Celebrating Disney Style

[DopeyKel]

Seemed like a good title as during our trip we will be celebrating two birthdays , and our anniversary . Let's meet the cast:

Me, DopeyKel: a 41 year old second grade/kindergarten reading aide. I have been obsessed with Disney since seeing my first Disney movie (Cinderella I believe). I used to dream of going to the World someday. Met my Prince Charming 25 years ago and he has made all my Disney Dreams come true except one—I want to be Goofy or Fairy Godmother some day at Disney World!

My DH, we’ll call him Shrek (he is a charming ogre!): a 41 year old Critical Care Registered Nurse. Not as obsessed as I am, but lets me have my obsession with only minor eye rolling. Says someday he could work at one of the first aid centers at the World.

DD # 1, we’ll call her Belle: an almost 16 year old Drama Queen. I mean this nicely. She can sing a song from most musicals and aspires some day to be on stage. An avid pin collector. She has traded but mostly buys pins she likes and keeps them. Has been a Beauty and the Beast fan her whole life. Plans someday to do the College Plan and maybe get to be Belle.

DD # 2, we’ll call her Aurora: an almost 14 year old girly girl jock. I know this is an oxymoron, but she likes sports but wants to look good while she participates. An avid pressed penny collector. She can’t pass a penny machine without checking to see if she needs that penny. We need to make a list of which ones she still needs.

DS, we’ll call him Buzz: a 12 year old jock in the making. He hasn’t found a sport yet he doesn’t like, but football is the best in his eyes. He has been a Disney fan since birth. Huge Toy Story (hence the name). Also an avid stuffed Mickey collector. He has about 35 all still displayed proudly in his Chicago Bears bedroom. Has plans to buy more this summer.

DMom, we’ll call her Mrs. Incredible: 60 something. She volunteers a number of places in our town, attends all the kids’ events and still has time to take care of my Dad.

DDad, who has to be Mr. Incredible: also 60 something. Retired from a 40 hour a week job 8 years ago, and works as a farmhand now three days a week.

The five of us on our first Disney trip 5 years ago

When: June 9-20, 2007

Where: Pop Century Preferred Section, hopefully adjoining rooms, with DDP


Coming next background information

 

[DopeyKel]

I went on numerous vacations as child: Tennessee for the World’s Fair in 1981, Missouri, Michigan, Wyoming, and Northern Wisconsin many times. Charming never had a real vacation as a child. His dad was Navy when he was small, and his parents divorced when he was 10.

Move ahead to Belle’s birth. Shrek said, “We will go on family vacations no matter how small every year when she is old enough to appreciate them.” Well we had to wait awhile as Aurora came along 2 years later and Buzz came along 18 months after that (yes if you do the math I had three children in 3 ½ years).

Vacations involved Northern Wisconsin to my Aunt’s cottage and weekend trips to Springfield to visit Charming’s father.

Until that is 1999. Shrek decided he’d always wanted to see Disney and so had I (my brother had honeymooned there). So we made plans to go in June 2000. We invited my parents along. We stayed at Dixie Landings and my parents stayed at Fort Wilderness (Mr. Incredible is a penny pincher). We bought Annual passes because Shrek wanted to return with his mother.

March 2001, Spring Break at Disney. Took DMIL and DNephew along. DNephew was 16, but acted like a little boy when meeting Mickey Mouse. We all stayed at All Star Movies.

The following year, we discussed where to vacation again. We couldn’t come up with anywhere as wonderful as the World. Opted for Annual passes again and planned not one but two trips for 2002. The first trip was in July very HOT. We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and loved the Trundle Bed. The second trip was in December (the last time we could take the kids out of school before the dreaded junior high years). We stayed at Fort Wilderness in the cabins. December was cold and rainy, but my kids will always remember because they got to meet and dance with the kids from Jump5.

The following summer we took what Shrek said would be the last trip to the World for a long while. We again stayed at Fort Wilderness Cabins. The Incredibles joined us again bringing along DNephew and DNiece from that side. They stayed at the All Stars.

The next three years we did a long weekend in Chicago for Six Flags (it’s definitely not Disney) and a Cubs Game, the East Coast of the United States and Canada, and finally last year west to the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. The out west trip included the Incredibles again--What can I say we like to travel together. Pictures of us from last year's trip.

 

[DopeyKel]

When we returned last summer we started discussing 2007’s vacation. Belle and I pushed for Disney with encouragement from Aurora and Buzz (they aren’t as vocal as Belle and I). Shrek kept saying no I don’t think it will work. So eventually, after about 3 months Belle and I gave up too.

Then one day we were Christmas Shopping and Shrek said “I need some time alone to buy something.” I found this weird as it usually doesn’t matter if one of the kids is with him when he shops and also because we were only shopping for the kids. Then that night the mystery continued when at bedtime he got on the computer and told me not to come out of the bedroom. He spent about an hour on the computer doing something secret.

Fast forward to Christmas morning. Charming has Belle, Aurora and Buzz join me in the living room while he brings me a mystery box. I open the box to find Birnbaum’s guide to Disney World and a receipt for 8 day passes that Charming had ordered off the Disney website. He says “for our vacation this summer we’re going to Disney World—so start planning.” The kids started jumping around After opening the rest of our gifts we go to the Incredibles.
Mr. Incredible says to the kids, “what did you get for Christmas?”
All three in quick unison say, “Dad gave us a trip to Disney!”
Mr. I says, “Grandma and I should go along.”

But the discussion ended here as my brother and his wife arrived. For someone who honeymooned at Disney (of course it was with is first wife) he has definite Disney dislike. And his wife who took lots of trips to the World as a child has Disney dislike also. I don’t get it! But on top of that they have five children (ranging in age from 11-18) between the two of them so a trip to the World would be costly.

A week or so later, I called the Incredibles and asked if they were serious. Mrs. I said she needed to discuss it with Mr. I and would let me know so reservations could be made. Well the next day, the Incredibles arrived at our house and said, “We would love to go. Now what’s the plan?”

 

[DopeyKel]

The plan is to stay at Pop Century. We would leave for Florida as soon as Aurora and I returned from the 8th grade trip to Washington DC. We sat down and discussed where to eat. Mr. I’s favorites are Biergarten (he is of German descent) and 50s Prime Time. Mrs. I has true favorites but wanted to try some new places. Aurora wanted Chef Mickey’s for her 14th birthday. Belle wanted 50s or Biergarten for her 16th birthday. Buzz didn’t care. And Shrek and I wanted the Castle for our 18th wedding anniversary and to try new things. A plan was set. I called the World and talked to the wonderful Matilda who helped us get everything everyone wanted and noted all the special events throughout all the reservations. Maybe some pixie dust will come our way.

Living in Northern Illinois we should know better than to depend on the fact that there will be no snow days to mess up the end of the school year. We had two snow days. I checked with the teacher in charge of the DC trip and he assured me nothing had changed. Then the January cold snap occurred. We woke up one Monday morning to temps below zero by 24 degrees without the wind chill. The powers that be decided it was too cold for students to wait for their buses outside and dangerous to be in school, so we got a day off. Upon returning to school, I immediately checked with the teacher in charge and he said yes the trip dates would be changed, but he didn’t know how yet. I told him the situation and he assured me he would let me know as soon as he figured things out. Well to make a long story short, the DC trip was pushed back an entire week.

Shrek and I sat Aurora down at the table and asked her how important her trip was. Well she started pouting and said, “I should get to go! Belle did!” So okay, we change our vacation plans. So we call the Incredibles to ask them if a week later works for them. Yes they say it will work!

So I call Matilda’s number to change things. She isn’t working. So someone else helped me (sorry I forgot the name). As we are under 130 days, I am worried about getting some of the ADR’s changed, but everything works out.

So I continue to read the DIS. We had planned on eating at Alfredo’s (Charming and Belle wanted to try it), but after reading many people’s opinions I decide we’ve made a mistake. Charming wonders where we should go. I call the Incredibles and ask if they have a preference. Mr. I is a big meat and potatoes man, so I suggest Le Cellier. We have eaten there before but not the Incredibles. Everyone agrees to try it. They also decide they don’t want to eat at Liberty Tree any more. I say, “Okay, where would you like to go, and who’s calling to make these changes?” Shrek suggests Hoop De Doo and says he will make the call. He makes the call with the understanding that Mrs. I being a diabetic needs to eat regularly and preferably not late at night. While he’s on the phone Shrek says to Mrs. I, “If you are active afterwards will it be okay to eat late?” (We plan on doing the Evening Magic Hours). Mrs. I says that should be okay. So Shrek gets all the reservations fixed.

 

[praisehisname]

Sounds like fun so far--can't wait to read more!!!

Denise

 

[sunlver]

I am enjoying your report so far..looking forward to reading more.