"Or you could just go to WDW for a couple of days..." - May 2017 PTR -updt 2/28

DexLabDeeDee

Hollywood, 1939. Amidst the glitz and glitter...
Joined
Jan 8, 2008
That sounds nice, doesn't it?

WDW for a couple of days.

Welllll....no.

This was my reaction:

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Followed by:

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That was my response to my DH's suggestion.

But first, let me back up.

Hello, my name is Jenna. I am 35 years old, a chemist, Disney addict, control freak, and dinosaur lover.

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From 2015, with my two loves: in my Disney(land) tee getting excited about the Jurassic World release that summer. Oh yeah, and I'm also with my third love, my DH. :rotfl2:

Here he is this past Feb in New Orleans:

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Haha. It looks like we eat ice cream a lot but we actually don't. Though I do love my sweets, I am a potato chip kind of girl.

And my fourth love, my cat, Sirius Black:

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He's with his doppelganger, Toothless.


This trip is coming about because I have decided that if I can afford it, I'm going to take a WDW trip each year. I have traveled many times to WDW throughout my lifetime. I have mostly been in Sept. In fact, I just got back from fall in WDW with my parents. You can read my trip report here.

Now, I would like to do spring in WDW with Flower and Garden Festival. Of course, DH does not want to go. It's kind of my fault. I brought him in Sept in 2008 and I may have overdone it. I was worried about a hurricane that was maybe going to land while we were there. So, instead of just taking it easy on arrival day, we dropped our stuff and immediately headed over to the Magic Kingdom. Which was hot and CROWDED. Blair was not a fan.

Which kind of set the tone for the next few days. (The hurricane veered off and did not hit FL like predicted.) He was grumpy and withdrawn. I know so much more now and I know I can put together a trip that he would really like but he's been traumatized and refuses to go. But he does let me go, very cheerfully, I might add. And he has promised to go to WDW for my 40th birthday so I guess I can't complain.

But I will.

Because he's a party-pooper!

So my brilliant idea was to get his parents to go and then he'll have to go, right??

Ah, no.

He saw right through my plan and cut me off before I could unleash my persuasive powers on his parents. Anyone, after talking to me, is dying to go on a Disney trip.

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So he suggested a compromise, how about I take his mom?

Okay.

That would be fine. She and I get along well. I've really lucked out with my in-laws. They're great. It was a little rough in the beginning because I think that she felt that he needed to look around more. We were high school sweethearts who went to different colleges, broke up, got back together, and got married two years out of college. So it's not like we exactly rushed in to things but I think she always felt he was settling.

I worked really hard in the beginning to show that I was awesome and adorable and a (family) team player.

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So now we're good!

Blair's mom was at WDW at least 15 years ago. There is a lot more going on now! She is retiring at the end of this year so she would for sure have the time for a week in Disney, but would she want to go with just me?

I broached the subject with her this past summer just to feel her out. She seemed pretty willing.

Then I dropped it since I had my Sept trip and I thought that it was maybe too soon for a non-Disney fanatic to think about a spring 2017 trip in summer.

I brought it up again just recently through a text and she seemed a little lukewarm but I suggested that we get together and talk about it. We settled on tonight. So both his parents are coming down for dinner and we are going to talk about a potential trip!

But I was feeling a little funny about her text response. (I know, it's text, what can you expect??) I asked Blair what he thought, and that was his suggestion: "A week seems long. <pause> Or you could just go to WDW for a couple of days..."

<loooong pause from me, cue the ending of the world music - I cannot do less than a week at Disney. Not for my yearly trip. Maybe a side trip. Nope. Nope. Nope.>

Okay.

Okay.

Yes, WDW can be overwhelming. I need to be open minded about other people's limits and traveling style. If nothing else, I could go for a week and she could just join me for part of the week if it's too much.

After several deep breaths, I asked him why he made that suggestion. "Did your mom say something? Is that what you really think she would rather do? Is that all she can afford, do you think? Is it traveling with me that's a problem? Am I being too intense? Don't answer that."

DH said, "No. I don't know what she wants to do. I was just making a suggestion."

AHHH! Don't do that to me!

But I suppose it was good in the end. It made me step back and think. And maybe not come on too strong.

So we'll see tonight what she thinks and what days work and what resort she would like. I'm leaning towards Coronado Springs because Blair's parents often travel to the Southwest in the winter.

Maybe I should put together a PowerPoint presentation....

Too much?
 
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Good luck tonight Jenna! I've been talking with DH about our trip next year too, and I want to go in May. We have AP's that expire in August and I know we want to go at least once next year, and I'd really like to do F&G again. Unfortunately he's not a "make plans way ahead of time" type guy, which drives me nuts sometimes :rolleyes:
Can't wait to hear the outcome of tonight!
 
Good luck tonight Jenna! I've been talking with DH about our trip next year too, and I want to go in May. We have AP's that expire in August and I know we want to go at least once next year, and I'd really like to do F&G again. Unfortunately he's not a "make plans way ahead of time" type guy, which drives me nuts sometimes :rolleyes:
Can't wait to hear the outcome of tonight!

Ugh frustrating! But at Disney you NEED to plan way ahead of time! Do you make plans anyway and book something and then "pretend" that you just booked it when you "plan" later? I have a Disney Visa just for that purpose. Less questions that way ;)

Another trip?! Good luck with convincing your MIL to go with you!

Another trip! Ahhh! I have never done one this close before. I'm curious to see if it is "too soon" after going in Sept. I can't imagine that after winter it would be!
 


Ugh frustrating! But at Disney you NEED to plan way ahead of time! Do you make plans anyway and book something and then "pretend" that you just booked it when you "plan" later? I have a Disney Visa just for that purpose. Less questions that way ;)



Another trip! Ahhh! I have never done one this close before. I'm curious to see if it is "too soon" after going in Sept. I can't imagine that after winter it would be!
No, I just wait :rolleyes1 He comes through eventually and we've been lucky as far as getting whatever resort we want. As for being concerned Sept./May trips are too close - Uh-uh!! We went Aug. 2015 and then Nov. 2015 - :thumbsup2. Different resorts and different time of year so different things to do/see. And THEN, DH and I went back again Jan. 2016 so 2 months later and that trip was awesome! We were just there in August and I'm getting antsy waiting for our Nov. trip. I know for some that would be too often so it depends on you, but I think since you WANT to go back, May will work out fine.
 
Oh I hope your MIL is onboard! Hope the convincing tonight goes well :)

We're going this October/November for a trip and then back again in May 2017. Your time interval is definitely not too short, especially since it is going to be a completely different time of year.
 
Haha. It looks like we eat ice cream a lot but we actually don't. Though I do love my sweets, I am a potato chip kind of girl.

I prefer potato chips to ice cream too! Also that table looks like it's made out of pizza in your husband's picture. :rotfl:

Now, I would like to do spring in WDW with Flower and Garden Festival.

That's why I wanted to go in spring too.

We settled on tonight. So both his parents are coming down for dinner and we are going to talk about a potential trip!

I hope it goes well!

I cannot do less than a week at Disney. Not for my yearly trip. Maybe a side trip. Nope. Nope. Nope.

That just means you have to take two trips :rotfl:

I need to be open minded about other people's limits and traveling style. If nothing else, I could go for a week and she could just join me for part of the week if it's too much.

Yes! I want to see you on our May trip.

Maybe I should put together a PowerPoint presentation....

I did that before our first trip :rotfl2:

Another trip! Ahhh! I have never done one this close before. I'm curious to see if it is "too soon" after going in Sept. I can't imagine that after winter it would be!

I hope not because we're going in December too! Right now it feels like it'll be too soon, but by December I know I'll want to go back.


Josh wants to take a break from Disney after next year, and I still think we should go every year and just do a weekend for HHN. Maybe we should just go to Disney together :rotfl:
 


No, I just wait :rolleyes1 He comes through eventually and we've been lucky as far as getting whatever resort we want. As for being concerned Sept./May trips are too close - Uh-uh!! We went Aug. 2015 and then Nov. 2015 - :thumbsup2. Different resorts and different time of year so different things to do/see. And THEN, DH and I went back again Jan. 2016 so 2 months later and that trip was awesome! We were just there in August and I'm getting antsy waiting for our Nov. trip. I know for some that would be too often so it depends on you, but I think since you WANT to go back, May will work out fine.

Wow! Three times in less than a year. Awesome! I'm glad that he eventually comes around. I'm finding that there are some things not available already in May. But regardless, we'll be somewhere good.


Oh I hope your MIL is onboard! Hope the convincing tonight goes well :)

We're going this October/November for a trip and then back again in May 2017. Your time interval is definitely not too short, especially since it is going to be a completely different time of year.

I think I'll be happy for the FL weather after winter in MN!
 
I prefer potato chips to ice cream too! Also that table looks like it's made out of pizza in your husband's picture. :rotfl:

Hahaha. Too bad it wasn't! We had just walked almost two miles from the Audubon Zoo to the Creole Creamery and we were pretty hungry!

That's why I wanted to go in spring too.

I think that Blair's mom would really love it. Especially since the flowers won't really be blooming yet in MN.

Yes! I want to see you on our May trip.

I want to see you too! I hope it works out!!

I hope not because we're going in December too! Right now it feels like it'll be too soon, but by December I know I'll want to go back.

Yeah, in the end would you really say no to a Disney vacation? Plus, you got sick so there are plenty of things you didn't get to do that you'll have to do in Dec. Make sure you drink a ton of Emergen-C or something before you go! You can't get sick this time!

Josh wants to take a break from Disney after next year, and I still think we should go every year and just do a weekend for HHN. Maybe we should just go to Disney together :rotfl:

:eek: Take a break?? Whaaaat? You can't take a break! I would totally be up for a trip together. I'm also running out of traveling partners. (I must wear them out...:faint: ) If you can do EE, then I can scrape myself together to do HHN. :scared:
 
I want to see you too! I hope it works out!!

Me too!

Yeah, in the end would you really say no to a Disney vacation? Plus, you got sick so there are plenty of things you didn't get to do that you'll have to do in Dec. Make sure you drink a ton of Emergen-C or something before you go! You can't get sick this time!

Haha I guess I still wouldn't! It's true every time I go there's still something I didn't get to. I know I can't get sick!

:eek: Take a break?? Whaaaat? You can't take a break! I would totally be up for a trip together. I'm also running out of traveling partners. (I must wear them out...:faint: ) If you can do EE, then I can scrape myself together to do HHN. :scared:

I know take a break that's crazy! Omg it would be so fun to plan a trip together! :hyper: When I run things by Josh I always forget he doesn't know the rides/resorts/etc as well as I do. EE was much scarier than HHN :rotfl:
 
Okay!

Sorry for abandoning you guys like that - I have been on my TR!

So, we had the dinner with my in-laws. They had asked if they could bring anything and they really didn't need to but what about some red wine? So I told Blair to text them and bring some red only because I am not drinking wine anymore.

No, not because of that.

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Because I get really stuffy and sick after drinking wine. I researched and I think it's because of the sulfites. So I'm just drinking hard liquor in mixed drinks.

Anyway, Blair obviously did not get specific because, like the good people they are, they brought me some white wine. And as they handed it to me, I was going to say something. But then they told me this story where they went to the store and made sure that they got a really good Riesling from the Mosel region in Germany, which is my favorite wine region. Annnd that sounds snobby. It's not - it's because I'm very picky.

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Well, after that story, I couldn't NOT drink it!

So I did. I also slipped in that I was thinking of not drinking wine anymore because it made me feel sick. And this would be a good test to see.

Spoiler alert: It made me sick.


During dessert, I asked her again about the trip and she seemed hesitant but willing. Blair's dad was really enthusiastic about her going so she got a little more in to it.

I showed her my PowerPoint. It had just resort option in it and the dates of the two weeks in May that I was thinking about. I did POR and CSR and for giggles I put in GF and AKL and then put quote for split stays, etc.

I was pretty sure she'd like CSR best. She seemed overwhelmed so I just left it at that and said I would email the PP to her and she could look at it closer later.

After they left, I asked Blair how he felt it went. He said good but he doesn't think that his mom understands that she just has to come along. He thinks that she thinks that she has to know more to help with the planning.

That's not at all what she needs to do. I'm going to narrow down the choices and ask her opinion about stuff but she doesn't need to know anything else.

Hmmmm.

I sent her an email with the PP and some more information about how booking works, how MBs work, how dining works and the basic 180, 90 day, etc timeline.

And then I waited....
 
And she got back to me a few days later.

And I was stunned.

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My MIL wanted to do a SPLIT STAY at POR and then AKL savannah view.

Whoa!

And it's weird because why would that stun me since I did put it as an option; I just never thought she'd want that.

So, apparently she's REALLY on board now.

That's great!

So I should probably introduce her since WE'RE GOING!!!!!

Her name is Becky. She is a respiratory therapist at a hospital, though she will be retiring at the end of the year.

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Her and Blair's dad love to travel and are always going to Arizona for the winter to hang out with friends there. They also co-own a lake place where we go for all the summer holidays.

She is very energetic and will sometimes start in the middle of a conversation as if you had been talking with her the whole time. She'll also not finish a sentence and start a new one. AND she texts like that too! :lmao:

I consider her my personal brain exerciser. It's always a puzzle to figure out what she's talking about when she just starts in the middle of a conversation! I must say, I'm getting really good. It only takes me a few sentences to catch on.

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Sometimes her energy can be exhausting but I think it's really going to come in handy at WDW. I also have to remember that she'll keep going until she drops and she probably won't say anything so I need to keep an eye on that.


I wanted to get the ball rolling and I know a great travel agent and I wanted to give her some business since I've been renting points lately.

I called her and she was on vacation through Weds. Bummer! So I left a message.

And waited.

Then I got impatient and called her on Thurs before she could call me back. She's so great. She was so excited for me. I lined out our options and said that I wanted to book both weeks and then cancel later.

She said great, and hung up to call Disney.

And Hurricane Matthew was happening. So all of the lines were extremely busy.

Duh!

We are going to have to wait until Monday.

Bummer.


The reason that I'm booking the first two weeks in May is because I just don't know how my work schedule is going to pan out. I am a co-chair of a major technical event that normally happens in May. We can't get the space reserved until the executives get first crack at it. And their schedules are finalized in November.

I really really want the event to happen the first week in May and our trip to happen the second week. Two reasons: 1) I would like the event over and then go and "relax" at Disney and not have to worry about it, and 2) That's the week that @Raeven is also hoping to get off work and it would be really great to line up our schedules and meet up!!

I'm also hoping that there will be a great deal coming out this Spring for deluxes. I'd really love to stay at AKL the whole time. But it's a bit expensive and I really don't know if Becky wants to stay at POR to experience it or if it's a money issue. I'll have to ask.

Now we wait until Monday!
 
Because I get really stuffy and sick after drinking wine. I researched and I think it's because of the sulfites. So I'm just drinking hard liquor in mixed drinks.

Sometimes I get stuff after drinking too :( But I think just drinking hard liquor is a good solution :thumbsup2

Spoiler alert: It made me sick.

Aw :sad2:

I showed her my PowerPoint. It had just resort option in it and the dates of the two weeks in May that I was thinking about. I did POR and CSR and for giggles I put in GF and AKL and then put quote for split stays, etc.

I think people who aren't as Disney obsessed get overwhelmed by Powerpoints...which is silly because it's the best way to show all the information. I showed Josh a Powerpoint before out first trip and it had music and everything :rotfl: I e-mailed Josh's friends girlfriend a whole trip itinerary when they were thinking of going with us, and she didn't answer me...I don't know if she was overwhelmed or didn't really want to go once she read it...but I'm glad they didn't go with us. She was pretty bossy once you got to know her, and they constantly were breaking up (in fact they broke up before the trip happened for good).

My MIL wanted to do a SPLIT STAY at POR and then AKL savannah view.

Yay! I'm glad she's excited!

Sometimes her energy can be exhausting but I think it's really going to come in handy at WDW. I also have to remember that she'll keep going until she drops and she probably won't say anything so I need to keep an eye on that.

Energy is good for WDW!

I'm also hoping that there will be a great deal coming out this Spring for deluxes. I'd really love to stay at AKL the whole time.

Me too, I'd like to get our hotel for cheaper.

Now we wait until Monday!
One more day!
 
But I think just drinking hard liquor is a good solution :thumbsup2

Oh yeah. Like, say, a drink at Trader Sam's....:rolleyes1

I showed Josh a Powerpoint before out first trip and it had music and everything :rotfl:

Haha. That's awesome! I didn't do that this time - I didn't even have transitions or anything! I don't know how she could POSSIBLY be overwhelmed...it's not like WDW is complicated or anything...:laughing:

Me too, I'd like to get our hotel for cheaper.

::yes::
 
Soooooo....(I think I use this word too much! Oh well.).....I emailed the reservation center where I want to reserve the space for my event because there was a rumor that the Exec schedules had been finalized early! Which would be AWESOME because then I could start putting things in to motion for the event AND start planning my vacation. And I would for sure have the week that I want!

Well, that rumor is not true. I got an email back saying that they haven't opened reservations yet but I've been put on a waiting list.

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What does that mean? When will you know? Does that mean I'm on a waiting list because I want to reserve it in general or is there a waiting list for my specific week?? Can you please tell the Execs to hurry up with their schedule!!

But don't tell them I said that. Tell them that YOU need to know.

So those are all the things I did not say in my email back to the reservation center. I just asked when they would be able to start reserving, in the ballpark, like the end of the month, end of Nov, etc.

And I haven't heard back.

Do you think it's a sign?

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So now I'm back to waiting....the bane of all PTRs.

I'm also waiting to hear back from my TA about if she was able to get through to Disney or not yet.

So my update is not an update. Enough about me...


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That's so exciting that your MIL is on board with the trip - and wants to stay at AKL!

It is exciting! I hope that I can surprise her by staying the whole time at AKL. Unless she really wants to experience POR. Maybe just arrival night at POR or something??
 
That is super exciting your MIL is onboard!! I hope you're able to confirm your trip dates soon
 

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