Kids, Disney, Action! Extreme Trip (Report). Three-Peat and Done 7/11

[GeorgiaAristocat]

Preface:
I start this trip report with several things in mind, which I feel compelled to share with you. I must write this report for myself and my children. First. Foremost. Consequently, I make no promises that it will hold any interest for any of you. Probably not. I write this with full knowledge that it will not approach the level of exquisite writing that I have sometimes seen here on the TR board, each in their own way: Delswife, Vettechick, ZZUB, MelHappyhaunt, horsegirl, LaLa, kpk89, Jamal and many many others. (And please, if your name is not on that list, it is not because I have not read and loved your TR - you know who you are - it is just that I have a terrible memory. I am quite certain I have left out someone important, like TwinkieMom. It is, truly, inadvertent.)

But I intend to write this report anyway. For me. And Us.

I must tell you that I expect this report to be filled with: tangents, memories, flights of fancy, and disgusting gushing accounts of my children. I will rarely apologize for any of that. Especially the gushing.

And, I must warn you, I am in a profession that generally pays more as the number words you use increases. Especially big words. Like ubiquitous. So, this will probably not be over any time soon. Especially since it won't really start for another 45 days.

With that said. I hope that you will join me in this journey. To that magical place. That place that we love. Main Street USA, the World at your fingertips, Africa, Asia, Hollywood in the 50's, and the lovely, laid-back Florida Keys (sort of).

And, because I am a benevolent dictator, I shall include a linked index here in Post One for all subsequent chapters.

How ‘bout them apples?

The Pre-Show (Page 1, Post 5)
A Story about Grammy (Page 3, Post 35)
A Story about NeatKid (Page 4, Post 53)
Packing (and other fiascos) before I go . . . . (Page 4, Post 60)
The PreTrip Shadow/Tragedy (Page 5, Post 72)
Isn't Packing Part of the Trip? (Page 7, Post 91)
Lunch, and the Circle of Life(Page 8, Post 109)
Southbound with the Hamma Down!(Page 8, Post 120)
Why we stayed where we did. And how I missed out on Free Dining (Page 9, Post 134)
Word to the Wise . . . (that would be ME!) (Page 10, Post 144)
Are we ever going to eat? Where are we going? Do we get to see Fireworks? (Page 10, Post 148)
How to Turn a Frown Upside Down (Page 12, Post 167)
A Princess Among Princesses (Page 13, Post 184)
To Magic Kingdom or Epcot? (Page 14, Post 203)
Magical Croissants? (Page 15, Post 221)
Now we know why Wesley loves her so much . . . (Page 15, Post 223)
Huh, and YOU said I shouldn't talk to everyone! (Page 15, Post 225)
The Character Incident (Page 16, Post 239)
The Cure for the Common Commando (Page 17, Post 254)
Is the Commando Cured? (Page 18, Post 264)
Ohhh, that Pixie Dust will make you dizzy! (Page 18, Post 265)
Chugga Chugga Choo Choo! (Page 18, Post 266)
Will the Shirt Make all the Difference? (Page 19 Post 278)
Vikings! Maelstrom! (Page 19, Post 279)
Why Bring a Niece if you can't Embarrass Her? (Page 20, Post 290)
How to Make a Birthday Special (Page 20, Post 299)
The Inner Commando was at war with the Vactioner (Page 21, Post 313)
Don't you KNOW who you're dealing with? (Page 22, Post 316)
The Shirt comes into play (Page 22, Post 327)
Birthday Cake? I want CHOCOLATE CHIPS. (Page 23, Post 337)
The Day we Measured in Magic Moments Certificates (Page 24, Post 349)
You say Good-Bye. I say Hello. (Page 24, Post 350)
Our Last Day (Page 24, Post 351)

[sheridac]

AMY!!!!!!

Hi!!!!!

Great start toots!!!

I love your sweet fam!!!!!

[jamal]

AMY my sweet Ga Aristocat friend!!!

You have MAD skillz! You are the funny!! You gush all you want!! This is YOUR TR and we are sooo lucky we get it read it all!

Two questions for the professional:
-must we edit?
-will there be pictures, especially for those among us (NOT ME) who are big-word challenged.

[UtahMama]

YAY!!!! I hope you dont mind me subscribing! I started mine at "43 days till" (now it's only 3 days till) so i'm all for the Pre-pre Trippie! There's so much planning and such that it makes sense!
I cant wait to read it!

,
UtahMama

[GeorgiaAristocat]

The Pre-Show

The Cast of Characters:

GeorgiaAristocat (Me): Mid-30's. Planner, purchaser, and producer of this show . . .errrm . . .trip.

Boost (Hubby) or B for short: Also Mid-30's. Though not quite as mid as me, which he likes to point out. Gladly accepts that I do all planning, purchasing and producing. Usually. There are some exceptions. I am certain to find some of them on this trip.

NoFear: beautiful daughter, turns four while we are at WDW. "Princess," while not a very original name for her, would be accurate, mostly. But NoFear is more accurate. She wants to ride the rollercoasters. She's her Mama's daughter!

Shrimpster: adorable son. 2 1/4 yrs old. Mama's boy. Totally. Completely. Except for the whole coaster thing. Maybe.

Grammy: my Mom, 60 yrs old. Has been to WDW ONCE, for a day-trip in 1976.

NeatKid: my niece, 13 yrs old. Wonderful girl. So loving. So caring. So smart. Has never been to WDW.

A whole bunch of Vikings : to be named and enumerated as appropriate within the report.

The Setting:
Georgia, summer of 2005:
I had been begging and bugging Boost to go to Disney since before we were married in 2000. I had lived in Georgia for 13 years at that point, and hadn't been to Disney World since my trip with my family in 1976. I had explained to him that I BADLY needed to see the Mouse. Boost has a remarkable ability to NOT hear me sometimes, especially when it involves significant withdrawals from the bank account. But he finally gave in, in a lame attempt to shut me up. Didn't work, TFI.

I had a trip tentatively planned for ‘02, but got pregnant instead. I tried to get my Doctor to tell me that littlecoasters wouldn't hurt me, but he wasn't buying. Since I LOVE coasters, I wasn't going to go after a near-30 year absence without being able to ride Space Mountain, so, no trip. But after NoFear was born, and I started thinking about seeing her there, the hankering increased.

When NoFear reached the ripe old age of ONE, I started planning a trip for just Boost and I, since we needed time away and she was old enough to leave behind with her Nana. But then, I became the statistic on the birth control insert (you know, that .03% that still become pregnant despite taking the stupid things as prescribed?), and the trip was, again, canceled. On the upside, I was blessed with a beautiful baby boy (Shrimpster).

Fast forward (okay, maybe not), to early 2005. I was determined. I needed a break. Boost and I REALLY needed some time to ourselves. We ended up pouncing on the free dining offer for last September.

I ended up addicted to the DIS.

I convinced him that (a) it was a great deal, (b) it was a scouting trip for the kids, and (c) he would get to see "more" of me than he had been, since having two kids only 21 months apart was taking it's toll on our, ummm, adult relationship.

We went, we saw, we conquered. I wanted to go back. Immediately. I convinced Boost that we needed to take the kids. Soon. And the planning for this trip began. Again, by me. I make all decisions. ALL DECISIONS. Boost just says "whatever you want."

Which proves that even though he won't clean out the dishwasher, I trained him properly in SOMETHING.


The Casting Call:
As soon as I got the "go-ahead," I started working on my mother. I could see the writing on the wall. The adult to child ratio needed to be adjusted. Because the Shrimpster really is a shrimp. Very small. 10th percentile nationwide for his age. Cute as a bug's ear, though.

Here, have a picture:


So, to up the ratio, and insure that adults riding rollercoasters did not have to ride alone, I saw my Mom as a possible solution. And my Mom was a far better solution than his Mom. As much as I love her. Just sayin. And I told Boost that, too. When he suggested that we also invite his mother. Ummmm, tempting, but, NO!

Grammy was, initially, hesitant.

Then, being the manipulative child that I am, I started using her granddaughter. You see, Grammy lives on the other side of the country. We see each other not often. 2-3 times per year at the most. At the time of the assault, both my sisters (and their children) lived within 3 miles of Grammy. She saw them often. 2-3 times per week at the least. There was some guilt about this fact. I, without much remorse, used that guilt against her.

And NoFear "tickles the snot" out of her. Just ask her. She'll tell you. Something about how she walks. With purpose. And stomps her foot when she's mad. Just like I did.

So, I started talking to Grammy about how much fun it would be with NoFear. How magical it would all seem to her. How enchanted she would be when she met the Princesses.

And how I would cover some of Grammy's costs.

She was IN. She, too, left all planning to me. And I did. Do. Plan. Extensively.

A couple of months ago NeatKid was added to the cast at the request of her mother. We agreed. She really is a neat kid, and loves her cousins tremendously. When asked about things she wanted to do on this trip (after all, I am an equal opportunity planner!), her response was that it didn't really matter. She was coming to see NoFear and Shrimpster, and, well, me and Boost, too, of course. But really, anything other than the two kids was an afterthought. (All together now: awwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!) She said that if she had to choose a character to meet, she guessed it would be Winnie the Pooh and friends.

I included this in the plans.

How could I not? I love this kid tremendously. She is very special.

And then there are the Vikings. Which I can't wait to meet. A couple of whom I have already met. All of whom Boost is a-feared.

The Plot:
We have 8 nights of wonder, magic, and action planned. A Birthday celebration. A meet (or two or three) with a wonderful group of friends that I met right here on the DIS. A couple of surprises.

Probably more surprises than I know about.

Almost certainly.

I can't wait to find out!!!!!



A Story about Grammy (Page 3, Post 35)

[GeorgiaAristocat]

Originally Posted by jamal

Two questions for the professional:
-must we edit?
-will there be pictures, especially for those among us (NOT ME) who are big-word challenged.

a. Must is such a hard word. An edit is encouraged. BUT, see my edit on Post number one. Especially you Sher!

3. There will, hopefully, be many pictures. However, I rarely take pictures of my big words. But I'll try. They're hard to capture on film.

[pongoperdigirl]

Awwww GAKitty....great start, I can't wait to read more.

And I can't wait for more pictures where you put those cute costumes to good use.

[lookingforward]

I love it already! First of all, your children are so cute. Mine used to be that little and there is nothing like that first trip to WDW. You will treasure those upcoming memories forever!

Lookingforward to reading more.

[horsegirl]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaAristocat

We went, we saw, we conquered. I wanted to go back. Immediately. I convinced Boost that we needed to take the kids. Soon. And the planning for this trip began. Again, by me. I make all decisions. ALL DECISIONS. Boost just says "whatever you want."

Which proves that even though he won't clean out the dishwasher, I trained him properly in SOMETHING.

Bad Kitty! This is good stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not only are you tres intelligente, mais tres humoreuse aussi!

Love all the characters, NoFear is just like my Sky and NeatKid, well she sounds amazing!

Cannot wait to live the journey with you for certain parts!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go forward!

[offwegotoneverland]

Really big words? Frankly that is more interesting then if my job intruded which would create really big numbers (oh wait those are on the bill my mistake)

This could get interesting then.

I'm looking forward to another trip report that includes the whole family including your clearly cool neice.

[kpk89]

Kitty, you gush all you want. Use all the big words you want. Gush USING big words if you want. I can't wait to read your trippie!

[Backstage_Gal]

Amy, what a great start! This will be so much fun to read. Love your writing style!

[nicolemarie]

I am looking VERY forward to reading about the rest of your trip!

You're a great writer and I'm sure this will be a fun read.

Thanks for sharing!

NM

[NAB]

Well Amy I will be armed with my dictionary but I have a feeling I won't need it. I love pictures too. And your kids are so darn cute.

Now the countdown beginings........Wish I was going again and I just went.

[javamom]

Great start! Can't wait to see how we all turn out?!!!!