All Things EARTH... part 2

I LOVE the Animal Kingdom park!

It is very distinct from the other Disney parks. The pace is very different because there is such great variety in what you can do there. I highly recommend The Lion King show and the Finding Nemo show. Since you aren't big into the roller coasters, you can plan your day around those shows.

Unless the weather is warm, you may not want to do the Kali Rapids ride. Mount Everest is a different kind of coaster. It's a big thrill ride for Disney, but it isn't a BIG roller coaster. In typical Disney fashion, even the queue is fun to look at. The majority of the ride is an uphill climb....there are several spectacular views along the way up...then you reach the top and there's a bit of a scene while the track switches behind you, and then you go backwards for a fast bit. If you are too tense, it can be a bit of a bother on your neck...it isn't a big deal though, so no reason to fret...and then the track switches again and you go down the mountain face forward. I happen to love it.

The shop at the end of that ride used to be a great shop. Not sure if it still is...so much of Disney has turned itself into self promotion. There is a little dress shop though, near the Kali Rapids ride. They sell the two layer skirts by Kariza that can be worn 100s of ways. I've purchased two from that shop. I can tell you that you can't find a better price than the price there in that little shop. The selection is fabulous. If you like that sort of skirt...it does make for a great coverup if you don't want to wear it otherwise...I highly, highly recommend shopping there.

In Africa too, by the safari ride is a good place to get a henna tattoo. I love getting those.

There are so many street performers in DAK... And there are walks where you can look at animals at your leisure. There are always cast members on hand in various places and they are some what expert in the area they are in. Engage them in conversation and they will tell you great stories about the animals.

I've never done the train over to the more scientific area. But I've read that if you hit that first thing, you can learn a lot about vet care. Some people have seen surgeries. If you haven't been over to the Disboards...that used to be a good source of information.

The parks have shorter hours in the winter...and DAK has shorter hours than the others, so really watch that.

I haven't been to Universal Studios in years...

If you are going for Christmas...I'd have to recommend going to Hollywood Studios. I think it's called the Osborn Lights? I don't recall exactly the deal, but Osborn owned all those lights...had one of those houses that was just overdone at Christmas...and when Osborn died, the lights were left to Disney and they put them up in Hollywood Studios. It's something that makes that park very unique at that time of year and so, for that reason, I would probably choose to go there. Also...it's another smaller park (like DAK)...so it is easy to feel like you have seen the park in one day. Don't miss Fantasmic! That is one of the best evening shows at WDW, IMO. You'll want to sit about half way up to get the best view.

Hollywood Studios has the best thrill rides in WDW. Don't know if you like being dropped up and down...the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. OMG...DH guffaws during that ride. He loves that feeling and he just laughs and laughs. If you can handle it, it's such a great ride. Also,the Rockin Roller Coaster is an amazing coaster. Here's the deal...it uses the same technology that enables airplanes to take off on air craft carriers...so there is no big uphill click click click climb. You start flat and then suddenly you are going however many MPH. There are loops and a corkscrew in the track, but it's just fun speed on an incredibly smooth track...no real stomach drops. And Aerosmith is playing in the speakers in your head rest. Super fun. And the queue has a little show too.

And Toy Story IS a fun ride. The wait is usually insane though. I highly recommend reading up on the whole FP system. It has changed A LOT. I think if you buy your tickets in advance though...and use the app? you might be able to make your fast passes before you enter the park. I KNOW that annual pass holders can. It's a pain, for sure. Definitely figure out the app because otherwise you will be stuck using the kiosks and those are a pain.

Are you familiar with the whole ADR system at WDW? Read up on that. People who are staying onsite are able to make "advanced dining reservations" at the 180 day mark. And they do. This means that it can be difficult to eat in a table service restaurant in Disney. I'm not sure how far in advance someone not staying on the property can make an ADR. I'd read up on that.

Regardless, in their system the Hollywood Brown Derby costs 2 credits for each meal, so it is usually available. The prices are actually a bit cheaper than other 2 credit restaurants, so we would always go there and just pay OOP, even if we were on a dining plan. The Sci-Fi Dine in theater is also another fun atmosphere...you need to be in the mood for burgers and milk shakes though, because that is what is really good to eat there.

Planning Disney is a very good distraction. And all your research will definitely help you enjoy the day more. We last went 2 years ago for DS's 8th grade trip. The music department for the middle school goes and the kids have a master class and performance. We hadn't been in a couple years. We had had non-expiring tickets that we'd purchased many years ago during a crazy sale and we finished off the big park admissions because I knew the changes were coming to the fast pass system...and I knew that it would make visiting Disney just a bit more complicated for really being able to do what all we would want to do. So read up on all that. The FP system is generally a good idea, so don't let what I'm saying here turn you off to it...I just really knew my way around the old system and wanted to be able to take a vacation where I didn't have to do a bunch of research beforehand.

But I'd have to research all over again now.

And this conversation is totally making me want to go!

Now I want to go back to Disney! Last time I went to Disney was when I was still a protocol officer & was chosen to go to their three week Disney In-depth problem solving/team building course. Fabulous course, highly competitive & such fun...behind the scenes was amazing

Jane, love the tshirt/scarf!

Oldest daughter & I went outlet shopping yesterday. Chicos Outlet (at least here) is all browns, sage, cream. I was restrained, bought one chocolate/bittersweet/mocha/vanilla (sounds like a cake!) cold shoulder top. I also got khaki & chocolate capris at Columbia & hit the Vera Bradley birthday sale, unfortunately I wasn't as restrained there [emoji849]& bought a new wheeled carry on bag.

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Jane, thst scarf worked great. When you first said warm pink, I thought "uh oh" but now that I see the picture, I think it id that borderline pink coral color. What your scarf does is bring out the warmth in it. It really works well!

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I think I use certain stores for my core items. Dress pants for work are from N.Y. & Company. Some are from Express but the store is expensive. Kudos to them, they put out some fabulous earthy colors last fall, and they let me use a coupon with a sale.

Work shirts are from N.Y. & Company, some Dressbarn, some Express...

I have to hunt for suiting. Thst is a huge challenge. Exercise wear is all Eddie Bauer and C9 from Champion that I get at Target.

I am toying with different things, because certain brands don't fit me like they used to. Express is a new addition for me. You know what is odd? Loft Outlet is fantastic but I seldom find much st the regular Loft store. If they had one closer I bet if a lot more shopping there.

Jeans are almost exclusively from Loft, online. Sunday night flash sales usually mean 50% off!

.

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When I started to lose weight, I realized I didn't have room for the old clothes I. My dresser or closet. When i asked myself why I wanted to keep them, it came out...in case I put weight back on. I knew right then and there I had to donate them. I also found myself frustrated, like I was losing money. I mean, there are exercise clothes, work.clothes, clothes to wear at home, clothes for special functions, and four season weather to boot!

For me, I also wsnt to simplify, but in a certain way. Our house is very densnding. We have been remodeling it, doing much of the work ourselves, for about 12 years now. I feel most of the big stuff is done. But the yard work is big and time consuming. Our jobs are demanding.

I'm working hard at retirement saving and simplifying our shopping and budgeting.

I feel rushed all the time. Sometimes, it takes me a few days into my vacation to feel like I'm starting to relax.

Does all that sound crazy?

One thing I've noticed that helps me a lot is sports. Yes, really. I find that it is relaxing and let's me clear my mind. Exercising too - It's good for both the physical and mental states.

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I hacmce never been to Disney! We did go to Universal Studios a few years back. We were only there for 3 or 4 days. We are big Harry Potter fans so we spent a few days there.

I don't do roller coasters. 😕

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Feeling rushed all the time doesn't sound crazy. Sadly, it sounds kind of normal, but that is one reason why I am hoping to simplify life...to get away from that feeling. It sounds like you have a goal though. You seem to have some stability in your area...and can work on your house and make it what you want it to be...including the yard, and at some point, you will reap the benefit of all your hard work and things will be settled and it will all be fabulous!

Taking time to get into vacation mode...totally understand that. It's one reason why we went to WDW so many times, because it was a vacation we were all familiar with...and we could settle into vacation mode faster.

We went kayaking today! It's a bit of a chore to get the kayaks on the 4Runner. It's just getting familiar with what all needs to be done, kwim? Once we get the system down, it gets faster. We've only done it twice now... Anyway, the nearby lake is lovely. Close...but away from city noise, which is better than the city lake in GA. It's also bigger...365 acres, which is a great size to enjoy...there's a 7 mile trail that goes around the lake, so the shape has different fingers and coves and nice places to paddle into and explore. We only went into a portion of the lake and down one finger cove today...there's so much more to explore...so that's exciting.

The great hope and goal is adopt a more active lifestyle overall... these thoughts and hopes were ones we had when we moved out to GA from Houston. The mountains, etc., were so accessible compared to TX, but we never did get into it. DH and I aren't going to let that happen again. We're going to get out and do what we love.

I've been wanting to go to Universal Studios to do all the Harry Potter stuff. My concern is that it will just be cheesy and not really entertaining and fun. Laurie, how was it?

Anita, a little of both. Just walk g through, they did such an incredible job of making you feel like you were really there, the main Harry spotter ride - I forget the name - is a blast. The two hour wait in line was not. 😄 honestly, we need to go.back because we didn't get to everything.

I think what makes us want to simplify are the stages we are at in life. I was married very young, and then a divorced mother of two. This is a time now where I want to enjoy more.

I cruise because I feel like you with WDW. I plan ahead do that I can relax quicker.

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When I worked I started vacation by turning off my work cell phone [emoji849]. Vacations are much more fun for me now. I always relaxed easily but started thinking about my schedule on the last two days of our trips.

Anita, I'm so glad you enjoyed your kayak trip. The relaxation of being on the water & getting exercise at the same time is a total win win. It sounds like you're already enjoying NC better than GA. Melody

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This is what I ended up with for the teal dress. It's not my first choice, but I like it a lot.

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This is what I ended up with for the teal dress. It's not my first choice, but I like it a lot.

 

 

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They seem to have a very nice luster to them. Hard to tell the color. Do they have a goldish cast? Where did you find them?

I used to wear my real pearl choker and stud earrings often, but there not really warm enough -- I don't think.

This got me thinking. Maybe I need some "warm" pearls for my 60th birthday in December!

Jane

Very pretty, Laurie. I like the three-strand idea better than the twisted necklace you posted earlier for this dress, I think because to me the drape effect suits the dress better.

Anita, thank you for all the great Disney info. Disboards is like falling down the rabbit hole a la CC when you first arrive! The whole FastPass+ and MagicBand stuff is all new to me. I guess now you can pre-reserve FP rides online if you stay at a Disney resort. Last time we were there FP was relatively new and you had to go to each ride to get one, and you could only hold one at a time. It's so much cheaper to stay off park but given that we will be there on high traffic days we are considering the Dolphin/Swan which would also give us FP+ access. Did you use My Disney Experience? Did you have any trouble getting restaurant reservations? Any advice about MDE?

Here is a tentative plan, feedback welcome. The earliest we could arrive at a park on Thursday would be noonish. We have a full day on Friday. We have until 3 on Saturday in order to be in Siesta Key for dinner with family. So, I'm thinking Epcot on Thursday so we can stay late for IllumiNations, Hollywood Studios on Friday (hopefully with the Star Wars show at 8pm), and Animal Kingdom on Saturday because there are Extra Magic Hours so it opens at 8am (and I was told the animals are more active in the morning when it's cool). That first hour when the park opens is the best! So many people aren't early birds.

Tower of Terror is out because I can't take the drops. I have very low blood pressure so my body doesn't equalize quickly enough and I feel faint. I love the Disney roller coasters like Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. I can twist and go upside down all I want, I just can't do those Great Adventure-style mega coasters. Rock n Roller Coaster is high on my list! I love Aerosmith. :)

Laurie I do like that necklace. Could we see it on with the dress?

Jane, is your bday while we're on the cruise? Our 48th wedding anniversary is when we're on St Maarten.

We do have to figure out something special for St Maarten...anyone have suggestions? We've done Maho, Orient Beaches & done the pure shopping [emoji51] bit. Melody

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I am taking my Daughter, SIL and grandchildren to Disney World in November . I bought a Disney guide book to help with the planning since I have not been to Disney in awhile . You can reserve a certain number of fast passes a month ahead if you stay off of Disney Property or 60 days if you have on site reservations . We rented a three bedroom condo very close to Disney .I have stayed in Disney and outside Disney several times . For staying outside I prefer the Disney Springs hotels since they have excellent transportation. I get tired of Disney food plus it is so expensive .I like to have access to other restaurants.

Laurie, I know that feeling of being rushed . I had it constantly when I was still working full time . I was able to go part time in my 50's and that was a perfect blend of work and free time .Looking back on that really busy time I wish I had not tried to do it all work,cook ,clean ,etc. I wish I had hired some help .

Laurie I do like that necklace. Could we see it on with the dress?

 

Jane, is your bday while we're on the cruise? Our 48th wedding anniversary is when we're on St Maarten.

{{{Snip}}}

Melody

 

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I'm actually a Christmas Eve baby, but we'll be celebrating on the cruise.

Congrats on the anniversary! We just celebrated our 37th last week.

Margaret, that's the way FP was when we last used the system. The new system was in place when we went with the school, but we weren't really able to take advantage of any of the advanced features of it. We did try to use the kiosk there in the park, but that system was a pain...I think you can make 3 FPs at a time now...and with the kiosk, you had to pick all three at the same time...not separating at the same time...you had to pick a bundle...none appealed and it was just frustrating more than anything.

The Dolphin/Swan would be a fabulous location! We stayed once at the Beach Resort which is right next door. The boat service to Epcot and HS is the best. It's a very vacation-y setting because you can leave your car in the lot and you don't even have to deal with the buses...the boats are a much nicer transport than the buses IMO.

If you can use the FP system prior to arrival, you should, absolutely. It seems like an odd thing to do to try to plan out riding the rides like that, but it isn't so bad. For Epcot, you MUST ride Soarin'...of course, being born and raised in CA, that ride brings back wonderful memories and sights for me...regardless, it's a great ride and hopefully you'll be in the top or middle row. Mission Space would be your call...we rode the non-spinning version as a family and DH went back to do the spinning version. It kind of messed him up. He was glad he did it later in the day.

We like Test Track, too. There's a single rider line for that one, so getting a FP for being able to sit next to each other at least once, and then you can hit the single rider later if you want to go again. We also enjoy the boat ride through all the farming area in the Land in Epcot. It's a nice longer ride, so it's a good sit down. The thing about Epcot is that the park is really big. Lots of steps. A tremendous amount of walking. Walking through the countries is very enjoyable. Catching the street performers is really good. The drums in Japan and the acrobats in China are among the best. The French street performers are really fun too, but not as big of a wow, I guess. The Candy Lady in Japan, if she is still there is just kind of wonderful to listen to as she does her craft.

Getting to Epcot at noon is pretty good. IIRC, they don't even open up the International area until 11? So you really aren't getting there late. And you'll be entering by the international gate on the boat. The UK will be on your left and France on your right on the other side of the bridge. The counter service restaurants in Epcot are really good, in the International area. The atmosphere for each generally really good as well, Norway has a somewhat secluded covered patio that is a good break from the crowd for a bit of pastry, for instance, and so we graduated to just doing that when we go. Also, we like to get a bit here and there. We have treats that we particularly like and so we just hit those all over the park as we see fit. We did do Table Service there, but truly, the food that you can eat on your own time, the counter service, suits us better for Epcot. Snacking/drinking our way through that park gives a nice opportunity to enjoy a sit for a bit too.

You'd have to decide if you were into it, but we did the Kim Possible missions. Those can be a lot of fun actually. You have a "phone" that will guide you through the country where the mission is being held and as you work your way through, you can make effects happen. Sounds odd, but I don't want to be a spoiler. It doesn't cost anything and it can add a bit of fun, but that might be too much if you haven't been in the park before.

Friday in Hollywood Studios is bound to be busy. Especially if they have the Christmas lights...but if you get there at park opening, you will accomplish a lot. Same with Animal Kingdom. We've always gone to the AM EMH for DAK...we tried to for each park actually, because like you said, people have issues getting out the door early. AM EMH in AK is especially good. If you get your shows in, you can be done with AK by 3. Watch out for the parade route...that can make getting out difficult. I don't recall if the parade is at 3 or 4.

When I made reservations, I didn't have a problem getting them, but the last time I made ADRs was several years ago and I made them at the 180 day mark for the most part, which is a perk to staying on site (which Dolphin/Swan counts so...you could make them as soon as you made your reservation, I believe.) HS is the only park I would want an ADR for though.

I used the web site...and I think I even used MDE to make ADRs, but I didn't for fast pass...I'm not sure if you do that there or not. The Disney website suffers from much of the same issues as most of the cruise lines, can be frustrating at times to use. It wasn't the thing it is now, based on my quick look, when I used it so not much help from me there.

RnR also has a single rider line! I would get an FP or hit it first thing to ride side by side for at least one ride, unless you want to run to Toy Story, but thereafter, the single rider line is a good resource if you want to ride again! That is one my fav WDW rides!

Pretty necklace Laurie. Pretty coloring. I agree with Margaret's thoughts regarding the 3 strands rather than the twisted strand.

St. Maarten - try Bernards Tours, maybe? We done this twice. When you're done, eat at Rosemarys. It's Great!

Yes they are this golden type color. There is ivory, this golden color and a caramel like color in the twisted strand, and I think the twist was throwing me off. I agree this is a better choice. I'll try to get a picture of everything together tonight.

I saw one that tugged at the heartstrings more, but there were no earrings or bracelet, and it needed it. It would have been difficult to find something thst worked. It had yellowy opal like flowers thst pi ked up the teal, and it was nice and warm.

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Now that I am using a regular keyboard, I will try to type real words that make sense instead of gibberish.

The main Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios was a great deal of fun. It was a horribly long wait in line though. Margaret, I would imagine that the lines for everything will be long at Christmas time, even with Fast Pass? I've never been to Disney, but a friend of mine recently took her pre-school aged kids in October, and she didn't enjoy it at all, due to the wait times. I don't know how that necessarily compares. When I was at Universal Studios, we did not purchase a Fast Pass, but I noticed that with those who did, the wait was still long.

I am trying to remember when we were there, but I think it was long enough ago to say that it could very well be different. I will ask my friend if she used FP at Disney or not.

I would post some pics, but they are all on Photobucket, and I still need to find another way to post photos. The area made to represent different areas from the Harry Potter book were wonderful.

The necklace is very golden like. It is a very antique looking pearl. I'm trying to find a link online, but I only found the ivory, pink and gray. I am also looking for the one that was my first choice. Well, sort of my first choice. I really did love it. I just felt like there was no way to match a bracelet or earrings to it. I try not to be overly matchy, but this was a case where not a lot of things would work with the necklace.

I don't have anyone to take a photo for me tonight in good lighting, but I did try another picture of the necklace on the hanger with the dress. I will post that separately.

Melody, I have been to St. Maarten twice. Both times, I did Bernard's Tours. You can google it and book online. They have a few different tour options. I loved feeding the iguanas, although I was a little nervous at first. also held sea urchins and the like at another stop.

The first time, we stopped for lunch at Rosemary's. The second time, we stopped someplace else on our own, only to remember where Rosemary's was after the fact. The food was so good!

I think part of the reason with wanting to simplify, feeling rushed, etc. comes with age, to a degree. You start realizing all you want to do, all you haven't done yet, and how much things like work and maintaining a house take up so much of your time.

I'm literally in a position where I cannot even make a doctor's appointment for the next 4-5 weeks at work, we just have too many people out and big projects going on. I often wish I could make changes, but my job has been very good to me. Even within work, I have goals and things I'm trying to change and make better for the department. Hopefully, they are good changes that help make things easier for everyone.

I try not to deal with any work things on vacation. It helps that I turn off my data. :-) But I have been considering getting data for this cruise, mostly to be able to check on things at home, and maybe even post a live report or two for all you buddies here.

We went out to lunch today. DS has a friend visiting; he just graduated high school and his college courses haven't started yet, so he drove out from ATL to stay with us for a few days before the school year kicks into gear. It's fun for DS to share his new digs with a friend...

Anyway...we went for Pho for lunch...and true to my goal of wearing non-activewear clothes, I wore this:

These sandals are actually really good for walking around town. Maybe you remember how I purchased them a while back? This tee shirt dress is the easiest thing in the world to wear...and I think the scarf works. You can't see the amber earrings I'm wearing...and maybe you can see how my sunglasses totally work with the dress.

This was after lunch...and after walking back to the apt with the sky dripping...it wasn't really raining, but I feel like I look a bit wilted. Anyway...I was feeling very successful in my fashion attempt.

Laurie, I've been using Post Image . org for my photos. I made an account, which lets me control the images a bit better. I have also selected to have the images be deleted from their server after 31 days, so they won't be there for all eternity.

Anita, I love that outfit. I have been trying to find some easy to wear limit dresses. I like jersey type fabric because it doesn't wrinkle. I am trying to find earthy colors. I love the dress you are wearing and they scarf!! Love the sandals too. Remind me...where did you find them?

I have a few good walking sandals, but I'm trying to find that color.

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Anita! You look marvelous! Love the dress & scarf. I'm going to have to find those sandals

Laurie, the Bernard tours bus or van? Les refuses to do tours on busses

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It was a van.

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The sandals are Sofft brand Mirabelle style. I bought mine at Nordstrom but they don't have the brown available online now. The style is still out there but the colors are different.