**A YEAR in the Making of a Disney Trip-Sept. 2011**9/28 TR Link Added!**

[PirateKate]

I went online this morning to book my ADRs, and I got server error 500. It happened twice before I thought to switch from Firefox to Internet Explorer and then it was fine. I was just hoping Disney didn't kill my computer like it did yours.

 

[jenneth79]

The title of your latest update got my attention, and I'm now joining in!

You will be down there the same week we are... and you got some great ADRs I had similiar issues w/ trying to change an ADR awhile back, but at least it didn't kill my computer altogether.

Looking forward to hearing more about your trip.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

I went online this morning to book my ADRs, and I got server error 500. It happened twice before I thought to switch from Firefox to Internet Explorer and then it was fine. I was just hoping Disney didn't kill my computer like it did yours.

YIKES!! It must be the Firefox! I'm glad your computer is still alive.

The title of your latest update got my attention, and I'm now joining in!

You will be down there the same week we are... and you got some great ADRs I had similiar issues w/ trying to change an ADR awhile back, but at least it didn't kill my computer altogether.

Looking forward to hearing more about your trip.

WELCOME!!
Disney has got to do something about the online ADR system. It's great when it works, but when it doesn't...angry computer. And angry me!
I want to hear about your trip, too! I think we've picked a great week.

 

[jenneth79]

WELCOME!!
Disney has got to do something about the online ADR system. It's great when it works, but when it doesn't...angry computer. And angry me!
I want to hear about your trip, too! I think we've picked a great week.

Thanks! I was lucky this time around, since we're staying CL at YC, we were able to just send a list to the IP group and they made all our reservations for us.... that ALONE is worth the price of an upgrade to CL, I think.

I'm falling behind in my pre-trip report right now, but I hope over the next few days I catch back up. I'd love to have you read along and YES, we picked the perfect time to travel. Just hope we don't get a Hurricaine now that I've said that.....

 

[taylor91]

Yey, i'm happy to see you got all your ADR's. I've just read through all your PTR and I love it I loved all the tigger costumes and the princess themed room Looking forward to reading more... your trip will be here before you know it

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Yey, i'm happy to see you got all your ADR's. I've just read through all your PTR and I love it I loved all the tigger costumes and the princess themed room Looking forward to reading more... your trip will be here before you know it

Thanks! I think you've inspired me to go work on another update right now, because you're right--this trip is going to be here before I know it, and I'd better have it planned!

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Good morning, Good morning! It's been a while! Months, even. Our family has been busy growing up, I guess.

I'm going to get to our plans, but first, a quick life update.

We had a wonderful Easter and visited with lots of family. I am not really an Amazon woman, but I'm standing on a hill in this picture. Just be happy we're all in one shot together!

And here's a little shocker for you--I cannot stand to use the kids' nicknames anymore. I am easily confused, I guess, but I'm just over it. Nicknames and actual names are going to be interchangeable from now on. Sorry if that confuses you, but it helps my mental block; you're helping a crazy lady by learning both. Feels good, doesn't it?

Let's see how they've grown.

SAWYER (aka "Bubba," which is what the girls call him) is now 10 months old! He's cruising and doing a half crawl/half walk thing that makes him look like a gorilla. He loves to eat and talk and is still an amazingly happy baby.

BRYNN (aka "Bebo") has turned 3 years old! She's still wild, and her imagination is starting to match her energy level. She's just so much fun right now, although we all know that this can be a difficult age, as well. Yay, temper tantrums!

JULIA (aka "Juju," which we call her probably more than her actual name) is still 5, still brilliant, and still in charge, as far as she's concerned. She's excited about starting kindergarten in a few months, though I won't know what to do without my little helper around every day.

*********************************************************
FINALLY! Time for actual plans! REJOICE!
Or at least light applause? No? Mmmkay then.

Driving Day:
As I mentioned, Julia's starting Kindergarten at the beginning of August. Around here, our schools are on what's called a "modified year-round schedule." Basically that means that they only get two months off in the summer, but TONS of breaks during the year. We're going to Disney World on her Fall Break, not to be confused with Thanksgiving Break, cause that's yet another chunk of time off. Fall Break is September 17-25, and we're leaving on September 16.

That Friday, we are going to drop Julia off at school as usual. Hopefully she still won't know we're leaving that day. (She knows we're going in September, but not the exact day.) My MIL, "Mamie," which really is what we call her, will come over to our house first thing that morning so we can pack up the van. Around lunchtime, we'll all head over to the school to surprise her! SURPRISE! We're going to Disney!
Then the plan is to drive and drive and drive until we can't drive any more. I am hoping we get really close to WDW that night. In fact, I'd like it if we actually made it there, but if not, that's okay. We'll stay overnight in a random hotel wherever we decide to stop.

Day 1 Plans:
Wake up. That's usually a good start.
Quick breakfast.
Back on the road for more driving, if needed. If not, head straight to our resort, Pop Century, to check in.
It's likely that the room won't be ready, but that's okay. We'll have all our first day park stuff all packed and ready.

We've rented a double stroller for Sawyer and Brynn from Magic Strollers, and it's supposed to be delivered at 10:00. As soon as we can manage, we'll be checked in, grab the stroller, and head to our first park--
MAGIC KINGDOM!

I asked Julia which rides we'll do the first day. I've got her in training so that one day she'll be able to plan trips on her own! She knew right away which ones she insists we ride.

We're hoping to grab FPs for Splash Mountain first. Then we'll head to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and ride while anyone under 40" (still holding our breath to see if Brynn will make the cut-off) can play at the soft play area next to it.

Next, we'll have a CS lunch, probably at Columbia Harbour House or Pecos Bill's.

After lunch, we'll ride Splash Mountain (those of us who are tall enough), and then play it by ear until 2:00, when we have an appointment for...

BIBBIDI BOBBIDI BOUTIQUE! Both girls are getting the basic Coach Package and we're bringing our own dresses. This is our first time doing this, and I thought it would be a great SURPRISE for the first day. So magical to be in the castle being turned into a princess, as if they weren't already.

My kids have declared that the other attractions they must enjoy the first day are It's a Small World, Haunted Mansion, and Mickey's Philharmagic. I'm sure there will be several others we ride--we'll see what we can fit in that has little to no wait.

Hmmm...where does a princess go when she's all dressed up after having the royal treatment?

Why, Cinderella's Royal Table, of course! We have a 5:20 ADR. We've never been for dinner before, so this will be a fun new experience.

When we're finished, we might catch a couple of more rides or stop in some stores. MSEP and Wishes are happening that night, but I'm guessing we'll skip them and head back to begin unpacking and getting ready for the next day. We have to be up super-early on day 2, because we've got a date with some pretty important friends.

 

[Queenofallthings]

Great pictures of all of you! It's hard to keep a secret but so worth it in the end to see their faces! Your first day sounds great....I can't wait to see the pictures from BBB and CRT! Those are two of my favorite places at MK!!!

 

[hollybearsmom]

Really nice Easter photos.
Good day 1 plans, the girls will love BBB and how special to eat in the castle afterwards. That is a great start to your trip!

 

[taylor91]

Yey, i'm happy to see I prompted another post I love all your photos of your kids, they look so professional, did you take them yourself?
I bet you can wait to surprise Julia, I bet she will be over the moon...especially with your plans for day 1...BBB and dinner in the castle... wow Looking forward to day two

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Great pictures of all of you! It's hard to keep a secret but so worth it in the end to see their faces! Your first day sounds great....I can't wait to see the pictures from BBB and CRT! Those are two of my favorite places at MK!!!

It IS hard to keep a secret...especially from a sneaky 5 year old who loves to check my calendar and computer! I hope it remains a secret, but even if not, we'll have fun. Fingers crossed!

Really nice Easter photos.
Good day 1 plans, the girls will love BBB and how special to eat in the castle afterwards. That is a great start to your trip!

I hope they love it. I know it's not something they're expecting. And, hey, I might not have to deal with their hair for at least a day.

Yey, i'm happy to see I prompted another post I love all your photos of your kids, they look so professional, did you take them yourself?
I bet you can wait to surprise Julia, I bet she will be over the moon...especially with your plans for day 1...BBB and dinner in the castle... wow Looking forward to day two

Yes, you did! All the photos were taken by my husband, except for the family one, of course. That was my sister-in-law. I really can't wait to surprise her...plus, there's the added bonus of not having her constantly asking if it's time yet!!

 

[TinyDancer]

Love the pics and the first day plan update!

We only get a little over 2 months out for summer break here also, but no fall break.

I love that you are surprising Julia at school! THat will be SO much fun!!

BTW, I love the kiddos' names, and if my next one is a boy he will be Sawyer.

I can't wait to hear all about BBB and CRT. Those are must do's for my next trip also!

 

[KELLY]

We will be there the same time at pop. Our dates are 9/17 to 9/26. We will probably do MNSSHP on the 23rd. We are on the QSDP so we don't really have to be stuck to a certain date for the party. We do have a TS meal schedlued for Tusker house breakfest and T-rex. I wanted Arkshurs but the girls wanted t-rex and PL. So no BBB this year. We also love pop this will be our 3rd stay with free dining. We did the QSDP last year and we really liked it. So we are going to stick with it again this year. We were actually booked with a BB offer last year for FD the regular plan but went to the QSDP when the GP offer came out. Looks like our girls are the same age.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Love the pics and the first day plan update!

We only get a little over 2 months out for summer break here also, but no fall break.

I love that you are surprising Julia at school! THat will be SO much fun!!

BTW, I love the kiddos' names, and if my next one is a boy he will be Sawyer.

I can't wait to hear all about BBB and CRT. Those are must do's for my next trip also!

It would be great to have another Sawyer around! When do you get the gender ultrasound? You have to keep me updated! What are you thinking if it's a girl?

We will be there the same time at pop. Our dates are 9/17 to 9/26. We will probably do MNSSHP on the 23rd. We are on the QSDP so we don't really have to be stuck to a certain date for the party. We do have a TS meal schedlued for Tusker house breakfest and T-rex. I wanted Arkshurs but the girls wanted t-rex and PL. So no BBB this year. We also love pop this will be our 3rd stay with free dining. We did the QSDP last year and we really liked it. So we are going to stick with it again this year. We were actually booked with a BB offer last year for FD the regular plan but went to the QSDP when the GP offer came out. Looks like our girls are the same age.

YAY! We should let our kids get together at the pool or Goofy fountain. My kids aren't really shy at all and would love to make some new friends while we're there!
If the weather's bad for the Tuesday party, we'll switch to Friday, but that will mean cancelling our ADR at Le Cellier. We'll still get a date night, but I'm not sure if we'd get a last-minute reservation. Are y'all dressing up for MNSSHP?

 

[MeMom]

Fall Break is September 17-25, and we're leaving on September 16.

That Friday, we are going to drop Julia off at school as usual. Hopefully she still won't know we're leaving that day. (She knows we're going in September, but not the exact day.) My MIL, "Mamie," which really is what we call her, will come over to our house first thing that morning so we can pack up the van. Around lunchtime, we'll all head over to the school to surprise her! SURPRISE! We're going to Disney!

I can't tell you how much excitement this adds to the beginning of my school year. We'll be about a month into the drudgery of a new school year, and on this day I will be thinking happy thoughts of DIS friends who are making an escape to the magic!

I'm glad you're using the kids' names. Hopefully, we'll get to meet them on a future trip, and it will feel more comfortable to know them by their names.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

I can't tell you how much excitement this adds to the beginning of my school year. We'll be about a month into the drudgery of a new school year, and on this day I will be thinking happy thoughts of DIS friends who are making an escape to the magic!

I'm glad you're using the kids' names. Hopefully, we'll get to meet them on a future trip, and it will feel more comfortable to know them by their names.

I am so glad you'll be thinking of us. With three kids, a husband, and a mother-in-law all packed into the van with me, we could use all the happy thoughts we can get!!
I'm glad I'm using their names, too. Much easier on this tired brain. Plus, don't you feel like you know them better knowing their real names? (Also, good to know we didn't REALLY name our child Bubba!)

 

[KELLY]

It would be great to have another Sawyer around! When do you get the gender ultrasound? You have to keep me updated! What are you thinking if it's a girl?


YAY! We should let our kids get together at the pool or Goofy fountain. My kids aren't really shy at all and would love to make some new friends while we're there!
If the weather's bad for the Tuesday party, we'll switch to Friday, but that will mean cancelling our ADR at Le Cellier. We'll still get a date night, but I'm not sure if we'd get a last-minute reservation. Are y'all dressing up for MNSSHP?

Dh and I probably won't dress up. But I think my girls are. I bought them some t-shirts to wear for there PL makover. http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.227321340.jpg

But there Pl reservation is actually the day before MNSSHP so I'm hoping they will release more times for the party. If not they may not dress up. It is really up to them.

 

[PirateKate]

The first day sounds great! I bet it's really fun to have Julia old enough to be a planning buddy. And I hope Brynn makes the 40 inch cut off for Splash Mountain. I bet the girls will be thrilled with BBB and dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Dh and I probably won't dress up. But I think my girls are. I bought them some t-shirts to wear for there PL makover. http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.227321340.jpg

But there Pl reservation is actually the day before MNSSHP so I'm hoping they will release more times for the party. If not they may not dress up. It is really up to them.

Those shirts are SO CUTE!! (I want one for myself!)

The first day sounds great! I bet it's really fun to have Julia old enough to be a planning buddy. And I hope Brynn makes the 40 inch cut off for Splash Mountain. I bet the girls will be thrilled with BBB and dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table.

It's a blast hearing her using all the planning terminology. She can already give people the lowdown on ADRs, Fastpasses, Photopass, the Dumbo Dash, and the importance of getting to the parks for rope drop! She steals all my planning books and loves WDW apps on the iPad. I usually love it...unless we disagree.
As of now, I have to assume Brynn won't make it, just so I'll be prepared for the disappointment. Julia hit a big growth spurt right before our first trip and was just at 40" (big celebration from the CMs and guests around Soarin' that day! Magical!), and Brynn will be three months younger than Julia was then. Now she has four months to gain a couple of inches and some really big shoes!

 

[pinkxray]

Your kids have beautiful names I'm so glad you decided to share them. Bebo and Bubba didn't fit your gorgeous kids. Juju is actually a pretty cute nickname,but Julia is so much prettier.

It's tough, but exciting to watch our kids grow up isn't it. I hated the day Caitlin started kindergarten. I cried the whole way home. I can't believe she will be a second grader next year. Each year seems to be speeding by faster than the last.