FinallyDisney
FinallyDisney
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2007
- Messages
- 187
Yes, it's true. We must be born again Disney virgins. I haven't been since 1990 and my DH hasn't been since 1985. I've wanted to get our boys to Walt Disney World for years now, but something always came up. Home repairs, unemployment, you know the deal. I put my foot down this year.
Let me start with introductions. There's Me....Nancy 43 years old. There's DH...Jimmy also 43 years old (older by 2 weeks I must say). Our sons are Mackenzie AKA Mack 11 & Kyle 9. The years are getting away from us. WE MUST GO!
I finally got my DH on board in March this year. I quickly went to work researching the different resorts. I desperately wanted to go with a Deluxe resort but couldn't justify the price difference between a Deluxe and a Moderate. I choose Port Orleans French Quarter because of the intimate size of the resort. I read the Dis boards faithfully (you should hear the teasing I get from my DH) and am thrilled with every good POFQ report
and dread every report that states it's filthy, worn, has noisy AC units, bad busing, etc.
Oh well, we'll be in Disney, we'll be together, we won't be working or in school, everything else should just be minor!
Once I figured out where we would stay I looked at a calendar. When could we go that would be the least disruptive to the kid's school time? I picked the week that had the Veteran's Day holiday on the Monday and asked DH if he could get that week off from his job. I had no problem getting the week off from my work and I'd deal with the disgruntled teachers and administrators for keeping the kids out for 4 days. DH got the week off no problem.
Now how do I book this? Do I do it myself? Heck no! I'm too lazy. I'd been peeking at Mousesavers and they highly recommend Small World Travel. So I send them an email with my resort choice and dates of travel. I was contacted by Anne who works out of New Hampshire and she said the resort had availability and quoted me a price. What do I know it seemed good. It included 6 day park hoppers, the dining plan and 7 nights at POFQ. I emailed her back with a credit card for a deposit and we were on our way.
Up next....a change of dates, additional traveling companions (our MAW friend), pre-trip purchases galore, an unasked for discount
, ADRs, etc.
Let me start with introductions. There's Me....Nancy 43 years old. There's DH...Jimmy also 43 years old (older by 2 weeks I must say). Our sons are Mackenzie AKA Mack 11 & Kyle 9. The years are getting away from us. WE MUST GO!
I finally got my DH on board in March this year. I quickly went to work researching the different resorts. I desperately wanted to go with a Deluxe resort but couldn't justify the price difference between a Deluxe and a Moderate. I choose Port Orleans French Quarter because of the intimate size of the resort. I read the Dis boards faithfully (you should hear the teasing I get from my DH) and am thrilled with every good POFQ report
and dread every report that states it's filthy, worn, has noisy AC units, bad busing, etc. Oh well, we'll be in Disney, we'll be together, we won't be working or in school, everything else should just be minor!Once I figured out where we would stay I looked at a calendar. When could we go that would be the least disruptive to the kid's school time? I picked the week that had the Veteran's Day holiday on the Monday and asked DH if he could get that week off from his job. I had no problem getting the week off from my work and I'd deal with the disgruntled teachers and administrators for keeping the kids out for 4 days. DH got the week off no problem.
Now how do I book this? Do I do it myself? Heck no! I'm too lazy. I'd been peeking at Mousesavers and they highly recommend Small World Travel. So I send them an email with my resort choice and dates of travel. I was contacted by Anne who works out of New Hampshire and she said the resort had availability and quoted me a price. What do I know it seemed good. It included 6 day park hoppers, the dining plan and 7 nights at POFQ. I emailed her back with a credit card for a deposit and we were on our way.
Up next....a change of dates, additional traveling companions (our MAW friend), pre-trip purchases galore, an unasked for discount
, ADRs, etc.
That's Kyle on the left (9) and Mack on the right (11). We were on our annual summer vacation down Cape Cod.
it was all about eating at the BEST restaurants in Disney. I am a "live to eat" type of person. I ended up with the following ADRs. Saturday - Spirit of Aloha 5:15. I would never choose this dinner show BUT my DH really wanted to experience a luau and so here we are! Sunday - Narcoosees 6:00. After reading all of the wonderful reviews and reading how we could watch wishes from either our seats or the deck, I knew we had to eat here. Monday - Spoodles 5:30. I wanted to sleep in a bit today and then head for MGM (EMHs pm) so working Spoodles into the program seemed like a perfect fit. We'll be seeing Fantasmic at the late show as well (8:00). Tuesday we have plans to spend the entire day in Magic Kingdom and the original plan was to have dinner at Crystal Palace at 5:00. We purposely don't have ADRs for Wednesday (we'll be meeting up with our Make A Wish friends 
at Blizzard Beach and then visit Give Kids the World). Kona Cafe Thursday @ 6:00. Le Cellier Friday @ 6:00. I only made dinner ADRs as I don't want to be tied down in the morning and for lunch. We'll just grab CS and snacks on the run. WELL, these are the original ADRs. Do any of you women have men in your life who don't listen to you? 
I've been talking about these ADRs for 6 months. Really....no kidding. Relentlessly describing these restaurants and ADRs with my husband. He would give me the occasional "Mmm Hmm" and I should have known. One evening only a couple of months ago he actually decides to listen. "What sort of restaurant is Crystal Palace?" I reply that it's a character dinner with Pooh, Eyore, Piglet and Tigger. 
"Is that our only character dinner?" he asked. "Yes" I replied. "Well I'm not going all the way to Disney for Pooh & Tigger. I want to have dinner with "The Big Guy"!
he states. Nice of you to tell me babe!!! So back I go to my TA and try to rework that ADR. Of course at that late time the best I can get at Chef Mickeys is 7:40. Oh well, at least DH will get his dinner with "The Big Guy". 
Too bad if the kids are asleep in their Mickey Mouse shaped ravioli. 
I only have 2 days 18 hours to go BUT I promise I'll be back to explain how our MAW friends ended up coming with us! Thank you all for dropping in and reading!
. My DS and her DH have 3 grown boys (28, 26 and 23) but they love my boys and I think it's so cute that they want to spend this time with all of us
. It sadly makes no sense because basically they're being told that they won't give him a liver unless he's at death's door. As a parent that has to be a horrific thing to hear and deal with. Well, we go away every Memorial Day weekend with our dear friends and while we were sitting by the pool on the last day, I said "For years they've (the Drs.) told you to not go more than an hour away from the hospital and then at your yearly appt. they tell you that they have no intention of transplanting him this year. Make A Wish granted his wish 2-3 years ago - what are you waiting for? He'll be like eighteen years old in Disney? Don't wait until after he gets his liver - COME WITH US!" They really fluffed us off that day BUT sure enough they started asking MAW questions and seriously thinking about what I'd said. 
and we can hit Blizzard Beach and then Friday we'll spend the day together and the night in Epcot.
! I have 16 hours to go and I'll be on my way to "the happiest place on earth." I have that super excited feeling in me like when I was a child at Christmas. I am most excited about seeing this excitement through the eyes of my children. They have no clue what Disney is all about and I think that will make this experience even more than we can possibly imagine!
