smile4stamps
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2009
Hello Everyone!
I've decided to rewrite my intro for anyone new coming over...
I'm also going to confiscate post #2 for a Table of Contents!
My name is Paula and I LOVE DISNEY! (But then who reading this doesn't!!)
(picture taken at DL)
I'm a RN and I'll be 35 when we travel. This will be my 6th trip to WDW. My first trip to WDW was when I was 12. My family drove down to Florida from WI towing our camper in February. We stayed at Fort Wilderness. I unfortunately have an AWFUL memory and do not remember a lot of the details from the trip besides having a ton of fun! I also remember it being pretty cool and possibly raining for most of it. It did however spawn my love of Disney Parks. A few of the trips were just 1-2 days while I was in HS and college. The last trip in college was two days. I remember one day going into the parks with just my mom and dad. My brothers didn't want to go! :scared The following day I went into the parks solo! My dad dropped me off at the gate and I spent the day doing whatever I wanted! It was Christmas time and CROWDED! Unfortunately, it was also COLD!! I remember being so COLD and despite the park not being closed yet I called my dad to pick me up because I just couldn't bear it anymore. That trip was Christmas 1999. Fast-forward a few years and we are planning our wedding. I am from Wisconsin and my Husband is from California. We figured since at least one side of the family would have to travel why not make both sides travel!! We started planning to have our wedding at WDW! It was a dream come true! However that dream didn't come to fruition. No one from either side of the families were willing to travel to WDW so it would have been just us and our parents. We wanted to share our day with more people so we ended up getting married in Wisconsin where I was from to save money and allow our family & friends to join in our day. During that time I was upset I would not be getting my WDW wedding but it turns out my husband is an AWESOME wedding planner and we had quite a special day!
We had a castle theme since we couldn't have the wedding at WDW!
My aunt made us this box for our cards!
Our cake!!
After getting married in Wisconsin my hubby promised we could go to WDW for our 5 (or was it 10?!?) year anniversary. Using my selective memory a few months before our 5 year anniversary I approached the subject with my husband and he agreed to go for the 5 year anniversary!!
My husband is Hunter, he will be 40 during our trip. He is NOT a Disney lover. He would be satisfied NEVER going to WDW again. Unfortunately he is married to me and I keep bringing it up so he has agreed to go but ONLY if we go during the F&W festival! He also said, we can go But it has to be about the FOOD! (I thought the last trip was about the food!) My husband is/was a Pastry Chef and we are self proclaimed foodies! His first trip was our Anniversary trip in 2009. I think 3.5 years in between trips is too long!
I did not wait 3.5 years between Disney Trips. Yes, I was not able to return to WDW but upon my husbands urging I planned a trip to DL! You can read about 3 of my DL adventures by following the links in my signature.
So now we come to this trip! When I first started planning I knew it had to be during the F&W festival. I wanted it to be during a less-crowded time so I knew I had to avoid the Columbus day weekend. I was originally planning for the end of October beginning of November. Doing it this way we would be able to hit Halloween, Holidays and F&W! Sounded perfect to me! But then I discovered the Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic. It was going to be October 12&13. I knew I didn't want to go before the 12th as it would be more crowded. That meant arriving on the 12th.
How long to stay?!? Hubby says 1 week, I say 3 weeks!! Compromise?? 2 weeks!!!!
Where to stay? I knew we definitely wanted to stay on property. Our last trip had been at CBR. Hubby was fine with returning there but I kinda wanted to try another location. The dream location is the WL however even with a 30% off PIN code I received that would be too expensive. I debated all the Moderate resorts and just as I was heading to sleep on the last valid day of the PIN I hastily booked the CSR! What I am hoping to do though is exchange through RCI our banked weeks from our timeshare to DVC! Fingers crossed as that will save some money!!
So to consolidate?!?
WHO: Paula and Hunter
WHEN: October 11-26
WHERE: Coronado Spring Resort October 11(really the 12th)-19th, Villas at Wilderness Lodge, October 19-26th.
WHY: Food & Wine FEST!!
I've decided to rewrite my intro for anyone new coming over...
I'm also going to confiscate post #2 for a Table of Contents!
My name is Paula and I LOVE DISNEY! (But then who reading this doesn't!!)
I'm a RN and I'll be 35 when we travel. This will be my 6th trip to WDW. My first trip to WDW was when I was 12. My family drove down to Florida from WI towing our camper in February. We stayed at Fort Wilderness. I unfortunately have an AWFUL memory and do not remember a lot of the details from the trip besides having a ton of fun! I also remember it being pretty cool and possibly raining for most of it. It did however spawn my love of Disney Parks. A few of the trips were just 1-2 days while I was in HS and college. The last trip in college was two days. I remember one day going into the parks with just my mom and dad. My brothers didn't want to go! :scared The following day I went into the parks solo! My dad dropped me off at the gate and I spent the day doing whatever I wanted! It was Christmas time and CROWDED! Unfortunately, it was also COLD!! I remember being so COLD and despite the park not being closed yet I called my dad to pick me up because I just couldn't bear it anymore. That trip was Christmas 1999. Fast-forward a few years and we are planning our wedding. I am from Wisconsin and my Husband is from California. We figured since at least one side of the family would have to travel why not make both sides travel!! We started planning to have our wedding at WDW! It was a dream come true! However that dream didn't come to fruition. No one from either side of the families were willing to travel to WDW so it would have been just us and our parents. We wanted to share our day with more people so we ended up getting married in Wisconsin where I was from to save money and allow our family & friends to join in our day. During that time I was upset I would not be getting my WDW wedding but it turns out my husband is an AWESOME wedding planner and we had quite a special day!
We had a castle theme since we couldn't have the wedding at WDW!
My aunt made us this box for our cards!
Our cake!!
After getting married in Wisconsin my hubby promised we could go to WDW for our 5 (or was it 10?!?) year anniversary. Using my selective memory a few months before our 5 year anniversary I approached the subject with my husband and he agreed to go for the 5 year anniversary!!
My husband is Hunter, he will be 40 during our trip. He is NOT a Disney lover. He would be satisfied NEVER going to WDW again. Unfortunately he is married to me and I keep bringing it up so he has agreed to go but ONLY if we go during the F&W festival! He also said, we can go But it has to be about the FOOD! (I thought the last trip was about the food!) My husband is/was a Pastry Chef and we are self proclaimed foodies! His first trip was our Anniversary trip in 2009. I think 3.5 years in between trips is too long!
I did not wait 3.5 years between Disney Trips. Yes, I was not able to return to WDW but upon my husbands urging I planned a trip to DL! You can read about 3 of my DL adventures by following the links in my signature.
So now we come to this trip! When I first started planning I knew it had to be during the F&W festival. I wanted it to be during a less-crowded time so I knew I had to avoid the Columbus day weekend. I was originally planning for the end of October beginning of November. Doing it this way we would be able to hit Halloween, Holidays and F&W! Sounded perfect to me! But then I discovered the Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic. It was going to be October 12&13. I knew I didn't want to go before the 12th as it would be more crowded. That meant arriving on the 12th.
How long to stay?!? Hubby says 1 week, I say 3 weeks!! Compromise?? 2 weeks!!!!
Where to stay? I knew we definitely wanted to stay on property. Our last trip had been at CBR. Hubby was fine with returning there but I kinda wanted to try another location. The dream location is the WL however even with a 30% off PIN code I received that would be too expensive. I debated all the Moderate resorts and just as I was heading to sleep on the last valid day of the PIN I hastily booked the CSR! What I am hoping to do though is exchange through RCI our banked weeks from our timeshare to DVC! Fingers crossed as that will save some money!!
So to consolidate?!?
WHO: Paula and Hunter
WHEN: October 11-26
WHERE: Coronado Spring Resort October 11(really the 12th)-19th, Villas at Wilderness Lodge, October 19-26th.
WHY: Food & Wine FEST!!
Looking forward to reading more!
It was a lot of fun 
I'd go before or after work and just wander around.
