What is your thoughts on this?

We went on the Disney Dining Plan, and found that it worked out very well.  You pay a certain amount of money per night – per person, and you get credits towards your meals.  You go to participating locations, and get your food.  At the time of pay you give your card, and they print out receipts like on the tm-t88iv printers you see everywhere around your local stores.  We have found that we paid @ $750 for the 3 of us.  After we evaluated what we would have actually spent we found that we would have paid almost double if we weren’t on this plan.  Now if I could just get a Disney chef at home because hubby loves Disney food.

We will definitelly go back on one of the Disney Dining plans when we return.  That is my hubby’s dream at least because I am making definite plans in my head that we are going on the Disney Dream, and want to save some money.  I can’t afford to keep taking vacations 2-3 times a year just because he loves Disney.

You can read his breakdown by clicking HERE.

That was said because I’ve come to realize that something else is missing from this vacation.  Hubby never gave me his famous check list of everything we need to pack.  We leave in one week, and still no list.  This is strange because he usually gives it to me a month before we go, and makes me mark off all thing on it so he knows I didn’t forget anything.  Though I don’t miss it at all it does feel a little weird without it, but on the bright side when we get there if I forgot to pack anything I can just blame him for not giving me the list.

I don’t mean to pick on him, after all he does make sure everything is perfect, and flawless.

We have gone to Disney World for Halloween, and the festivities are also great.  Little one always wants to participate in the resorts Trick-Or-Treating, and they even do Trick-Or-Treating in the Magic Kingdom.  It was a bit costly, but we do everything for our little one, and she enjoys it all.

I do enjoy going to Disney World, even though most can’t understand that.  I mean we go to Disney probably 2-3 times a year.  We paid some good money for our timeshare, and the environment in Disney is like no other.  Last year we went to Disney World, and Sea World.  This year we are trying to go to Universal, but aren’t sure if we will get to.

Let’s not forget what they did in their parks, either.  You now have about five smoking areas which even with the maps seem hidden enough that you never can seem to find them.  I will say that I do understand why they did this with cigarettes, but it doesn’t make my trip any easier.  If Disney would just do something about the overly visible alcohol consumption.  I know it is all about money, and they are definitelly sticking with the money maker… Alcohol.

Now that I’m smoking less, and have my electric cigarette we can enjoy this vacation more like we use to without all the stress of where we can, and can’t smoke.  At least that’s what I’m hoping for.  There still is the issue of the rides to deal with, as not everyone wants to go on the same ones.

Two weeks ago when we were getting all of our lovely snow here in N.J. I found myself wishing that I went with my in-laws on their vacation just to get away from all this snow, and cold weather that we’ve been having.  All I could think about while I was shoveling the snow was how they were enjoying the warm weather in FL, and this by no way was making me feel warmer while I shoveled the snow.  My mother in-law called me when she got home, and told me how she would never take any Orlando vacations in Feb. again unless it was extremelly cheap.  She said this was because it was in the 50’s while they were there.  Though this made me feel better because before they left all they could say in a joking way was “Enjoy the snow, and cold.”  But I will say that I did feel bad that they couldn’t enjoy the warm sun.  This also makes me wonder if when we go at the end of March if it will be warm, or cold for us.  This is something I’ll have to have hubby look into so I know how to pack for our trip.  By the way isn’t FL supposed to be warm all the time?

Have you ever gone on a vacation with a friend, and if so are you still friends?  I ask this because not everyone likes to do the same things.  I’ve had my share of Disney vacations with family, and it was a little rocky .

What size motorhome do you have, and is it sufficient enough for you, or do you also need a upsizing?

Every year we usually go on vacation once, and sometimes we are lucky enough to go two times.  We usually  just go to Disney World, but as the little one gets older we find that when we take our Orlando vacations we look for more stuff for her other than just Disney.

So this year we took her to Sea World.  She has not been there since she was 4, or 5 years old, and I think she had more fun this time, and I really thought they added more to the park.  This time there were rides, and more shows then there were last time.  We only went on one ride, and that did not go over well with her.  So we went to some shows, and she enjoyed seeing all the animals.  The park was a little packed because we went when they were having their Halloween Spooktacular.

So we wasted a lot of time doing a lot of the small things, and Trick Or Treating.  I didn’t feel like going Trick Or Treating, but little one, and hubby have to have their goodies.  We didn’t get to do everything we wanted to do, or see.  She missed one or two shows that she wanted to really see, but she did get to feed the dolphins, and seals.

We went on Atlantis.  Atlantis is a very fun ride if you enjoy water rides, and roller coasters.  My daughter was other than happy with that ride, but we enjoyed it.

The only thing that we didn’t like very much was how they changed the dolphin area.  If you aren’t a “Feeder” then you didn’t get much chance to touch the dolphins.  I understand why they did this, but they could have at least made it so kids could accompany paying parents.  Feeding the stingrays is still a very neat thing for kids, and adults alike.  We went to the dolphin show, and my daughter was very amazed with the animals.  There were dolphins, and parrots that flew around at designated times.

I would definitelly recommend visiting Sea World if you get a chance.  There is a lot to do, and there are deals on admission depending on when you are going.

I loved seeing the joy on her face.  It is something you don’t see much when your kid is spoiled like ours is, but when I see the happiness in her face like when she was little it makes me feel good.  She asked if we can go back next time, and I told her we’ll see.  That night I told hubby maybe we need to not only do Disney, but other things around Orlando, too.  I think I got through a little because he wants to take a cruise now.  Yes, a Disney one, but it’s a start.

The cruise liner is going to have a first ever “Roller Coaster Slide” which you can see a rendition of in the photo.  The staterooms are going to have a virtual porthole which will have HD scenes appearing on them.  The restaurants are totally different than before, but the Animators Pallette, and Palos will be returning.  They will not be the same as the original ones.

 We have enjoyed each of the cruises we have gone on in the past.  The 7 night was the most enjoyable of all.  When we saw that the 5 night cost @$2700, and the 3 night, and the 4 night together cost @$2500 we decided to just go with the back to back trip.  We could have gone another route with Disney by going on the boats we have been on, but we really want to go on this one.

Doing this we have a lot to decide, but have quite a bit of time to do it, as the cruise isn’t until 2011.  We have toyed with driving down, and bringing the camper.  Doing this we will have to get mechanical breakdown insurance on the camper so that we don’t have any problems.  The other option is flying in, but that will make us need a rental car to get from the airport to the port.

What do you suggest?  I want to go, and have a good time, but would like some thoughts on this.

Other than the size of the rooms it was a very beautiful place, and you could see the animals all over the savanna from everywhere you looked. But the one thing I always said I never under stood about the one bedroom units was that they have walk in tubs / jacuzzis in them.  Why is this?  Now I don’t know if they all do but I know the ones in Old Key West do.

Well I found out why they have them this time around because we didn’t have one in our room. It’s because your legs are so tired from all the walking that it hurts to lift them, and get in the shower.  How do you feel about walk in tubs?

Because of the vacation I’ve been looking in to some kind of fat burners to help me, but I’m worried because they don’t always work.  I guess I’m just going to have to try my best to be good while I’m away, but that puts a damper on my vacation.

When on vacation what do you do to keep your weight where you want it?