"I know! I'll turn him into a duck!..." Or, I could just start my Dec 2010 PTR.

[ChildAtHeart82]

"Yes, yes! It's so evil!" Hehe.

So, I think I'm at the point now in my planning where planning is more of something to distract me from how long it is until our trip than deciding on necessary stuff. Thus, after reading several trip reports and saying to myself many times, "Self, you should write a trip report," I've finally gotten around to starting mine.

First, some limited backstory. I've been a Disney fanatic for longer than I can remember. My parents took my brother and I on several trips to Disneyland and Disney World when we were growing up and then I kept going myself once I went to college. When it came time to plan my honeymoon (a few years after college), I sheepishly suggested that we go to WDW. To my surprise, my wonderful wife agreed. She had never been and now I've gotten her addicted too!

Due to my job, I don't get a whole lot of opportunities for vacation and the time I get is usually around major holidays. As such, vacation usually becomes just a chance to visit each of our families. We always enjoy our family holidays, but it makes finding time for Disney for difficult. However, we came up with a solution! We convinced her family (parents and 4 sisters) to join us at Disney in December 2010! The best of both worlds! It will be their first time going and the first time for our soon-to-be-born daughter. We are very excited!

Well, I need to leave for work. More later (maybe even from work).

 

[ChildAtHeart82]

Alright, I'm at work now, but at least I have time to get on DIS. I'd like to introduce the group that's going in December, but I don't have access to any photos at work so that will have to wait.

Instead, I will give you the rough plan for our trip. We will be going 19-26 December and we're staying at Port Orleans French Quarter. There's 9 of us (one infant) in two rooms with a request for connecting rooms (fingers crossed).

DW, DD, and I will be flying in from Rapid City, SD and taking ME to the hotel. Everyone else is taking a 2-day drive in a minivan from Dayton, OH. When we get there on the 19th, the plan is for a light start of resort touring, dinner at a non-park location (TBD) and maybe Downtown Disney. Then, we will jump into park touring bright and early on the 20th.

The rest of the plan is:

20 Dec: Hollywood Studios
21 Dec: Magic Kingdom
22 Dec: Magic Kingdom/Anniversary Dinner
23 Dec: Animal Kingdom
24 Dec: Epcot (including Candlelight Processional)
25 Dec: Relaxed(ish) day (See Below)
26 Dec: Head home.

We figured on Christmas we would take it easy and avoid the crowds at the parks. We'll do some sort of Christmas celebration in the room (working on ideas - so far, we just have stockings with small gifts and maybe mini-tree) and then go somewhere for a Christmas/birthday dinner (one of the sisters has her birthday on Christmas). Miniature Golf and more DTD are possibilities as well.

I think the challenge for me is going to be taking things at a potentially slower pace. Since I usually go to Disney every couple of years (or less often), I always feel like I need to get in as much as possible. Previous visits, I've definitely taken the commando approach. My wife were part of the rope drop sprint to an attraction every day of our honeymoon and we pushed hard until the fireworks started. This time we will be with her family who don't seem like they'll be going at that kind of pace. Plus, I know at least my father-in-law isn't super comfortable with big crowds. On top of that, we'll now be pushing our baby in a stroller through the parks. I just need to remind myself this time that I will be back and that I need to enjoy what I can instead of trying to see everything. We'll see how that goes.

 

[wlwilliams9]

Oh goody, you started a PTR!! You're off to a great start and congratulations on your DD! Baby girls are the best!!

DH and I used to do commando style touring at WDW until DD came along and then we went at her pace, well, maybe a little faster than her pace because she was only 10 months, she didn't really have a pace yet! Anyway, you will appreciate so many things you never even noticed this time around! Your DD will show you exactly how magical WDW is even at only 6 months old!!

I can't wait to hear about all of your plans!!

 

[ChildAtHeart82]

Oh goody, you started a PTR!! You're off to a great start and congratulations on your DD! Baby girls are the best!!

DH and I used to do commando style touring at WDW until DD came along and then we went at her pace, well, maybe a little faster than her pace because she was only 10 months, she didn't really have a pace yet! Anyway, you will appreciate so many things you never even noticed this time around! Your DD will show you exactly how magical WDW is even at only 6 months old!!

I can't wait to hear about all of your plans!!

Thank you and welcome! My wife and I are very excited to finally meet Lucy. We also can't wait to see Disney through her eyes.

I should have time to put up another update tomorrow night.

 

[therussells08]

Hi!! I'm subbing! Glad I got here early! That's so awesome that you get to go with your family on Christmas! I can't imagine anything more magical!

Congratulations on your DD! That is awesome!! Lucy is such a beautiful name! I can't wait to see pictures from her first trip!

DH and I stayed at FOFQ on our honeymoon and we loved it. It's very pretty!

I know what you mean about needing to slow down. DH and I are the exact same way- we rush through everything and exhaust ourselves! I just got the book The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World by Susan Veness and it is full of awesome little secrets that I want to slow down and check out when I go in December!

I can't wait to read more!!

 

[ChildAtHeart82]

...

 

[ChildAtHeart82]

Hi!! I'm subbing! Glad I got here early! That's so awesome that you get to go with your family on Christmas! I can't imagine anything more magical!

Congratulations on your DD! That is awesome!! Lucy is such a beautiful name! I can't wait to see pictures from her first trip!

DH and I stayed at FOFQ on our honeymoon and we loved it. It's very pretty!

I know what you mean about needing to slow down. DH and I are the exact same way- we rush through everything and exhaust ourselves! I just got the book The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World by Susan Veness and it is full of awesome little secrets that I want to slow down and check out when I go in December!

I can't wait to read more!!

Welcome!

We're excited about POFQ! We did a carriage ride through Port Orleans on our honeymoon and decided we had to stay there at some point. I bought the Hidden Magic book recently but haven't had a chance to read it yet. I seem to buy a new Disney book every time I go to Borders. Just one more way to cope with the waiting.

 

[wlwilliams9]

Nice to meet you and the fam!!

Lucy is adorable! Don't you love the 3D ultrasounds? I can't wait to see pics of her when she is born!

 

[therussells08]

You have a very beautiful family! That 3D picture of Lucy is awesome!

 

[ChildAtHeart82]

Today, it got so HOT! I think we had a high of 95. I realize it'll get much hotter later in the summer and that it's even hotter elsewhere but still, it was quite warm today. I had a bunch of yard work to get done too. I enjoy the sunny weather of summer, but I'm defnitely more of a winter weather person.

Continuing our Disney movie marathon, we watched Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Lion King tonight. I love the music in all of those!

Now, on to trip related stuff. We're only planning on doing TS a few times on our trip. Growing up, we never made reservations. Of course, you could get away with that then. My parents wanted the flexibility too, I think. For me, I feel too tied down by a lot of ADR's, but my philosophy is changing (partly, because I'm such a foodie) and every trip I plan a few more ADR's.

I want to plan TS for our first night there at a non-park location, probably at DTD. Then, we'll plan to tour DTD before/after. Ideas so far include Raglan Road, T-Rex, or Rainforest Cafe. I realize Raglan Road probably has better food, but T-Rex and Rainforest have fun atmosphere. DW and I have been to Rainforest but not the others and it would be a first time at all three for everyone else. I would appreciate any advice on which location to choose (or other potential choices).

On 22 Dec, DW and I will be splitting off to do an Anniversary dinner. Our actual anniversary is in October but we want to celebrate at Disney. DW doesn't know yet but I'm planning on Victoria and Albert's.

On 24 Dec, we're going to try for the Candlelight Processional package with either Le Cellier or Teppan Edo. Waiting on details to be released.

On Christmas, we're planning for dinner at Sanaa. The Burnses are not normally adventurous when it comes to food, but we're trying to push their boundaries a little.

On our last day, the Burnses will probably be getting on the road early, which will leave DW, DD and me. We're planning on getting as late a flight out as possible to give us a little more time at Disney. I haven't done a character breakfast as an adult and DW hasn't ever done one so we thought it would be fun to end our trip with one. We're thinking either Crystal Palace or Ohana. Advice would be appreciated on making our choice for this one too!

Other than that, we're planning on CS and snacking our way through the parks. I eat so much food when I'm at Disney and it's all so good! I really want to do Yak & Yeti CS when we're at AK and I'm thinking Pizza Planet at HS.

Now, I just need to make my final ADR choices before my ADR date. Only a few more weeks!

 

[ChildAtHeart82]

Nice to meet you and the fam!!

Lucy is adorable! Don't you love the 3D ultrasounds? I can't wait to see pics of her when she is born!

You have a very beautiful family! That 3D picture of Lucy is awesome!

Thank you! My family is a huge blessing! The 3D ultrasound was amazing. I couldn't believe the detail when I first saw it. It was like meeting Lucy for the first time!

We're all hoping Lucy arrives soon, especially DW. Not too much longer!

 

[photographymom517]

Hi! Followed the link to your pre-trip report from when you posted on my report! Your plans sound great so far!!!

Unrelated to your trip -- your dog is sooo cute! We have 3 shih tzus & we are all animal-lovers (including our 2 year old son!)

Also, I love the name Lucy! The sonogram pic of her brought back such wonderful memories for me! My son just had his 2nd birthday two weeks ago & boy does time fly! Looking at your Lucy's picture, made me remember when I had my 3D sonogram done!

One thing I was going to suggest for your trip is a partial day (or just a few hours) of touring the resorts. I've heard (and seen from other trip reports) that the Christmas decorations are amazing! You can take a bus to MK or Epcot and then get on the monorail...the Contemporary & Grand Floridian have great decor for the holidays as well as the Beach/Yacht Club!

Can't wait to read more about your plans!!!

 

[ChildAtHeart82]

Hi! Followed the link to your pre-trip report from when you posted on my report! Your plans sound great so far!!!

Unrelated to your trip -- your dog is sooo cute! We have 3 shih tzus & we are all animal-lovers (including our 2 year old son!)

Also, I love the name Lucy! The sonogram pic of her brought back such wonderful memories for me! My son just had his 2nd birthday two weeks ago & boy does time fly! Looking at your Lucy's picture, made me remember when I had my 3D sonogram done!

One thing I was going to suggest for your trip is a partial day (or just a few hours) of touring the resorts. I've heard (and seen from other trip reports) that the Christmas decorations are amazing! You can take a bus to MK or Epcot and then get on the monorail...the Contemporary & Grand Floridian have great decor for the holidays as well as the Beach/Yacht Club!

Can't wait to read more about your plans!!!

Welcome! We love our dog! His personality is a lot of fun too!

We had talked about a lot of names but when we came up with Lucy, we knew right away that we would go with that. Still waiting, mostly patiently, for her arrival!

I completely forgot about resort touring! Thank you! We do have some flex time in our schedule so I should be able to work it in.

 

[ChildAtHeart82]

Last night, the Disney movie marathon continued with WALL-E, Bolt, and Ratatouille. Today's movies were Mulan, Hercules, Up, and Enchanted. I always get teary-eyed during Up. On the opposite side of the emotional spectrum, Enchanted always has me smiling throughout. I've loved it since the first time I saw it!

There's not a whole lot new to update as far as planning goes. So, I thought I'd share one of the ways my Disney addiction has shown itself over the last few months. When I started planning for this trip, I bought three guidebooks to help start my planning. I bought the Unofficial Guide, a Passporter, and Birnbaum's guide.

Since then, nearly every time I go to Borders, I walk out with a new Disney book. The books I've added to my collection are:

The Complete Walt Disney World 2010 by Neal
The Imagineering Field Guides for MK, Epcot, and AK (still looking for DHS), and
The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World by Veness

Reading Disney books is a way for me to pass the time to our trip. Plus, all of the pictures help us to relive Disney when we're not there. I'm also learning all sorts of Disney secrets that I didn't know before.

Well, that's all for now. As of tonight, Lucy is officially late. She'll get here when she's ready I suppose.

 

[ChildAtHeart82]

I've been thinking today and I have a question related to my update from last night about the Disney books. I already loaned the first three guidebooks to DW's family to read over. I think they're good basic information and they are getting them excited about going, which was what I wanted.

As far as the "secrets" books go (Imagineering Field Guides and Hidden Magic), should I show them those? The books have been great for DW and I to increase our understanding and give us something else to look for when we're there. For the first-timers, though, would it be better for them to just experience Disney without that extra input or with eyes wide open for the hidden magic?

I welcome your opinions!

 

[ChildAtHeart82]

Alas, the weekend is coming to a close and it's back to work tomorrow. We finished our Disney movie marathon tonight, though we probably will watch even more Disney movies this week now that we're in that state of mind. We still have plenty of Disney movies in our collection to watch anyway.

Today we watched Mary Poppins, The Rookie, and The Princess and the Frog. The Princess and the Frog was a nice way to end things I think since it's set in New Orleans and we're staying at POFQ for our trip.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day!

 

[therussells08]

I'm glad you enjoyed your Disney movie marathon weekend! As far as your restaurant choice at DTD goes, DH and I absolutely love T-Rex. It can get a little pricey, but we think the food is great and the atmosphere is so cool. Better than Rainforest Cafe, in our opinion!

I think that you should hold off on sharing the "secrets" books. Since it is their first time they will be on sensory overload already! But sharing some fun facts you learned along the way would be a great way to make their trip even more magical!

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

I'm in!!! Can't wait to read all about your plans!!! Traveling with 9 family members... How fun!!!

 

[ChildAtHeart82]

I'm glad you enjoyed your Disney movie marathon weekend! As far as your restaurant choice at DTD goes, DH and I absolutely love T-Rex. It can get a little pricey, but we think the food is great and the atmosphere is so cool. Better than Rainforest Cafe, in our opinion!

I think that you should hold off on sharing the "secrets" books. Since it is their first time they will be on sensory overload already! But sharing some fun facts you learned along the way would be a great way to make their trip even more magical!

Thanks for the advice! It's such a tough call because Raglan Road sounds delicious too! I think we're leaning toward T-Rex, though. We've eaten at Rainforest Cafe several times and liked it. We'll probably follow that up with dessert at Ghirardelli later!

I think we'll follow your advice and hold off on the books, but be ready to offer up fun facts if the time is right.

I'm in!!! Can't wait to read all about your plans!!! Traveling with 9 family members... How fun!!!

Welcome! This trip will definitely be different than my previous trips. All my trips as an adult before this one have been solo or with one other person. I know it will be a lot of fun, but it's also going to take extra planning and extra patience!

 

[stephielela]

I just caught up on your PTR and your plans sound great! I would love to have a huge family trip to WDW. I'm planning a 2 week birthday extravaganza for my DS when he turns 5 (just under 3 years to go lol!) and I am hoping that some friends and family will be able to com eand go for a few days here and there during that time period.

That ultrasound is AWESOME! I didn't have one when I was pregnant, but I did get a video of the ultrasound/sonagram thingie. Now that DS is fully immersed in the terribleness of the two's... I'm missing those days when I was preggers and uncomfortable

I wish I could get DS to watch movies other than Up, Cars and Toy Story! He has watched Nemo and Monsters Inc, but the movie he watches from beginning to end, as many times as possible, without blinking is Up. I'm trying to expose him to others so he can have some character recognition!

Well, I'm tuned in for the rest! Keep it coming, I need ways to pass these upcoming months!