Sit down! Buckle up! & Hang On! Mickeystoontown's Gang is going to Walley World! 5/15

[KatMark]

I swear Mark and John are long lost cousins. We do this every year and then we get there and he asks "why aren't we eating ..........?" Seriously, we went over all this 180 days ago.

We are trying Ohana for the very first time this year. If I'm not mistaken our ADR is much earlier and we will then stroll around the Poly and to the Water parade and the fireworks from the beach.

 

[SoccerDogWithEars]

I think this is when it helps to go with someone who's never been. Joe is letting me pick all the places, though I did do the same thing and show him menus. The only one he was set on was HDDR, but only because he found out he could get all you can eat ribs He doesn't care about the show at all

 

[maryj11]

I love Ohana ! I sure do know how hard it is to get a reservation there at a decent time I tried everyday off and on also until I found one. We have eaten there 4 times. Two times for dinner and two times for breakfast. There character breakfast is really good also. Oh and my grand daughter did all the kids games during dinner and loved it !

 

[mickeystoontown]

I have always wanted to try ohana, but we haven't had the chance! Now it looks even more appetizing! Hopefully i will get to try it someday!

It took us over a dozen trips to Disney World before we tried Ohana. Our friends who are Disney lovers too said that they go every year so we figured we give it a try and we were so glad that we did!

Note to self: Next time...don't read mickeystoontown's ADR update when you are staving...I think I drooled on my keyboard at the sight of the noodles from Ohana. I think I ate my weight in noodles last time I was there!!!

Your teaser for your next update also has me jealous! We are just missing the all-nighter by a few days! Lisa, my dear, you have all the luck!!!!

I seem to look at Disney food pictures right before mealtime and I am left hungry.

I love those noodles. I would be perfectly happy to eat noodles, wings, salad, broccoli, and shrimp. Oh yeah - and dessert!

Way to snag a reservation Lisa! Your conversations with John are always so comical.

One can never say that there's a dull moment at our house.

 

[teekathepony]

Hahaha omg that story made me laugh and also brings back memories of every time we try to make plans for dinner! Haha
Glad you managed an 'Ohana reservation on short notice! I've never eaten there. Too picky and the food looks scary! Lmao

 

[Mndisneygirl]

I love those noodles. I would be perfectly happy to eat noodles, wings, salad, broccoli, and shrimp. Oh yeah - and dessert!

Way to snag a reservation Lisa! Your conversations with John are always so comical.

I second what Mary Ellen said!!

 

[Kathy Jetson]

Yeah for your new luggage carrier!

for your Ohana dinner reservation and your conversation with John was hilarious!

I bet it feels good to have the talk with your boss over with and one less thing to worry about!

 

[racefanof88]

Just wanted to stop by and say . I can have my stuff packed and I will meet y'all on Hwy 98 at University Blvd................ I wish . I guess it will be January before we get to go, but I can sure live vicariously through your trip.......

 

[HiHoOffWeGo]

Racefanof88 wants to know if you have room in the car topper? LOL

Question: We will be there for the last day of Star Wars. How do you plan your Star Wars day? Details please! I can't stand long so is there someplace you can sit for the parade?

 

[mickeystoontown]

I really enjoy Ohana, but the last few times, we've been stuck at a table in the back room. I dislike it so much because I feel like we are missing everything.

I tried to tell them we would wait for a table in the main room last time and the girl at the check-in desk told me that they didn't take those requests, so we got stuck in the back room again.

But we really enjoy the food, so I'm sure we will eat there again sometime.

And good job working your magic! My DH loves to ask me to try to change ADRs all the time and usually at the last minute.

I guess that we've lucked in because our tables have always been in a good spot. Not real close to the front or the grills but in a spot where we can watch Wishes!

Isn't it crazy how the husbands think we can just snap our fingers and get any reservation that we want? If that were the case, the Fantasmic Package I've been searching for for months would magically appear.

LOL! I love your conversations with John!

I have only done 'Ohana for breakfast. I wanted dinner because the menu looks fabulous, but the boys wanted characters so breakfast it was!

We have some crazy conversations around our house, that's for sure.

If Stitch didn't make an appearance during breakfast, we might try it but John can't stand that little blue alien.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I swear Mark and John are long lost cousins. We do this every year and then we get there and he asks "why aren't we eating ..........?" Seriously, we went over all this 180 days ago.

We are trying Ohana for the very first time this year. If I'm not mistaken our ADR is much earlier and we will then stroll around the Poly and to the Water parade and the fireworks from the beach.

It's not like this is their first time going to Disney or having us book their ADRs!

I hope that ya'll like Ohana as much as we do. Well, Hunter's okay with it but his opinion on food rarely counts since he's a picky eater.

I think this is when it helps to go with someone who's never been. Joe is letting me pick all the places, though I did do the same thing and show him menus. The only one he was set on was HDDR, but only because he found out he could get all you can eat ribs He doesn't care about the show at all

I can definitely see the benefit of going with a first timer! Jesse was like that when we went last year. He was just happy to go and couldn't care less about where we ate.

I love Ohana ! I sure do know how hard it is to get a reservation there at a decent time I tried everyday off and on also until I found one. We have eaten there 4 times. Two times for dinner and two times for breakfast. There character breakfast is really good also. Oh and my grand daughter did all the kids games during dinner and loved it !

I was really surprised to get an ADR at such a late notice. Okay, so late notice per Disney terms.

 

[blessedmom4]

I have been reading...I really have! Love the Ohana, plans, the Sea World plans the boss is now on board with you being gone taken care of...the one problem is I will NOT be there with you!

What I really came by to say is how much I LOVE you and how important you are to me...you make me smile!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Hahaha omg that story made me laugh and also brings back memories of every time we try to make plans for dinner! Haha
Glad you managed an 'Ohana reservation on short notice! I've never eaten there. Too picky and the food looks scary! Lmao

It's a bit hard for us to choose which restaurant to dine at because we do have some picky eaters in the group. I'm kinda sorta one of them. Ohana food really isn't scary at all. If you like pork, steak and chicken, you'll be fine. I don't care for the dipping sauces and could do without them completely.

I second what Mary Ellen said!!

Me three!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Yeah for your new luggage carrier!

for your Ohana dinner reservation and your conversation with John was hilarious!

I bet it feels good to have the talk with your boss over with and one less thing to worry about!

I am so happy that we decided to get the luggage carrier and wished that we had gotten it before last year's trip. It would have made packing much easier.

I'm so happy that my boss finally stopped, looked and listened!

Just wanted to stop by and say . I can have my stuff packed and I will meet y'all on Hwy 98 at University Blvd................ I wish . I guess it will be January before we get to go, but I can sure live vicariously through your trip.......

Hey Dana! Um, change of plans...we are re-routing and will be missing Hwy. 98. Still coming through Mobile though so we need to change our meeting place.

Racefanof88 wants to know if you have room in the car topper? LOL

Question: We will be there for the last day of Star Wars. How do you plan your Star Wars day? Details please! I can't stand long so is there someplace you can sit for the parade?

Racefan needs a vacation in the most major of ways! She's been at home rehabilitating from a shoulder injury. Poor thing just wants to get back to the hospital and take care of those little babies.

Oh gosh! Star Wars Weekends....we have a love/hate relationship with them. The number one piece of advise is get there EARLY! If you want to see any of the stars, you'll have to get Fastpasses and they go super fast. I'm talking get there waaaaaay before the park opens. Both times that we went, the lines for Fastpasses were to the right of the Security lines. You must decide who you want to see the most and stand in that line since there are separate lines for each star.

Somehow, we missed the parade both times that we went to SWW. I know! Can you believe that?

The second best piece of advise that I have is plan two days at Hollywood Studios if you can. One for SWW and one for a non SWW day. There were so many people in the park that we didn't get to do many of the attractions.

Maybe lovethattink will chime in since she's an expert at SWW!

 

[mickeystoontown]

I have been reading...I really have! Love the Ohana, plans, the Sea World plans the boss is now on board with you being gone taken care of...the one problem is I will NOT be there with you!

What I really came by to say is how much I LOVE you and how important you are to me...you make me smile!

Judy, it's so sweet of you to stop by with all that you have going on. Praying! Praying! Praying! Love you bunches too!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Ladies and Gents: I'm going to move forward on the pre-trip report in a few but I wanted to ask a favor from you all. Please please remember that this Saturday, May 11th, is Stamp Out Hunger! sponsored by Feeding America. org.

What I am about to say may make some of you angry but I feel a strong urge to say it anyway (and, you know me, I'm not one to shy away from ya'll telling me that I look crazy or act like a nut or have something stupid to say ).

So here goes.....there are so many organizations out there that help out those in other countries. There are commercials on almost every channel pleading with us to help them. Now, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. I'm not saying that at all. But, right here, in our own backyards, hunger in America exists for over 50 million people. That is 1 in 6 of the U.S. population – including more than 1 in 5 children. Why do we not see more commercials or advertisements asking us to help feed those in America?

Just look at these statistics taken from the Feeding America website:

Food Insecurity and Very Low Food Security iv
•In 2011, 50.1 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 33.5 million adults and 16.7 million children.
•In 2011, 14.9 percent of households (17.9 million households) were food insecure.
•In 2011, 5.7 percent of households (6.8 million households) experienced very low food security.
•In 2011, households with children reported food insecurity at a significantly higher rate than those without children, 20.6 percent compared to 12.2percent.
•In 2011, households that had higher rates of food insecurity than the national average included households with children (20.6 percent), especially households with children headed by single women (36.8 percent) or single men (24.9 percent), Black non-Hispanic households (25.1 percent) and Hispanic households (26.2 percent).
•In 2011, 8.8 percent of seniors living alone (1 million households) were food insecure.
•Food insecurity exists in every county in America, ranging from a low of 5 percent in Steele County, ND to a high of 37 percent in Holmes County, MS.

While I have never been one of those who have gone hungry, I have been one of those who had a very limited budget with which to purchase our food, to stock our pantry and refrigerator. Back when John first got hurt, he was unable to work for long periods of time. We never knew when or if he would actually be able to work. Worker's comp paid us very little and it was a struggle. I remember back when we had $25 to last us for the entire week. Through the power of prayer and through the Grace of God, John's doctors finally came up with the right medications and he was released to go back to work and we had a semi-steady income again. Those were some hard times. I can not imagine what others go through to see their families hungry and without food.

So, I urge you! I beg you! I plead with you to please donate food items this Saturday! It requires nothing more from you than bagging up a few items and placing them near your mailbox. Just a few steps right outside your door. Can you imagine how many donated items would be gathered if each and every one of us here on my thread did that? Oh how wonderful that would be!

Here's more information straight from the Feeding America. org website:

On Saturday, May 11, 2013, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) will collect food donations in order to provide assistance to the millions of Americans who are struggling with hunger.
•The Stamp Out Hunger food drive is a nationwide effort that provides food to local food banks and pantries. Food banks across the country continue to experience record demand for emergency food assistance, especially in the summer months when children are out of school.
•The nation’s 175,000 letter carriers will collect food donations left at the mailboxes of generous Americans in more than 10,000 communities and deliver them to food banks and other hunger-relief organizations.
•Celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, the Stamp Out Hunger food drive is the nation’s largest single-day food drive, having collected more than one billion pounds of food since its inception in 1993. In 2012, generous Americans donated more than 70 million pounds of food, which marked the ninth consecutive year that at least 70 million pounds were collected.
•Nick Cannon, multi-talented entertainer and member of the Feeding America Entertainment Council, is the national spokesperson for the Stamp Out Hunger food drive for the third consecutive year. The drive particularly hits home for Cannon, who experienced hunger and relied on food pantries as a child.



Wonder what foods are great to donate to the food drive? Here are a few non-perishable food items requested by food banks:
•Cereal
•Pasta
•Rice
•Canned fruits and vegetables
•Canned meals such as soups, chili, pasta
•100% juice
•Peanut butter
•Pasta sauce or spaghetti sauce
•Macaroni & cheese
•Canned protein – tuna, chicken, turkey
•Beans – canned or dry


Thank you all for listening to me and thank you in advance for your donations!

P.S. If any of you want to quote me and post this on either your trip reports or Facebook pages, please feel free! If it helps the cause, go for it!

 

[oopsiDAISY]

We participate in this EVERY year! My husband and my kids know that every year we WILL leave a sack of food hanging on our mailbox. They have made it SO EASY to help...we are all left with NO EXCUSE not to!

 

[mickeystoontown]

We participate in this EVERY year! My husband and my kids know that every year we WILL leave a sack of food hanging on our mailbox. They have made it SO EASY to help...we are all left with NO EXCUSE not to!

I participate every year too. Like you said, it's so easy. You really have nothing to do but gather up a few items and place them outside. Thank you so much for posting!

 

[Bethislucy]

We did this 300 project at my church this past Christmas where we provided Christmas dinner for 300 families and a meal for them when they came and picked it up. In saying that we went through our local school district and it was shocking how many families are struggling here. I knew it wasn't great this is a mill area and mills are shutting down, but I was shocked at how many families need this food and were so grateful to just have the food. So many people need jobs now days and every little bit helps. Even if we think it's just a few items they add up when everyone that just has a few items add them together.

 

[PittypatBR]

This is SO important, Lisa. Thanks for highlighting it. I can remember early days of our marriage when everyone used glass coke bottles and there was a deposit, we would walk around and pick up bottles to redeem for the deposit when it got close to the end of the month! I volunteer at a church program affiliated with the food bank, and I KNOW how many hungry and often desperate people there are out there. If everyone could see them and hear their stories they would be much freer with their donations.

BAG UP THAT FOOD FOR SATURDAY!! And give to your local food bank whenever you can!