You go so often, why don't you just move there? A Sept 2013 PTR- UPDATE 9/7!! Travel!

[beachphotog]

Or, a story of how I got laid off in the midst of planning a trip to Disney.
Or, I was going to move to Florida in January, why not do it now?

That's right. This is a story of how I was just planning a quick trip to Disney for Halloween that's turning into so much more!​

Who am I? ​

Well, I'm Susie, of course. Lover of the beach, coffee, and all things Disney. This will be my 8th trip to the World.

Like many of you, I was bitten by the Disney bug early on. My mom is a Disney kid and felt is was only right to indoctrinate me and my brothers in the Disney Way. However, it seems that I'm the only one that it really stuck with... Obviously, in my mind, there is so much more to me, which you will learn as we go along.

So, what is the purpose of this PTR? Well, let me tell you. I am a HUGE fan of reading trip reports and PTR's, so why not write one? Except, for some reason I had been super intimidated by all the amazing TR writers that I follow and comment on. But then I figured, this was as much for me as it was anyone else. Before I get into the full "Why's" of this PTR, let me give you some details of the trip.
​

Who?​

Well, you've already had the pleasure of making my acquaintance , let's meet the woman who is responsible for my Disney Addiction.

This is my mom and dad. My Disney traveling partners in crime. My dad is not coming with us on the trip, but he may pop up from time to time.

Let's focus on Beth (that's my mom). Like I said, she's been a Disney fan since childhood. As a matter of fact, when my aunt was born, my grandparents let my mom pick her name. My mom's favorite Disney movie is Sleeping Beauty, so naturally she chose Aurora. But, they didn't go for that. Next, she tried Briar Rose. Still no go. So she went with her second favorite movie, Peter Pan, and chose Wendy. Like I said, BIG DISNEY FAN! My mother is my Disney traveling companion, as no one else really seems to want to go as often as we do.
This will be my mom's 10th trip to the world, but she will be adding SO MANY more (which I'll get to later!)
​

When?​

We will be there from 9/11 to 9/16, although, we may add a few days in the beginning!

Where?​

We are excited to try out not one, but two resorts that are new to us! We will be doing a split stay with our first night at

OLD KEY WEST! (Photo courtesy of Allears.net)
and

The Boardwalk Villas!!!!!!​

I am most excited about this resort because of its proximity to the parks and also because, on our trip in '95 at the Yacht Club, we got to see them building it and I have wanted to stay there ever since!

See!!

How?​

2 things answer the how question, the first, we're flying there (and this will be the last time we will have to fly there!) Why~ foreshadowing!
And the other HOW? We're renting points from a DVC member through the rent/trade boards here on the Dis. I am a little nervous about it, as I have never rented points before and I just want to make sure nothing bad happens, you know??

So, there you go. Your introduction to our exciting trip! Stay tuned for more information, as there are less than 2 MONTHS to go!!!

There will be Dismeet plans, surprises, news, and updates in the coming weeks!

(Also, please bear with me... this is my first ever PTR and I am still learning the ropes!)

 

[beachphotog]

This post reserved for update links!

 

[4pmama]

I'm hooked!

 

[MommyTaraLee]

Yay!!! Or, boo.... My friend is leaving me.... But yay, another reason to come to Orlando!

 

[beachphotog]

I'm hooked!

Yay! Welcome!!

Yay!!! Or, boo.... My friend is leaving me.... But yay, another reason to come to Orlando!

It's happy and sad, all at the same time!

 

[Bellabully]

Subbing, I love how your Mom is your travel partner in crime. Hope me and my DD become partners. I am in the process of the Disney conversion of her enjoyment to obsession (like her mom). Can't wait to follow along on your adventure!

 

[beachphotog]

Subbing, I love how your Mom is your travel partner in crime. Hope me and my DD become partners. I am in the process of the Disney conversion of her enjoyment to obsession (like her mom). Can't wait to follow along on your adventure!

Welcome!
Yeah, Disney is definitely our strongest bond! And she's pretty great to travel with. Way to start now! I love it!!

 

[happybelle]

Joining in. What a great thing to get you hooked on...Disney is the best.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Well, I'm here, of course!!

 

[beachphotog]

Joining in. What a great thing to get you hooked on...Disney is the best.

Welcome, thanks for joining in!

Well, I'm here, of course!!

I'm so glad you are!!

 

[Nermel9]

I'm here!!! Great start, can't wait to read more!!!

 

[beachphotog]

I'm here!!! Great start, can't wait to read more!!!

Yay! I'm so glad you're here!

 

[TangledMama]

I'm following you over from Twitter and Instagram and I'm looking forward to reading more!!!!

We're also staying DVC (AKV-Kidani Village) for the first time in August - renting points from someone on another board. I'd love to stay at the Boardwalk one day. I'm looking forward to your awesome pictures.

 

[beachphotog]

I'm following you over from Twitter and Instagram and I'm looking forward to reading more!!!!

We're also staying DVC (AKV-Kidani Village) for the first time in August - renting points from someone on another board. I'd love to stay at the Boardwalk one day. I'm looking forward to your awesome pictures.

Oh, welcome!!!! I just checked out your PTR from earlier this year and totally recognized the pictures! AKV was one of our options but when we thought about how long we were going to be there (originally just the long weekend) we wanted to be closer to the action!

 

[beachphotog]

Hi, I'm Susie- I just started my first PTR and already screwed it up... I was going to do the reveals slower, but I got so excited, I couldn't help myself!

I mean, it's my PTR and I can do it however I want, right?!

So, how did this trip come about? I am so glad you asked! From those of you that follow me on twitter (@beachphotog) or instagram (@smk31) you may remember the TRIP. The one where my parents were there for my mother's birthday and I decided that I wanted to be in Disney so bad, that I flew down the same day and surprised her:

This was such a fun moment! I got to the airport, all while my mom and dad were driving to FL, got to ASMo, got changed, and made it MK before they did. I told my mom to call me when she got to Main St and I was going to surprise her. Except she had other plans. I was texting my dad the whole time trying to figure out what she was doing. And then I stood below the train station, at the Celebrate Today sign, watching her walk right by! See, she had MVMCP tickets for that night and needed to exchange the vouchers for tickets. While she was in Town Hall making the exchange, I found my dad, gave him my camera, and waited behind him until she made her way out. She walked out of Town Hall and stopped to watch the parade. C'mon, mom, I'm waiting!! Finally, my dad gets her attention and she makes her way over when

And for the rest of the day, she just kept repeating, "I can't believe your here!" Ugh, that was a good one. I won the birthday present game that year! (You know you guys play that with your family too, if you have siblings. Let's see who can give the best gift. Just us? Hmm.)

On this trip, my dad (Mike) had a job interview in Orlando for a job transfer. They offered him the position, but my mom was not ready to move. All her friends where in PA. Her children were in PA (even though we all are grown, we're a pretty close family) so, he turned the job down. This will be important later, I promise.

Here's a just because picture- just because this was such an awesome trip!

After we got home from this amazing trip, I started thinking about going back, because DUH, who doesn't. When LTM was announced (who has really been impressed with the offerings? Anyone, anyone? Bueller?) I thought they were all kinda lame, except one. The Villains Bash at DHS.

I brought it up to Beth (my mom, I'll call her by her name so I don't always have to type out my mom) and planted the bug. Maybe we could make a long weekend work. Maybe we could fly down late Thursday night, and leave on Monday, so that I would only have to take 2 days off from work. Then I started perusing the rent/trade boards on the Dis. I asked a lot of questions, I inquired for points with a lot of people, until I got lucky and found someone who had what I was looking for. So, I emailed him, and called Beth at 11:30 that night to tell her what I had done.

That was it, it was settled! We were going!

Only then, crazy stuff started happening at work. First, my boss was let go. No loss, he was crazy, but I worked directly for him and began worrying about the security of my job. Then, my pay changed, not really sure how, insurance, taxes, whatever. It was less. We started worrying that we wouldn't be able to go. Except, we had booked based on renting points. Non-refundable points. We had to figure out how to make it work.
Little by little, things at my job started getting worse. People were leaving right and left. I decided, if given the opportunity, I would too. Around that same time, I started talking things through with my brother (he's my roommate) about the possibility of moving to Florida with me. I hate the cold, I have severe Seasonal Affective Disorder (it's a real thing, and it's no joke), and I couldn't deal with PA anymore. The question became not, do we, but when?

Then, the other shoe dropped. I had seen it coming since I had gotten back from a long vacation in April. The work started ramping up for everyone else and slowed to a trickle on my desk. The new boss stopped including me in meetings. People stopped asking me to do tasks that were normally my responsibility. And then one day, I go into work. It feels different. Something was off. The vibe was all wrong, and I mentioned it to several close, trusted colleagues. They all thought I was crazy, but I knew it was going to happen that day. 2:30 that afternoon, the new boss calls me into his office with HR, and tells me that there is no more work for me and that my position is being eliminated. I was bummed, but like I said, I had seen it coming.

Sure I was sad for the first day. But then I realized, I can finally do what I have wanted for so long! I can move to Florida! Remember how I said that Mike had turned the job down? Well, they told him that whenever he was ready to move down, there would always be a position for him. What?? What?? So now, Beth and Mike are moving to Orlando! And Susie (that's me ) and Ed (that's my brother/roommate) are moving to the Rockledge/Melbourne area. For those who don't know where that is, here is a map with distance between where I am vs WDW.

So, now we're going to WDW in September! And moving at the end of September!

Wait, what? But that's so soon! Yup, we are going down this weekend to look at places. Mike and Beth have house appointments in Orlando and I have apartment appointments in Rockledge!

Stay tuned to more of the crazy tales of going to Disney and then moving there!

Oh, and because I rambled on for a while with very few pictures (hopefully you are all still here) here is a picture of my first trip to Disney in 1986.

That's me and my older brother--looks like Long Lost Friends week in 1986!

 

[sweetpeaandevie]

okay, I'm hooked

Wow, I am jealous! I can't wait to hear more about your trip and your move. It's so great that you are able to do it with family My father was military and I stayed near the base he retired from while my entire family moved elsewhere. I'm still trying to get someone to move back closer to me....

 

[Disney9.9.10]

Joining in! You and your mom remind me a bit of my mom and I. She is the one that started me off on my Disney obsession at a young age too! What an amazing surprise that was for her to see you at WDW!

It makes me so sad (and well, angry) to read so many reports about people losing their jobs. I got laid off last year as well, and it has been tough. I really like your plan of moving to Florida though, I should give that a shot!!

And SAD absolutely is a real thing. It is unfortunate that people don't think that it is. As someone who lives in Canada, I can say that I completely understand where that disorder comes from. I hope that Florida will be a better fit for you!

 

[beachphotog]

okay, I'm hooked

Wow, I am jealous! I can't wait to hear more about your trip and your move. It's so great that you are able to do it with family My father was military and I stayed near the base he retired from while my entire family moved elsewhere. I'm still trying to get someone to move back closer to me....

Welcome!!
Yeah, it's pretty awesome how it is all working out! And I'm glad that I won't be moving down there with out knowing anyone! I've never lived that far from family, so I can't imagine how I would do that!

Joining in! You and your mom remind me a bit of my mom and I. She is the one that started me off on my Disney obsession at a young age too! What an amazing surprise that was for her to see you at WDW!

It makes me so sad (and well, angry) to read so many reports about people losing their jobs. I got laid off last year as well, and it has been tough. I really like your plan of moving to Florida though, I should give that a shot!!

And SAD absolutely is a real thing. It is unfortunate that people don't think that it is. As someone who lives in Canada, I can say that I completely understand where that disorder comes from. I hope that Florida will be a better fit for you!

Welcome! Yeah, she pretty much had me hooked from infancy! And I wouldn't change it! She was pretty shocked, kept looking at me, trying to figure out how I managed to fool her!

Yeah, the whole job thing sucks. Like big time. My brother actually lost his job back in October and hasn't found anything here. He's coming with to Florida, so hopefully we will both have job luck...

Thank you! SAD really is no joke! Canada?! That's somewhere I like to visit, but couldn't see myself living there, because you know, cold, dark. I'm confident that Florida will be the better fit!

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

I love this story...it's my dream!
If you don't mind my asking, what field is your dad in? And are they still hiring?! (You know our job issues lately...sheesh...)
We totally get this "waiting for the other shoe to drop" feeling. We're still waiting.

 

[missx0xdelaney]

I'm totally following along! Not only will I be headed down the weekend of Sept 12-15 with my boyfriend, we are also planning a move to Florida in the spring! We're looking for places around the Orlando/Kissimmee area because we want to be close to Disney, and might possibly want to try to work there after we're settled. We're planning on transferring our current jobs to start with.