Snacks, Sips & Spooks in October 2012... and a Mexican Fantasy cruise in June 2013!

[Dugette]

That is a really great idea for a birthday present! I bet he never expected that you'd take his answer seriously! Hope he loves it!

 

[disneybarbie]

Hi DB!
I am just catching up with your PTR as I will be going the same time as you in the fall and am planning for a big group! Read through your PTR yesterday.

Love the R8 experience!! That will be so much fun. My DH got to do something like that when he picked up his BMW a few years ago. They took him our on a test track and he got to do a few laps with a driver (in his car and a 6 series) and then got to drive on the skid pad...he loved it! I wish Audi did the same around here. Would have been fun when I got my car. I suspect Porsche is getting ready to open something like it near us too so maybe one day I can send him out there for a birthday present!

You have some great things planned for your family. We are doing the Pirates and Pals cruise. With the size of our group its more than the private cruise but the snacks and characters will make up for it since we will have 6 kids for DS's birthday!

Hi! Thanks for reading along the Pirates & Pals cruise looks really good fun, we saw that boat out on the Seven Seas Lagoon when we had a Wishes cruise during our honeymoon

what a fantastic surprise!!!!!

What an AWESOME surprise!!!

That sounds like an awesome surprise for your hubby!!

I hope you can keep it a secret!

Wow what a nice car to drive!

I've ALWAYS wanted to do the RPDE! I'm so jealous right now. He's going to be insanely happy!

That is a really great idea for a birthday present! I bet he never expected that you'd take his answer seriously! Hope he loves it!

Thanks everyone! I really hope he loves it, I'm sure he will ... next thing to do will be to design a little birthday card with a picture of the car on the front


Emma x

 

[disneybarbie]

Hi everyone!

Hope you're all having a great weekend so far, we have two bank holidays coming up tomorrow & Tuesday to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee - we've had such a nice time already and there's still two days to go!



So.... we've been talking a little lately about our cruise next year and vacation plans (almost at 365 days! )

The cruise departs on a Saturday, so we're thinking of flying out on the Thursday before - and spending two days in WDW... hopefully more of new Fantasyland will be open at Magic Kingdom

Then seven nights in the Caribbean on the beautiful Disney Fantasy ship!

Next...



Usually, we'd spend some time back at WDW after the cruise, or go over to Tampa to stay at my parents' vacation home.
However, as we're going to both of those places this year.. I suggested to DH that we travel somewhere else in the US after the cruise, to make it into a two week vacation




So.... nothing is booked yet, and it's just an idea..... but after the cruise, we might fly from Florida over to...

Los Angeles!!!




We've never ever been to the West Coast, and I'm absolutely dying to get over there! I think we'd spend a few nights in West Hollywood - and also a couple of nights in Anaheim.. I think there's a little theme park resort I need to visit

It's all just rough plans at the moment, but the more I research it.. the better it seems! We'd only have 3 hours of jetlag flying from Florida, rather than 8 straight from the UK.. and the flight back to London from LA is 10.5 hours, only 1.5 hours longer than Orlando

After reading KHertz and Leshaface's trip reports on Disneyland, it's made me even more eager to get over there and see it for myself




Emma x

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

Wow, a trip to California!! This is quite a vacation you are making for yourselves!!

Tell me more about the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. What goes on and have you gone to any of the events? I've been watching a little about it on the news. I just saw all the boats that went down the river yesterday. So cool!

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

What great plans! I think a trip out to California would be so nice. I will admit, I never had much of a desire to go to Disneyland until now. I've been listening to the PodCast a lot, and they are really making me want to go!

 

[smile4stamps]

I lived in California for 7.5 years before ever going to DL. Everyone always told me if I liked WDW don't bother going to DL because its not as good. Well I have to tell you I am SO glad I decided to go! I LOVED DL. In fact I can't say which resort I like better. WDW or DL?!? They are both fabulous!! Definitely go if you have the opportunity!!

 

[Muslickz]

Everyone always told me if I liked WDW don't bother going to DL because its not as good. Well I have to tell you I am SO glad I decided to go! I LOVED DL. In fact I can't say which resort I like better. WDW or DL?!? They are both fabulous!! Definitely go if you have the opportunity!!

I feel the same way.... I try to switch DL one yr and WDW the next and we have been doing that for a few years now and still can't get enough

-M

 

[monica23535]

A trip to California sounds fantastic!

The furthest west we have been is to Las Vegas but definitely want to visit Disneyland in the not too distant future!

Not long to go until August

 

[disneybarbie]

Wow, a trip to California!! This is quite a vacation you are making for yourselves!!

Tell me more about the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. What goes on and have you gone to any of the events? I've been watching a little about it on the news. I just saw all the boats that went down the river yesterday. So cool!

Hi Nikki!

For the Jubilee.. an extra bank holiday was added to the usual one we have in late May - to make it into an extra special weekend in honour of the Queen's 60th anniversary on the throne
She went to Epsom horse racing on Saturday, DH was there too! He said the security and police presence was huge, it was soo busy too - lots of people there to catch a glimpse of the Royal Family

Then on Sunday was the Flotilla on the Thames - 1000 boats sailed down the river Thames, last night was a huge concert outside Buckingham Palace - we watched some of it on tv, so many artists performed! Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Elton John

Across the country people have been having street parties & special afternoon teas - there are Union Jack flags everywhere and lots of people are wearing red, white & blue. It's nice to see so many people being patriotic this weekend, generally I don't find that the British are compared to in the USA!

What great plans! I think a trip out to California would be so nice. I will admit, I never had much of a desire to go to Disneyland until now. I've been listening to the PodCast a lot, and they are really making me want to go!

I lived in California for 7.5 years before ever going to DL. Everyone always told me if I liked WDW don't bother going to DL because its not as good. Well I have to tell you I am SO glad I decided to go! I LOVED DL. In fact I can't say which resort I like better. WDW or DL?!? They are both fabulous!! Definitely go if you have the opportunity!!

I feel the same way.... I try to switch DL one yr and WDW the next and we have been doing that for a few years now and still can't get enough

-M

A trip to California sounds fantastic!

The furthest west we have been is to Las Vegas but definitely want to visit Disneyland in the not too distant future!

Not long to go until August

Thanks everyone - it's so exciting to think we could be going to California too next year, I've always wanted to go to Hollywood - and the last year or so I've been learning a lot more about Disneyland & DCA, I'd love to see the similarities and differences between DLR and WDW




65 days until August trip now.. days feel like they're flying now!


Emma x

 

[Leshaface]

OMGOSH YAY!!!

I really hope you'll be able to get out here! That would be amazing! The jetlag really won't be too bad I promise. And even if it is, it will all be worth it in the end!

 

[klacey1]

I must admit-- the diamond Jubilee was a blessing & a curse for me stateside! On one hand, I didn't have a million emails waiting for me first thing in the morning from our UK office...but when my computer & a co-worker's failed, there were only 2 IT techs in London to service the entire company . We did enjoy watching some of the events-- I thought the church service was very nice (can't remember-- Monday or Tuesday??).
I've only been to California once, but I LOVED it. We stayed in Newport beach & drove up to Anaheim & Hollywood for a day each. It was amazing-- I highly suggest you go!

 

[Dugette]

Wow, a coast-to-coast (and off-the-coast, I guess) trip! Very cool! Sounds great!

 

[oboedm]

Taking a jaunt over to CA is a good idea, I think! You can hit up all the touristy sites in LA and then go down to Anaheim. There are so many things to do on the West Coast!

 

[khertz]

Yay!! I'm a little proud that my TR gave you a push to the west coast. You will LOVE Disneyland!! And added bonus that it's a shorter flight home from there too. I wish we would have spent more time in California to actually see more of LA than the airport, but DL was the priority. So I look forward to seeing what kind of cool stuff you do in Hollywood! I know next time we go back, we are definitely taking at least a week to have an extra day in DL and a couple of days to sight-see around Los Angeles.

 

[disneybarbie]

OMGOSH YAY!!!

I really hope you'll be able to get out here! That would be amazing! The jetlag really won't be too bad I promise. And even if it is, it will all be worth it in the end!

Hi Lesha! That's good to know about the time-difference, I think we'll be fine with 3 hours.. it should help us get up early for rope drops at Disneyland and DCA too

I must admit-- the diamond Jubilee was a blessing & a curse for me stateside! On one hand, I didn't have a million emails waiting for me first thing in the morning from our UK office...but when my computer & a co-worker's failed, there were only 2 IT techs in London to service the entire company. We did enjoy watching some of the events-- I thought the church service was very nice (can't remember-- Monday or Tuesday??).
I've only been to California once, but I LOVED it. We stayed in Newport beach & drove up to Anaheim & Hollywood for a day each. It was amazing-- I highly suggest you go!

Hi! Oh no about your computers last weekend! It's been odd but fun to have a three day work week, yesterday I kept thinking it was Wednesday lol
Thanks for letting me know about your California trip - it's on my dream list of places to visit in the USA, like NYC was before we went in 2010 , so I can't quite believe we may actually get over next year!

Wow, a coast-to-coast (and off-the-coast, I guess) trip! Very cool! Sounds great!

Thank you! Lol yup I'd have to have a TR called 'coast to (cruise to) coast'

Taking a jaunt over to CA is a good idea, I think! You can hit up all the touristy sites in LA and then go down to Anaheim. There are so many things to do on the West Coast!

Thank you when I first thought of the idea, I thought maybe it was a bit too much to do in one vacation, but I think after a relaxing cruise a few days at Disneyland and sight-seeing in LA could be a lot of fun

Yay!! I'm a little proud that my TR gave you a push to the west coast. You will LOVE Disneyland!! And added bonus that it's a shorter flight home from there too. I wish we would have spent more time in California to actually see more of LA than the airport, but DL was the priority. So I look forward to seeing what kind of cool stuff you do in Hollywood! I know next time we go back, we are definitely taking at least a week to have an extra day in DL and a couple of days to sight-see around Los Angeles.

Hi! Yes it was definitely your PTR/TR and Lesha's that made me start seriously thinking about a California add-on to our vacation next year!

I'd actually hoped this summer to go to the West Coast, we looked at visiting LA, Las Vegas, San Francisco and San Diego on a big two/three week vacation... but instead are going to Florida with DH's family - at least next year we'll be able to get a taste of the West Coast... one day DH and I would like to do a Route 66 road trip vacation too!




Hi everyone!

Had a few little trip updates to share for our August trip


Today DH and I went shopping, he got some t-shirts and shorts for the vacation, and we also bought our suncream and dollars... getting these always make me excited!!

And... it's June... which means time for another newsletter for the family!

Trivia Questions are...

1. What is the three letter airport code for Orlando International?
2. Which two special drinks can be purchased at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter?
3. Who wrote the songs “It's a Small World”, “The Bare Necessities” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”?
4. What are the two Disney water parks called?
5. Name the three current fireworks shows at Walt Disney World



This month's is about Islands of Adventure, I had to research it a little more as I'm less familiar with the Universal parks.. particuarly the Wizarding World of Harry Potter section! I've still only seen the first of those movies, I might have to watch a couple more otherwise I think the theming will be lost on me


I went to a Disney Store last weekend and bought these cute cups for our kitchen!

And... I've started to re-read my favourite biography of Walt Disney... 'research' before August vacation

Also... The Muppets Movie is released on dvd here on Monday - I pre-ordered mine as the Disney Store had a special offer which included a plush Kermit and a shopper bag... and it arrived yesterday, 3 days early!

I hope we can watch the movie tonight.. although the European Soccer Finals have started... so our tv is stuck on sports channels for now hehe



Emma x

 

[monica23535]

Hi Emma,

I love your newsletters, they are awesome!

I forgot the Muppets DVD was coming out, I can't wait to see it.

You should try and watch some of the other HP movies if you get the chance, then you'll be able to fully appreciate the theming of WWOHP. I've been twice now and it is fantastic. We aren't going to Universal at all this year due to us going on the cruise which I'm a little sad about!

 

[PopArtGal]

Who doesn't love the Muppets

Yeah the Queen's Jubilee must be something. We kinda hear about it here too since we're kind of like your cousins hehe

 

[cindianne320]

Getting so close! Can't wait to read your newest TR!

And I did good on the Trivia this month- only didn't know 1!

 

[oboedm]

i would defintely recommend watching a few more of the HP movies before you go! The first few are just kids' movies, INMO, but the 4th-7th are great! Then again, I am biased because I am a huge fan of the books. =)

 

[Leshaface]

Man, August is coming quick!

So i'm guessing you'd recommend that book on Walt? I haven't read any books pertaining to him and his life, but would love to read it. Perhaps i'll check it out from my library.