Christmas, family and magic... what could be better?!? *Updated 3-2*

[anniebabymu]

“To all who come to this happy place, Welcome!” -Walt Disney

What a perfect quote to welcome you all to my newest PTR! I told myself that I was going to wait a bit before starting it up, but I’m going through some serious Disney Blues right now. And as you all know, the best cure for the Disney Blues is planning another trip! So, on that note… here we go!



To those of you who followed along on my last PTR and TR, welcome back! And to those of you who are new to my Disney antics and just joining in, welcome and I’m always delighted to have new “faces” around!

Sit back, grab some popcorn and I hope I can entertain you all for the next 328 days. Soooooo far away… and of course I’m counting!

Table of Contents
Intros!
Details, details, details!
Early Plans!
Food, food, food!
​

 

[anniebabymu]

So this trip is not just a trip to Disney… it will be a SURPRISE pre-Christmas vacation for my girls!!! I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to take my family on this trip! But I’ll get into all that in just a bit… but first I should probably introduce my wonderful family to you all! And to those of you who know us well, sorry! I’ll try to keep these intros short and sweet, but you know me and know that short and sweet is impossible for me to do! Ha ha!

Unlike our last trip, this trip will just be for my little family! This will be our 4th family trip since October 2012 and two of our previous trips my Disney loving in-laws have joined us. They will be taking my husband’s sister and her son on a trip to Disney in June, so I don’t think that they will be joining us for ours… even though I know my MIL would die to be in Disney over Christmas time! If there’s something she loves more than Disney, it’s Christmas! She’s got until June to change her mind and come with us, so if that happens I’ll introduce them but for the time being it’s just us!

First up… Me!



I'm Andrea, a Labor and Delivery Nurse by night (yes, I work nights… blah!), mom by day and Disney lover for every waking moment of my life! My first trip ever to Disney was in October 2012 when we took our girls for the first time… and quickly became a HUGE Disney fan! I was more than a skeptic before that trip and quickly became a believer in the magic. I am everybody’s “go-to” girl for anything and everything Disney. In fact, I just helped plan a friends’ 10 day vacation (end of May into June) and my in-laws 7 day vacation in June! And I love it!

This trip will be my 5th trip since October 2012! Three family vacations and my most recent was a girl’s only trip this past November with my sister and SIL to run the Wine and Dine Half-Marathon! It was a great trip adult only trip, but I missed my girl’s terribly and couldn’t wait to get back WITH them!

Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom
Favorite Ride: Splash Mountain, Soarin’ and a new favorite (was too scared to try it before our last family trip!) Tower of Terror
Favorite Restaurant: I have too many to pick a favorite! I think I need to only take 2 week vacations so I can eat everywhere I love!
Favorite Movie: Beauty and the Beast
Favorite Character: Belle… come on, who doesn’t love a girl with beauty and brains!?

Next up… the hubs!



Derek is the best daddy and hubby a girl could ask for! And even better, he does what he can to support my Disney habit! He knows I’m crazy and loves me for it anyways! Derek is an account manager for a company called Aerotek and his work family is as awesome as our own family. We live about an hour west of St. Louis, MO and he loves his Missouri Tigers Football (as do I!) probably as much as I love WDW. A few years ago, we became football season ticket holders and our tailgating supplies quickly grew! We love our fall weekends up at Mizzou and even try to get to a couple away games every year.

Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom… although, I think Hollywood Studios shot up there too after our last trip!
Favorite Ride: Splash Mountain
Favorite Restaurant: Be Our Guest
Favorite Movie: He's not really the Disney movie junkie like we are, but he does enjoy watching them with the girls... and it's usually whatever they want to watch
Favorite Character: He has said that Mickey was his favorite, but I think Olaf might top him now!

Next, DD #1… Addison



Addie is my 6 year old smart, beautiful, fun-loving little girl! She will be 7 in February and I can’t believe it! She loves school, cheerleading, tumbling, arts and crafts and of course, Disney! I think our days of pure belief are numbered. Just this morning she told me that a girl in her class told her that Mickey was just somebody dressed up in a costume and she said that this girl (who of course has never been to Disney) think that Mickey is for babies. Grrrr…. I hate school! Can’t I keep her in a little bubble?!? She then told me that she thinks all the characters at Disney are the “real” ones and I told her that Mickey and Disney World isn’t for babies because mommy loves them! Pretty sure we’re in the clear right now, but it’s only a matter of time. It will be fun getting to show her the other things that make Disney magical as she gets older… but I am most definitely cherishing the times of sweet innocence we have left. This will be Addie’s 4th trip since the age of 4!

Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom
Favorite Ride: Space Mountain
Favorite Restaurant: Every character meal and ‘Ohana
Favorite Movie: She loves all of them! But of course, Frozen is huge in our home!
Favorite Character: Anna and Elsa

And last, but not least, DD #2… Harper



Oh Harper, where do I even begin with her?! She is my crazy little nut! She’s so full of life and energy! She turned 3 on our last family trip this past May. Every day she wants to talk about Disney, look at pictures, watch ride videos and insist that she wants to go to Disney RIGHT NOW! Oh honey… if only it were that easy. I’d take you in a heartbeat! She will be 4 when we go and this will also be her 4th trip! She loves everything Disney and is at such a fun age for it! AND I just measured her and she is… drumroll please… 40 inches!!! She gets to ride the fun rides WITH us now! But poor Addie, no more getting to ride 2 times due to Rider Swaps for her… unless another family member decides to join us before our trip. Who knows!

Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom
Favorite Ride: 7 Dwarfs Mine Train
Favorite Restaurant: Chef Mickey’s
Favorite Movie: All of them, but her big ones are Toy Story, Monster’s Inc and of course, Frozen
Favorite Character: Elsa, Anna, Woody, Jessie, Mickey and Minnie

So there you have it! You’ll get to know us well over the next (almost) 11 months!



Next up… Details, details, details!​

 

[Jackiemarie21]

Yay! I was hoping up unwound start a PTR! I can't wait to hear all your plans! It us so hard to wait to start planing...I tried that to, didn't work so well!

 

[anniebabymu]

Yay! I was hoping up unwound start a PTR! I can't wait to hear all your plans! It us so hard to wait to start planing...I tried that to, didn't work so well!

It is so hard to wait to start planning!! Who am I kidding... I've planned like 4 different trips and harassed Derek senseless BEFORE he finally gave in and gave the the "go ahead"!

 

[pigletgirl]

Oooh, another family member... does this mean a Lapu-Lapu is going to be deserved in 11 months time...

Your girls are so cute! At some point we will get to Disney during the holidays. Just not sure when!

 

[anniebabymu]

Oooh, another family member... does this mean a Lapu-Lapu is going to be deserved in 11 months time...

Your girls are so cute! At some point we will get to Disney during the holidays. Just not sure when!

Ha ha! I was wondering if anyone would catch that! No buns in the oven yet, but we've got to seriously sit down and talk about it ASAP. Gotta get right on it in order for this coming trip to not be screwed up... yes, I'm planning my family around Disney. Ha ha! No really though, we always said we'd have three kiddos, but now that we have our two I'm not so sure. Some days I think I'm about to lose my mind with the two of them! I'd have to be committed if we have another! Having Addie wasn't a decision we made, we've got my sister's 21st birthday to thank for that! Then Harper was a no brainer because we didn't want an only child. A third is a huge decision!!! I hate it!

Thanks! They know they're cute and they milk it! Ha ha! You have to get down during the holidays! I got a little taste of it when I went for my half marathon and I knew I had to get back after Thanksgiving!

 

[pigletgirl]

Ha ha! I was wondering if anyone would catch that! No buns in the oven yet, but we've got to seriously sit down and talk about it ASAP. Gotta get right on it in order for this coming trip to not be screwed up... yes, I'm planning my family around Disney. Ha ha! No really though, we always said we'd have three kiddos, but now that we have our two I'm not so sure. Some days I think I'm about to lose my mind with the two of them! I'd have to be committed if we have another! Having Addie wasn't a decision we made, we've got my sister's 21st birthday to thank for that! Then Harper was a no brainer because we didn't want an only child. A third is a huge decision!!! I hate it!

Thanks! They know they're cute and they milk it! Ha ha! You have to get down during the holidays! I got a little taste of it when I went for my half marathon and I knew I had to get back after Thanksgiving!

We're in the same sort of position too. Our Disney trip is in September and if we got pregnant now, the trip would be postponed at least 6 months, maybe even a year. DD turns 2 in May and I wouldn't mind getting pregnant then and being due in the spring. We'll see what really happens.

 

[anniebabymu]

We're in the same sort of position too. Our Disney trip is in September and if we got pregnant now, the trip would be postponed at least 6 months, maybe even a year. DD turns 2 in May and I wouldn't mind getting pregnant then and being due in the spring. We'll see what really happens.

Harper will be 4 in May! The girls are 3 years and 3 month apart and Harper would be 4 1/2 if/when we have another. I feel like this should have already happened, but I'm still having a hard time deciding what to do! So with her being so old it's another check in the "No" column... in another year she'll be in school so no more paying for day care and she's potty-trained. Having another really will be like starting all over!

 

[pigletgirl]

Harper will be 4 in May! The girls are 3 years and 3 month apart and Harper would be 4 1/2 if/when we have another. I feel like this should have already happened, but I'm still having a hard time deciding what to do! So with her being so old it's another check in the "No" column... in another year she'll be in school so no more paying for day care and she's potty-trained. Having another really will be like starting all over!

Yeah, the decision isn't easy. But, as my grandmother has told me over and over again (while she waits not patiently for another great-grand child... ) that you only regret the children you didn't have versus the ones you did. Ha ha I'm sure that doesn't help you at all!

But no really, hope you guys find peace either way. You sure do make cute children!

Also, saw that you work at Mercy! DD was delivered there and I'm a patient of Dr. Stein. We had a fantastic experience!

 

[anniebabymu]

So, like many of you, I’m crazy. Disney crazy! From the moment I get home from a trip (sometimes even sooner!) I start thinking about when and how I’m getting back. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t have like 4 imaginary trips planned out for 2015, just waiting for the hubs to give me the go ahead!

With Addie being in school and us wanting to minimize the days that she missed, most of these trips revolved around some sort of “break” or 3-day weekend. Without having Addie’s school calendar for next year, this was pretty difficult to do! I had to just guess based on the calendars from the last few years as to when P/T conferences were going to happen or when they would have their ½ days for teacher’s professional development. So hopefully my “plan” won’t have to change too much when we finally get her calendar! I think we can make it work!

I had plans for trips over her P/T Conference breaks, their 4 day weekend “Fall Break” and then plans scheduled to include their Professional Development ½ days… so how did this trip win out?!?

Last November was my Wine and Dine trip with my sister and SIL. I could not wait for this adult only trip to Disney! We had a fantastic time, but I couldn’t help but see all of the little kiddos there and wish my girls were there with me… especially when I saw Cinderella’s Castle all lit up in Christmas lights! I could just see my girl’s faces when they saw the lighting show. I knew I just had to get around to taking them during Christmas time and I knew that it had to be after Thanksgiving because none of the resort decorations were up yet when I was there. And my SIL and I went to MVMCP and had a blast… and I knew my girls would have LOVED it!

So when Derek gave me the “go ahead” to plan another trip I gave him two options… a trip over P/T Conferences with going to MNSSHP again or a Christmas trip with going to MVMCP! The Christmas trip would have Addie missing a few more days of school, but then we thought to ourselves… “If she has to miss a couple more days of school, we would rather her miss them in 2nd grade vs. 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. So if we’re going to do a Christmas trip this is the time to do it. (Because fighting the crowds of Christmas Break was NOT an option for me!!!)” So a trip during the Holiday season was born!!!



So now that you know the “Why” as to how this trip was born, here’s the rest of the details we have so far!

To minimize the days Addie has to miss of school, we decided that we should utilize her Teacher’s Professional Development ½ day at school. I’m assuming that those days next year will be similar to how they’ve done it this year. They used to do a ½ day on the 1st Friday of the month, but this year they’ve switched it up to the 1st Wednesday. If they continue either one of those trends, we’ll be good!

So we were thinking of picking her up at school (or pulling her out a little early, depending on flight times) on the 1st Tuesday and come back late on the following Sunday. So this should mean that she only misses 2.5 days of school! Lately I’ve been thinking about adding on a night so we can have a full park day that last full day… that would also add on a day that she misses of school, so we’ll just have to see about that.

So our booked dates, as of now, are December 1st-December 6th! 6 night stay with 5 days of Magic Your Way Base Tickets. We’ve always done Park Hoppers, but to save a little $ I thought we could definitely get by without having them this trip.

When Derek told me that he worked another trip into the 2015 budget, he also gave me a budget. To make everything work and fit in as many days as I could without Addie missing a ton of school, this meant staying at a Value again. We stayed at Pop for our May trip and I stayed there with my sis and SIL in November and both times had a great experience. So we had our resort set…



Pop Century! We have a standard room booked… but I’ve REALLY been working on Derek to let me change this up! I absolutely love the Wilderness Lodge and I think it screams “winter” and “Holidays” and would absolutely die to stay there during Christmas time! I mean, just look at this…

(Credit: Disney Tourist Blog)

Seriously!! How would you not die to stay there over Christmas!?!? Derek’s argument is that he gave me a budget and that we’re hardly in the room/at the resort anyways. Yes, this is all true… but he’s expected to have a really good year at work so I’m hoping, that come discount release time, he’ll change his mind! If it doesn’t work out, maybe I can get him to switch up to POR or something else with a little bit more room in the actual room. We’ll see! Cross your fingers for me!

We were going to wait to book for a little bit longer, but then I heard that Memory Maker was going to increase in price! So I told Derek this and that we could throw it into our package and get it for the cheaper price, but I had to book like the next day. He was all for it, so we booked!

So, here’s the (less winded) summary!

December 1st-6th, Pop Century standard room, 5 Day Magic Your Way Base Tickets and we’ll be doing the Dining Plan! CAN’T WAIT!!!!!

Continued in next post... Early plans!​

 

[Jackiemarie21]

Ha ha! I was wondering if anyone would catch that! No buns in the oven yet, but we've got to seriously sit down and talk about it ASAP. Gotta get right on it in order for this coming trip to not be screwed up... yes, I'm planning my family around Disney. Ha ha! No really though, we always said we'd have three kiddos, but now that we have our two I'm not so sure. Some days I think I'm about to lose my mind with the two of them! I'd have to be committed if we have another! Having Addie wasn't a decision we made, we've got my sister's 21st birthday to thank for that! Then Harper was a no brainer because we didn't want an only child. A third is a huge decision!!! I hate it!

Thanks! They know they're cute and they milk it! Ha ha! You have to get down during the holidays! I got a little taste of it when I went for my half marathon and I knew I had to get back after Thanksgiving!

Totally saw the other family member thing and totally thought you were talking about the in-laws, I didn't not even think about it meaning a baby!

I know what you mean about it being a big decision. I always saw myself with three also, but Charlotte is such a handful, whoa I wasn't even sure if we were going to have two. Then God made the choice for us and gave us this little blessing which was a total surprise! A good one, but a surprise none the less. So the jury is still out if this it for us or not.

We're in the same sort of position too. Our Disney trip is in September and if we got pregnant now, the trip would be postponed at least 6 months, maybe even a year. DD turns 2 in May and I wouldn't mind getting pregnant then and being due in the spring. We'll see what really happens.

How nice to see another STL diser!

 

[Jackiemarie21]

Don't you just hate working around those stupid school calendars. They really in the way of planning my trips!

DH joined his district calendar committee just to campaign for a fall break so I can get to MNSSHP, now that is true love! My goal after that is to get there at Christmas, so I have a scheme (er, I mean plan) for 2016 to get that, I just have to keep reminding myself, one trip at a time!

Looks like a good plan so far. I would totally want to do WL for a Christmas trip, it just says Christmas to me too! Although let me warn you, those deluxe resorts are addictive!

 

[ursalita]

Joining in! Your girls are beautiful. I really admire you keeping the secret from them for so long. I love the idea of a surprise trip but I know I don't have the self-discipline to keep the secret.

I can relate to the difficult decisions about planning the trip around school calendars. I think you're right about now being the time to do a Christmas trip. We pulled my older son out of 2nd grade for 4 days last trip but now that he's in 3rd it's just not an option anymore. Darn school!!

 

[anniebabymu]

Yeah, the decision isn't easy. But, as my grandmother has told me over and over again (while she waits not patiently for another great-grand child... ) that you only regret the children you didn't have versus the ones you did. Ha ha I'm sure that doesn't help you at all!

But no really, hope you guys find peace either way. You sure do make cute children!

Also, saw that you work at Mercy! DD was delivered there and I'm a patient of Dr. Stein. We had a fantastic experience!

Ha ha... as your grandmother waits not so patiently for another great-grandchild! Love it!

I do work at Mercy! I'm glad you had a great experience there! I think it's the best job in the world! And I love Dr. Stein! She's a great doctor and just a nice person overall! Great OB choice!

 

[anniebabymu]

Totally saw the other family member thing and totally thought you were talking about the in-laws, I didn't not even think about it meaning a baby!

I know what you mean about it being a big decision. I always saw myself with three also, but Charlotte is such a handful, whoa I wasn't even sure if we were going to have two. Then God made the choice for us and gave us this little blessing which was a total surprise! A good one, but a surprise none the less. So the jury is still out if this it for us or not.

Ha ha! That's too funny! I can see how you could have thought that.

When we were leaving the hospital after having Harper I looked at Derek and told him that I wasn't done having babies... then she grew up! Those two girls are just like my sister and I growing up. All they do is fight, fight, fight! Who knows... maybe a third would be the peacekeeper! Yeah right! I think I need some of this for that to happen! I hope your two girls are much nicer to each other. Ha ha!

The big Man upstairs definitely has his own agenda! We can plan, plan, plan or just the opposite and he takes things into his own hands!

 

[anniebabymu]

Don't you just hate working around those stupid school calendars. They really in the way of planning my trips!

DH joined his district calendar committee just to campaign for a fall break so I can get to MNSSHP, now that is true love! My goal after that is to get there at Christmas, so I have a scheme (er, I mean plan) for 2016 to get that, I just have to keep reminding myself, one trip at a time!

Looks like a good plan so far. I would totally want to do WL for a Christmas trip, it just says Christmas to me too! Although let me warn you, those deluxe resorts are addictive!

Ughhh... I totally HATE having to work around those dang school calendars! It was so much easier when we just had one in preschool. I didn't care if she missed preschool! That's awesome that your hubs is on the calendar committee! I'm sure you're one of the first people to know what the finalized calendar is instead of me who is at the mercy of whenever they put it out on the website. My dad is a teacher in the high school, so sometimes I get a little bit of an advanced notice but he's retiring this year so my connections will be gone! Boo!

And I love that I'm not the only one that has future trips up their sleeves before they go on the one that they're currently planning! Ha ha!

Oh man... I REALLY want to stay there! But I'm not so sure that I'll get my way on this one. We'll see!

 

[anniebabymu]

Joining in! Your girls are beautiful. I really admire you keeping the secret from them for so long. I love the idea of a surprise trip but I know I don't have the self-discipline to keep the secret.

I can relate to the difficult decisions about planning the trip around school calendars. I think you're right about now being the time to do a Christmas trip. We pulled my older son out of 2nd grade for 4 days last trip but now that he's in 3rd it's just not an option anymore. Darn school!!

Welcome! Happy to have you here! And thanks! I think they're pretty cute, but I'm a little biased! The secret is soooooo much fun! It is very hard to keep it from them, but thankfully they're used to me talking about Disney 24/7 so I can totally get away with talking about Disney "randomly" and using it to plan for our trip! It's also nice that my in-laws are going because I've said, "So grandma and grandpa will be able to get new Magic Bands! If we went to Disney again, what color Band would you want?" So I've gotten some stuff out of them that way! Love it!

Yeah, the older they get... the harder it is for sure! I'm thinking late May trips (like our last family trip) will definitely be in our future. The crowds, even over Memorial Day, weren't too awful to handle and Addie did have to miss school, but it was just snow make-up days and they weren't "learning" anything anyways! School definitely puts a damper on vacation planning!

 

[pigletgirl]

Welcome! Happy to have you here! And thanks! I think they're pretty cute, but I'm a little biased! The secret is soooooo much fun! It is very hard to keep it from them, but thankfully they're used to me talking about Disney 24/7 so I can totally get away with talking about Disney "randomly" and using it to plan for our trip! It's also nice that my in-laws are going because I've said, "So grandma and grandpa will be able to get new Magic Bands! If we went to Disney again, what color Band would you want?" So I've gotten some stuff out of them that way! Love it! Yeah, the older they get... the harder it is for sure! I'm thinking late May trips (like our last family trip) will definitely be in our future. The crowds, even over Memorial Day, weren't too awful to handle and Addie did have to miss school, but it was just snow make-up days and they weren't "learning" anything anyways! School definitely puts a damper on vacation planning!

It definitely does. I am enjoying be able to travel in the off season. It won't last much log though. DD will be in preschool next fall!

 

[AprilRenee]

Yay a trip!! And yay maybe for another little one!! I hear ya on planning a family around Disney! Lol. We did that too. I was NOT going to be pregnant while at Disney. Been there, done that, once was enough. Haha
Actually the plan was to start trying for the next one during this trip but I guess God had other plans cause mommy got sick. Our "little souvenir" wasn't meant to be (lol do you remember that commercial? Love it!) but anyway, now I'm kinda freaking out about adding another one. I know we want another one but I am NOT ready to go back to baby days. Ugh. Lol

 

[anniebabymu]

Yay a trip!! And yay maybe for another little one!! I hear ya on planning a family around Disney! Lol. We did that too. I was NOT going to be pregnant while at Disney. Been there, done that, once was enough. Haha
Actually the plan was to start trying for the next one during this trip but I guess God had other plans cause mommy got sick. Our "little souvenir" wasn't meant to be (lol do you remember that commercial? Love it!) but anyway, now I'm kinda freaking out about adding another one. I know we want another one but I am NOT ready to go back to baby days. Ugh. Lol

Oh man... tell me about it! Harper would be 4 1/2 before another kiddo would make an appearance. Like less than a year away from Kindergarten! Talk about starting all over! It would be an adjustment for sure!

Are you sure your "sickness" wasn't from something else... Ha ha! I love it after you're married, anytime you come down with a tummy bug people look at you like, "Yeah right... stomach flu." Where I work, you can't be sick at all without someone questioning things! It's nearly impossible to keep a pregnancy a secret for 12 weeks... especially if you're like me and tossing your cookies at least 6-7 times a day! Ha ha! Well, I think you should get on the baby-making because then if we decide to do this we'd be having a baby very close to each other!

And I timed starting this PTR just for you... now you have a place to talk Disney to come down from your magical high! Can't wait to read a TR from you... you better do one!