Working the System - A NYE PTR - Link to TR is up! 1/13

[afwdwfan]

At the end of the day, whatever my folks want to do, is what I will do.

I think that is the best plan.

I think the real question is (and will be a whole post!) is...

How much freedom do we give those teens?

I look forward to this post...

 

[Poolrat]

I promise though, I won't unleash them at the pool without an adult there! They are all crazy enough that I think it will be warm enough for them...but not for us.

I guess an adult within earshot would be good at the pool. Especially with a couple of medical conditions. But at the parks overall my DS was yes I will say it - going to DQ alone transportation and everything

He was ready and armed with a phone I think the only issue he had was going to WL on the way to AK.

I do believe there are new rules Found them:

Q.What is the minimum age requirement for unaccompanied children to enter Walt Disney World theme parks, water parks and other locations?
A.Children under age 14 must be accompanied by a Guest age 14 or older to enter the following Walt Disney World parks and locations:

"Magic Kingdom Park
"Epcot
"Disney's Hollywood Studios
"Disney's Animal Kingdom Park
"Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
"Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park
"DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park

and DS was right at that age. I think they would be fine in the parks.

I am slowly getting together the plans on my end. Flexible really but dining and FP+ make it less so.
Hopefully this weekend I will have more a concrete idea of where I will be when but absolutely looking forward to meeting the clan.

 

[eandesmom]

Even though I am pitifully behind on your Aulani report I am signing up and can't wait to hear about your plans!!!

I feel your pain, I am behind everywhere!!! It is a nutty time of year. Dee! It would not be the same without you, I am happy you are here and get caught up wherever, whenever you can!

And plenty of booze!

You haven't met my family.

My dad got kind of excited when I told him there was an app "Beers for Ears" which shows where every single kind of beer in the entire "world" can be found.

I'm late, but I'm here! Still have to go back and read the end of the Aulani TR but I'll be back!!

Sheree!!! No worries, I'm behind everywhere as well just glad you are here

I'm here, thanks for the heads up!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

YAY! and Are you done with acutal work days yat? Your trip is SOOOO close!

What a handsome family! Your trip will be an adventure for sure.

Thank you

Goodness! Page 3 already! I'm definitely here.

Hi Brenda and so happy you are here

look at that fancy schmancy banner you have there, how cool is that!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Just spent the last few minutes reading the introductions of "the clan". You have a lovely family and it sounds like everyone is going to have a blast together. Oh and you weren't kidding when you said the men have full blown kilts. I saw those wedding pictures.

 

[Nora03]

Hi Cynthia,
I'll be following along too. I'm excited to read all about your trip. You have a lovely family and you've done an amazing job planning this trip. Yes, too bad that the nephew can't go just because his parents can't get their act together.

I have to say that your parents look and sound just like me and my DH! We don't travel as much as them, but as much as we can afford, and have been to many amazing places, checking them off our bucket list. Many great memories with our family, and agree that it is so important to make those memories. Worth every penny!

I don't post much, but know that I'll be watching for posts and reading along. Thanks for letting us join in.

Nora

 

[Chilly]

Its lovely that you are so close to your family and take trips together, our family trip for our wedding to WDW was a bit of a disaster so we won't be repeating that. We will however be copying your idea of date trips in the future.

 

[Chilly]

double post

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

I'm here! I'm here! Wow already almost 4 pages!

That is a lot of loud boys....... Y'all are Brave people! (haha sorry I didn't mean to pun even with all your Clan talk and kilts. Didn't even catch it myself till I read back for grammatical errors!)

 

[annmarieda]

I love your disney backstory. Everything from how your dad and mom drove you all down to Jeff and the entire clan on that first trip together.

Great pictures in the intros!!! You do have quite the clan!!! I could only dream about getting this many people together... you have an amazing family!

 

[eandesmom]

Nice detailed intro. You're blessed friend. This is going to be an amazing trip. Love all the photos.

I am blessed!!!!!

I think that is the best plan.

I have a feeling part of thanksgiving will be spent at the computer adjusting fast passes as a group

I look forward to this post...

I guess an adult within earshot would be good at the pool. Especially with a couple of medical conditions. But at the parks overall my DS was yes I will say it - going to DQ alone transportation and everything

Well only one with a condition though swimming isn't an area of concern for him. I am more concerned with them arguing, splitting up, or ditching Eric (or Eric wandering off without them). It's just going to be so crowded it would see easy to get separated accidentally and teens and charged phones, hearing phones, checking texts when they should, watching the time...yeah. Risky. LOL

He was ready and armed with a phone I think the only issue he had was going to WL on the way to AK.

Yeah, no resort to resort for them that's for sure. All I have committed to so far is that it is:

Behavior Dependent
An Earned Privilege
Freedom, if granted, will be sparing to start and increased if warranted.

I do believe there are new rules Found them:

Q.What is the minimum age requirement for unaccompanied children to enter Walt Disney World theme parks, water parks and other locations?
A.Children under age 14 must be accompanied by a Guest age 14 or older to enter the following Walt Disney World parks and locations:

"Magic Kingdom Park
"Epcot
"Disney's Hollywood Studios
"Disney's Animal Kingdom Park
"Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
"Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park
"DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park

and DS was right at that age. I think they would be fine in the parks.

I'm not worried about Evan...it's the rest of them. But we will see.

I am slowly getting together the plans on my end. Flexible really but dining and FP+ make it less so.

That is true isn't it! FP+ definitely shapes up half a day at least. I have made ours (for now...they may change) but I do think they may be beneficial given the time of year.

Hopefully this weekend I will have more a concrete idea of where I will be when but absolutely looking forward to meeting the clan.

You will! If you are interesting in being in on our photopass too, let me know (Carolyn, you too if you want to do a share!)

I will have the general overview up soon but can send you any specifics separately or if you want to try and link via MDE let me know.

 

[eandesmom]

Just spent the last few minutes reading the introductions of "the clan". You have a lovely family and it sounds like everyone is going to have a blast together. Oh and you weren't kidding when you said the men have full blown kilts. I saw those wedding pictures.

Oh it's not just the men Check these out, the boys wore them for my dad's surprise 70th!



I love how Evan has his Germany soccer jersey on with the kilt. We still have those kilts. My brother Phillip is actually wearing the "everyday" hunting kilt. They all have both, the casual and the formal. Dad's dress kilt here was his 70th birthday present

Of course when they want to be really casual, they show up at my house like this!



wasn't joking about the liederhosen either



And everyone is worried about the teens....

Hi Cynthia,
I'll be following along too. I'm excited to read all about your trip. You have a lovely family and you've done an amazing job planning this trip. Yes, too bad that the nephew can't go just because his parents can't get their act together.

Oh it's complicated. It isn't so much that they can't get it together, it is a choice they are making. They are divorced and their oldest, my godson, is in Italy all year as an exchange student. My brother well...he's not exactly contributing his fair share to things right now financially and as a result, niether of them have extra $$ and what they had, was used to 1) send Conor to Italy and will be 2) used to go visit him at the end of the year.

I'd be more ok with it if they planned to take Issac with them but it doesn't sound like they are. Instead my exSIL will take him to Canada over the Christmas break. Not exactly the same but...what can you do?

The thing is that my parents are already taking Issac on a trip this year, otherwise they'd likely pay for him to go. They do a neat thing where when the kids turn 14 they get to pick a place in the US for a week long trip with Grandma and Grandpa. This year is Issac and Evan's turn. It's just tough. My mom wanted to give the kids all something for the trip for Christmas, but can't now and of course the boys need to not talk about it too much around him which is hard for them, and him. So I don't know, maybe I will just take Conor and Issac both on the next trip if I can swing it. I offered up the park ticket, food and lodging, they just needed to get airfare and the Universal tix but...oh well. And now airfare is nuts. I just worry the poor kid will never forget this and what do you say when the parents don't share that worry? I almost think they think it is ok since his brother can't go. Except he is in Italy so that's not a rough deal.

I have to say that your parents look and sound just like me and my DH! We don't travel as much as them, but as much as we can afford, and have been to many amazing places, checking them off our bucket list. Many great memories with our family, and agree that it is so important to make those memories. Worth every penny!

I don't post much, but know that I'll be watching for posts and reading along. Thanks for letting us join in.

Nora

We often wonder how they pull off as much as they do but they seem to manage quite well and have a lot of fun doing it!

Its lovely that you are so close to your family and take trips together, our family trip for our wedding to WDW was a bit of a disaster so we won't be repeating that. We will however be copying your idea of date trips in the future.

Traveling with family can be hard. We did a big trip with Jeff's side a few years back and that was harder. A good trip but honestly I am not sure that Disney was the right place for them. All they cared about was seeing the grandkids, they spent so little time in the parks it seemed like a waste of tickets. They seemed perfectly content but it bugged Jeff and I! And enabled the older teens to just sleep all day as Grandma was more than happy to just wait for them to wake on their own time.

I'm here! I'm here! Wow already almost 4 pages!

That is a lot of loud boys....... Y'all are Brave people! (haha sorry I didn't mean to pun even with all your Clan talk and kilts. Didn't even catch it myself till I read back for grammatical errors!)

Brave. I love that! hysterical.

so happy to have you here!!!!!

I love your disney backstory. Everything from how your dad and mom drove you all down to Jeff and the entire clan on that first trip together.

A long Disney history that is for sure.

Great pictures in the intros!!! You do have quite the clan!!! I could only dream about getting this many people together... you have an amazing family!

or a motley crew, depending on how you look at it I may have gotten carried away with the pictures a tad. The trip is only a portion of the group, technically we are missing another 12 people! Now THAT would be a clan! I wish!!!!! Of course that many more and poor Jeff and my BIL Eric might go hide. We are definitely a "the more the merrier" bunch and well, they come from very small families. They do their best but we can be a bit much at times.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Cynthia, thanks for posting the additional pictures! I love how your family embraces their heritage.

 

[annmarieda]

or a motley crew, depending on how you look at it I may have gotten carried away with the pictures a tad. The trip is only a portion of the group, technically we are missing another 12 people! Now THAT would be a clan! I wish!!!!! Of course that many more and poor Jeff and my BIL Eric might go hide. We are definitely a "the more the merrier" bunch and well, they come from very small families. They do their best but we can be a bit much at times.

The guys certainly look handsome in their kilts and liederhosen! It is definitely a fun crew that can do that...motley or not. Dh's side would never dream of wearing kilts even though much of their ancestry is Scottish. Now, my dd's husband's family -they are more likely to do something like that. They take their scottish blood a little more seriously... being Wallace and all.

I do sympathize with Jeff and your Bil... or at least I can appreciate it. My own dh was isolated in family. (he never spent any time what so ever with aunts, uncles or cousins...and the grandparents had little contact either) Me on the other hand... even though it was just my brother and I growing up... my dad was 9th of 13 kids... and each of his siblings all had a slew of kids. It was crazy fun when we all got together!! However the first time dh met them...and it was just a small group. It was a tad overwhelming for him.

 

[eandesmom]

Cynthia, thanks for posting the additional pictures! I love how your family embraces their heritage.

That we do

The guys certainly look handsome in their kilts and liederhosen! It is definitely a fun crew that can do that...motley or not. Dh's side would never dream of wearing kilts even though much of their ancestry is Scottish. Now, my dd's husband's family -they are more likely to do something like that. They take their scottish blood a little more seriously... being Wallace and all.

I think it's an excuse to drink good beer, host Oktoberfest parties, and look cool at the same time. They have fun with it that is for sure.

I do sympathize with Jeff and your Bil... or at least I can appreciate it. My own dh was isolated in family. (he never spent any time what so ever with aunts, uncles or cousins...and the grandparents had little contact either) Me on the other hand... even though it was just my brother and I growing up... my dad was 9th of 13 kids... and each of his siblings all had a slew of kids. It was crazy fun when we all got together!! However the first time dh met them...and it was just a small group. It was a tad overwhelming for him.

WOW! That is a big family! I am the oldest of 6, my dad was the oldest of 5 so it's always been big for me but Jeff...it's just he and his brother and very few cousins. Same thing with my BIL. We are hosting Thanksgiving, family only, and it will be 18-24 people

 

[Moira222]

Four pages in! I am here, even though i have finished Aulani!

Loved the bat signal!

Oh my gosh i just read your intro post. What great pics of the boys and what a great tribute to your family friend. This is going to be one heck of a trip!!

 

[englishrose47]

subbing will go back to read!!!

 

[MaryAz]

More great pics!!! Seems like a very lively crew!! Sounds like we had the same experience at Disney with Grandparents that Jeff did. I also have asked to take my niece same age as my oldest but it was a no go. We are all supposed to take a family cruise to Alaska in July....I cant wait to hear your plans-especially dining!!

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

I'm giggling at the big crews talk. After my great-grandparents health went down hill about 10 years ago, we haven't done the big family reunions like we use to every year. MawMaw has a touch of dementia and anymore than 2-3 people at a time throws her for a loop.

My great-grandmother was one of 9 kids. Her and my great- grandfather got married and pregnant before he went off to give his life in WWII. My grandpa grew up feeling like the 10th sibling. Then my great-grandmother married my great grand-fathers first cousin. (Boy, did I think I was opening up a can of worms when I had to do a family tree and realized she had been married twice, but we all had the same names.) They had 5 other kids... and now all the kids have kids... and some of those kids have kids.... and two of those (me and my 1st cousin) have two for the newest generation... It's a little insane to think we still have that many over 5 generations. My DF has only met the great-grandmother and the 1st cousins... I'm a little afraid for him when we start having family reunions again.

 

[englishrose47]

Loved the intro !!I have to say Disney can certainly make or break a relationship!! I can't imagine how I would feel if someone spoiled my Disney time !!Glad Jeff passed the Disney family trip test successfully!!

 

[wiigirl]

Great update!