Sarilas
It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2008
Greetings! Welcome to our family vacation I-can't-wait-any-longer-I-have-to-start-writing pre-trip report! Starring...
Myself, and my husband, Jose...
...and our children Tatiana and Kyle...
...Stasia and Lexi!
Okay, let's get right into the good stuff.
I'm DYING to get to WDW. Like I can think of nothing else. Here's how it all got started.
On May 11 of last year, 5 weeks after the birth of my fourth child, my mother (my best friend) passed away from pancreatic cancer. It took me a solid year to stop crying when I saw her picture, heard her name or to just be able to breathe when a memory of her flooded back. I'm still a teary-eyed basket case, but at least now I can BREATHE. I'd moved her and my Dad here to our house in Tennessee from northern CA during Christmas, right after she'd gotten her diagnosis. Everything in my world was in a tail spin and I still had to function as a wife and mother. And that year went by so quickly...
But we all pulled through, and are getting stronger every day. But we are tired. Emotionally and physically exhausted, and the poor kids - well I can't begin to tell you all they've been through but suffice it to say they deserved some FUN.
Earlier this year ('08) we decided to take our economic stimulus (yeah!) and go on a mini-vacation. Something nearby (Nashville), something moderately priced, something we'd all love. I WANTED to do Disney, but it just wasn't in the budget we'd established. So we settled on Dollywood, booked a cabin in the mountains and prepared for a nice, relaxing long weekend over Memorial Day.
Only it wasn't meant to be.
I'll keep this short and sweet: Cabin was beautiful, but the night we arrived the transmission on our minivan went out. (We've renamed her The Million Dollar Robo-Van.) Dollywood was okay, but it was NO Disney! I kept commenting to my husband that Disney would NEVER have trash, or even leaves on the streets and pathways. That Disney Cast Members are SO much nicer and more helpful than these other employees. There was just no comparison.
So, once we'd returned home, gotten Robo-Van back and talked about our not-quite-vacation, we began discussing the need for a REAL trip.
Now, when I first mentioned Disney World to my husband, he was okay with it but under-whelmed. None of us have ever been to WDW, but it took me a while to realize why he was so hesitant: He's never been to ANY Disney park, EVER. Growing up in Puerto Rico and in Texas as an Army brat, his parents took trips to national monuments, not national treasures like Disney! Not as a child or an adult has he experienced what it's like to walk down Main Street, USA, or hear the echo of "yo, ho, yo ho". If I greeted him with "Welcome, foolish mortal!" he'd think I'd lost my mind! But the fact is, growing up in Orange County, California means I practically LIVED at Disneyland. My mom attended the opening of the park - it was in my blood!
That night I rushed out and bought the Birnbaum guides (for the parks, the dining and the one for kids). Everyone started to catch the fever and before I knew it, they were ALMOST as excited as I was at the prospect of a REAL Disney World vacation!
We knew we had to wait till at least January of 2009, when Jose would have the vacation time AND we'd have his Christmas bonus money. The first thing he said when we really started planning was that if we were going to do this (oh, and we WERE!) that we were going to indulge as much as possible whenever we could. So what's the first thing we needed to decide?
Where to stay!
With a family of 6, accommodations are a major selling point. The first thing I did was call Disney reservations and spoke to the NICEST woman in the world (but I say that about all Disney Cast Members!) who told me exactly which hotels on-site could accommodate us. We thought about a Deluxe hotel, but did we all really want to be in ONE room? And at that price a second room was out of the question. Then she told us about All-Star Music and their Family Suites - it sounded perfect! I spent the next few days researching pictures and trip reports from others who have stayed there, and it quickly became clear that this was THE place for us to stay. But that begged the question...
When are we going?!
We knew it would be January, and we knew we didn't want to wait too long. So we balanced the idea of waiting till the end of the month for the slowest possible crowds with going the first week, when schools (at least here!) are back in session. We knew we'd run into SOME crowds, but at least it wouldn't be like peak season. So Jose put in his vacation request and I called Disney reservations... and it's official!
We're booked at All-Star Music Family Suites from January 5-9, checking out on the 10th!
So much planning to do and only 6 months to do it! Dining plan, or deluxe dining? Regular tickets or park hoppers? ADR's on July 9th!
So yeah, changes have been made, as usually happens!
We're booked at ASMusic still, one glorious family suite but now our dates are January 10-18!
Now we're booked for February 20 through March 1 at Port Orleans Riverside
OKAY, THIS IS THE LAST CHANGE I SWEAR!
Our travel dates are now January 30-February 8 at Port Orleans Riverside!
Sarilas' O-fficial Pre Trip Report "take me to your chapters" shortcuts!
Chapter 1: Meet and Greet (you are here!)
Chapter 2: To print, or not to print...
Chapter 3: A PIN code? For ME?!
Chapter 4: The dates, they are a changin'...
Chapter 5: More days!
Chapter 6: The inception of the coloring calendar!
Chapter 7: First trip project completed!
Chapter 8: Date changes and shopping and vacation planners, oh my!
Chapter 9: Must have planning tools.
Chapter 10: Talk me into a room change, PLEASE!
Chapter 11: Room change #1!
Chapter 12: Presenting... our vacation binder!
Chapter 13: ADR's are the devil!
Chapter 14: January calendar UP! ...but EMPTY!
Chapter 15: Even the Mom's Panel doesn't know.
Chapter 16: Make your ADR list already, would ya?!
Chapter 17: ADR list #1 and addendum
Chapter 18: EMH's o r no EMH's, I'm starting an itinerary!
Chapter 19: Have I mentioned that they STILL haven't released January's hours?!
Chapter 20: You just can't DO THAT!
Chapter 21: Settle the ADR's NOW!
Chapter 22: ADR itinerary, anyone?
Chapter 23: O-fficial ADR's!
Chapter 24: Where to eat your final meal?
Chapter 25: First ADR changes!
Chapter 26: First shopping pics!
Chapter 27: Why is it you never leave the store with what you intended to purchase?
Chapter 28: Day 180!
Chapter 29: FINALLY, the January hours, people!
Chapter 30: Unexpected trip to the island
Chapter 31: More ADR changes...
Chapter 32: Oh look! An itinerary-ish thingy!
Chapter 33: 2009 Package Price Release Day!
Chapter 34: Vacation package booking is O-fficial!
Chapter 35: AP discounts are the BOMB DIGGITY!
Chapter 36: Liberating Mickey heads and making ADR changes. Again!
Chapter 37: Always something to do.
Chapter 38: Split stay?...
Chapter 39: Junior High School vs. room drama
Chapter 40: Disney Mail and purchases!
Chapter 41: Mickey head countdown calendar and pics
Chapter 42: The mall, the vault and ice!
Chapter 43: Resort room square footage?
Chapter 44: 'Ohana means... bread pudding!
Chapter 45: The mascots arrive!
Chapter 46: Chocolate food porn recipe
Chapter 47: Disney On Ice!
Chapter 48: Chaos and cash
Chapter 49: Poison ivy. 'nuff said.
Chapter 50: Decorating the TV
Chapter 51: A near miss!
Chapter 52: Paid in full!
Chapter 53: Trivia books and ADR changes
Chapter 54: Cannot. Resist. Disneystore.com
Chapter 55: RIP Paul Newman...
Chapter 56: 99 Day Celebration, revisited!
Chapter 57: Cinderella's Castle immortalized in pumpkin!
Chapter 58: Dinner without a movie, and the cheesecake...
Chapter 59: Presenting ADR and Itinerary Changes!
Chapter 60: 80 Days till Disney!
Chapter 61: Birthday wishes and pre party planning.
Chapter 62: Post Party Cool Down... and another trip in '09?!
Chapter 63: 75 days and ADD rears its ugly head!
Chapter 64: First pics of the party
Chapter 65: Disney Surveys
Chapter 66: January AP discounts are out!
Chapter 67: Update, UPGRADE... and a RESORT CHANGE!
Chapter 68: Happy Election Day!
Chapter 69: MORE changes afloat and belated Halloween pics!
Chapter 70: January becomes... ?
Chapter 71: My box o' Disney goodness
Chapter 72: OH my aching back!
Chapter 73: MORE Disney dollar store goodness!
Chapter 74: Christmas has sprung... EARLY!
Chapter 75: Change dates AGAIN?
Chapter 76: Oh yes, I TOTALLY DID IT!
Chapter 76: 70 days till Disney!
Chapter 77: I shopped... this time for ME, too!
Chapter 78: Happy Anniversary, ME!
Chapter 79: My first Disneyland pics
Chapter 80: Black Friday shopping spree
Myself, and my husband, Jose...
...and our children Tatiana and Kyle...
...Stasia and Lexi!
Okay, let's get right into the good stuff.
I'm DYING to get to WDW. Like I can think of nothing else. Here's how it all got started.
On May 11 of last year, 5 weeks after the birth of my fourth child, my mother (my best friend) passed away from pancreatic cancer. It took me a solid year to stop crying when I saw her picture, heard her name or to just be able to breathe when a memory of her flooded back. I'm still a teary-eyed basket case, but at least now I can BREATHE. I'd moved her and my Dad here to our house in Tennessee from northern CA during Christmas, right after she'd gotten her diagnosis. Everything in my world was in a tail spin and I still had to function as a wife and mother. And that year went by so quickly...
But we all pulled through, and are getting stronger every day. But we are tired. Emotionally and physically exhausted, and the poor kids - well I can't begin to tell you all they've been through but suffice it to say they deserved some FUN.
Earlier this year ('08) we decided to take our economic stimulus (yeah!) and go on a mini-vacation. Something nearby (Nashville), something moderately priced, something we'd all love. I WANTED to do Disney, but it just wasn't in the budget we'd established. So we settled on Dollywood, booked a cabin in the mountains and prepared for a nice, relaxing long weekend over Memorial Day.
Only it wasn't meant to be.
I'll keep this short and sweet: Cabin was beautiful, but the night we arrived the transmission on our minivan went out. (We've renamed her The Million Dollar Robo-Van.) Dollywood was okay, but it was NO Disney! I kept commenting to my husband that Disney would NEVER have trash, or even leaves on the streets and pathways. That Disney Cast Members are SO much nicer and more helpful than these other employees. There was just no comparison.
So, once we'd returned home, gotten Robo-Van back and talked about our not-quite-vacation, we began discussing the need for a REAL trip.
Now, when I first mentioned Disney World to my husband, he was okay with it but under-whelmed. None of us have ever been to WDW, but it took me a while to realize why he was so hesitant: He's never been to ANY Disney park, EVER. Growing up in Puerto Rico and in Texas as an Army brat, his parents took trips to national monuments, not national treasures like Disney! Not as a child or an adult has he experienced what it's like to walk down Main Street, USA, or hear the echo of "yo, ho, yo ho". If I greeted him with "Welcome, foolish mortal!" he'd think I'd lost my mind! But the fact is, growing up in Orange County, California means I practically LIVED at Disneyland. My mom attended the opening of the park - it was in my blood!
That night I rushed out and bought the Birnbaum guides (for the parks, the dining and the one for kids). Everyone started to catch the fever and before I knew it, they were ALMOST as excited as I was at the prospect of a REAL Disney World vacation!
We knew we had to wait till at least January of 2009, when Jose would have the vacation time AND we'd have his Christmas bonus money. The first thing he said when we really started planning was that if we were going to do this (oh, and we WERE!) that we were going to indulge as much as possible whenever we could. So what's the first thing we needed to decide?
Where to stay!
With a family of 6, accommodations are a major selling point. The first thing I did was call Disney reservations and spoke to the NICEST woman in the world (but I say that about all Disney Cast Members!) who told me exactly which hotels on-site could accommodate us. We thought about a Deluxe hotel, but did we all really want to be in ONE room? And at that price a second room was out of the question. Then she told us about All-Star Music and their Family Suites - it sounded perfect! I spent the next few days researching pictures and trip reports from others who have stayed there, and it quickly became clear that this was THE place for us to stay. But that begged the question...
When are we going?!
We knew it would be January, and we knew we didn't want to wait too long. So we balanced the idea of waiting till the end of the month for the slowest possible crowds with going the first week, when schools (at least here!) are back in session. We knew we'd run into SOME crowds, but at least it wouldn't be like peak season. So Jose put in his vacation request and I called Disney reservations... and it's official!
We're booked at All-Star Music Family Suites from January 5-9, checking out on the 10th!
So much planning to do and only 6 months to do it! Dining plan, or deluxe dining? Regular tickets or park hoppers? ADR's on July 9th!
So yeah, changes have been made, as usually happens!
We're booked at ASMusic still, one glorious family suite but now our dates are January 10-18!
Now we're booked for February 20 through March 1 at Port Orleans Riverside
OKAY, THIS IS THE LAST CHANGE I SWEAR!
Our travel dates are now January 30-February 8 at Port Orleans Riverside!
Sarilas' O-fficial Pre Trip Report "take me to your chapters" shortcuts!
Chapter 1: Meet and Greet (you are here!)
Chapter 2: To print, or not to print...
Chapter 3: A PIN code? For ME?!
Chapter 4: The dates, they are a changin'...
Chapter 5: More days!
Chapter 6: The inception of the coloring calendar!
Chapter 7: First trip project completed!
Chapter 8: Date changes and shopping and vacation planners, oh my!
Chapter 9: Must have planning tools.
Chapter 10: Talk me into a room change, PLEASE!
Chapter 11: Room change #1!
Chapter 12: Presenting... our vacation binder!
Chapter 13: ADR's are the devil!
Chapter 14: January calendar UP! ...but EMPTY!
Chapter 15: Even the Mom's Panel doesn't know.
Chapter 16: Make your ADR list already, would ya?!
Chapter 17: ADR list #1 and addendum
Chapter 18: EMH's o r no EMH's, I'm starting an itinerary!
Chapter 19: Have I mentioned that they STILL haven't released January's hours?!
Chapter 20: You just can't DO THAT!
Chapter 21: Settle the ADR's NOW!
Chapter 22: ADR itinerary, anyone?
Chapter 23: O-fficial ADR's!
Chapter 24: Where to eat your final meal?
Chapter 25: First ADR changes!
Chapter 26: First shopping pics!
Chapter 27: Why is it you never leave the store with what you intended to purchase?
Chapter 28: Day 180!
Chapter 29: FINALLY, the January hours, people!
Chapter 30: Unexpected trip to the island
Chapter 31: More ADR changes...
Chapter 32: Oh look! An itinerary-ish thingy!
Chapter 33: 2009 Package Price Release Day!
Chapter 34: Vacation package booking is O-fficial!
Chapter 35: AP discounts are the BOMB DIGGITY!
Chapter 36: Liberating Mickey heads and making ADR changes. Again!
Chapter 37: Always something to do.
Chapter 38: Split stay?...
Chapter 39: Junior High School vs. room drama
Chapter 40: Disney Mail and purchases!
Chapter 41: Mickey head countdown calendar and pics
Chapter 42: The mall, the vault and ice!
Chapter 43: Resort room square footage?
Chapter 44: 'Ohana means... bread pudding!
Chapter 45: The mascots arrive!
Chapter 46: Chocolate food porn recipe
Chapter 47: Disney On Ice!
Chapter 48: Chaos and cash
Chapter 49: Poison ivy. 'nuff said.
Chapter 50: Decorating the TV
Chapter 51: A near miss!
Chapter 52: Paid in full!
Chapter 53: Trivia books and ADR changes
Chapter 54: Cannot. Resist. Disneystore.com
Chapter 55: RIP Paul Newman...
Chapter 56: 99 Day Celebration, revisited!
Chapter 57: Cinderella's Castle immortalized in pumpkin!
Chapter 58: Dinner without a movie, and the cheesecake...
Chapter 59: Presenting ADR and Itinerary Changes!
Chapter 60: 80 Days till Disney!
Chapter 61: Birthday wishes and pre party planning.
Chapter 62: Post Party Cool Down... and another trip in '09?!
Chapter 63: 75 days and ADD rears its ugly head!
Chapter 64: First pics of the party
Chapter 65: Disney Surveys
Chapter 66: January AP discounts are out!
Chapter 67: Update, UPGRADE... and a RESORT CHANGE!
Chapter 68: Happy Election Day!
Chapter 69: MORE changes afloat and belated Halloween pics!
Chapter 70: January becomes... ?
Chapter 71: My box o' Disney goodness
Chapter 72: OH my aching back!
Chapter 73: MORE Disney dollar store goodness!
Chapter 74: Christmas has sprung... EARLY!
Chapter 75: Change dates AGAIN?
Chapter 76: Oh yes, I TOTALLY DID IT!
Chapter 76: 70 days till Disney!
Chapter 77: I shopped... this time for ME, too!
Chapter 78: Happy Anniversary, ME!
Chapter 79: My first Disneyland pics
Chapter 80: Black Friday shopping spree
It definitely does sound like your family deserves a real vacation. 
Sounds like your family could really use some r&r.
to the crowd gods that you may be right!
rack rate for your hotel.
