Seattle Goobers' January '12 Trip! UPDATE 1/30: The TR has begun! :)

[okw19]

It was beautiful! Ugh yeah, I have been soooo busy, just no time to sit and write, and work was slow, but now it is totally insane. Goooo figure, though I think after tomorrow it will relax again which is nice. I saw your email but then saw your reply here so I figured I'd just reply here, haha.

I can't believe how close we are either. It's unbelievable and sooo exciting. I can't wait to get on our flight and prepare for a wonderful vacation!

And yeah, how funny is that? I'm sure it'll be fine but it is just hilarious.. She asked me what dates we would be there and then suddenly was like, "OMG we will be there that second weekend!" I think my eyes nearly popped out of my head. Hahaha, but I don't mind. Disney World is big enough, plus again, I'm sure it would be kind of fun to show her some of the attractions and stuff. At that pint we'll have been on everything we wanted so it'll be the more relaxed part of our trip.

Yes, at least she won't be there until towards the end!

 

[ladytink75]

I'm joining in on the fun.. We use to live in Oak Harbor, WA which is in Skagit County for eight yrs. We just left Oak Harbor last year after my DH retired from the Navy. We still own a house up there.. I plan to catch up on your PTR here soon so this way I can follow along..

By the way... GO HUSKIES!!!! We cheer for UW here in AZ where we live..

 

[Rudegrle]

You don't have ADRs?! Haha, I would be freaking out just a little bit... though honestly I don't think you'll have a problem due to the time of year we're going. Last trip we made some last minute ADRs and got in every place we wanted, outside of a few of the more popular choices like Le Cellier.

LOL. I'm not too worried about the whole ADR thing. We go the same time every year and I hardly ever have a problem getting the ressies I want. I only make 3 or 4 for the entire trip. I hate being tied down. We don't do the dining plan, and we hit "Whole Paycheck" for snacks and such when we arrive. This trip it's gonna be

• Cape May
• Crystal Palace
• Cali Grill
• Wishes Dessert Party (maybe)

Flying Fish, Blue Zoo, & Kimono's are on the list too, but we'll just walk up to these as we're happy to eat at the bar and/or late at night (time change thing). Oh, and Beaches & Cream... gotta get my No Way Jose!

I'm super super excited for BCV. I am hoping the weather is warm enough for at least one day of swimming at SAB. We're pretty okay with coldish weather and jumping in the pools, but if it's in the 30s-40s, I'm not going in, haha. I'm also just really happy about the location, too! I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of time in Epcot in our free time. We're doing Cape May but for dinner since we love seafood, but I'm really excited for it! CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS TRIP! (Have I mentioned that already? )

That's the great thing about staying at an Epcot resort, you really get to spend a lot of time there and it's sooooo easy. Illuminations is my *FAVORITE* show, and we'll just walk over to catch it at closing time. Per-fect!

There's usually at least one day warm enough for simming. SAB is a pretty cool pool, prob the best on property. Have you done a WDW water park yet? If not, you so have to! They are amazing and so much fun.

We are also going to head over to this upscale mall to see something called Snowflake Lane, where they make it snow and there's a little celebration every night at 7 for it.

How did you like Snowflake Lane at Bell Square? It's a great show they put on. Was it crowded? The weekends can get kinda . I heard there was a 3 mile backup in downtown Bellevue yesterday. We had planned on going to SeaStar for dinner but backed out when I heard about how bad the traffic had been all day.

15 days til Christmas!!! I'm going to wrap some presents

 

[danimaroo]

I'm joining in on the fun.. We use to live in Oak Harbor, WA which is in Skagit County for eight yrs. We just left Oak Harbor last year after my DH retired from the Navy. We still own a house up there.. I plan to catch up on your PTR here soon so this way I can follow along..

By the way... GO HUSKIES!!!! We cheer for UW here in AZ where we live..

Awesome! I've never been to Oak Harbor, but I do know of it! Definitely feel free to catch up. I find myself doing that a lot on people's PTRs and TRs, and then I always forget to comment. AND YES GO HUSKIES!!! Love that there's another Huskies fan in this PTR! Woohoo!

LOL. I'm not too worried about the whole ADR thing. We go the same time every year and I hardly ever have a problem getting the ressies I want. I only make 3 or 4 for the entire trip. I hate being tied down. We don't do the dining plan, and we hit "Whole Paycheck" for snacks and such when we arrive. This trip it's gonna be

• Cape May
• Crystal Palace
• Cali Grill
• Wishes Dessert Party (maybe)

Flying Fish, Blue Zoo, & Kimono's are on the list too, but we'll just walk up to these as we're happy to eat at the bar and/or late at night (time change thing). Oh, and Beaches & Cream... gotta get my No Way Jose!

Oh totally get what you mean. I couldn't believe how easy it was last year! We made ours with the agreement that we are flexible and are willing to makes changes if we want to. That and we do have the DDP, so it just kind of makes sense. It's funny because part of me loves the DDP, but I also sometimes don't like being stuck to ADRs, so having the flexibility helps (especially since we'll be there at a slow time).

Oh and I TOTALLY have had my eye on that No Way Jose! We are doing B&C one evening for dinner and I am pretty darn excited about it!


That's the great thing about staying at an Epcot resort, you really get to spend a lot of time there and it's sooooo easy. Illuminations is my *FAVORITE* show, and we'll just walk over to catch it at closing time. Per-fect!

I know, I am really really excited about it. To be able to just stroll over to the World Showcase whenever we want to is awesome! I'm excited to see Illuminations again. Last time I was totally blown away by it!

There's usually at least one day warm enough for simming. SAB is a pretty cool pool, prob the best on property. Have you done a WDW water park yet? If not, you so have to! They are amazing and so much fun.

Yeah we totally went swimming like 3-4 times during our last January trip. There was one day it was perfect out and we took advantage of it. I'm hoping it is somewhat warm on night one since last trip we did nightswimming on our first night and it would be fun to keep that up as a tradition. But if it's cold out, yeah, no, not happening!

I have been to both Disney water parks when I was younger! They were an absolute blast. I think if we were going during a warmer time of year, we'd do the water park add-on. However last trip we had that and never used it! I figured we might as well save the money, since if we're in the mood to go swimming, it'll for sure be at SAB or the quiet pool.

How did you like Snowflake Lane at Bell Square? It's a great show they put on. Was it crowded? The weekends can get kinda . I heard there was a 3 mile backup in downtown Bellevue yesterday. We had planned on going to SeaStar for dinner but backed out when I heard about how bad the traffic had been all day.

So we didn't end up going! And it sounds like it was good that we didn't! We had heard from a friend that Southcenter was insane, so we figured Bell Square wouldn't be any better. It's too bad since I wanted to see it, but we opted for driving up to Issaquah for some Puppy Christmas shopping at PetSmart, a quick stop at Trader Joe's, and then drove around the area and looking at lights. It was pretty delightful.

15 days til Christmas!!! I'm going to wrap some presents

I AM SO EXCITED! I can't believe it's right around the corner. My DH has been saying how he is so excited for Christmas, and so he's been focused on that, but then claimed that once Christmas is over he's going to be in super planner mode. I am all for it though!

 

[danimaroo]

Wow, can I just start off by saying how much of an awesome weekend I had? Matt and I were originally planning to go up to the family cabin (his parents own it up in the mountains; it's a wonderful getaway), but then decided we really wanted to have a quiet weekend at home while it's still decorated for Christmas.

So my Friday night started off on a great note, as the sunset from my office was UNBELIEVABLE.

After we left work, we ended up doing some shopping for Puppy Christmas, with a quick stop at Trader Joe's, and then drove around looking at Christmas lights.

Saturday was running some fun errands, I made a solo trip to Walmart, in hopes of finding one final gift for Matt, but ended up coming home with some iron-on transfer paper and hoodies instead. I thought it might be kind of fun to make myself a new hoodie, especially for our upcoming trip! I told Matt he could pick out whatever he wanted and I'd make one for him, but he's still deciding. I, other the other hand, knew I really wanted to make one with this guy on it:

So I worked on cutting Wall-E out, put it on the sweatshirt and couldn't figure out why it wouldn't stick. Then I realized I was having a MAJOR dumb moment, because I forgot to peel off the paper on the back of it! I blame it partially on the fact that I was half-watching the Amazing Race finale, and also that I was just so excited to have a Wall-E hoodie that I forgot a pretty important step. Soooo Wall-e unfortunately was not salvageable, and I'm going to have to print it off again tonight. But! No worries, hopefully I will have a new Wall-E hoodie to wear during our trip, as I'm sure the evenings will get chilly.

Outside of that, we spent a TON of time watching Christmas movies, I worked on a Christmas-themed jigsaw puzzle, and we finally got to enjoy our hot tub. We hadn't used it in a really long time because our cover had fallen apart. Partially because it was super old, partially because rain water pooled in the middle of it and caused it to cave in, and partially because our big dog Anya would climb onto it and drink said rain water, and her weight didn't help that situation. So because of this, the hot tub lost a lot of heat and water, and also got dirtier quicker, so we used it a lot less.

After waiting a month and a half though, our new cover came in and we used the hot tub both Saturday and Sunday night! It was soooo relaxing. I'm planning on hopping in tonight after my workout at the gym.

Speaking of which, I've been working out for awhile, but have recently switched from the elliptical over to the treadmill. I want to start walking to get ready for our trip. I already walk a LOT being that I work in downtown Seattle and the train I take in isn't that close to my office, but it can't hurt to walk even more! So I've started to walk at an incline, and man, I forgot how walking can give you such a work out! I got so used to doing low-impact workouts on the elliptical, but this is great. By walking now and also having good sneakers for our trip, I should be in great shape.

Fun story time about my feet during our Disneymoon. Our last trip I STUPIDLY brought my cute (read: cute but NOT made for walking a lot) Lacoste sneakers and Adidas sandals, and ended up with the worst blisters imaginable. I literally spent every evening having to pop them, and it got so bad I found myself full-on crying in the middle of Epcot because I could barely walk. Did I mention that I ended up having to wear socks with sandals? I looked like SUCH a goober, but that's what I got for not using my noggin and realizing how much you walk while at Disney World! This time, I am going in prepared!

Anyway, that's kind of been it around here. Hoodie-making and walking and really enjoying Christmas time. I brought up something about Disney, I think about hours being extended one night during our trip at MK, and Matt and I chatted about it. He's been bringing up our trip and counting down the days a lot, which has been fun as he is getting more and more excited for it. He also mentioned that once Christmas is over, he is going to be in full-on Disney mode and can't wait to talk about all of our plans for our trip.

I mentioned to him that I wanted to buy a journal for our trip, so I could write in it when we're out and about, in order to make my first TR ever pretty detailed. He thought it sounded like a great idea, but I'm not sure where I'll get my journal quite yet! I might have to do some looking around Etsy for a good one, but I'll do that after Christmas!

It's always way more fun planning/talking about the trip when you're both just as excited as each other. He keeps bringing up how we should be getting our Magical Express stuff in the mail in a few weeks and how crazy that is! It's really fun watching him get excited for our trip. I'm just so happy we have something to look forward to after Christmas, as Disney is a great way to combat the post-Christmas blues!

Perhaps I will post later/tomorrow once my Wall-E hoodie is done!!

 

[Rudegrle]

Did I mention that I ended up having to wear socks with sandals?

Must be a Seattle thing

Issaquah?!?! You were in my area

Best of luck w/ your hoodie post pics when it's done.

Oh, and BTW... completely devastated that MSEP is not showing my entire trip now!!! At least you have a chace to catch it the last night

 

[danimaroo]

Two updates in TWO days?! I know, right? I can't believe it, but work has gotten way slow as it tends to be around the holidays, so I have a bit more free time! That being said, this isn't much of an epic update, but I do want to show off my new hoodie I made last night, along with beginning a challenge to keep things rolling around here.

First things first, Matt mentioned to me last night that he wouldn't mind having his hoodie have Remy from Ratatouille on it. I got REALLY excited that he wanted to do this, and he chose the scene where Remy was looking over Paris. I decided to choose a different one of Wall-E (which you'll see here in a second), following in similar fashion to Matt in picking out a scene that was going to be easy for me to cut out.

I went to iron on Matt's and um.. Well it didn't come out like I wanted it to. There are iron marks and I have NO IDEA why this happened, considering how many iron-ons I have made in the past. Matt said he'll still wear it, but I really wanted him to have something that looked good and not.. well, like someone stuck an iron on his shirt for an hour.

I was really sad about it because I was excited that we would have similar hoodies with our favorite Pixar characters, but I felt like I ruined it. He insists I didn't and it's fine but ugh. What a waste of a hoodie and the iron on paper!

Nervous about my hoodie, I ironed mine on and ignored the stupid instructions, choosing to smoothly run over the iron-on. Aaaaand mine came out fine. I'm just mad at myself for not doing it the way I normally do it on Matt's vs. listening to the stupid instructions. Oh well. At least mine came out pretty cute:

I'm trying to convince Matt to let me make him a new one but he keeps saying it's okay and that he'll wear the one I made him. We'll see; I still feel bad about it but I'll have to just get over it.

Okay, part two of today's update. I was so inspired by Twoboysnmygirl and her 30 day Disney photo challenge that I'm totally hopping on the bandwagon and participating in it, as well! Now, I can't say I'll be able to use personal photos for every day, but I'll try to use them whenever possible. I think it's a fun way to get excited for the trip, especially since we are now within 30+ days!

Day 1: A picture of you at Disney with 10 reasons you're a Disney lover

Holy. Crap. Can I just state how weird it is to look at some of these photos from our last trip and notice how much weight Matt and I have lost? It's kind of weird, but good!

1. Because it's one of the few places in the world that a 27 and 29 year old can act like they're 6 years old again and have it be totally socially acceptable.

2. Disney World is like this little bubble that you stay in while on vacation and you can completely escape real life for awhile.

3. Disney World is an awesome place for honeymooning. I couldn't believe how many congratulations we got while we were there... which is why we're going back for our anniversary!

4. I love how much thought is put into EVERYTHING at Disney.

5. I love how attractions aren't just about the ride, it's about the experience as a whole.

6. I love that there is the World Showcase at Epcot so you can experience something completely different than any other park.

7. I love how I literally get butterflies when I see my favorite character around the parks. I've never been so happy to get a photo with Eeyore.

8. The food! The food is so good and it's nice to enjoy ourselves with a break from the parks to a nice sit-down meal.

9. I love that it's okay for my husband and I to walk around in Mickey ears and no one bats an eye... or if they do, it's to comment on how much they enjoy our hats.

10. I love seeing the looks on people's faces when they're having a blast in Disney World; it makes me really really happy, especially when they just "get it".

 

[danimaroo]

Must be a Seattle thing

Issaquah?!?! You were in my area

Best of luck w/ your hoodie post pics when it's done.

Oh, and BTW... completely devastated that MSEP is not showing my entire trip now!!! At least you have a chace to catch it the last night

Haha, I really think it is a Seattle thing! Ugh but I will not be doing THAT again, because I seriously looked like such a dork.

Really?! My in-laws live in Issaquah Highlands, so we're there occasionally! We also go up there to go to the Trader Joe's and PetSmart, since we lack both of those down in our area (we're in Kent/Covington).

I just posted photos, though I kind of got sad because Matt's hoodie was somewhat of a fail.

And I know, SUCH a shame about MSEP. It's only open one day during our trip, which is the first day we are in the parks. Fortunately we have an ADR at Crystal Palace that evening, so we're going to be in MK for that night anyway. Problem is, the ADR is at 6, and the parade starts at 7. I'm not too worried about it though, as I'm sure we'll be able to catch part of the parade after dinner, or at LEAST see it from dinner. There are a lot of things being shut down in January, but for the most part I'm okay with it. I guess that's just the trade-off of going at the least busiest time of year.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Yay for photo challenge!!! Can't wait to see all your pics, love your 10 reasons! I love your hoodie, I'm sorry Matt's got mess up though.

 

[danimaroo]

Yay for photo challenge!!! Can't wait to see all your pics, love your 10 reasons! I love your hoodie, I'm sorry Matt's got mess up though.

THANKS TO YOU! And thanks! I was so bummed out, but I don't know, it's not the worst thing in the world, it just didn't come out how I wanted it to. Plus, I was totally looking forward to us wearing them together during the cooler evenings... Oh well though! He is looking forward to getting a new hoodie in WDW since the one he got last trip is WAY too big for him. Guess I'll just have to rock out my Wall-E hoodie.

 

[okw19]

I love your hoodie! That stinks that Matt's got messed up though. I'm a perfectionist so I know I'd be dying to make him a new one!
Since you're feeling crafty, you should start your pin project that we talked about!

I love the 30 day challenge idea! I can't wait to see what the other days hold.

 

[danimaroo]

I love your hoodie! That stinks that Matt's got messed up though. I'm a perfectionist so I know I'd be dying to make him a new one!
Since you're feeling crafty, you should start your pin project that we talked about!

I love the 30 day challenge idea! I can't wait to see what the other days hold.

Thanks! And yeah, it does stink... but oh well. I'm totally a perfectionist so I just want him to let me remake it for him but he'd rather save the money towards a new one he'll buy in Disney World. Oh well, I can't really argue that, but it's definitely bumming me out.

I might try something with the pins, still haven't thought of much of anything, ooooor just send you the pins for your daughter to go through! I should just stop by USPS and grab a small flat rate box, but I keep forgetting. If I can't think of a good craft idea, next time I go by it I will stop by so I can send them to you. She'll get better use out of them than I will!

And yeah, I love the idea, too! I'm really excited to do it, since now I have a reason to update my PTR every day! YAY!

 

[danimaroo]

Yay for an update! 36 days away! I can't even believe it!

So one thing before I do my Day 2 photo challenge post. Yesterday I was reading through twitter and I follow Amazon, because we're a little obsessed with Amazon in our household. Anyhoot, I like to keep an eye on their Lightning Deals, just in case, when I suddenly spot that Kinect Disneyland Adventures is a Lightning Deal for... $21!!!

I quickly sent a message to Matt and told him how it was a bummer that it was suddenly way marked down but we've both hit our budget for one another for Christmas. Matt then responded, "Welp, early Christmas present for you, Merry Christmas!" He ordered it because he said it was such a good deal and I've brought it up a few times now, so he thought this would be a good time to snag it at such a good price. $30 off is REALLY good!

I think it comes in today (hooray for Amazon Prime!), so I'm pretty excited to try it out soon. I'm debating if I want to try playing it before or after our trip. Part of me thinks I should save it for after to help beat the post-Disney World blues. I know it's Disneyland vs. Disney World, but it has a lot of mini-games for rides you find in both parks, like Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, etc. Pretty darn excited for it though, as within minutes the "Lightning Deal" was sold out. My husband is pretty awesome.

Anyway, onto Day 2 of the photo challenge! This one was a little tough but with a little thought and asking Matt, I think I have a pretty solid combo for this one (sure it says one character but I'm cheating by listing 3, sue me!)

Day 2: A picture of the character you’re most like

I'm definitely a mix of these 3. I'm extremely loyal to those I love, like Dug, I 100% have Donald moments when I get upset/angry and may sometimes even SOUND like Donald, , and Tigger is my fun/excited side about things, which has definitely come out about this trip... Plus, I'm remarkably goofy.

 

[okw19]

Thanks! And yeah, it does stink... but oh well. I'm totally a perfectionist so I just want him to let me remake it for him but he'd rather save the money towards a new one he'll buy in Disney World. Oh well, I can't really argue that, but it's definitely bumming me out.

I might try something with the pins, still haven't thought of much of anything, ooooor just send you the pins for your daughter to go through! I should just stop by USPS and grab a small flat rate box, but I keep forgetting. If I can't think of a good craft idea, next time I go by it I will stop by so I can send them to you. She'll get better use out of them than I will!

And yeah, I love the idea, too! I'm really excited to do it, since now I have a reason to update my PTR every day! YAY!

That is true about saving the money for the trip, but if it were my fiance I would be freaking out about him wearing something I made but wasn't happy with. I'm a complete perfectionist freak though.

I thought if I bugged you enough, you would be inspired to make something. Guess my plan didn't work. It's whatever you want to do with them, but yes DD would probably freak out to have some "pins" like Mommy.

I'm so glad you're updating every day! That's an awesome price on the Disneyland game! I'm dying to get it too.
I love the characters you chose to describe yourself. I love Dug. Did you hear that they have started doing Up meet and greats in AK? I hope it's not just for Christmas though. I would love to meet Dug!

 

[danimaroo]

That is true about saving the money for the trip, but if it were my fiance I would be freaking out about him wearing something I made but wasn't happy with. I'm a complete perfectionist freak though.

Hahaha I know, that's what I was thinking, but he probably won't even end up wearing it, which I'd rather it be vs. him wearing a shirt that looks bad! Oh well, my Wall-E hoodie is cute and I'm excited to wear it.

I thought if I bugged you enough, you would be inspired to make something. Guess my plan didn't work. It's whatever you want to do with them, but yes DD would probably freak out to have some "pins" like Mommy.

Hahaha, I know, I know. But it's hard to think of something, honestly. Especially since there aren't a ton of pins I'm really in love with from the bunch. So what's better than sending them to a kid who will probably appreciate them ten times more than I will?! I'll let you know when they're sent out, because I definitely would like to send them to you guys.

I'm so glad you're updating every day! That's an awesome price on the Disneyland game! I'm dying to get it too.
I love the characters you chose to describe yourself. I love Dug. Did you hear that they have started doing Up meet and greats in AK? I hope it's not just for Christmas though. I would love to meet Dug!

I know! I am really happy to have a great reason to update every day, haha. Not sure tons of people are reading them/care, but that's okay, because it's fun for me! I LOVE Dug, plus I swear sometimes I'm just like that!

I heard about the Up M&G and am PRAYING that they keep it around for longer than the holidays. If I met Dug I wouldn't know what to do with myself! My friend who is a CM in Disneyland has a photo with Dug and I'm SO jealous! So fingers crossed they let them stick around for a little longer than normal so I can meet both him and Russell.

 

[danimaroo]

Woohoo, day 3 of the challenge! Buuuut before I post it, I also wanted to comment on this whole outrage over MSEP being down during my trip. While we arrive on the 19th, the final day of MSEP until it comes back in February, even then I'm not 100% positive that we'll get to see it. We have an ADR at Crystal Palace at around 6 that evening, so with the parade starting at 7, I doubt we'll be out before then. My hope is that we can catch at least part of the parade, as that's all we really need to see, but if we miss it, it's really not the end of the world.

I'm not a huge parade person to begin with. That's not to say I don't want to see it, because the photos look wonderful and it's Matt's favorite parade at the park. But at the same time, I also have a hard time with the intense crowds for the parades, so I'd much rather just stand in the back and not worry about being pushed/shoved around. My thought is that the crowds for the parade will be nuts since it's the last night it's running, so I'm not going to try to move our dinner earlier to try to see the parade. It's out first day there, and I don't want to feel rushed or grumpy with crowds, so enjoying our dinner and then having some time to roam MK that night is all I really ask for. If I get to see MSEP, wonderful, and if not, there's always next time.

I'm just thankful that both Splash Mountain and Star Tours will be open this trip, as both were closed during our honeymoon and I was pretty bummed out about it.

Anyway, onto Day 3!

Day 3: A picture of your favorite Disney memory

Okay so, I think my overall favorite Disney memory ever actually happened when I was 6 years old and met Mickey Mouse for the first time. It's something I'll never forget and still makes me smile. Unfortunately, I don't have photos of that event, so I'm choosing something from our honeymoon, and also because it's a different kind of special memory/experience, being in Disney World for the first time as an adult..

This photo just reminds me of how much fun Matt and I had on this trip as a whole. We were able to run around the parks like kids again, holding hands and wearing our dorky hats. It made me realize even more how happy I am to have married Matt and to be able to share such a great love for Disney World together.

I am really truly thankful to have someone who introduced me to so many new things in Disney World, and really reignited my love for a place that holds one of my favorite childhood memories. It's hard to choose just one memory, because our honeymoon was such a wonderful trip and I couldn't ask for a better person to go to Disney World with.

 

[danimaroo]

GUYS! GUUUYS! I AM SO EXCITED RIGHT NOW!

Last night we got home from work, and Matt went to get the mail since it'd been a few days since we'd checked it. Anyway, Matt came in and acted all normal, and went through some of the mail... Then he said, Dani, close your eyes.. and I said okay, and noticed he had an envelope in his hand. So I closed them, having no idea what it was because I thought maybe it was just a card or something from someone for Christmas.

Matt put the envelope in my hand, I opened my eyes, and literally screamed, which in turn made Matt cover his ears.

Whoops! I really did scream way louder than necessary, but I couldn't help it. Matt opened up the envelope, and at this point I was literally dancing in my kitchen.

MICKEY MAIL HAS ARRIVED!!!

I had totally forgotten about it, even though Matt brought up that we should be getting it soon like a week ago. I think I've been so focused on Christmas stuff that I just totally forgot that our Magical Express tags and vouchers would be on their way! I feel like this year we got it WAY earlier than last year, as last year I could've sworn we got it sometime in January. Either way, I AM SO EXCITED! You know when you get Mickey Mail it totally makes your trip ten times more real!

Okay, now that I'm done exploding excitement all over the place, let's move onto our Day 4 challenge!!

Day 4: A picture of the way you know you’re at a Disney park

Definitely when you can find that sign. This photo was part of my 365 Photo a day project I started last January, and I captioned it with "What ride is this from?" on Facebook.. Two people got it right away, so obviously I have more Disney fans for friends than I thought! Big Thunder is such a big part of Disney! I am going to be really sad with it shut down, but I have a feeling that Splash Mountain will make up for it this trip.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Hi there..I just wanted to let you know that I have been lurking here for a while...even though I haven't posted yet I have been enjoying your planning. Congrats on your Mickey Mail arrival...that feels so good doesn't it?

 

[danimaroo]

Hi there..I just wanted to let you know that I have been lurking here for a while...even though I haven't posted yet I have been enjoying your planning. Congrats on your Mickey Mail arrival...that feels so good doesn't it?

So glad to know you are reading along! What's funny is I am totally the QUEEN of lurking on other people's TRs/PTRs. I love reading about people's trips, I'm still trying to get better at actually commenting on them. Even funnier is I just was reading your PTR/mini TR of your trip with Ferb this morning! It sounds like you guys had an excellent trip together and I am really excited to hear about how the surprise goes over with your girls!

Okay, this is pretty clear that I need to start commenting more when I'm sitting over here talking as if I know you and your family.

It does feel wonderful! I am just so thrilled because it makes it seem so much closer and REAL. Like, yes, we really are going back!

 

[princess&her4princes]

Hi Dani!!

You joined my PTR and we're going the same time! So excited to meet you and Matt! Loving your PTR so far, you're a great writer and I can't wait to read more!!

I'll be back!!