last a lifetime.
I will try to check in here as often as I can.

Awwwh!!! We can’t wait - it’s so exciting!

Joining in for all the fun! I've always enjoyed your reports and am happy to see you back. Congratulations on your sweet little grandbaby to be!

Welcome and thank you! We are very excited!

Haha. I love how you plan a Disney trip based on a sweatshirt. But it’s meant to be. I’m going to Disney with my grand baby soon. I’ve never been to the parks with a baby, but I’m soooo excited to share it with him.

Right! Hahaha - like only a true Disney fan could even make that justification make sense in their head. :lmao Oooh - I anxiously await your expert opinions on this matter- I feel like baby will dictate everything and V and I will just be the hardware! Lol

I’ve always enjoyed your reports and custom items. So glad to see you back!

Congrats on your new grandbaby and son!

Awww thank you and thank you! Yes - having a son is wonderful - he’s a great man! And we can’t wait for baby to arrive!

I’m here! Can’t wait to read all about your trip.

Yay!!! Welcome back Ariana!

YAY!!!!! I'm super excited you're back to share all about this most magical trip!!! My Mom still says her favorite Disney trip was her first as a Grandma. It's going to be so special!

Awwwh!!! I bet it is - so nervous about having a baby in the parks with us - but can’t wait for the magic!!!

Looking forward to following along. It's been awhile (I'm guessing) since you last visited. So much has changed. I haven't been back since park reservations and Genie+. The reservations are going away for regular tickets but will continue for non-dated tickets like AP's. I've seen people say the Salute tickets will require reservations, but I'm truly hoping they don't.
My only baby suggestion is to check out the Munchkin Sparrow Ultra Compact Travel Stroller. I know nothing about it except I saw a Dad folding it up when we were getting on a plane and I wished they had those when my kids were little! It folds up so small you can put it in the overhead compartment on the plane (so no gate checking or waiting for it to be unloaded)!
Having a car will definitely be the way to go, especially now that you can't walk from SoG to the Poly. Sure was sad when they took that option away, we used it often.

Welcome back!!! It’s great to see you again! Yes! So many changes! I have so much to relearn! I’ve been once with Geanie, but that was my trip with Suzi and she handled all of that…. And yikes - that would be terrible about salute tickets - I hope that doesn’t come to fruition! And yes - the poor path from SoG to poly - it’s a depressing game changer for sure - I’ve been reading a lot about it and it seems like SoG has been handling the change well? I sure hope so!!! I wish Disney would figure out a way to bring it back - after all they could put up a walkway or something for us - kinda a crappy way to treat those who fight for their freedom by taking away something that cost them nothing to have,

I LOVE THIS!!!! I can't wait til I can do the same!!!!

Welcome back Reena!

I'm here and looking forward to following along. Congratulations on your new grand baby! I know this trip will be such a fun and special one.

Welcome and thank you! We are so excited!!!

I made it over! So excited to watch your plans unfold and see the circle continue as Victoria introduces her own child to the magic!

Yay!!! Welcome back Brandi! Yes it’s so fun to be part of this time in her life! And so happy I get to be part of it!

Woo hoo! This is incredibly exciting, I will be following along and cannot wait to see all the plans unfold. Love how this trip came about, and it will be interesting to see what name you will have Dorine as a grandmother. I have been gifted with "Gibby". Granddaughter who is 2 1/2 is going to be Elsa for Halloween this year per her request!

Hey there my dear friend!! I’m pretty sure I’ll be Granny - since that’s what Allison’s cats call me I love the name Gibby!!! That’s adorable!!! What a fun Halloween for you!!!

I’ve always enjoyed your trip reports. Congratulations on the growing family !

Welcome back and thank you!!!

Definitely following! So glad you're doing a PTR for your grand baby's first Disney vacation!

Welcome! We are so excited!!

*********************************************************

Good morning everyone! And welcome back to the Dis - for all of you who have been mia like me! It has been a good 2 years - at least! I remember all of you and I’m so happy to see you all again! I sure have missed my Dis connections in life! I need a favor though… remind me of your first names - I know what I *think* they are - but I would be so embarrassed to get them wrong…

I hope everyone had a nice weekend!!! We didn’t do much of anything… josh was finally able to fix our riding lawnmower - which had been out of commission for well over a year - so he’s been push mowing our yard all this time! It’s so nice to have our rider back!

And that’s it! I was lazy all weekend and cleaned the house.

**********************************************************

I am hoping to book SoG later this week! Then our trip will be officially official.

Flights won’t be out for a few months yet - so we will be waiting on those.

We do have our meals planned out - lots of character meals this time around to introduce baby to all our favorites!

V is in charge of the rental car & all that it entails… I am just the navigator

And we are both shopping for baby Disney outfits for aaaallllllllll the days! Does anyone know if they still make custom baby Disney ears??? I sure hope so! I also want to make a couple of custom outfits - but V kinda squashed me on that one - as she wants to dress the baby up… so we will see how that plays out.

Anyways - gotta run! Wishing you all a wonderful Monday!!! And welcome back to the Dis!

D~

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Connie here...

Yay...the band is back together!!!! What a precious memory you are going to make with this trip!!! Idea incoming...could you cut the graphic from V's old shirt and use it put on a new one for her or on a park bag??? Of ourse, you may just want to hang onto it for your grand to wear someday....

Can't wait to see your plans come together. then to read the TR!!! And I am SO excited that you and I get to share this new phase in life! We are just three weeks away!!!

 

[rdkeim]

Rene' here - you have so much to look forward to!

 

[Wood Nymph]

D~

It is great to see you back at the Dis! I can't wait to hear all about your upcoming trip.

Victoria made a beautiful bride. It is very exciting to be looking forward to a grandbaby, although you are still so very young to be a grandma.

One of my daughters was 7 months old during one of our WDW trips and we found it to be a good age. The baby is old enough to sit up at the table. They can amuse themselves by grabbing food like Cheerios. But they still take good naps. They don't crawl around yet, which is nice. And they aren't too heavy to hold for long periods of time, if necessary.

 

[OregonMomToWDW]

I remembered my login! Excited for you all!

Planned around a sweatshirt? Add Disney math and girl math, it makes sense.

We took my boyfriend's grandson a few years ago. He was in that age range. Maybe younger because he wasn't really in that sit in highchair stage. I told the mom to bring one of those baby carry wrap things so she could wear him on rides and not have to be too worried about keeping him on her lap. It was nice. Back up stroller fan. Ours broke. Too many people wanting to share it (we had 9 people on our trip). Too many stores have cute Disney baby clothes. It was difficult to not over buy. Bring extra clothes in diaper bag or carryon. Ours had huge blowout in airport before we left and mom forgot to pack extra clothes and we had to wash in sink and try to dry with hand dryer. Not the way to start the trip.

Have a great time. Lots of pictures.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

D, I was so excited to see your PTR! I loved your past trip reports and am so happy to see another familiar face around here.

Similar to you, I’m back on DIS after a long (3+ year) absence. We’re also planning a 2024 trip and will also be traveling for the first time with young kids - we have a five-year-old and a 11-month-old (who will be 19 months when we travel). I’m used to traveling with other adults so it will be quite a change! (Diapers and strollers oh my, indeed!)

V was a beautiful bride and so many congratulations on your new grand baby! I can’t wait to hear more about your plans.

 

[DMGeurts]

Connie here...

Yay...the band is back together!!!! What a precious memory you are going to make with this trip!!! Idea incoming...could you cut the graphic from V's old shirt and use it put on a new one for her or on a park bag??? Of ourse, you may just want to hang onto it for your grand to wear someday....

Can't wait to see your plans come together. then to read the TR!!! And I am SO excited that you and I get to share this new phase in life! We are just three weeks away!!!

Oh my gosh - just 3 weeks - you must be beside yourself with excitement!!! I saw pics of Jilly the other day and she is just beautiful and glowing!!! I am so excited for you all. <3

Ahhh - I *could* cut it out, but I think I want to keep the sweatshirt intact - there are just too many memories there to mess with it.

I am so excited to share this season with you too!!! We have done way too many seasons together and it's only right that we do this one too! <3

Rene' here - you have so much to look forward to!

Welcome back Rene!!!! So happy to see so many familiar faces around here!!!

D~

It is great to see you back at the Dis! I can't wait to hear all about your upcoming trip.

Victoria made a beautiful bride. It is very exciting to be looking forward to a grandbaby, although you are still so very young to be a grandma.

One of my daughters was 7 months old during one of our WDW trips and we found it to be a good age. The baby is old enough to sit up at the table. They can amuse themselves by grabbing food like Cheerios. But they still take good naps. They don't crawl around yet, which is nice. And they aren't too heavy to hold for long periods of time, if necessary.

I am so excited to be back Sue - it has been too long!!! I have so many friends here that I haven't connected with on FB, so it's like a mini reunion!

Hahaha - I feel like I am just the right Granny age... I'll be almost 49 when the munchkin arrives - so a great age to help chase! And I already have all the things here that I could possibly need, as I am certain baby will be spending lots of time with Granny and Cooper!

OK - that is super good information - it's so hard for my brain to calculate what baby will be doing at what age... Hopefully he/she isn't at that age where they are afraid of everything... A little nervous about that part - I hope he/she enjoys the characters a little bit anyways. I know V will be doing a lot of baby wrapping and carrying - and I'm sure I will volunteer as well.

I remembered my login! Excited for you all!

Planned around a sweatshirt? Add Disney math and girl math, it makes sense.

We took my boyfriend's grandson a few years ago. He was in that age range. Maybe younger because he wasn't really in that sit in highchair stage. I told the mom to bring one of those baby carry wrap things so she could wear him on rides and not have to be too worried about keeping him on her lap. It was nice. Back up stroller fan. Ours broke. Too many people wanting to share it (we had 9 people on our trip). Too many stores have cute Disney baby clothes. It was difficult to not over buy. Bring extra clothes in diaper bag or carryon. Ours had huge blowout in airport before we left and mom forgot to pack extra clothes and we had to wash in sink and try to dry with hand dryer. Not the way to start the trip.

Have a great time. Lots of pictures.

Yay!!! So glad to have you here Shannon!!! I know - it took me a few tries to get my login too. LOL

Hahaha - yup Disney math and girl math always = a justified Disney trip.

Oh yes!!! We definitely have baby wraps and extra extra extra clothes on the list... I guess that's one good thing about us - we never do anything half-way. Hahaha!

Oh gosh - that had to have been awful for everyone!!! That would be a hard way to start a trip for sure!!!

Oh yes - lots of photos are a requirement!

D, I was so excited to see your PTR! I loved your past trip reports and am so happy to see another familiar face around here.

Similar to you, I’m back on DIS after a long (3+ year) absence. We’re also planning a 2024 trip and will also be traveling for the first time with young kids - we have a five-year-old and a 11-month-old (who will be 19 months when we travel). I’m used to traveling with other adults so it will be quite a change! (Diapers and strollers oh my, indeed!)

V was a beautiful bride and so many congratulations on your new grand baby! I can’t wait to hear more about your plans.

Thanks so much!!! I am so happy to be back and to be able to connect with so many of my old friends again!!! And hopefully find a few new ones too! <3

Oh wow!!! This should be a fun and exciting trip for all of you !!! And a big adjustment too!!! Are you doing a PTR/TR for it? I'd love to follow along! I"ll need all the help I can get... Not to mention - V is incredibly opinionated - so everything will have to get her approval too!

Thank you - I am very biased... It was a gorgeous day and she was so beautiful! <3

***********************************************************************************************

OK all - you get a mid-day checkin today...

Only because I just booked our resort!!! :woohoo So excited!!! Now I have to wait a few days to get it linked in MDE.

A few Shades of Green photos for you all...











These photos make me so excited to be at this resort again!!! It's such a hidden gem for our Service Members and their families - I am so very grateful that we are able to utilize it! Josh is an Iraq War Veteran, with 20 years in the Army (retired) and going on 16 as a DoD employee as well... The girls were 4 & 5 when Josh was deployed and I was single-parenting them... To this day, they both suffer from some trauma and anxiety from those years - As an adult and as their mom - I didn't fully understand how much they endured until the most recent years... Josh's deployment will forever be a part of them, a part of us and a part of our family. Josh has been home now for almost 18 years, and we continue to adjust and roll with the changes - it has become a part of who we all are. But loving someone unconditionally is just how it is - you learn, you grow, you accomodate, you come together and sometimes you just fall apart... but in the end, we are all commited to him and our family. That is just how it is. The girls and I have utilized our SoG benefits many times over the years and we are so very grateful that we are able to enjoy this beautiful place, and even moreso now - we are able to share it with our expanding family.

OK enough on that... SoG is booked and we are very excited!

Soooo..... Genie+ is new to me... When do we buy that if we are going to? Is that something we have to wait to buy until we get there? Is there some sort of "length of stay" option? Anyone wanna point me to any links about it so I can study up?

Oh and V is researching rental cars as I type... She has a bit of sticker shock... We may be taking a bus afterall? We shall see... Any tips on securing a cheaper rental car rate?

OK - that's it for me today! Have a great day all!

D~

 

[Wood Nymph]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/e...lightning-lane-please-read-posts-1-7.3856734/


This thread will answer your questions. You can't buy Genie+ until after midnight of the day that you are going to use it. So, you have lots of time to research it.

 

[Texan]

This is so exciting! And you have your resort booked! Rental cars! Do you have a Costco membership? That is the only way I can book a rental, it is on their web site under Travel. A lot of people do Turo now, it is like an Airbnb for cars. It is a personal vehicle people rent out, I haven't personally done it but have known some people that have had good experiences and they are cheaper. I would not do a bus with a baby and luggage and stroller and car seat, etc. Just ugh.

Youngest son has gone to Disney twice during the "crazy" period as I call it , where you had to make reservations for the parks. He also did Genie and lightning lanes and said it wasn't difficult. You will have plenty of time to research and brain storm.

You cannot believe how excited I am for you and V! Following along!

 

[Ladyfish77]

Another rental car suggestion--If you have USAA you can check prices on their website and sometimes get a better deal.

Looking forward to all the baby outfits. You are going to have fun and it will be a completely new experience with the baby!

 

[sharksfinatic17]

Oops jus tread above...someone else suggested Costco (if you have a membership) has pretty good deals. You can frequently check for a cheaper price too. And you don't pay until you pick it up.

 

[DMGeurts]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/e...lightning-lane-please-read-posts-1-7.3856734/


This thread will answer your questions. You can't buy Genie+ until after midnight of the day that you are going to use it. So, you have lots of time to research it.

Thank you so much!!! I will be reading this post later today.

This is so exciting! And you have your resort booked! Rental cars! Do you have a Costco membership? That is the only way I can book a rental, it is on their web site under Travel. A lot of people do Turo now, it is like an Airbnb for cars. It is a personal vehicle people rent out, I haven't personally done it but have known some people that have had good experiences and they are cheaper. I would not do a bus with a baby and luggage and stroller and car seat, etc. Just ugh.

Youngest son has gone to Disney twice during the "crazy" period as I call it , where you had to make reservations for the parks. He also did Genie and lightning lanes and said it wasn't difficult. You will have plenty of time to research and brain storm.

You cannot believe how excited I am for you and V! Following along!

Thanks Carol... OK, so we don't have Cosco - buuuut we do have Sams Club, so I looked into that and that does save us about $150/week... So that definitely gets us closer to our budget. I"m also going to look into USAA, since we are members there, that might save us too. Thanks for the idea! That helped a lot!

I sure do miss the old FP system though - I sure wish that everything didn't change!

Another rental car suggestion--If you have USAA you can check prices on their website and sometimes get a better deal.

Looking forward to all the baby outfits. You are going to have fun and it will be a completely new experience with the baby!

Oh yes!!! I am also planning to log into USAA today too and see what I can find... I did find a decent rate with Sam's Club, so I'm hopeful that USAA can beat that - every little bit helps!

Oops jus tread above...someone else suggested Costco (if you have a membership) has pretty good deals. You can frequently check for a cheaper price too. And you don't pay until you pick it up.

Yes!!! This is awesome! I don't have a Cosco membership (but we have been debating on getting one) - we do have Sam's Club though (I just love their "scan & go" feature in their app - and it's kinda a deal breaker for me!!!)... When I checked into Sam's this morning, their prices saved us about $150/week... So we are definitely getting closer to our budget. I plan to log into USAA later today too - they might even be able to beat it further. Let's hope!

***********************************************************************************************************************

We had such a nice day yesterday!

V and I went out in the morning to do a Target run and then we went to Hobby Lobby too - she needed more yarn for the baby's blanket. We did go out for lunch, but she has just started with her morning sickness - which happens to be afternoon and evening sickness. She wasn't sick at all for about the first 12 weeks - and then it started to kick in after that - I feel so badly for her! I was never sick with either of the girls - I did have a tiny bit of nausea with Allison - but it was very rare and never resulted in me getting sick. I"m hoping it goes away for her soon! She also has a Dr. appointment today - we are expecting it to be pretty routine. In 3 weeks, she has her 2nd ultrasound - I am excited to see baby pics again!

Last night was Allison's boyfriend's (Michael) birthday celebration - so V and I drove back to the Cities last night and Michael BBQed for all of us - his family included... I bet there were about 20 people there? Kids included. It was a fun night and super delicious! I let V drive my new car home - I've had it since June and it's the first time I've let anyone (besides Josh - and that was only once too) drive it... I'm a bit protective, since it's my first brand new car since 1994 (lol) and I also drove my Edge for 13 years (We sold it to Allison) - so again, a bit overprotective. LOL

Today... Well - I'm still trying to figure out how to fit The Dis into my morning schedule again? I am not sure how I checked in here every single day for well over a decade? But I'm trying. I do have to run into town at some point today and run a few errands, I also need to get started on this week's bag - I'm pretty excited about it - it's one of my favorites to do and I haven't done one in many years! Any guesses?

I'm also planning to log into USAA at some point to see what rental car prices are... Let's hope they are even cheaper than Sam's.

I hope you all have a great day!

D~

 

[rdkeim]

Based on our last trip (March 2022) there will be a lot you need to get up to date on. I know I did! Luckily you have time to do the research. It will be easier to manage with it just being you and your DD (with baby in tow). We did buy Genie + every day but our group was 7 and it was frustrating at times - especially not being able to plan your day until the clock struck 7 am. I would be thrilled if they change that at least to the night before? There were days we did not get our monies worth but probably would have had it been just my DH and I. Maybe your trip will be more about characters and photo opportunities than rides? Anyway, I enjoy following along on your trip planning and your daily updates

 

[AliceNDinah]

Hello, new follower here from MN Your excitement just radiates off the page, and I'm really excited for you all!!! Please keep us posted on your plans, can't wait to follow it all. I took my little boy (10 years old, Disney ADULT, can't believe that, HA), in August of 2022, and I'm itchhhhhingggggg to get back there. It was hot as an oven, but I was in Heaven. September should be a great time to be there.
I also like your thread title, very cool. It caught my eye since my husband has an embroidery business he does out of our house
Anyway, excited to follow this one, I'll be living vicariously through you!!!!!!

 

[KarriWTiggerFan]

Welcome back to the DIS! I too took a few years off but I'm happy to see you back on here! Long time reader of your TR's and I will admit I was a lurker, but I loved reading your adventures with your girls...and watching them grow up. Congrats on the new impending arrival...soo exciting!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Oh wow!!! This should be a fun and exciting trip for all of you !!! And a big adjustment too!!! Are you doing a PTR/TR for it? I'd love to follow along! I"ll need all the help I can get... Not to mention - V is incredibly opinionated - so everything will have to get her approval too!

Yes, my PTR is in progress! You can find it on the Pre-Trip Report board or follow the link in my signature.

I'd love to see you over there - I'm sure we'll be figuring out many of the same things!

I just booked our resort!!!

Hooray! It's always exciting to book the resort. It will be nice to have so much room at SoG.

Anyone wanna point me to any links about it so I can study up?

This is what I've been doing - Genie+ is completely new to me, too!

The best (and easiest to understand) information I've found is in the Unofficial Guide to WDW book and their companion blog, Disney Tourist Blog. They have not only an overview but also tons of tips and tricks to maximize its use and how to prioritize attractions in each park. If you prefer video over words, the DFB Guide on You Tube has multiple up-to-date videos about Genie+ (and I much prefer their videos to their ad-heavy website).

Any tips on securing a cheaper rental car rate?

Many have already highlighted discount options (Costco, Sam's Club, USAA), but I'll add an additional tip I've come across. There's a website called AutoSlash that can help you search for low rates. You set up a profile that includes all your affiliations that may give discounts (Costco, AAA, frequent flier programs, etc.) and will find the lowest-price rentals for you. You can also tell Auto Slash about a rental you've booked and they will alert you if they can find a lower price. I wouldn't pre-pay for a rental car as you can cancel and rebook a rental car multiple times leading up to your trip - the rates and potential discounts change all the time.

In addition, the Transportation board on the DIS used to be a great resource for finding rental car codes. It doesn't seem as active as it used to be, but it wouldn't hurt to follow applicable threads!

 

[Born2BaPrincess1]

So fun! I love your PTRs and TRs! And I love grandbabies! Before our oldest daughter and her husband and baby left florida (he had a rotation for school in Jacksonville) last spring we were able to do a quick trip to WDW and it was so fun. We only did a couple of days but Emery handled it like a champ. She was 8 months old at the time. We found lots of Disney clothes for her at H&M, and kohls has a lot right now. So fun! I’m excited to hear all about it!

 

[DMGeurts]

Based on our last trip (March 2022) there will be a lot you need to get up to date on. I know I did! Luckily you have time to do the research. It will be easier to manage with it just being you and your DD (with baby in tow). We did buy Genie + every day but our group was 7 and it was frustrating at times - especially not being able to plan your day until the clock struck 7 am. I would be thrilled if they change that at least to the night before? There were days we did not get our monies worth but probably would have had it been just my DH and I. Maybe your trip will be more about characters and photo opportunities than rides? Anyway, I enjoy following along on your trip planning and your daily updates

Yah - there is just so much to know... I mean - in all honesty - we are there for the Coconut Dole Whips and the rest of the food! Hahaha!

That is super frustrating! I wish they'd allow you to do it further in advance than that - So annoying and hard to plan! I"m thinking we will be focused on characters, food and photopass... The little one will dictate everything I"m sure!

Hello, new follower here from MN Your excitement just radiates off the page, and I'm really excited for you all!!! Please keep us posted on your plans, can't wait to follow it all. I took my little boy (10 years old, Disney ADULT, can't believe that, HA), in August of 2022, and I'm itchhhhhingggggg to get back there. It was hot as an oven, but I was in Heaven. September should be a great time to be there.
I also like your thread title, very cool. It caught my eye since my husband has an embroidery business he does out of our house
Anyway, excited to follow this one, I'll be living vicariously through you!!!!!!

Hey hey neighbor! How fun!!! I've taken our girls many times over the years (feel free to peruse my old PTRs and TRs if you want)... So many great memories have been had! Disney has never once been a regret for me (or for them) - we love it there and love the planning together! We are so excited to plan with a baby too now!

Oh yes -there is nothing like Florida heat! LOL We've done a couple of August trips and yah - it was so HOT! Just glad our weather is cooling off here this week, I'm ready for fall!

Ooooh!!! That's awesome that your husband's business is embroidery! Hopefully he is staying busy these days!! I've found my business to be a little slow over the last year or so - thankfully Josh is the breadwinner and the money I make doesn't really provide much to our family budget, or we'd probably have to find a better income for me. I"m just grateful that Josh lets me do what I love to do - and it allows me to still be flexible with our girls - because even though they are grown and gone - I still do a TON for them and with them... And I wouldn't want it any other way! <3

Super happy to have you here and following along! I look forward to getting to know you!

Welcome back to the DIS! I too took a few years off but I'm happy to see you back on here! Long time reader of your TR's and I will admit I was a lurker, but I loved reading your adventures with your girls...and watching them grow up. Congrats on the new impending arrival...soo exciting!

Hey!! Welcome back! I'm happy to see you out of "lurk mode" I look forward to doing another PTR and getting into some fun planning with my Dis friends!

It's kind of neat now - that I have a small "time capsule" on the Dis - where people can still get to know us if they wish - and they can still go back and read all of my old PTRs/TRs.

We are so, so, so excited!!! It's hard to believe we will be grandparents!

Yes, my PTR is in progress! You can find it on the Pre-Trip Report board or follow the link in my signature.

I'd love to see you over there - I'm sure we'll be figuring out many of the same things!


Hooray! It's always exciting to book the resort. It will be nice to have so much room at SoG.


This is what I've been doing - Genie+ is completely new to me, too!

The best (and easiest to understand) information I've found is in the Unofficial Guide to WDW book and their companion blog, Disney Tourist Blog. They have not only an overview but also tons of tips and tricks to maximize its use and how to prioritize attractions in each park. If you prefer video over words, the DFB Guide on You Tube has multiple up-to-date videos about Genie+ (and I much prefer their videos to their ad-heavy website).


Many have already highlighted discount options (Costco, Sam's Club, USAA), but I'll add an additional tip I've come across. There's a website called AutoSlash that can help you search for low rates. You set up a profile that includes all your affiliations that may give discounts (Costco, AAA, frequent flier programs, etc.) and will find the lowest-price rentals for you. You can also tell Auto Slash about a rental you've booked and they will alert you if they can find a lower price. I wouldn't pre-pay for a rental car as you can cancel and rebook a rental car multiple times leading up to your trip - the rates and potential discounts change all the time.

In addition, the Transportation board on the DIS used to be a great resource for finding rental car codes. It doesn't seem as active as it used to be, but it wouldn't hurt to follow applicable threads!

Awesome! I'll try to get over there today!

Yes - we do love the extra large room sizes there!

That is good to know - I'll be researching like crazy soon! I so hate that this is something we have to pay for now.

Oooh that's interesting - I will be looking that up too! THank you!

So fun! I love your PTRs and TRs! And I love grandbabies! Before our oldest daughter and her husband and baby left florida (he had a rotation for school in Jacksonville) last spring we were able to do a quick trip to WDW and it was so fun. We only did a couple of days but Emery handled it like a champ. She was 8 months old at the time. We found lots of Disney clothes for her at H&M, and kohls has a lot right now. So fun! I’m excited to hear all about it!

Thank you!!! Hahaha - I"m loving grand babies too - so far!

Oh how fun!!!! I love that she was that age! Do you think it was a good age to go?

We are having a really hard time finding Disney clothes right now - but retail is gearing up for winter in MN, so everything out there is warm... Once spring hits, then we will really start buying for the trip, because the clothing will be much more geared towards Florida weather. I have managed to get a few swim suits for the baby that he/she can wear in Florida while we are there - so there's that - but that's about all I've been able to do.

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OK - well yesterday was a nice day!

I have a small baby update for you all! Good news!!! Victoria is 17.5 weeks along... baby has a nice heartbeat of 150 bpm!!! She swears she can feel baby moving already... I don't remember feeling the girls move at all until closer to 20 weeks... but who knows? We are just happy that baby seems to be healthy! She has her 2nd ultrasound in 3 weeks, so we are all very excited to see the baby again!

For the record, Victoria did have genetic testing done, so we do know the gender of the baby... but Josh doesn't want to know - so we are keeping it a secret from him. We also know what the baby will be named - and a little pat on the back for myself - they actually chose one of the names I suggested.

I did look into rental cars a little bit yesterday (I can't remember if I updated about this yet or not?)... But prices were WAAAY cheaper with Sam's Club than they were with USAA - which was kind of surprising to me and a little disappointing... I think we were hoping to get a car for closer to $250/week - and we want a little bit bigger car, so of course that's more expensive. We are still looking into other options though - maybe the Sunshine Flyer? Any experience with that? I honestly feel safer on a bus than in a towncar? I think?

I know that our Aruba vacation doesn't have anything to do with Disney really - except that we fly over on our way there and back. LOL But I did get notice the other day that our flights were changed in our favor - so that always makes me feel better. I had to book with a very close connection (45 min layover in Miami) - and I"ven been super nervous about it. We always lay over in Miami when we are going to Aruba - we like the airport and it's an easy layover - but 45 min is cutting it pretty close - I'm always worried that our luggage won't make it. Anyways - the airlines adjusted our flight, so now we have a 2 hour layover both directions - which for me is the perfect layover... It gives us enough time to use restrooms and grab a meal before we have to reboard. We are under 100 days for this trip, and I am truly excited about it! Josh and I have managed to go every year for the last 6 years (but we did miss 2019) - and last year for our 25th wedding anniversary, we splurged with 2 weeks instead of 1... And we can't go back on that now. 2 weeks in paradise wasn't enough either - LOL but definitely better than 1... Maybe once Josh retires we will be able to add on a 3rd week? We'll see... He just doesn't quite have enough vacation time for all of the time off he takes if we were to take a 3rd week in Aruba. So, anyways - I'm almost at the point where I need to start making dinner reservations for that trip... We have our favorites and we are hoping to add in a new restaurant this year too.

As long as I am talking about other vacations... I am also taking a cruise with Allison in September 2024. You guys didn't think I'd leave her out did you? LOL It's NOT a Disney cruise - which I am kind of sad about... but it is a cruise with a few of my friends. And it's my first cruise ever - so totally new to me and I"m actually kindof excited about it. We will be on the Carnival Magic and we will be hitting Belize, Cancun and Carnival's private island. It's a 7 day cruise - I"m a little nervous about getting sea sick - since I do get motion sickness... So hopefully it isn't too bad?

So - anyways... 2024 will be a busy vacation year for me! (not complaining) - but after not doing Disney for so many years, and branching out into other places - it has been kind of nice.

Alrighty... Today...

Nothing exciting going on. I"m working on this week's bag - I'm loving how it's coming together!

I don't think I am going anywhere today? I do need to go visit my dad... He is now living in a nursing home about 15 miles away. He was on hospice earlier this year, but he improved miraculously, so they graduated him off of it. I'm thinking tomorrow will work better for my schedule to visit him.

And I think that's all I have for you guys for today! Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday!

D~