A Happy Anniversary in Disney without the Kids? No way that could be fun, right?

[Paparazzimama]

Yep! You heard right - we're going to Disney and leaving the kids at home! Do we feel guilty, you ask? Of course we do! Are we reconsidering not bringing them with us? Absolutely not! Now, before you get the wrong impression about me as a mother, allow me to explain: 1) I love my kids with every fiber of my being. 2) DH and I have been dating since we were 14, and have been married almost 11 years. 3) We haven't been on a trip without the kids since before we had them! So, please don't judge too harshly, but we are really looking forward to this time for ourselves. Oh, but I forgot to mention - we're not going solo! Allow me to introduce our cast for this trip:

Me: (Melonie) Lover of all things Disney and OCDTP (Obsessive Compulsive Disney Trip Planner). Constantly have a Disney trip in the works - even if DH isn't aware of it yet. As a matter of fact, I already have a trip being planned in my mind for after this one. So, enough about me . . .

DH: (Brandon) My husband of soon-to-be 11 years and my best friend in the world! Has become almost as obsessive as me about our Disney trips and is really looking forward to this adult trip. He and I went to Disney together on our Senior trip and that is the only trip we've made without kids - but, heck, we were kids!

Some pics of us:

And one of the kiddos:

DBIL: (Kyle) My husband's younger brother - He is a Staff Sergeant in the Army and is Military Police in New Orleans. I don't think he's all that excited about our trip, but is going along for his wife. I have a feeling that once we get to Disney and unwind, he will be very glad he went!

DSIL1: (Christy) Kyle's wife (duh) - She and I work together at a state agency, and pretty much talk ALL DAY about this trip! The last time she went to Disney was in March of '07 and she was pregnant, so she missed out on all the "action". She is REALLY excited about riding RNRR and EE. I'm looking forward to dragging her from attraction to attraction!

Here they are:

With their adorable baby boy:

And one of just him cuz he's so stinkin cute:

DSIL2: (Kim) My husband's younger sister - she was 7 when DH and I started dating, so we go WAAAAAAAY back! She's the little sister I never had, but always wanted, so she was subjected to all sorts of torture by me growing up. She is VERY excited about this trip as well! She and her boyfriend (you'll meet him next) spent 2 days with us at Disney the week before Thanksgiving '07 and they can't wait to go back!

DFBIL: (David) That acronym stands for "Dear Future Brother-In-Law" Atleast, I suspect that will be the case - he and Kim have been dating about a year and a half. His first time at Disney was that short little 2 day trip in '07 so he is REALLY looking forward to going back! It's worth mentioning that he LOVES swiss family robinson treehouse! I don't know why or what his fascination is, but the boy is ate up with it!

And here they are:

With my cutie-pie nephew:

And one of just him in all his mischief:

I know what you're thinking - "how does one girl get to have the 2 most beautiful kids in the world AAAAAND the 2 most adorable nephews in the world?" Well, I don't have an answer for you - it just happened that way!

Okay, so I will leave you here for a moment for you to decide if we're intersting enough to read about. Be back a little later with some details about our trip - the where, when, and why! Stay tuned . . .

 

[Paparazzimama]

Oh, so excited to find out that DSIL1 is on the dis now! Her screen name is "cellzey44" and she should be stopping by shortly to get acquainted. . .

 

[Paparazzimama]

Okay, so here are some details about this trip as promised in the first post:

Where: Disney's Pop Century Resort

When: March 4 - March 8

Why: DH and I are celebrating our 11th wedding anniversary on April 4th of this year, and knew that we wanted to do something really special just for the two us. (That was the plan last year, but ended up on a Disney vacation for the whole family - no complaints, though, b/c it was AWESOME)
Anyway, we decided that we were definitely doing it this year! We knew that a whole week away from the kids wasn't possible so we started pricing 4 day trips. Well, our anniversary is the week before Easter, and we definitely WERE NOT going then, so we started checking for possible dates in mid - late March. Then, like the week after we started trying to make some plans I received the highly sought-after 40% resort discount code!!!!!! The only March dates that it was good for were the 1st-14th, so we picked the 5-8 (Thursday - Sunday) and started discussing resort and dining options. From there, it snowballed into the trip it is today! Oh, don't worry - I'll give more detail than that, so be sure and stay tuned . . .

 

[mom_of_3_70737]

Great start!!! I can't wait to read more! I am so excited for ya'll! You're going to have a blast.....wish we were going with you! Maybe next time.....SO tell me when is this trip you are scheming about going to take place? LOL!

 

[Paparazzimama]

And just because pictures are always fun to look at, here are some pics of our previous trips (in no certain order):

 

[Paparazzimama]

Great start!!! I can't wait to read more! I am so excited for ya'll! You're going to have a blast.....wish we were going with you! Maybe next time.....SO tell me when is this trip you are scheming about going to take place? LOL!

Welcome, my friend! Okay, so we are thinking (Surprisingly, this was mostly B's idea) a 2010 trip with Deluxe dining again at a deluxe resort! Booking as much in advance as possible, so we can pay on it over a longer period of time. By that time, Bo will definitely be tall enough for RNR. Oh, but it has to be before November so Brooke will still be considered a child by their pricing standards. We haven't talked in great detail about specifics, but I'm sure that will all start when we get back from this trip! I SOOOO wish yall were coming on this trip, too! For old times' sake:

 

[cellzey44]

I am so excited!!!! FINALLY a disney trip I can enjoy! I can actually ride whatever my little heart desires and I won't feel like I'm going to pass out from all the walking!! Oh the joys of going to Disney and not being pregnant!!! I sure am going to miss my little man though. But we'll be going back with him before I know it!!!
4 weeks and counting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Paparazzimama]

I am so excited!!!! FINALLY a disney trip I can enjoy! I can actually ride whatever my little heart desires and I won't feel like I'm going to pass out from all the walking!! Oh the joys of going to Disney and not being pregnant!!! I sure am going to miss my little man though. But we'll be going back with him before I know it!!!
4 weeks and counting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You're here!!!!!!! By this time tomorrow we'll be saying "less than 4 weeks"!!!!! Please put in your input/thoughts on the trip! Oh, and any pics you wanna share, too!

 

[Paparazzimama]

I am so excited!!!! FINALLY a disney trip I can enjoy! I can actually ride whatever my little heart desires and I won't feel like I'm going to pass out from all the walking!! Oh the joys of going to Disney and not being pregnant!!! I sure am going to miss my little man though. But we'll be going back with him before I know it!!!
4 weeks and counting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and about your "we'll be going back . . ." comment - Brandon and I are already talking about a trip in 2010 . . . get my drift . . .

 

[Disneychix]

We'll be there also from the 7-10! I think I'm a lot like you. You'd appreciate my Excel spreadsheets and my DH thinks I'm too spolied too! (which is why we're going to WDW in March and again in November )

Happy planning and maybe we'll see eachother!!

 

[Paparazzimama]

We'll be there also from the 7-10! I think I'm a lot like you. You'd appreciate my Excel spreadsheets and my DH thinks I'm too spolied too! (which is why we're going to WDW in March and again in November )

Happy planning and maybe we'll see eachother!!

Glad to have you along! I'm definitely down with anything in the form of an excel spreadsheet, so I'm sure we'd get along! And there's absolutely nothing wrong with going on 2 Disney trips so close together - we were just there in September! I'm glad you joined in on the report. I hope it provides us all some entertainment while we count down the days until our trips - feel free to chime in your "days left" on this report whenever you need to let it out! (I know that feeling!)

 

[Disneychix]

We were there in September 2008 also. We seem to be on the same WDW schedule!

Do you have any ADRs planned? DId I miss that report somewhere?

 

[Paparazzimama]

We were there in September 2008 also. We seem to be on the same WDW schedule!

Do you have any ADRs planned? DId I miss that report somewhere?

We most certainly do! I plan on putting that in the next post today after lunch. What were your September dates? We were there the 11th-16th and stayed at Port Orleans-Riverside.

 

[mom2mek]

Hey Melonie! I'm along for the ride on this trip as well!

Too funny...I went to Disney with the whole crew a little bit after you (you went in Sept, we went in Oct - still trying to finish my report) - and now we are going back for a couples trip in May! Kind of spooky...I'm not stalking you, promise!

Can't wait to hear all about your plans. Shawn and I thought about March for our couples trip, but decided on May instead. Just the two of us (unless I meet up with a couple of friends who might be there over some of the same dates)! It will be a totally different experience, I'm sure!

Sara

 

[Paparazzimama]

Hey Melonie! I'm along for the ride on this trip as well!

Too funny...I went to Disney with the whole crew a little bit after you (you went in Sept, we went in Oct - still trying to finish my report) - and now we are going back for a couples trip in May! Kind of spooky...I'm not stalking you, promise!

Can't wait to hear all about your plans. Shawn and I thought about March for our couples trip, but decided on May instead. Just the two of us (unless I meet up with a couple of friends who might be there over some of the same dates)! It will be a totally different experience, I'm sure!

Sara

Hey, Sara! I'm actually reading your girl's trip report now that your friend Monica is writing - it looks like yall had so much fun!!!! I don't know about you, but I am so excited about our couples trip! And surprisingly, the kids weren't upset about us going without them? Of course, the first thing they said when we told them was that they would make a list of suveniers for us to bring back! You know your kids have been to Disney a lot when their wish list is broken down by park!

So glad to have you along for this ride friend!

 

[LISAMWDW]

I'm along for the Disney ride too!

Don't feel too guilty about leaving the kids at home! We do every year! We don't necessarily go to WDW every year but we do an adults only trip every year.

 

[Paparazzimama]

I'm along for the Disney ride too!

Don't feel too guilty about leaving the kids at home! We do every year! We don't necessarily go to WDW every year but we do an adults only trip every year.

Thanks! It really helps that they weren't upset about us leaving them behind. I guess 4 days with their Maw Maw all to themselves isn't such a rotten deal - her life's mission is to make sure they never hear the word "no" from her mouth!

 

[Paparazzimama]

I've decided that the default font makes me want to go to sleep so I'm going to try and remember to change it up from now on.

Now for some planning details . . .

As I said before, this plan started as an anniversary trip for dh and I, but we knew we would love to have some other couples along to share it with. Right off, we asked dh's sister, brother and sister-in-law and we immediately had their wheels turning. DSIL2 said that she and DFBIL would definitely be up for it and to count them in, and DSIL1 was dying to go, too, and didn't have to try too long to convince DBIL to commit. And I didn't realize this, but DSIL2 (remember, who was pregnant her last trip in '07) had not been to WDW before that! So, her only Disney experience were those 2 days that she hardly got to ride/enjoy anything. We will DEFINITELY have to make up for that this trip - right, Christy? So, not only are we celebrating 11 years of marriage, but we get to have a vacation with the bros and sis's. I think it's going to be great!

So, here are our plans:

Wednesday 3/4: We are all working this day but are getting off in time to be at the airport for 5:15p.m.. Our plane leaves at 6:25 CST and arrives in Orlando at 9:00p.m. ET and it's off to Pop Century via Magical Express! Oh, and we are retrieving our own luggage from baggage claim so that we can have our stuff when we check into our rooms for the night.

Thursday 3/5: The plan is to start out at Epcot and hit the big stuff - Soarin', Test Track, Mission Space, etc . . . We are planning to spend the afternoon at MK so we will grab a CS lunch somewhere along the way. That night we have an 8:30ADR at 'Ohana! If you read our last trip report, then you know that this was our absolute favorite restaurant, so we had to make this our first TS meal of the trip! Can't wait to take everybody there!

Friday 3/6: We are heading to AK this day. This is usually a 1/2 day park for us, but we haven't laid out any plans for the afternoon. DBIL wants to go to Disney Quest (which dh and I love) so it's very possible that we will spend it there. That night, we are hoping to eat dinner at the ESPN club. DH has been wanting to do that since our Thanksgiving '07 trip, so that's the plan as of right now.

Saturday 3/7: This is our HS day! We plan to FP and ride ToT, RNR, and TSMM ALL DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and we have a lunch ADR at 50's Prime Time Cafe for noon to take a break.

Sunday 3/8: We have a breakfast ADR for Donald's Safari Breakfast this morning, but other than that this day is unplanned. We will just decide on the fly what we want to do this day. Our flight leaves Orlando at 5:35 so I'm guessing ME will pick us up around 2:30. Only gives us a 1/2 day but we'll make the most of it I'm sure.

Also, it should be noted that we aren't all insistent on being glued together the whole time. It's understood and agreed upon that no one gets upset or their feelings hurt if anybody wants to part ways and do their own thing. After all, this is all of our vacations so we need to all get out of it what we want, right? Right! And we have parkhoppers so we plan on skipping from park to park and catch our favorites whenever we want as well. I guess in short - we only have 3 1/2 days to cram everything in so we're going to be running all over trying to make sure we get to do it all, and we'll deal with this when we get back.

And, as with any well laid out plans, these are simply jumping off points for us - there's no telling what we will actually do and in what order, so be sure and stick around for the report when we get back.

 

[Paparazzimama]

Okay, after re-reading my PTR from the September trip, I've decided that my introductions were much better on it. So, I copied and pasted it here for you to read. The only things that have changed are the ages and some of the job info for DH and I. Anyway, just thought it would be an interesting read to pass the time . . .

First Installment: Cast of Characters

Me: Melonie (29) – loves ALL things Disney! Always has a trip in the works (whether DH is aware or not) and never stops thinking of plans for the next trip. Could not function without Excel spreadsheets and does not like anything that I cannot plan and obsess over in advance and be in complete control over! Was a spoiled only child (okay, okay, so still am . .. ) and always got my way – much to DH’s dismay since (as I like to put it) “I was that way when he met me, so he knew what he was getting into and has accepted the responsibility to keep me in the lifestyle I am accustomed to!” LOL! Okay, so no flames – I am definitely a spoiled brat, but have coated it with a sweet and loving personality. Thankfully, DH does love me the way I am, and I want to say here that I love him with every fiber of my being! He is the greatest man I have ever known and it’s so exciting to think that after the blessing of 10 years of marriage, we still have so much to look forward to in life. Being married to him is what I cherish most in life (GASP! Yes, more than Disney World) and we enjoy the time that we spend together. In other news (read those words in the voice of Tom Brokaw), I work full-time outside of the home as a bookkeeper, but my favorite job is being a mother! I hope to one day have the opportunity to only work during the hours that my children are in school so I can have more time to enjoy them in the innocence of their childhood. (It’s in my 5-year plan! And, yes, that plan is in the form of an Excel spreadsheet!) Okay, so enough about me – I will talk about myself enough in the rest of this report!

DH: Brandon (28) – As stated above, he has his hands full putting up with me, but he does a fabulous job of it and spoils me and our 2 children to a point that is probably not healthy. He is a youth pastor and is an amazing man of God! He reaches teenagers in a way unlike I’ve ever seen before and they feel totally comfortable coming to him with their problems. He substitute teaches at the junior high and high school in our community and takes advantage of that opportunity to connect with his students and be completely involved in their lives. I guess you could say we have 2 biological children and 40-50 foster children that can be expected to pop by at any moment. (Our house is NEVER quiet!) As far as Disney goes, he really enjoys it, but is not as into it as I am. Actually, I think the only reason he goes along with me insisting that we go there every year is because he knows how much joy it brings me and the kids. Okay, so I guess it’s mostly me that gets so much joy out of it, but the kids like it too dangit!!! (Rant over) He hates my OCD planning of every detail and usually rolls his eyes at the sight of the “Disney Binder” (where I put the printed spreadsheets) but he amuses me for the most part and even pretends to look at it sometimes. Gotta love him! I think the thing he is looking forward to the most this trip is the fact that we are on the Deluxe Dining Plan and get to try some awesome restaurants that are paid for before we even get there. I hope to get him to comment during the trip report, because he has an amazing sense of sarcastic humor and is a natural riot!

DD: Brooke (7 ½ ) – I think this child may have the potential to follow in her mother’s spreadsheeting footsteps. I constantly see her making lists – people she wants to invite to her next birthday party, things she “needs” from Wal-Mart, party supplies, etc . . . An OCDP (obsessive compulsive Disney planner) in the making I do believe. She is in the 2nd grade and makes straight A’s – cries over any missed answers on homework or a test. She is everything I’d ever wanted in a daughter – beautiful, smart, sassy, confident, and compassionate. She probably spends too much time around adults, as I often hear her saying things well beyond her years. For example, the other night she and two of her friends were cleaning up the mess of toys they had made in their Sunday school classroom when I overheard her say to the others, “We should pray before we dismiss.” Too funny! When it comes to Disney, she is a roller coaster lover!!!! Her favorite rides are Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Expedition Everest, Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, and Space Mountain. She is a princess fanatic and is looking forward to eating in the castle again and also to having dinner with Cinderella, the step-sisters and Lady Tremaine. She will sit at the computer with me for hours watching youtube videos of the places we are going during our trip. See what I mean – OCDP all the way baby!!!

DS: Bo (5 ½ ) – This boy has the most personality of any one person I’ve ever met! In just a few words – all goodness, badness, sweetness, mischief, kindness, sarcasm, lovingness and comedian rolled into one little boy! He keeps me on my toes and has the entire family laughing all the time! He just started kindergarten and is self-proclaimed as the “smartest kindergartener”. I mean, the boy reads on a 3rd grade reading level, so I guess he is justified in thinking that, but we are trying to work on his inflated ego issues! Bo will do ANYTHING for a laugh and we are very worried about the phone calls from the school that we will receive this year. I should also mention that as much as he is comedic, he is very very tender-hearted. Any time someone is sick or hurting (physically or emotionally) he gets very upset and worries over the situation until he knows that it’s all over and everything’s okay. I just love this kid! In terms of his Disney personality he is up for anything! The only ride that he was unable to do last trip was Rock ‘n Roller Coaster and we are measuring him weekly to check his progress for this year. We have about an inch to go so we’re thinking of buying some heelies (without the wheels in) for our MGM day. He is going to be absolutely heartbroken if he can’t ride it. He is pretty much a go with the flow kind of child and will probably spend his trip going along with whatever everyone else wants to ride. Oh, and he is DEVISTATED that he has not gotten a Mickey Mouse stuffed animal on any of our past trips so he will be purchasing one as soon as we arrive to our resort!

There are actually 5 other members of our trip’s cast, but they have their own PTR, so at this time I will direct you over there for their introductions. So go over and meet my DBFF, Katie, and her family. We will all be traveling down together, staying at the same resort, and have most of the same ADRs.

We're Going To Disney, But It's Our Little Secret

And here are some more pictures of our family:

Wow!!! Just realized that DD has her lips closed in every smile in every picture! I promise she is a happy child - but since losing her 2 front teeth, she is a little self-concious about it.

 

[scottish mum]

You'll have a great time without the kids and it will do you good. Myself and DH just had 5 days together in disneyland Paris for DH's 40 th birthday and it was so good. We were able to ride whatever we wanted, didn't have to worry about making sure everyone was happy etc. It was a very different trip but very enjoyable. Do not feel guilty my kids had a great time with granny and were very spoilt .