A 4-Generation Vacation.. I hope!

[kristen584]

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Hello and welcome to my first ever PTR! At this point in time our plans are tentative but hopefully they'll become concrete soon!

In June I took my toddler to The World, alone! We had a spectacular time and shortly after arriving home I began to pester my entire family about taking a Disney family vacation in the near future. The sooner, the better, IMO. I was thankfully born into a family that loves to travel and we went to Disney World at least once a year from 1984-2002; those trips have unfortunately tapered off but now that my daughter is here I'm trying my best to revive the tradition.

When I broached the subject there were those who were excited (my mom, aunt and grandmother) and those who weren't so excited (my dad and brother - they aren't big airplane fans). At first I was quoted a date of January 2011, then February, then talk of Disney stopped altogether.

I'm not one to step aside when I have a fantastic idea laughing but I'm not a very pushy person either. I continued to drop hints and was given the go ahead just this week to start planning. Yahoo!

Tentative Dates: May 27 - June 2 for free dining.

I hope that some of you will follow along with my planning and I look forward to posting my plans here as well. Instant organization, anyone?

Next up: Meet the Cast

Table of Contents
Meet the Cast
Moderate, Deluxe or Off Site, oh my!



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[kristen584]

The Cast...

Me: Please don't mind the "taken in a car via cell phone" photo here. This photo was snapped after my first "Mommy" haircut and, well, I still look the same. My name is Kristen, I'm 26 and a single mom to the most wonderful little girl. I graduated from UCF in 2006 with a nursing degree but moved back to PA shortly thereafter.

Madeline: This would be that wonderful little girl I mentioned above. She was born in February 2009 and is a sweetheart whose current favorite person is Mickey Mouse! She is the absolute light of my life.

Auntie: My aunt ..wait for it.. MICKEY! Her real name is Catherine but she started calling herself Mickey as a baby and it stuck. She's one of the most brilliant individuals you'll ever come across and one of the world's leading molecular biologists. She's currently the Senior Director at Pfizer and the one who is funding our trip this time around.

Grandma: She'll be 77 next month and I pray that I age just as well as she has. She and my (late) grandfather opened a children's clothing store in the 1960's and not only does she still own the store but she also works there 6 days a week. She and my grandfather were the force behind all of my childhood Disney trips and for that I can't thank them enough.

Not pictured is my mother (something about, "don't you dare post a picture of me on the internet!" ha). And just for a fun, a photo of my grandfather, aunt and me shortly after we returned from my first trip in 1984, complete with mouse ears of course!

Next up: Moderate, Deluxe, or Off-Site, oh my!

 

[kristen584]

Moderate, Deluxe or Off-Site, oh my!

This "chapter's" title is a bit misleading. Within the span of about 10 minutes those of us going on this vacation discounted both moderate and off-site accommodation. The "go big or go home" mentality won since this will be our first family vacation to Walt Disney World in nearly a decade. We considered CR, GF and Poly but essentially decided on a Deluxe Villa instead. Where at? is still the biggest question. I spent the entire night last night retrieving price quotes and comparing the villas. That information was subsequently sent on to all of those going and right now we're trying to reach a decision. Listed below are our best options in order of current preference along with pricing (inclusive of MYW w/ PH and free dining).

Bay Lake Tower: The 2-bedroom suite here is currently #1 with almost everyone, and I believe that the access to the monorail has everything to do with that. I too would love monorail access but this is one of the smallest square footage-wise. Six nights for 5 adults and 1 toddler will run us $6,222.65.

Old Key West: The 2-bedroom, 3 bathroom villa at OKW is my personal preference. Why? The space! With 1,900 sq. ft. I think that this is the one to run with especially since we are all staying together. Sure, we'll have to take the bus but that truly does not matter much to me. Six nights for 5 adults and 1 toddler will run us $4,090.25. Perhaps I'm a little crazy but paying over $2,000 LESS for more room is just common sense?

Animal Kingdom Kidani Villa: This is another 2-bedroom, 3 bathroom villa and my brother's #1. According to him, if we stay here he'll go. Well, okay then! All of us love the look and feel of this villa but the location is the biggest cause for concern. Being an animal lover, I think my DD would adore it here but then again she'll be 2 when we go and I'm sure how much weight her "opinion" carries. Six nights for 5 adults and 1 toddler will run us $5,885.25. With only a ~$400 difference from BLT I'm sure this one will be crossed off the list shortly.

BeachClub Villas: Comparable to the rest, this villa also offers 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. No one has really talked about this other than to say "it looks nice" so I don't have much input on it. Six nights for 5 adults and 1 toddler will run us $5,783.85. I expect this one to be crossed off of our list first.

We'll be booking when my comes to visit from Boston in 2 weeks so there won't be a lot to update between then and now unless we reach a decision about the resort before then!

Next up: Airfare Costs What?