A dream trip for a first timer

[marcielm]

I'm new to the Disboards, and I've read several TPR's, as well as TR's, and thought I would give this a shot. If nothing else, it will allow me to log all of my thoughts, etc. concerning this whirlwind planned trip we are taking soon!

To introduce myself, I am Marcie, soon to be 36 (on Sun... as a matter of fact!). I've been married to DH for 12.5 yrs, his name is Fred, and he's 37. We have four wonderful kiddos.
Our oldest... Aidan (DS) is 9. He's a great kid, very smart for his age, loves school & all things sports, despite being a very cautious child. I'm curious how much he will actually ride at WDW.
Next, we have Truitt (DS). He will be turning 7 in March... the first day we are at the parks to be honest with you! (probably the one time in his life he will be happy to have his birthday fall during Spring Break). He is my thrill seeker, and will ride anything & everything that he is going to be tall enough to get on. A child after my own heart.
Third is Meredith (DD), she is 2.5 and is just now starting to love her some princesses (btw, this trip isn't about her). She is shy around "characters" that we meet other places (like the cow at Chick-fil-a last weekend) so I am hoping an autograph book will help her enjoy this trip more.
And finanlly we have Corinne (DD). AKA Coco. She will be 10mos old when we take this trip (obviously this trip isn't about her either). I've had family ask if I was crazy. This sweet girl is the most laid back of all the kids, as the only thing she knows is "go, go, go!" As long as she has me, a place to nap, and the occasional bit of food of someone's plate, she's happy.

Our travel dates are to be Spring Break (like mentioned above)... with us being at the parks March 15th - March 20th. As mentioned above, Truitt got lucky enough to have his b-day fall during the week we will be there (or I got lucky, depending on how you look at it.)

My next post will be all about my desire for this trip, and how I've had it mentally planned for about 10 yrs now.

 

[marcielm]

So it all started waaaaaayyyy back when I was a kid. My parents took our family on a trip to California one year (I was 3 at the time). Part of the trip was a day stop at DisneyLand. I have memories of this trip: riding the dumbo ride, the carousel, Small World (which I always thought was the castle, seeing Snow White & the dwarves, waking up on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and being confused.

As I got older, we saw & heard about WDW, had friends that went, heard about the opening of "EPCOT", wondered what the big Golf Ball was all about, and begged to go again. My family never made the trip. I don't think my dad really had the desire, and we did so many other things for our family vacations.

When I was in college, I still wanted to go. At one time I worked with a girl who had been an intern at WDW the summer before. She spoke of the wonderful magic that was there, and made the yearning in me grow even more.

As time goes on, I get an occasional offer to go to WDW. The first was while DH & I were dating , his family was going to take the trip for his little sister (18yrs younger). They offered for us to go along with them, if we paid our share (around $1500). At the time, I had no where near that kind of money... I was a starving student! We passed, and I continued to dream.
Next, when DH & I got engaged, we start talking about honeymoons. I ask to go to WDW. He says no, we need to try to do something more cost efficient. His mom offers up a timeshare off property at WDW for us to use, he turns her down (what was he thinking?!?!?).
A third opportunity arose when DS#1 was 3 yrs old . My IL's were again taking a trip over Christmas, to take baby SIL for a Cheer thing . She had been selected to the All-American cheer squad, and it included staying at Disney. They told us we could go, if we could pay our way. Well, we had DS#2 (9mos) and no money (once again). My MIL offered to take DS#1 with them, to which I replied "I've never been to WDW. There is no way you are taking my SON without taking ME." Not to mention I wasn't going to miss seeing his face when he met all of his favorite characters. The lady is MAD I tell you.

By the time DS#1 was born, I'd had my trip planned thanks to a friend & coworker who is part of the DVC. She shared all the info and each little detail for every trip she took with me upon her return. She taught me about park hopping, DDP, character breakfasts, you name it. Sadly, I left that job about 6 yrs ago. She & I have kept in touch (she was one of the first people I called when I got this trip!), but it has left much of my info about WDW "outdated". While my "mental trip" has still got some good stuff for my planning, I am still feeling VERY overwhelmed with all the information & updating I need to do in such a short time.

Next post. THE BOOKING, and how it *almost* didn't happen.

 

[marcielm]

The BOOKING, and how it *almost* didn't happen...

Sometime around Wednesday Feb. 1st, I got a mailout offer from Disney for 6days/5nights, kids stay/play/dine for free starting at $795. I knew this was a teaser to get me to wish, but asked DH if I could call and see just how good the offer was. He agreed, and said we could use our tax refund to pay for the trip.

On Thursday morning I called, and found out that the price was even better than I had hoped. It included the hotel on-site, the 6 days of tickets, and the DP that included 1 table service meal (sit down dinner), 1 quick service (walk up counter) meal, and 1 snack. This is exactly what I had always planned for, so I asked for a price for 4 adults & 4 kids (this included my parents for the trip) and the guy came back with a quote right at $4000.

I called my mom & dad, only to be told that $2000 was way out of their budget, and the length of the trip was too long for my dad to be away from his work (he's self employed, and would've had to pay someone to do his work for the time gone). So then I call my IL's, and they can't come either due to my FIL's current health.

Fred tells me to call back & get a quote for just the 6 of us, and we hope we can get something for about $2500-2700 range. I call Friday morning elated that he has told me to call & book the trip, only to be given the best possible quote of $3000, for the week before my kids' spring break. For the week of spring break they quoted me $4200. I was crushed (the $4000 from the day before had already been taken & was no longer an option for me.) I literally closed my office door & cried as I called Fred & told him "I don't think this trip is going to happen".
As I spent Friday surfing the web for ways to do Disney (staying on property) cheap, I stumbled on mousesavers.com and then on a travel agency that specializes in Disney vacations. I contacted Small World Vacations (SWV) and hoped that an agent would get back to me with a great deal, then spent the rest of the evening sad & depressed (how pathetic am I??) that it all fell through. I was thankful that nothing had been said to the kids, so I wouldn't have to crush them as well.

Saturday morning I am still upset about loosing out on this trip. I keep asking DH if we can try for summer, but he isn't talking to me about it. He is thinking about doing something else for Spring Break, so I had taken the laptop with me to CFA (Chick-fil-a) to see if we could come up with another trip idea. I checked my email and a lady (Caylie) with SWV had told me that with my coupon code the best she could get me was the really high end resorts. I emailed her back, asking her to find me anything she could for my family of 6 around the $2400 price for lodging, tickets, & dining. I also asked her to try the same week with 2 additional adults, in the range of $3500-4000, thinking if my dad could swing $1000 then we could pick up the difference.

Monday morning I come into work with a best offer of $3300 for my family of 6 that Caylie emailed late Saturday night. It included 2 connecting rooms in a moderate level hotel (the same quote I had gotten for the $4000 back on Thursday). I asked her to please run the numbers with the 2 additional adults (knowing it shouldn't be much more) and confirmed that the price did include the dining. She emailed me back saying the price did include dining & that she was currently getting the newest rates from Disney.

About 20 minutes later she emails me saying they have opened up the family suites for the coupon code I've been trying to use, and that she is working on a quote for me.

20 more minutes go past, and she emails me with a quote for the following with a 24 hour hold:

Here are the details of your Disney Magic Your Way with Dining vacation package:

Check-in: Sunday, March 15, 2009
Check-out: Friday, March 20, 2009
5 nights/ 6 days
2 Adults
2 Children (ages 9 & 7)
2 Infants (ages 2 & infant) (Children under age 3 are not included on the dining plan)

Disney's All-Star Music Resort

1 Family Suite *

Magic Your Way 6-Day Tickets with Park Hopping
(NO Water Parks, Fun & More)

Disney Dining Plan Included
Planet Hollywood Meal and Keepsake Voucher (One per reservation)
Commemorative Luggage Tags (One per person)
Miniature Golf Voucher (One per reservation)
30 Minute Arcade Game Card (One per reservation)
Sea Raycers Offer Certificate (One per reservation)

The total cost for this hold was $2700. The cheapest quote I had gotten since the initial one that included my parents (who were now NOT going). Fred told me to book it, and the rest is history!

When I called Caylie to book the reservation, I had to leave her a message. I think I called her a Disney goddess. LOL She said that was a first for her, and it made her day. I was ELATED to give her my cc number and book this trip. I think she could sense my excitement over the phone.

One of the best things about this deal is the family suite. With us having 6 people, we were having to get 2 rooms each time we tried to book, when technically Coco would've been in the bed with us & Meredith would've been in the pack 'n play. With both girls classified as infants, I kept telling Fred that if we needed to take this trip NOW because after Sept. of this year, the price was going to skyrocket for us, since Aidan turns 10... making him an "adult" on tickets & dining & such, and Meredith turns 3 in Oct... making her a child.

The next couple of days were insane as I scoured the internet for ideas & tips. We are going to be driving (from Texas) , but it will save us a ton of $$. I also had to get ideas for my ADR, and see what would still be available booking 45 days out.

Next post, my ADR's & *tentative* park plan!

 

[marcielm]

Okay, so in summary this is what we have:

Party (all ages are "at time of travel"):
DH (37 -- been once as a child)
Me (36 -- only to DisneyLand at age 3)
Aidan, DS#1 (9yo)
Truitt, DS#2 (7yo)
Meredith, DD#3 (2.5yo)
Corinne... aka Coco, DD#4 (10mos)

Travel Dates:
March 15th - 20th. Truitt will turn 7 on the 15th.

Lodging:
A family suite in the All Star Music resort

Advanced Dining Reservations:
Sunday (late lunch): Coral Reef at 3:10pm - this is Truitt's birthday dinner. I would loved to have gotten Chef Mickey's... but hey, not to bad for 45 days before travel!
Monday (dinner): Tony's Town Square at 6:35pm
Tuesday (breakfast): Ohanan Breakfast w/ Mickey, Lilo & Stitch at 8:20am
Wednesday (dinner): 1900 Park Fare - Cinderella & Friends at 7:30pm
Thursday (dinner): Princess Storybook Dining at 6:35pm

I know I've said before that the trip isn't about the princess stuff. I wanted to be able to do this trip now for the boys, and come back again in 3-5 yrs for the girls. I knew if we had "waited" and not come now, that the boys would've HATED the trip in 5 yrs or so... all that "pink" & "princess" would've drove them nuts! We really just got lucky on the two princess dinners. When I booked the 1900 Park Fare, I thought it was for Mary Poppins & such like the breakfast & lunch. I was pleasantly surprised when they told me it would be with Cinderella. The PSD, I really wanted to eat at that location, and I know DH will be happy with the food selection we get there.

Park thoughts:
Sunday: I'm hoping to get up early, check in, and hit MK for a while before our reservation at the Reef. When I think "Disney" I think MK, and therefore believe it should be the FIRST park we visit (even if only for a brief time). After lunch/dinner at the Reef, I'm thinking about either staying in Epcot, or going back to MK for the extended evening hours.
Monday: I plan to tackle AK early for the EMH, and stay through lunchtime. I've heard to eat a CS meal at Flame Tree BBQ that it really good. I figure we can head back over to MK for the evening, so that we are there when it is time for the dinner res.
Tuesday: Sleep in until time for the breakfast at the Poly. I dunno, maybe we can catch the park opening at Epcot or MK before having to there, so we might try that. I plan to spend all day with Epcot.
Wednesday: Catch the EMH at HS. Check out Pizza Planet for lunch.
Thursday: Catch the MK EMH, have dinner at Epcot, stay for fireworks here (obviously).
Friday: Our checkout day. This is totally going to be a "play it by ear" type of day. I'm not sure how long we will stay, what our dining plans will be (if we have any "meals" left over to use) & so forth.

 

[marcielm]

New excitement added to the trip!!! We have friends that will be at WDW the same time we are going!

I just found out yesterday at church that another family also booked a last minute trip to WDW for the week of spring break. They are arriving a few days after us, and staying a few days later... but we will still be able to enjoy the parks with them for a day or two.

Our boys are still unaware of where we are going, despite each trying to get me to tell them, so they could keep the secret from the other. Yeah right... they are going to tell the other one as soon as they figure it out!

 

[marcielm]

The cat is out of the bag...

That's right. The boys know about the trip! And it's all MY fault!

I was excited to see that we could get soymilk at Disney while surfing the boards yesterday. Last night, I was in the kitchen getting DD#3 some milk (she only drinks soy), when DS#1 asked for some as well (he will ocassional drink it). After taking him a glass, I turned to DH and told him "Hey I found out we can get soymilk in the parks while we are at Disney". To which DS#1 replies "WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY!!!!" I turned to him and asked how he knew, and he told me "You just said it to Dad." DH laughed and said "Yep, you sure did!"

Well, the boys were very excited , and asked me to fill them in on all the trip details. I let them know about all of the ADR's we've got, told them about the room, and even that our friends were going to be there closer to the end of our stay. They did ask if I could changed Truitt's b-day dinner to the CP with Pooh & Friends. I tried calling WDW today, with no such luck. I put out a change post here on the boards, hoping maybe someone might come through.

 

[marcielm]

Shoes, orderd....

Several people have given us recommendations for good shoes to wear at WDW, so today I went online and ordered Crocs for everyone. I'm hoping they are delivered in time for us to get them good & broken in before we leave. I also plan to buy some new tennis shoes by this weekend, and wear them everyday before we go. I've needed new shoes for a looooong time. Nothing like a Disney trip to make it happen!

 

[marcielm]

Great news!!!

I was able to change my dinner reservations on 3/15 from the Coral Reef to Chef Mickey's for 5:10! I think Truitt will really enjoy this more for his birthday dinner, and I'm really excited.

 

[marcielm]

This past week it was crazy. Everyone had a stomach bug, which wasn't fun AT ALL. Luckily it happened before we left for our trip! Only this week to go, and then Friday night we are OUT OF HERE!!!!

I tried to do the Mickey Tie-dye. they turned out HORRIBLE. Mostly because I just didn't know how to tie-dye. I was very upset. Maybe even moreso when DH made the comment "Why didn't you just buy the shirts?" I wanted to reply "Because I initially asked you about this... and you told me to find the instructions and make them myself." Oh well. I've still got plenty of other shirts for everyone to wear, including the birthday hat Mickey's that they are going to wear on Sunday, for Truitt's birthday!

We've all got our new tennis shoes, as well as new Crocs. Meredith is in love with her Mickey Shoes, and wants to wear them all the time. We also picked up new shorts & shirts for all the boys, and I got a few new shirts to go with my new capris. We are getting close. A bit more laundry finished & then it can all go into the suitcases!

I still need to wrap up stuff, by getting the autograph books made up (one day this week), and start packing things away. I'm still searching for a stroller. After using my friend's double stroller, I'm opting to just take 2 singles and go that route instead. It was so much work to try and push the double everywhere this weekend.

 

[Grace and Mickey]

Hi
I have enjoyed reading your plansI'm glad you got a great deal

I love that you are going to be able to take your children when they are young, and see the magic through their eyes
my First trip was is Sept 2006, I was 51, it was all of my family, Hubby, dd#1 and dd#2 and sil##1 and #2. It was truly magicial.
I 'm look ing forard to hearing how your DD#1 likes your trip, We are going in Sept 2009 and taking our almost 3 year old grandson
Have a good day

 

[marcielm]

Thanks! I bet your grandson will have a blast when he gets there. DD is starting to get excited. I hope she isn't too scared of the characters!

 

[marcielm]

Last night we scored a great deal on a gently used Maclaren double stroller. After pushing a friends tandem around this weekend, I was thinking about passing on it & just finding a second single. Her stroller seemed sooo heavy!

I started calling resale shops & all the local baby stores, looking for a Chicco stroller like I already have (which I ) but had absolutely NO luck. They didn't even have them new in Babies R Us anymore.

One last call to a resale shop told me about a double they had. DH headed over there just in time for closing and bought it. When I got home from work last night, I strapped the girls in & gave it whirl. It is incredibly lightweight, and turns on a dime. I'm loving this!!!! Best of all, both seats recline (which my friend's front seat did not) so hopefully the girls can nap as needed. My oldest DS said "Mom, it's even red & black. Just like Mickey!!!" Ahhhh, a boy after my own heart.

 

[Mrsdisneyb2b]

The cat is out of the bag...

That's right. The boys know about the trip! And it's all MY fault!

I was excited to see that we could get soymilk at Disney while surfing the boards yesterday. Last night, I was in the kitchen getting DD#3 some milk (she only drinks soy), when DS#1 asked for some as well (he will ocassional drink it). After taking him a glass, I turned to DH and told him "Hey I found out we can get soymilk in the parks while we are at Disney". To which DS#1 replies "WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY!!!!" I turned to him and asked how he knew, and he told me "You just said it to Dad." DH laughed and said "Yep, you sure did!"

Well, the boys were very excited , and asked me to fill them in on all the trip details. I let them know about all of the ADR's we've got, told them about the room, and even that our friends were going to be there closer to the end of our stay. They did ask if I could changed Truitt's b-day dinner to the CP with Pooh & Friends. I tried calling WDW today, with no such luck. I put out a change post here on the boards, hoping maybe someone might come through.

Awwwwwww
I am just finding your PJ now! How cute thats so great though that theyfigured it out!!

Loving your pj so far!
~Jenny

 

[marcielm]

Thanks!

 

[marcielm]

Okay, so there is a bunch of "little stuff" that I HAVE to get done this week, and the sooner, the better.

1. make address labels for postcards - done
2. find Tru's birth certificate
3. make autograph books
4. buy SD card for camera
5. balance checkbook - done
6. set up "plan of action" cards for each park
7. cancel Coral Reef reservation - done
8. order cake for Tru's birthday - done
9. call hotel about saturday night late check-in - done
10. look for Chick-Fil-A's along travel route - done

I also need a list of my "BIG STUFF" that I have to do... but I can't even begin to write that one out right now! I'm going to try and update my little list as often as I can, and see if I can get most of these things done today & tomorrow.

 

[tiggersam00]

Love the TR so far! Too funny how you spilled the beans about the trip though, at least you all had a good laugh! It sounds like you will have ablast and your DS's B-day at Chef Mickeys will be amazing! 5 more days!

 

[marcielm]

Thanks! I'm excited to have the Chef Mickey's ADR. I can't wait!

 

[marcielm]

That's right!!
We leave sometime late tomorrow night. AHHHHHHH

Am I ready? Not in the least. I finished sewing M's Princess skirt last night, and I have all the t-shirt transfers set up & ready to print. I've got tons of laundry to do , not to mention packing in general. I've still got to get some things at Wal-mart.

I've decided to take tomorrow off from work as well. Which is good & bad... because now I won't have internet access to keep "checking my lists" and reading the DIS to see if there is anything else I've forgotten to do/add/pack/think about.

Tonight's biggest task is to finish the kids' "hat shirts" as I've been calling them. I also will need to put Cinderella on a couple of tees for M & C to wear on Wednesday, and see about decking out some pants (might be easier) or making another skirt for C to wear with her princess shirt.

Oh to already be home from work!!!! Then again, I've still got 2 things to finishe up here at the office before I can leave... I better get off the boards so it can be done!

 

[shordiebecka]

Everything seems so exciting! i can't wait to hear how your trip goes. It's going to be so amazing for you, especially since your family has wanted this for so long!

 

[marcielm]

Wow, what a wonderful week! We had so much fun, and perfect weather every day (I was even able to return the unused rain ponchos to Academy on Sunday ).

I'm going to be working on my TR, as well as trying to get some pictures of the highlights put in it. I'm ready to go back again, and DH has said we might just do it in 2.5 more years for our 15th anniversary (sans kids!).

I think DH had as much (or more fun) than I did. WDW definitely outdid his expectations, and he even admitted that he wished we didn't have to go home.