PISCESANGEL
ILoveDisney!
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2004
- Messages
- 754
Im baaack! And if you read along with my first trip report you already know that I am a Disney-loving mom, but now Im planning a fantastic 6 night trip with FREE DINING, and Im ready to take all of you along for another trippie!
First, let me start by telling you how I became the Disney-fanatic that I am
It began with me living in Orlando when I was only six, and my mom worked at the Hotel Royal Plaza. At the time, there was a Michael Jackson suite and a Bob Hope suite.
The important part, for my story, was the Michael Jackson suite. This was during MJs Thriller days, and I was the girl with his poster on my wall, an MJ pin on my jean jacket, and absolutely every album to date, so I was super-pumped every time we went to the hotel.
I always loved the stories my mom would tell about him calling down to order his own room-service. 
So one night, we got the brilliant idea to go down and walk the halls of his floor, to see if we could catch a glimpse of him.
Imagine my surprise we did see him, and his whole entourage! It was a very cool moment. 
Well, the next day, or somewhere thereabouts (I was six, my memory may be a little fuzzy) my mom actually spoke to him, and he invited me and my whole family to go out to dinner with him!
Oh, we went all out and got new clothes and really got excited! But alas, before we go any further I will say, it was not to be. 
My moms boss told her that she was not allowed to mingle with the guests off-property or she would lose her job.
Looking back, I wish my mom wouldve told her where she could stick her rules, but my mom backed down. So, what does this have to do with Disney World you ask?
My parents thought of a very effective way of cheering us up. They took us to the MK for the very first time! In this case, it was certainly love at first sight and at the time I felt luckier than I have ever felt.
You see, we moved there from Ohio and it took a long time for my parents to recover from the costs and the loss of income when we were first there. They were both working two jobs and still didnt have a lot of money. My parents, two older brothers and myself lived in a 2-bedroom apartment. We literally lived on beans (and vegetables when we could afford them), and my brothers and I would wear hand-me-down jeans with holes in the knees. It was bad. But, this was the best day of my life! 
We never did get to go back again, and we eventually moved back to Ohio when my grandfather became very ill. It would be several years, until the love I felt for all things Disney would be awakened, but it was, and in a very big way!
Fast forward several years, I graduated High School, got married, my daughter is now 5 years-old. It is time to take her to Disney World. We only visit the MK as a side trip on our way to Clearwater Beach. It is wonderful, just as I remembered.
Then, I have my son and he is 2, and we take him and my daughter to the MK, as part of another trip. Are you sensing a theme here? We had never stayed on-property (nor did I have a clue what on-property even meant!) and we had never ventured into any of the other parks.
And then it happens- I pored over planning videos, books, you name it! And I found out that a new property was just opened called Pop Century, and we could actually stay there for about the same price I was paying to stay elsewhere (no, I don't sound brain-washed there do I?
). I watched the part in the video about Pop Century so much that when we we first turned into the driveway to check-in, I had tears streaming down my face. I couldnt stop saying, I cant believe were actually here!! And that was the day my love of all-things-Disney was born! 
Up next, how did this trip come about?
*************************************************************
Trip Report starts here:
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27411221&postcount=135
Day 1 - Is it time to go yet???
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27417800&postcount=141
Day 1 - Swimming and such...
First, let me start by telling you how I became the Disney-fanatic that I am
It began with me living in Orlando when I was only six, and my mom worked at the Hotel Royal Plaza. At the time, there was a Michael Jackson suite and a Bob Hope suite.
The important part, for my story, was the Michael Jackson suite. This was during MJs Thriller days, and I was the girl with his poster on my wall, an MJ pin on my jean jacket, and absolutely every album to date, so I was super-pumped every time we went to the hotel.
I always loved the stories my mom would tell about him calling down to order his own room-service. So one night, we got the brilliant idea to go down and walk the halls of his floor, to see if we could catch a glimpse of him.
Imagine my surprise we did see him, and his whole entourage! It was a very cool moment. Well, the next day, or somewhere thereabouts (I was six, my memory may be a little fuzzy) my mom actually spoke to him, and he invited me and my whole family to go out to dinner with him!
Oh, we went all out and got new clothes and really got excited! But alas, before we go any further I will say, it was not to be. My moms boss told her that she was not allowed to mingle with the guests off-property or she would lose her job.
Looking back, I wish my mom wouldve told her where she could stick her rules, but my mom backed down. So, what does this have to do with Disney World you ask?My parents thought of a very effective way of cheering us up. They took us to the MK for the very first time! In this case, it was certainly love at first sight and at the time I felt luckier than I have ever felt.
You see, we moved there from Ohio and it took a long time for my parents to recover from the costs and the loss of income when we were first there. They were both working two jobs and still didnt have a lot of money. My parents, two older brothers and myself lived in a 2-bedroom apartment. We literally lived on beans (and vegetables when we could afford them), and my brothers and I would wear hand-me-down jeans with holes in the knees. It was bad. But, this was the best day of my life! We never did get to go back again, and we eventually moved back to Ohio when my grandfather became very ill. It would be several years, until the love I felt for all things Disney would be awakened, but it was, and in a very big way!
Fast forward several years, I graduated High School, got married, my daughter is now 5 years-old. It is time to take her to Disney World. We only visit the MK as a side trip on our way to Clearwater Beach. It is wonderful, just as I remembered.
Then, I have my son and he is 2, and we take him and my daughter to the MK, as part of another trip. Are you sensing a theme here? We had never stayed on-property (nor did I have a clue what on-property even meant!) and we had never ventured into any of the other parks.
And then it happens- I pored over planning videos, books, you name it! And I found out that a new property was just opened called Pop Century, and we could actually stay there for about the same price I was paying to stay elsewhere (no, I don't sound brain-washed there do I?
). I watched the part in the video about Pop Century so much that when we we first turned into the driveway to check-in, I had tears streaming down my face. I couldnt stop saying, I cant believe were actually here!! And that was the day my love of all-things-Disney was born! Up next, how did this trip come about?
*************************************************************
Trip Report starts here:
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27411221&postcount=135
Day 1 - Is it time to go yet???
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27417800&postcount=141
Day 1 - Swimming and such...
Side note: Now, I don’t ever try to be underhanded but secretly I’m thinking, ‘wow, whatever we don’t use this time around would make the perfect excuse to go back, since we wouldn’t need to buy tickets the next time around…’ You get my drift? 
