Yo Ho Yo Ho A Pirate's Life for We Halloween *2012* PTR has begun!

[TheColtonsMom]

WOW blink and you miss the moment where 10 days seems so far away then you tip into single digits and realize how much laundry, packing, car cleaning, house cleaning & planning is still left and start to freak out it is suddenly so close! And as far as it goes on top of the "regular" getting ready for a trip there is all the Christmas stuff too! Still have presents to wrap and deliver since we wont be here Christmas Day.

Plus me & this camera need to make friends before the trip or I will end up using the point & shoot mostly and being disappointed with the pics A new camera always has so many settings and quirks to learn. BUT I comfort myself with the fact that it will all get done we will get on the road on our way to Disneyland and hopefully I will not forget to pack anything vital and no matter the crowds or the weather or the ride break-downs it will be magical it will be Disney and I will finally be home.

 

[kaoden39]

What better way to get used to a camera than a trip? That time between ten days and single digits always gets me. At 10 days it still seems like forever to me and then when I get to a week and I wonder where all the time has gone and start stressing. I make everybody else stress too. Relax and take a deep breath it will all fall together.

 

[tinkerbellandeyor]

WOW blink and you miss the moment where 10 days seems so far away then you tip into single digits and realize how much laundry, packing, car cleaning, house cleaning & planning is still left and start to freak out it is suddenly so close! And as far as it goes on top of the "regular" getting ready for a trip there is all the Christmas stuff too! Still have presents to wrap and deliver since we wont be here Christmas Day.

Plus me & this camera need to make friends before the trip or I will end up using the point & shoot mostly and being disappointed with the pics A new camera always has so many settings and quirks to learn. BUT I comfort myself with the fact that it will all get done we will get on the road on our way to Disneyland and hopefully I will not forget to pack anything vital and no matter the crowds or the weather or the ride break-downs it will be magical it will be Disney and I will finally be home.

take a deep breath and relax and make a list

 

[TheColtonsMom]

Just to put something new on here, thought I would post a few pics of our horses. These are not with the new camera(note the lack of snow) these were in August and are of our two new babies that were born this year. Whatever day I go out to practice with the camera I will get some new ones of these two it is amazing how short their "baby" time is. In case anyone wondered these were actually snapped with my cell phone camera as that was what I had on me at the time.

Hannabar & her colt Junior

Barron (our stallion) grooming his son Junior In the background is Ginger and her filly Spice, Barron is her sire as well

Spice & Junior

 

[tinkerbellandeyor]

Just to put something new on here, thought I would post a few pics of our horses. These are not with the new camera(note the lack of snow) these were in August and are of our two new babies that were born this year. Whatever day I go out to practice with the camera I will get some new ones of these two it is amazing how short their "baby" time is. In case anyone wondered these were actually snapped with my cell phone camera as that was what I had on me at the time.

Hannabar & her colt Junior

Barron (our stallion) grooming his son Junior In the background is Ginger and her filly Spice, Barron is her sire as well

Spice & Junior

wow that must take a lot of work to care for all of those horses

 

[TheColtonsMom]

Including the babies there are a total of 9 horses. 3 mares belong to my husband, son & I, 1 mare and her colt belong to my sister & her family and 2 mares, 1 stallion and one filly belong to my mother. Many hands make short work. We all do it together so for 9 horses there are 8 pairs of hands so not as bad as you would think.

Back when I was a California kid I asked for a horse every Christmas..the year I was 12 I thought I was slick and asked for a saddle thinking then they would HAVE to get me one once I owned the saddle. My Aunt in California has horses but keeping them in California is WAY more expensive and way more work than keeping them here. Here they live in the pasture as a herd, they are never locked in stalls or barns, We have 2 barns that they can use at their discretion but mostly they prefer the trees along the river for shelter from the elements. We have a little tractor we use for removing waste from the barns then we "drag" the pasture to break up the waste and it helps next years summer food to grow. Hay and pellets per horse only cost us about $300 in the winter. Most of the cost involved in hay is transportation and we live next door to the farmer that grows our hay so he just picks it up with his tractor and dumps it over the fence LOL. Once in a while medical expenses can hit you hard but mostly we do shots and worming & stuff ourselves twice a year. They only wear shoes in the summer for riding on the streets & rodeo & parades otherwise they are barefoot ponies so farrier fees are not that bad either. So it may have taken me 30+ years to get that horse I wanted but I love every minute spent with them and they are worth every penny.

My son's mare is Bullseye (yes she was named after Woody's horse) So there we are back on Disney topic LOL

 

[kaoden39]

Oh they are beautiful. Thank you for sharing the pictures of them.

 

[TheColtonsMom]

So here is the pllan thus far..

Day 1 traveling day Dec 25th
leave home at 5am to take the 3 1/2 trip over the river and through the woods to the airport

Fly Billings to Denver Denver to SNA
Lunch during layover in Denver
Arrive SNA take DL resort express to Quality Inn



Hopefully order in Chinese (if anyone knows someplace that delivers let me know as then I can contact them to see if they are open on Christmas) if not we will prob get Mimi's to go as prob won't feel like eating out after traveling all day.

If we have the energy may walk over to the GCH lobby or DTD

To bed early to prepare for the next 4 days

Day 2 DL, DCA, DL

Eat free breakfast at Quality Inn then check out EARLY

Head over to DLH check in and leave luggage with bellman
Hopefully all this gets done in time for our 1st MM
MM in Fantasyland Peter Pan 1st
Head to GCH to get in line to get into DCA for WOC fastpasses
plan to spend the bulk of today in DCA with a rest time at our hotel in the afternoon
once DCA closes at 10 will hop back to DL until close at 12

Sleep

Day 2 DL
MM 2 will be spent in tomorrowland
Space MT fastpasses
followed by MTTMM
breakfast at plaza inn
NOS
ADVENTURE LAND
Dinner at Blue Bayou (will wait to get that table on the water)
Fantasmic

Sleep

Day 3 DL
MM (if we still have the energy to get up for a third day) will be up to DS6 whatever he really wants to ride first again LOL
FRONTIERLAND
BTR BBQ for lunch
CRITTER COUNTRY

 

[TheColtonsMom]

OOps forgot on day 3 we are having breakfast with Goofy after MM or if we don't get up in time will start our day there.

Day 4 is for anything we missed out on or want to do again
BUT starts with the quest for 3 Candy Cane tickets as this is the only day while we are there that they are being made

We will of course bounce around some for the favorite rides and the fast passes
but above is the basic plan

Odds are we will bounce back and stand in alot of lines for TSMM as my son is very excited about that as well as buzz in DL which he has been playing online.

 

[tinkerbellandeyor]

what is MM

 

[deejdigsdis]

I love that your son named the horse Bullseye. Very cute!

Well, it sounds like you've got your plan down and you're just waiting for go time.

 

[TheColtonsMom]

what is MM

Magic Morning early entrance to the parks

 

[TheColtonsMom]

I love that your son named the horse Bullseye. Very cute!

Well, it sounds like you've got your plan down and you're just waiting for go time.

GO time I feel like a kid at Christmas LOL Guess I am this year what a magical family present this is going to be.

Colton's funny for the day so far...I was talking to my husband about "I can't wait for Disney" and Colton said "Well Welcome to my world Mom"

I'll live in his world anytime

 

[TheColtonsMom]

For the last couple of weeks we have been "changing over to DL time" at our house. DS6 snuggles up with me and we watch a movie or nap when he gets home from school and pushing bedtime back a little at a time. the farther back bedtime went the less snuggle & watch movies and the more actual naps. By the time we get to DL on Christmas he will be able to see every nighttime delight at DL and we can nap at the hotel when the park is crazy mid day.

 

[TheColtonsMom]

After all the $$ this trip is costing us, After the disappointment that his favorite ride Star Tours is down while we are there, After telling DH I am never going 8 years without a trip to DL again, After insisting I am going to start planning a fall 2012 trip to see cars land and being told every 2 years might be too often financially....

After all that last night DH is looking at DL holiday photos over my shoulder and says lets go in November next year so we can have a family photo done at DL for our Christmas cards...

Jaw drops...turn to look at him and say "next year as in 2011" he says "Ya" and walks away...HUH? YEA WHOO HOO!

Thanks to all who posted Holiday Pics I was so in shock I can't say whos family pic was up at that moment but WOW!

THE DIS ROCKS!

 

[TheColtonsMom]

I love that your son named the horse Bullseye. Very cute!

Well, it sounds like you've got your plan down and you're just waiting for go time.

He was 2 1/2 when we bought her so I was just glad it was an actual coherent word LOL but she is a big goof so it fits.

 

[TheColtonsMom]

7 days from now I will be standing in line for Soarin' with WOC fast passes in my hand.

 

[tinkerbellandeyor]

7 days from now I will be standing in line for Soarin' with WOC fast passes in my hand.

WOC?

sry never been to the land just the world

 

[TheColtonsMom]

I am having a hard time making a decision about our trip right now.

Need your help.

I posted this on the trip planning board today.

With all the construction and the fact that we have a standard room which according to DLH front desk gives us a very good chance of ending up in the wonder tower that is under construction, I am thinking now is the wrong time to fulfill my decades long dream of staying at the DLH. I mean a real DREAM I have thought about since i was small always begged my parents back then.

Our reservations are paid for but I spoke to WDTC about the possibility of switching to one of the other on site hotels (we cannot spend any more money on accomadations or we will starve to death during our DLR stay) Neither Hotel has rooms available for the price I already paid for DLH - Cheapest room available at PPH is a preferred view room that has a view of THE CONSTRUCTION for $100 more than my room at the DLH. Upgrading to a guaranteed renovated room in one of the other towers is even more than switching to PPH.

Do I stay with what I have or give up being onsite? I know the decision is ours alone but I would appreciate some input.

Is staying in the DLH now going to ruin it for me forever? I am so very torn as I have looked forward to this stay for a very long time...this is supposed to be THE DREAM TRIP. We have never stayed on site we have never been to DCA never had parkhoppers or more than a day and 1/2 at the parks. although I have been frequenting the happiest place on earth on a semi regular basis since the early 70's.

I am very afraid that I will get to DLH and once I am assigned my room and walk to it through the construction I will end up standing at the front desk crying and asking if there is anything they can do. I'm crying now just thinking about it. This is not how I want to start our dream vacation or my son's first trip to Disneyland.

How bad is it really? Am I blowing this all out of preportion? I have read the blogs I have read every scrap of info I can find and I still don't know? I have read peoples horror stories and stories from people who thought it was no inconvinience at all. I am so confused.

For the price I paid I could move offsite and use the balance to buy at least a partial dining plan in order to avoid the $50 change fee
and have more money when we are in the parks, but I just don't know.

Help me please.

I feel like a complete drama queen which I am usually not but I just don't know what to do, We have given up so many things to make this trip a reality is the DLH going to be the thing to ruin it? I don't think I have ever had so much emotion tied up in a trip to DL.

My wonderful husband really wanted to give me this dream we have planned this trip for over a year, saved and gone without uncountable times to make this happen.

Mostly nothing can dampen my enthusiasm for DL not crowds not weather not the pain in my knees and back even when I can barely walk by the end of the day. The way this whole situation is affecting me is something I do not know how to handle. I am still counting the minutes but I am fast running out of time to make a decision.

This time next week I will have seen WOC and we will be preparing to hop from DCA to DL for the rest of the night and I still can't wait. But at the same time I am feeling heartbroken.

 

[kaoden39]

I understand your worry but, I think it will still be a magical trip. When we were there in June we visited the DLH and the construction did not seem to disturb anyone.

So, take a deep breath and relax.