"Pirate, Your Reputation Precedes You!" The Stitchs Do WDW & The Dream! New 9/7!

[StitchIsOurHero]

Hi y’all!! Welcome to my 3rd Trip Report! We just returned from our big ol’ Birthday Bash. . .454 days of planning, 9 days of vacation! It was a BLAST!!

If you would like to read my PTR for this trip, it’s here:

Have A Stitchin’ Good Time!

This trip had a few ups and downs, but it ended up being our BEST TRIP EVER! (Say it in your Rapunzel voice!!) We learned a little bit more about our “Disney-ness”, and we . . .wait for it. . .RELAXED! If you knew me and my OCD, you’d realize what a big deal that is!

So, join in, sit back, read along, laugh at us and with us, and Have a Stitchin’ Good Time right along with us! We hope you enjoy our Disney Tale of Adventure!

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

Reserved for Chapter Links:

Intros

THE LAND PORTION:
Wednesday, March 20, 2013:

1. Tell Everybody We're On Our Way! Let's get this show on the road!
2. Like A Band of Gypsies, We Go Down the Highway!
3. Disney Dreamin' at the DoubleTree!

Thursday, March 21, 2013:

1. It's A Disney Day! Heading to the Wilderness Lodge!
2. We're Here, We're Here, We're Finally Here! Wait. . .Really??
3. Lovin' the Lodge and Checkin' Out Our Room!
4. Breakfast Time! Who's Hungry?!?
5. Lunch. . .Not the Most Magical Meal
6. Heading to Downtown Disney!
7. First Dinner on the DxDP! Fulton's!!
8. A Good Night for Legos!

Friday, March 22, 2013:

1. A Morning Fit For The Magic Kingdom!
2. Breakfast with the Hundred Acre Wood Gang!
3. A Whole New Fantasyland (for us, anyway!)
4. More New Fantasyland!
5. Driving A Car and Flying an Elephant!
6. Pete's Silly Slideshow. . .Starring the Stitchs!!
7. Bad Momma, Some Water, A Magic Towel, and Joe!
8. The Long Way Around to Lunch!
9. Best Bathroom Ever!!!
10. A Rest in the Room and then Back to the Bus!
11. Mickey Missed Us!!
12. Soooo. . .Let's Try this Be Our Guest Thing!
13. Maybe We're Not Castle People. . .Our BOG Experience!
14. Checking Out Gaston's & Then My Crazy Idea!
15. A Little CM Fun and Some Pixie Dust!

Saturday, March 23, 2013:

1. An Early Morning Boat Ride!
2. That Mouse is Quite a Chef!
3. We Love Magic Kingdom in the Morning!
4. Some More Circus Time!
5. But I DID Say That! A Little Confusion that Turns Out Well!
6. A Character Missed & Some Characters FOUND!
7. A Tradition, Some Lunch, and One of our Faves!!
8. Closing Out Our Magic Kingdom Day!
9. A Photo Shoot, Dinner at a Favorite, and a LightSaber!
10. The End of our Magical Day!

THE CRUISE PORTION:
Sunday, March 24, 2013:

1. Kicking Off Our Pre-Cruise Morning!! CRUISE DAY!
2. What's A Cruise Morning Without Confusion and Chaos??
3. We've Made It To The Dream!! Will It Be A Dream Come True?
4. An Enchanted Lunch!
5. Disney Friends EVERYWHERE!!
6. Stateroom, Sweet Stateroom!!
7. Stateroom, Muster Station, And Sail Aways. . .Oh My!!
8. Visiting Friends Before Dinner!
9. Dinner, Dancing, and A Show!

Monday, March 25, 2013:

1. Goooood Morning, Nassau!!
2. Splish Splashin Good Times!
3. Let's Do Lunch!
4. How Many Pics Are We Going to Take??
5. A Very Royal Dinner!

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

If you haven’t read our PTR or our other TRs (or if you’re like me and you read the intros on TRs even if you “know” the people ), here’s a little background.

This is us:

Note. . .we are the ones who look less pixilated in the pic!
2nd Note. . .my child is usually a smiler. . .there will be an explanation later!

My name is Brooke, and I am a 36 year old high school guidance counselor/Disney freak. I am a overplanner, overpacker (you should consider that foreshadowing), binder-carrier, and overall outgoing person! I love to talk and laugh!

The ones I love to laugh with most are my two guys (the other non-pixilated people in the pic). My DH is Brian. He is a transpondster at a bank. Yes, like Chandler Bing when Rachel and Monica don’t know what he does. I don’t have any idea what he does, but he works really hard and does a good job!

The smaller one is my DS, Dalton. He is the light of our lives! We had been married for 10 years before we had him, and he brightens every minute of the day! He is a monorail/bus/Disney transportation-loving little man! He would rather do any of those things than ride a ride or see a character. . .although he loves to do those too!

This trip was a HUGE deal for us!! This was mine and Brian’s 15th WDW trip together, and D’s 5th. I started planning this trip in 2011, to celebrate Brian’s 40th birthday and D’s 5th birthday. Originally, the trip was scheduled for June 2013 (which falls between their birthdays), and we were just going to do a Disney Cruise. However, when we came home from our 2012 trip, I started looking at dates, and realized that my Spring Break week was actually less expensive. You know how that goes. . .you move the trip, then you start tweaking the days to match what all you just *NEED* to do!

Our “final” plans were to leave on Thursday, March 21st and stay from that day through Sunday, March 24th at Wilderness Lodge Club Level (a first for us) and then go to the Disney Dream (also a first for us—first cruise for D, 2nd Disney Cruise for us, but first time on the Dream—we had been on the Wonder in 2005) from March 24th – March 28th.

So, that’s us, and the way the plan was *supposed* to go! Will it follow just that way? Well, if you read the PTR, you know the leaving date was actually tweaked, and just a hint. . .that wasn’t the only thing I ended up changing!

Thanks for reading along! I hope you enjoy it!

 

[Princess Bette]

Yay! Can't wait to read your report! So glad I got to meet you on CC! I was surprised at the number of people I was able to randomly meet from the meet thread. Our family enjoyed our trip - planning the next one already! Have a great week!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

You're back!! Yea!! Can't wait to hear all about it!

 

[MEK]

Joining in! What a cute picture of you and your family!

 

[BridgetR3]

Joining in for the ride!

 

[shan23877]

Can't wait to hear about the trip!

 

[ThePin Princess]

Can't wait to hear all about the trip!

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

Yay! Can't wait to read your report! So glad I got to meet you on CC! I was surprised at the number of people I was able to randomly meet from the meet thread. Our family enjoyed our trip - planning the next one already! Have a great week!

We loved it too! I was so glad to meet you too! Wasn't CC great? I loved just relaxing there! So glad y'all enjoyed your trip too!! Thanks for reading along!! I need to catch up on your TR! Darn Disney vacation put me behind!

You're back!! Yea!! Can't wait to hear all about it!

Thanks for joining in!!!

Joining in! What a cute picture of you and your family!

Welcome aboard! Thanks for reading along and for the compliment on the picture!

Joining in for the ride!

Hi! Thanks for reading along!! I need to catch up on your PTR as well!!

Can't wait to hear about the trip!

Thanks for joining in!!

Can't wait to hear all about the trip!

Thanks for reading along!!

 

[lsenquiz]

I'm here. Cannot wait to read all about your trip

 

[Riles_and_Gabe]

Yay!! So glad to see you are starting the report. Can't wait to hear all about it!!

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

I'm here. Cannot wait to read all about your trip

Hi!! Thanks for reading along!

Yay!! So glad to see you are starting the report. Can't wait to hear all about it!!

Yeah, I just couldn't wait to start it! It prolongs the trip fun for me! Thanks for joining in!!!

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

Day 1, March 20, 2013:

And away we go!!

So, originally, we were supposed to leave on Thursday, March 21st. We are “drive all night” people—we leave around 1 am and get there about 10 am or so.

Now, flashback to the Wednesday before that (the 13th). My assistant principal called me in and needed help with a project—one of those “no one likes these things” projects. I was already grateful that they were letting me take off the next week 3 days (one for D’s kindergarten registration. . .yes, that nerve-racking event was the Monday before our trip, and two for the actual trip) so I willingly said, “Oh, let me take this home and do it! I’ll be happy to!” I worked on it that night and the following night for several hours. When I sent it to her, she said, “since you did this, don’t you want to leave on Wednesday?” Well, Wednesday was grade card day, and I didn’t think Brian could get off work early. We laughed about it, and that was it.

The next day (the 14th), Brian called me at work and said, “I’ve moved my reviews, booked a room at the Doubletree for the first night, and we’ll leave out as soon as you get off work!” I was so excited!!!

We made it through kindergarten registration on Monday, ACT Testing Day on Tuesday, and by Wednesday, I was a bundle of nerves! Brian loaded the car on Tuesday night, except for stuff to be put in on Wednesday.

He got off work on Wednesday about 10:20 am. I had hoped to leave about 11 (D stayed at my mom’s instead of going to “school” so that I could leave whenever I could), but after much report card craziness, I didn’t get out until about 11:35. I grabbed D, and we made it home by about 12:10 pm.

We made a potty stop (a necessity for a four-year-old. . .and for an older-than-4-year-old) and loaded D into the car. THEN, D in his “Thomas the Train” obsession, decided he *NEEDED* to find Spencer before we could hit the road. We spent a good 15 minutes looking for that particular train. . .only to find it in his seat, with him. Bless it.

By 12:40, though, we were on the road! Look out WDW, here we come!!

Now, that was a very long, no-picture update, but I promise. . .there will be no more non-picture updates because I took a TON!!!

 

[MEK]

Yeah for getting on the road a day early. That's awesome! I am jealous of your normally 9 hour drive. That must be wonderful. We are driving for this first time this June- we'll probably drive 13 hours the first day and the rest of the drive the next day. The exact number of hours on the road is still a mystery.

Looking forward to more!

 

[MHTeacher]

Joining in--I lurked through the last half of your PTR, but never commented. Great picture of you and your guys. I can't believe D is ready for kindergarten!

Yay for getting an early start to your travels! Can't wait to hear more!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

So exciting to read about your trip getting underway! And I think it's always awesome when you get a bonus day or time at Disney!

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

Joining in--I lurked through the last half of your PTR, but never commented. Great picture of you and your guys. I can't believe D is ready for kindergarten!

Yay for getting an early start to your travels! Can't wait to hear more!

Hi!! It's good to "see" you!! Your trip is coming up soon! I can't believe D is ready for kindergarten either! It's gone by way to fast! Thanks for reading along!!

Yeah for getting on the road a day early. That's awesome! I am jealous of your normally 9 hour drive. That must be wonderful. We are driving for this first time this June- we'll probably drive 13 hours the first day and the rest of the drive the next day. The exact number of hours on the road is still a mystery.

Looking forward to more!

Yikes. . .that's a long drive!! It took us about 12 hours to get home from the cruise because of construction/traffic, and I thought that was a yucky car ride!! But the excitement of getting to Disney may make your ride seem shorter!! Thanks for reading!

So exciting to read about your trip getting underway! And I think it's always awesome when you get a bonus day or time at Disney!

Yep, bonus Disney time rocks!! I was so glad we got to leave early!!

Thanks again, everyone, for reading along! I am hoping to have another update either tomorrow or Thursday!

 

[lsenquiz]

Can't wait to read more and see all your pictures

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

Just checking in--I will have another update tonight!! Thanks for reading along, everyone!!