Setting the Stage... Our Resort Choice!
We left off last time with
Goofy giving me a list of his top five resort choices for this trip. I had, in fact, asked him to narrow his list down to a top three but he told me that he was unable to do so and had come up with a pretty much even list of five. His choices?
1.
The Animal Kingdom Lodge our family's favorite WDW resort. We love the theme, the pool, the CM's (exceptional down to the last person), the vibe of the resort (very welcoming, earthy and friendly), the animals (of course!), the lodge itself, the activities, the food and the club level everything, the lounge. All are tops in our books. In fact, every person in our family rates AKL as either #1 or #2 on their 'favorite places to stay of all time'. For our family, it's a perfect fit!
Goofy would really love to enjoy another stay at one of his favorite resorts.
2.
The Wilderness Lodge the site of an amazing family vacation this past September and a resort that now ranks high on all three of our older boys lists. The pool activities, the geyser, the club level, the food offerings, the location, the details and the fireworks we could see from our balcony and the nightly lights on the water.
Goofy would really like to enjoy another stay at the WL, it's one of his favorites.
3.
The Boardwalk Inn is a resort that none of us have ever stayed at before. However,
Goofy thinks that the pool looks awesome and the water slide looks intriguing. The Keister Coaster looks like a whole lot of fun (freaky looking clown not withstanding). Along with enjoying the watery fun he would like the chance to catch some of the acts along the boardwalk. Also, we have never stayed at any of the EPCOT area resorts, it would be fun to explore the new location.
Goofy would enjoy a chance to try out a new resort that holds so much
Goof-appeal.
4.
The Polynesian was a resort that I think Goofy enjoyed more than anyone else in our family. He really got into the volcano pool, the tikis and he loved the torch light along the paths at night. The location is also one of our favorite at WDW. My family loves to be on the monorail line. Something about riding in a monorails makes us feel like we are really and truly on vacation. The food, the flowers, the fireworks and nightly light parade, the beach and the chance to try out the club level here for the first time are all good reasons to consider the Polynesian.
Goofy would really enjoy a chance to soak up the WDW/island magic.
5.
The Coronado Springs Resort is the final one on his top choices list.
Goofy has never never stayed at the CSR before but his younger brother,
Stitch, chose it as the place for his own birthday getaway this past March. After hearing
Stitch go on and on about how much fun he had, Goofy placed the CSR on his own list. Goofy is also a fan of the spitting jaguar over the water slide. I guess it shouldn't surprise me that the spitting jaguar is a hit with boys of all ages.
Although I am somewhat of a deluxe/club level girl myself, I too found the time spent at the CSR enjoyable and wouldn't mind a return visit. The theming there is outstanding, the CMs are friendly and helpful and the grounds were beautiful.
Goofy would love to be spit on by a jaguar.
There you have it. His top five choices. What is a planner supposed to do?
So many choices.
So many good reasons.
It was time for this planner to make a choice.
It wasn't easy, I can tell you that. I went back and forth and back and forth and then over it again. I changed my mind at least twenty times before coming to a final decision. With that made, I picked up my phone and placed the phone call that would book us at...
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THE BOARDWALK INN! The idea of giving him something to explore won out over returning to an old favorite.
Goofy still doesn't know which resort I picked form his list. Until the moment we pull up to the front gate of the resort, he will remain clueless....and I LOVE THAT!
Another surprise will be the day we are actually leaving.
Goofy knows that it will be within a month of his birthday...maybe not during his birthday month but within thirty days on either side. Basically, I bought myself a sixty day window in which to surprise him.
I love this combination of surprise and being able to look forward to his trip at the same time. He can help with inputing ideas about what he would enjoy doing and he can look forward to what is to come and yet most everything about the trip still remains a surprise. It's sort of like Christmas morning. You know you will be getting gifts, you know what you have put on your wish list and you know that some things off of your wish list will most likely make it under your tree and you know there might even be something you have never even heard of before awaiting you in one of your packages but you just don't really know what you will find.
It's a delicious mix of anticipation and surprise!
To top it off, the surprise departure date is sort of like throwing a surprise party into the mix because you know you will be having a birthday and sometimes even strongly suspect you will be getting a party but you just don't know when. I am having so much fun swirling those things together into this one trip for my little
Goof.
UP NEXT: Plans for day 1
My husband is also not a huge fan of Disney and would prefer to go somewhere else, but I keep winning out!
I can't imagine being able to keep everything so secret! Love all the resort choices, though, Goofy has good taste.
Great pictures of the kids! The plans sound wonderful so far. I love the idea of the half-surprise trip! 
