absolutmey
always planning another trip
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2013
- Messages
- 657
Hello! 
Just a bit of background, before we begin.
Well, as the title implies, I’m heading to WDW in April to run the First Order Challenge (10k on Saturday and half marathon on Sunday). I’d planned to take my trip solo, but April 2018 also just so happens to be my mother’s 60th birthday!
I had already booked my resort and given rD all my money for the Challenge.
I’d already checked out park hours and made daily plans, including ADRs. I’d already started laying out FP.
Then, this past weekend, I’m looking at the calendar and realize what a terrible daughter I am – I haven’t thought of anything to celebrate my mom’s upcoming milestone birthday! So I called her and asked if she had plans. She told me, “well, I really want to go to Italy.”
Really, mom? Your birthday is 3 months away. We’re not going to be able to plan a trip to Italy. I’ll remember you said that, though (because, EPCOT).
I ask her if she wants to come with me on my April trip.
Then she says, “you want me to come to Disney with you? To celebrate my birthday?” I say yes, but no pressure because I’m already going. I told her about my plans – running for two days – then touring the parks Mon-Wed alone.
So she says, “well, I’m off work that Thursday. Why don’t we stay an extra day and you can bring me home on Thursday?” I like the way this lady thinks. We’ll do a WDW trip together just fine.
We went to FL to visit my grandparents last year with my DS9 and detoured to WWoHP and we had a great trip. She’s real go with the flow and is totally fine letting me plan everything, trusting my judgement.
At this point, I was somewhere in between this (the way I look at guacamole):
Now, my mother and I have never been anywhere together alone. Which is the reason for the 2nd part of the title of this report. We weren’t very close when I was a teenager and we’ve had a few issues over the years, but as we’ve both aged, we’ve come to this strange understanding where we can have actual conversations … like grown-ups (go figure). I have grown to like her very much. I know that may sound strange but I didn’t use to like her at all. I thought she was weird and flaky and often wondered how I came from her. She is certainly quirky but she’s also cute, funny and we really get along well.
So, without further ado, here are the W’s for this trip:
Who: Me – Megan – full-time commercial underwriter for an insurance company (my day usually consists of insuring multi-million dollar transactions with jerks who want me to give them insurance for things that are illegal. I like telling them no); part-time graduate student; mom to my sweet, spunky and hilarious DS-10; wife to DH who works in the craft beer industry (I’m a beer snob, by proxy) and dog mom to two extremely adorable yet naughty beagles, Ahsoka and Bill. We live near Charlotte, NC.
Disney facts: likes Moana, Tigger
and Merida but loves Pixar (especially Disgust from Inside Out) and can’t wait for Incredibles 2.
Favorite rides: Space Mountain, Expedition Everest and PeopleMover
Here's me & DS from our trip last year:
Mom – Debi – has two children, other than me, and six grandchildren. Physical Therapist, by training, but has DJD (degenerative joint disease) on top of rheumatoid arthritis and can’t do the work she loves anymore. She is LITERALLY falling apart – she’s bionic in both knees, one hip, one shoulder, several fingers and two places in her spine. Mom is currently in a pain management clinical trial, testing out some cool new RA drug. It’s helped her quite a bit as she was in constant pain for years. I just don’t know how she (or anyone else with chronic pain) does it. I’m not a wimp but I don’t think I’d be a very nice person if I was always in pain and she manages to not only be pretty pleasant, but also positive about it.
Mom lives in Charleston, SC and I’ll be swinging by to get her on the way down to FL.
Disney facts: likes Tigger
but loves Stitch 
. Hasn’t been WDW since 1987!!! Here's mom from same trip last year:
What: a runDisney trip turned into a mom-daughter getaway
When: April 20-26, 2018
Where: We are (currently) booked into All-Star Sports, preferred room
Why: I’m running the First Order Challenge and we’re celebrating mom’s BIG 60th b-day!
Daily schedule posted next!
P.S. I like Star Wars memes
Exciting news to share: I just got my first AP this past weekend while at the Princess Half! HOORAY! 
that's about as dressed up as I will go. Is your wife trying to do a matching costume or something? That could be fun 
