VailaTigger
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2009
Ive been reading a few of the trip reports, and pre-trip reports, and have been inspired to
put pen to paper so to speak. Fingers to keyboard I guess would be the correct term.
As Im reading other reports and looking at the photos, I keep thinking oh Id forgotten about that bit! and getting more excited about going back! (Listening to DIS radio at the moment, how sad am I!)
A bit of history
Ive been lucky enough to have been 3 times before with DH, 2001, 2003, 2005. The pattern was interrupted rudely by a divorce, but hey, these things happen. Life has moved on and improved, and finances are finally getting back on track. Now living with DBF, and his two DSs stay with us every weekend. None of them have been to anything Disney before, never mind WDW, and Im trying to pass on my excitement! I just KNOW they are all going to love it.
The cast:
Me: 38 year old WDW fan. Trying not to mention the trip too much and be completely unbearable to the rest of the family. Will be 39 by the time we go.
DBF: 41 year old, not a fan yet, but really likes the look of the water parks and some of the rides! Has wanted to visit since being a kid. Will be 42 when we go.
DS1: 11 year old, excited but playing it cool. Will be 12 when we go.
DS2: 7 year old, really doesnt comprehend it all, just delighted that the hotel will have a pool. Will be 8 when we go.
We popped into our local Disney store last weekend, and I saw all 3 of them light up and go oh LOOK! at something, so that seems promising!
Our plans so far
Weve booked with VH (yes, I know, I know but it just seemed less hassle this time ). 2 weeks in April 2010, at the school holidays. Flying direct from Glasgow to Orlando return, and staying at Pop Century. I flew with Virgin the 1st time, and had no complaints, and since Im going with 3 newbies, 2 of them rather young and who havent flown further than the middle of England, it just seemed much less hassle to fly direct, and with an airline which apparently has plenty of entertainment Ive not stayed at POP before, but have stayed at other value hotels, so have no worries about this, I think it will be fine. Not sure how well all cope with being in the one room, I guess that will just mean early nights and early mornings! But then thats good for getting round the parks before they get busy, and we can have a siesta or pool time in the afternoons. We have included the hire car in the package, even though well use the Disney buses or Monorail most of the time, its nice to know its there for whenever we want it. I love the Disney transport, all feels like part of the fun to me.
Have paid half of what we owe to VH, the other half should be saved up by October.
Nothing else bought or booked yet, but planning on getting 14 day tickets for us all, and at the moment the Disney site itself looks to be the cheapest! Wont have the ticket and excursion money saved until January, so just keeping an eye on prices in the mean time. I think the only other park we plan to do is Sea World (apart from the whole Disney shebang, including the 4 parks, 2 water parks, DTD, Disney Quest and the mini golf!!). I think the boys will like it at Sea World, they love animals. Also planning to take them to Cirque du Soleil, to Boggy Creek Airboats, to the Titanic exhibition (DBF will love that), to a mall or two, and perhaps some things on International Drive can see what we feel like about ID once were there!
Hopefully well catch most of the parades and fireworks, they are in my plan, but Ill double check times and dates in January. Fireworks make awesome memories, those will last a lifetime.
At the moment, our chosen eateries are: Rainforest Café, Tusker House, House of Blues, Boma, Planet Hollywood, Mama Melroses, T-Rex, Nine Dragons, Hollywood Brown Derby, Tonys Town Square Restaurant, Sci-Fi Dine in OR Rainforest Café again. Plus a few off-the-cuff visits to the likes of the Tangierine Café, the Noodle Station, Sweet Tomatoes, Ghirardellis etc. ADR time will be January, so plenty of time to research and change our basic plan if we need to. The three boys are all carnivores, but Im veggie, which unfortunately limits our choices of restaurants a little. Will get a proper plan from the Disney Gods (Simon and Susan Veness) nearer the time!
So, how do you guys think Im doing so far? Think Im doing DBF and the two DSs proud for their first visit? Itll take us years to be able to save up enough to do this again, Im sure!! Im saving as many air miles as I can, so perhaps DBF and myself will be able to squeeze in a cheap(er) trip a year or so after this one (assuming he likes it!). Not sure how it would go down though, if we didnt take the boys, wouldnt want to upset them
Just read back through this nowhere near as good as Kevin Stringers trip reports!! They have me howling with laughter. I get really funny looks from my colleagues in an otherwise quiet office.
I'll keep you posted on developments, although they'll be sporadic until that magic 90 day window opens up...
Have a magical day ya all !!
Edit - added a couple of photos from 2005. (I hope... if I've done it right...)
As Im reading other reports and looking at the photos, I keep thinking oh Id forgotten about that bit! and getting more excited about going back! (Listening to DIS radio at the moment, how sad am I!)
A bit of history
Ive been lucky enough to have been 3 times before with DH, 2001, 2003, 2005. The pattern was interrupted rudely by a divorce, but hey, these things happen. Life has moved on and improved, and finances are finally getting back on track. Now living with DBF, and his two DSs stay with us every weekend. None of them have been to anything Disney before, never mind WDW, and Im trying to pass on my excitement! I just KNOW they are all going to love it.
The cast:
Me: 38 year old WDW fan. Trying not to mention the trip too much and be completely unbearable to the rest of the family. Will be 39 by the time we go.
DBF: 41 year old, not a fan yet, but really likes the look of the water parks and some of the rides! Has wanted to visit since being a kid. Will be 42 when we go.
DS1: 11 year old, excited but playing it cool. Will be 12 when we go.
DS2: 7 year old, really doesnt comprehend it all, just delighted that the hotel will have a pool.
Will be 8 when we go.We popped into our local Disney store last weekend, and I saw all 3 of them light up and go oh LOOK! at something, so that seems promising!
Our plans so far
Weve booked with VH (yes, I know, I know but it just seemed less hassle this time ). 2 weeks in April 2010, at the school holidays. Flying direct from Glasgow to Orlando return, and staying at Pop Century. I flew with Virgin the 1st time, and had no complaints, and since Im going with 3 newbies, 2 of them rather young and who havent flown further than the middle of England, it just seemed much less hassle to fly direct, and with an airline which apparently has plenty of entertainment Ive not stayed at POP before, but have stayed at other value hotels, so have no worries about this, I think it will be fine. Not sure how well all cope with being in the one room, I guess that will just mean early nights and early mornings! But then thats good for getting round the parks before they get busy, and we can have a siesta or pool time in the afternoons. We have included the hire car in the package, even though well use the Disney buses or Monorail most of the time, its nice to know its there for whenever we want it. I love the Disney transport, all feels like part of the fun to me.
Have paid half of what we owe to VH, the other half should be saved up by October.
Nothing else bought or booked yet, but planning on getting 14 day tickets for us all, and at the moment the Disney site itself looks to be the cheapest! Wont have the ticket and excursion money saved until January, so just keeping an eye on prices in the mean time. I think the only other park we plan to do is Sea World (apart from the whole Disney shebang, including the 4 parks, 2 water parks, DTD, Disney Quest and the mini golf!!). I think the boys will like it at Sea World, they love animals. Also planning to take them to Cirque du Soleil, to Boggy Creek Airboats, to the Titanic exhibition (DBF will love that), to a mall or two, and perhaps some things on International Drive can see what we feel like about ID once were there!
Hopefully well catch most of the parades and fireworks, they are in my plan, but Ill double check times and dates in January. Fireworks make awesome memories, those will last a lifetime.
At the moment, our chosen eateries are: Rainforest Café, Tusker House, House of Blues, Boma, Planet Hollywood, Mama Melroses, T-Rex, Nine Dragons, Hollywood Brown Derby, Tonys Town Square Restaurant, Sci-Fi Dine in OR Rainforest Café again. Plus a few off-the-cuff visits to the likes of the Tangierine Café, the Noodle Station, Sweet Tomatoes, Ghirardellis etc. ADR time will be January, so plenty of time to research and change our basic plan if we need to. The three boys are all carnivores, but Im veggie, which unfortunately limits our choices of restaurants a little. Will get a proper plan from the Disney Gods (Simon and Susan Veness) nearer the time!
So, how do you guys think Im doing so far? Think Im doing DBF and the two DSs proud for their first visit? Itll take us years to be able to save up enough to do this again, Im sure!! Im saving as many air miles as I can, so perhaps DBF and myself will be able to squeeze in a cheap(er) trip a year or so after this one (assuming he likes it!). Not sure how it would go down though, if we didnt take the boys, wouldnt want to upset them
Just read back through this nowhere near as good as Kevin Stringers trip reports!! They have me howling with laughter. I get really funny looks from my colleagues in an otherwise quiet office.
I'll keep you posted on developments, although they'll be sporadic until that magic 90 day window opens up...
Have a magical day ya all !!
Edit - added a couple of photos from 2005. (I hope... if I've done it right...)
I look forward to reading more updates as you get nearer. 
Now need a concerted effort to get back on track, or some things may need to get dropped from the plan. Sea World and La Nouba are probably the more expensive "extras" that I added to the plan. However, I wasn't planning on buying park tickets until we were in 2010 so I'll just need to see how the savings are doing by then.
That will be us 157 days out, so I should be able to just sit online until they are all done! A little worried that the online system will have a hairy fit because there are bound to be more folks like me, just poised and ready to pounce, but I guess I'll cope with that if it happens. Between now and then, I need to just double check with DBF that he's happy with my restaurant choices, and also project savings to see if we can manage to eat at Disney every day!!
for our touring plan when I have my ADRs in place.
) then you can use these to get a discount on Disney Tickets through Keith Prowse Attraction Tickets.
A real reason for celebration when we're there.
