disndatworld
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2006
- Messages
- 333
The travel 
We last went in Feb-2004 and stayed in Downtown Disney. That was before DS2 was even in our minds. In fact, we still forget we have 3 kids sometimes. I don't know where they come from, but I'm quite sure 3 is enough. We do love them dearly. Our first trip together (DW & I) was when we were first married and decided to start our life together in FL. Then I was offered a job to begin the week after we were married. This forced cancellation of our relatively small honey-moon, but I worked the first 3 days and then we went to Disney over Thanksgiving weekend. It was fun. It was a smart move w/ the job. We were young and making next to nothing, and that gave us a real shot-in-the-arm. Now she's a stay-at-home mom, and we own a home in New England so we've been blessed. Several trips were taken to Disney between 93 & 98. All our friends from college would visit and that was the destination, so we had no choice. We loved it.
This time we booked 8 nights + Disney Dining Plan thru AAA, then we got 4 round trip/non-stop tickets through airtran for $608 (that I am very thankful for), and have a lot of pre-planning done. Our count-down says 38 Days, 07 Hrs, 37 Min, 40 Sec until we leave the house to head to the airport... When the timer goes off, it says something like Hooray!!! We're off to Disney!!!
We will avoid my family in FL. Why? No car. Is that a good enough reason? It will cost me more money (the guilt will get to me because I know if they come to Orlando $$ will be tight for them and I will buy tickets and dinners). They will slow us down. In fact, the whole resort will slow down with them in the way. I'll be asked to request a better seat at dinner, they will want to talk to all the CM's like they grew up together. They will slip in a swear word here or there and laugh about it with strangers. It's just too much to bear on this trip. The potty breaks... I mean, I have 3 kids and you would think the frequency of stops should suit anybody. So the cell phone calls will be screened. In the end, my guilt (channelled thru DW) may get to me, but for now it's just us.
DW usually does a lot of the packing. I help make sure the bags are under 50 lbs. That way works the best. It looks like she's doing more work (on paper), but really all my coaxing and prodding and attempts to widdle down the quantity of everybody's travel items (not mine or hers, mind you) is a lot of work. Then, I have to be the bearer of bad news when those huge bags we bought when limits were 75 lbs come in 9 lbs overweight. Then I have to find a solution. That is a lot of work. I have to carry them, and load them. It will be cold too. I should help her pack more. 3 kids is a lot.
The dates: December 2 - December 10
Resort: Coronado Springs Resort (CSR). Our first time staying on a Disney resort as far as I know.
ADR's: Chef Mickey's, Princess Storybook Breakfast (Norway), San Angel Inn, Sci Fi Theater, Cinderella's Royal Table - Breakfast, Hoop-di-doo Review, Boma, Coral Reef Living Seas, & Le Cellier. I found this site when planning earlier this year.
Our planned itinerary:
(Day minus 1) Friday - We found tickets leaving early morning Saturday at an alternate aiport around 1 1/2 hours from home, so I booked a room near the airport with a shuttle and free parking while we are gone. So we are going to head out the night before for a short drive, dinner and giggly night. I hope the kids and we can sleep well in the room. It's a 3-star place, and looks pretty nice.
Day 1 - Saturday (Arrival Day):
Awake 5:30/6:00 and get to airport by 7:00 Our flight is supposed to arrive MCO ~11:30ish. We'll take the ME bus to the resort. I am so hyped that I don't have to pull 8 bags while my wife helps the 3 kids (even though I'm very strong and coordinated). That is one of the most difficult parts (except for when they make you go through security). I usually will find a bag-guy (whatever they're called at the airport) to help, or get a cart. But you can blow through some $$ pretty quick w/ all these bags. I hope we are onsite around 12:30 and off to MK by 1:00 or 1:30. We have and ADR @ Chef Mickey's for dinner. It's definately a trip on the monorail to CR.
I have described the trip to Chef Mickey's to the kids as: 1) Car to Hotel: 2) Hotel Shuttle to Airport: 3) plane to MCO 4) MCO terminal shuttle to baggage 5) ME bus to resort 6) resort bus to MK 7) MK to CR via monorail... so it takes 7 different forms of transportation just to get to our first dinner in the World. Wow!
Day 2 - Sunday
EP - Have an ADR for Princess storybook breakfast in Norway (but we may cancel). ADR for San Angel Inn in Mexico, and probably off to MK for EMH that night.
Day 3 - Monday - MGM, Lunch ADR @ Sci-Fi Theater, and probably back to our room and MGM for EMH.
Day 4 - Tuesday - MK (CRT @ 9am) - DD will love that. DS1 is not happy. Probably back to our room and EP for EMH.
Day 5 - Wednesday - MGM and FWL for Hoop-di-doo at night
Day 6 - Thursday - MK for early EMH (Fantasy Land with the kids... DW may sleep in on this one and meet us later) AK afterwards and a dinner ADR for Boma.
Day 7 - Friday - AK in the am. EP for ADR at Coral Reef & EMH
Day 8 - Saturday - MK in the am, and EP for ADR @ Le Cellier, and Candlelight Processional. Steven Curtis Chapman is the narrarator, and one of our favorites.
Day 9 - (Departure) - Our flight isn't until around 5:00 so we'll decide how we feel. We may hit MK or somethiing... who knows.
Ok. Still a while to go. But this part is still fun. Here are my mental notes:
1) Help DW pack - love is an action, not an emotion.
2) Avoid other family - even if you feel guilty. It will go away. Love is emotion - not an action.
3) When ME kicks in and bags are taken care of, soak in the feeling. If they lose a bag then then remember the old saying "If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is"
Be back in a while
Me (youthful 30's) - Husband, Father, new pastor (very exciting!!!) I grew up in Florida 2 hrs. N of Disney and visited many many times. Now we are in New England and get to visit w/ the kids.
DW (youthful 30's - looks 20's) - The textbook definition of organization. She has no idea what we're doing on this trip and can't believe what I've done. I'm afraid I've set expectations too high for other projects she has in mind. She is truly everything to me, and the best mom in the world. I hope she'll keep me.
DS1 (8) - Wonderful, smart, gifted, senstive but all boy. Loves rides, maps (that will make him a real man some day), and while he is not the most independent of kids, he is very helpful and loving towards the other 2. Well, at least he protects them from any other danger other than his own terror.
DD (5) - Daddy's princess. And that is what she wants to be. She is all about Belle, then Arielle, then Cinderella. I can't believe I planned princess time and bought princess clothing for this trip... not DW, but I did it.
DS2 (1.5) - Our surprise gift from God... hmmmm. He's louder than the other two. He's more demanding than the other 2. They were easy.... He is, well... we haven't found words. He's our baby!!! He's full of life. He's so sweet, and funny, and has made the last year and a half a blast. We've travelled with him a good bit and he will love our trip...
We last went in Feb-2004 and stayed in Downtown Disney. That was before DS2 was even in our minds. In fact, we still forget we have 3 kids sometimes. I don't know where they come from, but I'm quite sure 3 is enough. We do love them dearly. Our first trip together (DW & I) was when we were first married and decided to start our life together in FL. Then I was offered a job to begin the week after we were married. This forced cancellation of our relatively small honey-moon, but I worked the first 3 days and then we went to Disney over Thanksgiving weekend. It was fun. It was a smart move w/ the job. We were young and making next to nothing, and that gave us a real shot-in-the-arm. Now she's a stay-at-home mom, and we own a home in New England so we've been blessed. Several trips were taken to Disney between 93 & 98. All our friends from college would visit and that was the destination, so we had no choice. We loved it.
This time we booked 8 nights + Disney Dining Plan thru AAA, then we got 4 round trip/non-stop tickets through airtran for $608 (that I am very thankful for), and have a lot of pre-planning done. Our count-down says 38 Days, 07 Hrs, 37 Min, 40 Sec until we leave the house to head to the airport... When the timer goes off, it says something like Hooray!!! We're off to Disney!!!
We will avoid my family in FL. Why? No car. Is that a good enough reason? It will cost me more money (the guilt will get to me because I know if they come to Orlando $$ will be tight for them and I will buy tickets and dinners). They will slow us down. In fact, the whole resort will slow down with them in the way. I'll be asked to request a better seat at dinner, they will want to talk to all the CM's like they grew up together. They will slip in a swear word here or there and laugh about it with strangers. It's just too much to bear on this trip. The potty breaks... I mean, I have 3 kids and you would think the frequency of stops should suit anybody. So the cell phone calls will be screened. In the end, my guilt (channelled thru DW) may get to me, but for now it's just us.
DW usually does a lot of the packing. I help make sure the bags are under 50 lbs. That way works the best. It looks like she's doing more work (on paper), but really all my coaxing and prodding and attempts to widdle down the quantity of everybody's travel items (not mine or hers, mind you) is a lot of work. Then, I have to be the bearer of bad news when those huge bags we bought when limits were 75 lbs come in 9 lbs overweight. Then I have to find a solution. That is a lot of work. I have to carry them, and load them. It will be cold too. I should help her pack more. 3 kids is a lot.
The dates: December 2 - December 10
Resort: Coronado Springs Resort (CSR). Our first time staying on a Disney resort as far as I know.
ADR's: Chef Mickey's, Princess Storybook Breakfast (Norway), San Angel Inn, Sci Fi Theater, Cinderella's Royal Table - Breakfast, Hoop-di-doo Review, Boma, Coral Reef Living Seas, & Le Cellier. I found this site when planning earlier this year.
The 180 day thing is crazy for ADR's, but necessary (as far as I can tell) to get CRT and even Le Cellier was tough.
Our planned itinerary:
(Day minus 1) Friday - We found tickets leaving early morning Saturday at an alternate aiport around 1 1/2 hours from home, so I booked a room near the airport with a shuttle and free parking while we are gone. So we are going to head out the night before for a short drive, dinner and giggly night. I hope the kids and we can sleep well in the room. It's a 3-star place, and looks pretty nice.
Day 1 - Saturday (Arrival Day):
Awake 5:30/6:00 and get to airport by 7:00 Our flight is supposed to arrive MCO ~11:30ish. We'll take the ME bus to the resort. I am so hyped that I don't have to pull 8 bags while my wife helps the 3 kids (even though I'm very strong and coordinated). That is one of the most difficult parts (except for when they make you go through security). I usually will find a bag-guy (whatever they're called at the airport) to help, or get a cart. But you can blow through some $$ pretty quick w/ all these bags. I hope we are onsite around 12:30 and off to MK by 1:00 or 1:30. We have and ADR @ Chef Mickey's for dinner. It's definately a trip on the monorail to CR.
I have described the trip to Chef Mickey's to the kids as: 1) Car to Hotel: 2) Hotel Shuttle to Airport: 3) plane to MCO 4) MCO terminal shuttle to baggage 5) ME bus to resort 6) resort bus to MK 7) MK to CR via monorail... so it takes 7 different forms of transportation just to get to our first dinner in the World. Wow!
Day 2 - Sunday
EP - Have an ADR for Princess storybook breakfast in Norway (but we may cancel). ADR for San Angel Inn in Mexico, and probably off to MK for EMH that night.
Day 3 - Monday - MGM, Lunch ADR @ Sci-Fi Theater, and probably back to our room and MGM for EMH.
Day 4 - Tuesday - MK (CRT @ 9am) - DD will love that. DS1 is not happy. Probably back to our room and EP for EMH.
Day 5 - Wednesday - MGM and FWL for Hoop-di-doo at night
Day 6 - Thursday - MK for early EMH (Fantasy Land with the kids... DW may sleep in on this one and meet us later) AK afterwards and a dinner ADR for Boma.
Day 7 - Friday - AK in the am. EP for ADR at Coral Reef & EMH
Day 8 - Saturday - MK in the am, and EP for ADR @ Le Cellier, and Candlelight Processional. Steven Curtis Chapman is the narrarator, and one of our favorites.
Day 9 - (Departure) - Our flight isn't until around 5:00 so we'll decide how we feel. We may hit MK or somethiing... who knows.
Ok. Still a while to go. But this part is still fun. Here are my mental notes:
1) Help DW pack - love is an action, not an emotion.
2) Avoid other family - even if you feel guilty. It will go away. Love is emotion - not an action.
3) When ME kicks in and bags are taken care of, soak in the feeling. If they lose a bag then then remember the old saying "If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is"
Be back in a while
