nicknamy1996
Disney Junkie...
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2001
THANK YOU!
Seven years ago (2001) I found a pen from our honeymoon in Disney World (1996) and I had a revelation. "We are going back to Disney World... in 5 years."
We had a 2 year old and a newborn (2 boys.) The timing was perfect, we'll go in June of '06, the boys will be 5 and 7 and it will be our 10th anniversary... and it's going to take me 5 years to save for it... right?
Finding that pen brought back the dream of going to Disney, but finding this site made it a reality... and soon a way of life!
After finding this site, doing my research, and crunching numbers for a couple of weeks I called my wife at work and said... "We're Going to Disney World!" She replied "Um, I know?" to which I said, "No, we are going in a couple of months. You see honey I read on this fantastic website that Disney has things called "value seasons" and "value resorts" and kids 2 and under are free" and if we go in February the crowds are low and the temperature is nice."
We went on a package that first year at a price of 891 dollars after taxes! The 4 of us at All Star Movies for just short of a week. And if that wasn't enough, thanks again to the information here it ended up being an INCREDIBLE week. We were overloaded with magic! We had a "first haircut" at harmony barber shop. We co-piloted the monorail. We baby swapped and covered so many things. We went off the beaten path. We loaded up on Mr. Potato Head accessories. We had dole whips, and churros, and met with character after character. We ate incredible foods. We went back to Mama Melrose's to dine where we dined on our honeymoon. We had dinner with Chef Mickey. We had the best week ever! And we got hooked.
The next year after 100 or so more posts we went back. The kids were a little older and I was a little wiser. We bought APs and got 40% off the hotel (and scheduled our next trip for 51 weeks later.) We had smores and watched Toy Story with Chip and Dale after a sing-a-long. We co-piloted the monorail, but this time on the way to EPCOT! We did so much new stuff, we even had the "kitchen sink." Even though we thought it wasn't possible, we had a better time than the first trip!... oh yea and we had dinner with Chef Mickey again!
FAST FORWARD... through 4 more trips and Hoop De Doo, and Mickey BBQ and dining window-side at Ohana for Wishes, and sending the boys on a Pirate adventure, and Margaritas under Illuminations, and Mini Golf, and pin trading, and passports, and pressed pennies, KIDCOT, Street Performers, Doing the hokey pokey with the 7 dwarfs in the middle of a parade, Beaver Tails, Hidden Mickeys, Trails End, Fastpasses galore, new rides, and new show, new experiences, etc, etc, etc...AND we are now set to leave next month to take our boys back for their 7th trip to WDW.... and our 7th dinner with Chef Mickey. With the boys being even older their focus has switched from Pluto and Goofy to Expedition Everest and Space Mountain, but I know this trip will be as magical as all of the others. All thanks to you.
And it's hard to put a price tag on the memories we have made I can honestly say that all 7 trips (2 on one AP, 3 on another AP, 3 with free dining, the others with hotel discounts, all in the value season, and all at value resorts) have cost not much more than I had figured one trip was going to cost way back when I started this journey. And every trip has gotten better and has brought so much more than I could have imagined. And both of those facts are only possible because of all of you wonderful people. I say THANK YOU to everyone who takes time to answer a complete stranger's question. And THANK YOU to everyone who suggests a new thing to try. THANK YOU to the support you give each other. THANKS for everything. And thanks to ROBO... for being ROBO 'nuff said! THANK YOU to all the moderators who do a wonderful job of keeping things in line.
And so as I get ready to leave for what could be my last trip for a while. I know that I will keep posting here and continuing to pass the 'informational torch' along to the next generation of DIS'ers. And someday when it's time for me to return to WDW to renew my vows or maybe play a round of 18 with my teenage sons I know they will be around to help me avoid the sand traps.
Seven years ago (2001) I found a pen from our honeymoon in Disney World (1996) and I had a revelation. "We are going back to Disney World... in 5 years."
We had a 2 year old and a newborn (2 boys.) The timing was perfect, we'll go in June of '06, the boys will be 5 and 7 and it will be our 10th anniversary... and it's going to take me 5 years to save for it... right?
Finding that pen brought back the dream of going to Disney, but finding this site made it a reality... and soon a way of life!
After finding this site, doing my research, and crunching numbers for a couple of weeks I called my wife at work and said... "We're Going to Disney World!" She replied "Um, I know?" to which I said, "No, we are going in a couple of months. You see honey I read on this fantastic website that Disney has things called "value seasons" and "value resorts" and kids 2 and under are free" and if we go in February the crowds are low and the temperature is nice."
We went on a package that first year at a price of 891 dollars after taxes! The 4 of us at All Star Movies for just short of a week. And if that wasn't enough, thanks again to the information here it ended up being an INCREDIBLE week. We were overloaded with magic! We had a "first haircut" at harmony barber shop. We co-piloted the monorail. We baby swapped and covered so many things. We went off the beaten path. We loaded up on Mr. Potato Head accessories. We had dole whips, and churros, and met with character after character. We ate incredible foods. We went back to Mama Melrose's to dine where we dined on our honeymoon. We had dinner with Chef Mickey. We had the best week ever! And we got hooked.
The next year after 100 or so more posts we went back. The kids were a little older and I was a little wiser. We bought APs and got 40% off the hotel (and scheduled our next trip for 51 weeks later.) We had smores and watched Toy Story with Chip and Dale after a sing-a-long. We co-piloted the monorail, but this time on the way to EPCOT! We did so much new stuff, we even had the "kitchen sink." Even though we thought it wasn't possible, we had a better time than the first trip!... oh yea and we had dinner with Chef Mickey again!
FAST FORWARD... through 4 more trips and Hoop De Doo, and Mickey BBQ and dining window-side at Ohana for Wishes, and sending the boys on a Pirate adventure, and Margaritas under Illuminations, and Mini Golf, and pin trading, and passports, and pressed pennies, KIDCOT, Street Performers, Doing the hokey pokey with the 7 dwarfs in the middle of a parade, Beaver Tails, Hidden Mickeys, Trails End, Fastpasses galore, new rides, and new show, new experiences, etc, etc, etc...AND we are now set to leave next month to take our boys back for their 7th trip to WDW.... and our 7th dinner with Chef Mickey. With the boys being even older their focus has switched from Pluto and Goofy to Expedition Everest and Space Mountain, but I know this trip will be as magical as all of the others. All thanks to you.
And it's hard to put a price tag on the memories we have made I can honestly say that all 7 trips (2 on one AP, 3 on another AP, 3 with free dining, the others with hotel discounts, all in the value season, and all at value resorts) have cost not much more than I had figured one trip was going to cost way back when I started this journey. And every trip has gotten better and has brought so much more than I could have imagined. And both of those facts are only possible because of all of you wonderful people. I say THANK YOU to everyone who takes time to answer a complete stranger's question. And THANK YOU to everyone who suggests a new thing to try. THANK YOU to the support you give each other. THANKS for everything. And thanks to ROBO... for being ROBO 'nuff said! THANK YOU to all the moderators who do a wonderful job of keeping things in line.
And so as I get ready to leave for what could be my last trip for a while. I know that I will keep posting here and continuing to pass the 'informational torch' along to the next generation of DIS'ers. And someday when it's time for me to return to WDW to renew my vows or maybe play a round of 18 with my teenage sons I know they will be around to help me avoid the sand traps.
Sorry just a blonde moment I guess.
