26 Birthday, A first timer, and they haven't been on a plane in 26 years!

[Cari&Tyler]

And that's us!

Hi and WELCOME!

This is my VERY first pre-trip report so hang on and I will try to live up to some of the great reports I have seen on here!

Trip Details
June 2-June 5, staying at the Caribbean Beach Resort

So, to break down the title

26th Birthday: ME (Cari, pronounced like Carrie, my parents wanted to be different, but that’s a WHOLE different issue ) I will be celebrating 26 great years on June 3! I am a sucker for celebrating uncommon birthdays such as 19 not 18, 22 not 21, 26 not 25, catch the theme? I went to school for Event planning, so trips like this are my forte. I like to think I can find the best rates, create the best itineraries, and create the most memorable trips. I want to eventually on my own event planning business, but that is sometime away. I have been over 6x to Disney World.

First Timer: The Significant Other, Tyler, 21. Just turned 21 on May 1! Wahoo! We wanted to celebrate him just a little bit too, thinking about taking him on “Drinks around the World” at Epcot! Any survivors on here? I hope he does... He is Chef, so the culinary aspect of Disney will excite him. We have several friends who have done the culinary College Program and some who are still there now, this will be his favorite. So, no pressure on me to get the best ADRs!

And now to the 2 who haven’t been on a plane in 26 year, my parents! (Referred to as K (mom) & B (dad) from here on out and ages to remain unknown for safety reasons). They both are worriers, time management freaks, and overall great parents They love Tyler as much as they love me! They have been to Disney MANY times and it never gets old to them.


Okay, so this trip was a very last minute plan. We booked back in March, when there was a pretty sweet deal going on. K&B haven’t been since 2003, I haven’t been since 2006, and well Tyler…newbie lol. Ever since Tyler & I have been together (2.5 years) I have wanted to take him, but he put up some resistance! I KNOW!!! Who could ever refuse Disney World?? Well ladies and gentlemen; I found the one who would! So, FINALLY I convinced him to go for my birthday, “for me..PLEASE??” I decided to ask K&B because they have done so much for me through the years and what better way to celebrate their love for me than a trip to the happiest place on earth? I think they were taken back with the fact that I even asked them to go…do they think I don’t love them enough to ask? Of course I do!!

So, since it is such a quick trip we decided to fly. Now, I have flown a few times, Tyler only once (on what he refers to as a puddle-hopper lol), and K&B haven’t flown since before I was born! So, I have to brief them on what the can and can’t do. B has gone as far as to measure his carry on to make sure it meets the specific requirements. They have been on the airport website, watched CNN, psyched themselves up and down about 10x. If we make it there it will be a miracle. I informed K&B about removing shoes at security, full body scanners and other measures to lessen the blow when we get to the airport. I put them on a row by themselves with my mom taking the window seat and dad in the middle. We are on the row across the aisle. Hopefully some of the anxiety will slack off, although knowing B we will have to arrive at the airport at 3pm for our 6pm flight (you will learn that he is a fan of arriving WAY too early)

Okay! So enough about us, onto the trip plans.

Travel Day June 2
As stated we are scheduled to leave Charlotte/Douglas at 6:00pm. I hope to arrive a little before 5pm. Charlotte traffic can be a pain at 5pm, especially the roads to the airport. I was trying to surprise K, B, and Tyler with a limo ride to the airport, but that isn’t happening, oh well, more money for Disney! We are scheduled to arrive around 7:40pm (great short flight for those in the party with travel worries ) We are taking the Magical Express to CBR. This is our first time riding the ME, heard great things for you guys on here. I plan on fighting for the front row seat so I can catch that magical picture of going through the gates (Sorry if you might be on that bus, I don’t mean any harm). We plan on taking the night easy, there aren’t any evening magic hours, ADRs, although I wouldn’t mine getting out and going to Downtown Disney. I’m sure K&B will stay back and relax after such an eventful day…haha.

My Birthday June 3
I have an ADR at O’hana for breakfast at 8:10 AM. I am looking forward to this and so is B. He is a breakfast man, K and Tyler, not so much but they better eat anyway! We have the Dining Plus plan, so this will take care of one of our TS dining credits. I am looking forward to scoring some pictures with Mickey too! Then we are heading off the Magic Kingdom, but not without getting my Birthday button and Tyler’s first visit button! K&B only ride certain things so we have to be sure to hit those rides up first. These include, Pooh (K’s favorite), Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain (K will hear a poncho, I promise to deliver a picture), BTMRR, It’s a Small World (B insists we ride last or he will sing the song the whole day), Pirates (crowd favorite), Hall of Presidents (B’s favorite, nap time for me and Tyler), Space Mountain, and PeopleMover (Although K&B are disappointed it’s not the WedWay PeopleMover anymore). We have a 2:10 ADR at The Crystal Palace, with K’s favorite characters. This was something K specifically asked for, so when I scored that ADR, I don’t know who was more excited. I have ordered a cake to be delivered to lunch starring my favorite Disney characters, Sebastian the Crab and Flounder the Fish, let’s hope everything goes according to plan (of course pictures). We plan on a QS Dinner, Wishes then taking FULL advantage of the Extra Magic Hours till 1 AM What a birthday!!!

Another fun Day June 4
Today is our Epcot Day! I have never ridden Soarin so that is the first stop! Test Track with thrill Tyler & B, I don’t think K will ride. I haven’t decided on Mission Space yet, of course we will ride Maelstrom, Living with the Land, Spaceship Earth, and all the good Epcot favs. We plan on a QS Lunch (Suggestions where?) and then we have ADRs at Le Chefs de France at 6:25. I have an OBESSION with all things France, so this is the perfect place for us to dine! Now, here is my dilemma, do we skip Illuminations and see Fantasmic? I haven’t seen it yet and they have scheduled a 9:30 and 10:30 showing this night. I think it might be worth it, what do you DISers say??

What do you mean I have to leave? June 5
Today is our HS day. First stop, duh..Toy Story! Then onto RnR, and ToT. This will be for me & Tyler, K&B will proabably sit the last 2 out. I dragged B on RnR last time we were there and he was nervous, it was too funny. I think he will probably let Tyler take the wheel on this one. K is not a thrill ride person. She would much rather venutre over to Starring Rolls and endulge in a cupcake Love you mom! Our flight doesn't leave Orlando till 7:10, so we should have a pretty good chunk of the day at HS. B will probably take in some of the Star Wars Weekend events, even though he proabably won't admit it. We are excited for the new updated Star Tours. No spoilers please! THANKS I haven't ever seen the Beauty & Beast live show, so I'm really looking forward to that.

When will we come back again?
So staying true to my event planner roots, I am already in the works on a Christmas 2013 trip for my ENTIRE family. We are talking over 30 people. So, I will have plently to keep me busy. Plus, Tyler & I are planning to cruise on the Disney Dream this Christmas or Christmas 2012. I hope that one day we can be like Reece Witherspoon and Vince Vaughan's characters in "Four Christmases", where they are constantly on vacation to avoid the family get togethers. HEY, a girl can dream right?

Please be assured that I will keep live updates going and plently of pictures and a detailed TR when we return. I hope this was just as enjoyable for you as it was for me! See you real soon!