No Dogs Allowed....

Time to think about what to do with naughty Miss Penny while we are away.   Disney doesn't have pet friendly hotels like Universal does - but actually I am glad of that.   Too many rascally dogs in one hotel kind of grosses me out.  I love dogs - but I know how Penny is and I can't imagine she's that much different from others of her kind...... well, on second thought maybe she is.   She is a lot different than my previous Newfie....

Our neighbors used to volunteer to have our sweet Tatum over for the duration of our trips.  Not happening with Penny.  I subtly let them know we are planning on being away...... and I am met with silence and then a, "Have a great time!"

How can one fluffy teddy bear dog be so mischievous?  She looks so innocent....

But we know different...... I think she's a diva princess at heart and if we aren't looking at her, talking to her, petting her, walking her, telling her how cute she is, taking her photo, giving her treats, she gets us back for it.   She is an attention seeker and has been since she was a puppy.  She was actually promised to a breeder, but the breeder met her and chose another puppy!!  OMG we should have known what we were in for after that....we could have had her or her brother.  I wanted a sweet little girl puppy..... but I got Penny.  Her naughty ways are well known by our friends.  Maybe we should have kept her habits hush hush.  She is lovable and sweet but so badly behaved.  I guess we had to share her tricks for laughs and our own sanity.  She doesn't have the normal Newfie qualities *calm, sweet, loyal*...she loves to bark, be a pest, moan and squeak to get her way,  she's not a buddy or team player - more a star, and she's bouncy and full of life and energy, and naughty......

I found a fun place for Penny last year for her first boarding experience so looks like this will be where she spends our Disney vacation again this year since volunteers for Penny sitting aren't knocking on our door.  Chasing our Tails is a doggy day care type facility where the dogs are allowed to be free with each other from 9 to 5pm and then they are kenneled overnight til the next day's play time.   This place is pretty local and I appreciate that - when I had Tatum I was driving her an hour away to a similar type of kennel...for twice the price - this other place had a canoe out front, a playground, cute Adirondack furniture for the dogs LOL and even believe it or not, Disney Suites.  Tatum spent a few of our vacations in the Winnie the Pooh Suite.  (my kids love the Pooh characters so they chose that for her lol to help ease the guilt of leaving her behind)   These doggy daycare centers seem to be popping up here and there now as they increase in popularity.   I do feel good about leaving Penny where she can interact with other dogs - maybe get knocked down a few pegs by the older dogs and  learn some better etiquette.   She seemed to enjoy being there, too, and didn't come home miffed at us for leaving her there.  We don't want a pissed Penny......There are horns under that fur....

Disney World does have a newer kennel run by Best Friends Pet Care, but then the issue is getting the dog down there....Who brings their dog on vacation anyway?   I would never consider driving 20 hours with Penny in the car.  She freaks out on a 5 minute drive to her vet.....I can't imagine how she would be in a cargo hold on a flight, either.  Not sure how that works, but it seems mean, too... Penny would be traumatized.  Penny gives me attitude about even being put IN the car...and she's 105lbs of attitude.   Maybe other people have really good dogs?  And good dogs get to go to Walt Disney World.... Penny will never see the castle.
 

 "There's nothing funnier than the human animal."  Walt Disney

Obviously Walt never met Penny.......



Happy travels!!

Life, Disney, Life......

Hey all...wow I have left this blog thing go too long.  Christmas pics greeted me when I signed in to post.   I love to write, but having this blog be ALL 100% Disney has actually kind of sucked the fun out of doing this.  Almost like when you're in school and told to write a 1500 word expository yada yada about XYZ and be able to cite your sources etc.... I LOVE Disney and I LIVE Disney - I am a Disney travel agent and have a few websites, facebook pages, and all, but my life doesn't revolve completely around Disney.  I have three kids, a husband and a dog..... needy people they are.   So between them draining me and having a commitment to write about Disney Disney Disney - the creative juices have run low.  BUT...I have a new idea for this.  I am thinking of just writing about life and stuff I know & experience with a bit of Disney thrown into that mix.  That's more balanced and more my reality and it will come easier to me and allow me to keep this blog up...and no guilt!  I feel horrid that I've let it go.  Can't do that anymore. 

Here's the thing - I am just going to assume you know me.   If you do, great then you're probably some stalker type or a friend.  Fine.  If you don't know me, you soon will.....you'll either catch on and feel good about reading this or you'll think omg .....who IS this person? ha...   I don't think my life is much different than most people.  We all have happy and bad and if you're reading this you have an affection for Disney, too....like I do.   Sometimes I am going about life and things start to really suck and I think OK time for a Disney escape - so the planning starts :0) (for me!)  I almost always have Disney on my mind because I plan trips for clients but sometimes it comes to mind for me and my family too. 

Today for instance....all the snow had melted....it was fairly warmish out for Northern Illinois in mid March.... time for the most atrocious of all household jobs....poop duty.   I have a Newfoundland puppy and this "duty" is no small job, particularly after a winter of heavy snow and months gone by without clean up.  ugh....awful.  Nobody in my family will help me with this disgusting activity.  My dog, my duty.... so I put on my ipod and went at it.   I was listening to WDW Today podcast live show.   A man called in with a question.... he and his family were headed to WDW over spring break, had an 8 am ADR at Crystal Palace (thinking this was a great way to get into the MK early, before the scheduled 9 am opening, and start the day ) and also had on that same day a lunch ADR at Crystal Palace.  He asked the guys' advice as to now that the Magic Kingdom park hours had been updated to have the park opening an hour earlier - 8 am, what should he do? Keep the 8 am breakfast or cancel that one and do the lunch reservation instead?   The WDW Today guys said to stick with the 8 am. breakfast.  I have to disagree.  Why would he do that, if the park now opens at 8 am?  Keeping the 8 am ADR defeats the purpose he intended when he made it....getting into the park early.  So he'd be wasting about an hour and a half sitting in Crystal Palace, getting hugs and cuddles from Pooh and Friends, while the park was at it's emptiest. If it were me, I think I would have ditched the breakfast, headed to MK early (well not really, because I never get to the MK early lol - but I can dream!) and then enjoyed the rides without lines, picked up a cinnamon bun at Main Street Bakery about 930  (LOVE these!) and watched the trolley singers "Good morning, good morning" greeting guests with their dancing and singing, and then headed over to Adventureland and had fun til a lunch ADR at the Crystal Palace. 

Disney has had a serious place in my mind recently. I am in the midst of planning a spontaneous Easter trip with my family, that we just booked last week, and then hopping on the Dream with friends right afterward.   The Easter trip came about because we NEEDED it....yep we needed an escape.  Lots of weirdness going on here recently and it's about time we can take a break from it all and hopefully leave it behind.  Maybe some details of weirdness here to come in future blogs but I didn't want to scare anybody off with this first post lol. 

So anyway...I figure this blog will go in a slightly different direction that previous posts -more free form, journal ish, but Disney sprinkled in...just like my life...free, but a bit cluttered, good, bad, work, fun, and of course the ever present Disney......I need something that comes more naturally to me, is more enjoyable and easier to write and will flow from my speedily typing fingers and let me be me..... take it or leave it!

And for some real Disney mixed into this hodge podge.....

These are the newly released dates for the 2011 WDW parties.  *Fun*

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
Sept. 13,16,20,23,27,30
October 2,6,7,10,11,13,16,18,20,21,23,25, 27,28,30,31
Nov 1

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
November 8,9,11,13,15,18,27,29,30
December 2,4,6,7,9,11,13, 14,16,18


"I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter."  Walt Disney