05/19/2013 - 05/22/2013... My DLR trip with my 3 girls.

[whoever]

First... start with the cast of characters...
A: the lovely mother of my 3 girls.
KEW: 6.5..Disney veteran supreme
CEW: Turned 4 yesterday... she is jazzed to get a Disney trip for her Bday vs. for KEW's like normal.
VEW: 8 months... LOVING IT!!

05/19/2013....05:17..
Delayed departure (by 77 mintues!!!) - All 3 girls awake, happy and excited.




Leaving Phoenix on the 10..



05/19/2013....06:45....
CEW: "We are far away from home, but I don't see Disneyland anywhere!" Snacks have started.

Forgot girl's water bottles - DOH!!

VEW is the only kid sleeping.

05/19/2013....07:19....
Gas up and bathroom break at Exit 5 complete (the last full-service exit before communist

country..) Sport-topped water bottles purchased and back on the road. All three girls awake and

not angry... next stop.... Gestapo fruit checkpoint.

05/19/2013....07:52....
Activities called into action. VEW won't take formula or water bottle and is NOT a happy baby.

05/19/2013....08:42....
Pit Stop in middle of nowhere for KEW to get sick (throwing up into a cup). Changed CEW/KEW's

clothes, fed and changed VEW. Back on road after what seemed like an eternity.

05/19/2013....09:05....
KEW asleep. Wind farms in view




05/19/2013....10:17....
30 miles away and stuck in gridlock traffic
All 3 kids FINALLY asleep.

05/19/2013....10:18....
Found English language radio station - SINATRA!!! 88.1 KJAZZ


05/19/2013....10:32....
Nearly there!!!




05/19/2013....11:55....
In queue for Pirates after grabbing Indiana Jones Fast pass.



What I wouldn't give to get in here.....




There was some sort of scavenger hunt going on, lots of teams were seen.... they seemed fixated

on this map...



05/19/2013....12:35....
Haunted Mansion Queue looked longer than the 10 minutes quoted by mousewait... Decided not to

chance it as our FP return times were 12:35 - 13:35.. got kids frozen lemonades, and a snack pack

thing... A and I split a clam chowder bread bowl... let the kids feed some of it to the Disney

ducks.






05/19/2013....12:57....
With lunch finished, and not wanting to push our luck, we headed to Indy to use the fast pass..
KEW LOVED it. Other than the opening where you aren't supposed to look into the diety's eyes,

she was excited and grinning EAR TO EAR... she was tall enough to ride this last trip, but the CM

working the like refused to let her in even though she was touching the bottom of the height

marker... they even made her stand in again, and she's over California Screaming tall now... I

must say, they really smoothed the ride out. It was AWESOME. I didn't even remember it being

this awesome, and so smooth. Was really jerky in 2011 last time I rode it. We were up front, and

I was the one driving!!

On the way back to Haunted Mansion, stopped here for a pic. Most of you probably get the

significance, but park goers were looking at us strangely...




05/19/2013....13:35....
In queue for Haunted Mansion. KEW is complaining her stomach is hurting again... going to be the

last ride for a bit. I took VEW, and CEW and KEW rode with A. KEW was super afraid for some

reason... the thinks the lyrics say "Tear your eyes" instead of "terrorize", and she's never been

when it was traditional HM vs. Nightmare before Christmas version...Afterwards, she was LOVING

it. VEW fell asleep on the ride in my arms. We double timed it back to the hotel as our room

was ready when we were having lunch. A nice early room...

05/19/2013....14:00....
In the room. Courtyard view. (144x room) Never had this view before. The monorail zooms by

every 5 mins or so. Kind of a trek and have to use lobby elevators, so I hope the morning goes

smoothly. KEW is in the bunk bed resting. Out on the balcony with a cold Hop Knot IPA from AZ...

[Minnie Loves Mickey]

Wow I hope you have a wonderful trip!

[Haymak]

I am driving to Disney in a couple of week from Phoenix and I hope we can be on the road that early! Have fun!

[momof4fans]

Originally Posted by Haymak

I am driving to Disney in a couple of week from Phoenix and I hope we can be on the road that early! Have fun!

I grew up in Queen Creek and my sis still lives there. I wish I still lived there.

[momof4fans]

I like your style, "whoever"

[PoohsFan1]

I am so glad you are doing a live trip report . I hope you and your family have a great trip....I hope your little one feels better too. Can't wait to read how the rest of your trip goes .

[Rhonna]

Thanks for the photo of 1764 on the sunken crypt. As a result I did a google search. Wow. Very interesting and way more info. than I expected in the blog. I found. (Warning: make sure you have time to read a LOT of info!)

http://longforgottenhauntedmansion.b...emptation.html

[Misskitty3]

Love this report! Can't wait for the next installment!!

[disneydreamer74]

Thanks for the live report...I love it! This is the same road trip I travel except my DD6 refuses to sleep on the way there! Hope your little one's tummy troubles go away!

[whoever]

05/19/2013....17:00..
Well rested and the kids feeling better, we headed into DCA through the Grand Californian Entrance. Minutes later, we were in line for Ariel's Undersea Adventure.
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05/19/2013....17:23..
Headed over to Goofy's Sky School and grabbed fast passes for 18:00-19:00 return time. Made a call that Mickey's Fun Wheel of DOOM looked not too bad wait-wise. Little did we know, that one person in line in front of us was saving a spot for no less than NINE other people who were apparently in line getting beers somewhere because the stream of them nudging past us in line was non-stop.. All 3 kids LOVED the fun wheel of doom rocking gondolas... my middle girl laughing UNCONTROLLABLY, and just going insane.

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05/19/2013....18:15..
In the fast pass line for Goofy's Sky School. Last time we were at DLR, we had a room which looked directly onto it, and it was KEW's favorite ride in the park. This time through did not disappoint.

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05/19/2013....18:27..
Unable to locate the wife and rest of the kids, KEW and I headed over and jumped on Jumpin' Jellyfish. They later found us while we were in queue, and agreed to meet up over by the stroller by Ariel's. CEW got blue cotton candy.

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05/19/2013....18:45..
Again unable to locate the wife and other kids, KEW and I did a walk-on for Ariel.
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05/19/2013....19:00..
I received a text from A that they were at white water snack bar... headed back into the Grand...They were waiting for us at the end of the entrance alley, and our family friend Lindsey and her Daughter Reese were waiting... they were to be the babysitters for the next leg... we got some food for the kids and her, and headed up to the room to change for dinner...
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05/19/2013....20:15..
A and I headed into DCA through the hotel entrance. Having never seen Buena Vista street prior, this was a treat. Noticed everybody appeared to be coming INTO DCA (probably for a WOC show), so we were going against the flow... Out of DCA, and across to Disneyland we went...We meandered down Main Street towards the hub taking our time... Dinner reservations were at 20:45...They had the castle roped off for what I assume was the fireworks show. There was a photo pass guy taking pics with patron's phones for them, so we hopped in line. Everybody was using iPhones, so he had an external light source he was using... until us. The guy was jazzed when I handed him the D600 and the 24-70 f/2.8.... He ditched his light source, and got us some decent shots in front of the castle. By then, I was getting worried... we had to get over to New Orleans square and I had read on the boards that Fantasmic was causing restrictions with getting into the area... we went through Frontierland, my wife still not knowing where we were eating and me remaining aloof. We got to NOS about 20:40. Went over to Blue Bayou and got in line. While we were waiting, I told her to get out the journal and get some updates in it...It said this on the last page filled out.
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Yes, that's right, Club 33! She was flabbergasted. How had I managed this... who had I bribed/blackmailed into such a treat...it will remain a mystery despite her inquiries throughout the night. We weren't quite ready, with 3 minutes to spare, so went down the way and got some pics of her on the stairs in the courtyard off of Royal St.


05/19/2013....18:45..
I press the button...... and ..... nothing happens... Is it broken... did I do something wrong... do they think we are just tourists goofing off... what? What seemed like 10 minutes later (in reality probably 5 seconds), I hear a knock... FROM THE INSIDE. I step back and the door opens...I reply with my name and party of 2... .the maitron jokes "Is everybody in your party here?"... and we are INSIDE!

Waited in the lobby for about 5 mins while another party came in, and went up. There was an apparent shortage of 2-tops tonight, so while we were waiting, we were invited up to the lounge to wait... we took the lift of course.

While waiting in the lounge, the wife and I both enjoyed some adult beverages... WELL made I might add, and strong. We chatted with our server Matt (well named if I do say so myself), and before we knew it, we were seated.

What to order? I scanned the menu, and landed on the Scallop for an appetizer, with the Chateaubriand. The wife went for the duck pot-pie, and the grab-stuffed Lobster tail (last night on the menu for the lobster as they are switching over to the summer fare). The food came well metered. Nobody was rushing you here. I'd try to choose a favorite dish, but they were all
ASTOUNDING! They really know how to do it at Club 33. While we were ordering, Fantasmic was going on, so it was LOUD as we were seated in the corner, and had both French doors on both walls open. All of a sudden SMASH!!!! one of the door is slammed shut and a pane in the adjoining door is broken!!! Thank heavens they have a lamination on the glass or we would have been covered in broken glass. The servers and managers came over to inspect and ensure we were not hurt. It was the drunks who were sitting to the tablet next to us who were at fault, goofing off on the patio. I'm amazed their sponsor (they were NOT members) didn't lose their membership over their horrible behavior throughout the even, and their descent into further and further inebriation and poor behavior.

After we finished the main meal, it was time to choose desert... A went for the apple crepe with some sort of whisky ice cream, and I got the creme brule. THey were both excellet! Mine came with a nice suprise.

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Then I got 1 more adult drink, and we watched some Fantasmic from the balcony. The trees obscured the view, but it was awesome none the less.

Time to pay (ouch! but oh so worth it). While waiting for the wife to powder her nose, I got some items out of the display case. I was debating how many to get, as they are available secondary market... (5 times upcharge on ebay isn't something I would relish though), so settle on 4 items. Oh what a bag they give you even...

Headed out, taking our time (now post-park close), and snapped a pic by Pirates. then meandered
slowly through the park, and back out to the hotel..



05/19/2013....23:45..
Back to our room.... Thanks to Lindsey and a 10 minute recap and stuff collection and I wheel her
daughter down to a waitingn cab, and get them safely sent off to their hotel... hope to see them
this trip, but we are DCAing and they are DLing the next day... We have park hoppers, so will
have to make a trip over to DL to do a ride or two with them. Sadly she'll be moving back to
Indiana at the conclusion of this trip, so not sure when we will see them again if ever

[Misskitty3]

Awesome update!! You totally had me fooled....fulle expected you were going to dinner at BB, which would have been loveky, no doubt! However, there really isn't anything that even comes close to Club 33!!! Can't wait to see your pictures!

[disneydeb64]

Loving this TR - keep it coming! What an incredibly awesome surprise for your wife

[whoever]

05/20/2013....07:35..
In line for DCA! Cars Land, here we come. 4 lanes of entry queued up, we are about 20 people deep amongst the growing masses.
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05/20/2013....07:51..
Gates open, and its like the Kentucky Derby&.only to be stopped by another artificial wall, which is some nylon rope and some cast members roughly at where the Radiator Springs Racers Fast Pass location is at&. We wait&.
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05/20/2013....08:15..
After learning the ins and outs of a RSR end goal, which was an ever constricting funnel of people until we were single file roughly by Flos V8 café, we grabbed a stroller pass, and are finally loading after a mad dash through the queue.
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05/20/2013....08:24..
We are out!! Totally awesome. Shame the only one of the tipping tractors was working (one remained static, one tipped, and one was already tipped, and no smoke ring& L ). Disney should really fix those things on such a high-interest attraction. Execution of stroller swap complete! A and KEW are at it while CEW, VEW, and I kill some time. We wander through Ramons gift shop. The shop keep falls in love with CEW, and after a story about how she loved the non-Nightmare before Christmas Haunted Mansion, she gave CEW a my first visit pin because it was her first visit on the TRUE Haunted Mansion. The cast members sure do their best to make the kids happy.
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05/20/2013....08:43..
A and KEW are out from the second pass through RSR. I take the CEW and KEW on Luigis Flying Tires while A and VEW go to scout the line situation over on the Pier. We get Line #1 (KEW was insistent upon it even though it really didnt make a difference if you know what I mean). Boarded at 08:50.

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05/20/2013....09:05..
CEW, KEW, and I are in line for Toy Story Midway Mania (10 min wait). Noticed California Screamin is 101! Bummed is an understatement, we were going to grab fast passes& L Ran into a conundrum when boarding. Apparently you have to be 7 to ride alone, so all of us had to cram into one side of a ride vehicle. It was challenging to target and shoot without a line of site, but I didnt do to bad point wise all things considered. Beat my 6 year old, even letting the 4 year old do the shooting at a painfully slow rate of fire while I aimed. Poor thing, her head wasnt big enough to keep the 3D glasses on her head. KEW bested us in accuracy.
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05/20/2013....09:25..
As usual, not being able to find A and VEW, I did what I always do&. Rides of opportunity& in this case& King Tritons Carousel. Afterwards, we did locate them, and they came bearing sustenance in the form of churros for the girls and a Cliff bar for me.
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05/20/2013....09:45..
Rejuvenated, we rounded the boardwalk, and made an impromptu stop at the Silly Symphony for KEW and I. My hand just wouldnt bend in a manner which got consistent video of KEW, but Ill work on it and get a snippet up. While we were riding, A grabbed us 2 fast passes for Goofys Sky School. When we went looking for them in the general area, not finding them IMMEDIATELY, we decided& lets grab 2 fast passes ourselves&
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05/20/2013....09:55..
Upon discovering them over by the Zephyr, and CEW begging for a ride, CEW, KEW, and I boarded up and did a quick spin.
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05/20/2013....10:07..
In a ploy to let the fast passes mature, we saw that the Hollywood backlot was pretty deserted via mousewait, so we high-tailed it over to take advantage. We tried Crushs Turtle Talk, but were told next show was at 10:30, so I grabbed CEW/KEW and headed over to Monsters Inc. Sully was out front, but the line was a good 20mins from the looks of it, so we just snapped a quick pic or two, and headed into the ride. Boy do I love the queues in most rides, and thankfully or unfortunately, depending on how many times youve been on them and really taken the time to look around, they go too quickly most of the time&

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05/20/2013....10:30..
Hit the Turtle Talk. It was OK. Definitely wouldnt bother again. Girls lost interest right about the time the show was ending. While we were waiting for the show to start, we explored the animation alcove opposite the theater entrance. The animation demonstration using the synchronized strobe light was pretty cool.
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05/20/2013....10:45..
A and VEW/CEW headed off to DL to meet up with Lindsey and Reese, while KEW and I trekked back to Goofys Sky School to exercise our now mature fast passes&
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05/20/2013....11:10..
Having thoroughly enjoyed our two runs through GSS, KEW and I started the long trek to DL. I ended up carrying her from GSS all the way to Carthay, when I had to fish my phone out to find out where A was going to meet us at.
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05/20/2013....11:30..
Being thoroughly unable to find them waiting for us at Plaza Inn, KEW and I made an executive decision that Dole whip was required&.with only one side of the booth open though, it was sporting a 5 min wait. Got three as there was interest from afar via txt&. And tried to keep two from melting for the next 10 minutes until the rest of the party showed up. The little alcove between Jungle Cruise and Aladdin makes for a good resting/eating spot with some shade.
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05/20/2013....11:50..
Departed to head over to Plaza Inn& Need Fried Chicken in the most serious of ways& It was to be a delicious, yet frustrating lunch, as the 3 adults were outnumbered by the 3 blonde girls, and the fussy infant.
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05/20/2013....12:43..
After a sprint through Frontierland, and a glance at a now overflowing Pirates queue, we practically walked on Haunted Mansion. It was great, and finally getting to see some of the things Ive missed before. We always seem to get the South stretching room.
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05/20/2013....13:06..
A fun ride for A, VEW, and I in the very back of the boat& stayed dry-ish.. Theyve really got the water level up this trip for some reason. I did some good looking through the scenes, and could actually see where you could see to the next one here/there through gaps and arches. Is it me, or are they figuring out how to make dark darker? The light levels are seriously low on Pirates this trip. On the way in, we dumped the strollers at the exit QUICKLY, thinking it would be easier post-ride&. And had to line cut slightly due to the long queue moving faster than expected, and A going under the arch before we arrived. Oh well. Post ride, the strollers were parked in 4 deep, and I had to just lift them over the chain. That needs rethinking.

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05/20/2013....13:30..
KEW and I hit Indy fast pass, subsequently cannot find rest of group& wander New Orleans Square, and then decide to hit Tarzan (nice views today), and then grab some orange Fantas and cool down in that same Aladdins sitting area. Turns out A and VEW/CEW had done some Winnie the Pooh, and ended up deep in the Jungle Cruise queue right about the time KEW and I were to head into the Indy fastpass line.

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05/20/2013....14:35..
KEW and I had a slightly slower entry to Indy this time, which gave some brief moments to appreciate the queue ambiance. Pretty cool. The ride this time was bumping and jerking. The one the day prior was like riding on pillows by comparison. She still loved it, and was grinning ear to ear, and we had the same seats as before. As we were pulling into the station to disembark the ride vehicle all she was saying was AGAIN&AGAIN. After exiting, found out A and the girls and Lindsey and Reese were over by the Matterhorn in the shade& Trekked over there, walked right past them, was about to call, when I turned around and spotted them. Right about this time the Mad Hatter was coming through, so the girls grabbed a pic with him. Checked out Alice, but it was a 30 min posted wait and looked every minute if not more& so off to Toon Town.
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05/20/2013....15:25..
Chip and Dales Gadget Go Coaster. This was a must because both CEW and Reese arent quite 40 inches (Lindsey swears Reese is 40 and going to ride Space Mountain), but this coaster, they could both ride. CEW has been talking about nothing else for the past few weeks. We hop in line, which is short, and moving OK. Killing the time, I tell Lindsey some of the night before story of Club 33& We board, KEW and CEW are up front, followed by Lindsey and Reese. I bring up the third car single handedly. I saw arms up the entire ride, and CEW was bursting with joy after it was done. Going to be looping that ride tomorrow, I can tell& CEW being thoroughly satisfied, rode back in the stroller& she was asleep by the time we hit the hotel.

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05/20/2013....15:50..
Hit the room. Have 16:50 reservations at Carthay, and needed some down time&however brief. CEW slept the entire time in the room (didnt dare get her out of the stroller). KEW decided she wanted some Grizzly River Run after dinner& said Id think about it. Cleaned the cameras off, grabbed some juice for the electronics, and off we went before too long. On the way out, grabbed four fast passes for GRR. Yay.

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05/20/2013....16:50..
CEW is still sleeping when we hit Carthay, so we just wheel her in. Table isnt ready, so we sit down in the lounge and order some beverages (Martini for me, A got a daiquiri (traditional, not the blended stuff you think of when you hear daiquiri), and KEW got some pomegranate lemonade. Before we get our drinks, the table is ready, so up the elevator we go, and get seated. Because we were going for Carthay seating for World of Color, we went for the FireCracker Duck wings for an appetizer, I got the Rib eye, A got the Salmon, and KEW got a steak kids plate. We would later round it out with the strawberry rhubarb pie. KEW was being a pistol, and VEW was fussy all through dinner making it thoroughly unenjoyable. CEW woke up right after we had boxed up KEWs Leftovers for her. She wolfed down the steak, and we were out of there. As far as the food went, A took one bite of the firecracker duck, deemed it too spicy, and relegated me to finishing the entire bowl. They were good, but could have been warmer/crunchier. The kids steak was cooked perfectly, but mine was medium, not the PROPER medium rare I ordered. I wasnt about to send it back the way dinner was going with the kids, so just sucked it up and ate it as-is. As salmon was awesome. The pie was pretty decent too.

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05/20/2013....18:30..
Balloon lady created a ruckus& apparently, she didnt tell KEW the right price (said $3 vs the $8 the balloons actually were), and didnt tell her there was any particular line, so while KEW waited, the colors she wanted were quickly disappearing. Such an unprofessional cast member that lady was. Grr. CEW was throwing a fit because of it, and I should have shut it down on cost alone once it became apparent how much they were. L 2 expensive, pink, Mickey balloons later, and we are making our way back towards the hotel entrance through Condor Flats.

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05/20/2013....18:50..
Over the next 75 minutes, KEW and I hit GRR no less than 4 times. Only used 2 of our 4 fast passes because it was walk-on after the first trip due to the temperature dropping. We were going to go for 5, but we had to get cleaned up for WOC& During the time we were doing GRR, A and the small girls were just sitting in a shell going through Ariel over and over not getting out even due to lack of riders&

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05/20/2013....20:35..
Headed out for WOC. They apparently have seating by which restaurant/package youve got now, so we ended up in the picnic lunch section at first before I went and found where we were supposed to be. It was decent viewing, but the girls still had to take turns on my shoulders. Obviously didnt get any in-show pics as a result, but some after pics were decent. Someone didnt put the cap on tight on a water bottle and as a result, a soggy stroller was to be had L

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05/20/2013....21:45..
Back in the hotel& boy are my feet sore& Girls got put to bed, wife is sleeping, and Im going to wrap this installment up now. Pics may be a few days because theres just not enough time at the end of the day or in the day when we are in the room& They will come, and Ive got about 27 gig so far to sort through. It was a good second day, just need more energy&

[disneydeb64]

Great and detailed TR! Can't wait to see the pics. Everytime I saw <insert pic> there was no pic - bummer Glad you all had a good time - and yes, there's never enough energy!

[whoever]

Originally Posted by disneydeb64

Great and detailed TR! Can't wait to see the pics. Everytime I saw <insert pic> there was no pic - bummer Glad you all had a good time - and yes, there's never enough energy!

I'll work on the pics on the drive back. Make the wife drive while I post-process and generally just separate the wheat from the chaff. Will probably be Thursday evening by the time I get most of them up...maybe into Friday... Just too long of days...