A skeptical family of First-Timers take on WDW Nov 15-22** NOV 28 update

[FosterA]

How exciting! Your quick trip with your friend sure sounded busy and fun. You and your family are gonna have a blast when you return *and how fun - their 1st visit!!

We did the Illuminations dinner @ Rose & Crown - we loved it, DD was chosed to "start" Illuminations. Plus there's cute British boys there - I married one myself *not an Epcot employee Be sure to request that you sit outside *with a good view for the show - you'll do that when you check in for your ADR.

Well hello
Cute British boys, cool. Allison is totally boy crazy now so she'll like that!

what do you mean by "start" illuminations?

I can't wait!!!! so much is new to me too, especially World Showcase. I'm really looking forward to that, maybe more than anything else.

 

[FosterA]

So we have 48 days left to go Now that it's under the 50 day mark it seems surprisingly close!

A couple quick updates....I caved in and sent Disney the balance to pay off the trip. It wasn't due until Oct 1 and I guess I thought if I held out to the very last minute, they would offer some sort of discount for room-only. No such luck. boo hoo. I mean, like I said, I'm still thrilled because 5 of 7 of our nights are 40% off which is fantastic but I was just being stubborn and hoping they would release a general public offer or PIN that might just knock some money off those 2 straggler dates that I'm paying full price. Oh well....I figured the sooner I paid it off, the sooner the Magical Express and Mickey Mail could get processed and sent my way! I guess that will be the next highlight of my life....receiving goodies in the mail

In my last update I mentioned how my friends decided to hijack my vacation and book one too. Well....I've got more details on that. First of all, these friends are polar opposite in the planning department as me and they have NOTHING but a room booked. I'm not even certain if they have decided to drive or fly from Virginia! They booked a stay at a Silver Lake?? resort I believe. Anyway....the bad news is they are still going and will still overlap and somewhat infiltrate our vacation but the good news is that there will only be 3 overlapping days out of our 7. I sound so mean talking like this because we all do get along and these are great friends but ya know what I mean??? It's mainly my character flaw of being a push over and a people pleaser and I'm worried about ME changing my plans to fit someone else. It's not that these are bad people.
Well, the 3 days that we will be together are Nov 16,17,18. On the 16th the plan was to sleep in (doing the Christmas party on the 15th) and then spend a chunk of the day at MK and then go to Studios for Fantasmic. The 17th is just an all day at Studios with the Luau that night and the 18th is our Animal Kingdom day with getting to resort early to do laundry and rest! So....the 2 things on our trip I'm looking forward to the most (Christmas Party and Epcot) will not be tainted by having friends tag along. They will be there on the 15th when we fly in but I'm going to keep it on the down low and act like we aren't doing anything that night at all because I don't want them to get any ideas about going to the party too. I'm giving them the impression that our arrival day will just be settling in to resort and resting up for our first "real" day on the 16th. (even though we really get in at noon and will be partying like rock stars that night) haha I'm pretty sure they would not do the party anyway because they're on a tighter budget I believe. So in a nutshell, I think it will be ok as long as I can keep our first arrival day with the Christmas party with just my family. I want to sort of get the family immersed into the Disney mood before we hook up with them and that should happen as long as my friends stay unorganized and clueless. I have 4 ADRS planned for the 3 days they are with us and they haven't even attempted to make any yet.

In other news...I'm still forcing my family to watch Disney movies to prep for the trip So far we have done Lion King, Swiss Family, Peter Pan, Nemo, and Haunted Mansion. We've got a lot to still get in during the next 48 days! Dave is heading to Korea in a couple days so I'm going to need lessons on how to put movies into the blue ray or DVD or whatever player! That's right...He's got the "system" so rigged up and confusing that you need to be an electronic engineer geek to play a movie (he is one as a matter of fact). He'll be gone a month so he will luck out and not have to watch any movies but I'm going to retain the movie watching tradition with the kids. I still want to get Lilo and Stitch in (figure since we are staying at the Poly and that's sort of that theme) and we need to see Aladdin still and Little Mermaid.....the list goes on and on. I wish we had started this movie watching thing a lot earlier!! I'm pretty sure Allison has seen most Disney movies in her lifetime but Ian was never into Disney movies as a little guy. He was a Thomas the Train obsessed kid so he watched those over and over and over. I mean I'm sure he sort of knows all the Disney Characters from just seeing clips of things here and there and merchandise everywhere you look but I'm not entirely convinced that he's actually watched that many Disney movies from beginning to end ever. It's been pretty fun sort of getting him into it, even though he's 11.

More later!

 

[DisneyMomma81]

what do you mean by "start" illuminations?

I can't wait!!!! so much is new to me too, especially World Showcase. I'm really looking forward to that, maybe more than anything else.

One of those cute guys came to our table and asked her if she would help him with a big job *she was 6 at the time He took her *I followed* a few feet from our table and gave her a Mickey wand thing he told her when he got to one to wave the wand and something special would happen. He counted down and on 1 she did her thing and Illuminations started - she was in awe

 

[skier_pete]

STAY FIRM, AIMEE! STAY FIRM!

Do your friends at least know they have to buy park tickets?

 

[FosterA]

One of those cute guys came to our table and asked her if she would help him with a big job *she was 6 at the time He took her *I followed* a few feet from our table and gave her a Mickey wand thing he told her when he got to one to wave the wand and something special would happen. He counted down and on 1 she did her thing and Illuminations started - she was in awe

What a neat thing for a kid to get to do! I can't stand the wait....I really want to see Illuminations and really don't have a clue what to expect. Trying not to cheat and youtube too much!

STAY FIRM, AIMEE! STAY FIRM!

Do your friends at least know they have to buy park tickets?

You know...I'm not sure they've even looked into tix yet at all. I know a "hopper pass" has not even entered their radar for sure.

 

[joy13]

STAY FIRM, AIMEE! STAY FIRM!

Do your friends at least know they have to buy park tickets?

ROFL! Doesn't that just seem so strange to us obsessive planners! Aimee - don't alter your plans one bit to hook up with them. If they ask - tell them were you'll be - they can come to you if they want to.

 

[shan23877]

At least only a few days will over-lap. Have you thought about offering to try to get one of your ADRs changed to accomodate them? Then maybe you could offer to eat with them, just not do Disney with them? I'm sure they're dear friends, but when you've had your heart set on spending the time with your family alone, any thing less might feel like you're compromising the vacation you've worked so hard for!

Hope everything works out!

 

[FosterA]

ROFL! Doesn't that just seem so strange to us obsessive planners! Aimee - don't alter your plans one bit to hook up with them. If they ask - tell them were you'll be - they can come to you if they want to.

Thanks for the support with this situation. I pinky promise that I will not change A SINGLE THING to accomodate them. Honestly, it wont be too hard because they don't have any/zippo/nada plans for me to change to! I sent her an email with my exact itinerary of the 3 days we overlap and told her that's what we are doing and they are welcome to follow along, literally

At least only a few days will over-lap. Have you thought about offering to try to get one of your ADRs changed to accomodate them? Then maybe you could offer to eat with them, just not do Disney with them? I'm sure they're dear friends, but when you've had your heart set on spending the time with your family alone, any thing less might feel like you're compromising the vacation you've worked so hard for!

Hope everything works out!

Thanks! unfortunately I don't think it's possible to somehow tell them not to follow us around at the parks. bummer. I'm just going to be really firm and just tell them that our plans are set in stone and they are welcome to "follow along" but I put too much work into it to change anything. They are a very "follower-type" family versus bossy and controlling so they will be perfectly happy with tagging around. I think as long as I get to sit by my kids and enjoy the attractions with them, we'll be ok.
I'll definately keep everybody posted on how it all goes down when I do my trip report when we get back!!!

 

[skier_pete]

They are a very "follower-type" family versus bossy and controlling so they will be perfectly happy with tagging around.

Remember - "BAAAAA!"

 

[momabaarjo]

Thanks and

Oh and the family dinner/movie nights are nothing compared to Momabaarjo's! You need to check out her report, they do fabulous themed meals! I got the idea from her though my dinner/movie nights don't even compare. It's just that my kids are in the teen years (well one is for sure) and convincing them to sit down and watch a Disney movie isn't easy I've caught my daughter texting through most of them, my husband sleep through them....My son and I are the only ones that "really" watch the movies

You make me blush...but my movie nights no where near compare with Kari-B or Becc1!

Here is a link to the thread I use to gather ideas...

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1707141

I have to say that we try to sneak in as many Disney nights as we can when DH is not around!

 

[momabaarjo]

You know...I'm not sure they've even looked into tix yet at all. I know a "hopper pass" has not even entered their radar for sure.

 

[FosterA]

This is just a little mini update. Nothing too juicy to share. However I did some retail therapy today and bought a couple things for our trip. Now, we NEEDED luggage and a new camera anyway but of course there's no better time to make those purchases than before the big Disney trip
I am not necessarily a huge fan of the color red and didn't plan this all out, to having matching cameras and luggage Just happened to work out that way.

I love our old camera but it's pretty big and chunky and I hate lugging it around so we got this little guy. It's gonna fit perfect in my purse. yay! I don't do any of the technical research when choosing electronics since that's David's thing. However, he did some looking around and he thought this one would be good for me. Does anybody have one of these and do they like it? I also bought a big ol' 16 GB card so I can take tons of photos on the trip!
Here it is:

Oh and at Best Buy they had a deal for a free 20 pg. photo book from Shutterfly when I bought the camera so I can make me a little Disney book when I get home

And then...since our current luggage is ancient, I found this set which I love. Again with the red!

Oh and get a load of this. It will give you an idea on just how utterly clueless David is about our upcoming trip. I put this photo of the Poly up on my computer as a screensaver.

I have a pretty large computer screen and David walks by it all day long. Today I saw him looking at my screen sort of puzzled so I say "David, do you know where that is?". He goes "I don't know, where?". I'm like, "uh, that's the resort you chose for our Disney trip". He's like "oh, I didn't know there was water and a beach by our motel". What!!!?? I'm telling ya, you guys are going to love my trip report when I get back because this husband of mine has no clue what's going on so it's just going to be a blast to see what he really thinks of the whole thing! If you look back in my report here to the very beginning when I talk about how we chose the Poly, I basically talked about how David walked in one night while I was watching the Disney DVD and the Poly was being showcased at the moment he walked in so he said "oh, that place looks nice, let's stay there". He was drinking a huge glass of wine and probably not his first glass of the night so that's probably why he doesn't even remember telling me it was ok to spend xo%#%# amount of money on the place!
And then during lunch today I asked him if he was excited to see the cool fireworks at Disney and he's like "um, I'm a 39 year old man, I'm past getting excited about fireworks". Oh geez. He really thinks Disney fireworks are going to be like the redneck display every year down at our city park
So see, it's going to be pretty easy to impress my husband on this trip if he doesn't expect the Poly to have a "beach" or even water by it!

 

[skier_pete]

Ya gotta do those first fireworks smack-dab in front of the castle (between the end of main street and the hub) on that MVMCP night. His jaw will hit the ground, especially at the end when they fire them off from ALL OVER THE PARK.

 

[FosterA]

Ya gotta do those first fireworks smack-dab in front of the castle (between the end of main street and the hub) on that MVMCP night. His jaw will hit the ground, especially at the end when they fire them off from ALL OVER THE PARK.

Yep, that's the plan!!
I personally have always been bored by fireworks and wasn't expecting much but when I went on my one and only trip back in Feb, I stood smack dab in front of the castle (ez to squeeze in somewhere when you are solo) and I almost cried because it was so over-the-top and impressive with the crystal clear music and it was amazing. I'm sure hubby will have his socks knocked off too!
I fully intend to get right up front. It will be packed I'm sure but we can survive feeling like a sardine for 20 minutes or so.

 

[anne thomas]

This is just a little mini update. Nothing too juicy to share. However I did some retail therapy today and bought a couple things for our trip. Now, we NEEDED luggage and a new camera anyway but of course there's no better time to make those purchases than before the big Disney trip
I am not necessarily a huge fan of the color red and didn't plan this all out, to having matching cameras and luggage Just happened to work out that way.

I love our old camera but it's pretty big and chunky and I hate lugging it around so we got this little guy. It's gonna fit perfect in my purse. yay! I don't do any of the technical research when choosing electronics since that's David's thing. However, he did some looking around and he thought this one would be good for me. Does anybody have one of these and do they like it? I also bought a big ol' 16 GB card so I can take tons of photos on the trip!
Here it is:

Oh and at Best Buy they had a deal for a free 20 pg. photo book from Shutterfly when I bought the camera so I can make me a little Disney book when I get home

And then...since our current luggage is ancient, I found this set which I love. Again with the red!

Oh and get a load of this. It will give you an idea on just how utterly clueless David is about our upcoming trip. I put this photo of the Poly up on my computer as a screensaver.

I have a pretty large computer screen and David walks by it all day long. Today I saw him looking at my screen sort of puzzled so I say "David, do you know where that is?". He goes "I don't know, where?". I'm like, "uh, that's the resort you chose for our Disney trip". He's like "oh, I didn't know there was water and a beach by our motel". What!!!?? I'm telling ya, you guys are going to love my trip report when I get back because this husband of mine has no clue what's going on so it's just going to be a blast to see what he really thinks of the whole thing! If you look back in my report here to the very beginning when I talk about how we chose the Poly, I basically talked about how David walked in one night while I was watching the Disney DVD and the Poly was being showcased at the moment he walked in so he said "oh, that place looks nice, let's stay there". He was drinking a huge glass of wine and probably not his first glass of the night so that's probably why he doesn't even remember telling me it was ok to spend xo%#%# amount of money on the place!
And then during lunch today I asked him if he was excited to see the cool fireworks at Disney and he's like "um, I'm a 39 year old man, I'm past getting excited about fireworks". Oh geez. He really thinks Disney fireworks are going to be like the redneck display every year down at our city park
So see, it's going to be pretty easy to impress my husband on this trip if he doesn't expect the Poly to have a "beach" or even water by it!

I'm following too I am reading back to front cuz I'm late to the PTR Love the matching camera/luggage

 

[mom of princess]

I agree with an earlier poster, remember BAAAAAA. I had my in-laws along 2 trips ago and they were the sheep following my severely type-A DH; the only problem was that his dad kept disappearing? So we were nice (mistake #1) and kept stopping so we could find him - I say, if he gets lost it's his own fault for not walking faster. DH's mom kept up and she had her knee replaced the summer before.

Enjoy your trip even though your DH is... clueless?? The Poly isn't going to have a beach?? Good thing you got him to agree to spending the money after a few glasses of the wine - it should be pretty easy to get him to go back after drinking your way around the World Showcase.

Can't wait to read your TR once you get back!

 

[FosterA]

I'm following too I am reading back to front cuz I'm late to the PTR Love the matching camera/luggage

well....
If you go to my first page of this pre-trip report I managed to figure out how to do a table of contents that way you can skip right to the updates!

I agree with an earlier poster, remember BAAAAAA. I had my in-laws along 2 trips ago and they were the sheep following my severely type-A DH; the only problem was that his dad kept disappearing? So we were nice (mistake #1) and kept stopping so we could find him - I say, if he gets lost it's his own fault for not walking faster. DH's mom kept up and she had her knee replaced the summer before.

Enjoy your trip even though your DH is... clueless?? The Poly isn't going to have a beach?? Good thing you got him to agree to spending the money after a few glasses of the wine - it should be pretty easy to get him to go back after drinking your way around the World Showcase.

Can't wait to read your TR once you get back!

Yeah right...I got him to agree to 7 nights at the Poly after a couple glasses of wine, no telling what I'll get him to agree to after drinking around World Showcase
Yes...my tag along "guests" already know that they will be sheep. I didn't tell them that "exactly" in those words but I made it clear that I worked very hard on a plan and since they had zero plans that if we were to be together they'd have to follow us. She seemed fine with that, even grateful because she doesn't like to plan anything. I will have to warm them that they will need to invest in adult diapers also because there will be only scheduled potty breaks
p.s. where in the world did your father-in-law keep disappearing too?

 

[momabaarjo]

I LOVED MY POWER SHOT!

Notice the the past tense loved...dh thought I needed a fancier camera, so now I fill like I have to use the camera he bought me! But the little power shot takes GREAT pictures and you can't beat the size.

I might take an extra memory card, just in case the one you have decides to eat the dust from taking too many pictures...actually have had a new one not work 100 pictures in and I lost all the pictures. Always good to have backups.

I am not sure if this newer model of power shot takes AA batteries...if so get some of the photo recharageable ones (2 extra sets) and a charger...keep one set extra set with you.

 

[heathsf]

Oh and get a load of this. It will give you an idea on just how utterly clueless David is about our upcoming trip. I put this photo of the Poly up on my computer as a screensaver.

I have a pretty large computer screen and David walks by it all day long. Today I saw him looking at my screen sort of puzzled so I say "David, do you know where that is?". He goes "I don't know, where?". I'm like, "uh, that's the resort you chose for our Disney trip". He's like "oh, I didn't know there was water and a beach by our motel". What!!!?? I'm telling ya, you guys are going to love my trip report when I get back because this husband of mine has no clue what's going on so it's just going to be a blast to see what he really thinks of the whole thing! If you look back in my report here to the very beginning when I talk about how we chose the Poly, I basically talked about how David walked in one night while I was watching the Disney DVD and the Poly was being showcased at the moment he walked in so he said "oh, that place looks nice, let's stay there". He was drinking a huge glass of wine and probably not his first glass of the night so that's probably why he doesn't even remember telling me it was ok to spend xo%#%# amount of money on the place!
And then during lunch today I asked him if he was excited to see the cool fireworks at Disney and he's like "um, I'm a 39 year old man, I'm past getting excited about fireworks". Oh geez. He really thinks Disney fireworks are going to be like the redneck display every year down at our city park
So see, it's going to be pretty easy to impress my husband on this trip if he doesn't expect the Poly to have a "beach" or even water by it!

This made me laugh!! He's going to be totally floored - it will be great!

Sorry I've been MIA but I'm caught up now. So let me get this straight, when you told your friends that you booked a trip to Disney they just decided to book a trip at the same time as you, just like that??? Did they even ask if you minded if they stole your idea and crashed your vacation? (Am I being too harsh?)

I am like you...I am a people pleaser. But this is one time where you can't budge on your plans! Disney trip planning is too important (as we all know ). If you end up touring the parks with them and they suggest something that you don't want to do, just let them go do their thing. "Okay, you guys will have a great time doing that, maybe we can meet up later." However it works out, don't let them bring you down! This is your family trip that you've done an amazing job planning so don't let anyone stop you from enjoying it!

 

[FosterA]

This made me laugh!! He's going to be totally floored - it will be great!

Sorry I've been MIA but I'm caught up now. So let me get this straight, when you told your friends that you booked a trip to Disney they just decided to book a trip at the same time as you, just like that??? Did they even ask if you minded if they stole your idea and crashed your vacation? (Am I being too harsh?)

I am like you...I am a people pleaser. But this is one time where you can't budge on your plans! Disney trip planning is too important (as we all know ). If you end up touring the parks with them and they suggest something that you don't want to do, just let them go do their thing. "Okay, you guys will have a great time doing that, maybe we can meet up later." However it works out, don't let them bring you down! This is your family trip that you've done an amazing job planning so don't let anyone stop you from enjoying it!

Yay! I'll have to zip over and check out your report now that you're caught up. I try to take a look every day to see if anything new posted. That will give me something to look forward to tonight when I get off of work.