Tag Archives: Cinderella Castle

The Pros and Cons of Relocation

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We had a dream…to move to Florida and be able to hit the Disney parks any time we felt like it.  We were giddy to never have to shovel snow again, but with pros do come some cons- just a part of life. I like to be a positive force in many of your lives, but I also like to keep things grounded and real.  I thought I would let you in on my personal pros and cons on moving here to FL and how I am dealing with them- enjoy!

It is impossible to not compare WI to FL- trust me, I have tried. Everything I have ever known is still inside my head, so whenever I come across anything I was used to, the comparison just pops out. School has been a big one and I am trying to focus on the pros.  Emily’s school is beautiful, and the walk every morning from the car is gorgeous. It’s our little time every day to be together before life gets a hold of us, so I do really treasure and enjoy that. In WI I dropped her off, so even though its not ideal to be with her so much as an older student, I believe she needs me right now and I am there for her no matter what. The cons of school is that it has so many kids, so the attention for kids with Emily’s needs and personality is quite limited.  But with Middle School anywhere, it is a bit chaotic for kids to learn how to get from class to class on their own anyways, so new school plus middle school equals grey hair for Mom.  I wish school was a bit closer to home, we are about 10 minutes out from it- but thanks to emergency contacts living closer to school than we do, I feel a bit better we have a back-up plan.

The pro for Kyra having her Senior year in FL was that she had the access to several FL Colleges she is interested in, within miles reach.  Being in WI and having FL College interests would have been costly to fly back and forth to check out, so that was a big reason we all decided on her Senior year here. The con is the obvious, it is her Senior year. This is the year you feel you are on top of the school and the world, and that real life is a year away from happening. After Kyra’s first day here, I came home and cried. All I kept thinking is “What did I do? It would have been so much easier to let her finish out in WI and then come.”  We have other personal reasons why we wanted her to finish out in FL as well that we are not sharing, but I know that God wants us here for some reason, or we wouldn’t be here. I am trying to find peace in the school situations and I want both girls happy.

The obvious pros to living here are being able to head to WDW anytime I feel like it. Living 5 minutes away, we hear Wishes and Illuminations from our home every night. Walking into the Poly, shopping in the Magic Kingdom, or having ice cream at Beaches n Cream is exhilarating and very enjoyable. We have options galore on what to do every single weekend, with nothing being the same thing twice. If we go to Epcot one day, it may be a different ride or show than days before. With school in session now, kids and Craig are both busy during the day, so I have found that I like to get into the Parks after taking Emmy to school and get out by lunch time to get home and eat and relax before picking up the kids from school. I don’t mind hanging out at home all day, but it is Craig’s work space, so I try to give him his room to concentrate and breathe while the kids and I are gone. Along with being close to WDW, we are also close to Sea World, Universal, and 20 minutes from a major Airport. Before it would take us over an hour to get to Milwaukee’s Airport, even though we had a small regional one in Appleton. MCO being a huge Airport that has flights to and from around the world is great for those visiting us, and for us to travel out when the time comes.

The Con of living close to Walt Disney World is living with all the tourists. Our neighborhood has several vacation homes, which we keep an eye on so we know who is coming and going in our area.  The homes don’t bother us, but the traffic and store congestion due to the tourists takes some getting used to. We have been told it tapers off after Labor Day, so we are holding on waiting for the less crowds everywhere.  The only traffic I ever really had to deal with in WI was either on College Avenue area during Christmas time, or the Milwaukee area on the way to events there or in IL.  Dealing with it on a daily basis gets old, so we have found side streets and such to get around it- one for the pro list!

Meeting new and old friends since we have gotten here is definitely a pro! I have had so much fun getting to meet readers of our blog, Disney fans, and old friends from past trips.  Nothing is more fun than making a new friend in a Disney park and sharing our experiences over a meal or ride.  It warms my heart to see someone excited to meet me and want to know how we moved here- I have always said that if we help one person move to FL, then the blog has totally been worth it.

The cons on the subject of people would have to be missing my loved ones I left behind. You can’t replace people, you CAN meet new people, but the imprint that those in the past have left can be quite strong. Many days I have wished I could still see Mom for lunch, Kelly for a crochet day, and Angie for an Arbys night. I love those who I have met here, but no one I have met here as come close to the friendships I had in WI. It will take time, patience, and effort to ever have those again, and I am being honest, I don’t think anyone can come close to Kelly or Angie. For that, I can get can quite depressed sometimes. It takes a real friend to be trustworthy and know that you can confide in them about anything and know they hold that close to their hearts, and not loose on their lips. To have a friend you have to be a friend, and I am being the best friend I can to those around me here. But, I have days where I don’t feel it does any good and I still feel alone.

Don’t get me wrong, I love living here, but I am still adjusting. It will take me a year or more to really feel like this is home. I still refer to WI as home which I know isn’t true anymore, but it’s habit. I can’t stress enough how prepared mentally you have to be when you relocate here. Not only do you have new jobs to worry about, but kids in new schools, living in a new neighborhood, shopping in a new grocery store, and worshipping among believers that are still strangers. You have to be strong and hopeful or it will all crash down around you- trust me, ask anyone who has moved here.  Don’t let the rawness of my honesty about it scare you, it’s just how I personally feel right now.

I have had days that I think “It would have been so much easier to just stay in WI” but then I am on a ride with my kids, or holding Craig’s hand walking around Epcot, and I feel I am where I am supposed to be. I think I get bothered by some who can’t believe I would have apprehensions when this was our dream, what WE wanted. Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but dreams don’t come wrapped up in pretty bows. You have to work at them, and when they are realized, sometimes you have to deal with the uglies that come along for the ride. It has been an incredible experience so far, and I do look forward to what God has in store for us. I’m human and I will keep moving forward.

Do As Dreamers Do

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As much as I wish I had been at the D23 Convention this past weekend, responsibilities come first, so I have been in full school shopping and prep mode.  To take a break from the madness for a bit, we planned a full family Disney day yesterday.  With sunscreen on and a morning full of sunshine, we headed out towards the Magic Kingdom.

The plan was simple- park at MK, head to the Transportation and Ticket Center, hop on the monorail for Epcot and get there after park opening- and it worked like a charm! We hadn’t been able to ride the Monorail over to Epcot since moving here, so It was a nice treat to ride over Epcot. Since the Park had just opened, it was pretty much empty. If you have never had the chance, I encourage you to do so, as it gives you a great birds-eye view of the Park and a wonderful opportunity for pictures.

After a small glitch with Emily’s ticket on the way in, Craig headed to Soarin for fastpasses and the kids and I headed to Test Track.  Nothing is more peaceful to me than being with my family in the warmth of God’s love- in those moments nothing is more perfect. We enjoyed our morning ride on TT and enjoyed making our “thinker” pose like the goofy family we are.

On to Innoventions where the kids played “Run Time” where you, your kids, or the whole family get to be the stars of your own video game. They record you jumping, running, and of course your victory dance, and then you have the chance to email it to yourself to keep. After you have done that, you go to a game console to play your own personal game. It was a fun experience to see the kids do, and because we did it in the morning, we were able to walk pretty much into the area without waiting. There are Cast Members there to monitor whose turn it is, so it eliminates the need for those who don’t feel they need to wait, to wait.

After a ride on Nemo with Friends, which the angry fish that chases Dory was working Friday, but then yesterday he wasn’t again, we headed for lunch at Sunshine Seasons in The Land.  Nothing makes me breathe deeper than when the doors slide open and I can smell the food and feel the energy of this pavilion. It’s such an awesome place, and I feel like I am sitting at home at the dinner table with the family when we eat here- something about it all is just “right.”   We enjoyed our lunch, and even allowed Emily a small rest on the booth we were at, before heading to our favorite ride.

Butterflies began to flutter as the four of us walked the fast pass line inside Soarin- the music, the cool air, it is just a beautiful and inspiring place.  We didn’t fight for first row, settled for 2nd, and as always, the ride brought me to tears. It only happens when the kids and Craig are with me, but I think it’s because I am so emotional of what is to come this week that those moments in time of peace are priceless.

After grabbing Soarin fastpasses we headed to say hello to Figment on Imagination and then took a brief break in the “Cold Hallway” on our way to Club Cool. I love me some free soda and cold air!  Ready to take on World Showcase, we headed in, already hot from the 30 steps we had already taken. The Friendship boat had shown up just as we were passing by, so we hopped on and saved ourselves the energy it would have taken to walk to our destination of Japan.

The boat ride was packed, but easier on the feet, so we relaxed the 5 minutes it took to get across the lagoon. We window shopped in Japan, finding all sorts of neat finds. I have to say though that the smallest items here are INCREDIBLY expensive- 2 pencils and a sharpener= $6.95- what?? Even with my discount I can’t justify buying it, so sorry kids, it’s the regular pencils from WalMart for now!

We headed over to the American Adventure to hear the Voices of Liberty and then take a nap. Yes, we needed to close our eyes for a bit. We had been out till 1 a.m. the night before with our good friends chatting the night away, and we were a bit pooped. So we timed it to see the show and be able to rest for awhile to reenergize- and it did work! Although funny enough, I was the last one in my row, and I had no arm rest on my chair- weird right? I almost rolled right out of my chair and down the carpeted room I was so asleep- thankfully I have kids who won’t let me do that! You would be surprised how much snoring you hear during this show- sad really, but I understand. I woke up right as the video montage started, which ALWAYS makes me tear up, so I was glad I didn’t sleep thru it.  I don’t encourage people to nap in WDW attractions, but if you need a moment to collect your sanity, or especially when the sun is getting to you- don’t feel ashamed to close your eyes and relax.

As we left the American Pavilion, the storm clouds rolled in. We know how FL rain works- there is no warning- the rain will fall and fall hard when it first starts. We ran to Japan and headed to the second floor of the Restaurant to seek shelter. As we hit the stairs, it started to pour. It was quite funny to watch everyone scatter and how the once crowded walkways were now completely empty. We wound up being stuck there for a good 45 minutes, watching lightening surround us, and thunder rolling in.  We learned that Japan FLOODS when it rains this fast and hard- so much that you could not walk through it unless you were ready for it to be over your ankles.  As it started to let up, several little children were playing in the flood waters like a wading pool- and even though it was probably not the cleanest water, it was such a cool Disney moment to watch. 

Avoiding having to wade through Japan, we slipped out the other back stair case to find the next boat to take us up to the front again. We were dropped off in Mexico and enjoyed a ride on Spaceship Earth before heading out. We intentionally got the Soarin fastpasses to give them away, so we looked for a family of four, enjoyed seeing their huge smiles as we handed them out, and then headed to the Monorail towards MK.  As we boarded, we heard one of the pilots say that the Monorail for the MK loop and Resorts was down. Sure enough, once we got to the TTC, we were told that the only way to the MK was the Ferry. OK, no big deal- well when everyone has to take it, including Resort guests, it becomes a massive, messy, mob. We were able to get on the first Ferry, but it was packed! I guess at that point, we should have been warned of the impending stress that would come later for us, but I had hoped that the Monorail would just be running by then.

We arrived at the MK excited for more magical times, and headed to a 5 minute wait to see Mickey and Minnie Mouse.  It was around 5 p.m., and we pretty much walked in once the line moved. It was great to get a family pic taken and really feel like we were on vacation. Once you are a Resident you have the dangers of losing that vacation feel, and I don’t want to lose that when I am in the Parks. Visiting Characters, new rides, and experiencing new adventures keeps the vacation feel alive and fun. 

Dinner was at Cosmic Rays, and I enjoyed a delicious chicken dinner while sharing cheese fries with Emily. We usually spend a good hour here when we eat because of the music and wonderful air conditioning- it’s a great place to reboot. 

We enjoyed Haunted Mansion, Pirates later (it was down when we first got there), and a showing of Philharmagic. With lines being quite long, especially in Fantasyland, we did more walking and enjoying the environment then riding anything. We watched Wishes near the Pooh ride, then sat again on the pavement in front of the Castle while we watched the Memories, Magic, and You show. I have to say, it makes me cry every time, and I am beginning to love it as my favorite show on Property right now. The minute Stitch says “Ohana means family”  good grief I need an entire box of Kleenex!!

To end our incredible day, we took a spin on Buzz, and then enjoyed the last ride of TTA for the night. We watched the “Kiss Goodnight” before walking down Main Street to head home. Now, this was around 11:30.

As we exited MK, we noticed people sitting everywhere! People were sleeping on the pavement, and the lines to every single bus and ferry wrapped around every available spot known to man. It was pure chaos, and you could feel the anger in the air.  The word we heard was that the Monorail Station had been hit by lightening, and was making the Resort and MK loop inoperable. Now, it had been like that at 5 when we first heard of them not working, and we knew it must be major that 6 hours later they were still not working. 

While we stood around to figure out our options, a fight broke out in the line to the Ferry. Disney people were jumping gates to stop it and the feel of “reality” was like a blanket over the crowd. It was eerily quiet as they pulled people apart, and it was in that moment I realized how much I needed a better plan when the Monorails break down.  If you park at the Contemp, you can walk to MK or take the Monorail- and that’s the only plan I really have. I can’t imagine what else there is to do- once you are stuck at MK, you are stuck.  The busses were backed up, and because of the heat of the bus exhaustion, the area is hot, stuffy, and to much to stand in for the hour it was going to take. We wound up finding a bench, sitting for awhile, then getting in line with the masses for the Ferry about half hour later. Once on the Ferry, we STILL had to get in line for a tram to get to our car.  After watching someone get sick on the Ferry, we had had enough and walked to the Pluto Parking lot from the TTC and finally drove home at 1:00 a.m.

It was a beautiful day, with an uncomfortable and crabby ending. I am happy we had the chance to enjoy our love of Disney together before the stress and uncertainty of this week. We had a great day today of cooking out, swimming, napping, and final school shopping. We tucked Emily in this evening and tears were streaming down her adorable little cheeks- she is scared, Kyra is scared, and so are we. I prayed with Emily and tried to give her enough assurance that it would be ok. I have asked for prayer before, but I am sincerely begging for yours tonight. My kids are everything, and when they are sad, and upset, I feel completely helpless. PLEASE keep them in your prayers tomorrow, and strength for Craig and I to be strong. God bless your week!!!

Making the Money to Move

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No one said that your dreams would be cheap, and we have learned that first hand. Wouldn’t it be nice to be handed a fat check, a new car, and keys to your new home all in one shot with no strings attached? Since we can’t live in that dream world, we have to work for what we want. We have been saving our monthly paychecks towards the move, but there are other things that we, and you, can make money on as well.

Since we are selling 95% of our belongings, what better way to make some cash towards the dream then have a yard sale and Ebay. Since the yard sale isn’t until May, I have had time to move forward with my Ebay goodies. I loved to scrapbook… enough that it was my profession for almost 5 years. But since that chapter is over, I am also ready to move on from the endless scrapbook kits I seemed to have consumed in my many years at my job. Since most of you are “Disney” friends, I wanted to give you some insight on what kits work great with Walt Disney World pictures, parties, and or special events.

  • If you have pictures of beaches, picnics, Polynesian Resort, palm trees, Sea World, Bush Gardens, and Florida in general… check out this link.
  • Looking for paper that goes with your general Disney photos? Click HERE to see the Ivory, Black, and Red Velvet pages that will frame Mickey and Minnie perfectly.
  • Have you stayed at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort? I have the perfect pages for you! These fun and cool colors will go with and Island themed vacation. Check it out HERE.
  • Another kit with a Florida feel to it, along with it’s bright colors is HERE and it was one of my favorites!! The bright blues match wonderfully with swimming pool pictures and poolside events.
  • Chapter One kit is all about “Once upon at time…” theme- perfect for any Walt Disney World Vacation. Click HERE.
  • Bright Colors mesh well with pictures of the Characters- Bright Greens and Blues showcase your family and friends well with Goofy and his pals. Click HERE.
  • Everyone has pics of the Castle right? How about Spaceship Earth? This collection goes well with not only those two icons, but photos with the bright blue Florida sky behind them. Check it out HERE.
  • Looking for general Vacation pages? “Destinations” is all about traveling the world! These would work well with World Showcase at Epcot. Click ‍‍‍‍‍HERE.
  • ‍Harry Potter fan? This kit has rich burgundys and creamy beige’s which work well with kids in their House robes or at the new “Wizarding World of Harry Potter.” Check it out HERE.
  • Do you enjoy camping at Fort Wilderness? Does your family stay at Wilderness Lodge? Take a look at this set perfect for those “woody” pictures! Click HERE.
  • Ready to go on Safari? Head to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge or Animal Kingdom for some wild pictures then use this kit to showcase the memories. Click HERE to check it out!

There are many more kits to enjoy, so take a look! If you have something you have collected over the years, or like me, or just have had enough of it, use it to your advantage and sell it to further your goals and dreams.

Our Yard sale will be in May, and we are so excited to get on with it. We have had half of our garage consumed with items from last years sale that didn’t sell, along with tossing more things in here and there over the course of the last 6 months. The basement has been organized, and I will be happy to bring the stuff up in the Spring.

Every time we have been to the grocery story, we grab extra bags, along with the ones we are using, and have been saving them to use for the sale. Since we know we will have quite a few things to sell, we wanted to make sure we would have enough bags for our customers. We have actually run out in the past because we didn’t look ahead, so not happening this time!

We will have a number of people coming in and out of the sale, so we are planning to hand out business cards with each purchase that advertise our blog. Spreading the word in any manner we can is exciting to us because we really and truly enjoy the friendships we are making and have made. If we help ONE person relocate to FL, then it has all been worth it.

Emily will be setting up a bake sale at the yard sale as well. We are asking our close friends and family to donate a baked good to her table to help us further our goals. Don’t be afraid to ask people for help- if they can’t, they can’t. Some will be excited for you and want to help, others won’t bat an eyelash at you- it’s all good.

Your sale will go further when you sell the items as you would buy them. I wash the clothes, and toss out anything with a stain, hole, etc… Clean up outdoor items that may have grass, dirt, on them. Dust items that have been sitting in one place in your home for awhile, so they look good as new when you set them out to sell. Don’t bother with selling the one fork, the bowl with a crack, or the half bottle of shampoo. I have been to THOUSANDS of sales, and they are always sitting there, unsold and it makes the sale look cheap. I know, maybe someone will buy it, and you are correct, someone may. But a half bottle of shampoo next to a collectors plate or baseball card of value just doesn’t look the best.

Selling your items not only makes some fast cash, but you save the money it takes to rent a U-Haul. If you can afford to rebuy certain items after you have moved, I encourage you to do so. I do understand that if you have a house full of nice furniture, then you shouldn’t be selling it for a quarter of its value. Its better to just move it then. We are fortunate that we need new furniture BADLY- new beds, new living room furniture, and our kitchen table and chairs need a facelift.

I hope this helps fellow relocators like ourselves, and that with time, you can save and make the money you need to make your dreams come true.