How I Survived 11 Days at WDW with a Disney-Resistant Husband **2/20 THE END **

[cdotla]

LOVING the report!!! I have a pit in my stomach about you leaving the BBQ early, I totally understand why you did though - we have to pick our battles!

On a lighter note, if I may be so bold to ask if you would share where you got Katie's dress (if you got it online - sorry if you already told us and I missed it), I have been looking on ETSY.com for some ideas for our fall trip and there are so many, I don't know where to start! It's so pretty!!! Please don't tell me you sewed it, I will stop reading!

Thanks again for the report - can't wait for more - I am bummed for you that things got worse

Absolutely! That adorable dress, which was one of my all-time favourite Disney Customs (and we have owned a fair share in our day!) was made by Allison, one of the most talented and nicest eBay and etsy designers out there.

Unfortunately I know she took a break from sewing awhile back - not sure if she is doing any right now. Here is a link to her ebay profile with her past creations: http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=*lula*bee*boutique*

And here is her etsy link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/lulabeeboutique

 

[DisneyDoc5]

thank you! I have seen her work on etsy.com! I hope she is sewing still! I have to turn this computer off and go to sleep, I'm totally addicted to the boards sometimes! Sweet disney dreams!

 

[ladybugmom]

I'm all caught up!! Love your new room!! It looks so spacious!! And the PP pool pic is sooo cute!! Great shot! I'm so sorry ya'll had to leave the BBQ early! That stinks!! I hope the Akershus breakfast is wonderful!! We always have good experiences there!!

 

[cdotla]

I'm all caught up!! Love your new room!! It looks so spacious!! And the PP pool pic is sooo cute!! Great shot! I'm so sorry ya'll had to leave the BBQ early! That stinks!! I hope the Akershus breakfast is wonderful!! We always have good experiences there!!

Thanks Becky! We actually had a great time at Akershus. In fact, the whole day was another high!

 

[MadiMouse]

How did I miss the update?? At any rate, I'm sooo sorry about the BBQ. I just your view from your room!!!

 

[LilAnn]

Just got caught up. Sorry again to hear about the loss. She sounds like an amazing woman with a fabulous life story.

I am beyond bummed for you that you had to leave the BBQ early. I don't know if I would have been as gracious as you, but I do know what it feels like when things don't always go as planned. I'm surprised that the kids didn't want to stay either. My DH is usually the one who is more pro-dining plan so I don't know that he would be the one asking to leave early. He's always trying to see if we can get the most out of the plan.

At least you had an amazing end to your night. What better way to watch a Disney fireworks show than in your pjs on a balcony?

 

[Twingle]

Bumping you back to page 1!

 

[mom2mek]

All caught up with your latest update! I am so sorry to hear about your Aunt - she sounds like a lovely woman!

Well that just sucks about leaving the BBQ early. At least that view from your room meant that you always had something to look forward to back at the room!! Gotta take what you can get, right?

Sara

 

[carrie80]

I love reading your trip report. You take some really great photos. I can sympathize with your disappointment. It's hard when people don't share the love of Disney, but it must be even worse for them to take away the magic of your wonderfully planned trip.

Thanks for the information about the Photopass CD. I'll have to look into that. I don't have kids so it is usually just my boyfriend and me visiting the parks. And I was a solo for a long time when I was on my 3 Disney College Programs. I hardly have any pictures of me in the parks back then. Next time I hope to try the Photopass.

Oh, and your kids are really cute. I love their outfits, especially your daughter's dress.

 

[MagicShell]

I enjoyed your update. Your room looks so nice. I am glad your husband found at least one thing about Disney that he enjoys. Sorry your BBQ got cut short, but it looks like you had a great view of Illuminations.

 

[Disney Geek]

Bump...

 

[cdotla]

How did I miss the update?? At any rate, I'm sooo sorry about the BBQ. I just your view from your room!!!

Yeah....I loved the view from our room too! It was absolutely incredible opening the curtains in the morning and looking out and seeing Spaceship Earth!!! And not just in the far off distance...we seemed to be literally beside it!

I felt like I was living in the lap of luxury on this trip, that is for sure!

Just got caught up. Sorry again to hear about the loss. She sounds like an amazing woman with a fabulous life story.

I am beyond bummed for you that you had to leave the BBQ early. I don't know if I would have been as gracious as you, but I do know what it feels like when things don't always go as planned. I'm surprised that the kids didn't want to stay either. My DH is usually the one who is more pro-dining plan so I don't know that he would be the one asking to leave early. He's always trying to see if we can get the most out of the plan.

At least you had an amazing end to your night. What better way to watch a Disney fireworks show than in your pjs on a balcony?

I really wish DH was as cheap and money conscious as I am. Then maybe he would have been more hesitant to leave the BBQ. I certainly don't mind paying big bucks for things that I see value in, but I DETEST wasting money, and will go out of my way to score a deal. (That is why you will see me doing foolish things like shleping all of our stuff from the Contemporary to the BC ourselves instead of paying bell services to do it like normal people!)

On Day 4 of our trip, you will see that we pull up stakes and leave Orlando entirely for the day. When I mentioned to DH that we might be wasting all of our meal credits for the day (deluxe meal credits at that!!) by doing this, it caused him absolutely no concern whatsoever!

When a spender like me is the more fiscally conservative and money conscious one in the family, that is definitely not a good combination.

All caught up with your latest update! I am so sorry to hear about your Aunt - she sounds like a lovely woman!

Well that just sucks about leaving the BBQ early. At least that view from your room meant that you always had something to look forward to back at the room!! Gotta take what you can get, right?

Sara

Hey Sara....you are absolutely right! As frustrating as it was to leave the BBQ early, I was definitely still trying to focus on the positive at this point.

I love reading your trip report. You take some really great photos. I can sympathize with your disappointment. It's hard when people don't share the love of Disney, but it must be even worse for them to take away the magic of your wonderfully planned trip.

Thanks for the information about the Photopass CD. I'll have to look into that. I don't have kids so it is usually just my boyfriend and me visiting the parks. And I was a solo for a long time when I was on my 3 Disney College Programs. I hardly have any pictures of me in the parks back then. Next time I hope to try the Photopass.

Oh, and your kids are really cute. I love their outfits, especially your daughter's dress.

Thanks so much for posting, and Welcome!!!

I highly, highly endorse getting the Photopass CD, and pre-paying to reduce the cost. Back in the good old days, I used to organize shares on the Disboards where each family would only have to pay $20-25 instead of the $100 current price tag. I did this for a couple of years until the Disboards decided to ban this. Now I organize all my shares on the Tour Guide Mike forums.

Thank goodness I wasn't out of pocket $100 for the measley 4-5 photopass pictures we got in 11 days!!! My daughter and I have gotten over 100 photos in 4 days on past trips.

I enjoyed your update. Your room looks so nice. I am glad your husband found at least one thing about Disney that he enjoys. Sorry your BBQ got cut short, but it looks like you had a great view of Illuminations.

Thank you! Illuminations on the balcony was just what the doctor ordered that night!

 

[cdotla]

Big News....​

No, DH hasn't yet seen the errors of his ways and turned into a Disney convert anxious to buy his Annual Pass and return to the World just as soon as he can.

But we do have tentative arrangements in place for our next Family Trip.

Next October 1, 2011 is the Magic Kingdom's 40th Anniversary and I really want to be there, walking through the gates that morning. While Disney hasn't yet announced its celebratory theme for 2011, I am sure it is bound to be pretty fantastic. After all, it is not every day that you celebrate a 40th Birthday!

During this time, two of my favourite events at WDW will also be taking place - Epcot's Food & Wine Festival and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

I expect that the 2nd Annual Food & Wine Half Marathon will also be held around this time, as the 1st Annual F&WHM is taking place Oct 1, 2010. As I just started back to running, this would be an excellent goal for me to work towards!

Our very close family friends, Andrea and Graham, whose daughter and son are close friends with our kids, are planning to take their first family trip to WDW next year. So we have decided that it would be fun to travel to the World together!

Here is a picture of our two families:

Some of you may recognize Andrea from the "Childless Mommies" TR I did back in 2008.

While Andrea and Graham, who are both doctors, have been to WDW on a couple of occasions for medical conferences, their kids have never been. I am pretty excited about this as I love travelling with newbies and seeing the Parks fresh and new again from their eyes! Plus, my kids have never experienced the Parks with friends, which I think would add so much to the trip.

So even though it is over a year away, it feels so great to know that our next Disney trip is already on the horizon!

Now...the one big question mark is whether DH is going to be coming along for the trip.

As much as you would never know it in reading this TR, there are actually many things that DH *likes* about WDW. He just seems to like them in very small doses, with as little crowds and lines as possible.

This is very hard to explain, even to myself, but he also seems to have a greater fondness for the Parks after we are back home, looking back on the trip. Whenever the topic of Disney comes up with friends or neighbours, he enjoys telling everyone how great the resorts were, and takes great pride in telling everyone how well versed I am in fast pass and touring strategies and keeping our family ahead of the crowds. He frequently suggests that any of his co-workers who are going to the Parks for the 1st time call me to get tips on Park strategies and touring info.

Unfortunately his enthusiasm seems to wane when he is actually there, in Walt Disney World, in the midst of our trip. I can't understand why this is, and doubt I ever will.

While our trip planning at this point is still in the preliminary stages (we haven't picked out a resort, or for that matter, firmed up dates), as terrible as this sounds, I am not sure that I *want* DH to come along.

Although he has already expressed interest in coming (yes, you heard that right...I had to say "Repeat?...Repeat?" a couple times on that), I am leaning towards us going down for 5 days or so before he joins us so that we can get our fill of the Parks before he arrives. At the very least, I will be strongly encouraging him to stay back at the resort during the daytime to relax at the pool while we hit the Parks, joining him in the afternoon for pool breaks, dinner and evening activities.

The fact that we will be travelling with our close friends, on their first family trip to WDW, may also be a good thing as I think DH would be less inclined to abandon plans, walk out on dinners, or carry a rain cloud over his head if we were in the company of friends.

So again, there are many details of this trip which haven't yet been worked out, and the extent of DH's participation in the trip is perhaps the biggest question mark of all.

But suffice to say...if there was ever really any doubt....this May 2010 Trip will NOT be our "Last" trip to WDW!!!

 

[cdotla]

So...now that this is not our "Last" trip....I need a new title.

Just want to give anyone following this TR the heads up...as of tomorrow my new TR Title will be:

"How I Survived 11 Days in WDW with a Disney-Resistant Husband"​

 

[eandesmom]

WOW! I was not expecting that at all. But what a magical time of year to plan a trip.

I think you are wisely cautious, but also optimistic for better behaviour in the presence of others. Still, your pre-trip, trip, sounds very prudent (and we are only on day 3 of this TR lol!

Very exciting. I would LOVE to go to Disney with another family with kids around the same ages, it is just even that much more special for all the kids.

that this is not the last trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"How I Survived 11 Days in WDW with a Disney-Resistant Husband"

​

An important survival skill I'm sure many could benefit from!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Oooops sorry, double post!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Love the new title Trish!

Congrats on having a trip on the horizon, I hope it all works out. I think going ahead of your DH and enjoying the things that you like to do before he gets there sounds like a fabulous idea

 

[swwake]

Wow! Exciting!! ANOTHER Disney trip! Sounds like a great time of year for you to go and you'll get to be with friends too. Bonus!

 

[micandminforever]

Great News about the new Disney Trip and the fun of planning a new trip.

 

[kate_wdw]

Congratulations on your upcoming trip!

I think it's fantastic that you'll be laying down the law to ensure that everyone is able to have a good time.