*4/10*GF Cafe & final thoughts* Dead Lizards & Deluxe Dining: A December Trip Report

[manntra]

Phew! I made it! I was hoping you would start soon!
I think that is a great picture of Lily and Courtney.
I am turning 40 this year...I wonder if my brothers will treat me nicely like you and your siblings! Yeah right!
As far as DVC...that is a hard choice...you have the BC with SAB and the walk to Epcot...but then BW is much cheaper---I think they expire around the same time...we know what Anita is going to say
BW= More points...more trips....
I'm not helping am I?
I guess as the old adage goes buy where you want to stay.
Since having DVC I have stayed at AKV 3x (my home resort) and SSR once. That being said...I like AKV for the atmosphere but I think I would be pretty happy anywhere.

Tracy

 

[jennJK]

woo hoo, I can't wait to hear all about it!!!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

They do say buy where you want to say....
But that said, just how many more points can you buy at BWI vs BCV?

 

[shannn]

They do say buy where you want to say....
But that said, just how many more points can you buy at BWI vs BCV?

At our probable price range there are resale contracts for this number of points right now:
(these are with at least 200 points but below our top end price

BWI 250-300 (there's 9)
BCV 200-250 (there's 3)
BLT 200-220 (there are 2)
OKW 270-310 (there are 5)
WL 270 (only one)
AKL 250 (only one)

 

[shannn]

I'm first! Yee Hah!

Yippee!!

here

Oh, I'm just waiting to get my very own illustrations!

Just read it and you are blaming me? Well Courtney should be thanking me....
That is a very cute picture of her and Lily!
I hope this is going to be an annual event!
Subbing to read more, Yes I forgot to sub.....

I'm definitely blaming you. I was just a mere Disney virgin thinking our every 3 years trips were enough before I met you! (notice the smilie.....virgin.....get it?????)

I'm here! Thanks for the PM!!!

yay!

I'm in!!!!

Oh, and I'm turning 40 in April. Ahem.

You wouldn't believe how many people have suddenly decided that I needed to know when their milestone birthdays were!!

I'm here!

I think that is a great picture, you can her I said so.

And you're doing the single digit dance too!

In!

Good to see you here!

Joining in!!!

Glad you're here!

I'm here too Shann!!!! Thanks for the invite and can't wait to hear how it all went down.

Yay!

OH! Did I make that first page for a change??!! YAY! Here I am and I love the premise for this trip. Can't wait to read all about it! Thanks for letting me know it was coming!

You're here and on the first page too!! Hope you brought some eggnog!

lurked on the last one and I hopped on over!!

Glad you decided to come out of lurkdom!

looking forward to enjoying your trip report this time around!

Glad you're here from the beginning!

 

[shannn]

yay a new shannn trip report!

If I can ever get my tired-back-to-school butt in gear to get it started, that is!

I'm here Shannon!! Can't wait to hear about your trip!!

Glad you're here! No cute matching outfits this time, I'm afraid; but it was fun anyway!!

How it REALLY turned out?? Now that's an intriguing lead-in!!! YOu have me hooked!

I love that you had such an amazing surprise planned for Courtney!! Drinks and a time to stroll- yeah, baby! That's GOT to be the life. I'm so there in Sept.

CAN. NOT. WAIT! to see how this trip turned out!

There were definitely some bumps along the way, but it was fabulous!!

I have to admit the surprise part was SUPER fun for me!!

Subbing on...

Glad you made it!

Phew! I made it! I was hoping you would start soon!
I think that is a great picture of Lily and Courtney.
I am turning 40 this year...I wonder if my brothers will treat me nicely like you and your siblings! Yeah right!
As far as DVC...that is a hard choice...you have the BC with SAB and the walk to Epcot...but then BW is much cheaper---I think they expire around the same time...we know what Anita is going to say
BW= More points...more trips....
I'm not helping am I?
I guess as the old adage goes buy where you want to stay.
Since having DVC I have stayed at AKV 3x (my home resort) and SSR once. That being said...I like AKV for the atmosphere but I think I would be pretty happy anywhere.

Tracy

Glad you and Ziggy are here, Tracy!

I'm going back and forth and back and forth on DVC! I just can't decide what I want to do, because more points is more trips! I haven't really considered AKV because of the location, but the pictures I've seen are amazingly beautiful!

I'm turning 40 next year, so I'm counting on people to start hinting heavily to my husband!

woo hoo, I can't wait to hear all about it!!!

Welcome!

 

[shannn]

I won't bore y'all with all the ins and outs of the trip evolving since that's what my PTR was for, but I will tell the biggest change that occurred. I promise there will be more action and pictures later!!

My 8 year old has been taking tae kwan do since he was 5. When we decided not to send him to Kindergarten on time, we enrolled him in TKD to help him with self-esteem, self-control, and focus. So, he was taking the final part of his 3 part black belt test in December. He has been so excited to become a black belt, which really is a major achievement at any age, but especially as young as he is.

His instructor makes a big ceremony of it, ending with dousing the kids in Hai Karate to make sure they "smell like a black belt." Morgan has been obsessed with the ceremony ever since the first time he saw it!

Well, the schedule came out and guess when the ceremony was to be? Yep, Saturday, December 19!!! I freaked but realized that I couldn't possibly miss this ceremony. I quickly called my friend who was renting me the DVC points. She was able to get me a room at Sarasota Springs for Tuesday night and waiting list for Old Key West. At this point, the plan was to leave either late Saturday night & go part way or Sunday morning and spend Sun, Mon, & Tue nights.

Here's some TKD pictures:

during his test

board breaking

showing he can move like a black belt during the ceremony

getting doused with Hai Karate

the new 1st degree black belt

 

[ladybugmom]

YAY Morgan!!! Congrats on the black belt!!!

 

[manntra]

Morgan!! Great job! Loved the one of him moving like a black belt!
Ooohh that's right...I think we both turn 40 around the same time!

Tracy

 

[Dizneydawn]

Freak and Frack...found it finally!

I love the pics you have posted and am so camera jealous you will never know!

Can't wait for you to begin your journey..but remember you can't tell about he title of my TR till I get there. It was a few days in for me but only the first or second for you!

I will call you tonight with Treyner's details!

Love you Mamacita!

 

[Native NYer]

Congrats to your son!!!

 

[Lady Lallie]

That is a great action shot!

 

[lmillercrew]

WOOHOO Morgan! Congratulations on such an accomplishment!

 

[shannn]

YAY Morgan!!! Congrats on the black belt!!!

Thanks!! He's been working for this for a long time!

Morgan!! Great job! Loved the one of him moving like a black belt!
Ooohh that's right...I think we both turn 40 around the same time!

Tracy

Yep, I'll be 40 in October!

Freak and Frack...found it finally!

I love the pics you have posted and am so camera jealous you will never know!

Can't wait for you to begin your journey..but remember you can't tell about he title of my TR till I get there. It was a few days in for me but only the first or second for you!

I will call you tonight with Treyner's details!

Love you Mamacita!

I won't tell! Things are so busy right now I haven't even gotten the chance to post anything yet!

Congrats to your son!!!

Thanks. We were very proud!

That is a great action shot!

I loved that shot. Sometimes when you just click and click you get lucky with a perfect shot in the batch.

WOOHOO Morgan! Congratulations on such an accomplishment!

Thanks! We think it's pretty impressive!

 

[jennJK]

Congrats, Morgan!!!! That is amazing!!!

My dh rolled his eyes at me when I pointed out that the cutie in the first pic is wearing sweet watermelon (something like that) from Gymboree.

eta- wait- that's your cutie. LOL!

 

[shannn]

Congrats, Morgan!!!! That is amazing!!!

My dh rolled his eyes at me when I pointed out that the cutie in the first pic is wearing sweet watermelon (something like that) from Gymboree.

eta- wait- that's your cutie. LOL!

Yep, that's my cutie, and I have the Gymboree Visa and the Gymboree Rewards membership to prove it! I'm definitely a Gymbo nut and I don't know what I'll do when she outgrows it!!

 

[shannn]

So, that big change made, our trip was back on. About a month before we were going, I spilled the beans and told him about the trip by giving her an Unofficial Guide. I had highlighted in the Guide all the restaurants we were going to and Old Key West.

Morgan's karate ceremony was at 10:00 AM so I got all my bags packed into my mom's Camry (better gas mileage plus she was getting ready to sell it so why not put some more miles on it first) and headed out to watch him get his black belt. When that was over, I went over to Courtney's house, picked her up, and we were out on the open road.

" Just can't wait to get on the road again.."

ahem....Sorry. Family tradition to sing that song whenever we get on the highway for a trip.... anyway

It was such an amazing feeling to throw my stuff into a duffle bag, grab my pillow, and take off without worrying about anyone else. I'm used to worrying about clothes for all of us, and bows, and matching, and and and..... I loved only worrying about myself. (As I break up a fight about a broken Pop Tart in the background....)

We had planned to drive at least as far as Valdosta Georgia which is about 3 1/2 hours from Orlando. That's about 7 hours from Knoxville. Since we got out of town about 1:00 that seemed to be a good distance to go. We set the cruise control and started driving. Once it got to be about 6 or so I asked Courtney if she wanted to stop to eat. She didn't seem very interested, so we kept on driving. (We had um....what all, Courtney? a big tin of popcorn and some kind of chocolate). We stopped for gas sometime around there and ended up getting something from a drive through. We just kept driving.

When we got to Valdosta, we both looked at each other and realized that we were in a groove. We kept driving. We made a new plan to get fairly close, but not to close because we though we could get a cheaper place to stay if we weren't in Orlando. About the time we got to a turnoff that said Orlando, the GPS told us to get off the interstate. Little did I know, Sam had set it to avoid toll roads. We ended up on some majorly back roads for sure!

Florida seriously is nothing but retirement villages. I can't even name the number that we passed. All of them, of course, had names like "Sunny Farm" and "Palm Villas", lots and lots of palm trees, and some seriously lit up Christmas decorated entrances. It looks like maybe we were on Highway 27. At least it was interesting to look at!!

We stopped at the Days Inn in Clermont Florida. We ended up with a room for $69 a night which I was fine with. The GPS said we were about 1 hour from Disney and we were ti-red so the price was right!

Here's a picture of our one-night lodging:

Actually taken the next morning, but I had to have some picture to put in this update!!

Coming up next: How'd you get that name for your trip report? and we finally actually arrive at WDW!

 

[Happydog]

How exciting that you are just a few hours away from Disney! Drum Roll PLEASE!!!!! Looking forward to seeing that!

 

[lmillercrew]

You gotta stop teasing us with these mini updates!! I would've been tempted to just keep driving, if you were only an hour away. Sometimes I snack so much in the car that when it's meal time I'm not hungry. I could never be a truck driver. I'd eat myself in a coma to stay awake!

 

[ladybugmom]

Whoo hoo!! 1 hour from Disney!! YAY! Can't WAIT to read more!!