They Let Anyone In these Clubs Now! An Aug. 2017 PTR * TR link! 8/17!*

All Together Now: CHANGES!

Hi everyone! I'm sorry it's been slow going with this PTR, I've just been super busy with work and end of year stuff for the kids. You'd think with high school done I wouldn't have anything to do but between the two of them I'm not just working as a TA, I'm a taxi service...................every time I think I have more than 30 minutes to sit down at the computer I realize I have to drive somebody somewhere or pick somebody up! I drive Chris to and from school every day and during regents they don't run buses often so I was taking Ricky (and numerous friends) down to school for testing a couple days last week. The high school is only 4 minutes down the road but it still interrupts my "flow"! I may bring 3 kids TO the school, I may expect to bring 3 kids HOME from school, but somehow 6-7 kids end up walking towards my car and getting in.................and there goes all my food. It sure makes for busy days! On to the fun stuff-
I've done a few things since my last update! I'll start with the one I alluded to in my title: something most of us planners are all too familiar with - the change :rolleyes1 Yup, I did one. And I may do it again! Remember how our first two nights were booked at CBR? None of us had any issue with the construction but I WAS concerned about us all eating when we arrive at what will be after 10pm. As of now the food trucks and buffet aren't open after 10 so our options would be the grab n go "rooms" in each section of the resort, and I don't think that will satisfy any of us. We could eat at the airport before getting on DME but I know we'll want to just get there even if now we say that's what we'll do; so I changed our resort. Not to anything that exciting either; we'll now be spending August 5-7th here:



I do keep checking for TA rate availability at WL CL for those 2 nights but so far no luck. I know the boys will like the over the top sports stuff here and while Steve and I will certainly not like the double beds, we'll deal. We'll have the food court to eat in when we arrive and that's probably the only time we'll eat there.
IF we do indeed stay here.
I'm already itching to change it so we'll see how long it lasts. That's the only "change" for now because although I did change a couple ADR's the end of last week, you won't know the difference since I haven't mentioned any of them yet......but now I will! I know I've said this before but when Steve and I go we don't make ADR's for every day. However, we pretty much do at least one TS each day; we've always been able to get something we're happy with same day or the night before. With the boys I don't like to wing too much because they have different likes/dislikes and, unlike Steve and I who can handle being hungry for a bit if we're not sure where we want to eat (kind of, more him than me!) when the boys are hungry they get nasty; then I get nasty; then we don't agree where to eat; then I get hungry, and then we all can't stand each other. Moral of the story is I book most of our meals ahead of time when we all go!

I'm still missing a couple because I can't make up my mind but so far here's what we have:

8/6:
lunch at either LTT or the Plaza (no judging! Yes I'm holding both!)
dinner 1900 Park Fare

I've wanted to eat dinner at Park Fare FOREVER; I've made reservations there numerous times and cancelled because I know the boys won't be thrilled. I also know the stepsisters will be so hysterical with them and we've never met them which is why I want to do it! Back in Nov. 2015 I cancelled our dinner there when I compromised with the boys: they agreed to meet Lady Tremaine and the sisters in MK with me if I cancelled. Well, unfortunately when we finally met Lady Tremaine on our last day her daughters were "entertaining guests at tea" so it was just her. She was awesome and the meet was great, but we still need the sisters!



8/7:

Sanaa lunch
*possibly dinner in Epcot*

8/8:
Mama Melrose early dinner
8/9:
lunch at Splitsville while we bowl
*possibly something for dinner*

I say possibly something for dinner because I booked something else for us tonight and between lunch and this "special surprise" I'm not sure if we'll just eat in the lounge or what. I need to think more, because there are snacks involved with our surprise. The snacks totally won't satisfy Steve and Ricky so regardless they'll need something afterwards from Roaring Fork or Geyser Point. What is this special surprise that only Steve knows about you ask? Something else I've wanted to do for awhile:



You might think between this and Park Fare dinner that I hate my boys but I really do love them. They just tend to not know what will be fun until I force it on them :D I've heard so many excellent things about this cruise, how it's fun for people without kids as well as families, and I have it booked for a number of clients; I wanna do something new and fun! Plus, it's all in the name of research, right?


8/10:
undecided for AK dinner

8/11:
Be Our Guest dinner
BOG dinner is probably one of our top 4 TS restaurants and that goes for the boys as well. We ate there last Nov. but Steve and I haven't been on our two recent adults trips so I'm ready to go back. I think I posted this picture in my Nov. '16 PTR but it's so good I need to post it again; this is typical Chris at our first visit to BOG in Nov. 2012. I have no idea what he was making a face about but he really doesn't need a reason:



Same attitude, different year:




8/12:
Sci-Fi lunch

Splitsville and Park Fare will be new to us. Sci Fi is one we haven't been to in years and while Steve and I have recently been to Mama Melrose and LTT, the boys haven't been to either of those in a couple years. So I still need dinner on the 7th and maybe a dinner on the 9th, as well as something on the 10th. Here's some possibilities:

-Cape May Cafe: Chris and I ate dinner here last Nov. before Steve and Ricky joined us. We thought it was great as non-seafood eaters and since Ricky and Steve both do eat seafood, I think they'd enjoy it even more.
-Narcoossee's, so we can stick at least one signature in there and both boys love it
-Via Napoli, I've been wanting to return since our 2015 Thanksgiving trip!
-Restaurant Marrakesh, I know it's not popular but we've been there twice and love our meals!
-Tusker House or Yak & Yeti for the 10th. I wanted to go back to TH since it's been awhile and the characters have always been great there, but subjecting the boys to characters a 3rd time might push someone over the edge. We all like Y&Y with the possible exception of Chris who almost threw a fit last Nov. at the age of 11. My gut is to just book it and not give a crap whether he's happy or not. As I said earlier in this update, I do love my boys :thumbsup2


Lastly I'm debating ordering matching pirate shirts for us for the fireworks cruise. Nothing fancy, maybe just a pirate Mickey head or something. Of course I have my awesome SMEE shirt but I'd like to match if I can talk the boys into it. I had all intentions of getting us matching shirts for our last Thanksgiving trip but it never happened. In case I do it this time, anyone have any Etsy sites they've ordered from before and been happy? My main concern is not ordering the right size for someone. I've ordered from places like RedBubble, TeePublic, and a couple others, some shirts fit great and others seem to run terribly small and you just never know. Thanks!




 
Hi Ariane! The Pirates and Pals cruise does look fun!!! It's on my to do list too...We've done the "Wishes" cruise twice and LOVED it!!! It was a bit pricey, but TOTALLY worth every penny!

Your ADR's look great!

We will be having dinner at BOG on July 5th, as it is one of our favorite Disney eats too...You get my vote for Yak and Yeti-AWESOME food!!!
 
The high school is only 4 minutes down the road but it still interrupts my "flow"! I may bring 3 kids TO the school, I may expect to bring 3 kids HOME from school, but somehow 6-7 kids end up walking towards my car and getting in.................and there goes all my food.

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so I changed our resort. Not to anything that exciting either; we'll now be spending August 5-7th here:



I do keep checking for TA rate availability at WL CL for those 2 nights but so far no luck. I know the boys will like the over the top sports stuff here and while Steve and I will certainly not like the double beds, we'll deal. We'll have the food court to eat in when we arrive and that's probably the only time we'll eat there.
IF we do indeed stay here.

Changes keep us on our toes! :) I figured you wouldn't be sticking with CBR because of the food issue. I think that's a good call. I won't be surprised if this changes, too...but for now it seems like a totally decent option, and one that will save a little money. We actually have one random night booked here for our August trip because during the time we're staying at the timeshare we decided to plan to do two full days involving AK, and we thought we might want a place to crash in the AC in the afternoon and watch some Stacy TV, go swimming, etc., and we could also use the reservation to be able to book Pandora FPs 60 days in advance. The AP discount was decent, so we'll have the room here for as much or as little as we want it for for one night. I'm seriously getting ridiculous with this resort-hopping thing on our honeymoon! But All Star Sports might just be the ticket for both of our trips!

With the boys I don't like to wing too much because they have different likes/dislikes and, unlike Steve and I who can handle being hungry for a bit if we're not sure where we want to eat (kind of, more him than me!) when the boys are hungry they get nasty; then I get nasty; then we don't agree where to eat; then I get hungry, and then we all can't stand each other. Moral of the story is I book most of our meals ahead of time when we all go!

How insightful of you to know this about yourselves! I totally understand because I get "hangry" all the time when I don't eat. Nathan's used to it by this point.

also know the stepsisters will be so hysterical with them and we've never met them which is why I want to do it!

Absolutely! This will be hilarious - can't wait to hear about it! We'd like to fit this one in sometime, too.



You might think between this and Park Fare dinner that I hate my boys but I really do love them. They just tend to not know what will be fun until I force it on them :D I've heard so many excellent things about this cruise, how it's fun for people without kids as well as families, and I have it booked for a number of clients; I wanna do something new and fun! Plus, it's all in the name of research, right?

Fun!! I've heard good things. All in the name of research! :)

-Cape May Cafe: Chris and I ate dinner here last Nov. before Steve and Ricky joined us. We thought it was great as non-seafood eaters and since Ricky and Steve both do eat seafood, I think they'd enjoy it even more.

We're doing Cape May for the first time this trip and I'm so looking forward to it. I remember you and Chris liking your meal here but being disappointed because Ricky, the mussel lover, would have liked it.
 
I know the boys will like the over the top sports stuff here and while Steve and I will certainly not like the double beds, we'll deal.
Ugh! The double beds is what completely turns me away from value resorts as well. Everything else about the resorts seem great. It's just the double beds!!!!

couple ADR's the end of last week, you won't know the difference since I haven't mentioned any of them yet..
Ha! :P

We all like Y&Y with the possible exception of Chris who almost threw a fit last Nov. at the age of 11.
Why does he hate it so much? We have Y&Y reservations in September... I am looking forward to it. Should I be worried for what the girls will be able to eat?

I wish we were eating at Via Napoli in Sept. But we aren't spending much time in EPCOT this trip. So yummy!
 


IF we do indeed stay here.
:rotfl: We'll all be waiting for "the change" ;)

when the boys are hungry they get nasty; then I get nasty; then we don't agree where to eat; then I get hungry, and then
Yep... I see where this is going... :rolleyes1

They just tend to not know what will be fun until I force it on them
Exactly! And what kind of mother would you be if you didn't?! Mothers always know best... I've found that out the hard way once or twice :rolleyes:

Restaurant Marrakesh, I know it's not popular but we've been there twice and love our meals!
I've been wanting to try this restaurant!

but subjecting the boys to characters a 3rd time might push someone over the edge
:upsidedow

Lastly I'm debating ordering matching pirate shirts for us for the fireworks cruise.
Secret confession out tonight: my goal in life is to find a husband who will wear matching shirts with me to Disney! So far... the hunt continues :laughing: So you know my vote - get those matching shirts!!! I can at least live vicariously through you! :thumbsup2
 
IMG_0030.JPG I ordered my Home t-shirt from BellaDesignstl. The shirt has held up well so far. I did order it a size bigger than normal. But I find tees for women tend to run small.

I am not sure where DH ordered his "I'm with my crazy Disney Wife shirt". But his was a good quality as well. I swear this was his idea!!! He found his shirt first! @Tracey161 - there is hope!!!
 
dinner 1900 Park Fare
I've wanted to eat dinner at Park Fare FOREVER; I've made reservations there numerous times and cancelled because I know the boys won't be thrilled. I also know the stepsisters will be so hysterical with them and we've never met them which is why I want to do it! Back in Nov. 2015 I cancelled our dinner there when I compromised with the boys: they agreed to meet Lady Tremaine and the sisters in MK with me if I cancelled. Well, unfortunately when we finally met Lady Tremaine on our last day her daughters were "entertaining guests at tea" so it was just her. She was awesome and the meet was great, but we still need the sisters!

I love 1900 Park Fare! I really wanted to add it for August, but I think my family will kill me if I schedule another character meal. And we are already doing 2 princess meals so I think that is good for now. LOL. The tremaines are a fun bunch. Lady Tremaine was pointing out kids who would make good "servants" hahaha.




You might think between this and Park Fare dinner that I hate my boys but I really do love them. They just tend to not know what will be fun until I force it on them :D I've heard so many excellent things about this cruise, how it's fun for people without kids as well as families, and I have it booked for a number of clients; I wanna do something new and fun! Plus, it's all in the name of research, right?

OMG how have I not heard about this?!? I will have to read all about it!! And I do think you need some shirts for your family to match your Smee! I have done www.fifthsun.com for some Disney t-shirts. I like the women's scoopnecks as they seem more forgiving. They have good customer service! I ordered some stuff and something didn't fit so I asked if I could return it and they just said keep it and they refunded me my money! Crazy!
 


Looks like a great lineup for meals. I love many of the ones you are planning. I will be excited to hear your review of the Pirates cruise, sounds fun.
 
dinner 1900 Park Fare

This is one I think about booking all the time...considered it for October, but I am afraid of doing too many buffets with my mom. Everything I want to book seems to be a buffet! The last time I ate here was in 2001 and it was a villain dinner. I really wish they'd bring that back.

8/8:
Mama Melrose early dinner

This is X's bday!! Snag a birthday button and get a free dessert in his honor, lol!

They just tend to not know what will be fun until I force it on them :D

:rotfl:

Same attitude, different year:



Bless that baby's heart. He is just having way too much fun, LOL!!

As for matching shirts, one place you might get everyone to agree on is Brand by You. They have character jerseys...3/4 length sleeves with characters inside the year the movie was made. They open up off and on, so you kind of have to keep an eye out, but I love my Snow White one. I'm thinking of getting coordinating ones for my mom and I, or just get myself the Sanderson Sisters one for the Halloween party.

Main Street Press, Happily Ever Tees, Happiest Tees on Earth, and Happyland Tees are also all good!
 
We all like Y&Y with the possible exception of Chris who almost threw a fit last Nov. at the age of 11. My gut is to just book it and not give a crap whether he's happy or not. As I said earlier in this update, I do love my boys :thumbsup2
They have hamburgers at Y&Y now. I had one back in March. Maybe that will appease Chris. ;)

I've heard so many excellent things about this cruise, how it's fun for people without kids as well as families, and I have it booked for a number of clients; I wanna do something new and fun! Plus, it's all in the name of research, right?
The Pirate cruise sounds like lots of fun. And it would be important research, too. ;)

We did 1700 Park Fare and it was a lot of fun. The food was good, too.
 
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I'll be interested to hear what you think of CBR. My mom and I are in the camp that likes CBR, but it'll be interesting to see how much the construction affects people's experiences. Good that you've been doing some research on reviews. Depending on whether you booked through Disney or through your company, etc, were they still offering the $75 gift cards to make up for the inconvenience when you booked? I think that was a smart move on their part and we even considered staying there instead for that perk alone, but it wasn't worth changing all our plans since we're planning for our bridal party too, and I didn't want to be somewhere with an awkward food situation on our one and only honeymoon. But on any other trip we might have switched.

I and DW are going to CBR in September and we got the $75 gift card deal also. We're DVC members, so first time staying at a non-DVC resort. The only thing that concerns me is how badly the construction will interfere with transportation. Other than that, looking forward to a new resort.
 
I'm with you but...yeah...the heat is gonna be bad...and I am trying to build in breaks too. It's hard when there is so much you want to do...but I think it will be worth it if you plan it this way. Then at least you don't feel like you are not accomplishing as much as you'd hoped.



I think if you find you don't need them it will feel like "bonus time" that you have and you get to do whatever you want. That's the way I'm trying to look at it.

I love the breaks. I realize it's Disney and there's so much to do, but it is a vacation after all and coming home exhausted from the vacation (for me) is no fun either.
 
A resort change!!! Congrats you get to stay in the club of being an official Disney Planner like the rest of us! We are booked at All Star Sports for our Christmas trip. We can only afford a value unless a discount comes out as I've already used my TA rate this year. We may look at upgrading when we arrive in a couple of weeks and have access to a bounceback offer. We shall see!

You can't go wrong with Cape May, Via Napoli, or Naccoossee's for your extra dinner. We have only done Cape May and Via Napoli, but we love both of those!!
 
:thanks: for this info! We'd most likely get there early afternoon so it may be more crowded, if possible maybe we could eat and then bowl, we'll see. Oh, and it doesn't matter how early, teen/pre-teen boys will eat anytime lol!!!

So true. With teen or close boys, you'll probably be eating before bowling, during AND after. :rotfl2:
 
Glad you're trying 1900 Park Fare that is one I make every trip and always cancel. I'll be looking forward to your review.
I think the Pirates Cruise will be so much fun. I've heard great reviews about it.
Nothing wrong with changes ;)
 
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With the boys I don't like to wing too much because they have different likes/dislikes and, unlike Steve and I who can handle being hungry for a bit if we're not sure where we want to eat (kind of, more him than me!) when the boys are hungry they get nasty; then I get nasty; then we don't agree where to eat; then I get hungry, and then we all can't stand each other. Moral of the story is I book most of our meals ahead of time when we all go!

The boys get hangry. Check!



If my mom had made me wear leopard ears, I'd have had a worse look than that! Just sayin'


Lastly I'm debating ordering matching pirate shirts for us for the fireworks cruise. Nothing fancy, maybe just a pirate Mickey head or something. Of course I have my awesome SMEE shirt but I'd like to match if I can talk the boys into it. I had all intentions of getting us matching shirts for our last Thanksgiving trip but it never happened. In case I do it this time, anyone have any Etsy sites they've ordered from before and been happy? My main concern is not ordering the right size for someone. I've ordered from places like RedBubble, TeePublic, and a couple others, some shirts fit great and others seem to run terribly small and you just never know. Thanks

I say go for it. I've not heard of the pirates cruise, so will have to check that out, but absolutely, pirate shirts to go with it. Only problem is when you tell everyone to put on their pirate shirt, it might give away the surprise.
 
Hey guys, I don't know why my pictures have disappeared but now that I know it isn't just MY pictures, I'll fix it as soon as I figure out how! I think it's happening on my dining report too; thanks for bearing with me!
 
Hey guys, I don't know why my pictures have disappeared but now that I know it isn't just MY pictures, I'll fix it as soon as I figure out how! I think it's happening on my dining report too; thanks for bearing with me!

It's happened to me and @xlsm too. It's photobucket. I redid most of mine and moved to another site. But they should appear back at date of the month you signed up for the site. (Not sure if they will though now that there's that message about third party hosting mine didn't have that at first so I'm not sure what that part is about. The other message is about bandwidth I think so the size of the pics you uploaded this month plus how many views they have is too high. So they want to charge you. It might be better to use another site from now on, it seems like their holding pictures hostage till people pay. I found Flickr hard to use (I couldn't find a link that worked in my tr but I was probably using it wrong) so I've been using Imgur.
 

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