Another Trip this year - Sure this time in August! (Edit 4/4/26)

[Becky2005]

Welcome to another rambling on pre-trip report! Where I overthink all the details of the trip and then wing it when I get there.

Long Background:

I was able to take advantage of the special 250 year Military pass, so I have gone many times this year so far with my siblings. I don't do pre-trip reports for all the trips. The August trip started out as just another typical sibling trip but now my DH is going with me, so I am doing a pre-trip report for this one!

My sister is having her entire family go with her, My brother was also planning on having his entire family and I ended up being the extra kid to come along. LOL! None of my kids could afford to go as we did a big family reunion style trip last August. My siblings would have been willing to let me stay with them but sometimes personalities don't work that well for that much togetherness when it is their entire families (my siblings by themselves, sure, no problem -- add others in the mix and nah, I'm good). Plus, it seems I would be either sharing a bed or sleeping on the floor or ? just seemed like I was the one extra making things complicated for room space. This left me trying to figure out how I was going to get there by myself & where I was going to stay.

I hadn't asked my DH originally because last year's trip was rough. He went on the safari and that was a mistake! He uses a wheelchair at Disney and although, I know it's a rough ride - it doesn't feel that bad in the regular seats, it was *way* too rough with him in the wheelchair (would have been better for him to transfer). Now we know! He jokingly said next time he goes, we are going first class and he said "Mickey tried to do him in" after that ride.

I decided to be a nice wife and ask him if he wanted to go, since I already asked everyone else. fully expecting him to say no as he isn't a big Disney fan to start with and he just went last year. To my surprise, he decided to take me up on it and of course, he was NOT joking about wanting to go first class (to a point, we do still have to fund this somehow! !) and prove to Mickey that he can't do him in (yes, we are weird people).

Last year we stayed at Ft. Wilderness because he wanted quiet & we also had our boys with us so needed a larger room but he missed having everything centralized. Our first trip in 2005 we stayed at the Contemporary and that is where he wants to stay again. He is a hard man sometimes to figure out what he really wants. We went round and round with the hotel as he did tell me he would be open to other hotels until I suggested some and it came back to "I'm ok staying in the concrete bunker with the train" -- Unique way to describe the Contemporary but OK, just say "this is where I want to stay". Unfortunately, I missed the special that was running earlier this year, so at the moment that would be rack rate and I'm really hoping to possibly get it as a bounce back (or if they open up some non package discounts) but we will see.

This will be the first vacation we have taken just him & I since the kids have been born and my youngest is 22!!!! I suppose technically it isn't just us as my siblings will be there too but we are all going to basically do our own things this time around vs. last year which was the group trip.

Many more changes to come because my siblings are in town and we have been discussing this August trip - some of my brother's family can't come so now we are decided if we are all going to drive down together (save some $$ that way) and other details.

 

[DLo]

Following along . Looking forward to reading more

 

[Becky2005]

I just happened to see some deals came out or old deals show up? Hard to tell, I was on my phone and just happened to see a notification about someone getting a deal.

I did a freak out panic mode and went to see if I could get the Contemporary at a discount (since I lost the deal before), I had it but it kicked me out before I could finish the transaction. My sister, told me to try 1 less day which I did & it worked. I got 30% off! Woo Hoo! Yes, it shortened our trip but with my DH's health issues, this is probably for the best. I am sure he will have had enough by that time anyway.

 

[mdsouth]

hotel as he did tell me he would be open to other hotels until I suggested some and it came back to "I'm ok staying in the concrete bunker with the train" -- Unique way to describe the Contemporary but OK, just say "this is where I want to stay".

Gotta love your DH's sense of humor and description of the Contemporary. It has the military connection.
Growing up, I became well acquainted with military thinking and military lingo. My father had a 40 plus year career with the military. He started out in the Air Force, but was also in the Army and then the Army Reserve. My older brother was in the Air Force and my younger brother is currently a Chaplain for the Civil Air Patrol.

I, too, am married to a man that does not share my love for Disney. He has gone with me three times over our 38 year marriage. Once just the two of us and the other times with our kids. So, congrats to you that your hubby said yes. I had to smile at your statement about asking him to go with you since you had already asked everyone else. Tee hee!

I just happened to see some deals came out or old deals show up? Hard to tell, I was on my phone and just happened to see a notification about someone getting a deal.

I did a freak out panic mode and went to see if I could get the Contemporary at a discount (since I lost the deal before), I had it but it kicked me out before I could finish the transaction. My sister, told me to try 1 less day which I did & it worked. I got 30% off! Woo Hoo! Yes, it shortened our trip but with my DH's health issues, this is probably for the best. I am sure he will have had enough by that time anyway.

WOO HOO! 30% off SCORE!!!!

 

[Becky2005]

I have decided someone has swapped with my husband! I don't know who this man is! First he agrees to go on a Disney Trip and yesterday, I asked him if he wanted to fly (assuming he would say no as he never wants to fly!) & he said sure!

This came about as we were having our sibling coffee chat & we had been talking about airfare (it's not cheap for us!). I was saying how we have to rent a car in August and by the time we pay for the car rental, gas, the hotel down there & back, I am not so sure even with a higher flight cost if it wouldn't be cheaper in the long run since it is only 2 of us.

I truly expected DH to say "no, I would rather drive" as flying will be an ordeal in & of itself with him. He will have to be patted down as he can't go through the scanners and has a few medical devices he has to bring with along with his medications. Also wheelchair assistance but I think that shouldn't be an issue. His main concern was that he wouldn't be able to do the "stairs getting off the plane in Florida" -- I am looking at this man like "what????" as that won't be an issue! The last time he flew was 1976 to go to Florida with his family.

He doesn't even have a Real ID! So step 1 is to get him a Real ID and then step 2 is to figure out logistics because of course once we started talking about this then my sister was thinking even though the cost is $$$$$ for her family, due to some medical issues her daughter has a 2-day car ride will be bad, which means, we have to coordinate.

My poor brother already booked tickets on the train to take that down & those are non-refundable so he is stuck but he will get there before we do, so we figure he could pick us up at MCO. The catch with this is usually my brother or myself are the drivers to the airport. I can't drive myself because that is the point of leaving my car available.

My DH says, we can just have a car service take us to the airport & pick us up (as my brother won't get back until AFTER we get back). OK, again, this is not a normal thing. Maybe when he said after our last vacation, he wants to go first class he meant it! I think mostly in the way of whatever makes things easier (we definitely are not doing first class seats as that defeats the this is cheaper than driving argument).

This does mean I will need to extend my hotel reservations once we figure out what we are doing! We decided to put it on the back burner until after our May trip because we will have more airline miles from that trip which could work to make things cheaper.