A Very Merry Chirstmas Quickie!

[SweetMeg]

Hello everyone! I really don’t know how to start this thing, never done it before. I guess first of all, WELCOME to this pre-trip report, it won’t be as dirty as the title suggest I promise!

I have read (ok, ok…lurked on) many trip reports before, and I have been really wanting to create my own, so here goes! My boyfriend and I are taking our second trip to the World together for a pre-Christmas whirl-wind from December 5th –December 8th. I am so excited! This will be my third trip this year, almost a record. I should explain…I guess the best way to do this is the required Cast of Characters:

Me (Megan, SweetMeg): Disney lover since approximately sophomore year of high school. I had been as a kid, but honestly don’t remember much. I went as a member of the marching band during 10th grade and fell in love. I really thought that I wanted to be an architect (until at my college’s design school they showed me where they kept the cots!) and I loved the architecture of WDW. I spent Spring of my sophomore year of college at the World as a College Program participant (EPCOT Outdoor Foods and Wide World of Sports concessions and hawking) and then was a Campus Rep at my school. As a result, I was able to get CM prices for trips and spent a total of $126 for room and tickets during Spring Break with my roommates and $83 for room and tickets (including 2 nights at BW) for an after graduation trip with Patrick. I must say, full price hurts!

A little off the topic…but I would just like to add that today I passed the Series 7 General Securities Registered Representative Exam…kinda a big deal since it’s a 6 hour test required for my job (research analyst for a financial advisor firm)…I’ve been celebrating since dinner and am feeling pretty good as a result of my favorite wine being on sale at the grocery store!

DBF (Patrick): Almost Disney convert. Before our trip in May, he had only been once when he was 5, and was there for all of one morning (blasphemous, I know!). I’ve almost got him, after one AMAZING trip during his birthday week. Patrick is a student at NCSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and we took the Backstage Safari of DAK, which we both really enjoyed. I think he would be a full convert if we could have met an actual vet while on the tour and he had gotten to talk to them. (I was told we would be able to meet one when I booked, but it didn’t happen. Regardless, I recommend!) This whole trip is happening because he has some vet conference at the Gaylord Palms from the Saturday before to the Wednesday of this trip.

Now, since I was able to experience 5 wonderful months as a CP participant, I always feel like I am going home during trips to the World. I still remember the drive from Chatham Square to Backstage Drive, and all the shortcuts between parks. This will be my first time ever(!) relying on WDW transportation. I will probably come home slightly insane.

From reading many different trip reports, I have noticed that on my trips, I tend to do things different from many other dis-ers. 2 major differences are:

-1 park, open to close. No napping, pools, general rest & relaxation in the middle of the day! (This is most likely due to the child-free factor)
-1 park all day long. No switching parks mid day. This is because I hate loosing park time to transportation.
-CS is for lunch only TS if for dinner.
Note: This is subject to change on non-park days…mainly because I changed it around on a non-park day.

But enough with the differences, we all love Disney, right?!?

Ok…..so on to the Itinerary!

Wednesday, December 5th – I fly to MCO and meet Patrick at POP. Dinner most likely at Beaches and Cream and likely followed by a game of insanely competitive mini golf at Fantasia Gardens.

Thursday, December 6th – MK! ADRs at Tony’s and MVMCP. I have never done a hard ticket event, so I am beyond excited for this. Must sees include characters in all of their Christmasy glory, free hot chocolate and cookies and SNOW!

Friday, December 7th – EPCOT! My home! Mission Space (spinning, please!) followed by lots and lots of World Showcase. We want to see as many Santa story tellers as possible. Also, we want to try as many different types of alcohol as possible. It’s not like Santa doesn’t….how do you think he got that red nose and belly that jiggles like jelly? Also I can hum Illuminations from memory and often do, it will be nice to have back up.

Saturday, December 8th – Departure day . But not before visiting the Deluxes! Patrick and I plan on visiting the hotels on the Monorail loop and Epcot area, checking out the Christmas decorations and taking lots of pictures. Also, we are having lunch at Whispering Canyon Café , I don’t know how I missed this one during my CP! (Although I did dine at Artist Pointe twice). I know Patrick and I will love this, he loves cowboy/western stuff and I love him happy! We fly home around 8 pm (tear).

Note: This trip bought to you by the wondrous ExpoTV.com and SharedReviews.com. For more information please see the Budget Boards!


Note 2: I am not eligible to post pictures on the boards yet, for photos of our May trip please see http://travel.webshots.com/album/559147269pDBoAK.

 

[SweetMeg]

So tomorrow marks a very important part of our pre-trip status….2 weeks out! So what have I done to prepare….well, not much. (Sorry to be such a let down). So far we have our park dates and ADRs but other than that we are pretty open.

So far I have managed to create a shopping list. I know that I want to buy the following:
1) MVMCP Ornament
Patrick and I bought one from the Christmas Shoppe at DTD in May that says “Patrick & Megan 2007” with holly…it is the red Mickey head….the lady that personalized it made it gorgeous. I really want something nice from MVMCP to commemorate our second trip, and most likely the last one for a while.

2) Mickey head antenna topper. I don’t know why I love these so much. But I do. I want one. Maybe more.

3) Hats for Patrick and I to wear in the parks. I can’t decide if I want Christmas-y or Pirate-y. Should we just bring our own Santa hats? I feel like everything is more fun with Mickey ears. / ??

4) A new travel mug and coffee mug. My college program mug from 2005, which is one of my all time favorites, has completely washed out and is now a plain white coffee mug with a blue rim. So sad…must replace!

I think that is it. What am I forgetting? Is there any special MVMCP merchandise that I can’t do without? I need suggestions!

 

[SweetMeg]

I almost forgot to mention one thing.....today I received two books in the mail. Now why is this relevant? Well, they're Disney books of course!

At my office they hand out $20 gift certificates on your birthday, I and used mine to order the Imagineering Field Guides to Magic Kingdom and Epcot. I had told my self that I wouldn't read them until I was on the plane to MCO. What was I thinking????

I hope they're good ones.


What WDW books do you read before/during your trips to the World?

 

[MousekaMaddi]

hi Meg
great writing, cant wait to read more,,,,,,,,,
we just returned from two MVMCP and loved em both
go and enjoy!!
we brought our own santa hats so we could wear them more, figured we wont wear mickey ears while at home...........

 

[SweetMeg]

hi Meg
great writing, cant wait to read more,,,,,,,,,
we just returned from two MVMCP and loved em both
go and enjoy!!
we brought our own santa hats so we could wear them more, figured we wont wear mickey ears while at home...........

YAY! I'm so glad that you stopped in to say hello!

I am really looking forward to MVMCP, I'm sure it will be a blast. I think thats a good point on the regular Santa hats. Its probably what we will end up doing, although Patrick is kind of interested in the idea of a Pirate hat, so maybe we'll be pirates, or maybe just Mickey ears...or maybe...ahhhh too many choices

 

[SweetMeg]

I just wanted to drop in and wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.

I know that I have a lot to be thankful this year...I have healthy family members and friends, I graduated from college, have a job that I love, and am just very blessed.

Thanks for everyone that has been reading...feel free to say hello!

 

[princessreilly]

Sounds like fun! I'll be there too! Yay!

 

[SweetMeg]

Ok so since this is sort-of related to the trip I thought I might share.

If you know me, you know that I am blind as a bat. I have been in glasses since 3rd grade and was one of the youngest people that my opthamologist prescribed contacts to when I was almost 12. Come to think of it, blind as a bat may be slightly under-exaggerating.

So, earlier this month (the day before my birthday, actually), I got pink eye. I think it was from a trick-or-treater since I woke up with it on Nov. 1st, but I'm not sure. Of course I had to throw out my contacts, and about a week later when I finally felt brave enough to put them back I discovered that I had excatly one contact left.

Due to the fact that I was spending every waking minute studying for my Series 7 liscense, I didn't have time to even make and eye appointment, much less take time after work to go to a doctor. After that was Thanksgiving, and I have now been wearing my glasses for pretty much an entire month.

So today I finally make it to the doctor (a new one, since I can't make it to my parents home and my old doctor anymore), off the bat lays into me for not changing out my contacts once a month (ok...who doesn't stretch it out?) But when it came time to give me my new contacts, they were WAY to strong. Even if you have perfect eyesight, you know how you feel when you try on someone else's glasses, just to see? It felt like that. So they brought me down to my old prescription. This felt so much better than what I previously had, I thought that it had been solved. I went a head and paid for a year's supply since it got me a $100 rebate, and handed over the AMEX for $333 (the original price was $599! $599! I was barely there for an hour?!?)

Anyway, so I start driving home and low and behold...my right eye is so blurry I can't see road signs. My left eye seems perfect, but my right one is way off. This seems way off since 1)the prescription is the same that I've had for a year and its never bothered me and 2) my left eye is supposed to be the weaker one. I don't get it.

So of course they have some company insurance where for $28 you can get 3 bottles of saliene and replacement contacts and the option to cancel your order. And of course I decline since while I'm in the office I think I can see fine.

So now I have to call them first thing in the morning and beg them to let me come back in and pay the $28, cancel 1/2 of my order and get my right eye rechecked. I don't expect it to be very fun.

So if that doesn't work out tomorrow then I'm looking at spending next week at Disney with either 1 blurry eye or my glasses, which need to be refitted (they sit pretty sideways on my face) and drive me crazy in general. Also, if they won't let me pay for the insurance, I'm looking at a year of half blurry-ness, because there is no way I can pay for another eye exam anytime soon.

Sorry for rambling, this has just been very stressful and I needed to vent. As always, thanks for reading!

 

[SweetMeg]

So after a few months of not-so-patiently waiting....its finally time! I'm flying down to Orlando at 1 pm, should arrive a little after 2:30. Patrick is having friends drop him off at POP Century around 4. I can't believe that its time to go!