A lizard fell on my windshild-PreTrip Report-November PICS!!

[kadesha]

So I know my trip is still a long time away, but I've spent a large part of the day reading all of these pre-trip reports and completed trip reports, and I can't wait any longer. We'll be leaving for the most magical place on earth on November 20! We'll be staying at Pop Century for 5 nights. A lot of people don't like the Value Resorts, but we love them. I think they are so great for small kids!!

I'm fairly new to the boards, so I will first post some introductions now and pictures from our last trip soon, just so you can get to know us a little bit!

I guess I should start by explaining my title. My first ever Disney trip was August 3, 2006. It was a day trip to Magic Kingdom after a week long vacation at Daytona Beach. When we first passed under the "Welcome to Disney World" sign, out of nowhere, a lizard landed on our windshield. It was really weird, so I had to snap a picture. My first memory of Disney.

Ok, now I'll introduce the cast:

Hi! I'm Kadesha, and I'll be the narriator of this little journey! I'm 24 years old and have 2 beautiful little girls. I am a preschool teacher. I've been to disney twice, the trip I mentioned above, and a week long trip last May. I love Disney so much! I am truly obsessed. Everyone thinks I'm crazy, I kinda believe it sometimes, but then I get on these boards and see I'm not alone! It makes me feel better about myself!

These are the kids I mentioned earlier! We'll call them Cindy and Tink. They are Disney addicts too. DH says it's because they have to hear me talk about it and see pictures that I look at on the computer everyday. It's probably true.

Cindy is on the left. Her favorite character is Cinderella. Her favorite ride is Dumbo and Spaceship earth. She hates Haunted Mansion. She is excited about being tall enough to ride Splash Mountain this year!

Tink is on the right. Her favorite character is Tinkerbell. She is girly to the gills!! Her favorite ride is Haunted Mansion, she loves a thrill. We've not encountered a ride she hates yet, and probably won't. She's also excited about being tall enough to ride Splash Mountain. She asks me to let her watch the ride-thru on YouTube daily.

This is Mickey, the dog! And DH!!! The dog's name is Mickey for obvious reasons. Look how annoyed my DH looks, he gets so tired of holding the dog so I can get good pictures. I think we'll be bringing the dog along on the trip this year, so he'll be living in the WDW Kennels for a week. I'm sure everyone there will love him!

Well those are my introductions. I hope you all stick around to read my reports. I'll be working on posting a few memorable pictures from our trip last year soon!!

 

[kadesha]

Ok, so I'm going to post some pictures from our previous trips here. They're not in any kind of order or anything, just some pictures I like!

Our first ever family pic with Mickey!

This is one of my favorite pics ever!! They just couldn't take the magic anymore!

I had to get in on it! lol!

Another family pic.

This dang toy store always gets so much of our money, even though the kids are only allowed one toy each! We aren't even stepping foot in downtown disney this year!

Here's my girls being rope carriers in the Stars and Motor Cars parade.

So this has nothing to do with Disney World, but I thought it was cool that they had Disney potatoes! Of course I had to buy them! ;o)

Anyway, back to topic...

Here's my dh getting fresh with Minnie. She liked it...

Cindy after having her first haircut. (She had her face painted in Toontown the day before. I couldn't wash it all off!)

Tink after getting her first haircut! The Barber Shop on Main Street does a great job!

I just love this pic!

The cheesecake from Pop that I love SO much!

Like I said, just some random pictures to help you get to know us better! I may post more tomorrow, but I've got to go cook dinner now.

I'm working on a cute little planning notebook for our trip. I can't wait to show you guys what I've been working on. I downloaded the Disney script font onto my computer, and also some really cute Mickey Ears font. I hope the next few months fly by, I'm not good at waiting! lol!

 

[kadesha]

Ok, finished cooking for now. Thought I'd come and post how I'm planning the days so far. I'd love any input on the schedule or any of the dining reservations.

November 20: We leave around 3:00 am for the 8 hour drive to Orlando. I will keep the kids up until then so they will sleep in the car. This works really well for us. We plan on arriving around noon or maybe a little later. That's allowing us time to make a few pit stops. Anyway, we don't have park tickets for this day, but we do have MVMCP tickets for that evening. I figured the girls and I would explore the resort and play in the arcade while DH gets some rest. We'll wake him up around 5 and head to MK. We have no dining reservations for that day.

I have to plan the rest of the days carefully, as we are not purchasing the park hopper option this year. Seems like a waste of money for us. We had it last year, and only used it once.

November 21: Epcot has evening EMH. DH and I love to walk around world showcase after the kids have fallen asleep in the stroller. So we are spending the entire day at Epcot. We have a lunch reservation at Akhersus. I've never ate here before, kinda nervous about it. I've heard they have strange food.

November 22: The girls have an appointment at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at early that morning. I am so excited, they are going to LOVE this! We have dinner reservations at LTT. I've never ate here either, but it seems like food we will love, being from the south and all! We are using this day to make sure we catch the parades and fireworks, so we can go with the flow on our next day at Magic Kingdom and not be worried about staking out our viewing spots.

November 23: Our 6 year anniversary and DH's 32nd birthday! We'll be spending this day at Magic Kingdom too, because they have evening EMH's. The kids love Magic Kingdom, that's why we spend so much time there. We'll use this day to just go with the flow and not be on any kind of time schedule, except for our ADR at Crystal Palace for dinner.

November 24: Animal Kingdom. DH is really excited about this park, but I've yet to find anything all that great about it. I've not really been there too much though, on our last trip we just rode a few rides and watched the parade. It was really hot, there is so little shade there. Maybe this year I'll become more fond of it. We have ADR's at the Yak and Yeti for dinner. I've never ate here either, but have heard great things!

November 25: Our last day. Epcot is having morning EMH, so we plan on making it to that. We'll just do whatever the kids want to do until our ADR's at the Garden Grill for lunch. The Garden Grill is our favorite character dining so far! Shortly after that, we'll start the long drive home. *tear*

We are not going to DHS this year. The kids don't really enjoy it very much. We'll start going back there in a few years.

 

[Wannabe Belle]

Hi there

Your little princess are adorable!!!

And that is hilarious about that lizard.

I'm watching!!!

 

[kadesha]

Hi there

Your little princess are adorable!!!

And that is hilarious about that lizard.

I'm watching!!!

Thanks for the comment about my kiddos, we think they're adorable too!

I'm watching your trip report as well!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Sounds great so far!

I love the Values too. You are so right about them being great for little kids.

Totally love the sleeping stroller pictures. They are a classic. Don't know how much they will love you for taking them when they are older but hey, it's how we Mother's torture our children.

How old are your girls?

 

[irky416]

I am planning on reading through the whole thing when I get back from my trip, but I just wanted to tell you that the picture of your DH holding the dog and looking annoyed cracked me up!

 

[kadesha]

Sounds great so far!

I love the Values too. You are so right about them being great for little kids.

Totally love the sleeping stroller pictures. They are a classic. Don't know how much they will love you for taking them when they are older but hey, it's how we Mother's torture our children.

How old are your girls?

I have so many pictures of my kids sleeping! I think they are so funny! I'm going to be sure to put those stroller pictures on their "congratulations" page in the year book when they are seniors in high school!

People think I'm kinda crazy for loving the Values, but I really do. I think it's such a fun environment! We may stay in the moderates one day, but it'll definetly be when the kids are older!

Cindy just turned 5 and Tink is 4. Most people think they are twins, a lot of time we just go ahead and refer to them that way. lol!

 

[kathleen27]

Your girls are adorable!
I love the sleeping in the stroller pics.

That is so funny about the lizard. And crazy.

November 21: We have a lunch reservation at Akhersus. I've never ate here before, kinda nervous about it. I've heard they have strange food.

We had dinner here a couple of years ago. Some of us liked the food and some did not. Our server was really good, and took the time to go over everything and make recommendations. I didn't see anything appealing on the menu, but the server recommended something called Kjottkaker, so my Dad and I both ordered that, and we both liked it. It was some kind of meatloaf. My stepmom and my son ordered other things, and didn't like them very much. My daughter didn't really like it, but she is the pickiest eater in the world. They do have a cold buffet that comes with all meals. Cheeses, deli meats, salads. So, there would be that as well as what you order.

We had great interactions with the princesses, and that was why we went.

November 22: The girls have an appointment at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at early that morning. I am so excited, they are going to LOVE this! We have dinner reservations at LTT. I've never ate here either, but it seems like food we will love, being from the south and all!

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is amazing. They will love it!!!!
And they will get a lot of attention all day.

We went to LTT for the first time this year. It was a lot of fun. We were there at 5:15 and all the characters came around twice! There was a lot of food and different choices. I like CP better but everyone left LTT full! And we are going back in Sept.

 

[bettyann29]

Im in!!!

First of all.. your DD's are so cute.. I love the pictures where they are crashed out..

I think that is soooo cool that you have a furbaby with a mickey head on it..

We have stayed at Pop quite a few times and really like it.. I love the Values.. I've only stayed in a moderate twice and while it was nice, we just arent in the rooms enough to pay more.. so the values suit us just fine..

That is hilarious that the face paint wouldnt all come off

Cant wait to hear more..

 

[kadesha]

Your girls are adorable!
I love the sleeping in the stroller pics.

That is so funny about the lizard. And crazy.

We had dinner here a couple of years ago. Some of us liked the food and some did not. Our server was really good, and took the time to go over everything and make recommendations. I didn't see anything appealing on the menu, but the server recommended something called Kjottkaker, so my Dad and I both ordered that, and we both liked it. It was some kind of meatloaf. My stepmom and my son ordered other things, and didn't like them very much. My daughter didn't really like it, but she is the pickiest eater in the world. They do have a cold buffet that comes with all meals. Cheeses, deli meats, salads. So, there would be that as well as what you order.

We had great interactions with the princesses, and that was why we went.



Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is amazing. They will love it!!!!
And they will get a lot of attention all day.

We went to LTT for the first time this year. It was a lot of fun. We were there at 5:15 and all the characters came around twice! There was a lot of food and different choices. I like CP better but everyone left LTT full! And we are going back in Sept.

Thanks for the comment about the girls!

I didn't know that there was also a cold bar at Akhersus. That eases my mind a bit!! My girls are pretty picky eaters too, I'm sure with the princesses wandering around they won't eat much anyway. When we ate at CRT last year, we actually had to go get them some food at Casey's because they were starving when we left. There was just too much going on for them to eat.

We are really excited about BBB! I've read the entire thread that is on this board about it! I think it has over a thousand replies, and I have read it all. All of the little girls are so adorable! I just can't wait!

Im in!!!

First of all.. your DD's are so cute.. I love the pictures where they are crashed out..

I think that is soooo cool that you have a furbaby with a mickey head on it..

We have stayed at Pop quite a few times and really like it.. I love the Values.. I've only stayed in a moderate twice and while it was nice, we just arent in the rooms enough to pay more.. so the values suit us just fine..

That is hilarious that the face paint wouldnt all come off

Cant wait to hear more..

We aren't in the rooms enough to stay in a moderate either, even if that's where I wanted to stay. We leave in the morning and usually don't even come back midday or anything. DH and I like for the kids to go to sleep in the stroller, we get to enjoy the parks without having to jump on rides or be chasing kids. (and get those hilarious pictures!) It's just a time for us to have a relaxing walk around the parks and admire the scenery.

I think we'll be skipping the face paint this year, if the kids will let us get away with it!

Everyone loves our Mickey dog! I mean, who in their right mind wouldn't? I have some cute pictures of my kids with their mickey ears on holding him. I'm going to post one as soon as I can find it, I just have so many pictures and I'm not very organzied. The grumpy DH picture will have to do for now!

 

[kadesha]

Oh yeah, this trip is supposed to be a surprise for our kids. So if anyone has any cool ideas about how to surprise them, I'd like that!! Right now, I'm just planning on waking them up when we drive under the "welcome" sign. I'd like to spice it up a bit and make it more exciting though! Any ideas are welcome....

 

[rentayenta]

I am enjoying your report.


Are you sure you don't need a park ticket to get into MVMCP? Just checking.

I am debating not getting the Hopper option either. Last year we used it maybe 3x. I didn't find it a total necessity.

We love AK. I think when your girls are old enough to love it, you will too. I was totally ready to not love it but AK ended up being one of our favorites.

 

[kadesha]

I am enjoying your report.


Are you sure you don't need a park ticket to get into MVMCP? Just checking.

I am debating not getting the Hopper option either. Last year we used it maybe 3x. I didn't find it a total necessity.

We love AK. I think when your girls are old enough to love it, you will too. I was totally ready to not love it but AK ended up being one of our favorites.

Absolutely sure. : You can enter MK as early as 4:00 with just the MVMCP ticket.

I think park hopper is great and a good value if you actually use it. We just don't. I hate loading the kids up and driving or boarding a bus, it's too much of a hassle. With good planning, it isn't necessary at all for us.

I think I'll like it better when the girls get older too. I just had a rough experience there last year. The kids were aggravated and it was SO hot. We had a hard time finding shade. Plus, they were terrified of everything there because the first thing we did was It's Tough to be a Bug. I think they were traumatized by it!

 

[cjhinch]

I am totally with you on the Disney obsession, that noone else around me seems to understand! Oh, you find the random person here and there that gets it, but the DIS is definitely HOME!

Your family is gorgeous, and your girls are adorable! The picture of them sleeping is priceless!

We stayed at POP on our second trip, and we really liked it. The rooms are just too small for us now. My Mom came with us that time, and she had the room right next door. One of the kids would usually sleep with her, which made it bearable. I was totally impressed with the bus service! We never had to wait long for a bus at POP!

I have to agree on the Hopper decision. It is currently on my package for our trip, but I cruched the numbers, and we can save $250 by removing it from our tickets. We are only there 5 days, and 2 of them are definitely one parkers. We can figure out what to do with the other 2 days without the hopper option! Plus, there always DTD!!

BBB is awesome!! Your girls are going to love it! My DD was in heaven last time. We got the whole shebang, costume and all. This time, she is just getting hair and makeup, but I think she will love it just the same! Can't wait to hear how they react!

As for the surprising, if you read my last update, you will see my ongoing dilemma with that! Maybe we can brainstorm together and come up with some good ideas!

 

[kadesha]

I am totally with you on the Disney obsession, that noone else around me seems to understand! Oh, you find the random person here and there that gets it, but the DIS is definitely HOME!

Your family is gorgeous, and your girls are adorable! The picture of them sleeping is priceless!

We stayed at POP on our second trip, and we really liked it. The rooms are just too small for us now. My Mom came with us that time, and she had the room right next door. One of the kids would usually sleep with her, which made it bearable. I was totally impressed with the bus service! We never had to wait long for a bus at POP!

I have to agree on the Hopper decision. It is currently on my package for our trip, but I cruched the numbers, and we can save $250 by removing it from our tickets. We are only there 5 days, and 2 of them are definitely one parkers. We can figure out what to do with the other 2 days without the hopper option! Plus, there always DTD!!

BBB is awesome!! Your girls are going to love it! My DD was in heaven last time. We got the whole shebang, costume and all. This time, she is just getting hair and makeup, but I think she will love it just the same! Can't wait to hear how they react!

As for the surprising, if you read my last update, you will see my ongoing dilemma with that! Maybe we can brainstorm together and come up with some good ideas!

Thanks for the nice comments about my girls!

Don't even mention DTD to me! We can go for days in the parks spending very little money, but then when we go to DTD we're suddenly broke! I go crazy!! DH refuses to let me go back there! I kinda agree with him on it.

I just went and caught up on your report. The surprise thing is so vexing to me. I just want it to be perfect. I have these high expectations of how it will be, but there's always the possibility of it not turning out so well. (and the possibility of my girls figuring it out on their own)

I definitely agree that your trip this year is needed before your big family get together!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

We don't do park hoppers either. It takes a bit more planning so I joined TGM to get a look at his best days and made my ADR's around them.

We did BBB last year. It was great. I took my DD who was 6, my DS who was 8 and myself. My other DS was supposed to come but had a complete meltdown and we decided he should stay at the Hotel with Daddy and have a nap. We all loved it. It's good your appointment is early because we had ours for 1:00pm at DTD and missed out 4:45 LTT dinner that night. The BBB was really behind and busy. Could be because it was a P&PP that day.

 

[Lamandpercy]

Your dog is fabulous - where can I get one??

Enjoying your report, I am hoping to write my first ever trip report this year.

 

[kadesha]

We don't do park hoppers either. It takes a bit more planning so I joined TGM to get a look at his best days and made my ADR's around them.

We did BBB last year. It was great. I took my DD who was 6, my DS who was 8 and myself. My other DS was supposed to come but had a complete meltdown and we decided he should stay at the Hotel with Daddy and have a nap. We all loved it. It's good your appointment is early because we had ours for 1:00pm at DTD and missed out 4:45 LTT dinner that night. The BBB was really behind and busy. Could be because it was a P&PP that day.

I cannot believe you were there that long! I'm sure it was because it was a P&PP, but that is still ridiculous! Having an early appointment was priority for me. I wanted them to be able to enjoy the makeover all day!

Did you get something done there too? What do they do for adults, just hair?

Your dog is fabulous - where can I get one??

Enjoying your report, I am hoping to write my first ever trip report this year.

DH's family owns a kennel. They breed all kinds of dogs. This is where Mickey came from. He is a chihuahua. Many people don't know that chihuahua's can be any color other than brown. (I think the taco bell commercials have people brainwashed!) Mickeys parents have had plenty of litters since then, but there haven't been anymore born with those markings.

I know there is a golfish that has mickey markings! I really want some of those, but I can't keep fish alive for some reason!

http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/fishphotos/ss/livebeartour01_3.htm

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Did you get something done there too? What do they do for adults, just hair?

The do the same thing for all ages. I got the style with the tiara. I'm working on posting the pictures soon. FYI my hair stayed up for three days! That's how much hairspray they use.