Let's Get Going and Fix It Right

Twist and Turn

Make It Tight

That song runs on a continuous loop through my head.  The boy's latest obsession is Handy Manny.  Manny has taken the premiere spot by defeating the former #1s: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Imagination Movers and the Wiggles.

It's actually quite cute.  The boy goes into his tool bench and gathers each of the tools Manny owns to keep him company while watching.  

The downside is that the boy thinks he can now speak Spanish.  Not only is it not Spanish, but it isn't even the Spanglish that Manny speaks.  Instead he just makes up random words, but stringing a bunch of letters together.  He will then argue with me if I try to correct him.  For example:

the boy: Mommy, Do you want to make a "frooty da tooty bah frooty?"

me: A what?

the boy: (speaking louder and more slowly as most typically do to foreigners who are not versed in their native tongue) A FROO-TY-DA-TOO-TY-BAH-FROO-TY!..It's Spanish for book.

me: Actually libro is the Spanish word for book.

the boy: No it's not.

I was about to lecture him on how I know because I took Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 (or uno and dos) in middle school, but he was too busy telling me that "bah-da-bing-bing-bang" means baby wipe in Spanish to listen to me and my many pearls of wisdom.

We'll be spending a day...well, most likely a morning...at Hollywood Studios and I need to formulate a plan of attack to make sure we see both Manny and McQueen without wasting too much time.  I can't wait until he's old enough to enjoy the finer things in life like Tower of Terror.  

Can't. Stop. Checking. The. Rates.

Call it dedication.

Call it frugality.

Call it obsessed.

Whatever it is I can't stop logging into the Southwest Airlines website to see if my flight fares have been reduced at all.  As a general rule of thumb, I was anti-Southwest.  Maybe it was the cramped seats.  Perhaps it was the reality-type show they elected to do that portrayed their customers as a bunch of drunks (who's bright idea was that show anyway?).

Regardless, we boycotted them for awhile.  That was until we got the Golden Ticket.  The Golden Ticket of which I speak is my son...aka my preboarding benefit.

Having a child under the age of five qualifies you for boarding the plane ahead of the masses of people who are milling around the gate filled with anxiety about which unassigned seat their butt will be in at 30,000 feet.  Having a child provides you with additional elbow space and bum room.

An added bonus to flying Southwest is that they tend to fly out of smaller airports.  This saves on parking and hassle.

If that wasn't enough to sell me on them then their flight change policy is.  It costs NOTHING to make changes to your flight.  This means you can cancel the flight or switch it to another time and you will receive a credit for the amount you paid to be used on a future flight.  This also means that if they lower the fare after you buy it then you can get a credit for the difference.

I know I mentioned this before.  However, the first time I changed to the lower fare it was in the wee hours of the morning.  I called the 800 # and since their system was down for nightly maintenance it seemed a bit more complicated than it is.  Not hard, but more complicated than the uber-simple way to do it online.

When you go to the main page there is an option to change your flight.  If the price drops just click on this.  It will give you simple prompts and then pull up new flight times for you to choose.  The bonus is that it automatically shows the flight you booked so you simply have to give it another click or two and you are done.  Your confirmation # stays the same.  The only difference is that you now have a nice little credit added underneath your info.  So simple!

And now since the only thing I love more than getting a money saving is giving a money saving tip I will pass along a tidbit that can help those of you with itty-bitties in tow.

Southwest encourages folks to book two seats if they don't think their body will take up just one.  However, if the flight is not sold out then they will refund you (actual refund and not a credit to another flight) for the extra seat.  So if you are flying with a child under the age of 2 and plan to book him/her a seat then I suggest doing it in your name as an extra seat vs a seat for the baby.  The reason being that children under the age of 2 are allowed to fly for free.  We always paid for a seat for my son because we wanted to bring his carseat on the plane.  Foolishly we paid for a seat for him.  Had we booked my husband 1 seat and myself 2 then we could have requested a refund for that extra seat since the flights were never full.

Live and learn.

The Early Bird Gets the ADR

I have not felt such redialing excitement since I tried to win Duran Duran concert tickets in 8th grade.  As 7 a.m. drew near I gave my itinerary one last glance.  I had carefully picked out my park days based on crowd levels and had coordinated my desired dining plans accordingly.  The reality is we are going school vacation week and the crowd levels will be super high, but I'm hoping to hit the least crowded of the insanely overcrowded parks.  

We have never booked a trip more than 5 months out and certainly never made ADRs at the 180 day mark.  Last year I came close to selling my sole to get a table for Chef Mickey's.  I'm used to the ADRs being picked over and having to choose between a 10 p.m seating at Boatwrights and a foodcourt pizza.  Today was different.

I had my A list of ressies, my B list of ressies and my list of places I will dine if all else fails.  I had been thinking positive thoughts for the past few weeks when I realized the 90 day mark fell on a holiday and I would be home to make the call.  What I hadn't thought about was the fact that you can make reservations for 10 days after your checkin date.  That little tidbit of info hit me yesterday and I instantly convinced myself that someone checking in days before us would steal my coveted meal times.  

Truthfully, we have not yet booked the dining plan and there were only two meals I just HAD to have so it wasn't as if there was a lot riding on this in reality.  However, I am a planner and I am competitive and this type of thing brings them both together.  You would have thought I had won the lottery after that call.

I'm sure you've all been at the edge of your seat since yesterday and have been pressing the refresh button continuously just dying to know where I will be eating.  Wait no more.  Our culinary tour is as follows:

Breakfasts:

Crystal Palace 

Tusker House

Dinners:

Chef Mickey's

Ohana

Le Cellier

Chefs de France

Tutto Italia

Teppan Edo

Cape May Cafe

I'm thinking of tweaking it a tad and adding Spoodles or Narcoosee's, but for now there you have it.

Time to Eat

Well, it won't actually be time to eat for another 91 days, but tomorrow is the big day.

It is the day that I can call Disney and make ADRs for our trip.  We did the dining plan in 2006 and loved it.  At the time we had an 8 month old and there wasn't a whole heck of a lot to do, but walk around and eat so it suited us well.

We also did the dining plan in 2007 when we took my parents to eat.  That was comical.  My dad had a system for ordering.  He would open the menu, slide his finger up and down and automatically pick whatever the most expensive item was.  Didn't matter if it sounded appetizing or not.  If it was the priciest then it was his meal du jour.  That was the trip that I started to feel the negative side of the dining plan because I felt like our days were dictated by ADRs.

We went back in December of that year.  Again with my parents.  Again with the dining plan.

We opted to do the dining plan that time solely for my father.  It's the only way my mother could get him to go back.  We didn't book until August and it was insanely challenging to get ADRs fort he restaurants we wanted.

Last April we decided not to do the plan.  I enjoyed the break from it and the freedom to have an unplanned day and eat what we felt like.  We didn't make many ADRs.

For this trip I am not sure.  Since we are staying at the Beach Club and are within walking distance to many of the restaurants it may be less of a hassle.  I just need to see if it makes sense for us cost wise.  I figured I would book some ADRs and then add the plan if it seems like it will be the best deal.  I'm not thrilled that they dropped the appetizers and tip from the plan.  It was too much food, but I wish there was an option to choose between an appetizer and a dessert as I would take a nacho over cake any day.  Oh, who am I kidding.  I want them both.

We have our favorites.  OK, I have my favorite.  It's Chef Mickey's.  It's just fun and screams out, "Welcome to your Disney Vacation" to me.  I have us booked for dinner the night we fly in and breakfast the next morning before the Magic Kingdom opens.  We obviously won't do both, but I'm waiting to see what else we can scrounge up before committing to one.  I also love Crystal Palace for breakfast.  My son hugs all the characters and it's so darn sweet it makes the Mickey waffles dripping in syrup look bland in comparison.  My husband is a good sport, but I'm guessing he would prefer to eat his dinner sans napkin waving.

I'm leaning towards taking advantage of the location of our resort and trying out some new places.

I'm really hoping for ADRs before park opening at Tusker House and Crystal Palace.

I'll post my list after my 7 a.m. call...Thanks to Dr. Martin Luther King I'll be home tomorrow.

  

Just Add Photos

I finally listed some of my pages on ebay.  Want to see what I've been up to?

Disney World Themed Scrapbook Pages

You Are Now Free to Fly About the Country

for less money.

Bonus!

It pays to be a bit of an insomniac.

I will randomly wake up between 1:30 and 4:30 a.m.  So I just start my day.  At first I was concerned about the lack of sleep, but I now find that I actually enjoy the quiet alone time.

I was sitting here pondering rather my habitually being awake at 2:15 a.m. makes me a night owl or a morning person and deciding how I will spend the wee hours of this chilly January evening.  I decided to check into my flights and see if the price had gone up or down.

Amazingly (maybe it is the economy or perhaps it was the fact that people just learned that birds can take down a plane and are hesitant to fly) the price actually dropped.

By $60.00.

Per Person.

Of course I am excited, but I've played this game before.  I didn't just save $180.00, but instead just lost another $1000.00 plus.

You see the $180.00 is not being credited back to my card, but is instead being held by the folks at Southwest Airlines for a future flight to be used within the year.

So my excitement over my savings will translate into me then applying that to another flight...and paying the difference in airfare....and adding on a hotel...and car rental...and meals...and...well, you get the idea.

I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.  For now I will simply say: Cha-Ching!

Blizzard Beach

Blizzard Beach is an oxymoron.  It is also a water park in Disney.

It's snowing outside my window.

Again.

I wish I was at the beach.

I wouldn't mind the snowy scene here if the temps were in the 80s and there was a lazy river surrounding my snow-covered driveway that needs to be shoveled.

Again.

Alas, only the magic that is Disney can create such a place.  And I very much am looking forward to spending a day there.  Until last spring I hadn't been to a water park in about a decade.  Perhaps it was the lack of access to one.  Perhaps it was the million and one stairs to climb.  Perhaps it was the fact that you need to wear a swimsuit in public.

Either way, it had been awhile.  We enjoyed our time there so much last year that we went back the next day too.  I really prefer the shade and theming of Typhoon Lagoon, but this year I've planned an afternoon at both TL and BB for us.  

The Boy really enjoyed the kiddie area (Ketchakiddie Creek) and we really enjoyed watching him splash, slide and tube in ankle deep water.  My goal for this year is to take some fun photos at Blizzard Beach to use as a Christmas card.

Of course I won't be in them because nothing says Happy Holidays quite like a photo of a pastey-white mom in a swimsuit.

Clowns to the Left of Me Jokers to the Right...

Here I am stuck in the middle with you.

By middle I mean moderate.

As in not the most expensive and not the least expensive.  Smack dab in the middle.  

I think we truly are moderate people.

As I mentioned we are currently booked for a 7 night stay at the Beach Club.  As I've also mentioned, I go back and forth with thinking we should change that ressie to save some money.  The economy is scaring me and as much as I am looking forward to a Beach Club stay, I have really enjoyed each of our moderate stays.  Since I have moderates on the brain and if I don't keep my fingers busy typing I will call 407-w-disney and inquire about availability, I think this is a good time to share my experiences and do some mini-mod reviews.

There are 4 moderate resorts and we have stayed at 3 of them.

Caribbean Beach:  I've stayed here several times between 1994 and 2008 and enjoyed each stay.  I love all things tropical and bright and find that this place really makes me feel like I am on vacation.  The grounds are lovely, the food court is enjoyable and the landscaping is gorgeous.  I am looking forward to enjoying the pirate-themed pool on a future visit as it just opened in September.

Coronado Springs: This is unique as a moderate because it is a convention resort.  There are pros and cons to this.  The pros being that there are typically more conventioneers than tourists which means faster bus service, less crowds in the pool during the day and many of the amenities of a deluxe resort.  The downside is that there are often large groups walking around in business attire or matching shirts and I sometimes felt like I was an uninvited guest at their private party.  We spent a week here and loved it.  However, last April when we were staying at CBR we stopped by this resort for dinner.  It was then that we realized we enjoyed not having the large groups of business-trippers.  It is a beautiful resort though and I would certainly stay here again.

Port Orleans Riverside: We've stayed here twice.  The first time we were in the mansions.  People love the mansions and often describe them as "elegant."  They personally reminded me of a nursing home.  The second time we stayed here we requested and received the Alligator Bayou section.  I really liked this area.  The landscaping was great and I enjoyed the rustic theming of the rooms.  Port Orleans Riverside is considered to be a separate resort from French Quarter, but they share the same amenities.  The walk between the two is easy and pleasant.  My two favorite Port Orleans features are the boat ride to Downtown Disney and the piano player who does a show a few nights a week.  He is great fun!  

As far as I'm concerned the moderate resorts offer the best dollar value.  They have fabulous themed pools, landscaped property, in room fridges and coffee pots, sit down restaurants, hot tubs, playgrounds and more.  We've had great experiences at each of them.

Never Smile at a Crocodile

I'm feeling oh-so-Captain-Hookish today.  

Much like the famous pirate, I am being taunted by the constant ticking and tocking of a clock.  

It is Sunday.  

That means tomorrow is Monday.  

That means my vacation is about to end.  Every tick and tock brings me a second closer to reality.  Curses to the clock!

Disney on a Dime

...and a penny...and a quarter...and a few nickels.  

OK, so the parents know that it costs a wee bit more than pocket change for a trip to Disney, but loose change is a great way to involve the kiddos in the trip anticipation and planning.

The boy and I made a bank last week.  It was a fun project to do together.  Any can with a plastic lid works great (coffee, Pringles, etc.).  We also used Disney-themed scrapbooking paper, stickers and die cuts.  I had all of these things on hand from some recent projects, but you can buy them at AC Moore or Michaels.  You can also create your own using computer clip art.

Start by cutting paper to fit the size of the can.  Cover the can with glue using a paintbrush.  Add clipart, stickers, drawings, photos from a previous trip, words, etc.  Bend the lid in half gently (see photo below) to cut an opening in the top.  Another option would be to use a hot glue gun or SuperGlue to seal the lid shut until you are ready to "cash out."  

And now, because I am a teacher, I will outline a few "teachable moments for you.  I've found that over the years my students are lacking in money skills.  Since they see their parents pay with debit and credit cards 99% of the time there is little exposure to real money.  The bank will provide you with lots of opportunities to introduce and reinforce some important skills each time you "deposit" money into the bank they created.

Preschoolers:

• sort the coins (by size, by color, by name)
• count the coins
• talk about more and less (Do you have more dimes or pennies?  How many more quarters are there than nickels?)

Kindergarten/1st Graders:

• identify the coins and their values
• practice skip counting by fives and tens
• trade coins (5 pennies for a nickel, 2 nickels for a dime)

Older Learners:

• estimate the amount by looking at it and then count coins / calculate the difference between the estimate and the exact amount
• keep a log of all monies deposited / focus on how to write out dollar amounts in numbers and words

    

and That's a Wrap

The festive decor has been reduced to the large rubbermaid tote (shown in the photo) and has made it's decent back into the basement.  Tomorrow, hubby will channel his inner Clark Griswold one last time this season and wrestle his lights off of snow covered bushes.  And that my friends will mark the end of Christmas '08.

I do enjoy the holiday season, but I love the return of normalcy as well.  Last year we made a December trek to Disney World and although I think I am in the minority, I didn't love it.

I shall explain why.

The Weather: December in Orlando is a crapshoot.  We lucked out with fabulous sunny skies and temps in the low 80s everyday.  However, the morning we left the temps were in the low 40s and they had a freakish cold front that lasted a few days after we left.  We had packed everything from swimsuits to mittens.  There was also the added stress of how weather around the country would effect our flights.  Again we were the lucky ones.  A huge snowstorm in the Northeast forced us to stay an extra day.  This was great, but would have really been bad if the day delay had kept us in Boston at the start of the trip and not Orlando at the end.

The Decorations: I was surprised that this one bothered me.  As pretty as everything was and as fun as the music was, I missed the Disney World that I know and love.  The castle was beautiful with the icicle lights and the Osbourne Lights at DHS is worth the trip all by itself.  I just found that I missed the familiar sights and sounds.  

The Stress that is December:  December is a busy month as it is.  There are cards to send, presents to wrap, etc. etc. etc.  As a teacher I also have report cards and parent conferences that month.  Throw trip planning and packing into that and it makes for a really hectic month.  I like to anticipate a trip.  I LOVE the planning process.  The December trip was more like a blip than an event and I felt a little cheated. It is also the time of year when folks really start to get sick and I felt like I was on a constant cootie watch before and during the trip so that illness didn't ruin our getaway.

To me a trip to Disney is about sunny skies, warm weather, the castle, the music, and most importantly...the escape from reality.  I will say that there is no such thing as a bad day at Disney and I'm certainly not complaining about having gone.  

However, when we returned last April I found that I had that same feeling I get when the red and green tub goes back into storage.  I had fond memories of an enjoyable time, but it feels real good to have "normal" back.