I Haven't Even Decided We're Actually Going - Pre-Trip Report

[kthshh]

Wow! I can't believe I'm actually going to write a pre-trip report. The idea just popped into my head on yesterday that we should take a Disney Cruise next year. And of course, if we're going to be in Orlando, we may as well spend a few days at my most favorite place in the world!!!

I've never written a pre-trip report or a trip report. In fact, I very rarely reply to anyone else's trip reports. But I am an avid reader. I love to read other people's reports. It helps me relive the wonderful times I've enjoyed with the Mouse!

So when is this 'possible' trip going to take place....July 2012. Yes, that's a long way off. Will I actually finish the PTR? Who knows? But I'm going to give it a try.

Now I'm wondering will anyone even join me on this quest?

Coming soon...INTRODUCTIONS!!! (Once I remember my photobucket password and get some pics moved over into it.) Does anyone know if I can upload pics from Snapfish? That's who I use regularly.

Vana

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Meet My Family
Flashback - 1986
Flashforward - July 2012
Present 2011 Summer Vacation + Flashback to Summer 2010
Flashback 2009 1st Family Disney Trip - P1
Flashback 2009 1st Family Disney Trip - P2
Flashback 2009 - Who Started My Disney Obsession
Real Life Update
Disney for a Day
Flashforward - Summer 2012
Present Day - October 2011
Present Day - Decision was Made

 

[S'sMom]

Wow! I can't believe I'm actually going to write a pre-trip report. The idea just popped into my head on yesterday that we should take a Disney Cruise next year. And of course, if we're going to be in Orlando, we may as well spend a few days at my most favorite place in the world!!!

I've never written a pre-trip report or a trip report. In fact, I very rarely reply to anyone else's trip reports. But I am an avid reader. I love to read other people's reports. It helps me relive the wonderful times I've enjoyed with the Mouse!

So when is this 'possible' trip going to take place....July 2012. Yes, that's a long way off. Will I actually finish the PTR? Who knows? But I'm going to give it a try.

Now I'm wondering will anyone even join me on this quest?

Coming soon...INTRODUCTIONS!!! (Once I remember my photobucket password and get some pics moved over into it.) Does anyone know if I can upload pics from Snapfish? That's who I use regularly.

Vana

I am definitely in ... July 2012 is not far away at all. I reserved our cruise LAST June 2010, and it is almost here. That time will pass before you know it, and then you will be there. Besides I loved it because it gave me the chance to pay it off . In this economy this is so important.

I am not sure about snapfish, but I have uploaded my pics from here on the DIS and Photobucket. Good luck with that password... I still don't remember the first password I had

I am in for the ride, so you will have to finish it! Congrats on your first PTR..

I will be in the meantime..

 

[MadiMouse]

Okay, I'm in! Now go finish it!!! LOL

 

[kthshh]

I am definitely in ... July 2012 is not far away at all. I reserved our cruise LAST June 2010, and it is almost here. That time will pass before you know it, and then you will be there. Besides I loved it because it gave me the chance to pay it off . In this economy this is so important.

I am not sure about snapfish, but I have uploaded my pics from here on the DIS and Photobucket. Good luck with that password... I still don't remember the first password I had

I am in for the ride, so you will have to finish it! Congrats on your first PTR..

I will be in the meantime..

Okay, I'm in! Now go finish it!!! LOL

Hi Ladies! Thanks for joining me. It's been a busy but fun weekend for us. But here I am back to tell my story!!

 

[S'sMom]

Hi Ladies! Thanks for joining me. It's been a busy but fun weekend for us. But here I am back to tell my story!!

I am waiting.... Where is the story

 

[kthshh]

So where did we last leave off. Oh, I was going to introduce you to the wonderful people in my house.

Here's a pic of the family on our first family vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort. This was our first night at Magic Kingdom and we were having the time of our lives.

I'm Vana, 37yo Disney Resort lover and Queen of my home. In the real world, I work in corporate finance. I enjoy paper scrapbooking, reading, and vacation planning. I fell in love with Disney while planning our first vacation.

I'm married to my bff, Ken. He's 38yo and would do anything to make his family happy. We met and began dating freshman year of college which means we've been together longer than we were apart. He won't say that he loves Disney, but he definitely admits that Disney gets it right. And he is willing to indulge me on whatever vacation choice I make. Got to love this guy.

My oldest DS is KJ. He'll be 9 in two weeks. He's adventurous, fun loving, and a great travel partner. He likes good food, never gets tired, and always ready to go. He loves all sports. And is usually a bundle of energy on any occasion.

My youngest DS is Lil C. He'll be 7 in three weeks. Yes, I have two Junebugs! He's our little thinker. I'm surprised all the time with the extent of his vocabulary and his ability to use the "big" words in perfect context. He's a creature of habit and usually can not be convinced once his mind is made up. He and his big bro are almost complete opposites. He is and always will be "Mama's baby".

So now that you've met us, I hope you enjoy reading a little about our past trips to the world and the highly possible 2012 trip.

Thanks for reading!

 

[kthshh]

I'm so excited! I remembered how to upload pics. It's been years since I've done that. But I do need to know how to make them smaller.

And I figured out how to put links in my posts. I love reading trip reports that have that in there. So I'm glad I was able to add it myself.

 

[kthshh]

My very first trip to WDW was as a 12yo with a church youth group. It was a 3 day, 2 night trip that we worked hard fundraising all year for. We sold oranges (and other citrus) at Christmas time and made enough to take the trip. The out of pocket cost was $90 per person. We chartered a bus, and left the church at 6pm on a Monday evening. We had two day passes and only went to Magic Kingdom. We stayed in a motel in Kississimee. It's hard to believe now, but I didn't even take pictures of that trip. I still have some wonderful memories.

This was a big deal for a group of African American kids from a poor rural area in the Mississippi Delta. I had never even dreamed of taking a trip to WDW because I figured I'd never make it. My family didn't take any trips. At the time, the only other state I'd been to was Tennessee. But thank God for a group of adults that wanted to expose us to the possibilities of life. We took quite a few trips over the next few summers: Atlanta, Houston and Dallas, Washington DC, and even a trip to Canada. I didn't make the DC and Canada trips because I had summer jobs those years.

The thing that I remember most at WDW was chickening out on riding Space Mountain. To this day, I still don't ride roller coasters. I've only ridden one in my life. For those of you who grew up in the Memphis area, it was the Zippin Pippin at Libertyland. This was an old wooden coaster and one time was enough for me. As for SM, there was no way that I was riding in that green light that was zipping in the sky. Other rides I rode that trip was BTMRR, Skyway, and the Teacups. I'm sure we rode more but I don't recall which rides.

At that time, the characters roamed the park. We spent a lot of time playing with Goofy. It rained a few times during the day. The first time we ran for cover and watched everyone continue to have fun. We decided from then on that we would not duck for cover anymore. I got wet and dried off totally at WDW several times over those two days.

My memories of the nighttime parade weren't happy ones though. We were supposed to be back at the bus by a certain time that night. But we couldn't get through the crowds because of the parade. When we finally made it out, my trip organizer was relieved but upset. Our saving grace was the fact that her son was one of the offenders so she didn't go off too bad!

I didn't even consider returning to WDW until after I had kids of my own, but even then I thought it was out of our reach. I'd always wanted to travel, but fear was holding me back. What "or maybe Who" happened in our lives? You'll just have to continue reading to find out.

 

[kthshh]

Before I get too wrapped up in telling my Disney story, I figured I'd better let you know about the POSSIBLE no let's make that HIGHLY PROBABLE trip for next year.

A few weeks ago, I asked my two sons where they would like to go this summer on vacation. I was 2nd guessing myself on our vacation destination as I have been known to do. Of course I fell in love with WDW back in 2009, and would go every year several times a year. But then my husband and I also want to explore and want to show my kids different places. So we have made the decision not to go to WDW every year. Okay, stop the hissing and booing!

Now, when I asked the boys, I didn't know what to expect. My 8yo said New York or Hawaii. My 6yo said that since we had gone to WDW and to DL that we should go on a Disney Cruise because he really wanted to ride the AquaDuct. Unfortunately all 3 ideas were out of the budget for this summer's vacation. We had been planning for a different location for this summer and you'll have to keep reading to find out where we are going. All the summer Disney Cruises were very expensive at this point, so there was no way we were going to do that.

Then last week as I was driving to work, it hit me. Why not take a Disney Cruise next summer. Now is the time to book it so that we can get a reasonably priced cabin. And I should be able to watch airfare since I'll know when we are going and get a decent price. If we do a 4 night cruise then we can spend some time at WDW. Add to the fact that dh and I have been talking a lot about visiting the Bahamas (which was an option for this summer). Now when you put that all together, guess what just moved up higher on the list of 2012 vacations - a Land and Sea Adventure!!!

So the big question is....will these be our actual plans? You'll have to stick around to find out.

And just to let you know, I was a big fan of "Lost" and miss it dearly. So even though it's been a year since it ended, I love the idea of jumping around a timeline. You'll get Flashbacks of past Disney trips, Flashforwards of the Disney trip to come, and Present reflections of what's happening in our lives. If you're out there reading along, let me know.

Vana

 

[firecracker725]

Where are you from originally? I ask because you mentioned the MS Delta. I'm from an itty bitty town in North MS, and we went to Liberty Land and the Memphis Zoo many times when I was a kid. I was never brave enough to get on Zippin Pippin.

 

[kthshh]

Where are you from originally? I ask because you mentioned the MS Delta. I'm from an itty bitty town in North MS, and we went to Liberty Land and the Memphis Zoo many times when I was a kid. I was never brave enough to get on Zippin Pippin.

I grew up in Tallahatchie County. Where are you from?
Vana

 

[firecracker725]

I grew up in Tallahatchie County. Where are you from?
Vana

I'm from a little town north of Columbus.

 

[kthshh]

I'm from a little town north of Columbus.

Welcome to my PTR from a fellow Mississippian!!! I wondered if anyone would read the report and actually be familiar with Libertyland. That was the first amusement park I ever went to. I went once with my whole family as a little girl....only remember riding the train. All other trips were with school groups. Oh wait, I forgot. My dh (then boyfriend) and I went once while I was in college. I don't think he'd ever been before.

I never did get brave enough to ride the Revolution...that one loop scared me too much!

Those were great times.

 

[kthshh]

It's been a few days so I guess I'll let you all in on our summer vacation destination. As you may have already guessed it's not going to be a Disney vacation. Don't be sad for us. We're still planning to go someplace that I'm hoping my family will enjoy. So are you ready?

















Do you really want to know?












Come on, you can yell louder than that.







We are heading to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. Pigeon Forge to be exact. I booked our cabin on yesterday. And from the pictures and reviews, I'm praying it's a nice one.

So why this location? A few years ago, a coworker mentioned that she and her family along with friends were going. Then she showed me cabin pictures and pictures of the mountains and I fell in love. By the way, I get most of my vacation ideas from others. If I hear you mention a great place to visit, then I immediately research it and if it seems interesting, I will add it to my list of places to go.

Well, in 2010, I was tempted to go, but initially had plans for a family reunion in Washington DC. We were going to make a big trip of it and include a roadtrip to Hershey, PA and New York City. The dates were set for the end of July. Then things got really messed up at my job. I wasn't liking it very much and made the decision that I needed to leave. So I pushed up my vacation date to early June so that it would be out of the way and then I could focus on finding a new job. Then the agonizing decision of where to go. I won't say yet where we went but it was the total opposite of the mountains and we had a great time. You'll hear more about that vacation in another FLASHBACK!

So let me get back to the PRESENT. We will spend 7 days/6 nights in the middle of July in a beautiful mountain setting. Yes, we will cheat on Disney and visit Dollywood for two days. We are not the most adventurous of people and I must admit I'm not that much of an outdoorsy girl. So we will likely pass on hiking up the mountain or whitewater rafting. But there is still much to enjoy. As I set my itinerary, I'll let you know the rest of what we are doing. If you've been and want to offer suggestions, please provide them.

Our plan is to fly into Nashville and drive the 4 hours or so into Pigeon Forge. Airline tix have been purchased and the rental car has been reserved. It was too expensive to fly straight into Knoxville.

The cabin is a part of a gated resort with an indoor and outdoor pool, putt putt golf, hiking trail, and children's playground. We have a two bedroom with a great gameroom that includes an arcade game, xbox, pool table, foosball, and more.

I've never been a fan of cooking, especially while on vacation. But this time I will do just that. We will eat all breakfasts in the cabin and at least 3 dinners. If we're around for lunch, then we will eat that as well. The plan is to grill up enough for at least 2 dinners and a lunch. The other meal(s) will be simple ones. So that means that we will make a trip to the grocery store while there. That's a new vacation duty for me as well. But I'm looking forward to it.

Up next...we'll FLASHBACK to our first family Disney trip with pictures included.

 

[kthshh]

I hope you guys don't mind if I do a mini-trip report in the middle of my pre-trip report. I always wanted to do one but didn't.

My family's 1st Disney trip was in June 2009. We had the buy 4 get 3 free deal being offered at the time. We started out with reservations for ASMu but ended up staying savannah view at AKL. We had a blast. Here are a few pics of our trip.

At the airport....it was the boys' very first flight.

Here we are on the airplane.

Can't forget about Daddy....he sat across the aisle from us.

Pretty soon we were on the ME bus seeing this sign for the very first time.

 

[kthshh]

Sorry for the big pictures, but I don't know how to resize them.

Checking into the beautiful AKL

Our first and only Mickey towel

View from the room

AKL Bus Stop (waiting on our first Disney bus to take us around the resort)

 

[LovesBelle]

Your boys are so handsome!!

 

[kthshh]

Your boys are so handsome!!

Thank you so much!!!

 

[kthshh]

I alluded earlier that something or somebody started me on this crazy Disney obsession. It was my good friend S'sMom from right here on the DisBoards. We met back in 2003 through another online forum when both of our oldest children were less than a year old. After chatting online we realized that we lived in the same city just two neighborhoods apart. We eventually met each other and have been friends ever since. S'sMom and her family have been big Disney fans for years. I would mention wanting to take my family and she would encourage me.

My dh and I hadn't gotten into the whole family vacation thing yet. All trips taken were to visit family. It was something we would talk about doing but never made any plans. As our children started to get older, I knew we wanted to do something. So in 2007, we planned our first staycation. It was Father's Day weekend and my youngest son's birthday. We hopped in our car and drove to the other side of town looking for a hotel to stay in. I had a general idea of our activities and a very limited budget. Our boys were 3 & 5 at the time. We only spent one night and then headed back home to enjoy the rest of our time off for the week. The next year, we planned a little bit better, actually saved some money, and drove to San Antonio to visit Sea World. This time we spent 2 nights and had a great time enjoying our hotel.

All through this time, I would mention my desire to go to WDW and S'sMom would say go for it. Her family was going twice a year at this point. The trip always seemed out of budget. The thought of saving exclusively for vacation and planning out a year in advance hadn't ever crossed my mind. So January came and she told me about the buy 4 get 3 offer. Sounded like a great deal to me. I looked at it and priced it out. My dh and I talked about it figured that we could definitely pull it off. So we picked a mid June date and then waited until mid-February to book. We even booked our airfare through Disney (probably could've gotten a better deal, but had no idea about watching airfare and such).

S'sMom was a great source of information. Through the years, whenever I'd look for WDW info, it was always overwhelming. I started living on the Disboards and Allears, bought a Passporter, and a subscription to Tour Guide Mike. The Vacation Box was born as I started purchasing great vacation stuff. Sidenote: The Vacation Box is still alive and well and a great storage idea for those things you only use a few times a year.

Soon I discovered the DISign boards. I made tshirts, pressed penny m&m cases, luggage tags, planning sheets and more. I was obsessed. I learned so much about WDW that soon I was able to converse intelligently on a place I hadn't been to in close to 20 years.

We had (and still have) many a Disney-related conversations to this day. She will be excited to know that even if we don't cruise next year, I've pretty much decided that we will be headed to the WDW at least. I miss my happy place.

Vana

 

[S'sMom]

I alluded earlier that something or somebody started me on this crazy Disney obsession. It was my good friend S'sMom from right here on the DisBoards. We met back in 2003 through another online forum when both of our oldest children were less than a year old. After chatting online we realized that we lived in the same city just two neighborhoods apart. We eventually met each other and have been friends ever since. S'sMom and her family have been big Disney fans for years. I would mention wanting to take my family and she would encourage me.

My dh and I hadn't gotten into the whole family vacation thing yet. All trips taken were to visit family. It was something we would talk about doing but never made any plans. As our children started to get older, I knew we wanted to do something. So in 2007, we planned our first staycation. It was Father's Day weekend and my youngest son's birthday. We hopped in our car and drove to the other side of town looking for a hotel to stay in. I had a general idea of our activities and a very limited budget. Our boys were 3 & 5 at the time. We only spent one night and then headed back home to enjoy the rest of our time off for the week. The next year, we planned a little bit better, actually saved some money, and drove to San Antonio to visit Sea World. This time we spent 2 nights and had a great time enjoying our hotel.

All through this time, I would mention my desire to go to WDW and S'sMom would say go for it. Her family was going twice a year at this point. The trip always seemed out of budget. The thought of saving exclusively for vacation and planning out a year in advance hadn't ever crossed my mind. So January came and she told me about the buy 4 get 3 offer. Sounded like a great deal to me. I looked at it and priced it out. My dh and I talked about it figured that we could definitely pull it off. So we picked a mid June date and then waited until mid-February to book. We even booked our airfare through Disney (probably could've gotten a better deal, but had no idea about watching airfare and such).

S'sMom was a great source of information. Through the years, whenever I'd look for WDW info, it was always overwhelming. I started living on the Disboards and Allears, bought a Passporter, and a subscription to Tour Guide Mike. The Vacation Box was born as I started purchasing great vacation stuff. Sidenote: The Vacation Box is still alive and well and a great storage idea for those things you only use a few times a year.

Soon I discovered the DISign boards. I made tshirts, pressed penny m&m cases, luggage tags, planning sheets and more. I was obsessed. I learned so much about WDW that soon I was able to converse intelligently on a place I hadn't been to in close to 20 years.

We had (and still have) many a Disney-related conversations to this day. She will be excited to know that even if we don't cruise next year, I've pretty much decided that we will be headed to the WDW at least. I miss my happy place.

Vana

I am excited indeed !!! I will take it, even if you don't cruise. As you know DW is the next best thing. You should include some pictures from your DL trip too on here. I never saw them, I don't think.

Keep em going! You are doing awesome