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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: Feb 13 2007 at 10:11am | IP Logged
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I wasn't brave enough to post it until I saw Irene's great trip news. 
We leave this weekend too. This is a big deal! Our dc have never been. I was about 7 yr old the time I went with my family. We always dreamed of a family vacation there but never went. This seems to be "the year" to go. The youngest is 5 this year (good walking age---we already tested her out in New Orleans  ) and Kayleigh graduates next year and will be attending college. The children are slowly leaving the nest and it's now or never. 
Only...oldest ds isn't going with us. He has vacation time with his job but he has never liked amusement parks. Never. Stick him in the woods and he's a happy camper. When he was in cub scouts we'd go to Astroworld on scout day with discounted tickets and he wouldn't ride anything. He opted instead to use one of his vacation weeks this year for the family camping trip at Easter time instead. That's my outdoorsey boy, for ya. Still, I'll miss not having the whole clan together but...that's life. He'll stay home to feed the livestock, watch for the Pony Express, protect the fort, fight off Indians and bandits, and work the farm. 
I don't need siteseeing tips as much as money saving tips, everyone.  I've heard that two hot dogs and a coke will run $18 bucks. 
This week I''m cooking spaghetti, gumbo, stew, and Italian meatballs in bbq sauce for poboys and freezing everything to take with us. DH got us a family suite with a kitchenette so I'll have a cooking area. We found some nifty liner bags for slow cookers. We'll place the food in those liners and crock pot while we're on the grounds during the day and it'll be cooked for supper. Sandwiches back at the hotel for lunch time.
I think I contacted everyone I knew who lives in Florida. No one seems close enough except Monica. And my dh is always on a time clock. We probably won't leave the grounds.
More rain last night and freezing weather predicted tonight. We're looking forward to heading for sunshiny Florida. Here's hoping it stays "sunshiny".
[Edited: I'd so appreciate prayers for a safe trip. My biggest worries are traffic accident and children getting sick.  Thank you, all, and God bless.]
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Feb 13 2007 at 10:27am | IP Logged
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No tips, but just saying hooray! I LOVE Disney World and can't wait to take the kiddos soon. Last time we went ds (11) was in a stroller, that's how long it has been!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Theresa
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| Posted: Feb 13 2007 at 10:30am | IP Logged
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Have fun Cay! Pictures, pictures pictures. 
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Theresa
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: Feb 13 2007 at 10:49am | IP Logged
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Any ride tips? The "must-go-on" rides?
Opa already said the girls have to go on the Peter Pan ride. It's like you're flying and you go over Neverland.
can there be anything more "dream-like" than that . 
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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MacBeth
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Probably at the beach...
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| Posted: Feb 13 2007 at 10:55am | IP Logged
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Biggest money saving tip--if you want to try one of the restaurants (especially in EPCOT  ), have lunch, not dinner. It's quite a bit less expensive.
There are water fountains all over the place. Use them. If you want soda/lemonade drinks, bring small paper cups and divide a huge drink between you.
If you need groceries, go far, far away from the downtown Disney area.
Not a money saver, but still helpful--if you need a break, go to one of the "nursing mom" stations and rest in cool comfort for a few minutes.
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God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog 
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bfarmmom
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| Posted: Feb 13 2007 at 10:58am | IP Logged
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You will be in my neck of the woods!! You will have a blast! You can also bring your lunch into the park with you. We have seen a number of families do this. The only problem is you have to tote around an igloo cooler. (Not to bad if you have a stoller) Also the Disney Marketplace is fun and free. Basically there are stores and restraunts, but it is just beautiful and you almost feel like you are in Disney. They have a huge Lego store and play area where the kids can build, and unbelievable Lego sculptures. If I can think of more I will post later. Have a wondeful time!! I will pray for safe travels.
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Peace,
Kirsten
ds13,dd12,dd10,ds7,dd6, dd 4, ds 2
Sonlight Garden
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MacBeth
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Probably at the beach...
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| Posted: Feb 13 2007 at 11:02am | IP Logged
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The Winnie the Pooh ride is hysterical, even for me .
And the Barnstormer (small roller-coaster) in Mickey's area (I forget what they call it these day) is a 1 minute laugh.
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God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
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bfarmmom
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| Posted: Feb 13 2007 at 11:14am | IP Logged
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Philharmagic (I think that is how you spell it) Truly amazing. It is a 3-d movie with special effects. I have never seen anything like it.
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Peace,
Kirsten
ds13,dd12,dd10,ds7,dd6, dd 4, ds 2
Sonlight Garden
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marihalojen
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| Posted: Feb 13 2007 at 11:42am | IP Logged
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Cay, I'm so excited for you and your family and so sad we won't be able to meet up!
We are sooooo busy getting ready for the voyage to Key West - next weekend, oh dear! So much to do - but know that we'll be praying for your safe travels.
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~Jennifer
Mother to Mariannna, age 13
The Mari Hal-O-Jen
SSR = Sailing, Snorkling, Reading
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: Feb 13 2007 at 11:46am | IP Logged
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A friend jsut told my dh this morning that coolers and backpacks with snacks were allowed. We were surprised...but glad.
We are planning to rent a stroller for Annie incase she gets tired. Strollers are always good for hauliing stuff.
Thanks for all this information.
Kirsten, I really regret not getting to all meet up on Jennifer's boathouse and visiting. My dh isn't even allowing us to take a sidetrip to St. Augustine.  This is all about taking the ultimate family vacation at Disney. And I am really, truly happy and grateful to him, for him. Bless this hard-working husband of mine. 
We're going this month because we've been told it's not so hot in Feb. and because our schools are out for Mardi Gras Holiday. Since my dd attends the high school that makes it convenient for us.
I do hate the thought of spending my Ash Wed. in a less than contemplative way. Friends were going on a Lenten Retreat and asked me to go back in October. When dh mentioned us going to Disney the same time as the retreat I simply had to "submit" myself to the time he thought we could spring this. It's a blessing either way.
I look to Blessed Anna Maria Taigi and Elisabeth Lesuex for living in the moment while keeping my spiritual focus.
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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Cheryl
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Cay, I hope you have a wonderful time. My dh wants us to go in Sept when he has a business trip there. We'll see. I don't think I could go to a park without him. Maybe just Downtown Disney or the hotel pool. I hope to hear about your trip when you return.
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Cheryl
Wife to Bob ('97)
Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
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momwats8
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Cay - enjoy - it is a wonderufl time. there is so much for everyone.
just make sure you have a meting place set up if you get seperated. It happened to us last time we went but we had a pre-arranged place to meet and so we found each other again quickly. the funny thing is I was the one who got seperated from the crew - lol. We usually pick Cinderella's Palace becasue it is big and easy to find.
We go as a family - with all of my dh's side of the family - in May. We are very excited. it is my in-laws Christmas gift to all of us in the family. It is like a big family reunion and we have a blast!!
have a great time!!!
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Mary- Wife to Mike and Mother to Austin(92), Mikey(95), R.J.(97), Benedict(98), Kolbe(00), Ignatius(02), Christian(03), Margaret(05),&4 angels in heaven
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teachingmom
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Oh, Cay, have a great time! We went a year and a half ago when dh received a free week at an Orlando condo. We all loved it. The place we stayed had a kitchen, which saved money on breakfast and a few dinners. Some days, we left the park early enough to get a dinner out, but at a family friendly restaurant nearer to the condo, so it was less than at the parks. We did splurge twice to eat at park restaurants, once on dd's birthday and once on dh's birthday, which were both celebrated while at Disney.
As others have mentioned, bring your own lunch each day. What a great service that is to families! I wish other amusement parks would do the same. It saved us a ton of money. I packed lunch, snacks, and drinks in a soft-sided cooler and a backpack. We just hung them by their straps on the stroller each day.
I don't know what kind of weather is expected, but we sure were glad to have rain ponchos tucked in our bags. It rained a bit of each day we were there! But we still had a wonderful time. Enjoy.
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aussieannie
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Your up and coming trip sounds wonderful Cay!
When I was a teenager I won a trip to DisneyLand (California) for myself and my family, with my artwork - it was a year long competition (very unusual) and I had an old 50's Disneyland book I had bought at a Garage Sale as my constant inspiration - I poured and dreamed over it every day!
It was a most special trip for our family, we could have never afforded to go otherwise and we had never travelled overseas before.
We were only laughing the other day over our 99c breakfasts at a Chinese resaurant across the road from Disneyland - money was such an issue for us and the prize didn't actually pay for our tickets into Disneyland!  We would be given scrambled eggs, strip of bacon, 2 pancakes and BOYSENBERRY surup (never heard of a boysenberry before then!) and we loved it and it was our biggest meal for the day.
I remember being terrified by the turbulence over the Pacific and once we arrived in the US, we were on a LA highway only 10mins away from where a light plane crashed onto the highway itself, then the front page of the papers at the time told a story of a disgrunteled airline employee, boarding a plane and shooting the pilot, with the plane crashing - naturally I was more terrified in going home!
I really loved the American people.
Sorry for hijacking the thread with my reminiscing but I will pray for a safe trip for you all Cay.
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Under Her Starry Mantle
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SharonO
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Cay-
I love your cooking ideas. Do your suites have a crockpot or are you bringing yours along? We stay in the Vacation Club resorts (so nice for a large family) and cooking breakfast and supper saves so much money.
I think all the other money-saving tips have been mentioned. Beware of the gift shop trap at the end of every ride. We make our kids wait until the end of the day to purchase anything. Also the World of Disney store in downtown Disney has just about everything you could imagine for a souvenier. Bring along shiny pennies and quarters. The cheapest souvenier is the pressed penny machines all over the parks. You can purchase a plastic "penny wallet" to keep them all in.
The other "free" thing my girls enjoyed was visiting the KidCOT stations in Epcot. They were able to color a mask at the first country we visited. At each subsequent country, there was a place to gather special 'tokens' to attach to the mask.
You'll have a blast! We're going back the first week in December. Going off-season is one of the perks of homeschooling.
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Sharon in MO
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JennGM
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SharonO wrote:
| I think all the other money-saving tips have been mentioned. Beware of the gift shop trap at the end of every ride. We make our kids wait until the end of the day to purchase anything. Also the World of Disney store in downtown Disney has just about everything you could imagine for a souvenier. Bring along shiny pennies and quarters. The cheapest souvenier is the pressed penny machines all over the parks. You can purchase a plastic "penny wallet" to keep them all in. |
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My sisters have gone a few times. So much of what is sold in the gift shops is readily available elsewhere, for cheaper. Visit online and Disney stores before you go so you can get an idea of what truly is a Disney World souvenir.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Molly Smith
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We were just there in January! Here are a few tips:
Disney food is BIG! Oh my goodness, I think between the 7 of us, we ate 3 hot dogs and 2-3 cups of fries. Take a look at the food before you order and you'll see you don't need to get a whole meal per person.
Buy a stroller pass for the time you'll be there. You'll save money and avoid the stroller lines.
Our favorite things were Soarin' at Epcot, the bird show and Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom and the stunt show at MGM.
Use fast passes (it's like a reservation, you'll see) for the crowded rides.
If you want to go to mass, the Mary Queen of the Universe shrine is gorgeous! The gift shop had such lovely statues! I'd never seen a pregnant Blessed Mother before--she was so beautiful.
I'll try to post more later...
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Molly Smith in VA
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teachingmom
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Molly Smith wrote:
If you want to go to mass, the Mary Queen of the Universe shrine is gorgeous! The gift shop had such lovely statues! I'd never seen a pregnant Blessed Mother before--she was so beautiful.
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I agree! This shrine has the MOST beautiful statue scene of Jesus as a child with Joseph in his workshop. It's lifesize and I fell in love with it. I have a picture and I'd post it if I knew how.
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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chicken lady
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OH CAy how fun, I have never been to Disney World. I have been to Disneyland and we loved it! You sound like you are on top off the budget, relax and enjoy I will pray to St Rapheal for safe travels for your whole family.
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teachingmom
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I just took a look at the narrations my girls wrote about our Disney trip to see what their favorite things were. It looks like they were:
Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom
Thunder Mountain Railroad at the Magic Kingdom
Soarin' at Epcot
Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom
The Lion King show at Animal Kingdom
The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm (the smaller roller coaster mentioned by MacBeth) at the Magic Kingdom
The Beauty and the Beast show at MGM
The Indiana Jones stunt show at MGM
As for the worries about getting separated from each other at an amusement park, I came up with a good idea for my little ones for our trip to Disney. I made small laminated cards with my name and cell phone number and dh's name and cell phone number which the girls carried in their pockets. If they were to get separated from us, they were told to look for a nice mother with children and ask for her help in calling us and finding us again.
We've never had to use this precautionary measure, but it continues to give me peace of mind when we take field trips. In fact, I'd better get our cards together for our upcoming trip to NYC.
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: We’re Going to Disney World!
