We're going to a halloween party: A ptr 10/13-10/18

[lotrisneat]

Bummer about school! Just got interested in this thread because you will be there the same week as us. I can't wait!! We're surprising our kids. We've been telling them that we might be able to go next spring, but it probably won't be til Fall 2014.

 

[Chaitali]

That sucks that finals are the same week as your trip . Keeping my fingers crossed your professor says yes to the alternative.

 

[belle10]

Bummer about school! Just got interested in this thread because you will be there the same week as us. I can't wait!! We're surprising our kids. We've been telling them that we might be able to go next spring, but it probably won't be til Fall 2014.

Haha I LOVE SURPRISES!!! That is actually how this trip was SUPPOSED to be but it doesn't work out quite as easily when you have two working adults with different schedules. How are you planning on surprising the kids?

 

[belle10]

Ok so update regarding finals. I emailed my professor and got a hint of sympathy. He has no problem with me turning in all my papers and posts before I leave for California. However, he will not allow the final exam to be posted before the Sunday I leave for California. So I guess I know what I'm doing on my down time on day 1.

New arrival schedule: land at LAX, catch DLE, get to hotel, shower and change, Steakhouse 55, kick Scot out of the room while I do my final exam. What? He can go to the pool or the Lego store!

However this also means I need to pack my text book, notebook, and binder on vacation. Anyone know if the Grand Californian has a fire pit where I can burn it all?? Haha

 

[DisneyMarvelStarWars]

Ok so update regarding finals. I emailed my professor and got a hint of sympathy. He has no problem with me turning in all my papers and posts before I leave for California. However, he will not allow the final exam to be posted before the Sunday I leave for California. So I guess I know what I'm doing on my down time on day 1.

New arrival schedule: land at LAX, catch DLE, get to hotel, shower and change, Steakhouse 55, kick Scot out of the room while I do my final exam. What? He can go to the pool or the Lego store!

However this also means I need to pack my text book, notebook, and binder on vacation. Anyone know if the Grand Californian has a fire pit where I can burn it all?? Haha

1) I am so glad you are able to move forward with your plans! Better to compromise doing a portion of your work at the hotel than to have to cancel your trip.

2) There is a lot he can do! Downtown Disney has a great store called D-Street and they have a few Marvel and Star Wars tables full of fun stuff to look at. I'm sure he could pass an hour or two in the Lego store.

3) Yes, they do have a fireplace at the GCH, but I wouldn't throw anything in there. The invisible Disney police are always watching and listening!

 

[belle10]

DARN! I was hoping to have an end of semester burning party and to create more room in my luggage. Haha

I figured he'd have no problem wasting some time. Essentially all I have to do on Sunday is my final exam. My professor posted the prompt for the final today so I'm starting my research now so I can turn it in super early and be done!

I will definitely let him know about D-Street and give him a small allowance for that night to shop. If I gave him full control, we would run out of money by the end of the night haha.

 

[belle10]

So I think I mentioned it before, but we are doing Photo Pass + when we are over in DLR. So being how super duper organized I am, I ordered mine about a month ago. This weekend I'm visiting Scot and brought the stock photo disk with me. Now I've been awake since 7am. Yes that's sleeping in for me. He slept in until 11am when I started poking him. He finally got out of bed at around 11:45 in which I made him turn on his computer to look at the stock disk. As I've mentioned before, he is a kid at heart. He made sounds at every picture like squeak (Mickey and Minnie), quack (Donald), and Choo Choo at every single train picture. I think he's getting more and more excited every day.

In other news, we have all of our Disney gift cards for the trip. We don't want to put too much in Disney gift cards so we are stuck. We made a rough estimate as to what each meal would cost without my DVC discount and created a lovely budget plus spending money in the park. Now we need to find a way to save money in a limited access form so we don't spend it. I'm horrible with money (yes I have a MBA and I'm good with other people's money not my own). So today we are looking into Visa/MasterCard/AE gift cards. I hate the fees with those!!!!!! So we will see what we decide based on who has the lowest fee but the highest accepted rate (probably Visa)

 

[Morgan063006]

So I think I mentioned it before, but we are doing Photo Pass + when we are over in DLR. So being how super duper organized I am, I ordered mine about a month ago. This weekend I'm visiting Scot and brought the stock photo disk with me. Now I've been awake since 7am. Yes that's sleeping in for me. He slept in until 11am when I started poking him. He finally got out of bed at around 11:45 in which I made him turn on his computer to look at the stock disk. As I've mentioned before, he is a kid at heart. He made sounds at every picture like squeak (Mickey and Minnie), quack (Donald), and Choo Choo at every single train picture. I think he's getting more and more excited every day.

In other news, we have all of our Disney gift cards for the trip. We don't want to put too much in Disney gift cards so we are stuck. We made a rough estimate as to what each meal would cost without my DVC discount and created a lovely budget plus spending money in the park. Now we need to find a way to save money in a limited access form so we don't spend it. I'm horrible with money (yes I have a MBA and I'm good with other people's money not my own). So today we are looking into Visa/MasterCard/AE gift cards. I hate the fees with those!!!!!! So we will see what we decide based on who has the lowest fee but the highest accepted rate (probably Visa)

Check with your bank, the fees on the prepaid Visa/MC are usually less than buying them anywhere else. Usually about $3-4 vs $10 buying at most grocery stores.

 

[DisneyMarvelStarWars]

I'm not sure what current gift card laws are. I know at some time in the past that in California, retailers were obligated to give cash back for unused portions of gift cards. I don't know about credit (Visa) or others, but store cards were eligible for cashing in. You should check beforehand if this is still the case. If so, then you wouldn't have to worry about having money leftover on your Disney gift cards.

 

[belle10]

So I looked into the California being required to cash out gift cards. It is true, if the balance is under $5. Which wouldn't be that bad. We have A LOT of gift cards because his grocery store only sells $25 ones and mine runs out of the bigger amounts quickly.

 

[mydisneyfix]

I work in retail, so I am familiar with the current CA law. It's actually anything under $10 must be cashed out if requested by customer. This is for store specific giftcards. Never heard about the visa ones.

 

[belle10]

Yay! That works for me! I always end up with gift cards that have odd small amounts at the end of every trip so this is good news for me

 

[belle10]

So we are 32 days out! *HAPPY DANCE* I'm currently debating ordering Ridemax for our trip. Being that I've never been there before to be tour guide Barbie, I think it might be a good idea. And Ridemax does a 30 day refund so if I'm not a big fan, I can always get a refund.

 

[Edelweiss]

Cute PTR... subscribing!

 

[belle10]

Cute PTR... subscribing!

Welcome! As you can tell I'm a little teeny bit crazy about Disney and a teeny bit excited! Haha but it's ok 30 DAYS LEFTS! *cue cheesy Disney music*

 

[Muppetmania]

I'm going to be there the same week as you and the 18th is my birthday!

You now have another subscriber

 

[belle10]

I'm going to be there the same week as you and the 18th is my birthday!

You now have another subscriber

That's awesome!!! My family all has October birthdays! And as bad as I feel leaving them for my vacation, I deserve to spoil myself every so often. My uncle is the 15, mom the 16, I'm the 17, and I have cousins on the 18, 24, and 26.

 

[belle10]

Ok so new story for everyone! So Scot is super indecisive. When I told him we could dress up for Halloween, he want to be a Sith since he has the costume (yes he has a sith bathrobe and a double bladed Darth Maul light saber), but worried a bath robe would be too hot.

So this was when all the Despicable Me commercials were on TV and he decided he wanted to be BE-DOH. So I started planning that, but didn't buy anything for it.

Well when he found out he could meet Merida, he decided he wanted a kilt. And I being the amazingly crafty but slowly starting to get annoyed girlfriend that I am, I went to Joanne Fabrics and bought fabric that would compliment Merida's dress. However every time I see him, we are too busy to fit him for it. So now I'm 29 days out, my tutu is finished but all he has is 2 yards of fabric.

His solution: Just safety pin it to my shorts! *eye roll from me*

My solution: " I you dont willingly let me fit you the next time I see you I will wake you up at 7am, tie your hands to the ceiling and force you to stand so I can start this kilt!"

The next time I see him we will be going to the Renaissance Festival and he knows that if he procrastinates, we won't get there on time, so I win!!!

 

[belle10]

So we are a week away and I'm so excited! My costume is done and his kilt is almost done. Last weekend we went to the Renaissance Festival. He was THIS close to buying a kilt until he say the price tag:$300. That is crazy. Mine only cost $30.

So now it's time for last minute prep. I'm usually packed by now and I'm not so should probably get to that!

 

[belle10]

TODAY IS THE DAY! I'm pretty sure I won't be posting from DL, so when I get back this PTR will become a TR! Thanks for all the help everyone!