After All The Hype...

I'm glad that's over!

My body has gotten used to sleep.Three restless hours was not enough. I did not dare take my usual medicines for fear I would sleep too late, so instead I barely slept at all. The cat and I made it until 4 am and then we gave up pretending. One hour to go. I was beside myself. All for dinner reservations mind you!

Finally at 4:45 I went upstairs searching for Jim, who was suppose to be waking me up. He was on his way down but I was impatient.

We both got logged on and I tracked down my credit card. I knew I had taken any of the reservations that might require a credit card to hold them. Jim found a few minutes to tend his farm and check his mafia :) I reminded him that he really couldn't do that once he started making reservations. He told me he loved me :)

I sat on my air bed with my laptop, my stack of cards with the reservations I wanted on them, my credit card, a pen, and my Mickey stocking cap. The last few minutes before 5:00, I gave Jim a countdown which I think he appreciated greatly.

Finally, 5:00 hit and we both hit "Search for a Table." We both got error messages. I remembered reset happens at 5:00 and we needed to try at 5:01. Success!!!

Jim got Le Cellier and I got ... Cinderella's Royal Table! This was a biggie I needed to do first and it required a credit card. They don't actually charge your card unless you are a no-show. Making reservations and not showing up is VERY common in Disney but certain places like CRT require a hold to limit this from happening. I think more should. Why is CRT special? This is a character meal but more important than that it is one of the only ways to get inside Cinderellas Castle at Disney World. I'm not even sure how much I'll eat here but I have to go!

After that kind of start I felt confident. I ran into only two bumps along the way. Both were things that I think are not in the computer system yet so I'm hopeful. Overall I think we have 22 of our 26 reservations made. That's not bad!

For anyone who cares, here's what all my insanity has lead to(bold need reservations yet):

• 6/29- 2:00p.m. House of Blues(no reservation needed)
• 6/29- 8:40p.m. Artist Point
• 6/30- 8:00a.m. Tusker House
• 6/30- 8:30p.m. Yachtsman Steakhouse
• 7/1- 8:10a.m. Akershus Princess Storybook Dining
• 7/1- 1:50p.m. LeCellier
• 7/1- 7:00p.m. Restaurant Marrakesh
• 7/2- 7:30a.m. Cape May Cafe
• 7/2- 7:00p.m. Jiko
• 7/3- 8:05a.m. Crystal Palace
• 7/3- 5:15p.m. The Plaza
• 7/3- 9:00p.m. Wishes Dessert Party
• 7/4- 11:30a.m. Hollywood Brown Derby Dine with an Imagineer
• 7/4- 5:30 Hollywood &Vine Fantasmic
• 7/5- 7:30a.m. Ohana's 
• 7/5- 7:05p.m. Narcoossee's
• 7/6- 7:30a.m. Boma
• 7/6- 12:00p.m. Teppan Edo
• 7/6- 8:30p.m. Via Napoli
• 7/7- 8:05a.m. Cinderella's Royal Table
• 7/7- 1:00p.m. Kona Cafe
• 7/7- 7:50p.m. California Grill
• 7/8- 7:00a.m.Chef Mickey
• 7/8- 1:30p.m. LeCellier
• 7/9- 7:30a.m. Boma
• 7/9- 11:30a.m. House of Blues(no reservation needed)

If you'd like to see what we might be having to eat at any of these wonderful restaurants, I have links to all of the menu below. Just click on the restaurant name.

I'm sure there is a next step. I am far too tired to know what it is. I'll  be in touch :)

Disney Emily says...

We have a reservation number. Our down-payment  is paid in full and I can make ADRs to my little hearts content! I am finalizing my gameplan... Then I'll let you know. I'm so excited!!! (I did however on the way to my Milwaukee doctor's appt. yesterday tell Jim he could take us directly to the airport and I would try just winging it too! Don't know how I thought I'd sit on an airplane let alone a roller coaster but I'd try!)

Uh... Yeah...

I didn't make this but I could have!

Merry Christmas- I Have My Quote!

I recently read that :


“Christmas is the Disneyfication of Christianity”


They say that like Disneyfication is a bad thing :)


I hope you and yours enjoy the holiday. I'm using mine as prep time for next weeks ADR insanity. Emily Disney (I have to specify because I know too many Emily's now and Jim gets confused.) sent me a final quote. I was having surgery so I didn't book and then it was the holidays. She will have my $200 first thing on Sunday or Monday depending on when she works.


I'm so ready to do this. Now that I'm starting to feel better, I'm actually ready to go! We're a little ways from that but planning will keep me excited!


So Santa may not have delivered many Mickey related goodies to my stocking but to be honest... I tend to buy them on my own whenever I want. Life is good!

Merry Christmas!

The Moment We've All Been Waiting For (OK, Well Only Me)

JULY PARK TIMES ARE OUT!!!
Do you have any idea what this means?
I can actually plan my trip and make sure the ADR's I put in place six months ago are going to work! This is huge. Besides setting the ADRs and going on the trip this is the next biggest thing there is.
I have to have surgery tomorrow and now I'm so dang hyper I don't know how I'll sleep. I really need to at the very least go print the park calendars so I can look at them in the car.
Sorry for cutting this short, but I have work to do. I'll have plenty to update you on very soon!

I will try for fewer exclamation points in my next post as well. I apologize!!!

Tron

This could have been a good movie.
Tron: Legacy was not.

TMI

I am headed to surgery with all the Mickey juju I can.

• Mickey sweatshirt (with zipper- for ease)
• Mickey pajama pants
• Mickey tank top 
• Mickey underwear
• red polka dotted socks that match the pants
• good luck Mickey bracelet that Jim must keep for me
• 2011 trip agenda is in my bag (in case I have time before hand to work on it)
• copy of The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World(another time filler)

Yes , I need help. No I don't want any. Thank you :)

It's Official. I Have Been Counted

I shall henceforth bear the noble and esteemed title of Neurotic Disney Wife #59. NDW#59 for short. 

Yes, at The Disney Driven Life you may register as a Wife, Mother, Father, Daughter, Grandmother, even Pet and they will assign you a number and make you a part of their registry.

Now with membership comes privileges. I just haven't had time to explore what they all are. I know it involves Facebook, Twitter and RSS.  

I'm just excited that someone out there finally realizes I'm Neurotic about Disney!

P.S. To join go to

 http://thedisneydrivenlife.com/be-counted/

Two Hundred

200. I know where I will be 200 days from now.
IN HEAVEN
It is suddenly, quickly, becoming real I'm so excited. I'd still like it done before Tuesday. I  need to get in touch with Emily soon but I have more time now because of ADRs
This makes me anxious too because in my head a lot is riding on it.It not only has to be a great trip, it has to wipe out all bad memories from previous trips.No pressure.

The thing is I think it can be that trip :)

Closing the Loop

Great time for Disney to figure out computers- NOT! For a while not this little gap existed that if you were staying on site you could actually book your ADRs (Advanced Dining Reservations each morning online starting at 190 days instead of 180 days. I have had my plans set for months as some of you know.
Well at the end of November and beginning of December, Disney did some needed upgrades to their computer system. It has however, ELIMINATED MY LOOP!

This means I am stuck making ADRs on December 31st. So is Jim.  This makes me nervous because I feel less confident that I will get everything I want, when I want it. . Between now and the 31st when pain allows, I have to come up with a plan about who asks for what on the computer and who asks for what on the phone. I will have to take Jim through some trainings on the computer so he knows what to expect. ADR boot camp if you will. It will have to be very fluid that morning because everything will depend of when we get Cinderella's Royal Table. This should be very interesting for our first attempt at this.Since 2011 is going to be our year I have no doubt it will go great!

Get It Done!

I need Pascal in my life.
He'd make me get things done.

With six days until my surgery I am beginning (who am I kidding-I'm there!) to freak out because this trip is not booked yet. I have a few unanswered questions and every time Jim and I try to find time to get them answered something else pops up. Yesterday is was this crazy mess with my long-term disability paper work.
I'd really like to get this taken care of SOON. I don't want to deal with this next week when I have the trial in. I'm sure I could, I'd just prefer not to.
This weekend we have 10 dozen cookies to make because Jim knows I usually like to participate in his cookie swap at work. This time its crazy timing but I'm sure the two of us will have fun and it will take our minds off the upcoming stress of next week. Plus you know our Christmas cookies are going to be Mickey in some way.
So back to trip planning (see I'm scattered) as I think about things, I start to doubt my plans. Do I have too many character meals planned? Should we eat breakfast early or late? The best laid plans of men when visiting mice...
But before I can make reservations I really need to book a trip!!! We need to decide about insurance, the Keys to the Kingdom tour, and if we're booking our trip as a package or as Annual Passholders. I think I may have just discovered why I have a headache :)
We're close. As much as I would have liked to saved money by moving the trip back, job uncertainties didn't allow it and I am glad that means I get to go visit my Orlando friends sooner. It seems like its been so long since I've seen them. I can't wait!

Happy 109th Birthday Walt!

Walt, what would I do with my time if there
hadn't been you? Thank you.