That sentence gave me goosebumps!!!!
I was thinking it's pretty incredible that it just happened to be the Wonder, with your favorite duck on it, that was the Disney ship that just happened to be in Aruba at the same time as you!!
Really incredible angles and vantage point for taking in the ship!!!!! You are just beaming
Such a lucky duck!
What a FUN surprise!!!! I'm going to HDDR for the first time in May, on MY birthday!!! I really can't wait because it looks so amazing!
Hehehehe - I was so excited to see my Duck in Aruba!
It was a truly fantastic experience!
Yay!!! Well... It WAS a surprise... *someone* can't seem to keep their mouth shut when talking Disney to their children.
I didn't know Josh was hurt, not sure how I missed that. So sorry!!! I do hope he recovers quickly and completely!
I am so exctied that you got to see the Wonder! Like I said before, when you do take a cruise you will be HOOKED! And yes, it will be a REAL vacation. It has been five years since we last cruised, and we are all SO EXCITED! Last night DH ordered himself a go-pro. We will be doing a canopy zipline excursion in Antiqua, and he wants to capture it all on film. I know you have a next few years of vacations planned, but I cannot wait for you to get
DCL on the docket. You will LOVE it!
Congrats on HDDR! Surprising your girls will be so fun! HDDR is not on a list for us. I would love to try it, but DH does not like to do experiences on vacation that we can do at home. And, since we live in the south, that food and that type of show are pretty readily available for us. I have heard it is a blast, though.
So, for the 2020 family trip, will Josh be returning to the World, too???
Yah - we think it was brought on by our flight home... He had an injury while on active duty (Pre- D~).. Long story short - we were in seats which didn't have arm rests that could lift, so he was forced to sit straight ahead for the entire flight - I admit - it was very uncomfortable because we couldn't shift our weight to the side at all. Anyways - the next morning - his back went out and he ended up taking another week off of work because he couldn't get out of bed. He had his procedure on Wednesday though - and he is finally starting to loosen up a bit - we have been home for a month now, and this is by far the worst episode he has ever had.
That is so exciting!!! I can't believe you haven't cruised in 5 years - it doesn't seem that long! It will be an amazing vacation for you all!
Well - it WAS a surprise... And then I couldn't keep my mouth shut...
We are all very excited though!
Yes - JOSH WILL BE WITH ON THAT TRIP!!!! (And yes, I was yelling that! LOL) - we are so excited!!!!
And he does sound a teeny bit excited too.
I am a bit nervous - as Josh, Brian and Thomas are HUGE Star Wars fans - so their sole purpose of this trip is SWGE... I don't think they have ANY comprehension of how insane that will be - they are not the best in crowds... I think I'll just hang out at the front of DHS that day, and just drink coffee.
Aruba looks gorgeous! I am so glad you guys had a great time. I really can't wait to get there some day and check it out myself.
The Wonder looks beautiful! I want to do a
Disney cruise at some point but DH isn't a huge fan of cruising so not sure that will happen. I think it would be a blast with Alex so maybe DH will come around!
HDDR is amazing, what a great surprise!!!!
It was fantastic... I am already planning our next trip back! I can't wait to go again!
It was so cool - I've never cruised, so I have no idea if I like it or not - but I'd love to find out. LOL
I can't wait for HDDR - sadly the girls know... I can't keep a secret from them! LOL
Loved seeing where you stayed in Aruba! Looks so lovely and relaxing. The food and drinks looked really good. You looked great in all the photos - even the ones your father-in-law posted. You are too hard on yourself - all your hard work has paid off! I think you will all love the HDDR! We took our boys many years ago but it was a real highlight of the trip. The food was great and the show was so fun. Glad your DH is on the mend - no fun for either of you!
It was so wonderful - just beyond comprehension... Beautiful - truly.
The food was insane!!! I am still having issues with seafood... Not so much with fish - but shell fish makes me a little gaggy.
Thanks
- that was very nice of you to say... I am very hard on myself - I try not to be - but it's so difficult sometimes!
The girls and I are very much looking forward to HDDR and the entire trip - it's going to be a lot of fun! And it will be a great reward for the girls finishing their first year of college.
Josh is getting there - he had his procedure on Wednesday - he is still having issues, but he's starting to loosen up a bit more as each day passes. This episode was by far the worst he's ever had.
I don't post often, but I have read all of your trip reports. I do girl trips with my special needs daughter, when we can. Which is usually about every 3-4 years. My Husband and son are not Disney fans.
Lindsey and I go and have an Awesome time in our Happy Place! It is great to see you back on this sight again. I missed reading your posts. Love your creativity! I vote for steamboat Willie, since it is Mickey's 90th and Dumbo (because of the new Dumbo movie coming out. Thanks for sharing.
Welcome!!! Thanks for stopping by to say hi!
That is awesome!!! I love that you do trips with your dd, they are so special aren't they???? I just love that time with my girls - and just being excited with them, the planning - all of it.
I love that we've created these fantastic memories over the years!
Thanks!!! I really need to pull out my bags and start some eliminating... I don't have a lot of luggage room on this trip, so I am going to have to be creative... Or borrow space in the girls' bags??? Or maybe ship a box down ahead of me?
It's going to be tricky - that's for sure!
It was great "meeting" you - thanks for stopping by!
Long time lurker...but I'm finally posting
I'm excited to hear more of your adventure!!! Aruba looks amazing, and what a nice break from the winter blahs.
I loved seeing your Aruba pictures. We have been experiencing record breaking cold temps here in Canada ( we are day 15 of below -40 F here ) It has been nasty and gross. So seeing your pictures has brightened my days! I'm on a count down for our trip to Mexico for our dd's wedding in May. ( too bad the timing could not have been for a nice winter vacation ) and planning the last little things that we need to do for that. Then hopefully planning on doing a Disney trip with our boys ( and probably the dark side as we are big potter heads as well
)
Thanks for your trip reports and I'm looking forward to hearing your plans and your adventure with your girls!!!!!
Welcome!!! Thanks for stopping by!
Aruba was fantastic - but we've been paying for it with excess of snow since we've been home - I've never been more ready for spring.
I get it - I am in MN - so not *quite* Canada, but I do feel like we get our fair share of snow and cold. LOL Ooooh - Mexico... that will be nice and warm!
- and a Disney trip too???? Cool! Do you have dates for that yet - or are you still trying to nail that down? My girls are dying to go back to US to do HP - but it won't happen on this trip, it's just too short.
I have a few updates to do today - hopefully I have enough time to do them after I finish all of the replies I am behind on. LOL
Again - thanks for stopping by, it was nice to meet you!
I haven't done the fireworks cruise before, but have been to HDDR twice. Cindy is correct in saying you will be stuffed. SO. MUCH. FOOD. Can you do the cruise another night?
LOL... OK - you guys talked me out of it. It sure was a good thought though right? I don't think we have another available night to do it on this trip - which is OK... So, now I am thinking of watching Fireworks from either CR or the beach at the Poly...
Not sure yet - knowing the girls and I, we will be back at our room and sound asleep long before fireworks start. LOL
Your room looks wonderful. I love the view you had. I would spend a lot of time just looking at the ocean.
What a fun experience! The Wonder looks amazing and I love the Disney touches, especially Donald and his nephew. Our youngest daughter was on the Wonder the first week of February. Her cruise stopped at St Thomas rather than Aruba. It would have been quite a coincidence if she was on the ship when you were cruising around it.
We did HDDR once with the above mentioned daughter and her family. It was a lot of fun. I wouldn't want to spoil the memory of the HDDR evening by adding the dessert cruise. I would do the cruise another night. It would give me a whole extra event to look forward to instead of having it all on one day.
We have watched the MK fireworks from the beach at FW, the observation deck at CR, the beach at WL, from the patio in front of Gasparillas and the grass area next to Narcossees. The best view was from the Grand Floridian. They pipe in the music and you can grab a table in front of Gasparillas and order food while you watch.
You are closest to the fireworks at that point and can see the castle turn colors in the distance. The fireworks views from CR, WL, and FW show a sideways view of the fireworks, which is nice but looks more like "just fireworks" rather than a coordinated show. I would think that the Poly and the TTC would have great views, too.
I hope the procedure does the trick. He must have been in terrible pain.
We are heading off the Disney this coming Saturday, Feb 23rd. We don't have another Disney trip planned until December, which is unusual for us, but decided we need to go other places for a change.
It was so wonderful - we cannot wait to go back!
Hahahaha - that would have been SO FUNNY! Could you imagine???? LOL We were only a few weeks off.
I think all of you are right... I am going to hold off on doing a fireworks cruise on this trip - it's a pretty short trip for us, and I think we will be too full from dinner to even want to do a cruise. It sure would be nice if there was a fireworks cruise that didn't involve food.
I think we will try to watch the fireworks that night from either CR or the Poly... CR would be nice because then we could just hop on the monorail and catch a bus back to the resort from the TTC. And now I just read your paragraph about watching them from GF - that sounds perfect! We might try that? Thanks! We'll see how tired we are - knowing us, we'll be back at the resort sound asleep long before fireworks even begin. LOL
Josh had his back procedure on Wednesday - he is starting to loosen up a bit. This was by far the worst episode he has ever had.
I am so late - but I hope you had a good trip??? Where did you stay this time?
Totally agree with Cindy on this one, you will not want any dessert after HDDR! The food is all you can eat and so good. And don't forget you get dessert there, an amazing strawberry shortcake.
LOL - you guys totally talked me out of this. Thank you! LOL And my wallet thanks you.
I highly recommend any fireworks cruise! We did the Pirates and Pals fireworks cruise once, and it was AMAZING! It was just so fun, the captain was wonderul entertainment with stories, games, and jokes. We got to see the Water Pageant pass by directly in front of us. Then, watching the fireworks from the boat was so much more relaxing and serene. It is, by far, at the top of our list of favorite WDW experiences!
This is good to know... Maybe with BMTL when we go? It might be fun for the kids? Do you know how far in advance it needs to be booked?
Loved all the Magic ship photos! Glad you got to see it. I think it would be fun to do a Disney cruise, but the cost is high compared to other ships, but I hear the service is outstanding.
How was the snorkeling in Aruba? I know you did it, but did you see some cool fish and coral? Turtles? Hope you enjoyed it enough to do it again!
This is on my todo list. Unfortunately my DS doesn't think it would be fun. I may just have to drag him there to prove otherwise!
That is awesome!
I either missed the memo or forgot the memo! Spring 2020! Fun.
I've only been doing it for two weeks, but I lost 2.5lbs the first week, which is a lot for me to lose in one week! I'm afraid to get on the scale Wednesday because I'm worried the scale won't have moved again. I do like IF because it keeps me in my calorie range and I stay full because I'm doing Keto!
I've looked into this, but never done it. Watching from the beach at the Poly is fun (and on the way home to SoG). Dole Whip is always a bonus.
How do you eat at WDW? I'm going next month, and I want to try and stay as close to my Keto as possible. Usually I would be more lax but with the wedding at the end of April I'm trying to stay compliant to lose as much as I can before the wedding. Any tips if you have them would be appreciated.
It's amazing how much puffiness we get when we eat on vacation! I really noticed it during our Christmas trip. I had been doing keto for several months, and decided to just eat smart, but enjoy treats (not keto obviously). I was amazed when I returned how much puffiness I had. Ugh. You look like you got rid of the water quickly after Aruba! Looking great!
It did look so incredible! I do hope to do a Disney cruise one day!
Snorkeling in Aruba was fantastic!!! I loved it! We rented the gear from our resort, and then Josh's Dad took us to "Baby Beach" - which is exactly as it's name describes... When we got there - Josh's dad talked to the bartender, and he was told that there were a lot of fish on the one side of the beach and turtles on the other. Of course I wanted to see the turtles... It took me a LONG time to figure out how to breathe through my mouth and to get my mask to seal properly - once I got that figured out - I had a lot of fun. We drifted at the top of the water for quite a while, but never got to see anything except for a few sea urchins hiding in rocks and a couple of Flounder fish - which was neat, but kind of a bummer because I wanted to see turtles. I think I could have swam around there all day, quite honestly - I loved it. But after an hour or so - Josh was ready to be done... He was a trooper after all - he held my hand the entire time and drug me around the entire beach - he was probably quite tired. LOL So, we stood there, about waist high, taking off all of our gear, just then Josh looked down and there was a giant sea turtle at his knees!!!! We both threw our gear back on (I never even got my mouth thingy hooked back into my mask - I just held it with my hand) - we followed this turtle around for probably another 10+ minutes! It was an absolute HIGHLIGHT of our trip! Just the COOLEST thing ever! I am so thankful to you for urging me on - because I probably wouldn't have been so determined to stick with it and figure out my mask if it wasn't for you and knowing that you were so encouraging to me! So, thank you!!!! Next time, I hope to do it more and longer... I am not the strongest swimmer in the world - so I am totally OK staying at Baby Beach - but it was truly the BEST!!!!
And it's definitely on my list for next trip!
I think we just need to drag our children everywhere - they have no idea what fun is. LOL
Yes - Spring 2020... I never really released a memo about this particular trip, but we have been planning it for several years... this is the BIG Disney trip with BMTL, I do know I've mentioned it in passing in my TRs, but it may have just been in my random comments? I do have an update to do about this particular trip today too...
I love that you are doing IF too - I am surprised at how many people I know who are doing it! That is awesome! How are you doing now, since it's been a few weeks since you posted this?
I was thinking that too. LOL Nothing wrong with a Dole Whip at the end of the day...
I am not sure how I am going to eat at WDW this time... In the past, I've tried to eat as clean as possible - and I usually do good for a bit, but by the end of the trip, I am eating everything. LOL This time, well - I plan to do a bit of IF as much as possible, but we do have a few breakfasts scheduled, so I will just see how it goes. I don't want to totally go off the rails, but I do plan to enjoy myself - because let's face it - half the reason I keep going back to WDW IS the food. LOL
That puffiness was INSANE - I've never had anything like that on any of my other trips... I mean - to me - it looked like a good 20+ lbs of puff! Or more! And literally, 2 days after we got home, I was so THIRSTY - I was drinking non-stop water all day long... Then I was up all night - probably 6 or 7 times - using the bathroom (TMI, I know. sorry) - but by morning my puffiness was completely gone. It was just WEIRD! It sure did a number on my self esteem though...
Thanks for stopping by!!! And thanks for asking about the snorkeling adventure - and for cheering me on - really amazing and I loved it!
Since you'll be at FW for HDDR can you just stay and watch the fireworks from there? Have you ever been to California Grill?? That may be another dinner/fireworks option and may cost less than the boat rental. Even if you eat well before the fireworks, you can still go back up to the balcony and watch from there.
And I have to hijack your post for just a small brag on my little girl but I know only "Disney people" will truly get it ;-) My 12 year old is currently at the Animal Kingdom for a school trip and was able to score a Flight of Passage FP while there and was the "leader" of her group navigating through the parks like a little pro I'm so proud of her.....well except for the part where she told me to stop texting her because I kept asking for pictures
Ooooh, that's an idea I didn't think of. I'll have to see what timing looks like for us and what time fireworks are that night. No, we have never been to California Grill either...
Hmmmm.... Great ideas! I wonder if we can just go and order dessert?
That is so awesome!!!! Great job dd!!!
Hehehehe - I do the same thing for my girls and they get so sick of me. LOL It sounds like she had a great time and many of her friends had a great time because of her! Cool!
Definitely will not want more dessert after HDDR. I love that show - make sure to wear your birthday pin and when they ask, let them know its your birthday. So much fun! We were there for my birthday last year. My son, who had never been, had the biggest grin on his face during the whole show!
LOL - I like that everyone is of the same opinion on this.
I will wear my birthday pin and I will tell them it's my birthday.
So excited! I can't wait for this one - it's going to be so fun!
Hi, D!!!
I am not sure how I missed this report, but I’m so glad I found it today! Yay for your upcoming Disney trip! We aren’t going to Disney at all this year and I’m super sad about it. We are planning a two week trip next summer for my 40th birthday but that seems so far away!
I went to HDDR when I was a little girl and I remember loving it. That dinner show is on my radar for next year.
Your trip to Aruba looked amazing! I loved seeing all your pics on FB. I’m so glad you got to see the Wonder and I hope you get to experience a Disney Cruise yourself someday. They really are awesome!
So, many people I work with have been doing IF for some time now. My neighbor has been doing it since last year and her results are amazing and she says she feels so much better. I actually gave IF a try right before Thanksgiving and I liked it. Sadly, once Christmas arrived, I wasn’t as disciplined as I had been. I only lost two or three pounds, but I could tell a huge difference in how my clothing fit. I should give it a try again.
Welcome!!! Sorry so many people missed it - I keep forgetting to post a link in my old TR (that I never finished - which I feel so guilty about)
That's good to know! I sure hope the girls enjoy it... When I told them - they were excited, but also a little skeptical... So, we'll see. I know Myrthe and I loved the one in DLP.
Thanks - it was so much fun! I sure do hope to go on a DCL cruise one day!
Yes - you should. That's the thing about IF - SO many people lose SIZE but not weight on the scale... So people (like me) who have a hard time with the numbers on the scale and let it determine their success, are better off just throwing the scale away and going by how their clothes feel. It's so hard! But it seems to be working for me - so I'll take it. LOL
Hi D! I'm catching up on the PTR this morning. I hope you all are getting some relief from the weather up there. My family in TN are drowning down there with heavy rains and lots of flooding. It seems like the weather everywhere is crazy this year! The Disney plans sound like they are coming along nicely. I think your HDDR plans sound fantastic. I have always wanted to do that. I went to the Golden Horseshoe Saloon show when they used to have it at MK years ago and it was great. Some news from our side of the world: We FINALLY got our orders last week! We are headed to Camp Lejeune, NC probably in July. This is the duty station we asked for, and I can't believe we actually got it. Jason is hesitant to make it completely public for fear they will change it (which they can do). But at least now, we can start making plans and preparations. We are thinking of buying a house in the area. It is pretty affordable there, and we really hope to be there for at least 5-6 years to get Emma through High School. So, on the Disney side of things, now that we know when(roughly) and where we are going, we can start planning our wdw trip. We have 13 points that will expire this year so we have to use them. We have another family that we want to take with us that are also military, but it is really hard to coordinate schedules. It seems like Fall is more and more crowded every year. I'm thinking maybe the 1st week of Nov? Not sure yet. We went to Kyoto last weekend and went to Universal Studios Japan for a day. The crowds are unbelievable. 3 hours for most rides. We waited 2 hours for HP and the Forbidden Journey. Anyway, we are going to Tokyo Disney Resort one last time in April. We wanted to go to Shanghai, but Jason is concerned about safety issues. There have been a few incidents with Canadians and Americans being stopped at customs and detained, so he thinks he would just be too uptight to have a good time. I hope you all have a great week, and I can't wait to hear more about the UPB and outfit plans!
No relief from the weather yet... LOL Snow... Cold... More snow... Spring can come any time. LOL I did see that in TN, Josh's dad lives in TN during the winter - and they have had terrible flooding too... How is your family fairing - no damage I hope?
We are looking forward to HDDR - it will definitely be a new experience!
Yay for orders and back to the States!!!
What a relief!!! And how awesome that you got your first choice!!! So happy for you! And I sure hope you get to stay put for a while - that will be very nice for Emma to be able to finish out school in one place.
When I went to WDW in November of 2015 with Suzi and Bradey - it was honestly the most PERFECT weather we have ever had for a trip - it was fantastic, and crowds weren't too terrible - for Disney anyways. It was a great time of year to go.
It's so awesome that you've gotten to see so much of the world over there... But I know it will be very nice for you to come home too.
I can't imagine being so far from your family for so long. I look forward to hearing all about your plans to come home and also your Fall Disney trip plans too!
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Sorry guys! I am so much further behind here than I thought I was!
We have been so busy - like crazy busy!
Work has been insane... I am knee deep in side projects with a deadline looming and not nearly as far along as I'd like to be.
I do have a trip update to do for this current trip...
The girls and I had a Disney planning meeting last week...
With their school/work schedules and mine - it's nearly impossible to get them both in the same place at the same time.
They can do Tuesdays or Thursdays between 2 and 2:45pm at a Target store 30 miles from home... Like literally - that's it. LOL So, we met at Target for coffee and a quick Disney FP meeting... I wanted to nail down our plans for arrival night, because this determined whether we get a 4 day Salute ticket or a 5 day Salute ticket... Our FP date is fast approaching - and I needed to have that info so I knew what tickets to order.
We decided that on arrival night, we are going to head into AK... We are going to try to get a FP for NRJ (since we have yet to do it) and EE at night... Then we are going to get a FP for RoL - since Allison and I saw bits of it from our ride on EE last trip - and it looked so amazing. We all LOVE AK - so it's super exciting for us to be able to start our trip with a little bit of fun there.
We also decided that we are going to try for a FP for SDD in DHS - we'll see if we actually get one or not?
And our full day in AK we will try for a FP for FoP - since this day is deeper into our trip, we might have a chance?
I did order tickets from SoG last week (paid in cash, of course) and they called me on Monday to confirm, by Monday afternoon I had our tickets linked in
MDE - so now we wait.
The girls and I also had a Facetime meeting this week, where we are trying to determine where we want our room location this trip... Even though I love pool view rooms at SoG - with the potential of seeing fireworks - we've decided that we want a bigger bathroom this trip.
So - in all of our previous trips, we have stayed in all of these rooms circled in pink. This coming trip - we've decided to move into a different wing and try for the rooms circled in orange... We will still be close to the lobby and transportation, but we will have a bigger bathroom with a separate vanity from the toilet and shower. Fingers crossed that we get our requests.
We are now officially under 100 days until this trip - and we are very excited!
I also have a small update to do about the BIG Spring 2020 trip... Which, at some point in the near future, I may need to start a separate PTR for this trip.
We have officially nailed down the dates for this trip - and V is BEYOND excited, as she will be spending her 21st birthday in WDW!!!
You should have seen her face when she figured out what I was trying to tell her for dates. LOL It was almost as elated as when she received Stitch for Christmas. LOL I love the Disney spirit in my girls!
OK - that's about it for today's update... I've been typing for 2 hours and I need to do something else today. LOL
Prayers and pixie dust to all!
D~