A whole new world DLR 1st time.. September 2014 PTR

[bellaally]

Once upon a time there lived a young lady and through out all of her childhood beg and pleaded with her wiser older parents to take her to Disney World. They took her on all sorts of exotic adventures to different country's in the Caribbean she has been to Puerto Rico,Dominican Republic, Peru, Mexico, Canada, Spain. She was very culturally diverged and experience many exciting once in a life time adventures.

But she was sad, she knew she was missing something. As much as her parents loved her and spoiled her. They didn't think WDW was worth taking there daughter too. So what did she do......

She grown up married Prince Charming, had two little princes and then decided its time to see it for myself.

They went for the very first time in December 2012, she fell in love with the decorations and with the whole experience so much so they got APs.

She had to take her sister to this magical place and in January 2013 the whole family went again including her older sister and her youngest nephew.

Then she took what she would say was the best trip by far.... In May 2013 she took her mother for here first visit where they got to drink tea in the gardenview room at the grandfloridian, and mom met Mickey for the first time. It was simply magical. Her mom looked at her and told her thanks for taking me on the most magical journey of my life with my grandchildren.


And they lived happily ever after.......

Well actually that's just the beginning. Hey you Disney loving person, you. My name is Alexandra and I am a recent converted Disney addict. I love WDW. I actually still have two more trips planned for this year. I will go again in October for 6 days to complete the TOT ten miler and introduce the world to my younger cousin. Then my hubby and I are going on an (cross-my-fingers) adults only trip in November.

But those my newly west side friends are for another tr all together. This will be an epic family adventure. This will take 458 days of preparation. We are going to California for the first time and we are going to the happiest place on earth.

Introducing our lovely cast for this epic DL trip

Ally-mom,me,Disney addict (25)
Favorite park: Animal kingdom (love the theming and who doesn't love animals)
Favorite ride: Tower of Terror
Favorite movie: LILO & stitch, princess and the frog, sleeping beauty
Favorite Pixar movie: toy story 3
Favorite WdW food: butterfinger cupcake from starring rolls
Favorite restaurant: ohana's

Jesse- dad,hubby, supporter of addition (27)
Favorite park: Hollywood studios
Favorite ride: thunder mountain railroad
Favorite movie:toy story 1,2,3
Pixar: same
Favorite wdw food: ohana's shrimp
Favorite restaurant: ohana's

Nicholas-eldest (2 1/2)
Favorite park: DHS
Favorite rides: Disney jr. Live,flight of Peter Pan
Favorite movieeter pan
Pixar: brave
Fave wdw foodretzel Mickey shaped, ice cream Mickey shaped
Favorite restaurant: tucker house

Jordan-baby (1 years old)
Favorite park: magic kingdom
Favorite ride: Winnie the Pooh
Favorite movie:LILO & stitch
Fave food: pretzels any




Now by the time we go the boys will be 3 1/2 and 2years old. I think these are the perfect ages to take them because ......I am paying

The perfect age is whatever age they are when your ready to take them. They have gone with me on 3 trips twice by plane and once 16 hr car drive and we are all still alive and accounted for. My boys are relatively calm and love the meet and greets so as long as the enjoy themselves whether it be meeting Mickey or playing in Casey jr water area for the whole day it's worth our money.


I am not worried about them remembering the trip we have a pretty decent camera and its honestly better now then when their teens and think all of this stuff is for babies.


So I am just compiling list things we want to do and see.
So far we have picked out September nice weather and lesser crowds. We would like to stay at the grand Californian for 6 days and get 5 day park hoppers. The rest of the time we want to visit la and do some tours and possible universal Hollywood. For that portion I am thinking about renting a vacation home.

We would like to spend a total of 10days there not include travel days. It's our first time to California so we want to experience as much as we càn without being to overwhelmed.

I am currently researching tours and areas to stay in LA. Reading fellow dissers trip reports to see where we want to eat at. I know it's extra early but I am just so excited and ready! To think I will be walking though Walts park gives me goosebumps. Any recommendations or must see or dos let me know.

 

[bellaally]

So I just realized I haven't wrote on this thread in forever. This is probably because I am coming off of my final (sadly) last trip to Disney. We had four incredible trips all in the span of a year. I have to say I'm in love with Walt Disney World. We have a big family trip planned for 2015. Thinking about that and it seemed too off in the distance for my liking....but I have never been to Disneyland.

So 2014 will be our first trip to Disneyland. All that WDW versus DL is silly. I mean I want to see the original happiest place on earth, where walt actually walked and come up with ideas for WDW. I want to see it all, I am still trying to get my specific dates down and get lodging information together. With nothing but time I have begun my extensive research and will be sharing my progress in planning.

 

[scrpbookr]

Can't wait to read all about your adventures!

 

[bellaally]

Sorry been very busy since we have an upcoming vacation to Florida. unfortunately we are not going to Walt Disney World time, instead we will be going to Universal Studios. I am really excited and hopefully we will get to try the new area Diagon Alley.

Now for news or an update on our Disneyland trip, I am so excited to annouce that I have signed up for the Disneyland half marathon which is on August 31 meaning that our trip will be a little earlier than anticipated but hopefully not that busy since it is during Labor Day weekend.

The way that I have work out the new schedule is to not go to Disneyland until the Saturday before the race. I'm thinking about cutting it up as we get there on Thursday the 27th and I have plans to do stuff locally around LA before actually going to Disneyland. I'm actually going into the park that Monday Thru Thursday and then back to LA for Universal and other places before going home on the 8th.

I have already book dessert inn and suites for the race. If any better rate open up for a DL hotel I would switch.

 

[scrpbookr]

Sounds like a great plan! Enjoy Florida and the CA planning!

 

[bellaally]

We bought our plane tickets yeah! I am super excited to have dates booked so now the real planning can begin. We are departing from Philadelphia via Southwest airlines on August 24 and coming back September 3. We got the tickets for a super cheap price I use points for my husbands ticket and my ticket costs about 250. We have chosen to leave the kids with their loving grandmother because we don't know how they're going to act on such a long flight. Also because we need some adult time I am perfectly fine leaving them because they are in the next best hands my moms. I know I still have a lot of planning to do since originally we wanted to go over the weekend but I have a feeling if we do that we will be stuck in a very crowdedDisneyland . It is Labor Day weekend after all.So I'm stuck between trying to figure out if going earlier in the week and then coming back for the race on Sunday. Lots of decisions lots of ideas. I still haven't even decided where we're going to stay and everything is getting packed up time to do some homework and get my head in the game!