Hi and welcome to my trip report. I have debated back and forth over whether or not to do one of these, as they seem to take me forever to finish, and I never feel confident that anyone even cares about reading.
But in the end, I am always so glad to have them to look back on, so I will muddle through another and hope you will bear with me on the journey, as it could take me a while.
Cast of characters for this trip consists of:
Me – Sara – 35 and self-proclaimed (and proud of it) Disney nut of the family! I love the parks, the history, the atmosphere, the cast members, the smells, the sounds, just about anything you can think of. I love the magical escape that it allows us, the wonderful details that allow us to believe in fantasy "lands" and adventure "lands". So yeah, I’m just totally in love with the place, can you tell?
I am wife to my high-school sweetheart, Shawn, and we have been married for 13 years and have three children. I work full time in my family’s business in the accounting department, where my mom is my boss. It’s great in most ways and I feel very blessed to be involved with our family legacy (grandfather started the company back in 1949). I certainly can’t complain (even though I do at times).
Our last family trip to Disney was back in October of 2008 when we traveled down with my parents and Shawn’s Mom! We celebrated my youngest daughter’s 4th birthday and had a fabulous time! Prior to that, our last trip with the family was a biggie. We were a group of 16 and we traveled over Thanksgiving week. We had a few bumps, but overall, we had a blast! I love my family!
Including trips I made as a child, I’m going to estimate this to be my 11th or 12th trip to Disney.
Favorite Ride – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Character most like me – Minnie Mouse
Husband - Shawn – 36 and “likes” Disney. (I think he secretly LOVES Disney, but just keeps that love at a safe distance to throw me off my game!) Rough exterior on the outside, but on the inside is a sweetheart and makes up for his lack of patience with his kind heart. He also considers my obsession with Disney to be endearing…or, so he says anyway. My high school sweetheart...we went to prom together, dated through his Army years and my college years, and got married after we were both done with those things in 1996.
We also work together. I work in the office, he works in pretty much everything. Officially, he is an estimator, but he is also our resident IT guru, as well as a project manager when it is necessary. He is far more valuable to the company than I am and works very long hours as a result.
He is a very creative person, loves photography, loves graphic design, loves animation. I absolutely adore seeing him in the parks with his kids – he lets loose, has fun, and it’s as if, even for a short period of time, all the responsibilities of real life go away, and he can just be a Dad with his kids!!! This will be his 6th trip to Disney.
Favorite Ride: Lately, it appears to be Toy Story Midway Mania
The character I think he is most like: Grumpy or the Beast (Grumpy is self-explanatory) and The Beast is because he puts on a tough façade on the outside, but he has a sweet spirit on the inside.
Son – Michael – 8 years old. Loves Star Wars, Bakugan, Pirates, and the classic cartoons (Mickey, Pluto, Chip n Dale) but is a big fan of Phineas and Ferb (well, heck, so am I!). He is in 3rd grade and is a great student and loves playing soccer. Michael was super excited about this trip because one of his friends would be there and they were very much looking forward to a lot of Bakugan playing! (If someone could explain this thing to me, I would appreciate it, because I am clueless…kind of like marbles, kind of like Pokemon, very confusing to me). This was his 5th trip to Disney.
Favorite Ride: Rock n Roller Coaster
Character he is most like: Dash
Daughter – Emily – 6 years old. Loves princesses, fairies, yada yada yada, pretty standard 6 year old girl stuff! She is in 1st grade and is doing very well. She is my “dancer” - Loves dance classes! She also enjoys singing in the church choir. She was very excited to be seeing a friend on this trip too (and meeting some new ones)! This was her 4th trip to Disney.
Favorite Ride: Test Track (although when I first asked her, she said ALL OF THEM)
Character she is most like : Bashful – she is my shy girl!
Daughter – Katie – 5 years old. Whimsical, goofy, twenty bucks worth of free entertainment a day! This kid cracks us up! She is just kind of a nut and we love it! LOVES Minnie Mouse and the fairies, and is a true believer that (and I quote) “Everything is real when you are at Disney World!” Awwww….She got very into character autographs this trip and was always super excited to jump in line, even if she was all by herself!
Favorite Ride: She says Mission Space, probably because it was the new one to her on this trip!
Character she is most like: I used to say Dory, because she would forget things almost instantly, but now I’m gonna have to go with Goofy!! ‘Nuff said.
So, that’s our family! For your viewing pleasure, here is a picture of us from our October 2008 trip:
Appearing later in the trip are my parents, aka Grandmommy and Pop Pop. But I will go into further detail about them later in the report.
The rest of the cast, who will be guest starring in this report, include some dear friends and their children. Monica (poohtigeey), Dave, and their kids, Hunter (8) and Megan (4), as well as Monica’s Mom, Peggy, were with us on many of the days. Michelle (mkluvsmickey) and her daughter Sam (9) were also with us for a couple of the days. Nichole (kaysmommie) and her daughter Kaylee (9) were with us on one day as well as Charlene and her kids, Kaitlyn (9), Rachel (9), and Luke (5). We all met here on the DIS and have become very close friends, so it was fabulous that our vacation dates were able to overlap some and we were all able to be together for part of our trips! Yippee!!!
Up next, the when and the where!!! How will this traditionally “offsite” family handle staying all together in one hotel room????
Thanks for reading....
Sara
Chapter Links:
Surprise - We're Going to Disney!
Departure Day - SNOW!
Getting to Disney!
Arrival to the Poly!
Dining with Dinos!
More Trex
Time to get our shop on!
Losing something on our first day??
AK - Chapter 1
AK - Chapter 2
AK - Chapter 3
AK - Chapter 4
AK - Chapter 5
AK - Chapter 6
AK - Chapter 7
AK - Chapter 8
AK - Chapter 9
Epcot -Chapter 1
Epcot - Chapter 2
Epcot - Chapter 3
Epcot - Chapter 4
Epcot - Chapter 5
Epcot - Chapter 6
DHS - Chapter 1
DHS - Chapter 2
DHS - Chapter 3
DHS - Chapter 4
DHS - Chapter 5
DHS - Chapter 6
MK - Chapter 1
MK - Chapter 2
MK - Chapter 3
MK - Chapter 4
MK - Chapter 4 contd
MK - Chapter 5
MK - Chapter 6
Day 5 - Break Day - Chapter 1
Day 5 - Break Day - Chapter 2
Day 5 - Break Day- Chapter 3
Disposable Camera Pics
Day 5 - Break Day - Chapter 4
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 1
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 2
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 3
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 4
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 4.B
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 5
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 6
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 7
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 7.B
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 8
Day 7 - Epcot - Chapter 1
Day 7 - Epcot - Chapter 2
Day 7 - Epcot - Chapter 3
Day 7 - Epcot - Chapter 4
But in the end, I am always so glad to have them to look back on, so I will muddle through another and hope you will bear with me on the journey, as it could take me a while.
Cast of characters for this trip consists of:
Me – Sara – 35 and self-proclaimed (and proud of it) Disney nut of the family! I love the parks, the history, the atmosphere, the cast members, the smells, the sounds, just about anything you can think of. I love the magical escape that it allows us, the wonderful details that allow us to believe in fantasy "lands" and adventure "lands". So yeah, I’m just totally in love with the place, can you tell?
I am wife to my high-school sweetheart, Shawn, and we have been married for 13 years and have three children. I work full time in my family’s business in the accounting department, where my mom is my boss. It’s great in most ways and I feel very blessed to be involved with our family legacy (grandfather started the company back in 1949). I certainly can’t complain (even though I do at times).
Our last family trip to Disney was back in October of 2008 when we traveled down with my parents and Shawn’s Mom! We celebrated my youngest daughter’s 4th birthday and had a fabulous time! Prior to that, our last trip with the family was a biggie. We were a group of 16 and we traveled over Thanksgiving week. We had a few bumps, but overall, we had a blast! I love my family!
(I should also mention here that Shawn and I took a trip, just the two of us, in May last year and stayed at the Poly for 3 nights! It was magical in most ways, different in some (not having the kids), and painful in others (we had a little foot trouble on that trip)! I have also been fortunate to take a short weekend trip with girlfriends in December 2008 that was a blast. Those girls will also be appearing in this trip – guest stars, if you will! LOL!)
Including trips I made as a child, I’m going to estimate this to be my 11th or 12th trip to Disney.
Favorite Ride – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Character most like me – Minnie Mouse
Husband - Shawn – 36 and “likes” Disney. (I think he secretly LOVES Disney, but just keeps that love at a safe distance to throw me off my game!) Rough exterior on the outside, but on the inside is a sweetheart and makes up for his lack of patience with his kind heart. He also considers my obsession with Disney to be endearing…or, so he says anyway. My high school sweetheart...we went to prom together, dated through his Army years and my college years, and got married after we were both done with those things in 1996.
We also work together. I work in the office, he works in pretty much everything. Officially, he is an estimator, but he is also our resident IT guru, as well as a project manager when it is necessary. He is far more valuable to the company than I am and works very long hours as a result.
He is a very creative person, loves photography, loves graphic design, loves animation. I absolutely adore seeing him in the parks with his kids – he lets loose, has fun, and it’s as if, even for a short period of time, all the responsibilities of real life go away, and he can just be a Dad with his kids!!! This will be his 6th trip to Disney.
Favorite Ride: Lately, it appears to be Toy Story Midway Mania
The character I think he is most like: Grumpy or the Beast (Grumpy is self-explanatory) and The Beast is because he puts on a tough façade on the outside, but he has a sweet spirit on the inside.
Son – Michael – 8 years old. Loves Star Wars, Bakugan, Pirates, and the classic cartoons (Mickey, Pluto, Chip n Dale) but is a big fan of Phineas and Ferb (well, heck, so am I!). He is in 3rd grade and is a great student and loves playing soccer. Michael was super excited about this trip because one of his friends would be there and they were very much looking forward to a lot of Bakugan playing! (If someone could explain this thing to me, I would appreciate it, because I am clueless…kind of like marbles, kind of like Pokemon, very confusing to me). This was his 5th trip to Disney.
Favorite Ride: Rock n Roller Coaster
Character he is most like: Dash
Daughter – Emily – 6 years old. Loves princesses, fairies, yada yada yada, pretty standard 6 year old girl stuff! She is in 1st grade and is doing very well. She is my “dancer” - Loves dance classes! She also enjoys singing in the church choir. She was very excited to be seeing a friend on this trip too (and meeting some new ones)! This was her 4th trip to Disney.
Favorite Ride: Test Track (although when I first asked her, she said ALL OF THEM)
Character she is most like : Bashful – she is my shy girl!
Daughter – Katie – 5 years old. Whimsical, goofy, twenty bucks worth of free entertainment a day! This kid cracks us up! She is just kind of a nut and we love it! LOVES Minnie Mouse and the fairies, and is a true believer that (and I quote) “Everything is real when you are at Disney World!” Awwww….She got very into character autographs this trip and was always super excited to jump in line, even if she was all by herself!
Favorite Ride: She says Mission Space, probably because it was the new one to her on this trip!
Character she is most like: I used to say Dory, because she would forget things almost instantly, but now I’m gonna have to go with Goofy!! ‘Nuff said.
So, that’s our family! For your viewing pleasure, here is a picture of us from our October 2008 trip:
Appearing later in the trip are my parents, aka Grandmommy and Pop Pop. But I will go into further detail about them later in the report.
The rest of the cast, who will be guest starring in this report, include some dear friends and their children. Monica (poohtigeey), Dave, and their kids, Hunter (8) and Megan (4), as well as Monica’s Mom, Peggy, were with us on many of the days. Michelle (mkluvsmickey) and her daughter Sam (9) were also with us for a couple of the days. Nichole (kaysmommie) and her daughter Kaylee (9) were with us on one day as well as Charlene and her kids, Kaitlyn (9), Rachel (9), and Luke (5). We all met here on the DIS and have become very close friends, so it was fabulous that our vacation dates were able to overlap some and we were all able to be together for part of our trips! Yippee!!!
Up next, the when and the where!!! How will this traditionally “offsite” family handle staying all together in one hotel room????
Thanks for reading....
Sara
Chapter Links:
Surprise - We're Going to Disney!
Departure Day - SNOW!
Getting to Disney!
Arrival to the Poly!
Dining with Dinos!
More Trex
Time to get our shop on!
Losing something on our first day??
AK - Chapter 1
AK - Chapter 2
AK - Chapter 3
AK - Chapter 4
AK - Chapter 5
AK - Chapter 6
AK - Chapter 7
AK - Chapter 8
AK - Chapter 9
Epcot -Chapter 1
Epcot - Chapter 2
Epcot - Chapter 3
Epcot - Chapter 4
Epcot - Chapter 5
Epcot - Chapter 6
DHS - Chapter 1
DHS - Chapter 2
DHS - Chapter 3
DHS - Chapter 4
DHS - Chapter 5
DHS - Chapter 6
MK - Chapter 1
MK - Chapter 2
MK - Chapter 3
MK - Chapter 4
MK - Chapter 4 contd
MK - Chapter 5
MK - Chapter 6
Day 5 - Break Day - Chapter 1
Day 5 - Break Day - Chapter 2
Day 5 - Break Day- Chapter 3
Disposable Camera Pics
Day 5 - Break Day - Chapter 4
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 1
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 2
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 3
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 4
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 4.B
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 5
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 6
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 7
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 7.B
Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Chapter 8
Day 7 - Epcot - Chapter 1
Day 7 - Epcot - Chapter 2
Day 7 - Epcot - Chapter 3
Day 7 - Epcot - Chapter 4