NUguyinCrew
Disney Nut
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2006
- Messages
- 288
This all started believe it or not around June 1st of this year. I heard about free dining happening again and didnt really think twice about it. DF (fiancée) and I are getting married November 11 and intermixed with planning for that, paying for some of it, and paying for the honeymoon (all inclusive week in Jamacia), we had absolutely no time and little money to go to Disney. But then a couple things happened. My parents went. They stayed at Wilderness Lodge and came back with all these amazing pictures (last time I was there it had just been built) and threw a few sparks on my kindling of a desire to go. The second thing was I found out I was in the top few percent of applicants left for a conservation job in Alaska starting next year. Albeit it is not the end of the world that far north but airfare is considerably higher to get to Disney from the artic circle. Cue the flamethrower to make it a Disney 3-alarmer. It was beginning to look like this fall was our last and only chance to go and still be frugal (Disney is normally about as frugal as Paris Hilton is shy). I rushed to plan and save and get all the info I needed before calling Disney. I called on June 25th
thats right, the very last day for free dining before it went the way of the dodo. Sept 10-16 at POP with free dining! Better late than never right? Heck, yea, it's Disney!
Now that we are all set up with the back story how about an introduction of the cast of characters.
Me 26 Been to Disney many times as a youngster but no time (or money) to go between starting college and finishing grad school. I'm a biochemist for the Army Corps (cant tell you what I'm working on or I'd have to kill ya no, seriously) but outward appearances can be deceiving. I grew up helping on my grandparents farm and still dress like I'm down home. It's an odd day when you dont find me in cowboy boots, a big belt buckle and a camo baseball hat sleeveless shirts are optional. Yea, I'm redneck or urbanly-challenged. I've been known to frequent tractor pulls, rodeos, demo derbies, woods during hunting seasons and frog gigging expositions (well if there was such a thing, I'd be there). I frequently get, So what do you do for a living?...Im a biochemist for the Army (insert pause) No, seriously, what do you do?
DF 24 Been to Disney once, saw only MK for one day when she was very small. Director of Nursing at a nursing home, career woman, belays housewife duties to soon to be DH (no I will not wear the apron). Not the tidiest person around, likes to discard things in her backseat and tends to lose some (not all) of the stuff she comes in contact with. Also small town raised, stared at each other for 6 months while line dancing before actually talking. First (and maybe second, cant remember) date was frog gigging remember that redneck thing? Yeah. Definitely not a disneyholic like me but hoping she will convert after this trip.
DD No, not Disney daughter Disney Dog. Case, 7 month old Great Dane puppy, about 95lbs, still thinks hes 20lbs, and has the energy of a chipmunk on speed. Known to knock over lazy boy recliners in a single bound, eat left-overs from the kitchen counter, hide tennis balls in his mouth, and run through screen doors (notice I didnt make mention of his intellect in that paragraph)
With the main reservation part down it was then time to decide the scheduling of the rest of the trip. On a side note here I am the planner between the two of us. I tend to take care of bills and basically anything that requires planning yea thats me. Side note to the side note I teased DF for so long that because she couldnt keep track of a lot of the stuff in her possession at any given time that I would buy her a nice $2 engagement ring from Wal-Mart. I told her we could go down there any time and pick one out of the nice display kiosks on the card tables they set up in the center of the aisles. She never thought that was funny as much as I laughed about it every time I said it. Something about the way she would purse her lips and stare at me just made me laugh that much harder too. Finally the day came and I told her that I had something for her. I forgot I had told her earlier I was going to Wal-Mart on a grocery run while she was at work. She immediately guessed, Is that my ring from Wal-Mart behind your back? She was all smiles and laughs when she saw the big plastic wrapper of a sucker ring. I had already opened it and she laughed as she pulled the ring out. The only thing was, attached to that ring was a piece of thread which as she pulled the fake ring higher consequently lifted the real ring out of the package which had been lying in the bottom of the package, unnoticed by her. The smiling and laughing stopped suddenly and was replaced by shaking and crying. The rest of the day was spent calling people, seeing family and trying to get some blood back to my brain after the Hulk put a sleeper hold on my neck after the deed was done. She even asked me if the real ring was in fact real. I may be redneck but not THAT much, no CZ for my gal. [side note ended]
So it was all up to me to plan. I made lists of what we needed to take on the plane, what we couldnt, what we needed in the parks, what we needed to do before leaving home, etc, etc. After all, I'm a scientist, planning is what I do you plan and plan and plan for one experiment just like you do for one little (ha! No Disney trip is little) vacation.
I then made the ressies for 50s PT, Raglan Road, Whispering Canyons, Artists Pointe, Hoop-Dee-Doo, and Mama Melrose (fantasmic package). I scheduled everything over the course of only a couple days and was chest deep in everything Disney. I was debating drinking around the world while we are at Disney. Why? Well, considering we have a kegerator in our garage, the amount of alcohol really doesnt bother us because we can hold our own. It's the price. Notice I said debating earlier? Well were not anymore. I forgot about a deposit on an apartment from a couple years ago and come to find out I will have it back today! Theres our drinking money! Now that it's a go, the final hurdle is when to actually do this noble quest for tasty libations Yikes. That may have to be a game time decision. Our days are already packed so if we need an afternoon to chill, that may be our chilling occupation. If we dont get around to it, it will be one of those when we come back next year on our next trip items of conversation.
Now were nearing D-day. This Sunday we fly out of Indy and make our way to the happiest place on earth for 6 nights of bliss. No work, no bills and hopefully no crowds/hurricanes (fingers crossed!). Theres something about Disney that even sitting here in my 6x6 cubicle (better than a lab with no windows) makes me feel like I'm there. It's that pre-Disney glow, knowing what you have coming in a scant few days and knowing exactly what youll be missing back here makes it that much sweeter.
Stay tuned for a trip report to follow.
Now that we are all set up with the back story how about an introduction of the cast of characters.
Me 26 Been to Disney many times as a youngster but no time (or money) to go between starting college and finishing grad school. I'm a biochemist for the Army Corps (cant tell you what I'm working on or I'd have to kill ya no, seriously) but outward appearances can be deceiving. I grew up helping on my grandparents farm and still dress like I'm down home. It's an odd day when you dont find me in cowboy boots, a big belt buckle and a camo baseball hat sleeveless shirts are optional. Yea, I'm redneck or urbanly-challenged. I've been known to frequent tractor pulls, rodeos, demo derbies, woods during hunting seasons and frog gigging expositions (well if there was such a thing, I'd be there). I frequently get, So what do you do for a living?...Im a biochemist for the Army (insert pause) No, seriously, what do you do?
DF 24 Been to Disney once, saw only MK for one day when she was very small. Director of Nursing at a nursing home, career woman, belays housewife duties to soon to be DH (no I will not wear the apron). Not the tidiest person around, likes to discard things in her backseat and tends to lose some (not all) of the stuff she comes in contact with. Also small town raised, stared at each other for 6 months while line dancing before actually talking. First (and maybe second, cant remember) date was frog gigging remember that redneck thing? Yeah. Definitely not a disneyholic like me but hoping she will convert after this trip.
DD No, not Disney daughter Disney Dog. Case, 7 month old Great Dane puppy, about 95lbs, still thinks hes 20lbs, and has the energy of a chipmunk on speed. Known to knock over lazy boy recliners in a single bound, eat left-overs from the kitchen counter, hide tennis balls in his mouth, and run through screen doors (notice I didnt make mention of his intellect in that paragraph)
With the main reservation part down it was then time to decide the scheduling of the rest of the trip. On a side note here I am the planner between the two of us. I tend to take care of bills and basically anything that requires planning yea thats me. Side note to the side note I teased DF for so long that because she couldnt keep track of a lot of the stuff in her possession at any given time that I would buy her a nice $2 engagement ring from Wal-Mart. I told her we could go down there any time and pick one out of the nice display kiosks on the card tables they set up in the center of the aisles. She never thought that was funny as much as I laughed about it every time I said it. Something about the way she would purse her lips and stare at me just made me laugh that much harder too. Finally the day came and I told her that I had something for her. I forgot I had told her earlier I was going to Wal-Mart on a grocery run while she was at work. She immediately guessed, Is that my ring from Wal-Mart behind your back? She was all smiles and laughs when she saw the big plastic wrapper of a sucker ring. I had already opened it and she laughed as she pulled the ring out. The only thing was, attached to that ring was a piece of thread which as she pulled the fake ring higher consequently lifted the real ring out of the package which had been lying in the bottom of the package, unnoticed by her. The smiling and laughing stopped suddenly and was replaced by shaking and crying. The rest of the day was spent calling people, seeing family and trying to get some blood back to my brain after the Hulk put a sleeper hold on my neck after the deed was done. She even asked me if the real ring was in fact real. I may be redneck but not THAT much, no CZ for my gal. [side note ended]
So it was all up to me to plan. I made lists of what we needed to take on the plane, what we couldnt, what we needed in the parks, what we needed to do before leaving home, etc, etc. After all, I'm a scientist, planning is what I do you plan and plan and plan for one experiment just like you do for one little (ha! No Disney trip is little) vacation.
I then made the ressies for 50s PT, Raglan Road, Whispering Canyons, Artists Pointe, Hoop-Dee-Doo, and Mama Melrose (fantasmic package). I scheduled everything over the course of only a couple days and was chest deep in everything Disney. I was debating drinking around the world while we are at Disney. Why? Well, considering we have a kegerator in our garage, the amount of alcohol really doesnt bother us because we can hold our own. It's the price. Notice I said debating earlier? Well were not anymore. I forgot about a deposit on an apartment from a couple years ago and come to find out I will have it back today! Theres our drinking money! Now that it's a go, the final hurdle is when to actually do this noble quest for tasty libations Yikes. That may have to be a game time decision. Our days are already packed so if we need an afternoon to chill, that may be our chilling occupation. If we dont get around to it, it will be one of those when we come back next year on our next trip items of conversation.
Now were nearing D-day. This Sunday we fly out of Indy and make our way to the happiest place on earth for 6 nights of bliss. No work, no bills and hopefully no crowds/hurricanes (fingers crossed!). Theres something about Disney that even sitting here in my 6x6 cubicle (better than a lab with no windows) makes me feel like I'm there. It's that pre-Disney glow, knowing what you have coming in a scant few days and knowing exactly what youll be missing back here makes it that much sweeter.
Stay tuned for a trip report to follow.
