Finally going back...4.5 years is too long!!!

[mblc14]

Welcome to our PTR, I have never wrote one of these, or a TR, but feel like I have read THOUSANDS of them over the past 4.5 years. And thank God I did, it gave me the Disney fix whenever I needed it and gave me lots of ideas for what to do and how to do it whenever we decided to go back.

Our first trip was way back at Christmas 2007. DD had just turned 5 earlier that month, and DS was just 6 months old and cut his first teeth at the World. Fast foward to today and we got a 9 year old DD and a DS that will be 5 in May. In fact, DS goes to the same Pre-School that DD did, with the same teacher when we went the first time. She's gonna think we go all the time!! Only if that was true...

Last time we stayed at POP and really loved it and would do it again with no concerns, except for one thing....the buses. I, and the wife, HATED the waiting for the buses and cramming on the buses, especially with a stroller for the little guy last time. It wasnt the worst thing in the world, but felt that so much time was wasted on going to and coming from on the buses. So, after researching and researching with a little more researching on the Dis, we are renting points from a DVC member and staying at BLT on March 18-23 with a lake view. I know we have to travel on a bus to DHS and AK, but the appeal of a short monorail ride to MK, or walk...maybe, and the monorail to Epcot was what sold us. And thank God for you peeps that rent your points...I checked the same type of reservation on the Disney site, and let's just say that we would probably be back at POP otherwise....

Ok, before I leave after our brief intro, I should probably introduce you to the Fam...These are pics from our 1st trip in 07 and I will try and get more up to date ones at some point.

Me (hope this works...please be patient..lol)

The Wife and DD

And the little guy...

If you've read this far...Thanks!!!
I will try and update on a regular basis....really, I promise I will!!!


Me

 

[Lidian]

I'm totally in! You have a lovely family! I'm jealous of you renting points! I never think about that until after I'm sold on a resort. Maybe next time I'll rent points and stay somewhere awesome! Can't wait to hear more!

 

[Corrine 1973]

I'm totally in! You have a lovely family! I'm jealous of you renting points! I never think about that until after I'm sold on a resort. Maybe next time I'll rent points and stay somewhere awesome! Can't wait to hear more!

Drat, Lidian beat me to this one.

Glad you started a PTR Mike, you have a gorgeous family. I am so jealous about you renting DVC points and getting to stay at BLT. If it wasn't for the fact that you are getting there about a week after I leave I would ask if I could come and check out the view.

Great start to your PTR, I can't wait to read more.

 

[DMGeurts]

Chasing you all down - wait for me - I am here too... No fair starting a PTR on a day that it's impossible for me to post.

Your family is gorgeous!!!

I can't wait to read more about your plans, and I would love to hear more about DVC rentals, because I think that's the only way I could stay at those resorts too.

D~

 

[sandym718]

I'm in too!

 

[mblc14]

I'm totally in! You have a lovely family! I'm jealous of you renting points! I never think about that until after I'm sold on a resort. Maybe next time I'll rent points and stay somewhere awesome! Can't wait to hear more!

Thanks!! we'll have to see how the renting goes, we still have to get our dining plan taken care of and Magical Express stuff too, but our member has been super to work with thus far and answered all of my questions.

Drat, Lidian beat me to this one.


Glad you started a PTR Mike, you have a gorgeous family. I am so jealous about you renting DVC points and getting to stay at BLT. If it wasn't for the fact that you are getting there about a week after I leave I would ask if I could come and check out the view.

Great start to your PTR, I can't wait to read more.

She just barely beat you too it.....All the pics I have seen so far of the lake views I've seen on the Dis from other members look great...can't wait to get there!!!
Hoping to update later tonight with ADR's and travel info...

Chasing you all down - wait for me - I am here too... No fair starting a PTR on a day that it's impossible for me to post.

Your family is gorgeous!!!

I can't wait to read more about your plans, and I would love to hear more about DVC rentals, because I think that's the only way I could stay at those resorts too.

D~

I'm in too!

Thanks!! Hoping the rest of the renting process goes as well as it has so far. It's a little nerve racking still...a lot of trust had to be made by both parties.

 

[mblc14]

Ch2. 2007 Flashback Mishap...

We only got as far as staying at BLT, introducing you to the cast and when we were going.

Living in Southern Iowa, our closest airport is Des Moines and the flights out of there are RIDICOLOUS!! When we went in 2007 we drove to Kansas City and flew Midwest Airlines. This time, we are still fyling out of KC, but this time fyling Southwest for a great rate. We will drive down on the 17th, spend the night and use the park and fly for hotel and take a shuttle to the airport. Which leads me to telling a nice mishap from our first trip....sigh.

Plans were kinda the same, drive down day before, stay overnight and fly out the next morning. However, watching the weather all week to see how travel would be was making me nervous. Big snowstorm was due to hit when we were traveling to KC....and as the week wore on, storm didnt move at all. No, big deal...just left a day earlier than planned and stayed 2 nights at KC in the same hotel. No big deal.

Had booked our flight through Expedia, I believe and then added one of those things afterwards that seemed like a good deal at the time. It was one of those rental car places that will park your car and shuttle you to the airport, pay in advance kinda deal. Thrifty, I believe. The snowstorm that hit the day before as predicted with about 8-10 inches. Good thing we left a day earlier.

Next morning...running behind schedule of course, but then again....I like being early for things. Drives the wife nuts. With an infant and Pre-schooler, I'm not real sure how the whole TSA thing will work. Get to Thrifty and one of the shuttles is starting to load...gotta make this one I tell myself. So, find a place they tell us to park and I just tell the wife to take the kids to the shuttle and I would get all the luggage carried over. This, however, was my first fatal mistake. Only me carrying the 5 pieces of luggage, stroller, my carry on and a couple of other things lead to rush it a little bit after about the 3rd trip from the van to the shuttle and back...through the somewhat plowed snow...for an out of shape man. Pretty sure I got them all, load up and take off to the airport. Rest of the trip was very smooth. Too smooth. DS falls asleep on my lap the whole flight, only checked luggage as the stroller, the rest was Magical express and the first thing out of bag claim roulette was the stroller...things are looking good.

But, maybe I didnt get all the luggage on the shuttle back in KC at Thrifty...and how does this Magical Express thing really work??

 

[debrapagliasotti]

I'm in! We have never done a DVC rental either, but I think we will probably try it someday. BLT looks great...cant beat the location. We are staying at CR in Oct and that was the exact thing that sold us on it...location and simplicity of transportation.

Cant wait to hear more about your plans.

 

[DMGeurts]

Ch2. 2007 Flashback Mishap...

We only got as far as staying at BLT, introducing you to the cast and when we were going.

Living in Southern Iowa, our closest airport is Des Moines and the flights out of there are RIDICOLOUS!! When we went in 2007 we drove to Kansas City and flew Midwest Airlines. This time, we are still fyling out of KC, but this time fyling Southwest for a great rate. We will drive down on the 17th, spend the night and use the park and fly for hotel and take a shuttle to the airport. Which leads me to telling a nice mishap from our first trip....sigh.

Plans were kinda the same, drive down day before, stay overnight and fly out the next morning. However, watching the weather all week to see how travel would be was making me nervous. Big snowstorm was due to hit when we were traveling to KC....and as the week wore on, storm didnt move at all. No, big deal...just left a day earlier than planned and stayed 2 nights at KC in the same hotel. No big deal.

Had booked our flight through Expedia, I believe and then added one of those things afterwards that seemed like a good deal at the time. It was one of those rental car places that will park your car and shuttle you to the airport, pay in advance kinda deal. Thrifty, I believe. The snowstorm that hit the day before as predicted with about 8-10 inches. Good thing we left a day earlier.

Next morning...running behind schedule of course, but then again....I like being early for things. Drives the wife nuts. With an infant and Pre-schooler, I'm not real sure how the whole TSA thing will work. Get to Thrifty and one of the shuttles is starting to load...gotta make this one I tell myself. So, find a place they tell us to park and I just tell the wife to take the kids to the shuttle and I would get all the luggage carried over. This, however, was my first fatal mistake. Only me carrying the 5 pieces of luggage, stroller, my carry on and a couple of other things lead to rush it a little bit after about the 3rd trip from the van to the shuttle and back...through the somewhat plowed snow...for an out of shape man. Pretty sure I got them all, load up and take off to the airport. Rest of the trip was very smooth. Too smooth. DS falls asleep on my lap the whole flight, only checked luggage as the stroller, the rest was Magical express and the first thing out of bag claim roulette was the stroller...things are looking good.

But, maybe I didnt get all the luggage on the shuttle back in KC at Thrifty...and how does this Magical Express thing really work??

Rut-Roh... Thinkin' someone left an important piece of luggage behind?

I am a bit nervous about ME too... So afraid I'll mess that one up. How hard can it really be? Unless you forget your packet... Uh-oh, did you forget your packet????

D~

 

[mblc14]

I'm in! We have never done a DVC rental either, but I think we will probably try it someday. BLT looks great...cant beat the location. We are staying at CR in Oct and that was the exact thing that sold us on it...location and simplicity of transportation.

Cant wait to hear more about your plans.

We are soo excited to stay at a monorail resort and hang out at MK as much as we want to without worrying about taking forever to get there.

Rut-Roh... Thinkin' someone left an important piece of luggage behind?

I am a bit nervous about ME too... So afraid I'll mess that one up. How hard can it really be? Unless you forget your packet... Uh-oh, did you forget your packet????

D~

The ME story is pretty funny...the luggage story is too, but wasnt when it happened

 

[mblc14]

Ch3. Mishap continued and some upcoming plans

So, when doing this, I've kinda decided to do a mini-TR from the first trip and include our upcoming plans as well, and I need to try and include pics as well...I'll keep working on that.

I last left talking about our adventure to the airport. Before I get to what happened with the a possible missing piece of luggae, lets talk ME.

Put the yellow tags on the luggage, checked them in as usual at the airport, got to Orlando...got lost trying to find the Disney Welcome Center just a couple of times.

Finally found it...

Got on the bus

And off to POP! Check in was no problem, 60's section, top floor, overlooking the Goofy kid splash area. Get to the room and know that the luggage probably wont be there yet and it wasnt...no big deal. Grab a bite at Everything Pop and then explore it for awhile. Get back, still no luggage. I decide to go check with the luggage people.

They tell me that its in our room, nope its not.

Well, maybe it crossed on your way here....call the wife, who's in the room, nope still not there.

They ask me to go to my room, and if its not there, call down...go up to the room, and guess what? No luggage....sigh...

Call down, and a lady with a very thick Jamican accent answers. Tell her my situation. I get put on hold....still holding.....yup, still holding.
She finally comes back and says they sent it to the wrong room...nice.

Before she is done talking, I thank her for her help and she says, in her nice thick Jamican accent ..."No problem, baby. Have a nice stay." Yikes!!

So...luggage is finally brought up, DD had been dying to swim the whole time, and now we can since her suit is finally here with the luggage. So off we go, DS stays with the wife and she unpacks everything while we are out swimming.

When we get back, I find out which piece of luggage was left in KC. DS...all of his clothes and formula, and little snacks....still in KC. Great.

Call Thrifty, yup....still there. Can you ship it here? Sure. Very $$$ and might not get here until we are ready to go anyways. Check the airlines...I mean, it does have a ME tag on it, it would get here. Well.......we dont like to check luggage that doesnt have a person on the flight....great. It's going to have to wait till we get back. Luckily we had a a couple little change of clothes in the diaper bag that could be utilized. We now laugh at the pics where he pretty much has the same hoodie on ALL the time...oh well. Of all the pieces to be lost, this one ie probably the best one. Not really a huge deal. However, buying formula at Disney was not real cost productive.(In hindsight now, not real sure why I didnt take a cab to like Walmart or Walgreens for that...). All is ok, until the next morning, something else was apparently in the suitcase that was a very BIG deal....

Plans
We should arrive at MCO a little after 3 this time, and although we are using ME for our luggage, I am not using it for us. I have a limo lined up for us from FLA tours. Yes, it is a little pricey, but the kids will LOVE it!! We are only doing it there, not both ways. Haven't even told the wife about this yet, because she would say no and I do all the planning anyways....

We have ADR for CM for 7:30. We ate here last time and loved it. Well...the experience anyways. I really dont remember anything about the food other than this...Yum!!!

But we loved the atmosphere and it will be great to just be able to walk over from BLT.

With my Fav....

MK is EMH that evening, till 2AM, so if everyone is not too terribly tired yet. The plan would be to head over there and get some MK things done and stay as late as possible. I had originally planned an ADR for Crystal Palace for 8 the next morning. I have since moved that to later in the week or there would be a mutiny at BLT on our first full day. So, currently thinking that we will take it slow on Monday the 19th after our big travel day. I'm sure DD and I will be up before DS and the wife, so maybe some pool time if the weather is ok.

Ok, so far so good on updating daily...we'll see how the week goes when its back to school and P/T conferences this week for us. Always a long week for us teachers....

 

[Lidian]

So you're one of those writers ... suspenseful. Gotcha.

I'll be here waiting to see what you forget. My guess is the bag with diapers and other baby/toddler necessities.

Waiting for more.

 

[Lidian]

And jumping back in, again, since I decided that I was going to post while you were posting.

I bet the binky or the night-time lovey was in that bag. My kids had a bink and a lovey that they couldn't sleep withouth.

And honestly, I'm not sure if I would have thought about finding a nearby Walmart or something either. And we always have a car (we drive). I can't imagine how much formula and diapers cost on property! I know I always had sticker shock just at Walmart when I had to buy them.

The Mickey dessert is definitely something I'm looking forward to for our CM visit. Mmmmm! I ate like 53,489,193 of them in 2009.

 

[sandym718]

Well You've captured my interest, for sure ! Can't wait for more!

 

[oopsiDAISY]

I am here, Mike! (Connie Cannon Sink)

 

[mblc14]

So you're one of those writers ... suspenseful. Gotcha.

I'll be here waiting to see what you forget. My guess is the bag with diapers and other baby/toddler necessities.

Waiting for more.

I wish it was just more of DS's things...unfortunately it was not.
I always loved the TR's where they left me hanging on some little nugget or two...sorry

And jumping back in, again, since I decided that I was going to post while you were posting.

I bet the binky or the night-time lovey was in that bag. My kids had a bink and a lovey that they couldn't sleep withouth.

And honestly, I'm not sure if I would have thought about finding a nearby Walmart or something either. And we always have a car (we drive). I can't imagine how much formula and diapers cost on property! I know I always had sticker shock just at Walmart when I had to buy them.

The Mickey dessert is definitely something I'm looking forward to for our CM visit. Mmmmm! I ate like 53,489,193 of them in 2009.

I also loved a little key lime pie tart thing that they had...mmmm key lime pie...

Well You've captured my interest, for sure ! Can't wait for more!

Glad you could stop by!!

I am here, Mike! (Connie Cannon Sink)

Welcome...I have readers....

 

[Lidian]

I'll have to be on the lookout for the key lime tarts! YUM!

 

[DMGeurts]

Hmmmm... Where might one find a key lime tart????

D~

 

[mblc14]

I pretty sure we had them at CM....there was a ton of yummy desserts there. You guys need to take pics for me that will be there in early March while I have to wait till the end of the month. I'm sure we will all have some pretty good TR's!!!

 

[Lidian]

I pretty sure we had them at CM....there was a ton of yummy desserts there. You guys need to take pics for me that will be there in early March while I have to wait till the end of the month. I'm sure we will all have some pretty good TR's!!!

I will be all about taking pics! Heck, I even do live FB updates when I'm at WDW.

I'll scout for key lime tarts at CM. If so, I'll take a picture for the FB group, so you can be jealous.